g8 vevelatión oftheAp,öcalypre. L A P. 2, at firftflourifhed among them,& was inhigheft honour,was after de- imelling fpifed. & trodden"under feet by the wicked hypocrites;as Chrift was Smyrna. in the beginning, God With God of incomprehcnhble glory , but after- swards takingupon him thefhape ofa.fervast,heemptiedhimfelfandbe- came like to men. - He taketh titles to himfelfwhich mayagree with the prefentcondition ofthings. Whence it is, that he fcattereth:fen- drie beares ofhis glory in each Epiftle , as the diverfe conditionof thechurch gave occafion. Whereby heteacheth, thatpart of his di-" vine infinit Majefty is eheifelyto be confidered" of, whichmay make melt for the prefenrpurpofe. But leaff they fhould think, thatthey fhould lye alwayes in this deletted,eftate, he addeth the other title,, that Wm dead ( faith he) but liveth. As-ifhe fhould fay ; though beingat fit ft chiefofall, I was after that la.ft and loweft yeti ftucke not any long time in this molt bafe eftate , but h aving vanquifhed deathwithin threedayes, I attained tomy former dignitie, in which I now live for. ever. Thefe things therefore declare that notable change which befell toSmyrna, and no.lefié to thatchurch whereofit is a Type;.where,the firft.truth,which had been for goo. yeers,found- eel and fpread abroad withmuch bloud,at length came_to be hated of theChriftiatts themfelver,,and.hadextreame hard.meafitte offered to it, togetherwith the profeflours of it.;: the which for all that Chriii útould raifeup againe out of the dull, as he himfelfarofe from-the dead, andlhouldplace it inthe former degree of honour. Why then could they call: -away their courage, whom. their Captaine went be- fore tracing out the fame fteps ? Or why fhould theybeafraid ofof fliions, whereofthe iflue was, tobe fo joyful' and comfortable ? 9. I knoW thy Worker, and thyoffl Lion.. Here is the Narration of their condition:,; whichhefaith is known to himfelf,. as in the other Epiftles, lealt perhaps they fllòuld think becaufe of his fo-long for- bearance, that he regardednot for theirniiferies The eftate of this church was affliFtedboth for the prefent, in this verfe , and alto to be expefted afterward fo to ize,in the next; to which the Countermine anfwereth inall things. For after the primitivepurity was chafeda- way, ftraightwayes there arofe, when Cónftantine fucceeded, a dead- ly ftrife. The perfecutions ofthe openenemies were hufht aril gone, but quarrels and brawles among the Citizens themfelves did forth- with wax very fierce andhot; and that notonly ofthe whole church in generall,.butofthiscity alfo r Theodefiote the yonger boyling with envy againft One Cyrus , whom he law robe very acceptable to, the opl,fcndethhim toSmyrna, milder acolour tomake him Bifhopof 'thus.
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