[180] Matthew xiii. 47-50.

[181] Matthew xiii. 24-30, 36-43.

[182] Revelation xx. 15.

[183] Daniel xii. 4, 9.

[184] Revelation i. 8.

VIII.--WATCHING THE HORIZON

"Thy Kingdom Come."

"Thou art coming! We are waiting
With a hope that cannot fail;
Asking not the day or hour,
Resting on Thy word of power,
Anchored safe within the veil.
Time appointed may be long,
But the vision must be sure:
Certainty shall make us strong,
Joyful patience must endure.

"O the joy to see Thee reigning,
Thee, my own beloved Lord!
Every tongue Thy name confessing,
Worship, honour, glory, blessing,
Brought to Thee with glad accord!
Thee, my Master and my Friend,
Vindicated and enthroned!
Unto earth's remotest end
Glorified, adored, and owned."

--FRANCES RIDLEY HAVERGAL.

The Thrill of Expectancy.

Watching reveals character and makes it. It means wakefulness, an ideal,
a purpose, and a hopeful expectancy. Some people only look. Their
eyelids are not shut. Something passes before the eye. They look, but
they rarely see.

It takes a soul to see. It needs a spirit awake to see out through the
eye, and see into persons and events passing by, and see forward to what
is coming to-morrow. Some sleep. The body is awake in daytime. They walk
and talk and eat, buy and sell, count money and hoard it. But their eyes
are never lifted to the outer horizon. They are settled in an even,
contented round. Their spirits sleep.

A wakefulness of spirit to the time and its need, an ideal clear and
high of what should be, a purpose strong and masterful that holds the
life up toward the ideal, an expectancy eager, brave, steady; an eye
fixed intently on some One unseen,--this is what watching means. It
reveals character. It makes character. It reaches out strong spirit
hands, and brings nearer and sooner the thing watched for.

Watching has always been a characteristic of the men God has used. He
used them because He could. They were of use. Their spirit made them
serviceable. Their watching opened the way for fellowship of spirit and
partnership in action. It put them in tune with Him who never slumbers
nor sleeps, and who watches over His pledged word, to bring it to pass
at the earliest possible hour.

The watcher sings. His favourite song is "I will lift up mine eyes." He
sees what is coming. He sees _Him_ who sits beyond the horizon of our
common outlook. And seeing Him grows t