Class "B Fl^M Book_ ■£-$& OopightN COFJRIGHT DEPOSIT. THE CELESTIALS AND TERRESTRIALS O R SPIRITUAL LAW IN THE NATURAL KINGDOMS. B Y ELD. JAMES DAVID COCKRAM, t| MINISTER "OF THE OLD SCHOOL OR PRIMITIVE BAPTISTS. m EON A, VIRGINIA EXCELSIOR PRINTING COMPANY 1905 13 % LIBRARY of CONGAS Two Copies rteceivcii APR 17 1^05 Copyrigm tiiuy t, ' dOA t ic , * fJ± ~ CLASS /, M,& Not COPY B. COPYRIGHT, 1905, Br JAMES DAVID COCK RAM, W SPIRITUAL AUTOBIOGRAPHY. Separated, my record shows, From earthly mother's womb; April the twenty-second day, Eighteen and seventy-one. A kingdom was I, then at hand, Placed in my mother's care; Which come on by observation, To breathe the mortals air* Thus in labor, pain and anguish, I was brought hence to view, To bear the earthly image here As Adam's creatures do. In me, my father took delight, As before him I came To be known in his own image And called by his name. Transported soon, my spirit was, Though in this kingdom dwell, To loftier thoughts of heights above, That spiritual rapture tell. Mine eyes were caught up to behold, From father's cabin door, A vision of the Lamb of God On that celestial shore. Turning to my playmate dear, Who was first in our number, I said, quietly, "look my sister, Do you see the thunder?" Now, my approach was near to eight, When darkness shut me up, And I very plainly saw my friends There in the bitter cup. In this darkness appeared much power, Which pronounced me quite dumb; But still in this I had faint hope To see the rising sun. More dense the awful darkness grew And I the Lord did pray, That before I sank in its depths, He might reveal the day. Being brought lower to mother earth, I on her bosom fell To pour out my complaint of woe In view of eternal hell. Great God, is there a creeping thing With which I could change place ? For now my kindom was destroyed I had no hope of grace. The preached word did but condemn, For I had felt its power, And cried the more unto the Lord Hence forth from that same hour. Till twelve years of my mortal Hf e, No light my soul could see, gj For darkness was not satisfied Save in death, God's wise decree. A moving, I at this age felt, A process very slow, Which ever and anon hath caused My mind afresh to glow. Aspiring to the heights above, Exploring depths beneath, My mind surveyed the gospel field God to 1113' soul bequeathed. Now thirty-three, my record shows, Thus nearer to the tomb; Hastening back to mother earth, Who doth my kingdom own. From her womb I once was called And fill my station here, While to her bosom often pressed And slumbered sweetly there. But sweeter then will be my rest, If Christ hath slept for me; Then more glorious shall I awake, For vast eternity. THE CELESTIAL AND TERRESTRIAL SUMMARY. "When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars which thou hast ordained." — Ps. 8 : 3. "Praise ye him, sun and moon: praise him all ye stars of light." Psalms 148 : 3. "For the Lord God is a sun and shield: the Lord will give grace and glor}-: no good thing will he withold from them that walk up- rightly." — Ps. 84 : 11. "There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars: for one star differeth from another star in glory". — I Cor. 15 : 41. "But there is a spirit in man: and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth them understanding."— Job 32 : 8. "I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: mar- vellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well." — Ps. 139 • 14. "There are also celestial bodies, and bodies terrestrial: but the glory of the celestial is one and the glory of the terrestrial is an- other." — I Cor. 15:40. "Prove all things; hold fast that which is good." — Thess. 5 :21. "And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless un- to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ." — Thess. 5 : 23. PREFACE, It was in the year of our Lord nineteen hun- dred and two, that great confusion laid hold upon me, and stood up around me until my spirit ap- peared as if it had been broken, and rest departed from me. Amid all this the hand of the Lord fell still more heavily upon me and removed from our midst, Ephraim, my first born, who was my heart's delight, and when I could no longer see him I cried out because of my weakness, and said: Your bright little face did cheer our home with ever laughing eyes, But closed, they are, upon these scenes, to open in the skies. Now reconcile us, Lord I pray, to thy almighty hand; And give us faith that we maj' live in that far better land. While I waited for reconciliation — upon a certain day when my spirit was stirred within me, I rose up suddenly and almost unconsciously taking hold of an old calendar and turning it over wrote, "The Celestials and Terrestrials' ' for a heading; and continued to write amid which it was said "do' the work of an Evangelist." I found not how to move forward for being encumbered with many things; but, greatly fearing the Lord, I plead that His judgements fall not upon me to a farther extent. I meditated upon the work that was before me, won- dering what its nature and character might be, real- izing all the while that there were peculiar features, all of which I endeavored to see in the writing which I was exercised with the greater part of my time. Now that it has continued with me until the pres- ent, and presents itself in this volume, I submit it for no other reason than that I believe it is of God and is required in this day and generation. JAS. D. COCKRAM. Woolwine, Va., Sept. 29, 1904. CONTENTS. CHAPTER. PAGE. I. The Greater and Lesser Lights 12 II. Predestination in Law of Sin and Death. ..79 III. Pedesti nation in Law of Spirit of Life 93 IV. Plan of Salvation 114 V. Quickening in Regeneration 124 VI. Personal Resurrection 135 VII. Putting You in Remembrance 1 45 VIII. Occupants of This Temple 185 IX. Restitution of All Things , 224 INTRODUCTION. My Friends: — As I have been moved to submit this work, the first from my hands, and pobably the first of its character that has ever appeared for the consideration of the Saints of God, I trust you may do me the courtesy to give a faithful hearing to such an extent as the truth may be found in its pages, and after this is exhausted, if there be worthless matter remaining, let its part be classed with a certain amount of the writing of all authors who have gone before me, and whose works and names still live, notwithstanding their inability to be perfectly correct in every thing — such must be the case with all humanwritings. The laws presented in this work, as they ap- peared from time to time, lining out, unfolding, an dividing up, we think, when fully understood, can be considered a valuable acquisition to the literature among our people. So I now ask your attention to some of the facts which I wish to present in this Introduction, which we think will lend something to the clear- ness of the subject matter under consideration. In this dividing up, classifying, grouping and paralleling with the objects of nature I was com- pelled to place Terrestrial bodies so as to make them answer to a personified embodiment of the entirety of the natural creation. I found thereby, that man must answer to all three of the natural kingdoms collectively; for in the first place he is in them, springing out of them, bringing such kingdoms to a higher plane of existence by birth (natural); thus a terrestrial embodiment of "three in one" calling for a celes- tial oneness in type, wherein God said "Let us make man in our image and after our likeness, " in which sense God is resident in spirit. In this, man is the pattern of the highest, the law of whose creation makes it necessary for him to draw his supplies from his original source. Man cannot live on water alone, still he must have it; nor bread a- lone but must have it; nor meat alone but must have it as well. Water has its mineral, bread its plant, and meat its animal, and it requires them all to make a complete supply. All these things are made for man and are subject to him, for he is lord of the natural kingdoms; hence, we find what we consider to be the correct title to this work, "The Celestials and Terrestrials" or"Spiritual Law in the Natural Kingdoms" the verdict of which will be rendered for or against, according to the different ideas prevailing with the human family; and, as this book expresses the opposite in title and, I think in substance, from Henry Drum- mond's "Natural Law in the Spiritual World," it might be well to state here that Drummond's work was not read by me until this w T ork was well on its way; though in conversation with friends it was sometimes said, "you have Drummond's idea, "which thing implanted a desire in me to read his work, for I could not see for my life how he could get Natural Law in the Spiritual World. I endorse him on "Biogenesis" which is Spiritual Law in the Natural Kingdoms clearly demonstra- ed, and many ideas throughout his work are good, but "Evolution" can never throw a rock so high as to start it the other way. It will come back and remains for the full reign of the spiritual law of infallibility in the three measures of mortality; spirit, soul and body. Such we conceive to be Spiritual Law in the Natural Kingdoms — may it not enter into controversy, and the Lord give clearer understanding to others who may see the truth of its statements and catch it up for a more glorious expansion. ERRATA Paee 13 line 23 should read "subject to the law 17 27 "compasses" should be "composes ' 16 "overrating" „ overruling 33 Lo 4-1 ;, 17 "To 52 31 "spiritual light" ,. spiral light 53 , 10 "sealed" „ solid 62 ., 1 "mate" „ jnote 95 bottom "Lord" ,, ^nd 125 line 3 "affected" ,, effectual 133 ., 9 "that" must be omitted. 140 " 16 "on" should be "in" 149 ',', 25 "came" „ come 152 ., 18 "prophets" ,, prophet 181 top preacher mispelled. "scare L83 CHO. should begin "I long for home 1S9 line 28 "a" should be as 14- "Creator" should be Creation 207 "„ 30 "unlawfully" „' lawfully 209 „ 15 "falsehood" mispelled. oia 3 "by" should be "be" 256 ".', 30 "predestination" for Predestmanan ( ither Slight ones may have escaped our notice. inns i be score THE CELESTIALS AND TERRESTRIALS. CHAPTER I. THE GREATER AND LESSER LIGHTS. These correspond to the bodies celestial and bodies terrestrial, and in no case differ from the mortals and immortals (figuratively speaking). To enter upon this great and all important question, which now projects itself far out into the typical waters which God divided in the beginning, means to deal with that which has and ever will be, in the surging seas of frail humanity, the ming- ling of waters and waters and light and darkness. There is a dividing line which God Himself drew in the beginning between light and darkness and waters above the firmaments and waters below the firmaments, and the ability to observe these lines which deal with temporal and eternal things de- pends altogether upon our citizenship i. e., under what manner of heavens we are born and of what manner of waters we partake. The character of man as pertaining to the ordinary birth must have its classification with the litteral waters or waters be- low the firmaments, which are among the temporal things, meaning things that are seen. We come to be associated with the waters below in our first or ordinary birth, and science teaches (I think) that about three parts of a lifeless body are water. The three component parts of a terrestrial body are kingdoms, the properties and character- istics of which are found in our natural world; it being the subsoil required by the maker for such a fearful and wonderful work; by "force" of whose law they are brought to bear conjointly upon the 13 THE GREATER AND LESSER LIGHTS. 1 3 existence of man; so that the earth is a formation in man before that man is a creation on the earth. Thus it is that the world is as much in man as man is in the world and hence we find the first law for the spiritual type to express the following: THE TERRESTRIAL BODY IS A CREATION IN ADAM WHO IS AN EMBODIMENT OF THE THREE EARTHLY KINGDOMS, WHEREIN THEY FIND A HIGHER PLANE OF EX- ISTENCE BY BIRTH. Now it is by force of this law that we have Adam multipled and the only understanding we arrive at by this is the conditions in mortality, and we are desirous to show to the reader here how that the dead ele- ments are caught up to a higher state of existence by the essence of mortal life whose law is "sin and death," sending them back to the earth to await farther refinement. So we readily understand that in the final the law of a terrestrial body is "disso- lution" — "from dust thou art and unto dust thou shalt return." This is sufficient for the exterior or animal life but is not sufficient for the human soul or interior life which is not subject the law of mortal dissolution but is subject to "the law of sin and death." This law is prevalent in the souls of all men at ordinary birth and is preeminent in the hands of its executor (Satan) unto sin and sin pre- dominates unto death; so that death reigns by sin. This must be confined to the redeemed soul which meets its doom in a terrestrial body. This soul is not of the earth earthly but has its significance with a body celestial and is clothed on with this earthly house; therefore man is composed of spirit, soul and body as sayeth the scripture. We do not question in this connection but that all men are created e- qual and have the same identity and as Paul says 14 THE CELESTIALS AND TERRESTRIALS. "Are made of one blood' ' and in this element we dwell together as one great common brotherhood having the same earthly father (Adam) who is our head and representative. Now the same law, tin- der which our federal head was set up, e- qually applies to all his progeny who are mani- fest in the world of corruptible seed without a sin- gle exception. Every Son of Adam springs into life of corruptible seed and has no other mind than that of his father, which is carnal, and therefore not subject to any law, save that of his being, which law is "the law of sin and death." Here is where man's depravity or fallibility comes in, and is where the powers of darkness are brought to bear upon him. The very fact that "the law of sin and death" is prevalent and has its part in our individual makeup furnishes ample proof, and is really unmistakable evidence of the depravity of all mankind: darkness and light must needs be divid- ed that the light may shine out of darkness and that the depths of darkness may be searched out by Him alone who hath light: here is where deep calleth unto deep and the infernal regions .belch forth their darkness in vain to swallow up the light: here it is that salvation's triumphant work is seen, the powers of darkness abased and the children of light reclaimed. Now, why should we complain of the first man and what his mistake brought upon us? Shall we complain of darkness because it is darkness and cannot be light? Then, may we complain of mor- tality because it is not immortal? Were it not for the fact that Adam's inabilty is supplied by the a- biliy of Christ, salvation could never have been by grace. Therefore we can only associate him with darkness, sleep time or death as mortality THE GREATER AND LESSER LIGHTS. 1 5 will have it. We must have him clearly present all that is in an earthly or terrestrial body which is ruled by the lesser light, which light rules the night, being also suject to changeableness. We must, without any hesitation, place him (Adam) with all his descendants in this elementary dark- ness which first appeared upon the face of the deep as the great symbol representing the works of the flesh. Neither are we authorized to recognize him as possessing the gift' of eternal life prior to the fall, then, by virtue of the fact that a greater light rose who should rule the day, being King of the day and the giver of all light, whose power alone can divide the light from the darkness by reason of which mortal men become the children of day, we must freely give, as divinely spoken, to all darkness, comprehension, but not comprehen- sion of light, for, "the light shineth in darkness and the darkness comprehended it not." It will be noticed how that we propose using metaphors and figures for both heights and depths as it may concern the Celestials and Terrestrials, bringing to light the idea of Spirtual Law in the Natural Kingdoms i. e. we come expressing the ruling of the greater and lesser lights as seen in the outside world (sun and moon; they being- prototypes which are synonymous with the ruling power (or lights) in the celestial and terrestrial bodies. It is well understood that the ruling light in our natural world by night is the moon and by day is the sun, which is supreme in all the universe. We grant that there is the ruling of a living soul- light in every mortal at birth, whose body must represent darkness and whose soul rules in such a body as a lesser light ruling by night, nor is this an independent but rather a dependent light whose l6 THE CELESTIALS AND TERRESTRIALS. shining depends on the greater light,for without the sun which shines and reflects there would be no earthly light at all. And in this connection it may be said that "He lights every man that cometh into the world;" also that "In Him we live, move and have our being." These passages are spoken as if universally applied and to have their significance in the law of our creation. Here we are forced to move a step farther with the apostle's expression which calls for the glory of the stars whose sig- nificance must be that of bodies celestial, and our thoughts upon this is that every star in space as a body celestial will have its farther significance in a body terrestrial, but just how many does glow and will glow in the resplendency of the light of the sun, no one, we suppose, will ever be able to tell. Stars appear in some sense, we are told, after the order of men, so that every soul redeemed from death has its star: thus it is said, "Praise ye him, sun and moon: praise him, all ye stars of light."-Ps. 148 :3, and again, "Therefore sprang there even of one, and him as good as dead, so many as the stars of the sky in multitude and as the sand which is by the seashore innumerable."-Heb. 11:12. Jude speaks of wandering stars to whom is re- served the blackness of darkness forever (Jude 13). So David and Jude make a distinction in the stars. Man in his terrestrial connection unquestionably embraces all that is mortal, both soul and body, "For God alone hath immortality, dwelling in light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be power and honor everlasting." — I Tim. 6 : 16. Again, "The soul of Christ himself was poured out unto death." This, his life, which was the fruit of the womb, THE GREATER AND LESSER LIGHTS. 1 7 was the offering for his people. He had power to lay it down and power to take it again. We are partakers of immortality no farther than we are made partakers of the Holy Ghost which is the life and character of Christ, There is no law by which the fruit of the womb can answer to an immor- tal requirement save that of regeneration, per- taining to the church militant, and resurrection pertaining to the church triumphant: by virture of these laws we become an inhabitant of eternity with the blessed. We have an inhabitant of this world by "force" of corruptible seed and one for the world to come by virtue of incorruptible seed. Birth, under the first law, peoples this pres- ent evil world, while that under the second, peo- ples the world to come. Birth opens the eyes upon temporal things and death upon things eternal. As soul and body, we associate the soul with the body as being perfectly at home — there can be no clash- ing terms in nature. The soul partakes of the name and nature of her husband Adam, and is the w r eaker element answering to woman who is of man even as the soul is of the spirit which is of God. Then the spirit's work is a soul found to ex- ist in the spirit and the spirit in the soul, the soul being body of the spirit and the spirit head of the soul: this compasses a celestial body and in no wise can be taken for the temporal or outward man. Now, while the soul or bride is subject to death, we must know that its character is that of a carnal mind: death is the essential that's exper- ienced by every child of grace who must needs pass from death unto life. The first thing they reach is death amid the continuous striving of the soul to throw it off. The inevitable consequence of the reign of "the law sin of and death" in the soul 1 8 THE CELESTIALS AND TERRESTRIALS. is death sooner or later. Thus to come to the end of such a law means death, at which time the soul ceases from its own works, but no soul ceases from its works so long as there is carnal effort, and car- nal effort is there so long as there is one spark of the former life remaining. The soul must be dead; it is then, and not till then, that such become the subject of salvation, of whom we hear the scrip- tures saying: "The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live." — John 5 : 25. Hence it is said: "You, hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins." — Eph. 2:1. Dead before born? I think not, in this sense— "Be- fore the commandments came I was alive," says Paul, "But when they came, sin revived and I died:" so, prior to the coming of the heavenly requisition, sin must be the thing that is dead; for, where there is no law, there can be no trespass, and so sayeth the scriptures: "Sin is the transgres- sion of the law." Then, the work of redemption asks for a living subject who is alive to sin but dead to righteousness, and that life is required at the hands of the law for individual trespass. Thus executed under "the law of sin and death," he pays the penalty by actually dying, at which time "Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth." It is then, but not till then, that one can be said to be "dead to sin and alive to righteousness." Now, we have endeavored to show how man pays the penalty of the law by dying, as God said to Adam, "In the day that thou eatest thereof, thou shalt surely die." The law has no mercy in it, but prosecutes unto death, at which point it must stop, being powerless to do any more: but THE GREATER AND LESSER LIGHTS. 1 9 grace (or mercy) must be had, or the creation of man for the glory of God was a lost cause. "But God, who is rich in mercy for his great love where- with he loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ — by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of your- selves: it is the gift of God." — Eph. 2 : 4-5-8. Now is it not understood that man pays the pen- alty of the law while Christ steps in and pays the ransom price in order to make reconciliation, and thus redeems him from under the curse of the law. He was clothed with the greatest of authority from the highest possible court, therefore, He a- bolishes death and "brings life and immortality to light through the gospel," so that God's children are no more subject to "the lav/ of sin and death," as once, which thing calls for the high and per- suasive argument of Paul to the Romans, saying: "There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit: for the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death." — Rom. 8:5. Now, the saint does not walk after the flesh; otherwise, death is not abolished, and Paul was mistaken when he said; "The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death." There must be a dying in Adam, which dying is not realized by all men, and there must necessarily follow a living in Christ which all men do not experience. In this dying the soul must have part, on one hand, and equally so in the liv- ing, on the other hand, by which the soul becomes differently identified — having part in the first res- urrection, her relationship is lost with the first husband, and where, as she now lives, it is by 20 THE CELESTIALS AND TERRESTRIALS. virtue of the fact that she is raised from the dead by the manifestation of the quickening spirit, which is the last man Adam — the Lord from heav- en, she now partakes of his name and nature; hence her identity with her second husband, her immortality or eternal life. Now we see her no longer at home in the body but in a continuous warfare, Adam's mortality clashing with her im- mortality, a fight between darkness and light, (the works of the flesh and the work of the spirit). Which, suppose ye, is victorious? As naturally with the first husband, so spiritually with the sec- ond, there is no clashing but atonement, i. e., she has the mind of Christ, her husband, and he has the love and confidence of the soul, his bride, who at all times desires his presence and feasts upon his smiles. Our purpose is to stay, as closely as we well can, with man's terrestrial connection until we have brought these hidden truths as much to light as is possible for us to do, with which lays the burden of proof as to the correctness of the title claimed for this work. This forces me to en- ter the field of science, and labor among some things hard to be understood; but if, by the grace of God, our explorations in an unseen land can but please the King and give encouragement to His household, and if we do no more than break the ice over deeper waters where it is said that mystery lays, probably it may give encourage- ment to a bolder explorer with a more far seeing eye who may bring up the jewels from deeper waters. Now to the question, "What will ye see in the Shulamite? As it were the company of two ar- mies." — Cant. 6 : 13. Here is where we see man THE GREATER AND LESSER LIGHTS. 21 as a complex character fulfilling the laws of each body. In looking after man from his terrestrial relation, we are endeavoring to show his scientifi- cal embodiment to be that of kingdoms, as we have said, and that his erection is from foundation material upward. Commencing with mineral (a kingdom), we find him answering to his connec- tion with it by calling for his daily supplies and absolute necessities from such a kingdom. Now we move up to the plant kingdom, which is next in order, giving us the first glimpse of life. Here we again appeal to man to learn of his ter- restrial embodiment, who assures us furthermore of his mother's traits. It is in this kingdom that we find the most beautiful picture of mother life, who brings forth a seed more vitally connected with the earth: it is here that man finds his soul typified as the fruit of the womb, the lower order of life, but the glory of the higher order; for the animal glories in the plant and must confess his utter dependence upon it, even as man, who is the higher, glories in the woman, the lower, and is dependent upon her for his perpetuation upon the earth. It is in this kingdom that man finds bread which is considered the staff of life. Leaving this kingdom, we make the last appeal to the body of man from which inquiry comes the intelligence that this portable frame so uniquely and wonderfully fashioned was built for the hab- itation of God in spirit. Thus we have it that the typical outward man who is tri-une in his earthly connection is simply alive with the spirit of the flesh the entirety of which things compose a Ter- restrial Body, while the inward or spiritual man, whose relation is not with the earth, passes on to the higher tri-unity and partakes of the nature of 22 THE CELESTIALS AND TERRESTRIALS. father, son and holy ghost. By the embodiment of these we have the kingdom of God, by virtue of which we have a celestial body alive with the spir- it of God. Now it is in this body that we find the kingdom of heaven and in the life of this body that we find "the law of the Spirit of life." — Rom. 8:2. Oh! How deep and incomprehensible is the life of the child of God. Well might the apostle say; "ye are dead and your life is hid with Christ in God." So, we see that the tri-unity of man is but a spiritual t} 7 pe springing out of the natural world, whose powers are brought to bear upon his exist- ence in a natural body, which constitutes individ- uality; and, it is by force of just such powers, or such a law, that his individuality is lost to the world. Man's individual heavens and earth fur- nish but a single canopy for a lone star who knows but a faint, glimmering moon-light. It is here that mother life flashes through the interior of a terrestrial or animal body, but whose shining depends upon a greater and more interior life. Here it is that our father life leaps forth in the name of spirit as a higher order to impress the image of the most high God "in whom we live, move and have our being." Now the spirit as individual possesses the conscience of all men, the law of which is obedience. This must be so be- cause of spirit being head and corresponding in that measure to Christ who is the head of the THE GREATER AND LESSER LIGHTS. 23 church and in whom alone there is obedience. The life of man was not endangered prior to the life of woman, but when the two forms were brought face to face with each other we may safe- ly suppose that animal nature was present, and when the two forces were brought to bear upon each other, this was sufficient to produce action for the perpetuation of evil upon the earth. We have no clue at the origin of evil or Satanic per- suasion farther than animal nature introduces it; from thence it is hidden away in the mystery of Godliness that the power of God may be manifest. The highest natural kingdom then in man we have shown to be animal, which covers the whole ground, wherein he has preeminence over all the inferior tribes of the earth w hich were placed here for his use. Our effort to show conclusively ,that the voicing of all creation in that very wonderful sense is in the mortal body of man making demand each day upon him for natural supplies, will no doubt be seen by the thinking mind, and, that the only way into the true understanding of "the kingdom of heaven" is to reach a greater interior by parellels running through the Terrestrial Body which can be seen, thus typifying a body that cannot be seen, not being temporal, but eternal, hence Ce- lestial, having only a temporal abode with the kingdom of observation. This body has a spiritu- al law by virtue of which it never dies. Then what is the first law? We understand it is that of "sin 24 THE CELESTIALS AND TERRESTRIALS. and death" which gendereth to bondage; but the law of the spirit of life is supreme, whose import is freedom. So the tendency is freedom from all nature, and were it not for the fact that we have the reign of Spiritual Law in the Natural Kingdoms, this could never, never be accom- plished. Man's living soul faculty only, constitutes his lordship over the three natural kingdoms wherein he exercises as a sovereign ruler. According to the parallel from the outside world we are only authorized to recognize two forms of life in man, there being only two living kingdoms in the natural world (vegatable and an- imal), leaving man to answer to the type with soul and spirit. Upon the ground and pillar where he stands there is no life, no germination or com- ing forth is to be found here — the mortal body must be quickened in the same way that the body of Jesus was quickened, which was after "the law of sin and death" had had its full force upon him which ensued in corporal death. We have not been able, as yet, to find any law whereby the mortal body undergoes any change for the better prior to the general resurrection, concerning which the scriptures furnish ample proof of the resurrection of the body; at which time it is brought from under "the law of sin and death" entering the estate of immortality. These things are true, we feel sure, concerning the redeemed of the Lord, who shall possess their bodies again even THE GREATER AND LESSER LIGHTS. 25 as Christ possessed his — 110 more a natural but a spiritual body. He was the first fruits of those who shall arise from the dead, and hence Paul could say: "It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body." — Cor. 15 : 44. The ce- lestial body, it is seen, is given to the militant king- dom as a creature subject to vanity, ("For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willing- ly, but by reason of him who subjected the same in hope." — Rom. 8 : 20) and the spiritual body to the kingdom triumphant wherein the creature is no longer subject to vanity. Here is where we are compelled to recognize the fact that spirit and body reunite, and must be the meaning of the language of Christ when he said: "In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you." — John 14 : 2. Again he says: "And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also." — John 14 : 3. Now in each body there is growth, and in each case it is fixed for a certain statue, not being rec- oned from effort but from certain laws. In the terrestrial body they are organic and call for the statue of a man, under the favoritism of which law, that statue is attained. In the celestial body, growth is spiritual, calling for the statue of Christ, under the favoritism of whose law, this statue is reached; but the last must be reconed from mind, 26 THE CELESTIALS AND TERRESTRIALS. which is spiritual growth, or "growth in grace" (which means in favor with God). The carnal mind is brought up with the earthly body by com- prehension, and the spiritual with the heavenly body by revelation; each mind brings up a body and in each case the mind is the government of the body without which the body is not safe. One brings up the hidden things of darkness and the other the secret things of light. Both minds are His and are lain deep in wisdom's ways. Life is His and death is His, darkness is His and light is His, for thus sayeth the Lord: "I form the light and create darkness." — Isa. 45 : 7. We feel fully persuaded that God has set up each kingdom for His declarative glory. The kingdom of darkness speaks on every hand of His creative power in the kingdom of observation, wherein mortality appears fulfilling the requirement of the powers of dark- ness; this being a prerequiste unto the display of the power of light concerning which we get the first glimpse of the great symbol of the reign of grace which was, and is, triumphant through Christ for the salvation of sinners. To this man is accredited the fact by Divine Writ that He was the King and Governor in the Kingdom of Israel, even as the sun is the king of day rising with the power of light to which darkness must succumb. In this we get the understanding of the two great dispensations in their interior sense. The moon- light or law dispensation sets forth the idea of the reign of a living soul in a mortal body under car- THE GREATER AND LESSER LIGHTS. 27 nal commandments. This is only an image of bet- ter things and the evidence of a greater light — the expression of grace was in the law as the ex- pression of the sun is in the moon, or the image of God in the soul. Now, had there been a moon which could have given a perfect light, there would have been no need for the sun; and verily, light should have been by the moon, which would have brought forth the souls of men freed from their sins, as sayeth the scripture: "If there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness would have been by the law." In this we learn something of the fourth day's work in the creation of the heavens and earth, when God said: "Let there be lights in the firma- ments of the heavens to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs and for seasons and for days and years." — Gen. i : 14* Now we are taught that " a thousand years with the Lord is as one day and one day as a thousand years." This gives us to see four great thousand-year days before the dawning of the gospel day, concerning which Malachi comes saying: "But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stalls." — Mai. 4 : 2 Is it any unreasonable thing that God made and brought forth this, the greater earthly light, on the fourth day to prefigure the reign of His own eter- nal Son whose appearing should be required, and 28 THE CELESTIALS AND TERRESTRIALS. was at the expiration of the four thousand years from the creation. It is known that death reigned up to the time when Christ came to make an end of the law and thus set the lawful captive free, at the same time abolishing death and bringing life and immortali- ty to light through the gospel." Now, "He that has the Son has life," and we understand more a- bundantly; so it is by virtue of his death and res- urrection that our souls are made to partake of ho- liness (eternal life), whereas they were formerly dead in trespasses and sins without an exception. Here is the helpless condition of Christ's body (the church) as it appears buried in the first deep (death), but "deep calleth unto deep," i. e., life calleth unto death, and, I know not which is the deepest, life or death, but we do know that life which triumphs over death is found to exist but alone with God. Here is where all the christian's hope is staid, for, says Paul: "If we only have hope in this life, we are of all men most miserable;" but again, we are taught to "marvel not, for the hour is coming in the which all that are in their graves shall hear His voice, and shall come forth." Jno. 5 : 27. This is where the terrestrial body as a whole will be shaken and the sleeping dust as a whole will be aroused to sleep no more — thus awaken and time's no more, and the world is no more; for God shall have then brought out of his creation all things declared from the beginning, for, as it is written: THE GREATER AND LESSER LIGHTS. 