his church for the service thereof God first fills them with his Spirit When John was but upon entring upon his prophetical office God ravishes him with his Spirit and fills him therewith to fit him for this office When men in the Apostles days were to be chosen but for the lowest services in the Church as for the over-sight of the poor and the like yet they must be men full of the holy Ghost and wisdom Acts 6.3 Much more then for the highest places as Prophets Pastors Teachers and Elders c. It is said Paul and Barnabas were filled with the holy Ghost and therefore to be separated unto the work Acts 11.24 and 13.2 The Offices of the churches of Christ are for those that have the Spirit of Christ in them in some fulness of it those places are not for such as are filled with the spirit of envie covetousness pride the world contention ignorance and antichristian lording such have not the spirit of Christ in them it may be well said of such that they run for profit here and the like but the Lord sent them not Jer. 14.14 and 23.21 They flatter themselves and think they are called and sent of God because God hath given them some common acquired gifts and parts yet want all the especial graces of the Spirit as meekness self-denial contempt of this world humility bowels of compassion ready to forgive sound knowledge in the truth and holiness and righteousness in their lives and conversations they that want those graces in the truth of them are neither fit for those high functions in the church nor can satisfyingly perswade themselves or others that they are called unto it Let this be as a memento to all such that climbe over the walls into those holy Functions and are well satisfied with a call from men when they were never called of God I say let all such fear and tremble lest God spew them all our together with their flocks that would have it so in his wrath for ever John was rapt in Spirit on the Lord's day 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Greek Whether this day be here called the Lord's day for the great discoveries of those visions made unto John upon this day or because it was the Lord's day for the assembling of the Saints to perform their services unto God it being the same day with that which the Apostles call the first day of the week and our christian Sabbath I shall not much contend but rather am enclined unto the latter for these two reasons First Because the great work of Christ's resurrection on that day wherein he was manifested Lord and Conquerour over hell and Satan purchased it that Title of the Lords day Secondly Because the observation of the Sabbath with all christian publique services were transferred to that day and so is called the Lord's day 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or according to the Scottish dialect the Kirks day the Churches day because they held their assemblies and performed their publique services upon that day Hence note Observ That the Lord's day or the day of the great and publique assemblings of the Saints is the fittest time for God's highest discoveries of Grace and Truth John received here on this day his high irradiations of spirit and Prophesies This is God's great Market day wherein there is a constant and mutual Exchange or Bartering of heavenly and divine commodities the Saints come with the returns of their improvements of mercies in praises prayers and thanksgivings God gives out in return farther supplies of grace and greater measure of knowledge in his ways and truths Therefore sure most happy most knowing and most gracious are those Saints that are most found in this way O! this should make all of us that are not in this way to wail for it as David in his absence and exile from the church of God that being the special habitation of God's glory Psal 96.6 and to breath after it even as the Hart brayeth after the fountain streams for this is the day of the Saints assemblings wherein the Angel comes down the Angel of the New Covenant Christ in spirit to stir upon the waters of Bethesda upon the hearts and affections of all his people When John was in this rapture of spirit on the Lord's day then he heard behind him a mighty voice as it were of a Trumpet loud and terrible The Trumpet being a warlike Instrument whose sound is to prepare unto Battel and to the terror of the adversary God's publique admonitions are so unto his church it not only prepares his own unto repentance but is also of terrible signification unto all his impenitent enemies But here comes in a question fit to be discussed John had here his raptures of spirit extasies and heard a great voice as of a Trumpet The Quere will be How shall we know Divine raptures extasies or visions from diabolical For Satan is God's Ape and hath his raptures possessions strange apparitions sounds and voices also For answer first know that God's visions are given either in the sleep as unto Jacob when he saw a ladder reaching from earth to heaven and Angels ascending and descending in Gen. 28. but such are more properly called Divine Dreams Or secondly When the person is awake as here when Iohn was at Patmos on the Lord's day doubtless either in God's services or holy contemplations he received those visions and raptures of spirit and those extasies or raptures of spirit do cause a great alteration upon the person that receives them he is as it were taken out of himself that is in this posture and frame and therefore it is called a rapture or extasie quasi extra se raptus being in that posture not master of the faculties of his own soul which are wholly in the power and motions of the Spirit that acts them and this is common to both sorts of raptures whether from the good or evil spirit Now to discern what spirit moves in such raptures or visions observe first Whether the person passive or that is under such raptures of spirit were always or for the most part of their lives faithful witnesses unto the word of God and of Jesus Christ such have not only the promise of the holy Spirit to teach them all things 1 Iohn 2.27 but to be preserved against the evil one in their bodies souls and spirits Secondly Observe the matter of their visions in such raptures whether it be to denounce God's judgments against sinful practises or not for surely Satan will never be divided against himself if we will believe our Saviour for so his kingdom could not stand though I have read a story in some old Popish Mass-monger that the divel once in the shape of a Priest preached a very catholique sermon but being discovered by some Saint in presence it seems one of an excellent endowment in discerning spirits asked him how durst Satan to appear in that presence with so sound holy
under tribulation the condition it self one thing cannot be the cause and the effect too as a faithful holding out under persecution is the cause causa dispositiva the kingdom or reigning is as the fruits and effects therefore not one and the same so that the interpretation or sense of this verse runs thus I Iohn your brother and sharer or companion in tribulation with you for the hopes in that kingdom which is to be revealed by Jesus Christ at his second coming and for which I and you and all Christ's faithful ones wait for in patience and longing desirings through Jesus Christ our Lord. From whence this Note ariseth Observ That all Christ's faithful ones ought to wait with patience under all afflictions and tribulations for the day of their release by the coming of the Lord Jesus and his Kingdom This is the Kingdom of patience and suffering not of reigning and tryumphing Some of Christ's disciples would needs have the kingdom presently in that their question Is this the time that thou wilt restore the Kingdom unto Israel But Christ answered It is not for you to know the time and seasons you are to occupy employ your talents till I come Of the souls beheaded for the testimony of Jesus How long Lord is their continual cry Their work is with prayers and tears to wait upon God for deliverance they set not the world on fire by wars and bloodshed the proper works of Satan and his members they are to wit the Saints or at least should be of meek placid and peaceable spirits easily to be entreated when they are reviled not to revile when they are stricken not to strike again yea to pray even for their very enemies and to such persons in God's appointed time he will fulfil that promise The meek shall inherit the earth This sets a check upon the turbulent ones of this age the soundness of whose spirit I question being opposite to the former characters of Christ's spirit who conceive they go about to pull down Antichrist when they raise commotions rebellions and bloodsheds in states and Common-wealths and endeavour the ruine of the Soveraign Magistrates thereof when as indeed the prosecution of the work against Antichrist is rather hindered then furthered hereby for hereby they weaken and divert the hands of Soveraigns from that work in as much as in them lieth for antichrist is to fall by the hands of those Princes and Powers of the world from whom it had its first rise Rev. 17.16 and therefore all should rather add to their helping hands in assisting those Christian Magistrates they live under rather then disturb or oppose them in this work and for those that are otherwise minded let them be here companions with John Wait for his coming in faith and patience and stand still and they shall see the salvation of our God Observ 2. Another note hence riseth That the contempletion of the coming of the Kingdom of Christ is the great prop and stay of the spirits of all Christ's faithful ones under all their afflictions and tribulations Iohn here comforts himself and the Churches with those thoughts in the next place he often inculcates this contemplation on them that should be tryed and come under tribulation Christ would give them as the guerdon of all their sufferings this Kingdom described under several names of the crown of life v. 10. Manna which is hid and white stone v. 17. the Tree of Life v. 7. Power over Nations v. 26. and to rule with a rod of iron v. 27. and lastly Christ himself by the name of Morning Star v. 28. And indeed what can more support the spirits of afflicted Saints then to know there is a crown laid up for them and dominion that shall last for ever after the progress of a short afflicted life here and therefore the Apostle Paul accounted the afflictions of this present life not worthy of the glory which should be revealed unto us Rom. 8.18 Was in the Isle called Patmos Whether John fled there voluntarily to avoid persecution or banished there as most ancient Writers affirm I shall not contend but sure he was in this Island called Patmos by reason of the great persecutions in Domitian's days about Anno Christi 97. This Island was one of the Cyclades in the Aegean Sea now called Archipelago scituated between the lesser Asia and Greece now under the command of the Grand Seignior and in the way going up from the Mediterranean unto the Hellespont and Constantinople This Island was famous for nothing so much as for this entertainment of our Apostle Iohn in his exile being one of those barbarous Islands into which the Romans did use to send their malefactors and exiles and here in this Island amongst the Barbarians Iohn received these Visions and Revelations wherein observe Observ That God does not tye himself in the discoveries of himself unto the holiness of places The Rabbins have a rule amongst them and they hold it for truth That God never spake unto the Prophets out of the holy Land but this is contradicted in the Prophets Ezekiel and Daniel who received their visions at Babylon by the River Chebar in Chaldea Ezek. 1.1 2. God did here pass by the holy Land the holy Temple the holy City and gave those Visions of God in Chaldea and pours out his spirit in Babylon Whiles Iohn conversed about Ierusalem and those holy places Iohn had not any Visions but when in Patmos amongst Barbarians he had these high and glorious Revelations God is not tyed to places in a dungeon in prison as unto Paul and others In a Babylon as unto Ezekiel Daniel and the three children God pours down his Spirit into the hearts of his servants and raiseth them up unto a height of Prophesie Observ 2. That God often in the most obscurest and barbarous corners of the earth doth raise up glorious Instruments for his service It was once a question Can any good come out of Nazareth Much more may it be said Can any good come out of Egypt of Rome of Babylon of Patmos The answer was Come and see so I say come and see a glorious prophet in Patmos a Moses in Egypt a church of saints in the house of Nero in Babylon an Ezekiel a Daniel in Caldea God can raise up instruments most serviceable unto his name and glory in the most profane and idolatrous places and this is from that unlimitted spirit of God that bloweth where it listeth see more hereon in chap. 2. v. 13. For the Word of God and the Testimony of Iesus Christ This shows the cause of Iohn's exile because he professed faithfully the Word and the Testimony of Jesus Christ Hence observe That the Saints faithful profession of God and Christ moves the rage of Christ's and their enemies against them Iohn here became a fugitive and exile in Patmos for this faithful testimony and this is no more then what Christ foretold of before his passion that his
right hand on Iohn First upon his consternation he gives him the spirit of Prophesie elevates and excites John's spirit to see Divine mysteries And secondly gives him his Spirit of strength power and consolation which might subdue all his carnal conceits and fears and so remove all impediments whatsoever that hindered him in that work which God would have him to undertake and therefore comes in with consolation and bids John fear not for I am the first and the last From this Note That those that are strucken low and humbled by God are fittest to be risen by God for the reception of his choicest divine truths and mysteries John was strucken as dead with his glory and then heard a voice Fear not but write the things that thou shalt see to the seven Churches When the Prophets Ezekiel and Daniel were fallen down on their faces then they were lifted by the Spirit and received glorious visions We must let all our own go our false confidences and carnal props as of our own parts our graces our eminency in gifts and the like if we will be fit auditors for Christ we must fall down at the feet of his Throne if we expect an answer from his Throne Moses a meek man yea the meekest of all men he received the choicest favours from God's hand for he spake to him mouth to mouth and face to face Deut. 34.10 He laid his right hand upon me saying unto me fear not Hence secondly Note That the hand of Christ or his Spirit is not only a most powerful but also a comforting and consolating Spirit This is the Comforter that takes off all fears from Iohn It is the Spirit of God that does convince it is the Spirit of God that converts it is the Spirit that doth inspire godly men it is the Spirit that sanctifies it is the Spirit that comforts the Spirit is the great Agent and hand of God by which God doth all his works Christ here in the likeness of the Son of man was but as a terrible apparition unto Iohn it served only to strike him dead before he laid his right hand upon him to comfort and support him so the sight or knowledge of Christ in the Gospel without the co-operation of his holy Spirit is but as a terrible sight and knowledge that makes for the greater condemnation Christ unto some may be a rock of offence and a stumbling stone whiles unto others that have his Spirit he is the rock of salvation and the corner stone which is sure and precious O lay thy right hand O Lord upon thy servant give him thy Spirit that he may know thy Will and minde in thy Word and serve thee without fear Observ 3. That Christ is full of bowels of grace and compassion towards all such as he smites and humbles The sight of Divine glory being the most effectual thing unto poor frail worthless creatures God follows it with the greatest comfort and sweetest consolations No sooner does Christ appear unto Iohn in his glory that makes him fall at his feet as dead but presently Christ lays his right hand upon him and he hears his comforting word saying Fear not Christ would not leave Iohn in that spiritless and liveless condition that the glory of the Vision had affected him with but quickly raises him and comforts him again with the most effectual and sweetest consolations Christ is our merciful high Priest and that good compassionate Samaritane who is so affected and touched with our wounds and infirmities Luk. 10.33 Heb 4.15 and that more especially with such hurts and wounds that proceeds from his own hand that he is most ready at hand with the oyl and wine the Grace of his Gospel and Blood of his Covenant to pour into our wounded souls for peace healing and consolation Job after he was stricken and humbled by the hand of God and came to a true sight of the hand that did it His captivity is turned into joy and comforts are multiplyed Job 42.5 6 c. Daniel after he was afflicted and humbled for his own sins and the sins of his forefathers cap. 4. Then the Lord sent Gabriel to comfort him and to tell him that he was a man greatly beloved ver 22. God does not throw down afflict wound or humble any of his servants to leave them so but forthwith or within a short time reaches out his right hand and lays it upon them to raise them up and to comfort them Observ 4. Another Note from this comforting word of Christ saying Fear not is That the Word of Christ being conjunct with the Hand of Christ his Spirit is the most effectual comfort to a wounded spirit The Word without the Spirit is inefficacious in its operations John had lain still as a sensless and dead person notwithstanding the word and voice of Christ if he had not lain his hand upon him also The word is of little power if the efficacy of the Spirit be not in it without this it is but a dead letter That word of Christ which is powerful and efficacious carries the Spirit with it the same word goes forth unto all and works from common gifts in some so many are called But that that makes it a distinguishing powerful word is the concomitancy of the Spirit of grace and so few are chosen When therefore we find in Scriptures such expressions as that the Word is the incorruptible seed the power of God to salvation the word of life sharper then a two-edged sword and the like These and the like phrases we must understand not as if the Word were such in it self without the Spirit but conjunctively when the Word is made the chariot of the Spirit and the Spirit is made the life and power of the Word The Word without the Spirit is only a voice void of vertue and operation and the Spirit without the medium of the Word works not ordinarily but both conjunct together makes up that true dispensation of the Gospel which is called the ministration of the Spirit 2 Cor. 3.8 and the Grace of God that brings salvation Tit. 2.11 God is light it self and the Father of lights yet the Sun is not useless but by it he enlightens us so the Spirit of God is the Comforter and the Sanctifier but does both comfort sanctifie and perform all other his offices and works in by and through the Word O Lord sanctifie and comfort us by thy Word and Spirit for thy Word is Truth and the power of our God unto salvation Observ 5. The last Note that I shall raise from these words And he laid his right hand upon me c. shall be That Christ doth fully furnish in some good measure with the gifts and graces of his Spirit all such as he calls and employs in the great offices of his church First he lays his right hand upon John intimating his designation enstalment and confirmation in his Prophetical office for as Imposition of hands was
the solemn and the ultimate compleat act in Ordination unto all Offices in the Church so Christ here follows his own method used in his churches he lays his right hand upon him but here lies the difference men may lay their hands on that is bestow offices on men but cannot add power to execute those offices but Christ not only lays his hand on makes John a Prophet but fils him with his Spirit also Whom Christ calls unto offices in his church he lays his right hand upon them he fills them with his Spirit John before he received his confirmation in his Prophetical office and the command to write his visions and what he saw unto the churches had in the first place divine visions of Christ in the likeness of the Son of man and was struck as dead with the glory thereof whereupon Christ laid his hand of comfort upon him and he heard that rousing voice saying Fear not The case and condition of such persons that are called to the Ministerial offices in the church should in some measure run paralel with Iohn's First They ought to have clear visions of Christ sound knowledge in the mysteries of the Gospel Secondly under the apprehension of divine glory and their own corruption they ought to be humble and lie low at the feet of Christ to be patterns unto others in humility self-denial and other graces Thirdly They ought to be sensible of Christs hand upon them that is his spirit which will manifest it self in their sanctified desires willingness and readiness unto the work of the Lord. Fourthly and lastly They ought to hear that rousing word of comfort within Fear not that is the comfortable experience of the Spirit in their own souls Fear not which will raise them to a holy confidence to declare the mind of God in all things and not to fear the faces of men for the righteous are as bold as a Lion This endowment with the Spirit was that that was principally looked at in the chusing of Officers in the Acts of the Apostles yea even Officers of the lowest form Consult Acts 6.3 and 9.17.11.24 and 13.2 unless men have the Spirit of Christ in them in some fulness of it they are neither fit for those holy functions nor can satisfyingly perswade themselves or others that they are called of God unto them Vers 18. I am the first and the last and I am alive but I was dead and behold I am alive for evermore That this person that is here spoken of was Christ is clear to avoid repetitions peruse the precedent 8 and 13 verses but here lies the difficulty Object It was formerly asserted on vers 13. that this was the divine person of Christ that appeared unto Iohn in the form of a man now according to his divine nature he is impassible he did not suffer death nor was again made alive for he is life it self therefore this is only proper to his humanity and that was it to wit his humane nature that appeared unto Iohn that which was now alive and was dead To clear this I answer you must understand that is frequent in Scripture to attribute that unto one nature which is the proper attribute of the other and so as the Learned calls it communicatione Idiomatum by the communication of properties what is due unto the divine nature is communicated or attributed unto the humane and so on the contrary as to instance When we are said to be bought justified or saved by the blood of God wherein we must not be so gross to conceive that God hath blood but it is meant of that person who cleansed us by his blood was both Man and God in one person and that which is proper to the humane nature is here attributed unto the divine And so when it is said that God suffered and the Son of man created all things and 't was he that was with the Father from everlasting This is predicated of one nature which is proper to the other Consult Acts 20.28 And so in this verse though it is said that Christ in his divine person appeared unto John under the similitude of the Son of man who is alive but was dead imports only thus much That that similitude or form that appeared unto John was the very same Christ and Divine Person that was conjunct with his humanity in heaven and by a mutual and interchangeable communication and attribution of properties this divine Idea or Representation that John saw is called by the proper attribution of Christ's humanity which was pierced dead and lived again though indeed it was only the diuine person of Christ clothed with the figure and likeness of the Son of man which was dead but was now alive This is very usual in Scripture and amongst Divines wherein the properties of one nature are really attributed to the person denominated of the other nature interchangeably by reason of the unity of person consisting in both natures Secondly I answer That oft in Scripture that hath the real denomination of a thing which is only so in appearance and resemblance That apparition or counterfeit of Samuel that appeared unto Saul at the Witch of Endors is called Samuel several times in 1 Sam. 28. without any note of distinction from the true and real Prophet Samuel further then is collected from scriptural reason and the coherence of the discourse in that place Angels that appeared in the form and likeness of men to Jacob Lot c. are called men because they appeared in humane form so this divine appearance of Christ here is called the same person that was dead but is now alive because he appeared in that shape and figure of the Son of man which was dead but is now alive And behold I am alive for evermore Amen As he is the first and the last the first before all beginnings and the last to all eternity so Christ assures all his in this place he is the same for ever to them a King to rule and protect them a Mediator to intercede for them a Prophet to teach and direct them unto everlasting Amen so be it so it shall be and so it must be And he adds And I have the Keys of hell and death Christ to take off all fear from John and to assure John and all his Saints that he is most powerful and able to effect and bring to pass those visions and ptedictions that he was about to reveal unto John and by him unto his churches he now publisheth unto John that all power now is put into his hand from the Father even over hell it self for he hath despoiled it of its power Here is a transporting of the word hell before death Hell is the sting of death and therefore according to order of things the last Rev. 20.14 so death and hell were cast into the Lake of fire Take hell here for the grave or the state of the dead so Christ hath the key to open it
Christ hates it and his church hates it and therefore surely it hath some poysonous and pestilential quality in it somtimes it amounts so far as to defile both judgement and practise joyntly as it did in the Sect of the Nicholaitans And this it most frequently does unless in such a time when the appearance of an Angel of light will seem better with Satans designs for if the Theoretique part of the understanding be not sound the practique can hardly be streight where the light of the eye is darkned our feet will soon stumble and the will and judgement are so linked together that some make the will to be the last act of the understanding or the practique part of the judgement so nearly they are related into oneness that the contagion of the one will be the defilement of the other Yet secondly Satan is so serpentine and crafty that often he can restrain the will and put on the forms of an Angel of light and set on a stricter garb of holiness and mortification then ordinary even unto an Erenetique monastical conversation denying the lawful comforts of humane life and society that he may make the greater impression to deceive thereby as he does in some of the crafty deceiving heretiques of these days Therefore it is not only the duty of all Christ's faithful ones but their honour and glory and their crown to abominate and hate all such deeds and mysteries of Satan even as they are abominated and hated by Christ himself Verse 7. He that hath an ear let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the Churches To him that overcometh will I give to taste of the Tree of life which is in the midst of the Paradice of God The ear is the chief instrument or organ by which we hear and the Spirit sets it here metonimically for hearing it self such a hearing or right understanding as is mentioned in Rom. 10.17 as comes by the Word of God by a sagacious and diligent prepending of the mind of God in the word stirred up and warmed by the influence of the same Spirit and such a hearing or such an ear is here called as competently fit for the comprehension of the mind of the Spirit in these prophesies Hence Note Observ That there is chiefly required a spiritualized and enlightned reason and a well ordered judgement for the discovery of the mysteries of this book of Prophesies Holy and good affections without sound knowledge will not reach it It is for him that hath understanding that must count the number of the Beast Rev. 13.18 God hath given diversity of gifts to his Church for the profit of the whole some one is excellent for an interpretation of Tongues another for Prophesie another for exhortation another for a Psalm another for gubernation and discipline another is excellent about justification another about the doctrines of holiness and sanctification others again are for unlocking prophetical deeps and mysteries c. So every one hath their variety of gifts and excellencies that the body may be compleated and made perfect by the co-assistance and harmony of the whole Let it not seem strange that this book is dark and difficult to the supine and lazie christian it is only for him that hath an ear to hear what the Spirit saith unto the Churches What is meant by the Spirit that speaks unto the churches is to be enquired into It cannot be understood neither Angel nor the holy Spirit personally considered for in the next immediate verse the same Spirit is called the first and the last which was dead and is alive Now this must be Christ who appeared unto John not in his humanity but spiritually in his Deity under the figure and likeness of the Son of man Review v. 13. of the first chapter more fully to this purpose And here he is called the Spirit to denote Observ That Christ is one and the same not only in properties and qualities with the holy Spirit but in essence also He hath the incommunicable properties of the Father in the words in the next verse and precedent chapter v. 4 8 17. who is the first and the last In vers 18. of this chapter he is called The Son of God and in this verse he is called The Spirit all making up this harmonious conclusion and truth that Christ is one and the same everlasting Father Son and Spirit our God blessed for ever Observ Another Note from these words are That every wise and judicious christian ought to be very intent and enquiring into the mind of God in and about all his providential dealings and discoveries towards his churches abroad in the world What God speaks unto his churches is not of a private interpretation but of a publique concernment unto all others If God have dealt in judgement and righteousness with those Asiatique churches and for their abounding iniquities unrepented of hath anathematized and utterly unchurched them all think not that we shall go free if we be found in the same transgressions with them There were other churches too as well as these once famous for their faith and piety now become the Dens of Dragons and habitation of all unclean spirits Therefore to avoid the stroke of divine judgement by a timely repentance how behoveful and necessary it is for him that hath an ear to hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches For be sure if we run the same course of sin with them we shall drink the same cup of indignation with them also if we continue obstinate and repent not for God is the same immutable Being just and righteous and a hater of all iniquity today and for ever But to him that overcometh that is holds out against the spiritual assaults of Satan and so overcome his temptations will I give saith Christ to eat of the Tree of life which is in the midst of the Paradice of God Here we have the tryumphant Christian Conqueror described together with his Crown and Reward To him that overcometh that is the Conqueror The reward is To eat of the Tree of life in the Paradice of God But if it should be asked wherein should a christian combatant overcome to denominate him a true conqueror and to overcome indeed I answer As God hath furnished us with variety of spiritual weapons and armory from himself which are mighty through God to pull down the strong Holds of Satan so we have divers and various stratagems and wyles of his to meet with in our christian warfare here beneath we have not only to fight with our corruptions within but we must meet with divers assaults of Satan also from without enticements and allurements to false Doctrines and Worships and if we comply not we may be sure to meet his buffettings from without in revilings reproaches afflictions c. and often as Paul did fight with unreasonable and bestial men as he did after the manner of Beasts at Ephesus So that he that overcometh to
