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The Fundamentals fering and trial is bounded by the same event. “Be patient therefore, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand” (Jas. 5: 7, 8). “Let your forbearance be known unto all men, the Lord is at hand” (Phil. 4:5). Their life of fellowship and brotherly love reaches its holy consummation at the Lord’s return. “The Lord make you to increase and abound in love one toward another, and toward all men, even as we also do toward you, to the end He may establish your hearts un- blameable in holiness before our God and Father at the com- ing of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints” (1 Thess. 3:12, 13). Their acts of worship, as for example, their ob- servance of the Lord’s supper, have the same end in view. “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). Thus, whatever aspect of the Church’s life and work we consider, we find it to be a stream which moves on towards one glorious future The appearing of the Lord JesUs Himself fills the whole horizon. 4. The New Testament grace of hope rests upon the com- ing of the Lord. This word is emptied today of much of the meaning it had among the early Christians. I t has come to be a vague and misty thing, the general habit of expecting things somehow to turn out well. Their hope was no such shallow optimism. It was the light that shone from that one glad coming event, casting its sacred glow over all their lives. Paul sums up the true Christian attitude in these words: “The grace of God hath appeared, bringing salvation to all men, instructing us, to the intent that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly and righteously and godly in this present world; looking for the blessed hope and appearing of the glory of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ” (Tit. 2:11-13). The word hope was often upon the lips of the apostles. It is used more than a score of times in the epistles in direct
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