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II.

THE CHALLENGE;

OR STRONG ANGEL PROCLAIMING.

Rev. v. 2, 3.

"And I heard a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice,—

Who is worthy to open the Book, And to loose the seals thereof ? And no man, in heaven, nor in the earth, neither under the earth, was able to open the book; neither to look thereon."

If the case of Israel, as formerly in the land, and under the law, could have opened the Book, then surely this might have been accomplished by Solomon. With his father David the Lord had entered into a covenant still more particular than that with Abraham. Zion was fixed upon as the place for the throne of the promised dominion; and the king, who was to sit thereon for ever, was to be of David's own family. And now a son of David did sit upon the throne, stretching the bounds of his empire to the utmost extent desirable, and powerfully influencing the surrounding states, and having, as it were, the wealth of the world poured into his treasury. Beloved of the Lord, and privileged to build a house for his glory, in which all Israel might worship;—above all, Solomon was possessed with a most ardent thirst after knowledge, combined with the most delicate taste and splendid imagination, and the most consummate wisdom withal, to apply all his various resources to the accomplishment of the highest ends. Israel never knew any such possession of power or glory in the land; nor had they ever among them, when together in the land, a man who could so understand a proverb and the interpretation; the words of the wise, and their dark sayings: And from the book of Proverbs we find that he early felt it his pri

vilege, as well as duty, constantly to search for wisdom and understanding. At the same time we find, from the Song of Songs, that he could also enter into the deep mystery of the Bridegroom and Bride, as expressing the affections with the greatest tenderness and warmth: and yet, after all this depth of understanding and ardency of affection, his book of Ecclesiastes may be taken as a most expressive expansion of the result stated of the challenge in the text. He had himself attempted, in all possible ways, to open the Book, and he could not. After all his various searching, we find him only at the beginning. "Lo," said he (vii. 29), "this only have I found, that God made man upright; but they have sought out many inventions." And again, viii. 16, 17, " When I applied mine heart to know wisdom, and to see the business that is done upon the earth: (for also there is that neither day nor night seeth sleep with his eyes:) then I beheld all the works of God, that a man cannot find out the work that is done under the sun; because, though a man labour to seek it out, yet he shall not find it. Yea, farther; though a wise man think to know it, yet shall he not be able to find it." "No man was able to open the Book, neither to look thereon." Thus said the preacher: and yet he

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was wise, and still taught the people knowledge; yea, he gave good heed, and sought out, and set in order many proverbs. The preacher sought to find out words of delight, and that which was written was upright, even words of truth." Thus does he acknowledge the writing to be beautiful and true, although the depth of it could not, at that time, be found out; and although he states the principle according to which the mystery was to be evolved:—even viewing no word of prophecy apart, but as part of one great whole, given forth through different instrumentalities, who spake as moved by the Spirit of God: so it is said, Eccles, xii. 11, "The words of the wise are as goads, and as nails fastened by the masters of assemblies,

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which are given from one shepherd." And he plainly intimates that, in the neglect of this rnle, a vast deal would be written to comparatively little purpose, v. 12. "And, further, By these, my son, he admonished: of making many books there is no end; and much study is a weariness of the flesh." And he knew also the conclusion of the whole matter, "Fear God," in which is the beginning of wisdom," and keep his commandments," which is the end of all revealing. And that all would ultimately be brought to light he knew: "For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil." And, that men might be fully prepared for this, the secrets of his word were to be uncovered; and, thereby, his wondrous working in providence and redeeming love.

In the days of Solomon there was but a typical and very imperfect fulfilment of the promises. There was sufficient in the circumstances to convince him that the fulfilment was yet to come. He had "seen all the works that were done under the sun : and, behold, all was vanity and vexation of spirit." That which was crooked could not be made straight, and that which was wanting could not he numbered. It is the wise man that is strong, and Solomon was the wisest of men; and, in the very commencement of the book referred to, he calls himself the preacher, or proclaimer. He was, indeed, a strong angel, proclaiming, with a loud voice, the vanity of all human attempts to open the book. Thus he gives the result of his observations upon all the trials, not only of others, but of his own great strength: "Vanity of vanities, saith the preacher, or

proclaimer,—vanity of vanities;—all is vanity:" And if such was the voice in the days of the preacher, how much more so when, upon his death, the throne of his kingdom was bereaved of the great body of the people—of that portion which is, indeed, called " All Israel," or "the Whole House of Israel;" and especially of the children

of Joseph, unto whom belonged the promises made unto the fathers respecting the multitudinous seed, just as to Judah belonged the promise respecting the One Seed that should inherit the kingdom, and reign over the tribes of Jacob. And as the people of the promise were lost, so was the family unto whom the promise had been given respecting the kingdom. They had no power to reign after the captivity in Babylon: thereafter that family appears to have sunk into utter obscurity. The Maccabees, who had kingly power for a little, were of the tribe of Levi; and Herod, he who reigned when the promised son of David appeared, was a son of Edom; from whose destructive power the true Heir but narrowly escaped with his life; and whose kinsman held his claims in sovereign contempt, and joined with Pilate in delivering him over unto death.

