Earlier text: THE SANCTUARYThe Saints' Inheritance.
By J. N. Loughborough
THE PURCHASED POSSESSION.
"Ye were sealed with that holy spirit of promise, which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession."* In the text here quoted there is a possession spoken of which has been purchased, and is also to be redeemed. What is the possession that is to be redeemed? Heaven, says one. If it is Heaven, then Heaven has passed from the hands of the original possessor, or else it could not be redeemed. To take this view would also oblige us to claim that Heaven had been purchased; for it is the purchased possession that is to be redeemed. What possession has passed out of the hands of its original possessor? I answer, The earth. "The heaven, even the heavens, are the Lord's; but the earth hath he given to the children of men." The earth was given to man, but he has lost the dominion God gave him. Where is it? We shall claim that when he was tempted and overcome by the devil, he was brought in bondage to him. "Of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage." Satan, of course, claims the property of man, until his lease runs out. Therefore the devil is represented in the New-Testament Scriptures as the god of this world. Not that he is the rightful possessor of the earth, but by intrigue the devil has usurped the dominion which was given to man. With this view of the subject, we may understand the testimony of Luke 4. The devil said to Christ, when he "showed him all the kingdoms of the world," "That is delivered unto me, and to whomsoever I will I give it." But, say you, this is only the testimony of the devil. Although it is his testimony, it may for all that be truth, and it furnishes a solution to Luke 4, which otherwise remains without an explanation. It is stated that the devil tempted Christ. It surely would be no temptation for him to offer to Christ that which was already Christ's, or to offer that on which he had no claims. But, admitting that the devil had usurped man's dominion, and that he held, as he claimed, "the kingdoms of this world and the glory of them," and then the presentation of them by him to Christ can be looked upon as a temptation. This dominion which Satan had usurped was promised to Christ. "Thou, O tower of the flock, the stronghold of the daughter of Zion, unto thee shall it come, even the first dominion."† The first dominion was dominion over the earth, which man lost when he yielded to the devil. This dominion was to come to Christ. But the manner in which he was to obtain it was to spill his blood, and by the suffering of death obtain power to dethrone the usurper. The devil offered him one of the very objects which was to be obtained by his death, and it was a temptation. By an ignominious death upon the cross, Christ was to obtain the first dominion. But, said the devil, "Fall down and worship me, and I will give it you." That was a temptation. Paul's testimony in Heb. 2 seems to be in harmony with the idea above advanced. "For unto the angels hath he not put in subjection the world to come, whereof we speak." We shall see, by looking at chap. 1:10–12, that he means by the world to come, a renewed state of this earth. "And, thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of thine hands; they shall perish, but thou remainest; and they all shall wax old as doth a garment; and as a vesture shalt thou fold them up, and they shall be changed; but thou art the same, and thy years shall not fail". Paul says this "world to come," or "changed" state of the earth, is "not put in subjection to angels." He now gives his proof: "But one in a certain place testified, saying, What is man, that thou art mindful of him? or the son of man, that thou visitest him? Thou madest him a little lower than the angels; thou crownedst him with glory and honor, and didst set him over the works of thy hands." The "certain place" where this is testified is Ps. 8:6–8, where David says in answer to the question, "What is man?" "Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; Thou hast put all things under his feet. All sheep and oxen, yea, and the beasts of the field; the fowl of the air, and the fish of the sea, and whatsoever passeth through the paths of the sea." By comparing the above testimonies with Gen. 1:26, we see this has reference to man, and especially to Adam. "And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness; and let him have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth." Verse 28. "And God blessed them, and God said unto them, . . . Have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth." But we will return to the testimony in Hebrews. Verse 8: "Thou hast put all things in subjection under his feet. For in that he put all in subjection under him, he left nothing that is not put under him. For now we see not yet all things put under him." God put all things under man's dominion, but we do not see them there now, because by intrigue of the devil he has lost his dominion, and so Satan is now called the "god of this world," "the ruler of the world," &c., because the "kingdoms of the world and the glory of them" (as he said to Christ) have "been delivered" to him. Paul still continues, "But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honor; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man."‡ Here we see Christ is interposed as a help to bring man out of the difficulty into which he has fallen. In order to do this, it was necessary that he should suffer death. Thereby he obtained power to destroy Satan and his works, and redeem man. But the death of Christ will also bring back, or purchase, the possession which man lost, which was the earth. And Micah's testimony of Christ will truly be verified, "Unto thee shall it come, even the first dominion. The kingdom shall come to the daughter of Jerusalem."§ The world to come, of which Paul speaks, must be a possession of this earth in another state of it; or there would be no sort of propriety in the language he uses. If the world to come is some abode "beyond the bounds of time and space," what would the Lord's giving the earth to Adam have to do with it? I trust it is plain to the reader that the purchased possession which is to be redeemed, is this earth which is to be brought to a condition more glorious than its Eden state. J. N. LOUGHBOROUGH.
