SERMONS ON THE EPISTLES TO THE SEVEN CHURCHES OF ASIA.

BY THE LATE REV. SAMUEL EYLES PIERCE

[These seven sermons are now first printed from the Original MSS. which were presented by F. Silver Esq. to the Publisher of this Magazine, who intended to have issued them in a 12mo. volume, and which may perhaps be still done at a future period. With a view however of obtaining for them a wider circulation they have been placed in our hands, and we feel much pleasure in enriching our pages with the series.-EDs.]

SERMON I.

"He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches. To him that overcometh will I give to eat

of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God."-Rev. ii. 7.

THIS book of the Revelation, contains a prophecy of what was and is to befall the church of Christ, from the ascension of the Lord to heaven to the time of his second coming. The writer of this book was the belovedJohn, of whom it has been reported, that he was cast into a caldron of boiling oil, and yet was preserved, by the mighty power of God, from receiving any hurt. The same Almighty Jesus who preserved the three Hebrew youths in the burning fiery furnace, and sufJuly, 1840.]

fered not the smell of fire to pass upon them, preserved the apostle John from receiving any harm, and sustained and supported him, and continued him in life notwithstanding all the malice of his enemies. After this miraculous deliverance, it is said that he was banished by the emperor Domitian into the Isle of Patmos, where he was favoured by the Lord with his divine presence, and here he was blessed with this revelation of the Lord's mind and will concerning things which should be hereafter. He, though banished from human society, yet he was not, nor could be, banished from God's presence. And now, being in an especial manner a sufferer for Christ, he is favoured with high and most intimate communion with the Holy Trinity.

The first chapter gives an account of an extraordinary vision which he had of the Lord Jesus Christ: of the time when; it was on the Lord's day: of the frame he was in;—I was, says he, in the Spirit; the Holy Ghost in a more than ordinary manner impressing his soul with a sense of divine and eternal things; it filled all; it carried all in him unto the thing in hand, and wholly actuated his faculties by a supernatural motion of the

U

:

Spirit, so that his understanding and senses acted not in their natural way but as moved by the Spirit. His at tention was awakened to attend unto the vision by the sound of a trumpet which was loud and sonorous; he, adverting to it, saw seven golden candlesticks, and in the midst of them one like unto the Son of Man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle his head and his hairs were white as wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire; and his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters: and he had in his right hand seven stars; and out of his mouth went a sharp twoedged sword; and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength." The effect this vision had upon John was this, it caused him to fall at the feet of Christ as dead. This has been, more or less, the case with the Lord's people under any remarkable appearance of God unto them.

But the Son of God, who is here in this vision represented in his sacerdotal robes, and as the High Priest of his church and people, laid his right hand upon him, that same hand in which he holds the seven stars, and said unto him, "Fear not; I am the first and the last: I am he that liveth, and was dead; and behold, I am alive for evermore, amen: and have the keys of hell and of death." And then he gives him a command to write what he had seen, or should see, together with the mystery of the seven stars and the seven candlesticks.

I propose, by the Lord's assistance, to go over the seven epistles to the Seven Churches of Asia, and in the prosecution of it, I shall no further consider the prophetical meaning, than as it may serve either to explain some passages in the epistles, or to show the connection and harmony of the whole. My method therefore will be this :-First; to give a brief view and exposition of each epistle, and

then raise some practical observations from it, as shall appear suitable to the present benefit of our souls: then to consider the grace contained in the promises made to the churches: and lastly endeavour, by the Lord's assistance, to open them in such a way as may serve to encourage our souls to follow hard after God, and to stimulate us with holy vigour, courage, and alacrity in our war and warfare against sin, the world, and the devil.

We have now before us the first of these epistles, and before I enter upon it, I would take notice of this, that the vision in the first chapter is a preparation to the sending of these letters or epistles to the churches. .The vision represents Christ as the true Aaron, having on his priestly robes, and as taking his walks among and in the midst of his churches, represented by the golden candlesticks; to trim them, to supply them with the oil of grace, to reprove what amiss, and to comfort by his presence all who are truly one with him. And here at once we are presented with the great love and care of Jesus Christ towards his church. From heaven does the Lord behold his church on earth, his eye and his heart are upon her continually. And this letter, which Christ sends from heaven to his church upon earth, is a blessed testimonial of the love of his heart.

This epistle is directed by the Lord Jesus Christ unto the angel of the church of Ephesus. This place had been famous for a temple built to the great goddess Diana, but more so for a church of Christ founded, in all probability, by the preaching of the apostle Paul, unto which he sent a most excellent epistle, containing in it the deep things of God. This church represents the state of Christ's church in the apostolic day and age. By the angel of the church is meant the minister of it, and this is not to be confined to the singular, but to be applied to all the ministers of Christ. The minister is styled an angel for

