Obrist the Lord. The ·cry, "The Ohurch· of the Lord, the Clluroh of: th9' Lord are we P' ia often railllld by those who have no right to it, and against those who have. !l'h1111 was it at Sardia. .. 2. They had to fflCOWlter actiw opposition. Endeavours seem to have ·ooen: made to shut- the door of nsefulneas which the Lord had opened for them. Ilia emphatic decwation that none should abut that door implies that there bad been ~ who had tried to do 110/ And how often since t-hen have dominant and cruel eb.u.rchea made t-he same attl!mpt in.regard to communities they did not like 1 Witness the-persecutions of Vaudois and Waldenses in Switzerland, of HUIISites and ot-bel'B in Bohemia, of Lollarda, Protestants. and Puritans in England, of Covenanter& in Scotland. and of Catholica in Ireland..:...all has·.been, with more or 18811 of difference, the repetition of what \vas done at Philadelphia in the days of St. John. .And there appean to have beefl : 3. Attempt, lo make flaem apostatiu. The meaning of the latter part of. ver. 8 ill, " Because though thou hast but- little strength, nevertheless thou hast kept my word, and h:\l;t not denied my Name." Hence we gather-and the tenses of the.. verb8 uaed imply it also-that there had been some definite attempt of the kind .we haYe aid. Like 11.s Saul in his perseouting days fon;ed the unhappy Christians who fell into bis power .«:to blaspheme," so simila:r fo~ bad apparently been used; but, by vidue of Christ's §Wltaining grace, with no effect. ,For, notwith!tanding all,. they were-,..- · • III. F ArrHFUL. 'fhey kept Christ's wor<l, and did not deny his Name; and the first 11ra11 the cause of the last. Their history illustrates the, value of the word of Christ. !J'hey clang to it,, they would not let it ,go, they h11d nothing but this, but this they had, and clave. to. Twice is it named: "'l1hou hast kept my· word;".~ Thou hast kept the word of my patience." And this latter and fuller form reveals a further aid to their faith which they found in Christ's word. "For the word of Christ, as the Philadelphians knew it., was not a word calling them ·ti> easy and luxurious and &JlPlauded entrance into the kingdom, .but to much tribulation firilt,:and the kingdom with· the glory of it afterwards." And not only as a word wbieh told them at the lleginning that patience would be needed, did it help them; but yet more as the word which revealed Christ their Lord as the great Example and. Source and· Rewarder o£ piitience;.110 that, however hard to bear their trials might be. they could tum in thongh1i Mi their Lord; and behold him meekly bearing nil cro-so much heavier than tbm; and they had seen him also sustaining his tried servants. again and again, and they knew that he would do the. same for them, and they beliem t-hat he would assuredly reward .their pat-ienee. Yes, it was the wotd of hia patience to which they clung, and mthe strength .of whichj,though tempted andactried sorely, t-bey would not deny hill Name. ,And their waymlll!t be our way,their strength ours,when we are tried. And '1ieywere- . _ . _ • ...· · ·'. IV. GRJU.'l'LT BLEBT, The Lord g11ve them large reward. . To this day the mffering Smyrna and the much-tried Philadcl phia alone remain of these &!Ven Churches.:; !!'lmugh• an manner of vicissitudes the Chri~tian faith ha■ been IJ1)lield by them oo·Jhia.a&y. But see the recompenses 11poken of here. 1. Ohrist c:on/esses them; and <kniu li8ir ~ , . · , He. pronounces for them and against their foes. Such is the significance of the au~t and sublime title which the Lord here assumes,, It tells of the names of 0
the Lord God of IsraeL He was the H@ly, the True, the King of Israel, of whom David, wit-b · his great authority opening and shutting according. to Jiis will, was the. Old Testament type and representative. " The key of David" means the power and authority of Da.vid, and Chrtst claims to be as he, was, and far more, the Representative of God, aµd the PosseSl!Or of his authority and pnwer, Now,-it. wa1:1 by this great and gloriou Jehovah that the Jews at PhUade. lphlll affirmed that the Church there was ilisowned and denied.. They said, "You have no part in this God, but we only.': But in utter contradiction of this falsehood, he, the Holy One himself, comes forward, and doolares that the persecuted Church had pa.rt in him, but that they, her slander0.1'8, had 0