own lusts, and saying, where is the promise of his coming? for since the
fathers fell asleep all things continue as they were from the beginning
of the creation." Go out on the streets of Chicago and ask men about the
return of our Lord, and that is just what they would say: "Ah, yes, the
Lord delayeth his coming!"

"Behold, I come quickly," said Christ to John, and the last prayer in
the Bible is, "Even so, come Lord Jesus, come quickly." Were the early
Christians disappointed then? No; no man is disappointed who obeys the
voice of God. The world waited for the first coming of the Lord; waited
for 4,000 years, and then he came. He was here only thirty-three years
and then he went away; but he left us a promise that he would come
again; and as the world watched and waited for his first coming and did
not watch in vain, so now to them who wait for his appearing shall he
appear a second time unto salvation. Now let the question go round, "Am
I ready to meet the Lord if he comes to-night?" "Be ye also ready, for
in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh."

There is another thought I want to call your attention to, and that is
this: Christ will bring all our friends, with him when he comes. All who
have died in the Lord are to be with him when he comes in the clouds of
heaven. "Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first
resurrection: on such the second death has no power, but they shall be
priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand
years," Rev. 20:6. "But the rest of the dead lived not again until the
thousand years were past; this is the first resurrection" (verse 5). That
looks as if the church were to have a thousand years with Christ before
the final judgment, when Satan shall be cast out, and there shall be new
heavens and new earth wherein dwelleth righteousness.

Now, I want to give you some texts to study.

When we eat the Lord's supper we show forth his death, until he
come. 1 Cor. xi. 26.

We are using our talents, until he come. Luke xix. 13.

We are fighting the good fight of faith, until he come. 1 Tim
vi. 12-14.

We are enduring tribulation, until he come. 2 Thes. i. 7.

We are to be patient, until he come. James v. 8.

We wait for the crown of righteousness, until he come. 2 Tim.
iv. 8.

We wait for the crown of glory, until he come. 1 Pet. v. 4.

We wait for re-union with departed friends, until he come. 1