Seven epistles are found in this doctrinal part, immediately dic- tated from heaven, and sent by John to the seven churches of Asia, to instruct, correct, encourage, and confirm them, as their several cases required.
My text falls in the last epistle, sent to the church of Laodicea ; the worst and most degenerate of all the rest. The best had their defects and infirmities, but this laboured under the most dangerous disease of all. The fairest face of the seven had some spots, but a dangerous disease seems to have invaded the very heart of this.
Not that all were equally guilty, but the greatest part (from which the whole is denominated) were lukewarm professors ; who had a name to live, but were dead ; who being never thoroughly engaged in religion, easily embraced that principle of the Gnostics, whidi made it adia<poPov, a matter of indifferency to own or deny Christ lu times of persecution ; the most saving doctrine that some professors are acquainted with. This lukewarm temper Christ hated ; he was sick
♦ Tot mi/steria quot vijrba* Hieron.
514 THE DOCTRINES PROPOUNDED AND OPENED.
of them, and loathed their indilFerency ; " I wish (saith he, ver. 16.) " thou wert either cold or hot."" An expression of the same amount with that in 1 Kings xviii. 21. " How long halt you between two " opinions?" and is manifestly translated from the qualities of water*, which is either cold or hot; or lukewarm, a middle temper betwixt both, and more nauseous to the stomach than either of the former.
* Cold is the complexion and natural temper of those that are wholly ' alienated and estranged from Christ and religion : Hot, is the gra-
* cious temper of those that know and love Jesus Christ in an excel- ' ling degree ! lukeica?'m, or tepid, is the temper of those who have ' too much religion to be esteemed carnal, and too httle to be truly ' spiritual ;' a generation that is too politic to venture much, and yet so Jbolish as to lose all ; they are loth to forsake truth wlwlly, and more loth to follow it too closely : the form of religion they af- fect as an honour, the power of it they judge a burden.
This is that temper which the Lord hates, and this was the disease of Laodicea, which Christ, the great and only heart-anatcnnist and soul-physician, discovers in ver. 17. and prescribes a cure for it in ver. 18. So that the words resolve themselves into two parts ; viz.
tJ \t . ^ 1^ !- of the disease of Laodicea.
i^econdly, A proper remedy j
1. First, Their disease is faithfully discovered to them, both in its symptoms, cause, and aggravations.
First, Its symptoms, an unconcerned, indifferent, regardless spi- rit in matters of religion, neither hot nor cold ; the true temper of formal-professors, who never engaged themselves thoroughly and heartily in the ways of God, but can take or leave as times govern, and worldly interest comes to be concerned.
Secondly, Its cause and root, which is the defect and want of the truth, and power of inward grace, noted in these expressions, **Thou " art wretched, and miserable, poor, blind, and naked ; i. e. thou art destitute of a real principle, a solid work of grace. These five epi- thets do all point at one and the same thing; namely, the defectiveness and rottenness of their foundation. The two first, o ra/.a/cTW5o$ y.ai o ^/.^iivGc, wretched and miserable, are more general, concluding them in a sad condition, a very sinful and lamentable estate ; the three last, 'Trlui'/jg, r-jzyoi, xai yvfMvoc, viz. poor, blind, and naked, are more par- ticular, pointing at those grand defects and flaws in the foundation, which made their condition so wretched and miserable.
First, Poor, that is, f void of righteousness and true holiness be- fore God : These are the true riches of Christians : and whosoever wants them is poor and miserable, how rich soever he be in gifts of the mind, or treasures of the earth.
^~Fngidos vocat plane a Chriito alieiios. Fervidos, vera Cliristi cegnilione in excellmti grndu prceditos. Tepidos, qui cum e/iristiani did vcUtU, nee causamreligionis serio agunU nee vitam confessjoni conformem dignamque ducunt. Sol. Glass. Rhet. Sacra, par. 3. p. 16:>.
1" 'ifitti'/oi dcititutuijiutitia^ et sanctitate vera^ coram Deo. Grotius,
THE DOCTRIXES PROPOUNDED AKD OPENED. 515
Secondly, Blind; * i. e. without spiritual illumination, and so neither knowing their disease, nor their remedy ; the evil of sin, nor the necessity of Christ.
Thirdly, Naked; -f without Christ and his righteousness. Sin is the soufs shame and nakedness ; Christ's pure and perfect righteous- ness is its covering or garment ; this they wanted, how rich soever their bodies were adorned. These were Laodiceans ; i. e. a just or righteous people (according to the notation of that word) whose gar- ments with which they covered themselves, were made of the home- spun thread of their own righteousness.
Thirdly, The disease of Laodicea is here opened to them in its aggravations ; " Thou saidst lara rich, and increased with goods, and " have need of nothing ; but knowest not," &c.
To be really graceless and Christless, is a miserable condition ; J but to be so, and yet confidently persuaded of the contrary, is most miserable: to have the very symptoms of death upon us, and yet tell those that pity us we are as well as they, is lamentable indeed !
O the efficacy of a spiritual delusion ! this was their disease, grace- lessness ; and the aggravatio7i of it, was their senselessness.
Secondly, We have a proper remedy prescribed, ver. 18. "I counsel ** theetobuy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich,"" &c. In which we have to consider. First, what is prescribed for the cure. Secondly, Where it is to be had. Thirdly, How to be obtained.
First, What are the remedies prescribed; and they are three; gold, rvhite raiment, and eye-salve. First, gold, the cure of poverty, yea, gold tried in the fire ; i. e. grace that hath been variously proved already ; and the more it is proved, the more its truth will be con- spicuous. The next is white raiment, the remedy against nakedness. And, lastly, eye-salve, the eifectual cure of blindness. Under all these choice metapfwrs, more choice and excellent things are shadowed, even spiritual graces, real holiness, more precious than gold. Christ's imputed righteousness, the richest garment in all the wardrobe of heaven ; and spiritual illumination, the most excellent collyrium or eye-salve that ever was, or can be applied to the mental eye or un- derstandino; of man in this world.
Secondly, Where these precious remedies may be had; and you find Christ hath the || monopoly of them all ; Buy of me, saith Christ in the text ; he is the repository of all graces. Angels, ministers, ordinances cannot furnish you with them without Christ.
Thirdly, How they may be obtained from him ; Buy of me. On
ry^Aog 2^ec morbam sciens^ ncc remedium Durham in loc.