sign that the old covenant is remembered by the King of Kings. He reigns to carry out His purposes and fulfil His word. II. A source of comfort to the saints. Its presence assures them that God does not forget His promises. III. A terror to ill-doers; as it recalls to their memory the destruction of the wicked, with which it was associated. Of life and blissfulness enrol, That we may praise Thee to eternity. Allelujah! e d Ge. ix. 12, 13; Is. liv. 9, 10; Ps. lxxxv. 10. Jasper. G k. ίασπις. An 0paque variety of quartz; var. colours, Egypt. Sardine, Sardonyx, var. of onyx, in which white alternates with dark-red cornelian called sard. Emerald. Prob. fr. marmarugé-sparkling. Very hard; bright velvety-green; highly prized by ancients. Nero, nearsighted, watched gladiatorial combats through an eyeglass of E.Topics, i. 202. Green the emblem of immutability. The anc. Hindoos portrayed the chariot of the sun drawn by seven green horses."- Maurice, Ind. Antiq. ii. 179. It was. and still is, the imperial colour of eastern courts. e Bp. Taylor. band the elders; the 4, 5. elders,a representatives of the Church. sitting, as the throne kings (iii. 21). ́ out. . voices, as when the law was given;" God, the same in almightiness and sovereignty. seven.. God, lamps and see on i. 4. "These seem to represent the Holy Spirit in His the Spirits sevenfold working; in His enlightening and cheering, as well as His purifying and consuming energy." 110 Nearness to God.-These representatives of the saints in heaven are-I. Around the throne. Their being so suggests the equality of saints. II. Near to the throne. The condition of glorified spirits in heaven is that of nearness to Christ, clear vision of His glory, constant access to His court, and familiar fellowship with His person.d I Views of heaven.-A living divine says, "When I was a boy, thought of heaven as a great shining city, with vast walls and domes and spires, and with nobody in it except white tenuous angels, who were strangers to me. By and by my little brother died; and I thought of a great city with walls and domes and a Re. v. 8-10: 1 C d Spurgeon. "Thunder, the herald, earth accredited, of heaven, which, when men hear, they think upon heaven's king, and run the items over of the account to which He is sure to call them."-J. Knowles. S. spires, and a flock of cold, unknown angels, and one little fellow that I was acquainted with. He was the only one I knew in that time. Then another brother died; and there were two that I knew. Then my acquaintances began to die; and the flock con"As a dead man tinually grew. But it was not till I had sent one of my little cannot inherit an children to his Grandparent-God-that I began to think I had estate, no more can a dead soul got a little in myself. A second went, a third went, a fourth inherit the king-went; and by that time I had so many acquaintances in heaven, dom of God." that I did not see any more walls and domes and spires. I began to think of the residents of the celestial city. And now there have so many of my acquaintances gone there, that it sometimes seems to me that I know more in heaven than I do on earth." Salter. the sea of a Re. xv. 2. 66 6, 7. sea.. crystal,a pavement bef. the throne; "glassy;" resplendent and pellucid." round.. behind, the throne appears as resting on these, symbols of watchfulness; "looking every way, seeing everything, ready to move in any direction." lion, emblem of strength, courage. calf, or ox, patience, work, the reward. man, intelligence. eagle, velocity, far-seeing, soaring queen who visit- (symbols of the Church of Christ).a In the Koran, represented as audience-hall to be a sea. or ments; or, the the human soul; ed Solomon-is The religious aspect of sculpture.—The vision of the Apocalypse supposing the is a sanction of the faculty which we call-from this power of pavement on wh. creating images-by the name of "imagination." I. The figures she walks to the here described have, as we know, no actual existence in heaven; but they none the less bear witness to the truth that such forms d Some, as Vic- are warranted under the Gospel. II. May we not also say that torinus, under- this glorious art of sculpture is an illustration of the great truth stand them to of Life and Immortality? There is the clay in the hands of the sym. the four Evangelists, potter, as in the time when our characters were not yet formedGospels; others there is, too, the cold dull outline, when life has vanished, and вау they sym. the shroud is around us, when there remains nothing but the the four ele-featureless form, as in the dead, lifeless plaster-and, lastly, there four cardinal is the Resurrection; out of a block of marble comes an ideal, lifevirtues; or, the like form. III. By this art we may learn to appreciate the bright four faculties of future, the lofty ideal of human nature and of human destiny.eor, our Lord in The spiritual navigator bound for the holy land.