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In our examination of the teaching in the New Testament on the return of the Lord Jesus Christ we have discovered the great prominence of this doctrine. 

The Lord Jesus Christ spoke frequently of His second coming. He announced it to His disciples. He gave them prophetically the program of the end of the age. He spoke of His return in different parables. He gave in His farewell discourse the promise of the blessed hope to His eleven followers, the Apostles. Even in the presence of His accusers He mentioned His return in the clouds of heaven. 

At His ascension the two heavenly visitors re-stated His return in like manner as He went up to heaven. We have learned that Peter preached it in his second address in the book of Acts, and that apostolic preaching and teaching did not neglect this great theme; it held an important place in their ministry and was the hope and comfort of the early Church.

Furthermore, the testimony of the great documents of Christianity, the Epistles, teach that His return is the goal of redemption. Some of the most vital doctrines of the faith are linked to this truth, that Christ will come back. We have seen that the resurrection of those who died in Christ, our re-union with them, the rewards for faithful service, the promised crowns and also the promised blessings for the earth are, besides much else, entirely dependent on His return. If there is no second coming of Christ the whole truth of Christianity breaks down. Then we learned from the last book of the Bible, the Apocalypse, the fitting capstone of the whole Word of God, the last word on His return. Here the Old and New Testament revelations as to this event, what precedes and what follows His return, are all restated. 

And now we give facts taught in the New Testament about the Lord’s coming. 

1. The New Testament does NOT teach that the gift of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost is the second coming of Christ.

This is one of the erroneous theories taught by commentators. They claim that when our Lord spoke of His return, that He meant the coming of the Holy Spirit. But such a teaching is unknown in the New Testament. The Holy Spirit is the third* person of the Trinity. How then can the third* person of the Godhead be the promised return of God the Son, the second* person? 

Note (bible centre): ‘third’ or ‘second’ is used by way of distinction, not rank (co-equality within the Godhead).

2. Nor does the New Testament teach that the Destruction of Jerusalem is the promised return of Christ

This view is also found in many commentaries. It is repeated by others, who, instead of searching the Scriptures search the comments of expositors of past generations. The destruction of Jerusalem was predicted by the Lord Jesus Christ. But nowhere does He say that He would come again at that time. Matthew 24:31 is the fatal blow to this view. Many commentators teach that verses 29 and 30 mean His coming in the destruction of Jerusalem. But when Jerusalem was destroyed He did not send His angels to gather His elect, the people Israel, from the four winds. They were scattered into the four corners of the earth instead. 

3. Christ does not come again when the believer dies

This also is taught by many. When the Lord Jesus said to His disciples “I will come again and receive you unto myself,” they say, He meant the death of the disciples, when He would come to take them to Himself. But the death of the believer is never spoken of as the second coming of Christ. When the believer dies the Lord does not come for him, but the believer goes to be with the Lord. For this view there is not a line of Scripture in the entire New Testament. 

4. His return is a personal return

He said that He would go away. It was not a phantom departure, but He went in person. And he said, “I will come again.” He did not mean a spiritual return, but a personal coming again. His words cannot be interpreted in any other way. Furthermore, the two men in white apparel said to the disciples “this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven” (Acts 1:11). Wherever His return is mentioned in the New Testament it means the return of the same One who lived on earth, who died on the cross, was buried, rose again, and ascended up on high. 

5. It will be a visible return

His words “they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven” (Matthew 24:30) teach His visible coming again beyond the shadow of a doubt. So does Rev. 1:7, “Every eye shall see Him.” Scoffers sometimes say, How is this possible? But every eye on earth every twenty-four hours sees the sun in the heavens. Thus, in that day when He descends in the cloud every eye will behold Him. 

6. His return will be in great power and glory

“And then shall they see the Son of Man coming in the clouds with great power and glory” (Mark 13:26). The Epistles speak of His glorious appearing [with power] (Titus 2:13; 2 Thess. 1:9). This power and glory is prominently revealed in the Apocalypse. 

7. The Angels of God will accompany Him in His return

“For the Son of Man shall come in the glory of His Father with His angels” (Matthew 16:27). “When the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels” (2 Thess. 1:7). He will send forth the angels and use them as His messengers. These unseen tenants of the heavens will become visible in His return. 

8. He will bring all His Saints, the redeemed of both Testaments, with Him

(See 1 Thess. 4:14). It will be His glorification as well as the glorification of the Saints. “When He shall come to be glorified in His Saints, and to be admired in all them that believed in that day (because our testimony among you was believed)” (2 Thess. 1:10). 

