us not lift up our selves in our doings knowledge attainments for we have cause sufficient to take shame to our selves that we are so barren and unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ Nor let us think our selves or others to be any whit the better because of our thinking or speaking highly of our selves but rather suspect our selves and know that this is an evidence and cause of our Lukewarmness We may say the Temple of the Lord the Temple of the Lord the Temple of the Lord are we and yet steal from and defraud others and commit adultery c. Jer. 7. 4-10 We may boast that our hearts are right and cry come see my zeal for the Lord of Hosts and depart from and destroy inferiour Idols and yet serve Golden ones 2 Kings 10. 15 16 25. 29. We may speak one to another and say come I pray you and hear what is the word that cometh forth out of the mouth of the Lord and may come unto his Servants and Prophets as the people cometh and sit before them as God's people and hear his words and the word of his servants may be unto us as a very lovely song of one that hath a pleasant voice and can play well on an Instrument and yet we may not do what we hear but our hearts may go after our covetousness Ezek. 33. 30-32 We may come into God's presence and stand and pray with our selves as being so holy that others may not come near us God We thank thee we are not like other men and yet those we separate from may be justified rather then we Luk. 18. 11-14 We may know we have knowledge and yet know nothing as we ought to know 1 Cor. 8. 1-3 We may boast that we are rich and full and yet be so carnal that God's servants cannot speak to us as unto spiritual ones 1 Cor. 4. 8. with chap. 3. 1-5 We may bestow all our goods to feed the poor and give our bodies to be burned and yet not have charity and so it may profit us nothing 1 Cor. 13. 3. We may plead that we have prophesied in Christ's name and in his name have cost out Devils and in his name done many wonderful works and yet not be built upon the rock which is Christ and so be rejected in conclusion Matt. 7. 22-27 We may glory in our building of Temples for God and yet forget our maker and count the great things of his Law strange things to us Isa 66. 1 2 3. Hos 8. 12-14 Oh! take we heed of seeking our own glory or boasting of our selves or of any of our own things before him though we may be in any measure perfect or so graciously reputed yet let us not know our own souls thereby Job 9. 20 21. Though we be righteous yet let us not lift up our heads Job 10. 15. Though we know nothing by our selves yet know we we are not thereby justified 1 Cor. 4. 4. And be we well assured that when we cry we are full and come not continually unto Christ as the onely foundation of faith fountain of grace and truth bread of life god tried in the fire robe of righteousness great and fundamental â—itness and evidence of God's love we are lukewarm and neither cold nor hot and deserve to be spued out of his mouth And though in a right examining our selves in the glass of the perfect law of liberty we perceive it to be thus with us and that we deserve to be abhorred of him and to be put away as dross and he is rebuking and chastening us yet notwithstanding consider we as many as he loveth he rebuketh and chasteneth that we may not be discouraged or faiâ—t in our sighing but rather let us anoint our eyes with eye-salve that we may see the excellency of Jesus of his Cross and of what he hath thereby effected and obtained into himself and is become and the vanity and unprofitableness of all other things in comparison of him that we may be zealous and hâ—t in spirit and demeanour and so sake all we have that we may win him and be made partakers of him and of those unsearchable and durable riches and that everlasting righteousness in him for that is his end in all his counsels calls and admonitions yea and in all his rebukes and chastisements while it is the day of his grace and patience It is in love to our souls that he doth rebuke us and order afflictions to us not for his pleasure but for 〈◊〉 that we might be partake s of his holiness Heb. 12. 9-11 Joh. 5. 42-45 Wherefore lift up the hands that hang down and the feeble knees and make strait paths for our feet and he will forgive our sins and turn again and have compassion on us for he is gracious and ready to repent him of the evil threatned by him and deserved by us Heb. 12. 10. 13. Joel 2. 1 -12 13. I shall adde no more here having spoken so largely in the following Treatise but to desire thee to consider what is said and what agreeth with the Testimony of Christ receive and hold fast and what swerveth there-from refuse and reject And the Lord give us an understanding in all things and help us so heartily to embrace and retain the word of truth that though now we see not Christ we may love him above all and believing in him may rejoyce with joy unspeakable and full of glory receiving the end of our faith even the salvation of our souls so he desireth who is thy Servant in and for the Lord Charles Phelpes Lyn. Sep. 15. 