DISCOURSE Vf. 139 and marble yield up their royal prisoners, and all the captives of death awake and start into life, at the voice of the Son of God. Amidst all these scenes of surprise and horror, with how serene a countenance, and how peaceful a soul do the saints awake from their beds of earth ? Calm and serene among all these confu- sions, they arise from their long slumber and go to meet their returning Saviour and their friend. They have seen him in the glass of his gospel, submitted to his laws and rejoiced in his grace, and they now delight to see him face to face in his glory. They have seen him vested with his commission of mercy, they have heard and received his message of goodness and love, and they cannot but rejoice to see him coming to fulfil his last promises. They have cheerfully subjected themselves to his government here on earth, they have followed him in paths of holiness through the wilderness of this world, and what remains but that they be publicly acknowledged by Jesus the Judge of all, and follow him up to the place of blessedness, which he bath prepared for them. Perhaps, some of these holy ones, in the days of his flesh, were banished.frorn the-cities and the societies of men for the sake of Christ, they were driven out from their native towns, and forced to seek a shelter in solitary dens and caves, among rocks and mountains, to wander through desarts in sheep -skins and goat-skins, destitute, afflicted, tormented; lIeb. xi. 31. they made the clefts of the rock, and caverns of the earth their refuge from the face of their cruel persecutors : The mountains and rocks sheltered them from the wrath of princes, and the dark grottos of the earth, and the dens of wild beasts concealed them from the rage of men, from the sword of the mighty ; but now the scene is gloriously changed, the martyrs and holy confessors, awaking from their graves, exult and triumph in the smiles of their Judge, and receive public honours before the whole creation of God. They behold the infinite cònsternation of haughty tyrants and persecuting princes, of proud generals and bloody captains in that day : They hear them " call to rocks and moun- tains to hide them from the face of him that sits upon the throne, and the Lamb." The authority and regal honour of the emperors of the earth, bath long slept in the dust, but it is lost there for ever ; their glory shall not awake nor arise with them : Behold the mighty sinners who have been the enemies of Christ, or negligent of his salvation, how they creep affrightedout of their shattered marbles, and leave all that pomp and pride of death in ruins, to appear before God with shame and everlasting contempt. The men of arms, the captains and sons of valour, whose swords lay under their heads, with their trophies and titles spread around them, shall raise their heads up from the dust with utmost affright and anguish of spirit : Their courage fails them
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