,his ,glorious ,appearing               
,an ,exposition of ,matthew ,twenty,four
                                        
,by                               ,james
 ,springer ,white                       
,revised and ,illustrated               
8,what shall be the sign of thy coming1 
and of the end of the                   
world80--,,disciples4      8,when ye    
shall see all these things1 know that it
 is near1 even at the                   
doors40--,,jesus4                       
,eleventh ,edition4                     
,review and ,herald ,publishing ,co4    
,battle ,creek1 ,mich4                  
#ahie            ,,contents             
,introductory4  ,christ's ,prophecy4    
,persecution ,and ,false ,prophets4     
,iniquity ,abounds4     ,the ,end4      
,when ,shall ,these ,things ,be8  ,what 
,shall ,be ,the ,sign ,of ,thy ,coming8 
,shortened ,for ,the ,elect's ,sake4    
,lo1 ,here1 ,and ,lo1 ,there4     ,the  
,signs ,of ,christ's ,coming4     8,and 
,the ,stars ,shall ,fall40     8,the    

,powers ,of ,heaven ,shall ,be ,shaken40
     8,sign ,of ,the ,son ,of ,man40    
,parable ,of ,the ,fig,tree4     8,the  
,day ,and ,hour40     ,noah's ,time ,and
 ,ours4     ,peace ,and ,safety4        
,the ,final ,separation4     ,those ,who
 ,watch ,will ,know ,the ,time4     ,the
 ,faithful ,and ,wise ,servant4     ,the
 ,evil ,servant4  ,conclusion4  ,choice 
,religious ,books4                      
,book ,cover                            
,illustration                           
,the ,light of the ,world               
,,introductory4      8,surely the ,lord 
,god will do nothing1 but he revealeth  
his secret unto his  servants the       
prophets40 ,amos #c3g4    ,no truth of  
inspiration can be more clearly         
demonstrated than that ,god  reveals his
 designs to his prophets1 that men and  
nations may be prepared  for their      
accomplishment4 ,before visiting with   
judgments1 ,god has  uniformly sent     
forth warnings sufficient to enable the 
believing to escape  his wrath1 and to  

condemn those who have not heeded the   
warning4 ,this was  the case before the 
flood4 ,the wickedness of the world had 
become very  great4 ,every imagination  
of the thoughts of the hearts of men was
 only  evil4 ,it would seem that they   
had forfeited all claims for            
consideration4  ,violence and corruption
 filled the earth1 and the only way to  
eradicate  evil was to destroy it with  
its workers4 ,but before doing so1 the  
world  must be warned of the impending  
doom2 and there was found one man who   
would engage in the work4 ,noah had     
faith in ,god1 and preached for one     
hundred and twenty years the message of 
warning and salvation4 ,his work  also  
testified with his words4          8,by 
faith ,noah1 being warned of ,god of    
things not seen as yet1      moved with 
fear1 prepared an ark to the saving of  
his house2 by      the which he         
condemned the world40 ,heb4 #aa3g4      
,at a later period1 when the nations had
 again become sunken in idolatry  and   

crime1 and the destruction of wicked    
,sodom and ,gomorrah was  determined1   
the ,lord said1--          8,shall ,i   
hide from ,abraham that thing which ,i  
do2 seeing that      ,abraham shall     
surely become a great and mighty nation1
 and all the      nations of the earth  
shall be blessed in him80 ,gen4 #ah3ag1 
#ah4      ,and due notice was given to  
righteous ,lot1 who1 with his daughters1
 was  preserved2 and none1 even in that 
guilty city1 perished without due       
warning4 ,lot evidently warned the      
people2 and in thus communing with them1
  was 8vexed with the filthy            
conversation of the wicked40 #b ,peter  
#b3g1 #h4  ,his righteous life had been 
a rebuke to them2 and we have every     
reason to  believe that the holy example
 of ,abraham in his worship of the true 
,god  was known to them4 ,he had at one 
time been their saviour1 and rescued    
their captives and spoil from the       
victorious enemy who was carrying them  
away4 ,but when ,lot warned his friends 

of the approaching doom1 8he seemed  as 
one that mocked40 ,gen4 #ai3ad4 ,they1  
like the antediluvians1 persisted  in   
sin1 and drank of the wrath of ,god4    
,at a subsequent time the sins of       
,nineveh rose to heaven1 and ,jonah was 
sent to bear to that proud capital the  
startling message1 8,yet forty days  and
 ,nineveh shall be destroyed40 ,the     
consciences of those sinners told  them 
the message was true2 and from the least
 of them to the greatest they  humbled  
themselves1 and the overhanging judgment
 was averted4    ,before ,christ        
commenced his earthly mission1 ,john the
 ,baptist was sent as  the voice of one 
crying in the wilderness1 8,prepare ye  
the way of the  ,lord40 ,by this means  
the expectation of the people was       
raised1 and  doubtless many were through
 it led to accept of salvation1 while   
the  generation at large was condemned  
for rejecting the light4    ,our        
,saviour in his time saw the destruction
 of ,jerusalem just in the  future of   

that generation1 and faithfully warned  
the people1 foretelling  signs by which 
it might be known when the desolation   
thereof was nigh4  ,luke #ba3ba4 ,such  
is the testimony of inspiration         
respecting the dealings  of ,god with   
his people in past ages4    ,all who    
accept the ,bible as the inspired word  
of ,god acknowledge that he  has been   
very faithful in warning people in past 
ages of impending  judgments and other  
events which affected their eternal     
welfare4 ,such  having been the divine  
plan in relation to past events1 we     
would certainly  be justified in        
anticipating such warnings of ,christ's 
second coming as  would comport with the
 importance of the event4 ,but when we  
come to regard  the future1 and         
especially our own immediate future1 the
 incredulity of  very many is at once   
aroused4    ,but what are the facts in  
the case8 ,can anything be learned from 
the ,bible  relative to the time of the 
second advent8 ,this is a grave inquiry2

 and1  from the very nature of the      
subject1 is worthy of close             
investigation1 and  a candid answer4 ,it
 is a matter of painful regret that     
many1 under the  influence of popular   
prejudice1 have decided that the period 
of the second  advent is a secret1      
hidden with the ,lord4 ,while these can 
scarcely be  reached with this subject1 
as long as they remain under the        
influence of  those who denounce all    
investigation of it as prying into the  
secrets of  the ,almighty1 there is     
still1 we believe1 a larger class who   
wait for  evidence before deciding4     
,illustration                           
,christ ,weeping ,over ,jerusalem       
,we accept the ,bible as a revelation   
from heaven4 ,what ,god has revealed in 
that book1 let no man call a mystery1 or
 a secret of the ,almighty4 8,the       
secret things belong unto the ,lord our 
,god2 but those things which are        
revealed belong unto us and to our      
children forever40 ,deut4 #bi3bi4 ,if   

the  sacred ,scriptures1 in a most clear
 and harmonious manner1 point out the   
signs of the approach of that great     
event1 and if there is evidence that    
8it is near1 even at the doors10 the    
subject at once assumes great           
importance4    ,when the disciples      
inquired1 8,what shall be the sign of   
thy coming1 and of  the end of the      
world80 ,jesus did not reprove them for 
inquiring into this  matter1 nor tell   
them that it was purposely hidden from  
all men2 but he  answered their question
 in the most definite manner4    ,the   
simple fact that the ,lord mentions     
signs of his second advent1 is the  best
 proof possible that his people were not
 to remain ignorant of the  relative    
nearness of the event4 ,add to this his 
injunctions to  watchfulness1 and the   
blessings which he pronounces upon those
 who are  awake and watching at his     
coming1 and it becomes a certainty that 
he would  not leave his people ignorant 
of the proximity of that event4 ,paul   

also  says that 8unto them that look for
 him shall he appear the second time    
without sin unto salvation40 ,heb4      
#i3bh4 ,and that a crown of             
righteousness  will be given 8unto all  
them also that love his appearing40 #b  
,tim4 #d3h4    ,with these assurances we
 may look for plain and emphatic tokens 
of the  ,saviour's second coming4       
,,christ',s ,,prophecy4                 
,illustration                           
,jesus on the ,mount of ,olives         
,probably no other chapter of the ,bible
 speaks more fully1 and more            
definitely1 upon the subject of the     
second advent1 than ,matthew #bd1 in    
,christ's own words4 ,we invite the     
attention of the candid reader to a     
brief explanation of the entire chapter4
          ,,verse #a3 8,and ,jesus went 
out1 and departed from the temple2 and  
his disciples came to him for to show   
him the buildings of the      temple40  
,jesus had been addressing the          
multitude1 in the presence of his       

disciples4  ,he had reproved the scribes
 and the ,pharisees for their sins1 and 
had  declared1 in the previous chapter1 
the doom of the ,jews1 their city1 and  
their temple4 ,the disciples supposed   
that the temple would stand forever1    
and they called the attention of ,christ
 to its magnificence and strength1  and 
to the great stones that entered into   
the structure4 ,on this point the       
historian of those times1 ,josephus1    
says3 8,now the temple was built of     
stones that were white and strong1 and  
each of their lengths was twenty  five  
cubits1 their height was eight1 and     
their breadth about                     
twelve40--8,antiquities10 book xv1 chap4
 xi4 ,if we compute a cubit  at twenty  
inches1 we shall be able to gain some   
idea of the size and  8manner0 of these 
stones4          ,,verse #b3 8,and      
,jesus said unto them1 ,see ye not all  
these things8      ,verily ,i say unto  
you1 ,there shall not be left here one  
stone upon      another1 that shall not 

be thrown down40        ,,verse #c3     
8,and as he sat upon the mount of       
,olives1 the disciples      came unto   
him privately1 saying1 ,tell us1 when   
shall these things      be8 and what    
shall be the sign of thy coming1 and of 
the end of      the world80      ,this  
statement from the ,master could not but
 deeply interest the  disciples4 ,and it
 matters not whether they supposed that 
the destruction  of the temple1 the     
coming of ,christ1 and the end of the   
age1 would all  occur at the same time1 
or at different periods1 since ,christ1 
in his  answer in this chapter1 has     
distinctly spoken of each separately1   
and has  given each its place in the    
prophetic history of events4 ,if it were
 their  impression that the overthrow of
 the temple and the end of the world    
would  occur at the same time1 it by no 
means proves that this would be the     
case4  ,as the ,scriptures show1 up to  
the time of the outpouring of the ,holy 
,spirit on the day of ,pentecost1 their 

ideas upon many points were crude  and  
inaccurate4 ,take as proof of this the  
parable which the ,lord spake  when he  
was going into ,jerusalem4 ,luke #ai4   
,they thought that the kingdom  of ,god 
should immediately appear4 ,to correct  
this impression1 the parable  of the    
nobleman was spoken4 ,if they understood
 the parable at the time  when it was   
spoken1 it did not fully eradicate the  
impression from their  minds1 as is     
proved by what they did when they       
entered ,jerusalem4 ,we  cannot believe 
that they would have hailed him as the  
,son of ,david1 and  rejoiced before him
 as a ,king in his triumph1 if they had 
realized that he  was going into the    
city to be condemned and crucified as a 
malefactor4  ,palm branches and shouts  
of triumph did not attend the steps of  
the lowly  and the condemned4    ,john  
admits for himself and ,peter1 after    
they had seen the empty  sepulcher1 that
 8they knew not the scripture1 that he  
must rise again from  the dead40 ,john  

#bj3i4    ,again1 after his             
resurrection1 ,jesus reproved two of his
 disciples1 who1  though they had       
trusted that he would redeem ,israel1   
were then sad and  disheartened4 ,they  
did not then understand that ,christ    
ought 8to have  suffered these things1  
and to enter into his glory40 ,the      
suffering part  was still a mystery to  
them4 ,and some of the apostles were so 
slow to  realize that which he had      
spoken to them1 that they could hardly  
be  persuaded that he was indeed risen  
from the dead4 ,and after he had been   
with them full forty days1 speaking to  
them of the things pertaining to  the   
kingdom1 they did not yet understand    
8the times and the seasons10 and        
therefore asked him1 8,lord1 wilt thou  
at this time restore again the  kingdom 
to ,israel80    ,however the matter may 
have been entertained in the minds of   
the  disciples1 it is evident that their
 query consisted of two distinct        
questions in the mind of the ,saviour4  

,these questions relate1 first1 to  the 
destruction of ,jerusalem2 and1 second1 
to ,christ's second coming at  the end  
of the world or age4 ,they were         
distinctly answered by our ,lord2  not1 
however1 before the promiscuous         
multitude2 but on the occasion of a     
private interview with his disciples4   
,christ here speaks to his disciples2   
hence his words in this prophetic       
discourse are addressed especially to   
the church4          ,,verses #d1 #e3   
8,and ,jesus answered and said unto     
them1 ,take heed      that no man       
deceive you4 ,for many shall come in my 
name1 saying1 ,i      am ,christ1 and   
shall deceive many40      ,jesus knew   
the hearts of men1 and that many        
impostors would arise1 and  deceive     
multitudes4 ,he here warns his          
disciples1 and guards them against  the 
deceptions of corrupt and ambitious men4
 ,such was the general  expectation of  
the appearance of the ,messiah among the
 ,jews1 that many  would set up the     

claim that they were the ,christ1 to    
carry out selfish  purposes1 or to gain 
notoriety1 and the credulous people     
would be easily  led into the deception1
 and then be destroyed for sedition4 ,we
 are  informed that in the days         
succeeding those of ,christ1 impostors  
arose in  great numbers4 ,josephus tells
 us of an ,egyptian false prophet who   
led  #cj1jjj men into the desert to show
 them signs1 and then brought them to   
,jerusalem as if to attack the city4 ,he
 caused great pillage and  destruction  
in ,judea1 but in the time of battle1   
ran away1 leaving his  followers to the 
exasperated ,romans4--8,wars of the     
,jews10 book ii1  chap4 xiii4           
,illustration                           
,ancient ,jerusalem      ,in the former 
part of the second century ,cazibee set 
himself at the head  of the ,jewish     
nation and proclaimed himself their     
longexpected ,messiah4  ,to facilitate  
the success of his bold enterprise he   
changed his name to  that of            

,barchocheba1 alluding to the ,star     
foretold by ,balaam4 ,adrian  raised an 
army1 and sent it against him4 ,he      
retired into a town called  ,bither1    
where he was besieged4 ,barchocheba was 
killed in the siege1 the  city was      
taken1 and a dreadful havoc succeeded4  
,the ,jews themselves allow  that1      
during this short war against the       
,romans in defense of this false        
,messiah1 they lost five or six hundred 
thousand souls4--,buck's  ,dictionary4  
,dr4 ,a4 ,clarke says1 on the authority 
of ,josephus1 that 8a few years         
afterward1 under the reign of ,nero1    
while ,felix was procurator of ,judea1  
impostors of this stamp were so frequent
 that some were taken and killed  almost
 every day40 ,and at intervals since    
then the ,jews who are all the  time    
expecting the appearance of the ,messiah
 have been repeatedly the  victims of   
cruel deception4          ,,verse #f3   
8,and ye shall hear of wars and rumors  
of wars4 ,see that      ye be not       

troubled3 for all these things must come
 to pass1 but      the end is not yet40 
,it is proper that we should consider   
what is meant by the term 8the end10    
used in this verse2 in verse #ad1 8then 
shall the end come20 and in verse  #c1  
8the sign of thy coming1 and the end of 
the world40 ,in the first place1  it may
 be unhesitatingly claimed that the term
 does not refer to the end  of the      
,jewish dispensation1 which terminated  
at the crucifixion1 nor to  the         
destruction of ,jerusalem1 which        
occurred about forty years later4       
,because1 first1 ,jesus treated the     
question concerning the destruction of  
the temple and that referring to his    
coming and the end of the world as      
relating to two distinct events1 widely 
separated in time4 ,second1 the  signs  
which were to be premonitory of the end 
did not transpire before the            
destruction of the temple4 ,third1 the  
second coming of ,christ1 the close  of 
probation1 the judgment1 the            

resurrection1 and the end of sin1 death1
  and mortality1 are frequently and     
prominently associated together in the  
,bible as constituting the most         
important epoch in human history4 ,to   
limit  this thrilling discourse to the  
local and long past destruction of      
,jerusalem would be to rob it of its    
force and grandeur4 ,not only would the 
twentyfourth of ,matthew which we are   
now studying be stultified1 but very    
much of the life and power of the       
,scriptures would be sacrificed by such 
a  course4    ,as to the meaning of the 
phrase1 8the end of the world10 it may  
consistently be translated 8the end of  
the age10 and in the margin of the      
,revised ,bible it is rendered 8the     
consummation of the age40 ,for an       
inspired definition of the term1 let the
 reader turn to ,matt4 #ac3chdj and  its
 context1 where the same words are used 
and repeated in the original3--         
8,the tares are the children of the     
wicked one2 the enemy that      sowed   

them is the devil2 the harvest is the   
end of the world2 and      the reapers  
are the angels4 ,as therefore the tares 
are gathered      and burned in the     
fire2 so shall it be in the end of this 
world4      ,the ,son of man shall send 
forth his angels1 and they shall gather 
out of his kingdom all things that      
offend1 and them that do      iniquity2 
and shall cast them into a furnace of   
fire3 there shall      be weeping and   
gnashing of teeth40      ,from ,rev4    
#ad3adaf we learn that the harvest of   
the earth and the second  coming of     
,christ are identical4 ,so that by no   
possible means could it be  established 
that the 8end of the world0 means the   
destruction of  ,jerusalem4 ,further    
evidence is found in ,matt4 #bh3bj where
 the same  expression1 both in the      
original and in the translation1 is     
used3 8,lo ,i am  with you alway1 even  
unto the end of the world40 ,but no one 
would have the  audacity to claim that  
this promise expired in ,a4 ,d4 #gj1 as 

it must have  done if those questions of
 the disciples and the subsequent       
discourse of  ,christ related only to   
the impending doom of the temple and    
city4          ,,verses #g1 #h3 8,for   
nation shall rise against nation1 and   
kingdom      against kingdom2 and there 
shall be famines1 and pestilences1 and  
earthquakes1 in divers places4 ,all     
these are the beginning of              
sorrows40      ,wars1 famines1          
pestilences1 and earthquakes have       
occurred all along since  these words   
were spoken4 ,therefore1 these1 as they 
have ever existed1  cannot be regarded  
as the especial signs of the end4 ,it   
may be claimed1  however1 with a good   
degree of consistency1 that the         
,scriptures teach that  these calamities
 would abound in the last days to such  
an extent as to  constitute a sign of   
the approaching ,judgment4 ,we wish to  
keep the  important fact distinctly     
before the mind1 that the sacred        
,scriptures do  teach when men may not1 

and when they may1 look for the second  
appearing  of ,christ4    ,the sacred   
writers have so uniformly associated    
such judgments as war1  famine1         
pestilence1 and earthquake1 with the    
last ,judgment1 that the  disciples     
would be in danger of concluding that   
the end would immediately  follow the   
first appearance of these calamities2   
hence the caution given3  8,these things
 must come to pass1 but the end is not  
yet40 ,here the  disciples were clearly 
taught that they should not expect the  
end in their  day4 ,this fact is worthy 
of the candid attention of those who    
object to  the proclamation of the      
second advent of ,christ in the form of 
an especial  message4 ,these sometimes  
assert that it was right for the        
disciples to  look for ,christ in their 
day1 and that it has been scriptural and
 right  for all ,christians to look for 
the second appearing of ,christ in their
  time1 from the days of the chosen     
twelve to the present time4 ,and they   