(Continued.) Hear Ye Him.
By D. M. Canright
And now to show, beyond a possibility of a mistake that the instruction of Christ in this sermon applies this side of the cross, in the gospel dispensation, notice what he says of the law of Moses, that is, the ceremonial law. After having finished his instruction concerning the moral law, teaching its perpetuity in the strongest terms, he now takes up the law of Moses, and sets it all aside and directs his apostles to teach others not to regard it. Thus he says, "It hath been said, Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement." Verse 31. This language may be found in Deut. 24: 1, in the ceremonial law of Moses. It allowed a man to divorce his wife for a very slight cause. Now what does the Master say? "But I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery; and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery." Verse 32. Thus he sets this law right aside. "Again, ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old time, Thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt perform unto the Lord thine oaths." Verse 33. Here is another quotation from that law which may be found in Numbers 30: 2. What does he say about this? "But I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by Heaven; for it is God's throne." Verse 34. Thus he mows this right down. Again, "Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth." Verse 38. This is found, not in the ten commandments, but in Exodus 21: 24. Now hear how the Lord abolishes this. "But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil; but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also." Verse 39. This is just opposite of what Moses said. Take another illustration, "Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbor, and hate thine enemy." Verse 43. This may be found, not in the decalogue, but in Deut. 23: 6. Now listen to Christ, "But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you." Verse 44. Thus he takes up the law of Moses; and in the most summary manner sets it all aside. This clearly shows that Christ recognized the difference between the moral law and ceremonial law in the old dispensation. But even the ceremonial law was obligatory until the cross. Christ himself carefully observed all its requirements, and taught others to do so until it expired upon the cross. Hence, what he here briefly taught his disciples, did not apply till after the cross. Hence when he says of the moral law, "Whosoever therefore, shall break one of these least commandments," &c., he means whosoever in the gospel dispensation shall do it. Now to prove that our position is correct, and that we have correctly interpreted the instruction of Christ to his apostles, let us follow them as they go out in after years to preach the gospel, and see how they understood his teachings concerning the decalogue. James was one of the apostles who sat at Jesus' feet and listened to this sermon. Thirty years afterwards he writes his general epistle to the brethren scattered abroad. In chapter 2: 8-12, he says, "If ye fulfill the royal law," &c. Thus he introduces the subject of the law in almost the very words that Christ did, who said, I am come to fulfill the law. So James says, "If ye fulfill the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself, ye do well. But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors. For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all." Verses 8, 9, 10. How exactly James repeats the lesson of his Master. Christ said, Whosoever therefore should break one of the least commandments, should be the least in the kingdom of heaven. James says, "Whosoever shall offend in one point, he is guilty of all." Then Jesus illustrates what he meant by quoting the sixth and seventh commandments. Now notice, how carefully James uses the same illustration. "For he that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now if thou commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become a transgressor of the law." Verse 11. Thus we see that this apostle, away down in the gospel dispensation thirty years, repeats and enforces the very lesson that his Master had taught him concerning the decalogue. Then he adds, "So speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty." Verse 12. By this very law, then, Christians are to be judged. Can there be any question what law this is? Certainly not. It is the law that says, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not commit adultery, &c. It was the law that was written in the old scriptures, for James says, they are to fulfill it, according to the Scriptures. Such a law we do find in Exodus 20. This is the one, and the only one, in all the Bible that contains this language. Of it the apostle says, "Whosoever shall keep the whole law and yet offend in one point he is guilty of all." Thus he teaches in the clearest possible language, that every one of the ten commandments are still binding and must be obeyed by Christians. Not one of them to be left out. Reader, we appeal to you, Is not the Sabbath a part of this law? One of these commandments? You know that it is. Does not this language require us to keep that commandment as well as the rest? If you keep the other nine and violate the fourth, are you not doing just what James says will make you a transgressor? Decide this as you will wish you had in the judgment; for we are to be judged by that law. John was another apostle, who sat at Jesus feet. Listen to him. "Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer." 1 John 3: 15. This is almost the exact language of Jesus who said, "Whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause," violates the sixth commandment. Again, John says: "By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments. For this is the love of God that we keep his commandments; and his commandments are not grievous." 1 John 5: 2, 3. And even in stronger language he says, "And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him." 1 John 2: 3, 4. Thus we might continue to quote the same doctrine all through the New Testament. Take a few examples in conclusion. Does Paul teach children obedience to parents? he goes right back to the ten commandments for his authority. "Children obey your parents in the Lord; for this is right. Honor thy father and mother; which is the first commandment with promise; that it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth." Eph. 6: 1-3. To the Romans he says, "Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid; yea, we establish the law." Rom. 3: 31. "Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just and good." "For we know that the law is spiritual; but I am carnal, sold under sin." "For I delight in the law of God after the inward man." Rom. 7: 12, 14, 22. Finally, Jesus in his last revelation to John on the isle of Patmos, A. D. 96, referring to his Father's commandments says, "Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city." Rev. 22: 14. Report of the Fourth Annual Meeting of the California State Tract and Missionary Society.
