theirs, though our temptations are different (32). We have to maintain an incessant warfare, not, indeed, against persecution, but against the more dangerous enemies, sloth, pride, vanity, avarice, ambition, sensuality, worldliness, immorality, and selfishness, in all their hydra-headed forms (31). We live in an age of scepticism and general unbelief. Science itself, in a false and materialistic development, has become a greater enemy to faith (79) and a greater temptation to apostasy than persecution ever was. It is safe to say that Satan has never made a more deadly assault upon the constancy of God's people than that which he is now making through the prevalence of scientific scepticism. We shall see hereafter that it is the beast out of the abyss which slays the Lord's two witnesses (Rev. xi. 7). For how should the faculty of science in man, which has proved itself to be so prodigiously sharp-sighted and far-seeing in the development of industry, wealth, and worldly civilization; how should it be utterly blind to spiritual and divine things? That is a question which multitudes now find themselves unable to answer, and hence they are swept away into the gulf of unbelief. We need all the help we can get to resist and overcome this dire temptation; just that help, indeed, which is so graciously and bountifully provided for us in these 'exceeding great and precious promises, whereby we are made partakers of a divine nature, and escape the corruption that is in the world through lust' (2 Pet. i. 4). Let us feed upon them, that we may be strengthened with might in the inner man, may fight manfully the good fight of faith, and may come off more than conquerors through Him who hath loved us and given Himself for us (Rom. viii. 37).

XII

VISION OF GOD AND OF THE CREATION WORSHIPPING THE CREATOR IV I-II

This vision is introductory to the second series of these revelations, those of the seven-sealed book, which are of a more profound and mystical character. We pass now from the conflicts and trials of the church to a vision of God upon His eternal throne, surrounded by the heavenly host, the spiritual powers which emanate from Him and permeate the material and moral universe: a vision so wonderful that we can almost say with the prophets: "I saw the Lord sitting upon His throne, and all the host of heaven standing by Him, on His right hand and on His left (1 Ki. xxii. 19). I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne high and lifted up. . . . About Him stood the seraphim. Each one had six wings with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly. And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts: the whole earth is full of His glory" (Is. vi. 1-3). In this heaven-scene, the whole creation, as seen from the heavenly point of view, is unveiled, and we behold it unceasingly engaged in the worship of its Creator; thus presenting the grand ideal that is to be perfectly realized at the final coming of the Lord and the crowning establishment of His blessed kingdom.

I After these things, I saw, and, behold, a door set open in heaven, and the first voice that I heard as of a trumpet speaking with me, saying, Come up hither, and I will show thee what things shall be hereafter.

An interval seems to have elapsed after the preceding visions, perhaps a week, to the next Lord's Day, in order to rest the mind of the Seer, and to give him time to write the

Epistles to the churches. Now, therefore, he sees a door set open in heaven, and hears the same trumpet voice which he has heard before (28), calling him to come up into heaven, and promising to show him things that shall be hereafter. For the beautiful ideals which are now to be presented will not attain to perfect realization until the work of redemption and 'restoration of all things' (Acts iii. 21) shall be accomplished. But he is to ascend into heaven that he may see them as they cannot be made to appear from any other point of view.

2 Immediately I was in the Spirit: and, behold, a throne set in heaven, and One seated upon the throne: and He that sat was to the sight like unto a jasper stone and a sardius; and round about the throne a rainbow to the sight like unto an emerald.

