1905
Sir Roger de Coverley obliged his chaplain to deliver sermons written by famous old divines in lieu of original preachments, and Addison assures us that many clergymen would do well to adopt the plan, but most congregations prefer a minister who speaks his own thoughts, however mediocre they may be.
The New Orleans States says that a bishop, commenting on the aversion of congregations to sermon reading, tells this story:
A sermon-reading clergyman, a friend of mine, called one day on a humble parishioner, a cobbler. He sat mending a pair of boots and reading his Bible at the same time.
"What are you doing, Giles?" asked my friend, with a benevolent smile.
"Prophesyin'," Giles answered.
"Prophesying? Nonsense!"
"Well," said the cobbler, curtly, "if readin' a sermon is preachin', isn't readin' a prophecy prophesyin'?"
Showing posts with label prophecy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label prophecy. Show all posts
Monday, July 16, 2007
Friday, July 6, 2007
Evangelist Describes Second Coming of Christ
Utah, 1915
"The second coming of the Lord spoken of in the Scriptures is a personal, literal, visible manifestation," said Booth, the evangelist, last night at the tent corner of Washington avenue and Twenty-sixth street.
"Christ came to this world and was born in the flesh personally. He ministered to the human family and was put to death personally. He ascended to his Father, and has since been serving as our great high priest in the sanctuary above in person. All the promises we have in the Bible of his coming back the second time is when he will come in person. He has been with his people spiritually all the time.
"All the prophecies of the Bible that point out the coming of the Lord call for a literal manifestation. Many of these prophecies have been fulfilled literally already. The sun was darkened May 19, 1780, the moon had the appearance of blood the following night, and the stars fell from heaven 1833 A. D. These signs that were given to usher in the coming Savior were literal. Floods, cyclones, wars, labor troubles and earthquakes, which are signs of the last days, are all of a literal nature. All these literal signs point out a literal coming of the Lord.
"Christ's feet will not touch the earth when he comes. The cloud will remain stationary, and, as the earth revolves, the saints will be caught up to meet him in the air. We read, 'The Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God, and the dead Christ shall rise first: then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.'
"When the Lord comes, all the living wicked are destroyed by the spirit of his mouth, and the brightness of his coming."
Theme tonight, "What Will Christ's Coming Mean to You?"
—The Ogden Standard, Ogden City, Utah, June 25, 1915, p. 3
"The second coming of the Lord spoken of in the Scriptures is a personal, literal, visible manifestation," said Booth, the evangelist, last night at the tent corner of Washington avenue and Twenty-sixth street.
"Christ came to this world and was born in the flesh personally. He ministered to the human family and was put to death personally. He ascended to his Father, and has since been serving as our great high priest in the sanctuary above in person. All the promises we have in the Bible of his coming back the second time is when he will come in person. He has been with his people spiritually all the time.
"All the prophecies of the Bible that point out the coming of the Lord call for a literal manifestation. Many of these prophecies have been fulfilled literally already. The sun was darkened May 19, 1780, the moon had the appearance of blood the following night, and the stars fell from heaven 1833 A. D. These signs that were given to usher in the coming Savior were literal. Floods, cyclones, wars, labor troubles and earthquakes, which are signs of the last days, are all of a literal nature. All these literal signs point out a literal coming of the Lord.
"Christ's feet will not touch the earth when he comes. The cloud will remain stationary, and, as the earth revolves, the saints will be caught up to meet him in the air. We read, 'The Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God, and the dead Christ shall rise first: then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.'
"When the Lord comes, all the living wicked are destroyed by the spirit of his mouth, and the brightness of his coming."
Theme tonight, "What Will Christ's Coming Mean to You?"
—The Ogden Standard, Ogden City, Utah, June 25, 1915, p. 3
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
The Prophetic Gift
1908
That there are persons to-day who possess the somewhat uncanny gift of being able to predict future events is probably true.
The wife of the late Sir Richard Burton, the famous traveler and linguist, not to mention other instances of her weird gift, announced the very first time she saw Burton, at the time a perfect stranger whom she had met quite casually, that he would be her husband.
At the present moment, too, there is said to be in America a man who has manifested such an extraordinary faculty of predicting things that are about to take place that a number of medical men have purchased the reversion of his brain, in order that they may examine that organ after death to see if it shows any special development to account for its wonderful gift. — The Grand Magazine.
Diabolo In The Past
More diabolo discoveries. In the National Library at Paris are two prints, one entitled "The Game of Diabolo at the Beginning of the Last Century;" the other entitled "The Devil for Four (the old diabolo." Two couples are playing diabolo excitedly in a room; the furniture is upset and the mirrors broken.
Another design is entitled: "The Good Devil, How He Goes!" A young woman throws a big, simple fellow in the air, and from his pocket fall pieces of gold. In the same picture is another woman, with her diabolo cord round the neck of a man, with the inscription below: "See how we lead them!"
Diabolo raised a furor in France in 1812. It was then, according to the Figaro correspondent, imported from England, and an English caricature of a later date represents a great Wellington sending to St. Helena's a very little Napoleon riding on a diabolo.
Long before the revolution of 1789 some missionaries in Peking sent an exact reproduction of diabolo to a French minister of state who collected Chinese curiosities. The Chinese are always found to have forgotten everything we are beginning to learn! — Dundoo Advertiser.
That there are persons to-day who possess the somewhat uncanny gift of being able to predict future events is probably true.
The wife of the late Sir Richard Burton, the famous traveler and linguist, not to mention other instances of her weird gift, announced the very first time she saw Burton, at the time a perfect stranger whom she had met quite casually, that he would be her husband.
At the present moment, too, there is said to be in America a man who has manifested such an extraordinary faculty of predicting things that are about to take place that a number of medical men have purchased the reversion of his brain, in order that they may examine that organ after death to see if it shows any special development to account for its wonderful gift. — The Grand Magazine.
Diabolo In The Past
More diabolo discoveries. In the National Library at Paris are two prints, one entitled "The Game of Diabolo at the Beginning of the Last Century;" the other entitled "The Devil for Four (the old diabolo." Two couples are playing diabolo excitedly in a room; the furniture is upset and the mirrors broken.
Another design is entitled: "The Good Devil, How He Goes!" A young woman throws a big, simple fellow in the air, and from his pocket fall pieces of gold. In the same picture is another woman, with her diabolo cord round the neck of a man, with the inscription below: "See how we lead them!"
Diabolo raised a furor in France in 1812. It was then, according to the Figaro correspondent, imported from England, and an English caricature of a later date represents a great Wellington sending to St. Helena's a very little Napoleon riding on a diabolo.
