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 Obfervations, we 247. may now naturally be led to confider, more minutely, what is difcovered to us in the Holy Scriptures, concerning the Second coming of our Lord

An event of the higheft and most tremendous importance; and in which we are all moft deeply interested.

And this enquiry the rather demands our attention; because what has been revealed concerning it, feems to have been hitherto very much misunderstood: and an inconceivable prejudice, on the one hand, of applying the whole prophecy merely to the deftruction 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 deftruction of the earth, as being all one and the fame event; have utterly preVOL. I. Bb vented

248.

vented what should rather feem to be a right and fair apprehenfion of the truth.

In order, therefore, if poffible, to elucidate the matter a little more fully, I fhall venture to comment upon the whole of the xxivth chapter of St. Matthew, verfe by verse: And fhall fubmit it to the confideration of thofe converfant 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 toge ther, that the deftruction of Jerufalem; 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 diftinct events, which were to take place at very diftant and remote periods of time.

The two firft pofitively determined by our Lord, as to the points of time when they fhould happen; and the knowledge of those two points of time, in fome degree revealed: but the third, and laft 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

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And I may add, that furely nothing but the fubftituting a fet of fcholaftic ideas, in the room of plain intelligence, could have occafioned fo much error, and almost wilful blindnefs, as there has been in the world, with regard to this fubject.

The error, however, has not been without extenfive confequences, and fome ill effects. For hence, even the common apprehenfion concerning the Great Day of Judgement itself, has, it should seem, become greatly perplexed, and in a degree erroneous; lofing much of the influence it fhould have on the human mind: inafmuch as it has too generally been understood to be a confideration merely of great terror; and a fcene merely of rapid condemnation, on the one hand, and of inftantaneous hurrying and carrying away of those who shall be delivered, into blifs, in some remote unknown regions, on the other. Where- 2196 as, in truth, although every foul has reafon 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 moft wife deliberate arrangement; and a final perfecting and rectification of all things, according to the original promife of God.

Bb 2

For