The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1866-03-25
The Last Day.

JGnus Poppe: anderson =. a.
The Last Day.
Along with the philosophers stone,
the quadrature of the circle, the
square of the cube, perpetual motion,
and the authorship of Junius, man
kind may as well place on the shelf
the Interpretation of the prophecies of
Scripture. From the date of the in
vention of printing to the present,
numberless have been the books, and
legion the authors who have tried to
explain these mysteries, and predict
the time of their fulfllment. Many
o fine intellect, capable of useful
mae ess and distinction, has been frit-
& cred away in idle, useless specu-
alton, and sent forth as result into
#he world fimsy vagaries, bewilder-
ng weak women, or berefting GU
Eious youths of what little sense ma
Hure gave them. Doubtless, the story
of many gibbering lunatic, in some
4asylum's ward, can be traced back to
meddling with these dangerous topics.
The good book says, especially with
regard to one particular subject of
prophecy, that ''no man knoweth
the day nor the hour" It is not
intended that we should penetrate.
Such has long been our conclusion,
and we have never yet seen any in
depreciation satisfactory to us. AS
for such books as ''Stone's Mysteries
Unveiled, or the projections of MI
Baptist Noel on the subject, we tried
them once, and nothing but some
doses of Coke upon Littleton rescued
us from inevitable insanity. We've
soon felt that "buzzing in the head
SO graphically described by the ex-
cellent Mr.. Wragg. In a book pub
lished lately, called '"The Last Warn
ing Cry" that eminent Presbyterian
divipe, the Rev. DR.. Cumming, says
, Notwithstanding his recent lease OF
: 'ouse for thirty years. ''I adhere to
Nat stated in 1S47, that the last
= ~apocalyptic and historic vial com
menced its action in 1S49, and that
its effects have been manifested in
those successive awful phenomena
which are unfolded in detail in our
Lords prophecy on the Mount, and
are now registered in impartial chap
ters and archives of history.
How soon after 1867 the Redeemer
will return and take the kingdom,
and reign over all the earth, I cannot
say. But this may say-we should
then, if never before, have our lamps
ready, and oil in our vessels, and our
ears open to the voice that will one
day, and may be any day, hear sound
ing from the skies, Behold the
bridegroom cometh; go we out to
meet him Before that time, if our
inductions arejust, He will not come"
Now, DIR. Cumming is more learned
and plous than most men, but how
he escapes the text we cannot see.
Doubtless, wonderful convulsions
have occurred in this century, but
they are neither more terrible nor
miraculous than previous ones that
our sphere has witnessed. Through
the vast heavens, astronomers have
witnessed worlds going out and dis
appearing; stars burning. But this
phenomenon Of destruction has been
going on for ages. Biela's comet has
certainly approached L.arer than any
recorded in scientific history-in fact,
to point of most unpleasant proxi-
nifty. And, besides the numerous
wonderful things that have occurred,
there seems to have been long con-
tinued and very general impression
that, somewhere about this period in
the years '66, '67 or '6S, the world
would come to an end. These con-
siderations may alarm some weak
nerves. In fact, about last April, we
began to think ourselves that old
earth was on her last legs, and that
she could not hold out much longer,
and were rather confirmed in our
belief, when Mr.. Freedman, in Man
chester, on our approach to the
bridge, informed us that COW had
just been spoken there, and that
''Hallelujah" had come. In fact, it
was only by assuming the attitude of
Mr.. Quilp's "boy," and taking an
inverted view Of things, that we could
then appreciate the situation and get
correct insight into things. But
old mother earth must have many
T5Ts1-ssza T51Ts. 1.--.sssza yet to make, many al
orbit f0 Y,Trror1a ara hay xyf,,.ly ic 1opa