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| Source document in Mormon Publications: 19th and 20th Centuries online archive: Times and Seasons Vol. 5 |
| TIMES AND SEASONS | ||
| "TRUTH WILL PREVAIL" | ||
| Volume V. No. 8.] | CITY OF NAUVOO, ILL. APRIL, 15,1844. | [Whole No. 92. |
HISTORY OF JOSEPH SMITH.
(continued.)
After this revelation was received, some conversation was had concerning revelations and language; I received the following
Revelation given November, 1831.
Behold, and hearken, O ye elders of my church, who have assembled yourselves together, whose prayers I have heard, and whose hearts I know, and whose desires have come up before me. Behold and lo, mine eyes are upon you; and the heavens and the earth are in mine hands, and the riches of eternity are mine to give. Ye endeavored to believe that ye should receive the blessing which was offered unto you, but behold, verily I say unto you, there were fears in your hearts; and verily this is the reason that ye did not receive.
And now I the Lord give unto you a testimony of the truth of these commandments which are lying before you: your eyes have been upon my servant Joseph Smith, jr.; and his language you have known; and his imperfections you have known; and you have sought in your hearts knowledge, that you might express beyond his language: this you also know; now seek ye out of the book of commandments, even the least that is among them, and appoint him that is the most wise among you; or if there be any among you that shall make one like unto it, then ye are justified in saying that ye do not know that they are true: but if ye cannot make one like unto it, ye are under condemnation if ye do not bear record that they are true: for ye know that there is no unrighteousness in them; and that which is righteous, cometh down from above, from the Father of lights.
And again, verily I say unto you, that it is your privilege, and a promise I give unto you that have been ordained unto this ministry, that inasmuch as you strip yourselves from jealousies and fears, and humble yourselves before me, for ye are not sufficiently humble, the vail [veil] shall be rent and you shall see me and know that I am; not with the carnal, neither natural mind, but with the spiritual; for no man has seen God at any time in the flesh, except quickened by the Spirit of God; neither can any natural man abide the presence of God; neither after the carnal mind; ye are not able to abide the presence of God now, neither the ministering of angels; wherefore continue in patience until you are perfected.
Let not your minds turn back; and when ye are worthy, in mine own due time, ye shall see and know that which was conferred upon you by the hands of my servant Joseph Smith, jr. Amen.
After the above was received, William E. McLellin, as the wisest man, in his own estimation, having more learning than sense, endeavored to write a commandment like unto one of the least of the Lord's, but failed, it was an awful responsibility to write in the name of the Lord. The elders and all present, that witnessed this vain attempt of a man to imitate the language of Jesus Christ, renewed their faith in the fulness [fullness] of the gospel, and in the truth of the commandments and revelations which the Lord had given to the church through my instrumentality; and the elders signified a willingness to bear testimony of their truth to all the world.
As the following elders were desirous to know the mind of the Lord concerning themselves, I enquired [inquired] and received,
AS Revelation given November, 1831, to Orson Hyde, Luke Johnson, Lyman Johnson and Wm. E. Mc'Lellin. The mind and will of the Lord, as made known by the voice of the Spirit to a conference concerning certain elders; and also certain items, as made known, in addition to the covenants and commandments.
