saw a great white throne and him that sat on it from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away and there was found no place for them 12. And I saw the dead small and great stand before God and the books were opened and another book was opened which is the book of life and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books according to their works 13. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them and they were judged every man according to their works 14. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire this is the second death 15. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire WE have hitherto had a view of the state of the visible Church to the close of its warfare so long as it shall be militant till her great and last enemy the devil shall be taken and shut up in his everlasting prison which was hinted at in the former verse Now unto the end followeth a most plain description of the day of judgment when all good and bad that ever lived shall be raised and brought to appear before their great Judge to receive sentence every one according to their works The state of the wicked because it is most shortly insisted on â—â— in the first place set down in this Chapter Then the state of the godly and their happinesse is more fully insisted on in the two Chapters following So in short the state of the Church seemeth to be 1. spreading under the first seal as to the thriving of the Gospel 2. Persecuted under the second third fourth and fifth feals 3. Delivered temporally by the sixth All this is Chap. 6. This is the first period 2. Then beginneth Satan to work under-hand till he bring Antichrist to an height and by the Turks overrun a great part of these that carry the name of Christians that is under the first six trumpets with the prophesies contemporary with these 3. By the seventh trumpet and first vial judgement beginneth on Antichrist the case turneth and is carried on during the vials and the thousand years wherein Babylon is destroyed to wit Rome by the fifth vial the Pope fleeing from it to new help and the Turks are destroyed by the sixth Gog and Magog are letten loose and stirred up by the devil under the seventh whereby they temporally and after some little intervall he eternally and all the wicked are judged by the judgement of the great day which was as to him hinted before that the storie of his ruine might be together but here more fully set down That this describeth the last judgement is almost past controversie even amongst these who apply the Chapters following to a state of the militant Church and it is clear not only by the native context and series which is not to be interrupted especially where the things do so well agree for having spoken of the devils last judgement which by Iude is called the judgement of the great day it is consentaneous therefore to understand this of such a judgement whereby he is so judged Beside being now at the close of the seventh vial which bringeth the end and the expressions and judgement both in the verse before and following jumping with these of the seventh vial such a judgement as closeth that vial must be understood which can be no other but the last But the expressions are full and the matter and circumstances so convincing that they leave no place of doubting being so like Dan. 12.1 and other places where the day of judgment is spoken of for at what other judgement are all the dead judged all the reprobate sent to hell the Elect delivered death and hell cast in the lake c. which are all expressed here to what other judgment can they agree but to the last whereof they are particular properties as in the explication it will appear This judgement is notably described in these four 1. In the preparation for it 2. The parties 3. The manner of accurate proceeding and the sentence 4. The execution thereof as to the wicked here and as to the godly Chap. 21. and 22. Let your ears hear of and your eyes behold this judgement as that before which every one of you will before long appear and so frame your selves to be suitable to it as if with Iohn you saw this great court fenced this judgement set and the sentence pronounced the like whereof never was nor shall be There are four things in the preparation 1. A great white throne and one sat on it This maketh way for what followeth that we may know that it is a great thing that is meaned here it alludeth to Dan. 7. There is a throne to signifie majesty glory and statelinesse as well as Authority for when this Judge cometh He shall come in power and great glory as in the glory of His Father and with all the holy Angels with the found of the Arch-angel in the clouds c. all sheweth that never was there such a glorious Parliament holden nor ridden or so royal a throne set It is called Secondly white as He was on a white horse because of purity and holinesse judgement and justice are the habitation of His throne Psal. 89. and righteousnesse goeth before His face there is no wrong nor injustice there as also for its shining gloriousnesse its power and majesty is infinitely pure spotlesse and incomprehensibly glorious It is called a great white throne for the same reasons The thrones of the Kings of the earth even Solomons golden throne are but petty not to be accounted footstools to this when this is set these will evanish He that sitteth on this is a great King and a great God above all gods The second thing in the preparation is that one sat on this throne he saw him that sat on it it was not empty but one was on it whom he saw he nameth Him not possibly because he had no name every way suitable to Him for His name is Chap. 19. such as none knoweth but Himself or because it is without all controversie who this Judge is an article of Faith to Believers the Son of man who shall come in power and great glory from the Fathers right hand to judge both the quick and the dead He is called ver 12. God before whom they stand to shew that this Judge is so and then will appear to be so Howbeit as man visibly He will here proceed and shall be seen by all even by these who peirced Him they shall behold Him coming in this glory See Mat. 25.1 Thess. 4. Rev. 1.7 The third thing preparatory or going before is before or from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away and there was found no place for them This is the great consummation and the universal change that shall be on all
shall be their Judge and the Books shall be opened at the great Day The wish is from the Three Persons and though the Holy Ghost be here named before the Son it is not to confound the order that is among the Persons of the Trinity in Their subsisting and operations but for this reason because Iohn is to insist on Jesus Christ the second Person he keeps Him last in naming to make the progress in his writing the more clear Observe There are three distinct Persons of the blessed Trinity the Father Son and Spirit who are the same one God in the Name of these Three is Baptism administrated and from Them Grace is wished and prayed for 2 Cor 13.14 For 1. That there are Three who are distinctly mentioned here cannot be denied that the first is the Father and the third Jesus Christ really distinct from the Father is clear for the Son and not the Father was incarnate and therefore the like must be said of the seven Spirits that they set forth the Holy Ghost personally seing it is He who in the like places useth to be joyned in with the Father and the Son as 2 Cor. 13.13 1 Ioh. 5.7 8. and therefore it 's said in the seven Epistles to be what the Spirit saith These Seven Spirits therefore is that one Spirit and He a person that speaketh to the Churches Secondly That each of these Three must be God appears 1. Because the last Two are both joyned as equall with the Father of whom there can be no question 2. Because the Son Jesus Christ afterward hath the same Title attributed to Him which is here given to the Father 3. Because the same one suit is prayed for from all of them and it being Grace and Peace which only God can give suppones divine essential Attributes to be in those from whom they are wished yea They are named here as joynt Senders of this Epistle and Authorizers of this Word therefore is it so often afterward said Let him that hath ears hear what the Spirit saith and there can no Authority but what is divine be sufficient here Hence also Thus saith the Lord and thus saith the Holy Ghost are frequently put for one another each one therefore of these Three must be God 3. It may appear from this also that all these Three are One God thus This Revelation and Salutation cometh from one God chap. 1. ver 1. and 22. 18 19. and yet this Revelation and Salutation cometh from the Father Son and Spirit therefore They are that One God Again If the Grace and Peace proceed from one Essence which is common to all then they are the same God essentially though distinct Persons but Grace and Peace looks to the same Godhead and Essence though it be wished for from all for the effect Grace and Peace is but one it doth therefore suppose an unity in the fountain from which it comes to wit these Three Persons of the glorious Godhead who are named distinctly not to shew a different effect from the Father which is not from the Son but to shew the concurrence of these blessed Three in an united way for bringing forth of these so that what cometh from the Father cometh also from the Son and Spirit These essential Attributes and that most simple and infinit Essence being common to all the Three Persons it rests therefore that they are Three distinct Persons and yet of the same infinit Godhead Neither will that which the Secinians and others oppose to this place have weight Say they Christ is spoken of here as dead Therefore cannot be God For it 's one thing to speak of Him who was dead another to say that it speaks of Him as such He that died was God but He died not as God and therefore this can only prove that Jesus Christ as to His Person is man but by it we can no more deny Him to be the second Person of the Godhead than afterward when He is called the first and the last by that we can deny Him to be man And that the Son and the Holy Ghost are equal with the Father appeareth also in this That they are both equally with Him the object of divine Worship here to wit of Invocation and Prayer which could not otherwise be Concerning the Holy Trinity and Object of Worship THere is much spoken of the Glory of God in this Book and no where is the distinction of the Persons of the glorious Godhead more frequently and clearly set forth Iohn was more full in this than any who wrote before him because that in his time Ebion and some others had arisen who did deny the Godhead of the Son and Holy Ghost and therefore with a particular respect to These he did write the more fully of this for which he got the stile of Divine singularly as was marked on the Title It will not therefore be impertinent now once for all to touch that a little further and although here curiosity would be restrained full satisfaction in the up-taking of that Mysterie being peculiarly reserved to that time when we shall see Him as He is as our Lord's word Ioh. 14.20 Then ye shall know that I am in the Father doth import and therefore we would not presume to satisfie our selves in the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or particular manner how that is but humbly be contented to have our Faith solidly grounded in the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or being thereof which may be done by considering these three to wit 1. the truth of the thing 2. the expressions used in holding of it forth and 3. the necessity of the believing thereof For the first we say That as there is but one God essentially so there are three distinct co-equal co-essential and con-substantial Persons of that blessed Godhead the Father Son and Spirit who yet in a most wonderful excellent and infinitly perfect though an inconceivable manner have an order of subsisting and working amongst Themselves It was a saying amongst the Ancients That to speak of God even that which was truth was dangerous Etiam de Deo dicere verum est periculosum and indeed here it ought to be remembered Yet may we consider the former general Proposition in these Assertions 1. Assert There is but one God essentially considered and in this the Scripture is clear and so in this Book chap. 1. and last although there be a plurality of Persons mentioned yet it is ever God spoken of as One in the singular number and thus He is still opposed as the One living God to the plurality of Idols And indeed there can be no plurality in this for if that One God have in Him all perfections There can be no perfection beside Him and so no God beside this One true God And if we supposed any perfection to be beside Him then were not He God because not infinit in perfection and if infinit then that which is infinit in that respect cannot be
with one seal but with seven and especially this number is so definite because the following principle visions do so much consist of sevens for the number of the seals of this Book doth distinguish the steps of this first principall Prophesie To clear it we must know that in these times their Books were not like ours now but generally were long scrolls of Parchment rolled up on a stick as we may gather from the writings of the Old Testament in respect of which form one part of a scroll might be rolled up then sealed after that an other part rolled up and that likewise sealed and so forth till there might be seven parts and seven severall seals and therefore the opening of the first seal would only admit one to read that part of the scrol untill he came to the second and again there were no reading of what followed untill the second were opened c. Of this sort is this Book mentioned here for Chap. 6. we see that the opening of every seal giveth some new vision and that there is no understanding thereof till the distinct and several seals be opened The second part of the Chapter which concerneth the opening of the Book and maketh way for expressing the honour of the Mediator followeth in the next six Verses Wherein First There is a Proclamation made to find out some fit person to open the same vers 2. Secondly There is a disappointment vers 3. Thirdly There is Iohns exceeding great heavinesse and weightednesse therewith vers 4. Fourthly There is a consolation against the same first intimated and thereafter seen vers 5 6 7. The Proclamation vers 2. is in these words I saw a strong Angel proclaiming with a loud voice Who is worthy to open the book and to loose the seals thereof This Proclamation is not made as if there were an expectation to find any creature by whom this might be done but by putting all creatures to it and thereby declaring their insufficiency the greater way is made for the glory of Christ the Mediator the performer thereof The party proclaiming is an Angel for even these admire Gods way with His Church and desire the unfolding of the same It is a strong Angel to shew the concernment of the thing proclaimed and that even the most excellent Angels count it their happinesse to be serviceable to God in the affairs of His Church also it maketh the thing proclaimed more observable By comparing this with the 5. and 6. verses we may see that by beasts are neither understood any of the host of Angels in general nor some speciall Angels as some alleage of a more eminent degree for they are opposed to this strong Angel who yet must be understood to be of eminency amongst them Again the matter proclaimed is observable which is not Who is able to open the Book c. but Who is worthy or meet to do the same and this upon the one side is to put a dash upon all creatures as being unworthy and unmeet to pry into Gods secrets immediately and on the other side it doth exceedingly commend the Mediator who alone is found to be such This is done with a loud voice that thereby the mouths of all creatures may be stopped and that this singular worthinesse of the Mediator and this His peculiar priviledge might be afterward found to be the more unquestionable A second circumstance is the answer of this proclamation or the effect which followed upon it which may be gathered from vers 3. and no man in heaven nor in earth nor under the earth was able to open the book nay nor to look thereon this is plain and sheweth that not one of all the creatures even of the most excellent Angels in Heaven none of the men in earth nor devils in hell can reveal Gods secret counsel till it be done by the Mediator nay they could not look thereon which is an aggravation of their dulnesse and ignorance in that respect for they were so far from opening this Book that they could not look upon the same And if it be thus in the works of common providence What could all creatures have attianed to in the uptaking of the great Mystery of Godlinesse God manifested in the flesh c. had not the Lord thought good to reveal the same The third thing vers 4. is Iohns heavinesse because of that apparent impossibility And I wept much because no man was found worthy to open and to read the book neither to look thereon Which doth set forth 1. That Iohn did esteem the understanding of what was within this Book to be of great worth 2. That he did exceedingly long to understand the same 3. That he seemed now to be hopelesse of attaining this 4. That this disappointment was sad and heavy to him It is not like that it was Iohns curiosity which made him thus to weep but conceiving the thing to be usefull to the Church it did affect him much to see the ficklnesse of all creatures and mens emptinesse in particular for all their boasting of their attaining to the knowledge of so great mysteries yet there may be some infirmity in this excesse by his thinking the thing desperate because it was impossible to creatures and his overlooking the Office and Excellency of the Mediator who can do when all others give it over which is a fault too often incident to Believers The fourth step is vers 5. Where the consolation beginneth for the Lord suffereth not Iohn to weep long even though his infirmity had occasioned his own heavinesse The consolation hath two parts The first is by sending good news or glad tidings unto Iohn vers 5. The second is by making him a beholder of a comfortable sight vers 6. and 7. wherein he seeth that to be performed which was told unto him In these glad tidings we may consider First the carrier Secondly the comfort Thirdly the ground thereof The carrier is one of the Elders that is as was expounded in the former Chapter some private Professor or member of the Church whom in way of vision God maketh use of to help and comfort Iohn in this his heavinesse and infirmity and what is here in vision may be often really performed in the Church From which we may gather 1. That the strongest of Gods Servants may have their great fits of heavinesse and weeping and their mistakes of His dispensations and be ready to count things much more desperate than they are 2. The Lord is tender of His Peoples heavinesse even when it is out of infirmity 3. His comforts are seasonably trysted and often then are they most near and refreshfull when men think things most desperate 4. He may make use of any instrument for the comforting of another and when the strong are overmastered with heaviness He can stir up weak Professors to prove comfortable to them And in the last place more particularly we may see That weak Professors may somtimes be more
