The Pulpit Commentary — Revelation — Section 172

all. Arid, without doubt, terrur is their one ~dge and mark. The four horses with their l'i.del'8 all tell of terrible things. 'l'he souls under the altar, whom we see at the opening of the :fifth, ery for vengeance on their murderers, and aH horrors seem accu- mulated in one at the open,ing of the sixth. The reading of the chapter·ma.kes one's heart tremble; our flesh. shudders with fear at the visions of distress whieh, one after the other, are unfolded. .There is a seventh and a very different vision at the·seventh seal; but the opening of that will not be for a long while, and therefore we first consider·these six which are near in time and in character also. And whether we read the psges of Josephus, or whether we regard Gibbon as furnishing the more accurate explanation of these symbols,-in either there will be fuund more than enough to wsi'rant all that St. John has here portrayed. The dreadful days of the fall of Jeru- salem were drawing on, and none who know the history of the horro~ that preceded an4 accompanied that event can ques~ion that they were more than enough tq fill up all that these vivid and terrible symbols import. Our Lord says of those dayir that "except they should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved." And yet-Qnd here is the ·marvel..;..it is "the Lamb," he who is the Ideal of all grace and love, he it is who presides over, directs, and governs all these events, dreadful as they are. And tberi the highest, the holiest, and most beloved of his ministers, they who cluster closest round tlie throne of God a.nd the Lamb, appeal to him and pmy him to "Come." At the opening of each of the first four seals one of the four living ones thus appeals to Christ;. · It is evident, therefore, that they are in. full sympathy with him in this I!latter; and would not have him do otherwise. And it is the same with the whole ot that hlgh court of heaven. There must be, then, in all these and in all sueh things ~ d this is the'"ir lesson for us-a. force for the furtherance of God's blessed will amongst men i,uch as less stem methods could not pave. True, in one aspect it is all the reault of man's wild wickedness .and folly. · "Man, proud man. Dressed in a liitle brief auihority, ..• Pla.ya such fa.nt.aetio tricks before high b,eaven As makes the angels WQeP," , (' Measure for lleaaure.') And to :rliany, mino.ii, when 'you have, recited the different events that led on, one 'by one, to ,t)j.e ·final catastrophe, y!Ju havl! sufficiently explained the whole ; there i1d10 need ,to ,bring G?3, ~ St. John d?88, into _the _matter. Bo~ we are dist_!ncl~Y,ta1!81it that. all .t;b!,lse. things .are the workmg of his will, the carrymg out· of hIB ~~ pla1;1i ari<I, purposes." They are not by chance, nor by the will of man/ but of t:t00. . ' Ancl accepting this as truE), we are led to the inquiry-Wherefore uses he such means.\' Various answers·may be suggested: so only can the proud, unruly wills of sinful mri be humbled; so only· can the .Church be roused and stimulated to do her proper wo:&t:; eo only can her faith be disciplined, tried, and developed ; 80 only can men be'· made to know,." Verily there is a God. that judgeth in the earth;·" an,d 80 only can gigantic obstacles to men's good aml the. extension of Christ's kingdom be got out of the way. All history shows this. But whilst this and far more may be said, it yet remains for us to remember, and that w,ith gratitude, that dark, drear, dreadful, desol:tting 88 such events are, a,nd diabolical 88 are many of the men who are the chief actors in them t~ey yet, all of them, are under the absolute control of him whose love aµd wisdom ~d power enable him to know unerringly when to let such events run riot in their rage, and when to restrain them or remove them altogether. And what is best he is sure to do; and always he will make them" work together for good." · II. TRE OPENING OF' THE FIRST SEAL. (Ver. 2.) The vision of the white horse and its rider bearing a bow, with its sharp arrows ready for conflict,'and wearing a crown, the emblem of victory. In Zech. i. 7-11; vi. 1-8; Hab. iii. 8, 9; Isa. xli. 2; Ps.,xlv. 4.. 5; we have similar representations of the horseman told of here, and hiil identity seems settled by .eh. xix. 11-16, whE)re he is distinctly called" the W-01~ of God." When the first seal was broken, then there passed across the stage, as it were, this vision. Bot of whom else can we think as corresponding to the rider of the whit. horse, than of him of who.in we read in Ps. xlv., "In thy'majesty ride prosperously because of truth and meekness and righteousness; and thy right hand shall teach thee 196 'THE .REVELATION OF ST. JOHN THE DIVINE. (Clll. TL 1~-17.