29 "He declared the end from the beginning from an- cient times, the things not yet done, saying, my council shall stand and I will do all my pleasure." Under the laws of regeneration the interior life is abolished., whereby we have a new creature, per- fected in holiness, the spirtual minded man, by virtue of whom we render service to God with the mind, which thing qualified Paul to say: "For I delight in the law of God after the inward man;" but he says further: "I see another law in my members, waring against the law of mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members." — Rom. 7 : 21-23. And he concludes by saying: "So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin." — Rom. 7 : 25. This is sometimes spoken of as the visible church — there is nothing visible to the natural eye save temporal things, and the church is not a temporal thing but eter- nal, therefore not visible only to the spiritual eye of the soul; for, "we have this treasure in an earth- en vessel who is the image of the invisible God the first born of every creature." "For by Him" sayeth the scripture further, "were all things cre- ated, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, vis- ible and invisible, whether they be thrones or do- minions, or principalities or powers: all things were created by him and for him: and he is be- fore all things and by him all things consist." — Cor. 1 : 15-16-17. It is unreasonable that the body of Christ (the church) is visible; if visible, it 30 THE CELESTIALS AND TERRESTRIALS. must needs be a terrestrial and not a celestial body, thus making salvation a conditional plan of works, a visible body subject to human effort and continuously dependent upon our perseverence; but we have no such a body in the true sense of the term church, but a celestial which is a heavenly body and Christ is the head. Paul says: "And He is head of the body, the church: who is the begin- ning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence." — Col. i : 18. Now, in order that Christ be joined to such a body, there must be a process whereby it has the experience of its head, who Himself was the first born from the dead. In this we have the death of such a body, and its resurrection from the dead, at which it is joined to its living head, a celestial head and and a celestial body, "on which the sec- ond death has no power." In this it will be seen that we have a birth and a resurrection also, in the same subject at the same time, which may appear rather mystifying; but it must be farther noticed that the apostle once uses the term, as concerning Christ, "begotten from the dead," and in 1-18 of Col. he uses the term, "born from the dead." Life is the absolute prerequisite unto either. If the child is born it is by "force" of life, and if the body is raised from the dead, it must be by "virtue" of life; in each case the life must be in the parent. The life of the natural child is in its father and manifest in the mother, while that of the spiritual child is in God and manifest in the THE GREATER AND LESSER LIGHTS. 3 1 body by the Holy Ghost. In each case life is what we long to see. The manifestation of a dead child gives no hope or comfort, but when the glittering and flashing of a mother's life and a father's image is seen, what comfort pervades the souls of its an- cestors! What animating thoughts arouse and stir them with glowing hope for its future as the little one may grow and manifest a spirit for nobleness! They cannot possibly know its destiny. Whether the admirable little form will arouse and stir a na- tion or be a mother's grief and woe, and a father's shame, is all unknown to earthly parents. They may have something to do with framing the child's character, but certainly nothing tofdo with fash- ioning its soul for an immortal reign: this falls di- rectly into domains whose law is wraped up with the inconceivable highness of the seed of Christ, which is election. Then, what is it that is begotten in the child of God? We agree that it is life. What character of life? Eternal life. Then, what is it that is born from the dead? It is life, unquestionably. Again, What is it that is raised up from the dead? We understand, the body. Last, What is manifest in this body? to which we all agree: It is life, which life is manifest by birth, and the only way it can be in the child of God: hence it is Christ manifest in you, "the hope of glory;" therefore we have the character of the resurrection, or the true im- age of it in the body, His church, which becomes "the temple of the Holy Ghost," and has part tru- 32 THE CELESTIALS AND TERRESTRIALS. ly in "the first resurrection." Now we are told: "On such the second death has no power." That Satan comes clothed with the power of death there can be no question, but there is a ques- tion as to how he produces it, and when: we may rest assured that he has no independent power, but is in subjection to Him who appoints it unto man once to die. It was found that he was a suit- able fellow to represent the kingdom of darkness whose powers were given into his hands, and I do not question but that he got his office by appoint- ment. It is in this kingdom that he has his sway as "the prince of the power of-the air" and "be- holds all high things," being "king of the children of pride." Thus, in the natural world he has the highest seat assigned him, and in these, our ani- mal natures, he carries on his w T ork by progres- sion; therefore can do nothing only from a mate- rial standpoint, and is the founder of such materi- alism. Lust is one of the strongest incentives to the action of all his subjects and is the key-note to the opening up of the way to his kingly pal- ace (flesh); and in a sense, naturally speaking, Sa- tan is the father of conception and lust, the mother of sin; for, "When lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin, and when sin is finished it bringeth forth death," says James; hence Satan's power of death. So, since lust is at the bottom of all fleshly con- ception, the language of David will universally apply as recorded: "Behold I was shapened in in- iquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me" THE GREATER AND LESSER LIGHTS. 33 (Ps. 55); thus clearly setting forth the fact that infants are born in sin, which opens up the pas- sage unto death the sting of which every child of God must feel before they realize the benefits of God's grace. It will be said then that sin is hered- itary; which, in a dormant condition, is time. By the disobedience of one man sin entered, but should have ceased with the death of the one man (Adam); consequently sin is not chargeable to Ad- am any farther than individual transgression is concerned: each man is accountable for his own sins and they enter by individual transgression. Now that which makes sin possible is the corrupt- ible seed, and the thing that corrupts the seed is evil, by force of which we are "shapened in iniq- uity," and the over rating of this must be by grace as sayeth the scriptures: " Where iniquity abouded grace did much more abound. " The incessant flow of iniquity is not curbed save by the grace of almighty God. We inherit the nature of Adam, our father, by being growth of the same tree, which tree was con- demned because its fruits were not good. The character of life found in the first tree is common to all, and as his inclinations or fruits were, so are ours. In due season the tree buds, blooms and puts forth its fruit by reason of the flow of its own sap, wherein the secret of the life of all plants is concealed, never to be disclosed to mor- tals. They have one common life, for the life that grows one plant grows every character of plant 34 ™E celestials akd terrestrials. and is called "plant life." This is equally as true concerning all mankind, for the life which grows one man grows every character of man and is call- ed human life; though, every kind of fruit must mature on its own tree, and everv man must have his own devils which we understand may be a dev- il or a legion of devils. These devils are subject to Christ, who came to destroy them, but are not subject to man. In the legal sense, death is abol- ished and the lawful captive is set free, but the sinner cannot see the abolition of death, except he is drawn along the lines of such a law until he has reached the end. Here he sees, feels and tastes death and believes not that it is abolished until he is delivered from under the curse of the law. In this Christ is revealed and he sees that there is life in Him and believes firmly with all his soul that i 'death is abolished and that life and immortality is brought to light through the gospel which is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that belie veth." Were it not for the fact that there is "another law in our members, warring against the law of our minds, bringing us into captivity to the lav/ of sin which is in our members" (Rom. 7 : 23), we should never again become entangled with the yoke of bondage. Doubts and fears would never arise in the bosom of the child of God: but these things are essential and work afiiictions by which comes tribulations: for, as it is written, "We know that tribulations worketh patience; and patience, ex- THE GREATER AND LESSER LIGHTS. 35 perience; and experience, hope; and hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed a- broad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us." — Rom. 5 : 4-5. The Holy Ghost is from heaven and is the mes- senger or comforter our Savior promised to send in his name. This embassador brings the intelli- gence from heaven above to the kingdom here in the world by which the care-worn pilgrim is en- couraged on his way. God is immensely good and merciful to his children here in this militant state allowing no more to come upon them than is absolutely necessary. We may not be able to see how that certain forms of temptation, with long and wearisome Sa- tanic combats, can possibly bring about reinforce- ments that call for a forward movement and on- ward march of the christian soldier. We need time and again to be taught the lesson of Peter to whom Christ said: "Thou savorest not the things that be of God but men." — Mat. 16 : 23. It is by Him and not by us the victory is won. The terms of Ulysses S. Grant, the Federal gen- eral, to Robert E.Lee, the Confederate general, was "Unconditional surrender." His strength was in the federal army which led the Confederate army cap- tive, and now, being subjugated, they must pay tribute to the supreme power of this government, not willingly but by reason of the power found in this government: not many, if any, Confederate sol- diers willingly pay the northern soldier's pension. 36 THE CELESTIALS ATND TERRESTRIALS. Now is not this a parallel case with the christian soldier, except that we transfer the power from carnal effort and carnal weapons to Israel's God whose terms are unconditonal surrender addressed to Satan and his powers which constitute death? The case is this: "a strong man armed keeps his palace, and his goods are in peace until a stronger comes." Now the strong must be Satan, and the stronger we know to be the Lord. Dismissing Sa- tan from the inner court (the heart), He takes full control, excluding forever the reign of darkness by the kingdom of light (grace). Now, if dark- ness can raise up and swallow up light, then may the powers of darkness (Satan) reenter the souJ, setting up the reign of sin and excluding the reign of grace; which thing would be falling from grace in its popular sense. Now, while this is believed by a number of con- cientious people, it is certainly not possible, and if we are disposed to recognize the outstanding symbols (light and darkness) as they appear in their typical significance, we are convinced that immortality is not subject to death — neither in- deed can be for it is reconciled unto God, the gift of whom is eternal life: consequently it is said: "I give unto them eternal life and they shall never perish." It is true, death is an enemy to God's children, but Christ is their friend, and the life He gives unto them is stronger than death. He reigns over death and is to reign till the last enemy is destroyed which is death. Here I must say that THE GREATER AND LESSER LIGHTS. 37 I believe death is a high degree; yea, the highest degree, of deception practiced upon the children of light. Our Savior's preference was to speak of such a term as sleep true again — the Savior Him- self cried out in agonies of soul giving up the ghost. This was a deception practiced by Satan upon the deciples but not upon Christ for he knew that he would rise again the third day, and so taught them, but they seemed not to under- stand. Here the devil reaches the climax among the children of men in his deception, for he was a liar from the beginning and has ever been at the bottom of all deception; therefore, in the de- parted saint we look for life in its greatest brillian- cy or highest reality. Out of the body, the just are at home and in the body they are pilgrims and strangers on the earth where day and night ap- pear alternately; but the thread, once snapped, that connects the immortal with the mortal — the celestial with the terrestrial — in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye — the spirit enjoys the light of an eternal day, and approaches unto the light in which God dwells whereunto no man can ap- proach. That which was the Father's in the beginning, was his by virtue of sanctification in preservation and predestinated unto final salvation through Christ, our redeemer, who came according to the voice of prophecy and bravely met the demands of the law for his brethren who were guilty. Thus died the just for the unjust, but the scriptures test- 38 THE CELESTIALS AND TERRESTRIALS. ified concerning him saying: "Thou wilt not suffer thy Holy One to see corruption, neither wilt thou leave my soul in hell." -Ps. Therefore rose He a triumphant victor over death, hell and the grave- proving the death warrant to be a false claim up- on his brethren, though they were lawful captives, having sold themselves for naught. They were heaven's heirs by an eternal decree and were only in bondage and slaves under him who has no legal right to them: therefore, "Led He even captivity captive and gave gifts unto men." In this, death has no sting; the grave, no victory; nor has hell a victim. In the former law, as sin appeared deserv- ing death, it was fixed and brought forth as a pen- alty by the Supreme Court, the tribunal of all tri- bunals; so that death passed upon all, for all have sinned. If we will observe closely along these lines, we will see that all is God's, and that, in so much as death is embodied in his decree for sin before man had sinned, saying: "In the day thou eatest there of thou shalt surely die," it is not a sum or substance of anything, but simply a condition, a nonenity, a shadow, a deception, allowed to be practiced by the powers of darkness; when at the lapse of about 4,000 years, we hear the gospel her- ald cry out "death is abolished and life and im- mortality is brought to light through the gospel." He who attempts to rule by such a law now, does so only by deception, for he has been openly ex- posed as being led captive and so recorded in the THE GREATER AND LESSER LIGHTS. 39 Divine Code for the gospel dispensation, by the spirit of Him whose kingdom it is and whose sub- jects are taught henceforth and forever that Satan is dethroned and in exile for his accession to the throne by deception in the garden of Eden. He early sought the inward life to corrupt the souls of mortals and thus bring down their higher aspira- tions to the lowest possible ebb: so, the dictations to men for conscience sake are good to the present, but the principal innate is evil, and is allowed the preeminence for the world's sake. Out of the world came forth evil, and the same evil is known onlv to the world; for, "God is of too pure eyes to be- hold evil." -Heb. "He made the world and the world knew Him not," still the devils knew him, confessing: "Thou art the Holy One of God." A- gain it is said: "The eyes of the Lord are in every place, beholding the evil and the good."-Prov. 15:3 I think the sense in which we are to understand this is, that the darkness and the light are alike to Him. "Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to thee."— Ps. 139 : 12, i.e., good and evil are equally determined; and, if we will just not loose sight of the fact that all mortal- ity is set up in darkness and classified with dark- ness and has no higher meaning in the law of our creation than finiteness, we may avoid error and no more hesitate to place all comprehension or lit- eral attainment, as well as mortal failure or earth- ly decline, with human ability or human inability. 40 THE CELESTIALS AND TERRESTRIALS. Thus, in the casement of the interior heavens and earth (individuality) whose canopies furnish his individual tent, we grant a firmament (figura- tively speaking) whose darkness knows but a lone star and a faint moon-light — born of flesh, meeting his doom as a living soul corresponding to a less glorious light, and in a terrestrial body correspond- ing to a less glorious body; for, "There are also ce- lestial bodies, and bodies terrestrial; but the glory of the celestial is one and the glory of the terres- trial is another:" also, "There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars: for one star differeth from an- other star in glory." — I. Cor. 15 : 40-41. Now, as a less glorious light in its effort to shine more gloriously meets with its consumation in mingling with a higher order, as the moon and stars with the sun, just so does a living soul, as the life and light of the body, loose its ability to shine by reason of the manifestation of a greater light which rules the day in the regenerated, by virtue of which they are the children of day. As with the interior life, even so the exterior; for, as the first heavens pass away, the earth equally so; both a- like pass away. As a terrestrial body (which is a body less glorious) passes away, it must have its significance in a spiritual body, calling for indi- viduality in the resurrection. In this work I'm calling for the stars to pro- totype the seed of Christ as celestial bodies The host of the litteral heavens, it seems to me THE GREATER AND LESSER LIGHTS. 4 1 in this sense, pictures very beautifully the entire seed of Chist as the redeemed from this our earth, but we do not see as yet all bodies terrestrial man- ifest, but they must be required after the order of Adam, the corruptible seed. This constitutes the unholy nation, the rebellious children of men. We have here the life of Adam and the mind of Adam multiplied upon the earth, and it does not appear to me that God's choice rests any more with one than another with respect to Adam mul- tiplied, but consists in the fact of the development of a new creature by an incorruptible seed, hav- ing the life of Christ and the mind of Christ, con- sequently the son or choice of God. Now, it may be objected that this would leave out individuality altogether, which is the fruit of the womb, con- cerning which David said: "To children are a her- itage unto the Lord, and the fruit of the womb is His reward." "From dust thou art and unto dust thou shalt return," was said to Adam by the mouth of the Lord and was addressed to his individuality — by just so much is our personality affected; but, we are not able to say how much this may afreet our being in the final, for "it doth not yet appear what we shall be." I, for one, feel comforted with the belief that the flesh and bones of each individ- ual who has fallen asleep will be required again. There is no question, I suppose, but that every child of God is concerned for the redemption of the body. God who made the world and the full- ness thereof hath not made one star in vain. 42 THE CELESTIALS AND TERRESTRIALS. Whether each body terrestrial, doomed to disso- lution, has its star or not, Christ had his, and va- rious others are individualized as messengers, giv- ing at least some evidence that they bear such re- lation to the righteous. In this connection, Adam was the first star that rose above the far eastern horizon, and, as we have been trying to show, he was manifest in darkness, as is true with all stars. I do not think we are to understand that he caused the darkness and all other stars to be manifest in darkness. He was the first to shine in darkness, reflecting the brilliancy of a greater light. It is sometimes thought that Adam by his plan- etary relation to all other bodies terrestrial might have refused to move in his orbit, and thus to have held in his grasp the law of his creation as well as all the powers of darkness, dispelling them at pleasure. Nay, sooner might we say: "Sun, why riseth thou in vain when the ability to divide light from the darkness is in me? Why thy incessant labor and central position? and, Why the universe subject to thy attractive influence, heat and light? But how should we speak and how do we under- stand? Is it not that Adam's progeny glimmered in a dark age, or the evening dispensation as con- cerns the time of the first heavens and earth? at the end of which time the sun of righteousness rose with healing in His wings that every star might appear shining in His light and held in position by His power. In the first heavens each star appeared, presumably, to be an independent THE GREATER AND LESSER LIGHTS. 43 body whose shining and position depended alto- gether upon its own exertion wherein it might glo- ry, but not a single star in all the universe was found to be aglow by any such light. While the dark side of the earth was turned to them and they truly felt that their glory depended upon their shining, they seemingly were forgetful that they, even then, were reflecting a higher order of light. It does not differ how brilliant a star may be in the gospel heavens, or how near the earth, its shining is known to be due to the sun. The fact has been clearly developed that there is no true light in ter- restrials and no ability in them to generate it; so we see now, as has been since the break of day, that those dwelling in darkness have seen light, and that we are far advanced in the great week of time; as if in the golden sunset whose disappearing must of necessity bring perilous times, when the deep night of the dark ages is to cover the world and the people moan as in days of yore. "Now the spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giv- ing heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of dev- ils; speaking lies in hj-pocrisy; having their con- science seared with a hot iron." — I. Tim. 4 : 1-2. With ancient Israel the hand of the living God was visible, and, though the dark side of mat- ters was turned to them, they seemed to look back as from the beginning, acknowledging the reflec- tion of such a light, and the leading of such a hand, causing that they also looked forward by an 44 THE CELESTIALS AND TERRESTRIALS. eye of faith to the spring of day — and now we see it's a glorious reality. God's children are led into the promises, which simply means that we are no longer held by the powers of darkness as the saints formerly were, and "who, through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage." — Heb. 2 : 15. So, the gospel herald must bring forth the glad tidings of good news from a far country, pro- claiming that "death is abolished," being met by the Supreme Judge of the highest court, and prov- en to be an illegal claim, a deception practiced by the power of darkness, saying there is no light; whereas, the setting up such a kingdom has proven the prince of darkness to be the father of lies. The intelligence of the kingdom of heaven is that there is light and life in a glorious reality beyond, dwell- ing in immortality as "stars of light," having "come out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb." — Rev. 7 : 14. The gospel of the kingdom, we think, might be truly termed that intelligence which frames logic in favor of all the laws and regulations of that kingdom, and what so ever will be a defense a- gainst her enemies, and will exalt and honor the king; and he who is a legal defender of this gospel, must be called and qualified by the highest excel- lency, being supported by the great tribunal of that kingdom. Such will scarcely fail to speak, exalting the kingdom and proclaiming His high sovereignty, and no one should ever be found THE GREATER AND LESSER LIGHTS. 45 pleading in this cause, who is unable to avoid using words which will not exemplify the wisdom by which he claims to be clothed. One might be- come zealous for the honor of pleading at the king's court, who has never been commissioned, consequently labor as one that beateth the air, (i. e.) in vain, reaping no reward, because he sows not spiritually, for a minister's reward rests with the fact that he preaches the gospel. Men do not see much of the kingdom of heaven. Just what we are shown and taught by the Holy Ghost is all we are authorized to speak, and all that we can safely advance. This is not confered because of talent or intellectual powers, coupled with a man's willingness wherein he feels his ability to proclaim the gospel of the kingdom of God, but to the contrary every way. First, it is often seen and believed by some care-worn pil- grims who appear to have the gift of the decerning of spirits, that a certain one is the choice of God. Prudence ponders these things in their own hearts nor dare divulge them or scatter the matter abroad until the sure work of the Great I Am has, with the flashing of a confusing spirit, vivified more and more an internal work until the burdened soul cries out from the depths: "Undone! undone!" But now a vast sweeping of high and sacred intel- ligence prevades the mind, calling for strong emo- tions and the highest aspirations after the exalted work, inspiring the heart with a glowing hope for future usefulness, and I dare say, with many of the 46 THE CELESTIALS AND TERRESTRIALS. called at such intervals, they rise high enough and feel bold enough to stand up and open their mouth in defense of the gospel where ever God might cast their lot, not feeling in the least the fear of man, or that any one will be more able to preach than themselves; whereas, a few minutes before, any one they could think of would make a more successful attempt than themselves. At least, these are some of the ebbings and flow- ing of the waters with me — whether spiritual or not, I am unable to say with any positive conclu- sion. I still have to ride the waves of adversity, and often feel from the depths of my soul to say: Hide me, oh nvy Savior hide, Till the storm of life is past; but we surely receive comfort from contact with the enemy, which could otherwise never come. There, of a great necessity, must be a rooting down- ward before we can look for a springing upward of any duration. The tender blade once had its beauty and use- fulness held as a secret with a single corn of wheat and was disclosed by coming in contact with the earth and there, in touch with its poisonous gases, is where its beauty is developed. Now, the case is this: The properties of the earth assume to be an enemy to the natural body (or grain) and concen- trate their forces for its distruction, which thing is really accomplished, as every farmer knows, but we then see emerging from the heart of such a body, a product possessing life, bringing consola- THE GREATER AND LESSER LIGHTS. 47 tion to the husbandman, for this is his reward in the time of harvesting. The plant begins at once to put out its roots which penetrate the earth farther and farther, par- taking of the nature and character of the mineral or lowest kingdom, bringing them up for the use of the higher which is the vegetable; and thence it is taken up and consumed in the body of the an- imal which is the highest natural kingdom. It is now individualized for every species of animal mak- ing up all flesh, the derivative of which is princi- pally mental faculty either intellectual or instinct- ive. The bodies under instinctive government are consumed in the intellectual, and greatly for the mental, but not all; while the mental is greatly for God, but not all. Animal food is considered by science as contain- ing the necessary mental food, but not all the prop- erties in such food are taken up by the lacteals and conveyed through the circulation for brain food to thus strenghen the natural government (intellectu- al powers). Neither is all the intellectual wrought upon by the spiritual to thus strengthen the spirit- ual government, for the strength of this govern- ment is not in members but in the might and maj- esty of her God who is of one mind, and such as have this mind are His sons and one with Him, re- ceiving the necessary food which is the testamony of the crucifixion of Christ with whose sufferings we have fellowship: thus eating his ftesh and drink- ing his blood, as he testified saying, "Whoso eat- 48 THE CELESTIALS AND TERRESTRIALS. eth my flesh and drinketh my blood hath eternal life, and I will raise him up the last day; for my flesh is meat indeed and my blood is drink indeed;" also, "He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood dwelleth in Me and I in him."-John 6:54-56. All this has grown out of the fact that God created the heavens and earth, and not in vain, we are told by Isaiah, but to be inhabited: still all of its inhab- itants are not to sing in the paradise of God, but of some, says David, "as brute beast they perish and shall never see light" — Ps. 49. This, it is claimed by many, looks rather hard, seeing there is to be a general resurrection of both classes — those who have done good and those who have done evil — this being the case, which is so recorded as spoken by the Master saying: "Thou shalt be recompensed at the resurrection of the just. "-Luke 14 : 14. And again: " But this I confess unto thee, that after the way they call heresy, so worship I the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the law and in the prophets: and have hope toward God, which they themselves also allow, that there shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and the unjust." — Acts 24 : 14-15. It is very difficult to understand what David meant when he said, "as brute beast they perish and shall never see light," unless he was speaking of the finality of the resurrection. We are to look for a time and have hore in just such a God as will reclaim the sleeping dust of those who have fallen asleep in Jesus from the THE GREATER AND LESSER LIGHTS. 49 earth, fashioning their bodies anew after the image of the heavenly; whereas, the dead sleep this mo- ment the next a certain tremulous bursting forth with Gabriel's last and triumphant blast upon the trump of God, and the just "awake in His likeness and are satisfied:" then, surely the inhabitants of this world will be no more, for the unjust are dis- missed with eternal death which we think is to go down in darkness,therefore, "never see light," r while the righteous are caught away to the heavens of all heavens — the recipients of eternal life. Then certainly, we do not look for successive and never ending generations to populate this poor world as some religionists would have it. The fullness of the times of the Gentiles, and the proclamation of the gospel to all nations, is all the time that is promised us. This being done, we have what Peter speaks of as"TheRestitution of all Things, "saying, "And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preach- ed unto you; whom the heavens must receive until the times of the restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since, the world began. — Acts 3 : 20-21. It was, and is, God's purpose, no doubt, that all things should be just as they are, for we read: "He declared the end from the beginning from ancient times the things not yet done saying, my council shall stand and I will do all my pleasures." (Isa.) And again, " For by Him were all things created that are in heaven and that are in earth, visible 50 THE CELESTIALS AND TERRESTRIALS. and invisible, whether they be thrones or domin- ions, or principalities or powers: all things were created by Him and for Him." Col. i : 16. The sa- cred measures of God's grace have ever taught His sovereign rule over all things, or His wise de- cree in alJ things, as a supreme government — the law or counsel is that all things are worked after the counsel of his own will. Now there can be but one question in regard to this, and that is as to what or how much there is in the counsel. It is to stand — there is no doubt about that — but how long? Until the end, for, "He declared the end from the beginning, saying, 'My counsel shall stand and I will do all my pleasure.' " We will inquire: Does anyone believe that there is anything now transpiring which was not in the arrangement? If so, by what power or authority was it introduced? and by what power does it con- sist? "The powers that be," we understand, "were ordained of God." He Himself, being the power, all powers are subject to Him. There is no power but of God. Darkness itself with all its fiends has no power except that by which God clothes it, hence dependent powers whose appeals must come before the highest sumpremacy according to the council found there. Satan's power must therefore be permissive according to; not contrary to, God's purpose or decree, as we have quoted: "All things were created by him and for Him." It is certain that these "all things" stood in a potential form in Him, and all that was needed was to speak the THE GREATER AND LESSER LIGHTS. 5 1 word; for, "Through faith we understand that worlds were formed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear." Heb. n : 13. Even so shall it be in the end which shall surely come. "The trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed; in a mo- ment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump." — I. Cor. 15 : 52. Our God is an almighty God, and "when He speaks, its done, and when he commands, it stands fast," having put His own to sleep from their la- bors, He will awake them in the morning, when their eyes will be opened upon a new world — the creation also of God for His saints in light — that they may be with Him and dwell with Him for- ever more where they will no more trample upon dust and grapple with mortality. This is the inten- tion as regards man just as far as immortality is extended to him; otherwise it is not God's choice to use him, but assigns him his lot with everlast- ing death which, of course, is the opposite of eter- nal life; one to go down into the land nf darkness and the other caught up into the land of light and see eternal light and the eternal God who dwells in light. Here is the division of the human family in the final which justifies us in preaching the doc- trine of Eternal Judgement. We should be found contending "for the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands and of the resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgement." — Heb. 6 : 2, $% THE CELESTIALS AND TERRESTRIALS. The Greater and Lesser Light System embraces the idea of Exterior and Interiorism, and prac- tically means, metaphorized, a living and a dead body. The sun is received in the Solar System as a living body and the moon as a dead one having the image of the sun impressed upon it for a time when it is withdrawn to reappear in what we call a new moon. I am not able to run out the mean- ing of its monthly disappearing and reappearing but in this work it will appear throughout individ- ualized on the side of mother life as God given. The fruit of the womb is blood life corresponding to, and is, comparatively speaking, a body of death and it is certain that the moon bears this relation to the blood, life in prophetic vision, for "The sun shall be turned into darkness and the moon into blood before the great and terrible day of the Lord come." — Joel 2 : 31. The sun bears no re- lationship to blood but spirit, the nature and character of which is to quicken matter. Science says, in consideration of the cause or philosophy of "Form" or Individuality, we must give a paramount importance to two great princi- ples of organism, viz., "The Centrifugal" (from a center) and "The Centripetal" (towards a center) Forces. Instead of lines and power-points, we are now dealing with aggregations of lines and points, or surfaces and solids or substances. There can be no Individuality except by the association of positive and negative forces or mag- netism and spiritual light or soul and body. The THE GREATER AND LESSER LIGHTS. 53 body or "Form" constitutes all individuality. Mag- netism or spirit is always the same and is simply an universal intelligence flowing into a matrix. A being is like a potter making a vessel; he is fur- nished with Force to whirl his plastic clay, but his hands shapes the vessel of more or less value for joy and usefulness. "There are two states induced in atoms of mat- ter, apparently by an external and an internal force which makes two kinds of atoms; the sealed atom compressed by the centripetal force and the hollow atom made by the force of magnetism which passes into everything. This magnetism cuts down the center and lets the inner matter ex- pand giving a centrifugal force. The first forms of life in vegetables and animals are the unicellu- lar organisms, the diatoms having a shell on the outside of a membrane and are vegetables. This woody shell seems to be the result of a centrifugal force which is due to the influence of sun-light.' J — Chemistry. We are told that all cells are alike when origi- nated, but afterwards change; some form bone; some, muscle; and some, other tissue. We often see the trunk of a tree showing only woody form or aggregation of cell, and then we see a "slip" or shoot break forth. If we plant these, roots grow, and we have a new tree all from that which ap- peared as a part of the first. So we have the law ex- emplified, says Science, which is this: - "A part contains the potential of the whole and the whole 54 THE CELESTIALS AND TERRESTRIALS. is only a multiplication of a part." This is said to be the universal law in nature as to life either an- imal or vegetable. We have in this a high consid- eration of Adam multiplied, who himself contained "the potential of the whole, and the whole is only the multiplication of him as a part." L. M. i This tree, corrupted, was early found Among the trees of Eden's ground; In the midst of which, life took place, To bring about the human race. 2 This mortal life contrast to see, That it was just an earthly tree; In time to appear a temporal thing, Able, alone, bad fruit to bring. 