A Paraphrase on the New Testament, Revelation · Chapter 22
CHAP. XXII.
1. ANd he ſhewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as cryſtal, proceeding out of the throne of God, and of the Lamb.
1. By this ſome underſtand Baptiſm▪ that bindeth all to Purity: Some the Goſpel (not muddied by Uſurpers corrupt Canons:) And ſome, the Spirit in greater meaſure: And ſome, the heavenly influence for illumination and life for ever. All theſe in their ſeaſons may be expected.
2. In the midſt of the ſtreet of it, and of either ſide of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.
2. As in the proſperous Church militant, everlaſting life is open, and given to all accepters, by the Doctrine of the Apoſtles, and continually repreſented and conferred in the Sacraments, and by the Word, the Spirit of Chriſt accompanying his Ordinances, the Preaching of the Word is for the healing of the unbelievers and unconverted: So, in the New Jeruſalem, where the end of all his is attained the Glory is repreſented by the means that are paſt, that brought them thither, by which men were ſanctified, and the Nations healed; the means being eminently (though not formally) in the attained end. But the better the Church is on Earth, the more it thus reſembleth the New Jeruſalem.
3. And there ſhall be no more curſe, but the throne of God, and of the Lamb, ſhall be in it, and his ſervants ſhall ſerve him. 4. And they ſhall ſee his face, and his name ſhall be in their foreheads.
3, 4. Thus it appeareth that the New Jeruſalem is a ſtate of Immortality (by the Tree of Life,) and freedom from the Curſe, or all puniſhment for ſin, and the very Throne of God, and Chriſt ſhall be viſibly in it, and they ſee God's face: And though ſomewhat tending to all this be in the Church militant, this ſeemeth a deſcription of the Church triumphant.
5. And there ſhall be no night there, and they need no candle, neither light of the ſun; for the Lord God giveth them light, and they ſhall reign for ever and ever.
5. There ſhall be no want of knowledge, nor need of Miniſters, Teaching, Scripture, or ſuch means. For God will be to them above, and inſtead of theſe; and they ſhall reign for ever. And what more can be hoped for by man? Why ſhould forced Expoſitions darken this?
6. And he ſaid unto me. Theſe ſayings are faithful and true. And the Lord God of the holy prophets ſent his angel to ſhew, unto his ſervants, the things which muſt ſhortly be done.
6. As Chriſt, Matth. 24. told them of ſuch devaſtations as that generation ſhould ſee, and yet adjoyneth the ſigns of the end of the World; juſt ſo doth he, by this Revelation, ſhew John the Fall of Pagan Babylon and the Churches deliverance, and yet ſhortly annex a thouſand years after, and then the end of the World: All was to be ſhortly, but not ſhortly equally with the firſt parts. But it is not to be ſaid, that he almoſt paſt by the things that were ſhortly to be done, and ſaid almoſt all of the Papal Rome. The certainty of the Revelation is the hope and joy of firm Believers.
7. Behold, I come quickly: bleſſed is he that keepeth the ſayings of the prophecy of this book.
7. Think not that I delay my coming, as ſlack of performing my Promiſe: Some of this will be quickly done, and the laſt e're long. To underſtand and believe this Prophecy will be comfortable: But to keep the Precepts of it, avoid the Sins threatned, believe the Promiſe of my Victories and Coming, and wait in Patience, is needful to all.
8. And I John▪ ſaw theſe things, and heard them. And when I had heard and ſeen, I fell down to worſhp before the feet of the angel, which ſhewed me theſe things.
8. Note; All faulty Worſhip of Angels is not Idolatry, nor maketh a Church Idolatrous: It was not Divine Worſhip which John gave the Angel: If really he wrote moſt of this Book againſt Popiſh Idolatry, as many think, he would never be twice guilty of worſe than their praying to Angels and Saints themſelves, whom he condemned: For they worſhip them no…, as Gods, though amiſs. John thought Vener…tion was the Angels due.
9. Then ſaith he unto me, See thou do it not: for I am thy fellow-ſervant, and of thy brethren the prophets, and of them which keep the ſayings of this book: worſhip God.
