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Review and Herald, Vol. 38, No. 3.

Solution of Problems relating to the Day Line
Earlier text: Solution of Problems relating to the Day Line

Men and Things.

By Dudley Marvin Canright

WALK BY FAITH.

One class of Christians are always measuring their progress by their feelings. If they feel well and happy, they are satisfied that all is well, and that they are in the right path—Heaven is sure. If trials, temptations, and sorrows, come, then they are cast down and discouraged. These do not walk by faith, but by feeling. Beecher well illustrates these things thus:—
“A man starts from here to go to Liverpool, and he finds the blandest weather and the serenest heaven all the day that he sails out of port, and all the next day, and all the next day; and every day he says, ‘I know I am steering right, because I have such beautiful weather, and because I am having such a charming time.’ Three days afterward, another man starts for the same place; and there is an east wind; and it storms all the first day, and all the first night, and all the next day; but still he watches his compass, and holds on to his course. It seems as though the spirits of mischief were in the air. He has been out a whole week, and has not seen the sun once. He has been out ten days, and has been driven hither and thither all the time. But he has kept on the right course. And he says, ‘I will keep right, anyhow, notwithstanding the weather.’ What has the weather to do with it? A man who has a compass knows how to steer whether the weather is good or bad. It is better if it is fair; but if it is foul, it is the man’s business to make his way straight across the sea. So, if a man has laid his course for the heavenly land, if he has taken Christ as his star by which to steer, he is to go by his sailing directions. And it does not make any difference whether he is happy or not, so far as the fact is concerned that he is putting for the Christian life and for a Christian destiny; and that is the thing which he is to labor for.”

HINTS TO PREACHERS.

The Advance thus plainly and truly points out the prevailing lack among preachers of the gospel, the reason why so little good is done. May we lay it to heart and avoid the same pit of corruption:—
“There is much mere goodish preaching and exhortation, both by ministers and laymen, in which one hears scarcely anything except a mention of God’s compassion, of Christ’s willingness to save all who trust in him, and of the ease and pleasure of a religious life. There is truth in these representations; but how much, and with what limitations, or with what relationships to other truths, no one can understand without a deep work of conviction, wrought by a clear presentation of fundamental doctrines. Men must see the vile character and ruinous nature of sin; the holiness of God, and his sure purpose to punish persistent sinners; the entirely fallen condition of man, and the necessity of a complete renewal of character by the Holy Spirit; the coming fact of a final judgment and of eternal awards of destiny; and the positive need of redemption by the blood of Christ. Those who slightly realize their guilt and danger, will slightly appreciate the fullness and grace of Christ’s salvation; and thus their purpose of a new life will be feeble, their joy will be faint, their gratitude will be small, and their testimony of little power. Deep plowing requires the preaching of law as well as of grace; of hell, as well as of Heaven; of divine severity, as well as of divine compassion; of unconditional, whole-hearted consecration, as well as of forgiven sin. Did not Jesus himself so preach? Did not the most fearful warnings fall from the same lips which uttered the tenderest invitations? Did he not say that the Holy Spirit, when given, should ‘reprove [or convince] the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment’? Did not Paul make the dissolute Felix tremble, as he ‘reasoned of righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come’? And did he not cry aloud, ‘Behold, therefore, the goodness and the severity of God’? Let us have deeper plowing, and we shall see more marked and abiding results. Men have not changed; the gospel has not changed; and in its grand characteristics, the utterance of the pulpit should not change.”
Yes, brethren, let us not be frightened out of preaching the law because it hurts hypocrites, and they make a fuss about it. Cry the louder.

THEIR SPIRIT.

The following from the Christian Statesman, in an article on the Sunday question, shows the deep feeling they have on this question, and that when they get the laws in their hands, Sunday-breakers need expect no mercy of them. It is the old spirit of persecution. It says:—
“The true ground, the only stable ground, for the maintenance of the Sabbath laws, is that the prosecution of common labor or amusement on that day is wickedness, an offense against morals, like blasphemy, licentiousness, or theft. We must have regard in our legislation not to a Sunday ‘holiday,’ but to a Sabbath of the Lord, for rest and worship. On no other ground can our laws be successfully defended.”