decide that no more can be learned and  
believed upon this subject in our  time 
than by the ,christians of past         
generations1 and that the public mind   
should not now be moved upon this great 
question1 any more than in all  past    
time since the first advent of ,christ4 
,we have seen that this position is     
incorrect so far as the early disciples 
were concerned4 ,they are directed to   
the distant future as the time when     
their ,lord should come4 ,they are      
assured that they need not be troubled  
at  hearing of wars and rumors of wars2 
8for all these things must come to      
pass1 but the end is not yet40 ,our     
,lord then guides the minds of his      
disciples1 as we shall see in the       
examination of this chapter1 down over  
the time of the great apostasy1 and the 
long period of the rule of papal  ,rome1
 before mentioning a sign of his second 
advent4 ,he does not intimate  that his 
people during these long periods may    
expect the end4 ,no1 not  once4 ,but    

when he comes to a later time1 the ,lord
 names signs in the sun1  in the moon1  
and in the stars1 and adds3 8,when ye   
shall see all these  things1 know that  
it is near1 even at the doors40    ,mark
 this3 ,our ,lord does not mention wars1
 famines1 pestilences1 and  earthquakes 
as signs of his second advent2 but      
rather as events of common  occurrence  
all the way through the ,christian age1 
which must exist before  the end4 ,and  
history attests the fact that these     
calamities have covered  at least       
seventeen centuries4 ,the following is  
from a work of ,noah  ,webster1 ,,ll4   
,d41 published in #agii3--          8,by
 famine and sword1 #ehj1jjj ,jews were  
destroyed between ,a4 ,d4 #if      and  
,a4 ,d4 #ahj4        8,in ,antioch1 from
 ,a4 ,d4 #if to ,a4 ,d4 #ahj1           
earthquakes destroyed #ac      cities   
and over #ajj1jjj lives4        8,in    
,rome1 ,a4 ,d4 #afi1 pestilence         
destroyed #aj1jjj daily4        8,in    
,rome1 ,a4 ,d4 #ahg1 pestilence appeared

 and continued three      years4        
8,in ,london1 ,a4 ,d4 #caj1 by famine1  
#dj1jjj died4        8,in ,a4 ,d4 #ddf1 
,september #ag1 an earthquake shook down
 the walls of      ,constantinople1 and 
#eg towers fell4        8,in ,rome1 ,a4 
,d4 #eci1 in one district #ej1jjj died4 
8,in ,antioch1 ,a4 ,d4 #ehh1 an         
earthquake killed #fj1jjj4        8,in  
,a4 ,d4 #edb1 the plague killed #aj1jjj 
in one day in ,turkey4        8,in ,a4  
,d4 #fgi1 a severe famine in ,england1  
three years4        8,in ,a4 ,d4 #gag1  
in ,constantinople1 #cjj1jjj died of    
plague4        8,in ,a4 ,d4 #ajje1      
earthquakes three months1 followed by   
pestilence1      by which it is said one
 third of the human race died4          
8,in ,a4 ,d4 #ajgg1 in ,constantinople1 
so many died by plague and      famine  
the living could not bury them4         
8,in ,a4 ,d4 #aabd1 in ,italy1 there was
 such famine that the dead lay      in  
the streets not buried2 and in ,england 
one third of the people      died of    

plague4        8,in ,a4 ,d4 #abid1 in   
,england thousands died of famine4      
8,in ,a4 ,d4 #acdf1 in ,london1 #ej1jjj 
died of plague and famine1 and      were
 buried in one graveyard2 in ,norwich1  
#ej1jjj2 in ,venice1      #ajj1jjj2 in  
,florence1 #ajj1jjj2 in ,eastern        
nations1 #bj1jjj1jjj4 ,it      was      
called the black death4        8,in ,a4 
,d4 #aceb1 in ,china1 #ijj1jjj died of  
famine4        8,in ,a4 ,d4 #adbg in    
,dantzic1 #hj1jjj died of plague4       
8,in ,a4 ,d4 #aegj1 in ,moscow1 #bjj1jjj
 died of plague4        8,in ,a4 ,d4    
#aegb1 in ,lyons1 #ej1jjj died of       
plague4        8,in ,a4 ,d4 #afbe1 in   
,london1 #ce1jjj died of plague4        
8,in ,a4 ,d4 #afef1 in ,naples1 #cjj1jjj
 died of plague4        8,in ,a4 ,d4    
#affe1 in ,london1 #fh1jjj died of      
plague4        8,in ,a4 ,d4 #agee1 an   
earthquake destroyed the city of        
,lisbon1      killing #ej1jjj4 ,in      
,mitylene1 and the ,archipelago1 it     
shook down      #bjjj houses4 ,it shook 

all the ,spanish coast4 ,the plague     
followed1      which destroyed #aej1jjj 
persons in ,constantinople40            
,doubtless the figures in the above list
 should in some instances be  corrected 
to correspond with facts4 ,but1 taken as
 a whole1 they do not  nearly represent 
the ravages of death in their enormity4 
,for instance1 the  ,encyclopedia       
,britannica states that ,hecker         
estimates the celebrated 8black  death0 
of the fourteenth century in the        
different epidemics1 to have swept  away
 one fourth of the inhabitants of       
,europe1 or #be1jjj1jjj people6         
,persecution ,and ,false ,prophets4     
,illustration                           
,martyrdom of ,huss          ,,verses   
#i1 #aj3 8,then shall they deliver you  
up to be afflicted1 and      shall kill 
you2 and ye shall be hated of all       
nations for my name's      sake4 ,and   
then shall many be offended1 and shall  
betray one      another1 and shall hate 
one another40      ,here is a brief     

description of the afflictions and      
martyrdom of the church  of ,christ4    
,thousands of the faithful followers of 
,jesus were most cruelly  put to death  
by pagan ,rome2 yet the prophecy        
doubtless applies more  particularly to 
the long period of papal persecutions1  
in which not less  than fifty millions  
of ,christians were put to death in the 
most cruel  manner that wicked men and  
demons could devise4 ,in these verses we
 are  brought down over the long period 
of the martyrdom of the church of ,jesus
  ,christ1 to near the present          
generation4 ,these verses being parallel
 with  verses #ba and #bb1 this subject 
will be noticed again4          ,,verse 
#aa3 8,and many false prophets shall    
rise1 and shall deceive      many40     
,a true prophet is one who speaks for   
,god4 ,the spirit of prophecy is the    
testimony of ,jesus4 ,rev4 #ai3aj4 ,it  
is ,jesus ,christ speaking through human
  lips or pen to his people4 ,pseudo1 or
 false prophets1 speak through the      

agency of wicked spirits and the power  
of ,satan4 ,their work is to deceive4   
,and while this is true of those who are
 under the direct inspiration of        
superior beings1 good or evil1 it is    
true in a more restricted sense that    
consecrated teachers of divine truth may
 be regarded as ,god's prophets2  and   
teachers of error may properly be called
 false prophets4 ,true and  false       
prophets may be known4                  
,illustration                           
,the ,crucifixion      ,the prophets of 
,god are teachers of purity1 reprovers  
of sin1 and faithful  in warning the    
people of coming dangers4 ,the duties of
 those whom ,god  calls to speak in his 
great name are clearly expressed by the 
sacred  writers4 ,we here quote from    
three of them3--          ,,isa4 #eh3a3 
8,cry aloud1 spare not1 lift up thy     
voice like a      trumpet1 and show my  
people their transgression1 and the     
house of      ,jacob their sins40       
,,joel #b3a3 8,blow ye the trumpet in   

,zion1 and sound an alarm in my         
holy mountain4 ,let all the inhabitants 
of the land tremble2 for      the day of
 the ,lord cometh1 for it is nigh at    
hand40        #b ,,tim4 #d3a1 #b3 8,i   
charge thee therefore before ,god1 and  
the ,lord      ,jesus ,christ1 who shall
 judge the quick and the dead at his    
appearing and his kingdom2 preach the   
word2 be instant in season1      out of 
season2 reprove1 rebuke1 exhort with all
 longsuffering and      doctrine40      
,false prophets do not reprove the      
people for their sins1 and do not warn  
them of coming danger2 but they proclaim
 peace to the sinner4 ,their  teachings 
lead from ,god and his word1 and are    
such as please the  unconverted mind4   
,the inspired writers have also spoken  
definitely of the  testimony and work of
 false prophets4 ,we here give several  
for example3--          ,,eze4 #ac3i1   
#aj3 8,and mine hand shall be upon the  
prophets that see      vanity1 and that 
divine lies4 ,they shall not be in the  

assembly of      my people1 neither     
shall they be written in the writing of 
the      house of ,israel1 neither shall
 they enter into the land of ,israel2   
and ye shall know that ,i am the ,lord  
,god4 ,because1 even because      they  
have seduced my people1 saying1 ,peace2 
and there was no      peace2 and one    
built up a wall1 and lo1 others daubed  
it with      untempered mortar40        
,,jer4 #f3ac1 #ad3 8,for from the least 
of them even unto the greatest      of  
them1 every one is given to             
covetousness2 and from the prophet      
even unto the priest1 every one dealeth 
falsely4 ,they have healed      also the
 hurt of the daughter of my people      
slightly1 saying1      ,peace1 peace1   
when there is no peace40        ,,jer4  
#ad3ac1 #ad3 8,then said ,i1 ,ah1 ,lord 
,god6 behold1 the prophets      say unto
 them1 ,ye shall not see the sword1     
neither shall ye have      famine2 but  
,i will give you assured peace in this  
place4 ,then the      ,lord said unto   

me1 ,the prophets prophesy lies in my   
name4 ,i sent      them not1 neither    
spake unto them40      ,after stating   
the duty of the faithful servant of ,god
 to preach the word1  to reprove1 to    
rebuke1 and exhort with all             
longsuffering and doctrine1  the apostle
 says3--          8,for the time will   
come when they will not endure sound    
doctrine2      but after their own lusts
 shall they heap to themselves teachers1
      having itching ears2 and they     
shall turn away their ears from the     
truth1 and shall be turned unto fables40
 #b ,tim4 #d3c1 #d4      ,that time has 
now fully come4 ,the people choose      
pleasing fables1 which do  not disturb  
them in their sins1 rather than the     
reproving1 searching  declarations of   
the word of ,god4 ,they love to be      
deceived by the teachings  of false     
prophets1 and 8say to the seers1 ,see   
not2 and to the prophets1  ,prophesy not
 unto us right things1 speak unto us    
smooth things1 prophesy  deceits40 ,isa4

 #cj3aj4          8,shall ,i not visit  
for these things8 saith the ,lord4      
,shall not my      soul be avenged on   
such a nation as this8 ,a wonderful and 
horrible      thing is committed in the 
land2 the prophets prophesy falsely1 and
      the priests bear rule by their    
means2 and my people love to have       
it so2 and what will ye do in the end   
thereof80 ,jer4 #e3bica4      ,the ears 
of the people are filled with the       
pleasing fables of the world's          
conversion1 a good time coming1 and that
 we are just entering the golden  age4  
,the threatenings of ,god's word on the 
proud1 the haughty1 the vain1  the rich1
 the sinners in ,zion1 and those out of 
,zion1 are kept back by the  false      
teachers of these times4 ,many of them  
even dare to teach that the  moral code 
of the ten commandments is abrogated4   
,and as the result of such  a course1   
and of such teaching1 we see in the     
professed church of ,jesus  ,christ1    
that          ,iniquity ,abounds4       

,,verse #ab3 8,and because iniquity     
shall abound1 the love of many          
shall wax cold40      ,it is evident    
that both the abounding of iniquity and 
the waxing cold of  the love of many1   
are fulfilled in the professed church of
 ,jesus ,christ4  ,men must first       
experience the love of ,god and of      
heavenly things before  that love can   
grow cold4 ,hence1 common1 unconverted  
sinners are not here  referred to as    
apostatizing4 ,and1 again1 the          
prevalence of iniquity in the           
unconverted world alone1 would stimulate
 the church to greater diligence1  and  
more godliness1 instead of being a cause
 of apostasy4 ,hence1 the  iniquity here
 mentioned is in the very heart of the  
professed church1  diffusing its        
chilling influence through the whole    
body4 ,as the result1  the love of many 
has grown cold4 ,with this1 agree the   
words of the  apostle3--          8,this
 know also1 that in the last days       
perilous times shall come4      ,for men

 shall be lovers of their own selves1   
covetous1 boasters1      proud1         
blasphemers1 disobedient to parents1    
unthankful1 unholy1      without natural
 affection1 trucebreakers1 false        
accusers1      incontinent1 fierce1     
despisers of those that are good1       
traitors1      heady1 highminded1 lovers
 of pleasures more than lovers of ,god2 
having a form of godliness1 but denying 
the power thereof2 from      such turn  
away40 #b ,tim4 #c3ae4      ,here is a  
catalogue of eighteen sins1 all resting 
upon those having a form  of godliness4 
,these are not infidels and common      
worldly sinners1 for they  have not a   
form of godliness2 but they are men and 
women professing to be  followers of    
,jesus ,christ4 ,and although they make 
a profession of piety as  high as       
heaven1 these very sins lie at their    
doors4 ,and by reason of their  example1
 and their chilling influence1 many are 
led from the humble path  to heaven1 and
 their love waxes cold4                 

,illustration                           
,the ,ascension          ,the ,end4     
,,verse #ac3 8,but he that shall endure 
unto the end1 the same shall      be    
saved40      ,as before noted1 the word 
end1 whenever used in this chapter1     
refers to  the end of the age1 and to   
nothing else4 ,it is the end associated 
in the  ,new ,testament with the second 
appearing of ,jesus ,christ4 ,if it be  
urged  that the word 8end0 has reference
 to the close of mortal life1 then we   
reply that the disciples did not ask    
their ,lord 7see verse #c7 when they    
should die2 but 8what shall be the sign 
of thy coming1 and of the end of  the   
world80 ,neither does the ,lord speak of
 death1 when he says 7see verse  #f71   
8,but the end is not yet40 ,and it would
 be strange indeed to suppose  that the 
word 8end0 7verse #ad7 meant death4 ,if 
any think such a position  admissible1  
let them read it into the text1 as      
follows3 ,and this gospel of  the       
kingdom shall be preached in all the    

world1 for a witness unto all  nations1 
and then shall death come4 ,absurdity6  
,,verse #ad3 8,and this gospel of the   
kingdom shall be preached ,in all       
the world for a witness unto all        
nations1 and then shall the end         
come40      ,this is the first sign of  
the end given by our ,lord in answer to 
the  question1 8,what shall be the sign 
of thy coming1 and of the end of the    
world80    ,but it is robbed of its     
distinct power by that interpretation1  
sometimes  given1 by which it is assumed
 that all men will receive the gospel   
and be  converted1 and that then instead
 of the end1 there will ensue a thousand
  years in which all shall know the     
,lord4 ,after this long period of peace 
and safety1 the end will come4 ,how much
 is assumed on this text will  appear   
when we consider that the text does not 
say that every individual  will even    
hear this gospel of the kingdom4 ,it    
does not state that any one  will be    
converted and made holy by it4 ,and we  

find it far from intimating  that the   
world will be converted and remain so   
one thousand years4 ,we have  no reason 
to conclude that greater measure of     
success is implied in this  text than   
that which has always attended the      
preaching of the gospel4  ,while a few  
have believed and received it1 the great
 mass of men have  passed it by         
unheedingly4 ,the text simply states3   
,first1 8,and this gospel  of the       
kingdom shall be preached in all the    
world20 second1 8,for a witness  unto   
all nations20 third1 8,and then not one 
thousand years later1 but  ,,then shall 
the end come40    ,but to what does the 
term 8gospel of the kingdom0 refer8 ,the
 query  sometimes rises as to whether   
the gospel in the common acceptation of 
the  word1 or a gospel peculiarly       
related to the second coming of ,christ 
is  here meant4 ,no such distinction is 
to be drawn4 ,there neither is1 has     
been1 nor will be more than one gospel4 
8,but though we1 or an angel from       

heaven1 preach any other gospel unto you
 than that which we have preached  unto 
you1 let him be accursed40 ,gal4 #a3h4  
,the gospel1 then1 in this instance1 is 
the same as ,paul preached1 which  was  
the 8power of ,god unto salvation to    
every one that believeth40 ,but in      
,rev4 #ad3f and #g we read3--           
8,and ,i saw another angel fly in the   
midst of heaven1 having the             
everlasting gospel to preach unto them  
that dwell on the earth1      and to    
every nation1 and kindred1 and tongue1  
and people1 saying      with a loud     
voice1 ,fear ,god1 and give glory to    
him2 for the hour      of his judgment  
is come2 and worship him that made      
heaven1 and      earth1 and the sea1 and
 the fountain of waters40      ,the     
gospel is here called the 8everlasting  
gospel10 and must necessarily  be       
referred to the gospel of ,christ4 ,in  
connection with the preaching of  that  
gospel1 was the proclamation that the   
judgment hour had come4 ,not  that this 

message was appended to the gospel1 but 
the angel who had the  everlasting      
gospel to preach said1 8,fear ,god 444  
for the hour of his  judgment is come40 
,the gospel of ,jesus ,christ embraces  
all truth relating to salvation4 ,the   
warnings1 counsel1 invitations1         
promises1 precepts1 prophecies1 or      
whatever the ,lord would have the people
 hear1--the gospel embraces them  all4  
,in the days of ,noah1 the gospel       
included repentance1 faith1  obedience1 
with the promises of grace and mercy2 it
 also included the  warning of the      
impending judgment4 ,and the only way to
 escape that  judgment was through the  
gospel4 ,so here in ,revelation we have 
the gospel  with all it implies1        
including the message of ,christ's      
second coming and  kingdom and the      
judgment4 ,closely associated with this 
message are two  others as given in     
,rev4 #ad3hab4 ,the first is merged into
 these4 ,then  immediately following    
their proclamation we have the following

 scene3--          8,and ,i looked and  
behold a white cloud1 and upon the cloud
 one sat      like unto the ,son of man1
 having on his head a golden crown1 and 
in his hand a sharp sickle4444 ,and he  
that sat on the cloud thrust      in his
 sickle on the earth2 and the earth was 
reaped40 ,rev4      #ad3adaf4      ,in  
,rev4 #ad3faf1 then1 we learn what is   
the meaning of the term 8gospel of  the 
kingdom40 ,it is the gospel1 and it     
embraces the admonitions and            
instructions relative to the second     
coming of ,christ4 ,and now that we have
  reached that time1 the complete gospel
 embraces the good news of the  coming  
kingdom with appropriate warnings and   
teachings4 ,our ,saviour says  it 8shall
 be preached in all the world for a     
witness unto all nations40  ,the        
,revelator says the message is to be    
preached 8to every nation1  kindred1    
tongue1 and people40 ,when this shall be
 done1 the end will come4    ,the       
worldwide proclamation of the soon      

coming of ,christ was inaugurated  about
 #ahcb4 ,since that time1 the work of   
extending its warning voice has  gone   
on4 ,a most remarkable feature of this  
movement is the fact that in  different 
countries individuals were moved upon1  
almost simultaneously1 to  study the    
prophecies and proclaim the nearness of 
the end1 although they  knew nothing of 
what was being done by others4 ,in the  
,united ,states and  ,canada1 in ,great 
,britain1 ,norway1 ,sweden1 ,germany1   
and in ,asia1 a profound  interest in   
this subject was created1 and people    
were led to expect the  early appearance
 of ,jesus4 ,since that time clearer    
light has appeared in  connection with  
the other messages of ,revelation #ad1  
and still the work is  onward4 ,wherever
 the light of the ,bible has penetrated1
 the good news of  the coming ,saviour  
is now going4 ,not only so1 but         
messengers bearing this  gracious       
warning are rapidly finding their way   
into the dark portions of  the earth4   

