Then the voice that I had heard from heaven spoke to me again, saying, "Go, take the small scroll that lies open in the hand of the angel standing on the sea and on the land." Sermons
I. THE HOLY OFFICE OF PROPHET IS THE MOST HONOURABLE AND EXALTED AMONGST MEN. To speak for God, as his agent; to declare his message; to receive the Word from his lips, by his inspiration; to be entrusted with his Word to men - be it a word of condemnation, of warning, of promise, of mercy, or hope - is a most sacred, hallowed burden. To speak to men in God's Name is higher than to speak for kings. The "ambassador for Christ" stands at the head of diplomatic agents. How holy, how awful, how responsible, his office! The calling to such office cannot but have its sweetness to the faithful servant. II. OF ALL OFFICES THIS, WHEN RIGHTLY COMPREHENDED, IS THE MOST PAINFUL. To deal with words of judgment and threatening; to speak of sin; to warn of punishment; to have close alliance with righteousness amongst men who reject it; to he burdened with spiritual care; to stand in antagonism to prevalent sentiment, and strive to raise men to altitudes of goodness; - cannot but be a burden too heavy to be borne were the prophet unaided. He is in error who views the calling to the prophetic office too lightly; he is also in error who thinks triflingly of the painfulness of its responsibilities. - R. G.
Go and take the little book. (with Ezekiel 2:8-10; Ezekiel 3:1-3): — The symbolical scene in the case of Ezekiel was enacted over again in the case of John; only with such surroundings of majesty and magnificence as were but befitting after John's humiliated but glorified Master had sat down on His throne in heaven. Now, in the first place, we see in that fine symbolical scene God's own immediate way of making a minister — a book. A book plays a great part in the salvation of men. A book is brought down from heaven to earth — a book written in heaven lies open in the hand of the heavenly messenger, and the salvation "of many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings" lies wrapped up in that little book. "Go thou," said the voice from heaven to John, "Go thou and take the book." Now that is being both said and done every day among ourselves. There is the Book, and there are the people, and there somewhere among the people is the man chosen of God to take the Book, and to make the Book his own, and then to carry it to the people; "Go," the Spirit of God says to that man, "Go, leave all other occupations and all other pursuits; give thyself, body and soul, day and night, and all the days of thy life, to that Book." "Take the book and eat it," said the angel to the seer. You will observe that the angel did not say, "Take the book and read it." Had it been any other book but the Book it was, to read it himself and to have it written out and sent to all the Churches would have been enough. But that was not enough for this Book. Interpret the Bible like any other book, it is the fashion of our day to say, and in some senses that is an excellent enough rule; but that was not the angel's rule that day to John, All other books in John's day were to be read, but this Book was to be eaten. Yes, eaten. Clearly, then, this is not an ordinary Book. Clearly this is like no other book. Job said: "Neither have I gone back from the commandment of His lips. I have esteemed the words of His mouth more than my necessary food." Eat, then, this same meal; eat it both minister and people; and eat it for your first food every morning. It will do for you what no earthly food, the best and the most necessary, can do; see that all its strength and all its sweetness fills your heart before you eat any other meat; read God's Book, and have it next your heart to defend yourself against the influences of men that attempt to overthrow you. "Enough of that; bring me my Bible," his widow told me one of my old elders used to say, as they read to him the morning newspaper; "enough of that; bring me my Bible." The Word of God was more to that saint than all else, and his widow and I rejoice to tell the story after he has gone home to his rest. The Word of God was more to him than that which is to some of you your necessary food. But what does this mean — this extraordinary thing, "It was in my mouth sweet as honey, but as soon as I had eaten it my belly was bitter"? The best way, the only way indeed to find out all that means is to eat the same roll ourselves, and then to observe what passes within ourselves. Religion is an experimental science. Just you eat the Book now before you as Ezekiel and John ate it, and then tell us what takes place with you. I will tell you what will take place. The Word of God will be bitter in your mouth every