ual things can be discerned, is not your present portion. 1 Cor. ii. 14.

All your fine moral discourses upon virtues and vices, without scripture motives, and the whole system of redemption, will never win one soul to Christ and his heavenly kingdom. You act the part of a foolish physician at the side of a sickbed, who would, without administering wholesome and effective medicines, prescribe exercise to a dying man, professional employment to the sick, and diet where all appetite is lost. Would not an intelligent patient in that case answer: Doctor, this is reversing your proper order of proceeding; first cure my disease, and your prescriptions shall be implicitly obeyed. Such a preacher of mere morals, separates what God has united, and complies only with half his commission to the world-he builds the fabric of a mill, but neglects to bring the water to run upon the wheel, which is to put the whole machine in motion. Practical holiness is the great end of religion, and faith is the means-it would be folly to expect this end, without the use of means in a proper manner. Not mere morality, but vital religion is the chief good of man, and this also is the principal aim of an Evangelical preacher in all his sermons. These only are the sermons, which the Lord has ever blessed to rescue immortal souls from perdition into the arms of Jesus, and to nourish them unto eternal life. For man is radically corrupted, and his restoration must begin from the heart. A minister, therefore, without vital, personal religion—sermons, thus void of the genuine spirit and savour of Christianity—the private and public conversation of such a moralist, in the garb of a pastor of Christ's flock, without the unction from above, are indeed wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked.

Verse 18. I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire. Here the Great Counsellor from heaven advises the manner, how this angel may recover himself from his de

plorable condition. He was defective in three material points, being poor, blind and naked; and in this wretched and miserable state, cold, insensible, and full of self-conceit, as if he wanted nothing. In order to his recovery from these three distempers, the Lord recommends the following means: 1. Pure and most refined carat gold, against his poverty-2. White raiment, against his spiritual nakedness-3. Eyesalve, to cure the philosophical cataract of his eyes. As his poverty consisted in a total deficiency of divine knowledge, and his imaginary riches, in a presumption that he knew all things that pertain to his station in the Church; this pure and most refined gold must denote the illumination and unction from above, by which the Holy Spirit of God teaches his friends knowledge and wisdom unto salvation. Without this illumination we rely entirely on our own reason, and often explain away the doctrine of grace-we only understand the Word of God by nature, and not by grace; by human learning, but not by the secret inspirations of the Holy Ghost; by reason, but not by love; the outward letter, but not the secret of the Spirit, or that which is spiritually discerned, and which alone nourishes the vital principle of eternal life in the soul of man.

White raiment, is the righteousness of saints, Rev. xix. 8; even the imputed righteousness of Jesus Christ, Jer. xi. 10. which we obtain by faith. For the Laodicean morality is self-righteousness, and the filthy rags of a beggar; in which we shall for ever be indigent, ashamed, and in everlasting contempt before the citizens of the kingdom of God. These we are to buy, i. e. to receive, Jer. lv. 1. for wherewith will a poor man buy gold, and costly raiment to cover his nakedness? But it will cost all our imaginary riches.

And eyesalve. This denotes a true and impartial selfexamination, by which we look inwardly, and take an interesting view of the present state of our heart, respecting God and our fellow creatures. Of this eyesalve the min

istry of the Laodiceans stand very much in need. They are totally ignorant of the real state of their mind and heart, and what is still worse, full of self-flattery and deceit. Unconvinced of their ignorance in the things of the Spirit, of the weakness and unworthiness of their corrupted heart, they never seriously inquired into the health of their soul, with any solicitude for grace and illumination from above, in order to restore them to Divine life, and to religious sensibility. Thus they administer the holy offices as a profession, without devotion and zeal for the temple of Jesus without solicitude for the salvation of souls-without a good and Christian example in their conversation and behaviour-and without prayer. Gracious Lord! Can thy servants so far forget themselves, as to devote their ministry to the service of the enemy of mankind, and lead those very souls to perdition, whom they are appointed to save, and whom thou hast redeemed by thy precious. blood!

