p. 102 | WAITING FOR CHRIST by D. Hildreth

Publishing Committee · Battle Creek, Mich. · Feb 12, 1861

WAITING FOR CHRIST.

By D. Hildreth

"O BROTHER be faithful, soon Jesus will come, For whom we have waited so long."

Many have waited long for the return of their Lord and Master. Some have been discouraged because he did not come as soon as they expected, and have given up their hope. Others are still waiting, and as things written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope [Rom. xv, 4], let us now examine the word on this point, and see if the Scriptures will not afford comfort and encouragement to us who are waiting for Christ's coming.

It is only about thirty years since the Advent doctrine was first promulgated; and we see that many righteous and faithful men have had to wait long for the fulfillment of their expectations.

1. Noah. The longsuffering of God waited an hundred and twenty years for the antediluvians to reform, in which time Noah warned them faithfully, and built an ark to save his family. 1 Pet. iii, 20; 2 Pet. ii, 5; Gen. vi, 3.

2. Abraham. It was twenty-five years from the time God promised Abraham to make of him a great nation till Isaac was born. Gen. xii, 2, 4; xxi, 5. Why did the Lord defer his promise so long? Heb. vi, 15.

3. Moses. It was eighty years from the time Moses understood that he was to lead the children of Israel from Egypt into the promised land until he brought them to the plains of Moab, and then he was not permitted to go over Jordan, but died on mount Nebo. Acts vii, 23-36; Deut. xxxii, 48-50; xxxiv, 5-7.

4. Daniel. The reader at first sight might suppose that the events recorded in the book of Daniel transpired in a short space of time; but instead of this being the case, they cover a period of about seventy years. In the third year of the reign of Belshazzar, king of Babylon, Daniel had the vision of the ram and he-goat, which was not fully explained to him till the first year of Darius the Median, fifteen years afterward. Dan. viii, 1; ix, 1. That was a long while to wait for the explanation of a vision.

We have now seen the patience which others have been called upon to exercise, and shall we mourn because our hope is deferred? We ought not; for we are the very people who are to have patience. Rev. xiv, 12. We see that when great events have transpired the people of God have had timely warning and quite a space of time elapsed before the accomplishment of God's purpose; and as his ways are equal [Eze. xviii, 25], we may expect that he will deal with us as he has with others in time past. Hear what James says [chap. v, 7, 8]: "Be long patient (margin) therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain. Be ye also patient, stablish your hearts; for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh." Be long patient for the coming of the Lord, even as the husbandman waits for the fruit of the earth. "Stablish your hearts."

If there is a time in the history of man when the heart needs to be established it is just prior to the great events of the second coming of Christ. There are those who are great and mighty, who fear nothing; but the thrilling, penetrating notes of the last great trump will make them fear and quake. If the fingers of a man's handwriting on the wall made Belshazzar tremble, what will the kings and mighty men do when the Son of God appears in all the terrible majesty of his Father? It needs boldness, meekness and faith to prepare the heart to stand in that awful day. Heb. iv, 16; Acts iv, 13. Remember the fearful and unbelieving are found outside of the city. Rev. xxi, 8. "And the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God, and into the patient waiting for Christ." 2 Thess. iii, 5. Are we waiting patiently, or are we waiting because we are obliged to? Are we waiting and watching, or are we asleep? It may do to sleep while waiting for a friend; but it will not do in this case. See Matt. xxiv, 48-51; Rev. iii, 3. God grant that we may all be of that number who through faith and patience inherit the promises. Heb. vi, 12.

D. HILDRETH.

Crane's Grove, Ills.