Earlier text: HOW DIFFERENT THE INTERPRETATION!LESSON FOR THE FOURTH SABBATH IN FEBRUARY.
By C. C. L.
(See Instructor of Feb. 18, 1885.) THE INHERITANCE OF THE SAINTS.
NUMBERS 12:3: Many have great difficulty in this text, thinking that because Moses was meekest man in the earth he could not have spoken such language of himself. Hence they assert that it was written by some other person. The assertion might be safely admitted of the passage in question as well as of the account of Moses’ death; still it should not be forgotten that the rules which govern ordinary men in writing do not so strictly apply to those writing by inspiration. Such men spoke not according to their own will, but as they were moved by the Holy Ghost. 2 Pet. 1:21. The same Spirit which used Moses to write language so strongly condemning himself as that found in Num. 20:12 and 13, 14, could with consistency in this case, use him to write in a highly complimentary manner of himself, if it were the truth, and the occasion demanded it. Moreover, the original also implies that Moses was the most oppressed man in the world, as Gesenius gives to the word translated “meek,” the following definition: 1. Oppressed, bowed, wretched, but everywhere with the accessory idea of humility, meekness; that is, the humble meek, who prefer to suffer wrong rather than to do wrong. Hence, 2. Simply meek. JOHN 2:6: Abideth in him.—One definition of the word from which “abideth” is translated is “To remain closely conjoined with any one, and remain united in thought, feeling, purpose, action.” The text might be paraphrased thus: He who professes to have an abiding union with Christ in thought, feeling, purpose, and action, is in duty bound to prove the reality and sincerity of his profession by leading such a life as Christ led. MATTHEW 5:5: A quotation from Ps. 37:11. It is to be fulfilled after the evil doers have been cut off, when the place of the wicked, as well as the wicked themselves, shall not be. Verses 9, 10. Compare Isa. 60:21; 1 Cor. 3:21-23. JAMES 2:5: The poor of this world.—Poor in respect to the things of the world,—poor in those things which the world regard as making their possessor rich. Not simply because they were poor are they chosen, but because they were also rich in faith. To such was the gospel preached, and upon them a blessing was pronounced. Luke 4:18; 6:20; 7:22. Heirs.—If we are children of God, then are we heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Jesus Christ. Rom. 8:17. If ye are Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed and heirs according to the promise. Gal. 3:29. Kingdom.—Matt. 5:25:34. ACTS 14:22: Confirming.—The word literally means, “to cause to stand firmly upon.” The disciples already stood upon the truth; they needed aiding by instruction to stand firmly upon it. Continue.—Stick by, hold on to. The faith.—The system of doctrines upon which the religion of Christ was founded. “And [teaching them] that,” Much tribulation.—Literally, many afflictions. The kingdom.—The everlasting kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ, that prepared for the children of God from the foundation of the world, of which the righteous are now heirs (Jas. 2:5), which they shall inherit at the coming of Christ (Matt. 25:34), and shall literally and fully possess when the earth is made new. C. C. L. THE JUDGMENT OF THE GREAT DAY.
