Immortality---Spirit Rappings.
By R. F. Cottrell
TO THE EDITORS OF THE SABBATH RECORDER: It is not because I wish to strive for the mastery that I speak again, but that the children of God may be prepared to withstand the wiles of the devil. Many who desire to serve God are ignorant of some of his devices, and while he is at work, "with all power and signs and lying wonders," those who have the light of the sure word on this subject should raise the warning voice against it. While men of the world are trying to explain these wonders on scientific principles, let those who believe that the Bible is the word of God—that the sure word of prophecy is a light that shineth in a dark place, and will continue to shine till the day dawn, go to that word expecting a perfect solution of the mystery. And if the children of the Highest have different views, in respect to what the "spirits" teach, namely, the immortality of the soul, let them candidly compare them together by the light of the word. Truth can lose nothing by comparing it with error; it will only shine the brighter. I am glad that Bro. Burdick has answered discreetly as to the cause of spirit manifestations. He has given us the word of the Lord for it. Thank the good Lord! I remember what Jesus said to one that answered discreetly, namely, Thou art not far from the kingdom of God. I do not wish to flatter you, Bro. Burdick, but I have felt thankful in my heart that you answered my questions, and have set forth the truth on the "working of Satan." David says, "His TRUTH shall be thy shield and buckler;" and if ever the servants of God wanted a shield to quench the fiery darts of the wicked one, it is now, while Satan is permitted to work with such power. You have a shield, brother, which seems to answer very well for the present time, but the time may come, when you will want a little more truth to make it better. The spirit wonders are progressing. They began with rapping; from that they have proceeded to writing and to speaking with an audible voice, and some have testified that they have felt the touch of the spirits, and have shaken hands with them. From this fact we may look for further developments in the future. The "spirits" profess to be our fellow creatures who have passed from this state of existence, and their first object is to make us believe it. And as God has permitted them to proceed so far, I shall not be surprised if they should go farther, and cause our dead157friends to appear, visibly and tangibly before our faces, and, with their own sweet and persuasive accents, beseech us to believe. If Satan works with ALL power and signs and lying wonders, this trial may yet be realized. If this should be the case, we shall want all the truth, to make our "shield of faith" complete; so that when our dearest, deceased friends shall appear before us, we can say, Get behind me Satan; for it is written, "The dead know not anything," and never will till they are raised from the dead, and that will not take place till Christ is seen coming in the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory.—Such a shield we shall need in the "hour of temptation, which cometh upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth." Rev. iii, 10. The "spirits" give it out as one of their first objects "to convince skeptics of the immortality of the soul"—a doctrine almost universally held by professed Christians of the present day. If I had never doubted this doctrine before, unless it be supported by positive scripture testimony, I should doubt it now. Such testimony is not found in the word of God, and all that you can claim for it is, what you think are necessary inferences. There is another circumstance worthy of remark, and that is, thousands of professed Christians have been convinced, by Bible testimony, of the opposite doctrine, within the last ten years; and it would seem that God had commissioned Satan to stand up for his truth, and convince these "skeptics" of their error, by better testimony than can be found in the Bible! It looks to me like a device of the enemy, to bind the bands of error more firmly upon men, and so prevent their having a shield in the hour of temptation. This circumstance alone is sufficient to awaken the inquiry, in the reflecting mind, whether this doctrine is not one of those which Paul denominates doctrines of devils. "Giving heed to seducing spirits," says he, "and doctrines of devils." We must remember that the Catholic church changed the commandments of God, and corrupted almost every institution and doctrine of Christ. Her doctrines and practices savor more of paganism than of christianity. The Romans had the doctrines of purgatory and immortality of the soul, before they ever heard of the Christian religion. Those who doubt this have only to consult Virgil, and other ancient writers, to be satisfied of it. This does not prove that these doctrines are false, but teaches us to look to the Bible ALONE for our proof. The declaration, that "the dead know not anything," is as broad a declaration as any man can make. I cannot ask you to believe more. But you take the expression, "neither have they any more a portion for ever in any thing that is done under the sun," in the following verse, to explain the former expression, limiting it to the affairs of this life. Look at these two expressions. One speaks of knowledge; the other, of having a portion, or taking a part, in what is done under the sun. They are connected by the word neither. You understand them as being connected by that is. But what comes between these two clauses? "Their love, and their hatred, and their envy, is now perished." Love, hatred, &c. belong to the mind. Will not a righteous soul love God as long as he liveth?—as long as he knows any thing? The text cannot be explained away by saying that the body of the dead has no knowledge.—The assertion is made respecting that which knows while the person is living. The living know, the dead know not, is the declaration. In Chap. iii, the Preacher asks the question, Who knoweth the spirit of man that goeth upward, and the spirit of the beast that goeth downward to the earth? This is often quoted as proof of the immortality of the soul. Would it not be much better to answer the question, and tell us who knows this, than to understand him to mean that the spirits of man and beast go different ways? We know that heathen philosophers taught, very anciently, the immortality of the soul. I cannot say positively, but it was probably taught as long ago as the days of Solomon. It looks clear enough to me, that he had his mind upon this very philosophy when he asked the question. Look at what he had just asserted positively. He says, "For that which befalleth the sons of men befalleth beasts; even one thing befalleth them; as the one dieth, so dieth the other; yea, they have all one breath; [breath of the spirit of life. See Gen. vii, 22, margin.] so that a man hath no pre-eminence above a beast; for all is vanity. All go unto one place; all are of the dust, and all turn to dust again."