Omaha daily bee., 1890-11-30
CHRIsT'S SECOND COMING.
The Time Not Far Hence and All
Should be Ready.

The following sermon was preached
by Rev. Charles w. Savidge at the
Newman NJ. Il. church last Sunday evening,
November 23 The subject is "The Second
Coming of Christ"
very large congregation listened to the
sermon and score of people have asked for
its publication.
Acts i:11 ''Ths same Jesus which Is
taken up from You into heaven, shall so come
in like manner as ye have seen him go into
heaven"
This subject is not often preached in the
Methodist Episcopal church. Mr.. Moody
says that he was in the
church fifteen years before he heard a
sermon on the second coming All of our
churches make good deal Of baptism, but in
all of Pauls epistles baptism is spoken of
only thirteen times, while they speak of our
Lords return fifty times. Yet the church
generally has very little to say on this ques-
tion. A celebrated Christian in this country
says that the devil does not want the church
to wake up and see this truth. For the
world loses its grip on the man who believes
that Jesus is coming back to this world to re-
ceve his followers.
On this subject of the coming of Christ
let the word be our supreme authority: '"The
secret things belong unto the Lord our God;
but those things which are revealed belong
unto us and to our Children forever"
First of all, we see by the word that Jesus
is coming back again to this world. Strange
to say, some doubt this. DR.. Currie of my
own church believed that the coming of
Jesus was nothing more than the spiritual
presence of Christ as manifested to his faith
ful ones in grace and power Others would
have us believe that Jesus comes in the i'm
ipovements Of theage, as the sewing machine
and the steam engine.
few years ago man got up in my pulpit
in this city and preached that sort of doc
trine to my people. l could hardly keep still.
Others tell us that Christ comes at conver-
sion and that He comes at death. But the
plain statements of the word or God on this
point are sufficient answer to these obec-
tions. He Himself said He would come
again-John Xiv.,3i ~ will come again and
receive you unto Myself"
The angels said He would come-Acts l., II
This same Jesus which Is taken up from
you into heaven, shall so come in like manner
as ye have seen Him go into heaven
:, The Holy Spirit. spoke, this truth through
that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing
of the great God and our Savior Jesus
Christ" "''
Nearly hundred other pas ssages might be
quoted, T.
In'the second place we would speak of the
We do not know the exact time of his
coming-Mark xiii., Sc. But of that day
and that hour knoweth no man; no, not the
angels which are in heaven, neither the Son,
but the Father" In the face of this
scripture is it not strange that any person
has ever been found who will set
the time when the Savior shall come!
But there have been many such, However,
| am fully convinced that the time of Christ's
second coming is near at hand; and l can
give my reasons for this. The prophesies, so
far as can read, either have been, or are be-
ing, rapidly fulfilled. See Joel H., 1882 On
May 10, 1880, the sun was darkened. At noon
persons could not read without light. The
legislature of Connecticut being in session,
had TO adjourn. The fowls went to roost and
the night hawks came out; everything was
shrouded in the gloom of night. Noah Web
ster has called this ''the dark day"
The stars fell on November 10, 1888. Pro-
fcssor Olmstead, the celebrated astronomer
OF Yale college says; 'Those who were so
fortunate as TO witness the exhibition of
shooting stars on the morning Of November
l3, 1888, probably saw the greatest display of
celestial fireworks that has ever been since
the creation of the world.n
Another sign OF the end is wonderful storms