Publishing Committee · Battle Creek, Mich. · Sep 18, 1856
A CONSECUTIVE VIEW OF THE PROPHECIES
By Joseph Bates
CONCERNING
THE KINGDOM OF GOD
AND
ITS ESTABLISHMENT ON THE EARTH.
BY JOSEPH BATES.
(Concluded.)
IX. SAINTS RECEIVE THEIR INHERITANCE.
"When the Son of man shall come in his glory and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory. [Campbell says, seated upon his glorious throne.] And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats. Then shall the king say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world." Matt. xxv, 31-34. At the same time the wicked are commanded to depart into everlasting fire.
We understand this is the nobleman that went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, and is here returned, having received the kingdom. And then rewards his faithful servants, which he commanded to occupy till he came. To one he gives authority over ten cities, another five. See Luke xix, 12-19.
The saints cannot have authority over any cities at Christ's second appearing. For reasons which we have already adduced, viz.: 1. Because the saints go to heaven to reign with him in the holy city for one thousand years. 2. Because there will not be an earthly city to have authority over. For at that time the "cities of the nations fall." "Every city forsaken and not a man dwell therein." "Cities laid waste without an inhabitant." "The earth empty." Then the cities spoken of here, which saints are to have authority over, will be built on the new earth, when the saints have received their everlasting inheritance.
This is in agreement also with the new song which the saints are to sing at the close of the judgment scene before they come to earth. "For thou wast slain and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; and hast made us unto our God kings and priests; and we shall reign on the earth." Rev. v, 9, 10. John's explanation of the scene we have here quoted from Matthew, makes the subject plain. See Rev. xx, 7-15. Christ seated upon a great white throne; all the saints encamped on the earth; the wicked dead, small and great, called out of the sea and out of the earth, with Satan for their leader; while compassing the camp of the saints and the beloved city, fire from God out of heaven devours them. The fire in its onward progress destroys the earth and all the works therein; and a new heaven and a new earth appears. All this transpires when the thousand years are expired. Then the kings and priests of God receive their glorious inheritance.
"And I heard a voice from heaven, saying, Behold the tabernacle of God [the beloved city] is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God, and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain; for the former things are passed away. . . . He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son." Chap. xxi, 2-4, 7.
"And the gates of it shall be open night and day. . . . And they shall bring the glory and honor of the nations into it." "And the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honor into it." But none can enter there "but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life." Rev. xxi.
God showed Daniel the same great plan, that Jesus and John afterwards describes.
"I beheld and the same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them; until the Ancient of days came, and judgment was given to the saints of the Most High; and the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom."
"And the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him." Dan. vii, 21, 22, 27.
God's promise to Abraham that he should be heir of the world, and the promise made sure through his seed, was by the righteousness of faith. But "faith without works is dead." Hence, God gave Abraham a condition with this promised inheritance, and makes it binding on all his seed. It was to keep his commanded covenant of ten commandments. See Gen. xvii, 2, 7, 9; Deut. iv, 13.
"If ye be Christ's then are ye Abraham's seed and heirs according to the promise." Gal. iii, 29.
The Third Angel's Message is still proclaiming throughout the wide harvest field, "Here is the patience of the saints; here are they that keep the Commandments of God and the Faith of Jesus." And Jesus also, pointing to the closing scene of man's probation, points to the same reward through the same condition.
"Blessed are they that do his Commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city." Rev. xxii, 14.
"I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches."
X. CHRIST COMMENCES HIS REIGN ON THE EARTH IN THE PLACE WHERE HIS FATHER DAVID'S THRONE WAS.
"When the Son of Man shall come in his glory. . . . Then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: and before him shall be gathered all nations." Matt. xxv, 31, 32; Rev. xx, 11. Then will be fulfilled the saying, "And thou profane wicked prince of Israel whose day is come, when iniquity shall have an end. Thus saith the Lord God; Remove the diadem and take off the crown: . . . I will overturn, overturn, overturn, it; and it shall be no more until he come whose right it is; and I will give it him." Eze. xxi, 25-27. Jer. iii, 8-14, shows this last earthly king to be Zedekiah. Again says Jeremiah:
"Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will raise unto David a righteous branch, and a king shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth. In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is his name whereby he shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS." Chap. xxiii, 5, 6.
