HERALD
OF THE
KINGDOM AND AGE
TO COME.
“And in their days, even of those kings, the God of heaven shall set up A KINGDOM which shall never perish, and A DOMINION that shall not be left to another people. It shall grind to powder and bring to an end all these kingdoms, and itself shall stand for ever.”—DANIEL.
JOHN
THOMAS, Editor. NEW YORK
Volume 3—No.
3
INQUIRY
CONCERNING THE TWO-HORNED BEAST.
Dear
Brother: —I would like to know if the Two-Horned Beast is to go into perdition
before the building of the Assyrian Image, or the setting of it upon its
ferro-aluminous, or iron-clay feet. If so, what is meant by “the Beast, and the
Kings of the earth, and their armies, gathering together to make war against
Christ and his army,” and being taken, &c. —Is the Austro-papal constituent
to be destroyed first by the judgment now working; and the Beast to be again
organised in another form under
WILLIAM OWEN.
* * *
THE
FRENCH EMPIRE A HORN OF THE BEAST.
The
Arms of
The Two-Horned Beast is not a dynasty, but a dominion for a long time contemporary with the Ten-Horned Beast; and stands related to the latter as the Little Horn among the Ten on the head of Daniel’s Fourth Beast doth to the “Body” of the same. Daniel’s Little Horn that hat Eyes and a Mouth, is represented apocalyptically by the Two-Horned Beast and the Image of the Sixth Head of the Ten-Horned Beast—the Two-Horned dominion answering to the Little Horn, and the Image to the Eyes and Mouth. These are Two Powers, and both imperial—the one being secular, and the other ecclesiastical.
But, it might be asked, if the Little Horn without the Eyes and Mouth, be one secular imperial dominion, why is it apocalyptically represented by a beast with two horns? Would not a one-horned beast have been the proper symbol, seeing that the Eyes and Mouth are incorporated on the Image sustained by the two-horned power? There is no doubt some force in this inquiry, which deserves consideration. The solution I would offer is therefore the following: —
The symbol of imperiality, which ranks above regality, is a dragon in whole or part. This obtains in heraldry sacred and profane. The Two-Horned Beast is consequently an imperial dominion; for its voice was that of a dragon—“he spake as a dragon.” The Two-Horned Imperiality is terrene, not maritime in its origin. John saw it coming up out of the earth; whereas in regard to the Ten-Horned Beast, he says, “I saw it rise up out of the sea.” The terrene and maritime beasts, then, represent two distinct political organizations, which, of course, do not occupy one and the same territory contemporaneously. The Dragon, the symbol of the Imperial Roman Majesty before the beasts of the earth and the sea had existence, having surrendered to the Sea-Beast “his power, and his seat, and an extensive jurisdiction,” was then restricted to that part of the Roman territory now included in the Turkish empire. This restriction leaves the western Roman territory as the area of the two beasts—the inland part of it, “the earth,” for the Two-Horned Beast; and its maritime, for that with Ten Horns.
The horns of the terrene beast are
like a lamb’s. “He had two horns like a lamb,” says John. Now a lamb in
the book of Revelation, is representative of Christ. I need not cite the many
texts found there that prove this. The reader cannot be unmindful of them. “Horns
like a lamb,” then, are “Christian Powers,” so called. That is, they
profess to be such. They are not christian in the sense of being Christ’s; but
then, they are neither Mohammedan, nor Pagan, as was the pre-Constantinian
government in
“It had two horns like to a lamb.” The words are not “the two horns.” It had two horns; but there is nothing in the text indicative of their contemporary existence from the rise to the final destruction of the beast-polity. It is simply the fact that two horns pertain to it at certain periods of its history; so that if we were to give the beast an historic title, we might designate it by that horn which was proved the most enduring and permanent.
The power or strength of the beast is found in his horns. What is affirmed, therefore, of him in relation to the Image, Eyes and Mouth, is predicable of the horns. Hence, they compel the inhabitants of “the earth” over which they have jurisdiction, to worship, or do homage to, the Sixth, or Imperial, Head of the Sea-Beast; that is, they set up imperialities, or Emperorships, and compel those they make subject, to swear allegiance to them. They “make fire to descend out of the heaven into the earth in the sight of men.” This is the result of their policy, which astonishes the world. “Fire in the earth” signifies apocalyptically, war in the interior of the Roman West. It is caused by the beast’s horns, whose sphere of operation is its political heaven. Their disagreement results in war, which therefore descends like fire, as it were, from their heaven.
The policy of the Beast is the policy of its horns. Hence, one and both of them when existing, cause the dwellers in their dominion to wander. This they effect “through the miracles it is given it to do in the face of the beast” of the sea—through the Earth-Beast’s victories, which are therefore gained during the life of the Sea-Beast. The result of these miracle-victories is the setting up of an Image to the beast (which has the sword-wound and lived) by its people after which all the westerns wander. Without the Earth-Beast’s Horns, the Image of the Sea-Beast’s Sixth Head is a mere dumb idol—a dumb dog of a prophet that can neither bark nor bite. It was therefore “given to the Earth-beast to impart breath to the Image, that it might speak, and cause to be killed all that would not do homage to the image.” Thus, the political life of the Image depends upon the Horns, or Earth-Beast. Destroy this beast, and the image dies. The Earth-Beast’s people were compelled to set up the Image by the horns or governments; and it is only by these that their obedience can be perpetuated. Let the horns leave the image to the affection and tender mercies of French, Germans, Hungarians, and Italians, “that dwell on the earth,” and it would be annihilated in the twinkling of an eye.
The Earth-Beast causes the Image to be made to or for the Sea-Beast—eikona to therio. The Dragon did not cause the Image to exist, and speak very great things against the Most High, to kill or wear out his saints, and to think to change times and laws. Neither did the Ten-Horns; nor any of the Heads of the Sea-Beast. It was the Imperial Earth-Beast alone that accomplished this. When, however, the Image was created in the likeness of the Sixth Head, the ten Horns come at length to accept it as the Lion-Mouth of their polity; so that in the judgment, they give their power to the terrene beast, and are found in association with him, and his image prophet, warring against the Lamb.
“In the judgment.” By this I mean, that judgment which “shall sit” when “judgment is given to the Saints of the most High;” who, as “his wheels of burning fire,” shall take away the beast’s dominion to consume and destroy it to the end. In that judgment but one beast is apocalyptically apparent. This is the Ten-Horned Sea Beast under an Eighth Head—one Leg in fact of Nebuchadnezzar’s Image. The beast of the earth having occasionally two horns, merges, so to speak, into the Sea-Beast, of which one of its horns becomes the Eighth Head; and then it stands related to the polity as the Little Horn of Daniel’s Fourth Beast to the other Seven Horns; so that it is the Eighth Horn, comprehending in its primary dominion the Three Uprooted Horns. The Little Horn or Eighth Head survives the overthrow of Gog in the Holy Land, who, as an imperial horn of the Earth Beast (not yet, however manifested as such) by his fall terminates the symbol, and leaves only the Ten-Horned Sea-Beast with his Eighth Head to continue the contest with the Lord and his Saints.
“The beast that was, and is not,
even he is the Eighth.” A political organization of the Roman West,
admitting the contemporary existence of two Emperors, is represented by the
Earth-Beast and its two horns. But when by some notable revolution, that
contemporaneity is finally (not temporarily as aforetime) but finally
terminated, the Earth Beast becomes “the beast that was, and is not;” but then,
seeing that a western emperorship still continues in the midst of the
Ten-Horn-Kingdoms, it is styled “the beast that was, and is not, and yet
is.”