record of the Word of God and of the Testimony of Iesus Christ which relates to his writing of the Gospel as he stiles himself in the close of it chap. 21.24 This is that Disciple which testifieth of these things and wrote these things and we know that his Testimony is true Neither doth it make any thing against this that this Book being prophetical doth differ somewhat in stile from his other Writings for the stile is not so unlike his there being many words and phrases in his Gospel and in several Chapters of this Book so like one another as that Christ is called the Word and the Lamb in the one and in the other these phrases being peculiar to Him The Preface hath two parts First A general Inscription of the Book ver 1 2 3. Secondly A particular Inscription and Direction to the seven Churches in Asia to which the seven Epistles in the second and third Chapters are written from ver 4. to ver 9. And there are several particulars in every one of these To begin with the Inscription The Revelation that is the making open and unfolding of some things obscure and though they be still obscure to us yet not in themselves nor to us now as they were before this 2. It 's of Iesus Christ First Because given out by Jesus Christ to Iohn as from the Administrator and great Prophet of His Church And secondly Because much of this Revelation concerned the governing of His Church Thirdly Whith God gave unto him which denotes the order of the Persons in their subsisting and operations the Father working from Himself by the Son and the way of Christs working as Mediatour who doth the will of Him that sent Him for as God He understands all things essentially by Himself but as Medlatour He hath that given and communicated to Him Fourthly The end of this work is To shew unto His Servants things which must shortly come to passe that this Revelation may not be kept up but made forth-coming to His Servants by whom is understood not all Creatures nor all in the visible Church nor only such special Servants by Office as Iohn was but such as were and are His Followers Subjects and Believers in Him in the visible Church Fifthly The subject of this Revelation things which must shortly come to passe not things past nor so much things present though in the second and third Chapter such things be spoken to as mainly things to come And it 's said That they must shortly come to passe because though the full accomplishment of them was not to be till the end of the world as will be clear from the Prophecy and therefore those events cannot be confined within some few years yet the beginning of the fulfilling of them was instantly upon the back of this Revelation Sixthly He sent and signified it by His Angel that is Jesus Christ made use of the ministration of His Angel to signifie this both to set out His dignity and grandour and to conciliate the greater credit to it Seventhly The person it is revealed to is His Servant Iohn His Servant by special Delegation and Office in a special Imployment as a Steward in His House 1. Observe the great advantage and benefit the priviledge and prerogative that Christ's Servants have beyond all others Christ writes His Letters to them there is not a word written to Kings and great men but it is to shew His Servants things to come to passe To be His Servants is to be Gods free-men and they win fardest benn upon His Secrets and Mysteries Psal. 25. The Secret of the Lord is with them that fear Him and He will shew them His Covenant 2. Observe Christ's way of Administration Though this Revelation be sent to His Servants yet not immediatly but first it is given to Christ and He gives it to His Angel and the Angel gives it to Iohn and he brings it out to the Churches Jesus Christ must have His own place and the first notice of any thing concerning the good of the Church comes to Him as Mediatour and He doth nothing but He first reveals it to His Servants the Prophets Amos 3. They are His Servants of State to bear His Mind to His People Vers. 2. The second thing in the Preface is A description of Iohn whâ— bare record of the Word of God which may relate to the Gospel of Iohn which holds out Jesus Christ who was and is the substantial Word of God as he begins his Gospel 2. And of the Testimony of Iesus Christ which may look to his Epistles 3. And of all things that he saw this looks to the particular Visions God gave him in this Book John's baring record points out his faithfulness according to the Charge and Commission given him what is given him to deliver he keeps not up what he receives in charge he discharges 3. We have the commendation of this Book ver 3. to stir up folks to make use of it because He knew many would scarre at it and be ready to let it lye beside them as useless and unprofitable whereas all Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable c. 2 Tim. 3.16 Therefore this is added Blessed is he that readeth that is this Book is not a thing to be spoken of only and not to be read and studied for the Seals of it are opened and blessed are they that read it It 's a happy and a good thing soberly and humbly to read and to seek to understand it and because every one cannot read he adds And blessed are they that hear the words of this Prophecy it may relate not only to private but to publick reading and hearing of this Book when it is read and exponed So that by Christ's own Ordinance this Book is to be brought forth to His People and because folks are ready to grow vain and secure and to rest upon reading and hearing He adds another word and keep those sayings that are written therein that is it 's not the reading nor the hearing simply that will bring the blessing but the observing and making right use of it Then He adds a reason why He would have it read and heard and the sayings of it observed and made use of because the time is at hand the fulfilling of the things in this Book is at hand the time hasteth of calling folks to a reckoning what use they have made of those sayings the time of pouring out His wrath on His Enemies and of being very kind to His Church and People is at hand 1. Observe It 's a good thing to be studying the Scripture it 's a mark of the blessed man Psal. 1. It makes the man of God wise to salvation and it 's good that those who want the use of reading themselves make up that want by hearing others and particularly it is good to be reading and hearing this Book read those that are fitted for reading let them use it
in His hand lippening to His strength and power rather than to ought in themselves for the performing of the task committed to them 1. This is for special consolation in evil times that Christ hath such a care of His Ministers and Churches let the Devil pluck again and again to have a Ministery down somtimes by force somtimes by slight it will not be they are stars and in Christs hand sooner will Stars be plucked from heaven than they from Him 2. Christs care of His Church kyths in caring for His Ministers The right care of the one is carried along with the right care of the other and it 's not a right care of Churches where there is not a respect to Ministers Christ knoweth the good and the ill of the one stands and falls with the good and ill of the other there is such a connexion between them and such a sibnesse they are so interested the one in the other that according as the one is so is the other ordinarly if the Minister be carnal and secure so is the flock and if the Minister be in a lively temper there will also be some life among the flock And if we speak in reference to those who have enmity at the Church hatred against the Church is vented and begineth at hatred against the Ministerie It 's impossible to be careful of Christs Church and despise and hate His Ministers or overturn a Ministerie 3. It shews that there is a respect due to them that Christ puts in this place and where Christ hath put respect it becometh us to put respect also there should be a sympathie with them and a reverencing of them if it were for no more but for this cause that he keeps them in His right hand respect to Him should make respect to them It 's a strange Religion to professe respect to Churches and Saints and show so little to Ministers Christ did never so LECTURE VIII Vers. 17. And when I saw him I fell at his feet as dead and he laid his right hand upon me saying unto me Fear not I am the first and the last 18. I am he that liveth and was dead and behold I am alive for evermore Amen YE have heard of this Vision which Iohn saw the Lord beginneth with it at the entry of this task of writing this Book of the Revelation to imprint on him a stamp and impression of His own excellencie as a preparation and fitting of him for the Work even as He began with Isaiah chap. 6. and with Ezekiel chap. 1. Bearing out by these Visions a representation of His Glory and Majesty therebâ— to fit and qualifie them for their duty for they are fittest to bear Gods message and to describe Him to others that are thus prepared and qualified and have some reverence and awe of God imprinted on their own hearts From the 17. vers and forward to the end we have some consequents that followed this Vision or some circumstances for the edification of the Church for clearing of the Vision before mentioned and for making way for Iohn's writing of what he saw And they are four in number 1. The effect which the Vision had on Iohn in the beginning of vers 17. for as stately and lovingly as Jesus Christ represented Himself he could not bear it but faints when he sees Him and he falls at His feet as dead 2. A consolation proposed by our Lord to Iohn which hath severall steps in the latter part of vers 17. and 18. wherein as Iohn kythed weaknesse so Christ kythed much love tendernesse and skilfulnesse in applying an effectuall remedy for curing the distemper Iohn was into 3. A repetition of Iohn's Commission and Warrand to write vers 19. And 4. An explication of that part of the Vision concerning the meaning of the seven golden Candlesticks and the Stars vers 20. 1. And when I saw him I fell down at his feet as dead This is the first consequent or effect of the Vision I fell down as dead that is I was benummed as it were and dammished with the sight of the excellent Majesty and Glory that I saw in Him and I was put out of capacity to act the acts of body or mind as if I had been dead I could no more exercise or act the acts of a living man than a dead man can as Daniel Chap. 10.8.9 And it hath been often seen in the best of Gods Children when more than ordinary representations of God have been let forth they have become as dead men unfit for action And it proceeds from two grounds 1. From the exceeding great distance that is betwixt the infinite Majesty of God and finite creatures the brightnesse of the Glory Excellency and Majesty of God the Creator burdeneth and over-burdeneth the weaknesse and infirmity of the best of creatures for if the eyes of creatures be that weak that they cannot look on the Sun what wonder that flesh and bloud is not able to look on the Sun of Righteousnesse This new wine is too strong for our old bottles 2. From the fear of a begun quarrell and grounds of a continued quarrell then apprehended making not only a disproportion through infirmity betwixt the Majesty of God and the creature which is so many wayes defective to comprehend Him but also making a disconformity through sin and so a fear to appear before Him which makes the creature fear undoing as in Isa. 6. Wo is me I am undone for I am a man of unclean lips for mine eyes have seen the Lord of hosts For though before the Fall when God and Adam were friends he could have endured God to speak to him yet after the Fall the appearance of God is terrible unto Him when he hears His voice he is afraid and runs and hides himself And there is some thing of this fear that sticketh to the best a fear that riseth from the sight of sin which nearnesse to God doth discover And it 's like that some thing of both these grounds were in Iohn as may be gathered from our Lords application of the remedy and the grounds whereupon He goes in comforting him He layeth his hand on him and strengthens him and and saith fear not c. whereby it seemeth 1. Iohn conceived from a distemper of mind Christ would reckon with him and with Peter Luk. 5.8 fears as a sinfull and profain person in his own account his being so near such a Glorious and Holy Majesty And 2. This distemper of mind kyths and hath influence on his body and maketh him fall down at His feet not out of reverence to worship Him but being overswayed with the excessivenesse of fear that mastered and overcame him he cannot stand up but falleth down as dead 1. This sets out to us the great disproportion that is betwixt creatures and the Majesty of God the beloved Disciple Iohn cannot stand before Him when he kyths but falleth down as dead Isa. 40.15 17. and 41.11 12
such Hereticks associating with women that thereby there might be the greater facility to seduce the simple of both sexes Sometimes also they were helpfull by their means and credite to further Sect-masters in their designes and to hold them on in them sometimes again they were exceeding dexterous and diligent in venting and spreading false reports upon honest Ministers and to beget a favourable opinion of these that were erroneous All which tend exceedingly to the promoving of Error and to the hurting of the truth And we will find Augustine often complaining of the malicious reports that this Lucilla used to spread upon them whereby the calumnies of the Donatists were strengthened Upon which grounds and the like we may see what the devils design is in seeking to engage such in the head of such a design This then is the first fault charged on her that contrary to truth and without warrand from God she did call her self a prophetesse even though she had not proposed any Error Her second fault is that she teacheth this was forbidden 1 Cor. 14 34. and 1 Tim. 2.12 And it appeareth that even these Prophetesses who had an extraordinary Gift from God as Philips daughters had Acts 21. Yet were not publickly and Authoritatively to Preach for Paul commands them silence 1 Cor. 14. even when he is speaking of extraordinary Prophets And we will not find in the New Testament at least any ground for a woman publickly to officiate in the Ministrie of the Gospel as an Authorized Office-bearer The third part of her challenge is that by her Teaching she did seduce which is a challenge to her though she had been guilty of none of the former two This to wit seduction and leading of people out of the way of Truth doth ever almost follow upon persons usurping a Calling to themselves or upon persons stepping without their own bounds and station to Teach and we will seldome find persons to run unsent in any of the former respects but itching after some new thing hath had influence upon them to carry them without their bounds as we may see in Iezebel here and ordinarily through the Scripture and Church-historie The particulars wherein she seduced her hearers are two The first is to commit fornication that is by her asserting fornication to be no sin she occasioned and stirred them up to take liberty therein which possibly otherwayes they would not have done The second is to eat things sacrificed to Idols that is by propounding the indifferencie of meats and pretending to Christian-liberty she induced them without all respect to scandal to eat of these things to the stumbling grieving and wounding of others that were weak and tender which two are the very doctrines and practices of the Nicolaitans as was shown in the Epistles to Ephesus and Pergamos But it is a different quarrel from this which the Lord hath with the Angel it 's expressed thus because thou sufferest that woman Iezebel c. that is not that they countenanced her in her Errors or did hear her in her Teaching but that they suffered her and did not impede her If it be asked How they can be quarrelled for suffering of her seing they were not Magistrates nor had civil Authoritie to restrain her Answ. That is not the quarrel but this that they being invested by Christ Jesus with Church-power to censure corrupt Ministers and cut off rotten Members did not exercise the same in censuring and Excommunicating of this false Prophetesse and these that adhered to her as Ephesus had censured the false Apostles vers 2. So on the matter it 's the same fault which is condemned in Pergamos vers 15. who had such corrupt Members in their societie and did not by Excommunication cut them off which sheweth that the Church is invested with such a Power for no civil Power can be alledged here and that the neglecting of the exercise thereof is exceedingly displeasing to Christ Jesus If it be asked 1. How Church-censures when backed with no civil Authority can impede one to teach 2. Why the Lord is so displeased with Church-rulers their suffering of corrupt teachers 3. If this relate any way to civil Powers as well as Ecclesiastick To the first we answer Although Church-censures have no civil compulsion with them or bodily violence or strength to restrain any from corrupt teaching yet they have a threefold weight when rightly gone about they have an authority and weight as to the conscience of the gain-sayer because censures being the Ordinance of Jesus Christ and as it were a seal put by His Authority to a conditionall threatning they have a stamp of His Majesty upon them and so they serve to humble men or to revenge their disobedience and therefore these who seemingly professe to despise sentences want not an inward apprehension of the terrour of Excommunication and would gladly not have that sentence past upon them 2. If men obstinately suppresse the weight of the censure upon the conscience as well as of the Word yet being a mean appointed of God for the restraining of such evils it 's oftentimes countenanced by Him if not to the humbling yet to the blasting of such persons in their designes whereby in His secret Providence and Justice it often cometh to passe that sentences against such persons are eminently owned and countenanced by Him with some concurring dispensation evidencing His ratifying of the same as sometimes such are in Justice given up to more vile delusions sometimes to grosse out-breakings in practice sometimes their very natural judgement and senses are blasted their credit and reputation evanisheth and it may be some way He doth signally follow them with His own immediate Hand by some stroak upon their Estates Persons or Families even when they seem to be countenanced by civil Power as it is written in Church-story He did to Simon Magus Arrius after he was Excommunicated by taking him away in the very height of his insolency who having again recovered Court and being in a solemn manner with many attendants coming to appear for his pretended vindication was smitten as he thought with a desire to ease himself and for that end withdrawing to a retiring place in one of the streets of Constantinople he did instantly expire and having been waited-for long by his attendants was at last found dead in the seat his intestines being dissolved and voided That little Book formerly cited of the Rise and Reigne of the Familists c. hath some dreadfull instances of this Thus the Lord hath often made such a way to stink by smiting the head thereof in some extraordinary manner And though this be not the proper end of Excommunication yet when it meeteth with mens corruptions it is often a just consequent thereof And these or such like wayes of disappointment cannot be so warrantably expected where this Ordinance is not improven because it hath the promise and is a mean appointed for this end that men may learn
