The Pulpit Commentary — Revelation — Section 178

long?" As if they !!&id, " We know that thou wilt judge and avenge our blood sooner or later: but how long?" The truly good in all ages have an unbounded con- fidence in the rectitude of the Divine procedure. "I know," said Job, "that my Vindicator liveth." Justice will come J10oner or later. (3) He is one who in the heavenly world is more than compensated for all the wrongs received on earth. Y And white robes were given unto every one of them [and there was given them to each one a white robe]." They have white raiment in heaven-the emblem of purity. They have repose in heaven: "rest for a little while." They have social hopes in heaven: "Until their fellow-servants :.also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled." 5. Pl.ysic<it convulsion. " And I beheld when lie had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood," e~ ..Observe: (1) Our earth is constantly subject to great physical convulsions. Geology rl!veals some of the tremendous revolutions that hav~ been going on from the earliest dawns of its history; and such changes are constantly occurring. Volcanoes, earthquakes, deluges, tornadoes, seas·· overftowing their boundaries and engulfing whole continents, etc. Perh,.ps no generation of men have lived who liave not witnessed some of the phenomena bi,~ described: " the great earthquake, the sun becoming black as sackcloth, the· lllOQD /Ill blood, mountains· and islands removed," etc. (2) Great physical convulsions ate:alwa)'II terribly alarming to ungodly men: "The kings of the earth, a.acL the ~eat .llll!ll [princes], and the rich men, and the chief captains, and th.e mighty,men.. Lthe mob], and every bondman, and every free man, hid ·themselves in the dens [caves] Mtd ia the rocks of the mountains.· And said [they say] to the.monntaµis and 1'0Cks, Fall qu us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and Jrom :the wraih of the Lamb: for the great day of his [their] wrath is come; and who shall be [is]abl<i to stand?" Fear is an instinct of wickedness; terror is the child of wrong. •• The :wicked_ ftee when no man pursueth." . . "Oh, it is monstrous I monstrous I Methought the billows spoke, and told me of it: The winds did sing it to me ; and the thunder, That deep and dreadful organ-pipe, pronounced. The name of Prosper : it did plLllll my trespass," (Shak~pesre;) (3) The alarm of ungodly men is heightened by a dread of God. •• For the pt· di!,;, of his [their] wrath is come ; and who shall be [is] able to $Wld? " Dread of O;O<l JI the' soul of all fear. " I heard thy voice in the: garden, and I was afraid.'\ H«:lW unnatural is this dread of God-the dread of one who is at once the Essence and the Fountain of all good I " Hide us from the face of him that sitteth on th11 throwi, .u:i.4 from the wrath of the La.rob." The " wrath of the Lamb" I This i11 a ID.OJ1Stro1W phenomenon. Who bas ever seen a lamb in a rage, meekness aflame with indignation? A. more terrific idea I cannot ,get. "The wrath of the Lamb.". .. !l ·; . , . CoNoLUBION. In these "seals," then, we have human history. .We need not J?~ ourselves about the meaning of the utterances in this chapter, or search for some mystic meaning. It is full of current events occurring in all times and lands, and we are here commanded to study them. At each event 'some ,living creature, some Divine messenger in the spiritua.l empire, say~ "Come and see•.., "Come and see " the triumphant Hero of the good, goibg forth on the 'white horse. conquering, and to conquer; mark the aspect, the movements, and tlte progress of good in the world in which you live; take heart a_nd speed it on. "Come and see" ·th.e red horse, the of murder and bloodshed, that is creating discords;and fightings everywhere, · · u :K!~ families and communities of all concord, filling the air with the cries of the dying, and the wails of the widow and the orphan. Come and study the demon of war; study it in order to destroy it. " Come and see " the lilack horse trampling in the dust the food which Heaven has provided, and which man requires,.thus ·leaving millions to starve. Study this national poverty until you realize the true causes and apply the true cure. "Come and see,. the pale horse hurrying through the world, visiting in his turn every individual, family, community, nation, trampling underfoot all men, regardless of character, age, position, nation. Study death, its moral causes, its final  2Qa THE REVELATION OF S1'. JOHN THE DIVINE. [OIL VL 1-17.