The Pulpit Commentary — Revelation — Section 37

to whom the letter was written. But it was as the invinoible Champion of his Church that Christ came forth, ano. to persuade their fainting hearts of thi• he appeared In this wondrous form. And the vision is for all time, and every anxious heart should -tteadily look upon it, and strive to learn the comforting truths which it was designed to t:eooh. (4) But the effect of the vision waa at first overpowering. "I fell at his feet as dead. Well might it have been so. "'0 God or mercy, God of might, How should wea.k sinners bear the light, If, as thy power ill surely.here, Thine open glory should appear?,. St. Peter cried out, ""Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, 0 Lord I~ though there was nothing in the appearance of JeSUB to alarm and terrify. How much more when such a vision as this was seen, and such a voice was heard I "Fear was fur more in the ascendant than holy joy. I will not say that John was unhappy, but certainly it was not delight which prostrated him at the Saviour's feet. And I gather from this that if we, in our present embodied state, were favoured with an unveiled vision of Christ, it would not make a heaven for us; we may think it would, but we know not what spirit we are of. Such new wine, if put into these old bottles, would cause them to burst." But (5) we are told how the Lord restored his prostrate disciple. By his touch of sympathy: he la.id his hand upon him. He was wont to do this for the many that he healed when here on earth. ·And there was the touch of power. It was his right hand. Then came the Lord's " Fear not;" and when we hear him say that to us, our fears, as- " The eares that infest the day, Shall fold their tent.a like the Arabs, And silently steal away." And this was not all. Be gave him most comforting instruction. He told hhn who he was-the incarnate Jehovah; the Saviour "who became dead," not who merely died, but, as the word denotes, "voluntarily underwent death." Surely John knew him, and would not be afraid of him. But now he was alive for evermore-he, the same in heart and will, though not in form. And possessed of universal authority. He had the keys, the insignia of authority, over the unseen world. Therefore, should any of them be hurried thither by their persecutors' rage, he would be there, and Lord there, so they need not fear. But he had the key11 of death also. Hence none could open its gates unless he pleased; and none could be put to death whom he chose to keep alive. He "openeth, and no man shutteth, and shutteth, and no man openetb." Entrance there was governed, not by the will of man, but by his will. And finally, he explains part of the vision, and directs it to be written and sent to the seven Churches. 'l'he stars, they are, such as St. John himself was, the angels, the chief pastors of the Churches; and see, Christ has hold of them, grasped in his right hand, and who shall be able to pluck them thence, or separate them from his love? What comfort this for the fearful bu:t faithful heart of the minister of Christ I And see again, he is in the midst of the seven lamps which represent the seven Churches. He is there as· their 1ure Defence. Christ is in the midst of bis Churches chiefly to protect, but also to rule and to inspect, and if needs be to judge and to punish. Even now be is walking amid his Churches. Let us remember this, and consider "what manner of persons we ought to be in all holy conversation and godliness." The voice of this vision says to us all, "Be of good comfort, but watch and pray."-S. C. _ Ver. 11.-The eternity and unchangeableness of Christ. "I am Alpha and ••• Last." The vision St. John had just s~en showed him indisputably that all the low and inadequate ideas which, during his Lord's life on earth, aµd during the times of trial, he and others had cherished concerning his Person were altogether wrong, And, though we cannot but believe that in the apostles' mind there must have been a great advR.llC6 in their thoughts concerning their Lord, even yet it was needful, and now and in the terrible times before them it was more than ever needful, that they should righUy regard him. They would lose much, as we ever do, by wrong thoughts about Christ, and all thought.a that fell short of his true dignity and nature were cm. L 1-20.) THE REVELATION OF ST. JOHN THE DIVINE. 85