Revelation 5

How does this make heaven ring of the saints' praises? They sing Hallelujahs to Christ their Savior (Revelation 5:9). They sang a new song, saying, You are worthy to take the book, and to open the seals; for you were slain, and have redeemed us to God by your blood.

His scepter (Hebrews 1:8), A scepter of righteousness is the scepter of your kingdom. 3. His escutcheon, or coat of arms, he gives the Lion in his arms (Revelation 5:5), The lion of the tribe of Judah. And he is, the text says, 〈in non-Latin alphabet〉, King of Kings.

If a man redeem another out of debt, will not he be grateful? How deeply do we stand obliged to Christ, who has redeemed us from hell and damnation (Revelation 5:9): And they sang a new song, saying, you are worthy to take the book, and open the seals, for you were slain, and ha…

Many are full of murmurings and discontents, but seldom do they bring glory to God by giving him the praise due to his name. We read of the saints having harps in their hand (Revelation 5:8): the emblem of praise: many have tears in their eyes, and complaints in their mouth, but…

Christ takes the dross out of our prayer, and presents nothing to his Father but pure gold. Christ mingles his sweet odors with the prayers of the saints (Revelation 5:8). Think of the dignity of his person, he is God; and the sweetness of his relation, he is a Son.

Psalm 71:8. Let my mouth be filled with your praise, and with your honor all the day. Revelation 5:13. Blessing, honor, glory and power be to him that sits upon the throne. Blessing God is honoring of God.

There is much ascribed to Christ's intercession, but his intercession had not prevailed with God for the forgiveness of one sin, had he not shed his blood. It is worth our notice, that when Christ is described to John as an intercessor for his church, he is represented to him in…

Now whereas he is the head and King of the Church, the next immediate and special law-giver of it appointing to it all his ordinances, and its whole worship, as it becomes him who is Lord of the house, the institutions of the Gospel worship are his most especial commands. And in…

Nor can any thing be more mysteriously glorious, than the furniture of his person as Mediator, with all fullness of power, wisdom and grace for the accomplishment of his work (John 1:16; Colossians 1:18, 19; Chapter 2:9; Philippians 2:5, 6, 7, 8, 9). The work that he wrought in…

This the whole Scripture testifieth to, namely, a real communication of glory to Christ by the Father after his ascension which he had not before. See Luke 24:16; John 17:24; Acts 2:33; Acts 5:31; Romans 14:9; Ephesians 1:20, 21, 22, 23; Philippians 2:9, 10, 11; Hebrews 1:3; Cha…

The partition wall is broken down, and the gates of the new Jerusalem are set open to all comers upon the Gospel invitation. This is frequently taken notice of in the Scripture; see Matthew 28:19; Mark 16:15; John 11:51, 52; John 12:32; Acts 11:18; Acts 17:30; Galatians 5:6; Eph…

But there is no ground to conceit or fancy such distinct places in heaven above; yes, it is contrary to the Scripture so to do: for the residence of the holy angels is before and about the throne of God. So are they always placed in the Scripture (Daniel 7:10; Matthew 18:10; Rev…

In the close of the whole they affirm, that the obtaining of everlasting salvation by Christ, was not an act antecedent to his entering into Heaven, as the word seems to import, [〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉], having obtained; but it was done by his entrance itself into that Holy P…

He was sent of God into the World on this great errand, for this great work; and he returned not to him, he appeared not in the presence of him that sent him, until he had fulfilled it, and was ready in all things to give an account of it to the eternal glory of God. In this his…

With express respect hereunto, the Apostle Peter affirms, that we were redeemed with the precious blood of Christ, as of a Lamb without blemish and without spot (1 Peter 1:18). And Christ is not only called the Lamb of God, which takes away the sins of the world (John 1:29), tha…

This same Jesus is our Savior in every state and condition, the same on the Cross and the same at the right hand of the Majesty on high. Hence he is still represented in Heaven as a Lamb slain (Revelation 5:6). And all apprehensions to the contrary are destructive to the whole f…

