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Review and Herald, Vol. 12, No. 14.

The World's Conversion

Review and Herald

Aug 19, 1858

Publishing Committee · Battle Creek, Mich. · Aug 19, 1858

The World's Conversion.

By J. B. Frisbie

Matt. xxiv, 37-39. But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For as in the days that were before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. 2 Tim. iii, 1-5, 13. This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come; for men shall be lovers of their own selves, . . . having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived. Eph. iv, 4. And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. Luke xii, 32, 36. Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. . . . And ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their lord, when he will return from the wedding.
When Christ comes the world will be as it was in the days of Noe, not ready. It will be perilous times with the churches, for men will have a form of godliness while destitute of the power. The teachers and their people will wax worse and worse, being mostly turned unto fables; which will leave but a little flock to wait their Lord's return from heaven.
Now on the other hand, let us see what popular teachers say about it:
"CAN THE WORLD BE CONVERTED?—HOW? "The ultimate conversion of the world to God is the burden of divine promise and prophecy. The achievement may seem an impossibility, in view of the Herculean difficulties attending the enterprise, and the inadequate plans for its accomplishment. The period may be remote when the banner of the cross shall wave from every turret; but the consummation is as certain as the declaration of holy writ. How shall the world be converted? . . . The truth of God universally diffused, applied by the Holy Spirit in answer to prayer, furnishes the simple and comprehensive answer."—American Messenger, Nov. 1852.
The scriptures quoted in proof of the above are Ps. ii, 8; Isa. ii, 2; Dan. ii, 35; Ps. xxii, 27; Micah iv, 3; Rev. xi, 15. But when the kingdoms of this wicked world shall be given to Christ, he shall dash them to pieces like a potter's vessel.

"FACTS TO THINK ABOUT.

"1. There are in the world about 800,000,000 of souls. Of these, Christianity is professed by Roman Catholics, 80,000,000 Protestants, 70,000,000 Greek church, 50,000,000 200,000,000 "2. There are Jews, 5,000,000 Mohametans, 140,000,000 Pagans, 455,000,000 600,000,000
"3. Among these 600,000,000 there are about 1,400 Protestant missionaries, independent of native catechists and schoolmasters, and including those of America, Great Britain, and the continent of Europe, or one missionary to every 428,571 persons.
"Reader, what influence should these facts have upon your mind? Let them lead to devout prayer and holy effort for the speedy conversion of the world."—Bible Class Magazine.
We clip the following from the Detroit Weekly Advocate, as the opinion of the worldly press on missions:
"OUR MISSIONARIES IN INDIA.—We suggest whether the very large amount contributed every year in the United States, to christianize the savages and heathen of other countries, is well spent, and whether it could not be more profitably disbursed in our own land in elevating, educating and christianizing the poor and ignorant among us. A large amount is yearly spent abroad, with very little results, in our judgment, except on paper. Missionaries, who have been abroad for a life-time, in many countries, can only boast of a few converts to Christianity, and those conversions are of a doubtful character. "Since the war commenced in India, some fifteen missionaries have been killed, (four American Presbyterians,) but none on the ground of their being Christian teachers, only as foreigners. Nearly $400,000 worth of missionary property has been destroyed, $130,000 of it belonging to the American Presbyterian Mission. The population of Hindoostan is 200,000,000.
"When Mr. and Mrs. Freeman, the American missionaries butchered at Delhi, were taken out for execution, they waded ankle deep in the blood of the victims who had perished before them, and near the guillotine, where they were beheaded, lay hundreds of human bodies almost covered with blood."
1 Thess. v, 3. For when they (the people) shall say peace and safety, then sudden destruction cometh upon them . . . and they shall not escape.
The false revivals now in the land will no doubt prepare the way for the peace and safety cry. Destruction is near, no doubt. Let us be ready. Awake! Awake!