,evidence of its extent and progress    
might be expressed in facts  and        
figures1 but the rapid development of   
the work would soon leave these  in the 
rear4 ,let it suffice to say that at    
present the everlasting gospel  is being
 preached and published in all the      
leading languages and countries  of the 
world4 ,the work has encircled the      
globe4 ,it is rapidly reaching  every   
nation4 ,we now wait for the approaching
 end2 for when the purpose of  ,god in  
the proclamation of the coming reign of 
,christ shall be fully  accomplished1   
then the end will come4    ,thus far in 
this discourse ,jesus has passed over   
the entire ,christian  dispensation4    
,beginning with a warning against the   
deceptions that were to  succeed his own
 times1 he next describes wars and      
disasters1 persecutions1  apostasy1 the 
perils of the last days1 and closes with
 a distinct sign of  the end4           
,,when ,,shall ,,these ,,things ,,be8   
,,verses #aebj3 8,when ye1 therefore1   

shall see the abomination of            
desolation1 spoken of by ,daniel the    
prophet1 stand in the holy      place   
7whoso readeth1 let him understand72    
then let them which be      in ,judea   
flee into the mountains2 let him which  
is on the housetop      not come down to
 take anything out of his house2 neither
 let him      which is in the field     
return back to take his clothes4 ,and   
woe      unto them that are with child1 
and to them that give suck in those     
days6 ,but pray ye that your flight be  
not in the winter1 neither      on the  
,sabbath day40      ,our ,lord having in
 verses #ead1 passed over the important 
events in the  ,christian age down to   
the end1 goes back and introduces in    
verse #ae the  destruction of           
,jerusalem1 in answer to the inquiry1   
8,when shall these  things be80 ,luke's 
version of this language is1 8,when ye  
shall see  ,jerusalem encompassed with  
armies1 then know that the desolation   
thereof  is nigh40 ,luke #ba3bj4 ,by    

this we know that the term 8abomination 
of  desolation0 refers to the ,roman    
army4 ,this desolating power is spoken  
of  by ,daniel as follows3--            
8,and the people of the prince that     
shall come shall destroy the      city  
and the sanctuary2 and the end thereof  
shall be with a flood1      and unto the
 end of the war desolations are         
determined4444 ,and for      the        
overspreading of abominations he shall  
make it desolate1 even      until the   
consummation1 and that determined shall 
be poured upon      the desolate40      
,margin1 8desolator40 ,dan4 #i3bf1 #bg4 
,illustration                           
,destruction of ,jerusalem by ,titus    
,here is a clear prophecy of the        
destruction of ,jerusalem by the ,roman 
armies4 ,our ,lord referred to the book 
of ,daniel1 and taught his disciples  to
 read and understand it2 and when they  
should see take place what was  there   
predicted1 they must make their escape4 
,it would seem to be impracticable to   

flee from a city after it was           
encompassed with armies2 but our        
,saviour did not speak at random4       
,josephus  tells us that ,cestius1 the  
,roman general who first led the attack 
upon  ,jerusalem1 became dismayed at the
 apparent forces and strength of the    
city1 and after having surrounded the   
city raised the siege4 ,the historian   
says3 8,he retired from the city1       
without any reason in the               
world40--8,wars10 book ii1 chap4 xix4   
,and in the first words of the          
succeeding chapter he further states3   
8,after this calamity had befallen      
,cestius1 many of the most eminent ,jews
 swam away from the city1 as from a     
ship when it was going to sink40    ,dr4
 ,a4 ,clarke1 commenting on verse #af1  
says3--          8,this counsel was     
remembered and wisely followed by the   
,christians      afterwards4 ,eusebius  
and ,epiphanius say1 that at this       
juncture1      after ,cestius ,gallus   
had raised the siege1 all who believed  

in      ,christ left ,jerusalem and fled
 to ,pella1 and other places beyond     
,jordan40      ,the flight of the       
,christians of ,judea to the mountains  
would be attended  with difficulties4   
,and their subsequent condition would be
 that of  hardship and suffering4 ,the  
,lord knew this1 and gave them the      
instructions  and warnings necessary4   
,the statement of verse #ai was given to
 save them  from the sorrows of         
unnecessary woe4 ,that was a time of    
trouble4    ,jesus recognizes the       
existence of the ,sabbath1 in verse #bj1
 as late as the  destruction of         
,jerusalem1 as verily as he does the    
seasons of the year4  ,the ,sabbath1 is 
the uniform term of both ,testaments to 
designate the  very day on which        
,jehovah rested after the creation1 the 
day upon which he  put his blessing1 and
 which he set apart for man4 ,not only  
in this  instance does our ,saviour show
 his regard for the sacred day of rest1 
but  in his life he kept it 7see ,luke  

#d3af72 in his teaching he upheld it1   
and  taught its true character 7,matt4  
#ab3ab72 and when he lay in the tomb1   
the  devout women reverently rested     
8according to the commandment40 ,he     
himself  is ,lord of the ,sabbath1 and  
he declares that it was made for man4   
,mark  #b3bg1 #bh4 ,jesus does not speak
 of the ,sabbath as being only a seventh
 part  of time1 or one day in seven1 and
 no day in particular4 ,the ,sabbath is 
the  term used1 referring to the last   
day of the first week of time1 and to   
the  last day of each subsequent week4  
,it is thus that ,jesus answered the    
question1 8,when shall these things be80
  ,he now proceeds to answer the second 
great question4            ,,what       
,,shall ,,be ,,the ,,sign ,,of ,,thy    
,,coming8          ,,verse #ba3 8,for   
then shall be great tribulation1 such as
 was not      since the beginning of the
 world to this time1 no1 nor ever shall 
be40      ,it is not surprising1        
perhaps1 that upon a casual reading some

 should  conclude that this verse had   
its fulfillment at the siege of         
,jerusalem by  ,titus4 ,it was a time of
 great suffering1 and the verse follows 
so closely  those which relate to the   
destruction of the city1 that this      
explanation  suggests itself readily    
enough4 ,but for good reasons we cannot 
accept that  application of this verse4 
,jesus is giving a continuous prophecy4 
,the  narrative proceeds from verse to  
verse along the line of the entire      
dispensation4    ,the 8great            
tribulation0 mentioned in verse #ba is  
that of the church of  ,christ1 and not 
the tribulation of the ,jews at the     
destruction of  ,jerusalem4 ,we offer   
the following reasons for so deciding3--
    #a4 ,it is a fact that the          
tribulation of the ,christian church1   
especially  under the reign of the      
papacy1 was greater than ,god's people  
had suffered  before 8since the         
beginning of the world40 ,the           
tribulation of the  ,christian church   

has been greater than it will ever be   
again4 ,true1 a time  of trouble 8such  
as never was10 spoken of in ,dan4 #ab3a1
 is coming upon  the wicked2 but we find
 in the same verse this blessed promise1
 8,and at  that time thy people shall be
 delivered40 ,the tribulation of the    
,jews at  the destruction of ,jerusalem 
was not greater than the world will ever
  witness4 ,the vials of ,jehovah's     
unmingled wrath are yet to be poured    
out1  not upon the people of one nation 
only1 but upon the guilty people of all 
nations4          8,the slain of the    
,lord shall be at that day from one end 
of the      earth even unto the other   
end of the earth2 they shall not be     
lamented1 neither gathered1 nor buried40
 ,jer4 #be3cc4      #b4 ,if the         
tribulation be applied to the ,jews1 or 
to any other class of  unbelieving men1 
it cannot be harmonized with ,dan4      
#ab3a1 which speaks of  the time of     
trouble such as never was1 when ,michael
 shall stand up4  ,certainly there      

cannot be two times of trouble at       
different periods1  greater than ever   
was or ever would be4 ,therefore the    
8tribulation0 spoken  of in ,matt4      
#bd3ba1 #bi1 applies not to the ,jews1  
but to the church of  ,christ1 extending
 through the #abfj years of papal       
persecution2 and the  8trouble0         
mentioned in ,dan4 #ab3a1 to the        
unbelieving world1 to be  experienced by
 them in the future4                    
,illustration                           
,st4 ,bartholomew ,massacre4      #c4   
,the period of tribulation was shortened
 for the elect's sake4 ,this  cannot    
refer to the ,jews1 for their house had 
been pronounced desolate4  ,they were   
left of ,god in their hardness of heart 
and blindness of mind4  ,says ,paul1    
8,lo1 we turn to the ,gentiles40 ,the   
elect were the followers of  our ,lord  
,jesus ,christ4 ,and where were they    
when tribulation was upon the           
,jews8--,they had fled to the mountains4
 ,it is absurd1 then1 to say that the   

days of tribulation of the ,jews in the 
city of ,jerusalem1 were shortened  for 
the sake of the elect1 who had fled from
 the place of tribulation4  ,moreover   
the tribulation that came upon          
,jerusalem was not restrained or        
modified1 but continued until the city  
was destroyed and its people were  given
 to the sword and to captivity4    #d4  
,the connection between verses #bj and  
#ba shows that the tribulation was  to  
commence with those ,christians who were
 to flee out of the city4 8,but  pray ye
 that your flight be not in the winter1 
neither on the ,sabbathday2  for then   
shall be great tribulation40 ,our ,lord 
here speaks of the  tribulation which   
his people would suffer from the time of
 their flight  onward4 ,we follow them  
in their flight to the mountains1 and   
then pass  along down through the noted 
persecutions of the church of ,god under
 pagan  ,rome1 and we see1 indeed1      
tribulation4 ,and when we come to the   
period of  papal persecutions1 we see   

them suffering the most cruel tortures1 
and  dying the most dreadful deaths that
 wicked men and demons could inflict4   
,this last period is especially noted in
 prophecy4    ,the prophet ,daniel saw  
the papacy1 its blasphemy1 its          
ignorance1 its work  of death on the    
saints1 and its duration as a           
persecuting power1 under the  symbol of 
the little horn4                        
,illustration                           
,taking the ,pope ,prisoner4 #agih4     
8,and he shall speak great words against
 the ,most ,high1 and shall      wear   
out the saints of the ,most ,high1 and  
think to change times      and laws2 and
 they shall be given into his hand until
 a time and      times and the dividing 
of time40 ,dan4 #g3be4      ,it is      
generally admitted that 8a time and     
times and the dividing of time0  is     
#abfj years4 ,the proof of it may       
readily be seen by comparing ,rev4      
#ab3ad1 #f2 #ac3e1 with the scripture   
just quoted4 ,in these passages we learn

  that 8time1 times1 and the dividing of
 time0 is equivalent to a thousand  two 
hundred and threescore days1 which      
equals three and one half ,biblical     
years1 or 8forty and two months40       
,applying the scriptural rule of        
interpretation1 a day for a year 7,eze4 
#d3f71 we have #abfj years4    ,this    
period is to cover the supremacy of the 
papacy4 ,the beginning of it  will be   
the point of the establishment of the   
power of the papacy4 ,this  was the year
 #ech ,a4 ,d4 ,justinian1 emperor of    
,rome1 with his capital at              
,constantinople1 espoused the cause of  
the bishop of ,rome2 and in #ecc ,a4 ,d4
  issued a decree which constituted that
 prelate head of all the churches4  ,but
 the ,arian ,ostrogoths had possession  
of ,rome1 and it was not until they  had
 been rooted up that the city was       
accessible to the bishop4 ,this was     
accomplished in #ech1 by ,belisarius1   
,justinian's celebrated general4 ,for a 
concise and clear account of this       

occurrence we refer the reader to the   
8,two ,republics10 by ,a4 ,t4 ,jones1   
pp4 #eeaeec4    ,commencing the #abfj   
years ,a4 ,d4 #ech1 they reach to ,a4   
,d4 #agih1 when  ,berthier1 a ,french   
general1 took possession of ,rome4 ,the 
pope was made a  prisoner and carried   
with violence away from his palace and  
out of ,italy4  ,the papacy was stripped
 of its civil power4 ,here ended the    
days of  tribulation spoken of by our   
,lord1 which were--          ,shortened 
,for ,the ,elect's ,sake4               
,,verse #bb3 8,and except those days    
should be shortened1 there should       
no flesh be saved2 but for the elect's  
sake those days shall be                
shortened40      ,the papacy was clothed
 with civil power to punish heretics1   
which it held  for #abfj years2 and had 
not the period of tribulation of the    
elect in the  providence of ,god been   
shortened1 the martyrdom of the church  
would have  continued to #agih1 in which
 event1 no flesh of the elect would have

 been  saved4 ,but the ,reformation     
under ,martin ,luther1 and those        
associated with  this great reformer1   
modified this tribulation1 and continued
 to restrain  the rage and power of the 
papacy until the suppression of the     
,jesuits in  #aggc1 since which time1   
there has been no general persecution   
waged  against the church4 ,thus we are 
brought in this prophetic discourse of  
our  ,lord1 down into the eighteenth    
century1 very near the present time4 ,we
  would naturally expect1 then1 that the
 instructions and warnings which  follow
 would be applicable to this generation4
          ,lo1 ,here1 ,and ,lo1 ,there4 
,,verses #bcbg3 8,then if any man shall 
say unto you1 ,lo1 here is      ,christ1
 or there2 believe it not4 ,for there   
shall arise false      christs1 and     
false prophets1 and shall show great    
signs and      wonders2 insomuch that1  
if it were possible1 they shall deceive 
the very elect4 ,behold1 ,i have told   
you before4 ,wherefore if they          

shall say unto you1 ,behold1 he is in   
the desert2 go not forth3      behold3  
he is in the secret chambers2 believe it
 not4 ,for as the      lightning cometh 
out of the east and shineth even unto   
the west2      so shall also the coming 
of the ,son of man be40      ,in these  
verses the great theme of ,christ's     
second coming is again vividly  brought 
forth4 ,satan is ever on the alert to   
contravene by some device or  art1 the  
work of ,god4 ,his most successful plan 
is to deceive4 ,by this  means he gains 
ready access to all such as desire to   
evade the force of  truth4 ,and having  
deceived an individual1 he not only     
prevents his  salvation1 but gains to   
himself an adherent if not an active    
agent4 ,so1 as  the time for the second 
advent draws near1 the enemy becomes    
particularly  active1 knowing that he   
hath but a short time4 ,in the words    
last quoted  our ,lord seeks to prepare 
the minds of his people for the         
deceptions that  are to be practiced    

upon those who live near the time of his
 second  coming4 ,there will be those   
who will cry1 8,lo1 here2 or ,lo1       
there10 some  will even claim to be     
,christ4 ,they will purport to represent
 the truth in  regard to ,christ's      
coming in various plausible or fanatical
 ways4 ,others1  in order to reach other
 minds1 will present theories of human  
device  accounting for the advent of    
,christ in various socalled rational    
schemes4  ,many sincere people will be  
led to expect the conversion of the     
world  through a millennium of peace4   
,others will be persuaded that the      
coming of  ,christ means death4 ,and    
even false prophets1 showing great signs
 and  wonders1 will appear4 ,all these  
form an atmosphere of deception1 the    
miasma of which will stupefy1 if it were
 possible1 the elect of ,god4    ,in    
this fearful work will be engaged the   
notorious deceiver1 the trained  agents 
of ,satan1 the worldly philosopher1     
worldly preachers1 popular  ministers1  

critics of the ,bible1 and many whose   
eyes do not discern the  signs of the   
times4 ,the ,mormons call the people to 
the desert2  ,spiritualism invites us to
 the secret chamber1 where ,satanic     
signs and  wonders are wrought to       
captivate the mind and divert it from   
the truth4 ,of  these 8false prophets0  
,paul speaks in #a ,tim4 #d3a3--        
8,now the ,spirit speaketh expressly1   
that in the latter times some      shall
 depart from the faith1 giving heed to  
seducing spirits and      doctrines of  
devils40      ,in another scripture the 
apostle places the coming of ,christ in 
connection  with--          8,the       
working of ,satan with all power and    
signs and lying wonders1      and with  
all deceivableness of unrighteousness in
 them that      perish2 because they    
received not the love of the truth1 that
 they      might be saved4 ,and for this
 cause ,god shall send them strong      
delusions1 that they should believe a   
lie40 #b ,thess4 #b3iaa4      ,these are

 some of the deceptions of which ,christ
 is speaking in the text4  ,it is       
undoubtedly the work of modern          
,spiritualism4 ,this work1 in its       
present form1 originated in the year    
#ahdh1 and constitutes and is to        
constitute one of the most prominent    
signs of the end4    ,let no one be     
deceived by any means4 ,for these are   
but subterfuges4 ,they  are not the     
coming of ,christ4 ,he has said1 8,i    
will come again1 and receive  you unto  
myself40 ,john #ad3c4    ,the angels    
said at his ascension1--          8,this
 same ,jesus1 which is taken up from you
 into heaven1 shall      so come in like
 manner as ye have seen him go into     
heaven40 ,acts      #a3aa4      ,paul   
tells us1--          8,the ,lord himself
 shall descend from heaven with a shout1
 with the      voice of the archangel   
and with the trump of ,god40 #a ,thess4 
#d3af4      ,and here our ,saviour      
says3--          8,as the lightning     
cometh out of the east1 and shineth1    

unto the      west2 so shall also the   
coming of the ,son of man be40      ,he 
will come literally1 personally1 the    
same ,jesus who was here upon the       
earth4 ,not in lowly form as an offering
 for sin1 to be set at naught1  abused1 
and crucified1 but in 8all his glory0   
attended with 8all the holy  angels40   
,matt4 #be3ca4 ,we shall know when he   
comes for 8every eye shall see  him40   
,rev4 #a3g4    ,none of these evasions  
of the truth will ever be able to       
counterfeit the  real event4 ,the ,roman
 army did not come to ,jerusalem in this
 way4 ,death  does not come in this way4
 ,the deceptive wonders of ,spiritualism
 cannot  imitate the glory of ,christ's 
second coming4 ,he will come in power   
and  great glory 7verse #cj72 he will   
come in the glory of his ,father        
7chapter  #af3bg72 and in the glory of  
the holy angels 7,luke #i3bf72 all the  
holy  angels shall come with him4 ,matt4
 #be3ca4 ,his coming will be as glorious
  and resplendent as the lightning4     