As we turn to this branch of the subject, namely, the nature of the work involved in the cleansing of the sanctuary or the investigative Judgment, another class of declarations which we find in the Scriptures at once suggests itself. In Acts 3:19, 20 we read: “Repent ye therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord; and he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you.” The original admits of a little different translation. Thus, Mr. Wesley, in his notes on the New Testament, reads the passage: “Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, that the times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and he may send to you Christ Jesus, who was before appointed.” Speaking of these two translations, Albert Barnes, in his notes on the Acts, says: “The grammatical construction will admit of either.” So far as the point now under notice is concerned, it matters not which one of these is adopted. One represents the blotting out of sin to be when the times of refreshing arrive; the other makes the blotting out of sin to be the cause of the coming of that refreshing. But neither of them gives the idea that this blotting out of sin takes place when the sinner turns to God. Both of them locate it in the future; and both of them represent it as just preceding the second coming of Christ. And this is especially true of the latter translation which follows the original in using a conditional verb respecting Christ’s advent; not as though that were at all a doubtful event, but rather as if his coming to the personal salvation of the ones addressed, depended upon their having part in the promised refreshing, and as if that refreshing was to come in consequence of the blotting out of sins. The relation of this work of blotting out of sins to the second coming of Christ, determines when it must take place. It just precedes that coming: but the last work Christ does before his coming, is to make the atonement in the most holy place of the heavenly sanctuary. This, therefore, must be the time when and the place where this work is done. But if sins are to be blotted out, they must somewhere be written; and before they can be blotted out, the books which contain those records must be examined. On this point the Scriptures are very explicit. Thus, the Lord says by Jeremiah: “For though thou wash thee with nitre, and take thee much soap, yet thine iniquity is marked before me.” Jer. 2:22. By Moses the Lord speaks as follows: “Is not this laid up in store with me, and sealed up among my treasures.” Deut. 32:34. In precisely the same manner speaks the apostle Paul: “But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, who will render to every man according to his deeds.” Rom. 2:5, 6. Such expressions as these—“iniquity marked,” “laid up in store,” “wrath treasured up,” etc.—can mean nothing less than that God takes notice of men’s sins, and that every one is accurately marked before him. All the texts which speak of the blotting out of sin must have reference to the same great fact. David accordingly prays that God would blot out his transgressions. Ps. 51:1, 9. Nehemiah prays respecting certain ones that their sins may not be blotted out. Neh. 4:5. David and Jeremiah make use of similar language. Ps. 109:14; Jer. 18:23. In Isa. 44:22, 23, the prophet speaks prophetically of the blotting out of sin, connecting it with the new creation and final redemption, but using the past tense for the future as is common in prophetic language. And in the previous chapter (43:25) he speaks of this blotting out of sins as being necessary in order that they may be no more remembered. The existence of these books of record, and the use that is made of them in the great work of Judgment, are matters of the most explicit revelation. In that awe-inspiring view of the Judgment given to the prophet Daniel, he says: “The Ancient of days did sit. . . . Thousand thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him: the Judgment was set and the books were opened.” Dan. 7:9, 10. John also saw the books in connection with the Judgment work. He says: “And I saw the dead small and great stand before God; and the books were opened; and another book was opened which is the book of life; and the dead were judged out of those things written in the books, according to their works.” Rev. 20:12. Thus it is evident that the sins of all men are entered upon the unerring heavenly records, and that the time is coming when the sins of all those who have repented and been converted, will be blotted out. But there are other books besides the one from the records of which judgment is meted out to the wicked, as in Rev. 20:12. In Mal. 3:16 we read: “Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another; and the Lord hearkened and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord, and that thought upon his name. And they shall be mine, saith the Lord of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels; and I will spare them as a man spareth his own son that serveth him. Then shall ye return and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not.” Nehemiah offered this prayer to God: “Remember me, O my God, concerning this, and wipe not out my good deeds that I have done for the house of my God, and for the offices thereof.” The book here referred to seems to be written for the righteous only, and hence to be designed to record their endeavors in the cause of Christ. No names would be recorded therein except the names of those who enter the service of God. But the Scriptures assure us that not all who enter upon this service will persevere and prove overcomers at last. This book will therefore show just how far they advanced in the work of overcoming, and how and when they failed. The object of this book being to contain only the good deeds of the righteous, such as they have endeavored to perform in the name and for the sake of Christ, it must show all their acts of obedience, sacrifice, self-denial, repentance, confession, and other efforts in the Christian life. When their life record is finished, if they have kept the faith and overcome, then this book will show, when the time comes for the examination of the books in the Judgment, that they are prepared for the ordeal and are entitled to a favorable decision. From the records of this book their destiny must accordingly be determined, and this is the book that is to show them worthy of a part in the first resurrection, and in the world to come. But there is still another book which is to be taken into account, called “the book of life.” Rev. 20:12. It is spoken of also as “the Lamb’s book of life.” Rev. 13:8; 21:27. Its purpose is to contain the names of all those who have become followers of the Lamb. It is a record of those who will find deliverance in the great time of trouble. Dan. 12:1. “And at that time, the people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.” It