Commentary on the Epistles and Revelation of John, Commentary 22 · Chapter 1
CHAP. I. Verſe 1. The Revelation]
OR, manifeſtation of many divine myſteries by the Mediatour (who came out of his Fathers boſome to John, who had the minde of Chriſt, and that purpoſely for the behoof and benefit of the Family of faith, who are all of his Cabinet-councel.Joh. 1. 1 Cor. 2.16. Gal. 6.10. Pſal. 25.14.
Things which muſt ſhortly] That is, ſooner or later in their proper ſeaſon. Gods time ſeems long, becauſe we are ſhort. Nullum tempus occurrit regi, ſaith the Lawyer. The Ancient of daies is not to be limited.
Verſe 2. Who barc record of the Word] This John the Divine, then, was John the Evangeliſt: what ever Dennis of Alexandria diſpute to the contrary.
Verſe 3. Bleſſed is be that readeth] ſc. With attention, affection, application and practice:Hier…e…iſt ad P…ulm. Aegid Abbas Norimberg As knowing that this book hath, Tot ſacramenta quot verba, ſo many words, ſo many myſteries; and that theſe words are, Vivenda non legenda, not more to be read then to be lived, as one ſaid once of the hundred and nineteenth Pſalm.
Verſe 4.foreign From him which is] An auguſt deſcription of the Father by a manifeſt alluſion to Exod 3.14. Some Critick, reading the words as they lie in the Originall, would be apt to complain of an incongruity,Non d…he…t verba … …ra uli…ſ…beſſ… regulis Donat…. Greg. and to ſay, Novè & duritèr dictum. But God methinks, ſhould have leave given him by theſe Logodaedali, to pronounce his own name undeclined, and, by an out rule; who himſelf is undeclined, and comes not under any rule.
And from the ſeven ſpirits] So the holy Ghoſt is here called, for his manifold gifts and operations, in the hearts of thoſe ſeven, and all other Churches▪ In like ſort he is called, The ſeven golden pipes thorow which the two olive branches do empty out of themſelves the golden oils of all precious graces into the golden candle-ſtick the Church, Zach. 4.2, 3. So, ſome interpret thoſe ſeven eyes upon one ſtone, Zach, 3.9. concerning the Spirit in his ſeverall operations upon Chriſt, according to Iſa 1.2.
Verſe 5. And from Jeſus Chriſt] Who is here ſet laſt of the three perſons, becauſe more is to be ſaid of him; both as touching his three-fold office, and a three-fold benefit there-hence redounding unto us.
That hath loved us] See Ezek. 16.6, 8, 9. Chriſt that heavenly Pellican,Pierij b…erogl…ph. revived his dead young-ones with his own heart-bloud, He ſaw the wrath of God burning about them, and caſt himſelf into the midſt thereof, that he might quench it. Judah offered to be bound, that Benjamin might go free. Jonathan perilled his life, and quitted his kingdome for love of David. Arſinoe interpoſed her own body betwixt the murtherers weapons, and her children. But what was all this to this incomparable love of the Lord Jeſus? When the Jews ſaw him weeping for Lazarus, Behold, ſay they, how he loved him? When we ſee him weeping, bleeding, dying for us, Shall not we much more ſay ſo?
Verſe 6. And hath made us Kings] To rule in righteouſneſſe. to lord it over our luſts, to triumph over, and trample on all our ſpirituall adverſaries, being more then conquerours thorow him that loved us, and laid down his life for us, that we might raign in life by one Jeſus Chriſt, Rom. 5.17. And ſurely if (as Peter Martyr once wrote to Q. Elizabeth) Kings are doubly bound to ſerve God, both as men, and as Kings: What are we, for this ſpirituall kingdome?Judg 5.28.
And Priests u…to God] To offer up to him the perſonall ſaer fice of our ſelves, Rom. 12.1. the verball of praiſe,foreign and reall of alms. Heb. 1.15, 16. See the Note on 1 Pet. 29.
Verſe 7. Bel old he cometh] He is already upon the way, and will be with us ſhortly. Let us haſten his coming, and ſay …s Siſera's mother, Why are his chariots (his clouds) ſo long in coming? Why tarry the wheels of his chariots?
Shall nail] Gr. Shall ſmite their breſts or thighes: the elect as repenting, the reprobate as deſpairing. Iiſdem, quibus videmus, oculis, flemus: ſo here, foreign, they ſhall look and lament.
Verſe 8. Which is, and which was] The Father is called, He that it, Exod 3.13 The Son, He that was, Joh. 1.1. The holy Ghoſt, He that cometh, Joh. 16 8, 13. as Aretas obſerveth.
Verſe 9. In the kingdom and patience] Chriſt hath a two-fold kingdom, 1. Of power. 2. Of patience. Nec niſi per a…guſta ad augusta, &c. I have no ſtronger argument againſt the Popes kingdome, ſaith Luther, quàm quod ſine cruce regnat, Luth. T 2.then this that he raigns without the croſſe. The glory of Chriſts Church (ſaid George Marſh Martyr) ſtands not in out ward ſhews,Act. and Mon. fol. 1423. in the harmenious found of bels and organs, nor yet in the gliſtering of mit…es and copes, &c. but in continuall labours and daily afflictions for his Nam…s ſake.
Was in the Iſle Patmos] He tels us not how he came thither, he boaſteth not of his baniſhment, Virtus proprio contenta theatro. Vertue is no braggard.
