ERCHOMENA, OR THINGS TO COME.

IN A LETTER TO A FRIEND.

THE following letter was addressed to an esteemed Christian friend, with whom the writer had been discussing the great doctrinal truth, which to his eye is legibly written in every page of the Bible, that the LORD JESUS CHRIST will come again to this earth, to be glorified and honoured in the very scenes where once for our sakes he suffered scorn, indignity, and death that this fair and lovely world was not made to be for ever the scene of Satan's triumph, but of the Redeemer's glory.

It is with diffidence that the writer ventures to offer these brief remarks to the public eye, intended, as they originally were, merely for the perusal of a friend. They contain nothing new, nothing probably that may not be found stated in a clearer and better form in the many works which have, thank God, been written by some of the brightest lights which now adorn the church, on this momentous topic. But as novelty is not the thing needful in Christian meditation, the writer is inclined to think that a condensed sketch, like the following, may not be quite useless. Prejudice has struck its roots so deeply into the minds of many sincere Christians, that it is difficult to induce them to read an extended treatise of this glorious doctrine. If a book do but exhibit in its

title-page the words Millennium,' or First Resurrection,' or 'Second Advent,' it is too often placed on an Index Expurgatorius, and so laid on the shelf uncut and unread. Should this letter be instrumental in leading but one inquiring Christian to search the scriptures, in quest of evidence for or against the correctness of the statements it contains, the writer will be deeply thankful.

We have all seen those fanciful delineations of a tree or a flower, in which the leaves are so artfully disposed as to give the outline of some well-known profile or portrait. At first we look and we see nothing but the tree or the flower; we are told that the profile is there, that it is plain and visible, but we see it not. When, however, a friendly hand succeeds in pointing out to us but one feature, instantly it starts into life, and in whatever aspect we view it, the portrait meets our eye. We are astonished at our blindness in not having before observed it; and the difficulty now becomes how to avoid seeing what is so evident and well defined.

This is precisely what occurs in the mind, when it is awakened to see the great truth of the personal coming of the Lord. In the leaves and petals of the rose of Sharon we then discern the outline of the white horse and of Him that sitteth thereon, whose name is the King of kings and Lord of lords. The proofs of it are to be found in texts and passages of scripture which are familiar to our ears as household words, and when once we are aware of the fact which they announce, when we find that the very name * of Christ is THE COMING ONE (8 èpxóμevos), we are only

*Matthew xi. 3.

surprised that we could ever have doubted a truth so often and so plainly revealed, and which affords a comfort so sweet, a consolation so strong; and at once we openly enroll ourselves among those who are looking for that blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ. *

MY DEAR GEorge,

21st June, 1840.

In our recent discussion of certain passages of scripture, which I adduced to you, as plainly announcing that the Lord Jesus Christ will come again to reign on this earth, together with his raised and glorified saints, you brought forward the parable of the sheep and the goats, which seemed to you wholly incompatible with such a view, as you considered that it must inevitably refer to the period of the general resurrection. I am not satisfied with the answers I then gave you, for although I knew that I had myself at one time experienced the same difficulty, and also that I had satisfactorily solved that difficulty yet at the moment I could not clearly state to you what that solution had been. I am sure you will acquit me of any wish to dogmatize, if I now venture to lay before you my opinions on the subject in general. It is only by such discussions that we can arrive at an understanding of the whole truth, and when undertaken in a humble spirit, and with a single desire to understand as much as we can of the manifold wisdom of God, such discussions are profitable and ought not to be shunned.

In reading the parables of our Lord, a general prin

*Titus ii. 13.

ciple of application is always premised. One man reads them as a Millennarian, another as an AntiMillennarian, because in themselves they prove nothing on this point decidedly; they only explain details. I will therefore commence by saying a few words on the fundamental truth of the personal reign of our Lord with his glorified saints upon earth, and I will then proceed to show you how perfectly these parables harmonize with such a view. I will refer to no books but the Bible, and, for convenience, to a Harmony of the Gospels, in which the narrations of the four evangelists are collected in parallel columns.* Let us first turn to the 19th chapter of the Apocalypse, and read with me as we go on.

The chapter opens with an anthem of triumph over the fall and destruction of the great whore, which, in the 17th chapter is stated to be that great city which reigneth over the kings of the earth (ver. 18), and that the seven heads of the scarlet coloured beast (ver. 3), are seven mountains on which the woman sitteth (ver. 9.)

Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen (xiv. 8), and therefore Allelulia is uttered by a great voice of much people in heaven. (xix. 1—3.)

In verse 6, Allelulia is again sung-Alleluiah, for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth; and in verse 7, there is a call to be glad and to rejoice, because the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. In verse 11, heaven opens, and behold a white horse, and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. The description of this glorious being

* Harmony of the Gospels; being a Comparative View of the Statements of the four Evangelists. Dedicated to the Rev. T. Snow, by one of his Parishioners. 8vo. London, 1836. A very useful book.

is continued in terms which can apply to none but Christ. He is clothed with a vesture dipped in blood (v. 13.) Turn to Isaiah lxiii. Who is this that cometh from Edom,* with died garments from Bozrah.

and

The armies which are in heaven follow him ; here I beg you will turn to Matt. xxv. 31, where the parable of the sheep and the goats has the period of its occurrence fixed by these words-When the Son of Man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, THEN, &c.

In verse 15, he smites the nations, and treads the wine-press of the wrath of God. Again turn with me to Isaiah Ixiii. 3. I have trodden the wine-press alone-I will tread them in mine anger—and their blood shall be sprinkled on my garments.-For the DAY OF VENGEANCE is in mine heart, and the YEAR OF MY REDEEMED is come.

In verses 17, 18. (and pray notice the order of occurrence of these events), we have the invitation to the fowls of heaven to gather themselves together unto

the

supper of the great God, to eat the flesh of kings, of captains, and of mighty men, &c.

In verses 19, 20, we see Antichrist supported by the kings of the earth gathering together against the KING OF KINGS; and in verse 20, they are cast alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone-BEFORE the MILLENNIUM.

Chapter xx. Satan is bound for a thousand years to deceive the nations no more TILL the thousand years should be fulfilled. At the same time the FIRST RESURRECTION takes place, when they that are Christ's

* EDOM, Hebrew, Red, bloody. A careful investigation of the Prophecies against Edom will show that they have their final accomplishment in the downfal of Rome.