LOOKING FORWARD | AdventAI

Publishing Committee · Rochester, N. Y. · Nov 29, 1853

LOOKING FORWARD.

"And blessed be his glorious name for ever; and let the whole earth be filled with his glory. Amen, and Amen." Ps. lxxii, 19. "For the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea." Heb. ii, 14. "Surely they shall not see the land which I sware unto their fathers, neither shall any of them that provoked me see it." Num. xiv, 23. "For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God. For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope; because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God." Rom. viii, 19-21.

This must ever be the attitude of the Church. In one sense it may be said to be the attitude of the whole human race ever since the fall. Who is satisfied? Who is living in the contented enjoyment of the present? Who is not sensible of a craving which he has never yet been able to appease? But the difference between the Church and the world is this: the Church has something to look forward to—something fully satisfying, and which rests on the sure word of God; whereas the world is ever grasping at shadows, and ever finding itself miserably deceived. The Church looks forward with an air of calm and confident expectation; the world, with an air of busy, restless, anxiety. The Church looks forward to what Christ shall be able to achieve for it; the world, to what it may be able to achieve for itself.—But alas! it must be acknowledged that the Church has too often mingled the fruitless expectation of the world with its own. There is far too little among believers of that peaceful contemplation of the future which is their privilege, simply because there is not a clear apprehension of the things for which they are entitled to hope. They look around them, and see sin prevailing, and darkening clouds gathering on every side, but having inquired little into the purposes of God, they are fain to turn from the prospect with a sigh, and a mournful acquiescence in the truth that God can make all things work together for good to them that are called according to his purpose. Unquestionably such was not the temper, such were not the consolations, of the early Church. Let us then open our Bibles, and endeavor to trace in the sacred record what are "the things hoped for," which are the inheritance of his people, and upon what it was that they bent their eager gaze when they sought for strong consolation amid abounding iniquity.

The first promise, given immediately after the fall, was, that the seed of the woman should bruise the head of the serpent, Gen. iii, 15. In this, as in a bud, were wrapped up the whole dealings of God with the fallen world, down to the very end. But much more must have been revealed to the early patriarchs than this, for we find Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesying, "The Lord cometh with ten thousand of his saints to execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him." Jude 14, 15. We find Abraham "rejoicing to see the day of Christ, and he saw it and was glad." John viii, 56. We find Jacob, in blessing his children, teaching them to look forward to the future triumphs of the Messiah. "The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come, and unto him shall the gathering of the people be. Binding his foal unto the vine, and his ass's colt unto the choice vine, he washed his garments in wine, and his clothes in the blood of grapes; his eyes shall be red with wine, and his teeth white with milk." Gen. xlix, 10-12. Moses in like manner takes up the prophetic strain, and closes his song with these emphatic words, "For I lift up my hand to heaven, and say, I live for-ever, if I whet (the form of an oath, and meaning, As I live for ever I will whet) my glittering sword, and my hand take hold on judgment, I will render vengeance

unto mine enemies, and will reward them that hate me. I will make mine arrows drunk with blood, and my sword shall devour flesh, and that with the blood of the slain and of the captives, from the beginning of revenges upon the enemy. Rejoice, O ye nations with his people, for he will avenge the blood of his servants, and will render vengeance to his adversaries, and will be merciful to his land and to his people." Deut. xxxii, 40-43. Hearken also to the words of Job: "I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth; and though after my skin worms shall destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God." Job xix, 25, 26. It is to the same note that all the harps are tuned, when the full choir of prophets pour from their golden strings the animating strains which were to arouse a slumbering Church, and console the drooping spirits of the faithful. There is ever a day of vengeance spoken of. They deplore, in wailing accents, the back-slidings of the people, or with indignant reproofs they warn them of the fruits of their doings: but evermore they hold forth a mighty avenger, coming with his raiment stained with blood;—a refiner and purifier of silver, watching his glowing furnace;—a day of wrath and trouble, of darkness and gloominess; and then they speak of a glorious resurrection, a renovated earth, an age of peace and of exulting joy.

Again, when we turn to the New Testament, we find that the same great truths were held forth by the apostles as the consolation of believers, and the great encouragement to holy walking. "Exhorting one another, and so much the more as ye see the day approaching." "Ye have need of patience, that after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise; for yet a little while and he that shall come will come and will not tarry." Heb. x, 23, 37. "We beseech you, brethren, by the coming of Christ." 2 Thess. i, 10. "The Lord direct your hearts into the patient waiting for Christ." 2 Thess. iii, 5. "I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him." 1 Thess. iv, 13, 14. "Seeing, then, that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, looking for and hastening unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens, being on fire, shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat. Nevertheless, we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness." 2 Peter iii, 11, 13.

