Commentaries on Revelation.
By Edwin C. Stiles
Bro. Smith.—While reading an old tract written some forty-seven years ago, on certain portions of Revelation, by Theophilus R. Gates, entitled "Truth Advocated," I thought that many things written therein would be acceptable to the saints scattered abroad.—It is dated Duchess County, N. Y., July 1812. Although many things which are now plain were hidden in his day, yet he has written some excellent truths by which we can discern that he had more honesty than the mass of professors. He remarks that "The Lutherans, once a pious and persecuted people on becoming numerous, and exalted by the favor of the great, established a certain system of religion, and persecuted, imprisoned, banished or put to death all that dissented from it; and the dissentees themselves, on becoming an established body, and getting power in their own hands, exercised the same things towards others that refused to worship their system of religion—and near the town of Boston in America, actually put several innocent Quakers to death." And he continues "Even to the present day, however pious, persecuted and despised, any society of people may once have been, let them become numerous and respected in the eyes of the world, and they immediately lose the spirit of Christ out of their hearts; and look down upon others as others once in contempt looked upon them; and whoever goes contrary to the method and order they have established, will be sure to meet with opposition from them, and be considered as bringing in some dangerous heresy, or undermining the foundation of all religion." Those who are now bearing the last message to a fallen world and to God's scattered children can bear witness of the truthfulness of the above remarks:—Hear him again on the subject of war and fighting, etc. "If any one can reconcile fighting and going to law with christianity, I will truly acknowledge myself as an utter stranger to christianity, and will nevermore assert it is impossible at the same time to serve God and mammon; or pretend to say, that light and darkness have no fellowship, one with the other." After treating upon the Beast and his Image and its worshipers in a theory peculiar to himself, he speaks as follows of the Third Angel's message—"That such a testimony will one day go forth we must believe, or else St. John saw what never will be." * It is also, equally true, that as yet it has never gone forth; and at the time, great afflictions and sufferings of some kind will be undergone to exercise the patience of the saints." He gives it as his opinion that at this time also the "spirits of devils working miracles" will go forth and that the greatest possible efforts will be put forth by all sectarians to keep up their existence and to oppose the truth which they will denounce as the overturning of all order, regulations and church governments. He adds—"Nor is it any wonder that hireling ministers, and system worshipers, Demetrius-like should be stirred up and raise no small stir about the way; for it is evident, not only their craft is in danger of being set at naught by this testimony, but also the great Diana of systems and forms of religion to be despised, and their magnificence destroyed; whom now almost the whole christian world worshipeth—being pointedly testified against, and declared as improper to be worshiped." "Here is the patience of the saints; as if it were said, at this time the patience of the saints will be greatly exercised; in what manner, time only can determine; being yet future, and probably many years future. Here are they that keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus; as if it was said, these are they that do the will of their heavenly Father, and live according to the gospel of Jesus Christ, having no party names nor distinction among them, but in unity and love with one another, serve their Redeemer in spirit and in truth." "Whenever a more pure dispensation is brought into the world, men every where set themselves against it, and this opposition they ever justify by representing it as some destructive heresy, or dangerous innovation." It is worthy of note here that he makes the work of the unclean spirits and the false prophet cotemporary with the third Angel's message. He says, "Here for the first time the false prophet is mentioned;" which he says signifies the most active and influential of the different religious systems and parties who (by the influence of the spirits of devils working in their hearts) will make use of every effort, and practice every scheme which the dragon can invent, or sect or church adopt, to support their several systems and forms of worship against the testimony that is now given against them; that is, get men of eminence and power, and as many as possible in every place to espouse their cause, in order to prevent those changes which the Lord is now about to effect. And he adds, how suitable is the warning given here. "Blessed is he that watcheth against the deceivings now practiced, and keepeth his garments; the things he should ever have on, even forbearance, meekness, love to God and all mankind, lest he walk naked; that is, lest his actions show him to be entirely destitute of these things, and they see his shame; for shame it truly must be for a professor of religion to be so far a stranger to the grace and love of God, as to be immediately influenced by the spirit of the evil one, as many at this time will be." He makes the white horse and his rider and the army that followed, synchronise with those that keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus. He says "the going forth of a horse in prophecy, always denotes the going forth of a particular dispensation, either of judgment, mercy or truth." "And now," he writes, "commences an era of light and suffering; when the corrupt churches being about to be wholly brought down, make one general muster against Christ and his true worshipers. These things are as clear to me as a ray of light; and whoever lives at this time, will see as great opposition and spite to the true way of righteousness then set forth, from professors and sectarians generally, as there was from the Jews towards Christ and his testimony; and also like the Jews, at the very time they opposed the true way of the Lord with all their might, they will no doubt make the greatest possible show of their religion; will think they are the true church; will have a zeal for God, carrying on religion with great success; forming societies; sending missionaries to the heathen &c. &c." Truly there is reason to believe that if Bro. Gates were living in this our day his faith which he had in God's word would be turned to sight before his wondering eyes according to the hymn which we often sing.