The Revelation Revealed, Chapter 2 · Verse 16
Verſ. 16. Repent or elſe I will come unto thee quickly, and will fight againſt them with the ſword of my mouth.
Repent,] foreign, grow wiſer, change thy judgment, and practiſe from evil to good, caſt off thy Idolatries and adulteries, and do thy firſt works, and return unto me in ſincerity and holineſs; or elſe it ſhall not be long before I come against thee, and make war againſt thee (for ſo the word foreign carries it) and that with a moſt cutting confounding weapon, the Sword of my mouth, which is his word and doctrine. Chriſt makes War with his Enemies by the Sword of his mouth, or Word, two ways.
Firſt, He manages it (as light to diſcover darkneſs) by his Angels and Miniſters, both for the evincing, confounding, and overthrowing all falſe worſhips, doctrines and practiſes: And thus he manifeſts his diſpleaſure from Heaven, by his Word, againſt all workers of iniquity, as he does here, againſt the Balaamitiſh, and Nicolaiſh doctrines of Pergamus, and as he hath done of late amongſt us, againſt all Popiſh and Superſtitious Innovations, and falſe worſhips.
But, Secondly, If the miniſterial convincing word will not ſerve to re-call and bring to repentance his rebellious people or enemies, he will proceed farther by his terrible doctrine or words of judgment againſt them. If Pergamus will not repent upon the conviction of her ſins, Chriſt will go out and fight againſt her, and remove her candleſtick from amongſt her; yea, God will call for a Nebuchadnezzar, a Mahomet, an Ottoman, and they ſhall be called his ſervants, to execute the Lord's commands, and burthens of Judgment, againſt his rebellious ſinful churches: And thus Chriſt's ſword of his mouth is to be underſtood, with which he fights againſt his enemies, Chap. 19.21. Thus the remnant of the followers of the Beaſt and falſe Prophet, were ſlain with the ſword of him that ſate upon the Horſe, which ſword proceedeth out of his mouth; that is, (as honeſt Biſhop Hall on the place ſays) they were ſlain by the powerful command of Chriſt, (not only Spiritually or Analogically, but corporally) and upon their bodily death all the fowles were filled with their fleſh: thus far Biſhop Hall. God commands to take the children of Babel and to daſh them againſt the wall. Take thoſe mine enemies and ſlay them before me, ſaith the Lord. Thus we ſee what is the ſword of Chriſt's mouth that he draws againſt his unrepentant and obſtinate wicked churches; firſt confuſion of their falſe doctrines, by his powerful miniſterial word and ſpirit. Next of their perſons, by commanding Wars, or Famine, or Peſtilence on them, for they are alſo his deſtroying weapons, Jer. 47.7. Now this is done and commanded by Chriſt ſomtimes expreſly in Scripture, as, Rev. 18.6, 7, 8. Reward her as ſhe hath rewarded you. and, cap. 12. 10. He that killeth with the Sword, muſt be killed with the Sword. Sometimes it is done providentially, by moving on the hearts of Princes to war; the Perſian againſt the Turk, or the Turk againſt the Emperour or Venetian, the Engliſh againſt the Spaniard, and Spaniard againſt the French; and ſo in the turmoiles thereof, many corrupt churches of Chriſt periſh utterly, as to their outward ſtate and policy; and this is the way that the great whore her ſelf will fall and periſh, Rev. 17.16, 17. Or thirdly, God ſends immediately his deſtroying Angels to execute his wrath; as, Ez. 9.1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7. againſt his Idolatrous people the Jews, and as many other places teſtifie, to ſmite them for their abominations, and their wickedneſſes.
Obſerv. 1. Note from theſe words, That repentance is the only Goſpel remedy to divert the wrath and judgments of God gone forth againſt a wicked Church or People.
