/55/ TO HIM that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God." A very plain revelation from Jesus--that those who repent and return to him (though they have left their first love), and overcome the temptations with which they are surrounded, shall at last have a right to the tree of life-- to eat of its fruit and live forever.

"And unto the angel of the church in Smyrna write: these things saith the First and the Last, which was dead, and is alive." 'This needs no comment. It is Jesus that is addressing this short letter to the church in Smyrna--Jesus that was dead and is alive, and will live forever. He says to this church in Smyrna, and to all others that are in a similar condition, "I know thy works, and tribulation, and poverty." We remarked today that the Lord knows what we are doing; that he is in our midst all the time, though invisible to us. That he knew the labor of the church at Ephesus, but knew at the same time that they had left their first love, and he rebuked them sharply for it; and now, to the church in Smyrna he says, I know your works, your tribulation, and poverty. It would save us a world of trouble if we would bear this always in mind. Then we pour out our complaints to each other, if we would but remember, Jesus knows all our poverty. This plain revelation from Jesus has comforted me many times when in deep distress, when I was sure no mortal eye could see my troubles, but that Jesus knew them. When. /56/ prostrate upon the cold, damp ground in the evening twilight, to remember that Jesus knew all my distresses, all my losses, trials and poverty, was a consolation that the world could never give. He said to this church, I know your poverty, but you are rich. It seems rather a strange contradiction, if we may use the expression, to say that the poor church was the rich one; but I have been fully persuaded that, as a general rule, this is true; that the poor congregation in this world is the rich one in the sight of the Son of the living God--rich, not in things of this world, but in things pertaining to the world to come. Not always that which is apparent to the eye here, is the true riches. But not only did Jesus tell them they were rich; he said, "I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews, and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan." This church at Smyrna had lost their earthly goods, which had doubtless been confiscated; and Jesus knew it. The opposers of the truth had oppressed them, ground them down to the very dust; but they were rich, not in the world's goods, but in riches incorruptible--in the crown of glory which the Lord, the righteous Judge, would give them at his coming. It was true then, and is so yet, doubtless, in many cases, and in many places, that the poor disciples of Jesus have hard things spoken of them. Men blaspheme the God of heaven by speaking evil of his people.

But Jesus says: "Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that you may be tried; and you shall have tribulation ten days," or, for a period of time, ten persecutions that came upon the Christians. They should have tribulation here for a time. But the consolation of Jesus is, "Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life." In every case the promise is to persons that are faithful unto death. And the idea, that simply /57/ being a member of the church is all that is necessary, is erroneous. The idea that the merits of the church will save persons, is of the Dark Ages. Nothing but faithfulness to the Lord until we die, can secure to us the crown of life. Jesus has revealed it here:

He closes this letter to the church by saying, "He that hath an ear, let him hear." But 0, my soul! is it possible that some will say that this is a small matter--the letters of Jesus to the congregations? If I were to write you a letter, my brother, and you would lay that letter aside and never read it, I would take it as an insult, if I were to learn the fact. If you knew that the letter was from your old brother, and then would say, "I do not think it is of much account, I will not read it," I should feel myself slighted. But if we say the letters of Jesus are of small moment, the Son of the living God is slighted by such worms as we are! "He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches." O, may we open our ears to hear the lessons of Jesus ! "He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death." Ah! that second death ! Although we may be members of the church, unless we overcome the world, the lusts of the flesh, the eye, and the pride of life, and the adversary, through obedience to the Lord, the second death will hurt us. Jesus said it--not I.