"Remember Lot's Wife,"

By Jesse Dorcas

How long? As long as right and wrong may be the choice of men and women. So long as the fleeting moments of probation still linger. There are two or three interesting considerations that I wish to notice in connection with this interesting and instructive incident.
1. Lot was a righteous man, though his wife was overtaken with the just judgment of God. This should serve to show us the impartiality of God, as well as to encourage those who may be unfortunate enough to have wives similar to Lot's wife—hesitating, unbelieving.
I fancy I see Mrs. Lot, on that memorable evening that the messengers came to their house, sitting back in a corner, rather unsociable, probably with her bonnet on, thinking over matters rather hastily, as the angels were talking familiarly, yet positively, with her husband, concluding to herself that there was no use in making so much disturbance about such matters, as to have everybody against them.
We may conclude that this state of things had a powerful influence upon Lot, for in the "morning the angels hastened Lot, saying, Arise take thy wife;" as if they had said, It may be that thy wife might never consent cheerfully to go, do thy duty decidedly, promptly, "lest thou be consumed in the iniquity of the city."
Here we see that notwithstanding Lot's righteousness, had he remained one day longer, his case would have been decided fatally. The wife has a powerful influence either for good or evil. And it may have been owing mainly to the influence of Lot's wife upon her daughters, that they were worldly, and wicked, and so influenced their husbands that they were not disposed to listen to the last message of mercy to them.
O how much evil arises in the world from an unwholesome, undecided maternal influence. Of the Scriptures it is said, "All these things were written for our learning, that we through comfort of the Scriptures might have hope."
Thanks be to God, that even under as unfavorable circumstances as those under which Lot was placed, God's people may make their escape and deliver their souls.
2. Had Lot not done his duty, even under so trying circumstances, and in the midst of that wicked city, he would have fallen with the rest of the ungodly around him.
Let us therefore take encouragement from the consideration, that though men will not hear; though our relatives will not obey the message of God to the guilty world now, it is possible for us to besaved, though the "righteous scarcely be saved."
Let us also take warning; for though we may be related to the righteous by the strongest earthly ties, it will afford us no security in the evil day. And though we may have been urged, most kindly, most affectionately, (for Lot's wife was taken by the hand, as well as Lot and his daughters, and set outside of the city,) and go so far as to get out of the city of Babylon, yet we may be overtaken with wrath, if we do not do our duty faithfully outside of the great city.
O my brethren and sisters, let us escape for our lives, and look not behind, for the city will surely be "utterly burned with fire." "Remember Lot's wife!"
JESSE DORCAS.

"ABIDE WITH ME."

By F. Lyte

Abide with me! Fast falls the eventide; The darkness thickens; Lord, with me abide; When other helpers fail, and comforts flee, Help of the helpless, O, abide with me!
Swift to its close, ebbs out life's little day; Earth's joys grow dim, its glories pass away; Change and decay in all around I see; O Thou who changest not, abide with me!
Not a brief glance I beg, a passing word; But as Thou dwell'st with thy disciples, Lord, Familiar, condescending, patient, free, Come not to sojourn, but abide with me!
Come not in terrors, as the King of kings, But kind and good, with healing in thy wings; Tears for all woes, a heart for every plea; Come, Friend of sinners, thus abide with me!
Thou on my head in early youth didst smile; And, though rebellious, and perverse meanwhile, Thou hast not left me oft as I left Thee: On to the close, O Lord, abide with me!
I need thy presence every passing hour; What but thy grace can foil the tempter's power? Who like thyself my guide and stay can be? Through cloud and sunshine, O, abide with me!
I fear no foe with Thee at hand to bless; Ills have no weight, and tears no bitterness; Where is death's sting? where, grave, thy victory? I triumph still, if Thou abide with me!
Hold Thou thy cross before my closing eyes, Shine through the gloom, and point me to the skies; Heaven's morning breaks, and earth's vain shadows flee. In life, in death, O Lord, abide with me!

Did the Primitive Christians have a Specific Meeting to keep the Ordinances?

