The Coming of the Just One.
By L. D. Santee
THIS morning upon opening the Bible my eye fell upon these words: “And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.” Rom. 13 : 11. I thought how few of us realize the necessity of being awake and of consecrating all that we have and are, to God. How few do realize that each returning day brings nearer the coming of Jesus and the salvation of the righteous. Are we not rather, in the words of an old writer, heaping up supplies as we near the end of our journey? Many of us profess faith in the advent; but, alas! it is not strong enough to induce action. With stormy heavens above, and a trembling earth beneath, while around us the battle rages, we sit idly in our tents with hands folded, unmindful of the trumpet’s call, and forgetful of the warning that it is high time to awake out of sleep. Oh! let us awake before God says to us at the great tribunal before which all must appear, Thou art weighed in the balance, and art found wanting. The doctrine of the advent of Christ is no new dogma. Said the angels, “This same Jesus which is taken up from you into Heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.” Acts 1 : 11. Since that time the doctrine of the advent has been incorporated into the creeds of nearly all Christians, until now, and from hosts of fervent worshipers has the cry ascended to Heaven, Come, Lord Jesus, come quickly. The Apostles’ Creed reads thus: “Christ sitteth at the right hand of God the Father Almighty, and that from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.” The Athanasian Creed says: “He shall come to judge the living and the dead; and at his coming all men shall rise again with their bodies, and shall give account of their works.” The Nicene Confession, speaking of Christ, says: “He shall come again with glory to judge both the living and the dead, whose kingdom shall have no end.” The Augsburg Confession says: “We teach that, in the end of the world, Christ shall appear to Judgment, and shall raise up all the dead, and shall give unto men (to wit, the godly and elect) eternal life and everlasting joys, but the ungodly and the devils shall be condemn unto endless torment.” The Confession of Belgia says: “Last of all we do believe out of the word of God, that our Lord Jesus Christ shall come again from Heaven, and that after a corporeal and visible manner as heretofore he hath ascended, being adorned with great glory and majesty, that he may appear as judge of the quick and dead, the whole world being kindled with fire and flame and purified by it.” We shall only bring one more witness to show the faith that existed in those ages concerning the advent. The Confession of Scotland says: “We undoubtedly believe that there shall be a final Judgment, to the execution whereof we certainly believe that the same, our Lord Jesus, shall visibly return even as he was seen to ascend. And then we firmly believe that the time of refreshing and the restitution of all things shall come.” We might swell the list; but we have adduced sufficient testimony to show that the doctrine of the second advent has been believed by a great part of Christendom in all ages since Jesus said to his sorrowing disciples, I will come again. But though they believed that Christ would come, they were in darkness as to the time when that great event should transpire. Says the Lord by the prophet Daniel, Many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased. This has been fulfilled. The prophecies have been unfolded before us. Light has shone upon parts of the Bible that beforetime were obscure. The word of God corroborated by signs in the heavens and the earth, tells us that God will soon arise in wrath and make a speedy work of Judgment and retribution, when the ungodly and the sinner shall perish, and the kingdoms of this world shall become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ. Then comes joy to the tried and weary ones. This mortal shall put on immortality. Death shall be swallowed up in victory. The resurrection shall restore to our arms dear ones that passed away into the land of the enemy. Weeping we laid them in the tomb. But then, no more separation, no more mourners going about the streets! “The long dark night of time is past,
And the morn of eternity comes at last.”
We shall be like Jesus, and stand with him on the shore of immortal glory. We can well afford to labor, suffer, sacrifice, and weep, for such a hope as this. O my brother, lost in the darkness, can you not discern the gray dawn of morning appearing upon the horizon? Soon will the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings. The long-absent One will soon be here, and wipe all tears from our eyes. He will come soon. Our salvation is nearer than when we believed. In his happy kingdom all sorrow and sighing shall flee away. All suffering shall be forgotten in the fullness of joy. May our home be there.