Reflections on the glorious character of Christ. 371 IMPROVEMENT. WITH what sublimity doth this wonderful book open! which, szer. though pregnant with inexplicable mysteries, is, at the same i. time, pregnant with instructions; which the weakest of Christ's humble disciples may peruse with sacred complacency and de- verse light. For surely we are not to imagine that Divine book to be unfit for our perusal, and undeserving our regard, concerning which its Divine Author expressly declares, Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy! Thanks be to our heavenly Father, that he gave it to his Son Jesus Christ. 1 Thanks to the Son of God, that he gave it his servant John, to be transmitted down to future generations. 3 Let us attentively view the Divine glory of the Father, and of his only begotten Son, who is the brightness of that glory, and the express image of his Person, and of the Holy Ghost, who is here represented by the seven spirits before the throne. From us, and 4 from all created nature, let there be glory to him that is, and that was, and that is to come, and to the First born from the dead, who s is superior to all the kings of the earth, and to all the angels of heaven, who is so intimately united with the Father in Ďivine perfections and glories, that he also is the Alpha and Omega, & the Beginning and the End: that he also is Almighty; able by his mighty power to subdue all things to himself; and is the same yesterday, to day, and for ever. Never let us be unmindful of the condescension of the Son of God, in becoming for our redemption and salvation the Son of man. Let the great things he has done for us, the great things he has taught us to expect from him, be ever familiar to our minds. How astonishing was that love, which engaged him to wash us from our sins in his own 7 blood! How glorious is that exaltation to which he is raising us! rendering us, even in the present world, kings and priests to God, and inspiring us with the ardent hope of an immutable kingdom, and an everlasting priesthood in the temple of our God above. This is the sublime and transcendent happiness of all who with lively faith look for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearance of the great God, and our Saviour Jesus Christ. This illustrious Personage is coming in the clouds, and our eyes shall see him: too often already have we pierced him; let us now look up to him with an humble and lively faith; let us mourn over our sins at present, that we may not pour forth floods of unprofitable tears and incommunicable to any creature. See Bishop Pearson on the Creed, p. 175. Dr. Clarke contends that the word wayJoxgalog is peculiar to the Father; (compare Clarke on the Trinity, Numb. 414. and Posth. Serm. Vol. I. p. 70 ;) yet he intimates, that Christ may have the title of Alpha and Omega, as Author and Finisher of our faith, Beginner and Completer of our salvation. Heb. xii. 2. 372 St. John acquaints them that he was in the isle Patmos : SECT. in that awful day; as all the tribes of the earth shall do, who have dared to set themselves against the kingdom of Christ; a kingdom which shall then be triumphant over all opposition, the lust of its enemies being vanquished and destroyed. i. SECT. SECT. II. St. John gives an account of the circumstances and manner of our Patmos. Rev. I. 9-16. REVELATION I. 9. REV. I. 9. JOHN, who also JOHN, who was formerly distinguished by Christ, was in the and companion in Rev. ed,a who am also your brother, O ye Christians, tribulation, and in i.9 and who have the honour to be a partaker with the kingdom and paof Jesus you all in the tribulation, and in the kingdom tience and patience of Jesus Christ; with all I say, isle that is called who are called to the hope of his kingdom, Patmos, for the and in the patient expectation of that, endure word of God, and with cheerfulness the afflictions which his for the testimony of Jesus Christ. infinite wisdom is pleased to appoint us: I was in the desert and disconsolate island of the Egean Sea, called Patmos, to which I was banished by Domitian the emperor, for the sake of the word of God, manifested in the gospel, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ, which I had endeavoured faithfully to main 10 tain. I was on a sudden in the Spirit, un- 10 I was in the der his miraculous energy, on that blessed day Spirit on the Lord's which we Christians are accustomed to call the Lord's day, the first day of the week, b Island called Patmos.] Ecclesiastical history tells us, that St. John was here employed in digging in a mine, being banished hither by Domitian the emperor, after he had come unhurt out of a cauldron of boiling oil. But the historical evidence produced for this great event, is very uncertain. a I John the disciple whom Jesus and sublime ideas which now passed loved] So I boldly