THE fourth annual meeting of the California State Tract and Missionary Society was held in connection with the camp meeting at Yountville, from October 1st to 12th, 1874. Meeting called to order by the President, J. N. Loughborough, October 5th at 9 A. M. Prayer by Eld. G. I. Butler. Report of last year's meeting read and accepted. Remarks of deep interest were made by Bro. Butler, pertaining to the missionary cause, and what has been accomplished in the Eastern Conferences through this agency, and showing what a mighty lever the missionary work might be on this coast, if properly organized and its objects carried out. Voted, that the Chair appoint a committee of three on nominations, to nominate a President, Vice-President, Secretary and Treasurer, and that they also consider the matter of districting the State, and nominating a Board of Directors, consisting of one Director for each district. The Chair appointed as a Committee on Nominations, N. Grayson, J. G. Walker, and Ruel Stickney. October 19th, at 10 A. M. Prayer by the President. The report of the Committee on Nominations was called and accepted as follows: For President, J. N. Loughborough, St. Helena; Vice President, J. W. Bond, Healdsburg; Secretary, Lucy Bush, Woodland; Treasurer, G. D. Hager, Santa Rosa. The officers thus far, by vote of the meeting, were declared elected. It was then stated by the President, that in order to choose a Board of Directors it would be needful to change our Constitution, and he recommended the adoption of the Constitution used by our Missionary Societies in other States, thus bringing us in harmony with other societies, over which the General Missionary Society of Seventh-day Adventists has the supervision. By request, the President read the old Constitution and also the new one recommended. After the reading of the two Constitutions, it was unanimously voted to rescind the old Constitution and adopt the new, which reads as follows: Constitution of the Tract and Missionary Societies of Seventh-day Adventists. ARTICLE I. This society shall be called the TRACT AND MISSIONARY SOCIETY of the Seventh-day Adventists of the Conference of California. ARTICLE II. The officers of this society shall be a President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, and a Board of Directors of ten, of which the President shall be one, and they shall be elected annually. ARTICLE III. The objects of this society shall be: 1. The proper distribution of our tracts, pamphlets, and books. 2. To obtain subscribers for our periodicals; to collect dues and renew subscriptions; and to pay subscriptions for the worthy poor; and, for this purpose, agents shall be appointed, who shall report quarterly to the Directors of their districts. 3. To visit and labor (by correspondence or otherwise), for the encouragement and help of the scattered ones of like precious faith; for those who are falling back because of discouragements; and to interest all within the reach of our interest in the great truths connected with the last message of mercy to the world. 4. To find homes for those who may be destitute and needy for the truth's sake. 5. To bring about, as far as possible, equality among our people, in the payment of Systematic Benevolence in accordance with the plan adopted, in taking stock in the Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association and Health Reform Institute, and in donating to other benevolent enterprises which, from time to time, may arise for the purpose of forwarding the work. ARTICLE IV. Any person may become a member of this society who is in good standing in one of our churches, or who may be recommended by a church of our Seventh-day Adventists, by the payment of one dollar. ARTICLE V. Section 1. It shall be the duty of the President (1) To see that there is a uniformity of action throughout the entire Conference; (2) To see that each Director carries out the duties of his office in his district; (3) He shall preside over all the meetings in the Conference, whether it be a district quarterly meeting, or general quarterly meeting, whenever he may be present; (4) He shall have on hand a sufficient supply of books and blank reports for the entire Conference, and see that a proper distribution is made with each Director for his district. Section 2. It shall be the duty of the Secretary (1) To keep a record of the number of pages of tracts and pamphlets purchased for60 the Society, and the value of the same; and the number of bound books, and the value of the same; also, the names and number of the