p. 9 | Signs of the Times, Vol. 31, No. 41. (10/11/1905)

GOD'S VIEW OF NATIONS

By Francis M. Wilcox

Daniel 7

MAN is finite; God is infinite. Man is fallible and erring in judgment. The infinite God knows no mistake. To man is not given to know the past and future, nor yet the present with perfect knowledge. The limitations of finite knowledge and human passions and prejudices do not permit a faithful record of even current events. Impartial human history, if such was ever written, can only be written after the actors and participants in the scene have passed away, and historians unbiased by the influences of that age, have come onto the stage of action. But not so with God. To Him the present is known in all its entirety, and in His knowledge the past and the future are as the present. His vision can traverse again with unerring accuracy the devious windings of the forgotten past, and can penetrate with equal clearness into the mysteries of the future. And God judges not as man, by outward appearances, by parade and pageantry, by the gilt and tinsel of outward adornment, but righteous judgment, a judgment that penetrates to the underlying principles, to the motives and purposes of human thought and endeavor.

And so God's view of the nations is the one absolutely correct view; His delineation of their nature and characteristics is the one true character sketch ever written. Such a delineation and such a character sketch we have portrayed by the prophet Daniel under the inspiration of the spirit of prophecy. In brief but concise outline is brought to view the history of the world from the days of Daniel to the end of time. Read carefully the seventh chapter of his prophecy.

The Vision

Daniel beholds the winds of heaven striving upon the sea. As a result of that commotion, four great beasts rise up out of the water. The first is a lion, having eagle's wings; the second, a bear which had in its mouth three ribs, and which raised itself up on one side; the third, a leopard possessing four wings and four heads; the fourth, a great and terrible beast with great iron teeth and ten horns upon its head. He beholds a commotion among the horns; a little horn is pushing its way up among the ten, and, in its determination to find a place for itself, it destroys and uproots three of its fellows. In this little horn are the eyes of a man and a mouth speaking great things.

The Explanation

Daniel is greatly troubled over this strange revelation, and seeks for instruction from his attending angel. This instruction is given so plainly that we can not mistake its meaning. Listen: "These great beasts, which are four, are four kings, which shall

arise out of the earth." Verse 17. And to show that he means kingdoms instead of individual kings, he says of the fourth beast that it shall be the "fourth kingdom upon earth." Verse 23. But if these beasts are four kingdoms, the question naturally suggests itself, What kingdoms are represented by them? To this there is furnished an answer in the words of the angel. "Thus he said, The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth, which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces." Verse 23. In other words, the fourth beast is a symbol of the fourth great world-kingdom. Reasoning from analogy, we must therefore conclude that, if the fourth beast is a symbol of the fourth world-power, the third beast must be a symbol of the third world-power, the second beast a symbol of the second world-power, and the first beast a symbol of the first world-power from Daniel's time.

Have there been in the history of this world four great world-powers which answer to these symbols? For answer we have only to refer the student of history to the kingdoms of Babylon, Medo-Persia, Grecia, and Rome, which, in their day, have occupied this exalted situation, sovereigns of the earth.

This view is but confirmatory of the dream of Nebuchadnezzar in Daniel 2, set forth on this page. To King Nebuchadnezzar, a worshiper of images, but a seeker after the truth, these kingdoms are symbolized by the metals making up the image. To the prophet Daniel, wild beasts are chosen more fitly to represent the character of these same kingdoms. And how aptly this is done. How more

fittingly could God have symbolized the proud, rich, haughty kingdom of Babylon than by the king of beasts with the soaring wings of the eagle! What more fitting symbol of the cruel and blood-thirsty Medo-Persian nation could have been chosen than the bear. One side of this bear was higher than the other, showing the predominating Persian influence in the kingdom.

