290 +FATTA BOLT ON KNOWLEDGE.' fit us." But the voice of Christ, to whom they had committed their souls, may say, " Now let them die, and quit the world with the fairest honour, that they may leave behind, amongst their friends and the churches, the sweetest savour of all their conversation, and the most precious memory of their names." Are they taken away by sudden death ? They know him who has the keys of death, and they have committed the care of it to him, to determine the time and the manner, when and how they should he released from this prison of flesh, and be taken up to his own bosom. Though they may be conveyed with a sort of surprise into the unseen world, yet it is but a sei- zure into the arms of their best beloved, who is ready to receive and conduct them to the Father in perfect righteousness, with . abounding joy. VII. This doctrine leads us on to a joyful and entertaining prospect of the great and last day ; the day when Christ shall make his faithfulness appear in all the trusts that he ever under- took ; for then he shall havefulfilled them all, and shall deliver his account to the Father. Then millions of souls, that were committed to his care in successive ages, and humanbodies, an equal number, that had long lain sleeping in the grave under his eye, shall be re-united, to make complete and glorious persons; then shall all his saints at once appear, and give honour and everlasting thanks to their faithful and almighty Guardian. f° Behold he comes with clouds, and every eye shall see him ! He comes`in his own glory, in the glory of his Father, andwith all his holy angels! Behold, he cones exalted upon a throne ofjudgment which the Fatherhath placed him to finish his greatcommission, and to pass a decisive sentence upon all man- kind. My faith descries him afar off; I see his day, and I re- joice tosee it. He shall summon all the nations before him ; and I shall appear there, I trust, at his right hand, among the tiles- sed. Then shall he remember, and fulfil all the kind words that he bath spoken to me on earth, by his holy writings : For in the days of my infirmity and warfare ;en earth, I have not been ashamed ofhim before men," nor will he be ashamedofme before his Father, and his holy angels ; Mat. x. 33. "See, O Father, will the Lord Jesus say, see, here am I, and the children that thou, hast givennie ; Heb. ii. 13. While they were in the world I kept them, through thy name: Behold, there is not one of them lost; John xvii. 12." " Come," will the Lord say to every humble believer, " come to my right-hand, and stand there among the saints : Behold, all is safe, that thou didst once intrust to my keeping; I know thy faith, I acknowledge thy love ; I will now reward all thy humbleobedience witheverlasting honours ; and thoushalt confess I have been a kind and a faithful friend."
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