Repent, or elſe, ſaith the Spirit unto the church of Pergamus, you know what will follow. Turning from ſinful ways, and turning to God, is the only way to keep God's preſence ſtill amongſt us: If we would have had turned unto God from our former falſe ways of worſhips and wicked practiſes againſt God's Laws and his Saints, we ſhould not have ſeen thoſe late deſolating days amongſt us. Ahab's repentance, though it was formal and outward, yet it ſtopped the hand of Gods judgments much in his days; but where there is a real repentance or turning unto God, by a back-ſlidden and corrupted church, God really diverts his threatned judgments: and this is meerly a doctrine of grace, and not Legal, as ſome would have it, for the Law ſaith, The Soul that ſinneth ſhall dy; the Law admtis of no ſorrow and repentance for ſin, but ſatisfaction and juſtice; but the Law of grace or goſpel in the hand of Chriſt, he having fully ſatisfied both Law and Juſtice for ſin and the breach of the Law, cryes out in the Streets, and to every creature, Repent and believe, beleive and repent, for the remiſsion of ſins. See more at large on the precedent 5. verſ. of this cap. what repentance is. But by the way take a character of true penitents.
Firſt, They abhor themſelves in their own eyes; the ſight of their ſins makes them to abhor and loath themſelves, Ezek. 20.43. and Job, 42.6.
Secondly, This they doe not ſo much for the evil that ſin brings upon them, as for the evil it ſelf which is in ſin; being an offence againſt God, and his Divine Will and holy Laws. Pſal. 51.2.
Thirdly, Their repentance is univerſal and perfect, as to its parts; it is not one ſin or corruption they leave, but all: Ezek. 20.43. Ye ſhall loath your ſelves in your own ſight for all the evils that you have committed.
Fourthly, They are afterwards the more jealous of God's glory, and fearful to ſin againſt him, ſaying, How ſhall we doe this thing, and ſin againſt our God? Who hath waſhed us, and cleanſed us, and ſanctified us: How ſhall we defile our ſelves again by ſin, leſt our ſtate become ſeven fold worſe then the firſt? This is the temper of a gracious repentant Spirit.
Obſerv. God is ſo gracious that he always premoniſheth, before he ſtrikes in judgment his rebellious and ſinful people.
He calls them to repentance before he will go forth to fight with the ſword of his mouth againſt them: He will not come in wrath upon them unwarned. If God hath decreed a general deſtruction or deſolation to any churches, he will make it known unto his Prophets, they ſhall declare it to his people: And therefore ſo often here in theſe two chapters Chriſt ſays, Let him that hath an eare hear what the ſpirit ſaith unto the Churches. Let him that is wiſe among you conſider well of thoſe Judgments which are to come upon you, and are made known unto you by your Prophet John; And to what end doth God this?
Firſt, that the Lords Elect and precious ones among them may be awakened out of their ſins, and brought to repentance.
Secondly, That they may be ſecured from eternal ruine, if not from temporal.
Thirdly, That the wicked and impenitent may acknowledge their own evil ways, and give glory to God, and juſtifie God's righteous proceedings againſt them: Yea often God will premoniſh a long time, and bear long with the ſins of his people, before he will execute the puniſhment due unto them, Iſa. 42.12. Jer. 3.5. God could in a moment cruſh them all with his breath, yet waits long for their repentance, 390. years, 1 Pet. 3.20. aabout 100 years, in the days of Noah whilſt the Ark was a preparing, God's long-ſuffering waited for the repentance of the old world, by the Preaching of Noah unto them: How long did God premoniſh us ſince the firſt time of the firſt reformation, by his faithful Prophets and Miniſters, to purge and caſt out the leaven of Antichriſtianiſm from among us, before he would go out in Judgment againſt us; was not his long-ſuffering exerciſed towards us from Henry 8. and Edward 6. days, unto theſe preſent times, a hundred years and upward, ſtill looking and expecting that we would pull down the High places and Groves that Jeroboam built, and the Prieſts of Baal in the confines of our holy Land; and this was the Lord's long-ſuffering to us-wards, ſending us Prophet after Prophet, and Precept upon Precept, to preadmoniſh us, not willing that any ſhould periſh but that all ſhould come to repentance; yet for all this, and the many days of peace and plenty God did give unto us, inviting us as by gracious opportunities to ammendment, we grew worſe and worſe, and added more abominations in the ſervices of God then was at firſt, until at laſt the Lord came to fight againſt us with the Sword of his mouth, of War, Peſtilence, and Famine, as we have lately had ſad experience of.