is the grand roll of honor of all those who are entitled to an entrance at last into the city of God. Rev. 21:27. But though a person may have entered God’s service, and had his name registered in the book of life, unless he perseveres to the end, his name will be blotted out of that book. Rev. 3:5. “He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment, and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels.” From this declaration the opposite inevitably follows; namely, that those who do not overcome will have their names blotted out of the book of life. And the time when this is to be done is also indicated. It is when Christ confesses the names of his people before his Father, which must be in the investigative session with which the Judgment opens, and which results in “accounting worthy” as many are entitled to eternal life. This blotting out of the sins of the righteous is to them an event of the utmost importance; for once blotted out, these sins can never be brought against them again in the Judgment, since men give account to God only for those things which are written in the books. No individual therefore can have his sins blotted out until the close of his probation. And in order for the question to be determined whether they shall be blotted out or not, the books must be examined. We now have before us the different books which are to be brought into requisition before the Judgment is completed. These are— 1. The books which contain the records of the sins of all men, in which the names of all men are entered, and from which the sins of the righteous will be blotted out, on their acquittal in the Judgment. 2. The books of remembrance written for the righteous only, in which their names only are entered, and which contain simply their good deeds, that is, their efforts to serve God and overcome sin. From these books all the records pertaining to those who do not succeed in overcoming will be blotted out; for “when the righteous turneth away from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, and doeth according to all the abominations that the wicked man doeth, . . . all his righteousness that he hath done shall not be mentioned.” Eze. 18:24. 3. The book of life, containing the names only of those who have made a profession of Christ, from which the names of all those who finally fail to overcome are to be blotted out. Rev. 3:5. All these books are requisite to the opening Judgment scene described in Daniel 7:9, 10; for they each contain records which are affected thereby. The first must be opened that the sins of the overcomers may be blotted therefrom; the second, that all the abortive efforts of backsliders and apostates may be blotted from its pages; the third, that the names of this latter class may also be blotted from its record, leaving the names only of those who have overcome, and who are to have immortality brought to them at the revelation of Jesus Christ. It is evident that the result of the blotting out work is to draw the final line of separation between the righteous and the wicked and decide all cases. But this, as we have seen, is just what is accomplished by the cleansing of the sanctuary,—the work of the atonement in the most holy place of the tabernacle on high. Such, then, is the nature of the work of the investigative Judgment. It consists in the examination of the books, the blotting out of the sins of the overcomers, and the erasing from the book of life of the names of all who have failed to overcome. As the object of the investigative Judgment is simply to decide who are Christ’s that they may be105 “at his coming” (1 Cor. 15:23), it is evident that the only cases which come up for examination in this division of the Judgment with a view to determining whether they are the Lord’s or not, are those who have at some time made a profession of the same. For those who have never made a profession of the service of God, have already decided for themselves the only question which it is the object of this investigative Judgment to determine, that is, to which class, righteous or wicked, they belong; for by their course of life they have proclaimed themselves his enemies, and on that question there is nothing further to be decided in their cases. Nor would there be anything further to be decided in case of professing Christians, if it were a fact that all who enter the service of Christ are absolutely sure of overcoming. But all do not hold out to the end; hence the necessity of examining their cases to ascertain who have done so and who have failed. It follows, therefore, that the important book—the decisive book—in this part of the Judgment, the book of God’s remembrance, containing not the names of the wicked world in general, but only those who have professed to be followers of God. These cases alone come up in the investigative Judgment; for as we have seen, there is no occasion to introduce any others at this point. The records of this book determine whose sins shall be blotted out of the book where they are recorded, their names retained in the book of life, and on the other hand whose sins shall remain uncanceled to be answered for in a future division of the Judgment, and their names be blotted from the book of life, and their good deeds from this book of God’s remembrance. The accomplishment of this work strikes the final balance-sheet of the world. The records are all complete. The blotting out of sins and names, from their respective books, is all finished. The names then remaining in the book of life show who are to be raised from the dead, and who are changed among the living, at the coming of Christ. Let it be noticed that this branch of the Judgment work has but one specific purpose, and that is to decide the question of acceptance or rejection, or life or death for all mankind. It simply assigns them to their respective classes, the good or the evil. It does not determine the amount of the reward due to the righteous, or the amount of punishment to be inflicted upon the wicked. Those matters still remain to be settled by the record of the deeds of the wicked, not yet examined at all, and by the records of the good works of the righteous remaining in the book of remembrance, which has thus far been examined only on the question of character. In this part of the Judgment God acts as Judge, Christ as Advocate. Here Christ confesses before his Father the names of those who have confessed him before men; and their names are not blotted from the book of life; and here he also denies before his Father the names of those who deny him before men; and their names are blotted from the book of life. Matt. 10:32, 33; Rev. 3:5. Thus the Father accepts through Christ all who are his; and this being done, his part in the work of Judgment ends. Thenceforward all judgment is committed unto the Son. John 5:22. PREVIOUS TO THE PASSING OF THE TIME IN 1844
By G. L. B.