"And in mercy shall the throne be established: and he shall sit upon it in truth in the tabernacle of David." Isa. xvi, 5; Zech. xiv, 9-11. This is according to the promise of the angel Gabriel, as follows: "The Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: and he shall reign over the throne of Jacob for ever: and of his kingdom there shall be no end." Luke i, 32, 33.
"Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever." Isa. vii, 6, 7.
This is the kingdom which our blessed Saviour said was at hand, when he began to preach at the end of the sixty-nine weeks. This is the kingdom which was prepared for God's obedient children "from the foundation of the world." It is the same kingdom which Daniel saw given to the Son of man under the sounding of the seventh angel. The same which the God of heaven is about to set up in heaven in the days of these kings, and kingdoms, now existing in christendom. The same in which Christ will then immediately come to judge the world. And after the judgment, and Christ and all the saints shall come to the earth to execute the same; and fire from heaven shall make the earth new and glorious; then "the saints of the Most High shall take the kingdom, and possess the kingdom, for ever, even for ever and ever."
A few things here with respect to the subject matter of our text. The image of Dan. ii, is a symbol of earthly kingdoms. "Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image upon his feet that were of iron and clay, and brake them in pieces. Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver and the gold broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of the Summer threshing floor; and the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them: and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain and filled154the whole earth." Verses 34, 35. Verses 36-43, show this image to represent four universal earthly kingdoms; the fourth divided into many kingdoms. Verse 44 explains. "And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed; and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever." We have shown under the second proposition in this article, that God will set up this kingdom in heaven, and then Christ will appear the second time, a king in his, or, this very kingdom, and break these kingdoms to pieces.
We have quoted these three verses for the purpose of proving a clear distinction in time between the breaking of these earthly kingdoms to pieces, and the stone, or Christ's kingdom, becoming a great mountain, or kingdom, and filling the whole earth.
N. Webster says the word become, or become, signifies to pass from one state to another; to enter into some state or condition, by a change of another state or condition. See John i, 12.
Then the stone, or Christ's kingdom, that smites the image will pass into another state or condition, before it becomes a great mountain, or kingdom, and fills the whole earth. This implies time. Verse 44 explains thus: "break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms." Daniel explains it in chap. vii, 11. "I beheld even till the beast was slain, and his body destroyed, and given to the burning flame." Here are two states of destruction for these earthly kingdoms in time. 1. "Destroyed," or, "broken to pieces." "Broken without hand." Chap. viii, 25. And this distinction of all the kingdoms represented by the image [chap. ii, 45.] to take place at the second coming of Christ. See 2 Thess. ii, 8; Ps. ii, 8, 9; Rev. xvi, 19; xix, 8-21. 2. We will now examine the sentences which follow these that we have quoted from chap. ii, 44, 35; and vii, 11. "And consume all these kingdoms." "And given to the burning flame."
Says John, "I saw thrones and they sat upon them. . . . And they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection." Rev. xx, 4, 5. "And when the thousand years were expired," then the wicked dead live again, and with Satan compass "the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city; and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them." "And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them." Verses 7-9, 11. Peter saw the same destruction. 2 Pet. iii, 7, 10, 12.
Thus Daniel saw all the kingdoms of the earth broken to pieces at the second appearing of Christ, in his kingdom; [2 Tim. iv, 1; Luke xxi, 31;] at the first resurrection. And when the thousand years expire, the earth, with every vestige, or shadow of an earthly kingdom, consume in the burning flame or, as John says, fire from heaven. Then the new earth will appear. At which time the stone, or Christ's kingdom which smote the image, will become a great mountain, or kingdom, and begin to fill the whole new earth. Here we prove from the sure word, that Dan. ii, 34, 35, 44: vii, 11, embraces a period of one thousand years from the time Christ appears in his kingdom, to break in pieces all earthly kingdoms; until his kingdom appears on the earth to become a great one. John in like manner shows the two deaths one thousand years apart. See Rev. xiv, 10; xviii, 8; xix, 20.
