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Triumphs of Truth
Chapter 22
OF THE SONSHIP OF CHRIST, AND OF A GOSPEL CHURCH AND HER DUTIES.
Revelation chapter 2, from the 18th verse to the end of the chapter. "And unto the angel of the church in Thyatira write, These things saith the Son of God, who hath his eyes like unto a flame of fire, and his feet are like fine brass."
In this verse the Son of God commands John to write to the angel of the church in Thyatira; and we are naturally led to consider these two characters.
First: The Son of God.
Secondly: A gospel church.
1st. We shall consider the character of the Son of God. To have a proper knowledge of this glorious personage, is one of the most important points in revealed religion. It embraces in it everything which can make us wise unto salvation. Therefore it is said in the scripture, "to know thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent, is eternal life." Jesus Christ, when he was in this world, declared himself to be the Son of God, and substantiated this declaration by many miracles. Hence it is said, "He was declared to be the Son of God with power." Christ is called the Son of God 44 times in the scriptures; and he is called the son of man 84 times. May we not be safe in saying that he is both the Son of God and of man. I never remember of his being called the son of man until he was born of Mary; and so I conclude, the appellation son of man was expressive of his corporeal body or flesh. Yet we find many of the works, which he done as God, and which could only be done by the divine nature, are attributed or ascribed to him as the son of man; such as forgiving sins on earth, exercising all judgment, &c. He is often called indefinitely the Son, without expressing his relation to God or man; but I believe it is always implied and perhaps where it is not expressed we may fairly understand both; for I find, that when his power as God is spoken of, and ascribed to him as Son, it is spoken of as a given power, as he says of himself, as the Son, speaking to a Father, "Thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him." The reason why Jesus was called the Son of God, when he was born of the virgin, is stated by the angel Gabriel to Mary in the following words: "The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee; therefore, that Holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the SON OF GOD." Here the power of the Highest and the Holy Ghost are both spoken of, and because of the agency of both in the conception of Jesus, he is called the Son of God. Let those who are fond of personal distinctions and divisions in the Godhead say which of these two is the Father, for the power of the highest came upon Mary, and the Holy Ghost overshadowed her. Now if these were distinct persons, I ask which of the two was the Father of Jesus? But if this popish tri-personalism be left out of sight, and the power of the Highest, and the Holy Ghost, be the same thing and God be intended, then it is proper to say that holy thing which was conceived by the power of the highest God, who is a Holy Ghost, or Holy Spirit, should be called the Son of God, or the Son of the most high God. But we do not believe that the divinity of Jesus Christ was originated in this conception; therefore his sonship in this sense, was not in his divine nature, for his divine nature was not begotten by this overshadowing; but this begetting was the flesh of Christ, which came of the tribe of Judah and seed of David, according to the scriptures. Christ was both God and man in one person; as God, he was the root of David; as man he was David's son; hence he is called the root and offspring of David; and as God was manifested in the flesh, many of his divine works are spoken of as the works of the Son, and properly too, because the Son performed those works, but performed them by the power, not of his begotten flesh, but of his unbegotten and underived divinity .So we see that the divinity of Christ was not begotten when his flesh was conceived in the womb of Mary. Therefore his being called the Son of God by the overshadowing, is with reference to the flesh of Christ, and not his divine nature, nor do I think any believer in the proper divinity of Christ, will contend, that his divine person was begotten at this time; although some, nay, many, very many, have been vain enough to argue, that he was begotten as God by eternal generation; as if it added some greater honors to him, to be begotten so long ago, than to be begotten at the conception of Mary; but a begotten being is but a begotten being, be him begotten whenever he may; whether in time or eternity; as to eternal generation I know nothing about it; but if there is any such a thing, I would much sooner believe that the human nature was that begotten, than his divine nature or divine person, as it is called. It matters not to me how far back men trace the divine Jesus; if they hold him as God, to be a Son, that is, a begotten being, it is to me so low and so diminutive an idea of the Immanuel, that I cannot believe it to be any better than Arianism under disguise; yet I am fully persuaded that many great men in Israel have believed it, not seeing the dishonor which it attached to the divinity of Christ, to make him a begotten divine person; and while men do not see this, I feel bound in charity , to bear and forbear with my dear brethren, believing that their hearts are much better than their heads on this subject; and that from tradition and education they are blind to the evils of their system. May the good Lord help us all to know and love the truth, and enjoy the freedom which it administers.
