dicea must buy. But she is poor-she does not appear able to buy any thing; for the Lord declares her poverty first of all. However, poor as she is in the Lord's sight, he counsels her to trade with him, and seems to offer to sell her (what she might once have obtained without price) a passport to his kingdom. Surely he is not speaking ironically to this miserable object. Surely he does not sport with her deplorable condition. No, No! He announces to Laodicea that she must (even in her extremity) "be zealous and repent;" and intimates that he loves her still. But she ought to have gold and white raiment: she will be ruined except she does obtain them.

Now, Laodicea, thou hast nothing to buy with, but thy poor, naked, miserable house of clay-thy little breath-a few drops of thy unfaithful heart's blood: this will purchase thee a badge well known in Heaven, "white raiment." Arise! Laodicea, quickly arise from thy lukewarm state, and fight one or two, or more of the Beast's recruiters, who ask thee to wear his riband, and I will pay thee a rich bounty, even Faith, to trade upon yet more, and thou shalt win the day, even the day that is called Millennium. Oh! Laodicea, thou must suffer if thou wouldst reign! If thou deniest me before infidels, I will reject thee before angels-yea, I will disown thee for ever; and it were good for thee, in that case, thou hadst never been born. By falling (so far) upon the stone, the chief corner-stone, thou art broken; but if, after this call, this offer, and warning, it shall fall upon thee, it will grind thee to powder. For I say unto thee, O Laodicea! that thou art lukewarm, and I would that thou wert otherwise: thou art vain, and proud, and self-sufficient, and believest not that I will reign upon earth

a thousand years in person. Thou thinkest thyself able to reign by my spirit, without my literal presence; and in thy various names among men, thou art contending for pre-eminence. Every sect in Laodicea admires her own attire, and claims superiority. But I, the faithful and true witness, view Laodicea in all her diversified forms, as a poor, dying body, whose members are useless to me, in my present embassy, even to put down Antichrist, and establish my righteous dominion upon earth, that my Word, which I sent to Israel by my servant Isaiah, may be accomplished; for by him I spake, saying: "I will make the place of my feet glorious. Yet I have an army of valiant soldiers, they are all equipped for the war; and I can well dispense with Laodicea; but it is her loss. My wrath is kindled, while I discern thy state; but my mercy, which thou hast abused, a little softens the flame." Therefore, "Behold I stand at the door and knock. If any man (in Laodicea) will obey my commands, be zealous, and repent, if they will hear my voice and open the door, when I am calling them myself, I will come in, yea, I will enter the sepulchral church, and will sup with her on bitter herbs, (persecution,) and she shall sup with me on bread from Heaven. To every one that shall overcome, that is, shall face the tempest in the tremendous hour of Antichrist's triumph, with his ten kingdoms, his enormous reinforcement from the coasts of the earth, and the great red dragon's power, to each and to all, that shall refuse the Beast, and cleave to my name, and die for me, "will I grant to sit with me on my throne, as I also overcame (on the Mount when tempted, in the Garden when assaulted, and upon the Cross when blasphemed,) and am set down, as the Son of Man, * The land of Overshadowing Wings.

with my Father on his throne. "He that hath an ear, let him hear what the spirit saith unto the churches."

No more can be done for Laodicea. And this is the work of sovereign mercy, even mercy unto the uttermost. Oh! that we may all, who profess religion at this very critical period of the Gentile era, make the wise choice to come out of Sardis, while Philadelphia tarries for her master's call to immortality and endless glory; and join her in saying "Behold he cometh!" I hope, I do fervently hope, that in desiring to have my own membership in the church of Philadelphia, exemption from suffering is not concerned. I know that the motory principle is of essential consequence in the sight of God; and I am convinced, yea more and more convinced, that the pure in heart are as ready to follow the Lamb to Calvary, as to ascend Mount Tabor, if he commands them so to do. But there is a pure and holy state for Philadelphia that transcends all others, to which Gentiles can come, even to stand as pillars in the temple of God through Eternity, bearing as glorious a mark as the Jewish Church, even the three names, three wonderful names; first, the name of God; second, the name of his city; and third, the new name, Emmanuel!!! It is an object so wonderful, so glorious, so full of the word "Redemption,” even all its fulness, its first and last, and highest degree, that I sink in the dust of abasement as I recall to mind my utter unworthiness to embrace such a privilege, as to leave the earth at one instant, and return with the Lamb and his army the next, to witness his victory.I am ready to exclaim, it can never be!-it can never be! What! the adoption of this poor body, by translation, into celestial purity? What! be caught up with Paul, Timothy,

Polycarp, and others, (who not only bear the scars of martyrdom, but the praise of faithfulness,) to their coming Lord! I, a mean worm, who have done nothing, suffered nothing, and deserve nothing but misery and despair-I ascend with martyred witnesses, in the first resurrection, to meet Him in the air, who is holy, who is true, and be ever with Him? I confess that desire faints at the thought; and my conscious heart is all ready to confess, that to oppose Antichrist in his demand, and die for so doing, is far too great an honour for me!

*

But to join Laodicea-to drink the spirit of selfsufficiency, and sectarian prejudice, bigotry, and expediency, that marks her in each of her divisions, with a mark that God abhors. Oh! I pray my compassionate Saviour never to suffer me so to do. Denomination selfishness is a crying sin in his sight; and the heart that harbours it, is no dwelling for him. His spirit is grieved by it to a degree that poor blind Laodicea little supposes; and Christ is dishonoured to an extent that I hardly dare name.tThis evil exists not in the church of Philadelphia. The meaning of the words, "Philos Delphos," shows me that it never was, it never will be, conceived and brought forth in her borders. She is impartial-she is true to the name of the Holy

One.

Laodicea is not aware of her adulterated state.Her branches each of them shoot forth leaves of selfcomplacency and self-esteem. How positive is every branch, that in their place the fatness of the root is centred that I, not any other branch, am really green. You, who hang on the tree, may be called

*See Revelations, 3. 15. 16.

+Read the last clause of the 26th verse of the 3d chap. in the 1st book of Kings.

twigs; but I am "the branch of the Lord's right hand planting." I look more like the Righteous Branch, than any thing in this world. My creed, my platform, my-my great doings!-Ah Sardis! ah Laodicea! your name and your riches are imaginary! God saith to you both, "I know thy works;" and command you both to "repent."

But at the dawn of the day of the Lord-poor Sardis literally expires! She has no lot nor part in the matter! Her lustre* is faded away, and leaves no trace behind! The "few names" are safe: perhaps they are all gathered by the pale minister, and through the dark valley are led to him "who hath the Seven Spirits of God," and the seven stars. 0 Sardis! thy works, though numerous, are excluded from the record where the "cup of cold water" is set in letters of gold, because of their lacking "for the Kingdom of God's sake," and substituting party views, party measures, and party motives, in its stead. Sardis disappears suddenly, according to the threat-"I will come upon thee as a thief; and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee." Philadelphia is translated to the temple of God; and Laodicea stands upon the earth, to pass a probation in the reign of terror, with the Beast from the bottomless pit to contend, and to be killed by his order, or be lost forever!

At first, Laodicea is irresolute, wavering, and unbelieving. The times are awful, it is true; but still she says she is rich, &c. But the Amen will not allow this lukewarm spirit to stay with her. He pities Laodicea, therefore he calls her at the eleventh hour; for there are some souls even in Laodicea,

*Outward works-too numerous to mention. I believe they cease at the rise of the Beast; and Laodicea will excuse herself from working openly. See Rev.3d. 17.-"Have need of nothing."