be tormented with fire and brimstone before the holy Angels and before the Lamb and that to all eternity for if the smoke of their torment shall ascend for ever and ever as the Angel plainly affirmeth it is necessary that the torment it self from whence the smoke ariseth should also continue as long and if the torment then also the tormented So that it ought at no hand to be denyed that the worshippers of the Beast shall live for ever in the torments of hell fire Neither is it to be feared least any one should thence argue that by this account they may be truly said to have Eternal life For Eternal life according to the true and usual notion of the Scripture doth not signifie a bare living for ever but a living for ever in joy and in the favour of God And therefore Eternal life Matth. 25.46 is opposed to Eternal punishment when it is said These shall go away into everlasting punishment which implyeth that they remain alive for ever otherwise how are they capable of being punished for ever all punishment supposing the existence of the subject that is punished But the righteous into life eternal And to the abiding of Gods wrath upon men John 3.36 When it is said He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life but the wrath of God abideth on him and to damnation John 5.29 when it is said They that have done good shall come forth to the resurrection of life but they that have done evil unto the resurrection of damnation These things being so such interpreters are not to be heard as go about to impose a figurative sense upon what is here in the Revelation clearly spoken concerning the everlasting torment prepared for the worshippers of the Beast for they not onely weaken the force of the Angels commination which all must needs confess to be far more efficacious to deterr men from committing so great wickedness if the words be plainly and properly taken but also open a way to evacuate all other passages of the Scripture where mention is made of the everlasting torment of Hell fire But perhaps some one will object that these tormented ones are said to have no rest day and night and consequently their torment is to be restrained to such a duration where there is a vicissitude of day and night which ceaseth together with the world and so is not properly and truly everlasting To which I answer that this expression of having no rest day and night inasmuch as it followeth those words wherein it is said that the smoak of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever is used to shew that they shall at no time have any respiration from their torment and not that there shall be an end thereof namely when day and night shall cease For seeing all the time of men in this world is part either of the day or of the night that which cometh not to pass in either of them is not at all hence it is that the Angel intending to shew that the worshippers of the Beast shall be tormented without intermission saith that they have no rest day and night Thus is it said of the four living creatures in Heaven with six wings apeice Chap. 4.8 That they have no rest day and night saying Holy holy holy Lord God Almighty though there be no vicissitude of day and night in Heaven namely to signifie that they never cease at any time whatsoever to praise God in that maner To conclude therefore As those words He shall be tormented for ever and ever import that there shall be no end of their torment so these They have no rest day and night imply that there shall be no intermission of them Vers 12. Here is the patience of the saints here are they that keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus This acclamation of the Angel doth intimate that during the tyranny of the Beast the patience of the Saints will have a most ample occasion to shew it self there having never been before so furious a monster that did so openly set his mouth against the Heavens and bend all his forces to extirpate the Religion of Christ So that then it will appear more then in any former age how admirable the constancy of the Saints is who notwithstanding all the Machinations whether of force or fraud that Satan and his instruments can contrive to wrest the crown of piety out of their hands do in the midst of a general Apostacy still adhere to the Commandments of God and firmly believe in Jesus Christ Vers 13. And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me Write Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth Yea saith the Spirit that they may rest from their labours and their works do follow them Here John relates a certain voice which he heard out of Heaven pronouncing them happy in particular that should from thenceforth die namely under the tyranny of the Beast which particular happiness of them as we are taught Chap. 20.4 consists herein that they shall be partakers of the first Resurrection For that resurrection is there appropriated to them that suffer death for the testimony of Christ and for the word of God in the time of the Beast And the more to incourage the Saints to die for the truth of Christ in those perillous times the holy spirit doth second that voice from Heaven and render the reason thereof namely because they rest from their labors and their works follow them and therefore since their works have been more eminent then those of former times no marvel if their reward be so also Vers 14. And I looked and behold a white cloud and upon the cloud one sat like unto the Son of man having on his head a golden crown and in his hand a sharp sickle This vision together with that other in the 17 18. verses do like the two dreams of Pharaoh Gen. 41.25 26. tend to the same effect and so are indeed but one intimating that the time was now at hand when Christ should execute judgement on the inhabitants of the earth because their sins denoted by the ripe fruits of the earth were come to maturity And that this interpretation is true and certain appeareth from that passage Joel 3.12 13. from whence these two visions of John seem to be modelled where it is said Let the Heathen be wakened and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat For there will I sit to judge all the heathen round about put ye in the sickle for the harvest is ripe come get you down for the press is full the fats overflow for their wickedness is great Now forasmuch as Christ is to be a principal agent in the execution of this judgement he is therefore brought in sitting upon a cloud as God in like cases was wont to be in the Old Testament See Isay 19.1 Behold the Lord
same person with the Goat himself as the Angel there shews it doth Vers 21. namely Alexander the King of Greece and the first King thereof who subdued Darius the King of the Medes and Persians and so was the Goat that trampled on the Ram with two Horns there spoken of Vers 4. And they worshipped the Dragon which gave Power unto the Beast and they worshipped the Beast saying Who is like unto the Beast who is able to make war with him In this Verse is set forth the marvellous impiety of the whole World in the Reign of the Beast for they shall not stick to worship the Devil for investing the Beast with so vast Authority and also the Beast that is set up by him as judging no King in all the World like to him for greatness nor able to wage war with him Neither is this Worship of the Devil to be esteemed such a sin as that the Nature of Man cannot possibly be induced to commit it otherwise the Devil would not have sollicited our Saviour Christ thereunto telling him that if he would fall down and worship the Devil all the Kingdoms of the World together with the glory thereof should become his Luk. 4 6 7. For certainly the Devil is too subtil to propose such a thing to our Saviour the wisest and strongest Saint that ever was or shall be which is so enormous that no Man though never so gross and wicked is capable of being drawn thereunto I conclude therefore that this detestable wickedness of Worshipping the Devil will be put in practise according to the very Letter during the Reign of the Beast Vers 5. And there was given unto him a Mouth speaking great things and blasphemies and power was given unto him to continue forty and two Moneths These words imply that the Beast though otherwise of himself most impious yet could not utter so great things and blasphemies were he not animated by an extraordinary Power For as it is elsewhere said in the Scripture that none can do such or such an act of Piety unless it be given to him and consequently God doth in mercy enable him by the Power of his Holy Spirit as Christ saith that none could come unto him except it were given him of the Father Joh. 6.65 And Paul saith Phil. 1.29 To you it is given in the behalf of Christ not onely to believe in him but also to suffer for him So the outragious blaspheming of the Name of God here spoken of is so high a strain of impiety that were not the Beast incited and spirited thereunto by the working of Satan he could in no wise reach unto it The same is said of his making war namely with the Saints as you have it Vers 7. and Dan. 7 25. for the space of forty two Moneths For this being a more than ordinary act of Tyranny requireth the assistance of the Devil to stir up and strengthen the Beast to perform it As for the duration of this War with the Saints which the Beast is said to wage for the space of forty two Moneths seeing I have already proved that by the Beast is meant a King neither can any place be alledged out of