The Revelation Revealed, Chapter 3 · Verse 10
Verſ. 10. Becauſe thou haſt kept the word of my patience, I alſo will keep thee from the houre of temptation, which ſhall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.
That for which Philadelphia is commended for by Chriſt, is for keeping the word of his patience: This hath either reſpect to Chriſt, or unto the church; as if Chriſt had ſaid, becauſe thou haſt kept the word of my patience, that is, the word and doctrine which with a great deal of patience I have taught the world and with a like patience Preached it from time to time; or elſe the effect being put for the cauſe, Becauſe thou haſt kept the word of my patience, that is, the word of my Goſpel, which enjoineth and worketh patience: Either or both of theſe ſenſes may aptly be raiſed and entertained from theſe words, without any prejudice unto the truth and intention of the Spirit in theſe words. or, 2. as reſpecting the Church of Philadelphia: This word as it was the word of Chriſt's patience which he taught patiently, the word is, for many generations; ſo it was received and kept by her with patience and conſtancy; for which ſhe had the reward of being kept from the hour of temptation.
Queſt. But whither was Philadelphia ſo ſaved and kept from the hour of temptation, that fell upon all other her Siſter churches, that ſhe was ſo freed that ſhe was not touched by it?
Anſw. It is not probable that Philadelphia went free when the ten days of perſecution under the Emperours Domitian, Trajane, &c. reach'd the reſt of the neighbour Aſian churches; but ſhe had her portion alſo of affliction and tryals, under them ten perſecutions: But it ſeems by the Spirit's expreſſion here, her portion herein was not ſo large as others had; and therefore as to her, it is called an hour of temptation, a ſmall particle of time reſpecting the former ten days that went over Smyrna, cap. 2. 10.
Queſt. How then is it ſaid here that ſhe is kept or ſaved from this hour of temptation?
Anſw. It is as if Chriſt had ſaid, I will deliver thee from the hour of temptation: Now Chriſt is ſaid to ſave or deliver from the hour of temptation ſeveral manner of ways.
Firſt, That the temptation or tryal ſhould not at all touch them, this was not promiſed to Philadelphia.
Secondly, That though it ſhould come upon them, yet they ſhould not ſuffer or quail under it, but ſhould overcome the temptation or calamity manfully, by receiving ſtrength from Chriſt to undergo it.
Thirdly, That though they ſhould ſuffer under this hour of tryal, yet it ſhall not ſo reach them as to undo their eternal ſtate and condition; this is ſealed, ſecured, and kept ſafe by Chriſt.
Fourthly, They are ſaved and delivered from this hour of temptation, comparatively as unto others, there is no more laid upon them then they are able to bear, it is but an hour, a taſte of affliction, whiles others paſs under ten burning days of tryals. In theſe three latter ſenſes Philadelphia may be ſaid to be kept ſafe from the hour of temptation, either from failing under it, or looſing by it in their eternal eſtate, or comparatively unto others; Hence Note,
Obſerv. That though the Saints may ſuffer in a day of tryal, yet they receive little loſs by it, but ra…her gain and profit.
It is but for a tryal and refinement of their graces, not for a deſtruction of them; It is but for an hour, not for an age; and though the common calamity or hour of temptation ſhould ſo reach them as to deprive them of this life, as often it does; yet know there are ſaved and delivered from the judgments and evil of the temptation; they are above that, they are eternaly marked by God, and not one of them ſhall be loſt, but ſhall be gathered and made up as his Jewels, from out of the Aſhes of the world. In the execution of God's judgments, God looks with a diſtinguiſhing and conſidering eye upon all perſons that he toucheth therewith; his eye diſtinguiſheth between the pretious and the vile, Pſal. 34.15, 16. The eys of the Lord are upon the righteous, and the face of the Lord is againſt them that do evil; that when the hour of temptation is coming upon the whole world, Chriſt is then taking a ſpecial care for his, in ſaving them and ſealing them from the evil of that hour: In Rev. 7.3. when Chriſt ſent forth his four deſtroying Angels, a ſpecial charge was in the firſt place given them, ſaying, Hurt not the Earth, neither the Sea, nor the Trees, till we have ſealed the ſervants of our God in their foreheads; and ſo they went preſently on to the ſealing and ſecuring of the ſervants of God, before they went on with their deſtroying weapons compare Ezek. 9.4. &c. hereunto. O the goodneſs of our God, who hath a ſpecial care of us, and eye towards us in the common calamities of the world, who will either preſerve us as Iſrael in a Goſhen, or as Chriſt himſelf was in Egypt, whilſt the Herods of the world doe wrack their curſed malice upon the Infants of Judea for Chriſt's ſake: And ſo our temptation will be but for an hour as reſpecting others; and if it reaches us further and ſeizes our perſons, and the relations moſt dear unto us, be aſſured and know it is but an hour of temptation, and we ſhall be delivered from it, and become more then conquerors through Chriſt. Maſter Brightman on this verſe (that makes the reformed church according to Calvine, the counterpane of this of Philadelphia) that the reformed church, aſſerts, the conterpane, as the type formerly had, is to have an hour of temptation, a more grievous affliction, far above all others, yet a ſhort