The Seven Heads of the Sea-Beast
were thus explained to John. “The seven heads are,” or represent, “seven
mountains on which the woman (
The Gothic Kingly Sovereignty was
finally suppressed by Belizarius and Narses, the generals of Justinian, emperor
of
Thus affairs continued until A.D.
799-800. “I saw,” says John, “one of the Sea-Beast’s heads as it were
wounded to death.” It was certainly a severe wound, the effect of which was
to put the head hors du combat from A.D. 476 to A.D. 800, a period of three
hundred and twenty-four years. It was truly “a deadly wound,” and would
be considered by the generations of the period as so deadly as to be beyond
prospect of recovery. But to the eye of faith divinely enlightened, its
recovery was certain, though how it might be effected would not so obviously
appear. “His deadly wound was healed,” says the apostle; by which is to
be understood, that
The day having arrived Charlemagne
proceeded to St. Peter’s church where he assisted at mass. In the midst of the
ecclesiastical ceremonies, and while he was on his knees before the altar, the
Bishop of Rome advanced, and put an imperial crown on his head. As soon as the
people perceived it, they cried, “Long life and victory to Charles Augustus,
crowned by the hand of God! Long live the great and pious emperor of the
Romans.” During these acclamations, the bishop conducted him to a magnificent
throne, which had been prepared for the purpose; and as soon as he was seated,
paid him those honours which his predecessors had been accustomed to pay to the
Roman emperors, declaring that instead of the title of Patrician, he should
henceforth style him Emperor and Augustus. He then presented him with the
imperial mantle; with which being invested, Charlemagne returned amid the
acclamations of the populace to his palace. The bishop, continues the
historian, had surely no right to proclaim an emperor; but Charles was worthy
of the imperial ensigns; and although he cannot properly be ranked among the
successors of Augustus, he is justly considered as the founder of the New
Empire of the West.
Thus was the deadly wound of
Since 1815, and until the recent
proclamation of the French Empire, the Earth-Beast was known as the
Austro-papal dominion; for the time being, however, and until the French Horn
is broken, and gives place to the Bourbon Horn of the Ten Horned polity, the
Earth-Beast imperial sovereignty may be styled the Franco-Austrian Papality.
The elements of this are two emperors and the pope—emperors as yet
uncrowned, and both from the necessity of their position, claimants upon
The Earth-beast imperiality has now
existed 1052 years, having arisen out of the earth after the beast of the sea.
It is a dominion that has nearly always had an emperor with a pope, but with a
jurisdiction not always of the same extent. It has not, however, always been
two-horned. An emperor and pope are one, as a man’s eyes and mouth are one with
his face. When two emperors or horn-powers, having relation to
The Beast of the earth and the Beast
of the sea are both destined to “go into perdition.” But before the
perdition comes, the combat between the two horns of the Earth-Beast must be decided;
so that one of them may be finally planted on the Sixth-Head of the Sea-Beast
as its Eleventh, or Three-Horned Eighth Head, as represented in Daniel. Which
Earth-Beast horn, then, will become the permanent “Eighth” of the
Scarlet-coloured Beast on which the Woman sitteth? Will it be the French or
Austrian? I should say the Austrian, seeing that in Revelation
The Earth-Beast imperiality, then,
does not “go into perdition” before the manifestation of
Nebuchadnezzar’s Image in all the terribleness of the “latter-days”
exhibition to that monarch in his dream; though one of the horns now existing
does. The iron, latter-day, element of the image, is the Sea-Beast with the
then one-horned Earth-Beast for its Eighth Roman imperial Head, with Eyes like
a man, and a mouth speaking great things. The Head of Gold is like
Nebuchadnezzar, not Roman, but Assyrian, rising into view from beyond
the Roman limits, far into which he protrudes his power until he becomes the
Chief of the Image-Polity in the Feet-period of the times of the Gentiles. The power
of the latter-day Assyrian Head being the cementing principle by which the
constituents of the Sea-Beast are held together (for unless the Horn-toe
governments, and Eighth Head are sustained by Russo-Assyrian potency, the
French Horn-Sovereignty, essentially and necessarily revolutionary and
democratic, would prove too strong for their cohesion) is not only the Head of
Gold, but the Clay-element of the Feet, combining their parts with fragile
union into the Leg and Feet polity of the Image, answering to the Fourth Beast
of Daniel. The latter-day Assyrian, “ladeth himself with thick clay,”
“because he spoils many nations”—Habakkuk 2: 6, 8. He is therefore the
golden head of those nations—the clay with which he combines their
sovereignties into a political fabric standing erect upon its feet. Among these
nations are those of
The manifestation of such a
political organization as this argues a great conflict among the powers. This
is inevitable, and necessary for the formation of the premillennial crisis. The
French imperial horn of the Earth-Beast—THE FROG POWER—is created for this very
purpose. No matter what Louis Napoleon may profess, its mission is to
involve
The symbolical period during which
the Ten Horns of the Sea-Beast give their kingdom to its Eighth Head, is styled
“one hour.” This is representative of thirty years, upon the
principle that a Jewish day of twelve parts, or hours, is sometimes
representative of a time or year of years of twelve parts, or months, or hours,
of years. A year of 360 days is representative, then, of a time or 360 years,
which being divided by 12, yields 30 years, or one hour of a time. It is
during the last hour of their existence, that “they make war with the Lamb
who overcomes them.” Before, however, the war begins between the
belligerents, the Lamb descends from the right hand of God to “the white
cloud,” whence he reaps the harvest of the earth—Revelation 14:
14-16—in smiting Nebuchadnezzar’s image with the stone upon the mountains of
But before the Roman Babylon sinks like Sodom into the subterranean, and before the Ten Horns make war upon the Lamb and his army, they will “hate the Harlot and make her desolate and naked, and eat her flesh, and burn her with fire.” This will occur before the Lamb descends to “the white cloud.” Now the problem to be solved here is, How will the ten horns be brought to make the throne of the Beast desolate, seeing that they agree to give their Kingdom to the Eighth-Head? “The woman which thou sawest is that Great City which reigneth over the Kings of the earth”—the ten horns: What shall cause them to make their own imperial capital desolate? My reply is, because it is in the hand of a common enemy. That enemy, I believe, is the imperial French horn, which is even now in possession of the city. It sent its troops there under pretence of devotion to the Pope, but really to look after French interests in Italy. Those interests, which are imperial interests, need as much looking after now, as when the Frogs first swarmed in Rome. It is these interests, which are not the interests of the Ten Horns and their future Head, that will kindle a flame in Italy, and bring the power of the Horns and Head against Rome for the expulsion of the French, in effecting which she will be burned with fire, but not entirely and finally destroyed; for that destruction is the glory of the Lamb and his 144,000, who judge her rejoicingly—Revelation 18: 6, 8, 20.
The conflict between the two existing horns of the Earth-Beast for the Eighth Headship, brings Rome’s pre-adventual calamities upon her. The hatred of the kings against the city continues so long as she remains in the hand of the French horn; which it is probable, will avail itself of the cooperation of the malcontents in all their countries in furtherance of its ambition. This will make them hate Rome with the most cordial hatred as a focus of an influence and power, seeking their overthrow or subjection to its will. A sense of common danger will unite them to Austria, Russia, and one another. Without these two sovereignties, they could not continue the war with the French horn, being weakened by the disaffection of their people. Hence, self-preservation works unanimity; and causes them “with one mind to agree to give their kingdom to the (Austro-Russian) Beast.” By this Ferro-Aluminous power they are enabled to stand in spite of Democracy and the French Empire; and even to expel their hated antagonists from Rome, and to suppress for ever French ambition, and the revolutionary spirit in all their dominions. When they have accomplished the work of suppressing the French empire, and the conquest of Rome, their hatred is converted into affection for the Harlot, as is clear from this saying that is written, “And the Kings of the earth (the ten horns) who have committed fornication, and lived deliciously with her, shall bewail her, and lament for her, when they shall see the smoke of her burning, standing afar off for fear of her torment, saying, Alas, alas that great city Babylon, that mighty city! for in one hour is thy judgment come.” Their “Eternal City” having gone thundering into the abyss, her destroyers will come upon them, and tread them as ashes under the soles of their feet—Malachi 4: 3; for the day of vengeance is in all their hearts to give them blood to drink because of all the righteous blood they have shed in the service of the detested Harlot in all their several lands.
