Selected quad for the lemma: city_n
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A42411
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A paraphrase upon Rev. I. The plain meaning of the first chapter of the Revelation, set forth in way of paraphrase, and notes. Being also an exhortaion , not to rest in the literal sense of the epistles; but to seek out for such a one, as may be answerable to the stateliness of their common frontispeice, I know thy works.
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Garrett, Walter.
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1699
(1699)
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Wing G270; ESTC R217952
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9,414
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8
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may observe That the Condition of the Primitive Church is set forth by a visible Representation but that of the Reformed Church by Speech Upon which it may be fit to Note That St. John constantly represents a Member one or more of the Reformed Church and consequently is never found either to speak or to be spoken to but only in the Times of the Reformation Instances we have Chap. IV. 1. V. 5. VI. 3 5 7. VII 13. X. 8. and in many other places If it be Objected That the Epistles describe the Fates of the Primitive Church and yet are Dictated to St. John every word of them I answer True but then Observe withal That the Dictator himself to whom all times are Present first puts himself into the Times of the Reformation before be speaks a word His Voice indeed is said to have bin as the Voice of many Waters before but no distinct Word was heard from him The Epistles therefore are sent as from the Reformed Church to the Primitive and contain the One's Censure of the Other as it is drawn in their Writings To which purpose again is that of the Prophets Looking back Chap. 1.12 ere he could see the seven Candlesticks For as he had his Mind upon Asia first as is said already but was made by the Voice to turn himself towards Rome so as a Prophet we are to suppose that he had his mind upon Time to Come but was Turn'd by the Voice to time Past That is At his first Entrance into his Prophetic Ecstacy being rapt into the Times of the Reformation he could not see the Primitive Church of Rome without Looking-back And this is that which has bin already Intimated from the first 3 verses That the Revelation as a Prophecy speaks to the Vial-times only Which Notion if it seem a little hard at first to comprehend I pray How can you expect but that some should do so Get over it therefore for the present with as little Prejudice as you can The Rest are Easier and at last will make This Easier also nay a little Time will put it past all Question V. 19. In the end with reference to the business I was call'd to he added these words Write the things which thou hast seen every thing as soon as thou hast seen it Compare Chap X. 4. XIV 13. XIX 6. XXI 5. both This Vision that thou hast seen already and those that are to follow concerning the Affairs both of the Church of thy own times and from thence to the Reformation for these we must note are the words of an Interpreter and not of one that has a Part in the Representation and therefore are to be understood Plainly of the Real Time then Present and Write also the State of the Reformed Church which is call'd Chap. IV. 1. Things that must be Hereafter The Mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my Right-hand and of the seven Golden Candlesticks The seven Stars are the Angels or Ministers of the Seven Churches and the Seven Candlesticks which thou sawest are the Seven Churches Notes From hence again it appears That the Epistles are Mystical For Why else are Candlesticks put for Churches and Stars for Ministers if every thing else be Plainly to be understood And why in plain Epistles so formal and Unheard-of an Interpretation of Two words not very Difficult of themselves neither but to warn us That the Epistles are not written in a Vulgar Stile but are all of a Piece with what is thus Explained and to Oblige us not to take up with the Bare Letter where a Convenient Exposition can be given in another way Lastly Do but read the Epistles of St. Paul St. James St. Peter St. John or St. Jude and compare them with these here before us and you will not stick to say or think at least That if there be no sense of these Epistles but the Literal they are not without reason Plac'd the Last in the Sacred Volume Let us see then What may be made of them in the Mystical or Allegorical way called also spiritual Chap. XI 8. where Rome is said to be Spiritually called Sodom and Egypt and the Place also where our Lord was Crucified that is Jerusalem not Quatenus the Holy City but only Quatenus the Place where our Lord was Crucified As much as to say It is a sort of Church indeed but no Better a one than this comes to Let us see I say what may be made of the Epistles in this Spiritual sense For as for the Literal notwithstanding our Saviours so solemn Ostentation of his Extraordinary Knowledg at the beginning of Every Epistle as if it would appear from the Discourse it is prefixt to I am confident That no Man from all the Literal Interpretations that have yet come abroad has form'd any better Opinion of our Saviours knowledg than he had before to say no worse For which very reason Brethren if there were no other Let us be perswaded to open our Eyes and to look about us a little and to seek for such a sense and Candidly when offer'd to Embrace it as may be apt to raise our Esteem of that Divine Prescience which our Saviour we see does so much in this Prophecy and above all in the Epistles value himself upon and to Convince every Good Christian That the Author of these Epistles has shewn a much larger Reach of knowledge in them than is shewn in any of his Disciples Epistolary Writings and that That Inscription I Know Thy Works Promising something very extraordinary and for that purpose so Observably Plac'd in the most Conspicuous Part the very Front of every Epistle an Ornament which the Literalists for what I find could very well dispense with Deserves the Place it is affixt to and becomes it LONDON Printed June 1699. And are to be had at Mr. Ball 's in Lee-street hard by Red-Lion-Square