A37035:641
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.
Likewise in Repentance, Pardon and Justification are not knit to any degree of sorrow (as was formerly hinted) that is, that God will account him a penitent, whose sorrow for sin doth exceed his delight in it; but unto true Repentance, which is for its qualifications such, is the promise made, whosoever repents, &c. And in this respect, Gods Covenant runneth not, that He will have grapes bigger than brambles, or gold of more weight than the person himself; but, if they be true grapes, growing upon a good tree, and not grapes of Sodom, or brambles, He doth accept of them, and saith, destroy not, for there is a blessing in it, though it be like unto the smallest berry upon the uppermost tops of the boughs, and although still He call for perfection in the degree of all as the Covenanters duty. And if it be gold, and may abide the touchstone and fire, and not be consumed, He rejects it not, of what ever weight it be in the scales, as 1 Cor. 3.13, 14, and 15. is clear. Now gold abideth the fire, not as it is in quantity but as it is in kind, and for the quality upright: and no place is there which doth express Gods way of trial more plainly; and it hath the promise to the man whose work in any degree will abide the fire, though the dross that is with it (which shall be consumed) be in the quantity far beyond what is solid. Hence we will find in Scripture, that such expressions are used as do ever lay the weight of the sincerity of mens acts, and place the difference of gracious and sinful acts in the kind thereof, as accounting all of such a kind to be gracious, without such respect to its degree, as when it is said, a tree is known by its fruit, Mat. 7. the meaning is not, that it is known by fruit of such a bigness, but by their kind; so it's not every tree, that bringeth not forth fruit at such a degree, but that bringeth not forth good fruit, that is, of such a kind; that is h•••n down, Mat. 3. A vine is known to be a vine, by its grapes of the smallest bigness; ye•, even by its blossoms. Hence so frequently in the Song, the Lords trees are differenced by their buddings, and blossomings, and most tender grapes, or first buds: which could not be, if it were not the kind of fruit that evidenced the difference of trees: for, men gather not grapes (even of the smallest bigness) from thorns, nor figs from brambles.