,when ,jesus revealed himself to ,saul  
of  ,tarsus1 there was a light above the
 brightness of the sun 7,acts #bf3ac72  
of  the angel who appeared at the tomb  
after the resurrection of ,jesus it is  
said1 8,his countenance was like        
lightning0 7,matt4 #bh3c72 and ,ezekiel 
says  of the messengers of the ,most    
,high1 they 8ran and returned as the    
appearance of a flash of lightning40    
,eze4 #a3ad4    ,when ,jesus comes in   
the glory of his ,father1 with so       
glorious a train  attendant1 his coming 
will indeed be as the lightning coming  
out of the  east and shining to the     
west1 and no one will have any more     
occasion or  opportunity to say to his  
fellow1 8,see here10 than one would have
 to call  another to behold a gleam of  
lightning flashing through the heavens4 
,the  vivid lightning flashing out of   
the distant east1 and shining even to   
the  west1 lights up the whole heavens4 
,what1 then1 when the ,lord comes in    
flaming glory1 and all the holy angels  

with him8 ,the presence of only one     
holy angel at the sepulcher where       
,christ lay dead1 caused the ,roman     
guard  to shake1 and become as dead men4
 ,the light and glory of one angel      
completely overpowered those strong     
sentinels4 ,the ,son of man is coming in
  his own kingly glory1 and in the glory
 of his ,father1 attended by all the    
holy angels4 ,then the whole heavens    
will blaze with glory1 and the whole    
earth will tremble before him4          
,the ,signs ,of ,christ's ,coming4      
,,verses #bica3 8,immediately after the 
tribulation of those days      shall the
 sun be darkened1 and the moon shall not
 give her light1      and the stars     
shall fall from heaven1 and the powers  
of the      heavens shall be shaken4    
,and then shall appear the sign of the  
,son      of man in heaven1 and then    
shall all the tribes of the earth       
mourn1 and they shall see the ,son of   
man coming in the clouds of      heaven1
 with power and great glory4 ,and he    

shall send his angels      with a great 
sound of a trumpet2 and they shall      
gather together      his elect from the 
four winds1 from one end of heaven to   
the      other40      ,we have before   
seen that our ,lord speaks in this      
chapter of the long  period of          
tribulation that was to come upon his   
followers1 and we have  also seen how   
those days of tribulation were shortened
 for the elect's  sake4 ,christ says    
that the sun should be darkened         
immediately after the  tribulation of   
those days4 ,mark in his gospel1 gives  
it as follows3--          8,in those    
days1 after that tribulation1 the sun   
shall be darkened1      and the moon    
shall not give her light40 ,mark #ac3bd4
      ,this makes the time in which the 
sun was to be darkened more distinct and
  definite4 ,the days of tribulation    
were the #abfj years of papal supremacy1
  beginning in #ech ,a4 ,d4 and ending  
with the capture of ,rome and the pope  
by  the ,french in #agih4 ,but we have  

already seen that the 8tribulation0 or  
persecution of those days was           
8shortened0 for the elect's sake4 ,that 
is1  the active persecution of the      
church by papal power ceased in #aggc4  
,then1  according to ,mark's statement1 
the sun should be darkened between that 
date and #agih4 ,it was fulfilled4 ,may 
#ai1 #aghj1 has passed into history as  
8the dark day40    ,this is a fact of so
 general knowledge that we need not     
consume space in  elucidating it4 ,a few
 references to undoubted authorities    
will suffice4    ,noah ,webster's       
dictionary1 in the edition for #ahfi1   
under the head of  ,explanatory and     
,pronouncing ,vocabulary of ,noted      
,names1 says3--          8,the dark day1
 ,may #ai1 #aghj--so called on account  
of a remarkable      darkness on that   
day extending over all ,new ,england4   
,in some      places1 persons could not 
see to read common print in the open air
      for several hours together4 ,birds
 sang their evening songs1              

disappeared1 and became silent2 fowls   
went to roost2 cattle sought      the   
barnyard2 and candles were lighted in   
the houses4 ,the      obscuration began 
about ten o'clock in the morning1 and   
continued      till the middle of the   
next night1 but with differences of     
degree      and duration in different   
places4 ,for several days previous1 the 
wind had been variable1 but chiefly from
 the southwest and the      northeast4  
,the true cause of this remarkable      
phenomenon is not      known40          
,from another good authority we quote3--
          8,a solemn gloom of unusual   
darkness before ten o'clock1--a still   
darker cloud rolling under the sable    
curtain from the north and      west    
before eleven o'clock1--excluded the    
light so that none could      see to    
read or write in the ,house1 even at    
either window1 or      distinguish      
persons at a small distance1 or perceive
 any      distinction of dress in the   
circle of attendants2 wherefore1 at     

eleven o'clock adjourned the ,house till
 two in the      afternoon40--,journal  
of the ,connecticut ,house of           
,representatives1      ,friday1 ,may    
#ai1 #aghj4      ,herschel1 the great   
astronomer1 says3--          8,the dark 
day in ,northern ,america was one of    
those wonderful      phenomena of nature
 which will always be read with         
interest1 but      which philosophy is  
at a loss to explain40      ,a          
contemporary paper contained the        
following3--          8,during the whole
 time a sickly1 melancholy gloom        
overcast the      face of nature4 ,nor  
was the darkness of the night less      
uncommon      and terrifying than that  
of the day1 for notwithstanding there   
was      almost a full moon1 no object  
was discernible but by the help of      
some artificial light1 which seen from  
the neighboring houses and      other   
places at a distance appeared through a 
kind of ,egyptian      darkness which   
seemed almost impervious to its rays4   

,this unusual      phenomenon excited   
the fears and apprehensions of many     
people40--,mass4 ,spy1 ,correspondence1 
#aghj4      ,from another good authority
 we take the following3--               
8,almost1 if not altogether alone as the
 most mysterious and as yet             
unexplained phenomenon of its kind in   
nature's diversified range      of      
events during the last century1 stands  
the dark day of ,may #ai1      #aghj1 a 
most unaccountable darkening of the     
whole visible heavens      and          
atmosphere in ,new ,england1 which      
brought intense alarm and      distress 
to multitudes of minds1 as well as      
dismay to the brute      creation1 the  
fowls fleeing1 bewildered1 to their     
roosts1 and the      birds to their     
nests1 and the cattle returning to their
 stalls4      ,indeed thousands of the  
good people of that day became fully    
convinced that the end of all things    
terrestrial had come2 many      gave up1
 for the time1 their secular pursuits1  

and betook      themselves to religious 
devotions40--8,our ,first ,century40    
,an extract from a sermon preached at   
that time will be of interest3--        
8,but especially ,i mention that        
wonderful darkness on the #aith of      
,may inst4 #aghj4 ,then1 as in our text1
 the sun was darkened2 such      a      
darkness as probably was never known    
before since the      crucifixion of our
 ,lord4 ,people left their work in the  
house and      in the field4 ,travelers 
stopped2 schools broke up at eleven     
o'clock2 people lighted candles at      
noonday2 and the fire shone as      at  
night4 ,some people1 ,i have been told1 
were in dismay1 and      thought whether
 the day of ,judgment was not drawing   
on4 ,a great      part of the following 
night also was singularly dark4 ,the    
moon1      though in the full1 gave no  
light1 as in our text40--,from a        
manuscript sermon by ,rev4 ,elam        
,potter1 delivered ,may #bh1 #aghj4     
,by the remarkable obscuration of the   

moon on the following night1 the next   
sign1 8,and the moon shall not give her 
light10 was fulfilled4 ,concerning  this
 it is only necessary to insert a few   
words3--          8,the night succeeding
 that day 7,may #ai1 #aghj7 was of such 
pitchy      darkness that1 in some      
instances1 horses could not be compelled
 to      leave the stable when wanted   
for service4 ,about midnight1 the       
clouds were dispersed1 and the moon and 
stars appeared with      unimpaired     
brilliancy40--8,stone's ,history of     
,beverly40      ,mr4 ,tenny1 of ,exeter1
 ,n4 ,h41 quoted by ,mr4 ,gage1 to the  
,historical  ,society1 speaking of the  
dark day and dark night of ,may #ai1    
#aghj1 says3--          8,the darkness  
of the following evening was probably as
 gross as      has ever been observed   
since the ,almighty first gave birth to 
light4 ,i could not help conceiving at  
the time1 that if every      luminous   
body in the universe had been shrouded  
in impenetrable      darkness1 or struck

 out of existence1 the darkness could   
not have      been more complete4 ,a    
sheet of white paper held within a few  
inches of the eye was equally invisible 
with the blackest velvet40              
,concerning a similar phenomenon in the 
,old ,world a reliable work says3--     
8,three years later1 and ,europe with   
its teeming millions went      under as 
mysterious a cloud1 which1 though not so
 dense1 yet      continued longer and   
awoke a wonder and fear that was widely 
felt4      ,a haze1 for which no known  
cause was then assigned 7though in      
subsequent years it has been supposed by
 some to have been      volcanic dust71 
spread through the entire breadth of the
      atmosphere over all the continent 
far into ,asia4 ,it appeared in         
,denmark1 ,may #bi1 reached ,france1    
,june #ad2 ,italy1 ,june #af2 ,norway1  
,june #bb2 ,austria and ,switzerland1   
,june #bc2 ,sweden1 ,june #bd2 and      
,russia1 ,june #be4 ,by the close of the
 month it had overspread like      a    

pall all ,syria1 and on ,july #ah1 had  
penetrated the heart of ,asia      to   
the ,altai ,mountains4 ,the obscurity   
prevailed a greater portion      of the 
summer1 imparting to the sun an         
unnatural color of a dull1      rusty   
red1 and causing both the days and      
nights to wear a weird      and gloomy  
aspect4 ,the atmosphere was highly      
electric1 and nature      was greatly   
convulsed4        8,dr4 ,n4 ,webster in 
his valuable #8,history of              
,pestilences1' vol4 ii4      p4 #bgd1   
testifies to the general fear4 ,as it   
was in ,america on the      occurrence  
of the #8dark day1' so the churches in  
,europe were      crowded with alarmed  
multitudes supplicating mercy of        
,heaven4      ,professor ,lalande1 the  
astronomer of ,france1 attempted to     
quiet      the popular fear by ascribing
 the darkened heavens to exhalations    
arising out of the earth2 but both      
,webster and ,humboldt 7,cosmos         
,,iv41 p4 #ge7 rejected this solution of

 the mysterious obscurity4              
,protestant ,england shared in the alarm
 it occasioned2 and the poet            
,cowper sang that all the elements      
#8preached the general doom4' ,it       
was to this unaccountable obscuration of
 light that he refers in      his       
#8,task3'--        8 #8,nature seems    
with dim and sickly eye      ,to wait   
the close of all4' 0        --8,great   
,consummation40          8,and ,the     
,stars ,shall ,fall40      ,how this    
sign can be fulfilled is a query with   
some people1 who1 perhaps  captiously1  
remark that it would be impossible1     
since the earth itself is  but a small  
body compared with many of the vast     
worlds of space4 ,but all  such queries 
are out of date now since the sign      
itself has already been  witnessed4 ,on 
the night of ,november #ac1 #ahcc1 the  
grandest display of  celestial fireworks
 ever beheld took place4 ,from works of 
accepted  authority we take the         
following descriptions of this          

remarkable event3--          8,but the  
most sublime phenomenon of shooting     
stars1 of which the      world has      
furnished any record1 was witnessed     
throughout the      ,united ,states on  
the morning of the #acth of ,november1  
#ahcc4 ,the      entire extent of this  
astonishing exhibition has not been     
precisely ascertained2 but it covered no
 inconsiderable portion of      the     
earth's surface4444 ,the first          
appearance was that of fireworks      of
 the most imposing grandeur1 covering   
the entire vault of heaven      with    
myriads of fireballs1 resembling        
skyrockets4 ,their      coruscations    
were bright1 gleaming1 and incessant1   
and they fell      thick as the flakes  
in the early snows of ,december4 ,to the
      splendors of this celestial       
exhibition the most brilliant sky       
rockets and fireworks of art bear less  
relation than the      twinkling of the 
most tiny star to the broad glare of the
 sun4 ,the      whole heavens seemed in 

motion1 and suggested to some the awful 
grandeur of the image employed in the   
,apocalypse1 upon the opening      of   
the sixth seal1 when #8the stars of     
heaven fell unto the earth1      even as
 a figtree casteth her untimely figs1   
when she is shaken      of a mighty     
wind4' 0--,burritt's 8,geography of the 
,heavens10 p4 #afc1 ed4 #ahed4          
,illustration                           
,the ,falling ,stars4      ,a celebrated
 astronomer and meteorologist1 says3--  
8,those who were so fortunate as to     
witness the exhibition of      shooting 
stars on the morning of ,nov4 #ac1      
#ahcc1 probably saw the      greatest   
display of celestial fireworks that has 
ever been since      the creation of the
 world1 or at least within the annals   
covered      by the pages of history4   
8,in nearly all places the meteors began
 to attract notice by their      unusual
 frequency as early as eleven o'clock1  
and increased in      numbers and       
splendor until about four o'clock1 from 

which time      they gradually declined1
 but were visible until lost in the     
light      of day4 ,the meteors did not 
fly at random over all parts of the     
sky1 but appeared to emanate from a     
point in the constellation      ,leo1   
near a star called ,gamma ,leonis1 in   
the bend of the      ,sickle4444        
8,the extent of the shower of #ahcc was 
such as to cover no      inconsiderable 
part of the earth's surface1 from the   
middle of the      ,atlantic on the east
 to the ,pacific on the west2 and from  
the      northern coast of ,south       
,america to undefined regions among the 
,british possessions on the north1 the  
exhibition was visible1 and             
everywhere presented nearly the same    
appearance4 ,this is no longer      to  
be regarded as a terrestrial but a      
celestial phenomenon1 and      shooting 
stars are now to be no more viewed as   
casual productions      of the upper    
regions of the atmosphere1 but as       
visitants from      other worlds1 or    

from the planetary voids40--,prof4      
,olmstead1 of      ,yale ,college4      
8,no philosopher or scholar has told or 
recorded an event1 ,i      suppose1 like
 that of yesterday morning4 ,a prophet  
#ahjj years ago      foretold it        
exactly1 if we will be at the trouble of
 understanding      stars falling to    
mean falling stars2 or #8hoi asteres tou
 ouranou      epesan eis teen geen1' in 
the only sense in which it is possible  
to be literally true40--,henry ,dana    
,ward1 in ,journal of ,commerce1        
,nov4 #ad1 #ahcc4      ,not only here in
 ,matthew #bd is attention directed to  
these signs as  premonitory of the      
coming of ,christ4 ,the ,lord through   
the prophet ,joel  says3--              
8,the sun shall be turned into darkness1
 and the moon into blood1      before   
the great and the terrible day of the   
,lord come40      ,under the sixth seal1
 as given in ,rev4 #f3abag1 we have the 
following  language3--          8,and ,i
 beheld when he had opened the sixth    

seal1 and1 lo1 there      was a great   
earthquake2 and the sun became black as 
sackcloth of      hair1 and the moon    
became as blood2 and the stars of heaven
 fell      unto the earth even as a fig 
tree casteth her untimely figs when     
she is shaken of a mighty wind4 ,and the
 heaven departed as a      scroll when  
it is rolled together2 and every        
mountain and island      were moved out 
of their places40      ,that the fourth 
and fifth seals apply to the papal      
persecution there can  be no reasonable 
doubt4 ,if so1 then the great earthquake
 with which the  sixth seal opens would 
be that of ,lisbon1 in #agee1 which     
agitated the  greater part of the earth 
and destroyed many thousands of lives1  
#fj1jjj in  ,lisbon alone4    ,the      
darkening of the sun and moon follows in
 #aghj1 and the falling of the  stars in
 #ahcc4 ,consequently the next event    
which we are to expect under  this seal 
is the departing of the heavens as a    
scroll4 ,this being future1  we may say 

that we are living between the          
thirteenth and fourteenth verses  of    
,revelation #f4    ,in the gospel as    
written by ,luke1 however1 we have at   
this point some  additional             
specifications given1 which are of such 
interest at the present  juncture4 ,and 
they rightfully belong to this          
exposition1 since both  ,matthew and    
,luke are giving versions of the same   
discourse4 ,the passage  from ,luke to  
which reference is made is the          
following3--          8,and there shall 
be signs in the sun1 and in the moon1   
and in the      stars2 and upon the     
earth distress of nations1 with         
perplexity2      the sea and the waves  
roaring2 men's hearts failing them for  
fear1      and for looking after those  
things which are coming on the earth3   
for the powers of heaven shall be       
shaken40 ,luke #ba3bebg4                
,illustration                           
,modern ,cyclone4      ,the signs in the
 sun1 moon1 and stars are here spoken of

 less specifically  than by ,matthew1   
while other features of the times1 which
 ,matthew does not  notice1 are         
introduced between those signs and the  
shaking of the powers  of heaven4 ,these
 are of peculiar interest to us because 
we are living in  the very days when the
 things that ,luke speaks of are coming 
to pass4 ,the  signs here predicted     
consist of violent commotions upon earth
 which cause  anxiety1 perplexity1 and  
distress among nations and in the hearts
 of men4  ,we may refer the expression1 
8the sea and the waves roaring10 to     
unusual  disturbances of the natural    
elements1 and we have the most abundant 
evidences of its fulfillment in the     
storms and convulsions of nature that   
are occurring by sea and land1 filling  
the heart with dread at the sight  of   
every dark cloud that arises4 ,the tidal
 waves and volcanic upheavals at  sea   
have1 in the last two or three decades1 
been marked with extraordinary          
violence4 ,on land1 cyclones and        

earthquakes have carried on a fearful   
work  of destruction4 ,many instances   
might be cited to substantiate this     
statement1 but the events are too       
familiar to require it4 ,hardly a week  
passes but some great calamity of this  
kind is recorded4    ,but the expression
 referred to is probably susceptible of 
another  application in which it will be
 found to be as forcible and pertinent  
to  the present state of affairs as in  
the one just noticed4 ,this would be to 
give the term 8sea and waves0 its       
symbolic meaning4 ,the prophet of old   
said3 8,and behold the four winds of    
heaven strove upon the great sea40      
,dan4 #g3b4 ,we are told that the sea   
represents 8peoples1 and multitudes1    
and nations1 and tongues40 ,rev4 #ag3ae4
 ,taking the words in this sense1 the   
meaning and fulfillment are still as    
apparent as before2 and the  expression 
joins its force to that of the remainder
 of the passage--8upon  the earth       
distress of nations1 with perplexity2   

the sea and the waves  roaring2 men's   
hearts failing them for fear and for    
looking after those  things which are   
coming on the earth40 ,in this sense the
 expression in  question would indicate 
commotion and violent disturbance in the
 social  and political world4 ,in this  
meaning all will at once see the vivid  
force  of the text as applied to our    
times4                                  
,illustration                           
,assassination of ,carnot4      ,the    
times we live in are anomalous to any   
that have ever preceded us4 ,for  some  
years there have been universal and     
active preparations for war1 and  almost
 universal peace4 ,to secure the        
greatest efficiency of armed forces  for
 defensive and offensive purposes1 has  
been the prime consideration of         
government1 especially so1 as far as the
 ,old ,world nations are concerned4     
,europe echoes to the tread of vast     
hosts of war while the nations are      
driven to their wits' end to provide for

 their support4 ,it is well known  that 
these costly preparations are not for   
show2 and the hearts of men  quail in   
view of the culmination which1 though   
delayed1 must soon be  reached4    ,but 
while the temple of ,janus is closed as 
far as international strife is          
concerned1 and angel hands are holding  
the winds of war 7see ,rev4 #g3ac71     
internal strife and dissension are      
rending the vitals of the great nations 
of earth4 ,within the confines of its   
own border1 each of these nations is    
cherishing elements of the deadliest    
nature4 ,trouble is brewing that has    
for the people far more terror than     
foreign complications4 ,for some time   
the ominous mutterings of an oncoming   
storm have been heard in every land1    
and it requires no remarkable acumen to 
discern the rapid approach of the       
crisis4    ,the apostle ,james strikes  
directly at the matter in a prophetic   
glance and  exhortation in the following
 language3--          8,go to now1 ye   

