DISC. xl.] AND JOY AT THE RESURRECTION. t53 that he rises not till the dissolution of these heavens and these visible things : And by calling death a sleep, he supposes an awaking time, though it may be distant and far off. Then he proceeds to long for death, O that thou wouldst hide rne in the grave ! that thou wouldst keep me secret till thy wrath be past ! till these times and sea- sons of sorrow be ended, which seems to be the effect of divine wrath or .anger : But then I entreat thou wouldst appoint me a set time for my tarrying in the grave, and remember me in order to raise me again. Then witha sort of surprize of faith and pleasure he adds, " if a man die shall he live again ?" Shall thesedry bones live ? And the answer is in the language of hope : "All the days of that appointed time of thine I will wait till that glorious change shall come. Thou shalt call from heaven, and I will answer thee from the dust of death." I will appear at thy call and say, " Here am I : thou wilt have a de- sire to the work of thy hands," to raise me again from the dead, whom thou hast made of clay, and fashioned nie into life. From the words thus expounded we may draw these several observations, and make a short reflexion upon each of them, as we pass along. Observation I. This world is a place wherein good men are exposed to great calamities, and they are ready to think the anger or wrath of God appears in them. Observation II. The grave is God's known hiding- place for his people. Observation III. God has appointed a set time in his own counsels for all his children to continue in death. Observation IV. The lively view of a happy resurrec- tion, and a well-grounded hope of this blessed change, is a solid and divine comfort to the saints of God, un- der all trials of every kind both in life and death. Observation V. The saints of God who are resting in their beds of dust will arisejoyfullyat the call oftheir hea- venly Father. Observation VI. God takes delight in his works of nature, but 'much more when they are dignified and . adorned by the operations of divine grace. Observation VII. Howmuch are we indebted to God for the revelation of the New Testament, which teaches us to find out the blessings which are contained in tha
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