^ PRINCETON, N. J "^^ BS 650 .H6 V.3 Hodgman, Stephen Alexander 1808-1887. sk. Moses and the philosophers MOSES AND THE PHILOSOPHERS, INTHEEE PAETS: THE PHYSICAL SYSTEM; THE MORAL PROBLEM; THE MERCY SEAT. THE WHOLE TOGETHER GIVING A VIEW OF THE UNIVERSE, AS WRIT- TEN BY MOSES, THE SERVANT OF GOD. PART THIRD. THE MERCY SEAT. BY STEPHEN ALEXANDER HODGMAN. SOLID. B-Z" STJBSCI^XI3TI035^. • PHILADELPHIA: :■ 1882. Copyriglit, 18S1, by StKPJIKN Al.KXANDER IIODGMAN. FERQUSON BROS. & CO.. PRINTERS AND ELECTROTYPERS. PHILADELPHIA. THE ESSENTIAL TRUTHS OF CHRISTIANITY. I. Christianity is the reign of grace. II. Christ is the central figure in the Christian system. III. Christianity is revealed in the Holy Scriptures. IV. The Bible is the ark of God, that contains the covenant of grace, V. The parties to that covenant were the Three persons in the adorable Trinity. VI. It is the covenant that was sealed with blood, and finished on Calvary. VII. There is no Saviour from sin but Jesus. VIII. It is by faith that believers are brought into union with Christ. IX. Unbelievers, being out of Christ, remain" under the domin- ion of the law which worketh death. X. Grace does not destroy but supplements the law. XI. It is the Holy Spirit that reveals Christ in the hearts of believers, XII. There will be a resurrection of the dead, and a general judgment at the end of the world. (3) CONTENTS OF PART THIRD. Chapter I. — Introductory: The Final Cause of Things. II. — Doctrine of the Trinity. III. — Doctrine of the Incarnation. IV. — Jesus, as He appeared among men. V. — The Death and Resurrection of Jesus. VI. — The Mediatorial Kingdom. VII. — The Unfulfilled Prophecies. VIII. — End of the World, and of the Gospel Dispensation. IX. — The Future Life — Heaven and Hell. X. — Consummation of all things. (4) PREFACE TO PART THIRD. '' I ^HE Mercy Seat was the ancient Symbol of Chris- -*- tianity. It was the Christian System under a veil. Christ was a " Lamb slain from the foundation of the world." But a full and clear revelation could not be made till the fulness of time had come. The Law was a school-master to bring us to Christ. A long course of training and discipline was necessary, before the glorious scheme of Grace could be intro- duced. This was *' the Mystery of God," hid from the ages. But the whole system was adumbrated or dimly shadowed forth, under various types and sym- bols, and sacrificial rites. For all the bloody offerings under the law were typical, designed to teach that without the shedding of blood, there is no remission, and pointing to the blood of the everlasting Covenant, which alone can take away sin. The whole plan was in the mind of God from eternity, and was partially (S) 6 PREFACE. revealed in the garden when the promise was given, "the Seed of the woman shall bruise the Serpent's head." P)Ut it was kept under a veil, and revealed only as the mystery of God. The full development came when Jesus was born, and the angels sung the song, "Unto you is born, this day, in the city of David, a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord." The Author. Philadelphia, August, 1881. phOP; , (Contents. CHAPTER I. Introductory — The Final Cause of all Things One of God's symbols — Purpose of purposes — "Seed of the woman " — The Paschal lamb — What was paramount — What was auxiliary — The great problem solved— Shadowed by the Mercy Seat — Not an after thought — Christ the moral gov- ernor — The stern judge — Abraham as a type — God grieved at His heart — The antediluvian sinners — Why God created the universe- — Reflects the divine glory — The love of God — How made known — The temple of Grace — Scaffolding of the building — Illustration from Revelation — The two com- panies before the throne — The Empire of Love — Napoleon's confession — Jesus the greatest conqueror — Crowning glory of the redeemed — They suffered with Him — Scheme of cre- ation one — Personality of God — Solution of a mystery — The council of three — An objection considered — God not the author of sin 13 CHAPTER II. Doctrine of the Trinity. An essential doctrine — No Christianity without it — Three per- sons and three wills — Orthodoxy and Unitarianism — The Nicene creed — How Arius fell — Mr. Cook's scientific method — It is rationalism — Nature of Christianity — The Father devised — The Son sealed the covenant — Agency of the third person — Direct testimony of Scripture — The Divine persons associated in creation and redemption — The plural name Elohim — The apostolic benediction — The attributes of God — The works of God — Worship rendered to Jesus — He claimed to be Divine — Titles of God — The mystery — Many things mysterious — Nine theses or postulates — Supplementary remarks 38 (7) 8 CONTENTS. CHAPTER III. Doctrine of the Incarnation. The Central Orb — Mystery of godliness — Why not believed — How it can be ai)[)rehcnded — Necessity of the Mediatorial Scheme — Plan laid in Eternity — When the execution was begun — The great epoch of time — History divided — The First prf)mise — Jacob's prediction — The prophecy of Moses — Isaiah's sublime utterances — Not understood by rational- ists — Micah, Daniel, Malachi — CJeneral expectation of the world — Tiie " Desire of nations " — Birth of Octavius — Wise men of the East — Divine homage to the infant Jesus — No parallel in history — The world revolutionized — Laws and customs changed — Rome converted — Decree of the Council of Nice — Jesus in history and literature — Strauss, and Renan — Moral government perfected by the Incarnation — No sal- vation without it — To the glory of God — Greatest amount of happiness — Love of God made known — A beautiful extract — Mysteriousness not an objection — Everything mysterious — A closing reflection . . . . • 65 CHAPTER IV. The Human Character of Jesus. Two natures in one person — When the union was constituted — Born of a virgin — Announcement of Gabriel — The diffi- culty with Joseph — How he was reconciled — An objection by an infidel — Guilt of rationalists — Jesus as a Teacher — Peerless wisdom and purity of doctrine — Sermon on the Mount — Testimony of Daniel Webster — Testimony of Re- nan — His wise and appropriate answers— Beyond criticism — His manner of life — A character without spot or blemish — No personal ambition — Unlike all others — Would not be a king — Without covetousness — Never known to take fee or reward — His voluntary poverty — Few followers — His humil- ity — Example, blessing the little children — Meekness of Jesus — Never retaliated a wrong — Never showed anger — Proofs of His meekness — His piety as seen in His life of prayer — His physical manhood — No inspired account — Let- ter of Publius Lentulus — No reason to doubt its authenticity — The conclusion — Pilate's question — The question for every human being — Multiplying copies of the Record ... 92 CONTENTS. 9 CHAPTER V. Death and Resurrection of Jesus. Jesus an Impostor, if He did not rise — What rationalists be- lieve — A perilotis attitude — Jesus foretold His resurrection • — As a natural man he could not have foreknown it — The Disciples did not understand — Jews and Romans conspired His death — A world's tribunal— A Sentence without any- parallel — Publicity of the Crucifixion — Could not die a nat- ural death — Prophecy of David — Fifty-third chapter of Isaiah — The prediction in Zechariah — A prudential reason — A fraud impossible — Precautions used to prevent — The Sepul- chre made sure — The Sf^ecial Providence manifest — An empty tomb — The Sentinels bribed — Their contradictory report — Dejection of the few disciples — No hope from a dead body — Only a living Saviour could avail — Jesus seen alive — By the three women — By the Eleven apostles — Unbelief of Thomas — How he was convinced — Testimony of Paul — Preaching of Peter — Advice of Gamaliel— Character of the witnesses — Nothing to gain by falsehood — Life and labors of Paul 120 CHAPTER VI. The Mediatorial Kingdom of Christ, The four universal kingdoms — The fifth and last — An extraor- dinary spectacle — Christ before Pontius Pilate — The stone cut out of the mountain — When Jesus was born — Civiliza- tion of Rome — Natural causes and philosophy — Beginning and progress of Christ's kingdom — Graphic account from a late writer — The supernatural Birth — Death and Resurrec- tion of Christ necessary — The great commission — Wonderful increase of knowledge — What Aristotle and Cicero never knew — The revolution Isaiali and Daniel predicted — The efficient agent, the Holy Spirit — Strange events on the Day of Pentecost — Pentecostal seasons in modern times — Dis- pensation of the Spirit — Familiar Christian phraseology — The great Revival in New England — Dr. Jonathan Edwards' account — Testimony of Robert Hall — The great Western Revival in 1800 — Change in character wrought by the Spirit — Remarkable instance of conversion — Cure of the leprosy of sin — Extent of Christ's kingdom — Sectarian ig- norance — The Church the Mediatorial kingdom — Church in heaven and on earth One — Of such is the kingdom of heaven — Duration of the Kingdom — Abel the first subject — Jesus as Universal King 1^2 XO CONTENTS. CHAPTER VII. THE UNFULFILLED PROPHECIES. A Millennial period — Binding of Satan — Prophetic utterances of Isaiah — Revelation xx. — The last battle on earth — The ■world's Sabbath of Rest — It is yet future — Must come before the end of the world — Two great events to precede — The Jews to be gathered — Dispersion and restoration alike fore- told — Dr. Niccoll's interpretation — A literal restoration to their own land — Will be converted to Christ — A culminat- ing argument — Will exemjjlify the power of Christianity — Claim of the ancient Jerusalem — Mystic Babylon — Daniel's Wonderful prediction —The Little Horn — The five marks of identity — John's Description of Mystic Babylon — The four marks of Revelation — The man of sin doomed — Doom re- corded Revelation xviii. — The ancient Babylon — Judgment of the Modern Babylon sudden — Near at hand — God's peo- ]ile shall be saved — The elen^ents of destruction ready — A world-wide impression necessary — Consummation, "The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ " 188 CHAPTER VIII. THE END OF THE WORLD, AND OF THE GOSPEL DISPENSATION. Views of scientists as to the future of our globe — They can tell nothing — What Peter says — Tlie consummation attended by two great events — First, the general resurrection of the dead — Tiie Sadducees' unbelief — Christ's syllogistic argument ai;;ainst them — Proofs from the Old Testament — Job, Isaiah, Daniel — From the New Testament — Argument from anal- ogy — The chrysalis — Identity of bodies in the resurrection — A germinal principle that never tlies — Consciousness and experience — Second, a general judgment — The separate ex- istence — "Absent from the body, present with the Lord " — The general judgment just after the Resurrection — The public exhibition of God's justice — The Books — Resurrec- tion of the just first — The Living saints changed — Then comes thcresurrection of the wicked — Then the final con- flagration — The new heavens and new earth — " Every tongue shall confess " — The final impression — God's justice vindi- cated 222 CONTENTS. 1 1 CHAPTER IX. THE FUTURE LIFE ; OR, HEAVEN AND HELL. The universal belief in a future life — What Plutarch wrote — A cognate belief — Virtue its own reward — Conscience ever- present — Change of place no relief— Heaven would be hell to a sinner without a change — Two preliminary observations — Hell a place, not simply a state — A place of punishment — The punishment everlasting — The suffering physical and mental— Intensity of mental suffering — A state of darkness — The " Outer darkness " — The impassable gulf — The soci- ety, the inhabitants — Heaven also a place — The houses not made with hands — Spirits do not occupy space — Clothed upon and not found naked — The philosophy considered — Heaven a holy communion united by love — Ever growing in knowledge — Everlasting freedom from sin — Eternal rest — Employments of heaven — Serving God day and night — Reigning with Christ 253 CHAPTER X. THE CONSUMMATION OF ALL THINGS. The mystery of God — " The Intent " — "Manifold Wisdom," "Abundant Grace" — To be made known — Principalities and powers — Sinless worlds — Only two revolted worlds — No knowledge of Grace under absolute physical law — This knowledge revealed — The glad tidings — Millions of worlds — The distinction conferred on our earth — Jesus never died but once — Thus the Grace was manifested — Angels, as min- istering spirits — Minister only to the heirs of salvation — Future distinction of the Redeemed — They make the salva- tion known in other worlds — Their special qualifications — Thev will be Christ's coronated heroes — Vicegerents under the King of kings — Anthem of all worlds — Perfect glory — Profane babblings of human philosophers — Extracts — Phi- losophy of the Bible — Only two out of millions — Incidental evil — God's justice vindicated — The Church, the Lamb's wife — This earth the birthplace — The City of God, New Je- rusalem, in which He will dwf^l forever — Conclusion — An Invocation 285 \ ''>•, MOSES AND THE PHILOSOPHERS. PART THIRD. CHAPTER I. Introductory — The Final Cause of all Things, One of God's symbols — Purpose of purposes — "Seed of the woman" — The Paschal lamb — What was paramount — What was auxiliary — The great problem solved — Shadowed by the Mercy Seat — Not an after thought — Christ the moral governor — The stern judge — Abraham as a type — God grieved at His heart — The antediluvian sinners — Why God created the universe — Reflects the Divine glory — The love of God — How made known — The temple of Grace — Scaffolding of the building — Illustration from Revelation — The twO companies before the throne — The Empire of Love — Napoleon's confession — Jesu,s the greatest conqueror — Crowning glory of the redeemed — They suffered with Him — Scheme of creation one — Personality of God — Solution of a mys- tery — rThe council of three — An objection considered — God not the author of sin. WE stand at the entrance of the Holy of holies. The vail is lifted, and what do we behold ? The cherubim of glory overshadowing- a Mercy Seat! This is one of God's symbols — the most impressive, and at the same time the most expressive, that ever solicited the attention of a finite mind. The ereat fact or truth symbolized, is the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. This is the central truth of the Christian system. The author would here say, that when the light of this truth first flashed on his mind, it seemed almost overpowering — almost too great for human faith to receive. What emotions must be awakened in every (13) 14 MOSES AND THE PHILOSOPHERS. devout soul, when first he learns that within that sacred recess — the most Holy Place, so sedulously guarded from vulgar gaze for long ages, there had been shadowed forth under a vail, the whole scheme of erace, in the blood ot the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world ! We read once in the sacred Scriptures, but only once, of an "eternal purpose." That was the purpose of purposes, and the decree of decrees, or the begin- ning of all decrees. And what was that eternal pur- pose ? It was the purpose ''given us in Christ Jesus^' or the purpose of redemption, in which it was decreed that in the fulness of time, Jesus should suffer, and die as a Lamb to take away the sin of the world. And by whom was the decree signed ? By the three per- sons in the adorable Trinity. God was merciftil. But without a scheme of grace, neither man nor angel could ever have had any knowledge of this attribute. The earliest indication of the existence of that eternal decree of love, was given in the garden — " the seed of the woman shall bruise the serpent's head." It was also, perhaps, more clearly adumbrated in the institution of bloody offerings for sin, that immediately followed the promise. And all along through the patriarchal ages, and the Levitical dispensation, this fundamental truth was ever kept before the minds of God's people, by various typical rites and bloody offerings. The paschal lamb offered in the celebration of the yearly passover, was a fit and lively emblem of " the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world." And THE FINAL CAUSE OF ALL THINGS. 1 5 the lambs "without spot or blemish," slain morning and evening in the daily sacrifice, were designed to keep the Jews in perpetual remembrance of the fact, that, without the shedding of blood, there is no remis- sion. We have intimated that the scheme of redemption was embraced in that " eternal purpose," which was the beginning of all decrees. By this we understand that it was the paramount purpose — that all other pur- poses — all other schemes — all other works were only auxiliaries in the accomplishment of this glorious pur- pose of grace, that was given us in Christ Jesus. This doctrine can be apprehended only by faith. No rationalist can receive it. In height and depth, it is infinite, and our understandino- is finite. But, entering upon the study now, we may pursue it through eternity, and make infinite progress. In the chapters constituting the second part of this work, we have seen that there is a fundamental distinc- tion between the law of liberty, and the law of necessity. It was shown that without a moral faculty, and a posi- tive law as a rule of duty, there would have been no government in existence but physical government, or the beautiful necessity, so admired and so extolled by philosophers of the Concord school. The materialistic philosophers of our day, have no ideas, as indeed they can have none, of right and wrong — of moral good and evil — of holiness and sin, except as mere properties of matter. They regard the natural appetites, the natural affections and the animal instincts peculiar to the flesh, as qualities of matter. In like manner, they believe that all the higher and nobler traits l6 MOSES AND THE PHILOSOPHERS. of character, by which man is thstinguished from the inferior animals, are hkewise properties of matter, only more highly rehned ; and so there is no law but physical law. The dangerous sophistry of all such reasonings, was duly pointed out. We proceeded a step further, and having shown the nature, the necessity and the perfection of the moral system, we pointed out the necessity of sanctions, and the impossibility of pardons without satisfaction, in the case of trans- gression. Especially was the hostile attitude, in which Justice stands related to Mercy, explained. How could God make a full revelation of Himself, in all the attributes of His character, under the dispensation of a broken law ? That was the mystery no finite intelligence could solve. But, blessed be His name forever, God Himself solved the problem. The solution of it was dimly shadowed forth by the symbol of the Mercy- Seat, that contained the ark of the covenant, over- shadowed by the cherubim of glory. The mystery is now perfectly solved, since the proclamation made by angels to the shepherds who kept watch over their flocks by night on the plains of Judaea: "Fear not; behold, I bring you glad tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people ; for unto you is born this day, in the city of David, a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord." The problem of the universe has been worked out. "When there was no eye to pity, and no arm to bring deliverance," we hear His voice sounding out from the eternities past, and saying, " Lo, I come ; in the THE FINAL CAUSE OF ALL THINGS. 1/ volume of the book, it is written of me, to do thy will, O God ! " For " I have found out a ransom." This was the voice of the Son. God, the -Father, volun- tarily gave the Son unto death. The Son voluntarily undertook the work of redemption for man. The offering was a free-will offering. It was superla- tively a transaction of grace, not of law or necessity. Jesus said, "I lay down my life of myself; I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it aofain." Having thus explained what "the eternal purpose" was, it remains to be seen that it was the purpose of purposes, or the leading purpose in the mind of God. which actuated or moved Him to give birth to the universe, as it now stands. As God is an infinite and intelligent Spirit, He must have had a reason or a motive for doing what He has done. He had a plan or a purpose in His mind, and we say, that purpose was eternal. It was not an after-thought — not the effect of any change in His mind. For there are no changes in the mind of God. When God made the planetary worlds — when He made this orb on which we dwell — when He made man in His own image. He had a purpose in these creations, and that was the one eternal purpose in Christ Jesus. In the prosecution of that purpose, it was necessary to erect a proper theatre on which to enact the scenes of redemption, and to exhibit Him- self in the character accorded to Him in those tran- scendent and sublime words of inspiration, uttered by Moses : " The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious^ l8 MOSES AND TIIF. I'll ILOSOPHERS. Io7ig-sujferino\ and abuudant in goodness and irutJi, keeping mercy for thousands ; forgiving iniquity, and transgression, and sin ; and that will by no means clear the guilty!' Here is a description which uninspired man could never have conceived. What a paradox ! — "forgiving" iniquity, and transgression, and sin — and that will by no means clear the guilty ! " It looks like a contra- diction in terms. But God ha.s solved the problem. And this solution is the key that enables us to solve many a mystery in the histor\- of Providence. For example, when we read the sentence of the inexorable Judge, pronounced against His own chil- dren, the first human pair, apparently M'ithout any softening or forgiveness, or any sign ot pity, casting them out of Paradise, and then placing cherubim and a flaming sword which turned every way, to bar them from the tree of life, lest they should eat of it and live forever — when we read this account, we are apt to feel that the transaction was rather that of a stern and merciless Judge, than that of a gracious and loving Father. Rut if we view it in the light of that eternal purpose now made known to us, we shall see not only severity and justice-, but mercy mingled with the justice — and more of mercy and love than of se- verity. For, who was that Lord God, who sternly rebuked our first parents for their sin, and drove them out of Eden? It was He, who afterward died on Calvary to redeem them, and to purchase for them an entrance into the P2den above at God's right hand! And at the moment when He showed Himself so inexorable THE FINAL CAUSE OF ALL THINGS. I9 and stern, His heart was yearning over them in pity — and even then He had His eye on the agony and suffering He was to endure for them, four thou- sand years hence, in Gethsemane, and on Mount Cal- vary ! What a view does this give us of God's compassion! When Abraham stood ready, with drawn knife, to slay his son, and to offer him up as a burnt-offering at the command of God, we are not to believe that the prin- ciple of natural affection had been extinguished from his heart. On the contrary, that was the severest trial to which the faith of the old patriarch was ever subjected. But Abraham was not the man to sacrifice duty to affection. He laid his son on the altar at God's Command, and thus in a sense, he became the only living type of God. He delivered up His own Son unto death to save lost sinners, not because He loved His Son less, but because there was no other way to maintain and vindicate the law of His holiness. There is no human affection, that can be compared with the love of God for sinners. There are multiplied proofs of this, both in the word and in the Providence of God. " God commendeth His love towards us, in that while we were yet enemies, Christ died for the un- godlv." But there are so many dispensations in the history of the world, having the appearance of judgment and wrath, that some philosophers pretend, they can see no evidence of the hand of a good and merciful God in these things. Take the account of the fiood as recorded by Moses — that would make God worse 20 MOSES AND THR PHILOSOPHERS. tlian any tyrant or fiend, as tlicsc pliilosophcrs look at it. It is because they know nothing. They ignore the fact, that, as the righteous moral Governor, God had borne with those antediluvian sinners for hun- dreds of years — they forget that they had become ex- ceedingly corrupt in His sight, waxing worse and worse — that they had filled the earth with violence — that they were moral agents, and that they knew all the time, that they were rebels against His righteous government. But God could not set aside or disregard His righteous law, because they had thus apostatized, and because He is of a merciful disposition. He is merciful, but at the same time He is holy. Nor did He cut them off suddenly, and without due warning. Even after Noah was called to be a preacher of righteousness to warn and exhort them. He gave them a space of one hundred and twenty years for repentance, at the same time saying, " My Spirit shall not always strive with man," — which implies that His Spirit had been striv- ing with them up to that time. Is there anything in all this that gives to the Divine Father, the aspect of a cruel tyrant or a demon, who takes pleasure in sending causeless judgments ? And when at last they would not be reclaimed, and when He found that He must inflict the penalty of the holy law, after having waited so long, it is said, that, it " grieved God at His heart, that He had made man on the earth." What a solemn significance does that expression carry with it — as if the hardest thing that God ever did, was to punish sinners, who defy His authority, and trample all His laws under their feet — THE FINAL CAUSE OF ALL THINGS. 21 He is SO long" suffering-, and so full of pity. But His Spirit cannot always strive with man. He is just and holy as well as merciful, and He must manifest His opposition to sin. This is the character ascribed to the Holy One, throughout the Sacred Volume. And who shall find fault with this character ? It is not stranc^e that there are so many judgments in the land. But it is strange that there are not more. God is lonor-sufferinor. And if it were not so, who could stand in His sight? Mercy is all the time pleading against justice, and holdinor back the sword of indlenation. We shall now show, from several considerations that the purpose of Grace in Christ, formed in eternity, was the highest purpose — or certainly higher than any other purpose that a finite mind can conceive — that could have influenced the Eternal Mind to put forth His creative energies, in giving existence to the pres- ent frame of the universe. I. In the first place, when there was nothing in ex- istence but God, He could have had no motive or purpose, drawn from any thing outside of Himself, to exert His creative energies. Therefore, the mani- festation of His glory was the only consideration, that can be supposed to have influenced His mind from eternity. Hence, we read, tliat, " God made all things for Himself, and that for His pleasure they are, and were created." Should it be argued against this position, that a Supreme regard to the happiness of the creature, would be a higher motive than the manifestation of His own glory, it would be a sufficient reply, to say, 22 MOSES AND TIIK I'll ILOSOPHKRS. tliat God coiiKl not have been influenced by such a consideration, when, as yet no creature existed, even in the divine thoui^ht. To affirm it, would be to assert a contradiction. But should we even admit tlic possibility, it would make nothing against the position we assume, since the less purpose must necessarily be included in the greater. For if the most wise and holy One, were moved to bring this vast and boundless universe into being, for His own pleasure and glory, the execution of the purpose, would necessitate the highest possible good of the creature. This conclusion appears to be self-evident. In the beginning, — and before die beginning of things, God was holy, and wise, and just, and good, and merciful. This was his nature. But how was this na- ture to be developed ? Nothing existed but God, He wanted scope or room for the play of these perfections of His being. He wanted to give activity to His wis- dom, to His holiness, to His justice, to His goodness, to His mercy. But He could not do this without creat- ing the objects, on whom, or to whom He could exhibit His wisdom. His holiness. His justice. His goodness, and His mercy. Hence the universe as it now exists. It sprung from the nature of (}od. It reflects the glory of God. And holiness, justice, wisdom,, good- ness, and mercy must have remained forever hidden and dormant in the bosom of God, if there had been no visible universe. The universe is God's mirror, which reflects, if we may say so, an image of GckI, or which exhibits the perfections of God. The intelligent can see in it the signs of infinite power, the signs THE FINAL CAUSE OF AT.T. THINGS. 23 of infinite wisdom, and infinite goodness. But O, what a defective universe this would have been, as a visible representation of the character of God, if it had exhibited no visible signs of His holiness, of His jus- tice, and His mercy ! What if this universe were only a physical system, or a material universe — there would be power displayed, ahd also wisdom — but there would have been no sign of holiness, justice, and mercy, nowhere in all the universe. The real and glorious character of God, would have been forever concealed from the view of all intelligent creatures. II, This leads us to say, in the second place, that a moral system was necessary — a moral government — or a moral dispensation, in order that the moral per- fections of God's nature mio-ht be known, as His holi- ness and justice — and that a system of g^race was necessary, or a gospel dispensation, in order that mercy should reign, or that the compassionate, loving nature of God might be known. The rationalist may turn up the lip of scorn and derision at this idea. But if he will be candid and honest, he must admit that in intrinsic value and importance, there is no comparison between a material system, controlled by necessary and absolute law, and a moral dispensa- tion that is upheld and maintained on the principles of justice, righteousness, and truth. These are the perfections which constitute the glory of God's charac- ter. What satisfaction would it be to me to know that God is great or powerful, if I did not also know that He is just, and good, and merciful, and true? But how could these traits of His character be understood, if there were no created system — no mirror, so to 24 MOSES AMD TUK PHILOSOPHERS, spiak, in which U) hc.]uM thcin ? Or what satisfac- tion would it be to me to know even that God is hoi)-, and that He is just — I am a sinner, 1 am ij^uilty — if I did not also know that God is merciful — that He is a Compassionate Saviour? But tell mc-, how I could know this, if there had never been a hill of Calvary, nor a cross, nor a bleedin<^ Lamb suspended thereon? It is this attribute of love that bring^s the infmite God into close union, and conimunion with finite creatures. Without this knowledge that God is love, it seems to me I would rather that / had never seen the light of existence at all. But w ith this knowledge, I can lean on His bosom with the feeling that He is my Father, and I seem to sw^m in an ocean of love. God mijjht have been merciful and frracious in His disposition ; but with that mercy locked up in himself, and with no object on which to bestow His love. He would have been, as we may sa)-, in the condition of a creature heart — affectionate, tender and loving, or with a capacity to love, but without an object on which to bestow its love. Would not such a heart long and sigh for something, on which to lavish its wealth of love ? Therefore, the Supreme Father, wdiose name is love, was pleased to devise a way for the exercise — for the pouring out of that wealth of love, that was treasured in His heart from eternity. This is the acme of glory. This was the final cause of things. This may seem nonsense to the materialist, but I do not hesitate to affirm, that the whole mighty material universe, with all its paraphernalia of suns, moons, and stars, and solid globes were brought into existence, THE FINAL CAUSE OF ALL THINGS. 2^ simply as a platform on which to erect the temple of grace. God is love. Nay, I may say that the physi- cal system, and the moral system as well, are but the staofine, or the scaffoldino- erected for the buildino- of that temple of grace. Calvary is the acme of the uni- verse. There was a "lamb slain from the foundation of the world." As there may be some, not able quite to take In this sublime truth, I will endeavor to render it more intelligible, by illustrations taken from Revelation. To this end I will transcribe a portion of one of the visions of John, in the isle of Patmos : " I beheld, and lo a Qrreat multitude, which no man could number ot all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands ; and cried with a loud voice, saying, salvation to our God, which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb. And all the angels stood" round about the throne, and about the elders, and the four beasts, and fell before the throne on their faces, and worshipped God, saying. Amen, blessing and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honor, and power, and might be unto God forever and ever. Amen." If any one can read this sublime description, with- out having the impression made on his heart, that the eternal purpose In Christ does. Indeed, transcend our feeble powers of thought, it must be that his heart has not yet been attuned to that song of salvation, sung by that Innumerable company above, clothed In white. We have. In this wonderful vision of John, the full development, and the final consummation of that eternal purpose of Redemption. 