Obſerv. 3. That though God in mercy to his people, gives them often a long time of preadmoniſhments unto repentance, yet if they continue impenitent, he will come quickly againſt them.
That time that we look upon as long and far diſtant, as 100, 500, or 1000 years, is but as a day with God, yea, but a little ſpace, and at preſent with him, for he is Eternity it ſelf, without meaſure or number. Though it was in ſome ages after, that Chriſt came in judgment againſt thoſe Aſian churches for their ſins, yet he came quickly againſt them, in a time nearer then they thought of: It is a quick and ſhort time unto ſinners when Judgments reach them unexpectedly: Though it is many hundred years ago that that proud City and Scarlet Whore began her raign, as Queen, and the time of her raign being for 1260 days, yet it is ſaid, Rev. 18.2. Babylon is fallen, Babylon is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils; that is, God ſees it as already done for the certainty of it, and all things future are as preſent with him. And though it is above 1600 years ſince Chriſt aſcended, yet he ſays Rev. 21.20. Surely I come quickly, Amen. The people of the old world, and of Sodom and Gomorrah, thought the day of God's vengeance afar off, till they were all ſwept away with the deſolating judgements of God. Who would have thought in K. Charls his time, when Revelling, Quaffing, Dauncing, and all vanities were in their Throne, that God ſhould come and write a ſentence of deſolation and miſery on himſelf and Kingdom, as on Belſhazzar, Dan. 5.4.5, 25, MENE, MENE, TEKEL UPHARSIN. The day is thy Kingdom taken from thee, and given to Darius the Median, ver. 30, 31. Therefore if we be found in the ſame tranſgreſſions with our predeceſſors▪ let us not be ſecure, but fear and tremble, left the ſame judgments overtake us alſo: Happy is the man that feareth always, ſaith the Wiſe-man, Prov. 28.14. Let God's judgments come ſooner or later, they will come quick enough upon ſecure unrepentant ſinners; It is too late to prevent the fire when the houſe is in flames. O let that Proverb in Ezek. 12.22. be no longer uſed in Iſrael, ſaying, The days are prolonged, and every viſion faileth.
Obſerv. 4. That God's people and Churches fare the worſe for the entertainment of the wicked among them.
All of the church of Pergamus were not Balaamites or Nicolaitans, but that they had them among them that held their abominable doctrines, yet however, for free toleration of them, Chriſt will come againſt them all, not only againſt the wicked, to fight againſt them with the ſword of his mouth, but alſo, I will come againſt thee quickly, thou whole church of Pergamus, for ſuffering theſe abominations in the midſt of thee. The church of Thyatira had the ſame check for ſuffering the woman Jezabel among them; and at laſt, together with the church of Pergamus, were both wrap'd up in the ſame deſolating judgment and miſery, for the entertainment of theſe abominations among them. Liberty to ſin is no part of that liberty with which Chriſt hath made us free. Faithful ones may plead for liberty for different things and judgments, in themſelvs not ſimply morally evil, or againſt the poſitive Laws of God; but for for ſpiritual or carnal adulteries, ſuch muſt needs be either the advocates of Antichriſt, or the devils, that plead for their ſufferance and toleration: As there are various diſeaſes in bodies, ſo they have their various medicines: If the diſtemperature grows high and inflames, it may endanger the death of the body: So it is in Chriſt's myſtical body, his church, if the diſtempered gangrene grows high and ſpreading, and ulcerate, it may endanger the whole vitals of that church. As there are in natural Phyſick, blood-lettings, evacuatings, healing, corroding and cauterizing medicines; ſo in our ſpiritual Phyſick there are variety of Medicines, ſutable to all the diſtemperatures of the body, the church; and they that uſe Lenitives or healing Medicines, when the diſeaſe calls for corroding or cauterizing Plaiſters, are but mercileſs Phyſitians, and will kill and murther, rather then cure and ſave alive.
