It is said of the Roman power, that "his heart shall be against the holy covenant," and that he shall "have indignation against the holy covenant," . . . and "have intelligence with them that forsake the holy covenant." "And it cast down the truth (of the holy covenant) to the ground; and it practiced and prospered," (in this work.) "And thought to CHANGE times and LAWS," (of the holy covenant.) Dan. xi, 28, 30—35; viii, 12; vii, 25.
It is sometimes asked, what covenant is referred to in the above texts, called "THE HOLY COVENANT." See Luke i, 72, 73. To perform the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember his Holy Covenant. What is it? Answer, The oath which he made to our father Abraham. Verses 54, 55. He hath holpen his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy; As he spake to our fathers, to Abraham, and to his seed forever. From these texts we see clearly that the covenant made with Abraham is the Holy Covenant, and identical with the Gospel. The covenant made with Abraham was the Gospel Covenant. See Gal. iii, 7, 8, 16, 17. "Know ye therefore, that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham. And the scripture foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached BEFORE the GOSPEL unto Abraham, saying, in thee shall all nations be blessed. Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds as of many: but as of one, and to thy seed which is Christ.—And this I say the covenant which was confirmed before of God in Christ, the law which was four hundred and thirty years after cannot disannul that it should make the promise of none effect.
The covenant made with Abraham is the everlasting covenant. See 1. Chron. xvi, 13—17; Ps. cv, 6—10. And the blood of Christ is the blood of the everlasting covenant. See Heb. xiii, 20, 21. Now the God of peace that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you perfect to do his will, &c. It is a settled point in Scripture, that Christ and his followers, viz. they which be of faith, are counted for the SEED of Abraham. Such are the children of Abraham, to whom the promise was made. Gal. iii, 7, 8, 9, 14, 16, 17, 19, 29. The Jews claimed that Abraham was their father; but Jesus told them, if they were Abraham's children, they would do the works of Abraham." "Ye do the deeds of your father." "Ye are of your father the devil." John viii, 39, 41, 44. They are not all Israel, which are of Israel, but in Isaac (that is, Christ) shall thy seed be called. That is, they which be of faith are the CHOSEN ones, and are counted for the seed. With all the foregoing truths fixed in our minds, let us read a few texts addressed to the seed of Abraham. Ps. cv, 6—10. O ye seed of Abraham his servant, ye children of Jacob his chosen. He is the Lord our God; his judgments are in all the earth. He hath remembered his covenant FOREVER, the word which he commanded to a thousand generations.—Which covenant he made with Abraham, and his oath with Isaac; and confirmed THE SAME unto Jacob for a LAW, and to Israel for an EVERLASTING COVENANT." 1. Chron. xvi, 15—17. O ye SEED of Israel his servant, ye children of Jacob his CHOSEN ones. He is the Lord our God his judgments are in all the earth. Be ye mindful always of his covenant; the word which he commanded to a thousand generations; EVEN of the covenant which he made with Abraham and of his oath unto Isaac; and hath confirmed the same to Jacob for a law, and to Israel for an EVERLASTING covenant. Thus we see that the covenant made with Abraham was commanded to a thousand generations, which being multiplied by 70, the number of years allotted to man, Ps. xc, 10, would make seventy thousand years, and is truly denominated the everlasting covenant, extending through all time. Mark it; the same covenant made with Abraham was confirmed to Jacob for a LAW. And he declared unto you his covenant, which he commanded you to perform, EVEN TEN COMMANDMENTS; and he wrote them upon two tables of stone. Deut. iv, 13. Thus we have positive testimony that the law of God, the ten commandments, was the basis of the Abrahamic covenant, and
though the promise was not to Abraham through the law, (of Moses,) yet it was not without, or aside from strict obedience to the law of God. And thus it is written, Gen. xxvi, 4, 5, and in thy SEED (Christ) shall all the nations of the earth be blessed: BECAUSE Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my charge, my COMMANDMENTS, my statutes, and my LAWS. The evidence is also positive that the Abrahamic covenant is the Gospel covenant, as above shown and is based on the law of God. This testimony is further sustained by reading Heb. x, 16; 2. Cor. iii, 3; Matt. v, 17, 18; Rom. ii, 13; James ii, 8, 10—12. God speaking of Christ and his followers, the true children and seed of Abraham, says, Ps. lxxxix, 27—34, "Also I will make him my first born higher than the kings of the earth. My mercy will I keep for him forevermore, and my covenant shall stand fast with him. His SEED also will I make to endure forever, and his throne as the days of heaven. If his children FORSAKE MY LAW, and walk not in my judgment; if they break my statutes, and keep not my COMMANDMENTS; then will I visit their transgressions with a rod, and their iniquities with stripes. Nevertheless my loving kindness will I not utterly take from HIM, nor suffer my faithfulness to fail. My covenant will I not break, NOR ALTER the thing that has gone out of my lips." Also Ps. cxi, 7—10. "The works of his hands are verity and judgment; ALL his commandments are sure.—THEY STAND FAST FOREVER AND EVER." O how manifest that the heart of those who teach that the law of God was abolished, relaxed, amended, ALTERED, revised and improved, is against the holy covenant, and that they have indignation against the holy covenant, and their intelligence is with them that forsake the holy covenant.
