believe the Gospel Mark 1.15 And I say so too repent of these vain excuses and put them away repent of minding other things and neglecting the Gospel and Gods salvation therein that God having given Christ for thee and holding him forth to thee and Christ having giving himself for thee for it was for all men 1 Tim. 2.6 and made peace and atonement through his Blood and being filled with all the fulness of God and calling thee by his Gospel and standing ready upon thy compliance to help and save thee to pardon thee and give thee his holy Spirit admit thee into his favour and protection and make an everlasting Covenant with thee yet thou lettest him stand without knocking and dost not take him into thee nor yield thy hand to him to be taken in to him but runnest away from God thy Saviour after lying vanities after the World and the Flesh and the Devil after pride and Covetousness and the like labourest for the bread that perisheth and refusest to seek and labour in listening to and following thy Saviour for that bread that endureth to everlasting life that he would give thee Repent of this thy carriage and so also of seeking Gods favour by any works or ways of thine own or other mens proposing and not by and in listening to him Repent of these and all other like things and believe and obey the Gospel But be sure it be the Gospel thou believest not what any though an Angel saith contrary to or beside the Gospel Gal. 1.6 9. Not those doctrines of men That God hath rejected the most men absolutely before they were born and is not willing they should be saved contrary to 1 Tim. 2.4 2 Pet. 3.9 that Christ Dyed not for all but only an Elect number contrary to 2 Cor. 5.14 15. 1 Tim. 2 6. Heb. 2.9 1 Joh. 2 2. and the like doctrines and so all such as deny the Person Satisfaction Resurrection or Mediation of Christ his Personal appearance the Resurrection of the Dead the last Judgment and the like Repent and believe the Gospel If thou sayest How canst thou believe Is not Faith the gift of God I answer Yes and he gives it in a sober and diligent hearing of his Word not wilfully closing the eye and stopping the ear and hardening the heart against him Rom. 10.17 Gal. 3.2 Incline thine ear then and hearken unto him Hear and thy soul shall live Isa 55.3 yea while it is said or called to day if thou wilt hear his voice harden not thy heart and thou shalt hear and live onely obey in hearing as he enables thee and is in the power of his light and truth by his Spirit working in thee to will and to do of good pleasure Work thou out in his working thine own salvation with fear and trembling Philip. 2.12 13. doing all things without murmuring or disputing vers 14. putting away and not wilfully retaining what he reproves and yielding thy self to God to follow his counsels and instructions waiting upon him is his wayes and looking to him and calling upon him as he enables thee for his help and thou shalt be saved Be but willing to this Consent and Obey and though thou hast been or hitherto art as bad as one of the Rulers of Sodom or as the people of Gomorrha thou shalt eat the fruit of the land the promised land Thy scarlet sins shall be white like snow and thy crimson sins like wooll Isa 1.10 18 19. Be but as industrious in minding and following after the Gospel and after God and Christ as drawing instructing and strengthening thee as thou hast been and others are for the World and for their corrupt desires and lusts and thou mayest lay hold on Eternal life Prov. 2.1 5. 1 Tim. 6.11 12. This is the sum of the instructions given by the Apostle James when having affirmed that every good gift and every perfect giving comes from above from the Father of Lights with whom there is no variableness or shadow of turning and that of his own will begat he them by the word of truth that they might be a kind of first-fruits of his creatures He adds and infers Wherefore my beloved Brethren let every man be swift to hear slow to speak slow to wrath and laying apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness receive with meekness the ingraffed word which is able to save our souls but be ye doers of the word and not hearers onely James 1.17 18 21 22. But then it is to be minded too that having begun to doe thus it in neccesary to go on and to continue in so doing abiding in Christ minding and believing the Gospel and obeying it and him in and by it and exercising our selves to believe on him and following after him that we may know him more and more and so be more rooted and grounded in and united with him walking in him according to our receipt of him and taking heed of what might turn us out of the way of understanding As of 1. High-mindedness as if we were rich enough and knew and had attained enough already Prov 16.18 2. Sloth and what principles tend to that and to high mindedness Such as That that if we have once believed aright we cannot whatever we may do totally and finally miscarry Prov. 19.15 1 Cor. 10.12 3. Taking offence at either Gods ways and providences Psal 73.2 3 12 13 14. Or at those that fear God so as to break Communion with them lest forsaking the Assemblies and sitting alone we grow hardned through the deceitfulness of sin and for want of right exhortation and provocation to cleave to God withdraw from him through an evil heart of unbelief Heb. 3.12 13. 