fine linea, clean and white: for the fine li nen is the righteousness of saints. To which blessed are they who are invited. .541 xxii. dent; and the fine linen, that I speak of, is in- SECT. tended to signify the righteous acts of the saints, whereby they are adorned in the sight of God, Rev. and an evidence given of the sincerity of that XIX. 8. faith which interests them in the merit of what their Lord has performed, to which they ulti9 And he said unto mately owe their acceptance before him. And 9 me, Write, Blessed he said unto me, Write this down, as an imporare they which are called unto the mar- tant truth, in which all that read this book in furiage-supper of the ture ages will be greatly concerned. Happy, [are] Lamb. And he said they who are invited to be guests at the splendid the true sayings of marriage supper of the Lamb, which is now preGod. pared, and shall accept the invitation, so as to partake of its blessings. And he said unto me, These are the true words of God, and are to be regarded by thee, and all that read them, as an oracle which he hath inspired. (Compare 2 Cor. xi. 2.) unto me, These are 10 And I fell at his And he said unto me, And while he was speaking to me in this 10 feet to worship him. manner, over-awed by his majestic appearance, See thou do it not: I fell before his feet, to pay homage to him. And am thy fellow-servant, he immediately interposed to prevent it, and said and of thy brethren unto me, See [thou do it] not; for I am not worny of Jesus. Worship thy of such regard from thee, being a fellowGod: for the testi- servant with thee, and with the rest of thy bremony of Jesus is the thren, who resolutely and faithfully keep the spirit of prophecy. that have the testimo testimony of Jesus. Pay thine homage, in such And a The righteous acts of the saints.] So vertheless, to make scripture their standard. Six evidently signifies; and, there- b With the brethren.] The expression fore, though I make no doubt but it is in the Greek obliges me to give the word with regard to the obedience and righteous- this turn: συνδυλος σε και των αδελφων σε. ness of the Son of God, that all our righte. But Mr. Fleming understands it, I am one ous acts are accepted before God, and of thy brethren, which he thinks intimates. have accordingly referred to this doctrine that this was the departed spirit of an in the paraphrase; yet I cannot suppose apostle; perhaps of St. Peter or St. Paul, that these words have that reference which or his own brother James, though not in some have imagined, to the imputation of a form to be known. And, on the same his righteousness lo us. And I hope Chris- mistaken principle, he thinks the person tian divines will have the courage to speaking, chap. xxii. 9. might be the spirit speak with the scripture, even though it of one of the prophets, perhaps Isaiah, or should be at the expence of their reputation Ezekiel, or Daniel. Flem. Christol. Vol for orthodoxy with some, who profess, ne- I. p. 81. 542 SECT. xxii. this; Rev. righteousness he doth 12 His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were maand he name written ny crowns; he himself: 13 And he clothed with a vesture dipt in blood: and hus name is called, The The vision of him who is true and faithful; And a glorious vision immediately followed 11 And I saw head for I saw heaven opened; and behold, and ven opened, and behold, a white horse; observe it with due attention, a white horse ap- and he that sat upon XIX. 11.peared, and he that sate upon it [was] called him was called FaithFaithful and True, being indeed no other than ful and True, and in the person speaking of him elsewhere, as the judge and make war. Amen, the faithful and true Witness; and he judges, and makes war in righteousness, and not like the unjust conquerors of the earth, who are so ready to use their superior power to oppress 12all that fall under it. This was the glorious Prince, whose eyes [are] piercing as a flame of fire; and many diadems were upon his head, having also a mysterious name written upon them, which no man knows but himself; to signify, that there are mysteries in his nature, and in the administration of his kingdom, which it is impos13 sible for men to find out. And to express the irresistible power with which he triumphs over his enemies, and brings destruction upon them according to his pleasure, he [was] clothed in a word of God. garment dipt in blood; and his name is called, The word of God, the glorious and Divine Person, whom I have elsewhere spoken of, as in the beginning with God, and himself God, and the great Medium of Divine revelation in all ages. 14 And the armies which are in heaven followed him, in token of being most willingly and en- followed him tirely under his command, and they appeared white horses, clothed [riding] on white horses, and themselves clothed in fine linen, white in fine linen, white, and perfectly clean and pure, to denote their