Jesus as the Son of God was in existence before his conception or birth of Mary. He was seen by Nebuchadnezzar about 580 years before his birth of Mary , according to Dan.3:25; and his form was like the "Son of God." David in the second Psalm, exhorts the kings to be wise, and "Kiss the Son." But we need not start the Son of God into being in the fiery furnace, for God created the worlds by him, as his Son, according to Heb.1 :2, and as his Son appointed him heir of all things. Now we have traced Jesus under the name Son, back from the gospel era, to the creation of the worlds, and we are done with dates, and therefore cannot tell when he was brought forth; but we are taught the fact, that is, we are taught that he was brought forth before the creation of any part of this world. Read Proverbs 8th chapter, and especially verses 22, 23, 24, 30, 31. From this chapter we are taught, in as plain words as we could now select from our language, that he was brought forth, set up, &c., and all this before the beginning of creation. In the above mentioned chapter this personage, who was brought forth before all worlds, is expressed to be God's delight, rejoicing before him and as being with him. John in the first chapter of his gospel expresses the same; in verse 1, he says of the Word, that it was "with God;" in the 14th verse he says, this "Word was made flesh," and in the 18th verse this Word is called, "The only begotten Son which is in the bosom of the Father." I have showed elsewhere, that both natures: divine and human, was in this Word or wisdom, but it was not the divine nature that was brought forth, set up, &c. , as mentioned in Proverbs, nor that was with God, and in his bosom mentioned by John, but this that was brought forth, and set up, was with God, and was his delight, dwelling in his love, called the bosom of the Father. This was the only begotten Son which is in the bosom of the Father. Now we do see that the Son of God was brought forth before creation, but how long before I cannot tell, for the scriptures have not said, and I will not conjecture. I know there are many who are much opposed to the idea of this early existence of the human nature of the Son of God, and as the scriptures speak of him as a Son, so long before his birth of Mary , they have placed his sonship in his divinity , and hold him to be begotten as God! I have never doubted the divinity of Christ, or that his divinity is the only wise God; but I do not believe that his divinity was begotten, but his human nature being begotten, brought forth and set up, was strictly speaking, the Son of God; yet the human nature being brought forth, begotten, or derived of the divine nature, and on that account in complete subserviency to the divine will, he moves in the very channel prescribed by the divine; so while he is sent into the world, he comes freely, not to do the will of the begotten human nature; but the will of the Father or unbegotten divinity; not to do a work which the begotten son or man had laid out, but to do a work which the Father or begetting divinity had given him to do; and as the Son had heard and learned with the Father so he judged; the Son or human nature did not even seek his own glory .In support of these assertions, read the 8d1 chapter of John, where Christ speaks largely of his own sonship, and we know that his testimony is true. Now some person, who is more tenacious for old tradition than for truth, may try to pervert the above remarks into the appearance of a denial of the proper divinity of the Son of God; but when anyone wishes to pervert the obvious views of a speaker, I think it hardly worth while to spend much time to answer his criticism; but I will here state, once for all, that I am as firm a believer in the divine deity of the Son as any man; and whoever can select words to express it in the highest colors; those are the words I would choose to use, when I express it; and this is reason enough why I should refuse to acknowledge his divinity to be a begotten divine person. The filiation of Christ is in his human nature; which was brought forth before all worlds; and it being properly the Son of God, being derived or brought forth before all worlds, and in every sense in complete agreement or conformity to the divine will, was actuated by it, and voluntarily performed all that the divine nature dictated to be done. Now as the human nature was begotten, and not the divine nature; so the human nature strictly speaking was the Son of God, and not the divine; but both natures being in one person, he is both God and man, in one Christ. The divinity of the Son of God is the MIGHTY GOD, who never was begotten, but was the EVERLASTING FATHER; and his human nature was the begotten Son of the Father. Both these natures, being in one person and proper to him as his own, without delegation from any other person, or being begotten of any other person, or in any sense dependent on any other person; he exists of himself, and by himself, and these two whole and distinct natures, being in one person, he is both God and man, both Father and Son; and as the man was the visible form of the invisible God, and the glory of the divine nature, or God was only visible in the visible man, in whom he was manifested; so this personage is properly called: God or Man, Father or Son, and is called both a given Son and the everlasting Father, in one verse; Isa.9:6. In the first chapter of Revelation, this person is spoken of as appearing to John in the Isle of Patmos; and he declared himself to be both these natures in the same person. In verse 11, he declares, "I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last." When John heard this declaration