The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1894-02-01
The EvangeIist's Sermon OF
tuesday Afternoon.
THE RETURN OF CHRIST TO EARTH.
MIR. Moody Says There Is Controversy
Over theJ Subject but That All
Christians Are Agreed ON One Point,
That He Will Certainly teturn.

mere tOudy VINO uhhnt ktt h5ouf"b'TS, W
any that have backslidden that want TO
come back, or anyone trou bied about the
divinity OF Christ. I hope they
will come here tonight. have
book that would like To
put into the hands OF these three classes.
IL you know OF anyone that has back
slidden in these last two days we would
like to get hold Of them or anyone who
hasn't assurance. believe IL In the privi-
lege OF every child OF God To know that
they have passed from death unto lilo.
You remember that l said we would
talk this afternoon about the return of
our Lord. Let me say IN opening the s"b-
ject that there is controversy among
Christian people about this subject. We
all agree on one thing, and that II that
He is coming back; but where we disagree
is, some think lie Is coming before,
and some think lie is coming
after the millennium. Some are called pre-
millennialists and others post m miIlennial-
lists. i don't want to say that an right
and that others are wrong. just want
TO get you stirred up SO that YOU will look
into the Bible and settle it for yourselves
That will make very healthy Christians,
anyhow. AS Christmas Evans used
to say: What IL our ideas
don't just agree about His return
we know He Is coming, and We ought TO
put our house in order and be ready" SO
IL is good thing once in a while Just TO
look into this subject. Now, 1 am pre-
millennialist on this subject. Some OF you
ministers may be post millennialists, and
we have all been working together. pro-
pose TO work together until tho Lord
comes, or until we are gat thered home.
want TO say right here
that hope that there will be no spirit of
controversy. IL you don't agree. whyl
just go right to work and talk about His
coming after the millennium. The charge
I.ring against the church IL that they
don't talk about His coming at all.
believe that bonds and stocks wouldn't
have such grip upon us IL we thought
more about His coming and about meeting
Him.
Now, want to call your attention to
few passages OF scripture. think the inn
portance of this subject is shown in the
fact that in Paul's epistles he refers only
13 times to baptism, and 30 many times
TO Christ's return. Every church makes
great deal OF the ordinance of baptism.
There are only 260 chapters i'm
the New Testament, and there
arc 318 passages in regard to
Christ's return. 80 il shows that
it takes up a great deal OF room i'm the
New Testament ard IL there is so much
room given by the Holy Ghost to this
subject, we certainly ought To be inter
ested in il.
III you were to ask me which thought
were the two most famous chapters In the
Bible, would say the 18th OF John and
the 18th of 1st Corinthians are the two most
celebrated chapters. The 14th chapter of
IAkx 10 hat Ia cd H. - l.
rooms, and the 18th chapter of first Cor
inthians is the one used SO much at fu-
nerals. They both speak about His COM
ing back, and believe that is what makes
them so comforting. "In My father's
house are many mansions; II 1t were not
SO would have told you. go TO prepare
place for you. And ii go and prepare
aplace for you, j will como again and re-
ceive you unto Myself; that where am
there We may be also.n Then in the 18th.
chapter Of 1st Corinthians, 51st
and SD verses, He says, "Behold
shew you mystery; we shall
not all sleep, but we shall all be
changed, in a moment, in the twinkling
of an eye, at the last trump for the trum-
pet shall sound, and the dead shall be
raised incorruptible, and we shall be
changed" &A
When people begin to set times then
think they are going beyond scripture.
We don't know anything about il. Then
in the oath chapter OF Matthew and 30th
verse. "And then shall appear the sign OF
the Son of Man in the heavens; and then
shall all the tribes OF the earth mourn,
and they shall see the Son OF Man coming
in the clouds of Heaven with power aud
great glory" Then in the same chapter
and 3ith verse, He Is coming Unexpected
ly: Therefore bc We also ready, for in
such an hour as ye think not the Son OF
Man cometh.r Then in the same chapter
9th verse: "For rs the lightning cometh
out of the east, and shiueth even unto the
west, so shall also the coming Of the Son
of Man be.'' He is coming sud
denly; not only unexpectedly but sud
denly, "For as the lightning cometh out
OF the East, and shineth even unto the
West; so shall also the coming OF the Son
of Man be-" Now, some people have made
mistake. They read that passage and
think that when He comes everything
Is going to be done in whirl. Look
and see what took place when He
then the story OF His birth died for
awhile; then lie comes and Is baptized;
then He goes on for three years preaching;
His death, resurrection and ascension all
at the first coming. That wasn't done
in n whirl So there are
great many things that are going
to take place when he returns. know
great many people say He is coming at
death. Now, the return OF our Lord Is
one thing, and death is quite another,
and yon have only TO make distinction.
He is not speaking here OF His death at
ell. In the 21st chapter of John, 2lst and 22d
verses, we read, "Peter, seeing Him, saith
20 Jesus, Lord, and what shall this man
do? Jesus saith unto Him, Il will that
he I tarry until ] come, what is that to thee7
Follow thou me-" Now, notice. The
Lord made q distinction betwcep death
and His coming. tell you, there is not
80 much comfoft after all In looking for
ward tothe grave and the fact that these
bodies shall be eaten up by the worms;