and ~he.Lamb.. - :F~:the ;Holy Ghost p.\'OC~deth fl'am the Father- and. the Sun;, and when Clu:i~t; sppke of t,;ie water that ,lie w.ould. giv&,, St. John adds, "This apake. he -~f the Spiri\;" Aud .as to the tree,of,life, ,Jesus said,•~ I am· the Way, the lfrutli,:and u ._,tlte l,ife;" I api the ltesurreption, aqd ,the Lifie; ", ~d repeatedly, "I am tile Bread 9,f life."_ Himself, theµ, in hie .sustaining, strengthening grace; .and. the· Holy. Spirlt .\ij _his, .lil&J,qtifying, refr!l$hing, reviving power;-all this, ip. abundanoo sh1"1I. be,,the spiritual portion of the inhabifants of the holy city. , . And' though none there ever .have io.!lll-Jr, '' I am sick," yet there are those outside- the city who .are, ~nd the leaves of this blessed tree a.re for their healing. So that it not only blesses those who eat, of it; but makes them a blessing to others also. 2. And now, J;iually, tlte IJ'XCeeding ble888dness is of the people of the holy Jerusalem, God's servants, set forth in a series of striking statements. (1) "There shall be no more· curse:'' Here, again, note the form of 11xpressi9i,.;--ll/lfiling the evil, :whilst denying .it, to set.·off more vividly the e:ioo4leding good which is affirmed. 'l'he "o_urse" is everywhere here--on man, and-.on. the· earth!, , bi,sA'Yelling-;pl,aoe,:~ike. _·Death, the '310$t a.wful form of ·the curse,." reigns-.'/ .If But th~'.' etc,1 (2) "'rhe ~hi;one of God and.the Lamb shal). be.in. it.'' 'l'he will of God, his holy Law, his rig~eous. authority,. shall be confessed and rejoiced in. (3) ".His servants s4!¼ll.serve.,!:1.U1J. "-;,-:-.wW1 .,e11,se, alacrity, delight, _and .efTuct•. Not,,as,here, with:a,poor, maimed, marred service, and even that too often rendered reluctantly, or from inipllre ,moti~e"· (4), '' And tJ?ey sh_aJl fee. his face." 'l'hejoy ctf ilitimate.fellowship,sha.lb be the!!_s.. (5) "And his, ,name •. , ., foreheads." _. They-shall be confessed Wore all, sealed and_.,ownaj, manif~d, as the sons oL God. (6) ff And there shall be no 11ig,ht'.l' W:hel!- th.e l,ord _w~ betr;1.yed, St. John tells ,that," it was night."' .Here, in the city and scene of his triumph, he tells us repeatedly that" there is no nigh.t.". The light of God's love shall never be lacking. (7) "And they shall reign for ever and ever." .Whatseni1J~ces.these~! }low full, how in.exhaustihle'in their meaning! "Reign!'- ~, also Ol!-f, Lord s11id. . Yes, the chose:n. Qhurch shall be .the a ristooracy; the; ruling ,olas,. exeroising,,w~,, holy,m;1d,,benefioent rule ovar .the masses, of -mank_ind in ~he __k~µgdom,o±: ~od. Sw;h rule is ey~r the greatest..blessing to ·men-thei; real need. and. rjg~t., .. ;\Vise rµle-tb!lt ,id what is w ~ , and that shall he., It shall be-,no selfish J:i~e~s whicl;i.. the _elect of GQd shall enjoy, but one that. ~all .flow. fod.h· in benefi.cellQe for wh,ioh they will have both the will and.the puwer•
