Page images
PDF
EPUB

be the more difficult, and hard to be understood, or to be interpreted.

Therefore many wise and learned men have gone about to interpret some places of it, but have left the greatest part of it as a scaled book, which cannot be opened, and have left that which they have writ upon, as dark to the reader as it was at first.

And the cause is, they do not know what revclation, which doth arise from the seed of faith, is; neither can they distinguish between revelation and vision; many other reasons might be given why, but I shall let that pass now.

But to the matter in hand: it is said that the knowledge of those great mysteries should be signfied by his angel unto his servant John.

Now what this angel was, I shall speak something of it hereafter.

But John was to bear record of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw; and this record which John bear, it was to the seven churches in Asia.

Therefore he directed his Revelation to them, and his Revelation was this, Grace be unto you, and peace from him, which is, and which was, and which is to come, and from the seven spirits which are before his

throne.

First, what is meant by him which is, and which was, and which is to come.

This he, I declare was no other but the Lord Jesus Christ, this is he that is, because he is now become flesh, therefore he is called the word of God, that is the word became flesh, according to John's saying,

In the beginning was the word, and the word was with God, and the word was God.

And this word became flesh, and dwelt amongst us, and this was Christ, which is that word of God, which is God, and is in heaven in that very same flesh, which the eternal spiritual body became, and suffer'd death in.

And in this regard John did say, grace and peace unto the seven churches, from him that is, because he is now become flesh, and is now in heaven in that same body, as aforesaid.

Secondly, it is said, and which was; this Jesus Christ is he that was also, as you may see Exodus iii. 14.

A little before, in that chapter, God doth send Moses to Pharoah; Moses desiring in whose name he must go, God giveth him this answer, God said unto Moses, I am that I am: and thus shalt thou say to the Children of Israel, I am, hath sent me unto you.

This I am, 1 declare, by revelation, is no other but Jesus Christ, and this is he which was; that is, he was without a body of flesh at that time when he spake to Moses and the prophets, yet he had a body when he spake to Moses, in the form and likeness of a man.

Else man could not have been the image and likeness of God; but God's body, though it was like a man, yet it was a spiritual substance clear as chrystal, and as I may say, swifter than thought, brighter than

the sun.

Therefore Moses could not see his face and live, for a mortal eye-sight cannot see an heavenly and spiritual glory; therefore there is no seeing nor know

[blocks in formation]

ing of God before he became flesh, nor now he is ascended up into the same glory, where he was before, but by faith only.

For no man can see the face of Jesus now he is in glory, and live, no more than Moses could see his face and live, before he became flesh.

And this Jesus was that I am that spake to Moses, and that Jehovah, and that God which was; that is, he was from eternity, and revealed to mankind from the beginning.

Thirdly, This Jesus is he which is to come, that is, he is to come to put an-end to all time, that there might nothing but eternity remain ; for as there was a beginning of time, so likewise there shall be an end of time; and as eternity had no beginning, so shall it have no ending.

But here lyeth the great mystery, that eternity became time, and time became eternity again.

The meaning is this, God became flesh, and flesh was in time. and Christ, he being that flesh of God, therefore called by the Revelation of John, he which was, before he became flesh, he was God then under the title of God the Father.

And after he did become flesh, the Revelation of John doth say he is, that he is God now under the title of God the Son, and as he is to come, he is God under the title of God the Holy Spirit, yet these three are but one Personal glory.

They are all call'd by the Revelation of John, but he that is, which was, and which is to come.

And as Moses and the Prophets did see by the

eye

eye of faith, that God was a spiritual body in the form of a man, and that this God would become flesh, this I say they did see by the eye of faith, and so were very well satisfied: the truth of this may be understood by the eye of faith, from that saying of Moses unto the Children of Israel, where he sayeth God will raise you up a prophet like unto me, him shall you hear.

[ocr errors]

That is, God will become flesh himself, so that he may be capable to be a prophet, that you may be the more capable to hear him; so likewise that place, the ninth of Isaiah, he prophesieth of God becoming flesh, in that he sayeth, To us a child is born, unto us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and he shall be called the mighty God, the everlasting Father, the prince of peace.

This Isaiah did see by the eye of faith, that God should become a little child. Great is this mystery of God, but few that understand it !

For this Jesus is the only wise God, which is, which was, and which is to come, which hath washed every true believer's soul in his own blood; neither can any thing cleanse and purge the conscience of man from the guilt of sin, and fear of eternal death, but the blood of a God.

But I shall speak more of that hereafter. What should be the meaning of those seven spirits, which are before his throne? I declare, by revelation, that those seven spirits, which were before the throne of God, they were those gifts and blessings of grace, which Christ gave unto the ministry of the seven

churches

churches after his ascension, as may plainly be read in the second chapter of John's Revelation.

Where he beginneth to write to the seven churches, and the angel of every several church; which angel was the minister; I say they had every one of them a several reproof, and a several gift and blessing; therefore I shall let the reproof alone, because it would be too large to interpret.

Only I shall name the several blessings, because the seed of faith may the better understand the interpretation of them, therefore I shall set them down in order.

1. The first gift and blessing is sent unto the angel of the church of Ephesus, which is as followeth, To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God. 2. The blessing of the church of Smirna. Him that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death.

3. The blessing of the church of Pergamos. To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden Manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth, saving he that receiveth it.

4. The blessing of the church of Thyatira. And him that overcometh and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations, and he shall rule them with a rod of iron, as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers, as I received of my father, and I will give him the morning star.

5. The blessing of the church of Sardis. Him that overcometh, the same shall be cloathed in white raiment,

« PreviousContinue »