1. The person to whom this doxology is directed, * To him ; ' that is, to Jesus Christ, ' the faithful witness, the first begotten from the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth.'
2. The reasons or matter of it. Wherein — (1.) The moving cause of all that Christ hath done for us, ' He loved us.' (2.) The benefit obtained for us, ' He hath washed us from our sins in his own blood.' (3.) The fruit of it, * And made us kings and priests unto God and his Father.'
3. The doxology itself, ' To him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.'
Doct. That the Lord Jesus deserveth everlastingly to be honoured, lauded, and praised by all the saints that make mention of his name.
Jolm having occasionally mentioned Christ, falleth into this doxology.
Beasons. (1.) From what he is ; (2.) For what he hath done for us ; (3.) For the fruits and benefits we have thereby.
I. From what he is. He is described — (1.) To be 'the faithful wit- ness,' who hath made known the will of the Father with all fidelity and certainty. (2.) As one who, being crucified, rose from the dead as our first-fruits, ascertaining our resurrection : ' The first begotten from the dead.' The apostle saith, Col. i. 18, 'The first-born from the dead.' The resurrection is a kind of birth, and Christ is the first-born or first- begotten, because he was the first that rose from the dead in his own
SERMONS UPON REVELATION I. 5, 6. 81
strengtli, and vanquished death. Others were raised before him, but to die again ; they were raised in their own single persons, he as a public person : ' But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the first-fruits of them that slept,' 1 Cor. xv. 20. And he will by the same power raise again all his members to immortality and life. (3.) He is ' the Prince of the kings of the earth ; * one that hath all power given him in heaven and in earth, and is superior to all princes of the world, not only in regard of eminency, as a far greater prince than they, but authority and power over them ; he is their Lord and sovereign as well as ours: as it is said, Dan. iv. 17, ' The Most High ruleth in the kingdoms of men, and giveth them to whomsoever he will.'
1. Observe, these titles are given to Christ with respect to his three offices of king, priest, and prophet. (1.) His prophetical office is implied in that term, ' The faithful Witness ; ' one that hath brought the gospel out of the bosom of God, and plainly and clearly revealed it to the world, and hath confirmed the certainty of it by divers miracles, especially by his death, from which he rose again, and ascended, and poured out the Spirit upon the disciples for a testimony ; and still continueth that dispensation in part of giving the Spirit, so far as to assure the hearts of his people that this is the truth, (2.) His priesthood is implied in that expression, ' The first-begotten from the dead.' He died, and so offered himself as a sacrifice of atonement to God ; he rose again, and is entered within the veil, to continue the exercise of that office by his constant intercession. (3.) His kingly office is implied in that other expression, ' The Prince of the kings of the earth.' They are all his vicegerents, absolutely at his dispose, and can do neither more nor less than he will have them : Mat. xxviii. 13, ' All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.' He hath supreme and absolute authority given him over all things, both in heaven and earth, for the good of the church ; and in the church he is the only head and king, to appoint and maintain the way and means of gather- ing, preserving, ruling the church, and ordering all the affairs thereof to the world's end.
2. Observe, that all these titles are suited to the present occasion of this prophecy, which is to encourage his people to suffer persecution for the gospel's sake. (1.) As he was ' The faithful Witness,' it assured their cause to be right. The gospel is called ' The testimony of Jesus Christ,' ver. 2. He declared nothing to us but the will of "God. The flesh hath such a value for and tenderness of its interests, that men will soon distinguish themselves out of their duty if there be the least doubtfulness in the cause for which they suffer, or any suspicion of it. Therefore now, when dreadful troubles attended the profession of the gospel, he setteth forth Christ as ' The faithful Witness,' to heighten their zeal. As also, Rev. iii. M, 'These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true Witness.' (2.) As he was ' The first-begotten from the dead,' it still encourageth them more, by assuring them of a joyful resurrection if their lives should flill in this quarrel and conflict. This should allay all the fears of death. Christ is not called the first-born of the living, but the first-born from the dead, to own a relation to us in every condition, dead as well as living: he, as the first-born, rose as a pledge and pattern of what should be done to us. (3.) As 'Prince