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A VOICE OF WARNING
AND
INSTRUCTION TO ALL PEOPLE,
OR,
AN INTRODUCTION TO THE FAITH AND DOCTRINE OF THE
CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS.
By PARLEY P. PRATT.
Behold, the former things are come to pass, and new things do I
declare: before they spring forth I tell you of them.--_Isaiah xlii,
9_.
Produce your cause, saith the Lord, bring forth your strong reasons,
saith the King of Jacob.--_Isaiah xli, 24_.
ELEVENTH EDITION.
SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH:
DESERET NEWS COMPANY, PRINTERS AND PUBLISHERS,
1881.
CONTENTS.
Preface to the Second European Edition
Preface to the First American Edition
CHAPTER I.
On Prophecy already Fulfilled.
CHAPTER II.
On the Fulfilment of Prophecy yet future.
CHAPTER III.
The Kingdom of God.
CHAPTER IV.
The Book of Mormon--Origin of the American Indians, etc.
CHAPTER V.
The Resurrection of the Saints, and the Restoration of all things
spoken by the Prophets.
CHAPTER VI.
The dealings of God with all Nations in regard to Revelation.
CHAPTER VII.
A Contrast between the Doctrine of Christ, and the False Doctrines
of the nineteenth century.
PREFACE
TO THE SECOND EUROPEAN EDITION.
When the following Work was first published in America, in 1837, it
was but little known, and seemed to meet with little or no
encouragement. Months passed away, and very few copies were sold or
read. But, to the astonishment of the author, it worked itself into
notice more and more, by the blessing of God, and by virtue of its own
real merits; till, in two years, the first edition, consisting of
three thousand copies, was all sold, and many more were called for. A
new edition was published in 1839, consisting of two thousand five
hundred copies; these were also disposed of. Other three editions have
since been published, making in all thirteen thousand copies now
disposed of, and the demand is still increasing both in America and
Europe.
It has already found its way into most of the American States, and
into the provinces of the Canadas, as well as many parts of England,
Scotland, Ireland, and Wales. It has visited the cottages of the
humble, and the parlors of the great; and from the best information we
have on the subject, very few have risen from its perusal without a
deep and settled conviction of the truth of its principles.
The author has now in his possession the testimony of hundreds of
people, from different states and nations, all bearing witness that
this Work has been a means, in the hands of God, of saving them from
infidelity, from sectarian error and delusion, and of guiding them
into the light of TRUTH.
All these considerations, and an intense desire to impart the truth to
mankind as widely as possible, have induced the author to send forth
this new edition; which he greatly desires may prove a blessing to
thousands who are yet grovelling in darkness and superstition, and
lead them to the true fold of God.
If there be anything to admire, or anything praiseworthy in this Work,
the author has no claim to the honor or the praise; it is justly due
to Him who is the Source and Fountain of all TRUTH. The author was a
husbandman, inured to the plow--unpolished by education, untaught in
the schools of modern Sectarianism, (falsely called "Divinity")--
reared in the wilds of America, with a mind independent, untrammelled
and free. He drank of the pure fountain of Truth, unsullied and
unmixed, as it unfolded in majesty of light and splendor from the
opening heavens in all the simplicity of its nature. As such it has
flowed from his pen in the following volume; not veiled in mystery;
not dressed in the pomp of high-sounding names, and titles, and
learned terms; not adorned in the gay attire of eloquence flowing from
the imagination and the passions; but standing forth in the undress of
its own native modesty, as if conscious of the purity and innocence of
its nature.
He is indebted not only to the _Spirit_ of Truth for the principles
contained in this Work, but also to several men, who have been made
the instruments in the hands of God, to reveal the knowledge of God to
this generation, and to be the founders and leaders of the Church of
Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Among the foremost of these, he would make honorable mention of
President Joseph Smith, by whose instrumentality most of these
glorious truths (so well known to the ancients) have been restored to
the knowledge of the world--and whose zeal, labors, sufferings, and
subsequent murder, will stand forth as a bright memorial to all
succeeding ages, and be celebrated by happy millions yet unborn.
