The Glorious Epiphany with the Devout Christians Love, Chapter 2
CHAP. II. Shewing what is meant by the APPEARING of our Lord Jeſus Chriſt.
IT is not hard to give an account of the firſt of theſe, if we carefully obſerve and examine the Words whereby the Holy Books expreſs it: And there are Three of them; every one of which ſignify, that our Bleſſed Lord (who now reigns in unſeen Glory) will once more appear viſibly to all Mankind.
1. The firſt is foreign, which we render only his Coming; but it is a different word from that in our Creed, and in its proper ſignification denotes his preſenting himſelf to us, after he hath been thus long abſent from us. In the Creed we profeſs to believe that He is aſcended into Heaven foreign from whence he ſhall come, &c. But that we may know what kind of Coming we are to expect (and not imagine it is meerly by an inviſible power, as he came to deſtroy Jeruſalem), we are to mind how the Apoſtles ſpeak of it as a foreign; and teach us to underſtand that word in the ſtricteſt ſenſe, concerning his perſonal appearance to us. Thus St. Paul diſcourſes to the Corinthians, 1. xv. 23. (where we firſt meet with this word in the Apoſtolical Writings) that every man ſhall ariſe from the dead, but in due order; Chriſt the firſt-fruits; and then they that are Chriſts, at his coming: in perſon that is, as the King and the Judg of the World. For ſo he preſently after directs us to expound the word (xvj. 17.) when he declares the joy he had by the foreign coming of Stephanas, Fortunatus and Achaicus, who (as Theodoret there notes) were the perſons that brought the Letter to him from the Church of Corinth. In ſuch a manner he believed Chriſt would come; and that he and thoſe Chriſtians he had converted, appearing before him, it would prove the greateſt joy and honour to him, to be able to preſent to that great King, ſuch a number of perſons who had been perſwaded by his Miniſtry to become his Subjects, 1 Theſ. ij. 19. In ſhort, this is the word that is uſed in moſt other places, where we read of the Coming of Chriſt. And preſently after that laſt named (iij. 13.) he tells us, He will come attended with all his Saints; and therefore will perſonally appear, and ſhew himſelf in that Royal Majeſty wherein He now reigns.
2. Thus the ſecond Word ſtill more fully informs us, which is foreign, the REVELATION of Jeſus Chriſt: or his diſcovering himſelf again to the World, by coming out of that high and holy place where He now lives, but is not ſeen. So Theophylact expounds the word both upon 1 Cor. i. 7. and 2 Theſſ. i. 7. where he ſays, the Apoſtle calls the coming of Chriſt, by the name of his Revelation, to denote that though He be now with us, yet He is hid, and then ſhall be openly diſcovered. Which he borrows from S. Chryſoſtome, whoſe words *In 1 Cor. i. 7.are theſe; The Apoſtle indicates, that though He be not ſeen, yet He is, and is preſent even now; and then will appear, or ſhow himſelf viſibly to the world. Oecumenius alſo writes to the ſame effect; and we may ſtill further eſtabliſh this Truth, by conſidering another word of the ſame import with this (and therefore I ſhall not mention it diſtinctly by it ſelf) very much uſed by St. John, who exhorts his Diſciples to abide in Chriſt, that when foreign He ſhall be made manifeſt, (or be ſhown to the world) we may not be aſhamed before him at his coming, 1 Joh. ii. 28. So we tranſlate the word in other places (though here it be rendred only appear), i. Joh. 31. iij. 21. eſpecially in that remarkable place xxj. Joh. 1. where we read how he ſhewed himſelf to them at the Sea of Tiberias, and that this (v. 14.) was the third time that He ſhewed or made himſelf manifeſt to them, after that He was riſen from the dead. In the very ſame viſible manner will He once more appear; and be as really manifeſted to raiſe us from the dead, and to give us life, as He was manifeſted in the fleſh at firſt (1 Tim. iij. 16), and again ſhewed himſelf after his Crucifixion, to be alive from the dead. For though our Life be now hid with Chriſt in God; yet when Chriſt, who is our Life, ſhall appear, or be manifeſted, then ſhall we alſo appear with him in glory, iij. Col. 4. Upon which words Theophylact hath this pertinent gloſs, At his ſecond coming Chriſt ſhall be openly manifeſted, and ſhowed to all as God; though now he be ſo hid, that it is the thing which is objected againſt him, and a pretence for mens unbelief. And to the ſame purpoſe Theodoret bids us note, how exceeding appoſitely *foreign, &c.the Apoſtle ſpeaks, when he ſaith, Chriſt will then be manifeſted; who now is not ſeen by Christians, nor ſo much as known by Infidels. But then will let no man remain ignorant of him; becauſe every eye ſhall ſee him, and all men be forced to confeſs that He is the Lord of all.