the Scripture where by Moneths are meant Moneths of Years and not of Days onely I collect that the said War shall last but three Years and an half Vers 6. And he opened his mouth in Blasphemy against God to blaspheme his Name and his Tabernacle and them that dwelt in Heaven What the Beast had by the permission of God received a Power to do he here putteth in execution blaspheming the Name of God and his Tabernacle By which Tabernacle is meant the heavenly Jerusalem the place of Gods abode as appeareth from Chap 21.2 3. For there when that holy City descendeth out of Heaven upon the new Earth a voice is heard from Heaven saying Behold the Tabernacle of God is with men and he shall dwell with them Which implyeth that the heavenly Jerusalem is the Tabernacle of God wherein he will dwell with men And this City is therefore called a Tabernacle because contrary to the guize of other Cities it removeth from place to place as Tabernacles or Tents are wont to do Neither is the Blasphemy of the Beast terminated in God and his Tabernacle but extendeth it self to all those dwelling in Heaven namely Christ and the holy Angels which fully verifieth what Paul saith of this Beast under the name of the Man of Sin and Son of Perdition namely that he shall exalt himself above every one that is called God 2 Thess 2.4 For this Appellation of God is in the Scripture given both to the Father and to his Son Christ Jesus and also to the holy Angels See Ephes 1.17 The God of our Lord Jesus Christ the Father of glory John 20.28 Thomas answered and said unto him namely Jesus Christ My Lord and my God Zech. 12.8 The house of David shall be as God as the Angel of the Lord before them Vers 7. And it was given unto him to make war with the Saints and to overcome them and Power was given him over all Kindreds and Tongues and Nations The Beast hath Power given to him not onely to make war with the Saints which by the way implyeth that the Saints oppose him with Arms for it is then rightly termed War when Hostility is openly used on both sides See Chap. 12.7 but also to vanquish them in fight And this is a thing very remarkable giving us to understand that the Saints though fighting in a just Cause against the Beast yet cannot prevail by force of Arms in as much as the Beast is to be defeated by the divine Power of Christ their Captain who will at length appear in the Heaven riding upon a white Horse and by the Sword of his Mouth dissipate the Beast and his Complices See Chap. 19.11 15 20 21. What is here further said of the universal Monarchy of the Beast is of it self very plain and hath been touched before in the Exposition of the first Verse so that I need not add any thing thereunto Vers 8. And all that dwell upon the Earth shall worship him whose Names are not written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the Foundation of the World As the Kingdom of the Beast is universal so is the Worship also none amongst all the Inhabitants of the Earth refusing it save they whose Names are written in the Book of Life For they being appointed of God unto Salvation are accordingly preserved by him from committing so great impiety as to worship a King that openly blasphemeth God and was set up by the Devil Furthermore when the Book of Life is here said to be the Lambs it is because God hath prepared it for him for Moses of old testified that God hath written such a Book Exod. 32.32 that he might know on whom to bestow eternal Life For seeing it was the will of God that none should
what will become of the emphasis that lieth in the word these it being impossible that any speech proceeding from God should be false but rather to intimate that there was nothing in them obscure and uncertain as it fareth with sundry other sayings of God which are very doubtful and hard to be understood Thus when Daniel had declared to Nebuchadnezzar very plainly both his dream and the interpretation thereof he saith in the close of his speech as the Greek version not varying from the Original Syriack hath it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is The dream is true and the interpretation thereof faithful or sure Chap. 2.45 It is also said Chap. 8.26 after that the visions hapning to Daniel at evening on his bed and in the morning when he was risen up from thence had been fully explained the vision of the evening and the morning which was told is true Finally when Daniel Chap. 7. had seen certain visions and was at first troubled about the sence of them but afterwards understood it he writeth thus verse 16.17 18 19. I came neer unto one of them that stood by and asked him the truth of all this so he told me and made me how the interpretation of the things These great Beasts which are four are four Kings which shall arise out of the earth But the Saints of the most high shall take the Kingdom and possess the kingdom for ever even for ever and ever Then I would know the truth of the fourth beast which was diverse from all the others From whence it is evident that to know the truth of visions is to understand the interpretation and meaning of them Wherefore to return to the foresaid passage of the Revelation when it is said These words are true and faithful it is all one as if it had been said These words are plain and certain and to be taken as they sound and consequently such as go about to turn the prophecy touching the New heaven and the New earth and the descent of the New Jerusalem and the making of all things new into an allegory do exceedingly erre from the true and genuine meaning thereof But God hath not yet ceased to inculcate the making of all things new because of the infinite consequence thereof Wherefore to shew how certain the same is he speaketh of it though to come as if it were already past saying it is done he also backeth it with a strong reason the better to imprint the belief thereof in the minds of men whilest he saith that he is Alpha and Omega the beginning and the end The connexion of which reason with the thing to be proved thereby is this that seeing God is not wont like frail and fickle man to do his work by halfes but throughly to effect them it cannot be but that having once begun the salvation of the Saints he should at length accomplish the same and in order thereunto make all things new God having thus fully declared his purpose to make all things new doth afterwards invite men to come and partake of the water of life freely without money and without price The fountain where this water springeth is in the beginning of the following Chapter said to be the throne of God and the Lamb and therefore we are not to understand any water figuratively so taken but such as being received into the body causeth eternal Life in those that drink it But the Invitation to drink of this Water is made to none by God save such as thirst after it and so have an ardent desire to enjoy the benefit of the same What shall we then say to those who are so far from longing to drink of this Water that they believe there is no such thing turning all that is said thereof into an Allegory In the next place God promiseth to them that overcome that they shall inherit all things namely both the Heaven and the Earth that now are and also those that are to come For they as I have before shewn being such as lay down their Lives for the Gospel have a Privilege above others that dy in the Lord in that they are admitted to reign with Christ in Heaven long before the general Resurrection and so like him are the Heirs of all things and Sons of God in a more perfect manner than the rest of the Faithfull who though they enjoy eternal Life with Christ yet are not vouchsafed the Honour to sit with him in his Throne See Chap. 3.21 But as God is the God or soveraign Benefactour of those that suffer Death for the Confirmation of the Truth so on the contrary such as dare not out of cowardice to partake in the afflictions of the Gospel or refuse to believe therein or are filthy in their conversation or unjustly deprive others of their Life or defile themselves with Women or use the confederacy of evil spirits to produce marvellous effects or worship either false Gods or the true God in a false manner by Images which they make to themselves or have guile in their mouth not speaking as they mean have their portion assigned of God unto them in the Lake of Fire which is here again said to be the second Death and that suitably enough For if the place wherein the Saints enjoy everlasting pleasure is in the Scripture called by the name of Life as appeareth by the Collation of Mark 9.47 with Math. 18.9 In the former of which it is said It is better having but one Eye to enter into the Kingdom of God In the latter It is better having but one Eye to enter into Life In like manner may Hell-fire wherein the wicked feel everlasting pain be styled by the name of Death Vers 9. And there came unto me one of the seven Angels which had the seven Vials full of the seven last Plagues and talked with me saying Come hither I will shew thee the Bride the Lambs Wife 10. And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high Mountain and shewed me that great City the holy Jerusalem descending out of Heaven from God John had above said that he had seen the new Jerusalem but neither told us how he came to have a sight thereof nor gave us a particular Description of that goodly Fabrick both which he doth now perform For as to the first he saith that one of the seven Angels that had the seven Vials full of the seven last Plagues and therefore in all likelihood the same that had formerly shewn him the Judgement of the great Whore Chap. 17.1 came and spake with him offering to shew him the Bride the Lambs Wife But here they that do by a mystical Interpretation turn the new Jerusalem into the Church think they have gotten an impregnable place wherein to secure themselves especially seeing the Revelation doth elsewhere confessdly style the Church by the name of the Lambs Wife Chap. 19.7 But they that argue thus do not in the mean time perceive
