the standing pillars, the stones are so exactly enclosed, that they seem as if they were all composed, each of one stone. Eastward to these ruins, a castle in ruins speaks to the beholder of desolation. The ascent to this pile is so steep, that the approach must be made by a circuitous path. In ancient times, it was doubtless considered as inaccessible and impregnable. There is a Greek inscription within the castle, upon the chapiter of a pillar, to the honour of the emperor Tiberius, who is considered its second founder, its breaches having been repaired by his directions. Eastward to the castle are the ruins of a great church, and northward of these are other vast ruins; the walls still remaining having several divisions and apartments, all of which take up a large compass of ground. This is thought to have been either the palace of the governor, the seat of justice, or a public hall, as a place of meeting for the citizens; but it is impossible now to decide which. Other ruins are met with in this direction, from which circumstance, some conclude that the greatest part of the city lay in this quarter.

The Turks have a mosque at Sart, which was formerly a Christian church, at the entrance of which are several curious pillars of polished marble. A few Christians live amongst them in the capacity of gardeners and labourers; but they have no church, nor any one capacitated either to preach the glad tidings of salvation through a crucified Redeemer, or to administer the ordinances of the gospel. So awfully, so literally has the threat been verified, that, because she had a name to live, while in reality she was dead, and because she attended not to the voice of warning mercy, the candlestick should be removed out of its place. A missionary, named Lindsay, who recently visited Sardis, states, that the very few Christians who lived in its vicinity wished to settle in the plain, and erect a church on the site of Šardis; but being prevented from this by Kara Osman Oglou, the Turkish governor of the place, they erected one on the plain, within sight of ancient Sardis. At this place, he says, which has gradually risen into a little village, named Tatar-Keny, they maintain a priest; and thither the few Christians, forming together a congregation of forty persons, resort for public worship. Another missionary, however, who visited Sart more recently, states, that there is not now in that place even one Christian family. All have defiled their garments by apostasy. Let us take warning by their example.

PHILADELPHIA.

Philadelphia was situated about twenty-five miles east by south of Sardis, upon a branch of Mount Tmolus; at which spot there are still to be seen the relics of a noble city, called, by the Turks, Allah Shehr, "the beautiful city," or "the city of God." It was built by Attalus Philadelphus, king of Pergamus.

The voice of the evangelist was also directed to Philadel phia, but no thunders were heard in the sound. "And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write; These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth; I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name. Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee. Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth. Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown. Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God and I will write upon him my new name. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches," Rev. iii. 7—13.

The infidel Gibbon unwittingly bears his testimony to the fulfilment of this prophecy. He says, "Among the [inland] Greek colonies and churches of Asia, Philadelphia is still erect; a column in a scene of ruins! At a distance from the sea, forgotten by the emperors, encompassed on all sides by the Turks, her valiant citizens defended their religion and their freedom above fourscore years; and at length capitulated with the proudest of the Ottomans."

The American missionaries, Fisk and Parsons, when they visited the place in 1820, were informed by the Greek Archbishop Gabriel, that there were five churches in the town, besides twenty which were either old or small, and had fallen into disuse. The number of houses is estimated at 3,000, of

which 250 are inhabited by Greeks, the rest by Turks. One of the present mosques was pointed out to the missionaries, as the church in which the primitive Christians of Philadelphia assembled, to whom St. John wrote.

Philadelphia, as it now exists, covers a considerable extent of ground, running up the slope of several hills. Travellers concur in describing the streets as filthy, and the houses mean; but the scenery around is represented as beautiful in the extreme. Before it lies one of the most extensive and richest plains in Asia. One of the most remarkable ruins of antiquity now seen there is a single column, which evidently belonged to another structure than the present church. "Which," says an elegant writer, "taken with the present name of the town, forcibly brings to mind that part of the message to the church of Philadelphia which we find in the 12th verse."

THYATIRA.

