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church. It is a kingdom of great power and glory,
yet not after the fashion of this world; for it is
neither acquired nor preserved by arms. It is not
founded on worldly policy, over which it is destined
to prevail. It is the ftone of Daniel's vision, which,
cut out of the mountain without hands, breaks to
pieces the kingdoms of the world, miraculously in-
creasing till it fills the whole earth.
"And the king-
"dom and dominion, and the greatness of the king-
"dom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the
'people of the saints of the Most High, whose king-
"dom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions
"shall serve and obey him*.

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Ver. 28. The morning star.] A star is a teacher†; shale our Lord is eminently such; and such he intitles himself in ch. xxii. 16. ὁ αστηρ ὁ λαμπρος και ορθρινος, “ the shining and morning star." As such he was foretold in Numbers, xxiv. 17; and a star, in the eastern and

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the morning quarter of the hemisphere, preceded his birth. As this star, seen by the wise men, signified to them his first coming; so by the star, promised in this passage, we must probably understand ging the signs denoting his second coming; a knowCledge of

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ledge of "the mysteries of the kingdom of hea

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ven §," and of its approach in power. Saint Peter, speaking of prophecy, whose office it is in part to reveal these mysteries, recommends us to attend diligently to this "light shining in a dark place," until some clearer manifestation shall be revealed; έως 8, ημέρα διαυγασε και φωςφορος ανατελή εν ταις nagdias úμwv, until the day shine forth, and the day

* Dan. vii. 27. See the note, ch. ii. 7. and the Scriptures there quoted. This reign of the saints is again described in ch. xix. 15. + See note, ch. i, 16.

Matt. ii, 2.

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§ Matt. xiii. 2.

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commentcament of the milennium, Bus Authe to the sequel of the back over time it be

Ch. ii. 18-29.]

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APOCALYPSE.

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star (or morning star, for so it should be translated,).
shall rise in your hearts: until that time, when the
prophetical information, imperfect in its nature, be-ave the
ing "done away," that perfect knowledge shall suc-A
ceed, which is like knowing "face to face." But
beside this time of perfect consummation to which
both these apostles may be thought principally to
refer, there is a time promised when the Divine Power
shall 66
remove the veil spread over all nations t," femd
and the earth" be filled with the knowledge of the
glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the seat.". hone
This glorious and extensive reign of Christ and of his bel
religion, is the subject of many sublime prophecies,
and is copiously prefigured in the sequel of this
book. To those, whether they be churches or in-
dividuals, who, in full assurance of faith, resist the
temptations, and surmount the difficulties of their
Christian warfare, looking forward to the accomplish-
ment of the divine promises with spiritual discern-
ment, to such shall be granted the dawnings and first
light of these happy times; they shall see them,
though afar off§; and seeing, they shall rejoice |! ;
and this joy no one shall take from them ¶.

+

1 Cor. xiii. 10. & 12.
Heb. xi. 13.

+ Is. xxv. 7.

John viii. 56.

Hab. ii. 14.

John xvi. 22.

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PART

PART I..

SECTION VIII.

The Address to the Church in Sardis.

1 Καὶ τῷ ἀγγέλῳ τῆς ἐν Σάρδεσιν ἐκκλησίας γράψου Τάδε λέγει ὁ ἔχων τὰ ἑπλὰ πνεύμαλα το Θεῖ, καὶ τὰς ἁπλὰ ἀτέρας Οιδά σε τὰ ἔργα, ὅτι ὄνομα ἔχεις, ὅτι ζῆς, καὶ νεκρὸς εἶ 2 Γίνε γρητοςῶν, καὶ ςήριξον τὰ λοιπά, ἃ μέλλει ἀποθανεῖν Η γὰρ εύρηκά σε τὰ έρα πεπληρωμένα ἐνώπιον τῇ Θεέ με. 3 Μνημόνευε ε, πως εἴληφας καὶ ήκεσας, καὶ τηρεῖ, καὶ μελανόησον· ἐὰν ἔν μὴ χρη[ορήσῃς, ἥξω ἐπὶ σὲ ὡς κλέπτης, καὶ ὲ μὴ γνῶς, ποίαν ὥραν ἔξω ἐπὶ σέ. 4 Αλλ' ἔχεις ὀλίγα ὀνόματα ἐν Σάρδεσιν. ἢ ἐκ ἐμόλυναν τὰ ἱμάτια αὐτῶν, καὶ περιποιήσεσι μετ' ἐμὲ ἐν λευκοῖς· ὅτι 5 ἄξιοί εἰσιν. Ὁ νικών, Στος περιβαλεῖται ἐν ἱμαλίοις λευκοῖς•

CHAP. iii. VER. 1-6.

