fested, not only the _beauties_
of His Divine character, but also the _unchanging relationship_ in which
they stand to Him. Israel of old was, and still is, GOD'S witness in the
world. In all their unfaithfulness, their very existence as a separate
people is a standing miracle, witnessing to the truth of prophecy. But
had they been faithful they would have been much more than this; for the
beauty of the LORD their GOD would have been upon them; and receiving
His blessing themselves, they would have become a blessing to the world.
We who are now the children of GOD--Christians upon whom the Name of
CHRIST has been called--are intended to be witnesses for our MASTER, and
to show forth the beauties of Him who has "called us by His own glory
and virtue." (2 Peter i. 3.--R.V.)

There is an interesting parallelism between the passage we are
considering and the commission given by our LORD to His people to
disciple all nations, baptizing them into the _Name_ of the FATHER, the
SON, and the HOLY GHOST. True Christians are _kept_ by the power of GOD
("the LORD bless thee and _keep thee_"), in the grace which is in CHRIST
JESUS ("the LORD make His face shine upon thee, and be _gracious unto
thee_"), and receive the illumination of the HOLY GHOST ("the LORD _lift
up His countenance upon thee_"), in order that _they_ may shine as
lights in the world, and become living epistles, known and read of all
men.

It is deeply interesting also to connect the sealing of this passage
with that of Rev. vii and xiv. In the former passage (Rev. vii. 1-3) we
see the powers to whom the plagues are committed restrained until the
sealing of the servants of GOD is completed. The hundred and forty and
four thousand are all sealed--a mystical and symbolical number of the
mystical and symbolical Israel, not of Israel according to the flesh.
For in this book of Revelation the LAMB does not mean an animal, but the
LAMB of GOD. The beast does not mean a literal wild beast, but the
spiritual wild beast who destroys the children of GOD. So the twelve
thousand of the tribe of Judah refers to the praising ones of CHRIST'S
fold; the sealed of Asher to the happy ones, who bless the LORD at all
times; those of Naphtali, to those satisfied with favour, full with the
blessing of the LORD; those of Reuben, to the once unstable as water,
but now fully saved ones; &c., &c.

In Rev. xiii we find the great tribulation in progress, and those still
left on the earth pe