behind him, he turned to see the voice or who it was that spoke to him; and saw seven golden candlesticks, and in the midst of them, "one like unto the son of man," verse 13; this personage which John says was like unto the son of man, whom he described by his clothing, a "garment down to the foot, and a golden girdle about the paps;" by his head and his hairs, "white like wool, as white as snow," and by his eyes, ''as a flame of fire, and his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters." This august personage had in his right hand seven stars, the hieroglyphics of the angels, or ministers of the seven churches in Asia, [and perhaps may denote ministers in all ages] was in the midst of the golden candlesticks, the hieroglyphics of the churches; "and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength." The overpowering glory of this son of man [whom John calls afterwards the Son of God] was such, that mortality fainted beneath its blazing splendor, and John fell, as dead at his feet; but he laid his right hand upon him, saying, "Fear not; I am the first and the last; I am he that liveth and was dead; and behold I am alive forevermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death." Here are seven particular traits or descriptive characteristics in this personage, and these John distinguishes, at the commencement of the seven epistles, in the second chapter, verses 1, 8, 12, 18, and chapter 3:1, 7, 14. But all these characters are in one person; in the first chapter, and at the 11th and 19th verses, commands John to write these things, and John at the second verse calls his writing, "the testimony of Jesus Christ." The same person that John speaks of in chapter 1, verse 13, as being "one like unto the Son of man;" he calls him in the 2nd chapter, 18th verse, "THE SON OF GOD, who hath his eyes like unto a flame of fire, and his feet are like fine brass." This person here called the "first and the last," "the Alpha and Omega," &c., was surely the unbegotten, underived God; but the same person declares himself to be, him that liveth and was dead; and John says, he was like unto the Son of man. These declarations show his human nature, for his divinity, the first and the last, the Alpha and the Omega, was never dead. But this person, including both natures, fills every character ascribed to him; but if his divinity or divine person was begotten and distinct from the Father, he could not have been called the first; for the Father who begot him was before him; and if the Holy Ghost was another person distinct from them both, he was not the last, for the Holy Ghost proceeded from them; and if he was not the whole triune God he would not have been called "the Alpha and Omega." The Alpha being the first letter in the Greek alphabet, and the Omega the last, the whole alphabet is included between these two letters, and this person being both shows that the whole trinity of God was in him. And as this person was alive, and had been dead, and is called the Son of man, it shows that the human nature was in him; and this same person hath "the seven spirits of God," see chapter 3:1, or the fulness of the Spirit of God, and is the prince of the kings of the earth. So he is the same person whom the prophet speaks of when he said, "Unto us a Son is given, and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, the Mighty God, the everlasting Father, the Prince of peace. " He is both the Son and the everlasting Father in one person, the Son in his human nature, and the Father in his divine nature.
Thus while his Sonship, strictly speaking, belongs to his human nature, which was begotten, and so is called his only begotten Son; [the reader will not be vain enough to think of this begetting in the ordinary sense of the word, but a production brought about by the power or love of God, as Christ was raised from the dead by the power of God, and it is called a begetting, Rev.1: 5, Col.1:18,] yet the eternal Godhead was proper to, and belonged to the same person, so that the divinity of Christ is so far from being tarnished by saying that his sonship, strictly speaking, belongs to his human nature, that it is exalted; for if his divine nature was the Son, strictly speaking, we must admit, that his divine nature was begotten or produced, and this is too degrading an idea of the adorable Jesus. Then God, the unbegotten, underived, self-existent, and independent Jehovah, and the mediator, the man Christ Jesus, were in one person, and did appear to John under a sevenfold character, as both God and man; and being visible in the human nature, and appearing like the son ofman, and possessing all the glories of the deity; he is declared to be the "Son of God." This person was walking in the midst of the golden candlesticks or churches; to show his care and attention to his people; he holds the stars or ministers in his right hand to show how he supplies them; he has the seven spirits of God to store them with gifts and graces; and appears in all the translucent glories of his divine majesty , paternal attention, and humble but deeply interesting sonship. O that he may ever hold his ministers in his right hand. O that his countenance, like the sun in its strength, may dispel every cloud of error from his church. May his eyes like flames strike tenor to the hearts of his enemies, and his voice like the sound of many waters, call his friends to the feast of his love. This person with both natures was both God and man; and John was his disciple and apostle, who would obey his command, in writing for the good of his church; and this is the command, "Unto the angel of the church in Thyatira write, these things saith the SON OF GOD."
