contemplation requires. As the physical heart is the source whence the blood circulates, so, analogous with this, the metaphysical heart may be taken for the fountain of motives directing the whole current of our thoughts. Out of the heart, it is said, (Matt. xv. 19,) proceed evil thoughts, such as murders, adulteries, &c. If we trace back the evil thoughts originating these crimes, we shall find their source in the love of self, the desire of selfgratification: whether this gratification be attainable in the shape of sensual indulgence, avarice, or self-aggrandizement, the imagination of man's heart is only evil, and that continually; because the ruling motive of his conduct is selfishness—the desire of serving, pleasing, and glorifying self.

§ 76. In the animal, the heart performs all its functions solely for and within the body in which it is placed; the blood going out by the arteries, and returning by the veins, in a routine of its own. So the thoughts and desires of the human mind, emanating as they do from the love of self, go out and return, as we may say, with no other end in view than that of self-gratification. Nor is this confined to matters of the present life. If the motive of a man's actions, even in his religious conduct, be to secure his own eternal happiness, such a motive must be as selfish, and as much confined within the routine of self-seeking, as if his views were directed to objects of present gratification; although there is more wisdom in his choice, his motive of action is equally selfish. The heart of man is deceitful, and desperately wicked (Jer. xvii. 9) ;—and this, not so much in those whose recklessness prompts them to acts of open fraud and violence, for there is not much deceitfulness with them; but the deceitfulness of the heart is in him who thinks he is serving God, when he is only serving himself-who counts himself acting for the glory of his Creator and Redeemer, when he is only going about to secure his own eternal well-being, and to promote, as he supposes, his own future glory. He may be diligent in prayer and fasting, scrupulous in the observance of every moral obligation, of every rite, and ceremony, and of every holy day; he may be unremitting in his zeal; he may be distinguished for the excellence of his doctrinal views; he may give all his goods to feed the poor; and yet, if the secret motive of his whole conduct be to secure his own eternal felicity, self-gratification is his objecthe has not the love of God in him; and if he thinks it to be otherwise, this is only a further proof that his heart is deceitful above all things. He does not know it-the difficulty consisting not in the desire of unlawful indulgence, for this he can detect, this he knows to be wrong, and here he is not deceived; but in his ignorance of the selfishness of his own motives, he is deceived, because he thinks he is serving God, when he is really serving mammon. Self-interest enters into all his motives, combines with them, contaminates and adulterates them, and thus renders them all impure and unclean in the sight of Him from whom no secrets are hid; so the same

selfishness, proceeding from the heart or fountain of motive, like the circulation of the blood, pervades the whole moral system; and the whole man, in the sight of a heart-searching God, has reason to cry within himself, Unclean, unclean!

77. By the same rules of analogy, the reins, or kidneys, as some of the inmost organs of the material body, may be, and indeed are, usually considered figures of the most secret thoughts and purposes; but as the mention of these in Scripture is frequently coupled with that of the heart, it seems more reasonable to suppose the different figures to refer to different objects of the same class, than to view them both as referring precisely to the same thing or things.

The reins are located in the region of the loins, and the two seem to be used occasionally in Scripture, one for the other as it is said of the Messiah, Is. xi. 5, “Righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins." The Septuagint has the words ràs leigas, τὰς πλεύρας, (the sides,) instead of reins. The difference, however, seems to be principally that the reins apply to the internal part, and the hɛúpα, or sides, to the external part; the loins comprehending both, and both requiring the same girdle,—as justice, or righteousness, and faithfulness, or fidelity to one's engagements, are moral qualities involved in each other. The importance of the loins, in the animal structure, is derived from both the external and internal economy.

The loins are scripturally spoken of as the seat of strength; and the strength of man, in a spiritual sense, is his ability to meet the responsibility of a position under the law-to furnish merits equal to the requisitions of the law. The real strength of the disciple, in this particular, is the righteousness or merits of Christ-Strong in the Lord and in the power of his might, (Eph. vi. 10, Is. xl. 10); the whole community of the redeemed being sustained, in this spiritual sense, by the loins, or sides, of the Almighty Redeemer, (Is. lxvi. 12.)

