The Pulpit Commentary — Revelation — Section 322

and when~ therefore, we read of the songs of heaven, it 11 proof ot ~e joys :~ that. blessed place. The worship of heaven· takes this. ,form, . H,;;re, prayer .and preacbmg form, and properly form, part of our worship; but there, praise alone is heard. Here, we wail our litanies and pour forth our eupplicationa; but there worship ia all aong- the voice of glad thanksgiving and joyful praise. ;How much is told us of the ble8$8d future in that one fact I And of this song we are told many preoioua things. 1. Hou, full-voiced it it/ St, J'ohn Ukena it to that "of many waters '!-that loud, f8IIOil&Ilt sound as when the floods lift up their voice, or the sea roars, or where some vast volume_ of water pours it11elf from over a great height to some far-down depth. What a sound comes up from that boiling caldron of tossing waves I The magnitude of the IIOUnd of that song is what St. John seeks to set forth by his aimilitude. of "many waters.'' 2 • .;Ind itll majesty also is indicated by ita comparison to "a great. thunder"-the Tofoe, of the Lord as they of old regarded it. It is no mean, trivial theme .that .hu ina,pwecf that song, but one that wakes up every heart, and opens the lips of all the redeemed, to show forth the praise of him who bath redeemed them, It is a noble .1911g, grand, glorious. How could it be otherwise, telling as it does of deeds of ~eh Divin~ her;oism, of conquests of such moment, and of sacrifice so vast? 3. And .how ,rwea a. aong i, ii also I For St.John supplies yet.another similitude: its sound was like that "of harpers harping with their harps." So sweet. so soul-subduingi-JIO fuij 9f heavenly q.eliJ?ht; that it. brought smiles to the saddest countenance, and wipaj.. ~way all ~ . 4,pil.js not the song of redemption just such a song as that? Ev~ we .know of &Q~.pf Zi?,n so unspeakably bea-utif1µ, and set t9 music such as, it seems.to us, even angelic clj.01i-'s might rejoice in. But. if earthly song cl\ll be eo sweet, -th01,1gh coming. fro,i;n lips im.d hearts so little pure, what must that song have been .which is told of heye, and which St. John can llnlY oorupare, for its unµtttirable beauty, to the strain$ of the m~~- Jieffec.• insu-um.onts that the ancient world knew. of-:-the harp, Juda.h's na.tion;il symbol, arid best-beloved a.ceompa.niment of .pra.~ ?. But not alone the mingled. magnitude, majestt;; and sweeiness of the i,ound of this song is set forth here, but also its subiitanOO: 4. '1't waa "a new. song.',' 'fhere had never been anything like it before•. 'l'hey who. B!lng ii had never joined in, or even heard of, such song till they sang· it in the pres~·nce(;>f the Lsmb on Mount Zion. It could not .lm~ be- new, for it was inspired ·by new ,md glorious revelations of God; sung amid conditions_,and surroundings that were all new, and J>y hearts and lips ma.de new by the renewing grace of the Holy Spirit of God. MuQb, there had been in days past (or which they had been constrained to praise and give thanks, but till now the half had not been told them, and hence none of their 014, songs would serve. They m"8l sing a new song; it could not but be new. 5. And it Wal! /mown by 1Wll6 but those 'WM sang it. "No man could learn that song butt etc. . aow'ca.n he who has never even been to sea know the jol of him who .lwi been saved from ship- wreck ? Who but the child knows the mother e love? The song told of here is buJ the result of the experiences through which they who sing it have been led. How, then, can they sing it who have known none of these things? But those represented by the hundred and forty-four thousand know the depths of sin and sorrow from which, and the heights of holiness and joy to ,thich, and the love by which, and the purpose tor -.hich, they have have been urlifted. They know the conviction, of 6Ult and the joy of pardon, and the Holy Spirit B grace, and the love of Christ. But what does the unbeliever know of these things'/ and how, therefore, can he learn .this song? 'l'he question comes-If such be the worship of the heavenly Church, are our Churches on earth preparing their members to join therein? Churches here should be vestibules for the heannly Church. Is the Church with which we are associated so to YO"ll and me? No one can learn that song· ,unless they be redeemed. Have we the q!lalificati();n? Have we come to Christ? Are we trusting in him? " We must begin heaven's song here below, or else we shall never sing it above. The choristers of heaven have all rehearsed their song here ere they took their places in the choir of heaven." But. only Christ can touch the soul'& sin-darkened eye, and cause it to see that truth which will make redemption precious, and hence he who is our Saviour mu1t be also our Teacher. Bo only can we learn the new song of his redeemed. IV. ITS MEMBERS ABE WITHOU'l' FAULT. After that the blesaed condition of the redeemed has been set forth, we are next shown their character. The general and 1ymbolic expression which tell.a how they all have the" Fa'her's name written on their 362 THE REVELATION . OF ST. JOHN THE DIVINE. [cu. uv. 1-20.