LECTURE I. THE COMING OF CHRIST. Behold he cometh.-REV. i. 7. "To wait for the Son of God from heaven" is the glorious privilege of believers-a privilege were they denied, they would be of all men most miserable; but, indulged with which, though many are their tribulations, they are of all men most happy. This hope being their helmet of salvation, they are commanded to comfort one another with the promises of his coming, and especially as they "see the day approaching." An attempt to collect and compare a few Scripture accounts of this glorious event will certainly be agreeable to those "who love his appearing ;" who wait with longing desires to see him," whom, having not seen, they love; in whom, though now they see him not, yet, believing, they rejoice with joy unspeakable, and full of glory.' To comfort the people of God, and to animate them in a dark, trying day to look up and rejoice; I have penned some of the grounds of a belief that their warfare is almost accomplished, and that their eternal redemption draweth nigh. And who can see the shades of the evening stretching over the world, without attempting to awaken a generation, perhaps in the deepest sleep, and the most unapprehensive of such an event, of any that were ever on earth? The same Jesus who once came to suffer in the world, is coming again to reign. He who died on Calvary's cross, under every circumstance of reproach which wicked men and devils could invent, "shall come in the glory of his Father," "and every eye shall see him." And notwithstanding there be no direct revelation of that day and hour, and no man knoweth it; yet the holy Scriptures do mention certain events and things, as immediately connected with it, designedly, that by them the approach of that day may be seen and certainly known; which events we conceive must take place before the millennium, and which it is our present object to point out and illustrate. One event so connected is the recalling of the Jews.t Our Lord in his last visit to Jerusalem bade it an affectionate adieu, in which is this prophecy: "Behold, your house is left unto you desolate; for I say unto you, ye shall not see me hence * In this manner the disciples of Christ understood him to foretel the time of his coming and kingdom; for, they ask not, what day or year, but, "What shall be the sign of thy coming?" or, "What sign will there be ?" and having answered them, he added, "When ye shall see these things come to pass, know that it is near, even at the doors." + See Appendix No. II. forth, till ye shall say, blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord." "He cometh in the name of the Lord," was a familiar phrase to the Jews, used to express distinctly the visible appearing of their Lord Christ; to which they usually added, Hosanna-a word used to express distinctly the glory of the reign of Christ their King. And whilst then his followers were shouting "Hosanna-blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord-blessed be the kingdom of David our Father that cometh in the name of the Lord-Hosanna ;" thinking that the kingdom of God should immediately appear; he answered, O, Jerusalem, Jerusalem, behold, your house is left unto you desolate. And verily I say unto you, ye shall not see me, until the time come when ye shall say, blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord." 66 This must be an appearing of Christ, otherwise than by the pouring out of his Spirit; for such a sight of him Jerusalem had at Pentecost, and yet their house is desolate. The sight of him therefore which shall end their desolation will be a different thing; for in this sense they were to see him no more, till the day of their repentance, when their desolation should end. He that was to "come in the name of the Lord"-that was "blessed out of the house of the Lord,"*-had often visited his house, and, meeting a very unkind reception, now bids it a long adieu; but in the woful threatening encloses a promise that it should not be forever. *Psalm cxviii. 26. Once more he would come, and then all the Jews, in the same manner as the few believers now, would meet him with open arins, and with hosannas welcome him home. A Jew could understand this prophecy in no other sense, than as connecting their conversion and his second coming. And in this sense it was understood by the disciples; for Peter, in his discourse to the Jews, Acts iii., carefully timed their conversion and the blotting out of their sins, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord, and he shall send Jesus Christ. His words are, "Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord. And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you, whom the heaven must receive, until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets, since the world began." Here, the restoration of the Jews, and the coming of Christ, are connected in the strongest manner possible. Their sins shall be blotted out when the times of refreshing shall come; which must be expected only from the presence of the Lord, in the person of Jesus Christ; for, until he shall come, their house must be desolate. What all the prophets have spoken of as the res toration of the Jews, or, as Jerusalem restored, is here called the times of refreshing, and the restitution of all things; when they shall repent, and their sins shall be "blotted out," and Jesus Christ shall be revealed from heaven in his glory, as the heaven now receives him. |