80 THE NIGHT-WATCH.
interval interposed before the advent, alters the posture, destroys the character, and breaks the oneness of the church, while it defeats the object which God had so specially in view in keeping the times and seasons in his own power.
Often, since the Lord left the earth, has the watch been changed and the guard re- lieved. God has not tried too sorely the faith of any one age by making the watch too long. In mercy he has cut down man's age from patriarchal longevity to three- score years and ten, lest the overwearied watchers should sink under the toil and hardship. It is this that makes unwatch- fulness so inexcusable. Adam, or Seth, or Methuselah, or Noah, might have had the edge of their watchfulness blunted by the long conflict of nine hundred years ; but what excuse have we for heedlessness? Our time of service is brief, and to fall asleep or grow impatient, would indicate sad indolence and unfaithfulness. "What!
THE NIGHT-WATCH. 31
could ye not watch with me one hour ? watch and pray, lest ye enter into tempta- tion." If the Lord come not in our day, by his personal presence to end our watch- ing, we still cannot complain of over- endurance or exhaustion, seeing we shall be so soon relieved and taken into his nearer presence, there to watch in rest and joy and light, as here we have watched in weariness and grief and darkness.*
* " Blessed consummation of this weary and sorrow- ful world ! I give it welcome, I hail its approach, I wait its coming more than they that watch for the morning. Over the wrecks of a world I weep ; over broken hearts of parents, over suffering infancy, over the unconscious clay of sweet innocents, over the un- timely births that have never seen the light, or have just looked upon it and shut their eyes for a season, until the glorious light of the resurrection-morn. O my Lord, come away ! Hasten with all thy congregated ones. My soul desireth to see the King in his beauty, and the beautiful ones whom he shall bring along with him ; when I shall see these sweet babes, snatched from a parent's weeping eyes, and a parent's sorrowful yet joyful heart." — Irving's Lectures on the Revelation vol. i. p. 77.
CHAPTER m.
THE EARNESTS OF THE MORNING.
The true morning has not yet broken ; hardly does it give forth any sign of break- ing, save the deeper darkness that is the sure foreteller of the dawn.
It is still night upon the earth ; and " the children of the night " are going to and fro in the world's streets, doing " the unfruitful works of darkness;" "walking in lasciviousness, lusts, excess of wine, revellings, banquetings, and abominable idolatries;" yielding to the "flattering lips " of the seducer, that " lieth in wait at every corner," in " the black and dark night " (Prov. vii. 9 — 21) ; making " pro- ▼ision for the flesh," by " living in rioting
THE EARNESTS OF THE MORNING. 33
and drunkenness, in chambering and wan- tonness, in strife and envying " (Rom. xiii. 13) ; compassing themselves about with sparks of their own kindling, which only sadden the gloom and make us feel more truly that it is night.
It is still night to the church ; a night of danger, a night of -weariness, a night of weeping. Her firmament is dark and troubled. The promise of morning is sure* and she is looking out for it with fixed and pleading eye, sore tried with the long gloom. Yet it has not arisen. It is still deferred — deferred in mercy to an unready Vorld, to whom the ending of this night Jiall be the closing of hope, and the seal- ing of ruin, and the settling down of the mfinite darkness. For " the Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness, but is long-suffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance."
But though it is night, there are times.
34 THE EARNESTS OF
both in the saint's own history and the church's annals, which may be spoken of as mornings even now. Such was the st morning " to Adam when Seth was born to him after Abel's death. (Gen. iv. 25.) Such was the " morning " to Noah when the flood dried up, and the face of the earth was renewed. Such was the " morn- ing " to Jacob when the tidings came to him that Joseph was yet alive. Such was the " morning " to Naomi when Ruth and Boaz wiped off the tears of widowhood, and when in her old age she " saw her seed," and " took the child and laid it in her bosom." (Ruth iv. 16.) Such was Hannah's " morning " when, after long years of bitterness, " the Lord granted her petition," and " she went her way and was no more sad." (1 Sam. i. 18.) Such was the u morning " that dawned on Job when the Lord accepted him, and turned his captivity, giving him twice as much as he had before, " blessing his latter end more
THE MORNING. 35