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The Evening and The Morning Star/2/20
| ←Number 19 | The Evening and The Morning Star Volume 2, Number 20 |
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| Source document in Mormon Publications: 19th and 20th Centuries online archive: The Evening and The Morning Star Vol. 1-2
Note: Some headings and bracketed texts are editorial and not part of the original text. |
| THE EVENING AND THE MORNING STAR | ||
| Vol. 2. | Kirtland, Ohio. May, 1834 | No. 20. |
COMMUNICATIONS.
FAITH OF THE CHURCH OF CHRIST IN THESE LAST DAYS. NO. III.
[Continued from our last.]
May we not ask, why so many "misgivings" about any subject written in the bible? why so much difficulty in understanding those things which have been indited [indicted] by the Spirit of God, to enlighten the human family? why is it that the wisest, the most learned, the gratest [greatest] of reformers, (or at least they would be so,) are in such serious difficulties, as not to be able to comprehend the things which God, the heavenly Father, has taken the paines [pains] to communicate and send down from heaven for the benefit of man? for such is the darkness which prevails, that those who are engaged in endeavoring to correct the errors of others, and return them back to first principles, as they say, are themselves under the necessity of stopping, and are not able to pursue the course which they have marked out for themselves. It is because the God of heaven, after all the manifestations of his kindness to man, has, instead of enlightening their minds, given them a book clothed in such mysterious language, and words of such doubtful import, that a person is never safe in attaching any definite meaning to them? or where lies the difficulty? The apostle John says, in his first Epistle, first chapter, 5 and 6 verses,-"This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth." Are these sayings of John correct? or are they not? Is it even so, that a man who says he has fellowship with God, and yet is in darkness, lies and does not the truth? So says John. If so, what are we to think of those reformers who profess to have gotten so near the truth as to have entered into the "ancient order of things," and still declare, that they, even themselves are in darkness, and such great darkness, that they are incapable of understanding the teachings of the ancient prophets? For the deep things of God, (as they are pleased to call them,) they cannot comprehend. And after many years' labor and study, have to come to the conclusion that there is too much "conflicting" of the "winds" for an inexperienced mariner to launch forth into the mighty "abyss." If we ask, what abyss? O, the abyss of prophecy! a dark unfathomable abyss! Wonderful!! To whom? Astonishing! To one who has a fellowship with God! Yes, fellowship with God! Yes, indeed a great reformer; yea, more than great, very great; the Idol of his followers! the would be oracle of the age, the founder of the millennium, the restorer of pure speech! Yes reader, all these, with many more equally as great. But after all in darkness? yes, gross darkness! Be still, John! hush to silence! for we have found one man, if no more, that has fellowship with God, and is in darkness, and to all appearance will remain so. For the days have passed away, they say, when the Spirit of God is in the hearts of the saints a spirit of revelation, as in days of old. And how these reformers are to get into the light, is some what mysterious to us: how they are to determine when they get the proper rules of interpretation we are not able to say: unless the Spirit of God should say something about it, it will only be guess-work at best-a very uncertain ground to rest a man's eternal welfare upon. It appears to us, if their theory be true, that all they can do is to change one guess for another. In former days the saints were not at so great a loss; they had an unction from the Father, which taught them all things, and was the truth, and was no lie. So that they needed not human teaching, for their anointing which they had from the Holy One, was so peculiar in its effects, as to teach them of all things. See John's 1 epistle, 2 chapter, 20 and 27 verses. But these modern reformers have not obtained an anointing of any kind: they have no unction from the Holy One to lead them into the truth. And they are not at liberty to understand the bible as it says; nor can they obtain the proper rules of interpretation. But still, they are reformers, notwithstanding they do not possess one single peculiarity of the religion of the ancient saints-and are equal with them (as they say) in all the privileges of the eternal world, being heirs of God and joint heirs with Jesus christ!