to the church visible as members thereof and are so justly reputed by others because they have submitted to the ordinances of the church which is sufficient nothing appearing to the contrary to denominate them Saints called elect and written in the book of life Now when God is said to blot out names names being put for persons out of the book of life it only signifies that God will manifestly declare and make it known both to the parties themselves and others that they never were true members of the church nor in the state of election and salvation nor never written in the book of life I will not blot his name out of the book of life Under this negative promise unto the conquering Saint is contained a strong Affirmation of the continuance of the contrary blessing Christ will not only not blot out his name out of the book of life that is confirm and continue his undoubted right and title unto eternal life but he will also manifestly declare and make known unto others his lawful Title and interest according as he hath ordained him thereunto in his book of life from all eternity and so the subsequent words do intimate I will confess his name before my Father and before his Angels often in Scripture things are then said to be done when they are only manifested to be done according to that saying Res tum demum dicuntur fieri cum incipiantur manifestari Reg. Petrum As to instance by Heb. 1.5 Thou art my Son this day have I begotten thee The Spirit in that Scripture not intending that the Son was not begotten of the Father before that day when that word was uttered but that on that day he was more eminently declared and manifested to be the only begotten Son of God then formerly So that when it is said in Scripture that God will blot their names out of the book of life it only imports That God will discover to themselves and others that their names were never written in the book of life nor had any right or interest at all in election or salvation farther then in the outward appearance From the words Note Observ That the eternal state of God's chosen ones is sealed and secured by God from everlasting Their names are written in the eternal book of God's decrees of life and he will not blot them out for being once enrolled in the book of God's election and among the catalogue of his Saints in the church invisible they can never be razed out for the foundation of God continueth sure Rom. 9.11 and hath a twofold seal 2 Tim. 2.19 First God's knowledge whereby he knoweth them that are his Secondly His Spirit of Regeneration which sealeth them unto eternal life Now if any thing would blot out those that are thus enrolled or written in the book of life it must be their sins and pollutions that would do it but the sins of God's chosen ones cannot move the Lord to raze us out of his book of life for then the fore-sight and knowledge of our sins in God's eternal counsel would much more have hindred him from chusing and enrolling us in the book of his Election seeing every one knoweth that a less cause will hinder the choice of any then move them to reject the person once chosen nay rather because the Lord hath chosen us therefore he will give us his holy Spirit whereby he will preserve us though not altogether from falling into sin yet from finally lying dormant and impenitent therein and as he hath freely chosen us to eternal life without any respect to our own worthiness so also he will freely execute this decree by giving us all the good means conducing to that end Object But some may say Though the conquering Saints are secure and their names shall not be blotted out of this book yet this doth intimate that others whose names are written therein for their sinful pollutions and iniquities unrepented of may be blotted out according to that of Exod. 32.33 Whosoever hath sinned against me saith God him will I blot out of my Book And as David prayeth Psal 69.28 Let them be put out of the book of the living and not be written with the righteous Answ First This threatning is not against the true members of Christ or his church who are enrolled in the book of life but those that are the members of the visible church only and are only seemingly written in the book of life members in shew and not in truth branches in the Vine by profession but not in practise and life of the Lord's family and in the number of his servants in their own and others opinion but not really and in truth according to God's estimation Secondly Whereas God saith he will blot such out of his book we are not to understand thereby that he would blot them out of the book of his election unto life wherein they were never written or that he would reject them whom he had chosen but that he would raze them out of the other book of life the book of the execution of his decrees to wit the book and roll â—f his visible church and that it might be manifestly declared that they who in their own opinion and in respect of their outward profession in the opinion of others might seem to be written in both books or both parts of the book of life of that of God's decrees which only relates to the invisible members and church of Christ and also of that other book or roll of the visible church yet were not in truth ever enrolled in either farther then in outward profession and appearance only And lastly Whereas David prays that the obstinate enemies of God and himself might be put out of the book of the living and not be written with the righteous is no more but as if David had said Do not O Lord write them down or reckon them in the number of thy faithful ones or if they come to be numbred among thy church and people and to be accounted written in the book of the living in respect of their outward profession and external walking with the people of God yet discover such and display them that it may manifestly appear that they were never truly written in the book of the living nor are to be accounted among the righteous that so they may be put out of the company of thy church and children that all may know that they were but hypocrites For in regard that God's decree of election is unsearchable to man those are said to be elected and written in the book of life who are outwardly called and added to the visible church professing themselves members thereof which are the outward but not the infallible signs of God's election because they are common both to hypocrites and sound believers and so likewise God is said to blot persons out of this book whose sins and hypocrisies are discovered and so thrust out of the company of
when they call themselves so and that they are not of the true christian church but of the Synagogue of Satan See more hereon cap. 2. vers 9. Behold I will make them that they shall come and worship before thy feet and they shall know that I have loved thee These words contain a promise to the church of Philadelphia that Christ would make those enemies of hers the blaspheming Iews to come and worship before her feet that is would make them to submit to the Scepter of Iesus Christ and to worship him in the presence of Philadelphia which for her purity and soundness may pass for a type and figure of the true church of Christ before whom these carnal formal Iews shall fall low and worship Object But if it be demanded Whom shall they be made to worship I answer First God in Christ whom they have blasphemed and dishonoured the sole object of Divine worship which Philadelphia and the true church do honour and obey Secondly They shall civilly worship and reverence Philadelphia and the true church for the honour that Christ hath put upon her and so will think it an honour indeed to come under the same profession worship and discipline with the christian church And when I have done this saith Christ they shall know that I always loved thee and that thou wert most dear unto me Now this Prophesy and promise was never fulfilled unto Philadelphia in the full extent thereof only we read of some few of the malignant Iews given by Christ to the church of Philadelphia and others of that age but how this promise was fulfilled in the Latitude thereof it cannot enter into my understanding to comprehend For when ever did those perverse Iews that for their notorious malignity against Christ and the truth were justly called the Synagogue of Satan come and worship or bow down before the feet of Philadelphia Or when did they submit to the worship of the the churches of Christ only but in some first fruits and that before this was written to Philadelphia And when did the Iewish Sinagogue of Satan even to this day ever since become the true church of Christ more then some few scattering persons that were converted to the faith inconsiderable to the fulfilling of this promise Or when did ever God make it it eminently appear to them that the christian churches were the only beloved people and societys in the eye of God above all others in the world Seeing those things were never yet acomplished according to the fulness of this promise surely there is yet a time to come when there shall be a more universal call of the Iewish Synagogue into holy Philadelphia or the christian church then ever yet have been to this present day A Note hence will rise Observ That God will not only make the natural obstinate Iews but also their true counterpanes the nominal seeming Christians to come and bow before the true Spouse of Christ before the latter day This is confirmed from this verse wherein it is promised by Christ that the obstinate Iews should come in and worship before the feet of the church of Philadelphia but towards Philadelphia in the latter this was never as yet performed in the extensiveness of this Scripture as is above manifested therefore as yet to come to pass before the feet of the true Philadelphia the holy church of Christ And not only the natural Iews shal come in submit and joyn to the holy church of Christ but al formal birth christians shall also either come in and worship before this true church or else shall at least wise reverence this true holy church as the only beloved of Christ for the glory of the Lamb will be upon her and the Nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it and for her greater honour the Kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it Rev 21.23 And it is but just that God's true church and people should have a day too as well as their adversaries had theirs We know how that the great and lofty ones of the world have put all possible reproaches and afflictions on the Saints of God and churches of the purest judgment but yet the time is at hand that they shall be convinced and shall know the Saints to be the only beloved of God and the great interest and stay of Kingdomes and then the greatest Monarch will be glad to take hold on the skirt of a Jew to come under the protection of this holy church for their God is the Lord of Hosts Quest. And if any one ask when this shall be Answ When the fulness of the Gentiles shall come in and all Israel shall be saved Rom. 11. When Christ shall appear again for the restoring of his Kingdome then the Kingdome and Dominion and the greatness of the Kingdom under the whole Heaven shall be given unto the people of the Saints of the Most High Dan. 7.27 then shall all come and worship before Philadelphia the glorious new united christian church of Jews and Gentiles And this shall be the true Sion the dwelling place of God's glory whereunto all Nations shall flock and worship before it and become one with it or otherwise shall be made bow unto the Iron Scepter of Christ whereby he will make all the Nations of the earth to submit to his Soveraigne Authority and fall and worship before his feet Rev. 19.15 Vers 10. Because thou hast kept the word of my patience I also will keep thee from the houre of temptation which shall come upon all the world to try them that dwell upon the earth That for which Philadelphia is commended for by Christ is for keeping the word of his patience This hath either respect to Christ or unto the church as if Christ had said because thou hast kept the word of my patience that is the word and doctrine which with a great deal of patience I have taught the world and with a like patience Preached it from time to time or else the effect being put for the cause Because thou hast kept the word of my patience that is the word of my Gospel which enjoineth and worketh patience Either or both of these senses may aptly be raised and entertained from these words without any prejudice unto the truth and intention of the Spirit in these words or 2. as respecting the Church of Philadelphia This word as it was the word of Christ's patience which he taught patiently the word is for many generations so it was received and kept by her with patience and constancy for which she had the reward of being kept from the hour of temptation Quest But whither was Philadelphia so saved and kept from the hour of temptation that fell upon all other her Sister churches that she was so freed that she was not touched by it Answ It is not probable that Philadelphia went free when the ten days of persecution under the Emperours
stands little in stead unto the Papists and their champion Bellarmine in his book of Grace and Free will cap. 1. to maintain from hence their Pelagian doctrine The power of mans Free-will before conversion unto Faith and amendment For Bellarmine therein triumphantly interrogates were not he foolish that would knock at his neighbours door if he knew for certain that there were no man within that could open It is true it were so but Bellarmine for all his great learning herein is much mistaken Christ here knocks at a door where there was one within that was able to open the party was only asleep he was not dead or quite departed from his house and therefore he knocks and calls unto him to awake and open unto him like the Spouse in the Canticles 5.2 She was asleep when her beloved came and knocked saying Open to me my Sister my Love my Dove my Undefiled So Christ comes to the church of Sardis vers 2. and bids her to awake and strengthen the things that remain and commands Laodicea to open unto him who had a power and ability to open though it was grown weak and remiss and therefore had need of a knocking a vigorous call to rouse her up unto her duty And therefore Bellarmine is quite mistaken when from hence he asserts That Christ bids the reprobate and unregenerate to open to him it is only a believing church a backslidden luke-warm believing church that he bids to rise up and open to him it is not one altogether dead but a sleepy careless luke-warm church that he stirs up to this duty of opening to him Secondly I answer Though it were granted Bellarmine that Christ somtimes knocks at the doors of Reprobates and unregenerate persons and calls to open to him though they neither will or can open to him yet Christ may do this as often he does without any impeachment to his wisdom he hereby shows what their duty is and requires it from them and justly he may though they are not in a possibility to perform it they having forfeited and lost their ability by their own fault not only in their common parent the first Adam but also by walking in the same steps of disobedience with him and Christ is not bound by any Law to restore it again unto them And therefore Christ in the last place does often call to open to him upon the very reprobate themselves as in a judiciary way for the aggravation of their condemnation upon their refusal according to that of John 15.22 If I had not come and spoken to them they had no sin but now they have no cloak for their sin Thus much in answer to Bellarmine and his doctrine of Free-will and the power of the meerly natural man in the works of grace and faith which are in the first place to be wrought by the Spirit to be nourished by the Spirit to be consummated and perfected by the same Spirit But to proceed If any man hear my voice and open the door I will come in to him and will sup with him and he with me As if Christ had said If any man will be obedient to the word of my mouth opening the door of their hearts yeilding obedience to my many and earnest solicitations I will then come and dwell in that soul and impart my self unto him and sup with him that is communicate and have mutual fellowship with him and he with me Note hence Observ 1. That it is the Saints highest priviledge to have fellowship with Christ and he with them Where there are those heavenly intercourses there is a heaven upon earth or earth ascending into heaven and heaven coming down upon earth persons hereby do become the Temples of the holy Spirit I will come in to him saith Christ that is Christ will dwell in him spiritually really operatively by his grace and he shall dwell in me that is by faith and so such become and are made the sons of God Luke 19.5 and are made partakers of his holy nature Is it not a great shame to our christian churches to deny themselves this great priviledge in not hearkning to the voice of Christ or opening the door unto him It is true we are ready to hearken to the voice of Christ so far as stands with our interest that we may not be accounted heathens abroad in the world and indeed that is all if it will amount so far for the ordinance of preaching is no distinguishing Ordinance Go Teach all Nations and the Ordinances of Prayer and Praise are but natural duties which all persons in the world are bound unto as well as christians but where is the opening the door to Christ in his especial distinguishing Ordinances Where is the mutual feasting supping and communicating between Christ and his churches in his holy Ordinances of the Supper tasting and feeding on the several and various gifts of the Spirit of Christ in his members Where is the improving of his Discipline Where are his Gardens enclosed Are not all like a Forrest or Wilderness without any culture or hedge about them 'T is true there are some few gardens whose savoury spices and precious ointment does cast a sweet smelling savour abroad but their tender Grapes are but weak and it is to be feared if God's mercy prevent not that either the little Foxes will undermine them or the wild Boar root them out I speak it according to my judgement and conscience that our contentation and sitting satisfied under a formal and luke-warm preaching and some other natural duties only will be a means to provoke God to spew us out of his mouth for our half way Religion the one ought to be done and the other not left undone we ought to have a respect to the whole will of God not so far only as our carnal wisdom thinks sufficient and no farther It was once and not long since a just complaint That common Prayer and other church Discipline and Episcopal Ruling had thrust out of doors a true preaching and divers other holy Ordinances of Christ But observe the change now it is to be feared that preaching will silence and invalidate many other of the Ordinances of Christ and render them useless to us Therefore we are to hearken to the voice of God the whole voice of God and open to it if we expect Christ to come in and to sup with us and we with him We are first to hearken to his Word open the door to him of our hearts in the preaching thereof then we are to proceed and not sit still as those silly ones that are ever learning and never coming to the knowledge or practise of the truth we are to go on to the work of perfection that is to walk in all the Ways and Ordinances of Christ which will build up our souls unto the measure of a perfect man in Christ and make us wise indeed unto salvation Lastly I conceive there is more in these words I
light and sound knowledge If he be spiritually judicious and learned I wish him to search and enquire diligently true Berean-like whether things are so or not and declare it forth unto others So shall he deliver his own soul and his Brothers also from the snares of death To all which as the Close of all I say Amen Who am Kerris in Cornwal Nov. 1. 1658. Thine In all Christian services William Hicks The Preface GOD spake at sundry times in old time to our Fathers after a diverse manner by his Servants the Prophets but now in these later dayes hee speaks unto us by his Son and his Ambassadours the Apostles and Ministers of Christ And hee that would desire to know the minde of God towards his people and Church may by the blessing of God and the Spirit of Grace moving on his endeavours in searching meditating and inquiring into the Word of God both Old and New not only finde out that Treasure where out floweth both New and Old things that will make his soule wise unto salvation but also hee shall finde a treasure of wisedom that will replenish his soule whiles here beneath in all the changes of this World with a great deale of Peace and Comfort For what will add greater hopes or be a surer prop to a soule in the time of its Affliction and mourning then to fore see know and be assured next to its interest in Christ of the day of it's deliverance This hath been the Ordinary portion and Lot of every soule that is truly Interessed in Christ Jesus thorow their severall Generations for the Servant must not look to be greater then his Master Christ entered into his glory by Sufferings Temptations sorrows and the way of the Crosse his members must drink the same cup with him whiles here militant though not to the same measure nor to the same ends for herein they are not made mighty to bear his sufferings were to give satisfaction to Divine Justice that hee that knew no sin might be made sin for us that we thereby might become the Sons and Children of God Our sufferings are for the Exercise of our graces and to fullfil the remainder of the sufferings of the Mysticall Body of Christ in our selves in our Journying towards our Celestial Canaan And this hath not only been the portion of particular members but of the whole Body the true Church of God in all ages as appeares by the History thereof Yet notwithstanding our gracious God to manifest his Fatherly oversight and faithful providence and goodness which hee without Intermission dispenseth towards his Church and people hath often for a Comfort to the Godly and warning to the wicked not only delivered them from their oppressours and set them above them but so prefixed the time of their distresses and deliverances that both they and their enemies themselves in observing the events must needs acknowledge the All-wise hand of Gods providence to the one for good to the other in wrath and Judgment God hath promised hee will not be angry with his for ever God hath his accesses and his recesses his comings in and his withdrawings towards his Church Some are conditional as if we keep with God hee will be found of us but if we forsake him he will forsake us Some again are absolute and out of Soveraignty as that I will be found of them that sought me not c. Yet however Gods purpose of doing good to his Church is so stedfast and unalterable that though many of them run upon the performance of some precedent conditions or qualifications in his people yet he will in faithfulness perform his promises towards them in their deliverance either by making them a fit people for so great a mercy by working the condition in them and so will make them a willing people in the day of his power or otherwise rather then any of the promises shall fall to ground unaccomplished will do it absolutely of his good will and pleasure 1. Before the Floud God gave 120. years respit to the old World before he would execute his Judgment upon them Gen. 6.3 When this time was expired his Spirit would contend with them no longer but God came with the Floud and destroyed all living except Noah and what was with him in the Ark. 2. God declared to Abraham that his seed should bee a stanger in a Land that was not theirs in Aegypt and should serve them and they should afflict them for 400. years but withall that Nation whom they should serve hee would judge and afterwards they should come out with great substance Gen. 15.13 14. c. Which promise God did fulfill most faithfully unto them in its due time and after the expiration of the said Terme hee brought out his people with a mighty and strong Arme in drowning the Host of Pharaoh in the red Sea 3. To that Captivity in Babylon God sets a period of 70. years Jerem. 29.10 when that time was accomplished God stirred up the Spirit of Cyrus King of Persia to let the people go 4. To Daniel God shewed that 70. weeks viz. weeks of years being 490. years were to bee determined in which time the Messias should come and be cut off and at length the City of Jerusalem destroyed Dan. 9.24 25 26. verses And how all these things were fully accomplished is most evident to every one that knows any thing of Gods dealings towards his Church and people 5. In like manner there is a certain time set and determined upon the Church of God in the new Testament how long she shall be exposed to persecution and when she shall be delivered from it which is expressed in the Prophet Daniel 7.25 and the 12.7 They the Saints shall be given unto the fourth Beasts hand untill a time times and the dividing of time Which Prophesie of Daniel does answer that of Rev. 12.14 The Woman which is the Church of God shall be in the Wilderness and trodden under foot by the power of the Beast for a time times and half a time which is to say as it is explained in the sixth verse of the same Chapter 1260. dayes or years which terme for the comfort of the Saints the power of the Beast cannot exceed For he that hath set a bound and period to all Kingdoms and Empires in this World hath said it hither thou shalt go no farther And that Angel in the Prophet Daniel 12.7 held up his right hand and left hand to Heaven and sware by him that liveth for ever that it should be but for a time times and half It being then clearly evinced that God will in his appointed time visit his Church with sure mercy and having prefixed in all ages the time and continuance of their Distresses and persecutions and that in the day of his visitation he will come with a certain deliverance to his people and ruine to his enemies it is matter of great Joy comfort to his
people to be forewarned of this time fore see it though long before it come to bear up their Spirits in there greatest afflictions and distresses Abraham saw Christs day and blessed God though seeing it afar of by faith This God hath more especially done in this Book of the Revelation it being a discovery unto the Apostle John in Prophetical representations and Hierogliphique figures of all the Empires States and Kingdoms both Ethnick and Antichristian with their severall usurpations and oppressions over the Church of God which should happen from Iohn's time unto the end of the World together with the issue thereof the finall destruction of the one and the exaltation of the other before the ultimate end of all But here by the way it will be objected and said that this Book is full of hidden mysteries and sealed and very difficult to be understood and therefore most of those that have espoused their studies to the opening of this Book have come of with losse in their over bold undertaking 1. I Answer this Book of the Revelation of S. Iohn is indeed full of mysteries which will so remain untill the accomplishment thereof do discover them unto us and make them manifest But when we by the observation of the events do see before our eyes the effect of each Prophesie and what by this and that thing hath been meant it is now no longer a mystery unto us It is now obvious to every eye what is meant by mystery Babylon the great the Mother of Harlots Rev. 17.6 This the Spirit of God doth clear up in the same Chapter to be the City with seven heads raigning over the Kings of the earth And few or none do hesitate but do acknowledge yea even the learnest of the Jesuites themselves as Bellar. Lib. 2. de Pontif. Rom. Chap. 2. Blasius Viegas in Chap. 17.18 Apoc. 5. Sect. 3. Ribera in Apoc. Châ—p 14. Page 144. c. That by this great City here is meant Rome likewise all interpreters of the Reformation do harmoniously accord that by the Beast of seven heads and ten horns Rev. 13 1. must be meant the Romish Empire divided into ten Kingdoms And the Beast with two horns like a Lamb Rev. 13.11 yet speaking like a Dragon to be the Popish Antichristian Hierarchy and if events hath plainly evidenced these without contradiction so to be understood and interpreted as in the progresse of this discourse will more fully appear why then should if seem strange that the residue of the mysteries of this Book should be unlocked and made obvious as well as the former Since the Spirit of God it self in the 17. Chapter hath laid the first ground work from whence as from a sure foundation we may have a view of the whole Revelation by collating Hystories times and passages one with another and lay them to their several characters and periods which the Spirit hath affixed to every remarkable revolution passage and Prophesie in this Book as a sure token and touch-stone to finde them out and make them manifest So that now the Revelation is no longer a mystery but a Book of History of memorable Acts and passages Wherein is fore told the several changes that shall befall to the secular State or Roman Empire and to the Church of Christ under the Dominion of that Empire untill it shall as that stone prophesied of in Dan. 2. Smite the Image on his feet and become it self a great Mountaine and set up upon the top of all Mountains And if we compare the Historyes and changes that hath hapned in the Romane Empire with the Revelation we shall discover clearly how far the accomplishments reacheth and what we may expect ere long So that the things represented in this Book are no more mysteries and hidden things but as clear and accomplished Acts unto us 2. The very Title and first entrance into the first Chapter first verse of this Book denies it to be a hidden mistery no farther then before the events do discover themselves for it is called the Apocalypse or the Revelation of Jesus Christ which God gave unto him to shew unto his Servants which shortly must be done which hee sent and shewed by his Angel unto his Servant Iohn Besides it is contrary to the clear letter of the Text that it should be a Book shut and sealed for in the 6. Chapter vers 8. The Lambs is found worthy to open the sealed Book and so discoveries are made unto Iohn and by him to all the Church of God 3. That little Book mentioned in Chap. 10. which more especially containes the fate or destiny of the Church to the end of the World was an open book and the Son of God in the end of the Revelation Chap. 22.10 plainly prohibiteth to seale the sayings of the Prophesie of this book for the time is at hand Therefore this hence clearly follows to set a check upon our supine and overly looking on this book We would rather have it sealed and hidden though the Son of God testifies the contrary then to bestow our industry with the help of the Spirit of God to seeks out the minde of the Spirit in it Truths are like treasures got by the forest labours are most sweet and precious but with all such slowbellies that think there is a Lyon in the way I leave with them these considerations Is it the Book or Word of God or not If it is as I hereafter shall clearly evince then study it Some good will come to the soule by it No Word of God is of private interpretation or written in vain it will stand in great stead Yea in the Alpha of this book and the Omega thereof in the first and last Chapters there is a blessing stored up for them that read and they that learn the words of this Prophesie and keep those things which are written therein for the time is at hand Chap. 1. ver 3. and Chap. 22. ver 7. And shall there a blessing be promised to all these that read hear and keep the words of this Prophesie and he that hath promised being most faithful to perform Yea these things saith the Son of God who hath his eyes like unto a flaming fire Revel 2.18 These things saith hee that is holy and true Chap 3.7 These things saith the Amen the faithfull and true wittnesse Chap. 3.14 And so closes in the last Chapter ver 6. that these sayings are faithfull and true Heaven and earth shall first pass away before one jota or tittle of the Word of God shall fall to the ground unaccomplished I say shall there a blessing be promised upon so faithful grounds and wilt thou not look after it I should judge blessedness worth the looking after seeing that hee that hath promised is most ready willing and able to perform But if it demanded what is the advantage what is this blessing that may accrue in reading hearing and keeping the words of this Prophesy I answer
