The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1893-05-03
A CIRCULAR FROM ENGLAND.

but at midnight there IS cry, Ben0iQ
the Bridegroom! Come ye forth to meet
him." (Matt. XIV. q. r. W
Dear Brethren: AS "partakers with you
in the tribulstion and kingdom and patience
Of fJesus Christ" may we be permitted to
suggest for your consideration the present
urgent need for sounding forth an alarm to
slumhering church, and to the world that
lieth in the wicked one. in view of the accu-
mulatng indications that 1.-THE Lord is ut
hand?"
1. The STRINGS among the Jewish people
OF national life that has laid dormant for
many, many centuries, but which is now
displayed and asserted in various quarters
of the world and under manifold aspects,
point to the blossoming of the long barren
tig tree, and to early ful6llment of the thirty
the spiritual sphere, We are witnessing the
conversion not only Of some notable wit
nesses to the Messiahshlp OF Jesus OF Nazar-
eth, but of considerable numbers of Jews IN
places widely apart, to the joy Of mission
aries who had long labored amongst them
without much visible fruit of their labors.
@ What lover of the gospel truth can shut
his eyes to the great falling away into super.
stition and Journalism on the one hand, and
unto unbelief on the other, which has char
acterized the past generation, as well as the
time in which we now live? Many are drawn
aside into the practices of the Roman apos-
tasy, many more into doubling the authority
of Holy Scripture. Rome is working cease
lessly, with vast army OF devoted follow
ers to complete her destiny and
then to meet her doom; whilst
in Protestant churches and colleges
Christ's foes are found in his own household.
And lest we should be charged with taking
an insular and narrow view OF the position
of the church OF Christ, we have but to turn
to America and to the continent OF Europe,
to convince ourselves that the pretensions Of
the Papacy were never more audacously
pushed forward, whilst Puritan simplicity in
life and worship was never at so low an eb6
in nations which formerly were permeated
with pure Scrlptural teaching.
8. If, as we believe, the ''eary rain was
the .slatter rain" before the harvest is all in
gathered? (James v. I, 81 What is the
present outburst of missionary activity on
behalf of the Jews. the Mohammedans and
the heathen but further confirmation and
sign that we are rapidly approaching the con.
sumation Of the Christian era? 1.-The blessed
hope and appearing OF the glory OF our great
God and Saviour Jesus Christi (Titus II. IL.
r. W eXerts most powerful twO1old IN
fluence upon believing hearts. 1t Is an in
centive to holiness; Everyone that hath this
hope set on him, purideth himself even as he
is pure" q John iii. 3. R. W; and it is the
greatest stimulus to missionary zeal aud
selfsacrifce. We seem to hear proc anna
tion of the word in Revelation xix. o. THE
marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife
bath made herself ready, in every successive
conference for promoting Scriptural holi-
ness apdssurely we behold obedience on an
unwonted scale to our Saviour,s parting com
mand, "Go ye into all the world and preach
the gospel to the whole creation" MARK xvi.
15I, as witness the numerous offers of ser
vice on most perilous fields Of labor from
men and women in every rank of society.
We appeal to you, therefore. beloved
friends, to take into your prayerful con-
sideration the value of united testimony to
the imminence Of the stupendous events
which attend and fellow our Lords appear
ing, and, il it seem good to you, to make the
Secoud Coming of Christ central subject at
YOUR conference IL the year 1898; If 80 be
that God by his blessed Spirit may honor
such testimony to the coming glory of his
dear Son, for the arousing of vast number
Of believers out of wcrldliness and sloth,
and that q multitude Of the unsaved who
have .'hearts failing them for fear and for
looking after those things which are coming
on the EARTH" amid the increasing insecurity
of property and the development Of anarchy,
vet :.may he accounted worthy to escape all
these things that shall come to pass. and to
stand before the Son of man Luke xxi. 20,
36) by "Iaying hold of the hope set before
them" Heb. vi. 49, whilst the day Of sa'va-
ton tiIrshines upon them. We are: dear
brethren, your servants for Christ's sake.
s. A. Biackwood, A. A. Bcnar, D. D.,
Hubert Brooke, NJ. A, e. w. Bullinger, d.
D.. J. Z. Cumming, d. D., s. D. C. Douglas,
M. A., A. R. Fausset, D. D., W. Fuller
Gooch, Geo. e. Gru5b. Nj. A., II. G.. GUM
ness, D. D., Jas. E. Mathieson, Robt. McKil-
liam, NJ. D.. F. B. Meyer, B. A, R. c. Nor
gan. j. T. Morton, Thos. Neatly. NJ. D., d.
Sinclair Paterson, N. D., Mark Guy Pearse,
Oh. Pember. M. A., J. Hudson Taylor, M.
r. C. S.. Fl. w. Webb Feploe, M. A., John
Wilkinson.