As advocates of consistency, we feel compelled to notice any theory which presents a wide departure from, and a false application of, the teachings of sacred Scripture on Scripture subjects. On the subject of the Sanctuary we find a short article in the Christian Reformer, of Jan. 10th, by O. D. Gibson, which we will briefly notice, as we wish to present our readers with the various phases of thought that may exist on this important portion of present truth. We do not like to see people make this question altogether of the earth, earthy, nor altogether spiritual, and foggy. The view under consideration is a strange mixture of both, and very "comprehensive" inasmuch as it takes in both earth and heaven! We will present its main features by extracts from the article. It reads:—
"It seems from reading the 8th chap. of Daniel, that no one need mistake what is the Sanctuary, to which he is being instructed.
"This one was to be 'trodden' under foot by the wicked governments, symbolized in the vision. Hence the inquiry, How long the vision to give both the sanctuary and the host to be trodden under foot? The last horn power in the vision 'magnified himself even to the prince of the host,' and by him was the place of his sanctuary cast down, or trodden under foot. It is said of this same power, in the 7th chap., 'And shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces.'
"Now how long shall this treading down last, or continue. The wicked kingdoms of earth have trodden under foot the host or people of God—saints of the Most High, each in their turn, and also the sanctuary, the place of worship, or offering, which is neither at Jerusalem or in the mountains of Samaria, but in any and every place under heaven where there is any one of the host to offer praise from a sincere heart. (Unto 2300 days, and then shall the Sanctuary be cleansed.) Of what shall it be cleansed? Of those wicked, cruel powers, or governments, which have oppressed and trodden it under foot, with its rightful heirs.
"The earth, God's sanctuary, Christ's kingdom, is now cleansed out, and no more trodden under foot. Christ is the officiating high priest, of this host that worship in this down-trodden sanctuary. There was once a typical priesthood in the order of Aaron with a typical sanctuary and typical laws, but types were not to last always. Paul says, For the priesthood being changed there is of necessity a change of the law. Christ is the anti-typical High Priest; the new covenant, or gospel, is the anti-typical law.
"Now what is the anti-typical Sanctuary? In order that some minds may grasp this truth let me explain the old tabernacle, or its main features.
"It was longer than wide, divided into two rooms and a curtain, called a veil, hung as the partition between. The first of those rooms was called the sanctuary; into this room went the high priest every day, offering sacrifices and ministrations. See Heb. ix. The second room, within, or beyond this veil, was called the holy of holies; into this room the high priest went only once a year and always alone, to carry the blood of the sacrifices and sprinkle before the mercy seat to make atonement for the sins of the people.
"Now if I can understand Paul, he makes the anti-typical tabernacle to be earth and heaven, with a veil between. Earth the first room or sanctuary. Heaven the second, or holy of holies. Christ, our high priest, has offered himself a sacrifice for sins once for all, and has gone into the holy of holies, or heaven itself, to carry and present his own blood before the mercy seat. Inasmuch as the high priest in the type offered his sacrifices in the sanctuary, and passed from thence through the veil into the holy place, so Christ offered himself in the first room of God's great tabernacle and has gone within the veil into the second room or heaven itself."
It seems hardly necessary to reply to the ideas above set forth, and in doing so we are aware that we should only be using arguments that have been an hundred times repeated. A few words must therefore suffice.
Much stress is laid upon the phrase "trodden under foot;" and the writer concludes therefore that the Sanctuary must be something that the literal feet of literal men, can literally tramp upon. Here he makes the first departure from just conclusions. We are not to determine what the Sanctuary is from the fact that it is to be trodden under foot; but first let the Bible tell us what the Sanctuary is, and then we will determine from its teaching what the treading under foot is. But let us look further at this point which is so much harped upon by our opponents. Suppose the earth or the land of Palestine is the Sanctuary, which the treading under foot is supposed to prove, and we inquire, Is the treading under foot, the literal treading upon it by men? No one will contend for a moment that it is, when brought right to the point at issue. What then is it? Why, the desolating and desecrating it. All then must admit that the treading under foot is a figure, and being a figure we can as well apply it to a Sanctuary in heaven as to one on earth. Thus we can take this objection out of the mouths of our opponents from their own confession. Jesus is the minister of the heavenly Sanctuary; and which is the most consistent, to speak of treading under foot the Sanctuary, or its minister? yet the Bible speaks of treading under foot the Son of God, the minister of the Sanctuary; [Heb. x, 27;] and we say therefore that to speak of treading under foot the heavenly Sanctuary, is in the same sense, both scriptural and reasonable.
