The Pulpit Commentary — Revelation — Section 104

But the l!llntelice i11 not irrevocable : tb8f8 Alford, Bengel, Diist.e?dieek, Ebrard. But hi still hope of averting it: M•M• 11'• iµluru, Trench prefers the other view. 'l'he Autho- " I am about to spue thee," i.e. if a timely rized Version seems oorrect, for the reason repentance does not avert the impending why "I will spne thee" is given in ver. 16, duom. (Contnst the abaoluten8811 of the and another separate reason would probably future in eh. ii. 5, etc., lpxop,J f1'o, ,...xii al (though not oertainly) not be add{ld. Thoug)a 1<1~11'... ) St. Paul (Col ii. 3) had pointed out to the Ver.17.-Decaue thou nyest, lam rich, LaodiCOOQs (see on the epistle !f8DerallY, and moreued with good.I, and have need of v~rs.14-22; and of. OoL iv. 16) Wllere"are nothing. The Epistle is still addressed bid all the treasures of wisdom and know- indirecUy to the ui.odicean Church, direcnly ledge," they had not heeded the leuon, and to the angel . No deubt spiritual riches are now Christ once more 001111881s t.hem to Immediately referred to; but spiritual pride obtain true riohes from the proper souro&. and lukewarmness are freQuenil1 proauced They are to buy from mB; the emphasis by worldly pl'Ollperity, sucli as.that which being laid on ms, in oontradistindion to' A.rohippua (if he be the angel addresaed; their trust in themselveB. They are poor see on ver. 14) and the Church over which (ver. 17), and must therefore obtain gol.d he presided enjofed. It is not enough for refined by tM fire-gold superior to that on the wealthy Christian to contribute a portion tlih po88ession of wbioh they so prided of bia wealth, and then to consider his task themselves, that they may indeed be rich. done and hl:a rewatd sure. Greater zeal To bu11 this gold by giving something of than this ta requisite before he can deem equal value in exchange, they were truly his duty discharged. Moreover, the greater unable. Yet it was to be bought,and would the t:eal that exists, the less will be the entail the sacrifice of somotMng ·which, inclination to rely upon what has been though perhaps dear to them, would be e.ooomplished, or to think it sufficient; for nothing in comparison with the return they when -.II has been done we are still to call would obtain. Note the Revi~ed Version ourselves unprofitable se:rvants (Luke xvii rendering mav beeoma rich, repeating and 10; of.Hos. xii. 8, "I am become rich, I have enforcing the fact of their preseut destitu• found me out subi,tanoo : in all my labours tion. And white raiment, tha.t thou mayest t.hey shall find none iniquity in me that be clothed. Laodiccu. is said to have been were sin"). And knowest not that tho11 art famous for the raven blackness of the wool wretohed, and miserable, and poor, and which was prepared and dyed there. This, hluul, and naked; and knowest not tAat thou, perhaps, explains the poiut ot the reproof - thou tAyaelf, art the wrdched one. The contained in these words. " N.otwithstand- &elf-satisfied spiritual pride of the Pharisee ing thy trust in the excellence of the apparel call88d him to regard with complacent pity for which thou art fwuo1.1s, thou art yet the oondition of the publioa.n. But he was naked (ver. 17), and need.est clothing; that m~en; he himself Wtlll the wretched one, clothing can be obtained only from me, and who was to be pitied. So with the LaodiOllfln is far superior to that of which thou boo.stest, Ch,uroh. How different the conduct of St. since it is white, the emblem of all that is Panl, who recogniwd his own wretohedness purest and best; not black, like your ow1i. {Rom. vil 24, where the same word Tall.al- which is a type of darkness, the darkness ""'i'"s is used) I 'l'he following words nre of ignorance and sin. Mine is indeetl the ad,iectives. These Christians, in their garment of righteousness, the marriage- spuitual pride, were miserablB-deserving garment with which thou mayest enter the of pity ; poor in the wealth &cOU?Dnlated by presence of thy King." And that the shame zeal in God's service: blind as to their real of thy nakednesa do not appear. 'l'he oondition and their fancied_spiritual safety; nakedness will certaiuly be made apparent and naked of the oloak with which charity- at some time. If it he persistently over- fenent love of God-would ha.ve covered looked or ignored now, it will be ipade more them. glaring in the future, when God turns upon Ver.18.-I coUJlllel thee to buy of me it the brightness of bis presence. In the gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be Revised Version "appear" is even more rich; gol,1- refined by ths fire (Revised Ver- emphatically rendered "be mil.de manifest" sion). It is doubtful whether ver. 17 (,pru,,poo6ji). "Stripping," in the Bible, ia should be connected with ver. 18 or with commonly used to denote pu,tting to sl1ame : ver. 16--whether the self-satisfied condition Hannn cut otr the garments of David~• of the Church is given as the reason why servanta (2 Sam. x. 4); the King of .Assyria "l will spue thee out of my month," or as was to lead awa.y the Egyptians naked and the reason why "I counsel thee to buy of barefoot {Isa. u. 4 ; sec also eh. xvi. 15); me." The Revised Version follows the while supplying with clothes, or an. ad- Authorised Veision in connecting vera. 17 ditional quantity of clothes, was intended BIid 18; and this view ii supported bJ to _show honour: thus Pharooh arrayed . cs:. m. 1-22,] THE REVELATION 01!' ST. JOHN THE DIVl1'TJl 117