By P. J. L.

I.

Our first meeting on this subject, my dear friends, will be devoted chiefly to the fact itself that our Lord Jesus Christ is to return to this earth. The most of what I may say in these addresses will be familiar to some of you; but many, I believe, are much in the fog on the subject. Leaving aside the deadly "New Theology," which is deifying man and to which, of course, all that clusters around our Lord's coming again is but foolishness, such of the Lord's people as have accepted the theology of orthodox Christendom as a full exponent of the teaching of the word of God are not only ignorant on the subject, but are even prejudiced against it. They have learned that the triumphs of the gospel are to go on till they renovate the earth, and bring in the promised bliss and peace of the millennial reign.

And as the triumphs of the gospel are through the labors of Christians, what human machinery for Christian work has risen up to bring about such a desired end! The teaching of Scripture concerning the return of our Lord-its necessity, its object, its end-disturbs all this, and it is no wonder if it meets with opposition.

Then, as if Satan were especially angry with this blessed part of the truth, he has set up advocates for it such as Seventh-day Adventists, Millennial Dawnists, etc., whose absurd and blasphemous doctrines cover it with reproach. Thus, as some parts of the land of Canaan required hard fighting for Israel to get possession, we Christians have also to fight to dispossess the enemy and enjoy this part of our inheritance.

But, before we engage in it, let me say that the second coming of our Lord suggests at once His having already come once. We all believe this, of course, or we are no Christians at all. But while we all believe this, we may not all be clear as to just what He came for, and the results of it toward us who believe. As none can find unclouded delight in the Second Coming who have not been set free by His first coming, we will say a few words as to it. As before stated, what we will say may not be new to many here, yet the truth, in a certain sense, is ever new to the heaven-born soul. It is ever the fresh water coming out of the old well.

One of the special objects in our Lord's first coming was '' to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself." There, upon the cross, He accomplished the most stupendous work which can ever be told in the ears of man. Our transgressions, our sins, our indwelling sin-all was judged there on His holy Person by the righteous God Himself, that all who come to Him in a repenting mind may be cleared of everything, and be absolutely and continuously free to the bosom of God the Father. It is a wonderful salvation. We receive eternal life, the forgiveness of sins, justification from every stain. So truly are we saved by it, that God can say to us that as Christ is, so are we in this world (i Jno. 4:17). Think of it, beloved friends; just think of it, that by the work accomplished by Christ on that dreadful cross, we are now as free from all guilt and stain of sin before God, as Christ Himself is. It is not a question of our feelings. It is a fact which God states to us. It is not an experience, but a fact, a blessed fact for your soul and mine. In it God's perfect love is so manifested that it casts all fear out of our bosoms. This, indeed, is blessed experience-fear has given place to love. We love Him now, we long to see His face, to see Him as He is, and to be like Him.

But this brings us to His second coming, for it is only at His second coming that this is accomplished.

Let us, then, read a few scriptures in proof that He is coming again. Acts i:9-11 is a very plain one:'' When He had spoken these things, while they beheld, He was taken up; and a cloud received Him out of their sight. And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven ? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen Him go into heaven."

Could words be plainer ? Could any possible interpretation make them say that when a saint dies the promise that is in them has been fulfilled? If so, words would cease to be of any use as a vehicle of thoughts and facts. But as any sincere and upright person means what he says, and says what he means, so does God in all His Word. All that is required to understand Him is childlike faith.

Another scripture is in John 14:2, 3:"In My Father's house are many mansions:if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you unto Myself; that where I am, there ye may be also."

Let any little child or unprejudiced person read this promise of the Lord to His disciples, beloved friends, and then read of the Lord's death, of His resurrection, of His abiding still forty days, then of His ascension and promise of return as we read before in the first of Acts, and He cannot escape the conviction of His personal, bodily return. It is a real man, flesh and bones, who is presented to us there. God indeed He was too, ever was, and ever will be, but become man as well-a Man who rejoiced, who sorrowed, who sympathized with men, who drew near to them and drew them near to Him;-a Man who died, who came to life again; who rose out of His grave, who talked and walked with His disciples afterward for forty days; who ate in their presence, who gave them His final instructions upon earth, and then who, from their very midst, as they all stood upon the mount of Olives, overlooking on the east side the city of Jerusalem, was suddenly caught up to heaven on a cloud, in the sight of them all;-it is this Man-Jesus-who has promised to return; the very same Man we have been following up in these familiar human scenes, who is now seated on the throne of God in heaven; who still loves us, makes intercession for us, cares for us, and cannot rest till He has fulfilled every word of His to us. O friends, how intensely sweet all this is! How very near it makes us to that blessed Man-the Man at whose feet we can fall and worship without idolatry.

For the return of that Man from heaven, then, we are taught to look. The Thessalonians were taught to look for it. Hear the two last verses of chap. i of the first epistle:" For they themselves show of us what manner of entering in we had unto you, and how ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God; and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come."

James exhorted his brethren who were suffering oppression thus:"Be patient 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" (chap. 5:7, 8).

We might greatly multiply quotations, but a single apple on a tree is as good evidence as a thousand of its being an apple-tree. The return of our dear Saviour and Lord Jesus Christ is then presented to us in Scripture as our hope-the object in front of us. Let me make this as clear as I can. A hope is that which is given as the comfort and object of the heart, which largely influences our daily life, and brings sunshine into it, though it may produce sorrows too. For instance:A man, by the nobleness and devoted-ness of his character, has won the heart of one of the gentle and tender daughters of the land. She clings to him now as a vine to a tree. But he must go to prepare a home in more friendly climes, in a better country, where all is suited to what his love would provide for her. He leaves with her this word:" My beloved one, I am going to prepare thee a place, and as soon as I can return to take thee with me there, I will come." What is now the hope of that maiden's heart? Is it not the return of her beloved? She may busy herself much while he is gone, she may weep sometimes because he is so long away, but all she does has reference to this one hope of her heart -he is coming for me. There is no time set. No one knows when he is coming. But his return is the hope of her heart, be it near or be it far.

Beloved friends, such is the hope of our Lord's return, to a true-hearted, Scripture-instructed Christian. And this hope is what will mold his everyday life, form his habits, govern his links with the scene in which he waits, produce the motives for his actions, and make him refuse what others lay greedily hold of.

Friends! are you waiting, really waiting, for the return of our Lord Jesus Christ ? Is it truly the hope of your-your own-heart ? If so, you cannot love the world, neither the things which are in the world. If so, you shrink from grieving Him:you cannot live for yourself any more, but for Him who died for you and rose again, and has gone back to heaven, and is coming back at any moment to take you there with Him. P. J. L.