is sutable and meet it should be so that these that difference themselves in keeping clean from the sins of others should be by me brought to a condition where they shall have eternal and absolute whitenesse And at the first view it is clear that the promise is conceived in these terms so as it may carry in it a sutablnesse to their present honest condition And the Lord often useth this expression both in His promises and threatnings when He intendeth not to shew what is due in strict justice but only that there is and will be a sute ablnesse and poportionablnesse between mens carriage and His dealâ—ng with them as we will after find chap. 16. vers 15 16. And this we rest in as the meaning of the place and as most clear from the scope thereof The Conclusion followeth Wherein 1. there are some encouragements given to the overcomer vers 5. and then the common advertisement vers 6. which is in all the other Epistles There are three promises made to the overcomer The first is the same shall be cloathed in white raiment which is upon the matter that same which was promised to these few sincere Members that were in Sardis And is here proposed to shew that not only these in Sardis but all that shall faithfully wrestle and overcome shall be made partakers of that excellent priviledge formerly mentioned And yet I suppose none can say that all that shall be cloathed in white and admitted to heaven are in strict and proper Justice worthy of the same yet upon the former Popish principles this will follow if so be the proper worthinesse of these in Sardis had been the thing that procured this priviledge unto them to wit to walk in white The second promise is And I will not blot out his name out of the book of life The Book of Life is frequently mentioned in this Prophecie and God-willing we may take occasion to speak somewhat of it chap. 20. Only now we say there are four Books figuratively attributed to God to mention no more for God hath neither need nor use of Books but after the manner of men for helping us to take up His mind He thus expresseth Himself First There is a Book that is more generall and comprehendeth His decrees which in His ordinary providence He executeth in the World from time to time In this respect all His works are said to be known to Him from the beginning as if He had had a particular roll of them all and it is with respect to this that David Psal. 139. vers 16. saith Thine eyes did see my substance yet being imperfect and in thy Book all my members were written which in continuance were fashioned when as yet there was none of them A second Book is of Gods Omniscience which taketh in all things past present and to come as if He had keeped a Diarie of every event and had written up evâ—â—y word and action of men In reference to this the Books are said to be opened in the day of Judgement Rev. 20.12 A third Book is of Gods speciall care of His Church whereby as it were He hath set forth Himself to have a peculiar care and oversight of her and what concerneth her This is mentioned Chap. 5. vers 1 c. A fourth Book is called the Book of Life which relateth only to the names of such as our Lord hath ordained to Glory and doth import that they are as definitely and distinctly determined and known by Him as if they were by name and surname particularly recorded in a Book It is this Book that is here called the book of life Because 1. The end thereof is to ordain so many to Life And 2. because there is a immutable connexion betwixt being written in this Book of Life and obtaining eternall life and so being the first and sure door that maketh enterance unto life possible and feasable and gives the right to and is the foundation of all that followeth therefore deservedly it getteth this name to be called the book of life It rests then to consider what it is not to blot out his name out of the book of life It is not to be understood as if there were a scraping out and putting in into that Book posterior to Gods eternall and immutable decree because First in that respect it could not be called the Book of Life for so many might die who once were in it Secondly It is contrary also expresly to the end and use thereof in the day of Judgement where Chap. 20.12 expresse mention is made of the opening of this Book for this end that whoever were found from the beginning written therein might be keeped from the lake that burneth with fire and brimston as is said in the 15. verse of that Chapter And if the connexion of being written in this Book and the obtaining of life were not peremptory there could be no such reason of openning this Book in the day of Judgement Thirdly What ever this be it is something to be performed after this life and seing it cannot be imagined that one can die with his name in this Book and afterward have it blotted out Therefore such a glosse cannot be put upon this place And who would have further confirmation of this may have it in the Learned Gomarus his digression on this very Text. The words then are to be understood thus as importing more than they expresse to wit that in the day of Judgement Christ will own the overcomer and present him before God as one that was inrolled in the Book of Life and given to Him in the bargain of Redemption for this very end that He might raise him up in the last day and give unto him eternall life as it is Ioh. 6.39 40. That this is the meaning will appear by considering the third promise But I will confesse his name before my Father and before his Angels which doth expresly hold forth what we assert of Christ solemn and honourable owning of them as His and given to Him in the great Day when all the holy Angels shall be present We shall say nothing of the other part of the Conclusion which is so often but never needlesly repeated Now we may take some few Observations from the several parts of the Epistle besides these that are already hinted Observe 1. To have a name without reality is an exceeding great evil yet an evil incident both to Ministers and People 2. These that have had once something may through unwatchfulnesse be brought to a very low posture as it were to be ready instantly to expire 3. Folks may have some extraordinary motions at sometimes and yet afterwards fall from these and forget them as if they had never had such purposes and resolutions 4. There may be some honest where there is much deadnesse even in the publick Ordinances and God may keep some lively even in such a place as Sardis when the generality are dead and
this revelation revealed to him in one day from the Lord yet the Lord gave him some breathings between visions First things present and then things to come being revealed to him which is one cause why the prophesies and visions of this Book are distinguished from each other The second circumstance observable is the Lords giving accesse to Iohn to see what he saw Behold a door was opened in heaven what is meaned by Heaven here whether the Church Militant which is often in this Book and in Scripture called Heaven or whether the third Heaven spoken of 2 Cor. 12.2 we shall not insist on it What Iohn saw was concerning the Visible Church and for their behove and advantage but it is like the place where Iohn saw these things in vision was even that which we call Heaven literally God extraordinarily making way to him to look in where His Glory was manifested and it is called here an opening of a door in heaven and there shewing him things to come concerning His Church which were afterward to fall out yet this is now shown unto Iohn in vision as if it were for the present time acted in a kind of comedie before him And therefore may either be supposed to be revealed to him in Heaven or in a trance represented to him as if it were there And it agreeth best with the scope that it be thus understood to wit that Heaven should be in this manner opened to Iohn and things revealed to him there which he was to reveal to the Church The third circumstance is the voice which he heard and what it said and the first voice which I heard c. that is the former voice which I heard Chap. 1. vers 10 11. The voice of our Lord Jesus Christ which said there I am Alpha and Omega the first and the last that same voice speaketh again and reneweth Iohns Commission to come and see and write and the voice biddeth him come up hither and he will shew him c. to tell that a heavenly mind is a great furtherance to acquaintance with the Mysteries of God and earthly-mindednesse is a great hinderance and obstruction and then he proposeth what things he hath to shew him Things which must be hereafter So that in the expliâ—ation and application of this revelation we are not to look back to the four Monarchies but to Christs way with His Church in the dayes of the Gospel according to the first generall which we premitted The fourth circumstance is vers 2. And immediately I was in the Spirit whereby it is like there hath been some intervall betwixt the ecstasie he was in Chap. 1. vers 10. and this ecstasie of spirit he is now in and it is the second way how our Lord Jesus fittteth Iohn to receive these following Mysteries First He carrieth up his affections and maketh him Heavenly and then ravisheth him in the spirit whereby as Chap. 1.10 in an extraordinary way Iohn is as it were taken out of himself put in an ecstasie impressions of things to come made on his spirit and palpably and visibly made discernable to him in a Spirituall way as if he had seen them with his bodily eyes We come now to the vision it self And in it we have 1. Gods Throne to speak so set forth 2. Himself sitting on it 3. A description of His Glory as He sitteth upon it 1. Behold a throne was set in Heaven These are borrowed expressions for God needeth not a materiall Throne neither hath He any such in Heaven but as among Kings Thrones are used as seats for Judgement and for places where they appear in their Royalty so the same similitude is borrowed here to set out the Soveraignty of God in Heaven and in Earth and in His Church especially His Gospel-church which is called His Throne Ier. 3.17 for in it He hath an absolute Dominion and Government and is continually exercising and acting that Government as a King on His Throne It holdeth out 1. Not only Gods greatnesse and power But 2. His absolute Dominion and Soveraignty And 3. His actuall exercising of that Power and Soveraignity which is further holden out in the second expression one sate on the throne the Throne is not empty but hath one sitting on it acting and exercising that Power Such words are frequent in Scripture Psal. 11.4 The Lords throne is in heaven his eyes behold his eye-lids try the children of men It expresseth what is meant by His Throne to wit His absolutenesse and Soveraignity in Government and His Justice and severity being angry with the wicked every day God in His Glory and Excellency is holden out as sitting on His Throne vers 3. in other sort of robes than ever were seen on the greatest that ever were in the World He that sat on the throne was to look upon like a Iasper and Sardine stone and there was a rainbow round about the throne in sight like unto an Emerald these are expressions not of His form for He is purely spirituall and unconceiveable but borrowed to set forth His splendor and Glory and because that which men usually think most excellent is gold and precious stones these are made use of for this end There are two stones mentioned for resembling of His Glory the first is a Iasper an exceeding precious stone it was one of these precious stones that was put in Aarons breastplate Exod. 28.20 and it is among these stones wherewith the foundations of the walls of the New Ierusalem are said to be garnished Revel 22.19 And because one stone is not sufficient even but to resemble the Glory and splendor of the Majesty of God there is another added to wit the Sardine stone which is also precious as the former was These being unknown to us we shall not insist to describe them for the scope is clear to wit to point out this that God is admirably and inconceivably excellent even so excellent that all the most precious things in earth being put together are but poor shadows and infinitely disproportionable resemblances of that excellency which is in Him A second thing whereby this Glory is set forth is And there was a rainbow round about the throne in sight like unto an Emerald In Ezek. 1. where the same description is almost in the same termes there is a Firmament a Throne one sitting on it and a rainbow as the appearance of the bow that is in the clouds in the day of rain so was the appearance of the brightnesse round about the scope in both places is to shew the glorious Majesty of God who as He hath a Throne attributed to Him improperly to expresse His Soveraignity so hath He this as a cloath of State over His Throne thereby to shew how farr His Soveraignity and Majesty is beyond the greatest Monarchs on Earth for He only hath immortality and dwelleth in a light that no man can approach unto whom no eye hath seen nor can see 1 Tim. 6.16
have before Christs feet acknowledging all we have received to flow from Him giving Him the Glory of it employing all so as may most contribute to make Him great that sitteth upon the Throne Lastly There is the delightsomenesse and heartsomnesse of this task though they rest not day nor night it is not a wearisome work for it is singing and his saying they rest not is not to hold out any burden yoke or restraint laid on them but to hold out the bendednesse of their spirit within with love and joy that they cannot rest it is so to speak an ease to be venting it in praise There is such joy and chearfulnesse from that wine that cometh from under the Throne that they cannot hold their peace but it is their continuall refreshment night and day to be speaking and praising In a word it saith this That it is a good thing to be Christs Servants and that His service is a sweet work and it will be known ere long how good a thing it was to be Christs and to be His Servants and how happy a life it will be to be praising Him It were good some touches of it were warming our hearts before-hand and that we had the proof and experience of it what it is The Lord give us to know it LECTURE I. CHAP. V. Vers. 1. ANd I saw in the right hand of him that sat on the throne a book written within and on the backside sealed with seals 2. And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice Who is worthy to open the book and to loose the seals thereof 3. And no man in heaven nor in earth neither under the earth was able to open the book neither to look thereon 4. And I wept much because no man was found worthy to open and to read the book neither to look thereon 5. And one of the elders saith unto me Weep not behold the lion of the triâ—e of Iudah the root of David hath prevailed to open the book and to loose the seven seals thereof 6. And I beheld and lo in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts and in the midst of the elders stood a Lamb as it had been slain having seven horns and seven eyes which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth 7. And he came and took the book out of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne IN this Chapter the preparation to the following revelation goeth on and in it He who was described in the former Chapter to sit upon the Throne is here represented as having a sealed Book in His hand which none in Heaven nor Earth can unfold but Jesus Christ the Mediator who for His Churches good doth the same which is turned to be matter of praise in the last part of the Chapter The scope of all tendeth especially to these three First To shew the absolutenesse determinatnesse and particularnesse of Gods Decrees in all events that concern the Church which with Him are as it were written in a sealed Book Secondly To shew the special Office of our Lord Jesus Christ who being upon His Fathers secrets doth reveal so much of the same to the Church as is useful for her and that without Him there is no accesse to the knowledge of the same Thirdly It is to make way to the more clear understanding of the Prophesies following according to the mould wherein they are revealed for it could not be understood what were intended by the opening of the first second or third seals c. were it not that here God is represented as having a Book with so many seals in His hand We may take up the Chapter in these three parts 1. There is a vision seen to wit A book in the right hand of him that sat upon the throne c. vers 1.2 There are some circumstances expressing both the difficulty and possibility of attaining to the understanding of what is written within the same this followeth unto the eight Verse 8 From that unto the end is set down a most excellent song of Praise as we will see in the words The first part to wit the vision of the Book hath four things remarkable in it As for the Throne what it is and who it is that sitteth thereon we heard thereof in the former Chapter and therefore may now proceed to these four things here set down First It is called a book this is not literally to be understood as if God had use of Books more than He hath materiall Thrones or Hands but as was shown on Chap. 3. vers 5. it is after the manner of men to shew how particularly and orderly all things are determined by God as if they were particularly inserted and recorded in a Book By this Book here is not understood Gods providence in generall nor yet His speciall purpose in reference to His Elect but His Decrees concerning the speciall events that were to befall His Gospel church In a word it is this same Revelation for what is afterward revealed to Iohn is by opening one of these seals and the last seal will be found to comprehend both the trumpets and vials as we will find in the progresse The second circumstance is that this book is written within and on the back side that is in a word it is all filled up there is no blank in the same for known to God are all his works from the beginning Act. 15.18 and no new occurrence which is so as to men doth put the Lord to take any new counsel or to make any new decree for to say so there is no blank in His Register to contain the same but all things were concluded of old in His counsell and accordingly in time are brought to passe Thirdly This Book is said to be in his right hand Which sheweth 1. That there are none accessory to His counsel but Himself for He took counsel of none 2. That He Himself is Master of His own purposes and there is none that can alter His decrees or change any of His purposes for the Book is in His own hand 3. It sheweth that what He hath once in His Wisdom concluded He doth by His Power proceed to execute and that so as He cannot be frustrated of His end therefore is He said to have it in his right hand which sheweth both His admirable dexterity and Omnipotency that are exercised in executing the same The fourth circumstance is this Book is sealed with seven seals sealed that is undiscernable and unconceivable to any as the words following do clear and as may be gathered from Isa. 29.11 although all things be known to God yet are they unknown to creatures till they be particularly revealed by Him or in His providence brought to passe Again this Book is sealed with seven seals which is partly to shew the exceeding great depth of Gods secret counsel whereunto none can reach seing it is not only sealed
