Not a New Gospel nor a New Faith, but a Professor Sweet in Modern Sermons by World Scholars says: "The Spirit of Christ will never proclaim any other gospel than that which Christ proclaimed on the first day of His preaching in Galilee; will never teach any other faith than that which was once for all delivered to the saints. "But as the world grows older the Spirit of Christ may be expected to tell men more and more plainly of the Father. There has been and there will be fresh interpretations of the original message, new lights thrown on the teaching of Scripture and on the doctrine of the Church. "The Light of the world is ever bringing on the dawn of the perfect day; the unchangeable truth grows clearer in the growing light of knowledge and experience. There has been in the best theological teaching of the last fifty years, within our memory, a marvelous extension of Christian thought, an opening up of new or forgotten avenues of truth, a lifting of clouds which had long obscured the field of vision, a casting away of * Published by Funk & Wagnalls Co., N. Y. unsound opinions, and mere presumptions, which marks a real advance in spiritual knowledge. "It is impossible to foresee the surprises which even the near future may have in store for not a few of us. Within the lifetime of the younger men new lights may break upon the Church, bringing new fulfillments of Christ's words. Such a hope may well inspire life with a buoyancy which will stimulate the next generation to new endeavors. "In view of the promise of progressive teaching which the Church has received from Christ, all lines of legitimate study may be pursued with confidence. 'I will tell you plainly' is a word which will fulfill itself ever more and more to those who are patient workers in every part of the great field of knowledge." Rev. Andrew Gillies in the Homiletic Review* says: "This is the greatest of the Christian centuries. It is the greatest in man's insight into truth. We know more about God and Christ and sin and immortality, about ourselves and the universe, than ever has been known before. This century is greatest, too, in the application of truth to the life of the race. After all the real Published by Funk & Wagnalls Co., N. Y. glory of our time is not that we are teaching more clearly than ever the Fatherhood of God and the brotherhood of man, it is that we are incorporating them more fully into our social relations. And so this century is the greatest in spiritual power and promise. With all the faults, this period is better religiously than was any past period with all its virtues. I do not mean that all men are self-confessed subjects of Jesus Christ or that all who confess Him as Master are all that they ought to be. I mean that the Gospel of Jesus Christ has been interpreted more clearly, spread more widely, and embodied more completely in the life of the race than ever before since He who proclaimed it walked the ways of the earth. "Step by step since time began, CHAPTER V. CHRIST CAME IN THE GENERATION THEN LIVING. The Assurance of His Coming in That If it be said that it is impossible for the predictions Jesus made to His disciples on the Mount of Olives to have had a fulfillment in that generation because the Lord Jesus did not appear in the clouds of heaven with His holy angels, let the Son himself answer: "The Son of Man shall come in the glory of His Father with His angels; and then shall He render unto every man according to His deeds." Then to assure them that His return would not be long delayed, He said: "Verily I say unto you, there are some of them that stand here, who shall in no wise taste of death, till they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom." (Matt. 16:27, 28.) These words are in perfect harmony with those memorable words in the 24th chapter of Matthew: "Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass away, till all these things be accomplished." They are also in perfect harmony with His words to the high priest in the 26th chapter of Matthew: "Henceforth, ye shall see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven." With these words, and many others of like import, His disciples had good grounds for believing that the generation then living would see His return and as they saw "the day drawing nigh," they were enabled to comfort one another in the fiery trials which came upon them and to exhort one another to be patient, saying: "Be patient, therefore, brethren, until the coming of the Lord." (James 5:7.) "Be ye also patient, establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand." (James 5:8.) "For ye have need of patience, that having done the will of God, ye may receive the promise. For yet a very little while He that cometh shall come and shall not tarry." (Heb. 10:36, 37.) The Need of His Coming at That Time. There was urgent need of the return of the Lord in the generation then living, for the cry of the infant church went up night and day for the deliverance from their cruel persecutors. The good shepherd knew the "little flock" would be as "lambs among wolves," for He said, "the hour |