of his Israel, and rest to the troubled." The men- tion of this period is introduced by the Apostle in this very view : and, to impress the thought more powerfully on our minds, he describes, in most ener- getic terms, the manner in which our Lord will come to judgment, and the ends for which he will come. Let us consider,
I. The manner in which our Lord will come to judgment —
[This, though solemn and instructive, must not occupy much of our attention at this time, because of the superior importance of the latter part of our subject. " The Lord Jesus" is the person that is " ordained of God to be the Judge of quick and deada." He is at present in heaven, whither he ascended from Mount Olivet, and " where he will continue till the time of the restitution of all things b :" but at the appointed time he " will be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming fire." When he first came into the world, his advent was obscure ; but at his second coming it will be exceeding glorious. He will be attended with an innumerable host of angels, who, on account of their inconceivable strength and power, are called " mighty;" and who are represented as " his" angels, because they were created by him, and are continually employed in his service. At the day of judgment in particular they will be actively engaged, in separating the righteous from the wicked0," in " binding up, as it were, the wicked in bundles to cast them into the fire" of helld, and in " gathering together the electe," in order to their more complete enjoyment of the glory prepared for them. The majesty of his appearance will be greatly increased by his being surrounded with " flaming fire." When formerly he descended on Mount Sinai, " the whole mountain burned with fire," in so awful a manner, that the whole nation of Israel, and even " Moses himself, ex- ceedingly trembled and quakedf." But on his future descent from heaven, " his throne will be like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire ; and a fiery stream will issue and come forth from before himg:" at the same time the earth itself also shall be on fire, the elements shall melt with fervent heat, and the whole globe whereon we live shall burst forth in one vast and universal conflagration11.
How terrible this scene will be, no words can express, no
a Acts xvii. 31. b Acts iii. 21. c Matt. xiii. 49.
d Matt. xiii. 30, 39. e Matt. xxiv. 31.
f Exod. xix. 16, 18. with Heb. xii. 21. ? Dan. vii. 9, 10.
h 2 Pet. iii. 10.
2211.] Christ's coming to judge the world. 379
imagination can conceive : but that day is justly characterized as " the great and terrible day of the Lord1."]
This description is doubly awful as connected with, II. The ends of his coming — These are,
1. The punishment of the wicked —
[It is commonly thought, that if we be moral in our con- duct, we need not trouble ourselves about religious principles. But whom will the Lord punish in that day ? the immoral and profane ? Yes, doubtless : but shall these be the only monu- ments of his indignation ? No : he will " take vengeance also on them that know not God, and that obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ." In these words are comprehended not only the idolatrous Gentiles, and the unbelieving Jews, but all amongst ourselves also who do not practically know God, and unreservedly obey the Gospel. Theoretical knowledge, or hypocritical profession, will be of no avail: we must feel our obligation to God as our Benefactor, our duty towards him as our Governor, and our dependence on him as our Father and our Friend. We must, moreover, embrace the salvation which he has offered us in the Gospel, trusting solely in the merit of our Redeemer's blood, living wholly on the fulness that is treasured up for us in him, and devoting ourselves en- tirely to him, as his redeemed people.