Revelation 19:11-13

(11) And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. (12) His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. (13) And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God.

Here indeed we have Christ, as is most evident from his double names, faithful and true. His perfections also confirm the glories of his person, for righteousness is the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins, Isaiah 11:5. I admire what is said of the many crowns of the Lord Jesus. Who indeed can number them. He hath the essential crown of Godhead. He hath the Personal crown of the God-Man, which was, and is his native right, by virtue of that special character of his, and independent of any single act, by which he hath endeared himself to his people. He hath the Mediatorial crown, both of office and of work, from the infinite merit and dignity of his labors in redemption. And he hath the rightful crown put upon his sacred head, by every individual one of his people, for whom he hath wrought out and accomplished salvation. Oh! the blissful sight of beholding the Lord Jesus, thus wearing his many crowns, and especially when the poor sinner espies among the many, the very one which he had put upon Christ's head, when ascribing to him, as is most justly his due, the sole honor of every poor sinner's salvation.

I must be the Reader to regard with me, the very great blessedness of the name here spoken of, which no man knew but he himself.

I do not presume to speak decidedly upon such a subject. Indeed, what is here said is enough, one should think, to deter any man, and every man, yea, every Angel of Light, from speaking on so mysterious a subject decidedly. For if no man knoweth this name of Jesus written, but he himself, how presumptuous must it be, in any to attempt the discovery. Reader! pause for the moment, and before you go further, ask yourself, whether any higher testimony can be desired, in proof of Christ's Godhead. If none can know his name, who shall know his Person? Who shall declare his generation. Oh! how overwhelming is the testimony to a heart taught of God. Truly, dearest Lord, I behold a blessedness in thy words, used upon another occasion, which bring a peculiar strength of expression, when applied here upon this. No man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whom the Son will reveal him, Matthew 11:27

But we must not stop here. Though no man knoweth his name, but he himself, yet his name is subjoined, and it is called, The Word of God. Reader! I do beseech you, ponder it well. We are accustomed to this name in the scripture. John, in the opening of his gospel, calls Christ by this very name, the Word. But we learn here, that though the Lord is called by this name, no man hath, or can have, a full, and clear apprehension of it. I am free to confess, that though I have for many a year past felt a satisfaction in my mind, that the peculiarity of the name, the Word belonging to the Son of God was intended to express, the infinite dignity of his Person; yet, here I rested and concluded; that this implied the whole, as in relation to his Person and dignity. I now behold in it somewhat more. And although this very scripture, which hath been made the means of awakening an increased apprehension in my mind, of its vast importance, while now reading of it, assures me, and in that assurance, satisfies me at the same time, that the full investigation of it baffles all human knowledge, yet I hope shall never more read it, but with increased and increasing solemnity, and profound reverence of thought. Oh! what infinite sublimity, must there be in the name; The Word of God! How in finitely great must He be, to whom it peculiarly and personally belongs. How inconceivably deep and secret must the very name be, who, when he came forth from the invisibility of Jehovah, to make known what revelations of God he hath made, and without whose coming, never could any have been known, still came in a name, that none knoweth but he himself? Precious Lord Jesus! thy name is indeed wonderful! Oh! for grace to be everlastingly contemplating what to all eternity can never be fully known, thou hast a name written that no man knew but thou thyself; and thy name is called, the Word of God.

One word more on this most precious scripture. And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood! I pray the Reader, to pause over this most interesting account of Jesus, and while he ponders the subject, look up with an eye of faith, and behold the Lord in this garment of redemption. Surely the design must have been most gracious. And it may well become every child of God, to search and seek out the cause of such a condescending revelation of himself, in thus appearing to his people.

It is blessed to eye Christ in every name, its every relation, in every office, and in every character. And it is doubly blessed, when the child of God knows him in all, enjoys him in all, and lives upon him in all. When in the council of peace before all worlds, Christ Stood up at the call of his Father, the Head and Husband of his people, the Church was beheld in him, accepted in him, Made holy in him, and one with him to all eternity, for all the purposes, council, will, and pleasure of Jehovah, which should hereafter take place, and in all the circumstances which should follow. Christ then stood forth as the Head and Husband of his Church, his spouse; chosen in him, to be holy and without blame before God in love. But when in the after time-state of the Church, at the fall of Adam, the Church became involved and implicated in that fall; the Church was then to know her Head and Husband in another endearing character, namely, her, Redeemer and Savior. So that from henceforth, redemption became another great and glorious subject, in the view of the Church; and Christ came home recommended and endeared to her affection, both as her Head and Husband, and her Redeemer and Savior, the Lord her righteousness. The Holy Ghost hath blessedly stated both, in that glorious scripture by Paul to the Colossians. And he is the Head of the body, the Church: who is the beginning, the first-born from the dead; that in all things he might have the pre-eminence. For it pleased the Father, that in him should all fulness dwell. Then cometh the second glorious character of the Lord Jesus as Redeemer. And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things to himself; by him I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven, Colossians 1:18. Hence, we have here, the Lord Jesus Christ in his double relation to his Church, both as an Head and Savior. First, as an Head in union, the beginning, and the first-born from the dead, as the founder of the future world, for which the Church hath from everlasting been designed, and by his resurrection, to which Christ hath begotten the Church. And, secondly, as a Savior in redemption, having made peace to all the sins of his body the Church, by the blood of his cross, to reconcile all things to himself. Reader! pause over the wonderful subject, and then again and again, look up and behold him, as John here beheld him, on his white horse, with his many crowns, (and, oh! if you can behold the crown of your own personal salvation, among the number, and in his vesture dipped in blood. Doth not Jesus seem to speak in this apparel. Doth he not seem to say, wherefore do I wear this but to convince my people of the everlasting efficacy of my blood? And do I not still appear in it, to convince them by such a palpable demonstration, that redemption-work is finished, and I am still clothed in my redemption-robes, to tell my poor ones upon earth, this most assured truth, ad to encourage them to come to me, under all their sins and sorrows, and temptations, with full assurance of faith. Reader! were not these among the causes for which Christ so appeared to John? And shall not his Church feel confidence from it, and look to Him as such, whose name is Faithful and True?