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have the testimony of Jesus. the martyrs or witnesses of Jesus, when caught up to heaven to join this triumphant body, are represented as having overcome on earth by "the word of their testimony;" and lastly we read of St. John himself that he bare record of the word of God and of the testimony of Jesus k Hence it appears that the character of a witness to truth is an essential one, not only of Christ but of the church in heaven and of the church on earth; and it may become an object of interesting enquiry, and of self examination to many, how far, if not required in this christian country to bear witness to his name generally, they yet do so with respect to those truths to which he himself specially testified, and in which they are themselves persuaded that the vitality of Christianity consists.

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Christ here farther reveals himself as the beginning or head of the creation of God; for he was the first in the purpose of God, though not in manifestation. Adam and all who went before were but types and foreshewings of him that was to come, who is declared to be head over all things to his church, the first born of every creature." The spirits of the just in heaven are likewise denominated "the church of the first born" or the head and beginning of all creation; and are represented consistently with this idea in Rev. Iv, where they are seen as surrounding the mediatorial throne, under the symbols of a man, the only rational creature,-a Lion, the chief of wild beasts,-a_Bull, the chief of tame cattle, and an Eagle, the chief of birds. Our Lord also, in reference to his character as the first born, the beginning of the creation of God," claimed for his

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i Rev. xix. 10.

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k Rev. 1. 2. n Exod. xxii. 19; Num. 111. 12.

service, and as representing his elect church on earth, all the first born amongst the children of Israel, accepting only of the tribe of Levi in their room, and as a substitute for them." Here we observe the elect church on earth, the church in heaven, and Christ their head, all designated verbally, or symbolically, by the same name, viz. that of the first born, the beginning or head of the creation of God.

Verses 15, 16. In proceeding to consider the address of Christ to the Laodicean Church, we find that he who came to reconcile heaven and earth, and unite all things in one to himself, reproves them for being lukewarm in his cause, neither hot nor cold, neither for him nor against him; which state of indifferency he declares to be more odious and affronting to himself than even a decided opposition; and that such characters he will reject with loathing. A church after having long professed the faith is peculiarly liable to fall into this state, but none can be more dangerous. We still retain, at all events in our formularies, the doctrines of free grace, and of the fulness to be found in Christ for the supply of all our wants; but the doctrine does not perhaps recom mend itself as suited to our case, or it has not been brought out prominently to our view in the preached word; and that spiritual instinct has not been conferred upon us which causes us to feel our necessities, and to find no rest till we meet with that provision in the unadulterated doctrine of the word of God, which he who gave the appetite will in his providence supply,-like children first desiring the sincere milk of the word. Or perhaps Christ has been fully offered to us, but when we see him there is in our apprehensions

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also no beauty in him that we should desire him he stands at the door and knocks, yet is despised and rejected of men.

But alas! how awful will be the contrast, when those who have so despised and rejected him, shall be themselves rejected, not in time, but for eternity.

Verse 17. The cause of this indifference Christ proclaims to be, that they knew not their entire dependance upon him for every thing that could give them acceptance with God; but fancied that they were rich and increased with goods and had need of nothing, at the same time that they were in truth wretched, "and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked," and wanting every thing. In consequence of this natural blindness it was, that he declared, that the first work of the Holy Spirit, whom he would send down from heaven, would be to convince the hearts of men of sin, or of their own sinfulness.o

Verse 18. He counsels them, yielding to such convictions, to come to him for a supply of all their spiritual necessities, nor longer to confide in in what was externally commendable, that was derived from mere nature's stores; but to buy of him, without money and without price, (for none have they to offer) "gold tried in the fire," a righteousness without any particle of dross, which had stood the test of the searching power of the divine law, and having been found fully satisfactory and adequate to all its acquirements, constitutes the wealth of his body the church, and enriches every member of it; while as our clothing it forms a vesture of spotless purity, robed in which alone we can gain admittance into the heavenly courts, or to the marriage supper of the Lamb. The fatal character of their blindness, which led them to be

satisfied with their condition by nature, moves our Lord in compassion to them to exhort them to anoint their eyes with eye salve that they might see and realize, in order that they might provide against this their spiritual destitution.

Verse 19. Christ declares, that when those whom he loves have fallen into this cold and indifferent state of mind towards himself, he rebukes and chastens them by afflictions to awaken them again to a sense of what they owe to him. So when he promised that his people should receive, as tokens of his love, all the blessings of this life, he added the qualification necessary for them in these words,-" with afflictions." He exhorts his church to improve these for the purpose intended, to repent of their declensions, and to be again zealous in his cause. Happy is the church that, so chastised in love, takes the warning, repents, and does her first works.

