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CANCELLED

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BKING PAPERS READ AT A

CnnfErEncG hbiu at NiagarB, Dnt.

i]uhY 14T1I TO rn'ir, IHSil.

TORONTO, CANADA
S. R. BRIGCJS,

Toronto Willard Tract DEi'osnoRV.

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tOA-5'5

CONFERENCE COMMITTEE.

At a meeting held at the residence of Rev. II. M . 1 'arsons,
Toronto, April 6th to consider a proposal of a Conference, by the
friends who believe the "Coming of the Lord" to be imuujient, it was
resolved to invite such a Conference to meet at Niagara, Ont , in
July, and the following Committee was ap[)ointed to perfect the
arrangements for this purpt)se.

MR. W, H. ROWLAND, Chairman.

MR. S. R. 15RIGGS, Treasurer.

MR. ALF. SAND HAM, Secretary.

Rev. J. Denovan.

" T. C. DesBarres

" H. M. Parsons.

" J. Alexander.
S. J. Hunter.
John Mutch.

" John Salmon.

" Wm. Frizzell.

" Roht. Rodcers.

" Walter Amos.

" W. Henry ISarnes
Hon. S. H. Blake. —

Dr. J. Robinson.

Judge Macdonald.

Mr. Wm. M. Clark. '='-
" Robert Kilgouk.
" H. B. Gordon.
" J. L, Blaikie.—
'• F. Fenton.
" J. J. Gartshore.
'' Henry O'Brien, -
" W. A. Parlane,
•' E. J. Reynolds. -
" Elias Ro(;ers. —

The Committee,aficr several sessions, decided upon inviting the
Brethren whose papers form this volume to take part in the pro-
posed Conference, to be held in the Pavilion erected by the
proprietors of the Q)ur en's Royal Hotel, on the site of the Tent,
in which the Believers' meeting was held in 1883.

PREFACE, -

A BEAUTIFUL pavilion has recently been erected by the Queen's
Royal Hotel Company, on Conference Hill, Niacara, overlook-
ing the broad river of that name and lake Toronto. On this
lovely and restful spot a considerable company of believers gathered July 14,
1885, to study the Sacred Scriptures with regard to the "Second coming
of our Lord Jesus Christ. The meeting was called, as will be seen on
uic preceding page, by a number of well known ministers of the Gospel,
and prominent gentlemen connected with His church, irrespective of
denominational differences ; and they discovered, as so many have found
in a happy experience, the power of '• that blessed hope " to unite the
hearts of Christians in delightful fellowship, and in the fervor of increased
love for a common Saviour.

The first hour was devoted to praise and prayer. The passage of God's
Holy Word selected for the opening service was Acts i. 1-14 ; and it in-
cludes and sets forth the great truths which brought the Conference to-
gether. First, it presents to us a risen Christ, manifesting Himself to be
alive after His passion by many infallible proofs, as He was seen by His
disciples through forty days, while He spoke to them of the things per-
taining to the Kingdom of God. Second, the restoration of the Kingdom
to Israel is distinctly implied, as He did not rebuke the Jewish expecta-
tions of His followers, but only their curiosity to know the times or
seasons. Third, He informs them that during the period intervening be-
fore the restoration of the Kingdom to Israel, they will receive the power
of the Holy Ghost coming upon them. Fourth, this power is to be
wielded in witnessing, not concerning themselves, nor the Church, nor
human progress, but unto Him. Fifth, having so spoken, a cloud re-
ceived Him out of their sight, and he took His way to the right hand of
the Majesty on high. Sixth, the same Jesus shall so come in like manner
as he was seen to go into heaven, bodily, literally, visibly, and to the
Mount of Olives. .Seventh, immediately afterwards the apostles, together
with the women, all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication.
The papers that follow must speak for themselves; and it is earnestly
hoped that they will at least be read with unprejudiced minds by many of
God's dear children, who desire to know something of a doctrine which
shines on almost every page of the New Testimcnt.and occupies so large
a part of the Old. It is also asked of those who know the truth, that
they will implore the blessing of God to accompany (he circulation of
this little book to the praise of our coming Lord. -

J. H. Brookes.

i.e.

OF THE

DOCTRINE OF PRE-MILLENNIALISM."

REV. JOHN MUTCH, M.A., TORONTO.

YW HE subject, as you will see from the programme, al-
I lotted to me by the committee of arrangement for
this convention, is the " History of the Doctrine of Pre-
millennialism. It will be necessary at the very outset to
give a statement of whatPre-Millennialists believe — what
is the doctrine ? I am well aware that Christian Chiliasts
are not agreed as to detail. We differ on minor points.
Oiir opponents have not been slow to take an unfair ad-
vantage of this difference and to argue from that, ii^ the
the doctrine cannot be true. This is a position not only
unfair but one altogether untenable. Take for example
the system of Calvinism, would the disciples of that
school ever dream of admitting, that they are in error
in their great fundamental doctrities because
all are not agreed as to details and because they
are by no means prepared to give assent to all the de-

6 '* History of the Doctrine of Pre-MiUcnnialism.^^

ductions deduced from that system by some ol its ad-
vocated? I think not. And as in this case so would it
be in every other school of Christian doctrine. Take
another example, viz., the Inspiration of Scripture. All
Christians believe that the Bible is inspired of God,
that holy men of God spake as moved by the lloly
Ghost ; yet it is a noted fact, that wo differ as to the
exact nature of Inspiration. Will any say because
Ihero is such a difference, therefore, there is no such
thing as Inspiration? I think not. And just as it
would be unfair and illogical in these cases so is it with
those who are constantly using the fact of difference
among Premillennialists as an argument against the
doctrine itself.

, But the statement of doctrine we are about to make
and the history we are to give are not of detail but
simply of the fundamentals — of those tenets — a man
must hold in order to have any place among Pre-millen-
narians.

(1.) We believe that the Second Coming ot the Lord
Jesus Christ, which will be real &nd personal will be 66-
fore the Millennium; and that this will be the great
event which will wind up the present dispensation.

(2.) We believe in what is called o. first and literal res-
urrection of the dead in Christ, which will take place
at the beginning of the Millennial age, i.e. when Christ
comes ; and that the rest of the dead will not live again
until the end of 1000 years.

This much is essential to Pre-Millnnnialism, a man
must believe this much in order to be classed with Chris-
tian Chiliasts, ; . 1 , 5 . .

I would have you observe that in this statement of

" History of the Doctrine of Pre-Millennialiamy 7

doctrine, we do not speak of the visible and external
sovereignty of Christ on the earth, of a kingdom of out-
ward glory, established upon the ruin of earthly king-
doms, wo do not say here whether the seat of the Mil-
loDnial glory will be in heaven or on the earth.

In discussion with a Post-Millennialist I would not
argue whether the Jews will bo restored to Palestine or
not, I would not argue whether Christ shall remain upon
the earth or not, nor would I discuss the practical appli
cation of the doctrine of Pre-Millenuialism ; but would
confine the discussion to the two points mentioned above,
viz. : (1.) ^\\Q pei'sonal return of Christ to the earth he-
fore the Millennium ; and (2.) The First Resurrection.
Establish these two points and Pre-Millennialists are fun-
damentally correct. It is in this wide sense that I will
trace the history of the doctrine. In a paper liice this,
which deals simply with the history of the opinion, it is
not the place to show this to be the view taught
by {\iQ propfuits and the apostles^ for were that estab.
lished then the question to all believing in the Inspira-
tion of the Scripture?, would be settled beyond contro-
versy. What we want to know is the mind of the
sacred writers. Are Pre-Millennialists or Post-Millen-
nialists right in thoir interpretation of the Bible. lu
this paper all we strive after is to learn the concensus
of opinion on this matter. What has th.e Church in nil
ages held on this question ? Has Prc-Millennialism
found its supporters only among those who are fanciful,
fanatical, unthoughtful, as has been often said, or has it
found its disciples among the most learned, pious, and
devoted members of the Church of Christ. This
what we propose to examine.

8 " nUiory of the Dcctrine of Pre-Millennialisrn,^^
I. We will enquire what wab the opinion of the

ICAKLY FaTIIKKS AND Al'ULOOlSTS

The early church was eminently Pre-Millennial, in ex-
pectation of our Lord's advent. His coming and king-
dom was her constant hope and " she deemed it," says
Massillon, " one step in apostacy not to sigh for His re-
turn." With her too Millennialism was connected
with all that was orthodox.

(1.) Let us look at the position taken by some of the
apostolic fathers, i.e. of men who are supposed to have
seen and converecd with one or more of the apostles.

Clement lioinarms. He is supposed to be the Clement
referred to by the Apostle Paul in Phil. 4: 3, where ho
is spoken of as having his name in the book of life. He
was third bishop of Rome and fellow labourer with the
Apostle. There is a vast amount of literature falsely
ascribed to his pen, such as the Clementine HomiWee.
There is however an epistle of his to the Corinthian
Church of considerable length and of great merit,
acknowledged by all to be genuine. This Epistle and
part of a second, to the same church, attributed to him
are found appendant to the Alexandrine MSS., of the
scriptures. Now in this first epistle of his he says, "Let
us be followers of those who went about in goat skins
and sheep skins preaching the coming of Christ." Again,
alluding to some who scoft' at the apparent delay of the
advent, he says, " You see how in a little while the fruit
of the tree comes to maturity. Of a truth, yet a little
while and His will shall be accomplished suddenly, the
Holy Scriptures itselt bearing witness that he shall come
quickly and not tarry ; and the Lord shall suddenly come
to his temple even the Holy one, whom ye look for."

" fliatory of the Doctrine of Pre-Millennialiam.'''' d

THE

in ex-
king-
says
18 rc-
lectcd

In his second Epistle, he says, "let us every hour expect
the kiuirdom of God in love and righteousness because
we know not the day of God's appearing, &c," Such is
the testimony of one who was undoubtedly a companion
of the Apostle Paul.

Barnabas^ who is supposed, by some to be the com-
panion of Paul mentioned in the Acts, taught in the
epistle generally attributed to his pen, that the Sabbath
rest will come when the Son of God shall appear to
destroy the lawless one. The true Sabbath is the Sabbath
of one thousand years. Then all will be sanctified com-
pletely, thai is, when Christ cornea back lo reign. " If
these words mean anything" says one, " they surely teach
a kingdom of the resurrection on this earth introduced by
the Second Advent."

Polycarp^ a Presbyter of the Church of Smyrna, is
said to have been a disciple of the apostle John with
whom he claims to have had familiar intercourse. He
served Christ eighty-six years, and suffered martyrdom
about 166 A.D. Irenaeus mentions that he was taught the
Christian doctrine by the Apostle John and that he took
part in his ordination. Euscbius bears the highest tes-
timony concerning him and makes him a pattern of or-
thodoxy. The Epistle attributed to him is both au-
thentic and genuine. Ho taught in this Epistle that
God had raised up our Lord Jesus from the dead, and
that he will come to judge the world and raise the
saints ; and that if we walk worthy of him we shall
reign together with him. " It we obey Christ and
please him in this age we shall receive the age to come.
He will raise us from the dead and we shall live and
reign with him."

10 " History of the Doctrine of Pre-Millennialism?^

There is every reason to believe that Hermas and
Ignatiits held the same view. The apostolic fathers,
then, were Pre-Millennialists. And surely it is a fact of
no mean significance that the very men who lived next
the apostles, who often communed, labored and suffered
with them, should in the ecanty mateiials that survive
iiave left so much that bears testimony to this doctrine.

2. Next we will consider the position taken in regard
to this doctrine by the early apologists. We will find
that, wherever they have spoken on the subject prior
to the time of Constantine's victory, they are at one in
favour of Pre-millennialism, with the exception of Origen
and his transcendental school.

Justin Martyr J born towards the close of the first cen-
tury or at tlie beginning of second, has written some of the
best apologies of th-.- early canturies. He was renowned in
learning, being well versed in the philosophy and litera-
ture of his age. Eusebius says his works stood in high
repute among the early Christians. He speaks of those
as " destitute of just reason" who did not understand that
which is clear from all the Scriptures, that two comings
of Christ are announced. When questioned by Trypho
the Jew in regard to this question he answered, " I am
not such a wretch, Trypho, to say one thing and mean
another. I have before confessed to tlieo that I and
many others are of this opinion (the millennial) so that
we hold it to be thoroughly proved that it will come to
pass. But I have also signified unto thee on the other
hand that many, even those of that race of Christians
who follow not godly and pure doctrine, do not acknow-
ledge it. For I have demonstrated to thee that these are
indeed c&Ued Christians, but are atheists and impious

■I

** History of the Doctrine of Pre-Millennialismy 11

hereticB, because that in ail things they teach what is
blasphemous, ungodly, and unsound." In another para-
graph ho goes on to say " I, and whatsoever Christians
are orthodox in all things, do know, that there will be
a resurrection of the flesh, and a thousand years in the
cit^ ot Jerusalem, built, adorned, and enlarged accord-
ing to the prophets." Such is the testimony of one to
whose learning and piety, nearly all the succeeding
fathers bear witness. From his writings we learn that
not only he himself was a Pre-millennialist ; but that it
was the orthodox view of his time.

MelitOf the eloquent and pious Bishop of Sardis, and
contemporary of Justin Martyr, held the same view.

JrenaeuSj Bishop of Lyons, who was among the most
renowned of the early fathers, flourished as a writer
about 180 A.D. His works now extant, and which
Mosheim calls *' a splendid monument of antiquity," are
five books on the Heresies of his times. In these books
he contends that Abraham and his seed have not yet
realized the promises made to them concerning the
promised land, and that they will not do so until the
millennial age. He says that " Christ is the stone cut out
without hands, who shall destroy temporal kingdoms,
and introduce an eternal one which is the resurrection
of the just. When Antichrist shall have devastated all
things in this world, he will reign for three and one
half years, and sit in the temple ot Jerusalem ; and then
the Lord will come from heaven in the clouds, in the
glory of the Father, sending this man to the lake of fire,
but bringing in for the righteous, the times of the
kingdom, the rest, the hdllowed seventh day, and restor-
ing to Abraham the promised inheritance." In

12 History of the Doctrine of Pre-MiUennialism.^^

another place he contends that Jerusalem will be re-built
after the pattern of the •Jerusalem which is the mother
of us all. Such is the testimony of Irenaeus.

I would add here in one sentence, that, among the
remaining Greek fathers, Clemens Alexandrinus and

held pre-millennarian views.

, . IlyfoU^hm undoubtedly \
'' ' f . Opposition i.

ni the Greek Church,

The first opponent of any note in the early Greek
church, to Christian Chiliasra was Origen. He was born
at Alexandria about 184 A.D., and was without doubt a
m<> 1 of great ability. He gave himself to the study of
the Platonic Philosophy, and undoubtedly this had
much to do with his fanciful interpretations of Scripture.

I would remind those who use his opinion as an argu-
ment against this doctrine, that he was declared a heretic
by a General Council at Constantinople ; and that there
were good grounds lor this decision appears from the fol-
lowing doctrines which he is said to have taught : —

(1) He believed in the eternity of matter.

(2) He held the pre-existence of human souls in a
higher and better state, and that tliey were confined in
these present bodies because of sin committed in the
pre-cxistent state.

(3) He denied the assumption by Christ of a true
human body as well as of a true human soul.

(4) He denied the vicarious efficacy of the sufFcrings
of Christ.

(5) He held the principles of Pelagianism.

(6) He expressed doubts respecting I he omnipotence
and omniscience of God.

To my mind a man who was in error on so many im-

' ^

" Eutory of the Doctrine of Pre-Millennialiam.^^ 13

portant and fundamental doctrines would, in all proba-
bility, be astray in his eechatological views — at least
much weight should not be attached to his opinions.

His allegorical mode of interpreting Scripture opened
a secure retreat for all kinds of error. Mosheim calls his
system " wild, fanciful, chimerical, mystical, licentious."

Dr. Adam Clark writes, "every tViend of rational piety
and genuine Christianity, must lament that a man of so
much learning and unafiected godliness should have
been led to countenance, much less recommend such a
plan of Scripture interpretation, in many respects the
most futile, absurd and dangerous that could be con-
ceived." This remained a great evil in the church,
which was not remedied until the time of Luther and
Melancthon. Now it was through the influence of such
a man and such a mode of interpretation that the decline
of the Pre-millennial faith began, and Post-millennialism
had its origin.

Before leaving the fathers and apologists, I cannot
but call your attention to the opinion held on this sub-
ject by TertuUiaiiy the first of the Latin fathers, whose
writings are extant. Dr. Philip Schaft says, " He was
the first great writer of Latin Christianity, and one
of the grandest and most original characters of the
ancient church ; that while he was thoroughly conversant
with Greek theology, yet he was entirely independent of
it. He was the head of the school of theology in the
Western Church. Now, this great and good man was
pre-eminently a Pre-millennial ist. He wrote a book in
its defence. He says, " We confess that a kingdom is
promised us on earth before that in heaven, but in an-
other state — namely, after the resurrection j for it will

14 " nistory of the Doctrine of Prj-MUUnnialism.''^

be one thousand years in a city of divine workmanship,
viz., Jerugalera brought down from heaven. This is the
city provided of God to receive the saints in the resurrec-
tion, wherein to refresh them with an abundance of all
spiritual good things," Then he goes on to say that it
is both right and worthy of God that His servants
should triumph and rejoice in tlio place they have been
afflicted for His name's sake. This, I am sure, will
suffice to sliow that he was sound on this doctrine.

Lactantius, the Cliristian Cicero, the most eloquent of
the Latin fathers, and Cyprian, the disciple and admirer
of Tertullian, held the same faith. In short, such is tlie
testimony furnished by all the fathers and apologists,
save Origen and his school,

A host of learned men, such as Dorner, Elliott, Mede,
Gibbon, Chillingwortli, declare this to be the voice of
the early church. Giessler, a most accurate historian,
says, '*In all the writings of tlicse centuries, Chiliasra
is so distinctly and predominantly mentioned, that we
cannot hesitate in regarding it as the general belief of
that age." Alford, in his exegesis of vs. 1-6 of Rev. 20,
says, "The whole church, for SOO years, understood
these verses in a plain literal sense," and " that it is the
most cogent instance of unanimity which primitive an-
tiquity presents." Nathaniel West says, " The truth is,
this precious hope was a gift to the martyrs from one
who was their brother and companion in tribulation
and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, the
consolation of the martyr church, which held it fast in
life and death."
II. We now Pass to tue 4Tn and the 5tfi Centuries.

In this century we have the first Council of Nice,

" History oj the Doctrine of Pre- Millennialism.^^ 15

called by Constantine to deal especially with the Arian
heresy. From two hundred and fifty to three hundred and
twenty bishops were present. They framed what is called
the Nicene Creed. There does not appear to me to be
any thing very decided in this creed on the point under
discussion, and yet there is enough to show that the Pre-
millenarian taith, after filty years of strong opposition,
still was the belief of a majority of this Counoii. But
we cannot help admitting that this doctrine began to lose
hold upon the mind of the Church. It was opposed by
such men as Mcsebius, the first writer of ecclesiastical
history, by Cyril bishop of Jerusalem, by Jerome the most
scholarly and erudite among the Fathers of the Latin
Church who was a most bitter, and shall I say, unscrupul-
ous opponentof theMillennium, AllMillennial historians
represent him as harsh and unfair. Luther says of this
man, " I know of no teacher to whom I am so hostile as
to Jerome for he writes only of fastings, meats, virginity,"
&c. If he only had insisted upon the works of faith and
performed them. But he teaches nothing either about
faith or love, or hope, or the works of faith." This doc-
trine Was also opposed by the great and good Augustine^
Bishop of Hippo, and contemporary v/ith Jerome. He
was born 358, A.D. died 434 A.D. He developed what is
commonly known as the Augustiuian view of the Millen-
nium. The seventh day to him was the eternal Sabbath of
rest. 1 think there is every reason to believe that what led
both Jerome and Augustine to contend so strongly
against the doctrine of Chiliasm was the abuse of it by
its advocates, such abuses as that made of it by the
Montanists. It was in the 4th and beginning ot 5th
centuries that certain anti-millennarian divines began to

16 " Bistort/ of the Doctrine of Pre-Millennialism.'*^

throw doubt on the inspiration of the Apocalypse and
denied it a place in the Canon. Lot me give what
Iloratius Bonar says on this point. In speaking on
20th chap, of Rev. he says, *' In the first centuries groat
stress was laid upon this passage It was considered the
stronghold ot Chiliasm, so strong and decided was its
testimony deemed, that the Anti-Ohiliasts deemed their
only esQipe was the total denial ot the Apocalypse.
Chiliasm and the Apocalypse were deemed inseparable.
They could only get rid of the former by rejecting the
latter. They never thought it possible to deny that the
Apocalypse taught Chiliasm. This was not disputed ;
and hence those who disliked Chiliasm could not toler-
ate the Apocalypse. It was not until the Church had
taken lessons in the school of Origen that they could con-
demn Chiliasm without disputing the inspiration of the
Revelation." ' *' ^ - '^

This opposition to the Apocalypse did not coase until
the question of Chiliasm had ceased to excite any special
interest in the churches. Surely it is very significant
and very pertinent to the question under discussion to
know, that not a few learned and able divines found it
necessary to reject a part of the Divino word in order to
maintain with any degree of success their opposition to
this doctrine.

III. Wb will exa^mine the pla-oe given to this Doc-
trine IN the Church from the end of the 5th.
Century till the Reformation.

Now we come to the age of error, darkness and corrup-
tion in the Church, an age that lastti for about one thousand
years. Learning in the 5th century began to decline, the

e and
what

" Itistory of the Doctrine of Pre-MUUnnidliim?^ 17

barbarians who overran the country at this time held
letters in utter contempt and placed all glory in arms,
and military courage. The study of the scriptures was
almost completely neglected before the middle of the
sixth century. Theology rapidly became mixed with
mysticism, superstition and error. Religion now consists
in ceremonies and rites. Conversion is little more than
receiving the rite of baptism, assuming the name of
Christian, and making some little change in the external
form of their heathen worship in order to accommodate
it to Christianity, Heathen temples were often changed
into Christian Churches, and were purified and conse-
crated with holy water. The people were only required
to worship images of Christ and of holy men, instead of
those of their idol gods, and for the most part, with
the same ceremonies. The religion of the heart seems
scarcely to have been thought of. The church now
seeks a temporal instead of a spiritual Kingdom. Now
it was in this period when "the church became a worldly
power, the hope of the future glory was weakened by
the joy over present success: now it was that the
church looking at its existing temporal prosperity as
fulfilling the prophecies, ceased to look for Christ's
promised reign on the earth." In the words of Auberlin
(Dan. p. 375.) "Chiliasm disappeared in proportion as
Roman Papal Catholicism advanced. The Papacy took
to itself, as a robber, that glory which is an object of
hope, and can only be reached by the obedience and
humility of the Cross. When the church became a
harlot she ceased to be a bride who goes to meet her
bridegroom, and thus Chiliasim disappeared," or as an-
other has well said, "The great chasm in the history of

]8 " History of the Doctrine of Pre-Millcnnialisniy

Chiliasm eeems to be those awful centuries of Rome's
feupreraacj when almost ovpry truth was hidden."

I would call your attention however to the fact that
in this dark picture there i" one bright spot. It is to bo
found in the history of the Waldensian Church, who
while living at the very doors ot the Romish Church and
under the thunders of the Vatican, retained purity of
worship and purity of life. Now this same Church, this
church of the Martyrs, not only condemned the mystical
or allegorical interpretation of Scripture, but retained
this doctrine of prc-millennarianism. They never dreamt
of a Millennial age before the coming ot Christ, but
they did believe that the second coming was imminent.
They also used this doctrine as a reason why they should
live consecrated lives. So we see that while tliia doc-
trine was lost to the great body of the visible Church,
it was only in that part of it where true Christianity had
ceased to live ; while among the W aldensians, that part
of the Church in which true godliness lived, we find that
Chiliasm retained its hold on th * hearts and minds of
the people. I would give extracts from their treatise en
"Anti-Christ and Noble Lesson" did time permit but let it
suffice to say that we are proud to be able to trace the
genealogy of this doctrine through this noble array of
Martyrs to the Church of the apostolic age. That in
this living Church we find a bridge by which Pre-
millennialism is able to cross over the awful chasm made
in the life of the Church by Romish superstition and
error.

Before passing to the Reformation period I would refer
almost in a single sentence, to the opinion of the "morn-
ing star" of that day, that was bo goon to fiood the

pil.

" Tlistory of the Doctrine of Pre-Millennialism.''^ 19

lomos

that
to be

who
|;h and
|ity of

this

cliurch with light and life — I mean Wickliffe. What
he may have held about the personal reign of Clirist on
earth wo can not well say, but this is certain that he ex-
expected no millennial glory, no one thousand years ol
universal peace, and conversion before Christ came "He
must therefore have been a Pre-millenniali8t,and thus we
see that as soon as truth in its purity begins to revive in
the Church this doctrine is revived with it."
IV. From the Reformation to the Present Time.

We have now come to the last great period of the
Church's history, viz; from the Rotormation to the
present time.

1. The lieformers — Daring the first years of the Re-
formation, in the time of the great struggle between the
Romish Church and the Reformers, little place was given
to Eschatology ; but as early as the first century after tlie
Reformation this doctrine was held by not a few learned
and godly men; and in the 2nd century it rose into still
greater prominence being held by representative men in
all parts ot the Church. Dr. Brookes, says, '' whilst the
single tenet of the thousand years was by the generality
of the early Reformers avoided ; still they often avowed
what in the present day would generally be considered
decided Millennarian doctrine. They came back de-
cidedly to that important point, looking tor the speedy re-
velation in glory of the Lord Jesus Christ — a point of
doctrine which we constantly find pressed upon the
Church in the writings of the Apostles."

There can bo no disputing this. The reformers did
not expect a Millennium, a golden age, before the second
coming of Christ. The great Luther^ the learned and
gentle Melancthon^ Calvin^ Knox, and many others deny

20 " Hiatory of the Doctrine of Pre-Millennialiam.^^

tho modern doctrine of the world's entire conversion
before Christ comes. Many of them regarded the Pope
as Anti-Christ and the end as near.

TyndaUf the celebrated English reformer says " The
Apostles taught us to look tor Christ's coming every
hour."

Jno, Piacator, Prof, of Theology in Strasburg, who
died 1546, in his valuable commentary says, " Tho
advent of the Lord to judgment is to be looked for
with perpetual vigilance.

Latimer expected it within 448 years, and Ridley who
suffered at the stake with Latimer held that we should
constantly be found looking lor Christ.

The Augsburg Confession, which may well bo re-
garded as the Creed of the German reformers, taught
this. In the 17th Article we read " Our Churches con-
demn those who circulate the Judaizing notion, that
prior to the resurrection of the dead the pious will estab-
lish a separate temporal government, and all the wicked
be exterminated. The Catechism of Ed. Yl. 1560,
said by some to have been drawn up by Cranmer, taught
the same. I think that this is sufficient to show that
the Keformers held firmly that there would be no Mil-
lennium until Christ comes.

2. Pbe-Millennialism in 17th Century.

Pre-Millennialism roFc to much prominence in this
century. In a paper like this we can do little more
than glance at the opinions advanced by a few of its
advocates.

Foremjst among these comes the iWvi^inom Joseph
Mede, He was a Fellow of Christ College at Cam-

" History of (he Doctrine of Pre-Millennialism?^ 21

bridge, and eminent for learning and piety. He is beet
known by his "Clavis Apocalyptical," a work well-known
to all prophetic students, and highly esteemed. lie was
considered a man almost inspired for the solution of the
Apocalyptic mysteries. He held that these prophecies
were predictive of progressive history, partly fulfilled
and partly unfulfilled. In explanation ot Rev. 20th he
says, " The rising of the martyrs is that which is called
the first resurrection." Then he goes on to say, " I ad-
mit the first resurrection to be corporeal, as well as the
second, though I confess I have much striven against it,
and if the text would admit another sense less tree cf
paradox, I had yet rather listen unto it, but I find it
not." Again, after saying that he could not explain the
manner of these things, he adds, " Yet thus much I
conceive the text seems to imply, that these saints of the
first resurrection should reign here on the earth in the
new Jerusalem, in a state of beatitude and glory, par-
taking of the Divine presence and vision of Christ their
King, as it were in a heaven upon earth, a new para-
dise, immutable, unchangeable. This surely proves he
was a Pre-Millennialist.

Passing over several names we next come to Thomas
Goodwill. lie was educated at the University of Cam-
bridge, and was successively fellow, preacher, and vicar
of Christ Church. He was afterwards one of the most
eminent independent ministers of London. He was
one of the Westminster Assembly. His learning was
very great, his spiritual experience profound, his theology
rigidly Calvinistic, Hear what he says, *' Now it is
said that the first resurrection is a spiritual resurrec.
tion of men's souls from the death of sin j but consider

r .

22 '* History of the Doctrine of Pre- M illennialiayriy

with yourselves a little; first, it is the souls of men
dead ; that is plain for ho saith they were slain with the
Bword, they wore beheaded for the witness of Jesut ;
and as their death is, so must their resurrection be : their
death was certainly a bodily death for they were be-
headed, therefore their resurrection must be answerable
to it. And to mention no other arguments they reigned
with Christ a thousand years. This is not the glory of
heaven, for that is for ever, besides the rest of the dead
live not again till the thousand years are expired."
Again he says, " Now where do these reign. It should
seem on earth by this argument, because why else is
tjie devil bound up. He need not be bound up for
their reigning in heaven." Such is the voice of the
great and pious Goodwin.

John Milton^ the author of "Paradise Lost," and Jeremy
Taylor^ the learned Chaplain to King Charles I., both
decidedly taught thit there would be no millennium
until Christ comes. Baxter and Watson looked for the
coming of the Lord, The sainted Rutherford, a dis-
tinguished Scotch divine Covenanter, and one of the
Commissioners to the Westminster Assembly, is believed
to have held this doctrine, at least this much of it, that
there would be no millennium until Christ comes.

