read also of its spiritual signification, to wit, that it was a token
of the firmness of the covenant that God made with Noah, as touching
his not drowning the earth any more with the waters of a flood. ‘I do
set,’ saith he, ‘my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a
covenant between me and the earth. And it shall come to pass, when I
bring a cloud over the earth, that the bow shall be seen in the cloud.
And I will remember my covenant which is between me and you, and every
living creature of all flesh: and the waters shall no more become a
flood to destroy all flesh’ (Gen 9:13-15). The first use, therefore, of
the rainbow, it was to be a token of a covenant of mercy and kindness
to the world; but that was not the utmost end thereof. For that
covenant was but a shadow of the covenant of grace which God hath made
with his elect in Christ, and that bow but a shadow of the token of the
permanency and lastingness of that covenant. Wherefore the next time we
read of the rainbow is in the first of Ezekiel, and there we read of it
only with reference to the excellencies of its colour; for that it is
there said to be exactly like the colour of the glory of the man that
the prophet there saw as sitting upon a throne (v 28). The glory, that
is, the priestly robes; for he is a priest upon the throne, and his
robes become his glory and beauty (Zech 6:13). His robes—what are they
but his blessed righteousness, with the skirts of which he covereth the
sinful nakedness of his people, and with the perfection of which he
decketh and adorneth them, ‘as a bride adorneth herself with her
jewels’ (Exo 28:2; Eze 16:8; Isa 61:10).
Now here again, in the third place, we find a rainbow, a rainbow round
about the throne; round about the throne of grace. A rainbow—that is, a
token of the covenant, a token of the covenant of grace in its
lastingness; and that token is the appearance of the man Christ. The
appearance—that is, his robes, his righteousness, ‘from the appearance
of his loins even upward,’ and ‘from the appearance of his loins even
downward’ (Eze 1:27); even down to the foot, as you have it in the book
of the Revelation (1:13). ‘As the appearance of the bow that is in the
cloud in the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness round
about. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the
Lord’ (Eze 1:28). The sum then is, that by the rainbow round about the
throne of grace upon which God sitteth to hear and answer the petitions
of his people, we are to understand the obedential righteousness of
Jesus Christ, which in the days of his flesh he wrought out and
accomplished for his people; by which God’s justice is satisfied, and
their person justified, and they so made acceptable to him. This
righteousness, that shines in God’s eyes more glorious than the rainbow
in the cloud doth in ours, saith John, is round about the throne. But
for what purpose? Why, to be looked upon. But who must look upon it?
Why, God and his people; the people when they come to pray, and God
when he is about to hear and give. ‘And the bow shall be in the cloud’;
says God, ‘and I will look upon it, that I may remember the everlasting
covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is
upon the earth’ (Gen 9:16). And, I say, as the bow is for God to look
on, so it is also for our sight to behold. A rainbow round about the
throne, in sight; in whose sight? in John’s and his companions, like
unto an emerald.
We read of Solomon’s great throne of ivory, that though there was not
its like in any kingdom, yet he was not willing that the bow of it
should stand before him. It was round behind (1 Kings 10:18-20). O! but
God’s throne has the bow before, even round about to view, to look upon
in sight. Solomon’s was but a shadow, and therefore fit to be put
behind; but this is the sum and substance, and therefore fit to be
before, in view, in sight, for God and his people to behold. Thus you
see that a rainbow is round about the throne of grace, and what this
rainbow is. Look then, when thou goest to prayer, for the throne; and
that thou mayest not be deceived with a fancy, look for the rainbow
too. The rainbow, that is, as I have said, the personal performances of
Christ thy Saviour for thee. Look, I say, for that, it is his
righteousness; the token of the everlastingness of the covenant of
grace; the object of God’s delight, and must be the matter of the
justification of thy person and performances before God. God looks at
it, look thou at it, and at it only (Psa 71:16). For in heaven or
earth, if that be cast away, there is nothing to be found that can
please God, or justify thee. If it be said faith pleases God; I answer,
faith is a relative grace; take then the relative away, which, as to
justification, is this spangling robe, this rainbow, this righteousness
of Christ, and faith dies, and becomes, as to what we now treat of,
extinct and quenched as tow.
