| 1 | It was a garden in the primal age, |
| | But at the end it is a city square; |
| | Creation’s center in the garden was, |
| | God’s building issues in the city fair. |
| 2 | Both in the garden and the city fair |
| | A river and the tree of life are seen, |
| | Christ typifying as the life supply, |
| | The Spirit showing as the living stream. |
| 3 | Both in the garden and the city bright |
| | Three kinds of precious substances are found; |
| | There are the gold, the pearls, and precious stones |
| | Which for the building work of God abound. |
| 4 | But in the garden all these precious things |
| | Are just materials lying in the earth, |
| | Yet in the city all are builded up |
| | And form that dwelling of transcendent worth. |
| 5 | Man in the garden of the clay was formed, |
| | In nature as the Lord created him; |
| | The tree of life was then without the man, |
| | Not having yet become his life within. |
| 6 | But in the city glorious the tree |
| | Within the corporate “man” doth grow, thereby |
| | Revealing Christ Himself as life divine |
| | Being to man his inward life supply. |
| 7 | ’Tis for the city man is wrought upon, |
| | Therefore regenerated and transformed |
| | To purest gold, to pearls and precious stones, |
| | As Christ’s own Body, to Himself conformed. |
| 8 | Within the garden also was a bride, |
| | Who was to Adam as his counterpart; |
| | Lastly, the city is itself the bride |
| | As Christ’s own fulness, precious to His heart. |
| 9 | The city is God’s building work replete, |
| | A composition of the justified; |
| | A habitation it affords to God |
| | And is to Christ His own beloved bride. |
| 10 | ’Tis God’s expression, ultimate and full, |
| | Corporate and universal, marvelous; |
| | God’s glory it completely manifests, |
| | And is Christ’s counterpart most glorious. |
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