ADVENT EXPERIENCE.—NO. 2.
PREVIOUS TO THE PASSING OF THE TIME IN 1844.
ADVENTISTS can never forget the experiences of a year. Nothing of like nature was ever observed in the history of this people. Father Miller had been laboring some ten years in proclaiming the evidences of Christ’s soon coming. Other prominent laborers had become connected with him in the work. For two or three years previous to ’44, the doctrine had attracted a great deal of attention. It was commented upon in the papers, and the Adventist laborers were everywhere welcomed in the orthodox churches, as great revivals followed their labors. The most earnest Christians of the various sects were favorable to the doctrine, and they loved the spirit which went with it. Eminent scholars and theologians gave attention to it by writing articles which were printed in the leading papers, some of the same class of persons opposing the doctrine. But the replies of its defendants were thought to be triumphantly successful, and certainly the opposition only added to the intensity of the interest. As the time drew nearer and nearer, the influence of the movement became more and more extended. It was the general subject of remark,—the principal topic of conversation through large sections of country. The most intense interest prevailed among the Adventists themselves. The arguments brought out by Mr. Miller and his fellow-laborers seemed so clear to them that their confidence was perfect that the Lord’s coming was indeed just before them. They felt in their souls that they should behold their Lord in the very near future. The spirit of labor for the unconverted, and the intense interest felt for the salvation of souls, we can little realize in this age of cold formality. The power of the Spirit of God was present in their meetings, so that many who came with idle curiosity or as scoffers, were brought to give themselves to God, and humble themselves by confessing their sins with the deepest penitence and bitter weeping, and then to rejoice with all their souls as the Lord poured his blessing upon them. Any one who heard the singing at that time will not be likely to forget it. It seemed to have a peculiarly solemn and penetrating power, a heavenly sweetness which charmed the listener and softened the heart. Many went to the meetings to hear it. The preaching was very solemn, becoming more and more so as the time drew nearer and nearer. The work went with mighty power in ’43 and ’44, in all directions, especially in the Eastern States of this country. We have abundance of evidence to show that it extended more or less to all parts of the world. We will not undertake in this article to give anything like a general or connected account of the work of the first message during that interesting period. We were too young to have anything more than a local knowledge. The life of Father Miller will present many interesting facts; also those excellent works of Eld. White, “Life Incidents,” or “Life Sketches,” for sale at the Offices and Depositories. We think that all the readers of the Review should peruse these works. Every one who is a believer in the present work ought to be thoroughly acquainted with the first angel’s message. We will only mention a few things which came under our personal observation. We remember distinctly a course of Advent sermons delivered by Columbus Green in Waterbury, Vt., we think in the early part of 1843. They were given in the Methodist church in the village. The impression of the solemnity of that meeting and the preaching of Mr. Green I can never forget, though I was but a small boy at the time. The house was densely packed with people, and everything was as still as death except the voice of the speaker. His countenance was very pale, and his words had the solemnity of the Judgment, as he discoursed upon the false shepherds and their terrible doom in the day of the Lord. As the speaker was portraying these things in burning words, Mr. Stone, the Congregationalist minister of the place, and one who had no love for the Advent doctrine, arose from the midst of the congregation, while his face wore a look of defiance, and stood up as if accepting the remarks as applicable to himself. Mr. Green talked all the more earnestly, and with language terribly pointed, pictured the doom which awaited those belonging to the class of false shepherds. Though more than forty years have passed, the scene is as vivid as if it happened