The Pulpit Commentary — Revelation — Section 506

this great truth of permanency of character-the fact that after a while character becomes fixed. stereotyped as it were, and therefore unalterable; IIO that he that is unrighteous remains unrighteo\18 still, and, thank: God, he that is holy remains holy still. But this it1 uot their true meaning, though by their form and sound they seem to teach thi& But their purport is to exhort and encourage the faithful, by bidding them yet hold on, yet penievere; for the time of recompense, the Lord's coming, is at hand. Let the unrighteous, since they are so determined, be, unrighteous still; and let the fuul, sinoe they lo\>e to he so, be foul still; let them, if they will have it so, if men will be wicked they must; but let you rightoo\18 and holy ones he righteous and holy still; your trial will soon be over, and your day of reward have come. The parallel ~~ in Dan. xii. 9 confirms this interpretation; and seems to have been in St. Johns mind when he wrote our text (ef. all!() Ezek. iii. 27).. But because what a man wills to be.he eventually and increasingly comes permanently to be, therefore we mlly yet use our text as teacb.ing that tendency of character• to become permanent, let the character be .what it may. He tliat is righteous will go on doing righte.Jusnes11; whilst he that is filthy will go on making himself yet more foul Both will have it so, and it comes to be so, blessed as is the fact for the righteous, terrible as it is for the unrighteous. Now, thia is a su~ect appropriate to the closing year. For at such times we are wont to look back along the way we have come-, and to ascertain where we .stand. We do so in regard to our business, our health, our position in society, our attainments in know- ledge, 11tc. And such review is 1ight. Look back, then, on the paths along whmh we bave gone during the put year. There have been aom., iti which we have matk too little progress, in which we have halted too often, and at times turned back~the paths of prayer, of trust, of obedience, of love to God and man, of service, of charity, and the like. And there have been others in which it would have been well if we had 11ot !J01lie at all, or had halted in them, and come away from them-paths sinful, foolish, injurious to ourselve~ and others. Halt now, if any be in such path8, and forsake them at once. But there are others. in which we caniwt halt This d)'ing )'e&r tellB of one such-the path that leads to death anu eternity, "Our hearts, like muffled drums, keep beating Fnnoral marches to the grave." Along that path, whether we will or no, we mwt go, without halt or pause; 11,nd here we are, a long strekh of that way left behind us in this past year. And another of thes<j paths along which we are ever proceeding is that one whirh leads to fireity qf character, the permanent bent and bias of the will. It is to this that our te:x.t specially 1ummons our thought. We are ever engaged in gathering together the materials which go to the formation and fixing of character, no tnattcr whether it be good or ill. All our pursuits, pleasures, companionships, books, work; all our.thoughts, words, and deeds are busy, like a very colony of ants, all at work,a:nd all tending to that ultimate result in character which binds us down to be ever still the same. Each day finils that work nearer done, and a ye,1r must make, does w.ake, a great difference. . The walls of the buiWing may have risen hardly above the foundation a year ago, but now, at, the year's end, they ~re a good way up; and a year hence, if we be spared so long, the whole structure will be much nearer completion. What inquiry, then, .can-be mol'c important than this, as to the direction which our character is taking.?. It would pot matter so much, though even then it would be serious enough, if our varied, separate Rots were isolated and independent, wit,hout linking on the 0ne to the other; and not, 'l.i they are, all tending tu fix· and stereotype character in one direction or tho .other, for goo<l or for evil. It would not n,atter if at any time we could, as we say, "turn over a new leaf;" if it were" never too late to mend." But. there comea a time when t.hat new leaf will not be turned over, and it is too late to meml. A time when, like El!flu, we find no place of rPpentance, though we seek it carefully with tears, as he did (cf. Prov. i. 24-3::!). When tlie great suspension bridge over the Niagara !!'alls was built, first of all a slender wire was carried over by a kite to tke other side; that drew over 11 stronger one; that a chain ; and that, one heavier; and so by degrees the bridge. was put together and completed. So is it wiLh our characters. Some 111ight, insigmficant action, 1'.18 we deem it, draws after it somo others which arc not so insignificant•; and U..ese rlraw othen more important still; and so at length the whule atruct!rre of ow cm:. nu. 1-:21.] THE REVELATION OF ST•. JOHN THE DIVINE. 663