Verse 20. Christ then declares, that as he voluntarily came down from heaven to give himself for the life of the world, so he continues to offer himself to his people; that he stands and knocks at the door of their hearts by various means, by blessings conferred, by chastisements inflicted, or by his preached gospel; and that if any yield to these, hear his voice, and receive him into their hearts, he establishes the most intimate communion and fellowship with them, implied in the promise "I will come into him, and will sup with him, and he with me," corresponding closely with his gracious declaration, that those who thus receive him, he calls not servants, but friends.

Verse 21. St. Paul says to such as these, who thus receive Christ in all his offices, "All things are yours." Christ will not withhold

o John xvI. 8.

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from them any thing that is his.
It was in the exercise of unknown
love, and that he might share with
them the great recompence of re-
ward, that he undertook the mighty
work of their redemption; and when
raised to the mediatorial throne,
and having all power given unto
him in heaven and in earth, he thus
promises that he will share with
them this also, "To him that over-
• cometh 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." Accordingly we find,
in a subsequent chapter, where the
opening of this book of prophecy to
the Church on earth is exhibited,
that the Church of the first-born in
heaven are represented as being in
the midst of that throne, and round
about that throne, which is incircled
by the rainbow of the covenant.P In
this great and concluding promise
every other is, as it were, compre-
hended and summed up. If Christ's
sitting with his Father on his throne
implies an equality with the Father
in his divine nature, his admitting his
Church to sit with him on his me-
diatorial throne implies a like equal-
ity or oneness of himself with them
in reference to his human nature.
This was the great mystery opened
in Paradise, when the woman, the
bride, the Lamb's wife, was taken
out of the side of the first Adam;
and then, when having humbled
himself, and taken upon himself the
form of a servant, he had, as the Lamb for ever and ever."
condition of the service wherewith
he had served, resumed his former
power and glory that he might share
it with his Church, there was no

alteration in the familiarity and en-
dearment of his language towards
them; it was still the same-" Go
tell my brethren"-" Simon son
of Jonas lovest thou me❞—“ Saul,
Saul, why persecutest thou me"-
"Fear not I am he that liveth and
was dead." The last promise made
to the Church in Laodicea is then
the same as the first, symbolically
declared in Paradise. But O, how
great the promise, how unspeakable
the glory of those, who, in reference
to his human nature, shall even in
an eternal world be one with Christ,
shall sit with him on his throne
and share his glories!-what sen-
timents of humiliation, of love and
of gratitude, ought not such revela-
tions to excite! The Church in hea-
ven give glory and honour and
thanks to him that sitteth on the
throne; the Elders cast down their
crowns before him: may we, thus
taught by the revelations they com-
municated, learn (if we have not yet
done so; and if we have learnt,
however imperfectly, strive more
and more to enter into its meaning)
the words of their song, "Thou art
worthy O Lord to receive glory and
honour and power,'
"thou art
worthy"-for thou wast slain and
hast" redeemed us to God by thy
blood out of every kindred and
tongue, and people and nation."-
'Blessing, and honour, and glory,
and power, be unto him that sitteth

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upon the throne, and unto the

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He that hath an ear, let him 'hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches. VERSE 22. JAS. H. FRere.

p Rev. Iv. 6.

145

Correspondence.

ON 2 THESSALONIANS II. 2.

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The common account of the object of the 2nd epistle to the Thessalonians is, that the believers at that place, in consequence of the language used by St. Paul in his first epistle to them, had been led to regard the time of the Lord's second Advent as close at hand, and that the apostle wrote the 2nd epistle to caution them against such a belief as erroneous and dangerous. Such a supposition is exceedingly strange; since it would cast upon an inspired apostle the charge of writing unguardedly for an attentive and devout reader of the first epistle could certainly draw no other conclusion from it, than that which the disciples at Thessalonica evidently did; viz. that they were to live in the expectation that the Lord's second Advent would take place suddenly and might take place at any time: a belief which not only the apostles but our Lord himself constantly enjoined on the Church, as being the state of mind which she ever ought to have maintained towards her absent Bridegroom.

