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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
authority_n	aaron_n	appoint_v	mouth_n	13	3	6.6279	4	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A37035	A commentarie upon the book of the Revelation Wherein the text is explained, the series of the several prophecies contained in that book, deduced according to their order and dependance on each other; the periods and succession of times, at, or about which, these prophecies, that are already fulfilled, began to be, and were more fully accomplished, fixed and applied according to history; and those that are yet to be fulfilled, modestly, and so far as is warrantable, enquired into. Together with some practical observations, and several digressions, necessary for vindicating, clearing, and confirming many weighty and important truths. Delivered in several lectures, by that learned, laborious, and faithfull servant of Jesus Christ, James Durham, late Minister of the Gospel in Glasgow. To which is affixed a brief summary of the whole book, with a twofold index, one of the several digressions, another of the chief and principall purposes and words contained in this treatise.	Durham, James, 1622-1658.	1658 (1658)	Wing D2805; ESTC R216058	1,353,392	814

Let us speak to that which properly is the Vision It holds out or there are holden forth in it three things 1. The Church is holden out under the similitude of a Candlestick or the seven Churches of Asia under the similitude of seven golden Candlesticks so they are expounded vers 20. 2. The Ministers of the Churches are holden out under the similitude of seven Stars vers 16. So are they expounded in the 20. vers also We shall forbear any further exposition or speaking of them till we come to that place The main thing in the Vision is Our Lord Jesus represented these wayes First in His Offices Secondly In His excellent qualifications for His discharging these Offices Thirdly In His care of His Churches and actuall executing of His Offices and exercising of His qualifications for the good of His Churches and Ministers He is among the one walking and holding the other in His hand and hath a sword going out of His mouth for the good of both Quest. 1. Whether is it Christ that appears and speaks here or not The reason of the doubt is from vers 1. Where it is said Iesus Christ sent and signified these things by his angel Answ. It is He that appears and speaks here to Iohn who gave him the Commission to write and certainly it was no Angel that gave Iohn Commission to write and send it to the seven Churches but it is Jesus Christ who intitles Himself before to be the first and the last no Angel can give Commission nor dare take upon him these titles and stiles but Jesus Christ only 2. It 's clear also to be Christ from the parts of the description and from the particular charge that Christ is holden out to have to wit in having a care of the Churches in holding the Stars in His hand and sending a sword out of His mouth Who can do these things but Christ 3. From the seven Epistles which begin with some part of this description as belonging to Him He is still stiled by some part of it Chap. 2. and 3. Quest. 2. Whether doth Iesus Christ appear here really in His Man-head or Is it only a representation of Him in a Vision for signifying and holding forth the excellent properties and qualifications that are in Him as sometime God appeared of old to weak man condescending to his capacity for his comfort as Dan. 7.9 and sometime Christ as Dan. 10.5 to which this Vision seemeth to relate Answ. We take it not for any reall apparition of Christ in His Humanity or as He was Man conceived in and born of the Virgin Mary crucified dead and buried and in that nature risen again and ascended but we take it only to be a representation or vision of the glorious properties and qualifications and stately Majesty of the Son of God who was and is and is to come the first and the last who as He is God so also was and is Man but doth not now appear in His Humane nature but as God Reason 1. Because in substance it is the same Vision that we find Dan. 7.9 and 10.5 where God and Christ as God are holden out under the same expressions and if these expressions cannot be applyed in these places to signifie the parts of a Humane body which God hath not for He is a Spirit there can be no reason why the same expressions here should be applied to the parts of a body 2. It 's clear also if we look to the end which Jesus Christ hath before Him in this representation He being to direct seven Epistles to the seven Churches in Asia He sets out Himself by some excellent properties to ground the faith of His People and move them to reverence receive and give obedience to what He writs unto them 3. Look through all this Vision it cannot be applyed literally the seven Churches cannot be seven Candlesticks the seven Ministers cannot be seven Stars c. but it 's to evidence the excellent qualifications that are in Christ under these representations and therefore what some would draw from this or other representations of this kind concerning Christs Body on earth or the ubiquitie of His Humanitie or bodily presence with His Churches or for portracting of His Body as Winckelmannus and other Lutherans alledged hath no ground from this place but rather the just contrary if Christ appeared after His Ascension no other wayes than He did before His Incarnation He would take away all carnall thoughts of His bodily presence on earth 4. It 's said One like unto the Son of Man and this holds out He was not indeed Man in this Vision but appeared to Iohn as He did to Daniel some way representing Himself so But 5. The application and exposition of many of these expressions Chap. 2. and 3. holding forth His eyes to signifie His Omniscience and the like will shew the absurdity of this But come to the three parts of the discription more particularly wherein as we said 1. We have his Offices and Authority 2. His qualifications for executing these Offices 3. His care of His Churches and His actuall executing of His Offices and exercising of His qualifications for the good of them and His Ministers First His Offices and Authority are represented His Kingly and Princely Offices under His Garments His Propheticall Office by the Sword that proceedeth out of His mouth Long garments were especially used by two sorts of Persons Kings and Priests Exod. 28.29 Aaron the high Priest and His Sons have holy Garments appointed them and the high Priest was to have a long Robe curiously sewed and embroidered so also long Garments were for a signe of Authority and reverence and Christ casts that up to the Scribes and Pharisees Mat. 23.5 Mark 12.38 And Christ was clothed with a purple Robe which was a speciall Robe designing great men from others though they did it in derision to Him He is girt about the paps with a golden girdle A girdle hath two uses 1. It was used for neating the long Robe for binding it up that it might not be cumbersome to men in their imployment Luk. 17.8 Gird thy self and serve me 2. A golden girdle signifieth Authority and Eminence so the girdles of Kings signified Isa. 22.21 when Eliakim is constituted a Ruler it is said I will cloath him with thy robe and strengthen him with thy girdle and what is meant by that is expounded in the following words I will commit the Government into his hand and he shall be a father to the inhabitants of Ierusalem and to the house of Iudah and I will lay the key of the house of David upon his shoulder he shall open and none shall shut c. This girdle of Christ's is spoken of Isa. 11.5 Righteousnesse shall be the girdle of his loins and faithfulnesse the girdle of his reins The expression holdeth out these three things which we conceive to be understood by it 1. The Authority and warrantablenesse of our

