MIDNIGHT CRY IN THE PAST.
By Joseph Bates
In the fall of 1844, about every Advent believer taught and believed that a cry at midnight, as taught by Jesus our Saviour in the parable of the ten virgins, [Matt. xxv, 6,] was the true cry, then sounding throughout the land; and that cry would close by the personal appearing of the Lord Jesus, on the tenth day of the seventh month, 1844. The basis of the whole argument rested on the termination of the 2300 days, [years,] which were to begin at the going forth of a certain decree to restore and build Jerusalem, after the Babylonish captivity. See Dan. ix, 25. It was clearly established that this decree was given to Ezra, by the Persian king Artaxerxes, in the seventh year of his reign, the chronological date of which, is B. c. 457. See Ezra vii, 7, 12, 13. See also the date in the margin. It was admitted on all hands, that if this date was right, the whole argument was conclusive; for by subtracting B. c. 457, from 2300, it would inevitably bring the time to A. D. 1843 or 4. Our opponents would not admit this date, because it was the work of uninspired men. This date, B. c. 457, was the testing point, and had been from about the commencement of the proclamation of the Advent doctrine. Learned men, both in and out of the colleges; ministers and historians throughout the land, raised all their most weighty objections. Chronology was examined, and re-examined; discussion after discussion was had between them, and the leading men in the Advent doctrine. It was finally settled, as far as it then could be, that Advent believers had the clear light, that B. c. 457, was the only, and true point from which to begin to count the 2300 days. And thus, with all confidence it was placed upon the old chart, and in the Advent standard works. And it was the starting point to settle the whole subject of the Advent doctrine, and with it the true Midnight Cry was shown by all the lecturers. Indeed, without this date to start from, it was utterly impossible for any Advent lecturer to prove where, or when, the 2300 days would end. Because with this decree, or permission to Ezra, to restore and build Jerusalem, began Daniel's seventy weeks of 490 years, which were to be cut off from the first part of the 2300 years leaving 1810 years more to carry us to the end. A simple figure will illustrate this point. Suppose for instance, that all of the Advent lecturers referred to above, should have understood the science of navigation, equally as well as the science of chronology. And they, by some invisible power, had been placed on board a ship on the ocean, nothing visible but sky and water; and were then told, that the ship had sailed from Boston, some indefinite number of miles, and was bound for Liverpool. That the precise distance between B. and L. was 2300 miles. Could they have ever understood how many miles they would have to run, to reach Liverpool? No, it would have been impossible, except it had been revealed to them how many miles the ship had run from Boston, up to the time they found themselves on board of her. A starting point is equally as necessary in chronology, as in navigation, to understand our whereabouts, and how much farther to go to reach the end of a point given. But with the true starting point, as settled in chronology, all the Advent lecturers and believers moved on with unwavering confidence, that they should come to the end of the appointed time [2300 days] in 1844. And what makes it very clear, that they were then right, is that there is not one of them now that knows how to fix another date. No, search the world over, and the man is not to be found that can point, with any greater degree of certainty than a mere guess, that the days will end somewhere in the future. Now with this clear starting point, B. c. 457, (not so clear however, as it will be seen in the sequel,) we will try to learn from the Bible the great and glorious object of the 2300 days; and what was to be accomplished at the end of them, so that those who were faithfully engaged in accomplishing the revealed purposes of God in proclaiming the Advent, may know for a certainty when, and where these days would end. We come then to the "And he said unto me, Unto 2300 days; THEN SHALL THE SANCTUARY BE CLEANSED,"—Dan. viii, 14. Daniel saw in his vision that this was an "APPOINTED TIME." See, chap. viii, 19 and x, 1. Habakkuk saw the same, and says further, "But at the END it shall speak and not lie." Now there is no other marked appointed time in the Bible. Then when we come to the end of this bible marked, appointed time, it will speak. How? Answer, by the voices of the very people that understood the prophecy, and in no other way. It was to be by a Cry at midnight. In two very prominent ways we learn from the scriptures the event to transpire at the end of the 2300 