comforted in the usemaking of Christs Offices and in exercising faith on Him than great Teachers who by seeking to exercise their light invention and reason to satisfie themselves in things that are dark may have many disappointments therein and heavinesse following thereon so long as the Mediator is not employed whereas the simple tender Believer that at first looketh to Him for answering of all difficulties may have much peace and chearfulnesse Secondly The particular comfort is expressed weep not which sheweth both that that was not the duty which Iohn was called unto though for the time he did let out himself therein and also that there was not such ground for the same as he supposed And because simple directions will not prevail to comfort these that are heavy In the third place He giveth the ground of this Behold saith he the Lion of the tribe of Iudah the root of David hath prevailed to open the Book and to loose the seals thereof which is in sum thou mayst be comforted and stay thy weeping for though no creature be able to open the Book yet the Mediator can and will fully do that bussinesse He beginneth this with a Behold thereby to rouz up Iohn with the glad tidings that He was to tell him and also to make what was said the more to be observed and the party spoken of the more to be admired This party who openeth the Book must be no mean person seing he doth what no creature in Heaven nor Earth could do and so is contradistinguished from them He is here expressed by two titles the first is He is the Lion of the tribe of Iudah this seemeth to be taken from Gen. 49.9 where Iudah is said to couch down as a Lion and as an old lion who shall rouz him up And this is attributted to Him 1. To shew that He is of the stock and linage of Iudah and the very Messiah or Shiloh spoken of there 2. To point out the excellent qualifications where with our Lord Jesus is furnished for the undertaking and prosecuting of the most dangerous exploits if so His Peoples need call for the same He is indeed such a bold Lion as never drew back for a strait and as none can rouze Him up but to their own prejudice So none can expect otherwise to be dealt with that rise up against Him The second word is He is the root of David this is taken as would seem from Isa. 11. vers 1. where He is called a rod out of the stem of Iesse and a branch out of his roots so that if we look upon Christ as Man and come of David He is a rod out of the stem of Iesse c. or if we look upon Him in a more Spirituall and mysticall sense as He is God-Man Mediator and head of His Church in this respect He is the root of David because so David as a member hath his being from Him in which respect Chap. 22. vers 16. the Lord doth stile Himself both the root and off-spring of David And this twofold consideration of Christ is the only way to loose that Question which puzled the Pharisees Matth. 22. vers 42 c. to wit How the Messiah could be both Davids Son and Davids Lord. It is said He hath prevailed to open the Book c. which intimateth many difficulties that the Mediator had to overcome in the executing of His Office and yet withall a most full Victory that now this couragious Lion by His dying had obtained over them all So that there could be nothing alleaged why He should not possesse the priviledges that were due to the Mediator The other part of the consolation is by making Iohn in vision to behold the performing of this vers 6 and 7. Wherein 1. Iohns â—ooking is mentioned and I behold saith he that is having so good news told me I revived as it were again and looked to Him that sat upon the Throne to see if there might be any hopes of that which formerly I supposed to be desperate 2. It is marked what he saw after he had looked and because the vision is wonderfull there is â—ustly a Lo prefixed unto it This vision is â—â— general a vision of Jesus Christ the Mediator whom now Iohn seeth to his great comfort and satisfaction to be the performer of that which formerly he thought desperate And because He is a singular Person He is severall wayes described in these two Verses First He is called a Lamb this is a Title ordinarily given to Jesus Christ in the Gospel of Iohn And we conceive it is especially for these two reasons 1. To expresse Christ Jesus His Priestly Office and His offering of Himself a Sacrifice for His People therefore ordinarily when He geâ—teth that Title something is added thereunto as to take away the sins of the world to be slain c. as even here in this same Verse which expressions do palpably relate â—o His Sacrifice and Offering 2. It is to shew His mildnesse to speak so in reference to His People for although He be a Lion in the former Verse in respect of His undertakings for them against enemies yet in His dealing with them He is more gentle than any Lamb and this is mentioned as one of this High-priests properties Heb. 7.26 that He is holy harmlesse or illesse c. which is no little commendation of Him to His People In a word He is a Lion to purchase and conquer and a Lamb in dispensing what He hath purchased to His People Secondly He is said to be â—â— it had been slain so is He represented to Iohn in vision that it may appear by what meanâ—â—ble thus prevailed to obtain such priviledges for His Churches good to wit it is by His dying and giving His life for His sheep and upon this ground Iob. 10.17 it is said that the Father loveth Him that is accepteth of Him approveth of Him in the discharge of the Office of Mediator and as He as the Son of God was necessarily beloved without respect to this so we ought to esteem much of what Christ hath revealed to us in the Gospel and of what He revealeth to us in the same Prophesie for by His death He made way to have the same revealed unto us Thirdly This Lamb is placed in the midst of the Throne that is He is a partaker of the same Glory and Dominion and Authorithy with the â—ather as He is God and is admitted to His right Hand and to Glory and Majesty fâ—r above every name that is in Heaven and in Earth as He is Mediator And it is in â—â—m what is asserted Chap. 3.21 Also He is in the midst of the four Beasts and four and â—onâ—y Elders which is not for nought expressed But as it doth shew 1. His Dignity and Glory beyond them So 2. it sheweth His presence in the Church upon the same Throne with the faâ—her that thereby His People may be the more bold
in their approaches unto God by Him seing they want not a friend alwayes present in that Court. For this end also He is said to be standing someway to declare His readinesse to execute what may tend to His Peoples edification and consolation for as a painfull shepherd He standeth to feed the Flock Micah 5. vers 4. Fourthly He is said to have seven horns and seven eyes and these again are expounded to be the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth by these no created thing can be understood for that which is the Lambs power or horns must be Omnipotent that which is His eye must be Omniscient and that which is through all the Earth must be Omnipresent this therefore must be understood of the third Person of the holy Trinitie as was expounded Chap. 1.4 And Chap. 4.5 Here He is called in respect of His manifold operations seven horns and seven eyes of the Lamb because of that order of operation that is among the Persons of the blessed Trinitie whereof we spoke in the places formerly cited The last part of the description recorded here is in vers 7. where the Lambs advancing as it were to Him that sitteth upon the Throne and His actuall taking the Book out of His hand to open the same is expressed And he came and took the Book out of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne this could not but be a comfortable sight to Iohn who having formerly given over the case as desperate doth now see this lovely Lamb proceed so far in the discovering of what was contained in this Book And here we have first the three Persons of the Holy Trinitie distinctly holden forth For there is 1. one upon the Throne with the Book in His hand 2. there is the Lamb 3. there are the seven Spirits of God distinct from the former two and all these on the same Throne Secondly We may see the three Offices of the Mediator holden forth here For 1. That He is a Lamb slain signifieth His Priestly Office 2. That He is upon the Throne and hath horns and power doth hold forth His Kingly Office 3. That He taketh the Book to open and to reveal Gods mind to His Church is an expresse evidence of His being Prophet From all that is spoken two things are mainly to be observed 1. That the Lord hath a speciall overruling providence over all things that concern His Church There is nothing that falleth out which is new to Him but what He hath determined and written down as it were before the beginning of the world This is a great consolation to His Church there is no enemy that doth rise up against her nor any heresie that breaketh out among her members nor any event that occasionally she seemeth to meet with but these were fully determined by the Lord before the beginning of the world In the second part of the words we see of what excellent worth the Mediator is beyond all creatures in Heaven and Earth how great need there is of Him and how wretched and miserable we would be without Him All the most glorious creatures in Heaven beside and all the fulnesse of the earth could not give us ground of comfortable worshipping before God if there were not a Mediator We may see also that the great cause of His Peoples heartlesnesse is that he is not acknowledged in their straits O how excellent a One is the Mediator and O how happy a thing were it continually to be improving Him Lord teach us that and to Him be praise for ever Amen LECTURE II. Vers. 8. And when he had taken the book the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb having every one of them harps and golden vials full of odours which are the prayers of saints 9. And they sung a new song saying Thou art worthy to take the book and to open the seals thereof for thou wast slain and hast redeemed us to God by thy bloâ—d out of every kindred and tongue and people and nation 10. And hast made us unto our God kings and priests and we shall reign on the earth 11. And I beheld and I heard the voice of many Angels round about the Throne and the beasts and the elders and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand and thousands of thousands 12. Saying with a loud voice Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honour and glory and blessing 13. And every creature which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and such as are in the sea and all that are in them heard I saying Blessing honour glory and power be unto Him that sitteth upon the throne and unto the Lamb for ever and ever 14. And the four beasts said Amen And the four and twenty elders fell down and worshipped Him that liveth for ever and ever THis is the third part of the Chapter and expresseth the main scope of what went before to wit the exalting of the Mediator This is cast in betwixt His taking of the Book out of the hand of Him that sat upon the Throne and His proceeding actually to open the same that this singular work of the Mediator may be made the more observable The occasion of the Song is in the beginning of vers 8. And when he had taken the Book c. that is when by this appearing of the Mediator in His Office they had ground to expect the opening up of the within-contained Mysteries Then they praise The praise it self may be taken up in three parts according to the severall parties that take part therein For 1. The redeemed Church begin and they sing in the last part of the 8. vers and in the 9. and 10. verses Then 2. The Angels follow vers 11 and 12. In the third place all creatures are brought-in joyning in this Song vers 13. And because the Redeemed have most interest in and obligation to the Mediator whose praise is peculiarly expressed here Therefore as they begin so they close vers 14 In the first part First The redeemed Church are described in reference to this work vers 8. Secondly Their praise is expressed vers 9. and 10. In their description they are called four beasts and twenty four Elders whereof we spoke in the fomer Chapter and shew that by them most probably is holden forth the Ministers and Professors of Christs Militant Gospel-church and this place doth confirm the same for they are contradistinguished from Angels vers 11. and are said to be Redeemed and made Kings and Priests unto God which agreeth to all Believers even upon earth as Chap. 1. vers 6. Again their work here is not only to praise but to pray for they have vials full of odours as well as harps vers 8. And they are said to be sharers of Christs spirituall Dominion and to be Priests to Him even on earth yea their
spirituall Priesthood will most properly agree to that according to the usuall application thereof in Scripture These Redeemed are said to fall down before the Lamb which is to shew their humble and reverend way of going about this work of praise and was spoken of Chap. 4. vers 10. Lastly They are furnished for this work having every one of them harps and golden vials full of odours or incense which are the prayers of Saints this sheweth their fittednesse and readinesse for the work and it is done in expressions borrowed from the Ceremoniall worship under the Old Testament when yet the scope is to expresse the spirituall Worship that is given to God under the Gospel By harps are understood instruments for praise as is frequent in the Psalms and we will find the Saints in their chearfull condition Chap. 15.2 so described This sheweth a warmnesse and bendednesse of heart ready to burst out in the praise of the Mediator and to make melody thereby within themselves before Him which is more acceptable to Him and comfortable to them than the sweetnesse of any materiall instrument whatsomever as Ephes. 5.19 and Colos. 3.16 where we are commanded to praise with grace in our hearts which may well be the thing signified by these harps Beside this They have golden vials full of odours or incense Incense was used in the Ceremoniall worship when the people approached to offer up their requests to God therefore we have the word Psal. 141.2 Let my prayer be set forth before thee as incense vials are vessels wherein these were offered and so vials full of ordours will signifie a spirituall fittednesse with the Spirit of Grace and Supplication as is promised Zech. 12.10 to pour out the heart to God in prayer as well as in praise They are two notable qualifications of Believers and it is ordinary both in the Old and New Testament to understand by sacrifices and offerings the morall duties of praise and prayer in the dayes of the Gospel As to the last part this is confirmed in the words following which are the prayers of Saints where two things are answered 1. Would we know who these beasts and Elders were who have these vials It is answered they are Saints that is Believers Members of the Militant Church according to the usuall acception of the word and this confirmeth the former exposition which we gave of these parties Again would we know what these odours are which are in the vials the Text saith they are the prayers of Saints that is these odours represent the prayers of Saints which may either be understood indefinitely as interpreting what is meaned by odours in the generall and so all the prayers of all the Saints on earth in generall may be called odours and incense or we may take it with a speciall relation to this place and so the odours here will signifie the prayers of the same Saints who had the vials in their hands and thus they bring not properly the prayers of others to offer up to God which yet were not absurd considering that these officers were living Saints on earth but they bring their own prayers even as by harps is signified their own expressions of praise or the praise expressed by themselves as the Song following will clear This therefore hath no affinity at all with the Popish Doctrine of the intercession of Saints departed which is utterly crosse to the scope of this place It is to be observed also how different this phrase is from that which is attributed to Christ Chap. 8. vers 3. where he alone offereth the prayers of all Saints adding incense thereunto Their song followeth in the â— and 10. vers Where 1. there is the expression of their praise 2. The grounds or reasons thereof Their song is said to be a new song and they sing a new song 1. Because the matter was so great and excellent that no former expression of praise could as it were reach the same for which cause Psal. 40. David saith He had put a new song in his mouth when by a new and singular mercy He had given him matter thereof 2. It is new as contradistinct from the more obscure expressions of praise that were under the Old Testament Now the Office of the Mediator being more clear and He having made Himself more known to His People they accordingly expresse His praise in a new song The matter expressed is Thou art worthy to take the book and to open the seals thereof that is in sum thou art worthy to be Mediator and to execute what belongeth to that Office This looketh not to be very much at the first yet there cannot be more said For if we will consider 1. This expression putteth Him beyond all creatures for none of them was found worthy and so by this they acknowledge Him to be beyond all 2. This expression hath in it an acknowledgement of His worthinesse and fitnesse to be Mediator and in all things to have the preheminencie and a Name above every name that is named which is the greatest conferred Glory that is conceivable and more than Angels and Men are capable of or can comprehend 3. This expression implieth their hearty assent to Gods constituting of Him in that Office and their exulting to see Him prosper and glorified in the executing of the same which is a thing well becoming a member of Christs Body and a subiect of His Kingdom and is the greatest length they can come at to wit to be assenters by their acknowledgement of His worth to Gods advancing of Him to this dignity The grounds of the praise follow in three steps the last being alwayes more particular than the former and an effect thereof The first is for thou wast slain that is in the execution of Thy Office and in obedience to the Fathers will Thou hast submitted Thy self to death even to a violent deâ—th and accordingly hath suffered the same and so Thou wast slain This dying of an accursed death is the great article and condition required upon the Mediators side of the Covenant of Redemption upon the undertaking and undergoing of which all priviledges promised to Him therein are grounded and from thiâ— all the Works of Redemption flow therefore here it is made the reason of His worthinesse to administer the Office of a Mediator in every thing and why He cannot but be thought worthy to do the same and to be praised by His People because He was slain and so hath performed what was undertaken by Him The second ground is And hast redeemed us to God by thy bloud out of â—very kindred and tonguâ— and people and nation In this there is a very sum of the Gospel and Work of Redemption and it is the more particular application of the former ground and the effect thereof as was said and this inforceth the former reason We have reason say they to praise Thee for Thy death for by it we that were lost and sold
