JOEL ii, 28–32, next claims our attention. "And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions; and also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my Spirit. And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and terrible day of the Lord come. And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be delivered: for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the Lord hath said, and in the remnant whom the Lord shall call."
We call attention to the following points in this prophecy—
1. The manifestations of the Holy Spirit noted in this prophecy, are in connection with the signs of the near approach of the great and terrible day of the Lord. In fact, they constitute one of those signs.
2. The calling on the name of the Lord, and the deliverance of the remnant, spoken of in close relation to the great day of the Lord, evidently refer to the closing scenes of the history of the church in this mortal state. The oppressed people of God are yet to raise to heaven one united day and night cry for deliverance. Luke xviii. This is symbolized by the message of prayer of the fourth angel of Rev. xiv, 15. And in answer to this prayer, the remnant which keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus, will find deliverance.
3. We object to that narrow-souled theology which will not allow the old ladies to have dreams because the prophecy says, "your old men shall dream dreams;" and that will not allow young women to have visions because the prophecy says, "your young men shall see visions." These stingy critics seem to forget that "man" and "men" in the Scriptures generally mean both men and women. The Book says that it is "appointed unto men once to die." Don't women die? "Unto you, O man, I call, and my voice is to the sons of men." Don't the Lord call women? But the prophecy does say, "Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy."
On the day of Pentecost the believers were filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak with other tongues, to the great amazement of the multitude. Some, unacquainted with the operations of the Holy Spirit, said, "These men are full of new wine." Peter answered, "These men are not drunken, as ye suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the day. But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel. And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit," &c.
The prophecy of Joel applies to the Christian age. And we do not object to applying the term "last days," here used by Peter, to this entire age, though it may have a more limited meaning. But let this fact be borne in mind, that the great events of the prophecy are in close connection with, and are signs of, the great and notable day of the Lord. The Spirit was given on the day of Pentecost; hence Peter, pointing to its influence upon believers on that occasion, could say, "This is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel." That was the early rain. Believers have ever since enjoyed a degree of the Holy Spirit, and from time to time God has wonderfully manifested his power. But, for the close of the dispensation, is reserved the latter rain, the pouring out of the Spirit. Here is the fulfillment of the burden of the prophecy.
We object to that stupid blindness which has the entire prophecy fulfilled on the day of Pentecost, and hence, the "last days" were past more than eighteen hundred years ago. We find in the record only the exercise of the gift of tongues. There is no account of dreams or visions on that day. Certainly the outsiders might well have been amazed on beholding old men asleep, dreaming in the midst of the excitement and uproar of the occasion. And well might they have supposed such to be stone drunk. Again, was the sun turned into darkness, and the moon into blood on the day of Pentecost? And was that the great and terrible day of the Lord? No! no! The "last days" must embrace the last day. Should we say that the leaves of the New Testament were the last leaves of our Bible, we should speak correctly; yet they would embrace the last leaf. It would be equally correct to call the book of Revelation, or the two last leaves of the Bible, the last leaves. But in each case, the last leaves embrace the very last leaf. So with the last days. If we call the whole Christian age, or the last century, or the last thirty years, the last days, in each case the last days must embrace the very last day. With this view of the subject we read with delight the prophetic description [Joel ii, 28–32] of the termination of the present age with gracious blessings upon the people of God. The Christian age will terminate with glory to the righteous; yet a severe conflict with the dragon host, is just ahead.
Rev. xii, 17. "And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ."
The woman is a symbol of the church, and the remnant of the church represents the Christians of the last generation of men, living just prior to the second advent. The dragon makes war on these for keeping the commandments of God, Sabbath and all, and having the testimony of Jesus Christ, which, according to the inspired definition of chap. xix, 10, "is the spirit of prophecy." Here, then, are the causes of the dragon's warfare upon the remnant. They teach the observance of the ten commandments, and the revival of the gifts, and acknowledge the gift of prophecy among them. When the Devil got one foot upon the fourth commandment, and the other upon the gifts planted in the Christian church by Jesus Christ, then his satanic majesty was filled with revengeful delight. But when the remnant, whom God designs to fit for translation to heaven without seeing death, "ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein," then the dragon is wroth, and makes war on them.
