for it by Him "who openeth and no man shutteth"must go forward whithersoever the finger of the Lord pointeth-and in its own weakness, seek to have his strength perfected.

We are not warranted to apply the words of our text directly to ourselves, as a Church of Christ, because the circumstances of the Church at Philadelphia may have been essentially different from ours; and it would be sinful presumption in any church, to take to itself the commendation, which the holy One and True saw meet to bestow on this part of his spiritual doininion. Still there are great and important truths unfolded here, which are of general application, and may, if regarded in the spirit of meekness, tend to the edification of all. Let us, then, in what follows, notice some of these; and may the God of all grace apply his own truths savingly to our souls, while we consider in the first place, some of the general principles involved in the text, and then apply these principles, and advert to the duties resulting from them.

I. THE GENERAL PRINCIPLES INVOLVED IN THE TEXT ARE

(1.) Christ opens every door by which the influences of his Gospel can enter.

Christ is constituted " Head over all things to the Church," and he it is who with the key of David unlocks the fast places of the prince of darkness, that the light may find admittance into his benighted domains. Having all things under his feet, He overrules the events of Providence, and regulates the fluctuations of

what is called public opinion, and disposes the operations of his grace, so as to open channels by which the stream of saving knowledge may flow in upon the spiritual wastes of an evil world. When we see prejudices that from long continuance have grown confirmed, giving way under the salutary influences of education-when we see the barrier which fashion and custom have erected to oppose the course of the Gospel, breaking down piecemeal under the destroying hand of time-and when we see the spirit of enquiry as to religious matters gradually awakening; even in such commonplace occurrences as these, we are to trace the agency of Him who maketh all things work for the advancement of that kingdom, which shall ultimately rule over all.

This is perhaps little attended to; and provided we acknowledge God's sovereignty in the spiritual world, and his influence in turning the hearts of men whithersoever he will, we seldom deem it necessary to ascribe the visible changes in men's outward state and circumstances to any higher agency than human power or policy. But, while we are scrupulously watchful over the orthodoxy of our opinions, as to the necessity of spiritual influence being exerted upon every soul that is beautified with salvation; we must also remember, that even those events that seem to be cast up fortuitously on the surface of time's rolling stream are directed by the Great Disposer of all. There an Almighty hand guides all, and works the hidden machinery by which effect follows cause, and consequences roll on in strange yet regulated succession. Among other movements directed by this unseen hand, the door which opens to give

free course to Gospel truth is made to turn on its hinges. It is the King in Zion, who by his Spirit gives to the Word its quickening power, but he also guides the preacher's voice to the hearing ear. He by his Spirit prepares the soil of honest and good hearts to receive the precious seed, and he blesses the springing of it in these hearts; but it must also be believed, that it is he who opens the door into the field of this spiritual husbandry where the sower does his office. That hand which divided the waters of the Red Sea, and opened the passage by which Israel went forth to take possession of the promised land, must also turn aside the floods of ungodly men, that through their opposing ranks the truth may pass onward to the occupancy of those hearts where it is destined to rule.

Do we see a Church of Christ in the full enjoyment of true Christian privileges and Christian freedom? "He that openeth, and no man shutteth," must first have opened a door by which the truth that maketh free came in to shed abroad its heavenly blessings on that Church. Do we see a Church extending itself, and carrying Gospel blessings into every uncultivated field? Its living Head must have set before it the open door, and given a way of access to the dark places. Do we see the ministers of a Church preaching the glad tidings of salvation freely, faithfully, and profitably? It is their Heavenly Master who opens to them a door of utterance to speak the mystery of Christ. Do we see multitudes waiting on their ministrations, and receiving the word gladly? It is the Master of the vineyard who sets before his servants a door of admis

sion to their hearers' hearts. Is a sinner's heart brought under the influence of the truth? It is Christ by his spirit applying the truth, and piercing with the arrows of conviction. Are Gospel principles seen to exert their salutary influence on the manners of a neighbourhood or a nation? Then may we know that Christ has been there to bore men's ears, that the word may enter in, and impart the holy unction to men's minds. Now, if the Lord himself thus sets before his servants, whether labouring in his vineyard as individual members, or collectively as a Church, a door of opportunity for working his will, who shall shut that door? Of a truth no man shall shut it. But this brings us to our next general principle, which is—

(2.) If he who has the key of David open a passage for the entrance of the light, not all the opposition of earthly adversaries shall occasion any let or hindrance to its dissemination.

Here, as in every department of his kingdom, Christ's counsel shall stand. And if he, in the exercise of his kingly rule, shall so order the dispensations of Providence, or the operations of grace, as to afford facilities for the enlargement of the boundaries of his kingdom on earth; it shall be vain for men to combine against him. If there shall be heard, amid the din of worldly changes, a voice from heaven, giving no uncertain sound, but plainly calling on the soldiers of the cross to gird on their armour, and fight for Zion, and the enlarging of her borders; verily, they may feel assured, that Zion's King well be at their right hand, and that, while he says unto them, "Go forward," he will go

with them to guide. If he open, it is not men that can shut.

It is true, attempts as futile and vain, as they were impious and presumptuous, have been made to stop the onward progress of saving truth; and the records of all ages of the Church present us with the details of men's engaging in an unequal strife with the Almighty. At no door, opened for the admission of Gospel light, has Satan failed to station adversaries. But have those adversaries ever succeeded in fairly quenching the heavenly spark? They have not.

When the door was first opened to the Apostles among their countrymen, and many who heard the word believed; the assembled wisdom of Jerusalem's rulers decreed that the good work should spread no farther among the people. And there were threatenings, and there were commands to teach and speak no more in the name of Jesus; but threatenings and commands were vain, when the Holy Ghost enabled the Apostles to speak with boldness; and the word of God increased, yea it grew mightily and prevailed. When Paul and Silas assuredly gathered from the visions of the night, that the Lord had called them to preach the word in Macedonia, they immediately turned their steps towards the door thus set open before them. The rulers of that land thought that the bolts and bars of the prison-house would check the success of the novel doctrines, and they cast the Apostles into prison; but, by the miraculous interposition of the Master they served, "the foundations of the prison were shaken, and immediately the doors were opened, and every