Revelation 3:22

REFLECTIONS

BLESSED Lord of thy Churches! Give thy servants grace to praise thee for such love-tokens of thy favor, that in thine infinite condescension thou didst send those gracious messages to thy Churches; and still more, didst cause them to be handed down to us, even to the present hour. Lord! we see enough to be humbled to the dust in all. There are now the same features of character among thy people. Like Ephesus, too many of thy dear children have left their first love. Like Smyrna, we have the blasphemy among us of those who profess the truth, but are not. Like Pergamos, we have men of corrupt minds, who follow doctrines in head-knowledge, but void of hearth influence: and, like Thyatira, we have multitudes now in our land, who not only suffer, but follow the doctrine of Jezebel, and are running back to the idolatry, of false worship. Lord Jesus! do thou purge the land! And amidst the Sardis state, if we are in that state, prepare us for the more glorious one that is to follow, under the Philadelphian, and bring on the great day of our God. Lord make it a short work among all Laodicean spirits, and hasten that blessed period, when Jesus will close up all in glory.

In the mean time, blessed Lord Jesus, be not sparing of the sweet visits of thy love to thy people! Oh! for grace to hear thy voice, at the door of our hearts, and to receive Christ to his holy supper, and to be among those that eat bread in thy kingdom. Even so, Amen. The Lord be praised for these sweet Epistles to his Churches.