436 He orders them to repent and do their first works. SECT. they have given thee; and hast exercised invin- hast laboured, and cible patience under all thy sufferings and trials hast not fainted. iii. Rev. in my cause; and thou hast laboured constantly 4 Nevertheless, I thee, because thou 5 Remember there fore from whence thou and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and art fallen, and repent; II.3. and tenaciously for my name's sake, and to establish the faith of my people: and hast not 4 fainted under thy toils or tribulations. Nevertheless, I have [something] to alledge against have somewhat against thee, exemplary as thou art in many respects; hast left thy first love. and it is this, That thou hast lost the zeal and fervour of thy first love to me and my cause; and this cannot but be very displeasing to me. 5 Remember therefore from what thou art fallen; recall those better days to thy memory, and in the view of them set thyself seriously to repent of the decay which hath so much prevailed; and do the first works, or rather endeavour to exceed them. Otherwise thou must expect, that diestick out of his I will come unto thee quickly, in some awful dis- place, except thou re◄ pensations of Providence, and take away thy pent. lamp out of its place, unless thou repent ; no longer shalt thou continue to be a church, if thou dost not endeavour to recover thy lost ground, and to shine at least with thy former lustre. 6 Nevertheless, thou hast this honour and praise remaining, that thou hatest the impure works of the lewd Nicolaitans, which I also hate, as having brought so great a reproach upon the Chris7 tian name: To conclude: Let him that hath an f Lost thy first love.] It is very plain, that these epistles, though inscribed to the angels or pastors of the churches, are directed to the churches themselves, as represented by them. Just as the Jewish church was represented by Joshua, their high priest, Zech. iii. 1. But it is not improbable, that where some of the churches are blamed, there might be in their ministers some faults correspondent to those charged upon the society; and particularly, that the zeal of this minister of Ephesus might be declining. There is, I think, no reason to be anxious with regard to Timothy's character on this account; for it can never be proved that he was astated pastor of the Church of Ephesus, though such confident things have been said concerning it on very slender foundations. g Take away thy lamp out of its place.] As this threatening is addressed to the church of Ephesus, though much better than some other churches, it is reasonable to believe, that it, like other denunciations, was intended to awaken the rest. It intimates how terrible a thing it would be to have the gospel taken away from them. And ear, will remove thy can 6 But this thou hast that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolai. tans, which I also hate. 7 He that hath an ear indeed it has been executed upon them all in a very awful manner. For though there be a little congregation, if I remember right, at Smyrna, yet most of these churches are quite ruined, and with them the cities in which they stood, though they were once very celebrated. And it is hardly possible, even for one who is not a Christian, to view the account which Sir Paul Ricaut, and the learned and ingenious Mr. Smith, have given of them, without being tenderly affected with so lamentable a catastrophe. h Nicolaitans.] Some have thought these heretics derived their name from Nicolas, one of the seven deacons; and some ancient writers have asserted it. But the name was so common among the Jews, that little argument can be drawn from thence. See Euseb. Eccl. Hist. lib. i. c. 26. The substance of what ancient writers say concerning them is, that they taught the lawfulness of lewdness and idolatrous secrifices, esteeming them things indifferent in their own nature; and their proctives were suitable to such principles. Compare ver, 14, 15. Reflections on the glorious character of our Lord. the spirit saith unto the of the paradise of God. 111. 437 ear let him hear what ear, hear what the Spirit saith to all the churches ECT. churches: To him that for their encouragement; to that of Ephesus in overcometh will I give particular: To him who conquers the enemies, Rev. to eat of the tree of life which lie in the way of his duty and happiness, II. 7. which is in the midst and manfully breaks through all oppositions, I will give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God: the fruit of which gives immortality, and it is situated in the paradise above; so that he who resides within its reach, is possessed of such felicities and delights as are far superior to those which Adam enjoyed in an earthly paradise, though in a state of uncorrupted and perfect innocence. IMPROVEMENT. WITH whatever humble and holy reverence this awful represensation of our blessed