It is truly marvelous to see man trying to reform their fellow men and correct their errors on the subject of religion, while they themselves openly deny the existence of the religion of the bible, and boldly declare, that that religion has ceased, and will exist no more. And if any man dare assert, that if ever the religion of heaven prevails on the earth it will be found to be the same it was before, they will denounce him as the basest of impostures, and the worst of villains! For instance, let a man declare that he has obtained the ministering of angels-how quick will all the reformers, yes, and nonreformers too, denounce him as the worst of men! but ask them, did the people of God in ancient days receive the ministering of angels? Surely they did, say they. What! and you have got the same religion as they had! They will answer in the affirmative. And yet, you have no such thing as the ministering of angels? No. And your religion still the same as theirs? Yes the same God, the same gospel, the same dispensation and the same Spirit. And yet, the dealings of God with them are as different as Mahometanism and christianity! There is something surely very strange about this matter, how two things can be unlike in every particular, and yet be the same.
After all the maneuvering and management to conceal their nakedness, of which modorn [modern] religionists are capable, it will come to this at last, that all their darkness and difficulties arise from their unbelief: they are unwilling that the God of heaven should have such an order of things as is set forth in the bible. For should such an order of things ever exist on the earth as the prophets describe, it would expose their works to the contempt of the weakest mind. The religion of the gospel was never more destructive to the craft of Demetrius, than is the religion taught by the ancient prophets opposed to the schemes of modern times, and modern would be saints, whether their religion be of the reformed or nonreformed. The direct proof which we have of the great difference which exists between the things taught in the bible respecting the last times, and the religion believed in by this sectarian generation is, that the religion of this generation is so directly at war with the religion of the bible, that they cannot, with all their intelligence, understand the things taught by the sacred writers: their religion is so directly opposed to the bible, that it does not admit of the existence of such an order of things as the prophets said God would introduce in the last days; and this drives them to the necessity of interpreting, expounding, and spiritualizing, in order to make themselves and others believe, that they are great sticklers for the bible; powerful defenders of the religion it advocates. But instead of their either expounding, or interpreting, the mysteries of the bible, as they pretend, they go to creating mysteries, and making things which in themselves are plain and easy of understanding, dark and incomprehensible. We should really be glad to see some of those spiritualizers, and interpreters, favor the world with a bible manufactured according to their plan, substituting their interpretations and spiritual meanings, for the words which are in the bible, and then compare the one with the other; and we are confident, that no person would suppose that the two books were written on the same subjects: it might be a necessary appendage to Webster's and Dickinson's polite bibles.
If those spiritualizers, and interpreters, were to change their course, and instead of spiritualizing, and interpreting, go to believing and understanding the bible as they would any other book, they would soon find that they had inherited lies, and vanity, and things in which there was no profit, [see Jeremiah, 16 chapter and 19 verse,] and their preaching had been vain, as also their faith, and that they were yet in their sins, being far from God, and without hope in the world, save that which they had entertained through the traditions of their fathers, by which they had made void the faith of the gospel and set at nought the counsel of the Most High; having received and taught for doctrines the commandments of men. For it is only the weak and vain schemes of men in spiritualizing and interpreting, which have rendered the bible obscure and unintelligible. All the important items of prophecy relating to the great things of the last days, are as plain as language can make them, if the world was willing to believe that the bible was true; for, to spiritualize the obvious meaning of the prophets away, is to make their language false, and to make them tell lies in the name of the Lord. For a person may believe an interpretation, or a spiritual meaning as the sects call it, and not believe the bible. Indeed it is as impossible for a man to believe both, as it is for him to serve two masters, or to have the friendship of the world, and the favor of God; yea, the camel could go through the needle's eye as easily, or a rich man get into the kingdom of heaven; or a man could as easily serve God and Mammon, as to believe an interpretation, or a spiritual meaning, and the bible also, for the plainest of all reasons, which is this, that a man never spiritualizes, nor interprets, only when he does not believe what is written.
Let men cease thus to pervert the truth, and to handle the word of God deceitfully, (for if this is not handling the word of God deceitfully, it never was handled deceitfully since the world began,) and let them betake themselves to the understanding of it, and it would make a speedy change in their views; the apparent darkness of prophecy would soon disappear; "misgivings" about the proper rules of interpretation would soon cease to exist, and the would be reformers of mankind, would have something of consequence to unfold to the minds of their followers, instead of keeping them years gaping and stretching after something, and receiving nothing except a strife about words, which subvert mens' souls, and serve no better purpose. Had the "Millennial Harbinger" been called Universal Rangler, it would have suited its character much better, and the Editor might continue it in existence, and yet be a conscientious man; but nothing now can support it but the stupid ignorance of its patrons.
