The Whole Revelation of John in Two Treatises, Treatise 2 · Chapter 2
CHAP. II.
THE ARGVMENT.
The general preface to the ſeuen Churches, being premitted in the firſt chap. now in this chap. followes out the particular meſsages, direct to four of the ſaid Churches, cōmending their wel doing, & exhorting perſeuerāce, & reprouing their defectiō, & crauing their amēdment.
The Text.
VNtoUnto the Angell of the church of Epheſus: write, Theſe things ſaith he, that holdeth the ſeuē ſtars in his right hand, & walketh in the middeſt of the ſeuen golden Candleſtickes.
2 I know thy works, & labor, & thy patience, & how thou canſt not forbear thē which are euil, & haſt examined the which ſay they are Apoſtles, & are not, & haſt found them liers.
3 And thou haſt ſuffered, & haſt patience, & for my names ſake haſt laboured, and haſt not fainted.
4 Neuertheles I hauehave ſomvvhat againſt thee, becauſe thou haſt left thy firſt louelove.
5 Remēber therefore frō whēce thou art fallen, & repent, & do the firſt workes: or els I wil com againſt the ſhortly & wil remoue thy candleſtick out of his place except thou amend.
6 But this thou haſt, that thou hateſt the works of the Nicolaitans, which I alſo hate.
7 Let him that hath an ear, hear what the Spirit ſaith vntounto the churches, To him that ouer commeth, wil I giuegive to eat of the tree of life, which is in the mids of the paradiſe of God.
8 And vntounto the Angel of the Church of the Smyrnians write, Theſe things faith hee that is firſt, and laſt, which was dead, and is aliue.
9 I know thy works, & tribulation, & pouerty, (but thou art rich) & I knovv the blaſphemy of them, which ſay they are Iewes, and are not but are the Synagogue of Satan.
10 Feare none of thoſe thinges, which thou ſhalt ſuffer: behold, it ſhall come to paſſe, that the Deuill ſhal caſte ſome of you into priſon, that yee may be tried, & ye ſhal hauehave tribulation ten daies: be thou faithfull vntounto the death, and I will giuegive thee the crowne of life.
11 Let him that hath an ear, heare what the ſpirit ſaith to the churches. He that ouercō meth, ſhal not be hurt of the ſecond death.
12 And to the Angel of the Church which is at Pergamus, write, This ſaith hee, which hath the ſharp ſworde with two edges.
13 I know thy works and where thou dwelleſt, euen where Satans throne is, & thou keepeſt my Name, & haſt not denied my faith, euen in thoſe daies whē Antipas my faithfull martyr was ſlaine among you, where Satan dwelleth.
14 But I hauehave a fewe things againſte thee, becaus thou haſt ther thē that maintain the doctrine of Balaam, which taught Balac to put a ſtumbling block before the children of Iſrael, that they ſhould eat of thinges ſacrificed vntounto idols, & commit fornication.
15 Euen ſo haſt thou them, that maintaine the doctrin of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate.
16 Regent thy ſelfe, or els I will come vntounto thee ſhortlie, and will fighte againſte them with the ſworde of my mouth.
17 Let him that hath an eare, heare what the Spirite ſaith vntounto the Churches. To him that ouercommeth, wil I giuegive to eat of the Manna that is hid, and will giuegive him a white ſtone, and in the ſtone a newe name written, which no man knoweth, ſauing he that receiueth it.
18 And vntounto the Angell of the Church which is at Thyatira write, Theſe thinges ſaith the ſon of God, which hath his eies like vntounto a flame of fire, and his feete like fine braſſe.
19 I know thy works and thy louelove, and ſeruice, and faith, & thy patience, & thy works, and that they are moe at the laſt than at the firſt:
20 Notwithſtanding I hauehave a few things againſt thee, that thou ſuffereſt the woman Iezabell, who calleth her ſelfe a Prophoteſſe to teach & to deceiue my ſeruantes, to make thē commit fornication, and to eate meats ſacrificed vntounto idols.
