belong to her. But there shall be written on him the name of the new, the fresh Jerusalem, when she has shaken herself from the dust, and put on her beautiful garments; and, looking on himself, he shall read his citizenship of her. And, finally, Christ says: "I will write upon him My new name." Looking on himself, the Philadelphian Christian shall be conscious that he is Christ's. For the very point of this phrase, “I will write upon him," is to imply that when he looks on himself, thinks of himself, he shall feel that all this is true of him; he is God's, he is a citizen of the New Jerusalem, he is Christ's. What characterised him before was just the opposite of all this- inward feebleness, uncertainty. Now in his consciousness is truly reflected what he is. Christ writes His name on him, not His old, but His new name. This feeble-minded Philadelphian, bowed down all life by an inward weakness, shall know that he is Christ's in truth,-shall see Christ's name written upon himself, not the name by which he used to know Him, but another one, signifying that Christ was to him something other than he had ever dreamed of, greater, of higher meaning, of more glorious idea, of nearer fellowship, conferring something unheard of, undreamed of on earth. "I will write upon him My new name." "Thus saith He that is holy, He that is true, He that openeth, and no man shutteth, I set before thee an open door." Leave the expression 'an open door' in all its generality, a door out of all you wish to escape from, into all you desire to realise and enjoy,-a door out of darkness and uncertainties, out of weakness and feeblemindedness, out of undue sensitiveness to outward influences, a door into whatsoever you long for, aspire after, dream of in your loftiest hours, and accept the promise in all its marvellous fulness. For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. XV THE BOOK OF REVELATION REVELATION v. THE opening verses of this book tell us very distinctly what the book is. It is the Revelation of Jesus Christ, the revelation made known by Jesus Christ, "the revelation of Jesus Christ which God gave unto Him, to show unto His servants the things which must shortly come to pass. And He sent and signified this revelation to His servant John: who bare witness of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, even of all things that he saw." The book is the word of God, the word spoken by God. It is also the testimony of Jesus Christ, the thing borne witness to by Him who is the true and faithful witness. And it is made known by John to the servants of Christ. God gave the revelation to Christ, who sent and signified it to John, who bore witness of it unto us; and it is a revelation of the things which must shortly come to pass. Perhaps it may not be considered amiss if I make a few general remarks about the book as a whole, before proceeding to consider the 5th chapter, |