his church for the service thereof God first fills them with his Spirit When John was but upon entring upon his prophetical office God ravishes him with his Spirit and fills him therewith to fit him for this office When men in the Apostles days were to be chosen but for the lowest services in the Church as for the over-sight of the poor and the like yet they must be men full of the holy Ghost and wisdom Acts 6.3 Much more then for the highest places as Prophets Pastors Teachers and Elders c. It is said Paul and Barnabas were filled with the holy Ghost and therefore to be separated unto the work Acts 11.24 and 13.2 The Offices of the churches of Christ are for those that have the Spirit of Christ in them in some fulness of it those places are not for such as are filled with the spirit of envie covetousness pride the world contention ignorance and antichristian lording such have not the spirit of Christ in them it may be well said of such that they run for profit here and the like but the Lord sent them not Jer. 14.14 and 23.21 They flatter themselves and think they are called and sent of God because God hath given them some common acquired gifts and parts yet want all the especial graces of the Spirit as meekness self-denial contempt of this world humility bowels of compassion ready to forgive sound knowledge in the truth and holiness and righteousness in their lives and conversations they that want those graces in the truth of them are neither fit for those high functions in the church nor can satisfyingly perswade themselves or others that they are called unto it Let this be as a memento to all such that climbe over the walls into those holy Functions and are well satisfied with a call from men when they were never called of God I say let all such fear and tremble lest God spew them all our together with their flocks that would have it so in his wrath for ever John was rapt in Spirit on the Lord's day 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Greek Whether this day be here called the Lord's day for the great discoveries of those visions made unto John upon this day or because it was the Lord's day for the assembling of the Saints to perform their services unto God it being the same day with that which the Apostles call the first day of the week and our christian Sabbath I shall not much contend but rather am enclined unto the latter for these two reasons First Because the great work of Christ's resurrection on that day wherein he was manifested Lord and Conquerour over hell and Satan purchased it that Title of the Lords day Secondly Because the observation of the Sabbath with all christian publique services were transferred to that day and so is called the Lord's day 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or according to the Scottish dialect the Kirks day the Churches day because they held their assemblies and performed their publique services upon that day Hence note Observ That the Lord's day or the day of the great and publique assemblings of the Saints is the fittest time for God's highest discoveries of Grace and Truth John received here on this day his high irradiations of spirit and Prophesies This is God's great Market day wherein there is a constant and mutual Exchange or Bartering of heavenly and divine commodities the Saints come with the returns of their improvements of mercies in praises prayers and thanksgivings God gives out in return farther supplies of grace and greater measure of knowledge in his ways and truths Therefore sure most happy most knowing and most gracious are those Saints that are most found in this way O! this should make all of us that are not in this way to wail for it as David in his absence and exile from the church of God that being the special habitation of God's glory Psal 96.6 and to breath after it even as the Hart brayeth after the fountain streams for this is the day of the Saints assemblings wherein the Angel comes down the Angel of the New Covenant Christ in spirit to stir upon the waters of Bethesda upon the hearts and affections of all his people When John was in this rapture of spirit on the Lord's day then he heard behind him a mighty voice as it were of a Trumpet loud and terrible The Trumpet being a warlike Instrument whose sound is to prepare unto Battel and to the terror of the adversary God's publique admonitions are so unto his church it not only prepares his own unto repentance but is also of terrible signification unto all his impenitent enemies But here comes in a question fit to be discussed John had here his raptures of spirit extasies and heard a great voice as of a Trumpet The Quere will be How shall we know Divine raptures extasies or visions from diabolical For Satan is God's Ape and hath his raptures possessions strange apparitions sounds and voices also For answer first know that God's visions are given either in the sleep as unto Jacob when he saw a ladder reaching from earth to heaven and Angels ascending and descending in Gen. 28. but such are more properly called Divine Dreams Or secondly When the person is awake as here when Iohn was at Patmos on the Lord's day doubtless either in God's services or holy contemplations he received those visions and raptures of spirit and those extasies or raptures of spirit do cause a great alteration upon the person that receives them he is as it were taken out of himself that is in this posture and frame and therefore it is called a rapture or extasie quasi extra se raptus being in that posture not master of the faculties of his own soul which are wholly in the power and motions of the Spirit that acts them and this is common to both sorts of raptures whether from the good or evil spirit Now to discern what spirit moves in such raptures or visions observe first Whether the person passive or that is under such raptures of spirit were always or for the most part of their lives faithful witnesses unto the word of God and of Jesus Christ such have not only the promise of the holy Spirit to teach them all things 1 Iohn 2.27 but to be preserved against the evil one in their bodies souls and spirits Secondly Observe the matter of their visions in such raptures whether it be to denounce God's judgments against sinful practises or not for surely Satan will never be divided against himself if we will believe our Saviour for so his kingdom could not stand though I have read a story in some old Popish Mass-monger that the divel once in the shape of a Priest preached a very catholique sermon but being discovered by some Saint in presence it seems one of an excellent endowment in discerning spirits asked him how durst Satan to appear in that presence with so sound holy
under tribulation the condition it self one thing cannot be the cause and the effect too as a faithful holding out under persecution is the cause causa dispositiva the kingdom or reigning is as the fruits and effects therefore not one and the same so that the interpretation or sense of this verse runs thus I Iohn your brother and sharer or companion in tribulation with you for the hopes in that kingdom which is to be revealed by Jesus Christ at his second coming and for which I and you and all Christ's faithful ones wait for in patience and longing desirings through Jesus Christ our Lord. From whence this Note ariseth Observ That all Christ's faithful ones ought to wait with patience under all afflictions and tribulations for the day of their release by the coming of the Lord Jesus and his Kingdom This is the Kingdom of patience and suffering not of reigning and tryumphing Some of Christ's disciples would needs have the kingdom presently in that their question Is this the time that thou wilt restore the Kingdom unto Israel But Christ answered It is not for you to know the time and seasons you are to occupy employ your talents till I come Of the souls beheaded for the testimony of Jesus How long Lord is their continual cry Their work is with prayers and tears to wait upon God for deliverance they set not the world on fire by wars and bloodshed the proper works of Satan and his members they are to wit the Saints or at least should be of meek placid and peaceable spirits easily to be entreated when they are reviled not to revile when they are stricken not to strike again yea to pray even for their very enemies and to such persons in God's appointed time he will fulfil that promise The meek shall inherit the earth This sets a check upon the turbulent ones of this age the soundness of whose spirit I question being opposite to the former characters of Christ's spirit who conceive they go about to pull down Antichrist when they raise commotions rebellions and bloodsheds in states and Common-wealths and endeavour the ruine of the Soveraign Magistrates thereof when as indeed the prosecution of the work against Antichrist is rather hindered then furthered hereby for hereby they weaken and divert the hands of Soveraigns from that work in as much as in them lieth for antichrist is to fall by the hands of those Princes and Powers of the world from whom it had its first rise Rev. 17.16 and therefore all should rather add to their helping hands in assisting those Christian Magistrates they live under rather then disturb or oppose them in this work and for those that are otherwise minded let them be here companions with John Wait for his coming in faith and patience and stand still and they shall see the salvation of our God Observ 2. Another note hence riseth That the contempletion of the coming of the Kingdom of Christ is the great prop and stay of the spirits of all Christ's faithful ones under all their afflictions and tribulations Iohn here comforts himself and the Churches with those thoughts in the next place he often inculcates this contemplation on them that should be tryed and come under tribulation Christ would give them as the guerdon of all their sufferings this Kingdom described under several names of the crown of life v. 10. Manna which is hid and white stone v. 17. the Tree of Life v. 7. Power over Nations v. 26. and to rule with a rod of iron v. 27. and lastly Christ himself by the name of Morning Star v. 28. And indeed what can more support the spirits of afflicted Saints then to know there is a crown laid up for them and dominion that shall last for ever after the progress of a short afflicted life here and therefore the Apostle Paul accounted the afflictions of this present life not worthy of the glory which should be revealed unto us Rom. 8.18 Was in the Isle called Patmos Whether John fled there voluntarily to avoid persecution or banished there as most ancient Writers affirm I shall not contend but sure he was in this Island called Patmos by reason of the great persecutions in Domitian's days about Anno Christi 97. This Island was one of the Cyclades in the Aegean Sea now called Archipelago scituated between the lesser Asia and Greece now under the command of the Grand Seignior and in the way going up from the Mediterranean unto the Hellespont and Constantinople This Island was famous for nothing so much as for this entertainment of our Apostle Iohn in his exile being one of those barbarous Islands into which the Romans did use to send their malefactors and exiles and here in this Island amongst the Barbarians Iohn received these Visions and Revelations wherein observe Observ That God does not tye himself in the discoveries of himself unto the holiness of places The Rabbins have a rule amongst them and they hold it for truth That God never spake unto the Prophets out of the holy Land but this is contradicted in the Prophets Ezekiel and Daniel who received their visions at Babylon by the River Chebar in Chaldea Ezek. 1.1 2. God did here pass by the holy Land the holy Temple the holy City and gave those Visions of God in Chaldea and pours out his spirit in Babylon Whiles Iohn conversed about Ierusalem and those holy places Iohn had not any Visions but when in Patmos amongst Barbarians he had these high and glorious Revelations God is not tyed to places in a dungeon in prison as unto Paul and others In a Babylon as unto Ezekiel Daniel and the three children God pours down his Spirit into the hearts of his servants and raiseth them up unto a height of Prophesie Observ 2. That God often in the most obscurest and barbarous corners of the earth doth raise up glorious Instruments for his service It was once a question Can any good come out of Nazareth Much more may it be said Can any good come out of Egypt of Rome of Babylon of Patmos The answer was Come and see so I say come and see a glorious prophet in Patmos a Moses in Egypt a church of saints in the house of Nero in Babylon an Ezekiel a Daniel in Caldea God can raise up instruments most serviceable unto his name and glory in the most profane and idolatrous places and this is from that unlimitted spirit of God that bloweth where it listeth see more hereon in chap. 2. v. 13. For the Word of God and the Testimony of Iesus Christ This shows the cause of Iohn's exile because he professed faithfully the Word and the Testimony of Jesus Christ Hence observe That the Saints faithful profession of God and Christ moves the rage of Christ's and their enemies against them Iohn here became a fugitive and exile in Patmos for this faithful testimony and this is no more then what Christ foretold of before his passion that his
