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THE FORTY DAYS AFTER THE RESURRECTION.

Sept. 1, 1865.

In short, the commission here given is to be a practical and outward exhibition of the great fact recorded by St, Peter, that Christ is "gone into heaven, and is at the right hand of God, angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto him." (1 Peter iii. 22.) The two commissions of Matthew and Mark contemplate the relation, not of the Church to Christ, but the relation of Christ and the Church unto God. In relation to Christ it is as the body to the head (this is St. Paul's department) but in relation to God it is as the whole body under its head to the will. Such is the nature and official character of these commissions which will receive their full accomplishment in the millennium. The superiority of Christ and the Church over creation, and the power over the nations, will then be fully asserted.

But these signs consist of five particulars :

First the casting out of devils--this was a first-fruit and sign of the casting down of Satan from heaven hereafter, and binding him in the bottomless pit. (Rev. xii. and xxii.) Next come the works of the devil, which the Son of God was manifested to destroy.

Secondly. The evil wrought at the tower of Babel, where the language of the whole earth was confounded, is now overcome by a miraculous power over the human spirit and the gift of tongues; the leading difficulty is removed of what may be called physically spiritual difficulties, and tongues become a sign to them that believe not." "They shall speak with new tongues."

Thirdly. "They shall take up serpents." This was a pledge and token and firstfruit of that state of things in which the effects of Satan's power shall cease in the lower creation, and "the sucking child play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice den," as saith the prophet (Is. xi. 8). It was a foreshadowing of power over the inanimate creation.

Fourthly. "If they drink any deadly thing it shall not hurt them." The poisons which the earth procureth, the noxious vapours from the waters, the deadly infection from the air, these and all other violences the results of sin in the inanimate creation, and of Satan's reign as prince of the power of the air. These all are subject to Christ and the Church, and the sign under consideration is the token of their removal and obliteration from the universe.

Lastly, power over disease.

Fifthly. "They shall lay hands on the sick and they shall recover." Sickness is sin apparent in the body, disease of every kind is mortality begun, as another has said; well, the time is coming when there shall be no more pain, no more sickness, no more death, the bondage of corruption shall be broken, and the liberty of the glory of the children of God shall appear. (Rom. viii., Rev. xxi. xxii.) The arresting of disease was a firstfruits of this glorious estate, when mortality shall be swallowed up of life. If then our Lord has power to redeem all nations out of the bonds of evil, the Church must needs possess these miracles to arrest the evil course of things, and to establish His claims in the sight of angels, of the world, and of men; these signs did follow those that believed until Christianity was fixed, and the world got therein a forestalment of its future blessing.

But all this was only "the firstfruits of the Spirit," (Rom. viii. 23),

Sept, 1, 1865,

and the Church itself is but " a kind of firstfruits of His creatures," (James i. 18). The harvest of the Spirit so to speak, and the harvest of his creatures have, yet to come in, the firstfruits of which have already appeared.

"So after the Lord had spoken unto them he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God." This verse is quite in harmony with, and consequent upon, the foregoing, for it is from the right hand of God that all this power goes forth, which shall hereafter make his enemies his footstool, and subject the creation unto God. From Him who is at the right hand of God goes forth now the pledge and earnest in the firstfruits of the grand deliverance of His creatures so long enslaved by sin and Satan. Meanwhile, let us remember that as the Samaritans were believers before these gifts came upon them, (Acts viii. 12, 15) that is, they believed the gospel without receiving the gifts of the Spirit here spoken of,- -so we Gentiles are now believers without these gifts; nevertheless, the Spirit is in and with the church to the end-the power of all life and the energy of all service, and the Lord Jesus is also present with his people to the end. So that although these signs are no longer present, nevertheless, it still remains that disciples go forth and preach everywhere, "the Lord working with them." (ovveμyouVTOS VEO) The co-operation of the Lord in the gospel labours of his people is the same now as ever, the evidence of which every quickened soul furnishes, even though the outward signs, visible to the senses, and sent to convince the unbelieving, be absent. See 1 Cor. xiv. 22. Whilst they lasted they were evidence even to the world, that everything in heaven and in earth, and under the earth, is subject unto Christ; and God having given therein a sufficient and well attested evidence, the world has ever since been left under the responsibility of that evidence. However, instead of believing these evidences, Christendom will be found, in the end, to have corrupted and denied Christ and His mission, and to believe in the Antichrist and his missions and having disbelieved the miracles attesting the former, it falls uuder the power of the miracles attesting the latter, for it is written that the last Antichrist will come "with all power and signs and lying wonders, and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish, because they received not the love of the truth that they might be saved."-2 Thes. ii. 9, 10.