26 MOSES AND TIIK riiiLosoninKS. John has a vision of two companies cncirdlnn^ the throne; the first, the nuikitude which no man could number, of all nations and kindreds, and people, and tongues, standing before the throne, and before the Lamb, the whole burden of whose sonir is Salvation — "Salvation to our God, which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb." The other company consists of the sinless auLiels, who also, " fallinij- down" — notice the expression — "falling down, worshipped God" — the redeem(;d are represented as standing. And no- tice also what they say in their worship — there is not a word about Salvation, as they had never been re- deemed. But they say, "Amen; blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honor, and power, and might be unto our God forever and ever." Any rationalist who believes in the existence of a God, could join in their ascriptions, for they recognize only the natural perfections of God. In every respect the precedence is given to the redeemed hosts, over the unsinning angels. They are mentioned first — they stand up to worship instead of falling down — they are nearer the throne, and they sing the sweetest song. Notice also, that there must have been somethino- peculiar and striking In the appearance of the saved ones, to cause the admiring gaze of the celestial hosts, to be fixed on them. Vo\- one of the four and twenty elders — one of the hierarchies of heaven, asks, "Who are these " — pointing to the crowned ones, having palms of victory In their hands — " who are these arrayed In white robes, and whence came they?" John, knowing that the elder who asked, b(.;ing one THE FINAL CAUSE OF ALL THINGS. 2/ of the principalities or powers above, who stand al- ways before the throne, must certainly have kno\\n who they were, said unto him, "Sir, thou knowest. And he said, these are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb." Can these words be paraphrased ? Can the signifi- cance of them be put in other words, so as to give learned philosophers even the faintest conception thereof? They think the language figurative, meta- phorical. They think it is all poetry. But there was a Lamb slain. His blood was poured out, and they were redeemed by His blood, as really as if their robes had been literally washed in His blood. And their song of gratitude and love, is, " Thou art worthy, for Thou hast redeemed us to God by Thy blood." But they don't understand it, and of course, they will never be able to take a part in the song. But this was the eternal Decree. And this was symbolized by the Mercy Seat. The Lamb is spoken of, as " the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world." From eternity, He looked forward to the suffering He was to endure on Calvary. From all eternity, He was willing to "pour out His soul unto death." This was love — "for God is love." Yea, this was " an everlasting love." Now if Christ died for them because He loved them, will anything ever be able to separate them from His love? The apostle asks, "Shall tribulation, or dis- tress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword ? " Nay, nay — he adds: " for I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principali- 28 MOSES AND THE PHILOSOPHERS. ties, nor powers, nor thing's present, nor thing's to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord," It was a kingdom of grace ruled by love, which Christ coveted, and purposed from eternity to estab- lish. The Mediatorial kingdom is a kinsfdom of love. The foundation stones were laid by grace. Each sub- ject of that kingdom, tlie holy prophets, apostles, martNTs, redeemed by His blood, will be more, in His esteem, than millions of bright suns and stars. For what could a material universe be to Him, in com- parison with His kingdom of Grace? By a miraculous act of His power — by the simple fiat of His almighty will, He created the material universe. But He could not be known in a material universe, or adored, as a God of love and grace. Therefore, He wanted to have a kingdom of love. But He could not create it by a miraculous act of His power. There had to be first, a material system, then a moral dispensation, then a Mount Calvary and a cross — a process requir- ing the lapse of ages. But He did not hesitate to undertake the mighty task. He stooped to suffering and death. He conquered sin and the powers of darkness, and thus He purchased His kingdom of Grace. There was no other way. All the subjects of that kingdom are ruled by love, having His love shed abroad in their hearts by the Holy Ghost given unto them. How say some then, that there is nothing in exis- tence, but a mighty material universe — that the worlds — that man, and all things are governed by absolute THE FINAL CAUSE OF ALL THINGS. 29 physical law ? Their gross, carnal natures do not take in this idea of orrace. But here is a kincrdom — the mediatorial kinofdom, which is a kingdom of love, the foundations of which were laid in love. Love is the supreme law. All the subjects are united to one another, and to Jesus the supreme Head, by love. One of the greatest world-heroes said: "Alexander, Caesar, Charlemagne, and myself founded empires; but upon what did we rest the crea- tions of our genius? Upon force. Jesus Christ alone founded His empire upon love ; and at this hour, millions of men would die for Him ! " So spake Napoleon the great. And he added: "what an abyss between my deep misery and the eternal kingdom of Christ, which is proclaimed, loved, and adored ! " All this was in the Divine purpose. Jesus Christ determined to have a kingdom of love. And He has it. And now, seated on His throne. He can say, as He does say, to every follower, " To him that over- cometh, will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I overcame, and am set down with my Father In His throne." This requires us to notice another cii"cumstance mentioned in the description of that illustrious com- pany, seen by John, standing nearest to the throne, "these are they which came out of great tribulation," etc., signifying that they had come up from a warfare — that they had been in a great fight of afflictions, and that they had been victorious. This will ever be one of the crownino- excellencies in the character of the redeemed, that they had suf- fered with Christ — that they had been brought out of 30 MOSES AND THE PHILOSOPHERS. great tribulation. Tliis can never be true of any sin- less order of beings. Among- the countless orders, and the infinite multitudes belonging to each order, who may people the countless worlds belonging to Jeho\ah's vast empire, there is but one order or rank, as we have to believe — the redeemed of Adam's race — concerning whom it will ever be true, that, having fought and contended even unto death, they came out of great tribulation, to be crowned as kings and priests unto God. It is impossible to be in sympathy with Christ, with- out sufferine with him. No one ever suffered more than Christ. He could not have had His kintrdom of love without suffering. Hence it is said, that, " it became Him, in bringing many sons and daughters to glory, to make the Captain of their salvation perfect through suffering." There could have been no salva- tion, and He could not have been the Captain of sal- vation, if He had not suffered. But " for the joy set before Him, He endured the cross, despising the shame, and is henceforth set down at the right hand of God." To be like Him, and to be in sympathy with Him, His followers must suffer with Him, And all who thus suffer with Him, and for Him, are to consti- tute that noble army of the martyrs, who came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made tliem white in the blood of the Lamb. There are two or three inferences from the subject discussed, which I v.ill brielly state, but shall not attempt to elaborate. I. And one inference has respect to the unity of design that seems to pervade the universe, proving THE FINAL CAUSE OF ALL THINGS. 3I that God is one. There are not two general schemes or plans of creation, which are in- conflict, or contrary the one to the other. But there is perfect harmony throuohout, shovvinrr that one infinite mind conceived the whole plan. Thus, it is certain, that, without a moral constitution, there would have been no scheme of o-race — the one was introductory to the other. And it is equally clear, that, without a material creation, there could have been no moral system ; and that the former was but the foundation, on which the latter has been built. The three systems are not three dif- ferent schemes, but three parts of one and the same scheme, related together as three parts of one build- in cr, havine the same architect. 2. Another inference from the theme which has been discussed, has reference to the personality of God. God must be a peu"son. A purpose is an act, a decision, a decree of an intelligent will ; and there must be a mind to act, to decree, or to resolve. If therefore, we take the Scriptures as authority, we must believe in Goci, and worship Him as a Divine Personality. What if we know not how He exists ? For that matter, we know not how we ourselves exist. But we know the fact that we do exist. And yet, some great philosophers have even doubted the fact of their own existence, because of the mystery involved. There was some sort of consistency in this, at least. For, if they deny the existence of God, because it is incom- prehensible, to be consistent, they should with Fichte, deny that anything exists but a dream ; for this was the conclusion to which that philosopher was led by his false reasoning. 32 MOSES AM) THE PII II.OSoPlIEKS. I will not licre insist on what the Scriptures teach, as to the personality of God. The doctrine is taught from (lenesis to Revelation. As to the difficulty of compreliending it. I do not see how any one can make this a serious objection, who believes that he himself has a mind, and that he is, himself, a person. No one but a materialist, or atheist, can deny the personality of God. But for the same reason that he denies the existence of God, he denies the existence of any mind whatever, even his own. 3. Again, in the subject unfolded in this chapter, we have a light thrown upon the profoundest mystery that ever exercised the mind of angel or man — namely, the mastery as to how the divine attributes of justice and Mercy could be harmonized, whereby God could be just, and yet clear the guilty — or save sinners while yet the law remains in force. As we have before seen, there was no finite intelligence, that could have discovered a solution of this problem. But it has been gloriously wrought out, in the development of the eternal purpose in Christ ! There is no conflict now between the divine attributes. "Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other." This was the practical question, which concerned a w^orld lying in wickedness, and groaning for long ages under the bondao^e of sin and death — how could a sat- isfaction be i-endered to eternal Justice — how could the wrath of an angry God against sin be appeased ? To shed light on this question has been the Alpha and Omega, or the end and aim of all the religious systems that have pretended to be revelations from heaven in THE FINAL CAUSE OF ALL THINGS. 33 all time — to show unto the children of men, how they could be restored to the favor of the Deity, and be saved from the consequences of sin. The Gospel is the only system that contains a full and complete solution of this great problem. It was the system, therefore, of which the world stood in need. It is adapted to the perishing condition of the human race ; and by any other plan, it is impossible to conceive how there could have been either grace or salvation. The attributes existed eternally in the divine nature, in a state of glorious harmony. And when God the Father said, far back in the counsels of eternity — / luill ordain a moral constihition- — I zoill publish the Holy Law, that my intelligent subjects may have some per- ception and knowledge of the beauty of holiness, and re- joice therein with joy luispeakable and fnll of glory — and when the eternal Spirit, one of the persons in the glorious Godhead, said, But they ivill break the moral co7istitutio7i, they will fall tmdcr the sentence of a broken law, into the condemnation of death — then the eternal Son responded — / zvill bring deliverance, for I have found out a ransom ; Lo, I come, in the vohune of the Book it is written of me, to do thy zuill, O God I And this counsel prevailed. The eternal decree was ratified in eternity. It was the covenant of blood accom- plished in time, though agreed on before time began. AN OBJECTION CONSIDERED. The author would here state, that he could not, without violence to his own feelings, close this chapter without a passing notice of an objection that has 34 MOSES AND Tlir: PHILOSOPHERS. sometimes been urged against tliis doctrine of ''The Eternal Purpose'^ in Christ Jesus. It is not necessary to discuss this objection at any length, nor would there be space for this. The objection simply says, that the doctrine seems to make God the author of sin. But this objection is more apparent than real. For God is not, and He cannot be the author of sin. Calvinists and Arminians, who are the parties in this controversy, will agree in this proposition, that God is not the author of sin. But suppose it should be found that the doctrine of an "eternal purpose" does make God the author of sin, how can we get rid of the difficulty ? The doc- trine is there stated in the express words of Paul, and all parties are equally bound to receive it. "The eternal purpose," was the purpose of grace, or of salvation throuijh Christ. But as there could have been no salvation without sin, the existence of one is necessarily implied or involved in the other. But God did not ordain the existence of sin as an end, but only as a means. There is no being in all the universe w'ho is more opposed to sin than God, And He brought the universe into existence to show His opposition to sin, and to display His holiness. But as this could not be done without the existence of sin, He permitted sin as a means to an end. The end which He eternally purposed, was the exhibition of His grace and glory in Christ. Ever since I have been capable of reflecting at all on this deep and involved question, my mind has rested entirely satisfied with the argument, which I here put in the fewest words possible, thus; THE FINAL CAUSE OF ALL THINGS. 35 When God determined to make man a free moral agent, He had to make him with a capacity for sinning. If man could not sin, it would be a contradiction to speak of him as a moral agent. If man had no capacity for sinning, it would be equally a contradiction to say that he could be holy, in the sense that there could be merit in his holiness. He would be a creature of necessity, as materialists say that he is. If God had not made man in His own image, and given him an intelligent free-will, and a moral nature, he could have had no knowledge of the moral perfec- tions of God. What ideas can a materialist, a dog, a monkey, or any other animal governed absolutely by physical law, and without a moral nature, entertain concerning the character of God ? For my part, I can say, that I would not be willing to be cast down from my position as a subject of God's moral government, to occupy the highest position ever created under the material system. I could not vol- untarily relinquish or give back the gift conferred on me — the immortal spirit — the likeness of the Divine nature, qualifying me to know God, to enjoy Him, and to hold communion with Him forever — I would not resiorn this ri^ht, if I could be the glorious sun himself, that is the centre of our system — that ever shines to the glory of God, but yet has no knowledge of God. No creature on this earth has this knowledge ex- cept man. And man has it because he was placed under a moral government, made in the image of God, 36 MOSES AND TlIK PHILOSOPHERS. and cnJowcd with an intelligent free-will, capable of frood or evil, and of choosino;" between them. Now the question is, whether, as the Supreme Ruler, God had the right to ordain a moral system, and the existence of free moral agents, with the impress of His own image upon them, capable of knowinor him, and of livino; in the li^ht of His coun- tenance forever. But, and I say It with reverence. He could not ordain a moral system, and create an order of free moral agents, w^ith a capacity to know and choose good, without at the same time endowintr them with an equal capacity, to know and choose evil. This is implied in the very nature of a moral government, and of moral agency. If man had no power nor capacity to choose evil, or to do evil, he would be no more a free agent than a stock or a stone, and not any more * responsible. The power to obey any law, implies the power to disobey It. If Adam in paradise had possessed no power to disobey the command, there would have been no merit in obedience, and he would not have been a free moral agent. He had just the same power to disobey as to obey. And God gave him that absolute freedom necessary to constitute him a moral agent, leaving to his own will to turn the scale, and decide for himself whether to obey or dis- obey, whether to be holy or unholy. God did not ordain that man should sin. He did not put any constraint on his will, to force him to sin ; for then, there would have been no sin in the case. On the other hand if God had foreordained that man should not sin ; or had placed him in such circum- THE FINAL CAUSE OF ALL THINGS. 37 Stances that he could not have sinned, there would have been no merit in his obedience, and he would not have been a moral agent. So then, the very nature of moral government re- quired that man be endowed with such faculties and powers, and that he be placed in such circumstances as to be equally capable of saying, / will, or, / zuill not obey. / zvill, or, / will not eat of the fruit of the tree. Of course God foreknew what the result would be — foreknew that man would sin, for he is omniscient — and He determined to overrule the sin for his own glory. And no one but a materialist can say, that He has not so overruled it. This is the thought to be developed in the last chapter of this volume. CHAPTER II. Doctrine of the Trinity. An essential doctrine — No Christianity witliout it — Three persons and three wills — Orthodoxy and Unitarianism — The Nicene creed — How Arius fell — Mr. Cook's scientific method — It is rationalism — Nature of Christianity — The P'ather devised — The Son sealed the covenant — Agency of the third person — Direct testimony of Scripture — The Divine persons associated in creation and redemption — The plural name Elohim — The apostolic benediction — The at- tributes of God — The works of God — Worship rendered to Jesus — lie claimed to be Divine — Titles of God — The mystery — Many things mysterious — Nine theses or postulates — Supplementary remarks. THE lamp of reason can throw no light on the doctrine of the Trinity. We know nothing of this high and mysterious theme, except by Revela- tion. But the doctrine is clearly taught in the Word of God. It is one of the essential doctrines of Chris- tianity, There could be no Christian system, and no Christian Revelation, if this doctrine were not true. Before stating the Scriptural argument in tavor of the doctrine, I will notice, brielly, the principal objec- tions which are frequently urged against it. These are, that, it is against right reason, and that it implies a contradiction. Wt; know that the doctrine of the Trinity is above reason, but it is not illogical to say that it is not con- trary to reason. No one can believe the doctrine in the orthodox or Scriptural sense, who denies that (38) DOCTRINE OF THE TRINITY. 39 there are three wills, or three divine persons in the Godhead. Any creed or system of faith that comes short of this, must fall below a Christian faith, and below the standard of Christian orthodoxy. We do not conceive of a person without a ivill. Materialists and pantheists dtny the existence of a personal God. But rationalists generally, with some exceptions admit the personality of God. They be- lieve, however, in only one divine person — God the Father. They do not believe in three divine persons, as they think this would be to make three Gods. Hence, they do not believe that Christ is God, nor that the Holy Ghost is God. The orthodox believe in three divine persons in the Godhead, and )-et they hold to the perfect unity of God. This is the differ- ence between orthodoxy and Unitarianism. There is no doctrine of more importance than the Trinity, since on the proper understanding and recep- tion of it by faith, is suspended the destiny of the soul itself. As before stated, it is purely a doctrine of Revelation, concerning which no philosophical specu- lations can be made, and it has not been revealed in the inner consciousness. Ever since the Nicene creed was declared, it is be- lieved, that the Church of the Lord Jesus, in all its branches, including the Greek, Catholic, Protestant and Episcopal, have held the doctrine of the Trinity as teaching the existence of three divine persons in the Godhead ; the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Arius was the first great heresiarch who denied the doctrine. He philosophized, and theorized when he should not, and to this, doubtless, his fall was to be 40 MOSES AND THE PIIILOSOPIIEIiS. attributed. Oh, this pride and madness of the human intellect ! how many of the most gifted geniuses have been cast down by it ! • There has been no more striking or melancholy in- . stance; of the kind, than that which is now prom- inently before the world. A man who has hardly his peer, and not his superior as a scholar and an orator, attempts to bring down this high and mysterious doc- trine, under the scalpel of his feeble intellect, and to treat and discuss it by what he calls the scientific uielliod. The logical effect of such an attempt must be a departure from Bible truth to rationalism. But Mr. Joseph Cook claims to be an orthodox Trini- tarian. And yet, he is doing more at this hour, than any other one man, on account of his great reputa- tion, to undermine, in the minds of many, the essen- tial principles of Christianity. By following up his scientific method, he makes the Divine Trinity to be simply "■three manifestations^^ or ''three revelations'' of God. He does not think there can be three distinct divine persons, or tJiree wills in the Godhead. He cannot comprehend why it should be so, and it has never bf-en revealed in his inner consciousness. In his popular lectures, he recognizes but one divine per- son in the Godhead, and but one Will, but there are three manifestations, or three outward revelations of God. This is the dictate of natural reason, and this conclusion comes from the scientific method. It is an attempt to be wise above what is written. It is with sincere grief we make this personal allu- sion to one of the greatest livincr o-eniuses. But his lectures are popular, and he is comrr.anding the at- DOCTRINE OF THE TRINITY. 4I tentlon of the world just now, and of course, many will be perverted by his plausible sophisms. To show that Mr. Cook is not an orthodox Trinitarian, as he claims, but a rationalist in the freest sense of the term, take this statement of his views, in his own words, from one of his lectures: " But there are not three persons ; God is one in the strict sense ; for natural law is a unit in the uni- verse, and reveals but one will. Three revelations of God are all one person. Now is that mystic ? Or does that straightforward use of the scientific method give a richer view of human history, a richer view of the human soul, a richer view of external nature than mere deism, or theism, or materialism, or pantheism, however fortified by modern science, can present to you '^ " The above Is sufficient. It is an unmistakable ex- pression of Mr. Cook's belief. It is true he may not be a deist, a materialist, or a pantheist, but he is no more a Trinitarian or" an orthodox Christian, than was Dr. Channing or Theodore Parker. Carrying out his method, Mr. Cook has to ignore the essential doctrines of the evangelical system, as the vicarious atonement of Christ, and justification by faith in the righteousness of Christ. It would be easy to show this by abundant quotations from his lectures. But It would make this chapter too long, and there is no necessity. I proceed now to the Scriptural method of proving the doctrine. In doing this, I shall pre- sent the argument under two greneral heads, as first, the argument drawn from the essential nature of Christianity ; and secondly, the argument as 42 MOSES AND THE PHILOSOPHERS. founded on tlie positive and clear statements of the Bible. I. The first argument, then, in favor of a Trinity of persons in the Godhead, is drawn from the essential nature of Christianity. If the doctrine were not true, there could be no such thing- as Christianity in the world. For what is Christianity ? In a word, it is the system of Jesus Christ. But who or what was Christ ? If Christ had been only a natural man, would there have been any Christianity in tlie world ? We have seen in the preceding chapter, as also in the chapter on "A Mixed Dispensation," that Chris- tianity is that system or scheme of Grace, by which God determined to save, throufdi the sufferint^s and death of Christ, all who should believe in Him. That is somethincr that is far above human reason, though not contrary to it. It was shown that salvation was impossible under the broken law except through an Almighty, Self-existent, Divine Redeemer, and that Jesus, having these qualifications, was competent, and that no other in the universe was competent, to make the atonement for a lost race. This proposition was elaborated at some length, and if the -reader has for- gotten the argument, he should read those chapters again. When God made man, it would seem as if there was a council called to deliberate on the question, how shall man be made? And the answer to the question, "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness," clearly implies that there was a rLURAi.rrv, not of Gods, but of Divine persons, in that council. And when man fell, the same council sat again, may DOCTRINE OF THE TRINITY. 43 we not believe? and when the question was, how shall man be saved? then the voice of one of those Divine persons, because He was able and willing to under- take the mighty task, was heard, saying: "I have found out a ransom" — " I come, in the volume of the Book it is written of me, to do thy will, O God." Jesus Himself said, after He had made His appearance in the flesh : " God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him, should not perish, but have everlasting life." This is Christianity. This Is the sum and substance of the Gospel. To leave out the doctrine of the atone- ment, through the blood of Christ, would be the de- struction of the system. It would be the same as the evisceration of a natural body, and extracting its life. But there could be no atonement through the blood of Christ, if He was only a natural man, as all ration- alists must believe He was. For It would certainly be contrary to reason, to say, that any natural man, could be made a substitute for a whole race of sinful belng-s, consisting' of countless millions of individuals, taklne their law-place, and making a propitiation for them, that would be acceptable to God, and satisfy the de- mands of the \a.w. All rationalists, therefore, who deny the Divinity of Christ, do and must, logically, reject the atonement. They may believe that He was a prophet — a profound teacher — a great moralist — that He died as a martyr, etc., but they do not and they cannot believe that He died as " The Lamb of God to take away the sin of the world," according to the Scriptures; or, as it is .In the Book of Revelation, that He was "The 44 MOSES AND THE PlIILOSOPIIEKS. Lamb of God slain before the foundation of the world." In the scheme of redemption developed in the Scrip- tures, we understand that each of the persons in the Godhead had, or has, a special and official connection with that scheme. God the Father is the author — He devised the system of salvation. Jesus the second person executed the scheme — He sealed the Covenant of redemption with His blood. And the Holy Ghost, the third person in the Trinity, " takes of the things of Christ, and shows them unto us." It is the office of die Spirit to apply " the blood of Sprinkling "to the hearts of all the heirs of salvation, and through sanc- tification and regeneration, to prepare them for glory. Now it is very certain, as before remarked, that there could have been no scheme of mercy — no Christianity if there had not been a plurality of persons in the Godhead. The scheme of redemption is no ordinary work. It is the crowning work of the Al- mighty for w^hich creation stands ; and for which all other works were made, requiring the putting forth of all His infinite perfections, and the Official work and agency of each person in the Trinity, to perfect, and carry on that scheme through all ages. That Building of God is going up. The polished stones are beine" gathered one after another, and set in that Temple of Grace. When it shall be completed, the top-stone is to be " brought forth with shoutings of grace, grace unto it !" II. But the main arofument for the doctrine of the Trinity, is founded on the positive and direct testi- mony of the Scriptures. This argument is cumulative. DOCTRINE OF THE TRINITY. 45 and perfectly satisfactory to all, who are willing- to acknowledge the inspiration of the Bible. For the sake of clearness, we shall present this testimony as arranged under several heads, or in different classes of texts, as, I. The texts which speak of the several persons in the Godhead, and as conjoined and associated, and equally concerned in carrying on the affairs of the uni- verse. Thus, it is said, in i John v, 7, " For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost, and these three are one." Again, when Jesus had laid the foundation of his Mediatorial Kingdom, and when He gave the com- mission to His ministers to go into all the world, and preach the kingdom, He gave the commission in these words : Matt, xxviii. 19: "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, teach- inof them to observe all thinpfs whatsoever I have commanded you ; and lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world." Baptism is the initiatory ordinance, or the ordinance that introduces subjects into the kingdom of Christ. And the command to baptize them in the name, or into the name of the Fa- ther, and the Son, and the Holy Ghost, signifies that they were to belong to a kingdom, ruled and governed equally, and conjointly by these three Divine persons, " the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost." This is what all must understand. The words, otherwise, have no meaning. It would seem almost like blas- phemy to associate the name of any mere natural man, or the name of the Holy Ghost, if as some believe 46 MOSES AND THE IMnr.OSOPHEKS. the Holy Ghost only signifies spirit, or the air — our breath, with the name of the everlasting^ God, in the equal possession, control, and government of His king- dom. To do this would be impious, if not blasphe- mous. More than this. Jesus promised to be with His ministers in the execution of their commissions, to the end of the world, or in all time, which promise He could not have given, if He were only a natural man. Again, in the passage quoted before for another pur- pose, God is represented as saying, Gen. i. 26, "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness." As we cannot suppose that God was here speaking to other Gods, or that He was addressing inferior creatures, when He said, " let us make man^' there is no other conclusion, but that one of the Divine persons in the Godhead, was speaking to the other persons in the God- head. The Hebrew name of God, " ELOHIM,"' being in the plural number, conveys the idea of a plurality of persons in the Godhead, as it would be against the whole tenor of the Scriptures to say that it means a plurality of Gods. There is but one God. This is the doctrine taught throughout the Bible. But Elohim is plural, signifying more than one. Therefore, it must denote a plurality of persons in the Deity. When a benediction is pronounced in the name of God, it is usually in the name of the three divine per- sons : as 2 Cor. xiii. 14: "The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost be with you all. Amen." What does this mean? The words are pronounced with sacred solemnity in all our churches ever)' Sabbath. It is an invocation — a prayer that the grace — the favor DOCTRINE OF THE TRINITY. 47 — the loving compassion, or mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ, shall be with you all. But if He was but a natural man, as He has been dead and in the grave for many centuries, how can His grace, or His loving compassion, be with all of us forever? And what solemn mockery to link His name with that of God, and to pray for His presence, and His grace to be everywhere, and with every one, as if He were omni- present, when He was only a common man! And if the Holy Ghost is not a divine person — nothing but the breath that heaves our luno^s, it would be nothing- short of blasphemy to associate the name with that of God, in religious worship, and to invoke the bless- ing, and the communion or fellowship thereof, to be with us all forever. Yet the rationalistic preacher does this, every time he pronounces . the apostolic benediction. It is not necessary to refer to other texts under this head. 2. In the second place, the attributes which are pe- culiar to God, and which belong to Him alone, are indiscriminately ascribed to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost, as well as to the Father; as omnipotence, om- niscience, etc. Thus, one of the apostles ascribes omniscience to Jesus directly, saying, "Thou knowest all things," which is a prerogative of God alone. An- other ascribed the same attribute to Him, saying, that He needed not that any should testify of man, for He knew what was in man. The same attribute is re- peatedly ascribed to the Holy Spirit, as when Christ said: "But the Comforter, which Is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, He shall teach you all things." Of course, this Implies all 48 MOSES AND THE PHILOSOPHERS, knowledge. But we notice also in this passage, the interest that each of the divine persons has in the scheme of salvation. The leather sends the Com- forter — the Comforter is sent in the name of the Son — and when sent, He teaches all, believers all things. Omnipresence is also affirmed of the Spirit, as when it is said, " He shall abide with you forever," and "He dwelleth in you." Believers are scattered the world over — and He dwells in all, and abides with all, and forever. The Spirit is also called *' the Eternal Spirit." This attribute of eternity, which belongs to God alone, proves that the Spirit is God. 3. There is another class of texts which ascribe the work of creation, and other works of God, to the Son, and also to the Spirit, showing that they are God, or that they have a oneness with God the Father. The work of Creation is peculiar to God. " In the Begin- ning," Moses tells us, "God created the heavens and the earth." But John tells us that all things were made, or created by the Word — which Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us. The Holy Spirit also must have had something to do with that general work of creation. For in the account of creation written by Moses, it is said : " The earth was without form and void, and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters." The psalmist says, in his psalms, " By His Spirit, the Lord hath garnished the heavens." The Holy Spirit is the author of life — natural life, and Spiritual life. It was the Spirit that quickened the body of Christ, by which He was raised from the dead, and thus declared to be the Son of God. All DOCTRINE OF THE TRINITY. 