taries in as striking and exemplary a manner as he had punished Jezebel.

As the manner of Jezebel's punishments fully proved that God knew the fecrets of her heart, and punished her according to her works; fo the punishment of this falfe prophetess fhould be inflicted in fuch a manner as to afford a ftriking proof to all the churches, that Chrift fearches the reins and heart, and gives to every one according to his works.

It is very probable, that this falfe prophetess did not repent. For, now, not fo much as the trace or name of that town is left; but only fome flender remains of inscriptions, not easily to be found; like the skull, feet, hands, and blood of Jezebel, as mentioned in 2 Kings ix. 35. A long time ago it was only a small village, called Ak-biffar, confifting of houses built of earth upon the ruins of the ancient Thyatira; and there is not one Chriftian church in it. See Sir George Wheeler, Dr Smith, and Dr Spon.

Verje 24th, 25th.-But unto you I say, and unto the reft 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 burthen, but that which ye have already, hold faft till I come.

This church, and every individual in it, who are not mifled by the doctrines of Jezebel, and who have not known the depths of Satan are affured that Chrift will lay no other burthen upon them, than that which they have already. Some are of opinion, that by the depths of Satan are meant certain fecret books, in which were contained the myfteries of the erroneous fects mentioned in this and some others of these epiftles. It is true, that many of the early erroneous fects had certain fecret myfteries which they concealed from all,excepting their confirmed members: Such fecret myfteries are a fure proof of the falfehood of the fecret doctrines, for truth is not afraid of the light, and is never hurt by it. Men love darkness rather than light only when their tenets and their deeds are evil.

I am of opinion, that men are faid to know the depths of Satan, when by his temptation they are brought to commit fins and crimes under the mask of religion and law: It was thus that Jezebel and the elders and nobles of Ifrael unjustly took away the life and vineyard of Naboth, under the mask of religion and the form of law, 1 Kings xxi. 7-14.; to which, in my opinion, reference is made here. To make men impious under the mask of religion, and unjust under the shelter of law, is the very depth of Satan's art of deceiving, a depth too from which he draws out temptations in every age and country, in this way he leads men to the greatest length

in fin, and keeps them for a long time in the practice of it, because he deceives both them and the generality of the men of the world around them. However bad their actions are, neither they nor the world fee their impiety and malignity when they ftand connected with religion: Thus for inftance, all the fhocking barbarities and injustice of the Croifades, instead of fhocking the perpetrators or fpectators, were confidered by both as the most glorious actions, because connected with and viewed as a part of religion: Thus too, all perfecutions for confcience fake, and all pious frauds, as they are called, are for the fame reason, not offenfive to fuperftitious and enthufiaftic men: Thus in defpotic governments, civil and criminal laws are often made inconfiftent with the natural and unalienable rights of men, and with the laws of God; and men go on finning against the laws of God and violating the rights of man, without ever thinking that they are doing wrong, merely because they are acting according to the laws of their country. Even in the freeft countries, there may be fome laws and cuftoms by which men are led heedlessly to practife cruelty and injuftice. Suppofe a merchant in the African Trade fhould employ failors to pick up and fell for flaves all the poor men they could meet with in the ftreets of London or Liverpool, or Liverpool, would not his conduct fhock himself, fhock mankind around him, and

make

make him be hiffed out of fociety, even though the laws of the land were not to call him to account? How happens it then, that, without fhocking himfelf or his countrymen, he can employ failors to pick up and fell for flaves hundreds of poor men on the coaft of Guinea? it is because in the last place, he violates the natural rights of man under the fhelter of law. Probably both may be comprehended under the depths of Satan. Christ affures all the members of this church who are not infected by these errors, that nothing fhall ever be binding upon them in matters of religion, except these things which are already binding upon them by the facred fcriptures, these things by which they have hitherto regulated their faith, charity, fervice, patience, and works; and he exhorts them to hold these faft till he come, that is, till he fhall come to put an end to their flate of difcipline by their death.

Verfes 26th-29th.-And he that overcometh and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations, (and he fhall rule them with a rod of iron, as the veffels of a potter fhall they be broken to fhivers), even as I received of iny Father; and I will give him the morning ftar. He that

hath

hath an ear let him hear what the Spirit faith unto the churches.

These verses seem to contain a promise not to the members of the church of Thyatira in particular, but to thefe Chriftians in general who fhall overcome the temptations to which they are expofed from the depths of Satan, and fhall keep the works of Chrift unto the end of that period in which the world is to be misled by the depths of Satan. From the address in the beginning of verfe 24th, "Unto you I fay, and to the reft in Thyatira," it appears that the 24th and 25th verfes are addreffed particularly to the members of that church, and then what follows in the four last verses of this chapter feems to be addreffed in general to those who shall overcome the depths of Satan, and keep the works of Chrift to the end of that period to which the depths of Satan relate.

In chap. xx, 1,-3.-The particular time is predicted when Satan fhall be restrained from deceiving the nations for a thousand years. When that time shall come, the time meant by the end of the depths of Satan fhall arrive. In what year of the Christian æra this time fhall happen, will be fhewn in the commentary on that paffage.

The perfons to whom the promise is made are thofe who overcome the depths of Satan and keep the works of Chrift to the end. They overcome

the