A MARK OF CONVERSION.

Brother, do you want to know whether or not you have really been converted? Do you long and pray for the sure evidence? Well, here is an infallible test: How do you treat your family since you sought the Lord? Beecher illustrates it thus:—
“And let me here say, that when a man who has not cared much for his family is converted, it is like taking a lump of sugar and putting it in a cup of tea. There is no great flash or flame there; but that tea is sweet. If a man who never made his home happy is converted, you may depend upon it that house will become sweeter. As his heart dissolves under the divine influence, he will sweeten everything about him.”
The fact holds just as good with regard to any other relation in the family, as of brothers and sisters, &c. If your religion does not make you good, kind, gentle, and forbearing, in the family, it is a failure.

THE SUNDAY-SABBATH LAW.

The stone keeps rolling, the agitation still goes on. The parties are becoming warm, and their statements stronger, and their positions more radical. A strict Sunday law put through by a religious party is bound to follow. In an account of a late convention, the Methodist gives these items:—
“1. That the sacred observance of the Sabbath is a divine command, obligatory both upon the individual and society. “2. That the desecration of the Sabbath is an evil so flagrant that it should be the subject of legislative enactment.”
Brethren, let us make God our trust and calmly wait the soon-coming storm.
D. M. CANRIGHT.

For thy Good.