The Grecians, with Alexander at their head, stealthy, ferocious, swift, and terrible in their movements, struck terror to their foes, and by these elements of warfare gained easy, but far-reaching victories, even as the leopard springs unsuspectingly upon its prey. The leopard itself, swift and quick-footed, was not sufficient to represent the celerity of the movements displayed by the Grecians under Alexander; hence the wings of a fowl were added to its back to accelerate its movements. These did not represent the soaring pride as did the eagle's wings upon the back of the lion. The wings of a fowl assist in its movements along the face of the earth.

The leopard had four heads. A head, when used as a symbol, denotes power or government. Alexander enjoyed his victories but for a brief period. If great enough to subdue the Persians, he was not great enough to master his own passions. Falling a victim to his excesses, his kingdom was soon divided among four of his leading generals, Cassander, Lysimachus, Seleucus, and Ptolemy, as represented by the four heads.

The Fourth Kingdom

But now another scene in the drama of human events is about to be enacted. Slowly and silently upon the banks of the Tiber the kingdom of Rome

A black basalt book of Nebuchadnezzar, in the beautiful Cuneiform text.

is growing into the strength of maturity. It reaches out toward the south and toward the east, making tributary the surrounding nations and kingdoms. The possessions of Ptolemy fell under its power in A.D. 30. The kingdom of Seleucus became a part of the Roman possessions in A.D. 65. Other provinces became tributary in their turn, and soon we find the kingdom represented by the great and terrible beast holding the entire world in its grasp. It waxes strong and becomes great. The Augustan age is ushered in, the golden and glorious age of Roman history. In this age Christ the Lord was born, a most propitious time, when, freed from wars, rumors, and conquests, the whole world could give its attention to the gracious work of the Prince of Peace.

Divisions of Rome

But the greatness of Rome, her wealth and opulence, prove her undoing. Her decadence sets in

swift and sure. Surrounding tribes, termed by her barbarians, which the skill and prowess of her arms had held in check in the past, now turn, and make her their prey. Whole tribes sweep in upon Roman territory, settle upon vast areas, and establish their tribal governments independent of Rome. Thus, in a few years, Rome is parceled out among these invaders, and between the years 351 and 476 the division of Western Rome into ten parts is completed, as indicated by the ten horns on the head of the beast. These kingdoms were the Allemani, Franks, Burgundians, Vandals, Suevi, Visigoths, Ostrogoths, Lombards, Heruli, Anglo Saxons.

The Little Horn

But now a new actor is introduced into the scene. The little horn arises to do its work. The Roman

Empire, through the professed conversion of Constantine, had become nominally Christian. Christian institutions and doctrines were fostered. Little by little the bishop of Rome had come to reason that, as the city of Rome had so long been the head of the civil world, in matters ecclesiastical the Roman Church should receive the same deference and respect from its fellow churches. Gradually these assumptions were admitted and recognized; but some there were who dared to dispute these lordly pretentions. Arius, a parish priest of Alexandria, advocated views which were pronounced by the bishop of Rome heretical, and Arius was cut off from his communion. The emperor was appealed to, and, for political reasons if none other, Arius was banished to the East. But the doctrines of Arius spread, and three of the ten kings—the Heruli, the Vandals, and the Ostrogoths—imbibed generally the views held by the Alexandrian priest. In the later claims of the Bishop of Rome to the chief bishopric and the head over all the churches, these three Arian powers strenuously disputed and opposed his supremacy. Before he could assume his lordly titles, it was necessary that these three opposing powers should be destroyed. This was finally accomplished in the year 538 A.D., when the Ostrogoths, the last of the opposing three, were driven out of the city of Rome, thus setting aside the last opposing obstacle to the supremacy of the Roman bishop.

The Work of the Little Horn

Further, in his explanation of the work of this little horn, the angel says, "He shall speak great words against the Most High, and shall wear out the saints of the Most High, and think to change times and laws; and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time." Verse 25. That the Papacy has spoken great words against the Most High, reference need only be made to his boastful assumptions of "Lord God the Pope," "Christ's Vicegerent upon Earth," his claim to infallibility, and pretended power to forgive sins, as well as many other blasphemous titles and prerogatives belonging only to God, which he has arrogated to himself. That he has worn out the saints of the Most High, let the records of history testify in the relentless warfare which for centuries was carried on against dissenting Christians, resulting in the putting to death of fifty million of the followers of the Lord Jesus Christ.

