The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-07-24

Also, from Ticllnor & Fields, the sixth volume
of the "Charles Dickens" edition" "Pickwiclx
! Papers"
From all of these the public can certainly
not complain of not having a good collection
to select from.
! "CHRIsTooRAcY." BY Rev Drs. Gordon and
Demarest, of the Reformed Church
Regarding the contents of this work, much
respected correspondent supplies us with the
annexed criticism -
This book supplies a much needed place in
religious literature. 1t is clear, strong, con-
vincing presentation of the great Bible doctrine
of the Lords second coming to this world. II
is not human theory, bolstered up by passages
from the Scriptures. It is the result of read
ing and receiving the revelation of God, as a
simple communication from Heaven to men
in mans language. 1t is mastery work
laid on the sensible foundation of Gods Word
is designed for men, and intended to be UNDER
stood, as any other book, in mans language.
1t does not indulge in "Hermeneutios" SO
much as in common sense. If God has made
known great truth, or promised great boom
or opened brilliant hopes to faith, which He
requires shall be childlike, in the language in
which such things would be usually expressed!
this book does not enshroud them in the cloud
and mist of spiritual metaphor and thus
hide them from view. 1t simply accepts them
as real actualities of the manner and kind the
language describes, and holds them up to men
as the outgoings of Divine wisdom and love-
illumined and made beautiful by the clear
atmosphere of simplicity which surrounds
them. F ...s. .r I
1t utters many strange things, indeed, but
strange only to those who have always looked
at the Word of God through the smoked
lens' of spiritualizing Interpretation, as if the
Sun of Righteousness" were under an
eclipse. And the arguments, logical, rhetori-
| cal, common sense, Scriptural, by which it
enforces its strange positions" " are of stuff
not easily pierced or riven by the instruments
of opposers.
OF course it represents the " coming of our
Lord" as preceding the "Millennium." Just
what prophets, our Lord, apostles, and the
early Church did, until they began to make
theology, by mixing Platonic or Aristotelian,
or some other philosophy, with the Bible.
By this means, scolasticism and dogmatsm
| Teigned, and neither of these will be satisfied
| to read the Scriptures as they ought to be read
| -as God speaking tomen in their own language,
because He would be understood. This book
and its worthy compeers are the strivings of
aspirit now reviving, like that which came forth
from our Lord, and which dwelt in those who
were nearest to Him-a spirit of freedom
| from philosophic shackles in hearing the
Heavenly utterances of a beloved Lord!
The "Premillenarian' doctines are secuted
and ridiculed because they present "dificul-
ties" We ask, may it not be true that "difi-
culties' are necessarily incident to such a
work as a revelation from GodP Would it not
| be strange if man should clearly comprehend
/ the developments of the Infinite Mind. espe-
cially since so much of them relate to what is
to come, and is known in manner and form
only to the Eternal ..# .i .I I..
But, pray, does the process of befogging
what is simple make it plain When our
Lord says, 81 will come again. does it make it
plain to say-'this means He will destroy
Jerusalem 2" If He had meant that, could
He not have said it And if the Bible tells us
of certain persons who Give again." and
''reign with Christ on the earth thousand
years." do we better understand it if it be
said-"that is, the spirit of the martyrs and
the devout of the first ages will be revived ?''
! Could not God have used those words if He
| had meant thatY Would He not have done so {?
This book beautifully exposes all that kind
| of beclouding process, and seeks to lead men
to give God the credit of meaning what He
says when He does speak in simple language.
We find fault with its over-sensitiveness to
objections, on the ground of the difficulties
attendant upon the system. This has led to
an anxiety to remove all difficulties, which
we think has carried the book beyond its
fundamental principles.
God has not been ashamed to have some
things to be "known hereafter" He has not
been afraid to put His prophecies to the test
of the events that fulfil them; and He has
ordered us to "wait' for such events, being
willing to risk all that might befall them from
an opposing world during this period o.
waiting. If He is not anxious for His own,
why should we be anxious If He can afford
to put His word to such trial, we can. What
He has left in blank, we had better not try to
fill up. Indeed, here is the origin of all the
conflicts in Biblical Interpretation. Gods ser
wants have been too anxious to vindicate theil
Master. He is far more able to vindicatt
Himself. H.....I
This work would have been perfect had il
only been willing to say, in reply to objections
of this character, "God has not revealed Hi
mind on that point, +" at least in plain Ian
guage, and then to leave it there. XXX.
Let this book be read with the open Bible
1t deserves it. And so far as its Developments
are received, so far will the possibility dimIi
nish of that which our Lord hints at, saying
'When the Son of Man cometh, shall He fine
faith on the earth ?'
|