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cesses the white stone was the mark of acquittal, the black one of condemnation :

Mos erat antiquus niveis atrisque lapillis;
His damnare reos, illis absolvere culpâ*.

The white stone, presented to the conquering Christian, may be supposed to signify, "well done, "thou good and faithful servant." But this white stone is inscribed with characters; so were the

of the ancients. The letter with the Greeks was the token of condemnation; or, in a general sense, of disapprobation. So Persius;

Et potis es nigrum vitio præfigere Thetat.

But on this white stone, given by our Lord to his approved servants, was written a new name, which will be explained in the following note.

Ver. 17. A new name.] By the custom of nations, from the earliest ages, a person raised to dignity was commonly invested with a new name or title, expressive of his deserts. Many instances occur in Scripture. It is the promise of God to Zion, that, becoming the glory and the light of the Gentiles," she shall "be called by a new name, which the mouth of the "Lord shall name." He has promised also to the Eunuchs and Gentiles, who shall "keep his covenant, "and love the name of the Lord, a place and a name "better than of sons and of daughters, an everlast"ing name which shall not be cut off §." Of this kind and nature is the new name or title, given by the Lord of Heaven to his elected servants.

Ovid. Metam. lib. xv. 41.

The

+ Sat. iv. 13.

‡ Gen. xli. 45. 2 Sam. xii. 25. Dan, i. 7. John i. 42, Matt. xvi. 18.

Is. xlii. 1, 6. lvi. 5.

honour

honour which they shall receive at his hands, when their spiritual warfare is accomplished, is beyond conception, and can only be known by being enjoyed.

PART I.

SECTION VII.

The Address to the Church in Thyatira.

CHAP. ii. VER. 18-to the end.

18 Καὶ τῷ ἀγέλῳ τῆς
ἐν Θυατείροις ἐκε
κλησίας γράψον
Τάδε λέγει ὁ υἱὸς τῆ
Θεᾶ, ὁ ἔχων τὸς
ὀφθαλμὸς αὑτῷ ὡς
φλόγα πυρὸς, καὶ

οἱ πόδες αὐτῷ ὅμοιοι 19χαλκολιβάνῳ. Οιδά σε τὰ ἔξία, καὶ τὴν ἀγάπην, καὶ τὴν διακονίαν, καὶ τὴν πίςιν, κ τὴν ὑπομονήν σε, καὶ τὰ ἔρ[α σὲ τὰ ἔσχαλα

πλείονα τῶν πρώ 20 των Αλλ ἔχω

καλὰ σὲ ὅτι ἀφεῖς τὴν γυναῖκα σε Ιεζαβήλ, ἡ λέγετα ἑαυτὴν προφήτιν, και διδάσκει και πλανᾷ τὰς ἐμὲς δέλες, πορνεῦσαι καὶ εἴδω21 λόθυλα φαγεῖν. Καὶ ἔδωκα αὐτῇ χρόνον,

18 And to the angel of the Church in Thyatira write: Thus saith the Son of God, who hath his eyes as a flame of fire, and his feet like smelting brass. 19 I know thy works, even thy love, and thy service, and thy faith, and thy patience, and thy last works to be more than the first: 20 But I have against

thee, that thou sufferest thy woman Jezebel, who calleth herself a prophetess, and teacheth and seduceth my servants to commit fornication, and to eat meats sacrificed unto 21 idols: And I have

given her a time, that she might repent, and she will not repent of

18 And unto the angel of the church in Thyatira, write, These

things saith the Son of God, who hath his eyes like unto a flame of fire, and his feet are 19 like fine brass; I know

thy works, and charity, and service, and faith, and thy patience, and thy works; and the last to be more 20 than the first. Notwithstanding, I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which called herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols. 21 And I gave her space

ἵνα μετανοήσῃ, καὶ ε θέλει μελανοῆσαι ἐκ τῆς πορνείας 22 αὐτῆς ἰδὲ, βάλλω αὐτὴν εἰς κλίνην, · καὶ τὰς μοιχεύονίας μεθ' αὐτῆς εἰς θλίψιν μεγάλην, ἐὰν μὴ μετανοήσωσιν ἐκ τῶν 23 ἔς[ων αὐτῆς• Καὶ τὰ τέκνα αὐτῆς ἀποκτενῶ ἐν θα νάτῳ, καὶ γνώσονται πᾶσαι αἱ ἐκκλσίαι ὅτι ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ ἐρευνῶν νεφρές κ καρδίας καὶ δώσω ὑμῖν ἑκάσῳ κατὰ τὰ ἔργα ὑμῶν. 24 ὑμῖν δὲ λέγω, [τοίς] λοιποῖς τοῖς ἐν Θυατείροις, ὅσοι ἐκ ἔχεσι τὴν δι δαχὴν ταύτην, οἵτι νες ἐκ ἔγνωσαν τὰ βάθη το σαλανᾶ, ὡς λέγεσιν Οὐ βαλῶ ἐφ' ὑμᾶς 25 άλλα βάς. Πλὴν ὃ ἔχετε, κρατήσαλε ἄχεις κ ἂν ἔξω 26 Καὶ ὁ νικῶν, καὶ ὁ τηρῶν ἄχρι τέλες τὰ ἔρ[α με, δώσω αὑτῷ ἐξεσίαν ἐπὶ - 27 τῶν ἐθνῶν, Καὶ ποιμανεῖ αὐτὸς ἑν βάβδω σιδηράς ως