(2.) The representation of his death, oblation and sacrifice for us, which gives power, life and efficacy to his intercession. From there he appears in the midst of the Throne as a Lamb that had been slain (Revelation 5:8). Both these are required to make his intercession sacerd…

And when they were to publish the birth of the Messiah, they begin on this manner, glory to God in the highest heavens, peace on earth. And John in his vision heard the angels about the throne, crying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb, etc. to receive power, riches, and stre…

7. From that [with ten thousand of Saints] At Christ's appearance his train shall consist of multitudes of Saints and holy Angels. Now they are but as two or three berries upon the top of the uppermost bough, scattered here and there, as God has work and service for them to do,…

The saints departed pray to God by giving thanks to him for their own redemption and for the redemption of the whole Church of God upon earth. Revelation 5:8-9: The four beasts and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, and they sang a new song: You are worthy to take…

I had rather be environed with armies of armed men, and compassed round about with drawn swords, and instruments of death, than that the least praying saint should bend the edge of his prayers against me, for there is no standing before the prayers of the saints. You may see thr…

The whole frame of providence is for one entire design. It is one entire book with seven seals (Revelation 5:1). The beginning of a book as well as the middle has relation to the end.

It's the peculiarity of grace that commends it to the souls of believers, and makes it wonderful to them; that God should have taken notice of them that were by nature separate from God as well as others; that their case being common, his love should be peculiar, is indeed just…

That which is a great ground of thankfulness for election, effectual calling, justification, etc. is because these mercies are peculiar; even so that which makes the redeemed thankful for redemption, is because they are redeemed and bought when others are left. Hence is that son…

Third, because without this, people can never love Christ; for it is this benefit of justification, and pardon of sin, that much engages them to love and praise him. Because (say and sing the redeemed, Revelation 5:9) "You have redeemed us to God by your blood, you are worthy to…

This way of justification makes Christ's death wondrous lovely, and it is on this that the song of the redeemed is founded (Revelation 1:5). To him that loved us and washed us from our sins in his own blood, and has made us kings and priests to God, and his Father, to him be glo…

It is of as many as are justified — the iniquities of such He bore, and of no more. 2. It serves to provoke you that have gotten in Christ this privilege, to be very thankful; this is it that makes the song of praise heartsome (Revelation 5:9): "You have redeemed us to God by yo…

5. Shall that grand expression of the special love of God be made common, by extending it to all the world, the greatest profligates and atheists not excepted, not Pharaoh, nor Ahab, not Judas the traitor, nor Julian the Apostate, in fact, nor any of all the damned reprobates wh…

3. Of two equally disposed and fitted for conversion, though none be fitted aright, he calls one of mere grace, and not the other. 4. Grace is so great that, (Revelation 5:11) when ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands, are set on work to sing, (verse 12) W…

All these say Christ is no niggard of grace. And 4. can they not wear and out-spend their harps, who fall down before the Lamb (Revelation 14) and (Revelation 5:8) who with a loud voice, praise the grace of God. Verse 12: For ever and ever?

So (Deuteronomy 10:20): "You shall fear the Lord your God, and serve him." Christ expounds it (Luke 4:8) exclusively: "You shall serve only the Lord," because it is the prerogative of God to be worshipped, as it is a prerogative of grace to be the ransomed and redeemed of God (D…

And the Apostle affirmes this of his humane nature, (as was said) for he speaks of that nature that was tempted here below. And therefore the Lambe that was slaine, and so the man Christ Jesus, is Revelation 5:6 said to have seven eyes, as well as seven hornes; which seven eyes…

Our enemy is vigilant and strong, it is enough for us, that our Redeemer is merciful and faithful in succoring the tempted, and able to master the tempter, and defeat all his methods. Christ has conquered him both as a Lamb and as a Lion (Revelation 5:5, 8). The notion of a Lamb…