Long before the revolution of 1789 some missionaries in Peking sent an exact reproduction of diabolo to a French minister of state who collected Chinese curiosities. The Chinese are always found to have forgotten everything we are beginning to learn! — Dundoo Advertiser.
Monday, June 11, 2007
Using Eggs to Foretell the Future
1915
The White of the Egg is Recommended
This is one of the least known of all methods of foretelling the future, according to the ancient, secret wisdom of prophetic insight. Yet it is one of the most interesting, and easy to perform — though, of course, like all methods of the kind, some skill and practice are necessary in order to interpret quickly and speedily the symbolic interpretations of the signs presented, writes Prof. Sothnos Lalillier in the New York American.
In order to practice this part of cabalistic interpretation, you must procure a fresh egg — as new-laid as possible — and carefully separate the white of the egg from the yolk. Nearly fill a tumbler with cold water and drop the white of the egg into it, a drop at a time. Now place this glass carefully aside for 24 hours, being sure to cover the glass carefully, and that the water does not become warmed by proximity to a radiator, etc.
When you again look at the glass, you will find that your white of egg has congealed into various odd-shaped figures — circles, squares, animals, trees, crosses, etc. — which are to be interpreted according to the formula that follows.
Long, wavy lines denote losses and troubles; straight lines, on the contrary, denote peace, long life, prosperity and happiness.
Squares denote peace and happiness; a ring, marriage. If a letter can be discovered near the ring this will be the first letter of the name of the person you are to marry. If clouds are about the ring, think long and carefully before accepting this person, even if he offers marriage.
If a leaf is seen, speedy good fortune will come your way from some unexpected source. If an anchor is seen, fidelity in love is indicated. If a dog is seen, this is a good sign, if near the top of the glass, denoting faithful friends; if near the middle, doubtful ones; and if near the bottom, enemies to be avoided.
A lily or similar flower foretells happiness, if near the top of the glass; disappointment if near the bottom. If a number of small dots or spots are present, money is coming your way, unless clouds surround them, in which case you will receive bad tidings and notice of losses. A heart denotes a love letter which you will shortly receive. The sun, moon, or stars denote happiness and success.
The White of the Egg is Recommended
This is one of the least known of all methods of foretelling the future, according to the ancient, secret wisdom of prophetic insight. Yet it is one of the most interesting, and easy to perform — though, of course, like all methods of the kind, some skill and practice are necessary in order to interpret quickly and speedily the symbolic interpretations of the signs presented, writes Prof. Sothnos Lalillier in the New York American.
In order to practice this part of cabalistic interpretation, you must procure a fresh egg — as new-laid as possible — and carefully separate the white of the egg from the yolk. Nearly fill a tumbler with cold water and drop the white of the egg into it, a drop at a time. Now place this glass carefully aside for 24 hours, being sure to cover the glass carefully, and that the water does not become warmed by proximity to a radiator, etc.
When you again look at the glass, you will find that your white of egg has congealed into various odd-shaped figures — circles, squares, animals, trees, crosses, etc. — which are to be interpreted according to the formula that follows.
Long, wavy lines denote losses and troubles; straight lines, on the contrary, denote peace, long life, prosperity and happiness.
Squares denote peace and happiness; a ring, marriage. If a letter can be discovered near the ring this will be the first letter of the name of the person you are to marry. If clouds are about the ring, think long and carefully before accepting this person, even if he offers marriage.
If a leaf is seen, speedy good fortune will come your way from some unexpected source. If an anchor is seen, fidelity in love is indicated. If a dog is seen, this is a good sign, if near the top of the glass, denoting faithful friends; if near the middle, doubtful ones; and if near the bottom, enemies to be avoided.
A lily or similar flower foretells happiness, if near the top of the glass; disappointment if near the bottom. If a number of small dots or spots are present, money is coming your way, unless clouds surround them, in which case you will receive bad tidings and notice of losses. A heart denotes a love letter which you will shortly receive. The sun, moon, or stars denote happiness and success.
Monday, May 28, 2007
The World's End Coming Soon, According to Lima Man
Ohio, 1905
Whittredge Advises People to Sell Everything in Order to be "Clean" on Judgment Day
Lima, O., Feb. 22. — Wm. Whittredge, who was put in jail here for refusing to send his nine-year-old daughter to school because the world was coming to an end in March, is now issuing daily bulletins beseeching the people to watch and pray, claiming that he, like of Noah of old, has been delegated as the Lord's apostle and prophet.
Whittredge has formulated a new cult known as "The Church of the Israelites," which has for its teachings preparation for the coming of the Messiah. He has a number of converts in this and adjacent counties, and among his divine orders Whittredge instills the decree that followers must sell their worldly goods and be ready and "clean" to make their peace.
Yesterday Whittredge received in his mail, which has grown quite heavy, a letter from S. J. Hickey, dated East Orange, N. J., in which the writer asks for blessings, and follows with the statement: "Perhaps we can help each other in this situation through Christ, for I, too, have been jailed by the powers that be, and can heartily sympathize with you."
In his latest reiteration of the coming of the end in March, Whittredge proclaims through the press: "As it was in the days of Noah, so shall also the coming of Man now be. Noah knew and warned the people; remember some one else now knows. Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secrets to His servants, the prophets. Whereby, when ye regard, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ. Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, and it is now revealed unto His holy apostles and prophets. And what I say unto you I say unto all. Watch and pray."
—The Newark Advocate, Newark, Ohio, Feb. 22, 1905, p. 6.
OTHERS
Who Agree With Wm. Whittredge
That the World is Coming to an End Next Month
East Orange, N.J., 76 Midland Ave.
Mr. Wm. Whitredge,
Lima, O., Feb. 14, 1905.
Dear Brother —
A recent press dispatch informs us that you have been jailed for refusing to send your daughter to school, your reason being that you believed the end to be so near as to make it not worth the while. I am also of the opinion that the destruction of the cosmos by fire, as predicted by the Apostle Peter, is very near at hand and extend you my sympathy. Will you kindly tell me what has convinced you of the truth concerning these last things, perhaps we can help each other in the situation through Christ. I, too, have been jailed by the powers that be, and can heartily sympathize with you.
Your brother in Christ Jesus. S. J. HICKEY.