How Bro. G. gets such an "understanding" of Paul as to think that he makes the antitypical tabernacle to be earth and heaven, he does not tell us. Paul refers us to the true tabernacle in heaven, only, as the Sanctuary of the new covenant. Heb. viii, 1-5; ix, 23. He speaks of the first covenant, and tells us of its "worldly sanctuary," and from that he points to the true Sanctuary above which the Lord pitched and not man.
It is admitted above that the first tabernacle was typical; but the writer does not tell us by what analogy that building erected by Moses, thirty cubits long and twelve wide, could be a type of both earth and heaven. That tabernacle, with all its instruments, was made according to the pattern shown Moses; [Ex. xxv, 9, 40; Heb. viii, 5.] but can we suppose that the earth was shown him as the pattern of the first apartment, and heaven as that of the second? and if this were so, of what would the golden candlestick, the table of shew bread, and the golden altar of incense be typical? There is no shadow of consistency in such a position, and we see not how any one can "grasp" it.
It is said that the Sanctuary is to be cleansed "of those wicked, cruel powers, or governments which have oppressed and trodden it under foot with its rightful heirs;" but if those who entertain such a view would examine their subject they would learn that the cleansing of the Sanctuary is not of such a nature: it is cleansed by means of blood, and not by the destruction of the wicked; [Lev. xvi; Heb. ix, 22, 23:] it is cleansed of sin, and not of sinners. Sinners are never permitted to inhabit God's Sanctuary.
The idea that the sanctuary is any and everywhere where there is an honest worshiper, is sufficiently disproved by the fact that although there were synagogues, places of worship, scattered throughout Judea, there was nevertheless the sanctuary at Jerusalem. So there is now, though the worshipers are scattered up and down the land, a true Sanctuary in heaven.
O. D. Gibson says that Christ performed a part of his ministry on earth, the "first room" of the great tabernacle; but Paul says of Christ, "If he were on earth he would not be a priest." Heb. viii, 4. This is a fact that should be well borne in mind: Christ performs no part of his priesthood on the earth, which again is conclusive proof that the earth can have no claim of being the Sanctuary. We are glad to have him admit that the tabernacle or sanctuary of the first covenant, was a type of that of the second: so far he appears to be hovering around on the borders of truth; but we are surprised at his antitypes. On a subject of such moment as the Sanctuary, around which cluster our eternal interests, and with which is connected almost every branch of present truth, it is important that we have correct ideas. With these few thoughts we submit the subject to our readers to be carried out as much farther as they choose in their own minds.
WHEN WILL THE NATIONS BE DASHED IN PIECES?
By James White
THE Saviour foretold the destruction of Jerusalem and her children, and declared it was because they knew not the time of her visitation. Luke xix, 41-44. By this we are to judge that they might have known the time. God never visits a nation or an age in judgment without first warning them of the impending danger. So it was with the Antediluvians, the Sodomites, the Egyptians, the Ninevites, and the Jews. And by these examples we learn, also, that it is not necessary in these warnings that all become convinced of the danger; (for some will not believe;) but it has always been deemed sufficient in the development of God's plan, when those who tremble at his word, and are willing to believe, have been so fully warned that they might have an opportunity to escape. Such was the warning to Noah, to Lot, to the Hebrews, to the people of Nineveh, and to those Jews who believed the preaching of Christ and his apostles. The others of these several ages, having had the same warning, "knew not" till their destruction came upon them. There was no necessity for the ignorance of Jerusalem, for God had spoken of the judgments to be visited upon sins such as hers, by all the prophets, beginning with Moses, who had forewarned them of these very things. See Matt. xxi, 33-45. Thus in all cases God's throne is clear, and they who sin alone have to bear their iniquity.