With an assurance that the principles of this Work will yet prevail
over the whole earth, this new edition of the VOICE OF WARNING is now
sent forth; and should the author be called to sacrifice his life for
the cause of Truth, he will have the consolation that it will be said
of him, as it was said of Abel, viz: "HE, BEING DEAD, YET SPEAKETH."
PARLEY P. PRATT.
Manchester, England,
Dec. 4, 1846.
PREFACE
TO THE FIRST AMERICAN EDITION.
During the last nine years, the public mind has been constantly
agitated, more or less, through all parts of our country, with the cry
of "Mormonism, Mormonism, Delusion, Imposture, Fanaticism," etc.,
chiefly through the instrumentality of the press. Many of the
newspapers of the day have been constantly teeming with
misrepresentations and slanders of the foulest kind, in order to
destroy the influence and character of an innocent society in its very
infancy; a society of whose real principles many of them know nothing
at all. Every species of wickedness has been resorted to, and all
manner of evil has been spoken against them falsely; insomuch, that in
many places, houses and ears are closed against them, without the
possibility of being heard for a moment.
Were this the only evil, we might have less cause of complaint; but in
consequence of this we have been assaulted by mobs, some of our houses
have been torn down or burned, our goods destroyed, and fields of
grain laid waste. Yea, more--some of us have been stoned, whipped, and
shot; our blood has been caused to flow, and still smokes to heaven,
because of our religious principles, in this our native land, the
boasted land of liberty and equal law! while we have sought in vain
for redress. Officers of state have been deaf to the voice of
Innocence, imploring at their feet for justice and protection in the
enjoyment of rights as American citizens.
Under these circumstances, what could be done? How were we to correct
the public mind? We were few in number, and our means of giving
information very limited; the columns of most of the papers were
closed against us, their popularity being at stake the moment our
principles were admitted. It is true we published a monthly paper, in
which our principles were clearly set forth; but its circulation was
limited to a few thousands. Under these circumstances, had we the
tongue of angels, and the zeal of Apostles, with our hearts expanded
wide as eternity, with the intelligence of heaven, and the love of God
burning in our bosoms; and commissioned to bear as joyful tidings as
ever were borne by Michael, the Archangel, from the regions of glory;
yet, it would have been as impossible for us to have communicated the
same to the public, as it was for Paul, when he stood in the midst of
Ephesus, to declare the glad tidings of a crucified and risen
Redeemer, when his voice was lost amid the universal cry of "Great is
Diana of the Ephesians!"
Go, lift your voice to the tumultuous waves of the ocean, or try to
reason amid the roar of cannon while the tumult of war is gathering
thick around, or speak to the howling tempest while it pours a deluge
over the plains; let your voice be heard amid the roar of chariots
rushing suddenly over the pavements; or, what is still less useful,
converse with a man who is lost in slumbers, or reason with a drunkard
while he reels to and fro under the influence of the intoxicating
poison, and those will convince you of the impossibility of
communicating truth to that soul who is willing to make up his
judgment upon popular rumor, or to be wafted gently down the current
of public opinion, without stopping for a moment to listen, to weigh,
to hear both sides of the question, and judge for himself.
One of the greatest obstacles in the way of the spread of truth, in
every age, is the tide of public opinion. Let one ray of light burst
upon the world in any age, and it is sure to come in contact with the
traditions and long-established usages of men, and their opinions; or
with some religious craft, so that, like the Ephesians, they counsel
together what shall be done; their great goddess will be spoken
against, her magnificence despised, her temple deserted; or, what is
still worse, their craft is in danger, for by this they have their
wealth. Call to mind the Apostles in contact with the Jewish Rabbis,
or with Gentile superstitions; in short, at war with every religious
establishment on the earth. Witness the popular clamor: "If we let
them thus alone, all men will believe on them, and the Romans will
come and take away our place and nation." "These men that turn the
world upside down have come hither also." "What new doctrine is this,
for thou bringest certain strange things to our ears?" "These men do
exceedingly trouble our city, and teach customs which are not lawful
for us to receive, being Romans." "What will this babbler say, he
seems to be a setter forth of strange gods?" And many other such like
sayings.
