The Revelation Revealed, Chapter 3 · Verse 18
Verſe 18. I counſel thee to buy of me Gold tryed in the fire, that thou mayeſt be rich, and white rayment, that thou mayeſt be elothed, and that the ſhame of thy nakedneſs do not appear, and anoint thine eyes with eye-ſalve, that thou mayeſt ſee.
You have hitherto heard of Laodiceas ſin, want and miſery, here follows her remedy proportionable to her diſeaſe; here is gold, not outward glittering or pretended gold, but tryed gold, offered to help her of her poverty: Here is white rayment, a glorious rayment of Chriſt's righteouſneſs offered, to cover her ſhame and nakedneſs: and here is Eye-ſalve offered, even true knowledge and wiſdom from above, that ſhe may ſee the way unto everlaſting happineſs.
But to open the words a little more fully: I counſel thee. It is Chriſt that counſels and adviſes, and who will not follow it? The matter of his counſel is offered to the church of Laodicea, and unto us alſo, if we be found in the ſame vain-glorious, yet beggerly condition as ſhe was in; for the word was not written only to them, but to us; for obſerve what the Spirit often ſays; He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit ſaith unto the churches. So the matter of Chriſt's counſel is as well unto us, as unto Laodicea, and that threefold, as the diſeaſe was threefold. 1. To buy gold, tryed gold, which is ſet againſt poverty. 2. White Garments, which is for a covering of her nakedneſs. 3. Eye-ſalve, which is a remedy for her blindneſs.
Firſt by the way, from the party counſelling to buy, he being the ſame from whom it is bought, I counſel thee to buy gold of me, Note,
Obſerv. That all true ſpiritual riches and graces are to be fetch'd from Chriſt alone.
Chriſt ſends us not to our own works, or to his bleſſed mother, or to any other Saint departed, with ſo many Ave Marias, ſo many Pater Noſters, or ſo many Vows and Pilgrimages to buy them at their hands; but he tells us, Come buy them of me: Chriſt alone is the great diſpenſer of his Fathers Treaſure, all power is given into his hands, and in vain to ſeek the Kingdom of God or the treaſures thereof, but in, by, and through the Son; and it is moſt juſt it ſhould be ſo, it being the purchaſe of his death and paſſion; he powred out his ſoul unto death for us that he might have power to heal our ſouls of all their infirmities; therefore he is made unto us both wiſedom, juſtification, ſanctification, and all in all.
The manner of ſeeking this gold is by bargain and ſale, I counſel thee to buy of me: I ſhall inquire how this bargain is made up,
Firſt, Underſtand in all legal contracts, there is an agreement of both parties, or elſe it cannot be a bargain.
Secondly, In ſome bargains and contracts ther is a legal conſideration given for the thing bargained for, either to the full valew, or ſomwhat equitably proportionable thereunto. or,
Laſtly, There are other abſolute bargains and ſales of lands and goods, diſpoſed therein freely, only on the conſideration of the donors or granters of love, affection and preferment to the parties beloved, and ſo given freely to them and to their heirs for ever, without ſo much as paying a peny by way of legal retribution for it; yea the donor often is ſo free in his deed of gift, that the donee is freed of all fear of forfeiture of his Eſtate; for there is not reſerved ſo much as a Roſe or Pepper corn by way of Rent, that for non payment thereof, the State ſhould be become forfeited: And that party that would not be thankful to ſuch a free giver, is worſe then an Infidel.
Now to our heavenly bargain, and to apply: If we will buy of Chriſt gold and heavenly Treaſure, we muſt firſt come unto him, and ſtrike up the bargain with him; he will not ſell unto us againſt our wills (though he himſelf muſt make us firſt willing) and therefore he cries, Iſa. 55.1. Come unto the waters, come ye buy and eat: and Rev. 22.17. Chriſt is very willing to ſell us freely, and we muſt be ready to buy it and accept it freely; all that he expects at our hands, is to agree with him on his own tearms, and that is to accept it and receive it freely, beleive that he can and will do it, and it is done.
Secondly, He ties us up to no legal conſideration or conditions on our part, that on nonperformance thereof, be they ever ſo ſmall, we ſhould forfeit the State of our Inheritance; he hath paid and performed fully all our dues and legal conditions unto the Father for us, and in our ſtead; and he hath taken the poſſeſſion of the whole Inheritance into his own hand; and therefore in the third place he is upon a free deed of gift with us, and if we will buy at his hands; we are to come and buy▪ wine and milk without money, without price, Iſa. 55.1. and Chriſt calls in Rev. 22.17. to him that is athirſt, Come, and whoſoever will, let him take the water of life freely; and they now that will not be obedient to the commands and laws of this gracious donor; by way of gratitude and thankfulneſs for ſo glorious and free an Inheritance, beſtowed upon them, are not worthy of the leaſt mercy in his Kingdome if this Inheritance were entailed on us on condition of payment or performance of a ſmall petty grain of corn or the like, as is the mite of our faith or obedience, &c. as the Arminians would have it, we ſhould be in bondage fear and danger all our life long, if not at leaſt forfeit all by our non-payment and performance; therefore bleſſed be God, that hath not left our ſalvation in our own hands, but founded it on the rock Chriſt, which cannot be removed.
