The New York herald., 1878-11-04
NEW JERUSALEM CHURCH.
THE SECOND ADVENT OF THE LoRD-sERMoN B

REV. WILLIAM B. HAYDEN.
The Rev. William B. Hayden preached in the New
Jerusalem (Swedenborgian) Church the second adj
vent Of the Lord In opening his discourse he sad-
We. that is the New Church Christians believers
in the present existence Of age Of light and life
in which. according to the Divine prediction, all
things both in the Church and in human society,
being made new This great change in the character
of times is wrought by Divine in
fuences descending from God out Of heaven. And
this general influx Of new thought and new feeling
pervades all Christendom like an atmosphere, being
unconsciousy breathed in and appropriated by many
BY many prominent thinkers it is clearly recognized
outpouring of the spirit, which is stimulating
active thought on all higher themes OF theology-of
the soul and Of mans destiny-and especially excit-
ing inquiry into the meaAing Of the prophecies
cerning the second coming of the Lord. The
called Prophetic Conference last week attended
and participated In. by many prominent cergymen
representing almost every denomination.
FLOOD OF LIGHT.
After further allusion to the work Of the Confer
ence the preacher discussed "The Manner Of Our
World" To these questions. he continued, the
New Church has a definite reply; and our answer IL
light He the light OF the world, and into the
world to enlghten 1t. Ascend coming therefore III
the large general foretold in Scripture is the
breaking forth Of new degree of light. Something
remarkable to attract universal attention. Some
thing that should be much brighter than the pre-
ceding ages or times the light Of the apostolic age
was beyond that Of the Jewish Church. The Divine
prophecies OF the event declare the Saviours second
advent to be Of this natureto consist in the break
ing forth, IL were of new and larger volume Of
extremely powerful, almost dazzling. heavenly light
Our Lord therefore, in reality declares that His second
appearing will consist OF new and remarkable dis
closure Of heavenly truth. The age is foretold
to be Of knowledge and intelligence.
Truths will exist in great abundance and all sub
jects, especially divine and sacred subjects
Daniel describes q leading characteristic by which it
may be known when IL comes that Many will TO
and fro and knowledge shall be increased" The
me- of instruction Will be multiDlied. Mr.
Hayden quoted largely from the book Of Revelation
and sad:-We have the heavens opened and won-
derfu occurring therein disclosing views
OF heaven, bringing its reality near uncovering too
the other parts OF the spiritual world, with the
transacted in them, showing their to
and their powerful influence on mankind in this
world. And then we have. too, the opening of the
the opening of the book be but the opening Of the
sacred volume Of divine truth and the disclosures
therefrom Of truth by explanation Of it's
meaning-the explanation Of mysteries before hidden
scaled mp? To Daniel told that this book must
be sealed aud could not be understood until the time
of the end-the time of the second coming.
NOT RETURN.
But, II will be replied, there in the Scripture
statements which seem to imply that the Lords
second advent will be personal appearing visible to
mortal eyes, and that the whole world will Him.
We reply that such declarations frequent
many suppose. His coming is indeed very much
spoken Of but that II liz to be coming I'm the body,
and visible to the natural eyes of will be hard to
find. The assumption that it is to be such advent
has arisen from a too hasty inference drawn from
very paseages At least nnetenhs of the prophe-
ces relating to It, nay nneteentwentieths declare 1t
to be of another nature. and have partly seen,
~ taking place in an entirely different way