Difference between revisions of "The Evening and The Morning Star/2/22"

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===COMMUNICATIONS.===
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====Millenium. NO VII.====
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[Continued from our last.]
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Isaiah says in the 60 chapter of his prophecy and the 2 verse, "For behold, the darkness, shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the Lord shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be upon thee." Any man who will read this 60 chapter of Isaiah will see that he was speaking of the last days, even the days of the coming of the Son of man, the time of the gathering, or the dispensation of the fulness [fullness] of times, in which all things are to be gathered that are in Christ Jesus, whether they are things on earth, or things in heaven: and it was at this time, that darkness was to cover the earth, and gross darkness the people. But more of this hereafter.
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Paul, in the 2 epistle to the Thessalonians, 2 chapter and 3 verse, told that people whom he had besought by the coming of the Lord Jesus, and by their gathering together unto him, that they need not expect the day of the Lord, or the coming of the Lord, until there had been a falling away first. And in his first epistle to Timothy, 4 chapter, 1, 2, and 3 verses, he declares, "that the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils, speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their conscience seared as with a hot iron; forbiding [forbidding] to marry, to abstain from meats, which God had created to be received with thanksgiving of them who believe and know the truth."
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This same apostle, in his 2 epistle to Timothy, has set forth this same apostasy in words so plain as not to be easily misunderstood. 3 chapter, commencing with the first verse, to the close of the 5: "This know also that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, truce-brakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, dispisers [despised] of those that are good, traitors, heady, high-minded, lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God; having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away."
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We can see by the last verse in this quotation, that it is the religious world he is speaking of; for others have not a form of godliness. The apostle continues his discourse down to the 4 chapter, and then in a most solemn manner charges Timothy: [see 1 and 2 verse:] "I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom; preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long-suffering and doctrine." After this charge, he gives the reason why he was thus strict, in verse 3: "For the time will come, when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; and they shall turn away their ears from the truth and shall be turned unto fables." In consequence of the great corruptions of the last days, their exceeding great apostasy, the apostle declares in the 2 chapter of 2 Thessalonians, and 11 verse that the Lord will abandon them to strong delusions, that they may believe a lie; and in the 12 verse for this object, "That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness."
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Who can read these declarations of the apostles, and not see that the world, in the last days, when it begins to draw near to the time of the coming of the Son of man, will be in a deplorable condition, led by a parcel of teachers whom God never sent, and themselves full of all corruption and vileness? The apostle does not say that their teachers will not be very learned men, and that it will not be an age when science will be greatly studied, as men call it, nor yet an age of politeness, and of great worldly refinement; but on the contrary we may fairly infer from what he says about there being found boasters, that they will be all this, and a great deal more; but he says that they will not be a people of God. Jesus says that they will be just such a people as lived in the days of Noah; and Isaiah says, that gross darkness will cover them.
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There are some thoughts which force themselves on the mind, when reflecting on what the Savior says about the people of the last days being as the people were in the days of Noah. Paul has shown, that the people of the last days were apostate religionists, and their great corruption arose from this thing, that they had apostatized from the faith of the gospel. Now, as we are told that they are just such a people as were in the days of Noah, would it be hazarding much to draw the conclusion, that the people in the days of Noah were apostate religionists, also, and that their fore fathers understood the religion of heaven as perfectly as the fore fathers of this generation? or do not like causes produce like effects?
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Another thing of great importance to those who believe in the second coming of the Savior is, that if the testimony of the Savior himself is to be credited, all attempts to convert this generation will be vain; for he says as it was in the days of Noah, so shall it be at the coming of the Son of man. Now, if we can find how it was in the days of Noah, we need not be at a loss to tell how it will be with this generation: Let us ask what advantage would it have been in the days of Noah to have gone throughout the land and built up churches? the answer is, it would have, (if the people thus built up believed that they had embraced the religion of heaven,) effectually secured them in blindness until the day of their destruction!
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There was but one way for them to escape, and that was, to hear the preaching of Noah, and be gathered as God might have directed him. "And so shall it be at the coming of the Son of man:"
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The scriptures abound in warnings and admonitions to the people of the last days, lest they should be overtaken in an hour they expected not, and the Son of man should come and find them sleeping; but notwithstanding all the warnings and admonitions which the sacred writers left on record for their use, they well knew that they would be overtaken at last as by a thief in the night: even when they were crying peace and safety sudden destruction should come upon them; for so great was to be their darkness, that they were not to be able to discern the signs of the times. All the signs of the coming of the Son of man were to pass before their eyes, and still they were not to be able to discern them, nor yet know them to be such, because they were the children of darkness and not the children of light.
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No man who believes, can read the prophetic history of the last days without marveling greatly. We are told that before this marvelous advent of the Savior, and as testimony to the world that his coming draws nigh, the sun is to be darkened, the moon turn to blood, and the stars fall from heaven: that there are to be wars, and rumors of wars, with earthquakes in divers places, famines and pestilences; and all this declared by the Savior as well as the apostles, to be to the world for signs, that his coming was at hand; and still, with all this testimony, the sacred writers testify, that they would be in such great darkness, that all these might pass by, and the world be overtaken by the coming of the Son of man as a thief in the night; and what could produce this effect? one thing, and only one, that God had given them over to strong delusions that they might believe lies, in order that they might be damned; because they did not receive the truth in the love of it. Compare first Thessalonians, 5 chapter, from the 1 to the 12 verse, with Matthew, 24 chapter, 29 and 30 verses; Isaiah 24, chapter, 23 verse; Acts, 2 chapter, and 20 verse; Revelations, 6 chapter, and 12 verse. Who can read, understandingly, and not marvel, yea, greatly marvel at the generation of the last days.
