Bristol news. [volume] (Bristol, Va. & Tenn.) 1867-189?, 1876-02-15
The second Advent.

The following appears in the New
| York Herald as an abstract of sermon
| recently delivered in Brooklyn by the
| Rev. :. II. Platt, on the deductions of
DIR. Cumming, of London. 1t may
! Interest some of our readers, at least as
| much as agood deal of trash with which
| the press abounds at this time:
There are four divisions of adventists
based upon the speedy coming of
Christ. the sleep of the dead, the an
nihiliation of the wicked, and that
this earth is to be regenerated and
made the heaven of the redeemed -
The advocates of one or more of these
theories are to be found in all churches.
Those who look for the speedy coming
of Christ place that event some where
with the present century. though COM
paratiVely few of them hold, with DIR.
Cumming, that it will take place this
year. Those who believe i'm the sleep
of the dead hold to the idea that the
mind is the result of the physical or
ganizatlon, and that when the body
dies the mind dies also. Hence they
believe that the resurrection of the
body and mind is consequence OF
faith in Christ. The next class 20 a
step further, and believe that the wick
ed that is, all who have not faith in
Christ-resOlVe into nothingness when
they die. This class, who hold also to
one or more of these theories, call
themselves Christudelphiaus, They
are more numerous as distinct sect
than the Second adventists. The be-
lief that this earth rpgenerated is to be
the home Of the hlest or the new heaven
and new earth that the Apocalyptic
seer saw is very generally held Uy all.
The Rev. S. II. Platt, pastor of De-
Kalb avenue Methodist Episcopal
church, BIouklyu, holds to the speedy
coming of Christ, and for the reason
that two or three of the prophecies
have run out. And those relate to
the destruction of the Pupacy and the
burning of Rome, and the expulsion
oi the Turkish power from Europe
ana perhaps also from Asia Minor
They can Ge fulfilled within very
few years. Ii" does not pretend to fix
the time ot Chrtats coming, but 'e
doubts not tiiGre are steamhDatS now
on our rivers and ships on the sea that
VIII he Consumed in the worlds con
migration. Men are building houses
ot iron as il they were To stand for
ever, which will melt like wax in the
fires OF that great day. And yet there
are comparatively few who look for
the speedy coming Of the son of Man.
For, a. it was in the days of Noah,
they ate, they drank, they married
ANA were given in marriage and knew
not or believed not until the Hood
came and took them all away. SO shalt
il be when Christ comes.
Mr.. Piatt does not accept the idea of
a millennium of the reign of CHRIST
upon earth for a thousand of wears
previous to the great Judgment day
There is no Scripture upon which such
an idea could be Lased, and while he
does not attempt To explain that he
finds 1t opposed to 80 many others he
is compelled to discard that theory
and let God take care of the other
He believes this earth will be burned
up and purified with fire so as to be
come the habitation of the saints and
angels. But while this process of
purficatiOu by fire is going forward
we who are alive shall be caught up
with the Lord in the air and there re-
main uutil the process is completed,
The general judgment is to take place
on this earth after that. There may,
however, he a great distance in time
between the coming of Christ and the
burning of the world and the final
judgment, and he would not fix time
for any Of these events, except i'm a
general way to say that they will not
take place his year, but will take
place in less than twenty five years,
and may, and very likely will, occur
within The next ten or fifteen years.