HIS GLORIOUS APPEARING.
By C. H. Spurgeon
THE first manifestation was very partial; it was Christ seen through a glass, Christ in the midst of grief and the cloud of humiliation. Christ is yet to appear in the strong sense of the word "appearing;" He is to come out and shine forth. He is to leave the robes of scorn and shame behind, and to come in the glory of the Father, and all his holy angels with him. This is the constant teaching of the word of God, and the constant hope of the church, that Christ will appear. A thousand questions at once suggest themselves. How will Christ appear? Where will Christ appear? and so on. What God answers we may inquire, but some of our questions are mere impertinence. I believe Christ will appear in person. I never can tolerate the idea of his second coming being merely a spiritual coming. That always seems to me to be the most transparent folly that can possibly be put together, because Christ cannot come spiritually, he is always here. "Lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world." Christ's spiritual coming never can be that which is spoken of in Scripture as the day of our release. I sometimes say to brethren, "Do you think if Christ were to come spiritually now, we should observe the ordinances better?" "Yes, certainly." "Do you think, for instance, the ordinance of the Lord's Supper would be better attended to?" "Yes, no doubt it would." Yes, but then this proves that this is not the coming which the Bible speaks of, because it is expressly said of the Lord's Supper that we are to do it in remembrance of him till he comes. A spiritual coming would make us do it more zealously; there must be another form of coming which would justify our giving up the Supper altogether, and that must be of personal character, for then, and then only, might the Supper properly cease. We shall not need to have the Supper to remind of the person when the person himself shall be present in our midst, reigning and triumphant in his church. We believe in a personal reign and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. But how will he come? He will doubtless come with great splendor; the angels of God shall be his attendants. We gather from Scripture that he will come to reign in the midst of his people; that the house of Israel will acknowledge him as King; yea, that all nations shall bow down before him, and kings shall pay him homage. None shall be able to stand against him. "Those that pierced him shall wail because of him." He will come to discern between the righteous and the wicked, to separate the goats from the sheep. He will come graciously to adjudge his people their reward according to their works. He will give to those who have been faithful over a few things to be rulers over many things; and those who have been faithful over many things shall be rulers over many cities. He will come to discern between the works of his people; such as are only wood, hay and stubble will be consumed; such as are gold and silver and precious stones will stand the fire. We look for such a coming, and, without entering into minute details, we are content to believe that he is coming in his glory, to show himself to be King of kings and Lord of lords, to be adored and worshiped, and no more to be rejected and despised of men.—C. H. Spurgeon.