By D. Hewitt

OUR only way to settle this question satisfactorily is to appeal to the sure word of the Lord, which 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.
The first testimony which I shall try to examine on this important subject you will find recorded in 1 Cor. xi. In verses 1, 2, the Apostle tells them to follow him as he follows Christ, and keep the ordinances as he delivered them to them. We see from the above quotation that there was more than one to be observed, because they are spoken of in the plural. We can now readily perceive by examining verses 17-22, that they came together, not for the better, but for the worse. There were, when they came together, divisions among them. From this we see that they were not prepared to keep the ordinances. And notwithstanding they came together and had a meeting to eat the Lord's supper, they did it only in form, for they made a common, ordinary meal when they came together, and did not eat and drink in their own houses before they met to eat the Lord's supper. In pursuing this course the Apostle praised them not.
The Apostle now proceeds to tell them the true way to eat the Lord's supper, and that he had received it of the Lord and had delivered it unto them, how that Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took the bread and cup and gave thanks and said, This do in remembrance of me; for as oft as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do show the Lord's death till he come.
In following out the connection of this subject, we can ascertain the needed preparation to celebrate the Lord's supper; and in verse 30 we find awful consequences of eating and drinking unworthily: for this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep.
In verse 33 the Apostle says, Wherefore, my brethren, when ye come together to eat, tarry one for another; and in the next verse, If any man hunger, let him eat at home, that ye come not together unto condemnation; and the rest will I set in order when I come.
Dear reader, in examining this chapter we can find the necessary preparation for eating the Lord's supper.
  1. We must follow Christ.
  2. We must not be contentious.
  3. If hungry, we must eat our supper at home before we go to eat the Lord's supper.
  4. We must have no divisions among us, (consequently we must strive for union.)
  5. We must discern the Lord's body.
  6. We must examine ourselves before eating.
  7. They had a special meeting for the communion. Acts xx, 7; 1 Cor. xi, 17, 18, 20, 23.
The Lord's supper, if I understand the subject, was eaten at evening, or at night; for those inspired writers who speak of it tell us that it was evening, or night. See Matt. xxvi, 20, 21; Mark xiv, 17, 18; John xiii, 30; Acts xx, 7; 1 Cor. xi, 23.
This may open the way for some to inquire if the Saviour and primitive Christians did wash one another's feet when they ate the Lord's supper. If I am allowed to answer, I must answer in the affirmative; for we find in the testimony of the four evangelists that write of the passover supper, in the same evening and same night the Lord's supper was instituted, they washed one another's feet. John xiii. The Saviour says, commencing at verse 13, Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am. If I then your Lord and Master have washed your feet, ye also ought to wash one another's feet; for I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done unto you.
He further saith that the servant is not greater than his Lord: showing that the Lord of glory could condescend to wash the feet of his disciples. O what humility, and what love! He saith again, If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them.
The above language plainly shows that this is an institution or ordinance to be perpetuated during this dispensation, for the Saviour has commanded it to be kept. John xv, 10. If ye keep my commandments ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love. See chap. xiv, 21. If ye love me, keep my commandments. In the same night after washing the disciples feet he gave them a new commandment. John xiii, 34. A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another. The blessed Saviour had great love for his own chosen ones. He loved them to the end.
Dear brethren, we can now see how in our lukewarm condition we have lacked brotherly love, and have not kept the ordinances as we should, neither as often. Washing feet and the Lord's supper should be more frequently practiced. Jesus set us the example, and told us to do as he had done, "The example of Christ should be as exactly followed as possible."
Having proved from the word of the Lord that they had a special meeting to keep the ordinances, it may now be asked with propriety at what time did they meet. We have one instance plainly recorded in Acts xx, where Paul came to Troas and abode seven days. And then the disciples came together to break bread, and Paul preached unto them, &c. From the nature of the language it appears to have been an established custom of that church in Troas. The Apostle having staid at Troas seven days, of course had kept the Sabbath; and having rested on the Lord's day, he and his disciples were prepared to meet upon the first day of the week to break bread. Some of our brethren have said, and justly too, that after the saints have rested and communed with God and one another on the Sabbath, or Lord's day, they are prepared for the communion of the cup and bread of Christ.
D. HEWITT. Battle Creek, Aug., 1858.

