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PARSONS. • p-37 TORONTO / tmaB-^t:^?*Pj ^w f ^ ted by all believers on the simple testimony of the word of God, Those who do not accept them are considered unsonnd in the faith. The t/rit'd manifestation rests upon the same explicit assertion of the Holy Ghost in Scripture. Yet to-day comparatively few of the Christian Church rest upon the hoj)e of our Lord's manifestation ag:iin ; and we use it in faith, as they do rest npim His atonement and intercession, and use them in faith. Yea, by some, a believer who receives the word of the Lord for His second manifestation on earth, the same as He does for W\^ first manifestation here, and for R\^ present manifestation in heaven, is regarded with suspi- cion as to his soundness in the faith and sanc- ness of intellect. And now how can we account for this BBcming inconsistency of faith? How can dear and holy children of God delisiht in all the provisions of grace for their spiritual sustenance while liere in the enemy's land, and not long with joy to see the face ol the Captain of their ', it is ent on n, and in the sevting d time . The tire ac- timony accept • '^^^ explicit 3. Yet Church edation do rest and use er who ; second does for ^present h suspi- id sanc- for this ow can n all the stenance lot long of their salvation coming in victory aiul glory? Tlie fact would be a mystery, if wo could not see reasons for this in 'the fulfilling ot New Testa- ment predictions. We are forewarned of the losa of love, while the forms ot godliness will survive. We are told that the ad.ersary will strive in every way to deceive even the c^lect by counter- feiting the truth. In this way be dulls the mind, and drugs tbe heart against the testimony of the Spirit. A loss of sensibility to the per- sonality of God in Christ and in the Holy Ghost accounts for much indillcrence expressed in regard to tbe hope the L(»rd has set before His Church. Religion with very many is an obstruc- tion. Principles, ma>;ims, and rules have led them into a bort of legalism that fails to respond to any personal impressions from tbe Spirit ot God. This intellectualism— or, as many style it, tlds culture — neutralizes the power of every truth designed to affect and rule the heart. So while there is the form, their life lacks the power of godliness. Again, we have all felt the leaven of the llonuin heresy, placing death before the mind in place of resurrection from among the doad^ and heaven as the chief attrac- tion, in place of the restored earth, as the place of manifested glory. The primitive church reg ided death as an enemy defeated and abolished by Christ. They looked for llim to come ai:;'. n in glory, and 8 hence the promised resuiTectioii of the body was a prominent feature of their fait'' and their liope. Tlie theme of the selected passa^^o is* 2he Advent of Jesus to this ta. d a second time. I. Tim is expressly asserted in many Scriptures. The Lord's own testimony to His disciples is most direct. In Luke 1-J : 40, lie says, ** Be ye tliorefore ready also ; IbrtheSon of nian cometh at an liour, when ye tln'nk not." He liad urged watchfuhiess for the Lord's return — irom the paj able of the servants waiting for their Lord's return from the wedding, and' from the house- holder guarding his liome from thieves, had he known of tlieir approach. So the Saviour applied it to us, " Be ye also ready," not for death, as mme say (thus expounding or accommodating) but for the coming of the Son of Man. Death and this event are never confounded in the New Tes- tament. Again, our Lord says to His disciples, in John 14: 3, "'If I go and prepare a place for you, I shall come again, and receive you un- to myself; that where I am, there ye may be also." This meant to the disciples who heard Him, a personal and visible coming for them— to take them to Himself. He could not jnean, nor they understand it to mean the dj was 1 their second ptures. iples is ' Be ye :jometh I urged >in the Lord's house- had he ^pphed iath, as dating) ith and w Tes- 5ciples, I place ^ou un- 3 may s who ng for lid not m the 9 coining of the Spirit, for they had not re- ceived the Holy Ghost, and the eftusion at Pentecost was not the con)ing of Christ again to the earth. He Himself says the Comforter could not come unless tie went away. Therefore, the coming of the Holy Ghost cannot fulfil the promise of the Lord's return. And if the Saviour meant to comfort them, it inust have been in language they could then aj)pre- hend. They were in the body, and so was lie. The coming spoken of must refer t.' a time, when both He and they should be in the body a^ain, never more to part. Anc^ther testimony ot our Lord, in John 21 : 21, is important, as showing the distinction niade by the disciples, under His ^.