WE most solemnly believe that God designed that his word should be understood; but not without searching the Scriptures, comparing one portion with another, and earnest prayer for that Spirit to guide into truth, which at first inspired holy men to write. In order to come to the knowledge of the truth, we must possess a child-like, teachable spirit, then pray much for divine aid. The blessed Jesus said, "I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes. Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in thy sight." Matt. xi, 25, 26.
We do not agree with some who say that the prophecies cannot be understood. Revelation is something made known, and, of course, to be understood. A man may say in truth that he does not understand the prophecies; but to assert that they cannot be understood, is quite another thing; and he who says it, must be infidel in his principles. Not that he rejects the whole of revelation; but he virtually denies that a part of the Bible is a revelation. Some men who denounce infidelity with an unsparing hand, tell us that we cannot understand the prophecies. What is that but infidelity?
We should humbly, and in faith, seek for the aid of the Holy Spirit to give us understanding, and in that light search the Scriptures to know what was the mind of the Spirit that inspired them, and we shall not search in vain. We will now examine the second chapter of Daniel, and for the sake of brevity begin with verse 31.
Verses 31-36. "Thou O King, sawest, and behold a great image. This great image, whose brightness was excellent, stood before thee, and the form thereof was terrible. This image's head was of fine gold, his breast and his arms of silver, his belly and his thighs of brass, his legs of iron, his feet part of iron and part of clay. 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 to 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-floors, 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 filled the whole earth. This is the dream; and we will tell the interpretation thereof before the king."
We wish here to inquire, Where did the stone strike the image? Answer, "upon his feet." We shall have occasion to refer to this fact again.
"Thou, O king, art a king of kings: for the God of heaven hath given thee a kingdom, power, and strength, and glory."
"Thou art this head of gold."
"And after thee shall arise another kingdom inferior to thee."
"And another third kingdom of brass, which shall bear rule over all the earth."
"And the fourth kingdom shall be strong as iron."
"And as the toes of the feet were part of iron, and part of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong, and partly broken."
"And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed."
Verses 37, 38. "Thou, O king, art a king of kings: for the God of heaven hath given thee a kingdom, power, and strength, and glory. And wheresoever the children of men dwell, the beasts of the field and the fowls of the heaven hath he given into thine hand, and hath made thee ruler over them all. Thou art [or, thy kingdom is] this head of gold."
Babylon was the first kingdom of universal empire. It was founded by Nimrod, the great grandson of Noah. See Gen. x, 8-10. It lasted near seventeen hundred years, though under different names; sometimes called Babylon, sometimes Assyria, and sometimes Chaldea. It extended from Nimrod to Belshazzar, who was its last king.
Verse 39. [First part.] "And after thee shall arise another kingdom, inferior to thee."
What kingdom succeeded Babylon? See Chap. v, 28. "Thy kingdom [Babylon] is divided, and given to the Medes and Persians." Then the Medo-Persian kingdom was the second universal kingdom, and is represented by the breast and arms of silver.
Verse 39. [Last part.] "And another third kingdom of brass, which shall bear rule over all the earth."
What kingdom was this? See Chap. viii, 5-7, 21. Here we learn that Grecia conquered the Medo-Persian kingdom and became a kingdom of universal empire. This took place under Alexander. Here, then, we have the third kingdom, which is represented by the brass of the image.
Verse 40. "And the fourth kingdom shall be strong as iron: forasmuch as iron breaketh in pieces and subdueth all things; and as iron that breaketh all these, shall it break in pieces and bruise."
What kingdom is this? It is generally admitted to be the Roman kingdom. It is a universal kingdom, that is to break in pieces all that went before it. Rome alone answers the description. That did have universal empire. See Luke ii, 1. "And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Cæsar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed." Who was Cæsar Augustus? A Roman Emperor. Here, then, we have the fourth kingdom, represented by the legs of iron.
Verse 41. [First part.] "And whereas thou sawest the feet and toes, part of potters' clay and part of iron, the kingdom shall be divided."
What kingdom shall be divided? Answer. The fourth kingdom. The Western empire of Rome, between the years A. D. 356 and 483, was divided into ten divisions, or kingdoms.
The Huns, in Hungary, A. D. 356.
The Ostrogoths, in Mysia, 377.
The Visigoths, in Pannonia, 378.
The Franks, in France, 407.
The Vandals, in Africa, 407.