And a very fit emblem the rainbow is of the righteousness of Christ;
and that in these particulars. 1. The rainbow is an effect of the sun
that shines in the firmament; and the righteousness by which this
throne of grace is encompassed, is the work of the Son of God. 2. The
rainbow was a token that the wrath of God in sending the flood was
appeased; this righteousness of Christ is that for the sake of which
God forgiveth us all trespasses. 3. The rainbow was set in the cloud,
that the sinful man might look thereon, and wax confident in common
mercy; this righteousness is showed us in the word, that we may by it
believe unto special mercy. 4. The bow is seen but now and then in the
cloud; Christ’s righteousness is but here and there revealed in the
Word. 5. The bow is seen commonly upon, or after rain; Christ’s
righteousness is apprehended by faith upon, or soon after the
apprehensions of wrath. 6. The bow is seen sometimes more, sometimes
less; and so is this righteousness, even according to the degree or
clearness of the sight of faith. 7. The bow is of that nature, as to
make whatever you shall look upon through it, to be of the same colour
of itself, whether that thing be bush, or man, or beast; and the
righteousness of Christ is that that makes sinners, when God looks upon
them through it, to look beautiful, and acceptable in his sight, for we
are made comely through his comeliness, and made accepted in the
Beloved (Eze 16:14; Eph 1:6).
One word more of the rainbow, and then to some other things. As here
you read that the rainbow is round about the throne; so if you read on
even in the same place, you shall find the glorious effects thereof to
be far more than all that I have said. But,
Second. As the throne of grace is known by the rainbow that is round
about it; so also thou shalt know it by this, the high priest is
continually ministering before it; the high priest, or Christ as
priest, is there before God in his high priest’s robes, making
continual intercession for thy acceptance there. Now, as I said before,
Christ is priest and throne and all; throne in one sense, priest in
another; even as he was priest, and sacrifice, and altar too, when he
became our reconciler to God.
As a priest here, he is put under the notion of an angel, of an angel
that came and stood at the altar to offer incense for the church, all
the time that the seven angels were to sound out with trumpets the
alarm of God’s wrath against the anti-christian world; lest that wrath
should swallow them up also. ‘And,’ saith John, ‘another angel came and
stood at the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given unto
him much incense, that he should offer _it_ with the prayers of all
saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne. And the smoke
of the incense _which came_ with the prayers of the saints, ascended up
before God out of the angel’s hand’ (Rev 8:1-4).
Here then you have before the throne, that is, the throne or
mercy-seat, the high priest; for there it was that God appointed that
the altar of incense, or that to burn incense on, should be placed (Exo
30:1-7). This incense-altar in the type was to be overlaid with gold;
but here the Holy Ghost implies, that it is all of gold. This throne
then is the mercy-seat, or throne of grace, to which we are bid to
come; and, as you see, here is the angel, the high priest with his
golden censer, and his incense, ready to wait upon us. For so the text
implies, for he is there to offer his incense with the prayers of all
saints that are waiting without at his time of offering incense within
(Luke 1:10). So, then, at the throne of grace, or before it, stands the
high priest of our propitiation, Christ Jesus, with his golden censer
in his hand, full of incense, therewith to perfume the prayers of
saints, that come thither for grace and mercy to help in time of
need.[8] And he stands there, as you see, under the name of an angel,
for he is the angel of God’s presence, and messenger of his covenant.
But now it is worth our considering, to take notice how, or in what
method, the high priest under the law was to approach the
incense-altar. When he came to make intercession for the saints before
the throne, he was to go in thither to do this work in his robes and
ornaments; not without them, lest he died. The principal of these
ornaments were, ‘a breast-plate, and an ephod, and a robe, and a
broidered coat, a mitre, and a girdle’ (Exo 28:4). These are briefly
called his garments, in Revelation the first, and in the general they
show us, that he is clothed with righteousness, girded with truth and
faithfulness, for that is the girdle of his reins to strengthen him
(Isa 11:5). And that he beareth upon his heart the names of the
children of Israel that are Israelites indeed; for as on Aaron’s
breast-plate was fixed the names of the twelve tribes of Israel, and he
was to bear the weight of them by the strength of his shoulders, so are
we on the heart of Christ (Isa 22:21).
Thus therefore is our high priest within the holiest to offer incense
upon the golden altar of incense, that is, before the throne.
