Article October 9, 1902 Issue

Religious Items

with contributions from F. W. Robertson, Stanley, Channing, Frederick W. Farrar, H. A. Bridgman

The coming again to our world of the Lord Jesus is a cardinal doctrine of Christianity, frequently spoken of by the New Testament writers, and yet a doctrine which has found exaggerated interpretations. . . . Christ made it very plain to his disciples that he would come again, bringing as his witnesses to this in the hour of his departure heavenly angels who affirmed that it would be "in like manner" as they had "seen him go into heaven." As to the time of his regal reappearance he said himself that no man could know. The infinite purposes of God must first be fulfilled, but only God would know of that day and hour. Those who hold to the necessity of the Lord's return to earth to realize his purposes of Kingship seem to forget that he said before his departure "and, lo, I am with you alway." It seems very evident from all of Christ's teaching that the importance of his coming to the Christian should not be put upon his personal return and reign upon earth, but upon the need of his essential presence with the Christian all the way through his earthly journey. The emphasis in the lesson from Luke is not so much upon the coming as upon the Christian's readiness for the event when the day arrives, and the best readiness is to be girded and have our lights burning. Any listless looking or spending the time contending for the fact of his coming is not such a readiness as the lesson calls for. If we think of the event as a visible appearance only and limit it to this we shall be apt to do as many do who look for the coming of an earthly friend, put off the preparation for his reception till near the day of his coming and then seek to appear to better advantage than the average life we live. The greatest point in the lesson possibly is the thought that whenever our heavenly friend shall appear, if at midnight or any other hour, our house may be in readiness. In other words, the lesson is a plea for a right kind of life all the time. It is not only getting ready but keeping ready.—The Standard.

Rev. George W. Penniman, as reported in The Boston Herald, says:—

"The Christian faith is in the highest degree educative, because it sets before us the clearest and the highest ideal, and yet an ideal which is attainable. Jesus not only depicted and insisted upon a higher standard of life than the world had seen, but he also lived what he taught.

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