21 And I gaue her ſpace to repent of her fornication, and ſhee repented not.
22 Behold, I will caſt her into a bedde, and them that commit fornication with her, into gret affliction, except they repent them of their workes.
23 And I will kil her children with death: and all the Churches ſhall knowe, that I am he which ſearch the reines and heartes: and I will giuegive vntounto eueryevery one of you according vntounto your workes
24 And vntounto you I ſay, the reſt of them of Thyatira, as many as hauehave not this lerning, neither hauehave knowne the deepnes of Satan (as they ſpeake) I will put vponupon you none other burthen.
25 But that which you hauehave alredy, hold faſt til I come.
26 For he that ouercōmeth, & keepeth my works vntounto the end, to him will I giuegive power ouer nations,
27 And he ſhall rule them with a rod of irō and as the veſſels of a potter ſhall they bee broken: euen as I hauehave receiued that povver of my father.
28 And I wil giuegive vntounto him the morning ſtarre.
29 Let him that hath an eare, heare what the Spirit ſaieth to the Churches.
The paraphraſtical Expoſition.
VNtoUnto the Paſtour or Miniſter of the Church of Epheſus write thou, & ſhewe that theſe things ſaieth the Lord Ieſus, that holdeth the paſtors of theſe ſeuen Churches vnderunder his merciful hand and protection, and is preſent himſelf in the midſt of theſe his ſeuen holie Chriſtian Churches.
2 I know thy a workes, ô Church of Epheſus, and the trauell, and patience, thou haſt for my ſake, and how thou deteſteſt, and reprooueſt all that doe euill, and howe thou haſt tried out the falſe Apoſtles, & haſt found them diſſembling liers.
3 And thou haſt endurrd trouble patientlie, and for my names ſake, haſt ſtil continued in all godlie exerciſes, without fainting or falling backe.
4 Neuertheles, I hauehave to reproue thee, that thou haſt made b defection from that charitable louelove, that thou ſometimes had.
5 Remember therfore, of that defection, repent and amend the ſame, by taking vp againe thy former charitable doing, or els I will come ſhortlie in my juſtice, and remoue my Church from among you, vnleſſe you ſpeedilie amend.
6 But in this I praiſe thee, that thou abhorreſt the common harlotry and confuſion of the heretike c Nicolaius, which alſo ar abhominable in my ſight.
7 Let him that hath judgment vnderſtād, what Chriſt, d ſpirituallie appearing, ſpeaketh vntounto his Churches: To him, ſaith he, that ouercommeth his temptations, ſhal I giuegive the food of euerlaſting life, which he ſhall enjoy in the ſpirituall e paradiſe of heauen, with God the Father aeternallie.
8 And vntounto the Paſtour or miniſter of the Church of the Smyrnians write: Theſe things ſaith the Lord Ieſus, who is without beginning, & without ending, who ſuffered f death for mans ſake, and now liueth aeternallie.
9 I know thy works, thou Church of the Smyrnians, and the trouble that thou endureſt, and both thy pouertie in ſpirit, and contēning of worldly riches; but thou haſt g treaſure abiding thee in heauen: I know alſo the blaſphemous intiſement that certain diſſembled Iewes mak vntounto you, but they ar the very deuils diſciples, & Synagogue of Sathan.
10 Feare not therfore theſe perſecutions, which you ſhal ſuffer: for behold, I foreſhewe you, it ſhall come to paſſe, that the devil ſhall ſtirre vp his tyrants to perſecute and impriſon you, that ye thereby may bee tempted, and abide triall, and that perſecution ſhall laſte tenne h yeares: but bee thou faithfull euen to the death of the bodie, and thou ſhalt bee crowned with the glorie of aeternall life.
11 Let him that hath judgement, vnderſtande what Chriſt,i ſpirituallie appearing, ſpeaketh vntounto his Churches: he that abideth conſtant, ouercomming his temptations, ſhal be deliuered from the k aeternall death and damnation of the ſoule.