libraries furnished; (2) To keep an account of the money received from each district, and the number of pages of tracts and pamphlets, and the number of books furnished to the same, and the value of the whole; (3) He shall notify the Director of any district that may have drawn the amount of books to which it is entitled, so that he may raise more money from that district; (4) To furnish the Director or Secretary of each district a supply of blanks for reports quarterly for each member of the Society in that district; (5) to keep a summary of all reports received from the several districts, and the amount of money received in response to calls, crediting it to the respective districts, whether it be for membership, donations, or any enterprise connected with the cause of present truth; (6) To keep a record of the number of the members of the society of each district by itself; (7) He shall keep a debt and credit account with each district; (8) To keep a record of all the doings of the society in such a manner that whenever the President or Directors wish to know whether any district is failing to do its part in the several branches of the work, the exact standing of each district, and of the entire State, can be told in every interest connected with the Tract Society; (9) It shall be the duty of the Secretary to furnish the Director of each district with a list of the names of subscribers of our periodicals, and of those who have been dropped, excepting those who are scattered, not accessible by the church agent or director, and with such he shall correspond and report to the general quarterly meeting; also, he shall keep a list of all the worthy poor, who are entitled to the periodicals free; (10) Finally, it shall be his duty to attend each State quarterly meeting, and to furnish to it a report of what has been done in each district, and the Conference, during that quarter, and also to read the record of the doings of the previous quarterly meeting. Section 3. It shall be the duty of each Director, (1) To see that a librarian is appointed in each church; and he shall commit to such librarian a suitable quantity of publications for that church; (2) To appoint an agent (who may, or may not, be the librarian) in each church, to collect dues on periodicals which may have been stopped, and to take moneys by renewing subscriptions or by new subscribers. And such agent shall keep a record of the worthy poor, and report in full what he has done, and the standing of his church, to the Director near the close of the quarter, for the District Secretary to report at the district quarterly meeting. And the Director shall furnish him with a list of subscribers for that church and vicinity only; (3) He shall make himself acquainted with the entire business of the society, and shall, from time to time, visit each church in his district to see that each comes up on Systematic Benevolence, and on every enterprise connected with present truth; (4) He shall see that the librarian of each church is furnished with sufficient blanks for a report from each member at each quarterly meeting; (5) He shall appoint a Secretary, acting himself as a collector and treasurer for his district; (6) He shall hold a district quarterly meeting at least two weeks before each general quarterly meeting, unless it be in the district where the general quarterly meeting may be held; in that case, it may be held in connection with the general quarterly meeting; (7) He shall preside over all the district quarterly meetings in absence of the President; (8) He shall see that there is forwarded to the General Treasurer, quarterly, whatever funds may have been received in his district, and report the same to the Secretary; (9) He shall order all his books through the President of the Tract Society. Section 4. The duty of the District Secretary shall be (1) To keep a debt and credit account with each church in the district, and a record of all business done with that church that relates to the tract and missionary work. His duties with each church will be very similar to those of the Secretary of the Society with each district; (2) It is also his duty to send a report of each district quarterly meeting to the State Secretary in season for the general quarterly meeting; (3) To keep an account of the standing of his district with the Tract Society of the Conference; (4) To keep a record of the members in each church in a class by themselves, and the name of each donor, and an account of all moneys received, whether it be on memberships or donations, or