(4) John to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace be unto you, and peace, from him which is, and which was, and which is to come; and from the seven Spirits which are before his throne; (5) And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,
The names of these seven Churches we have enumerated in the eleventh verse. And, awful to relate, they are now all of them in the hands of the Turks, and under the horrible delusion of the infamous doctrine of Mahomet; called in this scripture, the false Prophet! Revelation 16:13. See Reader! how sure are God's judgments! While the Church of Christ must stand forever, neither can the gates of hell prevail against it, Nations, that is, professing nations, where that Church hath once flourished, as Ephesus, may be given up to utter ruin. The house of God standeth sure, but the Candlestick is a moveable article in the house; and may be removed, when the iniquity of a land (as Sodom was before its destruction) is full. Oh! who that seriously lays at heart, the deplorable state of our highly favored nation, but finds cause to tremble, lest God should give it up to barrenness, for the wickedness of them that dwell therein. Psalms 107:34. A Christ-despising generation, in which his Godhead is impudently denied in open day, and now, no law to punish the daring offenders!
I admire the very blessed expressions in the Apostle's salutation. What a degree of elevation, the souls of Prophets and Apostles arrived at, under divine influence, when speaking the praises of Jehovah. And how much they all delighted, to celebrate each Person of the Godhead; and each office-character belonging to each Person of the Godhead, as revealed to the Church in the Covenant of grace? And wherefore should New Testament, saints come short of sounding forth, the high praises of the Holy Three in One, who have such increasing causes, in the increasing testimonies of their grace; accumulating, as that grace must daily do, in the swelling tide continually running from age to age through the Church?
I would not insist upon a single point of doctrine, as being confirmed, but upon evidences the most incontestable. But I would humbly ask, are not the sacred Three in One distinctly spoken of in those hallowed words; from Him which is, and which was, and which is to come? From Him, in allusion, as may be supposed, to the divine Unity, and in which the whole Three Persons are included. Which is, and which was, and which is to come; meaning God the Father, Son, and Spirit, in the eternity and unchangeableness of their essence, as God, and in which, each, and all these divine properties; belong to each, and to all. And in their office-character also, which they have most graciously entered into in the Covenant, those distinctions belong to each and to all. For, as their nature and the engagements to each other, respecting the Church, are everlasting; so, to the Church in Christ, it may and must be said of them, which is, and which was, and which is to come. Reader! what a sweet thought is it, that our mercies are everlasting and unchangeable; for the Lord Jehovah from whom they come, is everlasting and unchangeable!
But while we thus give equal glory to the Holy Three in One, both as we contemplate each, and fall in their Personal distinctions, and in their united glory, as the One Eternal Jehovah; we have in this scripture also, very blessed views of each, in those distinctions of character, as they stand in relation to the Church. God the Father in his choice of the Church, in his gift of the Church to Christ, and in all his purposes of grace and mercy flowing from his everlasting love to the Church, both is, and was, and is to come. What God the Father now is, such he always was, and such he always will be, to his Church in Christ. And what God the Holy Ghost, in his everlasting love to the Church now is, such he always was, and such he always will be; and such the Son as God, and as God-Man Mediator. There can be no change in either.
But there is another blessed view this scripture furnisheth, namely, where God the Holy Ghost, in his office-character, as it concerns the Church, is called the seven Spirits which are before the throne. That is not seven persons, for God the Holy Ghost is One in his Person, as are the Person of the Father, and of the Son, but it means God the Spirit, in his sevenfold gifts and graces, diversified to the Church as they are imparted. Seven is a perfect number. And by this perfection, this number is specified, as implying a fullness and perfection of all the gifts and blessings, he imparts to the Church in Christ. And it is blessed to observe, that as the Holy Ghost gives his unction, both to the great Head of the Church, and to all his members, and of the same grace, though not in the same degree; (See John 3:34 with Ephesians 4:7) so, when he anointed Christ and abode upon him, (See John 1:32) as was prophesied, the Lord, the Holy Ghost is said to have done it, in this sevenfold manner. First. He is said to have rested upon him. Secondly. The Spirit of wisdom. Thirdly. Understanding. Fourthly. The Spirit of Counsel. Fifthly. Might. Sixthly. Knowledge. Seventhly. The fear of the Lord, Isaiah 11:2. Reader! what beauties are in the scripture! What wonders do they unfold!
One word more on this glorious beginning of the book of Revelation. John saith also: And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the Prince of the kings of the earth. Here it is very plain, that what is said of Christ, is said of him in relation to his Person and offices, as God-Man Mediator. Not as God only, for then, in that sense, he could not be called the first begotten of the dead. Neither as man only; for then, he could not be the faithful witness, in revealing things of eternity, and testifying to the eternal truths of Jehovah, by his Spirit, in the hearts and consciences of his people. But, by the union of both, God and Man in one Person, he is the faithful witness God hath given to the people; and the Amen, in whom the Church is blessed forever, Isaiah 55:4; Revelation 3:15; Isaiah 65:16. In this sweet and gracious point of view, all that is here said of Christ, is truly blessed. He is t he first begotten of the dead, as he is the first in the beginning of the creation of God. All things were made by him, Colossians 1:15-17. And in resurrection, the first fruits, and the first and sole cause of resurrection, to his members. For though several instances are on scripture record, of the raising of the dead, before Christ arose; yet these were all by his power. This Jesus explained and proved, at the resurrection of Lazarus; when, having called him forth from the grave, he declared himself to be the resurrection and the life: and having said it, gave the specimen of it, by the immediate miracle that followed, John 11:43; John 11:43. By the Prince of the kings of the earth, doth not simply mean, his government of his Church only, but his universal and everlasting monarchy over the whole creation of God. All power is given to me (Jesus himself said) in heaven and earth. So that our Jesus, as God-Man Mediator, hath unlimited sovereignty and dominion, over all the departments of nature, providence, grace, and glory, Matthew 28:18; Ephesians 1:20-23. And add to these, there is a special blessing here spoken of, in reference to his Church; and the Apostle breaks out into an hymn of praise, while he mentions it. Unto him (saith he) that hath loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood; and hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. Reader! do observe the blessedness of what is here said, with a special relation to Christ's Church. The Apostle had before spoken of Christ's unlimited government over all things, but here it is in his relationship to his body the Church. And do observe yet further, the beautiful order of these unspeakable blessings. Unto him that hath loved us, and washed us. Remark, I pray you, that it is his love which is the cause. And his washing us is the effect. I never can say enough to you, nor my own heart also, on all the blessed properties of redemption. What would have become of the whole Church, the whole body of Christ's members, fallen in the Adam-nature of sin and ruin, had not Jesus redeemed them, and washed them in his blood? But, when we have carried this to the highest pitch of our admiration and praise; still the cause of all this is to be extolled and delighted in, before the effect. Reader! let you and I daily, hourly, minutely, bless the whole Godhead, for all our mercies; pardon and peace with all that are connected with this blessedness, in the blood of the cross; but above all these, let us bless God for his love! Oh! who shall describe, what heart shall conceive, the love of God, and of Christ, which passeth knowledge?