days. 1. By God's instruction to Moses, on Mount Sinai, viz: And let them make me a Sanctuary; that I may dwell among them." Ex. xxv, 8. According to this, and some of the following chapters, God directed Moses, to build him an house after the pattern which he caused him to see; and it was called a Sanctuary. It was the only place for the public worship of God, for his Israel, then in the wilderness. It was to have two rooms, first, the Holy, and second, the Most Holy. Aaron and all the priests that succeeded him in his office, officiated in the Holy Place 364 days in the year. This was the daily ministration for all the people, or daily atonement for individual known sins. The high priest had an "appointed time" to visit the Most Holy Place—once a year. God directed that day to be on the tenth of the seventh month. This may be called the national atonement; and finishes the work of the whole year; for on this day, the Sanctuary must be cleansed. This work was done by first assembling all Israel around the Tabernacle. They remained there in a state of affliction from evening to evening, twenty-four hours. At the same time the high priest was attired in his royal robes, with the breast-plate of judgment over his breast, and the names of the twelve tribes of Israel represented thereon by twelve precious stones. He appears before God, in the Most Holy Place, with the blood of a goat, emblematical of the blood of the Lord Jesus, and sprinkles it on the mercy-seat, and seven times before the mercy-seat, to atone for the whole people. See Lev. xvi, 14, 15. "And he shall make an atonement for the holy, because of the uncleanness of the children of Israel, and because of their transgressions in all their sins." Verse 16. Will the reader please read these eighteen words again, and see if he cannot tell the meaning of the cleansing of the Sanctuary. Oh yes!! You say, it was to cleanse the people, all of them, from their sins.. Very well, do not forget it, when it comes down to you in the antitype.. For further instruction read this whole chapter; and see how the whole work is accomplished in the type, figure, or shadow, once a year upon all Israel. Now Paul calls these, shadows of good things to come, and goes on to show how Jesus is the substance of the typical priesthood thus:—"Then said he, [Jesus,] Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first that he may establish the second. By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once.—Heb. x, 9, 10. The high priest offered the same sacrifices daily. Jesus makes but one. The high priest appears in the Most Holy Place once a year. Jesus but once. Chap. ix, 25, 26. Paul says again, We have such an high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens; A MINISTER of the SANCTUARY, and of the TRUE TABERNACLE, which the Lord pitched, and not man." Chap. viii, 1, 2. The same Sanctuary which John saw.—Rev. xi, 19; xv, 5. Here it is perfectly plain that the Tabernacle in heaven, is the one which Moses saw while on the Mount. He made the Sanctuary in the wilderness just like it. This is the house that our Great High Priest officiates in, since the day of Pentecost, when his first work in his daily ministration commenced by the conversion of 3000 souls. And when his daily ministration ends, he will, like the shadow, rise up and shut to the door, and still following the shadow, or type; he will pass into the Most Holy Place, and present the whole house of Israel before God. This he must do, on the tenth day of the seventh month, at the end of his "APPOINTED TIME," which is the last day of the 2300 years. This is one clear part of the scripture testimony, which brings us to the Midnight Cry. We come then to the second prominent portion of scripture which shows the event to transpire at the end of the 2300 days, viz, the teachings of our divine Lord, in the parable of the ten virgins. On this point we design to be brief; because our view, and the history of this glorious work which we wrote about four years since, is now published in part in the "Advent Review," No. 5, page 69. "At Midnight there was a Cry made, Behold, the Bridegroom cometh: go ye out to meet him.. Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps.. And the foolish said unto the wise, give us of your oil : for our lamps are going out. [See margin,] But the wise answered, saying, not so;—lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves. And while they went to buy, the Bridegroom came; and they that were ready, went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut. Afterward came also the other22virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us."