Jerusalem might have known, and knowing, might have averted the impending judgment; for Jesus declared his willingness, yea, his desire often to have gathered her children, but they rejected his offers of mercy. Matt. xxiii, 37. But there was one class who were especially guilty, and more than all others deserving of the wrath which fell upon that guilty nation; to wit, those who were instructed in the word of the Lord, but had "taken away the key of knowledge;" who would neither enter in themselves, nor suffer others who were willing to enter in. Luke xi, 52. Their guilt was like that of the watchman at whose hand the Lord will require the blood of those who fall unwarned. Eze. iii, 17-20.
Another destruction, great and terrible, is spoken of in God's word; and it becomes all who have any regard for the word, and the salvation of themselves and their fellow-men, to inquire, against whom the threatenings are pronounced, and at what time they are to be executed. If these judgments be proclaimed, and yet it be not known whether they are near or far off; whether at the coming of Christ or one thousand years subsequent to his coming; or whether the destruction will overtake few or many, the trumpet will then give an uncertain sound, and "who shall prepare himself to the battle?" These different views are being proclaimed; and if the destruction will not take place till a long time after the coming of Christ, or if there be many that will escape that destruction, then those who proclaim the judgments of God as soon coming on "all flesh," or all the unrighteous of earth, are found "false witnesses of God." But if this latter view be truth—if the wrath of God is speedily to be poured out on all the inhabitants of the earth who are not "Christ's at his coming," then those who put afar off the evil day, or promise a way of escape other than that offered through repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, are taking away the key of knowledge, and at their hands will be required the blood of those who fall without a warning. Thus it is manifest that, in either case, it is important that we know "what is truth," and that, knowing, we faithfully proclaim it.
From all that is said in the Bible respecting the teachings of false prophets, we should be very careful to avoid crying Peace, when the Lord has said, There is no peace. This has been the characteristic of false prophets in all ages, and is to be a prominent delusion in the last days. "For when they shall say, Peace and safety, then sudden destruction cometh upon them." There will be those in the last days who will cry peace and safety; but instead of peace there will be war, and instead of safety there will be a snare. Therefore, Zion's watchmen are directed to "Sound an alarm in my holy mountain; let all the inhabitants of the land tremble; for the day of the Lord cometh, for it is nigh at hand." Joel ii, 1. The people are summoned to hear this alarm as follows: "Come near, ye nations, to hear; and hearken ye people; let the earth hear, and all that is therein; the world, and all things that come forth of it. For the indignation of the Lord is upon all nations, and his fury upon all their armies; he hath utterly destroyed them, he hath delivered them to the slaughter." Isa. xxxiv, 1, 2. This day is spoken of by all the prophets. Says one, "The great day of the Lord is near, it is near and hasteth greatly, even the voice of the day of the Lord: the mighty man shall cry there bitterly. That day is a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a day of wastness and desolation, a day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness, a day of the trumpet and alarm against the fenced cities, and against the high towers. And I will bring distress upon men, that they shall walk like blind men, because they have sinned against the Lord; and their blood shall be poured out as dust, and their flesh as the dung. Neither their silver nor their133gold shall be able to deliver them in the day of the Lord's wrath; but the whole land shall be devoured by the fire of his jealousy: for he shall make even a speedy riddance of all them that dwell in the land." Zeph. i, 14-18. Again in the same book it is said: "My determination is to gather the nations, that I may assemble the kingdoms, to pour upon them mine indignation, even all my fierce anger; for all the earth shall be devoured with the fire of my jealousy." Chap. iii, 8. Another prophet says, "Howl ye; for the day of the Lord is at hand, it shall come as a destruction from the Almighty. Behold, the day of the Lord cometh, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate: and he shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it." Isa. xiii, 6, 9. The Lord says by the same