An examination of the epistle in the Greek has convinced me that the object of it was directly the contrary to the one commonly supposed. Heretics of a similar class with Hymeneus and Philetus had by various means (chap. 11. 2) sought to lead the disciples away from the speedy expectation of the Lord's coming to which the apostle exhorted them; endeavouring to make them think that he had deceived them, because the Lord did not return instantly. The apostle accordingly writes to guard them against

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being led away by these seducers, and to exhort them still to persevere in looking and waiting for their Lord from heaven.

Further, the expression "shaken in mind or troubled," as it stands in our version, is adapted to convey the idea that the anticipation of the Lord's advent created feelings of alarm in the minds of the Thessalonian Christians; whereas we know that the spirit with which the early church contemplated that event was one of eager and joyful expectation.

See 1 Cor. 1. 7; Phil. 111. 20; 2 Tim. IV. 8; 2 Pet. III. 12.

It is the wrong translation of this 2nd verse which has given rise to the erroneous opinion respecting the object of the epistle itself. Ought not εις το μη ταχέως σαλευθήναι ύμας απο του νοος—ὡς ὅτι ενεστηκεν

μера TOV KUPIOU,-evidently to have been rendered "that ye be not soon shaken from the opinion—that the day of the Lord is near at hand ?” On referring to Schleusner (voc võvs) I find he renders the passage, in conformity with the translation above given, "ne vos celeriter cognitione vestra deturbari patiamini.'

Thus the whole is rendered harmonious and consistent. St. Paul had sought to console them in his 1st epistle, under the bereavements they had experienced, by the prospect of the Saviour's speedy return and the saints' resurrection at that time; a topic which he dwells on with a remarkable frequency in that epistle, there not being a single chapter of it in which the Saviour's second advent is not at least once mentioned. Suppose that in the interval which had elapsed before the 2nd epistle was written, some

false teachers had sought to unsettle their faith in this important truth by telling them, either that they had misunderstood the apostle's words, or that he had misled them, since notwithstanding his telling them to live in the constant and speedy expectation of the Lord's appearing, the event had not yet taken place. St. Paul, hearing of this, writes his 2nd epistle to strengthen and confirm their faith on this point; and accordingly, the advent of Christ is brought forward again at the very commencement of this epistle, as a subject of hope and consolation to God's persecuted saints. (See chap. 1. vv. 7, 10.) He proceeds: "Now concerning (Ep) the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gather ing together unto him, we beseech you, brethren, that ye be not soon shaken from the opinion &c. that the day of Christ is at hand."-Let not the delay that occurs seem great, or cause you to waver or grow cold in your expectation of the great event. He then reveals to them further, that there was an event to take place previous to and on the eve of the Lord's appearing, viz. the revelation of the man of sin; but what was to be the duration of the event predicted is not there stated, and therefore they could not tell whether it might not be something which would be transacted in their own days. The reason of the mention of this circumstance in this place appears to be, to warn the church of the fearful trial which awaited it, and to guard them against becoming negligent or doubtful in their expectation of the Lord's return, on account of the apparent delay of it.

With this view the prayer of the apostle in chap. 111. 5, precisely harmonizes "The Lord direct your hearts into the love of God, and into the patient waiting for Christ." Instead of being alarmed at the

thoughts of his return (as the common translation of chap. 11. 2 seems to indicate) they were rather unduly anxious for the instant approach of that day; and the apostle accordingly prays, that they may have grace to wait for it and endure their trials with patience in the mean while. We find a similar exhortation in James v. 7, 8.

I am your brother and companion in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ,

CLERICUS, M. N. D. P. S. Believing as I do from the plain evidence of Scripture, that this earth, redeemed from the curse, is to be the future residence of the Lord and his ransomed church, I should be glad to hear what explanation you or any of your correspondents give to the following texts : 2 Cor. v. 1; Hebrews x. 34 and 1 Peter 1. 4; also John xiv. 2, 3. Have they a reference to the city which God has prepared for his saints, (Heb. xi. 16,) the new Jerusalem which is to come down from God out of heaven? Rev. xxi. 2, 10.

[The subject which our respected Correspondent notices is one of considerable interest, and persuaded we are, from the whole tenour of the two Epistles to the Thessalonians, that the apostle no where intends to divert them from looking out for the second advent of Jesus, seeing that he directs their attention to it again most decidedly in this second epistle. We doubt however the solution of the difficulty given by CLERICUS M. N. D. Not that the Greek of verse 2 will not bear the interpretation he puts upon it; (for it is the translation of the Vulgate ;) but because it does appear to us not so well to agree with the context as if the emphasis were laid on the word evɛotŋkɛv, which rather affords the solution to it. For does not the error of the Thessalonians seem to

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