Queſt. But why doth Chriſt here counſel us to buy gold of him?
I anſwer, He that goes about to buy a great Treaſure is very careful, diligent, and his affections intenſe upon it, that none put him out of his bargain: So it muſt be here for this heavenly Treaſure, we muſt be earneſt with Chriſt to ſtrike up this bargain, we muſt not let him alone by our prayers until we have obtained this pretious pearl at his hands: 'Tis true, Chriſt will ſell us this pear… freely, yet we muſt agree with him for it; though we have nothing to give him in the leaſt, by way of legal compenſation for it, yet we muſt buy it, receive it in its own way and method. If you will buy any gods that you want, you muſt repair to the Fair or place where it is to be bought: So if you want tryed gold to enrich you, or garments to cover you, or eye-ſalve to enlighten you, you muſt come to Chriſt who is the Merchant of theſe heavenly wares, upon his Fair days, when ſuch pretious wares are ſet to ſale, and to his Ordinances in his Aſſemblies, on the publique days of his heauenly Bartering, if you will attain unto this▪ heavenly Treaſure. But to proceed, And that you may the better know the nature of this heavenly Treaſure, it is here called, Gold tryed in the fire. You formerly heard that the church of Laodicea was an outſide golden candleſtick, yea, ſhe boaſted and pretended high to true riches, yet for all her vaunting ſhe was foreign mendicus, a poor beggerly church; but here is gold that will enrich her to purpoſe, it is gold tryed in the fire; it is not ſophiſticate or hipocritical gold, but real tryed gold Hence Note,
Obſerv. That the graces that come from Chriſt, are the only true and real graces.
The church of Laodicea doubtleſs was rich enough in ſome reſpects, yet ſhe was a beggerly one becauſe her riches was not from Chriſt. If we in thoſe days come to our Eccleſiaſtical Functions, Livings and Benefices, not by a call… from Chriſt, but by our own ſtruglings, beginnings, ſtrivings and endeavours thereunto, though thereby we may become outwardly rich, yet at beſt we are but baſely beggerly rich; but the tryed gold that comes from Chriſt is ſuch that makes the ſouls truly gratious where it is: It is not gotten by begging at the dores of the great ones of the world, but at the gates of the Temple, in that holy way and order of calling, chuſing, ordaining, which Chriſt himſelf hath ordained in his word, this is truly refined gold, becauſe it is the wiſdom and way of God, which is as gold refined, Prov. 8.10. and Pſal. 12.7. This is tryed, and therefore will hold water: It is true, we may become rich in the eye of the world, in parts, abilities. and humane learning, and they may ſhine like gold in the eyes of the injudicious, ſimple and ignorant; but alas! if Chriſt doth not ſanctifie them to us, they may make us the worſe, not the better for them: Major Cleri…us, major Hereticus. If Chriſt gives us hearts to ſeek after his refined gold, then ſurely we ſhall no longer be ſo beggerly baſe, as to ſet up our own guilded parts in the room of Chriſt's true wiſedom, which is as gold thrice refined; neither ſhall we any longer ſet up our own church ways and orders, according to our own prudential dictates, but ſhall come into the truly golden way of Chriſt, which is often tryed and approved by the fire, and therefore avoideth not the touch-ſtone or fire of tryal, but ſtandeth firm as the pillars of the houſe of God, and they that truſt unto it and are partakers of it, do become rich, exceeding rich in all true ſpiritual graces, to their eternal glory: Therefore for ſhame ye Miniſters and ſervants of Chriſt, that are truly ſuch, and conſcientious of your duties, leave of your beggerly trade, in purſuing that that is no riches, and come to Chriſt and buy gold of him tryed in the fire, that will make you rich to purpoſe, and ſo ſhall ye ſhine like Stars of the greater magnitude, within the Firmament of your churches; I feare me all is not gold that gliſters with you; O how dangerous it is to be in ſuch a ſeeming fair condition, when we conceit we are rich and lack nothing, whiles indeed we are poor, miſerable, blind and naked. The Angel of Laodicea once thought as well of himſelf, as the Angel of England at preſent; but ſee his judgment, for his hypocritical, outſide and half Religion, which is much to be feared by us alſo if we grow not hotter and repent; to wit, that it will ſhortly come to paſs, that Chriſt will ſpew us out of his mouth, and leave our place deſolate unto us; and this Chriſt doubtleſs would long ſince have done, if he had not a remnant amongſt us that are tryed gold, for whoſe ſake he doth preſerve us; yet underſtand, that Chriſt knows how to caſt off and burn up all the chaff, as he did the Prelatical party of late, in his judgments and fiery indignations, and to preſerve the wheat, the godly, ſafe and ſecure; he will preſerve them as gold in the Refiners fire, it ſhall ſuffer no diminution, whiles the droſs ſuffers loſs, and is quite burned up and conſumed by it; therefore in time be wiſe, repent and follow, hear Chriſt's counſel, buy gold of him tryed in the fire, that thou maiſt be rich.