perfect innocence and righteous15 ness. And he still retains this circumstance in the vision I at first saw of him, that there went out of his mouth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the namight smite the heathen; to signify the power tions; and he shall of his word; and he shall govern them with a ru'e them with a rod rod of iron; and he treadeth the wine-press of the eth the wine-press of indignation and wrath of Almighty God, which the was signified by the blood-staining his gar- wra ments; to intimate, that he shall subdue the proudest enemies with as much ease as men burst grapes by treading them under their feet. 16 (Compare Isa, xiii. 2, 3.) And he hath upon his garment, and his thigh, that is, upon the his vesture and on his sword which hangs upon his thigh, a magni- KING OF KINGS, ficent and exalted name written, even KING AND LORD OF OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS; to signify his universal empire over all the princes and potentates on earth, and in heaven. And 14 And the armies which were in heaven and clean. 15 And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he of iron; and be tread fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. 16 And he hath on thigh a name written, LORDS. angel standing in the ven, Come and ga ther yourself toge ther unto the supper of the great God; 18 That ye may eat and the flesh of migh the flesh of all men, 543 xxii. Rev. Against whom the beast and the kings of the earth make war. 17 And I saw an And I saw a single angel, but one of great SECT. sun, and he cried with majesty and strength, detaching himself, as it a loud voice, saying to were from the army in heaven, who followed all the fowls that fy the great leader of the Lord's host on their white XIX. 17. in the midst of hea- horses: and he was seen by me standing in the sun; and to intimate the approaching slaughter and desolation which was so soon to come upon the enemies of the church, he cried with a loud voice, saying to the eagles, and vultures, and all the other birds of prey, which were flying in the midst of heaven, Come and assemble yourselves to the supper of the great God; for he is about to make a splendid entertainment for you; That ye may eat the flesh of 18 the flesh of kings, and mighty kings, and the flesh of famous commandthe flesh of captains, ers, who have led on their thousands to battle; ty men, and the flesh and the flesh of the mighty soldiers, who have of horses, and of them fought so courageously under their banners; that sit on them, and and the flesh of warlike horses, that were advancboth free and bond, ing with so much intrepidity and rage to the both small and great. battle; and the flesh of those who sate thereon, and were ready to trust to their strength or their speed; and the flesh of all the promiscuous multitude, freemen and slaves, both small and great, who shall fall down together in the dust, and pour out their souls in blood, leaving their mangled carcases for your prey. (Compare 19 And I saw the Ezek. xxxix. 17, 18.) And, to fulfil this awful 19 the earth, and their decree of the great God, whose influence over armies gathered to- all human affairs is supreme, and who knows gether, to make war how to work his own purposes, even by the greatest malice and rage of his enemies, I saw the beast appearing again, as at the head of the antichristian interest; and the kings of the earth, who supported him, and gave their power unto him; and I saw all their armies gathered together, to make war with him who sitteth upon the white horse, and with all his army, even the host of heaven, which I mentioned as with him: insensible of his superior power, and madly borne on to their own destruction, they marched their feeble forces against him, and all his celestial was taken, and with legions. And the issue was such as might be 20 him expected; for the beast was taken captive, and beast, and the kings of against him that sat on the horse, aud against his army. 20 And the beast c Beast was taken.] What Brandt tells us, of the interpretation given by a divine of Heidelberg, to this text, as promising Frederick king of Bohemia, that he should take the emperor prisoner, and with that all the other potentates of Europe cies 544 xxii. Rev. Reflections on the righteousness of God's judgments. d ed the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with SECT. with him also the false prophet, who had wrought him the false prophet so many fallacious signs before him, by which that wrought miracles before him, with he had deceived those who received the mark which he deceived XIX. 20. of the beast, and those who worshipped his image; them that had receiv and they were bound fast in chains of Divine vengeance, and both of them were cast alive into the lake of fire which burnt so fiercely, enraged with stores of brimstone, to make the flames more durable, and more tormenting. brimstone. 