in this life namely whilest he delivers the godly out of temptation but reserves the unjust being punished unto the Day of Judgement as is signified in that fore-recited passage Chap. 3.10 11. where this Coming of Christ is spoken of See also Chap. 2.22 23. Vers 13. I am Alpha and Omega the beginning and the end the first and the last When Christ is here called Alpha and Omega it is presently explained by saying He is the Beginning and the End the first and the last for Alpha and Omega are the Beginning and the End the first and the last of the Greek Letters As therefore Alpha and Omega are the beginning and the end onely in reference to a certain sort of things so likewise doth the Comparison require that Christ should be Neither is it so difficult a matter to finde out that whereof Christ is the Beginning and the End The divine Authour to the Hebrews if we consult him will soon inform us for he saith Chap. 12.2 that Jesus is the Beginner and Finisher of the Faith Lo then in what sense Christ is styled the Beginning and the End namely because he hath begun the business of the Faith or the Gospel for so the Faith simply put is wont to signifie See Acts 6.7 Jude 3. and will at length accomplish the same You see then how easie the connexion is between this Verse and that which immediately went before For if Christ be the Beginner and Finisher of the Gospel it must needs come to pass that he should give to every man according to his Works because this is the main matter of the Gospel without which all the Doctrine thereof would be to no purpose It likewise appeareth in what sense Christ is said to be the first and the last because in relation to the doing of something none is before him that beginneth it nor after him that endeth it wherefore if Christ began the Gospel as the Scripture testifieth that he did there went none before him but he was the first likewise if he finish it as he shall undoubtedly do there will come none after him but he will be the lost Vers 14. Blessed are they that do his Commandments that they may have Right to the Tree of Life and may enter in through the Gates into the City 15. For without are Dogs and Sorcerers and Whoremongers and Murderers and Idolaters and whosoever loveth and maketh a Lie To serve God and perform virtuous Actions in hope of a Reward is a thing very lawfull as being commended to us by the Example of holy Moses who as the Authour to the Hebrews writeth accounted the Reproach of Christ greater Riches than the Treasures in Egypt for he had respect unto the Recompense of the Reward Chap. 11.26 Yea by the Example of one that was greater and holier than Moses even our Lord Jesus Christ himself who as the said divine Writer testifieth did for the joy that was set before him despise the shame and endure the Cross and is set down at the right hand of the Throne of God Chap. 12.2 Neither is it onely lawfull but altogether necessary in that we cannot otherwise serve God in Faith and so please him for the foresaid Authour plainly telleth us that without Faith it is impossible to please God for he that cometh to God must believe that he is and that he is a Rewarder of them that diligently seek him Chap. 11.6 No marvel therefore if the Angel doth here pronounce them happy who do the Commandments of Christ to this very end that they may have right to the Tree of Life and may enter through the Gates into the City Which words do beyond all gain saying evince that there is in very deed a Tree of Life and also a City reserved in Heaven for the Saints where this Tree groweth and that the hope to eat of this Tree and enter into this City is and ought to be the chief Spur to the performance of our duty So that if any man shall of his own head either think to do the Commandments of Christ without having an eye to any Recompense at all or at least shall despise the Reward here proposed as too mean for his curiosity he is in danger to come short of happiness It is further apparent from the Angels words that if any man promise to himself the happiness here held forth and yet doth not the Commandments of Christ either because he thinketh another hath done them in his stead and so he need not put himself to the trouble of doing them or that a desire to do them is sufficient or upon what other ground soever he imagineth that eternal Life may be attained upon easier terms than by doing the Commandments of Christ he deceiveth himself for the Angel here telleth us plainly that such as obey not the Gospel of Christ but are either of a profane or snarling disposition or are in league with evil spirits or pollute themselves with Women or unjustly deprive others of their life or worship either false Gods or the true God in a false manner or are addicted to Lying shall utterly be excluded from enjoying either the Tree of Life or the holy City the Paradise of God where it groweth Finally it appeareth from the foresaid passage that the doing of Christ's Commandments is that which giveth men a Right to eternal Life Vers 16. I Jesus have sent mine Angel to testifie unto you these things in the Churches I am the Root and the Off-spring of David and the bright and Morning-Star The first clause of this Verse seemeth to have relation to that which is recorded in the first three Chapters of this Book where Jesus sendeth his Angel unto John with Instructions to be by him communicated in writing to the seven Churches in Asia The second sheweth the Authority of Jesus over the People of God as being the Son of David Unto whom God had sworn with an Oath that of the Fruit of his Loyns according to the flesh he would raise up Christ to sit upon his Throne as Peter testifieth Acts 2.30 For when Jesus calleth himself the Root of David we must not understand such a Root out of which David himself did grow for by this account Jesus will be not the Son but the Father of David which is repugnant to the Scripture and altogether unfit to shew his Authority over the Churches of God Wherefore he is such a Root as sprung from David and was propagated out of his Seed And this is taught us in the Text it self where after that Jesus had called himself the Root of David he doth by way of explication presently add that he was his Off-spring The third description which is subjoyned to the two former ones whereof we have treated doth further set out the dignity of Christ declaring him to be crowned with glory and honour and that in an eminent manner as the morning star doth far exceed in lustre the other heavenly Lamps
the dead triumph in the Kingdom of heaven is evident from the description there given of them For it is said that they were come out of the great tribulation so it is emphatically expressed in the Greek and therefore intimateth that they weee set free from death the chiefest of all tribulations and also were clothed in white Robes and stood before the throne of God being put into such a condition that they should no more hunger nor thirst because the Lamb should feed them and lead them unto living fountains of water No one of which things agreeth either to men here living on the earth or to the souls of such as are departed this life Now the reason that inciteth these Saints in heaven with loud and redoubled voices to cry Allelujah that is Praise the Lord for so this word originally Hebrew doth signifie see Psal 146.1 is the justice of God who as it is here said had both judged that great Harlot which with the lewdness of her whoredome corrupted the earth whereof we have before spoken in our exposition on the seventeenth Chapter and also had avenged the blood of his servants at her hand and this vengeance is taken in so strange a maner that it is not to be parrallelled in all the holy scripture save in the prediction concerning the judgement of God against Bozrah and the land of Idumea whereof we read Isa 34.6 7 8 9 10. and which is not yet come to pass for though many Cities have been burned with the fire of men yea Sodom and Gomorrah with the fire of God from heaven yet hath it not been known that any City after it was once fired did send up the smoak of her burning for ever and ever as it is here affirmed of Rome Which circumstance alone doth sufficiently prove that the prophecy held forth in this book concerning the destruction of Rome is not yet fulfilled forasmuch as she notwithstanding all the sackings and firings that have since hapned to her is yet standing and that in great state and splendor so far is she from being made a desolation and perpetual burnings Vers 4. And the four and twenty elders and the four beasts fell down and worshipped God that sat on the throne saying Amen Alleluja The action of the Saints in heaven who give honour and glory to God for executing judgement upon Rome is seconded by the Saints on earth who prostrating themselves before God declare their approbation of what the others had done by saying Amen Alleluja For though the Saints here spoken of are in the vision introduced as being in heaven yet this hinders not but that the true place of their abode is the earth no more then the ascent of John into heaven in a vision and his viewing the things therein contained Chap. 4.1.2 make him in the mean time cease from being a true and real inhabitant of the Isle Patmos for these four and twenty Elders together with the four living creatures I have already proved in mine exposition of the fifteenth Chapter to be the Disciples of Christ in the four quarters of the world Howbeit the four and twenty are both here and else where in the Revelation distinguished from the rest because as the very name of Elders given to them doth import the Pastours of the Church are by them signified And this number of the Elders seemeth to be modelled from the four and twenty Orders of the Priests under the Law 1 Chron. 