תמונות בעמוד
PDF
ePub

empire, which let his empire, is not removed out of the way so that the division of his office into Prophet, Priest, and King, is not only correct in the idea, but is correct also in the succession of time.-He was a Prophet, an actual Prophet, when he could not be an actual Priest; and he is an actual Priest now, when he cannot be an actual King. And, because it were not proper that he should be manifested as a Priest, until he is manifested as a King alsofor he is to be shewn as a Priest upon his throne (Zech. vi.) a Priest after Melchizedec's order-therefore doth Paul represent him (Heb. ix.) as having passed through the veil of the heavens, and presenting his sacrifice in the presence of God for us. In confirmation of these ideas, we shall observe, that in the visions of this book Christ hath no crown until after the crowns pass from the heads and horns of the beast, at the end of the period of time, times, and half a time, or forty and two months. Then, when there are no longer any crowns upon the beast, he is presented unto us (Rev. xiv.) as a harvest-man, with a crown upon his head; and in like manner, in the xix th, as coming forth from heaven with many crowns. But anterior to this point of the vision, he is not so represented: but he is represented as a Priest, or sacrifice, as a Lamb that had been slain; yet distinct from him that sitteth on the throne (chap. iv.),—or, as we may say, from himself in his royal priestly office, because there never shall be any other manifestation of the Father upon a throne than Christ in his royal priestly office. In further confirmation of this I may refer to what he says to his Apostles, in Acts i. who asked him, saying, "Wilt thou at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?" To which he answered, "It is not for you to know the times and the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power;" signifying thereby that their question involved a knowledge of the times and the seasons which had to run, before he could restore the kingdom unto Israel: that is, as I believe, the time, times, and half a time, during which the little horn was to make war against the saints, and during which they were to be given into his hand, and at the end of which the beast with ten horns, or the Roman empire, in its last form, is to be destroyed; till which destruction, the Jews are under subjection, and, I may say, Christ also, who is of the

seed of the Jews, or at least, if not under subjection, yet not competent to take the power. I mean to say, in one word, that the word which Christ spake by the mouth of David, and all the Prophets, concerning the times of the Jewish subjection, under the Gentile monarchy, is the rea son why Christ, being proclaimed Prince of the kings of the earth, hath not yet taken upon him the exercise of that dignity; yet the proclamation is not the less momentous and effectual on that account: for therein is asserted for him by God the supremacy over all kings, and magistrates, and trustees of power whatsoever, and wherever the Gospel is preached, this truth is preached also, That Christ is the Prince of the kings of the earth. -God is the fountainhead, and origin of all power. He alone hath power over the creatures whom he hath made. This power he hath delegated unto magistrates, either by appointment of his word, or by constitution of his providence; for the ordinance of governor and governed, of magistrates and subject, is, we may affirm, as constant an ordinance as that of father and child. This power, which God had delegated unto others, whom therefore he calleth by his own name Gods, he doth in that name of his Son, Lord, confer upon Jesus of Nazareth: and in this book of the Revelation, Jesus of Nazareth is shewn exercising the functions of Supreme Head, both of church and of state. His name Lord, or Prince of the kings of the earth; doth mean nothing less than that the Father hath given unto him all power in heaven and on earth; and if so, then let all power be exercised in his name. Let kings reverently bow before him; let judges and princes of the earth kiss the Son, The name Jesus, importeth him to be the only Saviour of sinners; the name Christ, importeth him to be the only Giver of holiness; the name Lord, importeth him to be the only Possessor of power. The first hath respect to man, as a sinner needing forgiveness: the second hath respect to man, as a subject of holiness: the third hath respect to man, as the subject of obedience. As a Prophet, Christ took up into himself the prophetical office, which had subsisted in other men, who did, as it were, keep it for him until he come; and therefore, he is called by distinction above them all," the Faithful Witness," and truth is said to have come by him. As a Priest, he took up into

himself the substance of all priesthood, possessing the anointing, and having within himself all the holy oil for anointing others. As a King, he sums up in himself all power whatsoever; and that power which acknowledges him not, is in rebellion against God; and that power which acknowledgeth him, is on the side of God. Upon the one, he shall rain fire and brimstone, and furious storms: on the other, he shall shine ever, with the light of his countenance. "Be wise, therefore, O ye kings; be instructed, O ye judges of the earth. Serve God with fear; kiss ye the Son, lest ye perish from the way: when his wrath is kindled but a little, blessed are all they that stay on him."