The Lord is come with ten thousand of His saints to execute judgment upon all and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him. These are murmurers, complainer walking after their own lusts, and their mouth speaketh great swelling words, having men's persons in admiration because of advance. Jude 14-15-16. A wicked and adulterous generation seeketh a sign, but no sign will be given but the sign of the Prophet Jonah. As it was in the days of Noah, so shall also the coming of the Son of Man be. Noah knew and warned the people; remember some one else will know. Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth His secrets to His servants, the prophets. Whereby, when ye regard, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ. Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men as it is now revealed unto His holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit. And what I say unto you I say unto all, watch and pray. MRS. WM. WHITTREDGE
—The Lima Times Democrat, Lima, Ohio, Feb. 20, 1905.
WAIT FOR WORLD TO END
Decatur, Ind., March 9. — Waiting for the world to come to an end and advocating the creed of their sect, several families, under the leadership of William Whittredge, formerly of Elgin, Ohio, are preparing for the millennium, which they say will be here in April. The little band has no name, but its members apparently are sincere in their belief. When Whittredge and his followers came here quietly several weeks ago they attracted little attention, but it was noticed that the entire band of three families was housed in one dwelling. Then the people of the neighborhood began to wonder. It was made known yesterday that the strangers were simply waiting for the world to come to an end and tracts were scattered over the city warning residents that the end is expected in April. The followers of Whittredge in preaching their doctrine point to revelations, and on the tracts they distribute are printed quotations from the bible. The members of the band are all intelligent and well informed.
—The Fort Wayne Sentinel, Fort Wayne, IN, March 9, 1905, p. 9.
Whittredge Advises People to Sell Everything in Order to be "Clean" on Judgment Day
Lima, O., Feb. 22. — Wm. Whittredge, who was put in jail here for refusing to send his nine-year-old daughter to school because the world was coming to an end in March, is now issuing daily bulletins beseeching the people to watch and pray, claiming that he, like of Noah of old, has been delegated as the Lord's apostle and prophet.
Whittredge has formulated a new cult known as "The Church of the Israelites," which has for its teachings preparation for the coming of the Messiah. He has a number of converts in this and adjacent counties, and among his divine orders Whittredge instills the decree that followers must sell their worldly goods and be ready and "clean" to make their peace.
Yesterday Whittredge received in his mail, which has grown quite heavy, a letter from S. J. Hickey, dated East Orange, N. J., in which the writer asks for blessings, and follows with the statement: "Perhaps we can help each other in this situation through Christ, for I, too, have been jailed by the powers that be, and can heartily sympathize with you."
In his latest reiteration of the coming of the end in March, Whittredge proclaims through the press: "As it was in the days of Noah, so shall also the coming of Man now be. Noah knew and warned the people; remember some one else now knows. Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secrets to His servants, the prophets. Whereby, when ye regard, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ. Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, and it is now revealed unto His holy apostles and prophets. And what I say unto you I say unto all. Watch and pray."
—The Newark Advocate, Newark, Ohio, Feb. 22, 1905, p. 6.
OTHERS
Who Agree With Wm. Whittredge
That the World is Coming to an End Next Month
East Orange, N.J., 76 Midland Ave.
Mr. Wm. Whitredge,
Lima, O., Feb. 14, 1905.
Dear Brother —
A recent press dispatch informs us that you have been jailed for refusing to send your daughter to school, your reason being that you believed the end to be so near as to make it not worth the while. I am also of the opinion that the destruction of the cosmos by fire, as predicted by the Apostle Peter, is very near at hand and extend you my sympathy. Will you kindly tell me what has convinced you of the truth concerning these last things, perhaps we can help each other in the situation through Christ. I, too, have been jailed by the powers that be, and can heartily sympathize with you.
Your brother in Christ Jesus. S. J. HICKEY.
The Lord is come with ten thousand of His saints to execute judgment upon all and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him. These are murmurers, complainer walking after their own lusts, and their mouth speaketh great swelling words, having men's persons in admiration because of advance. Jude 14-15-16. A wicked and adulterous generation seeketh a sign, but no sign will be given but the sign of the Prophet Jonah. As it was in the days of Noah, so shall also the coming of the Son of Man be. Noah knew and warned the people; remember some one else will know. Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth His secrets to His servants, the prophets. Whereby, when ye regard, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ. Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men as it is now revealed unto His holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit. And what I say unto you I say unto all, watch and pray. MRS. WM. WHITTREDGE
—The Lima Times Democrat, Lima, Ohio, Feb. 20, 1905.
WAIT FOR WORLD TO END
Decatur, Ind., March 9. — Waiting for the world to come to an end and advocating the creed of their sect, several families, under the leadership of William Whittredge, formerly of Elgin, Ohio, are preparing for the millennium, which they say will be here in April. The little band has no name, but its members apparently are sincere in their belief. When Whittredge and his followers came here quietly several weeks ago they attracted little attention, but it was noticed that the entire band of three families was housed in one dwelling. Then the people of the neighborhood began to wonder. It was made known yesterday that the strangers were simply waiting for the world to come to an end and tracts were scattered over the city warning residents that the end is expected in April. The followers of Whittredge in preaching their doctrine point to revelations, and on the tracts they distribute are printed quotations from the bible. The members of the band are all intelligent and well informed.
—The Fort Wayne Sentinel, Fort Wayne, IN, March 9, 1905, p. 9.
Saturday, May 19, 2007
The Bicycle a Means of Grace
1895
A Presbyterian minister, Rev. Roland D. Dawson, declares that the bicycle is a means of grace.
He lately preached a sermon on this topic, taking for his text the passage from Isaiah, "And their wheels were like a whirlwind." He suggested, moreover, that cobblestone streets could be made into good bicycle routes at small expense by covering them with a coat of asphalt.
He said wheelmen would be welcome to come to his church on their machines, and the bicycles would be cared for during service. As a means of giving women strength and independence and "freeing them from the slavery of the skirt" there was nothing like it.
The bicyclists ought to patronize his church in great force, for he called for the universal construction of wheel routes. He predicted that before long the bicycle would be the common means of transit, and every one not physically incapable would ride it.
A Presbyterian minister, Rev. Roland D. Dawson, declares that the bicycle is a means of grace.
He lately preached a sermon on this topic, taking for his text the passage from Isaiah, "And their wheels were like a whirlwind." He suggested, moreover, that cobblestone streets could be made into good bicycle routes at small expense by covering them with a coat of asphalt.
He said wheelmen would be welcome to come to his church on their machines, and the bicycles would be cared for during service. As a means of giving women strength and independence and "freeing them from the slavery of the skirt" there was nothing like it.
The bicyclists ought to patronize his church in great force, for he called for the universal construction of wheel routes. He predicted that before long the bicycle would be the common means of transit, and every one not physically incapable would ride it.
Saturday, May 5, 2007
The Suffering Savior — Isaiah's Servant Songs
1929
The Suffering Savior
TEXT: ISAIAH 53:1-12
BY WM. E. GILROY, D. D.
