strangers to it such as were a far off as such as were enemies to the Temple and would have the Temple ruined and laid wast But note though the difference between Jewes and Gentiles since the daies of the Gospel be taken away and the Gentiles as well as the Jewes may now be of the Church of God if they be built upon the Lord Jesus yet the word Gentiles is heer used to expresse those that were not of the Church nor of the Temple but would have the Temple ruined And as the Babylonians of old had the Temple for a while given unto them So now Jesus Christ gives his spirituall Temple into the hands of these Gentiles the mysticall Babylonians for a while And the holy City This title the holy City we finde in Scripture is first given unto the City of Jerusalem the City wherein the materiall Temple was scituate as appears Matth. 37. 3. where it is said at the death of our Saviour That the graves were opened and many bodies of the Saints which slept arose and came out of the graves after his resurrection and went into the holy City and appeared unto many Which City it is evident was the City of Jerusalem And indeed Jerusalem was then accounted a City more holy then others because it was the place wherein men ought in a more especiall manner to worship God And therefore saies the woman of Samaria Ye say in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship And our Saviour doth not contradict this for indeed it is out of all contradiction that Jerusalem had been the place where men ought to worship for God had placed his name there and there he would be worshiped because the Temple was there wherein was his speciall presence So that in this respect Jerusalem was once a more holy City then others But when the cause was taken away the effect ceased when Jerusalem ceased to be the place where men were enjoined to worship God and God had removed his special presence from the Temple then Jerusalem was no more holy then another place And because that Jerusalem was to cease to be the place of worship and the holy place therefore it is that our Saviour Iohn 4. 21 23. saith The hour commeth when ye shall neither in the mountain of Samaria nor yet at Jerusalem worship the Father but the true worshippers shall worship the Father in Spirit and in truth for the Father seeketh such to worship him As if he had said Jerusalem shall not be the place of worship men shall not worship God there for if men doe perform Jerusalem worship that is worship with that worship that hath respect to an outward place it shal be accounted as no worship no men shall not worship in Jerusalem but such as worship the Father must worship him with an inward Spiritual worship and in truth that is in the Son in the Spirit and in the Son and such the Father seeks to worship him such he is now a seeking out both of Jews and Gentiles and such worship is most pleasing unto him So that Jerusalem had once the title of the holy City It was once the place wherein God was worshipped but it is now ceased to be so But secondly This title The holy City is given in Scripture unto that City of which that Jerusalem of old was a figure and that is the Saints and people of God who are all citizens of the holy City And therefore Paul writing to the Saints at Ephesus saith he Ephes 2. 19. Ye are no more strangers and forreigners but fellow citizens with the Saints and of the houshold of God And that Jerusalem of old was a figure of this Holy City appears Hebr. 12. 22. and Gal. 4. 26. where the Saints are called by the name of Jerusalem only they are differenced from the material Jerusalem in that they are called The heavenly Jerusalem and Jerusalem which is above Now that this Heavenly Jerusalem which is compacted of Saints and Sanctified ones and therefore must needs be a Holy City I say that this Spirituall Jerusalem hath this title The holy City given to it doth appear Revel 21. 2. And I John saw the holy City new Jerusalem comming down from God out of Heaven prepared as a bride adorned for her husband Who is the spouse the bride that is adorned for her husband Jesus Christ but his Saints They then are the new and heavenly Jerusalem they are the holy City And the holy City shall they that is the Gentiles fore-spoken of tread under foot To be trouden under foot by an enemy is the highest kinde of insultation of an enemy over a people that possibly can be for what greater contempt and scorn and envy can an enemy expresse then by treading a person or a people under feet And yet this is the condition the Church was put into which is spoken of in the prophesie of Isaiah Chap. 51. 23. where it was said that those enemies that afflicted the Saints Said to their Souls bow down that we may goe over and their bodies was laid as the ground and as the streets to them that went over And this is the condition which the holy City the Temple of God his precious Saints are here also appointed unto even to be trod under foot to be depressed and greatly persecuted to be bowed down under the feet of their enemies to be made as the ground and as the street to them to goe over Querie But now before I proceed any further the Querie will be What those Gentiles are in particular to whom the Temple and the holy City was to be given and by whom they were to be trodden under foot For as Jerusalem and the Temple of old were given to the Babylonians in particular so the question is now Who the particular enemies are to whom the Temple and the holy City now are delivered For though the holy City hath many enemies yet she is not given to them all Answ I Answer Though in this Chapter there be no other description of them but only this the Gentiles yet we have a large description of them in three severall Chapters of this prophesie which descriptions as they lie I shall here incert The first is Rev. 12. 3. 4. And there appeared another wonder in Heaven and behold a great red Dragon having seaven heads and ten horns and seven Crowns upon his heads and his tail drew a third part of the Stars of Heaven and did cast them to the earth The second place in which the enemies of the Saints to whom they are given for a while are described is Rev. 13. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8. verses which is as followes And I stood upon the sand of the Sea and saw a Beast rise up out of the Sea having seven heads and ten horns and upon his horns ten Crowns and upon his head the name of blasphemy And the Beast which I saw was like unto a Leopard and his
