powers that are in heaven shall be shaken," Mark xiii. 24, 25.

(b) "The sea and the waves roaring," Luke xxi. 25. (c) The appearance of "the sign of the Son of man in heaven," Mat. xxiv. 30.

(d) The mourning of the tribes of the earth. "Then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn," Mat. xxiv. 30. "And upon the earth distress of nations," Luke xxi. 25. "And all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him," Rev. i. 7. See Rev. i. 3, xxii. 10, 12.

(e) The coming of Christ in clouds, with a retinue of angels, and in the glory of the Father. They shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory," Mat. xxiv. 30. "Behold, he cometh with clouds," Rev. i. 7. "The Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father, with his angels," Mat. xvi. 27. See p. 33. "When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all his holy angels with him," Mat. xxv. 31. For the coming referred to in the last passage, see the preceding part of the discourse, especially Mat. xxiv. 30. The very language used, "When the Son of man shall come," implies that a coming is here spoken of which has been before mentioned.

"And he shall

(f) A great sound of a trumpet. send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet," Mat. xxiv. 31. "We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed; in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump for the trumpet shall sound," 1 Cor. xv. 51, 52. "The Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God," 1 Thess. iv. 16. See p. 54.

(g) The resurrection of the dead, and a correspond

ing change of the living. "The dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed," 1 Cor. xv. 52. "The dead in Christ shall rise first," 1 Thess. iv. 16.

(h) The gathering of the saints to Christ, to be with him evermore. "And they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other," Mat. xxiv. 31. "The dead in Christ shall rise first Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air and so shall we ever be with the Lord," 1 Thess. iv. 16, 17.

(i) The judgment of all men. "And then he shall reward every man according to his works," Mat. xvi. 27. "Behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be," Rev. xxii. 12. "Then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory And before him shall be gathered all nations," Mat. xxv. 31, 32.

(j) The end of the world. "When shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming and of the end of the world?" Mat. xxiv. 3. For the answer, see vv. 30, 34. hand," 1 Pet. iv. 7.

"The end of all

things is at

(k) The establishment of the kingdom of heaven. “There be some standing here which shall not taste of death, till they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom," Mat. xvi. 28. "When ye see these things come to pass, know ye that the kingdom of God is nigh at hand," Luke xxi. 31.

Such are the events ascribed to the figurative coming. What are the events differing from these in kind, which are ascribed to the literal coming? Or what, even the slightest, intimation is there, that in the one case the events are figurative, and in the other literal?

2. Does any passage in the New Testament assign to any future coming of Christ a different time or place from that of his figurative coming? No such passage has ever been found. Indeed, the subject of place may here be left entirely out of consideration. And in respect to the

time of any future coming of Christ, we find in the New Testament but one representation; namely, that the time was near at hand, even before the death of some who were then living, but that the day and hour were known only to God. For the oft-quoted and misunderstood passage in 2 Thess. ii. 2, see p. 78.

If, then, we find in the New Testament but one series of events and but one time assigned to any future coming of Christ, what possible ground is there for supposing that more than one such coming is there spoken of? What can be more unscientific, or even unreasonable, than such a gratuitous supposition?

There is no remaining alternative for us to consider. What force, then, let me ask in conclusion, can possibly attach to the objection, that, "besides the figurative second coming of Christ, the Scriptures also teach a literal second coming"?

APPENDIX

OF EXTRACTS RELATING TO BIBLICAL INTERPRETATION.

[IN the preceding Essay, that nothing might interfere with a distinct view of the Scriptural Argument in its simplicity, and, as it seems to me, its irresistible force, I have scrupulously avoided all extracts from uninspired writers, however favorable they might be to my own views. And in the following Appendix, that no suspicion may attach to any of the selections, I have been careful to confine them to the writings of divines of high reputation, and of acknowledged orthodoxy, according to the common use of this term. The names of most of the authors will be too familiar to require special remark. I am happy to recognize among them the names of three revered teachers and of other highly esteemed friends, and to acknowledge, for these extracts from their valuable writings, an addition to former obligations.

In making these quotations, I wish to be regarded simply as an editor, and not as adopting for my own any sentiment or statement which they may contain.]

I. ON THE AUTHORITY OF TRADITIONAL INTER

PRETATION.

[There is a tendency in the human mind to bow to tradition, and to subject others to the same yoke. This tendency is allied to some of the best feelings of our nature; but it is not therefore the less prejudicial to the cause of truth. It is a part of the most pardonable kind of idolatry, father-worship; but still it is idolatry. The bondage has assumed various forms. Among Jews, the yoke has consisted of "the tradition of the elders"; among Roman Catholics, of the traditions of the Church; and among Protestants, of traditions of interpretation. It is the boast of Protestantism, that it recognizes no human authority for its belief, but receives the Scriptures as "the sufficient and only rule of faith and practice"; yet how prevalent is the feeling, even among the most enlightened Protestant sects, that we are bound to interpret the Scriptures as others have done before us, and that any important deviation from their tradition is a criminal presumption! We are told that we must think independently; but then we must independently think just as others have thought before us. Investigation with this result is commended as a noble exercise of the noble powers with which we have been endowed; but with a different result, though conducted in the same manner and with the same spirit, it is denounced as presumptuous if not infidel speculation, philosophy "falsely so called," a being "wise above that which is written." That such fanatical views have sometimes led to unkind feelings and personal collisions, is not to be wondered at, however deeply it may be regretted. A juster view of the authority of tradition, and a better spirit of theological study, are taught by the following extracts.]

A. THEOLOGY A PROGRESSIVE SCIENCE.

1. From the Farewell Charge to the Plymouth Pilgrims, by their Pastor, the Rev. JOHN ROBINSON.

"BRETHREN, we are now quickly to part from one another, and whether I may ever live to see your Face on Earth any more, the God of Heaven only knows; but