were not ashamed Gen. 2. 25. But Adam in listening to the temptation and lye of the Serpent was by him deceived first in the female and then in the male and eating of the forbidden fruit and therein seeking out many inventions to better his condition and to be as Gods to attain to an higher state and to have a self-sufficiency in himself sinned against God And by this one man sin entred into the World and death by sin and so death pâ—ssed upon all men in whom all have sinned Rom 5 12. So he brought shame upon himself and all his posterity and now he was ashamed and afraid because naked Gen. 3. 10 11. There is now a nakedness upon mankind naturally they are without and destitute of that original clothing that was upon them that righteousness and uprightness All have sinned and come short of the glory of God in which and unto which they were Created Rom. 3. 23. They are destitute of the understanding of a man as at first Created by God Every man is bruitish by his Knowledge and void of sound Wisdom Job 11. 12. Prov. 8 4 5. 30. 2 3. There is none that understandeth Jer. 10. 14. They are destitute of the righteousness in which they were Created of that love to God and one another They have lost the Image of God in which they were Created Rom 3. 9 10 11 12. Yea and they have sinned and are sinners and as they come into the World they are polluted and defiled They are conceived in sin and shapen in iniquity Psal 51. 5. Who can being a clean thing out of an unclean not one Job 14 4. 15. 14 25. 4. And so they are naturally inclined to all that is evil Every imagination of the thought of mans heart being only evil and that continually Out of the heart of man proceed evil thoughts murders adulteries blasphemies an evil eye covetousness pride foolishness and these things desile the man Yea he is very abominable drinking in iniquity like water even as a thirsty man drinketh in water to cool his thirst and refresh him so man drinketh in iniquity or as a Fish continually drinketh in water Job 15. 16. Gen. 6. 5. 8. 21. Mat. 15. 19 20. Mark 7. 20-23 And when they come to act they do abominable works such as are shameful and of which they are ashamed when the eyes of their understandings are opened and they see things in their right and proper colours Psal 14. 1 2. Rom. 6. 21. Aswell as also there is the guilt of sin upon them and they are by nature obnoxious to the wrath of God and lyable to his judgment Rom. 3. 19. Ephes 2. 3 And the fruits of sin in weakness shame death c. A shameful nakedness is upon them in Soul and body from the Crown of the head to the sole of the foot there is nothing upon them but filthiness and uncleanness sinfulness and misery And this might hide pride from us and take us off from boasting in our birth and parentage or in any work of ours or in any thing natural to us and help us to cease from man for whereof is he to be accounted for we are all as an unclean thing sinful shameful Creatures And it may also cause us to admire at the riches of Gods Grace towards us who prepared for us such excellent raiment for the covering us when we were in our blood and so polluted a 〈…〉 defiled at so dear a rate and cost as by the abasement of his onely begotten Son who therefore was cut off that he might obtain justification and forgiveness and bring in everlasting righteousness Yea and they remain and continue naked and destiture of all that is good and lye open to the storms of God's anger and their nakedness is more shameful who after means is vouchsased and light extended love darknessrather then light and believe not on the name of the only begotten Son of God on such the wrath of God abideth be they never to wise rich and honourable in this world and they shall 〈◊〉 see life Joh. 3. 18 36. The Lord after he had affo 〈…〉 means to lead men to repentance looked down from heaven upon the children of men to see if there were any that did understand and seek God They are all gone aside they are together become filthy stinking and shameful there is none that doth good no not one Psal 14. 2 3. Rom. 3. 1 2 9-11 Their iniquity is greater then formerly it was and their shame more shameful in that there is lewdness found with such in their filthiness and they refuse to be washed and cleansed when God is purging them and causing the scum to swim aloft Ezek. 24. 13. Rom. 2. 4 5. Hos 11. 3-5 And this exposeth men to the wrath of God upon a new account though yet while it is called to day Jesus Christ the righteous is the propitiation and covering for such like shameful evils even for the sins of the whole world so taking away the sin of the world that judgment may not be speedily executed but that he may procure and exercise further patience and extend further means to open their eyes and to turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan unto God 1 Joh. 2. 