1 See, a, gt'l!'t. 881'11100 by John ~owe, '(?n ~ Bed~• !)oiliinion i>~er the Iu:rialfil~ Wot}4; •:nd Bev. ~.St1;1ward1 •lfediatoria.1 SovmeigQ._ty. . ., , .. . ., , : ; n.!.:6 "l!"'v ~~01! by the present writer on ~t. x~l- 18, ~ 'To the Lighi thrpugh tb• \...,wJriruron). ' ' ' ' ,' 1 So the etymology of the word "Hadea" indioateL See an able article ~ by J)r. Craven, in Lange'a • Commentary.' · · ji'l!!VELATlON, 0 20 '.l'IIE. REVELATION OF ST. JOHN THE DIVINE. [ea. 1. 1-20. gu~d~ and e#,end'. it; the light of purity, thaf they may keep themsel~es unspotted from the worlii; the light of love,.that they may gladden others therewith. Churohea ate tlie OJ;ily institution in the world that exist solely for this purpose. . Hence they ar~ oom~ ofthpse who are the highesi part of God's ueatioa on earth-of those wlio are "born again," who are "being saved." Note further that they are _likened t.o golden candlesticks. We see by this figure how high a value God sets on the several Churches, which are to be the light-bearers in their several localities. II.· THE BEVRN CuuRCBES F.l.1m THEIR CENTRE OJ' UNITY 111T Bllll WHO IB nr THB MIDST o:F TH.EM. "In the'midst of the seven candlesticks, one like unto the Son of mau." In ~W they fi.pd their_ oneness. To him alone. are they distioctl1 and sev.eqilly 9.~ tesr.iIIB_ible•• It i,1/· possible to. ~ t of a;counterfeit.inde~ence,., .'l'h~'inde- pe~dence of,1SOlafioJ!, the independe~oo.of self-w~ll, aJ;1d so on, have no warraut in the Wotd.;o(~~- ..,There 1!3:,p.o CQ.lll'ch m<½~lienqa .-n1:tio1!.ed b_y ~pture ~hich m~ \\llYthmg lElSS, o~ a11ythmg else, than abso~utp lonuty to. _the. Sop. llf ,Gqd, and respo~,- p\litr ~ hi:in alon~.; , At t~!! .gird:le. o(,Ollf gt'!laJ Hjgh Priest alcm5: ha~ ~e ~._of .autl)op,ty;and power•.. On earth he bas. e i , ~ .the ~ya ot ;the kingdo!ll t.o the ;9ntini.liody qf ~iever11.as a Cijristian pries~~. an\! .woe ]le t,Q.Jany Churp4 :which alio'!"il a,i,:_ ~t1il,v: ruler to w,rest theJ:l!- frP,111 .its .hanq§ I The ev,:~ts oft,]le _&y are ~o{cmg th1;!) pnnQl.ple toJheJrop.t after 1t has been ohscur~ for &gQII. , . , . : · •• · III1 ,;EAOf!:,;~BUIWB ,BAS ITS Olpl_ ;B~aB:LLl:NOE, .».EJ'JW'D, DANG~ ANJ> .Iltrn'i J~o we)indit wi#l Ephesus, Pergamos, Thyatira, Sar<Us, an~ Laodioea. Two on y ;,.re µnrebajted..:....Smyrn1,1, and Philadelphia. . Thus the .state of .tltings ~ the .entire Church of •~ niay be. compared. to tqat in a vessel built in w~ter-tight oompa.rtmen~_, wb1;1re, though thwe may_ be a leakage in one pai;t the o_thers may be sound. We •l!Cl8 tliis ¥1 se:v;eral Ch~es, even n~~- One may be kyal to its Lord, and .another not so. One may be_ losing its .fuBt love, and _another may be all on tire. One ~y have a great reputation, and yet be. dead. Another may be in poverty, a.pd yet be rich in f$,,~t~ .