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Peter, in his 2 epistle, 2 chapter, 1, 2, and 3 verses, has given us the reason of the gross darkness which is to cover the people. "But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of. And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you." The apostle in the subsequent part of the chapter, gives us the terminating point of a false religion, and the full extent of its influence on the minds of men-it reduces them to the level with the beast which perish: "But these, as natural brute beasts, made to be taken and destroyed, speak evil of the things that they understand not; and shall utterly perish in their own corruption." This is the final result of a false religion: it places its victim in a situation to perish, having first reduced him to a level with the beasts. It matters not how learned he may be, how refined, how polite, how genteel, nor yet how moral, according to the judgment of the world; destitute of the true religion, he is, notwithstanding all this, like a natural brute beast, if Peter's testimony is to be credited. But let us enquire [inquire] a little, what will make a man like a beast? we know of but one thing, and that is, being in a situation that he cannot get revelations; for should he have power sufficient with God to get revelations, he can escape any destruction, but without it, he can escape none only by mere accident, or chance, and so it is with the beasts. Nor could nature produce any thing more suitable to describe the situation of a race of men, who do not receive revelations, than the beasts; neither is it possible for a false religion to bring a greater evil on the human family than this, and nothing but a false religion can produce this effect: for there never was a society of people who possessed the true religion, but they received revelations from God, whether they were Jews, or Gentiles, unless they had corrupted it; or at least, if there were any such, we have no account of them; for the bible which we have, never makes mention of any such people.
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If religion was ever designed of the God of heaven to be of any use to men, it was intended to bring him into the nearest possible relation to himself, and to give him the highest possible communion with his Creator, that his nature would admit; and any thing, or system, which in any degree prevents mankind from this attainment, is a departure from the pure religion of heaven, and the less of this communion men have, the farther they are from the truth, and when they get so far as not to be able to get revelations at all, they are like unto the beasts, and are ripe for destruction!
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These sayings of Peter, when properly considered, taken in connection
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with what Paul says in his 2 epistle to Timothy, 4 chapter, "For the time will come, when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; and they shall turn their ears away from the truth, and shall be turned to fables," may assist us in understanding the peculiar darkness of the generation, who shall inhabit the earth at the coming of the Savior. Peter says, that there shall be false teachers, who shall make merchandise of them, and so bewilder them that they will at last be like the beasts that perish. Paul says, that they will have itching ears, and heap to themselves teachers, who shall turn their ears away from the truth, and they shall be turned to fables. From what Paul has said in the 5 chapter of 1 Thessalonians, 1, 2, and 3 verses, we can see that they were to be in such darkness, that the Son of man was to come upon them as a thief in the night, when they were in the very act of crying peace and safety, notwithstanding the sun, previous to this time, had been darkened, the moon had been turned to blood, and the stars of heaven had fallen. And why was it that they could not discern the signs of the times? why? because, they had had itching ears and had heaped to themselves teachers, and through their influence their ears were turned away from the truth unto fables! false teachers had got them so far from their God, that they were like the beasts that perish, they could get no revelations. Be sure they had seen the sun darkened, and the moon turn to blood, and they beheld some thing like stars falling from, or flying in the midst of heaven, but then they could not tell whether this was what was intended by the Savior and the apostles, when they said these signs should appear in the heavens as a prelude to the Savior's coming; and as none of them had power with God sufficient to get a revelation and know of a truth whether this was the case or not, like the beast which perish, they must stand and perish without power to know the things of God for themselves.
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Peter, in his 2 Epistle, 3 chapter, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 verses, speaking of the people of the last days, says: "Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts and saying, where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation. For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water: whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished: but the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men."
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This testimony of the apostle is very decisive: he says that the people of the last days, are to be mockers and scoffers; they are to scoff at the idea of the Saviors coming, saying, "where is the promise of it?" &c.
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This will doubtless be after the church begins to come out of the wilderness, and to announce to the world his coming; then will the mockers and scoffers begin to cry, "where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation;" and this because they are willingly ignorant. The apostle, by this expression, seems to suppose that the subject of his coming to burn the world with fire, or to be revealed in fire, as Paul says, was so plainly written that it is wilful [willful] ignorance not to be acquainted with it, and understand it. This is a hard saying for those who have been for years trying to find out something about the second coming of Christ, or Millennium, which is the same thing, and yet say they dare not approach it. Peter says they are willingly ignorant of it, the same as to say, that they are unwilling to believe what the scriptures say about it, and want to spiritualize them, or interpret them, so as to make them mean something different from what they say, and are, in consequence of this, in great ignorance, which ignorance is wilful [willful]. Isaiah, in the 28 chapter of his prophecy, from the 8th to the 23 verse, gives us a similar account of the last days, the time when God should begin to give revelations to a people of stammering lips and of another tongue, for the benefit of Israel, he says:
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" ["] Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine? them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts. For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little: for with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to this people. To whom he said, This is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest: and this is the refreshing: yet they would not hear. But the word of the Lord was unto them, precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little; that they might go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken. Wherefore hear the word of the Lord, ye scornful men, that rule this people which was in Jerusalem. Because ye have said, We have made a covenant with death, and with hell are we at agreement; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, it shall not come unto us: for we have made lies our refuge, and under falsehood have we hid ourselves: Therefore thus saith the Lord God, Behold I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste. Judgment also will I lay to the line, and righteousness to the plummet: and the hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies, and the waters shall overflow the hiding place. And your covenant with death shall be disannulled, and your agreement with hell shall not stand; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, then ye shall be trodden down by it. From the time that it goeth forth it shall take you: for morning by morning shall it pass over, by day and by night: and it shall be a vexation only to understand the report. For the bed is shorter than that a man can stretch himself on it: and the covering narrower than that he can wrap himself in it. For the Lord shall rise up as in mount Perazim, he shall be wroth as in the valley of Gibeon, that he may do his work, his strange work: and bring to pass his act, his strange act. Now therefore be ye not mockers, lest your bands be made strong: for I have heard from the Lord God of hosts a consumption, even determined upon the whole earth."
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That the prophet refers to the same people that Peter referred to, I think will not admit of a doubt. Peter said of the people of the last days, that they were mockers, and scoffers, and were to mock and scoff at the coming of the Son of man. Isaiah says that the people of whom he spake, were scorners, and mockers, and they were to mock at the overflowing scourge, saying it would not come unto us. Another fact which puts the matter to rest is, that Isaiah wrote of a people who were to live in the days, when God had decreed a consumption on the whole earth. This was to be done in the last days, at the coming of the Son of man. So that Isaiah as well as Peter, has given the same character to the generation which is to live in the days of the coming of the Son of man.
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I shall have occasion for this quotation in another part of this disertation [dissertation].
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I shall now sum up the substance of what is said in the foregoing quotations, concerning the situation of the world at the coming of the Son of man.
