THE SAVIOR'S COMING
'The day of wrath, that dreadful day
When heaven and earth shall pass away!
What power shall be the sinner's stay?
How shall he meet that dreadful day?
When, shriveling like a parched scroll,
The flaming heavens together roll,
And louder yet, and yet more dread,
Swells the high trump that wakes the dead?
On that day, that wrathful day,
When man to judgment wakes from clay,
Be You, O Christ! the sinner's stay,
Though heaven and earth shall pass away.'
'Behold, He comes with clouds; and every eye shall see Him.'
'For we must all appear before the judgment-seat of Christ.'
'There seems no event, the contemplation of which is more fitted to still
the spirit unto seriousness, or bring it up to the high resolves of
Christianity, than the coming advent of the Savior- an advent on one side
of which lie all the recollections of time, and on the other side all the
retributions of eternity.' -Chalmers
THE SAVIOR IN HIS SECOND COMING.
'Tis done: again the conquering Chief appears,
In the dread vision of dissolving years;
His vesture dipped in blood, His eyes of flame,
The Word of God His everlasting name;
Throned in mid heaven, with clouds of glory spread,
He sits in judgment on the quick and dead;
Strong to deliver; saints! your songs prepare;
Rush from your tombs to meet Him in the air.
But terrible in vengeance; sinners! bow
Your haughty heads, the grave protects not now;
He who alone in mortal conflict trod
The mighty wine-press of the wrath of God,
Shall fill the cup of trembling to His foes,
The unmingled cup of unexhausted woes;
The proud shall drink it in that dreadful day,
While earth dissolves, and Heaven is rolled away.
-Montgomery.
In His most beautiful and touching valedictory discourse to His disciples
on the eve of His suffering, our blessed Savior graciously assured them,
that He was going to prepare a place for them in His Father's house, and
that He would come again and receive them to Himself, that they might be
always with Him, to behold His glory, and to receive that crown of
righteousness which fades not away. And in the joyous day when, from Mount
Olivet, He ascended to heaven in the presence of His disciples, who were
looking so steadily and earnestly after Him as He entered into the bright
cloud which received Him from their sight, His second coming was thus
announced by two angels in white apparel, who appeared to grace the solemn
and triumphant scene: 'You men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into
heaven? This same Jesus who is taken up from you into heaven, shall so
come in like manner as you have seen Him go into heaven.'
In the plainest and most striking manner has divine revelation brought
before our view the second coming of our Savior, describing it as
connected with an exhibition of the greatest grandeur, power, majesty,
terror, and glory. It is an event of conspicuous prominence in the sacred
volume; and it demands our most careful and serious consideration. Where
can we find a more sublime theme of contemplation than that which exhibits
the Son of Man, the Lord of glory, descending from heaven with a shout,
with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God-
revealed in flaming fire- attended with all His mighty angels- seated on
the throne of His glory- calling the dead from their tombs, and changing
the living- pouring a flood of vengeance on those who know not God, and
who obey not the Gospel; and bestowing the unfading crown of righteousness
on a multitude that no man can number, redeemed out of every kindred, and
tongue, and people, and nation! It is an event, too, which deeply concerns
us all- a scene which we shall witness with triumphant joy, or
indescribable terror- a scene from the beholding of which we shall rise to
the realms of bliss, or go down into everlasting woe.
And now, with our minds solemnized, and as expectants of that glory which
shall be revealed at the revelation of Christ, let us, in the light of
God's Word, and with eager and joyous anticipation, contemplate that
coming day of recompense, when the Savior shall appear in the clouds,
seated on His great white throne of royal splendor- when the heavens shall
pass away with a great noise- when the elements shall be dissolved- when
the world shall be in flames; and when, from the face of Him that sits on
the throne, both the earth and the heaven shall flee away.
THE CERTAINTY OF THE SAVIOR'S COMING. He will certainly come again. This
great truth is expressly, repeatedly, and solemnly declared in the Word of
God. On this point we would adduce the following Scripture testimony. '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.'
'Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousand of His saints.' He who now fills
the mercy-seat above, will come to occupy the judgment-seat established in
these visible heavens before an assembled universe.
The doctrine of a general resurrection of the righteous and wicked at the
last day, and of a judgment, when all men must render up their final
account with joy or grief, is most clearly exhibited in the Bible. 'The
hour is coming in which all who are in the graves shall hear His voice,
and shall come forth; those who have done good, unto the resurrection of
life; and those who have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.'
'And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God.' 'And Your wrath
has come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged.' 'For the
Son of man shall come in the glory of His Father, with His angels; and
then He shall reward every man according to his works.' 'For God shall
bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be
good, or whether it be evil.' 'But I say unto you, That every idle word
that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of
judgment.' 'In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus
Christ, according to my Gospel.' 'He comes to judge the earth: He shall
judge the world with righteousness, and the people with His truth.' 'It is
appointed unto men once to die, but after that the judgment.'
Thus is it manifest from the Scriptures, to say nothing of the argument
furnished by the light of nature in support of this truth, that there will
be a general judgment, when the actions of all men shall be scrutinized,
and a just recompense rendered to every man according to his character and
works. Then, should we not often seriously think of the second coming of
Christ, and the solemnities of the day of general judgment, while, at the
same time, we study to live with a wise reference to that final account
which we must render to the righteous Judge of all mankind?
THE TIME OF THE SAVIOR'S COMING. The precise period of His second coming
is not revealed to any creature in the universe. It is one of the secret
things that belong to God. It is concealed from the holy angels, and even
from the human soul of the Savior Himself; for it is expressly declared,
'Of that day and that hour knows no man, no, not the angels who are in
heaven, neither the Son, but the Father alone.' How vain and presumptuous,
then, are the attempts of man to fix the precise date of that period when
the Savior shall be revealed from heaven, since the great secret is
concealed in the bosom of the eternal Father! But the day of judgment is
appointed by the Supreme Ruler of the universe. 'He has appointed a day,
in the which He will judge the world in righteousness, by that Man whom he
has ordained.'
