1. "I know thy works"

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[This" the Spirit spake" to every one of them, without exception: and therefore we may consider it as spoken to the Church of God in all ages. And a most solemn truth it is. Almighty God inspects the ways of every child of man. knows what we do in our unregenerate state: he knows also what we do after we become followers of the Lord Jesus. He discerns infallibly the precise quality of all our actions; how far they accord with the written word; from what principles they flow; for what ends they are performed. He discerns also the measure of them, how far they correspond with the professions we make, the obligations we acknowledge, the advantages we enjoy. He sees every thing which enters into the composition of them; how much of what is pure, and how much of what is selfish and impure. In a word, he "weigheth," not our actions only, but "our spirits;" and according to his estimate of them will he judge us in the last day. He will not form his judgment, in any respect, from the esteem in which we are held by our fellow-men, or from the opinion which we have formed of ourselves: he will weigh us in the unerring balance of his sanctuary, and will" judge righteous judgment" respecting every individual of mankind.]

2. "To him that overcometh will I give❞—

[This also is repeated to every Church. And it is of infinite importance to every child of man. Every saint has a conflict to maintain, against the world, the flesh, and the devil: and he must not only fight a good fight against them, but must continue to do so, even to the end. As, in a race, it is not he who "runs well for a season," but he who finishes his course well, that wins the prize; so it is not he who wars a good warfare for a time, but he who endures to the end, that will be crowned with victory. There is to be no enemy to which we are to yield; nor any period when we are at liberty to take our ease. We are never to be weary of well-doing, never to sink under any discouragement, never to turn our back even for a moment. We must act as good soldiers of Jesus Christ, and fight under his banner to the latest hour of our lives: and then may we be assured that victory, yea, and the rewards of victory too, shall be ours. "To him that overcometh," saith our Lord, "will I give to sit down with me upon my throne; even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father upon his throne."]

That these hints may produce their proper effect, I will,

III. Point out the special ends to be answered by bringing them to your remembrance

Certainly I would wish them to be improved,

1. For your humiliation

[I will suppose, that, like the members of all the different Churches, you profess to be faithful followers of Christ. I will also suppose that, in a good measure, you adorn your holy profession. Yet, when you remember what the heart-searching God has said, "I know thy works;" which of you has not reason to hang down his head with shame and confusion of face? If it were but a man, who had been privy to all the workings of our hearts since first we professed to serve God, we should not feel altogether easy in his presence: for though, by reason of his own imperfections, we might expect some allowances to be made in our behalf, yet the consciousness of what we were in his eyes would humble us even in our own, and would tend greatly to stop our mouths before him. Should we not, then, put our hands on our mouths, and our mouths in the dust, before God, under the consciousness of our extreme unworthiness in his sight? Let us individually apply to ourselves that solemn admonition, "I know THY works." It is addressed to us individually, as much as if we were the only individual upon earth: and God has noticed us as particularly as if there had been no other person in the universe for him to notice. I pray you, brethren, bear this in mind; and learn to walk softly before God, all the days of your life.]

2. For your warning

[When it is said, "To him that overcometh, will I give," it is evidently implied, that on this description of persons exclusively will any reward be conferred. Should not this, then, operate as a solemn warning to us? When any temptation presents itself to our minds, should we not consider, what will be the effect, the ultimate and everlasting effect, of our compliance with it? Should we not balance against each other, the gratifications of sense against the joys of heaven, the sufferings of sense against the pains of hell, the transitoriness of time against the duration of eternity? When persons, calling themselves our friends, would dissuade us from an entire surrender of ourselves to God, should we not bethink ourselves what they can do for us hereafter, or what recompence they can make us for the loss of heaven? Let this, then, operate on our minds, with all the weight that it deserves; and let us never forget the admonition given here to every child of man, "To him that overcometh, and to him exclusively, will I give any portion in the realms of bliss."]

3. For your encouragement

[See the rewards held forth to all the different Churches; and then say, whether you want encouragement to persevere ? And remember who it is that says, "I will give.' It is no other than the Lord Jesus Christ, the Judge of quick and dead. The world, it is true, makes promises also: but what can it give? If it could give you kingdoms, they were but a poor possession, which you must relinquish in a little time. And as for the mere gratifications of sense, your past experience will tell you how empty and vanishing they are. But, when Almighty God promises to you the glory and blessedness of heaven, that may well allure you; for that shall live for ever; and you shall live for ever to enjoy it. "Have respect then, my brethren, even as Moses had, to the recompence of the reward," and "hold fast the rejoicing of your hope steadfast unto the end:" and doubt not but that, in due season, there shall be given you "a crown of righteousness and glory that fadeth not away."]