"And to the angel of the church in Pergamos write." The angel of the church, one of the stars John saw in the hands of Jesus. Not a heavenly angel, because John writes no letters to them, and they would not be accused of the errors John here says this angel had fallen into. These angels are men here in the flesh, conspicuous men in the churches, as before stated. "I know thy works, and where thou dwellest, even where Satan's seat is." He could not have been an angel in glory. This church at Pergamos, with its angel or minister, was located at Satan's /58/ seat, was at the devil's headquarters, as unfavorable a place as I have ever heard of a church being located at. I have sometimes heard persons say there were certain neighbors too bad, too wicked, too ungodly for a minister to visit; that no good could be accomplished there; but Jesus has revealed to us that one congregation was located where Satan's seat is. We never can find, then, in this world, a place too bad in which to preach the gospel. And this is encouragement to every disciple of Jesus. But, notwithstanding, they were situated right at the devil's headquarters, or where Satan's seat was. He says: "Thou holdest fast my name, and hast not denied my faith." The church at Pergamos held fast the name of Christ. In plain words, they said, We are Christians. They did not deny the faith of Jesus; they held on to their confidence' in him and his holy word, and that was well for them. But some have concluded, I think, that this is about all that is necessary--just to say, I am a Christian; I believe in the Lord Jesus (Christ; I believe his Word as a correct and infallible rule of life; I am a member of the Church of Christ. To hold fast his name and not deny his faith, like the church at Pergamos, is well; but Jesus says they did it in the face of strong opposition. They said they were Christians when men were dying for that NAME; while one of their number suffered martyrdom for it. Jesus says: "Even in those days wherein Antipas was my faithful martyr, who was slain among you, where Satan dwelleth." I have been fearful some of us would shrink; if our life were at stake for saying we are Christians, and holding fast to the faith of Jesus. Would we not falter, would not some of us shrink from the monster Death, when called to face him' for saying we are Christians ? But this church at Pergamos held fast the name and faith of Jesus when subjected to death for it. They might have said, We are Jews, and their lives would not have been in danger. /59/ They might have said, We are Pagans, and no one would have hurt them for it. They might have said, We are Pharisees, Sadducees, Herodians, or the Lord knows what--it made no difference what they called themselves--their life was not in danger, unless they said they were Christians.

But this church held on. Was not that enough ?

Jesus says, no. "I have a few things against thee." What was it Jesus had against the church at Pergamos, that made them willing to lay down their lives for his name and faith? What could he hold against them? He tells them--does not leave it for me to guess at.

"I have a few things against thee: thou hast there the~n that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to cast a stumbling-block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication. So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitanes, which thing I hate." Twice has Jesus said in his letter to the churches, I hate tho doctrines of the Nicolaitanes. He hated the doctrine that Balaam taught Balak, and he has not changed since then, beloved brethren and friends; the Lord is unchangeable. What he hated eighteen hundred years ago he hates to-night.

But the doctrine of the Nicolaitanes--what is it? We have on history's page the doctrine of the Nicolaitanes; we have in the Bible itself the doctrine of Balaam. We have, by the Lord's express word here, what Balaarn did and what he taught; and the Nicolaitane doctrine w as similar to it. It was to get Israel to conform to the customs of the nations that they were among; to eat the sacrifices that the heathen nations offered to the idols; to mingle with the heathen around them, and conform to their customs. And the doctrine of the Nicolaitanes was about the same. They taught, according to the best information we have in history, before John was in Patmos, that Christians might conform to the world somewhat; that /60/ it would be better for the cause of Christ for them to do so; that, for the heathen's sake, they must not be too particular; that they might go to the temple of the idols, and bow and worship (or seem to) with the idolaters; that they might partake of the offerings to the idols, and be on good terms with the idolaters, to get them to meet with them and hear the gospel preached. And then, hearing tho gospel, they would be converted to the Lord, join the church, and be Christians; and thus they could do good to conform to the usages of the idolaters around them--get them to be Christians. And then, of course, the person converted to the Lord among the heathen would still go, as taught by the Christians, in the way of the idolaters around them, and it was a compromise between Christianity and idolatry. That was the doctrine of the Nicolaitanes, in a few plain words. Jesus said he hated it, and he hates every such doctrine yet.

