the matter up (Dan. viii. 13); and we have here the promise of that key of David being applied to open a door which no one should shut ;-and forasmuch as there is no other mention in these church annals of such an opening; we conclude with no slight conviction, that this promise hath reference to the disclosure of the hidden things of David, which Christ here assureth the angel of the church of Philadelphia, that in his times he would shew.

While I thus interpret the door opened to the angel of the Philadelphian church, by the key of David, as signifying the disclosure in those days to those persons whom he representeth in the history and progress of the Christian church, until the coming of the Lord, I include also, and especially, the power of uttering to the church that which was revealed unto himself: and, being so understood, it answers exactly to that saying of the Apostle Paul in the Epistle to the Colossians; "Withal praying also for us, that God would open unto us a door of utterance, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in bonds: that I may make it manifest, as I ought to speak" (Coloss. iv. 3, 4) and with that other declaration in the First Epistle to the Corinthians; "For a great door and effectual is opened unto me, and there are many adversaries (xvi. 9) and that other expression in his Second Epistle; "Furthermore, when I came to Troas, to preach Christ's Gospel, and a door was opened unto me of the Lord" (ii. 12): and that expression in the Acts of the Apostles; "How God opened a door of faith unto the Gentiles (xix. 22). Considering all these and other examples of the same form of words, I am inclined to believe that the mind of the Spirit in the passage before us is, not only that to this minister of Christ would be opened a larger and fuller insight into the things which concern our King as the antitype of David; but likewise that, through the full and bold utterance of the same, he should be blessed and prospered in his ministry, and receive into the church the Jews whom he findeth in the state of Satan's synagogue, but receiveth as devout worshippers at that shrine of Jesus of Nazareth, before which he and his people did offer their sacrifice of thanksgiving and praise: and not only so, but that through this new opening of truth, he

should, some how or other, both preserve himself and his flock from that hour of tribulation which was about to come, to try all them that are upon the earth. Moreover, that by this knowledge of Christ the King, and faithful discovery of the same, he himself had won, and should wear a crown. These the strong and striking features of this epistle, I derive as consequences of that opened door which he, for his faithfulness to the name and word of Christ had received, and entering in did, by his bold, yet reverend foot, obtain all these new honours to himself, and to the church, and to the Master whom he served. Christ, in his parable of the good Shepherd, represents himself, not only as the Shepherd, but likewise as the door of the sheep, saying, "I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture" (John x. 9). He, therefore, is not only the opener, but the thing opened. As the opener, he presenteth himself in his designation, having the key of David; as the thing opened, he presents himself in the epistle as the opened door. I feel, therefore, a strong assurance upon the review of the whole, that the interpretation given is the truth.

Now let us a little more particularly examine the reason for which this singular boon was granted to the angel of the Philadelphian church: "For thou hast little power, and didst keep my word, and didst not deny my name.' Any one studying the original, or, not being acquainted with the original, weighing carefully the parts of the verse, will, I think, see the propriety of the alteration which I have made in the rendering from "a little strength or power," to "little strength or power." The argument seems to be this: Seeing thou art weakly, yet faithful and true, I have opened the door to thy hand, and shall effectually prevent any one from closing it; so enter in, and enjoy the rich provision, and expatiate over the beautiful tabernacle of truth and holiness into which I have made thee to enter. The reason why Christ, the Chamberlain of David's house, openeth for his servant the door into its holiness and truth, is not because he had a little, but because he had little, strength: it was not the quantity of strength he had, but it was the littleness of that quantity, which moved the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, to gather out the stones

and the stumbling blocks, and to throw open the barred gates, and to make a plain path for his feet, even an highway in the wilderness. Just as, heretofore, it pleased the Father to reveal himself not to the wise and the prudent but to the babes; and to call not the wise after the flesh, nor the mighty, nor the noble; but the foolish, the weak, the base, and the despised; that no flesh should glory in his sight. This humble and meek servant of the Lamb was not attracted by the honours, nor dependent upon the powers of the present world, had forgone the wisdom which is from the earth, and become a fool for Christ, that he might be made wise from above; had weakened himself and made himself of no reputation, that he might be strong, and do exploits; had made the word of God his daily food, and so starved the flesh, yea, and crucified it; had sanctified and cleansed his body with the washing of water, and the word: in the language of our text, had kept the word; therefore Christ would keep him from the hour of universal temptation, and would honour him to set him on high and make him great, and admit him into the secret of his tent, to hide himself in his pavilion under the shadow of his wings, till these evil days be overpassed. He had made the Lord his refuge, the Holy One of Israel his habitation, and to him were set open the gates of righteousness, that he and the righteous nation which keepeth his law may enter in, as it is written (Psa. cxviii. 19, 20): "Open to me the gates of righteousness: I will go in to them, and I will praise the Lord. This the gate of the Lord, into which the righteous shall enter." This good shepherd had also kept the name of Christ; "had not denied him;" signifying to us that it was a time and a place wherein there was temptation to deny the name of the Lord, that name which is above every name that is named, whether in this age or in that which is to come. Much as I have discoursed in these lectures concerning the name of Christ, the theme is fresh and ever new; the subject unexhausted and inexhaustible; and new thoughts arise upon the denial of his name, which I perceive to be three-fold-First, The denial of that co-essential, consubstantial Godhead, which being lost to faith, his grace, his love, his Divine condescension, in becoming flesh, cannot be retained. If he be but angel or archangel, then