The coming of Christ, as we are assured by divine revelation, will be
sudden and unexpected. It is compared to the flashing of lightning, so
sudden and surprising will this appearance be. 'For as the lightning comes
out of the east, and shines even unto the west, so also shall the coming
of the Son of Man be.' It is, moreover, compared to the unexpected coming
of a thief in the night. 'For you yourselves know perfectly, that the day
of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. For when they shall say,
Peace and safety, then sudden destruction comes upon them.' How needful
then is the divine admonition, 'Watch, therefore; for you do not know what
hour your Lord will come.' 'Therefore you also be ready; for in such an
hour as you do not think, the Son of Man comes.'
Before the Savior appears again in the clouds of heaven, the mystery of
God must be finished, all the prophecies of Scripture accomplished, and
the last saint robed in the spotless righteousness of Emmanuel, and
prepared for the pure, and holy, and sublime joys of heaven. 'Then
wonderful times of refreshment will come from the presence of the Lord,
and he will send Jesus your Messiah to you again. For he must remain in
heaven until the time for the final restoration of all things, as God
promised long ago through his prophets.' 'Then comes the end, when He
shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when He shall
have put down all rule, and all authority, and power. For He must reign,
until He has put all enemies under His feet.'
The time of the Savior's second coming will soon arrive. 'For yet a little
while, and He that shall come will come, and will not tarry.' 'Behold, the
Judge stands before the door.' In a little while we must all stand before
the tribunal of God. How explicit and emphatic are the last words of Jesus
at the close of the volume of revelation! As those who love His blessed
appearance, let us always listen to them with consolatory expectation, and
the greatest pleasure: 'Surely I come quickly.' Thrice happy he who is
always watching and waiting for the coming of the Savior- whose hope is in
His word, and the language of whose heart is, 'Make haste, my Beloved, and
be like a roe or to a young deer upon the mountains of spices.'
THE MANNER OF THE SAVIOR'S COMING. He will appear in a manner suitable to
the dignity of His Person and office. He will descend from heaven in all
the majesty of His divine and human nature. He will come in the clouds of
heaven, arrayed with that glorious body which He now wears in the mansions
above. 'Behold, He comes with clouds; and every eye shall see Him.' 'The
Son of Man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.'
Then will He be seen riding in the heavens by His great name JAH, and in
His excellency on the skies. Then truly will He make the clouds His
chariot; and walk upon the wings of the wind.
In the giving of the law on Sinai, when the Lord came down in the sight of
all the people of Israel, we have a faint representation of the dreadful
majesty with which He shall be revealed from heaven to execute His
righteous law, and to gather His redeemed ones home to the city of rest.
On that solemn occasion, when the awful majesty of Jehovah was displayed
before the thousands of Israel, the earth shook, the heavens dropped, and
Sinai itself was moved. Then there were thunders and lightnings, and a
thick cloud upon the Mount, and the voice of the trumpet exceedingly loud.
'All Mount Sinai was covered with smoke because the Lord had descended on
it in the form of fire. The smoke billowed into the sky like smoke from a
furnace, and the whole mountain shook with a violent earthquake.' 'And the
mountain burned with fire unto the midst of heaven, with dark ness,
clouds, and thick darkness.' Then was the voice of the Eternal heard in
the trumpet which sounded long, and waxed louder and louder, shaking the
hearts of the children of Israel with fear, and causing even Moses, the
man of God, to 'exceedingly fear and quake.'
Amid such manifest tokens of a present Deity, how terrible must have been
the sight and the sound! But still what little resemblance will all this
bear to the awful scene of the last day! Oh, who can conceive the dreadful
majesty, the awful pomp, the intense splendor with which the Lord of glory
shall appear in that day when He shall descend from heaven with a shout,
with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God; when
all that are in their graves shall hear His all-powerful voice, and come
forth- when the light of the sun shall fade- when the hills shall melt
like wax, and the mountains smoke- and when the heavens and the earth
shall flee away from His presence!
He will come with POWER. To Christ our Judge all power in heaven and earth
is given; and on the morning of the resurrection He will manifest the
exceeding greatness of His power before an assembled world. With absolute
authority He will call upon the dead to awake from their sleep in the
dust; and they will instantly obey the divine summons, and come forth. The
same almighty voice that spoke the universe into existence, will then
sound through the dismal mansions of all graves. What a solemn thought!
He will come with GREAT GLORY. His manifestation is called 'the glorious
appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ.' He will appear in
His own glory, in the glory of His Father, and of the holy angels. Of the
glory of Jesus no human tongue can properly speak; it is a subject too
vast for us, in this valley of mortality, to understand; it will be the
unexhausted theme of eternal ages. On the mount of transfiguration the
disciples got a glimpse of the glory of our Savior when His face shone as
the sun, and His clothing was as white as the light. To Paul a little of
this glory was manifested when Jesus appeared to Him in 'a light from
heaven, above the brightness of the sun.' And the beloved John, in his
blessed vision on the Isle of Patmos, beheld the ineffable glory of the
Redeemer, when he saw 'standing in the middle of the lamp stands was the
Son of Man. He was wearing a long robe with a gold sash across his chest.
His head and his hair were white like wool, as white as snow. And his eyes
were bright like flames of fire. His feet were as bright as bronze refined
in a furnace, and his voice thundered like mighty ocean waves. He held
seven stars in his right hand, and a sharp two-edged sword came from his
mouth. And his face was as bright as the sun in all its brilliance.' But
vain are words to express the divine majesty of the only begotten Son of
God, who dwells in light inaccessible and full of glory. To comprehend
this theme more fully and satisfactorily, we must wait until this mortal
shall have put on immortality, and all this unutterable glory be revealed
to us.