Or, let us for a moment contemplate the events of later date; for
instance, the Mother Church against the reformers of various ages; see
them belied, slandered, degraded, whipped, stoned, imprisoned, burned,
and destroyed in various ways, while the ignorant multitude were made
to believe they were the very worst of men.
Again, think for a moment of the struggles of Columbus, an obscure
individual of limited education, but blessed with a largeness of
heart, a noble genius, a mind which disdained to confine itself to the
old beaten track; accustomed to think for itself, it burst the chains
which, in ages past, had held in bondage the nations of the earth; it
soared aloft, as it were on eagle's wings; it outstripped and left far
behind the boasted genius of Greece and Rome; it penetrated the dark
mysteries which lay concealed amid the western waters. Behold him
struggling for eight years against the learned ignorance of the courts
and councils of Europe, while the sneer of contempt, the finger of
scorn, and the hiss of derision, were the solid arguments opposed to
his theory.
But what was the result when, after many a fruitless struggle, an
expedition was fitted out, consisting of three small vessels? A new
world presented itself to the wondering nations of the East, destined,
at no distant period, to become the theatre of the most glorious and
astonishing events of the last days. This fact was no sooner
demonstrated than their philosophical, geographical, and religious
objections vanished in a moment; haughty ignorance and bigotry were
for once constrained to cast their honors in the dust, and bow their
reverend heads at the feet of real worth, and learn, in humble
silence, that one fact, clearly demonstrated, was worth ten thousand
theories and opinions of men.
Having said so much to impress upon the human mind the necessity of
hearing, and then judging, I would only add, that the object of this
publication is to give the public correct information concerning a
religious system, which has penetrated every State from Maine to
Missouri, as well as the Canadas, in the short space of nine years;
organizing Churches and Conferences in every region, and gathering in
its progress from fifty to a hundred thousand disciples; having, at
the same time, to sustain the shock of an overwhelming, religious
influence, opposed to it by the combined powers of every sect in
America. What but the arm of Omnipotence could have moved it forward
amid the rage of mobs? having to contend with the prejudice of the
ignorant and the pen of the learned; at war with every creed and craft
in Christendom; while the combined powers of earth and hell were
hurling a storm of persecution, unparalleled in the history of our
country.
This Work is also intended as a warning voice, or proclamation of
truth, to all people into whose hands it may fall, that they may
understand, and be prepared for the great day of the Lord. Opinion and
guesswork in the things of God are worse than useless; facts, well
demonstrated, can alone be of service to mankind. And as the Holy
Ghost can alone guide us into all truth, we pray God the Eternal
Father, in the name of Jesus Christ His Son, that the Spirit of Truth
may inspire our hearts in inditing this matter; that we may be able to
write the truth in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that it
may be the word of God, the everlasting Gospel, the power of God unto
salvation, to the Gentile first, and also to the Jew.
A VOICE OF WARNING
AND
INSTRUCTION TO ALL PEOPLE.
CHAPTER I.
ON PROPHECY ALREADY FULFILLED.
We have also a more sure word of prophecy, whereunto ye do well
that ye take heed as unto a light that shineth in a dark place,
until the day dawn, and the day-star arise in your hearts: knowing
this first, that no prophecy of the Scripture is of any private
interpretation; for the prophecy came not in old time by the will
of man, but holy men of God spake as they were moved upon by the
Holy Ghost.--PETER.
In order to prove anything from Scripture, it is highly necessary in
the first place to lay down some certain, definite, infallible rule of
interpretation, without which the mind is lost in uncertainty and
doubt, ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the
truth.
The neglect of such a rule has thrown mankind into the utmost
confusion and uncertainty in all their biblical researches. Indeed,
while mankind are left at liberty to transform, spiritualize, or give
any uncertain or private interpretation to the word of God, all is
uncertainty.
