THE SECOND ADVENT

Stratford Evening Post, Issue 45, 28 June 1929, Page 7

THE SECOND ADVENT

(By PASTOR L. R. HARVEY.) [

Before the world war a devout Christian was talking with the former Kaiser about spiritual metters, and the coming of Christ was presented. The Kaiser dropped his head into his hands, then, lifting that proud, imperialistic face, said, as he shook his head: "I cannot accept that. That would disturb all my plan's." Christ is coming again to disturb the world's plans. This is the basic reason for His return. Will H e disturb yours? He may, but not if. your plans are His plans. He is coming soon! There is no fact in history more perfectly proved than the resurrection of Christ. His resurrection made compulsory His ascension, and His ascension 'is the absolute guarantee of His second advent. God has never been defeated. Christ is coming. Prom the viewpoint of appearances, it is the least probable thing in the world. Noah's preaching was rank foolishness to the scoffers that heard it, but it was true; and the Flood came. Christ came the first time according to prophecy; why not the second time according to prophecy ? If the prophecy was correct and infallible the first time to the minutest detail, why not the second? If the evi-

clence and the witnesses are unimpeaehed in the first part of, the case how are you going to impeach the same witnesses in the second part? When you have accepted their credibility and admitted their infallibility ,and when both siavej been proved true, how are you going to discount them? '

As to His first coining, Isaiah T predicted He would lie born of a virgin; Micah 5 gave the place, Bethlehem; Hosea 11 said He would be called out of Egypt; Psalm 41 told of the betrayal; Zechariah 11 gave the infamous price thereof, and mentioned the potter's field; Isaih 50 declared He Svould be spit upon and scourged; Psalm 34 told that no bones would be broken; Psalm 69 mentioned the gall and vinfogar given; Psalm 22, the pierced hands and feet, and the garments for which lots were cast,. and Isaiah 53, His sufferings and repjjectjton. All these were fulfilled t 0 the letter. If we don't accept the statements concerning- the second coming, then, to be consistent, we must tear out the pages that tell of, the first coming.

We must come face to face with Christ when He comes. Will He have a smile of approval for you. Verdi, the great musician, gave a concert in Florence, the home of his teacher. At the end of the triumphant programme the applause was tremendous. ' But Verdi stood motionless, unconscious of the appreciation of the audience, with his eyes on the one spot where sat his beloved teacher, until from him there came, a wave and a smile of approval. Then Verdi's face was wreathed with smiles. May the Man of Calvary so possess us now that when He comes He will greet us with His smile, and claim us for His own.

"EVERY EYE SHALL SEE HIM."

"Behold He cometh with clouds, and every eye shall see Him." Rev. 1: 7. His coming will be literal, observable, and observed. With the mind spiritual things are perceived, but the eye can see only that which is material and visible. Every kind of eye shall see' Him come—eyes of live, eyes of hate; eyes of hope, eyes of despair. The eyes oi the blind shall see Him; the first person multitudes have ever looked upon will be the Son of man in His glory-

A beautiful and talented blind girl was wooed and won by a young man with sight. She had never seen his face, but she had loved him with a beautiful love. A noted surgeon told her lover he could give her sight, but that after the operation she would have to lie for week with her eyes bandaged, gradually accustoming them to the unfamiliar light. They timed the operation so that the removal of Ihe bandage would come off jus; before the marriage date. After the weary, painful weeks, the bandage was taken off in a partially darkened room, and the first face that girl ever saw was that of her bridegroom-to-be. As she looked with wondering eyes upon his features she said: "Oh, at last, at last! I am looking upon that dear face . 'lt's a thousand times nobler and handsomer than 1 had dreamed!" The day when we shall se e the heavenly Bridegroom face to .face hastens on apace. And we shall see Him as He is, with no darkening veil between, for we shall be like Him. We shall see that lovely face. And He shall be to us the One altogether lovely, the •fairest among ten thousand.