49 who are dead In trespasses and sins, and are made alive to God, are said to be quickened by the Spirit. All life Is from God. " The Father hath life in himself," so Jesus said ; and also hath given to the Son to have life in himself. By His own voice and power, He raised Lazarus from the dead. He said to some of His disci- ples, ' I am the resurrection and the life." To the un- believing Jews, He said, " the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God, and they that hear shall live ; " and also, " the hour is coming in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, and shall come forth, they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life, and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation." No one can receive these sayings of the Son of God, and consistently deny His Godhead. 4. The class of texts which authorize and require divine worship to be rendered to Jesus, clearly estab- lish His divinity. There is no being entided to wor- ship, according to the Scriptures, except God, and all other worship is declared to be idolatry. Rationalists who believe that Jesus was only a human being, and not divine, cannot, and do not worship Him as God, They could not, without stultifying themselves, or denying In practice what they profess in words. But we have not only the recorded fact that the disci- ples, on repeated occasions, offered divine homage to Christ, but this worship Is positively enjoined on angels as well as men. For it Is written, " when He bringeth the First begotten into the world, He says, let all the angels of God worship him." 5. Christ claimed to be divine — to be the Son of God — and equal to the Father. The texts of this 50 MOSES AND TIIK IMIILOSOPIFZRS. nature are clear and empliatic. and it is impossible to conceive how a rationalist can dispose of them. He said, " I and my Father are One." And when Philip asked Him. saying-, "show us the Father," He said, "have I been so long time with \ou, and yet hast thou not seen me, Philip? Delievest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me ? " The greatest of the aposdes .said of Jesus, that being four.d in the like- ness of God, and being the express image of His per- son, " He thought it not robbery to be equal with God." On one occasion, it is recorded that the Jews accused Christ of blasphemy, because, as they said, that he being a man, made himself to be God. If Christ had been only a man, and an honest and true man, he would have repelled the charge as false, for it would have been blasphemy, if he were not God. But instead of denying the charge he vindicates His claim to be equal with God, by appealing direcdy to His works, saying : "If I do not the works of my Father, believe me not; but if I do, though ye believe me not, yet believe the works, that )e may know that I am in the Father, and the Father in me." Now, if, when Jesus made this vindication of His claims, He all the time knew that He had not come from God — that He had never seen God — and that He was but a natural man, then certainly He was a deceiver, and an impostor, and He was guilty of blas- phemy, as the Jews said. This is the position of every man, and every rationalistic preacher who denies the proper divinity of Christ. 6. There is a class of texts in which the names and the tides of God are applied to the Son. and to the DOCTRINE OF THE TRINITY. 5 1 Holy spirit, which could not be the case, except on the supposition, that they are one with the Father. These texts are quite numerous ; such as "The Word was with God, and the Word was God." His name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, the Mighty God, the everlasting Father " — that is, the Father of eternity. It is Jesus who is repeatedly styled " the KiniT of kinofs and the Lord of lords." And if He is not to be worshipped, who is } I have not enumerated or referred to a tithe of the texts which, directly or indirectly, show the truth of the doctrine under discussion. But there is no neces- sity for enumerating additional texts. He who can ignore or explain away the passages already given, could do the same with every text in the word of God. And what would be the use of trying to convince such a person ? As I have before said, there are some things which are above reason, though not contrary to it. The man is a fool who determines to believe nothing, ex- cept what he can comprehend. F^or what is there that any man can fully comprehend ? Can a man comprehend the mode of his own existence ? The greatest scientist living, can tell nothing about it. What presumption then even to think of trying to comprehend the mode of God's existence ? Can a man tell how the blood circulates in his veins ? The fact w^s not even known to the wisest of the doctors for thousands of years. And when Mr. Harvey discov- ered only a few years ago, that the blood does circulate in the veins of the system, it is said, that none of the old doctors who were cotemporary with him, would believe it. 52 MOSES AND THE PHILOSOPHERS. We can believe the doctrine of tlie Trinity, only on the authority of Revelation, And if we reject it, we reject all the essential doctrines of Christianity, as the doctrine of original sin, the doctrine of the atonement, and the doctrine of regeneration. I have not discussed, nor shall I undertake to dis- cuss the manner or mode of the Divine existence. Such an attempt would be a sin of presumption — one of the boldest which could be committed. I will now state several postulates, and then conclude this chap- ter with some supplementary remarks on a matter which I do not remember to have seen discussed in the writinfrs of theolocrians. The postulates are : 1. There are three distinct persons in the Godhead ; the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, 2. In essence, or nature, these three persons are one and identical. 3. The mode or the manner of the union of these Divine persons in the Godhead, is a mystery, and must ever remain so. It lies beyond the limit of human capacity, 4. These three Divine persons existed from eternity as one God — a Trinity in Unity — a Triune God. 5. When Jesus was born in Bethlehem, He began to exist as the God-man — two natures united in one person, but not two persons in one nature. 6. There is a sense in which we must believe that the Son was eternally begotten ; but this does not imply any beginning of the relationship between them, inasmuch as eternity has no beginning. 7. There is no confusion or mixture of the human DOCTRINE OF THE TRINITY. 53 and Divine natures of Christ. He assumed humanity, that He might redeem humanity. It was humanity that had sinned — had fallen, and humanity had to die. 8. The Divinity of Christ gives efficacy and value to the atonement made in His human nature, because of the close and intimate union between them. That union is permanent and inseparable, since the moment when it was constituted. 9. Jesus, in His exaltation at the right hand of God above, has taken glorified humanity with Him ; and that glorified humanity, in the person of our Saviour, now occupies, and will forever occupy, the throne of the universe; wherefore, human nature has been exalted above every other nature. SUPPLEMENTARY REMARKS. We have read in the writings of theologians, and we have heard the same thins: in sermons, ajjain and again, that the blessedness of God from eternity, when nothing existed but God, consisted in the solitary con- templation of His own perfections. But we could never understand it. The thought is utterly repug- nant to all our ideas of blessedness. Human nature is a social nature. We were made for companion- ship, and we cannot conceive the idea of perfect blessedness in a state of absolute solitude. But man was made in the imaore of God. This is the record made in the very beginning — " So God created man in His own imaee, in the imaofe of God created He him ; male and female created He them." These words form one and the same sentence or period. And what we learn from them is, that the 54 MOSES AND THE PHILOSOPHERS. Divine nature is a social nature, requiring companion- ship ; and therefore, to make man in His own image, it was necessary to make him a social bein: ; and in the midst of the week. He shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and lor the over-spreading of abominations He shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate." Wonderful revelations ! in which the propliet, four hundred years before the time, not only shows when He was to come, but why He was to come — "to finish the transgression" — " to make an end of sin" — "to make reconciliation for inicjuity" — "to bring in ever- lasting righteousness." No uninsj)ired poet or sage could have written these words, l^ut wliat is this we have in Malachi, the last of the prophets ? " The; Lord whom ye seek shall suddenly come to His 'Pcmplc, even the Messenger of the covenant, whom )'e delight in ; behold, He shall come, saith the Lord of hosts." DOCTRINE OF THE INCARNATION. 73 Thus it was that by a long series of these heavenly oracles, the way was prepared for the manifestation of the Son of God ; and the world, and especially the Jewish people were not taken by surprise, when the Messiah came, as if it were an unlooked-for event. There was a general expectation, not only among the people of Israel, but in some of the neighboring nations the minds of men had become imbued with the idea, that some unusual event was soon to happen ; that some wonderful person was about to be born, who was to introduce great changes, and perhaps, initiate that golden age which poets and sages had loner foretold. There is no doubt this general expectation had grown out of the promises and prophecies, a few of which have been enumerated, contained in the sacred books of the Jews. They had constant intercourse with the surrounding nations. There were thousands dwelling in almost every countr)-, and they had spread abroad the knowledge of the faith, and hopes, and brilliant expectations, in which they had grown up from childhood ; and this knowledge had grown till all the nations had caught the enthusiastic feeling, and shared in the general expectation. In imperial Rome itself, at the period of which we speak, there was a general looking for, of this "desire of nations." When Octavius was born, heir to the throne of the Caesars, Virgil, the poet laureate of Rome, alluding to the event in one of his most beau- tiful odes, could not refrain from an apostrophe to the child, in which he expresses the hope that he was the 74 MOSES AND THE PlllLOSOFHEKS. promised heir of the world, under whose reign all were to be blessed. In the Hast, in Chaldea, and Persia, whither the ten tribes had been taken captives eight or ten centuries before, they had carried with them their traditions of the promised deliverer, and by this means the whole East had been pervaded with the same great idea, that some extraordinary personage was about to be born into the world. Hence, we read of the journey of the wise men of the Fiast to Bethlehem, to see and worship Him who was born King of the Jews. They were the Magi — the learned men of the East, who devoted the most of their time to the study of as- tronomy. Having discovered a new star, they were led to the conclusion, doubtless by a divine impulse, that this star betokened the birth of Him who had become " the Desire of nations." Following the light of that star, they were brought to Jerusalem, and then to Bethlehem, the city of David, where they foimd the infant Jesus. " Immediately they fell down and worshipped him ; and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and m)Trh." These wise men of the East, under a Divine impulse, w^ere the first to pay reliLjious adoration to the infant Saviour. There are those w^ho believe it j>robable that Zoroaster, who flourished in Persia about this age, may have been one of those w ise men who made that memorable pil- grimage to Jerusalem, to do honor to the new-born Saviour of the world. This is the record concerninq: their visit: DOCTRINE OF THE INCARNATION. 75 " Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, in the days of Herod the king-, behold, there came wise men from the East to Jerusalem saying: Where is He that is born King of the Jews ? For we have seen His star in the East, and are come to worship Him. When Herod heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him." Now, when, in the simple light of history, we look at this array of facts, and this long record of prophecy, extending through a period of four thousand years in a direct line, and pointing, as with unerring finger, to one and the same remarkable personage that was to be born — and moreover, when we find the whole world in a state of excitement and of general expect- ancy, waiting and looking for some uncommon person to make his appearance in the world — and when we notice that these predictions or promises are preter- human or preternatural in their character, being such as we could not expect to find in any writings of human origin — and notice, also, the remarkable ac- curacy with which all, at last, were fulfilled, as to time, place, and circumstances, here is a moral phenomenon which has no parallel in the history of the w^orld, and which is not to be accounted for, except on the truth of prophecy, and the superhuman character of Him who was predicted. Let our modern sceptic look at the facts. There are the prophetic oracles scattered through the Old Bible. That Bible was translated into Greek by the Seventy, three hundred years be- fore the birth of Christ, and copies, in Hebrew and Greek, scattered through the world before the con- summation. That fact is, in itself, as great a miracle as any reasonable man ought to require. 76 MOSES AND THE PHILOSOPHERS. \Vc have said that the Incarnation of the Son of God is the event, or was the event which divided the history of the world into two portions ; the hnes of one portion runninj;- forward, and the lines of the latter half extendinof backward to that orreat event, as if it were the axis on which the wliole moral world was destined to turn. This is certainly true, as we have seen, in reference to the ages that preceded the event. Now let us inquire as to the centuries that have elapsed since that event — the Incarnation. It is not to be denied that the coming- of Christ in the tlesh was the event that has changed the world — revolutionized nations — put a new aspect on the face of things — changcil laws and customs — introduced new modes of thinking and philosophizing, and now, even lorms the warp and woof of the histor)-, and the very literature of the civilized world. These facts are undeniable. No one can even write a letter on business, without putting down the figures that indicate the very date of the birth of Jesus, The Christian era is the world's grand epoch. When we write a. i>. 18S1, in our bonds, or notes, or letters, we mean thereby to indicate that just one thousand eight hundr(."d and eighty-one years ago, the Son of God was bcrn into the world. Even infidels make this confession. They cannot help themselves. They may not believe much in Jesus. They may even regard him as an impostor, or a pretender. Yet they cannot indict a letter to a friend with a date affixed to it, without saying, that, just so many years ago, the Incarnation of the Son of God took place. At a very' early period, that date was adopted as the world's greatest epoch. DOCTRINE OF THE INCARNATION. yj. The Roman Empire itself, in a distant province of which Jesus was born, at an early day became revol- utionized by His doctrine, and adopted the Christian era as their period. The Imperial city, the centre of an empire numbering sixty millions of people, had, within a very limited period, displaced its thirty thousand false gods, and substituted the simple wor- ship of Jesus. An order of the emperor, a. d. 325, convened a council, consisting of the most learned bishops and presbyters in all the provinces of the empire, to settle the question of the Divinity of Jesus, against a certain heretic whose name was Arius, who had ques- tioned His Divinity. But Arius was condemned ; and that orrand council of the civilized Roman world, passed a decree, that Jesus is God — one with the Father, and equal to the Father. That decree did not make Jesus a god, in the manner that deities were often created by councils and decrees, since He had been worshipped by all His followers from the begin- ning. But that learned council met together, to pro- nounce against the heresy of Arius, and to confirm all true believers in the true Christian faith — the sys- tem of doctrine which they had believed from the day of the Lord's resurrection. That decree has never been reversed. In the civilized and Christian world, He has been revered and worshipped as God ever since that decree of the Council of Nice. If Jesus had been only a mortal man, on what principle, or by what theory could our sceptical philosophers explain the concatenation of these remarkable facts ? For they only supplement y8 MOSES ANi") Tur: imih.osopheks. the array of remarkable predictions which preceded His advent. What now reads as history is only ful- filled prophecy. Tliere has hardl\- been any history made or written since the advent of Jesus into the world, that has not His name and His doctrine more or less mixed up with it. Tacitus and several other Roman historians, almost cotemporary with Jesus, began to make men- tion of His name in their boc^ks. Josephus, the Jew- ish historian, who lived a few years after, could not complete his great history without having something to say about |esus. And then, since his day, there are no writers of any note, whose works have come down to us, who have not had a great deal to say about Jesus, and the progress of his cause. There has been no historian, or other writer of any merit now for long centuries past, who seemed able to find any other theme for his pen, but the religion of Him who has turned the world upside down. The literature, no less than the history of nations, is pervaded throughout with the influence that circles about the name of Jesus. We can hardly take up a A'olume of poetry, or fiction, or other literary production, that is not full ol the name of Jesus. Indeed, we scarcely know how^ an author would go about writing a book that he would e.xpect to have read, who should leave out Jesus. Even many of those who have Avritten against Christianity, have gained the most of their celebrity as authors, by what they have written on the great theme, even though they wrote in opposition. There is a class of minds, who are doubters and scep- tics — they dwell in doubting-castle. And no matter DOCTRINE OF THE INCARNATION. 79 what the cause be, they must know what can be said on the other side. What would the world know about such an author as Strauss, or M. Renan, if they had not, each, written the life of Jesus ? These works have pro- cured for them, the ephemeral reputation which they have achieved as writers. They have left nothing else to survive their own day. A writer who wants to gain reputation, or pelf, cannot afford to ignore the great fact of the incarnation of Jesus in the first year of the present era. For this is the great fact of the world, that forms, as before remarked, the warp and woof of its history. I shall devote the remainder of this chapter to the consideration of the following postulates : I. The system of moral government must have proved a failure, without the incarnation. II. There could have been no salvation without the incarnation of Jesus. III. It will bring more glory to God, than would have been possible without it. IV. It will bring more happiness and joy to the in- telligent universe of God, than would have been pos- sible without it. V. It is no objection to the doctrine of the incarna- tion, that a finite creature cannot fully comprehend it. This whole subject, as was before distinctly in- timated, is purely a matter of Revelation, and does not come under the head of natural science. But the fact, that it belongs properly to Revelation, is no reason why, as a study, it is to be ignored or neg- lected. Reason assures us that there must be a line of demarcation between thing^s knowable and thing-s 80 MOSES AND Tlllf: PlIILOSOPIIERS. unknowable; and that the things which lie beyond reason, must bcloncr to Revelation, and remain forever unknown, if not revealed. In eloquent words, the author of "Beulah" wrote: "Put the Bible out of sieht, and how much will human intellect discover con- cerning our origin — our ultimate destiny? In the morning of time, sages handled these vital questions, and died not one step nearer the truth than when they began. Now, our philosophers struggle honestly and earnestly to make plain the same inscrutable mysteries. Yes, blot out the records of Moses, and we should grope in starless night — for notwithstanding the many priceless blessings it has discovered for man, the torch of science will never pierce and illumine the recesses over which the Almighty God has hung His veil. Here we see indeed, as in a glass darkly. Yet we believe the day is already dawning, when scientific data will not only cease to be antagonistic to scriptural accounts, but w^ill deepen the impress of divinity on the pages of Holy Writ ; when the torch shall be taken out of the infidel's hand, and set to burn in the temple of the living God ; when science and religion shall link hands." The tilings which most concern the happiness of man in this world, as we know, are those which he cannot find out by his unaided reason. Blessed is he who can submit his reason and his will to be taught by Him who is the Maker of all. I. Our first postulate is, that without the Incarnation of Jesus, the moral system must have been a lailure. Christ became incarnate in order to uphold, and to perfect the system. He said that He came to " ful- DOCTRINE OF THE INCARNATION 8 1 fill the law." He said that He came to seek and to save that which was lost, which he could do only by taking their law-place, and suffering its penalty in their room. Paul said that he mao-nified the law and made it honorable. This explains the object and the purpose of His mission into the world. It was to sus- tain and uphold the moral government. When man fell, he came under the curse of death, and we have seen that there was no finite beincr, who could satisfy the demands of the law for him, and that if the law had been permitted to take its natural course, he had been hopelessly and forever lost. Therefore, Jesus, the Second person in the Trinity, was manifested in the fiesh — was made under the law that he might redeem them that were under the law. Man had sinned — and man had to die. If an angel, or some other being had died for man, it would have been no atonement. Therefore, Jesus became a man to the end that he miorht suffer for man. As a man He fulfilled all the righteousness of the law; and as a man He suffered the just penalty of the broken law. It was in this way that "He magnified the law and made it honorable." Some weak minds have imagined that it was the Godhead which died in the person of Christ ; and that the suffering which he endured, touched His Di- vinity. The least that we can say of such an asser- tion is, that it is preposterous, not to say impious. God cannot die. Nor could God, as God, obey a law, or a rule of conduct that was made for man. There- fore, that He might do all this for man, He had to take on Him the nature of man. 6 82 MOSES ANP THF. PIIILOSOIMIERS. Others, ac^ain, in (l('riaiic(% equally, of reason and Scripture, have computed the amount of penal suf- ferings, which one sinner had incurred, and have mul- tiplied that amount h)- the number of sinners saved, and they have concluded that Jesus must have en- dured a penalty equal to the whole aggregate amount of suffering, thus multiijlied by the millions who were to be saved by Him. As it is certain that one single human being could not endure the pain and agony of millions of deaths compressed into one, they must believe, that if He suffered so much, the suffering" must have reached His Divine nature — that it was God who died, not man. If there had been only one sinner, instead of a whole race to be saved, Jesus must have made just the atonement which He made for the entire race, or that one sinner could not have been saved. He could not have saved himself. No created being could have saved him. The same satisfaction that would avail for one sinner, would avail for any number of the same race, because the intrinsic value or merit of the atonement comes from the union of the two natures, the human and the Divine in the person of Christ, whereby the Divine could do the work of humanity, or suffer the pains of death, thus, as it were, becoming finite ; and also the finite becomes infinite ; and the sufferings of Christ are as efficacious as if they were the sufferings of a God, because He is both God and man. II. The second postulate affirms that there could have been no salvation — no scheme of mercy without the Incarnation. This is but a legitimate conclusion DOCTRINE OF THE INCAKNA IION. 83 from the forecjoino-. The scheme of frrace, as re- vealeti in the Gospel, is only the supplement of the scheme of moral government. It is the indefinite extension or carrying out of that government. When the subjects of that government, by transgression be- come involved in death, if the penalty is executed against them, they die ; and that would be, virtually, the end of moral government, as, without subjects, there could be no government. Therefore, to per- petuate the moral dispensation, some way had to be devised to maintain the law, and to meet its sanctions, as Jesus has done, whereby the law is upheld in its integrity ; and more than that, as the apostle says, it "has been magnified and made honorable." As this proposition is simply a deduction from the preceding one, it is sustained by a similar course of reasoning, and I proceed to the third proposition, viz. : III. That the Incarnation will bring more glory to God, than would have been possible without it. This can be made intelligible to any cultivated and devout mind. In Chapter IV., Part Second, it was shown that a physical system is possible, without any moral system, and that, as geologists believe was the case, there might have been a material world in existence for vast oreoloofical acres, before the aee of man, when there was no life, only in the horrible monsters of the deep, which never could know anything of God, and which He made and governed by His attribute of Omnipo- tence — by physical force alone. This physical system might have been perpetuated 84 MOSES AND THE rillLOSOPHEKS. indefinitely and forever, as well as for a few vast geo- looical periods. But where would have been the glory to God, when there was no man nor other intel- ligent being, who could discover the wisdom, the power, or the goodness of God in His works, or render praises to His name? If God was holy in His nature; if just; if a God of love, it was essential to His glory to have an intel- ligent universe, to whom he could display these per- fections. It was to this end that He brought the present universe into existence — "Thou hast made all things for thyself; and for thy pleasure they are and were created." Could the Lord have constituted the universe as it is, for any other, or for any better end, than His own pleasure? We are not of those who believe that the universe gTowcd into existence, or that it sprung up of chance. Plain]\', it is the result of intellio-ence. It was made for an end, and it was made according to a plan. It was ordained for the glory of God. We have seen how the moral system was brought in for the manifestation of the moral perfections of God — His holiness, justice, and mercy, which could not have been displayed under a dispensation, exclu- sively physical. We have seen how the dispensation of reward and punishment — of good and evil — life and death, was introduced in order to place free moral agents on the merit of their own freeVolitions and moral conduct. It was only in this way that the divine princi- ples of holiness, justice, and mercy could be displayed. The crowning excellence in the Divine character, if we may give a preference to one attribute over DOCTRINE OF THE INCARNATION. 85 another, is mercy. We have seen how God mani- fested His mercy — His grace — His love — for they are all the same — in giving His Son to die for the guilty race of Adam, even when they were lost beyond the hope of redemption — so lost that no finite being could bring deliverance, or even devise a way of escape. This is the exhibition he has oriven us of His char- o acter. "GOD IS LOVE!" This is written in the sacred pages. But if we turn our eyes towards the Cross, we read it there in such letters as were never written on parchment or in a book. O there is not a holy intelliorence in all the bricrht worlds above, nor an un- holy, fallen Spirit in tb-e regions of the lost, who can read the inscription written in letters of crimson on the cross, and not know that God is love ! Not one can go down to those dark regions, passing by, in the very sight of the cross, and trampling on redeeming blood, without a burning conviction, not only that God was just and holy, but that God was love ! And this will constitute the severest part of their hell, to know what love they had slighted ! IV. The fourth proposition affirms that the Incarna- tion will bring more happiness and joy to the intelli- gent universe, than would have been possible without it. Knowledge is the food of the mind,, even as we say that bread is the aliment of the body. But the knowledge of God is the highest kind of knowledge, and it is absolutely essential to the happiness of intel- ligent beings, created originally in the likeness of God. There may be degrees in bliss, just as there are 86 MOSES AND THE PHILOSOPHERS. {gradations In the scale of knowledge. And the rising or tlie sinkinerson.d ambition — iMilike all others — Would not be a king — Without covetousness — Never known lo take fee or reward — His voluntary poverty — Few followers — His humility — Example, blessing the little children — Meek- ness of Jesus — Never retaliated a wrong — Never showed anger — Proofs of His meekness — His piety as seen in His life of prayer — His physical manhood — No inspired account — Letter of Publius Lentulus — No reason to doubt its authenticity — The conclusion — Pilate's question — The question for every human being — Multiplying copies of the Record. JESUwS was God, and Jesus was man — true God, and true man — now, henceforth, and forever, the God-man — havini^ the two natures united in His person. As God He had no orii^in — no beginning. He existed from eternity. His "goings forth were from ot old, from everlasting." The prophet calls Him the "Everlasting Fatlu;r," or, as we may read it, "/he Father of Eternity y But as a man, His existence had a beginning. He became a man when He was made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law. He was made "in the likeness of flesh," but without sin, and became human when He was con- (92) THE HUMAN CHARACTER OF JESUS. 93 ceived in the womb of the virgin by the Holy Ghost. It was thus that the union of the two natures was constituted. I purpose, in this chapter, to dwell on the humanity of Jesus — to give a bare outline of His human char- acter, as He walked this earth, and as He appeared among men. I am aware that this attempt will be a failure, and that I shall come far short of giving a true description. I am not vain enough to think myself competent to such an undertaking. And I expect that readers will say, this is the most defective chap- ter in the whole work. How shall I attempt a por- traiture of one who was absolutely faultless ? How would any writer, all imperfect himself, and who never saw a human being that was without sin, go about to describe a sinless character? Where would he find his ideal ? From what source would he obtain his ideas in order to sketch such a character? All that I shall aim to do, will be to present some of the general features, or outlines in that perfect character, as I find them drawn by the pen of in- spiration. My work would be defective in a very important particular, if I should altogether omit such a general outline of the human character of Jesus. The fact that one such character has appeared in the world, is as great a wonder as any miracle that was ever wrought, since time began. It is sufficient, in itself, to stop the mouth of every infidel. Before giving the principal traits in that character, It may be proper briefly to advert to some of the cir- cumstances that accompanied His birth into the world. He was to be born of a virgin. The prophet said: 94 MOSES AND THE PHILOSOPHERS. " BehoUl, a virL^in sliall conceive, and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanucl." or course, the infidel rejects this prophecy. But there it is, written some seven hundred years before the event. Was it accomplished in the birth of Christ ? The world never witnessed another birth like it. Let us read the record in the New Testament. "The angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, to a virn^in espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David ; and the virgin's name was Mary. And the angel came unto her, and said: Hail, thou that art highly favored ; the Lord is with thee, blessed art thou among women. And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be. And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary; for thou hast found favor with God. And behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a Son, and shalt call His name Jesus. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest, and die Lord God shall give unto Him the throne of His father David; and He shall reign over the house of Jacob forever; and of His kingdom there shall be no end." This was no ordinary event that was announced by the angel. When the fulfilment of all prophecy was to be consummated, it was fitting that Gabriel should be commissioned as the angel from heaven to break the tidings to Mary. There is this farther account in connection with the birth of Jesus: "When as His mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost. Then Joseph, being a THE HUMAN CHARACTER OF JESUS. 95 just man, and not willing to make her a public ex- ample, was minded to put her away privily." Joseph was a natural man, and, therefore, could have had no idea of an immaculate conception. In the cir- cumstances he acted as any other man would have clone. Yet afterward, Joseph took unto hini his es- poused wife Mary. Of course, all suspicion as to her infidelity to him, had been removed Irom his mind. The evidence that had convinced him was of such a nature as to leave no doubt. While he was meditating on the scheme of putting her away, an angel appeared to him, saying, "Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife ; for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call His name Jesus; for He shall save His people from their sins." And the narrative adds: "Then Joseph being raised from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife; and knew her not till she had brought forth her first born Son, and he called His name Jesus." Joseph was perfectly satisfied. And we may cer- tainly conclude that no evidence short of a demon- stration, as the miraculous interposition was, would have convinced him or any other man in the same or similar circumstances. For there never was a hum.an birth like it. And no rationalist believes such a birth to be possible. This was the argument of Strauss, a great German infidel, against the Divine origin of Jesus. He wrote, in his "Life of Christ:" 96 MOSES AND TFIE Pini.rSOPHF.RS. "However obscure the physiology of the fact, it Is proved by an exceptionless experience that only by the concurrence of the two sexes, is a new human being generated." And this opinion is adopted by all who believe that Jesus was only a natural man. They have to say that foseph or some other man was his natural father. And taking this position they have to say further, that lose])h, and Mary, and Jesus Himself entered into a conspiracy to palm off on the world, the most stupendous and the most successful fraud ever known, even exceeding that of the false prophet, Mahomet, six centuries later. But Jesus claimed to have a Di- vine origin. He always asserted that He came down from heaven, and that God was His Father. And He certainly was sincere in this claim. But if He had only a human origin, and was born like every other man. He must have known it. And Joseph and Mary must have known it. Who can believe that they entered into such a conspiracy to deceive the world? I will quote here the word of Jesus : "Whosoever shall fall on this stone, shall be broken, but on whomsoever it shall hW, it shall grind him to powder." But if, now, we take but the most cursory glance at the earthly life of Jesus, and His doctrine, while He went about amongst men as a Teacher, they will fur- nish the best vindication against the charge of impos- ture. And let us look first at the surpassing wisdom, beauty, and sublimity of His Doctrine. It is admitted by both friends and foes, that no THE HUMAN CHARACTER OF JESUS. 9/ greater or wiser Teacher of morals and religion has ever appeared among men. He was an infallible Teacher, because He never made any mistakes. No one — not even any enemy has ever been able to point out a sintrle error in His teachincrs. He was abso- lutely perfect in wisdom. And yet it Is not known that He ever attended any Institution of human learning, a single day In His life. Even those who rejected Him in His lifetime, had to confess His wisdom like many in the present day, who, while they deny the divinity of Jesus, have to admit the extraor- dinary wisdom and purity of all the sayings and doc- trines ascribed to Him. There is great Inconsistency In this. For, if, as they say, Jesus was only a man and an impostor, who had never had the adv^antages of education, but was brought up as a carpenter, how^ do they account for the fact that He was the subllmest Teacher of morals, who ever appeared on earth ? It Is testified that when Jesus taught in the Syna- gogue, In His own native village, they were astonished, and said, " whence hath this man this wisdom, and these mighty works? Is not this the carpenter's son ? Is not His mother called Mary ? and His brethren James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas? and His sisters, are they not all with us? Whence then, hath this man all these things? And they were offended In Him." " They were offended in Him ! " Strange record I And yet how exactly in accord with the conduct of every succeeding generation of men ! They are of- fended in Jesus, while they admit the sinless purity of His life, and concede that no man ever spake as He 7 98 MOSES AND THE PHILOSOPHERS. did. It may be appropriate here to quote a few verses from tliat sermon of sermons, the Sermon on the Mount, as a specimen of the general tenor u( His teachings : "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. Blessed are the peace-makers, for they shall be called the children of God. Blessed are they which are persecuted for right- eousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and say all manner of evil against you falsely for my sake. Rejoice and be exceeding glad, for great is your reward in heaven ; for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you." Take another brief quotation from the same sermon : "Think not that I am come to destroy the law or the prophets; I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill. For verily I say unto you, till heaven and earth shall pass, one jot or one tittle, shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. Whosoever, therefore, shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven; but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. F'or 1 say unto you that except your righteousness THE HUMAN CHARACTER OF JESUS. 99 shall exceed the rlofhteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven." It might enhance, still more, the value of these pages, to quote the whole of that immortal discourse on the Mount. For every word and every sentence in it, as Solomon says of words fitly spoken, would be like " apples of gold in pictures of silver." Daniel Webster once said, concerning the Sermon on the Mount, that, if all other evidence were wanting, this alone proves that Jesus was more than a man — that He was divine, as it could not have been the pro- duction of any ordinary mortal. But we have some in our day affirming that the Sermon on the Mount, if ever preached at all, was the production of a natural man — a man without educa- tion — an impostor, and a pretender at the best. Let us look at another specimen of the instructions that were w^ont to fall from the lips of Jesus. It is taken from His conversation with the woman of Samaria. Jesus said unto her: "Woman, believe me, the hour cometh when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father. Ye worship ye know^ not w'hat ; we know what we worship ; for salvation is of the Jews. But the hour cometh, and now is, w^hen the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth ; for the Father seeketh such to worship Him. God is a Spirit, and they that worship Him, must worship in spirit and in truth." No pagan nation in the world ever entertained such high and correct notions concerning God and the na- 100 MOSES AND THE nilLOSOPHERS. turc of religious worsliip, as arc inculcated in these brief sentences. M. Renan, who attempted to write a life of Jesus, comments on the above passage as follows : "On the day when He (Jesus) pronounced these words, He was indeed the Son of God, He, for the first time, gave utterance to the idea upon which sliall rest the edifice of the everlasting religion. He founded the pure worship, of no age, of no clime, which shall be that of lofty souls to the end of time. Not only was His religion that day the benign re- ligion of humanity, but it was the absolute religion ; and if other planets have inhabitants endowed with reason and morality, their religion cannot be different from that which Jesus proclaimed at Jacob's well." It is wonderful that one who had no faith in the di- vinity of Jesus, could have given utterance to the above eloquent tribute. We believe, with Renan, that the inhabitants of other planets, endowed with reason and morality, will worship God in the manner proclaimed by Jesus — that there will be one religion for the en- tire universe. Whatever the occasion was which drew forth the remarks of the Saviour, whatever the cir- cumstances that surrounded Him at the time, or what- ever class of persons He happened to address. He always made use of the w.ords most fitting the occa- sion, the time, the circumstances, and the people to whom He spoke. He never made a mistake. When His enemies crowded about Him, as fre- quently they did, to catch something out of His mouth, and when they put hard qu(^stions to entangle Him, and make Him commit Himself so that they might accuse Him, He always answered wisely and THE HUMAN CHARACTER OF JESUS. lOl discreetly, so that they were astonished at His answers. They could not entangle . Him. They could find nothing in His words whereof to accuse Him. For example, when they asked the question, "Master, is it lawful to render tribute unto Caesar or not? He immediately asked them to show Him a penny ; and looking at it. He asked whose image and superscription is this ? " And when they said, Caesar's; He responded: "Render therefore, unto Csesar, the things that are Caesar's, and unto God the things that are God's." There is no philosopher, living or dead, who could have exceeded the wisdom and fitness of that answer. If He had said that it was right, or lawful, to give tribute unto Caesar, He would have rendered Himself odious and unpopular among the people, as they were Impatient of the Roman yoke. But if He had answered that it was not lawful to eive tribute, they would have accused Him to the Roman authorities as a dangerous and seditious person, and would have procured His arrest — so that no matter which way He had answered the question. He would have got into trouble. Many a wise man would, perhaps, have said, that he could not answer ; or, would have evaded a direct reply. But not so with Jesus. He answered promptly, and gave the only appropriate answer which the ques- tion admitted. And all the people were astonished. And such scenes as this were enacted over and over again, almost daily. Jesus never taught sedition. On another occasion we read that certain Scribes and Pharisees came to Him, which were of the Jews, saying: 102 MOSES AND TFIE PHILOSOPHERS. "Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? for they wash not their hands, when they eat bread. Hut He answercxl and said unto them, wh)- do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition? For God commanded, saying-, honor thy father and mother; and he diat curseth father or mother, let him die the death. But ) e say, whosoever shall say unto his father or his mother, it is a gift by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me, and honor not his father or his mother, he shall be free. Thus have ye made die commandment of God of none effect, by your tradition." It would be impossible to conceive how a more just and timely rebuke, or in more Ikting- terms, could have been administered against their hypocrisy. They could trample under foot the positive ordinances of God, while they pretended to be very zealous for the traditions of the elders. Jesus shows their inconsist- enc)\ while He rebukes them for their sin ; and yet He did it so that they could not possibly take offence at His reproof. And, so on every occasion Jesus showed Himself equal to the emergency, always uttering the most ap- propriate words at the proper time, and the most suit- able for the occasion and the hearers. No such char- acter ever app( ared on earth before Him, and none such will ever be seen on earth again. At a very precocious age, even in early childhood, Jesus manifested the same wonderful intelligence. At the age of twelve, St. Luke tells us. He was found in the temple at Jerusalem, "sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing th(Mii, and asking them ques- tions. And all that heard Him were astonished at His understandin1U•■.KS. was yet alive, After three days I will rise again. Com- mand, therefore, that the sepulchre be made sure, until the third day, lest His disciples come by night, and steal Him away, and say unto the people. He is risen from the dead ; so the last error shall be worse than the first." And it was done, as they desired, for Pilate said unto them : "Ye have a watch ; go your way, make it as sure as ye can." And it is added: "So they went, and made the sepulchre sure, scaling the stone, and setting a watch." They made a sure thing of it. They were deter- niined to make it sure. And can we believe that any- thing would have been left undone which they could do, to insure the safe-keeping of the bod\' ? They went, and made the sepulchre sure, scaliiio- (he slone, and scttiiid: a luatch. The sepulchre belonged to Joseph, a rich man of Arimathea. It was hewn out of a rock, and located in a garden near the spot where the crucifixion had taken place. The door or entrance was in the side of the rock, and was large enough not only to contain the dead body, but to admit living persons almost in a standing posture. Here the body of Jesus was en- tombed ; and then they rolled a great stone to the door, which, probably, it took a number of men to move ; and after it was rolled to the entrance, it was sealed. But this was not all. Pilate said unto the chief priests: "Ye have a watch, make it as sure as ye can." The Roman Centurion was there with his band DEATH AND kESURRECTlON OF JESUS. 1 35 V of soldiers. They set the watch — that is, they placed a guard, consisting" of sixty to ofie hundred Roman soldiers, to watch that sepulchre by day and by night. They made it as sure as they could. What more could they have done to have made it more sure? History makes known to us what a Roman soldier was. A better disciplined, or a better trained soldiery the world has never seen. It was certain death for a Roman soldier ever to be found sleeping at his post of duty. And was not the sep- ulchre made sure? And what was it all for? It was all for nothing, except that they had heard Jesus fore- tell the fact of His own resurrection. They did not believe that He was going to rise from the dead. Nobody believed that, not even His most trusted followers, as we have ah'eady seen. But they thought there was a bare possibility that, unless they took measures to prevent it, the disciples might attempt to get possession of His body, and then cir- culate the report that He had indeed risen from the dead according to His word. And if they should do nothing to counteract such an attempt, they could not contradict the report, if circulated, and the world might have believed the report, though it was only a deception and a fraud. The Jews would never have gone to Pilate on the subject — Pilate would never have issued that order — the supulchre would not have been sealed — the watch would not have been set — these precautions would not have been thought of, if Jesus had never said any thing about rising from the dead, and if they had not imagined the possibility of such a fraud. They knew 136 MOSES AND THE PHILOSOPHERS. that Jesus was dead. That was all they wanted. They had no thought — no f(;ar of His risln;^ from the dead. But they had fears that a fraud might be practised — that a false rumor might be circu- lated. oTowing out of His prediction, and they took effectual measures to prevent that. And, perhaps, it is a fortunate thing for Christianity that they did so. It adds greatly to the strength of the aroument in favor of the Resurrection. For, if they had not taken all those precautions to prevent the perpetration of a fraud, the unbeHeving world would surely have said that there was a fraud, as in. the absence of any such precautions, the disciples might have robbed the sepulchre, and then there would have been an appearance of plausibility in the report that He had risen. But now they have no such plea. The sepulchre was made sure. As a Christian we can say that we feel devoutly thankful, that all was done which it was possible for the jjowers in Jerusalem to do, to secure the sepulchre and prevent a fraud. Doubtless, there Avas a special Providence in this, as well as in all other events con- nected with the resurrection of our Lord. But their efforts and their power did not avail to hold their vic- tim in the tomb. \\\ The vacant tomb Is another strong presump- tive but conclusive proof, that Jesus arose ^rom the dead. The g^rave did not retain its prey. The body of Jesus escaped from its rocky and solid prison, not- withstanding it had been sealed up tight, and notwith- standing it was guarded day and night, by a body of the best trained soldiers in the world. Could they keep the Son of God in the grave ! DEATH AND RESURRECTION OF JESUS. 1 3/ The Jewish people never even pretended to deny the fact, that the sepulchre which contained the body of Christ, was vacated — was found empty on the third day. On the contrary, their attempt to account for the manner in which it happened, was a direct admis- sion of the fact. They had been foiled in their attempt to hold possession of their victim, and they felt it. The authorities of the Jewish nation, with the whole power of the Roman government to aid them, had been foiled and defeated, and the tomb had burst open its door, and their victim had escaped. We place considerable stress on this argument. It would not amount to very much, if they had not done all they could to hold the body of our Lord in its place of confinement, till after the third day, for the very purpose of guarding against that error — that serious trouble that came on them at last, despite all their efforts. How were they foiled and overcome in their mad attempt, to hold the body of the Son of God in the grave? Any one living in Jerusalem at the time, and having a full knowledge of all the measures taken to keep the body secure in its confinement, would have said that no earthly power could have plundered or robbed that tomb. But on the third day, the sepul- chre was found empty. The vicdm had escaped. The grave clothes, the napkin, and the fine linen care- fully folded and laid on one side, were all there. But the body of Jesus was missing. This has never been denied. V. The improbable and self-contradictory story, in- vented to account for the way in which the sepulchre I3S MOSES AND THE I'HILOSOPHERS. became \acant, is, in itself, a conclusive argument for the resurrection. That story was to the effect that the Roman soldiers fell asleep, and that the disciples came by night and stole the body while they slept — a story that never could have been seriously believed by any, except very ignorant and credulous people, neither at the time when it was hrst put into circulation at Jerusalem, nor at any time since. For, in the first place, the story is entirely improbable ; and in the second place, it contradicts itself. Let us look at it in both of these features. I. In the first place, it is utterly improbable. If the soldiers had slept at their posts, they would have been put to death without mercy. This was the law of the Roman PImpire — a law always rigidly enforced. And we may believe that the rulers of the Jews, who were so anxious to keep that body secure, would have been loudest in demanding the punishment of those soldiers, if diey had really proved faithless to their duty, and had thus given an opportunity to the disciples to cheat them, after all, by getting possession of the body of Christ. Instead of offering bribes to those soldiers, they would have complained of them to the governor, and would have demanded their punishment. If the soldiers had been punished with death, this simple fact would have established the jM-oof of their guilt, and of the robbery of the sepulchre by the disciples. And this is the course tlut Jews would ha\e pursued, if they wanted this story to be credited. But it is im- possible to credit the report which they caused to be circulated, as it bears on its very face the evidence that tlu\- did not, themselvc:s, believe it. DEATH AND RESURRECTION OF JESUS. 1 39 If we should admit diat some, even many of the soldiers slept, yet they could not all have slept at once, and there were at least sixty of them. But if there be any idiotic enough to believe this, still it would not be a credible thing, that they all slumbered and slept so soundly, that not one of them was awakened by the noise that must have been consequent- on an attempt, by a number of persons, passing through the midst of them, as otherwise they could not have made their way to the tomb, breaking the seal, rolling away the great stone from the mouth of the sepulchre, and carrying off the dead body in triumph. This would have been a feat that has never been performed, simply because of the impossibility of tlie thing. Even if they slept, some one must have been waked. Another consideration is the fact, that, if the soldiers had even been recreant to their duty, and incurred the penalty of death, it is contrary to all probabilities that they would have betrayed themselves, by a con- fession of their crime. There were no others to report on them, or to betray them ; and if betrayed at all, they had to betray themselves, which, we know, they would not have done, at the risk of certain death. The' fact in the case is, that they did not sleep ; and they did not confess that they had slept while watching the sepulchre. They went and reported the facts as they occurred. The record in the case is : " Behold, some ot the watch came into the city, and showed unto the chief priests all the things that were done." What things ? " Behold, there was an earthquake ; for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the I40 MOSES AND THE PHILOSOPHERS. sepulclire and sat upon it. And his countenance was like lightning", and his raiment was white as snow, and for fear of him the keepers did shake, and became as dead men." These were the facts, and the soldiers were terrified, as any mortal men would have been in the circum- stances. As soon as they could recover from their fright, some of them started immediately to the city, to inform the chief priests what had happened. Now what could the chief priests do? They knew the sol- diers were not lying — their agitation, their whole ap- pearance and manner showed that they w-ere sincere, and that something strange and unusual had happened to roll awa)' the great stone, and remove the body from the sepulchre. They were troubled at the tidings. They did not know what to do in the circumstances. This was a contingency they had not expected. They had not looked for any literal resurrection, and had not be- lieved it possible. But here was something very strange. They could not doubt what was told them by the soldiers. There had been an earthquake, and they must have seen something that alarmed and troubled them. Something must be done. It would not do for the report to go abroad, that, Jesus had actually risen from the dead, for that would involve them in the guilt of having slain the Son of God and the Messiah, as He claimed to be, and for which they had put Him to death. But how could they prevent such a report from going out through all Jerusalem? If all the facts, as reported by the soldiers, should come to the ears of the people, they would belic\e in DEATH AND RESURRECTION OF JESUS. I4I the resurrection, and then, probably, in their sober second thought, they would have been maddened against His murderers, and stoned them or otherwise put them to death. And so indeed the last error had been worse than the first. After deliberating among themselves, they could devise but one way by which to extricate themselves from the terrible dilemma in which they had become involved, and that was to call the sjQldiers privately, to offer them "■ large money''' and bribe them to say that they had slept, and that the disciples had stolen away His body by night. But to secure the concur- rence of the soldiers in this plan, even by the offer of large money, they had first to give them the pledge that, "if this come to the governor's ears, we will per- suade him, and secure you." This is the story that went abroad among all the Jews, and was prevalent for many years. 2. But the story contradicts itself, and must, there- fore, be false, as nothing that is self-contradictory can be true. They gave large money to the soldiers, saying: "Say ye, His disciples came by night, and stole Him away while we slept." They could have been bribed to say that they slept, but they could not have been bribed to say, what happened while they were asleep, as no one can testify what takes place while he is wrapped in profound slumber. If they slept as they testify, how could they know whether the disciples or some other parties stole away the bod}^, or whether He arose from the dead? But they were hired to testify not only that they slept — that would not quite have satisfied the rulers of the Jews — but to 142 MOSES AND THE PHILOSOPHERS. testify that the disciples came by night and stole Him away, while they slept. They bare witness to what was done, when their eyes were closed in sleep, and they could not see it. This is the contradiction in the case. The story, therefore, refutes itself. There is nothing surprising in the fact that the soldiers should have been hired by the offer of /aroc nioiicy to tell such a falsehood, when they were secured from all harm. M. The disciples of our Lord could have had no inducement — much less any disposition to rob the sep- ulchre. On the contrary, every motive or considera- tion growing out of the crucifixion and their previous connection with the Saviour, must have operated just the other way — to make them wait patiently, to see whether He would rise from the dead. We have al- ready seen from the Scriptures that they did not believe He would rise, because they did not under- stand the spiritual nature of His kingdom. But if we admit that some of them may have had faith in His word, and that He would rise on the third day, they knew, of course, that He would not need their assist- ance to help Him rise. But if they had no faith in His resurrection — if they believed that He was totally dead, never more to re- sume His natural life, they had no use for His dead body, which was already turning to corruption, and they could certainly gain nothing by having it in their possession. He could do nothing more for them. What they wanted was a living, not a dead Saviour. What could they have expected by adhering any longer to the fortunes of one, who, instead of making himself a DEATH AND RESURRECTION OF JESUS. 1 43 king-, could not save himself from his enemies, but had been taken by them, and put to death as a male- factor ? If, in His lifetime, they had been deceived by Him in pretending to be the Son of God, they had nothing to gain by trusting Him any longer. Their onh" hope was in His resurrection, in which, as before stated, they had little or no faith. They were few in number — they were scattered and ciispersed, going back, many of them, to their former occupations, as if all their ex- pectations concerning the Messiah had been destroyed. They talked and acted like persons utterly dejected and disappointed. And it would have been madness in such a set of men to have meditated the plundering of the sepulchre. If they had a spark of hope left, they would have said, let us wait and see whether He will rise. This aro^ument is conclusive aerainst the report circulated by the chief priests through the soldiers. VII. Having presented a summary view of the cir- cumstantial and presumptive proof in favor of the Resurrection of Jesus, we come now to the direct and positive proof, founded on the testimony of eye-wit- nesses, or those who saw Him alive after the cruci- fixion. In order to see this proof in its conclusive- ness, these three conditions are necessary, viz, : first, a competent number of witnesses ; secondly, that the character of the witnesses be such as to eive credi- bility to their testimony ; and thirdly, that their testi- mony be given under such circumstances as to preclude the supposition of any possible gain, by bearincr false witness. 144 MOSES AND TIIK PHILOSOPHERS. I. ]C Christ Jesus had never manifested Himself alive to any of His followers after His passion, we must admit that all the circumstantial evidence would have been insufficient to establish the fact of the Resurrection, and there would have been no such thing as the system of Christianity in the world at this time. The positive testimony of eye-witnesses, in favor of the Resurrection of Jesus, was all that could have been demanded, and was of a nature sufficient to es- tablish any fact before any tribunal in the world. Jesus showed Himself alive to many persons, and on divers occasions, during the space of forty days that elapsed between the periods of His resurrection and His ascension. He was seen altogether of five hundred persons. He was, first, seen by the three women who visited the sepulchre on the morning of the third day. Their purpose in visiting the tomb thus early in the morning, was not to see whether He had risen, for, as we have seen, there was no such thought in the minds of any of His disciples. But they knew that He was dead, and they w'ent bearing spices and ointments with which to embalm His body. And while they were saying among themselves, "who shall roll us away the stone from the door of the sepulchre ? " when they looked, "they saw that the stone was rolled away; for it was very great. And entering into the sepulchre, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, clothed in a long white garment, and they were affrighted. And He saith unto them, be not affrighted ; ye seek Jesus of Nazareth which was crucified; He is risen; DEATH AND RESURRECTION OF JESUS. I45 He is not here ; behold the place where they laid Him. But g-o your way, tell His disciples and Peter, that He goeth before you into Galilee ; there shall ye see Him, as He said unto you. And they went out quickly, and fled from the sepulchre ; for they trem- bled, and were amazed ; neither said they any thing to any man, for they were afraid." They were equally overwhelmed with fear and amazement as the soldiers, at the vision which they had seen. How litde they had expected to see such a sight, or to hear such words ! The women went to tell them that had been with Him ; and Matthew tells us that, as they went, " Behold Jesus met them, saying. All hail. And they came and held Him by the feet, and worshipped Him." Then they returned from the sepulchre, and told all these things unto the eleven and to all the rest. And it is said that "their words seemed to them as idle tales, and they believed them not." The next time Jesus appeared unto two of the disciples as they journeyed to the village of Emmaus. Afterward, He showed Himself " unto the eleven, as they sat at meat, and upbraided them with their un- belief and hardness of heart, because they believed not them which had seen Him after He was risen." Luke is more full in giving the details of this appearance of Jesus to the eleven. He says : " They were terrified and affrighted, and supposed that they had seen a spirit. And He said unto them, Why are ye troubled ? and why do thoughts arise in your hearts? Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I, myself; handle me, and see me ; for a spirit hath 146 MOSES AND THE PHILOSOPHERS. not llcsli and bones, as ye see me have. And when He liad tluis spoken, He showed them His liands and His feet. And while they yet beheved not for joy, and wondered, He said unto them, Have ye here any meat? And they orave Him a piece of a broiled fish, and of a honeycomb; and He took it and did eat before them." St. John mentions the circumstance that Thomas, " One of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came. The other disciples, there- fore, said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But he said unto them. Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into His side, I will not believe. And after eight days again His disciples were w^ithin, and Thomas with them. Then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you. Then saith He to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands ; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side; and be not faithless, but believing. And Thomas answered and said unto Him, My Lord, and my God. Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed. Blessed are they which have not seen, and yet have believed." The apostle Paul bears the following testimony : "That Christ died for our sins, according to the Scriptures; and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day, according to the Scriptures ; and that He was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve; after that. He was seen of above five hundred brethren at once ; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep. After that He was seen of James, then of all the aposdes. And last of all. He was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time." DEATH AND RESURRECTION OF JESUS. I47 2. The next inquiry is, whether the character of the witnesses was such as to give weight and credibility to their testimony. Here we can challenge the enemies of the Gospel to find a flaw in the character of its first witnesses. They were not weak, nor superstitious, nor cowardly. A braver, nobler band of martyrs never stood up for any cause in this world. These early witnesses could not have entered into a conspiracy to deceive the world. For if Christ did not rise, what had they to gain by such a con- spiracy ? They could not have been deceived themselves, as to the fact concerning which they testify. They could identify the body or the person of Jesus, as that which they had known before the crucifixion. He gave them all the sensible proofs possible that He was the same person. They were not easily convinced — they were not over-credulous. The high priests and Scribes, and Pilate himself, would have been convinced by the same kind and amount of evidence. They saw Jesus alive many times — they conversed with Him — they heard Him — they knew His voice, and His features — they ate with Him. In fine, they demanded, and they were afforded all the proofs which any other set of witnesses in the world could have asked in a similar case. In fact, as we have seen, one of them, Thomas, was almost too exorbitant in his demand for proof that Christ had risen. But even his request was acceded to. Therefore, they were competent to bear witness as to the fact of the Resurrection. 3. The next point is, were they without any motives I48 MOSES ANP Tin-: riiii.osornERS. to deceive ? — had they anythinjr to gain by falsehood; or anythinan, from all your filthlness and from all your idols will I ch^anse you. A new heart also will 1 give you, and a new spirit will I put widiln )ou ; and THE MEDIATORIAL KINGDOM OP' CHRIST. l6j I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my stat- utes, and ye shall keep my judgments and do them." Here is a prediction, concerning something that was to come to pass under the New Testament dis- pensation. It sounds very much like a prophecy concerning the ordinance of Bapdsm, and the gift of the Spirit. "I will sprinkle clean water upon you " — "I will put my Spirit within you" — "a new heart also will I give you." What is now taking place, and what took place on the day of Pentecost, and has been taking place ever since the day of Pentecost, is here recorded as what would take place in the exact words of Jeremiah, uttered many hundreds of years before the day of Pentecost. As Peter preached Christ at Jerusalem, and thou- sands Vv^ere converted through the outpouring of the Spirit, which accompanied the word preached, so, a Moody goes to London, or to Boston, and holds up the cross — the simple Gospel, unadulterated by any admixture of human learning and vain philosophy, and under the outpourin;^^s of the same Spirit, thou- sands are converted in a brief period — some of them, inebriates; some of lliem, gamblers; some, profane; some, impure; and some, infidels; but they are all at once changed — they are made new creatures, and subscribe themselves by the name of the Lord Christ. Our philosophers don't know what to make of this. They can't philosophize upon it. There was nothing like it ever known in Greece, or Rome, or Babylon. l68 MOSES AND THE PHILOSOPHERS. There is nothing like it known now, in any country, or among any people, except where the Cross of Christ has been er(?cted, and this new and glorious Spiritual dispensation has been made known. Hut wherever Christianity has taken root, and the S{)irit has come down, whether on the inhabitants of Jerusa- lem, or among the natives of Greenland, or the slaves of the West Indies, or the savages to whom David Brainerd preached, or the far-off inhabitants of the South seas, or the refined and cultivated citizens of Boston, the fruits of the Spirit are always the same — " Love, joy, peace, long suffering, gentleness, good- ness, faith, meekness, temperance." The Dispensation of the Spirit may be said to be now fairly established, and it is rapidly spreading through the world. The Spirit writes the law of God in the hearts of His children, and every renewed and sanctified heart, is said to be a "temple ol tlie Holy Ghost." That which the prophets foretold has come to pass. A spiritual empire, the rise of which the philosophers and sages of antiquity could not have foreseen, as they could have formed no conception of such a kingdom, and as there were no natural causes in operation to bring it into existence — such a spiritual empire is now filling the earth, the subjects of which claiiu to have the law written in their hearts — and to ha\e "a new heart" — "a heart of ilesh " — and to have " the Spirit in their hearts" — and to have been "born of the Spirit" — and to be "led by the Spirit." These scriptural phrases are now become the spoken dialect of the children of God. The scene that was witnessed at Jerusalem on the THE MEDIATORIAL KINGDOM OF CHRIST. 169 day of Pentecost, has been often reproduced, at least, in the similarity of its effects, if not in power, thus attesting that the agencies and means ordained for the conversion of the world, are adequate to the end. One of the most extensive and powerful revivals in modern times, perhaps, since the great awakening- in Germany, in the days of Luther, was that which began in Northampton, in 1735, and spread in a short time through the New England States and New Jersey, Dr. Jonathan Edwards, In describing the effects of that revival on his own people, wrote: "The town seemed to be full of the presence of God ; it never was so full of love, nor so full of joy, and yet so full of distress as it was then. There were remarkable tokens of God's presence in almost every house. It was a time of joy in families on account of salvation being brought to them ; parents rejoicing over their children as new-born, and husbands over wives, and wives over husbands. The goings of God v/ere seen in His sanctuary. God's day was a delight, and His tabernacles were amiable. Our public as- semblies w^ere then beautiful ; the congregation was alive In God's service ; every one earnestly intent on the public worship ; every hearer eager to drink in the words of the minister, as they came from his mouth ; the assembly in general were from time to time in tears, while the word was preached ; some weeping with sorrow and distress ; others with joy and love ; others with pity and concern for the souls of their neighbors." As to the fruits of this work of the Spirit, he fur- ther testified : "Now, instead of meetings at taverns and drinking 170 MOSES AND Tilt: PHILOSOPHERS. houses, and meetings of young people in frolics and vain company, the country is full of meetings of all sorts and ages of persons, young and old; men, women, and children, to read, and pray, and sing praises; and to converse of the things of God and another world. Instead of vain mirth among young people, there is now either mourning under a sense of the guilt of sin, or holy rejoicing in Christ Jesus ; and instead of their lewd songs, are now to be heard from them, songs of praise to God, and the Lamb that was slain to redeem them by His blood. And there has been this alteration abiding in multitudes all over the land, for a year and a half, without any appearance of a disposition to return to former vice and vanity." This testimony of Jonathan Edwards will have weight with all who respect true intellectual and moral worth. It has been said by some men of learning, and who were very sound thinkers, that America has never produced a man who was, intel- lectually, the superior of Mr. Edwards. The Rev. Robert Hall, one of England's greatest divines, said of him, that he was "the greatest of the sons of men." There was a very extended outpouring of the Spirit to which we may allude, in this connection, that com- menced about the year 1801, and prevailed for several years, through what were then the Western States. It was a glorious event in the history of these States. The wave of infidelity that had come over from Eng- land and France, and was beginning to spread over the country like a deatlly pestilence, was effectually stayed by that revival ; and to this day we see the good ef- fects tluireot. Never, perhaps, was there so great THE MEDIATORIAL KINGDOM OF CHRIST, I7I and visible a change wrought in so short a time, and in so large an extent of country. There are many of the descendants of those early settlers, who still re- member, and can tell much about it. The o-eneral effect w^as that theoretical and speculative infidelity was well nigh swept out of these Western States. For half a century after, it was nearly impossible to find a professed infidel in any of these States, except he was one who had been imported from the East, or from the old \yorld. The Spirit of the Lord lifted up a standard against the enemy, for the Lord had a mis- sion for these Western States, In regard to the nature of the radical change, wrought by the Spirit in the hearts and the outer lives of men, the blessed reality is not denied even by rationalists themselves. The nature of this change is expressed in a single text — "and such were some of you " — "fornicators, idolaters, adulterers, thieves, cov- etous, drunkards, revellers, extortioners," etc, — "but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justi- fied in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God," These words indicate a total renewal in heart and life. The religion of Jesus has a transforming power. It makes those who were impure, licentious, and im- moral in their lives, pure, and moral, and good. And this is the system which our fallen humanity needs — a system that can raise them up from the dust, and the deep degradation of ages. The transforming power of Christianity may be more marked and visible in some conversions than in others, but the radical nature of the change wrought 172 MOSES AND THE PHILOSOPHERS. is the same in every case. Let us take an instance of conversion of more recent date than that of Paul — the conversion of one who was a perfect contrast to Paul, in all the main features and circumstances of his life. The account is taken from Dr. Walker's Philos- ophy of the Plan of Salvation. The case is that of an old man, who was converted a few years ago — an atheist: " His whole appearance was that of a decrepit, dis- consolate old man. He haci become misanthropic in his feelings, regarding mankind in the light of a family of sharks, preying upon one another ; and his own dut)' in such a state of things he supposed to be, to wrest from the grasp of others as much as he could. He usf.'d profane language ; opposed the temperance reformation, and looked with the deepest hatred on the ministers of religion. His social affections seemed to be withered ; and his body, sympathizing, was dis- torted with rheumatic pains. But this man was brought under the power of religion, and from being an atheist, he became the most implicit and childlike believer. He seemed like a being who had waked u]) in an- other world, the sensations of which were all new to him. " One of the first things this oUl man did after his conversion, was to love in a practical way his worst enemy. There was a man in the village who had, as he supposed, dealt treacherously with him in some mon(-'y transactions which had occurred between them. When converted, he sought his old enemy, asked his forgiveness, and endeavored to benefit him by bringing him under the inlluence of the Gospel. "After conversion, he became benevolent, havincr given more, in a single year, with the design of bene- fiting his fellow-men, than he had in all his life before. THE MEDIATORIAL KINGDOM OF CHRIST. 1/3 His affections received new life. Said he to a friend: ' One part of the Scriptures I feel to be true — that which says, " I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and will give you a heart of flesh." Once, I seemed to have no feeling; now, thank God, I can feel. I have buried two wives and six children — but I never shed a tear, I felt hard and unhappy ; now my tears flow at the recollection of these things.' And the tears moistened the olci man's cheeks as he spoke. He was often seen to weep. Previously to his conversion he had not wept since the age of man- hood. An exhibition of the love of Christ would at any time move his feelings with gratitude and love, until the tears filled his eyes. " There was a corresponding change in his life, as, after his conversion, he ceased not to do good as he had opportunity. He made out a list of his old asso- ciates, then living within his reach, for whose conver- sion he determined to labor as he had opportunity, and to pray daily. There were one hundred and six- teen names on the list, among whom were sceptics, drunkards, and other individuals, as little likely to be influenced by Christian effort as any men in the region. Within two years of the period of his own conversion, one hundred of these individuals had made a profes- sion of religion. " The effect on his happiness was no less remark- able. Once, in a social meeting where he worshipped, he made the remark: 'I have rejoiced but once since I trusted in Christ; that has been all the time.' His whole physical system, as soon as his mental nature had undergone a change, by sympathy, felt the benign influence. His countenance assumed a milder and more intelligent aspect. He became more tidy in his appearance, and his thousand pains, in a measure, left him. In his case there seemed to be a renovation of both soul and body." 174 MOSES AND THE PHILOSOPHERS. TIk' world stood In need of somethinof that could cure the leprosy of sin, for that Is the disease of humanity. God has provided this remedy. Here then, we have the secret of the efficacy and the divine power that attends the preaching- of the Gospel. It is in the actual presence, and active agency of the Holy Spirit, promised by Jesus, pre- dicted under the Old Testament dispensation, verified on the day of Pentecost when the Gospel dispensation was lirst fully revealed, and now attending and crown- ing the ministrations of all the servants of Jesus everywhere, and in all ages. We call it a super- natural agency. It certainly does not come under natural law, and, evidently, is something quite beyond the comprehension of modern rationalists. I will conclude this chapter with some words in reference to the subjects of the mediatorial king- dom, and, also, the extent and the duration of that kinordom. I. And the first word is, the Mediatorial kingdom is not one that is bounded by any geographical lines, or sectarian and denominational limits. It is an indi- cation of a very carnal state of the affections, to assert, that the Spiritual empire of Jesus can be measured and circumscribed by topographical lines, and by ecclesiastical definitions. The Jews once believed that they constituted the kingdom of God, and that the entire Gentile world were excluded from the favor and mercy of heaven. But in the light of the pres- ent centuries, they have, doubtless, discovered that this lono^-cherished notion was a mistake. There are several ecclesiastical bodies now in the world, who THE MEDIATORIAL KINGDOM OF CHRIST. 1/5 arrogate to themselves the pecuHar distinction of being exclusively the church of Jesus, or the spiritual king- dom of the Messiah. But they are equally mistaken, as were the Jews, in these pretensions. And all those who make these pretensions afford evidence that they are ignorant, as to the nature of the essential prin- ciples that belong to 'Christ's kingdom. The Mediatorial kingdom is the Church, and the Church is the Mediatorial kingdom. The Lord Jesus has but one church on earth, or in creation. There is but one church in all the universe of God. It is called "the general Assembly, the Church of the First- born, which are written in heaven." There may be divisions and branches of the church, just as the an- cient Israel was composed of twelve tribes, who were yet one Israel, though they marched after so many different banners. The names written in heaven, are the names of the subjects of redemption — the subjects of grace — and these constitute "the general Assembly, and Church of the First-born." This number in- cludes all who are saved by " the blood of the Lamb, slain from the foundation of the world." * If this definition of the spiritual kingdom is founded in truth, it makes Abel the first member of the church, as he was the first who was saved by Grace, and, therefore, the first whose name was " written in heaven." If saved at all, he must have been saved by grace, and through the blood of Christ, The blood of the victims which he offered, was typical of the great sacrifice for sin, and through the types, his faith * See Supplement. 1/6 MOSES AND THE PHILOSOPHERS. looked forward, and on, to the Lamb of God who taketli away the sin of the world. The first essential characteristic of the heirs of sal- vation is, that they be sinners ; and the second is, that they be saved through the blood of Christ. None can be in the Mediatorial kingdom, except they be in possession of these two marks. Of course, the sin- less angels cannot be the subjects of this Mediatorial kingdom. They have no need of a Saviour. Neither can any who reject Christ, and refuse to believe in Him as the Lamb of God, belong to His Mediatorial kino-dom. The tender infant, dying in infancy, and saved through the blood of Christ, belongs to His Media- torial kingdom. But if it were sinless, as some say, it could not need a Saviour, nor belong to the king- dom of grace, no more than Gabriel, or any of the sinless ancrels can belonsf to that kincjdom. That in- o o o fants, dying in infancy, have a sinful nature, and are therefore cleansed and saved by the blood of Christ, we believe implicitly, both on the positive declarations of Scripture, and from the fact that they are subject to the pains and penalty of death, which is the wages of sin. Infants do not believe, and they are not required to believe as a condition to their having an interest in Christ, and a place in His spiritual kingdom. We believe that blessed word that fell from Jesus' lips, when He took up litde children in His arms and blessed them, saying : " Suffer little children to come to me, and forbid them not ; for of such is the king- dom of heaven." It is just as easy to sanctify their THE MEDIATORIAL KINGDOM OF CHRIST. I// hearts and wash them from sin, without faith, as to sanctify and wash adult sinners through faith, and thus save them through the blood of Christ. There may be a mystery connected with this subject, but that is nothintr — the whole scheme of salvation is a elorious mystery. And let us unite in the exclamation : "Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Al- mighty ; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints ! " II. As to the duration and the extent of the Media- torial kingdom, we may say, in the light of what has already been said, that it reaches from the redemption of Abel, the first martyr, to the ingathering of the last one of God's '"Elect" at the winding up of the affairs of this world. For this world stands, and only stands, till this purpose shall be accomplished. He is making up his jewels — the angels are gathering together His Elect — and when they shall all be gathered, the end will come — the world and the works that are therein shall be burned up — the scaffolding used in the build- ing of the temple will be thrown down, and then the glorious structure of Divine Grace, which God has been erecting through the ages, will appear in all its beauty and glory. After the expiration of this present dispensation at the end of the world, Jesus is still to be the Head of His church, and to reisfn as the Kingr of saints, but the Mediatorial kingdom is to be merged into the absolute kingdom, to form, as it were, one of the prov- inces of His universal dominion. For He is the Sov- ereig-n of all worlds, and He is to reii^n as " Kingf of kings, and Lord of lords." The thrones, the princi- 178 MOSES AND TIIF-: PHILOSOPHERS. palities, and the powc^rs in heavenly places are to be subject unto Him. All the kingdoms of this world are to have an end. For the kingdom of Jesus is to succeed, and supersede them all. It is to be universal in its extent, and to continue as long as the earth shall endure. Of course, there will be political organizations and civil LTOvernments, as lon MOSES AND THK r'UFLOSOPMERS. and safe rule is to say. tliat, just as part of the pro- phecies — that which relates to the dispersion and judi;ment of the Jews, has been translatetl into iiis- tory, in like manner, what remains shall be fultilk^d — that is. the dispersion was a literal one, — so shall the restoration be. The Jew shall ai^ain dwell in peace, in the land of his fathers ; for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it." To the above able and lucid exposition of the pro- phecies touching- the literal restoration of Israel, we must add, that, either precedent to, or consequent on their literal restoration, will be their conversion to God, and their hearty reception of Jesvis as their Messiah. F'or this is clearly foretold in many scriptures; es- peciall)', in the following utterance of Zechariah : "And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will seek to destrov all the nations that come against Jeru- salem. And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of g-race and of supplication; and they shall look upon me, whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him. as one mourneth for his only son; and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his first-born." "They shall look on me whom they have pierced;" and "they shall mourn," and "they shall be in bitter- ness." Whom did they pierce ? Him who here speaks by the mouth of His prophet — their own long-- promised King and Redeemer. And will they not mourn and be in bitterness, when they shall have their eyes opened ; and when they shall be convinced that He came; at the appointed time — their own ]\Ies- THE UNFULFILLED PROPHECIES. 20I siah — the Son of David, and that they nailed Him to the Cross ! How deep will be their repentance ! Doubtless, their contrition and sorrow, and also their love to Jesus when converted, will be in the ratio of their long and obstinate rejcrction of P4im. And in that day, the world will have an exhibition of Chris- tianity in its strength and power. They will not serve Jesus half-heartedly, as many of us. Gentiles, have en- deavored to do, bringing gifts to his altar with our left hand, while with the right we lay our best offer- incjs on the altar of Mammon. We want to see that day, when Zion shall put on her beautiful garments. We have reason to believe that there is an impor- tant mission yet for the Jews to perform, after they shall have been gathered. For it is written, that "livin;'- waters are to flow out from lerusalem." It may be, it hath been reserved to the Jew, to give the nations a fair and proper illustration of the inherent vitality of Christianity, and to wake up the Christian world from its dead formalism, that, like a deadly in- cubus, has pressed down the Church for ages. Look at the Romish Church, the Greek Church, the English Church, and the greater portion of the Protestant Church — all of them professing Christianity, and yet all of them but little else than burlesques on the name. Surely, there must needs come a change to startle the world out of this slumberous death — to teach that religion does not consist in outward forms, in liturgies, and empty pageantry and show — that it is not a thing that goes in silver slippers, and sits on soft, velvety cushions to worship God, on a fair day ; when there is 202 MOSES AND THE PHILOSOPHERS. a orrand Church — and an ors/an in the Church, and a silver-tongued orator in the pulpit to regale the ear with classical and flowery sentences. We want a dif- ferent t)pe of Christianity, such as some of the first Jewish preachers, Peter and Paul, preached ; and, perhaps, we may add, such as Mr. Moody now exem- plifies in his life ; having in it the central and all per- vading idea of Christ, and Him crucified. There are considerations apart from the prophecies, that make the literal restoration an event, in itself, greatly to be desired, on account of the effect it would have directly on the conversion of the world, and the glory of God's visible kingdom. 1. In the first place, their restoration to their own land, and their conversion to Christ after having ob- stinately rejected Him for eighteen centuries, would form the culminating argument in the chapter of evi- dences, which go to show the truth of Revelation. It would be an argument which the unbelieving world could not resist. They know the Jew. They know his history. And if they should see him back once more in Jerusalem, occupying the holy land, as in the days of David and Solomon, and with the Son of David — jesus, as their acknowledged King, would they not believe the prophecies ? 2. The Jew, with his natural afiinity to Christ ac- cording to the Hesh, and with his history and his memories running back to Calvary and to the ancient Jerusalem, when converted, will certainly aflbrd such a type of real, living Christianity as it is, and as It was exhibited in the life of Paul, and some of the first converts among the Jews, as we do not now THE UNFULFILLED PROPHECIES. 203 often see among Gentile converts. There is a little Christianity in the world, but not much. There are a few drops of mercy, but they are only drops that precede the coming shower. We want the abundant outpouring of grace. We want the shower. 3. When the Jews shall be restored to Palestine, and shall embrace Christ as their Messiah and Sav- iour, not only will they exhibit in their conversion and in their life, a higher type of Christianity, probably, than the world has yet seen, but they will possess other advantages and facilities for acting as mission- aries and evangelists, to carry on the work of con- verting the world to Christ, which other missionaries do not possess. They have always had the Scriptures of the Old Testament in the oricrinal Hebrew, which is taught to every Hebrew child. And when they shall be gathered out of all the nations, into their own countr)', they will be in possession of all living lan- guages, so that they will not have to spend years before they can become evangelists, in the study of strange tongues. Moreover, they have, at this day, more wealth, and more general learning — fourfold more, than any other equal population on the globe. And when they shall begin to look on Him whom they pierced, and when they shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost and with fire, wdiat grand missionaries they will be! Then will be the time when "a nation shall be born in a day." 4. The ancient Jerusalem has a claim on the Chris^ tian world, and there is no other spot, or city so suit- able to be made the centre of the Christian world. Not only is it true that "the fountains of living waters," 204 MOSES AND THE PIllLOSOr'HERS. havo (lowed out from tlicncc, but it is the type of the heavenly Jerusalem, often called " Zion," and "the city of God." And should it not become the centre of Christendom ? When the entire world shall be broufrht under the dominion of Jesus, so vast a kingdom will want some central point. Shall they go to London, or Paris, or Washington ? What city shall be the capital of the Kingdom of Christ? Where shall the General Conferences, or the Pan-assemblies hold their meetings, where delegates Irom every quarter of the world shall annually meet, and confer together re- specting the interests of God's universal Zion? What point would be more central, or more favorable, for this purpose, than Jerusalem restored, rebuilt and beautified — Jerusalem situated, if we may say so, al- most at the centre of the world, at the head of the middle-sea, and at the point where three of the great continents come tocrether? There will be a necessity that the Church of Jesus, embracing the whole earth, shall come together by its representatives at stated times, to take counsel one with another; for it is written, "Thy watchmen shall see eye to eye." And again it is said: "And the Lord shall be King over all the earth; in that day, there shall be one Lord, and His name one." "And it shall come to pass that every one that is left of all the nations, which came against Jerusalem, shall even go up from year to year, to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, and to keep the feast of taber- nacles." How appropriate, in the millennial age, would be the observance of such a festival, once a year, to THE UNFULFILLED PROPHECIES. 205 perpetuate the memory of the fact, that they had been wanderers in the wilderness, dvvelhng in tents, but met together at last, In one city, and under one King. There is no saint who would not want to make the pilgrimage, at least, once in a lifetime, to get a view of Calvary, and to tread the very soil, once trodden by the sacred feet. II. Another o-reat event, in which the whole w^orld is interested, which is to precede the introduction of the Millennial age, is the downfall of mystic Babylon. The rise of that power and the fall thereof are fore- told with equal clearness, w^hatever we suppose that power to be. According to Daniel, it was to take its rise in the days of the fourth kingdom represented by the fourth beast. It was to pluck up three of the horns, or three of the ten kingdoms, into which the fourth kingdom was eventually subdivided. This power was to prosper through craft — to have the eyes of a man — to persecute and wear out the saints of the Most Hieh — to continue for a definite time, and then to be destroyed. I will quote the prophecy of Daniel in full on this subject : "After this I saw in the night visions, and behold, a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, and strong exceed- ingly, and it had great iron teeth; it devoured and brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with the feet of it ; and it was diverse from all the beasts that were before it, and it had ten horns. I considered the horns, and behold, there came up among them an- other little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots; and, behold, in the horn were eyes like the eyes of a man, and a mouth spea.king great things. I, Daniel, was grieved 206 MOSES AND THE PIIILOSOPHERS. in niy Fipirit, in the midst of my body, and the visions of my head troubled me. I came near unto one of them that stood by, and asked him the truth of all this. So he told me, and made me know the inter- pretation of the thinL,rs. Thus, he said, the fourth beast shall be the fourth kinijdom upon earth, which shall b." diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, antl break it in pieces. And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings (kingdoms) that shall arise, and another shall arise after them, and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings. And he shall speak great words against the Most High, and shall wear out the saints of the Most High, and think to change times and laws, and they shall be given into his hand, until a time, and times, and the dividing of time. But the judgment shall sit, and they shall take away his dominion to consume and to destroy it unto the end." A portion of these extraordinary predictions of Daniel has been accomplished, and now constitutes an important portion of the history of nations. The whole Christian church bears witness to this fact. Does this afford anv solid ir^ound of belief that the unfulfilled portion is yet to be accomplished ? That is a question to be decided by every reader for him- self. What we want, is, to identify that persecuting power that was to arise, and to wear out the saints of the Most High. Daniel gives us several marks, atten- tion to which, I think, will enable any impartial student of history, to determine, with scarcely the possibility of a mistake, the question of identity. Let us notice several of those marks that are so well defined that THE UNFULFILLED PROPHECIES. 20/ no one need to mistake except through ignorance, or wilful blindness. I. In the first place, this Little Horn was to spring up among the ten horns, which came up from the Fourth beast. The P"ourth beast was the old Roman Empire. And Daniel explains that the ten horns are ten kings, or ten kingdoms, into which that empire or dominion was to be divided. Now the fact is that the Roman Empire never was succeeded by a fifth universal dominion, but that it fell into fratrments and was actually divided into ten kingdoms. How could Daniel have known this, ten centuries before the time ? But here is the fact : Gibbon, Machiavelli, and other reliable historians, without intending to re- cord the fulfilment of prophecy, give us the names of these ten kingdoms which were constituted out of old Rome. Several of the names have been changed, but they were originally, the Eastern Empire, the Van- dals, the Alani, the Suevi, the Franks, now France, the Saxon Heptarchy, Britain, and the Hemli, whose king, Odover, took Rome and assumed the title of kine of Italy. The Visigoths was the ninth, and the Bur- gundians was the tenth. In the history of Florence, Machiavelli gives the names of the ten kingdoms, into which the Roman Empire was divided, all of which are mapped on the Historical Chart. It is wonder- ful that Daniel should have written the history of nations, more than a thousand years before it trans- pired. II. In the second place, the Little Horn which was to wear out the saints, was to pluck up three of the ten horns. Now we know that there is a power in 20S MOSES AND TIIK nilLOSOPlIERS. Europe, that wears, and for centuries past, has worn a triple crown. xVnd why is that? Because, in the time of Charlemagne, he was invested with the abso- lute dominion, civil and ecclesiastical, over three of those kinirdoms ; and for the first time, as Gibbon relates, " the world beheld a Christian Bishop invested with the prerogatives of a temporal prince." This is a mark easily recognized. III. A third mark given by the prophet is, that this Horn was to have eyes like the eyes of a man, and "a mouth speaking great things," or, "great words ao-ainst the Most HiMi." It is a remarkable predic- tion, but look at history, to see in what a remarkable manner it has been fulfilled. We know that there is a power, and has been for ages, but only one power, which claims to be God's Vicegerent on earth — which claims to be infallible — which claims to have power to pardon sin, to change laws, etc. Certainly this must be "the mouth speaking great things." Bel- larmine, a Romish cardinal, affirmed that the pope can transubstantiate sin into duty, and duty into sin. An archbishop of Rome, Stephen of Petiassee, said in the Council of the Lateran, that Leo (the pope) possessed power above all powers, both in heaven and earth. IV. A fourth mark: this power was to "wear out the saints of the Most High." ''Weiv ont^^ — what a phrase! signifying that he was to be no ordinary persecutor of the saints. And what does history say ? I quote: "The Papal power has been a relentless persecutor of those who differed from its Ecclesiastical decisions. THE UNFULFILLED PROPHECIES. 