sonality, from the Father and the Son, and yet co-equal and co-eternal with the Father and Son: the Lord God of the holy prophets. Holy men of old spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost. And the word seven in scripture, signifies perfection; and it is used here to denote the fulness of spiritual gifts and graces imparted from the Holy Ghost unto his ministers and churches. And it may be to shew his divine influence in and over his church in every age and place. And the seven stars, are the angels of the seven churches. And Christ having the seven Spirits of God, implies his full possession of the divine Spirit, in his diversified gifts and graces. And that as Mediator, he bestows his Spirit upon the stars his ministers-to the end that they may (i. e. ministerially) enlighten his church with the light of heavenly truth. This serves for a twofold use and purpose. First. To put his ministers in remembrance of their dependance upon him: that what they had for the benefit of the church was all received from him, and therefore they ought to use it to the praise and glory of his grace: that there is no gift, grace, nor degree of knowledge which they want, to make them workmen which need not to be ashamed; but Christ, as the Head of his body the church, has it to bestow. Secondly. It serves to put his church in mind of Christ's ability to fill his ministers continually with increasing knowledge in heavenly mysteries: that they shall never fail of having his word and ordinances, nor ministers to preach his gospel and dispense the bread of life. and cup of blessing unto them while they are here: for he will be with them, and with his ministers, always, even unto the end of the world.

Let us attend unto what Christ has to say to this church. He says unto her, "I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead." Christ being present with his church, in the midst of her, his eye

being ever upon her, must know and have a distinct knowledge of all the works of his people both good and bad. He is pleased to take notice of what is well pleasing in his sight, in order to commend his church for it, and of what is hateful, to reprove her for it. This church, Christ says, had a name, and was highly praised and extolled. But, it seems, our Lord was not so well pleased, nor did he think so well of her, as others did. "Thou hast a name that thou livest." It should be our most earnest prayer, and our greatest desire to be truly alive to God. This is the case when we are not contented with the opinions and thoughts others entertain of us, but are wrestling hard with Christ in prayer for a continual supply of grace from him. Now although our life is hid with Christ in God, and Christ himself is the life of his people, who dwells in their hearts by faith; yet it is too often the case with us, that we are contented with some general and speculative knowledge of Christ, and rest contented because we understand Christ to be the only way to the Father, without walking in him so as daily and continually to enjoy communion with him. To be alive to God in heart and affection is truly well pleasing unto the Lord. In order to be kept alive to God, it is absolutely necessary that we converse often with God by prayer and praise: that we read and meditate upon his holy word: that we lay aside every weight, and the sin which does most easily beset us: and that we seek unto the Lord the Spirit, that he would be pleased to give us such discoveries of the glories and excellencies of Jesus Christ,-of his amazing love, of his glorious salvation,-of the fulness of his grace,-of the Father's love in him,-as may warm, refresh, revive, and exhilerate our souls. There is no living in the lively actings and exercises of our graces, but by constant fellowship with the Lord Jesus Christ. When

we are living out of ourselves, solacing our souls in the bosom of our beloved Saviour, and viewing his eternal glories and royalties, then it is that we are living not unto ourselves, but unto him that lived, and died. and rose again for us. And there is not a greater means of increasing and promoting spiritual life in its acts and exercises, than by looking wholly and steadfastly unto Christ, and to be contemplating the glories of his person as God-Man-Mediator, and to view the love of his heart, the bowels of his mercy, the glorious work of obedience and suffering wrought out and performed by him, and our completeness in him, and our most perfect acceptance by the Father, in Christ; this does, more than all other things, serve to keep up in our souls most ardent longings after him. For every time we look unto, and view our adorable Immanuel by faith, our hearts are inflamed with love to him; and when we are kept wholly looking unto him, then we increase in our love to him, and in our zeal to promote and advance his honour and praise.

But this was not the case of this church, for instead of it, she seems to be represented as too forgetful of these things. Therefore, though she had a name, and that a renowned one, that she was a living church, yet says Christ unto her, "Thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead." By this we may understand that the generality of professors and churchmembers are wholly dead to God and spiritual things, having never been awakened from a death of trespasses and sins. Others who have been powerfully wrought upon by divine grace are fallen asleep, and stand in need of being addressed, "Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee life." The apostle is speaking unto those who were really the children of God, but through their unwatchfulness and carnality were got into a very dead,

sleepy, and drowsy frame. It implies that though there was zeal, and everlasting life in all the true members of Christ, yet that very few of them were living in the lively acts and exercises of their graces upon the Lord.

Our Lord after having informed his church what her state was, goes on to exhort her in the following manner: "Be watchful and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die; for I have not found thy works perfect before God." This most undoubtedly belongs, and is directed both to ministers and people. "Be watchful:" the ministers are watchmen, and they are to watch over the Lord's flock, and to watch over the souls under their care and charge, to observe their state, their case, their walk, and to take heed unto themselves, and unto their doctrine. And it becomes the churches of Christ the people of God-to watch their own hearts, and to be jealous over themselves with a godly jealousy: "Be watchful and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die." By this we are not to understand the work of grace in and upon them. For this, as it was the Lord's work wholly to create them anew in Christ Jesus, so it is he only that can strengthen it. "We are confident (says Paul, to the Philippians,) that he which hath begun a good work in you, will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ." The work of grace upon the soul can never die, for the grace of God implanted in the sonl is an incorruptible seed, which liveth and abideth for ever. Our Lord adds," For I have not found thy works perfect before God." This shews that there is a defect, in some measure, in doctrine and discipline, and it is generally applied to the work of reformation, "that the reformers and reformed churches stuck where they first began, and did not carry their works, neither with respect to doctrine, and especially with respect to discipline and