By George Ide Butler

These words are contained in the address of Moses to the children of Israel, Deut. 10:12, 13: “And now, Israel, what doth the Lord thy God require of thee but to fear the Lord thy God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul, to keep the commandments of the Lord and his statutes, which I command thee this day for thy good.” So the prophet Micah says, “He hath showed thee, O man! what is good.” The thought expressed above that all of God’s requirements are really designed to benefit us, sets his dealings with man in a very beautiful light. If we could always realize this great truth, it would be a mighty help to us in rendering obedience to those requirements. The language of the unregenerate heart is, “Lord, I knew thee, that thou art a hard man;” thy yoke is hard; thy burden heavy; while the man of God cries, “All of thy ways are right, they are designed for my good; thy yoke is easy and thy burden light. Here, Lord, are thy five talents, I have gained others beside; they are all thine. It is a pleasure to work for thee.” If we could realize this great truth in times of darkness and trial, what a source of strength it would be to us.
To make this clear, let us consider the commandments of God, and see if we reach the same conclusion that Moses did; viz., That they are designed for our good. “Thou shalt have no other gods before Me.” This short but exceedingly comprehensive precept will certainly benefit the one who keeps it. It gives God the first place in our affections and contemplations. We are beings who must think of something. That which most interests us, which we delight to contemplate most, will naturally be our standard of excellence. Who could contemplate constantly the character of God without being made better by it? We see the importance of this when we consider the character of pagans. The gods they worship, which they take for their ideal, are sensual, sanguinary, and abominable. Their characters approximate the same standard. Those who have kept this commandment best, have been the most noble and exalted of all who have lived on our earth. It was for their good.
So in regard to the second commandment, “Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image,” nor worship it. It can but have a fearfully debasing effect, for the human mind to contemplate as an image of wood or stone made by human hands, the Deity who is represented as dwelling in light and glory, ineffable, “whom no man has seen nor can see,” the Creator of the universe, “who humbleth himself to behold the earth.” God desires us to think of him as he is, so far as our limited capacity will allow. The nearer we can come to the truth, the more ennobling and elevating the effect will be upon us. This command, then, is for our good.
“Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain.” We should hold in honor and respect that which is truly honorable. We should speak of things as they really are. To take the highest and most sacred name in the universe as a common thing, as a mere trifle, is fearfully debasing, and shows great depravity of heart. To speak of the Deity as many professed Christians do, with no emotions of reverence, shows how little they sense the character of that being before whom angels that excel in strength bow, and cry, “Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty.” Taking a proper view of this sacred name will always elevate and refine the man who does it. It is for our good.
“Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy.” God placed this command with those we have been considering. The only reason he did so, that we can assign, is because it was of the same nature. Shall we find it “for our good”? Many think otherwise. We have kept it for many years, and must agree with the inspired writer. Why should we remember the Sabbath day? Because it is the God-given memorial of one of the most sublime events ever transacted in the universe; an event to which we owe our existence; an event very necessary for poor man to keep in his memory, to keep him from infidelity and atheism; an event that ever keeps the true relation we sustain to God before our minds, the relation of the creature to the Creator. “For he spake, and it was done; he commanded, and it stood fast.” God thought it of enough importance to set us the example by resting himself. He set apart that day of his rest, and commands us to keep it holy. We could not properly commemorate that event in any other way than the one he has seen fit to give us. He would choose the proper one; and we could not celebrate his rest without resting the same day of the week on which he rested; We could not have a weekly memorial day without having that day specified. The only day specified in the Bible for this memorial is the seventh day.
The contemplation of the events specified, as directed by the commandment, would necessarily have a most exalting tendency upon every one; and when we come to add to this the important idea of one day in seven being set apart for the worship of God, in which it is a duty to lay aside worldly thoughts, and contemplate the important interests of religion, the calling into exercise the higher and nobler faculties of the mind, raising them up toward God and Heaven, and the difficulty of doing this without special effort, owing to our depraved hearts and the worldly interests around us, with the certainty of our not doing it unless a special day were set apart for the purpose, when we realize that our very physical natures demand such a rest from wearing toil, and that the domestic animals under our care need it, then we can realize that it is a benefit to us. Would God be careless of such a want on our part? Would we be using him with proper respect should we neglect the day he appointed? Should we choose another day not commanded by him, and neglect the one he did command, would it be treating him with reverence? These considerations, and many others which might be advanced, positively prove the Sabbath a necessity for the best development of our nature. Yes, the Sabbath is for “our good.” “It was made for man.”
“Honor thy father and thy mother.” All reasonable persons will admit this is a sacred duty. Our obligations to our parents, who have cared for us in our helpless infancy, and in sickness, and have provided us with the blessings of life, are second only to those we are under to God. A neglect to keep this requirement shows base ingratitude. The keeping of it in all its fullness is evidence of our being actuated by noble principle. It is for “our good.”
We might continue to comment on the remaining five, which all admit are important moral duties and conducive to our well-being in this life and the next. So we are called upon to obey God’s commandments, not only by a solemn duty and obligation to him, but even by enlightened self-interest.
Are we called upon to give of our means freely to aid the cause of God and benefit suffering humanity? How beautiful a benevolent character! How impossible to perfect such an one without habitually exercising the faculty of benevolence by giving! The more we practice upon it the more easy it becomes to do so, and the happier we are.
Does God call upon us to forsake not the assembling of ourselves together, and to take great pains to attend camp-meetings, at quite a serious sacrifice of property, time, and ease? By so doing we gain the blessing of God, greater knowledge of his holy truth, acquaintance with the most pious and devoted people among us, and, what is most important, spiritual strength to resist the evils around us, which results are not obtained by those who stay at home, as observation will certainly show.
Does God require some to make special sacrifices, to leave home and dear friends, and take heavy burdens upon them of perplexity, care, and wearing labor? To such he gives special strength and a special experience, as they are called upon to do special duties. He gives such a sense of the sweetness of suffering with Christ, and of that “peace that passeth all understanding” to rule and reign in their hearts when they do their duty cheerfully. Paul was not an unhappy man. Even in the jail, with his feet fast in the stocks and his back bloody with lashes, he could sing and praise God till the walls rang again. No, the spirit of sacrifice brings its happy results.
Does God permit fearful trials to fall upon us, so that our hold on this world is entirely cut away, and we feel that everything looks dark and no sorrow is like our sorrow? This is not a bad result by any means. It is, that the tendrils of our hearts should cling to Christ, our hopes be centered in a world fairer and better than this, one which is worth living for. We cannot find sufficient capacity in our hearts to love two worlds. “We cannot love God and mammon.” Sometimes a dear one is taken away. Sometimes our property changes hands, and slips from our grasp, disappointment and trial meet us, pain and agony pierce our hearts. What are these for? “Our good,” to draw us near to Christ, cut us loose from the world, and to teach us to love that which is worth loving. “No chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous; nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness to them who are exercised thereby.” If we ever “see as we are seen,” we shall then realize that those very things which seemed to us, in our dark condition, against us, were perhaps the most efficient agencies toward bringing us to our desired haven. They were for “our good.”
GEO. I. BUTLER.

