By JOHN BUNYAN.
“THEY shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory” (Matt. xxiv. 30). That that man born of the Virgin Mary shall come again to judge the quick and the dead, read II. Tim. iv. 1 (I saith Paul) charge thee therefore before God (speaking to him, even to Timothy, and so to all believers) and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the quick and the dead at His appearing and kingdom.” Now, if you would know who this Lord Jesus is, look into Acts, x. 38, and you shall see it was Jesus of Nazareth. Would you know who that was? read Matthew, ii. towards the end, and you shall see it was the Son of Mary the Virgin, who was espoused to Joseph the carpenter. But read Acts, x. 38-43, you shall find these words, “God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with Him. And we are witnesses of all things that He did both in Jerusalem and in the land of the Jews; whom they slew and hanged on a tree (even Jesus of Nazareth) Him God raised up the third day, and showed Him openly, not to all the people, but unto witnesses;—chosen before of God, even to us, who did eat and drink with Him after He rose from the dead. And He commanded to us to preach unto the people (that is, to be bold in our preaching) that it is He (namely, Jesus of Nazareth, whom the Jews did thus crucify) which was ordained of God to be judge of quick and dead.” This is he also that is spoken of in Acts, xvii. 30, 31, “The times of this ignorance God winked at, (meaning men’s being without the gospel), but now commandeth all men everywhere to repent, because He hath appointed a day (which day is the day of judgement, Matt. xii. 36), in the which He will judge the world in righteousness, by that man (namely, Jesus of Nazareth) whom He hath ordained (compare this with that in Acts, x. 38-42), whereof He hath given assurance to all men (that is, hath given a sure sign unto all men), in that He hath raised Him (that is, in that He hath raised Jesus of Nazareth) from the dead.” This also is Christ’s own meaning, Matt. xxiv. where, speaking of His second coming, He styleth himself the Son of Man, saying, “and then shall appear the sign of the Son of Man,” and “So shall the coming of the Son of Man be, verse 37; “so shall also the coming of the Son of Man be,” verse 39; where by the way, it is observable to see how the Lord of life and glory doth in this chapter, where He speaketh of His second coming, for the most part style Himself the Son of Man. Sure He doth it to this end, because He will not have His humanity, and the doctrine thereof, to be razed out from under heaven; for he knew that in the last days there would come mockers, walking after their own lusts, and saying, “Where is the promise of His coming?” II. Peter, iii. 3. I could multiply scriptures to prove this doctrine of His second coming, as Heb. ix. 28, II. Peter iii., II. Thess. i. 6-8, Luke, xxi., Matt. xxiv. and xxv., Rev. xxii. 7, 12, II. Cor. v. 10; Rom. xiv. 10; Acts, xxiv. 25.