The Visions by Adolphus Smith

The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Dec 11, 1866

The Visions.

By Adolphus Smith

PROVIDENTIALLY I believe, the book of objections to the Visions published by Messrs. Snook and Brinkerhoff, and the reply thereto by Bro. Smith in several successive numbers of the Review, were put into my hands some months since. Having carefully perused them, and not being at that time a member of the Advent church, I thought myself not altogether unqualified to judge of their merits. I saw plainly that the objections were not instigated by a spirit of meekness or Christian charity. My subsequent acquaintance with some of those who endorse the objections, as compared with those who receive the visions, has gone far to confirm my first opinion.

The objections as noticed in Review No. 17, bear upon their very face their own refutation. “Ellen’s visions!” said my wife, “How contemptuous! She is not spoken of as one believed to be an erring sister, nor does the objector show a disposition to correct such error in a humble, Christlike manner, but seeks to embitter others against the object of his malevolence.”

The objectors have evidently felt themselves wounded through the visions, as has been declared through the Review, and have unwisely risen up in rebellion against them.

“Pride goeth before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall.” “He that humbleth himself shall be exalted.” If any desire preference, let them first learn humility. If any are envious because of honors bestowed upon others, it is evident that they themselves are not worthy of like honor.

“We have the Scriptures complete,” say some, “what need of the visions?” I reply by asking what need of the visions of Zacharias, Mary, Anna the prophetess, and the Shepherds of the East at the time of Christ’s first advent? The people of that generation had the Old Testament Scriptures which testified of the coming of Christ; what more needed they?

At Christ’s first advent he was born in a stable, wrapped in swaddling clothes and laid in a manger; and all this was thought worthy of special revelation from Heaven corroborating the testimony of Scripture.

At his second advent “a fire shall devour before him, it shall be very tempestuous round about him,” the thrilling trump of God shall animate the dead; the elements will dissolve; the everlasting hills be moved; while myriads of the redeemed shall swell the shout of “Glory, glory to God! Worthy is the Lamb!” and Heaven with its countless hosts shall reiterate, “Glory.” And shall we not for all this have some revelation now, saying, “This is that which was spoken by the prophets?”

As the stupendous events that are to close the drama of earth’s mortal history approach, it is a wonder to me that revelations are not more frequent, and I can only account for the deficiency, on the hypothesis that the church is not sufficiently holy to receive them.

ADOLPHUS SMITH.

Wyoming, Mich., Nov. 5.