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1. They are to be false religionists, broken up into parties and sects.
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2. Their teachers are to be numerous and of their own making; for they are to "heap to themselves teachers having itching ears."
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3. Those teachers that they heap to themselves, are to be false teachers, and are to make merchandise of the people.
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4. They are to be in gross darkness, not able to discern the signs of the coming of the Son of man, however visible they may be.
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5. They are to be mockers, and scoffers; mocking at the idea of the coming of the Son of man; mocking and scoffing at the revelations, even the line upon line; the precept upon precept, which the Lord is to give to Israel to cause them to rest, by a people of stammering lips and another tongue, even by the Gentiles.
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6. They were to have a form of godliness denying the power thereof.
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7. They were to be like the natural brute beasts, made to be taken and destroyed, not being able to get revelations for themselves.
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8. To crown all, they are to be a people just such as God destroyed in the days of Noah, marrying and given in marriage, being proud, boasters, inventers [inventors] of evil things; heady, high minded; lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God, with an innumerable train of other evils.
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Thus the sacred writers discribe [describe] the people of the last days, and no doubt but the people themselves will say they are enlightened, very learned, exceedingly polite, remarkably genteel, peculiarly scientific, the greatest of statesmen, the profoundest of politicians, and the best of generations,-truely [truly] God seeth not as man seeth.-So differs inspired men and non inspired men in their judgment of mankind. TO BE CONTINUED.
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====FAITH OF THE CHURCH OF CHRIST IN THESE LAST DAYS. NO. V====
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[Continued from our last.]
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It is really marvelous to hear men proclaiming to the world what great duties have been required of them by their God, when they have no authority for it but the workings of their own brain.
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Among the follies of men this is the greatest; and where is the sect that is free from it? I answer none; there never was nor never will be a people on this earth, except those who get direct revelations from heaven for themselves, but will forge out their own religious duties, and enjoin duties on themselves that no other being ever required of them. In consequence of the gods of the nations all being dumb, we have had at one time and another, in this world, the most marvelous codes of religious laws that ever honored or disgraced the archives of any planet, of all God's vast creation. Men might be great statesmen and politicians, brave warriors, able counsellors [counselors], wise governors, discrete rulers, as far as worldly government was concerned; but unless their god could, and did talk, and that to themselves, their religion was perfect folly, and the most senseless ignorance. Take, for instance, the Greeks in their greatest glory, and with all their sagacity as statesmen, and wisdom as legislators, yet their religion was the greatest folly, being of no advantage to them, neither in this life nor yet in that which is to come, consisting in running races, with men, horses, and chariots, with every species of folly, not even drunkenness excepted, licentiousness, and debauchery, and still they were conscientious in the observances of their self-created duties, as necessary religious performances.
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Let any candid person read the history of religion, as it has been practized [practiced] in the world from one period to another, during the thousand years, of man's existence, and he will read nothing but a mixture of folly and wickedness from one end of the earth to the other, except among that portion of mankind who received direct revelation from heaven; nor were they any better off, though their fathers had received revelations from God, unless they received them themselves, they would soon degenerate, and their religion would be turned into the greatest nonsense and wickedness.
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Whenever the Jews began to reject the prophets sent to them, they began to corrupt themselves, and become defiled before God, and ripened rapidly for destruction, and nothing could have preserved them from the complete overthrow which they suffered, but receiving constant revelations from
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God. Had they continued to acknowledge the prophets, and received their teachings, they never would have crucified their Messiah, and they would have escaped the calamities which befel [befell] them.
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The world, at one time and another, has supported all kinds of religion without direct revelations from heaven, except the religion of Jesus Christ, but that they never preserved without direct revelations from heaven since the world began. For revelations direct from heaven was a part of that great system devised in the heavens, for the salvation of man, and a very important item of it too, without which all the rest of the plan would have failed of its object, for without this, no people were ever saved, nor ever will be; nor is there salvation in the system and take this important item away. There never was a society on earth, nor never will be one, it matters not how pure they may be, let the God of heaven say as the religious world now says, that the canon of scripture is full, and there is now no more need of revelations, you have got enough; and from that very hour that society would begin to corrupt its way before God, and would never stop its deterioration until every vestage [vestige] of purity had departed from it, and it would become a sink of corruption. It was part of the scheme of salvation to give constant revelations to the saints, and that, as long as they lived, nor was there any period in their life that they did not need to receive revelations.-A person might as well talk about a perfect human system, when it had an arm or a leg cut off, as to talk about a perfect scheme of purification, by which men are fitted for heaven, without the persons thus being fitted received continued revelations for themselves, for their own direction and salvation.
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Without this power, what vain and foolish duties men hatch up out of their own brain and enjoin them on their followers, and on themselves also! what various kinds of obligations, from the severe austerities of a dominican friar, to the laborious duties enjoined on Mr. Scott, even the task of converting the world! for the dominican friar, or the augustine monk, has as much authority for his austerities, as Mr. Scott has for his arduous task of converting the world: that is just as much authority as they could give to themselves, or get from persons in the same situation as themselves. Indeed, they both worship the same kind of god, one who has found it necessary to hold his tongue for nearly two thousand years, and does not calculate to speak any more till time shall end, and one of them has as good a chance to know his duty as the other, and has as good a right to practice his austerities as the other has to convert the world.
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No man ever yet knew his own individual duty to God only, as it was made known to him from time to time, as he needed instruction by immediate revelation direct from God. Without this he will labor in the labyrinths of uncertainty and doubt, "ever learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth!"