The Savior will appear in the glory of the eternal Father. As we have
already seen, there was a most remarkable manifestation of the glory of
the Deity at the dispensation of the law on Sinai, when 'the sight of the
glory of the Lord was like devouring fire on the top of the Mount in the
eyes of the children of Israel.' Now, in all this glory will the man
Christ Jesus be invested, when He shall appear the second time without sin
unto salvation.
On that solemn day the heavenly host will adorn His triumph. He will come
with the holy angels- 'When the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven
with His mighty angels.' The transcendent brightness of these celestial
beings will add much to the grandeur, the solemnity, and the terrors of
that 'great day of dread, decision, and despair.' When but a single angel
appeared at the Savior's resurrection, we are told that his countenance
was as lightning, and his clothing white as snow; and that for fear of him
the keepers shook, and became as dead men. How majestic, then, will be the
scene, when the innumerable company of mighty angels, clothed in their
resplendent robes of glory, shall leave the realms of bliss, and attend
the King of kings and the Lord of lords in His advent to the judgment of
the great day! Oh, what a splendid celestial retinue will then be seen!
In His second coming the Savior will be accompanied by all the saints who
have gained the shores of bliss. 'Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousand
of His saints.' 'Those also who sleep in Jesus will God bring with Him.'
Then will all the spirits of the just made perfect descend from heaven
with Emmanuel, to be reunited to incorruptible, immortal, and glorious
bodies to sit in judgment upon the wicked- to receive the welcome to
eternal life- and to pass with the triumphant Savior to the celestial
inheritance prepared for them from the foundation of the world. Oh,
blessed reunion of soul and body! Who does not desire to be among that
happy number of ransomed spirits whom God our Savior will bring with Him
on the joyous morning of the resurrection? Blessed sleep in Jesus! which
is followed by an awakening in the likeness of the Son of God, and by an
unending day of heavenly glory! When we come to resign our spirits in
death, Oh, may we calmly and sweetly fall asleep in Jesus, so shall we,
too, be among the myriads of blessed spirits who will be brought with the
eternal Judge to share in the glories and the joys of the general
resurrection.
'Asleep in Jesus! peaceful rest!
Whose waking is supremely blest;
No fear- no woe- shall dim that hour,
That manifests the Saviors power.
Asleep in Jesus! oh, for me
May such a blissful refuge be
Securely shall my ashes lie,
Waiting the summons from on high.'
The Savior is moreover, represented as coming 'in flaming fire.' A
devouring fire goes before Him, and after Him a flame burns. Daniel, in
his sublime vision of the kingdom of Messiah, describes His throne of
judgment as being 'like the fiery flame, and His wheels as burning fire. A
fiery stream issued and came forth from before Him: thousand thousands
ministered unto Him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before
Him.' Who can conceive the terrible majesty of the second coming of the
Lord to execute His vengeance upon all the workers of iniquity, especially
those who have not obeyed the Gospel- who have despised the only refuge
from the fierceness of divine wrath!
Here let us pause for a moment, and reflect on the wide difference between
the manner of the first and second coming of the Savior. When He first
appeared in the world it was in the form of a servant- as a Man of
sorrows, and acquainted with grief. When He shall come the second time, He
will appear as a glorious King- as God over all, blessed forever- His
human nature no more subject to pain, or under the dominion of death. In
His first coming He was born in a stable; cradled in a manger, and
surrounded by only a few feeble friends. At His second advent He will
appear in all the grandeur of His divinity, shining gloriously on His
great white throne, attended by all the hosts of heaven. In His first
manifestation, He came to be judged and condemned to death by wicked men.
In His second coming, He will appear as the Judge of both the living and
the dead. In His first divine mission to the world, He humbled Himself and
became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross--wore a crown of
thorns, and endured the most piercing grief, and the most racking torture.
In His second revelation from heaven, He will appear as the One to whom
every knee shall bow, and tongue confess- wearing that crown of glory
which He had with the Father before the foundation of the world- the rays
of His glory beaming forth on every side- and His light shining as the
morning- as the bright and Morning Star.
When we think of Christ in the depth of His humiliation, let us also
contemplate Him in His glorious exaltation at the last day. By faith
behold Him on His radiant throne of judgment. How unlike the sufferer of
Gethsemane! How unlike the man of Calvary! Yet it is the same Jesus, who
was taken, and by wicked hands crucified and slain, who now appears in all
this royal majesty. Oh, the inconceivable glory of His second coming, when
the heavens shall be rolled together as a scroll- when they shall flee
away from the presence of Him who sits on the throne!
The Lord shall come! the earth shall quake;
The mountains to their center shake;
And withering from the vault of night,
The stars shall pale their feeble light.
The Lord shall come! but not the same
As once in lowliness He came;
A silent Lamb before His foes,
A weary man and full of woes.
The Lord shall come! a dreadful form,
With rainbow wreath; and robes of storm;
On cherub wings and wings of wind,
Appointed Judge of all mankind!'
THE OBJECT OF THE SAVIOR'S COMING. He will come to judge the world. 'The
Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the living and the dead at His
appearing and His kingdom.' 'He has appointed a day in the which He will
judge the world in righteousness, by that man whom He has ordained.' What
a scene will occur in that great and dreadful day of the Lord! Let us look
forward to His solemn and majestic appearance. Behold the Judge descending
from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the
trumpet call of God. Hark! The voice of Him who once yielded His breath on
the accursed tree, amid the severest pain and the deepest agony, now
echoes through the expanse of the heavens, and is heard in the silent
halls of death. The trumpet sounds. The earth trembles. What an amazing
scene is now witnessed! Every grave opens, and all the dead, reanimated by
the voice of the Son of God, come from the land of darkness and deep
forgetfulness, invested with incorruptible and immortal bodies, some of
them rising to glory, others sinking to woe. What countless millions of
human beings, long buried in the sleep of death, are now seen springing to
new life, and hastening to judgment! Those who have found a watery grave
will not be overlooked in the great day of universal judgment. Look again.
