Chrift detefted. It was denounced unto them to repent, or elfe he would come unto them quickly, and fight against them, as the event evinces that he hath done.

Next to Pergamus is Thyatira (1) fituated at the diftance of about forty-eight miles to the fouth-eaft. Certain heretics called Alogi (which may not improperly be interpreted unreasonable men) have (2) affirmed, but have only affirmed without any proof, that at the time of St. John's writing there was no Chriftian church at Thyatira. Epiphanius admits it, and thence infers that St. John muft have written with a prophetic fpirit. The objection is frivolous, and Epiphanius might have returned a better anfwer than argumentum ad homines, and inftead of allowing the fact and arguing from thence for the divinity of the book, he should abfolutely have denied their affirmation. For there is no juft reafon for doubting, that at this time there was a Chriftian church at Thyatira. This very epiftle is a fufficient proof of it. It is faid exprefly, (Acts XIX. 10.) that all they who dwelt in Afia (meaning Afia Minor) heard the word of the Lord Jefus, both Jews and Greeks: and what ground is there for thinking that the city of Thya-, tira was alone excepted? It is faid particularly, (Acts XVI. 14.) that Lydia, an eminent trader and feller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, was baptized with her houthold. At prefent the city is called by the Turks (3) Akhifar or the white caftle, from the great quantities of white marble there abounding. Only one ancient edifice is left standing. The reft, even the churches, are fo deftroyed, that no veftiges of them are to be found. The principal inhabitants are Turks, who have here eight mofques, when not fo much as one Chriftian church is ftill remaining. So terribly have the divine judgments been poured upon this church for committing fornication, and eating things facrificed unto idols: Andľ gave her Space to repent of her fornication, and the repented not.

Sardis, once the renowned capital of Crofus and the

(1) Smith and Rycaut ibid. (2) Epiphan. adverf. Hæref. Lib. 2. Tom. I. Cap. 33. p.455. Vol. 2.

Edit. Petav.

(3) Smith and Rycaut ibid.

rich

rich Lydian kings, (4) is now no longer worthy of the name of a city. It lieth about thirty-three miles to the fouth of Thyatira, and is called by the Turks Sart or Sard, with little or no variation from the old original name. It is a most sad spectacle, nor can one forbear weeping over the ruins of fo great a city. For now it is no more than an ignoble village, with low and wretched cottages of clay; nor hath it any other inhabitants, befides thepherds and herdimen, who feed their flocks and cattle in the neighbouring plains. Yet the great extent and grandeur of the ruins abundantly fhow, how large and fplendid a city it was formerly. formerly. The Turks themfelves have only one mofque, a beautiful one indeed, perverted to that ufe from a Chriftian church. Very few Chriftians are here to be found; and they with great patience, or rather fenfelefs ftupidity, fuftain a miferable fervitude; and what is far more miferable, are without a church, without a priest among them. Such is the deplorable ftate of once the moft glorious city: but her works were not found perfect, that is they were found blameable before God; he was dead, even while fhe lived; and the is punifhed accordingly.

1

Philadelphia, fo called from Attalus Philadelphus its builder, (5) is diftant from Sardis about twenty-feven miles to the fouth-east. It is called by the Turks Alah Shahr, or the beautiful city, on account of its delightful fituation, ftanding on the declivity of the mountain Tmolus, and having a moft pleasant profpect on the plains beneath, well furnithed with divers villages, and watered by the river Pactolus. It ftill retains the form of a city, with fomething of trade to invite the people to it, being the road of the Perfian caravans. Here is little of antiquity remaining befides the ruins of a church dedicated to St. John, which is now made a dunghill to receive the offals of dead beafts. Howfoever, God hath been pleafed to preferve fome of this place to make profeffion of the Chriftian faith, there being above two hundred houfes of Chriftians, and four churches; whereof

(4) Smith, Rycaut, Wheler and Spon. ibid. Van Egmont's and Hey man's Travels. Chap. 10.

(5) Smith, Rycaut, Wheler and Spon. ibid.

the

the chief is dedicated to Panagia or the holy Virgin; the other to St. George who is of great fame among the oriental Chriftians; the third to St. Theodore; and the fourth to St. Taxiarchus, as St. Michael the arch-angel is called by the Greeks. Next to Smyrna this city hath the greatest number of Chriftians, and Chrift hath promifed a more particular protection to it; I know thy works: behold, I have fet before thee an open door, and none can fhut it: for thou haft a little strength, and haft kept my word, and haft not denied my name. Because thou haft kept the word of my patience, I alfo will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth. Than which, as Dr. Spon faith, what could be faid more formally to foretel the coming of the Turks, the open enemies of Christianity, who feem to be fent on purpofe for the punishment of our crimes, and to diftinguith the faithful from the falfe Chriftians, who pretend to be fo, and

are not?