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In consequence of the religious world having lost the power of getting revelations for themselves, they have fallen into their present state of confusion, each party manufacturing duties for themselves. For instance, the Presbyterian, the Episcopalian, the Methodist, and the Catholic god, with the god of some other sects, requires them, (or at least they think he does,) to sprinkle their children, while the Baptist, the Christian, (so called,) and the Campbellite god, or gods, are greatly offended with it, and considers it an insult to him for them to perform such a thing in his name; but reqires [requires] them to immerse only. But notwithstanding their gods reqires [requires] them all to immerse, they differ widely in the object for which they do immerse: the Baptist and Christian gods, command their worshipers to be babtized [baptized]because their sins are forgiven them; and the Campbellite god commands his worshipers to be baptized for the remission of their sins, in order that their sins may be remitted; the Episcopalian god reqires [requires] the children of his worshipers to be sprinkled, that their sins may be remitted, as also the Catholic god; but the Methodist god considers the children of his worshipers all fit for heaven without sprinkling, as he considers them without sin: the Baptist and the Presbyterian god have elect and non elect among the children of their worshipers, as well as among the adults. But after all the supposed requirements of these gods, (gods we say, for who in his senses will have the afrontery [effrontery] to say that all these clashing commandments come from the same god?) let a person ask any of them, has your god at any time spoken to you and told by direct revelation that he reqired [required] this at your hands? O no; say they, we worship a god that does not give revelations at present, nor will he ever speak any more to men in the flesh: he formerly conversed very freely with men, and told them every thing that they desired to know in righteousness; but he has now of a long time, seventeen hundred years, at least, been silent, and will remain so forever. Well, how do you know that he requires such ceremonies of you as these which you perform? We know because we find in a book which he caused to be written that these were required. But of whom were they required? why; they were required of the people who lived at that day. Well, do you expect to receive the same reward for your obedience as the people received in that day? No; we do not expect to receive any of the spiritual gifts which were bestowed upon them, neither healings, miricles [miracles], speaking with tongues, nor yet the interpretation of tongues. And still he requires the performance of the same duties of you as he did of them? To be sure; for he never changes! But he does not give you as great a reward as he gave them. After all you have said about your god a man must draw the conclusion, that he is very much like the Pharaoh which rose up in Egypt who knew not Joseph; he requires the tale of brick; but makes you hunt the straw! Criticise [Criticize] all these sects down closely, and you will soon find that their gods, notwithstanding they are supposed to differ so much in their requirements, agree in one thing, that is, they are not very noisy! thay [they] are all dumb dogs [gods?]: they have ears, but they hear not; mouths, but they speak not. So were the gods of the heathen, which were made by man's hands, of wood and stone; and after all the cry which pretended religionists make against the follies of heathenism, their gods are but a very little better than those.
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A god that never speaks, is no better than an image of stone or wood, nor is any person under any more obligation to worship him, than he is to worship wood or stone, the gods of men's hands. But there are none of these gods, the God of the bible: the God of the bible, whenever he had a people on earth, whether they were Jews or Gentiles, whether they were in Pontus, Gallatia [Galatia], Cappadocia, Bithynia, in Libya, Macedonia, or the parts about Cyrene, Cretes, or Arabians, God spake to them all, and gave revelations to them all, if they were worthy of promises; they were not under the necessity of going and hunting after the revelations given to some other people, but by the faith that was in them, they obtained them for themselves.-By faith, says the author of the epistle to the Hebrews, the elders, or ancients, obtained promises: see the 11 chapter, 33 verse. The sectarians of this generation, are very different from the ancient saints; for instead of their obtaining promises by faith, they get them by stealth, by plundering the property of the saints and call it their own. They do not even pretend to get promises, but to claim those which others obtained for themselves eighteen hundred years since, and call them their own! "God say they, has promised eternal life to his children." And they call themselves his children, or they get their priests to set in judgment on them, and get them to call them the children of God; and having got a priest to name them they claim to themselves the promises which were made to the saints in the days of the ancient apostles, which they obtained by their faith; though they do not, neither can they claim the same standing before God which the saints obtained; for they came so near to God as to have heavenly visions, obtain the spirit of prophecy, of revelation, and of speaking with tongues, of the interpretation of tongues, as also the gifts of healing by the same spirit, and of working miracles; as also the seeing and conversing with angels-with the gifts of wisdom, knowledge, and faith. The author of the epistle to the Hebrews, informs us, that the saints to whom he wrote that epistle, had "come unto mount Zion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and church of the first-born, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, and to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel;" Such was the power which the ancients had with God, that by their faith they were introduced into the society of all the heavenly host, not even the Father and the Son excepted, so that they became acquainted with the unseen world and its inhabitants, and having this power with God, through faith, they obtained promises, enjoyed the spirit of both revelation and vision, and as such, received the promises of God because he considered them worthy.-Another peculiarity about these saints was, that it was God who sat in judgment on them, and not men: they did not call on priests to know whether they were the people of God or not; but on the Father of heaven himself, and he passed decision on their head: if they had sinned, he who searched the hearts and tried the reins of all living, declared it unto them, and told them wherein: if they were indulging in secret iniquities he made it manifest to all: thus, they were searched reproved, rebuked, and chastened, until they were made clean every whit, and became a fit temple for the holy spirit, which dwelt in them, and led them into all truth: they were full of the spirit of wisdom and understanding: God dwelt in them and they in him, until they became identified with the Father and the Son, as the Father and the Son were identified in one! see John's gospel, or testimony, 17 chapter, from the 10, to the 23 verse.
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If the epistolary writings of the new testament, were examined closely, it will be found that all the churches that did not obtain this power with God, were rebuked for their wickedness instead of being flattered with the promises made to another people. This was the perfection which God required, and he would receive nothing less from them or else he would "spew them out of his mouth."
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But in these last days, we have churches and very many of them, who have never obtained a particle of power with God, and are utter strangers to the purity, holiness, and faith of the saints, and yet they are claiming their promises, and expect that God will receive them into the same heavenly mansions with those who overcame the world and obtained power with God. If I were to ask this sectarian generation, where their promise of eternal life was, they would have recourse to the promises made to the saints of former days, and there found their hope of eternal life! But ask them, do you sustain the same character before God they did? Have you the same power with God that they had? Can you draw near with as pure hearts to God as they did, and obtain the judgment of God on yourself
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as they obtained it? All these questions they would have to answer in the negative, and confess they did not! how vain, then, must it be to expect to be benefited by their promises, unless we sustain the same character, and have obtained the same standing before God they had obtained. If men are to be judged according to the deeds done in the body, shall persons whose sayings, doings, and sufferings, bare as little resemblance as those of the primitive saints and the sectarians of the nineteenth century, receive the same reward, and be appointed unto the same glory in the eternal world? If they are, God will not judge men according to the deeds done in the body!
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If men obtain power with God in proportion to their holiness and purity before him, there must be a vast difference between the purity and holiness of the primitive saints and the modern sectarians; for there is a great difference in their power, one having power to do all things, and the other power to do nothing! one doubtless was holy, and the other is as certainly corrupt! one pure, and the other impure! and yet, they are all to be rewarded alike in the eternal world! And to crown the whole, all are to be rewarded "according to the deeds done in the body!!!" TO BE CONTINUED.
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===THE EVENING AND THE MORNING STAR.===
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KIRTLAND, OHIO, JULY, 1834.
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====REFLECTIONS FOR THE FOURTH OF JULY, 1834.====

