£onf fanv #J/5 Conf Pam 12mo #715 EVANGELICAL TRACT SOCIETY, ixtAUT SUUIETY, ) Petersburg, Va. J No. 224. WATCH. Many things in this world tend to lull us asleep or to throw us off our guard. We do not live like men whose hopes he beyond the grave, and who find nothing here to give them rest and joy. * • We forget that 'it iV an evil world in which we live • and that throws us off our guard. We forget that if we be Christ's the world is our enemy, and that tne god ot this world hates us, and seeks.our death • that throws us off our guard. We forget that death is near and that the grave will ere long open to take us in- and that lulls us asleep. We forget that we have a race to run, a battle to fight, and a prize to win ; we try to make earth look aa bright as we can, aud to nmlce its pleapon you.JJs yours^a watchful % r 2 WATCH. eye? Are you remembering the -command— Watch?* Watch ? For whom ? For the absent Bridegroom ; for the coming Judge;, for the expected King. And who is he ? One whose name . is not strange to us; one whom we call Lord and Master, and who calls- us brethren and friends. Jesus of Nazareth is he for whom we watch. We know Him as the man who died for us, and who is coming to glorify us. We know Him as the Word made flesh ; the Incarnate One ; the Lamb of God ; the Bearer of our sins, under whose cross we took refuge from the wrath of God ; by whose stripes we are healed; by whose suretiship we are set free; whose love is our joy and consolation; " in whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace." •Watch ! Why ? ' For many reasons ; but .chiefly for the following : — I. He will certainly come. That same Jesus who went up to heaven shall in like manner return (Acts i. 11). It is not more certain that He has come already, than that He will come again to this very earth, from which He ascended eighteen hundred years ago. The time may seem long. . Scoffers may say, "Where is £h<» promise of his coming?'" Unfaithful followers ni; ; say, "My Lord delayeth his coming." But He w; come ! No amount of enmity, antl opposition, a. scoffing, can prevent this. The day of the Lord.^i. come ! Man cannot hinder it'; Satan cannot hinder it. II. He will come suddenly. In an hour -when we think not, He will come. He has kept the clay and hour of His appearing a secret, that men may be kept always washing. He has not told us of any time that is to elapse ere He comes. He has not said, "You may be quite easy and contented about my coming, for it will not be for many hunvlveds or thousands of years." He always warns us to be ready, for He will come when we look not for Him. Like the swift burst of the WATCH. 6 lightning-flash He will come. When men are eating, drinking, marrying, and giving in marriage, He will come! Oh, then, watch,, for ye know neither the day nor the hour when the Son of man cometh. III. He will come when the ivorld is asleep. Men will say to themselves, " Peace and safety — there is no danger," Some' will say, " My Lord delayeth his com- ing." Others will say, "Where is the promise of his coming?" (Others will say, "There are no signs of His coming." Others will say, "He will not come till the whole world Has been first converted." And thus they will "take their ease, cat, drink, and be merry." They will fall asleep ; and then, when they are asleep, and dreaming of prosperous times, and gay hopes, and a happy world — then the trumpet sounds, the shout is heard, the Son of man is come ! Where, then, are •your lamps ? Where is the oil ? . Where are your gird- ed loins ? Where is the ready haste to go forth to meet the Bridegroom V Oh, watch J "Behold, I come as a thief; blessed is he that watcheth!" But what is lie coming to do? Many things, the half of which we cannot here speak of; but chiefly such uese:- — I. He comes to take, up His saints (1 Thess. tv. 16). for them, first of all, that He conies. lie raises ■ lead saints, and changes the living ones, and then, i.nis band, lie takes them up into "the- dlouds, " to meet Him in the air. Are you ready to meet Him? Are you longing to be* thus caught* up, and to be for ever with the Lord ? «• II. Me comes to take vengeance on them that know not God (2 Thess. i. 8). AVhen He comes, there will be little faith on the earth. Evil men will bo waxing worse and worse. Antichrist will be at his height. All man- ner of sin will be flowing over the earth. He comes as I J udge, to x \ ju dgt ; h . " He comes with His rod of iron, to smite the nations in pieces. He comes • 4 WATCH. iij flaming fire, to burn up the ungodly. What a day of flame, and blood, and terror, and wailing will that be ! Oh, world, how unready for that hour of woe ! III. He comes to bind Satan (Rev. x?. 1, 2). Satan has long gone to and fro through the earth, walking up and down in it (Job i. 7). He tempted our first parents, and led them into sin. Since that day he has been going about, with his angels, doing the same awful work, laying snares for men, and leading them captive at his will. But he will be bound when the Lord comes, and not be permitted to deceive the nations. " This will be the bruising of the serpent's head. And how gladly should we long for the day of Satan's binding, know- ing, as we do, his malice, his cunning, and his power! * IV. He comes to make all things neiv. Creation has long suffered for man's sin, and the curse has made