This brings me to the second proposition, which is to consider: What we are to understand by a gospel church. The term church is used in different senses in scripture; sometimes for all the elect of God, as in Eph.5:25, 26, 27, 32, and many other places. Sometimes for all true evangelic believers, as in Acts 2:47, 5:11 , 8:1. Sometimes for a particular located body of believers, who for local conveniences have formed themselves into a body, to be governed by the scriptures, and keep up the worship of God socially, and observe the ordinances of the gospel. In this sense I understand the term church to be used in the verse under consideration; for there were seven churches in Asia, and the one mentioned in this verse was in Thyatira. A church in this sense I understand to be any number of believers that may have been baptized [I mean immersed] upon profession of their faith in Christ. All the churches in the apostles' days were composed of such materials. When John came to prepare a people for Christ, or materials for the first gospel church, he came "baptizing with water;" and when Jesus entered on his gospel ministry , he was baptized, and so was manifested to Israel by water. And his disciples by his command continued baptizing, as it is said, "Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John, though Jesus himself baptized not, but his disciples." From the baptism of John, the example of Christ, the continuation of the same practice by the disciples, and the express command of Christ in the commission he gave to the apostles after his resurrection, there remained no doubt of the propriety of water baptism, in order to church membership; so on the day of Pentecost, when many cried out, "What shall we do," being pricked to the heart under Peter's sermon, with a full conviction that Jesus was the Christ, baptism was enjoined upon them, and as many as gladly received the word were baptized, and the same day there was added to the church about three thousand. This was the first gospel church, and we see these were baptized believers. Here in this first church, the members were thus prepared; first, they received the word gladly; secondly, they were baptized; thirdly, they were added to the church. And then they continued steadfastly in the apostle's doctrine, in fellowship, in breaking of bread, and in prayers. This was the first church, and a model for all the rest; and they were built of materials made ready in the same way. So the church at Samaria was built of materials who rejoiced at Philip's preaching, and "when they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God and the name Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women."
The church at Cesarea was formed of the same kind of materials; for when Cornelius had sent for Peter, he went and preached Jesus to them, and when he perceived that they had received the Holy Ghost, he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord; see Acts l0th chapter. In Acts, l6th chapter, you will find that the church at Philippi was formed of similar materials; Lydia, whose heart the Lord opened, and her household which were the brethren, that the apostles comforted; and the jailor who rejoiced, believing in God with all his house; these two families of believers and brethren were all baptized, and so this church was formed.
Read the 18th chapter of Acts, and you will see that the church at Corinth was composed of baptized believers; for when Paul preached in that place, "Crispus, the chief ruler of the synagogue, believed in the Lord, with all his house; and many of the Corinthians hearing, believed, and were baptized." These Paul calls "the church of God, which is at Corinth;" see I Cor.1:2, and declares, I Cor.11:2, "that they kept the ordinances as he had delivered them."
The church at Rome was composed of materials who had been baptized unto Jesus Christ, were baptized into his death, nay such as were buried with him in baptism; see Rom.6:3.
The churches at Galatia, Colosse and Ephesus were all composed of baptized believers, and so the apostle says, Gal.3:26,27, "For ye are the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus, for as many of you as have been baptized into Christ, have put on Christ." This church was therefore composed of baptized believers.
The church at Colosse was composed of saints and brethren in Christ; see Col.1:2, and in chap.2: 12, who were "buried with him in baptism, "&c.
The church at Ephesus was of the same sort of materials. See Acts 19:1, 4, 5. Paul having passed through the upper coasts to Ephesus, and finding certain disciples, said unto them, "John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people that they should believe on him who should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus." On which account he calls them "the saints which are at Ephesus and the faithful in Christ Jesus." Eph.1:1.
Thus we see the primitive church at Jerusalem was a body of baptized believers; and that when a sore persecution arose in that place, the brethren were scattered abroad, and went in different directions, preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ; and when their ministry was blessed, and the people believed, they were baptized and formed a worshipping assembly, under the gospel charter or laws of Christ; and enjoyed amongst themselves as a church all the ordinances of the gospel, or of a gospel church. Therefore we are well supported in saying, that the members of the apostolic churches were baptists, or baptized believers, nor do we read of any church, in the apostles' days, that were not composed of such members. And as the gospel gives us but one model of a church, [that at Jerusalem] and the apostles were as particular in the formation of all the above named churches, to have them baptized believers, as Moses was in building the former tabernacle according to the pattern showed to him in the mount; so the church at Thyatira, seems to have been a congregated body of baptized believers; for this city of Thyatira, was in Asia Minor, and the apostle in Acts 19: 10, says, "All they who dwelt in Asia heard the word of the Lord Jesus, both Jews and Greeks." And it is pointedly said, Acts 11: 14, that "Lydia, who was of this very city , was baptized with her household, and being at Philippi, as a trader when this took place, she probably returned afterwards to Thyatira, her place of residence, and was the seed of the church, which John now writes to; if so, [and it seems to be so] this was a baptized church of believers, and Lydia might be addressed, and the church of God in thy house, as well as another. Thus we have seen the pattern of the first gospel church, and the constant example of the apostles in forming all the other churches after this pattern, that a church in the apostolic sense is a congregated body of baptized believers, who for local convenience have united themselves in a religious society, to be governed by the laws, and maintain the doctrine and ordinances of Christ; and those societies, formed of unbaptized and unbelieving members are not churches in the scripture sense of the word.
This brings us to consider; Thirdly: What are the duties of a gospel church.