10 24 26 29. or else we fall into the snares of such as would seduce us against which things the minding and delighting in Gods Law will secure us Psal 119.165 and hereto also it 's good and needful to pluck out the right eye where it offends and cast it from us for in fellowship and unity with the fearers of God God doth command his blessing and life for evermore Psal 133.13.4 Eccles 4.9.10 11. Take heed too 4. Of the Love of the World and of the things in the world and of whatsoever doctrine or practice may corrupt us from the simplicity in and single cleaving to Christ Jesus 1 Joh. 2.15 18. 2 Cor. 11.2 3. I enlarge not to these things nor add any other lest I be volumnious 7. Whereas we may be tempted to grow Weary by reason of the many Afflictions Troubles Temptations and Toilsomness to the Flesh that we may meet with in the way of God and of godliness and especially in times and cases of Persecutions here it also incouragement to patience not only because Christ hath faithfully promised to be with his followers in their sufferings and services to help them as is said Isa 41.10 13 14 and that in the taking courage and not cowardly desponding and laying
forsake them not for the Beast Worship but then to hearten unto those sufferings though to death he addes in the Text. Ver. 14. And I heard a voice from heaven saying Blessed are the dead that dye in the Lord c. from the following whereof so immediately upon the former intimation we may note Christs great care of his Church as when he formerly told his Disciples of weeping and mourning he presently tells them too of what might support them and bear up their sorrowful hearts from sinking When he tells them he must leave them he tells them also that he would see them again and not leave them comfortless or as Orphans and that upon his seeing them again their hearts should rejoyce and their joy should no man take from them and that in him they should have peace who had also overcome the world Joh. 14.18 16.20 21 22 23. And when the Lord speaks of the like sad things with these by the Prophet Isaiah That all the beasts would come to devour his watchmen being blind and the shepherds void of understanding so that the righteous perish no man regarding it and merciful men are taken away from the evil Yet then also for encouraging the hearts of his suffering servants he proclaims like things with these here even the sweet and excellent state of those righteous merciful men when so taken away and perished from among men that is when Dead He shall enter into peace they shall lie in their beds each one walking in his uprightness while he threatens judgment to the seed of the sorceress the seed of the adulterer and of the whore Isa 56.9 10. 57.1 2 3. Though our Lord leads his followers inâ—o afflictions because he sees them needful and useful for them yet he would not have them faint under their afflictions to deprive themselves of the good intended by them His Word and Gospel occasion troubles to them from the world while they are thereby drawn out of the world and are led to testifie of him to and against the wickedness of the world but he provides comforts and supports for them by the same word by and for which they suffer that they might be inabled patiently to endure the things which they must suffer Yea and we may further note from this Voice and Proclamation of the blessed state of the dead that die in the Lord following so immediately after that acclamation Here is the patience of the Saints That the consideration of the happy state of the dead in Christ is an excellent motive to a patient continuance in well-doing though suffering for it unto death Rejoycing in hope first we may be patient in tribulation Rom. 12.12 Did we expect still a continuance of evils in Death and that it would make us still unhappy and miserable and that Death is the end and recompence of an holy life from the world it would exceedingly damp and take off the courage of men from exercising patience and continuing to keep the Commandments of God and the faith of Jesus But being rooted and grounded in the Faith and not moved from the hope of the Gospel we may be there through strengthned to all long suffering and patience with joyfulness Col. 1.11.23 The words themselves are a commandment and we have thereabout 1. The person acquainted with it I the holy Apostle or Pen-man of these Visions Surely the Lord God will do nothing but he reveals his secret unto his servants the Prophets Amos 3.7 The secret of the Lord is with those that fear him c. Psal 25.14 2. The way of his perceiving or receiving it and that was by the ear at least the ear of his Spirit I heard God speaks once and twice and man regards it not or perceives it not Job 33.14 But blessed are the ears of his Disciples for they hear c. Matth. 