The whole sectarian scheme of things, (what we mean by sectarian scheme, is every scheme which is not the scheme of the bible,) stands on no better foundation than the ignorance of mankind, and produces no better result than the complete overthrow of all its devotees, whether they are reformed, or not reformed, and it is supported by a vague scheme of spiritualizing and interpreting; for without these two powerful supports, sectarianism, with all its appendages, would come to a final issue, and sink with as much rapidity as the angel's millstone, and rise no more forever.
Any rational being with the bible in his hand, feeling himself at liberty to believe what it said, would very soon redeem himself from all the follies of the age, see the weakness of all the sectarian schemes of the nineteenth century, and all former ages, and the perfect folly of all the pretended reformations of ancient and modern times, when there were not inspired men at the head of them, both apostles and prophets; for without such, the God of heaven never at any time produced a reformation, nor did he ever bring back an apostate race at any time, by any other means, than by raising up and inspiring men from on high, and giving unto them the spirit of revelation in the knowledge of himself. Ephesians, 1 chapter, and 17 verse. Any man proclaiming
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himself a reformer in religion, and in the next sentence denying inspiration and revelation, declares to all the world, that God never sent him. And let him bring about what order of things he may among those who trust themselves to his guidance, he never will establish the order of heaven, or that order of things which is according to the mind and will of the Holy Spirit; for this has never yet been done by any person unless he was inspired of God, and had in himself the spirit of revelation, and actually received revelations from heaven for himself. Nor can an apostate generation be brought back to the order of heaven without some persons are inspired, as the apostles of old were, to bring them back. This generation has a strong proof of the impossibility of any man having power, without the spirit of inspiration, to bring about an order of things, such as is found in the bible, particularly, that part of them who reside in this religion, as far as they have been made acquainted with the Millennial Harbinger, and its Editor; for surely, their is no want of either worldly learning or talents in the Editor; but with them all he cannot make even an attempt at establishing the Millennial church: no, so far from establishing it, he cannot find out what it is: he would fain write about it, no doubt, if he knew what to say, and would rejoice greatly to be an instrument in ushering it in: but so far from making any advances toward it, he is not able to say one word about it, except on the title page of his paper. In this queer attitude he stands before the public, as a monument of human imbecility, speaking louder than words, saying, What an empty puff of breath is man, unless he is inspired of God-he begins by proposing, he continues with proposing, and terminates upon nothing-he makes a great commotion, but leaves the world at as great a distance from God as he finds it.
A man may propose much, he may write much, preach much, build up many churches, call them churches of Christ, Millennial churches, disciples, or what he or they please; but unless he is empowered from on high he can never build up the kingdom of heaven, nor add one member to it: when he gets done, compare his work and his church with one built by an inspired man, and there is no resemblance between them: The things believed by one are not believed by the other; the things done by one are not done by the other. Nor can any uninspired man build a church, that will not call the religion of heaven a delusion, enthusiasm, an imposition, and every other evil epithet that the worst feelings of human nature can invent-and the servants of God base impostures. Let a man but declare in the presence of a parcel of men-made saints, that he believes the church of Christ to be always the same; let him contend for the very things for which the apostles in the days of the Savior contended, and it will soon be found to whom they belong, to God or to men: hear them denounce it the worst of impositions, the foulest of all schemes of speculation; though they confess that was what the ancient apostles contended for, and for which they laid down their lives.-Then it was glorious, but now it is a vile, unsufferable [insufferable] imposition; but still they say they believe the bible-why! believe the bible? surely we believe the bible: it is the most glorious of all books, and it contains the most blessed of all religion. Ask them, Is your religion the same as in the bible? Doubtless it is. Does it bring forth the same fruits? Ah! be sure, the mighty works of the ancients have ceased; revelations have ceased; inspiration has ceased, and spiritual gifts are no more; but still, our religion is bible religion, and our faith is bible faith, and we are a people who are as much the people of God as they were. Yes, reader, you have to believe that these sectarians are all the people of God, are bible christians, and heirs of the grace of life, without possessing one single qualification of the ancient saints, or else you must bear all the abominations they can heap on your head, because you cannot believe it. And where is the man with the bible in his hand, and possessing common sense who does, or can believe it? I am bold to assert, there is not an honest man in the world that can do it.