Wherefore, when thou goest thither, even to ‘the throne of grace,’ look
for him, and be not content, though thou shouldst find God there, if
thou findest him not there, I suppose now an impossibility, for
edification’s sake, for without him nothing can be done; I say, without
him as a priest. He is the throne, and without him as a throne, God has
no resting-place as to us; he is a priest, and without him as such we
can make no acceptable approach to God; for by him as priest our
spiritual sacrifices are accepted (1 Peter 2:5). ‘By him, therefore,
let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually,—giving
thanks,’ and confessing to and ‘in his name’ (Heb 13:15). And for our
further edification herein, let us consider, that as God has chosen and
made him his throne of grace; so he has sworn, that he shall be
accepted as a priest for ever there. For his natural qualifications we
may speak something to them afterwards; in the meantime know, that
there is no coming to God, upon pain of death without him.
Nor will it out of my mind, but that his wearing the rainbow upon his
head doth somewhat belong to him as priest, his priestly vestments
being for glory and beauty, as afore was said, compared to the colour
of it (Rev 10:1; Eze 1). But why doth he wear the rainbow upon his
head; but to show, that the sign, that the everlastingness of the
covenant of grace is only to be found in him; that he wears it as a
mitre or frontlet of gold, and can always plead it with acceptance to
God, and for the subduing of the world and good of his people. But,
Thirdly, The throne of grace is to be known by the sacrifice that is
presented there. The high priest was not to go into the holiest, nor
come near the mercy-seat; the which, as I have showed you, was a type
of our throne of grace, ‘without blood.’ ‘But into the second went the
high priest alone once every year, not without blood, which he offered
for himself, and for the errors of the people’ (Heb 9:7). Yea, the
priest was to take of the blood of his sacrifice, and sprinkle it seven
times before the Lord, that is, before the mercy-seat, or throne of
grace; and was to put some of the blood upon the horns of the altar of
incense before the Lord (Lev 4:5-7, 16:13-15). So then the throne of
grace is known by the blood that is sprinkled thereon, and by the
atonement that by it is made there. I told you before that before the
throne of grace there is our high-priest; and now I tell you, there is
his sacrifice too; his sacrifice which he there presenteth as amends
for the sins of all such as have a right to come with boldness to the
throne of grace. Hence, as I mentioned before, there is said to be in
the midst of the throne, the same throne of which we have spoken
before, ‘a lamb as it had been slain’ (Rev 5:6). The words are to the
purpose, and signify that in the midst of the throne is our sacrifice,
with the very marks of his death upon him; showing to God that sitteth
upon the throne, the holes of the thorns, of the nails, of the spear;
and how he was disfigured with blows and blood when at his command he
gave himself a ransom for his people; for it cannot be imagined that
either the exaltation or glorification of the body of Jesus Christ
should make him forget the day in which he died the death for our sins;
specially since that which puts worth into his whole intercession is
the death he died, and the blood he shed upon the cross, for our
trespasses.
Besides, there is no sight more taketh the heart of God, than to see of
the travail of the soul, and the bruisings of the body of his Son for
our transgressions. Hence it is said, He ‘is in the midst of the
throne’ as he died, or as he had been slain (Rev 7:17). It is said
again, ‘The Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them.’
The Lamb, that is, the Son of God as a sacrifice, shall be always in
the midst of the throne to feed and comfort his people. He is the
throne, he is the priest, he is the sacrifice. But then how as a Lamb
is he in the midst of the throne? Why, the meaning in mine opinion is,
that Christ, as a dying and bleeding sacrifice, shall be chief in the
reconciling of us to God; or that his being offered for our sins shall
be of great virtue when pleaded by him as priest, to the obtaining of
grace, mercy, and glory for us (Heb 9:12). By his blood he entered into
the holy place; by his blood he hath made an atonement for us before
the mercy-seat. His blood it is that speaketh better for us than the
blood of Abel did for Cain (Heb 12:24). Also it is by his blood that we
have bold admittance into the holiest (Heb 10:19). Wherefore no marvel
if you find him here a Lamb, as it had been slain, and that in the
midst of the throne of grace.
While thou art therefore thinking on him, as he is the throne of grace,
forget him not as he is priest and sacrifice; for as a priest he makes
atonement; but there is no atonement made for sin without a sacrifice.
Now, as Christ is a sacrifice, so he is to be considered as passive, or
a sufferer; as he is a priest, so he is active, or one that hath
offered up himself; as he is an altar, so he is to be considered as
God; for in and upon the power of his Godhead he offered up himself.
