Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1906-04-16
The Hope of the Primitive Church.

Rev. Walter Rhodes, pastor OF the
Second Baptist Church, OF Baltimore,
preached yesterday on "The Expecta-
tions Of the Early Christians Concerning
Return of Our Lord to Earth" In part
he said :
Very few Christians today look for the
return of our Lord to earth in the same
sense that the early Christians did.
Many believe that Christ will come again,
but the doctrine is so little thought OF
TODAY that it has but little influence in
determining Christian character. The
early Christians saw in the return OF
the Lord to earth the climax of their re-
demption, and ba' ed all their hores aud
aims upon the promise of bis return.
Instead Of flooding their teachings with
death aud the grave as an incentive to
obedience, they contipually preached
about the translation II the church, the
resurrection of Christ and the making
alive again Of those that were dead.
Such themes as these inspired hope not
only in themselves, hut also in those to
whom they taught, AMI revival OF THIS
optimistic instruction is needed today,
but only in pr portion as he Christian
personally has left tie influence If is
uoclrine 10 bis h,e will lis teaching be
permeated with the doctrine
The early Christians bad definite vie VS.
concerning the return of our Lord, while
many today have only vague idea as to
the manner Of his appearing. 1t is true
that the early Christians were disappolnI-
ed by not being permitted to live to see
this advent of the Redeemer, yet from the
way it had heen revealed to them their
faith was in no sense shocked, nor their
testimony made false. Our Lord had
constantly taught them to be watchful
and expectant, but had likewise taught
them not to despond or be impatient if
he should not return Immediately. The
immediate followers OF our Lord who
witnessed his ascension into heaven no
doubt expected him TO Immediately re-
turn, but as revelation was made to The
APOSTLES and the churches received their
letters OF instruction in doctrine, 1t grad
uslly became evident, before the Scrip
ture canon was closed, that God was
working out a divine plan, consisting OF
great events, each of which must revolve
as the stars of heaven, around the "Sun
of Righteousness" until their circuit was
complete, and when the last event had
transpired then the Lord would return.
These events have made grea: epochs in
the worlds history
As the Christians of the first and
second centuries looked back upon the
past and forward to the future they could
distinguish the beginning and end Of
several distinct dispeusations. The first
dispensatiOn opened with Paradise,
with God blessing man; it closed with
catastrophe 10 the nature ofa flood, with
God repen!ing that he had made man.
The second dispensation opened with
God blessing Moab, the promise of the
Messiah, which kindled the hopes OF the
Iews: It terminated with a catastrophe,
marked by the Jews rejecting Jesus, and
his death on the cross. The sun refused
to shin, the earth quaked, the temple
veil was rent, the lightning flashed and
the thunders roared, and the dispensa-
lion closed with the cry of Christ on the
cross, at is finished" Then began
the present dispensation; it opened with
the resurrection of Christ, the opening
of door of grace to the gentiles and the
formation of the church; it will close
with the return of Christ to earth, and
the translation of living, and the resur-
rection Of the righteous dead. The
fourth dispensation is the millennium; it
will open with Christ setting up his
kingdom on the earth and gradually
subduing every enemy until death IT.
self, the last enemy, is destroyed; it Will
close with catastrophe.