Notes of an address by G. V. Wigram.
In connection with glories, we get three parts: First — The glories of the Person; Second — Glories in connection with relationships; Third — Those connected with offices. From this glorious Person I have eternal life, and am made a channel through which the stream of living water flows down, and the Lord Jesus will remove whatever makes an impediment. He is the fountain of eternal life, and takes the responsibility of looking after His people. The way of learning truth is by looking at it in all its different aspects, and taking it up in all its different parts. We will look shortly at the different titles by which the Lord introduces Himself in this chapter in their connection with the churches; The Son of Man holding the seven stars, walking in the midst of the seven Candlesticks (Rev. 2:1) in connection with the church of Ephesus. "The first and the last, He that liveth and was dead;" Rev. 2:8, Smyrna. Out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword; (Rev. 2:12) Pergamos. "His eyes as a flame of fire and His feet as fine brass;" Rev. 2:18, Thyatira. He that hath the seven Spirits and the seven stars; (Rev. 3:1) Sardis. In Philadelphia we get a whole cluster of glories, He that is holy, He that is true, that hath the key of David; He that openeth and no man shutteth and shutteth and no man openeth (Rev. 3:7). In Laodicea, "The Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God." (Rev. 3:14.)
Returning to Ephesus, remark, there are two expressions: First — Holding in His right hand the seven stars (Rev. 2:1): Second — Had in His right hand (Rev. 1:16). Nothing in that address goes beyond the thought of the blessed Lord as sustainer of the testimony set up at the day of Pentecost. The Ephesians were a body He could take notice of, they had an immense deal of energy and doing; but Christ was very jealous for God; He was near them in connection with the light. Who planted the church; Who is the holder and ruler of light in connection with the church; where is Christ now? Is He not near at hand? None could say, I stand on earth in responsible witness, the bearer of light, save the Lord Jesus Christ. The thought of light is beautifully in harmony with Christ; in connection with the church, the light could not be lost. We may say Christ cannot be walking where there are no candlesticks. But we must begin with this, His being set up as the faithful and true witness, and He has never left us. The leading thought in this address is that of Christ carrying on this responsibility before God.
The address to Smyrna is quite different; "These things says the first and the last, He that liveth and was dead." A very different state was that of the Smyrnese to the Ephesians. All had come down as if God had let the wave of death and resurrection break over them; all had come to a close. The expression "First and last" is different from "The beginning of the creation of God;" that is of the new creation. I get in "First and last" something in which my soul realises the whole of eternity. Man cannot get hold of that thought — Eternity; but it is sweetly realised to one that a Man is there, God manifest in the flesh. When we get to the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, there is no beginning there; but God has revealed His Son to us as Man, and we are in Him and He in God. The Smyrnese have realised their weakness and the power of Satan; the wave of death rolled over everything, and that second title "Which was dead and is alive" brings Him out fully as the resurrection and the life. One could not possibly confound this second address with the first: the state of mind in the one did not mark the other; both bring out the glories in Christ that each stand especially in need of.
In the next address to Pergamos things having got thoroughly into the hands of Satan, it was "He that hath the sharp sword with two edges." I do not suppose this is merely judgment where the power of Satan is put forth; but the champion of the Lord showing forth the virtue and power of the word of Christ. What will this title be in the glory? Christ will be there, and in turning to Him in the glory and seeing Him scanning each one there, is a man, His friend. One of the sweetest thoughts our hearts will have will be the thought of His being the eternal fulness of truth. What will the sword be then? There will be no enemy to fight against, no hands of Satan to cut, but that which is the irresistible power of the sword will be Christ still; and all will stand in His power. How often is it that when the knees are weak and the hands hang down as though the difficulties around were insurmountable, it is because of this sword being forgotten. The irresistible power of Christ where Satan is, is more than a match against all that he can do. How little our hearts love things because of their nearness to Christ; how little thought we have of the preciousness of Christians because they are dear to Him. We ought to love things for Christ's sake, not only for the dew that distills from them for our refreshment. If you had lost a beloved relative and could enter the room she had left, you would not want to go in perfume to some other room in the house, even if it con-tamed a perfect museum of objects of art and curiosity. Things would be only precious to your heart as they were connected with her; and you would linger there because the object loved had been there. Oh! how short we come! how little we know what it is to have no desire to go to any place, nor to do anything unconnected with the Lord so dear to us.