in himself is too weak for such a work may be fitted in some measure from thy self who art the Wisdom of God and to whom the Revelation of all things is given of the Father because thou art found worthy O do thou enlighten his minde with true Light from above And remove all impediments his iniquities out of thy sight by the washing of thine own bloud then thou maist discover thy minde unto thy poor Servant being hallowed by thy self to a fruitful reception thereof Grant O Christ that by thy favour and the guidance of thy good Spirit he may diligently consider the misteries of this Book and that unto sobriety and declare it forth unto others that the Church of God may receive some advantage by him And if thy Servant O Lord hath herein through weakness built any hay and stubble upon thy precious structure O let it be consumed but so as that thy Servant may be saved in the great day of the Lord God Almighty but if any of thine receive good hereby to thee for it as most due which is and which was and which is to come the Almighty be praise glory and Dominion for ever and ever Amen A Catalogue of diverse Questions in this Treatise discussed WHether this Book of Revelation be of divine authority pag. 1 Whether John the divine the subordinate Author thereof be the same with John the Apostle and Evangelist or some other Person 5 Whether the Title of this Book viz. The Revelation of John the Divine be John's own or some other Persons 7 What is meant by the Christian wish or salutation grace and peace unto you 19 How comes John to wish grace and peace to the Churches whilst being Churches of Christ they had this grace and peace aforehand 19 Whether Christ shall have two last commings to Iudgment 25 Whether Christians when they are called unto it are bound in duty to suffer for the profession of all the truths of God 31 and 112 Whether the Lords day mentioned Rev. 1.10 wherein John received his Visions be the first day of the week or not 33 How shall we know Divine raptures extasies or Visions from diabolicall the Divel being Gods ape herein 34 Doth not the Divel often foretell the truth of events 37 Did not Satan tell Saul in that apparition of Samuel in the 1 Sam. 28 19. That he should be delivered with all his host into the hands of the Philistines and that he and his Sons on the morrow should be all with Samuel that is dead and was not that prediction truly fullfilled 38 Whether that Samuel which the Witch of Endor raised unto Saul was the true Prophet Samuel or the Divel in his shape and likeness or otherwise some cousening consort and confederate of the cousening Pythonists 38 39 Whether Christ according to his manhood appeared unto John Rev. 1 13. when he appeared to him as one like unto the Son of man 43 Whether there can be any separation between the deity and manhood of Christ 44 Whether the two edged sword that proceeded out of Christs mouth is to be only spiritually understood and not matterially also 50 51 Whether the blessed heavenly Spirits and Angels or glorified Persons after the Resurrection do or shall see the essential glory of God 53 Do not Angels see Gods face in Heaven and did not Moses and Jacob see God and talked with him face to face 54. and do not divines hold that in Heaven we enjoy the beatifical Vision 55 Whether Christ according to his divine nature was impassible 58 Why John is commanded particularly to write to each Church of the seven apart 68 Whether a sound Church may censure a corrupted Church 69 70 Whether by Angel of the Church of Ephesus be meant the Metropolitane over the rest of the Bishops of Ephesus and whether the Angel of Ephesus was the Metropolitane over the other six sister Churches 71 Whether the Angel of the Church of Ephesus is to be interpreted the Presbytery 72 What gives unto our works the denomination of good works And whether any of our works are simply and strictly to be called good and perfect 79 and 80 In whom lyes the power to try judge and examine false Apostles false teachers and their Doctrines 83 and 196 Whether the jurisdiction of the Church be above the word 84 Whether wicked Persons or unsound in the faith are to be admitted or being admitted to be tolerated in the fellowship of the Church 85 86 c. Whether any else besides true and real Saints or believers in the judgment of charity are to be admitted into Church fellowship 86 87 Whether the judicials or ceremonials of Moses are any foundation for a Gospel ordinance 88 89 Whether Baptisme is administred with best satisfaction of conscience upon infants 88 Whether it must be true justifying faith or dogmatical only that entitles to Baptisme 90 91 Whether the Apostolical Office be ceased to the Church or not and whether it was only tyed unto the first twelve 92 93 94 95 Whether the first 12 Apostles were but of equal authority with other ordinary Officers as Pastors Elders c. 95 Whether the gift of miracles does continue unto the Church 97 How shall we know or try false Apostles from the true 101 102 c. To what Church shall one repaire to receive a sound and orthodox call for the minâ—stery of the Gospell 105 106 c. How should the first reformers have a right call to the ministery if they â— had it not from Rome 108 Whether the Presbytery of England have a right call from the late Bishops as true Presbyters 110 VVhether Believers complaints for want of wills to repent be just or not 118 Whether it be a Legal Teaching to denounce wrath and Judgments on non-amendment or for want of Repentance 119 VVhether Repentance is to be joyned to Christ in some causality unto salvation or joyntly with him somwhat subordinate to that great end 120 And whether Faith and Repentance be the condiiion properly so taken of the Covenant of Grace 121 VVhat is meant by the Spirit that speaks unto the seven Asian Churches 126 What is meant by the Tree of Life and what is meant by Paradice 130 Whether Paradice and Heaven above be all one 131 Whether God tempteth man And whether he tempteth unto evil or sin 143 Doth not many Scriptures say That God tempteth man 144 Whether God hath a hand or efficiency in and about sin 146 Why doth God often afflict his own children with so sharp tribulations And whether the justice of God can be vindicated in that particular 149 VVhether great corruptions nullifies a Church 173 What is the reason that full Reformation cannot be attained 171 172 How is Gods justice vindicated if he smites godly and ungodly together for the sins of the wicked among them 179 VVhether Christ received now by faith to justification and absolution be the hidden Manna and white Stone promised Rev. 2.17 to
though he were the great Apostle of the Gentiles and so calls himself and glories in the priviledge and that he was an Hebrew of the Hebrews Phil. 3.5 that is born of the ancient Hebrew race and linage and one mighty in the Law brought up at the feet of Gamaliel yet how often doth Paul inculcate in his Epistles Paul the servant of Iesus Christ Rom. 1.1 Phil. 1.1 c. Tit. 1.1 c. David a King should rather glory to be a servant unto God and a door-keeper in his house then to live in the courts of Princes Observ 3. If the highest in repute and office in Christ's church be but servants then not lords the grave Apostles Paul James John are but servants and would be accounted but as the Ministers of Christ 1 Cor. 4.1 and not as lords and masters over the churches faith 2 Cor. 1.24 1 Pet. 5.3 Christ alone is the great Dictator and Imposer of Tyes and Rules upon the conscience of his people Matth. 23.13 The greatest Apostle Bishop Pastor or Elder deserves but the honour of a Servant Minister or Steward in the church not of a Lord and Master their work is a work of service to perswade entreat convince by reasons not to impose dictate and compel In short they can impose nothing as necessary to be believed done and practised which is not according to the mind of God and that neither in their own name or for their own ends for they are servants not at their own dispose but at the call beck and direction of another even of their Lord and Master Christ There is also somwhat to be considered in that when Christ precisely sets down and takes notice by name to whom he gives this Prophesie His servant John Whence note 1. That the truth of a Prophesie depends much for credit on the credit and reputation of the Relator John was Christ's beloved Disciple most highly illuminated in the mysteries of the Eternal Word of God John was a Prophet and the last that had prophetical Visions to a full discovery of the state of things to the end of the world and therefore there is an Anathema gone forth against all persons that shall add or diminish from the words of this prophesie in the 18 and 19 verses of chap. 22. for there is no other discovery of the state of affairs then what is in this present book to be expected until the end of all and therefore the Spirit of God in the second verse the better to gain belief and credit unto the Truth of this prophesie and unto the subordinate Instrument and Author thereof describes his Excellencies Offices Gifts and Qualities in these words Verse 2. Who bare Record of the Word of God and of the Testimony of Jesus Christ and of all things that he saw You have in the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Who witnessed a Record or bare a sure Testimony and that of three things First Of the Word of God Secondly Of Jesus Christ Thirdly Of All things that he saw Wherein two senses or Interpretations offer themselves to the view Whether this Record be to be taken singly as Iohn was an Evangelist and bare testimony of the Divinity of the Word as one with God and that Word was God Iohn 1.1 and this Word was made flesh in the person of Jesus Christ and so bare record of all the acts and miracles which he saw this divine person do and perform through the whole course of his life here beneath Or secondly Whether this Record of the Word of God and the Testimony of Jesus Christ and of the things which he saw be to be understood of the Truth of the Word of God in this book of Prophesies which Jesus Christ did testifie unto and was made apparent by Visions unto John Indeed I shall willingly admit of both senses and I am of opinion the Spirit of God in this verse aims at both for adding the better authority and credit to the truth of this book of Prophesies and though the Gospel of Iohn was not written when this Revelation was given yet by his constant preaching he might well be seen to bear Record of the Word of God and of Jesus Christ and of all things that he saw 1. From the first sense Note That they that are the faithful Publishers or Preachers of the Word of God and of Jesus Christ gets best credit and reputation to all other their relations 2. Another Note is That they are fittest to receive Visions or Prophesies from God that bears the faithfullest Record of the Word of God and of Jesus Christ Iohn was now a prisoner and under banishment for the Testimony of Jesus when he received those Revelations Paul as a reward of his faithfulness in his Ministery and Apostleship had even here an irradiation and taste of the heavenly glory when he was wrapt up in the third heavens The Prophets of old Ezekiel Daniel Ieremiah c. received those visions of God high and excellent ones because they were faithful witnesses of the Word of God and publishers of it unto others and the reason hereof is because they whose minds are most conversant with God and exercised in his Word are fittest Instruments to receive and know the mind of God for omne simile gaudet simili Every like desires communication with its like Verse 3. Blessed is he that readeth and they that hear the words of this Prophesie and keep those things which are written therein for the time is at hand You have again the promise of blessedness made to those that keep the sayings of this Prophesie in the last chapter verse 7◠From which promise here in the entrance of the Book and in the end thereof reiterated and made good to such as keep the sayings of this Prophesie you may observe Observ 1. That this prophesie is not altogether inaccessible but to be understood of such as diligently enquire thereinto by the help of God's Spirit If the discovery of this Prophesie were not feasible how vain would it be to promise blessedness to the diligent observers thereof I conceive it would be very derogatory to the Divine Truth of God to make such a supposition Besides the sayings of this Prophesie are to be read heard and kept and therefore most absurd to conclude that it is so hidden as not to be understood in the scope and substantial part thereof From the promise of blessedness Note Observ 2. That this book of Prophesies contains most excellent and useful things to be understood kept and observed How singular useful it is to foresee the coming either of the day of joy and tryumph or the day of evil and affliction That our Spirits may be born up and our hearts comforted under all conditions in the certain hopes and expectancy of the one and that we may not murmure in the other but acquiesce under the hand of God in patience until the day of the wrath of the Lord be past and
