THE KING’S BUSINESS
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a lre a d y la sted lo n g e r th a n an y d is p en sa tion th a t p re c e d e d it, w e m ay con fid en tly say th a t th e com ing o f th e L o rd d raw e th nigh. Oh, g ran t th a t H e m ay find us ab id in g in H im , so th a t w e m ay n o t b e ash am ed b e fo re him a t H is com ing, b u t h av e confidence. T h e L o rd g ra n t to find us bu sy in H is service a n d living soberly, righteously an d go d ly in this p re sen t w o rld . F riend , you h av e tu rn e d to G o d— th a t w as yo u r conversion— you a re try in g to serve H im in this p re sen t age. A re you look ing fo r th a t b lessed h o p e a n d th e glorious a p p e a rin g o f th e g re a t G o d an d ou r S av iou r Jesus C h rist? T h a t is y o u r privilege, while w e w ait an d while w e serve a n d while we live th e re is th e u pw a rd look, th e g lad expectation , “ P e rh ap s to d a y .” T h e re is no th ing rev e a led in S crip tu re to p re v e n t us b e fo re w e b re a k up this evening from h e a rin g th e shou t of th e de sc end ing Lord.
hope, an d th e glorious ap p e a rin g of th e g re a t G o d an d ou r S av iou r Jesus C h rist.” T h e A p o stle P au l said, ‘„‘T h e L o rd is a t h a n d .” O ne o f th e questions th a t I h a v e from som e one in th e aud ience th a t I shall try to answ er tom o rrow is to this effect: “ If th e A p o stle Pau l b eliev ed th a t Jesu s was com ing b a ck fo r him in his lifetime, was h e n o t m ista k e n ? ” T h e answ er to this is, th a t n o t one line of P au l’s w ritings asserts th a t H e w as com ing b a c k in P au l’s lifetime. A s to th e tim e of H is com ing P au l w as ju st as much a t sea as you an d I are, b u t w h a t was rev e a led th ro u g h P au l was th a t it w as th e n ex t th ing in th e p ro p h etic o rd e r: “T h e L o rd is a t h a n d ,” an d this has b e en th e ev e r living h o p e o f ev e ry g en e ra tio n o f C h ris tians w ho h av e b e e n in stru cted in th e W o rd ev e r since. O f course, it follows th a t as this d ispen sation has
“ Lovest Thou Me ?” J. H. SAMMIS
D ear love of Jesus, dost th o u dwell In h e a rts th a t n e v er b u rn to tell O f th y life-giving flame? T h a t all m ight seek, receive a n d know T h e life, a n d peace, a n d g race th a t flow T h ro u g h faith in Jesus* nam e. O r do th ey know , w ho gold deny, A n d w orld-like live, eat, d rin k a n d die, H ow C h rist th e ir M aster gave H is heaven, H is all, H is life, a n d sp ak e: ’T is sw eeter fa r to give th a n take, T o lose, th a t we m ay save**?
A nd can he p ray , “ T h y kingdom com #,’’ W hose h a n d is slack, w hose lips a re dum b, W ho n e’e r so u g h t Galilee H is th ro n e-a sc en d in g L ord to m eet A n d k n eeling a t H is b eau teo u s feet Said, “ H e re am 1, send m e? ’* No; he w ho loves, a n d p ray s, a n d know s H is love in loving overflow s W ith g race to m en a b ro a d ; O f one blood bo rn , by one redeem ed; A like fo r guilt an d g race esteem ed, C ondem ned, y e t loved of God.
Am I th y serv an t? M aster show O r shall I send? O r m ay I go? H ow long! O L ord, how long! A th o u san d y ears, a th o u sa n d m ore A re gone, a n d scarce beyond o u r shore Is sung red em p tio n ’s song.
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