2. Joh. â— 29. Act. 26. 18. Yea those Angels and Churches who after the tastes of the graciousness 〈◊〉 the Lord depart from him have a shameful nakedness upon them for in departing from him they depart from their raiment which will only cover the shame of their nakedness and cloth them as afterwards Hence the Apostle severely reproveth the Galatians and sheweth the greatness of their iniquity in that after they had known God or rather were known of God and were by him called into the grace of Christ for all forgiveness and righteousness That yet they should listen to those witches that came amongst them and by them be perverted to seek to be justified by the law and to perfect by the flesh what was begun in the spirit Gal. 1. 6-8 3. 1-4 4. 8. 5. 1-8 Thus also his Church in former times did shamefully herein and laid themselves naked and open to God's displeasure on this account Hence the Lord by way of complaint thus expostulateth with them O Generation see ye the word of the Lord have I been a wilderness unto Israel A land of darkness Wherefore say my people we are Lords we are rich and increased with goods and have need of nothing We will come no more unto thee Can a Maid forget her ornaments or a bride her attire Yet my people have forgotten me who was their clothing and ornament days without number Jer. 2. 31 32. with Isa 6â— 10. Hos 2. 2-7 Jer. 3. 20-25 Thus it was with this Angel and Church of Laodicea who treacherously departed from the Lord as a Wife from her Husband and entertained other lovers besides him and though he had stood
particularly he is called and compared to gold 1. Because as Gold is taken out of the earth before it becometh so precious and inriching to us Job 28. 5 6. So our Lord Jesus Christ fell into the ground and died and was taken out of the earth the heart of the earth that he might become inriching to us Herein indeed there is a dissimilitude between the natural gold and this spiritual as there are many between the old and new creation and things appertaining to both the earth is the original place of the former but it is not so of the latter Christ came down from Heaven from above he was in the form of God and was glorious with the father 's own self before the world was Job 3. 31. 6. 38 51. 17. 5. he is as to his divine consideration over all God blessed for ever Rom. 9. 5. from everlasting to everlasting he is God Psal 90. 1 2. But now that he might become unsearchable riches for us it was absolutely necessary that he should suffer and rise again from the dead Act. 17. 3. Luk. 24. 26. ye know saith the Apostle the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ who being rich the proper and onely Lord and Heir of all things by divine and eternal generation for your sakes became poor that ye thorow his poverty might be enriched 2 Cor. 8. 9. So he faith of and concerning himself except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and dye it abideth alone but if it die it bringeth forth much fruit Joh. 12. 24. he might have remained alone in the injoyment of his own glory and glorious perfection though he had not fallen into the earth but he could not have brought us back to God but we must have remained in our miserable poverty for ever he could not have been communicable riches to us as we had departed from God and fallen by our iniquities if he had not died for our sins and been buried and if also he who was delivered for our offences had not been raised again and taken out of the earth in that same body in which he was put to death and laid in a Sepulchre he could not have been Gold for us we could not have been partakers of him and of that glory in him If Christ be not raised again we are yet in our sins preaching and hearing faith and hope is vain and they who are fallen asleep in Christ are perished and we must be banished from God for ever necessarily and so continue poor and miserable everlastingly But now Christ is risen from the dead and so truth substance and substantial riches is sprung out of the earth in his resurrection and righteousness looketh down from Heaven and God giveth us that which is good Psal 85. 10 12. and in him bodily even in that body which the father prepared for him and in which he bare our sins on the tree and was taken from Prison and from Judgment dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead and in him we are compleat compleatly provided for and furnished with all that may truly inrich us Colos 2. 9. 