"Whatsoever was written aforetime, was written for our profit and
learning, that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures,
might have hope." Now, suppose a friend from a distance should write
us a letter, making certain promises to us on certain conditions,
which, if we obtained, would be greatly to our profit and advantage:
of course it might be said the letter was written for our profit and
learning, that through patience and comfort of the letter we might
have hope to obtain the things promised. Now if we clearly understood
the letter, and knew what to expect, then it would afford us comfort
and hope; whereas, if there was any doubt or uncertainty on our minds
in the understanding of the same, then could we derive no certain
comfort or hope from the things written, not knowing what to hope for;
consequently the letter would not profit us at all. And so it is with
the Scriptures. No prophecy or promise will profit the reader, or
produce patience, comfort, or hope in his mind until clearly
understood, that he may know precisely what to hope for. Now, the
predictions of the Prophets can be clearly understood, as much so as
the almanac when it foretells an eclipse; or else the Bible of all
books is of most doubtful usefulness. Far better would it have been
for mankind, if the great Author of our existence had revealed nothing
to His fallen creatures, than to have revealed a book which would
leave them in doubt and uncertainty, to contend with one another, from
age to age, respecting the meaning of its contents. That such
uncertainty and contention have existed for ages, none will deny. The
wise and learned have differed, and do still widely differ, from each
other, in the understanding of prophecy. Whence then this difference?
Either Revelation itself is deficient, or else the fault is in
mankind. But to say Revelation is deficient, would be to charge God
foolishly; God forbid: the fault must be in man. There are two great
causes for this blindness, which I will now show:
First, mankind have supposed that direct inspiration by the Holy Ghost
was not intended for all ages of the Church, but was confined to
primitive times; the "Canon of Scripture being full," and all things
necessary being revealed; the Spirit which guides into all truth was
no longer for the people: therefore they sought to understand, by
their own wisdom, and by their own learning, what could never be
clearly understood, except by the Spirit of Truth: for the things of
God knoweth no man, except by the Spirit of God.
Secondly, having lost the Spirit of Inspiration, they began to
institute their own opinions, traditions, and commandments; giving
constructions and private interpretations to the written word, instead
of believing the things written. And the moment they departed from its
literal meaning, one man's opinion, or interpretation, was just as
good as another's; all were clothed with equal authority, and from
thence arose all the darkness and misunderstanding on these points,
which have agitated the world for the last seventeen hundred years.
Among the variety of commodities which attract the attention of
mankind, there is one thing of more value than all others. A principle
which, if once possessed, will greatly assist in obtaining all other
things worth possessing, whether it were power, wealth, riches,
honors, thrones, or dominions. Comparatively few have ever possessed
it, although it was within the reach of many others, but they were
either not aware of it, or did not know its value. It has worked
wonders for the few who have possessed it. Some it enabled to escape
from drowning, while every soul who did not possess it was lost in the
mighty deep. Others it saved from famine, while thousands perished all
around them; by it men have often been raised to dignity in the state;
yea, more, some have been raised to the throne of empires. The
possession of it has sometimes raised men from a dungeon to a palace;
and there are instances in which those that possessed it were
delivered from the flames, while cities were consumed, and every soul,
themselves excepted, perished. Frequently, when a famine or the sword
has destroyed a city or nation, they alone who possessed it escaped
unhurt. By this time the reader inquires, What can this be? Inform me,
and I will purchase it, even at the sacrifice of all I possess on
earth. Well, kind reader, this treasure is FOREKNOWLEDGE! a knowledge
of things future! Let a book be published, entitled, "A Knowledge of
the Future," and let mankind be really convinced that it did give a
certain, definite knowledge of future events, so that its pages unfold
the future history of the nations, and of many great events, as the
history of Greece or Rome does unfold the past, and a large edition
would immediately sell at a great sum per copy; indeed, they would be
above all price. Now, kind reader, the books of the Prophets, and the
Spirit of Prophecy were intended for this very purpose. Well did the
Apostle say, "Covet earnestly the best gifts; but rather that ye
prophesy."
Having said so much, we will now enter into the wide expanded field
which lies before us, and search out the treasures of wisdom and
knowledge which have been shining for ages like a light in a dark
place. We will explore regions unknown to many; we will gaze upon the
opening glories which present themselves on every side, and feast our
souls with knowledge which is calculated in its nature to enlarge the
heart, to exalt the mind, and to raise the affections above the
little, mean, grovelling things of the world, and to make one wise
unto salvation.