On this subject, therefore, the Old Testament and the New are perfectly accordant. They both alike hold forth as the object of the Church's hope, a coming Saviour, a day of vengeance, a glorious resurrection, and an earth freed from the curse. We build no theory on these facts at present. All we do is to ask whether the hopes of the Church now are accordant with these declarations. And if it must be acknowledged that they are not, then we ask again, Is there not prevalent a very culpable neglect of a large portion, nay, of the largest portion, of the Word of God? He has thought fit, it would seem, to devote a principal share of his revelation to man to subjects from which the Church now-a-days turns with cold unconcern. Can this conduct be defended? No. And if you would be looking forward, you must inquire what God would have you to look for, that you may know what is the hope of his calling, and what are the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints.

It is very commonly put forward as an excuse for omitting the careful study of one portion of Scripture, that it is not so important as others. We presume not to settle the relative importance of the several portions of the Word of God. Unquestionably every man's first duty is to make his calling and election sure. But in addressing Christians we would say, Beware of imagining that the Bible was given you to make you acquainted with one individual truth, or with one set of truths. It was given to teach "the truth," that is, all truth. You ought, therefore, to be still searching this mine of hidden treasure, not merely to discover confirmations of truths already received, but to ascertain the whole counsel of God. Look abroad over the whole face of Scripture from beginning to end; and do not, like Balaam, seek some point of view whence you may only behold a portion of God's revelation, because you dare not steadily contemplate the whole of it. Do you say you are satisfied with what you already know? How ungrateful when God has laid before you so rich a treasure. This surely is not the spirit of the weaned child, who is ever seeking strong meat instead of milk. You, if you desire the sincere milk of the word, desire also never to have anything more than the food of babes. You are satisfied with the first principles of the oracles of God, and have no wish to go on unto perfection. Heb. v, 12, 14. Who knows how greatly your conceptions of God in all his attributes might be heightened by more enlarged intercourse with his revelation of himself. You might know more, far more, of his wisdom; more, far more, of his love, of his majesty, and his glory: you might have much clearer views of the harmony of all these attributes in the consummation of the work of redemption, if you did not treat the greater portion of his record as a sealed book, into which it is hopeless for you to look. Now, you are but wandering on the shore of a mighty ocean, and from your point of view the prospect is necessarily limited. But spread your sails and venture forth upon its bosom, and in the great deep you shall see the wonders of the Lord. Your faith will then be the faith of the apostles—the substance of things hoped for; your consolations will be those of the holy men of old, whose patient endurance was sustained by the conviction, that yet a little while, and he that should come would come and would not tarry.

But there are other considerations which ought to induce us to give heed to the sure word of prophecy. There is first the example of the cloud of witnesses who compass us about. Which of them did not feel it to be his duty to ascertain what God's promises were, and his privilege to lean upon them? Adam and Abel doubtless were upheld by the assurance of the coming "Seed," who should by blood make atonement for the sins of the world. Heb. xi, 4. Enoch looked forward to the coming of the Lord. Noah was moved with fear by his conviction that the earth that then was should be overflowed with water. Heb. xi, 7. Abraham was greatly consoled by the promise that though his seed should be afflicted 400 years, God would at length deliver them from the house of bondage. Gen. xv, 13, 14. Jacob, as the most valuable inheritance which he could bequeath his children, told them what should befall them in the latter days, Gen. xlix, 1. And he and his fathers looked forward to a better country, even a heavenly—to a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God. Heb. xi, 10, 16. So deeply impressed was Joseph with the truth of the prediction that God would lead back his people to the land of promise, that he commanded that they should take with them his bones. Heb. xi, 22. Moses was expecting the immediate fulfillment of this promise when he left the palace of Pharaoh and went out to see his brethren at their labors; and we have already had occasion to notice, how, having felt the consoling efficacy of the prophecies handed down from preceding ages, he left in his song a rich treasure of the same character, for the men that should come after him. All these built their hopes upon unfulfilled prophecy. Nor can we doubt that David, when he sang so sweetly of Him of whom he was a type; and Isaiah when he dwelt so soothly on the glory of the latter days; and the other prophets who followed them, blessed God for the prophecies, that in their days were unfulfilled, and rejoiced in being made the instruments of adding to the revelation which was to be the stay of ages yet to come. But we also find them making use of prophecy to guide their own conduct. It was by the study of former prophecies that Daniel came to know that the set time for God's favoring Israel was just at hand. Dan. ix, 2. Prophecy taught the aged saints to wait day by day in the temple for the consolation of Israel. Luke ii, 35, 36. Prophecy told the apostles how to proceed in the election of a successor to Judas. Acts i, 16, 20, 21. It was to unfulfilled prophecy that Christ himself constantly directed the attention of his disciples as pointing out that he should suffer. Luke xviii, 31. And he upbraids the Jews for their inattention to it as not discerning the signs of the times. Matt. xvi, 3. For this neglect he reproaches them as hypocrites,—men who had the outward form of religion, and yet, by not looking forward, showed that they were ignorant of its power.