SELECTIONS.

By James White

Immateriality.

Bro. Smith: We clip the following from a sheet published at Geneva, Ills., called the Gospel Banner and Millennial Advocate. It is said to have been found in an old almanac.—J. W.
IMMATERIALITY
Is but another name for nonentity. It is the negative of all things and beings—of all existence. There is not one particle of proof to be advanced to establish its existence. It has no way to manifest itself to any intelligence in heaven or on earth. Neither God, angels, nor men, could possibly conceive of such a substance, being or thing. It possesses no property or power by which to make itself manifest to any intelligent being in the universe. Reason and analogy never scan it, or even conceive of it. Revelation never reveals it, nor do any of our senses witness its existence. It cannot be seen, felt, heard, tasted or smelled, even by the strongest organs, or the most acute sensibilities. It is neither liquid nor solid, soft nor hard—it can neither extend nor contract. In short it can exert no influence whatever—it can neither act, nor be acted upon. And even if it does exist, it can be of no possible use. It possesses no one desirable property, faculty or use, yet, strange to say, Immateriality is the modern Christian's God, his anticipated heaven, his immortal self—his all.
O sectarianism! O atheism!! O annihilation!!! who can perceive the nice shades of difference between the one and the other? They seem alike, all but in name. The atheist has no God. The sectarian has a God without body or parts. Who can define the difference? for our part we do not perceive a difference of a single hair; they both claim to be the negative of all things which exist—and both are equally powerless and unknown.
The atheist has no after life, or conscious existence beyond the grave. The sectarian has one, but it is "immaterial," like his God; and without body or parts. Here again both are negative, and both arrive at the same point. Their faith and hope amount to the same; only it is expressed by different terms.
Again, the atheist has no heaven in eternity. The sectarian has one, but it is "immaterial" in all its properties, and is therefore the negative of all riches and substances. Here again they are equal, and arrive at the same point.
As we do not envy them the possession of all they claim, we will now leave them in the quiet and undisturbed enjoyment of the same, and proceed to examine the portion still left for the despised "materialist" to enjoy.
What is God? He is a material, organized intelligence, possessing both body and parts. He is in the form of man.
What is Jesus Christ? He is the Son of God, and is like his Father, being "the brightness of his Father's glory, and the express image of his person." He is a material intelligence, with body, parts and passions; possessing immortal flesh and immortal bones.
What are men? They are the offspring of Adam. They are capable of receiving intelligence and exaltation to such a degree as to be raised from the dead with a body like that of Jesus Christ, and to possess immortal flesh and bones. Thus perfected, they will possess the material universe, that is, the earth, as their "everlasting inheritance." With these hopes and prospects before us, we say to the Christian world, who hold to immateriality, that they are welcome to their God—their life—their heaven, and their all. They claim nothing but that which we throw away; and we claim nothing but that which they throw away. Therefore, there is no ground for quarrel or contention between us.
We choose all substance—what remains, The mystical sectarian gains; All that each claims each shall possess, Nor grudge each other's happiness.
An immaterial God they choose, An immaterial heaven and hell; For such a God we have no use, In such a heaven we cannot dwell.
We claim the earth, the air, and sky, And all the starry worlds on high; Gold, silver, ore, and precious stones, And bodies made of flesh and bones.
Such is our hope, our heaven, our all, When once redeemed from Adam's fall; All things are ours, and we shall be, The Lord's to all eternity.

Heathen and Orthodox Christian.

