eous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still. 12 And behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be. 13 I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last. 14 Blessed are they that do his commandments, that as they are reprobates concerning the faith. He that is righteous. Justified by faith in our Lord Jesus. Let him hold fast the beginning of his confidence, firm to the end; be rooted, grounded, established, and built up on his most holy faith. He that is holy. Pure in heart and in life, sanctified throughout, soul, body, and spirit. Let him hold fast whereunto he hath attained, that no man take his crown. Here then are two distinct and different degrees of holiness, justification and sanctification. God help us to seek after both of them. 12 My reward is with me. A crown of glory is in my right hand, for the righteous; a sword of justice in my left hand, to punish the wicked, my enemies, who would not that I should reign over them. According as his work shall be. He that giveth even a cup of water to one of my disciples, shall in no wise lose his reward. And on the other hand, he that injures one of these little ones that believe in me, it would be better he had a millstone tied round his neck, and he drowned in the depth of the sea. For every transgression and disobedience shall receive a just recompense of reward. 13 Alpha and Omega. See chap. 1:11. 14. Blessed. Happy, prosperous, gracious, glorious. Are they. All true believers who worship God in spirit and in truth, and in the beauty of holiness. The Keep his commandments. king's commandments. Observe them all, small and great; not to put a part for the whole. Keeping some and neglecting others. Tithing mint and cummin, and neglecting the weightier matters of the law, such as justice, judgment and mercy. 1. There is a duty we owe to our God, to love him with all our heart, soul, mind and strength. 2. A duty we owe to our neighbor, to love and serve him as ourselves, to do by him in all things as we should wish him to do to us. 3. A duty we owe to our children, to bring them up in the fear, nurture, and admonition of the Lord. 4. A duty we owe to our rulers, to render unto Cæsar the things (tribute and respect,) that are Cæsar's, and to God the things that are his, in keep they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city. 15 For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie. 16 I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you 6. ing his law and walking in all his commandments and ordinances blameless. 5. A duty we owe to the ministry, we are to fear, reverence, and obey them who have the rule over us, as they watch for our souls, as they that must give an account. A duty of children to parents, to fear reverence, serve and obey them, to take care of them in old age, when not able to take care of themselves, what they have done for you in infancy you are to do for them in old age. 7. A duty we owe to the church, we are not to forget the assembling of ourselves together, (every Sabbath,) as the manner of some is but to exhort, encourage and help each other daily, especially as the day of final retribution is at hand. 8. We owe a duty to the world, we are to provide things honest in the sight of all men, and if possible to owe no man any thing, and if we have wronged or defrauded any man, to make full restitution, as far as we can, or, according to our ability. Here then are his commandments and blessed and holy are they that do them, their reward will be great in heaven. The law, the Rabbins say, required four duties: 1. The study of the law. 2. Good works, Deut. 28:13. 3. Prayer. 4. To be diligent in business so as to provide for the family. That they may have right to the tree of life. Access to it; union and communion with God, the Father, and his Son, Jesus Christ, who is the life of the world. This Adam and Eve lost by disobedience, we regain it by obedience to his holy commandments. Hence, he that keeps the law shall be delivered from the sufferings of the Messiah, the wars of Gog and Magog, and the torments of hell, Tal. Bab. San. fol. 98, 2. And may enter in through the gates into the city. That they be admitted into the church militant, through the ministers of the gospel, for they have the power to admit proper persons into the church and to exclude improper persons from it. May they always use this power to the glory of God and the good of man. And from the church militant you shall be transmitted to the church triumphant. 15 Without are dogs. Persecutors, oppressors of the poor and destitute; also heathens, idolaters, liars, deceivers, and all such characters as are described in chap. 21: 8. They are excluded from the church on earth, and will be finally excluded from the church in heaven. 