The Pulpit Commentary — Revelation — Section 191

tion. How often, when in this state, is the activity of the spiritual life·interrupted by the demands of the :fleshly life ! In this res:(MlCt, as well as others, the flesh lusteth against the spirit. The spirit is willip.g, but the flesh is weak. But on high,,such clogs burden the blessed ones no more. . 2. They are free from unfavourable influences ftotn without. Neither shall the sun smite tl,tem with its scorching blaze, nor any heM -the quotation is from Isa. xlix. 10, where the Greek word means the sirocco, or scorch, ing blast, and the Hebrew word, the mimgf,. We may include both. They are subject. t.o no influences to lower spiritual vitality; no illusion of a hollow and deceitf~ world will again appear to lure them away. 3. No tear shall be t?,hed. God, shall wipe every tear away. "Perhaps this," said a great preacher, "_is the -tenderes~ llttlo sentence· in the whole Bible (one of the greatest geniuses born in these islands said he could never read it witho11t a tear in his eye), 'God shall wipe away all teai:s from- their eyes.'" 1 ·No more shall the mingled scenes of life and death agitate the soul. All dying shall be over. All sorrow have passed a.way. Bles:;ed state, even if kno,wn. mainly by such negatives as these! . VI. WHAT DO THEY ENJOY ? 1. The real presence of G-Od, Ver, 15, " He • , .. shall dwell among them.'' It is not possible to give the sense of these glorious wo~s _exCQpt· by a paraphrase. They include (1) the thought of a. tent over them, and (2) that of: an abiding presence with them{cf. Ex.od, xl. 34; Numb. ix.15; Le;v. xxvi. 11; Lia. iv. 5, 6; Ezek.nxvii. 27). 2. The Lamh ••• shal,l lJe,theiT Shepherd. Ilewho is mj relation. to God .the sacrificial Lamb, will be in relatjon to his people their tender Shepherd. "He that bath mercy on them .shall lead the)ll." 3. They slwJl 'be led by, "fountains of the water of life." Here they had droppings from the stream ; there they: have the fulness of the fountain. Here the water of life reached them through earthen; channels ; there they shall be at the fountain-head I Entire satisfaction. Perfect 118Curity and repose. . V1I. How ARE THEY OCCUPIED? But one aspect of their occupation is given here. " They serve him day and night in his temple." The details of this service we must die. to understand. Here we have presented to us the service of praise. Their song is to God and the Lamb. Their theme," the salvation." And all the glory of i~ is a.scribed, equally to the Father and to the Son l We gather, indeed, one fea.ture of this service-- it is unwearied: "day and night." Probably ea.eh qeliever has his favourite thoughts about the heavenly state. "My favourite conception of heaven," says one," is rest..": "Mine," says another, " is work." "Mine," sa.ys a third, " is lovtl." " Mine," says a fourth, "is praise.'' What a mercy that they will all, l?e realized; yea, all be infi- nitel¥ surpassed I . . • We may gather up, in conclusion, several inferences from these glorious disclosures of the heavenly state. 1. For the doctrine of continuity in its gt'!Lndes~ form and in it.s highest, application we must come to the Word of God. The life in -God, begun here, is destined to live on without a break, and to know nothing but eternal advance! The 'life above is the continuation of one which was redeemed and renovated below_ 2~ Here,. too, the true law of human progress is seen. It is not that the ·race· shall advance·while individuals hlicome extinct, but that there shall be advance of the.race, by reason of and in the fa.et of the salvation of the individual. . 3. Let us be supremely tlumkful to our Lord Jesus Christ that we a.re permitted to believe, not only in the pro- gress of• humanity, but also in our own. 4. It surely should be a grll!'t comfort to us t.o think of the blessed ones who are gone before, being thus caught up. to this glorious life. 5. Let us magnify the grace of God in putting such honour on this little globe. of ours,.a.s to make it his nursery-ground on which he rears his pl:i.nts for heaven. Here, here, the great work is going on of training characters which are to thrive /or ew,r in more genial climes. 1'he state of blessedness which is to ripen i11 another world is one which is begun here; and the thought of attaining .to such blesseu.ness may -.rell have elevating power. l • The Divine Order,' by Rev. T. Jonee, p. %7. oH. vit. 1-17.] THE REVELATION OF ST. JOHN THE D1'VINE. 215