The sea gives up the dead. 'And the sea gave up the dead which were in it,
and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them, and they were
judged every man according to their works.'
Those who are found alive at the dawn of the last day, undergo a change
equivalent to death, and, like those raised from the dead, are clothed
with incorruptible and immortal bodies. '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 trumpet call, for the trumpet shall
sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be
changed.' 'For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout,
with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God; and the
dead in Christ shall rise first: then we who are alive and remain, shall
be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the
air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.'
When the dead are raised and the living changed, the righteous will be
gathered by the ministry of angels before the great white throne of the
Redeemer. 'And He shall send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet,
and they shall gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end
of heaven to the other.' The wicked will also be brought before the
tribunal of Christ by the same instrumentality. 'The Son of Man shall send
forth His angels, and they shall gather out of His kingdom all who offend,
and those who do iniquity; and shall cast them into a furnace of fire:
there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.' The throne of judgment will
then be set, and the books opened. What an exalted conception do we have
of this glorious scene in the apocalyptic vision! 'And I saw a great white
throne, and I saw the one who was sitting on it. The earth and sky fled
from his presence, but they found no place to hide. I saw the dead, both
great and small, standing before God's throne. And the books were opened,
including the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to the
things written in the books, according to what they had done. The sea gave
up the dead in it, and death and the grave gave up the dead in them. They
were all judged according to their deeds.' Behold the Savior thus seated
upon the throne of His glory, His great white throne established upon the
clouds. There He will be visible to the whole world. There every created
being throughout the universe shall see Him. There our eyes shall see Him,
and our ears shall hear the final sentence from His lips. What a solemn
and soul-searching thought!
'The judgment! the judgment! the thrones are all set,
Where the Lamb and the white-vested Elders are met!
All flesh is at once in the sight of the Lord,
And the doom of Eternity hangs on His word!
O mercy! O mercy! look down from above,
Creator! on us, Your sad children, with love!
When beneath, to their darkness, the wicked are driven,
May our sanctified souls find a mansion in Heaven!'
In the great and terrible day of judgment, the righteous and the wicked
will be divided into two classes. The former will be placed at the right
hand of Christ; the latter at His left. The glorious Judge will then
proceed to pass the final sentence. It is first pronounced upon the
righteous, in these words: 'Come, you who are blessed of my Father,
inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.'
What joyous words! What a glorious invitation! The righteous are invited
to inherit the heavenly kingdom- a kingdom, the riches, and grandeur, and
glory of which infinitely surpass all the splendor of this perishing
world- a kingdom which has been prepared for them in the ages of eternity-
a kingdom where no discord prevails- where every heart is pervaded by
intense love- where the winds of adversity never blow- where no pain is
experienced- where separation of friends by death is never feared- where
all the redeemed are made kings and priests unto God, and serve Him day
and night in His holy temple.
Here we see the source of the felicity of the saints- they are blessed of
the eternal Father. In comforting His disconsolate disciples, Christ said
to them- 'The Father Himself loves you.' 'Fear not, little flock; for it
is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.' Let us never
forget that the grand scheme of redeeming love originated in the infinite
love of God the Father; and that, if we love the Savior and believe in
Him, we shall be loved by the Father and blessed by Him in life, in death,
on the morning of the resurrection, and through all the ages of eternity.
'He who loves me,' says Christ, 'shall be loved by my Father; and I will
love Him, and will manifest myself to Him.'
Having pronounced the joyful sentence of acquittal upon the righteous, the
Savior will now pass the dreadful sentence of condemnation upon the
wicked. To those on His left hand the Judge will say, in a voice which
will echo through the expanse of heaven; 'Depart from me, you cursed ones,
into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels.' With what
indescribable terror will these dreadful words fill the souls of the lost!
How overwhelming the thought, that the door of mercy will now be forever
closed to those who, while pilgrims on earth, neglected or despised the
great salvation.
What emotions crowd upon our mind, as we reflect on those last words of
Christ to the wicked! To the righteous there are no last words of the
Redeemer. Oh, blessed and delightful thought! While His voice will be
speaking peace to them as they shine like the sun in the kingdom of their
Father above, never, never will it be heard in the abodes of darkness, to
soothe the sinner amid the wailings of eternal woe, or to give him a
single promise of future happiness. And while the ransomed throng around
the heavenly throne will ever remember with rapturous joy those
life-giving words: Come, you who are blessed of my Father; with what
piercing grief will the lost ever dwell on these last words of the Savior-
Depart from me, you cursed!
'Yet, to the lost there are, indeed, last words
Of Christ. The lost will ever think on these,
And in the ages of eternity
With sharpened recollection call them up-
Depart, you cursed! What lest words are these,
To dwell upon forever!- to recall
The melting melancholy tones of pity,
Mixed with severity of God, in which
The Son of Man pronounced eternal woe!'
Look at the misery of the wicked, when the dreadful sentence of
condemnation is passed upon them. 'And these shall go away into
everlasting punishment.' See them descending to the regions of woe. See
the massive gates of those dismal mansions of despair opening to receive
them. Truly are they driven away in their wickedness; they are driven
front light into darkness- into everlasting punishment. Of the severity of
this punishment no mind can conceive. It includes the loss of communion
with God, the loss of the divine favor; the loss of the soul; the loss of
heaven with all its supreme and perpetual joys. Then will gather around
the wicked the shades of that night whose blackness of darkness no morning
light shall ever dispel. How dreadful the thought!
