The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1878-03-13
For THE CENTRAL PRESBYTERIAN.
THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST.

Il part of my subject SO much better than | ca
o express them, that will employ the space {
! this article in quotations from bis work cal
: ed "The Spiritual Kingdom. y The italiC
4 are mine. Concerning the character of tn
! epistles to the seven churches of Asia, b
9 says, "That which gives to them their pecu
E liarly universal application is the fact tha
they present an epitOme Of all the phases o
the visible Church in her militant and suffer
ing estate. -. We desire to present thes
seven varieties of the Church at the clase o
+ the apostolic age in one summary view, a
representing the leading phases of the Uar'ec
imperfect mired coalition of the visible
Church during its militant career, and EN-
bodyiDg the final charges and promises o.
her King as adapted to these states.
On the phrase occurring in these epistles
+" To him that overcometh," he says, "Tht
necessity of this personal conflict can never
cease until the application of redemption
ceases, until the final consummatiOn. -.
1t matters not how great the glory and power
with which you conceive the visible Church
on earth to become invested at some future
time, provided that it be not glory incOn'
sstent with men still dwelling in the flesh,
and inheriting depraved natures: there will
still be the necessity for it. -. And so
long as men are to be saved by the gospel,
the scOrd of the gospel can neuer be antiquated.
That word is clear and decisive. Through
much tribulation we must enter the kingdom
of God IF any man will come after Me,
let him deny himself, and take up his cross
daily and follow Me-" Never, until the work
of redemption is completed, can such exhOr-
tations as the following cease to be apprOpri-
ate and necessary. Watch and pray, that
ye enter not into temptation Eight the
good fight of faith. Pat on the whole ar
mour of God that ye may be able to stand
against the Wiles of the DEVIL =. No
triumphs of the gospel, however multiplied,
shall ever convert the narrow way into a
broad and easy one. Though all persecution
should cease, and old Pope aud Pagan should
be not only confined to the mouth of their
dens, gnashing their teeth, in their decrepi
tude, upon the passing pilgrims, but utterly
destroyed, and nothing left to tell the world
of them but their bones, still the lust of the
flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride
of life, shall never cease to beset with new
forms of temptation every traveller to the
heavenly city, so long as the corruption of
nature shall continue in any child of the
kingdom. For so long as descendants of
Adam shall be born on earth, they shall be
born in sin. This of itself involves tho ne
ceasity of conflict on the part of all who ar
rive at years of responsibility. And this
conflict implies, in addition to the inherited
depravity, the continuance of the curse, the
agency of Satan, and world still suffering
and groaning for promised deliVerance.-
Its necessity therefore can only cease, when
the last saint shall have put forth the last
struggle, when the whole body of Gods elect
shall be complete, and the King shall come
the second time without sin unto salvation, to
destroy the last enemy, to crown with fnal
victory His mediatorial reign, and end it,
and to crown with its perfected glory His
own everlasting, His triumphant Church.
The bright glimpses of its glory that fash
upon our waiting eyes, from these promises
to the seven churches, are seen only at the
end of an unearthly, and mysterious, and
ssuere conflict"
In his lecture on Rev. vi 12-17, speak
ing of the scene there described the DR.. says,
"We regard it as description of the utter
overthrow of all the aOOrla'8 powers and or
ganizatiOns, in order to the eternal triumph
of this spiritual kingdom. Such triumph
as that here described involves the COmpletest
possible revolution in all earthly things, the
utter demolition of the whole frame work of
society, certainly in all its moral aspects and
tendencies, from the highest pinnacleS of its
power aud splendOr, to its deepest founda-
tions, and its obsourest recesses. 1t involves
Just such revolution in the social and moral
world as geologsts say took place at some
former period in the physical He also
speaks of that revolution as "nothing else
than that which is described in this language
of Paul to the Hebrews, 'The removing of
those things that are shaken, as of things
that are made, that the things which cannot
be shaken may remain. He says @mder
the same tert, "The change required to bring
this goddess civilization, this polished king
dom of the Devil, to be thoroughly perVaded
by a pure spiritual Christianity. =. can
only be brought about by an overturning
such as the text sets forth. He then speaks
of the immense extent of the revolution re,
uuired in all the so-called Christian govern.
ments of the world, to conform them to the
law of the kingdom. 1t is said, to conduct
government en- such principles is utterly
impracticable. -. 1t can be so for nc
other reason than the wiCkedness of man.
How vast the change to make it not only
practicable, but universal. For as certainly
as the Lamb is unfolding the seven,sealed
book, it shall be universal. 'We shall reign
on the earth sing the white-robed elders.
Let child of God, after being brought tc
live for time in close communion with Hin