1671. Needful Counsel c. Rev. 3. 18. I Counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the Fire that thou mayest be Rich and white raiment that thou mayest be cloathed and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear and anoint thine eyes with eye salve that thou mayest see THE Words we see are a gracious needful and instructive Counsel given to the Angel of the Church of Laodicea In which let us consider 1. The Person that counselleth 1 2. The Person or Persons counselled thee 3. The counsel it self I counsel thee to buy of me Gold tried in the Fire c. 1. The person counselling 1 Who is that He is described to us vers 14. and giveth such a descritpion of himself as in which he giveth us to understand that he is excellent and comely for the escape of such as have fallen away by their iniquities and thereby brought themselves into a loathsome condition and deserve and are threatned to be cast forth as abominable branches persisting therein though such have destroyed themselves yet in him is help salvation and recovery for them Vers 14. These things saith the Amen to wit he in whom all the promises of God are yea and Amen 2 Cor. 1. 20. Ratified Confirmed Sealed and so made sure even by his precious blood which is the blood of the New Testament
passeth all understanding and seeing what treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hid in Christ oh what cause should we see to be abased and to bewail our dim-sightedness and shortness of understanding and comprehending these things and see cause to complain of and acknowledge our great incompleatness in our selves and in conformity unto him yea to cry out of our uncleanness unlovingness barrenness leanness and witheredness If the Apostle could confess of himself and his Brethren that they saw in part and knew in part and that their present knowledge was as far short of that attainable and hereafter to be enjoyed as a Child's knowledge of the understanding of a man what cause have we rather to humble our selves and hide us in the dust who are so far short of what they had attained to 1 Cor. 13 9 12. Surely his Grace is vouchsafed to us to lay us low and hide pride from us and break us off from our high thoughts of our selves and though the Spirit that dwelleth in us as of us lusteth to envy and leadeth us to lift up our selves yet he giveth more Grace Grace abounding and exceeding the corruption of our natural Spirit that our lofty looks may be humbled and our haughty hearts bowed down wherefore he saith God resisteth the proud but giveth Grace to the humble Jam. 4. 5 6. Humble we our selves therefore under the mighty hand of God and suffer we those high thoughts of our selves to be purged out of us and mortified or otherwise we shall never be servent in Spirit in seeking the Lord and yielding up our selves unto him The Apostle saw it needful and profitable to give this admonition to every one of the believers that they should not think more highly of themselves or of their parts gifts and attainments then they ought to think but to think soberly and this he giveth unto them through the Grace given to him and to that end he giveth it That they might present their bodies as moved and strengthened by the Mercies of God a living Sacrifice to him c. And not be conformed to this world but be transformed according to the renewing of their mind c. Rom. 12. 1 3. Implying that if they had unsober thoughts of themselves and did think of themselves above what was meet this would hinder them from an hearty yielding up themselves to the Lord as those alive from the dead and their members as instruments of righteousness unto holiness they would otherwise be apt to think and say They had need of nothing and so expose themselves to wrath as here Because thou sayst I am rich rich in knowledge and utterance the unsober taking notice hereof is very hurtful and pernicious and puffeth up men bloweth them up like a Bladder 1 Cor. 8. 