d Though by the Temple of God in this place ſome underſtand
the Church of Chriſt on Earth, where thoſe always were, and are, and always ſhall be moſt famous, who have overcome Temptations
*-Phil.4 5, f Ch.2.25
*1Kings 7, 21.
7 Chap. 2, I7.0022.4, || Gal. 4.26. Heb. 12.22
beſt, from the VVorld, the Fleſh, and the Devil ; yet conſidering -
that all the Promiſes before made to thoſe who overcome, are of anotherILife; it ſeems beſt rather to interpret this ſo, That God would make ſuch an one of Fame and Renown in Heaven, great in the Kingdom of Heaven, Matth. 5. 19. to fit upon a Throne there, Matth. 19. 28. He ſhall haye an higher Degree in Glory (for Stars differ from one another in Glory, 1 Cor. 15. 41.) Pillars being not only for Support, but Ornament, and principal parts in Build- ings. e He ſhall have an Eternal Inheritance of which he ſhall not be diſpoſleſt. F As Men. uſe upon Pillars and Monuments ere&ted
for their own Uſe and Honour, to write their Names ; fo I will pe-
culiarly own, and challenge ſuch an one for my ſelf. g And I will write upon him, This Man is an Inhabitant of the new Hieruſalem., þ 1 will glorifte him with that Glory of which my ſelf was made partaker, upon my Aſcenſion after my Reſurreftion, Fohn 17.22,24.
13 He * that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit ſaith unto the churches 7z. |
3 This we have met with at the Cloſe of every Epiſtle. See the Notes on ver. 7. Thoſe who think theſe Churches were typical, and the matter of the Epiſtles not only DidaQick and CorreRive, but
} Prophetical, ſay, this Church of Philadelphia was a Type of all Goſ-
pel-Churches which were to be in the VVorld, upon the Reformation, which more perfe&ly caſt off Antichriſt, and would allow no Key,but
that of the Houſe of David,reforming themſelves ſtri&ly,according to
the Rule of the VVord, not according to State-Policy and Prudence. 14 And unto the angel of the church |
diceans, write &, Theſe things ſaith the Amen /, * the
faithful and true witneſs 2,7 the beginning of the cre- ,
ation of God z : VVe read of this Church, Colof. 4. 16. Laodicea was a City in Lyaia, by the River Lycus, vid. Chap. 1, 11. I Amen, as we have
oft noted, is a Particle uſed in aſſerting, and in wiſhing, or pray- ing ; here it hath the uſe of a Noun, and is affertive ; he that is true,
as it followeth. He may be conceived thus to preface his Epiſtle, to aſcertain to the Miniſters of this Church the Truth of what he blames in them; or of the Threataings, or Promiſes contained in it ; to which purpoſe he alſo calls himſelf. m The faithful and true Witneſs ; ſee the Notes on Chap. 1. 5. Thoſe that deny the Divi- nity of Chriſt, are deceived in their Thoughts, that this Text will afford them any Defence for their Error; for «g;4 the word here
\uſed, doth not oaly ſignifie the Cauſe, but Principality, or the Chief,
or Prince, Eph. 3. 10. Co/.1.16. Hence Chriſt is ſaid to be age, which we tranſlate, the beginning; becauſe he was the Creator, the Efficient Cauſe of the Creation; or hath a Lordſhip over the whole Creation : All Power both in Heaven and Earth being committed to him, and all Knees both in Heaven and Earth bowing down to him, Phil. 2.10. Unleſs we had rather interpret it of the New Creation, either in the World, ſo he was the beginning of the Goſpel; or in particular Souls, ſo he is the beginning of Regeneration and Sandifi- cation. But though this be a Truth, and confiſtent enough with the Greek Phraſe, Gal. 6.15. yet I ſee no reaſon why we ſhould fly to it againſt the Arrians, or- their ſpurious Off-ſprings ; for ta- king the Creation, as ordinarily it fignifies, for the giving all Crea- tures their firſt Being. Chriſt was the Efficient Cauſe of it, and ſo the beginning of it, (without him was nothing made) and he hath a Lordſhip and Dominion over it. |
15 * I know thy works o, that thou art neither
cold nor hot p, T would thou wert cold or hot 9. 0 I know and obſerve thy Behaviour, thy Miniſterial Fun&tion. þ Thou art neither openly profane, and groſly ſcandalous, like Hea- thens, or ſuch as make no Profeſſion ; nor yet haſt thou any true Zeal or VVarmth, either for the Faith once delivered to the Saints, or in Love to God, ſeen in keeping his Commandments, "_— the ower
* Ch.2.7.
of the Lao- || In Las- dicea, *+
Ch.1.5. x Col. 1.
I 5»
RIP
2
Power and Emicacy of Godlinefs, teaching thee to deny all Lingodli- n{!: and Woridly Luſts, Tf. 2.12. Thou haſt a form of Godli- nels, but denieft the Life and Power thereof, q We muſt not think Chrift witheth any Perſons could abſolutely, but comparitively, ntmatng to us, that the condition of a downright Atheiſt, ar projane Perſon, 1s more hopeful, than that of a cloſe formal Hypo- Crite, Fhelatter is in the Road to Hell as well as the other, and no more picateth God than the other. It is better not to have known tnc Truth, thin knowing it, to live contrary to it, Luke 12, 48.
2 Pet. 2, 21. Commonly ſuch Men alſo are proud, and ſelf-con- celted, -havinz ſomething to ſtop the Mouth of their natural Con- {ctence, narder to be convinced of their evil State, Matth.21.32,33-
20 Io then becauſe thou art luke warm, and nei- tner coll nor hot 7, I will ſpue thee out of my Mourni /.
r Partly good, partly bad, having ſomething of Profeſſion, no- thing of the Life and Power of Religion, contenting thy ſetf, that thou art nota Few, nor a Pagan, not a ſuperſtitious idolatrous Per- fon, but .a Chriſtian, a Proteſtant, a Miniſter, or Member of the Ketormed Church, yet negle@ing thy Duty both as a Miniſter, and as 2 Chriſtian, living in a ſenſual Satisfa&tion of thy Luſts, / I will cait thee off, as Men vomit up luke-warm things.
17 Becauſe thou ſayeſt, * I am rich 6, and increa- ſed with goods c, and have need of nothing d : and Knowelt not that thou art wretched, and miſerable, and poor, and blind, and naked e.