earth shall wail because of him Even so Amen He cometh with Clouds This is a Graecism that is In the Clouds This verse hath an Index or an Asterisme before it Behold to show that it is very remarkable what is here expressed being as the general proposition unto the whole Revelation Christs coming in the clouds in power and glory to set up his Kingdom here on earth before the ultimate judgement This hath relation to Zachary 12.10 and promised in Matth. 26.64 and 24.30 and Acts 1.9 c. Several Interpretations offer here to the consideration Some would have it here meant that at the time of Christ's passion this Scripture was fulfilled in these first fruits of the Jews conversion in Acts 2. that were the crucifyers of Christ being pricked to the hearts because of him and of the evil by them done unto him and so mourned over him Though indeed it is granted that that prophesie in Zach. 12. is partly fulfilled in that of the first fruits of the Jews conversion who truly mourned for him whom they had pierced Iohn 19.37 yet Iohn here in this prophesie and in this verse long after Christ's ascension re-inforces and takes up the same relation to be fulfilled at Christ's second coming in the clouds therefore that of Zach. 12. was never compleatly accomplished to this day Secondly These small numbers of the first effusion of the Spirit after Christ's passion cannot with any sound reason answer that general and universal mourning promised of in Zach. 12. where the several families of David of Nathan of Levi of Simeon c. and all the families that remain shall all mourn apart or joyntly as they did at Hadimmon in the valley of Megiddon Thirdly That prophesie of Zachary 12. could not wholly relate to the time of Christ's passion or little after because in the day of the fulfilling of that prophesie he would make the Governour of Judy like an hearth of fire in the wood and like a torch of fire in the sheaf and they shall devour all the people round about and the Lord shall save the Tents of Judah c. ver 6 7. and that in ver 8 and 9. God would in that day make the feeble of the house of Judah as David for strength and of the house of David as the Angel of God and that God would in that day seek to destroy all that came against Jerusalem But in how contrary low and weak condition Ierusalem and Iudah was in at the time about Christ's passion being then under the Roman yoke and ever since have been under a miserable afflicted estate as all histories testifie And how unsutable such a condition is with the fulfilling of the aforesaid prophesie let the wise consider Therefore sure this coming of Christ must be intended of his second coming future to his Ascension for he was ascended long before this Revelation was given This same Jesus which is taken up from you into heaven shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven Acts 1.11 Others again apply the time of this mourning and looking upon Christ whom they had pierced wholly to be the time of the last and ultimate judgement of the wicked when as they say all they that crucified him and all his enemies shall mourn and wayl for anguish and tremble before him But this cannot be the whole or main sense of the Spirit herein nor altogether according to the time thereof for these reasons First Because this time or day of mourning is not of mourning to desperation as that ultimate mourning of the wicked is but it is a godly sorrow or mourning that leadeth unto repentance compare it to Zach. 12.10 11. It is as one mourning for his only son or as that mourning was for good Josiah slain at Megiddo out of bowels of love and compassion not of horrour and desperation as the former is 2. Another reason is because in this day of mourning there is promised that God would pour out the Spirit of Grace and Supplications upon the Inhabitants of Judah and Ierusalem Zach. 12.10 unto which this verse does relate but in that day of God's executing his last wrath on the wicked is no time of pouring out of grace nor the spirit of supplications therefore to me it clearly follows that seeing the Prophet Zach. 12.10 and John in this seventh verse both prophesie of one and the same personal appearance and coming of Christ in the clouds especially intends the conversion of the Iews of them that pierced him and that before the ultimate judgement of all for then there is no time of repentance or conversion 3. The third reason is from the words And all the kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him Even so Amen If it were to be understood here only that all the kindreds of the earth should see Christ's coming and wail for dread or horrour as the wicked at the ultimate judgement day then John would never set such a heavie Amen to it So it shall be seeing himself and all the Saints departed likewise do expect and rest in hope for the sight of this his second coming unto their joy and comfort Therefore the conclusion or observation that arises hence and as a right Interpretation of this verse is Observ That Christ will appear again in the clouds to be seen of all to the conversion of his ancient people the Iews the destruction of all his enemies and the restauration of all things before the end of all And this conclusion and interpretation flows from these grounds or reasons First from the very genuine sense of the words themselves in this verse Every eye shall see him gloriously coming in the clouds As ye have seen him going so shall ye see him come Acts 1.9 We see him now by the eye of Faith in heaven but then by the eye of the body Faith and sight are two distinct things 2 Cor. 5.7 all do not now see him by faith but then all and every eye shall see him coming in the clouds to perform a double work the one in a wonderful manner to cause the Iews that pierced him to look on him and mourn even to a holy repentance whose conversion will be so wonderful that it wil be as a Nation born in one day Isa 66.8 And this is no more then was done formerly towards Paul Christ miraculously appearing to his conversion and which he intimates must likewise follow afterwards to Israel in that that God shewed him this grace first Secondly That all his obstinate enemies may look upon him and mourn and wail even to desperation for that their ruine and the day of God's great wrath is coming on them for it is the work of Cnrist's appearance not only to destroy all his anti-christian adversaries 2 Thes 2.8 9. but also to the joy comfort and exaltation of his Church 2 Pet. 5.4 Now this cannot be the work of the end of all and ultimate judgement
because this of Christ coming in the clouds here is set as the general result and the main proposition of the whole of the Revelation wherein the great designe is to set forth Christ to come and the glorious estate of his Church here on earth before the ultimate end as will appear hereafter To demonstrate this a little plainer I set these Queries out of Zach. 12. collated with this place and that of Matth. 24.30 1. Was ever Iudah or Ierusalem since that Prophesie made to her enemies a cup of trembling Was she ever a burdensome stone to the whole earth to cut them in pieces Have ever the Governours of Iudah been like an hearth of fire amongst the wood and and like a torch of fire in a sheaf devouring all the people round about Or Were they ever since that Prophesie of Zachary in that strength that the feeble amongst them were as David and the house of David as Elohim c. Peruse the History of the Iews and consider whether you can find the least accomplishment thereof I next quere when was ever that eminent effusion of the Spirit of grace and supplication poured out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Ierusalem that they should look on him whom they had pierced and mourn for him with great bitterness each family mourning apart Was this done at Christ's passion by the obstinate Iews his crucifiers They derided him Or was this fulfilled by the small number of the Iews his Disciples the eleven who fled at his suffering They did not pierce him Or was this fulfilled upon those mourners in Acts 2 They saw him not when they mourned nor with their families apart nor saw him in the clouds and thereupon mourn for him and therefore as yet the main of this Prophesie is to be fulfilled Lastly Is this to be referred to the last resurrection or ultimate judgement I ask Is that a day of repentance of mourning and of grace That is a day of judgement unto the wicked and then Christ's dispensatory Kingdom of Grace is at an end 1 Cor. 15.24 Therefore to be brief and not to exceed due bounds I assert That here by seeing Christ coming in the clouds by every eye and by them that pierced him and that all kindreds of the earth should wail because of him is meant by John as Zachary meant namely that all the Tribes both Iews and Gentiles should see Christ coming in the clouds with glory as man before the end of all to the Iews and all his Elect with grace and godly repentance to the all other his enemies with horrour and confusion consult Jer 25.5 6. Zach. 2.10 11 12. Isa 2. throughout Object But here it may be objected That you make divers comings of Christ to judgement the one to the conversion of the Iews and the restauration of his Church to a glorious State and Reigne in the destruction of their enemies and another or second coming again before the final end of all things to execute the ultimate judgement But this is contrary to Scripture which mentions only of two comings of Christ the first in the flesh in the time of the Gospel and the last at the day of judgement to execute the wrath of his Father on all his impenitent enemies and the refusers of his Gospel I answer Christ's coming in Scripture is variously taken somtimes for his first coming in the flesh somtimes in Spirit of grace power and miracles but lastly and most eminently to judgement And in this his last coming there are several remarkable periods and events In the beginning and morning of this great day he comes to convert the Jews restore the kingdom unto Israel and to the church of Christ and to destroy antichrist and all the Saints enemies not utterly finally but of all power and dominion over the Church which is quite taken off by Christ and a sure chain or tye laid on their spirits of malice and on their Ring-leader Satan himself that there is none can hurt during this glorious reigne in Gods holy mountain This Restauration is the work of the morning of the day But the wotk of the evening of this day is the universal resurrection of the dead and to give final sentence on all the enemies of Christ that opposed him and his Kingdom and to give them their portions with the divel and his angels in that lake of fire that burneth for evermore see more at large hereof in chap. 20. So that there is not two last comings of Christ but two remarkable acts or events in this his last coming to wit in the morning and evening of this great day of his appearance Verse 8. I am Alpha and Omega the beginning and the ending saith the Lord which is and which was and which is to come even the Almighty Here the Divinity of Christ is plainly asserted who counts it no robbery to be equal with God and to take his attributes unto himself And that the person here intended by the Spirit is Christ is clear from the precedent verse the same person that came with clouds and was pierced is the same here described who is the Alpha and Omega and this is most evident by collating it to verse 11. and 17. where he that is the first and the last who was dead but now alive commands John to write what he saw and that was Christ verse 1. Christ is here called the Alpha and Omega which are the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet and which is and which was and which is to come even the Almighty Out of which description of his person Note Observ That Christ is one and the same infinite almighty and eternal God of himself with the Father from everlasting By him all things were made in the beginning and without him nothing was made and by him all things shall end This eternal Word or Christ was with God from everlasting and this Word was God and therefore takes unto himself the essential and absolute incommunicable properties of God unto himself and therefore this is a most express Scripture if there were not any more of this consort in the word of God wherein it abounds to â—ay low the reasons of the greatest pretenders to reason in the world the reasonless Arrianized Socinians of these times who deny the Divinity or Godhead of Christ Collate with this to this purpose verses 4 and 5. of this chapter Verse 9. I John even your brother and companion in tribulation and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ was in the Isle called Patmos for the word of God and for the testimony of Jesus Christ John in this verse describes his condition and the place wherein he was when he received this Revelation using the loving and common Christian compellations of brother and companion in tribulation the word in the original is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a fellow commoner or fellow-sharer in affliction From whence by the way observe from