rich men1 weep and howl for your        
miseries that      shall come upon you4 
,your riches are corrupted1 and your    
garments      are motheaten4 ,your gold 
and silver is cankered2 and the rust of 
them shall be a witness against you1 and
 shall eat your flesh as      it were   
fire4 ,ye have heaped treasure together 
for the last days4      ,behold1 the    
hire of the laborers who have reaped    
down your fields1      which is of you  
kept back by fraud1 crieth2 and the     
cries of them      which have reaped are
 entered into the ears of the ,lord of  
,sabaoth4 ,ye have lived in pleasure on 
the earth1 and been wanton2      ye have
 nourished your hearts1 as in a day of  
slaughter4 ,ye have      condemned and  
killed the just2 and he doth not resist 
you40 ,james      #e3af4      ,the      
apostle locates the circumstances he    
here refers to in the last days4  ,he   
denounces the rich men who have heaped  
together treasures1 the rust and  canker
 of which will be a witness against     

them4 ,they live in pleasure and        
wantonness while the cries of those     
whose wages they have kept back enter   
into the ears of the ,lord of ,hosts4   
,there is a universal cry of hard times 
in all the world4 ,it is hard to  obtain
 money2 and yet1 there never was so much
 money as at present4 ,but it  is being 
collected--gathered in heaps--by the    
powerful few1 while the  limited means  
of the masses are dwindling lower and   
lower4 ,the poorer  classes witness the 
absorption of wealth by the moneykings1 
with feelings  that are being aroused to
 the point of desperation by the sense  
of their  inability to secure what seems
 to them a more equitable distribution  
of  the things of this world4 ,the      
laborers cry1 and ,god hears their cry4 
,that these things are taking place     
today as the most prominent feature of  
our social life no one will for a moment
 deny4 ,such colossal fortunes the      
world has heretofore at most but dreamed
 of4 ,there are men living today  who   

have risen in wealth from obscure       
stations to become lords of untold      
millions4 ,their wealth passes the      
bounds of just computation1 for it      
includes the power of oppression by     
which it may be indefinitely  increased4
 ,the lavish expenditure of these means 
for selfish pleasure  often amounts to  
wantonness4    ,well then1 what is to be
 done8 ,it is a difficult and delicate  
matter to  frame and secure legislation 
by which this or any other class of men 
shall  be deprived of the management of 
their own business as long as that      
business is legitimate and is           
legitimately conducted4 ,shall anarchy  
and  violence be resorted to8 ,shall the
 laborer seize the torch and the weapons
  of death8 ,shall the country be       
devastated by strikes1 strife1 and civil
  war8 ,shall our communities be rent   
with murder1 arson1 treason1 and        
intense personal hatred and enmity8 ,no 
one possessing the natural  instincts of
 humanity could contemplate such a      

condition of affairs except  with       
horror4 ,there are ghouls of society who
 gloat in blood2 but such are  not true 
citizens1 they are not neighbors1 they  
certainly are not  ,christians4    ,but 
what shall we do as citizens1 neighbors1
 and ,christians8 ,this is a  question  
of great importance just now4           
,inspiration long ago foresaw our       
situation4 ,the pitying ,saviour long   
since anticipated the sufferings that   
are to come upon this generation2 and   
having1 through his servant1  outlined  
the present condition of affairs so     
closely1 he certainly would  not leave  
his followers uninformed as to the      
course he would have them  pursue4 ,we  
have to read only two verses farther in 
,james's letter to find  the counsel we 
need4          8,be patient therefore1  
brethren1 unto the coming of the ,lord4 
,behold1 the husbandman waiteth for the 
precious fruit of the      earth1 and   
hath long patience for it1 until he     
receive the early      and latter rain4 

,be ye also patient2 stablish your      
hearts2 for      the coming of the ,lord
 draweth nigh40 ,james #e3g1 #h4        
,illustration                           
,chicago ,riot4      ,oppression and    
revolt1 combination and intrigue1 strife
 and bloodshed1  never will cease until 
the supreme selfishness1 which in the   
absence of  divine grace controls all   
men1 gives place to true philanthropy1  
and a  brotherhood that is not outlined 
by class or sectional interests4 ,this  
happy time is coming4 ,when ,jesus      
comes1 he will take to himself his power
  and reign in righteousness4 ,then will
 the hills be brought low1 the  valleys 
exalted1 the crooked be made straight1  
and the rough places  smooth4    ,those 
who are weary of strife1 those who      
through misfortune or oppression  have  
been made to feel their need of relief  
will find rest to their souls  in       
looking for the coming of the ,lord4 ,it
 is vain to match evil with evil  or to 
try to cure wrong with wrong4 ,the      

gospel of ,christ is the only  remedy   
for these ills4 ,and all that we can    
really do to counteract the  annoyances 
of this life must be done through the   
gospel of peace4 ,in this  time of      
perplexity1 distress1 and fear1 let     
every ,christian hold up  ,christ4 ,let 
his patient suffering be exemplified in 
whatever circumstances  may come4 ,just 
a little beyond1 there is relief4       
,strikes1 boycotts1 lockouts1 trusts1   
unions1 or any other human device or    
demonstration only augments the trouble1
 as the experience of the past few      
years shows4 ,for there never was so    
much of these things as now1 and never  
was capital so insecure1 business so    
uncertain1 and labor in such distress   
as at present4 ,the employment of       
arbitrary force provokes greater efforts
  on the opposite side1 and thus the    
breach is widened and the strife        
becomes more bitter4 ,we do not argue   
the merits or demerits of the case4     
,that there is deep wrong involved1 the 

fruits plainly show4 ,it is our task    
only to point out the one remedy        
available alike to either and all4 ,that
  remedy is the gospel of ,christ1 which
 is soon to close in a glorious  triumph
 for those who have patiently and       
faithfully wrought his will4            
8,the ,powers ,of ,heaven ,shall ,be    
,shaken40      ,we do not apprehend that
 this circumstance will occur as a sign 
of  ,christ's coming1 but rather that it
 will constitute one of the events of   
his coming1 the same as the features    
mentioned in the next verse4 ,an        
evident distinction may be drawn between
 the signs of the advent and the        
circumstances of it4 ,with the falling  
of the stars1 the former cease2 and     
with the next event the latter commence4
 ,this event1 the shaking of the  powers
 of heaven1 we must regard as being     
future4 ,it holds the same place  in the
 events of this chapter1 that the       
departing of the heavens as a  scroll   
does in the events of the sixth seal of 

,revelation #f4 ,both follow  the       
falling stars4 ,the ,scriptures plainly 
teach that1 prior to the  resurrection  
of the just by the voice of the ,son of 
,god1 the voice of ,god  the ,father    
will shake the heavens and the earth1   
when will be fulfilled  the shaking of  
the powers of the heaven4 ,this is not  
the voice of the ,son  of ,god as he    
descends to raise the dead4 ,it comes   
from the throne of ,god  in the temple  
of heaven4          8,the ,lord also    
shall roar out of ,zion1 and utter his  
voice from      ,jerusalem1 and the     
heavens and the earth shall shake2 but  
the ,lord      will be the hope of his  
people1 and the strength of the children
      of ,israel40 ,joel #c3af4         
8,therefore will ,i shake the heavens1  
and the earth shall remove      out of  
her place1 in the wrath of the ,lord of 
hosts1 and in the      day of his fierce
 anger40 ,isa4 #ac3ac4      ,paul quotes
 from the words of the ,lord by ,haggai 
and comments as follows3--              

8,yet once more ,i shake not the earth  
only1 but also heaven4 ,and      this   
word1 yet once more1 signifieth the     
removing of those things      that are  
shaken40 ,heb4 #ab3bf1 #bg4             
8,sign ,of ,the ,son ,of ,man40         
,neither is this one of the signs       
showing that the coming of the ,son of  
man  is near1 but 8the sign of the ,son 
of man in heaven40 ,it is that which    
indicates his position4 ,when ,christ   
ascended from the mount of ,olivet1 8a  
cloud received him0 from the sight of   
his disciples4 ,they still gazed at  the
 cloud as it rolled upward1 bearing the 
,saviour toward the ,father's  throne   
but they could not see his person4 ,when
 he comes 8in like manner0  as he was   
taken up to heaven1 the cloud will      
appear1 small in the  distance1 but as  
it draws near1 it will signify to those 
who are looking  for his return1 that he
 is there1 and soon his presence will   
fill the  earth with matchless glory4   
,in ,rev4 #ad3ad1 the holy seer records 

his view  of the coming ,saviour in the 
following words3 8,and ,i looked1 and   
behold a  white cloud1 and upon the     
cloud one sat like unto the ,son of     
man40    ,this is not a mass of vapor   
but a cloud of resplendent glory4 ,he   
comes  8with power and great glory40 ,he
 will 8come in the glory of his ,father0
  7,matt4 #af3bg72 in his own glory1    
8and all the holy angels with him40     
,matt4  #be3ca4 ,the glory of the       
,father1 of the ,son1 and of all the    
holy  angels--this glory will comprise  
the cloud which attends him on the way4 
,of  its intensity we can form no just  
conception4 ,in the presence of one     
angel  the ,roman guard 8did quake and  
became as dead men40 ,there are ten     
thousand  times ten thousand and        
thousands of thousands of them in this  
throng4  ,above the brightness of their 
glory is that of the ,father and the    
,son4    ,at first the cloud is only    
perceptible1 but as it approaches1 it   
attracts  attention1 and at length every

 eye is fastened intently upon the      
wonderful  spectacle4 ,the trumpet      
resounds1 the voice of the ,archangel   
awakens the  dead1 and they come forth  
to share in the glorious revelation of  
their  ,redeemer4 ,all nature is        
convulsed with her coming dissolution4  
,each moment  the glory draws nearer1   
and soon the wicked can no longer endure
 the  sight4          8,and then shall  
all the tribes of the earth mourn1 and  
they shall      see the ,son of man     
coming in the clouds of heaven with     
power and      great glory40 ,verse #cj4
      ,again attention is directed to   
the parallel language of ,rev4          
#f3aedg3--          8,and the kings of  
the earth1 and the great men1 and the   
rich men1      and the chief captains1  
and the mighty men1 and every bond man1 
and every free man1 hid themselves in   
the dens and in the rocks of      the   
mountains2 and said to the mountains and
 rocks1 ,fall on us1      and hide us   
from the face of him that sitteth on the

 throne1 and      from the wrath of the 
,lamb4 ,for the great day of his wrath  
is      come2 and who shall be able to  
stand80      ,the prophet ,isaiah       
describes the same thrilling event from 
the other  standpoint--that of the      
waiting people of ,god3--          8,he 
will swallow up death in victory1 and   
the ,lord ,god will wipe      away tears
 from off all faces2 and the rebuke of  
his people shall      he take away from 
off all the earth2 for the ,lord hath   
spoken it4      ,and it shall be said in
 that day1 ,lo1 this is our ,god2 we    
have      waited for him1 and he will   
save us3 this is the ,lord2 we have     
waited for him1 we will be glad and     
rejoice in his salvation40      ,isa4   
#be3h1 #i4      ,the apostle ,paul gives
 a vivid description of the event with  
its attendant  circumstances as         
follows3--          8,but ,i would not  
have you to be ignorant1 brethren1      
concerning      them which are asleep1  
that ye sorrow not1 even as others which

      have no hope4 ,for if we believe  
that ,jesus died and rose again1        
even so them also which sleep in ,jesus 
will ,god bring with him4      ,for this
 we say unto you by the word of the     
,lord1 that we which      are alive and 
remain unto the coming of the ,lord     
shall not prevent      them which are   
asleep4 ,for the ,lord himself shall    
descend from      heaven with a shout1  
with the voice of the ,archangel1 and   
with the      trump of ,god3 and the    
dead in ,christ shall rise first3 then  
we      which are alive and remain shall
 be caught up together with them      in
 the clouds1 to meet the ,lord in the   
air2 and so shall we ever      be with  
the ,lord40 #a ,thess4 #d3acag4         
,the once slighted1 insulted1 and       
crucified ,saviour1 now ,king of kings  
and  ,lord of lords1 is coming near the 
earth6 ,his glory blazes everywhere6    
,the  saints hope and rejoice with      
trembling4 ,but what an hour for the    
wicked6  ,the tribes of the earth mourn4

 ,amid the ruins of shivered creation   
they  hold one general prayermeeting4   
,kings and great men1 rich men1 chief   
captains and mighty men1 free and bond1 
all1 yes1 all unite in the general      
wail4 ,as the ,son of man in the glory  
of his ,father1 attended by all the     
holy angels1 draws still nearer1        
consternation fills every breast4 ,they 
hide in dens and in the rocks of the    
mountains4 ,their only hope is to be    
concealed from the glory of that scene4 
,they know it is too late to pray  for  
mercy1 that probation for the human     
family has ended forever4    ,but rocks 
cannot shelter them from the burning    
glory manifested by the  ,king of kings1
 attended by the whole heavenly host4   
,when 8the ,son of man  shall come in   
the glory of the ,father10 8and all the 
holy angels with  him10 no sinner can   
endure the scene and live4 ,the         
exceeding brightness of  that vast      
multitude of angels1 brighter than a    
thousand suns at noonday1  will pierce  

the sinner's lowest hiding place1 and   
will 8make even a speedy  riddance of   
all them that dwell in the land40 ,zeph4
 #a3ah4 ,the ,son of man  will be seen  
8coming in the clouds of heaven with    
power and great glory40  ,but before his
 coming a great work will be done for   
his people4 ,should he  suddenly burst  
upon them now1 they could not endure    
8the power and great  glory0 of the     
scene4 ,this subject is well illustrated
 by the following  words of the         
prophet3--          8,then shall we     
know1 if we follow on to know the ,lord2
 his going      forth is prepared as the
 morning2 and he shall come unto us as  
the      rain1 as the latter and former 
rain unto the earth40 ,hosea #f3c4      
,the morning is a beautiful figure of   
the opening glory of the day of ,god4   
,the daystar first appears1 then the    
dawn of day4 ,and as the light of day   
increases1 the eyes are enabled to      
endure it1 and view the sun shining in  
his strength4 ,but should the light of  

the sun burst upon the world  suddenly  
at midnight1 no human eye could endure  
it4    ,so will the people of ,god be   
prepared to meet their coming ,king4    
,they must  first break away from the   
love and cares of this world1 and       
consecrate all  to the ,lord4 ,then will
 they1 in due time1 share the outpouring
 of the ,holy  ,spirit 8as the rain1 as 
the latter and former rain upon the     
earth40 ,the  daystar will arise in     
their hearts4 #b ,peter #a3ai4 ,those   
who have taken  heed to the sure word of
 prophecy through the dark1 watching    
night1 then  raise their heads in       
triumph4 ,they are filled with faith and
 with the ,holy  ,spirit4 ,glory is     
poured upon them till they can gaze on  
,christ and angels4  ,the trumpet       
sounds4 ,the angels are dispatched to   
the graves of the  righteous4 ,the voice
 of the ,son of ,god awakes the sleeping
 saints of all  ages4 ,they come forth  
in immortal perfection and1 as they     
leave the earth1  the living saints are 

changed4 ,the 8elect from one end of    
heaven to the  other10 each with an     
angel bright and strong to lead the way1
 are caught  up to meet the ,lord1 who  
waits in midheaven to receive the       
purchase of  his blood4 ,as language    
would fail to describe what follows1 we 
leave the  reader to contemplate it1    
praying that we may be prepared to      
participate  in the meeting scene4      
,parable ,of ,the ,fig,tree4            
,,verses #cb1 #cc3 8,now learn a parable
 of the figtree2 when his      branch is
 yet tender and putteth forth leaves1 ye
 know that summer      is nigh4 ,so     
likewise ye when ye shall see all these 
things1 know      that it #8he1' ,r4 ,v4
 is near1 even at the doors40      ,this
 parable is probably the most forcible  
figure that could be used with  which to
 illustrate this subject4 ,when the     
trees of the field begin to put  forth  
their leaves1 and the tender grass      
springs up1 and the ground is  being    
covered with its green velvet carpet1 we

 know that summer is nigh4  ,it is a    
certainty with us that summer is coming 
when we see these signs in  nature4 ,we 
know that summer is nigh 8,so1          
likewise10 or1 with the same  certainty1
 we may know that ,christ's coming is   
near when the signs in  the sun1 moon1  
and stars are fulfilled4 ,how           
near8--,even at the doors4 ,how  near   
may that be8          ,,verse #cd3      
8,verily ,i say unto you4 ,this         
generation shall not pass1      till all
 these things be fulfilled40      ,it is
 sometimes claimed that the generation  
spoken of was the one then  living4 ,if 
so1 it could have been to no greater    
extent than referring to  the answer of 
the question relating to the destruction
 of ,jerusalem4 ,but  it would be wholly
 illogical to limit the application of  
the statement to  that generation or to 
place its principal significance there4 
8,all these  things0 must include the   
signs and circumstances of which ,christ
 has been  speaking4 ,in the preceding  

verses he gives the parable of the      
figtree1  and addresses those who are to
 be living at that time directly4 8,so  
likewise ye1 when ye shall see all these
 things1 know that it is  near40 ,and   
then1 8,this generation shall not pass40
 ,what generation8  ,evidently the one  
which he was addressing1 and which saw  
8these things  come to pass40 ,not only 
does such an interpretation do no       
violence to the  ,saviour's meaning1 but
 it is obviously the only one that can  
be reasonably  entertained in regard to 
it4    ,paul speaks in the first person 
of those who will be living when ,jesus 
comes1 for he says1 8,we shall not all  
sleep1 but we shall all be changed1  in 
a moment1 in the twinkling of an eye1 at
 the last trump40 #a ,cor4 #ae3ea1  #eb4
 ,or1 8,then we which are alive and     
remain shall be caught up together  with
 them in the clouds1 to meet the ,lord  
in the air40 #a ,thess4 #d3ag4 ,the     
things here mentioned by the apostle did
 not take place in his day4 ,they  have 

not yet taken place4 ,notwithstanding1  
he speaks of them as though  they would 
take place in his day1 and as if he were
 to have a part in  them4    ,the       
proclamation of the coming and kingdom  
of ,christ is given to the last         
generation4 ,god sent ,noah to preach to
 the last generation before the  flood1 
not to any preceding one4 ,the very     
generation which was destroyed  by the  
waters of the flood saw ,noah build the 
ark1 and heard his warning  voice4 ,so  
,god has raised up men to give the      
solemn warning to the world at  the     
right time to give force to the warning4
 ,and the very generation of  men that  
live after the three great signs are    
fulfilled1 and who hear and  reject the 
warning message of ,heaven1 will drink  
the cup of the unmingled  wrath of ,god4
 ,and those of this very generation who 
receive the message1  suffer            
disappointments1 and endure the trials  
of the waiting position1  will witness  
the coming of ,christ1 and exclaim1     

