Thus, then, we see, that while a Saviour to come in His glory was held up to the faith and hope of the Old Testament saints, before He personally "appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself" on the cross; the same faith in and hope of His return from heaven in the clouds with power and great glory, both before and after His ascension, were set before the church by Christ and His inspired apostles, with additional lustre and distinctness of utterance. And, with this evidence before us in support of the abstract doctrine of the second coming of Christ, we pass to consider it in its practical aspect. SECTION II PRACTICAL. This is connected with the incentives to faith, repentance, and a holy life. As we have already said, a belief in this doctrine of Christ's second coming, during the antediluvian, Mosaic, and early Christian age of the Church, operated in keeping in constant exercise a "looking for that blessed hope, the glorious appearing of the great God, even our Saviour, Jesus Christ." In other words, the eye of faith centred in that event, as the polar star of the church's undying "hope" of her final triumph over sin, the world, and Satan; and hence operated as the all-inspiring motive, to keep herself "unspotted" from the moral contaminations of earth, that she might be presented as "a chaste virgin to Christ" at "His appearing."" But, I ask, and I put the question with deep solemnity-Has this faith and hope in Christ's second coming been retained by the professing church, in the sense in which it was received, from Abel down to the time of John in the Isle of Patmos? Or, if we except an adherence to this doctrine by the early post-apostolic church down to the opening of the IVth century, has it been permitted since to hold a corresponding practical influence over the lives and conduct of those who have professed and called themselves Christians? We judge no man. Nevertheless, on this subject, we appeal: -if we except a few "burning and shining lights," who, "like angel visitants, few and far between," have appeared upon the stage within the last sixteen centuries, the current theology of the Church has unceasingly taught that meditation on death and judgment, and on the glories of heaven and the pains of hell, are the great motives to repentance, and the keeping the mind in a proper tone as it regards the future: while it is strenuously objected that, to insist on such a doctrine as the one here presented to view, is of a purely theoretical character, and tends only to fanaticism and delusion. On this subject, then, I beg indulgence to remark, 1. That, of the first of these motives-preparation for death, etc., it is not so much an exhibit of the brief and uncertain tenure of life, and the solemnities of the judgment and a future state, as motives to repentance, etc., to which we object; as that they are made pre-eminent, as such, over a much more important, and, as we contend, the only truly Scriptural motive to that end. Of the numerous passages that might be given in illustration, take, for example, the following: "Therefore, be ye also ready, for, in such an hour as ye think not, the Son of Man cometh." Here, evidently, the declared unexpected return of the Son from heaven, and not death, is presented as the motive of preparation to meet, not "the king of terrors," but "the Son of Man" and not, further, to meet "the Son of Man," as though He came to us at death. Rather, the striking of that fatal blow is inflicted by the coming of "the King of terrors," whose work it is, by the judicial permission and command of the God of providence, to inflict upon us the penalty due to our sins; which penalty, as to the circumstances of the time, place, and manner of its infliction, forms no part of Christ's mediatorial work. As in the case of the rich worldling in the Gospel, we read that it was, not Christ, but "GOD that said unto him, Thou fool, this night shall thy soul be required of thee!" i. e., at the hand of the rider of the "pale horse," whose "name was Death."4 Nor is there any exemption from this penalty, during the "reign of Death" in and over our world." Saint and sinner alike fall victims to his relentless power. "It is appointed unto men once to die, and after that, the judgment." At death, while the body is laid in the grave, the soul "returns to God who gave it." So far from Christ's coming even to the saints, at death, their souls, disenthralled from their clay tenement, go to Him! Hence their "desire to depart, that Matt. xxiv. 44. 2 Job xviii. 14. Eccles. ii. 14, 15; viii. 14; ix. 11. 3 Ib. 4 Rev. vi. 8. Eph. ii. 2. 7 Heb. ix. 27. 8 Eccles. xii. 7. they may be with Him." Besides, death, in any view we may take of it, is unnatural to us. Death has robbed us of our pristine state, and is therefore our greatest enemy. For this reason it is that we dread death. Accordingly, the blessed "Gospel," which "brings life and immortality to light," instead of preaching up death to us as a motive to repentance, etc., points our eye of faith to HIM, who, at His first appearing, "came to deliver them who, through fear of death, were all their life-time subject to bondage ;" and who, when He shall "appear the second time," comes as "the judge of the quick and the dead," seated on His "white horse," wearing His "many crowns," as He whose name is "Faithful and True," to "destroy him that has the power of Death, that is, the Devil." Again: 2. As to the other article-that of urging a meditation of death, etc., as a motive to Christian constancy. In so far as this motive is made to rest upon the expectation of an immediate entrance, at