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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A37035	A commentarie upon the book of the Revelation Wherein the text is explained, the series of the several prophecies contained in that book, deduced according to their order and dependance on each other; the periods and succession of times, at, or about which, these prophecies, that are already fulfilled, began to be, and were more fully accomplished, fixed and applied according to history; and those that are yet to be fulfilled, modestly, and so far as is warrantable, enquired into. Together with some practical observations, and several digressions, necessary for vindicating, clearing, and confirming many weighty and important truths. Delivered in several lectures, by that learned, laborious, and faithfull servant of Jesus Christ, James Durham, late Minister of the Gospel in Glasgow. To which is affixed a brief summary of the whole book, with a twofold index, one of the several digressions, another of the chief and principall purposes and words contained in this treatise.	Durham, James, 1622-1658.	1658 (1658)	Wing D2805; ESTC R216058	1,353,392	814

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 ●● 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

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 thereb● 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

state that then was It may also mean an active perdition in respect of destroying others in which respect Chap. 9. he is called Apollyon and 2 Thess. 2. the son of perdition for this describeth him best in his nature and is like one who cometh from that fountain from which he hath his rise 3. He is described by the welcome he should have in the world when he arose or the effect he should have on the world They that dwell on the earth shall wonder whose names are not written in the Lambs book This setteth out the absolutenesse of his reception or the obedience that should be given him in four 1. in extent the whole world almost all the Roman Empire except some Elect ones by God keeped from that impurity as also Chap. 13. it is as broad as ever it was in any form before 2. There is the kind of subjection expressed by wondering a superstitious subjection to him as to some Deity and not meerly as to a civill Governour as in the former heads for such subjection many Elect children gave but this is an Idolatrous adoration such as Papists give to their Popes 3. It setteth out the degree of subjection this of admiration is more nor ordinary and is to be wholly at the beck and command of this beast under this consideration it is a superstitious devotednesse to him 4. There is the motive of all this it is willingly they admire him not by constraint of arms but by a mistaken devotion they of themselves give up and enslave themselves to him as is said of the Kings vers 13. they shall give their power to the beast and vers 17. they agree to do it They were now out of temporall subjection the Empire having become weak and they upon that had got their Kingdom yet this admiration had such influence on them as to make them universally yeeld to this beast upon this account more willingly than Armies had made them do to the former The exception put in a parenthesis whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world not only holdeth forth that compliance to be an exceeding sinfull defection even such as the Elect should not yea to the end cannot continue in it But 1. It sheweth there is a difference made by Jesus Christ of Elect and Reprobate as if by name they were written in distinct Books 2. It sheweth it is eternall and so without dependance on our free wills it is before the world 3. It sheweth that our standing and being keeped clean is a fruit of Election and not our Election a fruit of our foreseen faith or works It is they admire not because they are written in the Lambs book and not they are written because they admire not 4. It sheweth a suitablenesse in the end and midses these Elected to glory are brought to it by Holinesse Eph. 1.4 and Sanctification 2 Thess. 2. vers 13. in being keeped from such filthinesse as others fall in and which otherwise they would have fallen in and on the contrary they go to destruction falling in sins which are the causes of their damnation though not of their reprobation yet the decrees in respect of their ends are not without respect to these midses although not grounded on them 4. And lastly he is in this last consideration described by the ground of this admiration which pointeth at the state it agreeth unto This is proposed by way of ridle When they behold the beast that was and is not and yet is This is to be understood with respect to the time of the beasts actuall existing under the last consideration wherein he is admired and seen by the inhabitants of the earth and so not only was and is not as in the former part of the Verse when this state was to come but now it is so it differeth in the notion of timing it from what it was formerly and is thus to be understood They see now an Empire which being before that time was exceeding different from this 1. in form 2. in nature or kind ut supra the heads then were crowned Chap. 12. now the horns 2. It is not that is it is a Dominion but it is not the former which was it is spirituall and so admired 2. It lordeth and ruleth over ten Crowned Kings the former did over ten Legats Proconsuls or Governours of Provinces 3. It useth not arms directly but Excommunications Censures c. 4. It was openly heathenish and idolatrous now it is secret under pretext of Christs Vicar so that old forme is away For this beast may be two wayes conceived 1. in its generall complex consideration 2. more particularly in its heads and horns In the generall consideration he compareth the whole beast in its Ecclesiastick nature complexly with the whole beast considered as a temporall Empire considered also complexly as under any of its first six heads so this last beast which supporteth the whore upon an Ecclesiastick account is opposed to its civil consideration as a civill power which went before In this sense there are but two states of this beast one that was present and to passe when this last succeeded another to come But when he considereth again the beast more particularly in respect of its heads and horns and compareth the Governments among themselves vers 10 11. there are seven forms whereof five were past one present and one to come Hence it is that he calleth this Ecclesiastick state of this beast the eighth looking to its distinct nature from the former and also the seventh as it is upon the matter the same power continuing the Dominion of Rome in one series with the former forms even as the two beasts were distinguished Chap. 13. upon that diverse account though upon the matter one So this first was and is not is no contradiction for the beast i. e. the Empire then was yet was not this power come as the supporter of the whore but was to come in which respect he is looked upon as distinct from all the other heads The third step is and yet is that is though it now differ much from what it was yet it is really that same Dominion upon the matter by other spirituall weapons 1. ruling as amply as ever their predecessors did 2. having as full and absolute rule as ever it had See for this two sayings of Bellar. lib. 3. de Pontif. cap. 21. pag. 301. cited Chap. 13. 3. It ruleth as tyrannously as any of the former encroaching on others liberties till it bring them under and when it hath done that it exerciseth its power also cruelly especially against the Saints as vers 14. and Chap. 13. 4. It keepeth the former throne and seat though under another form it getteth the Dragons seat and Authority Chap. 13. and these people Nations and Languages and Kings that formerly had the former beast for their temporall lord they have Papacy for their spirituall 5. in respect