A WRITER undertook to give his friends at home some idea of the trials and difficulties which the missionaries found in their efforts to instruct the heathen in the "evangelical" doctrines of Christianity. He related that, on an occasion when he had been earnestly laboring to enforce the holy doctrine of the trinity and vicarious atonement upon a goodly audience assembled in a grove, one of their leading men came forward and confronted him thus: H. You say that Jesus Christ was God? M. Yes. H. What, and Jesus Christ die? M. Yes. H. Then Jesus Christ couldn't be God; for God never died.
I then, says the missionary, explained to him the mystery of the incarnation of Christ, his double nature, how that God took on himself the nature of man, being born of woman, and that nature suffered and died—when the dialogue was thus renewed:
H. Then you say that Jesus Christ was born of a woman? M. Yes. H. Then Jesus Christ couldn't be God, for God was never born of a woman. M. That wouldn't follow, of course, for many of your gods were born of women, and some of them died.
Then, says the missionary in his letter referred to, they all squalled out, He don't know nothing! he don't know nothing!
And sure enough the letter itself betrays the fact that the missionary "didn't know nothing." The Hindoos had the most common sense on religious matters in general, and they saw he was ignorant of their mythology. They believe in a self-existent, supreme, unchangeable deity, who appoints subordinate petti-gods over different departments of the world's affairs. And these petti-deities were they whom their mythological writings regard as having been born of woman, or begotten by other methods, and having passed through the change called death, and the like. But they understood the missionary's God that he was preaching to them, to be the supreme God. It was so. And of course, this attempt to parry the force of their objection to his theory of God born of a woman, and dying, by referring to their fables concerning their subordinate deities, was either a piece of stupidity, or else of criminal evasion. And the Indians were right in squalling out, He don't know nothing! he don't know nothing!

Progress of Spiritualism.

By Editor

THE late Spiritualist and Free Love Convention at Rutland, Vt., has caused a good deal of attention to be drawn to the subject of Spiritualism, and that which appears to be a necessary attendant upon it—the Free Love system. And we have been surprised at the growth which a few years have given to this system, or systems, at the number of its converts, and the rapid, yet insidious progress which it is making in all ranks of society, from the highest to the lowest.
We find in the Spiritual Register an estimate of the actual number of professed Spiritualists, compiled from extensive correspondence undertaken for this object, and with the facilities of an editor and an itinerant, who had surveyed and gone over the ground. The following is the result:

SPIRITUALISTS IN AMERICA.