2O9 It has made war against all who preferred the author- ity of the Scriptures to that of the church, and by prison and dungeon, by torture and sword, by exile and fire, it has attempted to 'wear out' heresy. The Inquisition with its countless victims; the bloody cru- sades against the Albigenses and Waldenses, pro- claimed by the pope, in which one million Gospel Christians were murdered; the terrible persecutions in the Netherlands; the fires of Smithfield in Eng- land; the horrible massacre of St. Bartholomew, in which seventy thousand Protestants were butchered; all these stand as the evidence of the persecuting spirit of Rome." "Indeed, any one having the slightest acquaintance with the history of the Papacy, will not question the fact, that, all along, it has made the most strenuous and persistent efiforts to crush out by violent means, what it was pleased to call 'heresy' and that its vic- tims can be numbered by the millions. If it can be shown that those whom it persecuted for heresy, were, after all, not heretics, but Gospel believers, then surely, none can question, in this respect, the application of the prophetic description." — Dr, Niccolls. V. Another mark mentioned by the prophet, in his grand panoramic view of all times, by which to iden- tify this persecuting Horn, was, that he was to have power to persecute during "a time, and tmtes, and the dividing of tiiney This is a remarkable expression ; but the same occurs in the book of Revelation, in John's description of the same persecuting power. And Commentators are generally agreed in saying that this time is three years and a half, or 1260 days, each day representing a year — that is, 1260 prophetic years, during which this power was to continue. The difficulty is in fixing the date of the beginning. If we H 2IO MOSES AND THE PHILOSOPHERS. knew just when that power arose in the world, we should know when it will end ; for Daniel says : " He shall come to his end." The Roman Bishops first claimed, and began to exercise absolute and universal jurisdiction over the whole Christian Church, a. d. 606. And some of the most learned divines and bib- lical expositors give that year, as the date of the rise of this Anti-christ. This would make the end to take place, A. D. 1866, very near the time when Victor Emanuel took the Pope as a prisoner, and put an end forever to his persecution of the saints. This is a striking coincidence, to say the least, between the his- tory of affairs and the prophecy. John, in the Revelation, speaking of this same per- secuting power, described by Daniel, gives us another infallible mark, by which we may identify that power. This is the passage : "So he carried me away in the Spirit, into the wil- derness-; and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet-colored beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. And the woman was arrayed in pur- ple and scarlet color, and decked with gold, and pre- cious stones, and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand, full of abominations and tllthiness of her forni- cation ; and upon her forehead was a name written, Mystery, I'abylon the Great, the Mother of harlots, and abominations of the earth. And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus; and when I saw her, I wondered with great wonder. And the angel said unto me, wherefore didst thou marvel ? I will tell thee the mystery of the woman, and of the beast that carrieth her, which hath the seven heads and ten horns. The beast that thou sawest was, and is not. and shall as- THE UNFULFILLED PROPHECIES. i2Il cend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition ; and they that dwell on the earth, shall wonder, whose names were not written in the Book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is. And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sitteth." This is a more minute description than that con- tained in Daniel. There are four marks o-iven that cannot be understood of any other power than the Church of Rome. 1. The persecuting- power is spoken of under the figure of a woman, by which we are given to under- stand that it is an apostate Church. We are made absolutely certain of this by the fact, that the true Church is represented under the same figure of a woman, as when it is said : "And there appeared a great wonder in heaven ; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars." This is a figurative descrip- tion of the Church — the same Church that, when re- deemed and glorified, is called the "Bride," and "the Lamb's wife." Neither the old Pagan Rome, nor any other persecuting power is anywhere, in the Scrip- tures, spoken of under the figure of a woman. In this same Revelation, the old Pagan Rome, when de- scribed as persecuting the Church, is called the "Red Dragon having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads." This power is never spoken of under the fiijure of a woman. So it could not be pagan Rome that was meant. 2. The " Woman," or this persecuting power, that 213 MOSES AND THE PHILOSOPHERS. was to be drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus, is represented as sitting- on the scarlet-colored beast, with seven heads and ten horns. This must be old Pagan Rome, or the crreat Red Drai^on with seven heads and ten horns, that formerly persecuted the Church. The persecuting" woman has come in his place, has received his power, and sits in his seat. 3. The seven heads are explained to be " the seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth," It is known that the ancient city of Rome was built on seven hills or mountains. This settles the question as to where, or what was to be the seat of the persecuting power, spoken of both by Daniel and John. 4. John describes the woman as /}(// of names of blasphemy, and as drunken with tlie blooel of the saints, corresponding exactly with Daniel's description, that this persecuting power should speak ''great woi'ds against the Most High, and should wear out the saints of the Most Highr The marks and characteristics above enumerated, as belonging to that persecuting power which was tc arise, are of such a nature as to leave no doubt in the mind of any candid inquirer, as to the identity of that power. Daniel and John not only foretold the rise of thii- power, but they predicted, with equal clearness, the destruction thereof, after the lapse of a certain period defined by Daniel as a time, and times, and the divid- ing of time; and by John, as a time, and times, and half a time, or a thousand two hundred and sixty days; all of which express the same length of dura- tion, or 1260 prophetic years. THE UNFULFILLED PROPHECIES. ^13 The man of sin is doomed. Daniel said, "But the judgment shall sit, and they shall take away his do- minion, to consume and to destroy it unto the end." Paul, speaking in reference to the same event, says : " Let no man deceive you by any means, for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed the son of per- dition, who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, showing himself that he is God. Remember ye not that when I was with you, I told you these things ? And now, ye know what with- holdeth that he might be revealed in his time. For the .mystery of iniquity doth already work; only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. And then shall that wicked be revealed whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of His mouth, and shall destroy ivith the brightness of His coming, even him whose coming is after the working of Satan, with all power, and signs, and lying w^onders." The expressions made use of, seem to us, to indicate a destruction that is to be terribly sudden, and terribly conspicuous, known to the intelligent world, or w^herever the sun of creation shines. But John, in the Apocalypse, is much more full as to the awful catastrophe, that awaits modern Rome, that has the blood of so many millions of God's saints on her garments. Their souls are at rest beneath God's altar, and while they are clothed in white, their cry, "how long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and aven-e our blood on them that dwell on the earth," w\\\ be answered, and accomplished at the pre- destined hour! We believe that the judgment which is to smite that powder, is to be so overwhelming, so 214 MOSES AND THE PHILOSOPHERS. sudden, and manifest to the worltl, as to make it, per- haps, the most awful and subhme display of retribu- tive justice, since the universal deluge. Let us read what John says : "And after these thino^s I saw another aneel come down from heaven havinj^ j^reat power ; and the earth was lightened with liis glory. And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Bab\lon the Great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the liold of every loul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hurtful bird. For all nations have drunk of the wine .of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies. And I heard another voice from heaven, sa)ing, come out of her, my people, that ye be not partaker of her sins, and that ye receive not her plagues. For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath numbered her iniquities. Reward her even as she rewarded you. and double unto her double iiccording to her w^orks ; in the cup which she hath filled, fill to her double. How^ much she hath glorified herself, and lived deliciously, so much torment and sorrow give her; for she saith in her heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow. Therefore, shall her plagues come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine; and she sh.-.l! be utterly burned with fire; for stroncr is the Lord God who iud^ieth her. And the kings of the earth who have committed fornica- tion, 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 the fear of her tor- ment, saying, Alas, alas, that great city Babylon, that mighty city! for in one hour is th\' jud^iment come." "The merchants made ricli by her, shall stand afar THE UNFULFILLED PROPHECIES. 215' off, for the fear of her tornient, weeping, and waiUng. and saying, alas, alas, that great city that was clothed in fine linen, and purple, and scarlet, and decked with gold, and precious stones, and pearls ! For in one hour so great riches is come to nought. And every shipmaster, and all the company in ships, and sailors, and as many as trade by sea, stood afar off, and cried when they saw the smoke ol her burning, saying, what city is like unto this great city ! And they cast dust on their heads and cried, weeping, and wailing, saying, alas, alas, that great city wherein were made rich all that had ships in the sea, by reason of her costliness ! for in one hour is she made desolate. Rejoice over her, thou heaven, and ye, holy apostles and prophets, for God hath avenged you on her. And a mighty angel took up a stone, like a great millstone, and cast it into the sea, sa\ing, thus, with violence, shall that great city Babylon be thrown down, and shall be found no more at all. And the voice of harpers, and musi- cians, and of pipers, and trumpeters shall no more be heard at all in thee ; and no craftsnian, of whatsoever craft he be, shall be found any more in thee ; and the sound of a millstone shall be heard no more at all in thee ; and the light of a candle shall shine no more at all in thee ; and the voice of the bridegroom and the bride shall be heard no more at all in thee ; for thy merchants were the great men of the earth ; for by thy sorceries were all nations deceived. And in her was found the blood of prophets and of saints, and of all that were slain upon the earth." Nowhere in the sacred volume, nor in any other book can there be found a denunciation of woe and vengeance to be paralleled with this, in the Eighteenth Chapter of Revelation. And we do not believe that it is without significance, or that it contains an exag- gerated statement. When strong metaphors are 5l6 MOSES AND THE PHILOSOPHERS. employed in the Scriptures, it is only because natural language cannot convey the intense mcaninLj;- signified by the metaphors. There is a fearful judi^ment about to come on Babylon. Tile crimes of the first Babylon were nothing- in comparison with the crimes of the modern Babylon. But the doom of the first Babylon, through history, for centuries has uttered a voice that nations should have regarded. Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, with her hanging gardens and walls sixty miles in circum- ference, and three hundred feet high — built by Ne- buchadnezzar, who spent twenty years, and employed a million of men in the work — Babylon, the grandest, proudest city the sun ever shined on, fell under a ju- dicial sentence of Divine wrath, and what is it to-day ? And what has it been for centuries? Every traveller in the East, has written the story of her utter ruin and desolation. The old Babylon was to be blotted out — v.-iped from the face of the earth. It was never more to be inhabited, nor dwelt in, from generation to generation ; and the decree has been accomplished. Init the de- cree concerning the modern or the mystic Babylon, is recorded with equal clearness and distinctness, as that against the first Babylon, but the terrible emphasis placed on the decree of judgment denounced against the later Babylon, Is as much greater than that against the old Babylon, as the crimes of the latter were ex- ceeded by those of the former. We do not assume that we can comprehend all that is contained in this Eighteenth Chapter of Revelation, but we are certain that it was written and intended to THE UNFULFILLED PROPHECIES. 21/ record the doom of that " Mystery of Iniquity " — "the mother of harlots and abominations of the earth " — for centuries "drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus " — and we are equally sure that when it shall come to pass, the world itself will be struck with awe and wonder, at the suddenness and the terrible justice of the right- eous retribution. Though we may not be able to give to each word in this chapter its appropriate meaning, we think the followinof inferences, or conclusions, are fairly drawn from it, viz. : I. That the judgment against the mystic Babylon, in whatever form it shall come, will be sudden. For, " ?';z one hoiu%' repeatedly it is written, "thy judgment is come." II. That it shall take place at the expiration of the predicted time — the twelve hundred and sixty pro- phetic days, or years, according to both Daniel and John — which period is now already expired, or is just about to expire, according to our most reliable com- mentators. III. That the suddenness of the judgment will not involve the destruction of any of God's people, who may be dwelling in the modern Babylon, at the time of its overthrow. For there is a warning voice, " Come out of her, my people, that ye be not par- takers of her sins, and that ye receive not her plagues." And there shall be some providential in- dication ; and, as it was in the days of the destruction of Jerusalem, they shall flee out of her, and escape. IV. The judgment of the mystic Babylon will be not only sudden, but accomplished by violence. This 2lS MOSES AND THE PHILOSOPHERS. is indicated by the figure of tlie anoel taking up a stone, liiut it is asked, How can the dust of one body be distinLi^uished from another ; when the dust of so many, perhaps, has mingled for ages in a common grave ; and others were consumed in flames at the mart)T*s stake, and scattered to the four winds; and others were dissolved in the waters of the seas, and washed by the waves to distant shores ; and other bodies be- came food for wild beasts, and their flesh was digested and went to form the flesh of lions and other beasts of prey ? — they ask, how will all these bodies be dis- tinguished and identified, so that the ashes of every one sliall be collected, and reconstructed into the new and identical bodies of the resurrection, so that God shall know tliem all apart, and so that each saint shall be able to know and identify his own body? To this we can only answer, in the words of Paul, " tJioic fooir We know that, in planting or sowing, the seeds which w^c commit to the soil, perish. We know that they never come up again out of the soil — that they rot and decay, and become manure to enrich the soil. But we know equally well, that there is a germinal principle- in those grains, that does not die, but springs out of those seeds, and shoots up into new bodies. We cannot scrutinize that germinal principle — we can- not examine it with a microscope — it is too impal- pable for our human faculties lo investigate. But we know that it must be in the seed, and that it must have been there originally, or that it could not have come THE END OF THE WORLD. 235 out of It, nor been developed into a new and living form, so different from the grain that was buried in the ground. The forms or bodies seem to be different, and yet they come from the same seeds, and they reproduce themselves. Of course, this is all entirely beyond our comprehen- sion. Then why ask, how these old bodies of ours are to be reconstructed out of the old particles ; and how the dust that forms them, is to be collected to- gether after being blown over the earth for ages, so as to be built into the same bodies again ? We do not believe that there will be any diisl, or anything that has gravity or grossness, in the bodies of the resurrection. But there is a germinal prin- ciple in these present human forms — the naturalist cannot analyze it — cannot with his instrunients scru- tinize it, or tell what it is — but He who put into every grain of seed its vegetative principle, can impart to these forms of humanity, a principle that insures the resurrection of the dead. And there will be an iden- tity between the bodies that perish, and the bodies that shall be raised, though all the original particles be not the same. We can take an illustration of this from the fact that the same bodies, even in the present lifetime, are not, at all periods, composed of the same particles of matter. Tell any aged saint, who has passed his threescore and ten years in the service of his Divine Lord, and who is about to cross the river of death, that this old worn out body, which has been his earthly tabernacle so long, is Jioi tJic body which is to be raised up in the resurrection morn, radiant and beautiful like 236 MOSES AND THE PHILOSOrilEKS. the glorified body of the Saviour — and he might say, No; the pains and the aches of this tottering frame will be irone-^all its infirmities will be crone — its de- formities will be gone — and all the redundant, opaque and gross particles of matter will be gone — but there is something in it — a principle which shall be the germ or nucleus from which the new and glorious body shall be reconstructed whereby, he might say, he knows that he shall be able to recognize it as his own body. And further, he mio;-ht add : vou tell me that this old, decayed and broken frame, which is soon to be food for the worms of the valley, is not the same body I had in youth and childhood — that not a single par- ticle of matter in it, is the same as that which com- posed my youthful and more vigorous body — that all the matter has been changed — has passed off many times, and been replaced with other matter. This may be so — and doubtless it is so — and yet I recog- nize this body as the same tabernacle of clay, I have dwelt in all my life long. I cannot realize that these eyes are not the same windows of the soul, out of which I was accustomed to view the wonders of crea- tion, in the days of youth and childhood. I recognize these hands as the same I have always handled with; and these feet as the same I have always walked with, in travelling the journey of life. I am conscious of an identity. I know myself My voice is not that of another. It is the same I sung and prayed with when I was younger, though now it is become cracked and broken. I have a consciousness that nothing can deprive me of that I am the same person I have THE END OF THE WORLD, 237 ever been, although you tell me that the matter form- ing my body, is entirely new matter. There is a principle In it that does not change — what it is I do not know, and I cannot tell — but it is that which con- stitutes my personal identity, and insures that, in the resurrection I shall be the same that I am now^, only changed, in all things, for the better. If this argument from experience and consciousness, is valid, it shows the utter fallacy and groundlessness of the objection to the doctrine of the resurrection, arising from any difficulty in supposing a sameness or identity between the bodies that perished, and those that shall be raised. The objection vanishes at once, into thin air, when we understand that the principle on which identity depends — whatever it may be — and we cannot define it — remains unchancred, and un- changeable, and passes from the body that was sown in corruption, into that which shall be raised in incor- ruption. A General Judgment. The General yiidgment is the other grand Event that is to constitute an important feature, in the wind- ing up of the affairs of this material globe. The poet has apdy said of that general judgment day, that it is *' The day for which all other days were made." No one can take the Scriptures as the rule of his faith, and not believe that God hath appointed such a day, which is to occur at the end of the world — when all nations, and kindreds, and tribes, and toneues are to be assembled before Him, to be judged and sen- tenced according to the deeds done in the body. Nothing is more clearly taught than this great and 238 MOSES AND Till-: PHILOSOPHERS. solemn truth. I will quote several of the more prom- inent passages in which it is declared. Jesus Himself said: "When the Son of man shall come in His glory, and all the holy anL;"rls with Him, then shall He sit upon the throne of His glory; and before Him shall be gathered all nations, and He shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats. And He shall set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left. Then shall the King say unto them on His right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom pre- pared for you from thc^ foundation of the world. "He shall say also to them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the Devil and his angels." No honest and candid inquirer after truth, can read the whole passage from which the above words have been selected, without believing that it was spoken by our Saviour, for the purpose of teaching the doctrine of future retribution — of future reward and punish- ment, to be meted out to every soul according to the deeds done in the body. The same idea is presented by Christ, in His exposition of the parable of the tares and the wheat : "The disciples came unto Him, saying, declare unto us the parable of the field. He- answered, and said unto them ; He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man ; the field is the world ; the good seed arc the children of the kingdom ; but the tares are the chil- dren of the wicked one ; the enemy that sowed them is the devil ; the harvest is the end of the world ; and the reapers are the angels. As, therefore, the tares THE END OF THE WORLD. 239 are gathered and burned in the fire, so shall it be in the end of the world. The Son of man shall send forth His angels, and they shall gather out of His kincrdom all things that offend, and them which do in- iquity, and shall cast them into a furnace of fire ; there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Then shall the righteous shine as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear." Here aorain the idea of a future retribution is set forth. And the figures and terms made use of to in- culcate this solemn truth, are of the most graphic kind. "Who hath ears to hear, let him hear." This doctrine of retribution, is taught also in the Scriptures of the Old Testament. Solomon sums up all that he had to say in both the books of wisdom which he wrote, in these significant words, which are of no doubtful meaning: "Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter; fear God and keep His commandments ; for this is the whole duty of man ; for God shall bring every work into judgment, with ever)/ secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil," Paul said, in his discourse on Mars Hill, to the Gre- cian philosophers, who were the men of science and the philosophic infidels of that day — "The times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men everywhere to repent. Because He hath ap- pointed a day in the which He will judge the world in righteousness, by that man whom He hath ordained, whereof He hath given assurance unto all men, in that He hath raised Him from the dead." One more passage shall suffice to show what the 240 MOSES AND THE PHILOSOPHERS. Word of God teachcth in reference to tliis sublime and awful theme. It is found almost at the very close of the Sacred Volume. "And I saw a great white throne, and Him that sat on it, Irom whose face the eardi and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God ; and the books were opened ; and another book was opened which was the Book of Life ; and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. "And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell gave up the dead which were in them ; and they were judged, every man, according to their works." In presenting a synopsis of the entire teachings of the Bible, on the subject of the appointment of a fu- ture and orneral yiidgmcnt Day, I will tr)- to observe a certain kind of order in my remarks, with a view to be the better understood by plain readers, who de- sire to know the truth. I. In the first place, then, it may be said that the appointment of a day of general judgment at the end of the world, does not conflict with the doctrine of the separate existence of departed souls, during the inter- val that elapses between death and the resurrection. There are those holding the pre-millennarian theory, called, sometimes. Second Adventists, who believe that during the interval between the moment of death and the final resurrection, the soul sleeps — that it is utterly unconscious or dead, like the ephemeral insects of earth that remain in a torpid state six months in the THE END OF THE WORLD. 24! year during the cold season, and then come to Hfe in the spring. But this is a view that is wholly at vari- ance with some of the most positive declarations of the Bible. When Jesus said to the Sadducees that "God is not the God of the dead, but of the living," He affirmed, in a way that ought not to be misunderstood nor per- verted, that Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob are living, and not dead, as the Sadducees believed and affirmed. And again, when Jesus said to the thief on the cross, " to-day shalt thou be with me in paradise" He taught in unequivocal words the immortality, and the deathless nature of the soul, by showing that the cru- cifixion of the body could not terminate its existence. Many violent but unsuccessful attempts have been made to wrest this Scripture. The word paradise occurs three times in the New Testament. Paul says that he was caught up to the "third heaven," which, as all admit, is the highest heaven — and he calls it paradise. Again we read of paradise in John's Revelation, where the throne of God is said to be ; and that must be the highest heaven. To make it, therefore, a middle state or a purgatory, or a state of unconscious sleep, is a violence to the words of Scripture, which would scarcely be tolerated with reference to any other book. Christ shows the deathless nature of the soul, when He warned His hearers to fear not them which can kill the body only, and after that, have no more that they can do ; but to fear Him, who, after He has killed the body, " is able to destroy both soul and body in hell; yea, I say unto you, fear Him." 16 242 MOSES AND THE rHILOSOPHERS. Aq-aln, He teaches tlie continued existence of the soul after the dissolution of the body, In the parable of the rich man and Lazarus, wherein He represents the former as dying- and being buried, and then lifdng up his eyes in hell, being in torment ; and the other as dying, and then being carried immediately by angels to Abraham's bosom in the kingdom of God. It has probably never occurred to any sincere inquirer, that it was the body of Lazarus instead of his soul, which was borne by the angels into Abraham's bosom. But here is a passage in Acts vii. which is definite, and ought to be conclusive — it is the account of Ste- phen's vision, and his prayer, at the moment when he was about to be crowned with the crown of mar- tyrdom. " Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God. Then they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran upon him with one accord, and cast him out of the city, and stoned him ;" and the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man's feet, whose name was Saul. And they stoned Stephen calling upon God, and saying, " Lord Jesus, receive my spirit." Did he mean to pray, " Lord Jesus, raise up my body in the resurrection of the just at the last day ? " This is what they must believe, who deny the separate exist- ence of the soul. The apostle Paul, in Corinthians, teaches: "For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. "Therefore, we are always confident, knowing that THE END OF THE WORLD. 243 whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord (for we walk by faith, not by sight) ; we are confident, I say, and willing- rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord." Here is the doctrine of the separate existence, stated in terms as direct and clear as it would be possible to use — "at home in the body — absent from the Lord " — " but absent from the body — present with the Lord." But there is no period or interval when the soul can be said to be absent from the body, only while the latter is in the grave, as they exist together in a state of union before death, which union is to be reconstituted at the resurrection. Yet Paul said, he was "willing rather to be absent from the body," in order that he might be "present with the Lord." In Philippians, the Apostle has the same idea; " For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. But if I live in the flesh, this is the fruit of my labor; yet what I shall choose I wot not. For I am in a strait be- twixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ, which is far better." If the Apostle knew or believed that he would not exist any more after death, till he should rise in the resurrection, could he have spoken of his desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better ? He had said that " to live is Christ." It is something then, even to live. But he added, " to die is gain." But what gain would there be in dying, if to live is Christ? Because, as he explained, in dying or in departing, he would be with Christ, which is far better. This would 244- MOSES AND THE PHILOSOPHERS. be gain. Wliat he meant l)y departing, was leaving the body. To claim that this passage is to be under- stood as having reference, exchisively, to the future resurrection of tlie body, would be a wresting of the words from their plain and obvious meaning, wholly unpardonable. But, denying the separate existence, what shall we do with the passage, which speaks of the transfigura- tion of Jesus in the holy mount? Luke says: "And, behold, there talked with Him two men which were Moses and Elias ; who appeared in glory, and spake of His decease which He should accomplish at Jeru- salem. But Peter and they that were with him were heavy with sleep ; and when they were awake, they saw His sflorv, and the two men that stood with Him." What would the advocates of the sleeping theory, make of this vision ? Would they say that it was an optical illusion — a false appearance created for the purpose of deceiving the apostles ? For. if it was a real appearance of Moses and Elias, in their glorious forms, talking with the Saviour, and speaking of the decease Avhich He should accomplish at Jerusalem, it proves beyond a question the doctrine of a separate existence. It is true that Elias had been translated, and had never seen death ; but it is expressly recorded of Moses that he died, and that he was buried. But now, many hundreds of years after, he is seen alive in the company of Elias, and in the company of the Divine Master, all in their divinest forms. We know that the appearance of Jesus transfigured, was a living and glorious reality; and we certainly believe that the THE END OF THE WORLD. 