yesterday. We also distinctly recall a camp-meeting held by the Adventists at Cabot, Vt., which my parents attended. Eld. Shipman and a large number of other leading preachers were in attendance. It was a very large meeting. We remember the preaching from the large stand in the grove, and the sea of upturned faces, earnest, and solemn. The small meetings in the tents, and the earnest labor for souls in the little meetings held in them, between the regular services, we recall very distinctly. Unlike our camp-meetings almost all the time between the regular services was filled up in meetings in the small tents. Some one would commence to pray or sing, and a number would begin to gather in. There was labor for some soul yet in the dark, and earnest pleading went up to God in his behalf, till he would break down and seek God for himself; when victory came, there was great rejoicing. There were more thorough and heartfelt confessions of sin than we usually see in these days. These meetings went on in many places, and many souls were converted in this manner. One could go out in the grove in the early morning, and many persons could be seen kneeling here and there, pleading earnestly for God’s blessing. The voice of prayer could be heard in many directions. There was an entire absence of levity and the visiting spirit. Earnestness, devotion, and love for the coming of Christ were everywhere present. Oh! that more of these were now present. I well remember the meetings which just preceded the passing of the time. In my native town the Adventists had no meeting-house of their own. So they fitted up a large room in the upper story of the starch factory owned by “Parker & Butler,” both deacons of the Baptist church and both zealous Adventists. Here meetings were constantly held, with large crowds in attendance. Just before the time passed meetings were held nearly all the time. Most of the believers left their crops in the fields ungathered, giving the poor liberty to supply their own wants. They felt it would be a denial of their faith to lay up their store as for another season when they believed the Lord was coming in a few weeks. We remember one wealthy and very economical farmer who had a large orchard. He went out into it just before the passing of the time, and seeing many apples on the ground, gathered them into the house. In the night his conscience so troubled him at what he had done that he got up and threw them out. This was of course an extreme case. But it shows something of the intensity of spirit which prevailed. The appointed time came the last week in October. Scarcely any of the believers dug their potatoes that year till the ground froze; but they suffered little loss thereby, as the weather continued mild. Potatoes dug early that year rotted very badly, while those left in the ground till later were saved. Just before the time passed, meetings were held constantly. There was no fanatical excitement among the believers where I was, but a very solemn, humble feeling, each one most anxious how his own case should stand in the Judgment. Persons became very honest at that time. Sins were confessed which no one dreamed had been committed. Many who had thought sprinkling was just as good as immersion concluded it was best to go down into the water as their Lord did, though no special effort was made to get them to do so. People could see things then with very little argument which before no one could make them believe. There were no “ascension robes” or any such follies whatever. But many were anxious to have robes of character that would pass the test of the Judgment. During the night when the time passed meetings106 continued all night. There was a drunken, noisy rabble howling around, and making the night hideous. But the believers were praying most earnestly for God to guard, shield, and save them. If ever men gave evidence of honesty and true faith, they did then. Their whole hearts were in the work. They most certainly expected their probation was just closing. Tears and earnest pleadings for God’s acceptance were heard on every hand. But the morning came, and the Lord did not come. Still many continued to expect him for days. But soon all realized they were disappointed, and their hearts were very sad. The bitterness of that disappointment none can realize but those who passed through it. Of this we will speak next week. IS THE END NEAR?
By G. L. B.
TESTIMONY OF EARTHLY GOVERNMENTS.