9. His return will be suddenly, like the lightning and like a thief

The following passages teach this: Matthew 24:27; 42-51; Mark 13:35, 36; Rev. 16:15; 22:7; 12; 20. 

10. The present age remains unchanged till He returns

The New Testament teaches that not Christ, but Satan, is the god of this age and the prince of it. (2 Cor. 4:4; Eph. 2:2). Satan is not dethroned till Christ comes again. (See Rev. 20:1-2.) Therefore, this age remains an evil age down to its end. 

11. His return is preceded by the falling away

Throughout this age there has been going on a falling away from the truth. John wrote of the many antichrists in his day. (1 John 2.) The mystery of iniquity was then already at work (2 Thess. 2:7). When the end of the age comes (Matthew 13) the harvest, the tares which began in the beginning of the age will be full grown. When He comes again He will not find “faith on the earth” (Luke 18:8); the days of Noah and Lot have returned, days of violence and lust (Luke 17:26-37). The Epistles bear a startling testimony as to the final great apostasy, an apostasy which is apparent today, for the modernistic rationalism in the different evangelical denominations is the beginning of this falling away (See 2 Thess. 2; 1 Tim. 4:1-2; 2 Tim. 3:1-5; 4:1-4; Epistle of Jude; 2 Peter 2 and 3). 

12. His return is preceded by the manifestation of the final, personal Antichrist, the man of sin and the son of perdition.

The Lord announced the coming of such a one. He predicted false Christs, with lying signs and wonders (Matthew 24:24-25; 2 Thess. 2; Revelation 13).

13. His return is preceded by the budding of the fig-tree [=Israel] and a final witness to the nations of the world (Matthew 24:14 and 32, 33). 

There will be national revival among the Jews and the Lord will call a remnant from among them to herald the coming of the King, preaching the Gospel of the kingdom to all the nations of the world (see Rev. 7). The great multitude coming out of the great tribulation (Rev. 7:9-17) is not the Church, but the multitude represents those of the nations who believed this final witness, given by the 144,000 Israelites, not Gentiles, who bear this final witness.

14. His return is preceded by the great tribulation and followed by the judgment of the nations

Nowhere is it predicted that when Christ comes back He will find a converted world, that righteousness and peace will reign before His return. The Lord and His Apostles teach something entirely different. (See Matthew 24:21; Luke 21:25-26; Revelation in its main portion reveals the events of this time of greatest trouble. He returns at the close of the great tribulation, Matthew 24:29-30. He will come as judge after the tribulation. See Matthew 25:31; 2 Thess. 1:8-9). 

15. The New Testament reveals His coming as a blessed hope unknown in former ages

Whatever revelation the Lord Jesus Christ predicted as to His visible, personal and glorious return, preceded by the great tribulation and the manifestation of the Antichrist, is also revealed in the Old Testament. But in one passage He spoke of something new, altogether new, unknown to the prophets and to the Old Testament Saints. This is found in John 14:1-4. It is the first intimation of the blessed hope for the Saints of the New Testament. 

It was given to the Apostle Paul to receive the full revelation concerning “that blessed, hope” (See again 1 Thess. 4:16-18 and 1 Cor. 15:51-52). This blessed hope has rightly and scripturally been termed “the coming of the Lord for His Saints” in distinction from “the coming of the Lord with His Saints.” The latter takes place when He is visibly revealed out of heaven.

16. The coming of the Lord for His Saints takes place before the end of the age sets in, before the final great apostasy, before the great tribulation and before the manifestation of the man of sin

The denial of this has led to much confusion. Good men teach, what is an unscriptural theory, that the Church will be on earth to the very end of the tribulation period. Some speak of the Church having yet to pass “through a Gethsemane experience.” But where is this taught in Scripture? Nowhere. The second chapter of the second Epistle to the Thessalonians shows that the falling away and the man of sin, cannot come as long as there is the hindering One on the earth. That One is the Holy Spirit. He dwells in the true Church, as He dwells in every individual believer, and must be taken out of the way first. He will be taken away in hindering power with the rapture of the Saints.

