be said before these young
converts; only the very wisest characters, such as ministers and
professors in the theological seminaries, can understand them." But my
friends, you find that Paul wrote about these things to those young
converts among the Thessalonians, and he tells them to comfort one
another with these words. Here in the first chapter of 1 Thessalonians
Paul says, "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," To wait for his
Son; that is the true attitude of every child of God. If he is doing
that he is ready for the duties of life, ready for God's work; aye, that
makes him feel that he is just ready to begin to work for God.

Then in 1 Thessalonians, 2:19, he says: "For what is our hope, or joy,
or crown of rejoicing? Are not even ye, in the presence of our Lord
Jesus Christ, at his coming?" And again, in the third chapter, at the
thirteenth verse, "To the end that he may establish your hearts
unblamable in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our
Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints." Still again, in the fifth
chapter, "For ye yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so
cometh as a thief in the night. But ye, brethren, are not in darkness,
that that day should over take you as a thief." He has something to say
about this same thing in every chapter, indeed I have thought this
Epistle to the Thessalonians might be called the gospel of Christ's
coming again.

There are three great facts foretold in the word of God: First, that
Christ should come; that has been fulfilled. Second, that the Holy Ghost
should come; that was fulfilled at Pentecost, and the church is able to
testify to it by its experience of his saving grace. Third, the return
of our Lord again from heaven--for this we are told to watch and wait
"till he come." Look at that account of the last hours of Christ with
his disciples. What does Christ say to them? If I go away I will send
death after you to bring you to me? I will send an angel after you? Not
at all. He says: "I will come again and receive you unto myself." If my
wife were in a foreign country, and I had a beautiful mansion all ready
for her, she would a good deal rather I should come and bring her unto
it than to have me send some one else to bring her.

THE CHURCH IS THE LAMB'S WIFE.

He has prepared a mansion f