The Pulpit Commentary — Revelation — Section 176

l1phpld the •sinking1 fa.in ting, feeble, suffering ones. " Vengeance belongeth unto me: I will recompense, saith the Lord." No• do the enemies prove" it is a fearful thing tci fall into the hands of the living God}' Th" br~ing of the Bixth · seal is ihe Bignal for 1' just ju~goient of the cruel perse~tirig oneil~th~ wolves that ravened tM_ffock o( G(>d. It 1s the response ·to the cry, "B;ow long, 0 .:Master, tlie holy and true; dost Uiou not judge and avenge our blood on: them ·that dwell on the earth ? " 'l'he " little ;wliile" is concluded; the cup of iniquity full. 'J;'et;ific and awe-inspiring iri the u,tmost degree is the picture of " the great and terrible day of the Lord." J. Tm: BBPREBENTATION OF TllE DIVINE' JUDG~T ON THE UNGODLY ANTAGONISTS OF THE CHUBCH TAXEil THE FORM OF AN UPitEAVAii OP THE VISIBLE UNIVERSE. It iB the destruction of .the wo:ddly sphere. All those ,things that seet)l_ to be fixed and i>er!nanentare move'! out of their place.. T.he_earth i_s rent and qua·k.es; _the sun. 1s ~rkened.; the moon 111 as blood; the stars fall like unnpe figs; the heaven 1s removed ~ a scroll; the inoµ.ntairis and islands are moved from their places. So is taught the insta~iiity of all ~thl;t .tJ1fo.gs-the earthly, which is the sphere of the ChUfC~'s ene~1es. ,. . . . · . iL Tim DIV,lNE J,tlD(Ul]Q{TS INSPIRE TllE UT:lilOST TERROR INTO THE.,HEAR'l'S ~ ~ ~GODLY ~ORLDLY.POWBRS; Tl;ley fear__:.they fly-they seek ~e?-th. . ' ... ' . : '' 111. TM D~EAD 01!' TBE UNGODLY IS EXCITED BY THE VISION OF Jttil WBO iB'DEAR i;ro .. :rHB FA,ITHFrii.. The grounq. of offence is an,tagoilis'.m to liitn that sitteth ,oh 'tn,; tbrj>ne, and to the Lamb; to,·'9'hom the Church gives :glory•.. 'l'he judgnient upon,,the ~vem,.ries is found in the.revelation of_ the Divine g9vernment, and the power ifod aut.h~ty of the despise«l'Itedeemer. As the obedient and (aithful ones find th,irjoy and rejoicing in the presen-0e of God and the Lamb, so do the enemies of truth fipd ~ere\n their gi::eatest punishment.-R. G.. · '· '. .. v'~rs. 1-.:1i.-11te seven seals; or, tie deyelopment of good and evz1 in humim history, . 0Andl.saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, and I heard, M jt 'wqre t;he noise o{ thunder, one of the four beasts saying, Come and see," ~tc. . Iµ tlili cJui~~r. _w,e ha:.ye the. br.ealri'ng open of. six of the seals o( th. at mystic ro1.l cont.a.irimg th!l .Dlvtne plan of the government qf the world, and as belµ in the hands of Chrilj_t who 111.thi! great: E~pounder. The opening of these seals 11uggests to our notice and Prl!ii~s ·onmu .attention the ~tant de1Mlcpment of good and evil in human hfstory. Noti~ . L TBE D,ltVELQFMENT oF GOOD IN HUMAN B,ISTORY. By the· goo4, I mean .th1;1 ti:ue, 'the beautift1l, and the right. Good and evil are here working among· lhe moral ti:#:t,ifa of this planet; ]?8!'b.aps ,it is not so in other 'planets. In heaven there is ,g«,d, ,an'd _g~ only; in, hel~ evil,: and perhaps evil only; b~t on the earth:t!fe t'w~ ~;e·.4t w:~rk s~ultaneously, com,4ntly and everywhere. Taking the conq_uenng b,e,1;0 a.s goi,ng fyr~q yn the.'' white horS11., as an il~ustration_of !he right and t~e good ori,thit~rth, ,it ;ui sµggested.: 1. That the good 1s eml?od1ed ~n a personal life. ·« Behol!l,.a·"~qjte _horse, 11.ud he that sat :on hlµi, [thereon)." The rii;iht in this world is· not a mete .~bstraction, it is embodi!,d iri human life. In Christ this was so in perfect kir;ld !lnd degree. "Grace and .truth came by Jesus Chri§t," ..He .was the. Right--Iw:arna~, breathing, living, acting; and th~. not only during his corporaj life here, bl).t in all ~ disciples through all times. He is· in them; he is tp.e conqtiering Hfro des'trqying the works of .the devil. ~- Tba.t the good embodied in ~a 'personal life. is aggresi,iw • .µ. acJil»i. "And he went fcame] forth conquering, and to conqj\er." · :H~ht ls.Jin 'uivad'ing force; it is eve~ ll'IAking aggressio1,1s on the wron~. Thjris _accordipl tc> i~ :~wy ~nee. ~erever the sunbeams ,break, darkn~ss de:parts_; so '!1-th the ~t, ~t _14 !',lways conquei,-mg. "'fOl)dll?ful ar.e tbe cqnquests 1t has !lch1eveq 1n past-~• and jts victoriiis, are still pr~ing, and wiµ proceed. until it. becoD?eB 'the might, of, the • worl~ This righ.t is, not something elsewhere; it i.s here; not sonietlting tna(ll~ , btie_n,but somethIµg that. is and shall be. The s~preme King of rlghteousii8$& isco'n- stantly proceeding on his trium~hant march, and one day •~ every knee. sball OO:\V to him, _and every tongue confeiis; In its aggressiveness it ri.ioves: (1) Righteoµsly • . "A. white hotse." The horse is the in.stru:ment which the right employs to bear it on to.victory. The good is not only pure in i~ nature and aims, but pure in. its uiethoos. (2) '17iumphantly. '' He t:1.J.at sat on him [thereon] had a. bow," 'l'be bow cartje~ the .~ow1 and the arrow penetrates the foe .. Truth wins its vi.ctories by the &rljQWS 01 200 THE nEvELATION OF ST. JOHN THE DIVINE. [CB. vi. 1-17.