8,lo1 this is our ,god2 we  have waited 
for him1 and he will save us40 ,isa4    
#be3i4    ,with what emphasis our ,lord 
gave utterance to this sentiment6 ,it is
 a  rebuke upon our unbelief4 ,as we    
read it1 ,god help us to believe it3    
8,verily ,i say unto you1 ,this         
generation shall not pass1 till all     
these  things be fulfilled40 ,and as    
though this were not enough to lead us  
to  unwavering faith1 he adds these     
forcible words3 8,heaven and earth shall
  pass away but my words shall not pass 
away40    ,the word and promises of men 
may fail2 but ,christ has given         
assurance that  his word1 and his word  
in reference to this solemn truth1 will 
stand  though heaven and earth fail4    
8,the ,day ,and ,hour40                 
,,verses #cf1 #cg3 8,but of that day and
 hour knoweth no man1 no1 not      the  
angels of heaven1 but my ,father only4  
,but as the days of ,noe      were1 so  
shall also the coming of the ,son of man
 be40      ,this has become a very      

familiar passage of scripture because of
 the  frequent use that is made of it to
 prove that nothing can be known of the 
proximity of the second coming of       
,christ4 ,but if we pause a moment and  
lay  beside this verse those we have    
just studied1 we shall be able to       
discover  the exact truth at once4      
8,when ye shall see these things1 know  
that it is  near even at the doors20    
and1 8,this generation shall not pass1  
till all  these things be fulfilled20   
8,but of that day and hour knoweth no   
man40 ,the  line of knowledge1 then1    
lies between the former expressions and 
the  latter--between 8even at the doors0
 and the definite day and hour4 ,the    
former we may know1 and every ,christian
 is commanded to know4 ,the latter  no  
man knoweth4 ,one may consistently say  
that he knows an event is near1  and yet
 say that he does not know the hour nor 
the day when it will take  place4 ,that 
this is the scriptural teaching upon    
this point may be readily  proved by a  

reference to #a ,thess4 #e3ad3--        
8,but of the times and the seasons1     
brethren1 ye have no need that      ,i  
write unto you4 ,for yourselves know    
perfectly that the day of      the ,lord
 so cometh as a thief in the night4 ,for
 when they shall      say1 ,peace and   
safety2 then sudden destruction cometh  
upon them1      as travail upon a woman 
with child2 and they shall not escape4  
,but      ye1 brethren1 are not in      
darkness1 that that day should overtake 
you as a thief40      ,an evident       
distinction is here drawn between two   
classes4 ,upon one class  the day of the
 ,lord will come as a thief4 ,those of  
the other are not in  darkness that that
 day should come as a thief upon them4  
,the children of  ,god are children of  
light4 ,their heavenly ,father knows the
 end from the  beginning1 and he has    
promised to reveal his secret to his    
people through  his servants the        
prophets4 ,amos #c3g4    ,the apostle   
,peter also bears testimony to the same 

truth4          8,we have also a more   
sure word of prophecy2 whereunto ye do  
well      that ye take heed1 as unto a  
light that shineth in a dark place1     
until the day dawn and the daystar arise
 in your hearts40 #b ,peter      #a3ai4 
,the dark place here spoken of is the   
future4 ,the past is lighted up by      
history1 the present is brought to our  
knowledge by press and telegraph2  but  
the future no human art or wisdom can   
penetrate4 ,prophecy throws its  gleam  
into those dark regions1 yet unexplored1
 and marks out the path of  human       
history centuries and ages before it has
 echoed to the footsteps of  mankind4   
,when at last we pass along the pathway1
 we may1 if we will1  recognize the     
waymarks set up here and there1 every   
one of which is a  monument to the      
wisdom and knowledge of ,god1 and the   
faithfulness of his  word4 ,those who   
have no eyes to discern these things1 no
 ears to hear1 nor  hearts to understand
 their significance1 will pass on1 and  

the final event  will come upon them    
unawares4 ,not so with those who take   
heed to the  things ,god has spoken4    
,we would not detract an iota from the  
force of the verse under  consideration4
 ,it means all it says4 ,no man knows   
the definite time of  ,christ's coming4 
,the day and hour1 and even the year of 
the second advent  are purposely hidden4
 ,some of the prophetic periods reach to
 the time of  the end1 while others     
extend still farther down1 very near to 
the end  itself2 yet none of them reach 
to the coming of the ,son of man4 ,the  
prophecies clearly point to the period  
of the second advent1 but do not  give  
the definite time of that event4    ,but
 with this passage before us we may     
claim that it would be transcending  its
 meaning to claim upon its authority    
that nothing should or could be  known  
of the approach of ,christ's coming4    
,more than that1 it is not  inconsistent
 with the text nor improbable that prior
 to that event the  ,lord will in his   

own way reveal that which has hitherto  
been withheld4  ,those who claim that   
the text proves that nothing may be     
known of the  period of the second      
advent1 make it prove too much for their
 own  unbelief4 ,as recorded by ,mark1  
the declaration reads3 8,but of that day
 and  that hour knoweth no man1 no1 not 
the angels which are in ,heaven1 neither
  the ,son1 but the ,father40 ,if the   
text proves that men will know nothing  
of  the period of the second advent1 it 
also proves that angels will know       
nothing of it1 and also that the ,son   
will know nothing of it1 till the  event
 takes place6 ,this position proves too 
much1 therefore proves nothing  to the  
point4 ,christ will know of the period  
of his second advent to this  world4    
,the holy angels who wait around the    
throne of heaven to receive  messages   
relative to the part they act in the    
salvation of men1 will know  of the time
 of this closing event of salvation4    
,and so will the waiting1  watching     

people of ,god understand4 ,an old      
,english version of the passage  reads1 
8,but that day and hour no man maketh   
known1 neither the angels  which are in 
heaven1 neither the ,son1 but the       
,father40 ,this is the correct  reading1
 according to several of the ablest     
critics of the age4 ,the word  know is  
used in the same sense here that it is  
by ,paul in #a ,cor4 #b3b3  8,for ,i    
determined not to know make known       
anything among you1 save ,jesus  ,christ
 and him crucified40 ,men will not make 
known the day and hour1  angels will not
 make it known1 neither will the ,son2  
but the ,father will  make it known4    
,says ,campbell3--          8,macknight 
argues that the term known is here used 
as a      causative1 in the ,hebrew     
sense of the conjugation hiphil1 that   
is1 to make known4444 ,his ,christ's    
answer is just equivalent      to       
saying1 ,the ,father will make it known 
when it pleases him2 but      he has not
 authorized man1 angel1 or the ,son to  

make it known4      ,just in this sense1
 ,paul uses the term know1 #a ,cor4     
#b3b3 #8,i came      to you making known
 the testimony of ,god2 for ,i          
determined to      make known nothing   
among you but a crucified ,christ4' 0   
,albert ,barnes1 in his 8,notes on the  
,gospels10 says3--          8,others    
have said that the verb rendered knoweth
 means sometimes      to make known1 or 
to reveal1 and that the passage means1  
#8that      day and hour none maketh    
known1 neither the angels1 nor the ,son1
      but the ,father4' ,it is true the 
word has sometimes that meaning1      as
 #a ,cor4 #b3b40      ,when the         
patriarch's work of warning and building
 was finished1 ,god said  to him1 8,come
 thou and all thy house into the ark40  
8,for yet seven days  and ,i will cause 
it to rain upon the earth forty days and
 forty nights40  ,so when the waiting1  
watching1 weeping1 toiling time shall be
 finished1  and the saints shall all be 
sealed1 and shut in with ,god1 then1 we 

conclude1 will the voice of the ,father 
from heaven make known the definite     
time4 ,see ,rev4 #af3ag2 ,joel #c3af2   
,jer4 #be3cj4    ,the present is        
emphatically the waiting1 watching time4
 ,it is the especial  period of the     
patience of the saints4 ,the ,lord      
appeals to us thus3--          8,watch  
ye1 therefore2 for ye know not when the 
,master of the house      cometh1 at    
even1 or at midnight1 or at the         
cockcrowing1 or in the      morning2    
lest coming suddenly he find you        
sleeping4 ,and what ,i say      unto you
 ,i say unto all1 ,watch40 ,mark        
#ac3cecg4      ,one of the fatal        
consequences of not watching is         
distinctly stated in ,rev4  #c3c3--     
8,if therefore thou shalt not watch1 ,i 
will come on thee as a      thief1 and  
thou shalt not know what hour ,i will   
come upon thee40      ,in consequence of
 not watching1 the people will remain in
 ignorance of the  approach of that     
hour4 ,and the unavoidable inference is 

that by watching  they will be aware of 
and prepared for its coming4 ,in answer 
to the  agonizing prayer of the ,son of 
,god1 8,father1 glorify thy name10 there
 came  a voice from heaven1 saying1 8,i 
have both glorified it1 and will glorify
  it again40 ,the disciples understood  
these words from heaven1 while the      
people that stood by said it thundered4 
,john #ab3bgbi4 ,so will the waiting    
disciples of ,christ understand the     
voice of ,god when he shall speak from  
on high4 ,but the unbelieving world will
 not understand it4 ,in comparing       
,noah's days and ours1 the ,lord        
continues3--          ,noah's ,time ,and
 ,ours4          ,,verses #ch1 #ci3     
8,for as in the days that were before   
the flood1      they were eating and    
drinking1 marrying and giving in        
marriage1      until the day that ,noe  
entered into the ark1 and knew not until
      the flood came1 and took them all 
away2 so shall also the coming      of  
the ,son of man be40      ,a picture of 

the present condition of the mass of    
mankind is here drawn4  ,the people of  
the last generation will be like those  
before the flood1  while the ark was    
preparing4 ,while ,noah preached1 and   
warned them of the  coming flood1 they  
mocked4 ,he built the ark2 and they     
scoffed and jeered4  ,he was a preacher 
of righteousness4 ,his works were       
calculated to give edge  to1 and send   
home to the heart1 what he preached4    
,every righteous sermon1  and every blow
 struck in building the ark1 condemned a
 careless1 scoffing  world4 ,as the time
 drew nearer1 the people grew more      
careless1 more  hardened1 more bold and 
impudent1 and their condemnation surer4 
,noah and  his family stood alone4 ,and 
could one family know more than all the 
world8  ,the ark was a matter of        
ridicule1 and ,noah was regarded as a   
willful  bigot4    ,but the ,lord calls 
,noah into the ark4 ,and by the hand of 
,providence the  beasts are led into the
 ark2 and the ,lord shuts ,noah in4     

,this is regarded  at first by the      
scoffing multitude as something         
wonderful2 but it is soon  explained    
away by the wiser ones1 so as to calm   
their fears1 and they  breathe easier4  
,the day of expectation finally arrives4
 ,the sun rises as usual1 and the       
heavens are clear4 8,now where is old   
,noah's flood80 is heard from a         
thousand impious lips4 ,the farmer is   
caring for his herds and lands1 and  the
 mechanic is pursuing his work of       
building4 ,on this very day1 some are   
being joined in marriage4 ,with many it 
is a day of unusual feasting and        
sports4 ,and while all are looking to   
long years of future prosperity and     
happiness1 suddenly the heavens gather  
blackness4 ,fear fills every heart4     
,the windows of heaven open1 and the    
rain descends in torrents4 8,the        
fountains of the great deep are broken  
up10 and here and there come  gushing up
 rivers of water4 ,the valleys are fast 
filling up1 and thousands  are swept    

away in death4 ,awful death6 made still 
more horrible by being in  consequence  
of slighted mercy6 ,but where is ,noah8 
,ah6 safe in the ark1  borne upon the   
billows4 ,safe from the flood1 for ,god 
8shut him in40    ,by some people1 the  
evidences of the soon coming of ,christ 
are considered  insufficient to base    
faith upon4 ,but the testimony and acts 
of one man in  the case of ,noah1       
condemned the people destroyed by the   
flood4 ,the  evidences then were        
sufficient1 otherwise the world would   
not have been  condemned4 ,but a hundred
 times more convincing evidences come   
pouring in  upon us that the day of the 
,lord is near1 and hasteth greatly4 ,we 
follow  down the several prophetic      
chains of ,daniel and of the            
,revelation1 and we  find ourselves in  
every instance standing just before the 
day of wrath4 ,we  see the signs spoken 
of by prophets1 by ,christ1 and by the  
apostles1  fulfilling or fulfilled4 ,and
 at the right time1 and in the right    

manner1  to fulfill certain prophecies1 
a solemn message arises in different    
parts  of the world3 8,blow ye the      
trumpet in ,zion1 and sound an alarm in 
my holy  mountain2 let all the          
inhabitants of the land tremble2 for the
 day of the  ,lord cometh1 for it is    
nigh at hand40 ,joel #b3a4 ,wherever we 
look1 we see  prophecy fulfilling4      
,while the knowledge of ,god and the    
spirit of holiness  are departing1      
spiritual wickedness1 like a flood1     
covers the land4    ,but these evidences
 are considered insufficient to rest    
faith upon4 ,well1  what kind of        
evidence would the unbelieving have8    
8,when the signs of the  end10 says the 
skeptic1 8are fulfilled1 they will be so
 plain that no one  can doubt40 ,but if 
the signs are of such a nature1 and are 
fulfilled in  such a manner1 as to      
compel all to believe in the coming of  
,christ1 how  can it be as it was in the
 days of ,noah8 ,men were not then      
compelled to  believe4 ,but eight       

believing souls were saved1 while all   
the world besides  sank in their        
unbelief beneath the waters of the      
flood4 ,god has never  revealed his     
truth to man in a manner to compel him  
to believe4 ,those who  have wished to  
doubt his word1 have found a wide field 
in which to doubt1  and a broad road to 
perdition2 while those who have wished  
to believe1  have ever found an         
everlasting rock upon which to rest     
their faith4    ,just before the end1   
the world will be hardened in sin1 and  
indifferent to  the claims of ,god4 ,men
 will be careless in regard to the      
warnings of  danger1 and blinded by     
cares1 pleasures1 and riches4 ,an       
unbelieving  generation will be eating1 
drinking1 marrying1 building1 planting1 
and  sowing4 ,it is right to eat and    
drink to sustain nature1 but the sin is 
in  excess and gluttony4 ,the marriage  
covenant is holy1 but ,god's glory is   
seldom thought of4 ,building1 planting1 
and sowing1 necessary for  convenient   

shelter1 food1 and clothing1 are right2 
but the world has gone  wholly after    
these things1 so that men have no time  
nor disposition to  think of ,god1      
heaven1 ,christ's coming1 and the       
,judgment4 ,this world is  their god1   
and all their energies of body and mind 
are made to serve it4  ,and the evil day
 is put far away4    ,the faithful      
watchman who sounds the alarm as he sees
 destruction coming1  is held up before 
the people from the pulpits of our land1
 and by the  religious press1 as a      
fanatic1 a teacher of dangerous         
heresies2 while in  contrast is set     
forth a long period of peace and        
prosperity to the church4  ,so the      
churches are quieted to sleep4 ,the     
scoffer continues to scoff1 and  the    
mocker mocks on4 ,but that day is       
coming4 ,thus saith the prophet of      
,god3--          8,howl ye2 for the day 
of the ,lord is at hand2 it shall come  
as a      destruction from the          
,almighty4 ,therefore shall all hands be

 faint1      and every man's heart shall
 melt4 ,and they shall be afraid2 pangs 
and sorrows shall take hold of them4444 
,behold1 the day of the      ,lord      
cometh1 cruel both with wrath and fierce
 anger1 to lay the      land desolate2  
and he shall destroy the sinners thereof
 out of      it40 ,isa4 #ac3fi4         
,illustration                           
,the ,day of ,wrath4      ,most dreadful
 day6 and is it near8--,yes2 it hasteth6
 ,it hasteth greatly6  ,what a          
description given by the prophet6 ,read 
it2 and as you read1 try to  realize how
 dreadful will be that day3--           
8,the great day of the ,lord is near1 it
 is near1 and hasteth      greatly1 even
 the voice of the day of the ,lord3 the 
mighty man      shall cry there         
bitterly4 ,that day is a day of wrath1 a
 day of      trouble and distress1 a day
 of wasteness and desolation1 a day of  
darkness and gloominess1 a day of clouds
 and thick darkness1 a day      of the  
trumpet and alarm against the fenced    

cities1 and against      the high       
towers4 ,and ,i will bring distress upon
 men1 that they      shall walk like    
blind men1 because they have sinned     
against the      ,lord2 and their blood 
shall be poured out as dust1 and their  
flesh      as the dung4 ,neither their  
silver nor their gold shall be able to  
deliver them in the day of the ,lord's  
wrath2 but the whole land      shall be 
devoured by the fire of his jealousy2   
for he shall make      even a speedy    
riddance of all them that dwell in the  
land40 ,zeph4      #a3adah4             
,peace ,and ,safety4      ,the attitude 
of the religious world toward this most 
important subject is  worthy of more    
than passing notice both because of its 
effect upon the  cause of truth and also
 because it of itself is a sign of the  
times4 ,while  it is true that many     
individuals in the different ,christian 
denominations  recognize with more or   
less distinctness the fact that we are  
living in  the last days1 with many of  

these it does not become a practical    
truth4  ,outside of these there are many
 who ridicule the idea as preposterous  
and  outlandish2 and in opposition to   
the message that ,christ is soon coming1
  raise the cry of1 8,peace1 peace1 when
 there is no peace40 ,such teaching is  
alluded to by the prophet in ,eze4      
#ac3aj1 #aa4    ,the groundwork of the  
peace and safety cry is the doctrine of 
the temporal  millennium4 ,this teaches 
that the world is now entering1 or about
 to enter  upon a period of universal   
peace and good will1 that the moral tone
 of the  world is improving1 men and    
nations are learning righteousness2 and 
the  gospel of ,christ is about to      
become the controlling principle in     
public  and private life4 ,and1 further1
 this happy state will continue for one 
thousand years1 which period of time the
 word millennium literally  signifies4  
,at the end of that time1 perhaps1 the  
,lord will come4 ,however1  if this     
doctrine be true1 it will make but      

little difference to this  generation or
 to the one living at the close of the  
period whether he does  or not4 ,the    
verses we have just considered which    
liken the last days to  those of ,noah  
wholly disprove this position4 ,in      
addition to what ,matthew  states1 ,luke
 gives a still more forcible version of 
our ,saviour's words3--          8,and  
as it was in the days of ,noe1 so shall 
it be also in the days      of the ,son 
of man4 ,they did eat1 they drank1 they 
married wives1      they were given in  
marriage1 until the day that ,noe       
entered into      the ark1 and the flood
 came1 and destroyed them all4 ,likewise
 also      as it was in the days of     
,lot2 they did eat1 they drank1 they    
bought1 they sold1 they planted1 they   
builded2 but the same day      that ,lot
 went out of ,sodom it rained fire and  
brimstone from      heaven1 and         
destroyed them all4 ,even thus shall it 
be in the day      when the ,son of man 
is revealed40 ,luke #ag3bfcj4      ,paul

 writes in his epistles to ,timothy as  
follows3--          8,now the ,spirit   
speaketh expressly1 that in the latter  
times some      shall depart from the   
faith1 giving heed to seducing spirits1 
and      doctrines of devils40 #a ,tim4 
#d3a4        8,this know also1 that in  
the last days perilous times shall come4
      ,for men shall be lovers of their 
own selves1 covetous1 boasters1         
proud1 blasphemers1 disobedient to      
parents1 unthankful1 unholy1            
without natural affection1              
trucebreakers1 false accusers1          
incontinent1 fierce1 despisers of those 
that are good1 traitors1      heady1    
highminded1 lovers of pleasures more    
than lovers of ,god2      having a form 
of godliness1 but denying the power     
thereof3 from      such turn away40 #b  
,tim4 #c3ae4        8,but evil men and  
seducers shall wax worse and worse1     
deceiving1      and being deceived40    
,verse #ac4      ,in very many          
scriptures it is plainly declared that  

when ,christ comes1 he  comes not only  
to reward and save his people but also  
to punish his  enemies4 ,looking upon   
the last days he exclaims1              
8,nevertheless when the  ,son of man    
cometh1 shall he find faith on the      
earth80 ,luke #ah3h4 ,the idea  of a    
thousand years of peace and             
righteousness before ,christ comes might
  be dismissed as utterly out of the    
question4 ,but space will be given to   
one or two passages supposed to teach   
it1 which will represent the whole      
class4 ,the first and chief is found in 
,isa4 #b3bd3--          8,and it shall  
come to pass in the last days1 that the 
mountain of      the ,lord's house shall
 be established in the top of the       
mountains1      and shall be exalted    
above the hills2 and all nations shall  
flow      unto it4 ,and many people     
shall go and say1 ,come ye1 and let us  
go      up to the mountain of the ,lord1
 to the house of the ,god of ,jacob2    
and he will teach us of his ways1 and we

