the earthly paradife: which alfo argueth the perfection of happinefs after this life; and yet for further amplification of this moft glorious eftate, it is faid, that the throne of God, and of Chrift fhall be erected in the midst of this golden ftreet, and all his chofen people shall there accompany him, dwell with him, be always about him; yea, and serve him without weariness forever; yea, all his faithful wor fhippers fhall come fo near his throne, that they fhall fee his very face,' and be ravished with his glory, having his image, his name, his wisdom, and mercy imprinted in their foreheads: yea, his inconceivable light and glory fhall be fo refplendent, that there fhall be neither night, nor need of candle:" but in his glittering and moft glorious chamber of presence fhall all his elect reign and triumph with him forever more in infinite felicity, and the very fruition of eter nal delactation, where fhall be mirth without measure, and folace without forrow, as the prophet faith, "In thy prefence is the fulnefs of joy, and at thy right hand there is pleasure forevermore.'

And he faid unto me, Thefe words are • faithful and true, and the Lord God of the holy prophets fent his angel to fhew " unto his fervants the things which must fhortly be fulfilled. Behold, I come

fhortly: Bleffed is he that keepeth the words of the prophecy of this book.And I am John, which faw and heard these things, and when I had heard and feen, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel which fhewed me thefe things. But he faid unto me, See thou do it not, for I am thy fellow fervant, and of thy brethren the prophets, and of them which keep the words of this book, worship thou God,' Rev. xxii. 6, 7, 8, 9. In these four verses are four principal, reafons brought to confirm and ratify the authority of this book.

The first of them is the affirmation of the

angel.

The fecond is the authority of the most high God,

The third is the teftimony of Jefus, pronouncing them bleffed which keep this prophecy.

The fourth is the teftimony of St. John, who heard and faw thefe things. But because in the epiftle to the reader I have more at large handled this argument, and thefe fame verfes; therefore here I do of purpose relinquish them: and that also of John's adoration, and the angel's refufal, being things moft manifeft and eafy to understand.

"And he faid unto me. Seal not the

'words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is at hand. at hand. He that is unjust, let him be unjuft ftill; and he which is ' is filthy, let him be filthy ftill; and he that is righteous, let him be righteous ftill; and he that is holy, let him be holy ftill. And behold I come fhortly, and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work fhall be. I am 'Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the First and the Laft. Bleffed ' are they that do his commandments, that ⚫ their right may be in the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city. For without fhall be dogs, and en'chanters, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whofoever lov• eth or maketh lies.' Rev. xxii. 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15.

Here is firft an exhortation, to publish and proclaim the knowledge of this book to all people, and in no wife to conceal it, or keep it clofe, as formerly hath been fhewed in the epistle.

Here is a further admonition, that they which are unrighteous, should be unrighteous ftill,' &c. Which is no allowance or encouragement granted unto wicked men to continue in their evil ways, but is rather a terrible threat, if we take all the words together in this and the next verfe;

as if he fhould fay, if men, will needs con-. tinue in their filthinefs, yet certainly Christ will come fhortly, and reward them according to their works.

Or elfe it may be a phrase of speech, which they call an ironical conceffion; as in another place the Holy Ghost faith to the young man, walk in the ways of thine own heart, and in the fight of thine eyes: ' but know that for all these things God will bring thee unto judgment:' Eccl. 1 Kings xxii. 15. Matth. vi. 45.

xi. 9.
So likewife in other places.

After this, here is bleffedness pronounced upon all fuch as keep the commandments of God, as it is faid, that their right is in the tree of life;' not meaning thereby, that their keeping of the commandments is the caufe of their right in Chrift, but only an effect or confequence. For our good works do not go before, as caufes of our juftification; but follow after, as declarations of the fame. For by doing we are not made juft in the fight of God, but only declared to be juft in the fight of

men.

And as for the keeping the commandments, we do it not in fuch perfection as God's juftice requireth, but in fuch meafure as his mercy accepteth through Christ. Numb. II.

M m

And here the Holy Ghoft faith, that all they which have a right in Chrift, which is the tree of life, and endeavour to keep the commandments, fhall enter in through the gates into the new Jerufalem: but on the contrary, all the rout of reprobates, whom he calleth dogs, enchanters, whoremongers, &c. fhall be utterly fhut out, as having nothing to do in the everlasting city, their portion being allotted in the infernal lake.

I Jefus have fent mine angel to testify ' unto you these things. I am the root and generation of David, and the bright morning ftar. And the Spirit and the 'bride fay, Come. And let him that hear eth, fay, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And let whofoever will take of the water of life freely. For I protest unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man fhall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book. And if any man shall diminifh of the words of the book of this

prophecy, God fhall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from thofe things which are written in the book of life. * which testifieth these things, faith, Sure

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