James Durham on Revelation 2:5

Reverend James Durham (d.1658, age 36), a Gospel minister of Scotland who worked mightely to restore unity between the Resolutioners and the Protesters when they were so divided, wrote and lectured upon Revelation 2:5 as follows:

"Wonder not why God quarrels with Scotland; we need not say it is for corruption in doctrine or discipline, nor for our zealous going about it; that was not his quarrel with Ephesus; therefore he commendeth them for hating the deeds of the Nicolaitans, neither is it his quarrel with us: but as it was his quarrel with Ephesus; that she was fallen from her first love; so it is with us.

There has been much profession of love to God, and zeal for him in professors, and in the outward face of judicatories, which we are not to call in question, nor lay quarrel on it; our Lord Jesus would never have quarreled Ephesus, nor us for zeal and faithfullness: but if we look to his quarrel with Scotland, it is defection, not an outward defection from the truth and purity of doctrine, nor from the external duties of religion; but an inward defection, a declining in the exercise of grace; we have not been so careful to keep up the exercise of grace before God, as to be seen of men.

2. There is a declining in love, especially love to God, and love to one another, which may be seen in our walking uncharitably and untenderly.

3. A defection, in the manner of performing duties; our fasts have not been from a right principle, our centures not in love to the souls of people, much roughness and untenderness in drawing them forth. The duty may be commendable, but the principle from which it flowed may be a ground of quarrel.

Therefore look upon this epistle, as if Christ were writing a letter to Scotland; and in his letter, saying, for as much purity and zeal as ye have, yet ye are fallen from your first love; much of your love, warmness, and tenderness is away; there is a declining and defection from grace in the exercise of it, or from that which seemed to be grace: this will be found to be our sin before God.

The state we are in, looks so like Ephesus, whether we compare the outward state of our church with that before these late confusions came in, some things among us being commendable, like unto the things commendable here; or whether we look to our outward distemper, or whether we look to God's threatening to remove our candlestick, which is the threatening applied to this sin of declining in love, that should make us all take with our guilt, and make use of the warning; and would to God that we could make right use of it.

Certainly we are called to look on this letter as directed to Scotland and to Glasgow; the sin is ours; the duty is ours; and the threatening doth also belong to us, and if there be any thing commendable, it is more in outward form than reality.

Believers are liable to this declining from their first love, though not from their steadfastness, and may have a deep hand in drawing on the strokes here threatened; therefore let them so much the more guard against it."

Source: The Life of the Author, preface to A Complete Commentary Upon the Book of Revelation, by Mr. James Durham.