prophet, "Behold, the Lord maketh the earth empty, and maketh it waste. The land shall be utterly emptied, and utterly spoiled: for the Lord hath spoken this word." Chap. xxiv, 1, 3. Jeremiah gives an account of this destruction more fully and emphatic than those already quoted, "Thus saith the Lord God of Israel unto me; Take the wine cup of this fury at my hand, and cause all the nations, to whom I send thee, to drink it. And they shall drink, and be moved, and be mad, because of the sword that I will send among them. Then took I the cup at the Lord's hand, and made all the nations to drink unto whom the Lord had sent me: to wit, Jerusalem, and the cities of Judah, and the kings thereof, and the princes thereof, to make them a desolation, an astonishment, an hissing, and a curse; as it is this day; Pharaoh king of Egypt, and his servants, and his princes, and all his people; and all the mingled people, and all the kings of the land of Uz, and all the kings of the land of the Philistines, and Ashkelon, and Azzah, and Ekron, and the remnant of Ashdod, Edom, and Moab, and the children of Ammon, and all the kings of Tyrus, and all the kings of Zidon, and the kings of the isles which are beyond the sea, Dedan, and Tema, and Buz, and all that are in the utmost corners, and all the kings of Arabia, and all the kings of the mingled people that dwell in the desert, and all the kings of Zimri, and all the kings of Elam, and all the kings of the Medes, and all the kings of the north, far and near, one with another, and all the kingdoms of the world, which are upon the face of the earth: and the king of Sheshach shall drink after them. Therefore thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, Drink ye, and be drunken, and spue, and fall, and rise no more, because of the sword which I will send among you. And it shall be, if they refuse to take the cup at thy hand to drink, then thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the Lord of hosts; YE SHALL CERTAINLY DRINK. For lo, I begin to bring evil on the city which is called by my name, and should ye be utterly unpunished? Ye shall not be unpunished; for I will call for a sword upon ALL THE INHABITANTS OF THE EARTH, saith the Lord of hosts. Therefore prophesy thou against them all these words, and say unto them, The Lord shall roar from on high, and utter his voice from his holy habitation; he shall mightily roar upon his habitation; he shall give a shout, as they that tread the grapes, against all the inhabitants of the earth. A noise shall come even to the ends of the earth; for the Lord hath a controversy with the nations, he will plead with all flesh; he will give them that are wicked to the sword, saith the Lord. Thus saith the Lord of hosts, Behold, evil shall go forth from nation to nation, and a great whirlwind shall be raised up from the coasts of the earth. And the slain of the Lord shall be at that day from one end of the earth even unto the other end of the earth: they shall not be lamented, neither gathered, nor buried, they shall be dung upon the ground." Jer. xxv, 15-33. It has been supposed that some nations will escape, but such a supposition is here contradicted; the language is clear and definite—the destruction will be universal and utter; and that it will include the heathen, is plainly stated by the prophets. "Thus saith the Lord God; Howl ye, wo worth the day! For the day is near, even the day of the Lord is near, a cloudy day; it shall be the time of the heathen." Eze. xxx, 2, 3. Another prophet says, "For the day of the Lord is near upon all the heathen." Obad. 15. And another: "Proclaim ye this among the Gentiles; Prepare war, wake up the mighty men, let all the men of war draw near; let them come up; Beat your plough-shares into swords, and your pruning hooks into spears: let the weak say I am strong. Assemble yourselves, and come, all ye heathen, and gather yourselves together round about; thither cause thy mighty ones to come down, O Lord. Let the heathen be wakened, and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat; for there will I sit to judge all the heathen round about." Joel iii, 9-12. Now that there is to be, at some period of time, an utter destruction of all the inhabitants of the earth, no one who reads the prophecies will deny; and it is most evident that the scriptures here quoted plainly teach it. Had we the privilege of framing the testimony to our own liking, it would be impossible to present it in language more clear and emphatic. I will now notice a few points in these passages which will serve the twofold purpose of showing the identity of these with certain events spoken of in the New Testament, and of locating the chronology of these judgments, or fixing the time of their execution.