is it but an angel's, a creature's condescension; and to that form of creature must the glory thereof be ascribed. What God is, whether he is so gracious, and will so lowly stoop to us, is all unknown, or rather is all denied: for, if him"self would do it, why ask it at the hand of a creature? Nay, but if Christ were any thing less or other than God, it is not becoming of God, it is becoming only in a creature to become flesh, and dwell amongst us. Wherefore, I make no doubt that all Arians, Socinians, and Unitarians, do deny the name of Christ, and cannot be saved otherwise than by being delivered from that mortal sin.-Secondly, The name of Jesus is denied when they acknowledge his essential Godhead, but confess not that he came in flesh, and our flesh, our sin-possessed flesh, that he might meet sin therein, and condemn and crucify sin in the flesh. For this is the mystery of godliness; this is the meaning of the name Jesus, that he saved us from our sins; which he did, and not another for him; which he as man did, and not as God merely, and which he did by bearing them in his own body, and by crucifying that body in which they were borne, so as for ever to kill them, by killing that life of flesh in which they move, and live, and have their being. He who denieth this, denieth the name of Jesus, committeth mortal sin, and cannot be saved till he repent, and be absolved from the same. Finally, He who, believing that Jesus is very God from eternity, of the substance of the Father, and very man born in the world of the sinful substance of the virgin, doth deny or not confess that he is still man, at the right hand of God, crowned Lord of all in heaven, and on earth, visible and invisible; to come again, and rule over all as man, for ever and ever in subjection to the Father, subordinate though co-equal, very God, though very man, doth deny the name of Jesus, is guilty of mortal sin, and cannot be saved, unless he repent and receive absolution of the same. To hold, and to hold fast; to confess, and not to deny; to proclaim from the house top, and to contend earnestly for this the faith once delivered to the saints;-this, even this, is the excellent work for which the minister of Philadelphia is commended, and did receive the door of entrance and of utterance, and of reward from him who is holy and true, and well rewardeth his servants who are holy and true, from Him who hath

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the key of David, and is able to promote in the house of his Father, whomsoever and to whatsoever dignity he willeth to promote.

Moreover, it is signified by the expression, "and no one is able to shut it," that there would be many and mighty attempts made to close that door of knowledge, to darken counsel with words without wisdom, to pour contempt upon the new things brought forth from the treasury; to prevent the people from entering in, by false reports of the land, by restraint of personal liberty, by excommunication from the church; by lifting up the hue and cry of novelty and blasphemy, and by every other means which ignorance and malice, guided by the prince of darkness and falsehood, can invent. But they shall not prevail against this faithful and patient servant of the Lord; who, with his followers, and the believing Jews brought from their apostasy, should hold on against malice and falsehood, until they were carried beyond the reach of tribulation and woe, which in that hour should alight upon the troublers of their peace, the heads of the malignant and abandoned world. Prevail indeed they should to shut that door upon too many of the church, even upon those whom in Laodicea we find with barred doors, outside of which Christ stands knocking, wet with the dews of night; but they will not let him in: and so he suppeth not with them, nor they with him; and then the direful reality of their miserable estate being revealed in their eye-sight, they shall come to his gate, whereinto the Philadelphian church hath passed with him at their head; but, alas! they shall find it closed upon them for ever, and they shall say, "Lord, Lord, open to us ;" and he shall answer them saying, "Verily, I say unto you, I know you not." Thust it is amongst us, even now: "Wisdom crieth without; she uttereth her voice in the streets: she crieth in the chief place of concourse, in the openings of the gates: in the city she uttereth her words, saying, How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity? and the scorners delight in their scorning, and fools hate knowledge? Turn you at my reproof: behold, I will pour out my spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you. Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded: but ye have set at nought