secret and not rest upon the revealed offer of God as the sufficient ground and object of their Faith And if only by actuall believing and no otherwise they may be assured that Faith is purchased unto them by the same ground also may they be cleared that they are redeemed by Christ yea and Elected also because there is an equal peremptory connexion betwixt Faith and all these Fifthly Neither doth this way and the grounds thereof give Ministers any more solid ground to make the offer of the Gospel indefinitely in their publick Preaching for by the truth formerly laid down we can assure Hearers that whosoever believeth shall partake of life and of the benefits of Christs Redemption and by vertue of the generall Call and Warrand which we have in the Gospel we may invite them to believe in Christ require Faith of them and upon condition thereof assure them of pardon c. because the nature of the administration of the Covenant of Redemption is such in plain terms to wit that whosoever believeth shall be saved Also the nature of our Commission to preach this Gospel doth fully import the same as it is summed Mark 16.15 16. for Ministers warrand to Preach and offer Salvation is not to Preach and offer the same to the Elect only whom the Lord hath kept secret from them but it is to Preach and make offer of this Gospel to these unto whom the Lord shall send them and whom He shall gather into a visible Church-state Yet this is done for the Elects sake among such whom God hath thought fit to gather out among others by this Preaching of the Gospel without signifiing to the Minister who is Elect and whom He hath designed to believe therefore it is suitable to this manner of administration that the Gospel be preached indefinitly in respect of its call and that indifferently as to these who Preach that so while the call doth reach all particularly the Elect may withall be gripped with the same And upon the grounds of this conditionall Redemption others can do no more but publish the offer of the Gospel indefinitly and assure any who shall believe in Christ that they shall thereby obtain life and pardon It is trueâ— we cannot say that Christ hath died and satisfied for them all to whom we Preach yet that doth not lessen our warrand to call Hearers indifferently on the terms of believing because though Christs Redemption be the ground which hath procured this Gospel to be Preached even in these terms as from that forecited place Ioh. 3.16 may be gathered and though it be that which boundeth the Lords making of Preaching effectual yet our Commission is bounded according to the express terms in which it hath pleased the Lord to draw up the same unto us because the transaction of Redemption as it relateth to the names of the redeemed is a secret betwixt God and the Mediator Therefore the Book of Life is never opened untill the day of Judgement Rev. 20. But a Ministers Commission in his Treating with sinners in the visible Church is a thing which He hath thought good to reveal and therefore hath done it so as the former secret may not be revealed and yet the end be made effectuall to wit the effectuall calling and in-gathering of so many Elect. And upon the other side these who may require Faith of all and plead it of them upon this ground that they are conditionally redeemed yet they cannot say to their Hearers that Christ hath by His death procured Faith to them all and so they leave them still at a losse except they betake them to the externall indefinit call which doth warrand Ministers to require Faith of all Hearers indifferently and that without disputing whether Christ hath redeemed all or not or whether by His Redemption He hath procured Faith to them all or not because Faith is a duty and is called-for warrantably by vertue of that call as is said and this we do in so far acknowledge And so in sum their warrand to Preach the Gospel in definitely and ours is found to be of the same extent and to be founded upon the same general call Therefore there needeth not be much contending for a different Doctrine or as some call it a different method to derive this warrand from which doth so natively flow from the received truth And though the Scripture doth sometimes use this motive indifferently to the members of the visible Church to stir them up to glorifie God to wit that they are bought with a price as 1 Cor. 6.20 Yet will not that infer an universall or conditionall Redemption of them all more than these places immediately going before vers 15 and 19 where it is said that they are members of Christ and temples of the holy Ghost will infer an universall or conditionall regeneration of them all the first whereof is false the second is absurd for so it would be upon the matter that they were renewed sanctified and had the Spirit dwelling in them upon condition that it were so seing Regeneration the Spirit and Faith which is a fruit of the Spirit cannot be separated The like phrases also are Chap. 3. of the same Epistle vers 16.17 c. Beside will any think that when the Apostle saith ye are bought with a price c. that he doth only intend that conditionall Redemption which can never be effectuall but he must be undeâ—stood as having respect to that great mercy in its most peculiar respect because he doth speak of it to the Elect as well as others and that as having with it the greatest obligation that can be Lastly It cannot be thought that this mould of a conditionall Redemption so qualified can be more acceptable to these who plead for an indifferent or equal universall Redemption because this doth not any whit remove their objections whereby they plead for nature against the soveraignity of God nor answer their cavills whereby they reflect upon the Justice of God for condemning men who cannot possibly according to the case they are in be saved Therefore there is still ground for them to plead mans excusablenesse seing his salvation even according to these grounds is still impossible as hath been formerly cleared Neither I suppose will it be instanced that any holding the Socinian Arminian or Lutheran principles in these things have been brought to judge more favourably of that way than of the other But on the contrary may be strengthned or rather stumbled by this to continue in their former errours as finding many orthodox Divines in part to yeeld because of the supposed strength of their Arguments and from such concessions they have some ground given to make their conclusions the more strong for this conditionall Redemption doth alleage that there is need to vindicate Gods Justice and to declare mans inexcusablenesse and to have clearer grounds of dealing with men for bringing them to Faith c. than can be consistent with
prophesies as will appear 3. Some divide it in two Books the first closed Chap. 5. The second opened Chap. 10. and that these two have two prophesies beginning alike and ending at the end of the World But it is certain that that Book Chap. 5. containeth all for it containeth the seven seals they contain the seven trumpets the seventh trumpet is not blown till Chap. 11. and certainly it containeth the vials which are the last woes and plagues 4. We may adde a fourth opinion as a kind of midst that is that neither is there a continued series amongst all the prophesies nor yet are all the visions or the three principall prophesies contemporary but that the three principall prophesies to wit of the Ieals trumpets and vials continue the series from the beginning to the end and are not contemporary properly but that the explicatory visions though they be not contemporary one with another yet are they contemporary with these or some part of these priâ—cipall prophesies That is 1. The seals preceed 2. The trumpets succeed 3. After follow the vials and that immediatly and these carry it on till the end If we consider the matter contained in this Revelation it may not unfitly be divided in two parts each of them giving a view of the whole from the beginning to the end with this difference that what is more shortly and obscurely pointed at in the one is more largely and plainly insisted on in the other for from Chap. 6. to the end of the 11. inclusively there is a view given of affairs concerning the Gospel-church unto the end And such-like from Chap. 12. initio to the end of this Book a review is given of the same extent to wit from the first spreading and rise of the Gospel unto the end of the World wherein what was more shortly hinted at concerning Antichrist his rise and ruine by the fifth and seventh trumpets Chap. 9. and 11. is more largely and fully insisted on from Chap. 13. and forward So that upon the matter this division seemeth not impertinent Yet considering the native form in which these prophesies and visions are delivered and the speciall periods of the Militant Church which are by speciall events remarkable and of which the holy Ghost taketh particular notice by beginning and breaking off purposes at them by continuing one form of expression to wit by the same types of seals trumpets or vials untill such a period run out and then altering and proposing the succeeding matter in a different form and under different types as altering from seals to trumpets and then again when a new period cometh altering to vials Considering these things we conceive that the dividing of this Book in principall and expository prohesies and subdividing each of these again in three will conduce most for a distinct and clear uptaking of the matters revealed and sute best with the form wherein it is delivered and by which also of it self it is divided as will more fully appear in our proceeding And so the order and series of the prophesies of this Book are thus to be conceived The whole Revelation as propheticall is contained in that Book sealed with seven seals Chap. 5. The six first seals being opened deduce the story to one period to wit to the end of the Heathen persecution and the quieting of the Church from that The seventh seal bringeth-in the trumpets Chap. 8. and 9. which contain the story of the Churches trouble by intestine enemies untill Antichrist be at his height The seventh Chapter containeth no other matter but is cast in betwixt the first principall prophecy and the second to make way for the more clear passing from the one to the other and especially to prepare for and help to understand the prophesie of the trumpets Chap. 10 and 11. contain a consolation for the Church in reference to that sad condition Then in Chap. 12 13 and 14. is inserted an explicatory prophesie belonging to that same time and conduceing both for clearing the two prophesies preceding and also that of the vials following Then cometh the third principall prophesie of the vials which hath its preparation Chap. 15. its execution Chap. 16. and is enlarged and explained in the two last explicatory prophesies Chap. 17 18 c. unto the end of the Book Concerning these three principall prophesies to wit 1. Of seals Chap. 6. 2. Of trumpets Chap. 8 9. 3. Of vials Chap. 16. Observe 1. They have all Prefaces or preparations before them with songs for up-stirring of the Reader at the entry Chap. 4. and 5. are preparatory to the prophesie of the seals Chap. 6. Chap. 7. is preparatory to the trumpets which follow Chap. 8. and 9. Chap. 15. to the vials which are comprehended Chap. 16. Obs. 2. â—hat all of them have their consolation and explication intermixed with them or added relating unto them Thus the consolation of the Church against the persecution intimated by the second third and fourth seals is added in that same Chapter by the fifth and sixth seals and the explication which is contemporary with it is in Chap. 12. viz. the first part of it The consolation laid down in reference to the trumpets is Chap. 10 11. And the explication of them for both the difficulty and consolation are expounded is Chap. 12. last part with Chap. 13 14. The vials are of themselves consolatory being against the Churches enemies yet are they particularly explained and insisted-on from Chap. 17. to the end Obs. 3. That each of these prophesies have something inserted in them which as a key may serve both for the understanding of the meaning of them and timeing of the thing contained in them This key is especially to be found in the consolatory part of each principall prophesie it being not one of the least consolations to understand them 4. It is to be observed That every one of them is linked in with and to another so as the last seemeth to infer a new period as the seventh seal bringeth the trumpets the seventh trumpet bringeth the vials the seventh vial again seemeth to look to an intervall after the beasts destruction before the day of Judgement and to relate to that vision Chap. 20 or at least to a chief part thereof so that looking to the principal prophesies in themselves there are but three periods of the Militant Church but as the seventh vial containeth somewhat new and singularily different from the former there are four Thus the Churches estate is either suffering and that 1. under Heathen persecuters this relateth to the seals and is the first period Or 2. it is torn and wasted under Hereticks and Antichrist this is holden forth by the trumpets and is the second Or 3. it is aspiring to an outgate from these in a more wrestling and fighting way gaining ground against Antichrist from his begun fall to his ruine by degrees which is held forth by the first six vials and that is the third Or 4.
abide for ever But of the grounds thereof see more chap. 21. Lect. 1. The seventh and last Synchronism is of that palm-bearing innumerable company chap. 7. vers 9. with the seventh trumpet or intervall aforesaid This generall we acknowledge to be a truth the seventh trumpet being begun with the first vial as hath been said but the restricting of it to the intervall following the destruction of the beast and sixth vial cannot be admitted and is the rise of that discrepancie which is in the application of many of these Synchronisms which otherwayes in the generall are solid and do agree fully with the series and mould which we have laid down as in the procedor will appear LECTURE II. Vers. 1. ANd I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals and I heard as it were the noise of thunder one of the four beasts saying Come and see 2. And I saw and behold a white horse and he that sat on him had a bow and a crown was given unto him and he went forth conquering and to conquer FOlloweth now the History of opening the seals which is to be knit to vers 7. of chap. 5. and he came and took the book out of the right hand of him that sat upon the Throne There is then a digression by a Song from the matter whereunto now he returneth as it were thus I saw when the Lamb had taken the book out of the right hand of Him that sat upon the throne He went on to open the seals thereafter I saw and behold c. Every one of these seals hath a type holding forth the matter contained in it and some word of explication added for the understanding of it The first four have one common type to wit a Horse because they relate to one common subject or object to wit the Church and they have a voice calling Come and see The fifth and sixth have no such voice because they speak so distinctly of themselves with difference from the former four in respect of their scope For conceiving the meaning of these seals take notice 1. that they are not to be looked upon as continuing a Story of the Church from the beginning to the end of the World as was said yea it appeareth by the Answer given to the Saints in the fifth seal that there were Martyrs to be crowned by suffering after that time before the end and it being clear that these Martyrs are not crowned by the sixth seal which bringeth judgement upon persecuters It must remain therefore to be fulfilled under the trumpets and consequently that they must interveen between the sixth seal and the end 2. Take notice that by them is set forth the state of the Church and that under persecution uninterrupted untill the sixth seal be opened For 1. there is one common sign or type in the first four seals to wit an horse which in the first seal representeth the Church as honourable and victorious by the spreading of the Gospel And therefore 2. by an horse under the second third and fourth must be understood the same thing represented to wit the Church although different in her condition from the former according as the same type is variously set forth 3. It appeareth by the fifth seal that the Churches suffering is here to be understood Where we have these four 1. That the party suffering was the Church as appeareth by their Prayer Dost thou not avenge our bloud c. 2. It appeareth that their suffering was for no private quarrell by their description vers 9. The souls of them that were slain for the Word of God and for the testimonie which they held 3. It appeareth that this suffering was from men and that without the Church by their description who were instruments Dost thou not avenge our bloud on them that dwell on the earth as looking to the multitude of the world contradistinguished from the Church 4. It appeareth that this suffering was for a long time uninterrupted and so must be the first suffering of the Church before God overthrew Heathen persecuters their Prayer How long Lord wilt thou not judge and avenge our bloud c. which importeth that unto this time God had not visibly reckoned with Heathen persecuters as He did when Authority began to own Christianity and so these first five seals at least hold forth the suffering condition of the Church during the time of Heathenish Emperors and this period runneth to the first great change of Gods outward dispensations to His Church to wit when civil Authority and force began to befreind the Church against her enemies which will be found to be in Constantines time about the year 310 or therebâ— Yet would we not peremptorily assert that none of these judgements affected the wicked world during that time For 1. God sendeth the Gospel into the world 2. Many profane men reject it for which 3. God plagueth the ungrate world more than before the Gospel came whereupon 4 the rage and malice of men do break out against the Gospel and the professors of it as the causes of all their evil which procureth again new judgements from God By which we may see what interwoven connexion there is amongst these things to wit the Churches suâ—â—erings and the worlds which hath been long since observed by Tertullian and Cyprian in their Apologies contra Scapulam and Demetrium But this we think that though there might be and no question were judgements on the world for despising the Gospel and particular plagues on persecurers yet during that time there was no such generall reckoning with them nor are they such judgements which these seals primarily describe which is all we would say For understanding these seals or types in them we would have respect to these three 1. To the key or series of the Story before expressed from the fifth seal 2. To the nature of the type it self being compared with other Scriptures 3. To the events as they are recorded in story The first words of this Chapter hold forth the rise of the vision to wit the Lambs opening one of the seals which is to be knit to vers 7. chap. 5. as is said By opening one of the seals is understood the first seal as Matth. 28.1 by One of the Sabbathâ— or by One day of the week is understood the first day of the week as by comparing of the Evangelists is clear and is here confirmed by dâ—signing the second the third c. after this and so also it is clear that by mentioning one beast is understood the first by the same reasons We shew before chap. 5. that these Books were long scrols rolled about something and the Book being so rolled it might be divided by sundry seals so that one part might be opened and read while the rest were sealed and so when he had opened the first seal importeth that such a part of the scrol was made legible The first thing that occureth is the preparation by