morning, bitter with memories of yesterday and yester-night. Yes, the grace of God, and the abiding and abounding mercy of God, they are in His blessed Word always passing sweet to a penitent sinner. Ah, the truth is that the power, and the holiness, and the heavenly beauty of God's Word is the daily and the sweet experience of all those who make the Word of God their earliest and their most necessary food. But after this, when this sweet Book descends into what David calls our "inward parts"; when the holy, and the just, and the good Word of God enters our guilty conscience and our corrupt heart, then there is bitterness indeed; for a sense of sin, as we so lightly speak, is then awakened in the soul, and with that new sense comes a new bitterness, compared with which the waters of Marah are milk and honey. "Son of man, eat that thou findest," says Jehovah to Ezekiel in the vision. "Take it, and eat it up," said the angel in like manner to John. Neither the prophet nor the apostle was asked or allowed to pick and choose, as we say. They were not to eat the sweet, and spit out the bitter. They were not to keep rolling the sweet morsels under their tongue, and to keep their inward parts strangers to their inward share of the Divine Book. I know this Scripture will not be sweet to all who hear it; but if it is at first bitter it must not be cast out. We must allow ourselves to read and preach and hear the whole Word of God. "Son of man, eat that thou findest"; and again, "Take the roll and eat it up." It is a fine study to take up the Old Testament, and to trace all through it how prophet follows prophet, and psalmist follows psalmist, each several prophet and psalmist taking home to himself all that the prophets and the psalmist had said and sung before him; and then, having made the Book their own by reading it, by praying ever it, by singing it, by eating it, as the figure is, then when their own call came they prophesied prophecies, and sang psalms, new psalms, new prophecies as the people's need was — never contenting themselves with just countersigning and repeating what any former prophet had said, what any former psalmist had sung, however great and however good in his time that prophet and psalmist had been.(A. Whyte, D. D.) The "little book" may be taken to illustrate God's redemptive truth, or the gospel.I. The gospel is BROUGHT TO MAN FROM HEAVEN. The was in which alienated humanity can be brought into a loving sympathy with God transcends human discovery. Divine messengers brought this "little book" to man, and Christ embodied it. II. This gospel is TO BE APPROPRIATED BY MAN. "Eat it up." The spirit of this "little book" must become the inspiring and the regnant spirit of our being. III. This gospel has A TWOFOLD EFFECT ON MAN. "Sweet" in its disclosures of infinite love and promises of future blessedness; "bitter" in its convictions of sin, reproofs, and denunciations. It produces in the soul sorrow and joy, sighs and songs; and its bitterness will remain as long as one particle of depravity continues in the heart. IV. This gospel, APPROPRIATED, QUALIFIES MAN FOR HIS MISSION (ver. 11). (D. Thomas, D. D.) Take it, and eat it up. There are many different kinds of books in the world.I. THERE ARE SOME WHICH HAVE NOTHING IN THEM. They are not directly harmful, but neither are they of much good. When you have read them you can scarcely remember anything that they contained. They are very much like a kind of pastry which we call "trifle." The moment you put it into your mouth it vanishes into thin air. Beware of books which only please you for the moment, and do nothing that would make you better or wiser. II. THERE ARE OTHER BOOKS WHICH ARE STUPEFYING. They dull the senses. They are like what we call "opiates," which make men feel heavy and stupid. Be careful never to read books which merely please by soothing and dulling the senses. III. THERE ARE OTHER BOOKS WHICH ARE UNDULY EXCITING. I do not object to a reasonable amount of interest. Every book worth the reading must in one sense excite us; but I am not now speaking of books which excite you by the amount of true knowledge which they give, or noble enthusiasm which they impart, but those which excite you by the feverish curiosity with which they fire you. I earnestly warn you against every book which makes it more difficult for you to do your every-day duty. IV. THERE ARE OTHER BOOKS WHICH ARE VERY HARD TO DIGEST, I have no doubt some of you think, for instance, that books on arithmetic or English grammar are very indigestible; but if you take a little at a time, and masticate that well before you take more, you will find that even hard books will agree with you wonderfully, and that you will be stronger and better for having