Commentary on the Epistles and Revelation of John, Commentary 22 · Chapter 22
CHAP. XXII. Verſe 1. A pure river]
NOt muddy as Nilus, but clear as Callirho…. The alluſion ſeems to be to that earthly Paradiſe ſo well watered, Gen. 2. or elſe to Ezek. 47. This river is Chriſt, Joh. 4.14. and ſo is that tree of life, verſe 2. The ſecond Adam is a quickening ſpirit.
Verſe 2. In the midſt of the ſtreet of it] In medio foro ejus, where all may eaſily come by it; not kept with a ſtrong guard, as the apples of Alcinous, Heſperides, &c.
Twelve manner of fruits] Heavens happineſſes are ſo many that they cannot be numbred, ſo great that they cannot be meaſured, ſo copious that they cannot be defined, ſo precious that they cannot be valued.
Every monethmonth] Like the Lemmon tree which ever and anon ſendeth forth new Lemmons, as ſoon as the former are fallen down with ripenes.
And the leaves] No want of any thing either for food or phyſick. Ita balbutit nobiſcum Deus.
Verſe 3. And there ſhall be no more curſe] No caſting out by Excommunication: no cauſe of any ſuch thing.
Of God and of the lamb] He and the Father are one, Joh. 10.30. See the Note there.
Verſe 4 And they ſhall ſee his face] How we ſhall ſee God, whether with our minds only, or with bodily eyes we ſhall behold his inviſible Majeſty in the glorious face of Jeſus Chriſt, there can nothing be determined.
And his name ſhall be] As ſervants of old had their maſters name branded in their fore-heads.
Verſe 5. And there ſhall be no night] See the Note on Chap. 21.25.
For the Lord God] He that is foreign, Light eſſentiall.
And they ſhall raign] Raign together with Chriſt; a part of whoſe joy it is, that we ſhall be where he is, John. 17.20. he will not be long without us.
Verſe 6. And he ſaid unto me] This is the concluſion of the whole prophecy: and it is very auguſt and majeſticall.
Theſe ſayings are faithfull and true] Thus (among other evidences of its divinity) the Scripture teſtifies of it ſelf: and we know that its teſtimony is true.
The Lord God of the holy Prophets] Some copies have it, The Lord God of the spirits of the Prophets. He is the God of the ſpirits of all fleſh, but of the ſpirits of Prophets in a ſpeciall manner: for thoſe holy men ſpake no otherwiſe, then as they were acted or imbreathed by the holy Ghoſt, 2 Pet. 1.21. See the Note there.
Sent his Angel] As Chap. 1.1. The authority therefore of this book is unqueſtionable, what ever ſome have ſurmiſed from Chap. 20.4. that it was the work of Cerinthus, or ſome other millenary.
Verſe 7. Bleſſed is he that keepeth] In memory and manners, Chap. 1. Thoſe were pronounced happy that read and hear, but ſo as they retain in minde, and practiſe the contents of this book.
Verſe 8. Saw theſe things and heard them] So that there is no colour of cauſe why any one ſhould doubt or diſtruſt ſuch a witneſſe.
… fell down to worſhip] This is the ſecond time. It is hard to ſay, how oft a Saint may fall into the ſame ſin: howbeit they ſin of incogitancy; put them in minde, and they mend all. They ſin of paſſion, and paſſions laſt not long. There is no way of wickednes in them, they make not a trade of it.Pſal. 139.
Verſe 9. See thou do it not] See the Note on Chap. 19.10.
For I am thy fallow-ſervant] Wicliffe diſallowed the invocation of Saints and Angels, whom he called ſervants, not gods. For the word Knave which he uſed ſignified, in thoſe daies a ſervant, not as it doth in our daies a wicked varlet, as his enemies maliciouſly interpret it: Bellarmine for one, a man utterly ignorant of the Engliſh tongue.
Verſe 10. Seal not] Keep them not up for thine own proper uſe (as he did that wrote upon his writings, foreign, things for myſelf) but freely impart them, and in ſuch fort as that others may conceive and improve them.
For the time is at hand] And every daies events ſhall explain the prophecy.
Verſe 11. He that is unjuſt &c.] q. d. Let things be fore-told never ſo plainly, and fall out never ſo accordingly, yet wicked men will be uncouncellable, uncorrigible, Iſa. 26.10. But if any man be ignorant, let him be ignorant, 1 Cor. 14 38. He fals with open eyes, let him fall at his own peril: who ſo blinde as he that will not ſee?H…ſ 4.1… Ephraim is joyned to idols, let him alone. He hath made a match with miſchief, he ſhall have his belly-full of it.
Let him be righteous ſtill] Let him preſevere and proceed.
Verſe 12. Behold, I come quickly] Therefore quicken your pace, beſtir your ſelves luſtily: your time is ſhort, your task is long, your wages unconceivable.
Verſe 13. I am Alpha and Omega] And am therefore worthy to be believed in my predictions of future events, which I can eaſily bring about and effect, ſith to me all things are preſent.