of a Ministery and publick preaching of the Gospel after that darknesse is both expressed and confirmed by Iohns eating of the little book and the word added that he must prophesie again as it were be revived after such a sad interruption This is vers 9 10 11. The publisher is four wayes described 1. He is called an Angel and a mighty Angel to difference Him from these that sounded the trumpets we conceive it to be understood of no created Angel but of Jesus Christ the Angel of the Covenant as the description following will hold Him forth 2. His clothing and appearing are set down in four particulars 1. He is clothed with a cloud often applied to God and only to Him in the Psalmes and Prophets whereby the unconceivable and inexpressible Glory and Soveraignity of God is pointed at 2. He is said to have a rainbow upon His head so is the Lords Throne described Chap. 4.3 and Ezek. â— 28 which is marked here not only to shew the Glory of our Lord Jesus Christ but that as the Rainbow Gen. 9.4 was a sign and a Sacrament as it were of the Lords Covenant with Noah of not destroying the earth again by water so our blessed Lord Jesus being often suspected to be forgetfull of His Covenant and being now to give warning of the deluge of wrath which was to come upon the Antichristian world He doth thus appear to evidence His mindfulnesse of His Covenant both in the overruling of the Churches affliction and His enemies ruine His face and His feet are described as formerly they were Chap. 1.15 whereby it appeareth to be one and the same Person The second Verse hath the third thing whereby He is described He had in his hand a little book open some way like Him that sat upon the Throne Chap. 5. only with this difference that there it was in the Fathers hand here in Christs there it is called simply a book here a little book that was sealed this is open what is meaned by His appearing with the book in his hand will appear from the end of the Chapter It holdeth forth here our Lord Jesus Christ to be the sender of the Gospel through the earth and the having of it as it were in His hand to send in a manifest and clear manner even then when it is most obscured and darkened in the world for which cause this book is open in His hand when the Temple and Ordinances were shut up amongst men as we may gather from the last vers of the 11. Chap. It is much debated what this little book is whether it be the same mentioned Chap. 5. or any distinct book containing distinct prophesies from what was in that book as if what followeth in this prophesie were revealed to Iohn by his eating of this last book as being contained in it It is not necessary much to debate this considering that it is represented to Iohn in vision and for another scope than the present furnishing of Iohn for compleating of this prophesie It will therefore be more suitable to say that this book is the same mentioned Chap. 5. as now in the hand of the Mediator and opened by Him and now called little because so much only may be accounted as hath not been by the former prophesies discovered or we may take the type of the open book to signifie the preserving of the Doctrine of the Gospel as if it were written on record and keeped in the hand of the Mediator and therefore can neither of it self be vitiate nor destroyed by Antichrist or Mahomet This the scope and the commanding of Iohn to eat it seem to favour but that it should contain prophesies different from what was contained in the former book Chap. 5. so that the former prophesies belong to that book and what followeth this Chapter to this book mentioned here we cannot assent to 1. Because all the trumpets belonged to the first book as being comprehended under the seventh seal of that book Chap. 8. but the seventh trumpet followeth in the close of the eleventh and is further explicated to the end of the book Therefore all these prophesies are contained in the first book mentioned Chap. 5. 2. This Chapter and the next unto the 15. vers do belong to the second wo and therefore must be supposed to be contained in the same book with the first part Chap. 9. Again 3. if that series laid down in the preface to the 6. Chap. hold that the seventh seal comprehendeth the seven trumpets and again the seventh trumpet the seven vials Then the seven vials are comprehended under the seventh trumpet and so both vials and trumpets under the seventh seal Beside if this following part of the prophesie were compared with the former we see no reason why it should either be called little or open more than the former The reason why this book is open in the hand of Christ we conceive to be beside what was above hinted 1. To shew Christ Jesus His acquaintance with the mysteries of God this book is open to Him and therefore that we may trust Him in the revealing of the secrets of God 2. To typifie the future spreading of the Gospel and to confirm it upon this ground that as Jesus Christ had prevailed to open the book of the secrets of God when it was sealed and none was found able to open it so might it be expected from Him that the Gospel should be again brought to light notwithstanding that during the reign of Antichrist it seemed to men impossible 4. The posture wherein this Angel was is observed He sâ—tteth his right foot upon the seâ— and his left foot on the earth by which is set out His Soveraignty over both and so that He hath Authority and Power to make out what He now pronounceth Or this setting his foot on the earth and upon the sea being compared with the first part of the 1. vers I saw a mighty Angel come down it may look to be a type of Christs coming to take possession of the earth again who during Antichrists reign seemed as it were to be keeped in Heaven yet afterward He shall come down and establish His Government through the earth and by His Power bring under the greatest and most raging enemies This suiteth with that expression Chap. 11.17 of His taking to Him His great Power and reigning as if there had been an interruption of His Kingdom formerly which place is the fulfilling of what is here prophesied of Before the Angels words be set down severall circumstances are marked for making this Proclamation the more observable v. 3. He cried with a loud voice as when a lion roareth which holdeth forth seriousnesse and Authority in Him who goeth about this work and that he purposeth to have what He hath to say taken notice of The second circumstance is an interveening effect before His words be marked seven thunders uttered their voices We may look upon what preceedeth
trumpet the Lord here giving a little hint of the coming events by way of preface and opening the Temple vers 19. which formerly was shut and what followeth upon that Chap. 15.6 out of the Temple thus opened come seven Angels having the seven last plagues which are the particular instruments of this last wo expressed generally under the terms of lightenings thunderings earthquakes in this Chapter We may adde that the whole prophesies of this Book and so that of the seven vials is comprehended in that Book which the Lion of the tribe of Iudah opened Chap. 5. And seing Chap. 10. the finishing of the mystery of God is applyed to the seventh trumpet these vials then must contemporate with and belong unto that trumpet seing the event that is applied to it is Chap. 16 17 and 18. particularly described and to be fulfilled by them and if they belong not to this trumpet it could not be said that the event fulfilled by them to wit the avenging of Gods people on the Antichrist and the whore and their destruction were also fulfilled by it A special weight of the whole series laid down doth lye in the confirmation of this to wit that the seventh trumpet and the seventh vial do contemporate and belong to the same times and events we therefore further adde that we must either say that this trumpet doth contemporate only with the seventh vial or with all the vials or at least with some few of them and not with all But neither the first nor the last can be said not the first to wit that the seventh trumpet and the seventh vial only do contemporate because if so then the six first vials immediately preceeding behoved to contemporate with the six trumpets or these which preceed the seventh But that cannot be 1. Because the six first trumpets and the seventh are different prophesies six of them continuing the height of the Churches enemies and her low condition and the seventh contrarily and all the seven vials continue matter of one kind to wit the Churches rising condition and her enemies down bringing they cannot therefore be said to contemporate with prophesies of diverse natures 2. If the first six vials should belong to the sixth trumpet and contemporate with it Then it will follow that the Churches lowest condition and most flourishing condition did belong to one prophesie yea to one step of one prophesie to wit one trumpet and on the contrary that the heighest and lowest condition of the Churches enemies to wit Antichrist did belong to one period yea to one step of the same period of the Churches condition for it is clear that the Church is never lower than under the sixth trumpet as the exposition of it doth clear and what preceedeth in this Chapter doth confirm and enemies were never higher treading all under foot on the contrary during the first six vials the Church beginneth to flourish the plagues are powred out upon his kingdom and seat and himself taken and cast in the lake by the sixth vial But this is absurd that such contrary events as Antichrists height and ruine should belong to one period yea to the sixth part of one period and the like can be shewed in no other step of this prophesie wherein two such contrary events are comprehended either amongst the seals trumpets or vials They cannot then be comprehended under the sixth trumpet they must therefore all belong to the seventh 3. These vials as they contain matter of one kind so are they one principall prophesie and therefore they are no more to be divided so as to contemporate some with the seventh trumpet and others with the sixth than we ought to divide the trumpets to contemporate some of them with the seventh seal and others with the seals preceeding considering that the spirit keepeth the same form in expressing this principall prophesie by seven vials as in the former by seven seals and seven trumpets 4. This doth confirm it also that the contemporating of the first six vials with the sixth trumpet would certainly lengthen it to an exceeding disproportionablenesse for Antichrists height and dominion take up a long time these six vials also take in a long continuance it is safer therefore to contemporate all the vials with the seventh trumpet and so their beginning being at one time as well as the close their duration must be the same also 5. This seventh trumpet bloweth immediately on the back of the second wo which is the matter of the sixth trumpet Now the six first vials cannot belong to the second wo for it s called a wo because of the hurt and prejudice that cometh by it to the Church Now these six vials that destroy Antichrist contain a great and unspeakable benefit to the Church and are plagues in respect of the judgement that cometh on Antichrist by them neither could well the seventh trumpet be called the third wo as bringing a wo with it to Antichrist and his kingdom if so be the six first vials did preceed it for they destroy him they must therefore begin together The great reason that maketh some presse for the contemporating of the first six vials with the sixt trumpet is that thereby they may bear out the seventh trumpet to be yet fully to come and so although the vials be begun there may be the freer accesse to divine concerning supposed strange events of that trumpet but from what is formerly said in the preceeding Lecture and what further may be said Chap. 20. it appeareth that the seventh trumpet is blown already which doth confirm the Synchronism laid down There are two main objections here 1. That the seventh trumpet supponeth an absolute freedom from Antichrist and all enemies because of these expressions The Lord omnipotent reigneth the kingdoms of the earth are become the Lords c. which cannot be verified during the first six vials in the last whereof Antichrist is high by his frogs conveening Kings and Nations against the Church c. Therefore this seventh trumpet must contemporate with the seventh vial only Answ. This argument doth proceed from the misunderstanding of the meaning of this Text for this doth not shew events preceeding the blowing of this trumpet or what case the Church and world shall be in when it shall blow but by anticipation these phrases do expresse what was to follow upon the blowing thereof and what a wonderfull change might be expected by it and this agreeth with the manner used in all the other types of this prophesie whereby the Churches estate is painted out according as by the effects typified it was to be It doth therefore rather infer the contrary thus If by the sounding of the seventh trumpet Nations become the Lords c. Then the seventh trumpet doth not follow Antichrists finall overthrow but is to carry it on because by it Nations are to be gained from him But the first is true from the words Therefore it is not to be posterior to
things when the fashion of this world shall be changed and it shall depart like a scrol and the elements melt with fervent heat What this is may be spoken to Chap. 21. vers 1. But certainly here is such a change as was not before this time even that spoken of under the seventh vial Chap. 16. that heaven and earth shall flee away as not to be found that is not so as formerly they were there being now a change on them They are said to flee before his face to shew with what facility and ease that change shall be wrought 2. Of what glorious majesty and power this great Judge shall be that these creatures cannot abide His presence but do flee 3. To shew that it is the end because this consummation and great change on the Creation is instantly before the Judgement when the living Elect shall be changed in the twinkling of an eye as 1 Cor. 15. and 1 Thess. 4. now time and place as we make use of them are gone The fourth step of this preparation is the raising of all parties to be judged which includeth the Resurrection in two steps 1. that all are again brought to a bodily life where ever their bodies were buryed or destroyed And here we take in the change that shall befall these who shall be living instead of their dying The second step is their appearing before the Judgement for where the carcase is there will the Eagles be gathered together Hence it is said that the Son will send out His Angels to gather them from the four winds and Jesus the Judge shall have them personally presented before Him which also in part belongeth to the procedour This is the order of the matter though this of the resurrection be subjoyned after the procedour in judgement ver 13. The second thing cleared in this judgement is the parties who is the Judge and 2. who are judged The Judge certainly is Jesus Christ the Mediator who hath the keys of hell and death Chap. 1.18 and is appointed Judge of quick and dead Act. 17.30 31. called God ver 12. before whom all do appear for He is personally to be understood having these divine Attributes of power to execute omniscience to take up and justice to proceed He hath divine Authority and Commission for this He hath divine glory and will appear to be God in our nature in that day going about this last and solemn act of His Mediatory service and Kingdom The parties judged who stand before the throne are 1. generally the dead all who ever lived as after ver 12. Under which are comprehended these who then shall be alive as also Enoch and Elias 1. because their change shall be as death to them in changing their bodies to an immortall condition 2. Because they are few and comprehended under the greatest number for if the dead appear much more these who shall be living More particularly they are distributed in small and great which taketh in all sorts 1. Kings and mean ones none shall escape 2. Rich and poor 3. Mighty powerfull strong and weak 4. Old at the greatest age and statuâ—e and young who have not attained to their perfection In a word all that ever breathed and had life none are exempted but all are made to appear If any ask what young ones have to be judged for Answ. They are under one of the Covenants either of Works or Grace if of Works then have they the breach of that Covenant to count for they being the serpentine brood of a transgressing stock 2. If they are Elect they are to be judged by the Book of life For that question agitated in what pitch every one appeareth whether of a lower or taler stature old or young according as they died we insist not on it The Schoolmen decide all to be raised about the age of thirty years that being the prime of mans strength and about the age that Christ was at when He suffered which will be found to be thirty three years and some more having entred to His publick Ministrie in the thirty but this derogateth from the mysterie of the resurrection 1 Cor. 15. for though the same body be raised ye it will be another kind of body than ever formerly it was at any age We may say of the Elect they shall be perfect in what ever condition they died all that which is imperfect being done away their person stature judgement c. being perfected And we think that that perfection which consisteth in conforming them to Christs glorious Body is of another kind than to respect either age stature or the like We may see from this also the absurdity of that Popish conceit whereby the judged are distinguished in four sorts by the Schoolmen one whereof doth judge and is not judged being of a degree of perfection beyond coming into judgement here none that hath life whether Elect or Reprobate are secluded but all being in these Books all that are written in them must appear and none there are but they are written in them and no need there were of this Book of life if the Elect in it were not also to be judged It is true Believers none of them shall come to judgement as judgement importeth condemnation according to the Word Ioh. 3.18 so no Elect cometh into judgement yet for absolution they come It is truth also that the Saints shall then judge even Angels 1 Corinth 6. and possibly the Apostles and some others may be more eminent in that judgement Matth. 19.28 yet that doth not exclude them from being judged themselves they being among the dead now standing before the throne but includeth an affeâ—â—ory aâ—sent to the great Judge His sentences and is a speciall prerogative put on all Believers that day who shall be caught up on the bench with the Judge when the reprobate like fellous and pannelled malefactorâ— shall be standing at the bar while they sit as it were on the steps of the sides of His throne being caught up to Him when others are left 1 Thess. 4. which also may admit of degrees Followeth now the proceeding when God is on His throne and all the world standing before Him It hath three steps 1. generally Books are opened for all 2. A speciall Book for the Elect The book of life is opened 3. Sentence is passed and pronounced upon all according as was found in these books and according to their works In all which there is an allusion to mens proceeding where when men are guilty and brought to judgment 1. there libels are red called by the Hebrews books Iob 31.35 2. The witnesses depone or their depositions already on record are made known 3. The Law is consulted concerning the matters that are found what sentence is due to them So it is here which is not as if Jesus Christ were literally so to proceed for nothing escapeth Him but to shew that the judgement shall be as accurate and particular in the