taken them. Children suffer from indigestion, in learning difficult tasks, by taking too much at a time. The great secret of success is to take a little often, and to see that you learn well every little lesson, and thus make it your own, before you take more. V. THERE ARE OTHER BOOKS WHICH ARE DECIDEDLY POISONOUS. Take care that you do not eat them. These books speak well of sin, and kindly of evil. Beware of any book that does not agree with the Bible in its estimate of good and of evil. VI. And now I want to tell you of this one Book — THE BIBLE — Of which you need never grow weary. (D. Davies.) Divine truth is not something for intellectual speculation, it is not something for memory, but diet for the life. It must be transmuted into the moral blood, and sent through the heart into every fibre of our being.(D. Thomas, D. D.) "Read the Word of God much," said General Gordon, "but chew it more." That is pondering. Make a practice of it; make a rule of it.(Bp. Talbot.) Thou must prophesy again I. CHRISTIAN EFFORT MUST BE PERSONAL. "Thou." The faculties of the individual man must be excited to activity in the cause of God. The most magnificent achievements of the human mind have been wrought out in lonely musings and lonely labours. If we would hew the rugged forms of our fellow-men into the symmetry and grace of Christian discipleship we must not be content to give subscriptions for evangelistic purposes; but we must feel a responsibility that is all our own, and while acting in brotherly union we must also act as if we had been specially called to a task in which no one has so much to do as ourselves.II. CHRISTIAN EFFORT MUST BE PROPORTIONED TO PERSONAL ABILITY. "Thou must prophesy." John had the prophetic gift, and he was to use it. God has called thousands to His work, and though all cannot do the same thing, all are to do their best in that which they can do. A man with a divided mind, with his mind in part intent on his own ease, and in part only on the work of the Lord, will accomplish nothing worth naming. But let him unite his faculties, let him bring all the strength and all the determination of his soul to bear on the task to which he is called, let him throw the glow and enthusiasm of his nature into his duty with the bold avowal, "This one thing I do," and though a thousand difficulties withstand him, he will sweep on to the consummation of his plains. III. CHRISTIAN EFFORT MUST BE REPEATED. "Thou must prophesy again." Nothing great can be done all at once. It was only after many struggles that Wilberforce succeeded in the abolition of the slave trade. Nor are we to think that any strange thing has befallen us, or to deem it a reason for suspending our labours, if months or even years elapse before we see the moral and religious reformation at which we are aiming. We cannot reasonably expect that rude, ignorant, vicious men will all at once be transformed into melodious Davids, magnificent Isaiahs, or saintly Johns. We cannot reasonably expect that Babylon will come crashing to the ground at our first shout, and its ruins start at a touch into the majesty of a holy city. We shall have to "prophesy again"; we shall have to repeat our efforts before we see "the pleasure of the Lord prosper in our hand." IV. CHRISTIAN EFFORT MUST ENLARGE THE SCOPE OF ITS MOVEMENTS. "Thou must prophesy again before many peoples," etc. The more we do, the more we see there is to do. Patriotism owns that this is a land which, from white cliff in the south to sternest precipice in the north, is worthy of any labour and any self-sacrifice. If the statesman will contend from early evening until the morning crimsons the windows of the Senate House for measures by which he intends to enlarge the liberties and increase the happiness of the people — if the soldier will stride over the field of deadly fight and rush through the fiery breach that the foeman's drum may not be beaten in our street, nor the foeman's flag be lifted among our old ancestral oaks, it surely becomes us to raise ourselves to the level of Christian patriotism, and to stretch out our prayers and our labours so that they shall include the whole nation. (G. Marrat.).16 Rise, and measure the temple of God. The temple and altar, and them that worshipped therein, were capable of measurement. They were not like the unorganised multitude, formless, creedless, undisciplined, without the court. The temple, the altar, and its priesthood and the worshippers, have strength of form and organisation, and the beauty of order. So the apostles organise the Church, set in order its worship, establish its discipline. Standing before the Incarnate Son of God, who in the spiritual organism of His temple, the Church, reveals Himself, and bearing their corroborating testimony to the faith are the two witnesses of the sacraments and the written Word.1. Consider first the witness of the sacraments.