These ten horns “agree and give their kingdom to the Beast.” By this is not meant that their governments cease to be. Their kingdoms continue to exist until broken in pieces and consumed by the Stone-kingdom of the Saints; for they make war upon the Lamb and his army by whom they are destroyed. They do not, then, cease to be kingdoms by becoming republics, or by merging as provinces into the Austrian or Russian empires; but they continue as independent monarchies under an emperorship, as New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and other States, are independent republics under a presidency. These States have given their dominion to the general government; so that they can no longer act constitutionally in relation to foreign affairs in making treaties, war, &c., without it; and should they be unable to maintain order within their own limits, the federal government would enable them to do it, and so become “their power and strength.” They cannot wage war with each other. If they were to try the experiment would intervene with the forces of the Union to compel peace between the belligerents. A similar arrangement between the Ten Horns and Eighth Head for mutual safety and preservation, is what I understand by the Kings “agreeing to give their kingdom to the Beast”—an agreement brought about by the perils created by French ambition, and the revolutionary spirit of the Democracy.
Of these ten horn-kingdoms three become the imperiality of the Eighth Head—the Columbia-district, as it were, of the Sea-Beast confederacy. The man occupying the imperial throne is the King of three several kingdoms, which gives imperiality to his official character. They are “plucked up by the roots,” as Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia would be if merged into the District of Columbia, and subjected to its constitution and laws. The Horns plucked up by the roots are subdued by the Eighth Head; and will, I believe, prove to be Lombardo-Venetia, Hungary, and Sardinia. The Protestantism and constitutionalism of the last named mark it as a victim of the Beast. Of this, however, we shall not long continue in suspense.
February 23, 1853. EDITOR.
* * *
QUERY
CONCERNING THE TWO BIRTHS.
Dear Brother: —I have been questioned about the conversation between Christ and Nicodemus by a Baptist missionary, and was at a loss. I have since thought a great deal on the subject, and have quieted my mind in this way—that in the third chapter and fifth verse of John, Christ in speaking of the two births, had reference to immortality. He spoke of water and spirit, saying, that we must be born of both to be admitted into the kingdom. Now it appears to me, that Christ did not apprehend any misunderstanding about the water birth; but explained the nature of the spiritual birth, that it might be comprehended; and then goes on to speak of “heavenly things,” without further mention of the water, which originated my conclusion.
Now, if I am in error in believing that those who are immersed having the right faith within them are born of water and begotten of the spirit, and if they travel, having Christ in their hearts, without abortion, they will be born of the spirit when he appears to clothe them with immortality, and give them possession of the kingdom—I want you, as I take you to be a faithful student of the word, to explain that discourse, and set me right. I lack teaching; and one would think I would receive instruction from any of those who advocate the doctrine of the fraternity to which I belong; but I asked an aged minister his views, and as soon as I mentioned my belief of the spiritual birth being immortality, or an immortal birth, and that to take place at the appearing of Christ, he rather upbraided me, and took no pains to set me right.
I now think best to inquire of one who knows the nature of the kingdom we are to expect. I am a reader of the Herald. If you will condescend to notice this, and choose to reply in that paper, I shall meet it there, no accident preventing. Your friends here join in love with me, wishing that health, life, and means may be granted you, that your services may continue until a multitude may duly appreciate the knowledge it is your labour and privilege to supply.
I subscribe myself your sister,
JANETTA.
Princeton, Dallas, Arkansas, October, 1852.
CHRIST’S
DISCOURSE WITH NICODEMUS.
In John 3: 3, Jesus states a truth in relation to God’s kingdom over which he is to preside with the saints, which is unalterable and indispensable, and which the lapse of eighteen centuries has rendered no less imperative than at the moment he enunciated it—Except a man be begotten from above, he is unable to seethe Kingdom of God. This is a great truth; and to those who understand the nature of the kingdom, an obvious one. It is a truth of similar construction to this, that except a man be begotten from beneath, he is not able to possess the things of Satan’s kingdom. And why? Because he would have no existence at all; but would be as his father Adam, before the Lord of the Elohim formed him from the ground, by the Spirit of the Invisible God. A man must be begotten of sinful flesh, or he cannot see the things of the flesh; and this begettal is the being begotten “from beneath,” to which Jesus refers, in saying, “Ye are from beneath; I am from above: ye are of this world; I am not of this world.” The Jews sprung, ek toon kato, “out of things below”—that is, of blood, of the impulse of the flesh, and of the will of man; while he originated, ek toon ano, “from things above”—that is, of the Spirit, and the will of God.
Jesus, then, who is “THE HEIR OF ALL THINGS,” was “begotten from above,” genneethee anoothen. He was thus begotten to the days of his flesh; for he was not the Son of Joseph, but of God. Nevertheless, “the flesh profiteth nothing; it is the Spirit that makes alive.” Jesus was crowned with glory and honour, not because he had been begotten from above of God’s spirit before he was born of Mary; but because he was obedient unto death, and made perfect through sufferings. Having attained to moral perfection, (not that he was ever immoral for he was “without sin;” but until “the temptation,” he was simply innocent, his virtue, or obedience to the Father, not having been tested by his sufferings,) he was made alive by the Spirit, or from above, and so became “the Son of God with power, according to the Spirit of holiness, by resurrection from the dead.”
The Lord Jesus was the subject of two spirit-begettals and two births—the former were both of the Spirit; and the latter its consequents. His fleshly birth was of Mary, which we are not now considering. His first spiritual birth was on being “born of water,” and so fulfilling the righteousness of God; which multitudes think was quite necessary for the sinless Jesus, but not for them! After this birth his trials commenced; and his “patient continuance in well doing” prepared him, or rather became the premises upon which was predicated his second birth; that namely, from the dark and gravid womb of the grave where all his brethren lie. Thus he was “born of the Spirit,” and became “the Lord, the Spirit;” or as Paul has it, eis pneuma zoopoioun, “the last Adam was made into a spirit which shall make alive;” for zoopoioun is the second future participle whose sign is going to make alive. Thus, “that which is born of the flesh is flesh,” like all the sons of the first Adam; “and that which is born of the spirit is spirit,” like the second Adam, the Elder Brother and captain of the saints.
“Flesh and blood,” says Paul, “cannot inherit,” or possess, “the kingdom of God.” And why? Because, as he says, “corruption cannot inherit corruption.” The kingdom of God is the incorruptible, undefiled, and unfading inheritance of the saints—the kingdom preparing for the blessed of their Father. It is “that which shall never be destroyed,” and which “shall not be left to other people.” That is, when it is given to the Father’s blessed ones, it shall henceforth be possessed by them, and by them only: “it shall not be left to other people;” but “the saints shall possess it for ever, even for ever and ever.” Now, that which is born of the flesh is flesh and blood, and “dead,” or mortal and corruptible. How true this must be of mankind in general, in view of what Paul says to saints in the present life—“Ye are dead,” apethanete, says he; —a word which signifies to become putrescent, or dry as a withered tree. This was the new law of their being relatively to “earthly things,” on which they were forbidden to set their affections. Their bodies were “dead because of sin;” and their affections were dead to earthly things; so that as far as flesh and blood, and world, were concerned, they were mortal and corruptible, and only so. But they had a hidden life. It was not a physical principle within them. All that was there was the word of life, assuredly believed; in which sense Christ, the word, was there, dwelling in their hearts by faith. By holding on to this word, they held on to eternal life—on to the Lord the spirit, who is to give them life in his day. They were dead; but “Your life,” continued the apostle, “is hid with Christ in God; and when Christ, your life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.” This being the condition of saints, unresurrected and unchanged, it is clear that they are physically incapacitated for possessing the kingdom of God. However worthy and acceptable before him, they cannot, being mortal, “enter the kingdom of God,” and possess it forever, until born of the spirit, for till then they are not spirit, but flesh only.
