Nor is it enough for us to rest in any general description, as for
example, in the fact that they are called, sealed, written in the book of
life; we want such a description of their character as shall place them
in contrast with the apostacy of the age in which they live. Such a
description we may reasonably look for in the book of Revelation. The
fullest account is there given of the apostacy; so there we should look
for the clearest description of the contrasted saints. Now there is one
sentence in that sacred book, which may supply us with the exact
description we require, and which appears to point to two leading signs
as distinguishing the character of the saints of God, viz. their
submission to the word of God, and their simple faith in Christ himself.
I allude to the language of the Holy Ghost in Rev. xiv. 12. “Here is the
patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God,
and the faith of Jesus.”
Nor is this a single, solitary passage. It seems to form as it were the
motto of the whole book of the Apocalypse.
“Who bare record of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus
Christ.” Rev. i. 2.
“I, John, was in the isle that is called Patmos, for the word of God, and
for the testimony of Jesus Christ.” Rev. i. 9.
“I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of
God, and for the testimony which they held.” Rev. vi. 9.
“And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their
testimony.” Rev. xii. 12.
“And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the
remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the
testimony of Jesus Christ.” Rev. xii. 17.
“And I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus,
and for the word of God.” Rev. xx. 4.
In these words we have the saints of God again and again placed in direct
contrast with the apostacy; we may therefore boldly refer to them as
marking distinctly their character.
(1) What then is this character? They are witnesses.
They are not carried away by the prevailing apostacy of the times, but
are witnesses against surrounding error. The expression “witness”
implies that they stand aloof as a protesting body. The witness for God
is not one who floats down the broad tide of popular opinion, but who
stands up in opposition to it, and boldly proclaims the truth of God.
Athanasius was a witness for Christ, when he stood forth with all the
world against him, and himself alone contending against the world. Our
Saviour was a witness to the truth, when before Pontius Pilate he
witnessed a good confession, and was bold to endure the cross in order to
fulfil the Father’s will. Thus the Greek word for “witnesses” is the
same as that for “martyrs,” {89a} and the witness for Christ must be one
raising the voice of protest, and contending against opposition for the
truth once delivered to the Saints.