The true spirit of the dragonic host, which is already being somewhat developed, is vividly described in Isa. xxx, 8–13, as being manifested just prior to the sudden destruction of those who hate the pure testimony, and love smooth and deceitful things.
"Now go, write it before them in a table, and note it in a book, that it may be for the time to come forever and ever [margin, 'the latter day']; that this is a rebellious people, lying children, children that will not hear the law of the Lord: which say to the seers, See not; and to the prophets, Prophecy not unto us right things, speak unto us smooth things, prophecy deceits: get you out of the way, turn aside out of the path, cause the Holy One of Israel to cease from before us. Wherefore thus saith the Holy One of Israel, Because ye despise this word, and trust in oppression and perverseness, and stay thereon: therefore this iniquity shall be to you as a breach ready to fall, swelling out in a high wall, whose breaking cometh suddenly at an instant."
TAKING AWAY THE KEY OF KNOWLEDGE.
By R. F. Cottrell
“Woe unto you, lawyers! for ye have taken away the key of knowledge; ye entered not in yourselves, and them that were entering in ye hindered.” Luke xi, 52.
The learned expositors of the law, in the days of our Saviour, were the greatest hindrance in the way of the common people, to prevent their coming to the knowledge101of the truth. The people looked up to them as leaders and guides, and they would not enter in themselves, that others might follow, but on the contrary, they strove to prevent those that would, if left to their own judgment, have embraced the truth.
It is just so now. Learned ministers will not receive the plainest Bible truths themselves, and if others are disposed to enter into the store-house of knowledge, they will prevent them if possible. The best means to effect this their object is the same that was used by those lawyers of old, namely, to take away the key of knowledge.
Reading is the key to all the sciences. To acquire a knowledge of these, it only necessary to read with care the books in which they are truly set forth. And since the holy Scriptures are in the hands of the people, all might determine for themselves the truth or falsity of any doctrine, had not the lawyers taken away the key of knowledge. The time was when the reading of the Scriptures by the common people was prohibited; but since this has become impracticable, the same thing is virtually effected by the mystical principle of interpretation. When a person has adopted any principles of interpretation but the literal, he is a stranger to the great truths of the word, almost as much as if he had no Bible. And his condition is indeed worse, because he perverts that word to his condemnation which might have been, and was intended, for his salvation.
If the Bible does not mean what it says, who shall tell us what it does mean? And if every one has a right to give the Scriptures a spiritual meaning to suit his own taste, it will be forced to sustain every false theory extant; and infidelity may continue to taunt the believer in revelation with the confusion of doctrines in the Christian world, as the legitimate fruits of a revelation claiming to be divine. Who are responsible for this defamation of the word of God? Will not those who have taken away the key of knowledge, by following what is called spiritual interpretation, have to answer for this blasphemy of the word?—those who tell us that life means happiness, and death means a higher life, that the resurrection means a revival of religion, or the ascension of disembodied spirits at the death of the body, and all the thousand vagaries that are taught as revealed truth.
Truly, they have taken away the key of knowledge. They will not have the truth themselves, and those that would receive it are hindered, being bewildered in the fog of mystical interpretation, and drunken with the wine of Babylon. R. F. COTTRELL.
A Call for Church Organization
Bro. L. Adams writes from Sharpsville, Tipton Co., Ind. : "I am much interested in the letters from the brethren and sisters that are keeping the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus. We would be glad if some of the messengers of truth would come here, or to Russiaville, and organize a church. I pray that the time may come when we will all speak the same things, be all of the same judgment, perfectly joined together."
REPORT OF MEETINGS IN OHIO.