1. This warning is given—not because the day of the Lord is nearly expired, nor yet because it is come—but because the day of the Lord is coming; it is near and hasteth greatly; therefore the people are warned of those events which are to transpire when that day is ushered in. This alone is sufficient to show that these judgments are identical with those spoken of in Revelation, which will be inflicted in connection with the coming of the Son of man. See the promise to the Philadelphia church, which will exist at the time of his coming: "Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth. Behold, I come quickly; hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown." Rev. iii, 10-11.
2. The alarm is sounded when a great battle, or universal war, is pending. The Revelator says, in the time of the sixth plague, "And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth to the kings of the earth, and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of the great day of God Almighty." Again the warning is given in the next verse, "Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth." Rev. xvi, 13-15.
3. They shall certainly drink; even if they refuse, their refusal is of no avail—it is too late. This must be identical with the threatenings of the Third Angel's Message of Rev. xiv, 9-13, which refer to the plagues, (under which the battle occurs,) in which it is said they "shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God which is poured out without mixture in the cup of his indignation." By comparing the scriptures we find that Eze. ix, is a parallel to these, where an order is given to those who have the slaughter weapons: "Let not your eye spare, neither have ye pity. Slay utterly old and young, both maids, and little children, and women." Verses 5, 6. These all directly refer to the time when the Saviour comes to plead with the Father in behalf of sinful men, and judgment without mercy is made manifest.
4. The voice of God is heard from on high in the midst of these awful scenes. In the description which I have quoted from the prophet Jeremiah it is said, "The Lord shall roar from on high, and utter his voice from his holy habitation; he shall mightily roar upon his habitation; he shall give a shout, as they that tread the grapes, against all the inhabitants of the earth." Jer. xxv, 30. Says John, "And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air; and there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, it is done." Rev. xvi, 17. When Joel foretold the gathering of "all nations," and "all the heathen," to the valley of Jehoshaphat, he added, "The sun and the moon shall be darkened, and the stars shall withdraw their shining. The Lord also shall roar out of Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem; and the heavens and the earth shall shake." Joel iii, 15, 16. All will allow that the pouring out of the seventh vial or plague, when the voice of God is heard, is in immediate connection with the coming of Christ; that this description of Joel is very applicable to the same time and event is evident, because with the uttering of the voice of God and the shaking of the heavens and the earth, are connected the signs of Christ's coming. The words of the Saviour are, "Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken. And THEN shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven." Matt. xxiv, 29, 30. The prophet says it is the voice of God from on high that shaken "the powers of the heavens," and with this agree the words of the Apostle: "For if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven. Whose voice then shook the earth; but now he hath promised, saying, Yet once more I shake not the earth only but also heaven." Heb. xii, 25, 26.
5. When this destruction falls upon the world, God's people will be delivered. It has been claimed that there are exceptions to these general declarations, which is only true if the righteous can be said to form an exceptional class. But I think the term is not strictly applicable—instead of their being exceptions to these declarations, they form a separate class to whom these declarations can in no wise apply. There are two, and only two, classes—the righteous and the wicked. The scriptures do not teach that there is a class between those who are under the law and those under grace; there can be no medium between condemnation and justification. I know of none who stand free from condemnation but those who are justified; and I cannot conceive how any can be justified except through faith in Christ. See Rom. iii, v and vi. And if vengeance be taken "on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ," of course those only will escape who know God and obey the gospel.