The altar then was not the cross, as some have foolishly imagined. But
as a throne, a throne of grace; so he is to be considered as distinct
from these three things, as I also have hinted before. Wouldst thou
then know this throne of grace, where God sits to hear prayers and give
grace? then cast the eyes of thy soul about, and look till thou findest
the Lamb there; a Lamb there ‘as it had been slain,’ for by this thou
shalt know thou art right. A slain Lamb, or a Lamb as it had been
slain, when it is seen by a supplicant in the midst of the throne,
whither he is come for grace, is a blessed sight! A blessed sight
indeed! And it informs him he is where he should be.
And thou must look for this, the rather because without blood is no
remission. He that thinks to find grace at God’s hand, and yet enters
not into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, will find himself mistaken,
and will find a DEAD,[9] instead of ‘a living way’ (Heb 10:19). For if
not anything below, or besides blood, can yield remission on God’s
part, how should remission be received by us without our acting faith
therein? We are justified by his blood, through faith in his blood (Rom
5:6-9). Wherefore, I say, look when thou approachest the throne of
grace, that thou give diligence to see for the Lamb; that is, ‘as it
had been slain’ in the midst of the throne of grace; and then thou wilt
have, not only a sign that thou presentest thy supplications to God,
where, and as thou shouldst; but there also wilt thou meet with matter
to break, to soften, to bend, to bow, and to make thy heart as thou
wouldst have it; for if the blood of a goat will, as some say, dissolve
an adamant, a stone that is harder than flint;[10] shall not the sight
of ‘a Lamb as it had been slain’ much more dissolve and melt down the
spirit of that man that is upon his knees before the throne of grace
for mercy; especially when he shall see, that not his prayers, not his
tears, not his wants, but the blood of the Lamb, has prevailed with a
God of grace to give mercy and grace to an undeserving man? This then
is the third sign by which thou shalt know when thou art at the throne
of grace: that throne is sprinkled with blood; yea, in the midst of
that throne there is to be seen to this day, a Lamb as it had been
slain; and he is in the midst of it, to feed those that come to that
throne, and to lead them by and to ‘living fountains of waters’ (Rev
7:17). Wherefore,
Fourth. The throne of grace is to be known, by the streams of grace
that continually proceed therefrom, and that like a river run
themselves out into the world. And, saith John, ‘He showed me a pure
river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne
of God and of the Lamb’ (Rev 22:1). Mark you, here is again a throne;
the throne of God, which, as we have showed, is the human nature of his
Son; out of which, as you read, proceeds a river, a river of water of
life, clear as crystal. And the joining of the Lamb also here with God
is to show that it comes, I say, from God, by the Lamb; by Christ, who
as a lamb or sacrifice for sin, is the procuring cause of the running
of this river; it proceedeth out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.
Behold, therefore, how carefully here the Lamb is brought in, as one
from or through whom proceeds the water of life to us. God is the
spring-head; Christ the golden pipe of conveyance; the elect the
receivers of this water of life. He saith not here, ‘the throne of the
Lamb,’ but ‘and of the Lamb, to show, I say, that he it is out of or
through whom this river of grace should come.’ But and if it should be
understood that it proceedeth from the throne of the Lamb, it may be to
show that Christ also has power as a mediator, to send grace like a
river into the church. And then it amounts to this, that God, for
Christ’s sake, gives this river of grace, and that Christ, for his
merits sake, has power to do so too. And hence is that good wish, so
often mentioned in the epistles, ‘Grace to you, and peace from God our
Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ’ (Rom 1:7; 1 Cor 1:3; 2 Cor 1:2; Gal
1:3; Eph 1:2; Phil 1:2; Col 1:2; 1 Thess 1:2; 2 Thess 1:2; Phile 3).
And again, ‘Grace, mercy, and peace, from God the Father and the Lord
Jesus Christ’ (1 Peter 1:2; 2 Tim 1:2; Titus 1:4). For Christ has power
with the Father to give grace and forgiveness of sins to men (John
5:21-26; Mark 2:10). But let us come to the terms in this text. Here we
have a throne, a throne of grace; and to show that this throne is it
indeed, therefore there proceeds therefrom a river of this grace, put
here under the term of ‘water of life,’ a term fit to express both the
nature of grace and the condition of him that comes for it to the
throne of grace.
It is called by the name of water of life, to show what a reviving
cordial the grace of God in Christ is, shall be, and will be found to
be, of all those that by him shall drink thereof. It shall be in him,
even in him that drinks it, ‘a well of water springing up into
everlasting life’ (John 4:14). It will therefore beget life, and
maintain it; yea, will itself be a spring of life, in the very heart of
him that drinks it. Ah! it will be such a preservative also to
spiritual health, as that by its virtue the soul shall for ever be
kept, I say, the soul that drinks it, from total and final decay; it
shall be in them a well of living water, springing up into everlasting
life.