donations to any other enterprise connected with the cause of present truth; (5) He shall attend every district quarterly meeting in his district. Section 5. It shall be the duty of the librarian to see that each member of his church has a small memorandum book in which he shall keep a record of his labor, to report for each quarterly meeting. It shall also be his duty to furnish each member with suitable tracts for distribution, and to keep an account of the same. He shall also furnish to each member a blank report to be filled, and see that it is returned to him in season for him to send it to the District Secretary before each district quarterly meeting. He shall also receive money for memberships, sales of publications, and donations, and forward the same to the Director of said district. He shall keep an account of the number of pages of tracts and pamphlets given out by him to each member, that he may report the same to the Director or District Secretary before each quarterly meeting. Section 6. General quarterly meetings shall be held under the direction of the Board of Directors, at which time they shall decide upon the cases of those who may be thought to have claims upon the widows and orphans' fund, or may be worthy of receiving the periodicals free; and all other business of importance that relates to the Tract and Missionary Society. ARTICLE VI. The funds to be employed by this society shall consist of the money paid for memberships, and free-will offerings. ARTICLE VII. The Board of Directors shall have the general management and oversight of the work of this society, both in disbursing funds and in counseling in regard to labor; and shall act as agents in collecting funds for this society. ARTICLE VIII. This Constitution may be amended at any annual meeting, by a vote of two-thirds of the members present. After the adoption of the new Constitution the proposed plan of districting the State, with the names of proposed Directors for each district, was read, and was by unanimous vote adopted, and the said directors declared elected, as follows: District No. 1, consisting of the southern portion of Sonoma county and Marin, including the churches of Petaluma, Bloomfield and Green Valley. (John Judson, Director, Bloomfield.) District No. 2, consisting of the northern part of Sonoma county and Mendocino, Humboldt, Trinity, Klamath and Del Norte counties, and including the churches of Santa Rosa and Healdsburg. (Wm. Harmon, Director, Healdsburg.) District No. 3. Napa and Lake counties, including the churches of Napa and St. Helena. (John Mavity, Director, St. Helena.) District No. 4. Solano county, including Vallejo church. (J. S. Howard, Director, Vallejo.) District No. 5, consisting of Yolo, Colusa, Sacramento, Sutter, Yuba, Placer, Nevada, El Dorado and Amador counties, including Woodland church. (H. C. Yerby, Director, Woodland.) District No. 6, consisting of Tehama, Shasta, Bute, Sierra, Plumas, Lassen and Siskiyou counties, and including the church of Red Bluff. (J. H. Disher, Director, Red Bluff.) District No. 7, consisting of Alameda, Contra Costa, San Joaquin, Calaveras, Alpine, Stanislaus, Tuolumne, Mono and Mariposa counties, including the Oakland church. (D. B. Rickey, Director, Oakland.) District No. 8, consisting of Santa Clara, San Benito, Merced, Fresno, Tulare and Inyo counties, and including the churches of San Jose and Santa Clara. (Wm. Swinterton, Director, San Jose.) District No. 9, consisting of San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Cruz, Monterey, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Kern, Los Angeles, San Bernardino and San Diego counties, including San Francisco church. (Charles Chittenden, Director, No. 733 Bryant street, San Francisco.) Convened at 4:30 P. M. of October 9th. Opened with prayer by the President. The Treasurer's report was called for and accepted, showing: Cash on hand September 18th, '73.....$ 25 20
Received During the year........... 787 62
Total...........................$812 82
Paid out as per book......$257 93
Balance on hand Oct. 9th, 1874:...$554 89
G. D. HAGER, Treasurer. Remarks were made by Bro. Butler showing the importance of the reporting system, as an incentive and encouragement to labor in the missionary work. The President also made remarks urging to promptness in labor and reporting. Although, we, in California, are remiss in the matter of missionary labor, and even in reporting what has been done, yet we have done a little. Report of the labor of the past year was called for and accepted, as follows:
