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We had Christ's commendation and reprehension of the church of Ephesus before, we have this admonition and exhortation now. The words before us are partly monitory, and partly minatory; monitory in the former part of the verse, Remember from whence thou art fallen and repent.
Note here, That Christ did not surprisingly come upon this church at unawares; they were admonished before chastised, warned before laid waste; Christ doth premonish before he punishes. In the minatory part we have a great guilt and sin supposed, a great judgment for that guilt denounced, the unchurching of them that had committed it; and the means prescribed for the averting of that judgment, to wit, repentence.
Learn hence, 1. That a people professing religion and godliness may fall.
2. That fallen professors should and ought to remember from whence they are fallen.
3. That fallen professors should be repenting professors, and do their first works.
4. That without repentance and reformation, God will certainly remove a people's candlestick, take away the gospel from them, as the severest judgment which he can inflict upon them.
Remember, repent, and do the first works, else I will remove thy candlestick out of its place: that is, such a tempest of persecution shall arise, as will shake your tottering candlestick out of its place. The universal church only has a promise of stability; any particular church may be unchurched finally.