But which way to go to work I could not tell. I was neither a preacher nor a writer. I knew that for any person's mere opinion to be noticed by the community, he inust be eminent for learning and talents, and I could lay no claim to either. But at the same time, I knew that if I could get preachers and writers into a discussion upon the subject, and it could be treated with candor and fairness, the truth would be likely to be drawn out.With this view, I wrote the following communication for the Gospel Banner, a Universalist paper, which thro' the liberality of its worthy and talented Editor, was published in the columns of that paper, April 25th, 1849. THOUGHTS ON THE COMING OF CHRIST. - BR. DREW--There is much said and written in these days, about the coming of Christ; or as it is called, his second coming. With the Bible for my only guide, I have come to a different conclusion, perhaps, from any other person on earth, whether learned or unlearned. If I do not greatly misunderstand the meaning of the scriptures, the great and dreadful day of the Lord, day of the Lord, &c., in the old Testament, and the coming of Christ, in the four gospels, and resurrection in the epistles, all refer to one time. That time I understand to be at the time of the destruction of Jerusalem, or soon after. I was brought to this conclusion by reading the old Testament prophecies. It should be noticed, that after speaking of the punishment of the house of Israel for their sins, and where the destruction of Jerusalem is meant, the promise of great blessings follow. It would be an endless task to quote all the passages to prove this, so large a part of the prophecies are to the purpose. The third chapter of Zephaniah may be taken as a sample of the whole. The first part of this chapter refers undoubtedly to the sufferings to be endured at the end of the world, when the old covenant should be broken; and from the ninth verse it speaks of blessings to be enjoyed under the new covenant, where all shall know the Lord from the least to the greatest. In a word, that the blessings promised under the new covenant, should be understood to mean in the immortal state, and that it took place when the old covenant vanished away. It would require many pages to give my ideas in full upon this; but as I must not be tedious, I come to consider what I believe to be the only objection to this view of the subject. The apostle Paul, speaking of the resurrection of the dead, in the 15th chapter of 1 Corinthians, and 4th chapter of 1 Thessalonians, teaches that all will not sleep, but the living shall be changed. If this means that all who were to be alive on the earth, at the coming of Christ, then I should admit at once, that it could not be at the time I speak of. But if this can be rightly understood, this difficulty is removed at once, and this mountain becomes a plain. I will here give some reasons why I think the Universalists have not got the right view of this subject. They hold that the coming of Christ was in the generation in which he lived on earth, as foretold by him, and yet that the resurrection of the house of Israel has not yet taken place. Now I must be pardoned, when I say that I consider this quite as lame a shift as it is to contend that the generation in which the Saviour lived, has not yet passed away. Paul says, 1 Corinthians 15, 22. "As in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. But every man in his own order; Christ the first fruits; afterward they which are Christ's at his coming." Now I ask, is not the coming here spoken of, the same as that which the Saviour spake of, when he said they should see him coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. "Then cometh the end," verse 24th. Is not this the same end as in Mark xiii, 7, and other places where the end of the Jewish dispensation is meant. Again: 1 Thessalonians iv, 15, and following. "For this we say unto you by i the word of the Lord, that we which are alive, and remain unto the coming of the Lord, shall not prevent Here again, it appears to me them which are asleep." that the same coming is meant. verse of the next chapter. Now look at the first "But of the time and the seaFor your 'sons, ye have no need that I write unto you. selves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night" Here it is evident he points them to what the Saviour said about his coming as- a thief in the night, a circumstance of which they, nor no other christian church at that time could be ignorant.Let us now attend carefully to what is written in the 16th verse of this 4th chapter. "And the dead in Christ shall rise first." And in 1 Corinthians, 23d verse, afterward they that are Christ's at his coming. It should be re membered that there is a difference between the resurrection of the just and the unjust. And have hope toward God, which they also allow, that there shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and the unjust. Act xxiv, 15. "For thou shalt be recompensed at the resurrection of the just." Luke xiv, 14. I think also that the resurrection of the just is to be understood in the following passage. "But they which shall be accounted worthy to obtain that world, and the resurrection from the dead," &c. "Now the just shall live by faith." Hebrews x, 38. The reader is requested to turn to the 11th chapter of Hebrews, and read the whole chapter. Notice the 35th verse. "If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead." Phillippians iii, 11. In this pas sage I think that the resurrection of the just, was what the apostle was laboring to attain unto, for he himself taught that there would be a resurrection, both of the just and unjust. Before the crucifixion of our Saviour, as we find by reading the 17th chapter of John, the Saviour prayed for his disciples, in distinction from others. Verse 6th. "I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world." Verse 9th. "I pray for them I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine." Verse 20th. "Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word." After the resurrection of the Saviour, he commanded his apostles, saying, "Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptised shall be saved, but he that believeth not shall be damned. And these signs shall follow them that believe in my name shall they cast out devils: they shall speak with new tongues; they shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover. And they went forth, and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following." Now was the power to work miracles given to all who embraced the christian religion indiscriminately, or only to the just to them which were given to Christ out of the world, and such as should believe on him through their word. There is a passage in the epistle of St. James, that ought, I think, to decide this. "Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, auointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him. Confess your faults one with another, and pray for one another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much." James v, 14-16.* Read also * The last clause of the 16th verse of this chapter, has been as wickedly perverted from its true meaning, perhaps as any passage in the whole Bible. It is a common thing for people, when at church conferences, when debating upon some missionary, or abolition scheme, gravely to set apart a day, or an hour, for prayer, as the what follows to the end of the chapter. Now if all christians had power to work miracles, or to heal the sick, why were they told to call for the elders of the church? They themselves were believers in one sense of the word, or they would have had no confidence in the elders of the church. Elders of churches in those days, were doubtless just men. I will now mention some passages, which I think show that the living among the just, only, and not all the living were to be changed at the coming of the Lord. "And there was given me a reed like unto a rod; and the angel stood, saying, Rise, and measure the temple of God, and the alter, and them that worship therein. But the court which is without the temple leave out, and measure it not; for it is given unto the Gentiles; and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months.' Revelation xi, 1, 2. I believe this temple to mean the just, who were all to experience a resurrection to immortality at the coming of the Lord: and the court without the temple to mean christians, who were to suffer persecution for a long time afterward. In proof of this, let us look at a few passages where the just are called the temple of the Lord. "And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God. 2 Corinthians vi, 16. "Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the spirit of God dwelleth with you? 1 Corinthians iii, 16. "What! know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost, which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?" most effectual way to accomplish their purpose. For, say they, the prayers of the righteous availeth much. And at protracted meetings, they will call on people to come forward to be prayed for. Do you not want God's people to pray for you? Do you not desire the prayers of the righteous? The prayers of the righteous availeth much. So the young converts, as they are called, when their blind guides have flattered them that they are in the |