(14) And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God; (15) I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. (16) So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. (17) Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: (18) I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see. (19) As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent. (20) Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. (21) To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne. (22) He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.
We are here brought acquainted with the Lord's Epistle to the seventh Church, Laodicea. We have a certain account of this Church in the Epistle of Paul to the Colossians; for he thrice makes mention of it, Colossians 2:1; Colossians 4:13 and Colossians 4:15. Its situation was in the province of Asia. Like all the former, it is occupied at present by the Turks. If, as this Epistle is placed last in point of order, it be thereby meant to say, its period will be last, and succeed the Church of Philadelphia; We may generally learn from it, that the glorious spiritual reign of Christ, during the Philadelphian-state, will be succeeded with an awful lukewarm, and lifeless condition, under this Laodicean; and afford a striking display of the Lou's grace, and their undeservings.
The Lord opens this Epistle, as he hath all the foregoing, with ushering in his message with the proclamations of his sovereignty and power. He here calls himself the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God. Now all these are distinguishing names, belonging only to the Son of God; as God in the first of them, and as God-Man Mediator in the two last. The Old Testament scripture, Isaiah 65:16, declares, that whosoever blesseth himself in the earth, shall bless himself in the Amen; that is, the God of truth and he that sweareth in the earth, shall swear by the Amen. that is, the God of truth. Everyone knows, that is acquainted with the original, that this is the rendering of it. Now, in the great acts of blessing, or appealing for the confirmation of truth, these distinguishing acts belong only to God. And hence Christ, when calling himself Amen, plainly proves his Godhead, But the faithful and true witness, and the beginning of the creation of God, are features of character which belong to him, as God-Man Mediator. And by both these, he hath demonstrated his twofold nature, most plainly and blessedly. If the Reader will turn to Colossians 1:15, and following verses, and the Poor Man's Commentary thereupon; it will supersede the necessity of my enlarging, upon them, in this place.
Jesus having opened his epistle to the Church of Laodicea with the glories of his names and authority, next begins to speak on the subject for which he sent the message to the Church. And, in the description which the Lord hath given of the state of this Church, it is difficult to know which to admire most, the Lord's compassion, or their awful degeneracy. Considered as the last Church which Christ would have upon earth, it is truly distressing. Most of the former had spots upon them, but this of Laodicea was over-run with a gangrene. And, what made it, if possible, yet more awful, she is represented as speaking peace to herself, as needing nothing; while, in Christ's eye, she was everything the reverse, and drenched in the deepest poverty. Reader! how oft have I seen in sick rooms, and dying chambers, deceptions of this kind, both spiritually and bodily. It is indeed no uncommon thing in life, by reason of this self-deception, for those who have the spots of death upon them, to be talking of a speedy recovery. And, while every looker-on, but themselves, beholds death approaching, the poor unconscious man himself believes it not, till he drops into eternity. And what it is by the body, so is it by the soul! But, oh! how much more horrible! to behold a sinner without a single work of grace upon his soul; no sense of sin, no knowledge of salvation, ignorant of the plague of his own heart, ignorant of the love and grace of God, a stranger to the Person, work, righteousness, and blood shedding of the Lord Jesus Christ; and, with respect to the regenerating mercy of God the Spirit, as it concerns himself, he hath not so much as heard; whether there be any Holy Ghost! Reader! how readest thou? What think you of these things?
It appears from this message to the Church of the Laodiceans, that, notwithstanding the great mass, of the people, who professed to be apart in the visible Church, were in this awful state; and concerning whom Jesus declared, that he would spue them out of his mouth; yet the Lord had a people among them, for whom he sent this Epistle, and to whom he gave counsel, to buy of him gold and white raiment, and eye-salve. There is somewhat very sweet and endearing in this counsel of Jesus, who is the Wonderful counsellor, and in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge, Isaiah 9:6; Colossians 2:3. It holds forth to my view, so very interesting an account of the wisdom, grace, and loveliness of Jesus, that I would beg the Reader's indulgence to dwell a moment upon it.
By gold tried in the fire, can mean no other than Christ himself. He hath been tried, indeed, in the fire of every exercise, when for his people he bore the sins and sorrows of his redeemed, in his own body, on the tree. As the Church's Surety, he stood exposed to the fire of God's wrath as a burnt-offering; and all the fiery darts of Satan, which in the days of his temptation he endured. And, by white raiment, we may well conceive, the Lord means that spotless robe of righteousness, which on the cross he wrought out, for the clothing all his people. And by the eye-salve to anoint the eyes of his spiritually blind, can mean no other than the unction of the Holy Ghost, by which, in regenerating grace, in the new birth, and in divine teaching, the Church are brought to know all things, 1 John 2:27; 1 John 2:27. And it is not the smallest beauty of this scripture, in the counsel of Christ, that what Jesus calls to buy of him, means without money and without price. It is all a free gift, free grace, free love. And he that counsels his people thus to buy, gives them the disposition how to buy; namely, coming to him to receive, not to give. The precious things Jesus sells are too precious for purchase. If a man would give all the substance of his house for this love of God in Christ, it would utterly be contemned, Song of Solomon 8:7. Moreover: these incalculably great blessings, have all been purchased before, by Jesus himself, and with no less a price than that of his own blood. So that, as he bought them for his people, so he counsels them to come and buy of him, in this unusual way of buying; not only without money, but without anything; neither credit, nor promise, nor deserving. Was there ever heard of such a free grace market as this? Reader! Shall you and I take the counsel of this wonderful Counsellor? Shall we seek Him, as our true riches? Accept his white raiment for our only covering before God, for acceptance? And shall we bless him, for the Unction of his Holy Spirit, in anointing our eyes, to behold thereby, our nothingness, and his All-sufficiency? Shall we hesitate to accept the free gift, and the free grace of God in Christ Jesus? Shall we indeed, be so proud, as rather to purchase, than receive free, rather come before God in bur rags, than in the robe of Jesus righteousness? And all this, at a time when we know, and are told, that Jesus IS too rich to need anything of us; and his only motive for selling in the way he doth, is to show us, that be needs not us, but that our blessedness he hath in view, and will thereby promote his own glory in our happiness?
