The future state is unalterable.

SECT. XXVII.

Our Lord Jesus Christ admonishes the apostle, to discover to the churches what had been revealed to him; and solemnly declares his speedy approach, to fix the eternal state of men according to their characters and works. Rev. XXII. 10-15.

REV. XXII. 10.
ND he saith

AN

unto me, Seal not the sayings of the

A1

REVELATION XXII. 10.

511

ND he, that is, our Lord Jesus Christ,a SECT. from whom I received this revelation, said xxvii.

prophecy of this unto me, Seal not up the words of the prophecy Rev. book: for the time of this book, so that they should not be imme- xxii is at hand. diately perused; for the time is near, in which 10 the accomplishment of these things shall begin.

11 He that is un- Yea, the time is just approaching, when the last 11 just, let him be un- seal shall be set upon the characters of men, just still: and he that and when it shall be said on the one hand, Let is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he him that is unjust, be unjust still; and let him that is righteous, let that is polluted be polluted still; for no more ophim be righteous portunities shall ever be granted for reforming still: and he that is what hath been amiss, and recovering the holy, let him be holy still. unrighteous and polluted soul to rectitude and purity. And, on the other hand, it shall be said, Let him that is righteous, be righteous still; and let him that is holy, be holy still; nothing shall ever happen to bring the virtues and graces of good men into any future danger, or under any cloud; but their righteousness and their holiness shall for ever shine; yea, shine And, to confirm 12

12 And behold, I with an increasing lustre. come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his works shall be.

this, Behold I come quickly; I shall be manifest ere it be long; and my reward both of grace and vengeance, [is] with me; and I will recompense to every man according as his works shall be, whether it shall appear, on an impartial 13 I am Alpha examination, to have been good or evil. And, 13 and Omega, the Be- to confirm it further, I repeat it again, I am the ginning and the End, the First and the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last; and what I say may be depended upon as the words of invariable fidelity; Hear them therefore with attention and regard. And, since my nature and perfections are immutable, see that the necessary change be made in yourselves, in order to

Last.

And he, that is, our Lord Jesus Christ.] Many following words, and especially verse 12, prove that our Lord is here meant. But it is a remarkable

instance of the reference of a relative to a remoter antecedent: a figure of speech, which I have taken notice of upon many former occasions, Heb. vii. 2, note *.

512

Reflections on the unalterable nature of the future state.

SECT. your obtaining that happiness of which your

Rev.

xxii.

mandments,

into the city.

that

15 For without

are dogs, and sorcer. ers, and whoremon

xxvii. sins may now render you incapable. Happy 14 Blessed are they [are] they, and they alone, who do his command- that do his com ments, and so prepare for his important ap- they may have right 14 pearance; that they may have the privilege [to to the tree of life, eat] of the tree of life; and they shall freely en- and may enter in ter by the gates into the glorious city I have de- through the gates 15 scribed, and have their perpetual abode there. But, without, [are] the unclean, who merit no better a name than that of dogs, as they debase their rational faculties to the service of detes- gers, and murderers, and idolaters, and table lusts; and sorcerers, and fornicators, and whosoever murderers, and idolaters, who may justly be and maketh a lie. ranked together as the most abominable of sinners; and with them must be ranked too, every one who loveth and maketh a lie, who forges falsehood, and practises it, or acts in any allowed contradiction to the great eternal rule of truth and rectitude.

loveth

verse

IMPROVEMENT.

LET us be very thankful, that the words of this prophecy are 10 not sealed from us; but that truths, in which we have so important a concern, are so plainly published and proclaimed. The time is near, when a seal will be set on the characters of men: bless11 ed be God, he who is now unrighteous and polluted, may be purified and reformed, justified and saved. Adored be that grace, that waits so long upon sinners! But the Divine long suffering 12 towards them will have its period: yet a little while, and Jesus comes, to render to every man according to his works. May we then be fixed in a world of immutable holiness and happiness.

