The Pulpit Commentary — Revelation — Section 33

He "hath made us kings." Sorely none·could look·less like' kings than the slrll'~ng crowd of pel'Be9~teifpeople t.o whoni ~t. J?hn'll.ddr~ his book. In what sense,··· the.~, CQuld it liithat Ol1dat had made ·them kings_? Only; for the present, in the lordahip he had given them, over themselves, and over all t.he power of their adversatjes. ·. 'l'hey could compel, by the force of the regal will with which their Lord had inV'e8ted ~em their trembling lleilb, their waver-iag purpolie, their .crowd or earthly affectiona. to a steadfastness and courage wbfoh of themselves they had.never kn11wn. And when tlma equipped, 'strengthelled with all might;·crowned aa ldtigs,,by Goli's Spirit in the inner man/they could moot'and_ defy, en~ureand vahqutsh/aiUheir piersecuto~• po'iltl.li:~· . It g8'v8 way- 't,O them," not they to it•. '."l'hns had .the Lord made them kfags. 4'. And. finally, tlu comecraticm.'~'He "ha.th mii.de mi ptiests." True, no mif,re d:ec\:ed their brow, no sacerdotal testments hupg from theirshoulders; they betoriged:t.o no sepatlite order, tliey··claimed no ecilesfa.stical rank•. ·. But yet Christ had _oo{!sectated tlie~., 'l'hey w'ere..byhim dedicated: to God, they were holy unto the Lord; Alli! in the'ir.ptafi,rs and 1\UI,>:{llicatioy.1 .and inanifol~ charities they <>ffertd. a.s_ P!iests_ ~~opld, "gif~, ~/111 i sacrifices for men." To '.hearts inflamed with the lov-e of Cbnst tliis. power bf bless1ng and helpJrig ,n~ii, ~ppertru:liing a's:Jt ever d.dea 'I;() the priestly_ office, could, ii:Qt ·t~i 1>e'a, forther~a'.use 'ot gra'ti,tude and praise~ Yes; the compassionate love, the cost)f'i;leans- ini, .tli1i" coronation as kings, a.nd th:e consecration as priegts µnt<> G-od,~th~ 'dj4• '°s they, ~ll mraht, (:all forth this fervent pl'i,iJte. But. there Wltit yet & 'third_ ll&U.Se, u.nd it Was-'- . . • ' ' '· ' .. · •IIL llia CBTAIN'l''i' THAT THESE B1.Esm:GS WEBB BEALL-r Ill!!- IC he. had ~u,l,lted, he would hate been dumb.. Zacharias bees.me so because· he doubted, but. his glorious song Qt praii;e bur~t forth wh_en doubt and dumbness ,w~re toget~er gone. An~ !!I;> will it be witll ourselves." If we only hope and trusHhat we are Christ's, and CJµi.st II! ours; ihve have not "the full assurance of the h~ipe" whibh God's Word is ever urgjng WI to strive artet; ·hut are often saying and singing-".-_ .· . . ··· , " 'Tia a point I long to know, OfHt 03ll8llll snxfoua thought: Do I love the Lord•or:oo·? Am lhism-,amlDOt?" u~til a °wt~ 'a~d brighter,' !)()ndition.' c)f' ijj~a,;~,~ll?$,-,w; ~qnot ~ieft. ~f•. ~£ J?~ did: JI:e )!~. ce~in .t)lat ~ris.t ,loved~ tha.~ ~hrisLhad waahed hii;II.. . fro~• :S~v~ir gi,e•~,;=o!~hlg ~~ ~rie~t ~:' ~9d;. he luld no doubt of.it Cp,b!,OLP!l:10.N. If we do.truly d•µ-,i 11Ucµ .faith, 1t ~rp:r.oo! that sqroe_ ~ of it is ~. ua &!I?ffl,dy. If, the11, ~e do k~ow '1':hat, Cli_rist ha11.d~~..for µs, let. ,WJ join ,µi. this " ~ hi~," and rende~. ui,liim: P~7 ~e glory which our renewed truat, Qill ,faith- ~ wi~a.g fos: him,,inay bring to .hfiµ. :QQffl:in~ver.out own h~ta ~~fof,,11jll, uepipg l,lack iio,faculty or po_wer,.no.feeling or 4esire, no puryo&Q Qr wiU,,hq~ tur- ren®t.mg ·. ..l}.11 ~ ~ ... •!ll• An. d ,t.his.. "fo,11 eyer ~d ev13r." ~ot a sur~nder . ~ ·~.IT, and rteaUed, ~9:w,but o~ ~whic4~ h;y,bis .grace, w.e will.for eyer s~M- 9h ~, Wf 1,1'.Hlyl: qiv,e, .. then,.~1'F heartfelt •-~~en.7 t.o aU tµis. ,As we.read. ti.4, v~~ usjpiJl,,ui f,he/'.;A.men;. let it be OIU" pr3i\S9,ad8Q., Ame~ and 41:x)en.-;-S, ~ , . Y#~ ..2.~ 1. ,mou~in;q ~ th6 corn~ of, /4~ lord; ,:",Behold, he ~th eloucui.~ et,;, !!or, the para~ls l!lld e;s:pJanations of tliis mourning, ,W8• D1,!l8t ~ to \ritli, Zech. ¥cii, W, &J!d to O\U'. Lord's wwd.s in ~h, x~v. 3Q.. Thll!l!l show th~t the niq~• i11g wi.11,.be of very '°atj~d kin!i, 'l'her,e will be that oontra$1d, liOrrow of .-.,hich St. Paa]~ whet!- he •pea.ks-0f the."godly sqirow.~ an4 "1,he sorrow qf t,he worl!l,.~,. The for;ner,, that which. wiU be the ~ult of ~he. ontpouring of "the Spirit of gflllljl and suppliqatio~" of which. ~echarii!,h !;elL:i; a.ud ~h~latter, that which ftll8 11.0. eleIDeQ.tQf hoJ?8 oi: goodness in it, but tendeth only to death. Let each one o.f. 111> '~-:-Which ~ . ~Jie Y Constlle~ . , ,. . . .: . , . . , . ·" , · L · TBJ,11 coxu.o. OF THE Louo. ." Behold, hi, comeJih with,.clouds." _T}Jµi. $ells.,, l, Of t.w maniw q/ -,..., coming. In majesty (cf. the ~ud.of,glory:~ Tran1~ijo11).- See the frequent gorgeous magnificence of the clouds; fit and apt symbol a.re ~y,9f tb,e au.,O"\ISt majesty of the Lord. Mystery. "Cloud.a IUld darkness are round about him." known and felt how little,their he.athw>:lsm and varied misbeliefiil oould dllfO¥ theni, will,