“Be Ye also Ready.”

THE Lord Jesus Christ towards the end of His public ministry delivered a very solemn address to His disciples on the subject of the last things, such as the signs of His second coming and the end of the world (Matt. xxiv.). He spoke of the rise of false prophets and false Christs, wars between the nations, “famines and pestilences and earthquakes in divers places,” and the afflictions and persecutions to which His followers would be subject in due time. “Ye shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake.” “But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.” Jesus also intimated that after three days of tribulation the sign of the Son of man would appear in heaven, and that “then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of Man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.” But He added that the exact day and hour of this appearing “knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.” The precise moment of this tremendous event is one of the secret things known only to God, and it is clearly evident from the teaching of Christ that it is kept hidden from men for one great practical purpose at least—that they may be always on the watch-tower. Thus, when He comes to the personal application of His address, Jesus says to His disciples, “Watch, therefore; for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.” “Therefore, be ye also ready; for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.”

In these latter words, to which we desire briefly to draw attention, Jesus speaks as if He, who was then present with them, might, in another sense, come at any moment. This, along with the general context, points to a coming at the hour of death, and indicates that there is then a coming of the Son of man. In fact, it shows that for those who will not be on earth to see the personal appearance of Christ in the heavens at the last day, He may come at any moment in the article of death to appoint them their future abode. We get many lessons from time to time concerning

the uncertainty of our natural life and the sure approach of the messenger of death, “Behold, the judge standeth before the door.” At this season of the year also we are impressively reminded of the swiftness of the flight of time. It is not inappropriate, then, that on the present occasion we should meditate for a little on the approach of the Son of man and the importance of being ready and watchful. Let us notice:—

1. That the Son of man comes at the hour of death. The Son of man now sits upon the throne at the right hand of the Father, and though very man is also very God, equal with the Father and the Holy Ghost in the undivided and ineffable Godhead—in one word, “God over all, blessed for ever.” Unto Him, as the mediator of the new covenant, the Father hath given all things, all power in heaven and in earth, the government of the world, and “power over all flesh.” Not a sparrow, therefore, falls to the ground without Him, and it is He, according to His own testimony quoted above, that comes to men at their dying hour. From the natural eye the world of spirits is hid; death may only seem to be the decay of the physical frame, and the cessation of its activities; but the eye of those who behold invisible things, through the wonderful revealing glass of God’s Holy Word, sees vastly more than this; it pierces the veil of sense, and discerns the tremendous issues of eternity, and the infinite solemnity of appearing before God. At the important moment of death, the Son of man, who purchased the eternal redemption of His people, and then entered as their forerunner within the veil, comes forth again in order to bring them to the mansions He has prepared. On the other hand, as the appointed judge of the world, He comes to deal with impenitent and unbelieving sinners, who have despised the day of grace, and to assign them their awful but just reward in the place of everlasting misery. This leads us to observe:

2. That the final abode of men is fixed at the hour of death. Lazarus is immediately carried to Abraham’s bosom, but the ungodly sinner to the place of torment. Stephen cried out in immediate prospect of glory, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit;” while it is written of Judas, in words brief, but terribly suggestive, that at death “he went to his own place.” No doubt, we speak of the day of judgment as the day of final reckoning, but this does not imply that nothing is settled until that day, or that those who die now do not pass into a definite place of happiness or woe. The opposite, we see, is the case. For the true believer, “absent from the body” means “present with the Lord.” Death is robbed of its sting, “O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?” Some of God’s people are privileged with raptures of joy on their death-beds, while others depart quietly to their eternal rest. But it is true of them all at the moment that Jordan is passed that “With gladness and rejoicing shall they be brought; they shall enter into the King’s palace.” True, they will be openly acknowledged and publicly acquitted on the day of judgment, and then,

in possession of glorified bodies as well as souls, will obtain a fuller accession of happiness, but this is no fundamental change of state. Their house, not made with hands, is even now unchangeably fixed for ever, “eternal in the heavens.” The impenitent, on the other hand, at death—O overwhelming thought!—pass quickly down to hell, and the great day only means for them—then, also, with body and soul reunited—a fuller accession of misery.

1. The hour of the coming of the Son of man at death is hidden and uncertain. “In such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.” He may, and often does, come at the time He is least expected. Sometimes the Lord’s people, though in good health, know beforehand that the time of their departure is near, but this is not of the will or skill of man, but of God. For most part, this hour is entirely hidden. Perhaps at the very time there is no immediate anticipation of such an event, the Lord appears and carries away His ransomed one, to be forever with Himself. And how often is it also true that the careless sinner is cut down in his wickedness without a moment’s warning! Surely this uncertainty as to the tenure of human life should stir up souls to number their days, consider their latter end, and seek preparation for eternity. “The world passeth away and the lust thereof.” Everything here is changeable and vanishing. Soon, the place that now knows us will know us no more for ever. Young people especially are apt to look forward to a long life and happy days, and to suppose that death, if ever it comes at all, is in the far-distant future. It is no doubt natural and permissible to desire long life, but we must remember we live in a fading, dying world, where God has shortened human life for sin, and where our days are all uncertain. How often also the last call comes to the young in early childhood, or in budding manhood or womanhood, when parents and friends are cherishing high hopes and expectations in regard to them! The disappointments of the present life are many. It would be well to have an interest in that higher life which shall never end, otherwise death also will bring us an eternal disappointment. “Therefore, be ye ready.”