My servant, Orson Hyde, was called, by his ordinance, to proclaim the everlasting gospel, by the spirit of the living God, from people to people, and from land to land, in the congregations of the wicked, in their synagogues, reasoning with and expounding all scriptures unto them: and behold and lo, this is an ensample unto all those who were ordained unto this priesthood, whose mission is appointed unto them to go forth: and this is the ensample unto them, that they shall speak as they are moved upon by the Holy Ghost; and whatsoever they shall speak when moved upon by the Holy Ghost, shall be scripture; shall be the will of the Lord; shall be the mind of the Lord; shall be the word of the Lord; shall be the voice of the Lord, and the power of God unto salvation; behold this is the promise of the Lord unto you, O ye my servants: wherefore be of good cheer, and do not fear, for I the Lord am with you, and will stand by you; and ye shall bear record of me even Jesus Christ, that I am the Son of the living God; that I was, that I am, and that I am to come. This is the word of the Lord
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unto you my servant, Orson Hyde; and also unto my servant Luke Johnson, and unto my servant, Lyman Johnson, and unto my servant, William E. McLellin; and unto all the faithful elders of my church: Go ye into all the world; preach the gospel to every creature; acting in the authority which I have given you; baptizing in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, and he that believeth and is baptized, shall be saved, and he that believeth not shall be damned; and he that believeth shall be blessed with signs following, even as it is written: and unto you it shall be given to know the signs of the times, and the signs of the coming of the Son of Man; and as many as the Father shall bear record, to you it shall be given power to seal them up unto eternal life: Amen.
And now concerning the items in addition to the covenants and commandments, they are these: There remaineth hereafter in the due time of the Lord, other bishops to be set apart unto the church to minister even according to the first: wherefore they shall be high priests who are worthy, and they shall be appointed by the first presidency of the Melchizedek priesthood, except they be literal descendants of Aaron, aud [and] if they be literal descendants of Aaron, they have a legal right to the bishopric, if they are the first born among the sons of Aaron: for the first born holds the right of presidency over this priesthood, and the keys or authority of the same. No man has a legal right to this office, to hold the keys of this priesthood, except he be a literal descendant and the first born of Aaron; but as a high priest of the Melchizedek priesthood, has authority to officiate in all lesser offices, he may officiate in the office of bishop when no literal descendant of Aaron can be found; provided he is called and set apart, and ordained unto this power under the hands of the first presidency of the Melchizedek priesthood. And a literal descendant of Aaron, also, must be designated by this presidency, and found worthy, and anointed, and ordained under the hands of this presidency, otherwise they are not legally authorized to officiate in their priesthood: but by virtue of the decree concerning their right of the priesthood descending from father to son, they may claim their anointing, if at any time they can prove their lineage, or do ascertain it by revelation from the Lord under the hands of the above named presidency.
And again, no bishop or high priest, who shall be set apart for this ministry, shall be tried or condemned for any crime save it be before the first presidency of the church; and inasmuch as he is found guilty before this presidency, by testimony that cannot be in peached [impeached], he shall be condemned and if he repents he shall be forgiven, according to the covenants and commandments of the church.
And again, inasmuch as parents have children in Zion, or in any of her stakes which are organized, that teach them not to understand the doctrine of repentance; faith in Christ the Son of the living God; and of baptism and the gift of the Holy Ghost by the laying on of the hands, when eight years old, the sin be upon the head of the parents, for this shall be a law unto the inhabitants of Zion, or in any of her stakes which are organized: and their children shall be baptized for the remission of their sins when eight years old, and receive the laying on of the hands: and they shall also teach their children to pray, and to walk uprightly before the Lord. And the inhabitants of Zion shall also observe the sabbath day to keep it holy.-And the inhabitants of Zion, also, shall remember their labors, insomuch [inasmuch] as they are appointed to labor, in all faithfulness, for the idler shall not be had in remembrance before the Lord. Now I the Lord am not well pleased with the inhabitants of Zion, for there are idlers among them: and their children also are growing up in wickedness: they also seek not earnestly the riches of eternity, but their eyes are full of greediness. These things ought not to be, and must be done away from among them: wherefore let my servant Oliver Cowdry [Cowdery], carry these sayings unto the land of Zion. And a commandment I give unto them, that he that observeth not his prayers before the Lord in the season thereof, let him be had in remembrance before the judge of my people. These sayings are true and faithful: wherefore transgress them not, neither take therefrom. Behold I am Alpha and Omega, and I come quickly: Amen.
