Waiting For Christ by Jos. Clarke

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Sep 13, 1870

Waiting For Christ.

By Jos. Clarke

No one can be said to be in a waiting condition, for the glorious Advent of our Saviour, while he is making preparations for that event.

Even those who have overcome the temptations and sins incident to this life, thus far, and are wholly consecrated to God, and to his cause, and the work, are yet making preparation for the great ingathering of souls: they are planning, and laboring, and investing capital in this direction; consequently, are not now waiting for Christ, but watching for his coming; and this watching has resulted in carefully-laid plans, calling for labor, prayer, and capital.

A work is now to be done; and those most deeply in the work of God, are reaching out for the jewels, who are scattered here and there in the churches, and in the world: and being thus occupied, they are preparing for the advent, rather than waiting-for it.

When the last soul has been brought in, and Jesus leaves the sanctuary, and mercy has ceased to proclaim pardon to this guilty world, then these plans for the spread of the truth will have been fully carried out, and the blessed results will have followed: then the people of God will have disposed of their means, and will have laid their all upon the altar, and it will have been consumed: then will they wait.

Like a company of travelers, waiting to embark upon the ship which is to transport them to some far-distant land, so will the saints then wait for their Lord. The closing of the sanctuary will be quickly followed by the seven last plagues, and the sound of alarm will be sent upon the winds, as the sound of the battle is heard afar.

Then will the saints wait for their Lord: ah! yes; then they will realize, what the waiting time is, and will bless God, that they had, in time, cut loose from the treasures and honors and fashions of earth, and had laid hold on eternal life.

Jos. Clarke.