ST. John's vision. j^^ev, i. 12 — 17. And I turned to see the voice that spake with me: and hein^ turned, I saw seven golden candlestichs. And in the midst of the seven, candlesticks one like iinlo the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the pups ivith a golden girdle. His head and his hairs were white like wool, ^as white as snoxu ; and his eyes were as aflame of fire; and his feet like nntofine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters. And
he
1199.] ST. John's vision-. 3(J9
he had in his right ha?id seven stars : and out of his mouth Kent a sharp tivo-edged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shiueth in his strength. And when I saw him, I Jell at his feet as dead.
IN order to obtain the Divine blessing, it is neces- sary that we should wait upon God in all the ordinances of his appointment. Yet God has not so restricted his favours, but that we may expect the communication of them to our souls wherever we be, provided our neglect of his instituted means pro- ceed from imperious necessity, and not from an indifference to his commands. St. John was banished to the isle of Patmos, where he had no opportunity of assembling with the Church of Christ, and of sanctifying the Sabbath in the way to which he had been accustomed. But he sought the Lord in secret, and " was in the Spirit," that is, in a holy heavenly frame, *' on the Lord s day :" and what was wanting to him in respect of external advantages, was abundantly compensated by an extraordinary vision of his Lord and Saviour. We will,
J. Illustrate this vision —
In doing this, it will be proper to notice, I . The person who appeared to him —
[This, diough said to be " like unto the Son of man," was not a created angel, but the Son of man himself, even that Jesus, " who had been dead, but was living again, and was alive for evermore"." This glorious person appeared to John in a manner suited to the characters and circumstances of the different Churches ; and in the Epistles, written to them, reference is continually made to this description of him. He is here described in his situation, habit, appearance, voice, and attitude.
1. In his situation. — There was in the temple a golden candlestick with seven lamps, to which it was the priest's office to attend ^ This candlestick, which on account of the number of the lamps is considered as seven, represented the Seven Churches of Proconsular Asia : and " the Son of man standing in the midst of them," denoted, that he inspected the state of Churches and individuals, to observe how their light shone, to replenisli them occasionally with fresh supplies of
his * ver. 18. ^Exod. xxv.31,33.