of God. The votaries of a religion, in which Christ is the Alpha and Omega, muft ever pay the highest respect to the name of Jefus. Those, therefore, who keep the word of God, and do not deny the name of Chrift, have every reason to truft that their church fhall not be overthrown. Such a church is a work of God, therefore, as Gamaliel faid, men cannot overthrow it. Such a church is built upon a rock, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. Though others may err concerning the truth, nevertheless, the foundation of God ftandeth fure. But when any particular church treats the word of God with contempt or neglect, when it denies the name of Jefus, when it fubftitutes human inftitutions in the place of Divine laws, when it teaches for doctrines the commandments of men, and makes void the law of God by human traditions, when it becomes afhamed of the name of Chrift, and enlifts under the party name of fome church, fect, or leader; it hath then no reason to expect that the promises made to the church of Chrift will be accomplished to it. For, certainly, that is not the church of Chrift which does not keep his word, and which denies his name.

Verfe 9th.-Behold I will make them of the fynagogue of Satan (which, fay they are Jews, and are not, but do lie); behold I will

make

make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee.

Jews, in the fymbolical language, fignify the true worshippers of God. When applied, as in this verse, to persons living under the Christian difpenfation, they fignify true Chriftians. Thofe of the fynagogue of Satan, who say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie, are the followers of Mahomet, who pretended to be a true prophet of God, but was only an impoftor. Chrift promises that the followers of Mahomet should pay them very high refpect, and be obliged to acknowledge that Philadelphia is beloved of God.

Verse 10th.-Because thou haft kept the word of my patience, I alfo will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which fhall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.

When this book was written the emperor Domitian was perfecuting the Chriftian churches. Succeeding emperors raised up many perfecutions, and thereby deprived many churches of the ordinances of religious worship. But, in this verse, Christ promises that he would keep this church from being deprived of the ordinances of religion, by those trials and perfecutions, which should come

upon

upon the whole habitable world, to try thofe who dwell upon the earth. This promise he makes to them, because they had learned to conduct themfelves amid all the trials to which they were expofed, with the patience which his word inculcates.

Verse 11th.-Behold I come quickly: hold that faft which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.

Christ affures them, that, in some of these persecutions, he would come upon them fuddenly, in the courfe of his providence. And he exhorts them to hold fast the word of God, and their attachment to the name of Jefus; and then no man fhould take from them their crown. Most probably their crown is that high honour, which is promised them, that they alone, as a church, without interruption of the administration of the ordinances of religion, fhall furvive all thofe perfecutions, by which fo many churches were to be destroyed. It is also intimated, that they shall obtain and keep this crown, not by innovations in religion, but by holding faft that religion which they have already, and for which they are praised in verse 8th.

The promises made to this church in this and the three preceding verses, have been fulfilled to it, in a moft ftriking manner, fo as to discover the finger of God. Notwithstanding the small number of its

inhabitants,

inhabitants, Philadelphia withstood, with great conftancy and courage, the fury of the Turks, and was bleffed with vifible fuccefs. When all the reft of Afia had fubmitted to them, this town held out, and had in it a Chriftian church, in uninterrupted fucceffion till after the year 1676. It is called by the Turks Allah-Skeyr, that is the city of God. Thus an open door hath been fet to this church, and none hath been able to shut it. Thus the fynagogue of Satan, or Mahometans have been made to worship at her feet, and to know that God hath loved her. See Plin. Nat. Hift. 1. v. c. 29. Strabo Geogr, b. 12. Smith de Statu Sept. Ecc. Spon's hiftory of this church we may learn how it is that any Christian church fhall best confult her own ftability and honour, even by keeping the word of God, and not denying the name of Jefus.

Voyage. In the

Verfes 12th, 13th.-Him that overcometh, will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he fhall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit faith unto the churches.

He

He who overcomes all the temptations, to which he is exposed in this world, shall be made a pillar in the temple of God in heaven. Every individual Chriftian in this world is ftiled a temple of the living God, because he is confecrated to God; God is worshipped in his heart, and the Spirit of God, by his gracious influences, dwelleth in him, 1 Cor. iii. 16, 17. "Know ye not that ye are the temple of "God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you. "If any man defile the temple of God, him fhall "God destroy: for the temple of God is holy " which temple you are."

In the heavenly state all the votaries fhall be fo pure and holy, and confidered collectively shall be fo much one, that the whole faints in heaven are ftiled one great temple. This feems to be the meaning of Ephef. ii. 21. "In whom all the build

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ing fitly joined together, groweth into an holy "temple in the Lord." Hence, to be made a pillar in the temple of God, is to be a confpicuous and highly respectable member in the church of God in heaven. For, in temples and fuch public buildings, pillars are intended, at once to fupport and adorn the building. On pillars too, monumental infcriptions are written, to perpetuate the memory of illuftrious perfons and events.

On this pillar three infcriptions fhall be written, it, The name of God. 2d, The name of the city of God. And 3d, Chrift's new name. By the

name