The Sueves and Alans, in Gascoigne and Spain, 407.
The Burgundians, in Burgundy, 407.
The Heruli and Rugii, in Italy, 476.
The Saxons and Angles, in Britain, 476.
The Lombards, in Germany, 483.
Thus the kingdom was divided as designated by the ten toes.
Verse 41. [Last part.] "But there shall be in it of the strength of the iron, forasmuch as thou sawest the iron mixed with miry clay."
The Roman or iron power, through the influence and authority of Papacy, or Papal Rome, stretched itself among the clay so as to be mixed with it, and thereby kept up the strength of iron.
Verses 42, 43. "And as the toes of the feet were part of iron and part of clay so the kingdom [Roman kingdom] shall be partly strong and partly broken. And whereas thou sawest iron mixed with miry clay, they [Romanists] shall mingle themselves [Rome Papal] with the seed of men; but they shall not cleave one to another, even as iron is not mixed with clay."
How exactly has all this been fulfilled. Romanism, or the Roman Church, while it has mingled with all nations, has not mixed with them, but has kept up its authority over its subjects, under whatever government they may have been located; so that the authority of Rome has been felt by all the nations where her subjects have been "mingled with the seed of men." The fourth, or Roman178kingdom is thus perpetuated, though divided.
Verse 44. "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 shall do well to notice with care (1) what kings, or kingdoms are here referred too. Most certainly they are the ten kings of the divided fourth kingdom, for they are the subject of discourse. And (2) the kingdom set up. It is the fifth universal kingdom, and is never to be destroyed and left to other people. It is, therefore, the immortal kingdom. The subjects will not pass from one set of rulers to another, as has been the case with the four previous kingdoms.
In regard to the fifth kingdom, set up by the God of heaven, there are at least two general views. One is that it is the kingdom of grace, which was to increase till it filled the whole earth; "for" say they who hold this view, "the stone was to roll and grow till it became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth." Unfortunately for this view, however, there is not a word of Bible testimony to sustain it.
The other is the Bible view as follows: "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 to 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-floors; 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 filled the whole earth." Chap. ii, 34, 35. Mark well the events here stated. The stone breaks the image, and it becomes like the chaff of the summer threshing-floors, and the wind carries it away so that no place is found for it—all earthly kingdoms are broken and cease to exist—then the stone becomes a great mountain and fills the whole earth. This view of the subject is in perfect harmony with the testimony of the Old and New Testaments.
But we would inquire of those who teach that the kingdom of grace was set up by our Lord Jesus Christ, 1800 years since, Had God no "kingdom of grace" before the first advent of Christ? If not, then Enoch, Noah, Lot, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses and the Prophets have perished without hope, for certainly no man can be saved without grace.
But let us look at this subject a little further. Where did the stone strike the image when it smote it? Not on the head—Babylon; nor on the breast and arms—Media and Persia; nor on the belly and thighs—Grecia; nor yet on the legs—Rome Pagan, as it should have done, if the kingdom was set up at Christ's first advent. Where, then, did the stone smite the image? Answer, "Upon his feet." Now it could not smite the feet before they were in being; and they did not exist till several hundred years after Christ's crucifixion, till the fourth, or Roman kingdom was divided; which we have stated did not take place till between the years A. D. 356 and 483.
But that the kingdom was not set up at certain periods spoken of in the New Testament, will appear from the examination of a few passages. It was not set up when our Lord taught his followers to pray, "Thy kingdom come:" it must have been future then. Again, the mother of Zebedee's children understood it to be future when she desired our Lord to grant that her two sons might sit, "the one on the right hand, and the other on the left, in thy kingdom." It was still future when our Lord ate the last passover. See Luke xxii, 18: "I say unto you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine, until the kingdom of God shall come." So, it had not then come.
But did he not set it up before his ascension to heaven? See Acts i, 6. "Lord wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?" Not done yet. Now see 1 Cor. xv, 50. "Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God." This settles the question that the kingdom of God is not set up till the saints put on immortality, or not till they enter the immortal state, which Paul tells us, [verse 52,] is "at the last trump," and the Apostle tells us, [2 Tim. iv, 1.] that "the Lord Jesus Christ shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom." Again he tells us, [Acts xiv, 22,] that "we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God;" and this address was made to those who were already Christians, and shows that the kingdom of God was still future, in the Apostle's estimation.