Object. But you will object, How is the juſtice of God vindicated, if he ſmites both godly and ungodly together, for the ſins of the wicked among them?
I anſwer, If the godly in a church do connive, freely tolerate, or wink at the ſins of the wicked, they are come partakers with them alſo therein, ſo alſo juſtly in their judgments and miſeries. The churches, and faithfull, in Pergamus, and Thyatira, were juſtly viſited by God, for ſuffering the doctrines of Balaam, Nicolaitans, and Iezabel among them, and righteouſly wrapt up in one common calamity, with the Balaamites and Nicolaitans.
But ſecondly, if the faithful in a Church do proteſt, declare againſt, and endeavour as much as in them lies, and by all lawful means for the purging out of the evil and erroneous perſons and doctrines among them, they have done their duty towards God, and delivered their ſouls from guilt. Though the common calamity and judgment of God on the wicked may reach theſe too, without any derogation to divine juſtice; for it toucheth not them as a judgment, but as tryals, and for other good ends of God: Jeremiah, Daniel, Ezekiel, and other faithful ſervants of God, ſuffered very much in the Caldean captivity; yet not as for their own ſins, but for other eſpecial ends of God: But very often God doth and will ſave his faithful ones, as wheat amongſt the chaff, by a temporal ſalvation in the midſt of judgments, and deſtruction of wicked ones round about. God will call out righteous Lot from Sodom, and will provide Noah an Ark, when he comes with flames of fire, or flouds of deſolating waters on the wicked world, did not God's perſevering providence and ſpecial mark of grace appear in this Nation in preſerving and keeping many precious graines of Wheat amongſt all our chaff, in this late day of our winowing and tribulation. And many whereof as it were, were taken by the hand by God; as righteous Lot and Noah, and Arks provided for them by God to paſs from Sodome and the wicked world, over the flouds, into a land of reſt, the Mountains of Ararat; I mean the wilderneſſes of America. And ſo indeed the faithful witneſſes of Chriſt, by the Dragon's powring out of flouds of perſecution after them, fled into the wilderneſs, and were there preſerved for ſome times, until the day of wrath was over. Therefore when you ſee your faithful Lots, Noahs, &c. fly from you, or called by God to places of ſecurity, look then for deſolating times: Iſa. 26.20, 21. When our Halc…n birds, as Swallows, &c. fly from us, it is a ſigne of approaching winter: So when good and godly men are removed out of their places, or driven into corners, then obſerve it as a true Prognoſtick, Judgment and Indignation is nigh at hand.
Obſerv. 5. When God is wrath with a people, he turns his ſweeteſt mercies into the moſt terrible judgments.
The word of God's mouth, which is the ſtaff and comfort of his people; he can turn unto the voyce of Trumpets, and as the roaring of many waters for terribleneſs. When we keep cloſe unto Chriſt, then all things are ours, Friends, Servants, Riches, children, and our Tables are mercies to us: But when we are become enemies to Chriſt by evil works, then Friends, Servants, Riches, Children, our Tables, and all are become ſnares unto us. When the King frowns on us, all his Courtiers and Nobles will do it alſo: Whilſt God is our Friend all the whole creation will ſerve us freely; but if he frowns all will conſpire and rebel againſt us: His Angels, whom he formerly commanded for our ſafety to pitch their Tents about us, will then be commanded to come with ſlaughter weapons againſt us. When a mans wayes pleaſe the Lord, hee maketh his enemies to be at peace with him, Prov. 16.7. Babylon could never have hurt Zion, till Zion had offended: When Pergamus, Thyatira, and the reſt of the offending Aſian churches forſaked God, inſtead of the powerful ſword of Chriſt's mouth, or word of grace, in convincing them of ſin, and mortifying their corruptions, or ſpeaking comfortably to them, he ſends forth another word, a word of judgment and indignation, commanding their adverſaries to go forth with their deſtroying weapons, either of War, Peſtilence, or Famine, to ſweep them off from the land of the living, that their place ſhould be no more found. O therefore let us be ſure to keep God our friend.