Page:Darby - Notes on the Book of Revelations, 1839.djvu/183

, abides for ever, takes the lead; and, in its character of Bride, abstracting itself from circumstances, and earthly progress and associations, the Church joins its guiding spirit and says, Come; calls on all who hear, whose ear is open to divine truth, to join in this as its cry, its first utterance, now born into a world of sorrow even for the Church, which sees its desolation; still however, maintaining its character of grace, ministerial grace to the world—“And let him that is athirst come, and whosoever will let him take the water of life freely.” While the Holy Ghost remains filling the Church, no change of circumstances can prevent it or us, from being the ministers of this calling-grace in the midst of a ruined world.

Strictly speaking, then, verse 17 returns to the things that are: 10 11, to the prophetic period, which has closed the hope and testimony of grace, and assumed the testimony of judgment either preparatory or final. Verse 20 gives the individual seal, as it were, of the Apostle’s faith to the personal application of the book by the Lord.