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THE KING’ S BUSINESS
people, to be looking for Him at any time. To His immediate disciples He said, “Watch, therefore; for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come,” and the moment the servant began to say in his heart, “My Lord delayeth His, coming,” he began to be negligent and unfaithful (Matt. 24:42, 48). “Watch ye, therefore; for ye know not when the master o f the house cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at the cock crowing; or in the morning; lest com ing suddenly He fin'd you sleeping. And what I say unto you, I say unto all, Watch” (Mark 13:35-37). He directs His follow ers, then and now, to stand with girded loins and burning lights, like unto men that wait for the Lord; “and if He shall come in the second watch, or come in the third watch, and find them so, blessed are those servants” (Luke 12:35-40). Hence the command “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 o f man” (Luke 21:36). AN . OPEN QUESTION Our Lord spoke o f His second advent in a manner that left the time o f His return an open question. He departed from His disciples' with the promise “I f I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, (or, “ I come again,” ) and receive you unto myself” (John 14:3) ; but it is obvious that it'might occur during the lifetime o f John.' He plainly told Peter “by what death he should glorify God,” and then said con cerning his friend and companion, “ I f I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee ?” It is not surprising- that the other disciples received the impression, which it is clear the Savior designed to make, that His coming might precede John’s death. “ Then went this saying abroad among the brethren, that that disciple should not die; but, if I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee?” (John 21:19-23). It is equally evident that the Holy Spirit by the apostles taught the possible nearness o f Christ’s coming, even during the life time o f the generation then living. In the
first o f Paul’s epistles he writes, “Ye turned to God from idols, to serve the liv ing and true God; and to. wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised' from the dead, even Jesus who delivered us from .the wrath to come” (I Thess. 1:9, 10). It is certain then, that these early believers waited for the coming o f Christ, and there is not a hint that they waited for Him at the end o f the millennium, or at the close o f the great tribulation. “ Waiting for the coming o f'th e Lord Jesus Christ” (Titus 2:13) ; and Paul manifestly trusted that he might be among the number “ caught up,” when he says, “W e which are alive and remain” (I Thess. 4 :1 7 ); “W e shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed in a moment” (I Cor. 15:51) ; although it was subsequently revealed that the time o f his departure was at hand (2 Tim. 4 :6 ). BE YE READY He who reads the New Testament with the least thought cannot fail to see that it represents the proper attitude o f the Christian to be one o f constant and eager expectation o f the Lord’s coming, without any event necessarily intervening between the passing hour and His return for His waiting people. “Judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come” (ICor. 4: 5 ) ; “As often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do show the Lord’s death, till He come” (1 Cor. 11:26) ; “ Our citizenship is in heaven; from whence we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ” | ( Phil. 3 :20) ; “ Unto them that look for Him shall He appear the second time, without sin unto salvation” (Heb. 9:28). Nor can it be doubted that our Lord desired believers to .keep their minds and hearts intently fixed on this one object, when He gave the last promise o f the Bible: “ Surely I come quickly” (Rev. 22:20). What quickly means in His estimation, is not for us to inquire, but it may mean today, or tomor row, or the next day. “ The Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice o f the archangel, and with the-trump o f God”- (1 Thess. 4:16). It is a “signal shout,” a mil-
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