12 And to the Paſtour of the Church of Pergamus, write: Thus ſaith the Lorde Ieſus, out of whoſe mouth proceedeth the two-edged ſword of true doctrine and ſharp threatninges.
13 I know thy works ô Church of Pergamus, and what wicked companie you dwel among, euen among thoſe where Sathan hath ſet his throne, and yet you worſhip my name and hauehave not denied the true Chriſtian faith in the daies of the greateſt perſecution, when your l Paſtor Antipas, my faithful martyr was ſlaine by thoſe tyrants among you, in whom Sathan dwelleth.
14 But I hauehave certaine offences to lay to thy charge, becauſe thou entertaineſt them, who teach to eat things ſacrificed to idols, & cōmit whoordome, as Balaā did m teach Balac to put out their beautiful whoores of Moab, with their gliſtering ſacrifices to idols, & allured the childrē of Iſrael both to eat of their idolothytes, and alſo to commit fleſhlie whooredome.
15 Euen ſo you entertaine them among you, that maintaine the like doctrine of the Nicolaitans, who confuſedly make wiues, and all other thinges to be common, whoſe doctrine is abhominable in my ſight.
16 Repent & amend thy ſelf hereof ſhortlie, or els I will ſuddainlie come againſt thee, and will ouerthrowe them with the deuouring ſword of my threatnings.
17 Let him that hath judgmēt vnderſtand, what Chriſt, ſpirituallie appearing, ſpeaketh vntounto his Churches: To him (ſaith he) that ouercommeth his temptations, wil I giuegive my ſelfe, as foode to his ſoule, who am the true, ſpirituall and inviſible n bread of life, that came from heauen: And as the ancients gaue a owhite ſtone in token of victorie and freedom: ſo ſhal I, who am the true corner ſtone, giuegive my ſelf to dwel in him, and he in me, euen that ſtone ſhall he hauehave, which is intituled by my newe and ſauing name of Ieſus, which none p doeth rightlie knowe, but hee that receiueth ſaluation thereby.
18 And vntounto the Paſtor of the Church of Thyatira write: Theſe things ſaith the q Sonne of God, the fierie flame of whoſe eies ſeeth the ſecrets, and terrifieth the thoughts of all heartes: and whoſe feet are firme and ſtable to ſtande, as braſen pillers, in the defence of his Elect.
19 I know thy works, thy charitable louelove, thy true ſeruice, thy liuelie faith, and thy gret patience, and that thy good and holie works do increaſe, and growe mo in the end, than they were in the beginning:
20 Notwithſtanding, I hauehave certaine offences to lay to thy charge, in that thou ſuffereſt the diueliſh woman Iezabell (who calleth her ſelfe a Propheteſſe) to teach & ſeduce my ſeruauntes entiſing them both to the filthy whoordome of the bodie, and to r ſpirituall whoordome with idolles, in eating of their ethnick ſacrifices, and Idolothytes.
21 And I hauehave forborne her for a ſeaſon, giuing her leiſure and ſpace to repent, and amend her whooriſh idolatrie, but ſhe repented not.
22 Behold, I ſhall cauſe her ſ busk and ſet out all her idolatrous intiſements, and thoſe that goe a whooring after her idolatries ſhal be caſt with her, into moſt extreame afliction vnleſſe they repent them of their wicked workes.
23 And her t idolatrous children ſhall I deſtroie to the death, and all the Churches ſhall know that I the Lord am he, which ſearcheth out the deſires of the mind, & ſecretes of the heart, and I will rewarde euerie one of you, according to your deſeruings.
24 And vntounto you I ſay, euen vntounto the reſt of them that are at Thyatira, ſo manie of you as hauehave not imbraced this diueliſh doctrine, nor learned that profounde knoweledge (as they terme it) of Sathan, I will lay vponupon you no uburthen of other traditions,
25 But that which I hauehave alreadie teached you, that keepe, and holde faſt & ſure, till I come againe, to judge the worlde.
