The works of the Reverend and learned John Lightfoot D. D., late Master of Katherine Hall in Cambridge such as were, and such as never before were printed : in two volumes : with the authors life and large and useful tables to each volume : also three maps : one of the temple drawn by the author himself, the others of Jervsalem and the Holy Land drawn according to the author's chorography, with a description collected out of his writings.

REVEL CHAP. XXII.

FROM Ezekiel Chap. 47. and from several passages of Scripture besides, John doth still magnifie the glory, happiness and holiness of the new Jerusalem: Lively waters of clear Doctrine teaching Christ and life by him flowing through it continually, Ezek. 7. 1, 9. Cant. 4. 15. The Tree of Life lost to Adam, and Para∣dise shut up against him, to keep him from it, here restored. Then a curse, here There shall be curse no more, vers. 3. See Zech. 14. 11. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Anathe∣ma non erit amplius, &c. He concludeth, These sayings are faithful and true, so he had said before at the marriage of the Lamb, Chap. 19. 9. and again at his begin∣ning of the story of the new Jerusalem, Chap. 21. 5. referring to the several Pro∣phesies that had been of these things, and now all those sayings and Prophesies were come home in truth and faithfulness. He is commanded not to seal his Book, as Daniel was, Dan. 12. 4. because the time of these things was instantly beginning, and Christs coming to reveal his glory in avengement upon the Jewish Nation and cast∣ing them off, and to take in the Gentiles in their stead was now at the door, with∣in three and an half or thereabout to come, if we have conjectured the writing of this Book to its proper year. There are two years more of Nero, and one of con∣fusion in the Roman Empire in the Wars of Otho, Vitellius and Vespasian, and the next year after Jerusalem falls.

And thus if this Book of the Revelation were written last of the Books of the New Testament, as by the consent of all it was, then may we say, Now was the whole will of God revealed and committed to writing, and from henceforth must

Vision and Prophesie and Inspiration cease for ever. These had been used and im∣parted all along for the drawing up of the mind of God into writing, as also the appearing of Angels had been used, for the further and further still revealing of his will, and when the full revelation of that was compleated, their appearing, and revelations to men must be no more. So that this Revelation to John was the topping up and finishing of all revelations. The Lord had promised that in the last days [of Jerusalem] he would pour down of his Spirit upon all flesh, Act. 2. 17. And Christ promised to his Apostles, that he would lead them into all truth, John 16. 12, 13. To look for therefore the giving of those extraordinary gifts of the Spirit be∣yond the fall of Jerusalem there is no warrant; and there is no need, since when the inspired penmen had written all that the Holy Ghost directed to write, All truth was written.

It is not to be denied indeed, that those that had these extraordinary gifts before the fall of Jerusalem, if they lived after, had them after, for the promoting of these ends for which they were given, but there is neither ground nor reason whereupon to believe, that they were restored to the next generation, or were or are to be im∣parted to any generation for ever. For as it was in Israel at the first setling of their Church, so was it in this case in the first setling of the Gospel. The first fathers of the Sanhedrin in the wilderness, were indued with Divine gifts, such as we are speak∣ing of, Numb. 11. 25. but when that generation was expired, those that were to suc∣ceed in that Function and Imployment, were such as were qualified for it by educa∣tion, study and parts acquired. So was it with this first age of the Gospel and the ages succeeding. At the first dispersing of the Gospel, it was absolutely needful that the first planters should be furnished with such extraordinary gifts, or else it was not possi∣ble it should be planted. As this may appear by a plain instance. Paul comes to a place where the Gospel had never come, he stays a month or two and begets a Church, and then he is to go his way and to leave them: Who now in this Church is fit to be their Minister? They being all alike but very children in the Gospel: but Paul is direct∣ed by the Holy Ghost to lay his hands upon such and such of them, and that bestows upon them the gift of Tongues and Prophesying, and now they are able to be Mini∣sters and to teach the Congregation. But after that generation, when the Gospel was setled in all the world, and committed to writing, and written to be read and studied: then was studdy of the Scriptures the way to inable men to unfold the Scriptures and fit them to be Ministers to instruct others: and Revelations and Inspirations neither needful nor safe to be looked after, nor hopeful to be attained unto. And this was the reason why Paul coming but newly out of Ephesus and Crete, when he could have ordained and qualified Ministers with abilities by the imposition of his hands, would not do it, but left Timothy and Titus to Ordain, though they could not bestow those gifts: because he knew the way that the Lord had appointed Mini∣sters thenceforward to be inabled for the Ministry, not by extraordinary infusions of the Spirit, but by serious study of the Scriptures, not by a miraculous, but by an ordinary Ordination. And accordingly he gives Timothy himself counsel to study, 1 Tim. 4. 13. though he were plentifully indued with these extraordinary indowments, 1 Tim. 4. 14. And Paul himself had his Books for study, or he had them to no pur∣pose, 2 Tim. 4. 13.

And indeed it had been the way of God, he hath instructed his people by a studious and learned Ministry, ever since he gave a written word to instruct them in. 1. Who were the standing Ministry of Israel all the time from the giving of the Law to the Captivity into Babel? Not Prophets, or those inspired men [for they were but occasional Teachers, and there were often long spaces of time where∣in no Prophet appeared] but the Priests and Levites that became Learned in the Law by study, Deut. 33. 10. Hos. 46. Mal. 2. 7. And for this end as hath been touch∣ed, they were disposed into forty eight Cities of their own, as so many Universi∣ties, where they studied the Law together, and from thence were sent out into the several Synagogues to teach the people: and had the Tithes paid them for their main∣tenance whilest they studied in the Universities, and for their preaching in the Sy∣nagogues. And it may be observed that even they that had the prophetick spirit did not only study the Scriptures themselves, Josh. 1. 8. Dan. 9. 1. but sent the people for instruction to the Priests who were students and the standing Ministry, Hag. 2. 11. Mal. 2. 7. 2. If you consider the times under the second Temple, then it was utterly impossible that the people should be taught but by a studious and learned Ministry; for the spirit of Prophesie was departed, and the Scriptures were then in an un∣known Tongue, to all but Students. And hence they had an interpreter in every Synagogue to render into the Vulgar, what was read in the Law and the Prophets in

the Original. So that the Spirit of God inspired certain persons whom he pleased to be the revealers of his will till he had imparted and committed to writing what he thought fit to reveal under the Old Testament, and when he had compleated that, the Holy Ghost departed, and such inspirations ceased. And when the Gospel was to come in, then the Spirit was restored again, and bestowed upon several persons for the revealing further of the mind of God, and compleating the work he had to do, for the setling of the Gospel, and penning of the New Testament, and that being done, these gifts and inspirations cease, and may no more be expected then we may expect some other Gospel yet to come.