There are, moreover, distinct recommendations of the study of unfulfilled prophecy in the Word of God. Peter says, "Ye have also a more sure word of prophecy, whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn and the day-star arise in your hearts." 2 Peter i, 19. The Book of Revelation contains more than one blessing to those that read it and understand it. "Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand." Rev. i, 3. "Blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book." Rev. xxii, 7. Who would willingly cast away such a blessing? Who that looks for it would neglect the word of prophecy?

Is the Church generally heedless of this duty? Are there many followers of Christ who think that time spent in such studies is wasted, and who wait till the fulfillment of these prophecies before they will seek to understand them? Let us not stumble at this, nor think that we may safely follow their example. Christ himself tells us that even the Church shall slumber,—"When the Son of Man cometh shall he find faith on the earth?" Luke xviii, 8. In what connection were these memorable words spoken? At the close of a parable intended to teach men that they should pray always and not faint. Pray for what? For the coming of the time when God should avenge his own elect. For this the Church, as a disconsolate widow, should be ever praying. The time will arrive:—"I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man (the avenger) cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?" It is to be looked for, then, that in the latter days many, or even the majority of Christians, should be forgetting their hope, and careless about the coming of him who shall avenge their cause, and open the way to the enjoyment of the purchased inheritance. And this very consideration ought to awaken us from our slumbers. The day is far spent, the night is at hand. Now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.

Nor was there ever a time when it was more incumbent upon the Christian to muster every hope that can animate and invigorate his soul. All prophecy tells us, and the signs of the times too warn us, that a dark night is near at hand,—a time of trouble such as never came upon the world before. It is well that, as individuals, we should have our calling and election sure.

And more especially would we call upon all who love the Lord Jesus to give to these matters a prayerful consideration. Thus only can they be preserved from running into pernicious error. Satan hath, undoubtedly, a great interest in preventing these truths from being generally received. In order to accomplish his design, he will transform himself even into an angel of light. Already he has succeeded in tempting some to wander very far from divine truth. And having gained his purpose so far, by associating these views with the most dangerous heresies, he would willingly, under the mask of a regard for truth, dissuade men from inquiring into them at all. But let us not fall a prey to his devices. The prayerful study of God's Word can never lead us into error. Let us not lean to our understanding, but seek the teaching of the Spirit. Thus shall we be preserved from both extremes of error, and enabled to drink at the full streams of divine revelation, without mingling with our draught the polluted waters of mere human knowledge.

And thus the star of our hopes will be the same to which the Church in every age has looked,—the morning-star, at whose ascending the toil-worn watchman may cease his wanderings, for then he knows that the avenger cometh in his might. For this event the people of God should daily pray, saying, "Wilt thou not avenge the cause of thine own elect?" The souls under the altar cry, "How long, O Lord, holy, and true?" The whole creation groaneth and travaileth under bondage. The earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God; nay, we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body. In this the longings of all animated things (did they but know what they longed for) must centre, and no marvel that it should be so, for Christ himself, seated at the right hand of God, is waiting until his enemies be made his footstool.

"O thou who art the joy of the universe, the Saviour of the lost, whose right it is to reign, come, wear thy many crowns! The saints are waiting for thy coming! The earth groans for thy coming! Come, Lord Jesus, come quickly. "Hark, there is a voice that says, behold I come quickly. Even so, come, Lord Jesus. Amen, amen." —Advent Tracts, Vol. 1.