one, and is to come to paſs by the Romiſh Antichriſt in the Weſt, and the Turkiſh Mahometane in the Eaſt; but yet herein the church ſhall get the victory: And I am thus far of opinion with Maſter Brightman, that before the great Battel of Almighty God and deſtruction of Antichriſt, the true church of Chriſt ſhall more eminently and ſignally be ſlain and trod under foot by her Antichriſtian enemies, then at preſent ſhe is: For this is the day of ſtriving and only of indeavouring to bring forth, and Antichriſt ſtill hinders and prevails; for it was given him all the time of his raign to make War with the Saints and to prevail, Rev. 13.7. but before the end of his raign, and about the finiſhing the Teſtimony of the faithful witneſſes of Chriſt, the Beaſt that aſcendeth out of the Bottomleſs Pit, and ſhall make war againſt them, and not only overcome them, but kill them, Rev. 11.7, 8. &c. And their dead bodies ſhall ly in the ſtreet of the great City for three days and a half, as the reproach and ſcorn of all their enemies; and the expectancy of this ſignall day of affliction over the churches of Chriſt before the utter overthrow of the Antichriſtian Beaſt, it far more conduces to the good of the churches of Chriſt, then an over-haſty expectancy thereof, that every one may be prepared by faith and holineſs, and remain unmovable in that day, it being ſtill the uſual Method of Chriſt, after great and ſignal calamities and afflictions, to come with ſalvation joy and reſt unto the church of God; for he himſelf by the way of the croſs, entered into his glory: Therefore you Saints think it not ſtrange when ſuch an hour of temptation cometh over you, Chriſt will ſave and keep you from it, and ye ſhall be conquerors at the laſt, and ſhall raign on earth, Rev. 5.11. To proceed to the next words,
Which ſhall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth. This hour of temptation that was to come upon all the world, is not to be underſtood of all the world indefinitely, but in a limited ſenſe, as that, God ſo loved the world, that he gave his only Son &c. that is, the world, that Chriſt died for his holy church and members; for it is evident (whatſoever the Armin…n and Univerſaliſt ſaith to the contrary) that by the world here is meant the churches of Chriſt, diſperſed in Aſia and elſe where; for Chriſt never ſends a day or hour of tryal on the wicked world for what need he ſo to do; for they are neither regenerate, nor under grace, and therefore have no graces to make tryal of, either by way of quickning, ſtrengthening, or confirming; ſo that when Chriſt promiſes to Philadelphia that he will keep her from the hour of temptation which ſhall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth, is no more in effect, but as if Chriſt had ſaid▪ I will keep thee from the hurt and danger of the hour of temptation which ſhall come upon all the chriſtian churches in the world, for the tryal of their faith and conſtancy in all the quarters of the earth. Hence Note,
Obſerv. That not any of Christ's churches are exempted from tryals and temptations:
And the great reaſon of this is, that the church moſt thrives and grows this way; it is obſerved a Lily among Thorns grows faireſt and largeſt; and it was anciently ſaid, that the blood of the Martyrs was the ſeed-plot of the church; the more times that gold is refined by the Refiners fire, the more ductible and ſolid it becomes: So Chriſt's churches, the more tryals they go under, the more eminent and reſplendent they become in grace: In the day of affliction under Biſhops and Prelates, more true godlineſs did appear, then at preſent, in the day of proſperity and peace. A beloved child never ſcapes without a rod from his Father when he offends; neither a true church from Gods fatherly tryals and chaſtiſements; for in ſome things we offend all, and the beſt hath their maculae, their ſpots, droſs, and defections, to be purged from, therefore not ſtrange when we fall into diverſe tryals; by this we know that we are not baſtards, but ſons beloved of God, Heb. 12. And all things ſhall work together for good to thoſe that fear God.
Obſerv. 2. Another Note hence is, That the greateſt hour of calamity and temptation that comes upon the world, is but a tryal unto the godly.
Temptations unto the wicked are God's Judgments towards them, they are the executioners of his wrath and juſtice; He deſtroys the wicked in his fiery indignation: But unto the godly they are only for their tryal, ſtrengthning, and bettering. To one God gives riches, honour, preferment, &c., as a mercy; to the other they become ſnares unto, and deſtructive. So alſo on the godly, as on Job, God ſends the plundering Sabaeans, as a tryal of their patience; on the other, as the executioners of his wrath: Sword, famine, or death, that equally ſweeps away both, yet unto the one, they are but the inſtruments, gate, or door to a higher glory; yet unto the others, an entrance unto final judgments. Therefore Saints think it neither no loſs when temptations ſeize upon them, they become more weighty, more ſolid, more ſound, more ſincere, more experimental, more gracious, and at laſt more glorious thereby: and on this ground, how little are they troubled when all the world is on fire, and in combuſtion about their ears; when many do call for the mountains to fall upon them, and hide them from the fiery indignation that is paſſing over, yet they are placide, ſerene, and in a Halcion condition, all is peace with them, though all the world is fire about them, being ſo far above the world.