Disciples should be offended because of him and that they should be cast out imprisoned reviled and suffer many persecutions for his names sake And the ground or reason of all this is from that promise in Gen. 3. That God would set enmity between the seed of the woman and the seed of the serpent and this enmity hath abided ever since and will ever abide between those two mystical seeds until the seed of the woman Christ and his members shall become absolute conquerors in the binding up the old serpent who is the father of all enmities and mischiefs This informeth God's people that it should not seem strange unto them when the world and their enemies do rage against them Here a question may come in Whether christians when they are called unto it are bound in duty to suffer for the profession of all the Truths of God To clear this question I shall premise briefly That Truths are either about fundamentals or circumstantials Fundamentals are such as without the knowledge thereof we cannot ordinarily be saved and they are conversant either about the very being of a Saint and Christian or secondly about the well-being in preserving and building up this Christian in his holy faith and these are called principles or rudiments of Religion Heb. 6.1 You know no one can proceed to be an Artist in any Art or Science or come to any perfection therein without some certain rules and principles to proceed by so none can become a true Christian or Artist in that heavenly Science of Christianity without some first laid principles And amongst those Fundamentalls which are necessary to the Being of a christian I believe as some have been too large in the description of their Fundamentals so some have been too narrow and therefore seeing they are not precisely determined by any universal assembly of christians but are left to be gathered up here and there in the Word of God by parcels I shall not be so presumptuous to define their certain number only I say thus much That that Creed which is called the Apostolical setting a qualified sense on that article of Christ's descent into hell to be the exactest square and rule of principles that relates unto the very Being of a Christian that is this day extant and he that is not ready to suffer for the profession thereof is not worthy the name of a Christian Now secondly other Fundamentals are about the well-being of a christian and such are all the Ordinances of the Gospel As Baptism Lord's Supper Prayer Thanks-givings all Church Orders and Fellowships Preaching Exhorting Reproving Overseeing and the like And if it be in our power we are rather to forbear the use of one of them then to defile our souls or consciences under corrupt administrations of them but if at any time we were called to suffer for the essential truth of them we are bound to suffer and to bear them a testimony as a part of the Truth and Word of God But for every opinion that arises about the right administrations of the latter or manner of understanding of the former principles which are but the circumstantials of Religion to set bonds upon the conscience therein it savours rather of a spirit of contention heat and passion then of found judgement and christian wisdom This is to make hard knots where there is none and Christ calls his yoke easie this were to make it burdensom and intollerable The substantial part of Christian Religion is plain and easie and the blinde may walk therein and a lamb may wade thorow This is life eternal that they may know thee the only true God and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent John 17.3 It is true there are mysteries high questions and deep things of God in the word these are for the exercise of our spirits and gifts not of our faith no further then as part of the revealed mind of God and therefore we believe them to be truth though we understand them not which are reserved until the day of the revelation of all things when we shall know as we are known and when all our ignorances and imperfections shall be done away This sets a check upon some hot spirits of these times that rather then lose or part with their wilde opinions or let them lie unvented would break all the bonds of peace charity and communion amongst Christians and so utterly deprive the churches of Christ of all the benefit which otherwise their gifts and parts might stand in stead for I doubt all sorts of christians of our times are too far baptized into this errour and Satan hath too great a stroke in it to divide the hearts of Christians about circumstantials when as they hold one and the same fundamentals joyntly together The Lord in mercy to his churches remedy this great evil and sin of our times Vers 10. I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day and heard behind me a great voice as of a Trumpet In the Greek copie it is no more but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I was in the Spirit which in Beza's translation is rendred correptus in Spiritu I was rapt in Spirit It was indeed a rapture of spirit an extasie wherein John received this Vision and so it hath been with all the Prophets of old they were acted by the Spirit in all their visions and prophesies they were lift up above themselves and out of themselves when they were to have cognizance of Divine things and this was by the Eternal Spirit of God working mightily in their spirits Observ That the Spirit of God does as it were set a violence on those persons he employs about the high mysteries and discoveries of his choicest Truths Paul that great light of the Gentiles he had his raptures into the third heaven whether in the body or out of the body he could not tell Exekiel when he was to receive those high Visions he oft reports of the Spirit entring into him and taking him up cap. 3.12 and 2.2 John for his better accomplishment to receive those divine Visions he is here said to be rapt in Spirit And the reasons of this is First That he might be the better enabled to take a clear and full view of those divine discoveries which were about to be shown unto him When we would show one things distinctly we use to place him up on high for the better sight Secondly That he might have satisfaction in his own spirit that those his visions were from God seeing he had so extraordinary taste of the Spirit in the first place he might well conclude he was now as it were to become the mouth of the Spirit unto the churches Lastly That his thoughts and heart might have been sequestred from things below and his contemplation raised higher on things divine as a true Prophet of God ought to have Another Note from hence is as a corrollary to the former That when Christ sets up any eminent Officer or Light in
same incommunicable properties with the Ancient of days He is here farther described to have eyes as a flame of fire and feet like unto fine brass burning as in a furnace 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eyes like a flame of fire signifies either their piercing nature in searching into the secrets of the heart or of wrath and indignation to terrifie his impenitent enemies and indeed Christ is here from head to feet presented in a fiery colour his eyes were as a flame of fire his feet like unto fine brass as if they burned in a furnace Hence Note Observ 2. That when Christ is about executing acts of power and judgement against Kingdoms or Churches he is most terrible in his appearance When he goes about to call to an account the seven Asian Churches he is very intense about it and all of a fiery colour sparkling in the eyes like fire does signifie much anger and indignation feet of burning brass speed and execution Christ is here presented in that fine posture he is brought in Rev. 10.1 with his face shining as the Sun and his feet as pillars of fire whereupon presently followed terrible thunders and dreadful judgements So in chap. 2. v. 18. he is presented with eyes like fire and feet like brass and forthwith goes on with a charge against the Church of Thyatira So in Rev. 19.10 11 12. he is said to have his eyes like a flame of fire and his vesture dipt in blood and presently goes on in executing great wrath against his adversaries The dreadfulness of this fiery Judge when he comes in wrath will better appear if we consider that of the Prophet Malachi 3.2 3. Who shall abide the day of his coming and who shall stand when he appears for he is like a Refiners fire A Refiners fire is the hottest most terrible and most consuming How terrible he is towards Babylon both literal and mystical consider Jer. 51.25 and Rev. 18.8 9 c. I am against thee oh destroying mountain speaking of Babylon which destroyest all the earth I will stretch out my hand upon thee and rowl thee down from the Rock and will make thee a burnt mountain This was fully executed on old Babylon in the letter And how severe is Christ against Babylon in the mysterie in Rev. 18.8 Her plagues shall come at one day death and sorrow and famine and she shall be burnt with fire for strong is the Lord God which will condemn her Peruse the chapter throughout When Christ goes forth on his red horse to execute judgement and to take peace from the earth neither Kings nor Captains nor the mighty ones of the earth shall be able to stand against this mighty one They shall call for the mountains to fall upon them to hide them from the face of him that sitteth upon the Throne and from the wrath of the Lamb. And Paul tells us 2 Thes 1.8 of the dreadfulness of this Judge who should come in flames of fire to what end to destroy Antichrist the son of perdition with the brightness of his coming only consider once more Rev. 19.12 13 c. When Christ goeth forth to make war in righteousness his eyes were like a flame of fire and was clothed in a garment dipt in blood and out of his mouth proceeded a sharp sword that with it he should smite the heathen for he shall rule them with a rod of iron for he it is that treadeth the wine-press of the fierceness and wrath of almighty God All this doth clearly inform that Christ hath another name a strange name that none knoweth but himself Rev. 19.12 that is another nature and disposition to appear in then of a Lamb No man ever thought that have only considered Christ in the state of his humiliation that he had that Lion-like disposition in him All Christ's adversaries shall one day know that he is as the Lion of the Tribe of Judah whose voice shall be terrible unto them as well as a Rock of defence and safeguard to all his chosen ones and as sure as he hath already acted the Lamb-like part in his sufferings here on earth and now doth the same in his Mediators office in heaven so he shall one day come with power and glory to rule the Nations of the earth that would not have him for their Lord and King even with a Scepter of power and judgement and with a rod of iron And to set forth the dreadfulness of this Judge the more he comes with a Lion-like voice roaring as the sound of many waters Hence Note Observ 2. That when Christ comes to judge his enemies he is not only dreadful in his looks and outward appearance but he is dreadful all over even in his words also In verse 10. his voice was as of a Trumpet loud and terrible here like the sound of many waters very terrible to his enemies but rouzing converting and saving to his faithful ones Verse 16. And he had in his right hand seven Stars and out of his mouth went a sharp two edged sword and his face shone as the Sun shineth in its strength Notwithstanding Christ's dreadful appearance and his intenseness unto judgement yet he had in his right hand seven stars In the right hand is seated the chiefest strength and power of man and so it connotes to us safety and protection and he takes the seven stars into his right hand to preserve and keep them safe under his protection whilst he is executing his judgements upon his impenitent backsliding churches or obstinate enemies The seven stars the Spirit interprets to be the Angels of the seven churches verse 20. of this chapter only what is meant by Angels in that place being mystically represented by the stars in Christ's right hand I think fit to make enquiry here Surely it cannot be meant Angels in a proper sense such as are ministring Spirits the Angels in heaven for John is commanded in the next chapter to write unto those Angels of the church of Ephesus Smyrna c. to write unto the Spirits Angelical all know such a command would not proceed from him that is the wisdom of the Father therefore this must needs be interpreted to be the chief Ministers or Pastors of those Asian churches who should rather be called here the Messengers then the Angels of the churches for the word in the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is Messenger which we translate Angel when attributed to God's ministring Spirits but when attributed unto man more properly it should be rendered Messenger and not Angel as that of Peter Acts 12. When he came and knocked at the door where the Disciples were they thought it was his Angel and not himself that is his Messenger one coming from him to acquaint them of his deliverance for they could not be so ignorant to conceive that it was an Angel that knocked which could enter without opening the doors wherefore under correction of better Iudgements I shall account this amongst
