THE GLORIOUS RESURRECTION.
By Mr. Vincent
[This choice extract from Mr. Vincent on the resurrection, we copy from the Midnight Cry of 1843.] "The second antecedent to the judgment of the righteous, will be their meeting with angels at their graves' mouth. Matt. xxiv, 31. 'He shall send his angels with the great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather the elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.' No sooner are they awakened and risen out of their graves, but they are entertained by angels; those holy and excellent creatures, who have such a dear love to them, and before have done many good offices for them, though, when before in the body they did not perceive it, and were too low and unfit for their acquaintance; but they will then know them, and be able to discern the beauty of those lovely spirits, who for so many years have been beholding the face of their Father in heaven, which will have cast such a luster upon them, that will be matter of their admiration, and those shall be part of their acquaintance and companions in glory: instead of devils, those angels of darkness, which use to assault, buffet, and molest them, when in the body before, they shall now have angels of light with them, and about them, to join together in the love and praise of the great Jehovah. The angels will be sent to call them, and gather them, and we may rationally imagine that they will salute them at their rising, and welcome them out of their graves. We read of the angel Gabriel's salutation of Mary. Luke i, 28. 'Hail thou that art highly favored, the Lord is with thee, blessed art thou among women.' And the same angel's words to Daniel, Chap. ix, 33. 'Thou art greatly beloved.' Such salutations, possibly, the angels may give to the saints at their resurrection. 'Arise ye that are highly favored of God, come forth ye that are greatly beloved; welcome, welcome, ye happy ones; ye that are blessed among the children of men; your Lord is come down and stayeth for you. He hath sent us to call you, and convey you into his presence, and bring you where he is, that you may see and share in his glory. O, how will such words make their hearts to glow within them! How joyful will such a message be unto them! O, how happy they that ever they were born! Or rather, that ever they were new-born! O, happy they that they should live, that they should be raised to see such a day as this will be! O, what looks! What speeches! What joys will they have, when they are entertained by the angels. The third antecedent to the righteous judgment will be their meeting one with another. Matt. xxiv, 31. The angels will be sent to gather the elect together. 2 Thes. ii, 1. 'I beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and our gathering together unto him.' The saints will all be gathered together, and we shall be gathered with them, if we be found in that number; there we shall meet with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and the holy kings and prophets, apostles and martyrs, and holy men, who have lived in all generations; and all these in another hue than when they lived upon the earth; they will arise like so many shining suns out of the earth; O, how shall we be delighted with the sight of such a glorious train and company, when we see the image and picture of the Lord upon them, drawn so to the life! What sweet greetings shall we have, and mutual congratulations of our old acquaintance in the flesh, who were with us acquainted with the Lord! And is this the end of our hearing and fasting, and praying, and self-denial, and mortification, and the poor services we have done for the Lord! Is this the issue of our pains and labor! O, happy we that ever we repented and believed, and closed with Jesus Christ! O, happy we that laid up our treasure, and waited for our glory and happiness till this time. The fifth antecedent to the judgment is their meeting with the Lord in the air. 1 Thes. iv, 17. 'Then we which are alive and remain, shall be caught up together with them to meet the Lord in the air.' We have spoken of the meeting of the saints with the angels: of the meeting of the saints with each other, all which meetings will be very delightful, but the meeting of the saints with the Lord himself will be beyond all. O, how sweet will the sound of Christ's coming be unto them before they see him! When they hear the loud expected shout, and the sound of the last trump!—This, this, will be music indeed in their ears: then, then, they will lift up their heads with joy; and do but think how transporting the first glance of their eye will be upon the Lord Jesus Christ, when they see him, yet afar off, clothed with such brightness and beauty; never did their eye behold such an object before; they admired to see the saints, and to see themselves so transformed; but how will they admire to see the Lord in such glory! If so be that some of his disciples did gaze after him with wonder, when he was taken from them, and ascended into heaven, [Acts i, 11,] with what wonder will all his disciples, (most of which never saw him in the flesh, none of which saw him in such glory,) then gaze upon him when he shall come down from heaven! 'Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven?' Say the angels, 'This same Jesus which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.' If you look and wonder now at his going, how will you look and wonder at his coming, which will be as surely, but far more gloriously? But when they are come nearer unto Christ, and have a fuller view of him; O, what thoughts; what affections; what joys will there then fill their souls! O, what workings; what beatings of heart; what transports and ravishment of spirit will they have! O, how would they be overwhelmed with the sight, and utterly unable to bear it, if they were not strengthened beyond their present capacity! And is this the Saviour and Redeemer of the world? O, glorious sun of righteousness! Did this most excellent person, who thus appears in the brightness of his Father, and is now come down from his glorious habitation, with such a glorious train of angels, once vouchsafe to dwell with men, and veil his glory in the flesh? Did this Son of God stoop so low as to take upon him our nature, yea, to take upon him the form of a servant? O, how will the saints be wrapt up in admiration and joy! How will they be all in a flame of burning love and affection, when they come to behold the Lord Jesus Christ himself, and viewing him in such glory as then he will be decked with! When they come to see him face to face, who hath such loveliness in his face, and such love in his heart unto them. It is said, [1 Pet. i, 8.] 'Whom having not seen ye love, in whom though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory.' If so be that the saints do now love Christ, whom they never saw, only have heard of, and believed the report of the word; how will they love him when they have this sight of him, and see a thousand fold more beauty in him than was reported, or could be imagined! If so be that now sometimes they rejoice, with glorious and unspeakable joy in believing, what will they do when they come to see him in his glory?—If they can now rejoice in tribulations, and take pleasure in the cross and reproach of Christ; what will they find in their Master's joy, and the crown which he now comes to put on their heads! O how glad will they be, that they have been counted worthy to suffer any thing for such a Saviour! It will be a joyful time indeed unto the saints when they are caught up in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air.