A Plain Explanation of Revelation, Part 22
Apoc. Cap. 22. 1.
And hee ſhewed mee a pure Riuer of water of life, cleare as chriſtall, proceeding out of the Throne of GOD, and of the Lambe, &c.
IN this Chapter are ſet forth to vsus, firſt the reſidue of the effects of Gods preſence, and of the preſence of our Sauiour Chriſt towards the Church in the world to come, partly ſet forth in the former, partly in the beginning of this Chapter, containing the comforts they ſhould receiue thereby, to wit, that they ſhould be throughly and perfectly bleſſed, not onelyonly with neceſſary things, but with all manner of delights and pleaſure, and with much glory and honour.
And firſt it is ſaid, there was a Riuer which ranne throughout the midſt of it; ſignifying firſt the pleaſantneſſe of the City: for as that City is notably ſituated which ſtandeth ſo as that it hath a Riuer running through it, to carry away the filthineſſe and vncleaneneſſe from it, ſo this City is ſo placed, as that it is voide of all noyſomneſſe and vncleaneneſſe. And alſo it is ſaid to hauehave a Riuer going through it, in regard of thoſe Countries which vſed to drinke of the water of the Riuer; which if it were neere, was an excellent commodity, which notwithſtanding, was oft times farre off from the City; but here it is not ſo, for this Riuer is neere at hand, being a riuer of freſh water; yea, of water of life: and they neede not to goe out of the City to fetch it; as did the Samaritan Woman, it being euen at the doores.
In the middes of the Streete, and on both ſides of the Riuer, was the tree of life; which ſignifieth our Sauiour Chriſt, who is called the Tree of life, in regard of thoſe moſt excellent and liuely graces, which as moſt comfortable fruits, hee bringeth forth, and miniſtreth vntounto his Church. And as by the Riuer was ſet downe their drinkes, ſo alſo by the Tree of life, is expreſſed their meat; not that there ſhall be in the Kingdome of heauen any corporall meate or drinke, but onelyonly noting a ſufficiency and fulneſſe of all good things, which there Gods Children ſhould hauehave. In that the Tree of life bringeth forth fruit eueryevery monethmonth, (to wit, twelue times in the yeare) and it bringeth forth alſo ſeuerall kindes of fruit, it noteth all meaſure and kindes of delight, being not onelyonly plentifull, but alſo full of all variety. Euen as men vſe to doe, which making a feaſt, will not content themſelues with one ſort of meat, but will labour to hauehave what variety they can, of moſt dainty meates, that it may bring more delight vntounto the gueſts: ſo here it is noted, that in Chriſt there ſhould be all ſufficiency and variety of pleaſures and delights. Saint Iohn here chooſeth to ſet forth the ioyes of heauen by fruits, rather then by Oxen and Fatlings, (as our Sauiour Chriſt expreſſeth it Matthew 22.) becauſe our Sauiour hath regard to vſuall marriages of Kings and Princes, who vſe againſt their Marriage-feaſts, to kill great ſtore of Beeues and ſuch like prouiſion: the holy Ghoſt here in this place, hath relation to that firſt kinde of liuing in the beginning, in mans innocencie, when he onelyonly liued of the fruits of the earth,
The leaues of it are to heale the ſores: ſignifying, that there could be no ſickneſſe there, ſeeing they had health at their doores, and that of the ſame tree whereof they had their meat.
They had no neede of light; becauſe God himſelfe and Chriſt, was their light; which doth adde to that felicitie: for as darkeneſſe in hell aggrauates the miſerie of the wicked; ſo contrariwiſe, the fulneſſe of light the godly ſhall hauehave, doth augment their happineſſe, and more, in that that light ſhall exceede the light of the Sunne.
And further, to ſhut vp their ioy, he ſaith, one ſingular and notable comfort and felicity to Gods Children, is to ſerue and worſhip God, for howſoeuer now, by reaſon of our corrupt nature, it ſeemes a burthen and a trouble to worſhip God, yet then it ſhall be one of our chiefeſt ioyes.
They ſtand in Gods preſence; that is, hauehave moſt excellent priuiledges of Gods ſauour, and bee principall ſeruants vntounto God, as thoſe are in moſt honour with Princes, which are ſaid to ſtand in their preſence, and attend vponupon them in their Courts. As Daniel is ſaid to ſtand in the preſence of the King: ſo theſe ſhall ſtand in the Courts of God, and hauehave the full fruition of his comfortable preſence; and therefore on the contrarie ſide, the vngodly are herein accurſed (2. Theſſalonians. 1. 9) in that they are ſhut from the preſence of God, to wit, his gracious preſence, for otherwiſe, all things whatſoeuer are in his preſence.