1. And maketh them grow careless and negligent when opportunities are afforded to them for buying that Gold tryed in the fire and to despise and set light by those helps afforded them of God And increased with goods they intimate that time was when they were poor and had nothing but now they are inlarged and grown rich and their substance is increased Time was when they were in bondage to the Law or rudiments of this world and were without Christ and God in the world but now they are the Temple of the Lord the Church of Christ they are not like others or like to what sometimes they themselves were they have now excellent ornaments they have a great gift of prayer and can inlarge themselves therein they can speak freely and fluently for the truth they can plead and contend earnestly for the faith of the common Salvation and have so much to say for it and such strong and weighty Arguments that they can silence opposers and so stop their mouths that they have nothing material to say they have much mortified their corruptions subdued their lusts cleansed their ways escaped the pollutions of the world and have put on bowels of mercy kindness meekness long-suffering temperance sobriety c. They were become like those that trusted in and whose heart was lifted up because of their beauty and who made to themselves Images of God's fair lewels of his Gold and Silver which he gave them Ezek. 16. 4. 19. 28. 17 And have need of rothing or of no Man need of no Instruments though they did not leave off the assemblings of themselves together but seemed to take delight in approching to God yet they knew all already that could be said to them they needed nothing to be perfected in them for they had nothing lacking nothing to be healed for there was nothing lame in them they needed no teaching they were such knowing persons and had such great understanding they had need of no edification they had attained already they needed no reproof they were clean in their own eyes and free from those evils that others might charge them with and fault them for they were even saying Blessed be the Lord for we are rich God we thank thee we are not like other men we have all we desire to have we have need of nothing this was not only their thought but their Language they so said concerning themselves But what account did the faithful and true witness who will not lye give of them For it is not be that commendeth himself is approved but whom the Lord commendeth 2 Cor. 10. 18. Did he confirm their saying and witness the same of them which they said of themselves No they were their own witnesses he giveth them to understand that they were greatly mistaken and deceived in that he saith and knowest not that thou art wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked What a great mistake and error was here Do those that are so highly conceited of themselves think their case is so sad No these knew not their high and unsober thoughts of themselves blinded them and made them worse then fools Prov. 26. 12. And their blindness and ignorance was apparent and their shame and nakedness visible to such as had their eyes open they were blind and yet they thought and said they saw and truly ignorant persons usually are most highly conceited of themselves as the Apostle Paul signifieth when he saith I would not have you ignorant lest you be wise in your own conceits Rom. 11. 25. They thought themselves to be rich and full and see how empty and poor they were while they thought themselves to be something as men may do when they are nothing they deceived themselves Gal. 6. 3. And if any thinketh he knoweth any thing he knoweth nothing yet as he ought to know 1 Cor. 8. 3. The fool regeth and is confident thinketh himself to be in a good and happy condition that he hath need of nothing is so secure that he can never be moved but the wise man seareth he is not high-minded but feareth he is always jealous of himself and departeth from evil Prov. 14. 16. with Rom. 11.
bring in and become righteousness for us God laid on him the iniqâ—ities of us all and he was wounded for our transgressions bruised for our iniquities the chastisement of our peace was upon him he was made under the Law for us that were under it and God went to Law with him and executed the judgement of the World upon him Joh. 12. 31. And put him to death in the flesh for us and he by the Grace of God tasted death for every man that is to say he died the death of all and tasted death for every man in the room and stead of every man he died that death which was the due desert of every man which they should have died and which was the Wages of their sinning against God and this he did for every man even for the good and behoof of every man So that we thus judge saith the Apostle that if one died for all then were all dead all have died that first death not in their own persons but in the last Adam who undertook for and was the representative of all Mankind 2. Cor. 5. 14. And his death is as acceptable with the father and as virtuous and satisfactory as if all had died in their own persons and infinitely more comfortable to us for had that death been died by us we had perished in it for ever But now by his stripes we are healed in whom mercy and truth are met together righteousness and peace have kissed each other Isa 53. 5. Psal 85. 10. He hath redeemed us from the curse of the Law being made a curse for us for it is written cursed is every one that hangeth on a Tree that the blessing of Abraham viz. righteousness and life might be in Christ Jesus for the Nations Gal. 3. 