these reasons: the word angel signifies a messenger or one sent: a minister of Christ is a messenger: and a real true minister of God's own calling, appointing, and sending is, to the true churches of Christ, a choice messenger, one of a thousand, especially when the law of gospel kindness dwells upon his lips, then indeed his tongue is as choice silver. And a minister of Christ is likewise one sent, sent by the Lord with his own message, and to declare and make known his own mind and will to his people. And it may be they are styled angels to point out the spirituality and heavenly life and conversation of the ministers of Christ: for as the angels are Christ's ministering servants, so are they, the ministers of the gospel, they wait upon him and serve him in the ministry of the word, and in the administration of the ordinances. And they, like the angels, have a burning zeal for his honor and glory: they are those who stand before the Lord of the whole earth to plead on the behalf of his people; and they come from him to his people declare and make known to them his counsel and will. Jesus Christ orders the epistles to be written, and takes unto himself the following title, "These things saith he who holdeth the seven stars in his right hand." The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, styled stars, because as Jehovah has garnished the heavens with stars, and as they are fixed by him in the firmament, and there they shine; so the true ministers of Jesus Christ, they are created by him, and they are placed and fixed by him in the firmament of the church: there they give light and afford their influ

ences.

And as the stars (i. e. the planets) receive their light from the sun, so they receive their light from Christ the Sun of Righteousness; and their business is to point out, and direct, and lead their people to Christ who is the light of life. And as the stars are upheld by the al

"

mighty power of (iod, so the true ministers of Christ are preserved and upheld by the omnipotent arm of Jehovah Jesus. Christ likewise adds, "Who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks." The churches of Christ are compared to candlesticks in allusion to the candlestick of the sanctuary (Exod. xxv. 31; Zech. iv. 2), and likewise to point out the use of them, which is to hold forth light and they are compared to golden ones, to denote their preciousness, excellency, and value in the esteem of Christ, and for their brightness and purity. And Christ walking in the midst, points out his care and charge over the whole house of God; how he is present in the midst of them to bless them, and how he is continually watchful of them, and mindful of all their concerns.

"I know thy works:" here the Son of God begins this letter, and he puts his church in mind of his omniscience and omnipresence. "I know thy works." All the works of his people, good and bad, are all known unto him; Christ as God knows all the works of his people, the spring and principle from whence they proceed; and he takes notice of them, to commend what is right, and reprove for what is amiss. “And thy labour:" all the concern, care, diligence, and pains they had taken or do take in preaching the gospel, in maintaining it in its purity, in exercising themselves in the defence of it, and in living answerable to it: how should it affect us to consider that Christ's eye is upon us in all our approaches unto him, and that he is everywhere with us to mark our whole behaviour and conduct! " I know thy works, and thy patience," in suffering for my sake, and for my cause and glory; "and how thou canst not bear them that are evil.” This is the commendation of Christ to this church, that she could not bear them which were evil. A blessed character this! To abhor sin the

worst of all evils, to fly from it as from the face of a serpent, and to abhor the very appearance of evil, is truly commendable in the sight of Christ. "And how thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars." It appears what the apostle Paul foretold concerning this church (Acts xx. 29, 30) came to pass: and likewise that they had taken good heed to his advice and counsel. "And hast born, and hast patience, and for my name's sake hast laboured and hast not fainted." All this Christ says in praise of his church: she had tried ministers and doctrines by the golden reed, the word of God; she had laboured faithfully in suppressing false teachers and false doctrines, and though much afflicted with these yet, through divine grace, she did persevere in labouring in the work and in the cause of God, and though faint was still pursuing:-though mightily oppressed with temptations of various sorts, and sufferings of various kinds, yet she fainted not. Yet Christ brings in a rebuke against her: "Neverthe less, I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love." The charge is a forsaking her first love she had not lost her love to Christ, she had not forsaken Christ, but she had not her love to the blessed Jesus, to his gospel, and to his people in that pure, fervent, zealous manner which she had in times past. Our Lord proceeds to be her remembrancer: "Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works." She was to remember the day of her espousals, how her heart was then enflamed with divine affection to her beloved Jesus: she is called upon to repent of her present coldness and remissness, and to do her first works; that is, to exercise her faith and love more distinctly towards our Lord Jesus Christ. And the more to engage unto this, Christ goes on to threaten:" Or else (says he) I will come unto thee quick

:

ly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.” This threatening may imply that Christ would remove the pastor from the church by death, and thereby teach his church how she is wholly dependant upon him for the enjoyment of all her blessings: or else, that he would shake and unsettle her by permitting divisions and erroneous persons to abound in her. But while our adorable Jesus is pleased to take notice of, and reprove her for what is wrong, he does not overlook what in her was good and well-pleasing in his sight; and therefore he is pleased to add, "But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitans which I also hate." It is generally supposed that these were a set, and perhaps a sect of impious men whose lives and doctrines were contrary to the gospel. Their doctrines and their deeds were hateful to the church, and they were likewise so to Jesus Christ: and this is here spoken by our Lord in praise of this church: and as all sin of every sort and kind is truly hateful to Christ, so it is likewise to all the real members of Christ. blessed Lord having given the church an account of her state and case, and having reproved her, and taken notice of what was commendable in her, goes on to utter the following promise, in order to encourage and stimulate her to the exercise of her graces, and to put her upon an holy watchfulness against sin, and to excite the members of this church to fight manfully against sin, the world, and the devil: He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God."

Our

These words contain a gracious promise, and before I enter upon it, I would observe, that in these epistles our Lord is pleased to inform his churches of his mind and will toward them; and then, according to the cir