Revision as of 18:49, 3 August 2010

←Number 21 The Evening and The Morning Star
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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. July, 1834 No. 22.

COMMUNICATIONS.

Millenium. NO VII.

[Continued from our last.]

Isaiah says in the 60 chapter of his prophecy and the 2 verse, "For behold, the darkness, shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the Lord shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be upon thee." Any man who will read this 60 chapter of Isaiah will see that he was speaking of the last days, even the days of the coming of the Son of man, the time of the gathering, or the dispensation of the fulness [fullness] of times, in which all things are to be gathered that are in Christ Jesus, whether they are things on earth, or things in heaven: and it was at this time, that darkness was to cover the earth, and gross darkness the people. But more of this hereafter.

Paul, in the 2 epistle to the Thessalonians, 2 chapter and 3 verse, told that people whom he had besought by the coming of the Lord Jesus, and by their gathering together unto him, that they need not expect the day of the Lord, or the coming of the Lord, until there had been a falling away first. And in his first epistle to Timothy, 4 chapter, 1, 2, and 3 verses, he declares, "that the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils, speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their conscience seared as with a hot iron; forbiding [forbidding] to marry, to abstain from meats, which God had created to be received with thanksgiving of them who believe and know the truth."

This same apostle, in his 2 epistle to Timothy, has set forth this same apostasy in words so plain as not to be easily misunderstood. 3 chapter, commencing with the first verse, to the close of the 5: "This know also that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, truce-brakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, dispisers [despised] of those that are good, traitors, heady, high-minded, lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God; having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away."

We can see by the last verse in this quotation, that it is the religious world he is speaking of; for others have not a form of godliness. The apostle continues his discourse down to the 4 chapter, and then in a most solemn manner charges Timothy: [see 1 and 2 verse:] "I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom; preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long-suffering and doctrine." After this charge, he gives the reason why he was thus strict, in verse 3: "For the time will come, when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; and they shall turn away their ears from the truth and shall be turned unto fables." In consequence of the great corruptions of the last days, their exceeding great apostasy, the apostle declares in the 2 chapter of 2 Thessalonians, and 11 verse that the Lord will abandon them to strong delusions, that they may believe a lie; and in the 12 verse for this object, "That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness."

Who can read these declarations of the apostles, and not see that the world, in the last days, when it begins to draw near to the time of the coming of the Son of man, will be in a deplorable condition, led by a parcel of teachers whom God never sent, and themselves full of all corruption and vileness? The apostle does not say that their teachers will not be very learned men, and that it will not be an age when science will be greatly studied, as men call it, nor yet an age of politeness, and of great worldly refinement; but on the contrary we may fairly infer from what he says about there being found boasters, that they will be all this, and a great deal more; but he says that they will not be a people of God. Jesus says that they will be just such a people as lived in the days of Noah; and Isaiah says, that gross darkness will cover them.

There are some thoughts which force themselves on the mind, when reflecting on what the Savior says about the people of the last days being as the people were in the days of Noah. Paul has shown, that the people of the last days were apostate religionists, and their great corruption arose from this thing, that they had apostatized from the faith of the gospel. Now, as we are told that they are just such a people as were in the days of Noah, would it be hazarding much to draw the conclusion, that the people in the days of Noah were apostate religionists, also, and that their fore fathers understood the religion of heaven as perfectly as the fore fathers of this generation? or do not like causes produce like effects?

Another thing of great importance to those who believe in the second coming of the Savior is, that if the testimony of the Savior himself is to be credited, all attempts to convert this generation will be vain; for he says as it was in the days of Noah, so shall it be at the coming of the Son of man. Now, if we can find how it was in the days of Noah, we need not be at a loss to tell how it will be with this generation: Let us ask what advantage would it have been in the days of Noah to have gone throughout the land and built up churches? the answer is, it would have, (if the people thus built up believed that they had embraced the religion of heaven,) effectually secured them in blindness until the day of their destruction!

There was but one way for them to escape, and that was, to hear the preaching of Noah, and be gathered as God might have directed him. "And so shall it be at the coming of the Son of man:"

The scriptures abound in warnings and admonitions to the people of the last days, lest they should be overtaken in an hour they expected not, and the Son of man should come and find them sleeping; but notwithstanding all the warnings and admonitions which the sacred writers left on record for their use, they well knew that they would be overtaken at last as by a thief in the night: even when they were crying peace and safety sudden destruction should come upon them; for so great was to be their darkness, that they were not to be able to discern the signs of the times. All the signs of the coming of the Son of man were to pass before their eyes, and still they were not to be able to discern them, nor yet know them to be such, because they were the children of darkness and not the children of light.

No man who believes, can read the prophetic history of the last days without marveling greatly. We are told that before this marvelous advent of the Savior, and as testimony to the world that his coming draws nigh, the sun is to be darkened, the moon turn to blood, and the stars fall from heaven: that there are to be wars, and rumors of wars, with earthquakes in divers places, famines and pestilences; and all this declared by the Savior as well as the apostles, to be to the world for signs, that his coming was at hand; and still, with all this testimony, the sacred writers testify, that they would be in such great darkness, that all these might pass by, and the world be overtaken by the coming of the Son of man as a thief in the night; and what could produce this effect? one thing, and only one, that God had given them over to strong delusions that they might believe lies, in order that they might be damned; because they did not receive the truth in the love of it. Compare first Thessalonians, 5 chapter, from the 1 to the 12 verse, with Matthew, 24 chapter, 29 and 30 verses; Isaiah 24, chapter, 23 verse; Acts, 2 chapter, and 20 verse; Revelations, 6 chapter, and 12 verse. Who can read, understandingly, and not marvel, yea, greatly marvel at the generation of the last days.

