A Sermon On The Second Coming of
Christ
Called Unto Liberty, John Hargrove:
Founding Era Sermons
continuation part 2
As Christians, we dare
not suppose that there is any unmeaning expression, or needless
tautology in the sacred pages of divine inspiration, as this would
be no less than an acknowledgment that their divine dictator did not
inspire His own chosen scribes, the prophets and apostles, with so
correct and happy a phraseology as some of His more enlightened
creatures could have suggested, than which no idea that can possibly
enter the mind of a Christian can be more impious and preposterous.
Now if the justice of
this last remark be granted, its application to our present subject
will be found considerably useful, not only in obtaining just
perceptions of the nature and number of our Lord’s general advents
into the world, but also respecting the nature of those respective
and general judgments which are evidently declared in the text to be
the inseparable and awful effects of each of the aforesaid advents.
For thus it is
written, in the text before us—“For He cometh, for He cometh, to
judge the earth, He shall judge the world in righteousness, and the
people with His truth.”
Here then, we may
perceive, as in the pure light of heaven, that (unless we admit
there is useless tautology or unmeaning expressions in the sacred
pages of inspiration) we have three distinct articles laid before
us, most worthy of all our serious consideration.
1st. That there were
two grand and distinct advents of the Lord-God into this world,
plainly announced, even under the Jewish dispensation.
2dly. That each of
these general advents was to be accompanied with a grand or general
judgment. And
3dly. That each of
these grand or general judgments was to be effected by similar
means, to wit, “By righteousness and truth.”
Previous however, to
our particular and singular observations, upon the true nature of
these advents and judgments, it may be proper to remark, that it was
no less a person than Jehovah-God, whose advents into this world
were announced in the text.
This will appear
irresistibly evident from the whole tenor of the sacred Scriptures,
particularly the 50th psalm (which indeed seems a literal extract
from the 16th chapter of the first book of Chronicles)—but then, it
should be known, that in the Deity, whom we call Jehovah-God, there
exists a divine Trinity; not of persons however, but of essential
principles, which principles, when rightly apprehended, we have no
objection to call Father, Son, and Holy Ghost; or, to speak more
intelligibly, the Divine Love, the Divine Wisdom, and the Divine
proceeding Power, which trinity also, corresponds unto that, in
every individual man, to wit, his will, his understanding, and their
proceeding affections and perceptions; hence therefore, it is
written that “God created man in His own image and in His own
likeness.”
Neither should we
forget, that the Holy Scriptures, in various places, declare and
testify, that all the aforesaid principles of Deity; or “fullness of
the Godhead bodily,” dwelleth in Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour;
hence Isaiah assures us, that the “Holy child” should be called,
“The Everlasting Father” (though it is an established fact, that the
men of the New Jerusalem Church alone, are yet willing to recognize
Him as such). And hence also, it was, that when Philip formerly
required Jesus Christ (whom he willingly recognized as the Son of
God) to shew him the Father, he received this very remarkable answer
from our Lord—“Have I been so long with you, and yet hast thou not
known me Philip? He that hath seen me hath seen the Father; how
sayest thou then, shew us the Father?”
Indeed it would
appear, that soon after this (when the disciples were more
powerfully illuminated) the sole and supreme divinity of Jesus
Christ was cordially recognized by them all; insomuch that St. Jude
stiles Him, “The only wise God, our Saviour”; St. John calls Him,
“The true God, and Eternal Life”; and St. Paul declares Him to be,
“The Lord of Glory.”
And I may add, that
even Thomas—the honest but unbelieving Thomas, was at last so
overpowered with this divine conviction, that he cried out in a holy
extacy, “My Lord and my God!
To the mere natural
man who has never elevated his ideas of the Deity above matter and
space, it is probable that this doctrine, of God’s descending into
this world, and ascending to heaven again, may appear altogether
paradoxical, if not futile; such persons, however, with all their
boasted attainments in science, and the knowledge of nature, stand
in need of still further instruction respecting the God of nature;
both as to His divine essence, as well as His divine existence.