This will appear in the following verses of our paragraph. Verse 19, "I know thy works." The "Son of God," the Omniscient Saviour and head of the church, knows the works of his church; for he has called her to his service, and he is in the midst of her, with his scrutinizing eyes like a flame of fire, to discern her works, both inward and outward. Good works as the fruits and evidences of a living faith, is the duty of a church, and the members of a church should provoke and exhort one another to love and good works, and see that good works are maintained for necessary uses; by them the infidels mouth is stopped, by them our faith is declared to be alive, by them we show that we have been with Jesus, by them conviction is offered to gainsayers, and many are constrained by the example of the church, thus abounding in good works, to glorify God. May the Son of God stir up his churches to good works; for I fear many of them are too barren; for I do not see that engagedness amongst them which ought to be; for if they are called on to pray they show too much backwardness, as if it was no part of their religious enjoyment to pray. O that all the churches in this our day would look back with shame, to the first church, and return to the pattern, and "continue steadfastly in the apostles doctrine, in fellowship, in breaking of bread, and in prayers." When this shall be the case, we shall be done hearing these shameful excuses, which now so often disgrace the members of churches -I have no gift; I have no words; as if the Son of God wanted any of their fine words, or the exercise of any better gifts than he has bestowed upon them. I fear a heart and desire, and a practical habit in this work is more wanting than gifts or words. "Lord revive us all, all our help must come from thee."
The Son of God said to his church, "I know thy works, and charity, and service, and faith, and thy patience, and thy works; and the last to be more than the first. " Charity or love endureth all things; it is not puffed up, it thinketh no evil; O this is a fine thing in a church; when it is richly enjoyed by all the members of the church, how sweetly they move along; and when it is freely exercised from one member to another, how easily all difficulties are got out of the way. Service in the cause of God, in the church, and to all the brethren, is the evidence of love or charity , and the fruit of faith; and is called the work of faith and labor of love. O that we may richly enjoy and practically perform them. These accompany a living faith, and enable the church to possess her soul in patience under all her trials, persecutions and distresses. May patience work experience, and experience hope, that maketh not ashamed in all the churches, and in all our hearts.
These were all duties and privileges belonging to the gospel church; but these were not all the duties which belonged to her; for though the Son of God saw, and approved of all these in the church at Thyatira, yet he says, verse 20, "Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols." From this verse it appears that all that was against this church was consequences of suffering Jezebel to teach, &c. , from which we are taught that it is the duty of a church to guard their pulpits, or not to allow false teachers to teach among them. Jezebel was the daughter of Ethbaal, king of the Sidonians. Ahab, the son of Omri, did a greater evil in the sight of the Lord, in marrying her, than any before him; and by her influence, [as it appears] he went and served Baal, an idol, and worshipped him; see I Kings 16: 30, 31, 32, 33. These were sins which Ahab fell into by uniting with Jezebel in marriage. These were not all the sins which were consequent upon this wicked confederation; see I Kings 21st chapter. Here because Naboth would not let Ahab have his vineyard, his covetous heart was grieved so much that he would not eat bread; but Jezebel could devise a plan to put Naboth to death, and secure the vineyard to Ahab; and this she did by two of the sons of Belial, who bore false witness against Naboth before the elders, at the wicked feast which this Jezebel had proclaimed; and Naboth was stoned to death by her deception, and the false witnesses of two of the sons of Beliel; and through this contrivance of fraud and lies, Israel was led to sin. When Jezebel heard that her plan had succeeded, and that Naboth was dead, she told Ahab the news, and his covetous heart was soon cured, and he went down to possess the vineyard; but God sent Elijah, the Tishbite to meet him, and charge him with this crime of murder and robbery; and as a just recompense to pronounce the dreadful sentence of death upon him; and the Lord said of Jezebel that the dogs should eat her blood by the wall of Jezereel. When Ahab was met by Elijah, he said, "hast thou found me, O mine enemy?" and Elijah said, "I have found thee; because thou hast sold thyself to work evil in the sight of the Lord." Then Elijah denounces the dreadful sentence from God upon Ahab, Jezebel, and all their seed. There was none like Ahab, who sold himself to do wickedness in the sight of the Lord; and he did very abominably in following idols, and he was stirred up to all this by Jezebel his wife. I Kings 22nd chapter, we see that Ahab had about four hundred false prophets, and we know of but one true one [Micaiah] and he was abused and imprisoned, smitten on the cheek, and compelled to eat and drink the bread and water of affliction, for refusing to unite his testimony with the false prophets, and for speaking as the Lord directed him. But Ahab was pleased with the flattery and lies of the false prophets, and lost his life, the dogs licking his blood; and Israel now defeated and scattered, as a consequence of his being so credulous of these false prophets. But although Ahab was killed, yet Jezebel continued as before, as we see in II Kings 9th chapter. In this chapter we are informed that Elisha sent a young prophet to anoint Jehu king, who being anointed, went to executing the judgments of God upon the house of Ahab, slew Joram, Ahab's son, and cast his body in the field of Naboth the Jezreelite, and smote Ahaziah, at the going up of Gur, which is by Ibleam. And he fled to Megiddo, and died there. If they asked for peace, Jehu refused, and answered, "What peace so long as the whoredoms of thy mother Jezebel and her witchcrafts are so many." Such were the crimes of this woman, that the blood of the prophets, and the blood of all the servants of the Lord was to be avenged at the hand of Jezebel, and the dogs should eat her in the portion of Jezreel. When Jehu had slain these men, and was come to Jezreel, Jezebel heard of it and painted her face, and tired her head, and looked out at a window, and as Jehu entered the gate, she said, "Had Zimri peace, who slew his master? And he lifted up his face to the window and said, Who is on my side? Who? And there looked out to him two or three eunuchs. And he said, Throw her down. So they threw her down, and some of her blood was sprinkled on the wall, and on the horses, and he trode her under foot," and he called her a cursed woman, and when they went to bury her; the dogs had eaten her, all but her skull and feet, and the palms of her hands. This was according to the word of the Lord by his servant Elijah the Tishbite; saying, "In the portion of Jezreel shall dogs eat the flesh of Jezebel, and the carcass of Jezebel shall be as dung upon the face of the field in the portion of Jezreel, so that they shall not say, this is Jezebel."
