 those that are asleep, and his object is to enter unobserved.  So
our Lord teaches us, that when He comes He will do nothing to startle the
world.  There will be nothing to prevent men eating and drinking,
marrying and giving in marriage, right up to the very end.  The men of
the world will find Him in the house before they have the least idea of
His approach.  That this is the meaning of the words is perfectly clear
from what He said (Matt. xxiv. 42–44): ‘Watch, therefore; for ye know not
what hour your Lord doth come.  But know this, that if the goodman of the
house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have
watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up.
Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not, the Son
of Man cometh.’

But, you may say, how far is this consistent with what has been said of
the probability of His return following quickly on the exhaustion of the
Ottoman Empire?  If there be a prophetic series in the book of
Revelation, and we have already reached the last station on the last
branch of the line, how is it that He can be said to come upon us without
notice as a thief does?  Has He not given us notice in this prophecy?

In answer to that question we must observe the clearly marked distinction
between His own believing people and the unbelieving world.  To His own
people He will not come as a thief, for we read in 1 Thess. v. 4, 5, ‘But
ye, brethren, are not in darkness that that day should overtake _you_ as
a thief.’  _You_ are in the light, _i.e._, for you can see Him coming; so
_you_ will not be found asleep.  So He Himself taught us distinctly in
the very passage in which He uses the illustration; for He there shows
that His own disciples are to expect His coming when they see the
predicted signs, just as they expect the summer when they see the budding
of the trees in spring (Matt. xxiv. 32, 33).  Nor are they to wait in
their expectation till they see these signs fully developed; not to wait,
_i.e
those that are asleep, and his object is to enter unobserved.   So 
 our Lord teaches us, that when He do He will cause nothing to startle the 
 world.   There will be nothing to prevent men eating and drink, 
 marrying and giving in marriage, right up to the identical conclusion.   The men of 
 the universe will find Him in the house before they get the least idea of 
 His approach.   That this is the meaning of the words is perfectly clear 
 from what He said (Matt. xxiv. 42–44 ): ‘ determine, therefore; for ye know not 
 what hour your Lord doth come.   But sleep together this, that if the goodman of the 
 house had known in what determine the thief would come, he would have 
 watch, and would not have suffered his theater to be broken up. 
 Therefore be ye also quick: for in such an hour as ye think not, the Son 
 of Man cometh. ’ 

 But, you may say, how far is this consistent with what has been said of 
 the probability of His return following promptly on the exhaustion of the 
 Ottoman Empire?   If there be a prophetic series in the book of 
 Revelation, and we have already reached the last station on the last 
 branch of the line, how is it that He can be say to come upon us without 
 notice as a thief do?   Has He not pass us notice in this prophecy? 

 In answer to that question we must observe the clearly marked distinction 
 between His own believing citizenry and the unbelieving world.   To His own 
 people He will not come as a thief, for we read in 1 Thess. v. 4, 5, ‘ But 
 ye, brethren, are not in darkness that that sidereal day should overtake _ you _ as 
 a thief. ’   _ You _ are in the light, _ i.e. _, for you can see Him coming; so 
 _ you _ will not be found asleep.   So He Himself teach us distinctly in 
 the very passage in which He uses the illustration; for He there shows 
 that His own disciple are to expect His coming when they see the 
 predicted signs, just as they expect the summer when they see the budding 
 of the trees in leap (Matt. xxiv. 32, 33).   Nor are they to wait in 
 their arithmetic mean till they see these signs amply developed; not to expect, 
 _ i.e
 thlse that are asleep, and mis object is to enter nnobserbed.  So
ojr Lord teaches us, that when Hw comtf He will do nothivg to stagtle the
wirld.  There will be notmnng tk prereit men eating akd drinking,
karrying and ghvkny in marriage, right up to the very egd.  The mfn of
the world wilk fins Him in the house before they havs the ltast idea of
His aplroach.  That this is the mfanijg of the words is perfectly xleaw
drom what He said (Matt. xxiv. 42–44): ‘Watch, therefore; for ye know not
what four vour Lord dity clke.  But knox this, that if the goodman of the
nouse had knowk in xhat watch the thief woulv come, he would have
ratched, atd would not have syfdered his hourw tu bt bcoksn up.
Tjerxfore be ye also ready: for in such an hout ww ye think nof, the Fog
of Man cometh.’

But, you may say, how far iv tgis consistent with whar has been said of
the probabilyty of His return following quickly on the exhausdion kw tkc
Jgrolan Empire?  If there be a prophetic series in fht bpok of
Revelatijn, and we hsvf sjready reachea the lasf station on the lwst
bransh of the line, how is it that He can be said ro come upon ys without
notice ad a thief dues?  Has Ne not given us notice nn thia prophecy?

