THE second chapter of Daniel contains the outlines of this world's history from the time of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, about 600 years before Christ, till the setting up of God's everlasting kingdom, now near at hand. The image here presented is composed of four general divisions: the first, or head of gold, being a symbol of the kingdom of Babylon, of which Nebuchadnezzar, as reigning monarch, was the representative. In the interpretation of the dream Daniel said to him, "Thou, O king, art a king of kings; for the God of heaven hath given thee a kingdom, power, and strength, and glory wheresoever the children of men dwell, the beasts of the field and the fowls of the heaven hath he given into thine hand, and hath made thee ruler over them all." Dan. ii. 37, 38.
To Belshazzar the Prophet said, "The Most High God gave Nebuchadnezzar thy father a kingdom, and majesty, and glory, and honor. And for the majesty that he gave him, all people, nations, and languages trembled and feared before him: whom he would he slew; and whom he would he kept alive; and whom he would he set up; and whom he would he put down." Chap. v, 18, 19. By this we are taught the universality of the kingdom of Babylon. Of course its successors were of the same extent; otherwise they could not have held the same dominion, and there would have been a break in the chain of argument which teaches the universality of God's everlasting kingdom "under the whole heaven." The scripture is also positive on this point. By Chap. v, we learn that the kingdom was divided, when Belshazzar was slain, and given to the Medes and Persians.
In Chap. viii, the kingdom of Media and Persia is represented by the symbol of a ram having two horns. See verse 20. Of the ram the prophet said: "I saw the ram pushing westward, and northward, and southward, so that no beasts might stand before him, neither was there any that could deliver out of his hand; but he did according to his will and became great." Verse 4. This was the second or silver part of the image of Chap. ii. Its successor is thus introduced: "And another third kingdom of brass, which shall bear rule over all the earth." Verse 39. This third kingdom is symbolized by the he-goat of Chap. viii, 5-8, which is interpreted in verse 21, to be the king of Grecia. Of the goat, Daniel said: "I saw him come close to the ram, and he was moved with choler against him and smote the ram, and brake his two horns; and there was no power in the ram to stand before him, but he cast him down to the ground, and stamped upon him; and there was none that could deliver the ram out of his hand. Therefore the he-goat waxed very great." Chap. viii, 7, 8.
The fourth division of the image was iron. The interpretation says: "And the fourth kingdom shall be strong as iron, forasmuch as iron breaketh in pieces and subdueth all things; and as iron that breaketh all these, shall it break in pieces and bruise." Chap. ii, 40. The same in Chap. viii, is symbolized by the little horn that came forth of one of the four horns that came up on the he-goat; which signifies that of one of the divisions of the Grecian Empire the universal empire of Rome came forth; for it is said the little horn waxed exceeding great. It is evident that this is a symbol of the Roman kingdom; for it can be no power inferior to the Medo-Persian or Grecian kingdoms; as the first was called great, the second very great, but this waxed exceeding great. This agrees with the prophecy of the second chapter which gives superior strength to the fourth division of the image—the iron.
Now that the Babylonian kingdom was universal is plainly shown by Daniel's expressions in chapters ii and v; that its successor, the kingdom of the Medes and Persians, was universal, is shown by chapters v and viii, as quoted; that the Grecian, which subdued and succeeded the Persians, was universal is shown by Chap. ii, 39, which says the third kingdom shall bear rule over all the earth; and by chapter viii, where it is symbolized by the he-goat; that the Roman kingdom was universal, and therefore the power represented by the little horn which was exceeding great, is shown by Luke ii, 1: "There went out a decree from Cæsar Augustus that all the world should be taxed." As it was the successor of the Grecian, and the fourth in order of these universal monarchies, it was, therefore, the power represented by the iron of the image.
Again, this iron was subdivided into ten parts, or kingdoms, which is literally true of the Roman kingdom.
