The Pulpit Commentary — Revelation — Section 415

declaration of Scripture, of conscience, of right reason, of Christ's people always and everywhere, and of this symbol of the" liaen, white and clean." IL WHAT BY 1TB VARIETIES? 'l'hey tell of the different circumstances in which the believer is found. 1. The first tells of him as co1111ciotes of ,in. He is a believer, a saved soul-his raiment proves that; but when conscious of sin, garments of glory and beauty would be out of place. (1) Thus, when conscious of sin's magnitude and a.moun-, as on the annual Day of Atonement, when Israel was commanded "to afflict their souls," the priests were to wear these vestments. And so before the altar, as the believer before the cross. (2) Or of sin's awful consequences. See Ezekiel; Daniel ; seven angels (cf. supra). There, again, this raiment. Yes, if we be Christ's, we shall often, daily, in our hours of confession and penitential prayer, be thus vested spiritually, But this not "the sorrow of the world," but that " godly sorrow" which worketh eternal life. 2. The second, as conscious of Ohrist. He is not only accepted, but oon~ scious of it. Hence he wears the "ga.rments of glory and beauty." It was fitting the priest should; it is fitting that we, when realizing that we are Christ's and he ours, should in heart be vested thus. The symbolic "fine linen" clothed his limbs, the seat of his strength; was in the most holy place; was worn as a fair mitre upon his head; all this telling how his daily life, his approaches to God, his inter- cessions for others, were acr.epted:of God. May not a man's heart sing for joy, may he not spiritually put on this "fine linen,n when he knows that he and all he does is accepted of the Lord? 3• .As possessed of eternal glory. The source of his blessed- ness still the same, but now he realizes all ·he had anticipe.ted. And, moreover, the righteousness which it was given him to put on has become a righteousness in him, and has developed in "righteous acts;" for so the Revised Version renders our text: "The fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints." It would be false to Scripture, to con.science, and to fact, to teach that all the righteousness needed for the bride of the Lamb is one that is put on as a vestment. No; it is one formed within also, and expressed in "righteous acts"-in that "holiness without which no man shall see the Lord." Would we wear that splendid vestment at the last? Then see to it that we weai: the plain one now.----8. O. . Vera. 11-21.-TM/our names of Ohrist. There were three great enemies of Chri~t and his Church, each of which have been told of in the previous chapters or this book- the dragon, the first beast, and the second beast, or the false prophet. In the imme- diately foregoing chapters we have had told the destruction that came upon them that worshipped the beast. Generally upon them all by the outpouring of the seven vials; and then, more particularly, upon the city Babylon, which was the seat and centre of the authority of the beast. Then there came the vision of the blessed in heaven- a vision once and again given in this book, to reassure those on earth that, amid all the awful judgments of God upon their enemies, they, his faithful witnessing people here upon earth, should not be, were not, forgotten. Their bright, blessed condition in the presence of God is what is shown them for their comfort, their hope, their strength. That cheering vision having been given, the awful judgments upon the beast and the false prophet are next shown. We see the Lord summoning his armies, his eyes flashing in anger, the diadems on his head, the crimson vesture, the sharp sword, and the four names emblazoned thereon. Probably St. John had in view some near catastrophe on the enemies of the Church of his day, which supplies the grounil- work of this vision. Or, as some affirm, the heathen nations who were slain, not so much by awful war as by the sword of the Spirit, and ceased to be heathen, and became Christian. For the kings-these say-are the heathen Goths, Vandals, and the rest who invaded the empire everywhere and destroyed Rome, but who soon became Christian and were received into the Church. Or, it ma.y be, that the vision is all for the future. Who can tell? But the names of Christ, as here given, are for all time, and are full of instruction and help. I. THE "FAITHFUL AND TRUE," (Ver. 11.) Bo ,-as he: 1. In avenging his peopk. This is the thought suggested to those for whom St. John wrote. And so will he ever be. 2. In carrying out his purvoses. It. mattered not who or what withstood. 3. 2k put provllB t~ righteo'Usne,s o/ this name. His prophecies have been fulfilled.  OR, nx. 1-21.} THE REVELATION OF ST. JOHN THE DIVINE. 4151