As further evidence that this little horn represents the papal power of Rome, we may compute the exact time of the continuance of his persecuting power. Said the angel, "They [the people of God and laws of God] shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time." A time is one year. In prophetic reckoning a day stands for a year. Eze. 4:4-6. Hence we have three times and a half time, or three and a half years, equaling twelve hundred and sixty days. A day representing a year would give us twelve hundred and sixty years, the time of continuance of this power. Beginning with 538, the year marking the beginning of papal domination, twelve hundred and sixty years would bring us down to 1798, and this year witnessed the downfall of the Papacy as a persecuting power. By the French power the pope was taken prisoner and carried into exile. Never since have his successors enjoyed the same prerogatives and privileges.

The Everlasting Kingdom

Once again the scene changes, and this time it is not the ushering in of another earthly power, but the setting up of the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Says the record: "The judgment shall sit, and they shall take away his dominion, to consume and to destroy it unto the end. And the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey Him."

Thus, like a rapidly-changing kaleidoscopic view, the mind of the prophet is carried down through the successive stages of earth's history, from the glory and splendor of the Babylonian kingdom, through the vicissitudes of Medo-Persia and Grecia, and the breaking of Rome, to the setting up of the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Its establishment is the next great, grand, and glorious event in this chain of prophecy.

And what a kingdom will be the kingdom of our God, glorious in majesty and enduring in might. Righteousness shall reign supreme; peace shall be its banner. Every citizen shall be a prince, every inhabitant a triumphant victor. And joy and gladness and song and praise shall shine forth from every face and speak from every tongue. "And the ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads; they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away."

Prepared for the Lord’s Coming

In the Scriptures the constant note, the one recurring exhortation, is to be prepared for the Lord's coming.—Dean Henry Alford.

The Scriptures teach the church to look to the coming of the Lord as the day of her completeness and triumph. It will be our jubilee year.—Rev. John Hall, D.D.

WHAT HIS COMING MEANS

By B. Franklin Richards, M.D.

His Promise

NEARLY nineteen hundred years ago, when Jesus was living among men, He taught the people on several occasions that He was not to remain long with them. He had work to do that must be accomplished when away from them, before He would be ready to receive them unto Himself. "I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I WILL COME AGAIN, AND RECEIVE YOU UNTO MYSELF." John 14:2, 3. The coming of Christ means the literal fulfilment of that promise.

Now such an important event can not be ushered in noiselessly, or secretly, as when some large traveling circus visits the city, without wakening the inhabitants. When Jesus comes, the event will be accompanied with great commotion. Mighty peals of thunder will roll through the sky. Heaving, moving mountains, falling rocks, twisted trees, crushed buildings, and fleeing islands, will answer to His presence. There will be an earthquake, "such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so great." Rev. 16:18, 20; 6:14. Heaven's trumpet will sound on that occasion long, loud, and clear, till every soul is fully awake, and every grave, holding the remains of a believer in Christ, has opened and given forth its treasure. 1 Thess. 4:15-17, 1 Cor. 15:51-57.

Cessation of Business

The coming of our Lord means the end of every kind of business on this earth. Buying, selling, or bartering in articles of necessity or luxury will eternally cease. Manufacturing will stop. Great mills and factories will at once shut down, never more to resume operations. The millions of busy toilers, who will be employed in office, factory, mine, or store, or on farm or railway, on that day stop work, an everlasting suspension. Great railroad trains will be in transit on that day the same as now. Some will be carrying living freight, eager to reach home or stopping-place. But each train will stop, for the earth will reel with fearful commotion, so that no wheel can hold to the rail. Joel 3:16. Wherever it stops, there it will remain forever. Freight trains will be creaking under the weight of costly cargoes while moving toward, or departing from, seaport towns or railway centers; but the merchandise, costly tho it be, will never be received. Letters by thousands, containing important news, will be stored away in mail pouches, or pigeonholes in mail cars, never to be opened or read.