3 In earthly soil it's known to grow, Which brings the mortals "hither to;" The life common to this first tree, Is light of all that earthly be. 4 Thus, of one blood all men are made, And as the flower of grasses fade, The law with him did first begin To show this tree its fruits are sin. 5 The tree of life immortal grows, And mortal failures it restores; That as the days of this good tree, God's chosen people sure must be THE GREATER AND LESSER LIGHTS. 55 6 Both trees are His, both lives are one, When brought to a oneness in the Son; One the Darkness doth represent, The other, Light from darkness sent; 7 Which God divides and sets apart, The world in wisdom first to start; Till Life and Death His work has done, And shines in splendor, all in One. j. d. a A very high degree of criticism is sometimes of- fered against Science for its impudence, which it sometimes deserves, but we should always be ready to give weight to any demonstration of Science which will throw light upon Truth, however ob- jectionable it may have been in the tradition of the fathers. True, Paul objects to vain philosophy which was mere conjectures by men of that age who were superstitious and had no laws lead- ing into the true voicing of nature. Paul was ready at every turn to convince by Scientific proof, for he came saying; "Thou fool! That which thou so west is not quickened except it die." This was the true voicing of Nature, and was spoken to the Corinthian brethren, with a Scientific proof of the character of the resurrection of the dead, in terms easier to be understood. Our Master also came in- structing with such sayings as; — "Consider the lilies, how they grow;" and, "A corn of wheat a- bideth alone except it fall in the ground and die;" and many parables spake He concerning the King- 56 THE CELESTIALS AND TERRESTRIALS. dom of Heaven, whose interpretation or explana- tion was found in the voicing of Nature. Drum- mond has said: " Science may yet have to be called upon to arbitrate on some points between conflict- ing creeds." I have received much comfort by seeing unde- niable symbols step in from nature and verify the doctrine so long proclaimed by the Clergy of the Old School Baptists whose educational advantages have been greatly limited. But from time to time God has blessed this small body of worshippers with men of education, possessing ability, and mighty in the scripture of Divine truth. Such men, having more generally been raised up in time of war, have come boldly to the front with the doctrine of God's sovereign grace, and the old Calvinistic doctrine of Election and Predestination. Men will never take up arms as volunteers, and combat with the powers of darkness, proving themselves loyal, unless effectually called, at which time they become Subjects of another kingdom: then, being drilled under the severest military rules, they make valiant soldiers of the cross who are loyal and brave in fighting the King's battles. Mens' loyalty must be proven. They are natur- ally disposed to presume that they are in readi- ness at any hour to go with Him (Christ) unto death, but such is not the case. Men require deep convictions and sore afflictions to bring them in touch with God — here faith steps in and knows no fear of man "looking for a recompense of re- THE GREATER AND LESSER LIGHTS. 57 ward, enduring as seeing Him who is invisible." The convicted sinner sees and discovers from time to time that the debt is great, and increasing with every move until it is immense, even "ten thousand talents and not one farthing to pay with." It is then, but not till then, that he surrenders all and comes, confessing, "I'm nothing, I'm altogeth- er weakness. There is no strength in me, there is no standing in the mire and clay; I do but sink deeper with each move." There is no intermediate, no stopping place for a compromise between life and death. Death is the inevitable consequence of the reign of sin, and sin reigns from the depths, bringing every soul in view of perdition, and there, terror-stricken with the awfulness of such a doom, surveys his case and confesses, it's for sin and per- fectly just. Then, being delivered from such a con- dition by the reign of grace from the heights, it is no wonder such experienced persons have such ab- horrence for sin in their members which is a body of death. It is in this body that we feel the pains of hell, and in this body that we hear the voice of the Son of God and realize the benefits of His quickening Spirit. This manner of intelligence is received in different ways — very often when asleep — but how- ever hard the trials and tribulations which ac- company us in our warfare here, we do not forget these seasons, which are "Bethels", of our greatest earthly joy. So it is vastly necessary that we learn a great lesson, and that our trials be many and se- 58 THE CELESTIALS AND TERRESTRIALS. vere, experiencing the thought of the saying of Paul, that "The law is our Schoolmaster to bring us to Christ, and so teaches us that we come say- ing, "For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Je- sus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. "-Rom. 8 : 2. Now we see the lawful cap- tive set free, "For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh. "-Rom. 8 : 3. The law was a heavenly requisition, therefore, spiritu- al and good, and was asking for a grander obedi- ence than ever has been or can be rendered by mortals. The requisitions of heaven can only be met and kept where the virtue of immortality has been realized. This constitutes an immortal sub- ject who delights in walking in the statutes of God and whose meditations are there by day and on his bed at night. The Lord is King and His "law is perfect, converting the soul." "His kingdom come, His will be done." Now the righteousness of the law is "fulfilled in us who walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit." "So then, they that are in the flesh cannot please God." "But ye are not in the flesh," says Paul, farther, "but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of His." We will quote once more from Paul: "And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness." — Rom. 8 : 4-8-10. Here is the THE GREATER AND LESSER LIGHTS. 59 reign of spiritual law which carries us to the point of infallibility. We will now endeavor to call the reader's atten- tion more closely, and make as clear as possible, what we mean by Spiritual Law in the Natural Kingdoms. This is the typical, triune man of Na- ture; the image of the true Son of God, whom we desire to present as the embodiment of this great truth, which throws a clearer light upon the tri- union of God, as God brings man to partake in his earthly constitution, of the elements of the three natural kingdoms which groweth into a corrupt temple in man who, in spirit, God was pleased to have represent His "likeness." The only thing which made the natural world possible is the spir- itual, and this natural creation was by the Creator (who is omnipresent), as a pattern of higher things and better things. Thus we appear to have a world within a world, as in the creation of the first man we have a body understood within a body, which body was separated from the first and occupies as subject to it, even as the natural world is separated from the spiritual, and occupies as being subject to the spiritual. The man is not of woman but the woman of the man, nor is the spiritual world of the natural but the natural of the spiritual. Woman does not rule in man, but man in woman; neither does the natural rule in the spiritual, but the spiritual in the natural. Man stands, in the prime sense, as a representative of the spiritual, being "a figure of Him who was to come," while 6o THE CELESTIALS AND TERRESTRIALS. the woman stands figuratively as the church ground (formative matter), acted upon by the form- ing principle (life;; and, being deceived, she has her assignment with the kingdom of the dead in which no law was found for her release, "for had there been a law given which could have given life, verily, righteousness would have been by the law." — Rom. Then might the stones have cried out, and the valleys grown to have been hills and the hills to mountains of unknown magnetude, whose towering peaks might have pierced the lofty blue sky, but how different; mountains must crum- ble, valleys lay low and stones dumb and inactive in their element. Here is where we find the ground rail of Spiritual Law. In the Spiritual world there is one true and liv- ing God who is triune in essence (Father, Son and Holy Ghost). These three are One and the same in essence and glory, being head over all things, and in the natural world we have man typically triune with the three principles; formative matter, formed matter, and the forming principle, Life; and who, with his living-soul-faculty, is made head over all things natural; for, as we have urgingly insisted, being a kingdom by observation, himself, partakes individually of the three natural king- doms. As mineral, he is associated with mineral; as plant, he is associated with plant; as animal, he is the embodiment of such and is the temple of the Holy Ghost, but we consider the Holy Ghost, in the true sense, a non-resident of man until new THE GREATER AND LESSER LIGHTS. 6 1 life sets in, which we believe is manifest where there is no life, quickening into divine life that part of man received from the dead. He now has the same soul raised from the dead, but that is not all. He is a new creature, and we consider this new creature new life, and the new life is eternal life which is manifest from above (the Spirit of God) which is infallible — Spiritual Law in the Natural Kingdoms. We feel quite sure that it is in this typical dead kingdom that our Father and great Spiritual head was pleased from all eternity to make known His power and the riches of His grace and thus exalt His great name in bringing His sons and daugh- ters to Him through Christ who bows down to the lowest or dead kingdom — spoken of as "the shadow of a great Rock in a weary land," and was later the stone rejected by the builders which after- wards became "The Chief Corner-Stone. " He was pleased also to have His deciples understand that this was their element, and said to one, "Thou shall be called Cephas," meaning a stone. The twelve foundations of the Heavenly Jerusalem were such, and of the greatest possible value, corresponding to the twelve apostles of the Lamb, and the church is spoken of as a pearl, hidden in a field. Now, here is the safest ground we can occupy, for when we begin to think this is too low a seat for us, and conclude to leave the region of barren rocks, dust and ashes and go up a little higher that we may have a stroll "in the garden" among the trees and 62 THE CELESTIALS AND TERRESTRIALS. flowers, is when we go mate-hunting and look through Satan's spy glass in order to see our breth- ren far beneath us in the dust. We are taught, for man's sake the earth is curs- ed, bearing that relation to him on every hand; but do we gather from the saying that what man does forces the Supreme Governor and Ruler of all things to curse the earth contrary to His purpose? It is often said, u He permits", which is true, but does He permit according to His will or contrary to His will ? The law given is spiritual and good and for the government of spiritual subjects in the natural kingdoms. Therefore, the law has the pow- er of discovering to the natural man the "force" of the curse by requiring perfect obedience of him, which, owing to his relation to the curse, he could not render, for his seed was in him as truly as the u seed of every plant, thorn or thistle was in it in the earth;" therefore it is reasonable to suppose that his seed, which was yet in him, bore the same relationship to the existence of such a curse and to his first-born before the transgression, as it did af- terwards. The transgression was what brought this manner of reasoning about. He saw then, but not till then, just what he was by nature, having knowledge of good and evil. God, he knows to be good, and himself, he sees to be evil. This is as near as we can come to the origin of evil. We read from the bible, as stated in Gen. 8 : 21, "I will not again curse the ground any more for man's sake; for the imagination of man's heart is THE GREATER AND LESSER LIGHTS. 63 continually evil from his youth." So the imag- ination of man's heart, says the Lord, is evil; thus strengthening the thought which I have for some time entertained concerning its origin, which is, that it is generated by revolutions in flesh, ("force" being dormant prior to the action of light), by the action of the life, and, being of man in animal form, its behavior is manifest. If good has its or- igin with the Gods whose dwelling is not in flesh, it is evident that evil has its origin with devils whose dwelling is in flesh. Whether the evil spirits are the cause of the imaginations of the heart, or the effect, we are not able to say. We only know that we are under the curse of the law of sin and death: not that the curse came by the law, for by the law is the knowl- edge of sin; "and lust, when it conceives, brings forth sin, and when sin is finished it bringeth forth death," thus evil seems to claim, for its companion, lust, the offspring of which is sin, and "sin is the transgression of the law." So lust is as much re- sponsible for sin, as evil. She conceives by evil who is the father of sin; hence, lust (or desire) must have played its part in the fall of our first parents, likewise their whole posterity, that they might be partakers, according to election, of that grace given them in Christ before the world was, "A chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of Him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light."-!. Pet. 2:9. 64 THE CELESTIALS A&D TERRESTRIALS. We will speak a little more extensively here on election and predestination. In the first place how are they elect, and why? "Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sancti- fication of the spirit, unto obedience and sprink- ling of the blood of Jesus Christ." — I. Pet. i : 2. The first glimpse we have of Israel is in preserva- tion as sanctified by God the Father before the creation; for, says Jude, i : i, "Ye are sanctified by God the Father, preserved in Christ Jesus, and called." So notice while in the high court of heaven, the Son of God contains His bride as spir- it of His own life and wisdom of the Eternal Father and we furthermore hear from the voice of wis- dom; "The Lord possessed me in the beginning of His way before His works of old. I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, or ever the earth was." And again, "When he gave to the sea his decree, that the waters should not pass his commandment: when he appointed the founda- tion of the earth: then I was by Him as one brought up with Him: and I was daily His delight, rejoicing always before Him; rejoicing in the hab- itable part of His earth; and my delights were with the sons of men." — Prov. 8 : 22-23-29-30-31. Herein, we have set forth the wonderful rela- tionship between the Word which proceeded out from God, the Father, and was made flesh, dwell- ing among men, possessing more wisdom than aH men; still, men hated Him and regarded not His saying; and, being envious because of His under- THE GREATER AND LESSER LIGHTS. 65 standing, took Him and crucified Him. But the Father expressed to the Son that, in so much as He is God and besides Him there is none other, His power must be known and His name magnified and His grace exalted, by all who should be fore- known by Him and ordained unto eternal life. In this He lays the plan of salvation before the Son, which pleased Him because it was granted Him to do the entire will of the Father. Thus, the work of redemption was assigned Him in which He be- came the Lord and great Creator of all things in the execution of which the Father is Counsel; hence He comes saying: "Let us make man in our image after our likeness." Thus, the first man is made a living soul and called the son of God, who contained his bride as preserved in him, but the plan of salvation required her separation from him, which was done that she (the creature) might be made subject to vanity. Her subjection to vanity was not agreeable but very necessary, "For the creature was made subject to vanity not willingly but by reason of Him who subjected the same in hope." — Rom. 8 : 20. So, we see the expression it gives to that sub- jection which is "Hope." This begets faith, and faith, chanty. These three are one but the greatest is charity. "Hope" makes not ashamed, "Faith," bold, and "Charity," loving. This vanity is death which is the ideal plan of salvation for the disso- lution of mortal formation and the restitution of immortal conformation according to predeetina- 66 THE CELESTIALS AND TERRESTRIALS. tion. "For whom He did foreknow, He also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of His Son, that he might be the first born among many brethren. Moreover, whom He did predestinate, them He also called; and whom He called, them He also justified; and whom He justified, them He also glorified." — Rom. 8 : 29-30. The first condition of the sons of God is of the earth earthy, bearing the image of the earthy. It would be meaningless for one to speak of a dead form as bearing the image of its father. An image must, in the proper sense, mean life. A body is dead without the image of the earthy; even so with the church (the body of Christ); it is dead without the image of the heavenly. The first comes alone by Adam's begetting in formation; the second comes only by God's begetting in conformation. The first must be a heavenly reflection in an earth- ly creation, the life of God reflected in man (as the earth reflects the light of the sun); the radiation of which light is for the benefit of the surface, quick- ening the germs found in such soil, while the Christian's life or light is not a mere reflection but the true light that shines in the heart illumina- ting a greater interior, quickening the germ man- ifest there for the development of the child of faith. Fm conscientious, whether scientific or not, when I say I believe the child of faith has its con- ception in Christ and is manifest with such con- ception when born naturally, and its motions are THE GREATER AND LESSER LIGHTS. 67 often mysteriously felt in the soul from the earli- est recollection, but its development is more tardy in some than others for some cause best known to God. This is true with the child of nature — the full development of some is attained quicker than others. At the time of deliverance is the time of birth; the life is born and is manifest in the soul which is the body of Christ (the church), while the mind is principally a development afterwards — I will say, a gift. This is also true with the child naturally; it is born when delivered; the life is the thing that is horned, and is manifest in the body or temple while the little one's mind is very grad- ually developed. I'm now insisting that we pass into a greater in- terior and I'm looking for lines running through nature as parallels to bring to our understanding facts by way of illustration. Now, a few more words on the co-existence of both kingdoms, and we leave it for more fruitful minds. — God has set up the kingdom of heaven in the hearts of His children and the co-existence of them, surely in some sense, is hidden away in the fruit of the womb as "two nations in one womb" — they are both there to commence with, and as is written, "The elder shall serve the younger," i. e. The child of flesh is the first manifest, but they are twin brothers and their enmity is only to last for a time, when it is to cease forever, for the same body is again required from the dead flesh and 68 THE CELESTIALS AND TERRESTRIALS. bones, for, so appeared Christ; our elder brother, the first fruits from the dead, saying to his deci- ples, "Why are ye so troubled? and why do thoughts arise in your hearts?" "Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have." — Luke 24 : 38-39. Now in conclusion, I leave you a scripture quo- tation which I think should close the question, be- yond controversy, in the affirmative, that is, that the child of God is born such, and is never anything else but His. "And the children struggled togeth- er within her and she said, 'If it be so, why am I thus?' And she went to inquire of the Lord: and the Lord said unto her, Two nations are in thy womb and two manner of people shall be separated from thy bowels; and the one people shall be strong- er than the other people, and the elder shall serve the younger.' " — Gen. 25 : 22-23. We can but be thus "Calvinistic" in our views if we would be scriptural, and we must be scriptu- ral if we would have a hearing religiously. Relig- ion is not sectarian and should never be looked upon in that light; but wherever the gospel is preached, and by whomsoever, God's name is ex- alted; and that preaching which does not exalt God's name is not the gospel of salvation. Whoso- ever observes the Spiritual Law under the reign of Christ, is under grace and does not hesitate to receive and advocate the doctrine of grace and is not afraid of such terms as, Preservation, Election, THE GREATER AND LESSER LIGHTS. 69 and Predestination, as concerns the salvation of sinners. We look upon Preservation as anteceding or underlying Predestination and believe Predes- tination to be the outgrowth of Preservation, real- zed in salvation by grace, and which is finished in the final "restitution of all things," that is, when all things have been fully and honorably restored by the reign of Christ, the great Spiritual Head of the church, whose government is established upon such principles as to make any failure impossible. Now, just how much of this fallen and ruined kingdom will be reclaimed and reconstructed in regeneration and resurrection, has always been and, I dare say, always will be a great question with the masses. That He can restore all of it, is unquestionable, which admits that He has all pow- er. That He desires to save all and will not be able to accomplish His purpose, confutes the first certainty. That it is not His purpose to save all the world by the mission of Christ, sets up a doc- trine called Election which, it is claimed, savors of partiality and injustice on the part of God; but the tidings of the doctrine of election came from heav- en and was certified by Christ and the angels who were messengers to the several churches. Its cor- rectness was also testified to by the apostles and surely will never be lost sight of by such as are the choice of God, which is Election: consequently, can never, never be overthrown. The individual rejection of the doctrine of elec- tion does not, however, effect it, from the fact that 70 THE CELESTIALS AND TERRESTRIALS. no one is required to believe it except the Elect themselves, nor does anyone else know its secret — it must be revealed by the master. We read from the scripture: "For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive." — I. Cor. 16 : 22 We would naturally suppose b}^ the above scripture that the entirety of Adam's race would be saved, but the apostle says further: "Every man in his own order; Christ the first fruits; afterwards they that are Christ's at His coming." Now, we suppose that it would be no more proper to say that all die in Adam in his individual transgression than to say that all are made alive in Christ individually in the covenant when entered into. In Adam, a living soul multiplied, is where the trouble takes place, as election may call for from time to time till time shall be no more. We know there must be a dying in Adam which dying is alone applica- ble to the child of God, for, of a certainty, all who die in Adam in this sense must be made alive in Christ, and that living is eternal life. Now, the soul or creature which was made subject to vanity or this death must thus sicken by reason of tres- passes and sin, the consequential reign of which is death. This sickness is unto death — no help for it now — and I question very much whether there ever has been any help for it. We have an adage, "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure." If there was ever an ounce of preventative in the case of our first parents, we have no account of it. The fruit was eaten and the THE GREATER AND LESSER LIGHTS. 71 partakers thereof got sick. Her eating necessari- ly envolved his, and her death, his; so that, what immediately follows when she is gone, is his dead body. (I have reference to the departure of the soul in death). Hence the body is dead in either sense because of sin, whether corporally or spirit- ually, "but the spirit is life, because of righteous- ness."— Rom. 8 : 10. She (the soul), in regenera- tion, is raised to the holy estate of matrimony, and, being dead to the first husband, she is now married to the second, and is none other than that resurrected creature, which was subject to vanity, with regenerated life, who lives in the spirit of her husband as he lives in her, and imparts unto her wisdom of his wisdom by virtue of that same sancti- fication by God the Father and that preservation in Christ Jesus in whom this grace was given for the effectual calling before the foundation of the world. So we might,with prudence, adopt the language of the poet who says — In union with the Lamb, from condemnation free; The saints from everlasting were, and shall forever be. —Kent. This union with the Lamb is wonderful, and bears testimony to the fact that all things were arranged and predestinated from the beginning, and can but work together for the good of those who are here to bear the praise of His glorious grace, liv- ing as pilgrims and strangers, children of sorrows and acquainted with grief. Death must first ensue 72 THE CELESTIALS AND TERRESTRIALS. with those possessing true and vital religion, and no one starts out to find it under such circumstances — it is contrary to nature to seek death in either sense — and, if the line could be drawn now which, ere long, will be between those professing godli- ness in hypocrisy and those bearing the true im- age, the church would be by far better off so far as peace and spiritual enjoyment are concerned. The plan of salvation certainly requires the things con- trary to nature, and the first realization of such a thing as divine quickening, is rather more alarm- ing than gratifying and continues so for a time with terrible visitations of condemnation by day and by night. Sleep departs in a measure and often one becomes alarmed at what they conclude is their breath growing shorter, and, with difficul- ty, it appears, they breathe while on their couch at night, hourly expecting death and banishment in eternal perdition. The duration of this expunging for sin varies greatly. With some, it lasts for a considerable time; with others, not so long and probably not attended with such severity, but all ends in divine quickening or eternal life which causes great rejoicing for the time being and a feeling which expresses more than the tongue can tell. All is well for a time, when doubts and fears will arise and questions come up which give con- siderable uneasiness, and, notwithstanding that all has been attended with such fearful grief and burden of soul, some desire to see it all over again that they may be more able to determine whether THE GREATER AND LESSER LIGHTS. 73 they are Christians or not and will be found, from time to time, looking for brighter evidence. These are accompanied with a great desire to hear the gospel preached which testifies to an experiment- al, heart-felt and revealed religion purely by grace. Such persons may, and do, farther desire to relate their experience before such a body who will bear testimony to their fellowship for the same. After- wards, and even before such relation, the appli- cant desires baptism by immersion from the hands of an administrator of like faith after which the laying on of hands may be required, being a scrip- tural ordinance (Heb. 6 : 2). They are then wel- come to all the privileges of said church. Now this is not a fashionable way of getting a- long and does not suit anyone except those who have it, and only such as have this manner of re- ligion have followed Christ in the regeneration and they glory in tribulations which also are far- ther marks of the "sanctified, preserved and call- ed." These "are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time." — I. Pet. 1:5. In looking for parallels running through the creation, we have not as yet been able to find any thing in true scientific dis- coveries which, when doctrinally applied in refer- ence to the government of the Celestials and Ter- restrials, is not in tenor with the scriptures, exalt- ing the name of the Great Creator of the universe and giving no occasion whatever for flesh to glory in His presence. It is objected by some of our 74 THE CELESTIALS AND TERRESTRIALS. people that the sun is not the center of our visible universe. In this central position, it is claimed for him by science that he is king or governor of all other bodies, having a centrifugal force (from a center). This does not make any disagreeable form of doctrine when we see it properly. This circuit or spinning motion is too immense and grand to be looked into by mortals; but however, nature furnishes us a wide field, and wherever good thought can be found consistent with com- mon sense and reason we should be diligent work- men, digging deep for all wisdom which can be accepted on the side of truth. In this we are work- men who need not to be ashamed, standing firm, ready to revert to any fertile resource for truth when an attack is made. Thus it is he stands, his position being well forti- fied and his facilities grand for launching his vessel upon the deep waters. If by the attractive influence of the rotundity of the sun, all other bodies are are held in subjection and made to serve in their respective orbits whose natures are to fly off in an opposite direction and thus be hurled to distrac- tion, but being constrained to hold on their way by this binding and the influence of this government, and being turned continually towards his rays and blessed with his warmth and light, we may say that we have the gospel heavens and the Gospel Sun who has risen with healing in His wings and gospel subjects placed in such firmaments. Is it an unreasonable thing that they are brought to THE GREATER AND LESSER LIGHTS. 75 subjection and held in position in their circuit of life and made to glow in His light and warmth who themselves formerly possessed no true light and whose natures were to fiy off in an opposite direction? and of a certainty would still do so were it not for the sacred influence of this great Central Head who draws them to duty each and every hour and by whose power they are kept in the true orbit throughout the circuit of life, corresponding to the fact that "we are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation, ready to be revealed in the last time." Such we observe to be parallels calling forcibly for "Spiritual Law in the Natural Kingdoms". The government arranging the systematic working of the visible universe surely must be a type of the Spiritual government set up in His children. This government is infallible Spiritual Law of a ho- ly nation. We are sure, from all observations we have been able to make, that there is no reconcil- iation of matters save by way of laws (which is the only correct way). These laws extend themselves to the infinite being of God" who, only, hath Im- mortality, dwelling in light which no man can ap- proach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honor and power everlasting. Amen." I. Tim. 6 : 16. "In Him was life; and the life was the light of men." — John i : 4. In Him and with Him all things that should ev- er exist in time, had their origin, standing in a potential form in Him. When He sent His spirit 76 THE CELESTIALS AND TERRESTRIALS. out the earth was void and without form, and dark- ness was upon the face of the deep and the spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters, and God said "Let there be light and there was light." The light emanated from Him and shined in the darkness, and was pronounced good; then divided He it from the darkness, and we do not question but that the image of every child of light was man- ifest before Him which in time is brought to bear upon His own choice as the children of day. Noth- ing is more obscure or less plain with God because it doth not yet appear in temporal form: "The light shineth in darkness and the darkness com- prehended it not" so while He dwells with the children of light and "Shines in their hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ" (II. Cor. 4 : 6), they cannot attain to it; its too high, too wonderful and cannot be comprehended. What little glimpse we get of things beyond is by revelation for compre- hension belongs to the natural man and must have its meaning in darkness (the carnal mind). Dark- ness reveals nothing but light reveals much. Now, it must be accepted that we see the re- deemed family preserved in original light and pur- ity, manifest in sin and death and regenerated in light, thus entering through sanctification, person- ally, the holy state of preservation in salvation by grace as determined in the predestination of God, under which form of government grace undertakes the case of every subject and is his deliverence THE GREATER AND LESSER LIGHTS. 77 from the beginning to the end. There is no partnership with the old law firm and the institution of grace — they do entirely a sep^ arate business — and he who appeals to the law for justification must do the deeds required in the law, being "a debtor to do the whole law." But the child of faith is not under the curse of the law but under grace, nor should he at any time on his journey, bring up the law to parallel with, and will certainly not except in the absence of faith. "The concupiscence wrought" in our flesh does not bring us any more "under the yoke of bondage" but brings us "through the valley of the shadow of death" that we may there hear the voice of the Lord and receive instruction. Here we are taught to say, "Like a crane or a swallow, so did I chatter: I did mourn as a dove: mine eyes fail with looking upward: O Lord, I am oppressed; undertake for me. What shall I say? He hath both spoken unto me, and Himself hath done it: I shall go softly all my years in the bit- terness of my soul." And the prophet concludes by saying, "0 Lord, by these things men live, and in all these things is the life of my spirit: so wilt thou recover me, and make me to live." — Isa. 38 : 1 4- 1 5- 1 6. A creature in Christ is a creation in Him "unto good works which God hath before or- dained that we should walk in them." As the law of the spirit of life is in Christ Jesus, even so is He a formation in the creature. And when the creature is raised up Christ is manifest, and when 7 8 THE CELESTIALS AND TERRESTRIALS. Christ is manifest the law is manifest in Him who is the accepted obedience of every such creature who has the benefit of the righteousness of Christ. PREDESTINATION IN LAW OF SIN AND DEATH. 79 CHAPTER II. THE VOICE OF PREDESTINATION IN THE LAW OF SIN AND DEATH. There are two destinations for the Saint. The journey of life brings him to witness the first des- tination (death), which is by appointment or a Pre - Destination. The second stage realized is Salvation, a predestination from death unto life. We must bring up both sides of Predestination. I look upon this Divine Appointment plan as enter- ing into God's foreknowledge, and dealing with all things just as wisdom saw it and declared it. If we accept the doctrine of Divine Appointment at all (which we do), we must receive it in this light, for it must be consistent with God's foreknowledge, that is, there must be no conflict between what He has predetermined and what actually takes place; otherwise, something has passed from under His control and consequently His Sovereign Govern- ment be defective — in plain words, denying the power of God. A foreseen event with god makes an absolute certainty; otherwise, the spirit of prophecy would be void, and inspiration must fall 80 THE CELESTIALS AND TERRESTRIALS. to the ground, and we who suffer for the sake of Christ "are of all men most miserable." To admit of God's foreknowledge at all, means, practically, to close the question. His unsearchable judgement covers the whole ground, and all is for Him and by Him. All foreseen events, even to every atom of creation, comes clustering around to take their respective places as material; not at random, for each had and still has its law. There is, therefore, no mingling in confusion as we've witnessed in our early days in a great class who spelled for "headmarks" and who, when called, came rushing to take their places in the class, when presently, as if they had forgotten, someone would say, "This is my place" and another, "This is mine" (all mak- ing for head) until considerable dissatisfaction and often hard feelings were the result. Now, the teacher could not possibly know each one's place and expected them to remember, but the Great Teacher and Creator of the universe places all His creatures in thier proper place and so class- ifies them that, as Eld. Gilbert Beebe has said, "a worm has no grounds to complain saying 'why did you not make me a man?' or a man to complain saying, 'why did you not make me an angel?' " This process or manner of creation and classifica- tion continued until the creation was complete and that which was a foreseen and a pre-determined matter is now a reality. Some may prefer to use decree when speaking of the creation inanimate; we see no objection to it, THE GREATER AND LESSER LIGHTS. 