the end in his cause ;-to such a one it is promised that he shall receive a reward in a future life, which is represented under the figure of eating of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the new Jerusalem; growing on either side of the pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb; (Rev. xx11. 1, 2,) or, as it is here expressed, "growing in the midst of the Paradise of God." We must first trace the connexion of this peculiar promise with the character of Christ, as walking amidst the candlesticks and holding the seven stars in his right hand, or as bestowing upon his Church on earth the privileges of the means of grace and the ordinances of his house; and we shall see, that the tree of life is here set forth to us as a type, or symbol, of the means whereby we are to enjoy the gift of eternal life in Christ through the influence of the Spirit of God. Or, if any thing approaching to the use of means is to be considered as inconsistent with the perfection of the future state; then, under the figure of an appointed means, towards the attainment of an end, the end itself is implied; in either way the enjoyment of communion with God, and life received and sustained in Christ through the abundant influences of the Holy Spirit, is the subject of the promise. This participation in spiritual blessings is frequently set forth under the symbol of food. When the elders went up and saw the glory of Christ in mount Sinai, an emblem of the future manifestation of his glory, it is said that " they did eat and drink." Our Lord also sanctions the figure of

eating bread in the kingdom of heaven; and used the same figure when he said to his disciples at the last supper-" Verily I say unto you I will drink no more of the fruit of 'the vine until that day that I drink it new in the kingdom of God." The institution of the sacrament of the Lord's supper itself speaks also the same language, and they all imply that we are to derive our life, strength, and support from Christ: through the communications of the Holy Spirit.*

Observe, lastly, the honor which is put by the conclusion of this epistle upon the ordinances of God's house, and the services of his ministers. They are not accidental and human institutions, which may be dispensed with; but the means of grace appointed by our Lord Jesus Christ, and over which he himself presides, answering to the "tree of life," which to our first parents in the paradisaical state was the appointed means of grace, calculated to be to them the continued support of a never-ending life.

Epistle to the Church in Smyrna.

Verse 8. The next epistle is addressed to the Church in Smyrna, which, after Ephesus, was the largest city in the Proconsular Asia. To whom Christ reveals himself as "the first and the last; which was dead, and is alive:" which words refer, in the manner usual in these epistles, to the declaration made by him to St. John in the vision of the preceding chapter, (vv. 11 and 18,) “ I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last."-And again, "I am he that liveth and was dead, and behold, I am alive for evermore; and

' have the keys of hell and of death." A higher degree of suffering is contemplated in the case of this church than in that of Ephesus, and by this revelation of the power of Christ they are fortified against the utmost fury which could be exercised against them; being assured, that while their adversaries could, at the most, but destroy the body, they had the support of Him who is almighty, and who had evidenced this in that he had laid down his own life, and taken it up again; who now ever liveth to save; whom the invisible world obeys; and at whose word death and hell, or Hades, shall ever be constrained to deliver up their victims. Christ here encourages them by his own example; shewing, that as he had suffered death from the hand of his enemies, but it was impossible that he should be holden of it; so they, if called upon to drink even of that cup of which he had thus drunk, should also be partakers of his lasting triumph, over whom death hath no more dominion.

Verse 9. This church is commended for what they had endured for Christ's sake, and assured that he knows, or takes account of, their "works, and tribulation, and poverty;" but that though poor as to external circumstances they were "rich," having the promise that he who should lose his life for his sake and the gospel's should save it; and that there was no man who had thus resigned houses, relatives, or lands, but should receive an hundred-fold in this present world, and in the world to come eternal life: nor, as the apostle declares, hath eye seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him; though they are revealed by the Spirit, and are set forth in the Apocalypse particular

ly under the emblems of "gold,” "pearls," and "precious stones," or an assemblage of everything that the imagination can conceive that is most splendid and costly in reference to worldly riches.

Christ also assures them that he notices the blasphemous reproaches of those which said they were Jews, and were not; boasting we may suppose of their superiority and high privileges as the descendants of Abraham. Being however entirely ignorant of the grace of Christ and of the spiritual nature of his Church, in thus speaking against his humble and despised people and the simple truths which they maintained, they were but the prototypes of those who are represented during the proud papal times, as opening their mouth "in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven," and they thus proved themselves to be truly of " the synagogue of Satan."

