well as Ephefus, was a city of lonia, and the next to it in fize.

Verfe 9.-I know thy works, and tribulation, and poverty, (but thou art rich), and I know the blafphemy of them who fay they are Jews, and are not, but are the fynagogue of Satan.

Christ informs this church, that he knows their whole conduct and fituation; that he is well acquainted with their tribulation and outward poverty; but, at the fame time, that he who judgeth not as men judgeth, but who looks unto the heart, knows that they are spiritually rich, rich in faith, in love, and in good works.

By Jews, in the fymbolical language of this book, we are to understand the true worshippers of God under that difpenfation of revealed religion, under which it was written, that is, the Chriftian, In this fenfe, the term Jew and Ifraelite are used in other parts of the New Teftament, Rom. ii. 28, 29. ix. 6. John 1. 47.

The Synagogue of Satan fignifies any religious fect, whofe principles are erroneous, and whose practice is impure; because Satan is the fource of all falfehood and fin. He firft tempted and mifled men; and, though the erroneous and wicked acknowledge

acknowledge it not, and perhaps perceive it not, he ftill worketh in the children of disobedience. They are the flaves of Satan. John viii. 44.—“ Ye "are of your father the devil; and the lufts of

your father ye will do: He was a murderer "from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, "because there is no truth in him. When he

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fpeaketh a lie, he fpeaketh of his own; for he is

a liar, and the father of it. I John iii. 10.-" In "this the children of God are manifeft, and the "children of the devil: whofoever doeth not

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righteousness is not of God, neither he that lo"veth not his brother."

It would appear from this verse, that, at that time, there was fome religious fect in Smyrna, of erroneous principles, and impure practices, who pretended that they were true Chriftians, and who mifreprefented and afperfed the character of the church in Smyrna. Chrift informs this church that he knows the principles and practices of that fect, however fecret, and that he confiders their calumnies of them as blafphemies against God himself. Luke x. 16.-" He that defpifeth you,

despiseth me; and he that despiseth me, despi"feth him that fent me." 1 Theff. iv. 8.-" He "therefore that defpifeth, defpifeth not man but "God."

Verse

Verfe 10.-Fear none of thofe things, which thou fhalt fuffer: behold, the devil fhall caft fome of you into prifon, that ye may be tried; and ye fhall have tribulation ten days: Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.

It is predicted that this church should be expofed to a fevere trial and perfecution for ten days. In the language of prophecy, a day is the fymbol for a year, as fhall be shown afterwards, when we come to confider the more highly prophetic parts of this book. But it is most probable, that ten days here are taken literally for that fpace of time. It is unneceffary to give the reafon of this opinion here, as it will fall to be explained afterwards, when it fhall be fhewn, when, in prophetic writtings, a day fignifies an ordinary day, and when it fignifies a year.

It is predicted, without any condition, that this church fhall have tribulation for ten days. We may conclude, therefore, that this prediction has been accomplished; and we ought to look for its accomplishment in the hiftory of this church. Accordingly, in the reign of the emperor Antoninus Pius, A. D. 147, many members of the church of Smyrna were caft into prifon, tortured, exhibited on the theatre, and caft to be devoured by lions. Laft of all, Polycarp, the minifter of

Smyrna,

f

Smyrna, was burnt at a ftake. By his death a ftop was put to this perfecution. It appears to have been raised by the Heathens, at the time of their public fhews, and to have lafted about ten days. Bp. Pearfon's Diff. Chron. i. p. 11. a cap. xiv. ad xx. Circular Letter of the Church of Smyrna concerning the Martyrdom of Polycarp.

Christ exhorts this church, and every member of it, to fear none of those things, and to be faithful to the death; to adhere, with the most unfhaken fidelity, to the belief of the doctrines, the obfervance of the ordinances, and the obedience of the precepts of the gofpel; in one word, to conduct themselves, in every respect, in the most ftri& conformity to the profeffion, which real Chriftians make, though, for that fidelity to the truth as it is in Jefus, they fhould be perfecuted even to the death. To them who are thus faithful unto the death he promifes a crown of life. By a crown of life we are not to understand a living or neverfading crown. Unless the quality of the crown is determined, the eternity of its duration can give us no idea of its value and importance. The mere continuance of existence is neither a bleffing nor a curfe of itself, but increafes either, when added to it. If the fituation of any perfon is miserable, it muft greatly increase his mifery that he is immortal. But, by the crown of life, the nature of the crown is fpecified. It is life; it is the spiritual

life

life of an intelligent, rational, and moral creature; a life which is eternal. This life confifts in being freed from the condemning fentence of God, as his offended judge; in being renewed by the Spirit of God, in the spirit of his mind; and in perceiving, feeling, acting, and enjoying, as fuch a crea ture as man was intended to do, ought to do, and always does, when his nature is in a state of rectitude. This is the greatest bleffing which man can poffefs. Without this, he cannot be really happy in the poffeffion of any external good. Poffeffed of this, he enjoys all things. This is the very bleffing which depraved man needs: For he is dead in trefpaffes and fins. This is the very bleffing which Chrift came into this world to purchafe for and beftow upon men, John x. 10. This is that bleffing, which, under the influence of divine grace, is formed by faithfulness unto death. It is by this faithfulness unto death, that the change wrought in him, at converfion, by the agency of the Spirit of God, is brought to perfec tion. It is thus, that his evil habits are gradually eradicated, that his wife and good refolutions are, by degrees, confirmed into lafting habits of head and of heart; and that he at death, is brought to the full ftature of a perfect man in Chrift Jefus. This crown of life is the free gift of Chrift, to thofe who are faithful unto the death, Rom. viii. 1.--13.

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