Or as the evergreen; still verdant, still beautiful, when the winter’s frost has stripped the neighbouring plants whose short-lived beauty seemed far more brilliant under the summer’s sun; so will they abide in the winter time of the church’s history; their life untouched, for it consists in a union with their Lord; their beauty undiminished, for it is His unfading likeness impressed by the Holy Ghost upon their heart. * * * * * IV. A fourth remark follows at once from this position of the saints as witnesses in the midst of general declension, _viz._ this: they will be _unsupported by the arm of flesh_. When all except the true saints have declined from the faith, it stands to reason that those saints will be left unsupported by the world’s influence. This appears also very plainly from our Lord’s prophecy: “Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake;” Matthew, xxiv. 9. Political influence will then be against the truth. “Ye shall be hated of all _nations_.” There will be a national opposition to true godliness, as there ought to be a national support of it. We must be prepared therefore to see all national and political influence thrown boldly into the scale of error: we shall be taught by the sins of those in power not to lean on the arm of flesh, to cease from man, to rest simply upon Christ and Christ alone. Then God’s redeemed will find no help from statesmen, but draw all their help from Christ. They will be forced to cleave to those precious promises, “I am with you always even unto the end of the world;” “The gates of hell shall not prevail against you;” “Fear not, little flock, it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.” Their union with him will be every day more and more precious; their thirsting after him more and more intense; his word, his grace, his presence, his love, will be the strength of their hope, the subject of their discourse, the one source of their joy; and, forsaken by all other, they will cleave only unto him till the blessed day when as the King of kings he shall come forth for their joy and glory. * * * * * V. And this leads us to a fifth and last feature in the description of the saints. They will be _waiting and watching for the coming of the Lord_.