owing to their wars with the Romans, would be glad of their friendship.

The gospel is called "the word of Christ's patience," in respect of what it was to them. The retention of it under a succession of cruel persecutions required great patience; yet they had kept it,, and the Lord promised in return to keep them in a particular time of trial that was coming upon the world. It might be by a renewal of persecution in the empire, or by the prevailing of corruptions in the church. As the Lord punishes sin by giving men up to sin, so he rewards righteousness by preserving them in the paths of it. We have had many of these hours of temptation, and may have many more blessed are they that are preserved through them!

They are directed to look for the coming of their Lord, and to hold fast truth and true religion, lest their adversaries should wrest it out of their hands, and so deprive them of their reward.

The promise to them that overcome is, that they shall be "pillars in the celestial temple; and unlike those of the Jewish temple, which were removed by the Chaldeans and by the Romans, shall " go no more out." We are not to reckon the future greatness of men according to their talents in this life, but according to the use made of them. Those who have here had but " a little strength," may there become pillars in the temple. The pillars of the church on earth go out and leave it by death; hut those of the church above will abide for ever.

The writing upon them of the name of God, and the name of the city of God, the New Jerusalem, and of his own new name, doubtless means as much as this-that they should be treated as the sons and daughters of the Lord Almighty, as citizens of the Heavenly Jerusalem, and as those who are redeemed from among men.

It is for us, both as individuals and as churches, to take encouragement from this address to hold that fast which we have, that no man take our crown.

14 And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write ; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God; 15 I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. 16 So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will VOL. VI.

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spue thee out of my mouth. 17 Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: 18 I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eye-salve, that thou mayest see. 19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore and repent. 20 Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: If any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and sup with him and he with me. 21 To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne. 22 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

This church appears to have been in the worst state of any of the seven. Sardis, though it had nothing to commend, had a few excellent names; but Laodicea is censured without distinction. Yet even this church is not given up, but rebuked in love.

The character under which the Laodiceans are addressed is that of "the Amen, the faithful and true witness." Being lifted up with their riches, they might be tempted to refuse this faithful witness that was borne against them: but however disagreeable, it was "true." Christ is here called, "The beginning of the creation of God." It is true that as to his human nature be was himself created: the name here assumed, however, does not refer to this; but to his being the head (αpx") and first cause of creation. Thus in Col. i. 15. he is called "the first-born of every creature ;" not as being himself a creature, but the first cause of creation: "For (it is added,) by him were all things created that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him and for him. And he is before all things, and by him all things consist."* A message from such a character deserved their serious attention.

Col. i. 15-17.

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Christ knew their works, but could not approve of them: for they were "neither cold nor hot.' They may be said to be cold who have no religion, and pretend to none; and they to be hot, who are zealously engaged in Christ's work: but this people were neither this nor that. They were not decidedly religious, and yet would not let religion alone.

This state of mind is represented as being peculiarly offensive to Christ. To halt between truth and error, God and the world, is worse in many respects than to be openly irreligious. Corrupt Christianity is more offensive to God than open infidelity. No man thinks the worse of religion for what he sees in the openly profane; but it is otherwise in respect of religious professors. If he that nameth the name of Christ depart not from iniquity, the honour of Christ is affected by his misconduct.

These people appear to have been very proud, and withal very ignorant of themselves. Their opulence seems to have lifted them up. Religion seldom thrives with much worldly prosperity. Men covet such things, and value themselves upon them; but they are commonly snares to their souls. It is a hard thing for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. If these were the "riches" of which they boasted, it shows that the estimate of worldly greatness formed by the faithful and true witness, is very different from that of the generality of men. Of what account is it in his sight to be rich and increased in goods, while as to our - spiritual concerns we are wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked?

Being charged with blindness, and counselled to use means to remove it, it would seem however that the riches of which they boasted included those of the mind: and that they were proud of their knowledge and gifts, as well as of their wealth. Like the Corinthians, "they were full, they were rich, they reigned as kings without the apostles." There is much of this still among professing Christians. One party looks down upon another, and values itself for its superior light; one declaims against pharisaism in the true spirit of a pharisee; another is busy about the mote in his brother's eye, regardless of the beam in his own. The sentence of the faithful and true witness concerning all that are wise

and righteous in their own eyes is, Thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked, and knowest it not!

In respect of the counsel offered them, they are addressed like sinners in common, who knew not the Saviour. This was probably the case with many of them; and if some had known him, yet being in a backsliding state, the best counsel that could be given them was, that they should come as sinners immediately to the Saviour. They are directed to seek the true riches, the true righteousness and the true wisdom, and to deal with Christ for them; not as giving him any valuable consideration for them, (for this as being poor they could not,) but as parting with all for them. This is "buying without money and without price." This is the way in which sinners come to Christ at first, and this is the way for backsliders to be restored. The child that has been ill taught must begin anew and go over every rule again.

To reconcile them to this sharp and humbling reproof they are assured that these were not the words of an enemy, but of one that bare them good will. It shows the great forbearance and long-suffering goodness of our Lord, even towards them that have greatly dishonoured him. It also teaches us to put a right construction on divine rebukes, receiving them as the rod of correction to bring us to repentance.

To counsel is added a word of encouragement and of warning." Behold, I stand at the door and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me." Here again they seem to be treated rather as sinners, than as Christians. If the common invitations of the gospel be acceptable, they are welcome to them. Jesus stands at their door, and knocks for admission. Do they hear him? and will they open the door and welcome him? If so, he will come in, and be their guest. But if they are so taken up with their present company as not to hear him, er at least not to open to him, he will go away, as he did from the Jewish temple-"Behold your house is left unto you desolate."

If this serious and tender address did not reclaim them as a body, yet the promise to them that should overcome, that they

should "sit down with him in his throne, as he also had overcome, and was set down with his Father in his throne," might encourage individuals to return and hold out to the end.

Let these censures, warnings, and encouragements, addressed to the seven churches in Asia, as a specimen of the whole, be heard and regarded by the churches of Christ, and by every individual member of them, to the end of time.