Verſe 10. I was in the Spirit] Acted by him, and carried out of himſelf, as the demoniack is ſaid to be in the unclean ſpirit, as being acted and agitated by him. Sec the Note on 2 Pet. 1.21.
On the Lords day] The firſt day of the week, the Chriſtian Sabbath, Mat. 24.20. called the Lords-day from Chriſt the authour of it; as is likewiſe the Lords Supper, and the Lords Church, Kirk, foreign, the very word here uſed. To ſanctiſie this Sabbath was in the Primitive times a badge of a Chriſtian. For when the queſtion was asked, Servaſti Dominicum? Keepeſt thou the Sabbath? The anſwer was returned, Chriſtianus ſum. inter…ittere non poſſum, I am a Chriſtian, I muſt keep the Lords-day.
And heard behinde me] Not, before me: implying, that the Spirit calleth upon us being ſecure, paſſing by, and not regarding thoſe things it cals for.
As of a trumpet] To teach us, that the things here delivered to the Church muſt be ever ſounding in out ears and hearts, indwelling richly in us, Col. 3.16.
Verſe 11.Greg. Mag. Send it to the ſeven] As all holy Scripture, ſo this piece eſpecially may well be called, The Epiſtle of Almighty God to his creature.
Verſe 12. And being turned I ſaw] It is well obſerved here by a learned Interpreter,M. Brightman That every godly endeavour doth receive ſome fruit greater then a man can hope for; John turned himſelf to behold the man, and behold (over and beſides) ſeven Candleſticks, which he had not the leaſt ſuſpition of.
Verſe 13. And in the midſt] Chriſt is in the holy aſſemblies, in the beauties of holineſ…c: he walketh in his garden, Cant. 6.1. he comes in to ſee his gueſts, Mat. 22.11. The face of God is ſeen in Sion, Pſal. 84.7.
Agarment down to the fi…t] As a Councellour, Iſa. 9.6.
And girt] It implies readineſſe, nimbleneſſe, handineſſe and handſomeneſ…e. We alſo muſt gird our ſelves, and ſerve the Lord Chriſt, Luk 17.8.
About the paps] This implies his entire love, ſeated in the heart.
Verſe 14. White like wooll] Noting his antiquity, or rather his eternity, and unſpeakable purity. Thales, one of the Heathen Sages, called God foreign, The moſt ancie…t of Beings.Di…g Lae…
As a flame of fire] Sharp and terrible, ſuch as pierce into the inward parts, Heb. 4.13. See the Note there.
Verſe 15. And his f…et] He ſtood firm then when he was caſt into the fire of his Fathers wrath. He trod the wine-preſſe alone, and ſet his feet on the necks of all his and our enemies. He loſt no ground, when he grappled with the devil on his own dung-hill, Matth. 4. He will alſo bruiſe Sa… under our feet ſhortly, Rom. 16.20.
As the ſound of many waters] Audible,Som. Scip. terrible, forcible. Some Catadupes are deaf…ed by the fall of this Nilus. But the Spouſe cries out, O thou that dwellest in the gardens, the companions hearken to thy voice; cauſe …e to hear it, Cant. 8 13.
Verſe 16. And he had in his right-hand] See heere the dignity and ſafety of a faithfull Miniſter. Whiles a childe hath his father by the hand, though he walk in the dark, he fears nothing.
A ſharp two-edged ſword] The word, like a ſacrificing ſword, ſlits open, and as it were, unridgeth the conſcience.
Verſe 17. I fill at his feet as dead] The nearer any one comes to Chriſt, the more rottennes entreth into his bones.
And be laid his right-hand] The ſame right-hand wherein he held the ſeven ſtarres, verſe 16. Chriſtus ſic omnibus attentus, ut …lli dotentus: ſic curat univerſos quaſi ſingulos; ſic ſingulos, quaſi ſolos, Every godly Miniſter is Chriſts particular care.
Fear not] Till rid of fear, we are not fit to hear.
Verſe 18. That liveth and was dead] So can every regenerate man ſay, Luk. 16.32, Epheſ. 2.1. See the Note there. All Saints are heirs of the grace of life, 1 Pet. 3.7.
And have the keyes] The Pope therefore is not key-keeper, as he falſly boaſteth; telling us, That God hath put under his feet the beaſts of the field, the fowls of the air, and the fiſh of the ſea: that is (as he interprets it) all the ſouls in earth, heaven, and purgatory.
Verſe 19. Write the things which thou haſt ſeen] That is, the Goſpel, the hiſtory of Chriſt (as ſome think) which he wrote at Epheſus after his return from Pathmos, above fourty years after our Saviours death.
Verſe 20 The myſtery] In this whole book there are ſo many words, ſo many myſteries: which made Cajetan forbear to comment upon it: though many Monks (far leſſe able then he) thought it a goodly thing to be medling in theſe myſteries,Apoca'y…im fat…or me neſci…e exponere jux…a ſenſum literalem: exponat cui Deu… conceſſerit. Cajet. which they as little underſtod, as he that derived Apocalypſis of foreign, & clipſor quod eſt velo, quoth Faber the Augustinian Monk.
Are the Angels] Miniſters are fitly called ſtats, which affect theſe inferiour things by motion, light and influence.
Are the ſeven Churches] Lighted by Chriſt the high Prieſt morning and evening continually: and thereby as much differenced from the reſt of the world, as Goſhen was from Aegypt, in that palpable darknes.