And how solemn are the thoughts involved in this sacred truth! We have already found that there will be no distinction in society, that in the same family, in the same trade, in the same shop, nay even in the same bed, one shall be taken and the other left. But this carries us farther still, and shows that there will be the same separation even in the same church. Two persons will come together to the same building, join in the same outward worship, make use of the same liturgy, sing the same praises, hear the same chapters, listen to and perhaps approve the same sermons, and kneel side by side at the same communion. Man will discern no outward difference. And so Christ will find them at his coming. They will “both grow together until the harvest.” Then and not till then will God separate his children. Then will it appear that the one has been a follower of the Lamb, the other of the world; the one born again of God, the other unregenerate; the one justified, the other damned; and all because the one was a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ, the other had the form of godliness, but rested there, and was without its power.
III. They will stand out as witnesses for Christ in the midst of general declension. The ship at anchor will remain unmoved while all around it are drifted down the tide: and this is the position in which Christ will find his chosen people: they will hold fast anchored in Christ, while all around them are drifted off from God. We have already called your attention to the great apostacy foretold within the visible church, and we have only now to remark its widespread influence and effect. This is described by our Lord: “And many false prophets shall arise, and shall deceive many. And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved;” Matthew, xxiv. 11–13. These words foretell a period of abounding error, abounding sin, and abounding departure from the Lord: abounding error; “And many false prophets shall arise, and shall deceive many:” abounding sin; “because iniquity shall abound:” and abounding departure from the Lord; “the love of many shall wax cold.” The chill shall reach even those whose hearts once seemed warm. Nor shall any stand but the heirs of God’s salvation. “He that shall endure unto the end the same shall be saved.” All mere professors are here described as fallen; all mere hereditary Christians fallen; all Christians by expediency fallen; all who have rested in ecclesiastical, architectural, and ornamental Christianity fallen; all those who have had the form without the power—fallen; all fallen but the little band of those faithful men whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life. They will then stand out as the rock, when the storm has washed away the sand that covered it; unshaken, immovable, and only made conspicuous by the tempest. Or as the evergreen; still verdant, still beautiful, when the winter’s frost has stripped the neighbouring plants whose short-lived beauty seemed far more brilliant under the summer’s sun; so will they abide in the winter time of the church’s history; their life untouched, for it consists in a union with their Lord; their beauty undiminished, for it is His unfading likeness impressed by the Holy Ghost upon their heart.
IV. A fourth remark follows at once from this position of the saints as witnesses in the midst of general declension, viz. this: they will be unsupported by the arm of flesh. When all except the true saints have declined from the faith, it stands to reason that those saints will be left unsupported by the world’s influence. This appears also very plainly from our Lord’s prophecy: “Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake;” Matthew, xxiv. 9. Political influence will then be against the truth. “Ye shall be hated of all nations.” There will be a national opposition to true godliness, as there ought to be a national support of it. We must be prepared therefore to see all national and political influence thrown boldly into the scale of error: we shall be taught by the sins of those in power not to lean on the arm of flesh, to cease from man, to rest simply upon Christ and Christ alone. Then God’s redeemed will find no help from statesmen, but draw all their help from Christ. They will be forced to cleave to those precious promises, “I am with you always even unto the end of the world;” “The gates of hell shall not prevail against you;” “Fear not, little flock, it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.” Their union with him will be every day more and more precious; their thirsting after him more and more intense; his word, his grace, his presence, his love, will be the strength of their hope, the subject of their discourse, the one source of their joy; and, forsaken by all other, they will cleave only unto him till the blessed day when as the King of kings he shall come forth for their joy and glory.
V. And this leads us to a fifth and last feature in the description of the saints. They will be waiting and watching for the coming of the Lord.
It is sometimes thought enthusiastic to be speaking much of the second coming of the Lord. Unfulfilled prophecy is thought difficult, and it is better, say many, to dwell exclusively upon the more certain narratives of the past. But not so the Scriptures. They describe believers as waiting, watching, and ardently expecting the blessed period of their Saviour’s glory. For example, in 1 Thess. v. 4, expectation of the advent is the distinguishing characteristic of the people of God: “But ye brethren are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.” To the world at large it should come as a thief in the night; it would find them unexpecting, unprepared; but not so to the saints. They would be on the look out; the world’s night would be their day; the world’s darkness their light; the world might see nothing, but they would see Christ. “Ye brethren are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.”
And it is very important in this respect to observe the contrast between the children of God and the surrounding world. With reference to the advent apathy, we have already seen, is to be the leading feature of society. Men will be unconscious and regardless of its approach. But with reference to the world’s progress, even they shall be alarmed. They will be aroused, but not by the hope of Jesus. For look at the description: “Men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken;” Luke, xxi. 26. These words describe an undefined sense of something coming; a general expectation of some approaching crisis; a feeling of wonder as to what will happen next; a breaking up of former confidence, and a fearful looking after those things which are coming on the earth. Such will be the mind of those who look at things on merely worldly grounds. But now observe the contrasted character of the children of God. “When these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh;” v. 28. Like the men of the world, they look for an approaching crisis, but as men of faith they look beyond it. Like the world they observe the gathering storm; but as believers they fix their eye on Him who governs it. They will study history with their bibles in their hands; they will see in each passing change fresh landmarks, fresh signs of their Lord’s approach. In the sound of war and the advance of error they will hear as it were the distant footsteps of their coming Lord. Prophecies will become clearer and clearer to their view, the book being unsealed according to the words of Daniel, because “the time of the end” is come. Facts will become interpreters, and difficulties be cleared up by the fulfilment of the prophecies; the signs of the advent will become intelligible in history; so that when He comes he will find his servants watching; looking up and lifting up their heads; waiting patiently, yet longing ardently; and ready to welcome their reigning King with the words long since provided for them by the Prophet. “Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, and he will save us: this is the Lord; we have waited for him, we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation.”
Believers! ye must be found thus waiting, thus watching. Time is hurrying on; but the men of this world still sleep in apathy. The voice of the watchman fails in rousing them; the signs of the times are neglected and despised by them. But it must not be so with the saints of God. Ye must be listening for his coming footstep; watching and keeping your garments in the midst of seducing error and abounding sin. As the chosen of God, ye must be standing forth for truth; as witnesses for Christ, ye must exalt the sovereignty of the word and of the Lamb; as citizens of the New Jerusalem, ye must be strangers and pilgrims upon earth. Oh! may God grant us all grace that we may be found faithful! May He hold us in his own right hand, and so make us more than conquerors over sin and error! May He take, under his especial care our wives, our children; our brethren, our dear friends, with the whole multitude of his scattered church! May He himself keep them and us in these dangerous days! that so, at his coming, both they and we may be found amongst the blessed company of God’s faithful saints, and, beholding Christ in his glory may be made like him through the omnipotence of his grace!
THE END.
FOOTNOTES.
[17] For the investigation of these prophecies, see Newton on the Prophecies, or Birks on the First Two Visions of Daniel.