Maine, 12,000
New Hampshire, 7,000
Massachusetts, 90,000
Rhode Island, 3,000
Connecticut, 15,000
Vermont, 20,000
New York, 300,000
New Jersey, 4,000
Pennsylvania, 70,000
Delaware, 1,000
Maryland, 6,000
Virginia, 2,000
North Carolina, 2,000
South Carolina, 2,500
Georgia, 2,500
Kentucky, 6,000
Tennessee, 15,000
Ohio, 120,000
Indiana, 120,000
Mississippi, 6,000
Dist. of Col'bia, 1,500
Illinois, 80,000
Michigan, 60,000
Missouri, 20,000
Alabama, 5,000
Arkansas, 1,000
Florida, 1,000
Wisconsin, 60,000
Iowa, 20,000
Texas, 15,000
California, 20,000
Minnesota, 2,000
New Mexico, 2,000
Oregon, 1,000
Cuba, 1,000
Brit. Provinces, 30,000
South America, 10,000
Total, 1,037,500
This may be considered a larger number than actually exists, but taken in connection with other facts connected with the growth of Spiritualism, it will be found rather an under than an over estimate. The Register gives the number of six hundred professional speakers and mediums, with their names and addresses, as actively engaged in urging forward the movement, whilst the names of thousands of others are withheld because it was not known how far they were willing to become subject to calls outside of their immediate circles.
The large sales of Spiritualists' books and publications would also seem to corroborate the estimate of the Register. Over one hundred distinct publications on the subject of Spiritualism are on the book catalogues, which are set down for as much demand as the new religious books of any other sect usually average. Judge Edmond's book has had a sale of 10,000 copies; those of Davis, of which there are ten, have reached already as far as 8,000 for his best volumes; certain pamphlets, in the early stages of the movement, had a vastly more extensive circulation. The newspapers devoted to the subject as far as we have their names are, The Spiritual Telegraph, New York, weekly. The Age of Progress, Buffalo, N. Y. Spiritual Universe, Cleveland, Ohio, weekly. The Spiritual Age, Boston, weekly. Spiritual Messenger, Cincinnati, Ohio, weekly. Northwestern Excelsior, Waukegan, Ills., weekly; Ira Porter and J. C. Smith, editors and proprietors. Commenced November, 1856, and still continues. Spiritual Clarion, Auburn, N. Y. The Weekly Monitor, Conneaut, Ohio. Journal de l'Ame, monthly; Docteur Rœsinger, Geneva, Switzerland. El Spiritualista, monthly, Carracas, Venezuela, South America. Le Spiritualiste de la Nouvelle Orleans, New Orleans. The Principle, New York, weekly. The Vanguard, Dayton, Ohio. The Yorkshire (England) Spiritual Telegraph. Practical Christian, weekly, Hopedale, Mass. Herald of Light, New York.
There are probably other periodicals not included in the above list. We know of one, which is regularly forwarded to us from Kane county, in this State, the name of which has escaped our memory.
It will thus be seen that Spiritualism has seized hold of the two great levers of public opinion—the Pulpit and the Press—and is pushing itself into the very heart of modern Society. Making, as it does, the majority of its converts from the intelligent middle classes of society, it has already, even in the day of its life when most new theories have excited ridicule rather than a serious opposition, exhibited an astonishing growth and progress. What must these be, when the system begins to present itself to the serious consideration of society, and meets with the opposition which it necessarily will, from the Doctors of Divinity connected with every other sect? If Spiritualism be a delusion, nevertheless, it has in a few short years, since the first demonstrations were heard in an old house in Rochester, N. Y., made more converts in the same period than almost any other sect since the days of the Reformation. And, again, if all these people have been merely deluded, it is certainly a reproach to the other religions of the day, as exhibiting the very slight hold they must have upon the public mind and heart, when over a million well meaning people have been carried away and lost to the Fold by a delusion which is denounced as of the most transparent character.
It appears from their papers and periodicals, and from the steady movement towards consolidation, that the Spiritualists are now endeavoring to render themselves more effective for the spread of their peculiar doctrines, which, it may be said, propose to regulate almost every department of human society, and bring the whole body, religious, moral and political, under control. A writer in one of their papers says, that they feel keenly the unsparing onslaught which has been made upon them, but with confidence in their principles and in their increased and increasing number, and the unparalleled progress which they have achieved, they will go on conquering and to conquer.
There is no doubt, but that the merciless way in which they have been attacked and ridiculed has given them an internal strength and fixedness of purpose which are inspiring them to retaliate blow for blow, and in future we may expect they will display more activity than ever in the promulgation of their tenets, and that the power of the medium and the trance subjects to unfold the mysteries of the other life will increase in proportion to the numerical strength and unity of purpose of the believers. It is the law of all such organizations, and Spiritualism will prove no exception to the general rule.
In addition to their belief in the ability of the departed to communicate with mortals, the Spiritualists have a formula for their guidance in all matters pertaining to religion, which is nothing more or less, than a direct attack upon present church organizations. It may be given in a few words, in the language of a cotemporary: "They lay it down as a cardinal duty to oppose and destroy all 'authoritarianism' in religion. They have meetings for lecture and worship, but no appointed or recognized ministry; they hold conventions for discussion, but make no election of delegates; the expenses of their places of worship they are anxious to have paid upon the straightforward cash plan of a small fee at the door, and settle all round when the service is closed. They have no ordinations or covenants of creed; they have no funded property, real estate or leases of church buildings; they have no chartered institutions, or any written or implied compact of association; they will recognize no organization, and assert the absolute, uncontrollable sovereignty of each individual as only answerable in the sight of God. They do not ask their disciples even to come out of existing organizations, but, if possible, remain in them and leaven them with new doctrines. Notwithstanding these apparent hindrances, they claim to be already a religion, and a harmonious church—a power of the first rank among Christian sects.
It will be seen that in this system of tactics there are elements of great power, which are indicative of future strength and progress. And without passing an opinion one way or another upon the doctrines, or even the alleged phenomena of this new and strange sect, we would merely add, that it appears to us it has grown to such proportions that its presence and aims can no longer be ignored by the leading religious sects of the day. If it is a gross delusion and error, then it is more dangerous and more fatal to religion and society than Mormonism; for the latter being separated from cannot hurt us; while the former is growing up in our midst, in the midst of our churches, in the bosoms of our families, and in the hearts of our wives and daughters. Let those opposed to this error, if error it be, face it manfully and fight it fairly, with the weapons of reason and common sense. In no other way, to our view, can it be conquered and put down.