Sometime since, a brother said to me, "Uncle Lem., we would love for you to make a visit to the city, but, for the Lord s sake, do fix up a little--you are too plain. We must conform to the customs of the world somewhat in order to get their hearing. We must conform to the usages around us in order to get the people out to hear us." And it has been only a short time since this doctrine rang in my ears in an adjoining State. "We must keep up with the times in order to get a hearing from the world." It is the doctrine of the Nicolaitanes still taught. If I were to conform to the world in order to get a hearing from the ear of the world, there would be at least one conversion-- your humble servant converted to the world, and the world bettered nothing. But it has been said, "In Rome we must do as Rome does." It has been said of my beloved brother Paul, that he taught this, but it is a slander on him; he never hinted it. I know he did say he became all things' to all men. "To the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might /61/ gain the Jews; to them that are under the law, as under the law, that I might gain them that are under the law; to them that are without law, as without law (being not without law to God, but under the law to (Christ), that I might gain them that are without law. To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak; I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some. And this I do for the gospel's sake, that I might be partaker thereof with you." But Paul did not conform to the usages; he only became as a Jew to the Jews, by using the Jewish scriptures in showing them that they were wrong and Jesus was the (Christ. He only became as under the law by using the law in all its types, and showing them that they pointed to (Christ; and thus fought them on their own battle-ground. To those that were without law, that acknowledged no law as given by Moses, did not believe the Jewish scriptures, Paul never quoted the Jewish scriptures; he did not use the Jewish scriptures among the Gentiles to convert them; he did not make his appeal to those scriptures at all, but said, your own poets condemn you, while he was at Athens. To the weak he became as weak; that is, he used great plainness of speech that all might understand him. Now I ask your earnest attention for a little while. Did Paul conform to the world around him? Was it for being as the Jews are, in his preaching, that he received forty stripes, save one, at five different times ? Was it for conforming to the customs of the Gentiles that they threw him among the wild beasts ? Was it for saying that those that were under the law were right, that they abused him and beat him with rods? No; it was for saying they were wrong--by meeting them on their own ground and using their own arguments against them.

"Repent"--of this doctrine of the Nicolaitanes and Balaam--"or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will fight against thee with the sword of my mouth." And /62/ the sword of the mouth of the Lord is the weapon still to be used to put down every error." But, says one, "we are not liable to run into the doctrines of Balaam or the Nicolaitanes." It has been argued by some that it is no harm to go to the little amusements of the neighbors around us--to these little plays or parties--these little civil dances. No harm! Oh, we must not be odd; we may conform to the world a little in these innocent amusements--in having our lotteries (shall I say?) in the churches, in order to get something to support the Gospel. And the doctrine that Jesus declared he hated, is spreading all over the land now--the doctrine that we may do these things. Jesus hated the doctrine of conformity to the world, and does now.

"He that hath an ear, let him hear." And I would raise my prayer to-night that we may hear it. None are bound to hear--O, no! But, then, our eternal all depends upon the facts explained here. Jesus, the Son of the living God! How solemn and awful to realize that he is near me!" He that hath an ear let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches." Let the churches go into the errors Jesus has pointed out, and the light of the world is blotted out. The Church is the light of the world and the salt of the earth. O, may we realize it, and worship accordingly!

"To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth, saving he that receiveth it." To persons that have overcome, in the sense in which Jesus had been speaking, their desire to conform to the ways of the world--all these errors that he had been speaking of--and have been faithful in the service of the Lord until they die, he would give them to eat of the hidden manna, and they would have that peace and joy that the world is a stranger to. He would give them a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, /63/ which no man knew but he that received it. It was customary for monarchs to give to certain persons who had been faithful to their service, a ring or gem, and in that the name of the monarch himself; and the person keeping that was protected by that monarch in every circumstance wherever he might be. Jesus has declared here that the persons that overcome shall have his pledge, that they shall be protected in all trials, troubles and difficulties that may come upon them, and only such persons.