Let those who are now despising or neglecting the Savior, think of the
fearful doom which awaits them, if they continue impenitent until death
and judgment overtakes them, until they are forever placed beyond the
possibility of obtaining salvation. When you have heard the solemn and
truthful declarations of God's word respecting the future punishment of
the wicked, why will you not lay these things to heart? Why will you
remain any longer in the City of Destruction? Why will you not flee this
hour to the City of Refuge? Why will you throw away the riches of a
blissful immortality for the momentary and unsatisfying pleasures of time?
As you advance in the broad and crooked ways of sin, your soul is in
danger of being lost. You may be placing the judgment day afar off; but
the night of death, when your eternal state will be irrevocably fixed,
will soon overtake you. Before you are summoned before His judgment-seat,
oh, may you obtain a saving view of Christ seated upon the throne of
grace, ready to dispense to you the blessings of grace and glory. Listen
to the voice of mercy still sounding in your ears, 'As I live, says the
Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the
wicked turn from his way and live: turn, turn from your evil ways; for why
will you die?'
It is a cheering thought, that you may yet obtain mercy, and forgiveness,
and eternal life. Look up, then, with hope and confidence in the bleeding
Savior. The Star of Morning still shines to illuminate your pathway to the
mansions of glory. Jesus is ready to receive you; and angels are waiting
to rejoice over you in the presence of God. You may yet gain the blissful
shores of immortality, and walk the golden streets of the New Jerusalem.
You may yet be among that happy, adoring company, who, invested with robes
of celestial light, are conducted by the Lamb, in the midst of the throne,
to fountains of perennial bliss. Then seize the present moment, and hasten
to the only Hiding-place from the storm and the tempest; and, amid a
dissolving world, you will lift up your heads with exultation and ecstasy,
at the right hand of Christ, to hear Him pronounce you blessed of His
Father, and to be invited by Him to the mansions of eternal felicity.
Let us now contemplate the happiness of the righteous when the joyful
sentence of acquittal is pronounced upon them, and when, with bodies
resembling that of the Savior, they begin to shine as the sun; the
holiness, and the love, and the happiness of heaven, beaming in their
countenance and sparkling in their eyes. 'And these shall go away into
everlasting punishment: but the righteous into eternal life.'
'But lo! far off, the righteous pass
To glory; from the King's right hand,
In silence, on the sea of glass,
Heaven's numbers without number stand,
While He, who bore the cross, lays down
His priestly robe and victor crown;
The mediatorial reign complete,
All things are put beneath His feet.'
Here is the consummation of the happiness of the saints; the realization
of all their hopes; and the accomplishment of all the divine promises
respecting the bestowment of celestial bliss. In the likeness of the Son
of God, they awake to everlasting life, and pass, at once, into the
possession of the promised kingdom of glory. No one can comprehend the
import of these words- Eternal Life! It is a life which consists in
beholding the face of God in righteousness, in being conformed to His
image, in contemplating the glory of the Redeemer, and in the enjoyment of
sweet and uninterrupted communion with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
It is a life of exemption from all the pains, and sorrows, and afflictions
of earth- a life of the most extensive knowledge, the most perfect
holiness, the most rapturous joy. It is ETERNAL Life! In heaven this
perishable body is raised imperishable, and this mortal body raised to
immortality. Yes, on those bright and happy shores beyond this valley of
tears there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither
shall there be any more pain. As soon as those words of heavenly
invitation fall from the lips of the Savior, the happy hour will have
arrived when all the ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion
with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads.
Behold the righteous now, as the command goes forth, 'Open the gates, that
the righteous nation which keeps the truth, may enter in.' See! heaven,
with all its pure, and sublime, and perpetual joys, opens to receive them.
They enter in through the gates into the city: they go to experience that
fullness of joy which is in the presence of God, and to tune, on golden
harps, the song of Moses and the Lamb. How enrapturing is their prospect,
as they enter the mansions of eternal day, and see before them an ocean of
glory, without a bottom, or a shore! What joy springs up in their hearts,
as they behold the life-giving countenance of Jesus! What glory do they
receive from Him! And what songs of gratitude and praise do they
continually raise to Him who sits on the heavenly throne- the Lamb that
was slain!
Let us now look at the present world when the divine Judge has pronounced
His final sentence; and when a mighty angel, standing upon the sea and
upon the earth, with uplifted hands, shall swear by Him who lives forever
and ever that time shall be no longer. How quickly does the glory of
'terrestrial things' pass away! A fire is kindled by the breath of the Son
of God, and all the works of man- all the products of his art- all the
objects of his inventive genius- are enveloped in the flame. The earth
itself is burned up, or purified by fire. See the devouring element
spreading over the whole fabric of nature. Soc earth's everlasting hills,
and mountains, and valleys, and plains, melting with fervent heat, and
vanishing like smoke at the presence of the Lord. But look upon these
visible heavens- they, too, are wrapped in that dreadful flame which
encircles the earth. In that awful day 'the heavens shall pass away with a
great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also
and the works that are therein shall be burned up.' Unto this fire of the
Almighty we are told by the word of God, that the present heavens and
earth are reserved. 'And God has also commanded that the heavens and the
earth will be consumed by fire on the day of judgment, when ungodly people
will perish.' How awful the period! The heavens on fire, and passing away
with a great noise; the mountains quaking at the presence of the Lord; the
hills melting with fervent heat; the sun turning into darkness; the moon
into blood; the stars falling from heaven; and the heavens and earth
fleeing away from the face of Him who sits on the throne! 'Lift up your
eyes to the heavens, and look upon the earth beneath: for the heavens
shall vanish away like smoke, and the earth shall wax old like a garment.'