The Danger of Hypocrisy.

A hypocrite is the devil's servant, in God's livery, and therefore out of favor both in heaven and earth; for man seeth his livery, and therefore hateth him; and God sees his heart, and therefore will not own him: men see his outward sanctity, and therefore deride him; and God sees his inward hypocrisy, and therefore abhors him. So that he travels in the wilderness, and yet he shall never rest in Canaan. When he comes to cast up the sum of all his labors, this he shall find to be the sum of them, instead of that blessed sentence of approbation, "Well done, good and faithful servant," he shall have that direful sentence of detestation, Who hath required this at your hands? He that so cunningly deceived others, doth at last as foolishly beguile himself. In a word, he is a man that seals his own destruction; so that the openly profane, and cunningly hypocritical, meet both in the same place at last. Lord! therefore whilst the hypocrite clothes himself with formality, clothe me with sincerity. It may be men will hate me; but I care not, so God love me: my duties may be full of imperfections; but yet they shall never want a gracious acceptance: my way may be in trouble, yet my rest shall be in glory.

KNOWLEDGE OF CHRIST'S LOVE.

It is a peculiar kind of expression where the Apostle prays that they might "know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge." We may know that experimentally, which we cannot know comprehensively; we may know that, in its power and effects, which we cannot comprehend in its nature and depths. A weary person may receive refreshment from a spring, who cannot fathom the depths from whence it proceeds.—Owen.

Innocence and Christian Saintliness

Human innocence is not to know evil: Christian saintliness is to know evil and good, and prefer good.
A joking minister will seldom have persons coming to him with tears, to ask what they must do to be saved.

HEBREWS VIII, 6—13.