21 And the rest, who had so insolently and foolishly 21 And the rem. followed the banners of these accursed leaders, the sword of him that were slain with the sword that came out of the sat upon the horse, mouth of the great leader of the heavenly army, which sword proceedeven him who sate on the white horse, described ed out of his mouth: before, robed with light, and crowned with filled with their flesh, glory. And their carcases were left unburied on the field of battle; and all the birds of the air, according to the invitation which the angel had given them, were satiated with their flesh. nant were slain with and all the fowls were IMPROVEMENT, Ver. LET us learn by what we have here been reading, to adore 1-3 the Lord God Omnipotent, who reigneth over all, and who displays the truth and righteousness of his judgments, in his vengeance on the enemies of his church, even when he inflicts on them a torment, the smoke of which rises up for ever and ever. In the certain assurance, that in due time he will plead his own cause, and 5, 6 rescue and exalt his people, let all his servants and people praise him, even all that fear him, both small and great, and labour to live that Divine life of gratitude, and joyful thanskgiving on earth, which may anticipate the pleasures and employments of the heavenly world. The time will at length come, when all of such a character shall celebrate the marriage-supper of the Lamb; yea, when 7, 8 the whole society shall appear in his presence as one chaste virgin, whom he has espoused to himself; and whom, with unutterable delight, he places in his more immediate view, not only as arrayed in robes of pure and shining linen, which is the righteousness of the saints, but as perfectly free from spot, or blemish, or any such thing. eies to events which may happen to them d Cast alive. See the note on chap. he thinks it illustrated by the words of Moses, concerning Korah and his company, Numb. xvi. 29. If these men die the the common death of all men, or if they be visited after the visitation of all men, then the Lord hath not sent me ; intimating, that there would be as much difference in their punishment, as between being executed in the common way, and swallowed up with an earthquake. Clarke's Posth, Serm. Vol. I. p. 400, 401. An angel shuts up the dragon for a thousand years: 545 SECT. xxii. thing. He will admit them all to feast in his own presence; yea, to dwell for ever with him; so shall we ever be with the Lord. These are the true sayings of God. And though a consciousness Ver. of our own utter unworthiness of such honours, might be ready to 9 detract from the credibility of these Divine assurances, or at least prevent us from giving so clear an assent to them, as we might otherwise do, yet let God be true, and every man a liar. And in the mean time, in the mingled scenes of adversity and prosperity, which attend the Israel of God, let us direct our believing eyes to him, who is faithful and true; to him, who both 11 administers justice, and wages war in righteousness. Let us reverence his penetrating eyes, which are like a flame of fire. Let us rejoice in the diadems placed upon his head, to signify the ex- 12 tent of his dominion; and read with awe the inscription upon his vesture, and his thigh, The word of God, the King of kings, and the 13, 16 Lord of lords. As such let us pay our homage to him; and let the favour of lords, and kings, be as nothing to us, where his favour or his honour is concerned. The proudest of earthly potentates oppose his dominion in vain; in vain do they marshal their captains, and their mighty men; vain is the strength of horses, and of them that sit thereon, and the combinations of bond and free, though Satan himself abet their rebellion, and inspire them with subtilty, and arm them with rage: their subtilty shall be defeated, their rage shall be repelled. The sword of the Lord shall devour them. The birds of prey shall at his pleasure be feasted with their carcases; and the sad catastrophe of their bodies shall be only an imperfect emblem of the anguish and misery of their spirits, when plunged with the evil spirit that deceived them, they sink deep into the lake that burns for ever, and feel the terrors of the second death. Be wise now therefore, O ye kings, and be instructed, ye judges of the earth, serve the Lord with fear; and sensible of his uncontrol. able dominion, and your own weakness and imperfection, even while ye rejoice before him, rejoice with trembling. (Psal. ii. 10, 10.) 17, 21 SECT. XXIII. The binding of Satan for a thousand years, during which the gospel is greatly to prevail; with a view of the destruction of the enemies of Christ, upon their making their last attempt against his church; and of the universal judgment. Rev. XX. throughout. REV. XX. 1. AND I saw an angel come down from THUS HUS the beast was conquered and taken; xxiii. but the dragon yet remained at liberty. And Rev. XX. 1. |