FIFTY-SIX WANTS OF THE CHILDREN OF ZION.

By Sol.

  1. I want to feed on Jesus’ word.
  2. I want communion with the Lord.
  3. I want salvation full and free.
  4. I want my Father’s face to see.
  5. I want to prove each promise sweet.
  6. I want to live at Jesus’ feet.
  7. I want his mercy every day.
  8. I want upholding all the way.
  9. I want to live as Jesus’ bride.
  10. I want in his dear wounds to hide.
  11. I want to prize his fullness more.
  12. I want his fullness to adore.
  13. I want to hear his heavenly voice.
  14. I want in Jesus to rejoice.
  15. I want to join in him by faith.
  16. I want to credit all he saith.
  17. I want to trust him with my all.
  18. I want on his dear name to call.
  19. I want to die to all things here.
  20. I want on him to cast my care.
  21. I want to see his gospel spread.
  22. I want on Satan’s power to tread.
  23. I want to see the proud made sad.
  24. I want to see poor mourners glad.
  25. I want to see the hungry fed.
  26. I want by Jesus to be lead.
  27. I want him as a guide and friend.
  28. I want him to my journey’s end.
  29. I want him as my priest and king.
  30. I want his precious love to sing.
  31. I want him as my rock and power.
  32. I want him in each trying hour.
  33. I want him as my brother dear.
  34. I want my Jesus evermore.
  35. I want his hands, his eyes, his heart.
  36. I want with all besides to part.
  37. I want him as my husband kind.
  38. I want in him my all to find.
  39. I want him as my daily bread.
  40. I want him as my living head.
  41. I want him as my hiding place.
  42. I want him as my God of grace.
  43. I want him as my life of peace.
  44. I want him as my righteousness.
  45. I want his great atoning blood.
  46. I want to bathe in that dear flood.
  47. I want his Spirit’s voice to hear.
  48. I want the love that casts our fear.
  49. I want him now in Achor’s Vale.
  50. I want him when all hell assails.
  51. I want him when all flesh gives way.
  52. I want him as my only stay.
  53. I want his smiles his looks of grace.
  54. I want to see him face to face.
  55. I want his wisdom, strength, and love.
  56. I want to dwell with him above.
The blessings here by me implored Are all in Jesus richly stored. Yea, thousands more than are expressed, Are found in him my heavenly rest. Count all the stars that shine by night. Count all the sun’s sweet rays of light. Count all things moving, great or small, The sands of this terrestrial ball, Though vast the number, yet how few, Compared with what by faith I view. All meeting in my glorious Friend, Whose love and mercy knows no end. —Sol.

Reproving Sin.