It had been decided by the conference, that elder Oliver Cowdry [Cowdery] should carry the commandments and revelations to Independence, Missouri, for printing, and that I should arrange and get them in readiness by the time that he left, which was to be by the 15th of the month and possibly before. All this time, there were many things which the elders desired to know relative to preaching the gospel to the inhabitants of the earth, and commencing the gathering, and in order to walk by the true light, and be instructed from on high, on the 3d of November, 1831, I inquired of the Lord and received the following revelation which from its importance and for distinction has since been added to the book of Doctrine and Covenants, called the
APPENDIX
Hearken, O ye people of my church, saith the Lord your God, and hear the word of the Lord
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concerning you; the Lord who shall suddenly come to his temple; the Lord who shall come down upon the world with curse to judgment; yea, upon all the nations that forget God, and upon all the ungodly among you. For he shall make bare his holy arm in the eyes of all nations, and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of their God. Wherefore, prepare ye, prepare ye O my people; sanctify yourselves; gather ye together, O ye people of my church, upon the land of Zion, all you that have not been commanded to tarry. Go ye out from Babylon. Be ye clean that bear the vessels of the Lord. Call your solemn assemblies, and speak often to one another. And let every man call upon the name of the Lord; yea, verily I say unto you, again, the time has come when the voice of the Lord is unto you, Go ye out of Babylon; gather ye out from among the nations, from the four winds from one end of heaven to the other.
Send forth the elders of my church unto the nations which are afar off; unto the islands of the sea; send forth unto foreign lands; call upon all nations; firstly, upon the Gentiles, and then upon the Jews. And behold and lo, this shall be their cry, and the voice of the Lord unto all people: Go ye forth unto the land of Zion, that the borders of my people may be enlarged, and that her stakes may be strengthened, and that Zion may go forth unto the regions round about; yea, let the cry go forth among all people;-Awake and arise and go forth to meet the Bridegroom: behold and lo the Bridegroom cometh, go ye out to meet him. Prepare yourselves for the great day of the Lord. Watch, therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour. Let them, therefore, who are among the gentiles flee unto Zion. And let them who be of Judah, flee unto Jerusalem, unto the mountains of the Lord's house. Go ye out from among the nations, even from Babylon, from the midst of wickedness, which is spiritual Babylon. But verily thus saith the Lord, let not your flight be in haste, but let all things be prepared before you: and he that goeth let him not look back, lest sudden destruction shall come upon him.
Hearken and hear O ye inhabitants of the earth. Listen ye elders of my church together, and hear the voice of the Lord, for he calleth upon all men and he commandeth all men every where to repent: for behold the Lord God hath sent forth the angel, crying through the midst of heaven, saying, Prepare ye, the way of the Lord, and make his paths strait, for the hour of his coming is nigh, when the Lamb shall stand upon mount Zion, and with him a hundred and forty-four thousand, having his Father's name written in their foreheads: wherefore prepare ye for the coming of the Bridegroom: go ye, go ye out to meet him, for behold he shall stand upon the mount of Olivet, and upon the mighty ocean, even the great deep, and upon the islands of the sea, and upon the land of Zion; and he shall utter his voice out of Zion, and he shall speak from Jerusalem, and his voice shall be heard among all people, and it shall be a voice as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder, which shall break down the mountains, and the vallies [valleys] shall not be found: he shall command the great deep and it shall be driven back into the north countries, and the islands shall become one land, and the land of Jerusalem and the land of Zion, shall be turned back into their own place, and the earth shall be like as it was in the days before it was divided. And the Lord even the Savior shall stand in the midst of his people, and shall reign over all flesh. And they who are in the north countries shall come in remembrance before the Lord, and their prophets shall hear his voice, and shall no longer stay themselves, and they shall smite the rocks, and the ice shall flow down at their presence. And an high way [highway] shall be cast up in the midst of the great deep. Their enemies shall become a prey unto them, and in the barren deserts there shall come forth pools of living water; and the parched ground shall no longer be a thirsty land.-And they shall bring forth their rich treasures unto the children of Ephraim my servants. And the boundaries of the everlasting hills shall tremble at their presence. And they shall fall down and be crowned with glory, even in Zion, by the hands of the servants of the Lord, even the children of Ephraim; and they shall be filled with songs of everlasting joy. Behold this is the blessing of the everlasting God upon the tribes of Israel, and the richer blessing upon the head of Ephraim and his fellows. And they also of the tribe of Judah, after their pain, shall be sanctified in holiness before the Lord to dwall [dwell] in his presence day and night forever and ever.