The saints must become “spiritual bodies,” or spirits, before they can “see,” so as to possess, the kingdom. Now, as a begettal of blood, or of the flesh, or of the will of man, cannot produce spirit-body, there is no ground for marvel that a second birth should be a necessary preliminary to the inheriting the kingdom of God. Hence, the Lord Jesus said to Nicodemus, “Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born from above.” He then went on to say, “The Spirit breathes where he pleases, and thou hearest his voice, but tho knowest not whence he comes, and whither he leads; in like manner is every one being begotten of the spirit.” Thus are men begotten from above—by the voice of the Spirit breathing forth the truth, when, where, and how, he pleases. In some places, he will not breathe it at all; but on occasion positively forbids its utterance—Acts 16: 7.
But the inability of man to possess, or to enter, the kingdom of God, is twofold; for while corruptible flesh and blood cannot inherit it, neither can the unrighteous. “Be not deceived,” says Paul; “the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God.” The unrighteous are as putrescent of heart as they are of flesh. The saints cannot inherit the kingdom until they cease to be flesh and blood; and sinners cannot inherit it, until they cease to be unrighteous as well: thus, there is but one hindrance to saints, but two obstacles in the way of sinners—for “sinners shall not stand in the congregation of the righteous.” The being begotten from above, therefore, has relation to the begettal, of a sinner to God’s righteousness, that, like Jesus, the great exemplar of the faith, he may fulfil that righteousness in being born of water. “Of his own will the Father of lights begat us by the word of truth, that we might be a kind of first-fruits of his creatures.” In these words, James teaches us that God is the begetter; and “the word of truth,” the means by which he begets the first-fruits who are to attain to eternal life and glory, before the general harvest of the sons of Adam. This word of truth is “the word of the kingdom,” which, as good seed, is sown into honest and good hearts. Referring to this, Peter says, “begotten again of incorruptible seed through the word of the living God, abiding even unto the age, and preached as gospel unto you.” Now, every one that believes this gospel with full assurance of faith, is begotten of the Father of lights; that is, “from above:” and in proof of it, they “purify their souls in the obedience of the truth through the Spirit.” “The words I speak unto you are spirit and are life,” says Jesus; and it is such words that bring honest hearts to “the obedience of the faith,” for which purpose the gospel was ordered to be preached. A man found in the obedience of the truth is one who believes the gospel of the kingdom, and has been baptised, according to the wholesome words of the Lord Jesus. The apostle addresses such an one as washed, sanctified, and justified. Thus, “Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God. Be not deceived: neither fornicators, idolaters, adulterers, effeminate, abusers of themselves with mankind, thieves, covetous, drunkards, revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the spirit of our God.” This is equivalent to saying they had been born of water and of spirit; for in the days of the apostles, believers in the kingdom were baptised into the name of the Lord Jesus, and so found in him and in his name; and I find no place in God’s book where this old-fashioned custom has been abolished.
This being begotten from above, then, leads to a twofold birth from below—first, from water; and secondly, from the grave: and the one is as necessary as the other to the entering of the kingdom of God. “He that believes the gospel and is baptised shall be saved.” He that spake these words also said, “Except a man be born out of water (ex hydatos) and spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God”—and he that enters not into that kingdom is a lost man. A man not begotten from above, is “alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in him;” he is “dead in trespasses and in sins;” he is not in Christ: he is (even though an immersed man) unwashed, unsanctified, and unjustified. The first thing is to believe the gospel of the kingdom; and then to put on Christ by being introduced into his name. This is the first effectual move towards glory, honour, incorruptibility, and life in the kingdom of God. What remains is, “be faithful unto death, and Christ will give thee a crown of life,” when he unlocks the gates of the unseen, and wakes his sleeping brethren from the dust. Their regeneration then will be complete, but not before. Awake, they once more stand upon the earth; no longer, however, flesh and blood, but flesh, bones, and spirit, as the Lord the spirit, and “equal to the angels,” and therefore deathless, and fit for the kingdom of God.
“Consider Christ Jesus,” says
Paul, “the Apostle and High Priest of our confession.” He is the heir of
all things terrestrial; and the saints are joint-heirs with him of all God has
covenanted to him. He is the way and the truth, as well as the
resurrection and the life. Would we know the true way to the kingdom? Consider
the narrow way in which Jesus walked, and follow in his footsteps; for he left
us an example that we should follow in them. The members of Christ’s house are
with him the children of a common father, even God. They have all therefore
since the proclamation of “the mystery” to follow him through the water
and the grave. I speak not of those who remain at his appearing. These saints,
washed and justified, will not pass through the grave; but will become
spiritual bodies, or spirits, being begotten to this from above in the
twinkling of an eye. All else follow Jesus through the water and the grave;
and, after his example, rising from the dead, “are the children of God,
being the children of the resurrection:” so that it can be said to them in
the prophetic words addressed to the Lord’s Anointed, “Ye are my sons, this
day (of your resurrection) have I begotten you.”
The kingdom of God is a spiritual institution. I do not mean by this it is a mere aura, or gaseous afflation, like Plato’s “immortal soul;” but spiritual in the sense of its being incorruptible and indestructible; and founded by the power of God, who is spirit; and governed by a king who is spirit; and everything relating to it divinely appointed. Such an institution as this is pre-eminently spiritual; and because it is so every son of Adam who would inherit it must be spiritualised in heart and substance; or, as the phrase is, “in body, soul, and spirit, the whole person.” The principle laid down by the royal teacher in John 3: 5, may be termed the law of spiritualisation, unsubject to which no man can possibly in the nature of things enter upon the possession of the glory, honour, life, power, and emoluments of “the kingdom of Christ and of God.” This law is to the kingdom what naturalisation is to the kingdoms and republics of the world. The governments of these, “the rulers of the darkness of this age,” will not permit the natives of foreign states to inherit or possess the honours and emoluments of their institutions, unless they first abjure allegiance to all princes and potentates but themselves. They say, “Except ye be naturalised ye can in no wise enter any department of our state.” It would be very remarkable if all the kingdoms of the world had an alien law, and the kingdom of God none. All the sons and daughters of Adam are by nature aliens to the kingdom of heaven; hence they have no more natural right to it, than the Portuguese have to the privileges, immunities, and emoluments, of the throne, hierarchy, and aristocracy, of the British empire. “The flesh profiteth nothing.” Even a natural Israelite, to whose nation the kingdom belongs, has no right to the glory, honour, incorruptibility, life, power and wealth of it; how much less right, or rather none at all, has he who is not even a descendant from Jacob according to the flesh. Even a natural born Israelite must “be born from above,” or he cannot inherit the kingdom when restored again to Israel. The character defined in the scriptures as “the Jew”—“an Israelite indeed in whom is no guile”—is the pattern to which they must conform who would “inherit all things.” Jesus is this Jew in manifestation. He claimed nothing promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, because he was born of their daughter Mary; because “the flesh profiteth nothing:” but because he pleased God. Truth, and not sight, begets “the Jew”—faith in the word of the kingdom, the promised kingdom. Hence, it is “the children of the promise who are counted for the seed” that shall inherit all things. The whole Jewish nation will be grafted into its own olive tree when God shall have overcome their unbelief. They will possess their native land no more to be expelled by the horns of the Gentiles, above whom they will be exalted as a nation very high. But it is only those Jews and Gentiles, who, by spiritualisation, answer to “the Jew,” walking in the steps of that faith of Abraham, which he had being yet uncircumcised, who will inherit the kingdom with eternal glory. For, “he is not the Jew in the appearance; but he is the Jew who is such in the inner man.”
