dead, and is alive.' Thirdly, To the church of Pergamos, which hath a fharp fword with two edges.' Fourthly, To Thyatira, thefe things faith the Son of God, who hath eyes like a 'flame of fire, and his feet like fine brass.' Fifthly, To the church of Sardis: Thefe things faith he that hath the seven Spirits ' of God, and feven ftars.' Sixthly, To the church of Philadelphia, it is thus faid of Christ,These things faith he that is holy and true, which hath the key of David, which openeth, and no man fhutteth, and 'fhutteth and no man openeth.' Lastly, To Laodicea, it is thus faid, Thefe things faith Amen, the faithful and true witnefs, the beginning of the creatures.' Now then, we do plainly fee how glorioufly Jefus Chrift is defcribed of his feveral properties in every one of thefe epiftles, and what honourable and magnificent titles are given unto him, and all to this end, to move attention, and to work in us a reverence of fo great a perfonage, that we might. more feriously regard, and deeply ponder the things which proceed from fo great a majefty; for we fee and know by common experience that almost every man's words are regarded according to the opinion and reverence which is heard of his perfon. Since then that every one of thefe epiftles, fronted with this great authority: Thus 'faith the Son of God; thus faith Chrift; 'thus faith Alpha and Omega;' therefore we ought to give diligent heed to the things herein contained. So likewife we read in the Hebrews, that after the Holy Ghoft had very notably defcribed the perfon of Chrift, and extolled him far above the angels and all other creatures, he giveth the use of it in the beginning of the fecond chapter, faying, therefore we ought to give more diligent heed to his doctrine.'. And thus much concerning the exordium or entrance of these feven epiftles, touching the perfon to whom, and the person from whom these epiftles are fent. Now it followeth to speak a word or two of the general propofition contained in these words, 'I know thy works.' We read in all these epiftles, how the Son of God praises fome of the churches, and difpraises others; commends fome paftors, and difcommends others. Now he that will praise or difpraife, muft efpecially look to this, that he be upon a good ground; and therefore Jefus Chrift before he enters into any praifing or difpraifing, commending or reproving, doth firft proteft that he knoweth their works, and is privy to all their particular actions, yea, their very thoughts, and therefore cannot err or be deceived in his cen fures. True it is indeed, that men may err in their opinions and cenfures of others, because they know not mens hearts, and with what affections things are carried. Men, I fay, may praise. or difpraise too much or too little. But Jefus Chrift whofe eyes are a flame of fire, and which fearcheth the reins, cannot fail one jot, nor err a hairs breadth, as we fay, either in commending or difcommending, and therefore he stoppeth their mouths at the first dash, fo as they can have nothing to reply, when he faith, I know thy works;' I know well enough what thou art, and what thou haft been, I am not deceived in thee, I know thy fitting down and rifing up, and am accuftomed to all thy ways: and this briefly of the proportion. The narration (as is aforefaid) contained in the matter of the epiftles, confifting of praifes and difpraifes, admonitions, reprehenfions, threats and promifes. Touching the firft, we find that fome, churches are highly commended, others wholly difcommended; others partly commended, partly difcommended. As for example, the paftor and people of Smyrna and Philadelphia, are generally commended for all things, and difcommended for nothing, there is no fault found with them; that is no grofs fault as in others; for they were not without common corruptions and infirmities. The minifter of Smyrna was a very rare and excellent man, although a poor man with regard to this worlds goods: for Chrift faith thus unto him, I know thy poverty, but thou art rich,' Rev. ii. 9. that is, rich in grace, and the manifold gifts of the Spirit, Thou haft done great fervice to the church. Thou haft employed thy gifts to the good of many. Thou takest great pains in the miniftry, and art greatly bleffed in thy labours; for thou haft an excellent flock, a notable good people, and therefore I cannot but greatly commend both thee and them.. The minifter of Philadelphia was also a very worthy and notable man; for altho' his gifts were not fo great as fome others, yet he was very painful and faithful in a little, of whom it is faid, Thou haft a lit'tle ftrength, and haft kept my word, and ' haft not denyed my name,' that is, thou art very constant in the profeffion and prac tice of Chriftian religion; and thereupon Chrift promised to blefs his labours, for faith he, I will make them of the fynagogue of Satan which call themselves Jews, and are not, but do lie; behold I fay, I ' will make them that they fhall come and worship before thy feet, and fhall know 'that I have loved thee.' Here we do plainly fee how Chrift promiseth to blefs this man's miniftry, for his great care and diligence, altho' he was not of the greatest gifts, for men of greatest gifts are not always moft bleffed in their labours, for God doth commonly work the greateft things by weak means, that all glory might redound unto him, and no flefh might boast in his fight. For otherwife if men of greateft gifts fhould always be moft bleffed in their labours, and win moft fouls unto God, then we would be ready to afcribe that to men, and their gifts, which is proper to God, and fo his praife and glory fhould be fomewhat eclipfed. Thus we fee what excellent men the minifters of Smyrna and Philadelphia were, and what excellent people they had in their charges. But on the contrary, the paftor and the people of Sardis and Laodicea, are difcommended for all things, and commended for nothingIndeed the minifter of Sardis had a great name for learning, and other good gifts, but he was grown very idle and negligent, and did little good with his gifts, of whom it is faid, Thou haft a naine that thou liveft, but thou art dead: that is, there was no fpirit in him, no life of his grace, gifts waxed rufty for want of ufe, he was fallen afleep: he was fallen away from the grace of God, he was not the wife man |