13.16 3. The way of its being conveyed to him and that was by a voice Sound or voice are the proper ways of conveying things to the ear and by the ear to the mind and a voice is but an articulate sound There may be voice where there is no hearing as above is signified in Job 33.14 c. And as is said of the Levites wife when dead Judg. 19.25 and of the Shunammits son 2 King 4.31 But there can be no hearing without some sound or voice 4. We have the place whence it came from heaven Which being the place of Gods most glorious Residence and Manifestation of himself and where our Lord Jesus Christ the holy and just one is on the Throne of Majesty and where only holy Angels and the spirits of just men have place But no evil Angel Satan being cast out thence nor no unclean thing may be admitted to enter We may be sure no voice comes from thence but what is holy and true and such as is worthy to be received with all acceptation being supremely and originally the voice of God and of our Lord Jesus though it might be instrumentally uttered by some holy Angel And so the Command here was a Command of God and Christ 5. We have the person to whom it was directed and that was to the Apostle himself I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me He heard divers voices in and from heaven not directed to him as may be seen Chap. 5.2 9 10 11 12 13. Voices directed to Christ some to God as Chap. 16.5 7. Chap. 19.1.5 6 7. Some to the people of God Chap 18.4 but this was directed to this Saint John himself wherein we have 6. The matter of the Voice the Command it self and therein 1. The Act commanded him and that was to write Saying to me Write And this was an exercise that God employed divers of his holy Servants in but is not universally the work and business of all his Servants or of those that are accepted of him as all are not Apostles nor all Prophets nor all Teachers c. 1 Cor. 12 28 29 30. so neither are or have all his Servants been either Pen-men of Holy Scriptures or of other Divine Matters but as the same Spirit distributes his sundry Gifts variously so hath he given commands to some to speak to others to write the heavenly Truths But neither the one nor the other so generally as the hearing of them this was an honour put upon his Servants according as he pleased for others usefulness Jeremiah was employed to speak and Baruch to write the words from his mouth Jer. 36.17 18 Moses did both write and speak to the people the words of the Law and Commands of God and of the Song he was to put into the peoples mouths Deut. 31.9 19 22 24 30. Yea this Gift of Writing is an excellent Gift of God a way of conveying his Truths and of his great works and doings which he himself hath made use of as he wrote the Ten Commandments with his own hand or finger Exod. 31.18 32.16 34.1 Deut.
10 1 2 4. and many of his holy Prophets and the Evangelists and Apostles divers of them were employed in this Exercise whose Writing he owns also as his own and therefore saith Have not I written to thee excellent things Prov. 22.20 And I have written to them the great things of my Law Hos 8.12 And it may be minded yea and must be acknowledged that in some respects this way of conveying over knowledge unto men hath the preheminence in divers respects above that of speech both as 1. It may be preserved a longer time what is this way imparted when as the voice of words pass away into the air after they are uttered and so knowledge may be and hath been transmitted this way to after ages and generations long after those that have uttered those truths by words of mouth are dead and gone And this use of Writing or end of Gods making use of it or commanding it to be used is expresly signified by himself for not onely did Moses write the Law and deliver it to the Priests as a means to acquaint with it and with the works of God therein mentioned those that had not known them even the children to be born commanding them to that purpose at the end of every seven years to read it to all the people men women and children and the strangers within their gates Deut. 31.10 11 12 13. but also God ordered Moses to write the Song mentioned in the same Chapter that it might be a witness for him against the children of Israel that it might not be forgotten out of the mouths of their seed vers 19.21 And the Lord bade Isaiah go write it on a Table and note it in a Book that it might be for