much every way both to every particular soule and to the whole Church of Christ First if there were no more in it but the detecting and making manifest of the Antichristian whore or state and the pollutions thereof and so give a warning to all Gods people to come out of her and not to partake of her iniquities least they be partakers of her plagues Is it not a blessing to keep their souls undefiled from Antichrists pollutious and to be delivered from judgments due thereunto Was it not a great blessing for Lot to be fore told and delivered out of the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah So is it not a singular blessing and mercy unto us and the Church of Christ to be delivered and freed from the divine wrath that is gone out against spirituall or misticall Babylon 2. Is it not a great priviledge and blessing to the people of God to know the catastrophe and result of all their troubles and to have a sure word of Prophesie for their deliverance from the oppressions and cruelties of their enemies and that they shall one day triumph over them to their vtter ruine and destruction Is not this able to beat up their Spirits in all their fiery Tryals to see that their deliverance draweth nigh Is it not a blessing in the day of affliction in the day of mourning to be kept faithfull witnesses unto our God And though Satan and his deputized Antichrist have power over us to overcome and afflict us yet we are these that are sealed in the foreheads with the mark of the Lamb 3. Is it not a blessing to know that Antichrists raign is but 42. moneths a certain definite time which is now drawing to its period Is it not a blessing to know that the time of the woman in the Wilderness and the witnesses mourning in sackcloth the treading down the true Church of Christ and the Professours thereof is but for 1260. dayes which term is also neer expiring Is it not a great blessing after all the troubles and afflictions of the Church and Saints here on earth to be assured that Christ their head with Myriads of his Angels and Saints departed will appear to the finall destroying of all their enemies and giving them peace and rest causing them to raign on earth Lastly is it not a great blessing to have a promise of the enjoyment and Communion of Christ and his glorified Saints here on earth for a thousand years When mortality shall put on immortality when we shall see and know all the mysteries of God in Christ as we are seen and known when that which is perfect is come that which is imperfect shall be done away when we shall see no longer in a glass through weak and dark ordinances but then we shall see face to face when all our ordinances will be in a higher and more spiritual key when sorrow sin and death shall be swallowed up of victory when we shall walk in the light of the new Ierusalem the Lambs Wife that comes down from Heaven wherein dwelleth true righteousness And shall all those things be discovered in this Book of the Revelation with a promise thereof and of blessedness to all those that keep the words of this Prophesy and yet will any be so stupid to conclude that this is a dry useless book That treats of Christianity from its very rise to the consummation thereof full fraught with aboundance of usefull Observations to steer our feet aright in our militant course here untill we shall all come to the full stature of Christ And whereas some say it is a most difficult Book to interpret and that many able Expositors have come off with loss in their studies about it I answer first that all things to the sluggard indeed are difficult The pith marrow and substance of the Revelations is not to be found out by a coursary reading thereof it is not obvious to every ey And this is intimated in that 3. vers of Chap. 1. wherein is observable that blessedness is entailed to reading hearing and keeping the words of the Prophesy it is not a bare reading or hearing that will entitle to this blessedness but it must be keeping treasuring up pondering and digesting before it will produce the happy fruits of blessedness Indeed there are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the depths for Elephants to swim in as well as shallows for Lambs to wade thorough in the Word of God as God hath dispensed various gifts and abilities in his Saints so God hath sowne in his Word several measures of truth sutable thereunto none may complain for want to exercise their Spirits in The weakest may see so much as shall make him wise unto salvation and the highest capacity can attain no more and when it hath done all yet it must needs confess that it is not omniscient but that there are some misteries in the Word of God that will be still misteries unto it until the day of the Revelation of Christ shall come wherein hee will teach us all things It was a saying of Prospers Parvuli magni fortes infirmi Habent in Scripturis unde alantur satientur No age so young which Scripture doth not fit There 's milk for Babes and meat for stronger wit 2. It is difficult to all such that are not versed in the old and modern Romane Histories not knowing how to apply the figures and representations of this Prophesy to their several times and periods Neither knoweth how to distinguish the times of the revolutions and changes but confound several things spoken of diverse States one with another Not observing where mention is made of the secular or civil state and whereof the ecclesiastick conceiving that the Revelation is as a continued History or Relation of events succeeding one another in the same order and cause as the visions are reveiled in And for want of due observation herein many interpreters have stumbled and so confounding perverting and disturbing the whole method and harmony of the Revelation in making several epacts and periods of time so placing things which must come to pass after the destruction of Babylon and the Beast before it Whereas the passages of the Revelation are so related one to the other though written in order one after another that many thereof do concur in one and the same time so that hee that goeth about to describe them in order of time as they lye in the book in order of place without the observation of the methd oharmony and connexion which is to be observed in all the passages of this book falling under the same syncronisme or concurrencies of times indeed to such this Book of the Revelation must needs remain full of difficulty mistery and obscurity And so the whole order of the Revelation together with themselves are rendred in-extricable and confounded Whereas indeed the Spirit of God in this Book as a wise and well versed Historian is wont to do in the description of
though he were the great Apostle of the Gentiles and so calls himself and glories in the priviledge and that he was an Hebrew of the Hebrews Phil. 3.5 that is born of the ancient Hebrew race and linage and one mighty in the Law brought up at the feet of Gamaliel yet how often doth Paul inculcate in his Epistles Paul the servant of Iesus Christ Rom. 1.1 Phil. 1.1 c. Tit. 1.1 c. David a King should rather glory to be a servant unto God and a door-keeper in his house then to live in the courts of Princes Observ 3. If the highest in repute and office in Christ's church be but servants then not lords the grave Apostles Paul James John are but servants and would be accounted but as the Ministers of Christ 1 Cor. 4.1 and not as lords and masters over the churches faith 2 Cor. 1.24 1 Pet. 5.3 Christ alone is the great Dictator and Imposer of Tyes and Rules upon the conscience of his people Matth. 23.13 The greatest Apostle Bishop Pastor or Elder deserves but the honour of a Servant Minister or Steward in the church not of a Lord and Master their work is a work of service to perswade entreat convince by reasons not to impose dictate and compel In short they can impose nothing as necessary to be believed done and practised which is not according to the mind of God and that neither in their own name or for their own ends for they are servants not at their own dispose but at the call beck and direction of another even of their Lord and Master Christ There is also somwhat to be considered in that when Christ precisely sets down and takes notice by name to whom he gives this Prophesie His servant John Whence note 1. That the truth of a Prophesie depends much for credit on the credit and reputation of the Relator John was Christ's beloved Disciple most highly illuminated in the mysteries of the Eternal Word of God John was a Prophet and the last that had prophetical Visions to a full discovery of the state of things to the end of the world and therefore there is an Anathema gone forth against all persons that shall add or diminish from the words of this prophesie in the 18 and 19 verses of chap. 22. for there is no other discovery of the state of affairs then what is in this present book to be expected until the end of all and therefore the Spirit of God in the second verse the better to gain belief and credit unto the Truth of this prophesie and unto the subordinate Instrument and Author thereof describes his Excellencies Offices Gifts and Qualities in these words Verse 2. Who bare Record of the Word of God and of the Testimony of Jesus Christ and of all things that he saw You have in the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Who witnessed a Record or bare a sure Testimony and that of three things First Of the Word of God Secondly Of Jesus Christ Thirdly Of All things that he saw Wherein two senses or Interpretations offer themselves to the view Whether this Record be to be taken singly as Iohn was an Evangelist and bare testimony of the Divinity of the Word as one with God and that Word was God Iohn 1.1 and this Word was made flesh in the person of Jesus Christ and so bare record of all the acts and miracles which he saw this divine person do and perform through the whole course of his life here beneath Or secondly Whether this Record of the Word of God and the Testimony of Jesus Christ and of the things which he saw be to be understood of the Truth of the Word of God in this book of Prophesies which Jesus Christ did testifie unto and was made apparent by Visions unto John Indeed I shall willingly admit of both senses and I am of opinion the Spirit of God in this verse aims at both for adding the better authority and credit to the truth of this book of Prophesies and though the Gospel of Iohn was not written when this Revelation was given yet by his constant preaching he might well be seen to bear Record of the Word of God and of Jesus Christ and of all things that he saw 1. From the first sense Note That they that are the faithful Publishers or Preachers of the Word of God and of Jesus Christ gets best credit and reputation to all other their relations 2. Another Note is That they are fittest to receive Visions or Prophesies from God that bears the faithfullest Record of the Word of God and of Jesus Christ Iohn was now a prisoner and under banishment for the Testimony of Jesus when he received those Revelations Paul as a reward of his faithfulness in his Ministery and Apostleship had even here an irradiation and taste of the heavenly glory when he was wrapt up in the third heavens The Prophets of old Ezekiel Daniel Ieremiah c. received those visions of God high and excellent ones because they were faithful witnesses of the Word of God and publishers of it unto others and the reason hereof is because they whose minds are most conversant with God and exercised in his Word are fittest Instruments to receive and know the mind of God for omne simile gaudet simili Every like desires communication with its like Verse 3. Blessed is he that readeth and they that hear the words of this Prophesie and keep those things which are written therein for the time is at hand You have again the promise of blessedness made to those that keep the sayings of this Prophesie in the last chapter verse 7◠From which promise here in the entrance of the Book and in the end thereof reiterated and made good to such as keep the sayings of this Prophesie you may observe Observ 1. That this prophesie is not altogether inaccessible but to be understood of such as diligently enquire thereinto by the help of God's Spirit If the discovery of this Prophesie were not feasible how vain would it be to promise blessedness to the diligent observers thereof I conceive it would be very derogatory to the Divine Truth of God to make such a supposition Besides the sayings of this Prophesie are to be read heard and kept and therefore most absurd to conclude that it is so hidden as not to be understood in the scope and substantial part thereof From the promise of blessedness Note Observ 2. That this book of Prophesies contains most excellent and useful things to be understood kept and observed How singular useful it is to foresee the coming either of the day of joy and tryumph or the day of evil and affliction That our Spirits may be born up and our hearts comforted under all conditions in the certain hopes and expectancy of the one and that we may not murmure in the other but acquiesce under the hand of God in patience until the day of the wrath of the Lord be past and
the compellation Observ That all Christ's servants are brethren and fellow-feelers in all conditions whether good or evil And this flows from that root of union being all baptized into one Spirit and made members of one mystical body so that what good soever falls to any one of Christ's members the whole body is partaker of the joy of it When the lost sheep or the lost groat in the parable was found there was a general rejoycing for it Come saith the good man rejoyce with me for I have found my lost sheep If any evil befal to any member there is mutual mourning for it for there is as I may so say the same stream of blood running in all their veins being members of the same Body Nay and not only a sympathy between the members but also between their head Christ and them for he takes notice of all that is done unto them as done unto himself whether good or evil In as much as ye have not done it unto one of these ye have not done it unto me but having done it unto one of these you have done it unto me Matth. 25.45 This informs all in power how dangerous it is to cast contempt on the Saints of Christ and much more to lay affliction on them But here John was not only under tribulation himself for the word of God and testimony of Jesus Christ but also his Brethren the seven Churches of Christ to whom he wrote were fellow sufferers with him for it was under that Tyrant Domitian who raised the second great persecution against the Christians between the years of Christ 97. and 99. as Eusebius witnesseth and doubtless it reached not only unto John the chief Apostle or Minister of those Churches but that they were sharers in his affliction also or else he would not have called himself 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 companion or fellow commoner in sufferings with them From which observe Observ 2. Whensoever tribulation or persecution do seize on any of the eminentest lights or ministers of God's churches then be sure the interiour christians or members shall not go free themselves but be sufferers also The churches now in this time of patience and tribulation must not think to be greater or freer then their master 's own flock was in the time of his abode on earth for then according to that prophesie of Isaiah The Shepherd was smitten and the flock were dispersed and fled Therefore let all his members not think to have a greater priviledge of exemption when they are in the same condition that those sheep of his own calling was in his time on earth From John's condition here of Affliction and Tribulation being a great Apostle and one of the chiefest of the twelve observe Observ 3. That when persecution arises it takes hold first on the eminentest lights and choisest members of Christ's church Satan in his designs strikes high first at Christ next at his Apostles after that at the chief Pastors and Teachers of the Gospel if so possible he might hinder the progress of it Observ 4. As a corrolary from this note That it is a rash and dangerous thing to judge of the condition of christians according to their outward afflictions John was here a man of tribulation and under banishment yet the beloved Disciple of Christ The world presently judges those are none of God's people for they are afflicted discountenanced imprisoned banished c. and I could wish that none but the world did judge so This is the way to condemn the righteous and let the guilty go free Of persons of such judgement I demand Was John that was in banishment and under tribulation or Domitian's Courtiers in prosperity and outward pomp nearest or dearest unto God Was Ezekiel Daniel Mordecai and the three children in the Babylonish captivity less righteous or more ungodly then King Zedekiah who at that time lived in state and sin in the land of Judah Or was Jeconiah more beloved of God dwelling at Jerusalem who was a despised broken Idol Ier. 22.28 then those dear children of God in Babylon who waited under a long and hard captivity Was not Paul with his fetters about his heels dearer unto God then Agrippa with his crown on his head sitting in the Throne to condemn him Shall we number the Apostles the Martyrs in the primitive times and since when they were imprisoned stoned sawed asunder burnt tormented and slain amongst and in the catalogue of transgressors Is not this to condemn Christ himself who is made a man of sorrows for our sakes In short those that are under great tribulation may be dear and beloved children of God when those that are in great prosperity may be both hated obstinate enemies unto him Observ 5. Another observation hence is That in the lowest and most afflicted condition of God's church and people God makes out unto them the greatest discoveries of himself in light and truth and comfort God here discovers unto Iohn under tribulation and banishment this excellent book of Prophesies for the comfort of his people unto the end of all Unto the children of Israel when they were in a strange land and under captivity and deprived of all their ordinances peculiar to their Temple then God sends them an Ezekil and Daniel even in Babylon with visions of God to comfort them and support their spirits in all their afflictions to preserve them from Idolatry amongst Idolaters and to discover all false Prophets that came with false hopes unto them to deceive them It is not banishment nor fetters nor prisons can keep off the special presence and discoveries of God from his afflicted ones when they are lowest he is highest in grace and mercy towards them when we are deepest in afflictions God comes in with his greatest consolations Thou remembredst us in our low estate saith the Psalmist Let the godly comfort themselves in this that in their prisons fetters or Banishments God will provide for them his discoveries of mercy grace and consolation to bear up their spirits under all extremities In these words In the Kingdom and patience of Iesus Christ Here is some difficulty of interpretation Indeed Kingdom in Scripture is of divers acceptation somtimes it is taken for the coming of Christ in spirit somtimes for the doctrine of the Gospel but chiefly for his tryumphant reigne at the day of his last appearance and I conceive it is here to be taken in this latter sense for the state of affliction and tribulation in the Scripture is never called a Kingdom and how unsutable it is unto it all know though they are said to overcome and to be more then conquerors herein for the Kingdom is bestowed as a reward and crown to the faithful holding out in this condition consult Reu. 2.7 and the tenth and that which is bestowed as the result and reward of their faithfulness under tribulation which is the kingdom can in no good sense be interpreted to be faithfulness
first vision Iohn saw seven golden Candlesticks and in the mids of them one like the Son of man c. Some may conceive that this person here represented in the likeness of the Son of man to be some Angel and not Christ because he is said to be like the Son of man and not the Son of man but an Angel which Christ deputized as v. 1. to give these visions unto Iohn But to refel this opinion I offer these reasons First He is called the Α and Ω in verse 8. and in chap. 2. vers 18. where the same person is described he is called the Son of God Now sure God would never give these Titles and his peculiar Attributes unto creature-Angels but unto his Son who is not only 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not only consimiliar but consubstantial with the Father and who counts it no robbery to be equal with God For unto which of the Angels hath he said ye are the Α and Ω the first and the last Or ye are the Sons of God Or unto which of the Angels hath he said as in verse 18. ye are alive but ye were dead or ye have the keys of hell and of death Surely no creature in heaven or in earth will take these high Titles and Prerogatives unto themselves but Christ himself and therefore this likeness of the Son of man in this vision must needs be Christ And by the way I would have the observant reason take notice that it is not very difficult to discern what visions in this book are given forth by Christ and what by Angels by observing the descriptions of the parties that gives them for the principal and most remarkable visions Christ gives out himself but the less principal he discovers by his ministers the Angels But to leave nothing in the dark Some may say Why may not this be the Father who appeared unto Daniel chap. 7. 9. who is there called the Ancient of days whose garment was white as snow and the hair of his head as pure wool his throne was like the fiery flame and his wheels were as burning fire The description of this person here in Daniel is almost the same with this in the Revelation comparing the 11. 14 and 15 verses together I answer first The Learned do observe That neither the Father nor the holy Spirit have ever appeared in the likeness or the shape of man Secondly The Anthropomorphites have abused this place to maintain their gross opinion of the corporiety and circumscription of the infinite Deity and therefore the all-wise Spirit of God to prevent the mistakes of man about the invisible and incomprehensible nature of God describes this vision of Daniel in the likeness and appearance of things not that they were materially so It is the likeness of a Throne and like a fiery flame c. And in the 13 verse like the Son of man no true substantial body nor material visions Thirdly I answer This must be the person of the Son in the likeness of man for the reasons immediately foregoing who was dead but is alive and he that should attribute this to the Father or the Spirit should want some Hellebore Lastly This must be Christ because we find in Scripture that Christ hath often appeared in visions like unto man Dan. 7.13 I saw in the night Visions and behold one like the Son of man Ezek. 1.26 and Rev. 14.14 I looked and behold a white cloud and upon the cloud one sate like unto the Son of man and that this was the person of the Son and not the Father or the holy Spirit is most evident from verse 18. of chap. 2. where one and the same person that is in the 13 14 and 15 verses here described in the mids of the seven Churches or the seven golden Candlesticks who had his eyes like a flame of fire and his feet like unto fine brass in the 18. verse of chap. 2. he commands John to write to Thyatira one of the seven Churches These things saith the Son of God which hath his eyes like unto a flame of fire and his feet like unto fine brass Therefore to be brief that person that is here called the Son of God is neither the Father nor the Spirit but Christ the eternal Son of God Quere But was not this appearance then in the likeness of the Son of man truly man or Christ the Son of man Seeing you hold it was the person of Christ was it Christ according to his manhood I answer It was Christ but not Christ as the Son of man for it is a maxime that nullum simile est idem and here he is called like the Son of man therefore not the true and proper Son of man The heavens was to contain his manhood until the restauration of all things though his Divinity is ubiquitary omnipresent and omnipotent yet his manhood is circumscribed and terminated unto one place at once if it be in heaven it cannot be on earth it ascended there Acts 1.10 11. and Stephen saw him there even the Son of man at the right hand of his Father in glory Act 7.56 not by a visional representation but truly and really As God gave Stephen this glorified sight of the Son of man in heaven so God doubtless fitted and qualified his organical instruments of sight above their common pitch to reach an object at so high a distance when God will work wonderfully he can turn Nature out of its proper frame either in elevating it beyond its own power of production or to hinder it in its own peculiar operations He can make the Sun to stand still as in the days of Joshua He can make the eye to see a thousand miles distance as unto Stephen he can bind up the fiery flames that they shall not hurt or burn as unto the three children in the fiery Furnace walking therein without scortching a hair But to return If Christ as the Son of man be in heaven then he is not on the earth he is not transubstantiated or consubstantiated into or with the Bread in the Sacrament as the Papists and some Lutherans dream of But secondly I answer Christ here appears to John as he did to the Prophets of old before his Incarnation that is to say by his Deity and Godhead being transfigured into the likeness of man and taking up the form of man as being most sutable to the capacity and nature of man and so manifests himself in the shape or form of man otherwise the Divine Nature in it self is invisible as in Dan. 7.13 and 10.5 Ezek. 1.26 Rev. 14.14 Before Christ's Incarnation he appears in the likeness of man to show that in time he would become the true and real Son of man by assuming flesh into union with his Godhead and since his Ascension he appears in the likeness of man to teach us that one day he will in the true humane nature come again to judge
same incommunicable properties with the Ancient of days He is here farther described to have eyes as a flame of fire and feet like unto fine brass burning as in a furnace 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eyes like a flame of fire signifies either their piercing nature in searching into the secrets of the heart or of wrath and indignation to terrifie his impenitent enemies and indeed Christ is here from head to feet presented in a fiery colour his eyes were as a flame of fire his feet like unto fine brass as if they burned in a furnace Hence Note Observ 2. That when Christ is about executing acts of power and judgement against Kingdoms or Churches he is most terrible in his appearance When he goes about to call to an account the seven Asian Churches he is very intense about it and all of a fiery colour sparkling in the eyes like fire does signifie much anger and indignation feet of burning brass speed and execution Christ is here presented in that fine posture he is brought in Rev. 10.1 with his face shining as the Sun and his feet as pillars of fire whereupon presently followed terrible thunders and dreadful judgements So in chap. 2. v. 18. he is presented with eyes like fire and feet like brass and forthwith goes on with a charge against the Church of Thyatira So in Rev. 19.10 11 12. he is said to have his eyes like a flame of fire and his vesture dipt in blood and presently goes on in executing great wrath against his adversaries The dreadfulness of this fiery Judge when he comes in wrath will better appear if we consider that of the Prophet Malachi 3.2 3. Who shall abide the day of his coming and who shall stand when he appears for he is like a Refiners fire A Refiners fire is the hottest most terrible and most consuming How terrible he is towards Babylon both literal and mystical consider Jer. 51.25 and Rev. 18.8 9 c. I am against thee oh destroying mountain speaking of Babylon which destroyest all the earth I will stretch out my hand upon thee and rowl thee down from the Rock and will make thee a burnt mountain This was fully executed on old Babylon in the letter And how severe is Christ against Babylon in the mysterie in Rev. 18.8 Her plagues shall come at one day death and sorrow and famine and she shall be burnt with fire for strong is the Lord God which will condemn her Peruse the chapter throughout When Christ goes forth on his red horse to execute judgement and to take peace from the earth neither Kings nor Captains nor the mighty ones of the earth shall be able to stand against this mighty one They shall call for the mountains to fall upon them to hide them from the face of him that sitteth upon the Throne and from the wrath of the Lamb. And Paul tells us 2 Thes 1.8 of the dreadfulness of this Judge who should come in flames of fire to what end to destroy Antichrist the son of perdition with the brightness of his coming only consider once more Rev. 19.12 13 c. When Christ goeth forth to make war in righteousness his eyes were like a flame of fire and was clothed in a garment dipt in blood and out of his mouth proceeded a sharp sword that with it he should smite the heathen for he shall rule them with a rod of iron for he it is that treadeth the wine-press of the fierceness and wrath of almighty God All this doth clearly inform that Christ hath another name a strange name that none knoweth but himself Rev. 19.12 that is another nature and disposition to appear in then of a Lamb No man ever thought that have only considered Christ in the state of his humiliation that he had that Lion-like disposition in him All Christ's adversaries shall one day know that he is as the Lion of the Tribe of Judah whose voice shall be terrible unto them as well as a Rock of defence and safeguard to all his chosen ones and as sure as he hath already acted the Lamb-like part in his sufferings here on earth and now doth the same in his Mediators office in heaven so he shall one day come with power and glory to rule the Nations of the earth that would not have him for their Lord and King even with a Scepter of power and judgement and with a rod of iron And to set forth the dreadfulness of this Judge the more he comes with a Lion-like voice roaring as the sound of many waters Hence Note Observ 2. That when Christ comes to judge his enemies he is not only dreadful in his looks and outward appearance but he is dreadful all over even in his words also In verse 10. his voice was as of a Trumpet loud and terrible here like the sound of many waters very terrible to his enemies but rouzing converting and saving to his faithful ones Verse 16. And he had in his right hand seven Stars and out of his mouth went a sharp two edged sword and his face shone as the Sun shineth in its strength Notwithstanding Christ's dreadful appearance and his intenseness unto judgement yet he had in his right hand seven stars In the right hand is seated the chiefest strength and power of man and so it connotes to us safety and protection and he takes the seven stars into his right hand to preserve and keep them safe under his protection whilst he is executing his judgements upon his impenitent backsliding churches or obstinate enemies The seven stars the Spirit interprets to be the Angels of the seven churches verse 20. of this chapter only what is meant by Angels in that place being mystically represented by the stars in Christ's right hand I think fit to make enquiry here Surely it cannot be meant Angels in a proper sense such as are ministring Spirits the Angels in heaven for John is commanded in the next chapter to write unto those Angels of the church of Ephesus Smyrna c. to write unto the Spirits Angelical all know such a command would not proceed from him that is the wisdom of the Father therefore this must needs be interpreted to be the chief Ministers or Pastors of those Asian churches who should rather be called here the Messengers then the Angels of the churches for the word in the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is Messenger which we translate Angel when attributed to God's ministring Spirits but when attributed unto man more properly it should be rendered Messenger and not Angel as that of Peter Acts 12. When he came and knocked at the door where the Disciples were they thought it was his Angel and not himself that is his Messenger one coming from him to acquaint them of his deliverance for they could not be so ignorant to conceive that it was an Angel that knocked which could enter without opening the doors wherefore under correction of better Iudgements I shall account this amongst