The captain of a vessel said to a minister, who kindly rebuked him for swearing, “You are right, sir, you are right. Support your character, and we will respect you. We sometimes have clergymen come on board who seem quite uneasy until they get us to understand that we may do or say what we please before them; but we despise them for it.”
Do not Christians often thus bring dishonor on the name of the Master, by forgetting to “have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.” It is not a pleasant duty, but a most important one, and may decide the destiny of a soul for eternity.
You have an associate who is a stranger to Jesus. You often hear from his lips a laughing jest with regard to the inconsistency of professing Christians, or the quotation of an apt passage of Scripture to point his irreverent wit. How have such expressions been received by you? Did your manner show that you were grieved to see your best of friends thus insulted, his solemn words, sent in infinite love and pity to your soul, mocked at, and made a laughing stock? Or did an answering smile steal to your lips, leaving the impression on the mind of your associate that it is a very slight matter to trifle with religion, as “professing Christians do n’t mind it”?
Even a look of heartfelt reproach may silence the scoffer, and cause him to reflect on his sinful habit.
“I never received so cutting a reproof in my life,” said the distinguished Judge H., “as when crossing the river once, in a ferry-boat, in company with a minister, who was then unknown to me. I became annoyed at a delay, and uttered an imprecation on the ferryman. The gentleman turned his full, earnest eye upon me, with such an expression of sorrow and reproach, that I almost shrank from his gaze. I instantly begged his pardon, though he had not spoken a word. ‘Ask pardon of God,’ he replied; and I shall never forget that look and voice.”
One should learn to rebuke sin in the spirit of love and gentleness, for all other reproof “is of the earth, earthy,” and will more probably arouse than allay the evil passions of the heart.
The excellent Mr. Howe had always a happy manner of reproving, seldom giving offense, though always faithful. As he was walking one day, he observed two angry men disputing and imprecating curses on each other. Raising his hat, he said, in a kindly voice, “I pray God bless you both;” which so impressed them, that they left their quarreling to return him thanks.—Sel.

Western Tour.