The Savior will come to be glorified in His saints, and to be admired in
all those who believe. Then will He appear in perfect beauty for our
eternal admiration and joy. With what brightness will the Star of Morning
then shine? With what intense splendor will the Sun of Righteousness then
beam? and in His light how clearly shall we see light? With what
inconceivable delight will we then behold His glory, and celebrate the
depths of divine love! How deeply will we then drink of the rivers of
pleasures which flow at His right hand! If the sight of Jesus, by the eye
of faith, is so delightful to the Christian while on earth, how rapturous
will be the joy to behold Him face to face! How will we admire Him, when
we gaze upon His glorious form, shining like the sun in his strength, and
hear His gracious voice, and see His life-giving countenance!
Oh, blessed sight, to see Jesus with our bodily eyes- to see Him, who once
wore the crown of thorns on earth, invested with the scepter of universal
dominion, and ready to bestow upon us all the bliss of heaven! The eye
that beholds Him with admiration shall weep no more; for the last tear
shall be wiped away in His glorious presence where fullness of joy
eternally reigns. Then shall we behold His face in righteousness, and be
forever satisfied with His likeness. Then, truly, shall our eyes see the
King in His beauty; and behold the land that is yet very far off. What
beauty and excellency will we then discover in the Person of our adorable
Redeemer! What riches of grace and glory will we see Him confer upon us!
And how will all this cause us to admire Him, and to adore His name! Oh,
may our earnest desire be, thus to behold Jesus, at His second coming, and
to glorify and admire Him through those eternal ages which roll beyond the
judgment day. Then, on that bright and happy morning, when we rise from
the tomb, to gaze on the Savior descending from heaven in terrible
majesty, we may sing with emotions of joyful triumph, 'Lo, this is our
God; we 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.'
Blessed Jesus, we beseech You now to manifest to us the excellency and
glories of Your Person, so that in the day of judgment we may see You in
the beauty of holiness, and be brought with gladness and rejoicing into
Your presence, to glorify and admire You in regions of celestial bliss,
and to join the choir of saints and angels in the never-ending songs of
Paradise.
THE DAY OF THE SAVIOR'S SECOND COMING WILL BE ONE OF UNUTTERABLE JOY TO
THE RIGHTEOUS. With what transports of joy shall we, who believe in Jesus,
hail the dawn of that long-promised, long-desired day, when we shall be
raised from the dust of death, in the likeness of our Redeemer, to hear
His blessed sentence; to sit with Him on a throne of glory; to become the
companions of holy men and angels; and to be crowned with all the
happiness of heaven! It is impossible for us now to conceive the joy which
will fill the glorious assembly of the redeemed, when, in the great day of
final accounts, they are accepted, acquitted, and presented faultless
before the throne of God. Then will these glorious words be accomplished,
'Yet we have this assurance: Those who belong to God will live; their
bodies will rise again! Those who sleep in the earth will rise up and sing
for joy! For God's light of life will fall like dew on his people in the
place of the dead!' Oh, it is sweet to think that we shall awake from our
slumbers, 'low in the ground,' to rejoice with a triumphant Savior, and to
sing the new song of heaven. What joy will fill the rising saint, when he
sees that he has left behind Him all sin, and sorrow, and pain, and tears;
and that He possesses a body which is ever to bloom with youth, and
beauty, and vigor, and to shine as the sun through the endless ages of
eternity! Then will have come the period of our complete redemption, when,
arrayed with the beams of the Sun of Righteousness, we shall lift up our
heads with joy unspeakable and full of glory.
Then will every believer receive that crown of life, to which holy Paul
looked forward with such rapturous delight, when he was just finishing his
earthly course. 'I 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
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.'
By this crown, all the blessings of glory are represented- all the riches
of the celestial Paradise, with its tree of life, its immortal fruits, its
rivers of pleasure, its mansions of bliss. O blessed crown! It will
produce in the mind of every believer the most joyful emotions. It will
make him shine as the sun in the kingdom of heaven. It fades not away. It
will be worn through ceaseless ages. Let it be our desire now to engage in
the good fight of faith, and to lay hold on eternal life, so that, at the
glorious appearing of the Savior, we may receive this crown of
righteousness, and rejoice forever more.
On the morning of the resurrection there will be a most joyful meeting
between Christ and believers. The Christian, while a pilgrim here, is
sometimes filled with supreme joy when he thinks of an absent Savior. 'You
love him even though you have never seen him. Though you do not see him,
you trust him; and even now you are happy with a glorious, inexpressible
joy.' But what will be the joy when we shall meet Him in the judgment day,
to sit down with Him at the banquet of redeeming love! How unspeakable!
how full of glory! With what joy shall we hear Him welcome us to His
glorious home, where He Himself will rejoice over us with joy; rest in His
love, and rejoice over us with singing!
The meeting of Christian friends will make the day of Christ one of
exceeding joy to the righteous. With what indescribable pleasure will we
then meet those pious friends, with whom we so reluctantly parted on the
shores of time, and over whose graves we shed so many tears of sorrow!
Christian friends will then be reunited to be separated no more. This
delightful truth is exhibited by the apostle as the grand source of
consolation to believers now mourning the loss of pious friends. 'And now,
brothers and sisters, I want you to know what will happen to the
Christians who have died so you will not be full of sorrow like people who
have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and was raised to life
again, we also believe that when Jesus comes, God will bring back with
Jesus all the Christians who have died. I can tell you this directly from
the Lord: We who are still living when the Lord returns will not rise to
meet him ahead of those who are in their graves. For the Lord himself will
come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the call of the
archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. First, all the Christians who
have died will rise from their graves. Then, together with them, we who
are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to
meet the Lord in the air and remain with him forever. So comfort and
encourage each other with these words.'
