rdis. Sixthly, to the church of Philadelphia. SeventhE, to the church of Laodicea.

First, To the church of Ephesus. "He that hath an r to hear, let him hear what the Spirit saith to the urches: To him that overcometh will I give to eat of e tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of od." Rev. ii. 7. Here is an excellent promise and essed encouragement to such as believe, and are faith, and are desirous to fight in the Lamb's war against and satan: the same apostle gives a description of is tree of life, in the abovesaid book; "That it bears elve manner of fruits, and bears its fruits every month, d its leaves are for the healing of the nations;" which stically points at Christ, who is faithful in his precis promises and doctrine, and has that virtue in him, at, through faith, will heal the nations of their wounds ich sin hath given them. Those who continually eat the tree of life, shall live forever; but a flaming sword il turn every way, to keep the unbelieving sinner from none in a state of sin and disobedience can come to joy the paradise of God. The above is an excellent omise to all those who overcome sin, and the devil, no is the author of it.

Secondly, To the church of Smyrna: "He that hath ear to hear, let him hear what the spirit saith to the urches: He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the cond death :" Rev. ii. 11. Which is that eternal death hich is in hell, or that lake of fire which burns forever, here the worm never dieth, and the fire never goeth out. his holy warfare is certainly a fighting for life, against ernal death and hell; which is of much greater conseence than natural life and death. Oh! fight for your ves against sin and satan, against pride and vanity, and 1 manner of wickedness; put on the whole armour of ght; look unto God, through Christ the victorious amb, that you may be saved from the eternal lake of re, and not be hurt of the second death. Oh! may we now a dying daily to sin, to the world, the flesh, and he devil, that we may live unto God, through faith in is dear Son Jesus Christ.

Thirdly, To the church of Pergamus: "He that hath an ear to hear, let him hear what the Spirit saith to the churches: To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna; and I will give a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth, saving he that receiveth it." Rev. ii. 17. Here are four excellent promises to him that overcometh, the Lord opens his treasury of life, and of wisdom, in order to invite souls to the mighty battle of the Lamb, who is not like the princes of this world, who sometimes promise great things to their soldiers or followers, and do not perform; but God's promises are all yea and amen for

ever.

The first promise is, "To eat of the hidden manna :" the children of Israel eat manna, (outwardly) as it is written, in the wilderness, and are dead; but those who eat of this hidden manna, this angel's food, who are hid with God in Christ, these shall never die : (i. e. spiritually) for his hidden manna is the flesh and blood of the Son of God, who said, "Except ye eat my flesh, and drink my blood, ye have no life in you." John vi. 31. 49, 50, 51, &c.

Second promise is, "To have a white stone;" this stone is Christ, who is the chief corner stone of God's building or church, the New-Jerusalem, which the wise letter-learned master-builders set at nought; but he is the head of the saint's building or corner, and a holy precious stone, the elect or chosen of God, the gift of God, to all those who truly believe, and overcome sin, as he did; and as it is written, "If he give us his Son, shall he not with his Son give us all things?" There is abundance of talk and writing about the philosopher's stone; but this white stone (which is the gift of God to those who overcome sin and satan) is the true philosopher's stone. (A philosopher is a lover of wisdom, and Christ is the wisdom of God:) this stone will certainly do miracles for them that have it, through the virtue of its power, it will procure joy in tribulation, patience in afflictions, health in sickness, riches in poverty, strength in weakness, liberty in bonds, and to sum up all (which indeed is a great sum) life in death.

Third promise, "And in the stone a new name:" how ny gay sparks and beaus would do abundance to gain hour, or a name among men? Nothing is dear to them this world, neither their estates, nor the nearest relain they have in the world, so that they may gain a ne here below; no, not even their own lives; but, Oh! A mortals know the virtue of this name, and were they in e with it, then the world, and all its fading beauty and ity, would be nothing to them in comparison of this me, which is better than the names of sons of worldly ory, and maids or daughters of honour; for those outrd names are fading, viz. To-day a king, a prince, a ke, an earl, a lord, a knight, and (has been, and may again) to-morrow on the scaffold but this name ich the King of kings giveth those who overcome sin d satan, is a name which will outlast time, and endure eternity.

