, 1877-03-11
Sunday-Sthoel Teachers Meeting at Far
we'll HaIl~Miss Smiley's Bible.
Reading.
A Resume Of Certain Alleged
Modern Miracies.--Objec.
tions Thereto.
The Work which the Woman's Chris
tian Association Is Seeking to
Accomplish.
Notes and Personals at Home and
Abroad---Churc11 Services
To-Day.

Acknowledgement Services
To-Day.
WHAT Is TRUTH :?
sixth PAPER-THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST.
10 the Editor of The Tribune
CHICAGO, March 81 Now is the time Of the
Second Coming Of the Lord, forctold in Matt.
xiv, and tie establishment Of the New Church
signiied By the New Jerusalem in Rev. XII, and
this Second Comingi is not visible appearance on
earth, but a new disclosure OF Divine Truth, and
the PRONUNCIATION of true Christian Doctrine,
ELECTED By means Of the Lords servant, Ema12-
uel Swedenborg, who was specially Instructed in
this Doctrine, and commissioned to publish it to
the worlds
Thus reads the fourth in the series Of the Doc
trines Of the New Church. The science Of cor
responsiveness between spiritual things and
natural things is the key which opens the literal
sense Of the Word, and discloses within it
the internal or spiritual sense. ALI the
Books OF the Word we're written in this
symboiical language The knowledge Of this
science was we'll understood in ancient times,
but was gradually lost, until made known By
the Lord to Swedenborg, who, in accordance
Herewith, wrote and published the true mean
ing OF Gods Word The Christian Church, re-
garding The Word only in the sense Of the let
ter has been and still is looking for the personal
appearance Of Christ in the. clouds Of earth,
some going so far as to predict the day when DC
will come and put an end to all earthly things.
Brother MOODY, together with the greater num-
her Of literalists, think the time is not far oil,
but do not attempt to specify the day or yea1.
This expectation is founded on certain passages
Of Scripture, such as our Lords words In Matt
4nr 1$n{o ffar ]ha fH1t1N
ton Of those days shall the sun be darkened,
ae5 aehs oS and ien she sta9s sa sha}i I Eli Eli from
heaven, and the powers OF the heavens
Of the Son Of Man coming in the clouds of
heaven with power and great glory" These
words appear to speak OF The destruction Of the
universe. but when We read Verse "a, We must
see that our Lord did not intend it to be SO
understood: "Vcrily, say unto you this gen
Grafton shall not pass till ail these things be
1ulfllcd.' In another place our Lord speaks in
equally emphatic and Instructive manner,
showing that it was spiritual change He meant.
- For the Son Of Man shall come in the glory Of
His Father, with His angels; and then He snail
rewa1u every man according to his works
Verify say uuto you there be some standing
here which shall not taste Of death till they see
the Son OF Man coming in His Kingdom"
4'Ths coming was effected, when, after the
Day Of Peutecost, His spiritual Kingdom WIS
begun, and men were received into it or rejected,
according to their previous lives; they who had
done good, coming forth to the resurrection Of
life; they who had done evil, to the resurrec-
tion Of condemnation or ludgment."-John v,
THE destruction Of the universe is only
symbol, in Scripture, OF the demolition OF j per
ve1ted and corrupt Church; and the formation
OF new heavens and new earth are hguratirc
terms which represent the formation OF religion
anew, so that the Church, the spiritual heavens,
and the earth, or the society growing out Of the
Church, are the esnbodiments afresh OF love to
God, and love to man,
One Of the passages from which Second Ad-
yentists draw the conclusion that the world will
be DESTROYED By fire is found III II. Peter, ILL.,,
10-12- *sBut the day OF the Lord will come as
a thief in the night; in the which the heavens
ments shall melt with ferrent heat, the earth
also, aud the works that are therein shall be
burned up. -. Looking for, and hasting
unto the coming Of the day Of God, wherein the
heavens, being on fire, shall he dissolved, and
the elements shall melt with feryent heat-''
Peter himself interpreted the equally impress
sivc words Of the prophet Joel, as being figura-
tive Of the commissions attendant upon the de-
struc1ion Of Judaism. and the introduction Of
Christianity.
..Joel pTophesied and said: sAnd 1t shall
como to pass aterward, that will pour out
my Spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and
Your daughters shall prophesy, your old men
shall dream dreams, yo1r young men shall see
L
tile heavens, and III the earth, blood, and tire.
and pillars OF smoke. The sun shall be turned
into darkness, and the moon into blood, before
the great and the terrible day Of the Lord
come -'''-Joel, IL, Is, ~, 81.
Here there are conmotioas predicted quite
as striking IS those described BY Peter in his
second epistlc-''
.+Let us turn now to the language Of Peter
On the day of Penteeost- The agitation and ex-
Of the multitude OF new disciples who
lad fv1a6
attributed b. their enemies to lnebriation: but
Peter stood up and said: Ie men Of Judea.
and all &c that dwell at Jerusalem, be this
known unto You, and hearken to my WORDS; Tor
is but the third hour Of the day. But thisi that
which was spoken BY the Prophet Joel;' and
then be recited the prophecy given above"
"The sun of Coils lore had been turned into
darkness, the moon Of faith had been turned
into bloody violence, and the fire of hate had
been burning tiercely enough in the souls OF
fauatical prosecutors, but nature went on as
peacefully rs before Peter knew those words
imported only spiritual changes. When he used
similar words xoud be n9t use them a TO- to mean mean
kind is used by the Apostles, aud in the Book ot
Revelation. as to what would again take place, it
only justly be interpreted in the same manner
In Christianity, it is prophesled, corruption OF
Of God would be made Of none ef-
feet by mans tradition Again, the sun would
be dalkened, the moon not -gire her light, the
stars would fall from heaven, and the powers Of
the heavens would be shaken; but, again, He
Who is the Son OF Man, and God OF Heaven, IN
His own glory, and the glory OF the Father-for
H is both Father and Son-the King OF Kings
aud Lord Of Lords, would come down and re-
store all things BY first restoring the knowledge
aud love Of Himself rs "God over all; blessed |
Tor rever.'-Eomans. IT,, s.
*Another class Of passages in the Bible speak !
Of the latter DAYS as time OF restoration, OF |
universal light, love, purity, and peace al How
Ing from true knowledge Of GOD in Christ, the !
Father In the Son. Butt how could such passages
ever be fulfilled II the universe we're to be burnt
and pass away leaving not wreck behind"
The earthly meaning OF the Word Is 11ll OF
clouds to the unlearned in divine truths. When,
however, the eyes OF the understanding arc
opened, these clouds, like those in Raphael's /
Grand picture Of San Sisto, are full Of angel
faces, or, rather they streams OF divine light
from the Lord. We see Jesus reflected every
where he is our Adam, our Moses, our Joshua,
oar David, our Solomon, our all in all. He
comes to us in the clouds Of heaven, and every
eye can see Him. The Word is full Of God.
The Word in its highest wisdom is God."-
John, l., I. a.,