The reason why our Lord said nothing about tribulation to His disciples in the upper room when He first mentioned “that blessed hope,” is because the true Church has nothing whatever to do with that period of time. There is no tribulation of a punitive character in store for her, nor any wrath whatever (1 Thess. 1:10). The suffering Saints during the great tribulation are Jews. In the Old Testament it is spoken of as “the time of Jacob’s trouble” (Jer. 30:7); and Daniel speaks of it in the same way (Dan. 12:1-2). The scope of the Book of Revelation proves conclusively, that before even the Lord receives the book of judgments and tribulation from God’s hands, the Saints must first be brought to glory. Not one of the Epistles has anything to say about that great tribulation. There is a significant silence. It is because the true Church will not be here when that time comes. 

17. All true believers will be taken when the Lord comes

Some teach that only a certain class of believers will participate in the glorious rapture. According to some only those will meet the Lord who believe in His coming; holiness sects claim that one must have had a “deeper” experience to be fit for His coming. Others make “Divine healing” the test, or the “gift of tongue” delusion, or something else. All these theories are not found in Scripture. Every child of God, no matter how ignorant, how weak in himself, how imperfect in walk and service, is nevertheless a child of God and as such belongs to the Father’s house. Every true believer, independent of his experience, whether “deep” or “shallow,” independent of his attainments, is through grace a member of the body of Christ, the Church. No member of that body will be left behind, when He comes for His Saints, for that body will be presented as a complete body in His presence. There is no such thing taught in the New Testament as a “piece-meal rapture,” such as certain English and American, Bible-teachers claim, to the confusion of simple and young believers.

18. His coming for the Saints will mean a blessed re-union with our loved ones, who have gone before, and with all the Saints

It is therefore called “the comforting hope.” Apart from the coming of the Lord for His Saints there is no ray of hope in Scripture of meeting our departed ones again. But when He comes for His Saints, those who died in Christ will be raised in incorruption; we, the living ones, will be changed. All will take place by the mighty power of God, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye. Together with them we shall be caught up in clouds to meet the Lord in the air. 

19. The New Testament teaches that there will be a judgment-seat of Christ

There the hidden things of our lives as to service, Christian living, Christian sacrifice and suffering, will be brought to light. Rewards and crowns will be bestowed upon those who were faithful. Others will be ashamed before Him in His presence and will be crownless, though saved as by fire. Then the Apostle Paul and all the Apostles and martyrs will receive their crowns in that day (2 Tim. 4:8). The blessed hope becomes therefore a great incentive to holy living and untiring, self-sacrificing service. 

20. With His coming the Church will be glorified and share with Him His glory and His kingdom

He will present the Church to Himself “a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish” (Eph. 5:27). Every individual believer will see Him as He is and will be like Him. Every believer will receive an eternal body, like unto His own glorious body. His prayer is answered “Father, I will that they also, whom Thou hast given Me, be with Me where I am; that they may behold My glory.” His glory will be our glory. With Him we shall be priests and kings, and reign with Him for a thousand years in His Kingdom over the earth. With Him the Church shall judge the world and shall judge Angels. 

Interesting note:

Arno C. Gaebelein wrote this article in 1925, before Israel was even a nation. Many religious leaders thought that Gaebelein was “way off” when he stated that God would regather the Jews back and Israel would once again become a nation before the end times. Many in his day felt that the Church replaced Israel but as we know, this is not the case. Many who held to the erroneous “replacement theology” had to rethink their beliefs when Israel became a nation in 1948. 

Israel, the nation, will take centre stage during the Tribulation when the Church is raptured. It is already the focus of much of the news in our times. The Bible says in Zechariah 12:3 that Jerusalem will be “a burdensome stone for all people” and this is already being fulfilled in front of our eyes. God will never forsake Israel though the whole world will come in against them… Jesus in the end will rescue them and they shall look upon Him whom they have pierced . 

And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn. Zechariah 12:10  

Jesus said to Jerusalem in Luke 13:35 “Ye shall not see me, until the time come when ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.” 

Jesus comes the first time for His Church – the Saints. The Second Coming is when He comes back with His saints and rescues Israel. This teaching agrees completely with what the Old and New Testament says concerning the Messiah and the End Times. If one sticks to the literal interpretation of Scriptures, one is never wrong for the Bible is always correct and current with the times.

Jesus said, Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto Myself, that where I am there ye may be also. And whither I go ye know; and the way ye know. Thomas saith unto Him, Lord, we know not whither Thou goest; and how can we know the way? Jesus saith unto Him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me.

SIGNS OF HIS COMING

As Jesus sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto Him saying, “Tell us, what shall be the sign of Thy coming, and of the end of the world?” And Jesus answered and said unto them, “Take heed that no man deceive you. Ye shall hear of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.