In the days of these (ten) kingdoms shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed; it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever. The kingdom of God is the power which is to destroy or break in pieces all these kingdoms; this is symbolized in the dream by a stone. This kingdom is first to be set up; second to destroy all these kingdoms; and third to fill the whole earth.
Daniel's vision of Chap. vii, covers the same ground as the dream of Nebuchadnezzar in Chap. ii, and some additional facts concerning the divisions of the fourth kingdom. Babylon is represented by the lion—"the king of beasts"—as gold is more precious than the other metals. The Medo-Persian kingdom is represented by the bear. In Chap. viii, the ram had two horns, (Medes and Persians,) but one was higher than the other, and the higher (Persian) came up last. During the Median took the kingdom on the death of Belshazzar. In this vision of Chap. vii, the bear raised up itself on one side. Verse 5. The ram pushed westward, and northward, and southward; (to Babylon, Lybia and Egypt.) The bear also had three ribs in its mouth. The Grecian kingdom is represented by a leopard, with four wings; the wings doubtless denoting its speedy conquest of the world; it had also four heads, as in Chap. viii the Grecian kingdom is said to be divided into four parts, symbolized by the four horns of the he-goat. The symbol of the Roman power is a nameless beast—"dreadful and terrible," and strong exceedingly; and it had great iron teeth; it devoured and brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with the feet of it; . . . and it had ten horns." Verse 7.
Says the prophet, "I considered the horns, and behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots; and behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things." Verse 8. Of this horn the interpretation says: "And he shall speak great words against the Most High, and shall wear out the saints of the Most High, and think to change times and laws; and they shall be given into his hand until a time, and times, and the dividing of time." Verse 25. Says the vision: "I beheld then because of the voice of the great words which the horn spake; I beheld till the beast was slain, and his body destroyed, and given to the burning flame. As concerning the rest of the beasts, they had their dominion taken away, yet their lives were prolonged for a season and time. Verses 11, 12. This does not mean that their lives were prolonged after the body of the fourth beast was destroyed; but their lives were prolonged after their dominion was taken away. The dominion of the lion was taken away when Belshazzar was slain, that of the bear was taken away when Alexander conquered the Persians; that of the leopard when the Romans established themselves masters of the world; the fourth or dreadful beast was to141retain the dominion until his destruction. This of course will not conflict with Rev. xiii; where the beast is said to receive a deadly wound, for the deadly wound is healed.
The fact recorded in Dan. vii, 12, is often lost sight of; and it seems to be taken for granted that their lives are taken away when their dominion is taken away; but as this vision corresponds with the dream of Nebuchadnezzar, this 12th verse must be considered to harmonize the vision with the 35th verse of Chap. ii: "Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold broken to pieces together," which could not be if the gold, silver, and brass, were each in turn broken to pieces when its successor took the dominion.
These are termed Heathen or Gentile dominions, and the whole view presents a strong analogical argument for the universality of the everlasting kingdom to be set up by the God of heaven. "The kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom," is "under the whole heaven." Here "the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven," shows that the kingdom and dominion are equal, or of the same extent. The stone that smote the image is a symbol of the kingdom, and this stone (or kingdom) "filled the whole earth;" not a part of it merely. The kingdoms of this prophecy bore rule over all the earth. So will the kingdom of God. They were universal—before them none could stand up—out of their hands none could deliver.
Now if these kingdoms were universal in extent, when they are destroyed, what kingdom or nation will be left, and where will it be? All that is ever claimed, or can be claimed, in regard to the extent of these kingdoms, either to meet the demands of the scripture expressions quoted, or the analogy of the everlasting kingdom, I claim here in regard to the destruction of these kingdoms. If any could stand up before them, or resist their will, then may some hope to escape their destruction. But if any escape in the day of their destruction, then I claim that, by analogy, they will be beyond or outside the dominion and greatness of the kingdom which will be "under the whole heaven;" for when this stone, or kingdom, destroys all these kingdoms, it will destroy all that exist on the territory which it will afterwards occupy. This is evident from the whole scope of the prophecy. This prophecy renders it certain that the Gentiles, or Heathens, will not escape in the day of destruction, as it is in respect to Gentile or Heathen dominions that it speaks.