This, greatest of all events, means the end of all earthly trusts, combines, and monopoly. Every holder of stock, bond, or deed, will on that day, the owner of millions, be as helpless as those accustomed to poverty. Eze. 7:19.

All earthly possessions will, with one gigantic sweep, extending from one end of the earth to the other, be swept from the control of man on that day.

The farm will not save the farmer, nor the mansion or castle save the capitalist, neither will the hut or tenement-house save their dwellers; for God will empty the earth of its contents. "The land shall be utterly emptied, and utterly spoiled; for the Lord hath spoken this word." Isa. 24:3.

What It Means to the Righteous

It means the beginning of happiness that will last for eternity, with the full enjoyment and complete possession of immortality and eternal life, the end of sickness, pain, poverty, suffering, and death, the complete victory over the devil and his angels. 1 Cor. 15:51-57; 1 Thess. 4:15-17.

It will be the day when the millions of saved will meet and see their Saviour face to face. 1 John 3:2. O! wonderful day, when this frail body, so subject to disease and suffering, will give way to an incorruptible one, fashioned to bear close resemblance to the King of Kings and Lord of Lords! Phil. 3:20, 21.

It will mean the deliverance from captivity and the power of the grave. O captives, you who have been held for decades, yea, centuries, in the prison-house of the enemy, will go free, free, then. Listen: "I will ransom them from the power of the grave; I will redeem them from death; O death, I will be thy plagues; O grave, I will be thy destruction." Hosea 13:14. "The hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear His voice, and shall come forth." John 5:28, 29.

It will be the great "pay-day," when the faithful employees will be rewarded with the coin from the royal bank of heaven. Jesus the great Redeemer will be the Paymaster. Every righteous soul will receive an honest wage. "Behold, I come quickly; and My reward is with Me, to give every man according as his work shall be." Rev. 22:12.

It will be the day Christians have long waited and looked for, when all tears will be wiped away and the Lord in person will meet and ever be present with His people. "He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from off all faces. . . . And it shall be said in that day, Lo, this is OUR GOD; we have waited for Him, and He will save us; this is the Lord; we have waited for Him, we will be glad and rejoice in His salvation." Isa. 25:8, 9.

How can they help being glad? Everything changed, loved ones, separated by death for many years, meet. O most delightful meeting, nevermore to part! Every person given a perfect body free from every unpleasant thing that distresses us here, and every sin and tendency that has brought us so much sorrow. No more crutches, or canes, wheel-chairs, eye-glasses, ear trumpets, or anything artificial. At last, at last, perfection finally reached.

What It Means to the Wicked

It means death, sudden death. It means a day of awful, indescribable fear that death only can shake off, a time when all will pray. "And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondsman, and every freeman, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; and said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of Him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb; for the great day of His wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?" Rev. 6:15-17.

All earthly powers will cease then. Political and financial rule suddenly comes to an end. The millionaire with his boasted power beholds his weakness, but it is too late to reform. The politician who has been so successful in the past in gaining notoriety and office, loses all interest in such things now, for the King of Glory has called for a reckoning. Earthly governments, with their gigantic armies must now give way to the true Commander and His army. "And then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of Man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory." "When the Son of Man shall come in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, THEN shall He sit upon the throne of His glory; and before Him shall be gathered all nations." Matt. 24:30; 25:31, 32. It will be a terrible day to the wicked. No way of escape. They have been weighed on the faultless scales of Heaven and like the king of Babylon, have been found wanting.

What It Means to the Old Earth

We have found by the Scriptures that when the Lord comes again, all the righteous will be removed from this earth, and while they are being carried to meet the Lord in the air (1 Thess. 4:16, 17), the living wicked will be destroyed with the brightness of His coming (2 Thess. 2:8). Consequently there will not be a living human being left upon the earth after the righteous are removed.