triall and just in the close as if all were registrated and put on record nothing shall be missed or mistaken in its circumstances but things shall be so just in themselves and so manifested and put beyond all doubt to others as if an exact register of them had been keeped and now published In all which allusion is to Dan. 7. though this Book of life is not mentioned there because it is but a temporall judgement that is principally intended in that place Let us enquire 1. what these books are 2. What this is to open them they are certainly expressed so with respect to mens Courts And therefore we take the first to hold out 1. That there is a book of challenges and accusations wherein and whereby all that ever men did is manifested and brought to their mind so Iob 31.35 This may be a record of events in the Lords omniscience and in the memory and consciences of men wherein every thing past is made fresh to them so is there a book of remembrance a book containing as it were a diary of all their lives Mal. 3.16 2. There is a witnesse a book of the creatures without who have been abused and from within the conscience according as it now seeth it excuseth or accuseth Rom. 2.14 and so is a law and evidence sufficient to the man Thus the matter of fact is made out Ye did thus and thus with such and such aggravations the conscience cannot refuse it 3. The book of the Law is produced whereby actions are examined whether conform or disconform unto it And so Christ saith Iob. 12. the word that He speaketh shall judge them in the great day These are the books for these books in generall are in the plurall number because they are moe than one whereas there is but one book of life the reason is 1. because Grace arising and flowing from free election hath but one way to all comprehended in it but justice in its dealing with others taketh notice of their severall actions and guilt 2. Election considereth men without any thing in themselves or respect to the Law and is no act of justice but of soveraign Grace Again justice considereth men as such and therefore enquireth in their carriage looketh to proofs and compareth all with the Law which maketh that judiciall processe to be more exactly set out by severall books These books are opened in comparison of what they were before to wit sealed neither was it known what was in them Now 1. all actions and events mercies or rods lesse and more are made manifest even that which was most secret idle words Mat. 12. every secret thing good or bad Eccles. 12. last ver 2. As nothing is forgotten so every thing is known as it is the spirituall meaning of the Law and so the deserving of sin and all the aggravations of it are better known many truths and threatnings believed then that were dallied-with before The 1. is necessary to perfect the challenge and libell the second is necessary to make all assent to Gods justice and know their own deserving which could not be if they understood not the Law By the one many sins will occur whereof they never dreamed by the other the least sins will have huge aggravations beyond what they appeared 3. The conscience-conscience-book will be opened when blindnesse is taken away from the sight and judgement and hardnesse and deadnesse from the conscience so that these who looked but on sin before are now affected and pricked with it and the conscience becometh restlesse and sensible not only bearing witnesse to the truth of such things convincingly but also with inward pangs accusing such things now and sentencing for them whereas it formerly sleeped under them as Psal. 51. They are now ever before them yea within them Thus all is cleared By which we may see 1. that nothing will be missed in that day Gods Register is so exact 2. That what is secret now will be revealed then not only to the parties own conscience for which end every one will have their own distinct books but even to others because they also must know and assent to Gods justice in generall why such a one is condemned c. which cannot so well be without the knowledge of their guilt Beside this is aimed at by this day to make Gods justice manifest therefore is it called the revelation of Gods righteous judgement Rom. 2. Hence it is said that nothing is hid which shall not be discovered even as to others before Men and Angels yea in that place Matth. 25. the reason of the sentence respectively is given Neither doth the manifestation of these deeds prove derogatory to the Elects joy nor that capacity of knowledge usefull to the Reprobate For 1. that manifestation glorifieth God it being manifested aâ— the ground upon which grace is glorified and so wrongeth them no more than these known sins of Solomon Saul or Paul c. which are not for their infamy remembered then 2. Their Repentance and Faith in Christ with the pardon and glory that Christ puâ—teth on thâ—m is also manifested so that this is furthered by the other and not lessened by it and that knowledge in Reprobates rendeth more to the aggreaging of their horrour and pain when they see others possibly alike in some things guilty admitted to glory and themselves shut out when they see the causes of Gods proceeding the more knowledge they have they have the moe challenges and aggravations of grief so that glad would they be to forget many things which they cannot then be rid of 2. When these generall books or records of all mens deeds are produced there is a peculiar book added like as a Commander or Judge who having produced generally what such a mutinous Army and such a rebellious people deserved yet after taketh out a peculiar paper whereby grace and mercy is designed for some particular persons that they suffer not with the rest So here before sentence passe the book of life is looked because Iob. 6.39 40. all these Elect that were given to Him are to be accounted for now and as it were the roll is taken out to see that the event answer His Commission This sheweth also that it is not by the former books of their own reckoning but by grace that even the Elect are absolved By this book of life is understood 1. Gods peculiar purpose of and Election to glory of some beside and distinct from others It is ordinarily thus expressed because 1. He hath them designed by name and sâ—rname as in a particular record 2. Called book of life because that is the end of it why He hath written such and such in it and not others the effect following to them is life So it is often expressed by a writing or book Exod. 32.33 Isa. 4.3 3. By this book of life we would not understand Election strictly as it respecteth the end only but as it comprehendeth all conducing to that
end there being but one Election or book written concerning the end life and all midses leading thereto as Redemption and the executing of that Covenant Psal. 40.7 as Repentance Faith c. which book containeth Gods purpose and the severall means and steps whereby He hath made it effectuall Again these are compared to a book 1. for exactnesse there is no change or misse can be here all is on record 2. To shew Christs faithfulnesse in His Trust who got the Elect to save Ioh. 6.40 and now produceth them all by name 3. It is produced to shew the rise of the Elects Salvation and what put the difference between them and others and from whom all their Salvation dependeth it is nothing in them but in Gods Electing grace This book is also opened 1. because now it is known to all who are Elect and who not and never till now and therefore ought it never to be enquired into as to others it being never opened till then 2. Because then Gods good reason of proceeding in this soveraign work of Election in having mercy on whom He will which till this time hath been and shall be a mystery shall then satisfyingly be clear why He choosed so many and no moe why such and not others this man living in such a time and not this at another time Here reason cannot see Therefore faith and fear would submit and forbear searching in some of these things seeking rather to have the priviledges and qualifications of these here inrolled and waiting for satisfaction unto many questions at this day when we shall see Him as He is It is an other book different from the former books which are common to the Reprobates this is peculiar to the Elect that of justice and judgement this of soveraign grace If any ask why the book of life is produced here and not Gods decree of Reprobation also Answ. Condemnation is an act of Justice God condemneth but according to and for their works Therefore there is no need of that decree For He judgeth impenitent sinners But absolution is an act of grace not going on our deservings Therefore there is need of this rule or book to proceed by as distinct from our deservings Beside now God will have Reprobates acknowledging justice and none shall blame Him for their condemnation or Reprobation when their own guilt and Gods decree shall be manifested together what ever man cavill now no weight is laid on that decree in this sentence as a cause of it but upon their own sins On the contrary He shall have all the Redeemed knowing that the weight of all their salvation lieth on His grace and in His purpose before any thing was done by them Now both these being cleared 1. what men did 2. who amongst men are appointed to life the third thing to wit the sentence that is passed on these dead followeth They were judged that is received their last doom But because it is a day of justice and sundry sorts both sheep and goats are judged Therefore there is not one sentence to all but two qualifications of the sentence are added 1. They were judged out of those things that were written in the Books who wanted the written Law have the Law of nature in their hearts for a Law Rom. 2.12 who lived under it are judged by it who heareth the Gospel are judged according to it mens receipts come in to this reckoning In short it is Those written in the Book of life are entred in possession of it according to the Word Come ye blessed inherit the Kingdom prepared for you Mat. 25. Others are charged with their guilt and have this sentence Depart from me c. The second qualification sheweth the justice thereof more that is according to their works not for their works Works here are to the Elect the rule not the cause of proceeding and it importeth these things 1. generally that there shall be justice in the sentence or rather it shall be a just sentence not passed on any by guesse or contrary to their deservings but justly shall it be past by a vindicative justice on the reprobate wicked and by a faithfull righteous sentence of grace on the godly elect Which is also just 1. because Christ hath payed for them their debt is discharged by the cautioner 2. Because God hath promised and engaged to pardon them in that book of redemption or life and now He performeth and keepeth it Hence it is said God the righteous Iudge will give the Crown at this day 2 Tim. 4.8 2. It is suitable to folks works He doth in that day good to these who are good and to the froward and wicked he pronounceth evil as it is cleared Rom. 2.6 7 8 9. when it is said He shall give to every one according to their works it is then thus distributed Thus justice hath our works not as the ground or cause of it but as the evidences whereby the Elect are differenced from others 3. It is proportionable that is to say not only glory to those that do well but to those that abound in well-doing great glory and so it is not wrath only to the soul that doth much ill but great wrath Therefore it is said Gal. 6. he that soweth sparingly shall reap sparingly for as a man soweth so he shall reap not only as to the kind corruption from the flesh or life from the Spirit but even as to the degree lesse or more according to their sowing as in the parables of talents and pounds is clear Matth. 25. and Luke 19.4 It importeth a necessary connexion betwixt good works and glory for without holinesse none shall see the face of God What is meaned by according Christ holdeth it out Mat. 25.29 in that necessary connexion that he that hath shall get more but not because he hath but in order certainly it followeth contra yet it is freely given If any retort that according to works in the wicked importeth merit Therefore so also in the Godly I say it importeth not of it self merit to say according to works as appeareth by the like phrases according to your faith be it unto you and in distributing the talents Mat. 25.15 He gave according to their several abilities Their abilities may imply fitnesse in them and proportionablenesse in distributing of them yet none can say according 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 implyeth merit in these places and that it can import no merit properly taken here though there be justice in the sentence and it be just yet our works are not the ground of it appeareth 1. because grace and the book of life is here mentioned as the ground of proceeding in reference to the Elect. Now if in as strict justice their works deserved life as the wicked deserve death there were no need of mentioning this Book so oft Yea 2. If according to works were to be taken strictly then it were inconsistent with this Book which maketh all to be of
grace and of a like nature with its rise even as it is grace here grace and works are opposed if of grace then not of works yea according to works so understood as causal is opposed to this purpose of God or His election as 2 Tim. 1.8 who hath saved and called us with an holy calling not according to our works but according to His purpose and grace in Christ Iesus Where 1. he joyneth saving which taketh in all and Gods purpose together and maketh the one grace as the other is 2. In both he opposeth works to grace which cannot be understood simply but as they look to merit otherwise both take-in works and what reason can there be given here why this Book is so often mentioned in this judgement but to shew that this last step of salvation is of the same nature with the first which certainly as to election can be called no other than of grace 3. Consider that when Christ speaketh more fully to this sentence Matth. 25. He mentioneth some works as visiting clothing c. which certainly as to the condignity of merit can have no proportionablenesse to heaven and glory And if any say he so accounteth them though they be not worthy Answ. 1. Then that is improperly merit whereas the other properly deserveth hell Therefore the expression is not alike on both sides 2. Then it followeth it is grace that maketh the sentence passe on them and not strict justice as on the other 4. Consider here that all small and great are judged infants possibly never breathing out of their mothers belly and can any say that such cannot be written in the Lamb's book of life or that they have done any thing to deserve this last absolving sentence It must therefore not be understood to infer merit to them To say by Baptism their sin is taken away Answ. 1. That is contrary to Graces way and the nature of Gods Covenant to Believers and their seed baptized or not for it condemneth all unbaptized or the argument will hold in them 2. In Baptism children are passive it is not their deed if childrens Baptism deserve any thing it must be here accounted on their score who performed it not on the childrens who must be judged according to their own works and not to the works either of Parent or Minister yet if it be considered that the judgement passeth according to the Book of life there is clear ground to lay it on grace and not on themselves or others and the rule is one to all the Elect. 5. Consider that these works and books take-in all the Elect many of whom have many sinfull actions and few good and even those few are much corrupted and imperfect Now it must either be said 1. that no Elect cometh here to be judged but he hath more good at least to deserve heaven than evil to deserve hell which will seem hard to be said of profane men converted possibly an hour before death or we must say there are different rules to proceed by in judging the Elect some by grace and some by works which is contrary to the text that maketh one rule for all and certainly any that is well versed in these books will see no cause to plead thus and all others shall see it when these books shall be opened It is the ignorance of these that maketh men so plead So this according then importeth a suitablenesse and connexion as is said but no merit Inst. But it is deserving to the wicked therefore to the righteous Answ. 1. This word here may import no deserving that being as to the wicked elsewhere clear but a connexion with and suitablenesse of one of these to the other to wit wicked living and impenitent dying with damnation This is enough to vindicate justice that he thus proceedeth 2. Although it do imply merit in them yet it will not follow that it doth so in the Elect not only for the former reasons but 1. because the sins of wicked men are perfectly sins the good actions of the Godly are not so 2. Because with the one God proccedeth according to the Covenant of works punishing for want of perfect holinesse aggravated also in some by their unbelief who heard the Gospel but God proceedeth not by that Covenant with the Elect but by the book of like that hath the Covenant of grace depending on it 3. Because any sin deserveth wrath even the least being a transgression of the Law but many good works will not deserve heaven because they are debts and cannot plead the performance of that Covenant except they be alwayes and in every thing perfect for life dependeth not on living well this year or two years or for this good work or that but on a perfect righteousnesse which is marred by one sin even original sin though there be never more for bonum non est nisi ex omnibus malum ab unoquoque defectu If any ask why works are mentioned here and not faith Answ. 1. Faith and repentance are certainly included not as works deserving but as fruits of the Spirit in the Regenerate and the want of them is sinfull in the reprobate who heard and believed not And certainly according to this they who heard are more severely judged and therefore works here must be understood generally as it setteth out ones condition good or evil according to which the judgement proceedeth especially as they believed or not 2. Faith is not expressly mentioned because it is implyed in Gods purpose of grace under the book of life which taketh-in faith as a midse that it may be of grace Rom. 4.16 3. Because it is not justification from sin before God that is here recorded that is past but the manifestation of that before men and it is one thing to justifie before God and another to save one that is justified and declare them to be so and works contribute most directly to this 4. Works are especially mentioned in opposition to the wicked who are condemned for their sins and want of good works this stoppeth their mouth and sheweth the justice of the difference even before men yet upon the matter Chap. 21.8 unbelieving is reckoned to the wicked even as murder and adultery is and so among the works of the Elect must be comprehended their fleeing to Christ by faith whereby merit is overturned Vers. 13. By clearing an objection he openeth further what was said which may be many are rotten in the grave called here hell are drowned in the sea eaten with fishes c. under which are comprehended all desperate-like deaths as burning sowing in ashes rotten heaps of dead bodies together it may be said how can these dead be said to be raised and judged It is shown that even these same bodies by Gods power are judged with these that live in the flesh by which that which looketh most impossibleâ—like is brought about even as if willingly the sea and the grave had given up these
