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that we may be prepared for the “new heaven and new earth wherein dwell- eth righteousness” (2 Pet. 3 :4, 9, 11). Paul never penned an epistle without introducing the appeal of “that great day,” as the sufficient incentive to the holiest walk and the highest accomp lishment. It was the faith of the earlv church Fathers. Guinness remarks “It cannot be denied that for three centuries the Church held the doctrine of the pre- millennial coming of Christ,” and add ed, “I think I have gone through all the writings of the Fathers for three centuries pretty carefully, and I do not know an exception, unless it be Origen,” the one early writer who was often heterodox. It "was the faith of Justin Martyr, Irenaeus, Tertullian, Methodius and Victorinus. Dorner adds to these Barnabas, Clement, Her nias, Ignatius, Polycarp, Papias, Ne- pos, Lactantius and others, and adds, “All were at one.” Dr. James H. Brookes reminds us that “the premil- lennial advent was the common herit age of both Jewish and Gentile Chris tians, and passed from the Jewish Christian to the Gentile Christian Church precisely in the way the Gos pel passed. It was as fragrant at An tioch as at Jerusalem, at Rome as at Ephesus. History has no concensus more unanimous for any doctrine than is the consensus of the apostolic Fath ers for the premillennial advent of Christ.” If men will take history rather than undertake to make history, premillen- narianism will be conceded to have been the apostolic faith. Certainly Mpsheim is a historian not to be de spised, and in Volume I, page 89, he says, “The prevailing opinion that Christ was to come and reign a thou sand years among men before the final dissolution of the world, had met with no opposition previous to the time of Origen,” while such writers as Giese- ier, Stackhouse, Bishops Newton and
Russell, and even Gibbon, render an approving testimony. But we have already called attention to the fact that the second test to which men have a right to subject this faith, is important, namely the test of The Spiritual Effect. This test may find adequate expres sion in three lines of study. 1. Its effect upon the study of the Sacred Scriptures. That the advo cates of the imminent coming of Christ have been the great students of God’s Word, few men would dispute. What is the explanation ? Has not Dr. A. B. Simpson given it in an illustration? He tells his readers of having visited a cathedral in Europe, upon the ceiling of which the most famous painter of past centuries had patiently employed his brush. Upon entering the building his eyes sought the ceiling and he saw what seemed a bewildering color of in coherent daubing. He looked long and earnestly; not a figure appeared; not a design was evident. The old sexton was passing about and the vis itor expressed to him his disappoint ment, whereupon he smiled and said: “No wonder, sir. You have no fit po sition from which to see this work of art. Come with me!” And he led him to a place in the cathedral where the artise of all centuries had evidently' stood, and bethought his designs, and to which he had again and again re turned as he wrought them into being. And lo, the visitor saw such a master piece as to bedim his eyes with tears, and bow his head in gratitude to the God who had granted to one of His fellow-servants such genius. And Simpson reasons, What that position was to the study of the fresco paint ing, the premillennial position is to the understanding of the Word of God. Ft was the position of Ellicott, Tre- gelles, Godet, Stier, Delitzch, Lange, Olshausen, DeWette, Meyer, Jamie-
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