called christians were truly and worthily abominable This artifice and method Satan keeps still afoot to this day to vilifie Christ's Truth 's and his followers by terming their doctrines Novel and new Lights though of above 1600 years standing and of Apostolical Institution and if they prove faithful Assertors of it are presently termed factious or Schismatical for it being as they say Disturbers of the National Peace perverters of Customs Laws and Governments and forthwith branded with Anti-magistratical and Anti-Ministerial Titles as if they were against Magistracy when they say in the first place Fear God in the next Honour the King Or if they were against all Ministers because they are against the formal lazie and belly-god Priests whose very forms as carnal ordinances are perished with using and in the room thereof desires a Ministery sound able godly efficacious spiritual and more edifying in the assemblies and churches of Christ In the next place if any defection happens in the churches of Christ as if some among them turn loose Nicolaitans or the like there will not be wanting the Nominal Jews formal christians to blaspheme them as if they were all of that feather The Papists as soon as they heard of some heresies broken forth among the Protestants presently cry out and blaspheme the whole name of Protestants as if they were all of that heresie Among the old Episcopal men of our Nation it was a common saying That a Geneva Presbytery made a fair gap and was a downright way to Brownism and Anabaptism as M. Hooker's Preface to his Ecclesiastical Policy manifests And if any Non-conformist turned Anabaptist or Brownist presently they would say the Presbyters were all such And again if any Independent or Baptist now a days became a Familistical Quaker or Antiscripturist presently the Presbyters lay the same harsh judgement and contumely upon the whole churches of the same profession to render them abominable in the eyes of all as if the eleven Apostles were all Judasses because one in twelve was a Judas This Satanical method should be quite laid by by such as have truly learned Christ This was the old Jewish trick and stratagem against the primitive precious Asiatique churches of Christ who were not all Nicholaitans because some Nicolaitans were crept in among them but precious in the eye of God both for their graces and sufferings for the testimony of Jesus But for such as will blaspheme the true doctrines of Christ and the Professors thereof by means of the evil among them and to cast a reproach tribulation and affliction thereby upon them all let them too withal not be discontented to read their judgement in this verse Whiles they say they are Jews and are not but are the Synagogue of Satan Observ 4. The last Note from these words shall be That a mis-led zeal is both dangerous and pernicious Little did the Jews think that they were fighting against the God of heaven when they were persecuting and blaspheming the Professors of Christ Nay they do it and think as Paul in his ignorance that they do God good service in it If our zeal be not commixt with sound knowledge instead of promoting the glory of God we may do the downright work of Satan These poor Jews had an indubitable aim and zeal to glorifie God for so Paul bears testimony of them Rom. 10.2 but it was exercised amiss in that it was not according unto knowledge if their judgement had been rightly informed or bore the least proportion with their zeal they would not persecute the disciples of Christ from city to city and from Town to Town much less put the Lord of life to death amongst them But the Scriptures must be fulfilled Use Christians now adays should look to it lest they go about to do the work of Satan when they blaspheme and persecute all others that are differently minded from them in some particulars They may call themselves christians but are not for it savours not of a christian spirit which is ready to cover and heal the infirmity of his christian brother not to revile or cast a rancour on it to Gangrene it which is the work of Satan Though I am not for the least toleration of evil or heresie in the church of Christ yet I would have all to take heed how they blaspheme persecute or speak evil of that way or practise which has the visible stamp of Christ upon it though at present by reason of some clouds of ignorance over them they cannot plainly discern the truth of it In this case the counsel of Gamaliel Acts 5. is very seasonable Refrain your selves from these men and let them alone for if their work be of men it will surely come to nought but if it be of God ye cannot destroy it lest ye be found even fighters against God Verse 10. Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer Behold the Divel shall cast some of you into prison that ye may be tryed and ye shall have tribulation ten days Be thou faithful unto death and I will give thee a crown of life I know says Christ the tribulation and affliction that will overtake thee O church of Smyrna yet fear none of those things which shall come upon thee Neither art thou to suffer only the reproach and blasphemy of the tongue but also the divel shall so far prevail against you as by his instigation that the Tyrants of the world and your malicious enemies shall so far persecute you and cast some of you into prison but comfort ye it is not for your destruction but only for the tryal of your faith and constancy to your christian profession and your tribulation is not for a little space but to continue ten days that is ten years that answers ten prophetical days or rather I understand it ten days of tribulation shall pass over you to wit the ten great primitive persecutions the first whereof began against the christians under Nero and the tenth under Dioclesian yet however this long and tedious persecution reach thee yet leave not thy constancy but be thou faithful unto thy Lord and Saviour though their persecution be so high and fiery as to make thee to taste the tortures of death for thy faith yet be thou a faithful witness to me in that death and thou shalt be crowned as a reward of thy faithfulness with the glory of eternal life Observ 1. From the words is God never lets the divel loose to raise tribulation or persecution against his churches but he gives them first a cordial a preparative and strength from himself that they may not sink under ut though they may suffer by it Before the ten great days of persecution fell on the primitive Asian churches Christ tells them Fear not those things which ye shall suffer though imprisonments and death it self attend you for it is only for your tryal and that your faith may be more apparent by your constant Martyrdom in the face
cleansed us and sanctified us How shall we defile our selves again by sin lest our state become seven fold worse then the first This is the temper of a gracious repentant Spirit Observ God is so gracious that he always premonisheth before he strikes in judgment his rebellious and sinful people He calls them to repentance before he will go forth to fight with the sword of his mouth against them He will not come in wrath upon them unwarned If God hath decreed a general destruction or desolation to any churches he will make it known unto his Prophets they shall declare it to his people And therefore so often here in these two chapters Christ says Let him that hath an eare hear what the spirit saith unto the Churches Let him that is wise among you consider well of those Judgments which are to come upon you and are made known unto you by your Prophet John And to what end doth God this First that the Lords Elect and precious ones among them may be awakened out of their sins and brought to repentance Secondly That they may be secured from eternal ruine if not from temporal Thirdly That the wicked and impenitent may acknowledge their own evil ways and give glory to God and justifie God's righteous proceedings against them Yea often God will premonish a long time and bear long with the sins of his people before he will execute the punishment due unto them Isa 42.12 Jer. 3.5 God could in a moment crush them all with his breath yet waits long for their repentance 390. years 1 Pet. 3.20 a-about 100 years in the days of Noah whilst the Ark was a preparing God's long-suffering waited for the repentance of the old world by the Preaching of Noah unto them How long did God premonish us since the first time of the first reformation by his faithful Prophets and Ministers to purge and cast out the leaven of Antichristianism from among us before he would go out in Judgment against us was not his long-suffering exercised towards us from Henry 8. and Edward 6. days unto these present times a hundred years and upward still looking and expecting that we would pull down the High places and Groves that Jeroboam built and the Priests of Baal in the confines of our holy Land and this was the Lord's long-suffering to us-wards sending us Prophet after Prophet and Precept upon Precept to preadmonish us not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance yet for all this and the many days of peace and plenty God did give unto us inviting us as by gracious opportunities to ammendment we grew worse and worse and added more abominations in the services of God then was at first until at last the Lord came to fight against us with the Sword of his mouth of War Pestilence and Famine as we have lately had sad experience of Observ 3. That though God in mercy to his people gives them often a long time of preadmonishments unto repentance yet if they continue impenitent he will come quickly against them That time that we look upon as long and far distant as 100 500 or 1000 years is but as a day with God yea but a little space and at present with him for he is Eternity it self without measure or number Though it was in some ages after that Christ came in judgment against those Asian churches for their sins yet he came quickly against them in a time nearer then they thought of It is a quick and short time unto sinners when Judgments reach them unexpectedly Though it is many hundred years ago that that proud City and Scarlet Whore began her raign as Queen and the time of her raign being for 1260 days yet it is said Rev. 18.2 Babylon is fallen Babylon is fallen and is become the habitation of devils that is God sees it as already done for the certainty of it and all things future are as present with him And though it is above 1600 years since Christ ascended yet he says Rev. 21.20 Surely I come quickly Amen The people of the old world and of Sodom and Gomorrah thought the day of God's vengeance afar off till they were all swept away with the desolating judgements of God Who would have thought in K. Charls his time when Revelling Quaffing Dauncing and all vanities were in their Throne that God should come and write a sentence of desolation and misery on himself and Kingdom as on Belshazzar Dan. 5.4.5 25 MENE MENE TEKEL UPHARSIN The day is thy Kingdom taken from thee and given to Darius the Median ver 30 31. Therefore if we be found in the same transgressions with our predecessors let us not be secure but fear and tremble left the same judgments overtake us also Happy is the man that feareth always saith the Wise-man Prov. 28.14 Let God's judgments come sooner or later they will come quick enough upon secure unrepentant sinners It is too late to prevent