The Pulpit Commentary — Revelation — Section 508

Ver. 12.-7'/ie day o/reoompMIM. "My reward is with me, to give every man acoording as his work shall be." It is related of Daniel Webster, the regality of whose moral endowment no one disputea, that when once asked what was the greatest thought tliat had ever occupi•d his mind, he replfod, "The faot of my personal accountability tv God." .And yet this thought is one• not frequently present in men's min<l., because it ill• one that is but little welcome. The very phraseology of the text, its several words, seem to point at one and another of the hindrances to the reception of this thought. · AB, for exampl&-- ••· · I.• INDIFFERJ:NOE. How many minds are wrapped up in this! They feel no ooneem; ther are lpiritually asleep, as was Jonah liten!.lly, though the ship and all in it were nigh to perishini; and though the great day of Christ's award ia hastening on. Now, to arouse snob as these, the text begins with the startling word, "Behold I" 'l'h11.11 does it "cry aloud." · · II.· PBOOBASTINATIOII'. Many, Felix-like, put off to "a more convenient season" the OOIU1ideration of a fact like thia. It was this very faot that Palll reasoned about and at which Felix trembled; but, neverthelesa, the consideration of which he, as thousands are .ever doing, put olf. Now, as if to protest against andcto prevent suoh conduct, Christ says, "Behold, I come quickly." There is no time fut d'elay; "llOW' is the day of salvation." ,, Ill. NoTioNs AND IDBAS .oF PRIVILEGE. • There were, there ar.e, 'those1 who counted themselves God's favourites. The Jews did, and, in a very 'real sense, 80 they were·1 but not in such sense as would suffer them to he inclifferent to the moral demands of God. . They, however, flattered themselves that God would not jtidge them as he did others. And there are those who have persuaded themet,lves that they are God's elect, but who pervert the doctrine of God's election to allowance of themselves in evil. Now, .aa if to meet these, the Lord here makes no difference, bui says, « J will give e'l181'!J man according," eto. · IV. ABUSE OJ!' D001'RilfJl OJ' FAITH, The doctrine of justification by faith has come in many minds to mean little more than a mere mental reference to the atonement or Christ. They think that a passport to eternal life. Suoh pe9ple say," Oh, we believe, we trust in Jesus," and with this their faith ends.· But Christ here declares, not only the rewardablenese of worka, but also that his reward will be according to each man's work. No profession of faith only, or talking of" casting deadly doing down "-see the well-known but misohievom1 mission hymn-will avail where the question of what our "work" is will he the all-important, all-decisive one. V. RELIANCB 011 PAST EXPERIENCES. It is said or Cromwell that on his death-bed he asked one of his chaplains, "If a man were once in grace, would he be always so?" And ·his chaplain answered," Yes, certainly." "Well, then," said Cromwell, "it; is well with me, for I know I was once in grace." We presume not to judge him or any man, bnt these words of the Lord do not countenance any such reliance on the past. For his reward is «according as his work shall, ~" N1Jt acoording as it once was, but as it is when the Lord comes. Thus does he beat down these " refuges of lies," and take away" these battlements which are not the Lord's." But our real refuge is to awake now and turn unto the Lord as they who have no hope but in him, and at onoe to manifest the reality of onr repentance and faith by doing those worb which be has commllllded.-S. C. Ver.13.-" fie First and tAe um.• Bo is Ohriat. The text is one of those clear, strong statements which compel the mind of him who accepts the authority of Scripture to assign to the Lord Jesus Christ that position of Divine dignity and rank which the Churoh has ever aaorihed to him. He ls the Fint and the Last. Like as aome TaBt mountain, towering alon into the olouds, is the first object that oatch88 the eye of the voyager on boatd a ship approaching the land, anil, when again she sails, is the last that linger11 in his view; so the Lord Jesua Christ, when we approach the study of God's revelations of himaelr, is the first Object that arrests our view, as he will be the last when we look baok from the ocean of eternity, And as in our illuatration, so in him to whom we have ventured to apply the illustration. Not only first and last, hut in all the interval between. As the mountain dominates the whole landscape, and i6 seen from a!1 point.I, go where we will, so the Lord Jesus Obrist oooupiea and filla rn: x:m. 1-21,] TilE REVELATION ,OF, ST. JOIIN TIIE nIVTX.E. 5135",