 will walk in his paths3      for out of
 ,zion shall go forth the law1 and the  
word of the ,lord      from ,jerusalem4 
,and he shall judge among the nations1  
and shall      rebuke many people3 and  
they shall beat their swords into       
ploughshares1 and their spears into     
pruninghooks3 nation shall not      lift
 up sword against nation1 neither shall 
they learn war any      more40          
,almost the same language is used in    
,micah #d3ac4 ,it is enough to call     
attention to the authorship of the      
propositions contained in the text4     
,they come from the people4 8,many      
people shall go and say1 ,come ye10 etc4
  ,inspiration asserts that in the last 
days the mountain or power of the       
,lord's house or church shall be        
established in the tops of the          
mountains1  or civil power4 ,undoubtedly
 it will4 ,everything is tending to the 
union of  ,church and ,state and the    
professed church of ,christ is riding on
 a high  tide to civil power in all     

lands4 ,but farewell to godliness and   
spiritual  power4 ,when this is         
accomplished1 in a general chorus all   
will proclaim  the dawning millennium4  
,how the ,lord regards the people who   
are saying these things is shown in  the
 succeeding verses3--                   
8,therefore thou hast forsaken thy      
people the house of ,jacob1      because
 they be replenished from the east1 and 
are soothsayers      like the           
,philistines1 and they please themselves
 in the children      of strangers4     
,their land also is full of silver and  
gold1 neither      is there any end of  
their treasures2 their land also is full
 of      horses1 neither is there any   
end of their chariots3 their land       
also is full of idols2 they worship the 
work of their own hands1      that which
 their own fingers have made40 ,isa4    
#b3fh4      ,now let us see what ,god   
says on the same point and concerning   
the same  time3--          8,proclaim ye
 this among the ,gentiles2 prepare war1 

wake up the      mighty men1 let all the
 men of war draw near2 let them come up3
      beat your ploughshares into       
swords1 and your pruninghooks into      
spears3 let the weak say1 ,i am strong4 
,assemble yourselves1 and      come1 all
 ye heathen1 and gather yourselves      
together round about3      thither cause
 thy mighty ones to come down1 ,o ,lord4
 ,let the      heathen be wakened1 and  
come up to the valley of ,jehoshaphat3  
for      there will ,i sit to judge all 
the heathen round about4 ,put ye in     
the sickle1 for the harvest is ripe3    
come1 get you down2 for the      press  
is full1 the fats overflow2 for their   
wickedness is great4      ,multitudes1  
multitudes in the valley of decision3   
for the day of      the ,lord is near in
 the valley of decision4 ,the sun and   
the moon      shall be darkened1 and the
 stars shall withdraw their shining4    
,the      ,lord also shall roar out of  
,zion1 and utter his voice from         
,jerusalem2 and the heavens and the     

earth shall shake3 but the ,lord        
will be the hope of his people1 and the 
strength of the children      of        
,israel40 ,joel #c3iaf4      ,mark1 this
 is not what the people say1 but what   
the ,lord says of the very  same time   
when the people are preaching a good    
time coming4    ,another verse referred 
to1 and representing quite a numerous   
class of  similar ones1 is found in     
,num4 #ad3ba4          8,but as truly as
 ,i live1 all the earth shall be filled 
with the      glory of the ,lord40      
,there is no occasion to modify or limit
 the meaning of those words2 for  their 
utmost significance will be realized4   
,but when8--,when sin and the  curse are
 wiped away4 ,after the purifying fires 
of the day of the ,lord  have burned up 
the last work and relic of rebellion1   
and the earth made  new in ,edenic glory
 comes again from the hand of its       
,maker1 as beautiful1  yea1 more        
beautiful1 if possible1 than at first4  
,it would not be within  the limits of  

this pamphlet to follow out this        
subject1 but the reader is  referred to 
the following scriptures3 ,isa4         
#fe3agbb2 #b ,peter #c3ac2  ,revelation 
#ba and #bb1 and to published works4    
,in that state this and all kindred     
scriptures will meet a fulfillment that 
is ample and complete4 ,but for such a  
condition of things this side of the    
coming of ,christ neither the ,bible nor
 the trend of events give any  promise  
whatever4    ,judging of the probability
 of the conversion of the world from the
 facts1  it would seem to be far from   
striking4 ,the following table gives a  
comparatively accurate showing of the   
present religious status of the         
world3--    ,jews and ,parsees          
#ae1dgj1jjj  ,greek ,catholics          
#hd1acf1jjj  ,protestants               
#aad1hae1ejj  ,brahminical ,hindoos     
#abj1jjj1jjj  ,mohammedans              
#abb1djj1jjj  ,roman ,catholics         
#bee1jjj1jjj  ,pagans                   
#bbg1jjj1jjj  ,buddhists                

#dhb1jjj1jjj  ,unclassified             
#ea1jej1jjj    ,concerning the very     
small proportion of this number classed 
in the list of  ,christians1 ,bishop    
,foster has very aptly said3--          
8,there are some who too fondly         
anticipate a millennium4 ,there is a    
lack of information on the progress of  
,christianity4 ,the facts are           
misstated daily in pulpits all over the 
country4 ,ministers      hesitate to    
present the worst side for fear of      
causing      discouragement1 and they   
create hopes that are never realized4   
,we      are not at the dawn of a       
millennium4 ,compared with the work to  
be      done1 the past is nothing4 ,our 
children's children for ten             
generations to come must labor harder   
than we are doing1 to      accomplish   
the conversion of the world4 ,the       
world's population is                   
#a1ejj1jjj1jjj4 ,of these1 ,christians  
number less than a third2 and      half 
of that third belongs to the ,roman     

,catholic ,church4 ,the                 
,protestants number #aad1jjj1jjj4 ,they 
are divided into #ejj sects4      ,and  
this number of their strength includes1 
also1 all the thieves1      exconvicts1 
the debased1 besotted1 and the speckled 
and streaked      in                    
,christendom40--,northwestern ,christian
 ,advocate of ,dec4 #b1      #ahhe4     
,farther on in the same article the     
,bishop said3--          8,before us we 
have the great problem--the             
#a1ajj1jjj1jjj of pagans      to convert
 to ,christianity4 ,that is the solid   
rock that looms up      in our path4    
,look at it2 see what work has been done
 in #ahjj      years1 and how much is   
yet to be accomplished4 ,in ,india1     
after      more than a hundred years of 
mission work1 we have #fjj1jjj native   
converts and #b1jjj1jjj ,christians     
among #bfj1jjj1jjj heathen4 ,can      we
 remove that solid boulder that is as   
old as the hills8444 ,our               
,methodist ,church we think the most    

divine and ineffable4 ,we boast         
that we are going to conquer the world1 
and come from our palaces      and      
princely farms to subscribe fifty cents 
a head for the      undertaking6 ,it is 
a burning disgrace that excites pity and
      disgust40      ,and as to the     
prospects for universal peace1 the      
following recent  statement of the      
armament of ,europe does not indicate   
that the nations are  really            
contemplating such a happy              
consummation3--    ,russia3 #a1eai1haj  
men1 #aha1jjj horses1 #b1jhd cannon     
,germany3 #hce1jjj men1 #if1jjj horses1 
#b1jbb cannon  ,austria3 #hef1ihj men1  
#eh1abe horses1 #a1fjj cannon  ,england3
 #dgh1hjj men  ,france3 #a1hej1jjj men  
,the remaining states of ,europe make up
 with the above a total of about        
#f1jjj1jjj men4          ,the ,final    
,separation4          ,,verses #dj1 #da3
 8,then shall two be in the field2 the  
one shall be      taken1 and the other  
left4 ,two women shall be grinding at   

the      mill2 the one shall be taken1  
and the other left40      ,this language
 shows the final separation between the 
righteous and the  wicked4 ,there is no 
elaborate explanation as to how the     
circumstances will  meet their          
fulfillment1 but that is not the        
essential force of the text4  ,the line 
will in some cases be drawn between     
those who are intimately  related4 ,some
 members of the same family will be     
taken away by the  judgments of ,god1   
while others will be left to receive    
their coming ,lord4          ,those ,who
 ,watch ,will ,know ,the ,time4         
,,verses #dbdd3 8,watch therefore1 for  
ye know not what hour your      ,lord   
doth come4 ,but know this1 that if the  
good man of the house      had known in 
what watch the thief would come1 he     
would have      watched1 and would not  
have suffered his house to be broken up4
      ,therefore be ye also ready2 for  
in such an hour as ye think not      the
 ,son of man cometh40      ,the         

injunction to watchfulness is repeatedly
 given by our ,saviour in  connection   
with his teaching in reference to his   
second advent4 ,these  injunctions must 
apply especially to those who live in   
proximity to that  event4 ,this fact is 
convincing evidence that the ,lord is   
not displeased  with those who          
anticipate his coming1 and study the    
word in reference to  it4 ,no one       
watches for that which he does not      
expect1 and indifference or  aversion   
toward the coming of ,christ is sure    
evidence of coldness toward  ,christ    
himself4 ,if we love ,jesus1 we shall   
love his appearing and if we  love his  
appearing1 we shall be eagerly watching 
and waiting for it4 ,but  if we knew the
 hour when he would come1 we should not 
watch for his  coming1 nor could we with
 eagerness expect his coming if we had  
no  knowledge of its approach4 ,the     
course of time has been measured off in 
definite periods down to the beginning  
of the present generation4 ,the time    

from the end of the prophetic periods to
 the coming of ,christ is  emphatically 
the waiting1 watching time4 ,those who  
watch1 as our ,lord  commands1 will     
eventually know the time4 ,no man will  
make it known1 for it  is not revealed  
to man in the ,scriptures4 ,angels will 
not make it known1  though they may     
minister to1 and communicate with1 the  
children of men4  ,neither will the     
,son4 ,but the ,father will make it     
known when he speaks  again from heaven4
    ,it is undoubtedly true that the    
unscriptural and irrational course      
pursued  by many socalled ,adventists in
 repeatedly setting a time of their own 
for  the ,lord to come has had the      
effect to disgust many with the whole   
matter4  ,this is the enemy's work4 ,he 
will seek thus to obscure each truth by 
bringing it into the shadow of reproach4
 ,but it is unwise to be thus  misled4  
,probably there is no prophecy that     
better describes the present  state of  
unbelief in the world in regard to the  

second advent1 caused  partly by        
fanatical timemovements1 than the       
following3--          8,son of man1 what
 is that proverb that ye have in the    
land of      ,israel1 saying1 ,the days 
are prolonged1 and every vision faileth8
      ,tell them therefore1 ,thus saith 
the ,lord ,god3 ,i will make this       
proverb to cease1 and they shall no more
 use it as a proverb in      ,israel2   
but say unto them1 ,the days are at     
hand1 and the effect of      every      
vision4 ,for there shall be no more any 
vain vision nor      flattering         
divination within the house of ,israel4 
,for ,i am the      ,lord3 ,i will      
speak1 and the word that ,i shall speak 
shall come to      pass2 it shall be no 
more prolonged1 for in your days1 ,o    
rebellious house1 will ,i say the word1 
and will perform it1 saith      the     
,lord ,god40 ,eze4 #ab3bbbe4      ,the  
burden of this prophecy is time2        
therefore the word here mentioned  that 
the ,lord will speak1 will be the time4 

,rev4 #c3c1 is also to the  point3--    
8,remember1 therefore1 how thou hast    
received and heard1 and hold      fast1 
and repent4 ,if therefore thou shalt not
 watch1 ,i will come      on thee as a  
thief1 and thou shalt not know what hour
 ,i will come      upon thee40          
,those who do not watch1 will not know  
the hour4 ,those who watch will know    
the hour4    ,the present watching1     
waiting position requires much faith and
 patience4  ,says ,paul3--              
8,cast not away1 therefore1 your        
confidence1 which hath great            
recompense of reward4 ,for ye have need 
of patience1 that1 after ye      have   
done the will of ,god in proclaiming the
 coming of ,christ1      ye might       
receive the promise4 ,for yet a little  
while1 and he that      shall come will 
come1 and will not tarry4 ,now the just 
shall live      by faith2 but if any man
 draw back1 my soul shall have no       
pleasure      in him4 ,but we are not of
 them who draw back unto perdition1 but 

of them that believe to the saving of   
the soul40 ,heb4 #aj3ceci4      ,says   
,james3 8,be patient therefore1         
brethren1 unto the coming of the ,lord4 
,behold1 the husbandman waiteth for the 
precious fruit of the earth1 and  hath  
long patience for it1 until he receive  
the early and latter rain4 ,be  ye also 
patient2 stablish your hearts2 for the  
coming of the ,lord draweth  nigh40     
,james #e3g1 #h4    ,jesus says3        
8,because thou hast kept the word of my 
patience1 ,i also will  keep thee from  
the hour of temptation1 which shall come
 upon all the world  to try them that   
dwell upon the earth40 ,rev4 #c3aj4     
,the present position and present duty  
of ,god's people are defined in ,rev4   
#ad3ab3 8,here is the patience of the   
saints2 here are they that keep the     
commandments of ,god1 and the faith of  
,jesus40          ,the ,faithful ,and   
,wise ,servant4          ,,verses #dedg3
 8,who then is a faithful and wise      
servant1 whom his      lord hath made   

ruler over his household1 to give them  
meat in due      season8 ,blessed is    
that servant whom his lord when he      
cometh shall      find so doing4 ,verily
 ,i say unto you1 that he shall make him
 ruler      over all his goods40        
,in this figure1 ,christ is represented 
as the ,lord of the household of  faith 
7see ,mark #ac3ce2 ,heb4 #c3f71 leaving 
his house1 and committing the  work of  
caring for his church to his servants4  
,a blessing is promised  those servants 
who are found faithfully discharging    
this duty when their  ,lord comes4 ,they
 are to feed the flock of ,god1 over    
whom the ,holy ,ghost  hath made them   
overseers4 ,acts #bj3bh4 ,they must     
preach the word4 #b ,tim4  #d3b4 ,they  
should watch for souls as they that must
 give account4 ,heb4  #ac3ag4 ,they will
 not only give meat to the household1   
but they will give  it in due season4   
,they will preach the present truth4    
,and meat in due season when ,christ's  
coming draws near1 will be the gospel   

of the kingdom4 ,verse #ad4 ,it will    
embrace warnings1 instructions1 and     
encouragements pertaining to a message  
that is designed and adapted to  prepare
 the world for so solemn an event4      
,suppose1 for a moment1 that when  ,noah
 had received his message of the coming 
flood to give to the world1 he  had     
reasoned with worldly wisdom that as    
such a thing never had occurred1  and   
from all appearances seemed very        
unlikely to occur1 and hence to  preach 
it would subject him to reproach1 it    
would be better to avoid any  particular
 allusion to such an unwelcome subject4 
,his preaching seemed to  excite only   
ridicule4 ,he could retain his own      
private convictions and  preach the     
ordinary principles of righteousness1   
saying1 8,do not so1 my  brethren40 ,and
 if the people were only prepared for   
the flood1 that would  be all that would
 be necessary4 ,of such a course we can 
say two things4 ,he  would thus have    
proved very unfaithful to his trust1 and

 the blood of his  fellowmen would have 
been upon him2 and he would have done   
just as  thousands are doing now4 ,he   
certainly would not have represented the
  faithful and wise servant4 ,so it is  
now4 ,a solemn responsibility is placed 
upon the watchmen3--          8,son of  
man1 speak to the children of thy       
people1 and say unto      them1 ,when ,i
 bring the sword upon a land1 if the    
people of the      land take a man of   
their coasts1 and set him for their     
watchman3      if when he seeth the     
sword come upon the land1 he blow the   
trumpet1 and warn the people2 then      
whosoever heareth the sound of      the 
trumpet1 and taketh not warning2 if the 
sword come1 and take      him away1 his 
blood shall be upon his own head4 ,he   
heard the sound      of the trumpet1 and
 took not warning2 his blood shall be   
upon him4      ,but he that taketh      
warning shall deliver his soul4 ,but if 
the      watchman see the sword come1   
and blow not the trumpet1 and the       

people be not warned2 if the sword come1
 and take any person from      among    
them1 he is taken away in his iniquity2 
but his blood will ,i      require at   
the watchman's hand4 ,so thou1 ,o son of
 man1 ,i have set      thee a watchman  
unto the house of ,israel2 therefore    
thou shalt      hear the word at my     
mouth1 and warn them from me40 ,eze4    
#cc3bg4      ,when ,jesus comes1 the    
faithful servants will be found         
proclaiming his  coming and teaching the
 necessary preparation4 ,the ,saviour   
speaks of such  as 8faithful and wise40 
#a4 ,he is faithful4 ,as a faithful     
watchman1 he will give timely warning   
when he sees the sword coming4 ,his work
 just before the end1 is seen in  the   
following scriptures3--          8,blow 
ye the trumpet in ,zion1 and sound an   
alarm in my holy      mountain2 let all 
the inhabitants of the land tremble2 for
 the day      of the ,lord cometh1 for  
it is nigh at hand40 ,joel #b3a4        
8,cry aloud1 spare not1 lift up thy     

voice like a trumpet1 and show      my  
people their transgression1 and the     
house of ,jacob their sins40      ,isa4 
#eh3a4        8,i charge thee therefore 
before ,god1 and the ,lord ,jesus       
,christ1      who shall judge the quick 
and the dead at his appearing and his   
kingdom1 ,preach the word2 be instant in
 season1 out of season2      reprove1   
rebuke1 exhort1 with all longsuffering  
and doctrine4 ,for      the time will   
come when they will not endure sound    
doctrine2 but      after their own lusts
 shall they heap to themselves teachers1
      having itching ears2 and they     
shall turn away their ears from the     
truth1 and shall be turned into fables4 
,but watch thou in all      things1     
endure afflictions1 do the work of an   
evangelist1 make      full proof of thy 
ministry40 #b4 ,tim4 #d3ae4      #b4 ,he
 is wise4 8,he that winneth souls is    
wise40 ,he must be wise4 ,he will  hold 
forth the truth in its harmony and      
beauty1 and thus expose error and  win  

men to the truth4 ,when it becomes his  
duty to 8reprove and rebuke10 it  will  
be at a proper time and place1 and then 
with all 8longsuffering and  doctrine40 
,he will study to show himself 8approved
 unto ,god1 a workman  that needeth not 
to be ashamed1 rightly dividing the word
 of truth40 #b  ,tim4 #b3ae4            
,the ,evil ,servant4          ,,verses  
#dhea3 8,but and if that evil servant   
shall say in his      heart1 ,my lord   
delayeth his coming2 and shall begin to 
smite his      fellowservants1 and to   
eat and drink with the drunken2 the lord
      of that servant shall come in a   
day when he looketh not for him1        
and in an hour that he is not aware of2 
and shall cut him asunder1      and     
appoint him his portion with the        
hypocrites3 there shall be      weeping 
and gnashing of teeth40      ,what the  
evil servant says and does1 shows most  
clearly the position and  work of the   
faithful and wise servant4 ,the evil    
servant says1 8,my lord  delayeth his   

