The Pulpit Commentary — Revelation — Section 105

Joseph in 't'estures of ftne linen (Gen. xii. Jmoclc; behold, I 00116 ,tooiJ, (ICM"711r11:) at t1lll 42); Joseph gave Benjamin five changes of' door, and am kflocking (ii:pu6,.,). "Th880 raiment (Gen. xlv. 22; see alao Esth. vi, 9; gracious wordii declare the long-suft'ering Ezek. xvi. 10; Dan. v. 29; Zech. lli. 4; of Ohrlst, as he wait.a for the conveniOD of Luke xv. 22), And anoint thine eyes with sinners (1 Pet. ill. 20) ; and not alone the eyesalve, that thou mayest ·see. This ~. of long-suffering which waits, but the love course, a reference to the " blindness " of which seeks to bring that conversion about, ver. 17, of which the La.odioeans were which • knocks.' He at whose door we ignora.nt. "Eyesslve" la •oMol,piov-coUv- ought to stand, for he i, the Door (John x. riam, perhaps IIO called because made up in 7), who, as ilUch, has bidden u, to knock the shspe of a cake of bread-collyra. We (Matt. vii. 7 : Luke xi. 9), is content that cannot but think, in connexion with this the whole relation between him and 1111 passage, of the miracle of the healing of the should be reversed, and instead of our blind man by the anointing of his eyes by standing at his door, condescends himself onr Lord-& miracle witnessed a.ml related to S'8.nd at ours" (Trench). The view, by St. John (John ix.). The subsequent that stand at the tW01' signifies " to come incidents and discourse, too, forcibly illus- quickly" (Diisterdieck), R8 in eh.• ii. 5, 16; trate the state of the Lao<liceans, BO much iii. S, 11, is scarcely in accordance with the like that of the Pharisees, to whom were context, since the whole passage has changed addressed the words, "If ye were blind. ye from rebuke and menace to patient beseech- should have no sin; but now ye say, We ing and loving exhortation. · These words see; therefore your sin remaineth '' (eee on recall the frequent use by oux Lord of this ver.15). figure of knocking, and especially :Luke :,;:ii. Ver. 19.-Aa many as I love, I rebuke and 85, 86, " Let your low be girded about, chasten: be sea.loua therefore, and repent. and your lights burning; and ye yourselves A, many a,. Not one whom God loves like unto men that we.it for their lord, when escapes ohast.ening; if he be not chastened, he will return from the wedding; that when . he is not a eon (Heb. xii. 8), for "all have he cometh and knocketh, they may open sinned, and come short." "l lo,,e" is ,Pfll.@, unto him immediately.'' U .any ll1l'D hear I love dearly ; not merely A-yc1r@. I rebuke my voioe, and open the door, I will come in ( lJt.'rx.e,), to reprove, so as to convict of to him, and will sup with him, and he with sin and turn to repentance; the work of me (see the parallel pa888ge in Cant. v.). the Holy Ghost, who should "convict the Christ ktwcks and apeak8. A distinction .he.a ~rnrlJ of sin" (John xvi. 8). This verse is been drawn in the work of conversion, cor- a solace and encouragement for the La.odi- responding to these two actions. The knock- eeans. They wero required to make the ing ia likened to the more outward oalhl of ll!Lcrifices demanded of them, not BO much sickness, trouble, etc., by which he makes that they might be punished for their his presence known: while the 1101u, which transgressions, but to prove themselves of int~rprets the knock, and informs us of the the number of God's elect. 'fhe stem Personality of him who knocks, is. the voice reproof administered was a pruning, which of the Holy Spirit, speaking to ua, .and was an evidence of God's loving care for explaining the meaning of our trials. Man's them: the final sentence, "Cut it down," free will is here well and plainly set forth. had not yet gone forlli. But though thus Though the opening, to be effective, needa intended for encouragement rather than the help and presence of Ohrist, yet he does condemnation, yet it oould not but contain not forcibly effect .·an entrance; it is still implied reproach, however tender. No one within the power of man to disregard the can be exhorted to change bis path and to knock, to refuse to hear the voice, to keep seek that which is holy without ooing re- the door fast shut. To tflke food with any minded that he is unholy and has wandered one is an outward sign of brotherly love and from the right way, Those in I,.nodioea. reconciliation. Obrist toill 1Up with thole who took this message to be1u-t mut needs who do not drive him away, and they v,iU think of their unchastened life-the life full fflP with him. The whole figure ia an of prosperity and self-satisfied security, i1Dft.o0'8 of the perfect nature of the sin•• into which BO little ual had been infn,ed, reconciliation with God, and of the wonder- in which ao little need for repentance had ful goodness and condescension of -Obrist. been Mt The Church, indeed, needed some Bnt we may well see an allusion to thl! Holy of that chastening, that persecution, and Commnnion, by whioh we are reconciled to hardship, which should arouse her from the God through Christ, and by which we moy periloUB slumber of ease jnto which she bad even now have a foretade of the 8nal &lien, and call forth eome zeal and self- supper of the Lamb, which lhall eventually aacrifioe, the frequent awl natural resuU of last for• eTer. opposiUon. ' Ver, 21.-fo him that Ofll'OOBleth will I Ve,. ~.-Behold, I atalld at the 4oor1 and graa, '° .IIU Jrith me ia m, tllro,i9t ma 118 '.FIIE REVELATION OF .sT. JORN TilE DIVINE. (cir. m. 1-22.