Treatise on Atonement: section 167
Hosea is still wordy, and dull. The sections keep getting longer. This reads like a fragment of a thin sermon that should have been long forgotten. Still, I push on towards the end of this chapter.
167. Other words of Jesus cites to the same effect. That all these events, including the end of the world, the coming of the Son of man with his angels, etc. took place in the generation in which the Saviour lived on the earth, we are fully certified by his own words which follow: verse 30, etc. “And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. Now learn a parable of the fig tree; when his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh, even at the doors. Verily I say unto you, this generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled. Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.”
It seems worthy of special notice, that in every instance, in which Jesus spake of his coming to judge men, and to reward them according to their works, he expresses himself with particular emphasis in limiting the time to the generation in which he lived. Matt xvi. 28. “Verily I say to you,” etc. Mark ix. 1. “Verily I say unto you,” etc. Luke ix. 27. “But I tell you of a truth,” etc. Luke xxi. 32. “Verily I say unto you, etc.” xxic. 34. “Verily I say unto you, this generation shall not pass till all these things be fulfilled.” We think we are safe in saying that on no other one subject did Jesus express himself with more cautious emphasis. Have we not then great reason to marvel that so many of those who are professed disciples of Jesus, and who profess to preach his word to the people, should have so misconstrued his testimony as to represent his coming with his angels to reward men is to take place in some time which is now future, and in another state of man’s existence?
After Jesus had certified his disciples that all those events of which he spoke would take place in that generation, be proceeded to say to them, “But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.” And this circumstance he improved to show the necessity of due watchfulness in his disciples, that they might avail themselves of the benefits of his instructions, and make their escape from those calamities which were fast approaching. In the latter part of this chapter, he strictly warned them to be on their guard, and duly apprised them of the danger which awaited then should they so far relax in their watchings as to become contentious and to eat and drink with the drunken, thinking that their Lord delayed his coming, assuring them that should any be found of this description, the Lord of such a servant would come in a day when he looked not for him, and in an hour that he would not be aware of, and would cut him asunder, and appoint him as his portion with the hypocrites; where there should be weeping and gnashing of teeth. As Jesus had, in hearing of his disciples, just delivered his last address to the scribes and pharisees, in the temple, and as he had denounced on them the most tremendous judgments, calling them hypocrites, which epithet he often repeated in that discourse, he now informs his disciples, being alone with them, that if any of them should apostatize as to conform their lives to the sinfulness of that wicked and perverse generation, they would of course fall into the same condemnation, which he had just denounced on those whom he called hypocrites, and would be subjected to the same awful calamities.
15 May 2006 at 5:58 pm
Thanks for all the typing, Scott. I believe I’m now up to date with all your typing, online at:
http://www.danielharper.org/treatiseiii2.htm
And boy, you’re not kidding — this is a pretty slow portion o fthe book. Thanks again for taking this on.