The Clio messenger. (Clio, Mich.) 1907-current, 1917-03-16

NV :{# data are so dubi-
Gus as to meaning
in important places that l have been
unable to reach such conclusions as
amount to positive convictions" Such
an expression of bewilderment should
at least suggest the need of sympathy
and patience in setting forth our views
on this subject.
There are some things, however,
theme has prominent place in the
New Testament, being referred to 30S
times, or in one verse out of every %.
Again, the early church evidently
thought her Lord might return at any
time; if such an attitude were taken
would seem to be even more appropri-
ate now.
Charles II. Sturgeon expresses him
self in these sensible words: Read
for yourselves anS search for your
selves; for still this stands first and is
the only thing / will insist upOn-the
Lord will come. He may come now;
he may come tomorrow; he may come
in the first watch of the night, or the
second watch, or he may wait until
the morning watch, but the one word
he gives us all is, Watch Watch!
Watch = that whenever he shall come.
we may be ready to open to him, and
to say, in the language Of the hymn,
Halelujah
Welcome, welcome, Judge divine
$50 far as 1 know we are scriptural
and therefore perfectly safe in our
statements about the Lords second
advent"
Waiting.
First, we are 'to await for his Son
from heaven" q Thess. 1 10Y.
Let us wait hopefully. The Thessa-
lonian Christians were troubled as to
their dead friends, lest they should
miss one Of the glories Of the kingdom
TO be set up when he returns. But
Paul bids them in the fourth chapter
of his first epistle, rot to sorrow, for
the Lord will bring their friends with
him. He explains that the Lord shall
descend from heaven and, the very
first thing, will raise the sleeping
saints; then he will catch them up in
clouds, together with the living ones,
shall be together, forever with the
Lord. They are to comfort one an
other with these words.
Let us wait actively. st. Peter
speaks of fastening the coming of the
day Of God CT Pc. 3 ID r. V. marg.).
This we can do by being pure living
with our loins GRIT and laboring to ex-
tend the Kingdom. John Wesley was
once asked how he would spend the
time if he knew he were to die that
night He replied: How, madam?
Why just as / intend to spend it now.
I should preach this night at Glou-
cester, and again at five tomorrow
morning; after that / should ride to
Tewkesburg, preach in the afternoon
and meet the societies in the evening.
i should then repair to friend Martins
house, who expects to entertain me,
converse ard pray with the family as
usual, return to my room at ten
O'Clock, commend myself to my heav-
enly Father, lie down to rest and wake
up in glory" Putting the coming of
the Lord In the place of death we have
here the correct attitude of the Chris
tian.
Looking.
Another word is used in Titus 2:13:
Looking for that blessed hope and
the appearing Of the glory Of our great
God and Savior, Jesus Christ" This
word, like the word "watch," expresses
which may occur at any time. It is
n favorite position with popular theo-
logians today that Christ will never
return to this earth. But even some
who expect his return and expect 1t
before the millennium tell us that GER
can come back. Yet the one thing
which seems to be made clear by the.
New Testament is the fact that
Christ's coming may be at any time.
Loving.
The final word is found in III Tim
othy 49, "And not 10 me only, but,
unto oil them also that love his ap-
pearing." Holy Samuel Rutherfm d
well expresses this attitude. He says,
81 dare not challenge himself, but his
absence is like a mountain of iron on
my very heart. o, my Lord, come
over the mountains at one stridel Of
time, run, run and hasten the mar.
riage day-for love is tormented with
delaysw