Purpose of God

Publishing Committee · Rochester, N. Y. · Dec 23, 1852

From Pinney's Purpose of God.

"The ancient seers, looking through the prophetic telescope, rested their eye of faith here. The fathers, since the reformation down to the present time, rest their faith here, for the consummation of their hope in glory. Hence, Luther said just before his death in 1546—'The day of judgment is not far off; yea, will not be absent above 300 years longer.' And, speaking of the state of things near the end, while writing on the prophetic periods of Daniel, in his German Bible, he says: 'About the consummation of these periods, this gospel will be shut out of all the Churches and confined to private houses.' He comes to this conclusion by closely searching the Scriptures. Well, that time has every where come; but few Churches will be opened for preaching the coming of Christ in glory.

The learned Dr. Cotton Mather, who died about 100 years since, near Boston, a little before his death, wrote on the second coming of Christ. And he confidently affirmed from the word of God, that the end of all things was near at hand, and gave it as his settled opinion, that there were persons then living who would live to witness the coming of Christ in the clouds of heaven; and that a little before the burning day, the nominal Church would be in a fallen and corrupt or lukewarm state; and, to use his own words, 'It will be like a dead, putrid carcass, having no faith in the Lord's coming.' Yes, Jesus declared, 1800 years ago, that there would be but little of this faith when he comes. How fearfully it is now fulfilled! How few believe in His coming! Wesley is said to have expected Christ's coming in about 1836.

Fletcher, speaking of the coming of Christ, and events connected with it, remarked, 'If these things happen not to us, but to our children, as they most certainly will before the third generation passes away, we ought to warn as many as possible,' &c. He died in 1785."

Many of the learned divines of the present day are looking for the ushering in of the millennial glory now; as the following extract from a paper published, I think, in 1842, will show: "Not long since, Dr. Brownlee, preaching in Newark, N. J., collected together his proofs, and labored to show from the signs of the present times, together with the prophetic periods, that in the year 1843, a great moral change, the greatest the world ever experienced, would take place."

"Professor Bush has also, for some time, been telling the people substantially the same thing. Both have acknowledged the Millerites to be right as regarded time; at the same time contending that they were wrong as regarded the nature of the expected event." Prof. Bush further said, in 1842: "Whoever attacks Mr. Miller on time, attacks him on his strongest point. He is right on time, according to the best received chronology; but wrong in the event." So many others acknowledged. They looked for the commencement of the great work of the world's conversion—revival to succeed revival. Well, 1843 has passed, the great moral change has not come, (unless it is from bad to worse,) but who thinks of treating Dr. Brownlee and Prof. Bush with mocking and ridicule? But those who, at the same point of time, looked for the personal coming of Christ, to introduce the millennium and give the saints the kingdom, because the vision (apparently) tarries beyond the time, are compelled to hear from the scoffers of these last days, from the chair of the theological professor down to the lowest dregs of the dram-shop, the taunting remark, "Well, you have not gone up yet," and "where is the promise of his coming?" Dr. Lyman Beecher, in his sermon preached in London, (while attending the Christian Alliance,) from the text—Isa. lxv. 17—23, (in which is brought to view the glorious restitution as above shown,) in his introduction, remarks: "The object of this discourse will be to show this day is near, 'at the door'—Christ is coming in his glory." (For the events connected with his coming in his glory, see Matt. xxv, 31—34.) He then gives signs of his speedy coming. His 3d sign is, "The great prophetic powers have passed away, with but one exception, and that is not an exception(!)—Paganism is gone, Popery (this is the exception) is resuscitated, and is gathering the kings of the earth to battle, &c.

His 7th sign is, "Signs; God has always given signs as a prelude to any great development of his providence; we now have them. The Mahomedan power is broken—(which took place Aug. 11, 1840, when the 2d woe or 6th trumpet ceased)—the Papal head wounded, (Feb. 17th, 1798,) and all are in expectation of the coming of the Son of man."

He closes with the following practical remarks:—"1st. We ought to believe this evidence that the Lord is speedily to come! Have faith, God can do it—God has said it. Each one of the above mentioned signs indicates a purpose of God. But all these combined make it certain. We might as well doubt the being of a God. The night is far spent, the day is at hand, &c. These signals were set to hold up your faith in these trying times. They show that Christ is at the door! It cannot be that God has carried this work so far to fail."