will be more profitably noticed under a distinct head, after we have considered, as we now proceed to do,]
II. The song itself —
Of the living creatures and the Elders, we are told, that " every one of them had harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints." There is here, beyond a doubt, a reference to the Temple service. In the Temple-worship, harps were used in blessing and praising God^: and, " when the Priests went into the sanctuary to burn incense, all the people continued praying without ''." Thus, these worhippers, being all, as we shall see presently, made priests unto God, they had in their hands cen- sers full of incense, through the odours of which ** the prayers of the Saints" ascended up with ac- ceptance before God. Not that the glorified Spirits are Mediators between God and us : no, *' there is but one Mediator between God and man, the Man Christ Jesus ;" but, as the efficacy of his intercession was typified by the incense offered by the priests, so was it further intimated in this vision, where all M'ere ex- ecuting, as it were, the priestly office, which in this very song they claimed as pertaining to them.
In the song which they sang, and which was " a neiu song," they celebrated the praises of that adora- ble Lamb, and gave him thanks for,
1 . The ivork o/" redemption as ivrought out hj him —
[Here all, without exception, to whatever nation or kin- dred or tongue or people they belonged, traced their reconci- liation with God to one common source, the atoning blood of Christ. Not one of them all presumed to claim a share in that glorious work, or to ascribe any part of it to his own strength or goodness : there was but one song amongst them all ; all acknowledged equally, that they had once been slaves of sin and Satan ; all confessed their obligations to Christ, for interposing for them ; all referred to his blood as the price paid for their redemption; and all with one consent joined in saying, " Thou hast redeemed us to God by thy blood."
Greatly were it to be wished that all self-justifying Phari- sees would learn of them ; and that those who look for accept- ance, either in whole or in part, through any works of their own, would fix in their minds what song they will sing, if ever
they
«2Sam.vi. 5, Ps. cxxxvii. 2. •» Luke i.p, 10.