WHAT CHRIST'S COMING IS TO THE CHURCH.
THAT the second coming of Christ will be a literal, personal, visible, glorious coming, we have abundantly shown in past numbers. That the coming of Christ is near, and that it is not only our privilege but our duty to know when it is near, we have also shown. We wish at this time to notice what the Lord's coming has ever been to the church, and the effect of this doctrine upon the life of the believer. The coming of Christ has been the hope of the church in all ages. The hope of course embraces more than the mere coming. There is the hope of the resurrection of the dead (Acts 24:15; 23:6), but this hope is realized at the coming of Christ (1 Thess. 4:16, 17). There is the hope of eternal life (Titus 1:2), but this life will be given absolutely at the resurrection of the last day (John 6:40). We read of the hope of the glory of God (Rom. 5:2), but this glory will be revealed at the second coming of Christ (Matt. 16:27). And all these hopes are but parts of one hope, even "Christ, our hope," in whom all fullness dwells. 1 Tim. 1:1. But all hope in Christ culminates in his second coming. Says the apostle in speaking of God's grace and its results:— "For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works." Titus 2:11-14. The second coming of our Lord is truly the realization of the blessed hope to his people. And thus has it ever been to his faithful servants of every age and dispensation. Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of the day when Christ should come and execute judgment on a guilty world, thus delivering his downtrodden and oppressed people. Jude 14, 15. The ancient Idumean patriarch Job looked forward to the same time. In the bitterness of his pain and misery, he sings in triumph: "For I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth; and though after my skin, worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God; whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another [margin, "not a stranger"]." Job 19:25-27. Job looked forward to that time when Christ should transform the body of his humiliation, that it should be like his own glorious body. Phil. 3:21. And this Redeemer of Job's would not be to him a stranger. Job never looked upon the face of his Redeemer while he lived, but he knew him. He knew his righteousness, his holiness, his purity; knew his greatness, his majesty, his power; knew his mercy, his sympathy, his love; and when the voice of the Son of God calls the patient man back to life, he will see mirrored on that divine countenance of all others all the majesty and the holiness, the tender sympathy and mercy and love, which he had learned of God while enduring the trials of earth. And so will it be with every child of God. We may not with Peter and John have beheld with open face our Lord, but we may become so well acquainted with him that when we meet on that great day of all days, he will be to us no stranger, but one long known and loved, the best and dearest Friend. David, the sweet Psalmist of Israel, the earthly progenitor of our Lord, contemplating the unsatisfying things of earth, sings: "I will behold Thy face in righteousness; I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with Thy likeness." Ps. 17:15. Isaiah looks forward to the glory of the Redeemer, of whom he prophesied (1 Peter 1:10, 11), and thus pours forth his hope: "Thy dead men shall live, together with my dead body shall they arise. Awake and sing, ye that dwell in dust; for thy dew is as the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast out the dead. . . . For, behold, the Lord cometh out of his place." Isa. 26:19-21. Jeremiah looks forward to the time when the children of hope shall come again from the land of the enemy (chapter 31:15-17); Ezekiel (37:1-14) reveals to the waiting in Israel the future resurrection. The Lord through another prophet declares: "I will ransom them from the power of the grave; I will redeem them from death; O death, I will be thy plagues; O grave, I will be thy destruction." Hosea 13:14. But we have not time to mention all the bright expressions of hope as patriarch or prophet looked forward to the coming of Christ. The saints of New Testament times, while instructed that Christ was not coming in their day (2 Thess. 2:1-3), yet looked forward to his coming as the time of life and joy and glorious reward. The crown will then be given (1 Peter 5:4; 2 Tim. 4:8); the reward will be bestowed (Rev. 22:12; Matt. 16:27); this mortal will then put on immortality (1 Cor. 15:51-55); and the volume of the Book closes with the prayer of the church (as "Thy kingdom come" has been its prayer through the centuries of tribulation), "Even so, come, Lord Jesus" (Rev. 22:20). One of the strongest things connected with the whole subject is the indifference and apathy manifested on the part of the greater portion of the professed church of Christ. Many ministers are either utterly indifferent or openly hostile to the doctrine of Christ's soon coming. They profess that they love Christ, but can we truly, heartily love an individual unless we love his personal presence? Can we separate the two—the love from the person? Nay, we cannot; if we love a person, we love his presence. If a wife devotedly loves her husband, she loves and longs for his presence; and just so with the husband. And even so, dear reader, if we love Christ, we will love his presence, we will long for his presence, we will rejoice when his coming is near. This hope purifies the heart of him who truly holds it. This is expressly declared: "We know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure." 1 John 3:2, 3. It could not be otherwise than this. We will seek to please those we love unless we love self better. The wife who loves her husband will seek to please her husband. She will endeavor to make home pleasant when he comes. She does this almost involuntarily. So it will be with that Christian who loves his Lord. He will not scoff at his coming, he will rejoice to know that Christ will return. He will search the evidences to know whether that coming is near at hand. As evidences multiply, his heart will rejoice as he sees his redemption draw nigh. Luke 21:28. He will watch for that coming. He will prepare himself to entertain such a guest. As a loyal subject would renovate, repair, cleanse, and beautify his house, and furnish his best rooms for guest chambers, if he expected a visit from his prince, so will the Christian prepare his character who looks for his Lord. As he contemplates his coming, his heart will grow purer in his contemplations. The hope of that coming will hallow his joys and sweeten his cups of trial; and his every fiber will thrill with joy and life at the anticipated meeting. Weary pilgrim in life's weary way, let thy heart be cheered; thy Lord is coming. Soldiers on the battle field, fight on, thy King will soon appear. Not "distant hope nor dim" is thine. The rays of coming morn already streak the east; the Sun of Righteousness is about to rise with healing in his beams. Does the world—worse, does a worldly church—laugh at thy faith and mock thy hope, hold it fast. Believe still, hope on, love on. In "a little while" "thine eyes shall see the King in his beauty," thy Friend, Redeemer, Lord. Happy those who can say at that time, "Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, and he will save us; this is our Lord; we have waited for him, we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation."