564

The future state is unalterable.

SECT. tion, declared our desire of being for ever devoted to him? O let xxvi. us ever remember the sacred engagement. Let holiness to the Ver. Lord be written on our hearts, as well as on our foreheads. Let 3 all our affections, and all our faculties, all our possessions, and all our pursuits, be consecrated to God. To bear this name and inscription, will now, even in this dark and benighted world, shed a glory around us. It will be as a sacred guide to our ways, it will chear and animate our hearts, it will bring down to us many a delightful foretaste of that world, where, in his light, we shall see light, and where we shall reign with him for ever and ever.

Amen.

SECT.

xxvii.

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.

REVELATION ΧΧΙΙ. 10.

AND he, that is, our Lord Jesus Christ,

REV. XXII. 10. And he saith unto me, Seal not the say

from whom I received this revelation, said ings of the prophecy of Rev. unto me, Seal not up the words of the prophecy of this book: for the XXII. this book, so that they should not be immediately time is at hand.

10 perused; for the time is near, in which the
accomplishment of these things shall begin.
11 Yea, the time is just approaching, when the last
seal shall be set upon the characters of men, and
when it shall be said on the one hand, Let him
that is unjust, be unjust still; and let him that is
polluted, be polluted still; for no more opportu- ous let him be righte-
nities shall ever be granted for reforming what ous still: and he that is
holy, let him be ho-
hath been amiss, and recovering the unrighte- ly still.
ous 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 with an encreasing
lustre.

Reflections on the unalterable nature of the future state.

reward me,

565

xxvii.

-

12 And behold, I lustre. And, to confirm this, Behold I come SECT. come quickly and my quickly; 1 shall be manifest ere it be long; and give every man accord- my reward both of grace and vengeance, [is] Rev. ing as his works shall with me; and I will recompense to every man ac- XVII.

be.

cording as his works shall be, whether it shall ap-12

13 I am Alpha and pear, on an impartial examination, to have been Omega, the Begin- good or evil. And, to confirm it further, 113 ning and the End, the repeat it again, I am the Alpha, and the Omega,

First and the Last.

14 Blessed are they

that do his commandments, that they may

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 your-
selves, in order to your obtaining that happiness
of which your sins may now render you in-
capable. Happy [are] they, and they alone, 14

who do his commandments, and so prepare for
have right to the tree his important appearance; that they may have
of life, and may enter the privilege [to eat] of the tree of life; and they
in through the gates in- shall freely enter by the gates into the glorious
15 For without are city I have described, and have their perpetual
dogs, and sorcerers, abode there. But, without, [are] the unclean, 15

to the city.

and

whoremongers, who merit no

and murderers, and i-
better a name than that of dogs,
dolaters, and whoso- as they debase their rational faculties to the ser-
ever loveth and mak- vice of detestable lusts; and sorcerers, and for-

eth a lie.

nicators, and murderers, and idolaters, who may
justly be ranked together as the most abominable
of sinners; and with them must be ranked too,
every one who loveth and maketh a lies, who
forges falsehood, and practises it, or acts in any

allowed contradiction to the great eternal rule

of truth and rectitude.

IMPROVEMENT.

LET us be very thankful, that the words of this prophecy are not Ver. scaled from us; but that truths, in which we have so important a 10 concern, are so plainly published and proclaimed. The time is near, when a seal will be set on the characters of men: blessed be God,

566 Reflections on the unalterable nature of the future state.

XXVB.

SECT. God, he who is now unrighteous and polluted, may be purified and reformed, justified and saved. Adored be that grace, that waits so 11 long upon sinners! But the Divine long-suffering towards them 12 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 the salvation to him; but he hath shewn us nothing that is inconsistent 14 with the necessity of real and universal holiness. Yea, he himself proclaims them alone to be entitled to enter 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 sophisticate the word of God, and fixing their view only on some detached passages of it, entervate by their unguarded interpretations, its general scope and mean. ing. 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 15 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.

SECT. xxviii.

Rev. XXII. 16

SECT. XXVIII.

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.

REVELATION XXII. 16.

REV. XVII. 16.

AND now to conclude the whole; be it I lineagent

known to every one, who reads these

words,

to testify

If any one add to this prophecy, God will severely punish him. 567

the Root and the Off

fy unto you these things words, and let it be seriously considered by him, SECT. in the churches. I am that I Jesus the Son of God, the Alpha and xxviii. spring of David, and Omega, the First and the Last, have sent my Rev. the bright and morn- beloved disciple and apostle John, as my messen-XXII.16 ing Star.

Come. And let him

say,

ger, 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 Di-
vine 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 celes-
tial luminary, and usher in a glorious and eternal

17 And the Spirit day. And the great substance and design of the and the bride say, message is, to awaken in the minds of all to 17 that heareth, whom it comes, an earnest desire of those blesCome, And let him sings which from this throne of my glory I am to that is athirst, come. dispense. And accordingly I do now anew pubAnd whosoever will, lish the invitation: the Spirit with which I in

him take the water

of life freely.

18 For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the pro

phecy of this book, if any man shall add un

spire my servants, and the bride, the church to
whom I am espoused, concur to say, Come; and
let him, even every one that heareth, say, come.
Let every one echo the invitation, and let my
people, in all ages, consider it as their duty to
do it. And let him that is thirsty, come; and
whosoever will, let him apply to me in my ap-
pointed way, and receive of the waters of life
freely: behold it flows in a full current from
my throne; and if any man do not receive a
part or share of it, without money, and without
price, the fault is only chargeable upon himself.

This important testimony I commission my
servant to bear: and I also testify to every one
that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book
If any man add unto these things, God shall add
unto him, and bring upon him, the most terrible
plagues of those plagues which are written in this book b:
he

18

568

xxviii.

And in like manner, if any one take away from it.

SECT. he will, by any designed addition to them, or plagues that are writcorruption of them, make himself highly crimi- ten in this book: 19 And if any man Rev. nal, and eternally miserable. And if any one shall take away from XXII.19 take away from the words of the book of this pro- the words of the book

20

phecy, with a design thereby to diminish in any
degree, by the omission of what is disagreeable
to him, or others whom he may desire to please
and favour, God will severely punish such a sacri
lege, and take away his part out of the book of
life, and out of the holy city, and the glorious
things, even the invaluable blessings which are
written, and described in the preceding passages
of this book.

away his

of this pro of this prophecy, God part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are writ

ten in this book.

20 He which testi.

He who testifies these important things, says, and leaves it as his parting warning with all that fieth these things, read them, Surely I come quickly. My soul, while saith Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even I write it, replies, and let every reader reply so, come Lord Jesus. with me from his heart, Amen, even so, come Lord Jesus; come surely, and quickly, as thou hast said; for all our highest and sublimest hopes depend upon the blessed and glorious day of thy

21 appearance.

In the mean time, let the churches to whom 21 The grace of our these messages are especially directed and in- Lord Jesus Christ be scribed, receive my most affectionate wishes, my with you all. Amen. most solemn benediction, which I express in this one ardent prayer: May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, even all the invaluable effects of his favour, and above all, the abundant communications of his Spirit, [be] with you all, and with all Christians, to whom these words may come, unto the end of the world. Amen.

taken criticism, where there is a question
of receiving or excluding any particular
verse, should affect a man's salvation, in
consequence of what is here said.

But

IMPROVE

accurate attention, I have failed either way, I commit myself to the mercy of that Redeemer, whose word it is, and whose interest I have faithfully endeavoured to serve.