13 14. And there was a necessity for Christ's so humbling himself and becoming obedient to death even the death of the Cross that righteousness might come by him both because God is a God of truth and his word cannot be broken and he is infinite in holiness and purity a God of such pure eyes that he cannot behold iniquity nor clear the guilty unless he take vengeance on our sins and until his justice be satisfied and truth fulfilled which is all now done in Christ in whose flesh God condemned our sin Rom. 8. 3. As well as also Christ must needs have suffered because there is no other person or thing that could redeem us No man could redeem his Brother nor give to God a ransom for his Soul the redemption of the Soul is so precious No Offering appointed by the Law could purge away our sin God took no pleasure in them to any such end thousands of Rammes and ten thousand Rivers of Oyl would not have made our peace Lebanon was not sufficient to burn nor the Beasts thereof sufficient for a burnt Offering All Nations before him are as nothing and they are counted to him less then nothing and vanity Yea the Heavens were not clean in his sight to this purpose nor any of the Heavenly Spirits but Christ must be abased and dye or us or else there could be no righteousness for us Acts. 17. 3. Heb. 10. 4-12 Psal 40. 6. 8. Isa 40. 15-17 And that it was needful Christ should suffer is signified to us in that when he was in his great agony and distress and cried out Father if it be possible let this Cup pass c. Yet still it was continued to him and not removed from him doubtless to instruct us that it was impossible the Cup should pass from him and yet righteousness be prepared for us and mercy shewn to us Mat. 26. 39. This way then he hath prepared righteousness for us and herein God appeareth to be just and his righteousness is herein declared and shewn forth Rom. 3. 25. Aswell as also we may hereinsee the vanity and unprofitableness of all our works of righteousness and of all we could do to prepare a clothing and covering for our selves and the solly and ignorance of those that think to make a garment for the clothing themselves or to make their peace with God by any of their works sacrifices gifts sufferings Alass they are insufficient to this purpose In the cross o Christ pride is hidden from us and from all that no flesh might glory in his presence 1 Cor. 1. 29 â—0 31. And yet here also is a lifting up for all in that in which they are cast down and good cause and reason though not to glory in our selves yet to rejoyce and glory in the Lord who died for us that righteousness might come by him and in the Father who raised up righteousness from the east Isa 41. 2. And herein we may see the infinite grace of God in the abasing his Son and of Christ in so greatly humoling himself for us and be moved with thankfulnesS to lay aside our pride and stouâ—-heartedness and submit and humble our selves to receive and accept of this righteousness of God without the law prepared and compleated by Jesus who died for our sins according to the Scriptures and was buried and who also rose again the third day according to the Scriptures And this leadeth us to a further consideration 2. He who died for our sins is also raised again as the publick man and is in our nature and for us justified in the Spirit even in the Spirits raising him from the dead acquitted from all our sins imputed to him and so he is raised for our justification acquittance and discharge Rom. 4. 25. 1 Tim 3. 16. And in this God hath evidenced and declared his righteousness in releasing him and taking him from prison and judgment who had died our death and paid our debt it was not possible he should be holden of death because he had fully satisfied his justice and fulfilled his truth and God hath therefore in raising him evidenced and manifested his righteousness and testified to all men that he is welpleased in and satisfied with his personal abasement and sufferings in that he hath raised him from the dead He hath declared him to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness by the resurrection from the dead Rom. 1 4. And Christ not by the blood of bulls and goats but by his own blood in the virtue whereof he is raised and hath offered himself his raised body a spotless sacrifice through the eternal spirit unto God which is an offering and a sacrifice of a sweet smelling savour unto him entred in once into the holy place having obtained eternal redemption Heb. 9. 12-14 Ephes 1. 2. That is to say He hath finished the transgression to wit the transgression of the first publick man in which we all sinned and from whence we are necessarily polluted and made an end of sins of the necessary branches thereof he hath purged away the guilt of this sin and sinfulness from before the presence of God so as now the wrath