John Bunyan^ the " immortal dreamer ot Bedford
Jail," lifted his voice against the error of Post-millen-
nialism. On the millennium he writes as follows : —
*' God's blessing the Sabbath day and resting on it from
all His works, was a type of that glorious rest that saints
shall have when the six days of this woi4d are fully
ended. This the Apostle asserts in the fourth chapter
to the Hebrews, ' There remaineth a rest (or the keep-

" History of the Doctrine of PTc-M'dlennlalisiny '23

f men
itli tho

Jesut ;

: tlieir
ere be-
i^erablo
ei^ned
ory of
e dead
iired."
should
else is
up for
of the

Jeremy
., both
nnluin
for tho
a dis-
of tlie
jlieved
t, that

edford
ailleii-
ws: —
t from
saints
fully
lapter
keep-

ing of a Sabbath) to the people of God,' which Sabbath,
as I conceive, will be the ecvcnth thousand of years
which are to follow immediately after the earth has
stood six thousand first. For as God was six days in tho
work of creation, and rested on the seventh day, so in
six thousand years lie will perfect His work and provi-
dences that concern this world. As also lie will finish
the travail and toil of His saints, with the burden of
the beasts, and tho curse of the ground, and bring all
into rest for a thousand years."

Peter Jurieu, a learned French Protestant Calvinist,
who did great work for the Reformed Church, wos de-
. cidedly a Pre -millennialist. He distinctly teaches that
Christ shall come before the Millennium ; that the dead
in Christ shall bo raised then, and that they shall reign
with Christ on earth one thousand years.

We cannot leave this century without calling atten-
tion to tho Westminster Assembly^ which was in session
1C43-52, a synod of Calviuistic and Puritan divines,
which produced the doctrinal and disciplinary standards
of the British and American Presbyterian Churches.
This synod, says Dr. Schaif, occupies the first place of
all synods held in the reformed churches, not excepting
that of Doet. Now, of this Assembly, Robert Bailie,
Principal of the University of Glasgow, who was for
three years a member of this Assembly, and to whom we
are indebted for a graphic description of it, writes from
the Assemblv to a friend in Scotland, bemoaninir the
predominant Chiliasm of its greatest members. "Most of
the chief divines here," he murmured, "not only inde-
pendents, but others, as Twisse, Marshall. Palmer, and
many others, are expressed Chiliasts." Masson, in his life

24 " History of the Doctrine of Pre-MiUennialism.^*

of Milton, repeats the statement, and Principal Cun-
ningham, of Scotland, has affirmedj " That thc}' who
entertained it were among the soundest of the West-
minster divines."

The same might bo said of the Baptist Assembly of
1660. We pass now to 18th Century.

ISrn Century.

This century is distinguished for the rise of a New
Millennial theory, viz., the Whitbyan. Whitby taught
that the true millennium is not a reign of persons raised
from the dead, but of the church flourishing gloriously
for a thousand years, after the conversion of the Jews,
and the flowing in of all nations to them thus converted
to the Christian faith. At first this theory met with
considerable acceptance. Learned and earnest men
adopted it. However it was discovered to be no new
"Hypothesis" but a theory exploded long before
Whitby was born. In this Century, the doctrine ot
the personal reign found advocates not only among
the great lights in the church, but it also enlisted as-
tronomers, philosophers, nobles and poets in its defence.
We will briefly consider a few representative names.

Sir Isaac Newton, the great Philosopher looked for a
kingdom of millennial glory,

JJr. John Oill^ an eminent theologian and orientalist,
says, " that Christ will have a special, pe^.uliar, glorious,
and visible kingdom in which He will reign personally
on the earth. He says further, ''This kirigdom of Christ
will be bounded by two resurrections, by the first resur-
rection, or resurrection of the just at which it will begin
and by the second resurrection or the resurrection of
the wicked at which it will end."

im.

Cun-
who

ibly of

New
tauglit
raised
'iously
Jews,
verted
with
men
new
before
•ine of
Eimonsr
led as-
ifenco.

BS.

i for a

talist,

rious,

)nallj

Christ

resur-

)egin

m of

*' History of the Doctrine of Pre-Millennialism.^^ 25

Jno. Albert Bengel, to whom Bible Students owe so
much, who gave the starting point for the whole modern
text criticism of the New Testament, and whose exe-
getical work remains unto this day a treasure-house of
exposition, taught this doctrine. He held that there
would be a falling away in this age, i.e. before the mil-
lennium, that Christ would come before the millen-
nial glory.

John Wesley, the founder of Methodism taught much
the same as i3engel.

Thomas Newton^ Bishop of Bristol, distinguished for
his piety and learning, taught that there would be a first
and literal resurrection — which would take place im-
mediately before the Millennium.

Robert Hall, the great Baptist preacher of his timq
is said to have regretted on his death bed that he had
not preached the Millennarian views he entertained.

Augustub Toplady, a^ distinguished Calvinistic divine,
was eminently a Pre-millennialist. Ho says, " I am
one of those old fashioned people who believe the doctrine
of the Millennium, and that there will bo two distinct
resurrections of the dead, first of the just, and second of
the unjust, which last resurrection of the reprobate will
not commence till a thousand } ears after the resurrection
of the elect. In this glorious interval of one thousand
years, Christ I apprehend, will reign in person over the
kingdom of the just,

19th Century.

In the words cf another " It is simply impossible to
catalogue all the names in the present century that cluster
around the doctrine to give it support. Wo will mention
but a few. Among English speaking Protestants we

26 '* History of the Doctrine of Pre-Millennialism?^

! ;

! i

have Chalmers, Irving, Candlish, Begg, Jamieson,
Faussett, Yan Doren, Duffield, Home, Ryle, Elliott,
Ellicott, Alford, Tregelles and a host of others. In the
German Church we have such names as Stier,
Delitzsch. Stockmeyer, Lange, Olshousen, Van
Oosterzee, DeWitte, Christlieb and Meyer. I need not
speak to you of the learning, piety, reputation of
these men. We know them to be men who stand in
the first ranks of the church in learning, in piety,
in power. To be the best preachers, the most able
writers the church has ever had, men whose works are
found in every theological library and whose opinion is
sought on every religious question. Surely such names
as these should for ever rescue the doctrine from the
charge that* is often made against it, viz., that it finds its
supporters alone among the fanatical and merely emot-
ional members of the Christian Church. It does seem
to me that the history of the doctrine proves beyond
controversy that the man who is guilty of making such
a charge is either dishonest, or profoundly ignorant of
the subject of which he is treating.

The following are extracts from a few of the above
mentioned: —

In the Critical Commentary of Jamieson, Fausset and
Brown we find such words as these. " Christ's second
coming is not a mere point of time but a Period^ bo-
ginning with the resurrection of the just and endin
with the general judgment. Again the Millennial reign
on the earth does not rest on an isolated passage, but all
Old Testament prophecy goes upon the same view- The
First Resurrection is the resurrection of the just." •

Next, a few lines from the Christian Dogmatics of

lieson,
llliott,
In the
Stier,
Van
led not
[ion of
md in
piety,
St able
ks are
nion is
names
>m the
nds its
emot-
3 seem
►eyond
; such
ant of

above

t and
Bcond
-l, be-
idin
reign
lit all
The

C8 of

'' History of the Docirifie of Pre-MUleiinialism.^^ 27

Van Ooaterzoe, the Dutch theologian, who died three
years &^o this month. He was the recognized leader of
the Evangelical School of Holland. In learning, elo-
quence, and piety he ranked with the greatest divines of
his day. His writings are now taking a prominent place
in the Church.. Speaking ofthis doctrine he says, " For
us also this hope is a real pearl of Christian truth."
Then he goes on to say "The fulfilment of the pro-
phetic word can not lead to its entire annulling, and
when we enquire as to the indestructible reality which
underlies alike the prospect of prophets and apostles
we believe that this prospect authorizes us to hope for
nothing less than a glorious manifestation of the triumph-
ant Kingdom of God on earth, even before the entire
running out of the course of the world's history. Such
a manifestation we may not expect before the return of
the Lord, but after this return we regard it — even apart
from the letter ot Scripture — as on internal grounds,
and, moreover, as in the highest degree worthy ot
God."

My last extract is from Dean Alford, to whom Bible
students owe so much, and who requires no introduction
to an audience like this.

In his exposition of the 4th and 5th verses 20 th chap,
of Rev. he says. "I cannot consent to distort these words
from their plain sense and chronological place in the
prophecy, on account ot any considerations of difficulty
or any risk of abuses which the doctrines of the mil-
lennum may bring with it Those who lived next to
the Apostles and the whole clunch for 800 years under-
stood them in the plain and literal sense ; and it is a
strange sight in these days to see expositore who are
among the first, in reverence of antiquity, complacently

28 " History of the Doctrine of Pre-Millennialism.^^

casting aside the most cogent instance of unap^i^iftv
which primitive antiquity preserte. As regards the
text itself no legitimate treatment of it will extort what
is known as the spiritual interpretation now in fashion.
If in a passage where two resurrections, are mentioned
where certain souls lived at first and the rest ot the dead
lived only at the end of a specified period after that first,
if, in any such a passage, the first resurrection may be
understood to mean spiritual rising with Christ, while
the second means literal rising from the grave ; then
there is an end of all significance in language, and
Scripture is wiped 'out as a definite testimony to any-
thing. If the first resurrection is spiritual then so is the
second, which we suppose, none will he hardy enough to
maintain. But if the second is literal, then so is the
first, which in common with the whole primitive church,
and many oi the best modern expositors, I do maintain
and received as an article of faith and hope.
In conclusion I would say we have learned two things,
First. That the Church held this doctrine in the days
of apostolic purity ; forgot it in the times of darkness
and Koman supremacy, when she was seeking a tem-
poral and not a spiritual kingdom ; only to have it re-
vived as soon as the reformation dawned ; and that ever
since that time she has grown stronger in her faith in
this doctrine, as she has increased in the knowledge of
the truth.

Second. That this doctrine has been been supported
by the best preacliera, the most learned professory, the
most able writers of the Church, in all ages. Our con-
clusion therefore is that the historical argument is most
emphatically in favour of the truth of the doctrine.

W^Q dsmim sf GhFisfe:

PERSONAL AND PRE-MILLENNIAL

REV. J. H. BROOKES, D.D

THE COMING OF CHRIST:

FEBSONAL AND FXtE-MZLLSNlTIAL

REV. J. H. BROOKES, D.D.

Tuesday afternoon, July lithy 1885,

EVEN a careless reader of the New Testament can-
not fail to notice how frequently our Lord Jesus
Christ and the Apostles refer to His second coming".
Nor can there be a doubt that the lirst impression pro-
duced hy these references would lead to the belief that
His coming is personal. That is to say, if the reader had
never been told by a preacher or expositor that the
language is figurative, it could never occur to him that
the words mean more or less than our Lord's real return
to earth.

Fv.r example, he finds that in Matthew's gospel Jesus
says, "The Son of man shall come in the glory of his Fath-
er, witli his angels, and then shall he reward every man
according to his works". Or he finds in Mark's gospel,
"whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me, and of my
words, in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him
also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh
in the glory of his Father, with the holy angels"-. Or ho
finds in Luke's gcsiX'l, "13c ye therefore ready also : for

The Coming of Christ :

the Son of man cometh at an hour when je think not".
Or he finds in John's gospel " If I go and prepare a
place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto
myself ". It requires scholarship and eccleBiastical author-
ity to explain away the natural and obvious import of
these and kindred statements, and to put upon them a
figurative and symbolical meaning.

Through human teaching, as distinguished from Di-
vine testimony, the last quoted text has been robbed of
its power and sweetness in the minds of a vast majority
of Christians, who imagine that it tells them of their
death. But Dr. David Brown, whose post-millennial
book on the Second Advent his admirers claimed to be
unanswerable, after citing the words, " if I go away,"
adds " what then ? Ye shall soon follow me ? Death
shall shortly bring us together ? Nay ; but ' If I go awa}',
/ will come again^ and receive you unto myself; that
where I am, there ye may be also.' ' And while they
looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold,
two men stood by them in white apparel ; which also
said. Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into
heaven ? This same Jesus, which is taken up from you
into heaven, shall — what ? Take you home soon to him-
self at death ? Nay, but shall ' so come in like manner
as yc have seen him go into heaven.' (Acts i. 10, 11.) And
how know we that, by jostling this event out ot its scrip-
tural place in the expectations of the Church, we are
not, in a great degree, destroying its cliaracter and
power as a practical principle ? Can we not believe,
though unable to trace it, that God's methods are ever
best ; and that in nature, so perhaps in revelation, a
modification by us of the divine arrangements, appar-

Personal and Prc-JMiUennial.

1, a

ippar-

ently slight, and attended even with somo seeming ad-
vantage?, maybe followed by a total and unexpected
change of resnlts, the opposite of what is anticipated
and desired ? So we fear it to be here."

" The coming of Christ to individuals at death," he
proceeds to say, " however warrantably we may speak
BO, and whatever profitable considerations it may sug-
gest, is not fitted for taking that place in the view of
the believer which Scripture assigns to the second ad-
vent. Tliis is a proposition ot equal interest and im-
portance. It would bear to be established and illustrated
in detail. A hint or two, however, may sufiice. 1.
The death of believers, however changed in its char-
acter, in virtue of their union to Christ, is, intrinsi-
cally considered, not joyous, but grievous— not attrac-
tive, but repulsive. It is the disruption of a tie which
the Creator formed for perpetuity — the unnatural and
abhorrent divorce of parties made for sweet and unin-
terrupted fellowship. . . .But the Eedeemer's second ap-
pearing is, to the believer, an event of unmingled joy-
ousness, whether as respects the honor of his Lord, which
will be then majeetically vindicated before the world
which had set it at nought, or as respects his own salva-
tion, which will then have its glorious completion. How
then, should the former event be fitted to awaken feel-
ings, I say not equally intense, but even of the same
order, as the latter? . ... 2. The bliss of the disembodied
spirits of the just is not only incomplete^ but, in some
^Qw&Q^ private Skn(\ fraffmentary, if I may so express my-
self. ...But at the Redeemer's a])pcaring, all his re-
deemed will bo collected together and perfectlvj
runTJCFiY, and simultaneously glorified. Is it neces-

The Coming of Christ.

eary to point out the inferiority, in practical power, of
the one prospect to the other, or to indicate the supe-
rior class of ideas and feelings which the latter is fitted
to generate ? 3. To put the expectation of one's own
death in place ol the ])rospectof Christ's appearing, is to
dislocate a heautiful jointing in divine truth — to destroy
one of its finest collocations :" and he goes on to show
that the two literal, personal comings of Christ " are tlio
two pivots on which turns the Christian life, the two
wings on which believers mount up as eagles. If either
is clipped, the soul's flight heavenward is low, feeble,
and fitful. This is no casual collocation of truths. It is
a studied, and, with the apostle, a favorite juxtaposition
of the two greatest events in the Christian redemption,
the first and the last, bearing an intrinsic relation in
their respective objects."

It may be well in this connection to quote two or three
other prominent post-millennial expositors concerning
the personality of our Lord's second coming. Dr.
Charles Hodge says on the words, "waiting tor the
coming of our Lord Jesus Christ." 1 Cor. i. 7,
*' The second advent of Christ, so clearly predicted
by himself and by his apostles, connected as it is
with the promise of the resurrection of his people
and the consummation of his kingdom, was the
object of longing expectation to all thi early Christians.
So great is the glory connected with that event that Paul,
in Rom. viii. 18-23, not only represents all present afflic-
tions as trifling in comparison, but describes the whole
creation as looking forward to it with earnest expectation.
Comp. Phil, iii, 20; Tit. ii. 13. So general was tliis ex-
pectation that Christians were charactciij'-ed as IhoRc

Personal and Pre- Millennial.

*■

who love his appeal ini^. 2 Tin>. iv. 8, and as those who
hjok for him, Ileb. ix. 28. ... If the second coniing of
Christ is to Christians of the present day less an object
of desire than it was to their brethren during the apostol-
ic age, it must be beeanso they think the Lord is slack
concerning his proniigo, and forget that with him a
tliousand years is as one day." May tliere not be another
reason for the difference l)etween the faith ef tlio early
Christians and the unbelief of modern ChristenLJoni, and
may not that reason ])e discovered in the false teaching,
which has allegorized and spiritualized away the i»hiin
meaning of the testimony given by our Lord and His
apostles with regaid to His second advent, and thus turn-
ed the tlionghts of believers from "that blessed hoi)e,
the glorious appearing of our great God and Saviour,
Jesus Christ", to the world's i)rogress, and to adulterous
and fatal alliance with the world ?

Albert Barnes says on 1 Thes. i. 10, ''wait for his Son
from heaven," Christians "lived as if they were ^waitlhg'
tor his return. They fully bolievea in it ; they expected
it. They were looking out for it, not knowing when it
might occur, and as if it might occur at any moment.
They were dead to the world, and were animated with
an earnest desire to do good. This is one of the instances
which demonstralo that the doctrine that the Lord Jesus
will return to our world, is fitted, when understood in
the true sense reveided in the Scriptures, to exert a power-
ful influence on tho souls of men. It is eminently adapt-
ed to comfort the hearts of true Christians in the sorrows,
bereavements, and sicknesses of life (John xiv. 1-3 ; Acts
i. 11 ; 1 Thess. iv. 13-18 ; ii Pet. jii. 8, D); to lead us to
watchfulness and to an earnest inquiry into the question

Tlie Cot/liny of 0/irlist :

whether wo are prepared to meet liiiu (Miitf, xxiv. 37 44 ;
XXV. 13), to intike us dead to the world, and to lead us
to act as beeoiues tlio chikh'eii ot'h*<^ht (1 TliesH. v. 5-9);
to awaken and arouse impenitent and careless sinners
(iThess. V. 2, 3 ; 2 Fet. iii. 3-7), and to excite Christians
to solt-den.yin^ elforts to spread the j^o.^pel hi dibtant
lands, as was the case at Thessalonica. Every doctrine
of the gospel is adapted to produce some happy practi-
cal eftects on mankind, but thero are tew that are more
full of elevated and holy inlluences than that which teach-
es that the Lord Jesus will return to the earth, and which
leads the soul to wait lor his appearing". Mr. Barnes
might bo called the "As if" commentator,so frequently do
those little words, italicised, appear in his writings ; but
it is 8<miething to have him pluck up by the roots the olt-
repeated objection to the personal and pro-millennial ad-
vent of our Lord, that it cuts the nerve of the missionary
eflbrt, as he candidly admits that it excites Christians to
self-denying efforts to spread the gospel in distant lands,
as was the case at Thessalonica.

Prof. Hackett, an able Baptist expositor, says on Acts
iii. 20, " Nearly all critics understand this passage as
referring to the return of Christ at ti\e end of the world.
The similarity of the language to that of other passages
which annouiice that ©vent demands this interpretation.
The apostle enforces his exhortatian to repent by an
appeal to the final coming of Christ, not because he
would represent it as near in poiiit of time, but because
that event was always near to the feelings and consci-
ousness of the lirst believers. It was the ^reat consum-
mation on which the strongest desires of their souls were
lixed, to which their thoughts and hopes were habitually

Personal and Pre Millennial.

turned. They lived in expectation of it ; they hiborod
to be prepared tor it ; tlioy were constantly, in the ex-
pressive hvnt^uaiijc of Peter, loohlng for and hastening
unto it. Tlio apoe'les, the first Christians in p;eneral»
comi)rL'henc'ed tlio <];randcnr of that occasion, it tilled
their circle of view, stood fortii to their contemplations
as the point of culminating interest in their own and the
world's history, threw into comparative insi<^nificanco
the present time, death, all intermediate events, and
made them teel that the manifestation of Christ, with its
consc({uence3 of indescribable moment to all true be-
lievers, was the grand object which they were to keep
in view as the end of all their toils, the commencement
and perfection of their glorious immortality. ...If
modern Christians sympathized more fully with the
sacred writers on this subject, it would bring both their
conduct and their stylo of religious instruction into
nearer correspondence with the lives and teaching of the
primitive examples of our faith."

Similar testimony from Post-Millennial writers could
be multiplied indefinitely ; but it would be needless to
quote further, as no doubt every expositor who has suffi'
cient intelligence to entitle his opinions to the least con-
sideration will ascrec with the remark of Calvin on 1 Pet,
iv. 7; " Moreover, it must bo laid down as a first prin-
ciple, that ever since the appearing of Christ, there is
nothing left to the faithful, but with wakeful hearts to
be always intent on His second Advent." But it is as-
tonishing and pitiable to see how many teachers in the
church explain away every text, upon which they can
possibly lay their ruthless grasp, that alludes to His
personal return. They admit that there are some pa^-

The Coming of Christ:

sages in the word of God, which distinctly get tbrih His
personal advent to judge the world, but most of them
they assert are to be viewed figuratively or spiritually ;
and in their judgment refer to death, or the destruction
of Jerusalem, or the manifestation of the Spirit, or any
providential event whatever. As one of the most dis-
tinguished scholars of America has stated it, " there arc
a great many comings of Christ; all, however, pointing
to His final and personal coming."

It would be a great relief to multitudes of humble be-
lievers, if these highly esteemed but strangely mistaken
brethren would be kind enough to give us some criter-
ion to enable us to distinguish between the figurative
and the literal, between the spiritual and the personal,
between the symbolical and the real. In one of the
papers read before the Prophetic Conference in New
York a few years ago, one hundred texts were cited from
the New Testament, as teaching our Lord's second com-
ing. To this three or four prominent preachers and
professors with refreshing coolness replied that scarcely
any of the texts quoted refer to His personal coming,
whereas in truth every one of them refers to it, and to
nothing else. All the texts look alike, all speak the
same language, all at first glance seem to bear directly
upon His real return ; ;.nd it becomes those who deny
this to point out the passages which declare Christ's
second advent, and the passages which moan death, or
the work of the Spirit, or war. or any other calamity or
occurrence.

For example, we open the lirst epistles l*a,ul was in-
spired to write, and we tind believers doocribed as hav-
ing " turned to Clod from idols, to servo the living and

Personal and Pre- Millennial.

tmo God ; and to wait, for his Son from heaven, whom
he raised from the dead, Jesus, which delivered iis from
the wrath to come" (1 Thess. i. 10). Here of course it is
His personal advent that is declured, for Ho is described
as God's Son, as God's Son from heaven, aa raised from
the dead, as Jesus, as having delivered us from the wratli
to come. It is admitted, therefore, that it was for His
personal return from heaven, the Thessalonians were
taught by the Holy Ghost to wait, more than eighteen
hundred years ago.

So in the next chapter the coming is obviously and
confessedly personal, when the apostle says, " What is
our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Are not even ye
in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming?"
The moment the attempt is made to substitute for His
literal coming death, the destruction of Jerusalm, the
manifestation of the Spirit, or any other thought tliaii
that expressed in the passage, its absurdity becomes at
once apparent, and must be abandoned.

So in the next chapter the inspired writer prays, " The
Lord make you to abound in love one towards another,
and toward all men, even as we do toward you : to the
end ho may establish your hearts unblamaable in holi-
ness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our
Lord Jesus Christ with aM his saints." It will not be
denied that this can refer only to His personal coming,
for it is a coming with all His saints, and this will not
be until His personal return to earth.

So in the next chapter he says, " If we believe that
Josusdied and rose again, even so them also which sleep
in (or through) Jcsu^j, will God bring with him. For this
wo say unto you by the word of the Lord, that wo which

The Coming of Christ:

aroalive, and remain unto the coming of the Lord, shall
not precede thcin which are asleep. For the Lord him-
self shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the
voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God : and
the dead in Christ shall rise first : then wo which are
alive and remain, shall ba caught up together with them
in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air ; and so shall
we ever be with the Lord." No one will be bold enough
to think that any but a personal coming i^ taught in
these precious words. Not death, not the destruction of
Jerusalem, not the Holy Spirit, nor any other person
nor event, but the Lord Himself shall descend from
lieaven with a shout; and all who sleep through Him,
and all His believing people who are living upon earth,
shall be caught up in clouds to meet Him in the air :
and so shall we ever be with the Lord. The most igno-
rant post-millcnnialist will cheerfully admit that here we
liave the personal coming of Christ set before us as our
blessed and comforting hope.

So in the next chapter we read as follows : '^ But of
the times and seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I
write unto you, For yourselves know perfectly [evident-
ly because the apostle had felt it incumbsnt on him to
teach them about this great subject during his short stay
among them] that the da^^ of the Lord so c^motli as a
thief in the night. For when ^Ac?/ shall say. Peace and
safety; then sudden destruction ometli upon them, as
travail up ^n a woman with child ; and they shall not
escape. I3uty<?, brethren, are not in darkness, that that
day should overtake you as a thief. . . . A.nd I pray God,
your whole 8i)irit and soul and body bs preserved blamo-
Icis unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ." Here

Personal and Pre- Millennial.

again it will not bo disputed that the alhision is to the
real and personal advent of our Lord.

So in the first chapter of the Second epistle he w^'itcs,
" To you who are troubled, rest with us : when the Lord
Jesus shall bo revealed from heaven with his mighty
angels," literally at the revelation {apokaliqysis) or as
the word is rendered in 1 Pet. i. 7, the appearing of the
Lord Jesus, Here again it is admitted by ail classes of
expositors that the coming, as in the previous passage?,
can mean nothing but His personal advent at the close
of ilie present age.

So in the second chapter he writes, " Xow we beseech
you, brethren, by [or touching] the coming ot our Lord
Jesus Christ, and our gathering together unto him, that
ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither
by spirit, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of the
Lord is at hand [or as the Revised Version properly ren.
ders it, "is present," has set in, has already commenced].
Let no man deceive you by any means; for that day
will not be, except there come a falling away [the apos-
tacy] first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of
perdition ; who opposeth and exalteth himself above all
that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as
God, sitteth in temple of God, showing himself that ho
is God. Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with
you I told you these things [proving how important it
was in the estimation of the Holy Glio^t for believers to
know them] ? And now yo know what withholdeth, that
he might bo revealed in his time. For the mystery of
iniquity doth already work : only he who now letteth
[or hindereth, or restrainoth] will hinder or restrain, un-
til he [the hindorer or rcatrainer] be taken out of the

The Coming of Christ:

way. And then shall be revealed the lawless one, whom
the Lord Jesus shall slay with the breath of his mouth,
and bring to nought by the manifestation of "his coming"

(R. V).

It would be at least interesting, if the beloved breth-
ren, who all their life time have taken it for granted
that the coming here is figurative and spiritual, and
means the spread of the gospel, the triumph of the
church, the conversion of the nations, will kindly in-
form us by what principle of interpretation, by what
law of logic, by what rule of common sense, by what de-
cree of consistency or harmony, they admit every other
allusion in the epistles to the coming of our Lord to be
literal, and then deny that it is literal in the passage
just quoted.

The inquiry becomes more pertinent, when it is re-
membered that the word translated " brightness" in the
authorized version, and "manifestation" in the Revised,
occurs but five times elsewhere, as follows : " until the
appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ" (1 Tim. vi. 14); by
the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ" (2 Tim. i.
10) ; " at his appearing and kingdom" (2 Tim. iv, 1);
*' them also that love his appearing^'' (2 Tim, iv. 8);
''the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savi-
our Jesus Christ" (Tit. ii. 18). The word translated
"coming" or "presence" occurs twenty four times in
such passages as these : " Christ the first-fruits ; after-
ward they that are Christ's at his coming" (1 Cor. xv.
23); " I am glad of the coming of Stephanas" (1 Cor.
xvi. 17); " God. . , comforted us by tliQcoming of Titus"
(2 Cor. vii. 6) ; ^' his bodily presence is weak" (2 Cor.
X. 10); " by ray coming to you again" (Phil. i. 26); " not

Penonal and Pre- Millennial.

►'J

as in my presence only" (Phil. ii. 12). If the two words
which are always employed eleewhere to denote a bod-
ily, literal, and personal coming do not denote it here,
wo may truly say with Dean Alford, " then there is an
end of all significance in language, and Scripture is
wiped out as a definite testimony to any thing."

But if the coming is thus proved to be personal, it is
eqnally certain that it is prc-millennial. It will be ob-
served that what the apostle calls " the mystery of in-
iquity" was already at work m his dcy. But there was
something that hindered or restrained its development
or full manifestation. It does not matter, so far as the
])resent argument is concerned, what the hinderer cr
rcstrainer may have been. It is enough to know that
when that hindering or restraining power is removed,
the iniquity, thus held back, shall issue in the maturity
of its evil, as seen in the wicked or lawless one, who is
to be destroyed by the appearing of Christ's personal
]>re8ence. Nor does it concern the purpose of this argu-
ment to ask, what is meant by that wicked or lawless
Whether it is a person cr a system, whether the

one.

antichrist or popery, it existed, in principle at least, in
the a])oetle's day, and will be found fiourlshing in un.
hindered strcns;th, when Jesus returns personally to our
earth. Since, therefore, there was an evil working more
than eighteen hundred years ago, under restraint it is
true, but still working, and when the restraint is re-
moved, bursting forth in all the energy of its malign in-
fluence, to be consumed only by the personal coming ot
our. Lord, it is as clear as sunshine that there can be no
millennium till He come.

Such a conclusion is also in precise accord with the

The Coming of Christ:

I
I

Tiniform teachings of our Lord and of the Holy Ghost
concerning the moral characteristics of the last days of
the age in which we live. For example, we find the
Savionr eaying, *' As it was in the days of Noe, so shall
it 1)6 also in the days of the Son of man. They did eat,
thoy drank, they married wives, they were given in
marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark,
and the flood came^ and destroyed them all. Likewise
also as it was in the days ot Lot ; they did eat, they
drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they
builded ; but the same day that Lot went out ol Sodom,
it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed
them all. Even thus shall it be in the day when the
Son ot man is revealed" (Luke xvii. 20-30}. Again,
'' When the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith upon
the earth '^" (Luke xviii. 8), Again, when there is
"upon the earth distress ot rations, with perplexity;
the sea and the waves roaring, men's hearts failing them
for fear, and for looking after those things which are
coming on the earth; THEN shall they see the Son of
man coming in a cloud with power and great glory"
(Luke xxi. 2 ), 26). Again, "Heaven and earth shall
pass away: but my words shall not pass away. And
take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be
over charged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares
of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares.
For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on
the face oi the whole earth." (Luke xxi. 33-35).