that juncture, into a state of perfect blessedness; we can only now say, that we know not of a single passage of Scripture that warrants any such expectation. That the souls of the faithful departed do, immediately after death, enjoy a state of blessedness which "passeth all understanding," and that they do visibly behold the Lord, as He is seated upon the throne of "intercession" "at the right hand of the Majesty in the heavens," we fully helieve. But this state, we are not to forget, is that of a separation of the soul from the body. Hence, that that conscious blessedness, that rest, whatever it be, is not and cannot be then consummated, is evident from the opening of the fifth Apocalyptic "Seal," respecting which St. John says, "I saw, under the altar, the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held: and they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, Holy and True, dost thou not avenge our blood on them that dwell on the Earth!" and of them it is said, that "white robes"-which is interpreted to be "the righteousness of the saints"—" were given to every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should "rest yet for a little while, until their fellow-servants also, and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled."* Philipp. i. 23. 6 We cannot now enter into a full exposition of this momentous subject. It must suffice for the present, to refer the reader to the latter part of the prayer, as found in the burial service of the Church of England, as, in our view, presenting the Scriptural idea of the existing beatitude of those who "sleep in Jesus." in these words: It is "Almighty God . . . we give Thee hearty thanks for that it has pleased Thee to deliver this our brother out of the miseries of this sinful world; beseeching Thee, that it may please Thee shortly to accomplish the number of thine elect, and to hasten thy kingdom; that we, and 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 Kingdom, through Jesus Christ our Lord." 3 We only add, that it is declared of the "souls" of these martyrs now under the altar," that they are destined to "sit on thrones," ," and wear" crowns," and bear in their hands the "palms" of celestial triumph,' and that they “shall reign on earth." But this cannot be, until their bodies and souls are reunited, at "the resurrection of the just." This, however, is dependent upon the second coming of Christ. "Christ the first-fruits: afterward, they that are Christ's at His coming."" It follows, therefore, that THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST, and not death, is the great, practical, Scriptural motive to Christian constancy. And so of every other motive to practical godliness. Indeed, the more we examine the Scriptures on this point, the more clearly shall we see this. Do you ask what is the Scriptural motive, (1.) To repentance? I answer, it is the second coming of Christ. "Repent ye, therefore, and be converted . . . and He shall send Jesus . . . whom the heavens must receive, until the times of restitution of all things." (2.) What, to love Christ? I answer, the same. "If any man love not our Lord Jesus Christ, let him be anathema, maranatha:" which, being interpreted, is, "Let him be accursed. The Lord cometh." "And (3.) What, to love one another? I answer, the same. the Lord make you to increase and abound in love toward one another, and toward all men, even as we do toward you: to the end He may stablish your hearts unblamable in holiness before God, even the Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, with all His saints."1 (4.) What, to mortification of earthly lusts? I answer, the same. "When Christ who is our life shall appear, then shall ye also appear with Him in glory. Mortify, therefore, your members which are upon the earth," etc.' (5.) What, to general obedience and holiness? I answer, the same. "We know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. And every man that hath this hope in him, purifieth himself, even as He is pure.”3 (6.) What, to spirituality of mind? I answer, the same. "For our conversation [Toλírevμa, citizenship] is in heaven, from whence we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall change our vile bodies," etc." ... (7.) What, to works of mercy? I answer, the same. "When the Son of Man shall come in His glory, . . . then shall He say to them on His right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom, etc.; for I was hungry, and ye gave me meat, etc. : for, as much as ye have done it unto one of these little ones, ye have done it unto me." ... (8.) What, to watchfulness? I answer, the same. "Let your loins be girded about, and your lights burning . . . Blessed are those servants whom the Lord, when He cometh, shall find watching." (9.) What, to moderation and sobriety? I answer, the same. "Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand." (10.) What, to ministerial fidelity and diligence? I answer, the same. "For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Are not even ye in the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ at His coming?" And finally, (11.) What, to patience and long-suffering? I answer, the same. "Be ye also patient: stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh." 11 Thess. iii. 13. 999 2 Col. iii. 4, 5,; Tit. ii. 11-13. 31 John iii. 2, 3; ii. 28; Matt. xvi. 27 Rev. xxii. 12. Matt. xxv. 31-36. Luke xii. 35-37; 1 Thess. v. 4, 5; Rev. xvi. 15. 7 Philipp. iv. 5; 1 Pet. i. 13. Matt. xxiv. 46; 1 Tim. vi. 13; 2 Tim. iv. 1, 2; 1 Pet. v. 1-4. 2 Thess. i. 4–7 ; Heb. x. 36, 37; 1 Pet. i. 6, 7. 81 Thess. ii. 19 James v. 7,8; |