The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1890-10-19


ing Of Jesus Christ upon earth. This
reappearing will introduce the VIC
torious reign of the Saviour, the put
ting down OF all hostile powers, and
the subsection Of the whole world TO
Him. The millennium, 10 other words,
10 the triumphant kingdom Of God on
earth, That kingdom, now spiritually
present. is subject to constant trial per-
secution. and temporary defeat. When
Christ, 1.-THE King OF Kings shall
come visably in glory He will put down
all rule and authority, and the prayer
OF the Church constantly offered
through the ages will at last be an
swered. THY kingdom come, Thy
will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
The constituency of the millennium we
hold to be Christ and all the body OF
His saints raised upfrom their graves.
Then the eloritied Christ and the glori-
fed Church will reign over the nations
and cooperate for their complete and
final subjection to God.
AS TO the nearness of the millen-
mum. the Scriptures point out two
signs by which the near coming OF
Christ. the end Of the present age, and
the setting up of the Kingdom Of God
are to be anticipated. The two signs
are the world wide proclamation OF the
Gospel, and the regathering OF the
Jews to their own land. Since both
these signs are distinctly visible now.
many all over the earth are beginning
70 lift up their heads and rejoice, be-
ieving that the redemption is drawing
nigh.
ITO the question regarding distinct
Baptist movement for promoting the
premlIennisl view of Christ's advent.
I will say tho movement is rather foi
promoting Biblical study, di ,tinct evan
gelical preaching, and aggressive mis-
sionary effort, together with more
diligent attention to the prophetic
teachings of the Old and New Testa-
ments. More than a hundred Baptist
pastors holding the premillennial view
have united in an association for these
ends, and they are to hold their first
meeting in Brooklyn in the coming No
vember."
DIR. Gordon and his associates prob
ably believe in miraculous, cataclys-
mic change. by which old things will
be swept away and all things will be-
come new. They believe. as does the
body OF the Christian Church, in the
literal resurrection Of the dead. 1t is
only upon the question Of time that
DR.. Gordon and those in sympathy
| with him are at variance with the great
majority of Christians. 1t is probably
true that not one in one hundred Of the
church members of America believe
| that the millennium will dawn within
the life of any one now living. But,
although the minority is go small, it is
safe prediction 10 say that the proper
ton will materially increase within the
next few years. The Nationalist move
ment perhaps had some tendency in
that direction. Some people see in
| Bellamy's book form of realization OF
st. Johns vision which appeals to their
ideal OF an earthly millennium. But
The creation of Bsllamy's dream is
more in harmony with the views of
the editor of the Christian Union,
whose ideas will find sympathetic re-
spouse in the minds of many advanced
thinkers in the evangelical world.
In discussing the subject the other
day, DR.. Lyman Abbott distinctly dis
avowed his authority to represent the
views of the Congregational or any
other denomination. There are no dis
| tinct denominational views of the sub
ject. Attempts to seek definite in
formation regarding the coming of the
millennium by searching the Scrip
lures, SAID the pastor of Plymouth
church, seem to me to be neither wise
nor profitable. believe the object of
biblical utteranccs on The subject was
to inspire both hope and fear in the
minds of men. and not TO supply any
definite information. 1t is of no use TO
study Daniel and Revelations in search
of the date of the good time coming,
because don believe it is there. The
metaphors about big horns aud little
horns and years and centuries do not
contain the secret which Christians
have sought for nineteen centuries to
discover. We have given us great and
glorious promises of "a good time com.
ing. believe that is all it was intend.
ed we should know. The mystery adds
to the anticipations of happiness, Just
as half the joys of the children's Christ
mas lie in the secrets which are con-
cealed till the realization comes. Half
the zest and pleasure would be gone if
they knew Just what was coming. So
they may try to find out, they are sorry
if they succeed.
The Old Testament and its prophecies
were, l believe, preliminary to better
times coming ia the New, and the New
is preliminary to better times coming ID
the future. If as the result of study
and speculation we get fixed in our
minds definite conception of the mil
leDnium, and of the time Of its coming.
we shall probably fall into the same err
ror as did the Dious Jew who rejected
Christ because he did not conform to
their preconceived ideas of the Messiah.
| think Paul looked for the great
change which Christ foretold in his own
generation, and it was well he did not
know otherwise, for had he known all
that would intervene he might have
become disheartened. Christ himself
did not know, when He made the pro-
phecy, the time of His second coming,
and He so declared.
Il believe Christ 10 coming again on
earth, but not as literal being, To
reign in Jerusalem, where all who can
get passage money will go to see Him.
That idea is repugnant to my mind.
Believing as much as do in evolution
airy development, look for some such
moral and spiritual quickening as we
have seen in the scientific and intel
lectual world during the past century.
We find the type of this marvellous de-
velopment in the natural world. All
the stored terminating forces of winter
burst into vastly accelerated NANTES
tation during two or three warm spring
days. So believe We may see in the
spiritual world Just such glorious and
sudden manifestation of the forces of
righteousness. and happiness and
peace"
Among thoughtful people, who, per-
haps. have INDUCED in no speculations
regarding the further evolution of hui
man nature, DR.. Abott's views will.
no doubt, commend themselves quite
generally. Only the careful historian
appreciates how wonderful has been
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