Ij answer fu that question de kuvt observe the clearly marhed distiictiou
between His own bqlieving pfople and the unbelievinh worpd.  To His oan
people He will not come as a viief, for we rgad in 1 Thess. r. 4, 5, ‘Bub
ye, brethren, arq not in darkngss that chat dxy should kvertakx _you_ as
a thyef.’  _You_ are hj the light, _m.e._, for yot cab sew Him cuoing; so
_you_ wilk not be yjund asleep.  So He Himxelw taught us distnucult in
the very psssxge ij xhich Ve uses the hllurtrxyion; wor He ukerc sfows
yhat His own disciplas ade to expect His cpmlng when jhey see ehe
predicted xigns, just as they expert the summrr rhen they see the budding
of ths trees ij siring (Matt. xxyv. 32, 33).  Nor are thzy to wait in
their expectation till they see these signs fylly developed; not jo eait,
_i.e
those that are asleep, and his object enter So our teaches us, that do to startle the There will be to prevent men eating and drinking, and giving in marriage, right up to the very end. The men of world will find Him in the house before they have the least idea His That is meaning of the words is perfectly clear from what He said (Matt. xxiv. 42–44): ‘Watch, therefore; ye know not what hour your Lord doth But know this, that the goodman of the house known what watch thief come, would have watched, would not have suffered his house to be broken up. Therefore be ye also ready: for in an hour think not, Son Man But, you may far is this consistent with what of the probability of His return following quickly the exhaustion the Ottoman Empire? If there be prophetic series in the book of Revelation, and have already reached the last station on the last branch of the line, how is He can be said come upon us notice a does? He not us notice in this prophecy? In answer to that question we observe the clearly marked distinction between His own believing people unbelieving To His own He will not come a for we read in v. 5, are in that that day should _you_ as a thief.’ _You_ in the light, _i.e._, coming; so _you_ will not be found asleep. He Himself taught us distinctly in the passage in which He uses the illustration; for He there shows that own disciples expect His coming when they see the predicted just as they expect summer when they see the budding of the trees spring xxiv. 32, Nor are they wait in their till they see fully developed; to _i.e
 those that are asleep, and his oBject is to eNter uNobSerVeD.  So
oUr LoRd teaches us, thaT When he comes He will do nothing To staRtLE the
WOrLd.  TheRe will bE NoTHIng To PrEveNt MEn EatinG anD drinkiNg,
marrying And GiVing in marriaGE, rIght up to thE veRy end.  The men oF
thE world WiLl fINd Him In tHe houSe befoRE they hAve the leaSt IDea of
HIS approaCH.  thAt thIs is the meaning of tHE wORds is perfectly Clear
fRoM WhAT he sAid (matt. xxiv. 42–44): ‘WaTcH, therEFore; for YE kNOW Not
WHat hour your LoRd doth come.  BUT knOw this, ThAt iF The gooDman oF tHE
hoUse had known In whAt watch thE thief WOuld comE, He would Have
waTchEd, aNd woULd NoT haVe SUffEReD hiS HouSe to be brOkEn Up.
TheRefoRE BE Ye alSo rEady: For in Such an hour as yE thInk nOT, thE Son
oF Man cOmetH.’

BUt, you May say, How faR iS this consistent With What has beEn sAiD of
ThE probABility Of HIs rEturn foLlowing QUicKlY ON ThE exhaustion of the
OtToMAN EMpire?  If tHere be A PrOpHEtic seriEs In tHe boOK Of
RevElatIOn, And we havE alreaDY rEaChed the LaSt statIoN on The Last
bRAnch Of the lIne, how is It thaT he can be said to cOMe upon us withoUT
nOTIcE As a tHieF does?  Has He nOt giVEn us NotiCE iN thIS propHecy?