Oh, the joyful meeting that will take place on the morning of the
resurrection between the members of pious families- a meeting that will
know no separation through the infinite ages of bliss! Then will our
Christian friends rise from the grave, in the glorious image of the Son of
God, to meet us on the peaceful shore above, and to rejoice with us in the
presence of the Savior forever and ever. Oh, then-
How will our joy and wonder rise,
When our returning King
Shall bear us homeward through the skies
On love's triumphant wing!'
THE DAY OF THE SAVIOR'S SECOND COMING WILL BE ONE OF AGONIZING TERROR TO
THE WICKED. It is called the terror of the Lord. 'Knowing, therefore, the
terror of the Lord, we persuade men.' With what unutterable anguish will
he, who has lived without God and without hope in the world, behold the
dawn of that tremendous day! A day far more terrible to the self-condemned
sinner than all the horrors of dissolving nature and a world on fire. What
fearfulness will surprise the impenitent, in that day of final separation,
when he hears the sound of the trumpet of God, and sees the heavens and
the earth fleeing away from the face of Him who sits on the throne! How
terrible to him will be the sight of the Judge coming in the clouds of
heaven with power and great glory! Then every eye shall see Him, and they
also who pierced Him. How can he, who has pierced the blessed Jesus by his
sins, and despised His all-cleansing blood, behold Him coming to judgment?
And where can he now flee for safety? Can he hide himself from the
presence of the glorious Judge whose eyes are as a flame of fire? Will the
everlasting hills, or the lofty mountains, conceal him from those
omniscient eyes? Oh, no! In vain will he then cry to the hills to fall on
him, and the mountains to cover him from the presence of an avenging Lord!
They will flee away, and leave the wretched transgressor exposed to his
just and terrible doom. 'Then the kings of the earth, the rulers, the
generals, the wealthy people, the people with great power, and every slave
and every free person-all hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks
of the mountains. And they cried to the mountains and the rocks, "Fall on
us and hide us from the face of the one who sits on the throne and from
the wrath of the Lamb. For the great day of their wrath has come, and who
will be able to survive?" 'Oh, what a day of crushing trouble! What a day
of confusion and terror the Lord, the Lord Almighty, has brought upon the
Valley of Vision! The walls have been broken, and cries of death echo from
the mountainsides.'
They who, through life,
By conscience and religion's warning voice
Unmoved, their prostituted hearts resigned
To sin, with the keen horrors of remorse
And anguish rent, call on the lofty hills
To cover their apostate heads. Alas!
Too late contrition comes: the doom is past'
THE THOUGHT OF THE SECOND COMING OF THE SAVIOR SHOULD LEAD US TO PREPARE
FOR SO SOLEMN AND IMPORTANT AN EVENT. We should now flee from the wrath to
come by accepting the offers of mercy through a crucified Redeemer. This
is the only way by which the guilty may escape that fearful doom which is
rapidly coming on an impenitent world. Without this reconciliation to God
by Jesus Christ, we will be exposed to that storm of divine vengeance
which shall burst upon this sinful world when the trumpet of God shall
sound, and the dead awake. It was the consideration of the terrors of the
last day- the fearfulness of appearing before the judgment-seat of Christ
without an interest in His atoning work- that made the apostles persuade
men, with all earnestness, to be reconciled to God through Him who was
made sin for us, that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.
Now let us, in this day of salvation, be persuaded by the solemn and
impressive words of divine revelation, to lay hold on the hope set before
us- to enter into the Ark of heavenly repose- of perfect peace and safety.
'Go home, my people, and lock your doors! Hide until the Lord's anger
against your enemies has passed. Look! The Lord is coming from heaven to
punish the people of the earth for their sins. The earth will no longer
hide those who have been murdered. They will be brought out for all to
see.'
How, diligent should we now be, that, in the day of judgment, we may be
found in Christ Jesus. 'So then, dear friends, since you are looking
forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at
peace with him.' It was the thought of a future judgment that led Paul to
give his solemn charge to Timothy, respecting the faithful discharge of
the ministerial office. 'And so I solemnly urge you before God and before
Christ Jesus-who will someday judge the living and the dead when he
appears to set up his Kingdom: Preach the word of God. Be persistent,
whether the time is favorable or not. Patiently correct, rebuke, and
encourage your people with good teaching.' Oh, let us now prepare for the
coming judgment: let us now be wise, and listen to the divine admonition-
'Prepare to meet your God.' We may now disregard these solemn words, but
we cannot escape this meeting with God in the day of judgment. There is no
darkness, nor shadow of death, where the workers of iniquity may hide
themselves from the omniscient eye of the Judge of all mankind. In that
searching day, when the righteous will scarcely be saved, where shall the
guilty sinner appear? If we are not safely sheltered in the Ark, Christ
Jesus, how shall we escape utter ruin when the rain descends, and the
floods come, and the winds blow?
Let us now look at the coming tempest, and hasten to the only Hiding-Place
before the day of wrath dawns. How dreadful to think of meeting that storm
unprepared- of being swept away by it into the regions of sorrow and
despair! 'I see,' exclaimed the eloquent Dr. Griffin, in a burst of the
most solemn and piercing eloquence, 'I see a storm collecting in the
heavens; I discover the commotion of the troubled elements; I hear the
roar of distant winds. Heavens and earth seem mingled in conflict; and I
cry to those for whom I watch, A storm! a storm! get into the ark or you
are swept away. Ah, what is it that I see? I see a world convulsed and
falling to ruins; the sea burning like oil; nations rising from under
ground; the sun falling; the damned in chains before the bar; and some of
my poor hearers among them. I see them cast from the battlements of the
judgment-seat. My God! the eternal pit has closed upon them forever!' Oh,
if we are not then in the divinely appointed Ark, how can our ears endure
that voice, at which the earth melts- that reproof at which the pillars of
heaven tremble, and are astonished? In that day the lofty looks of man
shall be humbled, and the haughtiness of men shall be bowed down, and the
Lord alone shall be exalted.