I would be gratified, to have some of the sectarian (would be saints,) give us a little light on this subject, particularly on the subject of spiritual gifts, as they existed in the primitive church. Paul, in enumerating the spiritual gifts, mentions wisdom, knowledge, and faith. 1 Corinthians, 12 chapter and 8 verse. What I would be glad to know, is whether all the spiritual gifts have ceased to exist in the church, or whether some of them continue; for if they are all done away, the present church is withont [without] either wisdom, knowledge, or faith. (And I confess, if I am left to judge from their writings, and sayings, misgivings, and interpretations, I must admit that it looks very much as if this were the case.) But as they are not willing to admit that all the spiritual gifts are done away, will some one of the wise ones be so kind as to take the I2 [12] chapter of first Corinthians, and show unto us how many of the spiritual gifts are retained, and how many have ceased to be the privilege of the saints to enjoy? Will some of the modern reformers be so kind as to give us some light on the subject, as we may expect a little more from them than others, or else they are no reformers.
If it be admitted that faith still continues in the church, and who among all the religious world dare deny it? for the author of the epistle to the Hebrews, says, "Without faith it is impossible to please him." [God.] Hebrews 11 chapter, 6 verse. And if faith is the prerogative of the saints now, the work of faith is equally so; and if the prayer of faith ever had power with God, what reason can be assigned that it should have no power in these last days? Will some of the knowing ones be so kind as to give us the desired information, and point out the time when the prayer of faith ceased to have power with God? and also the place in the scriptures, where it is said that there was to be a time when God would not answer the prayer of faith? If neither of these things can be done, let them be honest, and confess that faith has ceased, and should the Son of man now come, he would not find faith on the earth; and that they also have ceased to please God, and instead of being the servants of God they have become the disciples of men; and instead of being saints, they have become the dupes of a set of men-made teachers, who have turned them away from the truth to follow after fables.
TO BE CONTINUED.
[For the Star.]
MILLENIUM. No. V.
In the 24 chapter of Isaiah, and 23 verse, the prophet, after having described one of the greatest desolations ever pronounced on the head of any generation of men, says, "Then the moon shall be confounded, and the sun ashamed, when the Lord of hosts shall reign in mount Zion, and in Jerusalem, and before his ancients gloriously." We have before seen that this reign was to last a thousand years; and his ancients, before whom he was to reign in mount Zion, and in Jerusalem, gloriously, were all the redeemed from among men, of every tongue, language, kindred, and people. According to Daniel, he was to come to the ancient of days: here he is said to reign before his ancients, that is, all the saints from our father Adam, down; for who could the ancient of days be but our father Adam? surely none other: he was the first who lived in days, and must be the ancient of days. And to whom would the Savior come, but to the father of all the race, and then receive his kingdom, in which he was to reign before, or with his ancients gloriously? Let it here be remarked, that it is said to be in mount Zion, and in Jerusalem, where the Lord is to reign before his ancients gloriously. We shall have occasion for this hereafter. Zachariah says in the 14 chapter of his prophecy, and the 5 verse, "And ye shall flee to the valley of the mountains; for the valley of the mountains shall reach unto Azal; yea, ye shall flee like as ye fled from before the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah: and the Lord my God shall come and all the saints with thee." This corresponds with what John says in the Revelations; for if he brings all the saints with him, they will be of every tribe, tongue, people, and kindred.
That all these passages refer to his second coming to reign on the earth a thousand years, does not admit of a doubt in the mind of the believer in the bible; for there is no other time of his coming mentioned in the scriptures, but his coming first in the flesh to suffer and die for us, and his second coming to reign on earth a thousand years, with all those who obey his will. As to his coming at the end of the earth, or at the final issue of all things, their is no such thing mentioned in the bible, nor is their one syllable said on it in any revelation which is extant; for so far from his coming at the end of all things, all revelations agree that he will be here more than a thousand years before. So that every thing in the bible said about his coming, which does not relate to his first coming in the flesh, relates to his second coming to reign in mount Zion, and in Jerusalem, and before his ancients gloriously, and this reign to continue a thousand years, or the Millennium. On the subject of this coming, and this reign, the scriptures abound. In the testimony of Matthew we have the following sayings of the Savior, 24 chapter, 30 verse. "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 cowing [coming] in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory." In the 26 chapter , and 64 verse, the Savior says to the high priest, "Nevertheless, I say unto you, hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven. Here the Savior says himself, that he will come in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory, for the purpose as the prophet Isaiah informs us, that he may reign in mount Zion, and in Jerusalem, and before his ancients gloriously-he will therefore come in power and great glory. In Mark's testimony, 13 chapter and 26 verse, and 14 chapter and 62 verse, we have the same account that is given by Matthew. Luke also, in the 21 chapter of his testimony, and 27 verse gives the same account.