Redeemer may strike us, let us be encouraged to look up to him by a lively faith, and to hear with joy, and with purposes of the most grateful obedience, the gracious declaration he makes of that amazing contrast of Divine perfections and characters, and of human weaknesses and infirmities, which met in him. The Alpha and Omega, the First and the Chap. i. Last, is he who lives and yet was dead, but is now alive for ever. 17, 18 more for us he became liable to death, but is now risen to a Divine and immortal life; in which consideration let us continually rejoice on his account, and on our own. It is exceedingly reviving to the heart of a sincere Christian, that Jesus has the keys of the unseen world, and of death: so that whenever we are removed by the stroke of this our last enemy, it is only to be considered as his turning the key, which will let us out of this world into another, of happiness and glory everlasting. How delightful to reflect, that heaven is under the command of our Redeemer, and hell is under his controul! What have his faithful servants to fear from the one? what have they not to hope from the other? How does this cheering sentiment disarm both life and death, of their respective terrors! Let us attend to each of these excellent epistles, which Christ condescended himself to dictate, and to address by the hand of his servant John, to these Asiatic churches. Let us attend to his titles, his admonitions, his promises, that we may be awed with holy reverence, that we may be animated to bumble hope, and steady courage, in every encounter with the enemies of our salvation. ii. 1. Let the ministers of Christ rejoice, that they are as stars in the Chap. 312 right. 438 Christ's epistle to the church of Smyrna. SECT. right-hand, of their Redeemer. "Support them, O Lord, by thy iii. almighty power, and guide all their motions by thine infinite wisVer. dom." Let all the churches of Christ remember, that he walks in the midst of the golden candlesticks; may they be pure gold: may their lamps shine with unsullied lustre, that their Father may be glorified, and their Saviour delighted with the survey. 2, 3 He sees our labour, our patience, our fidelity, and our zeal. May he see that we cannot bear those who would corrupt our religion, without exerting ourselves to silence their false pretensions, and to guard the churches, to which we are related especial6ly, from the venom they might diffuse over them! In all these respects, may we daily approve ourselves to him in a more perfect manner. But, alas! does he not perceive in many of us, what he complained so early of, in the church of Ephesus; that we have lost our first love, and that much of that zeal with which we set out in religion is declined? If so, let us take the alarm: for dreadful indeed would it be, to have our candlestick removed out of its place; to have the gospel and all its privileges taken away from us. To prevent this awful judgment, let us recollect from whence we are fallen, if we are indeed in a backsliding and declining state; and humbly and heartily repent, and vigorously exert ourselves against the enemies of our salvation: that overcoming the difficulties of this howling wilderness, we may be received to the enjoyments 7of the heavenly country: and when we can no longer share in the bounties of providence in this inferior state, be feasted with the fruit of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God. 4. 5 SECT. iv. Rev. 11. 8. SECT. IV. The epistles which Christ orders St. John to write to the churches of REVELATIONS II. 8. REV. II. S. AND unto the angel Smyrna, write, These things saith the First of the church in and the Last which was dead, and is alive; ND to the angel, or minister, of the church of Smyrna, write, These things saith the First and the Last; that glorious and Divine Person, who having assumed the human nature into a union with Deity, is able to say, he was dead and is alive; who therefore demands by all considerations of reverence, gratitude and love, thy most attentive audience, and most obedient 9 regard: I know thy works to have been in 9 I know thy works, many respects very extraordinary; and I am well and tribulation and poacquainted verty, 439 iv. They should fear none of the things they might suffer. verty, (but thou art acquainted with thy tribulation and poverty, SEC1. rich;) and I know the with the humble opinion thou hast of thyself; blasphemy of them which say they but I know also that thou art rich in faith, and Jews, and are not, but in all its genuine effects, and art daily laying up 11.9. are the synagogue of for thyself an increasing treasure in heaven. Satan. are 10 Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the de shall have tribulation Rev. And I also know] the blasphemy of those who say they are Jews, and are not, but while they boast their relation to the synagogue of Moses, [are] indeed the synagogue of Satan, whose temper they breathe in their opposition to my gospel, and to my people, while they blasphemously pretend a zeal for my name, even in their impieties. But let all my faithful servants be 10 vil shall cast some of encouraged boldly to face their opposition; and you into prison, that ye I say to each of them, in addressing to thee, may be tried; and ye Fear none of the things which thou shalt suffer; ten days: be thou faith- for, behold, I inform you, that the devil, acting ful in and by these instruments, the men of his gogue, will indeed have a permission to cast some of you into prison; that you may be tried, and by these trials more remarkably approved; and ye shall have tribulation ten days; for a certain limited time, he shall be permitted to afflict you; but bear up courageously against his assaults, as becomes my valiant soldiers: be thou faithful unto death, persevere in thy attachment to me, and thy zeal for my interest, even to the last, though death in its most terrible form should assault b Say they are Jews, and are not.] There were great numbers of Jews in the proconsular Asia; and their inveteracy against the gospel there and elsewhere, is well known. This is an instance, in which the word Jew signifies one of God's peculiar people; and it is not improbable, that many prophetic phrases, in which Jewish rites are mentioned, are to be interpreted with as great a latitude; that is, for those rites of worship which God's peculiar people should use. c Cast some of you into prison.] Whe syna ther the power of the synagogue extended d Tribulation ten days.] Mr. Fleming, e Be thou faithful unto death, &c.] I have endeavoured at large to illustrate the great force of this noble text in my funeral sermon for that illustrious Christian hero, Colonel Gardiner, whose name I could not forbear recording here, and the memoirs of whose life, which from the most intimate knowledge of him I have writ ten, will, I hope, promote the admiration, love, and imitation of all who peruse them. fAntipas 440 iv. Christ's epistle to the church of Pergamos. of life. SECT. assault thee; for thou fightest under a General, ful unto death, and I who, though thou fall by the stroke of this last will give thee a crown Rev. enemy, can raise thee again; and instead of 11. 10. losing by thy fidelity to me, thou shalt be richly 11 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; He that rewarded: for I will give thee a crown of eterral life, and advance thee to such glory and felicity, as shall be infinitely more than an equivalent for the utmost thou canst possibly suffer 11 in my cause. He that hath an ear to hear, let him be all attention to hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches: The valiant conqueror shall be secured from evils, which are beyond all com- overcometh, shall not parison greater than any he can endure on earth. In this world he may indeed encounter the first death for my sake; but he shall not be injured hereafter by the second; he shall rest in everlasting security and peace, while those who desert and renounce their duty for the preservation of this transitory life, shall be consigned to that state of misery, where they shall seek death, but it shall for ever flee from them. 12 be hurt of the second death. 12 And to the an Pergamos write, These And to the angel, or minister, of the church which [is] in Pergamos, write, These things saith gel of the church in he, who in token of the penetrating and effica- things saith he which cious nature of his word, is represented as one hath the sharp sword who has the sharp two-edged sword coming out with two edges; of his mouth: even that word, which is quick and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged 13 sword: I know thy works, and thy circum13 I know thy works, and where thou dwellstances, in every respect; and particularly, est, even where Satan's where thou dwellest; [even] where the throne of seat is; and thou holdSatan [is] fixed, in the midst of superstition, and est fast my name, and in the midst of persecution, by the union of faith, even in those which the kingdom of darkness is supported; days wherein Antipas and thou holdest fast the honour of my name, was my faithful mar my faith, hast not denied my tyr, who was slain among you, where Sa and hast not denied and renounced f Antipas my faithful martyr.] Ecclesiastical history has not informed us who this Antipas was. Perhaps he was some zealous minister, who died for the faith he had preached; or some private Christian of obscure birth, rank, and circumstances, ennobled by enduring martyrdom in the Christian cause. But we may be sure the that such condescending notice taken of him by his Divine Master, who mentions his name with affection and regard, would be, instead of a thousand arguments, to animate the courage and fidelity of other Christians, who might be called out to the like extremities. g Balaamites, |