(1) They are the instrumental life-givers. For Christ, the Incarnate Son of God, is to the new creation what God, "Creation's secret force," is to the old.(2) So likewise the sacraments enlighten. Baptism with water in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, declares the doctrine of the Blessed Trinity as the fundamental doctrine of the Christian faith. It manifests our sinful condition and the need of a washing away of sin.(3) The sacraments are witnesses. The Church, filled with sacramental life, bears witness to the world. 2. Turn we next to the other great witness, the written Word. The written Word self-evidences its own inspiration. (Bp. Grafton.) (C. Clemance, D. D.) I. THE MEASURING. But as in those other representations we cannot think that material earthly buildings are meant, or any literal measurements whether of city or temple, so here we regard the temple as telling of that glorious spiritual fabric of which we so often read under like imagery in the Epistles of St. Paul, and the measuring is a metaphor to signify that careful investigation and scrutiny whereby true knowledge is gained.1. God has an ideal for everything, a standard to which He would have it conform. He had in the creation of the world. And He looks down from heaven — so we are told — to see what is done upon the earth; He taketh account of all that men do. 2. Christ is the ideal Man, and therefore called "the Son of Man." He did in all things so answer to His Father's intent that He was the "beloved Son in whom" God was "well pleased." 3. And this "measuring " is continually going on. There is an inward monitor as well as an outward one. 4. How grateful we should be for this! "Lord, with what care Thou hast begirt us round!" so sings holy George Herbert; and one evidence of this care is in the constant bringing before our consciences the rigid rule of right. II. THE MEASURED THAT ARE SPOKEN OF HERE. The temple, the altar, and the people. 1. The temple of God. It was a symbol and type of all Israel, if not of the whole Church of God (St. Paul, "In whom the whole building fitly framed together groweth into a holy temple unto the Lord") Therefore we may take "the temple of God" as representing the Church in its outward form. Now, God has His ideal for this. What is it? By this supreme test will all our Church organisations be tried. What fruit have they borne in that which is the end of all religion? No antiquity, orthodoxy, catholicity, popularity, beauty, wealth, or any other such plea will stand if God's standard be not answered to, and His demand for "good fruit" be not met. The axe will fall, and the tree will go down. 2. The altar. This also was to be measured. We may take "the altar" as the symbol of the worship of the Church. Is our worship fervent? On that altar was an ever-burning fire. Is it spiritual? Does it ascend up to God as the smoke of the sacrifice mounted up into the heavens — symbol, beautiful, striking, appropriate, of that uplifting of the heart, that real outgoing of the soul after God, which belongs to all true worship? And, above all, is it sacrificial? The altar was for sacrifice. Worship that has not this element in it will be rejected when that measurement of the altar told of here takes place. Sacrifice means giving up something which we should like to keep. Was not Christ's sacrifice such? Is not all sacrifice such? 3. The people. "Them that worship therein" — so we read. Now, the Divine ideal for these may be learnt by noting what was not to be measured. And we are told in ver. 2 that "the court which is without the temple... measure it not." It was to be cast out, left out of the reckoning altogether. Now, the outer court of the temple was the addition of Herod; he was given to erecting magnificent buildings, and the addition of this outer court did undoubtedly add much to the splendour of the whole fabric. But such court had no place in the tabernacle nor in the temple of Solomon or that of Zerubbabel. But Herod had made this outer court in the temple at Jerusalem. It was thronged by all manner of people. There it was the money-changers had their tables, and they who bought and sold doves. The Gentiles might come there, though they might not pass into what was especially the temple, and which was sacred to Israelites only. And so it represented all those outer-court worshippers, those mixed multitudes which are found associated with God's true people everywhere — of them, but not truly belonging to them. III. THE MEANING OF ALL THIS. It was because a time of sore trial was imminent, close at hand. God ever has, even in