The First Report of the General Conference of Christians Expecting the Advent of the Lord Jesus Christ

PRESBYTERIAN AND CONGREGATIONAL CHURCHES

“Question. Wherein doth Christ exaltation consist? FRGC 14.8

“Answer. Christ’s exaltation consisteth in his rising again from the dead on the third day; his ascending up into heaven: sitting on the right hand of God the Father, and in his coming to judge the word at the last day. FRGC 14.9

“Question. What do we pray for in the second petition? [of the Lord’s prayer.] FRGC 14.10

“Answer. In the second petition, which is “thy kingdom come,” we pray that Satan’s kingdom may be destroyed, [utterly, at Christ’s coming] that the kingdom of grace may be advanced, ourselves and others brought into it, and kept in it, and that the kingdom of glory may be hastened.” ¹⁰ FRGC 14.11

In these questions and answers, found also in the “Westminster Assembly’s Catechism,” which has long been a doctrinal platform of the Presbyterian and Congregational churches, they virtually deny the now popular doctrine of Christ’s coming again to reign spiritually, or to have part of his “exaltation” in a millenium of this world, before his coming “in his kingdom to judge the world at the last day.” If then, as they further say, we should pray, and pray in faith, that these great events of “the kingdom of glory” at the judgment of “the last day” “may be hastened;” we cannot, of course, desire, nor pray in faith for their being delayed, so long as to give time for a temporal millenium first. And though they have refrained, and very justly too, in my own view, from fixing a time, I cannot but cordially harmonize with them in their published faith on this subject, with my most earnest and daily prayers that all those things, with the very “kingdom of glory, may be hastened.” FRGC 15.1