:n the way. No good thing was ever started that dld not rouse the hlnderere. And no good thing was ever oa.rried through that did not overbear and carry away, or brush aside, tbe binderers. II. TnE WORK OF THOSE WHO REMOVE IIINDRANOES, They are either energetic men, who will not be repressed, or else men of faith in God, who make their loyalty master difficulties. Men of firmness and persistency are needed in every sphere of Christian enterprise; and it is all the better if they have some pleasantness and even humour, and can remo"e hindrances without offonding hinderers. Men of faith are always needed, who, clearly seeing what God would have done, go steadily on towards its accomplishment, refusing to turn aside either to the right hand or to the left. If we cannot, or will not, help toward the on-coming of Christ's kingdom, at least we can get out of the wa.y of those who will work.-R. T. Ver. 11.-TM nearness of the Lord's coming used as a persuasion. The immediate reference here is to the Lord's manifestation in the providences that led to the return of the exiles to Jerusalem. The Church has in every a.go bad some great hope held out before it, and that hope could always be conceived of as a coming or manifestation of the Lord. Three "comings" a.re commonly recognized. Our Lord's coming in the flesh, as the Babe of Bethlehem, and the "Man Christ Jesus." Our Lord's coming in the Spirit, in the power of the Holy Ghost. Our Lord's coming in some manifesta- tion of himself for the judgment of sinners and the glorifying of bis saints. This is the special persuasion to holiness, activity, and spiritual preparedness which now .-ests on Christ's Church. L Tnrs BELIEF IN THE SECOND OOMING HAS ALWAYS BEEN HELD BY THE CHURCH j and the fact that some sections have held distorted and extravagant views of it must not be allowed to deprive us all of the iospiration that comes from so sober, yet so great and so glorious a hope. The belief was plainly held by the apostolic Cbnrch, and used by the early teachers as a persuasion to watchfulness, quietness of trust, and godly living. Bulwer Lytton is true to life when he describes Olynthus and a party of Christians singing amid the awful desolations of Pompeii, within hearing of the multitude that was rushing hither and thither for precious life-singing with the calm B.6Surance tha.t their Lord was now very near- " Woe to the proud ones who defy him, Woe to the wicked who deny him, Woe to the wicked, woe I " I!. THE DOCTRTh"E OF THE SECOND COMING HAS ALWAYS HAD ITS PLACE IN THE Cnunmr's CREED. In the Apostles' Creed: "From thence he shall come again to judge both the quick and the dead." In the Creed of St. .Atban:i,sius: "From whe~ce he shall come to jud"e the quick and the dead, at whose commg all men shall nee again with their bodi;s, and shall give account for their own works." ill THE DOCTRINE OF THE SECOND OOMING IS TAUGHT IN OUR HYMNS. The real faith and hope of the Church may be better shown by its f~v~urite hymns even. tha?- by its formal creed. In every collection of hymns for Christian use some portion 1: devoted to the Lord's second advent, and not a few of these hymns have become very aacred and dear to Christian hearts. .A few may be recalled to mind- " Lo, he comes with clouds descending." "When thou, my righteous Ju,;Ige, shalt come." " Great God, what do I see and hear? " "The Lord shall come, the earth shall quake," Or that magnificent song of the ancient Churr,b- " Day of Wrath I that awful day, Bhall the bannered cross display, Earth in ashes melt away." IV. DEVOUT SOUL!! UBE THIS HOPE lll URGING THE OLAIMS OF CHRIST 0111' 0RBIBTIA1!1' III80IPLBB. For instance, J. A, James says," We are to be waiting for the Son of God oa. t:r.rn. 1-19.) 'l'HE BOOK OF THE PROPHET lSAIAR. 44l
from heaven, and to be looking for hie coming as our bles~ed hope, above all othe1 hopes, Thie w0.iting for Christ was in an eminent degree characteristic of the primitivr Christians; it is frequently mentioned by the apostles, and seems to have been a r,revniling feeling of the Churches. All earnest Christiane now have the same spirit, The bride, the Lamb's wife, is, 0.nd must be, supposed to be ever looking for the return of the heavenly Bridegroom. The want of this habitual looking for the return of Christ indicates n low state of piety, a prevalence of worldly-mindedness among professing Christians." There is often much foolish talk about the "lost hope of the Church; " and it is strongly asserted that the Church generally is no longer looking for the coming of Christ. Nothing could be further from the truth. All that is true in connection with such statements is, that the great majority of Christian people fail to see that Scripture teaches the Lord's coming in any prescribed mode aod time and form. The Church has been content with the inspiration and persuasion of the great fact and the large hope. 'l'he universal Church keeps her eyes fixed on the east, watching for the first signs of the dawning of the day of God; but the Church also accepts her Lord's declaration, that it is not for her "to know the times and the seasons."-R. T.
SECTION IX. THE JuDGMENT OF Gon ON InmrlEA (CH. LXIll. 1-6).