PART I.

INTRODUCTION.

Abstract Testimony of the Holy Scriptures, regarding the Second Personal Coming of Christ.

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THE great central truth, around which, like the planets around the sun, all the others revolve, is, "God manifest in the flesh," in both His Humiliation and Exaltation." It "became Him first to suffer, before He could enter into His glory." It is the latter subject, with which we are more immediately concerned in the following treatise. We shall, in dependence upon the grace of God, seek to know what is "the mind of the Spirit," in relation to the second personal coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, as an abstract scriptural truth, by presenting it to view in its twofold aspect, doctrinal and practical.

SECTION I.

DOCTRINAL.

I. On this part of the subject, our quotations must be limited, for want of space, to the most prominent and pertinent prooftexts, only observing, by the way, that the doctrine of Christ's

11 Tim. iii. 16.

21 Pet. i. 11.

Luko xvii. 25; xxiv. 26.

second coming is not confined to any one part of Scripture. We begin with

THE OLD TESTAMENT.

Sir Isaac Newton, who wrote an elaborate work on the prophecies, has well said, that "there is scarcely a prophecy of the Old Testament which does not in something or other relate to the second coming of Christ." Let us apply this remark to the first promise of grace to man-" And I will put enmity between thee (the serpent-tempter) and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed it (the woman's seed, Christ) shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel." Now, on this passage I observe, that Christ's incarnation of the Virgin Mary by the power of the Holy Ghost, teaches us that He is the woman's promised "seed;" while His crucifixion on the cross was explanatory of the bruising of His heel by satanic power and malice. At the same time the wondrous prodigies attendant upon the tragical scene of Calvary,

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"When God the mighty Maker died

For man the creature's sin,"

furnished evidence that He triumphed over the serpent-tempter, by leading captivity captive, and purchasing gifts for men." " This, however, was but the first blow inflicted upon the "head" of the "strong man armed," by the hand of "the stronger than he." His final bruising is reserved for the future. Satan, as "the god of this world," "the prince of the power of the air," still "works in the children of disobedience, leading men," not only individually but also nationally, "captive at his will." The ultimate triumph awaits the incarceration, and the final casting of the serpent in the lake of fire, both of which acts are future, and are to be consummated at the period of the second coming of Christ.

The next prophecy of this event is that of Enoch, as recorded by the apostle Jude. "And Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousand of his saints, to execute judgment upon all," etc. Christ's first coming was on an errand of mercy. It announced the proffer of "peace on earth, and of good will to man." But, at His second coming, though, "to them who look for him, he will appear the second time without sin unto salvation; " yet, man's probationary

1 Gen. iii. 14, 15.

2 Ps. lxviii. 18; Eph. iv. 8.

3 Rev. xx. 10.

4 Heb. ix. 28.

economy under the gospel dispensation having then closed, He will pour out the libations of His wrath upon the impenitent and incorrigible contemners of His word.' The fact that His first coming was not attended with "ten thousand of his saints," is proof decisive that Enoch's prophecy refers to His second coming.

The same holds true of the "Prophet" predicted by Moses, to whom the people should "hearken." Also of the "Shiloh" of Jacob, unto whom "the gathering of the people should be." The same of the "Star" of Balaam, who was to "rise out of Ja. cob and have dominion." Now, though these several prophecies related primarily to the first coming of Christ, yet neither of them was fully verified by that event. For, of the first, our blessed Lord, as the great prophetic "Teacher sent from God," complained of the people, "Ye will not come unto me, that ye might have life." But, a predicted period never yet realized will come, when "neighbor will no more say to neighbor, know ye the Lord; but when all shall know him from the least to the greatest." So of the second. After all the gatherings to Christ that have taken place out of all the nations of the earth for more than eighteen hundred years, it has been, and still is, true of the church that she remains emphatically a "little flock." But it is predicted of her that "in the last days, the mountain of the Lord's house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills," and that then "all nations shall flow unto it." No one will pretend that this universal ingathering unto Christ has ever yet been fulfilled. And so of the third. The "Star" CHRIST, that arose out of Jacob at the first coming, so far from then having the "dominion" predicted of him, was "cast out and killed," as the rightful "heir," and his inheritance seized by his murderers.10 But it is predicted of him that he shall reign, and his dominion shall extend from sea to sea, and from the rivers to the ends of the earth. These latter predictions, therefore, not having been fully verified by the events of the first, must depend upon and await the SECOND, coming of Christ.