1 And to the angel of
the Church in Sardis
write : Thus saith he
who hath the seven
Spirits of God, and
the seven stars. I
know thy works, that
thou hast a name, that
thou livest, and thou
2 art dead. Be watch-

ful, and strengthen
the things remaining,
which are about to

die; for I have not
found thy works per-

For

fect before my God. 3 Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. if thou shalt not be watchful, I will come upon thee, as a thief; and thou shalt not know at what hour I shall come upon thee. 4 But thou hast a few

names in Sardis, which have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with me in white, for they are worthy. He that over

1 And unto the angel of the Church in Sardis, write, These things saith he that hath the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars; I know thy works, that thou hast a name, that thou livest; and art 2 dead. Be watchful and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die for I have not found thy

works perfect before 3 God. Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will 4 come upon thee. Thou

hast a few names even in Sardis, which have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with me in white: for they are worthy. 5 He that overcometh, the same shall be

καὶ ὁ μὴ ἐξαλείψω τὸ ὄνομα αὐτῷ ἐκ

το βίβλο της ζωής, καὶ ὁμολογήσω τὸ ὄνομα αὐτῷ ἐνώπιον το παλεός με, καὶ ἐνώπιον τῶν ἀγγέλων 6 αὐτῆ. Ὁ ἔχων ες, ἀκεσάτω, τὶ τὸ πνεῦμα λέγει ταῖς ἐκκλησίαις.

cometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name from the book of life; and I will confess his name before my Father, and before his 6 Angels. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his 6 angels. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

Ver. 1. Sardis.] Sardis, situated on the Pactolus, the ancient seat of Croesus, and of the Lydian kings, was proverbially the seat of Riches. This city had suffered grievously by an earthquake some time before the date of this vision; but, by the bounty of Tiberius Cæsar, had been restored to splendour *. Sardis possessed, from its natural situation, extraordinary means of acquiring riches. But riches are corruptive, and are apt to lead to that supineness in religion, and profligacy in morals, which in this epistle are so severely rebuked.

Sardis is now no more than a village. An ancient Christian church supplies the Turks, who inhabit it, with a mosque. The few Christians (if such they may be called) who still continue there, are represented to have neither Church nor minister.

Ib. The seven Spirits of God.] See note, ch. i. 4.
Ib. The seven Stars.] See note, ch. i. 16.

Ib. Name.] Character or reputation.

Ib. That thou livest, and thou art dead.] In the same figurative language, our Lord commanded his

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disciples to let the dead bury their dead *.' The word vengo, a dead body, is used in its metaphorical sense; "dead," as Saint Paul expresses it, "in tres

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passes and sins; alienated from the life of God †." The same metaphor occurs frequently in Scripture. A person living in the defilements of the world, in whom the spiritual life in Christ hath little or no vigour, is said to be "dead while he liveth;" as, on the contrary, of him who meets death in the discharge of his Christian duty, it is pronounced, that "he liveth, though he diet." "The use of this metaphor has been so common with the Jews, that, as "Maimonides informs us, they proverbially say, Impii etiam viventes vocantur mortui, The wicked are dead, even while they are alive; for he, saith "Philo, who lives a life of sin, TεOvnE TOV εudaiμova, "is dead as to a life of happiness: his soul is dead, "and even buried in his lusts and passions. And "because the whole Gentile world lay more especially "under these unhappy circumstances, whence the "apostle styles them sinners of the Gentiles ¶, it

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was proverbially said by the Jewish doctors, Populi "terrarum, i. e. Ethnici, non vivunt, the heathens "do not live **." An attention to this use of the words death, die, dead, &c. in this figurative language of Scripture, will tend to illustrate many passages otherwise obscure. Such are Matt. xxii. 32. iv. 6. Luke i. 79. Rom. vi. 2. viii. 6. 2 Cor. 1. 9, 10. iii. 6. 1 Pet. iv. 6. So likewise in the sequel of

* Matt. viii. 22.

+ Eph. ii. 1, 5. iv. 18.

↑ John xi. 26. Matt. iv. 16. Rom. viii. 6. Eph. v. 14. 1 Tim, v. 6. 1 Pet. iv. 6. 1 John iii. 14. Jude 12.

§ More Nevoch. lib. 1.

Gal. ii. 15.

Leg. Alleg. c. 1.

** Whitby on 1 Pet. iv. 6.

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