These names of Christ, which I have sought to explain, are, to every one who believeth on him, full of the greatest confidence and sweetest consolation. First, the name of Jesus, appropriated to him because he saves his people from their sins, strikes upon the ear of the self-condemned soul like the reprieve of Heaven, and filleth it with an abiding joy and gratitude, both unto God who sent his Son, and unto his Son who came to save us. And this name Jesus is not of a temporary application to the moment of our conversion under a reprieve from the curse of the broken law, but doth accompany the sinful and ever-sinning soul with its ever-present consolation under the godly sorrow of repentance, and the abiding sense of indwelling sin. Next, the name of Christ, or the Anointed One, doth present him unto the soul of the believer as the great fountain of refreshing waters in the desert, and the food of strength on the wearisome way. It reminds us, also, of his own dark and lonely sojourn, when through the unction of the Holy Ghost he bare our sins, and carried our sorrows, and offered himself a sacrifice without blemish and without spot. This blessed name, the Christ, doth present him as the Anointed Man, the pillar and column of human Majesty, the Man-God; our Priest also and Intercessor before the Throne, who is able to succour all that are in like manner tempted. Of these things think, while ye call him Christ.-The Faithful Witness presents him to us as the Word that was with God, and that was God, in whom is seen, as in a glass, the revealed mystery of the Divine nature, intelligibly and sensitively brought

into the regions of the creatures, that they might have the boundless Infinite, in which they lost themselves, brought within such form and dimensions that they could comprehend it. No longer, then, doubt, no longer disbelieve, his word, seeing it is the faithful witness of God. "Heaven and earth shall pass away, but one jot or one tittle shall not pass from the law, till all be fulfilled." Therefore is

he the object of all faith, and the invisible Godhead which he would reveal is the end of all faith. When, therefore, you doubt, remember that he is the Faithful Witness, and doubt no more."The First-begotten from the dead." Take this for your assurance in all the trials, diseases, and sufferings of the present life, in the valley of the shadow of death itself, that "he hath risen from the dead, and be come the first-fruits of them that slept." Upon this let your trust rest when soul and body part asunder, and the frame-work of the world is dissolved. When the foundations of the earth are all out of course, remember that he beareth up the pillars of it; and let it be unto you for the assurance, that all which is written concerning the saints that sleep in Jesus will be fulfilled. That he will be the

plague of death, and of the grave the destruction; and that the saints shall rule with him over death and over the grave, when he shall be manifested as Prince of the kings of the earth, and they shall reign with Him in glory. That ye may be mindful of these truths, and, “naming the name of Jesus, depart from all iniquity;" and naming the name of Christ, and calling him Faithful Witness, may believe with all your hearts; and calling him First-begotten from the dead, may rejoice in hope of the glory of God; and naming him "Prince of the kings of the earth," may ever worship him as your king: and teachers, princes, and judges so to do by, reverencing them as his vicegerents, I do most fervently pray.

After this sublime benediction the Apostle, without a connecting word, being filled and ravished with the glorious names and offices of Christ, bursts forth into a sublime strain of thanksgiving in these words: "Unto Him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, and hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father, to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen." This doxology which bursts from the ra

vished heart of the Apostle, is in unison with those which the church in heaven, the angels, and every creature, utter unto the Lamb, when he receiveth the seven-sealed book from the hand of him that sat upon the throne (chap. iv, v). And I believe that the Apostle's mind was filled with the glory of that very vision when these words burst from his lips. For we have seen that the style of the Godhead which he had used in the benediction is derived thence. What less, then, shall we make of this glorious utterance of the Apostle, than that in his person, as the only surviving Apostle, the seer, and the declarer of these things to the church, the whole believing church on earth doth join her note to that of the celestial choir above, in ascribing glory and dominion to the Lamb that was slain. It consisteth, as all praise from the creature must consist, of thanksgivings unto the Lord Jesus Christ for his wonderful acts done unto the children of men; and first is acknowledged his love: "Unto him that loved us:" because therein consisteth the preciousness of his work, that it was done out of love. Not for any advantage to himself, nor merely as part of a Divine scheme for accomplishing Divine ends, but out of love; which moved him to undertake, and to accomplish what he undertook. And whose love is this? The love of Him who for our sakes came into the world. And who was this? The Son of God, very God of very God. We therefore conclude beyond a doubt, that in the Godhead there is an affection of love unto the creature, even under its sinful state: out of which affection doth originate all the work of our redemption, which is not unto the end of making God to love us, but from the source and origin of his love, unto the end of our loving him; as it is written, "We love him because he first loved us." Love is that which moved Godhead in the person of the Son to do for man what he did. This is that in God which Christ revealed, and in the revelation of which God is glorified. No doubt the great end of God is, to manifest and communicate that which is in himself; and that in himself which is communicated by the work of Incarnation, is his love to fallen sinners, unto the end that fallen sinners, without any exception, might put their trust in him. And the church whom the Holy Ghost hath united unto Christ and renewed after the image of God, in righteousness and true

« הקודםהמשך »