Thomas Williams

“ Faithful service brings its own reward even now, in a "peace of mind which passeth all understanding," and it makes sure an "inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled and that fadeth not away." With this blessing within reach why will you die? Give not yourself away, for that which is not bread nor for that which satisfieth not. The yoke is easy and the burden is light, and at the end there is a joy unspeakable and full of glory. ”

“ We are upon tip-toe looking and listening for peace, sweet peace, for a troubled world, and at last we hear Him saying, "Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I come not to send peace but a sword. For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. ”

“ Will He yet do as Moses did, deliver Israel? Will He yet be a prophet whom they will hear in all things? He must be or the Scriptures of truth are broken, and the word of God has failed, which is impossible. From the prophecy of Isaiah we have learned that there was a son to be born, and a child was to be given, and he was to be the Prince of Peace, and of the increase of his government and peace there was to be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. ”

“ Again He answers us in words that overcome us with discouragement and despair; instead of words of peace He speaks words of war; instead of words of consolation and comfort for a suffering world, He predicts times of greater trouble yet to come, declaring, "There shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken" (Luke 21: 25, 26) . ”

“ Is it not a wonder that the world has gone astray from such clear teaching? The apostle, himself, when he came to face death, declared that he had fought the good fight, and kept the faith, and that henceforth there was laid up for him a crown of righteousness. Henceforth, that is from the time I die forward until a certain time, there is laid up, or reserved for me a crown of righteousness. If popular theories are true, Paul was mistaken, for that was not the time when the crown of righteousness would be laid up, that was the time when he would receive it. ”

“ Dear reader, we beseech you to hear the voice which speaks from heaven, "Surely I come quickly," for we are in the days when "quickly" means more than it ever did before. It is for you to place yourself in such relation to God as to be able to respond, "Even so, come, Lord Jesus." ”

“ It would be Christ here all the time to receive the soul of every one as it leaves the body, and Christ in heaven all the time receiving them there, and that would be no coming in any sense. But the apostle says, "Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation." Note the words. They are full of meaning. They not only tell us that He will appear, but that this appearing of which he is speaking is Christ’s second appearing. ”

“ I say, when we consider what they had passed through, and the threatenings which seemed to confront them on every hand, and then to think that their only hope, the one in whom they had placed their implicit trust and confidence, the Shepherd of the sheep, was about to be snatched away and leave them in a dark and cruel world, as sheep without a shepherd, we can get a faint idea of the anxiety of the little company in that trying hour. ”

“ The trouble is in the apostate religious world. It has departed from the truth and given heed to fables which have fixed upon the minds of the people a tradition which has sent Christ and all his redeemed ones to heaven as their eternal abode, and predicted the destruction of this fair earth of ours, and thus the word of God in all these grand promises is made of none effect. ”

“ If ever men needed consolation, real consolation, not flattery, not mere poetic words, but a consolation full of reality, they needed it at that time. Not only so, but they needed such consolation as would bring them as nearly as possible to its realization. Whatever promise the angels had for those men it should be such as would be nearest to them, the first blessing they would realize as a deliverance from the troubles and trials through which they were passing. ”

“ As the High Priest appeared in the Most Holy in behalf of Israel in order that atonement might be effected between the nation and their God, so Christ has gone into heaven as the high priest of the Israel of God there and now to appear on their behalf, where "He ever liveth to make intercession for us." ”

“ The fact that the larger part of the Old Testament prophecies remain unfulfilled, and their fulfillment depends on His second coming, is sufficient of itself to show that, since the word of God cannot fail, Christ must return again to accomplish all that the law and the prophets require in and through Him. ”

“ It intensifies their earnestness, separates them from the world, with all its vanity, frivolity and selfishness; it gives solemnity to their deportment, attaches vital importance to their words and actions, and guides and guards them through a life of trials and affliction, with perils on the right hand and on the left. ”

“ He does not command them to occupy till they shall go to him in heaven, the very thing that popular religious teachers tell the people they must do. Were we to ask them what our duty is, and what our hope is, the answer would be, Occupy, to use the word the Saviour used, as long as you live in this life, until you die, and then you will go to heaven. ”

“ According to the popular world, that which was nearest to them in the way of deliverance was death, and the consolation which would have been given to them by the leaders of religious theories of our times would have been, Why stand ye gazing up into heaven? ”

“ Let the reader examine further along in the chapter and it will be seen that it is at this time that Christ will call before Him those who are to be judged, separating them one from another, the good from the bad; and punishment is inflicted upon the bad and rewards are meted out to the good. To those on the right hand He says, "Come ye blessed of my Father inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world;" ”

“ If you are an alien from the commonwealth of Israel this promise cannot cheer you. Only by the faithful believers of the true gospel can it be welcomed in these days when men’s hearts are failing them for fear. ”

“ It is a mistake that never can be corrected if Christ does not return to the earth again and fulfill all these burning words of Scripture. A Prince of Peace is what He is called. A king that shall reign in righteousness and rule with equity, and when contemplating His birth, Mary cries out prophetically, "He hath showed strength with his arm ”

“ They are unfaithful, they are apostates, with whom God is not well-pleased. They are like the Israelites of old, and to them the High Priest will not appear the second time without sin to their salvation. ”

“ Now apply this type to the antitype; the true church of Christ is the congregation, and the High Priest has gone into the Most Holy place to appear in the presence of God in their behalf. What are we waiting for? Waiting His return, and those who have apostatized are sitting down to eat and to drink, and rising up to play, and speculate with theories of men, with new inventions ”