The Pulpit Commentary — Revelation — Section 321

alwa)'i behold,• etc. And when: hie opponents murmurea, as was their wont. at h1a receiving sinners and eating with them, he· rebuked them by the reminder that in baa.ten there· is not murmuring, but joy, even over " one sinner that repenteth." And hate in these veraes we who belong to the Church on eari.h have given to us a vision of the perfect Church-the Church in heaven. And the contemplation of it cannot but he well tor us, that we may judge thereby our beliefs, our worship, our selves, .a.nd seek ~ and more to coliform them to the heavenly pattern. Observe, then- . I~ 'fii'AT WB CANNOT LllflT TBB 0RUBCH TO ANY ONB viBIBLE CORPORATE 'BODY. The elahm of any such Church body here on ea.rib to be exclusively tke Church, and the denial of membership therein to all outBide that body, are shown to be false by the fuct that the notes and characteristics of the true Church are found in many Churches, but exclusi+ely in none.· There are, th&nk God, few Chur:ches, if any, that have not some pf them. Ont of all of them the Church is gathered, but to no one of them is it confined. The members of the Church are described here :as having the name of the Pather of o'ur Lord Jesus Christ •written upon their foreheads." Now, this is a figure of speech to tell of the character of those who for.m the Church; that that character is: J; God-ltke. It is the Father's name whicb is written; hence they who bear it are holy and" without blemish, perfect even as th_e Father in heaven Is perfect. 2. Visible. It is written on their foteheads. The light shines before men; it -0ilne.ot be hid. That g<J?linesitJs _much ro:b,ejuestio1red which il6 one can s_ee; or which is ~idd!_D away a1:_d li.ept- for· only certam seasonir, places, and' sutroundmgs. · That wh1e!i •18· here said' teaches the reverse of s.uch a doubtful thing. 3. And it is permanent. ·tt ii•" written.'1 "Litefil itjipta r:ii'anot:" . I~ abides; 'riot· being a. thing assumed for a tim_e, and~like the ~nesa·to~~ o_f by Ho~eli;'wbich as_ the "morning_clotid '' and "-eady dew g~th away;'' It is the h11>1tof the hfe, the continual dhara6tenstie of th!l' tnan:- Such, m general f:erros, iii the distinguishing mark of membership• in Christ1str110L'hurch; · And agalri we gratefully own th.at in all Churches it is to be found. . Would., that it were on all as lnall!' - . . '. ' , ' ' Il} 'l'm!i CJmT1twoP THE·wottsBIPoP 'I'1IE PE'ti'E<lT'CmraOB m "THB LAn." Bt. John -.ys,," I befield {he Lamb;" not•• a Lamb," BB the Authorized Version re8d8.· He d081! not.stop t.oe%pfai~ · He nas so often spoken of the Lord Jesus Christ as the Lamb, that there can be no· room for doubt as to~ meaning. It •ls the Lord Jesus Christ, not so much in his more maj<:stic attributes-his might, majesty, and dominion-that 'we·aTe' bidden behold, but in hi-s sacrificial character as "the Lamb of God .who taketh !lW&f the.sin ofthe_ world." As sneh-he is the Oentr~ of the Chur~h's a:doration: He 1t1Bilen on Mount Zion, that site ofisrael'& temple being taken contmullilly in Scr1ptur~ a-a' the 11ymbo}'of'the home of God's redeemed and the scene 'of their eternal worship. Jl6 is surrounded by the Church of the Firstbotn~" the firstfl'uits" unto God, whom he ltaifredeemed by his blood. The number named here, twelve and. th& multiples of twelvd, is _ever associated with the Church. ·· And the twelve times twelve tells of the Uhurcli's °Cbmplefion, the "accomplishment of -the· number of the elect." Now, i.n the niidst'>of thliit perfect assembly, that Qhnrch. of which these are the representatives, atands "the Lamb" 11s the Object of the adoration, the love, •and tlle- worship uf an, That Church on earth must, then, lack this distinct note of the heavenly Church if in it Christ the Son of God, as the Redeemer, the Saviour, the Sacrifice for the world's 1ins, be not lifted up as the Object of a:11 tfustj laNe, and .obedience, and if he be not so regarded by ~he me1~bers of ~uch Chmcb,. Let us ask::-What is he_ to. ourselves? How do we look upon him who _1s thus fooked upon by the Ohurch m heaven? In the midst of ciur Zions', dd we see, n.s 'the chief, the central, the pre-eminent figure, the Lamb of God?. And 'in the lnner temple of our own hearts, is he there en1hrined and enthroned as' lie hath right and ought to be?· What is our hope and what our trust? Bow C.ln we ever hope to be numbered with "the Church of the Firstbom," if the name of him, to which every heart there responds, awakes no echo, no answering thrill, In UII? Our lips 1,1tter that name often· enough, and in all manner of ways; but what do our hearts say! That Is the question to which this vision of the Lamb on Mount Zion, surrounded by the adoring Church, should give rise in every one of us. And lillly God grant that it may meet with a satisfactory answer I Ill. THE WORBmP o:r THE PERFECT CauRCH 1s A JOTJ'UL WORSHIP, We are told that "'they aung a new wng." Joy find.a utterance iu BOng; it is its natural expression; cm. xtv.1-20.] THE REVELATION OF ST. JOHN· THE nTVINB; :Ml