A Speedy Coming
“Yet a little -liile, and be that shall come will come and will not tarry.” — Hec. x. S7.
“^1 LITTLE and the unquiet dream of life will be over, and the” morning without clouds’’ shall dawn. A few more tossings on life’s tempestuous sea, and the peaceful haven shall be entered. A few more night-watches, and the Lord of love will be seen standing on the Heavenly shore, as once He did on the shores of an earthly lake, with an eternal banquet of love prepared for His “Childken.”
Yes! “He comethr that is the Church’s “blessed hope.” It is the voice and presence of her “Beloved” which will “turn the shadow of death into the morniDg.” The dead — the ransomed dead — shall “hear His voice and come forth” — those “asleep in Jesus” God is to bring “mith Him.” His final invitation L5 not, “Go, ye blessed, to some bright paradise of angels prepared elsewhere for you”’ — but “come, share My bliss — be partakers in Jlfij crown:” — “Enter’ into the joy of Thy LoED!” Paul’s heaven was described in two words — “WITH Christ.” John’s heaven is made up of the two elements — of likeness to Jesus, and fellowship with Jesus. ‘’ We shall be nice Him,” “we shall see Him as He is.” In his sublime apocalyptic visions, when ‘the door was opened in heaven.” the first object which attracts his arrested gaze is “OxE who sat upon the throne;” around whom was “a rainbow in sight like unto an emerald” (Rev iv. 2, 8).
Our happiness will not be complete till we are ushered into the full vision and fruition of Jesus. “We are nourished in this far-off land from “the King’s country;” but we shall not be satisfied until we see the King Him- ?Qlt Jacob received full waggon-loads from Joseph, but he could not rest till he had seen him with his own eyes: — when he did so, the aged man’s spirit ‘’revived.” “We receive manifold pledges of covenant mercy from the true Joseph, in this “the house of our pilgrimage;” but we long to “behold his face in righteousness.” We shall only be “satisfied” when we “awake in His likeness!”
“Come! Lord Jesus, come quickly!” “j0e will not tarry P^ — Each sun, as it sets, is bringing us nearer the joyful consummation. Time is hastening with gigantic footsteps, to the advent-throne. The sackcloth attire of a now burdened creation will soon be exchanged for the full robe of light and beauty which is to deck a “sabbath-world.”
Happy day I when “the Bow’’ in a nobler sense, “shall be seen in the cloud” — not the Bow of Promise but He in whom all the promises blend and centre — “j5eAo?t?, He com.eth with CLOUDS I”
Seek ever to be in an attitude of watchfulness. Like the mother of Sisera, let faith be Btraining its ear for the murmur of the chariot-wheels; — that when the cry shall be heard — “Behold, it is He I” we may be able joyfully to respond — “No, this is our God, we hase waited for Him f
“Blessed are those servants whom the Lord when He cometh shall find watching: Yerily I say unto yon, that He shall gird Himself and make them to sit down to meat, and will come forth and serve them.”