And now verily saith the Lord, that these things might be known among you, O inhabitants of the earth, I have sent forth mine angel, flying through the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel, who hath appeared unto some, and hath committed it unto man, who shall appear unto many that dwell on the earth: and this gospel shall be preached unto every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, and the servants of God shall go forth, saying, with a loud voice: Fear God and give glory to him: for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and sea, and the fountain of waters, calling upon the name of the Lord day and night, saying: O that thou wouldst rend the heavens , that thou wouldst
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come down, that the mountains might flow down at thy presence. And it shall be answered upon their heads, for the presence of the Lord shall be as melting fire that burneth, and as the fire which causeth the waters to boil. O Lord, thou shalt come down to make thy name known to thine adversaries, and all nations shall tremble at thy presence. When thou doeth terrible things, things they look not for; yea, when thou comest down and the mountains flow down at thy presence, thou shalt meet him who rejoiceth and worketh righteousness, who remember thee in thy ways: for since the beginning of the world have not men heard nor perceived by the ear, neither hath any eye seen, O God, besides thee, how great things thou hast prepared for him that whiteth [waiteth] for thee.
And it shall be said, Who is this that cometh down from God in heaven with dyed garments: yea, from the regions which are not known, clothed in his glorious apparel, traveling in the greatness of his strength? And he shall say I am he who spake in righteousness, mighty to save. And the Lord shall be red in his apparel, and his garments like him that treadeth in the wine vat, and so great shall be the glory of his presence, that the sun shall hide his face in shame; and the moon shall withhold its light; and the stars shall be hurled from their places: and his voice shall be heard, I have trodden the wine-press alone, and have brought judgment upon all people; and none was with me; and I have trampled them in my fury, and I did tread upon them in mine anger, and their blood have I sprinkled upon my garments, and stained all my raiment: for this was the day of vengeance which was in my heart. And now the year of my redeemed is come, and they shall mention the loving kindness of their Lord, and all that he has bestowed upon them, according to his goodness, and according to his kindness, forever and ever. In all their afflictions he was afflicted. And the angel of his presence saved them; and in his love, and in his pity, he redeemed them, and bare them, and carried them all the days of old; yea, and Enoch also, and they who were with him; the prophets who were before, and Noah also, and they who were before him, and Moses also, and they who were before him, and from Moses to Elijah, and from Elijah to John, who were with Christ in his resurrection, and the holy apostles, with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, shall be in the presence of the Lamb. And the graves of the saints shall be opened, and they shall come forth and stand on the right hand of the Lamb, when he shall stand upon mount Zion, and upon the holy city, the New Jerusalem, and they shall sing the song of the Lamb day and night forever and ever.
And for this cause, that men might be made partakers of the glories which were to be revealed, the Lord sent forth the fullness of his gospel, his everlasting covenant, reasoning in plainness, and simplicity, to prepare the weak for those things which are coming on the earth; and for the Lord's errand in the day when the weak shall confound the wise, and the little one become a strong nation, and two should put their tens of thousands to flight; and by the weak things of the earth, the Lord should thresh the nations by the power of his spirit.-And for this cause these commandments were given; they were commanded to be kept from the world in the day that they were given, but now are to go forth unto all flesh. And this according to the mind and will of the Lord, who ruleth over all flesh; and unto him that repenteth and sanctifieth himself before the Lord shall be given eternal life. And upon them that hearken not to the voice of the Lord, shall be fulfilled that which was written by the prophet Moses, that they should be cut off from among the people.