The kingdom is a matter of promise. "Hearken, my beloved brethren, hath not God chosen the poor of this world, rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him?" James ii, 5. It is yet to come, "Fear not little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom."
But when will the kingdom of God be set up? See Matt. xxv, 31-34. "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. 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." Then, and not till then, will the kingdom of God be set up, "for flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God."
The miniature exhibition of the kingdom of God at the transfiguration [Matt. xvi, 27, 28; xvii, 1-5] is designed to show the nature of the kingdom, and when it will be set up. "For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father, with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works. Verily I say unto you, There be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom." ["Till they see the kingdom of God." Luke ix, 27.]
This promise was shortly fulfilled on the mount. "And after six days, Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into an high mountain apart, and was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light. And behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elias talking with him. Then answered Peter, and said unto Jesus, Lord, it is good for us to be here: if thou wilt, let us make here three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias. While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them; and behold, a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased: hear ye him."
Jesus Christ appeared there in his own personal glory. His countenance shone like the sun, and his raiment was white as the light.
The glory of the Father was there. It was a "bright cloud" of the divine glory, out of which came the Father's voice.
Moses and Elias appeared; the one, the representative of those saints who shall be raised at Christ's coming, and clothed with glory; the other, Elias, the representative of those who will be alive and be changed at the appearing of Christ.
The use the apostles made of the scene. The apostle Peter was one of the witnesses; and in view of the importance of the kingdom of Christ, he, in his second epistle, has given the church of all coming ages instruction how they may ensure an abundant entrance "into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ." "For we have not followed cunningly devised fables when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eye-witnesses of his majesty." This he says was "when we were with him in the holy mount." 2 Pet. i, 16-18. This scene was a demonstration of Christ's second, personal and glorious coming, and shows that the kingdom will be immortal when set up, and that it will be set up at the period of the second advent and resurrection of the just.
But it is urged as an objection to the view here presented, that our Lord said, "the kingdom of God is within you." But notice the party addressed. "And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation. (Margin, outward show.) Neither shall they say, Lo here! or Lo there! for behold the kingdom of God is within you." (Margin, among you.) Luke xvii, 20, 21. Did our Lord mean to say that the kingdom of God was within the Pharisees? Certainly not. He says of them, [Matt. xxiii, 13.] "Ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in."
But did our Lord intend to teach that the kingdom was then among them? If so, why did he speak a parable in Chap. xix, 11, and onward, to disabuse the minds of the people, "because they thought that the kingdom of God should immediately appear?" He clearly teaches in that parable, that they were not to expect the kingdom of God till he should return from heaven, at which time he would reward his faithful servants, but would say, at the same time, "Those mine enemies, which would not that I should reign over them, bring hither and slay them before me." We understand our Saviour to teach [Luke xvii] that his coming and kingdom will not be with outward show to the unbelieving world, and that while those who hold the spiritual views of this subject shall be saying, "See here! or See there!" the first they know it is upon them; the whole heavens blaze with his glory, and the earth trembles at his presence. "And they shall say to you, See here! or, See there! go not after them, nor follow them. For as the lightning that lighteneth out of the one part under heaven, shineth unto the other part under heaven; so shall also the Son of man be in his day." Verses 23, 24.
We admit that the phrase, "kingdom of heaven" does not always refer to the future, immortal kingdom; but in such cases it should be understood so as to harmonize with the plain declarations of Christ, Daniel, Paul and Peter, already presented. To do this it will only be necessary to notice that the whole is sometimes mentioned where a part only is intended. "Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps and went forth to meet the bridegroom." Matt. xxv, 1. This parable applies to those who hear and believe the gospel of the kingdom; that the kingdom entire is not referred to here is evident, from the fact that Christ the bridegroom, is himself the King—a very important part of the Kingdom. So in verse 14: "For the Kingdom of heaven is as a man traveling in a far country." This refers to Christ, as will be seen by comparing it with Luke xix, 12. "For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost." Rom. xiv, 17. This cannot be understood as either of the other passages, as it refers to the principles of the kingdom only.
Christ preached the kingdom of heaven at hand. Matt. iv, 17; Mark i, 15. But "at hand" in these passages is from the Greek word eggiken, which signifies, "has approached; drawn near." Robinson. It was then at hand in the sense of being next to come. What kingdom was at hand when Babylon was in power? Answer. The Medo-Persian. Why? Because it was next to come. What kingdom was at hand when the Medo-Persian was in power? Answer. The Grecian, because it was next to succeed it. What kingdom was at hand when Grecia was in power? Rome, because next to come, as a kingdom of universal empire. What kingdom is at hand when Rome is in power? God's everlasting kingdom. Why? Because that is the next kingdom of universal empire.
