A37035:1619
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 7
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.
The third thing to be cleared, is, what time or state of the Church this relateth unto? Answ. Although doctrinally the words do in general hold forth Christs care of His Church and People in reference unto these trials which are common to them with others, and so this may be applied to all times, Christ had a care of His Church under the seals, and a peculiar care of His own under every trial; this is a truth: but, considering the words as they point at some particular time, and for that end are set down in this prophecy, We conceive, that they hold forth Gods peculiar oversight of His Elect, in keeping them from the storm which is threatened by the trumpets, and not from the temporal strokes contained under the same, and so doth belong to the following prophecy and not to the preceding, 1. Because the seals hold forth especially temporal judgements, the trumpets hold forth Spiritual plagues. Now, the Elect not being exempted from the former, but from the latter, This prophecy then (to call it so) of peculiar exemption, must belong to the trumpets which contain judgements of a Spiritual nature. 2. If we look to Chap. 9.4. (which comprehendeth the prophecy of the first woe brought upon the world by the fifth trumpet) there these who are sealed, are peculiarly exempted from that woe. The inserting therefore that limitation in the commission of that woe, that it should not hurt these who had the seal of God, doth evidently knit this sealing unto that trumpet, as peculiarly belonging to it and intended for that storm. 3. We find (Chap. 13.8.) only the Elect excepted from the worshipping of the beast; and (Chap. 14.1, 4.) we find the same number, who are said to be sealed here, observed to be kept clean, according as was designed here, these places showing the effect of Gods sealing here to have been answerable in the event, that as He had sealed them to be kept clean, so were they by virtue thereof actually preserved. Now, that preservation, in respect of the event in these places, doth manifestly look to their being kept free of Antichrists corruptions, which contemporateth with the trumpets; and therefore this sealing, which holdeth forth Gods purpose of bringing about that event, must belong to that time also.
The third thing to be cleared, is, what time or state of the Church this relateth unto? Answ. Although doctrinally the words do in generall hold forth Christs care of His Church and People in reference unto these trials which are common to them with others, and so this may be applied to all times, Christ had a care of His Church under the seals, and a peculiar care of His own under every trial; this is a truth: but, considering the words as they point at some particular time, and for that end are set down in this prophesie, We conceive, that they hold forth Gods peculiar oversight of His Elect, in keeping them from the storm which is threatened by the trumpets, and not from the temporall stroaks contained under the same, and so doth belong to the following prophesie and not to the preceeding, 1. Because the seals hold forth especially temporall judgements, the trumpets hold forth Spirituall plagues. Now, the Elect not being exempted from the former, but from the latter, This prophesie then (to call it so) of peculiar exemption, must belong to the trumpets which contain judgements of a Spirituall nature. 2. If we look to Chap. 9.4. (which comprehendeth the prophesie of the first wo brought upon the world by the fifth trumpet) there these who are sealed, are peculiarly exempted from that wo. The inserting therefore that limitation in the commission of that wo, that it should not hurt these who had the seal of God, doth evidently knit this sealing unto that trumpet, as peculiarly belonging to it and intended for that storm. 3. We find (Chap. 13.8.) only the Elect excepted from the worshipping of the beast; and (Chap. 14.1, 4.) we find the same number, who are said to be sealed here, observed to be keeped clean, according as was designed here, these places shewing the effect of Gods sealing here to have been answerable in the event, that as He had sealed them to be keeped clean, so were they by vertue thereof actually preserved. Now, that preservation, in respect of the event in these places, doth manifestly look to their being keeped free of Antichrists corruptions, which contemporateth with the trumpets; and therefore this sealing, which holdeth forth Gods purpose of bringing about that event, must belong to that time also.