never end ver 25. there is no fear from Antichrist nor Gog or Magog here A fifth aggravation is ver 26. that not only what is glorious to Kings but what in all the world is glorious shall be brought there as if all glory and riches made their rendevouze here it shall be so glorious as if no glory at all were out of it Bâ—side it may well take in that all the Saints which only are the glory of Nations are all brought in to it In a word it shall exceed all as it were they will cast their caps at it The sixth is from its indwellers who are expressed two wayes 1. negatively No unclean thing or what defileth c shall enter ver 27. that is no wicked person 2. no wicked thing or no wicked deed 3. no filthy creature that is loathsome 4. no corruption in Believers they are now without spot In a word 1. no sin 2. no curse 3. no devil tempter or tentation and no corruption for all these defile and this is more than that only no wicked person should enter Thus it is expresly distinguished from the militant Church that is hereby supponed to have in it what defileth to wit scandalous persons and hypocrites here expressed in these two who work abomination and make a lie and it is said of all these that in no wayes they enter by a twofold negation in the Original 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to shew the absolute exclusion of all these and that in the least degree Then positively it is told who enters None but thâ—se who are written in the Lambs book of life i.e. true Elect and not appearing so only yea regenerated perfected Elect as was cleared in the scope of this Chapter otherwise the Elect have corruption that defileth but here now it is done away for 1. that phrase writing in his book through this prophesie is never so understood to wit for these that appear so but for such who are so indeâ—d 2. Seeming Elect who yet are not so do make a lie and defile therefore are here secluded 3. These written are opposed ut supra to these not written Chap. 20.15 and therefore it must be understood of true Elect seing the others are really reprobates 4. The Lambs book of life is never opened till the last day and this admission supponeth the opening of it as that which only giveth the rule to make this difference supponing that till this Book be opened no such decerning should be pretended unto therefore it is not here-away 5. He hath keeped that Book to Himself and hath given it to none to rule their sentence by 6. Do not some hypocrits look liker Elect than some of them do and shall this rule exclude the one and take-in the other and seing the mentioning of the book of life here relateth to its opening Chap. 20. whereby it is made known who was in it and that is at the last sentence This must therefore be at the execution thereof and posterior to it These reasons do evince that the book of life is to be taken properly for Gods election in opposition to what was said Chap. 20. ver last and therefore these who enter now must be really and only Elect indeed opposit to the former and no other interpretation crossing that can be admitted either of secluding profane men and such who are not Elect doctrinally from heaven it self or such who appear not so from the Church for 1. thus to be written here in the bok of life is to be really elected in opposition to the state of the reprobate who are not written for all men are distributed in these two written or not written and a third there is not but to expound this either of the former wayes will not make it to speak of the real Elect and these only Therefore it cannot be admitted here 2. Whatever this here intendeth it is something that both de jure and de facto is peculiar to this state of the Church that is it is such a thing as neither ever was in deed or event nor was ever called-for before this for this is a thing peculiarly differencing this state of the Church from all that ever preceeded in this respect and for that end as a peculiar property thereof is subjoyned here But neither can it be said that the key of Doctrine de jure becometh straiter then nor now or that de facto it will ever be stricter than it was in the first Primitive and Apostolick times Nor can it be applied to any more strict exercise of Discipline in reference to Church-membership for then 1. it would follow that there were a different rule for gathering of Churches then which we have not now and that so much strictnesse were not required now which some will not find consonant to the purpose for which they alleage this now And 2. it would follow that the Apostolick Church was not so exact in their practice if de facto that succeeding Church shall go beyond them It must therefore belong to the Church-triumphant as is said LECTURE I. CHAP. XXII Vers. 1. ANd he shewed me a pure river of water of life clear as chrystall proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb. 2 In the midst of the street of it and of either side of the river was there the tree of life which bare twelve manner of fruits and yeelded her fruit every moneth and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the Nations 3. And there shall be no more curse but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it and his servants shall serve him 4. And they shall see his face and his name shall be in their foreheads 5. And there shall be no night there and they need no candle neither light of the sun for the Lord God giveth them light and they shall reign for ever and ever THis first part of the Chapter to vers 6. continueth some further aggravations of the happinesse which the glorified in heaven enjoy The first is from the excellency of a river that runneth through that city rivers are plesant and profitable to run through cities This city hath an excellent river whereof we may say as Psal. 46. The streams thereof make glad the city of God It is commended 1. that it is a river not a brook but such as may convey commodities to it and be usefull for cleansing of it which sheweth in the scope that this city is perfectly accommodated and cleansed exceedingly beyond what any river can do to any city on earth 2. It is a pure river that is free from all muddinesse and corruption every thing is excellent here the finest that can be imagined 3. It is a river of water of life not only as from a living fountain but as of a lively efficacy and vertue to all who drink of it life is in abundance here where both the fountains and river are such 4. It is clear
be spread as would carry about every one whose heart was not established by grace such deceivers privily bringing in damnable heresies that if it were possible the very Elect should be deceived so many duties to be done and so much affliction to be suffered as were impossible to be performed and born without the assistâ—nce of special grace Therefore as the conclusion of the whole verse last he desireth that the grace of the Lord Iesus Christ may be with them all as that which by its sensible presence or supporting influence would carry them through whatsoever they might meet with for there is no difficulty so great which will not evanish and disappear before His grace and a gracious man is able to do and suffer all things through Christ who strengtheneth him This grace is indeed the one thing necessary to make a man carry creditably for the Gospel and comfortably to himself in all cases that may be incident he who is strengthened by the might of His grace in the inner-man will be stedâ—ast and immoveable alwayes abounding in the work of the Lord. And therefore it is no wonder that one who was seen in the concerning events which should fall out till the second coming of Christ did wrap up all his desires for the Saints with an Amen in this one wish The grace of our Lord Iesus be with you all The very pulse of a holy soul beateth still this way his temper may be known by the ordinary unconstrained and habituall desires of his heart Let others wish to themselves and their friends what they please that which a holy man wisheth to himselfe and these whom he loveth best is this that the grace of Jesus Christ may be with them he would have his own desires with the desires and endeavours of every man else terminate upon this If ye ask him what he feareth most It is this lest he come short of the grace of God Or that his hopes are most upon It is for that grace which is to be brought unto him at the revelation of Jesus Christ this is the very character of a Christian in good case that he is one who is waiting for the appearance of Jesus Christ and that grace which is to be brought with Him the expectation of this is the rest of his soul he feedeth upon it constantly when he is alone the thoughts of it keep him company and he maketh this his companion in whatsoever company he be In a word he iâ— content to be empty of all things beside that out of His fulnesse he may receive grace for grace this to him is the one thing necessary and therefore he maketh it his choice Happy yea thrice happy is every one who doth so for he hath chosen that good part that shall never be taken from him The worthy and pious Author of this Treatise whose communication was habitually good for the use of edifying and such as did minister grace to the Hearers being about to leave this world to which he was dead when alive while all that were about him did see him panting for God for the living God as the Hart doth after the water brooks a little before he fell asleep desired one of them who stood by to write for a close to this Commentary these following words worthy to be graven with an iron pen and lead in the rock for ever And now O my soul when all sayes Come and concuâ—â—es in a sweet harmony seing thou hast heard and dost hear the Call of the Gospel say with the Bride and with the Spirit Even so Come Lord Iesus Come quickly FINIS A brief View of the Series of the whole Book of the REVELATION THis whole Book is formed by way of an Epistle Beside some generall circumstances the matter of the Book generally is divided Chap. 1. in these two 1. The things that then were or the present state of these Churches especially 2. The things that were to come on the Church in general to the end of the world Chap. 2 and 3. contain the first part the present condition of these seven Churches set out in seven several Epistles shewing their case and reproving or commending accordingly as was requisit and withall adding directions warnings threatnings and consolations suitable to their respective conditions which though expresly directed to these yet are alike usefull to all in such cases to the end Chap. 4. and 5. contain the Preface introductory to the main and propheticall part of this Book where God the Creator is set on His Throne and His glory as absolute supream Lord of all is set down having all events determined in His Counsel as in a Book that is sealed in the which no creature can pry to reveal them except Jesus Christ who by the executing of His Office of Mediatorship is found worthy to be admitted on Gods eternal secrets concerning the Church Who therefore in that fifth Chapter receiveth these as in a book sealed with seven seals which he openeth distinctly keeping the same comparison in the Chapters following which contain three principal and other three explicatory Prophesies the three principal Prophesies of Seals Trumpets and Vials deducing the events from that time to the end by several steps and the explicatory Prophesies clearing what was more shortly or obscurely set down in the other and contemporating with them or some part of them Chap. 6. We have the first principal Prophesie of the Seals which setteth forth the state of the Church under its first period to wit of heathenish persecution In it the Church is first discovered as flourishing in respect of the Gospels thriving Seal 1. Then as bloudy in respect of persecution Seal 2. After that as decaying and losing much of its beauty not only by the persecution of enemies but by the contests and failings that were in and amongst her friends Seal 3. After which persecution came to a vehement height as if death had been loosed against the Church in the last part of the ten persecutions Seal 4. whereupon the souls cry to God as being at an uttermost strait Seal 5. Upon which followeth Gods judgment upon these persecuters Seal 6 at which the first period of the Churches condition and the first principal prophesie of Seals do end The Church having now gotten outward prosperity and peace and not having made good use of it there are Chap. 7. other sorts of winds ready to blow and fearfull heresies to set on her especially that defection of Antichrist all which she is to be advertised of by the Trumpets but because that exercise would be more sifting and carry moe of the visible Church away than open persecution did Therefore before the Trumpets sound the Lord giveth a little view of the future state of the Church in reference to the two following principall Prophesies The first part is to ver 9. showing Gods care in guarding His Elect against that storm before it came this belongeth to
of a harvest and vintage and to what time this judgement doth relate 597 598 The person executing the judgement against Antichrist the incitment he hath to do so and the execution it self 598 599 600 The last plagues upon Antichrist and the instruments by whom he is plagued 601 602 The Song of the people of God at the over-throw of Antichrist a description of the singers the song it self and the matter thereof Antichrists last expedition for his support set forth in the principal authors thereof its speciall agents their work and the successe of all 621.622 623 That Antichrist is come and that the Pope is Antichrist proven and that he is not a single person who is to continue onely three years and an half 652 653 654 Bellarmin's arguments whereby he endeavoureth to prove that the Pope is not yet come answered 654 655 Concerning the continuing of Antichrist or the defection of the Church under him and its close 671 672 That the antichristian defection is presently in being and that it is to be found in Rome further cleared and proven 674 675 676 That it was not Christ really in His humanity who appeared to Iohn in vision proven 37 Directions to Ministers in applying their Doctrine 260 to 266 Armageddon what it is and why expresly set down in the Hebrew tongue 623 624 The preparations upon the Lambs side to the battell of Armageddon the Captain described and the event of the battell 700 701 702 The Arian heresie held forth by the first trumpet 420 421 422 That the Church under heathen Magistrates had not a like authority in Civil things as Ecclesiastick 91 B BAbylons judgement denounced what the judgement is the manner of expressing it with the cause why she is judged 58 Babylons judgement the denouncer the denounciation it self and the justice of this judgement 677 678 679 What Balaam's doctrine was and how that of the Nicolaitans agreed with it 155 What is meaned by the four Beasts Rev. 4. 275 276 Why the Beast under the Dragon Chap. 12. hath the crowns on his head and on his horns and that Beast Chap. 13.1 hath crowns on his horns not on his heads 524 Who that Beast is which is said to rise out of the sea and whether one with the following Beast 542 543 544 545 What we are to understand by that image which is made to the Beast 546 Antichrist set out and described in his power glory and cruelty by the Beast and the severall parts of that description 546 547 What is meaned by wounding and what by healing one of the heads of the Beast by whom he was wounded by whom healed the time of both with the effects which followed thereupon 548 549 550 What worship was given to the Beast and the description of his dominion in its continuance 551 552 The blasphemy persecution and enlargement of the Beasts dominion 553 554 The Antichrist described under the type of a Beast with two horns like a lamb and why he is called another Beast with the severall parts of the description 555 556 557 The power the Beast exerciseth who looketh like a lamb 558 What is meaned by the image made to the Beast and by its being made to live 560 The mark of the Beast and who are marked 561 The number of the Beast how to be understood 565 The mark and name of the Beast or the number of the Beast considered 567 568 The number of the Beasts name exponed and the reasons of the interpretation 568 569 Mahomet is not the Beast 572 The Beast taken up in a fourfold consideration how the woman sitteth thereon with a description of the Beast 632 633 The Beast described particularly in a threefold respect 635 636 637 How it is true that the Beast is not and yet is ibid. Whom we are to understand by the eighth Beast 641 The ground and warrand that all have to believe 305 When men are called to believe they are not called instantly to beleive that Christ died for them in particular 306 Believers happinesse in heaven set forth and what use they are to make of it for the present 401 402 Bishop Angel and Presbyter proven to be one in Scripture and that there is no difference between Bishop and Pastor with the answer of Doctor Hammonds Arguments to the contrary that there were ordinary Pastors in the Apostles dayes proven 223 224 225 226 to 234 Saving blessings far otherwayes the effect of Christs death than any common mercy that followeth thereupon to Reprobates 310 God hath a fourfold Book figuratively attributed to Him 18â— What the Book of life is and what the not blotting out of that Book meaneth ibid. What is the Book with the seven seals 243 That the little Book mentioned chap. 10.2 is the same with that spoken of chap. 5. cleared and confirmed 465 What is understood by taking and eating this little Book 468 What these Books are which are opened in the day of judgement and how they are said to be opened 743 Why the Book of life is produced and not Gods decree of reprobation also 744 The Book of life opened and what we are to understand by it ibid. How Christs feet are like unto Brasse 39 C Concerning a call to the Ministery and clearnesse therein 52 A necessity of clearnesse in a mans call to the Ministery and how it may be cleared where of the impulse of the Spirit that may be in one to the work of the Ministery and how to try if it be of the Lord 52 53 54 55 Churches why called Candlesâ—â—â—â—â— 51 The nature of the judgement pointed at by the Censers being filled with fire taken off the Altar 414 415 That they who pretend to highest titles in the Church even to that of Apostles may lawfully be tried and censured by the Church 69 The censuring of such most acceptable service 70 71 Censures have a threefold weight when they are rightly drawn forth 163 164 Considerations to be had in censuring 165 That children are to be baptized proven 515. Why Christ is called the faithfull witnesse why the first begotten of the dead and why the Prince of the Kings of the earth 5 The way of Christs coming set forth and made use of 24 The extent of the merit of Christs death 299 How Christs death is of an infinite value ibid. Christs death not a satisfaction for all but only for the chosen proven 299 300 301 Christs death and suffering not intended as a price to redeem any but such as were proposed to the Mediator in the Covenant of Redemption 301 All and every one noâ— proposed to Christ in the Covenant of Redemption to be redeemed ibid. Whether Christ hath redeemed all men conditionally Neg. 312 Christs Intercession and satisfaction of equal extent 315 316 Christ hath a care of the Elect to see to their safety in the greatest of judgement 388 The enlargement of Christs Church a most beautifull thing 394 The most righteous persons