By M. E. Cornell
WE were obliged to disappoint the friends at Ayersville, on account of missing the connections at Toledo, and so came on to Leipsic, and gave two discourses there, to full houses. The brethren there were somewhat encouraged at seeing so much interest manifested by their neighbors to hear on the signs of the times.
At Gilboa the meeting-house was so crowded that many remained outside, or left. The way did not appear to be open for organization, 1. Because several were prevented from attending on account of high water, and 2. Because there had been some misunderstanding in regard to a call for a conference made by Bro. Butler in behalf of the church committee, and justice had not been done in all respects toward Bro. Butler. It was considered the duty of the church to remove any occasion of stumbling they had placed in his way, and leave him free to do his duty, and regain the confidence of his brethren. It is too often the case in such differences, that the parties are mutually in fault, but in this case there was faithfulness manifested to Bro. Butler's entire satisfaction. It is to be hoped, therefore, that he will soon be reconciled to the body and its advancement, and union again prevail in the church at Gilboa.
At Cass we found the little company all ripe for organization. Bro. James Baker was chosen as elder. On the evening of our arrival a crowded house listened to a discourse on the signs, with unusual interest. Our meetings here were timely, and all appeared to take new courage.
At Portage we had two meetings. Bro. Joseph Clarke was chosen elder. Union prevailed throughout.
At Lovett's Grove, where there has been much division and trouble, organization was a complete triumph so far as it was carried. No elder was chosen, as all felt that they should have some probation before a choice was made. But union and confidence was restored so that the desponding were encouraged to hope for better days. Several who had stood aloof from the church because of a lack of confidence in some of them, came into the organization heartily, and there was a general rejoicing over the result of the meetings. Bro. Joseph Clarke received the thanks of the congregation for his labors with them. By the suggestion of Brn. Waggoner and Loughborough he had for several months led the meetings there, traveling six miles in all weathers to meet with them. Bro. Holt fills the vacancy by request of the church.
At Green Spring Bro. William Herald was chosen elder, and there is now a prospect of better days there. A disposition was manifested to go forward with the remnant with courage and hope. But we were astonished at the darkness which prevailed for a time at this meeting. It seemed as though the enemy had become enraged at our success in other places, and had rallied his forces to defy us here; but the darkness finally gave away, and the elements of division were reproved, and light broke in upon us. The Lord be praised for these signal victories!
These appointments were so close together, and the labor so wearing, that we feel much need of rest, which we now are receiving at the peaceful home of Bro. Greenman, at West Townsend. I must have failed, if it had not been for my helps. Bro. D. C. Phillips and sister Cornell were free in prayer and testimony. Brn. Van Gorder and Fleming conveyed our company from Gilboa to the last appointment. This we duly appreciate, and pray the Lord to reward them. Old friends of the cause will be glad to hear that Bro. Phillips is getting free, and the Lord is blessing him in the exercise of his gift in prayer and exhortation.
We go from this to Attica, and then back to Gilboa and Ayersville, if it does not break up too soon. We can now look forward with confidence to the time when there will be perfect union in Ohio. That time will be hailed with joy by all the true friends of the cause here. May the Lord hasten it in his time.
In regard to future labors, I will say that my mind is eastward. I would gladly comply with the numerous calls for labor in this State, but there will be no time to open any more new fields before spring, and then it will be out of the question before tent season. I purpose therefore to start for New England as soon as this tour is ended, if Providence favors. I have waited nine years for the way to open for me to visit friends East who have written to know what doctrine I advocate. It seems to me that the time has come, and I hope to be guided just right in the matter. O, for wisdom to direct in this solemn hour.
M. E. CORNELL.
Townsend, Ohio, Feb. 12, 1862.
MEETINGS IN VERMONT.
By D. T. Bourdeau; A. C. Bourdeau
DEAR BRO. WHITE: Agreeably to our appointments in the Review we have held meetings in Wolcott, Bristol, and Roxbury. Our meetings were interesting, and we think beneficial, to our brethren and sisters.