some of the mistakes of our Translators Consult to this purpose Luke 7.24 Mal. 3.1 and therefore it should be better rendered here Messengers write unto the Messengers of the seven churches And the Ministers of the Gospel are so termed because they are persons sent and commissionated by Christ to preach and teach his Gospel amongst his churches Matth. 28.18 Having cleared what is meant by the Angels or seven Stars of the Asian churches I shall draw these notes Observ 1. Christ hath an especial eye of providence and hand of protection over all his faithful Ministers of his Word in the most terrible times of wrath and judgement He takes them in his right hand claps them under his wings for safety Noah who was a preacher of righteousness was preserved in the Ark when all the world was drowned Righteous Lot was preserved when Sodom flamed in fire Ezekiel Daniel Mordecai c. were preserved in Babylon when the Inhabitants of Judah suffered all the miseries that an insolent Conquerour could lay upon them How Luther was preserved when all the antichristian world sought his ruine is most admirable to consider I have heard it related that that most famous Minister of Christ Peter du Molyne was preserved in Paris being a sucking childe by his Nurse under a tub when the bloody massacers did not spare man woman or childe of the Reformed Faith that he might afterward become a star in the firmament of Christ's church And the reason of all this is they that are most engaged for Christ in his work and ministery he does most engage for their safety and protection Satan is their greatest enemy therefore Christ is their greatest friend and bulwark Oh that all the Ministers of our churches were shining stars faithful Angels or rather faithful Messengers of God's word and truth Then Christ would carry them in his right hand of protection and they should be as the apple of his eye unto him The Angels Messengers or chief Ministers of these seven Asian churches are here represented by stars Stars always in prophetical Scriptures signifie eminency splendour light and excellency How art thou fallen from heaven O Lucifer thou son of the morning meaning Nebuchadnezzar Isa 14.12 and Rev. 18.10 I saw a star fall from heaven which connotes the fall of a most eminent high and excellent person From hence note 2. Those that are the dispensers of Christs mysteries ought to be more eminent and excellent in knowledge and holiness then other inferiour christians They are figured by stars by the shining heavenly lamps they are the salt of the earth their lips should especially preserve wisdom they should be as stars of the greater magnitude shining in the firmament of their churches they are the Overseers of the flock to go in and out before them in soundness of life and doctrine yet too though their light be great shining and eminent yet let them consider they are but stars their light is borrowed from the Sun they should not advance it to that pitch as to make it an infallible light but they should eye the Son as the fountain of all true light to keep them in their proper Sphere and not to lord it over the Lord's inheritage Let them remember too that they are stars whereof some may be erratique as well as fixed ones Christ alone is the true light the true morning star that whosoever shall receive light from this true Son of righteousness he cannot be deceived but at last shall be brought to the Father of all lights 3. Another Note is That the Ministers of Christ are in an high and honourable calling They are figured under the types of stars celestial lights they have the same Titles of God's ministring spirits The Angels they are his Messengers that goes on his errants his Ambassadours to treat with man about the great mysteries of heaven Hence ariseth another corrolary That all Christ's ministers as they are stars though differing from one another in glory in parts gifts and graces yet not differing in power nor Lords over one another They are Angels that is Messengers Ambassadours not Prince Cardinals not Lord Bishops Every church here had its Angel its Bishop its Pastor its Elder not many Bishops not many Elders in a classical form over divers churches but every church had its Angel its Ministers or Officers Ephesus had its Anâ—gel Smyrna its Angel c. not that Ephesus Angel either singly o. joynt with two three or more were superintendent over all the rest Here is a farther description of the terribleness of the appearance of Christ in this vision when he cometh in power and judgement Out of his mouth went a sharp two-edged sword and his face shone as the Sun in his strength The sword of the mouth is taken in Scripture for the words or doctrine proceeding from the mouth Psalm 56.5 Prov. 5.4 Job 5.15 The word of Christ is here called a sharp two-edged sword it cuts both sides but in a diverse mode it wounds the penitent but for their recovery and to bring them unto Christ and so it is mighty in operation Heb. 4.12 And secondly It is a destroying sword to his adversaries Rev. 19.15 Out of his mouth went a sharp sword that with it he should smite the heathen Hence observe Christ's word is very powerful and piercing it divides between the bone and the marrow between the soul and the spirit it is Telum Achilleum Achilles Spear that can both hurt and cure kill and make alive But it may be here questioned whether this figure of a two edged sword that went out of the mouth of Christ may not signifie and represent a material sword also I answer affirmatively That Christ also is to use that sword which is to smite the heathen with and that is a material one for he is to rule them with a rod of iron Rev. 19.15 Now how it can be understood that Christ is to smite the heathen with the sword of his mouth that is his word or rule them with his word and doctrine I see but small reason for such an interpretation and seeing too when he does this it is in fierceness treading the wine-press of the wrath of almighty God But then some may say Does Christ judge and smite his enemies only by the material sword I answer No first he goes out with the sword or spirit of his mouth to wit his divine truth and word to make manifest destroy and overthrow all antichristian Idolatry and Worship 2 Thes 2. Then secondly he goes out on the red Horse of war with a material sword to destroy the Beast and the false Prophet and their adherents and they are so smitten and destroyed that the Fowls of the Ayr are called to the prey to eat the flesh of kings and the flesh of captains and the flesh of mighty men and the flesh of horses and of them that sit upon them and the flesh of all men both free and bond
in part to come written without that is plain for discovery open to the view All which imports that Iohn was to write of the then present state of Affairs and of the churches which was plain and open and as of things that are and also of the future state of things which are as a book written within sealed and secret in respect of their futurity 2. Another Note hence is That God's true Prophets and faithful Ministers will commend no more to the observation of their churches as visions from God then what they have really seen and hath been discovered from God unto them They are not to come with the word of the Lord in their mouth and pretend visions from God like the false prophets in Ier. 14 whiles their mouths and hearts are full of lying vanities Iohn writes no more then what he saw to the seven churches nor discovers no more then what he saw was then present or should come to pass in after time What we haue seen and heard saith the Apostle we speak and are bold to preach and to commend unto you Christ's Ministers should press no more then what they are assured are experienced truths I doubt me every opinion concerning outward forms of Government Discipline and the like will not at last appear to be visions of God which some do now a days so hotly contend for it may be one day said unto such hot-spurs Boanerges sons of Thunder who required such things at your hands whiles you let the greatest works as of love righteousness and judgement lie prostrate at your feet as if they did not concern you Vers 20. The mysterie of the seven Stars c. Christ in the last verse to make things plain unto John and to give him a taste of the discovery of those mysteries in his book interprets the mystery of the vision of seven Stars and of the seven Candlesticks presented unto his sight in the precedent 12 and 16 verses and he calls it the mysterie of seven Stars and candlesticks because indeed unto John it was a secret and hidden thing what those figures of stars and candlesticks did mystically mean or represent and unto John it would be still a mysterie if Christ himself had not here interpreted Hence Note That this book of Revelations is made clear obvious and manifest by a diligent observation and a right applicationof the mystical characters and figures of each vision Christ himself in this verse hath made the first enterance and essay on this account He tells us that the seven Stars in his right hand and the seven golden candlesticks do mystically represent the seven Angels or Messengers of his churches and the seven candlesticks the churches themselves In the seventeenth chapter Christ is more large in interpreting the mysterie of Babylon the great the mother of harlots c. All which connotes unto us Observ That the wise observant christian may attain unto the revelation and discovery of the mysteries of this book of Prophesies by the help of the Spirit of God upon a diligent enquiry thereinto The Spirit says often in the second and third chapters Let him that hath an ear hear what the Spirit saith unto the Churches and in chap. 13. vers 18. Here is wisdom let him that hath wit count the number Here is the mind that hath wisdom cap. 17. v. 9. so that it is for him that hath an ear an intelligent understanding ear and wisdom a wise heart to consider that is fit and capable to open and apply aright the mysteries of this book It is a mystery therefore difficult to all but unto the spiritualized eye and unto the mind that hath wisdom but it should not therefore be accounted presumption in such to undertake this essay seeing it hath pleased Christ to give us the first fruits himself in opening the mysteries of the vision of the seven stars and the seven golden candlesticks which is as an enterance into the whole and since he hath interpreted unto us that by the seven stars are meant the seven Angels of the churches by the seven golden candlesticks the seven famous Asian churches by the woman arrayed in scarlet the mother of harlots in the seventeenth of the Revelations to be the great City that reigneth over the Kings of the earth and the Beast with seven heads and ten horns to signifie a Government Empire or Kingdom on seven Mountains where the great harlot reigneth under ten Kings why should it be thought strange rash or presumptuous to interpret the rest of the mystical figures and hyeroglyphick characters of this book according to their natural and genuine tendency and as they are opened and applyed in other prophetical writings by one and the same Spirit of Prophesie whose wisdom it was ever from the beginning to represent the risings progress and downials of the great Empires and Kingdoms of the word by such dark and mysterious figures and representations unto God's servants his Prophets And conceive one great reason of this dark and mysterious carriage of the Spirit is That the Intendments of God towards the Powers and Kingdoms of the world may be revealed and made known but unto few such as have spirits sutable and wills to conform to the will of God in all things for if those great events and revolutions of State were made vulgar and known unto all it would raise innumerable combustions in the world and great sufferings and afflictions to the children of God from those Powers that they live under for whose sakes these great concussions and subversions of States and Kingdoms do come to pass that Christ's and their Interest may be exalted at the last 2. Note That it is the Spirit of Christ in his Word that makes known and opens the secrets of all Divine mysteries unto his servants Christ discovers unto John those mysteries of stars c. It is this Spirit that searcheth into the deep things of God He shall take of mine as Christ saith John 16.15 and shall show it unto you and hence he is called the Comforter because he makes the love of the Father and the grace of Christ which was before-hand hid in the bosome and counsel of God manifest unto poor souls and so sheds abroad the love of God in their hearts by faith The discovery of Divine mysteries are too high a work for the ablest and wisest person in his natural capacity without the help of Christ's Spirit for they are spiritually not carnally to be discerned But to proceed The mysterie of the seven stars Christ interprets to be the Angels of the seven churches Stars in all prophetical writings do signifie persons of eminency and honour and in Heraldry it is accounted the most noble sort of blazoning peculiar alone to the Armory of Princes The Angels of the seven churches or rather Messengers for so the Greek word signifies because they come with the best message and news that ever came to man to wit the glad tydings of
church of Christ in Ephesus yet I presume on good grounds that most or the greatest part of Ephesus cryed up Great was Diana of the Ephesians and though there were churches of Christ in Rome Corinth Smyrna Pergamus and other places mentioned in Scripture yet we know by good history that the National Worship and Religion was Ethnick unto Jupiter Mars Sol Venus c. yet indeed I confess a Church may be called the National church as that of Ephesus of England of France of Scotland c. in respect of the church constituted and made up of members or persons of that Nation but herein we have no difference the controversie is not about words but things really differing among themselves as when they affirm every individual and singular parochial church of England to be particular churches of Christ as parts of the whole and the whole to be the National church of England constituted of its singular parts If all England Scotland France be the church what room is left for the world and the profane therein The church may be denominated of England Scotland France c. but not all England Scotland France to be the church there is great difference in those expressions but of this I shall say no farther at present Having done with the Inscription or direction To the Angel of the Church of Ephesus the next thing is write for the better observation of the things that follow These things saith he that holdeth the seven Stars in his right hand who walketh in the midst of the seven golden Candlesticks That the church of Ephesus and the rest may know from whom this subsequent message comes tell them that it is from him that holdeth and keepeth in his fatherly hand of protection his faithful Ministers and Pastors which are as stars in the Firmament of his churches for glory Peruse the sixteenth verse of the first chapter more fully to this purpose And who walketh that is is in active posture ready to observe all the doings whether good or evil of all his churches and therefore he is said to walk in the midst of his seven golden candlesticks consult more at large with v. 13. 20. of c. 1. From Christ's posture of walking in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks or the seven Asian churches note That Christ is very intent with an eye of providential observation and that for their good over all his faithful churches This is not the time of his sitting on the Throne of judging the world but of walking in the midst of his golden candlesticks viewing the order of his churches and to see whether they are proficients under the means of grace according to that of the Canticles cap 6. 11. I went down into the garden of Nuts to see the fruits of the Valley and to see whether the Vine flourished and the Pomgranâ—tes budded Christ is now viewing his churches graces taking delight therein and to encourage them to perseverance that the crown may be unto them that overcome and also takes a special notice of their backslidings and lays them before their eyes in the deceitfulness thereof that they may loath them and return unto their God by a holy repentance And this is but a confirmation of his promise at his departure left as his last comforting Legacy with his afflicted church Matth. 28.20 That though he was ascended into the highest heavens yet in his providential eye over them and by his Spirit teaching directing counselling supporting and comforting them he would be ever with them unto the end of the world Verse 2. I know thy works and labour and thy patience and how thou canst not forbear them which are evil and hast examined them which say they are Apostles and are not and hast found them Lyars Verse 3. And hast born and hast patience and for my names sake hast laboured and hast not fainted In the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I have seen thy works for the better and more perfect taking knowledge of them Our knowledge is mixt and joyned with much imperfections and at best is but a mixt act of our understanding and affections and so to know a thing by a human capacity is to understand it and the nature thereof in the highest notion that its capable of comprehension and often by reason of the darkness in the understanding the affections or will are misplaced and so become erroneous and sinful for a mind not well informed or an ignorant soul can very hardly be a good or a godly one for without this light the judgement and affections will be often led astray to that which is only good in appearance and to contemn that which in it self is really good and perfect but here is no fear of imperfection of knowledge in this person Christ who is one with the Father God from everlasting and therefore all our works are patent and open before him his judgement or affections cannot be misled to approve of things and works that should not or disapprove of works that are worthy to be approved He is God and cannot be deceived on any false pretences he sees our works as they are in themselves and in the very nature of them with all their circumstances We see and know things by mediums mixtly weakly and imperfectly He sees and knows things simply absolutely and most perfectly the eye it self cannot want sight nor the Sun want light neither can the Creator of all things in this present temporal world or his church this spiritual world be ignorant of any of his or their handy works Christ sees and knows the works of the church of Ephesus fully what are approvable and what are disapprovable in them Hence Note That Christ is a most just and equal censurer of his churches works He forbids to call darkness light or light darkness he tells the church of Ephesus that he knows their works of travel patience and sufferance for his Name sake and so places his favourable aspect and complacency thereon and yet what is evil in them he cannot bear without a reproof as 't is defection or failure in its first love and ardent affections which the church of Ephesus bore to Christ and his Truths at their first conversion or entertainment of the Gospel amongst them vers 4. Christ also tels the church of Sardis and Laodicea that he knows their works but in another tone not of approbation but of reproof and censure he said to Sardis cap. 3. 1. I know thy works for thou hast a name that thou livest but thou art dead and in verse 15. he falls upon Laodicea and tells them I know thy works that thou art neither cold nor hot I would thou wert cold or hot Christ will not palliate or lay cushions under great ones elbows and prophesie smooth things unto them nor to the churches that bears them whilst they are most rotten in the root and heart Had not God a controversie of old with his Israel for this
very sin abundantly witnessed against by God in most of the old Prophets When as some would stand up and prophesie peace when there was no peace as Ezek. 13.10.16 And what have they to do with peace while their hands are full of blood and iniquity I could wish it were not the sin of some of the pretended Angels of the churches in those days where is that faithful one to be found It may be one of a thousand that as a true Angel or Ambassador from Christ will deal roundly with their sins and tell Israel of her sins and Judah of her transgressions Good Physitians will search the wounds thorowly the rather for to cure them It is also Christ's method to lay open the wounds and sins of his churches that so he may like the good Samaritane pour oyl into them and heal them and bring to repentance Christs Ministers should follow their master's pattern deal faithfully simply and roundly with the sins of their people according to Gospel rule in that case provided and not as many do speak peace and words of comfort the true portion of spiritual members of Christ unto professed enemies to Godliness and the Saints scorners and deriders of Christ's ways and ordinances drunkards swearers c. what have such to do with the childrens bread so continuing unrepentant and obstinate It is much to be feared for this lukewarmness of many Ministers and churches it will come to pass that Christ wil spew them out of his mouth cap. 3. 16. as he did the church of Laodicea and the church of Israel of old Mat. 21.43 I shall only add that of Ezek. 13.22 23. to be seriously considered in the close of this point The Prophet speaking to those that sowed pillows under the Arms-holes because with lies ye have made the heart of the righteous sad whom I have not made sad and strengthned the hands of the wicked that he should not turn from his wicked way by promising him life Therefore ye shall see no more vanity nor divine divinations for I will deliver my people out of your hand and ye shall know that I am the Lord. Observ 2. Another correllary hence riseth That all churches and persons ought to have and receive a due acknowledgement of all graces and vertues that they are eminent in though chargeable with many defections and failings otherwise Christ spares not to acknowledge but makes honourable mention of the graces of the churches in this and the next chapter though otherwise many aberrations and failings were laid unto their charge Though the church of Ephesus was to be reproved for the coldness in her first love yet she had these commendable vertues and graces in her constancy and patience under sufferings for Christ's sake and hatred to all evil workers and false lights and Apostles that come with doctrines destructive to the great fundamental or corner stone the true doctrine of faith in Christ and so Christ proceeds with the other churches in the like method and lays a commendable character on them all for those graces in them worthily calling for it Paul could give a just acknowledgement to his brethren the Jews though otherwise perverse enough bearing them witness that they had a zeal to God though not according to knowledge Rom. 10.2 And Christ told the Jews and spoke it with approbation and to their commendation Ye believe in God believe ye also in me It is the great fault of most of professors of these days of all sort of perswasions that they will not almost acknowledge him a brother in Christ or give him the right hand of fellowship that is not baptized into the same opinions and interest with himself but this rather savours of a spirit schismatical and factious then of a meek christianlike peace-making temper which will bear all things that are indifferent rather then break the communion and unity of brethren who have put on one Lord one Faith one Baptisme O! what a lamentable practise it is for such as are Presbyterians to rake up all the faults and dirt they can and cast it in the faces of Independents And again for Independents to cast it back on the Presbyterians and both of them to cast it in the faces of those called Anabaptists and they again as ready as the former to repay it back again Why Have you so learned Christ O! for shame let all that fear God of each sort be ashamed of this unchristianlike practise let it not be told in Gath nor published in Askelon but follow the steps of your common Saviour what you see of God in your brethren commend it encourage it cherish it Though there may be failings in each sort and that great ones yet for that grace and appearance of God in them love them honour them and think better of them then of thy self though thou mayst be righter in some externals of Worship then they yet they may be righter then thee in doctrinals and though thou art sounder then they in doctrinals yet they may be the more holy and better men I speak not this to comply with any corrupt doctrine or worship but to give every one his due titles of honour love and commendation for their gifts and graces and for their faults and failings deal with them in a spirit of love and charity Gal. 6.1 for their recovery and repentance according to Gospel order for so thou mayest win thy brother but by the other way thou art sure to drive him farther from thee It is observable that the Familistical Notionists the Quakers in these days are highly baptized in this sin and out run all others in this uncharitable and unchristian-like practise they are sharp censurers of all others churches and persons that will not run in the same fanatique wilde courses with themselves and which is strange and most observable is that they never will acknowledge nor give a due commendation to any though never so self-denying and godly and filled abundantly with all the graces of the Spirit unless they take up the same mad opinions with themselves and therefore not strange when they have lost the spirit of love and charity and in stead thereof are filled with a spirit of self-fulness and pride that they tread under foot the blood of the covenant as an unholy thing and so carried on to damnable and blasphemous opinions and heresies Amongst the many reasons that we ought to give a due acknowledgement to the graces in the godly these are some 1. That God may have the due honour as the author of them 2. Because all graces are of the same Spirits working and therefore worthy of honour wheresoever they are found 3. For the encouragement and cherishing all persons under all hardships and afflictions in acquiring and maintaining those graces alive fructifying and effective 4. And lastly That their sins may not so discourage the godly as to think nothing praise worthy in them whiles they have many things in them worthy to
laid home close on the whole church of Thyatira for suffering the woman Jezabel and her prophetique delusions Now if it were alone in the Angels power of Thyatira to deal with these Balaamitish prophets the Spirit of Christ would especially lay the burden and reproof upon them to wit the Superintendents of the church but it is clearly notified unto us that the charge is wholly laid home upon the churches v. 17. Let him that hath an ear hear what the Spirit saith unto the Churches Though I grant the Eldership or Officers may be the mouth of Christ unto the churches and again the churches mouth unto Christ and so they are his Ambassadors agitating in his name and are to precede in many duties in relation to the church yet the charge for admission and entertainment of heterodoxies and corruptions in the churches is not solely laid upon them but upon the whole churches so hence this is clearly evinced that those that are justly charged for the admission and permission of evil had an indubitable power and authority in themselves either not to admit it or being admitted to try it and cut it off by such means as are appointed for such ends but the whole church of Thyatira is justly charged for the admission and permission of corruptions among them therefore the conclusion is evident But this shall suffice herein See more hereon v. 20. following Object But is not this with the Papists to raise the jurisdiction of the church so high as to set it above the soveraignty of the Word I answer negatively for a Soveraign Prince receives no diminution of honour for his subordinate Ministers of State to receive that honour due unto their place neither so doth the Word lose at all of its glory for that the church hath its due honour put upon it also indeed the Word is suprema Lex the Standard the Rule and light by which all doctrines are tryed and discerned and being of Divine Revelation and in its self infallible must needs be above the authority and of a surer testimony then that which is mixed with much fallibility and imperfection as the choicest and purest churches ever were as those of Corinth Ephesus Galatia c. And as a Law of meer humane institution is reputed of so high authority that it binds the Legislators themselves and in that respect is above those that made it but much more the Word of God which is his Law and his revealed mind coming from so infinite and unerrable a Legislator as God is so far transcends the authority of any Judicature on earth as the wisdom of an infinite does a finite creature therefore must needs be binding to all to whom it is made known having such a perfection in it that whosoever is conversant therein it is able by the blessing of the Spirit to make him wise unto salvation and perfect in every good thing and work The Word unto the Church is as the Sun unto the Dial if the Dial be set right to the Sun it will give a right judgment of the time of the day so if the church gives a judgement according to the square and scantling of the Word it will be a righteous judgement but otherwise to make the Word subservient and to conclude unto the churches dictates is an undertaking to rectifie the course of the Sun unto the obliquity of the Dial which will prove Aethiopiam lvvare and most irrational So that church that keeps her self within her own sphere and tries and examines spirits and doctrines that are heterodox and unsound by the sound of the Word which is a most sure light and infallible cynosure doubtless that church will be led and preserved in all truth But if any one so far exalts its self as to conclude for truth its own dictates dissentaneous unto the Word but suiting with self-interest and designe the first may be a golden candlestick both precious and famous for its faith integrity and justice towards God and man but the latter will soon degenerate into an harlot-church if not soon become apostate to the faith The first is Christ's highest Judicature on earth wherein he takes delight to walk in as his Garden enclosed to view their pleasant fruits but the other Christ will look upon as a rotten Tree that cumbers the ground and serves only to be hewen down and cast into the fire Observ 4. Another Observation is That in the purest times and churches there are found great corruptions both in manners and doctrines In this famous church of Ephesus Corinth c. in the Apostles days were found both 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 evil ones and false ones such as pretended they were Apostles but were found liars and deceivers Amongst the twelve there was a Judas In that church in the Ark when the world and church had one and the same extent and boundaries in eight persons only yet one was a Cham and there was also a Cain when it was of a lesser number and but four in the world But here obiter and by the way we must be careful to distinguish between God's Decretive will and his Preceptive Will His Voluntas bene placiti and Voluntas signi as the Schools call it or his will of purpose and his will of good pleasure Not that there are two Wills in God but several and divers acts of one and the same Will as by the same will we love by the same will we hate by the same will we purpose one thing by the same will we command another thing yet they are not two contradictory wills but divers acts of one and the same will Diversa non sunt contraria Now though God may in his providential wisdom ordain false teachers and wicked persons to be found in his church for divers ends known unto God and more especially for the tryal of the faithful and the exaltation of his grace yet they are much mistaken that hence argue either for admission of wicked persons or unsound in the faith into the fellowship of the church or for their toleration therein after a discovery for it is the command of God to the contrary That we admit not such being known into the consortship of the church or being admitted upon discovery we tolerate them not for if they were to be admitted and tolerated quietly within the church then doubtless the church of Ephesus had not received that encomium and well done for their zeal against them nor the church of Thyatira that worthy reproof for the suffering that woman Jezabel amongst them therefore the one church did her duty and obeyed Christ's preceptive will and had the praise and glory for it the other neglected it and therefore had a just check laid upon her So that this question is to be stated de Jure non de Facto I confess de facto there may be evil persons false teachers in the best churches and purest times but de