paraphrase these through his mind. words, trusting to the general tradition of the church upon this head, of which I have taken notice in the Introduction; and I think, there is some similarity in the phraseology here, and in the gospel of St. John, though I am sensible, at the same time, there is a greater elevation of style in some parts of this book, than is to be found in the other writings of this apostle; which is not to be wondered at, conisdering the extraordinary nature of the scenes he records; which had a very natural tendency to raise the style, and perhaps might have elevated it in any future writings, in consequence of the wonderful In the spirit on the Lord's day.] It is so very unnatural, and contrary to the use of the word in all other authors, to interpret this of the Jewish sabbath, as Mr. Baxter justly argues at large, (see his Works, Vol. III. p. 798,) that I cannot but conclude, with him, and the generality of Christian writers on this subject, that And Christ appeared to him in great glory: 373 day; and heard be- which our dear Redeemer has rendered sacred SECT. a great and venerable, by his resurrection from the voice, as of a trum- dead on the morning of it; and though I was pet, the First and the Rev. then incapable of joining in any worshipping as- i. 10 sembly, the want of that privilege was amply made up, by that manifestation with which the Lord of the day was pleased to favour me; for I heard a great voice behind me, as loud as 11 Saying, I am the sound of a trumpet, Which said in dis- 11 Alpha and Omega, tinct and articulate accents, I, who am going Last: and, What to appear to thee, O John, am the Alpha and thou seest, write in the Omega, the First and the Last; I boast a book, and send it Divine perfections and glories, and assume ches which are in without robbery and usurpation, the peculiar Asia; unto Ephesus, titles and prerogatives of the one eternal, infin. and unto Smyrna, ite, and unchangeable Jehovah ; and I am now and unto Pergamos, descended from heaven, to give thee a revelaand unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and tion of the most astonishing and important unto Philadelphia, events. And, as even the remotest ages are and unto Laodicea. concerned in what thou seest, write an exact unto the seven chur account of it in a book, and send copies of [it] to the seven churches in Asia, to Ephesus, and to Smyrna, and to Pergamos, and to Thyatira, and to Sardis, and to Philadelphia, and to Laodicea, that each may receive its own lesson, and at the same time, enjoy the benefit of those 12 And I turned which are intended for all the rest. And I 12 to see the voice that turned to see the Person who uttered that wonspake with me. And derful voice which spake unto me; and being. being turned, I saw thus turned, I saw an astonishing scene, the particulars of which I shall now relate: There this text strongly infers the extraordi- Jesus Christ no more than a deified crea. nary regard paid to the first day of the ture. week in the apostle's time, as a day solemnly consecrated to Christ, in memory of his resurrection from the dead. I am Alpha and Omega.] That these titles should be repeated so soon, in a connection which demonstrates they are given to Christ, will appear very remarkable, whatever sense be given to the eighth verse. The argument drawn, in the preceding note upon it, would have been strong, wherever such a passage as this had been found; but its immediate connection with this, greatly strengthens it. And I cannot forbear recording it, that this text has done more than any other in the Bible, toward preventing me from giving into that scheme, which would make our Lord • Seven churches in Asia.] I presume not to inquire, Whether these were the only Asiatic churches. To be sure they were the principal Nor will I inquire, why the epistles were appropriated to the churches of that province. It is certain they contain many things of universal concern; and as there is plainly an intention to represent the regard of Christ to ministers, and churches, by his walking among golden candlesticks, and holding stars in his right hand, the number seven may be mentioned, as it seems best to harmonize with some other parts of this book, namely, with the seven seals, seven trumpets, seven vials, seven thunders, and seven spirits before the throne. 