The problem of suffering is one of the deepest problems of life. Sooner or later it affects every individual, but it also becomes emphasized in the community and national life and in the experience of humanity as a whole.
Why do the righteous suffer? Why are communities thru some catastrophe swept away, often without warning? Why do nations rise and fall, with what seems like historic disaster taking place upon a large scale?
These were the questions that were early faced by the religious leaders in Israel and that became particularly emphasized at the time out of which the prophecies that we are studying arose. The Kingdom of Israel had been destroyed and the Kingdom of Judah had suffered temporary overthrow with the exile of its people to Babylon. Where were the promises that were cherished by Israel, that in the seed of Abraham all the nations of the earth should be blessed. How could these promises be fulfilled with the children of Abraham dispersed and scattered and their national life disrupted and broken?
A WRONG SOLUTION
The first solution proposed for this problem was that suffering is simply the result of conduct, that the good prosper while those who have done wrong bear the brunt of their own wrong doing. But such a philosophy of life could not long survive the tests of reality. Thoughtful men saw that this explanation did not accord with the real facts. The sacred writer saw the wicked flourishing and "spreading himself like a green bay tree," while, on the other hand, he saw people of earnest and saintly character suffering acutely. It was this problem that was faced in the book of Job.
Even, however, when a better view of the matter had arisen in personal experiences, there was still a tendency to explain all larger events and provinces, and national experiences of welfare and of calamity, upon this basis. It is, in fact, a philosophy from which it seems difficult for the world to get far away. When some community is seriously stricken by catastrophe today, there is a tendency for many people to regard it as "a judgment of God."
Jesus protested against this view of things in his reference to those upon whom the Tower of Siloam fell. He refused to believe that those who were killed in that disaster were sinners above all others in Israel and were on that account singled out for punishment.
Possibly one of the reasons why this philosophy that relates sufferings to punishments and penalties is so persistent is found in the fact that in a crude, rough way there is some truth in that philosophy. Sin does bring results of pain and penalty to individuals and to nations. But the mistake is in trying to make a philosophy that is partially true an explanation of all the facts.
The prophets, whose writings we are studying, were faced with this situation, that at a time when Israel was in exile and suffering there was probably a more earnest and genuine interest in religion than there had been for years. Out of all this situation they developed the idea which was later strongly fulfilled in the life and work of Jesus, that there is such a thing as people suffering for others and that the good who suffer are often in that suffering fulfilling the highest purposes of God.
Here is this noble and moving picture in the fifty-third chapter of Isaiah of a suffering servant whose life seems the reverse of all that man might wish his life to be. He is despised and rejected by his fellow men. He is a man of sorrows, contemned even by those whom he is seeking to serve. Yet all this suffering is borne for others. His life, in spite of its woes, is tuned to unselfishness and service, and in his very sufferings he is fulfilling the mission of a savior of his fellow men.
VARIOUS INTERPRETATIONS
Some scholars claim that this suffering servant, here described, typifies the people of Israel in their experiences of trial and bitterness fulfilling under God's purpose the mission that they had long supposed that they were to fulfill thru ease, prosperity, and comfort. Others see in this suffering servant the personification not of the whole of Israel, but of the faithful remnant of the people, while still others have seen in this suffering servant an individual, an early prototype of Jesus of Nazareth.
We who view the prophecies from the vantage ground of the New Testament and the story of the earthly life of Jesus can see that in him these conceptions found their true fulfillment. It was in the spirit of this suffering servant that he came and lived and died. It is in him that we see the good suffering with and for the guilty, and that we behold the regenerative power of the cross.
—The Lima News, Lima, Ohio, April 27, 1929, p. 4.
My review (2007): This is a really good article. Very clear and concise, steps through the subject in a thoughtful, reasonable way. The author had a great style.
The Suffering Savior
TEXT: ISAIAH 53:1-12
BY WM. E. GILROY, D. D.
The problem of suffering is one of the deepest problems of life. Sooner or later it affects every individual, but it also becomes emphasized in the community and national life and in the experience of humanity as a whole.
Why do the righteous suffer? Why are communities thru some catastrophe swept away, often without warning? Why do nations rise and fall, with what seems like historic disaster taking place upon a large scale?
These were the questions that were early faced by the religious leaders in Israel and that became particularly emphasized at the time out of which the prophecies that we are studying arose. The Kingdom of Israel had been destroyed and the Kingdom of Judah had suffered temporary overthrow with the exile of its people to Babylon. Where were the promises that were cherished by Israel, that in the seed of Abraham all the nations of the earth should be blessed. How could these promises be fulfilled with the children of Abraham dispersed and scattered and their national life disrupted and broken?
A WRONG SOLUTION
The first solution proposed for this problem was that suffering is simply the result of conduct, that the good prosper while those who have done wrong bear the brunt of their own wrong doing. But such a philosophy of life could not long survive the tests of reality. Thoughtful men saw that this explanation did not accord with the real facts. The sacred writer saw the wicked flourishing and "spreading himself like a green bay tree," while, on the other hand, he saw people of earnest and saintly character suffering acutely. It was this problem that was faced in the book of Job.
Even, however, when a better view of the matter had arisen in personal experiences, there was still a tendency to explain all larger events and provinces, and national experiences of welfare and of calamity, upon this basis. It is, in fact, a philosophy from which it seems difficult for the world to get far away. When some community is seriously stricken by catastrophe today, there is a tendency for many people to regard it as "a judgment of God."
Jesus protested against this view of things in his reference to those upon whom the Tower of Siloam fell. He refused to believe that those who were killed in that disaster were sinners above all others in Israel and were on that account singled out for punishment.
Possibly one of the reasons why this philosophy that relates sufferings to punishments and penalties is so persistent is found in the fact that in a crude, rough way there is some truth in that philosophy. Sin does bring results of pain and penalty to individuals and to nations. But the mistake is in trying to make a philosophy that is partially true an explanation of all the facts.
The prophets, whose writings we are studying, were faced with this situation, that at a time when Israel was in exile and suffering there was probably a more earnest and genuine interest in religion than there had been for years. Out of all this situation they developed the idea which was later strongly fulfilled in the life and work of Jesus, that there is such a thing as people suffering for others and that the good who suffer are often in that suffering fulfilling the highest purposes of God.
Here is this noble and moving picture in the fifty-third chapter of Isaiah of a suffering servant whose life seems the reverse of all that man might wish his life to be. He is despised and rejected by his fellow men. He is a man of sorrows, contemned even by those whom he is seeking to serve. Yet all this suffering is borne for others. His life, in spite of its woes, is tuned to unselfishness and service, and in his very sufferings he is fulfilling the mission of a savior of his fellow men.