Thyatira was situated on the banks of a stream that runs south-west to the Hermus, or Sarabat, twenty-five British miles north-west of Sardis, and forty miles south-east of Pergamus. According to Strabo, it was a Macedonian colony, and it was the Pelopeia and Euhippia of Pliny. By Ptolemy it is denominated, in his list of Lydian cities, Thyatira Metropolis. It is now called Ak-hissar, or "The White Castle;" perhaps denoting the city of the Ak-Su-Leucos, or "White River," on which it stands. It contains a population of 5,000 souls.

Thyatira was another of the Seven Churches addressed by the evangelist John, whose warning voice foretold its desolation in these emphatic words: "And unto the angel of the church in Thyatira write; These things saith the Son of God, who hath his eyes like unto a flame of fire, and his feet are like fine brass; I know thy works, and charity, and service, and faith, and thy patience, and thy works; and the last to be more than the first. Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols. And I gave her space to repent of her fornication; and she repented not. Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent of their deeds. And I will kill her children with death; and all the churches shall know that I

am he which searcheth the reins and hearts: and I will give unto every one of you according to your works. But unto you I say, and unto the rest in Thyatira, as many as have not this doctrine, and which have not known the depths of Satan, as they speak; I will put upon you none other burden. But that which ye have already hold fast till I come. And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father. And I will give him the morning star. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches," Rev. ii. 18-29.

At the present day, there is not one Christian among the inhabitants of Ak-hissar, all being Mohammedans; and the Christian churches which remained have long since been converted into mosques, and the columns of marble which once adorned the public buildings are now used for inns and bazars. Its ancient Pagan inhabitants were worshippers of the goddess Diana, as appears by several classic monuments, with Greek inscriptions, erected by Roman governors. The ancient remains of Thyatira are more meagre than any of the seven churches. The American missionary Fisk thus describes the place: "Thyatira is situated near a small river, a branch of the Caicus, in the centre of an extensive plain. At the distance of three or four miles, it is almost completely surrounded by mountains. The houses are low; many of them of mud or earth. Excepting the Motsellim's palace, there is scarcely a decent house in the place. The streets are narrow and dirty, and every thing indicates poverty and degra dation. The Turks have destroyed all remains of the ancient church; and even the place where it stood is now unknown. At present there are in the town, 1,000 houses for which taxes are paid to the government."

Gibbon has attempted to deny the existence of the church at Thyatira, and consequently the authenticity of the Apocalypse, on the authority of the Alogians and of Epiphanius. But the existence of such a church is proved by the learned Dr. Stosch, whom Gibbon never attempted to refute. Lydia. moreover, who was converted at Philippi, is denominated a seller of purple of the city of Thyatira; evidently meaning, that that city was the place of her ordinary residence, and that the purple manufactured there was carried by her to the market of Philippi for sale, where she had a house during

VOL. IL

15

fat the sam

Spect the Ret. & the Acts of in 4 parple in the

of an inscription he Seen considered

I know not if othe

n at the present time, Th In answer to inquiries on the

as which are dyed scar

red superior u any chers furnished by Ass

4

1e sent weekly to Smy Now, there can be no doux

tarned :) I tra, aer she and her househo , and that, by me church in her hous

ght to the knowledge of that Savar also precious to her soul. Nor can the es and great apostle of the Gentiles rou My sin and Lydia, would visit Thyatira ews and Greeks, heard the word ven was two years professedly re aru be imagined that those of any soventy English miles distant, would alyfhyatira, also, with reference 45. 'hut pha, and other places, where Deen planted by the apostles Paul and John, probable that one was planted there. Finally, Ter wrote before the Alogians, admits its early er ad it is also mentioned by Origen in his homilies. ground, therefore, to call in question the existence Chunk of Thyatira.

MAGNESIA.

now Magnissa, is thirty-five miles eighteen north-east of Smyrna. It laity and rugged mountain, (the called the Sipuli Dagh,) that rises ates the vast plain, which runs the ancient Thyatira, to this place y-seven mosques, and most of The and some on the sides of the reighty years, with all the territory