whereunto I have called them;" "So they being sent forth by the Holy Ghost"&c; He maketh his angels spiri s, his ministers a flame of fire;" "The seven stars (said the Son of God, Rev. i. 20) are the angels (or ministers) of the seven churches." We have the same subject in Ps. xix. and Rom. x. 18, Their line is gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world." And as these he instrumentally uses in the turning of many to righteousness, so are they to shine as stars (see Dan. xii. 3).

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Let us next turn to the subject proposed: and here I shall be as brief as possible. Paul calls the blest abode of glorified saints the "third heavens," the house not made with hands," where the brightest displays of the manifestative glory of God is revealed, called "a fulness of joy, and pleasures for evermore."

Elect angels is a part of their furniture; but their attire is created; it is the elect of human race that are

to appear in Creator attire. Wonder O heavens! and be astonished O earth! for the temple, and light, and glory of the heaven of heavens is the Lord God and the Lamb.

As this high abode was made without hands, so nothing made by hands shall ever enter there. There is the glorified humanity of the Son of God, created by the overshadowing power of the Holy Ghost, of a pure virgin, without the intervention of a human father. But Christ being come, an High Priest of good things to come by a greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands, Heb.xi.11, this is the tabernacle for the Sun of Righteousnes, in which and through which he shines, and his glories become assimilated to his members through this medium or they could not bear them; our eternal blessedness, therefore, will consist in seeing God in our nature, and ourselves like

him; but He, the glorious Sun, the light and the glory of the place...

Next let us consider his mystic members who are to shine as the sun, and as the stars for ever and ever. Being complete in their adored Head, and circumcised with the circumcision made without hands (Col. ii. 11), they are therefore called heavenly (1 Cor. xv. 48), and heavenly things (Heb. ix. 23); they are indeed of an heavenly origin. It was therefore (says the Holy Ghost) necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with these (that is, typical washings), but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these, even the atoning, cleansing, healing, precious blood of Christ. These persons then are to be the bright ornaments of these unclouded heavens, where they will shine as diamonds of the first water, as stones of the first polish; none but regenerated persons, those born again not of corruptible but of incorruptible seed, being made allglorious within and all glorious without shall ever appear there; those prepared mansions are all to be filled by prepared vessels made meet for the master's use, and when he hath tried them they shall come forth as gold.

Divine purposes cannot be broken, nor his promise fail, nor Jehovah deny himself,

Doth the poor sensible sinner say, Shall I be there? Hast thou tasted that the Lord is gracious! dost thou know the plague of thy heart, thyself to be depraved, that in thy flesh dwelleth no good thing! Hast thou ever groaned, being burdened with inbred sin and unbelief! Hast thou, from a true discovery of thy depraved self, exclaimed, I am vile! Didst thou ever abhor thyself! Hast thou seen the holiness of the law, and the insufficiency of all creature doings!

Hath ever Christ been precious to thy soul! Dost thou know what heartfelt fellowship with him is! Hast thou ever felt his blood upon thy conscience! Hath the Holy Ghost borne his witness to thy spirit! If so, with the blood-washed chosen of God thou shalt shine; thou art a part of the garniture,-one of the ornaments of the third heavens; "For whom de predestinated, them he also called; and whom he called, them he also justified; and whom he justified, them he also glorified for it doth not yet appear what we shall be, but when He shall appear we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is." And they that sow in tears, shall reap in joy unutterable, while their ceaseless song will be Worthy is the Lamb. May the Lord bless the truth to thy soul, dear reader, and give thee an experimental knowledge of its blessedness, and to him thou wilt then give all the praise.

"Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried, and ye shall have tribulation ten days. Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the

churches. He that overcometh shait not be hurt of the second death."-Rev. ii. 10, 11.

WE have here before us, the epistle or letter which the Lord Jesus Christ was pleased to send unto his church at Smyrna. And, according to our proposed plan, we are first to give you a brief exposition of it, and then to open, and explain, and set forth the promise made unto it. This letter is, as was the former, directed to the angel of the church: by which we are to understand the minister of it

