99 "" ON EARTH.

only say with Christ, "But of that day and hour, knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only." And though some of the speakers present, different from myself, suppose the time foretold to come within two years, I am by no means their opponent, for I know not but it will come then, neither do I say it will not come sooner.

Then think of these things, Oh," ye careless ones," and "tremble" at your own condition, as described in the doctrine of the kingdom; yea, tremble, ye "scoffers" of "the last days," who practically say, "Where is the promise of his coming?" who say in your hearts, "My Lord delayeth his coming," and "put far away the evil day,"-ye who "wrest the Scriptures" on the subject of Christ's coming "quickly" to judgment; who cavil at the doctrine, or determine not at present to examine it, nor to be hindered with it. Suppose this "great and terrible day" of the Lord's coming, with his "everlasting kingdom," should burst upon you now, unprepared as you are, how could you " escape the damnation of hell?" Rather be persuaded at once, immediately to do as God requires, and repent of this unbelief of Christ, and of "the kingdom of heaven at hand," and believe with all your hearts in these everlasting things of the "judgment to come" "quickly." Your repentance of all your sin cannot be too deep, nor your full turning unto God too speedy, "for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come." God is "not willing that any should perish, bur that all should come to repentance," and for this cause only, he has waited long already for you to accept his gracious offers of mercy, and of life eternal. But he will not always thus wait, for "the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night," when "sudden destruction" will come upon all unbelievers, and "they shall not escape."

وو

In view of all these things of the kingdom of heaven at hand, let us one and all, of every class, delay not one moment to examine and know our own selves; and let us examine faithfully the Scriptures on the second advent and judgment to come, and fail not to "be also ready," that at his now soon expected coming, we may be with him in the resurrection and new earth, to inherit a crown of righteousness" and glory "that fadeth not away." 2

MINUTES

Of the 11th Protestant Methodist Annual Conference of the New York and New Jersey District; held in the Attorney Street Church, New York, March 10, 1841.

The Rev. Henry Jones of the Congregational church having been elected to an honorary seat in the Conference, submitted a communication relative to the Second Coming of Christ, as referred to in the 3d Article of our religion. The following action was held in reference to the above communication:

RESOLVED, That we understand by the 3d Article referred to, just what is expressed, viz., That Christ does not come again until he comes to judge the world at the last day.

RESOLVED, That the Rev. Mr. Jones receive the thanks of this Conference for his communication, and that it be published in the Luminary.

True extract,

New York, July 5, 1842.

ENOCH JACOBS, Secretary.

CHRIST'S COMING AND REIGN, ON THE "NEW EARTH," ONLY.

From the N. Y. Luminary. [Meth. Prot. paper.]

To the Methodist Protestant Conference, to be holden at the Attorney Street Chapel, New York city, March 10, 1841

DEAR BRETHREN,-Will you permit me respectfully to inquire, whether, as a Conference, you are agreed in understanding your third Article of Discipline to mean what it literally implies, in relation to the coming again of our Lord Jesus Christ? The Article is as follows, viz.:

"ART. 3. Christ did truly rise again from the dead, and took unto him his body, with all things pertaining to the perfection of man's nature, wherewith he ascended into heaven, and THERE SITTETH until he returns to judge all men at the last day."

My question, further explained, is simply, whether you understand this Article as affirming that Christ is not to come again, after his resurrection and ascension into heaven, to reign even spiritually, a thousand years, or any other period on earth, "till" his actual

coming himself, TO JUDGE ALL MEN AT THE LAST DAY." This is my own understanding of the article, and of the Scriptures generally, of Christ's foretold coming again, or "the second time." When he shall thus come, he will really and personally reign "on the earth," (which is then to be renewed or restored,) "gloriously," with all his saints and angels, in his "everlasting kingdom," then come. And then shall his "will be done on earth," precisely and for ever, "as it is in heaven." Having thus expressed my own conviction on the subject, I would now, if permitted, briefly state some of the considerations which have led me thus, now to look for the soon commencing of an "everlasting" Millennium, or reign of Christ" on earth," rather than for any kind of a reign for the saints before the judgment of the last day, though many look for a millennial reign of Christ on earth, before, and without his personal, or own coming to reign.