^acliing, between death and the coming of the Lord. Because tlie Lord answered Peter's query concerning elohn, in a mysterious way, "If I will that he tarry till I come," the disciples gave out that John should not die. "But Jesus saith not unto him,^ lie shall not die,'" but "If I will that He tarry till I come, what is that to thee?" This indicates already, that the believer's going to be with Christ — as he does at death — is not the same as Christ's, coming again for His people, in the " resurrec- tion and the Life." The testimony of the angel >^ to the longing disciples who stood gazing ui)ward after our Lord's ascension conhrnis the great promise of 10 .Py the text. The disciples had been filled with ,uy at seeing the Lord Jesus risen from the dead • but their joy would have been turned into dis- may, when He was borne ah>ft from tlieir siimpathy for ills children under the strikino' figure of a '''hen gathering her chickens under^her whicr " The same Greek words '' on tro])on '^ are used here, as in Acts 1 : .1. Bnt in this case a literal under- standing of the words is impossible; therefore the ngurativ3 ])revails. Ihit in the testimony of tiie angels, it was obvio'^sly as possible for Jesus to descend through Mil clouds as to ascend in that way ; accordingly, under the admitted canor. ot interpretation, that when tiie sense and cir- •uinstanccs of the text permit, the literal is Ji'stto be accepted—the personal and visible conrmg of the Lord alone can be inl ended. Thifi IS. in accord with the comment of Alford in this place, tn hke manner «9,"— to be taken literally: as you beheld Him gotug, so sliall He be seen coming; in tlie same human form, and in the 11 ^itli joy dead ; ito dis- 1* sii/ht, words : s taken in like 5) 3aven. It ]ias se, '' in Jesus it had tliy for a " lien ' The lere, as nnder- erefore LOiiy of I' Jesus end in I canor. id cir- sral is visible This in this erally; e seen in the clouds. of IToaven. His corporeal identity is im- l^lied in the world, " this same Jesusr No less to the point is the remark of Bengel^ one of the soundest interpreters of modern times. " Notice it is not said, that they who saw Him ascending should also see Him come again. Between the Ascension and the glorious Advent no event is interposed which can be put in com- parison witli either of them, and in consequence, these two are placed together. It was then with reason that the apostles, before the giving of the apocalypscj looked to the day of Christ as very near. And it is agreeable to the Majesty of Christ, that He should be expected without in- termission during the whole interval between the Ascension and His Advent." The testimony to this fact from the primitive church is best learned from the record given of the iirst general assembly of the churches,through their representatives, held at Jersualem. We have the account in Acts, 15th chapter. The council was called, to decide questions arising in the churches concerning tlie treatment of Gentile converts. After speeches by Peter and Paul and Barnabas, concerning the wonderful work of grace among the Gentiles— James, (as we judge from the context, the moderator of the assembly) gives the decision, and prefaces it with a remarkable statement of historical facts, in prophetic order : Acts 15 : 14-17 ; " Simeon Sfta*a,^t3'i.i*„KBtfs»H' 12 hath declared how God at the first did visit the trentiles, to take out of them a people for His name. And to this agree the words of the prophets; as it is written, "After this I will return, and will build again the tabernacle of -Uavid, which IS fallen down ; and I will build again the ruins thereof, and I will set it up : Ihat the residue of men might seek after the Lord and all the Geatiles, upon whom my name IS called, saith the Lord, who doeth all these things Here we have three distinct facts, in the order of God's appointment : the calling of theBrtde-to be completed in this Dispensation —then the return of the Lord-the restoration ot Israel— the ingathering of all nations. From this we have the distinct utterance of the Holy Uhost, in regard to the return of the Lord, It toilows the mcoming of the complement, or set numler of the Gentiles, Rom. U : 25. It pre- cedes the incoming of Israel to the Lord, and alter that all the glorious things promised con- cerning the Gentiles shall be fulfilled. That this was the faith and testimony of the apostles and the early church is evident from the use they ma(^e of It so frequently in exhortation and christian practice. l\,^The object of Bis coming again is expressh/ asserted, *^ "Unto salvation." And that it refers to a completed salvation, in thp snnsp r.i' fho ri^i;..