—Then he triumphantly asks who knows the contrary doctrine. I dare say the philosophers could not answer it; neither can we. The dust returns to the earth as it was; and the spirit of the breath of life, in man and beast, returns to God who gave it.—Compare Eccl. xii, 7, with Ps. civ, 29, 30. In respect to death only, man hath no pre-eminence above a beast; the sinner's case is worse than that of beasts. They die but once; he must die the second death. But I do not wish to discuss this question throughout the scriptures. I only want to awaken inquiry, and let every believer of the Bible read for himself.—How easy to understand and believe the simple and positive declarations of that Book! How difficult a task to explain them away! Let us return to the spirit manifestations. You have shown that they are of the Devil, and a fulfillment of the prophecies. I wish to show their chronology, that is, the time of their wonderful manifestation. This can be ascertained by a careful examination of the prophecies which foretell these things. Isa. viii. Here the seeking to those who have familiar spirits and to the dead is at the time when the people of God should be looking for the Lord.—Verse 17. "And I will wait upon the Lord, that hideth his face from the house of Jacob, and I will look for him." The looking for the Lord is first noticed, then the seeking to familiar spirits and the dead, and the chapter closes with an evident allusion to the wrath of God in the seven last plagues—famine, trouble, and darkness, with cursing of God, instead of repentance. See Rev. xvi. It is well known that there is a people who are looking for the Lord. In fulfillment of the divine Word, the proclamation of "the hour of his judgment is come!" [Rev. xiv, 6, 7.] had gone through the land before the rappings had commenced. This raised up a people who are looking for the Lord. And though he "hideth his face from the house of Jacob," and many have been offended and given up their faith, yet there are a few who still "look for him." And that few are trying to keep all the ten commandments of God and the faith of Jesus. Rev. xiv, 12. This proves that the preaching of time was of God. A corrupt tree cannot bear good fruit. False preaching does not turn men from sin to holiness—from breaking God's commandments to keeping them. But, says an objector, there is no particular time to look for the Lord; it was the duty of past generations to look for him. For a refutation of this, read 2 Thess. ii. The subject of this chapter is the coming of the Lord. The Apostle cautions his brethren by no means to be persuaded that the day of Christ is at hand. Let no man deceive you, says he, for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first. The man of sin must arise, and have his day of persecuting the saints, which is 42 months, or 1260 prophetic days. Rev. xiii, 5, margin. The Papal church came into power to correct heretics in A. D. 538, at the time when the council of Orleans prohibited all labor upon Sunday. Then and there the beast received power to make war with the saints. From that time 1260 years bring us down to 1798, when the Pope was taken a prisoner of war and carried into captivity. Before this date no one had a right to expect the Lord would come, because if he came before that time, the scriptures could not be fulfilled. Here the Apostle's caution ends, and we may look for Christ. He then proceeds to speak of the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders. This comes upon the people because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause, says he, God shall send them strong delusion. This time of strong delusion is called, in Rev. iii, 10, the hour of temptation.—Those who believe not the truth, but have pleasure in breaking God's commandments, will be overcome of Satan; while those who have kept the word of Christ's patience [Here is the patience of the saints, here are they that keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus, says the third angel,] will be kept from the hour of temptation which cometh upon all the world, to try them that dwell on the earth.—And behold I come quickly, says Jesus. So we see that the coming of Jesus is the next thing after these spiritual wonders, and is to follow quickly. His Word is faithful and true, and I believe it. Amen. Turn now to 2 Tim. Chap. iii. The Apostle tells us that "perilous times" shall come. But what will make the times so dangerous? Men shall appear possessing eighteen abominable traits of character—still having a form of godliness. What will they do? "Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth." How did these men withstand Moses? They wrought miracles, by the power of Satan, in the presence of Pharaoh. So these men shall work miracles by the same power, and deceive the people and harden their hearts. But they shall proceed no farther, for their folly shall be manifest to all, as theirs also was. The magicians' folly was manifest when the plagues came upon Egypt.—So these miracle-workers will be arrested by the seven last plagues. The time is close at hand when God shall slay the Egyptians and deliver Israel. After the two-horned beast works his wonders, and tries to compel the saints to worship the image and receive the mark, [Rev. xiii, 11 and onward,] the next thing, the saints are seen upon Mount Zion in triumph, having the Father's name in their foreheads, instead of the mark of the beast. Rev. xiv, 1. But the last work of the spirits will be to gather the nations to the battle of the great day of God Almighty. Rev. xvi, 14. They are now preparing the way, and gaining an influence over kings and subjects, and when the sixth vial of the wrath of God shall be poured out, they will gather them to the battle.—For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty. "Behold I come as a thief, says Jesus. "Blessed is he that watcheth." Thus we see that these spiritual wonders are a most positive sign that the day of Christ is at hand. And notwithstanding men are crying peace and safety, while sudden destruction is hanging over their heads; and the spirits of devils are arrayed against God and his truth; yet that truth will triumph.—Notwithstanding the errors and mistakes of his fallible children, God will justify the preaching of the first, the second and the third angels' messages.—And none are safe but those who heed this last call, Wrath unmingled follows upon its rejection. Blessed is he that watcheth. Reader, do you believe that all the signs of Christ's coming and of the end of the world recorded in the Scriptures, are given that you might know nothing about the time of the Advent? Jesus says, If thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee. But to those who watch the reverse of this will be true. Paul says, But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. 1 Thess. v, 4. The Bible is in our hands.—The waymarks are all laid down, the history of the world is all given in advance. There are no great events to take place, but they are marked in the sure word of prophecy. Blessed is he that readeth; blessed is he that watcheth. In hope of immortality at the appearing of Jesus.
R. F. Cottrell.
Mill Grove, N. Y., Aug. 31st, 1853.