—Matt. xxv, 6—12. When this parable was fulfilled, it brought us to the true substance of the shadow of which we have been speaking in the first prominent portion of scripture, with this difference, the true Israel are in every nation, kindred, and tongue, and people; hence the messengers, and their messages are flying in every direction, to every nation, proclaiming the hour of his judgment has come. Seven years is about the period of this proclamation. See "Advent Shield" No. 1, Page 53. "It was not however until the winter of 1837—8 that the work attracted much attention," &c. Here we see it requires a series of years to get the true Israel ready; whereas in the type they could be, and undoubtedly were brought around the tabernacle in a few moments, by the sound of the silver trumpets. They remained around the tabernacle, outside of the court, one day in a state of affliction, with their minds and sympathies within the second vail, in the Most Holy Place; listening to hear the sound of the bells on the robe of their high priest—The first sound would be knowledge to them that their sins were all blotted out; and then the scape-goat would carry them away into a land not inhabited. During all this time the door was shut. Now in the antitype, all of the true Israel of God, must be in a similar position, by faith, in every place where they are. For when the Midnight Cry is made as it was, in the fall of 1844, at the end of the 2300 days, then at that time the door is shut. Do read the parable again, Matt. xxv, 10. See how clear it is when compared with the type. The door must be shut, for our High Priest to open the other door, [Rev. iii, 7, 8; xi, 19,] and enter into the Most Holy Place to cleanse the Sanctuary, to fulfill the prophecy; because Daniel was shown in vision, that it WOULD BE. This work of cleansing the Sanctuary is this; Jesus our Great High Priest, crowned and robed, in his royal court dress, (just like the high priest in the shadow,) rises up, and shuts to the door [Luke xiii, 25,] where he had been the Mediator for all the world, and opens the door of the Most Holy Place, (or as John calls it, the Temple of God,) and there appears before God, as Daniel saw him [chap. vii, 13,] with the whole Israel of God represented on his breast-plate of judgment, (like the high priest,) to plead with God, to blot out the sins of Israel. This is the coming of the Bridegroom to cleanse the Sanctuary, at the end of 2300 days; and the fulfillment of Matt. xxv, 10. From this time to the voice of God, the whole house of Israel are in the little while, Heb. x, 36, 37, their soul afflicting time, as in the type, Lev. xvi, 29, patiently waiting establishing their hearts, for the judge stands before the door: the coming of the Lord draweth nigh. James v, 7—9. "Here is the patience of the saints; here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus. Rev. xiv, 12. They are doing the work of the third angel's message, and are waiting their Lord's return from the wedding. Luke xii, 36. The precious promise of the Bridegroom to all such is, "Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I ALSO WILL KEEP THEE, &c. Amen. This is the state of the Israel of God, and must be until the house of God is judged, 1 Peter iv, 17, and fitted for deliverance. See how it resembles the type. Now this must all take place after the Midnight Cry, and the door is shut. And to have any agreement with the type, Jesus our High Priest must have a calling out, and gatherings of the true Israel, in their places of worship on earth, at his "APPOINTED TIME," (2300 days,) just as much as the high priest did at his appointed time, once a year. Both in the type and anti-type, must be on the tenth day of the seventh month. When the high priest went in before God, to plead for the forgiveness of the sins of ancient Israel, on the day of atonement, in other words, to cleanse the Sanctuary, the people did not see him until the whole work was finished, and the scape-goat had gone away with all their sins.—When the whole day's work was finished they were delivered from their state of affliction, and returned to their tents, rejoicing in God for deliverance. So Jesus our Great High Priest is invisible to the true house of Israel, when he shuts the outer, and opens the inner door, and appears before the Ancient of days, in the Most Holy Place, in the New Jerusalem, to cleanse the sanctuary, on the day in which the Midnight Cry is closed. That is not his coming to this earth after his people. No matter if we did explain it so; that will never make it true. Our mere explanation of the thing did not, neither will it, alter the prophecy. The prophetic and clear cry was: "Behold the Bridegroom cometh, go ye out to meet him." This was the proper, the right, and only true time for it. The Cry was in its fullest sense given, and the Bridegroom did come, according to the "manner" in the type, and they that went in with him did it by faith. Therefore, when the Sanctuary is cleansed, and the