3. For, lastly, to make this ſtill more evident, it is called here (in the words I have undertaken to explain) and in many other places, his foreign APPEARING, in ſo clear and illuſtrious a manner, that St. Paul bids us look for it as that bleſſed Hope of Chriſtian people, far more ſplendid than any thing that hath yet been manifeſted. For it is the glorious Appearing, or the appearing of the glory of the great God and our Saviour, ij. Tit. 13.
Which Epithete is to be carefully obſerved, becauſe it diſtinguiſhes this Appearing from a former; and teaches us how we are to conceive of it. For every body knows (who hath any skill in theſe things) that there is, at leaſt, a double Appearing of Chriſt ſpoken of in the Holy Writings. One paſt, when he came and ſenſibly appeared, and was manifeſted in mortal fleſh, for theſe two ends, to preach the Goſpel, and to dye for our ſins. Let the Reader conſult the 1 Tim. i. 10. and ix. Hebr. 26. This is called the Appearing of Gods Grace (ij. Tit. 11.) which was ſo manifeſted at this time, that it eclipſed all former diſcoveries that had been made of it.
The other is yet to come; when the ſame Lord will as ſenſibly appear to reward men according to the entertainment they have given his Goſpel, and ſhow himſelf as a Royal Prieſt, who hath ſo perfectly expiated our ſins, and conquered all our Enemies, that He hath nothing then to do, but to give complete Salvation to his Servants. So you read ix. Hebr. 28. that to them who expect him, He will appear the ſecond time (foreign make himſelf be ſeen, appear viſibly) without ſin, unto ſalvation. As in the former coming He was ſeen in our fleſh, but appeared like a mean perſon, in the form of a ſervant: So in this He will perſonally appear in our Nature; but in greater ſplendour, in the form of a Prince; even as the Lord of all the World. And therefore in the firſt verſe of this Chapter (2 Tim. iv. 1.) his KINGDOM and his APPEARING, are both put together, as things Contemporary: And as before, there was an Appearance of his Grace; ſo hereafter he is ſaid to appear in his Glory, iij. Col. 4.
To theſe two Appearings ſome add a Third, in the middle between them; and that was His appearing to deſtroy Jeruſalem; and therewith the Perſecutors of his Diſciples: to whom, at that time, it muſt be acknowledged, He gave a mighty Salvation, or Deliverance. And the very Truth is, then He is ſaid in the Goſpel to come, xxj. Joh. 22. What if I will that he tarry foreign till I come? And i. Revel. 7. foreign Behold he cometh. Nay, in a looſer ſenſe of the Word, that time is called by S. Matthew his foreign xxiv. 27, 37, 39. And by S. Luke the Kingdom of God, xxj. 31. (becauſe then He did exerciſe one part of his Royal Power in puniſhing offenders) But I do not find that in any place it is called the Revelation, or the Appearing of the Lord Jeſus. For He did not appear in perſon when he came to deſtroy Jeruſalem, as He did at his firſt coming, and will at his next; but only virtually, in ſuch a deſolation, as made it apparent that His mighty Power was the Author of it.
There are two places I know alledged by a Great Man, which he thinks ſound this way, 1 Pet. i. 7. and 1 Tim. vj. 14. But it is far more agreeable to the coherence of thoſe places, to expound them of the Appearing we ſtill expect. Of which, we may look upon his coming to deſtroy his Crucifiers, and ſave his Servants, as an Emblem and as a Pledg. For it demonſtrated both the Power of our Lord Jeſus, and his Faithfulneſs to his word: aſſuring us, that He will one day crown the patience and conſtancy of all his Friends with Eternal Life, and puniſh the inſolence of his Enemies with everlaſting Fire.
However, it is paſt all doubt, that in this place I am treating of, the Apoſtle ſpeaks of the laſt and greateſt appearing of our Saviour, to finiſh the work of our Redemption, and beſtow the Crown of Righteouſneſs, which is laid up in Heaven for all that love him. Which part of our Chriſtian Faith, I have ſhewn, is to be underſtood in this manner: That our Lord will in perſon preſent himſelf once more to the World, and be ſeen at the laſt day to be what he is, the King of Angels and Men, and all Creatures. For as at his firſt coming into the World He appeared in our likeneſs (which the Ancients called his Epiphany, a name that ſtill ſticks to the laſt day of the Feaſt of his Nativity) and as He appeared in the ſame likeneſs when He roſe from the dead; and in that form and nature of a man went up into Heaven, and ſtill keeps it there, as ſeveral have ſeen ſince his Aſcenſion: ſo he will in like manner appear in the end of the world; only in greater Majeſty and Glory as becomes Him who is over all, God bleſſed for ever, Amen, ix. Rom. 5.