IN what condition will our Lord find society at his coming? What will be
the spirit of the age? and what its habits and occupations when Christ
appears to reign? This is our first question; and it is quite impossible
to over-estimate its importance.
I. There will be _no stop to men’s pleasures_ before the advent. There
will be no startling announcement which will prevail to check the
pleasure hunters. They will be found pursuing their giddy course just as
at present: they will not find their souls solemnized in anticipation of
the great event: the nearness of the advent will not suffice to bring on
repentance: if they are not subdued by the cross of Christ, they will not
be by the prospect of his appearing. The great machinery of God’s
providence will move on without their perceiving it: the signal will be
already given, the angelic hosts already on the wing, and the door of
grace already closed, before there are any such startling appearances
before the world as shall arouse the mere pleasure hunter from his
dreams. Our Lord teaches this in Matthew, xxiv. 37–39.—“As the days of
Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For as in the
days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying,
and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and
knew not, until the flood came and took them all away; so shall also the
coming of the Son of man be.” Noah’s preaching was the only notice of
the coming flood. The world pursued its own course until the very day
that the rain began to fall. On the evening before they were feasting
joyously, perhaps scoffingly at the toilsome labours of the man of God;
many doubtless laughing at the ark; when, unexpectedly, without further
notice, in the midst of their festivity, the storm gathered, the door was
closed, and the unbelieving world overwhelmed in judgment. “So,” saith
the Lord, “shall be the coming of the Son of man.”
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