great day of atonement ended; which work will be the blotting out of all the sins of the true Israel of God; then we believe the Devil, [the scape-goat,] will be chained, or led away into a land uninhabited, bearing on him all the sins which are now being confessed by the whole Israel of God, in THEIR day of atonement. Then, "the Lord also shall roar out of Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem, and the heavens and the earth shall shake," &c. Joel iii, 16. Then he will deliver every one, that shall be found written in the book." Dan. xii, 1. This event is the signal for "the battle of that great day of God Almighty." After this work is finished, then Jesus will descend from heaven with a shout, &c., and redeem his waiting people. This is scripture testimony. Jesus plainly taught us that there would be a Cry at Midnight, and that the door would be shut, and the Bridegroom would come, [Matt. xxv : 6, 10,] and that this would not be the "coming of the Son of Man." For he had already said, "But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only." Matt. xxiv, 36. Then again in the parable he admonishes us thus: "Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of Man cometh." Chap. xxv, 13. But we did know the very day the Bridegroom came, viz: on the last day of the 2300 years, the tenth day of the seventh month, 1844. This was also the last day of a Cry at Midnight, and that day the door was shut. If it was not, then the whole Advent doctrine which has been proclaimed throughout the land, is no more to us than "sounding brass or a tinkling cymbal." It is even worse than "hay, wood or stubble." For the 2300 days was the rallying point during the two angel messages, clear down to the tenth day of the seventh month. Take those figures from the true chart, the old one, and every advent believer would lose their reckoning. Before 1844, the 2300 days, speaking after the manner of men, was EVERY THING. Since Oct. 1844, by the greater portion of Adventists, it is NOTHING, only as a point which they have moved from year to year, to suit their purposes. We say that it was the sure guide that led us to the end of A Cry at Midnight; and the only sure guide in the vision, to run from, to the day of deliverance and redemption. We see, also, that it is impossible for the Sanctuary to be cleansed, or for the shadow given by God to Moses to find its substance, unless, (as we have stated,) the anti-type of the national atonement is accomplished after the door is shut. We say that Jesus never was to come here as Bridegroom; but does go as such, to the Father. Therefore he does not come here at the end of the 2300 days; neither does the world end with these days. Now in the clear light of this subject, let us just look at the course taken by the conductors of the two leading Advent papers in our midst, viz: the "Advent Herald," and "Voice of Truth;" also, Bro. Miller, and about all the Advent lecturers in this work. Please read their Confessions, Vindications, Positions, and their then present duty, respecting this very work, in the "Advent Review," for 1850. We will here give a few extracts: "Those who have not been in this late movement, can appreciate nothing respecting it. And we regard it as another, and a more SEARCHING TEST, than the first proclamation of the time." "So we believe that THIS LAST CRY HAS BEEN A TEST; and that with our views of duty, we should as much have sinned against God, had we refrained from giving that message, as Jonah did when 'he rose up to flee unto Tarshish from the presence of the Lord.'"—Page 5. "In the meantime we kept two power presses in continual operation, so long as was needed, in multiplying the copies of our paper of Oct. 16, of which we issued about 100,000 copies." Page 6. [Copied from the Advent Herald.] The motto for the above paper was, "BEHOLD THE BRIDEGROOM COMETH, GO YE OUT TO MEET HIM!" Again—"But we cannot yet admit that our Great High Priest did not on that very day, ACCOMPLISH ALL THAT THE TYPE WOULD JUSTIFY US TO EXPECT. WE NOW BELIEVE HE DID." "We think the parable of the ten virgins clearly tells where we are. The proclamation of the tenth day of the seventh month, we believe was the midnight cry, when all, not a part, of the virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. This work continued until the tenth day passed." Page 7. [Copied from the "Voice of Truth."] Further—"We have done our work in warning sinners, and in trying to awake a formal church. God in his providence has SHUT THE DOOR. Page 8.23"I presume, brother Marsh, you have seen Bro. Hale and Turner's "Advent Mirror," printed in Boston, Jan. 1845, concerning the marriage, in the parable of the virgins. I do believe in the main they are right—that cannot be the personal coming of Christ." " * "Has Christ come in the sense spoken of, Matt. xxv, 