Cincinnati daily press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1860-1862, 1861-05-20
The second Oomin9 OF christ.

make IL clear 70 US.
The second Oomtn9 OF Christ. 4
Our religious contemporary, the Free Nation,
laments that Christians do not keep them
selves constantly prepared for the second
coming of Christ on earth, and that by their
indifference in thisrespect they show that be-
lief in his second coming is no part of their
faith. 80
Vital faith in this matter is hardly to be
expected, unless people now are supposed to
be wiser in regard to the words Of Christ
than his disciples who heard them. We
have no Information about it other than they
had. They expected his secondcoming very
soon, and understood that they were to wait
fer it at Jerusalem, and they did wait there
until they became tired, when they became
convinced that they had placed a wrong con-
struction on the promise of his coming,
which was &c, be in a spiritual sense,
Ever since that, materialists nave con-
stsntly been setting the time when Christ
was to appear in person and snatch them
away, while the rest of mankind were to be
consumed in the general melting of the Gle
ments with fervent heat; but over eighteen
centuries nave passed, and the earth re-
mains, the people, both righteous and wicked,
buy and sell in perpetual fee, marry and are
given in marriage, deny themselves to found
wealth for their children, and there is prob
ably not q single person who would abate
one jot from the price of land on account of
any uncertainty in its tenure from this APP
pretended disturbance. At this very time
mighty events are in progress in this land,
which, we are continually informed on the
hest of authority, is under the special and
~favorite care of Providence, which will re-
cure time, perhaps years, for their consum-
nation, and which seem to show that the
second coming of Christ must be postponed
for the present, or, at least, that it can not
take place in this country.
We suspect that the disappointment in this
matter has otIesulted from any imperfection
ia the Scriptures, nor from any delusion in the
words of Christ; but from the propensity of
a wicked and perverse generation who,are
always looking for a sigma gross material
sign. These find it equally in the death and
resurrection Of Christ and in Jonah's three
days voyage in the whales belly and his
election from those quarters. To them one
is no more significant than the other. Christ
promised to come soon to his disciples, and
he did eome in the spirit to their souls. Yet
ever since that time people have been Inc
sistiDg that he should keep his appointment
in person, and nave from timet 10 time set the
day when he was to appear, thereby greatly
shaking the faith of the ignorant and giving
unbelievers an occasion 10 SCOT.
So the simple woman of Samaria, when
Christ told her hat whoever should drink
Of the water that he should give him, should
never thirst again, thought only of escaping
the labor Of coming TO the well, and said
"Give me this water TO drink, that l thirst
not, neither come hither to. draw" How
long viii people have eyes to see not, ears to
hear not, and hearts to understand not9
How long willpeOple multiply copies of the
Bible TO- broadcast through the earth,
while they themselves can not understand
its simplest teachings2 How often must
they be told that Christ is come to every one
that believsth in him and doeth his win
"Whosoeysr believeth in me, abideth in me
and / in him" This Is the whole tenor Of
bis teachings.
The disciples insisted when he was on
earth that he should be q temporal prince,
and should overthrow the Roman power.
Then they insisted that his second coming
would carry ont this, We, in insisting on
his personal coming, are merely repeating
their failures and we neglect his actual
presence in every soul that doeth his viii,
fOf That more pleasing prospect born of our
W imaginations, when a select party shall
be caught up u the air, or gathered In SONS
luxurious Eden, while the festlof mankind
Areto be disposed Of in various spectacular
pieces for the entertainment of the select
circle- It win not be done. Christ comes
TO every humble seeker for him. The rest
willalwAys be on the lookout for sigps, won
ders and scenic effects, but the sign of the
prophet Jonah Is all the sign they will get.
We say 70 our brother of the Free Nation
'He that hath ears to hear, let him hear
Il I.ULa E|NI .NHI.