10. He is now ascended up on high and hath led captivity captive and received gifts in the man for men yea for the rebellious also that the Lord God might dwell among them He is ascended and gone up to a glorious place and to a glorious state in him it hath pleased all the fulness to dwell But in that he ascended what is it what is signified hereby and imported to us herein as needful hereto but that he also first descended into the lower parts of the earth into the womb of the Virgin and into a great abasement into many sorrows and sufferings he humbled himself and became obedient to death even the death of the cross yea he went down into the heart of the earth his soul was in hell and his flesh in the grave in the belly or womb of the earth He that descended is the same also that ascended farr above all Heavens that he might fill all things with the virtues and influences of his sufferings and sacrifice and fulfill all things Psal 68. 18. with Ephes 4. 9 10. It is through his falling into the earth that he hath exalted and advanced our nature so highly that he is in it become the great God and our Saviour the Lord and Christ the heir of all things and inheritour of God's holy mountain Because he humbled himself therefore God highly exalted him and gave him a name above every name And he is gone up into Heaven and and is on the right hand of God Angels Authorities and Powers being made subject to him Heb. 9. 12. Philip. 2. 6 9. 1 Pet. 3. 21 22. The Captain of our salvation is become perfect for us through suffering Heb. 2. 10. The Lord did in a wonderful and supernatural way create a new thing in the earth and it is this fruit of the earth which is excellent and comely for our escape Jer. 31. 22. Isa 4. 2. But this may be further spoken to in what is said and affirmed of this gold to wit that is tried in the fire 2. He is called and compared to gold because as natural Gold is the most excellent metal which God hath created so this faithful and true witness is the most excellent one there is none to be compared to him Gold is more precious then Iron Brass Silver or any other metal Isa 60. 17. Numb 31. 22. So he is precious excellent as the Cedars namely as the Cedars excel other trees so doth he other persons and things Cant. 5. 15. He is the beginning the principal one God's first born the first begotten from the dead that in all things and amongst all persons he might have the preeminence for it hath pleased the father that in him should all fulness dwell Psal 89. 27 Col. 1. 18 19. He is White and Ruddy the chiefest among ten thousand Cant. 5. 10. he is fairer then the children of men Psal 45. 2. Whatever beauty or comely proportion they may have their fairness is not to be compared to his he is fair with the beauty of holiness and there is no blemish or spot in him no sin in him or wrinckle of sorrow and infirmity upon him 1 Pet. 1. 19. He is more excellent then the Angels he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name then they for unto which of the Angels said he at any time thou art my Son this day have i begotten thee All the Angels of God are required to worship him He who is raised from the dead even the man Christ Jesus is set on the right hand of God in the Heavenly places far above all principality and power and might and dominion and every name that is named not only in this world but also in that which is to come and God hath put all things under his feet and given him to be head over all things c. And therefore
the shame of their nakedness may not appear And here is signified to us that there is Eye-salve also to be had to cure and heal the blindness of the eyes In Christ as declared in the testimony there is all compleatness prepared for us for supplying all our wants and healing all our diseases Psal 103. 1-3 Colos 2. 3. 9 10. In that feast which is prepared by means of the marraige of our Nature to the Divine Nature in the person of the word the Son of God there is a compleat provision for us poor empty miserable diseased creatures And hitherto are invited not only the poor and the maimed and the halt but the blind also For therein there is cure and healing for them Matt. 22. 1-4-8 Luk. 14. 16-21 The father hath so loved the Son that he hath given all things into his hand into his possession and dispose Joh. 3. 35. And though it be marvellous in our eyes and hath been wondred at that the blind should receive their sight yet it is easy with him unto whom all power is given both in Heaven and on earth Matt. 15. 30 31. 28. 18. Though there be no healing medicine among men yet he can heal this disease also no word is impossible unto him Jer. 30. 12-17 But before we come to speak to this Instruction particularly it may be useful to consider and give Answer unto this Question which may reasonably be propounded viz. Quest Why doth the Amen the faithful and true witness counsel this Angel and Church to buy of him Gold and White raiment and not also this Eye-salve Wherefore is the Phrase here altered He had said I counsel thee to buy as with respect to the two former particulars and now the Phrase is changed and here he saith anoint thine eyes c. What may the Reason hereof be Answ 1. In general we may say doubtless there is good reason for it though it be hidden from me who am such a babe and so unskilful in these things For there is not the least word variation or change made use of in the Scripture by the Spirit of God but it is so used and done in much wisdom and upon weighty accounts all the words of whose mouth are in righteousness and given forth in judgment And therefore oftentimes called judgment and judgments Isa 51. 