THE WISE SHALL UNDERSTAND.
By Francis Gould
THERE are three important ideas embraced in this language of the prophet Daniel, The wise shall understand. 1. Who are the wise, 2. What they understand, and the means God uses for the accomplishment of this object, and, 3. The benefits proffered to those who understand. 1. At a certain time in the history of the past, Christ likened the kingdom of heaven unto ten virgins, which took their lamps and went forth to meet the Bridegroom. And five of them were wise and five were foolish. They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them, but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. We learn from this parable, that the wise are those who always carry a sufficient supply of oil with their lamps, that when God calls upon them to move forward at a moment's warning, whether in darkness or light, they will do it. There are two kinds of wisdom spoken of in the Scriptures of truth. Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him show out of a good conversation his works, with meekness of wisdom. But if ye have bitter envyings and strife in your hearts, glory not; and lie not against the truth. This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish. For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work. But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. James iii, 13–17. 2. What the wise understand, and the means God uses to give them this knowledge. Whoso keepeth the commandment shall feel no evil thing: and a wise man's heart discerneth both time and judgment. Eccl. viii, 5. The truly wise man understandeth the Bible to be a book of truth. And that all Scripture is given by the inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness; that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works. 2 Tim. iii, 16, 17. They believe that all prophecy connected with the people of God will be fulfilled in God's own time and way, and that it has a moral tendency in moulding the character of his people, and giving them a clue to the time of their final deliverance. There are various means which God has used to give his people a knowledge of their deliverance. First, By warnings. By faith, Noah being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith. Heb. xi, 7. Just Lot, whose righteous soul was vexed from day to day with the filthy conversation of the wicked, and with their unlawful deeds, was warned by angels to flee; and it came to pass, when they brought them forth abroad that he said, "Escape for thy life! Look not behind thee, neither stay thou in all the plain, escape to the mountain lest thou be consumed." Gen. xix, 17. When Herod sought privately to kill the holy child Jesus, Joseph was warned of God in a dream, to arise and take the young child and his mother and flee into Egypt, and be there untill he should bring him word, for Herod would seek the young child, to destroy him. Matt. ii, 13. Again, at the destruction of Jerusalem, God's people were warned in the following language: "When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth let him understand,)" then let them which be in Judea flee into the mountains: let him which is on the housetop not come down to take anything out of the house, neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes. Now let us see how God has been warning his people in these last days, and giving them to understand the awful doom that awaits this ungodly world. We find that after the declaration, "Fear God, and give glory to him, for the hour of his judgment is come," had gone forth with a loud voice, there followed another angel, saying, "Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication." Rev. xiv, 8. That this fallen Babylon is the different sectarian bodies is most clear. In Rev. xviii, 2, it reads, "And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and the cage of every unclean and hateful bird." The churches have become so from the fact, that they are ready to endorse almost every sentiment propagated by a wicked and unchristian world. That foul blot, American Slavery, one of the greatest sins that ever disgraced a professed Christian nation, has been upheld by them, in consequence of which the kings of the earth, and rich men, have courted her favor, and committed fornication with her. The heathen philosophers believed in a vague idea of a conscious state of existence, that immediately after death the spirit became a little god among the gods, and had more knowledge than when in this mortal state. This doctrine the churches have fully endorsed; thus virtually denying the resurrection of the body, and the general Judgment, sapping the very foundation of the Christian's hope. With this view of the subject we see in these last days the arms of the professed church extended wide to receive the Roman Catholic, the Universalist, the Infidel and Heathen, which together are propagating a doctrine wholly predicated on the wisdom of man, and not on the word of God. While these things are being acted before our eyes, we do not wonder that God by the mouth of the Revelator exclaims, "Babylon is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and the cage of every unclean and hateful bird." We don't wonder the loud voice of warning should be heard, saying, "Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues." When the second message of warning began to die away, we heard another, and the last note of warning that will ever be given to this fallen world. And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, "If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, the same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb." Rev. xiv, 9, 10. It appears that God led his people out of Babylon, that they might see the errors into which they had fallen, that they might renounce them, and be prepared for translation. We see that we were worshiping an institution of the beast. The prophet Daniel speaks of a certain power, symbolized by a beast, that thought to change times and laws. The prophet Isaiah, [chap. xxiv, 5,] speaking of the same thing, says, "The earth is also defiled under the inhabitants thereof, because they have transgressed the laws, (the ten commandments, including the holy Sabbath,) changed the ordinance, (baptism,) broken the everlasting covenant." This little horn power has instituted the first day of the week for the Sabbath, and has also changed the time of its commencement. To commence the day at midnight is Roman time. To begin the day at sundown is God's time. How long will God's people sigh and cry for the abominations done in the land? And shall not God avenge his own elect, that cry unto him day and night, though he bear long with them? I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Luke xviii, 7, 8. Second, by signs. The institution of the passover was a sign of the deliverance of God's people. "And thou shalt shew thy son in that day saying, this is done because of that which the Lord did unto me when I came forth out of Egypt. And it shall be for a sign unto thee upon thine hand, and for a memorial between thine eyes; that the Lord's law may be in thy mouth: for with a strong hand hath the Lord brought thee out of Egypt." Ex. xiii, 8, 9. After their deliverance from Egypt, God called to their remembrance another prominent sign. "Six days may work be done; but the seventh day is the Sabbath of rest, holy unto the Lord. Whosoever doeth any work on the Sabbath day, he shall surely be put to death. Wherefore the children of Israel shall keep the Sabbath, to observe the Sabbath throughout their generations as a perpetual covenant. It is a sign between me and the children of Israel forever: for in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested." Ex. xxxi, 15-17. This last text gives us sufficient proof that the Sabbath should be kept as a memorial of the works of creation. God in these last days is giving us signs as tokens of deliverance: signs in the heavens; upon the earth distress of nations with perplexity; men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth. And Christ says, "When these things begin to come to pass, then look up and lift up your heads, for your redemption draweth nigh." 3. The benefits proffered to those who understand. "And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament, and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever." Dan. xii, 3. "Blessed are they that do his commandments that they may have a right to the tree of life, and enter in through the gates into the city." Rev. xxii, 14. O! the glorious promises that God has in store for those that love him. The curse will soon be removed, the meek will inherit the earth, and long enjoy the work of their hands. And my desire is that God's saints may so live that when he comes to be glorified in his saints, and admired in all them that believe, that they may say with confidence, "Lo, this is our God, we have waited for him, and he will save us." Isa. xxv, 9. Randolph, Vt., July 13th, 1856.