2. Lastly, notice the call to be ready for Christ’s coming. There are two kinds of readiness—a habitual readiness and an actual readiness.

The children of God have always an habitual readiness. This arises from their saving union to Christ, and their experience of a new birth. They are made new creatures in Christ Jesus, and as such have a right and title to eternal life, and an earnest of it in their souls. They have a holy nature that is akin to heaven, and being complete in Him who is their Head, they are habitually ready for the coming of the Son of man. This is the fundamental preparedness without which no one shall see the kingdom of heaven. It lays a necessary foundation for the actual readiness to which Jesus here solemnly exhorts His disciples. This

readiness consists in that gracious frame of mind which becomes souls that expect soon to enter into the immediate presence of the holy and blessed God. Jesus calls His people to preparation. This implies an exhortation to have their thoughts fixed upon the things that are unseen and eternal, to meditate much upon the glory of God, and to seek fellowship with Him through His Son. Thus their souls shall be fashioned more and more for the enjoyment of His holy presence in eternity. Heaven will become less strange and distant to them, and the coming of the Son of man at death will gradually lose its dread and terror, and become a sweet and attractive prospect; yea, the very thought of it fitted to kindle within them a heavenly joy. Thus they will be “ready” when He comes. It does not mean that they will not be sensible of much sin and imperfection in themselves to the last, but it infers that dwelling by faith on the borders of eternity and in contemplation of Christ and eternal realities in life, they will joyfully welcome His appearance at death. It may be that they will be engaged in their worldly occupation to the end. The call to watchfulness and readiness does not necessarily mean a giving up of the common daily toil, though for most part that is done, before the Christian goes hence. It is his, just to be in the place and circumstances the Lord appoints for him, and the Most High is able to give grace for coming glory even at the moment he gives grace for common duty. At the same time it is clear from Christ’s words that believers require to be stirred up to spiritual preparation for the solemn day of death. Sin, Satan, and the world are so active in dragging them down to the mire of carnality that they need to hear the rousing, quickening voice of Christ, saying “Be ye also ready.” Blessed be God, He who gives the call has grace to bestow for obedience to it. And so the needy soul, sensible of its great unfitness to appear before God, is encouraged to cry for spiritual supplies out of the fulness that is in Christ. That same glorious Son of man, who will come for you at death, has an infinite fulness of grace in Himself, capable of giving you peace and strength and courage as you go down into the dark waters of Jordan, and of carrying you safely and comfortably across, to the praise of His glory!

But what shall we say to the unconverted? They have neither habitual nor actual readiness to meet the Lord. Some such may be professors of religion, but that will not save them from the dread consequences of sin; if they die without Christ, they shall have their portion among the hypocrites in that place where there is wailing and gnashing of teeth. As for others who make no profession, their danger is the same. The want of profession won’t save any. If you have no profession, poor unconverted soul, you have had at least many privileges. Born in a Christian country, with an open Bible and a preached Gospel, with godly friends around you, you have much to answer for at the bar of God. Jesus also speaks to you in His Word, and

you should cry for the hearing ear and understanding heart. “Hear, and your soul shall live;” “Turn ye, turn ye, why will ye die?” You cannot prepare your own soul for eternity. In the Son of man alone is that which you need. “It pleased the Father that in Him all fulness should dwell,” and Christ with His blessed fulness is offered freely to you in the Gospel, without money and without price. “Now is the accepted time, now is the day of salvation.” You have no right or fitness for heaven; how can you cherish any hope of entering it apart from Christ? We believe many entertain false hopes of heaven, persons who were never born again. For such to enter heaven, if that were possible, it would simply mean the most awful affliction that could be sent on them. Heaven would be hell to an unregenerate sinner.

We would, therefore, solemnly warn our unconverted readers to think upon their souls, their sins, their exposure to God’s holy wrath, their unfitness for meeting the Son of man, their danger of being lost for ever. These are matters of supreme and eternal moment; in comparison therewith the most valuable things of earth are bubbles light as air. Consider also the glorious provision that is in Christ. He came to save sinners, and will receive the very chief, who come to Him, and make them fit for eternal glory. Even now He cries, “Him that cometh unto me I will in no wise cast out.” And for the returning prodigal he has the warm and heart-ravishing welcome: “Bring forth the best robe and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand and shoes on his feet; and bring hither the fatted calf and kill it; and let us eat and be merry: for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.” (Luke xv. 22-24.)

Acknowledgment.—Treasurer of Dingwall congregation begs to acknowledge with thanks the following contributions received from the Free Presbyterian congregations at the several places named towards Dingwall Manse Building Fund:—Inverness, per Mr. Angus Clunas, £14 10s. 6d.; Daviot, per their representative, £3 5s.; Beauly, £3; Tarbert (Harris), £1 15s. 6d.; Moy (Strathdean), per Mr. Duncan Davidson, Findhorn Bridge, £13 12s.

The Burns Bible.—The family Bible of Burns the poet, which, it seems, has survived the shocks and changes of time, recently came to the hammer in a London saleroom. It was bought by a London bookseller for £1560. It was shortly thereafter sold again to the curator of the Burns Museum at Ayr for £1700. This large sum represents, not the esteem cherished by the Burns worshipper for the Scriptures, but the extravagant height to which the Burns mania has now been carried. £1700 for a book which will only be gazed at through a glass case is a sad abuse of good money.