Paul taught his brethren [2 Thess. ii, 2] that the day of Christ was not at hand; but the Greek word translated "at hand" in this case is enesteken, "to place in, or upon; to stand near; impend." Robinson, Greenfield. In this case Paul would not have his brethren believe that the day of Christ was impending, or immediately to come in their day; while in the other case the kingdom of heaven had drawn near, as the next universal empire.
The distinct offices of our Lord Jesus Christ are Prophet, Priest and King. These are not all fulfilled at the same time, but they succeed each other. In Christ's life and ministry on earth he was179a Prophet, or teacher. Said Moses, "The Lord thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken." Deut. xviii, 15. Peter refers to this prophecy of Moses and applies it to Christ, Acts iii, 22.
Christ ascended up to heaven to be a Priest. "We have such an High Priest," says Paul, "who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens, a minister of the Sanctuary," &c., Heb. viii, 1, 2. That he was not a Priest while on earth, is positively declared in verse 4. "For if he were on earth, he should not be a Priest." The book of Hebrews places Christ's priesthood in the heavenly Sanctuary.
When the work of mediation on his Father's throne is ended, he will receive the kingdom; and having received it he will return to reward his saints, and, to punish his enemies. See Luke xix, 12, 27; Rev. xi, 15-18; xix, 15, 16; when his intercession closes, the throne of David will be given to him; Luke i, 32, 33; the dominion also; Dan. vii, 13, 14; his enemies will be put under his feet; Ps. ii, 8; cx, 1; 1 Cor. xv, 24, 25. Then will he put on his kingly robes and crown, and ride forth to the destruction of his enemies, and the salvation of his people. Then there will be "on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS!"
Christ is the rightful heir to David's throne. Read the angel's testimony to Mary. Luke i, 32, 33. "He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David. And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end." When speaking of the throne of Israel, the Prophet says:—"I will overturn, overturn, overturn it; and it shall be no more, until he comes whose right it is; and I will give it him." Eze. xxi, 27. Peter referring to his resurrection, said he was raised to fulfill the promise of God, who had sworn with an oath to David that of the fruit of his loins according to the flesh he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne. Acts ii, 30.
The territory over which Jesus Christ will have dominion is the earth. Paul, in speaking of the promise of the land made to Abraham, says "Now to Abraham and to his seed were the promises made. He saith not, and to seeds as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ." Gal. iii, 16. But Abraham had no inheritance in the land, and Christ had not where to lay his head. Acts viii, 5; Luke ix, 57, 58. Yet to Abraham the Lord promised "that he would give it to him for a possession;" and this promise was renewed to Isaac, and to Jacob, and to their children, who never received it, but died in faith, expecting to receive it hereafter. Heb. xi.
All the saints have an interest in this promise, for "the righteous shall be recompensed in the earth;" Prov. xi, 31; and both David and Christ testify that "the meek shall inherit the earth." Ps. xxxvii, 9, 11; Matt. v, 5. But we have no independent right to it; for our first parent, Adam, lost it by sin, and we are also sinners; so we can only receive it by becoming children of Abraham through faith in Christ, and thus be constituted heirs through him. Gal. iii, 29. He is the heir; we can be made joint heirs with him. Rom. viii, 17. He is heir of the whole world. Rom. iv, 13. Thus we see that he is to be king as the seed of David, and receive dominion over the earth as the seed of Abraham; and the saints by becoming children of Abraham by faith, are also heirs of the kingdom which God hath promised to them that love him. Jas. ii, 5.
Next the question arises, is the earth in its present condition, to be the inheritance of Christ and the saints? The earth in its present condition will be given to Christ, but as he is to destroy the works of the Devil, he will remove the curse brought upon it by sin, and redeem it, or bring it back to its original purity. See Eph. i, 13, 14. Several important facts are recorded in the scriptures to be considered in connection with the promise to renew the earth and cleanse it from all impurity.