For, how silly and
absurd would it be, to imagine that the Almighty and Omnipresent
Creator of all worlds, is “such a being as ourselves,” having a
fixed residence, or local abode in any one part of the universe
which He has made? seeing, that if it be the work of His hands, and
the effect of infinite love, wisdom and power, the Creator himself
must have existed before nature, space and time; consequently, must
be altogether distinct from nature and space, as to His divine
essence, and from time, as to His divine existence.
And yet, illuminated
reason may perceive, that the Deity, at the same time, must exist
in, and through all matter, and in and through all space, though
distinct from both; even as the human soul exists in, and through
flesh and blood, and yet is distinct from both; the latter being
composed of material particles, the former of spiritual principles.
The essential
principles of the divine nature, are the divine love, and the divine
wisdom; from whence, the divine power and all other attributes of
the Deity originate and flow. The essential or constituent
principles of human creatures, are the will and the understanding,
from whence not only all their actions, but also all affections and
perceptions originate and flow; so that the essential principles of
man correspond to the essential principles of God, and are designed
by the Creator to be the recipients thereof: The will of man being
the designed recipient of the love of God; and the understanding of
man being the designed recipient of the wisdom of God.
From this brief view
of the nature of the Deity, as well as of the human soul, as not
being composed of material particles; but of spiritual principles;
and consequently not limited by space, we may obtain some leading
and useful ideas, respecting the true nature of the Lord’s advents
into this world, more accurate perhaps than have obtained for many
ages past.
How common it is to
hear pious Christians say, that at such and such a time, the Lord
God graciously drew near, and visited them? By which, they certainly
mean nothing more, than that they then experienced a gracious
approach and influx of the divine love and wisdom of the Lord into
their souls—illuminating their dark understandings, and purifying
their corrupt wills; and, whereby also, a judgment was effected,
unto condemnation, in the spiritual world of their own mind, upon
all those evil and false principles, which had previously reigned
there, terminating in their rejection.
Can it be considered
unreasonable then, or antichristian, in the men of the New Jerusalem
Church, to believe, that the general advents of the Lord, alluded to
in the text, certainly signify some operations of the divine love
and wisdom of the Lord, analogous to those just now alluded to,
though carried on upon a more extensive or general scale, in order
to effect a more extensive though similar judgment, or blessing unto
His Church?
For my own part, I
freely confess, as a sincere believer in divine revelation, that
this opinion has obtained the entire possession of my mind for some
years past—as being more consonant to all the adorable attributes of
the Deity and the pure principles of uncorrupted reason than, that
the second advent of the Lord, should be attended with a total
destruction of the visible universe, in order to judge the
inhabitants of this little world, and to punish the wicked.
For, I would ask the
impartial and scientific Christian, what necessity can there be, in
such a case, for all “this wreck of matter, and this crush of
worlds”? What affinity can there possibly be, between the guilt and
punishment of the men of this world, and the destruction of all
other worlds in the universe? Or, by what law are all these
stupendous worlds which are scattered through the immensity of
space, to gravitate towards this? Can the Deity now make better
worlds than He has done? No my beloved, the works of creation are
all pronounced “very good”; and we have sufficient reason to
believe, that they have always answered every purpose which infinite
love, wisdom and power, could possibly have in view, in their
creation.
One thing is very
certain from the text, that each advent of the Lord was to be
attended with similar effects, to wit, “To judge the earth”—and this
by similar means—“By righteousness and truth.”
Now we all know that
when the Lord God was graciously pleased to make His first grand
advent into the world, “in the flesh,” through that medium or body
which He then assumed, it was not to destroy the world, but that
“the world, through Him, might be saved,” in consequence of that
powerful and general influx of divine love and wisdom, which was
thereby manifested in the world (or the Church); so likewise, it is
more than probable, it will be at the Lord’s second general advent;
not to destroy, but again to save; except it be to destroy our
superstitious prejudices, and our sectarian and anti-christian
divisions, through the medium of righteousness and truth; or a more
powerful opening and revelation of His Holy Word, in its genuine or
spiritual sense. (Please continue to part 3)
TO CONTINUE :
Introduction
Part - 1 -
Part - 3 -
Part - 4 -
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