26 For to them that doe ouercome their temptations, and perſeuere in good workes, keeping my precepts to the ende, will I giuegive power to raigne and triumph with mee ouer all the wicked x nations.
27 And I in them, and they in mee, ſhall ſubdewe theſe wicked vnderunder the ſcepter of our ſeruitude, and as pot-ſhardes ſo ſhall theſe bee broken and deſtroyed, euen of mee ſhall they hauehave power, as I hauehave receiued that power of God my father.
28 And I ſhall giuegive vntounto them the light of the Euangell, and ſhall adorne them with the morning beames, of the Sonne of juſtice.
29 Let him that hath judgement vnderſtande what Chriſte, ſpirituallie appearing, ſpeaketh vntounto his Churches,
Notes, Reaſons, and Amplifications.
a Such is the merciemercy of God, that theſe good workes that wee acknowledge to be done by his holy Spirit, working in vsus, hee imputes them to be our workes. But contrarilie, let the preſumptuous man aſſure himſelf, that if he eſteeme theſe good works to be of himſelfe, God in his judgment ſhall let him find, to his confuſion, that only God is good (Mar. 10.18) and that no goodnes is in man. ibid. And that all fleſh is ſubdewed to ſin (Rom. 3.9.10) Woe therfore, to him who otherwiſe preſumptuouſlie judgeth.
b Hereby learne, that a great number of good workes, are not ſufficient, but God requireth at our hande, that wee preaſſe by all means poſsible, to attaine to a perfection in euerie good worke, as Chriſt teſtifieth, (Matth. 5.48.) ſaying, Be ye alſo perfect, as your Father in heauen is perfect.
c The Nicolaitans were hereticks, affirming wiues, and al things to be common. Hereof read more amplie the note m following.
d This Spirite that ſpeaketh to Iohn, and to the Churches, is neither an Angel, neither the perſon of the holie Spirit, but Chriſt himſelfe: for, this ſame Spirite that ſpeaketh, calleth himſelfe immediatelie the Firſt and the Laſt, and he who died, & liued again, (ver. 8) and the Sonne of God (ver. 18.) Where note, that he therfore, being Chriſt, calleth here himſelfe a Spirit, becauſe he appeared not to Iohn in his humanitie, but ſpirituallie in his Deitie, vnderunder a ſhape, like to the Sonne of man (as ſaith the text, cap. 1.13) and not in his perfect ſhape of the Sonne of man: Of this read the notes l and ſ of the firſt chapter.
e Paradiſe literallie in the Scripture, is that part in the earth, wherein Adam was firſt placed: But there is a ſpiritual taking of Paradiſe, called the Paradiſe of God, taken for that joy in heauen, which the elect ſoules, and glorified bodies doe poſſeſſe: Read therupon Luk. 23.43. and 2. Cor. 12.4.
f Chriſt, in the text of the former noted, calling himſelfe a Spirite, becauſe he appeared not to Iohn, by his humanitie (as there is ſaid) yet doeth Chriſt here ſpeake of his humanitie, howe it died, and roſe againe, although his Deitie vnderunder an humane ſhape, and not his humanitie it ſelfe, did then appeare to Iohn.
g How gladlie worldlie pouertie is to bee imbraced for riches in heauen, Chriſt teacheth, Mat. 19.21. and Mat. 6.19.20.21.
h How among the Prophets, daies do meane yeares, is prooved by our firſt propoſition, and ſo theſe ten daies are ten yeares, euen the laſt ten yeares of Traianus raigne, wherein was great perſecution, beginning that yeare, that Ignatius, teacher of Antiochia, and this S. Iohn his Diſciple was martyred, Anno Chriſti, 109. & continuing vntounto the yeare of Chriſt 119. that Adrian the Emperor began his raigne.