4. Psal 105. 5. And hence I believe though I may not see wherefore that there is good cause for the altering the manner of expression here in this part of the counsel And had I more anointed mine eyes with this eye-salve I might have better seen the cause so as to have been helpful to others in giving a satisfactory Answer hereto But 2. More particularly I conceive as hath been intimated before that though this part of the counsel be placed last in the order of words yet it is first to be received and observed in order of nature for how can we so highly value this gold and white raiment as to buy in selling all that we have unless we first in some measure see the worth and value thereof Now therefore this Eye-salve is brought unto us preventingly and we are instructed to anoint our eyes herewith before it be required of us to buy The eye must first be opened before we can turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan unto God Acts 26. 18. It cannot reasonably be expected from us that we should forsake all we have or be saved from our sins and idols until our eyes be opened and we see and have found this treasure Hence that call Look unto me and be ye saved to wit from your iniquities and vanities but first look unto me saith Isa 45. 22. The kingdome of Heaven is like unto a treasure hid in a field the which when a man hath found he hideth and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath and buyeth that field But first before he buyeth in selling all that he hath he findeth it and discerneth and perceiveth the excellency of it so as it causeth joy unto him Matt. 13. 44-46 Prov. 31. 16. So here this Angel and Church is instructed without and before buying to anoint their eyes and then and to that end that they buy those unsearchable riches and invaluable treasures of Christ Jesus which are here set before them and the excellency whereof is propounded to them Now then in speaking unto this Instruction we shall inquire into and shew 1. What are these eyes of theirs here spoken of and which they are called upon to anoint 2. What is this Eye-salve here commended to them wherewith they should anoint their eyes 3. What is this anointing the eyes which is here called for and counselled unto 4. Shew That this is prepared for them and brought unto them that they may anoint their eyes herewith 1. What are these eyes of theirs here spoken of and which they are called upon to anoint To this we may say Not their outward or bodily eyes For here the holy Spirit speaketh of spiritual things as hath in some measure been shewn And it appeareth their blindness was not upon the bodily eye because they would then have known it But of these he saith thou knowest not that thou art blind They were insensible of their misery which very rarely if ever persons are of their outward blindness unless such as are wholly bereaved of judgment But there are other eyes to wit those of the soul the mind or understanding of a man that faculty of the soul whereby a man may see when it is opened such things as the bodily eye cannot discerne And of these inward eyes our Saviour here speaketh Their understandings were darkened Ephes 4. 18. Their minds were blinded 2 Cor. 4. 4. 3. 14. These eyes are called the eyes of the understanding Ephes 1. 18. Of these eyes our Saviour speaketh when he saith to his Disciples perceive ye not yet neither understand Have ye your hearts yet hardened Having eyes see ye not How is it that you do not understand Mark 8. 17-21 And of these eyes the Apostle meaneth when he saith to the Galatians who hath bewitched you that ye should not obey the truth before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth crucified among you Gal. 3. 1. He was never crucified in the view of their bodily eyes for he was crucified at Jerusalem but he was set forth crucified before the eyes of their understanding in the glorious Gospel These eyes may be sufficiently blind and dark as with respect to spiritual things though the bodily eye be never so quick-sighted and though a man may be rich in the knowledg and sight of natural or moral things So it was with this Angel and Church and therefore this gracious and faithful Counseller instructeth and counselleth them to anoint their eyes to wit of the understanding with this Eye-salve 2. What is this Eye salve here spoken of and commended to them by this