VARIOUS INTERPRETATIONS
Some scholars claim that this suffering servant, here described, typifies the people of Israel in their experiences of trial and bitterness fulfilling under God's purpose the mission that they had long supposed that they were to fulfill thru ease, prosperity, and comfort. Others see in this suffering servant the personification not of the whole of Israel, but of the faithful remnant of the people, while still others have seen in this suffering servant an individual, an early prototype of Jesus of Nazareth.
We who view the prophecies from the vantage ground of the New Testament and the story of the earthly life of Jesus can see that in him these conceptions found their true fulfillment. It was in the spirit of this suffering servant that he came and lived and died. It is in him that we see the good suffering with and for the guilty, and that we behold the regenerative power of the cross.
—The Lima News, Lima, Ohio, April 27, 1929, p. 4.
My review (2007): This is a really good article. Very clear and concise, steps through the subject in a thoughtful, reasonable way. The author had a great style.
The War In China (1900) — The Will of God?
Massillon, Ohio, 1900
THE WAR IN CHINA.
Mrs. Guinn Believes 'tis the Will of God.
GROFF SAYS SATAN RULES.
The Well Known Bible Student Sees in the Situation the Beginning the Fulfillment of God's Prophecy — John O'Connor Says the Rich Man Makes Wars and Should Fight them.
The Rev. Mrs. Guinn, of Allegheny, who will appear at the African Methodist church on Sunday for the first time since her appointment to the charge, expects to shortly deliver a sermon having to do with the war in China. Mrs. Guinn has carefully studied the situation in the East, in connection with biblical assertions and prophecies, and her ideas on the subject are interesting in the extreme.
"Millions will be killed,," said Mrs. Guinn today, "but when the war is over I think we will see that it was a blessing in disguise. Every great good that has ever been accomplished has been through suffering. Many Chinese have already embraced the Christian religion, and the war will bring many more to Christ. The war, I believe, is the will of God, and its sole purpose is the betterment of the world. I feel that this will be the last war the world will ever see. At its close all nations will point to Christ. Paganism will exist no more."
A SOMEWHAT DIFFERENT VIEW.
Dr. F. Z. Groff, well known as a student of the Bible, takes a somewhat different view of the situation. "Satan rules," remarked he Saturday. "The prophecy of the Lord that perilous times shall come and men shall become lovers of their own selves, covetous and so on, was fulfilled many centuries ago. Even in the Dark Ages such a condition existed. Now that other prophecy, appearing in the twenty-fifth chapter of Jeremiah, is being fulfilled. All the nations of the world are at war, as the prophet predicts; all the kings of the north, far and near, one with another, and all the kingdoms, of the world are involved. And as Jehovah says, 'they shall drink and spew and fall and rise no more, because of the sword I shall send among you.' We are now beginning to realize what was meant by those words. The ministers of all creeds and all religious men are saying that we are on the verge of some great climax. What is it? Let them read their Bibles. Let them look to the prophecies. It is a great situation. All the people of the world perished once before. The Bible tells of what now is to happen."
AS JOHN CONNORS SEES IT.
"We've got no business sending troops to fight those poor people," said John Connors Saturday. "Why can't we leave them alone? If Americans want to go over to make money they ought to take their chances of being killed, and not expect this country to send troops to fight their battles for them. And if all the people were like me there would be no troops sent. I would not take up a gun and go to China, and it they'd all say the same thing there'd be no one to go. Why should free Americans be forced to lay down their lives in a heathen land? Make the men that's getting the money out of the war do the fighting, not the poor man who can figure on nothing but a bullet. This war business is all wrong anyhow. It's no concern of this country if the Chinese want to be heathens. That's their right."
—The Massillon Independent, Massillon, Ohio, July 30, 1900, p. 1.
THE WAR IN CHINA.
Mrs. Guinn Believes 'tis the Will of God.
GROFF SAYS SATAN RULES.
The Well Known Bible Student Sees in the Situation the Beginning the Fulfillment of God's Prophecy — John O'Connor Says the Rich Man Makes Wars and Should Fight them.
The Rev. Mrs. Guinn, of Allegheny, who will appear at the African Methodist church on Sunday for the first time since her appointment to the charge, expects to shortly deliver a sermon having to do with the war in China. Mrs. Guinn has carefully studied the situation in the East, in connection with biblical assertions and prophecies, and her ideas on the subject are interesting in the extreme.
"Millions will be killed,," said Mrs. Guinn today, "but when the war is over I think we will see that it was a blessing in disguise. Every great good that has ever been accomplished has been through suffering. Many Chinese have already embraced the Christian religion, and the war will bring many more to Christ. The war, I believe, is the will of God, and its sole purpose is the betterment of the world. I feel that this will be the last war the world will ever see. At its close all nations will point to Christ. Paganism will exist no more."
A SOMEWHAT DIFFERENT VIEW.
Dr. F. Z. Groff, well known as a student of the Bible, takes a somewhat different view of the situation. "Satan rules," remarked he Saturday. "The prophecy of the Lord that perilous times shall come and men shall become lovers of their own selves, covetous and so on, was fulfilled many centuries ago. Even in the Dark Ages such a condition existed. Now that other prophecy, appearing in the twenty-fifth chapter of Jeremiah, is being fulfilled. All the nations of the world are at war, as the prophet predicts; all the kings of the north, far and near, one with another, and all the kingdoms, of the world are involved. And as Jehovah says, 'they shall drink and spew and fall and rise no more, because of the sword I shall send among you.' We are now beginning to realize what was meant by those words. The ministers of all creeds and all religious men are saying that we are on the verge of some great climax. What is it? Let them read their Bibles. Let them look to the prophecies. It is a great situation. All the people of the world perished once before. The Bible tells of what now is to happen."
AS JOHN CONNORS SEES IT.
"We've got no business sending troops to fight those poor people," said John Connors Saturday. "Why can't we leave them alone? If Americans want to go over to make money they ought to take their chances of being killed, and not expect this country to send troops to fight their battles for them. And if all the people were like me there would be no troops sent. I would not take up a gun and go to China, and it they'd all say the same thing there'd be no one to go. Why should free Americans be forced to lay down their lives in a heathen land? Make the men that's getting the money out of the war do the fighting, not the poor man who can figure on nothing but a bullet. This war business is all wrong anyhow. It's no concern of this country if the Chinese want to be heathens. That's their right."
