The Pulpit Commentary — Revelation — Section 421

cbaracteT, which covers and adorns the spirit of the bride-" the ornament ihat coven a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price." Moral character is evermore the garment in which the soul is clad. If the character is impure, its apparel is but filthy rags; if holy, it is clad in the "robes of righteousness." There is no bridal union with Christ when souls are not thus enrobed. (2) 'lbe happy guests on this occasion. " Write, Blessed are they which are called [bidden] unto the marriage 8Upper of the Lamb" (ver. 9). All the guests themselves are brides; all of ihem have on the wedding garment; with hearts of joyous gratitude, they have come to welcome one or more of those who have just entered into the bleBSed community, "These are the true sayings rwords] of God." '.l'hey are not fictions, not poetic rhapsodies; they are attested by the dictates of nature and the facts of experience. " There is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth." (3) 'l'he suggescive talk on this occasion. "And I fell at [down before] his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See thou do it not: I am thy fellow-servant [ with thee], and of thy brethren that have lbold] the testimony of Jesus: worship God," etc. (ver. 10). John, in this vision or Jream of his, seems so enraptured, so transported with ecst.asy at the scene, that his devout emotions overcome him, and he falls down at the feet of the angel- interpreter, the man who bade him " write" the words, " Blessed are they," etc. The words which this interpreting spirit addressed to John as he prostrated himself before him are very beautiful and suggestive. "He saith unto me," says John, as I lay overwhelmed with emotion at his feet, "See thou do it not; " my relationship to thee forbids it: "l am thy fellow-servant, and of thy brethren.'' We are engaged in the lil\me work and members of the same family. "See thou do it not." It is the charac- teristic of small men that they require their fellow-servants to worship them, to render them homage. Hence their assumptions, their glitter, their pomposity, and parade. The greatest man is evet the most humble. "Thathave [hold] the testimony of JesUB: worship God." .His teHtimony is the spirit of all true teaching and "prophecy." John and his coadjutors are both sent on the s8J)le errand, engaged in the same work, partakers of the same prophetic spirit; the one must not, therefore, worship ~e other. "The more thy glor1ee strike my eyea, The lower I shall lie : Thll8 while I fall my .;,ors shall rile Immeasurably high. Bow 111bllmely blessed the condition of all genuine disciples of Christ I They are wooded to him; he is their spiritual HU8band, and each can say, "I am hie, and he is nrlne." 2. As lhe mumphant Conqueror of the wroog. Earth is the arena of a tre- mendous campaign, the battle of the right against the wrong, of the true against the false,of the benevolent against the selfish. As a Chieftain in this grand moral campaign against wrong, the following points are suggested as worthy of note._ Observe: (1) The instrumentality he employs, and the titles he inherits. "And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war" (ver. 11). A portion of the machinery (perhaps the greatest) which this ~reat Hero uses is Tepresented as a ''white hol'IIO," In the sixth chapter of this book, which we have already noticed, there is a similar picture of the implements employed. "And I eaw, and behold a white horse: and he that 8at on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer." A" horse," strong, swift, daring, manageable, like the war-horse in the Book of Job. "White," emblem of the pure and the right. The campaign in which Christ is engaged and the methods he employs are all right and pure. "He that sat on him "-the triumphantGeneral-"hada. bow: and ••• went forth conquering, and to conqueT." The bow projects the arrow, and the arrow penetrates the heart of the foe. See what titles this Hero inherits. He is called "the Faithful;" he never breaks a promise. "'l'rue "-true in his conceptions of realities, and true· in his representation of those realities; ever in lip and life in strict conformity to eternal facts. "In righteousness he doth judge and make war.• AU hie campaigns are right; he fights not against existence, but against it.I evils. He never strikes a blow but to crUBh a wrong, and to sa.ve a soul. "His name is called The Word of God" (ver. 13), ~ Revealer of the Absolute, and his HuJ!resentative to 1nan. Here are titles how Wlliko cir. xtr.. 1-21.] THE REVELATION OF BT. JOHN TIIE DIVIN& 467.