In like manner the Holy Ghost warns us, " This know
also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.
For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous,
boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, un-

Personal and Pre- Millennial.

thankful, unholy, without n atural affection, trucebreak-
ers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers ol those
that are good, traitors, heady, high-minded, lovers of
pleasures more than lovers of God ; having a form ol
godliness, but denying the power thereof." (2 Tim. iii.
1-5.) "Knowing tliis first, that there shall come in the
last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, and say-
ing, Where is the promise of His coming? for since the
latliers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from
the beginning of the creation." (2 Peter iii. 3,4.) There
is much more of the same sort, which there is not time
to quote ; but it is needless to say that there is nothing
in conflict with this testimony from the first of Matthew
to the last of Hevelation.

In the second place, our Lord and the Holy Ghost
speak of the state of things during the present dispensa-
tion in such way as to preclude the possibility of a
spiritual Millennium, or the universal triumph of the
Church, previous to His personal coming. In the seven
parables of Matt. xiii. whicli confessedly furnish a pro-
phetic picture in outline of this entire age, we are told
of one part of the seed, the word of God, caught away
by Satan from human hearts ; of another part having no
enduring root ; of another part choked with cares of this
world and the deceitfulness of riches; and only one-
fourth part brought forth fruit, and this variously, some
an hundred fold, some sixty, some thirty We are also
told that the tares and wheat will grow together until
the end ol the age, when they will be separated only by
the personal interposition of the Son of man at His

coming.

His disciples He addresses as a " little flock ;" (Luke

The Coming of Christ ;

i w

xii. 32) ; he says to them, " In the world ye shall have
tribulation" (Jno. xvi. 33) ; tells them that " because in-
iquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax faint"
(Matt. xxiv. 12); and never once does He so much as hint
at a time before His advent when they were to achieve
universal success or lay down the cross. If it be said that
such success is implied in the commission, "Go ye
into all the world, and preach the gospel to every
creature," the answer is that it is not implied, because
the Saviour added, "He tliat believeth not shall be
damned," If it be said that it is implied in the promise,
" Ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is
come upon you," the answer is that it is not implied, be-
cause notwithstanding the presence of the Holy Ghost,
Israel became almost wholly apostate and corrupt, only
an Anna here and a Simeon there true to God amid
abounding wickedness at our Lord's first coming; because
the inspired apostles had the presence and power of the
Holy Ghost as none have ever enjoyed them since, and
yet of all the apostles in all of their preaching, it was
true that " some believed the things which were spoken,
an-^ some believed not,'' and because it is not a ques-
tioii ol the power of the Holy Ghost, but of the puri)ose
of God, as revealed in the divinely inspired Scriptures.
Even on the day of Pentecost when 3000 were saved,
there were many more thousands who refused to receive
the powerful testimony of the Holy Ghost.

Hence, in the third place, there is not a single inti-
mation from the time the Holy Ghost descended on that
great day to the close of the book of God, that the
church is to win universal victory before the personal
coming of the Lord If there is, let it be pointed out.

Personal and Pre- Millennial.

On the other hand, " we must through mucli tribiihition
enter into the kingdom of God" (Acts x!v. 22.)
"" Even we ourselves groan within ourselves " (Rom.
viii. 23.) " We that are in this tabernaele do groan,
being burdened " (2 Cor. v. 4.) " Unto you it is given
in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on liim, but
also to sufter for his sake " (Phil. i. 29.) " Now the
Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some
shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing
spirits, and doctrines of devils " (1 Tim. iv. 1.) " But
evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, de-
ceiving, and being deceived" (2 Tim. iii. 13.) "Be-
loved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial
which is to try some of you, as though some strange
thing happened unto you " (1 Pet. iv. 12.) The whole
of the New Testament is addressed to sufiering, cross-
bearing, tolling Christians in an unfriendly world, sur-
rounded by dangers and delusions at every step of their
pilgrim way, and there is not a ray of hope that it will
be otherwise till Jesus comes. Then, and only then,
will there be a bodily resurrection the national resurrec-
tion and restoration of the Jews, the renewal of creation,
the removal of the curse from the lower animals, the
chaining and casting of Satan into the bottomless abyss,
which the Gospel, blessed as it is, has no mission nor
power to accomplish. Our beloved brethren, who have
the understanding darkened, jump herefrom the New
to the Old Testament, and quote passages that plainly
refer to Israel's future gathering and blessedness, heap-
ing upon the poor Jews the literal curses, and quietly
stealing all the promised blessings for themselvee, in
order to make out their spiritual millennium.

The Coming if Christ:

But, in the fourth placc,*all the facts iu the history of
the Church and world, so far, are in precise accordance
with these pessimistic views ot the teachings of the in-
spired word.,Kot one country, nor city, nor town, nor vii-
hige, nor neighbourhood has been wlioliy converted to
Christ after more than 1800 years of labour. JSot one
church or congregation is known, where you may count
upon more than one-fourth of the members as really
consecrated, separate from the world, upholding the
prayer meeting, Sunday school instruction, and every
good word and work. In the United States where the
bright and cheery optimists boast of more than
10,000,000 members of Evangelical Churches, according
to their own figures, there arc at least 35,000,000 more
souls to be converted than there were in 1800, In the
world at large, admitting that there are 400,000,000
Christians, including Bob IngeraoU, Bradlaugh of Eng-
land,and all theNihilists, Socialists, Communi(;ts,members
of the Greek and Roman Churches, and all, in short,
who are not profesi^ed Pagans or Mohammedans, there
are at least 200,000,000 more souls to be saved than
there were eighty-live years ago. Last year according
to trustworthy statistics, there were in the so-called
Christian land of the United States live more murders
for each day of the twelve months than tliere were the
year before, and $900,000,000 were spent in strong
drink, while only $5,500,000 were given to Home and
Foreign Missions. All Christendom is bristling with
bayonets, and never was the reign of peace more distant ;
and never was vice in high places and in low more
swiftly undermining tJie foundations of society. This
does not look very much like the speedy conversion o
the world by the agencies now employed.

Personal and i're MilUnnlal.

In tho tilth place, our Lord never once points to iho
concjuest of' the churcli as au argiunont, incentive, or
motive ; but Ileconstantl/ points to Ills Second Coming
as tlie appeal best suited to arouse His followeisto iidel-
ity, and to guard theui against relapse. Tliisissignilicant-
ly unlike tlie missionary addresses tluit are heard from
pulpit and platform at present ; and this shows tluit lie
dots not wish His people to have their eager and solemn
outlook for Himself dimmed by the intervention of a
thousand years, or any other number of years ot a spirit-
ual millennium. In Matthew, for example. He says^
"watch therefore ; tor you know not what hour your Lord
doth come"; and he pronounces a fearful doom upon the
evil servant who says in his heart, " my Lord delaycth
his coming" ; and hence begins to live like ttie world
around him. In spite of His warnings He represents the
ten virgins as asleep at the time of His coming, and
again exclaims, "watch thereibre, for ye know neither
the day nor the hour".

In Mark's gospel He leaves as Hig last stirring message
to His disciples, the words, "Take ye heed, watch, and
pray ; for ye know not when the time is. For the Son of
man is as a man taking a far journey, who left his house,
and gave authority to his servants, and to every man his
work, and commanded tho porter to watch. Watch ye
therefore ; for ye know not when the master of the house
cometh, at even or at midnight, or at the cock-crowmg,
or iu the morning; lest coming suddenly, he tind you
sleeping. And what I say unto you, I say untO all, watch."
Of course it will be said that believers can heed this
earnest injunction, and be constantly on the watch for
our Lord's return, while at the same time they are con-

The Coming of Christ :

viriccd that Ho will not return for at least a thousand
years; but with the tenderest respect for the feelings of
brethren who speak thus, it ia nonsense. They not only
do not watch for Ilini, but they do not talk about His
corning, except to ridicule those who watch as a lot of
disagrooablo cranks.

In Luke's gospel lie says, " Let your loins be girded
about, and your lights burning ; and ye yourselves like
unto men that wait for their Lord, when ho will return
from the wedding ; that, when he cometh and knccketh,
they may open unto him immediately. Blessed aro
those servants, whom the Lord, when he cometh, shall
tiud watching : verily I say unto you, that ho shall gird
himself, and make them to sit down to meat, and will
come forth and serve them. And if ho shall come in
the second watch, or come in the third watch, and find
them so, blessed are those servants.'* If a servant oan
stand with his hand upon the hall-door, and with ear
attont for the steps of his master, when ho is convinced
that the master will not come during his life time, nor
for a thousand years, ho is a remarkable servant, who
ought to be slow to laugh at the absurdity of tho fow
servants, that take the Master to mean what ho says.

In John's gospel Ho said to the inquisitive Peter con-
cerning tho disciple whom Jesus loved, " If I will that
he tarry till I come, what is that to thee ? Follow thou
me. Then went this saying abroad among the brethren,
that that disciple should not die : yet Jesus said not unto
him, Ho shall not die ; but. If I will that he tarry till I
come, what is that to thee ?" It is evident that the early
disciples did not understand the coming of the Lord and
death to moan ono and the same thing ; they understood

((

Iionsaiid
jlings of
lot only
)out His
a lot of

girded
VC8 liko
return
iccketh,
ised are
h, shall
all gild
nd will
iome in
md find
ant can
vitli ear
nvinced
ne, nor
it, who
he few
lays,
ter con-
ill that
w thou
ethren,
otunto
y till I
e early
)rd and
Bretood

Personal and Pre- Millennial^

them to moan the very opposite to eacli other, and that
the coming of the Lord would prevent death. It is evi-
dent, too, that lie would liave them fix their eyes, not
upon death, but upon His second coming, as the hope
set before them ; and therefore lie could not bid them
separate that hope from them by the interval of a spirit-
ual millennium, or any prolonged period of any kind.

Precisely the same thought of the imminence of His
personal icturn pervades the rest of the New lestament.
Thus when He ascended from the Mount of Olives in
the presence of His disciples, the two men in white said
to them, "This same Jesus, which is taken up from you
into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have
seen liim go into heaven" (Acts i. 11). Not a word
is said about the time of His return, but clearly
this was the object of desire and expectation placetl be-
fore them ; and henc3 the urgency of Peter soon after,
when he called upon the Jews to repent, that " times
of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord ;
and he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preach-
ed unto you : whom the heaven must receive nntil the
times of restitution of all things, which God has spoken
by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world
began " (Acts iii. 19-21). From that time on, such stir-
ring notes as these ring throughout the inspired epistles:
" waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body "
(Rom. viii. 23); " waiting for the coming of our Lord
Jesus Christ" (1 Cor. i. 7) ; "wo shall not all sleep, but
we shall all bo changed, in a moment, in the twinkling
of an eye " (1 Cor. xv. 51) ; " for our conversation is in
heaven, from whence also we look for the Saviour, the
Lord Jesus Christ " (Phil. iii. 20) ; " when Christ who

The Coming oj Christ',

then shall ye ah

is our lite shall appear, tlien sliall yo also appear
him in glory" (Ool. iii. 4); "keep this commandment
without spot, unrebukeable, until the appearing of our
Lord Jesus Christ" (i Tim. vi. 14) ; a crown of right-
eousness will He give "unto all them also that love his
appearing" (2 Tim. iv. 8); ''looking for that blessed
hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and
Saviour Jesus Christ" (Tit. ii, 13j ; "unto them that
look for him shall he appear the second time, without
sin, unto salvation" (Heb. ix. 2S); " the coming of the
Lord draweth nigh" (Jas. v, 8); "when the chief shep-
herd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory
that fadetli not away" (1 Pet. v. 4); "looking for and
hastening [earnestly desiring R. V.] the coming of the
day of God" (2 Pet. iii. 12); "we know that when ho
shall appear, we shall be like him, for we shall see him
as he is" (1 Jno. iii. 2); "surely I come quickly; Amen.
"Even so, come. Lord Jesus'' (Rev. xxii. 20). No
wonder Mr. Spurgeon in his last annual sermon to his
students told them that they must not forget the glorious
truth, ^^ Behold He comeih with clouds and every eye

shall see Ilim Take your people to the bright

future. Arouse their hopes and fire their spirits by the
certainty that lie who .rent up from Mount Olivet shall
BO come in like manner. This seems to me a part of tho
Gospel, and the apostles never hesitated to preach it."
" AVhon our beloved but misguided post-millennial
brethren tell us that all this only means death, or the
destruction ol Jerusalem, or the presence of the Spirit?
or the visitation of the cholera, or the calamity of war,
or, at any rate, that it can not mean the personal com-
ing ot our Lord, because He has not come (quickly, they

•

Personal and Pre Millennial.

ar with
ndment
of our
ri<rht-
ove liis
blessed
od and
sm tliat
itliout
of tlio
f sliep-
f glory
or and
of the
hen ho
see him
Amen.
). Ko
i to his
?lorioii8
cry eye
bright
by the
et shall
t of the
1 it."
lennial
, or tho
Sj)iritj
of war,
i! eom-

exhibit a density of darkness and a profundity of ignor.
ance that is truly rearvelloue. They make the mistake
of measuring time by the rotation of the earth upon its
axis, instead of consulting the heavenly standard, where
a thousand years are as one day. Having their eyes
blinded by the delusive coloring which Satan has cast
over the boasted progress of the church and the world,
they do not see that the Lord and the Holy Spirit would
have His people of the first century, as well as the last,
unite in the hope of His coming, without the diversion
of their thoughts to their own fancied achievements;
and they fail to perceive the truth of a wise remark by
Archbishop Trench ; " it is a necessary element of the
doctrine concerning the second coming of Christ that it
should be possible at any time, that no generation should
consider it improbable in theirs." Nor do they under-
stand an equally wise remark of Bengel on Acts i. 11,
" Between His ascension and His coming in glory, no
event intervenes equal in importance to each of these two
events. Therefore these two are joined together, and it
accords with the majesty of Christ, that during the whole
period between His ascension and His advent, He should
without intermission be expected."

In the next place, there is no such progress as they
imagine, at least in the right direction. The gospel has
been preached for more than 1850 years. It is estimat-
ed that there are now 1,400,000,000 souls in the workl.
Of this number it is a large and liberal allowance to su^)-
pose that 50,000,000 are really converted, leaving 1,350)
000,000 unsaved. Within the church the spread of the
criticism, higher rationalism, infidelity, false doctrine, the
mad demand for plea6ure,the empty form of godliness, the

The Cofininq of Christ:

utter desecration of the Lord's-day, thorough worldliness,
that has totally obliterated all visible distinction be-
tween the great mass of professing Christians and de-
cent unbelievers, is so appalling it is a wonder of grace
that the dishonored Lord does not spue the nauseating
thing out of His mouth. If all the inhabitants of the
earth were members of the church, as it is called, no
doubt this would realize the highest expectations of
most of our post-millennial friends. But still no doubt
many of them would sigh for deliverance from such a
millennium. But if the church were a thousand times
better than it is, walking in unhindered fellowship with
the Father and the Son, still there must be many of our
deluded brethren who would grow weary of sickness and
death, and of a life passed amid the groanings of crea-
tion, and say with their distinguished leader Dr. David
Brown, " Never do we please Christ so much as when
we refuse to be comforted even with His own consola-
tions, save in a prospect of His personal return;" and
when he saysagain, " that the REDEEMER'S SECOND
APPEARING IS THE VERY POLE STAR OF THE
CHURCH That it is so held forth in the New Testa-
ment, is beyond dispute." However, it must not be for-
gotten that " all men cannot receive this saying, save
they to whom it is given." Hence it should temper with
sympathy and torbcfiranpc our judgement of our post -
millennial brethren, who are blinded to the truth, when
we remember that we also were once blind. Only the
circumcised ear can hear the loud and articulate voice,
" I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again." Tho
rest of the people that stand by will say, "It thundered."
(Jno. xii. 28, 29.)

Personal and Pre- Millennial.

dliness,
ion be-
md de-
f grace
seating
3 of the
lied, no
ons of
doubt
such a
times
p witli
of our
ess a!id
of crca-
. David
8 wlien
lonsola-
;" and
OOND

Testa-
be for-
?, save
sr with
r post-
when
ilj the
voice,
" The
crcd."

In the seventh place, there is another argument wliicli
one is almost ashamed to mention, and, yet sad to say,
it possesses more weight with multitudes than any thing
advanced thus far. It is suggested by the question of
the chief priests concerning Jesus, " Have any of the
rulers or of the Pharisees believed on him ?" There are
many on the fence, watching the movements of human
teachers to determine on which side to jump down;
there are many lilie an eminent and beloved brother,
who said to a friend, " For thirty jears I have kept my-
self in an admirable poise on the subject of our Lord's
second coming, being neither pre nor post"; there are
many who are waiting anxiously to see what the leaders
ot church thought are going to do, before they make up
their minds as to their own belief and action ; and there-
fore it becomes necessary to refer to this weak and
despicable argument. It is found in the fact that not
only was the pre-millennial coming of the Lord the faith
of the church for three hundred years, as was -shown by
our brother Mutch this morning, and as has been con-
clusively proved again and again by research into
ecclesiastical history, but it is the faith of divines and
scholars, who hold the highest rank in modern Biblical
criticism. Bishop Horsley, Newton, Ileber, Toplady,
Bengel, Delitzsch, Von Hofman, Grau, Auberlen, Van
Oosterzee, Christlieb, Ebrard, Luthardt, Lange, Philippi,
Bishop Martensen, Weiss, Ohlshausen, Gaussen, Gress-
well, Tregelles, Bishop EUicott, Bishop Ryle, Dean AI-
ford, Faussett and a host of others are pronounced and
earnest premillenniT^sts in their views and teachings.
• But suppose they were not ; suppose a declension
should sweep the professing Ohr'stian body from its

The Coming of Christ i

moorings, as it swept away the Jow3 at the first Advent,
leaving only an aged man or woman, here and there,
waiting for the consolation of Israel ; suppose the dark
ages were again upon us, and to all human appearance
the entire church were apostate, this need not prevent
the humble believer with an open Bible in his hand from
receiving and holding firmly the great truth, so fully and
clearly set forth in the word of God, that Christ is com-
ing back to our earth, and that He may come at any
time, no conversion of the world being predicted as ante-
dating His personal return. It would be a rich and
precious experience to his own soul at least, if received
in the power of the Holy Spirit ; and without any self-
conceit he could refuse to follow those who are " teach-
ing for doctrines the commandments of men." Then
whether with many or fow, ho would know the unspeak-
able value of "that blessed hope" to separate him in life
from the defiling scene around hitn, to solace him in
sorrow, to* sustain hitn in weakness, and to shine like the
golden rays of the Morning Star across the deepening
darkness settling down into blackest night over an un-
godly world. The sweet assurance of Jesus in His un-
changing love, '• I will come again, and receive you unto
myself," would fall upon his ear like the message of the
absent David to his expectant subjects, when "ho bowed
the heart of all the mori of Judah, even ai the heart of
one man; so that they sent this word unto the king,
lieturn thou, {ind all thy servants" (2 Sam. xix. 14).

TPE gEC0ND C0]^IN6 m CP^IP

THE EVERPRESENT HOPE OF THE CHURCH.

r.Y

REV. II. M. PARSONS.

. ; 'i\K:' IV'

Or ^^r

i-ft-.: »ti

'iWy^

i h

s >'-■/; '^-j'-j.'-

THE EYERPRESEMT HOPE OF THE CHURCH,

REV. H. M. PARSONS -

THE Hope of the People of God iu every age has been
based on His revealed promise of ultimate victory
over this rebellious race and the Sovereign sway of all
nations. It is prophetically declared in the 67tli Psalm
vs. 1-7.

God be merc'ful unto us, and bless us ; and cause his
face to shine upon us ; Selah.

That thy way may be known upon earth, thy saving
health among all nations.

Let the people praise thee, O God ; let all the people
praise thee.

O let the nations be glad and sing for joy : for thou shalt
judge the people righteously, and govern the nations
npon earth. Selah.

Let the people praise thee O God ; let all the paople
praise thee.

T/ien shall the earth yield her increase ; and God,
even our own God, shall blcgs up.

God shall bless us ; and all the ends of the earth shall
fear him.

The ScGoiid Coming of Christy

While ill this general form the details of the prophecy
are not given, yet necessarily they are included. And as
the first promise of victory t> the seed ot the woman
over the serpent foe, is unfolded in the series ot progress-
ive ^j7<?i9, recorded in the Holy Scriptures until all nations
own His sway. So, this Hope set before the Race, has a
definite form and purpose, as related to the New Testa-
ment Age. While blended in all previous revelations,
with the wider scope of the relation of the Son of Man
to the Human liace as their Head, in this present age,
it has special reference to the Oiiurch, as the completed
Body of Christ. It is of this definite Revelation, we pur-
pose now to speak.

The simplest declaration of this hope is in the words
of our Lord to His disciples, just before His betrayal and
desertion. John xiv. 2,3. I go to prepare a place for you.
And if I go to prepare a place for you, I will come again,
and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye
may be also.

This was said without any limitation of time,
and in a way to excite the expectation of a speedy
return, and this impression is confirmed by our Lord's re-
mark to Peter, in answering his question concerning
John xxi. 22. " If I will that he tarry till I come, what
is that to thee ?" The disciples understood and reported
that he should not die. But Jesus did not say that.
Simply "If I will, ifec." This is further impressed upon
our minds by the message Jesus sent to the wondering
di&ciple:^, when He was taken up from their sight, (Acts
i. 11.) Which also said, Ife men of Galilee, why stand
ye gazing up into heaven ? this same Jesus, which is

I'he Eoer present Hope of the Church,

ion, we pur-

taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like
manner as yo have seen him go into heaven.
Acordingly we notice :

I. That the Hope of the return of Christy ia by lUinself^
pressed njjon Ills disciples as imminknt — liable to occur
at any moment. Tliis is clear in the words He uttered re-
peating its suddenness. Matt, xxi v. 4'^, 44. Watch there-
tore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.
Therefore be yo also ready : for in such an hour hs yo
think not, the Son of man cometh.

And again in Luke, in a form which forbids any a^)-
plication of the warning to the Jewish desolation, but
expressly asserts a tribulation to " come on all them that
dwell on the face of the whole earth." xxi. 36.

Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be
accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall
come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man.

This watchfulness enjoined by our Lord is not only to
escape a serious trouble but it is also to stand befbre
Him and receive the promised rewards of glory. Now
this was given for the individual members of His church,
and to be available as an inspiring hope, it must be im-
minent — that is, without any intervening object, that
could destroy its power on the human heart, as an object
of hope,

Paul felt its power nerving him, through a lite of toil,
and suffering, and i)ersecution8, to a martyr death, and
is still watching and waiting for his crown of glory,

II. This Hope, as eocr-present, is specially emphasized,
as motive power, in connection witli Qhristian experi-
ence, testimoriy, and ministry^ The apostle to the Gen-
tiles was led by the Holy Spirit to instruct Titus, an or-

The Second Coming of Ohrut,

dained minister to " speak, and exhort with all
authority," those under his charge to be "looking for
that blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the
great God, and our Saviour Jesus Christ." (Titus ii. 13.)
This is the central thought of the Christian experience
inculcated as the constant habit of the Chriitian life.
For in the verse before— separation from the world, and
holy living is the prelude to this abiding faith — and the
result in the following verse, is a '' peculiar people"
"zealous of good works." Not only is this expectation
and confidence of our hope, indissolubly bound up with
the life of practical holiness — but the Holy Spirit was
pleased to connect this expectation of resurrection and
translation, with the coming and manifestation of our Lord
Jesus Christ. The insertion of this hope before the
practical obedience of daily life, indicates its ever present
power, as a motive to stimulate diligence, in all service,
and increasing alacrity in the obedience of faith. In a
similar way the Holy Spirit has shown his approval of
this truth by linking this hope as an essential part of
Christian testimony, with entire loyalty to the living
God. The commendation given to the Thessalonian
believers was, " Ye turned to God from idols, to serve
the living and true God, and to wait for His Son from
Heaven, whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus
which delivered us from the wrath to come. (I Thess.
i. 10.) This testimony is conclusive, to show the charac-
ter of this hope as cherished by primitive believers. It
was not so, much an intellectual belief as a leading and
longing desire imparted by the Holy Spirit in His testi-
mony concerning the risen Lord — and stimulating to in-
cessant fidelity in obeying the Lord's command to preach

lort with all

"looking for
oaring of the

(Titus ii. 13.)
an experience

hrittian life,
ho world, and
aitli — and the
uliar people"
is expectation
ound up with

ly Spirit was
urrcction and
on of our Lord
)e before the
ts ever present

in all service,

>f faith. In a

is approval of

BDtial part of

to the living

Thessalonian
idols, to serve

His Son from
1, even Jesus
le. (I Thess.
low the chanic-
believers. It
a leading and
it in His testi-
uulating to in-
nand to preach

Th4 Bverpreseni Hope of the Church.

the Gospel to every creature. It was a cherished part of
their gospel and they preached it with such success,
that Paul could say to the Romans (x. 18,) " their
sound went into all the earth, and their words unto
the ends of the world," — and to the Colossians (i. 28,) "If
ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not
moved away from the hope of the Gospel, which ye have
heard and which was preached to every creature which
is under heaven." It is very evident that when this
hope, (of which Paul writes thus to the Hebrew Christ-
ians, "let us hold fast the confession of our hope, with-
out wavering") animated the Christian Church, the
testimony of the Gospel was more generally spreid
throughout tlie world, than in the centuries in which it
was overcome bjf superstition or infidelity. From the
college of Mr. Grattan Guinness more than a hundred
laborers for Christ have gone into the regions of Central
Africa, all of whom rejoice in this blessed hope — and
are waiting for His Son from Heaven — while zealous in
preaching the Gospel to every creature. Ia the
China Inland Mission — Mr. Hudson Taylor at the Mild-
may Conference last year, sought for seventy volunteer
missionaries for that vast empire, at their own charge,
and more than that number responded in a few days,
every one of whom confessed this ever-present hope —
while moved through His Spirit, to this self-denying
work. And no less force is manifest in urging this as a
motive in the ministry of the word. That sacred ordin-
ance which expresses the union of the believer to
Christ, and affords divine nourishment to the new-lite —
while reminding us of finished work in our behalf of
resurrection powers and life is yet to be duly observed

The Second Coming of Christ.

"till He come." The motive to loyalty and moBt faitlifiil
observance, is found in the glory of God, -which shnll ho
manifested in His appearing " imto them Ihat Icokfor
Him," "the second time without sin unto salvation."
(Heb. ix. 28.)

III. The ever-present Hope of the Church, is adafUd
to stimulate faith, hy holding it to the expected personal
presence of the Lord. Faith is not the Bimple be-
lief of an abstract proposition. It is, in its ele mental
form, trusting a power outside of self, and apprehend-
ed through the senses.

For this reason, God gave His Son a body. For this
reason, He has a literal body now. And lookint? unto
Him in that Body — as revealed to us in the word, in the
place where He now is, constitutes scriptural faith.

Thu3 believing Him in the word, we have something
before the mind as an object when we pray, and that
■oraething is declared to be the " image of the invisible
God" (Col. i. 15;) and " the express image of His per-
son." (Heb. i. 8.) Now as any believer abides in Christ,
he must be looking upon Him by iaith and must see
something of the " brightness of the glory of God. The
more He sees, the more He must strive to be transformed
into that same likeness. We do not know indeed what
the glorious form for each one may be ; "but we know,
that when He shall appear, we shall be like Him, for we
shall see Him as He is." Nov/ the Holy Spirit adds —
" Every man that hatl? this hope in Him, purifieth him-
self, even as He is pure," (1 Jolm iii. 3.) The object hero
is plain. By faith we see Him now, and we long to be
like Him, and then we shall see with the eye of the
spiritual body — and "see Him as He is." And why

The Everpreaent Hope of the Church.

noBt faithful

ich Bball 1)0

bat Icok for

Bnlvation."

, is adapUd
'd personal
simple be-
} elemental
apprelicnd-

r. For this
)okin2: ^into
vord, in the
faith.

Bomethinfij
y^ and that
lie invisible
3i His per-
(8 in Christ,
id must Bee
God, The
ransformed
ideed what
t we know,
[im, for we
>irit adds —
'ifieth liini-
object hero
long to bo
eye of the

And why

this paritioation, unlesB the longing desire to be with
Him, and to be as Ho is. " Looking nnto Jesus" — wo
see Him, and draw the needed eupplies for the wilder-
ness journey." " Looking Jor Jesus" — we long to see
Him "face to face" and to be like Him, and with Him
for ever. Thus a true faith in the living Christ, must
increase under the power of this revealed and expected
personal presence oi the Lord.

IV. This Hope as pr esented to usy in the New Testa-
7nent, is independent of Chronology and Signs. That
this Hope makes the resurrection and translation of
believers fiom this earth, co-etaneous with the sum-
mons of the returning Lord from the air — and thus intro-
duces the believer to the fullness of salvation and glory —
cannot be denied by any one who believes the Word of
God. These things are expressly asserted in the words
•f the Holy Ghost written in 1 Cor. xv. 23, and 1 Thesa.
iv. 13 18. Neither is there a single event found pre-
dicted in the New Testament which could have hindered
the appearing of the Lord, because of its interposition.
On this point a recent writer (Rev. A. W. Pitzer, D.D.)
well remarks : "The time of His coming is so entirely
unknown and uncertain, that for aught that any mortal
knows to the contrary, it may occur at any moment.
No where in the New Testament is any definite period
of time interposed between the believers of any genera-
tion and the visible bodily return in glory of their absent
Lord, The entire teachings of Christ and the Apostles
were intended and adapted to produce in the hearts of
Christians the hope and the expectation of the return.
They were exhorted to wait for the Son from Heaven •
to watch for the Coming of the Son of Man, to be ready

The Second Coming of Christ,

for Him at any moment. The time was so absolutely un-
certain, that none but wicked and slothful servants
would say, *My Lord delayeth His coming,' and
this method of teaching did keep alive in the hearts of
Apostolic Christians the eager expectation, and the
longing desire and hope for their Lord's return."