Next, the word to Thyatira; The flame of fire and the feet of fine brass. If I turn to what the Romish church was before the Reformation, I get Christ bringing His word to hew out everything there not connected with it. I have the eye as a flame of fire expressing divine intelligence, searching everything. At the time of the Reformation everything was searched to see how it could bear the light, and if it could do so it was reserved, the fine brass bringing everything to the test of Christ's ways. This title is connected with Christ's ways. Christ has certain ways of His own as Son of God, and as One who has His eye right down, reading everything in every heart. If one single corner of my heart were covered from Him, I should lose all confidence. It is a solemn thought that the Lord does know everything, but all rest of soul is in it. He is never taken by surprise by what He finds in me: He knew what Peter was. Religion is made such a conventional thing; subscribing to certain charities, going to different places. You find everywhere certain things counted as religion, but what can I count on in myself. Are my ways like Christ's ways? Would I like to change His ways because they are not like mine? to close His eyes? No! let Him be the Son of God, let Him search my heart; I can follow Him in perfect peace. Ah! if you and I knew a little more about Christ's ways we should get a great deal more communion when we came together. If we more felt what our fellowship is in Christ, we might, when we meet, speak more of those things we have got in Christ as our portion.
The next address, Sardis, shows a state of things, where one sees an effort on the part of the Spirit of God, different from anything before. That which is remarkable here is a testimony back to church order, by the noncomformists after the Reformation. If those people, who were ordering churches, had really got hold of this word, they would have found a great deal applicable to themselves. "These things saith He that hath the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars." All spiritual energy has its rise in Christ, the seven Spirits and the seven stars are held by Him in reference to testimony. If it is the question of any position now, where are the seven churches? If I look on to the end I see the Bride of Christ rising up to meet her Lord, and the professing church on earth spued out of His mouth. There is nothing to glory in these. I do not think glorying in churches ever could meet Christ's praise. Directly the attempt is made to set up former things, Christ is not there; but I never get near Christ as an individual without the consciousness that the Holy Ghost is mine. So also I never get near Christ without the consciousness of having power to do what He wants. He has power; whatever little testimony I have for Him, I have just to go forward with Him, and I shall never fail. If I want to look out for the help of saints or the sympathy of friends, I shall always find weakness. All power is His, and whatever service He calls for me to do, I shall have power from him to do it. In all states of the church Christ says, I have all power, and I am with you; but mind how you walk.
In Smyrna they are caught in a wave and brought right down, and the question is of being brought up again. The question in Philadelphia is of trust in Christ, and Christ throwing His bright mantle over to let His glories shine out: an uncovering of Himself to break the mist. If I say, All is weak and vain, and all I can do is to sit down with Lot in Sodom, why, I shall not get Christ uncovering His glory there; but if I say, This state of things won't do, I must be holy, I must separate from all that is not in character with Christ. Well! says Christ, that is just like me; if you are not going to forget the Holy One, I won't forget you. If the Key of David is in His hands, I say, Well! the Lord is going to open the Kingdom of Israel; and if so, it is quite right to think things are coming to a close, and the bright and morning star is coming. "I have set before thee an open door"; no one can shut it, not all the angels, nor all the spirits, nor man can close when Christ says, I have left the door ajar. One cannot say these are the same titles of glory in the other addresses as in this. We see here none spoken of but Christ in connection with a few weak ones keeping His Word. What an unspeakable comfort that there is a glory of Christ's connected with individuals. He might lock the door and put you aside: would you find no sweetness in being able to say, "Christ has shut the door." Which is best, the door being shut by Christ or opened by man? In a thousand ways Christ may shut the door; we must not struggle like a naughty child because He has shut it. He sees He cannot deal in full blessing till the soul He is dealing with can say, "Thy will and not mine be done." If it be His will to shut the door, and it is my will to have it shut, then He opens it and says, "My child come forth." If I say, I will sit down quietly because He would have me sit down, then He says. "Rise up and go out." Whether you sit down or go out you act as the expression of His will.
I see now man's church, and a mighty energy working: I see it all around. We hear of the poor man's church; what would Paul have said to that? There is an energy of man at work to set up the church, and it will come out as here. When I find the Lord using "Amen," I like to see what Amen is said to; and here the Laodicean state is brought out. "Take care, I know thy works, and that thou art trusting because of being great and increased with goods, take care of self." "That is not like me. When I was in the world I went about never seeking mine own, but testing everything as the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God." There is such a thing as the flesh, and man's will. The basis of the Reformation was human will (Henry VIII putting aside the Pope). The human will has not been judged, and when Christ takes up the church, the human will will be judged, and all that is unlike Christ will be left behind.
Deliverance.
Now do you honestly say, I know that in me, that is, in my flesh — dwelleth no good thing? Do you believe that of yourselves? You will never get full liberty till you do, and you will never know what it is to be settled and steady in your soul till you have learned it; for then you get not only forgiveness and justification, but deliverance.
J. N. Darby.