This sketch of the history of literal Jezebel shows that she was a worshipper of idols, a supporter of false prophets, a proclaimer of falsehood, a friend to the sons of Beliel, full of whoredoms and witchcraft, a seducer of the king of Israel, a sly persecutor of the prophets of the Lord, that led many to commit religious fornication, and eat things sacrificed to Baal; and although after the sentence of death was pronounced against her by Elijah, she had space to repent, yet she repented not, but still continued to stain the kingdom of Israel with her fornications, until the terrible judgments of God, which had long been gathering like an impending storm, was impetuously poured out upon both her and her children; and Israel was brought to know that the Lord was a jealous God.
Now from this character of the literal Jezebel, we may easily learn what is meant by the mystical Jezebel in the paragraph under consideration. Dr. Gill thinks this mystical Jezebel was the antichristian church of Rome, comparable to Jezebel, the wife of Ahab; as she was the daughter of a heathen, so is Rome papal the daughter of Rome pagan; and as she was the wife of Ahab, and therefore a queen, so the whore of Babylon calls herself; and as Jezebel was famous for her paintings, so the church of Rome for her pretensions to religion and holiness, and for the gaudiness of her worship; and as she was remarkable for her idolatry , whoredoms, witchcrafts, and cruel persecutions of the prophets of the Lord, and for the murder and innocent blood she shed; so the church of Rome, for her idolatrous worship of images, for her whoredoms, and witchcrafts, magic, and devilish arts, many of their popes have been addicted to, and especially for barbarities and cruelties exercised upon the true followers of Christ, and for the blood of the martyrs with which she has been drunken; and as Jezebel stirred up Ahab against good and faithful men, so has this church stirred up the secular powers; emperors, kings, and princes, against the true followers of Christ, and the end of both of them is much alike; as scarce any thing of Jezebel was left, so Babylon the great, the mother of harlots, shall be cast into the sea, and shall be found no more at all. Jezebel in our text calleth herself a prophetess, and literal Jezebel was a great favorer of the prophets of Baal, and familiarly conversed with them, and kept them, even a hundred of them at her table; and the church of Rome pretends to infallible inspiration. Yet I think that any false church, sending out her teachers, under the color of prophets or teachers, to seduce men by a perversion, may be understood as set forth by Jezebel, who calleth herself a prophetess; and although the church of Rome may be primarily intended, and is no doubt included, yet not to the exclusion of all other false churches, with their teachers; and the church is commanded not to invite such into their houses, nor bid them God speed; but this church at Thyatira was guilty of suffering this prophetess to teach; and as a consequence the Lord's servants were seduced to commit fornication, and eat things sacrificed to idols.
