Departed Saints Fellowservants with those yet on Earth.
Revelation xxii. 9.
"I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren the prophets."
The revelation made to St. John in the isle of Patmos, was a comfort
to the suffering apostle, and a blessing to the church. "Blessed is
he that readeth, and they that hear the word, of this prophecy." The
beginning indeed was dark; the prophetic sketch, was for sometime,
gloomy: It unfolded a strange scene of declensions and abominations,
which were to disgrace the church of Christ and mar its beauty; and
dismal series of woes on woes, for many ages. The church then so pure,
was to be corrupted, to become "the mother of harlots and abominations
of the earth, and to make herself drunk with the blood of the saints
and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus!" When the apostle "saw,
he wondered with great admiration." Had the vision closed with similar
discoveries, no joy would have been occasioned by them; but grief
ineffable. The apostle might have sunk under them. But they finally
appeared diverse, and adapted to comfort him, and fill his heart with
joy. He saw the cause of Christ triumphant--true religion to have
become universal, and heavenly glory the reward of the faithful!
When the veil which had been spread over these things was drawn aside,
and they broke out to the view of this man of God, he seems to have
been enraptured and lost in ecstacy. He prostrated himself in
adoration of the celestial messenger: But was forbidden by the angel
--"See, thou do it not; I am thy fellow servant, and of thy brethren
that have the testimony of Jesus.--Worship God." This happened at
the beginning of the joyful part of the vision, when the triumphs of
Christianity were first disclosed. *
* Revelation xix. 10.
We are under no temptation to give undue honors to bearers of evil
tidings; But even "the feet of those who bring good tidings are
beautiful."
The angel having thus restrained the apostle from paying him divine
homage, proceeded to finish the sketch which he had begun of the glory
which remains for the people of God. When it was nearly completed, the
still imbodied saint, again forgot himself, and overcome by a sight
too strong and glorious for frail humanity fell down in humble
adoration of the heavenly minister!
Mad with joy he appears to have been bewildered, and in a momentary
delirium; but was again prevented by the angel; and the same reason
assigned as before--_I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren the
prophets_.
This declaration is remarkable. How are we to understand it?
It should seem that this messenger from above was originally one of
our race. _I am thy fellowservant_.--
We are inclined to believe that he had once inhabited a human body,
and had his residence on earth--that this was one of the old prophets,
who having been released from the work to which he had been first
called, was now serving God under another form, in a more dignified
station and with greater powers than he had possessed while yet on
probation.
We may mistake the Scripture but have been induced to believe that
when the saints drop these bodies, and are joined "to the spirits of
the just made perfect," they become angels, and are afterwards
employed in the service of God, as his messengers and agents, whom he
"sends forth to minister to the heirs of salvation," and to transact
business for which he hath fitted them, and in which he is pleased to
employ them.
Some reasons for this belief are adduced in the following discourse.
When a child of God is released from the body, he is freed from the
remains of depravity, and form this native bias to evil, and according
to his nature, made perfect in holiness. His reason is retained; yea,
his rational capacity is enlarged; and those who are associated with
the blessed inhabitants of the upper world, doubtless enjoy better
means of information than are to be found on earth.
Some indeed, have fancied, that soul and body sleep together from the
epoch of death till the resurrection. That during that term, the soul
is chained down in a state of insensibility! That the happiness of the
saints, during the intermediate term, is no other than a sleep without
dreams--a temporary nonexistence! Strange!
The thoughts of death would make the good man tremble, did he
conceive such to be its nature. Here he is compassed with infirmity,
and groans, being burdened. But such an existence, which capacitates
him to do somewhat to honor God, and benefit man, is preferable to a
suspension of existence.
Suspension of existence! What is a suspension of existence, but a
temporary annihilation!--A complete solecism! From such a state there
could be no resurrection. There could be only another creation, which
must constitute not the same, but another creature. The idea of a
suspension of existence, is scarcely supportable; and the reality of
it contradicted by every part of revelation.
Death is represented in the Scriptures, as a separation of soul and
body; not as their sleeping together. "Thou changest his countenance,
_sendeth him away_;" is a description of death drawn by Job--which
answers to that given of Rachel's--
"_As her soul was departing_, for she died." And a resurrection is
represented as a return of the soul to the body from which it had been
seperated: As of the widow's son whom Elijah raised from the dead
--"_And the soul of the child came into him again_, and he revived."
