Setting up to be Philadelphia was being of the spirit of Laodicea, as indeed I have often said.... I had trusted that God was working towards that, but setting up to be something was the very opposite of that work.
Philadelphia is never gone till Christ comes; has the promise, because she has kept the word of Christ's patience, to be kept from the hour of temptation that is coming on all the earth, and the promise that Christ is coming quickly. I trust that there will be a much more decided Philadelphian testimony; that is not what I quarrel with, but the corporate pretension to be it now.
The next thing I object to is making those who open when the Lord knocks specially excellent Christians, who are in this spiritually advanced state. I see nothing of the kind. They are unconverted, or professing to be Christians, in so low a state, that all is going to be spued out of Christ's mouth, and they are warned to get Christ, and what is real. There is not a word of their coming out, and being in testimony. Christ goes in, and sups with them. But so far from thinking the promise the highest, I have always thought it the lowest. It is merely reigning, a wonderful thing, no doubt, for such as we, but what the Old Testament saints will have too. It is the external glory, not being inside the house.
The exhortation is to get what is real from Christ, instead of their empty pretensions, that the shame of their nakedness do not appear, and get their eyes anointed, that they may see. I see nothing of extraordinary advance in spirituality here; a most salutary warning in the present state of things, but nothing extraordinarily spiritual I desire earnestly to see the beloved saints roused to entire devotedness, and strength and constancy of communion, but it is not pretension to be something which characterizes this.
J. N. D.