coming10 because the faithful servant is
 proclaiming the  coming of his lord4   
,the evil servant smites the faithful   
servant1 because  he teaches the soon   
coming of his ,lord4 ,the faithful      
servant1 true to his  commission to     
preach the 8gospel of the kingdom0 to a 
fallen church and a  scoffing world1    
toils on1 and for this the evil servant 
smites him4 ,not  with the fist1        
perhaps1 but with the tongue of obloquy 
and reproach4 ,that  there should be    
professed servants of ,christ engaged in
 smiting those who  are faithfully      
warning the world1 need not cause       
surprise in view of the  past1 but must 
cause sorrow in the heart of every lover
 of truth4 ,the  wicked servant says in 
heart1 and some are saying with their   
lips1 ,the  ,lord is not coming4 ,the   
world is now just starting out upon its 
career of  knowledge and enjoyment4     
,where is the promise or indication of  
his coming8  ,some say1 ,he may come    
tonight1 he may not come in a million   

years1 thus  neutralizing the truth4    
,such men will be found criticising and 
discounting  the ,scriptures and        
subjecting them to the tests of human   
philosophy and  science4 ,the only      
safety for the people is to look beyond 
such watchmen4  ,let them take the      
,bible for themselves1 and there        
discerning the truth1  embrace it1 and  
live according to it4                   
,,conclusion4      ,the impression      
prevails to some extent that he who     
teaches that ,christ is  soon coming is 
acting the rle of an alarmist4 ,if so1  
we have seen that  the great ,teacher   
has placed himself at the head of the   
class4 ,no one has  spoken more         
positively upon this point than he has  
done4 ,he said1 8,in my  ,father's house
 are many mansions2 if it were not so1  
,i would have told  you4 ,i go to       
prepare a place for you4 ,and if ,i go  
and prepare a place for  you1 ,i will   
come again1 and receive you unto myself2
 that where ,i am1  there ye may be     

also40 ,john #ad3b1 #c4 ,there is       
nothing ambiguous about that  language4 
,a child can understand it4 ,it means   
that ,jesus will come again4  ,in the   
remarkable chapter we have here         
reviewed1 the ,saviour takes up the     
subject specifically1 and not only      
affirms the fact of his coming1 but     
foretells in explicit language the      
events which he would have us recognize 
as signs of the near approach of his    
coming and the end of the world4    ,but
 the message of ,christ's second coming 
is not sensational in its  essential    
character4 ,it is a solemn1 practical   
truth4 ,it is full of  warning and      
admonition to sinners and worldly       
professors1 and full of  comfort to the 
faithful followers of ,christ4 ,it is   
spoken of in the  ,scriptures as a fact1
 established upon the word which never  
fails4 ,when  speaking of his second    
advent1 the ,saviour said1 8,heaven and 
earth shall  pass away1 but my word     
shall not pass away40 ,matt4 #bd3ce4 ,to

 disbelieve in  his coming would be to  
doubt one of the two great features of  
the gospel  plan4 ,what the harvest is  
to seedtime1 ,christ's second advent    
will be to  his first4 ,to doubt that he
 ever came to earth would be to subvert 
the  gospel4 ,to disbelieve his second  
coming would nullify in the mind his    
first coming1 and rob the sacrifice of  
its glorious reward4    ,the apostle    
,paul speaks of the second advent as    
8that blessed hope40 ,titus  #b3ac4     
,jesus says3 8,and when these things the
 signs of his coming begin  to come to  
pass1 then look up1 and lift up your    
heads2 for your redemption  draweth     
nigh40 ,the prophet ,isaiah anticipates 
the feelings of ,god's people  who will 
witness the event1 and expresses them in
 the following manner3  8,and it shall  
be said in that day1 ,lo1 this is our   
,god2 we have waited for  him1 and he   
will save us3 ,this is the ,lord2 we    
have waited for him1 we  will be glad   
and rejoice in his salvation40 ,isa4    

#be3i4    ,at his coming1 the dead in   
,christ will be raised to everlasting   
life4 ,the  righteous living will be    
changed to immortality4 ,the hand of our
 ,saviour  will wipe away all tears2    
8there shall be no more death1 neither  
sorrow1  nor crying1 neither shall there
 be any more pain2 for the former things
  are passed away40    ,why should we   
not rejoice in such a prospect8 ,who    
would not welcome such a  friend8 ,who  
would not rejoice in the prospect of    
such a consummation8    ,but it is true 
that the grand event will not be        
attended with joy alone4  ,there will be
 dismay and anguish4 ,for while one     
prophet records the  exclamations of    
joyful anticipation1 another has        
foreseen and recorded the  cry of       
despair4 8,and the kings of the earth1  
and the great men1 and the  rich men1   
and the chief captains1 and the mighty  
men1 and every bondman1  and every      
freeman1 hid themselves in the dens and 
in the rocks of the  mountains2 and said

 to the mountains and rocks1 ,fall on   
us1 and hide us  from the face of ,him  
that sitteth on the throne1 and from the
 wrath of the  ,lamb3 for the great day 
of his wrath is come2 and who shall be  
able to  stand80 ,rev4 #f3aeag4 ,a vast 
number will thus lament4 ,all who cannot
 join  the shout of welcome will unite  
in the wail of despair4 ,there will be  
but  two classes in that day4 ,and to   
one of those classes each one living    
will  belong4 ,to which shall ,i belong8
 ,solemn question4 ,to which party will 
you  belong1 reader8 ,no one can wait   
for ,christ who is not prepared for his 
coming4 ,only the precious blood of     
,jesus that cleanses from sin can       
prepare us to receive him and fit us to 
dwell in his presence4 ,have you an     
interest in his forgiving love8 ,is your
 peace made with ,god8 ,if so1 his      
coming will have no terror to you1 for  
he comes to save his waiting  people4   
,,choice ,,religious ,,books4      ,any 
publication in the following list will  

be sent postpaid to any  address in the 
,united ,states and ,canada4 ,see       
directions on the last page4            
99,,prophetic ,,lights99 treats of some 
of the leading prophecies both of the   
,old and ,new ,testaments1 showing the  
exact fulfillment of the predictions  of
 the ,bible concerning ,egypt1 ,tyre1   
,babylon1 ,medo,persia1 ,greece1 and    
,rome1 also of the prophecies concerning
 the first advent of ,christ1 which     
prove the inspiration of the ,bible1 and
 give assurance that other  prophecies  
which are noted will as surely and      
exactly be fulfilled4 ,nearly  all the  
illustrations of this book were designed
 and engraved especially  for this work1
 at great expense1 and are a study in   
themselves4 ,the book  contains nearly  
#bjj large octavo pages1 and is printed 
on an extra quality  of heavy calendared
 paper4 ,it is bound in fine ,english   
cloth1 with  beautiful symbolical side  
stamp in brown and gold1 and has gilt   
edges4  99#a4jj994    99,,marvel ,,of   

,,nations991 embracing the past1        
present1 and future of the ,,united     
,,states1 from a historical1 political1 
and religious standpoint2 what great    
men have predicted2 what the ,scriptures
 have foretold4 ,this book gives a      
brief but comprehensive historical      
review of our country1 comparing the    
past with the present state of religion1
 education1 and science1 and  calling   
special attention to the advancement    
that is being made by  ,spiritualism1   
,catholicism1 and the ,national ,reform 
movement1 which is  rapidly bringing    
about a union of ,church and ,state in  
,america4 ,these  questions are coming  
to the front2 and he who prizes current 
thought on  living issues should give   
them an examination4 ,the book contains 
#cjj  pages1 and over #dj illustrations2
 and has reached its #bjjth thousand4   
,it  needs no other indorsement than a  
careful reading4    ,in plain edges     
99#a4jj99  ,gilt edges                  
99#a4be99    99,,from ,,eden ,,to       

,,eden499--,this book is a most         
interesting study of the more  important
 historic and prophetic portions of the 
,scriptures4 ,the author  traces the    
world in its career front the time when 
8,god saw everything  that he had made  
and behold it was very good10 on through
 the period while  8the earth also is   
defiled under the inhabitants thereof10 
to the future  glorious time when       
,christ says to his followers1 8,come1  
ye blessed of my  ,father1 inherit the  
kingdom prepared for you from the       
foundation of the  world40 8,,from      
,,eden ,,to ,,eden0 is printed from new 
electrotype plates1 on  heavy calendared
 paper made especially for this book1   
and contains #bfd  pages4 ,it is        
illustrated with numerous fullpage      
engravings1 and furnished  in two very  
attractive styles of binding1 at the    
following prices3--    ,in a highly     
ornamental binding        99#a4ej99     
,plain binding1 with marbled edges      
99#a4jj99    99,,great ,,controversy99  

between ,christ and ,satan during the   
,christian  ,dispensation4 ,a companion 
volume to 8,patriarchs and ,prophets40  
,by the same  author4 ,this volume      
presents the most wonderful and         
intensely interesting  history that has 
ever been written of the great conflict 
between  ,christianity and the powers of
 darkness1 as illustrated in the lives  
of  ,christian martyrs and reformers on 
the one hand1 and wicked men and        
persecuting powers on the other4        
,beginning with our ,lord's great       
prophecy  given while viewing ,jerusalem
 from the ,mount of ,olives1 this book  
outlines  the history of the whole      
dispensation down to the time when 8sin 
and  sinners are no more2 ,god's entire 
universe is clean3 and the great        
controversy is forever ended40 ,this    
remarkable book contains over #gjj pp41 
and #bf illustrations4 ,the work is     
handsomely printed and bound4    ,bound 
in five styles1 varying in price from   
99#d4ej to #b4be99    99,,patriarchs    

,,and ,,prophets992 or the ,great       
,conflict between ,good and ,evil as    
illustrated in the ,lives of ,holy ,men 
of ,old4 ,by ,mrs4 ,e4 ,g4 ,white1      
author  of 8,great ,controversy10 8,life
 of ,christ10 and numerous other works  
on  religious subjects4 ,this book      
treats upon the themes of ,bible        
history--themes not in themselves new1  
but so presented here as to give  them a
 new significance4 ,beginning with the  
rebellion in heaven1 the  author shows  
why sin was permitted1 why ,satan was   
not destroyed1 and why  man was tested2 
gives a thrilling description of man's  
temptation and  fall2 and rehearses the 
plan of redemption devised for his      
salvation4 ,this  volume traces the     
great conflict between good and evil    
from its inception  down through the    
centuries to the time of ,david's death1
 and shows ,god's  wonderful love for   
mankind by his dealings with the 8holy  
men of old40 ,the  book contains over   
#gfj octavo pages4 ,it is printed from  

clear1 new  electrotypes on a fine      
quality of tinted paper4 ,its pages are 
adorned with  more than #ej engravings1 
over #cj of which are fullpage1 and many
 were  designed and engraved especially 
for this book by an artist in ,paris1   
,france4    ,furnished in four styles of
 binding1 ranging from      99#d4ej to  
#b4be99  ,in plain binding1 with #ac    
illustrations                99#a4ge99  
99,,here ,,and ,,hereafter991 or ,man's 
,nature and ,destiny1 ,the ,state of the
 ,dead1  the ,reward of the ,righteous1 
and the ,end of the ,wicked4 ,by ,u4    
,smith4 ,a  thorough canvass of the     
great question of a future existence1   
and the  nature of man in the present   
life4 ,every text in the ,bible which   
has any  bearing upon these points1 is  
taken up and carefully explained1 thus  
giving the most comprehensive view of   
the subject that has yet been           
presented4 ,the work contains #ddd      
pages4 ,in cloth covers      99#a4jj99  
99,,christian ,,education499--,the most 

complete and comprehensive work on the  
subject of ,christian ,education that   
has ever been published4 ,starting from 
the period of infancy1 it points out the
 most successful way of preparing  the  
mind of the child for the work of       
succeeding years4 ,the importance of    
proceeding upon ,christian principles in
 the work of education1 the nature  and 
kind of studies which are best for      
children1 and the moulding  influences  
of home and associates1 are dwelt upon  
in the most practical  and explicit way4
 ,many of the problems that perplex     
parents are cleared up  in this book1   
and every one who has to deal with      
children should procure  and study it4  
#bef pages nicely bound in cloth        
99#ej cts499    99,,steps ,,to          
,,christ499--,this little work by ,mrs4 
,e4 ,g4 ,white presents in a  simple and
 attractive manner the steps by which   
the sinner may be made  complete in     
,christ4 ,while the book is an excellent
 guide for inquirers and  young         

converts1 it also contains a wealth of  
counsel and encouragement for  those who
 are laboring with the difficulties that
 beset a growing  experience4 #aeg      
pages4 ,in neat cloth binding           
99#ge4 cts499    99,,helps ,,to ,,bible 
,,study499--,a series of ,bible         
readings1 simple and easy1  designed as 
an aid to the personal study of the     
,scriptures1 and adapted to  the use of 
individuals or families2 also a valuable
 assistant to ,bible  workers4 ,the book
 contains about forty readings1 prepared
 by practical  ,bible workers and       
teachers1 and covering the most         
important subjects that  pertain to the 
spiritual welfare of mankind at the     
present time4 #abe  pages4    ,in cloth 
binding      99#ej cts499  ,in paper    
covers       99#be cts499    99,,gospel 
,,workers99 is a very interesting volume
 of #dhj pages4 ,it outlines  the       
qualifications that should be possessed 
by ministers and all others  who would  
win souls to ,christ4 ,it should be in  

the hands of all ,christian  workers4   
,this book can be read and studied by   
all classes with edification  and       
profit4    ,in plain substantial binding
     99#a4jj99    99,,ministration ,,of 
,,angels991 and the ,origin1 ,history1  
and ,destiny of ,satan4 ,a  work of     
great interest upon a subject seldom    
written upon1 yet of great  importance  
to the ,christian4 ,bound in paper      
covers      99#bj cts499    99,,facts   
,,for ,,the ,,times499--,containing     
historical extracts1 candid admissions  
from authors1 ancient and modern1 on the
 live questions of the present  hour1   
political and religious4 ,a book for    
these times4 ,revised to #ahic4 ,a      
compilation of facts that are           
astounding1 by students of ,biblical and
  historical research4 #cdj pages4 ,in  
fine cloth covers      99#ge cts499     
99,,the ,,saints' ,,inheritance499--,the
 reader will here find a very           
interesting  pamphlet of #hb pages      
showing that the future kingdom of      

,christ1 with the  family of the        
redeemed1 will be in this earth1        
renewed1 restored1 and  regenerated1    
according to numerous scriptures in the 
,old and ,new  ,testaments4    ,in paper
 covers      99#aj cts499    99,,the    
,,gospel ,,in ,,creation499--,a nicely  
illustrated work setting forth clearly  
and simply the relation between ,god's  
work in creation and redemption4 ,the   
signs of power and greatness that mark  
the handiwork of ,god in the visible    
universe are shown to be but indications
 of the unfailing strength with  which  
he works in the lives of those who      
submit to his will4 ,the  confirmation  
of the truths of the gospel drawn from  
the study of the  creation will make    
this book a valuable one to all who are 
watching with  interest the attacks that
 are now made on the authority of the   
,bible4    ,in cloth covers      99#ej  
cts499    99,,sacred ,,chronology499--,a
 new and revised edition of a little    
work published  by the late ,sylvester  

,bliss about forty years ago1 giving the
 chronology  from creation to the death 
of the apostle ,john4 ,also 8,the       
,peopling of the  ,earth2 or1           
,historical ,notes on the ,tenth        
,chapter of ,genesis40 ,by ,a4 ,t4      
,jones4 ,a valuable reference book4 #bih
 pp4 ,cloth covers       99#a4jj99      
99,,life ,,of ,,christ ,,and ,,his      
,,apostles499--,a series of eight       
pamphlets1 under the  general title of  
8,redemption10 portraying the first     
advent of ,christ1 his  temptation1 his 
miracles1 his teachings1 his sufferings1
 and his  resurrection1 and the         
teachings and labors of ,peter and      
,paul4 ,here are #ghh  pages of most    
excellent reading4    ,in paper covers  
99#ij cts499    99,,satan',s ,,first    
,,lie992 or ,man in ,death4 ,a very     
fascinating poem of #cf pages  by a     
wellknown poet of ,michigan4 ,the 8,lie0
 referred to is the one  mentioned in   
the third chapter of ,genesis2 and      
though1 as the ,scriptures  tell1 the   

devil is a liar and the father of it1   
none of his lies have  wrought such     
disastrous consequences to the race as  
the one here pointed  out4 ,the reader  
will hardly fail of being alike         
interested in both the  poetry and      
theology of this unique poem4 ,in paper 
covers      99#ae cts499    99,,the     
,,christian',s ,,secret ,,of ,a ,,happy 
,,life499--,by ,hannah ,whitall ,smith4 
8,to  commend this work would seem      
almost superfluous2 and yet to young    
,christians who may not know it1 we     
cannot refrain from saying1 ,buy this   
book1 and keep it with your ,bible for  
constant study1 until you have          
thoroughly mastered1 in your experience1
 the secret of which it tells4 ,it  will
 transform the dark days of your life1  
as it has transformed those of          
thousands before you into days of       
heavenly light40--,the ,evangelist 7,n4 
,y474    ,in cloth covers      99#ge    
cts499    99,,his ,,glorious            
,,appearing499--,an exposition of       

,matthew ,,xxiv4 ,this is a verse       
byverse explanation of the ,redeemer's  
great prophecy concerning the  ,gospel  
,dispensation and his second appearing  
in glory4 #if pages1 with #bj  fullpage 
illustrations4    ,in paper covers1     
99#bj cts499  ,board covers1 99#be      
cts499  ,cloth covers      99#dj cts499 
99,,the ,,chariots ,,of ,,fire ,,and    
,,iron992 or1 ,the ,modern ,railroad    
,system1 treated  in the light of sacred
 prophecy4 ,a very interesting pamphlet 
of #afh pages4  ,by ,d4 ,t4 ,taylor1 the
 wellknown author4    ,in paper covers  
99#be cts499    99,,the ,,rejected      
,,ordinance499--,a convincing argument  
to show that our ,saviour's  remarkable 
act of humility recorded in the         
thirteenth chapter of ,john1  should be 
literally perpetuated among ,christians 
99#aj cts499    99,,scripture           
,,references499--,a careful compilation 
of prooftexts on twenty  five different 
subjects of great importance at the     
present time4      99#d  cts499         

99,,spiritualism ,a ,,satanic           
,,delusion499--,this is a scathing      
arraignment of the  system of necromancy
 known under the name of 8,modern       
,spiritualism40  99#d cts499    99,,is  
,,the ,,end ,,near899--,an #hpage tract 
of great interest1 giving numerous      
reasons for believing that the ,second  
,coming of ,christ is at hand4      99#a
  ct499    99,,can ,,we ,,know899--,a   
tract of #h pages which proves most     
conclusively that the  numerous         
predictions concerning the signs of the 
times and the second  advent may be     
understood4      99#a ct499    99,,the  
,,two ,,laws499--,a clear and scriptural
 argument showing the difference        
between the ,ten ,commandments and the  
ceremonial law or the ,hebrews4  99#b   
cts499    99,,the ,,sufferings ,,of     
,,christ499--,this tract dwells with    
great force on the  agonies of our      
,redeemer in the garden and on the      
cross1 in order to make  the salvation  
of sinners possible4      99#d cts499   

99,,the ,,second ,,advent991 showing the
 nature of the ,second ,coming1 and     
reasons  for believing it near4         
99#d cts499    99,,bible                
,,conversion499--,a tract of #af pages  
which sets forth very clearly what  it  
is to be born again1 and that without a 
change of heart no one can be  saved4   
99#b cts499            ,transcriber's   
,note3 ,obvious printer's errors have   
been corrected4