“Surely the Lord will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets.” Amos 3:7. From this we understand that all the important events connected with the plan of salvation, in which man is so intimately interested, God will reveal to his servants the prophets. We should therefore expect to find in their writings references to all the great events of human history, and their relation to the age of the world and the end of time. The apostle says, “Ye, brethren, are not in darkness that that day should overtake you as a thief.” It must be that these brethren had diligently considered these prophecies; for there is no other source from which the child of God can ascertain such facts. No scientist or statesman pretends to be able to shed light on this subject. None but God can reveal it, and unless he gives light through his prophets, he has given none at all upon this subject. But the word of God claims to give much evidence on this very point. There are a variety of ways in which this instruction is given, many roads, all terminating in the same grand event, the great central point of all revelation, the Judgment, and the coming of Christ. In this article we will notice but one of them; the testimony of earthly governments. The witnesses are important; for they have been the proudest actors in the affairs of mankind. No one can say that the evidence they give is on a small scale. They have been the observed of all observers. The attention of all mankind has been drawn to them. It is a striking fact that what is valuable in history pertains to the very same nations which God has introduced as witnesses in the fulfillment of his word, showing the time of the end. China is claimed to be one of the most ancient and populous nations that ever existed; its people most intelligent, its civilization higher than most others in the past. What mark has she made in history? The most intelligent men can give very little information concerning it. India is likewise ancient and populous, having to-day a population far surpassing that of many of the modern nations. The people were intelligent, while our ancestors were lawless savages. But who knows what has transpired in the history of India? How different when we consider Babylon, Media and Persia, Greece, and Rome, and the nations into which the Roman empire was divided? All that is valuable in the records of the past we cull from the history of these kingdoms. All the great examples of heroism, wisdom, art, and learning, piety and virtue, we find in their annals. It is the testimony of these nations that has a bearing upon our nearness to the end. God had revealed in his word the great facts of their history before many of them even existed. The records of two thousand five hundred years prove the correctness of the prophetic statements. Various writers in the Bible have given us important facts relative to this interesting theme. We have space to glance at but few of them. In Dan. 2 we have the starting point in this interesting subject. As God’s servants were carried away into captivity among the Gentile nations, God seems to have made it the occasion for revealing the history of those nations as related to that of his people, and their strange experience among the nations of the earth. The king of Babylon had a remarkable dream, which he could not recall. Daniel, the Hebrew captive, was at last called in to tell what it was. It having been previously revealed to him in a vision, he was enabled to do it. He told the king in substance what he had seen in his dream. A great image, whose head was of gold, whose breast and arms were of silver, whose sides were of brass, whose legs were of iron, and whose feet and toes were partly of iron and partly of clay, stood before him. Its appearance was very majestic. Suddenly a stone, cut out of a mountain by no human hand, struck the image on the feet, and the whole figure was shivered to atoms, and swept away as the whirlwind sweeps away the chaff from the threshing floor; and the particles could not be found. And the wonderful stone became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth. A wonderful, startling revelation! The prophet immediately tells the king that these divisions of the image represent great kingdoms, commencing with his own, and each succeeding one taking the dominion of the earth, and ruling for a period of time, till another came upon the stage. The stone which smote the last division was the everlasting kingdom of God, which should make a clean sweep of them all, and should itself stand forever and ever. We shall take no time to prove what all sensible commentators admit,—that these successive kingdoms were Babylon, Medo-Persia, Grecia, and Rome, and that the ten kingdoms were those which rule in the world to-day. No other application worthy of a moment’s thought can be made. The first great kingdom rising after the deluge was Assyria, essentially the same people that built Babylon. This nation continued nearly 1,700 years, till Cyrus the Great extinguished it a little more than 500 years before Christ. Then the Medo-Persian kingdom, brought into supreme power by him, reigned some 200 years more, when Alexander the Great overthrew Cyrus’ degenerate successors. The Grecian kingdom thus founded bore sway a little less than two centuries, when the rising power of Rome crippled and destroyed it. The iron kingdom of Rome, stronger and more cruel than any that preceded it, continued without a successful rival till its people, satiated with wealth and power, gradually lost their vigor, and became weak and effeminate. The barbarous tribes of Northern Europe at last broke up the empire, and divided it up among themselves, a little less than 500 years after Christ, since which time the sovereignty of the world has been held by them. As proof of this, the little kingdom of England, with less than forty millions of people, holds under her authority perhaps one hundred millions of Asiatics in India, and overawes the kingdom of China with several hundred millions more. She does her pleasure in the continent of Africa, and makes the islands of the ocean bow to her mandates. France, Germany, and other powers do the same on a smaller scale. No government except our own would dare dispute their supremacy. This succession of kingdoms is plainly pointed out in prophecy. (See Dan. 5:25–31; 8:20, 21, etc.; Luke 2:1 and many other Scriptures.) The merest child in historical lore knows these things to be true. There is scarcely a page in history that does not corroborate in some way these facts. For 1300 years we have been down in the last earthly governments brought to view in prophecy. The next event mentioned (Dan. 2:44) in the days of these (the ten) kings, is that the God of heaven shall set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed; and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and shall stand forever. Earthly governments are to pass away and close with these which derived their origin from the Roman empire. No new order of things is to be introduced, no great conqueror to unite them all in one; but God’s coming kingdom will destroy them all together, and that shall never pass away. Here we have a rough outline, brief but exceedingly comprehensive, taking in all the prominent governmental actors in history. How wonderfully keen was the prophet’s vision! Who can doubt that it was God alone who could thus predict history. Never was there an infidel who could set aside the arguments of the second chapter of Daniel. It presents a simple, plain prophetic outline of history from the flood to the burning day. All the prominent actors pointed out two thousand five hundred years ago! Can any man deny it? Has a single mistake been made by the prophet? And where do we stand in this interesting chain? In the very last and closing link. The wonderful stone is about to fall, and all earthly power to be demolished. God’s glorious kingdom is about to be established, and the saints of God to be rewarded. Can there be any doubt on the point? Not unless there is a mistake in the vision on the last point where there has never been one on any other. We are willing to risk it, and therefore believe that the end is near. THE GENERAL MEETING AT HILLSDALE.