I want it distinctly understood by my readers, that in every instance where the coming of Christ is mentioned, either by the Savior, or the apostles, it has an allusion to his second coming to reign on the earth a thousand years; for it was after his first coming that all the apostles wrote; and surely it was at the time of his first coming that the Savior was here on earth, so that there need be no mistake on this subject. As for any other coming of the Savior, save these two, it has originated else where than in the bible, or any revelation of God to man: it is one of the discoveries of modern times, and modern religionists; for neither Moses nor the prophets, Jesus nor the apostles, had knowledge of any such coming of the Savior. They all knew of two comings: first, his coming in the flesh, being born of a virgin; made under the law; taking upon him flesh for the suffering of death; partaking of flesh and blood because the children were partakers of the same, that through death he might destroy him who had the power of death, that is the Devil, and deliver those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. They knew of his being smitten, buffeted, scourged, and wounded for our transgressions; bruised for our iniquities; of the chastisement of our peace being upon him, and of our being healed by his stripes. And they also knew of his resurrection, and of his ascension, as well as of his coming again in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory, to convince all, to judge all, and to reign on earth a thousand years; and of his bringing all the saints with him, and of his reigning until all enemies were put under his feet; but of any other coming they had no knowledge, or if they had, they kept it to themselves, for they never wrote any thing about it.
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We shall now see what the apostles have said about this coming of Christ to reign on the earth where he once suffered; for he promised his disciples that he would come again without sin, for the salvation of them who looked for him.
Having heard the prophets and the Savior give their testimony, let us hear the apostles give theirs. We shall begin with Paul, 1 Corinthians, 4 chapter, 5 verse: he says to his Corinthian brethren, "Therefore, judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God." Philippians, 3 chapter 20 and 21 verses; "For our conversation is in heaven; from whence we also look for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ; who shall change our vile body that it may be fashoned [fashioned] like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.
1 Thessalonians 1 chapter 8, 9, and 10 verses: "For from you sounded out the word of the Lord, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place your faith to God-ward is spread abroad; so that we need not to speak any thing. For they themselves show of us what manner of entering in we had unto you, and how ye turned to God from idols, to serve the living and true God; and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead even Jesus which delivered us from the wrath to come." 4 chapter 15, 16 and 17 verses: "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." 2 Thessalonians 1 chapter 7, 8, 9, and 10 verses. "And to you who are troubled, rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, in flaming fire, taking vengeance on them that know not God, and obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power, when he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and admired in all them that believe." In the 2 chapter of this same epistle, and the 1 verse, the apostle thus exhorts the saints: "Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him." And again, in the 8 verse of this chapter, he says, "And then shall that wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming." 2 Epistle to Timothy, 4 chapter, 1 verse, Paul thus addresses Timothy; "I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and kingdom." Titus, 2 chapter, 13 verse reads thus, "Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God, and our Savior Jesus Christ." In the epistle to the Hebrews, 9 chapter, and 28 verse, we have the following sayings: "So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and to them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.
We can see by the foregoing quotations, that the second coming of Christ formed a prominent point in the teachings of this apostle; that he kept it so continually before him, that in nearly all his epistles he makes mention of it, though he lived two thousand years before that important period; but notwithstanding his great distance from it, still in his estimation it was none the less important to himself, nor to the saints of his day. It was in view of this coming of Christ that he admonished the saints, comforted those who were in affliction, warned the unruly, encouraged the weak, charged Timothy, exhorted Titus, and sounded his loudest alarms in the ears of a gainsaying world, until he made them tremble. See Acts 24 chapter, 24 and 25 verses. In viewing the foregoing sayings of Paul, we shall find that he has said in substance the same things which John has said in the revelations, so that there can be no doubt that they both viewed the subject in the same point of light.