Laſtly, they ſhall raigne and rule for euermore, being ioyned with Chriſt, the King of Kings, and Lord of Lords.
Thus much of their comforts in the Kingdome of God: Now followes the cloſe of the Booke, to giuegive more credit to it, and to ſtirre vp others to looke more diligently into it, and to regard to meditate, and practiſe it more carefully.
Here then is ſet downe firſt the teſtimony of the Angell; then of Iohn; laſtly, of Chriſt himſelfe.
Of the Angell, who ſaith, that all theſe things are faithfull and true: which he proueth by the efficient cauſe, which is God, by the inſtrument to deliuer it to Iohn, which was himſelfe, being ſent of God, and by the time, which is, that they ſhall ſhortly come to paſſe. And therefore heauen and earth ſhall ſooner paſſe, then one of theſe ſhall fall to the ground.
By the teſtimony of Iohn, which ſaith, that it was hee which ſaw and heard theſe things; and therefore could teſtifie of them: whereupon hee taketh occaſion to repeat his former fall, for ſaith he, ſuch were the ſtrangeneſſe of theſe things, that when I ſaw them, I fell downe and worſhipped the Angell; where hee confeſſeth his grieuous fault in worſhipping the creature in ſtead of the Creator, for which, hee is reprehended of the Angell, for drawing this viſion to a wrong end, and making a contrary vſe of the ſame, namely by worſhipping him which was a Miniſter of God, to wit, an Angell, who was his fellow Seruant, and therefore not to be worſhipped, and hauing reprehended him for the abuſe, hee teacheth him the right vſe and end of the ſame; namely, firſt, that hee ſhould hereby be ſtirred vp to worſhip God: and ſecondly, to manifeſt and teſtifie it to others: And therefore hee biddeth him not to ſeale the words of this Prophecie; noting, that hee ſhould ſhew and manifeſt it to the Church of God: To the end, that firſt they might keepe and practiſe the things therein contained.
Secondly, that they might vnderſtand the certainty of the things therein contained: wherein hee meeteth with an obiection that might be made. For (might ſome ſay) if they muſt come certainely, why then ſhould men trouble themſelues about it, in ſtudying for the knowledge of the vnderſtanding of that Booke, eſpecially ſeeing it is ſo hard and darkely ſpoken? and that many would abuſe the things of this Prophecie, and wreſt them to another end then the Apoſtle meant them, being giuen in a ſtile ſo vnwonted; as Peter 2. Pauls ſayings are ſaid to be hard. But the Angell anſweres, that it muſt not be ſealed vp, but publiſhed. And howſoeuer it may be, ſome may take occaſion to be wicked and careleſſe by it, yet Saint Iohn ſaith, it makes no matter for that, for though the wicked ſtumble at it, yet it is giuen for the comfort of the righteous, and for the Children of Gods ſake, and they ſhall profit, and be bettered by it, and made more iuſt, by taking heed of theſe iudgements herein contained. And for the wicked, hee ſaid, if any will be euill, let him be euill ſtill. And laſt of all, hee ſaith, that though it ſhould not make either for the furthering of the wicked in their wickedneſſe, or to further the godly in their godlineſſe; yet it is to be left vnſealed for the glory of God, to manifeſt him to be true, and his word true, when all theſe things ſhall come to paſſe.
Then is Chriſt himſelfe brought in, ſpeaking, ſaying, Behold, I come quickly, &c. In which words of our Sauiour, hee confirmeth alſo to vsus the truth of this Prophecie, and the teſtimony of the Angell, his titles whereby hee is deſcribed, are ſpoken of before.
Laſtly, hee ſhutteth vp the Booke with an execration againſt the wicked, and a promiſe of bleſſing towards the godly: And becauſe Iohn was the laſt writer of the Scriptures and word of God, it may well be referred vntounto the whole new Teſtament, and the old. And hee ſaith: Whoſoeuer doth adde or take away, let him be accurſed. For Saint Iohn, ſeeing wicked men labour to corrupt the writings of the Apoſtles, and holy men of God, by adding, detracting, and changing, as is the common practiſe in other writings of men of fame, hee doth therefore meet with that corruption, and addeth this curſe vntounto them, that either adde any thing vntounto it, or diminiſh any thing here-from. But ſome will obiect, ſeeing Gods word cannot be corrupted, wherfore then doth he goe about to forbid the corrupting of it?
It is anſwered, howſoeuer the word of God cannot in any point be corrupted, yet God would alſo hauehave the meanes vſed whereby hee would hauehave the ſame preſerued, by ſetting downe the threatnings of curſe to the corrupters of it, and promiſes of bleſſing to the keepers and preſeruers of it.
FINIS.
End of the text · Thomas Cartwright, A Plain Explanation of Revelation (1622)