Publishing Committee · Battle Creek, Mich. · Mar 3, 1859
THE LATTER RAIN.
By Daniel T. Bourdeau
This blessing is soon to be bestowed upon God's people; and there are few that realize it. The indifference that is manifested by many enlightened christians in regard to the latter rain, arises from a lack of love for the sweets that true religion affords. Those who have the light on this glorious theme, and have not a longing desire for the time of refreshing from the presence of the Lord are truly in a deplorable condition; for they cannot be perfectly right towards God and their fellow-men, while they do not long for that blessing that will put them in a position where they will be nearer God, the author of every good and perfect gift, and enable them to glorify him, in exerting a good influence on those around them.
There are those who indeed think that the latter rain is very desirable, and who speak much about it; but they do not realize what preparation they must make in order to be benefited by it. They think that what they cannot do towards preparing to go through the conflicts that are before them, the refreshing will accomplish; and they are comparatively at ease: they make no great efforts to overcome. Such, in our estimation, are no more prepared for the latter rain, than they would be if they cared nothing about it. Their desire is a false desire, and their hope one that will not stand in the hour of temptation which shall try all those that dwell on the earth. They lack the very thing that God's people must have to be benefited by the latter rain.
There is still another class who are not well established in the truth, and who look with pleasing anticipation to the time of refreshing, with the sincere belief that the generality of those who profess christianity will largely share the blessings of the latter rain. For the benefit of such, we will make a few remarks. And we would here ask, can God consistently pour his Holy Spirit on those who love not the truth, and hate righteousness, and are the enemies of Christ's humble followers? Has God ever dealt on this wise with the children of men? Not by any means. God is said to be a kind and compassionate Father. He deals justly with all men; and he pities them as kind and wise earthly parents pity their children. Now how willing are earthly parents to give good gifts to their children? Let us see. To illustrate we will suppose a case:
A certain judicious and wealthy parent has two sons. One is very industrious and obedient, and endeavors in all things to please his father; the other is very slothful and disobedient, and cares not whether his father is pleased by his conduct, or not. One is very grateful for the gifts that his kind father bestows upon him, and makes good use of them; the other is never satisfied with the blessings with which his kind and indulgent father favors him, and spends all the gifts he receives in satisfying his evil desires, without taking any thought about the future. These two sons come to the time when their father is to manifest his indulgence and love towards them; and what course does he take? Does he treat them alike? By no means. How does he deal with them? He gives much wealth to him who has been faithful and obedient, and is disposed to make good use of the blessings he receives; and he says to his slothful and disobedient son, My son, I truly desire to promote your happiness. I have been very indulgent towards you in the past; but I cannot consistently commit to your care the amount of wealth I should, were you disposed to mend your ways and rightly spend the gifts that are imparted unto you. I will keep that portion of my wealth that I had reserved for you, and give it to your brother, or to some other one who will make good use of it, unless you reform and give good evidence that you will be benefited by receiving your portion of my property.
Thus will our kind heavenly Father deal with those who profess christianity, and are slothful and disobedient, and despise those who love God, and strive to follow the meek and lowly Jesus. He cannot pour his Holy Spirit upon them while they are in a state of rebellion; for they would not feel the necessity of amending their ways: on the contrary they would think themselves well off, remain in their sins and finally be lost. This view of the subject shows us why most of those who profess godliness are so destitute of God's Spirit; and it also shows us what spirit those are of, who, while living in sin, profess to share largely of the Spirit of God.
But, says the critic, does not God say that he will pour out his Spirit upon all flesh, that is upon his people Israel? Most certainly he does. But what is meant by Israel? Says the apostle Paul, "They are not all Israel which are of Israel." Rom. ix, 6. "Thou therefore which teachest another teachest thou not thyself? thou that preachest a man should not steal dost thou steal? thou that sayest a man should not commit adultery, dost thou commit adultery? For he is not a Jew which is one outwardly. . . . But he is a Jew which is one inwardly." Chap. ii, 21, 22, 28, 29. "Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham." Gal. iii, 7. So we see that such only as are of faith, and honor God through righteousness, constitute the true Israel, and will be refreshed when the latter rain is poured.