16 I Jesus. Your Savior and Redeemer. Sent mine angel. To show the churches and my ministers my pecu these things in the churches I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning-star. 17 And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let And let him that is athirst let him take the water of him that heareth say, Come. And whosoever will, come. life freely. liar regard for them, I have sent my Ambassador to inform them of the severe calamities which are just coming on the world. I am the root and the offspring of David. See chap. 2: 8, 5: 5. 17 The spirit. The The spirit of Elohim, a person of the same nature and duration with God called by St. Paul the eternal Spirit. He is the third person of the holy Trinity, when he (xivos) is come he will convince the world of sin, of righteousness and of judgment. John 16:8. Therefore he is omniscient, he is omnipotent also and he is styled Oss, God, Acts, 5: 4. Here, then, is proof beyond doubt of the divinity and eternity of the holy spirit. The spirit רוחן מֶלֶךְ מָשִׁיחַ Hence of King Messsiah. Targ. on 2 Chronicles 2. The bride. The Lamb's wife, the pure and perfect virgin, who has been united to her living head by faith. Say come. They both cordially, affectionately and earnestly invite you to come to the water of life freely, to obtain salvation without money and without price, will you come my dear friend now, this day, hour, moment: may God help you to do it. Him that heareth, The Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ so as to obey it and live in all things according to it. Him that is athirst. That earnestly seeks and desires it by prayer, the same as the weary traveller in the deserts of Arabia, the cooling spring of water. He not only earnestly and anxiously desires the refreshing water brook, but believes and hopes he shall soon obtain it. Only believe my brother, and thou shalt soon see and feel the salvation of God. Amen. Jew or Gen And whosoever will. tile, bond or free, black or white, young or old, rich or poor, sailor or soldier, prince or peasant, master or servant, minister or member, all are welcome, you may have it freely, but not forcibly; God sets life and death before you and says choose which you will; he persuades, but never compels; he knocks at the door, but never forces an entrance; the power to convince and convert is on his part, the power to repent and believe on your part, and as you cannot do his work neither will he do yours. The soul that sins shall die, the soul that believes shall be saved, so that in the day of eternity you will not be condemned for a talent which you have not, but for the talent you have, and which you have buried in the earth. 18 For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: 19 And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book. 20 He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly: Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus. 21 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen. The words of this prophecy. The doctrines, duties and predictions, of this inspired book, the fact is it cannot be a prophecy without inspiration, therefore it is a real canonical book, dictated by the spirit of Christ, who influenced John to write it to the seven churches of Asia. Shall add to them. In order to show that they are deficient in truth, in equity, in language, or, inspiration ⚫ to endeavor to prove that they are not of God, but of man. 19 Diminish from them. Endeavor to lessen or destroy their force or influence on the minds of the people by denying the whole or any part of them, or even misapplying them, God shall punish him with the plagues of this book, either in this life or in the life to come. Deut. 4: 2. Shall take away his part out of the book of life. Shall excommunicate him from the kingdom of grace and glory. He that denies the authority and inspiration of the book, is an infidel, and has denied the faith, is a heretic, and deserves to have his name erased from the records of eternity, and also all the precious promises contained in this book. 20 He that testifieth these things. That is Christ, and not John; he wrote them as they were revealed to him by his Lord and Master: therefore they are the revelations of Jesus, and not of John; the very first chapter and verse of the book demonstrates this. Surely I come quickly. Immediately, without delay, to take vengeance on the wicked and all them that obey not my holy gospel. Amen: So be it; may thy will, and not mine, be done. 21 The grace. Love, mercy, blessing, of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all, Amen: and let all the people 324 NOTES ON THE REVELATION. say Amen. This is the last epistle sent by the beloved John to the church, it fills up and completes the New Testament of our Lord Jesus Christ. And probably this will be the last time I shall ever take up my pen to vindicate God's most holy word; and will, no doubt, be my last admonition to you, my dear friends and brethren. And now, may the blessing of the Triune God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, rest and abide with you and with all the Israel of God henceforth and for ever, Amen. THE END. |