other monarchs of the earth in the pomp and plg88Dtry of his movements, what ia the glory of that poor mortalj on which the empty crowd atarea with wonder? It is only the glory of a gaudy actor on the stage, garbed in. the tawdry and tinselled robe, put on for the hour for popular effect. But this is a glory altogether different. It is the glory of an intellect in harmony with the truth, the glory of conscience in sympathy with the right, the glory of the soul centred in God. What is there so glorious u.a noble soul? lf this be the state of man in heaven : 1. Let -u, Aave faith in t~ fm]W'rYtJability qf 01'7' nanwe. When we look round upon sooiety,and see the groBB senfluamy, the dishonesty, the profanity of men, we feel disposed to loathe our very species ; but when we look to heaven, we feel that the worst are capable of improveµient-that "dry bones can live." "Buoh were some.of you," etc. 2. Let VB be consoled wader tM departure~ death of t~ good. '' I beard a voice from heaven, saying unto me, Blessed are the dead whieb die in the Lord ; " " These are they which came out of great tribulation.; " "Sorrow not as those that are without hope." 8. Let us not judge qf providf!flC6 without taking wo account the future a, well as the present. "l reckon," says the apostle, "that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to ha compared-with the glory which shall be revealed in us." · JL THAT 1[AN IN THIS BEAVEN ASCRIBES THE DIGNITY IJE 'BAB BBACHED 'l'O JE8'U8 CmuBT.· "They cast their crowns before the throne," This implies: 1. A cimviction. that they O'Wtd all their honours to Clkrist. Whence did they obtain their 1;rowns? 2. .A readiness to acknowledge their obligatwn. The greater our natures the more ready ta. ·acknowledge our obligation. 2. The surpassing glories qf (Jhrist. He is in the. midst. of the .throne, and all ascribe their all to him. Napoleon I., after he bad conquered empires, and planted his foot upon the neck of kingdoms, determined to be crowned emperor. To give pageantry and lustre to the occasion, he compelled the Pope of Rome to be present. In the act ot coronation, the emperor refused to: receive the crown from the pope ; his proud spirit told him he had won it himself: he placed it upon his own brow, thus declaring to the spectators and the civilized world the fact that he was indebted to himself only for imperial power. How different this to QW' Gromwell, who in spirit towered high above all the Napoleons of history I After the.. crown of England had been offered to him by successive Parliaments, be refused itl Great souls are above croYllll. All in this subjeotiv.:e heaven of goodness cast their' "crowns'.' at the feet of Christ, and say." 'l'hino is the kingdom, the power, and chei glory,"-D. T,
EXPOSITION.
CHAP'l'ER V. inftuenee of the writings of Uii• piophet upon the wri&ez of the Apocalypee, though Ver. 1.-Ancl I saw. Ae in eh. iv. 1, this the picture of the Lamb, which follows in. phrase introdnces a new incident in the . thla chapter, impart& a new feature peouliar vision. Th.at .which had been witnei;sed to St. John's raion. The roll was inaoribed remained, but a further development now on both sides. Mention is made of such a take& place. Oh. iv. relate.~ the revelation roll by Pliny, Juvenal, Lucian, Mama.I. of the glory of the Triune God (see on eh. though Grotiua connects h-,d••• "-on the it. 2) 1iJrtounded by his Ohmch and creation. · back," with 1ta..r•i1'4if'<ry1vµlvo,," sealed," thu The glory or Jesus Ohrist, the Lamb, · is rendering, " written within and sealed oa now aet forth, aince he is the only On& the back;" The fulneaa of the book, and· worthy to receive end 'declare to his Church the guard of - seal11 whi.oh are opened the mystery eolliained in the sealed hook. in succession, denote completenllilll of rev1tlao In the right hand; upon th6 right hantl ( €1rl). lion (on the nulllber lllJVffl as denoting full Tl!at ii. lyiug ypon the . hand, as it was completion, see on oh. L 4). This book uten!ied in the ·.aot of offering the book to conlained the whole of " the mysteries or aji.y one whe should ·oo able to open and the ki.ngilom of heaven" (Matt. xiii. U). ~ it. Of him that 1&t on · the throne. It :le noteworthy that-Bo far as we oon The Triune God (see on eh. iv. 2). A book gather from the :Revelation-the book ia 'lf'1'itten within and Oil the ·llaek lide. In never read. The breu.king of each Beal Ezek. ii. 9, JO the "ioll or a book " is ii accompanied by its own peculiar pheno- ••written within and without;" another of mena, which appear to .indieate the natun, the numerout traoee iD tho BnelatiOJl of tilt of '110 oo.utellw. And the opening of ~ . .OR."· 1-14.J THE REVELATION OF ST. JOHN THE DIVIXFL 163·