Chron. 28. 9. Of a truth God is no respecter of persons he is not tied to any man's person but Christ is the Amen to him are the promises made and in him they are confirmed and sure to all the seed who are begotten and born of the spirit and led by the spirit for as many as are led by the spirit of God they are the Sons of God in him all the promises of God are yea and Amen and if we be Christ's then are we Abraham's seed and heirs according to promise But if a man that hath been ingraffed into him abide not in him he is cast forth as a branch and withereth and men gather them and they are cast into the fire and burned Joh. 15. 1 6. In abiding in him is safety and security none can pluck them out of his hand or mouth that hear his voice and follow him as he is drawing them and working in them both to will and to do of his good pleasure But beware of him saith God and obey his voice provoke him not for he will not pardon your transgressions for my name is in him he will not forgive if we sin against him and serve other Gods and continue so to do but will spue such at last out of his mouth though he be long-suffering and plenteous in mercy and goodness He that hath an ear let him hear what the spirit saith to the Churches For he can do the same to any particular person that hath an ear if he grow lukewarm and remiss which he can do and threatneth to do to such a Church Oh that every one of us may consider that our standing is by faith that so we may not be high minded but fear The Apostles had a good usefulness of considering the terrour of the Lord to quicken them to diligence in seeking and serving the Lord And the Apostle Paul including himself with the Holy Brethren saith if we sin wilfully after the knowledge of the truth received there remaineth no more Sacrifice for sin but a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation which shall devour the adversaries Oh consider this ye that forget God! Exod. 23. 20 24. Rev. 3. 16 22. Rom. 11. 20. 2 Cor. 5. 8 11. 1 Cor 9. 27. Heb. 10. 26 29. Ver. 17. Because thou sayst I am rich and increased with goods and have need of nothing and knowest not that thou art wretched and miserable or piteous and poor and blind and naked This Verse containeth in it either 1. An evidence and demonstration that they were Lukewarm and is a declaration of the cause and reason of their Lukewarmness their high thoughts and conceits of themselves made them so And so there was more hope of a fool of such as were Cold then of them Prov. 26. 12. When men are highly conceited of themselves and think that they are already rich this will make them grow indifferent and remiss and slothful and though they come daily and sit before God as his people and seem to take delight in approching to him and remain in the assemblies of his people yet it will make them do what they do out of Custom and for fashion-sake or in service to some Idol and it will cause them to be like a door that turneth upon his hinges it will keep them at a stand and though they go backward and forward like such a door yet they will at last be but where they were at first they will not grow in Grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ it will hinder them from being hot from such a prizing of Christ as to hate all for his sake that they may win him and be found in him Prov. 26. 12 16. The full Soul loatheth the Honey-combe and that causeth a man also to wander from his place as a Bird from her nest Prov. 27. 7 8. Thus it was with Israel of old when they were low and mean and little in their own eyes and in the day of their espousals oh then what fervency and heat of Spirit and demeanour was found with them they followed the Lord out of the Land of Egypt and through the Wilderness through a Land of deserts and pits through a Land of drought and so the shadow of death through a Land that no man passed through and where no man dwelt but when they conceited themselves to be rich and said they were Lords free persons now no longer in bondage as when they were in Egypt they were now brought out of the house of Servants a type of the state of the world and were become owners grown rich and increased with goods now they were become possessors and had need of nothing then their former fervency was gone they would come no more to him but forsook him when he led them by the way and forgot him days without number and trimmed their way to seek love elsewhere and yet wiped their mouths and said they were innocent and therefore surely his anger should turn away from them and still flattered him with their lips and called him My father and the guide of my youth Jer. 2. 7 31 35. Oh! blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness for they shall be filled Mat. 5. 6. But the full and rich he sendeth empty away Luke 1. 