But there is also by this phrase or term briefly touched the present
state of them that shall come hither to drink; they are not the
healthful, but the sick. It is with the throne of grace, as it is with
the Bath, and other places of sovereign and healing waters, they are
most coveted of them that are diseased, and do also show their virtues
on those that have their health and limbs; so, I say, is the throne of
grace; its waters are for healing, for soul-healing, that is their
virtue (Eze 47:8,9). Wherefore, as at those waters above mentioned, the
lame leave their crutches, and the sick [obtain] such signs of their
recovery as may be a sign of their receiving health and cure there; so
at the throne of grace, it is where true penitents, and those that are
sick for mercy, do leave their sighs and tears; ‘and the Lamb that is
in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto
living fountains of waters; and God shall,’ there, ‘wipe away all tears
from their eyes’ (Rev 7:17). Wherefore, as Joseph washed his face, and
dried his tears away, when he saw his brother Benjamin, so all God’s
saints shall here, even at the throne of grace, where God’s Benjamin,
or the Son of his right hand, is, wash their souls from sorrow, and
have their tears wiped from their eyes. Wherefore, O thou that are
diseased, afflicted, and that wouldst live, come by Jesus to God as
merciful and gracious; yea, look for this river when thou art upon thy
knees before him, for by that thou shalt find whereabout is the throne
of grace, and so where thou mayest find mercy.
But again, as that which proceeds out of this throne of grace is called
‘water of life,’ so it is said to be a river, a river of water of life.
This, in the first place, shows, that with God is plenty of grace, even
as in a river there is plenty of water; a pond, a pool, a cistern, will
hold much, but a river will hold more; from this throne come rivers and
streams of water of life, to satisfy those that come for life to the
throne of God. Further, as by a river is showed what abundance of grace
proceeds from God through Christ, so it shows the unsatiable thirst and
desire of one that comes indeed aright to the throne of grace for
mercy. Nothing but rivers will satisfy such a soul; ponds, pools, and
cisterns, will do nothing: such an one is like him of whom it is said,
‘Behold he drinketh up a river, and hasteth not; he trusteth that he
can draw up Jordan into his mouth’ (Job 40:23). This David testifies
when he saith, ‘As the hart panteth after the water-brooks, so panteth
my soul after thee, O God’ (Psa 42:1). Hence the invitation is
proportionable, ‘Drink abundantly’ (Cant 5:1), and that they that are
saved, are saved to receive abundance of grace; ‘they which receive
abundance of grace, and of the gift of righteousness, shall reign in
life by one, Jesus Christ’ (Rom 5:17). And hence it is said again,
‘When the poor and needy seek water, and there is none, and their
tongue faileth for thirst, I the Lord will hear them, I the God of
Israel will not forsake them.’ But, Lord, how wilt thou quench their
boundless thirst? ‘I will open rivers in high places, and fountains in
the midst of the valleys: I will make the wilderness a pool of water,
and the dry land springs of water’ (Isa 41:17,18). Behold here is a
pool of water as big as a wilderness, enough one would think to satisfy
any thirsty soul. O, but that will not do! wherefore he will open
rivers, fountains, and springs, and all this is to quench the drought
of one that thirsteth for the grace of God, that they have enough.
‘They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of thy house, and
thou shalt make them drink of the river of thy pleasures, for with thee
is the fountain of life’; &c. (Psa 36:8,9).
This abundance the throne of grace yieldeth for the help and health of
such as would have the water of life to drink, and to cure their
diseases withal: it yields a river of water of life. Moreover, since
grace is said here to proceed as a river from the throne of God and of
the Lamb, it is to show the commonness of it; rivers you know are
common in the stream, however they are at the head (Judg 5). And to
show the commonness of it, the apostle calls it ‘the common salvation’;
and it is said in Ezekiel and Zecharias, to go forth to the desert, and
into the sea, the world, to heal the beasts and fish of all kinds that
are there (Eze 47:8; Zech 14:8). This, therefore, is a text that shows
us what it is to come to a throne, where the token of the covenant of
grace is, where the high priest ministereth, and in the midst of which
there is a Lamb, ‘as it had been slain’: for from thence there cometh
not drops, nor showers, but rivers of the grace of God, a river of
water of life.