Peter, in his 2 epistle, 2 chapter, 1, 2, and 3 verses, has given us the reason of the gross darkness which is to cover the people. "But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of. And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you." The apostle in the subsequent part of the chapter, gives us the terminating point of a false religion, and the full extent of its influence on the minds of men-it reduces them to the level with the beast which perish: "But these, as natural brute beasts, made to be taken and destroyed, speak evil of the things that they understand not; and shall utterly perish in their own corruption." This is the final result of a false religion: it places its victim in a situation to perish, having first reduced him to a level with the beasts. It matters not how learned he may be, how refined, how polite, how genteel, nor yet how moral, according to the judgment of the world; destitute of the true religion, he is, notwithstanding all this, like a natural brute beast, if Peter's testimony is to be credited. But let us enquire [inquire] a little, what will make a man like a beast? we know of but one thing, and that is, being in a situation that he cannot get revelations; for should he have power sufficient with God to get revelations, he can escape any destruction, but without it, he can escape none only by mere accident, or chance, and so it is with the beasts. Nor could nature produce any thing more suitable to describe the situation of a race of men, who do not receive revelations, than the beasts; neither is it possible for a false religion to bring a greater evil on the human family than this, and nothing but a false religion can produce this effect: for there never was a society of people who possessed the true religion, but they received revelations from God, whether they were Jews, or Gentiles, unless they had corrupted it; or at least, if there were any such, we have no account of them; for the bible which we have, never makes mention of any such people.

If religion was ever designed of the God of heaven to be of any use to men, it was intended to bring him into the nearest possible relation to himself, and to give him the highest possible communion with his Creator, that his nature would admit; and any thing, or system, which in any degree prevents mankind from this attainment, is a departure from the pure religion of heaven, and the less of this communion men have, the farther they are from the truth, and when they get so far as not to be able to get revelations at all, they are like unto the beasts, and are ripe for destruction!

These sayings of Peter, when properly considered, taken in connection


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with what Paul says in his 2 epistle to Timothy, 4 chapter, "For the time will come, when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; and they shall turn their ears away from the truth, and shall be turned to fables," may assist us in understanding the peculiar darkness of the generation, who shall inhabit the earth at the coming of the Savior. Peter says, that there shall be false teachers, who shall make merchandise of them, and so bewilder them that they will at last be like the beasts that perish. Paul says, that they will have itching ears, and heap to themselves teachers, who shall turn their ears away from the truth, and they shall be turned to fables. From what Paul has said in the 5 chapter of 1 Thessalonians, 1, 2, and 3 verses, we can see that they were to be in such darkness, that the Son of man was to come upon them as a thief in the night, when they were in the very act of crying peace and safety, notwithstanding the sun, previous to this time, had been darkened, the moon had been turned to blood, and the stars of heaven had fallen. And why was it that they could not discern the signs of the times? why? because, they had had itching ears and had heaped to themselves teachers, and through their influence their ears were turned away from the truth unto fables! false teachers had got them so far from their God, that they were like the beasts that perish, they could get no revelations. Be sure they had seen the sun darkened, and the moon turn to blood, and they beheld some thing like stars falling from, or flying in the midst of heaven, but then they could not tell whether this was what was intended by the Savior and the apostles, when they said these signs should appear in the heavens as a prelude to the Savior's coming; and as none of them had power with God sufficient to get a revelation and know of a truth whether this was the case or not, like the beast which perish, they must stand and perish without power to know the things of God for themselves.

Peter, in his 2 Epistle, 3 chapter, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 verses, speaking of the people of the last days, says: "Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts and saying, where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation. For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water: whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished: but the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men."

This testimony of the apostle is very decisive: he says that the people of the last days, are to be mockers and scoffers; they are to scoff at the idea of the Saviors coming, saying, "where is the promise of it?" &c.

This will doubtless be after the church begins to come out of the wilderness, and to announce to the world his coming; then will the mockers and scoffers begin to cry, "where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation;" and this because they are willingly ignorant. The apostle, by this expression, seems to suppose that the subject of his coming to burn the world with fire, or to be revealed in fire, as Paul says, was so plainly written that it is wilful [willful] ignorance not to be acquainted with it, and understand it. This is a hard saying for those who have been for years trying to find out something about the second coming of Christ, or Millennium, which is the same thing, and yet say they dare not approach it. Peter says they are willingly ignorant of it, the same as to say, that they are unwilling to believe what the scriptures say about it, and want to spiritualize them, or interpret them, so as to make them mean something different from what they say, and are, in consequence of this, in great ignorance, which ignorance is wilful [willful]. Isaiah, in the 28 chapter of his prophecy, from the 8th to the 23 verse, gives us a similar account of the last days, the time when God should begin to give revelations to a people of stammering lips and of another tongue, for the benefit of Israel, he says:

" ["] Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine? them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts. For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little: for with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to this people. To whom he said, This is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest: and this is the refreshing: yet they would not hear. But the word of the Lord was unto them, precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little; that they might go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken. Wherefore hear the word of the Lord, ye scornful men, that rule this people which was in Jerusalem. Because ye have said, We have made a covenant with death, and with hell are we at agreement; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, it shall not come unto us: for we have made lies our refuge, and under falsehood have we hid ourselves: Therefore thus saith the Lord God, Behold I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste. Judgment also will I lay to the line, and righteousness to the plummet: and the hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies, and the waters shall overflow the hiding place. And your covenant with death shall be disannulled, and your agreement with hell shall not stand; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, then ye shall be trodden down by it. From the time that it goeth forth it shall take you: for morning by morning shall it pass over, by day and by night: and it shall be a vexation only to understand the report. For the bed is shorter than that a man can stretch himself on it: and the covering narrower than that he can wrap himself in it. For the Lord shall rise up as in mount Perazim, he shall be wroth as in the valley of Gibeon, that he may do his work, his strange work: and bring to pass his act, his strange act. Now therefore be ye not mockers, lest your bands be made strong: for I have heard from the Lord God of hosts a consumption, even determined upon the whole earth."

That the prophet refers to the same people that Peter referred to, I think will not admit of a doubt. Peter said of the people of the last days, that they were mockers, and scoffers, and were to mock and scoff at the coming of the Son of man. Isaiah says that the people of whom he spake, were scorners, and mockers, and they were to mock at the overflowing scourge, saying it would not come unto us. Another fact which puts the matter to rest is, that Isaiah wrote of a people who were to live in the days, when God had decreed a consumption on the whole earth. This was to be done in the last days, at the coming of the Son of man. So that Isaiah as well as Peter, has given the same character to the generation which is to live in the days of the coming of the Son of man.

I shall have occasion for this quotation in another part of this disertation [dissertation].

I shall now sum up the substance of what is said in the foregoing quotations, concerning the situation of the world at the coming of the Son of man.

1. They are to be false religionists, broken up into parties and sects.

2. Their teachers are to be numerous and of their own making; for they are to "heap to themselves teachers having itching ears."