the fire when the house is in flames O let that Proverb in Ezek. 12.22 be no longer used in Israel saying The days are prolonged and every vision faileth Observ 4. That God's people and Churches fare the worse for the entertainment of the wicked among them All of the church of Pergamus were not Balaamites or Nicolaitans but that they had them among them that held their abominable doctrines yet however for free toleration of them Christ will come against them all not only against the wicked to fight against them with the sword of his mouth but also I will come against thee quickly thou whole church of Pergamus for suffering these abominations in the midst of thee The church of Thyatira had the same check for suffering the woman Jezabel among them and at last together with the church of Pergamus were both wrap'd up in the same desolating judgment and misery for the entertainment of these abominations among them Liberty to sin is no part of that liberty with which Christ hath made us free Faithful ones may plead for liberty for different things and judgments in themselvs not simply morally evil or against the positive Laws of God but for for spiritual or carnal adulteries such must needs be either the advocates of Antichrist or the devils that plead for their sufferance and toleration As there are various diseases in bodies so they have their various medicines If the distemperature grows high and inflames it may endanger the death of the body So it is in Christ's mystical body his church if the distempered gangrene grows high and spreading and ulcerate it may endanger the whole vitals of that church As there are in natural Physick blood-lettings evacuatings healing corroding and cauterizing medicines so in our spiritual Physick there are variety of Medicines sutable to all the distemperatures of the body the church and they that use Lenitives or healing Medicines when the disease calls for corroding or cauterizing Plaisters are but merciless Physitians and will kill and
them is charity its precedency lies in this 1. In that it perfumes and enlivens all the other graces faith it self is dead without it And to suppose a faith without love is to suppose a man without a soul The gifts of prophesies tongues and miracles are but barren and usless things without this 2. This hath for its object both God and Man we exercise our faith and hope only towards God and his promises but our charity is extended both towards God and Man And therefore love is called Rom. 13.10 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the fulfilling of the Law it is the whole sum and hinge on which the commandements turn In this one word charity both the Tables of the decalogue are abridged 3. It excells in that it is the greatest note of our interest in God and Christ Faith is that giveth right unto the promises but love is that giveth life to faith It is the very soul of all our graces If we gave our bodies to be burnt for Christ and had not charity it will profit nothing 1 Cor. 13.3 By this we know that we are passed from death to life because we love the Brethren 1 John 3.14 and Ia. 1.12 The Crown of life is promised to them that love God and Rom. 8.28 Love is made the very discovery of effectual calling and election 4. Love excells in that it is the perfection of the Law it is the very end of the Commandments 1 Tim. 1.5 and were Love but perfect in us it would make us perfect Keepers and Observers of the Law both towards God and Man Love knits the Members of Christs Body together and so perfects his Body It unites us to God and so maketh the perfecting of divine love in us 1 John 4.12 17. and here it is we are commanded twice to put on love above all things 1 Pet. 4.8 and Col. 3.14 but once above all things to take the shield of faith 5. And lastly when faith hope patience and all other graces ceases charity abideth Love is not only a portion for the Saints in this life but in the other also then we shall love God and Christ when faith and hope ceaseth therefore justly did Christ in this place and the Apostle in 1 Cor. 13.13 give it the precedency above al other Graces of the Spirit 2. Love brings forth another grace service external worship and obedience him whom we love we obey we serve we honour and worship The service of love is most intense and effectual When Christ communed with Simon Peter John 21. and asked him thrice Simon Son of Jonas lovest thou me Yea Lord thou knowest it saith Peter Christ answered feed my sheep The more love that Peter manifested the more service and duty was put upon him Services that we perform to God not out of love but formality or custome are but as scabbed or lame Sacrifices under the Law which the Lord hated Right ends in our services are First Love and zeal to God's glory Secondly Love to the obedience of God's commandments Thirdly Love to the edification of others These ends makes us a true and sincere worship love goeth through all and is the fulfilling of the Law 3. Thyatira is approved for her faith made lively and effectual by love True faith is never seperated from love they go hand in hand together but love hath the precedency for the reasons aforesaid though faith is first in order of nature for faith is that grace that gives the first being unto a christian but love is the perfection of that being There must be first a knowledge of God and assent unto his truths which is the first act of faith before we can love that God or his Truths but withal I say there is so inseperable union between these two graces no sooner hath faith a being and a body but love comes to animate it to make it sound lively and perfect Observ hence Note That it is not a bare opinion or entertainment of the truth that is a true lively faith but that that worketh by love Many will one day say we have prophesied in thy Name taught in thy Name cast out devils in thy Name professed and beleived thy truths and yet the Lord will say unto them I know you not and all for want of this grace of love towards God and his Saints A sound and true faith contains in it these three principal ingredients that gives the very form and being to it First A sound distinct knowledge of the thing believed I know and am perswaded saith Paul Rom. 14.14 Persons that are ignorant of Gods promises and of the word of eternal life can never believe aright Secondly A firm perswasion strongly assuming the heart As a sound believer must not be an ignorant soul so must he not be a wavering-minded man but must have an undeceivable certainty and truth in that he does believe Thirdly A confident resting and rejoycing with satisfaction unto the Soul surely looking to enjoy that it does beleive True faith hath these four acts and degrees in it 1. Knowledge 2. Assent 3. Adherence and 4. Assurance A believer may have the three first acts and want the latter and a sound beleiver and a justified person Though God for causes to himself known may never give the grace of Assurance yet that faith that only knows God distinctly to be a God of salvation in his promises to repentant sinners through Christ and so takes him and adheres unto him in the love and truth thereof doubtless that soul shall never be a cast-away though God's presence of assurance and joyful satisfaction be never manifested unto him If we be saved it is enough though God reserves his comfortable presence and inward love for us unto another world 4. Thyatira hath another excellent grace and that is Patience or sufferance with patience as the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 carries it in the Greek A wicked man may suffer affliction but not suffer with patience without murmuring swearing or blaspheming as the godly doth The wicked may haue patience perforce and unwillingly when he cannot help it the afliction being above his reach to remedy but the godly is patient as it is an effect of love because he loveth much he is ready to suffer much with constancy and patience as Jacob served two seven years hardship for his beloved Rachel so a faithful soul is ready to suffer all afflictions chearfully and with much patience all the years of his life because he loves God and Christ and so accounts the afflictions of this life not to be valued with the glory that shall hereafter be revealed to all those that love God 5. Thyatira was a growing fruitful church her latter works were more then her first done upon better grounds and better principles From whence Note Observ That the gracious works of the more grown Christians doe exceed those of the younger sort in soundness The Neophites or young Christians may be more zealous
then the approved Presbiters of a church but the latter zeal is better â—egulated and more sober then the former When I was a child saith Paul I spake as a child I did as a child I understood as a child but when I became a man I put away childish things So it is in our spiritual growth in our first birth we are very childish and zealous of small things external circumstances in worship we then look upon as great things and if a painted window a cross a suâ—pless a cope c. stand in our way we presently stumble at them and think it the most acceptable service we can perform to God either to burn them or break them to peices as Antichristian trumperies Again if we come a little higher then we spend most or all our strength about the defence of external forms of worship as whether Presbitery Independency or the way of the Anabaptists so called be the righter way This humour too is most prevalent in the Neophites but the waightier things of God and his Law is for the elder and stronger sort The one thinks to catch Heaven by Tything Mint and Anniss by being very intense about the smaller things of the Law but the other â—ot leaving the first undone falls upon the kernel and substance of Religion which is fit meat for stronger men The grown christian's graces excels the younger as his love is more sound he loves not for interest or opinion sake as many young ones does but he loves the brethren on this ground as being members of one body being made partakers of the same divine truth with himself Secondly His service is more cordial in respect of the larger experience of the goodness of God to his Soul he hath often met God's presence in his ordinances then the younger christian hath and therefore needs must his desires and affections excell unto God's Ordinances and worships seeing he hath ofâ—ner met God therein as in a special habitation of his glory Thirdly An old christian's faith is sounder then the younger he believes not because he hath heard only with the ear but he believes because he hath seen tasted and experienced the truth and faithfulness of God and his promises to his soul which the other it may be as yet has not attained too Fourthly His patience is more tryed more refined then the younger Fifthly and lastly In effect all his graces are sounder and better circumstantiated then those of the younger christians for ends for grounds for manners for time and in all other circumstances whatsoever Therefore it is our duty to strive that our last works may be more then our first otherwise shame unto us as unprofitable servants Vers 20. Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee because thou sufferest that woman Jezabel which calleth her self a Prophetess to teach and seduce my servants to commit fornication and to eat things sacrificed unto Idols Yet nevertheless O thou church of Thyatira though I do approve and encourage thy gracious works of love faith seruice and patience and commend thee for thy proficiency in them yet I have a few things certain offences to lay in charge against thee Hence Note Observ If our sins be few and great though our graces be many and eminent yet God will come against us for them Few great and scandalous sins are as dead flies in pretious Oyntment it will defile the whole box of spiritual graces God will not Inhabit quietly and at peace in one mansion with sin and wickedness If Ephraim will have Idols God will let him alone And if Israel will uphold wickedness though his own peculiar people who were abounding in sacrifices and holy services yet that shall not priviledge them from a Babylonish captivity If his own select people will turn wild Olives and cruciâ—â—e the Lords Prophets and his Christ he can cut them off and make them a desolate and dispersed people upon the face of the whole earth Thyatira had many excellent graces and so had Ephesus Smyrna Pergamus c. yet for their sins and especially those of Idolatry and Fornication the corrupt doctrines of Balaam Jezabel and the Nicolaitans God came against them in judgment and fiery indignation and removed his candlesticks from amongst them and left them desolate If we conceive our graces of Faith Love Service c. will secure us from the wrath of God though we admit Antichristian doctrines of Idolatry false and evil worships among us we shall be much deceived Doubtless many of our former Bishops were very godly men as Jewel Downham Usher Hall Davenant c. yet their real graces and holiness could not stop the hand of God in going forth in wrath against the Antichristian practises and false worships tolerated and allowed in the churches of Eng◠〈…〉 only could deliver their own souls but they themselves 〈◊〉 main and the whole function shall smart for it in the day of 〈◊〉 Lord's indignation and though some of them were godly and pious men yet for their tolerating and conniving at false doctrines and worships they themselves shall suffer in the common judgment but their pious and gracious souls shall be saved so as by fire not that of Purgatory first kindled in the Popes Kitchen but by the fire of afflictions sanctified unto them by that fire of purging and cleansing away our dross to wit God's Spirit and Word We are therefore to look to it how we admitt offences amongst us though they be but few they may draw God into judgment against us and though they may not at present unchurch us yet if held unrepented of they may provoke God to come against us quickly with the sword of his mouth O let no man plead for toleration of sin false doctrines or worships from the Primitive practises or presidents of the first churches so as they sinned first in these particulars so they were made the first examples of God's wrath and justice It is but a sad saying of some That their present churches are as sound straight and holy as the Primitive ones They had their drunkards incestuous followers of the doctrine of Balaam the Nicolaitans and Jezabel and we say they in our Parochial churches have not worse Alas they are now made unto us examples of God's righteous judgments for those and the rest of their sins and their very habitations given unto the cursed Mahometans and their off springs turned Barbarians and Heathens and if we be found in the same sins and transgressions with them O May we not fear the same desolating judgment Let us not contemn the long-suffering of God but speedily repent and do our first works So far should we be from boasting on that account that it should rather be unto us just matter of grief and sorrow But to proceed The charge against Thyatira was That thou sufferest the woman Jezabel who calleth her self a Prophetess to teach and deceive my servants c. This woman Jezebel here mentioned doubtless
him how much more will he be now ready and willing being reconciled by his blood to receive us again into his gracious favour after our backslidings upon our repentance and turning unto him from our sins then formerly being now adopted children and no longer strangers and enemies The contemplation of this grace made the prodigal childe in the Gospel to return unto his father and he was not mistaken of his father's good will towards him for as soon as his father saw him but a far off he had compassion and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him Luke 15.20 Oh the wonderful grace of God! That no sooner have we hearts or desires to return unto God and to have an eye towards him after we have played the prodigals and gone astray from him by evil works but presently he meets us more then half way being yet a far off and falls upon our necks and kisses us with kisses of his love and favour Though we play the prodigals yet we are children still the prodigal was a son though he plaid the bankcrupt and spent almost all his stock of grace The consideration that we are children though wanton ones will make us desire to return unto our father though provoked against us by our sinful courses and for our comfort and encouragement herein consider that of John If any man sin we have an advocate with the father Jesus Christ the righteous 1 John 2.1 It is our advocate the childrens advocate believers advocate and therefore we may come and return unto the father with the greater boldness Observ 2. Another Note from hence is That we are to stick close to and hold fast that doctrine which was first delivered unto the Saints The church of Sardis that was almost lost and dead in her spiritual state and condition is not commanded by Christ to seek out any new ways or novel doctrines but to call to mind and remember the old ones which they had formerly received and heard from the faithful Apostles and Ministers of Christ They were not to seek after any new discovery of light which was not formerly delivered to them there was great danger in such ways They might attain unto the new lights of the Gnosticks Nicolaitans and the high speculations thereof or rather the depths of Satan as they speak and yet perish eternally For the way to life is the good old way discovered first unto Adam after his fall in the promised seed of the woman to break the Serpent's head Gen. 3. and more and more manifested under the promises and the darker types and shaddows of the Law till at last it came to its meridian and full discovery by the Son of God himself in the Gospel And this Doctrine of this Gospel of Christ was it that Sardis was commanded to remember that which she had formerly received and heard and to keep close unto it from which he had made a defection great and foul This is the sum of wholesome Doctrine that we are commanded to keep close unto and this was that that Paul enjoyned Timothy to attend unto 1 Tim. 3.14 15. Continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and art perswaded thereof knowing of whom thou hast learned them and that thou hast known the holy Scriptures of a child which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through the faith which is in Christ Jesus The only way that is to restore and renew the soul that is almost dead in sin to attain the new Name the new Life the new Jerusalem that cometh down from God is to keep close to and hold fast the old way the old Doctrine the old light delivered by Christ and his Apostles For all innovations in Doctrines or Worship carry great danger with them And I will come on thee as a Thief c. Observ 3. That Christ will fall upon the wicked with his judgments when they least think of in an hour that they shall not know of his judgments will prevent their expectations None would believe in Jeremiah's time that the captivity would come upon Jerusalem but every one would put far away the evil day Lam. 4.12 as if it were to come in after generations and not in theirs See Ezek. 12.22 37. The Jews little thought in Christ's days that the period of their City and Temple was so nigh though he foretold them that shortly it should come to pass that not one stone should be left upon another The old World was secure until Noah entred into the Arke and the floud came and destroyed them all Sodome and Gomorrah would not believe God's threatnings until they felt the consuming fire and brimstone Gen. 19. Whilst Belshazzar was carrousing in his cups God writes a MENE TEKEI UPHARSIN over his head and Kingdome Dan. 5.4 c. England and other Nations did not think that bloody Judgments were so near Whatsoever sinners think Christ is at hand the Judge and Judgment is at the door Sinners are secure and think Judgments slumber when they are upon the march and upon the wing Isa 5.26 Lam 4.19 Wicked men say as those in Isa 5.19 Let him make hast and hasten his work that we may see it and let the counsel of the holy one of Iâ—rael draw nigh and come that we may know it They mocked the Prophets of God that told them of judgments and destruction but God will avenge them speedily I come quickly saith Christ Rev. 22.20 and the reasons that God brings on judgments with speed and sooner then they are looked for are First From the sins of the wicked who highly wrong and provoke God's jâ—â—tice and patience and call for his wrath upon them by their sins Secondly Because of the Prayers of the godly who daily importune God to avenge them of their enemies Luk. 18.7 8. And shall not God avenge his own Elect which cry night and day unto him though he bear long with them I tell you that he will avenge them speedily It was the cry of those precious souls clothed in white Rev. 6.10 that brought destroying Judgments and desolation on Babylon How long O Lord holy and true dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwel on the earth It was answered them that they should rest yet for a little season until their fellow servants also and their brethren that should be killed as they were should be fulfilled See more hereon cap. 2. 16. Observ 4. The execution of all terrible judgments is committed to the hand of Christ. He comes as a thiefe to destroy spoil and undo his enemies he will not only rob them of a little but take all their pretended graces and comforts from them Only here lies the difference for comparisons and parables do not always run on all four The wicked and unjust theives spoil and plunder the honest thriving peaceable men but Christ as the just thief spoileth and maketh desolate the wicked and unrighteous only Christ comes as a Thief
unto its operations and offices I can but judge them very immorigerous unto the sweet and easy yoak of Christ that will not endure a Pastor an Angel a Minister over them to precede in all official duties unto the flock of Christ It is unto such that the Holy Ghost hath committed the oversight of the flock and therefore all are to submit unto them as unto the Lord For though I should grant many things unto the members in common with their Officers yet not to be Officers or Pastors in common with them for there are none such as Pastors of Pastors in the Gospel of Christ but Pastors of the flock of Christ And therefore as I could never brook a lawless community or leveling in the churches of Christ all to be Rulers and Teachers and none to be taught and ruled so neither would it comport with truth according to my judgment to admit of Pastors over Pastors or one Presbitery over another no farther then prudence will lead unto but not of Divine right and equity It is evident these seven Asian churches and all the other the Primitive Apostolical ones were Pastoral Episcopal Independent ones I think it no Paradox to assert that an Episcopal church may be Independent for I take such a one to be of Divine right indeed whilst the Prelatical Episcopal church hath lost its jure divino by exalting it self beyond Christ's bounds and taking too much upon it Observ 2. That the pure undefiled Saints of Christ are persons of high esteem and account with God They are men of Name and Quality God takes notice of them as men of most excellent and eminent spirits all the rest of Sardis besides them are but such that had the name that they were living but are dead Those are they that shall walk with Christ in white for they are worthy All the rest of the world are not of the same valew with these in the sight of God for they are those for whom the world was made yea God reproves Kings for their sakes saying Touch not mine Anointed Psal 105.15 They are God's Jewels his Precious ones which he makes up in safty and secâ—rity When all the world is on fire and combustion besides they are in a Land of Goshen of light peace and comfort Mal. 3.17 And the great reason of this is in that they have the image and likness of God upon them and his spirit dwelling in them and every thing does love and highly esteem its like for likness is the root of love much more God's who is love it self will highly esteem and love his Saints being the workmanship of his own hands Even in Sardis thou hast a few Names Hence Note Observ 3. That in the most corrupted Church state Christ may have some chosen and precious Saints Sardis had but the name that show as living and was dead and yet in this nominal dead formal church God had a few Names there that were precious to him The church of God did never totally fail upon the earth nor never shall though the visibility thereof may fail yet the invisible church will never fail When all flesh had corrupted its ways and wickedness of man grown great and the earth filled with violence before the Floud Gen. 6.11 12. yet then was Noah undefiled and a faithful Preacher of righteousness yea he was just and perfect in his generation and walked with God In the corrupted church state in the days of Ahab when Jezebel cut off the Prophets of the Lord and set up Idolatries in the room of them true worship of God and the godly and righteous so vexed and wasted that Elijah the Prophet thought none but himself left in Israel Even then the Lord tells him there were seven thousand which had not bowed the knee to Baal 1 Kings 1.18 In the time when Christ came in the flesh which was in an exceeding bad and corrupted church state and in a time when the Jewish church was never more corrupt then when he came yet there was then a Joseph a Mary a Zachariah and Elizabeth a Simeon and Anna and some few others that truly feared God In