The Wisconsin camp-meeting was held one mile and a half from Milton Junction in a beautiful grove, at a popular place of resort called Clear Lake. Here is one of the finest little lakes in the world, nearly bordered by groves. The trees around this lake are not large, but are close and of sufficient size to shade well a large audience. Taking all things into the account, we think this the best camp-ground we have seen. The committee did well in obtaining it at a cost of one hundred dollars.
The camp-meeting committee made seasonable and ample preparations. There were nineteen tents upon the ground, besides the large congregation tent, and a large wood building upon the ground which was used for a provision store-house and grocery. The meeting was large for Wisconsin, and was in successful progress when we reached the ground, sixth-day afternoon. The expectation was high for a very large gathering on Sabbath and first-day.
But as the Sabbath drew on there were strong indications of rain. Soon it came pouring down upon us, which made the condition of some of our friends uncomfortable. From the circumstances of that storm we are impressed with the importance of having our tents made of ten or twelve ounce duck; and, also, of having suitable trenches dug about them immediately after pitching them, whether the heavens indicate wet or dry.
Sabbath morning, the brethren seemed cheerful and happy, notwithstanding the recent heavy rain, and the unsettled state of the weather. The open grounds were too damp for the morning service, and the large tent was furnished with seats to accommodate as many as possible. At half-past ten it was estimated that at least nine hundred persons were assembled in, and about, the tent. This congregation was made up of Seventh-day Adventists, we judge four hundred; Seventh-day Baptists, probably the same number, and one hundred who do not observe the Lord’s Sabbath. The weather was cool and comfortable, and we took great pleasure in speaking to this candid and intelligent audience. We crowded the hour as full as possible with reasons of the two prominent features of our faith and hope, expressed in our name, Seventh-day Adventists; namely, the personal second advent of Jesus Christ, and the observance of the Lord’s Sabbath. Accepting the simple rule that the Sacred Scripture means what it says, excepting when a symbol or parable is used, we soon found ourselves fully furnished with the clearest and most direct proofs upon the advent question; also shut up to the celebration of Jehovah’s rest-day on the seventh day of our week. We accept the claims of the fourth commandment as it reads, while the first-day men do not. In few words, here is where we differ: The front of our offending on the Sabbath question, is in believing that God, in the fourth precept of his holy law, means what he says.
We do not differ with those who keep Sunday, from a love to be odd. We believe it to be a sin to differ with those around us, unless there are the best of reasons for doing so. But unless our first-day friends furnish better proofs than those already brought into their service, to turn us from obeying the fourth commandment as it reads, we shall cling to the literal text.
*Here all Sabbatarians unite; while those who do not accept this position resort to schemes to evade the force of the literal declarations of the fourth commandment, which, from their number, may be named “legion.”
We recommend to our friends, who differ with us and labor to move us from our position, a Sunday convention, in which to settle their differences upon this subject, as with their present broken front they are poorly prepared to impress us favorably. This, too, we would suggest, is very important in order to attract the people from our appeals.
At the close of the Sabbath morning service, we were cordially greeted by many who reported themselves Seventh-day Baptists, who gave our hand the very next thing to it, if not the real Advent shake. Among these was Prof. Cornell, of the Albion, Wis., S. D. Baptist Academy, who invited us to speak to the citizens of his place. Nothing could have given us greater pleasure than to respond to this, and similar courtesies from others, by speaking freely to this people upon the great fundamentals of our common faith—the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus Christ; but hoarseness, fatigue, and the labors of the Minnesota Camp-meeting the next week, compelled us to pass on without even calling upon any of our S. D. Baptist friends.
Here we may, by divine grace, enjoy a strong union; and while Seventh-day Adventists may prize very highly, and tenaciously hold their views upon the immortality question, and may cherish as important to the glory of God and their own prosperity, their definite views of the manifestation of spiritual gifts, they will agree that it will be much better to seek for that union that may be enjoyed upon the broad fundamentals of our faith, than to sacrifice that union in urging upon them sentiments peculiar to Adventists.
Sabbath afternoon, the weather was fine, so that a much increased congregation assembled in the open grove at the stand. Bro. Littlejohn gave a very impressive, practical discourse. Here we were happy to meet for the first time Eld. D. E. Maxson, pastor of the S. D. Baptist church at Milton, and Eld. Carpenter, retired S. D. Baptist missionary to China.
Our evening meeting was in the large tent. We were impressed with the conviction that our brethren were not being benefited as they should be, and pressed in an exhortation before preaching. Then Eld. Sanborn followed with a discourse.
First-day morning, Bro. Littlejohn spoke to a large and attentive audience upon the Sabbath of the fourth commandment. With the exception of a few young men and boys who were strolling about the lake, all were quiet and very attentive.
Up to this point Mrs. W. had been too ill to come into the congregation. But the word had gone out that she would speak at two P. M., and a very large congregation was assembled to hear. It was with difficulty that she walked to the stand. With the help of God, however, she spoke to the people with a tolerable degree of clearness and power.
Mrs. W. appealed to the very attentive crowd pointedly and affectionately. And in whatever light they might have viewed the peculiarities of her work, all seemed deeply impressed with the purity and piety of her discourse. And we much regret the scandalous remark of the absent reporter of the Janesville Gazette, that he understood that “she talked in the assault and battery style.” Of the three thousand candid persons who were present, and listened to her remarks, he will not find one who will justify his reckless statement.
We design to conduct all our camp-meetings with the strictest propriety, and in a Christian spirit. And thus far, with this contemptible exception, they have been favorably reported by all those journals, from Maine to Iowa, which have noticed our camp-meetings.
On second-day, six were immersed in Clear Lake, by Eld. Sanborn, in the presence of a good congregation, and in the evening Bro. David Downer was set apart to the ministry by the laying on of hands.
During this camp-meeting, the several sessions of the Wisconsin State Conference were held between the religious services. Union and brotherly love prevailed. The finances of the Conference are favorable. There is evidently a great lack of devotion, and the spirit of sacrifice with the brethren in Wisconsin; but we are happy to report progress.
The closing meeting, third-day morning, was searching and excellent. May God assist the dear brethren to pay their solemn vows to him, and may prosperity attend their efforts to advance his cause.
We shall ever cherish happy recollections of the many kind words spoken to us, and the attention of friends in the sickness of Mrs. W. Sister M. E. Steward, wife of Eld. T. M. Steward, was very attentive. We then, at the close of the camp-meeting, went with her to her father’s house, where we found rest and great freedom of spirit under the kind attentions of this family until we left them, the fourth-day at 2:20 P. M., for the Minnesota camp-meeting.
We are now near the Mississippi, at Prairie du Chien. The sun is setting, and darkness, added to the shaking of the train, makes our imperfect pencillings still more doubtful. Thank God for a degree of strength and health which enables us to report under such circumstances. Mrs. W. is fast improving, and is now engaged in an animated conversation with Bro. Littlejohn and Thompson. We take a sleeping car, and hope to reach the camp-ground at Medford, Minn., in the morning. The shades of night press around us, and we are compelled to say, Good night.

