SARDIS, a City of Asia Minor, formerly the Capital of Crœsus King of the Lydians. St John, in his Revelations, writing in behalf of Jesus Christ, to the Angel Rev. iii. 1,2,3,&c.or Bishop of Sardis, says thus: These things saith he that hath the seven Spirits of God, and the seven Stars; I know thy Works, that thou hast a Name that thou livest, and art dead. Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die: for I have not found thy Works perfect before God. Remember therefore how thou hast received, and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a Thief, and thou shalt not know what Hour I will come upon thee. Thou hast a few Names even in Sardis, which have not defiled their Garments; and they shall walk with me in White: for they are worthy. He that overcometh, the same shall be cloathed in white Raiment; and I will not blot out his Name out of the Book of Life, but I will confess his Name before my Father, and before his Angels.
Vid. Halloix. in Melitone, p. 819, 820, 838, 839.We know not the Name of the Bishop that was then at Sardis. Some Moderns have thought that it was St. Melito, a famous Bishop of this City, and Apologist for our Religion, who wrote in the Time of Marcus Aurelius, about the Year 170, or 175, of Jesus Christ. If this were so, we must allow him to have been Bishop above seventy-five Years; which is not easy to believe: For none of the Antients have said that he was a Disciple of the Apostles, or that he lived a very long Time. We ought not therefore to impute this Antiquity to him without any Proof; which besides is not very honourable to him, since St. John speaks of the Angel of Sardis in Terms not at all advantageous to him.