For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. All these are the beginning of sorrows.

Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for My name’s sake. And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. And because iniquity shall abound the love of many shall wax cold. But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.

And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come. Then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.

GREAT SIGNS AND WONDERS

And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And He shall send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but My Father only. But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark. And knew not until the flood came and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.

Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come. Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.

While the disciples beheld, Jesus was taken up; and a cloud received Him out of their sight. And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven, as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen Him go into heaven.

THE DEAD SHALL BE RAISED

I would not have you to be ignorant concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with Him.

For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first. Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed. In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. Thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

“DOES THIS RAILROAD LEAD TO HEAVEN?”

In traveling we often meet with persons of different nationalities and languages; we also meet with incidents of various character, some sorrowful, and others joyful and instinctive. One of the latter character I witnessed recently while traveling upon the cars. The train was going west, and the time was evening. At a station a little girl about eight years old came aboard, carrying a little budget under her arm. She came into the car and deliberately took a seat. She then commenced an eager scrutiny of faces, but all were strange to her. She appeared weary, and placing her budget or a pillow, she prepared to try and secure a little sleep. Soon the conductor came along collecting tickets and fare. Observing him, she asked him if she might lie there. The gentlemanly conductor replied that she might, and then kindly asked for her ticket. She informed him that she had none, when the following conversation ensued. Said the conductor:

“Where are you going?”

“l am going to heaven,” she answered.

“Who pays your fare?” he asked again.

She then said: “Mister, does this railroad lead to heaven, and does Jesus travel on it?”

“I think not,” he answered. “Why did you think so?”

“Why, sir, before my ma died she used to sing to me of a heavenly railroad, and you looked so nice and kind that I thought this was the road. My ma used to sing of Jesus on the heavenly railroad, and that He paid the fare for everybody, and that the train stopped at every station to take people on board; but my ma don’t sing to me any mere. Nobody sings to me now; and I thought I’d take the cars and go to ma. Mister, do you sing to your little girl about the railroad that goes to heaven? You have a little girl haven’t you?”

He replied, weeping: “No, my little dear, I have no little girl now. I had one once, but she died some time ago, and went to heaven.” “Did she go over this railroad, and are you going to see her now? ” she asked.

By this time every person in the coach was upon their feet, and most of them were weeping. An attempt to describe what I witnessed is almost futile. Some said: ” God bless the little girl.” Hearing some person say that she was an angel, the little girl earnestly replied: “Yes, my ma used to say that I would be an angel some time.

Addressing herself once more to the conductor, she asked him: “Do you love Jesus? I do; and if you love him, he will let you ride to heaven on His railroad. I am going there, and I wish you would go with me. I know Jesus will let me into heaven when I get there, and he will let you in too, and everybody that will ride on his railroad — yes, all these people. Wouldn’t you like to see heaven, and Jesus, and your little girl?”

These words, so pathetically and innocently uttered, brought a great gush of tears from all eyes, hut most profusely from those of the conductor. Some who were traveling on the heavenly railroad shouted aloud for joy.

She now asked the conductor: “Mister, may I lie here until we get to heaven?

“Yes, dear, yes,” he answered. “Will you wake me up then, So that I may see my ma, and your little girl, and Jesus?” she asked, “for I do so much want to see them all. “The answer came in broken accents, but in words very tenderly spoken: “Yes, dear angel, yes. God bless you.” “Amen” was sobbed by more than a score of voices. Turning her eyes again upon the conductor, she interrogated him again: “What shall I tell your little girl when I see her? Shall I tell her that I saw her pa on Jesus’ railroad? Shall I?”

This brought a fresh flood of tears from all present, and the conductor knelt by her side, and, embracing her, wept the reply he could not utter. At this juncture the brakeman called out “H——-” The conductor arose and requested him to attend to his (the conductor’s) duty at the station, for he was engaged. That was a precious place. I thank God that I was a witness to this scene, but I was sorry that at this point I was obliged to leave the train.

We learn from this incident that out of the mouths of even babes God hath ordained strength, and that we ought to be willing to represent the cause of our blessed Jesus even in a railroad coach.

THE SEQUEL
I wish to relieve my heart by writing to you, and saying that, that angel visit on the cars was a blessing to me, although I did not realize it in its fullness until some hours after. But blessed be the Redeemer, I know now that I am His, and He is mine. I no longer wonder why Christians are happy. Oh, my joy, my joy! The instrument of my salvation has gone to God. I had purposed adopting her in the place of my little daughter, who is now in heaven. With this intention I took her to C—-b and on my return trip I took her back to S—-n, where she left the cars. In consultation with my wife in regard to adopting her, she replied ” Yes, certainly, and immediately too, for there is a Divine providence in this. Oh,” said she, “I never could refuse to take under my charge the instrument of my husband’s salvation.”