officers now at present authorized in the churches meerly as such officers then surely there are some officers wanting unto the churches by which it may be rightly dispensed But the major being formerly cleared the consequence I believe none will deny that looks upon the preaching of the word as an act of authority and office therefore the conclusion is evident And therefore to shut up this discourse I am very much of opinion that all primitive offices and officers which were of positive institutions in the Apostles times are moral positive laws and still constringent and perpetual unless you can show their repeals See Cawdry on the Sabbath part 1. cap. 2. hereon and therefore binding unto the church in all ages Confer hereunto that of Eph. 4.11 12 13. All which indeed the church doth virtually and implicitely maintain though they have laid by the names thereof so necessary do they find the acts of the said offices though the offices themselves nominally are thrust out of doors When we send Preachers to our American plantations for the discipling the poor Indians are they not tantamount as Apostles When Eusebius the centurists and later Church Historiographers do historifie the acts and occurrences of the church are they not in a qualified sense Evangelists when persons do interpret and enucleate dark or prophetical Scriptures do they not look like Prophets When by the faith and prayers of the faithful corruptions are vanquished the will 's reformed health restored and Satanical dispossessions accomplished do they not carry the face of miracles And why then should we not entertain the offices and gifts themselves nominally as well as operatively and virtually though with some mark of distinction as by a crescent as unto younger brothers acknowledging always and that justly a pre-eminence of gifts and spirit in those of the first age and nearest unto the fountain of life and verity but far thereby from concluding that their offices were buried with the first founders together with their most excellent gifts in one arme but still kept alive and preserved for the good of the Church and the perfecting of the Saints for the work of the Ministry for the edifying of the body of Christ till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God unto a perfect man unto the measure of the station of the fulness of Christ And that none may judge me rash or presumptory in this opinion I submit it to the tryal of Christ's churches and add Adhuc sub Judice lis est Try all things hold fast that which is good Let every one be perswaded fully in his own mind and in the mean to walk in that measure of light that he hath attained unto In the next place the question may be seasonably set how shall we know or try false Apostles from true Christ's ministers from antichrist's or the pseudo-prophets from the Orthodox Seeing the false ones can transform themselves into the Apostles of Christ and say they are Apostles and Ministers of Christ as well as true ones 2 Cor. 11.13 Rev. 2.2 This question indeed is worthy the discussion useful both for the rectifying of the private judgement of discretion as well as of the publique authoritative judgement of the church in this particular for indeed it is no new thing nor strange to the purest churches of God to have false Prophets and false Apostles in them In the days of Ahab 1 Kings 18.19 the prophets of Baal were four hundred and fifty and of the Groves four hundred but the true ones hid by Obadiah were but one hundred Ezekiel Jeremiah met them too in Babylon Jer. 28 29 chap. and Ezek. 12.2 3. The Apostolique primitive churches were much troubled and vexed with false Apostles false prophets and false teachers also witness 2 Cor. 11.13 2 Pet. 2.1 Gal. 5.12 Matth. 24.11 and those churches of Ephesus Pergamus Sardis c. had their share also in this trouble by the doctrine of Balaam Nicolaitans Jezabel c. and this God often suffers with the sad consequences thereof in and upon his churches to make the Truth more clear and precious to try the godly and discover hypocrites and to shew his power and wisdom that can produce good out of evil and preserve his undefiled in the midst of contagions but the wisdom of the Saints is to try them and discover them that so they may be avoided with all their malignant influences and pernicious doctrines Now a false Apostle or Prophet may be discovered two ways First Either from his false doctrine or prophesie Or secondly From his false call or mission The ancient Prophets of God were called Seers from the clear divine revelations and irradiations they had of the mind of God 2 Kings 17.13 and this was called the Gift of Prophesie Next They had a clear call to exercise that Gift But the false Prophets they prophesied out of their own hearts and follow their own spirits and have seen nothing as in Ezek. 12.2 3. that is They are Prophets because they will be Prophets it is their own motion that makes them prophesie they thrust themselves upon it and make their own wills the highest original of their call and therefore in the next place the things they prophesie are their own what their fancies lusts private interests affections and carnal reason suggest unto them so their prophesies come by the will of man not of God as that of 2 Pet. 1.21 and therefore however esteemed and magnified by men is worthless in God's account because it only proceeds from their own spirits and not from God's Spirit the true Spirit of prophesie Now I would not here be mistaken as if I pressed for enthusiastique prophesies but to keep close to that Spirit of prophesie in the Word of God which will not close with man's base interests and motions but is according to the will of God in all things and this is the true spirit of prophesie and therefore what comes from the will of man and private Spirits are in the Scriptures variously branded under the Titles of lies dreams vain divinations perverse things the commandments of men Mark 7.7 wisdom of this world 1 Cor. 2.6 another Jesus another Spirit another Gospel 2 Cor. 11 4. Therefore Paul durst not preach any other thing but Christ Jesus the Lord and what he had from him by his Spirit that he preached unto them 2 Cor. 4.5 Therefore we may plainly judge a false Prophet or Apostle when he comes with doctrines and prophesies of his own motions and own Spirit and own designs being opposite and destructive to the Spirits doctrine of faith and godliness within the Gospel Object But will not some say that all heretiques false apostles and false Teachers will come with verbum Domini in their mouth and pretend highly that their doctrines are concordant and agreeable to the word of God or else in vain to broach and attest them And who more high then
and good works as formerly she did as the true effects and issues of that love or else c. Hence Note Observ That the contemplation of grace is the only Gospel motive unto true repentance The commemoration of God's former gracious dealing unto a backslidden soul will operate very strongly if not judicially hardned to recal him unto his God The straying prodigal experienced this truth in himself Luke 15.17 when he came to himself and considered how that many hired servants in his fathers house had bread enough and yet he starving for hunger it made him to reflect upon that full and gracious condition when he was as an obedient son with his father which moved him to set on the resolution to be a Trewant no longer but to arise and go unto his Father and say Father I have sinned against heaven and before thee If any thing will break the course of sin and recall the heart unto its first love the consideration of the former gracious dealings of God with it will effect it It will reason thus with it self was it not better with me when I kept close to God then now it is since I have broken with him Was not my soul more at peace within it self when I was more zealous of God's glory and of keeping his commands then now when I am more remiss and colder in my affections both towards God and christian duties Was not then my food more spiritual and my delights more heavenly then now when I am clogg'd with the vanities of this world and the bewitching lusts thereof Had I not then a freer access to God and of a freer spirit in my approches crying Abba Father then now having strayed from him instead thereof having a spirit of bondage and of fear In short when I kept close with God did not a face of heaven as it were appear in all my performances and relations but now having departed from him all is turned into hell and bitterness against me Surely those considerations of grace formerly received will work more upon an ingenious spirit then any thundring Legal threats whatsoever yet I add if these will not do Christ hath another course and method and can come judicially and remove his candlestick from amongst such obstinate and unrepentant sinners Observ 2. Another Note is That true Gospel repentance consists not only in changing the mind but of practise and conversation also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rescipicite to wax wiser or repent do not only consist to grow wiser in the judgement but in the choice of the practical affections also If the will be not right as to its objects as well as the judgement it will not denominate a true repentant The church of Ephesus was right as to her faith for which she suffered in patience yet her practise and affections were not streight for which she had the check and commanded to do the first works works of love works of charity works of piety which formerly she had been zealous in In true repentance there is a Terminus a quo and Terminus ad quem Turn ye turn ye every one from the abomination of his ways there is the terminus a quo but this is not all a negative righteousness will not serve turn but there must be Terminus ad quem a positive righteousness also There must be a doing of the first works of holiness and godliness towards God and of love and righteousness towards all but more especially towards the houshold of faith These are the adequate ingredients of true and Gospel repentance It is a gross deceit in many that think that they have believed sufficiently and they have repented sufficiently when they have altered their judgment or at least their weather-cock opinion from one external form unto another as when an Episcopal man is become for a Presbyterie O most kind and benigne Sun-shine quoth he but when a Presbyterian turns Independent in judgement he presently cries out that heaven is opened unto him never considering that the kingdom of heaven does consist in godliness and righteousness but in outward forms of worship which if rightly regulated somthing of each might be rightly admitted to make a just composure In the next place some think their repentance very sound when they have changed one errour for another when of an Arminian or Pelagian are become Antinomists rightly so termed denying and opposing the morality of the Law as a rule of duty obliging unto christians when of an Arrian or Antitrinitarian are become Tridheites or worshippers of three Gods c. So corrupt is the heart of man that will make his own opinion an Idol and all that looks not that way nor brings any flowers to that sacrifice and yet otherwise apparently gracious shall neither have the title of a true believer or a repentant soul amongst them Therefore with all such I would leave this Scripture as a Signet upon their finger Remember from whence thou art fallen and repent and do thy first works Observ 3. Another Note from the authority of the person Christ that gives this memento is That Christ's commands in his Word should be very powerful and efficacious to bring us unto repentance Shall Christ be our Anamnestes or Remembrancer and set our faults before us by his Spirit in the Word and shall not our hearts be molten for it Shall he call from heaven to us in his ever-living word of Prophesie and shall we not intend or hearken to that heavenly vision He gave but one glance on Peter reflecting on his unkindness and denial which caused Peter to turn aside and weep bitterly And shall he not only look upon us with his daylie providential acts of goodness and mercy which leadeth unto repentance but give us line upon line and precept upon precept and yet not return by repentance It is the signe of most obdurate hearts and of stiff-necked sinners But some will say We want wills to it and if Christ gave wills as well as commands we should readily follow him I answer first Where Christ lays his commands on his chosen ones he also gives there the first grace of his Spirit to enable to obey that command and we know the Spirit may be opposed and the Spirit may be quenched and is so often by our own defects and by reason of the abundancy of corruptions so that the want of wills to good things proceed from our own base and corrupt wills not for want of power from Christ who commands us to them but take notice though the operations of the Spirit may by the Elect themselves be opposed darkned and quenched partially but not totally and finally but at last will get the victory in bringing forth the work of God unto perfection Secondly It is in vain for persons in an â—nregenerate state to complain for want of wills for before Christ moves thereon by his Spirit of grace they cannot rightly will any good thing or work but the first grace being given
so called for on the performance of every condition by vertue of compact it hath a legal influence merit and causality unto the production of its end Neither indeed is there any such compact in the Word since the fall of Adam that on the performance of any conditions be they never so Evangelical as Faith Repentance c. Justification or life was promised thereupon only the condition of the old covenant between God and man was death upon disobedience and life upon obedience Man having forfeited the one by his disobedience Christ steps in as the Mediator of a better and surer covenant and makes his soul an offering unto death which was the full performance of the penal condition due unto the sinner and so absolutely purchased a blessed seed unto himself and on such stable conditions performed altogether by himself that they cannot possibly forfeit their inheritance being in so sure a hand and are still heirs though whiles under years they differ not from servants that is whiles under sin and unregeneracy are still in bondage until faith come to discover their heirship and interest unto the purchased possession and in the mean time by evil works they are as enemies strangers and aliens to God and the commonweal of Israel according to the old Legal distinction they have notwithstanding Jus ad Rem though not Jus in Re. And though I deny faith or repentance to be conditions properly so called in the covenant to life or justification yet I say they are required in the same new Law Covenant or Testament as conditions improperly so called or as conditions in order preceding one the other and as benefits of the same covenant But seeing the word condition is of late glown so rampant and overmuch perfumed with the Spiceries of Rome I shall willingly let it lie as that other term of merit which in their first births were more innocent and inoffensive and shall rather call them as duties and qualities required in the new covenant by Christ as necessary in all his redeemed ones to life and salvation And when I say they are duties necessary I would be understood not absolutely necessary but virtate precepti and virtute medii unto all such as are capable of their duties but not unto Infants or Idiots that want the use of reason for to believe and repent are acts of the will and understanding which Infants or Idiots are not capable of and therefore we exempt them from salvation dying so if the condition of faith was absolute and peremptory as Augustine once dreamed and therefore was called durus pater Infantum and all others must conclude the like harsh judgement on them also that hold actual faith and repentance as absolute necessary conditions unto justification and life But again If it were true what the Arminian says That none are saved but on the condition of the To credere or act of faith and none damned but for unbelief then I re-assume that some persons according to this are neither damned nor saved for Infants dying such as aforesaid cannot have by reason of their incapacity the act of faith nor unbelief which is a privation by refusal or resistance of the truth made manifest Indeed such absurdities do they incur that assert such absolute conditions in the covenant of grace to be done on man's part yet I say they are absolute and peremptory on Christ's part to be performed and he having fully finished all the conditions for his elect ones by his death though some of them dying Infants yet are saved by vertue of that everlasting covenant made with Christ in for and on the behalf of all his chosen ones of whom he will not lose one which the Father hath given him From this precedent discourse you may plainly conclude that though I grant repentance a necessary Gospel duty and for divers good ends it is ordained so yet do not in the least place it in any subordinate causality joyntly with Christ in the work of our salvation but only as our duty thorowfare or way thereunto commanded and instituted by Christ as part of his new Law that he himself might have the pre-eminence in all things and the name and glory alone of our salvation And this hereon shall suffice See more hereon v. 23. Observ 2. Another Note hence is That the doctrine of judgments and threats is a very useful Gospel doctrine When Christ hath passed with his doctrine of grace and offers a reconcilement freely if the sinner will but turn from his iniquities and repent and yet the sinner will refuse his gracious terms he hath another burden to tell him that after he hath refused so great salvation he can cast both soul and body into hell fire the most obdurate and incorrigible child must have the sharpest rod a smile or a love-token will work upon the ingenious but saith Solomon a rod is for the back of a fool Neither is judgement a strange work unto Christ for as he is related unto his church as a Saviour and a Father respecting his grace and loving kindness so he is as well a Judge and a Legislator and so may justly chastise his church as contemners and transgressors of his Royal Law If he calls us to repent which is part of his new covenant Law as he did the church of Ephesus and yet go on obstinately in sin justly may he remove his candlestick from amongst us If his Lamb-like quality of mercy and grace will not invite us to return he can roat as the Lion of the Tribe of Judah which will cause us to call upon the mountains to fall upon us and to hide us from the presence of the Lamb wherefore they are much mistaken that would shut out as useless the doctrine of threats and judgements from the Gospel which are to be preached soberly and conditional not peremptory and absolute for if there were not a curb and fear of loss and punishment the wanton straying soul would hardly be reclaimed though the more tender hearted the apprehension of grace and love might reclaim and mollifie Observ 3. Another Observation is To take off God's candlestick or to unchurch a Nation or people is the most grievous of all God's judgements Christ could not afflict the church of Ephesus with a greater loss then to remove his church from among them for hereby First Privatively His glory and special presence of grace and favour is withdrawn Secondly The guidance light and comfort of his holy Spirit is departed Thirdly His Ordinances are all defiled and vanished Fourthly His special protection is withdrawn also Fifthly and lastly Instead of his gracious presence they have his presence in wrath judgements and fiery indignations Instead of his Spirit of light and comfort they have the dismal spirit of darkness errour and despair instead of Christ's holy Ordinances they have the Divel's sacrifices and instead of God's special protection over them they are carried captives by Satan to all foul and
Satan Law nor the second death cannot take hold upon him for it is Christ that died for him for Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's Elect It is Christ that is risen for their justification therefore they are beyond all danger of miscarrying and so may justly tryumph and say O Death where is thy sting Hell where is thy victory But thanks be to God who hath given us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ 1 Cor. 15. Vers 12. And to the Angel of the Church which is at Pergamus write this saith he which hath the sharp sword with two edges Christ here followeth the charge against the church at Pergamus It is inscribed to the Angel or Pastor of the church which is at Pergamus and in the 18. vers following To the Angel of the Church which is at Thyatira the Spirit herein clearly denoting unto us that the inscription in the first verse of this chapter To the Angel of the Church of Ephesus or of the Ephesian Church and here To the Angel of the Church at Pergamus or in Pergamus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are of one and the same significants and latitude and therefore such places are very incongruously taken up to prove a Church of the same extent and latitude with the Nation And though we may lawfully use the terms of the church of England of Scotland France c. it must always be understood in a limited sense not that all England Scotland France Ephesus Smyrna or Pergamus were the Church but that it is the church of England or in England of Ephesus or in or at Ephesus of Pergamus or rather as it is here in Pergamus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in or at Thyatira And therefore it is most safe to keep close to the sound of wholsom words in such expressions Write this saith he that hath the sharp sword with two edges Christ sets himself forth unto each church in a diverse mode John saw him in the first chapter in a general and full appearance and discovery of himself in his full luster And now he discovers himself by parts unto the churches according to their several wants and imperfections Where by the way take this Note Observ That Christ's discoveries of himself unto his Churches are always most suitable to their present conditions To afflicted and persecuted faithful churches as Ephesus and Smyrna were he appears as a God of protection and salvation unto them as in the first verse under the description of having the seven Stars in his right hand and walking in the midst of the seven Golden candlesticks and in the eighth verse he saith to the church of Smyrna for a comfortable discovery unto them write these things saith he that is first and last which was dead and is alive But now unto the more unsound and corrupted churches of Pergamus and Thyatira his discovery is in another posture as one having a two edged sword proceeding from his mouth and eyes like a flame of fire and his feet like fine brass v. 18. an appearance of indignation Wrath and Judgment Faithful afflicted Christians need discoveries of grace peace and consolation but unfound and corrupt ones ought to have the doctrine of Judgments and wrath preach'd unto them he that knoweth not rightly to divide the words of truth is no compleat workman in Christ's Vineyard he is a workman that need not be ashamed that knows how to preach Gospel and glad tidings of reconciliation and peace to poor humbled and repentant sinners But Hell and wrath and judgments and fiery indignations to the obstinate and impenitent the doctrine of grace and threats are not contradictories being wisely managed yet in this appearance of Christ of having a sharp two edged sword proceeding out of his mouth there is much mercy in it for understand that by the sword of Christ's mouth is meant his word and doctrine confer with Heb. 4.12 Psal 148.6 and 56.5 Prov. 5.4 for that is two edged and cuts two ways First it cuts off the sin and corruptions of the faithful by its kindly operating through the influence of the Spirit Secondly It cuts confounds and destroys the wicked not through any innate quality in the Word but by accident for by their refusal and contempt thereof so consequently of the divine Majesty the Author and Instituter thereof God goes out with the other edg or side of his sword against them on his black and red horse of wrath and Judgments Hence Note Observ That God's Judgments towards his back-slidden Churches are mingled with much mercie Though Christ's appearance to Pergamus and Thyatira was much in wrath for their defilements and back-slidings yet he added much grace and mercy thereunto both in approbation of their graces and calling them to repentance for their defections Christ gives always line upon line and precept upon precept providence after providence and mercy after mercy to invite us to repentance before he will take his last cause of Judgment with us his heart is still towards our amendment though he is provoked highly by our sins against us and who but an heart of Adamant would not believe him when he swears As I live saith the Lord I will not the death of a sinner but rather that he should turn and live And the very weapons that he uses against sinners are the sword of his mouth with two edges it heals as well as wounds the one edge is anointed with the balm of Grace though the other with the gall of Judgment Vers 13. I know thy works and where thou dwellest even where Satan's seat is and thou heldest fast my Name and hast not denyed my faith even in those days wherein Antipas was my faithful Martyr who was slain among you where Satan dwelleth Christ in the first place goes on in the approbation and encouragement of the church of Pergamus and tels her that he knows her works and that her habitation or domestical conversation for so the word signifies is in a place even where Satan's Seat is or Throne is as the Orginal has it We know the Seat or Throne is taken in Scripture for the place or ensign of Dominion Rule or Sway as Psal 1. v. 1. Blessed is he that sitteth not in the seat of the scornful that is in the society of such scorners as go on with a high hand and say their tongues are their own who shall us controul As Christ has his Throne and Seat so Satan has his as Christ goes out as an absolute Monarch in his Kingdom hath his Royal Laws and commands and the observers thereof therein so Satan hath also his Kingdom and his Throne set up therein where his commands are obeyed by the childen of disobedience without controul and therefore this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 where the Throne of Satan is is rendred in the latter part of this verse in another variation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 where Satan dwelleth or does his houshold affairs A mans house
then the approved Presbiters of a church but the latter zeal is better â—egulated and more sober then the former When I was a child saith Paul I spake as a child I did as a child I understood as a child but when I became a man I put away childish things So it is in our spiritual growth in our first birth we are very childish and zealous of small things external circumstances in worship we then look upon as great things and if a painted window a cross a suâ—pless a cope c. stand in our way we presently stumble at them and think it the most acceptable service we can perform to God either to burn them or break them to peices as Antichristian trumperies Again if we come a little higher then we spend most or all our strength about the defence of external forms of worship as whether Presbitery Independency or the way of the Anabaptists so called be the righter way This humour too is most prevalent in the Neophites but the waightier things of God and his Law is for the elder and stronger sort The one thinks to catch Heaven by Tything Mint and Anniss by being very intense about the smaller things of the Law but the other â—ot leaving the first undone falls upon the kernel and substance of Religion which is fit meat for stronger men The grown christian's graces excels the younger as his love is more sound he loves not for interest or opinion sake as many young ones does but he loves the brethren on this ground as being members of one body being made partakers of the same divine truth with himself Secondly His service is more cordial in respect of the larger experience of the goodness of God to his Soul he hath often met God's presence in his ordinances then the younger christian hath and therefore needs must his desires and affections excell unto God's Ordinances and worships seeing he hath ofâ—ner met God therein as in a special habitation of his glory Thirdly An old christian's faith is sounder then the younger he believes not because he hath heard only with the ear but he believes because he hath seen tasted and experienced the truth and faithfulness of God and his promises to his soul which the other it may be as yet has not attained too Fourthly His patience is more tryed more refined then the younger Fifthly and lastly In effect all his graces are sounder and better circumstantiated then those of the younger christians for ends for grounds for manners for time and in all other circumstances whatsoever Therefore it is our duty to strive that our last works may be more then our first otherwise shame unto us as unprofitable servants Vers 20. Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee because thou sufferest that woman Jezabel which calleth her self a Prophetess to teach and seduce my servants to commit fornication and to eat things sacrificed unto Idols Yet nevertheless O thou church of Thyatira though I do approve and encourage thy gracious works of love faith seruice and patience and commend thee for thy proficiency in them yet I have a few things certain offences to lay in charge against thee Hence Note Observ If our sins be few and great though our graces be many and eminent yet God will come against us for them Few great and scandalous sins are as dead flies in pretious Oyntment it will defile the whole box of spiritual graces God will not Inhabit quietly and at peace in one mansion with sin and wickedness If Ephraim will have Idols God will let him alone And if Israel will uphold wickedness though his own peculiar people who were abounding in sacrifices and holy services yet that shall not priviledge them from a Babylonish captivity If his own select people will turn wild Olives and cruciâ—â—e the Lords Prophets and his Christ he can cut them off and make them a desolate and dispersed people upon the face of the whole earth Thyatira had many excellent graces and so had Ephesus Smyrna Pergamus c. yet for their sins and especially those of Idolatry and Fornication the corrupt doctrines of Balaam Jezabel and the Nicolaitans God came against them in judgment and fiery indignation and removed his candlesticks from amongst them and left them desolate If we conceive our graces of Faith Love Service c. will secure us from the wrath of God though we admit Antichristian doctrines of Idolatry false and evil worships among us we shall be much deceived Doubtless many of our former Bishops were very godly men as Jewel Downham Usher Hall Davenant c. yet their real graces and holiness could not stop the hand of God in going forth in wrath against the Antichristian practises and false worships tolerated and allowed in the churches of Eng◠〈…〉 only could deliver their own souls but they themselves 〈◊〉 main and the whole function shall smart for it in the day of 〈◊〉 Lord's indignation and though some of them were godly and pious men yet for their tolerating and conniving at false doctrines and worships they themselves shall suffer in the common judgment but their pious and gracious souls shall be saved so as by fire not that of Purgatory first kindled in the Popes Kitchen but by the fire of afflictions sanctified unto them by that fire of purging and cleansing away our dross to wit God's Spirit and Word We are therefore to look to it how we admitt offences amongst us though they be but few they may draw God into judgment against us and though they may not at present unchurch us yet if held unrepented of they may provoke God to come against us quickly with the sword of his mouth O let no man plead for toleration of sin false doctrines or worships from the Primitive practises or presidents of the first churches so as they sinned first in these particulars so they were made the first examples of God's wrath and justice It is but a sad saying of some That their present churches are as sound straight and holy as the Primitive ones They had their drunkards incestuous followers of the doctrine of Balaam the Nicolaitans and Jezabel and we say they in our Parochial churches have not worse Alas they are now made unto us examples of God's righteous judgments for those and the rest of their sins and their very habitations given unto the cursed Mahometans and their off springs turned Barbarians and Heathens and if we be found in the same sins and transgressions with them O May we not fear the same desolating judgment Let us not contemn the long-suffering of God but speedily repent and do our first works So far should we be from boasting on that account that it should rather be unto us just matter of grief and sorrow But to proceed The charge against Thyatira was That thou sufferest the woman Jezabel who calleth her self a Prophetess to teach and deceive my servants c. This woman Jezebel here mentioned doubtless
