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ARTICLE VII.

FROM THENCE HE SHALL COME TO JUDGE THE QUICK AND THE DEAD.

SECTION I.

From thence he shall come to judge the Quick and the Dead.

Q. WHAT Considerations does this article involve?

A. In order to elucidate this portion of the Creed, we would enquire, 1st. Who it is who will come to judgment. 2dly. From what place he will come. 3dly. What will be the object of his coming. 4thly. In what manner: 5thly. To whom: 6thly. At what time he will come.

Q. First, then, as to the person. Who will come to judgment?

A. We answer, the same who was born of the Virgin Mary; who preached to us the new covenant of grace; who was crucified for our sins under Pontius Pilate; and rose again for our justification: even our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

Q. How is that known?

ad A. The angels who appeared to the disciples at Bethany, immediately after our Saviour's ascension, declared, "This same Jesus which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven "." Christ also himself comforted his followers with this assurance: "I will come again, and receive you unto myself, that where I am, there ye may be also ""

b

Q. Are there any prophecies which foretel this event?

A. "I saw in the night," says Daniel, “visions, and behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom; that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed."

Q. Is it clear that this passage of Daniel refers to the second coming of Christ?

VA. We have the best authority for drawing

that conclusion, Christ himself having adopted the very words of the prophecy, where he says, sed tendgid at! 10890)

a Acts i. 11.

b John xiv. 3.

Dan. vii. 13, 14.

"Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting. on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven "."

Q. Secondly, As to the place. Whence will our Saviour come?

A. He will come from the same place whither he ascended, i. e. from the highest heavens, or heavens of heavens.

Q. How does that appear?

A. " God," saith St. Peter," shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you; whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things;" i. e. God will at the last day send from heaven Jesus Christ, who now is in heaven, and will there remain until the consummation of all things. "The Lord himself," saith St. Paul," shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God." Again he saith, "Our conversation is in heaven, from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ "."

Q. Thirdly, as to the object of Christ's coming. Why will he descend a second time from heaven? A. For the purpose of passing judgment on all

e Acts iii. 21.

f 1 Thess. iv. 16.

d Matt. xxvi. 64. Philip. iii. 20. That heaven here means the highest hea

ven, was proved in the last article.

mankind.

"For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son".""

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As," says St. Paul, "it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: so Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin (i. e. without any further offering for sin) unto salvation." St. Paul also, preaching at Athens, the seat of learning and philosophical enquiry, openly promulged the same doctrine there, saying, God now commandeth all men every where to repent: because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that Man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given full assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead *.'

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Q. Are we taught to believe in this doctrine of a future judgment, by reason, or by revelation?

A. By both reason and revelation.

1st. We perceive that vice often triumphs in this world, and virtue often suffers: hence we conclude there will be a day of retribution; because we know that we are under the government of a just God'.

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Barrow on the Reasonableness and Equity of a future

Judgment. Vol. ii. Sermon XXXII.

We are conscious to ourselves of deriving from nature, desires which this world cannot satisfy; we are endowed with faculties which this earth cannot bound: our souls beat with aspirations after immortality; and even now, chained down as we are by the incumbrances of the flesh, they strive to grasp the heavens; hence we derive an assurance, that hereafter those desires will be satisfied, those faculties will range unconfined, that longing after immortality will be gratified; for God maketh nothing in vain. If, however, those desires, fa ́culties, and anticipations, are misapplied; then we feel assured that punishment will follow; for God would never bestow such high endowments upon man, without attaching a penalty to their abuse.

Further, within us the Almighty has fixed the monitor conscience, which is our instructor in righteousness; from whose approval we derive a foretaste of the purest satisfaction, when we do well; and whose upbraidings are a constant source of terror and anticipated misery to us, when we act ill. Conscience is as a witness fully acquainted with all our actions; and we cannot believe that God would fix this witness in our breasts, unless for a sufficient reason, i. e. unless its office will be to testify for or against us at the day of judgment.

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