The Pleasantville press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1912-1929, 1915-06-26

In l Thess. 1:9, 10, "ye turned to God
from idols to serve the living and true
God; and to wait for his son from
heaven"
II. The difficulty of watching is
illustrated in the drowsiness of the
disciples in Gethsemane-"What, could
We not watch with me one hour?"
Matt. 26:40). The spirit was willing
but the flesh was weak. A condition
of things quite as likely in the region
of spiritual truth, if M may judge
by the frequent appeals to Christians
to awake out of sleep. g Ephes.
5:14; Rom. 1871, IL; I Cor. 1874;
1 Thess. 5:6. There In few of US
who are not aware of this from actual
experience, alas! AS in the physical
so in the spiritual sense, the longer
we have to watch the more difficult
a task it becomes.
III. The danger of not watching Is
seen in our Lords warning to the
church at Sardis-"If therefore thou
shalt not watch, l will come to thee
as a thief" Grew. 3:3.) The thief
cometh not but for to steal, and to
kill, and to destroy" John 1910.
This last figure is partly interpreted
by another In which Christ says:
But and If that evil servant shall say
In his heart, my Lord delayeth his
coming; and shall begin to smite his
fellow servants, and to eat and drink
with the drunken; the Lord of that
servant shall come In a day when he
looketh not for him, and in an hour
that he is not var of, and shall cut
him %asunder, and appoint him his por-
ton with the hypocrites: there shall
be weeping and crashing Of teeth"
Matt. 2~4:4S-51).
w. The Accomplishments of watch
ing are:
ID Prayer mark 13:33)-To pray
Alright is to watch, but surely he Is
not watching who is not praying!
Hence men ought always to pray"
duke 1871. Not that we must ever
be in the external attitude of prayer,
as when the Pharisees loved to pray
standing at the orner of the streets,
but that our inward habit should be
one of daily communion with God, for
he heareth US always.
CD Service-"loins girded about"
duke 12:35). See l Kings 18:46,
Prov. 31:1T, 10. 1t is the slothful
servant who Is not watching. The
busy servant may not have the partic-
ular thought Of his Lords return mo
mentarily present to his mind, but it
is nevertheless the underlying motive
of his activity.
(3) Testimony-"yopr lights burn
ing" (Luke 1888. He who is watch
ing for his Lords return is speaking
of 1t, witnessing for him. "Ye shine
as lights in the world; holding forth
the word of life" (Phil. 2:15, 16) that
others may see the way of life.
v. The rewards of watching are:
"a Escape from danger-"Watch We
therefore . that we may be &C
counted worthy to escape all these
things that shall come to pass" duke
Compare the context and the
parallel passages with II Thess. 1853.
ca Bestowal of divine honor
blessed are those servants, whom the
Lord when he cometh shall find watch
ing: verify l say unto you, that he
shall grid himself, and make them to
sit down to meat, and will come forth
and serve them" duke 12:37). 1t is,
of course, impossible to %apprehend the
meaning of this promised felicity
Isaiah 64:4); we simply know that
our Lords language implies an exal-
tation beyond our highest thought.
60 Increase of power and opportu-
nifty. "Who then Is a faithful and
wise servant, whom his Lord hath
made ruler over his household, to give
them meat in due season? Blessed is
that servant, whom his Lord when
be cometh shall find SO doing"
All hail, the Coming Son of God,
He's Coming back again.
He's Coming in the Clouds of heaven.
He's Coming back again to reign!
Sinners whose sins are washed away,
Nor left a single stain.
Go, hail, the Advent of your Lord.
He's Coming back to reign!
lie every kindred. every tribe,
Free of Creations pain.
Aloud Acclaim His Welcome back,
He's Coming back to reign!
All! soon with all the ransomed thron'
Beholding Him once slain,
Well see the rolling cloud, and 81
He's Coming back TO reign.