The Revelation Revealed, Chapter 2 · Verse 19
Verſ. 19. I know thy works, and charity, and ſervice, and faith, and thy patience, and thy works, and the last to be more then the firſt.
All thoſe graces here mentioned by the Spirit and found in the church of Thyatira, are to be underſtood of true …eal graces, not only ſo in appearance and opinion, but in truth and ſincerity; and therefore Chriſt before he fals on the charge againſt her, firſt he gives an approbation and an encouragement to her graces, and in effect tels her: 'Tis true O church of Thyatira, I muſt acknowledg thy works of grace, as thy true love towards me, which hath produced and brought forth in thee the happy fruits of thy zealous ſervice, and thy faith enlivened by love, together with thy conſtant patience under ſufferings for my names ſake; and by this it appeareth that thou haſt received the truth in the love thereof; and withal I muſt add unto thy praiſe, that there is a growth and improvment in thoſe gracious works, and the laſt to be more then the firſt: That is Though thy firſt works were done out of much zeal, yet the latter were done on more certain and ſober grounds of knowledg and ſincerer ends then the firſt; and therefore as thou haſt made an improvement of thy graces, ſo thou art more in eſteem and thy works alſo, then at the firſt. By the way here,
Obſerv. We may Obſerve, Though the Church of Thyatira be never ſo blame-worthy, yet Chriſt will give her her due, and ſet too his Seal of approbation to all that is ſound and righteous in her:
It ſeems there were graces ſufficient in Thyatira to denominate her a golden candleſtick and a church of Chriſt, notwithſtanding Chriſt had a few things to ſay againſt her; it ſavors not of the Dove-like ſpirit of Chriſt and love, when any ſhall be ſo rigid as will not acknowledg ſuch ſocieties to be churches of Chriſt becauſe ſome imperfections in them either in doctrine or manners, though otherwiſe abounding in works of holineſs; as love to God and his Saints, and faith towards Jeſus Chriſt▪ zeal towards God's worſhip and ſervice, and in ſuffering for Chriſt's ſake: Doubtleſs with ſome rigid perſons in theſe days the churches of Pergamus and Thyatira would be unchurched and anathematized by them, had they but authority over them, though Chriſt had ſet his Seal upon them, and marked them as golden candleſticks. As in a natural body ſome members may be rotten and dead, and yet a lively body: So in thoſe ſpiritual bodies politiques, there may be ſom members rotten and dead at the root, yet the body ſtill an organical body, and no great hinderance to the whole. And again, in a natural body there may be a catholique diſeaſe ſeaſing upon every part and member of the body, which may render it very uncapable for its ſeruices, and yet ſtill a lively body. So it may be in a church, a body politique; it may be catholiquely ſick and infected with ſome venomous diſeaſe, ſome peſtifferous doctrine or other; and yet a church ſtill, though a decrepid, infirm, and lame one; but when the diſeaſe comes to be mortal, leaprous, or incurable, it is time then to cry out, Sum impurus, ſum impurus; Procul hinc, procul ite.
For the words, I know thy works, and thy louelove &c.] Here we ſee the good works that God does approve of in his people, and does alſo render them as approved Saints, both unto themſelves and the whole world. Chriſt alone is the publique approved perſon in the room of all his members in the ſight of God, as unto juſtification and perfect righteouſneſs: yet before theſe graces does appear in the Saints to evidence their calling, they are but the children of wrath as well as others. Election does ſecure our eternal eſtate; but before the ſpirit of grace comes to evidence it by faith that worketh by love, ſin and death hath dominion over us: And though we are heirs of all in God's predetermination; yet differ we not at all from ſervants in the ſtate of unregeneracy, yea therein we are ſlaves and captives to ſin and Satan.
Theſe gracious works are called thy works though they are the gifts of God, and wrought by his ſpirit in us, yet God's goodneſs does call them ours, becauſe they are acted by the inſtrumentality of our ſouls, as paſſing through our wils, affections and underſtandings; and here love or charity is put in the firſt place among all the graces of the Spirit: Whether love in order of nature is before faith, I ſhall not here diſpute, only thus much I ſay that all generally grant, that faith's firſt act is an aſſent to the truth, as unto a propoſition; now unleſs love come in to ingrediate the affection unto the truth propoſed, it will only be but a bare opinion, and never come to a lively faith, Secondly, I ſay, love is here propoſed as firſt in order, as being the moſt excellent Goſpel grace, 1 Cor. 13. throughout. Now abideth faith, hope and charity, but the greateſt of them is charity; its precedency lies in this,
1. In that it perfumes and enlivens all the other graces; faith it ſelf is dead without it; And to ſuppoſe a faith without love, is to ſuppoſe a man without a ſoul: The gifts of propheſies, tongues, and miracles, are but barren and uſleſs things without this.
2. This hath for its object both God and Man; we exerciſe our faith and hope only towards God and his promiſes, but our charity is extended both towards God and Man: And therefore love is called, Rom. 13.10. foreign, the fulfilling of the Law; it is the whole ſum and hinge on which the commandements turn: In this one word charity, both the Tables of the decalogue are abridged.
3. It excells in that it is the greateſt note of our intereſt in God and Chriſt: Faith is that giveth right unto the promiſes, but love is that giveth life to faith: It is the very ſoul of all our graces; If we gave our bodies to be burnt for Chriſt and had not charity, it will profit nothing, 1 Cor. 13.3. By this we know that we are paſſed from death to life, becauſe we love the Brethren, 1 John 3.14. and Ia. 1.12. The Crown of life is promiſed to them that love God, and Rom. 8.28. Love is made the very diſcovery of effectual calling and election.
