The Resurrection Compared to the Morning

    THE RESURRECTION COMPARED TO THE MORNING

    "And the righteous shall have dominion over them in the Morning," Ps 49:14.

    PARALLELS.

    I. The Morning comes after the night is gone: so the Resurrection will come after the night of this world is gone; the time of this world's continuance is called night in the holy Scriptures: "The night is far spent," &c.

    II. The Morning is longed for; many watch and long for the Morning: so the godly long for the Resurrection; all the faithful ever waited for, and greatly desired that day.

    III. The Morning brings light, and makes things manifest, which lie hid, or appear not what they are in themselves, in the night time: so the Resurrection will make manifest all the hidden things of darkness, which appear not to the sight of men; that glorious Morning will soon discover all.

    1. It will make manifest all the horrid and cursed designs of the ungodly, which they from time to time have contrived, and endeavoured to carry on against the saints and Church of God, many of which God in his gracious providence prevented from taking place, and so they were never known: but the Morning light will discover all those hidden things of darkness.

    2. The light of that Morning will discover all the secrets of every man's heart; all the evil, lust, envy, pride, revenge, &c., or what else hath been harboured in the bosoms of men. See 1Co 4:5.

    3. It will discover all the filthy actions and abominations of the wicked, that are not known to men, nor fit to be mentioned: "For it is a shame to speak of those things that are done of them in secret," Eph 5:12.

    4. That Morning will discover all persons, as well as things; then it will appear who are God's people, and who are not; who they were that served God in truth, and who were hypocrites, &c., Mt 3:17.

    IV. Towards the Morning the Morning star appears, which gives notice the day approacheth: so towards this Morning, there will appear many signs to give warning to the world, that the day of the Resurrection is at hand: "So likewise when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the door," Mt 24:33.

    V. When the bright Morning is come, the sun rises and shines forth gloriously: so when that morning is come, Jesus Christ, the Sun of Righteousness, will appear in his glory, and shine forth to the amazement of all the world.

    VI. The Morning brings joy and gladness with it; it makes the birds to sing, and send forth their warbling notes: so the Morning of the Resurrection will bring joy and gladness to all righteous; then shall the saints sing for joy of heart, and be glad in the Lord.

    VII. In the Morning men arise out of their beds: so in the Morning of the Resurrection shall all the saints of God be raised out of their graves: "Thy dead men shall live, together with my dead body shall they arise," &c. "The dead in Christ shall rise first." Isa 26:11; 1Th 4:17.

    VIII. We commonly give a guess what kind of day it will be in the Morning: so by the Morning of the Resurrection, the godly will perceive what kind of day the day of eternity, or glory of Christ's kingdom will be.

    IX. In a springing Morning things look fresh and very beautiful, and also send forth a most sweet and fragrant scent: so in the Morning of the Resurrection, the earth will appear in its beauty, and the saints in their glory: "Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun, in the kingdom of their Father," &c., Mt 13:43.

    DISPARITY.

    IN the morning of a natural day here, wicked men receive like benefit with the righteous "The sun rises upon the just, and upon the unjust:" but in the Morning of the Resurrection it shall not be so; the ungodly shall not partake with the saints of any of the blessings and comforts of that morning: then that word shall be made good, "The righteous shall have dominion over them in the Morning," Ps 49:14.

    In many other respects that Morning will differ from all other Mornings that ever were before it.