Respecting the statement relative to the kingdom in Matt. xvi, 27, 28; xvii, 1-9, we understand it was a miniature representation of his future coming in his kingdom; made known to Peter, James and John in vision. "And as they came down from the mountain, Jesus charged them, saying, tell the vision to no man, until the Son of man be risen again from the dead."
In the presentation of this important subject we have endeavored to follow the Bible testimony consecutively, from the enunciation of the second coming of Christ which was made in 1844, through the thousand years, to the new earth. And we think that the testimony herein adduced does most clearly prove,
I. That the kingdom brought to view in Dan. ii, 44, is given to Christ under the sounding of the seventh angel.
II. That Christ is about to be anointed, and his kingdom set up on mount Zion in heaven.
III. That at that time he will deliver up the kingdom to God. That is, he will deliver up all title, to any further reign on the universal throne of his Father.
IV. That then Christ, the King of kings, will appear from heaven in his kingdom.
V. That then all that know not God and obey not the gospel will be destroyed. Which will be the first death.
VI. That at that time the saints will be caught up to meet the Lord in the air, and from thence to the holy city in heaven.
VII. That there they reign with Christ one thousand years in the Judgment.
VIII. That then Christ and the saints will descend from heaven to the mount of Olives, and execute the Judgment. "This is the second death."
IX. That then the saints receive their inheritance.
X. That then Christ commences his reign on the earth, in the place where his father David reigned. "And will reign over the house of Jacob forever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end."
THE CONTRAST.
The advocates of the Age-to-Come theory teach, that at the second coming of Christ and resurrection of the saints, they will meet the Lord in the air, and there remain for a little space, until a portion of the wicked are destroyed. Then Christ with the innumerable company of immortal saints will descend to the mount of Olives and set up his never-ending kingdom over the other portion of the inhabitants then living on the earth, and they will have the gospel of the kingdom proclaimed to them by the saints for one thousand years. And then the new earth will appear.
This positively contradicts inspired testimony, which most clearly teaches, that instead of Christ and immortal saints' reigning on the earth during the thousand years, that at the very commencement of that time, "The Lord maketh the earth empty," "utterly broken down," "clean dissolved." "And it shall fall, and not rise again." "Every city forsaken, and not a man dwell therein." "So that there is no man, that there is none inhabitant." "The dead lived not again till the thousand years were finished."
DIVINE ORDER.
'Tis first the true, and then the beautiful,
Not first the beautiful, and then the true;
First the wild moor, with rock, and reed, and pool,
Then the gay garden, rich in scent and hue.
'Tis first the good, and then the beautiful,
Not first the beautiful, and then the good;
First the rough seed, sown in the rougher soil,
Then the flower-blossom, or the branching wood.
Not first the glad and then the sorrowful,
But first the sorrowful, and then the glad;
Tears for a day, for earth of tears is full,
Then we forget that we were ever sad.
Not first the bright, and after that the dark,
But first the dark, and after that the bright;
First the thick cloud, and then the rainbow's arch;
First the dark grave, then the resurrection light.
'Tis first the night, a night of storm and war;
Long night of heavy clouds and veiled skies;
Then the fair sparkle of the Morning-star;
That bids the saints awake and dawn arise.
PRIVATE DEVOTION.
THE Lord Jesus, in that greatest sermon that ever fell on mortal ears, enjoins, "Thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet," and by his oft-repeated example enforces the obligation. Often were his footsteps traced to some secluded spot, the declivity of the mountain, the garden, the wilderness, for the purpose of private prayer. So Isaac was wont to retire to meditate in the field at eventide. David communed with his own heart, and his spirit made diligent search in the night: "seven times a day do I praise thee." Daniel knelt three times a day in his private chamber. Peter retired to the house-top, to be alone with God, about the sixth hour. Mark the biography of the best men that have ever lived, and you will find them often on their knees before their Maker in their closets.
The object of these stated seasons of retirement is, communion with God, reading his word, and devout self-examination. Secluded from the world and its cares, with no eye upon us but that which seeth in secret, the inspired volume spread before us, the secret sins of the heart, and the presumptuous faults of the life brought to view, we unburden our souls with supplications and tears, seeking forgiveness and grace with filial freeness and fullness, through the merits of our glorified Redeemer; saying, "Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts, and see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting."
