e with him in the
way,' for the day of account is at hand. This worldly world lies
asleep to the spiritual realities, but its short night--the time of
darkness--is nearly over. The great deliverance is nearer to us than
when we first became Christians. The day of the Lord is almost
dawning. Let us see to it then that all that is only fit for the
darkness is stripped off us: that we are suitably equipped for the day,
so that when it suddenly dawns it shall not put us to shame. Sensual
lusts and loveless passions indulged--gross sins, such as none of the
Christian communities had quite got rid of--will appear improper
conduct indeed when the sun rises. And there is only one garment
proper for the day; it is the garment of Christ's righteousness, or
rather of Christ Himself, with whom we must invest {134} ourselves. As
for our lower nature, it is to be our servant merely--not a master,
whose clamorous demands we are to study to satisfy.

'And this, knowing the season, that now it is high time for you to
awake out of sleep: for now is salvation nearer to us than when we
_first_ believed. The night is far spent, and the day is at hand: let
us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the
armour of light. Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in revelling
and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and
jealousy. But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision
for the flesh, to _fulfil_ the lusts _thereof_.

St. Paul, no doubt, was still in eager expectation of the immediate
second coming of Christ; and that expectation has proved mistaken. Now
our Lord plainly did not mean His disciples to know when His judgement
was to be made manifest, and St. Paul apparently recognized this[1], so
that his immediate anticipation of the end can never have been part of
his faith--never more than the reflection of the eager desire which
filled the heart of the Church. On the other hand, our Lord did mean
His disciples to go on expecting Him. Thus {135} St. Paul's admonition
is as applicable now as ever. The future of the world and of each
nation and institution is precarious: things which seem solid and
strong may crumble and melt; how soon God is to make plain His
judgements, in part or on the whole, we do not know; when each one of
us is to pass by death to the great account we do not know. There is
no reasonable attitude towards the unknown coming of judgement except