I made inquiry for the child at S—-n, and learned that in three days after her return she died suddenly, without any apparent disease, and her happy soul had gone to dwell with her ma, my little girl, and the angels in heaven I was sorry to hear of her death, but my sorrow is turned to joy when I think my angel-daughter received intelligence from earth concerning her pa, and that he is on the heavenly railway. Oh sir, methinks I see her near the Redeemer. I think I hear her sing “I’m safe at home, and pa and ma are coming;” and I find myself sending back the reply: “Yes, my darling, we are coming, and will soon be there.” Oh, my dear sir, I am glad that I ever formed your acquaintance may the blessing of the great God rest upon you. Please write to me, and be assured, I would he most happy to meet you again. — J.M. Dosh, in Christian Expositor.

WILLIAM CLOWES, THE SPIRITUAL MOUNTAINEER

This man of God knew how to pray. George Lamb, in his memorial of him, says: “On a certain missionary tour he walked one day twenty-four miles, and while on the road, he said: “I fell into a profound meditation on the fall of man, his departure from original holiness, the depth of iniquity into which sin had sunk him, and the impossibility for any power but that of God to restore him. These reflections I pursued in my mind until I was brought into great sorrow, and distress of soul. I felt the travail in birth, and experienced an internal agony on account of the millions of souls on the earth, who were walking on in the way of death, whose steps take hold on hell. I wept much, and longed for some convenient place on the road, where I might give vent to my burdened soul in prayer. In a short time I arrived on the borders of a wood; and then I gave way to my feelings, poured out my soul, and cried like a woman in the pangs of childbirth. I thought the agony into which I was thrown would terminate my life.

“This was a glorious baptism for the ministry; the glory of God was revealed to me in a wonderful manner; it left an unction on my soul which continues to this day; and the sweetness which was imparted to my spirit, it is impossible for me to attempt a description of.”

Space will not allow us to follow this apostolic man as he went through the principal counties, and cities, and towns of England; nor to detail the wonderful displays of Divine power which took place under his ministry. Persecution raged against him, his name was cast out as evil, and he had to endure many and severe hardships. But wherever he went the work of God broke out in power, sinners were converted, believers sanctified, and classes organized. For years, about four or five thousand, and not unfrequently the annual increase was ten thousand souls, in great part due to William’s trusting of God.

“Mr. Clowes was very remarkable for his power in prayer. He abounded largely in ‘the grace of supplication.’ It has never fallen to my lot to experience such baptisms, as I never failed to feel, while kneeling with him before the mercy-seat. Perhaps it will be seen, in the light of eternity, that much of the success which has crowned the labors of the Connexion was graciously vouchsafed in answer to his fervent and effectual prayers.’ The results of the midnight devotions which he rendered to God, and of his wrestlings ‘until break of day,’ when; ‘as a prince, he had power with God and prevailed,’ are yet to be revealed; the witness of these holy exercises is in heaven, and their record on high.

“Streaming eyes, broken hearts, cries for mercy, and joyful deliverances, were ordinary effects produced when he drew nigh to God in public prayer. I was present at a love feast conducted by him and his friend, Mr. I. Holliday, in Mill Street chapel, at the conclusion of which about forty souls were professedly converted to God.

“Great as Mr. Clowes was in the pulpit, and mighty as he was in prayer, he was equally conspicuous for his strong and unwavering faith. ‘ I have believed, I do believe, and I will believe,’ he would say; and he soared to what he called the ‘mountains of frankincense, and the hills of myrrh,’ and regaled himself with fruits and flowers in the garden of the Lord; bathed in its crystal fountains of purity; and basked in its blissful grove of holy serenity and heavenly joy. His strong faith enabled him to make his constant abode where only a few of even good men pay an occasional visit; he lived at a great spiritual altitude, a sort of Pisgah’s mountain-life, on lofty banks of high and holy regions. If ever he pitched his tent, he shifted it higher still; he was a spiritual mountaineer. ‘His religious life appears to have been one rapid ascent from grace to grace.’ No wonder that one who the walked with God in such a spiritual climate, where peace sheds its balm, hope bends its rainbow, and the soul dwells at ease,” should be able to say, as did he, and to the honor of grace and the glory of God, be it recorded: “‘I have never had a doubt for forty years.”