53. The Apostle Paul confesseth and acknowledgeth that he had not yet attained neither was already perfect and therefore forgetting the things behind and reaching forth to the things before he pressed toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Jesus christ he run as for his life and did strive as for an incorruptible Crown he was fervent in Spirit and laboured and indeavored that whether present or absent he might be accepted of the Lord and he instructeth the believers who were perfect upright-hearted to be like-minded with him to reckon themselves to be imperfect as to attainment That so they also might run with patience the race set before them Phil. 3. 12 16. 1 Cor. 9. 24 26. Whereas on the other hand when men begin to take notice of themselves and to think more highly of themselves then is meet and of their knowledge and attainments this cutteth off the feet and maketh persons to be Lukewarm and when a price is put into their hand for getting wisdom they have no heart thereto this high thought of themselves maketh them sit loose from Christ and lightly to esteem the Rock of their Salvavation and though it blow up men like a Bladder yet it doth not build them up according to that we all know we have knowledge every one is too ready and forward to take notice of that knowledge even the knowing and taking notice of our knowledge puffeth up maketh men appear high and full but it is but with wind but it edifieth not as Charity doth which is not puffed up And when men are so puffed up by their fleshly mind it taketh them off
amongst the Jews did falsly accuse Christ with being a vicious person the men of that generation those who were the men of the times then they said of the Son of Man Behold a gluttonous person and a wine bibber a friend of Publicanes and sinners But saith he Wisdom is justified of all her Children All the Children of Christ and the Gospel know that this is but a slander Luk. 7. 31-35 Matt. 11. 16-19 There is no other Doctrine besides that so sheweth the vileness of sin and necessity of our being washed therefrom in the blood of Christ as doth this Doctrine of the Gospel For the grace of God that bringeth Salvation to all men hath appeared teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts we should live soberly righteously and godly in this present world Titus 2. 11-14 2 Cor. 5. 14 15. Rom. 5. 18. with chap. 6. 1-3 But this slander of theirs is the issue of their ignorance and prejudice and what better fruit can be expected from such evil and bitter roots 3. This instruction may also shew unto us the great evil of those that deny that Christ hath died for all and by the grace of God tasted death for every man for these render it impossible for the greatest part of men to be made partakers of that darable riches and righteousness in Christ The Doctrine of the Gospel maketh the gate unto life strait enough and yet no straiter then is needful But these shut up the kingdom of Heaven against men and neither enter in themselves nor suffer them that are entring to enter The little finger of this Doctrine is heavier then the loyns of the Gospel to the greatest part of man kind Nay indeed as with respect to one part of men there is no straitness in the gate at all and with reference to the other and greatest part there is no gate open for them at all were their doctrines as true as they are counted by many But these herein are false witnesses of God and like the evil spies that brought an evil report upon the Land of Canaan and thereby discouraged the hearts of many of their brethren Take we heed and beware of those evil and pernicious doctrines that cause to err from the words of knowledg and way of truth 4. Seeing we cannot have these heavenly commodities without buying in selling all that we have let us so seriously consider the excellency of them that we may be made willing to let go all things as loâ—s and dung 〈◊〉 for the excellency of the knowledg of them that we may be made partakers of them For the great and eternal worth and excellency of these considered will make this yoke easy ano this burden light And this leadeth us to the last instruction propounded to be considered by us viz. 4. That to the end the wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked may buy this gold tried in the fire and this white raiment here commended to us it is good and neeful for them that they anoint their eyes with eye salve that they may see This though the last mentioned and counselled unto is surely needful to the former for without knowledg the soul cannot be good Prov. 19. 