"And unto the angel of the church in Thyatira write: These things saith the Son of God, who hath His eye like unto a flame of fire, and His feet are like fine brass." In the description given in the first chapter, John said he saw one walking in the midst of seven golden candlesticks, his eyes dike a flame of fire, and his feet like unto fine brass; but did not tell us, in so many words, it was the Son of God; but here it is. He here declares that that being with eyes like a flame of fire, and feet like fine brass, as if they burnt in a furnace, was the Son of God. "I know thy works, and charity, and service, and faith, and thy patience, and thy works, and the last to he more than the first." What a list! Jesus knows all that is going on. Does he know the work, the charity, the faith, and the patience of the church at Unity? Just as certainly as He knew the works of the church at Thyatira. He knows all that we are doing for his cause, knows all our patience in His service, knows all our love that we have for the Lord and for each other. I am glad from my heart he has revealed it, and praise him for it.

``Notwithstanding, I have a few things against thee, be cause 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. And I gave her space to repent of her fornication, /64/ and she repented 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." He comes out in plain words here, and tells what the doctrine was they were tolerating in that church--seducing his servants to commit fornication, going into the wicked ways of the world, and eating things sacrificed to idols. But we are not liable to do that, are we? I am not certain that there is not as much idolatry in the world now as when this letter was addressed to the church Thyatira. We may not make the likeness of a human being or four-footed beast, and worship it; but we may worship idols in other fowls-- we may worship the things of this world--fine meeting-houses, our farms, or other worldly possessions. Covetousness is idolatry. If we covet the things of earth, the anathema of the Lord rests upon us. We ought to remember it.

She repented not. He is always calling on the members of the church to repent, when they have gone into an error. I would thunder it into your ears, if I could. If we have gone into any of these errors, let us repent. If we have lost our first love, let us repent and return to it. If we have gone into the ways of the world, let us repent, humble ourselves, and turn from the broad road.

"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." I would emphasize that, if I could. The Lord here declares he would let the churches know that he was the one that searches the reins and hearts. He does not look at the exterior altogether. This same God of heaven said once, "Man looks at the outward appearance, but God looks on the heart." It is true yet. Lord grant my heart may be right! Erring mortals may think that God does not try the heart and reins, but Jesus /65/ has declared that he does. He wants the churches to know it. Lord grant that we may.

"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." Than what? "But that which ye have already; hold fast till I come." The Lord will never put any other burden on his people--the Church of Christ--than that which he has already put upon them; and if they will hold fast till he come, it will be well for them. He has given us his word--a perfect rule--and will never add a word to it. Men have placed other burdens on the Lord's people; erring mortals have made other yokes or burdens, but Jesus will not know them. He says, "I will put upon you none other burden; hold fast till I come."

"And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the 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 my Father. And I will give him the morning star. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches." There is nothing hard to understand in that, but something hard to live up to. But, one promise made here I must refer to again. Jesus has promised to the faithful servants who keep his works unto the end, power over the nations, to rule them with a rod of iron. The saints shall possess the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heavens. I wish this borne in mind, because I shall refer to it again.

"And unto the angel of the church in Sardis write: These things saith he that hath the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars; I know thy works, that thou hast a name, that thou livest, and art dead." Not the only church that is in that condition. "Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to /66/

die; for I have not found thy works perfect before God." But then Jesus does not tell this church at Sardis to be watchful and repent, and strengthen the things that remain, without telling them how to do it. He adds, in the next verse, "Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast and repent." The way to strengthen the things which are ready to die, is to remember what we have received and heard of the Lord. And the way for us to perfect our works before the Lord, is to remember what we have received and heard of him; and there is no other plan we can fall on by which we can strengthen the things that are ready to die. Jesus said it.

"If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee." The church would go down suddenly, in an unexpected hour, unless they were watchful, and remembered the teachings of the Son of the living God, and repented. It is as true now as then.