Hiram Edson.
LETTERS.
By Lebbeus Drew
[From Bro. Drew.]
DEAR BRO. WHITE:—Since I have received the third angel's message there has been quite a spirit of inquiry among my brethren in this region of country, and I have had an opportunity to distribute more papers than I have had on hand to spare. Please send me a few of the back numbers of the Review and Herald. I was at Bath last Sunday, met with the church there. I think the church in that place will nearly all receive the third angel's message. We had a good season with the brethren. I felt some of the love and Spirit that we had before '43.—To God be all the glory.
I would say to my brethren who are proclaiming the third angel's message, I believe with all my soul that God is with those who are sounding this message to his tried people. It comes in the right time, the test is of the right kind, his church on earth are receiving it, and they will receive this last warning message. Amen. Your Bro., hoping to get the victory over the beast &c. and to meet you in the kingdom.
LEBBEUS DREW.
Pultney, N. Y., April 18, 1851.
[From Bro. Mead.]
By Hosea A. Mead
[From Bro. Mead.]
Bro. White:—Having had the privilege of reading a few numbers of the Review and Herald, and feeling that it is "meat," I wish you to send it to me, also the small Hymn Book.
Peterboro', N. H., April 22, 1851.
Hosea A. Mead.
H. S. Case’s Mission to Ohio
By James White
Bro. H. S. Case writes from Cleveland, (Ohio,) April 17, 1851:—
"I have been in this place long enough to give eight lectures. Some see the truth very clearly, but many are ready to give the most solemn and glorious truths to the Enemy. Many have gone into spiritualism; some of them have, as they say, got on to Mount Zion. But their "harps" do not cord well, and their song of deliverance does not answer the description given by John. Nothing short of a literal Jesus, coming in the clouds of heaven, and beholding him with my eyes will answer my expectation of the glorious event of the coming of the Son of man."
We feel deeply interested in Bro. Case's mission to Ohio, and we hope that some one will see duty clear to go and assist him in that wide field of labor, and take along a quantity of publications.
The brethren should be prompt in sending the names and address of such as will read the paper with candor.
W.
Post Office Addresses, Letters, and Receipts
By Editor
Bro. Hiram Edson's Post Office address is Port Byron, N. Y.—Bro. H. S. Gurney's address at present is West Wareham, Mass.
LETTERS RECEIVED SINCE APRIL 21.—Joseph Bates 2; Ira Abbey; Geo. W. Holt; R. R. Chapin; H. Cushman; Elias Goodwin; H. S. Case; H. S. Gurney; F. H. Howland; S. T. Belden; G. W. Holt.
RECEIPTS.—Lebbeus Drew, John Stowell, Azmon Woodruff, Robert Barns, S. W. Rhodes, $5 each; S. Gilbert, O. Cushman, H. Cushman Jr., Sister Ingalls, S. R. Burgess, R. Smith, L. Tarbell, $1 each; E. Everts, $10, (five sent to Bro. Nichols for books;) M. Thompson, $2; L. O. Stowell, $3; Hiram Bingham, $2; H. A. Mead, $3; E. L. H. Chamberlain, $2; C. H. Farnsworth, $2; L. W. Flanders, $2; H. Ricker, 50 cents; W. Phelps, $2, for Hymn Book.