°¥ Chll!ch may be fast_ asleep, another_ may be abounding in every good wor... . .. IV. TBB SA.VIoun, IN TBB MIDST OJ' TBB CmraOHl!,8, IIANI.FEBTB BDISJ:LI' TO BA.CR CllDBOB A.COOBDING TO ITS OWN IIPIBlTUA.t ST.A.TB. To Ephesus, as "he that walketh in the midst ".,..to survey, t.o mark~-to bQrrect. 'lo Smyrna, as_," the Living One "--to givethecrownoflife. ,,'l'o Perg&D10B, as ''hilthat ~th the sharp sword"-to sever and to smite. To Thyatira, as "he whdse·ej'eaare like & flame of fire"-to see through an~ tm,ou~~~-aod t.o burn up eviL_, To.Sar4is, as •: he tl:i.a~ ha~~ t~e ~ven Spi1ta of Goo,""~•qii'eken _the -Ob.utch Cro'm death: ·· To Philadefph1a, as "lie that bath the key ofUavid~.......j:,ij open to tli,daithfjihhe temple of God~. To I:iaoillcea'., as "the Faithful ~;Tru••~iti'iess "-:to··~~ive . theqdn the1r ill~!f~ori!ilii( 'Thus our !Jord wjll be''f6his Churt:hea aooording- to what the'., are. And if there be a nominal ·011.urcb not 'triiilih.is d~ii;ig its"Lor~'s work, it will certauµynot have its ¥,¥:ice pr9longed for the sake. of its own. ' ' '· · · · . , . · ·· · · ·· · v. W°JU~ II.A.'!' iiE" A OlicRCil:'s DD'll'IctJLTmB, bui LoBn ~ I'f 'l'O OVEB- jJOD, N~. o~ of the let~ 1? the seven 'Churches givea ·llli _tlui llligh"'t· reuoli W ~u~that the'adv~fo~ uught ~ so strong ihat any Church whatever wo!dd oo Jttstifted in succumbing to it. There 1s abundance of power, ot love, and of faithful- nel!II in Obrist to sllS~in any Church under any trial whatsoever. VI. Aooon»1Nii TO A Cii:uncil's mra::i.iTY on oTBEBwIBz, eo WILL tm ITI »BSTµTY. If unfaithful,' the Church will be judged, chastised, and possibly swept_ awayi Il fatt.bfo.t, 'lier ~rd will set before lier an'open door, and no. one can shut it. Note: l. Chin'clies have nothing -to fear except from' their own sluggishness and i.naptness to ttieet the demaii<ls of their age. No artificial help can, in the long-run, perpe~~te a d'ead· Church ; no artificial aid is needed for a living and faithful one. 2. There_ must not only be an overcoming on the part of a Church if it iii to be continued, but also a personal overcoming on the part of each individual, if he is ultimately to share his Lord's vict.ory. Let 118 not forget that just as a Church may be dead though a few in it are .alive, so individual souls :o;iay \\e dead even where. u a whole, th.e Church ia alive. The Lord is coming. Every oQ.e of q11 shall give account. of himaQlf. ITerr man shall bear hi11 own burdeu. · utt. r•.1-20.J THE 1RlllVEI,.~~ON OJl' ST. JOHN THE DIVINE. 21
HOMILIES.BY Y,ARIOUS ).UTHOBS. ", :.,, ,,, al- 22 T ··g···E• ·'n'.E,.v··E··t,r.; ~.;:, r.OF, ··sT·.r!JO· H.iJ.T L..J.:J...D·,:.;..,I•.iN• ..o.TlU.N .N 'l'HJ!l .1Y w. . , I, •1--:-:-20; J!.~-f~~- en. x. 1-20.] ·, ',l'tiE B;EVJZATION 011' ST• .TOltN THE DIVINE. • • • : '·' < 25 28 '.I'~ RE~ELATIO~ OF s.rr. J;OHN TUE DlVt:NE. LUR. I, l,-20. ox. 1. 1-20.] THE REVELATION OF ST. JOHN THm MVINE. 29