The Pulpit Commentary — Revelation — Section 323

foreheads" is expanded and explafned by the more definite declarations which we mu1l now. notice. It ls B&id "they are without fault;" or" blameless," as the Revised Version reads; and the apostle specifies Cour of the chief temptations to which they had been exposed, and which they had resisted and overcome. 1. And the first he names is that o( impurity. In the unusual expression in which this sin is referred to, there is: no countenance of an·y teachings which would give higher place to the single over the married life. If the unmarried alone are amongst the redeemed, it is questionable if one of the 1ipostles of our Lord would be found there. But that which is pointed at is those sins' <>f which it is best not to speak, but which we know full well have their l'j:!Ots' in'thii very centre of our natnl'e, and which it is a lifelong struggle to reprer.s a;id su'bdue•. But-this must be done, and-blessed be he who saves not only from the luitt, bill-the might of sin !-it may be done, and is being done, even as it was with these• of whom our text tells. 2. Half-heartedness. Great was, and great is, the temptation to f01low Christ only along paths not difficult. But to follow him "wbithersoever'" he went--ah I how many would be and are sore tempted to shrink from that I They would follow their Lord for some way-even at times a long way; but 'to fo,llow ll'here difficulty, danger, disgrace, death, waited for them-from that how many would· shrink I But "these" did· not; 3. <Jonfurmity to the W<>rld:. "'fhese " had the holy courage. to be singular, to come out " from among men," to go against the stream, to:oo other than the rest of men. How difficult this is those only know who Ji,ave tried to do as "these" did. The assimilating power of the society in which we (riingle is almost resistless, and often it is full of spiritual peril. It was so to those for ,rhom St. John wrote, and not seldom it is so still. Hence we have to go unto Christ "without the camp, bee.ring his reproach.'' "These" did this, and so won the high honour and rich reward told of here. 4. lmincerity. When to confess Christ meant, perhaps, the loss of all things, yea., thcir very lives; when martyrdom was the guerdon of faithful ackuowledgment of their Lord, how tremendous must have been the temptation to tamper with truth, to conceal, to compromise, to evade, to equivoee.tel But of "these" it is said, "in their mouth was found no guile." He who is the God or truth, yea, who is the Truth, ever lays great stress.on this "irtue of guilel088Jles~ whilst deceit and lies are declared abominabfe in his sight. · CoNCLUSION. Such was the character of that perfect Church-" the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb.". Doubtless there were all other fbrms of Christ-likeneBS-love, patien~e, meekness, and the rest-for the varied for.ms of Chriat's grace as seen in character are generally found in clusters. Where you find some you generally find others, yea,.in,liomemeasure, all of them. But 88' we read of only what is said here, our heart well-nigh d~spairs, and would altogether were it not that the same source of all goodnesa ia open to us as to them of whom we here read. ,. Oh, how can feeble flesh and blood Burst through the bonds of ainf The holy kingdom of our God, What man can enter in P" And the sad reply would be, "None," were it not that he who summons tlB to snch high attainment ministers all needed grace. Therefore we may and we must be "holy u he is holy,"-S. C. Ver. 4;-The greater salvation. " First fruits unto God and to the Lamb," ll'rom t~is and the many like expressions which are scattered over the New Testament, we gather that th.ere is a salvation greater and less. For here it is said that, the~e hundred and forty-four thousaud are "firstfruits." Therefore we learn- L WHJ.T THESE ABE l!OT. 1. 1'hey are not all the saved. The very word indicatee that there ia much more to follow. They a.re but the beginning. Nor: 2. A.re these firstfruits the mass qf the aaved. True, a large number is named, but what la that com- pared with the" great multitude that no man can number, out of every," etc.? IL WHAT THEY ABE. The word "firstfruits" teaches us tha~ theee thus named are: 1. The pledge of all the rest. Thus Christ has " become the Firstfruite of them that slept" (1 Cor. xv. 20). He is the pledge and guarantee that in him "all shall be made alive." And ao the natural fi.J"Btfruite of corn guaranteed the r88t of the ha.rveat. cu. xtv, 1-20.] TIIE REVELATION 01!' ST. JOHN THE DIVINE. 863