III.

THE WEEPING PROPHET
COMFORTED,

WITH THE PROMISE OF HIM, WHO
WILL LEAD ISRAEL INTO THE IN-
HERITANCE.

Rev. v. 4, 5.

"And I wept much, because no man was found worthy to open and to read the book, neither to look thereon. And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not, behold the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof."

It is to him that cries after wisdom, and lifts up his voice for understanding, that God has promised to open up the mystery of his word and promise in the dispensation of his grace. His word must be ever with us, and we ever with the word, if we would, in

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The

deed, be richly taught therein. prophets, to whose development of the Divine Will we have now come,searched diligently to know of the treasures that word contained; and he who, of Christ's disciples, was the nearest to his bosom when upon earth, and to whom the bosom of his Lord was most open from heaven, wept much, because the contents of the Book of the Inheritance, were withheld from his view; and, for our encouragement in searching to see the riches of that salvation which was ready to he revealed in the last time, we are given to see that he wept not in vain. Weep not," said one of the elders, not as comforting the disciple in his ignorance, or as telling him that he might more profitably turn his attention to something of a more practical nature: so would many who are wise in the things of this world have directed; but far be such apathy from the beloved disciple of Jesus. Jesus can teach as never man taught. For in him are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge; He can lead into the rich unfolding of the mystery of God; He is the Lion of the tribe of Judah (praise), who gives the key-note to the choirs of heaven, when, with Judah's mother, each saint shall say, upon beholding their inheritance through grace in glory, "Now will I praise the Lord." He it is of whom his father said, " Judah, thou art he whom thy brethren shall praise. Thy hand shall he in the neck of thine enemies; thy father's children shall bow down before thee." And, contemplating his progress in leading into the Inheritance, he spake of him in his first appearance as the "Lion's whelp;" then of his ascension as having spoiled principalities and powers, making a show of them openly in his cross, From the prey, my son, thou art gone up." Then of his long suffering during the past triumphing of the wicked, and of his future springing upon the prey, when he shall clear his inheritance of the spoiler, and take full possession for his people. "He stooped down; he couched as a lion, and as an old lion; who shall rouse him up?"

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He also is the Root of David; first appearing as a root, or sprout, out of a dry ground; and at that time despised of the people; but afterwards he shall "stand for an ensign of the people: to it shall the nations seek, and his rest shall he glorious." He shall lead the people into the inheritance, and give them therein to rest.

As it was when the kingdom of Israel was in its greatest strength, as in the days of Solomon, that the creature's inability to discover the contents of the Book was most thoroughly expressed, so it was when that kingdom was in its weakest state, as in the days of the prophets, that the Creator began most clearly to present himself as powerful to reveal. Then we find, that when the kingdom was divided, and fast hastening to decay, we have the words from Isaiah, "Comfort ye, comfort ye, my people, saith your God. Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned: for she hath received of the Lord's hand double for all her sins." The double portion, the birthright blessing, the Book of inheritance in the Lord's right hand, is hers, notwithstanding all her unworthiness. Then perish all the folly of man before the bright revelation of the wisdom of God! "The grass withereth, the flower fadeth, because the Spirit of the Lord bloweth upon it: surely the people is grass. The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever." Isaiah, elsewhere, ch. xxx. v. 19, speaks of a tune when He will be very gracious unto those who, like John, wait for him. "Thou shalt He will be very graweep no more. cious unto thee at the voice of thy cry. When he shall hear it, he will answer thee." And although still the bread of adversity may be given, and water of affliction, yet shall not thy teachers be removed into a corner any more; but thine eyes shall see thy teachers." The Book shall be opened, and the inheritance shall be bestowed both as to the earthly possession,

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v. 23—25, and also as to the heavenly glory, v. 26; and the Lord shall abundantly witness to his truth, both in mercy and in judgment, v. 27—33.

Another prophet, Jeremiah, in ch. xxxii. gives us the most lively representation of this our kinsman Redeemer purchasing the possession that seemed irremediably lost—so lost, as that the prophet, with the liveliest remembrance of the manifestations of the Lord's past goodness and power of redeeming, seems struck with astonishment at the transaction he then went through by divine appointment. After he had made the purchase to which he had been directed, he took the sealed and open evidence of the purchase, and gave them to Baruch (Blessing), the son of Neriah (Lamp of the Lord). Then we find the prophet pouring out his soul before the Lord, acknowledging that he was still in the dark as to how all this could be accomplished: and the Lord answers, calling for simple faith in him, as to how he would accomplish his word of promise. It is He who sitteth upon the throne who speaks, "Behold I am the Lord, the God of all flesh. Is there anything too hard for me?" He then proceeds to recognise the obstacles to the taking possession, and giving to the people the promised Inheritance: their not acknowledging him as their teacher and their King: yet, after all, he goes on to deliver the promises respecting the everlasting covenant, to be secured to them through the priesthood of Christ, according to which he would rejoice over them, to do them good, and would plant them in that very land assuredly, with his whole heart and his whole soul. And, in ch. xxxiii., referring still, it would seem, to this Book of the everlasting covenant, securing to the people of promise the Inheritance, through their kinsman Redeemer, he says, "Thus saith the Lord, the Maker thereof, The Lord that formed it, to establish it; the Lord," the everlasting Jehovah, is "his name. Call unto me, and I will answer thee; and show thee great and mighty