The king says that no alien shall inherit his kingdom unless he be spiritualised in mind and body. He has a perfect right to say so, and no alien has any right to complain; for citizenisation is a principle of their legislation. If you would inherit the good things promised to Israel, become citizens of Israel’s commonwealth, and of its royal household, styled “the household of God.” Now, as there is but one alien law to a state, so there is but one for the adoption of aliens into the kingdom of God. The first step is the declaration of the intention; or confession with the mouth, as the result of believing the things of the kingdom and name with the heart; “for with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” Next comes obedience to “the Law of Faith,” which commands the confessor to “be baptised in the name of the Lord Jesus.” He is now in mind, body, and estate, “the purchased possession” of the King of Israel. He is in mind and heart “begotten from above,” and in body “washed with pure water.” Thus he is intellectually and morally begotten of the spirit-truth; and corporeally washed with water, made “pure” by the special use to which it is appropriated, in connection with the subject’s faith in the things of the kingdom and name. Thus being begotten of the word and born of water, he is scripturally responsive to the exhortation of the apostle, who says to all such, “Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience (by the blood of sprinkling in the obedience), and our bodies washed with pure water: let us hold fast the confession of the hope unwaveringly.” And now, what waits he for? For the Son of God from heaven, to change the body of his humiliation into a like form with the body of his exaltation and glory, through that spirit-energy by which he is able, and at that time prepared, to subdue all things to himself. This accomplished, and he is corporeally begotten of the spirit, and an actual inheritor of the then established, glorious, and all conquering kingdom of God.
I hope this exposition may extricate “Janetta” from all difficulty on the subject. Let her not be troubled at the upbraidings of the “aged ministers” of the wilderness. Weer they Christ’s ministers they would feed the flock, and not upbraid the sheep when they sought pasture for their souls. It is their business to take great pains to set them right; and shepherds of the right stamp find great pleasure in doing so. But everything is burdensome to wolves in sheep’s clothing, but fleecing the flock. At this they are great adepts. Of such, beware! Workmen that need not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth, rejoice in the light; and are well pleased to see men and women searching the scriptures in a Berean spirit, that the light may also shine in them without obstruction. We thank our friends for their good wishes, and wish them much success in their endeavours to understand the word.
EDITOR.
* * *
DIFFICULTIES
FOR SOLUTION.
Brother Thomas. —Please give us some light on the following passages of Scripture: —“And when all things shall be subdued unto Him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto Him that put all things under Him, that God may be all and in all”—1 Corinthians 15: 28.
Firstly, the prophets declare that the kingdom is to be without end. Secondly, by giving up power, and being subject to the Father, or to Him who did put all things under Him, here lies the mystery in few words. Also this passage: —“In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the Tree of Life, which bare twelve Fruits, and yielded her fruit every month; and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations”—Revelation 22: 2.
Also the following text in the fifteenth verse of the same chapter: —
“For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and
murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.”
Now provided the sin-power be destroyed, and we have all the blessings described in the fourth verse of this chapter before, why do we need the Tree of Life, and why are dogs, sorcerers, &c., said to be without? Please do give us your exposition at your convenience, in the Herald of the Kingdom.
TIMOTHY LYON.
Detroit, Michigan.
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THE
SON’S POST-MILLENNIAL SUBJECTION TO THE FATHER.
The passage from which the idea expressed in the above caption is derived, is found in 1 Corinthians 15. Paul had affirmed that the resurrection of those “in Christ” would happen at his coming. In the next verse, he says, “Then cometh THE END.” He does not say how long after Christ’s coming it would be to that end. Indeed, he did not know, for “the times and seasons” were reserved by the Father in his own power, until he revealed them to Jesus Christ, “who sent and revealed by his messenger to his servant John.” This apostle, however, makes us acquainted with the truth that the end would be divided from Christ’s coming in power and great glory, by an interval of a thousand years; and that this long period will be occupied by the kingdom of Jehovah and of his Anointed. Though Paul could not tell the duration of this, “the Economy of the Fulness of Times,” as he styles it—Ephesians 1: 10, he records events by which the end of the economy might be known. These are, the conquest of all enemies; the final abolition of death; the delivering up of the kingdom to the Father by the Son; and the Son’s own subjection to God. The passage is remarkable, and deserving of quotation in full.
“As in Adam
all (the saints) die, even so in Christ shall
(they) all be made alive. But every one in the destined order: Christ an
offering of first fruits; next, they that are Christ’s at his appearing: after
that the end, when he shall have delivered over the kingdom to the God and
Father: when he shall have vanquished every dominion, and every jurisdiction
and power. For it is necessary that he reign until he (God) shall have
put all the adversaries under his (the Son’s) feet. The last enemy that
shall be destroyed is death. For He hath subdued all things under his feet. But
when he saith, that everything hath been put under, manifest it is, that he,
having subdued the all things to him (the Son) is excepted. But when the
all things shall be subdued to him (the Son) then the Son himself also
shall be subordinated to Him (the Father) who has subjected the all
things to him (the Son) in order that God may be the all things for
all.”
To see into this matter, it must be understood that before sin entered into the world by Adam, the economy was “very good;” and God was “the all things for all” the living souls he had made. In this state of being there was no adversary, and no death, because there was no sin, and death being absent, there was no viceregal kingdom to make war upon hostile powers, for the purpose of subduing them, and substituting the power of God instead. All was peace and harmony between God and man upon earth.
But when sin entered into the world, and death by sin, a rebellion commenced against God which has never been put down effectually from that day to this. It has ever gathered strength, and is at the present crisis more defiant of his authority than ever. But he has declared that things shall not always continue thus; for he has sworn by his own life, saying, “As truly as I live all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the Lord”—Numbers 14: 21: and therefore the Lord Jesus taught his disciples to express their heart’s desire, saying, “Thy kingdom come; and thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” When Jehovah’s will shall be thus absolutely obeyed, “the end” will have arrived. The sin of the world will have been taken away; and every curse have ceased. There will then, consequently, be no more death: and once more a state of being will obtain, in which peace and harmony between God and men will exist, so that on receiving all things elaborated by the Son, he will again pronounce them “very good.”
This very good constitution of things terrestrial, is thus indicated by John:
“And I saw a New Heaven and a New Earth; and there was no more sea. And I heard a great voice out of the heaven, saying, Behold the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, 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. And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God and he shall be my son—Revelation 21: 1-7.
Here is a state upon earth evidently pertaining to “the end” indicated by Paul, when death, the last enemy, is no more. God’s tabernacle with men upon the earth is not pitched until death is destroyed. The destruction of death implies the previous suppression of sin in the world. Death’s sting is sin, which causes death; but the sting being extracted from human nature, it dies no more. Every dweller upon the earth becomes an immortal son of God, who will be with them as he is now with his only and chief begotten Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. In this postmillennial very good state there will be no sinners; consequently, none separated from God, and requiring a mediator betwixt them. But in the economy of the previous thousand years, sin, sinners, and death, still exist; hence a very different constitution of things must obtain to the succeeding arrangements in which they find no place at all. The epoch between the Millennial Economy and its successor, is marked by the delivering over the Millennial kingdom to God, as it will then in the hands of Christ and his brethren, have accomplished the work assigned to it.
