m1my atTOws in his quiver, many forces stored-llp ready to be brought forth; as yet h& hol.deth them back. He waiteth. He is long-suffering. He hath furgotten neither bis· promises nor his threatenings. "He wai teth to be gracious." But he w1il not we.it always. The Lord is a jealous God, and will not suffer his people always to be discomlited. . · UL 'l'BE BRINGING OUT OF THESE HIDDEN FOROES 18 FORESEEN AND · DETEBllINBD.; Three truths are taught us here. 1. 'l'hat the authority to pour out the bowls comes from "the temple" (eh. xvi. 1). From the sanctuary. "Heaven itself." 2. That there is an angelic ministry ready to be employed on this service (eh. xv. 6). "There is nothing in prophetic imagery more striking than this picture of the seven angels issuing, in solemn procession, from the sanctuary." 1 3. 'l'he angel-bands wait the word of command, "Go ye," etc. The angels of God are all ministering spirits, aacending and descending upon the Son of mal" IV. WHEN THE ANGELS OF JUDGl!IENT POUR OUT THE " BOWLS," ALL lfATUBB MAY BB FULL OF WHIPS AND STINGS. (Cf. vers. 1-4-, 8-11.) Here the elements of nature, which are the conditions and media of man's comfort, are all tu.rned into ,so many instruments of torture, when used in wrath. When will men learn that nature brings us joy ouly through the mercy of God? that it is "of the Lord's mercies we are not consumed"? How little might suffice to make life intolerable I One equivalent less of oxygen in the air, or one equivalent more, and life would be unendurable. Sooner or later God will convict ungodly men of their "hard speeches," by sore judgments. ; V. THE EFFECT OF TllESE JUDGlltENTS ON UNGODLY YEN WILL BE TO E:XCITB TO ANGEB, AND NOT TO BRING TO REPENTANCE. (Vers. 9, 11, "They repented not;" "They blasphemed.") Men, in their disloyalty to high Heaven, seem to think that the function of a Divine Being is just to make his creatures as comfortable as possible; a.a if there were no principles of righteousness for which a holy Governor should contend, and as if there were no claims on our obedience on which the great Governor ought to insist. And if he whom thoy have offended makes them smart, they "blaspheme" I "The foolishness of man perverteth his way, and his heart fretteth against the Lord." Note: Here is a refutation of the error that all suffering is disciplinary, and tends to improve. The vile heart of man perverts,it, and makes it a means of his own harden. ing in sin. VL THIii HOLY ONES BEE IB THE DIVINE BETRmUTroN A •ANIFE8TATION OF BIGHTEOUS-- JJESS. In ver. 5 "the angel of the waters" celebrates the righteousness of God, and -in ver. 7 "the altar" is said to do it; so the Revised Version reads; meaning, probably, the souls of the martyrs beneath it• (eh. vi. 9). Only those beings who are in f11ll sympathy with the Divine righteousness and love are in a position to judge rightly of the Divine procedure. And these, whether they be the ministering angels or the once-suffering saints, se.e in the recompenses of a holy Governor new manifestation'B of that rectitude which presides over all. "It is a righteous thing with God to· recompense affliction to them that afflict you, and to you that are afflicted, rest" (2 Thess. i. 6, 7). 'l'here are times even now when the righteons find the sight -0f deeds of atrocity and wickedness more than they can bear, and they cry aloud in the language of the ninety-fourth psalm(cf. Ps. :xciv.1-4). That cry will be answered. But although in the cry there may be traces of human passion, in the answer there will be nothing contrary to perfect equity. Note: 1. Although all Scripture points to trouble on a vastly greater scale than we as yet see it, ere the end shall come, yet on a smaller scale God's judgments are ever at work. "'!'hough hand join in hand, the wicked shall no, be .unpunished." That which is a bulwark to the good is a detective to the evil. 2. Let us not forget that the wondrous way in which the balance of nature's forces is preserved, so as to bring us life and peace and comfort, is owing, not to nature, but to God. His attempering care and constant remembrance alone preserve our souls from. death, our eyes from tears, and our feet from falling. Let us, then, not look too much at, nor lean too much on, earthly com 1.orts. If they an, comforts, it is God that makes them so, and we hold them at his disposal. 3. In our daily life we can sing of both mercy and judgment. No cop is aU sweetness. A dash of bitter mingles with all. Not all bitter, lest we should pine away; not all sweet, lest we should become insensible to life's peril and responsibilities. We need the 1 'Speaker's Oommentsrv,' in loo. t Seu Deau A.lford's und Webster and Wilkinson's notel on this vene fOO THE REVELATION OF ST. JOHN TIIE DJVU,;"'E. [err. ~n l-!!1,
chastening reminders of our own faults and sins. 4. We are indebted to Divine mercy even for the eanctifying effect of our trials. It hi not the natural influence of trouble t.o improYe the 10ul. By itself it wears, worries, vexes. We chafe against it. It galls. Only when the sanctifying grace of God works with it and by it will it mature \he spirit in meekness, submission, and love. Of all things to be dreaded, the Yery worst.evil is that of being abandoned by God to that hardness of heart which will turn eYen the juat penalty for our sin into an occasion for :fiercer revolt of the heart, and viler word1 on the tongue I