" Believers of this day are eighteen centuries nearer
His coming than were the men of the first century.
"What is the attitude of the Church toward His Second
Advent ? Is there throughout the Church, the eager
hope, the longing desire for the Lord's return, that
charactei'ized the Church of the first three Christian
centuries ? Do the ministers hold up, according to the
proportion of faith the Blessed Hope, and the glorious
appearing of the great God, and our Saviour Jesus
Christ? Is there on the part of believers a waiting
watchfulness for the coming of the Son of Man? If the
time is so uncertain that no mortal knows, or can know
the day or the hour of the coming, where shall we find
the practical fruits of such uncertainty ? The unbeliev-
ing would scornfully ask ' Where is the promise of His
coming' ? And alas ! many professed servants say, * My
Lord delayeth His Coming, He will not return till the
close of the Millennium.' And thus this most gracious
and glorious truth of the Word is emptied of its power,
and the Church is defrauded of the comfort and strength
in this Blessed Hope. Meanwhile the progress of human-
ity — the development of the race— the dawn of the Millen-
nuim — the future golden age — the triumph of the Gospel
— the conquest ot the world for Christ — even Death the
last enemy — are substituted for the Eeturn of the Bride-
groom Himself, in bodily visible glory. No wonder

The Ever present Hope of tlie Ch urch.

that having lost sight of her absent Lord, and the
promise of His return, the Church is now saying I am
rich and have need of nothing, knowing not, that she
is wretched and miserable and poor, and blind and
naked."

"If all discussions of the times and seasons, all arbi-
trary and unscriptural fixing of the exact order ol the
' last things' could cease, and the promise of the return
of Jesus be exalted to its proper Scriptural place of the
Blessed Hope, the gain both to the believer and to the
church would be incalculable."

"Surely the heart of every saint ought to thrill with
unutterable joy at the thought of beholding the
glorified form of the Son of Man. Surely, 1 come quick-
ly, saith the Lord. Let our hearts and lips respond,
even so Come, Lord Jesus." (The Pres. Review.)

V. T/iis Jlope entered into the Personal jEkperienoe of
primitive Christians for enoouragement and comfort in
th^y present life and was intended for. all Christians until
its realization. This gave it such signal power in
their lives. And it had this effect because of the posi-
tion actually occupied by believers of that day. They
were risen with Christ, and this was not a mere senti-
ment ur article of a creed. There was a reality in the
words of the Holy Spirit to the Ephesians, —" hath raised
lis up together, and made us sit together in heavenly
places in Christ Jesus," which could only result from
the constant hearing in the Spirit, " the preaching of
Jesus and the Resurrection." This testimony concern-
ing the riicn Christ so came from the view of Him by
faith, and the abiding in His presence that the power of
His resurrection was felt, and manifested in the unceas*

The. Second Coming of Christ :

ing energies of the carlv Clmrcli. No one will be govern-
ed by tlie ever present Hope of the coming Christ who
does not enjoy the abiding presence of the Risen Christ.
Thus when Paul was longing to know tlie power of His
resurrection, and the fellowship ot His sufferings, being
made conformable unto His death, He also said in the
Holy Spirit "I press toward the mark, for the prize of
the (up) calling of God in Christ Jesus" — referring lo
resurrection — and then declares his citizenship to be in
Heaven, whence he and all who believe with him look
for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ : " who shall
change the body of our humilation, that it may be fash-
ioned like unto His glorious body." This is the transla-
tion of the living believer. Here from his risen state in
the Lord he longs for Jesus, and is stimulated by the
prize held out to the resurrected and translated saint.
That this was a part of his habitual experience under
this hope is seen in the grand pean of this heroic
martyr, when awaiting his death sentence.

" I am now ready to be offered.''

" 1 have fought a good fight."

" I have finished my course."

" I have kept the faith."

" Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of right-
eousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge shall give
to me in that day: And not to mo only, but unto all them
also that love His appearing." Tills expericncehad been
the apostle's working capital. Thie, under the divine
Spirit, had stimulated him in many fierce encounters
with the foes of Christ. He had been girded many a
time, when just ready to give up by this divine view of
his crown, to be laid up on high as placed upon his brow

TJie Everpreaent Hope of the Church.

for the glory of His Master. And what was strength for
him, and help for him, and encouragement to him on
the dusty and dangerous road of life, is the same, iie
Holy Ghost declares, for all them that love His appear-
ing. Let us ponder that word '•Love." It is not
"accept" nor "believe" nor feebly "assent" to the divine
truth of His appearing, but to them that " love" His
appearing. The coveteous man, be he minister or lay-
man, does not love his Lord's appearing, for it would
hinder his growing greed of gain. The worldly man
does not love His appearing, for it would interrupt some
very important plans of his present life. Brethren, do
we not need great grace to hold this hope of the immi-
nent return of our Lord, in the love of it and not merely
from an intellectual or logical conviction. The experi-
ence of this Hope is also evident in the faithful ministry
of Paul to the Colossians, when he says "to whom God
would make known what is the riches of the glory of
this mystery among the Gentiles, which k Christ in you
the hope of glory whom we preach, warning every man,
and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may^r^-
sent every man perfect in Christ Jesus.^^ Here we see
the results of service are to be presented to the Lord at
His return in glory and if a believhig child of God.
closes his eyes to this hope, declares it to be still a
mystery, while God says (Col. i. 26) it " is now made
manifest to His saints" how can his service receive the
blessing of the Holy Spirit or bring a blessing to his
own heart.

But the experience of the hope of the Lord's coming
is expressly given to comfort us under the shadows of
the grave, and the ruthless assaults ot him, who has the

The Second Coming of Christ.

power of dsath. Of no other truths revealed in the
whole Bible, has the Holy Spirit eaid to the mourn-
ing disciples of Jesus, "Comfort one another with these
words." In the tenderest sympathy, with all sorrowing
believers, the Lord has written to us "We would not
have you ignorant, brethren, concerning them that fall
asleep : that ye sorrow not, even as the rest which have
110 Ao^e." Then many will die, who have no hope in
their death. What this hope is — immediately follows.
It is ou" express revelation in details :

First — Those who have fallen asleep in Jesus will
God bring with Him — that is as He raised Him from
the grave.

Second — We that are alive shall in no wise precede —
or come before them.

Third — The Lord Himself shall descend from Heaven
with a shout, with the voice of the Archangel and with
the trump of God.

Fourth — The dead in Christ shall rise first.

Fifth — We that are alive, that are lett, shall together
with them be caught up in the clouds.

Sixth — To meet the Lord in the air,

Seventh — So shall we ever be with the Lord — no more
parting— together with all in Him — recognition — re-
union.

These details fix the truth of resurrection unto life
announced by our Lord in John v. 29; and declared in
Rev. XX. 6; to be the first resurrection of those who
" lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years." "The
rest of the dead," who have no hope in the coming of
the Lord a second time, "lived not until the thousand
years should be finished." How can the children of

The Everpresent Hope of the Church,

God, who live on this hope — ever looking to their risen
Lord — ever looking for their coming Lord — mourn for
their departed ones who are fallen on sleep in Jesus —
as those do, who know Him not, and have J' no hope !"
Is it not a denial before men of the most precious hope
God has given ? Is it not dishonoring to the Spirit of
God, who offers this precious consolation from the very
presence of Christ? The Lord declares the blessed hope
of His appearing, so that our eyes being lifted to Him
and resting on this word of promise — may iBnd even
now the dark chasm of the grave eternally bridged — and
for the believer, death abolished forever !

VI. The return of Jesus for His people — as an ever-
present hope — becomes the strongest incentive to diligence
in evangelizing the world. To preach the Gospel of
grace, to every creature, has been the standing order to
the Church for nearly nineteen centuries. For three
liundred years looking for the Lord, the Church obedient
to the last command, went into all the then known world,
and carried the message of salvation, stimulated by the
ascension message — "This same Jesus — shall so come" —
To preach this Gospel in this way, has been the Divine
plan of bringing sinners to Christ, in every part of this
Dispensation. God has made no mistakes. The Holy
Spirit has fulfilled His office in each generation of the
race since our Lord ascended. His work has been no
failure. And yet the multitudes unsaved increase faster ,
every year, than those saved.

In saying this we do not minify the number of the
covenant seed given to Christ. We are as.«^ured that an
innumerable host will surround the Tlirone of His glory
in Heaven. This host will embrace that portion of our

The Second Coming of Chrint.

l'»

raco, tlio largest part— who have not sinned after the
likeness of Adaui'w tningrcssion. It will also incliulo all
who have received the Lord Jesus by faith, and followed
Uitri in their life. Yet when wo romoniber the answer
of our Lord to the Jew who asked Uiin, "are there few
that be saved?" "Strive to enter in at the strait fj^afo ;
for many, I say unto you will seek to enter in and shall
not bo able." We may well (joimider the present state
of professed believers — for to none others eould the answer
a])i)ly. And if our Lord thus spoke to a self-righteous —
moral— j-ormal — deluded — conceited — and arrogant peo-
ple — these words so contrary to the pride — and hope —
and expectation of the children of Abraham — what
would lie say were He now to speak to the Church, of
which the Jewish body was the typo ? With all the lij^lit
oftheKew Testament, poured out by the lloly Spirit
on the darkness of the world— for nineteen centur-
ies — we can have no uncertain answer to this question.
It is written in bold letters by the pen of inepiration
"Because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot,
I will spew thee out of my mouth " But the gospel of
grace is one thing, and the gospel of the kingdom is quite
another. The one is to the sinner for his salvation, and
(jualiiication as ruler of the <H)niing kingdom. The other
is of the coming kingdom. The latter was preached by
John the Bai)tist — our Lord — the twelve and the seven-
ty. The nation refused the kingdt)m. The Lord told
them Matt. xxi. 43 ; it should be taken from them atid
given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof. The
preaching of Christ to lost sinners, in this Dispensation
is to get that nation. Man looks upon the Gosi)el as an
economy for saving the race. That economy in God's

The Everprcacnt Hope of the Church.

rcveliition lies beyond the present one. Tlie bleescd
Hope of the Lord's return to tlio air pavilioned in ^lory
to reeeive His own J'ride, is tlie briglit, the morninji;
star, tlnitsliiili nslier in tlie Day of tlie Lord. The Gos-
pel of the kingdom is now being proaehed the wide
globe around, tor a witness to all nations. Meantime
wo have the word of prophecry — more sure — from tlie
startling and rapid fulfillment of the things predi(;ted in
the last davs. " Whereunto, we do well to take heed in
cm* hearts, as unto a lamp shining in u squalid plaee —
until the day dawn, and the day star arise!"

V J 1. 2' he (Jomiiuj of the Lord —as an ever present hope^
ia adapted to secure in the hest vmy^ the purpose of this
age— the ingathering of firstfruitu — the Pentecostal
haroesty through resurrection and translation. Wo tor-
get often, that the Lord lias definitely revealed the scale
of reckoning that governs His heavenly actions. Wo
are by nature prone to strong expectations in the future.
Therefore lie has bid us to run with patience the earthly
race looking unto Jesus, the Author and Ender of
faith. And in this earthly race, ho has bidden every be-
liever to bo a witness for Ilim before sinners, lie has
promised to make this testimony sure and fruitful. "Lo,
1 am with you to the end of the age." The indwelling
of the Holy Spirit fulfills this, and as Ho takes of the
things of Christ and shows them to the believer the un-
folding of this Divine Hope shines out of the luminous
pages of the New Testament with increasing clearness.

The apprehension of this Hope is the revelation of the
Holy Spirit to the believer as really as the revelation
of Christ to him began liis divine life. No truth is
known by any sinner till taught him by the Spirit of

The Second Coming of Christ :

*
«'

'f'

God. And all who know this blessed hope, can remem-
ber something of the way in which they have been led.
Many years since I was deeply interested in knowing
this hope for present joy, and read the writings of belov-
cd men of God in favor of it, and of them opposed to it
without being convinced of the truth. I was not on the
fence, but earnestly desired to know definitely the
power of this Blessed Hope. Receiving no light, I con-
tinued to teach the truths I had learned from the Spirit
concerning the Lord. At length, leading a large adult
class, in the consecutive study of Holy Scriptures we
were led to search for the meaning of the text, by com-
paring Scripture with Scripture, praying for light, and
not quoting first the opinions of men, or giving our own.
Having thus gone through many books of the Bible we
went through the Gospel of John within four years, three
times. The first time we were taken up with the ordin-
ary meaning of the words. The second time the Holy
Spirit was discerned in great clearness by many, reveal-
ing Jesus to us as a most precious Saviour, living now and
exercising His holy and prevalent intercession. The
third time we seemed to sit with the disciples, at the
feet of Jesus Himself — seeing Him bv faith in the
Heavenly Place, and rejoicing to hear His voice, in the
words He spake to us every day. It was really John
XV. 7, with many of that class. Abiding in Him, and
His words abiding in us, it was easy to pray, and to re-
ceive that for which we prayed. After a most delight-
ful study in the closing chapter of the Gospel, one bright
Lord's Day, as I walked home from the class, the thought
flashed into my mind — the Lord Jesus opens that Day
of a thousand years, as well as closes it by personal man-

The JSverpresent Hope of the Church,

ifestation of Himself. I have that truth fastened in my
mind by the Holy Spirit from that day to this. Jesus
will come. At any day He may fill all believing hearts
with joy —by giving them bodies like His own — bodies
of glory — in which they shall glorify Him forever. Sub-
sequently through the similar process of searching the
Scripture — to see and hear and know the Lord Himself
speaking to me — I was led to see the truth of the two
Resurrections, as fitting His Manifestation of Himself, at
the opening and closing of the Day of a thousand years.
Later still, the position, and place, and promise to the
Jews came out plainly on the scroll of Prophecy. And
as in the deepening twilight — to the searching gaze of
the uplifted eye, star after star shines forth in resplendent
beauty, till the whole Heavens is ablaze in the jewell-
ed night — so to the reverent eye of faith — uplifted
through the increasing darkness of the present age — there
breaks forth from the firmament of the Divine Scrip-
ture the thickening truths of Eternal promise — each
in its order and beauty— lighting us forward to the dawn
of an Eternal Day.

We are met, beloved brethren, to look into the words
of hope and joy sent to us from our Lord, concerning His
return. The Hope which has tlms far been the guiding
star of the church, by Divine appointment, will soon be
realized. "The Lord will come." "And now, little
children, abide in Him, that when He shall appear, we
may have confidence and not be ashamed before Him at
His Coming." 1 John ii. 28.

THE PRACTICAL POWER OF THIS HOPE

IN THE

FORMATION OF CHRISTIAN CHARACTER.

V,Y

REV. W . J. E R 1) M A N

■M-

THE PRACTICAL POWER OF THIS HOPE

IN THE

FORMATION OF CHRISTIAN CHARACTER.

REV. W. J. ERDMAN.

IT is written of the saints at Rome *'Ye become obed-
ient from the heart to that form of teaching where-
unto ye were delivered". Rom. vi. 17.

The teaching was like a type whose impress they receiv-
ed, like a mould into which their thoughts and life were
run, and to whose form and pressure they yielded them-
selves.

Whatever teaching was given to them is given to us
who are ot the same body with them ; and for whom the
same epistle was written. The "common faith", Titus
i. 4, of all the epistles is the one unchanging pattern by
which to work ; the perfect royal law of the new man ;
the mirror of the glory of the Son of God into whose
image the beholder is changed.

The believer in Christ Jesus is not at liberty to become
a Christian of any fashion he may choose. Once for all

•^•ttt^kiMmm^^

li I

Tha Practical Power of this ilojye

tlie ideal of saints is portrayed in the divine Word, and
to it and to it alone the believer must be conformed ; and
thv one characteristic imparting tone and harmony and
a laminouB glorj to all the features and graces together
is the hope and love ot the second appearing of the Son
of God.

Since every virtue and holy excellence of the Christ-
ian is related in the Scripture to this great expectation,
it follows that ignorance or disobedience of the express
command to watch and wait for the Son of God from
heaven, or any substitution for His personal return, must
result either in a defective development of the new nature
or in an experience not so spiritual and heavenly as it
otherwise might have been.

It is not meant that the possession of this one char-
acteristic will make up for the lack of other graces or
that all who are looking for the Lord are more holy and
heavenly-minded *han those who put far off his return
or substitute other events for it; but rather that any be-
liever however great his love of the Lord and his devo-
tion to him may have been up to a given time, will find
on the belief of this all touching truth from the hearty
his heavenly mindedness increase, his sympathies deepen
and broaden according to a fuller knowledge of God's
purposes and plans in times past and present and for
the ages to come.

To more than one Christian therecG;ji.ion of this truth
was — to use a too familiar phrase, like a ''second conver-
sion," and all life thenceforth took on new form and color;
to some it came like a trumpet blast to rouse from spirit-
ual lethargy and death ; and for others it cut the last
tie of worldliness, and forever dissipated the dream of a

• -

« •

« 9

« •

In the formation of Christian Character.

« »

« «

permanent improvement of the world in its present form,
and of the earth as the abode of everlasting righteous-
ness and enduring peace before the Lord comes ; and
for all, its necessary tendency is to lift the soul to a
height and air of vivid personal relations and convereo
with the Son of God.

Nor is it the purpose of God since the apostolic day
that anything should for motive and for influence take
the place of the " blessed hope." His providence of a
seeming delay does not set aside his written word. lie
has hidden counsels we know not of, but our duty is to
work and watch and wait. He is his own interpreter of
his own mysteries. Nor can death be made the source
of motives of holy life and endeavour.

Whatever may be the blessed state of saints between
death and the resurrection, it is not the time according
to the Scriptures of reward, or of inheritance, or of sov-
reignty, or of manifested glory.

All these and their implied mystoriesof holy, reverent,
loving fellowship with the Lord and perfected powers of
spirit, soul, and body for the exercise of royal and priest-
ly ministries belong to " his appearing" and "tliat day."
It was a Paul once caught up to the third heavens
and hearing unspeakable words, who would overleap
this interval of waiting; " not for that we would be un-
clothed, but clothed upon that mortality might be swal-
lowed up of life " ; 2 Cor. v. 4; and knowing all this as
possible only at the return of the Lord, he also wrote
when aged and with this interval as likely for him : " I
have fought the good fight, I have II lished the course, I
have kept the faith, henceforth there is laid up for mo
the crown of righteousness which the Lord, the righteous

Tfie Praotioal Power of this Hope

'i'

judge, shall give me at that day, and not to me only, but
unto all them also that (have loved) love his appearing,"
2 Tim, iv. 7, 8.

How true to the word but contrary to modern " ad-
vanced thought," in the pulpit and out of it, is the
prayer of the English burial service touching this point
and to which our longing hearts must ever respond :

" That it may please Thee shortly to accomplish the
number of thine elect, and to hasten thy kingdom, that
we with all those that are departed in the true faith of
thy holy name, may have our perfect consummation and
bliss, both in body and soul, in thy eternal and ever-
lasting glory, through Jesus Christ our Lord."

This doctrine therefore, that had so much to do with
the life and character of a Paul and of all the saints to
whom he and the other apostles preached and wrote, just
as vitally concerns us who are heirs of the same promis-
es and predestinated to be conformed to the same image.
And no one can deny, with a Paul and a John in mind,
that such a belief, even in the case of a saint already
possessing graces and virtues to a high degree, tends to
perfect and complete, to elevate and illumine all.

Hours could be given to the confessions of saintly men
and women confirmatory of this statement ; but in brief,
only a few testimonies of saint and scholar will be ad-
duced. Bengel sa^-s (1 Th. i, 10) " To wait for the Son of
God is the most appropriate mark of a true Christian ;
Alford. (1 Cor. i. 7.) Such waiting '* is the greatest
proof of maturity and riclmess of the spiritual life" ;
Riggenbach (1 Th. iv. 13-18) "when the life of faith rules
in due force we again meet likewise with the apos-
tolic hope and aspiration in living freshness. That watch-

In the formation of Christian Cha/racter, 83

))

that

.»

ing and hoping are bo unfamiliar to us is a defect. The
more we become heavenly in our character and thoughts
the more also does the stream of human history appear
to us as a hasting towards the coming of the Lord ;" and
Luther was hardly willing to consider any one a Christian
wlio did not eageriy long for the " day ot Christ,"

These and many other testimonies might be given
touching the power of this hope to impart to Christian
life and experience fullness and symmetry, depth and
richness ; but the mind of the Lord in his Word must be
at this time preclude even the most positive human tes-
timony. So very large a proportion of the Word would
never have been given to this doctrine if it were not in-
tended to have a fundamental and permanent relation to
the upbuilding of the Christian on his most holy faith.

A brother in the Lord, well known and beloved as a
witness of th?.3 great truth, affirms ^' It is mentioned 318
times in the 260 chapters that make up the New Testa-
ment; or, \i the whole book is divided into verses it oc-
cupies one of 25 verses from the first of Matthew to the
last of Revelation." J. H. Brookes in " Present Truth."

The testimony of the Word on this subject may be
considered in regard to tho Faith and Love and Hope of
tlie Christian.

I. The Faith of the Christian as to salvation and ser-
vice and sufferings is in the earliest and latest apostolic
testimony inseparable from the Return of our Lord.

1. In his first epistle Paul directs the eyes of believers
heavenward to look for their coming Saviour ; " ye turn-
ed from idols to serve the living and true God and to
wait for his Son from heaven whom he raised from tho

The Practical Power of this 11' pe

dead, even Jesus which delivered us from the wrath tc
come." 1 Thess, i. 9, 10.

Of the consummation of their salvation as pos-
sible in their life time at His coming, this word is ad-
ded ; " For God hath not appointed its to wrath, but to
obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for
us that whether we watch (are watching) or sleep (sleep-
ing) we should live together with him." 1 Thess, v. 9-10.

The importance and power of this truth in the mind
of the apostle to mat are the laith of converts just rescu-
ed out of the ignorance and abominations of paganism,
may be seen in the allusions and reraindings of his
epistles, how in his brief sojourn of about three weeks
among these Thessalonians he had given them much
teaching on this subject ; and the cry ot the mob that
raged through the streets of their city " These all do con-
trary to the decree of Caesar, saying that there is another
king, one Jesus," (Acts xvii. 7 ;), is an attesting echo of
this important teaching.

In latest epistles is found this same use of the doctrine
to keep in ceaseless exercise faith and the sense of a
nearness to the unseen things of the groat salvation.
" For our citizenship is in heaven from whence also we
look for the Saviour the Lord Jesus Christ." Phil. iii. 20.
" Who are kept by the power of C-rod through faith unto
salvation ready to be revealed in the last time." 1 Pet„
v. 5. " Being confident ot this very thing, that he which
hath begun a good work in you will perform (perfect) it
until the daj? of Jesus Christ." Phil. v. 6. "Unto thorn
that look for hiin shall apj^ear the second time without
sin unto salvation." Ileb. ix. 28,

rath tc

In the formation of Christian Character, 85

2. Believers as the eervants of the Lord should keep
his Coming in view.

The three gospels present him to us as the pattern
Servant ever going about doing good, and the fourth as
the faithful and true Witness, At the close of the for-
mer he leaves us as his servants, "to every man his
work," and commanding all to watch for his return; at
the cloEC of the latter he is maniiested as the Lord of all
allotting to some of his witnesses sufferings and death
before he returns, and to oihers that of tarrying till He
comes, as for an event ever possible before the end of the
apostolic lifetime, and therefore possible in every life-
time since. Matt.- xxiv. 43-51; xxv. 14.30; Mark xiii. 32-
37; Luke xxi. 34-36; John xxi. 18-23.

When the Acts of his servants are about to begin,
their last look at their ascending Lord is forever joined
to the hearing of the words "This same Jesus which is
taken up from you into heaven shall come in like man^
ner as ye have seen him go into heaven." Acts i, 11,
This promise not only strikes the key note of all joyful
praise and vrorshij: of adoring disciples, (Luke xxiv. 51-
53,) but also imparts a bles-ed softening tone to the un-
changed order " Occupy till i come." Luke xix. 11-28.
It keeps " the good servant" in an attitude of soul
watchful because "not knowing the time ;" Mark xiii. 38;
circumspect, "because the days are evil ;" Eph, v. 15-16;
prayerful lest becoming unwary he incl'iie to say, my
Lord delayethhis coming; Matt. xxiv. 58-61; or tempted
by the scientific spirit of this evil age, with mockers
deny and scoff at the possibility of the coming; ready,
as conscious of doing faithful work; faith iul, and yet heed-
ing the word; "judge nothing before the time until tUe

The Practical Power of this Hope

Lord come who will both bring to light the hidden
things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of
the hearts, and then shall every man have praise of God."
1 Oor. iv. 5; Matt. xvi. 27. In brief, the whole church as
one body is seen in the Scriptures while in the exercise
and use of all gifts "waiting for the coming of our Lord
Jesus Christ who shall also confirm you unto the end that
ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus
Christ." 1 Cor. i. 7-8.

Is the day evil and the soul of a Timothy fearful, there
comes from the old soldier whose hard service is almost
ended, that ancient military word transmitting from
officer to officer the order of the chiet commander, " O
man of God I charge thee in the sight of God who
quickeneth all things and of Jesus Christ who before
Pontius Pilate witnessed the good confession that thou
keep the commandment without spot unrebukeable un-
til the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ." 1 Tim. vi.
13-16; i. 3; i. 5; i. 18; iv. 11; v. 7; vi. 17.

To nourish a joyful spirit in all who toil in love, th e
exulting word is recorded "for what is our hope or joy
or crown of glorying ? Are not even ye in the presence
our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming V 1 Thes. ii. 10.
In view of the first resurrection and the reward of labor
the exhortation comes, "Wherefore my beloved brethren,
be ye steadfast, immoveable, always abounding in the
work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labor
is not in vain in the Lord." 1 Cor. xv. 58.

3. Believers should endure suffi3rings in viewot the Re-
turn of the Lord. Peter whoso death for the glory of God
the Lord foretold him could well write to his fellows in tri-
bulation : "Beloved, think it not strange concerning the

« *

LL-

e hidden
mnsels of
of God."
iliurch as
I exercise
our Lord
end that
rd Jesus

ill, there
3 almost
ig from
der, " O
od who
► before
lat thou
able un-
Tim. vi.

)ve, the
I or joy
)resenco
i. ii. 19.
)f labor
•cthrcii,
in the
ir labor

the Ro-
of God
* in tri-
ing the

Tn the formation of Christian Character. 87

fiery trial among you which cometh upon you to prove
you, as though a strange thing happened unto you, but
inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings rejoice,
that at the revelation of his glory also ye may rejoice
with exceeding joy." 1 Pct.lv. 12-13; i. 7; 2 Cor. iv. 17-18,

Not one word of Scripttiro teaches that the suffering's
of the Church end or the glories begin before the Lord
comes. With tender irony the apostle, knowing too well
what filth and offscouring the apostles were in the eyes
of the world, rebuked the Corinthian Christians for their
unseasonable behaviour in acting aa if they were already
reiignng. Not yet had the day come when the saints shall
judge the world and angels to whom once they had been
•' a spectacle" 1 Cor. iv. 9, vi. 1-7.

But what marvellous patience and fortitude, and meek-
ness and gentleness and courteousness and sympathetic
power to comfort each other, these trials of faith devel-
oped in view of the day of Christ and the glory then to
be revealed. Rom. viii. 18.

The touch of suffering like graver's tool or nail-stroke
of the sculptor but brought out in high relief and deli-
cate lines the likeness of the Son of God. To be likest
him in humilation may be nearest him in glory. Through
what a gamut of virtues the exhortations of suffering
arc made to run; patience and joy, forbearance and
silent; endurance; self-denial and perseverance ; cheer-
fulness and hope.

" Be patient brethren until the coming of the Lord;"
Jas. V. 7. " Avenge not yourselves, beloved, but give
place unto the wrath, for it is written ^ engeance belong-
eth unto me, I will recompengc, saitli the Lord ;" Rom,
xii. 19 ; draw not back, ye have need of patience, the

The Practioal PoiOer of this Hope

just shall live by faith! *'for yet a little while — how
short ! how short! the Coming One will be here, and will
not delay." (Kotherhani.) Heb. x. 32-39.

And to all who would overcome and persevere through
faith, the word through "f^e long and hope-deferred
years has been, "But that which ye have, hold fast till I
come." " Behold 1 come quickly ; hold that fast which
thou hast, that no man take thy crown." Rev. ii. 25 ; iii.
11. "Let us then hold fast * * the day is approach-
ing." Heb. X. 23, 25.

II. The Love of the Christian which is the informing
spirit of Holiness is inseparable from the Return of our
Lord.

" The Lord make you to increase and abound in love
one toward another, and toward all men even as we do
toward you, to the end he may establish your hearts un-
blameable in holiness before God even our Father at the
coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints." 1
Thess. iii. 12, 13 : v. 23; Phil. i. 9-11.

1. But as our love of God and of men springs out ot
his love to us it is well to note first of all, that the ex-
pectation of Lord's return is used by the Holy Spirit to
keep us in the experience and enjoyment of the love
of God to usward. The Lord Jesus in his prayer de-
clared of his brethren "thou hast loved them as thou
hast loved me," but he associates this love as with its
deepest expression, with the glory they are to share
with him; John xvii. 22-26 ; and in a later day of in-
creasing lawlessness and mocking denial of the coming
the exhortation ot Jude is heard. " But ye beloved,
building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying
ill the Holy Ghost, keep yourselves in the love of Godj

In the formation of Christian Character. 89

let king fcr the mercy of the Lord Jesus Christ lUito
eternal life." Jndo 20-21 ; John xv. 4-10.

2, Our love of God and of Christ is drawn forth and
illumined by the rays of His coming glory, and is one
with the hope that maketh rrot ashamed. This glory is
viewed as ever so near and so ready to burst into the
vision of the waiting Sons of God, its foregleams already
so gild the heavens to the eye of faith and love that it
is written " Whom having not seen ye love, in whom
though now ye see him not, yet believing ye rejoice
with joy unspeakable and f\dl of glory P 1 Pet. i. 8 .
Rom. v. 5.

Our confession of love as individual believers now, is
linked to His confession of us herea^'ter at His coming,
and our corporate confession in the Lord's Supper of
His love and of oar love continues till He come ; 1 Cor.xi.
2fi. How pertinent then though startling that la?t word
of the epistle, "If any man love not the Loni Jesus let him
be anathema. Maranatha." (Our Lord cometh.) 1 Cor.
w. 22 ; Matt. x. 82 ; Luke xii. 38.