it> groan. Its cries are going up into the ears of the Lord God of hosts, and the day of its deliverance is coming. (Rom. viii. 19-23). He will then .make this earth : of ours like Paradise — a holy, happy, fruitful, glorious world. V. He comes to reign in righteousness (Isa. xxiv. 23).. He is the earth's true King, and never will it be bless- ed or holy till He comes to rule it. The best of kings have not been able to rule it aright, so as to establish peace, and order, and righteousness ; but He will do all this; He is the righteous King, and He will make His kingdom, and. all that dwell therein, righteous like Himself. He will make this earth' new ; and they that dwell in it shall be holy. It is for the arrival of this King that we are to watch. Surely, in these last* days, we should be awake, and on our guard. It is so long since'He said, " Surely I come * quickly, " that His coming must now be very near. Church of God ! gird up thy loins ; trim thy lamp; see that there is oil in thy vessels. The Lord is at hand. Put away sloth and vanity, and worldliness, and prepare to meet Him, that that day may not overtake WATCH. 5 thee unawares. The world is fast ripening for wrath and shame,— -art thou ripening for glory and the king- dom ? Be holy, be prayerful, be loving, be zealous, be liberal, be generous, Heap noj; up treasure for the last days, but spen(^and be spent for God. Up from your couch ! Have done with ease and sloth ! Your King is already on His way, and these tossings of kingdoms are the sounds of His chariot-wheels. The world's last days have come. The rivers of earth are beginning to swell with the last sweeping flood.' O gird up your loins ! Enter, your chambers. " The name of the Lord is your strong tower; the righteous runneth into it and is safe." " He that dwelleth in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty." Poor .world ! what is to become of thee in that day? Thy day may seem at present. bright and fair; but its end will be darkness, and storm, and woe ! Man of the world ! where is your wisdom, your foresight, your con- cern for the future ? Are you blind ? or are you resolved not to see what is coming on the earth ? Is this heed- lessness of yours worthy of an immortal being ? Is it not madness ? Pleasure ! Where will it then be ? Money ! Wnac will become oi it V- Muith ! What is its end? Child of vanity, lover of sin, captive of the devil, leave- leave that Egypt, that Babjlon, that Sodom, in which thou hast so long dwelt, and escape for thy life. For the fire is about to be kindled, which shall burn them up ; and wrath is coming, and the Judge is coming, %nd despair is coming. Oh, trifle) not with time; trifle. not with eternity ; trifle not with the everlasting burnings ! Turn ye, turn* ye ; why will yi die ? To the last hour of earth's rebellious day Christ keeps open the gate, and sends out His'welcome, — " I will give to him t;hat is athirst of the fountain of the witer of life freely." (Rev. xxi. 6; xxii. 17). That fountain is not dried up in these last days. Its fulness is the same as at the first. You have been long of coming to it, but it still &tand3 open, 6 SCRIPTURE PRAYERS. and all its waters are free ! To drink of it is to thirst no more. To drink of it is to be fully refreshed and satisfied. The gladness which it pours into the soul is more than words can tell ; and it is the beginning of that endless gladness which is at God's right l^nd, in bhe kingdom hereafter. • This world has no fountains to which you can go. It has no living waters which might refresh your weary, thirsty spirit. * It' has nothing but its sands and rocks, its briers and thorns. For it is a desert. It has been • so since man fell, and it never can be otherwise until all things are made new. But there are wells of living . water set open for you in Him who came into this very world of .yours, that He might bring to you all the ful- ness of the Father's love, and present to you all the peace of heavei . without price or money. Drink out of this open well. Drink, and you will find refreshment and joy. But, remember — Christ is coming;" and when He comes, this well of living waters will be closed against you. He comes to close it against all those who have refused the gospel of His love. Make haste, then; for* in such an hoi Hear my cry, God ; attend unto my grayer. From the end of the* earth will I cry unto thee ; when my heart is overwhelmed, lead me to the Rock that is higher than I. Be merciful to me, God, be merciful to me, for my soul trusteth in thee. Yea, in the shadow of thy wings will I make my refuge, until these calamities be overpast. For thy mercy is great unto the heavens, and thy truth unto the clout; rejoice tn^ ._ do I lift up my sotu , to forgive, and plenteous in call upon thee. Teach me thy way, lioiu., walk in thy truth ; unite my heart to fear thy name. . I will praise thee, Lord, for it is good, and praise is comely. I will sing praises unto • thy name, Most High ! I will shew forth thy loving-kmdness in the morning, and thy faithfulness every night. While I live I will bless the Lord, and will sing praise unto my God while I have my being. Thou art- gracious and merciful, long-suffering, and slow to wrath ; abimdafct in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity, transgression, " and sin. renumber not against me former iniquities : jjp^