Secret prayer should be attended to at regular seasons. In maintaining a close walk with God, few will be satisfied with less than two seasons of retirement each day. Regularity in this duty is as necessary to the health of the soul, as regularity in meals to that of the body. Let the habit become so fixed by custom, that the consecrated hour cannot pass unimproved without awakening the deep-toned remonstrance of thy conscience.
But the duty enjoined is strictly private, and therefore liable to be neglected. Provided you pay a decent regard to those religious observances which meet the eye of the world, you may not lose your reputation for piety, even though you should neglect your closet. Here is a temptation. Moreover, the active, bustling habits of this age are hostile to the meditative, unostentatious, retired exercises of the closet. Take care that you do not become so absorbed in any of the exciting enterprises of the day, however important they may be in themselves, as to neglect your own heart, and your communion with God. Be assured that such enterprises as have in view the advance of Christ's kingdom on earth, will succeed in accomplishing their ends, under the blessing of God, only as they are controlled and guided by such as seek for wisdom and grace daily in secret places.
Professed followers of Christ, to you let me say, the interest you feel in your secret devotions stands before you as the thermometer of your spiritual state. Other motives than the love of Christ may carry you abroad, and give you the tongue of an angel, and zeal to pour out your treasures like water for the relief of the poor or the spread of the gospel; but be assured that the seclusion of the closet is the last place where the applause of men or a lifeless formality will lead you. If you are found here statedly and punctually, what brighter evidence can you have that your heart thirsts for God, and that you are hastening to a more perfect communion with him in heaven? O ye who have opened your mouth unto the Lord, draw around the sanctuary of your secret devotions a barrier so strong that no vain amusements, no secular cares, no social engagements, shall intrude themselves. As you go out to mingle in the busy scenes of the world, how can you keep a conscience void of offence towards God and man; how can you govern your temper, control your appetite, keep under your body, and have your conversation always "seasoned with salt," unless you go forth under the subduing fear of that all-seeing eye, before which you have just knelt in secret?
Men of business, you are ever ready to say, "We have no time to pray in secret." Is this a valid excuse? Do you not live each day and hour through the forbearance of God? Is it reasonable that you should give all your waking moments to business, and none to Him who gives you life, and breath, and all things—none to the eternal welfare of your soul? No time to pray! For what was time given you? Too much business! Think of the king of Israel with his vast empire, his numerous armies, his frequent domestic and foreign wars, calling upon God "evening, morning and at noon." Think of Daniel with the affairs of an hundred and twenty provinces burdening his mind, yet finding time to enter his closet three times a day, to pray and give thanks to God. Think of Wilberforce, whose long life was spent amidst the conflicting and dissipating scenes of parliament, yet never allowing the hurry of business or the pressure of company to encroach upon his hallowed scenes of retirement. No time to pray, when the Saviour bids you "seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness?" O, if your heart were right you would find time, though you were obliged to abridge your meals, or invade the allotted hours of sleep.
Ye who are now young, you need not be told that you live in a world of temptation—that some allurement awaits you at every turn, to lead you astray into the deceitful ways of sin and death: these pages tender you an effectual safeguard. Prayer to God, offered sincerely and daily, will cover you with a shield that will prove impervious to every fiery dart. It is not simply saying your prayers that is intended, but sincerely and devoutly praying to God on your knees every day you live. Though young you may die. From many a youthful155grave the voice of wisdom falls upon your ear. "Wilt thou not from this time cry unto me, My Father, thou art the guide of my youth?"—American Tract.
The Church Going into Captivity.
By Editor
"Ye shall keep my Sabbaths and reverence my Sanctuary, I am the Lord." "Keep the Sabbath day to sanctify it as the Lord thy God hath commanded thee." "Six days thou shalt work, but on the seventh thou shalt rest." "Bear no burden on the Sabbath, nor bring it in by the gates of Jerusalem."
Thickly sprinkled through the pages of holy writ are such commands and prohibitions as the above. The Sabbath is a moral institution. Human nature demands it. Public morals demand it. Civilization demands it, and its observance, so far from being a loss to commerce, is confessedly a gain. The divine institution of the Sabbath, then, is but an announcement from our Father, God, of a provision he has made to meet one of our present wants. And yet how feeble the influence of this testimony, rational and positive, upon the public heart.