24.7 8. into whose room the Ministers of the Gospel are come that the people of God might never want some to watch over them in relation to the good of their souls Vers 5. And a voice came out of the throne saying Praise our God all ye his servants and ye that fear him both small and great The praising of God is a thing so comely in the Saints that they are here though upon a new accompt as will appear from that which followeth incited by a voice from the throne to do it again which voice is not to be ascribed to God himself although it proceedeth from his throne but to some other person that is under or about the same and hath him that sitteth on the throne for his God as the voice it self doth intimate when it saith Praise our God all ye his servants If it be further demanded what maner of person the author of the voice should be whether a glorified Saint or an Angel I answer that it rather seemeth to be an Angel because we finde the like exhortation used by an Angel Chap. 14.6 7. As for the Servants of God whom the voice speaketh unto seeing they are distinguished from those that fear God this sufficiently hinteth that they are not meerly pious men but such as besides their piety are imployed by God in the work of the Ministery and in particular bear the office of prophets in the Church for so the servants of God when differenced from them that fear God are elsewhere understood in this book of the Revelation see Chap. 11.18 where it is said That thou shouldest give the reward unto thy servants the Prophets and to the Saints and them that fear thy name small and great Now that many Prophets will then exist when these things are to be accomplished I have before shewed in the exposition of the fourteenth Chapter Vers 6. And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude and as the voice of many waters and as the voice of mighty thundrings saying Alleluja for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth Vers 7. Let us be glad and rejoyce and give honour to him for the marriage of the Lamb is come and his wife hath made her self ready Vers 8. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen clean and white for the fine linen is the righteousness of Saints Though the destruction of the wicked be an inducement to praise the name of God and to rejoyce yet is the salvation of the righteous as being in it self a work more excellent and glorious of far greater efficacy to stir up the Saints to the performance of these two things Hence it is that the acclamation here made is more loud and solemn then the others that went before For John saith That he heard as it were the voice of a great multitude and as the voice of many waters and as the voice of mighty thundrings saying Alleluja The reason of which unusual Exultation that I may confirm what I even now asserted is in the first place said to be the Reign of God namely upon the Delivery of the Kingdom into the Hands of the Saints For though God was long before said in the Scripture to be the King of all the Earth Psal 47.7 yet in as much as to reign if you speak properly is to rule and govern by Laws the Reign of God over all the World may in this sense be rightly said to commence with the Kingdom of the Saints And that
the plain and obvious sence thereof clearly testifie Again we have in the Exposition of the nineteenth Chapter verse 1. proved that there is a great multitude of Saints even before the destruction of Rome recalled to life and triumphing in the kingdom of heaven Finally it appeareth from that notable passage Chap. 2.26.27 where Christ saith He that overcometh and keepeth my works unto the end to him will I give power over the Nations and he shall rule them with a rod of iron as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers even as I have received of my Father that whosoever performeth the duty of a Christian to the end of his life and undergoeth a violent death for the name of Christ for I have elsewhere collected that the notion of overcoming when applied to the Saints in the Revelation doth intimate such a death shall be raised up from the dead before the day of judgement to reign over the Nations For can there any such reign be expected after that judgement is once past or did not Christ to whom these Saints are in this respect to be made conformable so come to reign over the Nations Neither doth that passage of Christ John 6.40 This is the will of him that sent me that every one that seeth the Son and believeth on him should have everlasting life and I will raise him up at the last day Nor that of Paul 1 Cor. 15.22 As in Adam all die even so in Christ shall all be made alive but every man in his own order Christ the first fruits afterwards they that are Christs at his coming These passages I say do not a whit withstand the doctrine of an anticipated resurrection which we endeavor to evince out of the book of the Revelation For Christ speaketh of men only as believing on him and Paul of them as dying in the faith and not for the same as the forecited places of the Revelation plainly do Moreover that the Lord Christ Jesus doth now in very deed reign in heaven and so hath done ever since he sat down at the right hand of God and consequently the Saints who are partakers of the first resurrection shall there reign with him is evident from that notable passage or Paul Ephes 1.19 20 21 22. According to the working of his mighty power which he wrought in Christ when he raised him from the dead and set him at his own right hand in heavenly places far above all principalities and powers and might and dominion and every name that is named not only in this world but also in that which is to come And hath put all things under his feet and gave him to be the head over all things to the Church And from that of Peter 1 Epist 3.21 22. The like figure whereunto even Baptism doth also now save us not the putting away the filth of the flesh but the answer of a good conscience towards God by the resurrection of Jesus Christ who is gon into heaven and is on the right hand of God Angels and Authorities and Powers being made subject unto him And also from those of John Rev. 1.5 and Chap. 17.14 In the former of which he saith and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness the first begotten from the dead and the Prince or Ruler of the Kings of the earth And in the latter These shall make war with the Lamb and the Lamb shall overcome them for he is Lord of Lords and King of Kings he doth not say he shall be King of Kings But what need have I to accumulate texts of Scripture for the proof of this matter when the second and third Chapters of the Revelation are of themselves abundantly sufficient to convince all that are not obstinately bent against the truth that Christ doth now in his own person govern the Church and take care of it for you shall there have clear and undeniable arguments both of the cognisance that he taketh of mens actions and of the protection he affordeth unto such as walk uprightly with him and also of the judgements he executeth on them that either turn aside out of the right way or at least slacken their first love so that I am not a little moved when I perceive many who otherwise seem to own the Gospel so easily giving ear to such a doctrine as asserteth that Christ is not yet in the possession and exercise of his kingdom but shall hereafter reign and that upon the Earth which opinion thwarteth the whole tenor of the New Testament where Christ since his ascension is usually called Lord and annulleth the faith we repose in Christ for to what purpose is it to rely on him for help and assistance if he be not yet in his kingdome and restraineth prayer and worship before him and in a word ushereth in Judaism for there at length this pernicious conceit is wont to center Wherefore seeing I have irrefragably proved that Jesus Christ doth now reign in heaven neither is there so much as one passage in all the Scripture that saith he shall ever reign upon the earth but he himself on the contrary plainly testifieth John 18.36 That his kingdom is not of this world which could not be true were he to reign personally on the earth as worldly Kings are wont to do I conclude that whatsoever Saints are raised up from the dead to reign with Christ during the space of a thousand years before the last judgement must of necessity ascend up into heaven where he is And this is plainly taught us in that forequoted instance of the twowitnesses who being recalled to life go up into heaven in a cloud Chap. 11.12 T is true indeed that the Saints mentioned in the fifth Chapter verse 10. say That they were made Kings and Priests to their God and should reign on the earth But here is no hint of any resurrection and therefore such Saints are to be understood as having not yet been dead did and should reign upon the earth Thus John saith both of himself and the Saints in the seven Churches of Asia Chap. 1. That Christ had made them Kings and Priests to God And consequently it might have been truly affirmed of them that they should reign upon the earth where they were already Kings For whereas it is usually objected that those Saints in the fifth Chapter say of themselves we shall reign upon the earth and therefore did not already reign this is frivolous for inasmuch as they were already Kings as they themselves affirm and some of them sat with their crowns upon their heads it must needs be that they did already reign and so those words we shall reign upon the earth do not intimate the beginning but the continuance of their reign Thus John writeth to certain Christians of his time 1 Epist 5.13 To the end that they should believe on the name of the Son of God which doth not argue that they did not yet believe the contrary