Fourth promise is, "That it should be secret, (only the world) but surely known to him that hath it." reat men, when their acts and titles of honour are azoned abroad in the world, they have many enemies any ways, who envy them; and yet some are so vain to love grandeur and popularity, notwithstanding; it he that hath a name which Christ gives, so long as is sensible of it in himself, he is therewith satisfied. Now as this is the portion (and more which is hereter mentioned) of those who overcome the wicked ne, then, on the contrary, what will become of those ho live and delight in sin, and are daily overcome with ? For the holy scriptures are positive "That the icked, with all those that forget God, shall be turned to hell." This is the determinate will of God; and hat we may take the more notice of it, to observe and to his will, he hath caused it to be written down in the anguage of the Holy Spirit, in the holy scriptures of ruth, which are of no private interpretation, but naked nd open to mean capacities. The holy scriptures are not to be interpreted to the private interest of any paricular person or set of persons only; but are a general

benefit unto all the faithful believers and followers of Christ, through the whole world.

Fourthly, To the church at Thyatira: "And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations, and I will give him the morning star. He that hath an ear to hear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches." Rev. ii. 26, to the end. The Spirit still continues promising his gracious privileges upon condition of overcoming: wherefore, if it had been impossible to have overcome sin and satan, then all these promises would have been in vain, and the holy scriptures deceiving, which would be to make Christ and the apostles deceivers: but Christ, his apostles, and the holy scriptures, are true, and every one who contradicts God, is a liar.

Let it be observed, that there must be a keeping the word to the end also; for divers have run well for a time, and overcome many sins, through the help and goodness of God, and yet afterwards have run into sin again, whereby they have grieved the good spirit of God, by which they should have been sealed to the day of redemption, and so the Lord hath taken his good spirit and gift of light and grace from them, and left them to themselves, and their own hearts' lusts; but such as hold out in well doing to the end, the same shall be saved, and "Those shall have power over the nations;" the laws of men, or powers of earth or hell, cannot hurt them; but they will be as kings and priests unto God, ruling over their own spirits; such an one is greater than one that ruleth a city, and cannot govern himself. Another excellent gift is promised here to the victorious christian warrior, viz. “I will give him the morning star :" it is indeed a very comfortable gift, to behold the morning star, after a long, tedious, stormy night, earnestly waiting for the morning: Oh! it is wonderful pleasant. This morning star the writer of these lines hath witnessed, both as to his natural and spiritual travels; but especially to his inward state and condition as a christian. Those that have a true sight and sense of this divine star, are made to re

joice; for then they do infallibly know, that the day of the Most High is at hand, and that his kingdom draws near unto them. Amen, holy Lord Jesus!

As the day star is a forerunner of the natural day, so is the heavenly morning star a forerunner of the day of the Most High to the soul.

Fifthly, To the church of Sardis: "He that overcometh shall be clothed in white raiment, and I will not blot his name out of the book of life; but I will confess him before my Father, and before his angels. He that hath an ear to hear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches." Rev. iii. 5. These promises of God, through his Spirit, and through his servant to the church of Sardis, are, "That those who overcome shall be clothed in white raiment; and he says in the 4th verse of the same chapter, "That that church had a few in her, who had not defiled their garments, who should walk with him in white, for (saith he) they are worthy." So that there were a few undefiled ones, who had overcome; although others were blamable, whom the Spirit reproved sharply; but also, as above, promised that those who overcame should be clothed in white raiment; which raiment is that clean linen called the righteousness of the saints, or elsewhere, the wedding garment, and the garment unspot. ted of the world, without having which, we may expect to be asked, how we dare presume to approach the holy presence of a just and righteous God, who is of purer eyes than to behold iniquity with allowance or approbation, as it is written, "Friend, how camest thou hither not having on the wedding garment?" And by the promise of the church, that those who overcame, "Their names shall not be blotted out of the book of life." It plainly appears that those who fight the Lamb's battle, and overcome sin and satan, their names are upon record in heaven, and written in the Lamb's book of life: it also appears that we may have done well or valiantly in some things, yet if we suffer ourselves to be overcome of sin, there is danger, though our names are in, we may have hem blotted out of the book of life.