And also that which was written by the prophet Malachi: For behold the day cometh that shall burn as an oven, and all the proud: yea, all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up saith the Lord of hosts, that shall leave them neither root nor branch. Wherefore this shall be the answer of the Lord unto them: in that day when I came unto my own, no man among you received me, and you were driven out.-When I called again, there was none of you to answer, yet my arm was not shortened at all, that I could not redeem, neither my power to deliver. Behold at my rebuke I dry up the sea. I make the rivers a wilderness; their fish stinketh, and dieth for thirst. I clothe the heavens with blackness, and make sackcloth their covering. And this shall ye have of my hand, ye shall lay down in sorrow.
Behold and lo there are none to deliver you, for ye obeyed not my voice when I called to you out of the heavens, ye believed not my servants; and when they were sent unto you ye received them not; wherefore they sealed up the testimony and bound up the law, and ye were delivered over unto darkness, where there is weeping, and wailing, and gnashing of teeth. Behold the Lord your God hath spoken it:-even so: Amen.
(To be Continued.)
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(From the Cross and Journal.)
KINGDOM OF HEAVEN-SUBJECTS ADMITTED.
THE DECISION OF BAPTISM.
CONCESSIONS BY EMINENT PAIDO BAPTISTS.
In a former essay we argued, that, as the Lord's supper taught and exemplified the sufferings of Christ, in atoning for sin, so also baptism taught and exemplified the burial and resurrection of Christ. That the actual death and resurrection of Christ were taught and insisted on as important and essential features in the christian system, to be received by every disciple, that the believers baptism illustrated the burial and resurrection of Christ, just as the believers observing the Lord's supper illustrated the sufferings of Christ. We then also promised to show, that the most learned, most devoted, and celebrated divines of the paido baptist denominations acknowledged and taught the same things. We now proceed to show the same.
Witsius.-Immersion into the water is to be considered by us, as exhibiting that dreadful abyss of divine justice, in which Christ for our sins, which he took on himself, was for a time absorbed; as in David, his type, he complains, (Ps. 60:3,) [Ps. 69:3] 'I am weary of my crying, my throat is dried; mine eyes fail while I wait for my God.' More particularly, seeing such an immersion deprives a person of light, and of other things pertaining to this world, it excellently represents the death of Christ, while his continuance under water, however short, denotes the burial of Christ, and the lowest degree of his humiliation; when being laid in a sepulchre [sepulcher] that was sealed and guarded by the Roman soldiers, he was considered as entirely cut off. Emersion [Immersion] out of the water exhibites [exhibits] an image of his resurrection, or the victory which, being dead, he obtained over death in his own dark domains, that is, the grave. All these the apostle intimates, (Romans, 6:3-4.)
Robert Newton.-Baptism was usually performed by immersion, or dipping the whole body under water to represent the death, and burial, and resurrection of Christ together, and therewith to signify the person's own dying unto sin the destruction of its power and his resurrection to a new life.-St. Paul plainly refers to this custom. (Rom. 6:4.)
A. H. Frankius.-The baptism of Christ represented his sufferings, (Matt. 20:22.) and his coming out of the water, his resurrection from the dead.
Richard Baxter-In our baptism we are dipped under the water, as signifying our covenant profession, that as he was buried for sin, we are dead and buried to sin. They (your lusts) are dead and buried with him, for so your baptism signifieth; in which you are put under the water, to signify and profess, that your old man is dead and buried. We are raised to holiness, as we rise out of the water in baptism, (Col. 2:11, 12, 13,) that the putting of the body under the water did signify our burial with Christ, and the death and putting off our sins. And though we now use less quantity of water, yet it is to signify the same thing, or else we should destroy the being of the sacrament: so also our rising out of the water signifieth our rising and being quickened together with him. They were in baptism buried with Christ; and put off the body of sin, and were quickened with him; and this doth all suppose their own present profession to put off the body of sin, and their consent to be baptized on these terms.
Saurin.-Paul says, 'We are buried with him by baptism into death; that is the ceremony of wholly immersing us in water, when we were baptized, signifies, that we died to sin, and that of raising us again from our immersion, signified that we would no more return to our disorderly practices, in which we lived before our conversion to Christianity.