3. Our love of each other as holy ones is bound to
the same hope. 1 Th. iii. 12, 13. Our moderation or
courteous compliance which will not always insist upon
rights says "The Lord is at hand ;" Phil. iv. 5 ; and so
our willingness to be defrauded rather ; 1 Cor. vi. 1-4;
and oirr unwillingness to judge or murmur against each
other ; Jas. v. 9 ; Rom. xiii, 10 ; in a word, the self-
denial of love has its perfect work only in the all-illum-
ing hope of His appearing. So conjoined are perfection
in holines^3 and the Coming of the Lord, in the epistles
of Paul, that whether holiness be considered negatively
as " the old man" put oft' or positively as " the new

■tiifiMiiHta. —

The Practical Power of this Hope

.»>

man" put on, it is enforced by the appeal to the fate
that believers are looked upon as having died and risen
and ascended with Christ and as about to issue forth
with him in glory at any moment ; and the long descrip-
tive list of the old man and of the new man includes
about every vice and every virtue, and all as to be put
off or put on because of that appearing with him in glory.
Col. iii. 1-4, 6. The key-thought is Be what you are ;
holy, sinless Sons of God ; new and heavenly men ;
belonging up there and only waiting to be manifested
such as you are in princely majesty and power. "The
very God of peace sanctify you wholly, and your whole
spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the
coming of our Lord Jesus Christ." 1 Th. v. 22. And
Paul sums up all holiness God ward and man ward and
selfward (1 Pet. i. 13; iv. 7) in connection with "the
Lord Jesus Christ our hope." 1 Tim. i. 1, "For the
grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to
all men, teaching us that denying ungodliness and
worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously and
godly in this present world, looking for that blessed hope
and the glorious appearing of the great God and Saviour
Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us that he might re-
deem us from all iniquity and purify unto himself a
peculiar people zealous of good works." Titus ii. 21 24,
Likewise Peter (2 i. 5-11) links the chain of holy graces
from faith to charity both to the entrance into the com-
ing kingdom at our Lord's return in power and glorj^
and to the study of the word of prophecy which like a
lamp in a dusky, dismal place shines on till the day
dawn and the day star arise. 2 i. 12-21.
Above all the Spirit speaking through John to those

)

In the Jormation of Ghriaiian Character. 91

i to the fate
i and risen
issue forth
mg descrip-
n includes
IS to be put
m in glory,
t you are ;
Bnly men ;
manifested
ver. "The
your whole
88 unto the

22. And
nward and
«^^ith ''the

"For the
3peared to
iness and
)U8ly an(J
3S8ed hope
id Saviour
might re-
himself a

ii. 21 24.
)ly graces

the com-
nd glory,
[ih like a

the day

to thOBO

who have partaken ul llic divine nature uses language
cnccrning the life eternal iu believers that almost
blends in one earth and heaven, the present abiding in
the Son of God and his instant coming. The holy lilc
and walk is under a near and open heaven into which
they may be called in a moment, and out of which they
shall bemade man ifest even in an external splendor and ma-
jesty becoming their high estate; and therefore this eternal
life which is now in the children of God as light and love is
seen in John, as in Paul and Peter and James and Jude, in
each essential element, wrought out in the fullest, freest
form only in the love and hope of " his appearing."

That life of God, from God, for God, awaiting its per-
fection at the return of our Lord is then associated
throughout the Word in each trait and virtue with the
love of that appearing. Only by abiding in Him who
is the Life Eternal can we grow in His likeness ; but
then too most ivvdy in remembrance of this word " And
now little children, abides in him; that if he shall be
manifested, we may have boldness, and not be ashamed
before him at his coming." 1 John ii. 28.

Ill, The Hope of the Christian with its Objects and
their peculiar motives of holy living is inseparable from
the Return of our Lord.

Because as has been seen the believer looks to the
momentous future not on'.y as serving and suffering now,
but specially for perfection and freedom from all that
stains and darkens and dwarfs, therefore of all peculiar-
ities of the Christian none should be more significant
than hope and its rejoicing, than hopefulness and its "cheer-
ful courage ;" but this springs not out of a vague fantas-
tic optimism which in philosophic form and poetic phrase

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23 WEST MAIN STRICT

WEBSTER, N.Y. 14580

(716) •72-4503

'9>

The Practical Power of this Iloin

has aft'cctcd even tlie professed people and iniiiisters
of God, but it rests upon the firm foundation of the di-
vine Word, and the attesting facts of a groaning crea-
tion and of a battle-tossed age from whoso woes and
whose bondage of corruption there can be no deliverance
until He comes with the Sons of God to "have dominion
also from sea to sea and trom the river unto the ends of
the earth." Ps. Ixxii. 8.

Tliere is no fear, no trouble, no anxiety, no sorrow, no
pain which is not in some way alleviated or enlightened,
if not altogether removed and the soul made full of
courage, peace, and joy by the remembrance of the
Father's house and of the promise of the Lord to come
again and receive us unto himself. John xiv. 1-3.

The grave opened to receive the bodies of beloved
ones who have fallen asleep in Jesus is to the eye of
hope not more open than the heavens from whence with
trumpet sound He might even then appear. 1 Th. iv IS-
IS ; 1 Cor. XV. 20-ii3, 50-5S.

In this hope believers are exhorted to comfort each
other, and to become a true Comforter is to be most like
God the Holy Spirit. In this hope were we saved, and
with joyful patience are ardently awaiting the redemp-
tion of the body, for in this body of our huniliation we
groan and it is not meet for the d'gnity of our Souship
and fellowship with Christ. Rom. viii. 18-25. In thla
hope we can feel a more than poetic sympathy with a
groaning creation enthralled in its bondage of corruption
foi* He is coming at whoso transforming word of power not
only will the body be changed but the earth itself, "and
the wilderness become a fruitful field and the fruitfu 1
field be counted for a forest" and the very air be

iiisters
lie (li-
; crca-
s and
eiance
ninion
nds of

ow, no
itcued,
full of
of the
come

)eloved

eye of

5e with

, iv 13-

t each
33t like
d, and
demp-
lou wo
oiiship
In till 6
with a
•uption
7Qi' not
"anl
Tttitfu 1
air be

In the forviation of Christian Character. 93

cleansed of tlio demonic intlucnces that now so mysteri-
ously infect this suffering race. In this hope believers
can afford to sit loosely to the things of this world and
confess themselves to be strangers and pilgrims on the
earth with the elder men ot faith who knew the promi-
ses could not be fulfilled until the city of God had been
prepared and their Redeemer appeared in glory, llel).
xi. 8-16. In this hope the Sons of God are serving
being mindful of the kingdom promised to them tliat
love him, (J as. ii. 5), and are perfecting a holy character
according to the pattern of all lowly, kingly ways the
King himself once set them when he came " not to be
ministered unto but to minister and to give his life a
ransom for many." Matt. xx. 28. In a world that knows
them not they walk in strange consciousness ot a heaven-
ly country and holy city, princes in training for sov-
reignty, priests perfecting for an invisible temple. 1
John iii. 1-3. Rev. i, 5. In this hope hallowing and
illumining every thought and aspiration of a boundless
future they would walk, worthy of the calling where-
with they are called and live holy, blameless lives, not
only in remembrance, of him who loved them and gave
liimsolf for them, but also in view of the holy solemni-
ties of the great day of their presentation unto him
before the presence of his glory, 1 Th. ii. 12 ; Eph. v.
22-27 ; Jude 23-25.

But, to sum up all, this hope considered solely
with reference to the believer as working out salvation,
sanctifying life in all its relations, enforcing duties, sup-
porting sufferings, would not be so full ot power to de-
velop, mould, establish, if it were not made so unspeak-
ably blessed by our Lord's own ardent desire to come

94 The Practical Power of this Ilope^ <&c.

for us that we may be with Him forever. For a belie-
ver, born from above, sharing the life eternal of the
Father and the Son, belonging to the Father's house,
nothing can be more natural for him as a child of God
than to go, and to yearn to go where he by birth be-
longs ; but all this cannot compare with the love of Him
who says, and is saying in an ever present tense, "Sure-
ly I come (am coming) quickly" ; and wliose loving will
it is to have us behold His glory (John xvii. 24), and
enjoy in the radiant beauty of holiness, His presence and
love, His approval and joy. His power and soverignty ;
for we can never and shall never forget, that this un-
imaginable fellowship of life and glory is the fruit of that
love a,nd sorrow wherein he humbled himself unto
death, and that the death of the cross ; and therefore
nothing can be more necessary, more inevitable, more
instant than His coming to receive us unto Himself. It
humbles one to think of it, of this intense personal de-
sire of Jesus to come for us, and while in a sense of our
utter unworthiness we fain would shrink back, yet by it
in the same moment we are drawn forward to meet Him
for " it is just like Him."

" Behold, what manner of love the Father hath be-
stowed upon us that we should be called children ot
God, and such we are. For this cause the world know-
eth us not because it knew Him not. Beloved now are
we children of God, and it is not yet made manifest
what we shall be. Wo know that it Ho shall be mani-
fested we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him evon
as He is. And every one that hath this hope set on
Him purifieth himself even as He is puie." (1 John iii.
1-8.)

s^E n ( ( ],i Gon^iiiG OE (L^^im

AS RELATED TO THE

FIRST RESURRECTION AND THE END OF THIS AGE.

REV. T. C. DesBARRES, TORONTO.

The SGG§Hd dsf^lfig ©f Ghpisfe

AS RELATED TO THE

FIBST EESUBBECTION AND THE E17D OF THIS AGE.

REV. T. C. DESBARRES, TORONTO.

■\K

IT will be well for us as we enter upon the tlireshold
of our subject to have a clear view of the pur-
pose of God in the age that intervenes between the first,
and second coming of Christ. The purpose as set forth in
the word is of a peculiar elective character, distinguished
over previous ages in this that it is an election of sons to
glory. The Fatherhood of God in relationship to sons
of God through Jesus Christ the Son of God, is sim-
ply and grandly presented in the 17th chapter of the
Gospel according to St. John. "And this is life eternal
that they might know thee the only true God and Jesus
Christ whom thou hast sent. I have glorified thee on
earth, I have finished the work which thou gavest me to
do. And now, O Father, glorify Thou me with the
glory which I had with Thee before the world was. The
glory which Thou gavest me I hare given them ; that
they may be one as wo are one, I in them and Thou in

98 The Seoond Coming of Christ as related to the

me, that they may be perfect in one and that the world
may know that Thou has sent me and hast loved them
as thou hast loved me."

On the ground of accomplished Redemption, the Son
pleads with the Father that the Sons of God might be in-
vested with the glory that He is to be re-invested with.
Ho speaks of the glory given Him as theirs. This
language is decisive as to the identification of the
Sons of God with Jesus Christ the Son of God.
As Ho was glorified they would be glorified. If
we refer to that remarkable question put by the
disciples to our Lord after His resurrection, we have
the opening of additional truth. "Lord wilt Thou
at this time restore the kingdom to Israel ?" And He
said unto them, "It is not for you to know the times or
the seasons which the Father hath put in His own author-
ity, but ye shall receive power af.ter that the Holy Ghost
is come upon you, and ye shall be witnesses unto me
both in Jerusalem and in all Judea and in Samaria and
unto the uttermost part of the earth." And when He
had spoken these things while they beheld He was taken
up ; and a cloud received Him out of their sight. And
while they looked steadfastly toward Heaven as He went
up behold two men stood by them in white apparel which
also said, "Why stand ye gazing up into Heaven, this
same Jesus which is taken up from you into Heaven
shall so come in like manner as ye have seen Him go
into Heaven." Acts i, 6-11. We learn from this distinct
utterance that the kingdom would be restored to Israel
after the Living Head and all the members of the body
had passed into glory. When the uttermost part of the
earth had been reached, and the witnessing power was

First Resurrection and the end of this age, 99

over and the Lord had come to receive His people ac-
cording to promise, then would the words of the two
clothed in white apparel have a grand t'ultilnient. "This
same Jesus what is taken from you into heaven shall so
come in like manner as ye have seen Him go iiito
heaven." lie the Living Head and the members of the
body all gathered in manilested power shall descend on

Mount Olivet, and then the kingdom will be restored to
Israel.

In the 15th chapter of the Acts of the Apostles we
have the purpose of God as to the elective character of
the age more strikingly and more fully marked.
" Simeon hath declared how God at the lirst did visit the
Gentiles to take out of them a people for His name. And
to this agree the words of the prophets; aa it is written,
after this I will return, and will build again the taber-
nacle of David that is fallen down, and I will build
again the ruins thereof, and I will set it up that the
residue of men might seek after the Lord, and all the
Gentiles npon whom mynameis called." This language
rings with the clear ring of the purpose of God. That
purpose is clearly stated to take out of the Gentiles a
people lor His name. The Holy Ghost, through the
mouth of James, gave to the church a fresh revelation,
and this was quite in accord with what was spoken by
tlie prophets. The prophets had spoken concern-
ing the tabernacle of David being in ruins, es-
pecially the prophet Amos with the prediction of its
restoration, and the blessing that would come to
the Gentiles after that restoration was accjmplishcd,but
they gave no distinct testimony as to those who would
be taken out of the Gentiles and enter into the relation-

100 The Second Coming of OhrUt as related to the

ship and oxporieiice of Sons of God daring tlic present
ago. The Holy Ghost snpplied tlirougli James what
was lacking, so that the Old and the New Revelation were
brought into complete symphony. " After this I will
return, " after tli'3 purpose of God had been accomplish-
ed in the salvation and gloritication ot the Sons of God,
Jesus Christ the Lord of Glory was to return and build
again the tabernacle of David that had fallen down, and
the Gentile blessini^: was to follow.

that the ago whether of long
to be distinguished in the

Thus far we see
or short duration

was

purpose of God for bringing the " many Sons" uni-
ited by faith to the Risen Exalted Son — to glory.
Tney constitute the church which is the body of
(Jhrist, I mean by the Church, the mystery spoken
ot by the Apostle in his Epistle to the Ephesians
of the admission of the Gontiles as fellow-heirs with the
Jews, thus forming one body, the fulness of llim that
tilleth all in all. Whatever blessing was to bo apportioned
to the Jewish nation or to the Gentile race according
to promise would follow in due order of time. The
Church, the bady, of which Christ was the living Head
must be completed, and enter into glory, before the ap-
portionment ot blessing to any other people. While we
have the purpose of God so clearly marked throughout
this age, we see on the other hand that the age is an ago
of increasing evil. Jesus in His sermon on the Mount
has given us a view of it in the significant laiiguagc,
'•Wide is the gate, and broad is the way that leadeth to
destruction, and many there bo which go in thereat .
Matt, vii. 13.
In His address to His disciples He said, " In the

nt
lilt
ire
ill

Firsl Resurrection and t/ie end of this age. 101

world yo shall have tribulation. John xvi. 33. "If yo
wcro of the world the world would love his own,
but because yc are not of the world and I have chosen
you out of the world, therefore the world liatoth you.'
John XV. 10. In his High priestly prayer lie spoke thus :
"They are not ol the world as I am not of the world. "
John xvii. 16. Upon Ilis rejection of the Messiah re-
corded in the 12th chapter of the Gospel according to
St. Matthew, Jle gave utterance in the 13th to seven re-
markable parables opening up the mysteries of the
Kingdom, and setting forth the evil character of the age.
We have the seed of the word sown, but so mighty is
the opposing power that but a fourth part of it germin-
ates and fructifies, the wheat and the tares grow side
by side, the grain of mustard seed throws out its roots
and becomes a great tree, and the birds of evil lodge in
its branches, the leaven of iniquity swells. At a
glance we take in the situation. The instigator of all
evil is present to blind and deceive, his activities and
subtleties increasing as the end draws nigh. He is spok-
en of as the God of this age. 2 Cor. iv. 4. The power
of darkness. Col. i. 13. The Prince of thepower of the
air, the Spirit that worketh in the children of disobedi-
ence. Eph. ii. 2. But in the midst of all that deep
darkness we have the precious truth flashing forth from
the word that the redeemed blood-sprinkled company
will be delivered from this present evil age, supported
by the power that links them to their Risen, Exalted
Lord, and buoyed up by the blessed hope of His coming.
With what touching tenderness did Jesus speak to His
disciples when He saw them troubled. " I will come
again and receive you unto Myself that wherv3 1 am, there

102 7%e Second Coming of Christ as related to tlie

yo may bo also." John xiv. 3. What a cordial to quiet
their troubled hearts. After they had been called by
Jlib grace, and become objectfi of His everlasting love
they were but to rest confidently upon His promise, " I
will come again and receive you unto myself." His
language is such as to leave the impression upon their
minds that His coming might follow closely upon His
departure ; even after His Resurrection when He spoke
of the witnesses who were to bear His name to the utter-
most part of the ©arth, through the energy of the Holy
Ghost, the interval between His departure and presence
cjuld not be construed into a lengthened period.

The Apostle Paul in his epistle to the Colossians, re-
minds them at that time that the Gospel had come to them
as to all the world. Thcpurpose of God so far as they knew
had a fulfilment, so that He might at any moment ap-
pear. There was a Divine reason tor this. We see it in
the frequent exhortation ot our Lord to His Disciples to
watch tor His coming, for the day and the hour kuoweth
no man Matt. xxiv. 36 ; and in the words ot the Apostle
to wait, 1 Thess. i: 10; to watch, 1 Thess. v: 10; to look for,
Phil. iii. 20 ; and to love, 2 Tim. 8. The waiting
watching, looking, loving attitude would bring them
within the sphere of the highest honor. Wherever there
was a lack of this there would be an experience of loss.
To sj)eak of Jesus then as coming again is to speak of
resurrection, rapture and glory. There is no resurrect-
ion of the just in the New Testament without a rapture,
nor is there a rapture of the living without a resurrection
immediately preceding itof adillbrentcompany raptured
with it. Our Lord seized the opportunity that presented
itself upon the death of Lazarus to associate His coming

luiot

fdby

love

I, ''I

Uis
their

His

ipoke

ittcr-

noly

sence

First Resurrection and the end of this age^ 103

with the resurrection and rapture of believers in these re-
markable words "I am the Resurrection and the life, Ho
that believeth on mo though lie were dead yet shall he
live and ho that liveth and believeth in mo, shall never
die." John xi. 25. "I am the resurrection" referred to
the dead in Christ. "I am the life" to the Living in Him
at His coming. From what has passed before us we
conclude that tho next ^reat event in the history of our
world is thccomingjor presence of the Lord. As the living
Head had passed into glory all the members must be
glorified before any purpose of God or blessing can come
to any nation or people.

It is my purpose in this paper to confine myself as
closely as I can to the first resurrection only alluding to
other events that are to transpire to the end of the ago
as they are connected wuth it.

We notice as wo examine closely the remarkable ser-
mon delivered by our Lord on the Mount of Olives re-
corded in the 2 ith and 25th chapters of the gospel of
Matthew, that the rapture of the believing watchtul com-
pany is the sign of the presence ot Christ. As Jesus sat
on the Mount of Olives He presented before tho disciples
in response to their desire, the order of events that would
transpire to the end of the age. There was first the
destruction of Jerusalem which is past, the interval of
the rejection of the Jewish nation, their return in un-
belief as signalised by the presence of the Lord in the air,
His return in blessing with manifested power, and the
judgment of the Gentile nations. As He had said " To
shall not see me hencetorth until ye say Blessed is He
that Cometh in the name of the Lord." Matt, xxiii. 39,
it is reasonable to suppose that to the Jewish nation He

«1

104 The Second Coming of Christ as related to the

would first direct His attention in setting forth the won-
drous events and circumstances that would be connected
with their return. The prophecy furnishes a confirma-
tion of this, and thus from the 6th to the 31 st verse, in-
clusive, of the 24th chapter we have naught but details
of distress, suifering and tribulation, which they would
have to experience and pass through till the Lord was
revealed from heaven as their Messiah King. But
while we see this,we also see with our eyes wide open upon
the prophetic page, the dignity and glory that is associated
with a distinct order of people. They were to be
watchers for their coming Lord. They were not, if
they were true to their privileges as sons of God, united
by the Holy Ghost to the risen exalted Son to pass
through the tribulation, the great, the dreadful portion
of a remnant of the rejectors of tlie glorified Messiah.
The language is clear and decisive as to this blessed com
pany "as the davs of Noe were, so shall also the coming of
the Son of M an 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 Koe entered 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.
Then shall two be in the field, the one shall be taken
and the other left. Two women shall be grinding at
the mill, the one shall bo taken and the other left.
Watch therefore, for ye know not what hour your Loid
doth come." Matt. xxiv. 37-42. Such as were ready
and watchful were to be raptured before the first pang of
distress of that dread hour that was to come upon all
the world.

We learn from the 15th verse where the
abomination spoken of by Daniel the prophet was

First ResurreGtion and the end of this age. 106

ron-
jctcd
'ma-
in-

thc
was

to stand. It was to stand in the Holy place.
The people were to be regathered, the Holy
place was to be rebuilt, and the sacrifices restored. As
our Lord referred to Daniel and said, '• whoso readeth
will understand" we have but to refer to him and read
in order to understand. In the 9th chapter of His
prophetic vision we have the distinct statement that in
the midst of the seventieth week, the unaccomplished
period of time, the Prince tliat shall come, the great
leader of the Infidel nations, the mighty Head of evil
that had been gathering, would cause the sacrifice and
oblation toceaEC, and for the over-spreading of abomina-
tions that makoth desolate even until the consummation.
Dan. ix. xxvii. The whole prophecy of our Lord is clear
with regard to the closing period of this age. Three
years and a half counted backward from the 15th verse
and three years and a half (the period of the great trib-
ulation) counted forward to the close will make up the
70th week or seven years. The point of commeacement
is uncertain. There ia therefore no intervening event
between the present, and the coming or presence of the
Lord. I take it then that the presence of the Lord (I
use the word presence as it is a more suitable word to ox-
press tli>) original as it implies a lengthened perioi), I
say, I take it that the presence of the Lord in the air
covers a lengthoned period until the final coasummation ,
When Jesus comforted His disciples by the assurance ''I
will come again and receive you unto Myself." The word
"receive" in the original implied '*companionihip" the
very word tliat is used in the passage jiiit quoted. "T'lo
one shall be taken and the other left." As the taken and
the left one were both exhorted to watjh, we see at a flash

i06 The Second Coming of Christ as related to the

that they were both believers and that only on^ was
obedient to the word of the Master, and for this was
borne aloft to His presence. We conclude then that the
words of Jesus, ''I will come again and receive you unto
myself had special reference to the watchful company.
Again in the transfiguration scene we have Moses and
EUas in glorified bodies, and Peter, James, and John
taken to the Mount to witness the glory. Why the eelec
tion of these three ? Why were the remaining nine left
to contend powerlessly with the demoniac in the plain
below ? Why was the word " taketh^^ used by our Lord
here the very same word that was used in the previous
instances? Was this coincidence undesigned? While
Moses and Elias typify the order of the resuirection of
the dead and the rapture of the living, did not Peter?
James and John shadow forth the blessed company of
believers who, in the deep darkness would be watching
for the appearance of the morning star that was to usher
in the coming day.

When Peter alluded in his epistle to this scene of glori-
ous majesty he spoke on this wise "we have also a more
sure word of prophecy whereunto ye do well to take heed
in. your hearts as unto alight that shineth in a dark place
until the day dawn and the day star arise." 2 Peter i.
19. If the first Book of Moses be consulted as to any
utterance of the Holy Ghost bearing upon this subject
we have a striking type in the person of Enoch, " and
Enoch walked with God and he was not, for God took
him." Genesis vi, 24. "And the Apostle Paul refer-
ring to this transaction has said, "And was not found
because God had translated him." Heb. xi. 5. Enoch
comes before us as a type of those who were to be rap-

Urat Resv/rrectton and the end of this age, 107

tured betore the flood of tribulation would sweep over
our world. The "walking with God" implied a readi-
ness as his not being found the secrecy of the rapture.
Surely when our Lord said, "watch ye therefore and
pray always that ye may be accounted worthy to escape
all these things that shall come to pass and to stand be-
tore the son of man," Luke xxi. 36, He meant that the
watchful saint would escape some fearful trial. Surely
when He spoke from the glory to the Philadclphian
Church, " Because thou hast kept the word of my
patience I will also keep thee from the hour of tempta-
tion which shall come upon all the world to try them that
dwell upon the earth." Rev. 3. 10, He meant that
those who did not keep that word would have to face a
terrible hour. To the first epistle of the Thessalonians
1 would now direct your attention. In the 4th chapter
from the 14th verse and onward we have the Word
of the Lord "For if we believe that Jesus died and
rose again, even so them also which sleep through Jesus
will God bring with Him. For this we say unto
you by the word of the Lord that we that are alive
and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not pre-
vent them which are apleep, for the Lord Himself shall
descend from Heaven with a shout, with the voice of the
arch-angel and with the trump of God, and the dead in
Christ shall rise first. Then we which are alive and re-
main shall bo caught up together with them in the
clouds to meet the Lord in the air and so shall we ever be
with the Lord." As this is the first epistle that the
Apostle wrote we would naturally suppose that as the
early believers were on the tiptoe of expectation for their
coming Lord the Holy Ghost would move the Apostle to

HUH

■ii.

iiij

108 The Second Coming of Christ as related to the

give this doctrine a prominent place in his teaching and
80 we learn that this and the following epistle are
luminous with truth upon this subject, The Ist epistle
making prominent His coming for His people.. The
2nd His coming with them. In the 16th verse we read,
"For the Lord Himself shall descend from Heaven with
a shout. This is the first notice of His presence in the
air to resurrect the dead and rapture the living saints.
And who are the living saints? Do thej embrace every
believer the one who is watching for His coming and
the one who scarcely gives or ever gave the subject a
thought ?

Let the Epistle speak for itself, glance at the 1st chap-
ter " Remember without ceasing your work ot faith and
labor of love, and patience of hope, in our Lord Jesus
Christ knowing brethren Beloved your election of God
for our gospel come not unto you in word only, but also in
in power and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance
Was not the completeness of the Christian Character
exhibited in these saints ? There was "the work of faith
the labor of love, the patience of hope." These people
had " turned from idols to serve the living and true God,
and to wait for His Son from Heaven." In the last
verse of the 2nd chapter. The Apostle speaks of them
in joyous triumph. For what is our hope, or joy, or
cause of rejoicing are not even ye before our Lord
Jesus Christ at His presence, for ye are our glory and joy.
At the cloi-ing verse of the 3rd chapter, we have the pre"
seiitation. But what precedes it ? Tlie intense desire
on the part of the Apostle that they might not be lack-
ing in anything in view of it. " To the end that the
Lord may etablish their hearts, unblameable in holiness

First Remrrection and the end of tftia age. 109

before God even our own Father, at the presence of our
Lord Jesus Christ with all His saints," In the last
chapter we are furnished with a remarkable exhortation.
"Let us who are ot the day be sober putting on the
breast-plate of faith, and love, and for an helmet, the
hope of salvation. For God hath not appointed us to
wrath but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,
wlio died for us that whether we watch or sleep we
should live together with Him."

If these words mean any thing,they mean (as the imagery
was drawn from the Roman soldiery), that as
no soldier was regarded as luUy equipped for the battle
without his helmet on, so no Christian soldier though
lie had on the breastplate of faith, and love could come
up to the standard of the Great Captain, unless armed
with the helmet the hope of salvation. The crowning
glory of the defensive armor v ould be "the blessed hope*^
and thus we see how fittingly the words of the Holy
Ghost, come in. " Who died for us that whether we
watch or sleep we should live together with Him."
Come with me to the 15th chapter of 1st Corinthians.
Here we have a treatise on the resurrection of the just.
Let me fasten your attention upon the 22nd verse. "As
in Adam all die. Even so in Christ shall all be made
alive." But each one in his own order, each one, in
Christ in His own band, cohort, company, regiment.
Christ the first fruits, afterwards they that are Christ's at
His presence, It is evident if we examine this passage
closely that Christ is not spoken of here as a cohort or
regiment, and those that follow as another cohort or
regiment. He is simply set forth as the sheaf of the
great harvest. The harvest is to be gathered at and

/•

I:;

"•

110 The Second Coming of Christ as related to the

during His presence. The order is clear. Christ the
first fruits. That is past — aftv ward, the next event in
order, " They that are Christ's at His presence." There
is a beginning and a close of this presence. The
befifinning may take place at any moment. While I
speak, the Lord may descend from Heaven with a shout
and gather to Himself the dead in Christ, and rapture
with them, the living watchful company. Cast your
eyes upon the 51(:t verse " Behold I show you a mystery
we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed in a
moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump."
(Why at the last trump — does not the word " last" imply
a previous sounding,) when this corruptible, shall have
put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on
immortality then shall be brought to pass the saying
that is written, " Death is swallowed up in victory,"

Though the order is the same here as in the 4th
chapter of the Epistle to the Thessalonians, and in the
11th of John, it does not follow that the reference is to
one and the same company This is a difterent com-
pany, as we shall see. It is the closing scene of the
presence, as related to the first resurrection. The apos-
tle quotes from the 25th Chap, ot Isaiah, eight verse, not
as an accommodation, but as a fulfilment. He carries us
back to the very spot where there was a prophecy of this
wondrous gathering. The Holy Ghost speaking by the
apostle, and the Holy Ghost speaking by Isaiah, has
His eye upon one and the same event. Let us glance
at the passage, '' He will swallow up death in victory,
and the Lord God will wipe away tears from ofi* all
faces; and the rebuke of flis people shall He take away
from off all the earth, for the Lord hath spoken it.

First liesurrection and the end of this age. Ill

})

And it shall bo said in that day : Lo this our God ; wo
have waited for Him, and He will save us. This is the
Lord : we have waited for Him ; we will be glad and
rejoice in His salvation." What is meant by the rebuke
of the people being taken away ? What else can it bo
but the veil that is to be taken away from the hearts of
the Jewish remnant, when they turn unto the Lord and
receive forgiveness at His hands ? And shall not this
period be distinguished as a period of rejoicing ? And
what event is to precede and be almost synchronous
with this ? Tlie resurrection and rapture spoken ot by
the apostle, " Death will then be swallowed up in
victory." In very truth the harvest will all be
gathered in, the first resurrection will have closed. If
we pass to the 26th chapter ot the same prophet, which
is but a continuation of the same subject, we will have
somewhat the same testimony. In the 14th verso we
hear the joyous strains of Israel, " They are dead ; they
shall not live." Who are these but Israel's oppressors ?
They shall not live, then. They shall not rise till the
resurrection of the unjust. But what company is spo-
ken of in the 19th verse ? " Thy dead shall live. My
dead body shall they arise. Awake and sing ye that
dwell in dust, for thy dew is as the dew of herbs,"
The very same company spoken of by the apostle. So
vast is the multitude to be resurrected that it is likened
to the countless drops of dew as they sparkle in the
And what follows ? What is embraced
"And the earth shall cast out tho
dead " ? The word " Dead '' in the original is the key
that opens it. Whenever it is used it refers to the
wicked dead. See Prov. ii, 18 j ix. 18 j Isaiah xiv, 9,

morning sun.
in the language,

112 The /Second Coming oj Chriat as related to the

This clause, then, relates to the resurrection of the un-
just. The earth so loathes its possession that it casts it
out. The Iloly Ghost thus testifying, when all the sons
of God are gathered in, there was no other to follow but
the resurrection ot the unjust, at the time fixed on the
page of inspiration. And where, upon that page, do we
liud it? In the 20th chapter of the Revelation, and 5th

verse, " And the rest of the dead lived

not again until

the thousand years were finished." llow fitting are
the closing words of the chapter, " Come, my people,
enter thou into thy chambers and shut thy doors about
thee. Hide thyself, as it were, for a little moment, till
rl»c indignation be overpast. For behold, the Lord
cometh out of His place to puuish the inhabitants of
the earth for their iniquity."