As soon as he hears the voice, he falls into an ecstasy (26), and finds himself in heaven. Naturally the first object he beholds is God upon His eternal throne, whose form is not described, yet there can be no doubt but that it is the human form, the most perfect symbol of Him in whose image man was created, and which the Lord took upon Himself in His incarnation. His throne is the symbol of His sovereignty, power, dominion, and His being seated upon it, which is emphasized by repetition, denotes His possession of all government, and that it costs Him no effort, but is maintained and exercised as by one sitting at his ease. Moreover, His throne is mentioned 12 times in this vision, and 12 is the number of absoluteness or completeness, to and from which nothing can be added and nothing taken away, as in that of the patriarchs, the tribes, the apostles, the jewels in the high priest's breastplate, the foundation stones, gates, and pearls in the New Jerusalem. Very great stress is laid upon this idea of the government of God in these visions and throughout the Scriptures. To the dazzled sight of the Seer God appears like a jasper stone and a sardius; by the former of which, there is good reason to understand, the diamond is meant, ince it is elsewhere called 'the most precious of all stones' (Rev. xxi. 11); which, also, as being the most incor

ruptible of all material things, and, as it were, essential light, as luminous by night as by day, is the best symbol that could have been chosen to represent the incorruptible essence and essential glory of 'Him who is light, and in Him is no darkness at all' (1 John v. 6). The sardius seems best understood as a soft-red or flesh-colored stone, by which the intense brilliancy of the diamond is mitigated, in order to symbolize the human and compassionate character and tenderness of God. It was the first, as the diamond was the last, of the 12 jewels in the mystical breastplate of the high priest (Ex. xxviii. 17-20); which seems to intimate that the human element of the divine character must be the first object of our knowledge, and that it is only through this that we can come to know God in the full blaze of His essential glory. The mention here of the first and last of these precious stones implies the whole series, which represented the infinitely perfect and precious nature and attributes of God. Upon each of them, moreover, was engraved the name of one of the 12 tribes of Israel, to signify that they were inseparably identified with His attributes and glory. The symbolism of precious stones, however, will require to be more fully considered when we come to the foundations of the Golden City. In fine, the rainbow encircling the throne, in which the green of the emerald is predominant, which, as in nature, is the softest of all colors to the eye, by which also its powers of vision are healed and strengthened, is the symbol of God's covenant faithfulness in the administration of His government and grace, as in the token and seal of His covenant with Noah, that the earth should no more be destroyed by a deluge (Gen. ix. 13-17).

4 And round about the throne were four and twenty thrones, and seated upon the thrones [I saw] four and twenty elders, clothed in white robes, and crowns of gold upon their heads.

Among all the diverse interpretations which have been given of this obscure symbol, I greatly prefer that of the American editor of Lange's Commentary, namely, that these throned and crowned elders represent those 'Thrones, Domin

ions, Principalities, and Powers' of which St. Paul speaks (Col. i. 16), i. e. the angelic powers through whom God administers, to a certain extent at least, His government of the universe. For this interpretation seems best to harmonize with all that is said about them, and it is confirmed by a passage in one of the prophets, where such angelic natures are called 'ancients,' or elders (Is. xxiv. 23). Accordingly they have crowns upon their heads, and sit on thrones in the inmost circle around the central throne (109), to denote that next under God they exercise the functions of government; their crowns are of gold, to signify the excellence and preciousness of their governmental ministry (33); they are clothed in white robes, to represent their sinless purity, and their victory over temptation (85), when the angels who kept not their own government' fell from heaven (Jude 6). There are 24 or twice twelve of them, in allusion to the 12 patriarchs and the 12 apostles, the spiritual princes of the Lord's kingdom, things on earth being taken as representative of things in heaven, to denote the completeness of their number and functions (109).

5 And out of the throne go forth lightnings and voices and thunders; and before the throne seven lamps of fire are burning, which are the seven Spirits of God:

Lightning is the fire of God' (Job i. 16), thunder is 'the voice of the Almighty' (xxxvii. 51), and these 'voices' may be taken as, in some sort, interpretative of the other two, to signify that by them God speaks an intelligible language to His intelligent creatures. As proceeding from His throne, and in consideration of other passages where they are introduced (Rev. viii. 5; xvi. 18), I think they should be understood as representing the forces of nature in general; for these forces are not to be conceived of as the properties of matter, nor as entities in themselves, but as the intelligent energy of the divine will.* In fact, this conception of them underlies all the personifications of poetry, which is often more philosophical than philosophy, and it is of great * See Wisdom of Holy Scripture, i.