The Blessed Hope
“That blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the greal God and oar Saviour Jesus Christ.” — Trros ii. 13.
What a bright Bow for a storm-wreathed sky I Hope is a joyous emotion 1 Poetry sings of it; Music warbles its lofty aspirations; but alas I bow often does it weave fantastic visions — give birth to shadowy dreams, which appear, and then vanish I “In the morning” the flowers of life are flourishing and growing up; — “In the evening” a mysterious blight comes — they lie withered garlands at our feet! The longing aspirations of a whole lifetime seem realized; — one wave of calamity overtakes us, and washes all away!
But, there is one “Blessed Hope” beyond the possibility of blight or decay — “The hope of the glory of God,” the hope “which maketh not ashamed” — ‘’ the glorious appearing of the Great God our Saviour!”
If we long on earth for the return of an absent friend or brother, separated from us for a season, by interveniDg oceans or continents; — if we count the weeks or months till we can welcome him back again to the parental home, how should the Christian long for the return of the “Brother of Ir other s’’ the Friend of friends? “I will come again,” is His own gracious j)romise, “to receive you unto myself!”
Oh happy day! when He shall be “glorified in His saints;” — when His people will suffer no more, and sin no more. No more couches of sickness, or aching heads — or fevered brows; no more opened graves, or bitter tears; — and, better than all, no more guilty estrangements and traitor unholy hearts! It will be the bridal day of the soul. The body slumbering in the dust will be reunited a glorified body to the redeemed spirit. The grave shall be forever spoiled — death swallowed Tip in eternal victory. *’ So shall “vre ever be with the Lord I”
Reader, dost thou “love His appearing?” Art thou in the eager expectant attitude of those who are “loolcing for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God f “Yet a little while, and He that shall come, will come!” If thou art a child of the covenant, having conscious filial nearness to the Throne of grace, thou needest not dread the Throne of glory I True, He is the “great God,” but He is “owr Saviour It is a “Kinsman Redeemer” who is ordained “to judge the world in righteousness.” Yes! turn thine eye ofttimes towards this bright Bow spanning a glorious future — for remember, it is “to them who LOOK for Him,” that He shall “appea: the second time without sin unto salvation I”