^,. isit the 'or His of the I will acle of 1 build it up; :ter the ^ name 1 these lets, in ling of isation )ration From J Holy d. It or set t pre- [, and 1 con- it this 3S and ' they 1 and ressly to a liver- 13 anee of the hodies of believers from the dominion of death is plain from direct teachings of the word on this subject. Thus in the statement and order of the resurrection of the body in 15th of 1 Cor. the Apostle speaks of Christ and first fruits, *' Afterwards they that are Christ's at His coming," agreeing perfectly with the comfort offered the Thessalonians, in 1st Thess. 4 : 14, 15, 16 : as to their resurrection after the pattern of Christ, 14 : at the coming of the Lord 15 : and agreeing also with and confirming Eev. 20 : 5, in regard to the first resurrection. So in the wonderful passage of Eomans 8 : 23-25, this same hope is asserted. 23 : " And not only they, l)ut ourselves also, which have the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within our- selves waiting for the adoption, to wit. the re- demption of our body. 24 : " For we are saved by hope : but hope that is seen is not hope ; for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for ? 25 : "But if we hope for what we see not then do we with patience wait for it." In the 24th verse the verb in the original is in the imperfect tense. "For we were saved in this liojpe^'^ referring to the previous time where the hope expressed is the resurrection of the body. This when completed, as it will be at the second manifestation of the Lord Jesus on earth, is the completed salvation of the believer, and this is here stated as the ob- ject of His manifestation the second time with- rwaWBI w^wawi: '"'m'-'mf^ 14 out sin. It is the Lord nn^Tiir^n. f^ tj- both those who 4, andThoTe who'lVVS' This^bject appears in the exultation olkS^^ J iim. 4. ^ 'Henceforth there is laid nn fm. ugnteons judge, shall give me at that dwu ; and X118 appearing. Peter refers to this salvation amed m the text, when he says, (1 Pet 15^ " Who are kept by the power o^f God hrouS fS ti™e "tr ""• 'H'.*^ be revealed b "tie '?wr V ^. ^P'"" "^ h« exhortation 13th v 'Wherefore gn-d up the lions of your mind be sober and hope to the end for the ~ St s Christ '°"f^ ""'" '"'' f '^'^ revelafiZftLl Christ. Many more references might be cited did ime allow, to show that the obiect of th^ Lord's epming the second time wkhout s n is die apphcation of His salvation to he 12' a well as the spirit of all believers. ^ ni— The persons for whom He comes. " To them that look tor TTi'tn " wi, St" t:,Pf^r^ F-al7nrt"th^ S th^i; «^£ '.• "'^' "''"y *«'''«'»«'•« dismiss it onmhs reS^"', '"' "'"^'^g "^f "on-essentials ui u uins revealed— because as they sav it i^ c,r. f our'S "Kr ' '° ^"^?^ '""'fi'^^ ^^-" were put 1 Don H- '^^""L '"J ^'"^ «'"«' ^hich were put upon Him-and further that this state (N 15 of things is predicted in tlieJSTew Testament- as our Lord intimated when He said ^' When the Son of Man cometh shall He find faith on the earth ?"— it will not be strange that some may hnd an ol)jection to the truth of the doctrine in the fact that so many who believe on Him as their Saviour, are not looking for Him at all in this sense. Some even go so far as to affirm this declaration of the text, understood in this way to be " another gospel" against which all the taithlul are to be warned. The meaning of the phrase now before us, is not to be sought from the present state of the church, but from the scriptures which show what the attitude of God's people were, when this saying was penned bv the Apostle writing to the Hebrews. It is true of most who now rejoice in this hope which God has so strictly placed before His people, that once they resisted and rejected this plain teaching of the Word. We did it because ot the bondage of tradition. The spiritualizing ot scripture in all its great truths that include and make mention of the body, has been produc- tive of great injury to the faith and life of saints. It cannot be doubted, that to-day, as at the first mamfestation of Christ— many deceive them- selves because they will hear the Fathers rather than Hi- That, however,doe8 not weaken the power of God's Word in itself, nor lower the obligation of those who have been brouijht into 16 Hon of ,l,e U,i-^,h,Zh4^m'^'"'S T »,„» „ old, .. Mj lorf aKj God •• Tl ' to, f'L ''"*'?"'"' ^^ = '^) ^'-^ e^^lioi'ted as "waiting iJie llnlippians are addresspri i,^ ,-f .,."'''• our Lord Je^sS -Chri , Jrdt'/o'^us'ft in tne 5tli verse is rendered " watcli"— and f/.fj describes the character for wl.ich the «nr. H conMnended tlie.n in ti.e 1st cCeV 10th vero liv^'a^d tnS^^H ^°'^^'" '^«'^' *--- - 1-0 "heave '^ S^? '• ^""^ '''. ^^''^ ^■'''- His Son 17 ly.