heat Nevertheless we according to his Promise look for new Heavens and a new Earth wherein dwelleth Righteousness 2 Epist 3.10 11 12 13. Is it possible that any thing should more plainly and positively be delivered to shew that the Heavens and the Earth which now are shall be dissolved by Fire and abolished and new Heavens together with a new Earth be created of God in their room Yea was not this Doctrine long before taught by two sacred Writers of the Old Testament to the latter of which the words of Peter whilest he speaketh of Gods Promise touching a new Heaven and a new Earth seem to relate For the divine Authour of the 102. Psalm directing his speech to God saith in the 25. and 26. Verses thereof Of old thou hast laid the Foundation of the Earth and the Heavens are the Work of thine Hands They shall perish but thou shalt endure yea all of them shall wax old like a Garment as a Vesture shalt thou change them and they shall be changed Which passage doth not onely tell us in plain words that the Heavens and the Earth shall perish but with all intimate that new Heavens and a new Earth shall be created whilest it saith that God shall change the Heavens and the Earth when grown old as a Vesture For in the change of an old Vesture a new one is taken in its stead Likewise the Prophet Isaiah Chap. 65.17 bringeth in God saying Behold I create new Heavens and a new Earth and the former shall not be remembred nor come into minde and Chap. 66.22 God to comfort the Jews speaketh thus As the new Heavens and the new Earth which I will make shall remain before me so shall your seed and your name remain Are not three such Witnesses as these sufficient to confirm the Exposition that we have given on the foresaid passage of the Revelation yea doth not the very close of the Verse evince it when it is said The Sea is no more For seeing in the World to come there is no place for Commerce and Traffique to what purpose should there be any Sea which serveth for a more easie and compendious passage from one Countrey to another that so Men may be supplyed with such Commodities as they want But if any one here object that he cannot imagine any more need of a new Heaven and a new Earth than of a new Sea I answer that it doth not therefore follow that they are all alike in that it is expresly denyed that there shall be any more Sea but on the contrrary it is plainly affirmed that there shall be a new Heaven and a new Earth Neither hath God left us wholly ignorant concerning the use of the new Earth and consequently of the new Heaven which will in likelihood be subservient thereunto as the old Heaven is to the old Earth as appeareth from the words of the Apostle Paul Rom. 8.19 20 21 22. where he saith The earnest expectation of the Creature waiteth for the Manifestation of the Sons of God For the Creature was made subject to vanity not willingly but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope Because the Creature it self also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the Children of God For we know that the whole Creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now Now seeing the Creatures that here expect so earnestly and groan to be delivered from vanity are twice plainly distinguished from the Saints and Children of God is it not thereby manifest that the other living Creatures which God created shall after the Saints are once clothed with immortality be though not in their former Individuals yet in others of the same kinde made immortal as well as they and consequently live upon the new Earth or can any other sense be put upon the words of Paul without running into Absurdities Vers 2. And I John saw the holy City new Jerusalem coming down from God out of Heaven prepared as a Bride adorned for her Husband In the same manner that John had before seen the new Heaven and the new Earth doth he here see the new Jerusalem onely this Jerusalem is already in being and therefore called New because it is so to the Saints when admitted thereinto in the life to come Thus Paul before Ananias was in very deed come to him had already seen him in a vision entring in and laying his hand upon him that he might receive his sight Acts 9.11 12. But forasmuch as the knowledge or the New Jerusalem is of so great importance without which neither can the happiness of the saints be rightly apprehended nor their faith as wanting a solid foundation be firm and stable we will evince out of the Scripture that by the New Jerusalem is not meant the Church but as it is here expresly termed a City which God hath reserved in heaven for the Saints To omit therefore the observation that may to this effect be rightly deduced from the very name of Jerusalem which being in the Hebrew of the dual number sign fieth that there are two Cities known by that appellation the Testimonies taken out of the divine Author to the Hebrews will abundantly confirm our assertion For he saith Chap. 11.9 10. By faith Abraham sojourned in the land of promise as in a strange countrey dwelling in Tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob heirs with him of the same promise For he looked for a City which hath foundations whose builder and maker is God Certainly a City that is opposed to Tabernacles as having foundations whereof they are destitute and whose builder and maker is God himself is a City truly and properly so called Again in the 13.14 15. and 16. verses of the same Chapter he speaketh thus All these namely Abraham Isaac and Jacob died in faith not having received the promises but having seen them a far of and were perswaded of them and embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a countrey And truly if they had been mindful of that countrey from whence they came out they might have had opportunity to have returned but now they desire abetter countrey that is an heavenly wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God For he hath prepared for them a City You see by this that God hath provided for the Saints a City which is their heavenly Countrey and that the Patriarchs believed and longed for the same although they had received no promises of it but only seen them a far off and that they shewed their faith and longing by confessing themselves to be strangers and pilgrims on the earth How much then doth their practice condem many Christians who having received express promises of such a City and Kingdome are so far from longing after it as that they deny that there is any such place turning it into an allegory
it not without manifest absudity be said to issue out of the Throne it self 4. The River of this Water hath Trees growing on both sides thereof which agreeth not to Water figuratively so taken Thus have we asserted the Doctrine touching the Water of Life plainly and properly so called which doth not onely give light to that passage of David Psal 36.8 9. but receive attestation from it for it is there said Thou shalt make them drink of the River of thy pleasures for with thee is the Fountain of Life But this River of pleasures is here in the Revelation said to have two Springs the one rising out of the Throne of God the other out of the Throne of the Lamb that we might acknowledge our selves indebted not onely to God but also to Christ whom God hath exalted to be a Prince and Saviour Acts 5.31 For the benefit of eternal Life Suitable whereunto is that acclamation of the Saints glorified in the Kingdom of Heaven Chap. 7.10 Salvation to our God that sitteth upon the Throne and to the Lamb. Vers 2. In the midst of the Street of it and of either side of the River was there the Tree of Life which bare twelve manner of Fruits and yielded her Fruit every Moneth and the Leaves of the Tree were for the healing of the Nations As in the former Verse the Water of Life was shewn unto John so also is the Tree of Life in this Verse which Circumstance as I before reasoned sufficiently argueth that it is a Tree plainly and properly so called otherwise it could not have been presented to his view Again this Tree is said to grow in a certain place namely in the midst of the Street pertaining to the new Jerusalem and on each side of the River that runneth through the same But this never cometh to pass when the Tree of Life is to be figuratively understood See Prov. 3.18 Wisdom is a Tree of Life to them that lay