The Prophet Daniel points to the same period. There
is grouped in the beginning of the 12th chapter and the
ciosiog verse of the 11th, a number of startling events,
we have mention of the destruction of the wilful
King, of a time of trouble such as never was since there
was a nation, of the deliverance of Daniel's people, and
ot the resurrection of the just, and as in Isaiah, in order
to shew that there is to be no other resurrection of this
character, ihe Resurrection of the unjust is stated to
f jllow in due course. " And many of them that sleep
in the dust ot the earth shall awake, those that awake to
everlasting life, and those that remain sleeping to shame
and everlasting contempt. The symbols used are very
striking of those who awake to Everlasting Life, mark-
ing them as belonging to a heavenly people. " And
they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the
firmament, and they that turn many to righteousness as

First Renurrcction and the end of this aye. 113

the stars for ever and over." The ])ropbecy on the
Mount of Olives furnishes us with the commencement
of Anti-christ's tyrannous rule. It is fixed at the setting
up of the abomination of desolation in the holy place.
1^'or 3^ years he runs his course of blasphemy and perse-
cution and is destroyed by the manifestation of the
presence of the Lord. *' And then shall that wicked
bo revealed whom the Lord shall consume with the
Spirit of His Mouth and shall destroy with the bright-
ness of His coming," 2 Thess. ii. 8. Lnmediately after
the tribulation the Lord is to appear. " Behold the
Lord Cometh with 10,000 of his saints to execute judg-
ment." Jude 14. lie cannot come with them unless
they have been first all gathered to Him. *' Immediately
after the tribulation of those days the sun shall be
darkened and the moon shall not give her light, and the
stars shall fall from Heaven and the powers of the
Heavens shall be shaken and then shall all the tribes of
the land mourn and they shdU see the Son ot Man com-
ing in the clouds of Heaven with power and great
glory," Matthew xxiv. 30. Here is the period fixed for
the deliverance of Daniel's people. Here is the fulfil-
ment of Zechariah's prophecy, " I will pour upon the
House of David and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem
the spirit of grace, and of supplication, and they shall
look upon Him whom they have pierced, and they shall
mourn for Him, as one mourneth for his only son."
Zschariah xii. 10. And here too is the fulfilment ot
Daniel's prophecy (almost synchronous with these events,
only preceding them by a very short interval) of the
resurrection of the saints that had been slain under the
Persecutor's rule since the descent of the Lord from

h 'I

114 The Second Coming of Christ as related' to the

Ileaven to resurrect the dead in Christ and to raptnro
the living watchful company. " If the casting away of
them be the reconjiling ot the world, what shall the
receiving of them be but life from the Dead. Komans
xi. 15. ''Blindness in part is happened unto Israel
until the fullness of the Gentiles be come in." Romans xi.
25. Yes, they will all come in, all will be gathered into
the Heavenly garner. Ileaven and earth will rever-
berate with the gladsome shout " Thanks be unto God
which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus
Christ."

Had this paper not already exceeded its proper limit
I might ask you to consider the 7th chapter of the pro-
phet Daniel. 1 will pass it by with but one thought, that
those who are there spoken of as the saints of the Most
High, who suffer persecution under the little horn for a
time, times and dividing of time, are a people identi-
cal hi expression and character to those described in the
Epistle to the Ephesians as " sitting in heavenly places in
Christ Jesus," In passing from the Old Testament I de-
sire to make this decided statement that the threads ot
prophecy are broken during the rejection and disper-
sion of the Jewish nation, and 2,vq not re-united until in
the purpose of God that nation or a remnant of it re-
turns. We will look in vain therefore for any distinct
prophecy in the Old Testament concerning this present
age or any prophecy involving the resurrection of the
dead in Christ, and the rapture of the living upon the
descent of the Lord from heaven as contained in the
4th chapter of the epistle to the Thessalonians.

If we were to find there any reference to Old Testa-
ment prophecy such as we find in the 15th chapter of

First Ue&urrection and the end of this age. 115

1st Corinthians, '* As it is written Death is swallowed
up in victory"' it might well startle us. "We find no
such reference, God is true to His word. That in Thes-
salonians is a fresh revelation. It is " the word of the
Lord" spdken by His Apostle which was to be distinguish-
ed by the presence of the Lord in the air, the precur-
sor of grievous woes upon the earth. "Nation against
nation, kingdom against kingdom, famines, pestilences,
and earthquakes in divers places." That in Corinthians
points to the close bf His presence when " the rebuke of
His people is to be taken away from ofi" all the earth."
In this we mark the perfect harmony of the word.

I have left much untouched, Buch as the parable of
the wise and foolish virgins, the parable of the talents, the
judgment of the nations, each of these demand more than
a passing notice. As they do not affect the conclusion ar-
rived at in this paper I have passed them by. Just a few
words upon the Revelation of St. John and I will close.
No one I feel sure can examine closely the pages of this
wonderful book without the discovery that there is
more than one rapture. That these belong to one and
the same company, we cannot for a momentbelieva After
the witnessing power of the Churches had closed at the
end of the 3rd chapter, we behold the first rapture of
the sons of God in the beginning of the 4th. They
come before us as a pre-eminently honored company.
As the judgments thicken, as the seals are broken, and
the vials poured out, and the trumpets are sounded, and
the 19th chapter is reached, we have presented in one
great panorama, all the glorified sons marshalled in
different armies, under, their great captain Jesus
Christ, The word of God, The King of Kings and Lord

116 The Second Coming of Christ as related to tlie

of Lords. As the Holy seer views them ransomed from
the power of death and the grave, a glorious raptured
body, tlie church of the Living God, the Bride,
The Lamb's wife, ho speaks : " I saw thrones and they
sat upon them and judgment was given to them,
and I saw the souls of tliom that were beheaded for the
witness of Jesus and for the word of God, and such as
liad neither worshipped the beast, nor his image nor
received his mark upon their forelieads, or in their hands,
and the}! Hved and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
This is the first resurrection."

As we scan this passngo we conclude tliat there is
more than one regiment or company here. There is
the first company, highly honoured under the signili-
cant designation thrones. There are two companies
that follow, one slain for the testimony of Jesus and tlie
Word of God, and the other for neither worshipping
the beast nor his image. There is evidently an order in
time observable. One is slain before the other. At the
opening of the fifth seal we are furnished with a de-
scription of a certain company with allusion to another
that is to follow in the language, " I saw under tJie al-
tar the souls of them that were slain for the Word of
God, and for the testimony which they held. And
white robes were given unto them, and it was said unto
them that they should rest yet for a little season, until
their fellow-servants also, and their brethren that should
bo killed as they were, should be fulfilled." Rev. vi. 9.
At the close of the 14th chapter we have the period fixed
when the great harvest is to be gathered in, with dis-
tinct reference to the last company who had not wor-
shipped the beast, nor his image, not received the mark

First lieiurrecticn and the end of this age. 117

of his name. " And I looked and behold a white
cloud, and upon the cloud one sat like unto the Son of.
Man, having on his head a golden crown, and in his
hand a sharp sickle, and another angel came out of the
temple crying with a loud voice to Ilim that sat in the
cloud. Thrust in thy sickle and reap for the time is
come for thee to reap for the harvest of the earth is ripe.
And Ho that sat on the cloud, thrust in His sickle on
the earth and the earth was reaped." Have wc not ex-
plicitly stated here the resurrection and rapture of the
two companies included in the term " The first resur-
rection." In entire harmony with the words of the
Holy Ghost spoken by the mouth ot the apostle
when the last one of the sons of God is resurrected*
Oh ! what a burst of joyous triumph will then be
poured forth. *' Death is swallowed up in victory.
O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is
thy victory. The sting of death is sin, and the
strength of sin is the law ; but thanks be to
God which giveth us Hhe victory, through our Lord
Jesus Christ," To conclude, I cannot conceive it
possible that our Lord, in addressing His disciples,
should so frequently exhort them to " watch" for His
coming, without attaching some special blessing to the
obedience of His word. If those who were moved by
the Holy Ghost to impart instruction for the guidance
and well-being of the church of God, not only seized
upon that word " watch," but also introduced other
words ill their v/vitings, expressive of the intense yearn-
ing which possessed the hearts of all who believed in
His second coining, I do say, with all the tender affec-
tion that one Christian should have towards another.

118

The Second Coming oj Christy dso'

I i

I (

that we must either attach no meaning whatever to lan-
guage, or believe the v^ord of the living God, that there
was a special blessing, honor and dignity in store for all
such. If for one single moment we allow any other
event, such as the restoration of the Jews, or the mil-
lennium, to intervene between the moment we grasp
the living Christ by faith and the coming of the Lord,
all those words expressive of readiness tor that coming
might as well be expunged from the Divine vocabulary
inasmuch as they cannot be invested with any meaning.
Oh, may each of us who know what is is to be linked
by faith to the living Christ in glory, through
the power of the Holy Ghost, be able to take the words
of the Apostle to our lips as an expression of the joy of
our hearts, "Now are we the Sons of God, and it doth
not yet appear what we shall be, but we know when He
shall appear, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him
as He is." 1 John iii. 2. "Our conversation, (our citizen-
ship) is in Heaven from whence also we look for the
Saviour the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall change our vile
body, (our body of abasement) that it may be fashioned
like unto His glorious body according to the working
whereby He is able to subdue all things unto Himself."
Phil. iii. 21. Just one word, I am keenly sensible of
the imperfect manner in which f have presented my
subject, and deeply conscious of the objections that can
be raised to what has been advanced. Lot us pray for
more light, for more of the energizing power of the Holy
Ghost to search the Word of Truth in order to its right
division.

f P 3ECeND CejiIINS 0F CPWF

AS RELATED TO THE

ESTABLISHMENT OF THE COMING KINGDOM.

PASTOR JOSHUA DENOVAN.

S^E SECOP COnilllG OB CF^I^ISS

AS RELATED TO THE

ESTABLISHMENT OF THE COMING KINGDOM.

PASTOR JOSHUA DENOVAN.

AMONGST Christians there is entire unanimity on
this cardinal coctrine, — That as truly as Holy
Scripture predicts the humiliation of the Messiah it also
predicts His exaltation, — that as in the covenant of
grace He was foreordained a suffering Sacrifice, He was
also a reigning King. Christians are perfectly unani-
mous in the glorious hope that somehow and in some
correct sense the Lord Jesus must reign till all His ene-
mies are put under his feet, till every knee shall bow to
Him of things in heaven and things on earth, and every
tongue shall confess" Him Lord.

Somehow — Can we definitely tell how?

The theory held during the last three or four genera-
tions and held almost universally by our own pious
fathers, and still held tenaciously by many of the excel-

122 The Second Coming of Christ as related to the

lent of the earth :s substantially thiSj-Jesns Christ, endow-
ed with universal authority and power hath already sat
down on the throne of heaven ; He hath sent down the
Holy Ghost to convict the world of sin, righteousness and
judgment to come, and to endow His disciples for the
great work of preaching the gospel to every creature ;
and the. ultimate issue of this work of evangelization
patiently persevered in shall be the gradual expulsion
and subjugation of sin, and the world-wide establish-
ment of the Messianic kingdom of righteousness and
peace. Such passages, as Psa. ii. ; Isaiah ii. 1-4 ; xi. 1-10^
and all similar predictions of moral restoration and Mes-
sianic mundane dominion given in ancient prophetic reve-
lation are nothing more than graphic pictures generally
descriptive of the triumph of the spirit and principles of
Christianity to be achieved by the agency of the church
before the great day of general resurrection and judgment)
when the Lord Jesus shall appear in majesty.

Against this method of interpreting prophetic Mes-
ianic revelation, allow me (o state these three very
decided objections : — 1 st. objection. The Humiliation of
the Messiah (in harmony with the letter of ancient predic-
tion) was the personal experience of a human being on
this earth. There was no mere ethical or spiritual tullil-
ment of pictorial prediction in the birth and life, words
works and sufferings, death and resurrection of the Christ.
Every prediction was fulfilled literally and really and
here. Prophecy invariably speaks of the Exaltation of the
same Person in the same place — earth. If (as in the first
verse ot Psa. ex ) heaven is meant, heaven is named. But
to say as many good people do, that t\\Q first part of a
Messianic prediction refers to i\\Q second Person of Deity

.Establishment of the Coming Kingdom. 123

* I •

" I •

in the form of a real Man, and that the second part of the
sa?)ie prediction refers to the third Person ot Deity, an
invisible and intangible Spirit, cannot, I think, be justi-
fied by any imaginable canon of interpretation.

2nd objection. Jesus Christ frequently declared both
parabolically and by plain assertion that He — the same
indiridual who was to sufier, die and rise ^ again to
heaven — was destined to return to earth again as Master
and Lord of His servants, as ruler of His subjects, as
Bridegroom of His Bride. This is unquestionably the
caste and theme ot the majority of His parables, of " the
Kingdom." But hold ! did He not declare "My kingdom
is not ot this world" ? Yes {Gh Ek.) out of it i.e,
springing from or emanating from it. This world is in
His kingdom, not of it. E.G., the Bntish empire is not
of Australia or o/" India or of Canada ; but those countries
are integral parts of the British Empire. It descended
on them, asserted itself over them, absorbed them.
Even so the Kingdom of Heaven and of God came from
Heaven in the person of the Messiah, planted itself here
and is destined to assert universal and absolute authority
here. Never during the history of William the Con-
queror could it be said William's kingdom is of Eng-
land, 3^et England was William's kingdom.

lord objection. Nowhere does Scripture say the human
race is destined to be converted by the Gospel. On the
contrary, Jesus Clirist repeatedly assures us that at His
return oven the Christian world will resemble the Ten
Virgins — one half deluded and unprepared, the other
half weary and slumbering. With all the religious en-
terprise, with all the denominational camputition of
these latter days, "when the Son of man cometli will He

124 The Second Coming of Christ as related to the

find faith in the earth ? '' Nay, but as to the world in gen-
eral when Jesus returns it will be as it was in the days of
Noah and of Lot, the vast majority totally wrapped and
lost iri ffodiessness, worldliness, and ruinous sin.

Every patient student of God's Word I suppose will
admit the lorce of these three objections to what has
been popularly regarded as the orthodox view of Christ's
earthly kingdom.

Without entering on nice details such as the exact ar-
rangement of periods of time, two salient points of this
subject are i^erfectly plain to me : viz. —

1. As really as the Christ came from heaven to earth
at first, and as really as He went away from His
disciples near Bethany to heaven, so Ho must and will
in person, in human form, come back to this world a
second time. So many Scriptures plainly, solemnly, em-
phatically assert this doctrine that to adduce j)roof
would consume more than all the time alloted to this
address.

2. As really as in literal fulfilment of prophecy He
died on this earth, He will certainly reign on this earth
over the Jews for one thousand years at -'.^pst; and the Gen-
tiles over this entire earth shall submit to His authority,
those who refuse submission being "broken in pieces." It
is impossible now to quote even a sample of those pro-
phecies which pledge all this as the future history of our
race or to discuss those events which will usher in this
glorious Messianic era. Psalms ii., xxxvii., xlv., Ixxii. 72
Ixxxix. ; Isaiah ix., xi., &c. ; Daniel ii., vii., &c. Many
of the other prophets and numerous parables of Christ
Himself assort this aud re-asserts it.

Rather than attempt to review hurriedly and saporfi-

Estahllsknient of the Coming Kingdom. 125

ciilly 80 wide aa area of propliocy, I have thought that
it ma}' !<e more profitable to examine cue, viz. : Isaiah
ix. 0, 7.

This marvellous and glorious system of universal
government shall be "performed" — realized, not by
human agency such as preaching, but ''The zeal of Je-
hovah of armies shall perform this." Contemplate :

1. The central human Nativity — the unique regal
Birth ol the ages, — " Unto us a Child is born, unto us a
Son is given."

" Unto us," not unto any particular parents or home,
but " unto us."

The birth of a boy! An event common enough surely
among the Jews of Palestine and among the people of
any other country. Why then, may we not ask, should
the prophet Isaiah announce the birth of this child with
such unusual '*pomp and circumstance," as if it were an
event of an unprecedcntei importance — as it, indeed the
Jews and the human family had been utterly childless until
now ! — Why ? This was (par excellence) the McUivity,
this The "Child" of the Jewish nation and of all the
ages — the "Son" of God given to us in the form of a man,
all other human nativities being but, adumbrative, of
subordinate to, consequent upon this one.

To mother Eve the birth of this Child was intimated
by God Himself, as if lie alone were the woman's Seedj
and all down through the elder dispensations He was
really the ultimate object to which prediction pointed and
in which type terminated. To Isaiah (filled with the Holy
Ghost) this Child — this Son now appears the solitary in-
dividual ot the race whose advent is worthy of record — all
others sinking out of sight. In Jehovah's eye and calou-

126 The Second Coming of Christ as related to the

lation this one Child stood always alone — pre-eminently
alone, while all other generations of mankind composed
only the introduction, the accompaniment, the retinue
surrounding and following Ilim. Of this there can bono
doubt with those who accept such passages as the 2nd
Psalm, and the Ist ch. of Ephesians, or of Hebrews as
inspired truth.

(I.) "Child — born" •= the Virgin Mary's First-born.

(2.) "Son — given"-God'8 own Ete^-nal Son, enshrin-
ed in the form and frame of Mary's Child.

(3.) "To us is given "=He who " was in the lorm of God,
and thought it not robbery to be equal with God, made
Himself of no reputation, and took upon Him the form
of a servant, and was found in fashion as a man,"

But are we Gentiles warranted in claiminaj an interest
in this unique and wonderful Child ? Is He given to
" Osy Are we warranted in classing ourselves amongst
the "All we" cl. Isaiah's 53rd chapter? or among the
"All people" to whom the angels brought glad tidings
of great joy 'i

II. His official position and function, — "And the
government shall be upon His shoulder."

Not a word in this prediction appears about His hu-
miliation and suffering. He is born to reign. He is given
to us as an autocratic potCDtatc. "The government shall
be upon His shoulder." On Him shall rest "the govern-
ment" — the care and responsibility of the government —
not a "government" in the limited sense, such as the
Jewish, Roman, English, American or German ; but in the
general indefinite, universal sense, the supreme man-
agement, control, guidaace of all creature i and all their
actions.

Establishment of the Corrdng Kingdom. 127

icntly
posed
jtiuue
bono
le 2nd
5WB as

I'll,
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)ng the
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nd the

His liu-
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jnt shall
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•

Mark, I pray you, *' The ijorernment " in this clause
seems to be something different from, and much larger
than that local kingship spoken of in v. 7, "Upon the
throne of David's kingdom to order it." " TAe govern-
ment upon His shoulder.^' How wonderfully trne appears
this ancient prediction when we remember that in the
person of Mary's Child, was born the " Heir of all
things," the "King of Kings and Lord of Lords," entitled
to the regal possessions enumerated in the 2nd Psalm, was
born the Man whose claim runs thus, "All power is
given unto me in heaven and in earth." "All that the
Father hath is mine."

On the administration of this general and univereal
autocracy Jesus Christ has already entered. In that very
human form He assumed at birth. He has already as-
cended the throne of Deity, — as it is written, " The
Lord (Jehovah) said unto my Lord, sit thou on my
right hand," God " hath set Him at His own right
hand in the heavenlies, far above all principalities and
powers, and every name that is named."

If such a statementasthisof Paul — if these Scriptures of
the New Testament be true, surely they present us with
a very wonderful fulfilment of this old prediction,
"The government shall be upon His shoulder."

In this doctrine — nay, in this realized fact every be-
liever cannot but " rejoice with joy unspeakable, and
full of glory." It is now a fact that my elder Brother
rules supreme. "The government is now upon His
shoulder — by Him "kings reign, and" princes declare
justice now^ Above "the prince of the power the air''
and his numerous potent organized agencies, above all
monarchs, councils, senates, and legislatures,above armies

128 The Seomd Coming of Ghr'nt as reliteii to thi

and navies, and all those forces operated by advanced
science, above the power of human intellect and wealth
Jesus Christ now is holding the reins of absolute govern-
ment. It is concerning my own H'ssed Lord and
Brother, the Bible declares "He doeth according to His
will."

This remarkable prediction " in the armies of heaven
and among the inhabitants ol the earth," announces
Christ's universal reign as Man, in the widest sense over
things in heaven and things on earth and things un-
der the earth. " The gov .-iument shall be upon His
shoulder," — so runs the prophecy. The government
now is upon His shoulder, this is the historical fact.
'• He must reign till He hath put all enemies under
His feet," this is the destiny of the great tuture.

111. The competency, the pre-eminent ability with
which Mary's "Child," and God's "Son" is endowed tor
His official station and work: "His name shall be callcMl
Wonderful, Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father,
Prince of Peace."

a. ^In natural Gonstitution Tie is " Wonderful.''^ No
other title can convey to our mindd approximate idea of
His nature. When, gazing on the Babe in Bethlehem's
lowly manger, we think that in His small frail person
Divinity is mysteriously blended with humanity,
that in Him omnipotence and omniscience and all their
stupendous possibilities slumber concealed, that the life
which throbs in that Infant heart is the essential Life
which animates all created things and that the power
latent in His brain and arm is the force by which all
creation is sustained and operated — thinking of this does
not all our science become bewildered and wliat can wo

Eatdbliahment oj the Coming Kingdom. 129

do but wonder — only wonder? When we trace His mar-
vellous history on earth eo far as we know it, from
infancy, through boyhood and manhood, — His weakness
and His might. His utter poverty and boundless riches,
His meekness and His majesty, what He said and did,
and did not do, and suffered, watching Him as closely
as we can, from the time He lay in the arms of Mary
till that awrul hour when He hung on the arms of
Golgotha's cross, what can we say but — "Wonderful," —
God was manifest in the flesh ! — Most Wonderful !

h. As to this Child's training and education (if I may
presume to use such terms,) for His official work, He is
"Counsellor." Counsellor of whom ? Where? Revela-
tion answers. Of God the Father, in the cabinet of
Heaven. In the work of creation (as detailed in Genesis)
we hear a whisper from that council chamber, "Let us
make man."

He is "Counsellor" in the most important sense of
being a party to that everlasting covenant in accordance
with which the etupendous scheme of salvation is to be
wrought out to its triumphant issues.

" Counsellor " ! Knowing as we do His history of
lowly obscurity, does it not seem ironical to apply this
title to Jesus Christ ? With whom on earth was the
man of Nazareth ever taken into counsel ? When was
the opinion of one so poor and meek ever asked in mat-
ters political, military or ecclesiastical, either in
Jerusalem or Rome ? When did Sanhedrim or Senate
ever imagine His opinion worth consulting? I suppose
that even the towii council of the village of Kazareth
never once thought of asking His advice. Yet from all
eternity He was the Counsellor of God the Father \

130 The Second Coming of Christ as related to the

Surely an experience, an education so extended in su-
preme and divine government makes Him amplj com-
petent for the task here described : "The government
shall be upon His shoulder."

From the fact that this title is here" connected with
His assumption of humanity, are we not warranted
in drawing the inference that His long and lofty govern-
mental experience is to be an important factor in His
great work of saving our poor misgoverned world ?
And is it not a quiet hint as to where thoughtful people
should ask counsel in matters governmental ?

0. Is it demanded. What is His executive ability ?
This word replies, He is the "mighty God." This once
admitted, it is seli-evident He requires neither magis-
trates nor judges nor officers nor army to administer
His laws. The mighty God wielding the mighty forces
of gravitation and electricity possesses executive force
sufficient to ensure obedience. What are the very best
laws under heaven worth when perverted by ignorance
or rascality, or rendered nugatory by incompetency in
the executive ? Christ Himself will execute His laws.

d. As to His heart-power — His affection, what could be
greater or more trustworthy ? He is the '' everlasting
Father " — "Father of the ages." In His dealings with
the weak wayward sinful children of our race, there is
as much heart as head ; He sanctifies His legal adminis-
tration with deep paternal experience and tenderness.
Oh, what ineffable comfort it is for us to know that
Jesus Christ is not merely our Elder Brother in His true
humanity, and the Counsellor and the mighty God, but
also the "Everlasting Father," with all that Father's
infinite love, sympathy and strength of heart J

Ustablishmeni of the Comivg KhK/dom. 131

c. In governmental policy Ilo is " Prince of Peace" —
not, however, of peace at any price ; but peace based, as
all true peace must be, on purity, truth, and justice — sin
washed away and guilt fully expiated, self will and Satan
subdued, defeated, vanquished, — peace by wrong being
made right — political sin and rebellion eliminated.

It is after the long rebellion has been really crushed,
the peace of virtuous citizenship supervenes. It is only
after the disease h is been perfectly cured by utter elim-
ination of sin-poisoning from the moral constitution of hu-
manity that we may expect perfect health, and the sound
peace of health. It is only after the old wretched debt
has been fully paid we can expect the peace of conscious
honesty. It is after God's law has been fully kept and
honored, and not till then, we can have peace with God
the Law-giver. It is not till the sin-penalty death has been
endured that the peace of perfect sinless life can follow
for ever more.

All this the " Prince of Peace " has undertaken to see
done. These are the only grounds and conditions on
which Jesus Christ can be Prince of Peace, Peace — not
by palliating the crime, or by painting and draping the
rottenness, or by pious apologies for error, but by right-
ing the wrong — by slaying the enmity — by curing the
disease — by abolishing forever the curse, and killing out
the death.

Such are tlie qualifications of the " Child born" the
" Son given" for governioient. Is not this the very
government for which all creation now groans?

Besides " the government" — i.e. the icnloersal govern-
ment of the Christ, this prophetic passage

IV. Distinctly predicts His local and central govern-

132 The Second Coming of Christ as related to the

ment. " Of the increase of His government and peace
there shall be no end, upon the throne of David and over
his kingdom, to order it and establish it, with judgment
and with justice, from henceforth even forever.''

This prediction might be explained, expanded and
confirmed by numerous others that could be quoted
from Moses and the Psalms, from the prophets Isaiah,
Jeremiah, and Daniel, from the minor prophets and
from the plain statements of Jesus Christ, but time for-
bids. This prediction tells us —

(1,) That tho Lord Christ's government on this earth
shall be personal^ and that His kingdom shall be a real,
actual, visible, physical fact of human experience and
mundane history. As surely as Victoria is reigning in
England, Jesus Christ shall in Judea.

The great majority of our pious forefathers and very
Tnany of the excellent of the earth now believe that
Gospel preaching and ordinances are the means designed
by God for the gradual salvation and sanctification of
the whole world, issuing in millennial peace — all denom-
inations, even Baptist pastors and Ritualistic dignitaries
most charitably embracing each other. Without dwell-
ing on the fact that no such statements are found in the
Bible, or on the plain statement that when the gospel
of the kingdom has been preached in all the world to all
nations for a witness that ihen shall come the end, what
do we now actually see aa the result of the Gospel 1 Not
Christianity, merely christianized civilization — nations
and cities brought from a condition of heathen barbarism
(as in the case of the Pacific Islands and New Zealand)
or of lieathen civilization (as in tho case of Komoand Cal-
cutta &c.,) into a condition of christianizod civilization;

Establishment of the Coming kingdom. 133

and this civilization has always two elements, viz., a small
remnant of true regenerate children of God, a centre of
light and salt surrounded by and almost buried beneath
a vast mass of formality and refined vice. Paris, Mar-
seilles, Florence, J^aples and Rome are Christian, but
where are the world and the flesh, selfishness and frivolity,
superstition and vice more rampant? Berlin is eminently
Protestant and Christian, with all its scientific atheism^
its intense earthliness and godless militarism. Cincinnati,
Chicago and San Francisco, with all their Sabbath
desecration and unutterable social abominations are
Cliristian — that is they are now in the state of
christianized civilization. Can we say — can we even
imagine that these are specimens of theKingdom of Christ
in progress ? Of Christ's Kingdom asserting its supremacy
over ancient heathenism, whether coarse and rude like
that of Fiji, or refined and dignified like that of Athens,
Rome, or Carthage ? In God's sight, was the old sensiial
worship of heathenism more abominable than that lust of
the flesh, lust of the eyes, and pride of life which fester
under London refinements, which go dressed and jewelled
to our theatres on Saturday, and to our sanctuaries on
Sunday, which rise from the Lord's table and go away to
the ball-room and the race-course, which hesitate not to
gamble in stocks and wade through bankruptcy in the
laudable effort of keeping up appearances and maintain-
ing the social position of the girls at home ! This is
Christian civilization ; but who dares to call it the King-
dom of Jesus Christ, either over the conscience or the
outward life ? It is vile sin — all the more exceeding sin-
ful, because perpetrated under the guise of Christianity,
So^nething more, and something different is wanted

184 The Second Coming of Christ as related to the

than tliis proclamation of the Gospel, and the use of or-
dinances. Jesns Christ in person is needed in Govern-
ment. The Gospel is an excellent means for gathering
out of the nations God's elect and bearing " witness"
to the world of the coming King,

(2.) The sphere of Christ's personal and local gov-
ernment shall be this earth, and its metropolitan seat
Jerusalem. "Of the increase {i.e. the extension and
spread of His government and peace,) there shall be no
end " — from Jerusalem over all Africa, then Northward
and Eastward and Westward. In these days we have
been hearing not a little about the " Federation of Eng.
land with her colonies" so that there may be created
(by including a close international treaty with the
United States,) a grand world-wide Empire of the Eng-
lish-speaking races, and thus secure permanent and uni-
versal peace. This is a grand Anglo-Saxon mythical
vision ; but ambitious, selfish human nature would not
long be contented with such splendid cosmopolitian im-
perialism. This sentiment is only a confession of, and a
longing for, something we want. And here it is — The
Kingdom of Jesus Christ shall be far more than English-
speaking: it shall be Polyglot — "All kindreds, and nations
and tongues, and peoples" and " of its increase there
shall be no end " — no boundary lines, no international
territorial posts or limits shall define it, but " increase"
and increase it shall until the one margin shall run into,
and overlap the other. This is the blessed solution of the
political and governmental problem of the ages.