—TAis coming is imminent. This is implied in the character and attitude of hatToT for H-""?, He comes. "Unto them tnat look for Bim"— the expectation fits the r 1 k^"t?/ "f *^'« ^'•"th in scripture. In he Gospel by Mark (13: 35, 37)-our Lrd gives this reason for watching-" Watch ye therefore S cometTat'":* ^'^" '''' "«^*^' ^^ "^^ hoC cocTcrowtr!!""^ T. ^* '"''^."'S^'' o-- ^t the suddenlv H?' fi ^i"' ^''^ morning ; lest coming say unto you I say unto all— wafc^," This language could not be used if the time of the Lord s commg had been known to any creature And this very ignorance is essential to keep a believer m a watchful attitude, and theretbre ready for his Lord. The fact that Apostles and holy Chnstiansof the first century, anT £«gh all the centuries since, have died, and thus have not seen the Lord come-does not talsify a smgle statement or promise of the word on this subject. For the use of the doctrine and hope on their lives was as valuable for peifoS gracious character, as the hope of^thc'^'^^ XZVT- °" ^™f°" "f ^^^' «'• -« the hope of U toTy '' ''^*''' ^^"^ ^"^^ ''"^ rejoice in And further-the object of this hope is not accomplished where believers «leep in^ Jesus- th MX \J aiLiij g HS iruiy and watching for the I 18 j^lory on the other side as we are on thi.s. Thev long and Jiope to be in their resurrection bodies after deatli more than here for— altliongli with Christ, and: beliolding, and absor])ed ifi His glorified body— they yet long, with holv desire, t^> 1)0 ' clothed upon with (their) liouse which is troin Heaven.'' But the imminence of tliis coming is one feature of this hope, which pro- motes constancy and perseverance in the holy ealling. If a believer say " my Lord cannot come for a thousand years yet," that believei- has so far set a time, by saying a thousand years must elapse first! But James says (5: 8,) to the afflicted and sufiering— " Be ye also patient • stabhsh your liearts; for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh." And the Apostle Peter antici- pates the objection now often heard, " Where is the promise of His coming? All things con tinue as they Avere from the beginning of tho creation," by saying "Beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. ^ The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some men count slackness: but IS long-sufi^ering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance." Here we find that God counts His promises on the calendar time of lieaven and not of eartli. And it is right He should when dealing with His people. '^For our Til lej bodies Ii with 1 His iesire, liicli is >f this h pro- 3 holy jannot ilievei' ' years o the tient : ) Lord Mitici- ere is > con )f the 'ant of d as a 3 one ^ His but that come ounts e of t He )r our 19 conversation (literally citizenship) is in heaven." Still many who love to searcli the precious promise^^ <>f the word on this subject, are in per- plexity as to the consistency of truth, in the promise — as imminGnt. and in the after fact of eontinued dday in the ap])earino;; *• now as it was certain in the A[)ostles' day that there would be a long delay, how could they consistently teach that the Lord was liable to come at any time? And how could this expectation of the coming as imminent be held during the whole dispensation?" [t is not easy to rid our mindset the impressions on this theme which have i::;rown u]> with us from tradition. They still linger with us all. But the perplexity alluded to above, may be allayed in some degree by remembering that the object of this hope on the individual is to stimulate devotion in tlie Christian life. Now it must be imminent^ to be operative as our hope, and also remote enough to stimulate ex])ectation. This is shown in connection with a Divine state- ment in Ttomsms, " Hope that is seen is not hope : for what n man seetb, why doth he yet hope for I " But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it. " The great events con- nected with this appearing of the Lord the second time without sin, unto salvation^ are suiHcient to show the use of this hope to the individual believer in every part of the age. First, the resurrection body for each, springing . ^:-v;d^';^.. IIm l-i, ) 20 from the gre/w in the mortal body, guarded bv tueOmmpotent Spirit in its gracef ia^alZln/ of the spn-it ot the person, Aere, and also K where ,t waits w th Christ. This is clear Zm Paul s analogy of the iore ^rain, planted and dy.n|, but always bringing its owkLd %Zn tl e^ret resurrection brings the re-umon forever also God has appomted the recompense~the vai ts. The resurrection of the just will be &^on tf ^^ '}' «""''""« '°«°'»*«'- ""*« the houses o?tIi''-"V'"* 'T'^" '^'^'"bute the nouses ot Ills kingdom, and assign to each one a position in His providential swaySver the restored Province of the earth . These are reaSneces Uuough the wilderness, exposed to temptation ^ui often engaged in eoiiHrct with num^boSess It is not certainly against the goodness of God to make such provision for His^hildren by the way-nor is it against His truth-since the day IS not known, and tlierefore must beTmminS to eacJi passing generation, until it dawns mr can the allusions to imminence in our Load's' own teaching be referred to the closing of the Jewish epoch, and the doom of Jmisalem ch'uTehe? Thf f '""^^^r.