Thoughts on the Book of Daniel.

By Uriah Smith

CHAPTER XII (CONTINUED).

VERSE 2. And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.
This verse also shows how momentous a period is introduced by the standing up of Michael, or the commencement of the reign of Christ, as set forth in the first verse of this chapter; for the event here described in explicit terms is a resurrection of the dead. Is this the general resurrection which takes place at the second coming of Christ? or, is there to intervene between Christ's reception of the kingdom and his return to earth, Luke 19: 12, in all his advent glory, a special resurrection answering to the description here given? One of these it must be; for every declaration of Scripture will be fulfilled.
Why may it not be the former, or the resurrection which occurs at the last trump? Answer. Because those who are then raised are all righteous. Those who sleep in Christ then come forth; but the rest of the dead live not again for a thousand years. Rev. 20: 5. So then the general resurrection of the whole race is comprised in two grand divisions, first of the righteous exclusively, at the coming of Christ, second, of the wicked exclusively, a thousand years thereafter. The general resurrection is not a mixed resurrection. The righteous and wicked do not come up promiscuously at the same time. But each of these two classes is set off by itself, and the time which elapses between their respective resurrections is plainly stated to be a thousand years.
But in the resurrection brought to view in the verse before us, both righteous and wicked come up together. It cannot therefore be the first resurrection which includes the righteous only, nor the second, which is as distinctly confined to the wicked. If the text read, Many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake to everlasting life, then the “many” might be interpreted as including all the righteous, and the resurrection be that of the just at the second coming of Christ. But the fact that some of the many are wicked, and rise to shame and everlasting contempt, bars the way to such an application.
It may be objected that this text does not affirm the awakening of any but the righteous, according to the translation of Bush and Whiting; namely, “And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, these to everlasting life, and those to shame and everlasting contempt.” It will be noticed first of all, that this translation (which we by no means hold above criticism) proves nothing till the evident ellipsis is supplied. This ellipsis some therefore undertake to supply as follows: “And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, these [the awakened ones] to everlasting life, and these [the unawakened ones] to shame and everlasting contempt.” It will be noticed again that this does not supply the ellipsis, but only adds a comment, which is a very different thing. To supply the ellipsis is simply to insert those words which are necessary to complete the sentence. “Many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake,” is a complete sentence. The subject and predicate are both expressed. The next member, “Some [or these] to everlasting life,” is not complete. What is wanted to complete it? Not a comment giving some one’s opinion of who is intended by “these,” but a verb of which these shall be the subject. What verb shall it be? This must be determined by the preceding portion of the sentence which is complete, where the verb “shall awake” is used. This, then, is the predicate to be supplied: “Some [or these] shall awake to everlasting life.” Applying the same remarks to the next member, “Some [or those] to shame and everlasting contempt,” which is not in itself a complete sentence, we find ourselves obliged to supply the same words, and read it, “Some [or those] shall awake to shame and everlasting contempt.” Anything less than this will not complete the sense, and anything different will pervert the text; for a predicate to be supplied, cannot go beyond a predicate already expressed. The affirmation made in the text pertains only to the many who awake. Nothing is affirmed of the rest who do not then awake. And to say that the expression “to shame and everlasting contempt” applies to them, when nothing is affirmed of them, is not only to outrage the sense of the passage, but the laws of language as well. And of the many who awake, some come forth to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt, which further proves a resurrection to consciousness for these also; for while contempt may be felt and manifested by others toward those who are guilty, shame can be felt and manifested only by the guilty parties themselves. This resurrection, therefore, as already shown, comprises some of both righteous and wicked, and cannot be the general resurrection at the last day.