245 form of Elias, as seen by the apostles, Peter, James, and John, was a real and living form. And to argue that the form of Moses which appeared with them, and conversed with them, was not a real, living form, but a mere phantasm — an optical illusion, made to pass before the eyes of the apostles to deceive them, would indeed be a desperate resort. And yet this, would be necessary, on the supposition that the soul does not, and cannot exist separate and apart from the body. There is not a sentence nor a word in the Bible that, properly construed, lends any support to the idea that the soul has such a necessary connection or identity with the body, that it does not, or cannot exist apart from it, but necessarily sleeps, or is dead, when the body is dead. In Bible phraseology, the body is represented or spoken of as the tabernacle — the mere tenement of the soul. And what identity can there be between a house or a tenement, and the living being who dwells therein ? Paul says, " For we know that when this earthly house of our tabernacle shall be dissolved," etc. And Peter says, referring to his own decease, " Knowing that shortly, I must put off this my tabernacle, even as our Lord Jesus Christ hath showed me." And aeain : "as lonof as I am in this tabernacle " — What does he mean by the two simple words, ''this tabernacle?" And what does he mean by the pronoun, "/" — I must put off this taber- nacle ? Does he mean that the tabernacle shall put itself off? Or does he speak of his soul, that it shall drop this tabernacle of clay ; and then, when it shall have dropped it, itself cease to be } 246 MOSES AND THE PHILOSOPHERS. The account i^^iven in the first chapter of Genesis, concernin*^ the origin of man, shows that he is pos- sessed of an undyinL^ and immortal spirit — "God breathed into his nostrils the breath of life — and man became a living soul." The soul of man. therefore, emanated directly from God, and it is a spiritual es- sence, in its very nature immortal. Solomon, evi- dently, makes allusion to this origin of man, when, speaking of his dissolution, he says: "Then shall the dust return unto the earth as it was, but the spirit shall return unto God who gave it." 2. As the judgment is to follow the resurrection in the order of events, and as the reunion of soul and body takes place at the resurrection, one great and special design of the general judgment must be to connect the soul and body together, in the final awards to be pronounced on the deeds done in the body, according to what is written : "For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that every one may receive the things done in his body, ac- cording to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad." Of course, the souls of all the departed had entered immediately, at death, on the rewards of the righteous or the wicked. But their bodies, reposing in the silence of the grave, do not share nor partici- pate with them in those; awards, till the resurrection, when they are reunited, to share one common destiny forever. This a retribution terribly exact and just. The mind of man could not conceive of any form or mode of retribution, more literal and exact, than that the bodies which had been prostituted to sin — and the hands, and the feet, and the eyes, and the mouthy THE END OF THE WORLD. 24/ and the voice, and all the organs and members there- of, which had been used, as the instruments of sin, should have perpetuity instamped upon them, and should, in turn, be made the instruments of pun- ishment, as they had been made the instruments of sin. 3. There is another, and, perhaps, still more impor- tant reason for the appointment of a general judg- ment day, found in the manifest propriety that seems to exist, to give unto the intelligent universe of God — to angels and men, as well as devils, a public exhi- bition of the justice of God, and of the equity and righteousness of all his dispensations and judgments. Tlie Books are to be opened. God intends to vin- dicate Himself *' Every mouth shall be stopped." And it will be known in that day, that His ways were just and true. Now they say that His ways are not equal — that He n.akes no distinction between the righteous and the wicked — that He is a monster of cruelty — that He is a tyrant — that He has filled this world with weeping and misery, when He could have made it a paradise just as well. These things being so, there seems in the very nature of things, a fitness or propriety that there be made a public manifestation, in the sight of earth, heaven and hell, when all shall be made to know that God was just. Then every mouth shall be stopped, and every knee shall bow before Him. Reason utterly fails, and the imagination staggers before the attempt to conceive the display, which is to be given to the universe itself on that day. Jesus said: "The Son of man shall come in His glory," — 248 MOSES AND THE Pll ILOSOI'IIERS. that all the holy angels shall be with Him — that He shall sit on the throne of His glory — and that all na- tions shall be gathered before Him, John says: "I>e- hold, He shall come in the clouds of heaven " — that "every eye shall see Him" — and "they also v^ho pierced Him" — and that " all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of Him." And John says again, that he saw the throne — the " trreat white throne" of judgment — and " Him that sat on it, before whose face the heavens and the earth lied away " — and that he saw "the books opened" — and "the dead judged out of those things which were written in the books, accordinof to their works." What a scene that is to be, in the eyes of angels, men and devils! It is thus the drama of earth's history is to close. 4. The books which are to be opened, and out of which the dead are to be judged according to their works, will not be great hxlgers, or public records such as are sometimes kept by men, to j^reserve the memor)' of certain events, but the)' will be the indi- vidual and personal records of each individual of the race. As explained in a former chapter, on the per- fect law, they are the books of memory and con- science, which faculties of the soul are in their oriofin, so perfect that they retain a distinct impression of every event, and every act made on them, in the course of a lifetime. These books are to be opened. Every guilty soul will be able to read the long, dark cata- logue of his sins, as distinctly as if they were legibly written in blazing letters, on the bright vault of heaven, and in the siut it is the radiant beauty of holiness that will constitute the bliss of heaven, and lend an additional lustre to its bricrht- est irlories. 5. Heaven is a place of rest. "Tliere remaineth, therefore, a rest for the people of God." Jesus said : "Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest ; take my yoke upon you, and learn of me, for I am meek and lowly in heart, and ye shall lincl rest unto your souls." "And I heard a voice from heaven, saying unto me, write, blessed are the dead, which die in the Lord ; yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labors, and their works do follow them." Yes, heaven will be a place of rest. There "the wicked cease from troubling, and tlie weary are at rest." To a laboring man, it is said, that "rest is sweet." But one who has never labored — never known what it was to be weary and toil-worn, is not in a condition to enjoy the sweetness of rest. Therefore, the saints are not to have their rest in this world. Their rest is in heaven. And in order to have the greater apprecia- tion and enjoyment of that rest, they should know what it is to be weary and toil-worn in the Master's service — should know what it is to be afflicted, poor,, and despised — to be persecuted for righteousness'' sake — to endure hardness as a good soldier of Christ — to be in deep tribulation for the truth's sake ; for it THE FUTURE LIFE; OR, HEAVEN AND HELL. 279 Is thus they will acquire a relish for the rest above. Unless they have some experience of these things, they could form no part of that company, concerning whom it is said, " these are they who came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb." We do not imao^ine that sinless ano-els who were never in tribulation, toil, and distress, will have the same appreciation of the glorious rest of heaven, as the soldiers of the Cross, like Peter and Paul, who were worn out with toiling, and fighting, and finally laid down their lives in the cause of Jesus. They can enjoy the rest, when they enter into it. They will appreciate the crown of glory, when it shall be placed on their brow. They who were never sick, are not in a condition to know the meaning of the word health. Neither can they who were never away from home, appreciate the pleasures of home, like those who have been long absent, among strangers, till they had be- come heart-sick, and home-sick. Aye, there is a use for all the severe discipline, through which the saints are made to pass in this vale of tears. Every bitter shall have its sweet — there will be "beauty for ashes," " the oil of joy for mourning." And there may be something more than poetry, in the beautiful concep- tion of Watts : " There, on a green and flowery mount, Our weary sciuls shall sit; And with transportini^ jny recount, The labors of our feet." 6. The employments of the heavenly state, are to constitute another essential ingredient in the bliss of 280 MOSES AND THE rillLOSOPIlEKS. heaven. For, though heaven is a place of rest, as we have just seen, it is not a place of indolent ease or idleness. We do not believe that the saints would be perfectly happy even in heaven, if they had nothing at all to do. It seems to be essential to the very nature of the soul to be active, Adam was appointed to dress and to keep the garden of Eden. Jesus said: "My Father worketh hitherto, and I work." The holy angels are never idle. We believe they are ever actively employed in God's service. One part of their service is to minis- ter to them who are heirs of salvation. And, doubt- less, they feel that they are honored by the service, and rejoice in it. When Paul was converted, his first word was, "Lord, what wilt tliou have me to do?" This shows the nature and the promptings of a Chris- tian spirit. And we can hardly believe that when Paul — that earnest and ardent soldier of Christ, laid down, finally, the weapons of his warfare, and went up to receive his crown, he would have been content, after a long life of such active service, to sit down on one of the flowery mounts above, in a state of utter rest or inactivity, with nothing more to occupy his ac- tive powers forever. Unless those powers were de- stroyed or annihilated, he would still want scope for their exercise, in some way, for the glory of the Re- deemer. And would there be no way, in which he could put forth all the energies of his greatly improved and expanded faculties ? That heaven is not a place of inactive ease and idleness, is evident from several considerations. I. And first, every passage which alludes to the THE FUTURE LIFE; OR, HEAVEN AND HELL. 281 future state of the blest, in some way, directly or indi- rectly, represents them, as being actively employed in praising or serving God. Thus, as in a passage quoted on another occasion, we see the host of the redeemed standing "before the throne of God, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands." But are they doing nothing? John says, " they cried with a loud voice'' — no feeble notes, no faint praise — " with a loud voice, saying, salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb." And a little farther along, in the same chap- ter, he says, " therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve Him day and night in His temple." They are united in that service ; and it never ceases day nor night ; and to it they consecrate all their powers. But it is a service that never tires; in which the worshippers never grow wearied. 2. Another consideration which has already been alluded to, showing that the glorified saints will ever have their active mental powers vigorously exercised in the service of God, is the fact, that they will desire to grow in knowledge, and that they will rise from one decree to another in the knowledge of God and of His works, through all eternity. And as one star differeth from another star in glory, so, as they in- crease in knowledi^e, their capacities for happiness will be enlarged, and, in this sense, they will be more and more like God. An ordinary Christian dying now, and going home to heaven, in respect to his attainments, and especially his knowledge, would not be the equal of David or Paul, who, in addition to the attainments which they 282 MOSES AND THE PHILOSOPHERS. made in the flesh, have been advancino- in knowledcre ever since they went from earth to heaxcn. Oi^ course, he would be Hke them in respect to their happiness, and tlieir robes of glory — he would see them, and converse with them — but in respect to their attain- ments, he would be no more their equal, than Sir Isaac Newton when a little boy gathering up pebbles at the seashore, was the equal of Sir Isaac Newton, when he iiad scaled the heights of science. 3. Thc-re is still another consideration that further strengthens us in the belief that the saints in glory are not to spend their eternity oi bliss, in a state of idle leisure and inactivity, and it is found in the assur- ances given us in Scripture, that they are to be hon- ored by the Captain of their salvation with /)os/s of trust and Jionor, in His universal dominion. It is probable that the saints are to be exalted to a posi- tion, above every rank and order of created beings. There are various passages that seem to convey this meaning, and which cannot well be understood in any other sense. In the first of Revelation, they are de- scribed as praising God, and saying: " But unto Him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in His own blooel, and hath made us kings and priests unto God and His Father." Now if they are to be kings and priests, we con- clude that there must be stations, corresponding to these names, wliich they are to occupy. They cannot be empty-sounding titles. Jesus does not mock His people, by the promise of any false or fictitious honors in His kingdom. In another place it is written, "To him that over- THE FUTURE LIFE; OR, HEAVEN AND HELL. 283 Cometh, will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in His throne." Now, what can we understand by this ? It is something in the future — a promise to be fulfilled in the hereafter. Jesus did not sit down on His throne till He had conquered — till He had risen from the grave, and ascended up on high. And His people have no crowns in this world — they are to be crowned, and to reign hereafter. Paul exclaimed, "I have fought a good fight ; I have kept the faith, hence- forth there is laid up for me a crown, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, shall give me in that day, and not to me only, but to all them who love His appear- ing." And there is another promise: "Be thou faithful unto death, and 1 will give thee a crown." The sum of the matter, then, is that tlie saints are to be kinofs under Christ, for this is the title criven them. They are to wear crowns, for this is promised; and they are to reign with Christ and to sit clown with Him in the throne of His kingdom. Now all this would be strange language to be used in the Scrip- tures, if it were entirely without meaning. Can we believe that Jesus would hold out such prospects and hopes to His people, merely to delude and disappoint them ? No, the expressions we have quoted, have a wonderful significance, which we cannot, at present, comprehend. He hath ordained to confer honors on His people, to which angels and archangels were never appointed. They are the kings and the priests unto God, which the angels are never said to be. They are to be vicegerents and vice-kings under Him, who is styled the " King of kings, and Lord of lords." 284 MOSES AND THE PHILOSOPHERS. They are to have something- to do, in the management of the universal kinirdom. But the service in which they are to be employed hereafter, will not, like the service required in this life, involve pain, suffering and weariness ; but it will be the crowning portion in the cup of their eternal joy. We will not attempt to develope this thought, in the present chapter. It is one that is infinite in its proportions, grand and sublime beyond mortal con- ception. We shall try in the next and closing chapter to cfive a dim shadowinir forth of that oreatest of all thoughts, that ever entered even the Infinite Mind; just so far as Revelation- has given us a little hint thereof, and as much as we are able to receive in this imperfect state. For the present, let us be content with the assurance — that "eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which He hath prepared for them that love Him." CHAPTER X. The Consummation of All Things. The mystery of God — "The Intent" — "Manifold Wisdom," "Abundant Grace" — To be made known — Principalities and powers — Sinless worlds — Only two revolted worlds — No knowledge of Grace under absolute physical law — This knowledge revealed — The glad tidings — Millions of worlds — The distinction conferred on our earth — Jesus never died but once — -Thus the Grace was manifested — Angels, as ministering spirits — Minister only to the heirs of salvation — Future distinction of the Redeemed — They make the salvation known in other worlds — Their special qualifications — They will be Christ's coronated heroes — Vicegerents under the King of kings — Anthem of all worlds — Perfect glory — Profane babblings of human philosophers — Extracts — Phi- losophy of the Bible — Only two out of millions — Incidental evil — God's justice vindicated — The Church, the Lamb's wife — This earth the birthplace — The City of God, New Jerusalem, in which He will dwell forever — Conclusion— An Invocation. THE author feels that some sort of apology may- be due for even seeming to venture upon a theme, under which the mind of the great apostle, the grandest of all men since the Man of men lived, seemed to labor and to be almost at a loss for words, to give fit utterance to the wonderful conceptions that weighed down his mind, saying; "That I should preach among the Gentiles the un- searchable riches of Christ ; and to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which, "from the beginning of the world, hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ; to the intent that (28s) 286 MOSES AND THE PHILOSOPHERS. now unto the principalities and powers In heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God, according to the eternal purpose which He purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord." Tlie passage is similar to another that is found in Second Corinthians, and one is explanatory of the other: "■For all things are for your sake, that the abundant grace might, through the thanksgivings of 7nany, re- dound to the glory of Godi" "All things are for your sake," means that all things were created by Christ Jesus for the sake of the church, to the intent, that, the abundant Grace — re- demption — might, through the thanksgivings of many, saved by the blood of Christ, redound to the glory of God — in other words, that the manifold or incompre- hensible wisdom of God, might be made known, according to His Eternal purpose. This is the proposition, in general terms, contained in the words of the apostle. It is an expression of the grandest truth, the light of which ever dawned on a finite intellect. Let us try to analyze the thought, that, looking at it in detail, we may partially compre- hend it, and thereby make some profitable advance- ment in the knowledcre of God. I. In the first place, then, let it be observed, that, God had a purpose — an ''intent'' — an ''etei-nal pur- pose " — as the apostle speaks of it, in the creation of the "heavenly places," and in peopling them with such a countless order of intelligent existences, called angels, spirits, principalities, powers, etc. That pur- THE CONSUMMATION OF ALL THINGS. 28/ pose must have been one that was worthy of God. Paul tells us that it was to make known His own glory — His "abundant Grace" — His "manifold wisdom in Christ." But in making known His glory, it was necessary to reveal Himself — that is, to display His perfections — His glorious holiness, His justice, and His mercy as well as His wisdom and power. In the preparation of these volumes, which have so long engaged the attention of the author, he has indi- cated, and as he thinks, has proved, that without a moral government, God could not have displayed His moral perfections. There is no human philosophy that can discover any way, by which knowledge of any kind can be acquired by created intellects, except by experience, or by revelation. This was shown in Part II., Chapter IV. II. In making a full revelation of Himself — that is, in making known His "abundant Grace" — "His mani- fold wisdom according to the Eternal purpose which He purposed in Christ Jesus," God wrought out the greatest amount of good that was possible to the created and intellio[-ent universe. Knowledije is the food of the soul. That is a point that has been suffi- ciently insisted on. And as we have seen, the knowl- edge of God is the highest kind of knowledge, and the knowledge of His moral perfections far more ex- cellent than that of His physical or natural attributes. And so, it may be logically and properly affirmed that God was bound — that is, morally bound — bound by His own moral nature, to make a full display of His perfections, as this was essential to His own glory, and to the highest good of the creature. But 288 MOSES AND THE PHILOSOPHERS. to whom could He make such a display of His glory ? 111. This question brings us upon the threshold of a vast theme that is of a nature, certainly to in- terest every devout and inquiring mind. Paul tells us that God " created all things by Jesus Christ, to the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known " — or understood — "by the church" — or tiirough the church as the medium — " the manifold wisdom of God." In this sentence, almost every word has an infinite signifi- cance anci importance. What is meant by the prin- cipalities and powers in heavenly places? By comparing Scripture with Scripture, we are led to the conclusion, that these terms signify various and high orders of intelligent beings, that people the innumerable worlds, called " heavenly places," that fill the expanse of the heavens. The Scriptures tell us of holy angels — and of the angels that kept not their first estate, but were cast down in chains of darkness. We read about legions of good angels, and also of "legions of devils." In this present world, we know that there are saints and sinners who are intelliofent beings, and also an infinite multitude of inferior creatures, of higher and lower orders. Reasoning from analogy, we feel justified in saying that the countless, beautiful worlds which God hath made, and which He guides in their orbits, are full of joyful life. This earth — the air, the land, the water, all teem with life. And it would not be in accordance with what we know of the ways of God, to believe that all other worlds are tenantless — that they were created THE CONSUMMATION OF ALL THINGS. 289 for no Other purpose but to garnish our heavens at night. Analogy requires us to beheve that they abound with inhabitants, many of whom may be equal intellectually, if not superior to man. There is hardly a reasonable doubt, that many of them are endowed with high powers and noble in- stincts, and that they perfectly obey the laws of their physical nature, without the possibility of any de- parture therefrom, in the same sense that Adam and Eve were governed before the moral system was in- troduced — living without sin or the possibility of sin, in their oriijinal and created innocence — lovinor and serving the Father supreme, just because it is their nature to do so — subsisting on the spontaneous and abundant productions of the beautiful globes prepared as their perpetual habitations, as Adam and his children would have reigned on this earth, if there had been no curse — having no knowledge of sin, and, therefore, none of holiness, nor of reward and pun- ishment — endowed with high intellectual powers, and able to explore the realms of physical science, but having no ideas of anything Included in the realm of moral science — rejoicing in the love of one another, and in the love of the Divine Father, but having no need of a Saviour, and, therefore, no knowledge of "the abundant grace," and of "the manifold wisdom of God in Christ." We have no knowledge, by Revelation or other- wise, that sin ever invaded any, except two, of the unnumbered provinces which constitute the material empire of Jehovah, namely: this earth on which we dwell, and that spiritual realm originally de- 19 290 MOSES AND THE PHILOSOPHERS. sic^necl, and prepared as tlie abode of the angelic hosts. We know how sin entered into this world, and what the result was. We do not know how sin entered heaven; but the Scriptures are clear, as to the fact, that a part of tlie angels fell by transgression ; and that others maintained th<^'ir integrity, and stood firm in their allegiance to God; and that as to those who fell, no salvation was provided for them; but that those who persisted in their integrity have been con- firmed in their holiness. There may be other habitable worlds in existence, that God took out from under the operation of physical rule, and placed under a moral system ; but we have no positive knowledge of any except the two now named. And there is not one iota of proof, that can be drawn from analogy, reason, or Scripture, that any other world ever revolted from God, or ever experienced the effects of sin. No matter to what extent they multiply "die heavenly places," we must believe that they are sinless worlds, inhabited by intelligent and happy beings, order above order, and rank above rank. They may have, it is true, only a limited knowledge of the Creator. But, to the extent of that knowledge, they worship Him supremely. God has kept them waiting till the fulness of time, when He would give them a more full revelation of Himself — when He would communicate to them the knowledge ot His •'abundant grace," and of His "manifold wisdom" in the salvation of sinners, not by the actual experience of sin, and of its fearful consequences, but by direct THE CONSUMMATION OF ALL THINGS. 29I revelation tlirough the ministry of angels, who, having a perfect knowledge thereof, could make known to them the mystery of the Cross, and of the redemp- tion which Jesus the Son of God wrought through His blood on Calvary, on the theatre of that revolted world, known among the planetary worlds as the earth. Let us conceive such a world as we have supposed — peopled with happy beings in a state of conscious innocence — having no experience of death or any of the effects of sin — havinor no knowledcre of erace nor of salvation, but revelling in the bounties of the ma- terial creation, and basking in the radiance and light of God's material goodness to them, without any per- ception of that brighter light that emanates from the sun of righteousness. If we could imagine such a world, may we not believe that he would be a wel- come visitant, who should be sent to them from this earth, or direct from the throne of God, to make known the love of God to a ruined and apostate world, in giving His "only begotten Son that whoso- ever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." On receivini^ such a revelation, the first emotion might be a momentary, feeling of incredulity — this would probably be succeeded by a feeling of wonder — and this would be followed with joy — and then, there would be a burst of praise. They would hardly be able to believe the news at first, till properly au- thenticated — then they would be filled with wonder at such love — then they would be transported with rap- turous joy at the discovery that the great Creator, 292 MOSES AND TUK ViWljOSOPUERS. whom thoy worshipped ami adored (or His goodness and wisdom, was a God of such boundless love as they had never conceived of — and this would lead to higher strains of praise than any ever before heard, going up from all the temples of that sinless world. And thus, though they had always been blest because free from sin, this glad tidings would be an addition to their cup of bliss, and almost make it to overflow. And, if such a revelation of "the abundant (jrace" of' God would so greatly enhance the joy of their exist- ence, may we not believe that, as Paul says, God must have purposed this result from eternity? But, as we have seen, analogy shows that there arc more than one or two habitable crlobes in existence, Paul speaks of a plurality, when he makes mention of "the heavenly places" — and philosophers reckon the habitable worlds by millions. And what God would do for the joy and happiness of one world, we must suppose, that He would be willing to do for all. If, then, there are a million or a thousand million of those "heavenly places," all alike peopled by sinless and happy hosts — the principalities and powers — He could just as easily make known His abundant grace in Christ to all, as to one. IV. In the consideration just advanced, there is evi- dence that the death of Christ was designed to take effect, not on the inhabitants of this earth alone, but the inhabitants of all worlds. It is the medium through which alone, the mercy — the abundant grace of God, is made manifest. It could never have been known, if Jesus had never died ! Therefore, Jesus died once — but only once, that the THE CONSUMMATION OF ALL THINGS. 293 universe of intelliofent beings mio-ht have a full and true knowledge of God, in all the glorious perfections of His nature. I affirm the proposition, that, this knowledge could never have been the inheritance of any finite intelligence in the universe, if there had been no atonement for sin ordained and provided. This knowledge did not come by the fall of the rebel angels, for there was no abundant erace ex- hibited in their case. And if God had pardoned the rebel angels without any satisfaction, that would have been a sacrifice of law and justice, and there -would have been no abundant grace in a pardon like that. "The abundant erace " — the love consisted in main- taining the law of holiness, by giving His Son to suffer its penalty in the place of the guilty. This idea has been fully brought out in another part of this work. Therefore, there was a necessity, as God is love, that Christ should suffer the penalty of death for sinners on the theatre of some globe, that the imi- verse might have a full e.xhibition of God's character, as a God of grace. But it was not necessary that He should taste of death more than once. He never died but once ; and that was when He died on Cal- vary. Though there may be millions or billions of worlds in existence, the inhabitants of no other frlobe ever witnessed the death of the Son of God. And further, we do not, and we cannot conceive that sin ever invaded any other province, except the two be- fore specified; or, that there was a necessity for Christ to die for sinners on any other globe. Why it was that the eternal Father selected this 294 MOSES AND THE rillLOSOPHERS. eartli, so insi^rnlficant in comparison with many other M'orkls, to b(^ the theatre of the most momentous and solemn event that ('ver transpired in any world, He only can know ; for He miL;ht have selected any other world as well. And if it h;id pleased Him to select some other world as the th(^atre of redemption, then Adam and his numerous offsprini^r mii^ht have been revellinLT still, in all the material and carnal delights of a paradisaic world — free from sin and death, governed alone by laws of instinct and necessity, as materialists say that we are ruled — only without sin or any of the consequences of sin, to which we are now subject. But if this had been the pleasure of the Supreme Father, then the tree of knowledge of Good and Evil, must have grown on some other earth ; and the curse of sin would have fallen on that earth, — and there would have been a Calvar)- there — and J(;sus would have died there to make an atonement, that the "abundant Grace" of God might be known — and then, we, the children of Adam, would have been kept w^aiting the fulness of time, till some angel or messenger should come from that world, to brino- us a revelation of the mercy of God, showing^ that He could so love an apostate and ruined world, that He "gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever be- lieveth in Him, should not perish, but have everlasting life." Rut instead of waiting for a revelation to be brought from some other and distant world, the tragedy of Redemption is enacted on the theatre of our earth; and the knowledge of the scheme of Ciod's boundless love developed here, is to be perpetuated and to be THE CONSUMMATION OF ALL THINGS. 295 conveyed bv messengers from this world, as we are led by the words of Paul to beHeve, to the inhabitants of milHons of other worlds. This brings us directly to the question, by whom is the knowledge of "the abundant Grace" to be published, or made " known to tlie principalities and powers in heavenly places?" V. The Scriptures show, clearly, that it is a part of the economy of God's system of government, to em- ploy various instrumentalities, and second causes, in the furtherance of His designs. Thus, He sends His angels on missions to our world, to carry out designs which doubtless He could accomplish without their ao-ency. The Bible is full of accounts concerningr their visits, and the nature of the visits on which they are sent. No saint can doubt or disbelieve these accounts. Some of them may seem miraculous, or of the nature of supernatural events, as doubtless they were; as when an angel walked in the fiery furnace with the three servants of God ; or again, when an angel kept Daniel in safety when cast into the den of lions ; or lastly, when an angel was sent to bring Peter out of his prison. But on the authority of the Word, we are justified in the belief that there is a ministry of an ;els, which is not to be regarded as specially miraculous, but which is common to the children of God, or which, at least, is rendered to all who shall be the heirs of sal- vation. Jesus said, that, when Lazarus died, he was carried by the angels to i\braham's bosom ; implying that they are ministering spirits who had waited on him, and strengthened him, as, perhaps, they strength- ened Jesus in His agony in Gethsemane ; and then, 296 MOSES AND THE PHILOSOPHERS. were ready at his decease, to bear his soul on thcnr pinions home to the Paradise above. Jesus did not by this, intend to teach that Lazarus had any special or pecuHar favor conferred on him. The lesson con- veyed by His words, is, that every child of God, even though he be as poor and afflicted as Lazarus was, should even count it a joy to suffer for the name of Christ, since he is so honored of God, and has angels to minister to him. What does Paul say on this subject ? "And o( the angels He saith, Who maketh His angels spirits; and His ministers a flame of fire." And again, "Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister for them who sliall be heirs of salvation?" Christ said, concerning little children, "Verily, I say unto )ou, that, in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father who is in heaven." There are some weak Christians who can hardly be- lieve these things true. They have great reason to pray for an increase of their faith. Why should they doubt, when they read of what God hath done, and what He intends to do for His church? ''All tJiiuQ-s are yours" — this is said concerning the churcli — "all things are yours ; whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are yours; and ye are Christ's; and Christ is God's." The inference from all this is, that since it hath en- tered into the scheme of God's <7overnment to use the ministry of inferior beings in carrying out His glorious designs, and since, as we know from the Scriptures, He hath pursued this plan in conducting the affairs THE CONSUMMATION OF ALL TllLNGS. 