patience and joy in disappointments - would all have been lost! The Church would not

have been that of the New Testament, had she known the mystery of that day and hour,

and not ever waited as for the immediate Coming of her Lord and Bridegroom.

And what the Church of the New Testament has been, and is, that her Lord and Master

made her, and by no agency more effectually than by leaving undetermined the precise

time of His return. To the world this would indeed become the occasion for utter

carelessness and practical disbelief of the coming Judgment.164 As in the days of Noah

the long delay of threatened judgment had led to absorption in the ordinary

engagements of life, to the entire disbelief of what Noah had preached, so would it be in

the future. But that day would come certainly and unexpectedly, to the sudden

separation of those who were engaged in the same daily business of life, of whom one

might be taken up (παραλαµβανεται, 'received'), the other left to the destruction of the

coming Judgment.165

But this very mixture of the Church with the world in the ordinary avocations of life

indicated a greater danger. As in all such, the remedy which the Lord would set before

us is not negative in the avoidance of certain things, but positive.166 We shall best

succeed, not by going out of the world, but by being watchful in it, and keeping fresh on

our hearts, as well as our minds, the fact that he is our Lord, and that we are, and

always most lovingly, to look and long for His Return. Otherwise twofold damage might

come to us. Not expecting the arrival of the Lord in the night-time (which is the most

unlikely for His Coming), we mi ght go to sleep, and the Enemy, taking advantage or it,

rob us of our peculiar treasure.167 Thus the Church, not expecting her lord, might

become as poor as the world. This would be loss. But there might be even worse.

According to the Master's appointment, each one had, during Christ's absence, his work

for Him, and the reward of grace, or else the punishment of neglect, were in assured

prospect. The faithful steward, to whom the Master had entrusted the care of His

household, to supply His found faithful, be rewarded by advancement to far larger and

more responsible work. On the other hand, belief on the delay of the Lord's Return

would lead to neglect to the Master's work, to unfaithfulness, tyranny, self -indulgence

and sin.168 And when the Lord suddenly came, as certainly he would come, there would

be not only loss, but damage, hurt, and the punishment awarded to the hypocrites.

Hence, let the Church be ever on her watch,169 let her ever be in readiness!  170 And how

terribly the moral consequences of unreadiness, and the punishment threatened, have

ensued, the history of the Church during these eighteen centuries has only too often

and too sadly shown.171