ith the devil's factors to delude credulous persons with
pretending to teach them deep mysteries,--"curious arts. (Acts xix. 18,
19.)

To such as withstood the adversary and his allies, Christ would give no
additional injunctions to those which they had received. And to animate
them to continued fidelity and fortitude in future conflicts with these
enemies of all righteousness, he holds forth an ample reward. He shall
share in the honor of his Master, conferred on him by his Father.
Whatever may be comprehended in this promise, it can be made good to the
victorious Christian only by Him who is divine. None else has "power
over the nations," but he to whom "all power is given in heaven and in
earth." (Matt, xxviii. 18.) "The morning star" may signify Christ
himself, (ch. xxii, 16,) or the "first fruits of the Spirit," (Rom.
viii. 23,) or the full assurance of grace. (2 Peter i. 19.)

As before, what "Christ saith, the Spirit saith;" and the instruction,
warning and threatening sent to the church in Thyatira, was addressed to
all churches and to every human being endowed with an "ear to hear." It
is assumed in the beginning of the Apocalypse, that only some will have
sufficient education to "read the words of the prophecy of this book;"
and such is the condescension of our gracious Master, that those who, by
reason of invincible ignorance, cannot _read_, yet may share in the
reward promised to such as "hear and keep" the sayings of this book. And
no doubt thousands have received this reward since the begun decline of
Popery, who were privileged to hear and to "know the joyful sound" of
the gospel proclaimed by the heralds of the Reformation. In the times of
Luther, Calvin, Knox, and others, who were their compeers and
successors, many were called from darkness to light, in continental and
insular Europe, who could not read.

All are commanded to "search the Scriptures." Now to be able to obey
this reasonable command, either all must be instructed in the knowledge
of Hebrew and Greek,--the two languages in which the Bible was
originally written, or the Bible must be translated into the languages
of all nations. But the former supposition is impracticable, and
therefore the latter is dutiful. And after all that has been done, and
is yet to be accomplished, in translating the sacred writings into the
languages of the nations of the earth, the "angels of the churches" will
be employed by the chief Shepherd in feeding his fl