Page:Studies in the Scriptures - Series I - The Plan of the Ages (1909).djvu/96

 90 The Plan of the Ages.

of the Bible, written some sixty years after Pentecost, and twenty-six years after Jerusalem's destrudion, he that was dead and is alive speaks of the event as yet future, saying : " Behold, I come quickly, and my reward is with me." And the inspired John replies, "Even so, come, Lord Jesus. " Rev. 22 : 12, 20.

Quite a number think that when sinners are converted that forms a part of the coming of Christ, and that so he will continue coming until all the world is converted. Then, say they, he will have fully come.

These evidently forget the testimony of the Scriptures on the subjedt., which declares the reverse of their cxpecHa- tion : that at the time of our Lord's second coming the world will be far from converted to God ; that " In the last days perilous times shall come, for men shall be lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God" (2 Tim. 3: 1-4); tluit " Evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiv- ing, and being deceived." (Verse 13.) They forget the Master's special warning to his little flock: "Take heed to yourselves lest that day come upon you unawares, for as a, snare shall it come on all them [not taking hwd] that dwell on the face of the whole earth." (Luke 21 : 34, 35-) Again, we may rest assured that when it is said, " All kin- dreds of the earth shall wail because of him," when they see him coining (Rev. i : 7), no reference is made to the conversion of sinners. Do all men wail Ix'causr of the con- version of sinners? On the contrary, if this passage refers, as almost all admit, to Christ's presence ou earth, it teaches that all on earth will not love his appearing, as they cer- tainly would do if all were converted*

Some expert an acSlual coming and presence of the Lord, but AV/ tftc time ot the event a long way off, claiming that through the efforts ot the Church in its present condition the world must bo converted, and thus the Millennial age

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