3. Those teachers that they heap to themselves, are to be false teachers, and are to make merchandise of the people.

4. They are to be in gross darkness, not able to discern the signs of the coming of the Son of man, however visible they may be.

5. They are to be mockers, and scoffers; mocking at the idea of the coming of the Son of man; mocking and scoffing at the revelations, even the line upon line; the precept upon precept, which the Lord is to give to Israel to cause them to rest, by a people of stammering lips and another tongue, even by the Gentiles.

6. They were to have a form of godliness denying the power thereof.

7. They were to be like the natural brute beasts, made to be taken and destroyed, not being able to get revelations for themselves.

8. To crown all, they are to be a people just such as God destroyed in the days of Noah, marrying and given in marriage, being proud, boasters, inventers [inventors] of evil things; heady, high minded; lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God, with an innumerable train of other evils.

Thus the sacred writers discribe [describe] the people of the last days, and no doubt but the people themselves will say they are enlightened, very learned, exceedingly polite, remarkably genteel, peculiarly scientific, the greatest of statesmen, the profoundest of politicians, and the best of generations,-truely [truly] God seeth not as man seeth.-So differs inspired men and non inspired men in their judgment of mankind. TO BE CONTINUED.

FAITH OF THE CHURCH OF CHRIST IN THESE LAST DAYS. NO. V

[Continued from our last.]

It is really marvelous to hear men proclaiming to the world what great duties have been required of them by their God, when they have no authority for it but the workings of their own brain.

Among the follies of men this is the greatest; and where is the sect that is free from it? I answer none; there never was nor never will be a people on this earth, except those who get direct revelations from heaven for themselves, but will forge out their own religious duties, and enjoin duties on themselves that no other being ever required of them. In consequence of the gods of the nations all being dumb, we have had at one time and another, in this world, the most marvelous codes of religious laws that ever honored or disgraced the archives of any planet, of all God's vast creation. Men might be great statesmen and politicians, brave warriors, able counsellors [counselors], wise governors, discrete rulers, as far as worldly government was concerned; but unless their god could, and did talk, and that to themselves, their religion was perfect folly, and the most senseless ignorance. Take, for instance, the Greeks in their greatest glory, and with all their sagacity as statesmen, and wisdom as legislators, yet their religion was the greatest folly, being of no advantage to them, neither in this life nor yet in that which is to come, consisting in running races, with men, horses, and chariots, with every species of folly, not even drunkenness excepted, licentiousness, and debauchery, and still they were conscientious in the observances of their self-created duties, as necessary religious performances.

Let any candid person read the history of religion, as it has been practized [practiced] in the world from one period to another, during the thousand years, of man's existence, and he will read nothing but a mixture of folly and wickedness from one end of the earth to the other, except among that portion of mankind who received direct revelation from heaven; nor were they any better off, though their fathers had received revelations from God, unless they received them themselves, they would soon degenerate, and their religion would be turned into the greatest nonsense and wickedness.

Whenever the Jews began to reject the prophets sent to them, they began to corrupt themselves, and become defiled before God, and ripened rapidly for destruction, and nothing could have preserved them from the complete overthrow which they suffered, but receiving constant revelations from


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God. Had they continued to acknowledge the prophets, and received their teachings, they never would have crucified their Messiah, and they would have escaped the calamities which befel [befell] them.

The world, at one time and another, has supported all kinds of religion without direct revelations from heaven, except the religion of Jesus Christ, but that they never preserved without direct revelations from heaven since the world began. For revelations direct from heaven was a part of that great system devised in the heavens, for the salvation of man, and a very important item of it too, without which all the rest of the plan would have failed of its object, for without this, no people were ever saved, nor ever will be; nor is there salvation in the system and take this important item away. There never was a society on earth, nor never will be one, it matters not how pure they may be, let the God of heaven say as the religious world now says, that the canon of scripture is full, and there is now no more need of revelations, you have got enough; and from that very hour that society would begin to corrupt its way before God, and would never stop its deterioration until every vestage [vestige] of purity had departed from it, and it would become a sink of corruption. It was part of the scheme of salvation to give constant revelations to the saints, and that, as long as they lived, nor was there any period in their life that they did not need to receive revelations.-A person might as well talk about a perfect human system, when it had an arm or a leg cut off, as to talk about a perfect scheme of purification, by which men are fitted for heaven, without the persons thus being fitted received continued revelations for themselves, for their own direction and salvation.

Without this power, what vain and foolish duties men hatch up out of their own brain and enjoin them on their followers, and on themselves also! what various kinds of obligations, from the severe austerities of a dominican friar, to the laborious duties enjoined on Mr. Scott, even the task of converting the world! for the dominican friar, or the augustine monk, has as much authority for his austerities, as Mr. Scott has for his arduous task of converting the world: that is just as much authority as they could give to themselves, or get from persons in the same situation as themselves. Indeed, they both worship the same kind of god, one who has found it necessary to hold his tongue for nearly two thousand years, and does not calculate to speak any more till time shall end, and one of them has as good a chance to know his duty as the other, and has as good a right to practice his austerities as the other has to convert the world.

No man ever yet knew his own individual duty to God only, as it was made known to him from time to time, as he needed instruction by immediate revelation direct from God. Without this he will labor in the labyrinths of uncertainty and doubt, "ever learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth!"