things which thou knowest not." It is He that can open the Book. Then, having again pointed out the cause of his having been a lion to the house of Judah, he proceeds to point forward to the time when, upon the restoration of Judah and of Israel, he would find the former house worthy of their name, v. 10, 11. Again shall be heard in the now desolate cities of Judah and streets of Jerusalem, "The voice of joy, and the voice of gladness; the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride; the voice of them that shall say, Praise the Lord of Hosts: for the Lord is good; for his mercy endureth for ever: and of them that shall bring the sacrifice of praise into the house of the Lord." And the Lord there also promises that the sight of that perfect peace, prophesied in the name Jerusalem, shall be accompanied by outward temporal peace, such as yet remained to be enjoyed in the land. Then, in v. 16—26, he shews how all this blessing was to be looked for in connection with the Root of David. It is in the restoration of both Israel and Judah, and in the days of the Branch of Righteousness: after which David shall never want a man to sit upon the throne of Israel, that he will perform that good thing he had promised unto the house of Israel and the house of Judah: and he assures us that his covenant with David his servant, as to the having a Son to sit upon his throne for ever, is as firmly established as his covenant of the day and of the night; and as the host of heaven cannot be numbered, so will he multiply the seed of David his servant. And, finally, as it hath been said, "The two families which the Lord hath chosen, so he hath even cast them off:" he gives the assured word of comfort," If my covenant be not with day and night, and if I have not appointed the ordinances of heaven and earth:" (if he is not the Creator of all, then will he not be the Redeemer of Israel:) "then will I cast away all the seed of Jacob and David my ser vant: so that I will not take any of his seed to be rulers over the seed

of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob: for I will cause their captivity to return, and have mercy on them."

As it was when Israel was in the strongest state that the inability of the creature to open the Book was the most strongly declared, so it was when the kingdom was reduced to the weakest condition; when the children of Joseph, the heirs of the promises, were removed far away; and when Rachel wept for her children, and refused to be comforted because they were not; and when of Zion it was said, "She weepeth sore in the night; and her tears are on her cheeks: among all her lovers she hath none to comfort her;" when of the heir of the throne of David, which was to be for ever, it was being said, "Write this man childless; a man that shall not prosper in his days: for no man of his seed shall prosper, sitting upon the throne of David, or ruling any more in Judah"—then it was that through the weeping prophet the words were spoken," Thus saith the Lord, Refrain thy voice from weeping, and thine eyes from tears: for thy work shall be rewarded, saith the Lord. And there is hope in thine end, saith the Lord, that thy children shall come again to their own border." And in the very centre of his lamentations over the desolations of Zion we find the words, ch. iii. 31—33," The Lord will not cast off for ever; but though he cause grief, yet will he have compassion according to the multitude of his mercies: for he doth not afflict willingly, nor grieve the children of men." And immediately after that denunciation upon the King of Judah we find the promise of the Root of David, Jer. xxiii. 5, 6, referred to by the elder, "Behold the days come, saith the Lord, that I will raise unto David a Righteous Branch; and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth. In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely; and this is his name whereby he shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS: -pointing to him who hath fulfilled all

righteousness, who, although nominally the son of Coniah, as having Joseph as his supposed father, was not really of his seed, but was the seed of the woman, Mary, descended from another branch of the house of David, as a root out of a dry ground.

IV.

THE OVERCOMER.

Rev. v. 6, 7.

"And I beheld, and lo, in the midst of the throne, and of the four living creatures, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God, sent forth into all the earth. And he came and took the book out of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne."

A lion had been spoken of, but here we behold a Lamb, and that as it had been slain; for thus must the Inheritance be redeemed; and thus must the people be redeemed for the Inheritance: even with the precious blood of Christ, as of a Lamb without blemish and without spot. Thus must the Redeemer of Israel be presented before the throne in glory. He had been slain, but now he stands in resurrection life; and is alive for ever more, and is received up into power in the midst of the throne, the giver of all life, and director of all instrumentality. He hath, indeed, fulness of power, represented by the seven horns; and fulness of wisdom or intelligence, having seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God, sent forth into all the earth. They survey the working of providence in every part thereof, in accomplishment of the predictions of prophecy, with which the Book of the Inheritance is sealed; and without an attention to the fulfilment thereof, the seals cannot be opened. At the time of the end, till which the book was to be sealed, it is intimated