Certainly one of the most interesting subjects of study
at the present juncture of our world's history ie right
governmenty i.e.y government by which may be secured to

JSBtdblishmeni of the Coming Kingdom. 185

tHe greatest number all the world over the greatest
amount of blessing. Since the days of Nimrod perhaps
every possible state form has been fairly tried and has
failed. With the accumulated historical experience of
long centuries and all nationalities, we are now trying
by legislation to improve upon every known form and
method. Results : — Russia tortured between her auto-
cratic Czar and her Nihilists, and their doctrine of
dynamite. Germany and her Parliament controlled
by one great man. France recently revolutionized into
a republic, and ready for something newer still — some
coup d^ etat still more brilliant any day. Old England
seething politically like the witch's cauldron Macbeth
sawj_ Conservatives vying with Liberals as to who shall
pitch into the heaving hissing mass the largest concessiona
to the mob. America very much in the grasp of millioo-
aires and rings of monopoly, of Rome and rum. Canada
struggling to soothe her recent sorrows by giving the
franchise to heathen Red Indians, and taking it from
persons who believe in God, and can read and write.
What need I say more? All human methods of human
government seem to be hopelessly wrong. The
very best are mere make-shifts — schemes to keep people
from mobbing and devouring each other. Aristocracy
is perhaps better than autocracy ; but aristocracy is not
government — it is only one favoured class manipulating
all other classes for self. Modern Republicanism is per-
haps sometimes better than aristocracy, and very often
worse, but at best it is not government^ but only the
multitude, led and hoodwinked by rings, caucuses and
demagogues, by secret societies and priests.
The longer I consider the subject it seems to me, pop-

136 The Second Coining of Christ as related to the

ular government is barely possible and necessarily
must be more or less a failure, and that for these
obvious reasons : — People of moderate and ordinary edu-
cation, with their heads full of business and family
cares, and their limbs tired with hard work, with no
means of proper political education but partizan news-
papers and the fervid oratory of place-seekers, cannot
possibly govern or vote wisely. Sufficient political
intelligence can only be possessed by a small minority;
and that minority cannot be trusted ; and so the major-
ity must rule, bat the majority must ever be the most
ignorant portion of the community. What are we to
do ? There appears to be but one reply : — One Su-
preme Ruler, perfect in wisdom and power, truth and
honesty is alone sound government. This at least ia God's
ideal of right government ; and this is just the govern-
ment this precious prediction promises, viz:

1, Our world one great united Empire, under One
Infallible Emperor ; and Jerusalem the metropolitan
city.

2. David's throne and dynasty restored. (Christ's
present throne is not David's in any sense.) In this re-
storation of David's dynatty there is no difficulty. Jesus
Christ is, all admit, the lineal descendent of David — Heir
to his crown and sceptre.

When Jesus was born His pedigree was recorded and
is a fixed historical fact. Since His resurrection He has
lived these 19 centuries, and is to day in the full vigor of
manhood. Contrasted with Jesus Christ's direct claim
to^the succession in the dynasty of David, consider the
claim of any ancient royal line, — for example, the
Roman Emperors were elective, and have all died

JSstahUahment of the Coming Kingdom. 1 3t

out. The Saxon and Hor«aar, monarchs of Britain have
all died out. The Plantagenets, Tudors, oi «..-*„, i^ave
died out. The legislative power of the English mon-
arch has died oat. The Bourbon and T^apoleonic dynas-
ties are practically defunct ; and so on of all the rest.

Now, suppose the Lord Jesus were returning to earth
and claiming David's ancient throne in Jerusalem, is
there anyone who would dispute His claim? I don't
know if even the Mahommedans would. The Queen of
England, the Emperors ot Germany and Austria, the
Czar of Russia and the King of Italy, the Presidents of
America, and of France certainly would not dispute His
claim. Tho Pope of Rome himself, and the Patriarch of
Moscow must lay their keys and honors at His ieet.
What else could those " Vicars" do in the presence of
their divine principal ? Jesus Christ was and still is
'' the Desire of all nations." Ps. Ixxxix. 3, 4 comp.
Luke i. 32, 33.

(3.) J esus Christ's method of legislation will be per.
feet, and His administration irresistible. He is the
"Wonderful, Counsellor, the Mighty God."

(4.) His dominion shall be permanent— lasi'ing as long
as our world ; for " of the increase — the extension and
duration of His government and peace there shall be
no en,d.^^ " Once have I sworn in my holiness ; I will not
lie unto David, His seed shall be forever and his throne
as the sun before me ; it shall be established lorever as
the moon, and as the faithful witness in heaven." " I
saw in the night visions One like unto a eon of man came
with clouds of heaven, and He came to the Ancient of
days. * * * And there was given unto Him dominion and
glory and a kingdom that all peoples, nations and

\i) ;

138 the Second Coming of Christ as related to the

languages should serve Him : His dnminiun is an ever-
lasting dominion wi"<»i* »uall not pass away, and His
>;~gj^iu that which shall not be destroj^ed.'' Time
fails me to repeat a moderate percentage of all the won-
derful passages predictive of the earthly reign of Jesus
Christ — how all nations shall obey His laws — how the
potentates of the world will do Him honour and yield
up to Him all their pretensions to authority — how He
will dash His enemies, (royal, noble and plebian) in
pieces like a potter's vessel — how, under His reign the
wicked shall be made to lick the dust and the righteous to
flourish and delight themselves in the abundance of peace.

{5.) His reign shall secure universal peace. " Of the
increase of His peace,''^ &c. At His first ad > 3nt the angels
sang, ** Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace^
This has never yet been realized. Peace of heart in indi-
vidual cases has, peace of conscience^ peace with God j
but not " peace on earth." To-day the military and
naval instrumentalities for destruction are more terribly
effective than ever. The machinery of modern warfare
is simply enormous, appalling, diabolic. Our pugnacious
forefathers would stand in dumb astonishment at our
monstrous inventions, such as guns of 101 tons, throwing
balls of 2000 lbs. weight by a charge of 900 lbs. of powder I

But when it comes to pass in the last days, that "the
mountain of the Lord's house" shall be established, and
exalted, then men shall beat their swords into plough-
shares and their spears into pruning hooks, and people
" shall learn war no more." Then a King (not several
kings) but a King shall " reign in righteousness, and shall
execute judgment and justice in the earth."

And not upon mankind only shall this marvellous,

I i

Estahliahment of the Coming Kingdom, 130

miraculoBB transfonnation be wrought, but upon the
very brute creation the peace -reign of Christ shall work
like a charm, for " the wolf shall dwell with the lamb,
and the leopard shall lie down with the kid, and the
calf and the young lion and the fatling together ; and
a little child shall lead them. And the cow and the
bear shall feed ; their young ones should lie down to-
gether, and the lion should eat straw like the ox."

"Cannot possibly be," cry all professional anatomists
" Disposition, appetite, form of teeth, nature and con-
struction of stomach — all are opposed to any such
change of carnivorous animals into vegetarians."

I don't know about all such insuperable physical and
gastronomic difficulties. If Jesus Christ comes down
from heaven that will be a divine miracle. If he reigns
over Jews and Gentiles — over Saxons, Celts and Teutons,
Franks, Indians, Mongolians and Negroes, and if they
all willingly submit, that surely will be a divine miracle/
He who can accomplish all this cannot find the stomachs
and teeth of animals a serious obstacle to His miraculous
power. In this interesting matter we insist upon the
miraculous. We appeal also to history.

King Nebuchadnezzar was reared on aristocratic diet,
1 venture to affirm, yet did not He take to grass, and
thrive well on it for years ? How were his teeth and
stomach and royal tastes so suddenly adapted to coarse
strong vegetables ? By miracle. A bear, leopard, lion
are surely quite as likely subjects of such gastronomic
change as the Autocrat oi Babylon.

When we are speaking of the things oi God, we must
get over this preposterous habit ot setting scientific dif-
ficulties and natural facts in the way of Divine engage-

140

The Second Coming of Christy cfeo.

It,
(».

■h

»f f

•i ■
I

ment and Divine power. The God of nature and law
is above iiatViral habits and natural law. The entire
scheme and work of Christ and Christianity are miracu-
lous — from the birth of the Virgin's Babe on to the
elevation of a Man to the throne of Deity, and onward
further still to the seating of the Son of David on
David's throne.

Without miracles there is no Christianity at all, and
no remedy for our sin, misery and death. At our Lord's
advent the rotting dead bodies of His saints shall be
raised up from the silent grave bodies of purity and
beauty, endowed with everlasting vitality. Thi^ we all
believe. Now this is a work infinitely more wonderful
than the transformation of animals I have referred to.

Coming nearer our own experience, can the Lord
Jesus Christ by the power of His Word and His Spirit
instantly change man's moral and spiritual nature, so
that he no^7 loves what he hated and hates what he
once loved ? My sister have you not experienced such
spiritual regeneration? My brother, have not you?
That was a miraculous transformation transcending
far, any change that can be wrought upon animal na-
ture, or upon national politics and methods of govern-
ment, I believe the 11th chapter of Isaiah literally
and these 6th and 7th verses of this 9th chapter literally.'
Indeed if we believe that the Incarnation, the Cruci-
fixion, and the Resurrection of the Son of God were the
literal fulfilment of ancient prophecy, we must also
believe that this prophecy of His reign on earth can and
shall be literally fulfilled.

AS RELATED TO ISRAEL.

REV. S. H. KELLOGG, D.D.

AS KELATED TO ISRAEL,

REV, S. H. KELLOGG, D,D.

I HAVE been requested to read a paper on this occa-
Bion, upon the Second coming as related to Israel,
By way of introduction, I may say that Israel, the
seed of Abraham according to the flesh, is a sign of the
Second Advent. By this it is meant that the history oi
Israel from the beginning until now, their condition
as they live among us to-day, is such as to be a pledge
and prophecy that the Lord Jesus Christ, the rejected
Messiah of Israel, will verily come again in the very
same literal manner as He came the first time in the
flesh ; in the same literal manner as in the flesh He
left the earth, and ascended from Mt. Olivet to the
right hand of God. And the argument lies in this way.
We open the Bible aiid we find that everything that
has befallen Israel from the beginning until now has
been predicted long before it happened, and everything
that his been predicDed c:>nc8ruing them wliile in their
state ot apostasy from God, hai so far bean fulfilled. If

144

The Second Coming of Christ

», •

" !»

they sinned) thev were to be scattered among all nations.
So they were. They were to suffer cruelly in their exile ;
80 they have suffered ; and so they are still suffering to-
day. They were to become a " by-word and a hissing."
So they are, in every land where they are found. They
were to be greatly diminished in numbers ; so they have
been. Their holy land was to become a desolation, cover-
ed with thorns and briers, until the Spirit should bo pour-
ed out on the nation. So it has been, and so it continues to-
day. Their holy city, for the crime of their crucifixion of
Messiah, was to be trodden down for a long time by the
Gentiles ; so it has been for eighteen hundred years, and
so it is still.*

The point might be illustrated indefinitely, but this
must suflice. Every prediction with regard to Israel
from the beginning to the present time has so far,
been fulfilled literally. This is the premise of our
argument. The conclusion is this : — The predictions con-
cerning Israel's Messiah and their relation to Him, must
also be fulfilled, and fulfilled in the same way.

As regards the predictions of the Messiah's first com-
ing, every Christian knows and admits that the law has
held good. Not a prediction can be named, admitted
by the universal consent of the church to refer to that
first coming, but has been fulfilled literally. Messiah
was to be born of a virgin. It seemed impossible ; yet
so it came to pass. He was to die, and yet to live for-
ever ; in appearance, again, impossible. Yet both have
come true, for he died and rose again to everlasting lite
in resurrection. His hands and feet were to be pierced ;

* For a full exhibition of the facts see the writer's work T?ie
Jews^ or Prediction and Fulfilment. Price $1.25.

■ \

As related to Israel.

145

ions,

die;

to-

80 they were. They were to part His raiment among
them, and for His vesture to cast lots ; so they did. They
were to smite the Judge of Israel upon the cheek ; so
they did. But there is no need of multiplying illustrations
of facts so familiar. Like all the predictions touching
Israel, so all the predictions concerning Israel's Messiah,
so far as these relate to His first coming, have been
fulfilled literally. But now turning to the prophets
again, we find much about yet another coming of Israel's
King, — prophecies which have never been fulfilled ; and
which stand in closest relation to a predicted res-
toration of Israel in the latter days. He who came to
sufier, is to come to reign. So is the letter ot the Word.
Is not the Jewish nation, as it wanders about the world
today, the brand of the predicted curse upon them, a
continual and most solemn assurance that as in the
past, so it shall be in the future ? Must we not conclude
that as all the predictions concerning Israel in the past
and present, all those concerning the first advent of
Israel's Messiah, have been fulfilled literally, so shall
those which remain, concerning the coming of Messiah
to reign, be fulfilled in like manner ? I see not how any
can escape the argument. As surely as Israel has been
scattered, so surely shall they be converted and restored .
As surely as their Messiah came once literally, so sure-
ly shall He come again literally. As it was predicted
that He should do the work of a priest here on the
earth in oftering sacrifice for sin, and as He fulfilled
these predictions literally when He oflered Himself up
for the sins of men ; bo since it is predicted that He
shall also reign, — not somewhere far away in the heavens,
but here on the earth on the throne of his father

146

The Second Coming of Christ

»»

David, why must not this be fulfilled in a manner
just as literal as the rest ? As the type of Aaron was
fulfilled here on earth in literal, visible priesthood, eo
must the type of David also have a fulfilment here in a
literal, visiblemanifestation of Christ as King. But in
order to this, Jesus must *' come again in the same man-
ner as He was seen to go." Is any one in doubt whether
these words will be fulfilled literally ? I point him to the
Jew. Behold in every Jew you meet, a walking, living
and unanswerable proof that the prophecies are fulfilled
with the most solemn literality and visibility. In all the
long wail of ages which attests Israel's misery, as the na-
tion groans under the fulfilled curse, can the ear of faith
continually hear the solemn under-tone, Maranatha,
" The Lord cometh I" Strange, strange indeed that
Christian men cannot all see this ! !

Israel then is a living sign and reminder to us all that
Israel's King is coming. And when He does come, then
what shall be Israel's lot ? As the first coming had so
mighty a result for Israel, we might naturally suppose
that the second coming of their King would no less close-
ly be connected with their fortunes.

How shall it be ? what is the predicted relation of the
coming of the King to the nation. To this question we
are now to attend.

Among evangelical Christians it is commonly agreed,
that Jesus will some time or other literally come again
into the world ; and it is also agreed that we are to expect
at some time, sooner or later, a restoration, in some sense,
of the Jewish nation. All agree that in this restoration
their conversion is certainly included ; many deny — we
believe mistakenly — that it shall also include a restora-

As related to Israel.

147

tion to the land. But this question does not affect the
present argument. Many tell us, however, that the
restoration of Israel shall take place long centuries hefore
the coming of the Lord ; will, in fact, introduce the ex-
pected " Millennium ;" which age of universal righteous-
ness must then run its long course before the Lord Jesus
can rightly be expected. As opposed to this, we
maintain that the "Word of God, whenever it speaks of
the two events, the restoration of Israel and the second
appearing of the Lord Jesus, the Messiah, always re-
presents them as in close chronological connexion. If
not simultaneous, one is the immediate signal for the
other. This we believe to be taught in the following
Scriptures.

I. Isa. xxiv — xxvii. These chapters, as all agree, lorm
a distinct section of the prophecies ot Isaiah, a single
prophecy, separate from what precedes and what follows,
complete in itself. The subject of the prophecy is the
restoration of Israel, the judgments and the blessings
that shall accompany it. It is said to be the time when
the children of Israel shall '* be gathered one by one,"*
when " Israel shall blossom and bud, and fill the face of
the world with fruit"t; when the Lord shall keep Israel
as "a vineyard of red wine": lest any hurt it, "will keep
her night and day ;" a blessing, which, according to the
improved rendering of the revised version if, will be "the
fruit of taking away of the sin of Jacob ;" a blessing in
consequence of which it is said that the song given in the
26th chapter " shall be sung in the land of Judah.^'* Such
in general is the prediction. Is there here any note as
to the time when this restoration prophecy shall be ful-

* xxvii. 12. I xxvii. 6; | xxvii. 9,

148

The Seoond Coming of Christ

filled ? in particular, as to the relation in time of this
restoratio n to the second coming of Messiah ?

In the first place, we find (xxvi, 19), " Thy dead men
shall live ; together with my dead hody shall they arise.
A wake and sing, ye that dwell in dust ; for thy dew is as
the dew of herbs ; and the earth shall cast out the dead.
Here is a clear prediction of the resurrection of the dead,
placed in suggestively close connection with the predic-
tion of Israel's restoration. * It is added (xxvii. 1) that "in
that day" when the restoration shall take place, "the Lord
with his sore and great and strong sword shall punish
leviathan, the swift serpent, and shall slay the dragon
that is in the sea." With tliese words which may be
compared the words in Rev. xx. where we are told tha't
it is at the time of "the first resurrection" that the Lord
will lay hold on the dragon, the old serpent, which is
the devil and Satan, and bind him for a thousand years,
and cast him into the abyss, that he may deceive the
nations no more till the thousand years shall be fulfilled.
If the similar language refers, as is natural to suppose,
to the same event, then in fixing in this day of
resurrection the punishment of leviathan, the serpent,
the prophet again, and more definitely, fixes the restora-
tion ot Israel at the time, when — as we are told in
the New Testament shall take place the first resurrec-
tion, and therefore at the second coming of our Lord,

Still, however probable it might seem, these indica-
tions alone might not be regarded as settling the ques-
tion whether the advent of our Lord is to be expected in
connection with the restoration of Israel. i3ut the proph-
ecy before us is yet more explicit. In the triumphant
song of chap. xxv. verse 8, we are told that in the
coming day when that song "shall be sung in

As related to Israel.

149

ne of this

dead men
hey arise,
dew is as
the dead,
the dead,
le predic-
) that "in
the Lord
1 punish
) dragon
may be
;old tha't
he Lord
fvhich is
d years,
ive the
iilfilled.
uppose,
day of
erpent,
restora-
told in
3urrec-
iOrd,
indica-
ques-
Jted in
3roph-
phant
in the
ng in

the land of Jndah," the Lord, will swallow up death
in victory." But in 1, Cor. xv, 54, we are told in so
many words by the apostle Paul, that the time when
these words shall be fulfilled, is the time of the resur-
rection of the just. Nothing could be more explicit than
his language. "When this corruptible shall have put on
incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immor-
tality, then shr/il be brought to pass the saying that is
written, Death is shallowed up in victory." But the
time when this mortal shall put on immortality, he had
before said would be the day of the coming of the Lord
Jesus. "They that are Christ V shall rise, he tells us, "at
his coming." In a word, then, we are expressly told
that the time ot that deliverance of Israel here
predicted — the time when the triumphant psalm of chap.
XXV. " shall be sung in the land of Judah," — the
time when the children of Israel " shall be gathered one
by one," is the time when "death shall be swallowed up
in victory." But according to the inspired interpretation
of the apostle Paul, that time is the day when "they
that are Christ's" shall be raised "at his coming." Sure-
ly this explicitly synchronizea the restoration of Israel
with the resurrection of the just, and therefore with the
second coming.

II. To the same eifect is the testimony of Isaiah lix. 20
21. Let it be observed that this, again, is a prophecy, the
key to which is furnished us by an inspired interpretation.
When we read, as we do here, of those " who turn from
transgression in Jacob," we are not left at liberty to get
rid of possible doctrinal consequences by saying that this
is here to be understood of a spiritual Jacob or the
sp* ritual Israel, as found in the New Testament

150

The Second Coming of Christ

cbnrch. Fanl, again, has settled the scope of this pro-
phecy for us in Kom. x. where he teaches us in the most
explicit language po88ible,quoting a part of this prophecy,
that it refers to the future conversion of the fleshly
national Israel.* Neither can any one say that the
prophecy refers to the restoration from Babylon. For,
in the first place, the prophet tells us with regard to the
restoration of which he speaks, *' As for them, this is
my covenant with them saith the Lord, My spirit
that is upon thee. . . shall not depart out of thy mouth,
nor out of the mouth of thy seed, nor out of the mouth of
thy seed's seed, from henceforth and for ever."f That was
not fulfilled in Israel restored from Babylon. And so
in perfect accord with these words, we find that Paul ap-
plies the words to a restoration of Israel which, when he
wrote, was still future, and which it is needless to say-
has never yet been seen.

Kow what is said here of this yet future restoration of
Israel ? Let us read vs. 15-20, as accurately rendered in
the revised version.

" The Lord saw . . and it displeased him that there
was no judgment. And he saw that there was no man,
and he wondered that there was no intercessor ; there-
fore his own arm brought salvation unto him, and his
righteousness, it upheld him. And he put on righteous-
ness as a breast-plate, and a helmet of salvation upon his
head ; and he put on garments of vengeance for cloth-
ing, and was clad with zeal as a cloke. According to
their deeds, accordingly he will repay, fury to his adver-
saries, recompence to his enemies ... So shall they fear
the name of the Lord from the west, and his glory from

*Rom, xi. 26* comp. Dan. lix. ao. fls. lix, 2^.

of this pro-
in the most
is prophecy,
the fleshly
y that the
ylon. For,
gard to the
lem, this is

My spirit
thy mouth,
le mouth of

That was

And so

it Paul ap-

1, when he

iss to say

oration of
indered in

As related to Israel,

151

that there
no man,
; there-
and his
righteous-
upon his
for cloth-
ording to
lis adver-
they fear
ory from

the rising of the sun. For he shall come as a rushing
stream, which the breath ot Jehovah driveth; and a
Kedeeqaer shall come to Zion, and unto them that turn
from transgression in Jacob."

How could language be plainer? Here wo are ex-
pressly told that at the time of Israel's final conversion,
Israel's Redeemer shall come to^Zion.

A spiritual coming, will any one say ? Let it be re-
membered that we have already seen that at the same
time, according to Isaiah and Paul, shall occur the resur-
rection of the just. If so, then the coming of Israel's Re-
deemer which shall take place at the same time cannot
be spiritual, but must be that personal, visible return in
glory by which, as all the apostles teach us, the resur-
rection will be ushered in.

III. If Isaiah's testimony still leaves any in doubt as
to the close connection ia time of the conversion of
Israel with the second advent and the resurrection of
the just, let us hear the word of another prophet. In
Dan. xii. 1, 2, we have the following prediction.
" At that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince
which standeth for the children of thy people ; and there
shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there
was a nation even till that same time ; and at that time
thy people shall be delivered, oven every one that shall
be written in the book." Here let it be observed, be-
fore proceeding to the next verse, that there is no ques-
tion as to who Daniel's people were. Daniel's people
were the Jews. Nor can there be any doubt as to what
primarily is intended by the deliverance of which here
we read. For this deliverance must have reference to
the affliction and captivity of which we read so much in

' a

152

1 !

The Second Coming of Christ

the preceding chapters ; an affliction consisting in the
prolonged oppression of Daniel's people under the yoke of
the Gentiles. Neither is it possible to refer this deliver-
ance to the restoration from Babylon, or to the days of
the relief of the Jews from the tyranny of Antiochus
Epiphanes. For it is expressly said that the time of
that restoration shall be a time of trouble, such as never
there had been since there was a nation. But our Lord
when on earth quoted these words, and referred their ful-
filment to a time still future when he spoke. The
words must then refer to a deliverance of Israel to take
place at some time later than the first advent. But that
there has never been any deliverance of Daniel's people
since our Lord referred to these words is certain ;
there reference must therefore be to that great and final
deliverance of Israel, which, in some form or other, the
Church still expects. When then shall it be ? Is there
here any note of time? How plain the next words, which
we render literally : — " And many from among the
sleepers in the dust of the earth shall awake ; these
[shall be] to everlasting life ; those [shall be] to shame
and everlasting contempt."

Here we have an express statement, (1) that at the time
of Israel's yet future deliverance from all her enemies,
there shall be a resurrection of "many" who are sleeping
in the dust of the earth ; (2) that this resurrection shall not
be universal, but partial ; " niany of the sleepers," not
all ; (3) that these who awake, shall be to everlasting
life; (4) that those who — do not then thus awake, — shall
be reserved to shame and everlasting contempt, Nor can
any one say aspiritual resurrection is intended. So to in-
terpret is to set usage at defiance. Never is the sleep of

As related to Israel.

168

souls dead in sin described as a sleeping "in the dust of
the earth," The orthodox Jews have always understood
a literal resurrection to be predicted here and according
to uniform usage, we must hold that they have been right.

Thus, as in Isaiah, only yet more explicitly, we are
again told, even in so many words, that there shall be a
resurrection unto everlasting lite at the time of the
restoration of Israel, Bat, as before, so here again we
must conclude, — if a resurrection takes place at the time
of Israel's restoration, then the Lord's expected personal
return must take place at that time ; for of a resurrection
without a return of the Lord, the Scripture knows
nothing. They that are Christ's shall rise at his coming.

In confirmation of this understanding of the words, it
is to be noticed that our Lord in Mattliew xiii., in the
exposition of the parable of the tares, plainly alludes to
the words of Daniel which follow in vs. 3, where we read,
"They that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the
firmament ; and they that turn many to righteousness as
the stars forever and ever." So our Lord said that at the
time ot of the harvest "the end of the age," the returning
Son of man "shall send forth his angels, and gather the
wheat into his garner ; . . . and then shall the righteous
shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father.'''^

lY. We find another passage bearing on this question
in Zech. xii. xiii, xiv. In this prophecy we have first a
prediction of the repentance and restoration of Israel.
That it must refer to the future, is plain because the world
has never seen any such universal repentance of Israel
as is set forth in chap, xii. 10-14 ; neither has the Lord
ever yet set his hand "to destroy all the nations that come
against Jerusalem," as in chap, xii. 9 ; neither have we

154

The Second Coming oj Christ

)

I ,1

ever Been the blessed results which are said to follow
the fulfilment of this prophecy ; when Holiness unto the
Lord shall be written even upon the bolls of the horses,
as is written in chap. xiv. 20.

Now, concerning this future repentance of the Jews, we '
read, " I will pour upon the house of David and upon
the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of
supplications : and they shall look upon me whom they ^
have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one
mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for
him, as one that is in bitterness for his drst born."*

But if we turn to the New Testament we find that
the apostle John quotes a part of this pa8sag,e in the
Apocalypse, giving a literal translation from the Hebrew,
and in so many words refers it to the second advent of
the Lord. For it is written (Rev. i. 7,) " Behold ha
cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see
Him, and they also which pierced Him and all kindreds
of the earth ;" lit. "all the tribes of the land shall
wail because of Him." And in this he was but fol-
lowing the example of the ;Lord Jesus, who had
also used words from the same prophecy referring
their fulfilment in like manner to His future coming in the
clouds of heaven as in Matt. xxiv. 30, and the parallel
passages.

If we examine the latter part of this jame prophecy of '
Zechariah, we shall find yet more explicit reference to
the glorious personal advent of the Lord, in connection
with that last terrible* tribulation which shall usher in
the final repentance and restoration of Israel of which he '
writes. For in chap. xiv. we read that " in that day,"

*Zech. xii. lo, ^

\ —

As related to Israel.

155

namely, when all the tribes shall look on him whom
they have pierced and mourn, and " a fountain
shall be opened to the house of David and to the
inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and for uncleannoss,"
(chap. xiii. 1.) the day in which also the Lord " will
gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle," (chap«
xiv. 2 ) in that day the feet of the Lord " shall stand up-
• on the Mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on
the east," and " the Lord my God shall come, and all the
saints with thee." (chap. xiv. 4, 5.)

As to the meaning of this phraseology, be it observed
first, that it is utterly impossible to refer this standing
of the Lord " upon the Mount of Olives" to anything in
the first advent of our Lord. At no time during the life
of our Lord on earth, was there any such gathering of
the nations against Jerusalem as is here described.
To ugalu, say that it refers to a providential coming
of the Lord when Jerusalenx was destroyed, is wholly
inconsistent with the context, and that for two reasons.

In the first place, of the siege against Jerusalem which
is predicted here, it is said v. 2, that " half of the city"
shall go forth into captivity, and the residue ot the
people shall not be cut off from the city." This is no
description of the massacre and captivity which attended
the destruction of Jerusalem under Titus. Neither was
the issue of that tribulation such as that which is here
foretold as the issue of this. For it is here said that that
great conflict shall end in the final and everlasting re-
population of the land. "Men shall dwell in it and there
shall be no more utter destruction, but Jerusalem shall
be safely inhabited" (chap. xiv. 11.) No providential
/ coming of l^e Lord that history has ever seen, can be in-

156

The Second Coming of Christ

toiidod here. The prophecy can be fitted to no past
historical event except by tlie most extreme violence to
its plainest statements. Neither can the language be ap-
plied, according to the usage of Scripture symbolism, to a
coming ot the Lord by his Spirit. Where in the Scrip-
ture symbolism is there anything which would warrant
one in saying that the standing of the feet of the Lord
" upon the Mount of Olives" denoted a revival of re-
ligion ?

The words must then refer to the future. They do
not relate to the conversion of Israel ; that has been al-
ready predicted. They naturally and most obviously de-
scribe the personal presence of the Lord of Israel at the
time and the precise spot mentioned in the parable,-tlie
very place, it may be observed, whence Christ ascended.
They must refer to the future, second appearing of Jesus.