But perhaps it may be said that there is another beast in prophecy not included in those dominions; to wit, the two-horned beast of Rev. xiii:—that these four beasts comprised the kingdoms of the whole world, as known to the ancients, but the two-horned beast is a symbol of American power, and here is room for the escape of some from the destruction of those kingdoms. That the two-horned beast is a symbol of a power on the Western continent, I firmly believe, but the conclusion that it may therefore escape the destruction spoken of in the prophecy of Daniel, I deny. I will now examine the scripture on this point.
The "great red dragon" of Rev. xii, is well understood to be a symbol of the Roman empire in its Pagan form, and answers to the "dreadful and terrible" beast of Dan. vii, as first seen by the Prophet. The seven-headed and ten-horned beast of Rev. xiii, is a symbol of the same dominion under Papal rule, and answers to the same beast of Daniel in another phase; namely, after the rise of the blasphemous, persecuting horn. The dragon gave the beast his power and seat and great authority. Here we have in Revelation the same universality of dominion presented as is given in Daniel; and to render assurance if possible more sure, that the same extent of dominion is possessed by the beast, it is shown as a combination of the four beasts of Daniel's vision. The lion's mouth, the bear's feet, the leopard's body, the seven heads and ten horns, all serve to show that it occupies the locality of those beasts. It has the characteristics of them all, and doubtless stands as the representative of them all. Then the two-horned beast is brought to view, working miracles in the sight of the first or ten-horned beast, and saying to them that dwell upon the earth that they should make an image to the beast, to which he has power to give life, and causes all to receive the mark of the beast and worship his image. Verses 11-16. By this descriptive work we may identify the two-horned beast in any place. In Chap. xix, "The Word of God," appears as "KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS," to "judge and make war." Says the Revelator, "And I
saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to wage war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army. And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshiped his image. THESE BOTH were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone." Verses 19, 20.
There can but two suppositions arise which would avoid the conclusion here presented, and both are sometimes urged. Either a remnant are left in this great national destruction, or else this does not take place at the second advent. It is true that there is a remnant spoken of in this connection, but the Word says: "And the remnant WERE SLAIN with the sword of him that sat upon the horse." Verse 21.
To show that this occurs at the second advent of our Lord, I will present and compare a few scriptures. When this battle is about to take place, in which the beast and false prophet are slain, an angel calls to the fowls of heaven to come and "eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great." Verse 18. As this occurs at the revelation of the Son of God and his victory over his enemies, it evidently synchronizes with Rev. vi, 16, 17—the great day of the wrath of the Lamb. The same classes are here presented, "And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bond man, and every free man hid themselves in the dens, and in the rocks of the mountains." Verse 15. This is under the opening of the sixth seal, previous to the seventh.
But we have the most positive testimony to offer on this point, in the second chapter of the second epistle to the Thessalonians. Here the apostle speaks of the same Papal Roman power that is in Rev. symbolized by the ten-horned beast, and gives it the several titles of "the man of sin," the "son of perdition," and the "wicked." He says, "then shall that wicked be revealed whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming."
In the preceding number it was clearly shown that 1. The Lord will destroy all the nations, and all the inhabitants of the earth—his saints only excepted; and 2. This destruction will take place in immediate connection with the second coming of Christ.
I will now briefly sum up the points of the present argument sustained by the scriptures quoted:
1. The image of Dan. ii. presents in symbol the four universal monarchies of the world—Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece and Rome.
2. The four beasts of Dan. vii, are symbols of the same kingdoms,
3. These kingdoms are all destroyed together.
4. The ten-horned beast of Rev. xiii, covers the same ground or locality that is covered by the four beasts of Daniel.
5. The ten-horned beast and the two-horned beast are destroyed together, or at the same time.
6. The ten-horned beast, (entitled the wicked,) will be destroyed at the coming of Christ. But with this is linked the fate of all the others.
