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Many are celebrating our LORD's first coming this
day; let us turn our thoughts to the promise of His second coming. This is as sure
as the first advent and derives a great measure of its certainty from it. He who
came as a lowly man to serve will assuredly come to take the reward of His service.
He who came to suffer will not be slow in coming to reign.
This is our glorious hope, for we shall share His joy. Today we are in our concealment
and humiliation, even as He was while here below; but when He cometh it will be our
manifestation, even as it will be His revelation. Dead saints shall live at His appearing.
The slandered and despised shall shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father.
Then shall the saints appear as kings and priests, and the days of their mourning
shall be ended. The long rest and inconceivable splendor of the millennial reign
will be an abundant recompense for the ages of witnessing and warring.
Oh, that the LORD would come! He is coming! He is on the road and traveling quickly.
The sound of His approach should be as music to our hearts! Ring out, ye bells of
hope!
"He Will Return"
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He left us, and yet we are not left orphans. He
is our comfort, and He is gone; but we are not comfortless. Our comfort is that He
will come to us, and this is consolation enough to sustain us through His prolonged
absence. Jesus is already on His way: He says, "I come quickly": He rides
posthaste toward us. He says, "I will come": and none can prevent His coming,
or put it back for a quarter of an hour. He specially says, "I will come to
you"; and so He will. His coming is specially to and for His own people. This
is meant to be their present comfort while they mourn that the Bridegroom doth not
yet appear.
When we lose the joyful sense of His presence we mourn, but we may not sorrow as
if there were no hope. Our LORD in a little wrath has hid Himself from us for a moment,
but He will return in full favor. He leaves us in a sense, but only in a sense. When
He withdraws, He leaves a pledge behind that He will return. O LORD, come quickly!
There is no life in this earthly existence if Thou be gone. We sigh for the return
of Thy sweet smile. When wilt Thou come unto us? We are sure Thou wilt appear; but
be Thou like a roe, or a young hart. Make no tarrying, O our God!
"It Will Not Be Long"
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The last word in the Canticle of love is, "Make
haste, my beloved," and among the last words of the Apocalypse we read, "The
Spirit and the Bride say, Come"; to which the heavenly Bridegroom answers, "Surely
I come quickly." Love longs for the glorious appearing of the LORD and enjoys
this sweet promise - "The coming of the LORD draweth nigh." This stays
our minds as to the future. We look out with hope through this window.
This sacred "window of agate" lets in a flood of light upon the present
and puts us into fine condition for immediate work or suffering. Are we tired? Then
the nearness of our joy whispers patience. Are we growing weary because we do not
see the harvest of our seed-sowing? Again this glorious truth cries to us, "Be
patient." Do our multiplied temptations cause us in the least to waver? Then
the assurance that before long the LORD will be here preaches to us from this text,
"Stablish your hearts." Be firm, be stable, be constant, "stedfast,
unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the LORD." Soon will you hear the
silver trumpet which announces the coming of your King. Be not in the least afraid.
Hold the fort, for He is coming; yea, He may appear this very day.
"Looking for Him"
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Often when we are racked with pain and unable to
think or worship, we feel that this indeed is "the body of our humiliation,"
and when we are tempted by the passions which rise from the flesh we do not think
the word vile at all too vigorous a translation. Our bodies humble us; and that is
about the best thing they do for us. Oh, that we were duly lowly, because our bodies
ally us with animals and even link us with the dust!
But our Savior, the LORD Jesus, shall change all this. We shall be fashioned like
His own body of glory. This will take place in all who believe in Jesus. By faith
their souls have been transformed, and their bodies will undergo such a renewal as
shall fit them for their regenerated spirits. How soon this grand transformation
will happen we cannot tell; but the thought of it should help us to bear the trials
of today and all the woes of the flesh. In a little while we shall be as Jesus now
is. No more aching brows, no more swollen limbs, no more dim eyes, no more fainting
hearts. The old man shall be no more a bundle of infirmities, nor the sick man a
mass of agony. "Like unto his glorious body." What an expression! Even
our flesh shall rest in hope of such a resurrection!
"World Concord"
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"And they shall beat their swords into plowshares,
and their spears into pruning-hooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation,
neither shall they learn war any more"
(Isaiah 2:4).
Oh, that these happy times were come! At present the nations are heavily armed and
are inventing weapons more and more terrible, as if the chief end of man could only
be answered by destroying myriads of his fellows. Yet peace will prevail one day;
yes, and so prevail that the instruments of destruction shall be beaten into oth/er
shapes and used for better purposes.
How will this come about? By trade? By civilization? By arbitration? We do not believe
it. Past experience forbids our trusting to means so feeble. Peace will be established
only by the reign of the Prince of Peace. He must teach the people by His Spirit,
renew their hearts by His grace, and reign over them by His supreme power, and then
will they cease to wound and kill. Man is a monster when once his blood is up, and
only the LORD Jesus can turn this lion into a lamb. By changing man's heart, his
bloodthirsty passions are removed. Let every reader of this book of promises offer
special prayer today to the LORD and Giver of Peace that He would speedily put an
end to war and establish concord over the whole world.
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