τὰ σκεύη τὰ κει ξαμικὰ συντρίβεται, 28 Ως καγώ εἴληφα

22 her fornication; Behold, I cast her into a

bed, and those who commit adultery with her, into great tribulation, unless they shall repent from her 23 works; And her chil

dren will I slay with death; and all the churches shall know that I am he which searcheth the reins and hearts; And I will give unto every one of you according to your 24 works. But unto you I say, unto the rest in Thyatira, as many as hold not this doctrine, (whosoever have not known the depths. of Satan, as they speak,) I shall put up

on you none other 25 burthen; Only that which which ye have, hold fast until I come. 26 And he who overcometh, and who keepeth even unto the end my works, to him will I give power over the 27 nations, (And he shall

rule over them with an iron sceptre, as the vessels of earthen ware are broken to pieces,) 28 Even as I have re

ceived from my Father; and I will give

to repent of her fornication, and she re22 pented not. Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent of their deeds. 23 And I will kill her

children with death; and all the churches shall know that I am he which searcheth the reins and hearts: and I will give unto every one of you according to your works. 24 But unto you I say,

and unto the rest in Thyatira, As many as have not this doctrine, and which have not known the depths of Satan, as they speak, I will put upon you none other burden. 25 But that which ye

have already, hold fast 26 till I come. And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the 27 nations; (And he shall

rule them with a rod of iron as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers :) even as I received of 28 my Father. And I will

παρὰ τὸ παρὸς με. καὶ δώσω αὐτῷ τὸν ἀγέρα τόν πρω 29 ϊνόν. Ὁ ἔχων ες, ἀκεσάτω, τί τὸ πνεῦμα λέγει ταῖς ἐκκλησίαις.

give him the morning 29 star. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

give him the morning 29 star. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

Ver. 18. Thyatira.] This was a considerable city in the road from Pergamos to Sardis *. Lydia, who at Philippi received the Apostles Paul and Silas, was of this place; and being a person of consequence, and divinely called to receive the Christian Religion†, probably became the cause of establishing a Church here. So that, on this account, as well as because this address of our Lord is directed to the Church of Thyatira, we can give no credence to the notion which was holden by some persons in Epiphanius's time, (300 years after the date of this epistle,) that the church in this city was founded after the time of Saint John's seeing this vision. No Christians are at this time reported to be found in the remains of this city.

Ib. Eyes as a flame of fire, &c.] Thus the Son of God appeared in ch. i. 14, where see the note, and the meaning of the word χαλκολιβανον.

Ver. 19. Thy last works to be more than the first.] This is great commendation, and the reverse of the fault for which the Ephesians are reproved, (v. 4.) and of that lamentable state, described in Saint Luke, xi. 26. 2 Pet. ii. 20. τα εσχατα χειρονα τῶν πρωτῶν, the last state worse than the first.

Ver. 20. Jezebel.] This might be literally, a wo

* Strabo and Pliny.

† Acts xvi. 14,

man

man of great rank and influence at Thyatira, who seduced the Christians to intermix idolatry and heathen impurities with their religion. Such seducers were in the church in Saint Paul's time. And the history of Queen Jezebel, that eminent patroness of idolatry, as delivered in the Books of Kings, shews that such a woman would be fitly represented under that name. But there is another sense in which it also may be applied; for, in symbolical language, by a woman is signified a city, a nation, a community, a church t. This passage is so understood by Venerable Bede, who explains the term Jezebel to mean a synagogue of false apostles pretending to be Christian; and it may signify a sect of seducers, like that described in verses 14 and 15 of this chapter; for the same doctrines are ascribed to both. In the comment of Andreas Bishop of Cæsarea, written about the year 500, and containing the matter, as the writer professes, of more ancient commentators on the Apocalypse, of Irenæus, Papias, Methodius, &c. it is said, that the Nicolaitan heresy is here called Jezebel figuratively §, on account of its impiety and intemperance. See also the note below, ver. 24.

Ver. 20. Fornication.] The edict of the Apostles, (Acts xv.) forbids to the Gentile converts that which is here mentioned: 1. Пogveia, fornication, under which word are comprehended all those carnal impurities, which were common among the heathens, and even made a part of their sacred rites. 2. Ειδωλαθυτα, Αλισγήματα των Eidwλwv, meats offered unto idols; to partake of which, when declared to be such, was to partake of the

* 2 Cor. vi. 14, &c.

+ See note below, v. 22. Synagogam pseudo-apostolicam, quæ se Christianam fingit, § Τροπικώς ωνομαζεμενην Ιεζαβηλη δια την δυσσέβειαν και ασελγειαν.

worship.

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