But why confine the expression "all flesh" to the Israel? O, "says the objector," because the Lord speaks of "my people Israel." Joel ii, 27. And besides, we know that God does not refer to those who are not christians; for surely those who do not believe in Christ cannot partake of that blessing which he reserves for those who follow him in these last days. This reasoning is good; but why not carry it out a little further? Why not say that, inasmuch as many professed christians by sinning against the light, become more guilty in the sight of God than those who have never taken the name of Christ in their lips, only those who sincerely believe in Christ and live up to the light that shines on their pathway, shall be benefited by the latter rain?
But, says one, don't you believe that God's Spirit will strive with the wicked while the latter rain is being poured on the just? Certainly we do; but in our mind there is a vast difference between God's Spirit striving with men, and God's Spirit being poured on men. God's Spirit strives with men to convince them of sin, that they may repent, forsake their evil ways, and obtain mercy; but God's Spirit will be poured on those who make a thorough preparation for the latter rain. God's Spirit has strove with men ever since the fall of our first parents; and it will continue to strive with men till the day of mercy closes; but God's Spirit will be poured on the church of God just prior to Christ's second coming. That the Spirit of God will strive mightily with the wicked, while the saints are receiving the latter rain, we freely admit; for God will cut his work short in righteousness: because a short work will the Lord make upon the earth.
The more we reflect on this subject, the more we are convinced that the idea of a universal refreshing is contrary to the teachings of the Bible. It perfectly coincides with the doctrine of the world's conversion, which is opposed both to Scripture and common sense, and has a tendency of lulling the church and world asleep.
DANIEL T. BOURDEAU.
West Enosburgh, Vt. Feb. 10th, 1859.
AN EXHORTATION.
By J. B. Frisbie
DEAR BRETHREN SCATTERED ABROAD: I have of late been contemplating the work of the Lord as connected with the Present Truth.
Do we realize, brethren, that the message now going forth is the last message of mercy ever to be given to mortal man? and that this message will soon close forever? and that then all who are wicked will remain wicked still? and that all depends upon our faithfulness whether we are saved or lost?114cause we hear the plain literal truth on the Sabbath and other points of our faith, and we embrace it with good and honest hearts (at least many do) and in so doing we get the blessing of God in the outpouring of his Spirit. Then we are too apt to feel that we are rich and increased in goods and have need of nothing. At this point we become exalted in ourselves and lose our humble dependence on God, keeping up the form with but little of the Spirit, and making but little if any advance in either the knowledge or practice of godliness. Here in this halting position we become blind and poor, thinking it better with us than it really is. Thus left to make crooked paths for our feet, we shall be spued out, fall out by the way, unless we become zealous and repent.
Some give heed to the message and move on while others make some faint efforts and fall back in darkness, and finally are left to think that they have been deceived, their light having become darkness. This state some have already reached. They shut their eyes, and God leaves them to blindness like the Jews.
I believe that God intends to have us walk out on his promises by faith in the fulfillment of prophecy. What can establish us in the Present Truth but a full knowledge and practice of the same? And upon all who will be willingly ignorant of the truth and love not the truth, God will send or suffer to come, strong delusions that they may believe a lie and be damned. For they have pleasure in unrighteousness, and will not bear the chastening rod of the Lord, and repent.
We are called upon to worship God in spirit and in truth. To pray in the spirit, and to sing in the spirit, and to preach in the spirit. How can we do this unless we are entirely consecrated to God and sanctified by the truth? And can we be thus while any known sin remains on us? We think not. How important that the ministry be wholly devoted to the work of the Lord, holy, meek, godly, in all manner of conversation, devoting its whole strength to the advancement of the cause of God. The secret of success with those who labor to win souls to Christ consists in clothing the truth in plain simple language and preaching it with energy, accompanied with the Spirit of God to soften the hearts, and convict and convert the people. This was the cause of the success of the apostles and such reformers as Luther, Wesley and others. Will not this hold good with us as a people? Brethren one and all, let us be encouraged; for acting to the best of our abilities in the name of the Lord, we can be saved. Amen.
J. B. FRISBIE.
"THE LAND OF THE LIVING."
And is this "the land of the living?"
We toil but a wearisome hour,
A brief day of hoping and striving
For fast-fleeting pleasure or power.
But the life which is earnest, undying,
The fullness of life and of love,
For which every spirit is sighing,
Dwells only with Jesus above.
