The Pulpit Commentary — Revelation — Section 40

Ver. 17.-The "Fear nots" of (Jhrist. "Fe!lr not." Thtq is a characteristic word of the Bible, but especially of the Go8pel, and chief of all, of our blessed Lord. For he not only, as in our text, spoke the word many times, but his whole message and mission to mankind was to banish the bondslave fear which had haunted them so long from their minds. "' Fear not' is a plant that grow'\ very plentifully in God's garden. If you look through the flower-beds of Scripture, )>OU will ct>ntinually find by the side of other flowers the sweet 'Fear nots' peering out from among doctrines and precepts, even as violets look up from their hiding-places of green leaves." Take any concordance, and count the number of times and note the occasions where the heart-cheering word or its equivalent occurs, and it will be seen that it is indeed a characteristic word of God to man. From Genesis to Revl'lation, from earliest patriarch to latest apostle, the sweet echo anci reverberation of thia word is clearly audible. Dr, Watts's Catechism says, in it!! answer to the question, "Who was Isaiah?" "Be was the prophet that spoke more of Jesus Christ than all the rest." And this is so, and for this very reason he is richest in comfort to the people of God, and you will see more of these" Fear nots" in his writings than anywhere else. "They grow like the kingcups and the daisies, and other sweet flowers of the meadows, among which the little children in the spring- time delight themselves, and the bank that iR the fullest of these beautiful flowers is that which Isaiah has cast up." But let us listen now to those blessed words spoken by Christ himself, rather than hy his Spirit through his prophets. L And first this one in our text which DRIVES AWAY DREAD AND DISMAY IN PRE- SENCE OJi' THE DIVINE GLORY. Not but what there is good reason for such dread at the thought of God. For how stands the case as between our souls and God? We have sinned_;there is no doubt about that. And then there rises up before the soul the awful vision of God's majesty and might and of his wrath against sin. And the dread which this vision causes is deepened as we hear the accusations of conscience, as we listen to the teasonings founded on the necessity of penalty following sin. "Plato, Plato," said Socrates," I cannot see how God can forgive sin." As we observe the reign of law, and note bow therein every "transgression receives its just recompense of reward" (Heh. ii. 2), all this fills the awakened soul with dread, as indeed it cannot but do. :But to such soul Christ comes and says, "Fear not." In many ways he says this; but chief of all by bis cross and sacrifice, whereby be shows to us how without dishonour idone t.o the Divine law, but rather with all honour Tendered t.o it, God can " be just and yet the Justifier," et-0. To him, our Redeemer and Saviour, let the soul convinced of sin and in dread on account thereot at once tum, and soon shall be heard, in spite of all accusing, condemning voices, the blessed word of Christ that silences them all, and says to the soul that trusts in him," Fear not." This same word- II. MEETS Tm: RENEWED CONSCIOUSNESS 011' SIN WflICII TIIE SENSE OF Gon's GOODNE88 88 THE REVELATION OF ST. JOHN THE DIVINE. [CH. i.1-20.