hold upon her And Chap. 11.30 The Fruit of the Righteous is a Tree of Life And Chap. 13.12 When the Desire cometh it is a Tree of Life And Chap. 15.4 A wholesom Tongue is a Tree of Life In all which Texts the Tree of Life being confessedly taken after a figurative manner there is no place mentioned where it groweth Whereas in the Revelation the place of its growth is also expressed as appeareth both from the passage under discussion and from the 14. Verse of the same Chap. where it is said Blessed are they that do his Commandments that they may have right to the Tree of Life and may enter in tâ—â—ough the Gates into the City And also from the 7. Vers of the 2. Chap. where Christ saith to the Angel of the Ephesine Church To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the Tree of Life which is in the midst of the Paradise of God Which last passage doth further confirm our assertion in that it stileth the heavenly Jerusalem for that we were even now taught to be the place where the tree of life groweth by the name of the paradise of God For the true signification of a Paradise is an Orchard or Garden set with fruit trees as appeareth from Eccles 2.5 Where the Greek version runneth thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That is I made me Gardens and Orchards and planted trees in them of all kinds of fruits Thus that Garden or Orchard which God planted in Eden for Adam is described in this manner Gen. 2.9 Out of the ground made the Lord God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food the tree of life also in the midst of the garden Where the Greek version hath the same words that are used by Christ in the second Chapter of the Revelation namely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So that none can with reason deny that there was a tree of life plainly and properly so called which grew in the earthly Paradise or Orchard where God placed Adam no more may he deny that there is such a Tree in the heavenly Paradise or Orchard the New Jerusalem It is further here told us to the end we should rest in the plain and obvious sence of the place that the Tree of life beareth a different kinde of fruit every moneth which must needs tend to the great delight of them that shall eat thereof in that men are much taken with the variety of their food where by the way let it be observed that the Tree of life is the measure of time in the world to come for putting forth twelve sorts of fruits successively it maketh the twelve moneths and consequenrly the year that consisteth of them But it will perhaps be objected in opposition to what I affirm out of this Chapter about eating and drinking in the New Jerusalem that Paul 1 Cor. 6.13 saith Meats for the belly and the belly for meats but God shall destroy both it and them To which I answer that Paul speaketh of worldly meats and that vessel which God hath made in the natural body to receive them so that this pertaineth not to the spiritual body whereof mention is made in the same Epistle Chap. 15.44 nor to those heavenly cates whereof John here discourseth For certainly that there shall be eating and drinking in the kingdom of heaven is elsewhere so plainly delivered that interpreters shew themselves ridiculous whilst they go about to impose another sence upon the words Hear therefore what Christ himself saith Luke 22.15.16 17 18. I have exceedingly desired to eat this passover with you before I suffer For I say unto you I will not any more eat thereof until it be fulfilled in the Kingdom of God And he took the cup and gave thanks and said take this and divide it among your selves For I say unto you I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the Kingdom of God shall come Doth not this place signifie that Christ shall eat of an heavenly passover with his Disciples as he did of an earthly one a little before his death and shall also drink wine with them To the same purpose he speaketh to them afterwards in the 28.29 and 30. verses of the same Chapter saying Ye are they which have continued with me in my temptations And I appoint unto yon a Kingdom as my Father hath appointed unto me That ye may eat and drink with me in my Kingdom And also Math. 26.29 saying I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Fathers Kingdom Doth not this shew as I before argued out of Luke that Christ shall drink with his Disciples new wine in the kingdom of God as formerly he drank old wine with them at his last supper before his death and consequently the tree of life is for one moneth a vine yielding a liquor so excellent that it needeth not age to bring it to perfection but being only
pressed out of the grapes into the cup is the most rich and delicate wine that can be imagined but the tree of life affordeth to the Nations of them that are saved for only such Nations are here understood as appeareth from the four and twentieth verse of the precedent Chapter it doth I say afford not only meat and drink but medicine also For when any distemper beginneth to creep on the Citizens of the New Jerusalem the leaves of this tree being used do discharge the same By which means they remain for ever free from sickness and death Howbeit the manner how these leaves are used whether they be inwardly taken which is the more probable opinion or outwardly applied is uncertain and so ought to be passed over as also the business of evacuation For there is no mention thereof in the Scripture much less of the maner wherein it should be performed So that it becometh not us to make any further inquiry thereinto But if any shall yet reply and say that what hath been spoken of meat and drink and medicine to be in the New Jerusalem doth make the future happiness of the Saints to appear somewhat gross I answer it is not for us to devise what is suitable for the condition of them that shal inherit the Kingdom of heaven but to restin that which God hath prepared for them He could no doubt have given them such an immortality as needed no outward supply but could have sustained it self upon its own inward principles without either meat or drink or medicine but he hath thought it fit to order the matter otherwise as appeareth by the declaration that he himself hath made thereof in the Scripture And shall we presume to be wiser than he and accuse him as not knowing how to make his people happy in the compleatest manner by imagining such a felicity as is not recorded in his word and wresting that which is there described by our exotick interpretations Certainly seeing the Scripture testifieth that the foolishness of God is wiser then men it becometh us to assent to that which he hath revealed though seeming foolish to us rather then affecting to be wise above what is written to follow the groundless imaginations of our own heart Vers 3. And there shall be no more curse but the Throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it and his servants shall serve him How truly I said even now that the leaves of the tree of life shall keep the Nations of them that are saved free from sickness and death for ever appeareth from the beginning of this verse For when it is there said There shall be no more curse it is the same as if it had been said There shall be no more utter destruction for so the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which properly signifieth a curse is wont in the Scripture to be taken See Zech. 14.11 from whence these words in the Revelation seem to be borrowed For whereas it is there read in English There shall be no more utter destruction the Greek hath it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That is There shall be no more curse And lest any one should perhaps imagine that there may possibly be a difference in the signification between 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which latter is the word used in the Revelation the collation of Matth. 26.74 with Mark 14.71 in the Greek will soon remove that scruple Though the tree of life be a great benefit to the inhabitants of the New Jerusalem yet is the presence of God a greater as being better then life it self without which indeed life is not lively and therefore it is said that the Throne of God and the Lamb shall be in the New Jerusalem namely that the Saints may enjoy his presence and be thereby inflamed to serve and honour him with the greatest affection But least any one should turn that which is here delivered concerning the Throne of God into an allegory because a Throne is sometimes put for Royal power let us evince both out of the circumstances of the place and also from other passages of the Scripture that God hath in very deed a throne in heaven For first if by the Throne of God should here be only meant Royal power the words would carry no emphasis with them when it is said that the Throne of God shall be in the New Jerusalem seeing the Royal power of God extendeth it self to all places alike 2 The Throne of God is here as properly taken as that of Christ whilest it is said The Throne of God and the Lamb. But Christ being the son of man cannot be denied to sit as a King upon a throne properly so taken Wherefore neither can God likewise Both which are confirmed by that passage of the divine Author to the Hebrews Chap. 12.2 Where it is said That Jesus sat down at the right hand of the Throne of God 3. The throne of God hath been seen and so is properly to be understood as those things that fall under the sence are wont to be This is manifest from the first