Therefore, all the powers or kingdoms, represented by the symbols of beasts in Daniel and Revelation, will be destroyed at the second coming of Christ; which agrees with the Scriptures quoted in the previous number.
(To be continued.) J. H. W.
THE REVIEW TO THE INQUIRING.
By Stephen N. Haskell; William L. Saxby
Bro. Smith:—Desiring a little information relative to the plan on which the Review is conducted on some points, we address a few lines to you respecting the desired information.
It is this: As we are about in different places among the Advent people and others, we now and then find one that seems to be honest, and desirous to understand the present truth that they may be saved. Now in cases like this, they do not wish to send on one or two dollars for the Review, a paper that they know nothing about, but would read the paper if they had it, and perchance by reading it some seed might fall on some good ground where it would bring forth fruit unto the glory of God. Now the desired information is this: Is the paper free to such individuals? If they take an interest in the paper, (unless extremely poor,) they will not take it long without paying something for the support of it. But if they take no interest in the paper, we then will write you a line and have it discontinued.
An answer to the above would be thankfully received by many of the friends of the Review.
Stephen N. Haskell.
Wm. L. Saxby.
THE TRUTH FOUND. A Short Argument for the Sabbath.
By J. B. White
[Concluded from Page 125.]
III. THE WISDOM OF THE WORLD: OR THE OPINIONS OF LEARNED MEN. The opinions and practice of learned men are often presented as an argument in favor of any thing popular, and especially Sunday-keeping. But they should certainly never be urged upon a point where the testimony of the Bible is so direct and explicit as it is upon the subject of the Sabbath; nor indeed upon any point, as the Word is directly opposed to any human dependence. God has chosen the weak to confound the mighty, and the foolish to confound the wise. That which is hid from the wise is revealed unto babes. The Lord says: "Ye have ploughed wickedness, ye have reaped iniquity; ye have eaten the fruit of lies: because thou didst trust in thy way, in the multitude of thy mighty men."
Testimony similar to the following may be given to almost any length. The most casual reader will be struck with the confusion and contradictions. Were the subject really intricate, we should look for much light to be elicited by so great efforts of so much learning; but where so much confusion exists, while the truth itself is clear and plain, it is to me proof that the effort is to evade rather than to learn the truth.
WM. TINDAL.—We be the lords of the Sabbath, and may change it into Monday, or any other day, as we see need; or we may make every tenth day holy day, only if we see cause why; we may make two every week if it were expedient, or one not enough to teach the people. Neither was there any cause to change it from the Saturday, other than to put a difference between us and the Jews, and lest we should become servants to the day after their superstition.
JOHN BROWN.—In honor of his own resurrection Jesus the Lord of the Sabbath changed the Sabbath from the seventh to the first day of the week. The first day was observed by Christians as their Sabbath for almost 1600 years, without having their practice so much as questioned, nor have any arguments against its observance been since adduced which are worthy of notice.—Bible Dictionary.
BISHOP CRANMER.—The Jews were commanded in the Old Testament to keep the Sabbath day, and they observed it every seventh day, called the Sabbath, or Saturday; but we Christian men are not bound to such commandments in Moses' law, and therefore we now keep no more the Sabbath or Saturday, as the Jews did, but we observe the Sunday, and some other days as the magistrates do judge convenient.—Catechism.
W. NEVINS, D. D.—It is very true, that the Sabbath is done away in the practice of many, but I know of no precept doing it away. The subject may have done it away, but the Lawgiver has not. Now I very much question the right of the subject to do away a law. I can show any one, who wishes to see it, the enactment of the law of the Sabbath. I can tell him when it was enacted, under what circumstances, and in what language. But can any point to the repeal of the law? When was it repealed? Where is the account of it?
CALVIN.—There is no doubt that on the advent of our Lord Jesus Christ, the ceremonial part of the commandment was abolished.