By G. I. B.
This was the first of the series of general meetings recently appointed by the Conference Committee in Michigan. We are glad to say that it was a decided success, and one of the most interesting meetings we ever attended in the State. In the first place, the director, Bro. H. W. Miller, took a great interest to get the people to come out. He visited the different churches, and personally invited many who he felt needed the benefit of such a meeting. The little meeting-house of our people in Hillsdale was altogether too small to accommodate our own people who attended. The Baptist friends, therefore, allowed us the use of their hall, which was a great accommodation. Every church in the district, excepting the one at Jackson, was well represented; and they certainly missed an important privilege in absenting themselves from the meeting. We should judge two or three hundred of our people were in attendance on the Sabbath, and nearly all stayed through until Monday afternoon. The people came out to hear the truth, and God gave special freedom in presenting it. The nearness of Christ’s coming, the message of warning now being given, the work of the Spirit of God in the testimonies, the truths for the present time, the carelessness and indifference of our people, and the question of the missionary work, etc., were the subjects presented. Present truth for the present time is what the people need. The importance of earnestness in view of the short period preceding the close of probation, the necessity of active labor to keep up spiritual life in this age of sad declension, cold formality, stolid indifference, and love of pleasure, these truths were well received by the people. The tears could be seen on many faces while the truth was being presented; and the interest of the meeting seemed to increase constantly from the beginning to the close. Our social meeting Sabbath day morning was a most interesting occasion. Eld. D. H. Lamson, who has recently passed through affliction in sickness, made most interesting and feeling remarks. He referred to the discourse of the previous day concerning the testimonies and the perplexities of his mind for several years in the past concerning them; how he had been brought into great distress and anguish; and how for the last few months the Lord had been letting the light shine upon his mind, and he had received a great blessing. He said that in several instances he had been brought near to the grave, and God had mercifully preserved him. The thought that possibly he might be called away, and not be able to labor any more in this glorious cause, was exceedingly painful to him. He referred to some most interesting circumstances he had himself observed where the Lord had given light through vision to Sr. White. Some of these are worthy of a more careful description. Though his mind had been in trouble in the past, he now expressed a most decided and positive conviction of the truthfulness not only of the visions, but also of all the blessed truths professed by our people; and expressed his desire to labor with greater earnestness and zeal than ever before. The Spirit of God rested upon him and every one in the congregation. He and many others were in tears. The remarks at other parts of the meeting were exceedingly interesting. We do hope the Lord will raise his servant to go forth and labor in the cause of God with all that earnestness that his heart desires. Our missionary meetings were of deep interest. A large number promised to go and canvass the Signs and “Sunshine” and the REVIEW and other periodicals. The subject of the Australian107 mission was talked over; and when the director presented the matter in a few words, and inquired if there were any who wished to give $100 to this important enterprise, six or seven immediately responded. Two at least of these had before pledged $1,000 each on the $75,000 fund. This amount was given besides what they had pledged in that fund, and given cheerfully. $875 was pledged in sums of from $50 to $100. The director feels confident that in this district alone this sum can be easily raised to $1,000 for the Australian mission. The funds for this important mission would soon be raised if others would give with the same liberality. We are not prepared to say that such steps should be taken everywhere; we have hoped that that mission would receive its funds mostly from those pledging $1,000 and upward; but there seemed to be a desire on the part of the brethren to help on this important mission. If the general meetings in other parts of the State can be made as profitable as this one at Hillsdale, they will certainly be an important means of grace to this Conference. May God’s blessing rest upon those that shall follow.