But there is a pretended strength supposed to be derived from something meritorious in man. The self-righteous disciple considers himself possessed of a strength, in his own loins, and in his own reins, capable of sustaining the burden of his own transgressions of law, and of bringing forth merits of his own to meet its requirements; and it is not till he is convinced of sin, and his eyes are opened to the deceitfulness of his own heart, that he perceives his reins to be consumed within him, (Job xix. 27,) and his loins to be filled with a loathsome disease, (Ps. xxxviii. 7.) No sooner are the motives of all his actions exposed, than the folly of his pretensions to righteousness, or merit, is equally exhibited his inability to meet the law is manifested. He that searcheth the reins, is he that investigates the pretensions to this ability: He tries us as silver is tried; and in

doing so, he necessarily lays affliction (compression) upon our loins, Ps. lxvi. 10 and 11. To search the reins is equivalent, therefore, to searching into the soundness of all pretensions to righteousness; as trying, or searching, the heart, is equivalent to searching into the secret motive, the primum mobile, of conduct.

§ 78. And I will give unto every one of you according to your works.' -A similar declaration is made by God himself, Jer. xvii, 10: “I, Jehovah, search the heart, I try the reins, even to give to every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings." This is the language of the law, as it was set forth by Moses and the prophets under the old dispensation; as it was commented upon by Jesus, in the sermon on the Mount; and as it is appealed to by Paul, in the introductory portion of his Epistle to the Romans, (Rom. ii. 6-10.) But these churches, in the ordinary acceptation of the term, were not under the law, but under grace. We cannot suppose any individual of the Christian community, in a literal sense, to be capable of abiding this test; for which reason, it is said, 2 Tim. i. 9, of the same God, that "He hath saved us and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began."

We must bear in mind, therefore, that works, in the apocalyptic sense, (tà ora,) are principles, or elements of doctrine, ($70.) These are to undergo the scrutiny in question, and as they are true or false, such will be the manifestation concerning them. This construction appears to be confirmed by the subsequent verse.

Vs. 24, 25. But unto you I say, and unto the rest in Thyatira, as many as have not this doctrine, and which have

not known the depths of Satan, (as they speak ;) I will put upon you none other burden ; but that which ye have already, hold fast till I come.

6

̔ἡμῖν δὲ λέγω, τοῖς λοιποῖς τοῖς ἐν Θυανείροις, ὅσοι οὐκ ἔχουσι τὴν διδαχὴν ταύτην, οἵτινες οὐκ ἔγνωσαν τὰ βαθέα τοῦ σατανᾶ, ὡς λέγουσιν·) οὐ βάλλω ἐφ' ὑμᾶς ἄλλο βά ρος· πλὴν ὃ ἔχετε, κρατήσατε ἄχρις οὗ ἂν ἥξω.

$79. To you, the rest in Thyatira.'-The conjunction and is not in all editions of the Greek. Without it, the rest in Thyatira is in apposition to you signifying, not to the rest besides you, but to you, the rest. The angel of this church, or, as we suppose it, the system, is lauded for its doctrines, or principles, with one exception: that of this Jezebellian doctrine, or the influence which this false construction, or interpretation, has upon certain elements of the system. This is implied in the general tenor of the address, and is here confirmed. All the elements of this system not influenced by the Jezebellian error, being subjected to no further constraint; they are only required to hold fast, or to continue as they are.

As many as have not this doctrine.'-Here, the subject of animadversion is expressly declared to be one of doctrine. The works spoken of

are consequently, works of doctrine, as we have just now supposed; and these works of doctrine, not members of the church, in a literal sense, are to be treated according to their merits or demerits. Those which have not this doctrine, we suppose to be principles unperverted by this false interpretation of the false prophetess-" Which have not known the depths of Satan ;" -having the doctrine of Jezebel, and knowing the depths of Satan, being nearly equivalent terms. The depths of Satan we may suppose to be the deceitful errors, tending to place the disciple in the position (abyss) subjecting him to the power of the accuser;—the doctrine of Jezebel, and these deceitful errors of Satan, both having the tendency alluded to by the Psalmist, when he says: "I sink in deep mire, where there is no standing," (Ps. Ixix. 2;) or according to the Septuagint, "I sink into the mire of the deep." So Ps. cxxx. 1, 3, “Out of the depths, (ix ẞavéwv) have I cried unto thee, O, Lord: Lord, hear my voice." "If thou, Lord, shouldst mark ini

quities, O Lord, who shall stand ?"