8 1 for there is but very little if any difference in the two expressions. Predestinatian seems to be the proper word to use in consideration of a pending journey, which was used as reverting back to God by whom such work was, and is set in order, hence it may apply more to Israel or the church on her pilgrimage than to outstanding matter. I had rather that all things have their support in a de- cree for time, and their terminus in predestination, so that predestination is not so much behind, push- ing, as before, setting bounds, receiving mortals in death, and immortals in life, until all is fulfilled in the disolution of the natural and the "restitu- tion" of the spiritual, for the heavens must receive him (Christ) until all this is accomplished, then the measure is full into which has been pouring the events of all time both good and bad as wis- dom saw it, declared it, and brought it to pass. The first stage of predestination comes dealing with Adam, a living soul, for his formation in the image of the earthy and brings him every way to answer to such relation. This body was flesh and blood, whose functions were under just such a law as all flesh and has been since, calling for the things necessary for the perpetuation of natural life, whose pilgrimage is not heavenward but earth- ward. Adam's nature was no worse after he trans- gressed than before; he was dust and unto dust must return according to divine appointment. He was on his journey, we are taught, 930 years but found no way to avoid God's decree — he must die 82 THE CELESTIALS AND TERRESTRIALS. — thus meeting his predestination, personally, in dust. This was the end of his journey or his des- tination, the framing of which, in the counsel of wisdom before his creation, made his Pre - Desti- nation. Now, we have the first stage of Predestination in "the Law of Sin and Death," dealing with mor- tality unto dissolution, in which connection we mean the body only, for the soul is not his — it is lost in transgression, and he (Adam) can by no means redeem it. We desire to put Predestination in the front of the battle here and comment on him a little When he is met nowadays, the question by many is, "Who are you?" and when they learn that he is a very old man who has been persecuted in all countries and throughout every generation by rea- son of his faith, they will then be heard to say: "We have heard our fathers speak of you, and some of them, in the highest terms, but we re- member they said he dwelt mostly with the com- mon people, and was very plain and rather stern in his manners, consequently was not popular in the higher circles of society," and they coolly and indifferently pass him by. When met by others, he addresses himself to them, and they apparent- ly show some little degree of appreciation for his presence, and will sometimes venture the courtesy, "How are you?" saying, "We have heard of you in our boyhood; our fathers have told us of meet- ing you and loving you in the constitution of the PREDESTINATION IN LAW OF SIN AND DEATH. 83 first churches of your order in this country, but we supposed that you were dead long, long ago. Now we would be pleased to have your genealogy." Then Predestination says: "I was conceived in the mind of God the Father before the world was, and was given birth by wisdom, by virtue of whom I've continued until this day, being at all times about my Father's business." Also others came saying, "How are you?" Predestination says: "I'm well, for I do the will of the Father and have the preeminence in all things. How are you." The reply is,"Our family is not very well for some reason. We've taken this thing, that, and the oth- er, but appear to get no better, if anything, worse." Then, knowing of the longevity of predestina- tion and his apparent good health still, the ques- tion is asked, "How do you stay so well all the time?" The reply is, "I take no physic at all, live on coarse, plain diet, and by reason of my poverty and the many hardships which I have to encounter, my appetite seems to be ready for the strongest meat the times can afford. My faith is, let every day provide for itself, and, so far, it has been thus with me. Now, since it has leaked out that Mr. Predesti- nation has sprung up in the vicinity, he is annoy- ed no little with folks approaching him with the already monotonous phrase, "How are you?" and he is compelled to complain, saying, "I've trifled 84 THE CELESTIALS AND TERRESTRIALS. away no little time trying to tell you people how I am, when the truth of the matter is, you care nothing about me nor do you understand me when I tell you. I ask, time and again how you are, and none of you can tell me, only that you are not well which your looks plainly tell me without your saying a word." But they insist: " We now know your name; what is your condition? is what we want to know; and, as we've been accustomed to extend this courtesy, we trust you will not hesitate to give us an answer — what is your condition ? " Predestination replied: "I have no condition; no such thing is known to me save among your peo- ple. With me there is no condition — all things are an absolute certainty. In this disease (condition- alism) which is so prevalent among your people, are dangerous germs which one may breathe in the air, as it is alive with them. They originate with 'the Prince of the power of the air,' by reason of which your tongue is found to be very foul; your stomach in a bad fix; infact your whole system is out of gear. Thus, indeed, your condition is bad." "But," says they, "are not your people infected somewhat with this disease? It seems as if they would be for they mingle with us no little." "Yes," says predestination; "that's the trouble, and that's why I'm here testifying as I am to-day: that they may come out from among you, and you go out from amongst us, that this epidemic spread no PREDESTINATION IN LAW OF SIN AND DEATH. 85 farther, as I have already told you and tell you again; there is no failure with me for the Father's pleasure is wrought out in me, there- fore, with rne all things are certain. My mission is never void, but effectual, in calling for and con- forming the children to the image of His Son, and excluding those from our province who are bast- ards and not sons." "Mr. Predestination, is there not a great physician who can, and does, heal the maladies of the world provided you send for him? and may one not neg- lect to send for him and die?" Then Predestina- tion says, "Have I not told you there is no con- dition with me? Who will you send; me? No; for I will surely not go except it be given me of the Father, and if so I do most assuredly know that He cometh speedily to His own whose call has been in faith, believing that He is the only physi- cian who can cure a sin-sick soul. You will now say to me, Ve called again and again and sent up our petitions/ when it is true that you did, but you called for Baal and ask in vain, not seeing the alarming features of your case, neither feeling your great need of a cure, therefore proving you had no faith in Him, nor desired His teaching. They, who desire His teaching will seek Him, and shall early find Him because they sought him by faith, believing that He was, and is, and is to come, and that there is no failure with Him. My business is to deal with life eternal in which there is no con- dition nevertheless, when your conditions 86 THE CELESTIALS AND TERRESTRIALS. cease, I receive you in death, it being by appoint- ment. Thus your conditions are swallowed up by my certainty, and except this swallowing up also swallow up your darkness, you should never see light, and your maladies should be visited upon you in the world to come wherein your condi- tion must become an eternal one, which is "the second death." Then, some contended with him saying, "There is no such future punishment for anyone, for God will have all men come to the knowledge of the truth and live;" and that "He wills the death of none, but rather that all would turn and live;" and that "none of the work of His hands shall perish, but to Him every knee shall bow and every tongue confess." And they say further: "We readily a- gree with you, Mr. Predestination, that all this darkness stands for 'sin and death' which has only been allowed here by the all-wise Creator for time until all of Adam's race has learned the last note of the song of redemption. Then all darkness, sin and death shall be comsumed forever with the brightness of His second appearing which shall be without sin unto salvation. These things we think you wouid do well to teach, and we are sure it will meet the approval of the people better than this doctrine of election which you are accustom- ed to teach; you should know that it is embarrassing to us and to our children; and, as people are get- ting to be more enlightened in this our twentieth century, even many of your own household oppose PREDESTINATION IN LAW OF SIN AND DEATH. 87 it and admit that it's a hard doctrine that grates upon their nerves, many of the children of whom are showing their better judgment by joining the more cultured and advanced orders, which things meet the approval of their parents. Now, Mr. Predestination, in the face of all these facts which you know are true by your own observation, would you still go on against your better informed judgment, knowing at the same time that we are ten, twenty, yes fifty to your one? Would you still have the impudence to go on preaching that old Augustine and Calvinistic doctrine of Election and Predestination, kicked out of our confession of faith four hundred years ago. It grates upon the nerves of your already disorganized body and threatens your own overthrow." Then come those of his own household asking for a revision, saying, "Mr. Predestination, we have watched after 3'ou very closely for some time and find that you are loosing grounds on account of your boldness and immovable conviction and be- ing opposed to any progress in church develop- ment any further than some peculiar demonstra- tion of providence is noticed, making the voice of Predestination essential throughout, therefore excluding all church action except your conspic- ious self have something to do with it, as if you have something to do with everything (and we believe that you really think that you do). Now, we will try and come to a compromise about things, somewhat, in which we ask you to stand 88 THE CELESTIALS AND TERRESTRIALS. aside a little, if not altogether, and by this means we may be able to compete with, if not outrun, our neighbors. {So, we ask that you put your fist to these articles that you may retain your place among us in a limited sense, and have our fel- lowship conditionally , which is to say take a seat when you come in and never be heard any more howling on the doctrine of Election and Pre- destination and 'Unconditional Salvation' through the special and saving grace of Christ — what do you say Mr. Predestination?" Then Predestination opened his mouth and said: "Sure you are no new set to me. Pve had to en- counter such as you time and again before my pil- grimage had been long upon the earth, and I have witnessed many things of which you know noth- ing. I have seen nation after nation rise, flourish and disappear; cities built and fall into decay; I have seen the conquest of many countries, and the down fall of many kingdoms; nation making war upon nation until the cries of the oppressed rent the air as they moved upon the face of a desolate land, perishing of starvation and cold; mothers tearing the flesh from the bones of their beloved offsprings whose spirits were flashing forth from beaming eyes and mangled forms to help swell the anthems of praise to Him, of whom I testified to your fathers concerning, in prophet and priest, saying, 'A virgin shall conceive and bring forth a son, and thou shall call His name Jesus for He shall save His people from their sins' (Mat. 1:21), PREDESTINATION IN LAW OF SIN AND DEATH. 89 and because of His doctrines and miracles your fathers took Him and crucified Him that the scrip- tures might be fulfilled, wherein I testified by the prophet Isaiah saying, 'Therefore will I divide Him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death': — Isa. 53 : 12 — 'God who in divers manners spake in time past unto the fath- ers by the prophets, hath in these last days spoken unto us by His Son, whom He hath appointed heir of all things by whom also He made the worlds.' — Heb 1 : 1-2. "Be it known unto you, therefore, that we hear the Son who delights to do the will of His Father, and not man, for man seeks his own glory and de- sires much to be seen and applauded by men. Now, why I've given you a hearing at all, is that I've learned to have patience with such weakness, but in plain words you are no strength to us— our spirituality is our strength and by no means does it rest with numbers. Light is our dwelling which has no communion with darkness, neither is there any condition in light; thus you will not retain our fellowship conditionally, that is, on good behavior, for light behaves itself comely at all times and cannot possibly dwell with darkness. The works which you do are darkness, nor 'will you come to the light lest your deeds be reproved.' So, my voice will continue to be heard, saying, 'Beware of the leven of the Pharisees' and see that your names be not found on any of their doc- go THE CELESTIALS AND TERRESTRIALS. uments, 'for they lay in wait to deceive with all possible deceivableness.' See, my brethren, The end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer;' and, truly, in these things is a broken spirit, but such is a sacrifice unto the Lord." "But, Mr. Predestination, you have failed to ans- wer us on your doctrine of 'Eternal Judgment in 'the law of sin and death.' If we understand your position, you claim that where this law has a preeminent rule in the soul throughout life, the maladies of that soul are to be visited upon it in eternity, and that the freedom of the soul from such a law is obtained only by virtue of the reign of 'the Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus;' and that this expels darkness from the soul and sets up the reign of light which thing constitutes the children of day or the Elect Family; and that the soul in neither case has any dominion, but acts according to its law." "Yes," said Predestination, "this is the scriptu- ral idea of Salvation by grace, theologically stated, and this darkness which you spoke of being here for time to represent sin and death, is a concise conclusion, and all mortality is represented in this darkness. Such as are translated out of this dark- ness belong to the power of light, and such as are left in this darkness to act in their sins belong to the powers of darkness and are thus left to the praise of His (God's) glorious Justice — 'Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the PREDESTINATION IN LAW OF SIN AND DEATH. 9 1 presence of the Lord, and from the glory of His power.' — II. Thes. 1:9. Now, this is the scriptural disposition of the human family; such as never be- come alarmed at their darkness, live in darkness and go down in darkness, and are resurrected and banished in darkness." "Now, Mr. Predestination, this seems to be pretty good, but, in so much as we cannot accept a doc- trine unless it be theologically stated, will you please give us a theological statement of this ques- tion throughout?" "Then," said Predestination, "the gospel idea of any question concerning the kingdom of heaven cannot be truthfully stated unless theologically stated, and cannot be theologically stated unless truthfully stated, so, that theology which is not supported by known laws is no theology, therefore I will state this question only as far as the laws running through nature hold good. "In this, the life is manifest in a natural body and called a living soul. The presence of the soul in a natural body is life and its absence from such a body is death. The soul lives apart from the body, but the body, apart from the soul is dead. "Now, in the resurrection every seed has its own body; the incorrutible seed calls for a spiritual body, and the corruptible seed a natural or a cor- ruptible body; the spiritual body excludes the reign of 'the law of sin and death' forever by power of the resurrection, even as the soul does by virtue and power of regeneration, hence/the last enemy 92 THE CELESTIALS. AND TERRESTRIALS. is destroyed' and 'the law of sin and death' no more to be found even in the members; thus, 'mor- tality is swallowed up of life,' which is eternal life, 'never to perish.' On the other hand the wicked depart under the reign of 'the law of sin and death,' and are resurrected and placed back under the reign of such a law, which is 'the second death,' and this is eternal death wherein they eternally perish. Life and death are opposite terms and here, one means eternally alive and the other e- ternally dead, but the word, eternal, is more generally accepted on the side of life; but David said: they, as brute beast, perish and shall never see light. — Ps. 49 : 19-20. "But the whole theological fact is explained in the following statement: "The souls of the righteous depart under the reign of 'the Law of the Spirit of Life,' whose spirits are found in the image of the heavenly and shall awake in the likeness of the heavenly, while the souls of the wicked depart under the reign of 'the law of sin and death,' whose souls are found in the image of the earthy and shall awake in the likeness of the earthy. Thus: "So prevalent as dai'fcness, so prevalent is deatlb; and, so prevalent as light, so prevalent is lifer Now you have heard the voice of Predestination in "the law of sin and death." — Rom. 8:2. PREDESTINATION IN LAW OF THE SPIRIT OF LIFE. 93 CHAPTER III. PREDESTINATION IN THE LAW OF THE SPIRIT OF LIFE. We have already dwelt, somewhat, upon the church as dwelling in original light and purity with God, the Father, by sanctification and His Son, Jesus Christ, in preservation before the world began. Light was and ever has been emblematic of good, and is good, for "God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all, (I. Jno. 1:5) and is none other than good. Light evades all possible tests for in- vestigation, and so men are unable to arrive at any theory. "It fills the pores of all bodies, elud- ing all chemical tests, passing in through the glass receiver and remaining even in the vacum of an air pump.' 'Steel's Philosophy. So, the inconceiva- ble highness of these things remains to be under- stood; only, that God is life and God is light, and that God is perpetual, holding these great secrets only to be unfolded in eternity. Therefore scien- tific minds can but confess that it is too high, too wonderful — we can't attain to it — and thus, in- spite of the efforts of some who would have been 94 THE CELESTIALS AND TERRESTRIALS. glad to have found evidence to the contrary, give their verdict in favor of a Universal Supreme First Cause, the "Great I Am." Now, while God is all this, He is infinitely more, for these are only indicative of His reign in om- niscience, omnipotence and omnipresence. They are only shadows of His substance, for the most brilliant life known to mortals is but a glimpse of His, and the brightest light of the noon-day sun must glimmer with the faint ness of a star when compared to Him, and perpetual generations pass as if but a revolution in Eternity. Just so preva- lent as these mighty agents are in creating, ener- gizing and carrying on the work of time, so uni- versal is His dominion and almighty power, estab- lishing a perfect law in harmony with things yet unseen, answering to the great "Edict" before a germ of life or a ray of light was given birth. In this we see the symbol of Spiritual Law. "No where in nature do we find chance, but ev- ery event governed by fixed laws. If we would ac- complish any result or perform any experiment, we must come into exact harmony with the uni- versal system. If we deviate from the line of law a hair's breadth, we fail. All the discoveries of science prove these laws to extend to the most dis- tant star in space. A law of nature has no force of itself; it is but the manner in which forces act. We cannot create force; we can only take it as a gift from God." (Steel.) Whether it be the singing of a rattle-snake or the cooing of a harmless dove, PREDESTINATION IN LAW OF THE SPIRIT OF LIFE. 95 they give expression to the wonderful intelligence behind them, vivifying the relation they bear to each as symbols of the unseen powers (good and evil). And how different their effect upon the hu- man family! One calling for the greatest possible contempt and disgust, and the the other calling for the greatest admiration and most elevating thought. The sight of one stinging us with the sad reflection of its bite, and the sight and cooing of the other with the solemn cure. The symbol in one bringing forth the sagacity of Satan who crept into the life of man as the destroyer, while the oth- er, as a symbol, has its significance in the Spirit which abode upon the son of man in a bodily shape as a dove, manifest to bruise the serpents head. The serpent, no doubt, is as much God's creation as the dove, but the dove was sent forth from the ark, and, from the unseen land, plucked an olive leaf as an evidence that the waters were subsiding. Many a dove has since gone forth and many olive leaves have been plucked and borne to the way- worn traveler, indicating to the often disheartened and doubtitig soul that there is land ahead, whose faith is increased to toil on, though storms beat and winters come, and there is again reassurance that land is not far distant. How often have we stepped to the bed-side of one ahead and heard them cry out, Lord! Beauti- ful Lord! Home! Sweet home! and, though it be dark, bravely wade into the chilly waters between the landing, and thus pass from our views, u For 96 THE CELESTIALS AND TERRESTRIALS. death, like a narrow sea, divides this heavenly- land from ours." Now the dove (the Holy Ghost) will ere long make her last visit, for the waters (people) beneath will eease, and she will find where to rest the sole of her foot. She will then return no more, but the everlasting doors fly wide and there shall be no more sea. There is much spiritualizing done of this char- acter and it is very beautiful when properly seen and lined out, but it suffers considerably from im- agination. It has been greatly dwelt upon in time, infact so much so, that the jewel has been wraped so deep with fabric, woven by so many machines, that the children hardly know how to find it. One may weave skilfully and produce fine colors (ex- cellency of speech and mens' wisdom), and anoth- er weave awkwardly and produce shoddy goods in dull colors (unsound doctrine), and another strong and heedlessly making bouts and breakouts, (bridg- ing them over with "am nas",) until one can scarce- ly tell when he's through whether he has either fabric or color. We have many machines which, because of greed for gain, are operated too fast to obtain good results — the speed must be balanced with power — while there are others that no good results can be had from however cautiously looked after. This accounts for the greater part of the traditional stuff woven into the chain of true inspir- ation; and to now commence thead by thread and unravel and pull out the shoddy parts until the PREDESTINATION IN LAW OF THE SPIRIT OF LIFE. 97 jewel is clearly seen is to deal with what is indeed a problem, and not worked out in one day by any means. And by this time some of the children will begin to want to know what it is and inquire, "What is this new thing you are bringing in?" Even now we are reminded of some of the little boys living in the pioneer days whom we've heard of. It is said, a lawyer travelling through the parts called to stay over night and was taken in. Soon a small lad attracted his attention to whom he handed a biscuit which was rather mouldy by age, when the little boy was said to have turned it over, and over, looking at it cautiously. Then all at once he bounced up, ran out the door, and back with a couple of chips into which he gathered a coal and placed it upon the biscuit. "What are you doing that for?" exclaimed the lawyer. "Let him alone, he'll stick his head out dreckly" was the. reply. The truth suffers the greatest persecution and it will no doubt contiue to be said, "What is this?" when all that is needed is to be convinced that it's a biscuit and there will not be so many coals of fire heaped upon it, but be snatched up and eaten notwithstanding that it has been cut and baked nearly six thousand years, and is so mouldy by be- ing laid back. Many a decayed tooth is aching, and many a stomach inflamed by eating these doc- trinal mixtures. What we need, above all things, is to get back to the ground rock which is Christ, and the apostles who are the foundation of the 98 THE CELESTIALS AND TERRESTRIALS. building on which foundation we are built as live- ly stones, and which building "groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord." God's children must dwell together in simplici- ty, knowing nothing in regard to His kingdom save what He is pleased to reveal to them. As we thus see the building and its workmanship — how it is fitly framed together — and, as the Master Builder leads us into each department, many things meet our gaze, the usages of which we are not ac- quainted with, but are told by the Master through the different gifts there is nothing in all the build- ing, either exterior or interior, which does not ans- wer a wise purpose, and all works together for the good and strength of the building. We can very soon find mystery if that is all we want, but there is nothing gained in being mystified. What we want to know is the truth, a thorough knowledge of which makes more clear the mystery of the workings of iniquity with us, calling out some of the faithfulness of those who should be found con- tending for the faith once delivered to the saints, which envolves no greater task than to say, "This is a white stone;" take care of it, and "this hay, wood and stubble;" look out for it, and mind what you get in your church." The "Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus" is the church government, properly speaking, showing the manner by which obedience is had from the church toward God. Individual transgression must be reconed from the side of the reign of the "Law of sin and death" PREDESTINATION IN LAW OF THE SPIRIT OF LIFE. 99 rather than soul-quality, for the redeemed soul is free from such a law; hence the animal natures of men account for their different temperaments, and this, in a great measure, is innate, and extends itself to all flesh whether man or beast. Our salvation, at no time, depends upon soul- quality, but upon the electing sovereignty of God through the effectual reign of grace, given us in Christ before the foundation of the world. We were not chosen because of God foreseeing one soul bet- ter than another, and adopting and setting them apart, as one might merit salvation, and another damnation. It has been noticed that some of the most eminent servants of God have been very rigid in nature, by reason of which they are made to cry often unto the Lord for deliverance; while, on the other hand, there are men who are never called uron to bear the yoke or take up the cross and fight the battle of faith, whose natures are smooth and general traits of character excellent, and are often spoken of as good-hearted fellows. But, sit down and talk with the two for awhile, and you will find their talk as widely contrasted as their natures. The many corruptions and vani- ties to be found in the flesh which this old creature was bom to encounter, wrestle with and groan un- der, he relates with tears streaming from his eyes, having cried again and again, "My leanness ! My leanness ! " his mind aspiring to the heavens, his whole crave and daily talk, and his flesh grappling with the dust where woe awaits and trials beset. LoFCJ IOO THE CELESTIALS AND TERRESTRIALS. Many assaults has the enemy made upon him, and was, at each attack, found to be too hard for him, and, had it not been for reinforcements from on high, the fort would surely have been taken. Now he is old and has learned that "the flesh profiteth nothing," but rather to the contrary; instead of be- ing a co-worker with him to withstand the enemy, he has learned by experience, gives occasion for his frequent visits, and furnishes every facility nec- essary for battle. This is true with all of us until the last lesson has been taught, when we receive our discharge and are conducted by the armies of heaven into the immediate presence of the King to receive our reward. Every child of grace must learn this lesson. Some learn it more perfectly than others, and are more able to draw the line between the works of the flesh and the work of the spirit. It is the spirit that quickens. While we are fearfully and wonderfully made in the flesh, it has pleased God that it should be no more than the battle ground in redemption, and, after the battle is finished, to assign it a place in the dust, after which to rebuild it and accept of it in His triumphant kingdom. This gives rise to a song to be sung by the soldier of the cross, far more thrilling and soul cheering than all the national songs made and sung by the ancient hero, or modern soldier. The banner under which they fight is "Jesus reigns," and the music to which they march is the gospel trumpet and spiritual songs. This music PREDESTINATION IN LAW OF THE SPIRIT OF LIFE. lOI is heard in the most melodious strains with "the poor in spirit." The sweetest tones must arise from the vibrations of a wounded spirit. A soul thus tuned will sing "Amazing grace." I dare say, when the Lord thus plays upon His creatures of immortal triumph, that the splendid cries of each burdened soul sets in motion sacred waves that bear away the undying sound to be produced and reproduced, to which the heaven of heavens echo and re-echo so that the aerial regions may be full of such sounds which have died to our ears but are alive to God's and harmonized with innumer- able vibrations of never dying sweetness. "Could our senses be quickened, what celestial harmony might thrill us," and Prof. Cooke beau- tifully says, "The very air around us may be re- sounding hallelujahsof the heavenly host, while our dull ears hear nothing but the feeble accents of our broken prayers." If all that coops up the soul, and all that beclouds the earthly sky was gone, surely the world as a great instrument would chant the praises of the Creator automatically with the undisturbed laws already found. We had a sweet little boy, near three years of age, who laid upon our arm twenty-nine days prior to his death, closed his eyes and dropped to sleep, uttering the words, "I want to go home;" and now, while his sepulchre is with us, my faith is, his spirit is at home, and probably infinitely near me when I have so often recalled the death scene to see him grapple in death, and there, in the bit- 102 THE CELESTIALS AND TERRESTRIALS. terness of soul, cry piteously unto the Lord to re- lease me that I might go and be at rest, for, said I, there is no rest below for me. But these things proved to be the life of my spirit, and the very places where I cried, saying, I'm undone ! I'm un- done ! with my lips in the dust, is where my soul now draws comfort, remembering that it was here "I went softly in the fear of the Lord." We must have our day and trial in the flesh, and when our journey is ended we go to a place whereunto we were appointed or predestinated. The fact that all the redeemed family return to their former habi- tation in light to await the resurrection or final re- demption of the body which the creature shall be clothed with in eternity, gives us to fondly em- brace the grand and never dying doctrine of Pre- destination, under which God puts forth His Own as sheep in the Great Shepherd's care, by whose power they are kept from wolves until safely housed in heaven, their home. We could never beJieve that one of the devil's angels is manifest in a body for whom Christ died, and by whose power it must be raised incorrupti- ble and fashioned like unto His own glorious body in light. The division of light and darkness plays an important part in this work. The character of both dispensations was in Adam, for he was no doubt as much spirit, soul and body as we; and the living soul part of him must forever corres- pond to the fruit of the womb, and was flesh and blood. Out of this body God made woman — she PREDESTINATION IN LAW OF THE SPIRIT OF LIFE. I03 . was a creation in him, and came out of him, that it might be made manifest what was in him. Thus the living-soul side of Adam was the dark side; and the dark side, the transgressing side; and the trans- gressing side, the woman side; and the woman side, the church side. As it is written "And Adam was not deceived, but the woman, being deceived, was in the transgression" (I Tim. 2 . 14), transgres- sion cannot come prior to the law, for, says Paul, "Where there is no law there is no transgression. The law must first come, then transgressors fall under the condemnaton of that law. Just what the violation of the first requisition was, or consisted in, would be very hard to decide upon with any certainty, but however, that term, "Thou shalt not," was sufficient to bring out the nature of the case, for the case was pending,, and this requirement was the prerequisite unto con- demnation; and the forms of life involved are souls. In the true sense the Spirit occupies on the side of conscience and is head, while the soul occupies on the side of body and is the weaker vessel subject to deception. The division of soul and spirit divid- ed the kingdom, and made possible the fall. We are taught "The word of God is sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing a- sunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and in- tents of the heart," (Heb. 4:12) and again, "If a kingdom be divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand." — Mark 3 : 24. So long as the soul 104 THE CELESTIALS AND TERRESTRIALS. was in the spirit she was safe, but when separated, she became an easy prey for Satan, and this holds good to the present — there is no change with God. "Adam is the figure of Him who was to come, (Rom. 5 : 14) and I do not think the scripture al- lows the figure to be involved any farther than he was a living soul. The true sonship that was in Adam was not guilty of any transgression, for it was manifest from above as spirit, but his living soul was a creation of the earth earthy, and in the true figure sense, was made an offering for his bride, entering the state of death and remaining there because of sin. This is the condition of the first man, Adam, in his outward man relation while the second man Adam came "The Lord from heaven, a quickening Spirit," He was Adam still, and the Son of God, and to Him the spirit was not given by measure but the "Godhead was manifest in Him bodily," still it behooved Him to be made like unto His brethren in all things, sin excepted. In this He was the fruit of the womb, a living soul, in which body He suffered the highest and most annoying forms of temptation, but He was manifest with the "Law of the Spirit of Life" in Him, which constituted His freedom from the law of sin and death. "He was made of a woman, made under the law, to re- deem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons." — Gal. 4 : 4. Now His soul was required, as we read; "Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him; he hath put him PREDESTINATION IN LAW OF THE SPIRIT OF LIFE. 105 to grief: when thou shall make his soul on offer- ing for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall pros- per in his hand." — Isa. 53 : 10-12. As a man He was under the law of sin and death but died as no man ever died— without sin — and arose from the dead the third day by which act death was abol- ished by abolishing the law. So, the law which was in Him freed Him from the law of sin and death, which law is the "Spirit of Life" from heav- en, endowed with quickening power. Thus it works that the guilty part of man is his soul, and that the soul and not the spirit of Christ was required to redeem its like — into the hands of the Father He commended His spirit. Now, the thing to be reclaimed from death is the body from the woman side. The soul is quickened and has regenerated life; the mind or spirit is renewed, and has additional gift, while in the final, the body is resurrected, having perfect facilities for right- eousness, being set up under the reign of the"Spirit of Life" throughout. Hence, the fruit from the mother side is brought forth as the soul or body of Christ which is His church, and of which body He is the head. What we want in the soul is the "image of the heavenly," and this cannot be trans- mited according to the law of nature except by birth which is the bringing up of the lower or dead elements to a higher plane or state of exist- ence, and in the spiritual it is bringing up the lower form of life, which occupies on the side of I06 THE CELESTIALS AND TERRESTRIALS. the dead, to a higher state of existence, which is in Christ, at which time it has the "Image of God," and consequently the mind of God. Now, Adam, the figure, was made in the image of God, and for God's glory, not in earthly form, but in spirit and no higher image can be put in the spirit than what is already there— "The wash- ing of regeneration and the renewing of the Holy Ghost" completes the work. This birth brings a renewed mind which is the "Mind of Christ," and the mind of Christ is mind of God, the Father — the ideal conception unto sonship. The same Holy Ghost must overshadow for an equal rela- tionship or brotherhood, which is Spirit of God, which is mind of God, which constitutes the sons of God who alone can be heirs of God. In this we have the celestial or heavenly body which is holy> ornamented with the Celestial or Spiritual Head, whose wonderful development is hidden away in the material body. We must notice here that this growth is not a progressive movement for getting better, and bet- ter. There are no degrees of righteousness in Christ, for He is in the superlative degree; still the efforts made to get better, and to do better, are always in good faith in the Christian, but he fails to get satisfactory results from it. Instead of put- ting a finish on what he hopes he already has, he only becomes the more convinced that he has none and all his energies and anxieties are simply wast- ed so far as getting better is concerned. He grows PREDESTINATION IN LAW OF THE PIRIT OF LIFE 107 to be probably an old man, but not a better man, for the same vanities cluster and whirl about him. God's children hate sin, and, still finding the motions of it in their members, they start in to outrun it and get rid of it entirely. Many lose sight of the apostle's entreaty with the Lord to re- move the thorn, which did not meet God's approv- al, and was not done; for said God, "My strength is made perfect in weakness." — II Cor. 12 : 19. Sometimes we are left to make our own discover- ies about matters, for God knows best for us, and knows that we often get up some self-sustaining principle which requires a stroll over the fields of nature again to be reminded of what grows there, and we are not long in finding it's a wilderness of woe, and begin to stumble and fall, and learn a- gain that the old yoke is too heavy, and that we cannot bear it — "neither could our fathers." It is a natural weakness that we all have in reverting back to the law at times. Concerning this, Paul said to the GalJatian brethren: "O foolish Galla- tians, who hath bewitched you, that you should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you ? This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by works of the law, or by the hear- ing of faith ? Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit; are ye now made perfect by the flesh ? — Gal. 3:1-2-3. It seemed to be a very difficult matter for Paul to keep the churches from becoming entangled 108 THE CELESTIALS AND TERRESTRIALS. with the old yoke of bondage, wherein they were desirous to teach justification by the deeds of the law, which was circumcision, meaning about the same thing as "Conditional time salvation. " We notice circumcision taught obedience to the law, and was condemned by Paul as unsound doctrine, but it w T as no more guilty of an assault upon grace than "Conditional time salvation," for it will often indulge in such law phrases as "Why will ye die, O Israel?" "The soul that sinneth, it shall die," and "If ye be good and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land." All these savor of human abil- ity or fleshly co-operation, and have sprung out of the old lineage of the old covenant way, and are none other than the children of Conditionalism. Adam's ability in the fall (if we so see it) will give rise to every feature of "The means doctrine" which has troubled the church of Christ in every age, and, to curb this thing in the church, the Lord has, at His own appointed time, sent forth defenders of His sovereignty with the despisable, yet glorious and sacred doctrine of predestination. All Baptist confessions set forth the sinner's salva- tion through the election of grace, absolute and unconditional, bnt it appears with some the ten- dency is to yield the point to Conditionalism when considering man before "the fall", overlooking the important fact that the grace given in Christ before the world was is, and was, absolutely for that num- ber represented in him by such election of grace, and made subjects of it only by the fall. PREDESTINATION IN LAW OF THE SPIRIT OF LIFE. IO9 Now ill the work of grace, we see "The Restitution of All Things" i. e. all that is lost in Adam must be restored in Christ, and, in so much as some of us fail to see the absolute necessity for the fall and decay of all things in Adam, we consequently fail to see the necessity for that side of predestination. This side must come first and represent us in dark- ness, which means sin and death, for the saints are predestinated to be lost in Adam. Our creation in him is in this element, for no creation in Adam, "a living soul," is unto good works. This makes us mortal and responsible to Him who only hath im- mortality. In this many of us find no way to make man responsible for his sins or to see any justice in man's condemnation if all accords with His (God's) will. Paul answered this for the Ro- mans when he saw there would be no room for carnal objection, by saying: "Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth He yet find fault? For who hath resisted His will? Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say unto him that formed it, 'Why hast thou made me thus'? Hath not the potter power over the clay of the same lump, to make one vessel to honor, and another to dishonor"? — Rom. 9 : 19-20-21. This is as much as to say God has made us, and has a perfect right to dispose of us as He hath purposed, and every truly converted soul feels that they just want it to be that way, hoping, for Christ sake, they will ere long be carried home. We positively have no IIO THE CELESTIALS AND TERRESTRIALS. right to call in question God's way of doing any- thing; if so, we must begin with the inquiry why He does not save every body, and the only solu- tion we can offer to the question is it is not His purpose so to do. This settles it for everything else. If we say He designs to save all, and they have not complied with the terms upon which Salvation was offered, consequently, are lost, we have the Arme- nian theory in full, which will shake hands with you on Adam's ability at any time. None of us see God as " force " in nature, for He is not the spirit of the flesh that generates evil, therefore, is not tempted with evil, " Neither tempteth he any man: but every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed." — Jas. i : 13-14. Concerning this, Paul said: "I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet. Rom. 7: 7. So, the law is lent the way sin introdu- ces itself to our understanding that we may know that it is but the administration of death, and now, to entertain the children of the bondwoman in the church, is not faithfulness, for, sayeth the scrip- ture, "Cast out the bondwoman and her son: for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman." — Gal. 4: 30. The chil- dren of the bondwoman and the children of the freewoman have neverdwelt together in peace, nor never will. This bondw r oman is Agar, but we now call her "Conditionalism" who has to-day in our midst two very prominent sons known as " Conditional Pre- PREDESTINATION IN LAW OF THE SPIRIT OF LIFE III destination" and " Conditional time Salvation. " They were taught in the same law school, and are now practicing among the old schools under the head of co-opperationists and are enthusiastic work- ers whose converts never fail to contend for any feature of the "Means Doctrine". Church History shows that the doctrine of pre- destination which triumphed in the Reformation began to be tampered with early in the sixteenth century, at which time it was modified and made mild enough for all orders to take hold of and was incorporated into their bodies, afterwards appear- ing in the different articles of faith, and, in order to get this done, the "Supra" was left off and the "Sub" put on to "lapsus" (meaning fall) which gives the word "Sublapsarian" meaning that class of u Calvinists who considered the decree of elec- tion as contemplating the apostasy as passed, and the Elect as being in a guilty and fallen condition, and considering the election of grace as a remedy for an existing evil, while the 'Supralapsarian' viewed it as a part of God's original purpose in re- gard to men," according to which He determined to credit man and, that he should apostatize, and that He would save the Elect from this state by the Redeemer. Now "Sub" means to let or, in this case, "permit" which is to let "fall" or permit to "fall" and "Supra" means "over, above, and beyond"and, at- tached to " lapsus," gives us the Supralapsarian. Now, "Supra" may be seen as plotting the whole 112 THE CELESTIALS AND TERRESTRIALS. with all its boundaries and lines drawn beforehand, or, " Supra" comes giving the diagnosis of the dis- ease, saying the disease is one, and the cure is one, and the cure predetermined before the dis- ease took place, while "Sub" comes along with the remedy, and sa} T s nothing about the disease, only that he supposes that it has ever existed. Church History further says, u The whole Anglo- Saxon race in its prevailing religious character and institutions bears the impress of the genius of Cal- vin and shows the power and tenacity of his doc- trine and principles of government," and for our fathers to hoist -"a s flag of truce" so soon after the veteran soldiers of the Reformation had fought so bravely, and many suffered martyrdom for their faith as of old, should cause us, their sons, to blush with shame in this the twentieth century wherein we would retreat before a common foe as they, and refuse to rally round the grand old flag of God's sovereignty drenched in the blood of millions and millions of ancient pilgrims and Christian soldiers. Grander, by far, is this banner to me, my breth- ren, than all the flags of national triumph that float upon heaven's breeze to-day. "Sooner let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth, or my right hand forget her cunning" than that I should fail to march under this flag, unfurled by Jeho- vah's omniscience, and upheld by His omnipo- tence which leadeth onward and upward to a high- er and better land. So, let me exclaim with PREDESTINATION IN LAW OF THE SPIRIT OF LIFE II3 Patrick Henry, in honor to the church of Christ, and in honor to the county of the above name, (Patrick), wherein my dust may ere long be found: "I know not what course others may take, but as for me, give me liberty or give me death," 114 THE CELESTIALS AND TERRESTRIALS. CHAPTER IV. THE PLAN OF SALVATION. The plan of Salvation is certainly the grand work of all things else, which was designed in heaven and extended to earth, and began its work hand in hand with the creation,calling for all forms subject to death, to be developed out of the creation. Out of this sub-kingdom, or ground work, the Son of God, or Wisdom, comes down and builds up the image of the earthly, which is Adam, the son of God, answering to the potter who forms his vessel from the clay. In this the Potter comes, doing his work from a natural view. Adam is spirit in the son sense, wherein God comes, quickening nature for His continuous habitation in spirit. Thus, the spirit of man must have its origin and image in God who carries on a continuous erect- ing of the earthly house after His own model and under His own super-provision, so that, in this, the son as a God by image is the capacity for the creator wherein it is impossible for deformity to occur. Here it is that Paul could say to those THE PLAN OF SALVATION. 1 1 5 heathens, that it is in Him we live, move, and have our being as His offspring, and Paul further says in regard to the other side of life; "He hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell upon the face of all the earth, and hath determin- ed the time before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation." (Read Acts. 17 : 26 - 27 - 28- 29) Now, it is a clear case that all men are created equal; their origin is the same; their rights and privileges are equally protected as creatures, and, if God was, or could be, moved by a natural tie, Sal- vation would be universal; for the case of one is as pitiful as another in nature, but God is no respect- er of persons. There is, therefore, a universal sameness with Him so far as flesh and blood are concerned, for its tendency is degeneration and ruin. It does not differ what its aspirations may be, it is fallen and depraved flesh which profits nothing so far as regeneration is concerned, for the flesh is not included in the regeneration but in the resurrection. Fleshly degeneration is not brought up by regeneration but by the resur- rection. The "Law of the Spirit of Life" gives us the benefit of the first resurrection, which is contin- uous and embodied in the saying of Christ "I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live," (Jno. 11 : 25) but the "Law of the Spirit of Life" is not fully enforced until the restitution of all things, at which time the last enemy is destroyed, which is death. In the mean time, many of the children Il6 THE CELESTIALS AND TERRESTRIALS. must fall asleep by reason of the reign of the "Law of sin and death" in their mortal bodies, and thus see corruption while their souls, being perfected in holiness by the reign of the "Law of the Spirit of Life," are received into Paradise where they are with Christ, and behold the face of God in light and glory, waiting the full redemption of their bod- ies. (2 Cor. 5:1-6-8, Phil. 1 : 24 , Heb. 12 .24.) We do not find that the "Law of the Spirit of Life" is asking for the regeneration of the soul, but rather its resurrection both interior and exterior in the final. The first is asking to be paralleled with the last, and must be. By the first act we have a new creature; the thing that is generated in the first birth is life, and is asking for a paral- lel in the second birth. Then the thing that is re- generated is life, and this life is eternal life, the very thing we want in the resurrected soul. In this you have a new creature asking for a farther parallel in a new creation, or a spiritual body in a spiritual world. These two dispensations in which the mortals and immortals, or celestials and terres- trials, are represented, are symbolized with light and darkness, and have this further meaning in our coming in and going out. Coming into life is coming into mortality, and individualized under a moon-light dispensation, and, to depart from under such a dispensation without additional light, is to go to the land of darkness, and to this land some must go while others come into life, shut up under this moon- THE PLAN OF SALVATION. 117 light dispensation for a time, when they are given a "greater light," becoming clothed with the sun, and have the moon under their feet — "And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman cloth- ed with the sun, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars." Rev. 12 •' 1. To be in darkness is to be absent from the light, and to be present with light is to be absent from darkness. We cannot come to either, but they come to us, even so, to be in the body is to be ab- sent from the Lord and to be absent from the bod- y is to be present with the Lord. We cannot come to either of these, but they come to us. Then, it is not a journey for us to reach these elements, but we simply move in them as they reach us; consequently, all that ever has or ever will trans- pire does so by the former arrangement, interven- ing and passing away according to its predestina- tion. The church only acts in its predestination, and has its qualifiers in the circumference of such bounds as God has seen cause to give. In this, "All things work together for good," for, "God declared the end from the beginning." The beginning is "Alpha" and the end is "Omega", or, we could say as well, The beginning is "Alpha" and the end is "Alpha" as these are uood to ropgoocnt the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet, and used to represent Emanuel, "which is God with us," and He, unquestionably, is doing all His pleasure, regardless of all opposi- tion, and, properly speakings God has no opposi- I 18 THE CELESTIALS AND TERRESTRIALS. tion, for all that is here is for the good of His crea- tures. His strength is made perfect in what we of- ten consider His opposition — the opposition affects us, not God. It cannot be objected, that the plan of salvation required the opening up and working of both good and evil, the prerequisites of which gave ex- pression to the fact in the garden of Eden — liv- ing soul gives rise to the manifestation of evil whose progenitor is Satan, and it may be a lawful conclusion to say that the revolutions and conse- quent friction of the fleshly mind gives rise to a soul poisoning element which is evil, producing lust which could not have been active other than by motion which is the law of heat, and heat, when combined with its opposing element, water, makes a great motor which sets in motion the powerful and complicated machinery of the world whose products are useful. Let us bear in mind that water is the more powerful and overcoming element of the two. Apply fire to water and we set in motion a power that is grand in the world — their combined effects produce good results — even so with both forms of life; when brought to bear upon our existence, the fruit is God's requirement, concerning which, David said: "Lo, children are a heritage of the Lord: and the fruit of the ; womb is His reward." Ps. 127 : 3. Their forces give form as a product, but are no authorit}' for setting up the first man, Adam, as sanctified in holiness under the term " good" — 1 THE PLAN OF SALVATION. II9 he was of the earth, earth }',a living soul,and he was nothing more. All that is meant by a living soul is mortality, the object, not for life or death, but for death, the opposite of life and the subject of sal- vation, the recipient of life, as raised from the dead. The mortal must necessarily be the mother of sin, from the fact of being the subject of re- demption. The conception is from lust in whore- dom, and the children are illigitimate, and are found as many devils in one individual, the cast- ing out of which calls for the electing sovereignty of God by the reign of grace given in Christ Jesus before the world began. Now, in so much as the soul knows that she has been abased in shame, she should never presume to be high minded be- cause of her marriage in the Royal Family. Her husband teaches quite a different lesson, and, no doubt, His visits are more frequent with the meek, humble, and orderly who condescend to those of low estate. The poor, distressed, and afflicted of the earth, He speaks to most often, leaving words of comfort and encouragement to such way-worn travelers, pointing to their destination just across the way where the thronging millions are at rest, drinking in the never ceasing joys of home, and feasting upon the presence of the Father and the Son in light, whose spirits in that glorified estate are chanting to music of the most triumphant strains. Then we might say, lay cold and still this earthly frame, dumb and silent; this mortal tongue which has quivered oft but could not express, and closed these eyes which have scaned thy wonder- 120 THE CELESTIALS AND TERRESTRIALS. ous works, and fly away this longing soul to man- sions of immortal bliss, there in joyous expecta- tion to await the great rising day when this same tongue anew shall be employed in loud Hosannas there to testify to redeeming love. These same eyes shall open, be anew for an immortal gaze up- on the celestial world, and there behold the an- gelic forms which compose the inhabitants of the skies, bowing before the throne of Him who has overcome the world, and is worthy to be praised world without end. The world, we know, hated Him, and has ever hated His doctrine, and to-day opposes the doc- trine which most glorifies Him. Thus, those who preach the gospel meet with the greatest opposi- tion, but hear me, O people, the time is at hand when the Lord will make war upon "Mystery Babylon the Great," and will, by the gentle mov- ing of His holy spirit, bring forth His own well tried — they cannot dwell together. Her cry has been, for a time, "Modify your doctrine, modify your doctrine, and we will dwell together in har- mony" which will not be modified, sayeth the Lord, but shall be proclaimed upon the house- top. We cannot, we dare not, and we will not modify the doctrine, but, by the grace of God, recognize every feature as given us by its Living Head. Then fight, we must, for our cause is just. Though we be few in number, we shall be sustain- ed, for the everlasting gospel of the son of God THE PLAN OF SALVATION. 121 goes forth, conquering, and to conquer, and shall be preached to all nations; then, shall the end come, when the dissolution of all natural things is to take place according to the "Law of sin and death," and the things that are now seen will no more be seen, and the things that are invisible and eternal now, shall then be seen, being brought to "Restitution" by the reign of the "Law of the Spirit of Life." This law is, in Christ Jesus, a per- fect rule of action wrought out in Him by God, the Father, in raising Him high above all princi- pality and powers, " to giYe repentence to Isreal and the forgiveness of sins." This reign is to con- tinue till full reconciliation is made by the merci- ful High Priest, when the last enemy is destroyed which is death, and then the perfect rule of govern- ment is established. Death is destroyed by the de- struction of him who has the power of death, which is the devil. Now, it will be seen that the plan of salvation is asking for the material kingdom of observation, first symbolized by darkness, and inhabited by a corruptible seed, coming from a terrestrial connec- tion, thus an unholy nation. This is the kingdom of this world, and the children of this world, in the midst of which people, the Lord is pleased to de- velop a people from the incorruptible seed of Christ: an holy nation which does not come by observation, and is symbolized by light, "The chil- dren of day. This is the Elect Family, born to be redeemed 122 THE CELESTIALS AND TERRESTRIALS. from the earth, and are not of the world, butfroni a celestial connection, having, for a time, a terres- trial habitation numbered as our days in the flesh, which are allotted to us as a hireling. Thus, a Christian's life must be reconed in the lines of the travel of Christ whose law is that of light, and light, alone, travels in straight lines. This is the law of light, and we only walk in the light as we walk in Christ, and we only walk in Christ as He walks in us, and our lives are thus walked out acceptable before God in Christ's, obedience. So, the Christian has no obedience of his own- we now preach the obedience of Christ and not the obedience of the creature. The obedience that the children are exhorted to is alright and in good faith, but, as a body corpor- ate under the laws of the Commonwealth of Is- rael, each is a transgressor, and has never been a- ble to give satisfaction to divine justice; whereas, there is now delivered us a new code which is the "Book of Life," and is one law of the one spir- it, wherein, "we serve in the newness of the spirit, and not the oldness of the letter," so it remains to be seen that those who have been brought in touch with such a law have no more confidence in the flesh, and a fleshly exhortation to such is altogeth- er in the wrong direction. When the word is preached the pure Dlilld is stired up by wa}^ of remembrance, and faith comes by hearing, but it must be by hearing the right thing, and the action of faith pleases God, which THE PLAN OF SALVATION 1 23 faith is in our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. So, the office-work of the gospel, in whatever gift, is not to instigate effort on the part of the creature, for this is in the wrong direction. We have alread- y been convinced that such will not do. The ef- fect the gospel leaves with one that is truly in the faith is to live up to its requirements, which thing asks for holiness. Here we begin to waste our time with the old man again, endeavoring to better our ways. In this we look to the wrong source for holiness, at- tempting to make an offering unto the Lord, which is corrupt and no better than Cain's offering. Christ Jesus was the offering, and, to-day, faith in Him is our offering and acceptance before God, and not effort in the old man. It is so natural for us to take up with the old idea of effort, the fruits of the spirit, righteousness, producing in such as fear God an orderly walk and godly conversation. 124 THE CELESTIALS AND TERRESTRIALS, CHAPTER V. QUICKENING IN REGENERATION. To just determine at what point, or, when the Divine Quickening is complete in the child of God, is a very difficult matter, in fact, so much so, that those who appear to have such a develop- ment going on never drive up to the point where they feel at ease and perfectly satisfied. I doubt, very much, if the full image is given hi this life, from the fact that the image is greatly connected with the mind, and we have the mind of Christ in a measure, therefore, only know in part. Mind is light, and reflected in the counte- nance. We read, "Whom He did foreknow, He also did predestinate to be conformed to the im- age of His Son," (Rom. 8 : 29) and my thoughts upon this are that the image is one, and is not individual or personal. They all bear the image of the Son, and are Pre-Destinated to be conformed to such an image, and the Son is one with the Father, and His formation in us, the hope of glo- ry, cannot be in one th 7, s, and in another that, QUICKENING IN REGENERATION. 1 25 giving a diversity. His people must be of one mind which is the image of the Father. This is the Spirit of Life, the love of which is affected in calling for, and conforming to the image of Christ, each and every child of grace until the whole is accomplished, for there are many mem- bers but only one body. So, the matter that is under consideration by Di- vine Quickening is the body, in which connection we appear to get the parable, "The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened." - Mat. 13 : 23. The three measures of meal, doubtless, correspond to the whole subject of redemption — spirit, soul, and body — in which the divine quickening extends ultimately, to an entire personal salvation, calling for individ- uality in the final. I think David had reference to the resurrection, when he said, "When I awake in thy likeness, then shall I be satisfied." This calls for my re- mains, not soul or spirit, but body. Paul was, certainly, reasoning on the resurrection of the body, when he said, "It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body," (I Cor. 15 : 44) and Paul seems to assure us, that the image cannot be complete this side of the raising up of the body, for again he said: "And, as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly." I Cor. 15 : 49. This image is embraced in God's foreknowledge unto conception, as of one, 126 THE CELESTIALS AND TERRESTRIALS. the "Bride, the Lamb's wife," who is complete, as a body, when each component part is complete; then are we complete in Christ, our spiritual head, the essential who imparts to us the fullness of wisdom. Now, the kingdom of heaven, being like unto a woman who took a little leaven, and hid it in three measures of meal till the whole was leavened, em- braces a great deal, and approaches to that Tri- Unity in man, who comes in on the "Natural King- dom" side, as meal, while the "leaven" comes in on the "Spiritual Law" side, and reigns in the sub- ject, till the whole is saved. Now, as we desire to present this work to inquir- ing minds, who are desirous to know the truth, it becomes us to unfold and make as clear as possi- ble our meaning as we move along the lines run- ning through the Terrestrial body and pointing to the Celestial. In this many thoughts may still be submitted that will not be understood, however, we trust they cannot be gainsayed. We know that the burden of proof, as to "Spiritual Law in the Natural Kingdoms," will lay heavily upon us by some who are asking at each turn for "Theology" to be verified by science, but we are insisting, all- thewhile, that this is not matter dealing with laws, but a Law of Infallibility dealing with matter, as fallen and depraved, unto an absolute "restitution." In this we are necessarily forced to resort to fields unexplored by some at present, and there make such observations, from the Terrestri- QUICKENING IN REGENERATION. 127 al connection as we know sustain the doctrine of the sovereign government of God,along which lines science has made discoveries which settle the ques- tion that the living cannot come out of the dead, but, that life is a product of life, and , therefore, there is no life save in touch with life. This was long a disputed question, over which there was much controversy. No Baptist believes that a dead sinner can gener- ate "eternal life." This great lesson is taught them in their experience so that they do not need the additional light of science to settle it in their minds, but it continues to be a puzzling question with many eminent teachers as to what part of the individual is wrought upon or affected in the new birth, a solution to which has already been given; but, as it may be required under this head, we will give it again as it has appeared to us in work- ing up the terrestrial side of mortal life with its propensities. In this we found that two forms of life were ac- tive in the formation of the mortal, being called out from father side, as spirit, and from mother side, as soul, and blended in the image of the earth- y so that the father's image is seen in the child on one hand, and the mother's on the other hand. The mother is asking for the flesh and blood side, while the father is asking for the spirit, the higher order of life, and, in a sense, the image of God, made for His glory. This occupies on the side of conscience, and is not subject to deception. The soul, occupy- 1 2d THE CELESTIALS AND TERRESTRIALS. ing; on the woman or mother side, is subject to de- ception, and is found in the transgression dead in sins, but, being the weaker vessel, it is condemned from the Adam side who knew better, hence, "By one man's disobedience sin entered, and death by sin," and again, "For since by man came death,by man came, also the resurrection of the dead." — I Cor. 15 : 21. Now, since it is the mother side or woman side, or soul, body, or church side that is dead, what the soul or body of Christ wants is resurrection from the dead. This calls for the second man, Adam, the Ltord from heaven, a quickening spirit who raises the soul up, and, in the raising up, He gives it re- generated life. So, the thing that is regenerated or born is life, manifest in the soul which is partak- er of the "Resurrection and Life." The life is the life of Christ, and regenerated in the soul, hence, the soul has eternal life. However dry this rule may appear to work by, we think it will hold good and is perfectly consist- ent with reason, and congenial with the laws gov- erning our natural, and scriptural province. As we have already stated, several times, there are three distinct m'easures in man, bearing relation to the three outside orders in our natural world which surrounds us, which are all (speaking after the or- der of the parable ) hidden in us, and require of us "Self preservation' Nvhich is the first law of nature. Man is a king in the midst of kingdoms, and calls into action, voluntarily or involuntarily, every or- QUICKENING IN REGENERATION. 1 29 gaii which has assigned it some important function or office, which, working together properly, con- stitute a strong and centralized government. These agents make continuous demand upon him for supplies necessary for the perpetuation of their work. The official duty of each is to warn him of any violation of the law of nature, and to visit the penalty upon him for every such violation. Man must have his natural supplies from three natural resources, being brought to bear in him as mineral, vegetable, and animal, whose combined effects are called for by the same elements, being put, collectively, in man, and making demand up- on him by reason of his continual waste. This manner of man is lord of the natural kingdoms, and he has dominion over the fish of the sea, the fowls of the air, and the beasts of the field, so that a fish never swims so deep but he brings it up,and a bird never flies so high that it is beyond his reach, and never a beast so swift that he cannot take him, or an animal so wild or ferocious that it is beyond his control. These all fear man, and, when brought before him in their wild state, trem- ble greatly, expecting, no doubt, to be taken and destroyed. Now, observe, that in this very wonderful sense the invisible man, a living soul, is a formation in the three visible kingdoms, the occupant of a ten- ement which is of earthly substance, visible and temporal, consequently, no reality for man, but a portable habitation called animal, whose life is an- 130 THE CELESTIALS AND TERRESTRIALS. imal life, supplied by blood, and furnished with, the five sensations, seeing, hearing, tasting, smell- ing, and feeling, and, when the invisible is called for, the visible proves to be a fake, and no reality for man. All the sensations might be called for, one by one, except feeling, and the person still be alive, but, when feeling is gone, we are numb and lifeless, for life is feeling. Now, let us observe, as we move along these lines, that the functions and entire organism of the "out- ward man" are framed upon an independent scale, constituting an automatic machine, governed by the laws of nature which have no connection with "Spiritual law"any farther than parallels seen, and, as such lines emerge from the visible universe, they unfold as a rose whose petals have enclosed a fra- grance during the dark nights of passed ages, which the dew of heaven has fallen upon, by which its sweetness is disclosed and caught away upon the morning breeze to sweeten the gospel elements of eternal truth. It is here that the fields of living green drink in and exhale and enrich the feast for the soul, who may exclaim, "The Lord is my shep- herd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: He leadeth me by still waters." Ps. 23 : 1 - 2. Whatever may be thought or said as regards Quickening in Regeneration, we do not hesitate to state that it is new life, and comes down from heaven; the life " hid with Christ in God," where- in such, as are saved, were "sanctified by God, the QUICKENING IN REGENERATION. 131 Father, preserved in Christ Jesus, and called." Jud. 1 : 1. The life is the calling,so,"When Christ, who is our life, appears, then do we appear with Him in glory." Then the "Law of sin and death," by which we have formerly been held as captives, gives up, for the "Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus," reaches the souls which the law of sin and death has done its awful work upon, with the effectual calling, wherein, the dead hear the voice of the Son of God, and live to die no more; thus, eternally and triumphantly,reign with Christ as priests and kings, but, as yet, my brethren, we must recognize the reign of the "Law of sin and death" in our mortal members, which holds our souls in captivity. Once the soul leaped forward for an immortal gaze upon the light of an eternal world, when Sa- tan seemed to,altogether,retreat from the province, and the mighty kingdom of heaven to fill the tem- ple, but oh! we might say, Why do we sink back and tremble so soon as if all were a delusion? Why those aggravating forms? Why this lurking temp- tation? Dark clouds have again come; the stormy billows have gone over me, and now, piteously, the cry goes up, Oh Lord, I pray; give me other evidence that I may know I am thine. But in vain are these evidences sought for, and the work done in the soul remains as a hope for a better resurrec- tion, when the "Law of sin and death" is to be ful- ly abolished, and the "Law of the Spirit of Life" fully reign instead thereof. Then, but not till then, I32 THE CELESTIALS AND TERRESTRIALS. shall we "know as we are known,' ' when "faith is to be turned into sight, and hope into possession." The mastery is then gotten entirely over sin through Christ Jesus, our Lord, through whom, and to whom, is there honor, glory, and majesty ascribed to God, the eternal Father, of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. And now, that those, who are quickened in re- generation, find favor with God, or grace to help in every time of need, is unquestionable, for, to fa- vor such as are made to cry unto Him by force of the corruption of the flesh, is His pleasure, for they are now in a higher, yea, in the highest element and brought to face and bear witness to the vanity of all things else. It thus becomes necessary that the veil remain, and that we be thus utterly hous- ed in or enveloped, having the sight obscured by this mist of darkness, or "Law of sin and death" in the members. Here is where we look through a glass; darkly, and are made to see the things that intervene between us and home. Thus, while we would look heavenward, we must see that the wa- ding out through such waters is to enter the land of darkness, and pass through the province of him who has the power of death. Here is the end of all flesh, the execution of which work is to pass into the region beyond, and, whether there a visage changed to be recognized no more as individual, is not given to know. No law will hold out to give us aparellel.If we wish to think of friends and relations in the inward man sense, reclaimed from the body, QUICKENING IN REGENERATION. 