Paul says that Christ is coming again, and though he does not directly say that he is coming in the clouds, yet he says it indirectly in the 4 chapter of first Thessalonians, 16, and 17 verses, as before quoted: "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." So the Lord, when he comes, must be in the clouds, or else the saints who remained at his coming, would not be caught up in the clouds to meet him. This plainly shows that Paul expected he would come in the clouds.
So says John the Revelator, in the 20 chapter of the Revelations, as before quoted. Daniel also in the 7 chapter and 13 verse of his prophecy; and so says the Savior himself: in this point then they all agree.
Paul says, that at his coming they that sleep in Christ shall be raised: so says John.
Paul says that he will take vengeance on them that know not God, and obey not the gospel: 2 Thessalonians 1 chapter and 8 verse. John says, that all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him.
Isaiah shows in the 24 chapter of his prophecy, that an innumerable train of judgments shall fall on those who have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinances, and broken the everlasting covenant, until the earth shall be utterly wasted; and all this when the Lord comes to reign in mount Zion, and in Jerusalem, and before his ancients gloriously. And in the 35 chapter, as before mentioned, in speaking to Israel of the coming of their God, or Messiah, that he would come with vengeance: "even God with a recompense he will come and save you." See the 4 verse.
Daniel says, that he will break in pieces and destroy all the kingdoms of the world, and his kingdom shall stand forever. Compare the 7 chapter, 13 and 14 verses, with the second chapter and 44 verse, as before quoted.
From the complete harmony there is among these writers, there can no doubt exist in the mind of any canded [candid] person, that they all understood the subject alike, and have written for the benefit of the last days.
James, in the 5 chapter and 7 and 8 verses of his epistle, makes mention of the coming of the Savior. "Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruits of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and the latter rain. Be ye also patient; establish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh."
Peter, in his second epistle, first chapter 16 verse says, to the saints of his day: "For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ; but were eye witnesses of his majesty."
Jude also makes mention of his coming in his epistle, 14 and 15 verses, which is a quotation from the prophecy of Enoch, which is not extant at present; but Jude having preserved this item, shows to us thereby that the coming of the Lord was understood at a very early date in the history of the world, and that Enoch also the seventh from Adam was made acquainted with it. "And Enoch also the seventh from Adam prophesied of these, saying. Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousand of his saints." Zachariah in the 14 chapter of his prophecy and 5 verse as before mentioned says, that all the saints will be with him. John in the Revelations says, all them that are redeemed from among men are to be with him. Paul says, that his mighty angels will be with him.
All these doubtless refer to the same time and to the same beings, namely, the saints who are at that time to reign with him on the earth, to execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him.
In addition to what John has said in the Revelations, he has declared the same thing in his first epistle, second chapter and 28 verse. "And now, little children, abide in him, that when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming."
In the Acts of the apostles, first chapter 10 and 11 verses, we have the testimony of the heavenly messengers. "And while he 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." In the 9 verse of this chapter we are told that while the apostles beheld, he was taken up and a bright cloud received him out of their sight; and if he comes in like manner as he went, (according to the sayings of the angels,) he will come in a cloud.
The prophet Malachi gives us a corresponding testimony in the 3 chapter of his prophecy, 1, 2, and 3 verses: "Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: Behold, he shall come saith the Lord of hosts; but who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner's fire and like fuller's soap. [Paul says, in the first chapter of his second epistle to the Thessalonians, 7 and 8 verses, that he shall be revealed in fire, taking vengeance on them that know not God, and obey not the gospel.] And he shall set as a refiner, and purifier of sliver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness."
Some have supposed that the prophet in the above quotation referred to the first coming of the Savior; but at the first coming he did not come suddenly to his temple, neither did he appear in any sense as a refiner's fire, nor did he purge the sons of Levi, that they offered unto the Lord an offering in righteousness: but all this has to take place when he comes, as prophesied of by this prophet.
David, in the 50 Psalm, doubtless has his eye fixed on the second coming of Christ, when he says in the 3 verse: "Our God shall come, and shall not keep silence: a fire shall devour before him, and it shall be very tempestuous round about him." No such occurrence has taken place yet, but will when the Lord comes with all the saints, to reign in mount Zion, and in Jerusalem, and before his ancients gloriously.
TO BE CONTINUED.
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THE EVENING AND THE MORNING STAR.
KIRTLAND, OHIO, MAY, 1834.