Revelation 16:15

Behold, I come St John apparently hears, and writes down as he hears, the words of Christ spoken in the midst of his vision.

as a thief See Revelation 3:3 and references.

Blessed is he that watcheth The imageis that of St Matthew 24:43, though in the phrasethere may be a reminiscence of the different image of St Luke 12:37.

and keepeth his garments The forewarned householder sits up with his clothes on, and the thief will decamp as soon as he sees him. If he were notforewarned, he might hear the thief at work, and start naked out of bed, but would be too late for anything but a fruitless chase in unseemly and ridiculous guise. It seems quite irrelevant to fancy an allusion to the curious Jewish custom, that if a priest fell asleep on night duty in the Temple, his clothes were set on fire which of course would have the effect of making him throw them off, and run away naked.

his shame Lit. uncomeliness, as 1 Corinthians 12:23.