THE TOUCHSTONE OF SINCERITY. REV. III. 17, 18. BECAUSE THOU SAYEST, I AM RICH, AND INCREASED WITH GOODS, AND HAVE NEED OF NOTHING; AND KNOWEST NOT THAT THOU ART WRETCHED, AND MISERABLE, AND POOR, AND BLIND, AND NAKED: I COUNSEL THEE TO BUY OF ME GOLD TRIED IN THE FIRE, THAT THOU MAYEST BE RICH; &c. CHAPTER I. Elucidation of the text. THE church of Laodicea, to which these words were addressed, had degenerated much more than the other other churches of Asia. The members of the Laodicean church had a name to live, but were dead. In regard to the spiritual state, they were emphatically denominated lukewarm. They had drawn around them the form of religion, but never heartily engaged in the practice of its duties; they were strangers to its transforming efficacy, its living influence, and heavenly consolations. To this lifeless indifference, the Lord Jesus expressed his aversion ; "I would that thou wert cold or hot," &c. The word cold, here denotes the moral state of those who are wholly alienated from religion; the term hol, relates to the pious temper of those who fervently love Christ and his institutions; the lukewarm, are such as have in reality too little religion to be called spiritual, and yet, externally, too much the appearance of it, to be esteemed carnal. The form of religion they affect as an honor, or a safeguard; the power of it they imagine would be burthensome: they choose not to appear, openly, on the side of error and impiety, but are more unwilling to live conformably to their profession; their policy is such that they venture little, andsuch is their folly, that they lose all. In the text, the Laodiceans are accused of being in this deplorable state, and a remedy for their spiritual maladies is pointed out. First, Their moral disease is exposed, in its symptoms, its cause, and its aggravations. 1. Its symptoms are, formality, indecision, listless stupidity, lukewarmness ;-whatever enters into the character of those professors of religion, who supremely love their temporal interests and private happiness. 2. Its cause is thus noted; "Thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked." All these epithets relate to the unsoundness of their foundation. The two first, "wretched and miserable," are general, describing their condition to be lamentable, if not hopeJess; the three last, "poor, blind, naked," are more particular referring to those great defects, in the foundation upon which they were building, which rendered their state so pitiable and dangerous. Thou art "poor,"-devoid of righteousness and true holiness before God. These are the true riches, the riches of Christians; and he that does not possess them, is poor and miserable, how large soever be his mental gifts, or earthly treasures. Thou art "blind;"-without Divine illumination, void of spiritual light; and so neither knowing the disease, nor the remedy the evil of sin or the necessity of Christ Thou art "naked;"-in a shameful, defenceless, and exposed condition; without the garments of salvation, the robe of righteousness, and shield of faith. 3. The aggravations of this deadly Laodicean disease, are thus stated; "Thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; but knowest not," &c. Alas, to what absurdity and impiety does spiritual delusion lead? To be destitute of holiness, without Christ, and without hope, were sufficiently distressing; but, while in this state, to boast of spiritual riches, is most miserable. To have the very symptoms of death upon us, and yet confidently protest that we are healthy and safe, is lamentable indeed! Secondly, A remedy is prescribed: "I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich, and white raiment that thou mayest be clothed; and anoint thine eyes with eye salve that thou mayest see." 1. Let us consider what is here recommended. These metaphors represent the most superb and valuable things. Gold tried in the fire;-true holiness, Christian graces that have been tried and proved. White raiment ;—the righteousness of the saints. Eye salve;-the illumination of the Holy Spirit. 2. Whence may these blessings be obtained? Buy of me, saith Christ. Ordinances, ministers, angels cannot communicate them to you. Christ, the repository of all graces, alone can confer them. 3. How are they to be acquired? Not by purchase, as those pretend, who build the notion of merit on the words buy of me. The exigency of the case destroys this conceit; for what can they who are poor, and wretched, and miserable, and in want of all things, offer, in return, for these divine riches? Doubtless to buy, as the |