6

These opposers of the truth from amongst the Jewish nation, to whom might be applied the declaration of St. Paul," he is not a Jew which is one outwardly," were from the first the most zealous persecutors of the Christians, and it is recorded in the account given of the martyrdom of Polycarp, (who was a disciple of St. John, and was, as is supposed, the angel or bishop of this church to whom the epistle was addressed,) that they distinguished themselves on that occasion by cruelly exciting the rage of the heathen against him.

Verse 10. The church in Smyrna is next exhorted by our Lord not to be discouraged at the extremity of trial which should befal them, or to fear none of those things which they should suffer; and that they might not be offended when they should experience them in all their severity, they are here forewarned that the

devil should cast some of them into prison that they might be tried, as gold is tried in the fire. All such trials are said to be the work of Satan, as was manifested in the case of Job; but the Pagan persecutions of the Christians, for refusing to sacrifice or offer incense to their idols, are represented in the Apocalypse, as peculiarly his work, he being himself the object of pagan worship. St. Paul says, the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice unto devils therefore in Rev. XII. where the Roman empire is described under the influence of Paganism, the seven heads and ten horns are exhibited in connexion with, and under the controul of that old serpent, called the devil and Satan; who is there represented as employing every device for the destruction of the Church both in time and in eternity. But as our Lord assured his disciples, that not a hair of their head should perish, so he here makes himself known to his church as the refiner who sitteth over the fire to moderate its heat; and he lets them know that there is a limit, prescribed by himself, to the duration of their tribulations; for that these should be continued only to the close of "ten days," or distinct periods, referring we may suppose under this term to the ten pagan persecutions, then already commenced; or otherwise to that carried on under the emperor Dioclesian, which continued for ten years; and respecting which Milner observes, that " both in the East and the West Satan was permitted to 'exert his malice in the keenest manner, during this last of the Pagan persecutions." They had however the confidence given to them, that when these should have been endured, the same almighty power and goodness which cast them into the furnace would bring them relief; and are animated by the promise,

particular church, as he which was dead and is alive for evermore, and has the keys of hell and of death," that he would give to every one who should be found "faithful unto death" the unfading crown of" everlasting “life.”

It was the prospect of this recompense that encouraged St. Paul under his sufferings and labours; so that at the close of them he thus speaks of himself: "I am now ready to be offered and the time of my departure is at hand; I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith; henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day and not to me only, but unto all them also 'that love his appearing." (2 Tim. IV. 8.) In another passage St. Paul terms it "an incorruptible crown." (1 Cor. 1x. 25.) St. Peter describes it as 66 a crown of glory, that fadeth not away (1 Pet. v. 4.) and St. James calls it "the crown of life which the Lord hath promised to them that love him." (James 1. 12.)

It is also here denominated “the crown of life," in reference to the character in which, as above stated, Christ had manifested himself to St. John, and under which also he had addressed this particular Church. (Chap. 1. 18; 11. 8.)

In the two important characters in which Christ revealed himself respectively to the Churches of Smyrna and

of Ephesus, viz. as giving to his people the crown of life, and as holding the stars in his right hand,-we have, in symbolical language, the two consolatory declarations which are introduced in like connection with each other in the gospel of the same beloved Apostle St. John, where Christ says,

"I give unto my sheep eternal life;-neither shall any pluck them out of my hand." (Chap. x. 8.)

Verse 11. The concluding promise here made by the Spirit to the Churches, to which all are invited to hearken who are possessed of any spiritual faculties or discernment, is, that he who shall so overcome and be faithful unto death should not be hurt of the second death." The second, and by far the most dreadful, death is the eternal death of the soul; it was that which passed upon Adam and all his posterity, according to the righteous decree pronounced against him, "In the day that thou eatest thereof thou shall surely die;" from which there is no deliverance but by the power of the second Adam, who is the Prince of life. For as death was immediately communicated by the transgression of the one, so is life by the righteousness of the other; as it is said-He that believeth shall not see death, but is passed from death unto life. The second death," or everlasting destruction, is again mentioned in the description of the judgment, Rev. xx. 14, 15, where it is said that" death and hell were cast into the lake of fire; this is the se'cond death; and whosoever was not found written in the book of life, was cast into the lake of fire."