In Wolcott we met a few who were trying to overcome the use of tobacco, and we recommended the following remedy: When the temptation presses upon you and bids fair to captivate and overcome your appetite, flee to the Lord in prayer, and ask for overcoming grace. In so doing you will resist the temptation, draw nearer to the Lord, obtain strength, and get an experience that will help you in other trying circumstances. We feel for those who are trying to overcome this filthy, expensive, and injurious habit, and we believe the Lord will help them if they will help themselves.
We found the brethren in Bristol in rather a fainting condition. They had not heard any preaching since our beloved Bro. Sperry left Bristol, and they were anxious to hear the words of life preached. We here dwelt on living holiness, and on the necessity of moving in a way that will shut out extremes and confusion. The brethren and sisters in Bristol deeply feel the loss of Bro. Sperry. They remember his labors of love, and his kind and comforting words. They also sympathize with sister Sperry, and often pray the Lord to strengthen and comfort her in her loneliness.
In Roxbury we spoke to the brethren on the importance of having the law of God written in the heart, and on the subject of living faith. Brn. Stone and Hutchins attended this meeting on their way home, and Bro. Stone gave an interesting discourse on the gospel of the kingdom. See Matt. xxiv, 14.
Before we left Roxbury we attended to the subject of organization. This was a solemn, heart-searching time. Hearty confessions were made, and as the work progressed the sweet Spirit of the Lord rested upon us. We will long and pleasantly remember the blessings and privileges we have enjoyed on this tour; and we hope to so walk before God that we shall finally enjoy the rich blessings and privileges that God will grant to all his tried children.
This evening we intend to hold a meeting with the brethren in Stowe, and to-morrow, the Lord willing, we shall reach home.
D. T. BOURDEAU.
A. C. BOURDEAU.
Stowe, Vt.
BOTH SIDES.
By Uriah Smith
[The following is a Letter of Admonition from the Congregational Church of Malone, N. Y., to Bro. S. B. Whitney, formerly of one of its members, giving the charges preferred against him, and the reasons upon which efforts were made to sustain them. To this Letter Bro. Whitney has replied; and while space will not permit the publication of the entire Letter and Reply in one number, a portion of each is given in this issue. The Reply to the portion of the Letter which here appears, will be found on another page.—U. S.]
The Congregational church of Christ at Malone, N. Y., to Mr. Seymour B. Whitney, one of its members:
DEAR YOUNG BROTHER: The charges preferred against you to this body by Bro. Wellington, March 8, 1861, were substantially these, viz.: 1. Neglecting to meet with the church, and to sustain its ordinances. 2. Violating the Sabbath; and 3. Rejecting some of the doctrines of religion which are considered fundamental by the church.
Being present when the charges were read, you conceded that all the previous steps of labor with you had been taken according to Christ's instruction in Matt. xviii.
To the first charge, that of absenting yourself from the church and its ordinances, you plead guilty, but sought to exonerate yourself from all blame, from the assumed fact that this church was Babylon, quoting Rev. xviii, 4, 5, as your authority for leaving our society and worship. In Rev. xii the true church of God are represented under the emblem of a virtuous, but persecuted, woman; but in chap. xvii a corrupt church, or power, under the emblem of a rich, but very wicked, woman, having in her hand a golden cup of abominations and filthiness of her fornications—a woman drunken with the blood of the saints and the blood of the martyrs of Jesus. Now, have you the evidence to show that the pastor and members of the church from which you have gone out, are the moral children of this profligate and bloody woman?