they were faithfull or defective in the administration thereof which doth certainly show not only the lawfulnesse of a Church government and Discipline but also the usefulnesse and necessity thereof to the Church of Christ when faithfully exercised as being a speciall mean and ordinance appointed by Jesus Christ for the edification thereof and a thing that is not indifferent to her O●ficers to exerce or forbear at their pleasure but lyeth on them to be discharged as they would have Christs commendation on the one side and as they would eschew His sharp reproof on the other and as they would prevent the offence and destruction and promove the edification of the People over whom they watch as they that must give account It is therefore no wonder that the devil hath in all ages either sought to oppose or corrupt so excellent a mean of the Churches edification he began even under heathen Emperours to traduce this Government as inconsistent with civil Authority and did provoke persecutors by nothing more than this that Christ was accounted a King by Christians and that accordingly they did keep distinct Courts under Him which the Politicians of the world did account inconsistent with Governments as may appear from the History of Primitive times and the Apologies of Christians particularly of Origen against Celsus wherein he doth particularly and fully insist upon this When the Lord had vindicated His Ordinance of Government with all His other Ordinances the devil set himself to corrupt the same and to pervert it in its nature and divert it in its exercise from the appointed end of edifying the Church to be an occasion of offence to her and tyranny over her by the many debates concerning precedency which he stirred up after the Churches freedom from heathenish persecution till at last he brought Antichrist to tyrannize over the face of the visible Church that thereby he might either make the Government hurtfull or odious unto the members thereof and others Even as in reference to the Doctrine of Christ he did endeavour the corrupting thereof by errour when he could not altogether suppresse the same Again when the Lord brought the light of the Gospel to publick at the time of Reformation and Antichrists tyranny is by many casten off he seeketh by all means to effectuate one of these two to wit that either the Church should have no distinct Government at all or that at least it should be of another form and of another nature than is appointed in the Word Hence it is that there have ever been such debates in the Church concerning the Government and Discipline thereof and even whether there be such a thing or not And although the opposers thereof do not professedly oppose the truth of the Gospel nor intend confusion in the Church yet hath it with it no little advantage to the Kingdom of Satan and prejudice to Christs For 1. By this means Satan obscures the beauty and excellency of the Church of Christ and draweth men to undervalue the same as being at best but a refined peece of civil policy as but subservient to politick ends and the upholding of temporall greatnesse of men in place Hence it is that we will finde the most worldly-wise and politick men that are least zealous ordinarily in things of God to be the greatest favourers and abettors of this and it is no wonder seing Christs way of Government even as His Doctrine is foolishnesse to the wisdom of men It 's observeable also that where this opinion hath place there is little account of any other ordinance the Sacrament of the Lords Supper is prostituted promiscuously to all the Ministery is either accounted a thing indifferent or Ministers made the servants of men and arbitrarily to be put out or in as they are pleasing or displeasing to them and it is specially intended to curb free faithful speaking and to be a snare to make them flatter Magistrates and Powers All which shew the undervaluing principle that this opinion doth proceed from 2. This opinion hath ordinarily with it more licentiousnesse and that both in Doctrine and Practice for necessarily one of these two do follow either many errours and scandals in practice are accounted light and not censurable at all or if that in way of reason be granted yet in practice it is never performed And can it ever be made out in any practice past or possibly to come that offences in People or Ministers have been so exactly taken notice of and restrained or removed where Church-government hath been denyed as where it hath been in exercise 3. Although such Magistrates might be found as would take notice of every thing exactly yet their medling with it furthers not spirituall edification so as the way of Church-government doth for at best it would make men but civill and make Religion look like the way of ancient Philosophers who pressed the rectifying of nature whereas a Church reproof or censure hath both more edification to others and more convincing shame to the parties themselves in respect of the sin thereof as flowing more immediatly from Jesus Christ and more directly representing to them His Authority and their reckoning to Him who more singularily binds in heaven what by His Officers is bound on earth And we conceive that even the prophanest in experience will finde this true that a verball Church-censure which considered of it self is but light will yet have more impression as to the ends aforesaid than sentences of a civill Magistrate that in themselves may be heavier and this will be even when the parties in their outward carriage will seem to reverence the Magistrate and to contemn the Church 4. Although it should be yet said that Magistrates could make things more effectuall as in censuring of corrupt Ministers and such like which indeed is a benefit in it self to the Church yet considering this manner of performing it especially being compared with the performing thereof by the Churches own Authority it proveth more disparaging unto the Church of Christ because if Ministers and Church-members should be apt to fall in scandalous offences and yet the Church have no Authority but what is extrinsick for the remeding thereof then is she apt to be looked upon as a sufferer of profanity and as a nest to unclean persons of her self if by the Magistrate course were not taken with her and although by his means such should be purged out yet in the opinions of natural men this imputation sticks to the Church as if such things and persons were well consistent with her profession and liked of by her special Officers and Members Now censuring of these by her own Authority doth fully and only vindicate her and them from these aspersions which are frequent upon the out-breakings of such scandals in the mouths of many profane men And this revenging of disobedience and vindicating of the Church of Christ is none of the least ends of this Church-authority which by no