Is there then any place for a special or limited resurrection, or elsewhere any intimation of such an event, before the Lord appears? The resurrection here predicted takes place when God’s people are delivered from the great time of trouble with which the history of this world terminates, and it seems from Rev. 22: 11, that this deliverance is given before the Lord appears. The awful moment arrives when he that is filthy and unjust is pronounced unjust still, and he that is righteous and holy is pronounced holy still. Then the cases of all are forever decided. And when this sentence is pronounced upon the righteous, it must be deliverance to them; for then they are placed beyond all reach of danger, or fear of evil. But the Lord has not yet made his appearance; for he immediately adds, “And, behold, I come quickly.” The utterance of this solemn fiat which seals the righteous to everlasting life, and the wicked to eternal death, is supposed to be synchronous with the great voice which is heard from the throne in the temple of Heaven, saying, “It is done!” And this is evidently the voice of God so frequently alluded to in description of the scenes connected with the last day. Joel speaks of it, and says: “The Lord also shall roar out of Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem; and the heavens and the earth shall shake; but the Lord will be the hope of his people, and the strength of the children of Israel.” The margin reads instead of “hope,” “place of repair, or harbor.” Then, at this time, when God’s voice is heard from Heaven, just previous to the coming of the Son of Man, God is a harbor for his people, or, which is the same thing, provides them deliverance. Here, then, at the voice of God, when the decisions of eternity are pronounced upon the race, and the last stupendous scene is just to open upon a doomed world, God gives to the astonished nations another evidence and pledge of his power, and raises from the dead a multitude who have long slept in the dust of the earth.
Thus we see that there is a time and place for the resurrection of Dan. 12: 2. We now add that a passage in the book of Revelation makes it necessary to suppose a resurrection of this kind to take place. Rev. 1: 7 reads: “Behold, he cometh with clouds [this is unquestionably the second advent]; and every eye shall see him [of the nations then living on the earth], and they also which pierced him [those who were the actors in his crucifixion]; and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him.” Those who crucified the Lord, would, unless there was an exception made in their cases, remain in their graves till the end of the thousand years, and come up in the general assembly of the wicked at that time. But here it is stated that they behold the Lord at his second advent. They must therefore have a special resurrection for that purpose.
And it is certainly most appropriate that some, eminent in holiness, who have labored and suffered for their hope of a coming Saviour, but died without the sight, should be raised a little before, to witness the scenes attending his glorious epiphany, as, in like manner, a goodly company came out of their graves after his resurrection to behold his risen glory, and escort him in triumph to the right hand of the throne of the majesty on high; and also that some, eminent in wickedness, who have done most to reproach the name of Christ and injure his cause, and especially those who secured his cruel death upon the cross, and mocked and derided him in his dying agonies, should be raised, as part of their judicial punishment, to behold his return in the clouds of heaven a celestial victor, in, to them, unendurable majesty and splendor.
One more remark upon this text before we leave it. It is supposed by some to furnish good evidence of the eternal conscious suffering of the wicked, because those of this character who are spoken of, come forth to shame and everlasting contempt. How can they suffer these, it is asked, unless they are conscious? It has already been stated that shame implies their consciousness; but it will be noticed that this is not said to be everlasting. This qualifying word is not inserted till we come to the contempt which is an emotion felt by others toward the guilty parties, and does not render necessary the consciousness of those against whom it is directed. And so some read the passage: “Some to shame and the everlasting contempt of their companions.” And so it will be. Shame for their wickedness and corruption will burn into their very souls, so long as they have conscious being. And when they pass away, consumed for their iniquities, their loathsome characters and their guilty deeds, excite only contempt on the part of all the righteous, unmodified and unabated so long as they hold them in remembrance at all. The text, therefore, furnishes no proof of the eternal suffering of the wicked.
U. S.
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