the darkest and deepest night of Popery there were some faithfull witnesses unto the truth The Waldenses the Abigenses Pauperes Lugdunenses c. of whom some of the Popish Writers themselves testifie that they were upright in their carriages and believed aright concerning God only they blasphemed the church of Rome So there was a Huc a Jerome of Prague a Wickliff Berengarius Peter de Bruis Luther Oecolompadius Melancthon c. in a time and state bad enough So here in England when the church was exceeding corrupt under the Prelacy yet then appeared here a Cartwright Hooker Ames Parker Bolton Robinson Reynolds Aynsworth Baynes and many other pretious Saints and faithful Witnesses unto the truths of Christ Observ 4. God accepteth the pure and undefiled as worthy of eternal life at 5.8 Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God They are those that shall walk in white with Christ and inherit the Kingdom with him Quest But if it be demanded Doth not this assert a merit in workes or that purity in the life doth exact from God in the way of Justice some answerable compensation to it I answer first and assert That holiness or purity of heart is the descriptive quality of those that shall see God they and they only of Adult persons are accepted by God to that high priviledg Secondly I grant too that the eternal life of happiness is set forth and given as a prize as a reward as a crown to the conquering Saints so in this and the last chapter it is often promised unto such holy ones under such a notion of a crown and reward Thirdly but I utterly deny that it hath the least proportion to satisfie Divine Justice or merit the least in strict Justice from God towards eternal life 1. Because eternal life is the free gift of God and he giveth it to whom he pleaseth Joh 17.2 1 Joh. 5.11 2. Because Divine Justice requires exact obedience which saith that he that is guilty of the breach of one tittle of the Law is guilty of the transgression of the whole For the best Saints being so imperfect in their obedience that they come far short in obtaining any thing at the hands of God in strict Justice 3. Because our sanctification and holiness is the alone work of God's own grace and spirit and therefore improperly said to merit at his own hands A child may merit from his Father in Justice by his filial obedience the parent being under a natural Law of compensation as well as the child is under the law of obedience towards him But God our heavenly Father is tied up unto no such Laws being a free agent and giveth life to whom he pleaseth 4. And therefore Lastly Because man hath forfeited his first covenant of merit and life by righteousness in Adam and
affections or accidents of her disease in respect of her self or of others she was in a pitiful lamentable and miserable state and condition The three latter declare the very nature of her disease she was poor blinde and naked you know to be poor is to be beggarly so the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Greek signifies a beggar She was not poor in spirit and in her own eyes which is a blessed poverty Mat. 5.3 but she was a poor beggarly miserable one one that is proud and beggarly which is hateful odious She is a true beggar beg she will and never leave begging of the Kings Princes Nobles and Potentates of the world till she have gotten the choisest fat things of the earth to become her patrimony She is a stout sturdy beggar if you will not give she will take Beggars lye in the cross lanes and high-ways to beg of all they meet so beggars of this rampant church lye close to all great Assemblies to Dyets Parliaments Counsel-Tables Great Mens houses to beg the Advowsons and to catch the scraps of preferments that fall in their way I could wish there were none of this beggarly poverty among us at this day Christ's true Ministers should be of a nobler temper and Spirit then to serve at Tables for lucre sake their master will provide for them in a more honourable way if they can but trust on him for their sustentation and livelyhood It was a wise observation of M. Brightman's concerning our English clergie in his days under Episcopacy That the Angel of England in plain terms grew wealthy by begging and as he further says neither is he in very truth nor is to be called ought save my Lord Beggar In the next place blindness is added to her beggarliness to make it the more grievous a blinde beggar is the most deplored and miserable of all beggars for being necessitated to seek and beg for his living abroad yet want of sight will not let him seek so blindness of minde want of true spiritual understanding where true riches lies is a great addition of misery to a poor beggarly church that makes her to seek amiss and to call that riches which is not truly riches from this ignorance and blindness it proceeds that the church of Rome and others that follow her steps do beg and seek greedily after riches honours and preferments that are meerly transitory and vain and leaves alone the true riches the treasure which is from above that never perisheth yea they are so blinde and obstinately blinde that they are ready to strike at him that endeavoureth to convince them of blindness and to shew them the way unto everlasting treasure In the last place there is added Nakedness as an aggravation of the misery of this church When one is stript of his garments and rendered naked his shame is laid open to the view according to that of Nahum 3.5 It is not sufficient that she is a poor blinde beggar but she is a naked blinde beggar the most contemptible of all sorts We have seen the poverty the blindness and ignorance of the church of Rome and Christ hath also discovered her nakedness unto us we know her shames and wherein her secret abominations does consist it is in vain for her now to boast of her spiritual pomps and trumperies whiles Christ hath discovered her skirts and shown us that she is a beggarly one void of all true spiritual riches that she is a blinde one ignorant of the ways of true happiness that she is naked that is for want of spiritual garments about her she is left open and bare to all shame and reproaches that are cast against her for her deformities which are obvious to every spiritual discerning eye O that God would make the Reformed churches amongst us to discern between true riches and those which are not so but only in pretence that he would put a nobler spirit into them then that of Laodicea a beggarly poor one waiting for the crums of preferments at the Tables of the Great ones of the world Is not their Lord and Master the Lord and Soveraign of the whole creation and shall he provide for the Ravens and the Lions whelps their meat in due season and will he forget the members of his own body God forbid Oh Christ which art the true light of the Father anoint our eyes with eye-salve that our blindness may be done away and discover our nakedness unto us that we may seek unto thee for a covering for gold that is tryed and for a rayment that we may be clothed that our nakedness may not appear before thee to our utter shame and confusion Amen Verse 18. I counsel thee to buy of me Gold tryed in the fire that thou mayest be rich and white rayment that thou mayest be elothed and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear and anoint thine eyes with eye-salve that thou mayest see You have hitherto heard of Laodiceas sin want and misery here follows her remedy proportionable to her disease here is gold not outward glittering or pretended gold but tryed gold offered to help her of her poverty Here is white rayment a glorious rayment of Christ's righteousness offered to cover her shame and nakedness and here is Eye-salve offered even true knowledge and wisdom from above that she may see the way unto everlasting happiness But to open the words a little more fully I counsel thee It is Christ that counsels and advises and who will not follow it The matter of his counsel is offered to the church of Laodicea and unto us also if we be found in the same vain-glorious yet beggerly condition as she was in for the word was not written only to them but to us for observe what the Spirit often says He that hath an ear let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches So the matter of Christ's counsel is as well unto us as unto Laodicea and that threefold as the disease was threefold 1. To buy gold tryed gold which is set against poverty 2. White Garments which is for a covering of her nakedness 3. Eye-salve which is a remedy for her blindness First by the way from the party counselling to buy he being the same from whom it is bought I counsel thee to buy gold of me Note Observ That all true spiritual riches and graces are to be fetch'd from Christ alone Christ sends us not to our own works or to his blessed mother or to any other Saint departed with so many Ave Marias so many Pater Nosters or so many Vows and Pilgrimages to buy them at their hands but he tells us Come buy them of me Christ alone is the great dispenser of his Fathers Treasure all power is given into his hands and in vain to seek the Kingdom of God or the treasures thereof but in by and through the Son and it is most just it should be so it being the purchase of his
is under it and having plucked up the rotten prop the building thereon must needs fall to ground and come to nought Cum tollitur causa tollitur effectus and instead of this broken reed let the faithful soul comfort and support it self in patience with the hopes of Christ's true and real Kingdom wherewith John was affected and supported Rev. 1.9 which shall come in glory and great power and none shall say as now Lo here is Christ or there is Christ but he shall be most evident and perspicuously glorious Lo He cometh in the clouds and every eye shall see him and they that pierced him and every one shall mourn because of him v. 7. This Kingdom of Christ is not advanced by any capricious whimsies of ours but is brought to light in power and great Majesty where Christ comes with his Armies and myriads of Angels and raised Saints Rev. 19.14 20.4 to take the Kingdom unto himself when Antichrist and all his adherents are destroyed by the appearance of the Lord Christ then shall they fly unto the Rocks and the Mountains and call to them to fall upon them to hide them from the presence of the Lamb that sitteth on the Throne and then all the Kingdoms of the world shall become the Kingdoms of our God and his Christs and he shall reign for ever and ever Hallelujah Amen And for a conclusion of all let the faithful ones of Christ hearken to the often repeated admonition of the Spirit in the last verse Vers 22. He that hath an ear let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the Churches He that is an understanding christian among you let him consider what graces the Spirit hath set forth to their imitation and approved of by various encouragements and promises of rewards and what sins and faults he hath reproved and menaced with dreadful judgements in each and every one of those seven Asian churches that he may avoid the one and embrace the other that so his portion may fall in the land of the living What was written to them was written for our example and if we be found in their conditions we shall receive our rewards accordingly for every one shall receive according to his works O Lord Christ that has moved the heart of thy servant to make these things known unto the children of men let him be a learner himself at the foot-stool of thy grace and blessed be thy holy Name that hath gone thus far with thy poor servant O let his own words be imprinted in his own heart Keep him humble Lord that he be not lifted up in his own eyes lest whiles he comes a Teacher unto others he himself becomes a cast-away O Lord Christ Give thy servant power from thy self to overcome his temptations that he may sit with thee in thy Throne even as thou hast overcome and art set down in thy Fathers Throne Pardon O Christ not only the faults of this undertaking but the many sins and errours of all his life O cover him and them with thy white rayment and then he shall walk in white before thee and at thy appearance his nakedness shall not appear Remember O Lord thy Church and People among us for good O let them hear what the Spirit saith unto the Churches That thy Name may be gloriously exalted within our days That thy Truth may run to and fro and be increased and that all be kept and preserved within the compass of their duty both towards God and Man That so we may have sweet smelling Gardens holy Assemblies within our Land where the Lord may take delight to dwell in Hear O Lord thy poor servant for thy wonted mercies sake in and thorow the Son of thy own love to whom with thy Self and holy Spirit one Eternal Ever-living Lord God be all glory dominion praise and power for ever and for ever Amen Δοξὰ μονῷ τῷ Θεῷ FINIS