The Church's hope is to be with the Lord in heaven, and the Church ought to be looking for it. Surely the cry is now going forth, "Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him." I ask you, have you gone out? There were those who not only believed when they heard the cry, but went out. Have you left everything that you know—not what I know—to be contrary to Him? If so, you need not be afraid. Be assured that anything your poor will wants to keep is not worth keeping. It is gain to go out from all to meet Him, gain to be in the path of the Lord.
Has that cry filled your heart? Do not be content with saying, I have oil in my vessel, and it does not much matter where I am. The Lord grant that may not be your feeling. He has saved you that you may think of Him. He wants you to go out to meet Him, to value this precious thought of His coming. Now, are you keeping His Word? You know. This is a question between your own conscience and the Lord.
When you have kept what you do know, you will know more, and find it joy and liberty to be serving Him.
“Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown." This is a precious word. The Lord does not speak of coming like a thief, as He does to Sardis which had taken the world as its mistress; the unpurged world was allowed the place that belonged to the Lord. Here He comes as one who has a crown to give. The Lord Himself coming to meet us is the jewel He has given us to keep. The Lord grant us to hold that fast, that it may not be taken away from us.
We are weak now, but the Lord says to those who are content to be weak now, "Him... will I make a pillar in the temple of My God." A pillar is the emblem of strength, that which supported the temple, contrasted with weakness. It is a very hard thing to be content to be weak. It is comfortable to feel the world's strength under us. But if we are content to be weak now, the Lord tells us what He will do for us then: "Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of My God.”
For those who have thought of Christ now, Christ will think of all the joy He can give them then. The Lord grant that this may be our hope while we wait for Him!
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