Dear christian reader, how it cheers our pilgrim hearts, when we remember the last words of the Lord Jesus, “Surely I come quickly.” (Rev. 22:2020He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus. (Revelation 22:20).) That One “whom, not having seen, ye love” (1 Pet. 1:88Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory: (1 Peter 1:8)); He who so loved us as to leave all the glory which He had with the Father from all eternity, and came into this scene, and was here, “a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief.” (Isa. 53:33He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. (Isaiah 53:3).) For us! oh, what wondrous and unbounded love! we must exclaim. “Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold.... but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb, without blemish, and without spot.” (1 Pet. 1:18, 1918Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; 19But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: (1 Peter 1:18‑19).) And now, having accomplished the work of redemption, in a way which has met both the claims of justice, and the holiness of God, He has taken His seat in glory, but is coming again to claim His purchased possession. “This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.” (Acts 1:1111Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven. (Acts 1:11).) What a precious revelation this is to our hearts, that the same Jesus who had been crucified, was risen, and had been with them forty days, as a proof, to satisfy their hearts: and was then seen to go into heaven, a cloud receiving Him out of their sight; and they were witnesses that He was gone. But now we have the fulfillment of that promised supplication on our behalf: “I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you forever.” (John 14:1616And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; (John 14:16).) And we know the Father has heard His prayer, and answered it, and sent the Holy Ghost down here, to lead us in the light of the word through this wild desert; but we cannot say it is a trackless one, for that blessed One has trod it, and has left us an example that we should follow in His footsteps. And now He is on high He is still occupied with us in our path down here, and looking after our interests for the future; so we can leave all in His hands, for He said, “Let not your heart be troubled, ye believe in God, believe also in me.”
in my Father’s house are many mansions.....I go to prepare a place for you.” (John 14:1, 21Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. 2In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. (John 14:1‑2).) And thus He leads our hearts on, in anticipation of that moment when He will come again. Oh, then, dear reader, let us remember that word, “Set your affection [or mind] on things above, not on things on the earth” (Col. 3:22Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. (Colossians 3:2)), and then we shall be so filled with the beauty and glories of that risen, exalted, and glorified Man, as to see all beauty in Him, and shall be able to say that He is to us the “chiefest among ten thousand.” (Song of {s 22221}Solomon 5:1010My beloved is white and ruddy, the chiefest among ten thousand. (Song of Solomon 5:10).)
Now we have our responsibility-side to look at, whilst our Lord is away, though it must all flow from real love and unhindered communion with Himself; for, “as the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.” (John 15:44Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. (John 15:4).) Surely it is our desire to be found in Him, bearing fruit to His honor and glory; and “every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.” God is the husbandman, and He is interested that the vine should be fruitful; He wants to get fruit from it, it is what He expects, and looks for. This is why we are left in this scene. The Son, we know, has been cast out of the world, and now we are left to shine as stars in the night for Him. Till that bright morning, when He, that One who addresses Himself to us as, “I, Jesus,” will fulfill that promise, “Surely I come quickly” (Rev. 22:2020He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus. (Revelation 22:20)), to take us to that place of which we have spoken. Then “there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun, for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign forever and ever” (Rev. 22:55And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever. (Revelation 22:5)), and we shall go no more out.
“The dead in Christ shall first arise
At the last trumpet’s sounding;
Caught up to meet Him in the skies,
“With joy their Lord surrounding:
No gloomy fears their souls dismay;
His presence sheds eternal day
On those prepared to meet Him.”
F. T. J. M.