the height of the storm, he first learns the weakness of his house!

The class of men chargeable with They know the

III. But, thirdly, the false peace of the wicked arises from practical indifference. of whom I now speak, are not ignorance of the truths we teach. Gospel in theory, but never felt its power in their hearts. They have heard it from their infancy, and are distinctly familiar with all its truths. They applaud our doctrine; but they show no more solicitude to obey the Gospel, than if we exhorted them to follow a cunningly devised fable. Their life is a perpetual contradiction to their creed; they believe that, there is a hell of endless wretchedness, yet take no pains to avoid it; that there is a heaven of eternal blessedness, yet use no efforts to obtain it. I need not tell such, that they are not Christians; I need not tell them what a paradox they are; I need not tell them what a waste of means they have occa* sioned; I need not tell them, that above all others, they may expect to be beaten with most stripes, for they have known their Master's will, and have not done it. Such are sermon-proof. A Bible has exhausted its treasures upon you. It has, as it were, thrown heaven and hell at your feet, and neither has excited you. Surely you have reason to apprehend that such means, so long used in vain, will always be useless; surely you have cause to fear that hell will be your portion.

From what has been said we may learn, that the tranquillity of the wicked is deceptive and false.

This David learned when faith regained its empire in his heart: then he saw them standing on slippery places. How are they brought into desolation as in a moment they are utterly consumed with terror; "as a dream when one awaketh, so, O Lord, when thou awakest, thou shalt despise their image."

If such be their condition, how should we dread false security in religion!-It precedes awful surprise, "wo to them that are at ease!" And how should the minister of the Gospel strive to alarm their fears, and awaken their consciences. How serious will it be, to be reproached in eternity by the people of our charge, for an unfaithful handling of the word of God, or for a man-pleasing spirit; which, rather than trouble a sinner's conscience, will let him go down to eternal night.

But what we have said may be considered consoling to those who are troubled. With downcast looks you make your way toward the better country; you have your evil things, like Lazarus, while the rich and careless have their good things. But soon will he, who appoints the mourner beauty for ashes, appear in your behalf.

SERMON III.

And I gave her space to repent of her fornication; 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. Rev. ii. 21, 22.

THIS Book was written by the apostle John, in an isle, called Patmos, which is situated in the Ægean Sea, and is about thirty miles in circumference. Thither the apostle was banished, most probably by Nero, for bearing witness to Christ, as the Immanuel and Saviour of the world.

But under this confinement it was the apostle's comfort, that he did not suffer as an evil-doer. The cause in which he suffered was worth suffering for; and the spirit of glory and of God rested upon this persecuted apostle. As to the book itself, it is called the Revelation of Jesus Christ.

In the Gospel of John we read the life of Christ on earth, as a man conversing with men, humble, poor, weak and suffering. We behold a sacrifice ready to be offered, and one appointed to sorrow and death.

But in the Revelation of Saint John, we have the Gospel of Christ, who was now raised from the dead. He speaks and acts as having conquered the grave, and triumphed over death and hell; as having entered

into the place of his glory, angels and principalities being subject unto him.

It was by the ministry of one of these angels, (by which term we are to understand a messenger sent from God) that this revelation was made to St. John.

The second and third chapters contain the seven epistles to the seven churches of Asia, which are particularly addressed, because, as is commonly believed, they were under St. John's immediate inspection. He was commanded to write to every one of them, according to their actual state and circumstances; and to inscribe every letter to the angel or minister of the church.

The form and order of the epistles are much the same. First, a command to write; then some character or attribute of the speaker, taken from the vision in the first chapter, and appropriated to the matter in each epistle; then commendations or reproofs, with suitable promises or threatenings; and, in all, the same conclusion, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches. In which we have an intimation, that what was written aforetime, was written for our learning.

We have the four first of these letters in the chapter in which the text is found: those to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamos, and Thyatira; and in the faithful reproof contained in this last-mentioned epistle, we have the words of the text.

Thyatira was a city of Proconsular Asia, bordering upon Mysia on the north, and Lydia on the south. It was a town of trade, from whence came the woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, who being at Phi

lippi, in Macedonia, (probably about the business of her calling,) heard Paul preach there, and God opened her heart to receive the truth, and she was baptised. Whether it was by her means that the Gospel was carried into her own city, Thyatira, is not certain. But that it was there, and successful in forming a Gospel church, this epistle assures us. This church, though its piety is commended, had well nigh drawn mischief and the Divine displeasure on itself, by holding intercourse with a certain impure character or characters, denominated Jezebel. It has been thought by some eminent men, that there was in this church a great and powerful woman, who, having been corrupted herself, did afterward harbour false prophets, who endeavoured to subvert the faith of the Christians. By others, it has been thought, that by Jezebel, we are to understand Helena, the concubine of Simon Magus. But it is most probable that it is a symbol taken from the case of Ahab, whose wife Jezebel had an unhappy influence in introducing idolatry in Israel, and was a great enemy of the Lord's prophets; I say, it is most probable, that Jezebel is put for a symbol of the Gnostics and Nicolaitans, who taught the lawfulness of fornication, and eating things sacrificed to idols.

The principal fault of the church at Thyatira was, that she did not execute discipline on these disciples of mystical Jezebel: and it is to her and her adherents that the words of the text primarily refer.

We will just observe, that this Jezebel had a state of probation, which, being unworthily filled, hajd