—The Massillon Independent, Massillon, Ohio, July 30, 1900, p. 1.
Tuesday, May 1, 2007
Aged Preacher, Dying in Poorhouse, Is Happy
1920
Aged Preacher, Dying in Poorhouse, Is Happy While Waiting His Death
INDIANOLA, Iowa — After half a century of service as a preacher of the gospel, Rev. James W. Prince is dying in the poorhouse near here.
From pulpit to poorhouse is a long road; the saintly old man is reaching the end of it.
After a remarkable lifetime spent in ministering wherever there were sick and needy, from the Chicago slums to our own State institutions, he has been tireless in good deeds.
Today, worn out by his long life of service to humanity, he lies in a bare upstairs room of the poorhouse, ready to die.
Appears as Ancient Prophet
The pallor of his face, his long white beard, the emaciated hand that lies upon the coverlet and is raised now and again to emphasize some noble sentiment of the Psalmist that he quotes — make the old man seem like a prophet of ancient times.
The visitor forgets the bare floor and staring walls and the poorhouse when the old preacher, asked how he is feeling, answers:
"Oh, I am happy! Gloriously and transcendently happy! Praise the Lord!"
To while away the long hours he recites, in what was once a powerful voice, long passages of scripture, ending on a high quavering note from sheer exhaustion.
Predicts Day of His Death
Lying there alone, he has come to believe that he is going to be translated — that he will not die, but will be like Enoch, who "walked with God; and he was not, for God took him." He is convinced that on the twelfth of May, that event will take place. The twelfth of May will be his 86th birthday.
The poorhouse is a bitter enough end to such a life, but it has been made bearable through a singular circumstance.
Forty-six years ago when he lived at Red Oak, the Rev. Mr. Prince held a great revival at which nearly 100 men and women were converted.
During those meetings he met a young man named Will Hewitt and a young woman who later became Mr. Hewitt's wife. Later he lost track of them, but when, old and friendless, he went "over the hill to the poorhouse," he found Mr. and Mrs. Hewitt in charge of the institution, and they have cared for him the best they could.
Aged Preacher, Dying in Poorhouse, Is Happy While Waiting His Death
INDIANOLA, Iowa — After half a century of service as a preacher of the gospel, Rev. James W. Prince is dying in the poorhouse near here.
From pulpit to poorhouse is a long road; the saintly old man is reaching the end of it.
After a remarkable lifetime spent in ministering wherever there were sick and needy, from the Chicago slums to our own State institutions, he has been tireless in good deeds.
Today, worn out by his long life of service to humanity, he lies in a bare upstairs room of the poorhouse, ready to die.
Appears as Ancient Prophet
The pallor of his face, his long white beard, the emaciated hand that lies upon the coverlet and is raised now and again to emphasize some noble sentiment of the Psalmist that he quotes — make the old man seem like a prophet of ancient times.
The visitor forgets the bare floor and staring walls and the poorhouse when the old preacher, asked how he is feeling, answers:
"Oh, I am happy! Gloriously and transcendently happy! Praise the Lord!"
To while away the long hours he recites, in what was once a powerful voice, long passages of scripture, ending on a high quavering note from sheer exhaustion.
Predicts Day of His Death
Lying there alone, he has come to believe that he is going to be translated — that he will not die, but will be like Enoch, who "walked with God; and he was not, for God took him." He is convinced that on the twelfth of May, that event will take place. The twelfth of May will be his 86th birthday.
The poorhouse is a bitter enough end to such a life, but it has been made bearable through a singular circumstance.
Forty-six years ago when he lived at Red Oak, the Rev. Mr. Prince held a great revival at which nearly 100 men and women were converted.
During those meetings he met a young man named Will Hewitt and a young woman who later became Mr. Hewitt's wife. Later he lost track of them, but when, old and friendless, he went "over the hill to the poorhouse," he found Mr. and Mrs. Hewitt in charge of the institution, and they have cared for him the best they could.
Saturday, April 28, 2007
The World Is Nearing An End (1899)
Ohio, 1899
THE WORLD
Is Nearing an End the Rev. Mr. Boardman Says.
Annual Meeting of Seventh Day Adventists Near Akron — R. R. Kennedy, of Wheelersburg, Is President.
The Seventh Day Adventists of Ohio are in session at Randolph park, near Akron. The service will continue for ten days. About one thousand members are present. A telegram from there states that Rev. R. A. Boardman, of Mt. Vernon, who several years ago held forth here in a tent at Chillicothe and Eighth streets, in a sermon said the end of the world was near at hand.
"We believe in the near coming of Christ," he said. "The signs indicate that the destruction of the world will come soon. I'll not set a date, but the signs are very strong that the end is near, very near. Noah was many years in building the ark. He was scoffed at when he preached about the destruction of the world by a flood. We are sometimes scoffed at, yet we are faithful in our belief, and have just as good assurance that Christ will come soon as did Noah that the earth would be destroyed by a flood.
"The twenty-fourth chapter of St. Matthew contains in it a reference to many of the signs indicative that the world is near the end. The twenty-ninth verse of that chapter reads: 'Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken.' Now, really that on the 13th day of November, 1833, it was dark throughput the entire world, no moon shone the night following, and the stars fell in showers.
The twelfth verse of the sixth chapter of Revelations also refers in prophecy to the dark day, reading: 'And I beheld when he opened the sixth seal, and lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood.' I might cite many other instances which give us good reason for believing that the world is near the end."
R. R. Kennedy, of Wheelersburg, who is president and state organizer of the Adventists, is present at the annual session mentioned above.
—The Portsmouth Daily Times, Portsmouth, OH, Aug. 2, 1899, page 6.
THE WORLD
Is Nearing an End the Rev. Mr. Boardman Says.
Annual Meeting of Seventh Day Adventists Near Akron — R. R. Kennedy, of Wheelersburg, Is President.
The Seventh Day Adventists of Ohio are in session at Randolph park, near Akron. The service will continue for ten days. About one thousand members are present. A telegram from there states that Rev. R. A. Boardman, of Mt. Vernon, who several years ago held forth here in a tent at Chillicothe and Eighth streets, in a sermon said the end of the world was near at hand.
"We believe in the near coming of Christ," he said. "The signs indicate that the destruction of the world will come soon. I'll not set a date, but the signs are very strong that the end is near, very near. Noah was many years in building the ark. He was scoffed at when he preached about the destruction of the world by a flood. We are sometimes scoffed at, yet we are faithful in our belief, and have just as good assurance that Christ will come soon as did Noah that the earth would be destroyed by a flood.