Not to have known these depths, or these artifices of the legal adversary, is apparently not to have been contaminated by them-not to have been under their influence; the sense of the word translated know, being that gathered from its use as a euphemistic expression, (Rob. Lex. 126, jivóoxw 8.) Principles not affected by these satanic errors, as spoken of, are those which have not known them.

'As they say,' uti dicunt, or, as it is said; or, as it is sometimes said; referring to this peculiar use of the term know. The rendering of the words os hérovou by," as they speak," seems to imply that these depths. ὡς λέγουσιν speak, and that the Thyatirans are praised for their ignorance of what is spoken, which does not seem so consistent with the general tenor of the address.

'I will put upon you none other burden,' &c.-The language reminds us of that of the apostolic epistle to the disciples at Antioch, Acts xv. 28, in reference to the conduct of some teachers, who were for enforcing an observance of circumcision, and the keeping of the law: "It seemed good to the Holy Ghost, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things." So we suppose the burden in this case to be a matter of doctrine; the burden in each of these cases being that spoken of in the

subsequent part of the sentence: "No other burden than these necessary things," to wit," that ye abstain from," &c.-" No other burden than that which ye have," to wit, "hold fast till I come;" equivalent to the charge elsewhere" Be thou faithful unto death;" or equal to what is sometimes said to be a patient waiting for Christ. The verb translated hold fast, may signify, however, a wielding of power. In Latin, imperium obtineo, impero, dominor, (Suicerus.) Hence it may signify here, continue to use your influence-operate as heretofore;-not as though the angel were already

perfect, (Phil. iii. 12,) but that, such as he is, he is to continue-occupying the same position-to keep his post, till the period for the perfect development of truth.

Vs. 26, 27, 28. And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations: (and he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father, and I will give him the morning-star. He that hath an ear, &c.

Καὶ ὁ νικῶν καὶ ὁ τηρῶν ἄχρι τέλους τὰ ἔργα μου, δώσω αὐτῷ ἐξουσίαν ἐπὶ τῶν ἐθνῶν· καὶ ποιμανεῖ αὐτοὺς ἐν ῥάβδω σι δηρᾷ, ὡς τὰ σκεύη τὰ κεραμικά συντρίβεται, ὡς κἀγὼ εἴληφα παρὰ τοῦ πατρός μου· καὶ δώσω αὐτῷ τὸν ἀστέρα τὸν πρωϊνόν. Ὁ ἔχων οἷς, κ.τ.λ.

$80. He that overcometh, or the overcoming, ó vxor—we suppose to be an overcoming principle of faith figuratively spoken of, as a disciple having such faith, (§. 46.)

He that keepeth, or the keeping my works-he that keepeth or adhereth to my doctrine. The principle, or the system of faith, in which all the elements of doctrine peculiar to the work of redemption, are perfectly, or faithfully found. This system shall triumph, or shall be manifested to be triumphant. Here we find the term works (7a) especially applied to matters of faith. We can understand it in no other sense.

'I will give power over the nations.'-No one can suppose each individual disciple of Jesus Christ, however favoured, or however excelling in faith, to have here the promise of a political or ecclesiastical power over the nations of the world; nor can we suppose the term nations, as here used, to signify literally political bodies, or assemblages of human beings.

The word translated nations, is the same that is rendered Gentiles, Rev. xi. 2; the translators of our common version having almost indiscriminately rendered the same Greek word sometimes Gentiles, and sometimes nations. The difference in fact is not material, and would not be worthy of notice, were it not that with the term Gentiles, we are accustomed to associate the idea of something opposite to Jews; while with the term nations, we lose sight of this association. In the Latin, as in the Greek, the appellation is the same (gentes) in both cases; so also in the Spanish and Italian. We must be governed therefore by the context, and not by these two different words, in the ideas we associate with the terms. In this passage we might read, I will give him power over the Gentiles, perhaps with as much propriety as we read (Rev. xi. 2) that the outer court of the temple was to be given to the Gentiles.

There is another difference in the ideas we associate with these terms, which is not sanctioned by such difference in the original term, either Greek or Latin. We suppose the word nations to be the appellation of a number of different bodies, or collections of persons; while to the term Gentiles, we attach only the idea of one common mass of human beings-the aggre