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and which, as has been observed, does include and comprehend all the ministers of Christ. And the epistle is directed to the angel or minister, because he, as the servant of the church, and as the servant of the Lord, is to come from the Lord with his message, and faithfully declare it to the people, in the name and by the authority of Him who has appointed him, and placed him, and given him his charge and office in the house of God. This church, according to the best interpreters, represents the state of Christ's church immediately after the apostolic age, and as under the Roman emperors, or the ten persecutions which befel the church. The word Smyrna (says Dr. Gill) signifies myrrh, which being bitter of taste, is expressive of the bitter afflictions, and persecutions, and death, which the people of God in this interval endured. And yet as myrrh is of a sweet smell, so were those saints, in their sufferings for Christ, exceeding grateful and well-pleasing unto God. Wherefore nothing is said by way of complaint to this church; not that she was without fault, but it was proper to use her tenderly in her afflicted state." And in pursuing this subject we shall first attempt a brief exposition of this epistle, in which the following things are to be observed. First, the title or character which the sender of this epistle takes unto himself, which is that of his being" the First and the Last, which was dead and is alive.' Secondly, what Christ has to say concerning the case and condition of this church. Thirdly, what he says in order to comfort her in her afflicted state and circumstances. And, fourthly, the promise he makes unto her. And may the Lord in mercy graciously assist in reviewing each of these particulars, and may we do it with pleasure and profit.

We are, first, to take a view of the title or character which the sender of this epistle takes unto himself, which is that of his being the First and the

Last, which was dead and is alive." And it should not here be overlooked by us, that this is a manner of speaking which Jehovah is pleased to make use of, and especially in the prophesy of Isaiah, where the Lord addressing himself unto his people, and unto their enemies, speaks thus: "Thus saith the Lord the King of Israel, and his Redeemer the Lord of Hosts, I am the First, and I am the Last, and beside me there is no God." Indeed the speaker in that passage is no other than Jehovah the Son, even Him, who for us men and for our salvation, come down from heaven and became incarnate. This form of speaking is used in order to comfort the people of God, and here it is particularly designed for that purpose, and it does contain every thing in it calculated to promote this. For hereby the Lord Jesus puts his church in remembrance of his eternity, He being the First cause and Last end of all things. And likewise of his being the First in the covenant of grace. He being the Head of his body the church, and as the Saviour of his people, he was made true and very man, and he obeyed and suffered for the sake and benefit of his people, and was by his Father's appointment delivered for their offences, and raised again for their justification. He had in human nature tasted death for his people, and had conquered death and him that had the power of death, that is the devil, and was as their Surety risen again; so that hereby his people might draw comfort, that he would be with them in sufferings, and that he would support them under their various afflictions, and at last give them a happy issue out of them all. It being impossible for the members to suffer, and especially to suffer for the sake and cause, for the glory, and to serve the interest of Christ, and He, the Head, not to feel for them, and to be afflicted in all their afflictions. The Lord gives The Lord gives hereby an item, that though they

should lose their lives for his sake, yet they should be raised again as he was, and enjoy the blessed fruition of his love and grace in the kingdom of his glory.

And having thus encouraged her from the style and title which he takes unto himself, we are led, Secondly, to consider what Christ has to say concerning the case and condition of this church. And, arst, he puts her in mind of his omniscience and omnipresence: "I know thy works:" both good and bad; the principle, end, and design of all and each of them. And tribulation:" this Christ has given as a legacy to his church and people: "In the world ye shall have tribulation." "And poverty:" which might be their case through the persecutions and trials brought upon them on the account of their profession of Christ and his gospel; for at this time the church of Christ was greatly oppressed by means of the Roman emperors. In the sixth chapter of this book you have an account of the opening the seals; and upon the opening the first, the apostle John is called upon by one of the beasts, or living creatures, to come and see, that is, to observe and take notice of what was represented unto him. "And behold, a white horse; and he that sat on him had a bow, and a crown was given unto him, and he went forth conquering and to conquer." Which hieroglyphics represented the Lord Jesus going forth in the ministration of the gospel in the Roman empire. He is represented as being crowned, he being as the conqueror over sin, death, the world and hell, crowned by his Father, and seated at his own righthand. And the bow in his hand represents the word of the gospel, whereby he was to subdue and conquer his enemies. And the horse

upon which he is represented, is to set forth his majesty, and the power and authority with which his gospel should be accompanied in the world.

And the crown upon his head was to denote that he was going forth conquering, and that he would not fail to conquer, and get himself victory and triumph in the empire. Now as Christ was to have a kingdom, so here you have his going forth in the preaching of the gospel, from conquering unto conquer. And accordingly by the ministry of the apostles, the sound of the glorious gospel went forth into all lands, and their words unto the ends of the world. Now after the death of the apostles, the church declining in her love and affection towards our Lord Jesus, God is pleased to permit her to be visited with sore persecutions: the emperors of Rome vent their malice against the church of Christ; she is sorely oppressed and persecuted by them: nor does the Lord forget to plead his own cause, and to avenge his church, and plague those who plagued her : but he arises for his own glory; for while they persecute his church and people, he afflicts them with divers plagues, and visits them with sundry judgments all which is represented by the hieroglyphic in the sixth chapter of this book, verse 4, "And there went out another horse that was red; and power was given unto him that sat thereon to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another and there was given unto him a great sword." This, and in deed the other horses which follow, in the sixth chapter, are judgments that, for the contempt and persecutions cast upon and raised against the gospel, the Lord plagued the empire successively with; whereby the Lord brought under the enemies of his church, and rolled up as a scroll all their heathen worship: and he raised up, and sat upon the imperial throne, Constantine, during whose time the church began to enjoy some tranquility. This being the case of this church, to be thus deeply immersed in suffering, our Lord is pleased to inform her how he took notice of her

