The Pulpit Commentary — Revelation — Section 420

he not "true and righteous,• hoth in himself and in hia procedlll'e, who 0011ld worship him? Moral mind is so constituted, that to worship the falso and ihB wroag would be an impossibility. You may urge me to do so with the threat of eternal damnation, but I could not bow my knee to such; ll(>r ought I, if I could. &, t.he, worship of an immaculate God meets the moral cravings of my BOul, and hrinl!le out. all the faculties of my nature in harmonious play and rapturous delight. a. 17- ,,,,,,,,Aip was intensely enthusiastic. "Alleluia," "Praise our God," etc. "In the prceent episode," says Moses Stuart, '' trichotomy as usual is plainly discemil,le. In the first division, all the inhabitants of the heavenly world are repnlS61lted u lUIMI~ in a song of triumph and of th&nksgiTing on account of the rigbteo111 judgmens of God which are about to be inflicted (veis. 1-4). In the seeond, a voice from U.. throne in heaven speaks, and. requires of all his servants everywhere, renewed praiae, which accordimdy is shouted (vers. 5-8). In the thbd, a glorious prospect or rw!e.- ing martyrs is disclosed. 'l'hey will be guests at ihe Dlfl.rria:ie supper of the Lamb; the Church is indeed the Lamb's bride, and the exaltation of the Messiah is vividly sltetched m the decla.ration of the :mgel-interpreter, at whose feet John, in a state of astonish- ment, falls. Jesus, the an,i:el declares, is the Objec• of worship by him; and therefore . he (the angel) cannot claim the worship of his fellow-servants, who, like him, aM merely instruments in making known the -prophecies respt'cling the triumph of redeem- mg grace (vers. 9, 10)." The ".Alleluias" seem to wax louder and louder as they are repeated, until they become as "the voice of many waters, and as the voice .of mighty. thunderinge [thunders]" (ver. 6). The voice seems as loud as the vociferous ruuse ot a mighty army when victory has been won, or as the boom of old ocean whe.n luhed into fierce stonn. I!. .A SYMBOLIC ASPEOT OF TJIJ! ETERNAL IN BT8 Rll:PREl<E~TATIVB TO JUN. "Le, us be glad and rejoice [rejoice and be exceeding glad), and give honour lo him [let us give the glory unto him): for the marriage of the Lamb is come," etc. (ver. 7'j. As Christ is in other places of the Bible represented as the "La.mb of God," and also as being ffl!d,led to his genuine disciples, the symbolic langul\ge here suggests him to oul' minds in some of his grand relations to mankind. He appears here: 1. As the loving Hmband of the true. "'l'he marriage of the Lamb i~ come, and his wife bath made herself ready" (ver. 7). By the true, I mean his g•.·nuine disciples, those of Christly eharacter. In various places elsewhere, his relation to such is represented as t\11; foundation to a building, as the root to a branch, as the nead to a boo.y. But his relation~hip here represented varies from these in at least three rlltlpects. (1) 11e1-t is mutual cooi«. There is no mutual choice of the superstructure to the foundation, of the branch to the root, of the limb to the bead. Bnt there is a mutual chow. in the eonnection between husband and wife, bridegroom and bride. Iri ttue marriage, which, I trow, is somewhat rare amongst what are called the mnrriages of the race, the. true are brought together, not by coercion, or accident, or blind passlon, but by mut;ual selection; the one offers, the &I.her accepts, freely and fully. Christ say• to all of ua, • Will you accept me as your Husband, your Guardian, Protector, and Friend?" ,vbilst the million11 say, No, there are some who say, Yesi and the two become one; there~ a vital identification. (2) There is m.tual sympathy. Not connnience or pas.,ion. but pure, disinterested love-the love of admiration on the one side, and the love of con- descending pity on the other. (3) There is a mutU<Jl aim. Christ's aim is w promote the glory of his Father, in advancing his benevolent plans and the best interests of the human race. This is also the grand purpose of those who in very soul wed themselves to him. They accept him- as their Bridegroom, not from aelfish motives, not from the dread of hell, nor for the Ii.ops of heaven; not to escape Gehenna, and reach a Paradise; but in ordeP to promote tke true well-being of humanity, and the glory of tb.elr lfaker, The scene bere suggested ia that of a bridal feast, a banquet to celebr&te the su.blime qnion of souls. " Let wi be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him : for the marriage of the Lamb is eome." Observe: (1) 'l'he bridal costume on this occasion. "And to her was granted (it was giYen to her] that 11he should be arrayed (array herselfJin fine linen, clean and white [bright and pure]: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints [righteous aet.s Elf the saints]" (ver. 8). 'l'he bridal garment here described agrees with that worn by the b,lde at the Jewish nuptials. And here it m~ lie regarded as e. symholio repNIIMllltation of the soul's attire. The pure, wfined, righteola •Xvr.LATION. . 2 B 466 mE REVELATION OF ST. JOHN TBE DIVINa (cm. xu. 1-2L