The Pulpit Commentary — Revelation — Section 70

at our command is required for the striotly homiletic exposition of it. There are no fewer than seven lines of meditation here suggested. We have- , I. A LIVING SAnoun OVER ALL. (Ver. 8.) To the members of this poor and strug- gling' Church the Lord Jesus presents the fact of his mediatorial dominion to them for their comfort and support. For a struggling Church to see enthroned on high the Son of God as Head and Lord, is "better than life." " The First." Then he was before these changeful scenes began. "'l'he Last." Then he will be after they sh&ll have closed. "Who was dead." Then be understands what it is "to resist unto blood." "And lived." Re-vixit! Then he bas conquered death. He reigns. And as a reigil.ing Saviour he addresses the suffering Church. ll. A LIVING. SAvrou:e. KNOWING ALL. Other epistles begin, "I know thy works." Th\s and thli next begin, "I know thy tribulation." It is possible for a Church so to tie placeQ. that 'aJJtivity is out of the question. Endurance may be the only possible form of service. It may be a duty to give up any attempt at sowing or reaping for a while,jn order to seeure the field on which the harvest must be won. • In- the old times ·of persecution, with the·Jews, religion ·was regulated by priestcraft, and among the ~ns, by statecraft•. Christians knew no vr.iest but Jesus, and no. law for the conscieiice but the law of the truth and the Spmt of God. If for a while the storm wottld beat about this Church, it would be an unspeakable comfort to hear the voice of Jesus saying, "I know it all." Note: There are some professors now who delight to make a show, and never dream of pleading poverty except when they are asked to [,veto the cause of God·! But here the plea of poverty comes not from the Ch11roh.; Mie Tecognition of that came from the Lord Jesus. This makes all the rlifftJr- / ' III. A LlVING SAVIOUR ESTIMATING ALL. "Thou art rich." These words, as ,ti, testirpony from the Lord Jesus, speak volumes for the genuineness of the life and for ' the power of fajth and.love which were in the Church. "Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised. to them that love him? 1' It is all-important that we should learn to see li:ght in God's lig'ht-to reckon silver and gold as corruptible things, and fu regard faith, love; ·snd the good hope through ·grace a11 the only durable riches. Note: Christ 'va,lnes liis Churches according to what they ar6, as well as according to what they do. If :their' trials are such that all they can do is to bear them, and to wait God's own time---'We!L 1 So, if in old age Christians find their powers of ~ctive service fail them, though. they may do less, they may be more. It is not only needful for us to quicken sluggish Christians to activity, it is also needful (and perhaps, in this age of feverish heat and restlessness, even more so) to show to believers that it is by being as well ~· by doing that they can please, serve, and glorify their Lord. There may be much activity• with & very defective inner life. But if the "being" is right, the right "doing" is sure to follow. IV. A LIVING SAVIOUR FORESEEING ALL. "Ye shall have tri'bulation"-8Afl/tir, tribulatio. · ' In this the devil would have a hand. The persecution of Ohristians is here regarded as the work of the evil one. Paul's thorn in the flesh was a "messenger of Satan.>i> He wanted to do this or that, but Satan hindered. Satan goes &bout as a roaring lion. 'fhe object was, "that ye may be tried." Satan tries for a bad purpose; God, for a :good one. Satan, to destroy the faith; God, to prove and strengthen it. Satan, to put out the fire; God, to make it blaze the more! Note: All this is foreseen by Christ. Not one trial shall befall that is unforeseen and unpro- vided for by him. He is planning to outwit the evil one, by making his grace so conspicuous in the evil day, that men shall glorify God the more when they see what his grace enables believers to bear. · V. A LIVING SAvrooB · LIMITING · ALL. "Ten days." We take the force of this expression to be equivalent to" A little while, and it will be over!" •~Griefs of God's sending all have an ending; . ,· d Sunshine will come when the tempest Ill past." . lt'is 'not always that the Churches of God sh&ll be harassed by the ,enemy. Hostile power shEill: rage not a moment longer than our. heavenly Father shall .please. VI. A LIVING SA v1ou:e. CHEERING, THEM AMID ALL. " Fear not." " In the worlc. ye shall have tribulation; but in me ye shall have peace." "Fear not them whicll 72 THE REVELATION OF ST. JOHN THE DIVINE. [ou. u. 1-29.