Bp. Patrick.-They (the primitive Christians) put off their old clothes, and stripped themselves of their garments; then they were immersed all over, and buried in the water, which notably signified the putting off the body of the sins of the flesh, as the apostle speaks, and their enduring into a state of death or mortification after the similitude of Christ; according to the same apostle's language elsewhere, 'We are baptized into his death-We are buried with him in baptism.
Scudder.-Baptism doth lively represent the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ, together with your crucifying the affections and lusts; being dead and buried with him into sin, and rising with him to newness of life, and to hope of glory.
Buddeus.-Immersion, which was used in former times, was a symbol and an image of the death and burial of Christ, and at the same time, it informs us, that the remains of sin, which are called the old man, should be mortified.
Dr. Whitby.-Therefore we are buried with him by baptism, plunging us under the water into a conformity to his death, which put his body under the earth; that like as Christ was raised up from the dead, by the glorious power of the Father, even so we also, thus dead in baptism, should rise with him and walk in the newness of life.
Bp. Hall.-Ye are in baptism buried together
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with Christ, in respect to the mortification of your sins, represented by lying under the water; and in the same baptism ye rise up with him in newness of life, represented by your rising up out of the water again, through that faith of yours, grounded upon the mighty power of God; who hath raised him from the dead.
Pietetus.-That immersion into, and emersion out of the water, practiced by the ancients, signify the death of the old, and the resurrection of the new man.
Bp. Davenaut.-In baptism the burial of the body of sin, or the old Adam, is represented, when the person to be baptized is put down into the water; as a resurrection, when he is brought out of it.
Dr. Boys.-The dipping in holy baptism has three parts; the putting into the water, the continuance in water, and the coming out of the water. The putting into the water doth ratify the mortification of sin by the powers of Christ's death, as Paul (Rom. 6:3.) Know ye not that all we which have been baptized into Jesus Christ, have been baptized into his death, and that our old man is crucified with him? The continuance in the water denotes the burial of sin, to wit, a continual increase of mortification by the power of Christ's death and burial. (Rom. 6:4.) The coming out of the water, figured our spiritual resurrection and vivification to newness of life, by the power of Christ's resurrection. (Rom. 6:4, and Col, 2:12.)
Grotius.-Buried with him by baptism. Not only the word baptism but the very form of it intimates this. For an immersion of the whole body in water, so that it is no longer beheld, bears an image of that burial which is given to the dead. (see Col. 2:12.) There was in baptism, as administered in former times, an image both of a burial and a resurrection.
Dr. Hammond.-It is a thing that every Christian knows, that the immersion in baptism refers to the death of Christ; the putting the person into the water denotes and proclaims the death and burial of Christ.
Bp. Nicholson-The ancient manner in baptism, the putting the person baptized under the water, and taking him out again did well set forth these two acts; the first, his dying, the second, his rising again.-Into the grave with Christ we went not; for our bodies were not, and could not be buried with his; but in our baptism, by a kind of analogy or resemblance, while our bodies are under the water, we may be said to be buried with him.
ATA.
For the Times and Seasons.
Nauvoo Mansion, March, 1844.
Mr. Editor:-Before I take my departure, permit me to express my views relative to the leading men of your city, where I have been these few days.
I have been conversant with the great men of the age, and last of all, I feel that I have met with the greatest, in the presence of your esteemed prophet, Gen. Joseph Smith. From many reports, I had reason to believe him a bigoted religionist, as ignorant of politics as the savages; but to my utter astonishment, on a short acquaintance, I have found him as familiar in the cabinet of nations, as with the bible; and in the knowledge of that book, I have not met with his equal in Europe or America. Although, if I should beg leave to differ with him in some items of faith; his nobleness of soul will not permit him to take offence [offense] at me. No Sir, I find him open, frank and generous, as willing others should enjoy their opinions, as to enjoy his own.
