The Pulpit Commentary — Revelation — Section 387

It ia very like the "harlot" on account of its political mbserviency, worldly proclivity, and teligi.oua intolerance. What aNt we to do with Uiis .abomination f .Flee .from this Sodom; oome out of Uiia Babylon. "Oruah the monaw l "-D. T• . Ven., 7-1$._;.A pldur. of moral ffl"Of'. • A~d the angel Mid UDto me. Wberelon di<ht thou marvel ? I will tell thee the mystery of the woman, and of the beaat ~ ·carrieth her, which bath the seven heada and ten horns." etc. Whilst to the eye of the Iubite Jhe greatest cities of the world, the mightiest empires, the most ltupendous pnk4ictiom of human art are as nothing, and less thaD nothing, "vanity," those great moral principla which are the expressions of his own nature, the law1 that oontrol the df>ltinies of moral mind, are of transcendent import. What are Egypt, Babylon,. Rome, Paris, St. Peteniburg, New York, London, etc., to him? Shifting clouds, melting int.o infinite spsce; little bubbles, rising from and breaking into the ever-changing. ever- rolling stream of time. But Justice, truth, love,-wJiat ant ~ , As real, as changel-, as lasting, aa God. himself. Hence it is that in going through this Apocalypse I all but ignore the fanciful and confticting interpretations presented by what. are. caUcd Evangelical expositors, and concern myself with those ttua rinnciples, good and ew1, that touch tu ,pring of all human adtviU.,. L\)oking at theae ver11e11 aa an illustration of moral error, three things are observable. . L 1TB ;BIIITO&Y IS 11A&VELLOU& John, in hia vision, seems to have wondered al ,this visfon of the "mother of harlots," riding on the beast with "seven heads and ten .horns." "The angel said unto me, Wherefore didst thou marvel [wonder]?" (ver. 7). Evil ia indeed a "marvel," a wonder. It is mysterioUB on several accounts. L 0. <WOOUnt .W. tlie dm-knesa that t:nfolda its m.trodudion. When thinking of the introdno- tion of.moral evil, there are four questions which we ask with intense anxiety, but to which we seek a satisfactory solution in vain. (1) W7iendid itarise? A commencement .it must have had. Evil is not eternal; there is but one Eternal Being in the universe, and he is "glorious in holineBB." Evil, then, bad a beginning; but when? Who shall tell the morning when the first dark cloud rose upon the bright firmament of moral mind? Who shall tell when the first breath of sin ruffled the peaceful atmo- sphere of God's creation? The events of that morning are. not chronicled in the annals .-Of our world. (2) How did iL rise? There are two principles on which we can aeoonnt for the prevalence of sin amongst,men now-internal tendencia and ezternal circum- '..ta,u:ea. Man now baa a strong disposition to sin, so that as soon aa he begins to aot ,he.begins to sin, and then the outward circumstances under which he is brought up tempt him to wrong. To the latw we refer the introduction of sin into onr world. ,.Adam~ no unholy tendencies, but an external force was brought to bear upon hi■ ,hQly nature, which turned bim from rectitude. But the first sinner, whoever he might .be, had lleither this m.tern.al tffldescg nor the ~ circumatancu. All within and ,without, above, ~neath, and around, was in favour of holiness. The whole current of inner feeling aDd the mighty tide of outward events were all flowing in favour of ·perfect purity. How could a being sin in such circumstancea? How could he strike a diecordant note amongst such harmoniea? How could he rise up against and conquer all the mighty inftuenees which were in fil.vonr of holiness._? How could he lift hit nature against the Eternal and •• defy the Omnipotent to arms"? All is mystery. (3) : WAm-e did it arise? In what province of the univene? Amidst what order of intelli~ gel!ce&? (4) And then, why did it arise? ·Onmiacience must have foreseen it, and all the el'il .coD11e4uences that must start out from it. Almightiness could have prevented it. Why did he allow it to enter? Oh, why? 2. On aocoun, of tAti mad: under which ii toori■• Evil ~ver appears in its ow11 true character. Dishonesty wears the aspect of .rectitude; falsehood speaka the language of truth ; selfishness baa the voioe of benevo- J11nce; profa,niiy robes itself in tlie garb of aanctity; the "prince of darlmeas,. ~ Jike an angel of light. The lllOBt monatrous deeds that have been perpetrated UJIQel' theae heavens have been done in the name of religion. The Ale:randera and the c.aar. ,o{. thia world have fought their sanguinary battles, and reared their empires upon .alaughtered natioDB in the name of religion. The popes of the world have erected their iron throne upon the soul of Christendom in the name of religion. ~'he peneouton of the world have invented their lnqui■itions, built their dungeons, and kindled their .~ i.n Ule name .of reliaion. Ah me! the Son of God hiDlNlf was put ki death in a. -xvn 1-18.) THE REVELATION OF ST. JOHN 'l'HE, DIVINE. 4!9