2. How should any man so highly prize any commodity as to part with all his substance for it that seeth no worth or excellency in it And how should Christ's Angels and Churches part with all they have for those heavenly treasures if they see no beauty in them why they should desire them There is no earnest desire after or high prizing of that which we are ignorant of and see no worthiness in Now then in this Instruction here propounded we shall speak unto these three things contained therein which may be usefully and profitably considered by us As to say 1. That Christ's Angels and Churches may be blind and ignorant of the excellency of Christ and those treasures in him 2. That there is eye-salve prepared for such blind ones also wherewith anointing their eyes they may see 3. That to the end they buy Christ and that in him it is neeful they anoint their eyes herewith that they may see 1. That Christ's Angels and Churches may so depart from him as to become blind and ignorant of the excellency of Christ and of those treasures hid in him Thus it appeareth here in this place in which our Lord saith to the Angel Thou art blind and counselleth every one that hath an ear to hear what the spirit saith to the Churches as intimating this was spoken to them all for their admonition and that it might so befall them also if they did not look diligently lest they failed of or fell from the grace of God God's people may become foolish and not know him they may be sottish children and have no understanding Jer. 4. 22. Yea the Pastours may become brutish and not seek the Lord. Jer. 10. 19-21 The blindness here spoken of is not the being destitute of natural or artificial wisdom the wisdom of this world for this men may have and yet be sufficiently blind in this consideration we have to speal of for the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God Where is the wise Where is the Scribe Where is the disputer of this world Hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world 1 Cor. 3. 19. and chap. 1. 18-21 But the blindness here spoken of is a being without the wisdom that is from above a being destitute of spiritual understanding And so this Angel was blind if not wholly yet in a great measure and in so great a measure as that our Saviour the wisdom of God signifieth that he was blind Those that are watchmen amongst God's people and who have high conceits of themselves for knowledg and piety may yet have their eyes blinded with darkness His watchmen saith the Lord are blind they are all ignorant there may be blind guides blind leaders of the blind and how sad is it when it is thus Then surely their leaders cause them to err and they that are led of them are destroyed Isa 56. 10. 3. 12. 9. 16. Matt. 15. 14. 23. 24. Jer. 2. 8. This Angel and Church might be in such a condition as the Apostle Peter speaketh of when he saith He that lacketh these things to wit these great and precious promises ministred in and with the Gospel he in whom these are not and abound not dwell not richly so as he addeth not to his faith virtue and to virtue knowledge and to knowledge temperance and to temperance patience and to patience godliness and to godliness brotherly-kindness and to brotherly-kindness charity such an one is blind and cannot see afarr off he is poreblind He may see some things near hand but he is so blind he cannot see these things afarr off he cannot see within the vail he cannot see into Heaven where Christ is nor those things above where he sitteth Deut. 30. 11 12.
the shame of their nakedness may not appear And here is signified to us that there is Eye-salve also to be had to cure and heal the blindness of the eyes In Christ as declared in the testimony there is all compleatness prepared for us for supplying all our wants and healing all our diseases Psal 103. 1-3 Colos 2. 3. 9 10. In that feast which is prepared by means of the marraige of our Nature to the Divine Nature in the person of the word the Son of God there is a compleat provision for us poor empty miserable diseased creatures And hitherto are invited not only the poor and the maimed and the halt but the blind also For therein there is cure and healing for them Matt. 22. 1-4-8 Luk. 14. 16-21 The father hath so loved the Son that he hath given all things into his hand into his possession and dispose Joh. 3. 35. And though it be marvellous in our eyes and hath been wondred at that the blind should receive their sight yet it is easy with him unto whom all power is given both in Heaven and on earth Matt. 15. 30 31. 28. 18. Though there be no healing medicine among men yet he can heal this disease also no word is impossible unto him Jer. 30. 12-17 But before we come to speak to this Instruction particularly it may be useful to consider and give Answer unto this Question which may reasonably be propounded viz. Quest Why doth the Amen the faithful and true witness counsel this Angel and Church to buy of him Gold and White raiment and not also this Eye-salve Wherefore is the Phrase here altered He had said I counsel thee to buy as with respect to the two former particulars and now the Phrase is changed and here he saith anoint thine eyes c. What may the Reason hereof be Answ 1. In general we may say doubtless there is good reason for it though it be hidden from me who am such a babe and so unskilful in these things For there is not the least word variation or change made use of in the Scripture by the Spirit of God but it is so used and done in much wisdom and upon weighty accounts all the words of whose mouth are in righteousness and given forth in judgment And therefore oftentimes called judgment and judgments Isa 51. 