"The twenty-fourth chapter of St. Matthew contains in it a reference to many of the signs indicative that the world is near the end. The twenty-ninth verse of that chapter reads: 'Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken.' Now, really that on the 13th day of November, 1833, it was dark throughput the entire world, no moon shone the night following, and the stars fell in showers.
The twelfth verse of the sixth chapter of Revelations also refers in prophecy to the dark day, reading: 'And I beheld when he opened the sixth seal, and lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood.' I might cite many other instances which give us good reason for believing that the world is near the end."
R. R. Kennedy, of Wheelersburg, who is president and state organizer of the Adventists, is present at the annual session mentioned above.
—The Portsmouth Daily Times, Portsmouth, OH, Aug. 2, 1899, page 6.
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
Timely Sermon on Civilization at Baptist Church
Ogden City, Utah, 1940
First Baptist Church — Twenty-fifth and Jefferson; Rev. W. P. Whittemore, pastor.
Sunday, August 18, nine forty-five a. m., Bible school, G. L. Vance, general superintendent.
Eleven a. m., morning worship; sermon by the pastor, "God's Division of Men."
Six-thirty p. m., B. Y. P. U. Seven-thirty p. m., evening worship; sermon, "Daniel's Image — What Is Destroying Civilization? Are the Nations Ripe for God's Wrath? Is Rome Organizing? Will Unemployment Increase?"
Wednesday, August 21, seven-thirty p. m., prayer meeting.
Thursday, August 22, seven-thirty p. m., choir practice.
Church of Christ — Sunday school will be held in the home of Mrs. John DeGroot, superintendent, 446 River Drive at eleven a. m. Sunday.
We extend a friendly invitation to adults and children of every nationality and belief to attend our Sunday school. Parents, do not allow your children to wander on the streets but let them come to our Sunday school so that they may be taught to live a good Christian life so that they may become a good citizen of God as well as of our country. Our teachings are strictly from the Bible. Everyone attending will feel a warm welcome and find it a pleasant place to meet. We do not pass the collection box. Every Sunday the children in the primary class make candy ornaments besides the lessons they have. We give the children candy.
At seven-thirty p. m. preaching. The Church of Christ is a remnant the church of 1830, bearing the same name, teaching the same doctrine, believing the same truth and holding the same revelations, and we enjoy the same spirit.
All are welcome to attend.
—The Ogden Standard-Examiner, Ogden City, Utah, August 17, 1940, page 3.
First Baptist Church — Twenty-fifth and Jefferson; Rev. W. P. Whittemore, pastor.
Sunday, August 18, nine forty-five a. m., Bible school, G. L. Vance, general superintendent.
Eleven a. m., morning worship; sermon by the pastor, "God's Division of Men."
Six-thirty p. m., B. Y. P. U. Seven-thirty p. m., evening worship; sermon, "Daniel's Image — What Is Destroying Civilization? Are the Nations Ripe for God's Wrath? Is Rome Organizing? Will Unemployment Increase?"
Wednesday, August 21, seven-thirty p. m., prayer meeting.
Thursday, August 22, seven-thirty p. m., choir practice.
Church of Christ — Sunday school will be held in the home of Mrs. John DeGroot, superintendent, 446 River Drive at eleven a. m. Sunday.
We extend a friendly invitation to adults and children of every nationality and belief to attend our Sunday school. Parents, do not allow your children to wander on the streets but let them come to our Sunday school so that they may be taught to live a good Christian life so that they may become a good citizen of God as well as of our country. Our teachings are strictly from the Bible. Everyone attending will feel a warm welcome and find it a pleasant place to meet. We do not pass the collection box. Every Sunday the children in the primary class make candy ornaments besides the lessons they have. We give the children candy.
At seven-thirty p. m. preaching. The Church of Christ is a remnant the church of 1830, bearing the same name, teaching the same doctrine, believing the same truth and holding the same revelations, and we enjoy the same spirit.
All are welcome to attend.
—The Ogden Standard-Examiner, Ogden City, Utah, August 17, 1940, page 3.
Saturday, April 21, 2007
World's Last Days Are Here
Iowa, March 10, 1903
Rev. J. A. Earl of Waterloo Says We Are Living Close to Judgment Day — Doom Near at Hand
Waterloo, March 10. — The Rev. J. A. Earl, who ran for congress last fall in the Third district on the Prohibition ticket, declared to a crowd that packed the First Baptist church to the walls that according to his interpretation of scripture we are now living in the last days, as referred to in 2 Timothy iii., 1-8.
He said there are indisputable evidences that the verses refer to the present time, and as proof he referred to the disobedience of children to parents, the utter disregard for law, both human and divine, and the many other vices that are rampant in every section. His sermon has created considerable commotion, and is much talked about all over the city.
Rev. J. A. Earl of Waterloo Says We Are Living Close to Judgment Day — Doom Near at Hand
Waterloo, March 10. — The Rev. J. A. Earl, who ran for congress last fall in the Third district on the Prohibition ticket, declared to a crowd that packed the First Baptist church to the walls that according to his interpretation of scripture we are now living in the last days, as referred to in 2 Timothy iii., 1-8.
He said there are indisputable evidences that the verses refer to the present time, and as proof he referred to the disobedience of children to parents, the utter disregard for law, both human and divine, and the many other vices that are rampant in every section. His sermon has created considerable commotion, and is much talked about all over the city.
Clairvoyant's Classified Ad, 1903
Davenport, Iowa, 1903
CLAIRVOYANT
MADAME SABINE — The only clairvoyant who tells the very things you want to know without your speaking or writing a word. Other psychics can not do such wonderful work and many resort to trick writing. Madame Sabine explains free the tricks by which clairvoyants read written questions, names, etc., during private consultations and fool their patrons. You write nothing, say nothing, yet this lady tells you the very things you want to know. Can tell your past and present as if she knew you all your life, and just what is best for you to do concerning your important affairs. Describes the types of persons who would advance you and your interests, also those you can influence easiest. Everything she predicts comes to pass. Reliable and invaluable, the finest readings anywhere in America. Was 30 years in Washington, D. C. An expert phrenologist. One dollar; no less. Reads you three ways without extra charge. 10 to 9 p. m. daily. 529 Brady street.
—Davenport Daily Republican, Davenport, Iowa, March 8, 1903, page 3.
