ock.

CHAPTER III.

1. And unto the angel of the church in Sardis write; These things saith
he that hath the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars; I know thy
works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead.

2. Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready
to die: for I have not found thy works perfect before God.

3. Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast,
and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a
thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.

4. Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their
garments; and they shall walk with me in white: for they are worthy.

5. He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I
will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess
his name before my Father, and before his angels.

6. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the
churches.

Vs. 1-6.--As hitherto in these epistles we do not discover a "presiding
minister" above an elder, so neither do we in this one find any hint of
a "bishop and pastors." All Christ's bishops are elders, and "all are
brethren." (Acts xx. 17, 28.) Prelacy,--that is, preferring one pastor
before another in office, is expressly prohibited by the church's only
Lawgiver. (Matt. xx. 25, 26.) The attempts to annul this law of Christ
has caused more sin and suffering to his disciples than any one external
agency of the devil. The whole history of the church furnishes the
evidence of this.

The church in Sardis is addressed by him who "hath the seven spirits of
God and the seven stars," who has authority by office to give the
quickening influences of the Spirit to the dead, and his reviving
influences to the dormant; for revival presupposes life. Their "works
were not perfect before God," however they might appear to men. The
majority were in a languishing condition, had "given themselves over to
a detestable neutrality" in the Lord's cause. And as the whole body is
justly characterized by the major part; this church is described as
"dead." "Be watchful,--remember,--repent." These duties point out the
prevailing sins, namely, slothfulness, forgetfulness and security. Where
these predominate, "things that remain are ready to die." And there is
no other remedy but that of applying to the "Seven Spirits of God,"
which Christ is ready to shed abundantly on all