The language of the New Testament is the same. "This day thou shalt be
fellow sufferer on the cross, whose body was the same day committed to
the grave." St. Paul "had a desire _to depart_ and to be with Christ,"
which he opposed to _abiding in the flesh_. If soul and body sleep
together in the grave, he would have been no sooner with Christ. than
though he had lived here till the resurrection. When St. John was
indulged a sight of heaven, he saw the souls of the martyrs who had
been slain before that period, and heard them crying for vengeance on
the murderers who were yet living on earth. *
* Revelation vi. 9, 10.
The Scriptures are so explicit respecting the state of the dead, that
a suspicion that they remain senseless while their bodies moulder in
the dust, appears strange. The righteous dead certainly rejoice in
God's presence and are associated with fellow saints. The Lamb, which
is in the midst of the throne, feed them, and leads them "to
fountains of living waters; and God wipes away all tears from their
eyes."
Neither do they remain inactive--"They serve God day and night
--in his temple," some may say. God's temple may here mean the
universe, that vast temple which he hath built in every part of which
his saints may serve him. *
* Revelation xxi. 22.
Surely the glorified spirit is not confined to a single apartment in
the house of God, and not suffered to go abroad, and see his glory,
and the exercise of his perfections in the works of creation and
providence! Were such his situation, it would differ little from that
of the delinquent who is confined to his cell, or prison. Such cannot
be the state of a glorified soul--of a soul released from a body,
which while on trial, served as a clog to restrain the servant, and
prevent him from quitting the station, in which he had been placed, or
leaving the work assigned him. It cannot be the state of one
sanctified throughout; of one raised above temptation, either to stray
into devious paths, or be slothful in the service of his God.
Much of our felicity here ariseth from a contemplation of the works of
creation and providence. In these we see divine wisdom and goodness;
learn to know God; to fear and love him. The good man carries this
disposition with him when he exchangeth worlds; his desire of
knowledge, and especially the knowledge of God, and the works and ways
of God. And is there not reason to believe that glorified saints have
power and liberty to range among the works of the all perfect
Sovereign; trace the evidences of the divine perfections, and witness
their effects, and that this is one source of their happiness?
A relish for knowledge is a quality of the mind, natural to it, and
inseparable from it. We observe it in children, who at an early period
discover a desire of information, and perpetually seek it by
questioning those more advanced. The same disposition is resident in
adults, and productive of the attainments in science which both
delight the mind and dignify the man. In heaven, the glorified spirit,
hath doubtless advantages for attaining the knowledge of God and
divine things, and opportunity to satisfy his desire after it, if it
can be satisfied; for it is itself a happiness. It gives a zest to
information, and will probably continue, and be an endless source of
enjoyment. The creature may never know so much of god as to desire no
farther knowledge of him; or so much of the works and ways of god, as
to with no increase of that knowledge. Acquisitions in knowledge and
enjoyment may progress together in the world of spirits. And who can
fix their limits? They may be as boundless as eternity!
Turn now your thoughts on Sir Isaac Newton that renowned philosopher
and Christian. Was his enlarged and inquisitive mind satisfied at
death? Did not he carry with him a desire to visit every planet, not
only of our own but of other systems, and pry into the _arcana_ of
nature to be found in them all? If enabled and permitted, he may
still be ranging among the works of God, to learn yet more of his
wisdom, power and goodness, in his works and ways, which are
unsearchable, and past the comprehension of created beings!
Probably other glorified Spirits have a Share; it, may be a large
share of the same temper.
And if they are capable of bearing the message of their divine
Sovereign, or doing aught for his honor, it must be a pleasure to
glorified spirits to be so employed. Here the good man delights to
serve the Lord. Will this cease to be his disposition when the remains
of depravity shall be done away? Will not this disposition be
increased and strengthened? Or is there reason to think that those
will have no power to serve God, who are freed from sluggish bodies?