the worst of times, a remnant. And He takes notice of them, and will keep them securely, whilst those who are not as they are subjected to His sore judgments. The measuring means preservation for the faithful, judgment for all else. (S. Conway, B. A.) I. THE CAUSE OF RIGHT ON THIS EARTH HAS ITS MEASURING RULE (vers. 1, 2).1. In the human world there is right and wrong. There is the temple of God, etc. At the same time there is the court that is outside — a sphere discarded by the right and trampling on the holy. This, however, is only for a time. 2. Right here has its measuring line. Take the "temple" here as the emblem of right on the earth, and the "reed" as that of the moral law of God — the law that measures moral character. It is a plummet that sounds the deepest depths of being: it is a moral analyst to test the quality of every thought, affection, and deed. II. THE CAUSE OF RIGHT ON THIS EARTH HAS ITS MIGHTY DEFENDERS (vers. 3-6). 1. They do their work in sadness. "Clothed in sackcloth." It is not a light work to stand up against a corrupt world and struggle against an age grinning with selfishness, sensuality, and cupidity. 2. They contribute Divine light. The "olive trees" fed the lamps and the "candlesticks" reflected the light. Were it not for the Divine defenders of the right, grand heroes in moral history, all the lamps of truth would go out, and the whole race would be mantled in midnight. 3. They exert tremendous power (ver. 5). Their words flash devouring flames, so shake the corrupt moral firmament under which their contemporaries are living, that the very heavens seem shut up and the rolling streams of life seem turned into blood. III. THE CAUSE OF RIGHT ON THE EARTH HAS ITS TERRIBLE ANTAGONISTS (vers. 7-13). 1. The antagonists of the right are malignant; they not only murder, but they exult in their cruelty. The spirit of persecution is an infernal virus that gallops through the veins of the intolerant persecutor, and physical violence is the weapon. 2. The antagonists of the right are ever frustrated. (1) (2) (3) IV. THE CAUSE OF RIGHT ON THE EARTH IS DESTINED TO TRIUMPH (vers. 14-19). 1. The rapture and adoration of the good. "The kingdoms of this world." What have they been? What are they now? Hellish mimicries of eternal right and power. Like muddy bubbles on the great stream of life, they have broken into the clear and fathomless river of rectitude and will appear no more, and this will continue for ever and ever. Well, then, might the righteous Worship and thank God. 2. The increased accessibility of heaven. "The temple of God was opened." (D. Thomas, D. D.) II. ITS MEASUREMENT. Rise and see how far we have proceeded with the prophecies. Observe in what state we left the Church l Let a correct measurement be taken before we proceed further. Measure how far the building is advanced, and see what remains to bring it to perfection. See what injuries the temple of God has sustained from fierce and sanguinary attacks. It has suffered much, but behold it still abides. See now what the work is, after weathering its storms. "Rise and measure the temple of God." Measure too the altar. Take the dimensions of the altar of incense which has been reared for prayer and praise. Take the degree of faith in the everliving Intercessor. Measure the devotions of the sanctuary. Mark the plenitude and purity of the incense rising before the throne. Measure too the worshippers. Observe the number of professing Christians. Measure the spiritual stature, and gauge the heart of each one. Measure them that worship therein. There must be a certain breadth, and length, and depth, and height of character. There must be a certain depth of humility and self-renunciation, a certain height of faith and devotion, a certain length of integrity and zeal. View them as worshippers, and there is a certain height to which they must attain, in feeble imitation of the dignity of Him that sits upon the throne. The breadth of the believer's principles, the depth of his emotions, a certain breadth of sincerity and charity, the length of his hopes, the height of his joys, are far beyond the narrow bounds within which his whole being was formerly confined. His soul is enlarged. He is created anew in Christ Jesus. He has risen above this earth, and has attained a spiritual stature that brings him into fellowship with the Father, and with His son Jesus Christ. His conversation is in heaven. III. THE DESECRATION OF THE COURT BY THE GENTILES is the remaining particular in relation to this temple. This court is nominal Christianity, which now, for the first time, began to assume a distinct character. It was the necessary consequence of an alliance between the Church and the world, it has been far more prejudicial