{ Thou art like to ſuffer yet ſharper things than thou haſt ſuffer- ed, the Perſecutions are but begun ; but pluck up a good courage, tear not your Enemies, Matth. 10. 28. m You ſhall be caſt into Prifon, by Jews and Pagans, who are the Devils Inſtruments, and execute his Malice againſt you ; which ſhould both encourage you t1at your fizht is with the common Enemy of Mankind, and teach you to pity and pray for your Perſecutors, who are but the Devil's Inſtruments, whoſe Hearts he hath filled with malice againſt you. n That your Faith, Love, Patience, Obedience may be tried. 90 In- terpreters are divided about theſe ten days, what ſpace of time 1s meant by them ; ſome think the whole time of the Ten Perſecu- tions, but they laſted above 209 years ; others will have them the ter years of Trajan's Perſecution from 99, to 109. Others obſerve, that 1a ten Days are 240 Hours, which make up the number of Years
from 85, when the ſecond Perſecution began (under which 7ohn at
fnis time was) to 325, when all the Perſecutions ceaſed. . But to let theſe Fancics go ; it is either a certain Number put for an uncer- tain ; or, it ſignifies many days; as in Gen. ZI. 4I. Thou ha# changed my wageF ten times, that is, many times, ſo 2 Sam. 19. 43. Fob 19.3. Or, elſe it ſignifies a little time, as in Gen. 24.55. Amos 5. 3. and 6. 9, If we underſtand this Epiſtle, as only concerning the Charch of Smyrna at that time, it may fignifie a ſmall time, If we underſtand it Prophetically, deſcribing the ſtate of all Churches, till the Pagan Perſecution ceaſed (which was more than 240 Years) ten Days ſignifies a long time. p Hold faſt to thy Profeflion of Faith and Holineſs to the end of thy Life here. g And I will give thee Eterna! Life and Salvation, which ſhall be a great Reward, It is called a Crown of Righteouſneſs, 2 Tim. 4. 8.
11 * He that hath an ear, let him hear what the
Syirit ſaith unto the Churches, He that overcometh 7,
ſhall not be hurt of the + ſecond death. /.
ry For the opening of theſe paſſages; ſee the Notes on ver. 7. { We read of the ſecond Death, ch. 20. 6, 14. the meaning 1s, that he ſhall eſcape the Eternal Damnation of Soul and Body in the Day of Judgment. Thoſe that make theſe Epiſtles Prophetical ſay, That the Church of Smyrna was a Type of all the Churches of Chriſt, to the Year 325, (when Conſtantine overcame Licinus,
and gave reſt and peace to the Churches of Chriſt) which was all a
time of ſevere Perſecution under the Roman Emperors, who to that time were all Heathens : it is very obſervable, that Chriſt blameth nothing in this Church; the Church of God keeps always its Purity beſt in the Fire ; but doubtleſs thcre were in this time many Apo- ſtacics, and other Errors, but God allows much to his Peoples Temptations ; hence, though 7ob ſhewed much Impatience, yet we are called to behold him as 2 Pattern of Patience. |
12 And to the aigel of the church in Pergamos write 7, Theſe things faith he * which hath the ſharp {word with two edges z.
t Pergamos was a famous City of Troas, we read of Pergamos no where elſe in Scripture, but of 7roas we read of Paul's being there, AFs 15.8, 11. and 20, 5, 6. and preaching Chriſt there, 2 Cor. 2. 12, u See tie Notes on chap. 1. v. 16.
13 * I know thy works, and where thou dwelleſt , even where Satans ſeat zs x, and thou holdeſt faſt my name y, and haſt not denied my faith Z, even in thoſe days wherein Antipas was my fairhful martyr a, who was flain 2mong(t you where Satan dwelleth.
w God knows all his Peoples circumſtances, where they dwell, as well as what they do, and how they behave themſelves in their Habitations. x Where the Devil rules by his Pagan Deputies, and Antichiiſt's Officers. y The Word -of my Truth, by which I am known, as. a Man by his Name. z Neither by the Words of thy Mouth, nor by any Apoſtacy from this Profeſſion, notwithſtanding the Temptations thou haſt had from Seducers, ard from Perſecutors, and the ſightof thoſe who haye been put to Death for their Proteſſi- on. a It is much no Ecclefiaftical Hiſtory makes mention of this Martyr Antipas, which argueth him to hav > been a Perſon but of an o\-{cure note 1n the World ; but Chriſt ſeeth and taketh notice of thoſe little ones who belong to him, though the World overlooks them. Our being able trom no Hiſtory to give an account of this Martyr, hath inclined ſome to think this Epiſtle wholly Prophetical, and that Antias fiznifieth not any particular Perſon, but all thoſe that have oppoſed the Pope, as if it were Antipapa. But certainly there was fuch a Martyr as Antipas belonging to the Church at S$mzzna, at
REVELATION.
(Cha
that time, who ſuffered for the Truth, though we do allow this Church to have -been Typical of all the Goſpel-Churches for many Years, y
14 But I have a few things againſt thee b, becauſe
thou hait there them that hold the doctrine of * By.
laam c, who taught Balak to caſt a ſtumbling-block before the children of Iſrael d, to eat things ſacrificed
unto Idols, and to commit fornication e.
6 Though I have much to commend thee for, yet I have ſome things to accuſe thee of, and to complain of thee for. By the Dofrine of Balaam, he means the Dofrine of the N:colaitans (as he expounds himſelf, v. 15.) which was like the DoQtrine of Balaarm, d That Balaam of whom we read, Numb. chap. 24. chap. 25. who be- ing ſent for by Balak the King of Moab, to come and curſe 7ſraet, and finding that God reſtrained him, and turned his Tongue from curſing them, to pronounce Bleffings to them, inſtructed Balah at laſt, how to lay a Stumbling-Block before them, to make them to tall, viz. to ſet the Moabitiſh Women to tempt them to commit Un- cleanneſs with them, and fo to feaſt with them in their Idols Tem- ples, and eat of their Meat firſt offered unto their Idols.
15 S0 haſt thou alſo them thar hold che doQtrine of the Nicolaitans f, which thing I hare g.
f So faith he, thou ſuffereſt in thy Communion filthy Perſons, who maintain Fornication lawful, and the [awfulneſs of eating Meat ottered to Idols, which exafly correſponds with Balaam's Dottrine, or Counſel given to Balak, in order to his weakning the [jraelires, by ſeparating them from God. g His Countel took place, to the Deſtruction of 24000 Jſraelites, IT am the fame God 1till, and hate luch DoQtrines, as much as ever Idid in the time of Batab.