Commentary on the Epistles and Revelation of John, Commentary 14 · Chapter 4
CHAP. IIII. Verſe 1. Let us fear]
WIth a fear not of diffidence, but of diligence. See the Note on Phil. 2.12. and on 1 Cor. 10.12.
Loſt a promiſe] Some render it thus, Leſt we ſhould ſeem to fall ſhort of the promiſe, that is left us, &c. But where is that promiſe left us, may ſome ſay? It is cloſely couched in the former commination, Chap. 3.18. God ſware that unbelievers ſhould not enter: and therefore intimates a promiſe, that believers ſhall enter. A Bee can ſuck ſweet honey out of bitter thyme; ſo cannot a Flie do.
To come ſhort of it]foreign. To come lag and late, when the gate is ſhut, the draw-bridge taken up, as thoſe fooliſh Virgins, or as lazy race-runners, or as thoſe that come a day after the fair, an hour after the feaſt, and ſo are fruſtrated.
Verſe 2. The Word preached] Gr. The Word of hearing, i. e. The promiſe that fell from the Preachers lips into their ears.foreign. Neſcio quid divinum in auſcultatione eſt, ſaith one; I know not what divine buſineſſe there is in hearing: but ſure I am, that what we hear doth more deeply affect us, and more firmly abide with us, and ſtick by us, then what we reade.
In them that heard it] In their hearts, as in ſo many veſſels. Faith and the promiſe meeting make a happy mixture, a precious confection.
Verſe 3. For we Which have believed] Believers (and they only) have heaven afore-hand in pretio, in promiſſo, in primiti is, in the price that was paid for it, in the promiſe of it (which is ſure-hold) and in the firſt-fruits, the graces of the ſpirit, which are as thoſe grapes of the land of Canaan.
Verſe 4. And God did rest] Here the Apoſtle ſheweth what that reſt of believers is. Not that ſeventh-daies reſt, verſ. 5. nor that other reſt, Pſal. 95. meant of the Land of Canaan, but another and better typified in both thoſe, viz. A ſpirituall reſting from our own works or ſins, ſo as God reſteth in his love to us, Zeph. 3.17. and we ſweetly acquieſce in our intereſt in him, Pſal. 116.7.
Verſe 5. If they ſhall enter] q. d. Then never truſt me more. Yet Ambroſe here taketh the words for a forcible affirmation, q. d. Si introibunt, benè habebunt.
Verſe 6. Seeing therefore it remaineth] This is a deduction from the former text of the Pſalmiſt. Such as is that of our Saviour, Mat. 22.32. from Ex. 3.6. And ſuch inferences rightly drawn, are the very word of God, 1 Cor 7.10.
Verſe 7. After ſo long a time] Four hundred years almoſt paſſed between Joſhua's and Davids daies. Davies to day, was not Joſhua's to day.
To day, if ye Will hear] That, day, of ſalvation, wherein the Lord doth offer us mercy in the Miniſtery of his Word, ſhewing us our miſery, and exciting us to uſe the remedy.
Verſe 8. For if Jeſus, &c.] That is, Joſhuah, who had his named changed when he was ſent as a ſpy into Canaan, Numb, 13.16. from Oſhea to Ioſhuah, from, Let God ſave, to, God ſhall ſave. Under the Law (which brings us, as it were, into a briery wilderneſſe) we may deſire, wiſh and pray, that there were a Saviour: but under the Goſpel, we are ſure of ſalvation. Out Jeſus is Iehovah our righteouſneſſe.
Verſe 9 A reſt to the people of God] Gr. A ſabbatiſme, an eternall reſt, a Sabbath that hath neither evening, Gen. 2.2. nor labour,Iſa 5…2. Apecal 1. Revel. 14.13. But they ſhall enter into peace, reſt in their buds, be raviſht in ſpirit, receive the full import and purport of the weekly Sabbath, reſt from travel and trouble. 2. Of the ſeventh year-ſabbath: for the creature, the ground ſhall reſt from it's vanity and ſlavery, Rom 8.20, 21.3. Of the ſeventh-ſeven-years Sabbath, the Iubilean Sabbath: for their debts ſhall be all diſcharged, their morgages releaſed, their perſons ſet at liberty from ſins and Satans ſl…very.