9. See before cap. 19.10. God is jealous of any thing too like Idolatry. Note; Are Angels our fellow-ſervants? love them then, and be thankful to God for their Love and Help; and rejoyce in this privileage, and think it not unlikely that you ſhould live with them for ever. O what a people ſhould we be then in holineſs!
10. And he ſaith unto me, Seal not the ſayings of the prophecy of this book: for the time is at hand.
10. The moſt of it is to be performed ere long, in the ruine of the Pagan perſecuting Empire.
11. He that is unjuſt, let him be unjuſt ſtill: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy ſtill: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous ſtill: and he that is holy, let him be holy ſtill. 12. And behold, I come quickly, and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work ſhall be.
11, 12. I come quickly to fulfil and execute this Prophecy; and then I will take and judge men, as I find them; there ſhall be no more place for preparation; as it was with the wiſe and fooliſh Virgins, Matth. 25. when the midnight cry was, The Bridegroom cometh, as I find you, I will uſe you.
13. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, the firſt and the laſt.
13. I am God e…rnal, the firſt cauſe, and ultimate end of all things, able to fulfil my Will and Word.
14. Bleſſed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.
14. Bleſſed are they that do what Chriſt requireth to Salvation in his Law of Grace, (or purifie their heart and life) that they may, by his free gift, have right to enter into the New Jeruſalem, and live with Chriſt for ever.
15. For without are dogs, and ſorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whoſoever loveth and maketh a lie.
15. For all filthy, cruel, perſecuting, Idolatrous perſons, and Lyars, and deceitful Te…chers, and Hypocrites, (though called Chriſtians,) are ſhut out of the holy City, as Dogs are turned out of the houſe.
16. I Jeſus have ſent mine angel to teſtifie unto you theſe things in the churches. I am the root and the off-ſpring of David, and the bright and morning Star.
16. I Jeſus have ſent my Angel to tell theſe things to John, that he may tell them to the Churches of Aſia, and by them to others (the matter much concerning thoſe Churches then alive.) Take theſe as my own Words, who am the Meſſiah propheſied of, as the Root and Son of David, and am the Light of the World, ſent to teach men the way of life.
17. And the Spirit and the Bride ſay, come. And let him that is athirſt, come. And whoſoever will, let him take the water of life freely.
17. And ſeeing Church-deliverance now, and the Glory of the New Jeruſalem at laſt, are the effects of my coming, as my Spirit teacheth men to deſire my coming, and my Church and Choſen do deſire it; ſo let all deſire it that wou…d partake of that felicity. For all ſhall have it by my free gift, who do but b…lievingly deſire it. For I will ſhut out none but final obſtinate refuſers.
18. For I teſtifie unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man ſhall add unto theſe things, God ſhall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: 19. And if any man ſhall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God ſhall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.
18, 19. If any wilfully corrupt this Prophecy, in words or ſenſe, to draw men from believing it, to the belief of their own corrupt Additions, God will add to them his Plagues, and deprive them of any part of the bleſſings here foretold, and ſhut them out of this holy City of God.
Note; It's dangerous then to make bold, Cabaliſtical, Fanatick Expoſitions of this Book, and to call our own conceits the ſenſe of the Revelation: And it's dangerous groundleſly to expect more Prophecies of God's uſage of his Church; or to add to any of his Word, or dim…niſh from it, and father any of our Errours on Chriſt, and on his Spirit, which hath here finiſhed that Book, which muſt be the univerſal Churches Rule of Life.
20. He which teſtifieth theſe things, ſaith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even ſo, Come Lord Jeſus.
20. Jeſus, who is the Author of this Revelation, ſurely promiſeth that he will come quickly, by degrees to perform all his word, and chargeth you not to queſtion it through unbelief, or to ſai…t by doubting, as if he did fall by his delay. And let us all with Faith, hope and deſire, prepare and earneſtly pray for his coming: Even ſo; come Lord Jeſus.
21. The grace of our Lord Jeſus Chriſt be with you all. Amen.
21. I conclude all with this beſt Requeſt to God for you, and Benediction to you, that the Grace of our Lord Jeſus, which is our preparation for Glory, and our earneſt, pledge, and foretaſt of it, may be with you, to prepare you, and Seal you up, as the certain Heirs of that Bleſſed S…ate, and ſave you from all ſin, and Temptation, and Enemies that would deprive you of it. Amen.