Laodicea lay fouth of Philadelphia, in the way to return to Ephefus; and if you will infpect the maps of Afia Minor, you will find the feven churches to lie in a kind of circular form, fo that the natural progrefs was from Ephefus to Smyrna, from Smyrna to Pergamus, from Pergamus to Thyatira, from Thyatira to Sardis, from Sardis to Philadelphia, from Philadelphia to Laodicea, and from Laodicea round to Ephefus again; which is the method and order that St. John hath obferved in addreffing them, and was probably the circuit that he took in his vifitation. That there was a florifhing church at Laodicea in the primitive times of Chrif tianity, is evident from St. Paul's Epiftle to the Coloffians, wherein frequent mention is made of the Laodiceans, as well as from this Epiftle of St. John. But the doom of Laodicea (6) feemeth to have been more fevere and terrible than that of almost any other of the feven churches. For it is now utterly deftroyed and forfaken of men, and is become an habitation only for wolves, foxes, and jackalls, a den of dragons, fnakes,

(6) Smith, Rycaut, Wheler and Spon. ibid.

and

and vipers. And that because the Lord hath executed the judgment, that he had pronounced upon her: that all the world might know, and tremble at the fierce anger of God againft impenitent, negligent, and careless finners. For fuch was the accufation of the lukewarm Laodiceans, who grew proud and felf-conceited, thinking themselves much better than they really were. Wherefore, because they were neither hot nor cold, they were loathfome to Chrift; and he therefore affured them, that he would fpue them out of his mouth. The ruins fhow it to have been a very great city, fituate upon fix or seven hills, and incompaffing a large space of ground. Some notion may be formed of its former greatnefs and glory from three theatres and a circus which are remaining, one of which is truly admirable, as it was capable of containing above thirty thousand men, into whose area they defcended by fifty steps. This city is now called Eski Hifar or the old castle; and though it was once the mother-church of fixteen bishoprics, yet it now lieth defolate, not fo much as inhabited by thepherds, and fo far from thowing any of the ornaments of God's ancient worship, it cannot now boast of an anchorite's or hermit's chapel, where God's name is praised or invoked,

Such is the ftate and condition of thefe feven once glorious and florifhing churches; and there cannot be a ftronger proof of the truth of prophecy, nor a more effectual warning to other Chriftians. "Thefe objects, "as Wheler (7) juftly obferves, ought to make us, who yet enjoy the divine mercies, to tremble, and earnestly contend to find out from whence we are fallen, and do daily fall from bad to worfe; that God is a God of purer eyes than to behold iniquity; and feeing the are is "thus long fince put to the root of the tree, fhould it not "make us repent and turn to God, left we likewise perish? "We fee here what deftruction the Lord hath brought upon the earth. But it is the Lord's doing: and thence we may reap no fmall advantage by confidering how juft he is in all his judgments, and faithful in all his

46

17) Wheler's Voyage, B. 3. p. 259, &c.

promifes."

promifes." We may truly fay (1 Cor. X. 11, 12.) that all these things happened unto them for enfamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come. Wherefore let him that thinketh he ftandeth, take heed left he fall.

1.

A1

CHAP. IV.

FTER this, I looked, and behold, a door was open in heaven: and the firft voice which I heard, was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which faid, Come up hither, and I will fhow thee things which must be hereafter.

2 And immediately I was in the fpirit: and behold, a throne was fet in heaven, and one fat on the throne.

3 And he that fat was to look upon like a jafper, and a fardine ftone: and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in fight like unto an emerald.

4 And round about the throne were four and twenty feats and upon the feats I faw four and twenty elders fitting cloathed in white raiment ; and they had on their heads crown of gold.

5 And out of the throne proceeded lightnings, and thundrings, and voices; And there were feven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the feven spirits of God.

6 And before the throne there was a sea of glass like unto crystal: And in the midft of the throne, and round about the throne were four beafts full of eyes before and behind.

7 And the first beaft was like a lion, and the fecond beaft like a calf, and the third beaft had the face of a man, and the fourth beaft was like a flying eagle.

S And the four beafts had each of them fix wings about him, and they were full of eyes within; and they reft not day and night, faying, Holy, holy,

holy,