Of certain glorified spirits it was declared to the apostle, as we
have seen, that they "serve God day and night"--They have no need of
rest--they never grow weary. How they serve God without the use of
bodily organs, is to us unknown. But it doth not follow that they are
incapable of it. God can give them power, and teach them to accomplish
all his pleasure.
That departed saints have sometimes been sent down to our world, to
make known God's will, and deliver his messages, we believe to be
taught in the scriptures--_I am thy fellow servant and of thy brethren
the prophets_.
Who not of our race could have made such a declaration? _A
fellowservant_, is a servant of the same species, or rank. Our
fellows are our equals; those of the same class in creation. Brutes
are creatures; but we do not consider them as _fellow creatures_. We
might, however, with as much propriety as the angel could call himself
John's _fellowservant_, had he belonged to another species, or class
or servants.
The term _prophet_, carries, in our apprehension, the same thing in it
--speaks the heavenly messenger to have been one of our race. By
prophets, we understand inspired men. We believe this to be every
where its meaning in the scriptures. And the term _brethren--"of thy
brethren the prophets_", confirms our sense of the text--_I am thy
fellowservant, and of thy brethren the prophets_. Strange language, if
this was one of the angels who kept their first estate; one who never
dwelt in flesh, nor inhabited a human body! But if this was one of the
old prophets, Samuel, Nathan, Daniel, or any other of those who had
tabernacled in flesh, and been sent to warn his brethren, and foretell
things to come, the language is easy and natural. *
* * * * *
* _Sundulos sou gar eimi, xai ton adelphon sou ton prophaton_.
Doct. Doddridge in his notes on this passage observes, that it may be
rendered _I am thy fellow servant and the fellow servant of thy
brethren the prophets_.
But the translation in the Bible is perfectly literal. The sentence is
elliptical. The elipsis may as well be filled by _tis_, as by
_sundoulos_. If filled by the former, it reads thus, _I am a fellow
servant, and one of the brethren the prophets_. This, for the reasons
given above, we conceive to be the sense of the passage. The learned
reader wilt judge for himself.
* * * * *
If we search the scriptures, we shall see that the saints whose bodies
were in the grave, have been sometimes thus used of God.
When Saul went to consult the powers of darkness, because the Lord did
not answer him in the time of his distress, Samuel, who had died some
time before, was sent of God to reprove that rebellious prince, and
denounce his doom.
Some indeed suppose that the apparition was not Samuel, but an
infernal! But the sacred historian represents it as being Samuel, and
why should we reject his testimony?
The sorceress had not power by her charms, to call back the prophet
from the world of spirits. But God had power to send him on his
business; to enable him to make himself visible, and foretel the evils
which then hung over Saul and Israel: And from several considerations
we think it evident that he did do it.
The woman appears to have been surprized when she saw Samuel. To her,
he was an unexpected visitor. By his means she found out Saul, whom
before she did not know in his disguise.--Apostate spirits if they
ever gave responses to those who consulted them, commonly flattered
them in their crimes, or gave ambiguous answers to their inquiries;
but not so the ghost which appeared on this occasion. Most pointedly
did it reprove the abandoned prince, who was adding iniquity to
transgression, and hardening himself in the time of trouble! And most
expressly did it foretel the evils which were coming on the offending
inquirer, his family and people! Could an apostate spirit have done
these things? Or would he if he could? God hath sometimes used wicked
men to foretel future events, and compelled them to denounce his
judgments; but have we any account of his making this use of fallen
angels? Of his making known his purposes to them, and enabling
them to give the genuine proof of true prophets? It is further
observable, that part of the message related to taking the kingdom
from Saul, and giving it to David--"The Lord hath done to him as he
spake by me," is his language. God had foretold this by Samuel; not by
Satan, or a messenger of Satan.
There is every reason to believe that Samuel really appeared on this
occasion--that God sent him to deliver the sad message to the
impious rebel, who instead of humbling himself in the time of his
trouble, sinned yet more against the Lord.
If we attribute these divine communications to infernal agency, why
not others? If once we turn aside from the literal sense of scripture,
where shall we stop? But should we doubt whether in this instance, a
departed saint was sent down to visit earth, and transact the business
of HIM who is Lord of all, other instances may certainly be adduced
--if not in the Old Testament, yet beyond a doubt in the New. But this
will be the subject of another discourse.
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