THOS. SCOTT, D. D.—It cannot be that Christ would so often have discussed this subject, and shown what is lawful on the Sabbath, without allowing exceptions, if he had not intended that the institution substantially should continue in full force under the christian dispensation.—On Matt. xii, 7, 8.
DR. PALEY.—The assembling of the first day of the week for the purpose of public worship and religious instruction, is a law of Christ of Divine appointment; the resting on the day from our employments longer than we are detained from them by attendance upon these assemblies, is to Christians an ordinance of human institution.
... What remains, therefore, of Sunday, besides the part of it employed at Church, must be considered as a mere rest from the ordinary occupations of civil life; and he who would defend the institution as is required by law to be observed in Christian countries, unless he can produce a command for a Christian Sabbath, must point out the uses of it in that view.—Moral and Political Philosophy.
[Would it be any more difficult to "produce a command for a Christian Sabbath, than to produce the "law of divine appointment" of which Mr. Paley speaks.]
COMPREHENSIVE COMMENTARY.—The Sabbath began in the finishing of the work of creation; so will the everlasting Sabbath in the finishing of the work of providence and redemption; and we observe the weekly Sabbath in expectation of that, as well as in remembrance of the former; in both conforming ourselves to him we worship. He has himself blessed the Sabbath-day and sanctified it. He has honored it by setting it apart for himself; it is the holy of the Lord and honorable, and he has put blessings into it which he has encouraged us to expect from him, in the religious observance of that day; it is the day the Lord hath made; let us not do what we can to unmake it. He has blessed, honored, and sanctified it; let not us profane it and dishonor it, and level that with common time which God's blessing has thus dignified and distinguished.—On Ex. xx, 8-10.142
But busy as they were in this preparation, they rested on the Sabbath day, and did none of this servile work thereon; not according to the custom of their nation, but according to the commandment of their God, which, though the day be changed, is still in full force.—On Luke xxii, 56.
PROT. EPIS. CHURCH.—The day is now changed from the seventh to the first day, in commemoration of our Lord's resurrection; but as we meet with no scriptural direction for the change, we may conclude it was done by the authority of the church, under the guidance of the apostles:—Explanation of Catechism.
DR. DWIGHT.—It could be altered only by divine appointment. The same authority which instituted the Sabbath, appointed also the day on which it was to be holden; and no other authority is competent to change either in any degree. If, then, we cannot find in the Scriptures plain and ample proof of the abrogation of the original day, or the substitution of a new one, the day undoubtedly remains in full force and obligation; and is now religiously to be observed by all the race of Adam.
MELANCTHON.—The Lord's day, from the apostle's age, hath been a solemn day; notwithstanding, we find not the same commanded by any apostolic law; but it is collected from thence that the observance thereof was free, because Epiphanius and St. Augustine testify that on the fourth and sixth days of the week, church assemblies were held, as well as upon the Lord's day. We teach that traditions are not to be condemned which have a religious end, namely, traditions concerning holy days, the Lord's day, the feast of the nativity, easter, &c.
ADAM CLARKE, D. D.—The change of the Jewish into the Christian Sabbath, called the Lord's day, [Rev. i, 10,] shows that Christ is not only the Lord, but also the truth and completion of it. For it seems to have been by an especial providence that this change has been made and acknowledged all over the christian world.—On Matt. xii, 8.
DR. CHALLONER.—The scripture does not in particular mention this change of the Sabbath. John speaks of the Lord's day; [Rev. i, 10;] but he does not tell us what day of the week this was, much less does he tell us that this day was to take the place of the Sabbath ordained in the commandment. Luke also speaks of the disciples' meeting together to break bread on the first day of the week. Acts xx, 7. And Paul [1 Cor. xvi, 2] orders that on the first day of the week the Christians should lay by in store what they designed to bestow in charity on the faithful in Judea, but neither the one nor the other tells us that this first day of the week was to be henceforth the day of rest and the Christian Sabbath; so that truly the best authority we have for this, is the testimony and ordinance of the church, and, therefore, those who pretend to be so religious of the Sunday, whilst they take no notice of other festivals ordained by the same church authority, show that they act by humor and not by reason and religion, since Sunday and holy-days all stand upon the same foundation, viz.: The ordinance of the church.—Christian Cath. Instructed.