-The allegory the four-fold here gives the world as-I. A sea. The world is not a material great events of but a mystical sea. It may fitly be thus compared, since-1. The redemption; or, the four patriarsea is an unquiet element; 2. It is salt and bitter; 3. It casts chal Churches; forth its dead; 4. It is no place to continue in; 5. It is full of or, the four chief dangers-pirates-rocks-whirlpools-sirens-tempests; 6. In it Apostles; or, the there are fishes that eat up fislies; 7. It is full of monsters; 8. Church; or, the It is a great cistern, scattering its riches all abroad. II. A sea of four orders in glass. This implies-1. Colour; 2. Slipperiness; 3. Brittleness. the Church; or, III. A sea like to crystal. It is transparently bright. IV. A sea the four virtues of the Apostles; before the throne. God sees all that is done in it. or, the Angelic Ministerial boldness.-As the four beasts, or living creatures, state of the are understood by many good commentators to be symbolical of glorified Church, the ministers of the Gospel, the lion here may be considered as the emblem of their courage or boldness. Of this the following anecdote will furnish an example. Bishop Latimer having one day preached before King Henry VIII. a sermon which displeased "An intrepid his majesty, he was ordered to preach again on the next Sabbath, courage is at and to make an apology for the offence he had given. After best but a holiday reading his text, the bishop thus began his sermon:-" Hugh kind of virtue, Latimer, dost thou know before whom thou art this day to speak? exercised, and To the high and mighty monarch, the king's most excellent doctors of the &c. &c. e Dr. A. P. Stanley. fT. Adams. to be seldom in majesty, who can take away thy life if thou offendest; therefore, never but take heed that thou speakest not a word that may displease; but cases of necesthen consider well, Hugh, dost thou not know from whence thou mildness, sity: affability, word which ten I signification of virtue, - I mean good- and staff of life." comest; upon whose message thou art sent? Even by the great derness, and a and mighty God! who is all-present! and who beholdeth all thy would fain bring ways! and who is able to cast thy soul into hell! Therefore, take back to its origincare that thou deliverest thy message faithfully." He then pro-al ceeded with the same sermon he had preached the preceding Sabbath, but with considerably more energy. The sermon ended, the court were full of expectation to know what would be the fate of this honest and plain-dealing bishop. After dinner, the king called for Latimer, and, with a stern countenance, asked him how he dared to be so bold as to preach in such a manner. He, falling on his knees, replied, his duty to his God and his prince had en- "I dare do all forced him thereto, and that he had merely discharged his duty that may become a man; who and his conscience in what he had spoken. Upon which the king, dares do more, rising from his seat, and taking the good man by the hand, em- is none."-Shakebraced him, saying, "Blessed be God, I have so honest a servant!" speare. 8. each.. him," all. to speed with wh. Divine commands are the four executed. within, i.e. the parts turned towards the throne and living its occupant, as if to scan the will of the Great King. and.. saying, Heb. expression incessantly. holy, etc., God worthy of the praise of all intelligent beings. They rest not day and night.-This text suggests two views of a future heaven, as a state of I. Ceaseless activity in of God, that the service of God: 1. Activity is necessary to pure and unsullied worship enjoyment; 2. The chief ingredient in our holy activity in heaven will be the service of God. II. Continual progress. The mind is ever aspiring after advancement here below-so in heaven there will be a constant aspiration after increased knowledge, holiness, and love to God. creatures a Ez. i. 6, 11, 18 1.7.2, 3. "It is for the sake of man, not and prayers are re quired; not that God may be rendered more glorious, but that man may be made better that he may be confirmed in proper sense of ac and virtuous dispositions in which his highest improvement consists."- Blair. c Dr. J. Hamilton. more Dr. N. Macleod. Heaven is the desirable, because there I derstand the Scriptures than The service of heaven.