is impossible Dan. 7.13 14. The Kingdom is said to be given to Christ which in vers 22. and 27. is said to be given unto the Saints they are so reciprocal and so united that what is done by the one is said to be done by the other they are so far from being tearmed contraria that they are hardly diversa though I shall grant the Saints subordinate unto Christ yet what is predicated of the one is often predicated of the other in Scriptures and therefore it is no hard saying to assert that believers under Christ their head and as his members and by his donation and assistance shall do his own peculiar work as subordinate instruments unto himself for Qui facit per alium facit per se and so may the Saints have power over the Nations and rule them with a rod of Iron till they be broken as a Potter's vessel and this interpretation stands with best reason for though our late Bibles have included all the 27. v. in a Parenthesis saving the last clause thereof as if it were on purpose to cut it off from having any applicatory reference to the conquering Saints in the 25. and 26. v. and to be reserved solely applicable unto Christ but surely such Interpreters could not have a righteous intention in such a service for in the best Greek copies as Stephanus and others there is not a tittle or stroak of a Parenthesis but the continued speech in the 25 and 26. verses it is to the overcoming christian and so continued as a farther addition in the 27. verse until the latter clause thereof come in even as I have received of my Father which makes it plain For what had Christ received of his Father Power over the Nations to rule over them with a rod of Iron and to breake them in pieces as a Potter's vessel Psal 2.9 Rev. 19.15 as if he had said even as I have received this power and dominion of my Father over the Nations so will I give it to him that shall overcome and get the victory over all false ways and practises and he shall be co-partner with me in this my Throne and Kingdom cap. 3. 21. The intention of the Spirit being cleared in these words to be the conquering Saints to whom power is given over the Nations to rule them with a rod of Iron and to break them in pieces as a Potter's vessel Next I shall enquire what the power is that is given them First It is such a power whereby they shall judge the Nations so our new Annotations have it Secondly It is such a power that they thereby shall get victory and subdue all theirs and the truth's Enemies so Bishop Hall on the place Thirdly It is such a power whereby they shall break all the obstinate Enemies of Christ to peices as a Potter's vessel The first is confirmed from 1 Cor. 6.2 Mat. 19.28 Jude 14.15 The second and third are confirmed from this vers and Psal 2. compared to Rev. 19.18 19. c. where Christ and his Armies powers out the full Vials of divine wrath upon all their obstinate enemies to the utmost Again This power over the Nations and ruling by a rod of Iron and breaking them in pieces as a Potter's vessel must needs be understood of a corporal breaking ruling and overpowering and not a spiritual So that spiritual is a strange worke to a rod or Scepter of Iron Christs golden Scepter of his word is the only instrument to make the Nations bow to his spiritual Kingdom but for the refusers thereof he hath another Scepter in another day to be exercised on them a rod of Iron and force whereby he will destroy the mighty ones of the earth that are his enemies and will dash them in pieces like a Potters vessel to the making the Kings and Judges of the earth wise and to kiss the Son lest he be angry Psal 2.10 11. Hence Note Observ That Christ's faithful Saints have a day to come to judg rule and reigne over the Nations as well as now to suffer under them Though this be the day of their sufferance and patience yet there is a kingdom joyned to it cap. 1. 9. Though John was a brother and companion to the seven churches in tribulation and patience yet he was too in the hopes of the kingdom to be revealed This Kingdom was never yet fulfilled to the Saints of God but still rather the contrary hitherto the Nations of the world break the Saints and churches of Christ by their iron Scepters of force and power Both Mahometanes and Popish Antichristian Rulers and Princes not sparing Christ's little flock but breaking them in pieces as a Potters Vessels and therefore it is most equitable that they shall have a day too as a reward of their faithfulness and sufferance wherein they shall lead captivity captive and give their enemies the same measure that they formerly meted forth unto the Saints for they are worthy 2. This kingdom as yet hitherto was not given to the Saints nor yet will be for this power over the Nations and this rod of iron is put into their hands as the result of their perseverance in the truth at the second coming of Christ as in the last precedent verse is declared Hold fast till I come and in that day when Christ comes to him that overcometh he will give power over the Nations c. Now this was promised long after Christ's first coming in the flesh and also after his special coming in the spirit and therefore yet there will be a day when he will come again to fulfil this promise before the ultimate end of all and for any to expect this rule over the Nations by the rod of iron before Christ comes and appears in the clouds to the performance of this great work they may reigne but without Christ they may get power over the Nations but not in Christ's way or his giving Hence another Note arises Observ 2. That it is Christ alone that gives power into the hands of his Saints over the Nations They are not to catch at it themselves This time is Christ's spiritual and his intercessory kingdom and if we fight with or use any other weapons therein then are spiritual we may lose the benefit of his second kingdom which is reserved as a reward of our obedience under the first kingdom He that walks spiritually and soberly under the first of grace and spirit doubtless the second also will be his portion otherwise he is in danger to lose both his comforts here and his portion hereafter in the other kingdom also Verse 28. And I will give him the morning Star This is an additional degree of happiness to the overcoming Saints in that day when they shall judge and rule the Nations with a rod of iron In ver 17. it is called Hidden Manna and a white stone wherein a new Name is written and formerly a Crown of life and the Tree of
life in the Paradise of God c. all being variety of expressions to set forth the great and excellent glories of the other world Christ did formerly promise the participation of himself in that his glorious kingdom to the conquering Saints under the Types of Hidden Manna Tree of Life and in this verse as the morning Star Christ is the bright morning Star First Because he then brings comfort with him to his afflicted churches Secondly He brings light with him to his ancient people the Jews that now sit in darkness and in the shadow of death Rom. 11.25 2 Pet. 1.19 This morning Star is the same with that Sun that rises in Malachy 4.2 with healing in his wings and must of necessity signifie Christ's personal appearance again as the greatest part of the crown and reward of his faithful ones and for the healing enlightning and conversion of his ancient church and people the Jews Hence Note Observ That Christ will appear again to the comfort of his afflicted Gentile churches and to the enlightning and conversion of his ancient people the Jews before the ultimate end of all and general judgement Because then is a day of total destruction not an appearance for the conversion of them that are in unbelief That is the time when the Saints receive their utmost glory not striving ruling and over-powring the Nations Christ then delivers up all power unto the Father 1 Cor. 15.24 therefore that is no day to give power into their hands over the Nations In the day of ultimate judgment Gog and Magog and all the churches enemies are caught and cast into the Lake of fire and brimstone for evermore cap. 19. 20. Therefore it is no day of ruling over them for that day then will be past and over To conclude the Saints temporal reigne begins with the appearance of this Morning Star and ends with the final destruction of all the wicked but their heavenly glory shall never end And for the conclusion of this chapter Vers 29. He that hath an ear let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the Churches Let the wise intelligent christian consider and ponder what the Spirit saith to each of these churches and from the often repetition of the Spirits memento in these words take this conclusion That Christ's Doctrines and Prophesies cannot be too often inculcated upon the hearts and memories of his people CHAP. III. Verse 1. And unto the Angel of the Church in Sardis write these these things saith he that hath the seven Spirits of God and the seven Stars I know thy works that thou hast a name that thou livest and art dead CHrist proceeds with his charge against the church at Sardis superscribed unto the Angel or chief Minister of that church for the reasons before specified chap. 2. v. 1. Write these things saith he that hath the Spirits of God and the seven Stars I cannot joyn unto their Interpretation that makes the seven Spirits and the seven Stars to be all one to wit Christ's seven Angels of his Churches which he carries in his hand cap. 1. 20. so it would seem a tautologie whilst a more convenient sense may be found applicable to it to wit These things saith he which hath the seven Spirits of God that is the Spirit of God in his sevenfold graces and perfections for the number seven in all Prophetical writings doth intimate perfection as cap. 1. 5. and 4. 5. and this sevenfold spirit of perfection being Christ's own spirit and being sent by him and at his disposal and therefore Christ may be truly verified to have the seven Spirits of God or the sevenfold operating Spirit of God as well as the seven Stars in his hand and disposal Hence Note Observ That the Spirit of grace and a gratious Ministry are the special inseparable gifts of Christ towards his Churches They are inseparable companions where the one doth go the other is present also If Christ comes with seven Stars in his right hand he comes with the seven Spirits in his left hand to that people also A true Ministry and the Spirit are never separated Though I should not ty up God to those means only yet ordinarily it is in vain to expect Christ in the Administration of the Spirit without the Ministerial Adminstration of his Stars and Angels They are as it were the Charioteers of the Spirit The Word is the Spirit 's Vehiculum or Chariot but the Ministers thereof are those that carry and support this Chariot on the shoulders never think that the Spirit the glory of this Chariot will come or rest in our Temples unless it be brought unto us by the feet of those Stars those beautiful ones that bring the glad tidings of peace God hath so linked together in his all-wise decrees and predeterminations the concatenation of subordinate causes or mediums unto salvation that ordinarily one cannot be effected without the other and so we are saved by faith in Christ through the sanctification of the spirit and word One will not doe this work without the concurrence of the other but when Christ comes with them joyntly together either to a particular Soul or Church he makes them of a wilderness and a land of darkness a Goshen and a land of light And happy is that people to whom Christ so cometh with his seven Spirits and his seven Stars with his gracious Spirit and spiritual Ministry and for such whose lot is fallen in such a Land I say their lot is fallen in a goodly Heritage But what is the reason that Christ here appears under this representation of one that hath the seven Spirits of God and the seven Stars I Answer Christ is upon discovery of the hypocritical defections of the church of Sardis and thererefore he needs to appear not only under a searching piercing and spiritual administration as one that can search the reines and hearts cap. 2. 23. and as one that hath the seven spirits of God or the sevenfold searching Spirit of God which knoweth the hidden things of man but also under a lightsom administration of the seven Stars for a further discovery and conviction of their hypocritical practises and therefore the church of Sardis's hidden hypocrisies and inward rottenness being searched out by the Spirit of God and made manifest by the true light and Ministry of the seven Stars Angels or Ministers of the word he falls upon them with his charge against them and tells them I know thy works that thou hast a Name that thou livest and art dead Hence by the way Note Observ That Christ's spiritual Ministry in the hands of his Ministers and Embassadors can try the secret and hidden things of man The spiritual man saith the Apostle judgeth all things and is judged of none And if a private spiritual member may judge Judicio discretionis then surely much more the publique Embassadors and authorised Ministers of Christ they can try by the Word and Spirit whither our works profession
be only in name and outward or whither inward and sincere they are the Masters of the Assemblies and the experienced Elders of the church and therefore are and ought to precede and excel all others in every spiritual work and service whatsoever Observ Another Note hence is That the Spirits's Method is first to convince of sin before it manifests its remedy against sin The whole saith Christ need not the Physitian but the sensible sick and wounded Christ first convinces Sardis that she had only a Name that she lived but was dead before he lays down her remedy in the third ver in bringing her to repentance so he deales with Pergamus Thyatira and other delinquent churches also It is an Anti-scriptural Method of some that preach up faith and repentance unto a sinful and backslidden people before they have first fully convinced them by the Spirit in the Word that they are under bondage sin and misery This is no legal Method as the Antinomists do conjecture but of a spiritual and Gospel spirit for unless we be first sensibly convinced of our loss and misery by sin how should we looke for a Saviour or salvation by faith in Christ All the primitive converts that we read of were first pricked unto their hearts for sin before they asked What shall we do to be saved Acts 2. But to return to Christ's charge against Sardis I know thy works for thou hast a Name that thou livest but thou art dead as if he had said Thou hast a name a reputation that thou livest that is that thou art a faithful professing church and livest in me by faith but thou art dead that is not altogether dead for then it was in vain to put her afterwards to strengthen the remainder of grace but as good as dead low weak and infirm and that faith and profession which thou pretendest to be in thee is but as a dead profession and liveless faith Hence Note Observ That though Churches may carry a fair outward profession and a common reputation of faithful ones yet they may be very hipocritical and no better then dead liveless and rotten at the root This church at Sardis had a name that she lived but she was dead her graces were even at deaths dore yet still would keep up the Name of a christian church Who higher in profession and name then the church of Rome Doth she not take unto her self and go under the name of Catholique as if she had been the only church that holds the general faith delivered unto the Saints And yet what church more dead and rotten then she Notwithstanding our nominal faith and common-reputed christianity among us yet we may be dead to all motions and operations of all true spiritual life in the church of Smyrna cap. 2. 9. they were those which said they were Jews but they were not and Christ tels them I know the blasphemy of them that say they are Jews are not but are of the Sinagogue of Satan It is a kind of blasphemy and dishonour done unto God when under the cover of profession we endeavour to excuse our errors and profaness Open opposition is less dishonorable unto God then impure and dead lives under the vizor of profession Mat. 21.28 29. That froward Son in the Parable was less guilty that said he would not do the will of his Father then he that said I will and did it not James resolves the Question in that Interrogation of his cap. 2. 14 What doth it profit if a man saith he hath faith and hath not works can faith save him meaning a dead nominal faith without fruits and works So would I put the question here what will the pretended faith and christianity of our nominal and national christians profit or advantage them The Divel hath such a faith that is only in the tongue and the lip and yet fare nough from salvation or the grace of God these formal outward graces are so far from bringing in any real comfort or hope of glory in the future to the souls that only have them that they bring in real disadvantage and loss unto them for they argue a conviction of the truth yet a refusal thereof in the love and power thereof And secondly it hath been always a harder work of the Ministry to bring pretended and formal professors unto the power of godliness then open Harlots Publicans and Sinners witness the Pharisees of old in Christ's days and the National Formal Jews who would boast of their carnal priviledges and of having Abraham to their Father and the Oracles and Temple of God among them somwhat like the late Levitical Prelatical Tribe among us and yet who more blind and dead then they unto true spiritual knowledg And who more eager persecutors and enemies to Christ his ways and Saints then those Formal National Jews who say they are Jews and are not but are of the Sinagogue of Satan But to give you a test and taste to try whither your profession and faith be a living profession and faith or not First True and lively faith uniteth us to Christ and draweth life and vertue from him I live by faith in the Son of God Gal. 2.20 You know there is life in a body by the notions and beating of the pulses A living faith will be active and discover it self in some gracious effects and operations If Christ be in you he will live in you he will not be dead and idle but be moving in you to gracious duties and operations for there is none liveth in Christ but he bringeth forth much fruits Io. 15.5 It is true faith may not always be alike lively and active but where it is true and real it will be always living and though you be not sensible of its activity yet you will be sensible of deadness and complain under it which is a signe of a living faith though not a lively one Secondly Where this true faith is there will be its constant concomitant that forcible principle love See cap. 2. 19. Affection followeth perswasion and where love is there will be service and worke for faith worketh by love for when we apprehend by faith God's love in Christ to us it begets in us a return of love and acts of services and thankfulness to God True faith will not be idle but will be a working faith and will produce that labour of love mentioned Heb. 6.10 1 Thess 1.3 Thirdly A living faith must needs be active being wrought by the quickning spirit of Christ help engageth to action and where the spirit of Christ shall worke who shall resist his power Fourthly Where true faith is there will be high aimes to glorifie God for it will not be so dis-ingenious to take and receive mercies from God but it will study how to give and render unto God due praises and glory for it for we are not redeemed by Christ to live unto our selves but to glorifie God in our souls
the faithful and therefore David because he would have God's vengeance against these wicked ones plainly manifested desireth the Lord to discover them that they have no portion right or part in the book of the living nor worthy to be written or numbred among the righteous but that all might sensibly discern them to be but reprobates And thus far David's prayer is imitable as unto us Quest But by the way I shall put a question Whether it is lawful or consonant to the will of God for any of the Saints of God to pray to God as Moses did Exod. 32.32 I pray thee raze me out of the book which thou hast written and as Paul wished To be separated from Christ for his brethren according to the flesh Rom. 9.3 Or secondly To pray that other mens names though wicked may be blotted out of the book of the living as David in Psal 69.28 prayed against the enemies of God and himself Answ 1. It is not lawful to pray for any thing contrary to the known will of God for there are no commands or promises annexed to such a prayer but abundantly to the contrary therefore surely such prayer must be most vain and sinful for neither Moses nor Paul were bound to prefer the good of their brethren before the fruition of God and their own salvation Moses nor Paul did pray so absolute but conditionally like to that of Christ Father if it be possible let this cup pass from me so they if it would stand with God's will and be approved by him could desire and wish to be razed out and anathematized from the roll of God's church and from life itself so that they could deliver their lost brethren of Israel from the curse and damnation that hung over them for their infidelity and impenitency this they did desire under the loss of their own salvation had it been possible But whether Moses or Paul had so an eye and respect in these particular prayers to the will of God is uncertain for I think it is no sin to say that either Moses or Paul might be carried aside by an over mis-led zeal to their brethren the Jews for In many things we sin all saith the Apostle James cap. 3. 2. 3. Lastly if David did pray unto God absolutely that the names of the ungodly might be put out of the book of the living I think it not warrantable nor Imitable in us David being a Prophet and having the spirit of prophesie he well knew against whom he prayed prophesied and imprecated and so his prayers and imprecations to this effect were but as so many prophetical denunciations and predictions of God's judgements against his impenitent enemies which are no patterns or examples to us for we are commanded to pray for all men even for the conversion of the most vilest persons in the world as long as there is hope of their returning But secondly Though we may not pray absolutely yet we may conditionally with submission to God's will against all his and our antichristian enemies that God would either convert them or bring them to shame and ruine that his glory and the Saints peace and comforts may be more enlarged and multiplyed thereby But to proceed I will confess his name before my Father and before his Angels Christ having assured the overcoming Saints of Sardis that they should participate of his glory and be clothed with majesty in the other world and having undoubtedly assured them the confirmation and continuance of their blessed estate and their right thereunto in not blotting out their names out of his blessed roll and register of the book of life and having promised not only to do all this good for them but will also acknowledg them confess them to be his by name before God and his holy Angels that is as if Christ had said Those whom I present before thee O Father and thy holy ministring Spirits clothed in white rayment in innocency and majesty and which are from eternity registred in thy book I avouch and acknowledge them to be of my own name members of my own body anointed with the same unction and Spirit that I am of truly christians faithful followers of me and my doctrine thorow their whole course of regeneration and new life which they have led unto this present day Hence Note Observ That Christ will not be ashamed but will publiquely own and acknowledge his faithful ones at the last day before God his Father and all his holy Angels This he promises Mat. 10.32 to confess and own them before his Father in heaven who shall faithfully confess and own him here on earth Christ calls such here his sheep his friends his brethren his members yea himself by his own name Christ 1 Cor. 12.12 and therefore Christ tells them John 20.17 I ascend to your Father and my Father to my God and your God And seeing God and Christ are not ashamed to be called their God and their Christ in this life surely in the life to come they will not be ashamed of them but will acknowledge them to be the the godly or God-like christians that faithfully owned God and Christ in their several generations This is a great motive and encouragement unto us boldly and with constancy in the worst of times and under the greatest defections to confess and own so worthy a Lord and Master as Christ and his ways seeing we shall be no losers by it but rather great gainers for before God and his Angels he will not spare by name to confess us and to honour us as his own before so glorious a presence although of our selves we be most unworthy creatures Who ever truly honoured God and Christ in an open sincere profession and following of their ways of truth and was not honoured both by God and Christ Them that honour me I will honour saith God and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed 1 Sam. 2.30 If we only lose our honour among men for our profession and among the basest and vilest sort for all scornful ungodly ones are so to be accounted be they never otherwise in the eye of the world so great rich mighty or honourable and win honour with God if we be vilified on earth and among earthly minded men and be accepted in heaven we have no cause to be discouraged or murmure at our loss When Christ owned Stephen from heaven in the midst of his enemies it was more then a sufficient recompence for his stoning Acts 7. What loss did the three children sustain when they kept their consciences undefiled by not obeying Nebuchadnezzar's command in worshipping his golden Image but openly professing and praying with their windows open to the God of Israel Dan. 3. Did not the Lord for this their faithful honouring of him honour them with his presence with safety and deliverance and made them ever-living examples to all that truly fear God to trust in him for help in all extremities that fall on
were from heaven and not from men Hence it is that the Spirit of God is not only called the holy Spirit but also the Spirit of Truth John 14.17 because it leadeth and guideth into all truth and wheresoever the Spirit cometh as a holy Spirit to sanctifie it cometh in the first place as a Spirit of Truth to lead the soul into the ways of truth If Christ makes any discoveries unto thy soul it will be as unto Philadelphia as the holy One and as the true One As he is the way unto holiness so he is the way the truth and the life and no man cometh unto the Father but in by and thorow him John 14.6 Which hath the Key of David that openeth and no man shuteth and shutteth and no man openeth These words have relation to that prophesie of Isaiah cap. 22. 20. 22. about the calling of Eliakim the son of Hilkiah who should be a Father unto Jerusalem and to the house of Judah into whose hands the Government should be committed and in vers 22. The Key of the House of David will I lay upon his shoulder saith the Lord so he shall open and no man shall shut and he shall shut and none shall open This Eliakim in the days of Hezekiah was his chief Steward or master of his houshold as appears by 2 Kings 18.18 26. and it seems by the transactions between him and Senacharib none were suffered to go in or out to treat with Senacharib but Eliakim and whom he did approve of he was a man in great authority with the King and carried the Key and Soveraignty ever his whole houshold and therefore he is prophesied of by Isaiah to come or to be called again of God not in person but in his antitype and true counterpane Jesus Christ the true Eliakim who beareth the Keys of David c. Christ may well be typified by Eliakim and to be called the spiritual Eliakim promised in Isa 22. both for his name and nature Eliakim signifying as Hierom de interpretatione nominum the God of the Resurrection or God that rose again and who was this true Eliakim but Christ In the next place Christ was descended from this Eliakim Luke 3.30 therefore rightly brought by the Spirit in Isaiah to typifie him forth But lastly and chiefly Christ is the true spiritual Eliakim in respect of his Kingly office and Soveraignty which he beareth over his spiritual house his church as Eliakim bore it over the house of David The Key is put metonymice the ensign of Authority for Authority it self But why the Key of David and not the Key of the House of David Isa 2◠22 I answer Either it is to be taken metonimically the Master being put for the House or else for the more excellency of this Key that Christ bears before that of Eliakim's the truth it self exceeding the Type Eliakim was but an inferior Minister as the Steward and that in the family of David but Christ he bore the Key of David that is that was born before or by David himself due unto the highest Governour and extending to the whole Kingdom And therefore excels that of Eliakim's being limitted only to the houshold of David But why is the Key of David brought by the Spirit to represent Christ's Soveraignty and Kingdom over his church I answer for divers reasons First God promised an everlasting Kingdom to David and therefore a fit Type of the church of Christ who are loved with the everlasting and sure mercies of David Secondly David's Kingdom was over the Israel of God so Christ over the true Israel of God according to the Spirit Thirdly David was an absolute Lord over his Kingdom he suffered no Jebusites nor Canaanites to domineer within his Realm and Jurisdiction so Christ within the verge of his Government and Sovereignty he suffers no unclean Canaanite to rule and reigne nor any unclean thing to enter therein but he will be sole Lord and Soveraign within his House as was David and therefore in the next words it is said That openeth and no man shutteth and shutteth and no man openeth The same Key that openeth the same Key shutteth Christ's Key Power or Authority doth open and shut in a threefold respect First It opens the true Doctrine of Salvation and Redemption by Christ that none ever hereafter shall shut it up or obscure it and again he shuts it up to many unworthy and impenitent people which none but by him shall be able again to open and discover Secondly It opens and shuts in respect of the Government and Soveraignty that Christ bears over his Kingdom his holy Temple and Church either in admission or exclusion of members Isa 9.6 Zeah. 6.12 and herein no man can open or shut admit or exclude but as Christ hath laid down the rules and directions thereunto in his word Thirdly It opens and shuts into Christ's hidden mystical and everlasting Kingdom the church of the Elect and invisible Saints and to whom Christ doth open to enter herein no man can shut and to whom Christ shutteth no man can ever open so absolute a Lord is Christ in the whole work and administration of his Kingdom that what he does no man can undo or hinder and what he will not have done none can bring to pass He openeth and no man shutteth and shutteth and no man openeth From the words thus explicated Observ That Christ is the sole absolute Lord soveraign Giver and Disposer of all the blessings relating unto his Kingdom Christ is a Lord by power Mat. 28.18 2. He is a Lord by purchase Rom. 7.20 3. He is a Lord by conquest John 16.30 4. He is a Lord by donation Ps 2.8 5. He is a Lord by election as from God Mat. 12.18 Isa 22.20 c. And doubtless such a Lord hath an absolute power over all the Ministrations of his Kingdom to promote execute or hinder as he pleaseth The magistrate walks not in this sphere he hath another Kingdom to deal with the Magistrate cannot here shut nor open though Erastus vainly dreamt the contrary Christ's Key or the Key of David only fits this lock As the spiritual Key of David cannot open or shut in the civil kingdoms of the world neither can their civil keys open or shut in the spiritual house of David being fitted for another lock and who proves the contrary disorders the whole lock and brings always ruine instead of blessing upon the experiencers thereof Christ fits not upon Caesar's Throne nor Caesar upon his Each must remember and keep their place and station If Christ open with his Key and receive into his visible Kingdom Caesar hath no key to shut out If Christ shut against any Caesar hath no key to open 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Caesar may shut the door to true Saints and open it to the debauched world and so make an Image like to that of Nebuchadnezzar's whose feet were partly iron partly clay But when Christ in his Ministery