1 33 we have no way to find whether the resemblance is exact, or whether they be entirely different. The outward man is individuality, and must, eventual- ly, have the benefit of the same law that reigns in the soul, for we are not to marvel that they who were dead in tresspasses and sin are quickened from the dead, for they who are in the graves, are to come forth so that the same " Law of the Spirit of Life" that is extended to them who are in the graves, by which the whole subject is reclaimed, flesh and bones. This may give recognition, as it calls for individuality, but blood relation loses its significance in this, as it is the natural life, and all is found in the higher which is spiritual. This tie will bind all alike with far greater affec- tion than has ever been found in natural relation. So, whether we are all gathered that have been naturally bound here or not, that does not differ, for the very law that binds us here is entirely a- bolished, and a higher and better law set up in the fullness of the mind of Christ. Still we cannot conceive by any law how we could be satisfied, if those who were near and dear to us here should not meet us in heaven, but we have given it as best we can by giving a law of a new creation, en- tering into and passing beyond all the laws of na- ture. This, our natural creation, is God's with all its laws, but shall be swallowed up of life, and the highest government established, the heights of which, no mortal can know. We are taught the ruling is that of God, the 134 THE CELESTIALS AND TERRESTRIALS. Father, who by the reign of Christ, is subjecting all things unto Himself, at the end of which time, Christ is to render up the kingdom to God, the Father, having accomplished the end, which was declared from the beginning. Now, the beginning was for time and time things, and the end is for eternity and eternal things, that God, the Father, may be all, and in in all, world without end. PERSONAL RESURRECTION. 1 35 CHAPTER VI. PERSONAL RESURRECTION, We have noticed, so far, in our reasoning with the human family, their proneness to appear wise concerning the theme of Salvation, the greatest question ever discussed by mortals, by whose car- nal conception it suffers very great contortion. This is carried from the lowest and most uncultur- ed mind to the highest possible litteral attainment with none other than comprehensive thought, which has its significance in darkness. The express highness of these things is not at- tained to under the old canopies of carnal research, but are found in the new, where comprehen- sive thought is confused, and revelation comes in, illuminating unto an expansive wonderfulness; the heights above and the depths beneath. Men are often found, testifying to the honor and glory of man (or men) who called them, and sent them, having no knowledge of the anointing of the Lord wherein is the burden of His word. The Father, they know not, neither His Son, Jesus I36 THE CELESTIALS AND TERRESTRIALS. Christ, for, had they known Him; they would have declared His works, hence, ceased to declare their own works. The works, which He did, are also done in His servants, and they do glorify the Son and the Father who sent Him, testifying to the truthfulness of all things done by Him as revealed by the spirit of Him who dwells in them whom the Father raised up again from the dead, in which body He appeared to many, saying: "I am He." Though they considered Him a spirit, 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, for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have/' Luke 24 : 39. This is the same temple of which He said: "De- stroy, and I will raise it up again the third day." This is the elder brother, the first fruits of them that slept or "The first begotten from the dead." Then, why say some among you, there is no per- sonal or individual resurrection of the body? What manner of connection must be found to exist be- tween this man, Christ Jesus, and His brethren throughout? Must it not be identical by "force" and by "virtue;" by "force" as manifest under the law of mortal reign or natural creation as the fruit of the womb; by "virtue" as manifest under the law of immortal reign or spiritual creation in the power of an interior resurrection, whose creation and being is found in the "Law of the Spirit of Life." This "Spirit of Life" does its work momen- PERSONAL RESURRECTION. ■6i tarily in this respect, whose law is a perfect rule of infallibility. By such a law He ( Christ Jesus ) was "Declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrec- tion from the dead." Kom. i : 4. How then, are we declared to be His brethren, who are sons also, but "by power, according to the spirit of holiness and resurrection from the dead." " For if we believe that Jesus died, and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with Him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and re- main unto the coming of the Lord shall not pre- vent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up to- gether with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort oneanother with these words." Thess. 4 - 14- 15 - 16 - 17 - 18. Should not the above suffice to call in our wondering minds, and fasten them upon the scriptures, the inspiration of the most high God, rather than the tradition of the elders. Many are desirous to know with what bod- ies they come forth, and would inquire, can these dry bones live, or this dust be gathered? Is our dust less capable to be gathered in the last instance than in the first? whereas, once we ourselves, and our forefathers could not be found nor thought of 138 THE CELESTIALS AND TERRESTRIALS. upon the earth. They have existed, had their day in the flesh, and are not, and we, likewise, who are now witnessing the objects of sense, shall ere long be as they, and our individual forms consigned to the earth. Thus, personality fails under the "Law of sin and death." Regeneration deals not with personality, but spirituality. Personality is natural life for time, and does not come up in church consideration. That, which comes up in church consideration, is the life that is to endure beyond a life, distinct and separate from the first birth — the highest and most glorious attribute of life, "a new creature," in which is manifested the spirit of God, which manifestation is "Life and Resurrection" of an in- terior body which body is "Celestial," and veiled by the "Terrestrial." This heavenly body is perfect, ed in holiness, and made beautiful and glorious by the abolition of the "Law of sin and death" and its' entire removal from the domains of such a body whose freedom was rendered by the "Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus." Now,as yet, the "Terrestrial" remains beclouded with sin, through which mist we look as "through a glass darkly," until the curtain be removed;then are we unclothed of the weighty matter of sin and death as a clod descends, while the "Celestial,"as a heavenly body, ascends, being an eternal thing. Now, we do not understand this to be person- al, but the body of Christ, His church, which is one- But, are we not looking to the final when PERSONAL RESURRECTION. 1 39 these, our vile bodies, are to befashioned like unto His glorious body? and, in this, do we not under- stand that all needed is for, "Mortality to be swal- lowed up of life?" and that, herein, the corrupting "Law of sin and death" is driven out of our mem- bers? constituting an immortal reign in the "Law of the Spirit of Life;" thus "a glorious body" in which the image of the heavenly is seen to sweet- en and vivify a never changing countenance where the love of God, the eternal Father, beams from every eye beyond all mortal conception. We have no reason to suppose there will be any change, save that of passing from under the reign of the "Law of sin and death." In the regeneration it is the same soul that has passed from under the "Law of sin and death" that lives again, and, in the resurrection of the corporally dead, it is the same body passing, "in a moment and in the twinkling of an eye,"from under the reign of such a corrupting law by virtue of the incorruptible "Law of the Spirit of Life" which equally reaches our case, whether we are alive and remain or have fallen asleep in Jesus. The invisible comes again to the visible, and finds an eternal habitation. Then the things,which are eternal, shall be visible, and all temporal things invisible, whereas, we now have the temporal vis- ible, and the eternal invisible. The visible king, dom is temporal and of the world, while the invis- ible kingdom of heaven is eternal within you, as sayeth John; "And I John saw the holy city, the 140 THE CELESTIALS AND TERRESTRIALS. New Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her hus- band:andl heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. "Rev. 21-2-3. Thus, the invisible and incon- cievable kingdom of heaven is preached at hand, and the kingdom of this world know it not, neither can they understand it, for it is of God, and not of man, being spiritually discerned. Now, the glory of the Lord appeareth not in the kingdom of this world, neither is he among them, but in His tabernacle doth His glory appear, where the conformation of a higher image is beheld. Here His will is done on earth as it is in heaven. " Judas sayeth unto Him (not Iscariot), Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world? Jesus answered and said unto him, "If a man love me he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him".Jno. 14: 22-23. As we look out in the world upon the dull and cumbrous clay around us, we think but little, and the spreading forest and beautiful plants move us scarcely more. Then, Jet us move up to the flocks and herds, and our admiration for na- tures highest kingdom is hardly more observed, but we bring them now to bear upon our visage as a potential embodiment of a higher considera-. tion of the earth earthy, u a living soul" whose sur- PERSONAL RESURRECTION. 141 vey is the domains of mortality, growing out of mortal conception; the image of the earthy, reflec- ting a more glorious image which is the image of the heavenly. Mortality is a fallen element to commence with, and was so from the beginning, and "the fall" on- ly made it manifest by a perfect rule of govern- ment that it is fallen. Flesh and blood are a dis- tinctly separate kingdom from the kingdom of grace, and,to recognize the display of grace before "the fall, "is nonsense. Grace means mercy by which we are made free after the realization of the fall. To bring to bear the immortal reign of grace be- fore the fall, is the only thing that could have pre- vented it, and, for it to transpire in spite of this, means to recognize the fall of the kingdom of heav- en and the destruction of the immortal govern- ment, which thing would be a total absurdity, for such is surely an impossibility, and must be seen as an absurdity. The earth is a great factor, and all must come in touch with it before there can be Divine Quicken- ing,in which connection Paul comes saying;"Thou fool,that which thou sowest is not quickened, ex- cept it die," I Cor. 15 - 36, and again, Jesus said, "except a corn of wheat fall in the ground and die, it abideth alone; but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit." Jno. 12:24. Truly speaking there is no death, except in touch with the earth, nor, as we have said, can there be any Quickening, except in touch with the earth. Now, while all the poison- 142 THE CELESTIALS AND TERRESTRIALS. ous properties of earth combine their forces to pro- duce death, they, thereby, only release life, which at once aspires to a higher clime. There is no weakening or diminishing life here, but rather re- inforcement. In running out these things we see what is pro- duced from the side of nature. These poisonous and decaying forces might blight the hope of him who sows, if he knew not the result. Such gives us a corresponding view of the same properties work- ing in our mortal bodies under the agency of lii m who has the power of death, causing that they be sown in weakness and corruption, thus go down to the dust from personal form, hence, mortal sight, whose form and personal presence can no longer cherish friends and relations, as if to blight their hope forever, but we are not to sleep forever, for says the Word, "If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable," and "But now is Christ risen from the dead, and be- come the first fruits of them that slept." — I Cor, 15 : 19 - 20. Now, whether we know the origin of evil, the cause of death, or not, we do know that it is wisely and beneficiently used, and we are quite sure that were it not for the fact that these forces are found to exist in nature, there would be nothing natural in the sense of corrupted nature, consequently, no cause or effect; no flesh would have gone down un- der the "Law of sin and death," hence, no voices heard, crying aloud saying, "Salvation to our God PERSONAL RESURRECTION. 143 which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb." Rev. 7 : 10. The virtue of Spiritual Law steps in here, abol- ishing such forces, and brings the supremacy of light to bear upon "the powers of darkness" unto 4 'a better resurrection," suppressing sin and im- planting by the "Law of the Spirit of Life" the mind which serves, acceptably by faith, the law of God, "the delight of the inward man". But, when "The Restitution of All Things" has been fully brought about by the reign of the "Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus" by which the souls are made free from the violating and corrupt- ing forces of mortality, we are to see Him appear in the clouds, His intercessory work being done, the last enemy destroyed and the Father eternally glorified by all His work that is to praise Him and all His saints that are to bless Him. Then shall the forces, discovering unto us the laws of nature, cease to be, as the work of natural de- velopment for which they are intended is fin- ished. Then shall there be no more opposing for- ces, no more strong to oppress the weak and no more comprehension for the natural mind, or rev- elation to the spiritual, for revelation must cease when we know as we are known, and all compre- hension with the dawn of that morning. So, under this head we learn how that terrestri- al form, or personality, is acted upon by "force" of nature, thus how mortality behaves itself as discovered by the "Law of sin and death" which 144 THE CELESTIALS AND TERRESTRIALS. reigns preeminently in nature unto death. The heirs of God, the eternal Father, not being exclud- ed from such a reign, must be born in the depths and come from under such a law, being veiled, or shut up in the soul, until the faith of God's elect is revealed. Then are they made free in soul by the appearing of the Spirit of Christ, which estab- lishes the immortal reign in the "virtue" of an eternal life, hence the "Preeminence of Christ in all things". -»£&^^i€€€:€€€€* PUTTING YOU IN REMEMBRANCE. 1 45 CHAPTER VII. PUTTING YOU IN REMEMBRANCE. "I think it meet, as long as I am in this taberna- cle, to stir you up by putting you in remembrance." II Pet. 1 : 13. "That ye may be mindful of the words which were sroken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandments of us the apostles of the Lord and Saviour: Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, and saying, Where is the promise of His coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation. For this they will- ingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens, were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water: whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished: But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, re- served unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men. But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the 146 THE CELESTIALS AND TERRESTRIALS. Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some men count slackness; but is long suffering to us ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. " II Pet. 3 ; 2 to 9. Now, some have already come, saying there is no resurrection, and others, saying where is the sign or promise of His coming,while others would instruct us in regard to eternal punishment con- tending there is no such thing, justifying their claim by the above quotation, and others "not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. In this they claim that His longsuffering is ex- tended beyond the resurrection, whereby, those who are resurrected as a rejected or damned na- tion shall be ruled over by the saints during the personal reign of Christ a thousand years, with whom they are to reign as "kings and priests" un- til all opposition to the kingdom of heaven ceases forever, and "every nation has bowed the knee and ever tongue confessed;" at which time the powers of all darkness should give way, which thing, and which alone, would satisfy Divine Jus- tice as having completly dethroned all the powers of corruption, thus swallowing up all darkness, that light may be as universal as space, and life as universal as light; then there is "no more death", it only being God's ordained means for the development of the song of redemption, the PUTTING YOU IN REMEMBRANCE, 147 key note of which is the resurrection from the dead, which honors God in the highest in that the subject has been reduced to reverential depend- ence, which reverts back to God, the source of life, and establishes His independence or sovereign rule, consequently, claim that He has no pleasure in an eternal and haughty reign over the work of His hands, as if there remained something that He could not, or otherwise would not, control, and now must have eternal vengeance from the very cause that qualifies His children to sing redeem- ing grace. The proper place for a ponderous vessel like this, is to launch it upon the great ocean of myste- ry, that it may be driven away into oblivion. But it has risen, and, no doubt, will continue to rise to the surface again and again, therefore, we have given it space, thinking, however, that it will re- quire no greater task to meet these things satisfac- torily than to set aside some of the accredited shrewdness of Satan; though we are ready to ad- mit that the problem of "eternal punishment" is a great one, and a grave one to approach,understood by few, if any, but dabbled in by many, decidedly, as if the whole book of mystery beyond were un- folded. God's way is not our way, nor His thoughts our thoughts. We know there are such terms as death and hell which have their meaning here and ap- parently, beyond. It might be said, What are their usages here? and where do they have their full 148 THE CELESTIALS AND TERRESTRIALS. "force" as prime factors in salvation, by which the sinner is scared to repentance and the fear of God by seeing them pictured before him from the pul- pit? I say, nay, this is a very popular thing, but surely void of good results. To be afraid of dark- ness does not bring one ray of light, nor to be a- fraid of death and hell does not advance us one hair's breadth towards heaven. These are condi- tions which take place in the absence of light and life. While light recedes before darkness, the dark- ness cannot drive it; but darkness naturally takes its place as a condition. If the light should fetch a halt, darkness would be forced to stop, even so with life; death only follows the retreat of life, and takes charge of the ruins, and is the condition of the body in the absense of life. As long as life is in the body death is resisted. Then it might be said that it is as truly a follower of life as darkness is light, but in either case the elements are distinct. Now, death is the result of the reign of Satan in the body, and, as to the nature and general char- acter of this death, there is considerable coniect- ure, but it must be that so universal as is Satan's power in the individual so universal must death be,for,if Satan holds the rule of both soul and bod- y, all is darkness, consequently, all is death, that is, if all is darkness, all is death, and to those who are thus left the scripture sayeth, "Everlasting death," and we know of no compromise ever made between light and darkness, or life and death that PUTTING YOU IN REMEMBRANCE. 1 49 they may dwell together, for such is not possible. Each is a distinctly separate term which holds a profound mystery in the heights above and the depths beneath, wherein, "Deep calleth unto deep," at which calling the depths beneath gi\e up those whom it holds that belong to the heights above, nor can they be longer holden, for light calls unto darkness and "the dead hear the voice and live." Death is dealt with as the enemy of the heirs of promise, and, by the intercessory reign of Christ, is to be destroyed, that the children may no longer be debared from their inheritance which is to de- scend to them through Christ Jesus, our Lord, from God, the eternal Father. Then those who are not brought from under the reign of the "Law of sin and death" are only left where they were born. God has drawn a line, we will understand, for the resurrection of the dead, in which the dead in Christ are to rise first, then those who have never had imparted unto them the higher order of life, come forth under the same"Law of sin and death," hence, "unto damnation," while those whose lives were, and are, "Hid with Christ in God"by virtue of which"Law of life"they were "born again"came forth in the full triumph of the eternal reign of the "Law of the Spirit ofLife," wherein the "Law of gravitation" found in matter loses its "force" and these formerly "vile bodies" ascend to the world unseen, and, as yet, unknown by us. It is in this consideration and high measure- I50 TELE CELESTIALS AND TERRESTRIALS. ment that life is full, being brought to bear upon oar individuality and express visage as the fruit of the womb, until all is heavenly and divine, the darkness of nature's night being fully consumed with the brightness and glory of His second ap- pearance. As we have already said, we find no way to associate life and death together, so it must be one or the other;if life beyond, then "Eter- nal life;" if death beyond, then "Eternal death," which I understand to mean lifeless altogether, made to be taken and destroyed as brute beasts. We read, "But these,as naturul brute beasts, made to be taken and destroyed, speak evil of things that they understand not: and shall utterly perish in their own corruption," (II Pet. 2 : 12) and David speaks of such men as live and abide not in their honor — "Nevertheless, man * being in honour a- bideth not: he is like the beasts that perish." Ps. 49 : 12. The bodies of the saints alone are to be spiritu- al, hence, "glorious," while the wicked experi- ence no change from that of nature, consequently, can be only "mortal" which means death, and is the very embodiment of death. Death cannot be an eternal dying and never dead, but can be an eter- nal condition wherein form is never acted upon or used again in the kingdom of life. If we leave such as are not caught up under a dispensation of "dying and never dead," we have "Eternal life" on that side, for death is only reached by the total absence of life. PUTTING YOU IN REMEMBRANCE. 151 But, we have no lines of certain measurement of the ruling beyond, whereby to measure the heights and depths — all is theory outside of the revelation of God — and we should be content, for the little time that we may yet remain, with the sufficiency that is written. While death is recorded as an enemy to God's children,it does not nor cannot, enter where His ( God's ) kingdom is established, for in His kingdom He reigns and has His abode in light, and so universal as is this light just so universal is the spirit of life which is from above. This, in the scripture, is called a" New creature" which comes not of corruptible seed but of the in- corruptible, that is, begotten in the spirit and given birth in the spirit, and is none other than "Christ formed in you the hope of glory, by the washing of regeneration and the renewing of the Holy Ghost." In this u God hath chosen the base things of the world and the things that are despis- ed, yea, and things which are not to bring to naught things that are: that no flesh should glory in His presence. But of Him are ye in Christ Je- sus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: That according as it is written, He that glorieth let him glory in the Lord." I Cor. i - 28 -29 - 30 - 3 1 - This seed springs up, as it were, in a rock, and makes alive the stone by removing its nature i. e. taking away the hard and stony heart and giving 152 THE CELESTIALS AND TERRESTRIALS. them "a heart of flesh." This is what we conceive to be the seat of regeneration. The heart, being once of a dead, insensible and stony nature, now takes the nature of "flesh" which has for its sen- sations seeing, hearing, tasting, smelling, and feeling; in fact it is brought into a union with its occupant as the "living soul" is with the body,and if there be other sensations besides those found in nature, the heart surely has them as the gifts from regenerated life, but to just what extent the vile forces of nature are allowed to opperate in the flesh and to what extent the heart may be hardened to such, we are not able to say. The hearts of some seem, by far, to be more susceptible to sin than others, and on the other hand one sins with a high hand, as did David, and appears to remember not his faults until the picture was drawn so vivid- ly by the prophets. Now, his sin, being so fully discovered to the understanding of his heart,brings him to cry out in anguish of soul with his lips in the dust, unto the Lord for forgiveness which was granted with the assurance that his vessel should encounter many waves of adversity before the voy- age of life was ended. David was a man of God's own choosing who should do all His pleasure in spite of the "force" of evil, and, accordingly, enjoy the graces of His spirit. It is evident that ige-generation is ^-ordinate with Cori-formation. i?e-generation we under- stand to be a washing to the purifying of the heart, PUTTING YOU IN REMEMBRANCE. 1 53 and Coil- formation, according to P/'e-desti- nation, seems to be asking for a gathering or a blending into the higher, in which there is no .De- generation but a continuous upward tendency, as the image of the husband, naturally speaking, af- ter a time appears in some unaccounted for way to be seen in his wife, so that in that very wonder- ful expression there is seen a resemblance which formerly did not exist. This may be a natural par- allel of Co 11 /-formation, but, let this be as it may, it is evident that God's sovereign Pre-destination in Pe-generation is unto a higher CV?7£-formation brought to bear upon the image of the bride as be- ing of the earthy, and, in the final, emerges into that of the higher which is the husband of the soul, hence, "As we have born the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heav- enly." — I Cor. 15 : 49. It is well for us to remember that an image is more than a mere shape. Neither image can be treated as mere shape from substances, but rather a reflection of life through the incarnation, espe- cially in the sense Paul speaks of. That which is natural being first and made a living soul, and that which is spiritual last, being a quickening spirit, we trace the image of the earthy first. As those two mysterious, unseen lives (or images) which commence their work hand in hand to pro- duce a mortal body, they evade all human science giving it no clue to arrive at the "Monitor." All they can see is the shapes which are acted upon 154 THE CELESTIALS AND TERRESTRIALS. by the images, and these are life working Co- opperatively as male and jpe-male ( yet neither ), still seed of both which is called into action volun- tarily, but the images cannot be called into ac- tion and placed to work, only by divine command, which alone gives conception. And, as we have said, these unseen, mysterious "forces" goto work to incarnate themselves for mortal destiny, which brings about a spiritual type from a natural con- ception after the former visage. Though an infant is not capable to any great ex- tent of conveying to our understanding its vital connection, some resemblance is found true, but later on other developments take place more won- derful. The expression of the eye, the smile and certain gestures or motions, bring to light new evidence, and soon people begin to say, "It's just like its father," and others, "It's just like its mother." Now, it is clear that people see differently in this, but the fact is, that both images are there blend- ed as life in one body of soul and spirit, constitu- ting the image of the earthy, or "living soul. "This incarnation calls for Individuality which is our day in the flesh, and God's reconing with the fruit of the womb. Now, do we understand that by the vital "forces,, of souJ and spirit in one body we have two charac- ters of life? It may be said that we have two characters of life which hold good so far as spiritual type is PUTTING YOU IN REMEMBRANCE. 155 concerned but, practically, one life. In the typi- cal consideration there is male and female in one life and one body, which is soul and spirit. While spirit takes the nature of Adam and is thus male, soul takes the nature of Eve, hence is jFe-male. The spirit, or soul faculty, seems to furnish the great spiritual abode, it being Adam, the figure of Him who was to come. The figure was in spirit, and the reception must, likewise, be in the spirit, as it was in this sense that Adam was the son of God, hence, in the image of God, for God is a spir- it and no sonship could have otherwise existed. While the first man Adam was made a living soul, the "living soul" was no more Adam than the liv- ing soul of the last man Adam was "The Christ." He (Christ) poured out "His soul unto death" in precise fulfillment of the like figure in the first man Adam, but exclaimed, "Father into thy hands I commend my spirit We remember in the figure the Adamic head was not deceived, but that which was and is con- tinually given him as a "living soul" is the weak- er vessel which occupies on the woman side, and is subject to deception, but condemned from the Adamic side because of higher dictations there, or conscience. The carnal mind must come up on the living soul side for carnal persuasion, and is not the guilt of man proper but woman, hence, the figure holds good to the second man Adam, the guilt was not His, proper, but "He hath made Him to be sin for us, who knew no sin: that we I56 THE CELESTIALS AND TERRESTRIALS. might be made the righteousness of God in Him." II Cor. 5:21. All souls come forth in the image of the earthy and under the penalty of death, and must, in the figure, be seen as Eve, the woman, whose seed is set for the church as a tabernacle, the body of Christ. Then, the woman was deceived, not Ad- am, for his act was voluntary, knowing what the result must be, but the woman did not, but he, as a figure, must yield up his soul that his image call for her image, and her soul for his spirit, until soul and spirit yields their images again and again until time is no more. All mortals, alike, are "shapened in iniquity and conceived in sin," calling out that vital rela- tionship of soul and spirit which is the higher and more wonderful connection, answering to the things which are eternal, and giving place accord- ing to election for the eternal abode. There is another relationship which we are ac- customed to trace in the living soul life, which is blood. This is very strong and brought to bear more forcibly upon the soul, hence, the mother's tender care and daring protection for her offspring. This is true concerning all blood, whether human or among the lower tribes,with but few exceptions. I once had an experience with a field mouse. While mowing off some bushes, my attention was attracted by a screeching noise, and upon exami- nation I found that I had, in some way, wounded a baby mouse which lay upon the ground with PUTTING YOU IN REMEMBRANCE. 1 57 two others. I took them up in my hand, and, knowing that they were defenseless, I began pon- dering a lesson seriously, and among the thoughts that were presented was this: Who knows the tie even of a mother mouse for her offspring, and im- mediately I lifted my head and noticed the ap- proach of a small brown object which proved to be the mother mouse. She came very near, then paused and sniffed the air, and, hearing the cries, no doubt, of the little one, she was nerved to ad- vance to my feet and placed her paws upon my pants. Then she retreated back, ran up a bush and came out on a twig near me, at which time I put my hand directly under the twig. She then came near and smell ed of my hand, then ran down the limb a pace and paused for a moment, then came back and placed her fore feet in my hand, took one of the babies in her mouth and wagged off. But soon she was back for another, and so on, un- til all were gone. In this I realized how forcible this great law of nature is, and how binding it is, especially in the mother. As concerns the natural make up of mortality ( spirit, soul and body ), Adam is the head, and soul and body are his, being in subjection to him as his flesh and blood, by which connection he be- came "a living soul:" even so is Christ the head of the church, and the church is His body. Then, that which is natural is first, as Adam and his bo- dy again and again, and that which is spiritual last, as Christ and His bride (or body) throughout I58 THE CELESTIALS AND TERRESTRIALS. all time. Herein, the spirit is renewed, and the soul resurrected by virtue of the regeneration, in which birth there is a newborn babe who gradual- ly conforms to the image of the heavenly as a de- velopment or "growth in grace." This, then, is a new creation, or a "new creature." Here are the new heavens and new earth — the higher is renewed and the lower is resurrected in "the newness of life." The "living soul" as a mor- tal body, wherein the mind in conscience has the dictations of virtue unto condemnation, is the sub- ject of regeneration and resurrection, and, by such translation, is brought into a perfect union with the desires of the mind, and that which remains, being contrary to us, is sin in the flesh, which is also to be destroyed as the last enemy in the form of death. It is necessary that we look,for time as "through a glass darkly," which is, by interior light,to look into Satan's kingdom, and stand as a living wit- ness to testify to its depravity, utter corruptions and vain glory. And when we have learned a suf- ficiency, we are unclothed for the ascension in spir- it "unto God who gave it." The light of the body is blown out; then it falls asleep and is reconed as dead, knowing nothing, and is thus held under the law by which it fell, until such a kingdom has its end or downfall; then the heavenly kingdom is fully established in the triumphs of the same pow- er by which the soul was reclaimed. The Divine Quickening agrees in one salvation PUTTING YOU IN REMEMBRANCE. 