Verſe 10. From his own Works] From the ſervile work of ſin.Pſal. 1.23. Theſe are our own works, as a lie is the devils own, Ioh. 8.44. When be ſpeakth a lie, be ſpeaketh of his own: ſo when we do evil, we work de noſtro & ſecundum hominem, 1 Cor: 3.3. It is as impoſſible for us naturally to do good, as for a road to ſpet cordials.
Veſt 11. Let us labour] Here he reſumes and re-enforces his former exhortation; that his words may be as nails and goa…s faſtned by the masters of Aſſemblies.
Fall after the ſame example] God hangs up ſome malefactours, as it were in gibbers, for a warning to others. Jethro grew wife by the plagues that befell his neighbour-prince Pharaoh, as Rabbi Solomon oblerveth.Excuploa Me. rius qui amt ille ſap…t. And Belſhazzar is deſtroied for not profiting by his fathers calamities, Dan. 5.22. Then haſt not humbled thy heart, though thou kneweſt all this.
Verſe 12. Quick and powerfull] Gr. Lively and energeticall: ſc. In hearts that can tremble at Gods judgements, as David did, Pſal. 119.120. As for hypocrites, the Word Will ranſack them, and give them a very glimpſe of the judgement to come, as it did Faelix, Herod, &c. God ſmiteth the earth with this rod of his mouth, Iſa. 11.4. he daſheth them in the teeth, and maketh them ſpet bloud, as it were; hewing them by his Prophets, and ſlaying them by the words of his mouth, Hoſ. 6.5. Rev. 11.5.
Soul and spirit] See the Note on 1 Theſſ. 5.23.
And is a diſcerner] Gr. A curious Critick judging exactly, and telling tales of the hearers: diſcloſing the words that they ſpeak in their very bed-chambers, as 2 King. 6.12.
Verſe 13. Neither is there any creature] No not the creature of the heart, the moſt ſecret thoughts and intentions.
That is not manifest in his ſight] Or in the ſight of it, that is, of Word preached: but every the leaſt fibra, the ſmalleſt ſtring in the heart, that would eſcape the ſight of the moſt exact Anatomiſt is hereby cut up, See 1 Cor. 14.24.
But all things are naked and open] Naked, for the out-ſide,foreign. and opened, diſſected, quartered, cleft in the back-bone (as the word here ſignifieth) for the in ſide. Eraſmus rendereth it reſupinata, making it a metaphor from theſe that he with their faces up wards, that all paſſengers may ſee who they are. Theodoret read…th it, Hath the thro…t cut.
Ʋnto the eyes of him] Or rather, of it, of the word, where-with We have to do. The word, like a ſacrificing ſword, ſlits open, and, as it were, unridgeth the conſcience.
Verſe 14. We have a great high-Priest] Who by a new and living way will bring us into the reſt above mentioned. A great high-Prieſt Chriſt is, becauſe 1. Reall, not typicall. 2. Eternall, and needed not ſucceſſion, as Aaron. 3. Entring (not into the holy places made with hands, but) into heaven it ſelf, Heb. 9.24.
Verſe 15. Whick cannot be touched] Chriſt retaineth ſtill compaſſion, though freed from perſonall paſſion:Manet compaſſio. cuam cum impa Jibilitate. And though freed from feeling, hath ſtill yet a fellow-feeling, Act 95. Mat. 25.35. Trajan the Emperour being blamed by his friends for being too gentle toward all, anſwered, that being an Emperour he would now be ſuch toward private men, as he once, when he was a private man, wiſhed that the Emperour ſhould be toward him. Chriſt hath loſt nothing of his wonted pity by his exaltation in heaven.
Tempted] Or, Pierced thorow. Luther foreign.was a piercing preacher, and met with every mans temptations: and being once demanded how he could do to?Act. and Mon Mine own manifold temptations (ſaid he) and experiences are the came thereof: for from his tender years he was much beaten and exerciſed with ſpirituall conflicts.
Verſe 16. Let us there fore come boldly] In the ſenſe of ſin to wrap our ſelves in Chriſts righteouſneſſe, and ſo go boldly to the throne of grace, this (ſaith a reverend man) is an honour to Chriſt our high-Prieſt.