THE HOPE OF THE CHILDREN OF GOD.
Now the Scripture says of them, "Ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God;" but at that time, even "when Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall we also appear with him in glory." Col. iii. 3, 4. They are now described as "in vile bodies," (literally "bodies of humiliation,") like unto what their Lord assumed for them, but still they are looking when the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ, shall come, because he will then change their vile bodies like unto his glorious body; Phillip. iii. 21; of which some idea may be formed from reading the account of Moses and Elias, as they appeared in glory with him at the transfiguration, and from his manifestation of himself after his resurrection. Concerning the present dispensation, it is written, not only creation, but "ourselves also, which have the first-fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves, groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of the body." Rom. viii. 23. For then, and not till then, "this corruptible shall put on incorruption, and this mortal shall put on immortality." 1 Cor. xv. 51. Then shall the dead in Christ rise first. Now the burden of a sinful body obliges even the apostle Paul to cry out, "O wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from the body of this death?" i. e., this body of death; but he knows that then, "He who raised up Christ from the dead, shall also quicken our mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in us." Rom. viii. 11. Just, then, in proportion as we feel these sinful bodies a draw-back to our unreserved devotion of ourselves to him that hath redeemed us, we shall long for his appearing to change them. There is much practical unbelief on the subject of this glorious hope, even among those who profess to believe in a resurrection. Let our faith close with this promise of God in Christ, because "it is written;" and we shall find it to be full of joy to look forward to the time when the consummation of our hopes shall be completed, by our receiving glorified bodies, free from pain, sickness, sorrow, crying, or death, able to serve him day and night, without distraction, and without fatigue. "For I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth: and though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God: whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another; though my reins be consumed within me." Job xix. 25-27. "Thy dead men shall live, together with my dead body shall they arise. Awake and sing, ye that dwell in dust; for thy dew is as the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast out the dead." Isa. xxvi. 19.