A34679:438
An exposition upon the thirteenth chapter of the Revelation by that reverend and eminent…
An exposition upon the thirteenth chapter of the Revelation by that reverend and eminent servant of the Lord, Mr. John Cotton ... ; taken from his mouth in short-writing, and some part of it corrected by himself soon after the preaching thereof ; and all of it since viewed over by a friend to him ... wherein some mistakes were amended, but nothing of the sense altered.
London: printed for Tim. Smart, 1656
Title page typeset from the transcription.
AN EXPOSITION Upon the thirteenth Chapter of the REVELATION. › Part
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
It may be of singular comfort to all the elect of God,1 whose names are written in the book of Life: It is a great comfort that a man is written to life, he might have been written to death, had not the Lord been pleased so to do: You read in the Epistle of Jude, vers. 4. Of certain men crept in unawares, who were of old ordained to condemnation: The word in the Original is, fore-written, written afore-time to destruction: Now I say, that a man is not written to destruction, but to life, and to life in Christ; not as Adam, that was to stand by his own strength, and so long as he useth grace well, he shall live; but if not, he shall dye: and he so used it, that if God give him not life in Christ, he dyed for ever: This is in Adams covenant, not in Christs, that was for a man to live by his own righteousness: Do this and thou shalt live, Levit. 18. 5. How woeful was our condition in this case, but to be written ⟨p. 148⟩to life, and to life in Christ; that is, Because he lives, we shall live also: I am the way, the truth, and the life: And by this being written in the Lambs book of life, that the Lord should think upon us, when we had no thoughts of him; nay had no being, that he should then undertake for us; that when the Father gives us, he will receive us; and by receiving us, keep us spotless to his heavenly Kingdom, that he will preserve us from possibility of damnable Errors: They shall seduce if it were possible, the very Elect, Mat. 24. 24. But there is no possibility; what a marvellous matter is it, that it is not possible that any of those that are given to Christ should be seduced; it is such a mercy that may swallow up all discouragements, all afflictions, all blasphemy of a mans good name and state, and wealth, and health, and all whatsoever; this may support him, that it is not possible he should be seduced: For the Lord knows who are his, the foundation of God stands sure; the Lord hath written it, and he is more constant then Pilate, or the Kings of Persians and Medes: The Law is written and established by the Kings Ring, and God is more steadfast then any of the Kings of the Earth, what he hath written shall be accomplished; the Lord will draw them to Christ, and Christ will keep them, not one of them shall perish, not one of them shall worship the Beast;