words, whereby the deeper feelings and thoughts of the heart are uttered. Music is especially animated with joy, and the fact that the heavenly company " sing," tells of their,., joy of heart." · 2. It is a BOng wherein all tM g'lory '8 given to God. Moses doe, not say one word of himself, but bids the people "sing unto 4he Lord;'' So was it, so will it be. 8, It lingers on the twrribleness of their enemies, It tells of their proud boast their cruel intent, their formidable power. Thus the "wrath of man,. praised Goi .And in the future review, when we think of our adversaries, the seemingly insuperable difficultie,~-these will be, as the like were, part of our l!Ong. 4. It tell, of the imemia' complete overthrow. 5. The future con1iequenaes of this victory. Moses celebrates that. How "the dukes of Edom, the people of Palestiua," will be moved with fear. And so in the song of the Lamb, "Who shall not fear," etc.? ( ver, 4). The redeemed distinctly contemplate further triumphs for the Lord over those as yet not yielded to him. The "firstfruits," "the Church of the Firstboru," "the elect of God "-and it ia these, a.nd their glorious talvation, which is portrayed here-are, as their prototypes were, for the bleesing of others, many others ; " all the nations of the earth " are to be bleBSed in Christ ?.nd in hie seed. And the elect are to be the instruments. And the mighty lever that shall overturn the mass of error and sin shall be God's marvellous meroy to them. Oh to be numbered amongst. "the sacra.mental host of Goo's elect" J For they are- III. THE stNGERS OF 'l'llll! RONG. They were and are snob as: 1. Ona wen, oo,id,,. men. 2. Had been in sore peril of being re-enslaved. 3. Their ~servation due w ~ fact tkat they had been "kept by the power of God." It was his restraining hand ·had held back the waves, that but for this would have overwhelmed them. 4. They are a " blood-beaprinkkd band." On the lintel and doorposts of every house of Israel the blood of the Paschal lamb had been sprinkled, and so bad they and theirs been saved alive. Never were they to think that it was for their own worthiness they were ~aved. To crush such thought the Passover sacrifice was ordained. And the singers of this song owe their all to the fact that for them Christ's blood was shed. In virtue of that they are what and where they are. Do any ask-How is this? We answer- " I cannot tell the woe Which thou wast pleased to bear, 0 Lamb of God; but this I know- That all my sine were there." s. c. Vere. 1-4.-21.e s(J'll,g of the redeemed. A further vision is permitted-" another sign "-with which the faithful but tried ones are to be cheered. The vision, as a whole, is "great and marvellous." It reaches to the end of the eighteenth chapter. "Seven angels" have "seven plagues"-" the last, for in them is finished the ,wrath of God." With these solemn words the announcement of the coming j11dgments-the final ones-is prefaced. As before, the hearts of the faithful are comforted and assured by a vision of their glorious lot, before the revelation of the judgments upon the earth is made. So are they encouraged to fidelity, and prepared for the terrible scenes whioh are about to be presented. It is needless to search for an explanation of every detail of the symbol. The vision is of. the holy ones, who sing a psalm of praise to God for h~ manifested judgments. "Thy righteous acts have been made manifest." It has its hidden assertion. Thy judgments hitherto, thy judgments ever, those which have been, those which are, and those which shall be, are true and righteous altogether. This aecription is thrown into the form of a song, which is- I. A BONO OF PRAISE. Praise to God for the greatness and marvellous character of bis works, and for the righteousness and truthfulness of hie ways. IL A SONG Ol!' TRIDMPH, Like the several songs of the Revelation, it anticipates the final il!Bue of the struggle between good and evil. "All the nations shall come and worship before thee." .. _ III. A BONG FROM A FAITHFUL AND REDEEMED HOST, "Them that come victorious from the beast, and from his image, and from the number of his name." Only the redeemed who have been faithful in their struggle against evil oan rejoice in the final overthrow of that evil. · IV. A .JUBILANT SONG. They who sing stand "by the g1assy sea, having tl!& 888 THE REVELATION OF ST, JOHN THE DIVINE. [en. xv. 1--8.
harps of God." It is a song of Blllvation and deliverance: "the song of Moses "-the triumphant exultation of the redeemed host when they, having crossed the flocd, saw their enemies engnlfed. "The song of the Lamb," when the whole work of the Lamb has been effected, when the redemptien from sin i.s complete, and the overthrow of whatever opposes the Name of the Lamb is utterly crushed and destroyed. Then truly •hall it be said," Who shall not fear, 0 Lord, and glorify thy Name? for thou only art holy; for all the nations shall come and worship before thee." Thus is anticipated in aong what is about to be portrayed.-R. G.