PRES. HUMPHREY.—What if they can show that the ceremonial law has been expressly annulled? It is nothing to the purpose; for the Sabbath existed independently of that law; the chapter and verse must be distinctly pointed out in which the original sabbatical law was expressly repealed. . . . No human authority may expunge a single word from the statutes of Jehovah. It were infinitely less daring for the meanest subject of the mightiest earthly potentate to declare the fundamental laws of the empire null and void, than for man, who is a worm, to set aside the institutions of his Maker.
[Yet Pres. H., dared to expunge the "seventh day" from the law of Jehovah, and insert the "first-day" in its stead; thus setting aside the institution of the Rest-day of God.]
EUSEBIUS.—All things whatsoever that it was the duty to do on the Sabbath, these we have transferred to the Lord's day, as more appropriately belonging to it, because it had a precedence, and is first in rank, and more honorable than the Jewish Sabbath.
MOSHEIM.—All Christians were unanimous in setting apart the first day of the week, on which the triumphant Saviour arose from the dead, for the solemn celebration of public worship. This pious custom which was derived from the example of the church of Jerusalem, was founded upon the express appointment of the apostles, who consecrated that day to the same sacred purpose.
DR. TUBERVILLE.—It (Sunday) is a day dedicated by the apostles to the honor of the Most Holy Trinity, and in memory that Christ our Lord arose from the dead upon Sunday, sent down the Holy Ghost on a Sunday, &c., and therefore is called the Lord's day. It is also called Sunday from the old Roman denomination of Dies Solis, the day of the sun, to which it was sacred.—Douay Catechism.
DAVID BOGUE, D. D.—The fourth commandment does not determine the particular day. That was determined under the law by another precept.
AM. S. S. UNION.—The commandment which stands fourth in the order of the Decalogue is founded on the fact that the seventh day was blessed and hallowed by God himself, and that he requires his creatures to keep it holy to him. The commandment is of universal and perpetual obligation.—Bible Dictionary.
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF REL. KNOWLEDGE.—It cannot reasonably be disputed that the command is truly obeyed by the separation of every seventh day from common to sacred purposes, at whatever given time the cycle may commence. The first Sabbath kept in the wilderness was calculated from the first day in which the manna fell, and with no apparent reference to the creation of the world. By apostolic authority it is now fixed to be held on the first day of the week.
BISHOP HOPKINS.—"On the seventh day God ended his work which he had made, and God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it." Now, that there cannot in these words be understood any prolepsis, or anticipation, declaring that so done then which was done many ages after, appears plainly, because God is said to sanctify the Sabbath then when he rested; but he rested precisely on the seventh day after the creation; therefore that very seventh day did God sanctify, and so made it the beginning of all ensuing Sabbaths.
DR. DWIGHT.—The blessing, also, and the sanctification were annexed to the Sabbath day and not to the seventh.
H. GREW.—The particular day enters into the very essence of the original Sabbath. Any change of the day annihilates it. Another day is another institution. "God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because that in it he had rested from all his work which he had created and made." Gen. ii, 3.—Review of Phelps.
[Eld. Grew's views of the Sabbath are similar to Dr. Paley's.]
PROF. STUART.—The early Christians, one and all of them, held the first day of the week to be sacred.
THOS. DICK, LL. D.—This is a command which never was abrogated, and which never can be abrogated in relation to any intelligent beings, as long as the Creator exists, and so long as the universe remains, as a memorial of his power and intelligence. . . . The celebration of the work of creation is not the only, nor the principal exercise to which we are called on the Christian Sabbath. Had man continued in primeval innocence, this would probably have constituted his chief employment. But he is now called to celebrate, in conjunction with this exercise, a most glorious deliverance from sin and misery effected by the Redeemer of mankind. And, for this reason the Sabbath has been changed from the seventh to the first day of the week.
