The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1893-02-01

The Episties to tho Seven Churches.
Contributed In anawer to II. Claw
lof 10 commandments. There can be
no doubt that these letters were pri-
marily intended for the communities
to which they are inscribed, and deal
with actual circumstances of the time.
But, since they are also called "the
things that are" MS distinguished from
those which shall be hereafter In a
different dispensation,i 1t seems equally
clear that tho churches addressed
must have been selected on account
Of their representative character, and
the arrangement was probably made
to servo double purpose.
In the first place because when taken
together they exhibited every phase Of
christian society which would ever be
found in the various PARTS OF Christen-
dom, and SO enabled the Lord TO give
comfort, advice, exhortatlon. warning
AMI threatening, from which some-
thing could be found to suit any pos
sible circumstance OF His people till
the end OF the age.
These names we now subjoin, add
Ing their signitications and the periods
OF church history, in which they seem
TO find their fultiilment.
! characterization The waning
of love at the close OF the apostolic
period.
myrna-myrrh. bitterness. The
Ten Prosecutions.
/ Pergamos- d tower. Earthly great
ness OF the church from the accession
of Constantine.
Thyatira-She that Is unwearled in
sacrifice. The Church of Rome with
her perpetually repeated sacrifice Of
, the mass.
SaIdis-renovation. The results of
the Reformation. Protestant Churches.
Philadelphia brotherly love. The
gathering out Of those who think the
love OF Christ u stronger bond Of
union than any ties OF sect and who
will be caught up to meet him when
he comes.
I Lacdicea--the Judgment of the peo-
pie. The Church on which the people
constitute themselves judges of what
Is right. The self confident body
which goes it's own way and Is thor
oughly satisfied with IL, but 1t Is re-
iected OF tho Lord.
THUS the bare names OF the churches
furnish sketch of the history of
lChristendom until the end OF ag.
I In the Epistle to Philadelphia and
!, Iaodicea, we come to the Immediate
times OF the end. Philadelphia which
signifies brothcrly lovo, is the com
lpGny of the elect upon earth, those
who will he che; en- when Laodicea Is re-
jected.
|, We find in this letter no mention of
I blame or rebuke In regard to those
who are directly addressed. The re-
newed activity of preaching, caused
by the latter reign, moves satan to re.
neat the strategem by which he grad
ually couRteracted the work of the
early church. and consequently the
false Jews. the synagogue OF Satan,
mentioned in the eplstlc to Smyrna,
appear for tho second time upoD the
scene. For some years they have been
radidly Incorporating the countries in
which outpourings Of the spirit have
occurred, especially In England and
America, neutraliziDg the pure word
of God by means OF Babylonlan ritual
and prieStcraft, and often guiding
tnen back to Rome itself.
/ Their followers are taught to look
down upon believers who hold more
Scriptural news and to alrogate to
themselves the place OF Gods church
/ Just Us the Pharisees did at the first
advent.
| But all who are really resting upon
their lord may be well content to en-
llulb llllb lIbttliltllL lOI u bcuoOi. lOt
I he has here promised to plead their
Gausc in his own person and to show
that he has loved them, and he will do
lit In such manner that some OF those
who have been led hlindfold into the
false synagogue, through not under
standing tho depths of Satan. will re-
Ipcnt and Low down before them con-
leasing that after all they were the
true Church and desiring to be Joined
to them In Christ.
The last words OF the Eplstle, the ex-
/ hortation to listen should fall solemn
I ly on our ears, for, as we said Just now,
there is strong probability that they
!;unlv TO us above all others that the
Lord IS even now coinpicSSr the
number of the Philadelphian Churen.
and will in the times of the present
generation remove her to the Heaven
ly places. Watch, then efore. for ye
Know neither tho day nor the hour
wherein thc,Son of man cometb." He
that hath an cur let him hear what the
Spirit saith unto the churches" Pc.