The Pulpit Commentary — Revelation — Section 157

to the laws ofluarmony. Obed[ence Is it• rue. Aild how gloriOUI fs that music whlcb ill conaecrated to God's praise! (c) Interoeuions for those on earth. Thill seems to me the 1ignifieanae of the incense-laden censers, the "vials fiill of odours," which are IJICken of. How can the Lord of love be more truly worshipped than by sympathies, thoughta, and deeds of love? Is it to be imagined that the blessed in heaven cease to care for their poor troubled brethren on earth ?-that the love they had for them ill all gone, evaporated? God forbid I And here it is shown that as here on earth they loved to pray for and with them, so in heaven they do the same {of. eh. vi, 10; ef. alao Luke i. 10; Exod. xu:. 36-38), In such intercession Christ seea the fruU of the Spirit he has given them, (3) On the gr<YW1l,d of.: (a) T.be worthiness of Ohriat. (b) The redemption he baa wrought-so real, BO universal, so costly. (c) The nedtaofit: "made 118 kings," et.c. (ver. 10). Such is the first doxology; it is the praise of the redeemed for their redemption. We do not now seem to value it ao highly ; many other things seem to 118 more precious-wealth, friends, success, pleasure. But when we see things 88 they really are, then this gift of gifts, all gifts in one, our redemption, will be prized and praised as now it too seldom is. 2. ft4 1«1>rnl ~ - This, though joined in-.s how could it be otherwise? 4 y those who sang the first, is more eHpecially that of the angels. In myriads upon myriada they gather round and cry, "Worthy is the Lamb." Unto these "princi- palities and powers in the heavenlies" is made known, 11 by means of the Church," the manifold wisdom oC God (Eph. iii. 10). These "things" they "desire to look into" (1 Pet. i. 12). How, then, can they, who rejoice over one sinner brought to repentance (Luke xv.). fail to be filled with rapture when they behold that which the Lamb slain has done? Therefore to him to whom all this· is due they render praise, affirming the certain truth that all the power, the riches of grace, the wisdom, and might, which were conspicuous in· man's redemption, and the honour and glory on acoount thereof, are to be asoribed to the Lamb. 11 By grace are ye saved, not of yourselves "-such ii the reminder the angels give. We are slow to recognize this, and too ready to attribute overmuoh to ourselvea. 3. 27ie third do:rdogy. (Ver, 13.) The Church, the angels, have uttered theirs ; and now creation, in all her (orms-man living and dead not ttt.cluded, for II those under the earth" (cf. Job x. 21, 22; Isa. xiv. 9), those who have departed this life and are now in the realm of the shadow of death-are named, and they all unite in this praise (of. Phil. ii. 10), St. Paul seems to teach (Rom; viii. lt-23,,a».d eapecially ver. 21), that there shall be a redemption for it also-a deliver- ance "from the bondage of corruption.'' When we think of the sorrows and sufferings of those creatures of God who have no sins of their own to answer for, being incapable of sin, though not of suffering, it is a blessed revelation that in some form or other unknown to 118 they shall share in the blessings Christ bath brought. The psalms are full of invocations to· creation in its various forlD.fl-the seas, the trees, " everything that hath breath,"•~ all creatures "-to "praise the Name of the Lord." And here in this vision we behold creation, along with angels and redeemed men, uniting in· thia praise; Who that has heard the marvellous echo or shout or horn amid the Alps does not remember how the sound spreads and travels on further and further, till height and crag and soaring summit seem to hear~ and at once give back the sound? So with the adoration or the Lamb, the doxologiM of which this chapter tells. They begin, u they mould, with the redeemed Church and saved man; they are caught up by the myriads of angels, they are heard and repeated by the whole creation of God. How is the reflection forced upon us of the relation in which we stand to this all-glorious redemption. In the face of tµis universal. praise dare we reject or trifle wjth it ? What. madness t Shall we not embrace it with our whole heart, and seek to know the joy and every blessedness of it more and more, so that at the last, with all the saved, we may fall "down and worship him that liveth for ever and ever"? And if we are trusting in Obrist, let there be in our liv:es and on our lipe·more of praise. Let us not be for ever wailing our litanies, but let us learn more of the language of praise. We have been too remiss in this. But whenever we have caught the blessed spirit of these doxologies, how good it. has been for us I The devil is eager enough to dishtlllOV Christ : all the more bit us be eager to praise.