Revelation 3:22 Revelation 3:22 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches. Besides the Exposition of the eleventh verse of the second Chapter; See KNOLLYS: Revelation 2:11 consider, that the Holy Spirit spake some things in every epistle to every Church, that concerned all the Churches to hear, and every particular person that could hear, to hearken diligently unto those things that the Spirit spake unto the Churches in those seven epistles that St. John wrote unto them. Before I proceed unto the Exposition of the fourth chapter, I think it meet for me, and not unprofitable for the conscientious and diligent reader, to say a few words touching the Churches of God in these latter days. First, the fit matter of a true visible Church of God under the gospel, is a company of sanctified, baptized believers; such was the Church at Jerusalem, the Churches in Judea, the Church at Rome, in Corinth, and all the Churches of Christ at their first constitution, in the days of the apostles, Acts 4:23-32; Acts 8:12; Acts 18:8; 1 Corinthians 1:2; 1 Corinthians 14:23-33, Churches of saints. Secondly, The essential form of a true visible Church of God, is the right joining and orderly compacting of those sanctified believers together into one mystical body, by the ministers of Christ, according to the constitution of the gospel, Ephesians 2:19-22; Ephesians 4:15-16; 1 Corinthians 3:5-9. Thirdly, The end why the Church is so planted, builded, and formed, is that they may meet together in ONE to worship God publicly in Spirit and in truth in all His sacred gospel ordinances, to the glory of God, and for the mutual edification of that mystical body of Christ, whose head He is, 1 Corinthians 14:23; Hebrews 10:25; John 4:22-24; 1 Corinthians 11:1-11; 2 Thessalonians 1:12; 1 Peter 4:10-11; 1 Corinthians 14:12-26, let all things be done to edifying. Fourthly, It is not lawful for any member of a true Church to separate himself from it, nor forsake the assembling of himself with it, Hebrews 10:25; 1 John 2:19. Our blessed Lord Jesus did not blame, nor reprove any of the ministers or members of any of those Churches in Asia, (although Christ reproved the Churches and their elders for suffering errors in doctrine, in worship, and in manners, among them;) but commended them that held their communion with the Church, and kept themselves free from those errors, Revelation 2:24; Revelation 3:4. Separation from a true Church is schism, and schism is a sin, 1 Corinthians 12:25 which causeth division, 1 Corinthians 1:10; 1 Corinthians 11:18 although the apostles did command the saints in Corinth to separate themselves from idolatrous Gentiles, 2 Corinthians 6:14-17 and he himself did separate the disciples from the unbelieving Jews, Acts 19:9 yet, neither Paul, nor any of the apostles, nor our Savior, commanded any of the saints to separate themselves from any true Church of Christ. Fifthly, The ministers and members of a Church may keep themselves from being partakers of other men’ s sins, and from being defiled with them, by bearing their testimony and witness orderly in the Church, against them that hold any unsound doctrine, or any corrupt manners, or any false worship, 2 Timothy 4:2-3; Ephesians 5:11; Matthew 18:15-17. We ought to be followers of Christ, who bare His witness against the unsound doctrine, and corrupt manners, and neglect of discipline in some of the seven Churches in Asia, and waited patiently for their repentance; yet He did not forsake them, nor reject them, but owned them to be His Churches, Revelation 1:11; Revelation 2:12-16; Revelation 2:18; Revelation 2:20; Revelation 2:22-23; Revelation 3:14; Revelation 3:19; Revelation 3:22, until they added final impenitency unto their iniquity and transgressions. Sixthly, The Churches of Christ, and the ministers and members thereof shall be broken, dispersed, scattered, and mystically slain and killed, Revelation 11:7; Revelation 13:15-17. Seventhly, God will gather His Churches or saints again; and will glorify the house of His glory and give them pastors after His own heart, pure worship and ordinances, and they shall serve him with one consent, Zephaniah 3:9-13; Zephaniah 3:17-20; Psalms 50:5; Isaiah 49:18; Isaiah 60:4; John 11:52; Ephesians 1:11. Eighthly, When the Churches of saints are scattered by persecution, as Acts 8:1-3; Acts 9:12, then the ministers and members may assemble themselves together in several companies, as Acts 4:1-3; Acts 18:1-23; John 20:19-23; John 20:26; Acts 1:2-4; Acts 1:13-15; 1 Corinthians 15:6 and they may also break bread from house to house, Acts 2:42-46 not only on the first day of the week, for Christ did break bread on the fifth day, Matthew 26:26-31; 1 Corinthians 11:23-25. The apostle also did break bread on the second day morning early, Acts 20:7-11, after midnight, before break of day. And the brethren that have received a spiritual gift may minister the same one to another, 1 Peter 4:10-11 building up themselves in their most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, Jude 1:20-21. Read 1 Corinthians 14:3-12; 1 Corinthians 14:31, let all things be done to edifying, 1 Corinthians 14:26