Oh fools and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken, ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to have entered into his glory. 6. The redemption of the church by Christ is the talk and discourse we shall have in heaven, the angels and glorified spir…

Nor yet remembering that the Scripture has great majesty joined with simplicity, and as great difficulty mixed with plainness and facility; and therefore not unfittingly resembled by Saint Gregory to the main ocean in which the lamb may wade and the elephant may swim. For the Sp…

But now all are indifferently received. Some expound this place generally, that the Gentiles shall be priests: that is to say, shall offer themselves to God; for so the scriptures in many places calls all by the name of a royal priesthood: (Exodus 19:6), (1 Peter 2:9), (Revelati…

But he who pays a man's debt for him, and so delivers him from slavery, cannot be said to purchase an estate for him, merely because he sets him at liberty, so that henceforth he has an opportunity to get an estate by his own labor. So that according to this scheme, the saints i…

Revelation 5:5-6 — And one of the elders said to me, Weep not; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has prevailed to open the scroll and to loose its seven seals. And I looked, and behold, in the midst of the throne and of the four living creatures, and in…

The continuation of all your mercies and comforts, outward as well as inward, is the fruit of his Intercession in Heaven for you. For look, as the offering up of the Lamb of God a Sacrifice for sin, opened the door of mercy at first; so his appearing before God as a Lamb that ha…

In which words Pseudo-Dionysius, Gregory, and Aquinas, with sundry of the schoolmen, have coined a distinction of angels into ministrantes, those that minister to God, and assistentes, those that stand before him. Whereas the whole intendment of the expression is, that all the a…

Secondly, their several employments also did greatly differ. The work of Angels was immediately to attend the Throne of God, to minister before him, and to give glory to him, and to execute the commands of his Providence in the government of the works of his hands (Psalm 68:17;…

But as the Sacrifices of Beasts could not have been before the entrance of sin, so it may be evidenced that they were instituted from the foundation of the world, that is presently after the entrance of sin. Christ is called the Lamb of God, Johnn 1:29. which he was in reference…

And since the reformation, the church's persecutions have been beyond all that ever were before. Though some parts of God's church sometimes have had rest, yet to this day, for the most part, the true church is very much kept under by its enemies, and some parts of it under grie…

If God shut up a man, who can open (Job 12:14)? As there was none found in heaven or earth, that could open the seals of that book (Revelation 5:5), so is there no opening by the hand of the most able and skillful ministry, those seals of hardness, blindness and unbelief, thus i…

2. That Christ by the blood of his cross has made peace between God and the Brasilians, who so lived and died without the Gospel; that Christ has satisfied upon the cross for their sins against the Law, and borne their sins in his own body on the tree; that Brasilians being dead…

2. Our righteousness from the time forward shall not only be inherent; for the righteousness of God is an everlasting righteousness (Daniel 9:24), and how that robe of Christ's surety-righteousness shall in the state of glory, be laid by as an old useless garment, and the robe o…

For 2. There should have been there no new heaven nor new earth, no chair of estate, no high lifted up throne for the power of the kings of the earth, who has loved us, and washed in his blood. Nor 3. Should there have been any new song, nor any such redeemed musicians, who sing…

And according to the prospect which we have of that glory, ought our admiration to be. And this admiration will issue in adoration and thanksgiving; whereof we have an eminent instance and example in the whole church of the redeemed (Revelation 5:9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14). They san…

This is that love of Christ wherein he is glorious, and wherein we are by faith to behold his glory. A great part of the blessedness of the saints in heaven, and their triumph therein, consists in their beholding of this glory of Christ, in their thankful contemplation of the fr…

Our Lord Jesus was more admired for his controlling and commanding the unclean spirits, than for any other of the cures he wrought: Unruly passions are unclean spirits, legions of which some souls are possessed with, and desperate outrageous work they make: The soul becomes like…