verse of this Chapter where John saith I saw a River of water of life proceeding out of the Throne of God and the Lamb. And also from the eleventh verse of the twentieth Chapter where the very colour of his Throne is also expressed for so John saith I saw a great white Throne and him that sat on it from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away And finally from that notable vision of Micajah 1 Kings 22.19 who saith to Ahab King of Israel Hear thou the word of the Lord I saw the Lord sitting on his Throne and all the host of heaven standing by him on his right hand and on his left 4. It is said of Christ as we before cited it out of the Epistle of the Hebrews Chap. 12.2 that Christ sat down on the right hand of the Throne of God which could not be true were the Throne of God any other then a seat 5. God is in the Book of the Revelation frequently known by the appellation of him that sitteth upon the throne See Chap. 5.13 and 6.16 and 7.15 But this would be an impertinent description of God were there in very deed no Throne in heaven whereon he sitteth 6. God is said to have prepared his Throne in the heavens Psalm 103.19 which will not admit any other sence but that he hath made there a Royal seat for himself By all these arguments it appeareth that to say God doth not in very deed sit on a Throne in heaven is to contradict both the Scripture and our very senses Vers 4. And they shall see his face and his name shall be in their foreheads That these words They shall see the face of God are to be taken as they sound I have in effect already proved by evincing out of the Scripture that God doth in very deed sit upon a Throne in
heaven before which the glorified Saints shall come and adore him For it doth of necessity follow from thence that they shall see his face Neither do those words of Paul 1 Tim. 6.16 where speaking of God he saith Whom none of men hath seen nor can see a whit derogate from the truth of that which we assert For he himself elsewhere comparing the condition of men in this life with that which shall be in the life to come saith Now we see through a glass darkly but then face to face now I know in part but then shall I know even as I am known I Cor. 13.12 Wherefore in that fore quoted passage of Tim. he speaketh of men conversing in this world between whom and God there is not only a vast distance of place forasmuch as he is in heaven and they on earth Eccles 5.2 but also sundry bodies interposed obstructing their sight of him Yea were they now admitted to the very person of God their eyes were not fit of themselves to behold so spiritual and glorious an object Whereupon the Apostle John concludeth 1 Epist 3.2 That in the world to come We shall be like unto God because we shall see him as he is And this passage which we have last cited together with that other of the Corinthians gives clear attestation to our opinion as also doth that saying of Christ Matth. 5.8 Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God So that we have no need to dwell longer on this subject we pass therefore to the second thing here mentioned which is The inscribing of Gods name upon the forehead of the Saints This is performed by Christ as he himself testifieth Chap. 3.12 where speaking to the Angel of the Church in Philadelphia he saith Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the Temple of my God and he shall go no more out and I will write upon him the name of my God and it denoteth that they are the ministers of God and so are continually to serve him in his Temple Thus as we have above discoursed the name of the Beast was set upon the foreheads of men to signifie that they were such as served and worshipped him Neither can any man alledge a sufficient reason why this also shall not be fulfilled according to the letter of the holy Text. Vers 5 And there shall be no night there and they need no candle neither light of the sun for the Lord God giveth them light and they shall reign for ever and ever John here repeateth what he had before spoken in the one and twentieth Chapter concerning this that there shall be no night in the heavenly Jerusalem nor need either of the sun or of a candle because God is the luminary thereof For inasmuch as God dwelleth in light 1 Tim. 6.16 and covereth himself with light as with a garment Psalm 104.2 Yea is light it self having no darkness at all in him 1 John 1.5 and shall abide with the Saints continually 1 Thes 4.17 It cannot otherwise be but that he should by his presence make perpetual day in the New Jerusalem As for the Reign of the Saints mentioned in the close of this verse it cannot be understood of ruling over the Nations for that ceaseth after the day of judgement wherefore it is meant of their Reigning in life as the Apostle Paul phraseth it Rom. 5.17 and so of reigning over death for ever as death had for some time reigned over them Vers 6. And he said unto me These sayings are faithful and true And the Lord God of the holy prophets sent his Angel to shew unto his servants the things which must shortly be done This is the third time that either God himself or the Angels confirm the plain literal and down right meaning of those things that are spoken concerning the New Jerusalem and the happiness of such as are to dwell therein For I have before proved Chap. 21.5 that when it is said These sayings are faithful and true it is all one as if it had been said These sayings are evident and certain and such as do of themselves leave no place for dispute To establish which exposition of mine consider further that the Apostle Paul doth in four several places namely 1 Tim. 1.15 and Chap. 3.1 and Chap. 4.9 and Titus 3.8 tell us that such a point is a faithful saying when the thing whereof he speaketh conteineth in it self no hard and mystical sence but is to be understood according to the plain purpose of the words Why then should we prefer the imaginations of men before the express language of the Scripture and adhere to such interpretations of this prophecy as have no other ground but the bare word of those that obtrude them When the Angel further addeth that the Lord God of the holy prophets sent his Angel to shew unto his servants the things which must shortly be done this ought not to be understood of the same Angel that here talketh with John otherwise he would rather have said The Lord God of the holy prophets hath sent me Again the things which this Angel shewed to John are so far from being done shortly after that they are not as yet come to pass Wherefore this saying as will easily appear from the same words used in both places hath relation to that other Angel which is mentioned in the very entrance of the Revelation and who shewed such things to John as began a little after to be put in execution Set Chap. 3.10 where it is said Because thou hast kept the word of my patience I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation which shall come upon all the wold to try them that dwell upon the earth See also the opening of the Seals whereof we read in the sixth Chapter Vers 7. Behold I come quickly blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book Here the Angel speaking in the person of Christ saith Behold I come quickly which is not meant of that notable coming of Christ in the clouds of heaven to judge the quick and the dead for the event sheweth it to be otherwise inasmuch as to this very day he is not come in that manner wherefore he speaketh of some nearer and more improper Coming namely when he would visit the lnhabitants of the World for their wickedness by bringing a great calamity upon them And such a Coming of Christ hapned in the days of Domitian the Emperour not long after the Penning of this Prophecy which I have before proved in the Exposition of the 17. Chapter to have been written in the Reign of Vespasian the Emperour of Rome Which Judgement to be inflicted on the whole World in the Reign and by the Hands of that cruel Monster Domitian when Christ had foretold to the Angel of the Church in Philadelphia Chap. 3.10 He useth the same words in the following Verse that he doth here For thus the whole passage soundeth Because