Sabbath desecration we fear is on the increase among us. Legislation by a resort to numerous subterfuges does but little to guard it, while the increase of railroads have ramified an increase of Sabbath-breaking all over the land. There are few corporations we believe in the country that come completely up to the mark of refusing to run trains on the Sabbath.
In some of our cities the people can scarcely be said to have a Sabbath. In all of our cities, those who profoundly respect, we will not say piously regard, the Sabbath, are most fearfully in the minority. Municipal statutes seem in vain, because, we presume, the moral stamina is wanting in the proper place.
From our own city, Chicago, we are prepared to speak from mournful observation. Our suburbs swarm with pleasure-takers, or rather, pleasure-seekers, but like the evil spirit, most of them wander through "desert places seeking rest and finding none." Many of our streets—with the more respectable business house closed to be sure—present little else than an extended scene of huckstery and revelry. Our eight or nine hundred lager-bier and gambling saloons, with generally closed doors or screened windows, it may be, roar with the bacchanalian song, or quiver in the struggle of the deadly melee, as if one were putting his ear to the key-hole of hades. Here ten thousand take a long and fearful step towards returnless degradation every Sabbath. One may stumble against reeling debauchery almost anywhere on the way to the sanctuary, and the apple-boy, or rather apple-man—meaner than boys generally get—stands sticking out his mercenary fingers for a dime within twenty steps of the altar of God. The police-court generally shows that the Sabbath is kept in Chicago, at least by the servants of Satan.
But the most annoying fact yet remains to be named. Railroad companies, who, while they fatten a city, grow still fatter upon it, blow their whistles almost under the droppings of the sanctuary, or a train running the whole length of the city, often comes thundering in with a noise equal to the engagement of ten thousand infantry, and that, too, just at the time that our city pulpits, in rapt fervor, and with saving truth, are plying the wayward heart.
This occurs Sabbath after Sabbath, and the churches bear the imposition without a murmur. Sometimes we think that some of the pew-holders are heavy stock-holders in the railroad. At other times we think that even members of the church, interested in the running of these trains are seated at the moment with a half-born tear in their eye just in front of the preacher, which tear, however, soon evaporates under a sudden change of thoughts. Sometimes we think—but perhaps it is uncharitable to think at all, but with that charity which believeth all things—that our preachers do all they can to remedy this evil. Some of them certainly do. But one thing we do think, viz., that such things are an arrant imposition, upon the worshiping part of Protestant Christians in our land. They should certainly be protected from nuisances and annoyances in their worship, and that too, especially on the Sabbath-day. To suffer the Christian Sabbath to be stricken down around our churches, is nearly equivalent to erasing our temples. The thing we say again is a base imposition, and it is a growing one. The church is being led captive, chained to the tail of a rail-car. She is now bearing her pilgrimage meekly, but take care, confound not meekness with cowardice. Let every friend of the rights of public worship, every friend of the holy Sabbath, speak out, and speak together, and continue not to cease to denounce these corrupt and corporate encroachments upon the prerogatives of the church.—N. W. C. Advocate.
Practical Piety.
A deep and settled conviction that the present standard of Christian piety is far below that which is taught in the Bible, has induced me to write a series of communications upon this important and interesting subject. Never was there greater need of the exhortation, to earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered to the saints. The apostle Paul wrote to the Corinthians this language: "Awake to righteousness and sin not, for some have not the knowledge of God; I speak this to your shame;" and this important verse of the sacred writings seems to be given to us for our admonition upon whom the ends of the world are come.
The New Testament of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, is full of instructions to believers, to be careful to maintain good works. They are not only good and profitable unto them that perform them, but are declared to be a means of leading others to glorify our Father who is in Heaven. One of the ways in which we are to let our light shine before men, is by our words and conversation. James says, "If any man offend not in word the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body."
This must be the happy state of every one who is sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who enjoys that hope which is an anchor to the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which entereth into that within the vail. Truly, whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world, and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. The general epistles of John convince me that being born of God, born of the Spirit, is a change not yet fully accomplished in the hearts of great numbers who profess to have "passed from death unto life." They are undoubtedly seeking to enter in at the straight gate, and hope at some future period to overcome the world. They are expecting a more convenient season to make their calling and election sure, to work out their own salvation with fear and trembling, thinking that then God will work in us to will and to do of his good pleasure. Instead of seeking first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, they have other things to seek first. Instead of acting as though they believe that now is the accepted time, and day of salvation, they seem to think there is time enough yet, and when they have attended to matters which they seem to consider of more importance, they will consider the claims of God, and obey the Saviour's requirements.
