The Washington times., 1901-08-26
CHRIST'S SECOND COMING.
The End of the World Predicted
for This Generation.
The Rev. w. 4. Westworth's Views
Upon the Fu1flIment of PROPHECY
Signs of the Times Indicate the
Rolling Up of the Scroll of Ages.

Considerable interest has been awaken
ed in Northeast Washington over the ser
mons of w. A Westworth, who is preach
ing nightly in a tent at the corner OF
Maryland Avenue and Thirteenth Street.
The Rev Westworth belongs to the de-
nomination known as Second Adventists,
and in n series Of sermons during the past
week. displaying intimate knowledge of
the Bible and great eloquence and ability.
he has stoutly declared that the end of
! the world is near at hand. Mr.. West
worth sets no dates and frankly corfesses
that he does not know the time of the
second coming of Christ, but he believes
that some time in the present generation
the consummation f prophecy and the
end of things terrestrial will be reached.
That is to say. he states with great earn
estness that men now living Will see the
end before death overtakes them.
, Mr.. Westworth reaches this somewhat
+, startling conclusion from study of the
prophetic utterances of the Scriptures,
and the fitting in of historical events to
show the fulfillment of prophecy. BY an
exhaustive study of many passages in the
various books of the Old and New Tesla
ments and by cool argument he seeks to
show that the leading events in the
worlds history foretold by the Word of
God have now nearly all happened, and
that civilization is now trembling on the
verge OF the precipice which within few
years in to dash it to destruction. when
the new heaven and the new earth" shall
be inhabited by the saints.
Mr. Westworth postulates his belief in
the second coming of Christ upon the
positive statement in Acts i:9,11, which
hat 10 will N
manner as he went up The definite OBJ
ject of the return is defined to be to raise
those who sleep in Jesus-the righteous
dead-who, Mr. Westworth says. will be
called to life from their dusty beds. These
he thinks will be caught up to meet the
Lord in the air with the living righteous.
who will be translated without seeing
death. 1 Thess. iv:16.17. The wicked. he
declares. will be destroyed by the bright
ness Of his coming and slain with the
spirit of his mouth II Thess.. i:7.S. and
lis Thus the entire world, Mr.. West
worth says, viii be depopulated and the
cities overthrowE as the direct result of
sin.
With this postulate clearly set forth
as the foundation of his belief MIR. West
worth proceeds to learn from a study OF
the Bible what we may know of this
coming This he does by an appeal to
prophecy, especially the Book of Daniel,
and by an exhaustive study of its sub
ject matter. and the application thereto
of historical data, the fact is figured out
that these prophetic utterances have
been fulfilled and that in the year 1874.
when Miller foretold the immediate end
ing Of the world, we entered into the last
chapter and phase of human history.
II
Mr.. Westworth does not try to estimate
He is very careful to declare that he
knows nothing of the day and the hour
The review of history in the light of
prophecy by Mr.. Westworth is extremely
not to say clear and convinc-
ing. The theory OF the passing of time
as marked out by him. seems to satisfy
both history and prophecy.
The most interesting part of his series
of discourses. however, is where he de-
votes himself to reading the signs of the
times which mark our age as the one
definitely set forth in the Scriptures as
the time of the crisis of human endeavor
and the climax of the plan of salvation.
The struggle between capital and labor
is shown 10 be wildly set forth BY James.
V:lS as a characteristic of the last days
The cry Of the hireling whose wage is
Kept back by fraud the immense hoard
rupted; garments moth eaten, gold and
silver cankered, Mr.. WestworIh says. are
today, as never before, marked in this
country of boosted equality Classes he
says, are being rapidly formed, and
greed is becoming lord of all. Trusts, he
claims. are forstold when the inspired
writer tells II that rich men heap treas
ure together.
Mr.. Westworth appeals to Paul's letter
to Timothy I'll Timothy iii:1.5) as liter
ally depicting social and spiritual condi-
tons at the present time. He lays spe-
cfal emphasis upon the fact that while
there Is much stir of Christian activity
1t Is very apparent that men are low
ers OF pleasure rather than lovers of
God, and he holds that while the form
or goodness Is seen on every hand, the
power thereof is wanting. With the
Ih-atres. dance halls, excursion steam
ers, rum shops, and hell holes receiving
meeting. with all its claims upon the
Christian, are badly neglected, it does
not appear to Mr.. Westwerth that the
World Is growing rapidly better. He
thinks that If left to the process of evo-
lutf n. salvation will never work ont
Another sign of the times which Mr..
Westworth regards as significant is the
immense preparations for war on the part
of all nations, in the very face of the
universal talk of arbitration He says
this yeriiies ! Thessalonians Hills. which
tells US that with the cry of Peace and
safety comes sudden destruction, wars
and rumors of war" He thinks that the
bankruptcy of the nations because of
great army and naval expenditures show
the arming for the final conflict which
ending with the struggle In the valley of
Jehosaphat and closing up earth's history
is so pos lively prophesied in Joel Iii:9-i7
Peace, peace, when there is no peace
Mr.. Westworth declares to be a condition
OF today given in prophetic words $500
years ago.
The great increase in knowledge and
the multiplicity of facilities for men to
run to and fro is another sign of the
times which Mr.. Westworth regards as
an indication of the rapidly approaching
end of the world He speaks of the de-
velopment OF the steam engine electric
locomotion the telegraph. the telephone.
rapid printing and book making and adj
vancement in mechanical invention as
the direct fulfillment of prophecy. That
the gospel must go to every nation. kim
dred, tongue, and people was demanded
by the words of Christ but Mr. West
worth thinks that at the present rate of
advance for the first eighteen centuries
A. ID. no hope of successful fulfllment
OF this prophecy could be hoped for But
now. he says, with the Webb perfecting
press, the fiiers on the railroads, the
ocean greyhounds. the telegraph and the
telephone. more can be accomplished in
a half century now than in the fun 1900
years that have gone before, and with no
greater expenditure of men and means.
many Bible societies place the gospel, he
thinks, within the reach of everyone, and
so he says the news OF the kingdom can
and will go until the earth will be
lighted with his glory"
Signs in the sun. moon, and stars. Mr..
Westworth says, have long been fulfilled
The dark day and night in 1873, and the
meteor,c showers OF g. later date he
gives as the fulhllment of those prophe-
sizes. Distress of the nations with per
plexities. and mems hearts failing them
with fear of those things, which are COM
ing on the earth Mr.. Westworth be-
lieves to be wildly shown in the council