The General appears perfectly at home on every subject; and his familiarity with many languages affords his ample means to become informed concerning all nations and principles, which his familiar and dignified deportment towards all, must secure to his interest the affections of every intelligent and virtuous man that may chance to fall in his way; and I am astonished that so little is known abroad concerning him.
Van Buren was my favorite, and I was astonished to see Gen. Smith's name as a competitor; but since my late acquaintance, Mr. Van Buren can never re-seat himself in the presidential chair on my vote, while Gen. Smith is in the field; forming my opinions alone on the talents of the two; and from what I have seen, I have no reason to doubt, but Gen. Smith's integrity is equal to any other individual; and I am satisfied he cannot easily be made the pliant tool of any political party. I take him to be a man who stands far aloof from little caucus quiblings [quibbling] and squablings [squabbling], while nations, governments and realms, are wielded in his hand as familiarly as the top of a hoop in the hands of their little masters.
Free from all bigotry and superstition, he dives into every subject, and it seems as though the world was not large enough to satisfy his capacious soul, and from his conversation, one might suppose him as well acquainted with other worlds as this.
So far as I can discover, Gen. Smith is the nation's man, and the man who will exalt the nation, if the people will give him the opportunity:
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all the parties will find a friend in him, so far as right is concerned.
Gen. Smith's movements are perfectly anomalous, in the estimation of the public. All other great men have been considered wise in drawing around them wise men; but I have frequently heard the General called a fool because he has gathered the wisest of men to his cabinet, who direct his movements: but this subject is too ridiculous to dwell upon; suffice it to say, so far as I have seen, he has wise men at his side; superlatively wise, and more capable of managing the affairs of state, than most men now engaged therein; which I consider much to his credit, though I would by no means speak dimunutively of my old friends.
From my brief acquaintance, I consider Gen. Smith, independent of his peculiar religious views, (in which. by the by, I have discovered neither vanity nor folly,) the sine-qua-non of the age, to our nations' prosperity. He has learned the all important lesson, "to profit by the experience of those who have gone before," so that, in short, Gen. Smith begins where other men leave off. I am aware this will appear a bold assertion to some, but I would say to such, call and form your acquaintance; as I have done, then judge.
Thus, Sir, you have a few leading items of my view of Gen. Smith, formed from personal acquaintance, which you are at liberty to dispose of as you think proper. I anticipate the pleasure of renewing my acquaintance with your citizens at a future day.
Yours, Respectfully,
A TRAVELER.
To the Editor of the Times and Seasons.
Sir:-It may not be uninteresting to some of your readers, or bad policy to the world at large, to extract a few ideas from the writings of Dr. Isaac Watts, concerning "the glory of Jesus Christ." He lived and flourished in the latter part of the seventeenth century, and had not become so much enveloped in spiritual mysticism, but what he could read the Bible literally, and write plainly. The Doctor says:-
"Since the Socinian doctrines have been effectually refuted by many learned writers, especially in the last century, it is now, I hope, confessed universally, that our blessed Savior had a real existence long before he appeared in flesh and blood, and dwelt among men. It is also generally acknowledged, that he often appeared in a visible manner under the patriarchal and Mosaical dispensations, assuming the names, and sustaining the character and person of the great and blessed God.-Yet it has been a matter of contest in these latter years, as well as in the ancient days of Arius, whether Christ, in his complex person, include Godhead or not: or whether he being nothing else but a creature or a mere contingent being, and is only called God, as sustaining and representing the character and person of one who is infinitely above him, even great and eternal God. This is the great and important question of the age.
Now that this matter may be determined with more evidence and certainty, let us first trace out the account which the old testament gives us of the various seasons and occasions on which God the Lord,* the Lord God Jehovah, the Almighty, the God of Abraham, &c., is said to appear amongst men, with a few remarks on them in passing; and afterward we shall be enabled to draw more particular inferences from these scriptures, concerning the Deity of Christ and his appearance before his incarnation.