4. Psal 105. 5. And hence I believe though I may not see wherefore that there is good cause for the altering the manner of expression here in this part of the counsel And had I more anointed mine eyes with this eye-salve I might have better seen the cause so as to have been helpful to others in giving a satisfactory Answer hereto But 2. More particularly I conceive as hath been intimated before that though this part of the counsel be placed last in the order of words yet it is first to be received and observed in order of nature for how can we so highly value this gold and white raiment as to buy in selling all that we have unless we first in some measure see the worth and value thereof Now therefore this Eye-salve is brought unto us preventingly and we are instructed to anoint our eyes herewith before it be required of us to buy The eye must first be opened before we can turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan unto God Acts 26. 18. It cannot reasonably be expected from us that we should forsake all we have or be saved from our sins and idols until our eyes be opened and we see and have found this treasure Hence that call Look unto me and be ye saved to wit from your iniquities and vanities but first look unto me saith Isa 45. 22. The kingdome of Heaven is like unto a treasure hid in a field the which when a man hath found he hideth and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath and buyeth that field But first before he buyeth in selling all that he hath he findeth it and discerneth and perceiveth the excellency of it so as it causeth joy unto him Matt. 13. 44-46 Prov. 31. 16. So here this Angel and Church is instructed without and before buying to anoint their eyes and then and to that end that they buy those unsearchable riches and invaluable treasures of Christ Jesus which are here set before them and the excellency whereof is propounded to them Now then in speaking unto this Instruction we shall inquire into and shew 1. What are these eyes of theirs here spoken of and which they are called upon to anoint 2. What is this Eye-salve here commended to them wherewith they should anoint their eyes 3. What is this anointing the eyes which is here called for and counselled unto 4. Shew That this is prepared for them and brought unto them that they may anoint their eyes herewith 1. What are these eyes of theirs here spoken of and which they are called upon to anoint To this we may say Not their outward or bodily eyes For here the holy Spirit speaketh of spiritual things as hath in some measure been shewn And it appeareth their blindness was not upon the bodily eye because they would then have known it But of these he saith thou knowest not that thou art blind They were insensible of their misery which very rarely if ever persons are of their outward blindness unless such as are wholly bereaved of judgment But there are other eyes to wit those of the soul the mind or understanding of a man that faculty of the soul whereby a man may see when it is opened such things as the bodily eye cannot discerne And of these inward eyes our Saviour here speaketh Their understandings were darkened Ephes 4. 18. Their minds were blinded 2 Cor. 4. 4. 3. 14. These eyes are called the eyes of the understanding Ephes 1. 18. Of these eyes our Saviour speaketh when he saith to his Disciples perceive ye not yet neither understand Have ye your hearts yet hardened Having eyes see ye not How is it that you do not understand Mark 8. 17-21 And of these eyes the Apostle meaneth when he saith to the Galatians who hath bewitched you that ye should not obey the truth before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth crucified among you Gal. 3. 1. He was never crucified in the view of their bodily eyes for he was crucified at Jerusalem but he was set forth crucified before the eyes of their understanding in the glorious Gospel These eyes may be sufficiently blind and dark as with respect to spiritual things though the bodily eye be never so quick-sighted and though a man may be rich in the knowledg and sight of natural or moral things So it was with this Angel and Church and therefore this gracious and faithful Counseller instructeth and counselleth them to anoint their eyes to wit of the understanding with this Eye-salve 2. What is this Eye salve here spoken of and commended to them by this