The Kingdom’s mission is, “to break in pieces and consume all kingdoms,” and to “fill the whole earth” in ruling over all. It will be introduced into the world to put down the great rebellion against God, which is organised under the “dominions, jurisdictions, and powers,” or governments of the nations. Of course, with the means to be employed, this is not an instantaneous affair. For its full and effectual accomplishment, God has allotted 1,000 years. The work to be accomplished is stupendous, but not too great for the forces of the kingdom. All these great kingdoms, empires, and republics, are to be conquered, and their millions of armed defenders cut up, and dispersed. Beside the overthrow of these rebel hosts, knowledge, righteousness, and peace, have to follow in the train of victory. The religion and law of the conqueror will be gratefully accepted by the nations as they become freed from the tyrants who oppress and brutalise them. “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 and for ever.” On that throne he will reign until “the end;” for “his kingdom shall not be destroyed, and his dominion is unto the end:” for he must reign until God hath put all enemies under his feet.
When the nature and constitution of
the kingdom are duly considered, it will be readily perceived that it cannot,
in the fitness of things continue longer than the extinction of sin, and the
entire abolition of its wages, which is death and corruption. The kingdom of
Christ and of God is a priestly institution; for so it is written, “THE
BRANCH shall build the Temple of Jehovah; and he shall bear the glory, and
shall sit and rule upon his throne; and be a priest upon his throne.”
The reader, I suppose, need not be informed that this prophecy is of Jehovah’s
Anointed in his kingdom; and, therefore, of Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the
Jews. When “the Lord God shall give him the throne of his father David”
that he may sit there and “reign over the House of Jacob unto the ages”—eis
tous aionas—he will be God’s High Priest for the Twelve Tribes of Israel,
and the nations of his dominion. This is proved by Isaiah’s testimony, which
reveals, that “All nations shall flow unto the Lord’s house, which shall be
called a house of prayer for all people,” the offerings of whose flocks and
herds “shall come up with acceptance on mine altar” saith Jehovah, “and
I will glorify the house of my glory.” Then shall “many people go and
say, Come ye, and let us go up to Jehovah’s mountain, to the temple of Jacob’s
God; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths; for out
of Zion (the city where David dwells), shall go forth the law, and the
Word of the Lord from Jerusalem”—Isaiah 2: 2-3; 56: 7; 60: 7. Who will then
be the High Priest and Teacher of Jehovah’s ways, in the house of Israel’s God?
—the great light to enlighten the Gentiles, and the glory of his people Israel?
There can be but one answer, and that is, “The Priest upon the throne”—Zechariah
6: 12-13, who “shall judge among many people, and rebuke strong
nations afar off,” even Christ Jesus our Lord; “who is now the High
Priest of our confession, made a High Priest after the order of Melchizedec for
the Age”—eis ton aiona; —but even now, “a High Priest over
the house of God,” “whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the
rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end”—Hebrews 3: 1, 6; 5: 6; 10: 21.
Thus, what he is now doing in the presence of God for “the Heirs of the
Kingdom”—making reconciliation for his household—is but the earnest
of what he will do for the subjects of his dominion, when, with his reconciled
ones, he shall occupy “the thrones of the house of David.”
Now, “every High Priest taken from among men is ordained for men in things pertaining to God, that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins”—Hebrews 5: 1. It is clear from the testimony quoted, that sin, sinners, death, and national sacrificial worship, will obtain in the world till “the end” of the thousand years beginning with the appearing of Christ in his glory. “Gifts and sacrifices,” therefore, will all that time be necessary because of sin; and being necessary, there, must be a high priest to offer them for men to God, in the place appointed. Now, the nature of the kingdom being Melchizedec, or royal and priestly, its covenant, or constitution, provides that its king shall unite the two offices in his own person. This applies also to all the joint-inheritors with him in the same kingdom. Hence, they are all styled, “kings and priests to God.” The kingdom is, therefore, mediatorial. It stands, when established, sacerdotally between Jehovah and all who are not office-bearers and dignitaries of the kingdom. So long as this monarchy exists with a priestly constitution, “the tabernacle of God” cannot “be with men,” neither can “he dwell with them,” nor can they be “his people.” “With men;” that is, with the entire population of the earth. He is now with Christ Jesus, dwelling in him with his fulness; and during the thousand years, he will be with Christ’s brethren, the saints, dwelling in them as in their elder brother; but with the residue of men he will not so dwell, until Christ has accomplished the work of “destroying that having the power of death, that is, the devil,” and its works, or, in other words, until he shall have “taken away the sin of the world;” destroyed all its dominions, jurisdictions and powers; and have extinguished death. When this is consummated there will be no obstacle preventing God’s abode with men but the Melchizedec kingdom; which must, therefore, of necessity be taken out of the way, as no longer adapted to the state of things upon the earth.
The reader will see this at a glance when he is asked, What will be the use of priests to God for men, when, because of the effectual suppression of transgression, and the extinction of sin in the flesh, there are no gifts and sacrifices to offer, no errors and ignorance to atone for? Christ and the saints’ occupation will then be gone. It will then have expired according to the statute of limitation, which says, “Thou art a priest for the age after the order of Melchizedec”—Psalm 110: 4. The word le-olahm, in the Hebrew text, is rendered in Paul’s citation of it eis ton aiona in the Greek; which I have translated “for the age,” which is not only probably correct, but made certainly so, by the scripture doctrine concerning priesthood.
The Son, then, will “deliver over
the kingdom to the God and Father” of men, at the time all become his sons,
because of the unsuitableness of its nature and covenant to THE AGES succeeding
the Millennial Age. The kingdom will not be destroyed, but only changed
in its constitution, so as to adapt it to the improved and altered condition of
the world. The kingdom in its Melchizedec or millennial organization, is the
heavens planted, and the foundations of earth laid by the Lord, when “he
proclaims to Zion, Thou art my people;” and saith, “Thy God reigneth!”—Isaiah
51: 16; 52: 7. John styles this organization in reference to that of the
post-millennial ages, the former, or “first heaven and the first earth”—that
constitution of Israel predicted in the sixty-fifth of Isaiah. This heaven of
the kingdom is destined to be changed, so that when “the End” comes, it
will have “passed away” as entirely as if it had been destroyed. This
constitution of the kingdom will have perished, though Christ and the Saints
remain in undiminished glory and beatitude. Hence, it is written in the hundred
and second Psalm, and applied to Jesus in Hebrews 1: 10, “Thou, Lord, at the
beginning (kat’ archas, at the beginning of Zion’s earth and
heavens) laidst the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the
works of thine hands. They shall perish; but thou shalt stand: yea, all of them
shall wax old like a garment; as a vesture shalt thou change them, and
they shall be changed:” then Jesus creates all things new: “but thou art
the same, and thy years shall have no end. The children of thy servants (Abraham,
Isaac, and Jacob) shall continue, and their seed (the saints) shall
be established before thee.”
