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of a church dedicated to St. John, which is now made a dunghill to receive the offals of dead beafts, Howfoever, God hath been pleased to preserve some in this place to make profesfion of the Chriftian faith, there being above two hundred houfes of Chriftians, and four churches ; whereof the chief is dedicated to Panagia or the holy Virgin; the other to St. George who is of great fame among the oriental Chriftians; the third to St. Theodore; and the fourth to St. Taxiarchus, as St. Michael the arch-angel is called by the Greeks. Next to Smyrna this city hath the greatest number of Chriftians, and Christ hath promised a more particular protection to it; I know thy works: behold, I have fet before thee an open door, and none can fhut it: for thou haft a little Strength, and haft kept my word, and haft not denied my name. Because thou haft kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth. Than which, as Dr. Spon faith, what could be faid more formally to foretel the coming of the Turks, the open enemies of Christianity; who seem to be fent on purpose for the punishment of our crimes, and to distinguish the faith

ful

ful from the falfe Chriftians, who pretend to be fo, and are not?

Laodicea lay fouth of Philadelphia, in the way to return to Ephefus: and if you will infpect the maps of Afia Minor, you will find the feven churches to lie in a kind of circular form, fo that the natural progrefs was from Ephefus to Smyrna, from Smyrna to Pergamus, from Pergamus to Thyatira, from Thyatira to Sardis, from Sardis to Philadelphia, from Philadelphia to Laodicea, and from Laodicea round to Ephefus again; which is the method and order that St. John hath obferved in addreffing them, and was probably the circuit that he took in his vifitation. That there

was a florishing church at Laodicea in the primitive times of Chriftianity, is evident from St. Paul's Epiftle to the Coloffians, wherein frequent mention is made of the Laodiceans, as well as from this Epiftle of St. John. But the doom of Laodicea (6) feemeth to have been more severe and terrible than that of almost any other of the feven churches. For it is now utterly deftroyed and forfaken of men, and isbecome an habitation only for wolves, foxes, and jackalls, a den of dragons, fnakes, and vipers. And that becaufe the Lord hath executed

(6) Smith, Rycaut, Wheler and Spon. ibid.

D 4

() Wheler's

cuted the judgment, that he hath pronounced, upon her that all the world might know, and tremble at the fierce anger of God against impenitent, negligent, and carelefs finners. For fuch was the accufation of the lukewarm Laodiceans, who grew proud and felf-conceited, thinking themselves much better than they really were. Wherefore, because they were neither hot nor cold, they were loathfome to Chrift; and he therefore affured them, that he would pit them out of his mouth. The ruins fhow it to have been a very great city, fituate upon fix or feven hills, and incompaffing a large space of ground. Some notion may be formed of its former greatnefs and glory from three theaters and a circus which are remaining; one of which is truly admirable, as it was capable of containing above thirty thousand men, into whofe area they defcended by fifty fteps. This city is now called Efki Hifar or the old castle; and though it was once the motherchurch of fixteen bishoprics, yet it now lieth defolate, not fo much as inhabited by fhepherds, and fo far from showing any of the ornaments of God's ancient worship, it cannot now boaft of an anchorite's or hermit's chapel, where God's name is praifed or invoked.

Such is the ftate and condition of these seven

once

once glorious and florifhing churches; and there cannot be a ftronger proof of the truth of prophecy, nor a more effectual warning to other Chriftians. "These objects, as Wheler (7) justly obferves, ought to make us, who yet enjoy the divine mercies, to tremble, " and earnestly contend to find out from whence

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we are fallen, and do daily fall from bad to worfe; that God is a God of purer eyes "than to behold iniquity; and feeing the axe "is thus long fince put to the root of the tree, "fhould it not make us repent and turn to "God, left we likewife perish ?-We fee here "what destruction the Lord hath brought upon "the earth. But it is the Lord's doing and "thence we may reap no fmall advantage by "confidering how juft he is in all his judgments, "and faithful in all his promifes." We may truly fay (1 Cor. X. 11, 12.) that all these things happened unto them for enfamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come. Wherefore let him that thinketh he ftandeth, take heed left he fall.

CHAP.

(7) Wheler's Voyage. B. 3. p. 259, &c.

(8) Majores

CHA P. IV.

FTER this, I looked, and behold,

AFTER

a door was opened in heaven

and the first voice which I heard, was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which faid, Come up hither, and I will show thee things which must be hereafter.

2 And immediately I was in the fpirit: and behold, a throne was fet in heaven, and one fat on the throne.

3. And he that fat was to look upon like a jafper, and a fardine ftone: and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in fight like unto an emerald.

4

And round about the throne were four and twenty feats: and upon the feats I faw four and twenty elders fitting clothed in white raiment; and they had on their heads crowns of gold.

5 And out of the throne proceeded lightnings, and thundrings, and voices: And there were feven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the feven fpirits of God.

6 And before the throne there was a fea of glass like unto cryftal: And in the

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