Westminster Annotations, Revelation 2 · Chapter 3
CHAP. III.
Vers. 1. ANgel] See notes on chap. 1. 20.
Sardis] Look on chap. 1. 11.
hath the seven Spirits] Chap. 4. 6. See notes on chap. 1. 4. He hath the Spirit, either because the Spirit proceedeth from Christ, and is therefore called his Spirit, Rom. 8. 9. or else because he sendeth the Spirit into the hearts of the elect, Joh. 15 26. and 16. 14.
hast a name, &c.] Thou art an hypocrite. Thou seemest alive to the world, but art dead to God, 1 Tim. 5. 6. Or, thou carriest a shew of some vigourousnesse and vivacity with thee, but art indeed in a languishing condition, little better then dead, v. 2. like that, 1 Cor. 3. 1. Or, thou hast a spirituall lethargie, or dead palsie, and art like a body some members whereof are dead, though not all, v. 2.
V. 2. Be watchfull] Rouze up thy self, and shake off this lethargicall disposition, Eph. 5. 14.
the things which remain] Those graces which are not yet quite dead in thee. Or, the rest: to wit, of thy slock, that are in a languishing condition.
V. 3. as a thief] Chap. 16. 15. Matth. 24. 43, 44. Luke 12. 39, 40. 1 Thess. 5. 2. 2 Pet. 3. 10. I will come upon thee, who art secure, unexpectedly, as thieves come on men asleep.
V. 4. a few names] A few men, Acts 1. 15. known to Christ by name.
defiled their garments] Carried themselves wickedly in their lives, as the Balaamites have done, chap. 2. 14. Jude v. 23.
in white] In glory, as Matth. 17. 2. and 28. 3. In glorious raiment, such as great men in times of triumph and festivity used to wear, v. 5. Chap. 7. 14. Eccles. 9. 8.
they are worthy] In my account; as Luke 20. 35. 2 Thess. 1. 5. and in comparison of the Nicolaitans, chap. 2. 15. Or, meet and fit; as Matth. 3. 8. Eph. 4. 1.
V. 5. in white] See v. 4.
book of life] Chap. 20. 12. Phil. 4. 3. in which the names of the elect are written.
I will confesse] I will own and acknowledge him for such an one, as he hath owned and acknowledged me, Matth. 10. 32. Mark 8. 38.
angels] Matth. 16. 27. and 25. 31.
V. 6. He that hath an ear] See notes on chap. 2. 7.
V. 7. Philadelphia] Look on chap. 1. 11.
key of David] Of the house of David, Isa. 22. 22. That is, of the Church. A similitude borrowed from those that keep the keys of a citie, castle or palace; the gates whereof therefore cannot be opened or shut, without their permission or direction, Neh. 7. 3. and 13. 19. So in the next verse he had opened a Church door in Philadelphia, which none should be able to shut again, 1 Cor. 16 9. 2 Cor. 2. 12.
V. 8. I kn…w] See notes on chap. 2. 2.
no man can shut it] Thou hast adversaries, but none shall be able to take the Gospel from thee. Or, none shall be able to stop or impeach the passage of it with thee, 1 Cor. 16. 9.
V. 9. synagogue of Satan] See notes on chap. 2. 9. Worship before thy feet: reverence thee as one beloved of me, Isa. 60. 14. 1 Cor. 14. 24, 25.
V. 10. thou hast kept] Thou hast been patient, as my word commanded thee, in troubles past. Or, hast with much patience maintained and held fast the Christian profession.
the word of my patience] Or, my word of patience. (As, My mountain of holinesse, Isa. 56. 7. for, My holy mountain: his Son of love, Col. 1. 13. for, his dearly beloved Son: his word duplicate page duplicate page of power, Heb. 1. 3. for, his most powerfull word.) The Gospel of Christ; so called, partly, because it teacheth patience, (it is a doctrine of patience) and that in the highest degree: and partly, because the keeping of it requireth patience; without which, and that in some good measure, the profession of it cannot be maintained so as it should, Luke 21. 19. Heb. 10. 36.
I will keep thee] Afford thee immunity and freedom from those generall persecutions and troubles which shall befall other Churches.
hour] It argueth, both a set time, as Joh. 7. 6. Matth. 27. 45. and a short time, as Matth. 27. 40.
all the world] The most places of the known world, Luk. 2. 1.
to trie] Who be sound, and who unsound; as 1 Cor. 11. 19. who will stick close to the truth, chap. 2. 13. and 12. 11, 17. and 14. 12. Psal. 44. 17. and who flinch, and fall off, Matth. 13. 21. 2 Tim. 4. 12. Times of trouble, are times of triall, Psal. 66. 10. Rom. 5. 3, 4. James 1. 2, 3, 12. 1 Pet. 1. 6, 7. and 4. 12.
V. 11. I come quickly] Thy troubles shall not last long. Or, it will not be long ere I come to call to account, chap. 22. 12, 20. Heb. 10. 37. James 5. 8, 9.
which thou hast] The profession of the right religion.
that no man take thy crown] That it be not taken away, Luke 12. 20.
thy crown] The honour promised thee, v. 9. Or, the heavenly glory promised to such as persevere, 1 Cor. 9. 24. Matth. 24. 13. See notes on chap. 2. 10.
V. 12. a pillar] He shall have an everlasting happinesse in heaven. An allusion to 1 Kings 7. 21.
the Name of my God] He shall be openly acknowledged to be the childe of God, Rom. 9. 26. 1 Joh. 3. 1, 2. Mal. 3. 18. Heb. 11. 16.
name of the citie of my God] He shall be enrolled, as a free denizen and a citizen of the heavenly Jerusalem, Luke 10. 20. Eph. 2. 19. Phil. 3. 20. Heb. 12. 23.
cometh down from heaven] Not of the earthly Jerusalem, but of that Jerusalem the knowledge whereof is revealed to us from heaven: or, whose state is not from man, but from God in heaven; as Matth. 21. 25. Gal, 4. 26. Heb. 11. 10, 11. Chap. 21. 2.
my new name] He shall be honoured for a king and conquerour, like me; Phil. 2. 9. Or, he shall have a new name, of mine imposing or giving. See Isa. 65. 15.