Secondly, The ſecond part of this heavenly purchaſe is white rayment that thou maiſt be cloathed: We formerly heard of Laodiceas nakedneſs, of her ſhameful nakedneſs, now here is a covering for her, a white garment that ſhe may be cloathed, and that the ſhame of her nakedneſs do not appear: We know nakedneſs in it ſelf was no ſhame before the fall, but ſince ſin hath prevailed, it is become vile and ſhameful, as God provided for Adam after his fall, garments of skins to hide his ſhame; ſo Chriſt hath provided ſpiritually a white rayment, for the covering of all the ſpiritual defects and ſhame of the members of himſelf, the ſecond Adam. Now this white rayment that is here provided and offered by Chriſt to Laodicea to cover her nakedneſs, may be taken two ways, as Laodicea had a twofold nakedneſs and ſhame upon her, ſo here is a garment proportionable to her wants. Firſt ſhe was naked in reſpect of true righteouſneſs, ſhe was rich enough and righteous enough in her own eyes, as many of theſe days are; yet here is a garment provided by Chriſt for her, to cover her nakedneſs: This is that garment ſpoken of, Rev. 17.13, 14. which is the long white Robes that the undefiled followers of the Lamb do walk in, that have waſhed their Robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Our ſins bring ſhame, and miſery, and nakedneſs upon us, and defilement on our ſouls, and it is Chriſt's blood that waſhes them white, takes off the ſtains, the guilt and obligation to wrath thereon, and ſerves for a white garment to cover, to hide and keep quite out of ſight all our bloody ſpots and ſtains, as if they were never done or committed, and ſo are carried away on the head of this ſcape-Goat, into the land of forgetfulneſs never to be remembred more. Secondly, She is naked too in reſpect of her outward garments, church officers, orders and ordinances; ſhe might be rich enough in outward endowments, as riches, worldly wiſedome, learning, &c. as ſome of our churches amongſt us are, yet beggerly, poor and naked to the true calls, orders, miniſtrations and graces of the ſpirit; and therefore Chriſt here offers her a white rayment of his own making, for a covering of this her ſhame and nakedneſs, to wit a miniſtry of officers and ordinances, ſquared out in the Temple of God's holy Word, for call, for miſſion, for matter, for form, and not according to humane invention, notwithſtanding which ſhe might be naked ſtill, open to ſhame ſtill, and miſerable ſtill. Hence Note,
Obſerv. That the rayment of Christs making is the only rayment that will reach all our neceſsities, and cover all our nakedneſs; all other garments will come ſhort of this work.