1 59 only, which is in the "Law of the Spirit of Life." This government is asking for no tribute or con- tribution from the flesh wherein the devil is mani- fest. It must be remembered that God's kingdom is self-sustaining, consequently, He is asking the flesh for none of its voluntary aid, for He well knows it is only seeking self-honor and glory. No part is the creature's any farther than it is the sub- ject of redemption; all else in the development of the spiritual is a process of weakening, benumb- ing and, in fact, paralyzing the natural human powers. "The ilesh profiteth nothing; it is the spirit that quickeneth." Jno. 6 : 63. The fleshly appetite must be destroyed that our hunger and thirst for the pottage be allayed, and, to arrest this fully, a general process of weakening must take place throughout the digestive system. The Tt^generation and Co n formation of the in- ternal powers call for the degeneration, in a sense, and Zteformity of the external powers, in which connection the apostle could say, "When I am weak, then am I strong". — II Cor. 12 : 10. It may be said, and is, by the largest percent of the human family, that the soul, to begin with, is free, the initial act being the individual's i. e. a man may refuse to take food and starve, or he may take food and live. While the demand upon him by the law of nature is to eat, he is left free to do as he pleases and abide by the consequence, which is death, if indulged in far enough. And, as a parallel case, it is said the soul hungers and l6o THE CELESTIALS AND TERRESTRIALS. thirsts for the bread and water of life; it may eat and live, or refuse and die. Thus, while the de- mand upon it by the law of God is to eat,it can do as it feels disposed — eat and live or refrain and die. As you see in each case the initial act is that of the individual. In partaking of food the only voluntary act is to put it in the mouth and chew it, which is called "mastication." After it passes the mouth the indi- vidual has no more to do with it; all is then done by "Reflex action." So "mastication" is the ini- tial act which builds up and maintains ordinary generation. Now, we must observe that in each case there is a creature; the first a creation in the flesh, and the second a creation in Christ; and, in each case, there is no way to reach the thing to be born with the "Initial act." These laws governing creation are only brought to bear for production; then, in that production there is the unfailing law, first of nature, ki Self -Preservation " and,in the new creature, the unfailing law of " Godly -Preser- vation" Then, let it be answered, Which is the stronger and more likely to triumph, human reso- lution or the unfailing law of nature? Which would rule with a starving man, bread in his mouth and no more to do than chew it, or his de- termination not to eat it, when he knows its life on one side and death on the other? I think most people have eaten under such circumstances, and judge they will continue to do so, and it is PUTTING YOU IN REMEMBRANCE. l6l certain that a soul never refuses to eat, which God has made to hunger, when the bread is presented. The very thing many people consider food for the spiritual is only a feast for the natural, and would be starvation to the spiritual. While genuine food for the spiritual can but mean starvation to the natural, and when his physical powers have so nearly given away as not to desire to taste, much less to digest and assimilate, it may then be said, that which is contrarv to nature has altogether tak- *, CD en place. He who was dead now eats the' food of the living, and he who was alive the food of the dead, for said Paul, "I was alive without the law once: but when the commandments came, sin re- vived, and I died." — Kom. 7 : 9. Thus, "The body is dead because of sin; but the spirit life because of righteousness." Man's eating the food of the dead does not constitute his fallibil- ity or depravity. This is in his natural make-up, and he eats this food as naturally as the buzzard which picks the dead carcas, proving his degen- eracy. Now, we take the ground that there is, positive- ly, no more demand upon one by the u Law of the Spirit of Life," prior to his second birth than there is by the law of nature prior to his first birth. As we have said, each is a creature; the first known as the old man and the second as the new man; the old Regenerate by force of mortalit}', the new 7^generate by virtue of immortality. The growth and general development with neither is 1 62 THE CELESTIALS AND TERRESTRIALS. instantaneous, but gradual until the full statue is reached; nor is it by effort in either case. All laws that are brought to bear upon us are, unquestiona- bly, framed beforehand. Wh ether it is an infant born and snatched from a mother's bosom, or a youth with much promise for the future, or an old man full of days, they all, as the flower of grass, fade and goto their "long home." The old man is cut off and has no knowledge of his stay; the young man sees no more prosperity before him and the infant finds nothing to court its stay, claims a body, and hastens away. There is considerable anxiety among people to know what will be the changes in the final as to the body that is sown; whether an infant must re- main an infant at the general resurrection or reach the full statue; and the old man and the young man, shall they remain as they were with respect to form and fashion, or, shall all have the same form and fashion? We have no way of explaining out on this. This much we know; these apparent gaps in nature impair nothing w T ith God, for the man, proper ( his spirit ), is in God's image and is not placed on the side of growth, and, as the im- parting of wisdom is from spirit to soul, we have no right to say that the stores of wisdom do not dwell as richly in the soul of the infant as the adult; each requires the same salvation, and, it seems, would have an equal knowledge of the same. As concerns the body, we are taught that every PUTTING YOU IN REMEMBRANCE. 1 63 seed is to have it's own body. It is not admitted by every one that a creature so small and innocent as an infant would require so much display of God's power, if any, but such appear to overlook the fact that the very basis of the higher aspira- tions of life are wrapped up in flesh, and, however small the soul, it can but be a woeful picture, a sad reflection of a flashing from beyond, and what if it is but a flash and all is over? Then, so much the better — a spirit borne by angels home, and given as glorious a birth in being born again, as if years of untold misery and suffering had been ex- perienced in this vain world, calling for tears of repentance and leanness of soul. "Now, this I say, brethren, flesh and blood cannot inherit the king- dom of God; neither doth conniption inherit in- corruption. — I Cor. 15 : 50. "That which is born of the flesh is flesh" and must pass from the sig- nificance of blood life to that of spirit or spiritual life; we "sow not that body that shall be, but bear grain. — I Cor. 15 : 37. We, evidently, sow the organic body which is the result of blood life, but the blood or animal life will not come up in the glorified bodies, hence, they must be free from or- ganic functions. It occurs to us that what's known as the outward or visible body is the organic man to whom be- longs the organs of communication with the out- side world, while the lines of communication with the "inward man" run the other way, for He ap- pears to transact no business with the outside world. 164 THE CELESTIALS AND TERRESTRIALS. Our communication with the natural world must be organic, which brings us in touch with things that are temporal; all, taken together, make up temporal things which are seen and have no pow- er of banishment, save by dissolution, while the e- ternal has been, and may be, present, yet hold- en from mortal vision, though there be flesh and bones. Such a- body is not subject to dissolution, and we cannot see how it could be subject to cir- culation or respiration; these are not life but the Prerequisites for the continuance of natural life in the body. But, shall these things be required for suste- nance with other functions of life in the world to come? I tell you, Nay, by no means is the life to come sustained by underlying causes, as natural life is in this world. It wants no means, it needs no firmaments, it requires no sun to shine, nor tem- ple, "for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it." Rev. 21 : 22. Means belong to, and should always be classed with,the energies of the outside world, which eith- er ascend or descend in the scale by progress or decline, and this, naturally, calls for degrees one way or the other, individual rise or individual fall, governmental incline or governmental decline, paradise gained or paradise lost as some have it. And, strange to say, men and science swing on to this route for heaven or hell. In this manner of religion there are degrees. One may start out at "temperate" and run either way, the downward PUTTING YOU IN REMEMBRANCE, 1 65 scale to "zero," or the upward scale to "blood heat." Let us consider the individual who throws open the throttle and turns on all the "force" in his moi^taJ hod}', saying with great enthusiasm, "I'm off for heaven." His boiler can only stand "blood heat" which turns him in at "Kefofmation" which is the terminus of that line. Here he asks for a ticket farther on, which ticket is rendered in de- ception (as though the line went on), signed up by the devil, the Agent at"Blood heatf'Station. Then, finding that he was deceived, and that he could go no farther in this way, he became greatly troubled and was persuaded in mind to return,but, said the devil, "It will hardJy be creditable for you to do so, for there is no 'turn table' here, and if 3^ou get out, it must be on 'turn coat 1 and if you thus leave this line, you must needs have a drear- y journey before you reach the other end where transfering is done. You will go to 'zero' and from there to the lowest parts of the earth." But, in- spite of all, his train begins to move backward,and thus to gradually descend. He passes "temperate" and "zero," his engine cools off and greatly chills, and his train increases its downward speed every moment, carrying him through cold and sterile re- gions, while before him lie observes that it is growing dark, and, as he beholds the increasing speed and hears the thundering of his train; the fearful cry rises within: "You are lost! You are lost!" As he sees the darkness is already intense, Z66 THE CELESTIALS AND TERRESTRIALS. his train reeling and dashing, he becomes alarmed and falling down upon his face, he begs piteously for sovereign mercy, expecting to be hurled to destruction every moment, when lo! a tunnel just ahead, into which he now dashes, and, in total darkness, becomes unconscious. Here are the "lowest parts of earth" where he remains as if dead, he knows not how long, but when aroused he leaps to his feet and cries out, "Oh! glorious land, Blessed change, Oh! my soul," for all is lit up with glittering light which "shines above the brightness of the sun." This is the "Transfer" from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of light." In this we have taught the lesson, that the root- ing downward must take place first, and is essen- tial to the springing upward or there can be no growth. This is a scientific proof of true and vital religion, and science should give the benefit of such instruction instead of the "Initial act" of self planting. The devil may be considered Preeminent as "force" in the carnal mind, leading off along the lines of death the vitality of such a body, being drawn out along said lines for the establishing and maintaining lines of connection with future essen- tials. The lines passing out and downward lead in- to an experience, first to be reverted to, and so far as that character of life has gone in passing out, just so far does the mind in our experience trace those fine fibers to their extreme ends, and well PUTTING YOU IN REMEMBRANCE, 1 67 remembers the dark regions through which they were driven, and the poisonous forces with which they were compelled to come in contact, and which still penetrates to the body from the depths and circulate through it, calling for its maturity and consequent decay. The quickening herein a- rises out of, and holds its secret in the profundity of light, and cannot be farther explained. Such as are saved from the wrath to come must encounter violent storms, and the corresponding severeness is indicated by the depths of the prior rooting downward; thus he becomes as the sturdy oak that stands alone, which, being stirred by many storms, sends its roots far out into the earth, upon which, storm after storm may beat, and still it stands as a gigantic and living monu- ment of splendor and renown. Though, while the low muttering thunder indi- cates, to us, the approach of a storm, and we have, to a great extent, learned that "Behind a frown- ing providence the Lord hides a smiling face," we still, cannot help trembling at awful agents of di- vine reproof. What if this is the language and none other than the voice of God in nature, which is but faint in the loudest peals of thunder, or the bellowing of the most terrific volcanic explosion, or that of the roaring and shaking of many earthquakes, the thundering of which powers have wrought such an effect upon the natural religious worJd, causing that millions bow the knee and tears to gush from 1 68 THE CELESTIALS AND TERRESTRIALS. eyes unseen to weep? If there be virtue in these things sufficient for salvation, or, in other words, an alarming unto sal- vation, why not this suffice for the perishing mill- ions, that they be turned from their wicked ways unto the true and living God. Such awakening is momentary, and when the cause is removed the effect is gone. There might be as much favoritism in it as was realized by the Centurion when he said, "Truly this was the Son of God." In such revolutions there is no salvation, but destruction. True, the Lord speaks in nature by such agents, but in His own kingdom He speaks Himself in a "small still voice." These outer world demonstra- tions are in nature, and only affect nature, and all that is known of them is by the light which science has thrown upon them. Thus by certain laws they bring to light many natural truths, which, when proven by the unfailing law of the voicing of na- ture, takes nothing from, but rather adds to, the truth of the "Spiritual law of infallibility.' 'But be not deceived; these things come by comprehension and not by revelation, unless you are disposed to call it "natural revelation." Now, the things done in the "inner court" re- quire no agents, combines or factions, nor is there but little ado about things. The seat of govern- ment is there, where the King himself has His a- bode. Here, "He speaks and it is done, commands and it stands fast," and He says: "He shall take of PUTTING YOU IN REMEMBRANCE. 1 69 mine and shew it you/' This is revelation, the cor- respondence of the spirit with the soul, by which wisdom dispatching is done in "The Kingdom of Heaven" which is to "break in pieces and destroy all other kingdoms." The fleshly, organic king- dom must decline, becoming weaker and weaker, and all earthly wisdom and human powers fail as the end of "temporal things." All human minds cannot but be, naturally, re- ligious. It makes no odds what they may say a- bout it, such is the case; and, let certain commo- tions be brought to bear, threatening their over- throw, and it is more than likely to creep out un- der "a flag of truce," but "the Lord knoweth them that are His," and, we have no doubt, is as much pleased in this, the twentieth century, to withhold the mystery of Godliness from the wise and pru- dent,revealing it unto babes, as in the morning of the gospel era, when the Savior said, "I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes. Even so,Fath- er: for so it seemed good in thy sight." — Mat. 11 25 : 26. The wise and prudent could learn lessons from a twelve year old boy near two thousatid years a- go, as He stood in their midst asking, and answer- ing questions to their great astonishment; and, to- day, He has a brotherhood among the poor and common poeple who are distinguished by many of the same features, being, as a rule, of humble 170 THE CELESTIALS AND TERRESTRIALS. birth, for" Ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not manymight- y, not many noble, are called: But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty. " — I Cor. 1 - 26 - 27. Though said by natural religionists, "The aver- age scientific man worships, at present, a more awful and, as it were, a greater deity, than the average Christian," we will reason on this question here just a little. We trust to the honor of Israel's God whose kingdom comes not with observation, but power. Science is only sufficient for the king- dom of this world, which is that of observation, and here there are underlying causes which pro- duce effect, and by the performing of many expe- riments certain conclusions have been arrived at, discoveries made and laws determined, all of which have brought about many modern inven- tions tending to energize and enthuse the world of mankind. Now, behind all this is"force," and here science halts and says we do not know what it is; we just know that all nature is full of this energy,and what we are after is to see what all it will do, and how. There is a science that ventures the assertion that "force" is God everywhere in nature, which may be as complimentary to the Lord as Satan's remarks to mother Eve in the garden of Eden, when he said, "Ye shall not surely die: For God PUTTING YOU IN REMEMBRANCE, 171 doth know in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil." — Gen. 3 : 4 - 5. God is not "force"in nature,nor"force" anywhere else, for He stands in the "virtue" of power* while "force" must be seen and reconed on the side of powers which belong to this world, and are classed with darkness, hence, Satanic. Satan is set forth by inspiration in every in- stance as being a resident of nature, and is perfect- ly responsible for such institutions as "Naturalism," "Conditionalism," "Accidentalism," Armenian- ism," and many other deceptive forms, as "Hypno- tism," "Spiritualism," etc. We need not be afraid to recognize Satan in natural development,for he is there with his deception in every nook and cor- ner. But, be not deceived; God is not mocked in these things, as though something had sprung up in the creation that He had not thought of or in- tended. We venture the assertion that "force" is His, which He placed here in the creation for wise and beneficent purposes in the development of the world, which will end with the destruction of the world. Our natural world is full of science, which as a "busy bee," is sucking from every puddle and pool, plant and flower, very palitable and tasty "Nectar" for nature, placing it in cells sj^stemati- cally and uniformly arranged, and presumes to be, in most cases, upon wings. It must be remembered 172 THE CELESTIALS AND TERRESTRIALS. that it can make no higher deposit than its own animal nature or kingdom, which is the highest known to observation. The scientific mind flies a- way to fertile fields of nature to examine strata, plant and animal, from which sweet influence a- rises,giving conception for thought, where, by cer- tain laws of nature, it is moulded after the image of such conception in thought, and given birth as "a child of science," whose incarnation is in hu- man nature, and brought into existence by"force" of comprehension. True, such contributions are made for the high- est kingdom on earth, and lord of that kingdom (man). Even as the bee which works so faithfully for self interest, having no knowledge that it is contributing to a more powerful being, so does true science, in attempting to bring out the mys- teries of nature, as naturally conform in seeing these laws come to light to the dictations made in wisdom by the "I wisdom dwell with prudence and find out knowledge of witty inventions." — Prov. 8-12- But, as we have already said, science should never presume to be religious in the true sense of religion, and is only thus capable of rendering natural influence, paralleling thereby the estab- lished krvv of the "Spiritual Kingdom of Christ." We are taught from the ivoi'd "To know God is life eternal," but how do we know Him by anal- ysis? By no means, for God's infinity can never be thus sought out; He is too high for finite explo- PUTTING YOU IN REMEMBRANCE. 1 73 rations. So long as we are connected with mortal- ity, we are not capable of any immortal survey and in no wise can enter the regions of light where He dwells, "Whom no man hath seen or can see." We are glad to have the work of science in our midst, and should be thankful for the light it throws upon the natural world, and the speedy de- velopment which has folio wed as a natural conse- quence in this, our prosperous and free country. But we will impress the fact again that there is not, nor can be, any vital union between these two bodies, one being a natural body and the other a spiritual, and all that we can look for in the nat- ural is a typical substance,or parallels in sub- stances. This is what science is dealing with as corrupt- ed nature, watching that period between life and death, where sin made possible a lav/ which affects the whole of the natural world, putting into ac- tion generative "force" for perpetual generations, the law of which, in humanity, is "sin and death" — sin, because of conscience or rationality forbid- ing, and by such a course, necessarily, death in all flesh. Here the "Law of sin and death" has its full force upon all "terrestrial bodies," while the heavens, by the "Law of the Spirit of Life, "brings forth a new creation free from the curse found in the first as soul. In this, we have the "celestial bodies" passing out of the domains of comprehensive thought and 174 THE CELESTIALS AND TERRESTRIALS. natural laws into that which is eternal, and in no- wise reconed with things that are temporal. The analogy may be about as follows: The law of carnal commandments or ordinances ends with human effort or fleshly failure, reviving sin and crucifying the body, which is a body of death. "The body is dead then because of sin, but the spirit is life because of righteousness." "The resurrection and life" is in the spirit. Then, what do we see but the second man walking in the midst of all this, "a quickening spirit" having the "Law of the Spirit of Life written on the fleshy tables of the heart." Finding fault of the first or old covenant, He sets up the new, and not only a new law but the new man to keep it. The old conditional system embraces the old man as a failure, and is actually in him unto condemnation, while the new cove- nant of grace according to the sovereign ruling in the elect, insures the keeping of the law to a jot and tittle. Whereas, He does away with the old law cove- nant, He also does away with the old man whose faith and trust was in the law, and w T hen He brings in the new man, He brings the law virtual- ly in him, which is unto justification by faith in Christ, where there has never been the first in- stance of failure, nor ever will be. These shadows assure us of a substance which has cast them that we may be settled and ground- ed in "the faith once delivered to the saints," thus PUTTING YOU IN REMEMBRANCE. 1 75 expecting until "faith is turned into sight and hope into possession." In this, "The law has been our schoolmaster to bring us to Christ," for it is "spiritual and good," a reflection of the sun upon the moon which shines upon the earth at evening time prior to the rising of the sun. Now, we are presenting the sun as a metaphor on the tide of spiritual life which is a quickening force in nature,and is a type or figure of "The Sun of righteousness," and the moon we have brought up as a metaphor on the "living soul" side. Each, as a greater and lesser light, has great functions in nature. The sun testifies in many ways of the Great Spiritual, as a body celestial acting upon a body terrestrial, calling into action every function of the natural world which must be dormant with- out it. He is none other than the master-force in nature, ruling, opposing and revealing. His rul- ing by day opposes darkness and insures light, revealing with it at the same time many of its ob- stacles. When he sends his light causing heat and moisture to hover about the chilled and frozen lit- tle plant, causing it to peer above the earth, he also finds the insect in its winter quarters, appar- ently dead, and warms it into life, and soon it be- takes itself to the defensless little plant whose strength and vitality is soon decreasing, which is noticed by the wide awake gardener who comes to its relief. Such things bring about stimulation. It does not differ how the matter might work 176 THE CELESTIALS AND TERRESTRIALS. for the insect or plant either, if the lesson stopped here, but we carry it to a higher plane. It is just as lawful according to nature for the insect to eat the plant as it is for the plant to grow. In this we learn that, "All things work together for good to them that love God and are the called according to His purpose." Man, who is naturally the lord of creation in his assignment, learns to be up and doing, caring for the things over which he has been made ruler, otherwise learning obedience by the things which he suffers. But it must be remembered that he cannot, how- ever industrious, remove all the obstacles in na- ture; enough remains for him to realize his weak- ness. Sometimes it is very hard for us to under- stand, but, whether famine or pestilence, sickness or health, at war or at peace, in prosperity or ad- versity, "all works together for good." Famine may take place throughout the world so that a mother would slay and eat her infant; pestilence may be visited upon the nations until men blash- pheme the worthy name of God; sickness come and remain long in our home at last ending in death carrying from us loved ones; war also sweep over the land, and devastation and ruin prevail; wives mourn for husbands, fathers mothers for sons; children to cry for bread; and, in a word, a once exalted and vain glorious kingdom fallen; all is meant for good and so works. Speak, O ye heavens and earth, give ear! "When the earth PUTTING YOU IN REMEMBRANCE. 1 77 mourns, doth not the heavens rejoice?" When "every valley is exalted and every mountain brought low," doth not the knee bow and the tongue confess to the glory of the heavens, and bless God the eternal Father of our Lord and Sa- vior Jesus Christ, by whom He made all things that were made, and in whom He is well pleased, accepting His reign and mediatorial work, in whom He works all things after the council of His own will? Though it repent the Lord and grieve Him at His heart because of the creation of man,the coun- cil must stand, and God the Father's will be done. When the abyss of iniquity was opened tip, our first parents fell, and soon the blood of righteous Able was shed; here its upheval began for the sell- ing of Joseph, casting Daniel into the den of lions, the Hebrew children into the fiery furnace, the crucifixion of Jesus of Nazareth and the general persecution of the church of God. Then what might we say; envy what doest thou; deliverest thou these? Yea more; all Israel shall know its cruelty, and shall suffer from it. The sun must not shine or envy springs out of darkness in defiance and goes forth as a destroyer. Vigi- lance in true love can spring up nowhere but jeal- ousy and envy are upon it. No true miracle has ever been wrought but envy has chased it, and, in a word, all that outstrips nature calls out this hid- eous monster to bruise the heel of the seed of the woman. (Gen. 3 - 15). I^r THE' CELESTIALS AND TERRESTRIALS. Herein, we have "the lesser light" tinder consider- ation as the predetermined body of Christ, "the seed of the woman," thus "made of a woman, made under the law to redeem them that were under the law." Gal. 4: 4 - 5. As a man, His days were spent in suffering by "force"of the law of nature bringing this"enmity"to bear upon His mortal body, which was lain down, when the fullness of the time had come, the offer- ing for sin, and was accepted in God, the Father, by virtue of the greater light which was manifest in Him, living a sinless life. When the "greater light" was manifested in the heavens, the "lesser" was also, and when the "tree of life" was placed in the garden the "tree of the knowledge of good and evil" was also found there, nor could the tree of the knowledge of good and evil have existed without the tree of life in the midst. They, (Adam and Eve) could eat of the fruit of the trees but the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden they must not eat, neither touch it lest they die. Each tree was in the midst of the garden, and wherever we to day find the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, we necessarily find the tree of life in the midst im- parting such understanding by the spirit of conscience. Here again we are reminded that it is in Him we live, move and have our being, having been made of one blood. (Acts 17 - 28 - 28). The moon would never have shown as a lesser PUTTING YOU IN REMEMBRANCE. 1 79 light had it not been for the greater, to which it is indebted for all the light it possesses. All is revert- ing back to the first cause. The first man Adam is not possible without the "last man Adam a quick- ening spirit," for he was, and is, by virtue of this creative power to all generations, while the church is by virtue of His quickening power to all generations "a creation in Him unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them." Eph. 2 : 10. Here, "A won- der was seen in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars." — Rev. 12 : 1. The good works do not appear save in the clothing of the sun, and the works of the law do not cease ex- cept the moon be put under her feet, and thus the church stands as a woman in the beauty of the sun, made to glow above that of the brightness of the sun and crowned with the labors of the twelve apostles of the "Lamb, which is the foundation of the church, "Christ Himself being the chief cor- ner stone." It is certainly as much impossible for that which is born of God to sin as it is for flesh to keep from sinning. "Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God," (IJno. 3:9) while on the other hand, "In my flesh there dwells no good thing," "So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with my flesh the law of sin." (Paul)Rom. 7 : 25. l8o THE CELESTIALS AND TERRESTRIALS. We have known wrecks made of what might otherwise have been a good sermon, in attempting to bridge across here w 7 ith unreasonable persua- sions, seemingly forgetful of the fact that flesh is still flesh, for "that which is born of flesh is flesh," entering into the first covenant for its legal ascen- sions, while the experience of every child of God when under conviction proves clearly that there are no degrees of righteousness to be attained by the flesh, which should silence forever the idea of progressive human effort, that is, fleshly coopper- ation. Now, if we could only keep in trace with our experience, we have the gospel idea of salvation, teaching us that "the flesh profiteth nothing." Then, that which is born of the spirit enters into the second covenant as an everlasting surety for "a better testament," denouncing the flesh as "a body of death," and when it is brought up for act- ive service in the church, it proves offensive, and ever and anon will weaken and cause sickness rather than health and prosperity. Satan would, if he could, hold us under the idea of self-sustainment in every respect, and is cer- tainly no less active now in setting up resolutions in the flesh of a Christian than he formerly was in the same soul. It is no strange thing to hear a child of God testify to making those resolu- tions, but it would be a cold time indeed for his reception if such relation conveyed the idea that he had kept those resolutions, still the same body PUTTING YOU IN REMEMBRANCE. l8l would countenance and give a hearing to a a precher who enthusiastically hacks on the old scare of doing better and getting better. In this we should see the leopard change his spots and the Ethiopian change his skin that those who are ac- customed to do evil may turn and do good. (Jer.) What manner of institution will we set up in the flesh that we may expel Satan from its domains and thereby conform to human resolution? If the means doctrine be true, immortality is attainable by human effort, for if we can attain one degree we can ten-thousand or all that may be required for perfec- tion; but we can not attain one degree any more than the dead can move a muscle. We are no more active to perform the ordained work of God in the body while yet alive than if corporally dead. It is true that immortality may fully reign in a body without death, as Enoch whom God took and was not, and Elijah whom God also translated. These men were not to see death, being endowed with faith to such an extent that the "Law of the Spirit of Life" was brought to fully regin in their mortal bodies, at which time mortality was swal- lowed up of life, bringing such into the sacred re- lation of the being of God, hence, in His presence. This is momentary, "in a moment, in the twink- ling of an eye;" then such are no longer to remain bound by the "law of gravitation" found in sub- stances. This law equally affects the dead that are in the graves, and reaches the identity of each, who shall come forth at the sound of the last l82 THE CELESTIALS AND TERRESTRIALS. trump. Surely, great possibilities are with God who works by virtue of such a law that mystifies and astonishes the world of mankind who know not, neither can understand, how that "If a man die, he shall live again." (Job.) Marvel not, for God works out of the sight of men. It is by the "Spirit of Life" that men are, and shall be again, the law of which is freedom from death. In departure the body is uot } because of death, but the spirit is, by virtue of life, and re- mains among the things that are eternal, having returned to God who gave it; then the case admits of no farther investigation. Outline it by imagina- tion as we may, all is uncertain. Having no proof, there is no law by which we may line out the gen- eral character of a spirit disembodied. Whether a universal sameness in the return, or individual in a sacred personage,we can not know. These things remain for the great exit of life at which time we enter in through the land of darkness where the recotiing of time ceases with us forever, and better by far is that day, as it is written, than the day of our birth. An infant born to an unknown fate inspires the mother's heart with hope for its future eminence when she can see him prominent. Soon the energies of the busy world lay hold on him and he gradualy rises in the scale of fame until he sways the scepter of great influence over the masses as a migthy war- rior or a learned statesman. The mother feels proud PUTTING YOU IN REMEMBRANCE. 1 83 of such a son as she hears many speaking to his praise, and thanks God for such a gift, who, prob- ably now, has risen to the head of the nation. She now reflects and sees in her meditations the way along which he has come, and loves the more the sons of poverty. But alas! The mother lives to hear the sad news: "Thy son has fallen and is not: his foes were a- bout him and sought his life." Now the question arises in her heart: Does he live beyond ? If so, all is well; if not what fame had my son ? But may it be with all the sons of fame who may thus fall as it was with our martyred chief, Wm. McKinley, who was favored to say in his last hours: "It's God's way; His will be done." Here we would sing: Jesus my all to heaven is gone, He whom the world in frowns disown; Elect and precious God's own Son Whose beauty makes us long for home. Chorus: I long home, I long for home, I long for home where death's not known, Where death's not known, where death's not known, I long for home where death's not known. The world in wisdom knew Him not, Therefore, condemned and cast Him out: Thus envy doth his work perform, And make poor pilgrims long for home. Chorus. 184 THE CELESTIALS AND TERRESTRIALS. They hated me, so will the} 7 you; What words of life to Zion's crew Whom all the sons of earth disown, But glorious thought, there's room at home. Chorus. We've now sang long of that bless'd land, And long to come to Emanuel's ground; But oh! Death's gate, how strong! how strong! The way we pass to enter home. Chorus. But Jesus lives; He lives again, At God's right hand He lives to reign; Then follow, we must, to the tomb, Till the last trumpet sounds "Come home." J. I). C. THE OCCUPANTS OF THIS TEMPLE. l8.S CHAPTER VIII. THE OCCUPANTS OF THIS TEMPLE. Now, in looking after man as resident, wherein we have considered him from natural as well as spiritual relation, we will endeavor to take up his growth as in favor with God,that is, by measure -of the gift of the spirit, which grant is the merit of his acceptance. All of the favored have not the same of this, but as corresponds with their several ability; the distribution of the goods is according- ly. We have no right to suppose that the man who was delivered one talent could have well handled two, having handled one so badly, neith- er the one who was given two, five, for we think the Lord must have known the ability of those servants, and so used them. The spirit that is in one heir unto Divine favorit- ism is in all such unto justification by faith, coming in the spirit and power of Christ acordingto meas- ure of the gift from the Father who gave not the spirit by measure unto Christ, but was himself manifest as the Godhead bodily in Him. This is 1 86 THE CELESTIALS AND TERRESTRIALS. no less true concerning His children in a measure for His spirit is in them and His abode is with them, and in Him they live, move and have their being. Man, evidently, is a two-fold character as born from below, even in his natural state, who answers to the beginning of his days by the coming togeth- er of two whose lives are incarnated and perpetu- ated in him upon the earth as soul and spirit. Since the begining of the days of man, it has re- quired this for his existence, being traceable to Ad- am a living soul, and Eve, his wife, who is the mother of all living, and must be reconed jointly as the son and handmaid of God. In this sense they have continued their resi- dence in the world, constituting every nation, kin- dred, tongue and people under heaven. These, be- ing of one blood, are equal, notwithstanding the difference in appearance. They have the same parentage, entering and passing away upon the same principle. Here is where wisdom comes down from above, whose "delights are in the hab- itable parts of His earth among the sons of men. " This is where the world in wisdom first began, and light in darkness its work concealed that darkness might mould the mortal inclination by "force" of earthly conception, while light brings forth the heavenly aspirations by "virtue" of Con-formation which must displace darkness, making Non-entity of creation by such heavenly visitation. The souls of all go down alike in ordinary gen- THE OCCUPANTS OF THIS TEMPLE. 