It seems that this portion of scripture, still throws doubt over some minds in regard to the Sabbath. We see not how it can possibly have such an effect upon any thoughtful mind; but while it does, though it has been many times explained in the REVIEW, we shall endeavor to re-iterate what light we have on the subject. The only source of difficulty here, lies in the fact that some will persist in reading it, as though the first covenant there mentioned, was the law of God, or ten commandments; that this is superseded by something better, and therefore has waxed old and vanished away. Let us see if there is any necessity for, or any plausibility in, such an application.
Verse 6. "But now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises."
The Apostle is contrasting the priesthood of Christ and that of Aaron. The ministry of Christ is more excellent than that of the earthly priests. Why? Because he is the mediator of a better covenant. This is the gospel covenant; and the better promises upon which it is established, are found in the fact that it takes away sin.
Verse 7. "For if that first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second."
The first covenant was not perfect in that it did not embrace pardon for sin in its conditions. The sacrificial offerings of the former dispensation, its blood and hyssop could not remove sin. It is not possible, says Paul, that the blood of bulls and goats, should take away sin. Heb. x, 4. Had this covenant embraced pardon in its conditions, and could effectual service have there been offered, then indeed no place need have been sought for another and a better one. But the moment we take the word covenant here to mean law, we involve the Scriptures in a positive contradiction; for the Psalmist declares that the law of the Lord is perfect. Ps. xix, 7.
Verses 8, 9. "For finding fault with them, he saith, Behold, the days come saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah: not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers, in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they continued not in my covenant, and I regarded them not, saith the Lord."
What was the covenant which God made with Israel as he led them out of the land of Egypt? It is found in Ex. xix: "Now therefore," says God, "if ye will obey my voice indeed and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine." The people replied through Moses, "All that the Lord hath said we will do." Here is the covenant or agreement entered into between the Lord and the people when he led them out of Egypt. His law was the basis of this agreement; and this the people on their part were bound to obey, if they would receive the blessing which God had promised on his. If they obeyed his voice &c., they were to be to him a peculiar people. But the people did not fulfill their part of the conditions; they broke the law; and as that covenant made no provision for the removal of sin, and could not therefore re-instate the transgressor, the Lord was released from all obligations on his part, and therefore regarded them not.
Verses 10, 12. "For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel, after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts; and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people. . . . For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more."
The blessings of this covenant are more ample than those offered by the old; for God is not only to be the God of Israel (the spiritual seed) and they be his people, but he is to be merciful to their unrighteousness, and remember their iniquities no more. It is perfect in its operation, as it makes provision for the actual removal of sin. It is glorious in its results, since under it we are brought to that eternal and perfect state wherein all shall know the Lord from the least to the greatest.
But what are the conditions of this covenant? In the former it was the law; if ye will obey my voice, &c.; in the latter, God says, I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts. Mark this. It is God’s law that is to be put into the heart. Not the law of Christ, nor of the apostles; but I will put my laws into their mind. In the former dispensation, the ministration of which was called the ministration of death, the law was written on two tables of stone deposited in the earthly sanctuary, which was the sun and center of that typical system, and accompanied with an outward service. In this dispensation, the typical sanctuary has given place to the Sanctuary in heaven. We have therefore now no tabernacle before us, with its ark and tables of the covenant, reminding us continually by the sight of our eyes, of the obligation we are under. Therefore the law is put in the mind, written in the heart, and ministered by the Holy Spirit.
We ask, Does transferring the law from the tables of stone to the heart, abolish it? does it even change it in the least particular? By no means.
The two covenants, the former and latter, the old and new, must be similar in their nature. But the new covenant is not a law; for under this covenant the law is written in the heart; and the covenant is a mutual arrangement, if we may so speak, between God and his children, by which he becomes their God and they his people. The old covenant to be similar to this in nature, could not be a law simply, but must be a like agreement between God and his people by which they were brought to sustain a peculiar relation to him. And so it was, as we see by reading the agreement between God and his ancient people as recorded in Ex. xix.
That the basis of this covenant, or the ten commandments, are often themselves called a covenant, is not disputed. See Deut. iv, 13. "And he declared unto you his covenant which he commanded you to perform even ten commandments; and he wrote them upon two tables of stone." Whenever therefore we read of the tables of the covenant, Deut. ix, 9, or the tables of testimony, Ex. xxxi, 18, and the ark of the covenant, Deut. xxxi, 20, or the ark of his testament, Rev. xi, 19, we very well know what is meant. We know that the tables of the ten commandments, and the ark which contains them, are pointed out. But God’s act of entering into covenant with any people, granting them certain blessings and privileges, provided they would comply with certain duties, and his declaring unto them the terms or conditions of the covenant, which are of themselves sometimes called a covenant as in Deut. iv, 13, are two very different acts.
But if the covenant of Heb. viii, means the law, the declarations of verse 10 would be very singular. Substitute the word covenant for law, which can be done, if it means the same thing, and we should then have the following startling announcement: "For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my covenant into their mind, and write it in their hearts;" from which we could only understand that the old covenant which was to wax old and vanish away, is, in this dispensation, written in the hearts of believers! Those who think the covenant here mentioned is the law of God, are requested to tell us what those laws of God are, which are to be written in the hearts of believers during the present age.
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