Page:The Last Judgement and Second Coming of the Lord Illustrated.djvu/244

 tural calamities, similar to those described, have taken place, almost in every century through which Christianity has passed; and this fact of itself is sufficient to show that such natural events never could have been intended as the prelude to the predicted advent. The circumstances that they have been so regarded; that persons, on the occurrence of such disastrous phenomena, have been led to expect the Divine coming, and the destruction of the universe; and that such interpretations have turned out to be mistakes,—may be taken as very strong evidence touching the uncertainty of such a view of the subject. The fact is, the calamities predicted refer to the spiritual afflictions of the Church rather than to the physical diseases of men, or political convulsions of the world. This may be clear from the introductory clauses, "Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many." Thus it is of the recognition of Himself that He discourses; consequently of the Church in which He is acknowledged, and not of the world by whom He is but little cared for. This, also, was the conclusion which the Apostles drew from the Lord's teachings upon the subject. John writes, that when antichrist is come we know that it is the last time; and Paul strikingly observes, "Let no man deceive you by any means: for the day of the Lord shall not come unless there come a falling away first." In general terms, then, the occasion for the Lord's second coming, as described by Himself, is to be found in the corruption of the Church, and in the spiritual disasters they would bring about. These spiritual afflictions are described under the figures of natural calamities, because such outer phenomena are the representations of such inner experience. This we will endeavour to illustrate.