Expectation Corner Emily Steele Elliott (1892)

WHEN THE KING COMES TO HIS OWN!
But night is nearing, and it is time we
came to an end of our walk. Let us turn up
this street. See what a dazzle at the corner!
How men—men and women, too!—
throng in at the door of that barroom—
“THE LION,” like a great beast of prey,
swinging over their heads! It is a close
evening, and some are leaning with their
pipes against the wall outside, as a tall
workman goes by with a quick step and a
blue ribbon in his button-hole.
“That’s Jem!” calls out one of the
number; “he won’t have nothing to do
with us now. Saint James he’s become
since he took up with the Blue Ribboners.
He’ll be keeping his Christmas going to
church with his family, and sit for his
picture afterwards in a tract—that’s what
he’ll do!” and a roar of laughter comes
from the rest.
“Preach us a sermon, Jem,” cried another,
barring the way as his old mate
passes by.
“Yes, a Christmas sermon, with all our
sins for the text,” shouts another. “Come
along, Jem; I’ll be clerk!”
“Fire away, Jem; we’ll be congregation
and all the rest!” and another shout rings
up the street.
“Agreed!” answers, with a sudden turn
round, the man who at first had seemed as
if he would push by, taking no notice of
their taunts. “I’ll preach, but mind it’s fair
all round. If I preach, you come down
with a promise to hold hard by my text and
think it over after. That’s no more than
honorable.”
“Done, man! We’ll hang it up, framed
and glazed, for Christmas Eve,” chimes in
a rough voice from the door of the taproom.
“Give it to us, parson!”
“Couldn’t do better; it’s hung up
framed and glazed, so to speak, in my
mind,” says Blue Ribboner, “and here it is:
‘BEHOLD, I COME QUICKLY; and My reward
is with Me, to give every man
according as his work shall be.’ There,
mates,” he adds, “it’s the King that’s
coming that sends that message. He came
once to save, and He’ll come again to
know what you and I have been doing
about that salvation that’s offered us grand
and free, and paid down now, if we’ll only
take it, and take Him at His word. I’ve
gone in for serving Him, and it’s a fine
service, I can tell you. There’ll be honors
and medals then. Privates as well as
captains will be remembered when He
comes again; and there’s not one on that
army list that won’t know the meaning of
‘My reward is with Me.’ Good-night to
you, and remember He’s coming as sure as
to-morrow’s sun will shine.”
And as he strikes down the street, a
true soldier in a workingman’s dress, do
you not fancy you hear the song:
We’re in for the winning side, brothers,
Bound to the Lord who died, brothers,
We shall see Him glorified, brothers,
And the Lamb shall wear the crown.
What of the cold world’s scorning?
There’ll be joy enough in the Morning—
There’ll be joy in the Christmas Morning
When the King comes to His own!”
My reader, we have been our rounds
together, and it is time that these Christmas
words should end. May I, before we
close, put a plain question to you; and it is
this, “What will that Coming be to you?”
For it is all true to-night. Our King is
coming, and will be true to His own, and
give them a place in His kingdom, because
they have gone to Him now for pardon,
who bore their sins and their punishment
on the cross. And His word is given to
those who seek Him here, that
“Whosoever shall confess Me before men,
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