The Litchfield County post. [volume] (Litchfield, Conn.) 1826-1829, 1827-09-27
From tie Journal Of the Req. John Harley.
1.-THE SEVEN CHURCHES IN ASIA."'


1.-THE SEVEN CHURCHES IN ASIA
LAoDrcEA, April S, 1898. know of no
part Of Sacred Scripture which is more cal
culated to alarm the careless, than the Epistle
TO the LaOdceans; Rev. iii. 14-22. It is
not merely the infdel, the profane or the licen-
tious, who find cause to tremble on reading
these verses; many, who have much that is
amiable and moral in their department, are
here brought under condemnation. Our
Lord does not charge the I.aodiceaus with
henous crimes He does not say, Because
thou dOst not worship the Lord thy GOd-be
cause thou dost not keep holy the sabbath
day---because thou Eiliest cOmmittest adul-
try, or art living in open violation OF every
one of the Divine G, mmands: no awful MS
are the guilt and danger of such a condition,
there is another state, still more Odious in the
eye Of the Almighty. Because thou art nei-
tier cold nor hot-beeGHse thou art Lukey0rm-
because thoa Sdsest, am rich, and Increased with
goods, and have need o nothing. Let Us care
fully attend to the condition of the Laodce
ans. They we're Christians: they were Chris
tians who had Q Greed uncorrupfed by hu-
man additions, and correct according to the
very model of Apostolic Preaching: nor as
just noticed, were they chargesbie with any
open deviation from the path Of Gods Com
=! mandments. But they were not Jealous for
Christ: they were precisely in the situation of
those who condemn earnestness and activity
! on the subject Of salvation; who are cOntinu-
ally misapplSing the precept, Be not righteous
oUern.uch: and who consider themselves pos
sessed of many qualities extremely valuable
in the sight of God, while they scarcely IN
derstand or even condemn those who frequent
ly employ terms of self-condemnation. They
did not feel themselves excited to any pow
erful efforts by the contemplation of their Re
deemers love, or by the force Of his exam
Pile their conduct showed no signs of striu
ing to enter in at the strait gate Of fighting
the good fight Of faith of counting all things
but loss for the erceItency Of the knewledge Of
Christ Jesus our Lord; Of praying scithOut
ceasing. They did not love that Saviour,
whose religion they profsssed to adopt, more
than their father, their mother, and their life
itself; nor could they comply with his strict
language, WhosoeUer he be Of you, thot tsrsa-
keith not all he hath, he cannot be my disciple.
Our Lord declares, therefore His Indignation,
in language the most expressive and alarm
ing-I .OiH sp~e thee out Of my mouth. Hap
by for those who feel the force of these ad-
monitions and warnings! To such, promises
are annexed, no less encouraging than the re-
buke is alarming-Behola, stand at the door
and knock. If any man hear my UOice and o.
pen the door, 1 svi come in to him, and syp aSith
him, and he uith me--I'o him that overcometh
wiU / grant to SIT aOith me on my throne even
as also 0Uercanae, and am Get doaUn s0ith my
Father on HIS throne!
| The first object which attracts attention at
Laodcea. is the great number Of sareophagi
| in these reflected, the material part of ma
| nv Laodicean Christians has returned, 'earth
| to earth--ashes to ashes--Gust to dust:" their
spirits have long since given account of the
manner in which they availed themselves of
the faithful admonitions of the Apocalypse.
! The city Of LaOdicea was seated on a Hill
of moderate heighth, but of considerable ex-
tent. Its ruins attest, that it was large, pO
pulous, and splendid: there are still to be
seen an amphitheatre, a theatre, an aqueduct,
and many other buildings. But its present
condition is in striking conformity with the
rebuke and threatening of God. Not sin
gle Christian resides at Laodicea! No Turk
even has a fixed residence on this 'forsaken
spot. We only observed few Turcomans,
| who had pitched their tents in the amphithe-
atre. Inidelity itself must confess, that the
I menance of the Scriptures has been executed
| It was subject of interest to me, to find that
Suit not much later than the time when St.
john wrote the apocalypse: nor could help
iuouiriHg, whether theatrical amusements
might not have been one of the principal eau
SEES which induced the decay of spirituality
! at Laodicea: we know, from the passionate
fondness of the Ancients for these sports g. al
SO from the powerful condemnation of them
by the primitive Fathers, that they must have
been source Of serious temptation to the
early christians. Unhappy as the hour, when
the Youth of either sex were preva.t'e on to
take their seats in those splendid structures !;
that solid and serious felicity which the Cos
pei imparts would soon be expelled, amidst
such tumultuOus assemblies; and, with so ma
ny objects to inAame the passions and to cor
rupt the heart, there was little prospect that
a single visit would leave the individual with
out being infected with dangerous contagion.
Though circumstances are somewhat differ
ent in modern theatres, it is greatly to be APP
pretended that the results are not dissilnlar;
how many youth who awakened the best
| hoPes,has been utterly ruined by these enter
tainments :.