." f)~me, kingdom _of Oll1' God, . And raise th:y,glorious throne, [u_,;worlds, h7 the undying t.rO;d. Where God shi!ll bless h1s.own." ,s._c. V,er. _23._;_~eglo+iight: a sermon/or M~.u~m~ D<i,y~ : _''And_ tp.e oity -J.i~ J!-P ~eed of t~junt ftc. _ 'ro-da;f is 'the longest day of the Yf\¥:-~h11 .d.aY. iiu which \he l1ghtof the ,sun !a~ts _lopg(lr ~h,an on any other _day. It: ma;y ,be allowed; ,ther!lf'oi;e, w i11.1gge~t. tJi:otigll,ts otincernpig that place and tm,ie when the Billi .shalJ no lo;nger Qll needed, its ,lig~t beiug'111.1p)fr~(l(jed b,y the light of 'the gl;ory_ of (¾qd. _~ow, it ;:wi.-y _lie'. that ow- t.eii i{ to ~ til;ken')~ti:>.rally. What is h~re said ls cle!J.rly nqt irrq)oss.\\i,lf, for tlier~ li8II peen the, resemblang',l ,of it ,already .in ,tl?,_e_ most µoly place of the \a~~ -lnlti~ut 'if_ the. sup, .be really no ~onger flee,q.ea,j},len. \Ve Illll.Y ·1'.8liev1:-)~t t ~ '- t, B,~'l!-rim :j111iNs THAN ;TiiE_l'BEBENT <?~ 'SE~ALI*.G W,RAT 1!J ''l,O llB _)QiowN: · .The 1unls our revealer hl,lre. 'Its light ii! tha.twl/lch mak~ l½l!things J'.!'.18,Ilifest. All ljght. arti~~ial. as_ wel~ as na.turaj1 comes from one central_ sun•. _ ;Either froJI;1 the- sun's _dµ-o\:.t ra.ya, II.I!_ m .daylivit, or from those rays stored up m pr1.mev:al JoreJ!t products, and uo.w liberat;ed again.for our use, _But when, we see. thiµgs in the light of God's glory, w13 s~ll' see Jar ~o're than,w-~ dfuow. Our judgme1;1,~, of what is .$8an will, lifter -such .v-.on. be q~geil, not,~)lttle~ _· _ - . , . , . •._ , . . ·n. Birn~ ~A_NB <>l' GROW'l'll. . Thl}<ilun is,sgch :a l!},eans. »arveP,ta,1>_p'rjqg :mil 'ri~_ N!i!!&~D,j~ :~iii,; 1 Aud bre~rise \'"gro,wth" ~1µ. belong ~ ~h!iJwt~e.r. ;vjp~~<h-:-:fo, we ~nl_lP,t ooµce1v~ of \l,Il, e~erlasting halt and st,an.dst,ill-:-even :qi.o:re tha!l ~ ~~s, ~~~!' mUB, be m&\\ns of growth. \l.'he sun here represents all sµcb means,_wh-l!th~r lJ!i,tµ1ng11 · · UVELATlOli, 2 11 G TIIB UVELATION'OF S'l1. :JOHN /J'llE Dtvl.Nm. [oil. xn; I--81/.
mat.eriaJ,: mental, -0r moral. . But if these means are mperseded, then the glory of God Diuall b&-and in.tbings,apiritual we oah well understand this-a beU.er nieans. . ·· . IIL: A:iib OF. ADORl!fllEN'I'. It is, the sun, whicli{touehing, tinges with· a.11 lov:eli~ l&U611,ev811. the dullest and,drearil!Bf things.····out· of the dreary rain it ca,:Ps 'fQi:th the gorgeoqa '4 bow in the ·elolld," the uven-haed arob' that epatis the heavens, so unsi:-k- &bly foTiily that St. Joan malies it again and• again the •symbol of the glory that over- arches ~ throne of God. But in the light of Christ an4 God,. told of here,:• shall become spiritually. beautiful, Here we may see all numner 'Of beaaty, and remain' 'foul at heari- · ·, , ·· · •· p~t p1e,.~:: u'fvhei-e every And only man 'vile.''.18
But that.light Uken.stbose·on wh~ it.falls to hitnfto~ whom It eome11.· Wh'ait,ihen, is the adornment.of the natural sun compared. to· that? · , ·· · · ·' : ·' . IV. ARD. OP 'SERVICE.· n Work .• ' • ·while it is 1 day: the night co~th, w)'ren·no man can work.",:-&, arid, truly; spoke our Lord. Burilight and streiigtli alike fa:U.tis, though service'tieeds to be rendered and work ,vaits, to be done. So is it here. ·1 But , ~ <the easentials•of service will be·present in degree and kind such as here we };lave 'Jl<MI !DOWD.; , · . . , •· ' , . I' [
,. , Ocmei.usroN•. 1. In order to our poBsegg,jon of a.ll tliei!e, we must tise IOOlm!l ·we tlie' liave. They that cannot be8i1" a weak light, will yilt Iese bear a l!trong one. 2:, :As th~ ~e betterthings provided for ull, we may be sure that we 1!llalll'be made· 'better ·likewise,iao a:is, to btl fit for them.: · Our future home i& a: prepared pl&ce for a, prepared people;:....s.:c. ' . . '•:'; · .. , . . .· ,· I . 1, ' C. • , ,; ; ~.. I • : . . ,·, ;,_ [ 'I '~} I