^ epistles to"3 ciimclies. Thessalonica, Philippi, Corinth, Eph- ■iii i /rr-i-iTt i 'Nria 21 ded by )iiging, ir from Bd and Then ^orever s time ^~the 111 ser- in be ito the te the one a stored neces- assing ation, crless God, J the e day inent twns. 3 rd's • the ilem. ntile Eph- esuri, Colossi, were all Gentile ehurches, and lid be salem, or pposed to be influenced to per- 3 by the threatened fall of Jerii- end of the Jewish nation. Vnd still the most potent reason — this should be kept near the believer's lieart — is the revealed fact, that when lie appears^ not till then, the believer will be like Christ. That will be full fruition — promised and sure and essential to satisfy the believer — bnt not realized '' till He come." " I shall be satisfied," said the Psalmist, " when I awake in thy likeness." And David is waiting and watching yet. ^. — TJds commgh i\iQ grmidincentive God has given for diligence in the holy calling. If any thing can move the heart, it is the magnificence of those things God has revealed by His Spirit. These are set before us, to induce through the motive power of the human will, a special devotedness, a peculiar loyalty, to the Absent Loi'd. Thus i)rone as we are to become defiled with the lusts of the flesh, the seductions of the M'oi'ld, and the assaults of Satan, there must be some adequate attraction to draw us by the Spirit from their tempters. The Aj^ostle' John declares (1 John 3 : 2, 3.) " We know that when He shall a})pear, we shall be like Him ; for we shall see Him as He is. And every man that 22 hath thia hope in Him, purifietli himself, even as lie is pure." The hope referred to is the manifestation of Christ the second time. This is not a theory, or human speculation, that this hope shall so operate on the one who has it. It is God's declared will. Again in writing to Christians at Colosse, (3 : 4, 5.) The Holy Spirit says, " When Christ who is our life,sliall appear, then shall ye also appear with Him in glory." The word appear has the same meaning liere as in the text. Our manifestation as members will be when His, the Head is. And what shall be the result of this glorious Jiope. "' Therefore"— says the Apostle— giving a most cogent reason. " Therefore mortify " {make dead, a strong term "i "your members, whicli are upon the earth ; for- nication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence and covetousness, which is idolatry." If this glorious expectation was valuable for great attainments in holy living in the apostolic age, it may be so now. AU Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable. This is by the inspired Spirit of God, and therefore is proiitablc. And if it wei . more used in its blessing and iniiuence on our live-^, we snould be more helpful to our absent Lord for the con- summation of His promised glory. He is looking now upon His church from His Father's throne, as once from the mountain side 28 He looked upon the little boat, tossini^ and toil- ing on the sea of Galilee. Soon Tie will rise up, and walking over the sea of troubled and thrash- ing waves,and speaking peace to the angry surges, will bring His Bride, not merely to the heavenly land, but into His banqueting-house, to sit down at the marriage sapper of the J^amb. 5^ Bible Reading on the Second Coming of Christ. Scripb.ral Testimony to the fmt^and practical use of the doctrine. I. — Its importance. Matt. 23 : 39. '•' For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed 18 he that cometh in the name of the Lord " Matp. 24: 42. '^ Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come " Matt. 2^4 : 44 - Therefore, be ye also ready r tor m such an hour as ye think not, the Son of Man cometh." Matt. 25: 13. ^' Watch therefore: for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the bon of Man cometh." Maek 13 : 33-37. " Take ye heed, watch and pray ; tor ye know not when the time is. For the Son of Man is as a man taking a far journey who left his honse, and gave authority to his servants, and to every man his work: and com- manded the porter to watch. Watch ye there- tore : for ye know not when the master of the house cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at the cock-crowing, or in the morning: Lest comino- suddenly, he hnd you