We are now in the land of the dying,
Around us; are blight and decay,
The blossoms Youth gathered, are lying
With beauty all withered away.
The hopes which sprang up, in life's morning,
Were faded and chilled before noon,
Deceit and the world's bitter scorning
Had poisoned life's fountain so soon.
The clods on the coffin are ringing,
We look on the pall and the bier,
And grim death forever is flinging
His shadow of pain and of fear.
But we haste to the land of the living,
And soon on its beautiful shore,
We shall drink from life's fountain upspringing,
Shall drink, and shall thirst never more.
The path may be thorny and toilsome,
The gateway be shrouded in gloom,
But through the bright portals which open,
Is life, in unvarying bloom.
[Sab. Recorder.
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.
EDWIN C. STILES.
Portland, Me.
The Two Stones.
By Oberlin
I HAVE before me two stones, which are both perfectly alike in color; they are of the same water, clear, pure, and clean; yet there is a marked difference between them as to luster and brilliancy. One has a dazzling brightness, while the other is dull, so that the eye passes over it and derives no pleasure from the sight. What can be the reason of this difference? It is this: the one is cut in but a few facets: the other has ten times as many. These facets are produced by a very violent operation. It is requisite to cut, to smooth, and polish. Had these stones been endued with life, so as to have been capable of feeling what they underwent, the one which has received eighty facets would have thought itself very unhappy, and would have envied the fate of the other, which, having received but eight, had undergone but a tenth part of its sufferings. Nevertheless, the operation being over it is done forever; the difference between the two stones always remains strongly marked; that which has suffered but little is entirely eclipsed by the other, which alone is held on estimation and attracts attention. May not this serve to explain the saying of our Saviour, whose words have reference to eternity? "Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted,"—blessed, whether we contemplate them apart, or in comparison with those who have not passed through so many trials. Oh! that we were always able to cast ourselves into his arms like little children; to draw near to him, like young lambs, and ever to ask of him patience, resignation, an entire surrender to his will, faith, trust, and heartfelt obedience to the commands which he gives to those who are willing to be his disciples. "The Lord will wipe away tears from off all faces."
— Oberlin.
Lending to the Lord.
A POOR man, some of whose family were sick, lived near Deacon Murray, referred to in the tract 'Worth of a Dollar,' and occasionally called at his house for a supply of milk. One morning he came while the family were at breakfast. Mrs. Murray rose to wait upon him, but the deacon said to her, "Wait till after breakfast." She did so, and meanwhile the deacon made some inquiries of the man about his family and circumstances.
After family worship, the deacon invited him to go out to the barn with him. When they got into the yard, the deacon, pointing to one of the cows, exclaimed, "There, take that cow, and drive her home." The man thanked him heartily for the cow, and started for home; but the deacon was observed to stand in the attitude of deep thought until the man had gone some rods. He then looked up, and called out, "Hey, bring that cow back." The man looked around, and the deacon added, "Let the cow come back, and you come back too." He did so: and when he came back into the yard again, the deacon said, "There, now, take your pick out of the cows; I a'n't agoing to lend to the Lord the poorest cow I've got.">—Sel.
Authority for changing the Sabbath.
“ Ques. WHAT are the days which the Church commands to be kept holy? A. 1st, The Sunday or the Lord’s day, which we observe by apostolic tradition, instead of the Sabbath. 2dly, The feasts of our Lord’s Nativity, or Christmas-day; his Circumcision, or New-Year’s day; the Epiphany, or Twelfth-day, Easter-day, or the day of our Lord’s Resurrection, with the Monday following, the day of our Lord’s Ascension; Whit-Sunday, or the day of the coming of the Holy Ghost, with the Monday following; Trinity Sunday; Corpus Christi, or the feasts of the blessed Sacrament. 3dly, We keep the days of the Annunciation, and Assumption of the blessed Virgin Mary. 4thly, We observe the feast of All-saints; of St. John Baptist; of the holy Apostles, St. Peter and St. Paul. 5thly, In this kingdom we keep the feast of St. Patrick, our principal patron..
Q. What warrant have you for keeping the Sunday, preferable to the ancient Sabbath which was the Saturday? A. We have for it the authority of the Catholic Church, and apostolic tradition.