A CHRISTIAN in business should deal with God as he does with his wife and children, when he comes home at night after a whole day's worldly employment; he brings his affections to them as entire at night as when he went out in the morning. So should he be ready for communion with God at all times, and bring Him back his whole heart after the toil and bustle of the day are gone.-Gurnall.

THE goldsmith, when he puts a wedge into the fire, stands by till the dross be consumed. So God is with His children in the furnace of affliction. He brings them into affliction; He continues with them in affliction; and He brings them at last out of affliction.-Sibbes.

Sept. 1, 1865.

THE SEVEN CHURCHES OF ASIA.

IV. THYATIRA. (Rev. ii. 18-29.)

THYATIRA (now called Ak-hissar, white castle) follows in order after Pergamos, and is situated nearly due east, bearing a few points to the south, from this town. There are about the same number of Greek Christians at this place as at Pergamos; and between three and four hundred Armenians. The majority are Turks. It is a town of some importance still, carrying on to this day a trade in scarlet-dyed cottonstuff, and of considerable extent, with shops of all kinds. The Greeks have a church, newly built, and a school. The same have the Armenians; and the Mahomedans have nine mosques.

Thyatira is (a neuter noun in the plural) derived from the Greek word Ovw, to sacrifice, or to present sacri ce, from which is derived the noun Ovia, bacchanals. Thyatira, therefore, being a derivative from this Greek word, signifies the sacrificing or self-devoting one. This church is a symbol of the Church from the beginning of the seventh century onwards, or of all the superstitions and errors, partially introduced, during the Pergamian period; but from this time they were greatly increased and consolidated. The relic worship, with its idol ceremonies, begun in the fourth century, by the mother of Constantine the Great, was now firmly established, and relics were collected and fabricated everywhere. Likewise the monastic life, in a measure induced by the pagan persecutions, when men fled from towns, and retired to mountain fastnesses, was now formally introduced into the Church. At this time it was that Popery, as the spiritual Jezebel, began to mix her cup, to commit fornication, and to seduce the servants of the Lord. Thyatira, therefore, prophetically embraces,

(1.) The times of self-devotions, vows, etc., as monastic life, consecration of goods, and the very life itself, etc.

(2.) The mass, with all its appendages, when the religious services and ceremonies reached their highest point. From these times we likewise date the erection of cathedrals, monastic edifices, charitable foundations, etc. When the people, in their endeavours to work out their own salvation, consecrated their earthly all to pious uses.

(3.) When much innocent blood was shed, and the so-called heretics (as the Waldenses, Albigenses, Hussites, etc., etc.), were persecuted to death; and when all this was done under the pretext of honouring God.

The prophetic character of this Church then, aptly foreshadows the errors of Popery, in all their fearful variety and soul-destroying character, together with the cruel reign of the Popes over all who would not submit to their domination.

The suitableness of the character, which our Lord assumes in addressing this church, is striking. "Thus saith the Son of God,"-here is authority" who hath His eyes like unto a flame of fire, and His feet are like fine brass." His flaming eyes are opposed to the secret

Sept. 1, 1865.

abominations of Jezebel; and His transparent feet to her erroneous and unholy practices. He who walketh among the churches, and holdeth the ministers in His right hand, is acquainted with all that is going on; and He will assuredly bring every wickedness to light in the end, in order to punish it.

We notice, in accordance to the order of this Epistle,

I. What the Lord commends in this angel.

"I know thy works, and charity, and service, and faith, and thy patience, and thy works; and the last to be more than the first."

To a pious soul, like this angel, nothing can be more consoling than to be told by the Lord, "I know thy works,"--I know all thy service, -thy faith, and thy patience. I am acquainted with the exercise of thy active, and passive graces. In the Epistle, addressed to Ephesus, a similar commendation is given, charity or love alone is there omitted. But, the presence or absence of this Christian grace is what renders our actions either acceptable or unacceptable before God. The angel of the church of Thyatira was united to the Lord in love-love to the Saviour was the spring of his action. In this angel there appeared no dependence on self, as was the case in that of Ephesus, in doing the will of his Lord. Love to the blessed Saviour, and devout thankfulness for all He has done for us, and is doing for us, were the spring of his actions. In the consciousness of his own unworthiness and poverty, he considered it his greatest privilege to suffer or to act for his Master. We have seen in the case of Smyrna, that the Lord makes no demands on poverty. He only expects to reap where He has sown ; and to gather where He has strawed. A right application of the talents entrusted, is all that He requires. He is no hard Master, as the slothful servant accuses Him. "He knoweth our frame: He remembereth that we are dust."