297 of this world, there Is no reason to conclude that He will not adhere to this policy of using the ministry of angels in reference to the affairs of other worlds. If His dominion is extended, includino- thousands and millions of worlds, many of which may be larger than this, analogy as well as the plain teachings of the Bible require us to believe, that messengers may be sent out from the eternal throne to any, or all, of these worlds, whenever the King of kmgs may have occasion to employ any of His ministers as vicegerents, in ser- vice of this kind. But the impression on our mind from the words of Paul, leads us to say, that not the angels who had been created to minister to the heirs of salvation, are to be the ministers or vicegerents of God hereafter, to visit those other countless w^orlds, peopled by sinless inhab- itants, in order to make known to them "the abundant Grace" of God; but that those heirs of salvation themselves who had been ministered unto by angels, after they have ceased to be heirs, and after they have been made kings and priests unto God, and have received their crowns and their commissions — that they, and not the angels, are to have the honor and the distinction of makinor known, and nublishino- In all those worlds, the manifold wisdom of God in Christ. We read of no other vicegerents — no other order o of kings and priests under the King of kings, but the redeemed saints. They are to reign with Him, or to reign under Him. The most literal construction that can be put on the words of Paul justifies, and even requires this conclusion. In what other sense can we understand 298 M;).si;:s AM) I'lii". riiiLo.^oriiKRS. the plirase, '' mig^ht be known b}- the church," to the principalities in heavenl)' places, except that the knowl- ed^re of this manifold wisdom, and abundant Ciracc in Christ, is to be communicated to the inhabitants of all those worlds, by the church — the heirs ol salvation — those who had been redeemed ? Every one saved by Grace, and who had washed his robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb, will be a mem- ber of that church, called "the (jeneral assembly and Church of the First-born in heaven." It is by thciu, or iJirough than as agents, that knowledge of ihe abundant Grace is to be published. The expression — "might be known by the church" — has a twofold significance. The church is to be, both passively and actively, the medium through which the knowledoe of Grace is to be made known in all worlds. And first, passively ; because without a re- deemed church, there would be no Grace, and no knowledge of Grace. The redeemed church is the very embodiment, or the outward expression of God's infinite Grace and Lovt; in Christ. There are no other subjects of Grace but th(.' members of the redeemed church. For that reason, doubtless, they are called His "Jcwelsy The sinless angels are not subjects of Grace. The sinless inhabitants of those myriads of worlds floating in the immensity of space, and ruled by physical law, are not subjects of grace. Hence, the knowledge of " the alAnuLuU Grace " must be ''by the c/iurchy But it would be in vain that Christ died on Cal- vary, as far as the inhabitants of other worlds are concerned, if the story of the cross should never be THE CONSUMMATION OF ALL THINGS, 299 published, or made known among them. And this is to be done by the kin_y;s and the priests, whom Christ hath ordained to this work. This is the other im- portant sense in which the words of the apostle are to be understood. The redeemed are to be, actively as well as passively, the medium tlirough whom the wonderful and manifold wisdom is to be made known. This is a great mission in store for the trophies of Grace. Wherever there is a bright, shining world that dots the map of God's boundless empire, peopled with intelligent and happy beings, there the story of Calvary is to be made known. And ransomed saints, having received their immortal crowns, and reignlno- under Christ, are to be the heralds to publish the tidings from world to world. An important reason in support of this view, is the fact, that the redeemed saints alone will possess the requisite qualifications for acting the part of messen- gers or heralds, in making known the story of redemp- tion to the principalities and powers in all the heavenly places. For, being themselves the monuments of grace, having on the blood-washed garments of sal- vation, and bearing in their persons the very marks of the Grace of God, they could speak of salvation and make known the abundant Grace, as neither sin- less angels nor archangels could do. Does all this seem like a fiction or a dream ? Reader, thou mayest never have had thy thoughts called to this high theme, — but ask thyself, what God made all those bright, shining habitable worlds for. Could there have been a higher end, or one more 300 MOSES AND TIIK PHILOSOPHERS. worthy of God, than that given by Paul — "who created all things by Jesus Christ; to the intent that now unto the princij^alities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church, the manifold wisdom of God, according to the eternal purpose wliicli He purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord." " Unto Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, and in all worlds." VI. Let us now briefly contemplate the exaltation, or the preferments awaiting the redeemed of God. If we have given the right interpretation to the words of Scripture, we must believe that there are peculiar honors and dignities in reserve, for the ransomed sons and daughters of God. In a previous chapter, our attention was called to the vision of John, in wliich he beheld the hosts of God above, in the order in which they worship about the throne, and heard their ascrip- tions, in which the ransomed hosts seemed to occupy a place in front of the an^iels, or higher both in their apparel, and in the nature of their worship. Now we have a view of them in their redeemed and triumphant state, going forth as kings and priests, with commissions from the Kini2- of kincrs, speeding their way on the wings of light and love, to those dis- tant stars and planets made and ruled by Him, some of which are now scarcely visible even with the help of a telescope — going to those distant worlds, as vice- gerents and plenipotentiaries of King Jesus — and on what errand? to make known to the principalities and powers, — to all the holy and intelligent inhabitants of those celestial worlds, '' tJic abundant Grace" — to tell them the story of the Cross — to carry the proclama- THE CONSUMMATION OF ALL THINGS. 3OI tion which they had never heard before, that " God is Love ! " They had ever known God to be great, and wise, and good; and they had worshipped Him accordingly. But they had known nothing of His moral perfections — nothinof of His Grace — nothing- of His infinite Love. But now, there comes a messenger from the throne — a radiant beincr clothed in the garments of salvation, bright and shinmof as the li^rht, brino-ino- a mcssaofe of glad tidings, which shall spread joy among all the in- habitants of that world. And that messencrer is Paul, or Peter, in their robes of light and salvation, and wearing their crowns. Or, perhaps, it is only the once poor, and humble, and afflicted Lazarus. It is no idle promise that Jesus holds out to the faithful; "To him that overcometh will I grant to sit down with me in my throne, even as I overcame and am set down with my Father in His throne." VII. Now we are not to be charged with presump- tion, if we ask, what was the ultimate end to be developed in this wondrous scheme of redemption. Doubtless, that end has a double aspect, embracing both the glory of God and the highest possible good of the creature. These are so related that we may say, God could not manifest His glory without pro- moting the happiness of His intelligent creatures ; and, also, intelligent creatures would scarcely have any capacity at all for happiness, without some knowl- edge of the glory of God. We do not, and we cannot affirm that the countless hosts of sinless beings, peopling the myriads of God's worlds, stand in need of an experimental knowledge of the grace 302 MOSES AND THE PHILOSOPHERS. and love of God. Let us carefully f^uard a^^alnst any such idea. But, not being under a moral dispensation, and havino- no knowledge of sin, they have no need of a Saviour. lUit when they shall learn in what way others sinned, and how they were saved by grace, this revealed knowledcfe will awakcMi new thoutdits and emotions, and give them views of the character of God that will thrill them with joy and wonder. They will never, no! never listen with mdifference to the story of Calvary ! That story falls on man\- a listless human car, and not a single emotion is awakened, and not a tear is shed. Puit it will not be so, when the same story shall be rehearsed to the white-winged ones inhabiting those distant spheres. Suppose that one of the red(.'emed has received his commission from King Jesus, as an innumerable mul- titude are to be thus commissioned, and shall speed his way on the wings of the morning light, with a rain- bow of love encircling his brow, to one of those beautiful worlds enlightened by Sirius, or some other distant star, to tell the inhabitants of the love of Jesus, as exhibited in His death on the Cross, and can we believe that such news would fall upon listless cars? They had never known anything of the nature of sin, but had always loved and served God , and if they could comprehend that story of Calvary, it would be the most wonderful tidings that ever fell on their ears — and the news would ijo from one to another till every one should catch the sound ; and there would go up, as in the angel's son^ one universal burst of praise, "Glory to God in the highest!" THE CONSUMMATION OF ALL THINGS. 3O3 The fundamental truth in the whole scheme is, that "God is love." There is no system of religion in the world that recognizes this first principle, but Christi- anity. And Christianity is the scheme that was de- vised by God himself, to develop this truth that ''God is lovc^' to the crlory of His name, and tb.e highest good of the created universe. God must have been infinitely pleased when the angels first proclaimed the glad tidings of great joy, which should be to all people. And when that choral soncr, then first beo-un, shall be sung and echoed in every heavenly place, on every habitable globe in the mighty universe, swelling up from every heart as it shall be thrilled with the news, that Jesus died on the Cross — that the Lamb was slain on Calvary to save lost sinners, till all the worlds shall learn the news, and join in the chorus, "Glory to God in the highest," we must believe that God will be infinitely pleased with the song, and that He will be glorified, because His Son is thus honored. And His chosen warriors who fouQht and died in His cause — His coronated heroes who participated in His triumphs, will be the chosen messengers, to make known His glory in the distant spheres, till there shall be one general jubilee of praise swelling up to God, from one end of the universe to the other — something, perhaps, like that which John heard in his visions, saying : "And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne, and the beasts, and the elders; and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand and thousands of thousands; saying, with a loud voice, worthy is the Lamb that 304 MOSES ANI^ Till-: I'lIlLOSOPlIF.KS. was slain, to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honor, and glory, and blessing. And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are m the sea, and all that are in them heard I, sa\ intr, blessino- and honor, and glory be unto Him which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb forever and ever. And the four beasts said, Amen." And would not this be the perfection of glory ? Here we see the consummation of that purpose of wisdom and grace, which God from eternity purposed in Christ, and which it has been our aim, in these vol- umes, to develop — a glorious universe, at last rejoicing in the love of God, and with one voice praising Him for His "abundant grace." Can science or philosophy offer anything in comparison with tliis ? Can they find, in creation, a plan, a motive, or a design worthy the Infinite Creator? Hear what a Christian scientist has to say : "Without question, we yield to nature, precedence in the order of time. Nature was before man. Through immeasurable aeons, the processus of her phenomena, in all their varied beauty, sublimity and terror, had moved on with no human spectator to ob- serve them. The upheaval of the continents ; the slow subsiding of the seas ; glaciers and icebergs ; volcanic fires and steamy mists — hot, cold, moist, and dry, striving for mastery, ' o'er many a frozen, many a fiery Alps;' gigantic flora blooming and decaying; monsters of reptile and animal life, the spawn of chaos and night ; all these had been, and had left their record upon the surface of the globe; inorganic nature, organic nature ; life, vegetable, insect, animal — all had passed on and on through timeless epochs TPIE CONSUMMATION OF ALL THINGS. 6^0 of duration, without one trace of man." — Dr. TJiomp- soji s Alan in Genesis and Geology. The above was written by a doctor of divinity to harmonize the Bible with false science. And all these "immeasurable ceons" and "timeless epochs" — these terrific revolutions — glaciers, icebergs, upheavals, sub- sidences, animal monsters, etc., the spawn of chaos and night — all came, and all had passed away before there was any trace of man. How can this be recon- ciled with Paul, that, in the befrinnino- God created all things, "to the intent" that angels and men, and all created intelligences might know the glory of God through the redemption of the Church. Perhaps, the writer of the above paragraph, held that God was not the author of the horrible state of things he describes. He speaks of nature, but he makes no mention of God. Old chaos and ancient night spawned their horrible spawn. "Nature was before man " — to nature we yield the precedence — inorofanic nature — organic nature. What does he mean by nature? Did nature during those immeas- urable ceons, produce the upheavals, the glaciers, the terrific monsters, etc. ? The writer could not have meant this, for he claimed to be a Christian. We are really grieved to find so many good men, carried away by their love of false science, and babbling all manner of nonsense. Another preacher, converted to the evolution phi- losophy, wrote : "The world is a great puzzle, even to men enlight- ened by Scripture, and the Insoluble questions rise 306 MOSES AND THE PHILOSOPHERS. like mountains on every side, from wliatever stand- point a man looks out in this world, and mere human reason unaided, so far as I can ouess or see, cannot make any consistent or coherent administration of affairs. 1 know not if it would be possible to prove the Divine benevolence, merely by tliat part of the world's history which we understand in the organiza- tion of matter, in the organization of life, in the bewildering forces that surround men on every side. In the stupendous cruelties, as we should regard them from our standpoint, men could scarcely reason out a benign Deity. The ancients — the heathen gen- erally met the difficulty by multiplying gods, and giving some beneficence, and some malignity ; and the history of affairs was the strife between the two. But we are not allowed that, and the problem of life is, how to solve the co-existence of all forms of sel- fishness, of cruelty, and of d(?stroying; for we do not get rid of a difficulty by refusing to see it. When we look at the organization of life upon the globe, the first thing that meets the eye is, that the principle of destructiveness is the organizing principle." — Beecher. The evolutionist from his standpoint, "■ cannot 7'cason out a benionatit Deity.'' Of course not; and this method of reasoning is logically calculated to drive any man into atheism. John Stuart Mill acknowl- edo^ed that it had this effect on him. And there are many atheists in our time, made so by the same logic. What a relief from this overcast, dark, and miserable scepticism, to turn to the philosophy of the Bible. It is there we obtain liofht. God created all things Q-ood — perfect. The blight of sin is, at present, resting upon this earth. This accounts for the sc/Jis/uicss, the cruelty, the destructiz'e?iess. But God reigns, and the consummation is to be glorious. THE CONSUMMATION OF ALL THINGS. 307 There are several important corollaries or logical sequences that naturally flow out of the great theme which has been discussed, on which we desire to fix attention before we close this chapter, and say our work is done. I. And first, as viewed from this standpoint of God's " eternal purpose" in Christ, how limited is the amount of evil as compared with the good, m the universe of God — two revolted worlds, and only two, but millions that never apostatized, and never felt the blight of sin ! The eternal purpose of God in Christ, as expounded by Paul, requires us to believe this. And we believe it — sincerely and devoutly believe it. Reasoning from analogy we are forced to the con- clusion, that, as astronomers assure us, the number of globes in existence is immense ; and that they are as well fitted to be the abodes of life, as that on which we dwell. And why should we not believe the inter- nal arrangements — the physical order, harmony, and beauty prevailing on the surface of those multiplied worlds to be as perfect as we know the great physical laws to be, that ever hold them in their orbits ? If we credit the Mosaic record, this world was most beautiful at first ; and there was no sin, no death, no cruelty, no selfishness, no destructiveness among its inhabitants. " God saw every thing that He had made, and behold it was very good." And this is just what we should be led to expect of a good and ^'be- nign DeityT And if God made man " upright," in His oivii image — if He made this world a beautiful and perfect world — and if He made every thing in it "very good," then, we must believe that He made all 30S MOSF..S AND TFIF. rillLOSOPHERS. the infinite worlds that may l)c in existence, with all that appertains to them, in the same way, very good. Now if the Scriptures authorize the belief, that, in the midst of so vast an cmpu'e, there have been but two revolts — that sm has brought disorder, confusion, and death into two worlds only among the millions that dot and bespangle the heavens of God, then we may ask, can the pagan philosopher, can the atheist, or can the evolutionist show anything to compare witlv this ? In what way would they prove that all the other worlds, which they believe to exist, are not just as full of deformity, cruelty, and destructiveness as the world in which we live? Could nature, or whatever it may be which they seem to deify ; or, could the principle of evolution work out more favorable results on other globes than it has done on our own earth ? To ask is to answer the question. And the answer involves a thought that is absolutely terrific, from which we turn away with a sense of loathing and abhorrence. The evil abounding in this world may, to us, seem great, because of our very limited views ; but as viewed in reference to the created universe, it may be almost nothin"", or as no more than a f^rain of sand compared to the globe. God might have planted that mystic " tree of the knowledge of good and evil," on some other earth, and that earth would have been the theatre of sin, and then we should have es- caped the curse. But our earth had the honor of this distinction, and for this we say that we render ten thousand thanks. And this is suorofestive of another important corollary. THE CONSUMMATION OF ALL THINGS. 3O9 2. The evil introduced into this world by the moral system brought in, through disobedience in eating the fruit of that forbidden tree, was incidental — while the good to accrue from it, will outweigh the evil by im- measurable degrees, and will redound to the glory of God, and the increased happiness and joy of the intel- lio^ent universe. Death, it is true, was the penalty of transgression. But transgression was by the law, and death by sin ; and throucjh the entrance of death, orace came, and by grace a redeemed Church ; and by a Church re- deemed by the blood of the Lamb, glory to God ; and through the manifestation of God's glor}', the highest good possible to the universe of created intelligences. These are the links in the chain that, at present, binds the imiverse to the footstool of God, and not one of these links may be broken out of the chain. The reasoning of Paul, that God " created all things by Jesus Christ" — all worlds, with all the creatures and all the furniture belonging to them — to the intent that His manifold wisdom in Christ — His love — His holiness — His saving mercy might be exhibited or made manifest to the hiMier orders of beines in all the heavenly places, carries with it the idea, that the universe is to be benefited by the death of 'Christ. And this idea aijain involves the thoueht that since the universe of created intelligences participates in the benefits of the death of Christ on Calvary, there was no necessity of His dying more than once. Tiie Son of God died for sinners, in the sense that He made an expiation for the guilt of their sins, and redeemed them to God by His blood. But He died 3IO MOSES AND THE PHILOSOPHERS. for the sinless inhabitants of other worlds, to the in- tent that "the abundant Grace," or the "manifold wisdom " of God, mi^ht be made manifest unto them, that they mij^ht know God more perfectly, and wor- ship Him in higher strains than would have been possible without any such manifestation. This manifestation of the glory of God is to be made hereafter, as we have before explained, through or by the mi.'.istry of the redeemed saints. What sanc- tified Christian heart does not exult in the prospect of bjing one of the vicegerents of Jesus, for making the tour of distant worlds, " to make known the exceeding riches of His Grace, in the ages to come!" 3. Another corollary from the system of doctrine herein developed, may be stated thus: if only one sin- ner is lost through wilful apostacy or unbelief, to every thousand, or thousand million of souls, who are directly or indirecdy blest through the redemption in Christy there can never be any charge of injustice brought ao-ainst the throne of God. There is not a devil in hell — there is not an apostate rebel against the grace of God, who will not be speechless. We have no means, of course, for determining the relative proportions of the finally saved and lost. But when we take into consideration the fact that, i)rob- ably, one-half the children of Adam die in infancy, who, as we believe, are all saved through Christ, and whose souls are just as valuable in the e)'e of God as the souls of adult persons, because we believe in the equality of souls ; and also take into consideration this other important fact, that, during the millennial age, when nearly if not quite all who shall be born THE CONSUMMATION OF ALL THINGS. 3II on the earth, will be trained up, and will live and die as Christians, we are furnished with substantial data from which to draw the conclusion, that the relative numbers of those who will be finally lost, may be small as compared with those who shall be saved. But these numbers, vast though they may be, dwindle almost to nothing- as compared with the millions of millions, and billions of billions of beautiful and bright inhabitants, dwelling in all those heavenly places that fill the starry heavens, who are to be mediately blest, and to have a richer, fuller cup of joy placed to their lips, through the redemption of Christ. The number of the lost may not, at last, bear any greater proportion to the whole number who shall be benefited by the scheme of redemption, than the num- ber of those erratic wanderers called comets, bears to the fixed stars which are numbered by millions, and always revolve in their proper orbits, while the former only number a few scores or hundreds, that seem like lost stars having been struck out of their proper spheres, and emitting only an uncertain and fiery glare. There will be bar:?Iy enough lost to show the de- formity of sin, and tbie justice of God in the punish- ment thereof; and by this display, the Beauty of Holiness, by contrast, will shine all the brighter in the eyes of the ransomed hosts. Free-will was a peculiar gift, conferred only on Adam's race, and the Elect angels. It was the very image of God. All other created beings in heaven above, on the earth beneath, and under the earth, are governed by absolute law. These, of course, are 312 MOSES AND THE PHILOSOPHERS. inferior, not intellectually it may be, but in their physi- cal state, as it is a fixed state — whereas those endowed with freedom of will, mi^^ht fall from their state, or rise to a hii^her condition, the contingency depending on an act of their own free-will. But falling thus, their fall becomes their crime, wherefore, they will be com- pelled eternally to say, Anicn to the justice of the sentence, by which they are banished from the holy presence of God. The place of their everlasting banishment, usually spoken of as Jicll, in the Scriptures, will be an eternal monument erected somewhere on the remote outskirts of creation, to the praise of the Divine justice. But all the rest of the unnumbered worlds will be full of love, and light, and joy; and vocal with the praises of God and of the Lamb, for His abounding grace. 4. Another inference from the great thtMiie which has been discussed, that gives us joy, however it may affect infidel minds, has respect to the preference given to our material earth, when it was selected as the theatre on which to enact the tragedy of Calvary. When we reflect that it was the Son of God who died there, to accomplish redemption, and thus' prove to the universe that "God is L(Jve ; " and also, that He only died once, and that He is never to repeat that tragedy on the theatre of any other globe, we have reason to think that our earth was peculiarly favored. What if this distinction did necessitate a moral con- stiliilion, and the existence in Eden of that mystic tree, by the fruit of which came the curse, that, for ages and centuries, seemed to derange all things, sowing the seeds of disorder, confusion and death, and even THE CONSUiMMATION OF ALI. THINGS. 313 turning- professed philosophers into fools, what of that? — the redeemed church was constituted — was born on this earth — and that church is " the Bride " — " the Lamb's wife." That church is New Jerusalem — "the city" — "the habitation of God," in which He is to dwell, and have His throne forever. That church has been orrowino- o o from the death of Abel, the first martyr, or the first polished stone set in that temple of grace ; and it is to grow till the last one of God's jewels, which He is gathering, shall be made up, and all set to shine for- ever and ever, in the crown of the King of kings. And as we reflect that God formed the universe for the sake of this church, and for the express purpose of preparing it as a bride for the Lamb, wc must say that it is no small distinction that our earth was made the birthplace of that Bride, when there were so many other worlds that mio-ht have been chosen to this honor. And this is suggestive of another corollary, the last we shall state as flowincr out of the theme we have discussed. 5. God is to dwell in the midst of His church for- ever. It is to be the place of the throne. Naturalists cannot tell where the centre of universal gravity is. One of them has made a calculation on the subject, as follows : "Behold, then, the power of God! Each solar system has a centre of gravity, around which all its members revolve, from the minutest to the mightiest of its worlds. If there were only a thousand or a mil- lion of such systems, then would the centre of gravity of each and every one of them revolve around the 314 MOSES AND THE PHILOSOPHERS. common centre of all ; and the whole component system, or s)'stem of systems, would be the universe. "Or a^jain, if there were a hundred, a thousand, or a million of these systems, they would revolve as one grand harmonious whole around a common centre of motion. Conceive this process to be continued, until the whole actual universe be, if possible, exhausted, and it will still be true that all worlds, and all systems, and systems of systems, revolve about a common centre of gravity. That common centre of the uni- verse is, may we not suppose, God's throne — the seat of His omnipotence — and thence all worlds, and all systems, and all atoms move with equal ease, obedient to His touch." This is the nearest approximation we have ever seen, towards ascertaining the centre of the universe, and the place of the throne; and we could not seriously object to the reasoning, if we could believe that God is a material being, or that His universe is wholly a material empire. But we think that it has a moral aspect, and in that light we must regard it. St. John gives altogether a more reliable account, when, in continuing his description of New Jerusalem, he says : "And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon to shine in it; for the glory of God did liijhten it, and the Lamb is the lioht thereof. And the nations of them which are saved, shall walk in the light of it; and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honor into it. And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day ; for there shall be no night there. "And He showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God, THE CONSUMMATION OF ALL THINGS. 3I.5 and of the Lamb. In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of Hfe, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month ; and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. And there shall be no more curse ; but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and His servants shall serve Him. and they shall see His face, and His name shall be in their foreheads. And there shall be no night there ; and they shall need no candle, neither light of the sun ; for the Lord God giveth them light, and they shall reign forever and ever." Is God indeed to be enthroned in the midst of His redeemed church! Then that must be the centre! Of course, the above is a highl)- figurative description. But it is the church m glory which is thus described, by the help of these brilliant metaphors. And God is said to have His abode in it, and to be the light thereof. Twice it is declared that the throne of God is in it. We are not left in doubt as to the reasons why God must manifest His presence in the church, as He does nowhere else in the universe. It is there that His glory has been displayed — the glory of Grace ! That glory can be seen nowhere else. "The glory of God doth lighten it." That glory is not any material effulo-ence. It is a moral effulijence- the beauty of holiness crowned with grace — the very perfection of glory, that some mortals have no conception of. The church is the repository of the grace and glory of God! It was to this end that He expended so much pains on it — that He was willing to die for it — that He cleansed, and washed, and purified it even with His own blood, that it should be holy — a pure bride, with- 3l6 MOSES- AND THE FIlILOSOrilEKS. out spot, or wrinkle, or any such LliinL,^ This Rridc was prepared b)- Mini, and for Ilini, and adorned with o^race and olory ! This is the churcli. And tliis is the rrracc God hath manifested unto the cluirch. It was in His eye before anything else, even from everlasting. It was the church that was embraced m His love, m that eternal purpose in Christ before the world was. And this diminutive earth was predestmed as the theatre to carry out that purpose, and exhibit that love! He [)assed by the other glorious worlds, and chose this insignificant eardi. Never can the crratitude of the church find due utterance, in words, for such distincruishinnf love. Then let a silence more expressive than words, ever speak His praise in the depth of all hearts! Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost, as it was in the beginning, is now, and shall be evermore. Amen. AN INVOCATION. Thou great I AM ! Jehovah, Jah, alone ! One God — tlie Father, Son, and Holy Ghost; Tlioii hcarest prayer — O, hear ihy servant now ! His task IS done — the work thou gavest him, Is finished — let hini heir iliy voice: "Well done!" \V;th tear;, and toiling long, he sowed the seed; Rejoicing, lot liim have a harvest liome ! Has not the woik, dear Lord, been done for thee ? And in thy namr>, nm\ at thy hidtling ? And now, when done, thy servant iays the gift, A free will offering, at Je:ius' feel. As long ago. He made tlie living cacnfice; It is not much, but all he has to give - The mental toil, and travail of his life — O, let the offering accepted he ! O, let a million copies circulate, AN INVOCATION. In al! the land, and also other lands, That men may know that thou art God alone! Thou seest how they take thy name in vain, And how they trample down the holy law ! How they pollute the Sabbaths of the Lord ! They stick out their lips, and vainly say, Of him who saw thy glory in the Mount — Moses— sublimest 'mong the sons of men — That he knew not the things of which he wrote ! O, let the scales fall from their blinded eyes ! Let knowledge spread— let truth be known abroad ; Till all the earth shall own thee, God alone ! We trust the promise in the prophecy. That all shall know thee in the latter day; That He, styled King of kings -///£• Son of man. Shall reign from sea to sea, o'er all the earth. This is our joy, now, m the wilderness. Thou, Mighty Angel of the Apocalypse, Ordained to preach the Everlasting Gospel O speed thy flight through heaven, and loud proclaim, The king(k)ms of the world, are now become The kiiigd.uns of our Lord, and of His Christ! Amen. 317 THE END.