the time to come or for the latter day even for ever and ever that this is a rebellious people c. Isa 30.8.9 See also Psal 102.18 2. This way the knowledge of things and of Gods Works and Words may be made known to many more then they can by any ones audible voice be declared to as in all these Nations we have this way the declarations of those things brought to us that were done in Israel and Judah and the words spoken in those places are this way brought to our cognizance yea by this way things spoken in secret yea or when we can have no opportunity to speak our minds to any body what we would speak may be conveyed abroad and made publick and things spoken in the ear as divers of our Saviours Parables may be published all over the World Yea and 3. This is a more safe and certain way of conveyance of knowledge Words may be mistaken and misrelated by those that hear and would relate them many things in that way may be and often have been added omitted or altered But what it written remains fixed and may without addition omission or alteration be read and transcribed Thence it is said I have written to thee excellent things that I might make thee know the certainty of the words of truth and that thou mayest answer the words of truth to those that send to thee Prov. 22.20 21. Bless we God for so excellent and useful a gift and for the great good things made known to us thereby and take we heed of abusing or being harmed by it for as God ordered it for great good and profit to men so Sathan who can create nothing himself but lyes abuses and leads his followers to abuse this as all other gifts of God to Gods dishonour and mens destruction and scarce any so much as this while it is made use of to propagate and keep on foot all manner of lyes and mischievous devices as is too evident But now as every Act must have its object or matter about which it is exercised so this writing must be of something to be written And indeed the thing that God commanded to be written is generally something both true as it is said That which was written was upright even words of truth Eccles 12.10 As also the Lord ordering the things concerning the New Jerusalem to be written addes this as a reason For these words are faithful and true Rev. 21.5 And also of weight and usefulness for the generations and people to whom they are ordered and for whose sake written and so it is said Whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our instruction that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope Rom. 15.4 and they were written for our admonition 1 Cor. 10.11 and write the vision and make it plain upon tables that he may run that reads it That he may be encouraged and strengthend to run with patience the race set before him Habak 2.2 And so here is 2. The matter to be written some faithful and useful matter to be preserved for the benefit of after ages Blessed are the dead that dye in the Lord c. Wherein there is 1. A heavenly Oracle Doctrine or Assertion viz. That the Dead that dye in the Lord are henceforth blessed 2. A Confirmation of this Assertion or Doctrine And that both 1. By Authority or Testimony the highest greatest and most indisputable Yea saith the Spirit 2. By Proof or Demonstration or Reason alledged and that also is two-fold viz. 1. That they may rest from their labours 2. And their works do follow them or follow with them I shall endeavour to consider them briefly in this order with some Application 1. The Doctrine commanded to be written and accordingly written is That the Dead that dye in the Lord henceforth are blessed or are henceforth blessed Wherein we have 1. The subject of the Assertion or that whereabout it is and that is The Dead 2. A qualification of this Subject rendring it the proper Subject asserted of and that is That dye in the Lord. 3. The thing asserted or these and that is That they are blessed 4. The time from whence either the Subject asserted of or the thing asserted of them commenceth for it may be either way construed either the dead that dye in the Lord henceforth and so it 's a more special limitation of the Subject asserted of or the Dead that dye in the Lord generally or whensoever are henceforth blessed 1. The Subject is the Dead not the Living And this term the Dead is spoken of variously in the Scriptures according to a various way of dying as there are that are dead in sins and trespasses but they are not blessed therefore not here meant Eph. 2.1 4.18 And there are that are dead to sin and ought so to reckon themselves 1 Pet. 2.24 Rom. 6.11 And dead to the Law for seeking righteousness thereby and having their hope and confidence therefrom Gal. 2.19 20. And these are in a sense blessed or in the way to it And there are that are dead in the body and as to natural life as Abraham is dead and the Prophets be dead Joh. 8.52 And that is