Q. Does the Scripture any where command the Sunday to be kept for the Sabbath? A. The Scripture commands us to hear the Church, [Matt. xviii, 17; Luke x, 16.] and to hold fast the traditions of the apostles. 2 Thess. ii, 15. But the Scripture does not in particular mention this change of the Sabbath. John speaks of the Lord’s day; [Rev. i, 10;] but he does not tell us what day of the week this was, much less does he tell us that this day was to take the place of the Sabbath ordained in the commandments. Luke also speaks of the disciples’ meeting together to break bread on the first day of the week. Acts xx, 7. And Paul [1 Cor. xvi, 2.] orders that on the first day of the week the Corinthians should lay by in store what they designed to bestow in charity on the faithful in Judea; but neither the one nor the other tells us that this first day of the week was to be henceforward the day of worship, and the Christian Sabbath; so that truly, the best authority we have for this, is the testimony and ordinance of the church. And therefore those who pretend to be so religious of the Sunday whilst they take no notice of other festivals ordained by the same Church authority, show that they act by humor, and not by reason and religion; since Sundays and holy days all stand upon the same foundation, viz., the ordinance of the Church.—Cath. Christian Instructed, pp. 209, 210, 211.
Recognition of Each Other by the Blessed.
We might presume that such would be the case, from the light of nature.
It is fairly presumable that we shall know as much in the next world as we know in this, and consequently that we shall not meet as perfect strangers there, those with whom we have here walked in fellowship and friendship.
What, however, reason makes probable, revelation makes certain.—That shows us Peter, James, and John on the Mount of Transfiguration, and apprizes us of the fact that they recognized Moses and Elias who also were there; for Peter made particular mention of them when he said to Christ—“Let us make here three tabernacles, one for thee, one for Moses, and one for Elias.” If these disciples thus knew Moses and Elias, called them by name, it is strange indeed if Moses and Elias did not know each other, and were first introduced to each other by these words of Peter. But if they did know each other, then do the redeemed know each other, and those who have been their intimate friends here, on earth.
***
The Apostle Paul writing to those persons converted under his ministry (1 Thess. ii, 19, 20,) says: “What is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Are not even ye at the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming? for ye are our glory and joy.” What is the meaning of this, except that those whom the apostle had been made the instrument of leading unto Christ, would be a source of happiness to him when they unitedly came to the heavenly mansions?—when the Lord Jesus should again appear to take them to himself! But how could this be, if he could not distinguish them from others in that world of light? How could he “glorify God on their behalf,” if he knew not who they were? “Many,” we are told, “shall come from the east and from the west, from the north and from the south, and shall sit down with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of God.” Is it supposable that Isaac and Jacob will not know Abraham, or that those who are privileged with a seat at that marriage-supper of the Lamb, will not know that the venerable patriarch is there, or who he is?
At the death of his child, David consoled himself at the thought—“I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me.” The consolation however arising from this source would be small indeed, if when David regained his lost child in the future state, he could not recognize him.—Sel.
The Rebellious Sinner
THE REBELLIOUS SINNER.—What rebel under proclamation of mercy stands out, when he knows he shall be brought in by the hand of justice? Yet how many refractory sinners, with those invited guests in the gospel, deride the messengers of peace, until they are slain by the men of war. Indeed, hast thou counsel, wisdom and strength for the battle—could thy heart endure, or thy hands be strong in the day that God shall deal with thee, this were much; or could the gods whom thou servest deliver thee out of the hands of Christ, this were more; but alas!, thou must some day be brought under his legal power, either in favor or fury, either in the praise of his glory, or to the magnifying of justice.
If thou hate his throne, thou shalt be made his footstool; if thou wilt not have him to be thy head, thou shalt be trodden under his feet; if he be not thy Jesus, he will be thy Judge. In a word, if thou wilt not touch the golden scepter of his mercy, thou shalt be crushed with the rod of his justice. As for these mine enemies, that would not that I should reign over them, bring them hither, and slay them before me. Therefore now sit down, and see thy weakness, and while the King is yet a great way off, send out the ambassadors of thy prayers, and acquaint thyself now with God, and be at peace. For my part, I had rather come in a favorite, than be brought in a traitor.—Sel.
A Challenge.
