A37035:1557
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
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 fourth Argument, is, from the persons who are thus to be dignified with suffering: they are brethren and fellow-servants, Sons of that same Father, employed in the service of that same Master with them; and therefore they, out of respect to them, might quietly wait for the fulfilling of Gods purpose of crowning them, and making them partake of the same dignity with themselves. These reasons are expressed, not so much for the comforting of Saints in Heaven, as for the clearing, satisfying, and encouraging of Saints on earth against the continuance of sufferings, that they might patiently under them, wait for Gods final vindicating of them and judging of their enemies.
A fourth Argument, is, from the persons who are thus to be dignified with suffering: they are brethren and fellow-servants, Sons of that same Father, imployed in the service of that same Master with them; and therefore they, out of respect to them, might quietly wait for the fulfilling of Gods purpose of crowning them, and making them partake of the same dignity with themselves. These reasons are expressed, not so much for the comforting of Saints in Heaven, as for the clearing, satisfying, and encourageing of Saints on earth against the continuance of sufferings, that they might patiently under them, wait for Gods finall vindicating of them and judgeing of their enemies.
From this seal, we may gather, 1. That there hath been much suffering of Gods people before this time; and therefore that the former seals, which implied sufferings, must be understood of the Churches sufferings, this cry, How long, &c. being brought-in here as the result of these. 2. That these sufferings were such as proceeded from men, sinfully acting therein, by which they became liable to Gods vengeance, and were not to be understood of Famine, Pestilence, &c. or such judgements as do immediately flow from Gods hand. These could not have procured a cry of vengeance against the men of the earth, as is in this seal, if they had not been actors in these evils. 3. We may gather, that the Churches condition hath been generally suffering before this time, and that there hath not been any solemn and universal judgement on persecutors before this, The cry, How long, O Lord, &c. implieth so much: and therefore, this seal, as it expresseth suffering, must relate unto the time of the Church before Constantine: at which time, God gave a visible testimony of His owning His Church, and of His indignation against persecutors, as we will see in the following seal. 4. It expresseth the Churches extremity, and that immediately going before her change from outward persecution to external peace; the vehemency of the cry, the comfortableness of the answer compared with the matter contained in the following seal, do confirm this, as if this were the very crisis and turn of that condition. 5. That the following seal is not to be looked on as a description of the day of Judgement, seeing that day, which is by this seal for a time suspended, doth not immediately succeed to Heathenish persecution: beside the reason given here of the suspension of that day, to wit, that all their enrolled number of Martyrs must be fulfilled, which in a great part is to be accomplished in the time of Antichrists tyranny, will confirm this, there being no possibility of including that persecution of Antichrist before the terrible events mentioned in the following seal.