This verse, of Jesus telling his Church of his love, in rebukes and chastenings, comes in very blessedly after the former; because, whatever exercises the Lord calls his people to, he will enable them to bear up under: and, having given them gold tried in the fire, and white raiment, and eye-salve, meaning himself, with all his graces, and gifts, and righteousness, in the Holy Ghost; afflictions in the world ought not to be regarded. Indeed, they are so many sweet and precious love-tokens of his favor, James 1:12; James 1:12
I admire the love-calls of Christ; and the method here spoken of, by which Jesus makes them known to his people. It is a sweet verse indeed, of the Lord Jesus, in which, as we commonly say, every word tells. The Son of God a Petitioner at the heart of his people. And the account is ushered in, as it well may, with a behold! A note of admiration, that Jesus, the Lord of heaven and earth, should thus ask an entrance! Moreover: where is he? He saith, I stand at the door and knock. Marvellous condescension! Jesus stands without! He that by right of creation, redemption, marriage, purchase, conquests, grace, might command all gates to open at his approach, is nevertheless an humble suitor, and stands without. Oh! must not everyone that hears of such grace, or that is conscious of such unparalleled mercy, be constrained to cry out, with one of old: Come in, thou blessed of the Lord; wherefore standest thou without, Genesis 24:31
But, observe not only the Redeemer's posture, but the Redeemer's method, to gain admission. He knocks at the door of our heart. And how is this done? Oh! who shall count over, or sum up, all the love-calls of Christ. By his word, by ordinances, by means of grace, by afflictions, wants, sicknesses, sorrows, bereaving providences in our friends, the near prospect, as it should seem, of death to ourselves; the Lord knocks, and knocks again and again, and rings loud peals through all the chambers of our consciences; all which we totally disregard, hear, but turn from: neither can the Lord, by soothing or by threatening, by judgments or by mercies, have the least effect upon our stony hearts, until He himself put in his hand by the hole of the door, opened to his own entrance, and caused our bowels to be moved for him. So said the Church? of old! And so, blessed be God, I know, Song of Solomon 5:2-4. Reader! what saith your heart to these things? Have you known Jesus at the door? Have you heard his calls? Hath he made you willing in the day of his power? Psalms 110:3
Let some child of God, that. knows what supping with Jesus means, describe those words of the Redeemer. For, though I trust I know well what it is; yet, sure I am, angels pare not competent to describe it. The Holy Ghost hath taught the Church to tell the people somewhat of it, in her love songs, when she describes Jesus as her Husband, bringing her into his banqueting house, and his banner over her was love; Song of Solomon 2:4. but, oh! how far short all language is, to convey the full meaning of such unequalled joy? Our poor, cold, and lifeless nature, by reason of that body of sin and death we carry about with us, renders us but too often insensible to the visits of Jesus. Often he comes, looks in at the window, shows himself at the lattices of ordinances; and we, alas! sometimes hardly glance at him, before our thoughts run away to other objects. But, very mire I am, if our souls were but more alive to the visits of Jesus, we should find that this promise of Jesus would be often fulfilled, and night by night He would come with such love, and bring of that love with him, which is better than wine to make the feast with, and in such fulness, as to be both our company, our food, our bread, and our wine, Song of Solomon 5:1
I Must not close our view of this Epistle, before that I have first taken notice of what the Lord Jesus hath said of his throne, and of his Father's throne. To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne. I pray the Reader to observe the distinction which is here made, in what is said of these thrones. The throne of Jehovah, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, is the throne of the essential Godhead. Here, on this throne, none but God himself in his threefold character of Person sits. Nothing created can possibly ascend here. But there is another throne, namely, the Mediatorial throne. And this belongs to Christ, as God-Man. And Jesus, having married our nature, and thereby having brought that nature into union with himself, brings his redeemed into a participation of this throne. Therefore, Christ saith, To him that overcometh, that is, to everyone truly regenerated by the Holy Ghost, whom God my Father hath given to me, and whom I have betrothed to myself, and redeemed by my blood and righteousness; having thus overcome sin and Satan, he shall sit with me on my Mediatorial throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne of Godhead.
Reader! Once more, as we close this Chapter, and with it the Lord's Epistles to the Churches, we are reminded of the hearing ear. He that hath an ear! Lord, give the hearing ear, and the seeing eye, that we may hear what the Spirit saith unto the Churches.