10! I think he has." Page 10. "That God has been in this cause, I have not a shadow of a doubt; and that time has been the main spring, is equally as clear; and that if we leave out time, no mortal could prove that Christ is near, even at the door. Yours as ever, looking for. &c. WILLIAM MILLER." Page 11. Once more: "They found the spirit and the Providence of God concurring most manifestly to give the Midnight Cry. Amid the signs of these last days nothing like this occurred till after the tarrying. Nothing like it has occurred since. The Cry was given at the right time, so far as could be ascertained by a prayerful, critical, study of the word. It came in the right place, in the series of prophetic fulfillment J. B. Cook." Page 24. And thus we might go on, adding testimonies from scores of writers, from the "Review," and their papers; but let what we have quoted suffice. The question of the Midnight Cry, was settled in the time that we have stated, by about all that believed in the Advent doctrine. With all this array of argument before them, many of them would say, at times, why I believe it in part; because it looked too glaring to deny it. We say that God never had this work done in part. It was all accomplished then, and we have just shown how it was affirmed to by the church of God. When they say they believe it, they prove themselves liars; for after the formation of the Laodicean state of the church at Albany, N. Y., April 29, 1845, the greater portion of the lecturers went out through the land, advocating an open door, in direct and immediate opposition to the work of the Midnight Cry. For that work shut the door without the shadow of a doubt. Shall we once more repeat what they said? hear it. "SO WE BELIEVE THAT THIS LAST CRY [Midnight Cry] HAS BEEN A TEST; and that with our views of duty, we should as much have sinned against God, had we refrained from giving that message, as Jonah did when he rose up to flee unto Tarshish from the presence of the Lord." We say then, that here is positive proof that they have been SINNING AGAINST GOD EVER SINCE, in writing, preaching, and in various other ways, by opposing and setting at naught the very and identical point in their Advent experience, which was the "MAINSPRING" to the whole vision. Yes, after the Albany Conference in 1845, where they organized the Laodicean Church, they went out openly and boldly declaring to their hearers, that the door was wide open.—They said it was not shut, neither would it be, until Jesus came, and then the 2300 days would end. This of course began to destroy, and has eventually ruined the whole work and design of the Midnight Cry, and left them not on the flat rock which they boasted of, but on sliding sand, which in a little moment will leave those that continue to stand there in the gulf of perdition. To make their case appear consistent, these leaders claimed the three and a half years of disputed time about the Saviour's birth, before A. D., which would not run out until the spring of A. D. 1847. During this time, or at that point, the 2300 days would end, and the Lord Jesus would come. It was obvious and clear still, that secret convictions were on the minds of some of the leading ones, that the 2300 days were in the past; but this must be wrapt up and kept behind the curtain, and out of the papers; for such a view again made public, would destroy the very foundation of their nameless fabric. But to the points in their HISTORY. Amid this confusion, about all that believed in the Lord's coming were looking to the fall of 1845. That passed; and soon after came A. Hale's work, "Time of the Advent to be known." The prophetic periods were now moved two years forward [1846] and of course the starting point also, to make the 2300 days end there. Next came the rallying point for 1847. We were told that there were no chronological dates beyond this, that would prove any thing about the close of the 2300 days. If they did not end there, then our reckoning was up. The prophetic periods must all be moved again. This also proved a perfect failure, and ran their ship ashore, high and dry out of all disputed time. This did not quell the rebellious house of Israel. They still continued sliding down, and pouring out their anathemas and contempt on these, who were insisting that the work was done, where they had affirmed that it was, in the fall of 1844. They were still determined to have their own way; so away goes all the chronological dates down to the spring of 1848. It seemed to be just as easy to stretch and move the dates in history, as to prove that Bonaparte and the Pope of Rome were living in 1802. "One built up a wall, and lo, others daubed it with untempered mortar." But the vision did not speak. Well the days would end in 1849: so the time must be altered again, and there was nothing