On the first I need say but little. You have been so familiar with the practice, and beautiful exhibition of it in the character of the dear brothers that you do not require a description of it from me. Most truly we may say of them all “In their mouth was found no guile.” There was a guileless transparency of character pervading them all. But we must not pass thus hastily by the remaining clause, “For they are without fault before the throne of God.” Strictly speaking these words refer exclusively to the 144,000, when taking their place before the throne of God. But surely they give us an insight into the present standing of all those already there. They seem to teach us that spotless faultlessness is like the atmosphere of Heaven, and that all before that throne are faultless. We may think, then, of those we dearly love as now standing before yonder Throne, quite faultless. There is no sin reckoned to them, for it is all blotted out for ever; and no sin cleaving to them, for they are free from its corruption, being “made perfect” “as the spirits of the just.” There is no sin there, for there are no tears; and where sin is there is always sorrow. Let us be cheered, then, by the happy thought that they are now without fault before the Throne of God. But must we wait till we reach the Throne before we can be without fault before it? Are we to toil on through the wilderness, and wait till the pilgrimage is over before we can go faultless into his presence? If so, the Christian’s life would be indeed a dreary one. But, believers, ye are without fault before the Throne now, even now! I verily believe that when you saw our dear friend in the midst of you, in his farm, in his garden, in your cottages, he was at those very times without fault before God. How so? you may say. Did he not perpetually confess that he was a sinner? Did he not acknowledge his sin, and weep for it? How, then, could he be without fault? How could he be a guilty sinner, and yet faultless before God? Hear his own words in answer to it—“A poor sinner in myself, but pardoned and accepted in the beloved Son of God, and only so, only so, Amen, only so, only so, Amen, Amen.” And, again, “What should I do without Christ? such a poor sinner, but complete and accepted in the Beloved. Such a good foundation! such a blessed salvation!” If all his faults were cast into the depth of the sea, and God’s promises fulfilled which said “The iniquities of Israel shall be sought for and shall not be found;” then before that Throne he was faultless. And so, if we stand in the righteousness of God, nay! if in Christ we are made the righteousness of God, then in Him we are faultless, faultless even now, because Christ is faultless, and we stand in Him. In this connection observe the allusion to the 32nd Psalm. The Revelation is full of allusions to the Old Testament, and I cannot help thinking that here is one. The same two things are mentioned in this passage and in