By W. Lockhart
I say, then, that I am a Catholic, by the grace of God, because I was led to see that some other authority besides the Bible and the Bible only, was necessary in order to prove many of the very points which all Protestants admit to be essential to Christianity. Protestants deny this, and declare that nothing is necessary to be believed but what can be proved from the Bible and the Bible only—namely, from plain texts of Scripture. The whole question is, therefore, reduced into a nutshell; in proof or disproof of this, lies the proof or disproof of Protestantism. I do, therefore, solemnly challenge the Protestants of Ireland, to prove by plain texts of Scripture the questions concerning the obligation of the Christian Sabbath. 1. That Christians may work on Saturday, the old seventh day. 2. That they are bound to keep holy the first day; namely, Sunday. 3. That they are not bound to keep holy the seventh day also.—Extract from W. Lockhart, late B. A. of Oxford. Toronto [Catholic] Mirror
Funds.
A Missionary speaking of his hopes of the recent revival in this country says in regard to funds necessary to the propagation of the gospel:
We are not directed to pray for funds, because if a man (or woman) is converted he brings all his resources into the church, as a thing of course. His property is redeemed from the service of the devil as well as his soul. One belongs to the church as much as the other. God will not accept the heart that keeps back part of the price. I say, we are not commanded to pray for funds, but for laborers. We have funds as a thing of course, if we have laborers. The church which will send her sons and daughters will send her money.
I say again the third time, and always, we want men and women as laborers in the world-wide field.
[Am. Missionary.]
Good and Evil.
By Washington Allston
A REAL debt of gratitude—that is, one founded on a disinterested act of kindness—cannot be canceled by any subsequent act of unkindness on the part of our benefactor. If the favor be of a pecuniary nature, we may, indeed, by returning an equal or greater sum, balance the moneyed part, but we cannot liquidate the kind motive by setting against it any number of unkind ones. For an after injury can no more undo a previous kindness than we prevent in the future what has happened in the past. So neither can a good act undo an evil one; a fearful truth! For good and evil have a moral life which nothing in time can extinguish. The instant they exist, they start for eternity. How then can a man who has once sinned, and has not of himself cleansed his soul, be fit for heaven where no sin can enter? I seek not to enter into the mystery of the Atonement, which even the angels sought to comprehend but could not, but I feel its truth in an unutterable conviction, and that without it all flesh must perish.—Washington Allston.
Gems of Piety.
[Bro. Smith: Here are a few gems of piety from the select writings of John Mason A. M. They are for the Review if you think best.] A good man is so far acquainted with the corruption of his own heart that instead of condemning others he is apt to account them better than himself. A true christian lives like a saint and begs like a sinner. One that is sincere hates sin in himself and laments it in others. Want of sorrow for sin more argues want of love to Christ than sin itself. An humble confession for sins brings shame to ourselves but glory to God. Be much in humiliation and confession. Believer remember there may be true grace where there is no comfort.
By affliction God separates sin which he hates from the soul which he loves. Confession of sins should come like water from a spring that runs freely and not like water from a still that is forced by the fire of affliction. God takes it unkindly when we give too much for any outward thing; because it is a sign we fetch not that comfort from him which we should.
PREMATURE DECISION.—
I have been into the studio of a printer.—He had an unfinished sketch in hand. Did I judge of his merits as an artist by that unfinished sketch? No. To have done so would have been quite unfair, and he might have properly complained that I did him injustice. Wait, he would have said, “till the piece is completed, till I have exhausted upon it all my skill—till it has received the last touch of my pencil.”
Thus God tells us relative to His works—“to judge nothing before the time.” And yet we act very differently. We pass sentence upon his proceedings while yet they are in a state of progression. Wait till His designs are accomplished. Wait till his plans are fully executed. Wait till the restitution of all things. Wait till God has done—till the divine limner has finished; and then the production of infinite wisdom and benevolence will speak for itself.—Sel.
The Scandal of Inconsistent Religion
A JUDICIOUS writer observes:—What a declension in christian charity is discernable amongst the votaries of religion; what quarrelling, animosity, back-biting hypocrisy and degeneracy. This is the efficient cause why the world is crowded with deists whom I pity from my heart; for having no spiritual senses to discern the things of God, they can no more see the consistency, excellency and utility of the gospel of Christ, than an infant can read Latin; and they look, therefore to the professors of religion, to prove by their conduct, that there is a reality in it. What is the consequence of their investigation? They see such a contrast between practice and profession, that they condemn the whole as fabulous, aud plunge into one horrid labyrinth of deism, and thus stumble over them into hell.”—Sel.