I pass on to the remarkable prophecy of Job, respecting this event, in the following words:-"I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth: and

1 Rev. xvi. etc.

Gen. xlix. 10.

7 Jer. xxxi, 34. 10 Matt. xxi. 28.

8 Luke xii. 32.

2 Deut. xviii. 15; Acts iii. 22. • Numb. xxiv. 17-19. 5 John iii. 2. 6 John v. 40. Isa. ii. 2; Micah iv. 1.

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though, after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God; whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another; though my reins be consumed within. me.' There are not a few in the school of modern biblical critics, who affirm that this passage of Job is to be understood simply of that change in his experience, from a state of adversity and bodily suffering, to that of his restoration to redoubled prosperity and blessing,' in this life; an hypothesis founded upon the words, "as the cloud is consumed and vanisheth away; so he that goeth down to the grave shall come up no more." Also, "If a man die, shall he live again?" And again, "When a few years are come, then shall I go the way whence I shall not return.' It is hence alleged by these writers, that Job was totally ignorant both of the doctrine of man's immortality and of a future resurrection; and therefore that this passage can have no reference to the future second coming of Christ, etc. The fallacy of this hypothesis, however, is sufficiently obvious from Job's words when speaking of the dead, "He shall return no more to his house, neither shall his place know him any more." That is, all his relations with this life are ended forever, equivalent to the passage, "if the tree fall towards the south, or towards the north, in the place where the tree falleth, there it shall be."

Again. That Job was at least no less acquainted with the doctrine of man's immortality and of the resurrection of the dead at the last day, as connected with, and dependent upon, the second coming of Christ, than those of Enoch, and Moses, and Jacob, etc., is clear from the sense in which this passage is understood by the Jewish rabbies. Mr. C. W. H. Pauli, in his "Analecta Hebraiaca," having rendered the clause in the 25th verse, "And he that is the Last (the Christ) shall stand upon the dust," i. e., the earth; in opposition to the above perversion of its true meaning, says: “I rendered is, He that is the Last, not only because I am fully convinced from the whole context that Job meant to say to his friends, 'I do not look for any deliverance at your hands, but my hopes are fixed upon HIM, who is the resurrection and the life;' but also the ancient rabbies have taken this word - in the sense of God." He then gives "the words of Nachman, whose

valuable commentary is found in the Bibl. Magn. Hebraiaca, viz.: [We omit the Hebrew.]

"He (Job) saith, he wishes that his companions would show him compassion and not persecute him, desiring that his words might be written down (verses 23, 24); perhaps others who would hear his arguments would show him pity, although he knew that he could not be redeemed by them; but by that Redeemer who was able to redeem him; He, who is the Living-One from eternity, even He, who is remaining after all created beings, because He endures forever, and that is, the blessed God." He also quotes R. Peritzol, and Ralbag, as speaking to the same effect.'

We now pass to the Psalms of David, in which this great event is frequently set forth in the most emphatic and glowing terms. The following, as an example, must suffice: "Our God shall come, and shall not keep silence: a fire shall devour before him, and it shall be very tempestuous round about him. He shall call to the heavens from above, and to the earth, that he may judge his people.""

The next inspired witnesses to this same truth, are the old prophets, whose predictions regarding it are so numerous, and announced on such a variety of occasions, that I must content myself to group together a small portion of them only, with little or no comment. I commence with the following from

Isaiah. "And there shall come forth a Rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots.... which shall stand as an ensign of the people: to it shall the Gentiles seek; and His rest shall be glorious." It will require but a cursory glance at the context, to perceive that this prophecy relates exclusively to the second coming of Christ, to "smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips to slay the wicked;" "and to fill the earth with the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea.'

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Jeremiah repeats the same prophecy thus:-"Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a king shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth. In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is his name whereby

1 PAULIS, Analecta Hebraiaca. Oxford, 1839, p. 199. Ps. lxxii. and xevi, to cii, inclusive.

2 Ps. 1. 3, 4. See, also,

3 Isa. xi. 1-10. 4 Ib. verse 4. See also 2 Thess. ii. 8. Ib. verse 9. Compare also verses 2-9 with chap. liii. 1-12; ii-xxiv. to xxviii, and

xl. to the end.