the depths of Satan who are not misled either by the fuperftitions of falfe religion, or the unrighteous laws of men to fin against God, or violate the natural and unalienable rights of mankind. They who thus overcome the depths of Satan in rejecting the domination of fuperftition and tyranny, do not reject religious and civil authority, but a steady regard to both in conformity to the beft rule the world eversaw, marks their character; they keep the works of Christ. By the doctrines, ordinances, and precepts of Chrift they regulate the whole of their religion; and superstition has no hold of them; as citizens they also keep the works of Chrift, they act a proper part under that government, of whatever form it is, of which they are citizens. "They render un"to all their dues, tribute to whom tribute is due, "cuftom to whom cuftom, fear to whom fear, honour " to whom honour, and they owe no man any thing "but to love one another: They fear God and ho"nour the king, they render to Cæfar the things "that are Cæfar's, and unto God the things that "are God's; they are fubject not only for wrath, "but for confcience fake." They are good citizens from principle. But the fear of God, which makes them good citizens frem principle, hinders them from doing acts of injuftice, and inhumanity, or acts in any respect finful, though permitted or connived at by law. And if at any time, the laws of men men fhould be evidently contrary to the laws of God, though that interference fhould give them much uneafiness, they would in these cases, obey God rather than man, though for obeying God they fhould forfeit their property, their liberty, and even their lives, to the unjuft and tyrannical laws. of men. Such is the character of thofe to whom the bleffings contained in these verfes are promifed: This character the world in general hath been gradually forming fince the fixteenth century of the Christian æra, and shall form it with an accelerated motion for two hundred years yet to come, and fuch fhall be the character of the world at the end of the depths of Satan, when the promises contained in these verses fhall be performed. The world is going on and fhall go on in fhaking off the chains of fuperftition and tyranny, until they shall as men and as citizens keep the works of Chrift: Then to those of this character Chrift will give power over the nations, even as he received of his Father. This is a prediction of the triumphant state of Chrift's church, which fhall take place when all the kingdoms of the world fhall become the kingdom of our God and of his Chrift, which is fully predicted in chapters 19, 20, 21, and 22d of this book, and fhall be explained in the commentary on thefe chapters. It was alfo predicted in Pfalm ii. 8, 9. which is cited in the 27th verfe now under our confideration. It was predicted in Daniel vii. 27. "And "the kingdom and dominion and the greatness of "the kingdom under the whole heaven fhall be gi"ven to the people of the faints of the Moft High." He will also give them the morning ftar. By the morning ftar is meant Chrift, as is evident from chap. xxii. 16. "I Jefus have fent mine angel to testify to you these things in the churches; I am "the root and the offspring of David, and the 66 66 bright and morning ftar." At the glorious period of Chrift's church predicted in that chapter, inankind fhall entertain the most just views of the nature and character of Chrift, and fhall derive their religious knowledge fo immediately from his word and fpirit, that he will be as it were the ftar which conducts them. So far will he differ from the minifters of his religion who conduct his church in its present state, and so far will that ftate of his church differ from this, that he is ftiled the morning ftar, the ftar which ushers in the light of day, and which fhines when all the other stars difappear because of the fuperior light of the fun. In chap. xxi. ver. 23. It is faid of that ftate of the church under the hieroglyphic of the new Jerufalem, that "the Lamb is the light thereof." At that period they fhall be in no danger of practifing iniquity under the fanction of human law, for then then the faints of the Moft High fhall have power over the nations, and the civil laws of men fhall correfpond to the righteous laws of God. Then they shall be in no danger of being mifled to fin under the influence of fuperftition, for they shall receive the morning ftar. From the word and fpirit of Chrift they fhall receive their religion. The promise of these bleffings was well calculated to keep the Christians at Thyatira from knowing the depths of Satan. What could have a more powerful tendency to keep them from finning against God or violating the unalienable rights of men under the influence of human laws and fuperftition, than a promise from him who could neither be deceived nor deceive, that the time would come in this world when all tyranny and fuperftition would be banished out of it by that pure and undefiled religion and that equitable and righteous civil government which accord to the gospel of Jefus as a fyftem of truth, righteoufness, peace and joy. And that though they should not live in this world to fee that period, by overcoming the depths of Satan and keeping Chrift's works to the end, they fhould be confidered by God as martyrs or witneffes to the truth, in oppofition to the laws, customs, and fuperftitions of the world, in the next world they would receive the martyrs crown, and even in this world when the triumphant period of Chrift's church church fhould come, their memories fhould be held in honourable remembrance, when those of the heroes of the world, who have deluged it in blood, fhall be funk into total oblivion. This epiftle, like all the preceding ones, is closed with a moft folemn charge to all who hear it, ferioufly to confider and attend to it. VOL. I. N CHAP. |