Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1894-02-03
PREAcnrR ". SCRIPTURE.

A student Of the Now Testament
cannot but be struck by the variations
therefrom Ia doctrine thtt are taught
by many men who profess 10 be
preachers OF Christianity. The clergy
OF this class. represented In the vari'
QUE denominations, pretend TO eluci'
date and maintain the teachings OF the
Scriptures, yet vary from the express
slons Of that wsrd aud endeavor TO OK
plain away statements Of historical
fact contained therein ia a NAME
that IL truly amazing to thoughtful
and observing person, and that "on'd
lead ono 10 believe they had much
higher opinion Of the cfeduliiy Of
their congregations than Of their d'a'
elimination and Intelligence, or than
OF their knowledge Of thn contents OF
tho sacred record. An Instance Of
this class Of preaching In n line that l.
quite common Ia that Of the Rev. j. \.
David, Of the San Francisco New
Jerusalem church. Last Sunday
evening lao spoke on the Lord's second
advent and tue resurrection. Regard.
ing the fipt division Of the subject he
Gaidi
Tho second advent IL not a descent Of
tho personal Christ out OF tho visible sky
TO Jerusalem, ~ rglgn on a local aud
porishablo throne. II IL tho Lords dc.
scont out OF tho illimitable sky-depths of
the spiritual universe and His entrance
into tho hearts aud understandings OF
mon, 10 r0lgn there. Tho fashionable
Pharisecs OF tho church will not know
OF iiis presence, Tor Ito "comoth without
Observation" and "aa thief IN tho
night"
The "illlmi,able sky.dep,hs Of tie
spiritual universe" Ia rather unique
way, to say the least, Of describing the
place Into which Jesus ascenjoi
when lie departed from III,
Apostles. Upon that occasion Ho was
taken up from tho earth, and the holy
messengers declared that no mai as.
cendod 'qnto heaven" The mesion.
gers further called tho attention OF tho
disciples 10 the fact that they had seen
the Lord ascond and behold that "the
cloud received Him out Of their sight
The promise was that he should "comu
In like manner as they had seen Hiu
go. There was nothing about the al
lmitable sky depths OF the spiritual
universe" at that place, but among
other earthly appearing things there
was the actual, ordinary, temporal
looking cloud that hit the Lord lrow
no dl,oiplef ylev.
Bot the reverend genileman's imag'
iuatlye fallRcy does not end here. IFS
slys the LORDS descent 1, His "on.
trance into the hearts and underatani.
ings oil men" II that be true, anu this
statement OF the angels DO also truo
that His descent win be- "iu like man.
ner" with TITS ascent, thor
Ills disappearaucs was going
CUT from the "hearts and understand
ings Of men," anu not mere departure
from this terrestrial field OF His labor
to the celestial globe on which III,
Father dwell. Yet tho Apostles sls
tanned no loss liks such going uul
would bring; on tho contrary thcll
hearts were still 40 full OF the Christ
whom they recognlLsi as their Re
dcemor, aud lie was 70 deeply en-
grated Ia their Understandings tina
they hesitated not 10 lay down thci
lives for Ills sake. ~ the clergyman
aud the angels Older regarding N,
place where Jesus ascenied from an
whore lie will descend TO, believers Il
the Bible must conclude that Ia
heavenly belngl spoke the truth.
Again: at l. not descent OF tn
porsonal Christi" Who Is 1t then
The angel said It would be "ths sam,
Jesua," Paul says It ID the Chris
who "was once offered TO bear Ia
BiEs Of many" who should "Appear Tia
second time" nni tue other Apostle
bear similar witness. Jusus Himsel
declared that Hc, the Son Of man a
He was wont 10 call Himself, "shal
come IN His glory, and al the hoI.
angels with Him" Tue Prophets ais
Assert that He shall stand "1n n
mount OF Olives, which 10 before Jeru
ralyln on the oRst." Thusthe Scripture
proclaim that the seo1nl advent Of tn
Lord is a personal descent Of tho Chris
who was ctuoIiri, aud that Nc Shout
come to jerusalem, But that Is NJ
the Lord which tho Rev. David !
looking f3T he tells ms that lne beiu
to whom he gives his worship an
alteration proceeds on wholly d.uereG
lines.
The preacher further says "lh
fashionable Pharisees OF tho churc
viii not know Of His presence, for If
'cometh without observation AMI sac
thief In the uight,'" Now the scri,
lures DO not say that tho eocon
advent Is without observation