is none _good_ but one, that is God;" so, "there is none _holy_ as the
Lord," (Jehovah,) (1 Sam. ii. 2.) Here is another, among many plain
proofs, of our Saviour's proper divinity. His divine authority is held
forth in his "having the key of David," etc. A key is the symbol of
authority, (Matt. xvi. 19,) and the reference is to that prophecy, (Isa.
xxii. 20-24,) in which the mediatorial dominion of Christ is set forth,
by calling Eliakim to the place of authority in the room of Shebna. "The
key of the house of David will I lay upon his shoulder." It is in virtue
of this extensive grant of power from the Father, that the Lord Christ
has a right, _as Mediator_, to send his ambassadors into all nations, to
call sinners (rebels) back to their rightful allegiance; and also to
execute deserved punishment upon all who do harm to his servants. (Ps.
cv, 15.) In the exercise of his rightful authority, he has set before
this church an "open door" of liberty, of opportunity, of activity; that
she may put forth her "little strength" in keeping Christ's word and
confessing his name amidst opposition, reproach and violence; for it is
obvious, that when impostors fail to reach their objects by deceit, they
will resort to forcible measures. Because this church was unable to
purge herself by corrective discipline,--having but "a little strength,"
therefore Christ declares his purpose to strip these lying Jews of their
cloak of hypocrisy, and exhibit them in their true character a
"synagogue (church) of Satan." (James ii. 2.) Seeing that in apostolic
times there were apostles, ministers, churches of the devil, is it to be
supposed that we violate the law of charity, if in our own degenerate
age, when heresies abound, when ecclesiastical order is trampled upon,
we venture to apply the language of the Holy Spirit to unholy and
profane amalgamations? No, it is part of the special business of
Christ's witnesses to unmask specious hypocrites and warn of danger from
false teachers, (2 Cor. xi. 13-15; Gal. i. 6, 7,) that "their folly may
be made manifest to all men." (2 Tim. iii. 8, 9; 2 Peter ii. 1, 3.)--The