to the real interests of the Church than the most virulent persecution. This court is further said to be "given unto the Gentiles." It remains only to speak of the court being given unto the Gentiles, and the holy city to be trodden under foot. "I will give power," it is afterwards said, "unto My two witnesses and they shall prophesy clothed in sackcloth." It brings before us the permission of the awful reign of anti. christian darkness, for the development of the whole principles of evil in contrast with good. It coincides with the surrender of the Church by God, to that ardent desire for worldly conformity which the severest chastisements had failed to repress. They would not retain the gospel in its simplicity, but would rely upon an arm of flesh; therefore God suffered them to be spoiled by thieves and robbers, who entered not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbed up some other way. (G. Rogers.) I. First, this is a temple that ENDURETH FOR EVER; a temple of eternity, a house, as the apostle calls it, not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. Blessed are they that dwell in this temple. And who are they that take such account of it as to understand the eternity of it, the certainty of it, that Christ is indeed a house not made with hands, that He is indeed eternal in the heavens. II. A temple of PLENTY. "We shall be satisfied with the goodness of Thy house, even of Thy holy temple." Ah, God the Father is well pleased, Christ is satisfied with the travail of His soul; and "we," poor sinners saved by mercy, brought out of eternal privation into this eternal plenty, "shall be satisfied with the goodness of Thy house, even of Thy holy temple"; a temple from which sin and death are for ever excluded; a temple into which sin and death cannot enter. III. A temple of GOVERNMENT, as you may see in the last verse of this chapter: "The temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in His temple the ark of His testament." Now heaven here means the New Testament dispensation, and there will never be another dispensation after the one we have now. But will there not be glorification? That will not be another dispensation; that will only be a continuation of the present. It is true preaching will end, the ordinances of the present dispensation will end; but we shall always have the same Jesus Christ, and the same God, and the same covenant, and the same life, and the same sanctification. Christ's kingdom shall reign through all ages, and never be moved; and everything must be subservient to the government of Christ's kingdom. And hence it is said that when this temple was opened "there were lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, and an earthquake, and a great hail." What are the lightnings? Why, God's Word. His arrows shall go forth as lightning, whether it be to strike an Ananias and Sapphira dead, or to pierce the hearts of three thousand sinners, and make them cry, "Men and brethren, what shall we do?" whether it be for judgment or for mercy. These lightnings are God's Word; and when the temple is opened, that is when Christ is revealed, then these lightnings come. And there were "voices." There is the voice of salvation: there is the voice of "I will never leave thee nor forsake thee." There is the voice of the deep soul trouble; there are the various voices of all the experiences of the people of God: glorious voices of exaltation, triumph, victory, and satisfaction. And then there are thunderings: and what are they? Why, God's Word. The child of God sometimes gets rather sleepy, some thundering Scripture will come into his mind, create fears, and doubts, and tremblings. This is what one calls being called into the secret place of thunder — but it does the soul good. And an earthquake. Why, regeneration is an earthquake. It swallows up what you were before; swallows up your former hope, and makes you feel that you yourself will be swallowed up in hell. Many a sinner, when God begins His work in this earthquake-like way, has exclaimed with the Psalmist, "Let not the pit shut her mouth upon me." "And a great hail." What is that? Storms of persecution and tribulation. If the lightning seem to be against you, yet your God holds the lightnings in His hand, and though the thunderings may seem to be against you, yet the Lord governs those thunderings, and though revolutions alarm you, yet the Lord governs these changes, and though you may be persecuted, and storms and persecutions may fall upon you, yet the Lord hath His way in the whirlwind and the storm, and the clouds are the dust of His feet. (James Wells.) (Bp. Horsley.) 4113 angels, agents of judgment The First vision "On Earth" |
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