1. The Scriptures nowhere speak of the spiritual comingspiritual kingdom, or spiritual reign of Christ on the earth, which they would oft and naturally have done, had that really been the manner of Christ's foretold coming, kingdom, and reign on the earth.

2. The theory of a millennium on earth, without the personal coming of the Lord to judgment, and without the final overthrow of all his enemies, naturally hinders the awakening and conversion of sinners, by its virtually putting far away the evil day of their destruction; neither is the preaching of temporal "death at hand,” a proper substitute for "the judgment" " at hand," as experience has long shown.

66

66

3. The theory of Christ's reigning spiritually on earth, 1000 years before his coming "TO JUDGE ALL MEN AT THE LAST DAY," is virtually authorizing men to "say," not only "in their heart," but with their lips, "My Lord delayeth his coming," for which Christ calls a man an "evil servant," and threatens him with the portion of hypocrites, where "there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth."

4. Christ, on carefully giving all the important SIGNS of "his coming, and of the end of the world," never uttered a syllable of any such event just before it, as the finishing of a long and glorious triumph of his church, or millennium on earth. Were such an event designed to take place, would not Christ have included it among his foretold signs of the judgment at hand? And had he foretold it, would it not have been spoken of in all ages? and should we not now find it in the gospel?

5. Christ, instead of promising his church such a triumph and reign on earth before his own final coming, uniformly warned them of sorrow, suffering, severe trials, afflictions, tribulations, persecutions, and martyrdoms while here in the body, like "lambs among wolves."

6. Instead of assuring the church of a long period of the absence of Christ after his ascension, the Scriptures are uniformly agreed in representing his final return as being " at hand," "quickly,”— "in a little while," &c.

7. It will be found, on examining, that the rule of interpretation, which explains Christ's foretold coming, kingdom, and reign, to have their fulfilment before his coming "TO JUDGE ALL MEN AT THE LAST DAY," is simply this; that the infinite realities of the judgment day are to be understood figuratively, rather than literally; and to prefigure the comparative trifles of time, instead of telling us without figures, of the great and terrible things they speak of, when literally understood. Such a principle of interpreting the realities of the judgment, &c., it may be seen at once, would blot out at a stroke from the Bible, the doctrine of the "judgment to come;" for if carried out, it would naturally explain all the parallel passages of the judgment, as well as a part of them, to have their fulfilment before that great day, rather than at its coming.

8. We have positive proof from history now received by the church as authentic, that the early saints, until the third century, so understood the Scriptures of Christ's return, that they never dreamed of any other coming of their Lord again, but his coming to judgment, and at the resurrection; and accordingly, till the putting away of the church's true faith on the subject, they continued thus looking for his coming" at hand," not knowing the time when, instead of expecting a triumphant and long reign on the earth in his personal absence first.

9. The principal men and martyr spirits of the church, in the reformation of three hundred years ago, instead of inculcating the theory of Christ's coming spiritually to reign on earth a thousand years before his coming to judgment, condemned the theory when broached by individuals, as " A JUDAIZING NOTION ;" and is it not indeed among what an apostle calls "Jewish fubles?"

10. The position is sustained by abundant facts, that the doctrine of a temporal millennium has been received, or become the popular theory of the church, mostly within the past century; and thus, "SPAULDING," in his "Lectures on the Coming and Kingdom of Christ," published "1796," mentions hearing many of the fathers of that day speak of the first time they had ever heard of a millennium in this world; giving, also, the names of the ministers from whom they first heard it.

11. Very many of the psalms and hymns, yet retained in the books of worship by the various denominations, do most fully explain the prophecies of Christ's coming again, only of his coming TO JUDGE ALL MEN at the LAST DAY," while it is more than questionable whether any hymns can now be found, explaining the second advent to have its fulfilment in a temporal millennium, which

66