Number of families visited........... 27
Number of letters written............ 250
Money received for membership....$78 00
" " by donations to Mission Society............. 11 00
Money received from book sales..... 29 00
Total money received.............$118 29
Number new subscribers for Review.. 222
" " " " Instructor. 70
" " " " Reformer. 54
Reviews distributed.................. 73
Instructors " ........................ 332
Reformers " .......................... 27
Tracts and pamphlets loaned (pages)... 21776
" " " given away (p). 99837
Total. pages........................121613
Books furnished to libraries......... 20
J. N. LOUGHBOROUGH, President.
J. W. BOND, Secretary. The Ark and the Mercy-Seat.
. In the sanctuary of the first covenant, the ark and the mercy-seat were placed in the holiest of all, and were connected, the mercy-seat being placed on the ark. Heb. 9:1–5; Ex. 25:10–21; 26:33, 34. And if one exists in the heavenly sanctuary of which Christ is a minister (Heb. 8:1, 2), most certainly both exist there. How natural and reasonable the view that the ark containing the commandments of God the Father, which are the rule of man's life, should be closely connected with the mercy-seat where mercy and pardon may be found through the blood of the Son of God for the transgression of that holy law. Christians have had much to say relative to the mercy-seat as really existing in the present dispensation; but they have been almost silent about the ark on which it rests. The mercy-seat has been dwelt upon with pleasure. The servants of the Lord have pointed to it as existing in Heaven as really as God and Christ; and have, in their prayers and songs of praise, named the mercy-seat with great delight. And why not preach, pray, and sing about the ark containing the ten commandments, as well as the mercy-seat which rests upon it? Those who will examine the subject will find as much evidence, to say the least, for the existence of the ark in this dispensation as for the mercy-seat. The apostle Paul, in speaking of the first covenant sanctuary (Heb. 9:1–5), mentions the first tabernacle, or holy place, and its furniture, also "the tabernacle which is called the holiest of all," where the ark and mercy-seat were placed. An account of the typical sanctuary, with its two holies and furniture is given in Exodus. The idea of a mercy-seat now existing in Heaven is obtained from the law of types and Paul's commentary upon that law contained in his epistle to the Hebrews. The apostle declares that the priests of the law served "unto the example and shadow of heavenly things." Speaking of the cleansing of the typical sanctuary, also the cleansing of the sanctuary in Heaven of which Christ is a minister, Paul says: "It was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with these, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into Heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us." Heb. 9:23, 24. In this manner the apostle shows that the earthly sanctuary, its holies and furniture were patterns of the true in Heaven, consequently the mercy-seat must be there. Hence it has been dwelt upon with great delight as really existing in Heaven. And thus they have sung: "*There is a place where Jesus sheds
The oil of gladness on our heads;
A place than all besides more sweet,
It is the blood-bought mercy-seat.
"Ah! whither should we flee for aid
When tempted, desolate, dismayed?
Or how the hosts of hell defeat,
Had suffering saints no mercy-seat?"* And there is precisely the same evidence in the law of types and the epistle to the Hebrews for the existence of the ark of the ten commandments in this dispensation that there is for the mercy-seat. Let those who doubt, search and see. It would be considered infidelity to doubt the existence of the mercy-seat, but fanciful to believe that the ark of God is in the heavenly sanctuary. Let one dare teach that the mercy-seat has the ark still to rest upon, and he will be called a fanatic, and, may be, represented as fallen from grace if he keeps all the holy precepts contained in the ark, as if he had exchanged Christ and the mercy-seat for the ark of God. But no such exchange is necessary. We affirm it to be consistent with every principle of the Christian religion to embrace both the ark and the mercy-seat which rests upon it. It would be unreasonable to believe that the mercy-seat exists, and reject the ark, if there were as much evidence for the one as for the other; but it is a fact that there is more evidence that the ark of the ten commandments now exists in Heaven than that there is a mercy-seat there. Here follow two texts to the point. "And the temple of God was opened in Heaven, and there were seen in his temple the ARK of his TESTAMENT." Rev. 11:19. "And after that I looked, and behold, the temple of the tabernacle of the TESTIMONY in Heaven was opened." Rev. 15:5. And let it here be understood that John had this view of the heavenly sanctuary A. D. 96, about twenty-six years after the typical sanctuary had been destroyed. He is looking forward to the events which occur under the sounding of the seventh angel, in close connection with the pouring out of the seven last plagues. Is the ark which the prophet here mentions empty? If it is then it is not "the ark of his testament." Is not the testimony, the ten commandments uttered by Jehovah, in the heavenly sanctuary? If it is not, why does John mention the "tabernacle of the testimony in Heaven"? We have given two texts of plain Bible testimony that prove the existence of "the ark of the testimony." And it is a fact that there is not one such text in all the New Testament to prove that there is a mercy-seat in Heaven or anywhere else. Let those who have much to say relative to the mercy-seat, and think us fanatical for believing that the ark exists, pause a moment and look at these facts. With great delight we make mention of the ark of God, as well as of the mercy-seat, and believe that both exist in this dispensation. We love the mercy-seat, before which our merciful High Priest now stands ready to plead the case of those who come to him in sincerity and truth. And why not love the ark of God also beneath it? Those who do, may with propriety sing: "From every stormy wind that blows,
From every swelling tide of woes,
There is a calm, a sure retreat,
'Tis found beneath the mercy-seat."