When the Lord says "he will plead with all flesh," it is to "give them that are wicked to the sword." Jer. xxv, 31. He will "lay the land desolate: and he shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it." Isa. xiii, 9. Though the land be desolate, only the sinners will be destroyed. Again, when the earth is utterly emptied, "the inhabitants of the earth are burned and few men left." Isa. xxiv, 6. Who they few men are may be learned from verses 13, 14: "When thus it shall be in the midst of the land among the people, there shall be as the shaking of an olive-tree, and as the gleaning-grapes when the vintage is done. They shall lift up their voice, THEY shall sing for the majesty of the Lord." The righteous will sing their triumph, as is shown in Rev. xv. These "few men" are not "left" upon the earth, else the earth would not be made waste and "utterly emptied" but they are left from the burning. The prophet Joel says, "the Lord shall roar out of Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem: and the heavens and the earth shall shake." Jeremiah says he shall shout against all the inhabitants of the land; and Joel adds, "But the Lord shall be the hope of his people, and the strength of the children of Israel." Daniel had a view of the same overthrow of the nations, and to him the angel said, "There shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time; and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book." Dan. xii, 1. This is when Michael stands up or reigns. It is evident that this deliverance takes place at the coming of Christ, and not at any subsequent time. Although there may be no dissent from this view, I will notice a few parallel texts from the New Testament. Says Paul: "It is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you: and to you, who are troubled, rest with us, when the Lord shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, in flaming fire, taking vengeance on them that know not God," 2 Thess. i, 6-8. In his first epistle to the same church he offers words of comfort; that when the Lord shall descend from heaven with a shout, the righteous dead, them which sleep in Jesus, shall arise, and the living be changed, and all caught up together to meet the Lord in the air, and so ever to be with him. He adds, "But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. For yourselves know perfectly, that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. For when they shall say, Peace and safety, then sudden destruction cometh upon them." 1 Thess. v, 1-3. With "the times and the seasons" of which he speaks, he has here inseparably connected certain events; to wit, the coming of the day of the Lord, the descent of the Lord himself, the resurrection of the righteous dead, the change of the living, their ascension to meet the Lord in the air, and the destruction of those who say Peace and safety, are those who are appointed to wrath. Verse 3. At the coming of Christ the wheat and tares (righteous and wicked) are gathered, the first in the Lord's garner the second in bundles to be burned. Matt. xiii, 24-30; also xxiv, 31; Rev. xiv, 14-20. Many others might be noticed, but these must suffice for the present. J. H. W.
(To be Continued.)
Subscriber Indebtedness
By Editor
On the margin of last week's paper was marked the indebtedness of all those subscribers who will be owing the Office at the close of this Volume. The sums marked are what are due at the close of Vol. VII. If any mistakes were made in this matter, they will be gladly corrected. The Publishing Committee are depending on those sums to meet the expenses of the remaining nine Nos. of this Vol.
Communication from Bro. Cornell.
By M. E. Cornell
BRO. SMITH:—I embrace the present opportunity to inform you of the success of the truth in Allegan Co., Mich. We commenced lectures in the court-house in the village of Allegan, Sunday evening, Jan. 6th, and continued until Jan. 14th. The weather for three or four days was very unfavorable. There was a continued fall of snow with fierce winds, and the cold most intense. The thermometer ranging from 10 to 14 deg. below zero. Notwithstanding, there was a steady attendance of from 100 to 150 persons. The interest was good and increased every evening. The weather toward the last being more favorable, the house was filled to its utmost capacity. The majority acknowledged that they heard the truth and a few decided to keep the Sabbath. Three have subscribed for the Review; and others purpose to send for it soon. A Bro. and Sr. Pierce who rejoiced in the first message in 1843, heard of the meetings and came six and a half miles to hear, the first evening. They were interested and refused to go home. At the close of the second lecture, Sr. P. pressed her way through the crowd to the stand, and reaching out her hand said with much earnestness, “I believe I can call you brother; what you have said sounds like the truth.”
I learned they had heard Bro. Miller in 1843, in Pennfield, N. Y., and there embraced the doctrine of Christ’s soon coming. In May, 1844, they moved to Michigan, and have always believed that God was in that movement.