13

The Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, has discov ered to us many evangelical truths in this mysterious book. He hath directed our eyes to the Lamb that was slain to redeem us to God by his blood; and hath shewed us the saints in glory, laying down their crowns in his presence and ascribing the praise of all their salvation to him; but he hath shewn us nothing that is inconsistent with the necessity of real and universal holiness. Yea, he himself proclaims them alone to be entitled to enter 14 the gates of the new Jerusalem, and to eat of the fruit of the tree of life, who do God's commandments. Let us not, therefore, deceive ourselves with vain words, nor attend to any who would

Who do his commandments, &c.] This Every one who loveth and maketh a promise to all that do his commandments, lie] Though idols are called lies, yet as that they shall enter into the gate of the city, idolaters had been mentioned before as exhere described, evidently proves it to re- cluded out of this New Jerusalem, Ithink fer to that state of future happiness which it most natural to understand this clause all good men shall finally enjoy. Com- in the sense given in the paraphrase. pare verse 18, 19.

It is Christ who testifies the words of this prophecy.

verse

15

513 sophisticate the word of God, and fixing their view only on some SECT. detached passages of it, enervate, by their unguarded interpre- xxvii. tations, its general scope and meaning. Let us, in reviewing scripture, observe what God commands and requires, and compare it with what he forbids, that we may thereby impartially judge and try ourselves. And how free soever we may be from any of the grosser crimes here enumerated, such as fornication, murder and idolatry, let us not allow ourselves in the love and practice of any thing inconsistent with the immutable rule of righteousness and truth; as well knowing every allowed and continued indulgence of that kind, to be utterly irreconcileable with a well grounded hope of inheriting eternal life. May it please thee, O Lord, to inscribe all these laws upon our hearts; that our joy, in the hope and prospect of the promised blessedness, may rise in proportion to our acquaintance with thy unerring word, and the impartiality and diligence with which we trace the actions of our lives, and the affections of our hearts, in comparison with it, and reduce them to a holy conformity to its precepts.

Our Lord Jesus Christ repeats his august titles, and gracious invitation; warns us of the dreadful doom of him who shall add to, or take from his words; and declares his purpose of coming quickly; to which St. John adds his hearty assent, and concludes with his apostolical benediction. Rev. XXII. 16, to the end.

"REV. XXII. 16.

I JESUS have sent mine angel to testify unto you these

REVELATION XXII. 16.

AND now to conclude the whole; be it szCT.

known to every one, who reads these xxviii. things in the church words, and let it be seriously considered by es. I am the Root him, that I Jesus the Son of God, the Alpha Rev. and the Offspring of and Omega, the First and the Last, have sent 16 bright and morning my beloved disciple and apostle John, as my

David, and the

Star.

messenger, to testify these things to you, in the several churches into whose hands this may come. And let it also be remembered, in order to add a due weight to the testimony, that I am the Root and the Offspring of David, by whose Divine power David himself was made, though as to my human nature, I have condescended to ally myself to him, and be born from his house: I am the bright and the morning Star, who wear a glory exceeding that of the most brilliant celestial luminary, and 17 And the Spirit usher in a glorious and eternal day. and the bride say, the great substance and design of the message And 17 is, to awaken in the minds of all to whom it

512

Reflections on the unalterable nature of the future state.

SECT. your obtaining that happiness of which your

Rev.

into the city.

15 For without

are dogs, and sorcer

xxvii. sins may now render you incapable. Happy 14 Blessed are they [are] they, and they alone, who do his command- that do his comRements, and so prepare for his important ap- they may have right mandments, that 14 pearance; that they may have the privilege [to to the tree of life, eat] of the tree of life; and they shall freely en- and may enter in ter by the gates into the glorious city I have de- through the gates 15 scribed, and have their perpetual abode there. But, without, [are] the unclean, who merit no better a name than that of dogs, as they debase ers, and whoremontheir rational faculties to the service of detes- gers, and murderers, and idolaters, and table lusts; and sorcerers, and fornicators, and whosoever murderers, and idolaters, who may justly be and maketh a lie. ranked together as the most abominable of sinners; and with them must be ranked too, every one who loveth and maketh a lie, who forges falsehood, and practises it, or acts in any allowed contradiction to the great eternal rule of truth and rectitude.

loveth

verse

IMPROVEMENT.