In Rev. xx, 4-8, we are informed that a period of 1000 years intervenes between the resurrection of the righteous and that of the wicked. The righteous will be raised at Christ's second coming. 1 Cor. xv, 23, 28. Of course the wicked will not be raised till 1000 years after his coming. When the Saviour returns he takes the saints with him to the mansions on high, where he is now gone, as he promised his disciples. John xiii, 33-38; xiv, 1-6. But his enemies will be destroyed from off the face of the earth, by the seven last plagues, and the battle of that great day. Rev. xvi; xix, 11-21; See also Jer. iv, 19-28; xxv, 26-33; Zeph. i, 14-18; iii, 8; &c. From these scriptures we learn that the earth will be left desolate, while judgment is passing upon the wicked. 1 Cor. vi, 2, 3. After which they will be raised to have the judgment executed upon them, which will take place after the 1000 years of Rev. xx, when fire will come down from God out of heaven and devour them. By 2 Pet. iii, we learn that this fire will not only destroy the wicked, or "ungodly men," but all their works will be burned up; the earth and elements will melt with fervent heat, and the new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness, will then appear.
Thus will Christ the son of Abraham, and the son of David, remove the curse and its effects from the earth, and restore it to its Eden glory. This will be the territory of his kingdom. Then Abraham and Christ will share the promise and all who are of faith will be "blessed with faithful Abraham." Then "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." "The saints of the Most High shall take the kingdom, and possess the kingdom for ever, even for ever and ever." Dan. vii, 18, 26. The immortal saints will be subjects of God's everlasting kingdom. The New Jerusalem "that is above, and is free," will come down from God out of heaven and be the metropolis of the immortal kingdom. Abraham looked for this same City which hath twelve foundations. And the holy law of God which is to be kept here, as the moral condition of entering the City, to enjoy a right to the tree of life, will doubtless be the eternal law of the kingdom. "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."
Now comes the inquiry, "Watchman, what of the night?" In what period of prophecy are we now? Are we in the kingdom of Babylon, under the "head of gold?" No. That has passed long ago. Are we in the Medo-Persian empire? Long since that kingdom was numbered with things passed. Are we in Grecia? That, too, was numbered and finished more than two thousand years since. Are we in Rome in its undivided state, or in the "legs of iron?" No. Long since that empire fell. Where are we, then? Answer. Down among the feet and toes. How long since those divisions came up, which constitute the feet and toes? Nearly fourteen hundred years. Almost fourteen hundred years we have traveled down in the divided state of the Roman empire. Where does the stone strike the image? "Upon his feet." Where are we now? In the feet. What takes place when the stone smites the image? It is all broken to pieces, and becomes like the chaff of the summer threshing-floors, and the wind carries it away that no place shall be found for it. Then will the everlasting kingdom of God be set up which shall never be destroyed.
WHAT CONSTITUTES A CHURCH?
WHAT constitutes a Church?
Not Roman basilic, or Gothic pile,
With fretted roof, tall spire and long drawn isle,
These only mock thy search;
Fantastic sepulchres, when all is said—
Seek not the living Church among the dead.
What is the Church, indeed?
Not tripled hierarchy, or throned priest,
The stolen trappings of the Romish beast,
Altar or well-sung creed,
Rites magical to save, to sanctify,
Nor aught that lulls the ear, or lures the eye.
A band of faithful men,
Met for God's worship in an upper room,
Or canopied by midnight's starry dome,
On hill-side, or lone glen,
To hear the counsels of his holy word,
Pledged to each other and their common Lord.
These, few as they may be,
Compose a Church, such as in pristine age
Defied the tyrant's zeal, the bigot's rage—
For where but two or three,
Whatever place, in faith's communion meet,
There, with Christ's presence, is a Church complete.
[Sel.]
Fear Not, Little Flock
By E. Everts
"Fear not, Little Flock; for it is your Father's good Pleasure to give You the Kingdom." Luke xii, 32.
THESE comforting words were spoken by our Saviour, rich in import, and full of kindness to them to whom they are applicable. Who would not desire a fitness of character such as would entitle him to receive such a rich boon of heaven; and to live in that period of the church's history, when the "little flock" might by faith meekly claim it?
Where does it apply? The context from verses 36-40, designates. It is at the watching, waiting time, when the Lord is to return from the wedding. These words anticipate danger and perils; for Jesus says, "fear not." What need of this exhortation to courage, fortitude and holy boldness? Is it because those who are addressed are numerous? No: "there are few who are saved." Is it because they are so amply equipped with swords of steel? No: the weapons of our warfare are not carnal. Is it, that they should not fear, because there are no perils? No: for perils are of every kind, on every hand, and formidable.