Let us daily think of that strict account which we must give to Him that
is ready to judge the living and the dead; for 'every one of us shall give
account of himself to God.' How solemn the thought, that we must render an
account to Him of our time, our talents, our words, our actions. 'But I
say unto you, that every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give
account thereof in the day of judgment.' Let the young, the gay, the
thoughtless, remember these piercing words, 'Young man, it's wonderful to
be young! Enjoy every minute of it. Do everything you want to do; take it
all in. But remember that you must give an account to God for everything
you do.' Let us now seriously think of the judgment to come, and turn to
the Lord with all our heart. Absorbed in the pursuit of worldly objects,
and looking so attentively at the things which are seen, how seldom do we
solemnly contemplate the approaching advent of the Savior to judgment! Let
us endeavor, hereafter, to keep this scene of dreadful solemnity and
grandeur before the eye of our mind. Let us often think of the Savior
descending from heaven in all the glories of the Godhead- sitting upon His
great white throne, and summoning the world before His judgment-seat. In
the striking language of John Howe, 'Why do we not live as just now
entering into the eternal state, and as if we now beheld the glorious
appearing of the great God our Savior, when we are as much assured of them
as if we beheld them? Why do we not oftener view the representation of the
heavens vanishing, the elements melting, the earth flaming, the angels
everywhere dispersed to gather the elect, and them ascending, caught up to
meet the Redeemer in the air, ever to be with the Lord? What a trifle will
the world be to us then!'
We must all soon stand before the judgment-seat of Christ. The day of the
Lord is at hand. The scenes of the judgment will soon be witnessed by an
assembled universe. We shall soon hear the voice of the archangel and the
trumpet call of God? What account will we then give at the bar of God?
What sentence will we then hear? We shall soon be welcomed by the Savior
to the mansions of everlasting glory, or banished forever from the
presence of the Lord, and from the glory of His power. Should not these
solemn declarations, which are founded on the word of Him who is Truth,
lead us to give all diligence to prepare for that 'great day for which all
other days were made?' Does not this subject, which is so intimately
connected with our present comfort, and future welfare, demand our most
serious, undivided attention?
And now, will we pass over this theme of infinite consequence to us, and
still sport with our salvation, on the very brink of destruction? Oh, in
this inestimable moment let us commit our souls to the hands of the Son of
God, our Savior, persuaded with Paul, that He is able to keep that which
we have committed unto Him against that day. How blessed are those who, in
the day of judgment, are found depending on the merits of the Redeemer-
abiding in Christ! '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.'
Let the thought of the Savior's second coming excite us to constancy in
our Christian course, and to hold fast the faith once delivered to the
saints. Let our faith and patience hold out a little longer, and we shall
safely reach the end of our brief pilgrimage, and be forever at home in
our Father's house above- in the many mansions of celestial bliss. Will
not the sound of that heavenly invitation, 'Come, you who are blessed of
my Father,' abundantly compensate us for the sufferings of our momentary
passage through life? Will not one moment's experience of the joys of
heaven cause us to forget all sublunary pain and sorrow? Oh, let this
thought animate us to be still found on the side of Christ, contending
earnestly for His cause, amid the opposition of the world, the temptations
of the evil one, and the depravity of our own hearts.
Let us through life follow the Lord fully, so that, at death, and in the
judgment day, we may be brought into the promised land of heavenly rest.
'Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, unmovable, always abounding
in the work of the Lord, for you know that your labor is not in vain in
the Lord.' Christian pilgrim, we shall soon behold that glorious morning
of the resurrection, on which our happiness will be consummated. Then we,
who have confessed the Savior on earth, will be owned by Him before His
Father and the holy angels. 'Whoever therefore,' says Christ, 'shall
confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father who is in
heaven.' Then shall the unutterable splendors of the New Jerusalem burst
upon our enraptured vision: then shall every child of God exchange the
sighs of his earthly pilgrimage for the joys of heaven: then shall we be
Forever with the Lord!
'Forever with the Lord!
Amen, so let it be;
Life from the dead is in that word,
'Tis immortality.'
Blessed Jesus, prepare us; we beseech You, for the solemn and amazing
scenes of the last day- for sharing in the glorious resurrection of the
just- for hearing the joyful welcome to life everlasting. May we now have
a saving interest in that peace which You have made by the blood of the
cross: may we be washed in that fountain which has been opened for sin and
for uncleanness: may we be covered with the robe of Your righteousness.
And in that awful day, when the heavens and the earth shall pass away, oh,
be our strength, our stay, our shield, our exceeding great reward. With
the glorious company of the redeemed- with apostles, and prophets, and
martyrs, clothed in white- may we then pass from Your judgment-seat to the
mansions of heavenly felicity, to be crowned with immortality. Oh, then,
may our names be found enrolled in the book of life, and owned by You, so
that we may be presented faultless before the presence of Your glory with
exceeding joy. May we now be among those who are waiting for You, and who
love Your glorious appearing. May our life be now hidden with You in God,
so that when You, who are our life appears, we may also appear with You in
glory. And may that blissful morning soon dawn, when all Your ransomed
saints shall awake to everlasting life, and shine as the brightness of the
firmament- as the stars forever and ever. Why do the wheels of Your
chariot tarry? Come, Lord Jesus! Come quickly!
'The day of Christ; the last, the dreadful day;
When you and I, and all the world, shall come
Before His judgment-seat, to hear their doom
Forever and forever; and when they
Who loved not God, far, far from Him away
Shall go- but where banished? and with whom?
And they who loved Him shall be welcomed home
To God, and Christ, and Heaven, and Heaven's array,
Angels and saints made perfect- may the scene
Of that dread day be always present here
Here in my heart! That every day between,
Which brings my passage to the goal more near,
May find me fitter, by His love made clean,
Before His throne of justice to appear.'