idolatry and other sins, when Christ came only a “remnant” received Him. All
the rest were still a “stiff-necked and perverse” generation. And how has it
been during the Gospel Age? (Point.) There have not been many saints-only a
“little flock.” The vast majority have not known God nor desired to know Him.
The question then is, What is
to become of the others?
What is to become of all who
have not been the “friends”
or “servants” or “sons” of
God bv faith in His promises
and obedience to Him? What Plan has God for the blessing of the others?-for
we must remember that the Promise was not that a few should be blessed, but
that “all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” But how? How can the
blessing be accomplished ?
This brings us to our text: [Read impressively.] “Times of refreshing shall
come from the presence of the lord; and he shall send Jesus Christ, which
before was preached unto you, whom the heavens must retain until the
times of restitution of all things which god hath spoken by the mouth of all
his holy prophets since the world began.”
“He shall send .Jesus Christ. ” The Apostle Peter was not here speaking about
the First Coming of Christ. He spoke these words on the day of Pentecost,
alter the Holy Spirit had been poured out upon the waiting disciples, and ten
days after he with others had seen Christ ascend to Heaven. He was speaking
of Jesus’ Second Coming. “God will send Jesus Christ.” Our Lord Himself had
promised that He would come a second time, saying, “If I go away, I will
come again.”
We will not take the time to prove that the Lord IS coming a second time. We
take it for granted that all here present believe that He will come again. Per-
haps only one other doctrine, the doctrine of the Ransom, is made as promi-
nent in the Scriptures as this doctrine of the Lord’s return. It is also made very
prominent m all the creeds of the various denominations. Even Catholics be-
lieve in the Second Coming of Christ. They do not, indeed, confess that He is
coming to bless the world, but rather that He is coming to damn the world. The
wonder is that, with such a conception of things, any are willing to pray,
“EVEN SO COME, LORD JESUS!” The beloved disciple who uttered these
words as they are recorded in the Scriptures had no such anticipation. He knew
of the time of blessing, and it was for this that he longed, and he knew that it
could not come until Christ should come
The Coming of Christ has been the hope of the world (though unknown to
themselves). It has been the end of the prayers of all the saints. Until the King
should be present, the Kingdom could not come. We have been “looking for