Heralds of the Morning
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From the dungeon, the stake, the scaffold, where saints and martyrs
witnessed for the truth, comes down the centuries the utterance of their
faith and hope. Being “assured of His personal resurrection, and
consequently of their own at His coming, for this cause,” says one of
these Christians, “they despised death, and were found to be above
it.”—Daniel T. Taylor, The Reign of Christ on Earth: or, The Voice
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of the Church in All Ages, page 33. They were willing to go down to
the grave, that they might “rise free.”—Ibid., page 54. They looked
for the “Lord to come from heaven in the clouds with the glory of His
Father,” “bringing to the just the times of the kingdom.” The Waldenses
cherished the same faith.—Ibid., pages 129-132. Wycliffe looked
forward to the Redeemer’s appearing as the hope of the church.—Ibid.,
pages 132-134.
Luther declared: “I persuade myself verily, that the day of judg-
ment will not be absent full three hundred years. God will not, cannot,
suffer this wicked world much longer.” “The great day is drawing near
in which the kingdom of abominations shall be overthrown.”—Ibid.,
pages 158, 134.
“This aged world is not far from its end,” said Melanchthon. Calvin
bids Christians “not to hesitate, ardently desiring the day of Christ’s
coming as of all events most auspicious;” and declares that “the whole
family of the faithful will keep in view that day.” “We must hunger
after Christ, we must seek, contemplate,” he says, “till the dawning
of that great day, when our Lord will fully manifest the glory of His
kingdom.”—Ibid., pages 158, 134.
“Has not the Lord Jesus carried up our flesh into heaven?” said
Knox, the Scotch Reformer, “and shall He not return? We know
that He shall return, and that with expedition.” Ridley and Latimer,
who laid down their lives for the truth, looked in faith for the Lord’s
coming. Ridley wrote: “The world without doubt—this I do believe,
and therefore I say it—draws to an end. Let us with John, the servant
of God, cry in our hearts unto our Saviour Christ, Come, Lord Jesus,
come.”—Ibid., pages 151, 145.
“The thoughts of the coming of the Lord,” said Baxter, “are most
sweet and joyful to me.”—Richard Baxter, Works, vol. 17, p. 555. “It
is the work of faith and the character of His saints to love His appearing
and to look for that blessed hope.” “If death be the last enemy to be
destroyed at the resurrection, we may learn how earnestly believers