An incident that occurred the next Fall after their arrival here, as near as they can now recollect, about the first of October, had a tendency to greatly strengthen their faith in the near coming of Christ. It was about five o’clock, P. M., when their little boy five years old that happened to be out in front of their dwelling called out, “O mother, mother, look here!” Sr. P. looked and there was a streak of light of dazzling brightness about ten feet long, resembling a rope filled with short crooks. It was lowering down from the clouds until it was as low as the tops of the trees. Sr. P. gives a vivid description of its exceeding brightness, and the boy (now grown up) remembers it well and speaks of its being very wonderful. Sr. P.’s first impression was that it was a sign of the last days and she began to call to her neighbor just across the road to come and see; (she had talked to the family much about Christ’s coming, but they would not believe, and she thought this sign would convince them;) but as soon as she began to call, the sign began to move upward, and when high up in the region of the clouds it was formed into letters, distinctly spelling the word,
OCTOBER; there was something more on the line which they were trying to read when it vanished just before the family across the way came out to see. Sr. P. says she thought it was a fulfillment of the prophecy, “There shall be signs in the heavens above,” &c., and for some time she longed to see some of the Advent messengers to tell them about it.
Bro. and Sr. P. seemed to be greatly rejoiced to hear an explanation of the passing of the time in 1844, the Sanctuary &c. At the earnest solicitation of Bro. and Sr. P., and others, we sent an appointment to their town for Wednesday evening following, and Tuesday morning took stage for Pine Creek, eight miles distant, and then walked two miles to a Bro. Geo. Leighton’s. Bro. and Sr. L. had not seen an Adventist for four years. They were filled with gladness and seemed much encouraged while we explained from the chart our present position. Bro. L. was reading the Prophetic Expositor, and furnishing it for Eld. Buck, a Baptist minister, in Otsego village, four miles distant. Eld. B. is favorable to the doctrine of “life only through Christ;” but upon other sentiments of the Expositor, he, as well as Bro. L., look with suspicion, regarding them as contrary to the truth. In the afternoon, Bro. L. accompanied me to Eld. Buck’s, where we spent the evening conversing upon several great truths.
Eld. B. wished me to give notice for a course of lectures in Otsego—said he would do all he could to get the consent of the trustees to open the Baptist house. We expect to commence there next week. Between nine and ten o’clock in the evening I returned with Bro. L. and found Sr. L. awaiting our return to hear more about the truth; and we talked until twelve o’clock. The Lord greatly blessed us in prayer, and we retired. The next morning we conversed on the truth till ten o’clock and at eleven I took the stage again for Allegan. Here I found Bro. Pierce waiting to take me up to the appointment Wednesday evening. There are several important openings about here. Calls are very urgent. Very many have supplied themselves with books on the truth, and we trust the seed sown will bring forth abundant fruit.
M. E. CORNELL.
Monterey, Jan. 17th, 1856.
E. L. BARR
By E. L. Barr
DIED in Brewer, Maine, July 30th, Mary Abby Elizabeth, the fourth and only daughter of Ephraim and Malinda Davis, aged three years and five months.
"So fades the lovely blooming flower."
Again has the last enemy been suffered to visit the dwelling of our dear Bro. and Sr. and make all sorrowful within. May the blessed hope sustain them while they pass through tribulation's dark flood, and that voice from heaven fall with sweet accents upon their ears, and prove a balm to soothe their sorrows until our glorious King returns to the everlasting joy of his waiting people, and unlocks the dark mansions of the tomb, and brings forth those loved ones that now sleep in Jesus.
E. L. BARR
JESSE DORCAS
By Jesse Dorcas
From Bro Dorcas.
BRO SMITH:—It is now Winter, cold, frosty, bleak Winter. The thermometer ranges, from 25, above, to the same degree below zero! and my sympathies are moved within me for the inmates of many a miserable hut. But this is not the worst feature of the case: the thick, dark, winter of prejudice, and superstition has commenced in all its fearfulness to sweep over the land! and its chilling influence is every where felt. But in the midst of these unpleasant circumstances, we may freely indulge the hope, that Summer, beautiful, delightful, blooming Summer, will soon be here.
In a late tour, of about three weeks, I have had an opportunity to learn many things; for I went out with the chart, and a pretty good supply of books upon the subjects of the Sabbath and Sanctuary, with the express design to learn the minds of the people, to impart instruction, and to scatter the means of information among the people.
