Year: 1878

Is there to be Millennium


Among the other ancient doctrines OF the
Church which have been losing their hold
on skeptical age, is that of the Second
Coming OF CHRIST At time when even
theologians Of high places in orthodoxy are
arguing and explaining hell away when
certain scientific writer's make the soul an
etherealized material force and when rea-
soners like HARRIET MARTINEAU, who rep
resented large class OF thinkers, deny inn
mortality itself. and treat 1t as a vain and H.
logical imagining, it is not surprising that
the faith in the millennium grows weak and
dim In many quarters. II is, indeed, a sub
ject little preached about nowadays,
whether the reign Of the Messiah is treated
Of AS a practical earthly sovereignty, or the
indweling Of a powerful spiritual influence


The Jews at one time believed that the
Messiah would one day come to
reign at Jerusalem, and TO bring to-
gether again the scattered tribes OF
Israel; but now great numbers Of them
smile at the idea as nothing more than
superstition. They are satisfied to re-
main where they are and In the enjoyment
OF their riches, and have no desire 10 emf
CRATE to the Holy City, which offers very
few attractions as place Of residence, and
furnishes no Inducements to enterprise. OF
course there are many Of them who still
cling to the tradition; but II is fading away
from the minds OF the more cultivated OF
the Hebrew race, many of whom, in truth,
have no definite spiritual belief at all, but
are pretty thorough matcrialists. There is
also Christian tradition touching the mil
lappiuun Npbfsh l. huanl l,,t,4 b.. Ia,
tion, but very small part Of the Christian
Church at this time has any faith in the old
notion OF the personal reign OF CHRIST at
Jerusalem, with all the pomp Of an earthly
court


MILLER and his disciples chung 10 their
belief In a Second Advent under many adj
verse circumstances and through grievous
dsappointments. but the sect has very
small following now, though in some parts
Of New England it still shows itself. Ac-
cording to MILLER's ciphering, the Sec
ond Coming was to take place in ls43,
and many good people got their ascension
robes ready at the prophesed day and
settled their affairs for the millennial
regime They were much troubled because
things at the appointed time went ON Just
as usual. but set about correcting MILLER's
figures, which they could easily do, so as to
find out the error. But though several diff
ferent days were fixed on, none OF them has
proved TO be- the right one. and from lsi3 up
TO this hour the world has gone on lighting,
SHINING, suffering, and dying, both saints
and sinners enduring tho same trials
as OF old. Whatever else men may differ
about, they will all agree that we have not
aptarnI on p,fllapufnI
that, as things now look, the day Of univer-
sal happiness and peace undsturbed is still
very far of. Like the rainbow the further
we travel toward it the more unattainabe it
seems. But, taking all things together tho
world is slowly but constantly getting bet
ter though human nature is very bad yet
A thousand years are rs one day in His
sight," and the problem Of the solution OF
earthly ills occupies cycles OF time not laid
down in our almanacs.


But just before the close Of the present
month the discussion OF the Second Adj
vent Is TO be forced on our attention, and
If 1t Is properly treated it may be made
very interesting and perhaps profitable
One hundred Protestant clergymcn. headed
by Bishop VAIL of Kansas, have signed Il
call for conference to meet at the Church
of tho Holy Trinity In New York on the 30th
and 3lst of October and the lst OF Novcm-
Der. e" TO listen 10 IL series of carefully pre-
pared papers on the pre-millennial advent OF
the Lord JESUS CHRIST and connected
truths, and to participate in such discus
sions as the topics may suggest" The idea
Of the assembly is To bring together "thoso
who hold to the personal pre-millennial adj
vent Of JESUS CHRIST, and who are looking
for that blessed hope II we read the call
Alright, the hundred signors believe in the
actual personal coming Of the Messiah, and
think that the religious world is suffering be-
cause their faith Is SO little shared by pro-
tossing Christians, many Of whom, as they
say, satisfied with this present world
have little desire for the return of tho absent
Lord while here and there are those who
| boldly speak Of such an event as only a
fascinating dream destined never to be
realized" They are convinced that the
doctrine OF the millennumis is "a most vital
truth for the present times" and they con-
tend that the Bible strongly and constantly
emphasizes the Second Coming as personal
and imminent event. the great object of the
Church's hope" "and the event that Is TO
end the reign Of Death, cast down Satan
from his throne. and establish the kingdom
| OF GOD on the earth"


This Il the old doctrine of the S.aond