SECTION VI. CONCERNING THE SECOND COMING OF OUR LORD; AND THE THREE DISTINCT ANSWERS OF OUR BLESSED LORD TO THE QUESTION OF HIS DISCIPLES. VOL. 1. SECTION VI. AFTER the preceding Observations, we 247. may now naturally be led to confider, more minutely, what is discovered to us in the Holy Scriptures, concerning the Second coming of our Lord An event of the highest and most tremendous importance; and in which we are all most deeply interested. And this enquiry the rather demands our attention; because what has been revealed concerning it, seems to have been hitherto very much misunderstood: and an inconceivable prejudice, on the one hand, of applying the whole prophecy merely to the destruction of Jerufalem; (to which it can only relate in part ;) and as strong a prejudice, on the other hand, of always conceiving the fecond coming of our Lord, and the end of the world, and the final destruction of the earth, as being all one and the same event; have utterly preVOL. I. Bb vented 248. vented what should rather seem to be a right and fair apprehenfion of the truth. In order, therefore, if possible, to elucidate the matter a little more fully, I shall venture to comment upon the whole of the xxivth chapter of St. Matthew, verse by verse: And shall submit it to the confideration of those conversant with the Divine Writings, whether it doth not appear, from a due critical attention to the words of the whole prophecy, and from comparing all the different parts together, that the destruction of ferufalem; the Second coming of our Lord, with his holy Angels, to judge and to rule the nations; and the final deftruction of the PRESENT habitable earth; whether it doth not appear, that these three were indeed mentioned as three very distinct events, which were to take place at very distant and remote periods of time. The two first positively determined by our Lord, as to the points of time when they should happen; and the knowledge of those two points of time, in fome degree revealed : but the third, and last of all, being declared to be at so very great (or uncertain) a diftance, as not to be thought of, or known by any man. And : And I may add, that surely nothing but the substituting a set of scholaftic ideas, in the room of plain intelligence, could have occafioned so much error, and almost wilful blindness, as there has been in the world, with regard to this subject. The error, however, has not been without extensive consequences, and some ill effects. For hence, even the common apprehenfion concerning the Great Day of Judgement itself, has, it should feem, become greatly perplexed, and in a degree erroneous; losing much of the influence it should have on the human mind: inasmuch as it has too generally been understood to be a confideration merely of great terror; and a scene merely of rapid condemnation, on the one hand, and of instantaneous hurrying and carrying away of those who shall be delivered, into blifs, in some re mote unknown regions, on the other. Where- 2196 as, in truth, although every foul has reason to fear and to be humbled before God, yet this appointed judgement ought to be confidered as a matter even of great comfort to the serious and fincere; as being the opening of a scene of most wife deliberate arrangement; and a final perfecting and rectification of all things, according to the original promise of God. Bba Fot |