but disappointment there. Not satisfied with this continued stretching, and prolonging the vision, the spring of 1850 was fixed upon as the true termination of the appointed time for the Lord to come. The great argument to prove it, was, that Jesus was crucified in the end of the 60th week; a clear perversion of the Angel Gabriel's message to Daniel. Nevertheless, they were right now! No matter if the appointed time did come on the tenth day of the seventh month, the 2300 days would end this spring, and the Lord would come. Months, seasons and times, which God had fixed, could be altered easy enough, when they desired it. The tenth day of the seventh month is now past, and with it, all their hopes and "daubings." Now we ask, how much is gained by these six or more successive failures, every time moving farther off from the true point, and causing disappointment and confusion in their ranks, every passing time? NOTHING, Methinks this makes the starting point look clear. See, first, seven years examining chronological dates, to get the true starting point, viz. B. c. 457, to prove that the 2300 days of Daniel's vision would end in the fall of 1844. This they settled beyond all controversy, and affirmed to it, before God, and the world; and then rose up in rebellion against it, and for about six successive years, wrote, preached, and argued against it, with all their power; without giving one single particle of light, or moving the point they started from. But have filled themselves and their hearers with pride, worldly mindedness, and a disrelish for every thing that God would have them honor and love, under the sounding of the third angel's message. Say, is the Midnight Cry in the past? Are the foolish virgins manifest? Is the starting point settled? We suppose the Editors of the "Advent Herald" claim some merit for settling this starting point in their paper for March 2, 1850. See also, the extract in "Present Truth," No. 10, page 78. God will give them none, for they settled it right in 1844. If, after their five years rebellion against it, they had acknowledged the truth connected with it, I think they might have been rewarded. Instead of this, the writer of the article told us that the 2300 days were ended; but nothing was accomplished. He well knew that that was a "lying divination." He knows it now. It is plain, therefore, that those articles were not given, to bring back the honest erring ones, to the plain simple truth, that the Midnight Cry was given in 1844, and that the door was shut. For they knew that was the clear fulfillment of the Cry, both in the parable and type. We said that they settled it in 1844. The following letter is still further proof. "Boston, Oct. 30, 1844. My dear Bro. Bates—This will be handed to you by Bro. Davis. He will tell you of our affairs, and of our faith in this time, this 'trying time.' I repose in God. I never felt more happy and reconciled to his will: the late work has saved me—it has been a blessing to us all. Now let us hold on. Let us remember, that though we have not realized our hope, yet we have condemned the world by our faith and stand justified before God. Abraham did not offer Isaac, God provided a lamb; so he has provided something else for us. And now to suffer and live for his name a little while longer. Yours, J. V. HIMES." If the reader is still curious enough to know how the leader of the rebellious house of Israel gets round this, we reply—He very kindly and frankly acknowledges that HE did believe it; but he saw his error, and CONFESSED it. Very true; but what did he confess. Please turn to the first page of the "Advent Review," and read on and there you will see not only his confession of all the past being true, but he vindicates it, and declares the whole work to be right, the LAST CRY [Midnight Cry] A TEST, both in the type and parable, as we have already quoted. He says. "We are free to confess that we have been twice disappointed in our expectations in the time of our Lord's Advent." The two disappointments were the spring and fall of 1844. These few words comprise his confession. After this, hundreds of others followed in confessions, in the two leading papers; and in their confessions, except some few that afterwards, acknowledged they were mistaken about the shut door view. Here was a general acknowledgment of all the past; and yet after the organization of the Laodicean Church, April, 1845, they came out in open rebellion against the very vital point, that gave them any title to the name of Adventists. Consistency would have required them to have adopted their proper Scripture name; [Rebels:] then all the honest believers, searching for truth, would have understood them, and avoided84their treacherous dealings against the Lord, and the "strange children" they have begotten in connection with fallen