The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1902-12-01
Theme Of Interesting Sermon Of
Bishop C. k Nelson
At CHURCH OF ADVENT
The Bishop Exhorts All to Prepare
for the Time When the Savior
VIII Come Again In His
Great Glory.


preached at the Church of the Advent
yesterday morning, and at night he de-
livered special address to young men.
this service being under the auspices OF
the Brotherhood of St. Andrew.
At the morning service the bishop took
for his theme How to prepare for the
second coming of Christ" the text being
found in the thirty-third verse of the
thirteenth chapter of Mark: Take ye
heed, watch and pray, for we know not
when the time is" The prophecy of the
fact of the text, found in the thirty
fourth verse of the twenty-ffth chapter
of Matthew, Is when the son of man
shall come to his glory, and all the holy
angels with him. then shall he sit upon
the throne of his glory" and the condI-
tions of the fact found in the twenty
sixth verse of the seventeenth chapter
of Luke And as it was in the days of
Noe, so shall it also be in the days of the
son of man"
Jesus would not judge or discriminate.
He came on earth to save the world, not
to condemn. 1t is not necessary for the
church to be broken up into denomina-
TONS creeds or beliefs of minor import
ance to emphasize any practical doc
trine.
Chrlst's Second Coming.
ut is not for you to know the times
nor the seasons; God has placed them in
His own power" There are some things
that 1t is great deal better for US not
to know. 1t Is not at all necessary that
our curiosity be satisfied; but we should
pray for the power of Christian people
to be put forth in the preparations for
the second coming of Christ. There is no
use for us to be shown the mysteries of
the future, but we should be prepared,
and help others to be prepared, when the
next great day comes, when Christ, in
all His glory, shall come for the second
time.
Bishop Nelson quoted from Matthew's
gospel, "And the Son of Man shall come
in His Glory" as an example of how
Christ indicated the manner of his Sec
ond coming His second coming will be
sudden, and such as men of the world
will recognize, we cannot specify the time
or the hour of his coming, only God
knows that, but his second coming is
sure.
Why are men so Indifferent to Christ's
second coming. and so slow to prepare
Tor 1t? Considering the question from
human standpoint some people may say,
I'VE do not believe his second coming is
proven by human events, and the dis
ciples must have been mistaken so many
years elapsed since his death. Christian
people do not believe that when he comes
ha mill 70
dom.
The scriptures say that the gospel must
be preached first to all nations, and this
has practically been done. When Christ
comes the second time he will be ready
to bring all nations together, for they
are being taught now and have been for
some time, the teachings of Christianity.
Preparation for His Advent.
The great question is will you be ready
to enter, and prepared for his coming?
Many people constantly worry about the
salvation Of others, pointing out defects
in the religious life of others, but the
question is will you enter into the joys
beyond?
There are no signs of Christ's second
coming, some may say. No, and there
were no signs of the destruction OF Baby.
Ion. The Babylonians did not see any
signs of the great destruction which
swept down upon them. That kingdom,
when it was destroyed, was at tho heigth
of its prosperity and power, but there
was rottenness at court. Did the de-
struction of this kingdom come as a
surprise to the people? unquestionably 1t
did. And so now, many people are SO
enerossed In the things of this world, In
finance and business, and wrapped up in
sehshness, that they cannot see any
signs of the second coming Of Christ
Some of these people appear religious on
the Sabbath, but they are loose In regard
to commercial honor and personal purity.
The Christian man is free man. and
does not subject himself to go beyond
the dictatlons of conscience. No one has
any right to set up a standard, but the
real and only standard for the Chris
tian is laid down by God.
Each year should see US rising nearer
to the presence of God, nearer the Sec
ond coming of Christ and should see US
preparing for the events which that great
day will bring forth, that we may all be
able to realize and recognize Him who
comes to save the world, by the marks
in His pierced side, the brow the crown
of thorns bruised, and the radiant face
of the Savior, which are the marks of
our salvation.