The Coming of the Lord.
By Emma L. Wentworth
"As the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.' Matt. 24:27. Every eye shall behold him. They that sit in the shadow of death shall see his face. They that sit in bondage shall look up and rejoice. The slumbering inmates of the tomb, though they may have slept for centuries, shall hear his voice and stand once more. Oh the glory of that nearing day! Oh the joy of seeing our Redeemer coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory, escorted by all the holy angels. Hearts that have long waited in sorrow shall be glad. Souls that have longed for rest shall find it then in the shadow of his wing. The sound of the trump of God and the voice of the Archangel shall herald the coming of the King. The same Jesus that once trod this earth, as a "man of sorrows and acquainted with grief;" who bore the sins of a wicked world upon the cross, shall come again as Lord of lords, and King of kings. "Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him." O sinner, this is what will bow your soul to the very dust. "The nations shall tremble because of him." In that near day, when the heavens shall be on fire, and the Lord shall be revealed to a startled world, what shame and anguish shall fill your heart. When Christ came to this earth before, it was to warn and reprove men; but this time he will come with fire and tempest, to take vengeance upon a scoffing world. He then bore insult, mockery, and death; but this time he will be terrible and majestic in his beauty. He will revenge the blood of all his saints from righteous Abel down to the last child of God who shall be persecuted for his sake. How can the wicked stand before an angry God? O careless, rebelling man, consider well your fate, and flee from the wrath of God. Who can afford to spurn the love of God—to barter the joys of eternal life—for a few hours of fleeting pleasure here so soon to pass away? The day is soon coming in which many shall seek the Lord with fear and trembling, but shall not find him. If your peace is not made with Heaven ere that terrible, that glorious day, then you are forever lost. Hasten to Christ, thou weary, burdened, sin-sick soul, and find pardon in his precious blood; lest in that day thou shalt cry, "the harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved." When the voice of the Eternal shall be heard from on high, when the thunders of the Judgment shake the ground, and the heavens pass away, then, O vain boaster, where shall be thy strength? Thou who scornest the messages of Christ's love, where shall your refuge be? To the humble Christian, waiting for his Master's return, how glorious shall be that scene. All our longings shall be satisfied; for "we shall see him as he is." What joy, what peace, fills our souls as we contemplate that coming day. How our hearts bound as we dwell on Jesus' loving words, "I will come again," and realize the nearness of that long-anticipated time! Oh, how glorious, how sublime, shall be the return of the Lord in his glory! All our dreamings shall be realized,
All our weary labors done;
All our hearts be filled with gladness,
And our battles fought and won. What happiness shall be ours if we can then look up and say; "Lo, this is our God, we have waited for him, and he will save us; we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation." It will then be our glorious privilege to Roam through the streets of the city of light,
And bathe in the flood of its glory so bright.
We shall rest, sweetly rest, in the smile of the Lord;
Forever and ever we'll worship our God.