then what Magistrates as such can take cognizance of 1 Tim. 1.20 Mat. 18.17 1 Cor. 5.4 5. and by those Laws in the Apostles and Primitive times were errors depressed and punished and not by the Laws of Magistrates there was no appealing unto Cesar for this work Object But some Erastianizing or rather sycophantizing Doctors of these days that are willing and ready to gratifie the Magistrate with a boon more then is justly due unto him comes and objects Is not the Magistrate subordinate as unto Christ as Mediator to make Laws for him and to rule next and immediate under him in his church Answ Indeed this objection was of some weight when by Act of Parliament Henry 8. was made Supreme Head of the church and whilst the sound thereof was continued down to his Successors even till ten years since in the constant publique prayers for a blessing on the chief Magistrate under the Title of the Supreme Head of the church next and immediate under Christ Then I say this objection was somwhat but now it is judged to savour of too much levity and ostentation Secondly But to answer more fully I grant that all Magistrates are subordinate unto Christ not only by the law of creation and gubernation by which as God he rules the whole Universe but also by the law of Redemption and his Mediatorship so by him Kings reigne and decree justice If Christ had not died there had been no King or Subject in the whole world There 's a common temporal salvation attain'd for all by the death of Christ all had so died if Christ had not died Many have benefit by the death of Christ this way in a temporal salvation which shall never taste the benefit of Christ's death savingly or eternally Christ is a Saviour of all but especially of those that believe So I say all Soveraign Authorities in the world have a being by vertue of Christ's death and Mediatorship and by vertue of that purchase are subordinate unto him holding their Kingdoms and Principalities as in chief from him for all power is given unto him as a reward of his sufferings and the travels of his soul both in heaven and in earth Matth. 28.18 In heaven over the Saints militant and tryumphant and in earth over all Powers and principalities thereof So that Christ hath at present a two-fold kingdom and people to govern and rule the one is of the world and the Nations thereof which now he governs and rules only providentially by placing Kings and Princes over them to rule and reigne next and immediate under him by laws which the Legislators conceive most conducing to the well-being of their States and Kingdoms and herein Christ's concurrence is no more but in common providence and preservation which he exercises equally towards all the works of his creation and redemption But he hath another Kingdom and people to rule and govern which are a spiritual people his church which were the main and principal purchase of his death Christ hath another eye a more distinguishing respect to those then to the others and therefore more especially he provides for them to reigne and rule over them with special and peculiar Laws suiting to their spiritual conditions not that Christ exempts them from the wholsome temporal laws of Magistrates but that he suits them laws and ordinances fit for his own body whereof he himself is Head influendo infundendo And for this spiritual body and oeconomy Christ hath his Laws his Ordinances and his subordinate Officers which are for the perfecting of the body till all come to the unity of the faith unto a perfect man unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ Eph. 4.12 And amongst the whole catalogue of Christ's Officers we can find no mention of King Prince or Parliament that are ordained to such a work and therefore sure their work is another work then to make Laws for so spiritual a people as Christ's church is they are to hear no other voice but their masters nor to derogate so far from their spiritual Head Lord and Soveraign as to suffer any to reigne and rule over them in this spiritual oeconomy but him alone who hath his Laws his Ordinances his Officers to which they must obey and he substitutes none next and immediate under him in this his dispensatory Kingdom of Grace but his Vicar general the holy Spirit which doth virtuate all his holy Laws and Ordinances unto their ends And therefore such Powers of the world as go about as subordinate to Christ to make and impose Laws on the church of Christ should as soon attempt to give Laws and Ordinances to the Stars of heaven for though they are creatures of this world yet too high for their laws to reach so are the other Stars God's churches for they are from heaven and born from above neither are they of this world and therefore how vain and absurd it is for the Magistracy of this world to make laws and rules for them that have their conversation in heaven and live in another world they live in heaven and by heavenly laws they are governed their life is hid with God in Christ and Christ's Edicts they only hear and follow They live in a spiritual blessed state and nothing but spiritual Laws will they hearken to Their lot is fallen into an Utopia and none but Utopian laws shall be their rules But if they fall as men let the laws of men take hold upon them Though man cannot make Laws sutable to the Saints conditions yet it the Saints transgress the wholesom Ordinances of man they shall justly suffer as men and not as Saints for in things honest and indifferent the canon is universal Let every soul be subject to the higher Powers whether Saint or other Therefore give God his due and Cesar his Vers 8. I know thy works behold I have set before thee an open door and no man can shut it for thou hast a little strength and hast kept my Word and hast not denyed my Name Christ comes to a narration of the gracious works of the church of Philadelphia and first tolls what he hath done for her Behold I have set before thee an open door and no man can shut it As if Christ had said Behold I have given thee a fair opportunity and access to the knowledg of my Gospel and to preach the same to others and none shall be ever able to bereave or hide the same from thee any more for an open door is either put for the power of preaching the Gospel Col. 4.13 as the Apostle Paul would have the Colossians to pray earnestly to God for him That God would open a door of speech unto him Or secondly For a readiness of the reception of the Gospel as Paul in 1. Cor. 16.9 A great and effectual door is opened unto me and 2 Cor. 2.12 And this door is opened when mens hearts are opened as was Lidias ready to
receive the truth revealed by the Spirit of Truth The church of Philadelphia may be said to have this double door opened a free power given her by Christ to preach the Gospel and ready and willing hearts to receive it which no man should be able to take away from her for it is the great Key-bearer of David himself that hath opened it and maugre all the malice of devils and wicked men in their hellish designs it can never be obscured and shut up more Hence Note Observ That it is Christ alone that vouchsafes and gives fair opportunities and accesses to preach the Gospel and opens the hearts of the hearers for a kindly entertainment of it also 'T is not the force of man's wit conceit or eloquence of words will open this door either to one self or others Christ must first open and give a door of utterance or else the tongue will be as dumb as Zachariah's before John was born unto all Gospel mysteries Next the hearers will be as deaf unto the sound thereof as dumb unto the utterance of it before the Spirit comes and works kindly on their hearts to a fruitful reception thereof How possibly else could twelve plain Tradesmen Mechanicks Fishermen c. go on with that boldness in preaching the Gospel and have that door of utterance and entertainment almost in the whole world amongst inveterate and malicious enemies of God and Christ if the great Key-bearer of David had not touched their tongues and unshut their mouths and tâ—â— hearts of their hearers both at once the one with a power of speaking the other with a power and willingness of hearing receiving and treasuring up what they had heard and learned What a large door hath Christ laid open since the first days of reformation to this present day This could never be attained unto by the power of man but by Christ who by weak and despicable things and persons hath confounded the wise and mighty of the antichristian world as Luther was wont to say consider with what weapons I have overcome their errors I have never touched them with a finger but Christ hath destroyed them all with the Spirit of his mouth i. e. the word of his Gospel What doings what imprisonings what finings what punishments what tortures what punishments what deaths did the old Popish Doctors and clergy and of late the prelatical Bishops raise and invent to shut up this door that Christ had opened to his faithful witnesses in this land and yet what did they prevail and get thereby but by dashing themselves against the corner stone and by endeavouring to suffocate and shut up the true light became themselves the children of darkness and broke themselves to pieces against the corner stone and became the scorn of the whole world And if such endeavours are again set on foot against Christ's faithful witnesses to shut that door which Christ hath laid open to them let the experience of the time past towards the Prelatical persons and others of the same stamp be a curb unto such undertakers and an encouragement to all his faithful ones that they need not fear the reproaches or actings of men against them for it is Christ that hath opened a door unto them and no man shall shut it For thou hast a little strength and hast kept my word and hast not denyed my name These words are no diminution to the praise of the church of Philadelphia for having a little strength for the sense runs thus Because though thy strength be but small and thy gifts be but low in respect of others yet thou hast well improved those which thou hast and hast maintained my truth and hast not denyed my name This manner of speaking is usual among the Hebrews who put the coupling particle and for the disjunctive thouâ—h or yet This is called little strength not in opposition of much corruption that reigned in Philadelphia as Sardis that had but a few names alive because the greatest part were dead but this is called little strength being apparently no great strength comparatively to what others had and that God had given her for her talent which she improving and putting to profitable uses according to the parable Matth. 25. and therefore of all the seven churches this is most commended of God and in nothing reproved by him Hence Note Observ That a small Talent well improved is followed both by a benediction and a commendation from God himself The Parable in Matâ—h 25. confirms this where he that encreases his Talent is made owner of more and Governour of many Cities This church of Philadelphia bears the name from all her Sisters for her proficiency in the Truths of Christ Though her strength was not so great nor her profession and abilities seemed so high as the rest yet she was more fruitful then the rest and therefore she surpasses them all and hath the greatest portion and blessing given her then to any other and so becoms the only daughter of her mother the peerless Sister of the seven Have not of late many low despicable churches and persons for well improving their small Talents became fragrant gardens and eminent workmen in God's Vineyard whiles others of higher profession parts and abilities for want of husbanding their Talents both lost their Talents and became barren Desarts and like unsavoury Salt fit only to be cast into the Dunghil Though my years be but few and my experience small yet for want of this improvement I have known great Doctors to become Wittalls in the things of Christ and on the other hand children and babes by bettering of their Talents though but of small and of a little strength and as but a Mustard-seed in the beginning yet to become sound Doctors in the church of Christ and at last to grow up as great Trees in the Vineyard of God whereunto the Birds of the Ayr may fly for shelter Vers 9. Behold I will make them of the Sinagogue of Satan which call themselves Jews and are not but do lye Behold I say I will make them that they shall come and worship before thy feet and they shall know that I have loved thee By this double remarkable Asterisme or twice repeated Note of attention Behold In one verse Christ is about to bring to pass some notable worke in his church and what is it but to make the perverse Iews that troubled the peace of the churches in blaspheming the truths of Christ and endeavouring to bring afflictions and tribulations on the true Professors thereof but to make them stoop to the Scepter of Christ and to make them worship him before their feet to make them one flock and one church and to make them know that this Christ and this church whom they have vilified blasphemed and persecuted to be the only special object of God's Law and the only way and means to salvation and eternal life But to explicate the words more fully Behold I will make them of
in which their souls would delight Neither can they be ignorant thereof being to be sharers and compartners in that Kingdom though differing from one another in judgements and opinions the weak christian shall be a partner therein as well as the strong and therefore all of this sort must needs know it if it were come down from heaven on earth already 2. In the next place the wicked and ungodly of the world must needs then take notice of it also for there is written thereon the name of God of new Jerusalem and the new name of the same all signifying power strength and glory which they must needs be sensible of and feel the effects thereof unto their pain if the time were at hand that they should rule and break them as a Potters vessel as in cap. 2. v. 27. with a rod of iron That Kingdom that comes down from heaven from God shall surely be seen and acknowledged of all and especially coming with thaâ— power and glory as the day of the Saints triumphant reign does being ushered in with the most glorious appearing of the morning 〈◊〉 Christ in the clouds with myriads of his Angels and raâ—â—â—d Saâ—â—â—s that none can possibly be ignorant of it Therefore that I may deal plainly with those that would have the Saints to reigne before their Leader Head and King appears 't is much to be doubted that their spirits are not right with their master's spirit who was meek peaceable ready to suffer under the powers of the world not drawing the sword to free or revenge himself or his followers but checked Peter for it when he attempted it on Malchas and the rest that laid hands upon him Christ well knew that his Kingdom was not of this world of this age of sin and corruption and therefore his way was not to enter upon it by swords and blood but by suffering and patience and so entered into his glory and they that go another way may build a city but not such a one as comes down from God out of heaven whose builder is God they may erect a city whose builder is man and on whose gates and walls are written their own names not of God or of Christ's nor of the new Jerusalem they may build a Babel not a Bethel a Kingdom wherein the Beast may reign in not Christ and his Saints a Kingdom of weakness and imperfection whereby they themselves and all that trust thereunto may be justly involved into utter ruine and misery for trusting to the weak arm of flesh and leaving off their hopes in the living God and of that everlasting new city promised to the conquering suffering patient Saints and not to the heady rebellious or precipitant ones of the earth and whereon the name of God of the new Jerusalem and the new name of Christ is written and inscribed so plain and so evident that he that runneth may read it and say at the time when it descends that this is the Spouse the Lamb's wife the great city the holy Ierusalem that came down from God which shall be so universal and conspicuous for light and glory that all Nations of the earth that are saved shall walk in the light thereof and bring their glory to it and this city had no need of the Sun neither of the Moon to shine in it for the glory of God did lighten it and the Lamb is the light thereof Rev. 21.23 Vers 13. He that hath an ear let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches If it be demanded why these words are so often inculcated at the end of each particular Epistle to the several churches I answer What was written to them was not only peculiarly relating unto themselves but unto all others to take notice of also unto the ends of the world coming under the same conditions with themselves according to that of Paul Rom. 15.4 It was not only written for them but for our instruction also And therefore let the wise christian consider what the Spirit saith unto the churches Ver. 14. And unto the Angel of the church of the Laodiceans write these things saith the Amen the faithful and true witness the beginning of the creation of God The seventh and last of Christ's monitory Epistles is written to the chief Minister or Pastor of the church of the Laodiceans which was Archippus as some say mentioned Coloss 4.17 not far from Philadelphia in the lesser Asia It was called Laodicea from Laodice wife of Antiochus who built it in honour of his wife and called it according to her name Laodicea which name in the Greek signifies as much as Commandress Princess or Dictatrix of the people The nature and disposition of this church was somwhat agreeable to the nature of her name She conceived her self to be a glorious church a Princess amongst the rest of her Sister churches for so in vers 17. she vaunts her self to be rich to be increased with goods and to want nothing But when the Spirit of Christ brought her to the tryal she was found wretched miserable poor blinde and naked Hence by the way Note Observ That God does often in his providence ordain names to persons and places sutable and well comporting with their natural dispositions and qualities Christ was called Jesus because he was the Saviour of the world Ioshua had a name also from the same root he being also a temporal Saviour unto Israel leading them into the land of Canaan saving and delivering them from the hands and fury of the Canaanites the ancient inhabitants of the holy Land Many examples are found of the like kinde as Iohn whose name and nature both were gracious Chrysostome he was an eloquent golden mouthed Father and he had a name sutable to his nature Many more of the like kinde will offer themselves to the observant eye but these shall suffice 2. For places and churches Rome was called Roma from Romulus from some old word of the like sound which signifies strength Babylon from Babel confusion Philadelphia had a beloved name and she was a beloved church Laodicea had a vain-glorious name and she was a vain-glorious church much boasting of her spiritual riches whiles miserable poor and naked These things saith the Amen c. Christ is here described under a threefold property 1. As the Amen 2. As the faithful and true witness 3. As the beginning of the Creation of God These three properties are taken out of the general description of Christ in the preliminary Epistle to the seven churches in the first chapter First he is called the Amen out of the eighteenth verse of the first chapter to denote unto us Observ That what Christ promiseth and predicteth in this book of Prophesies must surely come to pass And that the truth hereof may not fail he adds another property taken out of chap. 1. v. 5. He being the faithful and true witness Now what this Amen hath promised predicted and said in these prophesies must
mouth for this their sin hath not God done the very same thing with us here in England here of late for this hermaphrodical religion that was professed amongst us half popish half reformed half rotten half sound even spewed it out root and branch never to be licked up more Is it not also to be feared that the same mongrel luke-warm condition is creeping in upon us again What meaneth else the many vindications that are set forth of late of the lawfulness of their practises doctrines missions calls hyerarchical superintendencies national churches and maintenancies and the like If Christ have vomited them out as unholy things he will not return again to take them up they are loathed of him for their mongrel temper and therefore spewed out and if you will know who they are that endeavours to lick them up again They are dogs I mean whelps of Rome that desire to return to their vomit They are Sows I mean unclean worldlings that make their belly their God that desire to return to wallow in the myre of Antichristian fooleries I shall say no more but this If Reformation according to Gospel pattern be the way be zealous in it burn in it walk in it stoutly couragiously as children of light but if Rome be the way to the new Jerusalem take her mark follow her and be not ashamed of her for Christ will not endure a middle temperature between both either be all Romish or all Reformed there is no medium between heaven and hell neither between true christian and antichristian either be the one or the other for because thou art neither hot nor cold it will come to pass to thee as it did to Laodicea Christ will spew thee out of his mouth Be wise therefore ye children of light Hold fast the liberty wherewith Christ hath made you free Have not your faces or thoughts towards the onyons and flesh pots of Egypt again but let your faces be to Zion-wards to build up the breaches thereof and be hot zealous fervent therein and that according to knowledge and then doubtless God will be with you and lead you into Goshen into a land of peace and rest Vers 17. Because thou sayest I am rich and encreased with goods and have need of nothing and knowest not that thou art wretched and miserable and poor and blinde and naked Laodiceas sin of luke-warmness had a two-fold ground or rise 1. Proceeding from a false perswasion of her own worthiness 2. From the ignorance of her own misery Her vain perswasion of her own worth proceeds from the consideration and conceit of her great wealth and riches not only spiritual which she wanted and Christ adviseth her to buy of him in the next verse but temporal and worldly she boasts her self not only to be rich and abounding in riches of both sorts but also to want nothing she had such a fulness that her contentation was compleat Many persons may abound and be rich and yet want much of fulness of satisfaction and contentation but the church of Laodicea it seemed abounded to contentation in her own conceit which is the highest pitch of riches for she had need of nothing and hence grew that sin of hers luke-warmness and half christianity From hence Note Observ 1. That the most rich and abounding wealthy churches are aptest to become the more remiss moderate indifferent and luke-warm christians In the primitive times when the churches were poor and low in the world they were purest more zealous and eminent for truth and martyrdom but when the church was indulged and lull'd in the lap of Constantine the great she grew more remiss and as riches and preferments were heaped on her she grew dayly more luke-warm till at the last she became key-cold as unto the truth as it is in Jesus and so shortly became purely Antichristian when the great preferments of Episcopal Lordships Deanries Arch-deanries Prebendaries c. were on foot among us Christ's Pastors became silken Priests and where was then true zeal for the truth That was driven into corners among some poor Puritans Brownists Anabaptists so scornfully called and the like but for the rest they were but half christians a medley of moral civilians half Romish half Reformed and this proceeds from the nature of riches and prosperity which is apter to choke the seed of grace then adversity and to bring a forgetfulness of God and a luke-warmness upon the hearts of those that do abound therein and therefore the children of God are so often warned in the Word that they take heed to themselves lest when they are full and cloyed with God's blessings through over-fulness they should forget the Lord. Thou sayest thou art rich c. And knowest not that thou art wretched and miserable c. The other cause of Laodiceas sin is the ignorance of her misery which she could not see and perceive by reason she was blinded by her outward prosperity and riches From whence Observe Observ 2. That the most ignorant and wretchedly miserable Church is the most boasting and highest pretending to spiritual riches and graces Doth not the church of Rome this day vaunt that she is the only rich one increased with goods and have need of nothing And 't is true if she only meant of worldly goods she is most pompous and replete therein but that is not all she vaunts too of her spiritual riches she calls her self Roma sancta the only Mother church the holy catholique church and no salvation without her pales the only Keeper of the Treasures of the Spirit and dispenseth them where she pleaseth and yet notwithstanding this high claim and pretence who more truly wretched miserable blinde ignorant naked and destitute of all true graces then she Laodicea was so vain-glorious that she could boast of her riches and yet she was the poorest of the seven of all the Reformed churches Our English under Episcopacy was wont to bear the Bell for outward splendour and glorying not only in her external riches but also of the magnificence of her worship beyond all others and yet among them all who nearer and dearer to her Sister Rome then she She was then looked upon as the first returning daughter to her Mother Harlot as the Apostate Bayly in his Epistle to the Reader of his book called End to Controversie testifies page 67. where he says That there were no other difference between them but that the Tapers upon their Altars wanted light and their Altars Priests and their Ceremonies purpose But the Lord since hath made a wider breach his name be praised for it and rendered her more irreconcileable to Rome then ever heretofore and we trust never more to be made up between them For further describing the wretchedness of the highly pretending church of Rome which may be truly parallell'd to the church of Laodicea in this particular of vain-glorying and boasting she hath here five degrees ascribed to her The two first are as common
which is often tryed and approved by the fire and therefore avoideth not the touch-stone or fire of tryal but standeth firm as the pillars of the house of God and they that trust unto it and are partakers of it do become rich exceeding rich in all true spiritual graces to their eternal glory Therefore for shame ye Ministers and servants of Christ that are truly such and conscientious of your duties leave of your beggerly trade in pursuing that that is no riches and come to Christ and buy gold of him tryed in the fire that will make you rich to purpose and so shall ye shine like Stars of the greater magnitude within the Firmament of your churches I feare me all is not gold that glisters with you O how dangerous it is to be in such a seeming fair condition when we conceit we are rich and lack nothing whiles indeed we are poor miserable blind and naked The Angel of Laodicea once thought as well of himself as the Angel of England at present but see his judgment for his hypocritical outside and half Religion which is much to be feared by us also if we grow not hotter and repent to wit that it will shortly come to pass that Christ will spew us out of his mouth and leave our place desolate unto us and this Christ doubtless would long since have done if he had not a remnant amongst us that are tryed gold for whose sake he doth preserve us yet understand that Christ knows how to cast off and burn up all the chaff as he did the Prelatical party of late in his judgments and fiery indignations and to preserve the wheat the godly safe and secure he will preserve them as gold in the Refiners fire it shall suffer no diminution whiles the dross suffers loss and is quite burned up and consumed by it therefore in time be wise repent and follow hear Christ's counsel buy gold of him tryed in the fire that thou maist be rich Secondly The second part of this heavenly purchase is white rayment that thou maist be cloathed We formerly heard of Laodiceas nakedness of her shameful nakedness now here is a covering for her a white garment that she may be cloathed and that the shame of her nakedness do not appear We know nakedness in it self was no shame before the fall but since sin hath prevailed it is become vile and shameful as God provided for Adam after his fall garments of skins to hide his shame so Christ hath provided spiritually a white rayment for the covering of all the spiritual defects and shame of the members of himself the second Adam Now this white rayment that is here provided and offered by Christ to Laodicea to cover her nakedness may be taken two ways as Laodicea had a twofold nakedness and shame upon her so here is a garment proportionable to her wants First she was naked in respect of true righteousness she was rich enough and righteous enough in her own eyes as many of these days are yet here is a garment provided by Christ for her to cover her nakedness This is that garment spoken of Rev. 17.13 14. which is the long white Robes that the undefiled followers of the Lamb do walk in that have washed their Robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Our sins bring shame and misery and nakedness upon us and defilement on our souls and it is Christ's blood that washes them white takes off the stains the guilt and obligation to wrath thereon and serves for a white garment to cover to hide and keep quite out of sight all our bloody spots and stains as if they were never done or committed and so are carried away on the head of this scape-Goat into the land of forgetfulness never to be remembred more Secondly She is naked too in respect of her outward garments church officers orders and ordinances she might be rich enough in outward endowments as riches worldly wisedome learning c. as some of our churches amongst us are yet beggerly poor and naked to the true calls orders ministrations and graces of the spirit and therefore Christ here offers her a white rayment of his own making for a covering of this her shame and nakedness to wit a ministry of officers and ordinances squared out in the Temple of God's holy Word for call for mission for matter for form and not according to humane invention notwithstanding which she might be naked still open to shame still and miserable still Hence Note Observ That the rayment of Christs making is the only rayment that will reach all our necessities and cover all our nakedness all other garments will come short of this work If we should maâ—e a linsey-woolsey garment partly of Christs and partly of our own commixture it would be like that in the Law that was partly linnen and partly woollen an abomination unto the Lord yea for all that we might be cold and naked Christs garment is such a garment that it will reach us from top to toe that no part of our shame or nakedness shall appear Sin brings shame and sin brings contempt and nakedness upon us and Christs rayment is a white rayment an inocent rayment a glorious honorable rayment it will cover all our shame and nakedness and therefore worth the buying our own rayments are spotted defiled and will not serve the turn but Christs is white all over If we expect to appear perfectly righteous holy and just before God or otherwise we shall never appear before him to approbation for no unclean thing shall enter into his presence then we must be sure to cloath our selves in the white rayment of this our elder brother In the next place if we have a desire to have the nakedness shame contempt and scorn that is cast upon our churches and is obvious to the whole world to be healed covered and done away then let us make haste and clothe our selves with this white rayment that Christ does counsel us to buy of him that is let us speedily look into the holy Vestry of Christ's Word and see what Garments Christ hath provided for his Spouse there The King's Daughter is all glorious within yea thou art all fair my Love there is no spot in thee Cant. 4.7 11. and the smell of thy garments are like the smell of Lebanon When we cast off Christ's order in Discipline church ordinances offices and missions we cast off Christ's white rayment and presently discover our shame and nakedness to the eye of the whole world It was the advice of Paul in Timothy 1 Tim. 4.12 Let no man despise thy youth And why Because he had on the white rayment of Christ's true Ministery and according to Christ's minde which garment is so full of Majesty though Timothy was but a youth yet being clothed therewith it rendered him not only above contempt but truly gracious and honourable in the eyes of all Some in the room of this of