“In the social circle he was serious without gloom, cheerful without levity; and perhaps no man could have passed half an hour in his fellowship without feeling-that he was breathing in an atmosphere of holiness, in contact with a spirit near of kin to just men made perfect,’ and living for the time on the verge of heaven

“John Nelson, in describing his introduction to Clowes, says : “There was a most impressive gravity in his demeanor when he received me. His eyes were devoutly lifted up to heaven, while he implored a blessing upon me. “Let us pray a minute,” said he; and the next moment he was upon his knees, pouring out the desire of his soul for me, in a manner which I cannot fully describe, nor shall lever forget. Among other things which he fervently asked, this was one-that the Spirit which used to come upon Samson at times in the camp of Dan, might, in all its energy, come upon me; and that, aided by that power, I, too, might so smite the Philistines, that they might fall before me, heaps upon heaps. While he thus pleaded, the fire of the Holy Ghost fell upon me, and I was more fully endued with a power which, to a greater extent, prepared me for the work for which I was ill-fitted, and from which I had shrunk with trembling apprehensions.”

“Mr. Clowes had several prominent characteristics; but the most prominent of all was his constancy and power in prayer. In all things through which he was called to pass, he had one never-failing resource, and that was prayer. — Shining Lights

TRANSLATION OF BISHOP HAVEN

On Saturday morning, January 3, 1880, in MaIden, Massachusetts, Bishop Gilbert Haven’s physician said that his last day had come, and that it would do him no harm to see his friends. Many were near at hand. Others were summoned by telegram and by messenger, until groups gathered around that couch, touched with the light of immortal glory, to muse over the transition from death unto life. A physician who was present said: “I never saw a person die so before.” A clergyman remarks: “To me it did not seem that I was in the presence of death. The whole atmosphere of the chamber was that of a joyous and festive hour. Only the tears of kindred and friends were suggestive of death. I felt that I was summoned to see a conquering hero crowned.”

We have preserved some of the Bishop’s utterances to different persons, as they were reported in the public prints. As Dr. Daniel Steele entered his chamber, the Bishop lifted up his hand, exclaiming, in his familiar way : “O Dan, Dan, a thousand, thousand blessings on you! The Lord has been giving you great blessings, and me little ones, and now he has given me a great one. He has called me to heaven before you. “Do you find the words of Paul true: “O death, where is thy sting?” inquired Dr. Steele. “There is no death, there is no death” interrupted the Bishop; “I have been fighting death for six weeks, and today I find there is no death.” Then he repeated again and again John viii. 51: “Shall never see death; Glory! Glory! Glory!” In life he seldom, if ever, shouted; he certainly had a right to shout in death. “You have a great Savior,” was remarked to him.

“Yes,” he answered, “that is the whole of the gospel, the whole of it” With difficulty he repeated “Happy, if with my latest breath I may but gasp His name Preach Him to all, and cry in death, Behold, behold the Lamb!”

He had an immediate opportunity to preach Christ by witnessing to his saving power, for his counseling physician from Boston had come to bid him farewell. Said the dying man, as he took the doctor’s hand: “I am satisfied with your attentions; you have done all that human skill can do to heal me. I die happy. I believe in Jesus Christ. To Dr. Lindsay he also remarked: “Good-night, doctor. When we meet again it will be good-morning.” To his old classmate, Dr. Newhall, he said: “I have got the start of you. I thought you would go first. Your mind has been clouded a little, but it is all light over there.” When Dr. Mallahieu approached him he put his aims around his neck and drew him to his face, and exclaimed: “My dear old friend, I am glad to see you. You and I would not have it so if we had our way, but God knows best. It is all right! All right! We have been living in great times, but there are greater times coming. You have been my true friend you never failed me. You must stand by the colored man when I am gone. Stand by the colored man.” Then he spoke of dying, and said: “Oh, but it is so beautiful, so pleasant, so delightful! I see no river of death. God lifts me up in His arms. There is no darkness; it is all light and brightness. I am gliding away into God, floating up into heaven.” As the hour drew near, and death preyed upon him, his faith failed not. His right hand was dead, and black from mortification; but holding up his arm, and gazing at the perishing member for a moment, he said, with triumph: “I believe in the resurrection of the body!” Thus he trampled death under his feet, and Elijah like, in a flaming chariot of glory, went shouting to his home in the skies. — Golden Dawn.