In consequence of the religious world having lost the power of getting revelations for themselves, they have fallen into their present state of confusion, each party manufacturing duties for themselves. For instance, the Presbyterian, the Episcopalian, the Methodist, and the Catholic god, with the god of some other sects, requires them, (or at least they think he does,) to sprinkle their children, while the Baptist, the Christian, (so called,) and the Campbellite god, or gods, are greatly offended with it, and considers it an insult to him for them to perform such a thing in his name; but reqires [requires] them to immerse only. But notwithstanding their gods reqires [requires] them all to immerse, they differ widely in the object for which they do immerse: the Baptist and Christian gods, command their worshipers to be babtized [baptized]because their sins are forgiven them; and the Campbellite god commands his worshipers to be baptized for the remission of their sins, in order that their sins may be remitted; the Episcopalian god reqires [requires] the children of his worshipers to be sprinkled, that their sins may be remitted, as also the Catholic god; but the Methodist god considers the children of his worshipers all fit for heaven without sprinkling, as he considers them without sin: the Baptist and the Presbyterian god have elect and non elect among the children of their worshipers, as well as among the adults. But after all the supposed requirements of these gods, (gods we say, for who in his senses will have the afrontery [effrontery] to say that all these clashing commandments come from the same god?) let a person ask any of them, has your god at any time spoken to you and told by direct revelation that he reqired [required] this at your hands? O no; say they, we worship a god that does not give revelations at present, nor will he ever speak any more to men in the flesh: he formerly conversed very freely with men, and told them every thing that they desired to know in righteousness; but he has now of a long time, seventeen hundred years, at least, been silent, and will remain so forever. Well, how do you know that he requires such ceremonies of you as these which you perform? We know because we find in a book which he caused to be written that these were required. But of whom were they required? why; they were required of the people who lived at that day. Well, do you expect to receive the same reward for your obedience as the people received in that day? No; we do not expect to receive any of the spiritual gifts which were bestowed upon them, neither healings, miricles [miracles], speaking with tongues, nor yet the interpretation of tongues. And still he requires the performance of the same duties of you as he did of them? To be sure; for he never changes! But he does not give you as great a reward as he gave them. After all you have said about your god a man must draw the conclusion, that he is very much like the Pharaoh which rose up in Egypt who knew not Joseph; he requires the tale of brick; but makes you hunt the straw! Criticise [Criticize] all these sects down closely, and you will soon find that their gods, notwithstanding they are supposed to differ so much in their requirements, agree in one thing, that is, they are not very noisy! thay [they] are all dumb dogs [gods?]: they have ears, but they hear not; mouths, but they speak not. So were the gods of the heathen, which were made by man's hands, of wood and stone; and after all the cry which pretended religionists make against the follies of heathenism, their gods are but a very little better than those.

A god that never speaks, is no better than an image of stone or wood, nor is any person under any more obligation to worship him, than he is to worship wood or stone, the gods of men's hands. But there are none of these gods, the God of the bible: the God of the bible, whenever he had a people on earth, whether they were Jews or Gentiles, whether they were in Pontus, Gallatia [Galatia], Cappadocia, Bithynia, in Libya, Macedonia, or the parts about Cyrene, Cretes, or Arabians, God spake to them all, and gave revelations to them all, if they were worthy of promises; they were not under the necessity of going and hunting after the revelations given to some other people, but by the faith that was in them, they obtained them for themselves.-By faith, says the author of the epistle to the Hebrews, the elders, or ancients, obtained promises: see the 11 chapter, 33 verse. The sectarians of this generation, are very different from the ancient saints; for instead of their obtaining promises by faith, they get them by stealth, by plundering the property of the saints and call it their own. They do not even pretend to get promises, but to claim those which others obtained for themselves eighteen hundred years since, and call them their own! "God say they, has promised eternal life to his children." And they call themselves his children, or they get their priests to set in judgment on them, and get them to call them the children of God; and having got a priest to name them they claim to themselves the promises which were made to the saints in the days of the ancient apostles, which they obtained by their faith; though they do not, neither can they claim the same standing before God which the saints obtained; for they came so near to God as to have heavenly visions, obtain the spirit of prophecy, of revelation, and of speaking with tongues, of the interpretation of tongues, as also the gifts of healing by the same spirit, and of working miracles; as also the seeing and conversing with angels-with the gifts of wisdom, knowledge, and faith. The author of the epistle to the Hebrews, informs us, that the saints to whom he wrote that epistle, had "come unto mount Zion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and church of the first-born, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, and to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel;" Such was the power which the ancients had with God, that by their faith they were introduced into the society of all the heavenly host, not even the Father and the Son excepted, so that they became acquainted with the unseen world and its inhabitants, and having this power with God, through faith, they obtained promises, enjoyed the spirit of both revelation and vision, and as such, received the promises of God because he considered them worthy.-Another peculiarity about these saints was, that it was God who sat in judgment on them, and not men: they did not call on priests to know whether they were the people of God or not; but on the Father of heaven himself, and he passed decision on their head: if they had sinned, he who searched the hearts and tried the reins of all living, declared it unto them, and told them wherein: if they were indulging in secret iniquities he made it manifest to all: thus, they were searched reproved, rebuked, and chastened, until they were made clean every whit, and became a fit temple for the holy spirit, which dwelt in them, and led them into all truth: they were full of the spirit of wisdom and understanding: God dwelt in them and they in him, until they became identified with the Father and the Son, as the Father and the Son were identified in one! see John's gospel, or testimony, 17 chapter, from the 10, to the 23 verse.

If the epistolary writings of the new testament, were examined closely, it will be found that all the churches that did not obtain this power with God, were rebuked for their wickedness instead of being flattered with the promises made to another people. This was the perfection which God required, and he would receive nothing less from them or else he would "spew them out of his mouth."

But in these last days, we have churches and very many of them, who have never obtained a particle of power with God, and are utter strangers to the purity, holiness, and faith of the saints, and yet they are claiming their promises, and expect that God will receive them into the same heavenly mansions with those who overcame the world and obtained power with God. If I were to ask this sectarian generation, where their promise of eternal life was, they would have recourse to the promises made to the saints of former days, and there found their hope of eternal life! But ask them, do you sustain the same character before God they did? Have you the same power with God that they had? Can you draw near with as pure hearts to God as they did, and obtain the judgment of God on yourself


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as they obtained it? All these questions they would have to answer in the negative, and confess they did not! how vain, then, must it be to expect to be benefited by their promises, unless we sustain the same character, and have obtained the same standing before God they had obtained. If men are to be judged according to the deeds done in the body, shall persons whose sayings, doings, and sufferings, bare as little resemblance as those of the primitive saints and the sectarians of the nineteenth century, receive the same reward, and be appointed unto the same glory in the eternal world? If they are, God will not judge men according to the deeds done in the body!

If men obtain power with God in proportion to their holiness and purity before him, there must be a vast difference between the purity and holiness of the primitive saints and the modern sectarians; for there is a great difference in their power, one having power to do all things, and the other power to do nothing! one doubtless was holy, and the other is as certainly corrupt! one pure, and the other impure! and yet, they are all to be rewarded alike in the eternal world! And to crown the whole, all are to be rewarded "according to the deeds done in the body!!!" TO BE CONTINUED.

THE EVENING AND THE MORNING STAR.

KIRTLAND, OHIO, JULY, 1834.

REFLECTIONS FOR THE FOURTH OF JULY, 1834.

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