WILL JESUS COME AGAIN?
By J. C.
WILL my dear Redeemer again visit this inhospitable world where he once suffered so much? where he lived a brief life of poverty and sorrow? where he was continually reproached, derided, and traduced? where his holy labors were ascribed to a wicked principle? where his godly sympathy met with so many gross repulses? where he was cruelly insulted, mocked, scourged and murdered? Without the stain of crime, or guilt of sin, all this he endured or suffered by wicked hands! A few loved him, and mourned his death as the end of their hopes: 'We trusted that it had been he which should have redeemed Israel.'—Luke xxiv, 21. But over him death loses his power. All the power of malice cannot hold him in the grave. The death struggle is over, the life-blood turning to water has flowed from his heart, through his spear-pierced side. But over all this, and over all human power, triumphs the life-giving Spirit, by the power of God. He lives again, and lives forevermore. Angels proclaimed to the world his birth; angels proclaimed his resurrection, and angels at his ascension proclaimed, 'This very Jesus who is taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same manner as you have seen him going into heaven.'—Acts i, 11. Yes, the angels do not lie. Jesus will come again, he has promised it himself: 'I will come again.'—John xiv. 3. 'A little while and ye shall not see me and again a little while and ye shall see me; because I go to the Father.'—xvi. 16. 'I will see you again.'—ver. 22. 'For the Son of man will come in the glory of his Father, with the holy angels.'—Matt. xvi. 27. 'For as the lightning cometh from the east, and shineth even to the west, thus also will the coming of the Son of man be.'—xxiv. 27. 'Now when the Son of man cometh in his glory, with all his holy angels.'—xxv. 31. 'Hereafter ye will see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.'—xxvi. 64. 'Whoever shall be ashamed of me, and of my words, in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him also will the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.'—Mark viii. 38. 'And then they will see the Son of man coming in the clouds with great power and glory.'—xiii. 26. The same also, Luke xxi. 27. 'And he (God) shall send Jesus Christ, who before was preached unto you.'—Acts iii. 20. 'Waiting for (expecting) the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ.'—1 Cor. i, 7. 'Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come.'—iv, 5. 'Afterwards those who are Christ's at his coming.'—xv. 23. 'At the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints.'—1 Thess. iii, 13. 'We who remain alive until the coming of the Lord.' 'For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout.'—iv, 15, 16. 'Be preserved blameless to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.'—v, 23. 'Rest with us, at the revelation of the Lord Jesus with his mighty angels from heaven.'—2 Thess. i, 7. 'When he shall come to be glorified in his saints.'—ver. 10. 'May be found to praise, and honor, and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ.'—1 Pet. i, 7. 'Be watchful, and hope steadily for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the appearing of Jesus Christ.'—ver. 13. 'Behold the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints.'—Jude 14. 'Behold he cometh with clouds, and every eye shall see him.'—Rev. i, 7. 'But what ye have, hold fast till I come.'—ii, 25. 'I come quickly.'—iii, 11; the same xxii, 7, 12. 'Behold I come like a thief.'—xvi, 15. 'Surely I come quickly.'—xvii, 20. Who responds, 'So be it, come Lord Jesus'? Is it I? Reader, is it you? These testimonies are only a part of the many that assure us of the great and glorious event; great and glorious 'to all those who love his appearing,' (2 Tim. iv, 8,) whose 'citizenship is in heaven, from whence, also, we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ.'—Phil. iii, 20. Well, there are many things that make me earnestly desire to see my Saviour. First of all, I love him more than all else beside, (God the Father excepted,) and my sweet meditation would attain the full fruition of hapiness and joy in his presence; and this will be consummated when he comes, and says, 'Come ye blessed of my Father inherit the kingdom prepared for you.'—Matt. xxv. 34. O! it does seem as if my joy would know no bounds; there with all the redeemed, with the holy angels, with the glorious Redeemer and King of kings, and with the Father too. O! words are too feeble to utter the feelings of my soul. Then this glory and happiness is eternal, they will never end, never cloy, never lessen, and there will never be anything to mar these, or to exclude me from this state of perfect bliss. 'Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.'—1 Cor. ii, 9. And again, pain, sickness, sin and death will be no more, no more want, no more graves, no more mourning, but life, life, eternal life, joy and peace, 'O! I long to be there.' And now, dear reader, I beg of you be not of those who say, 'Where is the promise of his coming?'—2 Pet. iii. 4. Read the Promise from his own lips, believe it, be ready for it, watch for it, keep 'oil in your vessel with your lamp,' and keep 'your loins girt about and your lamp burning,' waiting with longing expression for his coming. Attend to the injunction, 'Occupy till I come.' Secure the approval, 'well done good and faithful servant,' do not expect the blessing without the qualification for it; let not the lot of the 'evil servant, saying my Lord delayeth his coming,' be yours. 'That servant who knew his Lord's will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes.'—Luke xii. 47. Let not seeming delay make you unmindful of watching. 'Blessed are those servants whom the Lord, when he cometh, shall find watching.'—ver. 37. True, many have been mistaken in anticipating too soon the coming and kingdom of the Lord and Saviour; better a thousand such mistakes than too late in being ready. If I am at the railroad-station an hour or two too soon, and anxiously waiting to take my place in the car, it is better than to be a moment too late. Blessed Lord give me grace, so that being ready, I may keep in readiness to meet thee at thy coming; and let— 'The wheels of time fly swiftly around, And bring the welcome day; And let Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, As in heaven, so on earth,' J. C. New York, June, 1859. Sabbath Recorder.