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the churches:" and let us together begin to cultivate these qualities of the redeemed of the Lord, Let us cultivate them in our families and in our churches; in the devotions of the closet and at the altar of our God. Come, and let us to-day* bow our knees before "the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ," that we "may be strengthened by his Spirit in the inner man ;' that "his love may be shed abroad in our hearts." Ask of Him, that we may live in faith, die in hope, and enter into the glory of God; that He would cast all our transgressions into the depths of the sea that He would become our God; and that we may be "the sons and daughters" of the Lord Almighty.

* Sacrament Sunday.

SERMON XI.

EPISTLE TO THE CHURCH AT PERGAMOS.-ON ANTINOMIANISM.

REV. ii. 12—17.

And to the angel of the church in Pergamos write; These things saith he which hath the sharp sword with two edges; I know thy works, and where thou dwellest, even where Satan's seat is; and thou holdest fast my name, and hast not denied my faith, even in those days wherein Antipas was my faithful martyr who was slain among you, where Satan dwelleth. But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to cast a stumbling-block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication. So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitanes, which thing I hate. Repent; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will fight against thee with the sword of my mouth. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches ; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it.

THE city of Pergamos, to which the third of the epistles of our Lord to the churches of Asia is addressed, was a city of considerable importance, at the distance of about sixty miles from Smyrna.

It was the capital of an extensive kingdom, which, after many arduous contests, and long preservation of its independence, was at length bequeathed, by one of its sovereigns, to the Řomans, and annexed, as a province, to their empire. After this period, many of its inhabitants were converted to Christianity, and it became the scene of the most terrible persecutions, of which many records are preserved in the early histories of the church of Christ.

This city is called, in the text, the "seat of Satan;" either on account of the peculiar violence of the persecutions there inflicted on the church of Christ; or from its being the chief. seat of the worship of the heathen god Esculapius, and constantly crowded with fanatical and bloody idolaters.

It is my wish, in examining this address, to adopt the same divisions as in our examination of those which precede it; and to consider,

I. THE COMMENDATION HERe bestowed ON THE
CHURCH OF PERGAMOS.

II. THE REPROOF INFLICTED UPON IT.

III. THE THREAT BY WHICH THIS REPROOF IS

FOLLOWED.

IV. THE PROMISE WITH WHICH THE ADDRESS

CLOSES.

And may the Saviour, from whom these words originally proceeded, convey them now to the consciences and hearts of all who are assembled in his presence!

Before, however, entering upon the examination of these particular points, I would beg to offer a few observations on the description of our Lord, with which this particular address is introduced. It has been observed, in a preceding

sermon on a similar subject, that each of the descriptions of the Son of God, which precede these addresses, has a peculiar suitableness to the circumstances of the church which is addressed. In that to the church of Ephesus, for example, of which it was the especial object to rekindle the half-extinguished faith and love of its members, the Son of God is described as He "who walketh" among the golden candlesticks" or amongst those branches of light which are symbols of the churches of Christand who is, therefore, ready to revive the flame of religion which burned so dimly among the people of that voluptuous city. In the epistle to Smyrna, of which the chief object is the consolation of that distinguished and suffering church, the Saviour is described as "the First and the Last;" as "He who was dead, and is alive;" and, therefore, as prepared, by his sufferings and his triumph, to convey to his faithful followers every blessing of which they stood in need. In the present address, to the church of Pergamos, of which it is the main intention to reprove and alarm the sensual and antinomial professors of the Gospel, the Saviour describes himself as bearing a sharp sword with two edges," and, therefore, as armed either for the defence of his people, or for the punishment of his enemies. It is, my brethren, one of the delusions of the impenitent and worldly, to contemplate the Son of God exclusively in the character of a Deliverer, when he is, in fact, no less "mighty" to punish than" to save." "The Lord, the Lord gracious and merciful, long-suffering, and of tender pity;" is also the Lord" who will by no means clear the guilty." He carries in his hand the "sword."

which may be equally employed as the instrument of deliverance or of ruin; which can hew a path for the righteous to glory, or devote the hardened or careless offender to endless destruction. May this awful consideration have its due weight with every individual in this assembly! And may every unawakened sinner hasten to propitiate his offended Lord whilst he is yet seated on the throne of mercy, and before he goes forth "with the armies of heaven" for the slaughter of his enemies!

After these preliminary observations, I proceed, as was proposed, to consider,

I. In the first place, THE COMMENDATION BESTOWED IN THIS ADDRESS ON THE CHURCH OF PERGAMOS.-It is said in the text, "I know thy works, and where thou dwellest, even where Satan's seat is: and thou holdest fast my name, and hast not denied my faith, even in those days wherein Antipas was my faithful martyr, who was slain among you, where Satan dwelleth."

The commendation here bestowed on a part of the church of Pergamos, amounts, in substance, to this-first, that they held fast the "name" and the "faith" of Christ-and, secondly, that they had so done even in the face of persecution, and in the midst of the cruel slaughter of the servants of God.

In the first place, they had "held fast the name" and "not denied the faith," of Christ.-Perhaps these expressions, with regard to their adherence to the "name" and "faith" of Christ, may be designed to convey nearly the same meaning. Or, possibly, the two qualities, thus commended in them, may be considered as standing to each other in the relation of cause and effect. Their adherence to the "faith" of Christ was, under

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