This is made the more certain when we observe the
words in vs. 5 ; "The Lord my God shall come and all
the saints with thee !" It we should assume a spiritual
or providential coming of the Lord to be here
denoted, what can then be meant by the coming
^^ of all the saints'^ with the Lord? What event in the past
or what predicted for the future, which could be rightly
described as a coming of the Lord with all his saints"
except it bo that future coming of our Lord in the glory
ol his kingdom when "all them that sleep in Jesus, God
shall bring with him ?" And if anything more be needed
to settle the question, we have it in the fact that Paul
in the New Testament quotes these very words, which
according to Zechariah describe what is to occur at the
time of Israel's conversion and deliverance, as describing
the future return of the Lord for resurrection. For he

As related to tsraeL

157

DO past
iolenco to
age be up-
»li8in,to a
lie Scrip-
l warrant
the Lord
jdX of re-

They do

} been al-

iously de-

lel at the

rable,-the

ascended.

of JesuB.

serve the

e and all

spiritual

be liere

coming
n the past
)e rightly
8 saints"
the glory
JSU8, God
)e needed
that Paul
ds, which
ur at the
escribing

For lie

uses this language: " To the end that he may establish
your hearts unblameable in holiness before],God,even our
Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all
his saints. (1 Thess. iii. 13.)

We sum up theuthe teaching of thisprophecyof Zechar-
iahasfollows : — Zachariah in these chapters (xii-xiv,) pre-
dicts a yet future repentance ot Israel and a future linal
deliverance of the Jews from all their enemies, in a
day when a fountain shall be opened to them tor sin and
for uncleaunoss. And he tells us further that at that day
they shall look upon him whom they pierced. Jesus and
his apostle John both represent these words as ful-
filled at the second coming of the Lord. Zechariah furth-
er tells us that in the day ot Israel's salvation, the feet
of the Lord " shall stand upon the mount of Olives, and
the Lord my God shall come and all the saints with
him." But Paul represents these word3 also as finding
their fulfilment at the second coming of the Lord. We
must conclude, as from the other scriptures cited, that
Zechariah also represents the conversion and restor-
ation of Israel as synchronizing with the second appear-
ing of the Lord to judge and reign.

It has been rejoined that if this be the correct inter-
pretation of the Old Testament prophecies, it is very
strange that we do not find the same truth in the New
Testament. To this we answer, first by asking whether
then such objectors would wish us to understand that
nothing can b3 held as c(3rtainly taught in the Old
Testament, except it be also clearly affinned in the New ?
Is the fourth comnaandtnent form illy re-affirmai in the
New Testament? No one, surely will dare to assert
that we are to believe nothing which is not taught in

}

158

The Second Coming of Christ

both ToBtaments ; and jot oxcept on this assumption
what decisive force can there be in the objection ? That
there should not be, in any case, so much about
the restoration of Israel in the New Testament as in
the Old, is natural. For the New Testament was writ-
ten, not specially, in the first instance, for the Jews, but
for the churches of the Gentiles. But we deny that
there is no reference in the New Testament to a restora-
tion of the Jews in connection with the second advent
of the Lord. This is plain indeed from the New Testa-
ment reference to the Old Testament prophecies already
noticed. But there is more in the New Testament than
these. •

V. Let us look, in the first instance, at the words of our
Lord in Luke xxi. 24 et seq. In that passage and con-
text; the Lord predicts the destruction of Jerusalem and
the accompanying calamities. He said that Jerusalem
should be trodden down ot the Gentiles until the times of
the Gentiles should be fulfilled. Surely no man can say
that this is the spiritual Jerusalem, the New Testament
church, — the ready resource of interpreters in so many
other places. For the prophecy has in large part passed
into fulfilment, and has been fulfilled in the literal Jerusa-
lem, in the land of Palestine. That city is trodden down
of the Gentiles now, and has been over since 70 A.D.
But the words naturally imply that a time is coming
when this state of things shall cease. Jesus did not say
Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles forever.
He distinctly fixes a limit to this condition ot things. It
shall be trodden down "till the times of the Gentiles
be fulfilled." Surely these words imply that a day is
coming when Gentile rule in Jerusalem shall come to an

As related to Israel,

159

[nption

That

about

; as ill

8 writ-

1V8, but

y that

restora-

advent

Teata-

already

snt than

Is of our
nd con-
em and
rusalem
times of
can say
itament
many

t passed
Jerusa-
m down
A.D.
coming
not say
forever.
ngs. It
Gentiles
a day is
me to an

end, and Israel shall be reinstated there. Till that day,
the long tribulation lasts on Israel, even as yet to-day.
Then it will end. It is till that day. Israel's restoration
is clearly assumed.

But is there anything here about the second advent ?
Let us look at Matthew's account of the same discourse.
He tells us that our Lord said explicitly, that when that
"tribulation," comprehending with all else this age-long
treading down ol Jerusalem by the Gentiles, shall cease,
then, ^Hmmediately after the tribulation of those days
shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not s^ive
her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and
powers ot the heaven shall be shaken : and then shall
appear the sign of the Son of Man in Heaven; and
then" — observe that he quotes the words used by
Zechariah of the repentance of Israel — "then shall all
the tribes of the earth (or of the land), mourn, and they
shall see the Son ot Man coming in the clouds of
Heaven with power and great glory," Matt, xxiv
How could language be plainer ? "Immediately after"
the tribulation ol Israel ends ; when Jerusalem shall,
cease to be trodden of the Gentiles, and Israel shall in
some degree be established in their own land; immediately
thereafter shall appear the awful signs which shall be
swiftly followed by the appearing of the Son of Man in
the clouds of heaven ! Is not this a re-affirmation of
that which we have already seen to be the teaching of
the Old Testament Scriptures ? and that by the authority
of our Lord himself? Surely He places together the
restoration of Israel and His second coming.

VI. Nor is this the only passage where we may perceive
a reference to the same truth. For it is written that just

160

The Second Coming of Christ

before his death, when taking solemn leave of the
apostate nation, He closed an awful series of woes
in these words : " Ye shall not see me henceforth till ye
shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name
of the Lord." Surely in the light of all the Scrip-
tures to which we have attended, the natural inference
from these words is this ; that while He would be with-
drawn from their bodily vision during the whole period,
however long, in which they should continue as a nation
to reject them, yet when they should cease to reject Him
— when they should say, " Blessed is he that cometh in
the name of the Lord," instead ot being ready to crucify
Him, then they should see Him again.

yn. That the personal return of the Lord is condition-
ed by Israel's repentance, is also directly taught by the
apostle Peter in Acts iii. 19-21, where according to the
accurate rendering of the revised version, we read that
Peter said unto the Jews to whom he was preaching : —
" Repent ye and turn again, that your sins may be blot-
ted out, that so there may come seasons of refreshing: from
the presence of the Lord, and that He may send the
Christ who hath been appointed for you, even Jesus ;
whom the heavens must receive until the times of re-
storation of all things, whereof God spake by the mouth
of His holy prophets, which have been since the world
began " Here in plain language Peter teaches the Jews,
as a motive to lead them to repentance, that if they will
repent, God will send the Christ, even Jesus, whom the
heavens must receive until those times of predicted re-
storation. What could be plainer ? Even Prof. Addison
Alexander, has been compelled to admit in his com-
mentary on this passage, that if we are to allow the

As related to Israel.

161

usage of language to determine the meaning of words,
then we must admit that Peter here is speaking of a
personal advent of the Lord, and not of any providential
or spiritual coming whatever. In the light of such pass-
ages can we reasonably doubt what Paul had in mind,
when in Rom. xi. 26, 27, writing of the restoration of
the Jews, or — more precisely — their conversion, he
quotes with a slight variation in confirmation of his
tefiching, the word of the prophet Isaiah to which wo
have already at( ended, to the effect that it is when "the
Redeemer shall corae out of Zion" that ungodliness
shall be turned away from Jacob.

We conclude then, that there is abundant evidence that
the Scriptures of the Old and the New Testament agree
in representing the future restoration and conversion of
Israel as accompmied by or taking place in closest con-
nection with the glorious return of the Lord Jesus to
judge and reign. When Israel returns, then,we are assured
death shall be swallowed up in victory ; Christ's dead
men shall live ; together with his dead body shall they
rise. When Israel repents, the Redeemer shall come to
Zion and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob, In
the day of Israel's final cleansing the Lord our God shall
come, and all the saints with Him, and His feet shall
stand in that day upon the Mount of Olives, and Israel
"shall look upon Ilira whom they have pierced and shall
mourn for Him .... as one that is in bitterness for his
first-born." To the same effect the Lord Jesus teaches
that when Israel's long tribulation shall end, Jerusalem
shall cease to be trodden down by the Gentiles ; and
immediately thereafter shall bo introduced the
scenes which herald the coming of the Son of Man

162 The Second Coming of Christy cfcc.

in the clouds of heaven to judgment, and to reward
His people. How natural is it that Peter, with full re-
cognition of the iiiighty blebsings — both to Israel as a
nation, and to the church, — which according to these
Scriptures, stand connected with the restoration and re-
pentance of Israel, should urge his nation to repent
and turn, that so might come the promised times of re-
freshing from the presence of the Lord, and that God
might send the Christ which had been appointed for
them, even Jesus! And according to this inspired
teaching with how much reason could Paul say concern-
ing Israel (Rom. xi. 15) ; '* If the casting away of them
be the reconciling of the world, what shall the receiving
of them be but life from the dead ? " To all which our
hearts respond. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus !

rd
re-
} a
Kse

THE POWER OF THIS TRUTH TO ENCOURAGE
AND STIMULATE THE CHURCH

IN AND TO

THE WORK OF EVANGELIZATION

BY THE

BISHOP OF HURON, (MAURICE BALDWIN, D.D.)

THE POWER OF THIS TRUril TO ENCOURAGE
AND STIMULATE THE CHURCH: i .

IN AND TO

THE WORK OF EVANGELIZATION.

BY THE • • • r . .,

BISHOP OF HURON, (MAURICE B^LQWIN, D.D.)

''^Y

MY Christian friends, I have been asked to speak
on the subject of the bearing of the Doctrine of
Christ's pre-millennial coming on the subject of Missions,
and I may add, of our daily Christian life. There are
many indications, no doubt, of the speedy coming of our
Lord and master Jesus Christ, but among the most tangi-
ble is this, thb awakening interest in the cause of missions.
Wherever we see members of the Church of Christ: we
see awakening interest in the great work of missionary
labor. Not a hundred years ago there was the utmost
apathy and indifference everywhere upon the subject;
and many of you are aware of the reception which Carey
met witli when he preached to the people on his going
to India to proclaim the gospel of the grace oi Godi
The subject was met with ridicule, sarcasm, and scorn.
It was deride! on every hand. But where, I ask, to-day

166 The Power of this Truth to Encourage the Church

is thoro any representative of the Church of Christ who
will stand up in a public assembly to ridicule the great
work of missions ? Such an one could not be found.
There has been a most tremendous growth upon the
subject, and the fact of this great growth is one indica-
tion, at least to my mind, of the speedy coming of our
Lord*

Let us observe the following facts. Our Lord tells us
in the 24th of Matthew, that His gospel was ^'to be
preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations,
and then shall the end come." It seems to me clear and
definite that the instruction given to us in this passage
is, that our Lord intends that His gospel is to be preached
in every land for a witness.

Now a hundred and fifty years ago people might have

folded their arms and said that that idea Df Christ's

coming was, to say the least, intensely remote. And what

was the state of the whole Church at that time ? There

was great laxity and indifference. And I can say just as

a member of the Church of England that the growth of

tliat church has been in direct ratio to her advancement

of the cause of Missions, and I will further say that never

was there a time of deeper spiritual life — never was

there a time of intenser earnestness than there is to day,

and if we ask what reason may be assigned for this, it is

that there has been this increased blessing in the work of

advancing the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Great Missionary

Societies have arisen. They are constantly developing

and expanding in their work, so that to-day there is

scarcely to be found a nation not willing to a greater or

less extent, to receive the heralds of the cross. The

world is to-day interpenetrated by Missions. India, from

In the Work of Evangelization.

167

the mountains of Himalaya to the Cape of Comorinis re-
ceiving the word of trnth, and away into Tartary and
Thibet, the Lord Jesus is sending out His messengers,
glad precursors of that blessed morning when He shall
come to take His Bride to be with Himself; to be for-
ever with him in His presence.

I would state in the next place, that our Lord is fur-
ther preparing for His advent by stirring up His people
so that they have learned this truth, that whilst the
whole work must be advanced, — whilst the millions
which lie about their own doors must be seen to, yet
there is the paramount duty which we cannot divest
ourselves of, to spread the gospel "till like a sea of glory
it spreads from pole to pole." We see, however, that in
this dispensation there are limitations. Christ says
(using a Greek word,) " this gospel must be preached
for a witness." He does not say till every nation is con-
verted. He does not say until every person is brought
into direct and positive subjection to His perfect sway.
He tells us that it is for a witness, and we are told dis-
tinctly that His coming is to gather out from the
nations His ecclesia. That gathering is going on to-day.

The subject before me is the power of this truth to en-
courage and stimulate the church in and to the work of
evangelization, and I therefore pass on, to state in the
next place, that there has often been brought to my
mind the objection that so little is apparently done.
The enemies of Missions have risen and said. Where are
the results which we might have anticipated 'i Where are
the nations born in a day? Where are the unconverted
millions that are bowing down at His feet to worship
and serve Him ? In answer I would state, the Lord's pur-

168 The Power of this Truth to Encourage the Church

poses unfold slowly but surely, and we look forward
through the darkness to the brighter morning before us.
There was an ablepaper read this morningupon the Second
Coming of Christ as related to Israel, and 1 might first
add that, amongst the many blessings which are in future
store for the world, is this restoration, the conversion oi
the ancient people of Israel. It is just one of those grand
majestic steps, the height, and the depth, the length and
the breadth of which our finite minds have not yet fully
grasped. Sufiicient however to say, that the subject was
just touched upon, and may be developed this atternoon
concerning the effects which flow from the restoration of
God's ancient people.

The apostle says, "If their rejection be the reconciling
of the world, what shall their acceptation be but. life from
the dead ?" • !N"ow does that metin something absolutely
figurative. Is it to be related to the domain of metaphor ?
I do not think so. We find that the rejection of Israel
was the preaching of the goepel to us Gentiles. The
apostle said "since you count yourselves unworthy of
^ternal life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles." Well now we
Gentiles have been receiving the gospel for so many
hundred years, I may say that we have not been as faith-
ful as we should have been, and the apostle distinctly
states- that there was the fear lest, it God spared not the
natural branches, He would not spare the wild olive
t|-ce. But we learn from Scripture that there is an end
pf the church of the first born, that it, the church of the
first. born, is to be caught up to meet the Lord in the air,
and thatin this blessed millennial glory which is to follow,
Israel is to take its place as thegreatand mighty priestly
nation, for- the advancing of the gospel of God's eternal
love.

Jn the Work of 'Evanfjelization. 109

Now I draw your attention to the fact there is a lino
of prophecies concerning Israel which, under no mode of
interpretation, can be claimed to have been already tul-
filled. Take tlie wondrous prophecy concerning Israel
commencing with the 60th chapter of Isaiah. No one
can say that this has ever as yet met with its fulfilment.
In the 10th verse: • *' And the sons of strangers shall
build up thy walls, and their kings shall minister unto
them; for in my wrath I smote thee, but in my favor
have I had mercy on thee." 12th verse I "For the nation
and the kingdom that will not serve thee shall perish,
yea those nations shall be utterly wasted." There are
so many besides these 'that might be quoted, that 1
would consume too much of your time were I to
read them. I may say, however, that they point to tho
time when Jerusalem shall be the moral centre of the
earth. It shall be neither London, or Paris, or Now
York, but the kingly glory — the centre of God's mighty
operations, shall be the H oly City, and Israel being re-
stored and converted shall become the great liation to
extend the Gospel throughout all quarters of the earth.
In the 20th chapter of the same prophet, and at the 26th
verse, this sublime language is used "Moreover the
light of the moon shall be as the light of the sun, and
the light of the sun shall be sevenfold, a3 the light of
seven days, in the day that the Lord bindeth
up the breach of Ills people, and healeth the stroke of
their wound." The church of the first born having been
removed to be at the side of the Heavenly Bridegroom,
the millennial glory shall be the great time of missions. It
will be the time when the light of the moon shall be as
the light of the sun. It will be the time when nations

170 The Power of this Truth to Ikcourage the Church

shall be born in a day. It will be the time when Israel's
people shall be righteous, and men shall know them as
the ministers of God.

Let U3 note in the next place, that therefore we are to
pray that the Lord will speedily come. Then at His
coming, living waters shall flow out of Jerusalem for the
healing of the people. Therefore it is our duty, our
blessed glorious privilege, to know that Christ is coming,
and to cry continually, *'Oome Lord Jesus, come quickly,"
to thy waiting, waiting church.

Now these truths must have the greatest power upon
our Christian life. They are doctrines which must
affect us. As some people hold that there is no personal
coming, it seems to me to take away the brightest sight
that the eye can rest upon. A pleasant thing it is lor
the eye to see the light, but a pleasanter thing for the
soul to look upon Jesus Christ, and to know that our
dear Lord is coming, coming soon to take His Bride to
be forever with Him ; and therefore if we believe that
Christ is coming, and if, in the second place, wo believe
that coming to be contingent upon the diffusion
of the gospel ot Jesus Christ, does it not follow,
as a necessary consequence, that those who are permeated
with such views will want to do everything that lies in
their power to advance the cause of missions ? It is His
cause, not ours. We see Christ in struggling missions,
we see His glory in the feeblest of them. There is a
mistaken idea in this world about what are the great
movements. People suppose that when great nations
sign declarations of war against other nations that
these are the great events, but as I look at it the great
events of life are the going forth of groups of missionaries

In the Work of Evangelisation, 171

with the Gospel in their hands, to proclaim God's love to
dying men. The great event waits the work of these
men. This Gospel must be preached to every
nation, and then shall the end come. Then in view of
this ought we not — and this seems as practical as the
other — to be more ready than we are to lay down our
silver and our gold — to consecrate our means to the blessed
cause of Jesus Christ, that this work may be accom-
plished and that the Bride may soon look up and say,
" Behold he cometh leaping upon the mountains, skip-
ping upon the hills."

The next point I have to speak about is, that in con-
sidering the subject of our Lord's coming and its bear-
ing on Missions, we cannot but notice that the whole
subject of revelation is only now being slowly examined
into. I do not underrate the labors of earnest men in
the past. 1 am only speakf ng of the general facts in the
case. The book of the Kevelation has been practically
sealed. Now I do not wonder at the fact. Let us un-
derstand that the Scripture clearly points out that Satan
is the god of this world. It indicates that Satan has
had a great deal to do upon the earth. He caused
the failure of our first parents, and this book is the book
which tells his doom. It shows him bound, and cast
into the lake of fire. It shows us the fulfilment of the
statement of the dear Lord, " I saw Satan as lightning
fall from heaven." It shows us his final end, the holy
foot of Jesus Christ upon the neck of our great foe, and
his being hurled into that bottomless pit, from which he
is never to rise. Is it likely that he w ould promote the
study of the book of Revelation? No, it is not likely.
It is more likely that he would induce people to consider

172 The Power of this Truth to Encourage the Church

that it is BO dark, 80 mysterious, so utterly incompre-
hensible, that the safest, the wisest and the most judicious
course was to leave it absolutely unread ; but at the very
threshold of the^ book lies the statement, " Blessed is ho
that readeth, and they that hear the words of this
prophecy, and keep those things which are written there-
in, for the time is at hand,"

Now if we go to the study of the book of Eevelation,
we find that it is just that which the grace of God in-
dicates we should do. In the Epistle of Paul to Titus
there are three effects noted of the grace of God. One
is that it teaches us to deny ungodliness and worldly
lusts ; secondly, that we should live soberJy, righteously,
and godly in this present world. The one is the negative*
the otliei: the positive, and the third is that we should
"look for that blessed hope, the glorious appearing of our
great God and Saviour Jesus Christ." I would say
that these three effects ought to be kept together, the
negative, denying ungodliness ; the positive, , living
soberly ; and thirdly, looking for the blessed coming.
Thus we live in hope, however bright the day may be,
and however joyous we may be if we arc looking tor
His coming, it makes the day go swifter. The thought
that in a moment we may stand face to face with Him,
how it helps us to bear the sorrows of this troubled life.
To stand amidst the duties of every day and look through
the dark and thickening air, and feel that tho coming of
the Lord draweth swiftly nigh. It is the grace of God
within the heart that makes us look up from things
temporal to things eternal. ; _

Now the next point, is, the statement of the apostle
Paul as to our present position. His language is very

In the Work of Evangelization

173

Jre-

)n8
|erj

ho
this
jre-

^on,
in-

reuiarkable. He says that our commonwealth is where
Christ is. If we turn to the Epistle to the Philippians
3r(l chapter, 20th verse, we find the apostle stating— as
it is in the old version — "our conversation is in heaven."
Now that word means more than that ; it is our com-
monwealth^ our state is in heaven. We are to live there ;
that is, we do not live there as regards the body. We do
not live there as regards things temporal, but the apostle,
in his epistle to the Ephesians, tells us that this is our
commonwealth, that place where Christ is, and from
which we expect our Lord to issue; we are to live there.
And I would say, hpw much more nobly would we walk
and live if we realized more tlie pilgrim character of
those that are expecting the coming Christ. The
sandals then would always bo upon cur feet, and the
staff' would over be in our hands, and our faces would
be towards the city of the great King. We would uso
the thingrs of this world as not abusing them. Wo
would till the time of our sojourn with happy, joyous
service, seeking to improve each moment that wo might
advance the glory of our blessed God. •

Another point that I would draw your attention to, is
a very remarkaMc cne concerning this subject. That
just in proportion as we expect our Lord's coming, and
look for that coming, do we grow in divine life. In the
3rd chapter of the 2nd epistle to the Corinthians, 18th verse,
the Apostle says, "We all with open face beholding as in a
glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same
image from glory to glory, even as by the spirit of the
Lord." Now I gather that however difficult this pas-
sage may be, and however many interpretations may
have been given as to its proper meaning, that it simply

174 The Power of this 7 ruth to Encourage the Church

teaches ua that the view of Christ transfigures us. That
just as a man going into the state where people are be-
low him, and inferior to him in education, inferior to him
in life, and he to go among them and adopt their modes
01 living and expression, loses his high position by going
down to them— he sinks, whereas if we look at Christ,
the apostle says, gazing at Him, setting the Lord always
before us, from sunrise to sunset, we are changed into
His image from glory to g«ory. There is elevating
power in the study of the coming of the Lord. None of
us deny for one moment that p3ople have taken up un-
scriptural ground on the subject. That people have run
into wild excess, and have brought the subject in the
eyes of many into discredit, but the truth is here. It is
before us, and just as we keep Christ before us, and His
coming glory do we, ourselves, become changed into the
likeness of His image, so that if He tarries, and we have
fallen asleep, we shall awake satisfied with His likeness.
We shall see Him when this corruptible shall have been
exchanged for the incorruptible, and this mortal shall be
changed into the immortal, and wo know not what we
shall be, but we know that when He shall appear we
shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.

Again, I might speak too of the comfort of this doctrine.
We 8re sometimes called to comfort those who mourn,
and I think that so often whilst people comfort the
mourner with whatever doctrine they have at their com-
m"" -^j they fail to see the mode in which the apostle
Pa would comfort those that weep the Iops of friends.
So ten people get no further than the language of
Da d when he said, the child could not come to him, but
h could go to the child. True, but we go to the

In the Work oj Evangelisation.

175

^13

house of mourning with the apostle and say, at least we try
to say, that there is strong consolation, that that body
which represents the home of a sleeping saint is just
laid — perchance for a little while to rest there — perhaps
only a day, a week, a month, a year, and then Christ
shall come and the dead in Christ shall rise first. We
point them to the fact that the believer's falling asleep
is, as it were, momentary ; that that body is precious
to God. That it has been redeemed as well as the
soul. That the Lord knows its resting place, and
that He shall call it forth again, purified, beautified, and
made meet for the eternal home. " Comfort one another
with these words." Tell them that the night is far spent,
and that the day is at hand. In the day of mourning
people are told to bear their sorrows, and it is most
proper and most true ; but there is this lurther to be said,
that while we do bear our sorrow, and whilst we mourn,
it is not of those who have no hope ; that we know it is
only for a little while. If I am called to go to the bed-
side, and afterwards to follow to the grave, one who
has sunk without hope, what can 1 say ? I say, I know
he shall rise but I know not when ; the Lord knoweth.
There is a darkness and a gloom, but that darkness and
that gloom does not rest on the believer's hope — it is
bright. It is " the Lord shall come again."

Two other points, and I conclude. First, the apostle
says there is a crown for those that love His appearing .
In the Second Epistle to Timothy, 4th chapter and 8th
verse we read : " Henceforth there is laid up for me a
crown of righteousness, which the Lord the righteous
Judge shall give me at that day, and not to me only but
unto all them also that love His appearing." Have you

»'^'

176 The Power of this Truth to JEncourage the Church

ever thought that that crown is for all who love His
appearing ? It is for those who are looking for it. The
Greek verb signifies the waiting for His coming. That
crown is not spoken of as being given to those who have
achieved great results, Not even to those that even the
church have thought the most worthy, but to those who
love His appearing. To those who through good and
evil report have waited, and with the cry, " Coiae Lord
Jesus, come quickly."

The next thought is with reference to the gilts. In Ist
Corinthians Ist chapter and 7th verse is the remarkable
Btatement. The apostle says, that they, the Corinthians,
come behind in no gift, waiting for the coming of the
"Lord Jesus Christ." In other words, that just as they
waited they were endowed with the various gifts of the
Holy Ghost. Now just as the gospel of Christ is pro-
claimed with the Holy Ghost is with power, and the
men who, anterior to Christ's first advent, proclaimed
that Christ would come were men of power. They
were the great and mighty ot Israel — the men who like
Isaiah and Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, and the minor
prophets lifted up their voices, and said that Messiah
cometh. They were men of power having the gifts of the
Holy Ghost. Now then we come to our day, and I gath-
er that the apostle's teaching is this : that the men who
to day proclaim the second advent shall have the especial
charisma which belong to the Church of Christ, That
in other words, the Holy Ghost will endow with special
powers those that boldly, fearlessly and emphatically
make known the hope of the church, in the speedy comr
iiig of Christ.

Those true servants in Cprinth came behind in no

* •

« f

\.)

in the Wo^'k of ^Evangelization.

IV7

ns.

* •

• I

gift. I might expatiate on the subject, but I will only say
that these giits of the Holy Ghost were to dwell in the
Church, and just as this truth of the Second Advent is
brought forward the servant of Christ may expect power.

In conclusion, there are several subjects on wliich I
might speak, but I will conclude with the followiuf^. If
the cause of missions be brought ])efore us, let us cease
from looking at the subject from the human stand point
and rather identify the cause wholly with the personal',
living Christ. Second. Let us bear in mind the words
of Christ, " Pray ye therefore the Lord of the har-
vest, that he may send forth more laborers into the vine-
yard." 1 do think that each day we should pray
for the cause of missions ; we should pray that the faith
of those in the work may be stronger, that mightier
success may be given them : and let us ever remember
that on their success is dependent the coming of our risen
and exalted Lord. Let us, therefore, live very near to
our Divine Master in abiding, holy, blessed union, for ''he
that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth
forth much fruit." Christ in me bringeth forth much
fruit, and the whole effect of this blessed doctrine is to
bring us into closer personal union with Je-us Christ.
It is that we may die and He live. Oh that we shall learn
more and more the power of our daily death, and His
daily life.

In the next place, it will lead us to be more earnest in
the reclaimation of those that have wandered away. It
will make us more in earnest in trying to win the lost
and erring souls to the Lord Jesus, it will make us preach
with more fervour, more earnestness the gospel of love
to sinners. It will make us feel as Frances Ridley

178

The Power of this Truth^ dsc.

Havergal said she felt, tliat sainted woman who IcU
asleep so recently, "i try to Bee my Lord in every person I
meet, and 1 try to minister to every one, that I may min-
ister in every one to my Lord and Master Jesus Chri t."
And, dear fellow Christians, let this Lord dwell richly
in you. Let Him be the Alpha and He the Omega.
Let Him come with many crowns upon His head into your
heart, and let Him sit upon the throne, and you lie low
at His feet. Let Him speak, and do you obey, and just
as you dwell in this attitude you will find His yoke is
easy and His burden is light, and you will get faith each
day to hasten His blessed coming.

HlCl. AND 'VEIR, J-KINTERS, TEMl'KRANCK STitEEr, TORONTO.

WORKS ON PROPHECY.

LECTURES ON DANIEL. By Rev. E. B. Pusey, D.D

THE BOOK OF DANIEL. By S. P Tregelles, L. L. D

THE BOOK OF DANIEL. By Rev. Prof. Murphy

LECTURES ON THE BOOK OF DANIEL. By L. Strong

LECTURES ON BOOK OF REVELATION. By W.Kelly

DISCOURSES ON THE BOOK OF REVEL \TION. By William Lincoln..

DISCOURSES ON THE BOOK OF REVELATION. By Alex. Gregory ....

LECTURES ON BOOK OF REVELATION. By J. N . Darby

OUTLINES OF PROPHETIC TRUTH. By Robt. Brown

THE APOCALYPSE. By Joseph A. Seiss. 3 vol

PROPHECY, ITS INTERPRETATION. By T. Fairbairn, D.D

THE APPROACHING END OF THE AGE. By H. Grattan Guinness

THE TWO BABYLONS. By Rev. Alex. Hislop

THE GREAT PROPHECIES concerning the Gentiles, the Jews, and the
Church of God. By G. H. Pember, M. A

THE EXPECTED RAPTURE OF THE CHURCH. By G. W. Houghton .

PRE-MILLENNI AL ESSAYS of the Prophetic Conference

THE COMING PRINCE. By Robert And eraon, L. L D

PROPHETICAL LANDMARKS. By Rev. H . Bonar, D.D. • • •

THE REIGN OF CHRIST ON EARTH By Daniel T. Taylor

THE CLOSING DAYS OF CHRISTENDOM. By Burlington B. Wale. ...

THE BRIDES OF SCRIPTURE By J. Denham Smith

PLAIN PAPERS ON PROPHETIC SUBJECTS By William Trotter

THE Ll'FE OF THE WORLD TO COME. By Rev. T. T. Shore, M. A

COMING EVENTS AND PRESENT DUTIES. By Rev. J. C. Ryle, M. A..

M ARANATH A. By Rev James H. Brookes, paper 50c., cloth

THE REVEL.\TION OF JESUS CHRIST. By T. B. Baines

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