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 Christ’s 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.”
They were willing to go down to the grave, that they “might rise free.”
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.”
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The Waldenses cherished the same faith. Wycliffe looked forward to
the Redeemer’s appearing as the hope of the church.
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.”
“This aged world is not far from its end,” said Melancthon. 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.”
“Has not our 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 there-
fore 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.”
“The thoughts of the coming of the Lord,” said Baxter, “are most
sweet and joyful to me.” “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 should long and pray for the second coming
of Christ, when this full and final conquest shall be made.” “This is
the day that all believers should long, and hope, and wait for, as being
the accomplishment of all the work of their redemption, and all the
desires and endeavors of their souls.” “Hasten, O Lord, this blessed
day!” Such was the hope of the apostolic church, of the “church in the
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