a Luke ii. 10, 11. i> Luke ii. 25—30. "= Isai. Ixvi. 10—14.
announced : " I heard as it were the voice of a great multi- tude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings ; saying, Alleluia : for the Lord God om- nipotent reigneth. Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him : for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready '^."
But there will be yet a further accomplishment of our text at,]
3. The day of judgment —
[All that are in the graves are waiting for the Saviour's advent : and when we consign any saint to the silent tomb, we do it in an assured expectation that, at the appointed hour, he shall rise again to " meet the Lord in the air." The very- spirits that are before the throne of God are also waiting for that blessed day, when, by their re-union with the body, their bliss shall be complete, and their felicity entire. To that pe- riod we may conceive the Apostle refers, when he says, " The whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. And not only they, but ourselves also, who have the first- fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoj)tion, to wit, the redemption of our body®." At all events, we are sure that it is that period which " the grace of God " teaches us to be " looking for, even for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ^." How will every saint, even from Adam to that very hour, then say, " Lo, this is our God ; we have waited for him ; this is the Lord ; we have waited for him: we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation!" Then, indeed, will " death be swallowed up in victory, and all tears be wiped from off" all faces ^," and the Saviour's advent be cele- brated in this universal song.]
But we need not wait for any distant seasons ; for even now may our text be taken,
n. As the language of every individual believer —
Yes, now, at this present moment, does the believer thus express himself,
1. In the recollection of what is past —
[Long has he waited upon God, that he might obtain mercy to his soul. To " win Christ, and be found in him," has been the supreme object of his desire. For this he has wept, and prayed, and laboured, if by any means he might obtain it. And now, at last, Christ has revealed himself to him, as an able and all-sufficient Saviour. Now, then, with
•1 Rev, xix. 6, 7. « Rom. viii. 22, 23.
f Tit. ii. 13. e ver. 7, 8.