living upon him, and through the grace and power of the Holy Ghost, overcomes the deadness, coldness, and formality which Christ reproves the church for. And this should lead us to make an inquiry and examination concerning our own personal case. For we have Christ in this epistle reproving the church for her spiritual deadness, coldness, and indifferency in spiritual things. Let us therefore search and try our hearts and ways. Spiritual decays the church of God are all liable unto; but they are easily discovered; for by finding out what are the evidences of spiritual growth, we may at once judge what are the symptoms of spiritual languishments. The evidences of the soul's being spiritually alive to God, and of its spiritual growth, are, a fervent, vehement, and ardent affection towards our Lord Jesus Christ-his word, ordinances, and people. Also, a pressing on in the good ways of God, in order to know the Lord. It is also an evidence of a spiritual growth, when Christ is more precious, when we delight to think, and speak, and talk of him. When we delight to be often at his throne of grace. When by means of the word and ordinances our souls are brought to live and prize Jesus more highly than ever. It is a most solemn consideration, that we are the better or worse for every ordinance which we make use of. We shall either be more spiritual and heavenly in duties the more we use them in faith, or we shall grow more dead and cold to Christ, and formal and customary in our performances. Either our souls will thrive and prosper in spirituals by our attendance on the means of grace, or our sins and corruptions will most certainly revive and gather strength, and that even in the use of Christ's most sacred appointments. If this be the case, if these things are so what need of continual prayer and watchfulness over ourselves.

The overcomers here addressed are

such as are not looking unto others, viewing what their religion is, and conform themselves accordingly; thus thinking that if they are what the generality of professors are, all is well: but the persons Christ here addresses and makes this promise unto, are such as are brought to see and believe the vast importance of spiritual and eternal things; and who are living, even amid such a general decline, near the Lord, upon the Lord, and to the Lord. Unto such the blessed Immanuel makes the following promise, "He that orercometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels." This is the promise that such shall be clothed in white raiment: that Christ will not blot out their names out of the book of life, but that he will confess such persons, and own them before his Father, and before his angels.

and

Here I shall endeavour to open explain what is contained in this. First. For this part of the promise, that the overcomer" shall be clothed in white raiment." By this clothing I understand the righteousness of Christ, in which the overcomer is clothed. Not that he is clothed in it because he overcomes, or as though it was the fruit of their overcoming. But the overcomers being promised to be clothed with it, is to shew that those persons who are led on by the Spirit of God, from strength to strength, and from faith to faith, being brought through, it will be an incontestible evidence that they had Jehovah Jesus for their righteousness and garment of salvation. And this is called white raiment, to shew the purity and spotlessness of this robe. Also the cheerfulness, peace, and inward joy such persons partake of who are clothed with it. Christ here promises that the overcomer shall he clothed with it, which shews that he will present his people before the

throne in this blessed clothing-his own obedience. Christ's righteousness may be compared to white raiment because of its spotless purity. Those that are clothed with it are unblameable, unreprovable, without spot or blemish, and without fault before the throne of God. And it is a promise of their happy state of endless felicity which they shall enjoy in the immediate presence of Christ within the vail. It may signify the purity and perfection which the overcomer should enjoy in heaven; where saints shall be basking in the rays of Christ's love, and they will be incessantly employed in the rapturous acclamations of his praise. In this blessed state the overcomer will enjoy perfect purity, eternal victory, everlasting peace, endless honour, life, and righteousness as a perpetual crown. So that as Christ had promised the overcomer that he would be in heaven the tree of life,-the crown of life,-the bread of life,→ the morning star; so here, their everlasting life. It denotes the abundance of spiritual peace and joy which the overcomer shall have, as the fruit and effect of his being clothed with this raiment, in earth and heaven. In this righteousness the believer stands before God, and by faith in it he enjoys peace, and the effect of this in the heart is a quiet resting upon God, and an assurance of his faithfulness for ever, to make good unto us; and to put us into the possession and enjoyment of all the good to which we are entitled unto by this righteous

deavour to open and explain what this book of life is. By the book of life I understand, not only the purpose of God concerning all his creatures, and his designs in and upon them; but I understand it to be the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world-the book of God's eternal purposes and decrees concerning the eternal election and predestination of his people unto eternal life. And this is called the book of life, because the purpose of election is a book of life; therein all the persons, means, and end of everlasting life is fixed. And its being represented as a book with names written in it, shows the love of God to his chosen ones, his care of them, his value for them, his remembrance of them, and his exact knowledge of them. The Lord said unto Moses, "Thou hast found grace in my sight, and I know thee by name," Exod. xxxiii. 17. It is an election phrase. Election flows from grace, and it is fixed upon the persons of the elect, and these persons' names are all written in the book of life. From this proceeds all our blessings. In the womb of eternal election, Christ the Head, aud all his members, were conceived and formed. He the eternal and everlasting Head, and they his body, bone of his bone, and flesh of his flesh. And it is also called the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. (Rev. xviii. 8,) And it is called thus, because He was present at the making of it, and was concerned in putting down the names in it. He himself stands first in it as the Elect of God (see Isaiah xlii. 1); and the Head of all the elect, in whom they all were chosen. Chosen in him (says Paul, Ephes. i. 4) before the foundation of the world." Election, the act of it, was made in him, and stands sure in him, and he is the author and giver of that life which men are chosen unto, both here and hereafter. Election is eternal, and is not dependant upon anything done in time; and it

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