SERMON I. THE COMING OF CHRIST A WARNING First Sunday in Advent. REV. II. 1-5. UNTO THESE words were spoken by the Great Head of the Church appearing in vision to St. John. "I saw," he writes, "seven golden candlesticks; and in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks, One like unto the Son of Man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle. His head and His hairs were white like wool, as white as snow, and His eyes were as a flame of fire. And His feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace, and His voice as the sound of many waters;" symbols of an awful and unutterable majesty." And He had in his right hand seven stars, and out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword." And he said: "The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven candlesticks are the seven churches." The whole vision expresses the invisible order of His Kingdom: CHRIST the Head over all; under HIM the ministering Hierarchy of angels and men governing and serving His Church. From His eternal throne, He had watched its whole career; its first and fervent beginnings, its slackened speed, and its concealed declension. In His foresight and compassion HE interposed to arrest its irrecoverable decline, and these words of warning were a message to its Spiritual Ruler, as containing in himself the probation and the destiny of the Ephesian Church; an awful message from HIM out of Whose mouth goeth the sharp two-edged sword. "Repent, or else I will come unto thee quickly, and remove thy candlestick out of his place." And the awfulness of this warning will the more appear, if we consider to what Church it was directed. It was not spoken to the Church of Galatia, which had been so soon shaken from the faith, and entangled in the heresies of Gnostics and judaizing teachers: nor to the Church in Corinth, which had been rent by schisms, tempted by rivalry among its gifted members, and profaned by a contemptuous usage of the Holy Sacrament of His Body and Blood. It was spoken to the Church in Ephesus, famous from the beginning for its burning and indignant zeal against the illusions of Satan; in the midst of which they that had used curious arts brought forth their costly books and burnt them before all men ; illustrious for the long abode of St. Paul; for his three years of tears and warnings; for his epistle of prayers and commendations; and for the spiritual throne in which Timothy his son in the Faith sat as their chief pastor; it was to this Church so cherished, illuminated, and blessed that these words were spoken; "I have somewhat against thee: because thou hast left thy first love." And this will be all the more striking if we look also at the commendation bestowed upon the Ephesian Church, and in this very message, by our LORD HIMSELF. "I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience," that is, thy works of faith, mercy, devotion, thy toil for My truth, and for the elect, thy endurance of shame, peril, and persecution: "and how thou canst not bear them which are evil :" that is, the purity of private life, and the severity of public discipline: "and how thou hast tried them which say they are Apostles and are not, and hast found them liars:" thy jealousy for the order, and perfect rule of My Church; for the great commission given to ME by My FATHER, and by ME to those whom I had chosen, and to their heirs in right. I know also that thou "hast borne, and hast patience, and for My sake hast laboured and hast not fainted:" that in all toil, persecution, shame, and the Cross, thou hast held out firmly and persevered. Surely these are tokens of no declining Church, but of one in which the signs of life and sanctity are vivid and prominent. To the world's eye the Church of Ephesus would seem a faithful witness and true, a burning and a shining light among the golden candlesticks. "Nevertheless," saith HE that pierceth to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, "nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love." Now it is plain that this is a charge of inward declension. There is here not a word of greater disobedience; no impeachment of their fair outward sanctity. It is a message, in chief part, of commendation; but this one word pierces to the very quick: "Nevertheless, I have somewhat against thee." And this would seem to be its true meaning and intention. The Ephesian Church in its outset so kindled and ardent, had, by slow and measured decrease, parted with its inward devotion. Its first fervours had abated, the first bursts of persecution had somewhat checked its forward movement: the first fascination of smoother days had drawn it insensibly to a more passive mood. It had become first less eager in the warfare of the Cross, then more circumspect in its commerce with the world: it could better acquiesce in, that is, bear in silence, the surrounding empire of luxury and falsehood: and restrain itself within its own precincts with a lower intention and a tamer will. They had once delighted much to suffer for CHRIST, now they delighted less. It was not that they did not love HIM, but that once they had loved HIM more they were not hypocrites, but still really devout: not apostates, but declining Christians. There was less of intent conformity of their will with the will of their unseen LORD: less of conscious, sustained, governing desire for the gathering of His elect, and the Glory of His Person, and His Kingdom. "They had left their first love." This was all; but in His sight, this was everything. Remember therefore, from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works, or else I will come |