Babylon: If by any means whatever, they could prove from all their past six years united labor, throughout this land, England, or the West Indies, that they had gained one single convert to God, then would they appear in a hundred fold more heinous light than they now do. For, by their own published, standing confessions, (as before stated,) the Lord Jesus, as Master of the house, (before described,) had shut the door, and no man could open it. See Rev. iii, 7; Luke xiii, 25; Matt. xxv, 10. This was the last day's work of the Midnight Cry, where the fulness of the Gentiles came in, Rom. xi, 25. Now if they have opened the door, then they have gained the victory over the Son of God, and proved him to have uttered a falsehood. In no other way could they get one true Gentile convert. But there need be no fear on this case. Jesus has done this work, and he is now advocating the cause of all true believers in the house of Israel. We know that these people are saying, and will still insist, that they have reclaimed hundreds of backsliders, and that scores have been converted to God, under their teaching, since the Albany Conference, April, 1845. We say, that as long as they continue rebellious against their lawful Prince, it is morally impossible for them to beget for him one peaceful subject. God has a true test, by which to try every individual since the Midnight Cry. It is "the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus," Rev. xiv, 9—12. We have yet to learn, that one single one of their professed converts, or reclaimed backsliders, have reached this standard.—But we fully believe they have some honest souls that they have drawn away with them, into their delusive snares, by their treacherous dealing with the Lord, and false teaching. Our hearts yearn after these. We would use every right way to get them from this Laodicean state. This then is one strong reason why we send forth this article, to open the eyes of those who were, and still are honest, and may possibly be saved, if they will at once flee from this rebellious house of Israel. For he is about to spew the rebellious ones out of his mouth; while he tenderly invites the honest ones. Do be persuaded to read his invitation. Here it is:—"As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten; be zealous, therefore, and repent."—Rev. iii, 19. Yes, after all your backsliding, if you have not done it wilfully, Jesus says to you, "repent." If you overcome, you will set with him on his throne. Perhaps you will say, that we have written hard things, and that you cannot bear them. Our answer is, we have no unkind feelings towards the most rebellious person in the house of Israel. We would plead for them as long as we see any Bible ground for it. We have spoken the simple unvarnished truth. God requires this, that the precious may be separated from the vile. For he is now about to destroy them. We therefore beseech you, in the name of Jesus, who stands before the Father, spending but a few moments more on your doubtful case, to have you sealed for him, or your precious name forever blotted from the book of life, to flee from all such delusive treacherous, soul-destroying teaching. We repeat it, if there is any hope in your case, you have but a little moment more. The seven last plagues, with the four sore judgments of Almighty God, are just upon all those who have denied the great truths of God, which we have been passing through. And every one that does not repent speedily, and confess every known sin, in this treacherous work, will in a little moment, as it were, be ushered into the great and dreadful day of the Lord, and be destroyed by the wrath of God and the Lamb. O, do, do! I entreat you, seize the glimmering light of salvation, that is about to be forever extinguished from this guilty world. Grasp it with all your soul, and might, and mind. Plead with the blessed Jesus, for immortality and eternal life. Talk about searching out sinners, that the work of the Midnight Cry left in outer darkness six years ago! He will not save you, if you do not quickly flee from the dreadful snare you are now in. Hear the warning of God. "Son of man, thou dwellest in the midst of a rebellious house, which have eyes to see, and see not; they have ears to hear, and hear not: for they are a rebellious house."—Eze. xii, 2. This to the 21st verse inclusive, refers to literal Israel, when they were carried to literal Babylon, and held there for 70 years, while the land enjoyed her sabbath.