874 ii. i. 13 The manner of our Lord's appearance to John. 13 And in the szer. were seven golden lamps on their stands, which seven golden candle. gave a bright and beautiful flame; And in the sticks; midst of the seven golden lamps, there was [one] midst of the seven Rev. in a human form, a glorious and majestic Per- candlesticks one like son, like him who appeared to Daniel under unto the Son of man, clothed with a garthe title of the Son of man, and in whom I ment down to the traced the lineaments of that blessed Redeem- foot, and girt about er, whom I had so long known under that en- the paps with a golddearing name and character; he appeared en girdle. clothed in a long robe, not unlike the priestly vestment, and like persons of that holy order, girded, not about the middle, but something higher, about the breasts with a golden girdle,f which being properly fastened there, hung 14 down to his feet. And his head, even [his] 14 His head, and hairs which adorned it, and flowed round his his hairs were white shoulders, [were] white as wool, or to speak like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes more properly, as white as snow, (Dan. vii. were as a flame of 9 ;) and his eyes [were] vivid and piercing as fire; 15 a flame of fire; And his feet were resplend- 15 And his feet ent like fine brass, when purified in a furnace like unto fine brass, from all its dross, and polished by the hands of as if they burned in a furnace; and his some skilful artificer; and his voice was loud voice as the sound of as the voice of many waters, so that I imagined many waters. it might have been heard as far as the sounding noise of the billows of the sea, when they beat stars; and out of his 16 against the rocky shores; And he had in his 16 And he had in right hand, seven luminous and very beautiful his right hand seven stars, the motions of which he seemed to di- mouth went a sharp rect and govern, at the same time that he sup- two edged sword: ported them; and out of his mouth there went and his countenance a sharp two edged sword, or dagger, capable of was as the sun shineth in his strength. piercing and wounding every way; and his countenance [was] radiant and glorious as the sun, [when he] shineth in all his meridian power and lustre, and beams forth his rays, vigourous and unclouded. A golden girdle.] The girdles were a kind of sash, which first went over the neck like a tippet, were crossed on the breast, and then went round the lower part of the breast, two or three times, like a modern circingle, and then they fell down almost to the feet. And as they were sometimes embroidered, and sometimes fringed with gold, they must make a very ornamental part of dress. The priests were required, for coolness and decency, to wear linnen garments, and gird themselves higher than others. Compare Ezek. xliv 17, 18. And this is one of the many allusions to the temple, and its forms and customs, with which we shall find this book so greatly to abound. Compare Exod. xxxix. 5. 7 Reflections on the happiness conferred on Christ's servants. 375 IMPROVEMENT. 9 WHAT unspeakable happiness can our blessed Redeemer con- SECT. fer on his faithful servants, while suffering in his cause! How ii. wretched was Cesar on his imperial throne, compared with this despised and persecuted disciple of Christ, in his old age ban- verse ished to the desolate island of Patmos ! There his Lord condescended to visit him, opened his eyes to prophetic visions, and diffused around him celestial glories. May we in no case be ashamed of the word of God, and the testimony of Jesus Christ, a zeal for which was so graciously acknowledged, so gloriously rewarded. It was on the Lord's day that the apostle was in the Spirit: 10 how often has the Spirit of God visited his people at that sacred season, visited them as well in their secret retirements as in the public assembly; when the hand of Providence, as in the instance before us, and not their own negligence, and indifference to Divine ordinances, occasioned their absence from them: otherwise we might fear that those raptures of mind, which in the contempt of ordinances some make their boast and glory, arise from the artifices of the great enemy of souls, and are, to be numbered among the most dangerous engines by which he attempts our ruin. Let our souls again bend, in humble veneration, to him who is the First and the Last, the Alpha and Omega. As if we heard 11 his awful voice proclaiming himself by these illustrious and Divine titles, let us turn, as it were, to behold him; and by these 12 marvellous visions in which he manifested himself to St. John, let us endeavour to form some imperfect ideas of our blessed 13, 16 Lord, and the magnificence and glory with which he appears to the inhabitants of the heavenly regions. Every circumstance, not excepting the minutest and most inconsiderable, attending this appearance of Christ to his beloved apostle, seems designed to convey some Divine truth, some important lesson, for the contemplation and instruction of future ages. It was, in general, beyond all question, intended to impress us with the lowliest reverence of our glorified Redeemer, that we may pay him our humble and devout adoration, and thus in some degree anticipate the pleasure with which we hope to appear in his immediate presence above. |