Whoever will read the first four chapters of Genesis with due attention, will find a very plain and easy representation of the great God, first creating all things, and afterwards appearing to Adam, Eve, and Cain, and conversing with them with a human voice, and very probably in a human shape too. I am well assured that any common reader, who begins the Bible without prejudices or prepossessions of any kind, would naturally frame this idea under the words and expressions of Moses, the sacred writer.
- Let the unlearned reader take notice, that there are two Hebrew words, viz: Jehovah, and Adon or Adonai, both of which our translators render Lord. The first, viz: Jehovah, signifies the Eternal or unchangeable, and has been sufficiently proved to be the proper name of the great God, the God of Israel, peculiar to him and incommunicable to creatures; and it is written always in capital letters, LORD, for distinction's sake. Thou, whose name alone is JEHOVAH, art the most high over all the earth.-Psal. lxxxiii;18. Though it had been much better if the Hebrew name, Jehovah itself, had been always written in our English Bibles, that the hearer might distinguish it as well as the reader. The other name, viz: Adon or Adonai is also translated Lord, and written in small letters, because it is not the proper name of the great God; it signifies his lordship or dominion, and is not so peculiar or incommunicable.
Now let it be observed, that in almost every place which I have cited to show the various appearances of the Lord to men, it is the name Jehovah is used, which the reader will find distinguished by capital letters in the English Bible."
Such was the language of the learned Dr. Watts,
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more than a century and a half ago; and it plainly indicates, that the light, which ought always to shine on the pages of revelation, had not then entirely disappeared. Hear him upon the 18th chapter of Genesis.
"'And the Lord,' Jehovah, 'appeared unto him in the plains of Mamre; as he sat in the tent-door in the heat of the day, and lift up his eyes and looked, and lo, three men stood before him; and when he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself toward the ground; and said, my Lord, if now I have found favor in thy sight, pass not away, I pray thee, from thy servant.' His first address was made to one of the three, who seemed to bear superior glory; afterward he invites them all to eat, and 'he took butter and milk,' ver. 8, 'and the calf which he had dressed, and set before them; and he stood by them under the tree, and they did eat. And he said, Sarah thy wife shall have a son:' at which tidings, when 'Sarah laughed within herself, the Lord,' or Jehovah, 'said unto Abraham, wherefore did Sarah laugh?' ver. 13. 'Is any thing too hard for the Lord,' or Jehovah? Now I think it is evident that one of these three men was expressly called Jehovah: two of them went on toward Sodom, but he that is called Jehovah seemed to stay behind; ver. 16, 17, and 22, 'the men,' i.e. the two men, 'turned their faces from thence, and went towards Sodom, but Abraham stood yet before Jehovah.' And a long dialogue there ensues between Abraham and the Lord, or Jehovah, about the sparing of Sodom, wherein Abraham addresses him as the true God, in ver. 33. 'The Lord,' Jehovah, 'went his way as soon as he had left communing with Abraham, and Abraham returned to his place.' And, Gen. xix;l. 'There came two angels to Sodom at even,' which most probably were the two men which left Abraham while Jehovah tarried and talked with him.-Now it is evident in the conversation, that neither of these two angels assumed the name of Jehovah; for, ver. 13; they say, 'the cry of the men of Sodom is waxen great before the face of the Lord,' i. e. Jehovah, 'and Jehovah hath sent us to destroy it.' This narrative gives us a plain account of the great God appearing to Abraham, and conversing with him in the form of a man; for it is said, He 'appeared to Abraham,' or was seen of him, talked with him,' and 'went up from him.'
This is certainly very fair for a person without the priesthood. If he had just added that the Lord and the angels dined with Abraham upon the fatted calf, he might richly have merited the epithet of Mormon. As it is, his views of Jesus Christ, must be a rather heavy stumbling block to the divine clergy of this century; they believe in such a nondescript "God without body parts or passions." I shall examine the Doctor's writings further, and perhaps I shall discover some more fragments of Mormonism. NOT THE PROPHET S. T. P.