promises that he that overcometh should be made a pillar in God's temple; and he shall have the name of God written upon him, and the name of the city of God, and his own new name; that is, of the acknowledged Messiah of the Jews, when he builds up again the Jewish temple, from thenceforth to become the Christian Church.

Every thing, therefore, seems to intimate, incontrovertibly, that the Philadelphian Church is the Church of the Jewish Christians.

We are now brought to the seventh and last age of the Church, preparatory to the great change which shall take place at our Saviour's second advent. This begins with a denunciation against the angel of the Church of Laodicea, whom he addresses in these awful words :

"These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God."

Amen is the oath of God, it is also the concluding asseveration to His commandments, confirming their truth. The beginning of the creation of God signifies a new system or dispensation to be now brought in the approaching new heaven and new earth wherein dwelleth righteousness.

"I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot I would thou wert either cold or hot,

so then, because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. 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. 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."

It is a most lamentable circumstance to consider, that a Church redeemed to God, beloved and approved of Him, should be at length reduced into a negligent and lukewarm state. But such is the corruption of human nature, and such its proneness to degeneracy, that this Church, relying perhaps on the favour of God, on its complete establishment, and on the wealth of the nations flowing in upon it, may become blind to its own wretched, poor, and miserable state, with respect to spiritual things, and liable to the just judgments of the Almighty.

Still, however, her merciful Saviour proves

that she is an object of his love.

as I love, I rebuke and chasten. therefore and repent."

"As many

Be zealous

As in the former case, when he addressed the Protestant Church, degenerated from its first

faith, with an affectionate caution, so here he addresses his own chosen people, relapsed from their loyalty, and attachment, by a solemn rebuke, to produce its desired effect. “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 he shows his affectionate solicitude for his Church. He stands at the door and knocks, and if any one will attend to his call, he will enter into holy communion with him. It has been observed that Laodicea may signify the righteousness of the people in opposition to the righteousness of their rulers, or it may signify the judgment of the people. If it depends at all on etymology it must depend on its derivation from δίκαιος, οι δίκη. He concludes with the promise, To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me on my throne, even as I also overcame, and am sat down with my Father on His throne."

Here is a glorious promise to him who obtains the victory. He has sat down with the Father on His throne, and he tells his faithful servants, that they shall sit down with him on his throne, and as he elsewhere promises, shall judge the world. For the day of judgment in this world is now approaching, and the final resurrection of the righteous and the wicked for their ultimate reward or condemnation.

"He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says unto the Churches."

The general prophetic view of the destinies of the Church through successive ages being thus completed, the beloved disciple is elevated to the theatre of the Apocalyptical visions in heaven, where all the wonders which are revealed, are exhibited to him. "As he looked, a door was opened in heaven." He hears the voice of a trumpet addressing him, and inviting him to "come up hither," that he might be shown the things which shall be hereafter.

He was "immediately in the Spirit ;" and he sees a throne set in heaven, and one sitting thereon.

He was like a Jasper and a Sardine stone in brightness; and there was a rainbow round about the throne, like an emerald. A rainbow has always been considered (since by God's benign command it first appeared in a watery cloud) as an ensign of God's merciful covenant with man. And this rainbow predominated in the colour of green, a colour, as has been properly observed, most favourable and most pleasing to the sight.

"And round about the throne were four-andtwenty seats; and upon the seats four-and-twenty elders sitting, clothed in white raiment, and they

had crowns of gold upon their heads. And out of the throne proceeded lightnings, and thunderings, and voices, and there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God."-" And in front of the throne was a sea of glass like crystal; and before and behind the throne, and on each side of the throne, (for so is the description to be interpreted,) were four animated beings, full of eyes, before and behind."-" The first was like a lion, and the second like a calf, and the third had the face of a man, and the fourth was like a flying eagle." "-"And these four living creatures had each of them six wings about him, and they were full of eyes within, and they rest not day and night saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and which is, and which is to come: And when those living creatures give glory, and honour, and thanks to Him that sat on the throne, and worship Him that liveth for ever and ever; the four-and-twenty elders fall down before Him that sat on the throne, and worship Him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying, Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory, and hoand power, for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are, and were created." This is a sublime description of the habitation of God, with reference to the Jewish encampment

nour,