the Revelation is called the word of God But I still acknowledge That Jesus Christ is more eminently the word of God he being the originall of it for as God doth all things else by Jesus Christ so he gives out his Word by him and Jesus Christ gives testimony to it which is the next instruction arising from the point and comes now to be spoken of Thirdly Is it so That this Book of the Revelation is the Word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ Then this may informe us that as this so all the Scriptures doe as truly come from Jesus Christ as from God the Father for he gives testimony to what the Father saies What the Father declares he witnesses and testifieth the same and therefore he is said to be The faithfull witnesse Rev. 1. 5. And it is said of him 1 Cor. 1. 20. For all the promises of God in him are yea and in him amen So much of the first particular the subject matter of this Book I come now to the second which is The reason of the divulgation of this Book and that is contained in these words Which God gave unto Jesus Christ to shew unto his servants From whence arises this Observation Observ 2. That it is the pleasure of God to have his servants acquainted with his secrets and to know what is his minde concerning things to come This we see was the reason of the divulgation of this Book because it was the minde of God to have his servants acquainted with it a sutable place to this is that John 15. 15. Henceforth saith Jesus Christ I call you not servants for the servant knoweth no what his Lord doth but I call you friends for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you and Psalm 25. 14. The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him and he will shew them of his covenant So that it is a clear truth That it is the pleasure of God to have his servants acquainted with his secrets and to know his minde concerning things to come It being so in the first place it teaches Saints to admire and magnifie the love of the Father that doth expresse himself so graciously to them as to afford them that honour to be as his friends in râ—vealing his secrets to them It is a remarkable passage Amos 3. 7. Surely the Lord God will doe nothing but he revealeth his secrets unto his Servants the Prophets Oh what a high savour is this that the Lord should engage himself that he will doe nothing but he will reveal it unto his servants As a tender Husband unbosomes himself and discovers his secrets to his beloved Wife and cannot with-hold them from her So the Lord God doth expresse his tender love unto his servants in revealing his secrets to them and he will doe nothing but he will discover it unto them What cause have Saints now to admire and extoll that rich Grace of God that is extended to them herein Secondly Doth the Lord reveal his secrets unto his servants Then ought they to be dilligent observers of what he reveals unto them Revealed things are said to belong unto us and if they belong unto us then it behoves Saints to observe them and to improve them to those ends for which they are discovered to us and if we should come short of it we should demean our selves very unworthily When a man reveals his secret unto his dear friend if his friend should slight him in it and take no notice of what he discovers to him he were a very unkinde and a very unworthy friend But how much more may we be said to carry our selves unkindly and unworthily if we should slight the love of our God in revealing his secrets to us by not being diligent in observing of them Since it pleases the Lord to reveal to his servents things to come it well becomes them to observe them exactly And so much of the second particular The reason of the divulgation of this Book I come now to the third which is the instruments of the divulgation of this Book which is contained in these words Who sent and signified it by his Angel unto his servant John So that the Angel and John were employed as instruments in that work From whence the Observation is this Observ 3. That though Jesus Christ could reveal immediately to al his servants all these things revealed in this Book yet it pleased him to chuse rather to doe it by instruments If it had pleased him he might have revealed these things to all his people in all ages since John immediately by his own Spirit but he chuses rather to doe it by the writings of John which he preserves and keeps up in a high esteem in the hearts of all his Saints as his own infallible and unquestionable truth and testimony or else he might have sent a John or some Prophet of his to have revealed these things by mouth unto his people in every age age after age but he chuses rather to doe it by revealing it to John so many hundreds of years agoe and his writings must be the instruments of revealing these things unto his people and he might have revealed those things unto John immediately himself without any other instrument but he chuses to signifie it by his Angel to his servant John So he might teach and edifie and build up his people immediately but he chuses rather to doe it by instruments by Apostles and Prophets and Evangelists and Pastors and Teachers which he hath appointed For the perfecting of the Saints for the edifying of the body of Christ till we all come in the unity of the Faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God unto a perfectman c. Ephes 4. 11 12 13. So he might likewise have revealed himself immediately to all his people of old but generally it pleased him to make use either of Angels or of his servants the Prophets to be the instruments of revealing his minde unto his people then Now the reasons why it pleaseth God usually to make use of instruments to effect his designs by may be these The first is that which is the reason of all his doings his own will He makes use of instruments because it is his will to make use of instruments for his will is the reason and the rule of all his actions Secondly But a subordinate reason to this may be to shew his soveraignty over al his people therefore he sends them about his work they being all at his royall command As a Prince hath power over all that are in his dominion saying to this man go and he goeth and to another come and he commeth and to another doe this and he doth it So the great King of Kings and Lord of Lords maketh it to appear that he hath all his servants at his beck by sending of them about severall employments Thirdly Another reason why he maketh use of