6

66

The faithful are not only here promised an exemption from this dreadful condemnation of the wicked; but, further, that according to the fundamental law upon which Christ established his kingdom, they, having suffered with him, should also reign with him. And as he encouraged the apostles saying, " I appoint unto 'you a kingdom, as my Father hath appointed unto me; that ye may ' eat and drink at my table, in my kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel;" so it is promised to the faithful of the

Church in Smyrna, that they in like manner should be employed in administering that theocracy, under which the whole world will be placed during its last blessed and happy period. The fulfilment of which to the martyred saints is shown chap. xx. 4-6-"I saw thrones and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them; and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God; (these words referring to those to whom the promise was first made, who had been slain by pagan persecution,) and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; (these words referring to the second class of martyrs, those who had been slain by papal persecution,)" and they

lived and reigned with Christ a 'thousand years. Blessed and holy ' is he that hath part in the first resurrection, on such the second death

' hath no power; but they shall be I priests of God and of Christ, and I shall reign with him a thousand years." For though the first resurrection, and the millennial reign are not specified in the epistle to the church in Smyrna, the promise of these is virtually included in the single expression, "he that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death,” this being only employed on account of its peculiar appropriateness to the character in which Christ reveals himself to the Church, as he that was dead and is alive;" whilst it necessarily implies the possession of the other privileges with which in chap. xx. 4-6 it stands connected.

Let us learn then, from the great recompense of reward set before the faithful by Christ in this epistle, not to fear any thing we may be called upon to suffer for his sake; but to rejoice if (in the times of raging infi

delity, on the one hand, and the manifest, but not sufficiently acknowledged infliction of his judgments, upon the other,) we should be permitted to testify more openly for him. And with respect to any minor afflictions which may affect the Church in their individual capacity, let every one be assured that he who is" the first and the last," who sees the end from the beginning, has himself fixed bounds to their duration, and prescribed their numbers: although he may not have revealed it to us, as he did their approaching sorrows to the church of Smyrna.

I would also make one observation of a merely technical nature, relating to the proper mode of investigating the Apocalypse, but yet important as being calculated to encourage us in our progress; namely, how a correct view of its general system and outline solves at once many, or, I might well say, all minor questions; and how much more profitable it is to endeavour to get a correct view of it as a whole, than to consider only detached portions. For instance, were it otherwise possible, (as has been contended) to interpret the first resurrection and the reign of the saints upon earth, as a figurative description only of a revival, in the future generations who shall live upon the earth during the millennial period, of the same spirit of devotion which animated the primitive martyrs; the impossibility of putting such a gloss upon the text would become apparent, when we should find that the first resurrection is promised as the special reward of those who should suffer martyrdom during the ten periods of pagan persecution; and that it was with the prospect of this that they were animated to persevere in their course, and to

overcome in the contest; and it cannot for a moment be doubted, but that the reward set forth as actually bestowed at the conclusion of the Apocalypse, is given to those individuals to whom at its commencement we find that it was thus promised: and we shall then perhaps also learn to distinguish (which, alas! neither party of the disputants upon this subject appears yet to have been able to do,) between the successive generations living upon earth who shall partake of the blessings conferred by Christ's reign, on the one hand; and the risen and glorified saints (represented by the Cherubim in the holy of holies, during the Jewish theocracy,) on the other; by whose instrumentality our Lord, in recompense for their faithfulness and sufferings in his cause, will be pleased to administer it,—perhaps in some more open and glorious manner than we are as yet qualified rightly to understand or to appreciate.

Upon the whole we have obtained from a consideration of this epistle a confirmation of all that we have learnt from that which preceded it, as to the peculiar sympathy of Christ with his afflicted people, and of the manner in which he adapts the degree of support given them to the exigency of their circumstances; together with the strong motives which are held forth for diligence and faithfulness in his service; and also of the close connexion which exists between the different parts of the Apocalypse, and the abundance of their mutual references; which may be considered as forming so many strong barriers erected in every part to prevent our straying from the right course in following out our interpretation.

JAS. H. FRere.

M