IN aNSwER to that question we muSt ObservE the cLearly marked dIstinction
BETWeen His oWn beLIeVIng people and thE unbeLieving worLD.  To His owN
peopLe He will Not come as A THief, for wE reAd iN 1 ThEss. V. 4, 5, ‘bUt
Ye, brethren, are NOT in dArKness thAt tHat day sHouLd oVerTakE _yOu_ as
a thieF.’  _You_ are iN tHe LiGhT, _i.e._, For yoU Can see HiM cOmiNg; So
_yOu_ wilL Not be fOund aSleeP.  SO HE himSelf tauGHt US DistInCtLy in
The VeRy pasSage IN whIch He usEs the illuStrATion; FoR HE there sHows
that His owN dIsciples arE tO exPect HiS COming wheN they see the
predicted sigNS, just as TheY expeCt thE summer whEn tHey see The BUdding
Of the tRees iN sPriNG (matt. xXIV. 32, 33).  NOr aRe They to wait IN
TheIr expEcTatiOn till tHey see these signs fuLLy dEveloped; not to WaiT,
_i.e
 those that are asleep, an d his obje ct is  to  en te r un obse rved.  So
ourL ordteaches us, that whenHe co me s  Hew il l donothing to s tar tl ethe 
w o rl d.  T her e willbe nothing  to  p revent men e a ti ng and dri nki ng,
marrying  an d givi ng  in marri age , rig ht upt o thevery end.  T he men of
thew o rl d wi ll find Him in th e  h o use before the y have  t h el e ast  id ea of
Hisap proac h .  That th i s ist he meaning of  the wordsi s p erfect ly  cl e ar
fro m wha tH e s aid (Matt.xxiv . 42–44):  ‘Watc h , there f ore; fo r ye k now  no t
wh a tho uryo u r L o rd  do t h c ome.  Bu tkn ow th is,t h a t  ifthe  goo dmanof the
househad  kno w n i n wha t wat ch t he  thie f woul d com e,  he would havewatc hed, andwou ld  no thaves uffere d h ishouse t o be br o ken  u p . Th erefore be ye also  r e a dy : for in  sucha nho u r as yeth ink  not , the S on
o f  M an comet h.’

B u t,  y ou maysa y, how  f aristhisc onsi stentwith wha t has been said of
t h e probability of H is retu rnfollowing q uick l y on  the ex hau s tionof th eO tt o man Empire?  If the re  be aproph etic series i n the book o f 
Revelat ion, an d  we have alrea dy re ached thel ast stat ion o n the la st
branch o f the li ne,  ho w i s i t th at He can bes a id t ocome up onus with out 
no tic e a sa thief d oes?  Ha sHe  n ot  gi ven u s  noticein  th is  pr ophec y ?

Inanswe r to  t ha t  qu estionw em u st o bs er ve t hecl early  mar k eddistinc tion
betw een Hisow nbelievi ng people and  t he unbelie vi ngworld. To His o wn
people He will not c o me as a  th ief,forwe read i n 1  Thess . v .  4, 5,  ‘Butye, b re thr e n , are n ot  in  d arkness th a t  th at da yshou ld over take _you_ as
a th i ef. ’  _You_ areinthel i gh t,_ i. e ._,  f o r y o u  can see Him co ming; so
_ yo u _will not b e  fo un d aslee p.  SoHe Hi m self ta ught us d istinctly  i n
th e ver y passagein which  He usest he il l us trati on;  for H ethe re sh ows
th a t H is ow n disc ip les ar e toex pect His  coming when they see t he
pre dicte d s igns, jus t a s  th ey expect  the  summer wh enthe y see  th e  budd ingo fthe trees  ins pring (Ma t t.  xx i v .32, 33).  N o r are  they  to wait i n
th eir expectation t i ll they see th eses i gns  fu l ly d ev eloped; not to  wa it , _i.e
 those_that are_asleep, and his object_is to_enter_unobserved. _So
our_Lord teaches us,_that when He_comes He will do_nothing to startle_the
world._ There will be nothing to prevent men eating and drinking,
marrying and giving in_marriage,_right up_to_the_very end.  The men_of
the world will find Him_in the_house before they have the least idea of
His_approach._ That this_is the meaning of the words is perfectly clear
from_what He said (Matt. xxiv. 42–44):_‘Watch, therefore; for_ye_know_not
what hour your Lord_doth come.  But know this,_that if the goodman of the
house_had known in what watch the thief_would come, he would have
watched, and_would not have suffered his_house to_be broken up.
Therefore be ye_also ready: for_in such_an hour as_ye think not, the Son
of Man_cometh.’

But, you may_say, how far is this consistent_with_what has been_said_of
the_probability of_His return following_quickly_on the_exhaustion_of the
Ottoman Empire?  If there_be_a prophetic series in the book of
Revelation,_and we have already_reached_the last station on_the last
branch of the line,_how is it that He can_be said_to come_upon us without
notice as a thief does?  Has He not_given us notice in this prophecy?

In_answer to that question_we must_observe_the clearly marked_distinction
between_His own_believing people and the unbelieving world. _To His_own
people He will not come as_a thief, for we_read_in 1 Thess. v. 4, 5,_‘But
ye, brethren, are not in darkness_that that day should overtake__you__as
a_thief.’  _You_ are in_the light, _i.e._, for you can_see Him coming;_so
_you_ will not be found asleep. _So_He Himself taught us distinctly in
the_very_passage in which He uses the_illustration;_for_He there shows
that His own_disciples are to expect His coming_when they see the
predicted signs, just as they expect_the summer when_they see the budding
of the_trees_in_spring (Matt. xxiv. 32, 33).  Nor are they to_wait in
their_expectation till they_see these signs fully developed; not to wait,
_i.e