, e..id saved them by his own bloo{l. None are there on any other ground, .nor can any ·~er be. On iv hat., then, a.e we relyjng JOI.' the hope we all cherish of one,da.y being \vl!,ere they are? • lL WHAT THEY DO THERE. 1. They celebrate (M hocwemg harvest-h<Yme. They carry "palms in their hands," branches of the palm. No reference is here to heathen . JllleB of the palfll as 11ymbol of victory and the like. But far sweeter and holier i'.eJnWsoence is awakened. The scene . before UII is the antitype of the most joyoUll and ~piriting of all the observances of Israel-,-that of the Feast of Tab&nacles. It was held at tlie close of the year's outdoor labours; with it the season of rest began. ".All was ljll,fely gathered in." It commemorated God's care of them in the old wilder- . n~~-days, and afterwards his continu11,l care of them by the gifts of his providence. 'The feast was a _most joyous one. 'fhe Jews said that he did not know joy who knew n,9t.'tbe Feast of Tabernacles. .One chfef feature of the feast was the universal carrying of palm branch_e5. (cf. ~~ viii. 14-17). Such is the s~ne from which tji.e imagery ·of St. John here 1s drawn. It told of the tl1oubles of the wildemess ended; the harvest- home of the. Church cpm!j, It speaks of everlasting joy.. 2. 'l'hey ·serve. Day and night in &!d's ~mple. i11 tl:µ13 service rendered. But in another place St. John says, ·" I saw no temp.le therein ; " and hence we must understand by the· temple all heaven and earth, for all, as was the aucient temple, are to be filled with his glory. · Arid as to the service, who can describe, who can.limit, who can sufficiently set forth, its oenefi- cenc~ its joy, its glory? 3. They show forth the praises of God and the Lamb. (Ver. 10.) Festal joy, service, worship, the worship which consists in heartfelt praise, -~uch are the occupations of heaven. · · . Ill. THEIR E-XCEEDING BLESSEDNESS. 1. They want not. They neither hunger nor thirst. 2. They weary not, as in the travel and toil of the wilderness they hp.d done, wh11n the fier<;e heat of ~he .sun smote them ; and e,s_ in the hard toil of life. 3. They weep not. The poet Burne u1ed to say he could never read this without tears. And when we think of what.life. ie now'."""'.a place of tears-and that there there shall be none, one's heart may well rejoice. But there are alw the unspeakable joys that come from: 4. The .realized, p,·esence and lO'IJ6 of the, Lora J6BUB Ohrist. He shall be as a Tent to cover them, as a Shepherd to feed them, as a Guide to lead them to fountains waw. of living . CoNCLUSION, BaTI1 we th08!6 we love in heaven? Rejoice concerning them. Are we on the way there ourselves ?-S. C•
. Vers. 1-8.7 1J/le (JJ.urch', security assured. Although the vi!ionof judgment has been granted to the seer, an arrest is put upon its .execution, and an entirely new series of representations is given. It is illustrative of the entire charactei'. of the book. ~t is one long illustration of the going forth conquering and to conquer by him that sltteth on the .white horse. Bat there is no chronology•. The truth here illustrated ia ever repeated. Not only in the final acts of judgment will the faithful people be secure, but. when God sends his judgments upon the ungodly the Church has always his' comforting assurance of protection.. By this vision the heart of the Churoh is comforted. " Only with thine eyes sbalt thou behold and see the reward of the wioked." Whatever judgments befall the earth, the righteous people are secure in the fPWdian love of theh Lord. This is decle.red to the tried ones by the vision of the sealing. A vision. which is- I. A 'l'OXEN 01' TRl!l DIVINE RECOGNITION OF EVERY INDIVIDUAL BELIBVEB. Each is sealed on hjil forehead. "The Lord knoweth them that are his." II. IT IS A PLEDGE OJ' PERSONAL SECURITY. In the general judgments many even of the faithful suffer. This is inevitable. Bot the anomalous words of our Lord shall be fulfilled, "Ye shall be delivered op.by parents •.• put to death, hated of all men; and: not a hair of your head shall perish." In all judgments the lowly believer may rest in the assurance of personal safety. All shall be well in the end if the Lord's HIil is upon the. forehead. III. THE VISION IS A GRACIOUS REVELATION oF Goo. It is of his goodness that he bas thus shown beforehand his careful defence of his own in times of judgment and fe!u'. "I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not." . •·· lV, TBl!l VISION U.OBDS GROUND FOB TB.I!: UTll08T BllTCOUBAGEMENT TO l'Al'l'B :.lb 224 THE REVELATION OF ST. .tOlt:N" T1tlt t)IVINE. (OJi. 1>1t. 1-17.