Here we are taught, from the complaint against this church, that it is the duty of a gospel church to suffer no false teachers to teach them, their doctrine of seduction, which will eat as doth a canker, and tends to the subversion of the hearers. All doctrine which is calculated to lead the mind and affection from God, or from Jesus Christ, his blood and righteousness, to any other lover, is in scripture spoken of as fornication, or going a whoring after strange gods. I have thought that too many churches in the present day are suffering that woman Jezebel to teach, and on this account the truth is hardly passable in many churches, and on this account many are weakly among them, and many faint. The popular cry is; do this, and do that, and all is well; lay down the sword of the Spirit; don't contend about doctrine; I am tired of war; there is no profit in preaching doctrine; sectarianism is no religion; say nothing hard against others; come let us preach and pray together, and change pulpits occasionally, and be very full of charity; and so we see many churches are going on, and the consequence is, churches are a strange mixture of Arminians and Predestinarians, and in many of them a teacher of the truth would fare but little better than Michaiah did before Ahab; and many are taking the place of that wicked servant that tried to persuade this prophet to speak in agreement with the four hundred prophets of Baal; and are trying to dissuade God's servants from preaching such hard things, as they call the truth. Ask them if it is not the truth; and they will say, O yes, but it is not profitable; as if any truth was unprofitable. This is only a woeful consequence of suffering that woman Jezebel to teach, and she has seduced many of the servants of God to commit fornication, and eat things sacrificed to idols; that is, to feed upon doctrines and traditions which are leading the affections from the Son of God to some other saviour; such as our performances, catechisms, and prayer books. O that times were as in years past, when the very name of a regular Baptist church was enough to teach anyone what were the doctrines held by its members. These are the evils of suffering that woman Jezebel to teach in the churches, until the servants of God are seduced by her. O that all our churches may repent, and no longer suffer Jezebel to teach among them, before the Son of God declares in awful majesty , "I have a few things against thee." These things may apply to modern false teachers, as well as the pope; verse 21, "And I gave her space to repent of her fornication, and she repented not."
As this respects the church of Rome, who had space to repent of her fornication in the days of the Waldenses, and others who bore witness against her to her face, and charged the prophesies concerning the rise of Antichrist home upon her, and denounced the judgments of God against her, as Elijah did against Jezebel; but she repented not, but like Jezebel continued impenitent in her fornication. And as it embraces modem false churches with their teachers, they have space to repent of their fornications, while many of God's servants are traveling from place to place with the word of God in their hands, and its glorious doctrine teeming from their lips, while they refuse all religious alliance with them, and faithfully testify that they are of the family of Jezebel; but like their mother, they will not repent, and as many of the churches will suffer Jezebel to teach, so many are seduced to follow her pernicious ways, by reason of whom the truth is evil spoken of, and by feigned or deceitful words [ambiguous sentences and dark sayings;] such as: Truth is unprofitable, election is licentious, unconditional salvation by grace is discouraging &c. , while they will say, in order to deceive the people, we believe all these points of doctrine are true, but they are unprofitable, and they are very careful never to preach them. Many preachers in this day may be heard; twenty sermons, and the hearer will be at loss to know after all, whether he means salvation by grace or by works, by Moses or by Christ, and these are among the most popular teachers in many of the churches, and by these feigned words they make merchandise of the people. O my brethren, this is the divided state of the servants of God in consequence of suffering Jezebel to teach and seduce God's servants to commit fornication, and eat things sacrificed to idols and although the Son of God has given space to repent, she repented not, and so the 22nd verse shows what the Son of God will do. "Behold, [says he] I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent of their deeds."
Here Jezebel is threatened with being cast into a bed, as she was fond of soft things, and a bed of fornication and adultery. So now she is to be punished in a bed of sickness, to languish and pine away; and them that commit adultery shall go with her into great tribulation, except they repent of their deeds. As this still has an eye to the church of Rome, it denotes the time of the reformation, when she began to decline [grow sickly] and lose her great power and influence with the kings of the earth, who had been committing spiritual whoredom with her was cast into a bed of languishing and diseases, from which they will never recover. And as it applies to modem false churches, and their teachers, it is to show us that the Son of God, who is in his church, will punish this Jezebel and those that are now running after her, and leaving the truth, and treating it with contempt, as an unprofitable, dry , hard system, shall not escape, unless they repent. Jezebel shall be cast into a bed, and pine away, and loose her present popular sway, and those who are now filling an unwarrantable place in her embraces shall go with her into great tribulation, except they repent. Look at the present divided state of the church, and repent, repent for ever suffering Jezebel to teach, and seduce the servants of God. Let her brilliant sons, and her sons-in-law that advocate her cause [false teachers and those preachers who unite with them] tremble when they read the 23rd verse, "And I will kill her children with death, and all the churches shall know that I am he which searcheth the reins and hearts; and I will give unto every one of you according to your works."