Now, when the Lord Jesus has changed
the whole system of things terrestrial and mundane, by the Spirit of the
Father, a new world will be the result, in which the constitution of society
will be royal, but not priestly; Jesus and the Saints being the Jehovah and the
Elohim of the new order of things, as others were of the old, as appears from
the Mosaic account of the Six Days. Jehovah-Jesus and his Elohim will have
consummated the work begun by Jehovah Elohim, the Lord of the Gods, seven
thousand years before. But though “great,” Jesus is always “the Son
of the Highest,” of whom he says, “My Father is greater than I.” He
is Jehovah’s servant to perform an appointed work, and to establish his
Father’s authority in all the earth. This done, the Father no longer veils
his face in a representative, but appears as sovereign in his own kingdom; in
which, however, his glorious son is always pre-eminent, and next, but not upon,
the throne. The words of Pharaoh to Joseph will express the idea I wish to
convey of the Son’s subordination to the Father in the Ages, that God may be
the all things for all. “There is none so discreet and wise as thou. Thou
shalt be over my house, and according unto thy word shall all my people be
ruled: only in the throne will I be greater than thou.” The kingdom,
therefore, though changed, having its priestly elements removed, continues a
kingdom still—a sinless kingdom added to the universal dominion of “the
Blessed and only Potentate, dwelling in unapproachable light, whom no man hath
seen, nor can see: to whom be honour and power, aionion, in all ages, Amen.”
Such is the exposition of Paul’s saying concerning the turning over of the kingdom to the Father, as it appears to me. The kingdom is without end, but not without change. In the thousand years, it is “the kingdom of Christ and of God;” in the after ages, “the all things” are concentrated in God, “for all” the dwellers upon the earth. Mediation exists no more, since all things are reconciled, and endless peace obtains. All which is submitted to our readers in the hope that we may all rejoice together in the kingdom of the Age to Come.
The other queries will be replied to as soon as room can be found for insertion.
EDITOR.
* * *
Analecta
Epistolaria.
PLEASANT
WORDS.
“The
words of the pure are pleasant words.”
Dear Sir: —For the last three or four years I have taken two copies of the Herald, and must continue to do so, until you are better sustained in your efforts to enlighten a benighted world. Had I the pecuniary resources of some, I would contribute annually a hundred times five dollars, in order to hold up your hands in the prosecution of the truly arduous enterprise your life is devoted to. But at this time, the ability falls far short of the inclination. In christian love,
I remain yours truly,
EZEKIEL S. TALLEY, M.D.
HANOVER, VA., January, 1853.
* * *
A DIFFICULTY.
Respected Sir: —Will you say a few words in your very interesting Herald, on the following points: —A friend of mine has been very much annoyed during the past year by not obtaining his papers at all till October. Another has been in the same circumstances nearly. Another and another are similarly situated; so that the consequence has been, that many who would otherwise have subscribed for the next volume, have delayed, not knowing what to do. Now, could you not once for all correct this difficulty by sending your paper to one agent in Britain, who would cheerfully attend to this labour of love? By doing this, or something tantamount to it, you will do a very great service to many of your friends here, who are grieved to see things so badly managed.
I have much pleasure in bearing testimony to the extreme satisfaction your Herald has generally given. That it is always read with the greatest avidity, is saying the least; for it is insensibly, but distinctly, acquiring an influence over the minds of all with whom I have come in contact, who read it.
Your affectionate friend, for the truth’s sake,
GAVIN GREENLEES.
GLASGOW, SCOTLAND, November 25, 1853.
* * *
THE REMEDY.
The portion of our friend’s letter not published, is under consideration. No one can regret the difficulty complained of more than we. The cause of it may be found in part, in the numbers indicated being directed to 35 Miller Street, and, in the absence of our friend there, being refused, because of a surcharge. If those who wished the Herald for 1853, had sent their names and addresses, distinctly and precisely written, with payment in advance, by order on the Dock-Head Post-office, to Richard Robertson, Esq., 89 Grange Road, Bermondsey, Surrey, England, they would get their numbers as regularly as clock-work. This is a better plan than sending a bundle to one person for distribution con amore. Mr. Robertson, who was till lately Secretary to the Custom-House in London, is of necessity an excellent fiscal, having been habituated to the methodical exactness of that establishment besides being a personal friend, and interested in the kingdom of God. If our Glasgow friends, and all others, will attend to these instructions, and the notices they will find occasionally on the cover of the Herald, they will have no reason to complain. There is one other thing must be attended to to keep things straight—and that is, if a subscriber change his residence, he must inform his letter-carrier, and let Mr. Robertson know likewise, being careful to prepay the letter.
We do not send the numbers of a new volume to Britain and the Provinces, until expressly ordered, and paid for in advance. The reason of this is, that we have to prepay to those who did not intend to continue subscribers, by which we should lose both the paper and the postage, which we cannot afford to do.
The letters we receive from the four winds (of which we publish only a specimen from time to time, that each isolated subscriber may know what other friends think of our teaching as well as he) encourage us considerably. The great truths advocated in the Herald must tell upon the consciences of all “honest and good hearts” that are interested to know what they must believe and do for acceptance when they shall appear in the presence of the Great King. We have been subject to much discouragement for many years, but the dawning of a better day appears in our horizon, which, we trust, is the aurora of the truth’s vindication and triumph over all its foes. Our friend Greenlees’ testimony will not be lost on his well-wisher, the EDITOR.
* * *
SCRIPTURE-INVESTIGATION MEETING.
It has been found necessary to change somewhat the constitution of the Scripture-Investigation meeting. It did not work well. On the first night, men, with crotchets in their heads, attended to deliver themselves of their conceptions, and to dispute. They could not speak to the subject, nor be kept to the point. One who figured in Glasgow while I was there, who, I believe, calls himself the gospel trumpeter, was there, with a tin trumpet suspended from his neck. He spoke, also, of a companion of his. They occupied time, but yielded no light. Others spoke, but when all was said, the first chapter of Genesis, the subject-matter of the evening, was left exegetically untouched. It is, therefore, clear that the general public is too ignorant to work out any profitable investigation for itself. It is necessary for one to teach it, which be the oracles of God. We have, therefore, taken this business into our own hands. The brethren consequently meet for preliminary evening worship, and when that is done, I proceed to the exposition of Moses and the Prophets, in the order suggested by the subjects concurrent in the things pertaining to the foundation of the world; after which, if there be time, persons present are at liberty to put questions, for information, or for the removal of any difficulties not supposed to be met in the exposition. This has been found to work better. The audience increases, and from the attention paid, in coming out to hear in the worst of weather, it is manifest that the interest is augmenting and abiding; and we trust that fruit will appear to eternal life from “the word of the kingdom” sown.
EDITOR.
* * *
OUR PEN’S USEFULNESS.
Dear
Sir: —Through the kindness of my neighbours, I have been favoured with your
Herald and Elpis Israel, which have greatly increased my desire to know “the
truth as it is in Jesus.”
In these parts the truth has to gain its way by inches. But notwithstanding all the opposition springing from tradition and bigotry, your book and paper are doing a work here that will speak for itself when the future King of nations shall appear. I am desirous to see the Herald continued; for it was the first document that opened my eyes to see my true condition; and I am persuaded there are thousands in society who are infidels, because they are too honest to be hypocrites, and too well informed to be sectarians.
Sectarianism, witchcraft, and every other evil influence, surround us here on every side; so that it will be impossible for any poor wanderer ever to gain admission to the kingdom, unless he can be assisted to a thorough knowledge of the word of God, which is the only thing that can gird up the loins of the mind to a successful resistance of temptation.
I enclose you five dollars out of my scanty means, for which send me Elpis Israel, and the Herald for ’53. Meanwhile I hope, and shall endeavour to be able to do something more soon for the sake of the gospel cause.
In hope of coming to the knowledge of the truth, I remain yours,
Ogle Co., Illinois. ENOS JACOBS.
* * *
Dear Sir: —I feel that I am discharging a pleasing duty in adding my testimony to the many you receive of the value of Elpis Israel and the Herald. They have indeed been a source of much pleasure to me; and what is of very much more importance, they have presented God and the Bible in such a light that I can have perfect confidence in both—a consummation for many a day devoutly wished for; but previous to my acquaintance with your writings, enjoyed but in a very limited degree.
