These verses teach us, in the first place, that ivhen the Lord Jesus returns to this loorld, He shall come ivith pe- culiar glory and majesty. He shall come "in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory." Before His pre- sence the very sun, moon, and stars shall he darkened, and " the powers of heaven shall be shaken." - The second personal coming of Christ shall be as different as possible from the first. He came the first time as a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief He was born in the manger of Bethlehem, in lowliness and humiliation. He took on him the form of a servant, and was despised and rejected of men. He was betrayed into the hands of wicked men, condemned by an unjust judgment, mocked, scourged, crowned with thorns, and at last crucified between two thieves. He shall come the second time as the King of all the earth, with all royal majesty. The princes and great men of this world shall themselves stand before His throne to receive an eternal sentence. Before him every mouth shall be stopped, and every knee bow, and every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. May we all remember this. Whatever ungodly men may do now, there will be no scofiing, no jesting at Christ, no infidelity at the last day. The servants of Jesus may well wait patiently. Their master shall one day be acknowledged King of kings by all the world.
These verses teach us, in the second place, that when Christ returns to this loorld^ He iv ill first take care of His believing people. He shall "send his angels," and "gather together his elect."
In the day of judgment true Christians shall be per-