Vers 17. And the Spirit and the bride say Come And let him that heareth say Come And let him that is a thirst Come And whosoever will let him take the water of life freely In this verse there are three things remarkable the first whereof is the desire that both the holy Spirit and the Church had to see the coming of Christ before promised inasmuch as it would openly shew both his severity towards the wicked and his goodness towards those that had walked closely with him The second is the command here imposed upon every one that should hear of this coming to wish for it The third is the invitation made to every one that is athirst and earnestly aspireth unto happiness to come and drink of the water of life freely All which are of themselves plain and need no further interpretation Vers 18. For I testifie unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book If any man shall adde unto these things God shall adde unto him all the plagues that are written in this book Vers 19. And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy God shall take away his part out of the book of life and out of the holy city and from the things which are written in this book Moses in the law enjoyned the children of Israel that they should neither adde to the word which he had commanded nor diminish from it Deut. 4.2 So doth Christ here deal with Christians in relation to the book of this excellent prophecy ratifying his injunction with the greatest penalty that can be imagined Now to add to the words of this book or to diminish from them if perhaps any man be ignorant of so easy a matter is to insert something thereunto which was not written by John or to race out something that was there written by him This being so what will become of them at the last day who have rejected this whole book from the Canon of holy scripture pretending it was written not by that holy Apostle John but by some vile person when in the mean time the name of John is often there expressed as the penman thereof and the divine excellency of the things contained in the book sufficiently demonstrateth that it came originally from God what likewise shall we think of those who have so shamefully abused the book of this prophecy as that they durst to make it subservient to their own passions and worldly interests imposing such glosses on the same as have no hint or footstep in the holy Text and that on purpose to blacken some either person or party with whom they are angry and render them odious in the sight of all men Certainly this is little less then adding to the prophecy and argueth so small reverence to the pure and undefiled word of God at which we ought to tremble and withal bewraieth so great malice towards men as that the fifteenth verse of this very Chapter sheweth that such interpreters will at length be excluded out of the Kingdom of heaven Vers 20. He which testifieth these things saith Surely I come quickly Amen Even so come Lord Jesus The Lord Jesus doth here the third time mention his speedy coming of which we have sufficiently treated and John following the direction that was before given him in the seventeenth verse doth beseech the Lord Jesus that according to his promise he would come Which passage is diligently to be observed as strongly pressing them who dare to deny the invocation of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ For it can with no forehead be denied that here is a direct prayer adderssed to him since his ascent into heaven and sitting at the right hand of God Vers 21 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all Amen As the foregoing verse yielded us a direct prayer made to Christ so this affordeth an oblique one For John here requesteth that the favour of the Lord Jesus might still be put forth towards the Saints that were in Asia to whom he directed the book of this prophecy Wherefore let us after the example of so holy a person pray earnestly that the same Lord Jesus would continue and multiply his favor towards all his Saints that are dispersed through the whole world that he would shelter them under the shadow of his wings against the rage of their enemies and supply them as their several necessities shall require and finally so fill them with the Spirit of grace that they may abound in love towards one another and towards all men FINIS
have eternal Life but they whom he had given unto Christ as Christ himself witnesseth John 17.2 saying of himself to the Father As thou hast given him Power over all Flesh that he should give eternal Life to as many as thou hast given him and it was necessary that God should by some means reveal to him who they were that had been given to him he chose this way of Discovery providing a Book of Life wherein all their Names are written by the inspection whereof Christ might understand who were to be saved Thus Christ attaineth to the knowledge of the Decrees of God touching sundry other matters by opening a Book sealed with seven Seals that was in the Hand of God Chap. 5.1 8 9. And lest any one should think that this is to be taken in a figurative sense let him consult the Prophecy of Daniel where he shall finde an Angel plainly signifying that the Decrees of God are set down in writing for thus he saith to Daniel Chap. 19.21 being about to declare the purpose of God touching the Kingdoms of the World I will shew thee that which is noted in the Scripture of Truth It is further said in that passage of the Revelation that is now under discussion that the Lamb Christ Jesus was slain from the Foundation of the World which must of necessity be understood of the purpose of God touching the Death of Christ for Christ was actually slain in the Reign of Tiberius Caesar as the Scripture elsewhere testifieth Vers 9. If any Man have an Ear let him hear This Acclamation is never added in the Scripture but when there hath preceded some notable thing that requireth a more diligent reflexion to be made upon it But what is more remarkable than this that the constancy of the Saints and their resolute denial to worship the Beast when all the World doth the contrary is at no hand to be ascribed to the Saints themselves as men are apt to do but onely to the Decree of God who had before chosen them to Salvation without which they also as well as others would have committed that great transgression Vers 10. He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity He that killeth with the Sword must be killed with the Sword Here is the patience and the Faith of the Saints The equal Judgement of God is here set forth who usually plagueth Men in the same kinde wherein they had offended so that the punishment carrieth the footsteps and resemblance of their sin For the Beast who had brought many of the Saints into captivity is himself at length taken captive and thrown alive into the Lake of Fire and Brimstone Chap. 19.20 and the ten Kings who had assisted him in killing the Saints Chap. 17.12 13. are themselves slain with the Sword proceeding out of the Mouth of Christ Chap. 19.20 21. And hereby is the Faith and Patience of the Saints made conspicuous whilest they believe and patiently wait for the vengeance of God to be poured forth upon the Enemy in the time appointed Vers 11. And I beheld another Beast coming up out of the Earth and he had two Horns like a Lamb and he spake as a Dragon Now John cometh to the Description of the second Beast whereby is understood a false Prophet for so is he expresly called Chap. 16.13 and Chap. 19.20 And he is seen to ascend up out of the Earth because he ariseth from the Dead who have their place in the lower parts of the Earth Thus when the Witch of Endor had raised up Samuel she said to Saul I saw gods or rather a god as appeareth from the following Verse ascend out of the Earth 1 Sam. 28.13 Now that the Dead are placed in the lower parts of the Earth is evident from sundry Texts of Scripture See Psal 63.9 10. But those that seek my soul to destroy it shall go into the lower parts of the Earth They shall fall by the Sword they shall be a Portion for Foxes See also Ezek. 32. from Verse 18. to the end of the Chapter And this is the reason why the false Prophet together with the Beast who as I shall clearly prove in my Exposition of the 17. Chapter ought also to be raised from the Dead to act all those horrid things that are spoken of him in this Book of the Revelation are not slain in the Battel of Armageddon as all the rest are but taken alive and thrown into the Lake of Fire and Brimstone as having been once dead already When this second Beast is said to have two Horns as a Lamb this argueth that he maketh a shew of Lamb-like meekness and innocency in his outward garb but in his Doctrine hisseth like a Dragon uttering such things as tend to the ruine and destruction of Men as appeareth by the sequel of this Chapter Vers 12. And he exerciseth all the Power of the first Beast before him and causeth the Earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first Beast whose deadly Wound was healed See how this second Beast which in shape of Horns resembleth a Lamb begins to act like a Dragon in exercising all the Power of the first Beast in his presence that he may thereby force the Inhabitants of the Earth to worship the first Beast whose deadly wound was healed Thus Nebuchadnezzer brought all Peoples Nations and Languages to fall down and worship the golden Image which he had set up by threatning to cast Refusers into the midst of a burning fiery Furnace Dan. 3.6 9. Vers 13. And he doth great wonders so that he maketh Fire come down from Heaven on the Earth in the sight of Men Vers 14. And deceiveth them that dwell on the Earth by the means of those Miracles which he had Power to do in the sight of the Beast saying to them that dwell on the Earth that they should make an Image to the Beast which had the Wound by a Sword and did live As the false Prophet made use of Power to drive Men to the Worship of the Beast so doth he also of subtilty t odraw then to a further degree of impiety inciting them by great Wonders which it is given him to do to erect an Image to the Beast which received a deadly Wound by the Sword but afterward recovered of the same For of all Impostures whereby Men are wont to be seduced to a false Worship there is none so powerful as that of working Miracles Hence Christ saith in the Gospel Matth. 24.24 There shall arise false Christs and false Prophets and shall shew great signs and wonders in so much that if it were possible they shall deceive the very elect And Moses long before in the Law Deut. 13.1 2 3 If there arise among you a Prophet or a dreamer of dreams and giveth thee a sign or a wonder and the sign or the wonder come to pass whereof he spake unto thee saying Let us go after other gods which thou hast not known