-S. 0, Vera. 1-7.-fie l&Jled book. The homily must be based upon the interpretation. Ji'or our guidance we take the new which regards this se&led book 119 a title-deed~ the background of the figure being found in Jer. xxxii. 6-16. It is the titl&-deed of the :parohased possession......the redeemed inheritance-which no one has :,. right to tonoh « open but him to whom it belongs; concerning whom it may be-said, "The right -Of redetnption is thine to buy it." Concerning" the Lamb," this is• recognized by the aong of" the elders: " "Thou wast slain, and didst purchase unto- God with thy blood men of eTiiiy tribo, and tongue, and people, and nation.": '1Ji,e _redempti9n of men is therefore the ground of the worthiness, the ability, tlie- right to open the- llook, to loose the eeals, to look thereon. " The Lamb that was slain" alone may take the book "out of the righi hand of him that sat on the throne." ._ . L Tim DOOL 1. ·Not the hook of " the Revelation." Z. But the roll of 'the cove- nant-the title-deed. 8. A sealed document. - Not representing the hidden nature of Us .contenta..c .'l'he breaking of the seals not a diselosu~ The breaking of the aeals coincident with stage, in the ptocess of· taking possession or the purchased inheritance. 4. The book pertains to the Lamb. To him who is the Lainb-the Redeemer..:.. belongs the poBSellllion. To him l>elongs the title-deed. 'He ~e,i pos88B8ion ofliiB-own. · . IL Tua REDEEKEB. L 'l'he Lamb. "The Lion of the tribe of Jmlah "· is ·ahio the Lamb. The latter symbolically representing his l!OOrificial character.- He·ia tlie Lamb, as he is the Offering and a Sacrifice. 2. 'l'he Lamb appeared "as though it had been Blain." " We have redemption· in his blood!' Whatever the Lamb of sacrifice represented he was in the utmost degree-a means and a pledge of salvation, an Offering. a Propitiation. 3. But the Lamb liveth again. Thus is presented to the eye of the ll8ef the most cheering of all objects-the 'crucified and slain but risen Lord, the,Ccmqueror ofdroth, then of sin and of all that side with Bio. 4. He has perfect power: "seven hqrns." 5. Perfect, sevenfold, spiritual grace : "soven eyes ·which are the seven Spirits of Ood." He is perfect as a Redeemer. 'l'he pl'.ice of bis own biood he has paid : " With thy blood;" "A death having taken place for the tede~p- tio~ of the tmnsgressions that were under the first" and second "covenants;" "llow mooh more shall the blood of Christ I" "Having obtained eternal redemption," . · . III. Tm: REDEDIBD JlllHBRITABCE. 1~ Men "of every tribet and ton:gue,_atid people, and nation.'~ · 2. Redeemed from iillenation, Crom .sin and dii,persion. . 3. To be a kingdom. 4. Also a priesthood. . Ii. Exalted to honour: "'they shall reip," even :Oil the earth. This the one work of him who goeth forth conquering and to e<ipqwir. The true Redeemer by r.nce :of his. blood, by power of his Spirit. Of_ thir n,deemei poeseaalon he holds the title-deed. He only is worthy. He ill therightful heir.-R. G. Ven. 8-10.-The wng of the - ~ AOfl. The triumphant .h,ost; the n,deemed posseeeion, purchased unto God. give their' glory. The whole Church in their re~ sentatives give ceasel81111 praise to him who in humility bare their siµs in hia own bodj on the tree. · · L TuB SONG OJ' '1'HlC ClltJBC.H IB BVBR UNTO, AND m PRAISE OF, TIIB Lura.. Never ecm those harps be unstrung; neveT can the son~ of tedeniptioil ceage to mingte·witl!- the song of the universe. Ever will he be "~atter of all their praise." : · 11. TliB Bti1UJ«l"l' OP THE BONG IS THB WOR'rBlnBS OF THE · L:.t:XD. _"Thou art worthy " to feCl!ive and hold the title~deed of the inheiitance. · The ~ssioai, he. has purchased. It is hi& His be the title to it; He claimR, and justly clairoa, a ~ e d raee as h~ To this the aealed book is the title-d~ 'l'he taking possession by power or that which he had purchased by price is the work represented throughout' the Revelation. · - · _ Ill THB 1!0lffl l8 TUB TBIBU'l'E OF THB RBDBEKED Ji:OST _TO IWil TO WHOM TBBI1I UDDCPTIOl!f 18 DUE. The lowly song of the redeemed· stands over against the_humi• liation of " the Lamb." His " worthiness" takes the place of' thE! "curie" which ha bore. The jeers of the multitude on earth are exchanged for the song qf the thal}kful h91t in peaven. He who was slain now liveth for ever. Truly he sees tha havail of his soul, and is satisfied. .- . , . IV. 'l'n.e: BONG BBVXBTB TO TBB OBAOIOUB POOCBSB OF '.RBDBJIPTIO!f. 1. The acknow- ledged need. He who confesses Jesus to be a Saviour thereby acknowledges his lOlll condition. 2. Sacrificial -death of the Redeemer : " Thou wast slain." 3, Tho redemp• tive character of his work: "And didst purchase with thy Wood." 4. The redeemed UVBLil'IOl'f, •  178 THE REVELATION. OF ST. JOHN THE DIVINE. [cu. T, 1-Jt.