The prophet Isaiah tells us about this in chapter 24:1-3: "Behold, the Lord maketh the earth empty, and maketh it waste, and turneth it upside down, and scattereth abroad the inhabitants thereof. . . . The land shall be utterly emptied, and utterly spoiled; for the Lord hath spoken this word." "There were voices, and thunders, and lightnings; and there was a GREAT earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth. . . . And every island FLED AWAY, and the mountains were not found." Rev. 16:18-20. Such an earthquake as is here described will so shake the earth that mountains, buildings, trees, and everything standing will be thrown down. The earth will reel to and fro like a drunkard. "The earth is utterly broken down, the earth is clean dissolved, the earth is moved exceedingly. The earth shall reel to and fro like a drunkard, and shall be removed like a cottage." Isa. 24:19, 20. Pastures are spoiled, grain will not grow, trees, vines, and shrubbery are withered, streams are dried up.

Such will be the condition of this old earth when Jesus comes. Joel 1:10-20. Its surface will show the marks of the fearful storm till a thousand years have passed away, then another change will take place. "And I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and the sea is no more. And I saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of the throne saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He shall dwell with them, and they shall be His peoples, and God Himself shall be with them, and be their God; and He shall wipe away every tear from their eyes; and death shall be no more; neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain, any more; the first things are passed away. And He that sitteth on the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And He saith, Write; for these words are faithful and true." Rev. 21:1-5, A. R. V.

CHRIST OUR LIFE

By William Covert

By William Covert.

Conditions of Life

MAN formed from the dust of the ground was told that perpetuity of life depended on obedience to His Creator. If his conduct harmonized with the law that governed his life, he would continue to live; but if he took a contrary course, he would separate himself from life and die. He was permitted to choose for himself, and the choice he made brought him death. Having taken the evil course, the Lord pronounced penalty upon him, saying, "Cursed is the ground for thy sake; . . . thorns . . . and thistles shall it bring forth to thee, . . . for out of it wast thou taken, for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return." Gen. 3:17-19.

His relation to life as it now stands is pathetically told by the ancient patriarch in the land of Uz: "Man that is born of woman is of few days, and full of trouble. He cometh forth like a flower, and is cut down; he fleeth also as a shadow, and continueth not." Job 14:1, 2. A few days of sunshine, a few nights of storm, and his race is over. A little springtime of budding and blooming, a short period of summer in which to build up and grow strong, a fleeting while of autumn life for ripening, an hour of snowy cold in December,—and then comes the funeral procession to the tomb.

Having sinned he must die. 1 Cor. 15:12. Being of the earth, he is earthy (1 Cor. 15:47), and must return to his dwelling in the dust (Isa. 26:19).

'Alienated from the Life of God'

Following Satan in transgression darkened man's understanding, and in so doing he was alienated from the life of God through ignorance and blindness of heart. Eph. 4:18. Having been alienated from the life of God, he can not live. Thus situated, the apostle declares he has "no hope," and is "without God in the world."

This is a lamentable state for one to reach, who, a little while before, was created in the image of his Maker, and crowned ruler of the world. But he could rightly reproach none but himself for bringing about the sad change. Through open transgression he connected himself with the Father of lies, the author of corruption, the rebel against God, and the source of death. If he still abides in such connection he will most certainly be consumed root and branch, with all other refuse of the earth and the universe, in the fires of Gehenna, which are prepared for the devil and his angels. Matt. 25:41; Rev. 20:9. The immutable law that governs sowing and reaping calls upon man to gather his harvest. "Whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption." Gal. 6:7, 8.

A Way of Escape

But notwithstanding the deep, dark gulf into which fallen man has been plunged, a way to escape from the horrible pit has been provided. God through His love created man, and God's love is the greatest and the strongest power in the universe. The sinning and the dying of deluded men can not satisfy that love, therefore man must be given another opportunity for life. The way and the working of this love in providing this way of life is made known in that wonderful announcement of Jesus, where He said, "God so loved the world, that He gave His only-begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." John 3:16.