—2 Chr. xxxvi, 20, 21. It is evident that they were continually rebelling against them. From verse 21, and onward to the end of chap. xiii, God shows Ezekiel the perverse rebellious spirit of both men and women, in the anti-typical rebellious house of Israel, since the speaking of Daniel's vision of the 2300 days, at the end of the Midnight Cry, in the fall of 1844. Let us read. "Son of man, what is that proverb that ye have in the land of Israel, saying, The days are prolonged, and every vision faileth! Tell them therefore, thus saith the Lord God; I will make this proverb to cease and they shall no more use it as a proverb in Israel; but say unto them, the days are at hand, and the effect of every vision. For there shall be no more any vain vision nor flattering divination within the house of Israel. For I am the Lord: I will speak, and the word that I shall speak shall come to pass; it shall be no more prolonged, for in YOUR DAYS, O rebellious house, I will say the word and, will perform it, saith the Lord God."—Verses 22—25. Throughout the Scriptures there is but two literal speakings of God to the people, first, from Mount Sinai, and second from heaven. See Heb. xii, 25, 26. This second time, then, is from heaven, in the midst of the great and dreadful day of God, that is now dawning upon this doomed world. Dear reader, do you not clearly see that there was no vision when God spake from Sinai; but there is one here which perfectly agrees with the one mentioned by Ezekiel. Six long years this rebellious house have been stretching out, moving and prolonging the days of the 2300 days vision. Time will be spent in vain searching the Bible for any other. Will you admit that the history which we have given you is true? God says, "it is a flattering divination within the house of Israel." Only see how souls have been flattered to believe, by these treacherous dealers with God's word, that the end of the days was always in the future. They have been prolonged to suit the pleasure of any one of their teachers, like this. They will end next spring! Well, they will next fall! Very soon! Any time! I do not know but to-day. We should be expecting it all the time, &c., &c. Says God, "I will SPEAK, and the word that I shall speak shall come to pass, it [the vision of days] shall be no more prolonged; for in YOUR DAYS, O rebellious house, will I say the word." How plain that here, right before us, this prophecy is to be fulfilled. This settled, then what follows is unavoidable, and conclusive. "Thus saith the Lord God; Wo unto the foolish prophets, that follow their own spirit, and have seen nothing. O Israel, thy prophets are like the foxes in the deserts. Ye have not gone up into the gaps, neither made up the hedge for the house of Israel to stand in the battle of the DAY OF THE LORD. They have seen vanity and lying divination, saying the Lord saith: and the Lord has not sent them: and they have made others to hope that they would confirm the word. Have ye not seen a vain vision, and have ye not spoken a lying divination, whereas ye say the Lord saith it, albeit I HAVE NOT SPOKEN!"—Eze. xiii, 3—7. This rebellious house made others to hope that they would confirm the word, and said the Lord said it. God says he did not say it. It was their own and lying divinations. They prolonged the days. He did not tell them to. Hear what God says to them for their rebellion against him. "Therefore, thus saith the Lord God: Because ye have spoken vanity, and seen lies, therefore, behold I am against you, saith the Lord God. And mine hand shall be upon the prophets that see vanity, and that divine lies; they shall not be in the assembly of my people, [secret or council, see margin,] neither shall they be written in the writing of the house of Israel; neither shall they enter into the land of Israel; and ye shall know that I am the Lord God. Because, even because they have seduced my people, saying peace and there was no peace; and one built up a wall, and lo, others daubed it with untempered mortar. Say unto them which daub it with untempered mortar, that it shall fall; there shall be an overflowing shower; and ye, O great hailstones, shall fall; and a stormy wind shall rend it. [See Rev. xvi, 21.] Thus will I accomplish my wrath upon the wall, and upon THEM THAT HAVE DAUBED IT WITH UNTEMPERED MORTAR, and will say unto you, the wall is no more, neither THEY THAT DAUBED IT.—Chap. xiii, 8—11, 15. This is the sad and dreadful state, and fearful doom, which God has pronounced upon those who were once among our dearest friends, with whom we took sweet counsel together in the house of God; and listened with delight to their soul-stirring teaching. Alas, alas, they have turned "diviners," and "speak lies;" and have continued their rebellious course (without repentance, when Jesus urged, counseled, and entreated them to repent,—Rev. iii, 18—21.) for six long years, stretching out and "prolonging" the fulfillment of the 2300 days of the prophecy of Daniel; which prophecy they so faithfully labored to proclaim, and then affirmed to it, before God and the world, that the MIDNIGHT CRY WAS IN THE PAST. JOSEPH BATES.
Fairhaven, Dec. 12th, 1850.