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Commentary Index | Return to PrayerRequest.com | DownloadWilliam Burkitt Notes and Observations - Revelation 22:10 - 22:10
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Observe here, 1. A strict charge given unto St. John, not to seal or close up the words of this prophecy, but to publish and make it known for the use and benefit of the church, for which reason this book is called a revelation: Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book.
Where mark, That although this book be the obscurest part of the scripture, yet it is Christ's command that it should not be concealed from the knowledge of the people: how sacrilegious then is the practice of the church of Rome in robbing the common people of all the scriptures, locking them up in an unknown tongue, and forbidding the people to read the same!
Observe, 2. How the Holy Ghost here pre-occupates an objection, which St. John might be ready to make, "If I seal not up, but make known this prophecy, the wicked men of the world, persecutors especially, will be made worse by it; they will be unjust still, and filthy still, and more so than ever." Be it so, says he, yet the righteous will be more confirmed in their course of obedience: and such as are holy, will be holy still, and such as are righteous, will be righteous still. There is, we see, a dangerous perseverance in sin, as well as a desirable perseverance in grace and holiness; let him that is unclean, be unclean still.
Where mark, this is no permission, much less a persuasion, to sin, but a dreadful threatening or commination, that such as give up themselves to sinning, shall be judicially given up by God to sin as a punishment; such a liberty as this to sin, is the worst of bondage.
Again, he that is holy, let him be holy still; the words carry with them not only the force of a command, and the direction of a rule, but the sweetness of a promise, and a gracious privilege that they shall persevere in holiness unto the end.