The Roanoke times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1897-1977, 1897-09-09

but despite the heat good crowds attend
ed the Pcntecostal services at the taber-
nacle. The regular song and testimonial
service was held at $3.50 o'clock aud and
at 1910 the Rev. Joseph Smith preached
one of his forcible sermons.
a testimonial service interspersed with
some beautiful hymns was conducted in
the afternoon, after which tie Rev. Perry
II. Nugent, of Richmond, preached on
''The Second Coming of Christi
Mr.. Nugent, who vas born and reared
in the tenets of the. Episcopal Church,
now has charge of mission in Rich
mond. He believes in that form of relig-
ion known as the "higher life." sanctif-
cation, or purity of heart. His talks are
beautiful and instructive and no one can
listen to him talk without. feeling that
he is listening to the words of Chris
tian man. Upon his subject he developed
thoughts suggested by the following
texts, which were read by the congrega-
ton: First Thes., SOB; Rev., Goth chap
ter; Luke, 81 "a; Acts, 15:14 to 10; Second
Tim, as; Second Peter, liza; Matthew,
24:42; Rev, 2O:5 and 6; First Thes., AID
t. 16: First Cor, 10 to 90
The speaker pointing to a framed
motto just back of the rostrum said:
"Jesus is coming, are you ready" He
first, spoke of the time in which we are
living, and rapidly mentioned the periods
of the past. Ee said that at present we
are living under the dispensation of the
Holy Ghost, the same under which the
apostles of old lived. He explained the
apostolic verses concer~ ing the occupa
ton of Jerusalem by the Gentiles, until
the time of the Gentiles be fulfilled, and
the assembling afterward, by Christ, of
people for his name.
He explained away the popular belief
that death meant tie second coming of
Christ; that conversion meant the COM
ing of Christ. He said that the Bible
spoke of death as our enemy, but Christ
as our friend; that in conversion we go to
Christ but in His second coming He
would come to us. He said that the Bible
taught personal coming of the Son of
God clothed in that personality in which
He assembled to the throne of His Father.
He then discussed the past and anti
millennium theories and easily proved by
Bible references that Christ would come
before the millennium of 900 years He
said that the Bible taught two resurrec
tions, that of the just and that of the
wicked. "Blessed and holy is he that
shall have part in the first resurrection"
lie next treated the manner of His
coming, saying that He would come as a
thief in the night to the world, to those
VINO were not Watching, ,DuI noV 10 tne
true Christian. "But We, brethren, are
not in darkness, that it should overtake
you ms Il thief
He then went OIL to say that there
would be generation, of which Enoch
was the type, who would never see death:
that Jesus when he came would catch
them up with Him in the clouds, and the
world would not know where they had
gone. John said, ''Behold, He cometh.
Again he impressively asked, care you
expecting him, are you ready:'
\ hush like the stilnes SIS OF death per
vaded the tabernacle. as the preacher eX-
planned the two restrictions, saying that
he was not sure that he would die, for
that Christ wight come during his life.
He next spoke of the triumphant as
cension of the church in the clouds with
Christ, and next of the great tribulations
which would follow, and Of the great
battle spoken of in Daniel, and finally of
the coming Ct Christ and the saints to
judge the world, those who had had no
part in the first resurrection; then the
new heavens and the new earth, with
Christ rs king.