Verse 19. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. By this expression the Lord mitigates the severity of the above censure, and enlivens their hope of recovery. You are not all sunk to the very brink of destruction; there are yet many among you, whom I love with tender compassion, and therefore take them into my school for a better education, (ἐλέγχω καὶ παιδεύω) that they may learn to know sin and God. This discipline consists in the vital operations of his Spirit on our hearts in affliction. A severe illness, a great loss, a disappointment, the death of a beloved parent, consort, child, or friend, have often reclaimed a prodigal son to submit to the vital influence of Divine grace, in order to his restoration. Into this school of discipline I will take you, saith the Lord-therefore beware of grieving or quenching my Spirit; but be zealous, and repent, before it be too late.

Verse 20. Behold, I stand at the door and knock. Here the Lord seems to speak of revivals of religion, and spe

eial seasons of grace in the Church of the Laodiceans, which however are not brought about by the instrumentality of her ministry, but by different servants of Jesus Christ, with whom he is particularly present, and blesses their labours. By the zealous labours of these select servants, the Lord himself stands at the door of the Laodicean Church; and to the outward tender of grace in the gospel, annexes an inward offer of his Divine influence on the mind and heart of the hearers, sufficient for their conversion, if not resisted. Whosoever these special servants of the Lord may be, they seem to have a particular aim at the Laodicean ministry in all their labours, in order to rouse them from their state of lukewarmness and spiritual insensibility; by which no doubt, they will bring many reflections and perhaps persecution on themselves. However, they are the arm of the Lord, and the Gospel of Christ is the hammer, by which these harbingers of good tidings knock against the door of the Laodicean temple, so as to shake and resound through the whole edifice, in order to communicate the blessing entrusted to them. For the Laodiceans have drunk deeply of the narcotic potion, and are not easy to rouse from their lethargy, except by effec tive means. They may stigmatize these instruments as intruders, and disturbers of their peace; but if they open the door, and give ear to their message, the servants of the Lord may expect a cordial welcome.

I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. Those who try to improve this season of grace, (for it appears to be the last one, immediately before the great conflict of the Church, and the second advent of Christ,) are here promised a blessing of immense value, even to sup with the Lord. These words do not properly refer to the sacrament of the Lord's supper, but to that intimate union and familiarity, which believers enjoy with Christ in those haleyon times, and seasons of grace, when the Holy Ghost shall prepare the lamp of their souls for a day of solemn

rejoicing in the arms of Jesus. The blessed prognostics of such a season, are, as in single persons, so in a congregation, town, city or country, a remarkable attention to the preaching of the word, and to all the means of grace; a peculiar serenity in the minds of the people, to discern spiritual things; a notable fervency and punctuality in the performance of all religious duties; glowing sentiments of Christian piety and general benevolence, in which the mind endeavours to soar high above nature, to the gate of eternal felicity, which the lukewarm would call enthusiasm, and bless themselves for their moderation. Whosoever shall see these signs of the Son of Man, let him understand.

It was an ancient custom among the Orientals, to make friendly suppers, in order to enjoy and exhilarate each other, and as a token of particular regard to their friends. The Eastern sages would meet on such occasions from far and near, in order to communicate to each other their knowledge and discoveries in the physical and moral world, and in regard to religion. These were hours of exalted pleasure and enjoyment-favours of a superior kind; and by this emblem the Lord here represents his seasons of special grace and spiritual union with his Church, and the divine visitations to his pastors, in which he discovers himself in all the loveliness of his character, and illuminates the path of their ministry, when they begin to travel in weariness through the valley of this world.

I will sup with him, and he with me. The accomplishment of the 20th verse comprises a considerable time in the Church, and these words appear to have an immediate reference to that great and glorious marriage-supper of the Lamb, recorded in chapt. xix. 9. by which the Lord is about to gladden and overjoy his faithful followers at his second advent. We are now transported with joy unspeakable, and full of glory, when the Lord discovers himself to our souls, in all his loving kindness-we feel his