Among the encouraging things that I learned, were these; that, amidst all the opposition of friends, and ministers, there are some honest souls who are determined to investigate these subjects, of which we speak, for themselves; and take the Bible for their rule. My visits, exhortations, and labors in general, were kindly received, and many scenes occurred that I shall never forget. May the day be hastened when all the destitute shall be supplied, not only with the Word of life, but with the true knowledge of it.
A word in relation to the cause or church, in this State. It is generally known, I presume that Bro. G. W. Holt has come into this field of labor. But such has been the feeble state of his health, most of the time he has been here, with the addition of an afflicted family, to some extent, he has not been able to do much in the way of preaching. Though so far as he has been able to get out, his labors have been very acceptable to the lovers of truth. And had it not been for a distracted state of things, in the main body of the church in this state, much good, no doubt, might still have been accomplished. But as it was, but little comparatively has been done. But upon the whole we have reason to thank God, and take courage; seeing that through the mercy of God, and the careful, and well timed work of Bro. Holt, we have now a release from those grievous trials, and are restored again to union and love, and I humbly trust to a corresponding zeal for the promotion of the present truth. As to myself, dear Bro. I can say, that I am measurably recovered from the effects of the severe trials through which I have recently passed in relation to the visions, and Age to come.
I would say to our much esteemed Bro. Bates135through the Review,) that I recieved his kind letter, and know not how to be grateful enough for his kind care for me; that I follow his advice, with grateful recollections of past instructions.
Yours in hope of the perfecting of the saints.
JESSE DORCAS
Freemont, Ohio. Jan., 9th., 1856.
THE LAND OF LIGHT.
By Uriah Smith
TUNE.—"Old Folks at Home."
Up to a land of light we're going—
Joys, joys are there;
Where pain and sorrow no more knowing,
We shall its glories share.
Soon shall we hail the radiant dawning
Of endless day—
E'en now the light of that glad morning,
Breaks o'er the shadowy way.
CHORUS.—There beside Life's flowing river,
And Life's fadeless tree,
We shall inherit joys for ever,
Joys that are boundless and free.
No earthly charm may then allure us,
Or lead astray;
Since all its faded hopes assure us,
They too shall vanish away.
In heaven only can our treasure
Be laid secure;
There only may we seek for pleasure,
Holy, immortal and pure.
CHORUS.
Then let no toiling heart grow weary,
Or fainting be;
Soon we'll forget our exile dreary,
Joyous in victory.
There where our heart's affections center
Around the throne;
These pearly mansions soon we'll enter,
And be for ever at home.
CHORUS.—Then beside Life's flowing river,
And Life's fadeless tree,
We shall inherit joys for ever,
Joys that are boundless and free.
U. S.
OBITUARY.
By Joseph Bates
DIED of the Small Pox, in Middletown, Conn., Nov. 18th, 1855, Dea. E. L. H. Chamberlain, aged 57 years. His sickness was distressing but short, having lived but nine days from the commencement of the disease. His affectionate and interesting little daughter, Alice Starr, died on the 8th Dec. following, with the same disease, and is now sleeping by his side. His afflicted companion and large family of interesting children are thus suddenly bereaved, and left to mourn the loss of an affectionate husband, a kind and tender father, child and sister. The church of God in Conn. has also lost one of their most estimable members. Since 1842 his house has been open for religious meetings, and also to receive and comfort the servants of God. Himself and companion were among the first in Conn. to commence keeping the Bible Sabbath, since which he has united his means with other dear brethren, to advance the suffering cause of God.
Says a dear brother who staid by him to minister unto him in his sickness and death: "his family and their daily wants gave him much anxiety, but the cause of God was uppermost in the closing scene, and occupied his mind till the last. When asked by his companion if he felt the Lord would save him, he said, "YES, I DO!" and several times expressed himself thus: "I am going and shall RISE SOON." Thus his afflicted companion and bereaved children, and brethren in the Lord mourn not as those who have no hope.
JOSEPH BATES.
P. S. The letter from Conn. giving me some of the particulars of the suffering and death of our beloved Bro. C., did not come to hand until this P. M. This is the cause of the delay.
J. B.