instruments in revealing and discovering his minde to his people and building up of his Saints may be to maintain a communion among Saints for if God should reveal himself to all alike then would not his people have such communion one with another as they have to the end they may partake one of anothers gifts and therefore doth it please the Lord to make use of instruments whereas if it pleased him he could have effected all things immediately without means or instruments and since it is so then First It reprehends those that have a low esteem of instruments and sleight and undervalue means upon this ground that God can worke without instruments and without means But let such know that it is the will of God to make use of instruments and in sleighting instruments they contradict his will and as they that sleight the Kings Officers doe sleight the King So they in sleighting the instruments and means that God hath appointed to work by do sleight God himself and they do as much as in them lies endeavor to break the Communion of Saints And surely what ever the pretences of such persons are that doe neglect means and sleight instruments this cometh not from the Spirit of God in them for the Spirit teacheth not to undervalue any means which God hath appointed to be used Though it is true The Spirit teaches us not to idolize means nor to tie God to worke only by means but to acknowledge that God can and sometimes doth worke without means and instruments Though he doth usually work by means and instruments and therefore it is as great an evil on the one side to reject the instruments or means that God uses to work by because he hath not absolutely tied himself to them as on the other side to idolize means or instruments because God doth usually work by them Therefore in the second place Saints are here exhorted to have a high esteem of instruments as being of Gods appointment by whom he will reveal himself to his people and quicken and comfort and build them up upon the true foundation Since the Lord will make use of instruments O Saints doe not you sleight them least you sleight God himself but esteem them very highly in love for their works sake It is the rule of the Apostle 1 Thes 5. 12 13. saies the Apostle there We beseech you brethren to know them which labour among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you and to esteem them very highly in love for their works sake The Apostle knew very well that God could if he had pleased have built up his people without employing some to labour among them in the Word and Doctrine and without the admonitions of men but these being instruments and means of Gods appointment He therefore presses the Saints to esteem very highly of those instruments for that works sake that God had appointed them unto for though Paul and Apollo and Cephas can doe nothing of themselves yet they are to be highly esteemed as being instruments in Gods hand by which God will work And so all the means which God hath appointed for his people to make use of in which he will be found of them and in which he will have Communion with them let them prize and embrace and make use of waiting upon God in the use of them who will be found of them at last and will make it appear that they have not sought him in the use of means in vain Though for a time he seem to be silent towards them yet at last he that shall come will come an I will not tarry It is unquestionably the policy of Satan to take off Saints from using means that they may be deprived of that comfort and benefit which otherwise they might obtain in the use of means Therefore let all Saints beware of such delusions whereby they are drawn to dishonour God in sleighting the instruments and means which he hath appointed and let them be exhorted to embrace means and make diligent use of them for they are blessed that so doe as will appear in the handling of the fifth particular But so much for this third particular The instruments of the divulgation of this Book The fourth particular Is the faithfulnes of those instruments in the divulgation of this book it is exprest in these words Who bare record of the Word of God and of the testimony of Jesus and of all things that he saw We see that as the Angel signified it to John so John did not fail in recording any thing of it but he bare record of all things that he saw Whence the Observation is this Observ 4. That when God setteth instruments about a worke which he will have done they must and they shall effect it Jesus Christ will have his secrets declared to his servants and he imploieth John about this work and John doth it punctually he bare record of the word of God and of the testimony of Jesus and what of some things Nay of all things which he saw And this truth is further confirmed by two pertinent Scriptures which we have to this effect One is Amos 3. 8. The Lion hath roared Who will not fear The Lord God hath spoken who can but prophesie The other is Acts 4. 20. For we cannot but speak the things which wee have seen and heard In both these places it appears that it is not possible for instruments to be silent nor to sit still when God hath spoken to them and given them commission to doe his work First Is it so that when God setteth instruments about a work which he will have done that they must and shall effect it Then this informes us of the reason why Saints fear not persecution nor imprisonment nor death but choose rather to suffer them all then to conceal the truth that is discovered to them or to disert the work they are called to for God having stirred up their spirits and set them about this work they cannot be silent and sit still but shall go on in despite of all opposition to accomplish the worke which God hath appointed them to do Thus did Luther and thus have many other Saints done and many shall doe For if the Lord have spoken they cannot but prophesie speak the things they have seen and heard for their light is not given them to hide it under a bushell but their love to Christ constraines them to hold it forth and the strength of Christ carries them forth Secondly Since it is so it serves to encourage Saints considering that the work that God hath to doe shall surely be accomplished no opposition shall hinder it for though instruments seem to be never so weak yet they must and shall accomplish Gods designs Therefore fear not the day shall break forth and the shaddowes shall fly away and none of the powers of darknesse shall be able to hinder it But I shall say more to this point