The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1897-01-13
RELIGIOUS READING.

NIB. MOODY on THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST.
"This is the first subject I have brought
up here that the church is divided upon.
Some believe that Christ is coming before
the millennium; others are just as sure that
be will come after the thousand years OF
peace. don't bring up the subject to stir
up controversy, but to lead you to study it.
Many are afraid to touch the subject, but
there is no portion of Scripture that God
does not wart us to study II We
study it in the right spirit. believe that
be is coming this side OF the mil
lennium; men for whom 1 have the
highest respect believe that ne Is coming
afterwards. Don't take what J. say or what
any other man says about it, but study up
the subject for yourselves. Compare Scrip
ture with Scripture. fused to think that the
world was going to grow 80 good that 1t
would draw Christ right down from heaven,
but 1 don't think so now. 1 believe this
world is coming to an end in crash.
do you know, there is more said in the
Bible about the return of our Lord than
there is about baptism? And every church
admits that baptism is of great Importance.
Paul speaks OF bap. ism thirteen times.
There are 260 chapters in the New Testament
and 31S passages that refer to Christ's second
coming. Take that fifteenth chapter OF l.
Corinthians, ,adrlitted to be the most famous
mark of Paul's writings The reason why 1t
is read and preached from more than
ANYTHING else Paul ever said is because
it brings ont the fact that Christ is
coming back again. The most precious
chapter in the whole Bible Is John
xiv. because it tell sus not only that
Christ has gone away to prepare place for
US, but also that he will come again. We
have the same authority that Christ Is COM
ing back that We have that he was coming
the first time.
The reason SO many people are afraid OF
this subject is because it has suffered 80
much at the hands of its friends, far more
than from the opposition,of of its enemies. Too
many have attempted to set the day and hour
when Christ shall come, and that he himself
tells us mo man knows, not even the angels
which are in heaven. On the contrary, he
will come suddenly and unexpectedly. 1t
Is best for US not to know the time OF his
coming, or the time Of our own death, which
last would certainly unfit US for life.
We are not to watch for death, but We IRE
distinctly commanded to watch for his re-
turn. I believe that Christ never spoke OF
watch % But that is not all. Every man
has his work to do-not some work, but his
work. There is not another man living that
can do my work. and IL don't do it, 1t will
never be done. Sec that you are doing your
work while you watch for his coming. The
first epistIe that Paul ever wrote was First
Thessalonions. If the Lord did not want us
to read these things end study them up,they
would not have been put on record for u.s."
Mr.. Moody then referred to Paul's last
message, found in Second Timothy, calling
special attention to the third chapter, asking
il the men there described could be found
in New Work at the present day, and making
many pointed applications. Among other
things, he said he could hardly go into q
small town without being asked for his pho
tograph and history O; his life, all Of which
rendered to make man pulled up" He
said he could give history Of his life IN O.
very few words II was born Of the flesh
in 1887 I was born Of the Spirit In 1856.
can't tell when the flesh is going to die, and
the spirit is going to live for ever"