In respect to the first day of the week, which this church, and the mass of Christians now in the world, observe as a holy day, you tell us that you find no authority for keeping, and of course justify yourself in making it a secular day, while you profess to hallow the seventh day in memory of creation. Now, we admit with you that the seventh day was the Sabbath from the creation, which continued in full force till after the resurrection of Christ, when, as we believe, the first day began to succeed the seventh, and for this belief we offer the following reasons:
1. The resurrection-day commemorates a much greater and more interesting event to the whole human family than the creation of the material universe. The first work was an exhibition of God's attributes in the production of matter and mind. The second was the work of redemption, including the eternal salvation of unnumbered millions. The first was great, the last still greater, as every Christian must gratefully acknowledge. The first was begun and completed in six days, but the last was in progress four thousand years before completed.102During thirty years of the Saviour's humanity he passed in apparent obscurity, and the remaining three and a half years in intense labors and suffering, ending with the cry upon the cross, "It is finished," as he gave up the ghost. Here ended all his sufferings, but one great and indispensable achievement remained to be acquired, viz., his predicted resurrection on the third day. The third day dawned, and our Saviour rose in triumph from the dead and appeared to his disciples, which was the consummation of the great work which he came from heaven to earth to accomplish. And, did Christ give his disciples during the short stay he made with them to understand that the recent events of his resurrection had given a sacredness and importance to that day which he would have them to regard? Let us see. Now, an example of Christ is as instructive and authoritative as a command; and if we find him when finishing up his business on earth, being "the Lord of the Sabbath," giving his example for the first, instead of the seventh day of the week, we have at least one argument for its observance. Mark xvi, 29; Luke xxiv, 15–33; John xx, 19–26. Three meetings, it will be seen by the above passages, were held by Christ with some of his disciples on the first day, and not one on the seventh day. Here is the authority of example.
2. The second argument for the first day of the week, as a Sabbath, is derived from the example of Christians, with the apostles at their head, immediately after Christ's ascension. See Acts xx, 7. "And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow," &c. See also 1 Cor. xvi, 12; Rev. i, 10. Objections are made by some persons who seem to be quite dissatisfied with the first day of the week, as a Sabbath, to the application of the term, "Lord's day," as used by John. Rev. i, 10. They affirm that this was the seventh, or creation-day. Now, what is most reasonable to conclude was the meaning of John in the assertion, "I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day?" John was one of the eleven disciples appointed as witnesses of Christ's resurrection, one who met with Christ and the disciples on the first day of the week, previous to his ascension, and doubtless frequently, like Paul, had preached, celebrated the Lord's supper, and taken up collections for the suffering saints at Judea on that day. More than half a century had passed since the memorable event, and all his brethren had gone to heaven; but the rolling away of the great stone from the sepulchre, the thunder of the earthquake, and the immortal glories beaming from the brow of the immortal and victorious Saviour, were still vivid in his recollection, while at the age of nearly a hundred years he stood on the identical day of those great events, on the rough and wild shores of Patmos. So we understand the matter.
But we have a third argument. The testimony of the early fathers concerning the first day of the week shows that they drew the same conclusions from the example of Christ and his apostles which we have drawn.
Dr. Mosheim, giving a history of the church in the first century after Christ, says, page 122, "All Christians were unanimous in setting apart the first day of the week on which the triumphant Saviour arose from the dead, for the solemn celebration of public worship." "This pious custom," he adds, "which was derived from the example of the church of Jerusalem, was founded upon the express appointment of the apostles, who consecrated that day to the same sacred purpose, and was observed universally throughout all the Christian churches, as appears from the united testimonies of the most credible writers."
Page 386. Speaking of the fourth century, he says, "The first day of the week, which was the ordinary and stated time for the public assemblies," &c.
Let us now look at another historian—Townsend's Abridgment of Milner, p. 164: "Constantine pleads zealously in a letter to Sapor, king of Persia, for Christians in his dominions," and among other things, "directs the sacred observation of the Lord's day."
On page 257 Augustine says of Ambrose, bishop of Milan, "I profited by his sermons: every Lord's day I heard him instruct the people."
Every reader of these ancient records knows that the Lord's day here is the same as the first day of the week, sometimes called Sunday, and at others the Sabbath. And this is the day which by far the greater number of Christians, including hosts of martyrs, have observed most sacredly from generation to generation for the last 1800 years. Think of this. Have those millions been wrong while you are right?