The popes, cardinals, priests, Jesuits, monks, friars, and all the children of the church of Rome shall be killed; and also all modem false teachers, who preach the ministration of death instead of life, with all those teachers and churches who bid them God speed, and partake of their evils, shall find that the Son of God is in his church searching their evil hearts and reins, and now will kill them with death, and when these false teachers and those that invite them into their houses, and communions, pulpits, &c. , are all put out of the way, then all the churches shall know that the Son of God, as being the triune God, and sinless man in one person, is he which searcheth the reins and hearts, and will give unto every one of you [those false teachers and their compeers] according to your works. This judgment will come on all the children of Jezebel, and as she has been suffered to teach in the church, she no doubt has children in the church, and when her children are killed, the churches will feel the scourge, but for the comfort of those who have opposed Jezebel and all her children, it is said in verse 24, "But unto you I say, and unto the rest in Thyatira, as many as have not this doctrine," that is, such as had not embraced, nor favored this doctrine of Jezebel, nor joined hands with her children, but have opposed them and her, "and which have not known [or been seduced by their satanic subtlety , which he calls,] the depths of Satan as they speak; to such as these the Son of God says, "I will put upon you none other burden;" that is, these shall bear none other burden, than what they have in opposing this doctrine, and in suffering under the troubles which this doctrine shall cause in these churches, where Jezebel is suffered to teach; but for the encouragement and strength of these faithful servants of Christ, and to fortify their minds, the Son of God exhorts them in verse 25, "But that which ye have already [which is the truth] hold fast till I come." Till the Son of God comes to rid the church of Jezebel and all her children; or till he comes to take his faithful ministers and churches all in one general church to heaven, where Jezebel nor any of her children shall ever be admitted. The 26th verse shows the victory which the Son of God will give to his faithful servants at his coming, "And he that overcometh," that is, not seduced nor overcome by all their persuasions to leave the truth, but overcomes all their fair speeches wherein they lie in wait to deceive," and keepeth my works unto the end;" keepeth the works of the Son of God, his righteousness and blood in point of justification, his works of grace, works of election, of effectual calling, &c. , as his only hope for salvation, and by good works as the fruits of a living faith, and sincere affection to him; "to him will I give power over the nations," that is, over the heathen, or false churches; and false teachers, his power shall be the power of truth, which shall dart like the arrows of the Almighty to the hearts of the King's enemies; and these false teachers which are spread through the nations shall fall before the truth, like old Jezebel and her sons did before Jehu, until it shall no more be said, "Jezebel, is here." The faithful ministers and churches, with all his servants , shall then be advanced, according to verse 27, "And he shall rule them with a rod of iron;" with the word of God, the gospel, which is the power of God unto salvation, and is called the rod of his strength; "as the vessel of a potter shall they be broken to shivers." The heathen nations shall be broken to shivers, and all the seed and doctrines of Jezebel shall break under the rod of God's word and gospel; as a potters vessel would break to shivers beneath the weighty surges of an iron rod, "even as I received of my Father." Christ as Son in the human nature, received a kingdom and power over all flesh from his Father, that is from his divinity , and now he gives his word success, and clothes it with power, to dash in pieces all opposition, and build up and strengthen the subjects of his kingdom, and these who overcome, as one man shall enjoy a special nearness to Christ, according to verse 28, "And I will give him the morning star." Christ is called the morning star, and at the end of this dark night of error the bright morning star will rise to scatter all the darkness of false doctrine, and no more shall his divinity be veiled under the mists of a begotten second person in the Trinity , but the servants of God shall have him as their unbegotten God, to whom they shall pay all their worship; as well as the man who died for their redemption; and in one person they shall see both God and man, and they shall have free access to God arrayed in human nature, and he will give himself to them for their portion, and they shall say, "My beloved is mine and I am his." To these things the attention of all who have ears to hear are called, in verse 29, "He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith to the churches." The Son of God was the speaker of this whole paragraph, but he was declared to be the Alpha, the first, and the Omega, the last, which words are designed to teach us, that this person is properly the Father, as the Son, and that both are in one person, and in this last verse it is said, [as in the close of each of the seven letters to the seven churches] "hear what the Spirit saith," then the words of the Son of God are the words of the Spirit or Holy Ghost, from which we are to understand, that the whole triune God, Father, Word, and Holy Ghost, is in one person, for these several appellations are used in interchange, when the same person is spoken of. Therefore his words are not to be treated as the words of some begotten person, but the words of the ETERNAL JEHOVAH. And under a thorough and solemn conviction of his awful dignity, let every one that hath an ear , hear what the Spirit saith to the churches.
We have in this lecture showed that the filiation of Christ is, in strictness of speech in his human nature, but that the divine nature, though not begotten, was proper to the same person, and taking both natures into view, he is as he is called in Scripture, God and Man, Father and Son, and a Quickening Spirit. O may we all attend to his word, lest at any time we should let them slip.
We have seen what a gospel church is from the model of the church at Jerusalem, and the practice of the apostles in establishing of all the churches in their days. And we have hinted at some of the duties of a gospel church, and their works and worship, and how the church is in duty bound to guard against false doctrine being taught in her particular place of worship; and we have pointed out some of the evils of winking at errors, until some are seduced.
And now may the Son of God keep all the churches from partaking of Jezebel's fornication, and if any of his servants have laid in her embraces, may they hear his voice saying, "Come out of her my people;" and repent, before they are cast with her into great tribulation; for all her children shall be killed with death.
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