church. It is a kingdom of great power and glory, yet not after the fashion of this world; for it is ✗ neither acquired nor preserved by arms. It is not founded on worldly policy, over which it is destined to prevail. It is the stone of Daniel's vision, which, cut out of the mountain without hands, breaks to pieces the kingdoms of the world, miraculously increasing till it fills the whole earth. "And the king"dom and dominion, and the greatness of the king"dom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the "people of the saints of the Most High, whose king"dom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions "shall serve and obey him*."

Ver. 28. The morning star.) A star is a teacher†; shule our Lord is eminently such; and such he intitles himself in ch. xxii. 16. ὁ αστηρ ὁ λαμπρος και ορθρινος, “the shi"ning and morning star." As such he was foretold in Numbers, xxiv. 17; and a star, in the eastern and morning quarter of the hemisphere, preceded his birth †. As this star, seen by the wise men, signified to them his first coming; so by the star, promised in this passage, we must probably understand "I the signs denoting his second coming; a knowCriedge of "the mysteries of the kingdom of hea

،،

ven §," and of its approach in power. Saint Peter, / speaking of prophecy, whose office it is in part to reveal these mysteries, recommends us to attend diligently to this light shining in a dark place," until some clearer manifestation shall be revealed; εως 8. ήμερα διαυγασε και Φωςφορος ανατελῃ εν ταις καρδιαις ύμων, until the day shine forth, and the day

* Dan. vii. 27. See the note, ch. ii. 7. and the Scriptures there quoted. This reign of the saints is again described in ch. xix. 15. † See note, ch. i, 16. † Matt. ii. 2. § Matt. xiii. 2.

77

star (or morning star, for so it should be translated,)
te vace
shall rise in your hearts: until that time, when the
prophetical information, imperfect in its nature, be- love the
ing " done away," that perfect knowledge shall suc-
ceed, which is like knowing "face to face *." But
beside this time of perfect consummation to which
both these apostles may be thought principally to
refer, there is a time promised when the Divine Power
shall
the veil spread over remove

inve at

the livin

all nations †,"fe

and the earth "be filled with the knowledge of the

glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the seat" th. whout

This glorious and extensive reign of Christ and of his belo
religion, is the subject of many sublime prophecies,
and is copiously prefigured in the sequel of this ...
book. To those, whether they be churches or in-
dividuals, who, in full assurance of faith, resist the
temptations, and surmount the difficulties of their
Christian warfare, looking forward to the accomplish-
ment of the divine promises with spiritual discern for e
ment, to such shall be granted the dawnings and first.
light of these happy times; they shall see them,
though afar offs; and seeing, they shall rejoice || ;
and this joy no one shall take from them

1

4

PART I.

SECTION VIII.

The Address to the Church in Sardis.

1 Καὶ τῷ ἀἱγέλῳ τῆς ἐν Σάρδεσιν ἐκκλησίας γράψον· Τάδε λέγει ὁ ἔχων τὰ ἑπτὰ πνεύμαλα τῷ Θεῷ, κὶ τὸς

ἁπλὰ ἀτέρας· Οἶδά

CHAP. iii. VER. 1-6.

1 And to the angel of 1 And unto the angel
the Church in Sardis
of the Church in Sar-
write: Thus saith he
dis, write, These things
who hath the seven
saith he that hath the
Spirits of God, and
seven Spirits of God,
the seven stars. I
and the seven stars,
I know thy works, that
thou hast a name, that

know thy works, that

σε τὰ ἔρδα, ὅτι

thou hast a name, that

ὄνομα ἔχεις, ὅτι

thou livest, and thou

thou livest; and art

ζῆς, κὶ νεκρὸς εἶ. 2 art dead. Be watch- 2 dead. Be watchful and

Ver. 1. Sardis.] Sardis, situated on the Pactolus, the ancient seat of Cresus, and of the Lydian kings, was proverbially the seat of Riches. This city had suffered grievously by an earthquake some time before the date of this vision; but, by the bounty of Tiberius Cæsar, had been restored to splendour *. Sardis possessed, from its natural situation, extraordinary means of acquiring riches. But riches are corruptive, and are apt to lead to that supineness in religion, and profligacy in morals, which in this epistle are so severely rebuked.

Sardis is now no more than a village. An ancient Christian church supplies the Turks, who inhabit it, with a mosque. The few Christians (if such they may be called) who still continue there, are represented to have neither Church nor minister.

Ib. The seven Spirits of God.] See note, ch. i. 4.
Ib. The seven Stars.) See note, ch. i. 16.
Ib. Name.] Character or reputation.

Ib. That thou livest, and thou art dead.] In the same figurative language, our Lord commanded his * Strabo ii. p. 931.

disciples

disciples to "let the dead bury their dead *." The word νεκρος, a dead body, is used in its metaphorical sense; "dead," as Saint Paul expresses it, "in tres

passes and sins; alienated from the life of God †." The same metaphor occurs frequently in Scripture. A person living in the defilements of the world, in whom the spiritual life in Christ hath little or no vigour, is said to be "dead while he liveth;" as, on the contrary, of him who meets death in the discharge of his Christian duty, it is pronounced, that "he liveth, though he die †." "The use of this me"taphor has been so common with the Jews, that, as "Maimonides informs uss, they proverbially say,

Impii etiam viventes vocantur mortui, The wicked "are dead, even while they are alive; for he, saith "Philo ||, who lives a life of sin, τεθνηκε τον ευδαιμονα, " is dead as to a life of happiness: his soul is dead, "and even buried in his lusts and passions. "because the whole Gentile world lay more especially "under these unhappy circumstances, whence the

And

apostle styles them sinners of the Gentiles, it was proverbially said by the Jewish doctors, Populi "terrarum, i. e. Ethnici, non vivunt, the heathens "do not live**." An attention to this use of the words death, die, dead, &c. in this figurative language of Scripture, will tend to illustrate many passages otherwise obscure. Such are Matt. xxii. 32. iv. 6. Luke i. 79. Rom. vi. 2. viii. 6. 2 Cor. 1. 9, 10. iii. 6. 1 Pet. iv. 6. So likewise in the sequel of

* Matt. viii. 22.

† Eph. ii. 1, 5. iv. 18.

‡ John xi. 26. Matt. iv. 16. Rom. viii. 6. Eph. v. 14. 1 Tim. v. 6.

1 Pet. iv. 6. 1 John iii. 14. Jude 12.

§ More Nevoch. lib. 1.

Gal. ii. 15.

|| Leg. Alleg. c. 1.