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and he could not compose the song. Agitated, disturbed, and conscience-stricken, he left the room. Eight days after he had forgotten the event, but he had not forgotten the song ; he took the zithern again, and began to finish the song — a song of an un- requited love. And he lifted up his eyes and saw again on his right hand the crucified Saviour with the blood trickling from the hands and the feet and the brow, a reproachful look in His eyes. The zithern was put aside again and this thoughtless creature said — " That is the greatest unrequited love in all the world. Let me sing some song to that." He did not rest. He gave up his post at the Court, and became the great first missionary to the Moslems.^
III.
Supremacy in Heaven.
" Who is on the right hand of God."
Christ is now on the right hand of God, and angels and authorities and powers are subject to Him.
1. In Him heaven obtains its highest vision of the glory of God. The God of redemption has become the centre of the heavenly places. Love is the highest expression of God, and grace is the highest expression of love. The God that sitteth upon the throne has to be reinterpreted in the light of the " Lamb that was slain." Just as the Son of Man was the complete revelation of God upon the earth, so the ascended Christ is the complete revelation of God in heaven. The angels that looked upon the face of God in cycles past are learning anew the meaning of His glory, and ancient principalities and powers are learning from the enthroned Son the manifold wisdom of God. Once heaven rang with music to the Creator, and the morning stars sang together, and the sons of God shouted for joy. But now the highest music of heaven is praise to the Eedeemer God, the Hallelujah Chorus to the " Lamb that was slain." He has been exalted by the right hand of God to reveal the heart of God to the wondering hosts of heaven. For all heaven God is marvellously reinterpreted in the light of the atoning cross.
1 R. F. Horton, The Hidden God, 61. JAS.-JUDE — 9
130 DEPTHS OF MERCY
2. This was the fitting climax of so wonderful a career. It was not enough for Christ to conquer in the great fight, and to secure the fulfilment of His mission. He must receive a triumph. He must be crowned.
^ In his article on Dr. Chalmers Dr. John Brown has asked us to conceive of the reception which a great and good man is bound to get in heaven. " May we not imagine," he says, " when a great and good man — a son of the morning — enters on his rest, that heaven would move itself to meet him at his coming?" Bunyan has given us a glowing description of the welcome given to Christian and Hopeful, as they drew near to the Golden City. But if heaven thus moves itself to welcome a great and good man, who shall describe the homecoming of the risen and victorious Christ ? We know that the heavens resounded with song when Jesus was born in Bethlehem, and the listening earth caught a faint echo of the strain. Surely the music, if not sweeter, was more exultant, when Jesus came back a Conqueror, with Calvary and the Cross behind, and the work of Eedemption accomplished. Yes, angels and principalities and powers united in the shout, " Lift up your heads, 0 ye gates ; and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors ; and the King of glory shall come in," And He took His place on the throne of everlasting supremacy.
3. This was the enthronement of man. When Christ ascended on high. He brought our humanity with Him and placed it on the throne. Henceforth it is human nature at its best and purest that is triumphant and rules the universe. When we remember this, how cheerful and confident it should make us about the future. We need not fear to face life's ceaseless battle. When we remember who occupies the place of supremacy, we can say
Some day love shall claim her own, Some day fuller truth be known. Some day right ascend the throne, Some sweet day.
^ The true future of humanity lies in its realization of its glorious Head there upon the Throne, and we who know Him by faith must bring this home to others. In the wall of Con- stantinople still stands the gate through which the Moslem conquerors marched into the ancient Christian city which they were about to sack. The gate is walled up, and through that gate they say the Christian conqueror will enter for the Christian re-
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occupation of the city. So, as with Jerusalem, where the same fact is repeated, the " Golden Gate " in each case testifies to an ever- present fear that some day Jesus Christ will conquer. To the seer in lonely Patmos, separated from his fellow-worshippers on the Lord's Day, doubtful, perhaps, about the future of the Church in a time of fierce persecution, comes the vision which in all ages has nerved the saint for witnessing and suffering, whether it be Isaiah or Ezekiel or Paul or Stephen, the vision of the invincible Sovereignty and present Glory of the Lord. Then, " what thou seest, write." And the whole Book, with its glimpses of Christian history to the end of time, turns upon that opening vision as its pivot. It is the last written revelation which the world has had of that Glory. Thus St. John's stewardship to the Church was fulfiUed.i