WOE UNTO THEM WHO CALL GOOD, EVIL.
By D. W. Hull
WHEN we take up the prophetic chart, and take a view of the characters noticed therein, which are to exist in the last days, we are frequently struck with admiration at the exactness with which ancient seers have delineated people of the nineteenth century. The minutest traits are brought to light in a manner so peculiar that no person can doubt their application. Nor have the ministers of the modern churches been slighted, for they may see themselves in prophecy as in a mirror. It tells of the peace and safety preachers who put far away the evil day" (Amos vi, 3), and see visions of a thousand years of peace and plenty. Jer. xiv, 13–15. The prophets have elaborately pointed to a time when men were to teach error and invert the counsel of God, and unblushingly teach the most palpable errors. "Woe unto them" (says the prophet) "that call evil good and good evil; that put darkness for light and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter." Isa. v, 20. There is a class pointed out here who subject themselves to the fearful woes of God; but what are they doing to thus bring down God's wrath upon them? The 24th verse tells us, "Therefore as the fire devoureth the stubble, and the flame consumeth the chaff, so their root shall be as rottenness, and their blossom shall go up as dust." Why? "Because they have cast away the law of the Lord of hosts, and despised the word of the holy One of Israel." Now if we can find a class of people that "have cast away the law" of God or a people who contend that the law was a curse, we can find a people that call "good evil;" for Paul says the "law is holy and the commandment holy and just and good" (Rom. vii, 12); and that none but the doers of the law shall be justified." Rom. ii, 13. This opposition to God's law does not come so much from non-professors as from the pseudo-religious world. "Now go write it before them in a table, and note it in a book that it may be for the time to come, forever and ever, that this is a rebellious people, lying children that will not hear the law of the Lord; which say to the seers see not, and to the prophets prophecy not unto us right things; speak unto us smooth things." Isa. xxx, 8–10. They seem to forget the awful denunciations upon those that turn away their ears from hearing the law (Prov. xxviii, 9), and with a recklessness which would scarcely characterize any of their worldly actions, they teach men to break God's commandments although the consequences are as lasting as eternity. Matt. v, 19. "For my people is foolish, they have not known me: they are sottish children and they have none understanding; they are wise to do evil, but to do good they have no knowledge." Jer. iv, 22. They have neglected the Lord in that they have refused his law. But hear the prophet again. "How do ye say we are wise and the law of the Lord is with us? Lo! certainly in vain made he it; the pen of the scribes is in vain." Jer. viii, 8. It is useless to contend that you have the law of the Lord with you, when so far as you are concerned the law was made in vain; for you do openly violate one of its precepts, and you are therefore just as guilty before God as if you violated every one. James ii, 8–12. Let us now turn to Eze. xxii, and while it points out a certain class of persons, let us consider if we know of any such characters. Verse 25. "There is a conspiracy of her prophets in the midst thereof; like a roaring lion ravening the prey." If the reader doubts the fulfillment of this, I only have to refer him to the many notorious instances in hundreds of communities, where the Herods and Pilates have made friends and joined their hitherto hostile hands to oppose the friends of God's "holy, just, and good" law. Truly, "her priests have violated my law and have profaned mine holy things; they have put no difference between the holy and profane, neither have they showed difference between the unclean and the clean, and have hid their eyes from my Sabbaths, and I am profaned among them." There is certainly a truthful picture here. We might stop to ask a question. Do not modern religious teachers "break a very important command and teach men so?" If so "they have violated God's holy law, and profaned his holy things!" "O well," says one, "one day is as good as another, no difference what day we keep, just so we keep the seventh part of time!" Well sir, why then are you preaching against the Sabbath of the Lord? Is not the seventh day just as good as any other? You "put no difference between the holy and profane." If you do it seems to be somewhat in favor of the profane days. Let me ask you again, what is your object in preaching against the law of God? Do you elevate the morals of the community, or the morals of those whom you persuade to forsake the law of God? If you do, the law has a different effect from what it had in Paul's time, for it took the law to convict him of sin. Rom. vii, 7. "Well," says another, "the law may be in force, but if it is I can't see it." Stop sir, do you know the reason you can't see? Just open your eyes and turn them away from the world and you can see it! The prophet had reference to you sir, when he said, "they have hid their eyes from my Sabbaths!" There are several reasons why you cannot see the Sabbath. Some can't see it on account of the almighty dollar which they bring in such close proximity to their eyes as to entirely shut out the light of truth! "The Sabbath may be right but they cannot see it!" Others have their eyes blinded with ambition, and they cannot see the Sabbath! Just convince them of the truth of the Sabbath and they will believe it. And still another class cannot see it, because they obstinately shut their eyes. They cannot see the Sabbath and certainly the Lord won't punish them for a sin of ignorance. But if we were to reason on the matter