God’s Patience and Chastisement
Nevertheless the patience of God invites the wicked to repentance, just as the chastisement of God urges the righteous to patience
OBJECTIONS TO THE BIBLE
WE are often called upon to explain or harmonize portions of Scripture, where there at first sight appears to be a discrepancy, which infidel scrutiny has searched out and persists in distorting into an objection against the holy book. We hear such objections more and more frequently urged, as the mechanical arguments of infidels are gaining from day to day a wider circulation among the people. Some of the charges which the carnal heart frames against the Bible and the God of the Bible, are of course too puerile to deserve notice; but some may seem to demand an answer.
An objection as commonly urged perhaps as any other, is said to be found in the following texts, of which a correspondent has asked an explanation. If we shall be able to shed any light upon them, it may be a help to others as well as to our correspondent. The texts are the following: Gen. vi. 6; Num. xxiii, 19; 1 Sam. xv, 11, 29; 2 Sam. xxiv, 16; Joel ii, 13; Mal. iii, 6, and Jas. i, 17. These texts represent God as repenting that he had made man on the earth, repenting that he had set up Saul as king, &c., and yet they declare immutability to be one of the divine attributes; for "God is not a man that he should lie, neither the son of man that he should repent."
The objection proceeds on the supposition that the term repent has the same signification in every instance; and that when under certain circumstances and in reference to some objects he is represented as repenting, and again under other circumstances and in reference to different objects it is said that he does not repent, there must necessarily be a contradiction. This point however stands in need of proof as we shall see.
A sufficient answer to this objection, and to all others of its kind, is found in the fact, which all must admit, that a divine revelation to man, is at times, and must necessarily be, accommodated to the modes of human thought and expression. But we will look at the matter still further. God has laid down an invariable rule by which he acts in reference to mankind. It is that whenever he has spoken to do evil concerning a people on account of their wickedness, if they turn from their wickedness he will turn from the evil he thought to do to them; and, vice versa, whenever his word has gone forth to do them good on account of their righteousness, if they fall from their righteousness and do evil in his sight, he will withhold from them the good which he had purposed to bestow. See Jer. xviii, 7–10.
From this rule we learn the unalterable purpose of God to punish the wicked and reward the good. Otherwise than this he could not act, and yet maintain his character of justice and mercy. In the light of this fact let us look at the inhabitants of the antediluvian world. They had hopelessly departed from God, they had resisted his Spirit, the earth was filled with violence and corruption. God, in language accommodated to human thoughts and modes of expression, wishes to declare his abhorrence to sin, and his regret at the depraved state of the world; for he had no pleasure in sin, nor in the death of the sinner. We ask then, how could he better have done this, than in the language used: "And it repented the Lord that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart." And more than all this, in the fact that God swept away that godless race, we find the strongest argument for his immutability. Rather than suffer his holy law to be transgressed with impunity, such is his unchanging counsel and determination, he swept the whole race from the earth by one fell catastrophe, excepting only eight righteous persons, when it had become incurably polluted and defiled. Then Gen. vi, 6, instead of showing any changeableness in the divine character, is simply an expression to show how he regarded the world as it then existed.
Numbers xxiii, 19, involves a different principle altogether; namely, a change of purpose. Balak had sent for Balaam to curse Israel. Balaam declared that he must speak the words that the Lord should put in his mouth. The Lord changed his cursing into a blessing. Why? Because it is contrary to his immutable character and purpose, according to his rule in Jer. xviii, to curse those who maintain a character upon which he has pronounced approval; therefore he said, "God is not man that he should lie; nor the son of man that he should repent;" or change his purpose.
1 Sam. xv, 11, is a parallel case with Gen. vi, 6. Verse 29 is parallel with Num. xxiii, 19. In 2 Sam. xxiv, 16, we learn that repentance turned away the evil, just as God had promised in Jer. xviii. Joel ii, 13, is in accordance with the same principle. Mal. iii, 6, and Jas. i, 17, contain declarations of God's immutability; and there is not a particle of testimony in the passages before noticed which conflicts in the least degree with these declarations.