A37035:406
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.
For the first, what they were. There is not much recorded of them in Scripture; yet it seemeth from all that is written of them (being compared with what is written of them in this Chapter) that they were such a sort of Schismatical Heretics, as had corrupt Doctrine in their mouths, and corrupt and licentious practices in their conversations. Therefore their deeds are spoken of in this verse, and their Doctrine, vers. 15. both which are said to be hated of Christ, there being a suitableness between their Doctrine and their deeds.
For the first, what they were. There is not much recorded of them in Scripture; yet it seemeth from all that is written of them (being compared with what is written of them in this Chapter) that they were such a sort of Schismatical Hereticks, as had corrupt Doctrine in their mouths, and corrupt and licentious practices in their conversations. Therefore their deeds are spoken of in this verse, and their Doctrine, vers. 15. both which are said to be hated of Christ, there being a suitablnesse between their Doctrine and their deeds.
For the particulars of their Doctrine and deeds, many are asserted by the Ancient, but two things mainly are pitched on. 1. In their Doctrine they opened a door to licentiousness, and maintained, that fornication and adultery were no sin, and they cried down Matrimonial chastity, though called for and approven of God. 2. In their practice, without all ⟨p. 79⟩respect to offence and scandal, they lived as they lifted, eating things Sacrificed to Idols (a thing much stumbled at in those days) abusing their Christian liberty to licentiousness and looseness, taking advantage of, and abusing the decree of the Apostles, Acts 15.20. that Christians would abstain from pollutions of Idols, and from fornication, and from things strangled, and from blood, as if all these things had been of one and the same nature, as indeed at that time they were, all necessarily to be abstained from, as if they had been of one nature. These are granted by all to be the two main things that these Nicolaitans were guilty of: though there be that add many moe, as Epiphanius doth: and if we look to the 14. and 15. vers. of this chapter, it is not unlike, that the Lord points at these two faults: for in the 14. verse, He tells Pergamos, that she had them that held the Doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balac to cast a stumbling block before the children of Israel, to eat things Sacrificed unto Idols, and to commit fornication: and in the 15. verse, So hast thou also them that hold the Doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate. Where they that maintained the Doctrine of Balaam, and the Nicolaitans are the same: and He meaneth, as Balaam taught Balac to ensnare the Israelites, by drawing them to their Idol feasts, and commit fornication with the daughters of Moab; So saith the Lord, ye have the Nicolaitans that follow the same footsteps, and teach the same Doctrine.