CHAPTER III. _The epistle to the Church of Sardis_, 1-6. _The epistle to the Church of Philadelphia_, 7-13. _The epistle to the Church of Laodicea_, 14-22. NOTES ON CHAP. III. _Epistle to the Church at Sardis._ Verse Revelation 3:1. _THE SEVEN SPIRITS, OF GOD_] See the note on Revelation 1:4;... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Revelation 3:2. _BE WATCHFUL_] Ye have lost ground by carelessness and inattention. Awake, and keep awake! _STRENGTHEN THE THINGS WHICH REMAIN_] The convictions and good desires, with any measure of the fear of God and of a tender conscience, which, although still subsisting, are about to per... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Revelation 3:3. _REMEMBER_] Enter into a serious consideration of your state. _HOW THOU HAST RECEIVED_] With what joy, zeal, and gladness ye heard the Gospel of Christ when first preached to you. _HOLD FAST_] Those good desires and heavenly influences which still remain. _AND REPENT._] Be h... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Revelation 3:4. _THOU HAST A FEW NAMES EVEN IN SARDIS_] A few _persons,_ _names_ being put for those who bore them. And as the members of the Church were all _enrolled_, or their names entered in a book, when admitted into the Church or when baptized, _names_ are here put for the _people_ them... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Revelation 3:5. _I WILL NOT BLOT OUT HIS NAME_] This may be an allusion to the custom of registering the names of those who were admitted into the Church in a book kept for that purpose, from which custom our _baptismal registers_ in Churches are derived. These are properly _books of life_, a... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Revelation 3:6. _HE THAT HATH AN EAR_] The usual caution and counsel carefully to attend to the things spoken to the members of that Church, in which every reader is more or less interested.... [ Continue Reading ]
_Epistle to the Church at Philadelphia._ Verse Revelation 3:7. _HE THAT IS HOLY_] In whom holiness essentially dwells, and from whom all holiness is derived. _HE THAT IS TRUE_] He who is the fountain of truth; who cannot lie nor be imposed on; from whom all truth proceeds; and whose veracity in hi... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Revelation 3:8. _I HAVE SET BEFORE THEE AN OPEN DOOR_] I have opened to thee a door to proclaim and diffuse my word; and, notwithstanding there are many adversaries to the spread of my Gospel, yet none of them shall be able to prevent it. _THOU HAST A LITTLE STRENGTH_] Very little political a... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Revelation 3:9. _I WILL MAKE THEM_] Show them to be, _of the synagogue of_ _Satan, who say they are Jews_, pretending thereby to be of the synagogue of GOD, and consequently his true and peculiar children. _I WILL MAKE THEM TO COME AND WORSHIP_] I will so dispose of matters in the course of m... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Revelation 3:10. _THE WORD OF MY PATIENCE_] The doctrine which has exposed you to so much trouble and persecution, and required so much patience and magnanimity to bear up under its attendant trials. _THE HOUR OF TEMPTATION_] A _time_ of sore and peculiar trial which might have proved too muc... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Revelation 3:11. _BEHOLD, I COME QUICKLY_] These things will shortly take place; and I am coming with _consolations_ and _rewards_ to my faithful followers, and with _judgments_ to my adversaries. _TAKE THY CROWN._] God has provided mansions for you; let none through your fall occupy those se... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Revelation 3:12. _A PILLAR IN THE TEMPLE_] There is probably all allusion here to the _two pillars_ in the temple of Jerusalem, called _Jachin_ and _Boaz_, stability and strength. The _Church_ is the _temple_; CHRIST is the _foundation_ on which it is built; and his _ministers_ are the PILLARS... [ Continue Reading ]
_Epistle to the Church of the Laodiceans._ Verse Revelation 3:14. _THESE THINGS SAITH THE AMEN_] That is, He who is true or faithful; from אמן _aman_, he was tree; immediately interpreted, _The faithful and true witness_. See Revelation 1:5. _THE BEGINNING OF THE CREATION OF GOD_] That is, the hea... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Revelation 3:15. _THOU ART NEITHER COLD NOR HOT_] Ye are neither heathens nor Christians-neither good nor evil-neither led away by false doctrine, nor thoroughly addicted to that which is true. In a word, they were listless and indifferent, and seemed to care little whether heathenism or Chris... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Revelation 3:16. _BECAUSE THOU ART LUKEWARM_] Irresolute and undecided. _I WILL SPUE THEE OUT OF MY MOUTH._] He alludes here to the known effect of _tepid water_ upon the _stomach_; it generally produces a _nausea_. I wilt cast thee off. Thou shalt have no interest in me. Though thou hast bee... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Revelation 3:17. _I AM RICH_] Thou supposest thyself to be in a safe state, perfectly sure of final salvation, because thou hast begun well, and laid the right foundation. It was this most deceitful conviction that cut the nerves of their spiritual diligence; they rested in what they had alrea... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Revelation 3:18. _I COUNSEL THEE_] O fallen and deceived soul, hear Jesus! Thy case is not _hopeless_. _Buy of me_. _GOLD TRIED IN THE FIRE_] Come and receive from me, without money and without price, _faith_ that shall stand in every trial: so _gold_ _tried in the fire_ is here understood. B... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Revelation 3:19. _AS MANY AS I LOVE_] So it was the love he still had to them that induced him thus to reprehend and thus to counsel them. _BE ZEALOUS_] Be in _earnest_, to get your souls saved, They had no zeal; this was their bane. He now stirs them up to diligence in the use of the means o... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Revelation 3:20. _BEHOLD, I STAND AT THE DOOR AND KNOCK_] There are many sayings of this kind among the ancient rabbins; thus in _Shir_ _Hashirim Rabba_, fol. 25, 1: "God said to the Israelites, My children, open to me one _door_ of repentance, even so wide as the eye of a needle, and I will o... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Revelation 3:21. _TO SIT WITH ME IN MY THRONE_] In every case it is to him that _overcometh_, to the _conqueror_, that the final promise is made. He that _conquers_ not is not _crowned_, therefore every promise is here made to him that is _faithful unto death_. Here is a most remarkable expres... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Revelation 3:22. _HE THAT HATH AN EAR, LET HIM HEAR_] Mr. Wesley has a very judicious note on the conclusion of this chapter, and particularly on this last verse, _He that hath an ear_, c. "This (counsel) stands in _three_ former letters _before_ the promise, in the _four_ latter _after_ it c... [ Continue Reading ]