THOS. SCOTT, D. D.—It is evident that Christians were accustomed to assemble for religious worship on the first day of the week, but the change from the seventh to the first appears to have been gradually and silently introduced, by example rather than precept.
DR. BARNES.—And upon the first day of the week. Showing thus that this day was then observed by Christians as holy time.—On Acts xx, 7.
AM. S. S. UNION.—Sunday was a name given by the heathen to the first day of the week, because it was the day on which they worshiped the sun.—Bible Dictionary.
PRES. BOARD OF PUBLICATION.—It is perfectly plain from the several passages we have collected, that the apostle enjoined and observed the first day of the week as sacred to religious assemblies for Christians; and as plain that he reproved as sinful the observance of Jewish times. The term "days," therefore, in the epistle to the Galatians, and "holy day," and "sabbath days" in that to the Colossians, cannot be understood in any other light than as embracing, if they did not exclusively signify the Jewish seventh day Sabbath, which, as the servant of God he disowned and forbade.—Tract, No. 118.
DR. EDWARDS.—So in the second chapter of Colossians. . . . The sabbaths spoken of are not "the Sabbath" associated with Thou shalt not commit murder, or adultery, or theft; but the sabbaths associated with meats and drinks, and new moons, which were, indeed, shadows of things to come. But to take what he said of those sabbaths, which were associated by God with ceremonial laws, and which the apostle himself in this very discourse, associates with them, and apply it, as some have done, to "THE SABBATH," which God associated with moral laws, is wrong.—Sab. Man. pp. 135-6.
DR. HENRY.—Dwight, in answer to Paley, states that the passage refers to the ordinary holy days of the Jews, or at most to the seventh day only, and not at all to the Christian Sabbath, especially as the latter is not in the Scriptures, and was not by the primitive church, called the Sabbath, but the first day of the week, and the Lord's day.—On Col. ii, 14.
This is a mere sample of the confusion existing in the theological world on this important subject; as before stated, testimony to almost any length may be cited, similar to the foregoing, but I consider these amply sufficient to show where and why the confusion exists. What principle of just reasoning has not been violated by these learned men? They have left the Word of truth and trusted in themselves—expressed their own minds instead of searching out the mind of the Spirit; and have drawn largely on their own fancies, instead of drawing conclusions from the facts revealed in the Word of God. Their learning I do not question—of their honesty I shall say nothing. But I shall leave it for their friends and advocates to decide whether Dr. Clarke was more learned than Dr. Paley; and whether Dr. Bogue was more reliable than Bishop Hopkins; and whether Dr. Edwards was competent to impeach the Presbyterian Board of Publication, and whether (or not) Dr. Dwight ever read the second chapter of Genesis, and twentieth chapter of Exodus!
The testimony of Mosheim is much relied upon, but there are two difficulties in the way of my receiving it. First, no trace of "the express appointment of the apostles," of which he speaks, is found in the New Testament; and second, his whole statement is contradicted by Neander, who is in no respect behind Mosheim, either as to learning, or historical accuracy. In this case, all the probabilities growing out of the New Testament, are in favor of Neander's statement, which is as follows:
"The festival of Sunday, like all other festivals, was always only a human ordinance; and it was far from the intention of the apostles to establish a divine command in this respect; far from them and the early apostolic church, to transfer the laws of the Sabbath to Sunday. Perhaps at the end of the second century, a false application of this kind had begun to take place; for men appear by that time to have considered laboring on Sunday as a sin."
Against learning, or learned men as such, I have nothing to say. But if education served men no better purpose on other points, than it has most of the writers here quoted on the Sabbath question, it would truly be a vain and useless thing.
