Chapter 1
Although the Revelation is a compendium of intricate visions and obscure prophecies, containing almost as many mysteries as words, yet that cloud overshadows the prophetical part only; which begins where this chapter (with the doctrinal part) ends: here the waters are found no deeper than in other places of Scripture; but if we go a little farther they become an overflowing flood. Hitherto we touch ground, but a step farther delivers us into the deeps, which are above the head of the tallest Christians: here the Spirit speaks doctrinally, and clearly; but in the following chapters mystically, and in great obscurity.
Seven epistles are found in this doctrinal part, immediately dictated from heaven, and sent by John to the seven churches of Asia, to instruct, correct, encourage, and confirm them, as their several cases required.
My text falls in the last epistle, sent to the church of Laodicea; the worst, and most degenerate of all the rest. The best had their defects, and infirmities; but this labored under the most dangerous disease of all. The fairest face of the seven had some spots, but a dangerous disease seems to have invaded the very heart of this.
Not that all were equally guilty, but the greatest part (from which the whole is named) were lukewarm professors; who had a name to live, but were dead, who being never thoroughly engaged in religion, easily embraced that principle of the Gnostics which made it a matter of indifference to own or deny Christ in time of persecution. The most convenient doctrine that some professors are acquainted with. This lukewarm temper Christ hated; he was sick of them, and loathed their indifference: 'I wish,' said he (verse 16), 'you were either cold or hot'; an expression of the same force as that in 1 Kings 18:21, 'How long halt you between two opinions?' And is manifestly translated from the qualities of water, which is either cold, or hot; or lukewarm, a middle temper between both, and more nauseous to the stomach than either of the former. Cold is the complexion and natural temper of those that are wholly alienated and estranged from Christ and religion. Hot is the gracious temper of those that know and love Jesus Christ in an excelling degree. Lukewarm, or tepid, is the temper of those who have too much religion to be esteemed carnal, and too little to be truly spiritual; a generation that is too politic to venture much, and yet so foolish as to lose all: they are loath to forsake truth wholly, and more loath to follow it too closely: the form of religion they embrace as an honor, the power of it they judge a burden.
This is that temper which the Lord hates; and this was the disease of Laodicea, which Christ the great and only heart-anatomist and soul-physician discovers in verse 17, and prescribes a cure for it in verse 18. So that the words resolve themselves into two parts: first, a faithful discovery; secondly, a proper remedy, of the disease of Laodicea.
First, their disease is faithfully discovered to them, both in its symptoms, cause, and aggravation.
First, its symptom: an unconcerned, indifferent, regardless spirit in matters of religion; neither hot, nor cold; the true temper of formal professors, who never engaged themselves thoroughly and heartily in the ways of God, but can take, or leave, as times govern, and worldly interest comes to be concerned.
Secondly, its cause and root, which is the defect and want of the truth, and power of inward grace; noted in these expressions: 'You are wretched, and miserable, poor, blind, and naked'; that is, you are destitute of a real principle, a solid work of grace; these five epithets do all point at one and the same thing; namely, the defectiveness and rottenness of their foundation. The two first, wretched and miserable, are more general, concluding them in a sad condition, a very sinful and lamentable estate: the three last, poor, blind, and naked, are more particular, pointing at those grand defects, and flaws in the foundation, which made their condition so wretched and miserable.
First, poor, that is, void of righteousness, and true holiness before God; these are the true riches of Christians, and whoever lacks them is poor, and miserable; however much he may have in gifts of the mind, or treasures of the earth.
Secondly, blind, that is, without spiritual illumination, and so knowing neither their disease, nor their remedy; the evil of sin, or necessity of Christ.
Thirdly, naked, without Christ, and his righteousness. Sin is the soul's shame and nakedness. Christ's pure and perfect righteousness is its covering, or garment: this they lacked, however richly their bodies were adorned. These were Laodiceans, that is, a just, righteous people; (according to the notion of that word) whose garments with which they covered themselves, were made of the home-spun thread of their own righteousness.
Thirdly, the disease of Laodicea is here opened to them in its aggravations. 'You say I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; but do not know,' etc.
To be really graceless, and Christless is a miserable condition; but to be so, and yet be confidently persuaded of the contrary, is more miserable: to have the very symptoms of death upon us, and yet tell those that pity us that we are as well as they, is lamentable indeed.
O the efficacy of a spiritual delusion! This was their disease, gracelessness, and the aggravation of it was their senselessness.
Secondly, we have a proper remedy prescribed (verse 18): 'I counsel you to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that you may be rich,' etc. In which we have to consider, first, what is prescribed for the cure; secondly, where it is to be had; thirdly, how to be obtained.
First, what are the remedies prescribed, and they are three: gold, white raiment, and eye-salve. First, gold: the cure of poverty; indeed, gold tried in the fire, that is, grace that has been variously proved already, and the more it is proved, the more its truth will be conspicuous. The next is white raiment, the remedy against nakedness. And lastly, eye-salve, the effectual cure of blindness. Under these choice metaphors, more choice and excellent things are shadowed, even spiritual graces, real holiness, more precious than gold. Christ's imputed righteousness, the richest garment in all the wardrobe of heaven; and spiritual illumination, the most excellent eye-salve that ever was or can be applied to the mental eye or understanding of man in this world.
Secondly, where these precious remedies may be had, and you find Christ has the monopoly of them all; 'of me,' says Christ in the text; he is the repository of all graces. Angels, ministers, ordinances, cannot furnish you with them, without Christ.
Thirdly, how they may be obtained from him; 'buy of me': on this place Estius and others build their doctrine of merit; which is to build a superstructure of hay and stubble upon a foundation of gold. The very language of the text itself destroys such conceits: for what have they that are poor, wretched, miserable, and want all things, to give as a price, or by way of merit, for those inestimable treasures of grace? 'Buying,' therefore, in this place, can signify or mean no more than the acquisition, coming, or obtaining these things from Jesus Christ in the use of such means and methods as he has appointed, and in the use of these we merit grace no more than the patient merits of his physician by coming to him and carefully following his prescriptions in the use of such medicines as he freely gives him: and that place, Isaiah 55:1 (from which this phrase seems to be borrowed) fully clears it: 'He that has no money, let him come and buy wine, and milk, without money and without price.'
From all which, these three observations fairly offer themselves to us.
Doctrine 1: That many professors of religion are under very great and dangerous mistakes in their profession.
Doctrine 2: That true grace is exceeding precious, and greatly enriches the soul that possesses it.
Doctrine 3: That only that is to be accounted true grace which is able to endure all those trials appointed, or permitted for the discovery of it.
The first doctrine naturally rises out of the scope of the text, which is to awaken and convince unsound professors.
The second from the use the Holy Ghost makes of the best and choicest things in nature, to shadow forth the inestimable worth and preciousness of grace.
And the third, from that particular, and most significant metaphor of gold tried in the fire; by which I here understand, a real and solid work of grace, evidencing itself to be so, in all the proofs and trials that are made of it; for whatever is probational to grace, and puts its soundness and sincerity to the test, is to it what fire is to gold. In this sense it is used in Scripture, Psalm 66:10: 'You have tried us as silver is tried'; and Zechariah 13:9: 'I will bring the third part through the fire and will refine them as silver is refined, and try them as gold is tried.' So that whatever it is which examines and tries grace, whether it be sound and sincere, that is the fire Christ here speaks of; and such grace as abides these trials, is the gold here intended.
