I counsel thee
Christ is a Counsellor, and is every way fit to be one, for he is
the all wise God, the Ancient of days, and the Father of his
people, and, as Mediator, the Wisdom of God; and he was concerned
in the council of peace from everlasting; and when he was here on
earth he gave counsel in person, and now he gives it by his
Spirit, and by his word and ministers; and the substance of it
is, to come to him for grace, life, and salvation; for pardon,
peace, and righteousness; for spiritual light and knowledge, and
every supply of grace; and his advice is always wholesome, good,
and suitable, is hearty, sincere, and faithful, and is freely
given, and is wise and prudent; and, being taken, infallibly
succeeds; the counsel here given follows:
to buy of me gold tried in the fire;
by which is meant either a more pure and glorious state of the
church, such as was in the former period, or greater; or a larger
measure of light and knowledge in the Gospel, which is better
than fine gold; or some particular graces, and a comfortable
exercise of them, as fervent love and strong faith, which is much
more precious than gold; or rather, all spiritual riches in
general, which are in Christ, and are unsearchable, solid,
substantial and satisfying; are lasting and durable, precious,
excellent, and incorruptible: and the buying of this gold is not
to be understood in a proper sense, by giving a valuable
consideration for it, for no such is to be given, but in an
improper sense; it is a buying without money and without price;
Christ and his grace are given freely; Christ of whom it is to be
had and of him only, does not sell it, but he gives it to those
that come to him for it, and desire to have it, and are willing
to part with all, so they may but enjoy it; for that it is to be
understood in such a sense, is clear from the character of the
persons who are advised to buy, who were poor, or beggars, (
Revelation 3:17 ) ; the
end of it is,
that thou mayest be rich;
for though this church was rich, yet not in spirituals; and
though she was rich in her own conceit, yet not really so:
persons are not to be accounted truly rich who have only this
world's goods; none are rich but those who have an interest in
Christ and his grace; and they who are poor in this world, and
yet have grace, are really rich: the next thing advised to is,
and white raiment;
that is, and buy white raiment, by which some understand the
heavenly glory, robes of immortality, a being clothed upon with
the house which is from heaven; this may be compared to raiment,
for it is a glory, an immortality, an incorruption to be put on;
and fitly enough to white raiment, for the purity and
spotlessness of it; and being clothed with this, no nakedness, or
shame of it will appear; and this is to be had from Christ, and
in the same way as gold is to be bought of him; the design of
this advice may be to quicken the desires of the church after
heavenly things; though it rather seems to respect something
suitable to her in this present state: wherefore others think
that by it are meant good works, holiness of life and
conversation; but these are never called white raiment, but even
rags, yea, filthy ones, in the best; and whatever cover they may
be from nakedness in the sight of men, they are no cover from it
in the sight of God, nor do they preserve from shame and
blushing: rather then by it is meant the righteousness of Christ,
which may be compared to raiment; it is upon the saints, and is
put upon them as such; it covers as a garment does, protects from
injuries, keeps warm, beautifies and adorns, as raiment does; and
it may be compared to white raiment for its purity and
perfection; now this is to be bought of Christ, it is to be had
of him, and is to be had of him freely, without money and without
price; it is a free gift of grace; and even faith itself, which
receives it, is the gift of God: the ends of giving this advice
are,
that thou mayest be clothed, and [that] the shame of thy
nakedness
do not appear;
the soul may be naked when the body is well clothed; and
notwithstanding a man's moral righteousness, he may not be
clothed; they, and they only are clothed, who have on the
righteousness of Christ; nakedness arises from want of,
righteousness, which is only covered by the righteousness of
Christ; and from hence also springs shame, which Christ's
righteousness hides:
and anoint thine eyes with eye salve;
by which may be meant the word of God, particularly the Gospel;
and anointing with it is making use of it for the gaining of
light and knowledge: all without this divine revelation are in
darkness, and such who reject the authority of it go astray; the
Scriptures are the only directory, and rule of faith and
practice; the law is a means of enlightening persons to see their
sin and misery, and the danger they are in; and the Gospel is a
light, whereby is beheld the glory of Christ, of his person and
office, of his grace and righteousness, and of salvation by him;
and this is the Gospel of Christ, and is to be had of him freely,
even the saving knowledge of it. The Jews have adopted the very
Greek word here used into their language, and apply it to the
law; says R. Chija F5, speaking of the law,
``(Nyel tyrwlyq) , "it is a salve for the eye", a plaster for a wound it is a salve for the eyes, as is written ( Psalms 19:8 ) .''or else the illumination of the Spirit is meant, by which the eyes of the understanding being enlightened, men see themselves, the impurity of their hearts and nature, the imperfection of their righteousness, their impotency to all that is spiritually good, and that they are lost and undone in themselves; and by which they see Christ and salvation by him, that it is in him, and in no other, and that it is full and suitable, and for the chief of sinners, and that it is all of free grace, and that they have an interest in it; by this they have light into the doctrines of the Gospel, and have some glimpse of the glories of another world; and this is to be had of Christ, who gives his Spirit freely, and an understanding to know spiritual things: and the end of the advice is,
that thou mayest see;
who, notwithstanding the conceit she had of herself, was blind;
persons may have much human prudence, much knowledge in things
moral, yea, in things evangelical, notionally, and yet be blind
as to true spiritual light and experience; they only see
spiritually and savingly who have the Spirit of God.