Verſe 14. That they may have right] That they may be aſſured of their intereſt in Chriſt and his kingdome. Plutarch tels of Eudoxus, that he would be willing to be burnt up by the Sunne preſently, ſo he might be admitted to come ſo near it, as to learn the nature of it. What then ſhould not we be content to doe or ſuffer for the enjoyment of Chriſt and heaven?
Verſe 15. For Without are dogs] In outer darknes. The Iriſh air will ſooner brook a toad or ſnake to live therin, then heaven will brook a ſinner.
And whoſoever loveth] Though he make it not. Some will not coyn a falſe tale, that yet will ſpread it: theſe are equally guilty, and excluded Gods kingdom, Pſ. 52.3.
Verſe 16. Have ſent mine Angel] With wearines of flight, as Dan. 9.21.
I am the root] That bear up David by my Deity: but am born of him, in regard of my humanity.
Verſe 17. And the spirit and the bride] i.e. The bride ſanctified and ſet a work by the ſpirit, Rom. 8.26.
And let him that heareth ſay, Come] Abrupt ſentences full of holy affection, q d. Let him pray daily, Thy kingdom come.
Heu pietas ubi priſca! profana ô tempora! mundi
Faex! vesper! prope nox! ô mora! Christe veni.
And let him that is athirſt come] q. d. If you think me long a coming, come to me in mine ordinances; there I will ſtay you with apples, comfort your with flagons, Cant. 2.5.
That water of life freely] See the Note on Chap. 21.6.
Verſe 18. If any man ſhall adde unto theſe things] Either to this or to any of the fore-going books of Scripture, Deut. 4.2. Prov. 30.6. Gal. 3.15. 2 Tim. 3.16, 17. All which not withſtanding, the Jews have added their Deuteroſeis, the Turks their Alfurta, the Papiſts their unwritten verities, which they equalize (at leaſt) to the Scriptures.
Verſe 19. And if any man ſhall take away] Sith every word of God is pure, precious and profitable, Prov. 30.5. 2 Tim. 3.16.
Verſe 20. Even ſo: Come Lord Jeſus] This is the common and conſtant vote of all good people: and is therefore pinned as a badge upon their ſleeve, 1 Theſſ. 1.10. See the Note there.
Verſe 21. The grace of our Lord] An epiſtolary concluſion. The Revelation is rather to be counted an Epiſtle then a book. Read it as ſent us from heaven, and ruminate what ye read.
Deo ſoli Gloria.
Mellificium Theologicum, OR THE MARROW OF Many good Authours.
Painfully and carefully extracted and diſtilled into a Decad of divine Diſcourſes, by way of Exercitation, Eſſay, or Common-place.
Wherein theſe ten Heads are largely handled:
Abſtinence.
Admonition.
Alms.
Ambition.
Angels.
Anger.
Apoſtacy.
Arrogancy.
Arts.
Atheiſme.
By John Trapp M. A. Paſtour and Preacher of Gods Word at Weſton upon Avon in Gloceſter-ſhire.
Iſ… ad Ni.oc…m.
foreign.
LONDON, Printed by A. M. for John Bellamy at the Signe of the three golden Lions in Cornhill, M.DC.XLVII.
The Authour to the Reader.
WHen I firſt ſent up ſome other of my Notes to the Preſſe, I had no intent at all to publiſh, for preſent, this imperfect piece. But being ſince admoniſhed by a Reverend Divine (who had the peruſall of thoſe unpoliſhed papers of mine) that I had here and there referred thee, Reader, for further ſatisfaction, to my Common-places not yet extant; and therefore by him and others encouraged to ſend them abroad, for an Eſſay, as they were, I have done ſo as thou ſeeſt: And ſhall either go on, or give over here, as I finde my ſervice accepted of the Saints. Mean-while, might I but obtain St Pauls requeſt of thee;Rom. 15.31. even for the Lord Jeſus Chriſts ſake, and for the love of the Spirit, to ſtrive together with me in thy praiers to God for me, that I may be delivered from irrational and irreligious men, Rom. 15.29, 30, 31, 32, 33.and that I may come unto thy heart with joy, by the will of God, and in the fulneſse of the bleſsing of the Goſpel of Christ; O how happy ſhould I hold my ſelf therein, and how readily ſhould I repay thee thy praiers in the enſuing words, and ſay, Now the God of peace be with thy ſpirit: Amen.
To the learned and reverend Authour.
OF Decads ten you premiſe made,
And here the Tithe alone is paid.
To pay the Tithe commend I doe
Ith Laity, but not in You.
Where are the Nine? What doth this mean?
A promiſe fat, a paiment lean?
I erre. Ith Tithe the Nine I ſee;
Nine Muſes; a full Century.
The paiment thus is very right,
Though not in number, yet in weight.
Yet I beſeech you adde the rest.
Of that that's choice the moſt is beſt.
THO. DUGARD, Art. Mag. Cantab.