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affliction and distress. I know the works and tribulation endured by her, and brought upon her on account of her close attachment to Christ and his gospel, his ordinances and people, and her poverty. But (says he) thou art rich. Though despised by the world, though the objects of the world's scorn and contempt, though deprived of all worldly good, yet, says Christ, thou art rich. She was rich with the treasures of Christ's grace; being interested in his person and love, and a partaker by faith of the riches of his gospel. And I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews, and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan." These persons, whosoever they were, were not the true Israel of God: they were not born of the Spirit, justified by grace, adopted into God's family : and though they might bear the christian name, and wear the badge of a christian profession, yet they are said by Christ himself to be the synagogue of Satan. And no doubt but they were disturbers of the people of God, and real enemies unto them. And as to the literal sense and meaning of this passage, these persons seem to be the broachers of error, the forerunners of Antichrist, and those who were paving the way for the man of sin. The church is bid by Christ not to fear. "Fear none of these things which thou shalt suffer." And the Lord informs her of the rage and malice of the devil against her, "Behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried, and ye shall have tribulation ten days, Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life."

This contains our Third particular, what the Lord says in order to comfort her in her afflicted state and circumstance. And first he bids her not to fear: notwithstanding the various sufferings and manifold afflictions, yet fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer. All the enemies of the church are the enemies of

Christ, and he will sooner or later deal with them as such. Secondly, Christ informs his church of the principal cause of those evils and afflictions which he was labouring under. The devil was the principal agent: it was he worked powerfully in and upon the enemies of the church, and he would for a season be permitted to oppose them: Behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison," But let the saints be cast there they shall find it a palace, for Christ will be with them, "I will (says the Lord) be with thee in trouble." Never any suffered for Christ, but found the reproach of Christ, and the sufferings brought upon them for the sake of Jesus, great gain. Moses esteemed the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt, for he had respect to the recompense of the reward. And the Lord's people always find as the sufferings of Christ abound in them, that is, as they are called to suffer for Christ, and do bear their share in tribulation for his sake, so the consolations of Christ abound in them. This was remarkably man, ifested in the saints in this period. They loved not their lives unto the death; and the prisons in which they were confined, and the flames of martyrdom which they endured, only caused their faith to shine more bright and illustrious, and their love to Jesus to burn more vehemently. So that it became a proverb, that the blood of the martyrs was the seed of the church. Our Lord tells the church what a determinate time was appointed for her sufferings, "Ye shall have tribulation ten days;" by which we are to understand the ten persecutions under the Roman emperors. We see from hence that the devil, and the enemies of Christ's church, are under his control. He permits him and them to afflict and persecute the church their design is to destroy it utterly; Christ's design is to make trial of his people, and to glorify his own grace, and display his own glory.

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And he appoints and fore-ordains all the afflictions his people are to be exercised with. They are all appointed in number, weight, and measure; the supports they shall receive, the comforts they shall enjoy, the good which shall redound unto them from their sufferings. And the end being fixed, when the end is answered then the Lord gives his people deliverance out of them,

Then he confounds the enemies of his people, and makes the wrath of man to praise him, and the remainder of wrath he does restrain.

Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life." By this, according to the prophetic meaning, may be understood a promise of a christian emperor, under whom they should enjoy ease from their sufferings, and free liberty to profess Christ and his gospel, his people and ordinances. Christ commands his minister, the angel of this church, and in him all others, to be faithful in his service, cause, and interest, to his truths and gospel; and that in spite of all opposition, and even unto death. And he promises to take notice of this, I will give thee," not for or upon the account of thy faithfulness, but out of my own free grace; I will crown my grace with glory, give thee a crown of life."

I will

This leads us to take notice of the Fourth particular, the promise Christ makes unto the church, which promise is, that he will give her a crown of life; and, likewise, that he that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death. And here I would beg leave to observe, that whatsoever is written in the sacred scriptures, is written for our edification, profit, and

use.

And, therefore, we are to consider this portion before us, not only as written with a view and design to comfort and direct the Smyrnean church, but with a view and design to be for the use and comfort of the church of Christ in every age and period. What is here said of this church is, and will be the case more