“Blessed are those servants whom the Lord when he cometh shall find watching.” Luke xii, 33. Child of God, is thine attitude as the expectant of thy Lord’s appearing? Are thy loins girded, and thy lights burning? If the cry were to break upon thine ears this day, “Behold the bridegroom cometh,” couldst thou joyfully respond, “Lo, this is my God, I have waited for him?” When he may come, we cannot tell; he must come at some time, it may be soon. Reader! put not off the solemn preparation. Be not deceived or deluded with the mocker’s presumptuous challenge, “Where is the promise of his coming?” See to it that the calls of an engrossing world without do not foster this procrastinating spirit within. It may be now or never with thee. Put not off thy sowing time till harvest time. Leave nothing for a dying hour, but to die, and calmly to resign thy spirit into the hands of Jesus. Of all times, that is the least suitable to have the vessel plenished—to attend to the great business of life when life is ebbing—to trim the lamp when the oil is gone and it is flickering in its socket—to begin to watch, when the summons is heard to leave the watch-tower to meet our God! Were you never struck how often, amid the many gentle words of Jesus, the summons to watch is over and over repeated, like a succession of alarum bells breaking ever and anon, amid the chimes of heavenly music, to arouse a sleeping church and awake a slumbering world? Let this last “Word” of thy Lord’s send thee to thy knees with the question, “Am I indeed a servant of Christ?” Have I fled to him, and am I reposing187in him, as my only Saviour?—or am I still lingering, like Lot, when I should be escaping—sleeping, when I should be waking—neglecting and trifling, when a “long eternity is lying at my door?” He is my last and only refuge; neglect him—all is lost! Believer! thou who art standing on thy watch-tower, be more faithful than ever at thy post. Remember what is implied in watching. It is no dreamy state of inactive torpor: it is a holy jealousy over the heart, wakeful vigilance regarding sin, every avenue and loop-hole of the soul carefully guarded. Holy living is the best, the only preparative for holy dying. “Persuade yourself,” says Rutherford, “the King is coming. Read his letter sent before him, ‘Behold I come quickly;’ wait with the wearied night-watch for the breaking of the eastern sky.” Let these “Words of Jesus” we have been meditating upon, be as the golden bells of old, hung on the vestments of the officiating high priest, emitting sweet sounds to his spiritual Israel, telling that the true High Priest is still living and pleading in “the holiest of all;” and that soon he will come forth to pour his blessing on his waiting church. We have been pleasingly employed in gathering up a few crumbs falling from the Master’s table. Soon we shall have, not the Words, but the presence of Jesus—not the crumbs falling from his table, but everlasting fellowship with the Master himself. Amen, even so come Lord Jesus.”—Sel.