"Thou hast a few names even in Sardis, which have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with me in white, for they are worthy." I want to pause one moment at that revelation. The Lord has mentioned here, that in the congregation that was ready to die as a church, a few were faithful and firm, and should walk with him in white. It is as true to-night as it was then, that the faithful servant of the Lord, though he might be a member of a congregation that had gone out of the way, that had a name to live only, but was dead in reality, that faithful servant would be owned by the Lord. Like faithful Caleb and Joshua, in the midst of rebellious Israel, the faithful (Christian has the promise of the Lord that he shall reach the promised rest, and walk with him in white.

"He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and /67/ before his angels." What consolation! What encouragement for a person to be faithful! Do not, for heaven's sake, say, I can not do right, because others are doing wrong. Be faithful, and the Lord will confess you before his Father and his angels, though the world around you, and the congregation you are a member of, be put down to the dust of the earth.

"He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches," is the command of Jesus. I feel like getting on my knees and saying, " Lord grant that we may hear!''

"And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write; these things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth and no man shutteth, and shutteth and no man openeth." Jesus opens the door to the people, the way to salvation, and no man can shut it. When he shuts no man can open it. All the teaching of the dark ages was wrong in that respect, that men had the keys to unlock the kingdom of heaven to man, or to close it against the human family. Jesus alone has that power. I know he gave to Peter the keys of the kingdom of heaven, but it was only a grant while Peter was here, and when Peter died he gave the keys to Jesus.

He says, "I know thy works; behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it." When the Lord says, I have set before you an open door and no man can shut it, it is impossible for a human being to keep us from obedience to the Lord and gaining a home in heaven, while Jesus has given us the privilege. They can not shut us out of heaven; no man nor set of men on earth, no being in heaven but Jesus, has the power to keep us from a heavenly home, or give us life eternal.

"Thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name." They had kept the Word of the Lord at Philadelphia, and had not denied his name. /68/ and Jesus declared that he would work for them, because they had kept his word. Not long since I asked a brother the reason -why the churches of Christ were not so prosperous in large towns and cities as the various denominations. He said it was simply because w e were not keeping up with the age. But Jesus tells another reason. That brother said if we would keep up with the age, have as good accommodations for the world, as easy seats for people to occupy, as good music as the denominations had, then we would keep up with the denominations, in large towns and cities; but until we do this, the young people especially will go off to the denominations, and we will be put down unless we keep up with the times. "Nicolaitanes," I thought. What did Jesus say?

"Thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name. Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee. Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth." Jesus tells precisely how to make our enemies come and bow before the Lord: to keep his word, do his commandments, walk in obedience to him, and then the enemies of Christ will come and worship at the feet of the Lord. Do you believe it, fellow citizens? Do you believe Jesus is right, or that brother who said we must keep up with the times? The Lord save me from trying to keep up with the times in this wicked age. I believe that Jesus was right. That if the congregation, however poor it may be, will just keep the Word of the Lord, they will let a light chine before men that the powers of darkness can not put out. Jesus said that the congregation that kept his word /69/ should prevail so as to make his enemies come and worship at their feet

"Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown. Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall 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 saith unto the churches." Letters from the Son of the living God! One more letter and we shall have done with the letters of Jesus to the churches.

"And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; these things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God; I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot; I would thou wert cold or hot." We need not think we can palm off deception upon the Son of God; his eyes are like a flame of fire. "So then because thou art lukewarm and neither hot nor cold, I will spew thee out of my mouth." And he would not ask whether they were willing to this arrangement or not. The Lord save us from lukewarmness! Are there not too many congregations in this condition? As certain as there is truth in the words of the Son of the living God, we know the fate of that congregation; He will spew them out of his mouth.

