The Second Coming of Christ is a tract by Reuben Archer Torrey published in 1915 by the Bible Institute of Los Angeles. 30pp

The bulk of the work is straightforward bible exposition following this outline:

I. The Fact of His Coming Again

II. The Manner of His Coming

III. The Results of His Coming Again

However, in the long introductory paragraphs of this pamphlet Torrey is unusually chatty about his own doctrinal formation and about recent publications and conversations that have provoked him to write this short book.

Excerpts

The truth of the Second Coming of Christ in the past few months has come into a new prominence. For several years this great truth seems to have fallen into the background. About two years ago I was asked to write a book on the Second Coming of Christ. I had long wished to write a book on that subject, but I wondered if it was timely, so little was being said about the Second Coming of Our Lord, but I decided to write the book. There was considerable delay in publishing it, but about a year ago it was given to the public. Almost simultaneously with the appearing of that book many other books on the same subject began to appear on both sides of the Atlantic. Then there came a great series of Prophetic Conferences, extending from Chicago to the Coast, until it may be said that the truth of our Lord's coming again has become the most prominent truth in the thought of the Church in the past few months.

To many the doctrine of our Lord's Return appears like a visionary and impractical doctrine. If any of you think so, I will not blame you; for I recall the time when it seemed so to me. Early in my first pastorate, the first Premillennial Conference was held in New York City. It so happened that the chorister of my church was also the editor of a secular paper and he became greatly interested in the reports in the New York papers of the Premillennial Conference. He came to me and asked me if I would not preach on the Second Coming of Christ. I put him off, but thought to myself, "You will be a great deal older than you are now before you hear me preaching on so impractical and visionary a doctrine as that." At the close of my first pastorate I went to Germany for further study. In Erlangen I pursued my studies under the immediate direction of the greatest thinker along theological lines there was in Germany at that time, Dr. F. H. R. Frank. at that time rector of the University of Erlangen. He gave me the free run of his own library and directed my studies. Among other books that he recommended me to read was Martensen's "Dogmatik." This great Danish theologian was a Premillennarian, and, as I read his book, I became convinced intellectually of the truth of the Premillennial Return of our Lord, but I was not at all interested in it. On my return from Germany, I took a pastorate in Minneapolis. In our Minneapolis ministers' meeting one Monday morning there was a debate between Rev. Dr. Sample, at that time pastor of the Westminster Church, Minneapolis, and Rev. M. D.Shudder, pastor of one of the Baptist churches of Minneapolis, on the subject of our Lord's Return. Dr. Sample, who afterward became pastor of a church in New York, maintained the premillennial view; Mr. Shudder, who afterwards became a Unitarian, maintained the postmillennial view. Dr. Sample simply wiped the earth with Mr. Shudder and I went away from the meeting more fully convinced than ever of the truth of the Premillennial view, but still I was not greatly interested in it. It did not seem to me to matter much which view was correct. Some time after I went to Chicago to the First International Convention of Christian Workers. Being elected President of the Association, I came in very close contact with a Rescue Mission worker from New York and became greatly interested in him and his mission. Returning to Minneapolis, we took this worker back with us for a visit. Upon his return to New York he wrote me a letter and enclosed a tract on the Second Coming of Christ. This tract made the imminent return of our Lord a very vivid and practical reality in my life. Now I not only got hold of the truth of our Lord's Return, but that truth got hold of me, and it transformed my life and ministry.

There have been four great epochs in my Christian experience:

First, when I was led to accept Jesus Christ as my personal Saviour and to surrender my life to Him as my Lord and Master and in consequence of that surrender decided to enter the Christian ministry. The second was when I was led to see that beyond a question the entire Bible, from the first chapter of Genesis to the last chapter of Revelation, was the inerrant Word of God, and, in consequence of seeing that, was led to resolve to take my stand upon every promise I found in the Bible that properly applied to me and to obey every commandment that applied to me. Up to that time, I had held very "advanced" views regarding the inspiration of the Bible and its inerrancy and authority. I was a "new theologian" of the new theologians, when new theology was not as popular nor as common as it is to-day. I say I had entertained very "advanced" views; to be more accurate, I had entertained very loose and unwarranted views, but now I knew for a certainty that the entire Bible was the very Word of god. The third great epoch in my life was when I was led to see, from a study of the Word of God, that there was a definite baptism with the Holy Spirit for every child of God in this dispensation as well as in the days of the Apostles, and when I was led to seek and claim and obtain this baptism for myself. The fourth great epoch was when I was led, not merely to believe theoretically in the Premillennial Return of our Lord, but when that great truth got possession of me. The world and its ambitions lost their power. What did I care whether I was rich or poor, whether I had good report or evil report from the world, whether I had plenty or whether I had hardship in this present age, the Lord Himself was soon coming and might come any time and all I cared for was to be well-pleasing in His sight when He should appear.