Romans 13:11 - Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

Nearer than when we believed— Than when we declared our belief. Markland. Than when we declared the faith. Heylin. It seems by this and the following verse, says Mr. Locke, as if St. Paul looked upon Christ's coming as not far off; to which there are several other concurrent passages in his Epistles: see 1 Corinthians 1:7. But with all due respect to Mr. Locke, Grotius, and other learned men who favour this sentiment, I am fully satisfied that they have been mistaken, misunderstanding the particular passages of Scripture which they have adduced, and the true state of things in the present instance. That St. Paul did "not look upon Christ's coming as not far off," or as if it might happen while he and the men of that generation were living, is incontestably evident from 2 Thessalonians 2:1. &c. where he professedlyrefutes this erroneous opinion. The case was this: the Thessalonians had mistaken some expressions in his first letter; just in the same manner, probably, as Mr. Locke and others have mistaken the like passages. He had told them, 1 Thessalonians 5:2-4. That the day of the Lord so suddenly cometh, as a thief in the night; and that their only security against being surprised, or overtaken unawares, by that day, was their not being in darkness, but enjoying the light of the Gospel: Romans 13:4-5. But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. You are all children of the light. This, their being forewarned of it, and furnished with all proper means to prepare for it, was their only security against being surprised by the coming of our Lord to judgment. Now taking this in connection with what he had said just before (1 Thessalonians 4:15.), We which are alive, and remain unto the coming of the Lord.—They concluded, as Mr. Locke does in respect to the sentiment of the Apostle, that the Lord would come while they were alive, and hereby were much alarmed and disturbed. But this notion was not only false, but of very bad tendency; and therefore the Apostle, with much earnestness, corrects the mistake in a second Epistle, ch. Romans 2:1, &c. where he plainly declares that he did not believe the coming of the Lord was at hand; and that he knew by the spirit of prophesy, that before the coming of the Lord, there would be a falling away, or great apostacy in the Christian church, and that the man of sin would appear, and erect a spiritual Anti-Christian tyranny in the temple, or church of God. Most certainly the Apostle knew that the coming of Christ would not be till several ages after the time in which he lived: and no doubt all the apostles knew this as well as he. And yet he, and the other apostles, always speak as if the coming of Christ, and the day of the Lord, the day of judgment, were near at hand; and accordingly exhort Christians to watch, and to keep themselves in readiness, that they may not be surprised by it; as in the present passage, Philippians 4:5, 1 Thessalonians 5:2, Hebrews 10:37, James 5:7-9, 1 Peter 4:7, 2 Peter 3:10-12. Our blessed Lord also knew very well that he should not come while that generation to whom he preached, was alive: and yet he exhorts that generation to watch and have all things in readiness, that they might not be surprised by his coming; Matthew 24:42; Matthew 24:51; Matthew 25:13, Mark 13:33; Mark 13:37. Luke 21:34; Luke 21:38 and after his ascension, Revelation 22:7; Revelation 22:12; Revelation 22:20. This is the current language and sense of our Lord and his apostles. They represent his coming as at hand,—as drawing nigh, and admonish their hearers to watch, lest his coming should find them unprepared; though they knew his coming would not be till many ages after these persons whom they so exhorted, were dead, and in their graves. But how shall we reconcile this seeming inconsistency?—Thus:—"The time of our Lord's coming coincides, or happens at the same time with the time of our death; how near to, or how far soever from his coming we happen to die." To confirm this proposition, we need advance but one argument, out of more that might be produced; it is this: certainly our Christian course [of preparatory duties, sufferings, watchings, patience, &c.] ends when we die: but Christ comes when our Christian course ends; or, our Christian course in this like terminates in the coming of Christ. This is evident from the following texts: 1 Corinthians 1:8; Philippians 1:6; Philippians 1:10; 1 Thessalonians 3:13; 1 Thessalonians 5:23; 2 Thessalonians 1:7; 1 Timothy 6:11-15; 2 Timothy 4:7-8; James 5:7; 1 Peter 1:5; 1 Peter 1:13; 2 Peter 3:11-12; and Revelation 2:25; Revelation 3:11. In short, throughout the New Testament, we are never exhorted to prepare for death, but always for the coming of our Lord, &c. From all which it appears, that the end of our Christian course, and consequently of our present life, is the coming of our Lord; when the faithful shall receive the salvation, the crown of righteousness, which he will give to them that love his appearing.—An aweful, important, awakening truth! of great weight and force in religion; infinitely worthy of our most serious consideration every day and hour of our life! That which is here called our salvation, is in Jude 1:3 termed the common salvation; that is, that salvation, or rest, which we have all a promise left of obtaining, as all the Israelites had a promise left of entering into the land of Canaan, even they who fell short through unbelief, Hebrews 4:1-2. The beautiful and lively metaphor in Romans 13:11-12 is very observable. This present imperfect state of trial, he compares to the night; and the salvation and glory we have in prospect, to the day: he supposes Christians in name maybe asleep, negligent of their most importantconcerns, or immersed in sensuality: as the Apostle therefore of Christ, and a preacher of the Gospel, he knocks at the chamber-door, and calls to them, "It is high time to awake out of sleep; the day appears, the glorious day of your everlasting salvation. Awake, awake! throw off the loose clothes which cover you in the night, and in which it is unseemly to appear before men; and put on that comely dress, which is agreeable to the day, and gives a decent and honourable appearance in the world:" meaning that disposition and conversation which are agreeable to the Gospel, lovely in the eyes of good men, and which fits us to appear among the blessed in the realms of light.