CHRIST'S allarti3 of Afia, chap. r. the Church of Ephefus,, the Church of Smyrna, and of ?ergamus, and of Thyatira, thefe foure are written unto in the fecond Chapter ; the other three are written unto in this : the Church of Sardis, and the Church of Philadelphia, and the Church of Laodicea.. Now that which I have chof en to handle, and if God. atfoord liberty,' defire to goe through it,is the Epiftle un- to the Church of Sardis ;wherein we may confider foure things. Firft, The Iufcription, containing a fpecifcation to whom the Epif'ie is fpecially direfted unto.And unta the Angell of the Church en Sardis,write: Seco.,diy,the Subfcription, containing a defcription of the Lord Jefus Chrift, the King of the Church : Theft- things faith he that hash thefeven Spirits of God, and the feven Starres. I call it a fubfcription, becaufe in our Let- ters we ufe to fubfcribe our >aames,or to write our names beneath at the latter end. But it may be called rather a. fuprafcrrptian, as Kings write their names above for.ho rìours fake, fo does Chrift the King of Sion, write his Nance above. Thirdly,rhe fubftance+or matter of the Epiftle, J k ow thy work!, that thou hall a name that then lavefi, and art dead. Be rn,tchfull, and flrengthen the things which re- marne,t hat are ready to dye, for I have not found thy works perfefl before God. &c.ver.1,2,3,4. Fourthly, the conclufim , He that avercometh, the. feime call be clothed en.white raiment, &c.v.5,6. Ftrft, I fay,the Infcription, And unto the Angell of the Church in Sardir,write.In which words Saint John is di- refted whom to infcribe this Epifile unto,and that is, 'Pin- to the Church which is in Sardis : but efpecially unto the Angell of it, that is, the Minifter, or Ielinifters of it :. for that's the meaning of Angell in this place. Secondly,for tlie.Subfcription, or rather fuprafcription, i that container the defcription of the Lord Jefus Guilt, j from whom the Epiftle is lent, and he is defcribed by two
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