Thyatira endured patiently the reproach for Christ's sake. The love of her Redeemer was so abidingly felt, that the more she had to suffer, the closer she clung to Him. In such a state we are really strong; because the Lord can then "fulfil all His good pleasure in us.' " Where the heart is emptied of self-will, and resigned to God, there He can and will accomplish all His gracious purposes.

The Lord does not say to Thyatira, as he said to Ephesus, "I have against thee, that thou hast left thy first love ;" and that "thou dost no longer thy first works." On the contrary, He says, "I know that thy last works are more than the first." Neither does He call upon this angel, saying, "Repent." Persons, who bewail their multiplied shortcomings, and mourn over their many trausgressions and sins, repent daily. To such individuals, the compassionate Saviour says, “I will put upon you none other burden." Your sorrows, occasioned by the sinful conduct of unworthy professors, and the deep sense of your own indwelling corruption, are a burden sufficiently heavy for you. He only says, "That which thou hast, hold fast that no man take thy

crown.'

Church history gives little information of Thyatira. This angel attracted not much notice.. He lived in a state of retirement with the pious of his flock, and had little intercourse with the world. Perhaps this may account for the irregularities which were introduced into his

Sept. 1, 1865.

church by the artful woman Jezebel. Want of vigilance, and exercise of his authority, as presiding minister of his flock, gave her the opportunity of establishing her authority and influence; so that many, as it appears, were fascinated and misled by her antichristian teaching. On this account, however reluctantly, the Lord had

II. To reprove this angel, saying, “I have against thee," (a few things, is left out in the best MSS.), "because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols." We know little of this woman: yet from the circumstance that she was the antitype of Jezebel of old, the wife of wicked King Ahab, she was a person of great power and bad influence in the Church of Thyatira. She harassed true believers, and corrupted Christ's holy religion, as Jezebel did in Israel. This Jezebel, like the one of old, mixed up heathen abominations with the worship of Jehovah, by seducing the servants of the Lord to join the revelry and licentious practices of idolatry. In this, she is a remarkable type of popery, in which her practices are carried out to a most woful extent.

This angel, evidently, had it in his power to stop this woman in her criminal conduct, else the Lord would not have charged him with neglect of his duty; but he was either too remiss in asserting his authority, or in his mistaken charity-did not view them in the light he ought to have done. This teaches us the solemn lesson, that false charity, which, in fact, is latitudinarianism, is condemned by our Lord. Erroneous teaching and ungodly practices must be reproved by every faithful servant of Christ. This angel resembled Eli, who, hearing of the sins of his sons, said, "Not so, not so, my sons; for it is no good report I hear of you.' How many parents at the present day act in a similar manner towards their children? And yet such mistaken tenderness proves, as in Eli's case, in the end, a curse rather than a blessing.

The Church of Thyatira was in a similar situation with the Israelites in the time of Ahab. A Jezebel, under the imposing character of a prophetess, exercised great authority among the people, and deceived many by her false teaching and grievous errors. Enchanted by the imposing manner of this deceitful woman, and misled by her antiscriptural doctrines, these unhappy people partook in the gaieties and idolatry of their heathen neighbours. Jezebel, whether of the Old or New Testament, is the very type of what is evil. She represents a religion in which sin is tolerated, and whoever follows her ways will be led to inevitable ruin, as Ahab and his family were.

This type of religion may manifest itself in a variety of ways. First, superstitious observances may be inculcated, as in the Roman Catholic Church, to atone for some sins, as, for instance, penance, pilgrimages, fastings, repeating a number of prayers, &c., &c. And if these are not sufficient, then a purification in purgatory is held ont, as well as prayers for the dead, &c., &c.

The Lord, however, gave this woman space to repent of her fornication, and she repented not." Alas! superstition, as well as infidelity, disregards both the goodness and the severity of God. Neither judgment nor mercy has any effect upon those who, like Ahab of old,