Second advent library

134 ncrunl ix.church into the next, which would be astate of trial,persecution, and poverty.6th "verse, But this thou hast, that thou hatest thedeeds of the Nicolaitans, which 1 also hate." What thedeeds of the Nicolaitans were, we are not able, from theword of God, to determine; but from somethings hintedatby some ancient authors, we have goodreason to believethat Nicolas, one of the seven deacons, departedfrom the doctrine which the apostles taught, and preacheda doctrine which wasrepant to the gospel of Christ,viz., a community plurigilty or of wives, which led Paulin his instructions to sa ",Let the deacons be the husbandof one wife," 1 'lZim. iii. 12. "He that hath anear, let him hear what the Spirit saith to the churches."Here we have another evidence, that the branch of thechurch at Ephesus was not the only church addressedin this epistle and prophecy; for, if so, what proprietyin using the word churches, in the plural, when only onechurch in Asia wasspoken of? No, it could not beproper, neither would it have been,as it is so`used inevery epistle through the whole seven, had not Christdesigned it for all the churches in a certain age. Thereis uso an admonition contained in these last-quotedwords, to read, hear, and observe the prophecynowgiven by the Spirit to John, the inspired servant of Christ;and for all the churches of the spoken of] to be carefultoappl to themselves the age monitions,designed bythe Holy gpirit for their immediate beneit. "o himthat overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life,which is in the midst of the paradise of God." Howprecious is this promise to t.he faithfiil and tried soul,who places ull his hope, and strength, and dependence,on one who is mighty to save, and on one who has promisedto him ofl' conqueror over all the enemiesof grace, bring an the powers of hell! Yes, and, more thanall, he has overcome and entered within the veil, as aforerunner for us who believe. May we all, by faith,have a right to this tree of life, this paradise of God.I will now examine the prophecy to the second church,which I understand to commence about the close of thefirst century, and lasted about two hundred years, untilthe days of Constantine, A. D. 312.