Christ's own white rayment to cover their shame and nakedness think it sufficient that they have their silken coats or their formal Rochets a call from a rich personage and some Lording Prelates and then all is well but alas they see not that they are miserable and naked for all this Though I should not contemn moderate and modest garments yet Elijah in his hayrie mantle or John Baptist in his leather girdle and garment of Camels hair in the way of Christ will attain the honour of true Prophets unto themselves whilst the silken Priests in their own way lye naked unto the shame and contempt of all I speak not this to the reproach of any but to discharge my conscience like a good Phisitian must ly ope the wound and search it fully before he 'll cure it or like a faithful Pilot that will discover the dangerous shelves and Rocks to all passengers that they may avoid the danger and if I be judged by any to have said too much herein or beside the purpose I answer in the words of Paul in 2 Cor. 5.13 For whether we be beside our selves it is to God or whether we be sober it is for your sakes Christians 3. In the last place Christ adviseth Laodicea To anoint her eyes with Eye-salve Indeed she was dark and blinde to purpose and therefore had need of Eye-salve to make her see the way to everlasting happiness And where is she to get it But from Christ who applyeth the whole remedy for her disease Gold to relieve her poverty white Rayment to cover her nakedness and Eye-salve to cure her blindness Hence Note Observ That they that will truly see the way to eternal life must come to Christ to receive Eye-salve from him He is given as a covenant to open the eyes of the blinde and to lead them in the paths of life it s in vain to go to our own prudence or carnal wisdom that would more entangle us and lead us out of the way according to that saying of Christ in John 9.39 I am come into this world for judgement that they that see not should see and that they that see that is in their own wisdom should be made blinde Christ made an Eye-salve for the cure of a blinde person in John 9.6 of his spittle and clay of a compound matter proceeding from his mouth and the earth whereby he made the blinde man see Christ somwhat follows the same method in his compositions of Eye-salves which he uses towards his spiritual blinde souls that he takes to cure first he gives us the knowledge of our selves and of our own earthy matter and that we savour in our unregeneracy nothing but of earth and earthliness Next he brings us to the knowledge of himself and his Word which proceedeth out of his mouth and so makes us an happy composition and Eye-salve whereby we see our poverty our shame and nakedness and all our spiritual wants and also where remedy is to be had to heal and to save us from all our maladies and indeed this is as great a blessing as Christ can bestow upon us to be truly sensible and to have a clear sight of our condition it is the next step to amendment it is ignorance and blindness that makes us err and go astray but true saving knowledge will keep us close to God's commandments If we take any other Eye-salve to anoint our eyes with save what Christ hath prepared for us in the Panacea or Treasury of his Word we may take Bird-lime instead of Eye-salve which will close our eyes the faster They are not the traditions of men nor the wisdom and understanding of the wise that will make this precious oyntment but it is a spiritual quintessential extraction and oyntment drawn out by the Spirit of Christ out of the holy Limbeck of his Word and applyed by him unto the blinde Patient that will make him see the glory of God and his grace and to praise him for it unto eternity Vers 19. As many as I love I rebuke and chasten be Zealous therefore and Repent If it be demanded how this verse coheres or hath relation to the precedent discourse I answer Very much it being added as a motive reason or argument to the church of Laodicea to use the remedy which Christ counsels her unto If Christ will not spare his own children when they refuse his counsel it is time for them to look about to be more zealous and repent And secondly To assure her That though Christ comes with a most bitter chastisement against her for her sin yet it is as a father in love with the rod of wholsome discipline as admonition reproof correction c. That the man of God may be perfected and prepared to every good work 2 Tim. 3.16 and if all will not do Christ hath another rod a bitter rod even for those his professed children too a quite casting off and spewing them out of his mouth for ever Quest But how can Christ be said to love such that he so bitterly chastiseth I answer Christ chastiseth his children not to destroy them but to bring them to amendment and to save them if possibly he may Christ's rod of Discipline is not a destructive rod but according to that of David With thy rod and staff thou hast supported me and therefore he tells Laodicea here that she should not despair of his gracious acceptance for the great punishment that was coming on her for he tells her that they are such as he loves whom he rebukes and chastens and therefore adds Be Zealous and repent if she expects his fatherly goodness to be continued towards her Here are two degrees of this chastisement Reproof and a Smiting Whence Note Observ When the word of reproof will not serve turn to reclaim obstinate sinners a smiting chastisement must be added thereunto If the word of reproof will not fasten on a Delinquent the stroke of Discipline must but always in Christ's order and method not presently passionately and rashly but advisedly soberly and in love according to the advice of the Apostle after the second or third admonition that is after several ways taken for his recovery and all in vain then such an obstinate sinner is to be rejected and chastised with the sharp rod of Discipline What else is to be expected after Christ's long admonitions and reproofs towards us but that he should come with his sharp rods and chastisements towards us when all his convincements will do us no good nor his rebukes draw any profit or fruits of amendment from us Surely if he do love us he will chasten us which is another Note Observ 2. That as many as Christ loves them he chastens If we be children and not bastards his rod shall walk among us Heb. 12.7 8. Think it not strange when the Saints of God are afflicted chastised and corrected it is because they are children because they are sons and beloved of
God if we were not of his family he would leave us alone to run on in our own perverse ways until destruction and hell overwhelmed us Be zealous therefore and repent What zeal is see formerly on the fifteenth and sixteenth verses Christ in the former verse prescribed the remedy to the church of Laodicea for her disease and here he adviseth to the application of it Be zealous be fervent be hot cast away thy half mongrel Religion which is neither hot nor cold Purge out O England thy Romish leven that makes thee hang even half way between heaven and hell between Christ and Antichrist Be zealous and repent O Laodicea cast out O England thy pretended riches honours and preferments which works a conceit in thee that thou art rich whiles thou art but beggarly and naked and buy gold tryed of the fire of Christ and true honours from him and that white rayment of his righteousness and of his holy Spouse in her external offices and ordinances which will make thee truly honourable beautiful rich and comly Be zealous I say and fervent hot after those precious jewels and spiritual riches and repent of thy former follies and vain conceits and then thou wilt be wise to purpose and become as a Lilly among the Thorns and the fairest of all thy Sisters Vers 20. Behold I stand at the door and knock if any man hear my voice and open the door I will come in to him and will sup with him and he with me Christ adds here another motive to the poor blinde Laodiceans to come unto him for gold for white rayment for eye-salve to supply all their wants which is drawn from his willingness and readiness to come in and converse with all such that are but willing to receive him and to close with him and therefore he tells them Behold I stand at the door and knock Christ comes as one desiring to have entrance he knocks first that they may know to whom it is that they must open Christ coming in his first grace is irresistable and as the strong man dispossesses Satan and takes possession of the house the soul by a spiritual force and over-powering hand But if the soul after faith received by its own sloth remisness or backsliding shall shut the door or entrance thereof against the kindly operations of Christ and his Spirit Christ is not obliged to break up the door of that heart again by violence as at his first coming in unto it but will come and call and knock for entrance that is will wait with mercies with providences with precepts commands with exhortations and reproofs that if possible to melt the straying and erring soul into compunction and to open again unto him that the King of glory may enter in From which posture of Christ Observe Observ That Christ uses all possible means for the reclaiming and regaining erring souls into the ways of life He comes as it were a supplicant at their doors and desires them to give entrance to him He stands and knocks he waits and waits long and calls and calls again by divers and various ways of mercies and grace he puts them in minde of his former loving kindnesses and how ready he is to help them if they will but open to him and follow his direction and hearken to his voice Somtimes he shakes his rod over them to bring them to repentance and tells them as many as he loves he rebukes and chastens somtimes he invites them by mercies and gracious considerations to return unto him then again he takes the terrors of the Law to make them see their danger if they continue obstinate unto his calls and lastly he sends his Ambassadours with precept upon precept and line upon line beseeching in Christ's name the straying souls to return unto him Christ will never be wanting to them unless they be wanting unto themselves Quest But why does not Christ himself use his force and open the door himself by his Spirits power to these poor Laodiceans Is not he the great Key-bearer of David who openeth and no man shutteth and if he would but speak the word he need not stand knocking at their doors they would fly open to him that he might enter in I answer 1. 'T is true At Christ's first entring into the soul our base natures are so resistable and abhorrent to the work of grace that he must come by force by a spiritual force with his Key of David to unlock the doors of our hearts if he will have an entrance thereinto But secondly Having first shed abroad his first grace into our hearts then he commands us to work in the power of that grace to work out our salvation with fear and trembling Having received the promises saith the Apostle clense your selves from all filthiness 2 Cor. 7.1 and Christ puts us then upon doing that we may stir up our graces improve our talents and become active growing and fruitful christians and on this account Christ here knocks at the door of the hearts of the church of Laodicea and bids her to hearken to his voice and ro open to him She had received the first grace of faith from Christ or else she could not be numbred among the seven golden candlesticks though she was a sad disorderly and rusty one yet she was a church of Christ still and therefore might very well be commanded to set her power and grace a working to open unto Christ the operations of whose Spirit she had shut out and quenched by her uneven carriage and luke-warm temper Thirdly and in the last place Know that Laodicea had not quite shut the door to Christ as unto the operation of his graces she was a church of Christ though a luke-warm one but she had shut the door and denied him passage in some of his Ordinances by which Christ usually and ordinarily enters she had shut the door unto a true spiritual Ministery Discipline orderly calls and regular dispensing of his Ordinances and instead thereof entertains a formal lazy indifferent luke-warm Ministery State-discipline Officers and calls and so all Ordinances are brought to the scantling of the will of man not of God or of Christ and so makes up a mongrel Hermaphroditical worship part of God's and part of man's which indeed is purely neither God's nor man's and therefore an abomination both to God and man She had shut this door and way of entrance against Christ as some of our churches has done this day and therefore Christ comes and knocks and how By the Ministery of his Word and faithful Witnesses And as John was sent with an Epistle in his hand to Laodicea and the rest of the delinquent Asian churches so Christ sends his faithful Teachers and Prophets with a burden in their mouths against all such false worship and doctrine to unshut the doors if it may be that the King of glory may enter in Use From the discoursed premisses it plainly appears That this Scripture
will sup with him and he with me then a spiritual participating of Christ in his Ordinances in this life The words have respect unto futurity and the other life as the next verse intimates and that of Luke 13.29 Then shall they come from the East and West North and South and shall sit at Table in the Kingdom of God And when is that time But in that day when Abraham Isaac and Jacob and all the faithful shall appear in the Kingdom of Christ and all the wicked thrust out of doors vers 28. And this is that which Christ intimateth in Matth. 26.29 to his Disciples after his last Supper That henceforth he would not drink of this fruit of the Vine until that day when he should drink it new with them in his Fathers Kingdom Christ will again feast communicate and entertain mutual fellowship with his Disciples before the ultimate end though not in a carnal and sensual manner yet in a more heavenly and spiritual manner and therefore it is called New Wine in respect it is received not in the old common way but in a more singular and spiritual way and manner it is called new as Jerusalem that comes down from God is called new in respect of its perfection the old being passed away And that day when this heavenly Supper or Feast will be is when that Royal Nuptial feast is prepared at that wedding mentioned Rev. 21.2 9. for the heavenly Bride the Lamb's wife when Abraham Isaac and Jacob and all the faithful shall sit at Table together with Christ in his most glorious and happy Millenary Reigne and Kingdom and I can see no inconvenience why this should not be so literally understood it being a sure rule in interpreting Scriptures That we are not to depart from the plain literal sense thereof unless there be some evident cause to the contrary as being contrary to the coherence against the Analogie of faith or some other more plain and express Scriptures But this sense accords and harmonizes with a full consort of other Scriptures and therefore Piscator well observes upon this of Matth. 26.29 Quare non videtur hoc intelligendum de Vino quod una cum Discipulis biberet Dominus post Resurrectionem suum Nam etsi per dies illos quadraginta sese illis subinde ostendit atque etiam cum iis edit nulla tamen potus sit mentio nec moris erat apud Judaeos bibere Vinum in Prandiis ac Coenis quoâ—idianis sed tantum in solemnioribus Conviviis Though it is mentioned that Christ did eat with his Disciples after his resurrection before he ascended yet there is no mention of drinking this new wine which was reserved for the day of his Kingdom which was not then in being for he told his Disciples that he was then a going to prepare a place a Kingdom for them John 14.2 wherein they should sup with him have fellowship with him and sit on his Throne and Reigne with him as the procedure of the next verse will manifest Verse 21. To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my Throne even as I also overcame and am set down with my Father in his Throne Christ here adds a third reason to the luke-warm Laodiceans to come unto him it being by way of reward a Throne Christ tells the sons of Zebedee Matth. 20.23 That to sit on his right hand and on his left is not his to give but he having since by his death purchased this power into his hands for all power is given unto him in heaven and in earth Matth. 28.18 He has a just right to dispose and grant to sit with him in his Throne to all his conquering Saints Christs Throne here and the Father's are contradistinguished as two distinct Thrones and not one and the same Subordinata or diversa non sunt contraria My Throne and the Father's Throne carries a variety not a contrariety in them The Son is not the Father neither is the Father the Son So neither is the Son's Throne the Father's Throne nor on the other side the Father's Throne the Son's Throne Christ will have his Throne as God-man here on earth wherein himself and members shall have a share though inferiour unto the Head for they shall reigne on earth Rev. 5.10 and the Father has his Throne the highest heaven of glory Psal 11.4 Isa 66.1 whereâ—n Christ is set down Col 3.1 and this cannot be called Christ's Throne properly as his own for Christ's Kingdom or Throne is a Throne of executing judgment and righteousness and breaking all his enemies as a Potters vessel with a rod of Iron cap. 2.27 2 Pet. 3.13 Now this cannot be commodiously applyed to the Father's Throne which Christ at present enjoyeth in the highest heavens that is the Holiest of Holies into which Christ is entered a place only meet for Angelical hallelujahs and spirits of men made perfect not for ruling reigning judging and breaking his obstinate enemies which he as man must do on earth But more of this hereafter Only hence Note Observ That the time is yet to come when Christ is to have a Throne of his own on which together with him the overcoming Saints shall sit and reigne on earth That this Throne is to commence in futurity is plain from Christ's promise made here to the overcoming Saints long after Christ's ascension into the Father's Throne and that it shall be here on earth is plain from cap. 5. 10. where the Elders triumphant song does clear it Thou hast made us unto our God Kings and Priests and we shall reigne on earth compared to chap 20 v. 11. and that of Matthew 5.5 Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth all is in the future tense for I am sure experience shews they have not yet inherited the earth for they have in all past times complained We have been strangers and Pilgrims and in all ages hitherto afflicted distressed and persecuted as servants and never as yet inherited the earth that is become the only Lords as the true heirs and proprietors thereof and therefore yet to come I shall only add that of Luke 20.28 29 30. Ye are they which have continued with me in my temptations and I appoint unto you a Kingdom as my Father hath appointed unto me That ye may eat and drink at my Table in my Kingdom and sit on Thrones judging the twelve Tribes of Israel I see no inconvenience of understanding these words literally as unto the general scope thereof according to that ancient rule Non est a litera seu propria Scripturae significatione recedâ—ndum nisi evidens aliqua necessitas cogat Scripturae veritas in ipsa litera periclitari videatur And by the way take notice That there are many godly learned men both in our own Nation and others also that though they take not up this opinion as their own nor cannot wholly comport with it in their judgment yet
is under it and having plucked up the rotten prop the building thereon must needs fall to ground and come to nought Cum tollitur causa tollitur effectus and instead of this broken reed let the faithful soul comfort and support it self in patience with the hopes of Christ's true and real Kingdom wherewith John was affected and supported Rev. 1.9 which shall come in glory and great power and none shall say as now Lo here is Christ or there is Christ but he shall be most evident and perspicuously glorious Lo He cometh in the clouds and every eye shall see him and they that pierced him and every one shall mourn because of him v. 7. This Kingdom of Christ is not advanced by any capricious whimsies of ours but is brought to light in power and great Majesty where Christ comes with his Armies and myriads of Angels and raised Saints Rev. 19.14 20.4 to take the Kingdom unto himself when Antichrist and all his adherents are destroyed by the appearance of the Lord Christ then shall they fly unto the Rocks and the Mountains and call to them to fall upon them to hide them from the presence of the Lamb that sitteth on the Throne and then all the Kingdoms of the world shall become the Kingdoms of our God and his Christs and he shall reign for ever and ever Hallelujah Amen And for a conclusion of all let the faithful ones of Christ hearken to the often repeated admonition of the Spirit in the last verse Vers 22. He that hath an ear let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the Churches He that is an understanding christian among you let him consider what graces the Spirit hath set forth to their imitation and approved of by various encouragements and promises of rewards and what sins and faults he hath reproved and menaced with dreadful judgements in each and every one of those seven Asian churches that he may avoid the one and embrace the other that so his portion may fall in the land of the living What was written to them was written for our example and if we be found in their conditions we shall receive our rewards accordingly for every one shall receive according to his works O Lord Christ that has moved the heart of thy servant to make these things known unto the children of men let him be a learner himself at the foot-stool of thy grace and blessed be thy holy Name that hath gone thus far with thy poor servant O let his own words be imprinted in his own heart Keep him humble Lord that he be not lifted up in his own eyes lest whiles he comes a Teacher unto others he himself becomes a cast-away O Lord Christ Give thy servant power from thy self to overcome his temptations that he may sit with thee in thy Throne even as thou hast overcome and art set down in thy Fathers Throne Pardon O Christ not only the faults of this undertaking but the many sins and errours of all his life O cover him and them with thy white rayment and then he shall walk in white before thee and at thy appearance his nakedness shall not appear Remember O Lord thy Church and People among us for good O let them hear what the Spirit saith unto the Churches That thy Name may be gloriously exalted within our days That thy Truth may run to and fro and be increased and that all be kept and preserved within the compass of their duty both towards God and Man That so we may have sweet smelling Gardens holy Assemblies within our Land where the Lord may take delight to dwell in Hear O Lord thy poor servant for thy wonted mercies sake in and thorow the Son of thy own love to whom with thy Self and holy Spirit one Eternal Ever-living Lord God be all glory dominion praise and power for ever and for ever Amen Δοξὰ μονῷ τῷ Θεῷ FINIS
them for his names sake â—o all generations for ever But if it be asked How we shall honour God faithfully this way It is answered we must as those few undefiled names or Saints of Sardis overcome the corruptions and pollutions of the times by witnessing against them and openly stand for and profess the contrary truths and ways of God and follow the advice of Paul to Timothy 2 Tim. 2.21 If a man purge himself from these he shall be a vessel unto honour sanctified and meet for the Masters use And therefore let the understanding christian mark and consider this as it is in the advice of the Spirit in the immediate subsequent verse Verse 6. He that hath an ear let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the Churches This verse formerly opened therefore needs no farther explanation Verse 7. And to the Angel of the church of Philadelphia write These things saith he that is holy he that is true he that hath the key of David he that openeth and no man shutteth and shutteth and no man openeth This Epistle inscribed to the Angel of the church of Philadelphia is directed also from Christ under various remarkable descriptions for holiness truth and soveraignty having the key of David which he beareth not idly for with it he openeth and no man shutteth and shutteth and no man openeth This church of Philadelphia was one of those seven famous churches scituate in the lesser Asia now called Natolia whose Angel or Pastor was Demas or Damias as Ignatius Epistles testifie And indeed it was a church by the Spirit 's description which was the fairest among the Sisters the most comly orthodox and sound among all the seven whose very name doth set forth her gracious nature and qualities Philadelphia signifying Brotherly love or love of the Brethren which doth notably agree to the excellency of grace that was found in this church being not openly convinced of any crime but altogether extolled for her gracious deportment M. Brightman makes this his darling and beloved Philadelphia to typifie and represent his reformed Geneva French or Scottish church model but upon further enquiry I doubt his counterpane will fall short of their first pattern in purity and soundness and he makes the church of England as then governed by Bishops for their luke-warmness and remisness in matters of Religion to be the counterpane of Laodicea his blear-eyed Leah but Philadelphia the Geneva Helvetian and French Reformed church begun by Zuinglius and Calvin to be his much adored darling and Rachel and so he makes Sardis to represent the German Reformed church under Luther and his associates Pergamus to represent the degenerate church of Rome as then in being about the time of Luther and so upward he makes the several states and ages of the church the counterpanes of Thyatira Smyrna and Ephesus unto the Apostles times But by what warrant M. Brightman does this or why he is so luxuriant in his applications I know not and I conceive under due respect to so learned an Author as M. Brightman that it is beside the intention of the Spirit that ever those seven Asian churches should typifie or represent any other churches or state of churches that should rise in futurity only they are left unto us and to all ages to come as examples and patterns to understand and know the dealings of God with them that if we be partakers in the same graces with them we shall have the same encouragements approbation and reward as they had but if we be found guilty of the same transgressions as they were we shall fall under the same judgements as they did and that that made M. Brightman thus over-free in his applications in his counterpanes I verily believe to be the variety of conditions both good and had found in those seven churches which by a good wit may be stretch'd out to represent the condition and state of any church whatsoever which is not altogether beside the scope or intention of the Spirit in them for it is often inculcated in this and the former chapter He that hath an ear let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches What was written unto them was not only for themselves but for the cognizance of all others in the future also coming under the same conditions and qualifications with themselves But to proceed These things saith he that is holy he that is true c. These words contain a description of Christ who sends this Epistle to the Angel of Philadelphia whose two first properties are taken out of the nature of the Son of God to wit Holiness and truth Christ makes this discovery of himself sutable to the condition of the church of Philadelphia which was an eminent shining star both for the profession of the truth and for holiness to the other the more delinquent churches he discovers himself in another posture with eyes and feet like burning brass and with a two edged sword proceeding out of his mouth but with the gracious he appears more gracious and to the truly godly he appears in his own proper nature in Truth and Holiness Hence Note Observ Christ discovers himself unto his people not only as the holy One but as the God of Truth also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 These things saith he that is holy he that is true They are much deceived that aim at holiness without the truth They that own not Christ according to the truth can never be truly holy ones or sanctified persons for truth sanctifies John 17.17 Let their actions be never so highly estimated in the eye of the world as proceeding from holy self-denying persons yet if they be not done in the truth that is from a true fountain and to right ends they will lose their reward and be at best but as tinkling Cymbals What profit doth it yeild the monastical Votaries of Rome when they devote themselves to so rigid austerities and pretend so high to holiness whiles they have banished truth from their borders when neither their ends nor their aims are right according to the truth of God's word To what end is the Quakers austere carriage and outward holiness whilest they deny Redemption or Satisfaction by the blood of Christ Will their inherent holiness or their austere upright carriage serve instead of Christ's imputed righteousness Holiness and truth must go together to denominate a true Saint Heathen Philosophers will quite out-strip the best of christians in divers acts of vertue but when proceeding from a christian according unto truth they are to be called by another name holy or godly actions If you try the doctrines of men only by the holiness of the persons that brings them you may entertain errors instead of truth for truth is not always with the most seeming holiest men But if doctrines come from persons holding the truth in sincerity and professing the same truth in purity and integrity of their souls doubtless such doctrines in their first origen