"The devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he has but a short time." Rev. xii, 12. Paul speaks of the working of Satan with all power, and signs, and lying wonders, and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish. 2 Thess. ii, 8-10. "For they are spirits of devils working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth, and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty." Rev. xvi, 14.
Here is presented the arch foe with all power, working miracles through "them who receive not the love of the truth." Do we watch his mighty strides? Listen to the boast of the spread and wonderful works of Spiritualism! The Protestant churches, from the time of their fall in 1844, have been filling up with spirits of devils, with rapid strides; people having by the church's erroneous creeds, leaning on her wise men's science, falsely so called, marched on from mesmerism, through the varied developments to clairvoyance, spirit-rapping, tipping and moving furniture, playing on musical instruments, writing and speaking, &c., and no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness. 2 Cor. xi, 14, 15.
Can we realize what an awful perilous time it is in which we live? How wonderful are the manifestations now. Spirit-hands are seen to take the pencil or pen, and paint landscapes and sceneries, or write communications in fac simile hand-writing, with the signatures of purported deceased friends. And finally, their purported spirits are seen, and conversed with audibly, face to face.
I feel like crying out, My blessed Lord, O show what the little flock must do in this awful peril, that they may not fear. "Cast all your cares upon God; for he careth for you. Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: whom resist steadfast in the faith." 1 Pet. v, 7-9.
Yes, we are cited by Peter to the faith as a weapon to resist the adversary with. And Paul tells us in Eph. vi, 10-18, how to stand against the wiles of the devil. He says, "Put on the whole armor of God." Let us, as we read the description of the armor, believe that the Lord will assist us as we strive to put this all-powerful armor on.
"The sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God"—the Bible. The Bible, book divine! this is the Christian's sword, and they must have the Spirit as the arm of their strength to wield it with. And the sword must daily be scoured, kept bright in the memory, furnished for action.
We are at this time referring only to one of the sources or phases of the last day perils. Think, O think, of the power and deceptions of the Devil. Do you not beg of the Lord for help? Well, he has declared that "his angels are ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation." Heb. i, 7, 14. Think of the old patriarch Abraham; how our Lord and two angels visited him. And at even, two angels visit just Lot, that righteous person, to warn him of impending judgments that were hanging over that wicked city, just ready to fall on them; and to help him to warn the people and escape with his life. Think of the angel that appeared to Joshua, the captain of the host of the Lord. Josh. v, 13, 14. Think how often the Lord has ministered to his children by angels. Think of Gideon, of Manoah, of Elijah, and of good old Daniel; how the Lord watches his dear saints to be a "very present help in time of (need or) trouble." Judges ii, 1; vi, 12; xiii, 8; 1 Kings xix, 5; Dan. ix, 21. Was it needful for our Sa180viour to have angels to strengthen him? View him tempted by the Devil in the wilderness amid the wild beasts, fasting forty days; there angels minister unto him. We behold him in agony in the garden, sweating as it were great drops of blood; then appears an angel from heaven strengthening him. A little space from this we see him in the enemy's power, barred in the sepulchre of rock; then is commissioned an angel from heaven to come and roll back the stone; then is death vanquished, and the grave robbed of its victory. Matt. xxviii, 2; Mark i, 13; Luke xxii, 2, 3; John xx, 12.
Think of Peter in prison, and John on the isle of Patmos, with angels with them. Truly then if God has such care for his saints, the little flock may hope. But then, the straightness of the way is great. It is only those who commit their all to him as unto a faithful Creator, in well doing, that can claim the promise.
But, does the dear saint think that Satan's masterpiece of deception is to "transform himself into an angel of light?" How solemn that moment when Satan's last desperate effort is made to deceive if possible the very elect. Take then my dear brethren the word of God as your weapon, and if Satan comes as a guardian angel in the form of a dead friend, say to him, Depart, get thee hence, Satan; for the dead know not anything; the day that man returneth to his earth, his thoughts perish. Man lieth down, and riseth not till the heavens be no more, they shall not awake nor be raised out of their sleep. His sons come to honor and he knoweth it not; and they are brought low, but he perceiveth it not of them." Job xiv, 12, 21; Ps. cxlvi, 3; Eccl. ix, 5.
Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. Eph. vi, 16. Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation, ready to be revealed in the last time. 1 Pet. i, 5. The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them. Ps. xxxiv, 7.