i How this Spirite that ſpeakes, is ſimply no Spirite, but Chriſt, who is both fleſh and Spirite, conſider the notes f & d aboue written, and l and ſ chap. 1.
k Here, and Apoc. 20.6.14. and Apoc. 21.8. mention is made of the ſecond death, meaning two deathes, to bee euen the death of the bodie, which oftētimes in the Scriptures is called a ſleep: & the death of the ſoul, which is eternal dānation. This ſame deſtinction vponupon the cōtrary part ye ſhal find in the ſcripture of the ſoul, or life, taking it in the firſt ſignification for the ſoul & life that liueth here: & in the ſecond ſignification, for the ſoul & life, that liueth eternallie, as Mat. 10.38. & 16.25. Alſo two reſurrectiōs you ſhal find mentioned in the Scriptures, the one in this world from ſinnes and errours, the other at the latter day, when the fleſh ſhall riſe againe. Apoc. 20. Conſider therefore, theſe three diſtinctions of death, life, and reſurrection, when in the Scripture they occur.
l Antipas (ſaith Aretas) was the paſtour: & miniſter of this ſame Church of Pergamus, by whoſe example of martyrdome, Chriſte here exhorteth the reſt of that Church to conſtancie.
m By, and beſides the common Eccleſiaſticall hiſtories, which do deſcribe the hereſie of the Nicolaitans, to be, in that they eſteem wiues and all thinges common: Here S, Iohn doth alſo ſet out their confuſed opinion and double whoordome, by example and compariſon to the wicked Prophet Balaam, who deuiſed a way to entiſe the children of Iſrael to periſh by offending God, both in corporal and ſpirituall whoordom. Num. 25.1. and Num. 31.16. So then doubtles, the Nicolaitans hath bene a ſect, that vſed their wiues and women as common, and ſpared not to eat the offerings made to idoles, expreſlie againſt Paule, 1. Cor. 7.8. and 10.
n That this hid Manna is Chriſt Ieſus, who is our ſpiritual food, all Chriſtians muſt confeſſe. So then, the bread and the wine in the Sacrament, being publique and viſible ſignes, patent to our eies, cannot bee that inviſible & hid Manna, which is Chriſt: & ſo conſequentlie, by tranſubſtantiation, the bread and wine doe not become Chriſts bodie and blood: but contrarilie, that viſible Manna and corporal food of bread & wine, that is taken with our hands, and incorporate in our bodies, and nouriſheth our bodies in this tranſitorie life, betokeneth onelie, and repreſenteth in the Sacrament, that the glorified and inuiſible Manna Chriſt Ieſus, who is aſcended and hid in heauen, apprehended of vsus by faith, and adjoyned to vsus ſpirituallie, doeth nouriſh our ſoules to eternall life. And ſo, for concluſion, that patent Manna, is not this hid Manna by tranſubſtantiation, as the Papiſts do judge: but contrarilie, the viſible Manna doth repreſent the inviſible, and aſſureth vsus of the full fruit and fruition thereof.
o Aretas reporteth, that the ancients were accuſtomed to giuegive a certain white ſtone to him, that did get the victory in their plaies and games: and therefore, juſtlie here may be taken for a ſigne of victory, that Chriſt doth giuegive vsus ouer our temptations. Moreouer, among the ancients, they that cleanſed or abſolued an accuſed perſon, did caſt in a white ſtone: and they that filed or convicted him, did caſt in a blacke ſtone, as Ovid teſtifieth, lib. 15. Metamorph. in theſe words:
Mos erat antiquis niveis atriſque lapillis,
his damnare reos, ill… abſolvere culpa.
Sentence was giuen in ancient times, by ſtones black and white,
The black convicted men of crimes, the other did them quite.