LET us be very thankful, that the words of this prophecy are 10 not sealed from us; but that truths, in which we have so important a concern, are so plainly published and proclaimed. The time is near, when a seal will be set on the characters of men: bless11 ed be God, he who is now unrighteous and polluted, may be purified and reformed, justified and saved. Adored be that grace, that waits so long upon sinners! But the Divine long suffering 12 towards them will have its period: yet a little while, and Jesus comes, to render to every man according to his works. May we then be fixed in a world of immutable holiness and happiness.

13

The Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, has discovered to us many evangelical truths in this mysterious book. He hath directed our eyes to the Lamb that was slain to redeem us to God by his blood; and hath shewed us the saints in glory, laying down their crowns in his presence and ascribing the praise of all their salvation to him; but he hath shewn us nothing that is inconsistent with the necessity of real and universal holiness. Yea, he himself proclaims them alone to be entitled to enter 14 the gates of the new Jerusalem, and to eat of the fruit of the tree of life, who do God's commandments. Let us not, therefore, deceive ourselves with vain words, nor attend to any who would

Who do his commandments, &c.] This Every one who loveth and maketh a promise to all that do his commandments, lie ] Though idols are called lies, yet as that they shall enter into the gate of the city, idolaters had been mentioned before as exhere described, evidently proves it to re- cluded out of this New Jerusalem, Ithink fer to that state of future happiness which it most natural to understand this clause all good men shall finally enjoy. Com- in the sense given in the paraphrase. pare verse 18, 19.

It is Christ who testifies the words of this prophecy.

513

sophisticate the word of God, and fixing their view only on some SECT. detached passages of it, enervate, by their unguarded interpre- xxvii. tations, its general scope and meaning. Let us, in reviewing verse scripture, observe what God commands and requires, and com- 15 pare it with what he forbids, that we may thereby impartially Judge and try ourselves. And how free soever we may be from any of the grosser crimes here enumerated, such as fornication, murder and idolatry, let us not allow ourselves in the love and practice of any thing inconsistent with the immutable rule of righteousness and truth; as well knowing every allowed and continued indulgence of that kind, to be utterly irreconcileable with a well grounded hope of inheriting eternal life. May it please thee, O Lord, to inscribe all these laws upon our hearts; that our joy, in the hope and prospect of the promised blessedness, may rise in proportion to our acquaintance with thy unerring word, and the impartiality and diligence with which we trace the actions of our lives, and the affections of our hearts, in comparison with it, and reduce them to a holy conformity to its precepts.

Our Lord Jesus Christ repeats his august titles, and gracious invitation; warns us of the dreadful doom of him who shall add to, or take from his words; and declares his purpose of coming quickly; to which St. John adds his hearty assent, and concludes with his apostolical benediction. Rev. XXII. 16, to the end.

"REV. XXII. 16.

Jesus have sent mine angel to tes

tify unto you these

REVELATION XXII. 16.

ND now to conclude the whole; be it SECT. known to every one, who reads these xxviii. things in the church words, and let it be seriously considered by es. I am the Root him, that I Jesus the Son of God, the Alpha xxii. and the Offspring of and Omega, the First and the Last, have sent 16 David, and the my beloved disciple and apostle John, as my

bright and morning Star.

Rev.

messenger, to testify these things to you, in the several churches into whose hands this may come. And let it also be remembered, in order to add a due weight to the testimony, that I am the Root and the Offspring of David, by whose Divine power David himself was made, though as to my human nature, I have condescended to ally myself to him, and be born from his house: I am the bright and the morning Star, who wear a glory exceeding that of the most brilliant celestial luminary, and 17 And the Spirit usher in a glorious and eternal day. And 17 and the bride say, the great substance and design of the message is, to awaken in the minds of all to whom it