sleeping. And what I say unto you, I say unto all, Watdi." y^ 25 Luke 11:} : 35, 36. " Let your loins be girded about, and your lights burning. And ye your- selves like unto men that wait for your Lord when he will return from the wedding; that when he cometh and knocketh, they may open imto him immediately." Luke 21 : 36. " Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man." Acts 1: 11. "Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven ? this same Jesus which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go." IL — A General object of hope. Job 19 : 25-27. " For I know that my Eedeemer liveth, and that ho shall stand at the latter day upon the earth : and though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God; whom I shall see for myself and mine eyes shall behold, and not another." IsA. 25 : 9. " And it shall be said in that day, Lo, this is our God ; we have waited for him, we will be glad and '^ejoice in his salvation." Titus 2 : 13. "Looking for that blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ. 1 Pet. 1 : 13. " Wherefore gird up the loins 26 of your mind, be sober, and hv the grace that is to be brouo«ht ope to the end for evelation of JesuB Christ ?? ght unto you at the 2 Tim. 4 S. J' Ilenceforth there is laid up tor sness, whicli the Lord give me at that day: Mie a crown of righteou^i Ind nS'tn"'' '^'^^^P'/^^^i^ ^^^0 me at that day and not to me only but unto all them also fh{f' love his ai^pearing/' ^"^^ ni.-The ^roTivE to activity and holinkss. Testimony. his own iiorv •md ;„ ,,v i? ' "- f '»" come in lioly an^el*;.-" ' " ^^^t\x^v\ and of the Tlolin<'.s!s . Savionr, the Lord Jesus Christ." UnMljislmess. nn^ me^: SaT^t'SiiJ ^^ ^"-" Overoonimg the Flesh ^ orv. Moitity therefore your members which i^.' itbt..:-.siJ.i. iiid for at the U]) for Cord, t day; ^ that 11 be .11 the tne in •f the IS III the I own lite, hira fiich 27 are upon the earth ; fornication, unclennne^s inordinate affection, evil concnpisenco and covetonsness, which is idolatry." Ohedienoe. 1 Tim. 6 : 14. ^' That thon keep this comniand- nienfc without spot, unrehukable until W^ appear- ing ot onr Lord Jesus Chj'ist." Reward. 1 Pet. 5:4. " And when tlie chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of dory that tadeth not away." ^ ^ Godliness. Titus 2:13, 13. " Teaching us, that denying ungodhness and worldly Inst, we should livi soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world; looking tor that blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the great God and onr baviour Jesus Christ." Perseverance. 1 ^l^'l' l^\\ ^^- " ^,?' y^^ "" ^'^^^^ ^^^^i^e. and iie that shall come, will come, and will not tarry." Patience. James 5 : 7, S. ^^Be patient therefore, brethren, nnto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the hus- bandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he 28 receive the early and latter rain. Be ye ako patient ; stablish your hearts ; for the coming ol ihe Lord draweth nigh." Christian Consistency. 2 Pet. 3 : 10, 1 1. « But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. Seeing then that all these tlimgs shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ou.ght ye to be in all holy conversation and goahnes3." Secular Diligence. Luke 19 : 12, 13. " He said therefore, A cer- tam nobleman went into a far country to receive tor himself a kingdom, and to return. And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, Occupy til] I come." Christian Purity. .V \ ^^^{ % ' }^' '\ therefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent, that ye Seles?" "" '"^ ^^^""^^ ''^'^^''^''^ 'P""* ^""^ Persistence, l.nl^T V:^u\ "^"^ *^^^ ^^^^^^^ y^ bave already, hold fast till he come." i ' 55 ' 29 Faith and Hope, sCe " ' ^' '^'"^ "^'^^'^ ^"^1 tl^ey see his Ohrifitian Graces. 1 Thes. 3 : 13, 13. « And the Lord make von _ Ahidmg in Christ. Self-l\infication. 1 Johns: 2, 3. "Beloved now are we the shall be t't"'' '1 '^"'^"^'^■et appeaAvIt we Shall be, bnt we know that Avhen he shall m. as he IS And eveiy man that hath this hope him punheth himself, even as he is pnre."^ 30 Comfort in Affliction. 1 Thes. 4 : 14. " For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so tliem also which sleep in Jesns will God bring with him." Use of Gifts. 1 Cor. 1 : 7, 8. "So that je come ])ehind in no gift ; waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesns Christ: who shall also confirm you unto the end, tliat ve may be blameless in the day ot our Lord Jesus Christ." Watchf Illness. 1 Thes. 5: 4, 5, 6. 'VBut ye, brethren, are not m darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day : we are not of the n^ght, nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep ' as do others; but let us watch and be sober/' t