Views respecting the future. First view, a spiritual millennium. Second view, personal reign. they greatly vary as to the expectation of "the things which will shortly come to pass" hence the consideration of the end should be the inquiry first in order, as it is in importance. The views generally entertained respecting the future may be classed under two principal heads : 1. Some expect a universal spread of the Gospel for a thousand years before the close of this dispensation, at the expiration of which, will be the general resurrection and the day of judgment, when Jesus Christ will come, and cast the wicked into hell, take the righteous back with him to heaven, and annihilate the earth. 2. A second opinion is, that we are to Messiah's expect the advent of our Lord at any day or hour; that when he comes he will take the throne of David, and reign upon earth for a thousand years; that the saints will rise and reign with him, during which time the power of Satan will be entirely controlled; though, at the end of the thousand years, the evil one will be loosed for a short season; after which, the wicked shall be raised and judged, the saints removed to heaven, and the earth destroyed. not directly creeds. Of these two opinions, the former has the First view advantage of not militating directly against against the any article of our creeds; but this arises rather from ambiguity than from correctness; for though, probably, there is error in both of these statements, I think that the latter is nearer the truth than the former, inasmuch as that the whole difference of statement may perhaps be resolved into the order of events; and in this respect I con- The order ceive the second view to be correct. The advocates of both opinions expect glorious things in the latter days; and they both acknowledge that Jesus Christ will return of events. to this earth some time or other: but the Some are 66 looking for ing of Jesus. one party are waiting for the coming of the appearour Lord"-they are, in the first place, 1 Cor. i. 7. "expecting. the glorious appearing of Tit. ii. 18. our great God and Saviour, Jesus Christ;" whereas the others are expecting a uni- Some do not versal prevalence of the Gospel for a thou- immediate expect the advent of sand years before the day of the Lord: our Lord. The expectation of the order of trols the of the facts. they therefore deny the premillennial advent of Christ; for one cannot believe two things which are essentially opposed to each other. It would be an abuse of the rational intellect to suppose a man could be daily in expectation of the Lord's advent, and, at the same time, be looking for a thousand years' blessedness to precede that event. A man could not sincerely contemplate the probability of both hypotheses being correct. We will then assume, as a matter of course, that one who looks for a spiritual millennium is not waiting for the appearing of Jesus Christ. There must, moreover, be a dependence between the expectation of the end, and the expectation opinion held as to the order of events preceding it. If it be believed that there shall be a spiritual millennium before the advent of Christ, and that our Lord will return only to judge the world at the time of the dissolution of all things, it is evident that there will be neither time nor place for his reign on the throne of David; that is, according to the plain and literal meaning of the words. view A figurative interpre conse per- tation the must quence of denying Messiah's pas- personal tenour earth. reign upon Are we very looking for advent? Hence another inevitable consequence is, the style of interpretation which this will necessitate; for if a man deny the sonal reign of Christ upon earth, he spiritualise, or rather mysticise, those sages which, according to the plain of the words, appear to predict it. From these remarks we are, in the commencement of our inquiry, led to the the Lord's consideration, not of a speculative doctrine, but of a point of immediate, vital, and practical importance,—viz. what is our expectation? "The grace of God, which bringeth salvation," teaches us, "that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world." If, now, a man denied worldly lusts, and lived soberly and righteously, but yet was not godly, we should say that such a man was not taught by that grace of God which bringeth salvation: a man truly taught is taught both. But is this all that the grace of God, which bringeth salvation, teacheth? No, for the great end of those who live righteously and godly in this Tit. ii. 13. taught; it teaches the glorious present world is also us to be "expecting ... • appearing of our great God and Saviour, Jesus Christ." And that, apparently, as certainly and as universally as it teaches us to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts. There seems no difference; the expectation of Christ's advent appears to the full as prominently brought forward as the characteristic life and conduct of the believer : indeed, I should say more so; for that is the end, and these are the means; and it is only in denying ungodliness, that we can be expecting his coming. In like manner, when the apostle sets himself forth as an example, in opposition to that walk which ends in destruction, he sums it all up in his conversation, or citizenship, being in heaven, and Phil. iii. 17, in his looking from thence for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus, who shall transform our bodies of humiliation, in order that they may be fashioned like unto his body of glory. Hence it is characteristic of the church of God at Corinth, that they were enriched in all knowledge, "so that they 20. |