MMDVII.

THE BOOK WITH SEVEN SEALS OPENED BY JESUS CHRIST.

Rev. v. 6-10. And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth. And he come and took the book out of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne. And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints. And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; and hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.

There

THE doctrine of the Divinity of our Lord Jesus Christ is that which sheds the brightest lustre over our most holy religion. It is his Deity which alone gives virtue to his sacrifice, and renders it a sufficient propitiation for the sins of the whole world. are indeed many, who, whilst they profess a regard for Christianity, would rob it of its chief stay and support; and, to effect their object, will mutilate the very Scriptures themselves, and cut out of the

sacred volume what they find themselves unable to controvert or distort. But, methinks, if we were to grant for a moment that the saints on earth may have erred in giving to Jesus the same glory as they give unto the Father, (though their obligation to do so is, in my apprehension, as clear as the sun at noon-day,) have they also erred in heaven? Are the glorified saints around the throne of God under a mistake? It is undeniable that they are worshipping the Lord Jesus precisely as they worship the Father. Consult the chapter which precedes my text. There we are informed, that "the four beasts (the four living creatures) rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come. And when those beasts give glory and honour and thanks to him that sat on the throne, who liveth for ever and ever, the four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever; and cast their crowns before the throne, saying, Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power; for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are, and were created"." No one, No one, I suppose, will doubt, but that in that passage worship is given to Jehovah the Creator of all things, and as the one supreme God. Now compare the words of our text, and there you will find the same persons (the four beasts and four and twenty elders) with the very same posture (that of utter prostration) in precisely similar language adoring the Lord Jesus Christ as their Redeemer; and all the angels in heaven confirming this act of theirs in terms the most exalted that could possibly be used, and uniting both the Father and the Son in one song of praise, saying, "Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing: therefore, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power be unto Him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever."

a Rev. iv. 8-11.

In opening to you this song of the redeemed, I shall bring before you,

I. The occasion of it

This is particularly adverted to in our text

[There was "in the hand of Him who sat upon the throne a book written both within and without, and sealed with seven seals." To conceive of this book aright, we must bear in mind, that it was a volume, rolled up, and consisting of seven parts, each rolled within another, and having a distinct seal affixed to it, so that the contents of one only could be known at a time, the opening of the first making a way for the second, and the second for the third, and so on in succession throughout the whole. But to open the book, and loose the seals thereof, was beyond the power of any created being: there was "not one found worthy of this honour in heaven, or in earth, or under the earth." On this account, the Apostle tells us, wept much." He had no doubt but the contents of that book were of infinite importance to the Church and to the world, because it contained a record of God's secret purposes respecting both the one and the other to the end of time; and it was not from the disappointment of an idle curiosity that he wept, but from an apprehension that God would be less glorified by the concealment of his purposes than by a revelation of them to his Church.

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To his great joy, however, One was found, who was "worthy to open this book," even the Lord Jesus Christ, who was here characterized as "The Lion of the tribe of Judah, and as the Root of David." Under the former character, the Messiah had been revealed to Jacob; and under the latter, to David, as David's Lorde. But it was under a new character that he prevailed to open the book, even as a Lamb that had been slain," even as that Lamb of God, that having offered himself a sacrifice for the sins of men, yet bears upon his person the marks of all the cruelties and indignities that he suffered upon the cross. Yet, though bearing these marks of his humiliation, he is represented as having seven horns, and seven eyes," even all perfection of power and of wisdom also, of which there is none in the whole universe, that does not emanate from him for from him proceeds the Holy Spirit, in all his diversified influences and operations, to the utmost ends of the earth.

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This glorious Person" went to him that sat upon the throne; and took the book out of his hand," in order to loose the seals

b ver. 1. with Rev. vi. 1-12. and viii. 1.
c ver. 2, 3.

e See Isai. xi. 10. and Ps. cx. 1. VOL. XXI.

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d Gen. xlix. 9, 10.

f The text.