we could but come to the conclusion that a sin committed on the excuse of willful ignorance is one of the most heinous of offences. Please read what the prophet says in this same chapter of those who have "hid their eyes from his Sabbaths." Verse 31. "Therefore have I poured out mine indignation upon them; I have consumed them with the fire of my wrath; their own way have I recompensed upon their heads, saith the Lord God." It will be a poor plea in that day to say you could not see the Sabbath. The Lord tells us that you "have hid your eyes from the Sabbath," and I shall take his word though you may have a different plea. "Thus saith the Lord, for three transgressions I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because they have despised the law of the Lord, and have not kept his commandments and their lies have caused them to err after the which their fathers have walked." Amos ii, 4. Now the Lord is going to punish somebody and that somebody (whoever he is) "despises the law." Who despises the law of the Lord? They that fight against it of course. The single fact that they nickname the law of God the old Jewish law, call it a curse, &c., is evidence sufficient that they despise the law. Hence (as a natural122consequence), they have failed to keep God's commandments. The Lord tells us to remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy. David tells us, "Thy testimonies which thou hast commanded are righteous," and "thy law is the truth." Psalm cxix, 138, 142, 151. "Yet they falsely tell us that the Lord abolished the truth and his righteousness, although we are expressly told that his righteousness shall not be abolished." Isa. li, 6. The prophet Zephaniah in speaking on this subject says, "Her prophets are light and treacherous persons; her priests have polluted the sanctuary; they have done violence to the law." Zeph. iii, 4. "Yea they made their hearts as an adamant stone, lest they should hear the law." Zech. vii, 8. Then if they "cannot see the Sabbath" it is their own fault; for they have predetermined not to be convinced. Mal. ii, 7. For the priests should keep knowledge, and they should seek the law at his mouth, for he is the messenger of the Lord of hosts. [If so it is the priest's business to sustain the law instead of trying to persuade men to violate it.] "But ye have departed out of the way;" [why? Because] "ye have caused many to stumble at the law; ye have corrupted the covenant of Levi saith the Lord of hosts; therefore I also made you contemptible and base before all the people according as ye have not kept my ways, but have been partial in the law." They tell us that a part of God's law only is in force, whilst a part of it, always having been a curse, is abolished. This is an inexcusable partiality in the law of God. But we are told that "the law was made expressly for the Jews, and was intended for them only." This is as much as to say what is right for one man is entirely wrong for another; if it was wrong for a Jew to be an idolater, it was perfectly right for the Gentiles to worship their idols; if it is wrong for Mr. A. to steal, it may be that Mr. B. has a perfect right to possess himself of his neighbor's goods. It supposes that the Lord was not capable of creating just and equitable laws. The prophet however anticipates this species of sophistry, and asks (verse 10), "Have we not all one father? Hath not one God created us? Why do we deal treacherously every man against his brother by profaning the covenant of our fathers?" The presumption is that the same father and the same Creator would govern his people by a uniform code of laws. Ezekiel also anticipates this same sophism with a denunciation from Jehovah. "Ye say the way of the Lord is not equal, O house of Israel; I will judge you, every one after his ways." Exe. xxiii, 20. "Well," says one, "if the Sabbath is binding I don't see why our ministers don't take it up." Let me tell you, if you wait for your preacher to lead, you may never get right. The prophet says, "I sought for a man among them that should make up the hedge and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it, and I found none!" Eze. xxii, 30. And "they which lead you cause you to err and destroy the way of your paths." Isa. iii, 12. In Isa. ix, 16, we are told that it is the leaders of the people that cause them to err. "For among my people are found wicked men; they lay wait as he that setteth snares; they set a trap, they catch men. * The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests bear rule by their means, and my people love to have it so; and what will ye do in the end thereof?" Jer. v, 26, 31. Jeremiah also predicts a fearful sentence upon those prophets who pervert the words of the living God. Jer. xxiii, 15. "Therefore thus saith the Lord of hosts concerning the prophets, behold I will feed them with wormwood and make them drink the water of gall; for from the prophets of Jerusalem is profaneness gone forth into all the land. Thus saith the Lord of hosts, Hearken not unto the words of the prophets that prophesy unto you; they make you vain, they speak a vision of their own heart and not of the mouth of the Lord." One asks, "What are we to do if we are not to hear the prophets?" Why just go to the Bible. The prophet continues, "Therefore behold I am against the prophets saith the Lord that steal my words every one from his neighbor. Behold I am against the prophets that use their tongues and say, He saith. Behold I am against them that prophesy false dreams, saith the Lord, and do tell them, and cause my people to err by their lies and by their lightness; yet I sent them not, nor commanded them; therefore they shall not profit this people at all saith the Lord of hosts." Verses 30–32. May the Lord guide each reader to cut loose from erring prophets and rely upon God's word alone. Dayton Iowa, Feb. 20th 1860.