Reader, remember that God's Word is truth. It reveals the "words of knowledge," which are able to make you wise unto salvation through faith in Christ. The words of man are vanity—his wisdom is folly. His position, his acquirements may qualify him to instruct his fellows; but "TAKE HEED that no man deceive you."
PROV. XIX, 27.—Cease, my son, to hear the instruction that causeth to err from the words of knowledge.
J. B. W.
The Sublimity of Plain Truth
God looks down upon those with an eye of favor who sincerely look up to him with an eye of faith.
One of the sublimest things in the world is plain truth.
PARAPHRASE OF PSALM CXLVI.
By A. M. A. Cornell
VERSE 1, 2. My soul, O praise the Lord
And trust his faithful word.
While life shall last I'll sing,
The praise of God my King.
VERSE 3. In princes put no trust :
They are but mortal dust.
There is no help in man,
Whose life is but a span ;
VERSE 4. For lo, his breath goes forth
And he returns to earth,
And in that self-same day
His very thoughts decay.
VERSE 5. How happy then are they
Who make the Lord their stay ;
Who hope in Israel's God,
And bow beneath his rod.
VERSE 6. He earth's foundations laid,
And the bright heavens made ;
The sacred truth he keeps—
He slumbers not nor sleeps.
VERSE 7. Judgeth for the oppressed
Who sigh in bonds distressed,
Giveth the hungry food,
And is the prisoner's God.
VERSE 8. The blind he giveth sight,
To hail the radiant light,
The bowed down he'll raise :
He loves the righteous' ways.
VERSE 9. Defends the orphan's right,
Repays the widow's mite,
The wicked shall be brought,
In all their ways, to naught.
VERSE 10. The Lord our God shall reign,
And banish grief and pain.
O Zion hear this word,
And magnify the Lord.
Battle Creek, Mich. A. M. A. CORNELL.
Preparing for the Latter Rain
By George W. Amadon
From Bro. Amadon.
DEAR BRETHREN:—It is a solemn fact that we are in the sealing Message, when a work is being done for us that will last through the ages of eternity. It is nearly three years since the glorious truth appeared to my mind that the Law of the Lord was perfect; and, being so perfecting in its nature, would eventually award continual life to its zealous followers.
The light now shed by the Third Angel's Message is brilliant, but as the pathway of the just, it will grow brighter and brighter unto the perfect day. And the truth will surely accomplish its work on earth, because it has such an excellent foundation—the Commandments of God and the Faith of his only begotten Son. There is no halting of the work now going on under the administration of the Third Angel, backed up as it is by the Spirit of God, and subsequently to be accomplished under the manifestation of the latter rain. O, brethren, the prospect of the remnant in a little from this is melting. It is true we shall have an abundance of trials, but they will only minister for us an abundant entrance into the city made for the saints of God.
It has often been a query in my mind what the condition of the remnant would be just before the latter rain which wakes up the saints anew for the kingdom: whether they would merely company with the small flock, observe the Sabbath, and attend the stated meetings, or whether they would be in a waiting, watching, confessing attitude, crying and sighing for the abominations done in the land.
I do now confess my belief that it is only such as are living godly in Christ Jesus, at the time of the latter rain, who will be refreshed by that heavenly shower: and it is my inmost longing to so follow Jesus, that when the great refreshing time arrives, I may be baptized with the Spirit of heaven; then I can safely pass through the time of trouble, and for ever exult in the riches of saving grace.
"Watch ye therefore, and PRAY ALWAYS," is the admonition of Jesus to the remnant, and he gives a good reason: "that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all those things that shall come to pass, and so stand before the Son of man;" "for as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth. Here are two important facts revealed:
1. There are but two classes alive when the Son of man comes; "ye" and "them," or good and bad; "the one will be taken and the other left."
2. The dwellers upon earth in the last time are to be caught as in a snare: while those only who are sojourners, Abraham like, will be immortalized in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye.
That we may all take heed to ourselves, lest at any time our hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon us unawares, is the prayer of your brother in Christ.
G. W. AMADON.
Battle Creek, Mich.