-Adoration at the throne, activity in the temple, the worship of the heart, the worship of the voice, and the worship of the hands,-the whole being consecrated and devoted to God,-those are the service of the upper sanctuary. Here the flesh is often wearied with an hour of worship: there they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come." Here a week will often see us weary in well-doing: there they are drawn on by its own deliciousness to larger and larger fulfilments of Jehovah's will. Here we must lure ourselves to work by the prospect of rest hereafter: there the toil is luxury, and the labour recreation; and nothing but jubilees of praise, and holidays of higher service, are wanted to diversify the long and industrious Sabbath of the skies. And it matters not though sometimes the celestial citizens are represented as always singing, and sometimes as always flying; sometimes as always working, and sometimes as always resting; for there the work is rest, and every movement song; and the hope To leave my 'many mansions" make one temple, and the whole being of its Bible, and to go worshippers one tune,— -one mighty anthem, long as eternity, and to the God and large as its burden, the praise of the great Three-One,-the self- the Bible reveals, renewing and ever-sounding hymn, in which the flight of every will be no otherseraph, and the harp of every saint, and the smile of every rap-wise my loss than tured spirit, is a several note, and repeats ever over again, to leave the pic"Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to 66 come."c shall better un here I can ever to do. heaven which ture for the presence of my friend."-Baxter. praise to the Creator a Ps. cxv. 1; xli. 13; Jude 25. 6 Pr. xvi. 4; Da. iv. 34, 35; Ro. i. 25; 1 Ti. vi. 14 -16. 9-11. beasts, living beings. give.. ever, they praise Him as the eternal. cast. . throne, owning their dependence: disclaiming all honour and dignity of their own. created, they praise Him as their Creator. and.. created, recognising the cause and purpose of the creation. Coronation of the saints.-Consider-I. The fact that the true saints of God are a crowned people—a crowned Church. II. The "If my soul is not engaged in process by which we, who are by nature fallen, and enemies to my worship, it is God, become a crowned people. Before we are crowned we must even as though uncrown self-our own righteousness, and fall at Christ's feet. I worshipped He will crown our faith and love. not."-Confucius. III. The blessed day when all "The act of Di- God's saints will be crowned in another and a holier world. vine worship is What a crown will then await the Christian conqueror! IV. The the inestimable disposal of these crowns. They will be cast before the feet of the only created Christ. This act will involve-1. Divine worship; 2. A renunciabeing who bows tion of all human worthiness; 3. An ascription of gratitude and in humility and praise to Christ.c privilege of man, adoration." - H. Ballou. without dark A great purpose.-Dr. Burnet, who was intimately acquainted e Dr. O. Winslow. with the Honourable Robert Boyle, and wrote his life, says, "It "There is light appeared to those who conversed with him on his inquiries into ness, joy without nature, that his main design was to raise in himself and others, grief,desire with- Vaster thoughts of the greatness and glory, of the wisdom and out punishment, goodness of God. This was so deep in his thoughts, that he conlove without sad- cludes the article of his will, which alludes to that illustrious ness, satiety without loathing, body the Royal Society, in these words, Wishing them a happy safety without success in their laudable attempts to discover the true nature of fear, health with- the works of God; and praying that they, and all other searchers out disease, and into physical truths, may cordially refer their attainments to the death."--Quarles. Great Author of nature, and to the comfort of mankind.'" life without the book written within and without α Ps. xx. lxxxix. xcviii. 1. b Alford. CHAPTER THE FIFTH. 1—3. in.. hand,a on the right hand: "i.e., the right hand was open, and the book lay on the open hand." book, a roll, a volumen. within.. backside, written on both sides of the parchment. sealed.. seals,d seven means prob. completely, 13; perfectly sealed. strong, prob. ref. to the voice. worthy, prob. ref. to rank or dignity. and.. earth, Heb. phrase the universe. able, worthy. 6; The glorified Christ.-I. The solution of the mysteries of God: 1. The book in the right hand. God always works by a plan. Characteristics of this plan-order, completeness, duration. 2. The book sealed. Its secrets hid. 3. Christ the revealer of the mysteries of God. This is true in relation to history-to the soul. The purpose of the Christian life is to reveal His glory and promote it. II. The object of worship-Christ worshipped by the "The books of redeemed. Nature and of Description of scrolls.