CLAIRVOYANT
MADAME SABINE — The only clairvoyant who tells the very things you want to know without your speaking or writing a word. Other psychics can not do such wonderful work and many resort to trick writing. Madame Sabine explains free the tricks by which clairvoyants read written questions, names, etc., during private consultations and fool their patrons. You write nothing, say nothing, yet this lady tells you the very things you want to know. Can tell your past and present as if she knew you all your life, and just what is best for you to do concerning your important affairs. Describes the types of persons who would advance you and your interests, also those you can influence easiest. Everything she predicts comes to pass. Reliable and invaluable, the finest readings anywhere in America. Was 30 years in Washington, D. C. An expert phrenologist. One dollar; no less. Reads you three ways without extra charge. 10 to 9 p. m. daily. 529 Brady street.
—Davenport Daily Republican, Davenport, Iowa, March 8, 1903, page 3.
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
Future for Israel Great
Iowa, 1922
Net Result of War Palestine's Liberation, Says Evangelist
"The Israelite, a Missing Link in the Philosophy of History," was the subject of an interesting lecture delivered by Dr. J. W. Lawrance, evangelist, at the Bettendorf Tabernacle Thursday evening. Dr. Lawrance said the one net result of the World war, which cost millions of lives and billions of dollars, was doubtless the liberation of Palestine from the control of the Turk.
"Scripture prophecy outlines for Israel as a nation a great future," said Dr. Lawrance. "Although for 2,500 years they have suffered under the chastening rod of God, yet God's mercy has not departed from them. They are the indestructible nation, and now we observe a great nationalist revival among them in Zionism. The present movement may fail for the time being, but it has offered a striking opportunity to see the national virility of this people, even though, for a few centuries, they have been scattered and have not had a national life or home."
—The Davenport Democrat and Leader, Davenport, Iowa, April 14, 1922, page 14.
Net Result of War Palestine's Liberation, Says Evangelist
"The Israelite, a Missing Link in the Philosophy of History," was the subject of an interesting lecture delivered by Dr. J. W. Lawrance, evangelist, at the Bettendorf Tabernacle Thursday evening. Dr. Lawrance said the one net result of the World war, which cost millions of lives and billions of dollars, was doubtless the liberation of Palestine from the control of the Turk.
"Scripture prophecy outlines for Israel as a nation a great future," said Dr. Lawrance. "Although for 2,500 years they have suffered under the chastening rod of God, yet God's mercy has not departed from them. They are the indestructible nation, and now we observe a great nationalist revival among them in Zionism. The present movement may fail for the time being, but it has offered a striking opportunity to see the national virility of this people, even though, for a few centuries, they have been scattered and have not had a national life or home."
—The Davenport Democrat and Leader, Davenport, Iowa, April 14, 1922, page 14.
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
Writer Sees Exploitation in Second Coming Preaching
1918
SECOND COMING OF CHRIST
Among certain classes of people there is being revived today a discussion of the Second Coming of Christ. We are told that there is only one interpretation of the great cataclysm now upon the world, namely, that it portends the second coming of the Lord and the ushering in of the Millennium.
Such views are always apt to float up to the surface in a time of serious crisis: but they rest on a treatment of Scripture which the historical scholarship of the world has made obsolete, which the moral principle of the kingdom of God antiquates, and which turns the Bible from a grand sacrament to a millstone round the neck of the Gospel.
To all men who know the Bible on a higher level than this, who find its inspiration not in apocalyptic prediction, but in the eternal spiritual truth it unveils, there comes today no higher duty than to help to free the church from these puerilities of magic and superstition into which it has been so easily led by the motion incident to the war. The advocates of the millenarian doctrine have taken advantage of the mood of the time to wage their propaganda with the vigor of a veritable crusade. Mankind is so sick at heart, so staggered by the war, so bewildered and anxious, that clear thinking on religious themes is difficult. Multitudes are thus left an easy prey to all sorts of vagaries if only so be they come tied up to a text of Scripture.
A book like the Bible, so Oriental, rich with imagery, lends itself to this of exploitation. Especially the books of Revelation and Daniel, written in times of stress and suffering and war like our own time, provide figures of speech and cryptic allusions which lend themselves to vague application to the events of today.
The Bible is not history written in advance. That does nothing for a religion of moral redemption. There is undoubtedly to be a grand consummation of history in a kingdom of God organic with history. But about the times, seasons and scenery of it we have no information whatsoever, any more than we have a census of the land beyond death, or a scheme of town planning of the New Jerusalem.
All that type of religion belongs to sight and not to faith.
It is visionary, and not moral in its note. To expatiate on it deflects faith, and robs it of historic sense and public effect.
It tends to sap in apocalyptic dreams the moral fortitude which is the first thing religion should supply at such a time as this.
C. H. HOOD.
-The Coshocton Tribune, Coshocton, Ohio, June 29, 1918, page 2.
SECOND COMING OF CHRIST
Among certain classes of people there is being revived today a discussion of the Second Coming of Christ. We are told that there is only one interpretation of the great cataclysm now upon the world, namely, that it portends the second coming of the Lord and the ushering in of the Millennium.
Such views are always apt to float up to the surface in a time of serious crisis: but they rest on a treatment of Scripture which the historical scholarship of the world has made obsolete, which the moral principle of the kingdom of God antiquates, and which turns the Bible from a grand sacrament to a millstone round the neck of the Gospel.
To all men who know the Bible on a higher level than this, who find its inspiration not in apocalyptic prediction, but in the eternal spiritual truth it unveils, there comes today no higher duty than to help to free the church from these puerilities of magic and superstition into which it has been so easily led by the motion incident to the war. The advocates of the millenarian doctrine have taken advantage of the mood of the time to wage their propaganda with the vigor of a veritable crusade. Mankind is so sick at heart, so staggered by the war, so bewildered and anxious, that clear thinking on religious themes is difficult. Multitudes are thus left an easy prey to all sorts of vagaries if only so be they come tied up to a text of Scripture.
A book like the Bible, so Oriental, rich with imagery, lends itself to this of exploitation. Especially the books of Revelation and Daniel, written in times of stress and suffering and war like our own time, provide figures of speech and cryptic allusions which lend themselves to vague application to the events of today.
The Bible is not history written in advance. That does nothing for a religion of moral redemption. There is undoubtedly to be a grand consummation of history in a kingdom of God organic with history. But about the times, seasons and scenery of it we have no information whatsoever, any more than we have a census of the land beyond death, or a scheme of town planning of the New Jerusalem.
All that type of religion belongs to sight and not to faith.
It is visionary, and not moral in its note. To expatiate on it deflects faith, and robs it of historic sense and public effect.
It tends to sap in apocalyptic dreams the moral fortitude which is the first thing religion should supply at such a time as this.
C. H. HOOD.
-The Coshocton Tribune, Coshocton, Ohio, June 29, 1918, page 2.
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