A People Living in Appearance and Dying in Reality Considered

A SERMON Preached at the ELECTION, &c.

REVELATION III.I.

— I know thy works, that thou hast a Name that thou Livest, and art Dead.

CONSIDERING the curious Workmanship of God, in the Regularity, comely Proportion and mutual Usefulness of all things, in their Original Frame & Contexture; and how all kinds of Creatures did serve in their several Places, and according to their several Capacities, to shew forth the Glory of Him who gave them their Being, Beauty and Activity; 'tis a wonderful and abasing Consideration, to every Contemplative p. 2& Serious Soul, that there is now no more Stability and Decency, especially in humane Proceedings. But that Darkness, Disorder, Sin and Death, have thus Invaded, and overrun the World. Indeed the World has suffered Miserable Overthrow and Ship wreck; but it is a strange as sad, that nothing will reduce the Children of Men, to that Love & Obedience to their Maker which was Originally founded in their Natures.

When the Lord appeared in his Greatness on Mount Sinai, it look't as if men would be afraid to be bad Israelites; and in His Graciousness on Mount-Sion, as if men would be perswaded to be strict Christians: but thus it is, Scarcely any thing less than Heaven, will make the Saint Serious; or any thing less than Hell, will make the Sinner Silent. There is and will be Sin in the best of Saints; and Sinners in the best Regulated Societies & Churches.

Indeed the Apostolick was a truly Golden Age; yet in the Churches of Christ there was Dross as well as pure Gold; there were Infirm Saints, & bold Sinners Hypocrites & Falsehearted, as well as Sound and Sincere Professors.

The Apostle mentioned in the beginning of this Book, spent great part of his Ministry among the seven Churches of the lesser Asia; p. 3and most of them were grown Corrupt & Defective, when he wrote to them from the Isle, where he was Confined, for the Testimony of Jesus Christ.

This Book in General Contains many Prophetick Visions; and in them a solemn representation of the present and succeeding State of the Church of Christ.

p. 3This Epistle is particularly directed to the Seven Principal Churches of this Lesser Asia, and the three First Chapters altho' they expresly mention these Churches and no others, yet (the number Seven in Scripture Signifying a compleat thing) they Indifferently respect the Universal, under such like circumstances.

In the first part of this Chapter, the Apostle directs himself to the Church in Sardis, in the Person of the Angel or Overseer of it. Where we have.

I. A Description of its State. That altho' it had a Name to Live, yet was really Dead, or at lesst ready to Die.

2. A Remedy prescribed against the Disease, under which it Laboured. Be Watchful, &c. Remember therefore, how thou hast received, and heard, and hold fast and repent: To return to their first state, & have recourse to the primitive institution, & form of Doctrine delivered to them by the Apostles & Apostolical men. p. 4Doubtless Tertullian's Rule borrowed from hence, is very safe & may be depended upon, viz. Quicquid primum Illud verum.

3. A Threatning denounced in case of neglect If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come upon thee as a Thief. v. 3.

4. A Commendation given to some who had kept themselves from those Corruptions, which prevail'd among the rest: together with due Incouragement given to all to return to God. v. 4. & 5.

What I would take notice of in the Words read; is a discovery of the Unsound (or a General Description of the) Condition of the once Gloriou Church of Christ in Sardis. And it is put in mind,

I. What it was in Name. Or what it seem'd to be. Thou hast a Name that thou livest. It not only retained its Name of Christian Church, and made a Publick Profession of the only true Religion in the World, but was Favoured with agreeable Advantages; and so might be yet very considerable, in the account of such as took notice of the outside, or shew, but not of the Power of Religion.

2. When it was in Reality: And art Dead. Not Absolutely, but Comparatively; for there were a few names in Sardis that had not Defiled their Garments. Altho the generallity p. 5were gone off from God, yet there were some few that cleaved to him. As for rest altho'they might retain somewhat of the form of Godliness, yet had in a great Measure lost that good Spirit, which had before Influenced them, and kept them alive. So that they were now Dead. Or as said in the next Verse, ready to Die. What ever the World thought' of them, or they of themselves; altho their Profession might be high, and their Advantages considerable, yet they were evidently and certainly Languishing.

p. 5Hence the Truth which offers it self to us; & may be Insisted on at this time is this, viz.

That a People may, & sometimes have a Name to Live; and yet are really in a Dying Condition.

A Man may esteem himself, & be look't upon by others as having a healthy & firm Constitution; when some fatal Disease has Seised him in a Vital Part. A Man may nave the Advantage of a fair Estate, and yet be really Poor. And not only a Person, but a People may seem to be something, when they are nothing. The Church of the Laodiceans said it was Rich & increased in Goods, and had need of nothing. And yet was Wretched, & Miserable, & Poor, & Blind, & Naked.

p. 6And if we look back to Israel of Old we shall find, that there was no Nation upon Earth so Favoured; that had such a Name and priviledges: God did lead his people like a Flock, by the hand of Moses & Aaron. Psal. 77. ult. Moses was as a King in the Army; and Aaron Ministered in things that were Typical & Sacred: Moses brought their causes before GOD; and Aaron Offered their Sacrifices to God, and Israel had Laws, Statutes, Judgments and Ordinances accordingly: Yet were they a Proud, Stiff-necked, Murmuring, Unbelieving, Ugrateful & Idolatrous People; And did Backslide from God, with a perpetual Backsliding.