Says one, "I expect they were poor trash, any how." You do? Speaking of one poor church, Jesus said they were rich. But here is a church that is lukewarm, and Jesus states here that not only would he spew them out of his mouth on account of lukewarmness, but, "Because thou sayest I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing." It was a rich church at Laodicea, numbering thousands of members, with the wealth of the whole /70/ city and country around and about. In that congregation they had rich men; they had large possessions, and may have had, for aught I know, a fine meeting-house. They were not telling a falsehood when they said they were rich in this world's goods, but they were lukewarm in the cause of Christ. I heard, some time since, some remarks on that subject, by a member of a congregation that I thought was in about the same condition as the Laodiceans. The brother said, "We have the wealth of the neighborhood in our church. We have the merchants, the lawyers, tho physicians--all the great men of our town in the church. We have need of nothing." Jesus said of that church that had become lukewarm in his cause, "You know not that you are wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked." They did not know their wretchedness; they were trusting to earthly goods, to earthly honors--they were "keeping up with the times." They were ahead of all the congregations around them; were fully up with the idolaters around them in all that was counted great in this world, but Jesus pronounced them poor--said that the poor church was rich, and the rich church was poor. It is a revelation from Jesus.

But he gave them some counsel. He said, "I counsel you to build finer houses." O, no! "I counsel you to gather more gold." O, no ! "I counsel you to keep up with the age." No, indeed! They were fully up with tho times, and with all the earthly honors and wealth; and Jesus declared that they were wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked. Lord, help us to realize what Jesus said. "I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire"--something that is durable, that which will stand the burning when the elements shall melt away. When all the metals and substances of this earth on which we live are burned up, we will need something more durable than silver and gold. "I counsel thee to buy of me /71/ gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed; and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint shine eyes with eye-salve, that thou mayest see." Better counsel could never be given. O! for the white raiment! the righteousness of saints! The righteousness of Christ is worth more than the finest suit of cloth, or the finest silks and satins ever worn by human beings, in the sight of the King of Glory. It is worth more than robes of purple. Do you believe it, brother? It is a revelation from Jesus, a letter from the Son of the living God to his followers here. Lord, grant we may not forget it! O! for the eye-salve, that we may see! Men are so blind. That congregation were so blind and everything so dark, they could not see the Holy City, the incorruptible inheritance; they could not see the "exceeding and eternal weight of glory;" they had lost sight of the prize at the end of the race. We want a little of the eye-salve of faith, and knowledge of the Word of the Son of God. I pray for more of it, that we may see the worthlessness of all things here. Now, I feel like humbly bowing before the Lord and saying, "Grant that I may see as I should the worthlessness of things pertaining to this world. O, that we may see, as we should, the worth of a home in heaven, of the crown of life, of a place in the paradise of God. I pray for eye-salve enough to give me a clear view of it. Jesus gave the counsel--it is well enough to take it. We are so short-sighted we can not look a few days before us to the cold grave, the silent tomb, the dark charnel-house of the dead. I want my eyes enlightened enough to look into the grave, and beyond the tomb, to the awful world of darkness where the impenitent and the ungodly must go.

"As many as I love I rebuke and chasten; be zealous therefore, and repent." Jesus wrote this letter to the Church in love, telling them of their faults and errors in /72/ love; his rebukes to us are because he loves us, and he wants us to dwell in his peaceful presence forever. God grant we may hear his rebukes then.

"Behold I stand at the door and knock; if any man hear my voice and open the door, I will come in to him, and I will sup with him and he with me." By all his words of kindness, of rebuke; by all his chastenings, he stands at the door of our hearts and knocks for admittance. He wants us to have Christ dwell in our hearts; he wants to be the sole dweller there--the one that fills our souls; he does not want our hearts to be divided between the world and heaven. He is knocking at the heart of every Christian that has gone astray, and seeking admittance again.

"To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches."

We have now done with briefly noticing the Second Division of the Book of Revelation, the condition that the churches were in at the time John saw the Vision in the Isle of Patmos--the present things at that time. The Third Division is the main matter that we have for consideration, and that mainly interests us. At the commencement of the fourth chapter begins the Third Division.