So, in that ſenſe, this white ſtone may well be taken for the abſolution of our ſins, which Chriſt giueth to al that victoriouſly perſevere in his faith. In the third ſenſe, himſelfe is called the corner ſtone, Mat. 21.42. And therefore, ſaith the text, There is written thereon a new name, or rather (as cap. 3.12) my newe name: euen that corner ſtone repreſenteth Chriſt Ieſus. For as Iehova is the old name of the Father and Creator, in the old teſtament, ſo is Chriſt Ieſus the newe name of our redeemer in the newe Teſtament, Where note in Prophecies, that it is no abſurditie to take a propheticall figure in diuers agreeable ſenſes, as Apoc. 17.9. the ſeuen heads are both taken for ſeuen hils, and for ſeuen kings and gouernments: read that text it ſelfe.
p Whether by the former note, this white ſtone meaneth Chriſt himſelfe, or that victorie and abſolution, that proceedeth from him: ſure it is, that by Chriſt onlie obtaine we Chriſt, and all his benefites: and the name of Chriſt and Chriſtians receiue wee thereby, dwelling ſo inſeparablie in him, and he in vsus, that none doe perfectlie taſte how joyful a thing it is to receiue him, and bee participant of his ſaluation, except thoſe that receiue the ſame. This name (Apoc. 19.12) none is ſaid to knowe but himſelfe: meaning none to knowe Chriſt, but the whole bodie of Chriſte, who dwell in him, and he in them: for Chriſt and his members are called Chriſt, 1. Cor. 12.12.
q How this Sonne of God, who alſo ſuffered fleſhlie death, verſ. 8. is in the verſes 7.11.17. and 29. called a Spirit, without any repugnance: read thereupon the notes d & f aboue written.
r By this text and the conference hereof with the former 14. and 15. verſes, it is euident, that this Iezabel was a falſe Nicolaitan Propheteſſe, teaching the verie doctrin of Balaam and Nicolaus.
ſ As the bed is the execution place of whoordom, ſo metaphoricallie, to lay this falſe Propheteſſe in her bed, is no other thing than to ſet her gloriouſlie at her altar and ſacrifices, among her idols, where is meaned, that if anie there, following her idolatries, doe commit ſpiritual whoordom, and eat of her idolothytes, they ſhall periſh with her for euer: Where note, that in the Scripture whoordome is oft taken in a ſpirituall meaning for idolatrie: as Deut. 31.16. Iudg. 2.17. and infinit other places.
t As the children of the true Church are thoſe, who hauehave bene foſtered vponupon the word of life, and ſhall euer retaine the ſame, ſo they that without recouerie, are poyſoned with hereticall doctrine, are here called the children of theſe heretikes that hauehave teached them.
u Here doth our Sauiour expreſlie note how ſweete a yoak his yoak is, as Matth. 11.30. and how to adde vntounto the pure & naked word of God, is ſo burthenous, that he himſelfe will adde no farther traditions therunto, til his latter comming. Seeing Chriſt thē wil adde no more than his ſimple word, by what authoritie doeth men, vnderunder pretext of Catholikes & Chriſtians, adde to the Chriſtian religion infinite traditions and ceremonies of mens inuentitions, againſt the which Chriſt ſpeaketh both here, and in Mark. 7. and Luk. 11. and in other places.
x Though to governe all Nations vvith a Scepter of yron &c. bee a propertie onlie aſsigned to Chriſt in all the Scriptures, yet in his merciemercy, he ſo is in vsus, & we in him, that therby we are made heires and partakers with him in his kingdom & glory; & ſo conſequētly alſo in this preheminence ouer the wicked nations. Of this vnion & communion promiſed to vsus, read Ioh. 14.20. & Ioh. 17, 21. and Mat. 19.28. and 25.34. Rom. 8.17. & 1. Cor. 6.3. Apoc. 3.21. And therefore, in this text, to the ſame ſentence immediatly ar ſubjoyned theſe words, Euen as I receiued of my father: meaning, that hee giues vsus power to raign ouer the wicked, as he hath receiued that power of his father, &c. And ſo I allow not this lection: Euen as I receiued of my Father, ſo wil I giuegive him the morning ſtarre.