1 87 eration by the "Law of sin and death." This occu- pies in darkness and all souls who come up do so in regeneration by virtue of the "Law of the Spir- it of Life in Christ Jesus," which makes such free from the law of sin and death, causing that they occupy in light, being "the children of day." We are always looking (or should be) at the feminine or soul side of the question when considering the church, remembering that she is but one, the sub- ject of redemption regenerated and housed in the resurrection,thus embraced in a complete salvation wherein flesh and bones are also made spiritual by the spirit of holiness which raised up Jesus again from the dead and caught Him away, hence to ap- pear in glory the first begotten from the dead, an absolute surety for all the dead who die in Him. The highness of these things is before us, the se- cret of which is with the Lord whose delight it is to withhold such from the children of men whose great desire is to look into the mystery of godli- ness and make known the secret of the Lord. In this we have the high and joyous expression of the Master who said: "I thank thee, O! Father, Lord of Heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes. Even so, Father: for it seemeth good in thy sight." Mat. n: 22. Thus it is that no manner of heavenly intelli- gence or things of Divine origin has ever reach- ed the habitation of the children of men save by revelation; and those thus wrought upon are far 1 88 THE CELESTIALS AND TERRESTRIALS. from expressing themselves freely, for there seems to be something forbidding going on testifying. Though you have slain a lion or a bear, why alarm the community with the feat? Is there any- thing too hard for the Lord? and has any strange thing happened? Though we observe that a prop- er child is born, faith says, "Hide it away," and emotions sweetened by such influence will ever and anon pervade the form and stir the depths of a sacred soul, and a tear will find its way down a careworn cheek. These come in remembrance of former days, but who has learned its secret? No voice has been heard save a "small still voice" gone forth, heard from with in and believed in as from from heaven, and never forgotten or disowned. Those visited by such salutation feel to bow humbly to heaven's decree, nor do they mur- mur though a sword pierce their soul. Being strengthened by faith in propotion to the trials they are called to endure, they press onward as those who come up through great tribulations, and whose felJowshin is thus with the sufferings of Christ, for in that life there must be a broken spirit, the sighings of which may reverberate in musical strains from the soul, singing: "When will my sorrows have an end, When will my suffering cease." There is no doubt but that Divine favoritism rests here, for if we suffer not with Him, how shall we be glorified with him? He, as the head, suf- fered, being "a man of sorrows and acquainted THE OCCUPANTS OF THIS TEMPLE. 1 89 with grief," 4 'And if we, His brethren, are then born of seed Divine; Be this our lot and inheritance for heavenly frame of mind. 1 ' The sickness due to the body was borne by the head, but shall the head suffer without the body? Shall not this suffering penetrate to the least and last member of the body, where in they answer to an "afflicted and poor people whose trust is in the name of the Lord," by virtue of which fact they "glory in tribulations?" Not all who profess His name know what it is to be a soldier of the cross and to endure the priva- tions and hardships of a Christian soldier, and may they be favored, when called to receive their dis- charge, to say with Paul, "I have fought a good fight I have kept the faith." Paul signified by this his willingness to impress the doctrine which he had preached upon the church before his de- parture, knowing of a truth that there was no other gospel save that he had preached and suffered shame by reason of, but it was for the name of Christ, therefore, he looked for the recompense of reward, that being unclothed he might be clothed upon. In this Jesus spoke of the temple of His body, the raising up of which in three days signi- fied His putting it off in death and His putting it on again in His resurrection from the dead; no doubt Jesus a truly possessed spirit, soul and body as His brethren, (St. John 12-27,) for such is the fruit of the womb. Soul and body constitute a living soul, the work of the womb, which thing I90 THE CELESTIALS AND TERRESTRIALS. independent of an earthly father gave us the Savior, Jesus Christ whose spirit was by virtue of the Holy Ghost, the Godhead principle and the person and express image of God the Father, the like of which had never been before, nor shall ever be again. Now, there be those who have followed Christ in the regeneration who are also, sons of God by virtue of the same power, and, by the manifesta- tion of the spirit of God, must be born from above, by reason of which life they cry "Abba, Father." In this there has been a washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost, that is, there must be a conception of the same spirit, by the same Father. The Lord must come to His temple father life of Father life, wherein conscience is made far more susceptible to sin. The inquiry concerning ones condition always addresses itself first to conscience who has received the law and is the stronger vessel, but, figuratively speaking, the soul has received the law also in the spirit (or con- science), hence the condemnation falls upon the soul which must be washed, and upon the spirit which must be renewed. Their identity first as occupants is with the earthly, the Adamic spirit occupying as head and the Adamic soul occupying as body, the "Law of sin and death" demanding their rejection from the side of Satanic persuasion and the "Law of the Spirit of Life" their acceptance from the side of Christ's obedience and intercession. THE OCCUPANTS OF THIS TEMPLE. 191 Now the "Law of sin and death" must have its "force"from a Terrest?*ial connection ,but can never survive the resurrection and be established in a Celestial connection* Satan has no as- cendency over the work of redemption, and can never come into the life of the redeemed, nor as- cend to where they go when they quit the fields where his poisonous breath is breathed. The family of the Lord is one, even as the spirit is one, and the image as of God the Father of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Like comes to its like, or begets its likeness, hence, spirit to spirit, the Lord for the body and the body for the Lord, the soul for the Christ and Christ for the soul. This is a spiritual consideration ealling for a heavenly con-formation, bringing forth a spiritual embodiment wherein they are neither male nor fe-male, but all one in Christ. In this there is nothing organic as corporeal; such matter must be natural and subject to the curse, belonging to the world and passing away with the fashion and trust of the world. If there is a spiritual body (which there is), it must be the opposite from a natural body, and if there is a spiritual world for such bodies (which there is), it it must be the opposite from our natural world, and certainly admits of nothing corporeal. When we give up the ghost, we give up that which is eternal and not seen, whether in the body or out of the body, still the body remains as a thing temporal and is such, whether occupied by the IQ2 THE CELESTIALS AND TERRESTRIALS. spirit or numbered with the dead. Now, the temple of the body is either the resi- dence of one or two; which is it? As we have often stated there is a soul, and a spirit also, manifest in a body, and these three are one so far as our individual make up is concerned, but. distinct, component parts which are capable of being separated as we read: "The word of God is quick and powerful, and sharper than any two- edged sword, piercing to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart." Heb. 4-12. Paul speaks again of "spirit, soul and body," (Thess. 5-23.) Now we will ask, Does a ghost carry with it more than one image? and is an image natural or spiritual? We will quote: "As ye have borne the image of the earthly, ye shall also bear the image of the heavenly." From this expression we gather that we in some sense bear both and may be un- der the influence of either, but not both at the same time. The image or mind is greatly reflect- ed in the countenance; so a dull, uncomely visage cannot be that of the heavenly, but the same face is made to glow at intervals with a healthful countenance which bespeaks the truth of a heaven- ly image. The spirit is mind to which the soul is subject. The good spirit comes down to illumi- nate the mind with revelation and feed the soul with holy ecstasy, while the evil spirit comes up THE OCCUPANTS OF THIS TEMPLE. 193 to becloud the mind with doubts and fears and to entangle the soul with temptation. Spirit and soul dwell together as a mingling of two lives. Soul takes the form of body, and spirit the form of head, and we only have here an outward demonstration of the truthfulness of an inward reality. Now, as we attempt to approach to the inner court and address ourselves to the bodv of that court, we must speak to the soul as mother-life which is the same which has flowed incessantly to all generations, which is the seed requisite for a body, and every seed is to have its own body; here father-life steps in as pre-eminent in nature, hav- ing equally flowed for each demand for conception, and is associated as our natural head. These two in this sense are one, but apart and separate as we see them. They are, individually, two. Now, in the calling forth such as have fallen asleep as individual, every seed, as father and mother, is asking for its body, which must be a natural body, unless the seed ceased to be natural prior to death, and if so, then the body must be spiritual. Then, shall we behold that the ghost descends and is gathered again unto its body, or shall we see the whole earth, as a womb pregnant with life, with one mighty convulsion give up her dead, at the last trumpet's sound? To say that the soul never leaves the body, but sleeps in the dust, is not likely. Though believed by some of the saints, we find no scripture to 194 THE CELESTIALS AND TERRESTRIALS. justify such a claim. To say that the sou) is the light of the body and is blown out in death, we think would hardly be a proper conclusion. To arrive at a solution to such a problem, is not pos- sible, though it may be a truth worthy of consider- ation that the conscious existence of the soul after death, may be recognized in a body separate from the temple which passes quietly out and joins the cherubic choir chanting anthems of eternal praise in its far away home. But there is something here we feel to touch lightly, though very consoling to believe all that's vital is there. The secret of such things is with the Lord and we cannot tell, still we offer it as our judgment that soul and spirit bear the relation to each other of husband and wife. She is of him and subject to him, and he loves her as his own soul, which would say it's not good for the spirit to be alone. The true church is a virgin married to the Lord not in nature farther than the type holds good. That which is natural was first as a type of that which is spiritual, in which man is the lord of his house and head of his family, even so is Christ Lord of His Kingdom and head of the church. The first calls for bone of bone and flesh of flesh, in which relation a man shall leave his father and mother and cleave to his wife, and they twain shall be one flesh, while the second (which union is eternal) calls for spirit of spirit and soul of souls, in which connection there are more members, but one body— the mystical, divine, unchangeable and THE OCCUPANTS OF THIS TEMPLE. 1 95 eternal body of Christ whose soul was not left in hell, neither doth His holy one see corruption. The first union is temporal and corporeal, instituted by the Lord under a fleshly covenant or agreement for the legtimate propagation of the human-family, strongl}- figurative of a higher marriage and a higher government unto a "chosen generation and a hohy nation." All we see in the fleshly union is a dwarfed image of a higher reality, as we look on the cor- ruptible, admiring, desiring and lusting until the enticement of corresponding gracefulness and beauty has led captive a manly principle that may be swallowed up in deception to rise no more. And on the other hand a true woman may suffer from the grim countenance of an intruder who has avowed faithfulness to her in the marriage bond, turns from her, thus blighting the hope of in- nocency, and leaving her to bemoan herself for lost honors and wrecked hopes. It is here that the world mixes and mingles in exhaustless passion, waxing worse and worse un- til the armies of heaven are marched out, dealing the terrible blow of God's judgment upon a wick- ed nation, overthowing their cities and wrecking fortunes until a proud and rebellious nation has fully suffered the vengeance of the true and living- God. Countless deceptions are practiced in the flesh under this head, and men and women who would ask for the respect of socity and the fellow- ship of the church, can but reveal the secret, ere I96 THE CELESTIALS AND TERRESTRIALS. long, that all is clone in hypocracy. So, blessed is she and blessed is he whose union is in the Lord, and not only one flesh but one spirit holy with grace in the heart and love un- feigned, he beholding a wife as a virgin known unto God, and she a husband who is faithful and true, speaking words of comfort and peace to his house, "bringing up his children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord" (Eph. 6-4,) that they may raise up and call them blessed in days to come. This is the true type and the marriage which is in the Lord. It now may become necessary to inquire accord- ing to the law of our Creator, or being in nature, if Satan may institute marriage on the other hand and run an independent business apart from God's decree which He has never had anything to do with, Satan being father of his own children who are another seed distinct and separate from the family of the Lord? Satan in some sense is father, being accredited with having children by our Lord, but we must be careful not to draw a line here dividing the progeny of Adam into two fami- lies, one for election and the other for rejec- tion, for God "hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation." Acts. 17-26. So far as natural birth is concerned there is no dif- ference — all souls are God's by creation — "For it is in Him we live, move and have our being.' ' Acts. THE OCCUPANTS OF THIS TEMPLE. 197 17-28. But we must give Satan room somewhere, for there is no dodging him or leaving him out of every birth; he's there exercising his right — in executing the law of our creation, or mortal des- tiny. His residence is in flesh v/here he shyly watches the soul and draws it out by his cunning subtilty for conception, and the leading to such conception is sweetened by this ideal influence in nature, and the soul, as a weaker ves- sel, falls victim to the "force" of such magnetism which in return transmits death to her reception. He is the destroyer everywhere whose province is flesh and blood, which birth disqualifies for heaven, making possible by its constitution Satan's tortures and the consequent "pains of hell," the ruling principle in the flesh forbidding the per- fect law of action in conscience. Now, in our judgment this rebellious principle in nature is a child of the flesh, or after the flesh, hence a child of the devil. For instance, Paul said to one: "Oh, full of all subtilty and all mischief, thou child, of the devil, thou enemy of all righteousness wilt thou not cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord?" Acts. 13-10. And again he speaks, that in his own flesh there dwelt no good thing, and that with his flesh He served the law of sin which was in his members. (Rom. 7-23;) and Jesus said unto Peter. "Get thee behind Me Satan: thou art an offense unto Me." Matt. 16-22. I98 THE CELESTIALS AND TERRESTRIALS. "Now, the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred vari- ance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time passed, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God." Gal. 5-21. Paul farther says, "They that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts." Gal. 5-24. We may gather by all this that Satan claims the child of the flesh as his heir, who in- herits its father's characteristics, and works all the while under the direction mapped out by the devil, which is along the lines of degeneration and ruin. These lines along which all flesh travels, run downward to the depths, being acted upon by all that is corruptible, returning to its place from whence it came. Its existence has expressed all that is dark, painful, dismal and dreary, every- where abounding, but circulating in a body as a center whose animal nature brings to bear every plague known to the regions of creation for every wield and all woe that the Christian has to endure while on his pilgrimage. Then why cry out against Lucifer, son of the morning? Is he not fallen from heaven? Is he not cut down to the ground which did weaken the nation? who said in his heart, "I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of THE OCCUPANTS OF THIS TEMPLE. 1 99 God: I will sit also upon the mount of the con- gregation, in the sides of the north, I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the Most High; yet thou shalt be brought down to hell to the sides of the pit." Isa. 14: 13-14-15. Is it not to the glory of God that "where iniquity doth abound grace doth much more abound," counter- acting, to just such an extent as God would have, all temptation determined to the child of God while tabernacling as occupants of clay? Now, degeneration must stop at death, for the cause which sets it up fails and such a law ceases to be with the fall of that kingdom, and thus regen- eration and resurrection sets in where degenera- tion and dissolution comes to an end, setting up a kingdom which shall never fail, and whose law is a perfect rule of action brought to bear in our be- ing by virtue of /'^generation by which we have a new creation which is in Christ-Jesus unto good works" a celestial body distinct and separate from the influence of terrestrial action. In this we have a body Terrestrial and a body Celestial, but the glory of these bodies dif- fer widely, each having a different ruler, the first glorying in that form of government which is earthly, sensual and devilish, whose subjects seek every advantage for an attack upon the soul, re- maining about us as that dark glass which cannot be seen through clearly. This form of govern- ment passes away under the "Law of sin and death," remaining not by "force" of nature, while 200 THE CELESTIALS AND TERRESTRIALS. within we have the second glorying in that form of government which is heavenly and divine, whose subjects are perfected in holiness having no deal- ings whatever with their neighbors, the children of the flesh, knowing that there is no confidence to put in the flesh. These children have an immor- tal reign and immortal destiny whose government passes not away, but remains by virtue of the "Law of the spirit of Life." Then, insomuch as the govern- ment remain, the kingdom stands, for when a gov- ernment becomes deficient that kingdom must fall. Now the time is ripening, and must come, when that which has been made invisible by "force" of nature must, and will be, made visible by virtue of the power of the resurrection in the spirit of an endless life. Then shall that unto which end all things were created be realized in the exactness of the visage of that which is spiritual. Herein we understand the dead must come forth where ever they may be; the sea is to deliver up its dead in it; and death and hell are to deliver up the dead that are in them. We understand that hell is low where God's children are led captive, the pains of hell and the belly of hell are lower where they learn obedience, and eternal hell is lowest where they can never go. On the other hand Jieaven is Jvigh, out of which Satan was cast; the heaven of heavenste lihghen*, where Christ intercedes; and the eternal heavens are highest, where God the Father dwells who is the head of all THE OCCUPANTS OF THIS TEMPLE. 201 things, and towards which habitation all the re- deemed from the earth are tending. While in this world they are having their tribulations, He looks upon them "and pities their case even as a father pitieth his children, remembering that they are dust." The lines of regeneration are not run out by man, but by the linger and hand of God, each time coming and remaining for the faith of God's Elect, "For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God; when Christ who is our life shall appear, then shall ye also appear with Him in glory." Col 3: 3-4. "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of thing not seen." Heb. i] : 1. Then we live by hope and walk by faith, until faith is turned into sight and hope into possession; these things are transferred to us in a figure as of the world a pattern while we are in the world. A soil thus begotten must be (lead to the vision of his Father prior to such manifes- tations, not being connected with that life, still the life was equally hid in that father for the existence of such a son which is brought to bear upon the fruit of the nwmh as a reality. The faith that was in that life for the existence of a son made possible such a wonderful and fearful creaton. Herein "Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things 203 THE CELESTIALS AND TERRESTRIALS. which do appear." Heb. n: 3. It must be by faith that all things exist and consist. The great possi- bility of all we are, or ever can expect to be, is surely wrapped up here, and may be traced to the beginning of all things "when the earth was with- out form and void, and darkness was upon the face of the deep, and the Spirit of God moved up- on the face of the waters." Gen. 1:2. And now that the continuous being of man, and all things made possible by him, has come up be- fore us wherein we see the understanding given him for the development of the world in wisdom, shall we say that God hast no purpose in the pow- ers of the world? (Notwithstanding that such wisdom is foolishness with God). I say, Nay, we have no authority whatever for doing so, it being inconsistent with the faith of a people claiming to believe in the sovereign gov- ernment of God. If we would look at matters right, faith is never asking for combines of human effort to stop certain things which are prevalent and in progress in nature, for nature must show itself, and behave its self, uncomely. This is its tendency, and its laiv and moral reform can institute no law so strong as to counteract its ac- tion; if so, Satan is divided against himself and his kingdom may fall by virtue — no I will not say virtue, but "force" of moral reform, for "The Kingdom of Heaven"alone stands by*' vil'tice" and is never found asking for a confederation with re- formists. It is here that Primitive Baptists, ac- THE OCCUPANTS OF THIS TEMPLE. 203 cording to their creed, should be found insisting among themselves that the established law of their church is perfect obedience thorugh Christ, Sometimes it appears that we become over much anxious, and begin to have zeal that is not ac- cording to knowledge, acting as if we would brighten the elements of an earthly sky, causing that the spirit of men cease to be evil by remov- ing the evil. Some of us are guilty of trying to do such things, and I know not whether to better the condition of humanity in sincerity or to add a feather to their own cap. God has never assigned His people a task to try and better humanity and thus seek the ap- plause of men, but holds such things in reserve unto Himself, wherein "He seeks such to worship Him as do worship in spirit and truth." As we have stated, "ye are dead and your life is hid with Christ in God," and all the righteous- ness which can possibly appear in us must be by divine favoritism. In this we are favored to be called the sons of God, believing by faith that the time will come when it must be clearly manifest that we are the sons of God, and if sons, then heirs of God, and joint heirs with our Lord, Jesus Christ. Concerning this family, there must be much thought as many strange and peculiar customs prevail among them. They do not see as the world sees, nor believe as the world believes, being not of the world, they have no fellowship for the 204 THE CELESTIALS AND TERRESTRIALS. ways of the world, the ways of the world being contrary to them and their ways being contrary to the world. All is Satanic that is of the world, and the trans- formings of Satan often strangly imitate that which is enduring; but let us watch and see. There is a a deceiver, and such a thing as being deceived thereby and trapped for the destruction of the flesh that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. In the absence of Christ we are no more able to withstand the devil and resist death than if we had never known Him. Hence, when we fail to be kept by Him, we become to be faithless, careless, cold and lifeless, spiritually inactive or dead. We cannot tell why God allows this any more than we can tell why He allows Satan his dominion. Such things are traced out along the lines of everlasting punishment, wherein "The heavens and earth which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment, and perdition of ungodly men." God's judgments are unsearchable and His ways passed finding out, "who brought forth from the depths, as well as the heights, and who is in the depths as well as the heights, doing His pleasure in the armies of heaven and among the inhabi- tants of the earth." We should observe, as we go along, that the letter of the new testament is as much a law to our flesh as the letter of the old testament was to THE OCCUPANTS OF THIS TEMPLE. 205 the flesh of national Israel, in the which we fall as far short in the last instance as they did in the first, and for no other reason than that of the first, that the excellency thereof might be of the Lord by which requisition unto holiness our shortage is marked as daily failure to comply with the law of a perfect rule, yielding our fleshly members instru- ments of unrighteousness. Now, there would be no failure or condemna- tion (which pertains to the flesh) had the outward or old man a corresponding relation with the in- ward or new man, but, seeing and knowing that no such relation has ever been known to exist, even in the most eminent of the Saints, we do not feel to offer any encouragment to the already highly prized and much applauded means doc- trine, having such terms as limited predesti- nation, followed by conditional time sal- vation &c. We have all found "another law in our members warring against the law of our minds, and bring- ing us into captivity to the law of sin which is in our members." Rom. 7: 23. And again, we have all found that "we delight in the law of God after the inward man" which is the only Christian ser- vice going on to the glory of God, exemplifying His wisdom, perfection and power, and our hatred to the law of sin which still remains in our mem- bers is one of our strongest evidences of a charge, and our vehement desire to rid ourselves of such a law brings up our fellowship for Paul who had 206 THE CELESTIALS AND TERRESTRIALS. asked the third time for its removal, and we have asked again and again for the same, that the race might be run more agreeably, but still it remains a purging and offensive body of death, heaving up corruptions and imperfections of every nature, presenting it as evil to the pure mind, which forms of temptation comes up through the flesh, the medium of all temptation. This worries and annoys, but never can destroy such as "are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation." Though tempted, it is nev- er more than they are enabled to bear, but in each, not a way for escape from corrupting influence or a way to escape from the temptation, if you will, but a way to escape destruction, the actual enter- ing into and executing all of Satan's plans. There is such a thing, according to scripture, as back-sliding, which causes considerable overthrow, but whether it affects the gospel day or not, we are not able to say. Since, though the kingdom of heaven is preached at hand, and the old law debt paid^ and the abode of Christ actually here to man- age all Christian affairs, continually interceding for all and any sins that may arise in Israel, it is not likely that the kingdom is on the decline, not withstanding that some of the members of the body yield themselves instruments of unrighteous- ness, showing up the dark side of matters. God's people have got to know and feel what such things are, or the enemies of Jacob would hardly have been commanded 'round about him forever, which THE OCCUPANTS OF THIS TEMPLE. 207 thing, some say, would encourage disobedience and give ample occasion for sowing to the flesh; but a man is not apt to kindle the fire any hotter than possible when he knows it is for himself, and knows, by experience, the effect. In this furnace, it seems to me, many of the Saints of God have learned obedience by the things they suffered, keeping them prayerful and continually on the lookout for escape, and we have no doubt but that it will continue to be so But the medium through which we escape from such is not fleshy as if it depended upon human effort to preserve us. It is for this cause some are dragging; they have become too boast- ful, putting too much confidence in the flesh until its magnetic attraction or devilish influence has its clutches upon such. Those who believe in God's purpose in such things, see the end and stand the fartherest from danger. In this some of us act very unwisely, heaping criticisms upon the doctrines, folio wing out the pernicious ways of the flesh, commencing at Adam and running things down in what might be called a Pharisaical cheat, expecting that flesh should have fought its own battle, the unlawfulness of which thing is perfectly apparent. And when called in question, Satan will offer the equalty un- lawful term of 6'O-opperation to crawl out on, say- ing we know that God gives life which a man may exercise unlawfully "and eat the good of the land." 208 THE CELESTIALS AND TERRESTRIALS. This is a parallel case of Satanic deception working prior to the resurrection, pretty much as free-willism does to the regeneration; either is an effort of Satan to cheat the Lord out of what is wholly and exclusively His work b}^ deceiving nations. Regeneration sets in order the house by renewing and perfecting the inward disorders and indicating to the soul by such implanting, through faith, the final consurnation of all that is corrupt in the resurrection, which corrects the outward deficiencies, making durable the temple. There are, positively, no degrees of human effort prereq- uisite to either, for if we accept one degree we must accept many, thus laying the foundation for the holiness doctrine, which means perfection in the fles /{<, known as s an etifi cation. Now, if this doctrine were true, the resurrection of the dead would never have been instituted any more than regeneration would have been, had there been a law given which could have given life. Had this been, then righteousness might have been by the law, hence, salvation by works, but no such is found to be in the arrangement, and sinners must be saved by grace and grace alone and raised up again from the dead by virtue of Christ in the power of His resurrection. There is no law for release from mortality this side of death; if so, the prayers of the innocent Lamb of God might have prevailed, and the bitter cup have passed. But heaven's decree must be ful- filled and the Lord of glory crucified, and "His THE OCCUPANTS OF THIS TEMPLE. 20Q soul poured out unto death," in the which all that the Father giveth Him, goeth down with Him, and He "will raise thern up at the last day;" and, though there be millions alive that remain, they shall not hinder them that sleep, for the trumpet shall sound and the dead shall rise, and there shall be no difference — those that sieep shall be as though thev had not slept, and those that sleep not as though the}' had slept. Mortality, then being swallowed up of life, ceaseth forever. Let no man deceive you, "The time is at hand," and I caution you again that you be found "con- tending for the faith once delivered to the Saints." Not many shall be bold and speak with authority, denouncing fasehood and proclaiming truth; not many shall stand firm and unshaken for perilous times are upon us wherein mens' hearts shall fail them, and the true church shall suffer greatly for the glorious gospel of salvation that feeds the soul with heavenly manna, and if one ask for a cup of of milk, he is given whey, and if they ask honey, they are given comb. There is but one Lord, one faith and one bap- tism, one God and Father of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, who is head over all things, the holy one that inhabiteth eternity, in whose house there are many mansions, but onlv one house and one family; one Father who is the Most High, and one mother who is Jerusalem above the mother of us all. The Holy Ghost over shadows, and the spirit enters unto life eternal, building up the image of 210 THE CELESTIALS AND TERRESTRIALS. the heavenly by regeneration, which is a new creature born from above, the highest order of life, the beloved child of God, in whom there is no guile and in whom He is well pleased. The mind of this child is mind of Christ, and the mind of Christ is mind of God, by which spirit Paul could say, "Ye have the mind of Christ," and, "I with my mind serve the Law of God," which law re- quires perfect obedience, and is as surely rendered in praise and prayer as Christ came in fulfillment of the law and prophets. Still, as we have said, there is a state of affairs going on much to the contrary, but it's no longer the child that does it, but sin that dwells in it, which thing is greatly contrary to the mind and feelings of the child of God; but such a law is there whose predominance must be recognized in the flesh where ever Christian faith is found. However disagreeable and mortifying, it is God's way and it can but be right and well with such in the end, assuring us that "AH things work to- gether for good to them who love God and are the called according to His purpose:" I suppose that it is just as necessary that there be a law to bring us into captivity to sin as that there be a law to make us free from sin and death — each are divine requisitions — the first a perfect rule of action, playing on man from a carnal standpoint and thereby showing how nature be- haves itself until carnal action fails in deaths, thus exposing his depravity and proneness to sin. THE OCCUPANTS OF THIS TEMPLE. 211 This "Law of sin and death" has two features to present. It is not only in force prior to regene- ration, but is protracted throughout our pilgrim- age, keeping us reminded of the great lesson which our conversion taught us — that "the flesh profiteth nothing" — which thing it seems that we would not be likely to forget, but, in a measure, we do, and the drift is naturally back to the law, which is the basis of so much conditional salva- tion preached in our midst to-day, calling for the high and heaven-born doctrine of Predestina- tion to come to the front, for it is said it is not called for save in times of great necessity, when a battle is raging and an assault attempted upon grace. No other doctrine supports the doctrine of grace save that of Predestination. Leave out the doctrine of Predestination and you leave out the doctrine of grace, which is the doctrine of the world and they zealously proclaim it. Leave out part of the doctrine of Predestination and you leave out part of the doctrine of grace and find yourselves infected with the "Means doctrine" which asks for such terms as Limited Predesti" nation, Conditional time salvation, forms of Instrumentality, and in general, fleshly Co- operation, all of which is pleasing to the carnal mind, supporting salvation by works in deceptive form. According to the history of the church, she has reached such a stage often during her sojournment, causing that" judgment begin at the house of God: 212 THE CELESTIALS AND TERRESTRIALS. and if it first begin at us what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God? And if the righteous scarcely by saved, where shall the ungodly and sinner appear? Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God com- mit the keeping of their souls to Him in well do- ing as unto a faithful Creator." Pet. 4: 1 7-18-19. It, no doubt, is lawful that there be chaff among the wheat as much as that wheat shall grow a- mong chaff, or that the tares grow among the wheat as that the wheat be found among the tares; each remains according to the Jaw of its nature for safety until time of harvest, when the Master sends forth his reapers to gather the tares first in bundles to be burned and the wheat into his barn. (Matt. 13: 25). The tares are the children of the wicked one Avhich are to be cast into the furnace, and the wheat is the children of the Kingdom who are to be separated from among such things in the end of the world. The Lord sits, we are taught, as a refiners fire, and as a fullers soap, purging and purifying His church, for, says the word, "The Son of man shall send forth His angels, and they shall -gather out of His kingdom all things that t>fferid