4. Love excells in that it is the perfection of the Law; it is the very end of the Commandments, 1 Tim. 1.5. and were Love but perfect in us, it would make us perfect Keepers and Obſervers of the Law both towards God and Man. Love knits the Members of Chriſts Body together, and ſo perfects his Body: It unites us to God, and ſo maketh the perfecting of divine love in us, 1 John 4.12, 17. and here it is we are commanded twice to put on love above all things, 1 Pet. 4.8. and Col. 3.14. but once above all things to take the ſhield of faith.
5. And laſtly, when faith, hope patience, and all other graces ceaſes, charity abideth. Love is not only a portion for the Saints in this life, but in the other alſo; then we ſhall love God and Chriſt when faith and hope ceaſeth; therefore juſtly did Chriſt in this place, and the Apoſtle in 1 Cor. 13.13. give it the precedency above al other Graces of the Spirit.
2. Love brings forth another grace, ſervice, external worſhip and obedience; him whom we love we obey, we ſerve, we honour and worſhip: The ſervice of love is moſt intenſe and effectual. When Chriſt communed with Simon Peter, John 21. and asked him thrice, Simon Son of Jonas, loveſt thou me? Yea Lord thou knoweſt it, ſaith Peter; Chriſt anſwered feed my ſheep: The more love that Peter manifeſted, the more ſervice and duty was put upon him. Services that we perform to God, not out of love, but formality or cuſtome, are but as ſcabbed or lame Sacrifices under the Law, which the Lord hated. Right ends in our ſervices are,
Firſt, Love and zeal to God's glory.
Secondly, Love to the obedience of God's commandments.
Thirdly, Love to the edification of others.
Theſe ends makes us a true and ſincere worſhip, love goeth through all, and is the fulfilling of the Law.
3. Thyatira is approved for her faith, made lively and effectual by love. True faith is never ſeperated from love, they go hand in hand together; but love hath the precedency for the reaſons aforeſaid, though faith is firſt in order of nature; for faith is that grace that gives the firſt being unto a chriſtian, but love is the perfection of that being: There muſt be firſt a knowledge of God, and aſſent unto his truths, which is the firſt act of faith, before we can love that God or his Truths; but withal I ſay, there is ſo inſeperable union between theſe two graces, no ſooner hath faith a being and a body, but love comes to animate it, to make it ſound, lively and perfect.
Obſerv. hence Note, That it is not a bare opinion or entertainment of the truth, that is a true lively faith, but that that worketh by love.
Many will one day ſay, we have propheſied in thy Name, taught in thy Name, caſt out devils in thy Name, profeſſed and beleived thy truths; and yet the Lord will ſay unto them, I know you not; and all for want of this grace of love towards God and his Saints. A ſound and true faith contains in it theſe three principal ingredients, that gives the very form and being to it.
Firſt, A ſound diſtinct knowledge of the thing believed: I know and am perſwaded, ſaith Paul, Rom. 14.14. Perſons that are ignorant of Gods promiſes, and of the word of eternal life, can never believe aright.
Secondly, A firm perſwaſion ſtrongly aſſuming the heart. As a ſound believer muſt not be an ignorant ſoul, ſo muſt he not be a wavering-minded man, but muſt have an undeceivable certainty and truth in that he does believe.
Thirdly, A confident reſting and rejoycing with ſatisfaction unto the Soul, ſurely looking to enjoy that it does beleive.
True faith hath theſe four acts and degrees in it, 1. Knowledge, 2. Aſſent. 3. Adherence. and 4. Aſſurance. A believer may have the three firſt acts, and want the latter; and a ſound beleiver and a juſtified perſon. Though God for cauſes to himſelf known may never give the grace of Aſſurance, yet that faith that only knows God diſtinctly to be a God of ſalvation in his promiſes, to repentant ſinners through Chriſt, and ſo takes him and adheres unto him in the love and truth thereof, doubtleſs that ſoul ſhall never be a caſt-away, though God's preſence of aſſurance and joyful ſatisfaction be never manifeſted unto him. If we be ſaved it is enough, though God reſerves his comfortable preſence and inward love for us unto another world.
4. Thyatira hath another excellent grace, and that is Patience, or ſufferance with patience, as the word foreign carries it in the Greek. A wicked man may ſuffer affliction, but not ſuffer with patience, without murmuring, ſwearing, or blaſpheming as the godly doth. The wicked may hauehave patience perforce and unwillingly, when he cannot help it, the afliction being above his reach to remedy; but the godly is patient as it is an effect of love; becauſe he loveth much, he is ready to ſuffer much with conſtancy and patience, as Jacob ſerved two ſeven years hardſhip for his beloved Rachel; ſo a faithful ſoul is ready to ſuffer all afflictions, chearfully, and with much patience all the years of his life, becauſe he loves God and Chriſt, and ſo accounts the afflictions of this life not to be valued with the glory that ſhall hereafter be revealed to all thoſe that love God.
5. Thyatira was a growing fruitful church, her latter works were more then her firſt, done upon better grounds, and better principles. From whence Note,
Obſerv. That the gracious works of the more grown Christians doe exceed thoſe of the younger ſort in ſoundneſs.
The Neophites or young Chriſtians may be more zealous then the approved Presbiters of a church, but the latter zeal is better …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 ſu…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 …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 of…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.