V. 13. He that hath an ear] See notes on chap. 2. 7.
V. 14. of the Laodicenas] Look on chap. 1. 11. Or, in Laodicea.
Amen] A name given to God, for his faithfulnesse and firmnesse, Isa 65. 16.
faithfull and true Witnesse] See on chap. 1 5.
beginning of the creation] He that gave being to all creatures, Col. 1. 16, 17, 18. John 1. 3. or, he that hath power over all creatures, Matth. 28. 18. Acts 10. 36. Rom. 9. 5. or, the autor, founder and beginner of the new creation, Matth. 16. 18. 2 Cor. 5. 17. Eph. 2. 10. Chap. 21. 1, 5.
V. 15. I know] See notes on chap. 2. 2.
neither cold nor hot] Thou standest indifferently affected, neither eager for the truth, nor an open adversary thereunto. Neither a zealous professour, nor a professed enemy to religion, but a nevter.
I would thou wert] I would thou wouldest manifestly declare thy self, either for the one side or the other; as 1 Kings 18. 21. I should better brook thee, if thou didst either: as the stomack can better brook meat either hot or old, then lukewarm, between both.
V. 16. I will spue] As the stomack casteth up meat which it brooketh not, or abhorreth; so will I cast thee off, as a loathsome thing, which my soul loatheth and abhorreth. So Levit. 18. 27, 28, Isa. 1. 13, 14. Amos 6. 8. Zech. 11. 8.
V. 17. Thou sayest] He taxeth him for his pride and selfconceit, in bragging and vaunting himself, as if he had all manner of spirituall grace in abundance, and were not wanting in any kinde of it; as Rom. 15. 14. James 1. 4. Or, had made such a progresse therein, that nothing needed to be added to that perfection that already he had attained: contrary to that, Phil. 3. 12, 15.
knowest not] Art altogether ignorant of thine own estate, as men naturally are wont to be, Rom. 7. 9.
wretched] In a very lamentable plight, whatsoever thou deemest and dreamest of thy happie condition; Jer. 4. 10. and 6. 14.
poor] Or, beggerly. Like a begger boasting of wealth, Prov. 13. 7.
blinde] Destitute of spirituall eye-sight; Acts 26. 18. Eph. 1. 18. and 4. 18. 2 Pet. 1. 9. The reason why he is so mistaken in himself and his own estate.
naked] Devested and stript of all spirituall apparel and ornaments; Gen. 3. 7. Exod. 32. 25. Ezek. 23. 26.
V. 18. I counsel] Christs advice to him, to seek remedie against those spirituall evils, and supply of those spirituall wants, from himself, as the fountain whence all grace issueth, Joh. 1. 16.
gold] Spirituall grace, James 2. 5. and true faith more precious then gold, 1 Pet. 1. 7.
tried in the fire] Able to endure the triall of Gods word and Spirit, Jer. 23. 29. 1 Cor. 3. 13. or, the fiery triall of affliction, Psal. 66. 10. 1 Pet. 4. 12.
white raiment] Of which, chap. 4. 4. and 19. 8. See v. 4.
shame of thy] That thy defects and defaults be not discovered, and lie open to thy disgrace; Exod. 32. 25. Ezek. 23. 29. Hos. 3. 9. Chap, 16. 15.
eye-salve] Of the Spirit, or spirituall wisedom, Acts 26. 18. 2 Cor. 4. 6. Eph. 1. 7, 18.
see] And take notice of thine own estate, how it fareth with thee; Jer: 3. 13.
V. 19. As many as I love] Prov. 3. 12. Heb. 12. 6, 7.
be zealous] And fervent, not lukewarm, as formerly, v. 15, 16.
and repent] See chap 2. 5.
V. 20. I stand at the door] As attending and waiting, with much patience; Cant. 5. 2.
and knock] At the door of mens consciences, both by outward means, and inward motions, Psal. 16. 7. as one desirous of admittance; Cant. 5. 2.
hear my voyce] Not give me bare hearing, but hearken to what I say, Joh. 5. 29. Heb. 3. 7. Psal. 97. 7.
open] To receive and entertain me by faith; not in his house, but in his heart, John. 1. 11. 12.
I will come in] I will unite my self to him, take up my lodging with him, and make mine abode in his soul; Isa. 57. 15. 2 Cor. 6. 16. 1 Joh. 4. 16.
sup with him] Converse familiarly, chearfully and comforbly with him, as friends use to feast and make merry one with another; Cant. 5. 1. Joh. 14. 23. For their feasts were for the most part at supper-time, when their daily employments were over; Luke 14. 17. See chap. 19. 9.
V. 21. To him that overcometh] See chap. 2. 7.
to sit with me] To reign with me in grace here, in glory hereafter; Rom. 5. 21. and 8. 17. 2 Tim. 2. 12. Matth. 19. 28. Chap. 4. 4. and 5. 10. and 20. 4, 6. and 22. 5.
I over came] All difficulties that I was encountred with, in pursuit of the work by the Father assigned me, Joh. 17. 4. Heb. 12. 2.
in his throne] On the right hand of his majestie, Mark 16. 19. Eph. 1. 20. Col. 3. 1. Heb. 1. 3. and 8. 1. and 10. 12. and 12. 2.
V. 22. He that hath an ear] Look on chap. 2. 7. Here is the conclusion of the first vision.