Since man failed to fully comprehend and to carry out the Father's purpose in the creation of man, it became necessary to make substitutionary provision for him. To accomplish this, the Son of God came to our world, and in human form and in human flesh took man's place, and in that relation lived a life perfectly conformed to the will of God. When He had accomplished this most fully, He gave His life an offering to pay the penalty of man's transgression. Thus, through the living and the dying of Jesus, atonement was provided for the sinner.

The obedience rendered in humanity by Jesus is imputed to all who believe in Him. Not this only, but the blood of the Son of God, upon whom no condemnation rested, can atone for the forfeited life of the transgressor who trustingly accepts of the reconciliation.

The apostle tells how the Father hath set forth Christ, "to be a propitiation through faith in His blood, to declare His righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; . . . that He might be just, and the Justifier of him which believeth in Jesus." Rom. 3:25, 26.

The Son of God, having lived for man, and having also died for man, has the right to impart His life to all who are willing to be transformed into His image.

Necessity of the New Birth

There is safety for the kingdom of God in doing this since the person must be born again in order to get this new life. The new birth is of incorruptible parentage, and has in it the germ of eternal life. Thus the beauty of the scripture which says "God sent His only-begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him." 1 John 4:9. This statement agrees with the scripture where it is written, "He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life." 1 John 5:12.

The teaching in much of the current theology of to-day which declares that man has a deathless soul or spirit which survives the decease of the body, and that every son and daughter of Adam's race must therefore live eternally, contradicts the plain Word of God set forth in this article. It is based upon the proposition of the tempter in Eden, who said death would not come to man even tho he did sin. Gen. 3:4. Were such teaching true, then the Gospel of Christ could not be true. This, of course,

is what Satan wants men to believe, because it robs Christ of His glory as man's Redeemer. Christ came to bring life and immortality to light through the Gospel. 2 Tim. 1:10. But if man possessed immortality apart from the Gospel, then it was not brought to light through the Gospel. If man in his own nature had that which Christ came to bestow upon him, then were the offering of Christ in vain, yea, superfluous and null.

But the blessed One in whom were hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge, most fully understood man's need, and in His offering and ministration has made just such provision for it as exactly meets the case. Nothing superfluous was done, nor is anything lacking to make it perfect. Complete obedience has been rendered, and this covers with a robe of righteousness the sinner who believes. The vital power of God's Spirit takes hold of his heart and transforms him into "a new creature [creation]; old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." 2 Cor. 5:17. The sinner can by faith unite with Christ in His crucifixion and thus pass through the ordeal of death. He is then buried with Him in baptism. By faith a new man comes forth to live with Him. No condemnation rests upon the new man. The penalty of death which held the old man was met in Christ, and in his

stead is a free man living through the life of his Lord. Gal. 2:20.

Christ Our Life, Our All

Because he died with Christ he can, and does, live with Christ. By letting go of his old sinful life, he can, and does, take hold upon the life of Christ and live by and through Him. He has passed from the state of death where sin placed him, into a state of life where Christ's righteousness has raised him.

There is no other name under heaven by which the sinner can be saved except the name of Jesus. There is no other road by which heaven can be reached than by the way of the cross. The sinner's own name will not do. The name of no friend except that of Jesus, who is the sinner's true Friend, will avail to save. No plea except the plea that Christ is the Way, the Truth, and the Life will be acceptable. You, friendly sinner, must make the plea yourself. Plead the efficacy of the life, the power of the blood, and all in the name of Jesus, who joins you in this plea for your salvation. Fear not to make the plea, for Jesus Himself will present it to the Father in His own name for you. He is your life. Because He lives, you can live also. Claim your life in Him. He pleads for you to do it.

Bethel, Wis.

The Second Advent of Christ

By G. W. Bosworth

I WOULD as soon relinquish all hope of salvation and of heaven and immortality, as give up the expectation of seeing the Saviour in person on the earth, just as His disciples last saw Him near Bethany. Surrender the second advent of the Messiah?—Never. It is the one sublime event.—Rev. G. W. Bosworth, D.D.

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