If we ſhould ma…e a linſey-woolſey garment, partly of Chriſts and partly of our own commixture, it would be like that in the Law, that was partly linnen and partly woollen, an abomination unto the Lord, yea for all that we might be cold and naked. Chriſts garment is ſuch a garment that it will reach us from top to toe, that no part of our ſhame or nakedneſs ſhall appear: Sin brings ſhame, and ſin brings contempt and nakedneſs upon us, and Chriſts rayment is a white rayment, an inocent rayment, a glorious honorable rayment, it will cover all our ſhame and nakedneſs, and therefore worth the buying; our own rayments are ſpotted, defiled, and will not ſerve the turn, but Chriſts is white all over. If we expect to appear perfectly righteous, holy and juſt before God (or otherwiſe we ſhall never appear before him to approbation, for no unclean thing ſhall enter into his preſence) then we muſt be ſure to cloath our ſelves in the white rayment of this our elder brother. In the next place, if we have a deſire to have the nakedneſs, ſhame, contempt and ſcorn that is caſt upon our churches, and is obvious to the whole world, to be healed, covered, and done away; then let us make haſte, and clothe our ſelves with this white rayment that Chriſt does counſel us to buy of him; that is, let us ſpeedily look into the holy Veſtry of Chriſt's Word, and ſee what Garments Chriſt hath provided for his Spouſe there: The King's Daughter is all glorious within; yea thou art all fair my Love, there is no ſpot in thee, Cant. 4.7, 11. and the ſmell of thy garments are like the ſmell of Lebanon. When we caſt off Chriſt's order in Diſcipline, church ordinances, offices, and miſſions, we caſt off Chriſt's white rayment, and preſently diſcover our ſhame and nakedneſs to the eye of the whole world. It was the advice of Paul in Timothy, 1 Tim. 4.12. Let no man deſpiſe thy youth. And why? Becauſe he had on the white rayment of Chriſt's true Miniſtery, and according to Chriſt's minde, which garment is ſo full of Majeſty, though Timothy was but a youth, yet being clothed therewith, it rendered him not only above contempt, but truly gracious and honourable in the eyes of all. Some in the room of this, of Chriſt's own white rayment to cover their ſhame and nakedneſs, think it ſufficient that they have their ſilken coats, or their formal Rochets, a call from a rich perſonage, and ſome Lording Prelates, and then all is well; but alas, they ſee not that they are miſerable and naked for all this: Though I ſhould not contemn moderate and modeſt garments, yet Elijah in his hayrie mantle, or John Baptiſt in his leather girdle, and garment of Camels hair in the way of Chriſt, will attain the honour of true Prophets unto themſelves, whilſt the ſilken Prieſts in their own way, lye naked unto the ſhame and contempt of all: I ſpeak not this to the reproach of any, but to diſcharge my conſcience, like a good Phiſitian, muſt ly ope the wound, and ſearch it fully before he'll cure it; or like a faithful Pilot, that will diſcover the dangerous ſhelves and Rocks to all paſſengers, that they may avoid the danger, and if I be judged by any to have ſaid too much herein, or beſide the purpoſe, I anſwer in the words of Paul, in 2 Cor. 5.13. For whether we be beſide our ſelves, it is to God, or whether we be ſober, it is for your ſakes Chriſtians.
3. In the laſt place, Chriſt adviſeth Laodicea, To anoint her eyes with Eye-ſalve. Indeed ſhe was dark and blinde to purpoſe, and therefore had need of Eye-ſalve to make her ſee the way to everlaſting happineſs: And where is ſhe to get it? But from Chriſt, who applyeth the whole remedy for her diſeaſe, Gold to relieve her poverty, white Rayment to cover her nakedneſs, and Eye-ſalve to cure her blindneſs. Hence Note,
Obſerv. That they that will truly ſee the way to eternal life, muſt come to Chriſt to receive Eye-ſalve from him.
He is given as a covenant to open the eyes of the blinde, and to lead them in the paths of life: its in vain to go to our own prudence or carnal wiſdom, that would more entangle us, and lead us out of the way, according to that ſaying of Chriſt in John 9.39. I am come into this world for judgement, that they that ſee not, ſhould ſee; and that they that ſee (that is, in their own wiſdom) ſhould be made blinde. Chriſt made an Eye-ſalve for the cure of a blinde perſon in John 9.6. of his ſpittle and clay, of a compound matter, proceeding from his mouth and the earth, whereby he made the blinde man ſee: Chriſt ſomwhat follows the ſame method in his compoſitions of Eye-ſalves, which he uſes towards his ſpiritual blinde ſouls that he takes to cure: firſt he gives us the knowledge of our ſelves, and of our own earthy matter, and that we ſavour in our unregeneracy nothing but of earth and earthlineſs: Next, he brings us to the knowledge of himſelf, and his Word which proceedeth out of his mouth, and ſo makes us an happy compoſition and Eye-ſalve, whereby we ſee our poverty, our ſhame, and nakedneſs, and all our ſpiritual wants, and alſo where remedy is to be had to heal and to ſave us from all our maladies: and indeed, this is as great a bleſſing as Chriſt can beſtow upon us, to be truly ſenſible, and to have a clear ſight of our condition; it is the next ſtep to amendment: it is ignorance and blindneſs that makes us err and go aſtray, but true ſaving knowledge will keep us cloſe to God's commandments: If we take any other Eye-ſalve to anoint our eyes with, ſave what Chriſt hath prepared for us in the Panacea or Treaſury of his Word, we may take Bird-lime inſtead of Eye-ſalve, which will cloſe our eyes the faſter: They are not the traditions of men, nor the wiſdom and underſtanding of the wiſe that will make this precious oyntment, but it is a ſpiritual quinteſſential extraction and oyntment, drawn out by the Spirit of Chriſt out of the holy Limbeck of his Word, and applyed by him unto the blinde Patient, that will make him ſee the glory of God, and his grace, and to praiſe him for it unto eternity.