A37035:1230
A commentary upon the book of the Revelation Wherein the text is explained, the…A commentarie upon the book of the Revelation Wherein the text is explained, the…
A commentary upon the book of the Revelation Wherein the text is explained, the series of the several prophecies contained in that book, deduced according to their order and dependence on each other; the periods and succession of times, at, or about which, these prophecies, that are already fulfilled, began to be, and were more fully accomplished, fixed and applied according to history; and those that are yet to be fulfilled, modestly, and so far as is warrantable, enquired into. Together with some practical observations, and several digressions, necessary for vindicating, clearing, and confirming many weighty and important truths. Delivered in several lectures, by that learned, laborious, and faithful servant of Jesus Christ, James Durham, late Minister of the Gospel in Glasgow. To which is affixed a brief summary of the whole book, with a twofold index, one of the several digressions, another of the chief and principal purposes and words contained in this treatise.A commentarie upon the book of the Revelation Wherein the text is explained, the series of the several prophecies contained in that book, deduced according to their order and dependance on each other; the periods and succession of times, at, or about which, these prophecies, that are already fulfilled, began to be, and were more fully accomplished, fixed and applied according to history; and those that are yet to be fulfilled, modestly, and so far as is warrantable, enquired into. Together with some practical observations, and several digressions, necessary for vindicating, clearing, and confirming many weighty and important truths. Delivered in several lectures, by that learned, laborious, and faithfull servant of Jesus Christ, James Durham, late Minister of the Gospel in Glasgow. To which is affixed a brief summary of the whole book, with a twofold index, one of the several digressions, another of the chief and principall purposes and words contained in this treatise.
Edinburgh: printed by Christopher Higgins, 1658
AN EXPOSITION Of the BOOK of the REVELATION. › Lecture 1 › Chapter 5
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.
A second circumstance, is, the answer of this proclamation, or, the effect which followed ⟨p. 285⟩upon it; which may be gathered from vers. 3. and no man in heaven, nor in earth, nor under the earth, was able to open the book, nay, nor to look thereon: this is plain, and showeth that not one of all the creatures, even of the most excellent Angels in Heaven, none of the men in earth, nor devils in hell can reveal Gods secret counsel till it be done by the Mediator: nay, they could not look thereon, which is an aggravation of their dullness and ignorance in that respect: for, they were so far from opening this Book, that they could not look upon the same. And if it be thus in the works of common providence, What could all creatures have attained to in the uptaking of the great Mystery of Godliness, God manifested in the flesh, &c. had not the Lord thought good to reveal the same?
A second circumstance, is, the answer of this proclamation, or, the effect which followed ⟨p. 285⟩upon it; which may be gathered from vers. 3. and no man in heaven, nor in earth, nor under the earth, was able to open the book, nay, nor to look thereon: this is plain, and sheweth that not one of all the creatures, even of the most excellent Angels in Heaven, none of the men in earth, nor devils in hell can reveal Gods secret counsel till it be done by the Mediator: nay, they could not look thereon, which is an aggravation of their dulnesse and ignorance in that respect: for, they were so far from opening this Book, that they could not look upon the same. And if it be thus in the works of common providence, What could all creatures have attianed to in the uptaking of the great Mystery of Godlinesse, God manifested in the flesh, &c. had not the Lord thought good to reveal the same?
The third thing, vers. 4. is, Johns heaviness, because of that apparent impossibility, And I wept much, because no man was found worthy to open, and to read the book, neither to look thereon. Which doth set forth, 1. That John did esteem the understanding of what was within this Book to be of great worth. 2. That he did exceedingly long to understand the same. 3. That he seemed now to be hopeless of attaining this. 4. That this disappointment was sad and heavy to him. It is not like that it was Johns curiosity, which made him thus to weep; but conceiving the thing to be useful to the Church, it did affect him much to see the fickleness of all creatures, and mens emptiness in particular, for all their boasting of their attaining to the knowledge of so great mysteries: yet there may be some infirmity in this excess, by his thinking the thing desperate, because it was impossible to creatures, and his overlooking the Office and Excellency of the Mediator, who can do when all others give it over: which is a fault too often incident to Believers.