which no fingle perfon who on earth did the commandments of God is awanting. His truft in God is firm. Of the church of Chrift he never de. fpairs. His benevolence to men is as extenfive as human nature. His brotherly affection to Chrif tians is as largeas the character of Chriftian and the church of Chrift. With that affection he loves all who he believes love our Lord Jefus Chrift in fince. rity; though by differing in leffer matters fome fhould fay, I am of Paul, fome, I am of Apollos, or fome, I am of Cephas, provided they are in reality and in effentials of Chrift. How happy muft fuch a perfon be, and how well muft he be trained up by such views, affections, and conduct, for happiness in a future state.

Verfe 15th.-For without are dogs, and forcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whofoever loveth and maketh a lie.

Both in the millennian and in the present state of the true and univerfal church of Chrift, all perfons of the following characters, whatever they may pretend, are not members of it, nor fhall they be members of it in the heavenly ftate if they live and die of thefe characters.-All contentious and quarrelfome perfons, all who use charms and in3 L 2 qantations,

cantations, all fenfual perfons, all cruel perfons and murderers, all idolaters, and all who love a liè or make a lie. Every perfon who thinks coolly on the fubject, must clearly perceive that perfons of all these characters are unfit to worship and enjoy God, or to enjoy the true happiness of man in any ftage of his exiftence.

Verse 16th.-I Jefus have fent mine angel to teftify unto you these things in the churches; I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star.

Jefus informs John that he had fent his angel to teftify unto him the things which are contained in this book, not on his account only, but also on account of the churches. The words tranflated in the churcbes are επι ταις έκλεσίαις, which fould have been tranflated, on account of the churches. For

moft commonly fignifies propter, on account of, which governs the dative, as it does in this verse. Thefe prophecies were published for the benefit and advantages of the churches of Chrift. They were revealed to John, that, in the first place, having committed them to writing, he might communicate them to the feven Christian churches at that time in Afia. Jefus exprefsly commanded John to

fend

fend them to these churches, chap. i. 11. and John' addreffed them to them accordingly, chap. i. 4. By divine providence they were to be preferved and fent in due time to all the Chriftian churches. in the world, in order to fupport their faith and patience.

In this verse Jefus declares his divine and human nature, by ftiling himself both" the root and the

66

offspring of David." As the root of David, he communicated existence and life to David. In his divine nature he was before David and before Abraham. As the offspring of David, in his human nature he sprang from David. In that nature he was defcended in the ftraight line from David, as appears from his genealogies recorded in Matth. chap. i. and Luke chap. iii. Isaiah prophefies of Chrift as the offspring of David, ch. xi. I. "And there fhall come forth a rod out "of the ftem of Jeffe, and a branch fhall grow out "of his roots." 19 In Pf. cx. 1. He is ftiled David's Lord. Onthefe words of the Pfalmift Jefus puts to filence the captious Pharifees. And indeed they muft put to filence every person who does not acknowledge the divine and the human nature of Christ. Mat. xxii. 41,-46. “ While the Pharifees "were gathered together, Jefus afked them, fay

66

ing, What think ye of Chrift? Whose fon "is he? They fay unto him, The fon of David.

"He

"He faith unto them, How then doth David in fpirit call him Lord, faying, The Lord faid un"to my lord, Sit thou on my right hand, till I "make thine enemies thy footftool? If David then "call him Lord, how is he his fon? And no man "was able to answer him a word, neither durft a

ny man (from that day forth) ask him any "more questions." He is alfo the bright and morning ftar;-that divine teacher, who hath knowledge and truth in himself, and who like the morning ftar difpells the clouds of night, and ufhers in the light of day. He is the true light which lighteneth every man that cometh into the world. He is the glory of his antient people Ifrael, and the light to enlighten the Gentiles.

Verse 17th.-And the Spirit and the Bride fay, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whofoever will, let him take of the water of life freely.

The Holy Spirit of God is reprefented as defiring that Chrift's kingdom may come. The Spirit of God, by his gracious influences on the hearts of men, promotes the interefts of that kingdom in every period of it. But this paffage refers chiefly to the millennian state, which in scripture is most

commonly

commonly represented by the coming of Christ's kingdom. That period fhall in a peculiar manner be the reign of the Holy Spirit. Satan bound for a thousand years fhall not then influence the conduct of men. The Spirit of God fhall then put his laws in their inward parts, and write them upon their hearts. They fhall all be taught of God.

The bride faith come. The true church of Christ looks forward to, and prays for that pure, glorious, and happy ftate of the church. They all pray, as taught by Chrift, "Thy kingdom come,

thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven." Let every one who heareth of the kingdom of God pray that it may come. This is his duty. The hearing of that kingdom, if he does not pray for its profperity and promote its intereft, will greatly aggravate his guilt and his doom. For, to whomfoever much is given, of them the more will be required. Let him that is athirft come. Let every one who fincerely and ardently defires toknow and do the will of God, come. Such defires will lead him towards, and qualify him for finding the way of righteousness and joy. He fhall come, along with the other fubjects of Chrift's kingdom, as one of the citizens of Zion. "Bleffed are they who do

66

hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they "fhall be filled."

And