Who would ever think that Jesus said: "That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of Judgment," if he were left to learn it from the conversation of his professed followers? He also says: "By thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned."
I will quote a few passages of scripture as proof that "with the mouth confession is made unto salvation." "He that will love life and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile." "Whoso keepeth his mouth and his tongue keepeth his soul from troubles." "Death and life are in the power of the tongue." "Whoso offereth praise glorifieth me, and to him that ordereth his conversation aright, will I show the salvation of God." "Who is a wise man, and endued with knowledge among you? Let him show out of a good conversation his works with meekness and wisdom." "He that keepeth his mouth keepeth his life; but he that openeth wide his lips shall have destruction."
May all who profess to love the Lord and desire to obey him, resolve as did David, "I am purposed that my mouth shall not transgress." Ps. xvii, 3.—Selected.
How poor a god is that of the ignorant and infatuated world! Elijah had made his proposal: both parties were to sacrifice a bullock, and each was to call on the name of his God. "And the God," said Elijah, "that answereth by fire, let him be God." And all the people agreed to it. "It is well spoken," cried they, as with one voice; and thus the important moment was now come, which should once for all decide whether there be a God in heaven, and who he was.
Elijah lost no time. He said unto the prophets of Baal, "Choose you one bullock for yourselves, and dress it first, for ye are many; and call on the name of your gods." He gives them the precedency on account of their numbers; "ye are many," you have the majority one your side. Yes, my brethren, this has always been the case in the present evil world, that the majority have taken the wrong side; and they so outnumber the little flock of Christ on earth, that they could, as it were, swallow them up, if the safety of the latter depended on their numbers.
"Ye are many!" Yes, indeed, numerous as the weeds of an uncultivated field; vessels of wrath everywhere; all Israel, except seven thousand, a remnant only preserved; all the rest in Samaria, and her towns and vilages alienated from the life of God. And is it not just the same in many christian countries at present?
True it is, in this world they have the upper hand, and not without reason, for the prince of this world is their monarch. Hence they are honored and looked up to, and we are the offscouring of the people; they are the great and the wise, and we the fools. They are the party that have the judgment of the public in their favor, and the voice of the greatest geniuses, and of the most brilliant talents, and the applause of the public journals—and we! ah, if any one takes our part, he thinks he is doing a most condescending work of benevolence. We stand as a sort of criminals before the great public, and have no advocate but him who was in the form of a servant, and who, instead of defending our cause before the world, tells us that "his kingdom is not of this world," and bids us look to the future for our consolation.
What wonder is it that we appear utterly wretched and ridiculous to the world, when the very Judge to whom we appeal, is one whom they have long ago crucified? Well, be it so, ye sons and daughters of the father of lies! be the first, and have the superiority—for ye are many. The Lord is at hand!—Krummacher.
Do you maintain the habit of Secret Prayer?
By Gen. Evan
PRESIDENT Edwards in one of his discourses on prayer, gives the following solemn advice:
"I would exhort those who have entertained a hope of their being true converts, and yet since their supposed conversion have left off the duty of secret prayer, and do ordinarily allow themselves in the omission of it, to throw away their hope. If you have left off calling upon God, it is time for you to leave off hoping and flattering yourselves with an imagination that you are the children of God. Probably it will be a very difficult thing for you to do this. It is hard for a man to let go a hope of Heaven, on which he hath once allowed himself to lay hold, and which he hath retained for a considerable time. Those things in men which, if known to others, would be sufficient to convince others that they are hypocrites, will not convince themselves."
Here are truths which cannot be gainsayed, and how many professors are there in our churches who probably do not maintain the regular habit of secret prayer?
In another place the same writer says: "He that prays only when he prays with others, would not pray at all, were it not that the eyes of other men were upon him." Christian, ponder these words, and ask yourself whether they hold true in your own case.—Gen. Evan.