The Pulpit Commentary — Revelation — Section 287

"founded great empires; but upon what did the creations of our genius depend? Upon fonie. Jesua alone founded his empire upon love, and to this very day millions would die for him."·· Thus does the blood of the Lamb become to 111 a power indeed, iD mtue of which we overcome. 2. TM word of tkeir teatimony. This is joined on to that which we have but now spoken of. For the blood of the Lamb, unseen, unbelieved, U1UIC08Jlted; will d? no ·one any good, will aid no one to overcome ; b~t it is. wheti that blood JS seen, believed, accepted, and ccnfessed by the word of their testimony, the open avowal, the good confession-then, in virtue of this, the Father confesses them. In response to the .word of their testimony goes forth the word of his power, and they become mighty through God. Committing ourselves. to any course, breaking down the bri<lges, burning the ships that. would help us to retreat-such conduct greatly strengthens purpose and resolve. And so, when by spoken word of testimony for Christ we have committed ourselves to follow and serve him, the very fact that we have done. this strengthens 111 an~ gives us fresh force for his service. Both -by way of Divine reward, and by way of natural consequence such :word of testimony would help to overcome. Ill THE PROOF OF THE OVERCOMING. "They loved not their lives unto the death!' They went on resisting, when not only it involved much suffering and distress, but even when. it involved death itself. That is the weaning. And what proof of over- coming is there comparable to this? .As at W &terloo, when the English forces endured, all that long summer Sunday, the fierce and incessant cannonading of the J!'renoh, together witli their repeated charges, led as they were by the most famous of.the marshals of France, what did such endurance show but tbat they. were twt to be conquered? And so the resistance told of in Christ's holy war-the loving "not·,our lives unto," etc.-this shows that W6 are not to be conquered, but will conquer, will overcome. If we see a man swerve, and edge back, and shift bis ground, and retrea,, that is not a proof of victory, but vanquishment. But he who is steadfast, immovable. even though death threaten, neither sin nor Satan will ever conquer him. · Are we giving this proof of our really belonging to the number of the overcoming ones? When tile adversary 888Bils us, as we know he does, do we or does he gain the victory- which? Let us not think that there is any other proof of our being victors at last beside this one of our being, in the main, victors now. It will not do to rely on any- thing else, however specious, however plausible, however popular. It is in the over- coming now that we have the evidence that we shall be victors at the end. And that we may now overcome, let us draw near unto our crucified Lord, and come under the influence of his unspeakable love. And confess him. So shall our text theu. become true of us, as God grant it may be of us all !-:S. C.