DEAR BRO. WHITE:—I almost wonder sometimes that all that hear do not believe and understand present truth, the third angel's message, the light is so clear. But then I remember the great cloud that was let down between the Hebrews and the Egyptians. It was light to Israel but darkness to their enemies. Can it be presumed that a people with such a light as a literal cloud by day, and a pillar of fire by night, should ever distrust the power and goodness of God, to preserve and protect them wherever they might be called to go? But as they approached the land, (Canaan,) ten out of twelve chosen from among them, quailed before their foes!
How similar is the Advent movement since 1844! What a light the word of God affords to-day to him that reads carefully and prayerfully, and searches it as for hidden treasure. Truthfully has it been said, that then the kingdom of heaven should be likened unto ten virgins. Who that looks over the past can fail to make the application and also perceive our whereabouts.
Again, when Moses told the children of Israel that their carcasses should fall in the wilderness, they were impulsed to go up; but Moses told them that God was not with them, and the truth of his word was soon after confirmed to them; for they were overcome as he told them they would be. How illustrative is the New-Time theory, of the move that Israel then made. How certain it is that God is not with them, while they regard his commandments no more than the worldling. Hand in hand they are agreed in hiding, as the Lord hath said, their eyes from my Sabbaths, and I am profaned among them. Eze. xxii, 26. They seem to be unmindful of James' view of pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father—to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world. James i, 27. May we not justly remind them of what the Prophet hath said, Isa. xxiv, 5. "The earth also is defiled under the inhabitants thereof; because they have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinance, broken the everlasting covenant." Who will say that the curse will not devour the earth, though this prophecy be as destructive to the temporal millennium theory, as 1 Cor. xv. 53, and 1 Tim. vi. 16, are to the immortality of man, which the Spirit Rappings are so unanimous in helping the nominal churches to sustain.
I believe the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus to comprise the substance or essence of both the Old and New Testaments. They that read most in the word of God, and practice and believe what they read, are found looking into and embracing the third angel's message: a sure evidence of present truth. That it is a time to bind up the testimony and seal the law among the disciples is certain. The remnant are found having the testimony of Jesus, and keeping the commandments of God. Rev. xii, 17. There is one truth as yet seems to be shrouded in mist by nominal Adventists and even by some that are in the third angel's message with us: it is the closing of the ministration of Christ. The Jews overlooked his humiliation and likewise his ministration or priesthood, and rested their eyes upon him when he is to be King of kings and Lord of lords, possessing the kingdom under the whole heavens: not being aware of the dispensation of mercy that should come alike to all nations and intervene between the News of Good Tidings of Great Joy and the bringing of life and immortality to light through his death, and the time when he shall rule the nations with a rod of iron.
But as we near the shore, objects that once appeared in the distance appear distinctly. Let us take the view of Paul [Heb. viii.] that the earthly ministration does shadow forth the heavenly. Let us compare them: the earthly high priest, with a lamb, made offerings to God; so Christ, the Lamb of God, [John i, 29] gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time. 1 Tim. ii. 6; Gal. i, 4; also Heb. ii, 17, thus being our High Priest in things pertaining to God, he will testify for us in due time while there is probation. But when they shall desire to see one of the days of the Son of man and shall not see it, [Luke xvii, 22.] or when there is no high priest or intercessor, [Isa. lix, 19,] we conclude that he has put off his priestly garments in exchange for his garments of vengeance and will then suddenly appear in the clouds of heaven to receive us to himself, that where he is there we may be also.
Again, Paul says in Heb. ix, 27, 28. "And as it is appointed unto man once to die but after this the judgment, so Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation." I think these two verses contain more than the casual reader is aware of; for if the earthly high priest did bear the sins of literal Israel, as was manifest by the breast plate of righteousness, until the most holy was cleansed which was at the end of the year, and then came out and confessed the sins over the head of the scape-goat, which answers in the type to Azazel, the originator of sin will not our High Priest likewise finish his ministration even in the Most Holy before he exchanges his priestly garments for those of vengeance? Most certainly. Then let us see to it that we make our calling and election sure.
H. B. SIMONS.
West Hartford, Vt., Sept. 1st, 1854.