-Sometimes the scrolls were written on Revelation equal-both sides, and the manner in which this was done is so well exly elevate our conceptions and plained by a modern traveller, who saw two ancient rolls of this invite our piety: description in Syria, that we shall give the account in his own they mutually words::-"In the monastery," says Mr. Hartley, "I observed two other; they have very beautiful rolls, containing the liturgy of St. Chrysostom and an equal claim that attributed by the Greeks to St. James. You begin to read illustrate each on our regard, for they are both finger of written by the one, God."-Watson. g Paxton. by unrolling, and you continue to read and unroll, till at last you arrive at the stick to which the roll is fastened; then you turn the parchment round, and continue to read on the other side, rolling it gradually up till you complete the liturgy." It was eternal, incomthus written within and without: and it may serve to convey an prehensible intelligible and correct idea of the books described both by Ezekiel and John.g 4,5. wept.. thereon,a" disappointed desire aft. fulfilment the Lion of of the promise."b elders. . not, these elders knew better than Juda opens John. With immortality comes knowledge of wh. we cannot now the book conceive. Lion.. Juda, the Messiah of the promise. the. a Da. vii. 15, 16. David, the Branch fr. that root.e prevailed, conquered, over-b Alford. It is come all difficulties. said that Sir P. Sidney wept met ce. xlix. 9, 10; vii. 14. cf. Ma. i. 2; He. "Christ set forth lion-1. Heroism; 2. 3. 4. The revealer of mystery.-Notice-1. The description here given when he of the one who should open this sealed book. It is significant of with anything he -1. Strength and majesty-"the Lion "—the king of beasts, could not under"of the tribe of Juda "-the greatest of the tribes. 2. Royaltystand.-Trapp. "the Root of David." II. The deed He should perform: 1. One for which a conflict had to be fought-" prevailed;" 2. Continuity is also implied-there were "seven seals" to be unloosed. None in heaven but those like Jesus.-At heaven's gate there by a stands an angel with charge to admit none but those who in their strength; countenances bear the same features as the Lord of the place. Here comes a monarch with a crown upon his head. The angel Vigilance."pays him no respect, but reminds him that the diadems of earth Gerhard. have no value in heaven. A company of eminent men advanced Is. xi. 1, 10; dressed in robes of state, and others adorned with the gowns of Re. xxii. 16. learning, but to these no deference is rendered, for their faces e" He is the are very unlike the crucified. A maiden comes forward, fair and branch bec. He is comely, but the celestial watcher sees not in that sparkling eye root bec. He is man; He is the and ruddy cheek the beauty for which he is looking. A man of God."-Wordsrenown cometh up heralded by fame, and preceded by the admir-worth. ing clamour of mankind; but the angel saith, "Such applause ƒ Pr. xxiii. 11; may please the sons of men, but thou hast no right to enter here." Is. xliii. 14; Je. But free admittance is always given to those who in holiness are made like their Lord. Poor they may have been; illiterate they 9 N. Warburton. may have been; but the angel as he looks at them smiles a welcome as he says, "It is Christ again; a transcript of the holy child Jesus. Come in, come in; eternal glory thou shalt win. Thou shalt sit in heaven with Christ, for thou art like Him.” 1. 34. 6, 7. midst.. elders, a central position of Christ, in the the slain throne, in the Church, etc., stood, firmness, life, not overthrown. Lamb Lamb," by suffering as a lamb, He conquered as a lion." d as a Re. iii. 21. liii. 7; 1 Pe. i. 19; c Wordsworth. 8; iv. 4; xxii. vii. 9. slain, bearing the mark of the death-wound.e seven, com- b Jo. i. 29; Is. plete, universal. horns, power, dominion. and.. eyes, perfect knowledge. which.. earth, i.e., this dominion and knowledge the fruit of the perfect working of the Holy Spirit. he.. throne, as having right, authority; hence, He is worthy. The slain lamb, beheld in heaven by the redeemed.-I. There will be a glorious manifestation of Christ in the heavenly world. This manifestation will be-1. Concerning the Saviour's person-His exalted human nature-His Divinity; 2. Concerning His offices-His priesthood-His royalty; 3. Unchanging and eternal. II This manifestation will produce animating and delightful influences on all to whom it is revealed: 1. Purity; 2. Pleasure; 3. Praise-of worship—of gratitude.* e Jo. xx. 25; Zec. xii. 10. Is. Ixiii. 1; Ma. xxviii. 18. ii. 3; Jo. ii. 24, 9 Zec. iii. 9; Col. 25. |