of his course, and who refuses or neglects to repent, has reason to believe that God will come suddenly in his wrath, and call him to his bar, Pr. xxix. 1. No such man can presume on impunity; no one who is warned of his guilt and danger can feel that he is for one moment safe. No one can have any basis of calculation that he will be spared; no one can flatter himself with any probable anticipation that he will have time to repent when God comes to take him away. Benevolence has done its appropriate work in warning him――how can the Great Judge of all be to blame, if he comes then, and suddenly cuts the sinner off? 4 Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with me [148]in white: for they are worthy. 4. _Thou hast a few names even in Sardis._ See the analysis of the chapter. The word _names_ here is equivalent to _persons_; and the idea is, that even in a place so depraved, and where religion had so much declined, there were a few persons who had kept themselves free from the general contamination. In most cases, when error and sin prevail, there may be found a few who are worthy of the divine commendation; a few who show that true religion may exist even when the mass are evil. Comp. Notes on Ro. xi. 4. ¶ _Which have not defiled their garments._ Comp. Notes on Jude 23. The meaning is, that they had not defiled themselves by coming in contact with the profane and the polluted; or, in other words, they had kept themselves free from the prevailing corruption. They were like persons clothed in white walking in the midst of the defiled, yet keeping their raiment from being soiled. ¶ _And they shall walk with me in white._ White is the emblem of innocence, and is hence {91} appropriately represented as the colour of the raiment of the heavenly inhabitants. The persons here referred to had kept their garments uncontaminated on the earth, and as an appropriate reward it is said that they would appear in white raiment in heaven. Comp. ch. vii. 9; xix. 8. ¶ _For they are worthy._ They have shown themselves worthy to be regarded as followers of the Lamb; or, they have a character that is fitted for heaven. The declaration is not that they have any _claim_ to heaven on the ground of their own merit, or that it will be in virtue of their own works that they will be received there; but that there is a _fitness_ or _propriety_ that they should thus appear in heaven. We are all personally unworthy to be admitted to heaven, but we may evince such a character as to show that, according to the arrangements of grace, it is _fit_ and _proper_ that we should be received there. We have the character to which God has promised eternal life. 5 He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the [149]book of life, but I will [150]confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.