759. ISA 21:12. THE SIX MORNINGS

Isa_21:12. The Six Mornings

"The morning cometh."’97Isa_21:12.

The various portions of the day are often employed in the way of figure by the sacred writers. Day is the emblem of joy and gladness; night, of sorrow and trouble. Thus, too, evening is the sign of approaching distress or affliction, and morning is the token of happiness and prosperity. There are two or three things necessarily connected with morning. Night must precede, and day must follow. A few hours have passed away since darkness overcast the whole of our horizon; and now, since morning has shed its cheering beams, we are enjoying the gladsome light of day. How right and proper that every morning should bear witness to our gratitude to God for the mercies of the night, and our supplications for the needful blessings of the succeeding day. Every pious heart knows experimentally the meaning of these words, "My voice shalt thou hear in the morning." Our subject is the morning, and we design to lead your contemplations,

I. To the morning of our world’s existence.

Ere that morning arose the earth was without form, and void; one dark, chaotic mass presented itself before the mind of the Eternal. Silent darkness reigned undisturbed. The Son of God had long anticipated the formation of our world. He had fixed his delights upon it before the mountains were settled, before the hills were brought forth, yea, long before the depths of the sea were formed, or its boundaries decreed. He was rejoicing in the habitable parts of the earth, and his delights were with the sons of men. At length the day of our world’s existence dawned. The great Fountain of light, by his only-begotten Son, formed the worlds. The slumbers of night were broken by the voice of God. His spirit brooded o’er the mighty void; and he said, "Let there be light, and there was light." That was the first morning our world ever beheld’97a morning which exhibited the almighty power of Jehovah, and gave a transcendently glorious manifestation of his benevolence and love. Now "the morning stars sang together," &c. The day which followed was one of purity and bliss. Every thing displayed the wisdom and goodness of the great Artificer; and God smiled with infinite complacency when he took a survey of the whole, and pronounced it very good. Eden was the sphere of man’s labors, dominion, and enjoyment. But mark, the heavens darken, nature is convulsed, tempestuous clouds of an awfully threatening character streak the horizon. Sin has entered our world; pollution has defiled the noblest workmanship of God; hell has triumphed over wretched, apostate man; night, darkness, and death, in all their sable blackness, now surround our world. Mercy intervenes, compassion triumphs, and a ray of light indicates the coming of another day. Stars now irradiate the heavens; types, sacrifices, and promises lead Old Testament believers to expect the dawning of the day of mercy and salvation. Notice, then,

II. The morning of our world’s redemption.

Before the breaking of the day the darkness is more dense and palpable. So before this day prophecy had ceased, and the oracles of heaven had been silent for ages. But at length the glad jubal morning arrived, the typical stars disappear, sacrificial mists pass away, and the Son of God appears in our world, and is manifest in our flesh. Angels introduced this morning with songs, as they did the morning of the world’s existence’97the anthem falls on the ears of the astonished shepherds, "Glory to God in the highest, peace on earth, and goodwill to men." This morning was followed by the day of Christ’s tabernacling among us. A day "when life and immortality were brought to light," &c. A day of mercy to the wretched and sinful of our race. Jesus went forth as the Sun of Righteousness, with healing beneath his wings. He stood as the sun in his lofty orbit, and exclaimed, "I am the light of the world." But this day ended in the night of Christ’s sufferings and death. By the persecution of the Son of God, his rejection by his own people, by conspiracy, by cruel arrest, by Gethsemane’s woes, and the ignominious death of the cross. That Sun, which rose in such beautiful and heavenly radiance in Bethlehem, now set in blood, on the summit of Calvary. There was the burial, and the silent darkness of the sepulchre. But this was a short night’97it soon passed away; for behold, "the morning cometh."

III. The morning of Christ’s glorious resurrection.

With this morning revived the hopes of the disciples of Christ. The salvation of the world seemed to be sepulchred with him. With this morning the hopes of the deathless myriads of our race were placed on a glorious and sure foundation. His resurrection declared him to be the Son of God, with power; it became the key-stone to the whole edifice of his church, and one of the leading doctrines of his blessed gospel.

"Welcome, sweet day of rest,

That saw the Lord arise,

Welcome to this reviving breast,

And these rejoicing eyes."

Yes, every Lord’s day should remind us of this morning. The resurrection of Christ was the morning of the Christian’s day of holy rest, and spiritual communion. At the close of the week it ought to gladden us that the morning cometh; and it ought to be introduced with the joyful lines of the poet’97

"Another six days’ work is done,

Another Sabbath is begun," &c.

And this introduced the gospel day’97the day of Christ’s spiritual reign on earth. In his day the kingdom of heaven was at hand; but he must suffer and rise again before its foundation could be laid. His spiritual empire was introduced on the day of pentecost, when the Spirit was poured out from on high. This was the beginning of the reign of the Holy Spirit of God, that to which Christ referred when he said, "If I go away, the Comforter will come," and to this he directed the attention of his disciples, just before he left them, Act_1:4, &c. See its realization, Act_2:1, &c. Now began the progress of light and truth, the diffusion of the gospel, and the commencement of the New Testament dispensation among men. Observe,

IV. The morning of the soul’s conversion to God.

It is darkness and night with all unbelievers. But when the gospel comes, light comes; and if received, the soul is illumined, and the beams of a holy morning dawn upon the soul’97the life of the Christian is the day’97a season of light, and joy, and holiness. His path begins with the morning, and "shines more and more unto the perfect day." Happy that soul on whom the Sun of Righteousness has arisen! But this must be followed by the night of death. There is yet another day before the church of God.

V. The morning of Christ’s millennial kingdom and glory.

Then will Christ shine forth in all his meridian brightness; his appearance will usher in his heavenly administration. Then will be the days of heaven upon earth. Then will God’s tabernacle be with men, &c. Then Zion will arise and shine, her light having come, &c. The light of the moon will then be as the light of the sun, &c. "The Gentiles shall come to their light, and kings to the brightness of their rising." Behold the enrapturing vision, as beheld through the medium of prophecy, Isa_60:18 to end.

VI. The morning of a glorious eternity. The saints shall now have dominion and glory’97dwell in regions of celestial light. Jesus the Sun of the eternal world. No night to succeed this. One day of effulgent brightness and everlasting blessedness, Rev_21:22. Now observe,

1. Christ is essentially connected with each of these mornings.

Creation, redemption, resurrection, spiritual reign, conversion, millennium.

2. Each morning is identified with the happiness of man. Look at his primeval dignity’97redemption; raised in his resurrection; means for his transformation in the gift of the Spirit. Personally saved in the morning of conversion. That salvation consummated in the day of Christ’s personal reign and glory.

3. How many are the children of the morning of the day?

If believers, "ye are not of the night, and of darkness." "Light is sown for the righteous, and joy for the upright."

4. To the unbelieving, we observe, the night also is coming.

Of death, and eternal misery.

Autor: JABEZ BURNS