These sentiments are those also of others here, who read my copy of the Herald; the name of one of whom I now send you, and another will probably soon follow.
Many thanks to
you, then, dear brother, for your invaluable labours; and may the sovereign
whom you serve strengthen you to continue the combat with ignorance,
superstition, and bigotry, lay and clerical, and substitute in their place “the
light of the glorious gospel,” is the sincere desire of yours in the “One
Hope of the calling.”
DAVID WRIGHT.
Coburg, Canada West, December 1852.
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Dear Brother: —Enclosed you will find five dollars. The three dollars over my subscription for the current volume, is a poor man’s ungrudging donation towards the support of your highly instructive and valuable periodical. It is willingly given, seeing that your readers are more indebted to you than they are able to pay. Please accept it for knowledge of the truth acquired by aid of your writings. Nevertheless, all the praise be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord, and not to mortal man. This truth has led me to be immersed by brother William Lemmon, of Baltimore. It transferred me from a foundation of sand to one of rock—to the Rock; and led me to embrace the hope that entereth within the veil ere long to be removed. Then shall we see what at present doth not appear.
Yours in hope of Israel’s return, and the restoration of the kingdom again to them,
JACOB B. ROHRER.
Beaver Creek, Washington, Maryland,
February, 1852.
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THE GOSPEL GLORIFIED.
Dear Brother: —By the request of bro. Fisher, I enclose you his subscription fee for the current volume of the Herald, with his best christian regards. He desired me to say to you also, that when you may find a leisure moment he would be glad to see your views of 1 Corinthians 3: 15.
Bro. F. is an earnest advocate of “the Gospel of the Kingdom,” and is very desirous with myself to form a nucleus around which may be gathered some faithful followers of the Lord. He came to my house in December last, and required immersion at my hands. He seemed to have a clear understanding of the gospel. Cold as was the season, and without a house in which to change our clothes, we repaired to the Rappahannock river, where I immersed him in the presence of some five or six persons who happened to come up at the time. His conscience is now at ease; and though, as he says, he expects that his earthly career will be short, he rejoices in the hope of the reward promised upon the belief and obedience of the gospel, followed by a patient continuance in well-doing. Oh, could the people be persuaded to learn of Jesus—to understand his gospel! But I am grieved, yea, deeply grieved, when I attempt to “reason out of the scriptures” with my connections in the flesh, with whom I should be so much delighted to be associated as the adopted of the Lord, to see them turn away from the plain declarations of the prophets, of Jesus, and of his apostles, refusing to hear the gospel as proclaimed by Heaven’s great apostle, ridiculing our notions, as they call them, and yet talking so loudly and constantly, and apparently so sympathetically, about the blood of Jesus. Is this not equivalent to saying “Lord, Lord,” and yet opposing his word?
I am pleased, yea, delighted, to see from the Herald some signs of encouragement. May they increase in number and magnitude; and may 1853 be a memorable year for the progress of the glorious gospel, that the hearts of the oppressed and depressed children of the Most High may rejoice in the anticipation of soon realising that “glory, honour, and immortality,” which Jesus has promised to the faithful that suffer with him.
Hoping that before very long we may have the pleasure of hearing from you in person, I remain, very sincerely,
Yours in the Blessed Hope,
PETER TRIBLE.
Dunnsville, Essex, Va., February 15, 1853.
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POLITICAL RELIGIONISTS—BEING SAVED AS BY FIRE.
We congratulate brethren Fisher and Trible, and all like them, who have veneration, firmness, and conscientiousness, sufficiently active, to obey the truth of God rather than its void-making traditions, the dogmas and commandments of men. Until comparatively recently they were both members “in good standing” of the Campbellite synagogue called “the Rappahannock”—the one a preacher, and the other a private brother, of the sect. The dissolution of their confraternity is referable to “the gospel of the kingdom;” Mr. Trible came to perceive, that, as there is but one gospel of God, called the gospel of the kingdom, which kingdom is to be established in the land promised to Abraham; and seeing that both it, and its possession by the resurrected saints “under the whole heaven,” were denied and scoffed at by the Campbellites and their clergy; —that one gospel was neither believed, nor preached among them. Believing it, he therefore began to testify in its behalf. But, as its advocacy was primarily associated with my name, which is no strong tower of orthodoxy, he was absurdly, or rather wickedly, charged with “Thomasism;” although he said none other things than what their own eyes could see written in the scriptures of the prophets and apostles, if they would have opened them to see. But “their heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed,” lest they should be converted, and become unpopular. He was at length silenced by authority, such as it is. This gave him time for personal examination, which resulted in the conviction, that being immersed into baptistism, christ-ian-ism, or Campbellism, is not obeying the gospel of the kingdom; because the faith professed by the subjects of those denominational immersions, was either non-comprehensive of that gospel from sheer ignorance of it, or positively opposed to it; and consequently the immersion submitted to was not a faithful obedience to the faith. Being honest in his conviction, and self-condemned, he sought justification by faith of the true gospel in the name of Jesus, to which name he was united by immersion, as a believer in the kingdom’s gospel can alone be.
Bro. Trible has effected the circulation of some thirty Elpis Israels in Essex County, Virginia. If they have fallen into the hands of some honest and good hearts, they cannot fail of producing a beneficial result to some of its citizens sooner or later. Bro. Fisher is more or less indebted to it for the liberty he now enjoys. When in those parts we heard an anecdote concerning him, and his other Campbellite brethren, singularly characteristic of their intelligence and doings. It runs somehow thus: One Sunday morning in synagogue assembled, Mr. Fisher (who, by-the-by, is a poor man, and therefore without consideration among them) requested some brother would read to the assembly the last chapter of the Acts. Some one rose and read it. Mr. Fisher then requested that some one would be kind enough to show the meaning of what Paul is reported to have said in the thirtieth verse—“For the Hope of Israel I am bound with this chain.” This fell among the leaders like a bomb from Magruder’s battery. Not being present, we cannot be graphical. Politicians, lawyers, and doctors, were particularly apprehensive. “The hope of a christian was quite enough for them, without the hope of Israel!” “Mr. Fisher had better ask Dr. Thomas:” others of them advised that “he should go home, and consult Elpis Israel!” The last suggestion seemed the most feasible; and as no satisfaction could be obtained from “the elders,” et cetera, he went home, and consorted with them no more.
But what more decent or spiritual can be expected from such religionists. If theirs be a fair type of christian doctrine, then, indeed, the hope of a christian has nothing to do with Israel’s Hope. It is clear, that Paul was not in chains for their hope, themselves being judges. No, but he was bound with a chain for the hope of every christian, both Jew and Gentile, who believed the gospel he preached. The political lawyers and doctors who browbeated Mr. Fisher from their synagogue, are too ignorant of the scriptures to know, that when a believer of Paul’s gospel, which they reject, becomes obedient to the faith, he, though a Gentile born, becomes a citizen of the Commonwealth of Israel, and an heir of all the good things promised to that favoured nation, which constitute its hope. Israel’s hope is the christian’s hope, and styled by the apostle “the hope of the gospel, whereof he was made a minister.” They believe it not, being the captive perverts of the world, the flesh, and its hurtful lusts. Men who would clamour down one of their poor brethren for asking an explanation of the word of truth, may paint, whitewash, carpet, and transform their synagogue, to suit the eye of wealth and fashion; but they have yet to learn, that it is not the breadth of men’s phylacteries, nor the comeliness of the exterior sepulchre, that commends professors and their works to God.