But, first, for the definite rule of interpretation. For this we will
not depend on any man or commentary, for the Holy Ghost has given it
by the mouth of Peter: "Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the
Scripture is of any private interpretation." 2 Peter i, 20.
There is one grand division to be kept constantly, in view in the
study of prophecy; namely, the distinction between the past and the
future. The reader should be careful to ascertain what portion has
been fulfilled, and what remains to be fulfilled: always remembering
Peter's rule of interpretation will apply to both. Now, if we should
find in our researches that every prophecy which has been fulfilled to
the present year, has been _literally_ fulfilled, then it follows of
necessity that every prophecy which is yet future will not fail of a
_literal_ fulfilment. Let us commence with the days of Noah. Gen. vi,
17: "And behold I, even I, do bring a flood of waters upon the earth,
to destroy all flesh, wherein is the breath of life, from under
heaven; and every thing that is in the earth shall die."
In the verses which follow the above the Lord commands Noah to enter
the Ark, and take with him animals of every kind, etc. And in the 22d
verse it is written, "Thus did Noah, according to all that God
commanded him, so did he." It was well for Noah that he was not well
versed in the spiritualizing systems of modern divinity; for, under
their benighted influence, he would never have believed that so
marvelous a prophecy would have had a literal meaning and
accomplishment. No, he would have been told that the flood meant a
spiritual flood, and the Ark a spiritual Ark, and, the moment he
thought otherwise, he would have been set down for a fanatic, knave,
or fool; but it was so, that he was just simple enough to believe the
prophecy literally. Here then is a fair sample of _foreknowledge_; for
all the world, who did not possess it, perished by the flood.
The next prediction we will notice is Gen. xv, 13-16. "And he said
unto Abraham. Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a
land that is not theirs, and shall serve them, and they shall afflict
them four hundred years. And also that nation, whom they shall serve,
will I judge; and afterwards shall they come out with great substance.
And thou shalt go to thy fathers in peace; thou shalt be buried in a
good old age; but in the fourth generation they shall come hither
again, for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full."
The evil entreating of the children of Israel four hundred years,
together with their coming out with great substance, and the judgment
of God upon Egypt, as well as the death of Abraham in a good old age,
are all facts too well known to need comment here; suffice it to say,
that it is a striking example of the exact fulfilment of prophecy,
uttered more than four hundred years before it had its accomplishment.
From this we gather that none of those ancient men knew anything of
the modern system of spiritualizing.
Our next is Gen. xix, 12, 13: "And the men said unto Lot, Hast thou
here any besides? son-in-law, and thy sons, and thy daughters, and
whatsoever thou hast in the city, bring them out of this place: for we
will destroy this place, because the cry of them is waxed great before
the face of the Lord; and the Lord hath sent us to destroy it." Now,
Lot being simple enough to believe the thing in its literal sense,
took as many of his family as would follow, and escaped for his life;
to the great amusement, no doubt, of the Sodomites, who probably stood
gazing after, crying "Delusion, delusion!" they thinking all the while
that the prophecy was only a figure. Here is an example of a man
escaping from the flames by _foreknowledge_ imparted to him, while the
whole city perished. O! what a blessing that Lot had no knowledge of
the modern manner of interpreting prophecy. If it had once entered his
heart that he must come out of Sodom spiritually, instead of
literally, it would have cost him his life.
Let us examine a prophecy of Joseph in the land of Egypt. Gen. xli,
29-31: "Behold, there come seven years of great plenty throughout all
the land of Egypt: and there shall arise after them seven years of
famine; and all the plenty shall be forgotten in the land of Egypt;
and the famine shall consume the land: and the plenty shall not be
known in the land by reason of that famine following; for it shall be
very grievous." Joseph then proceeds to give directions for corn to be
laid up in great abundance during the seven plenteous years, in order
to provide against the famine. And Pharaoh, being no better versed in
the school of modern divinity than his predecessors, never once
thought of any other interpretation but the most literal, And thus he
was the means, together with Joseph, in the hand of God, of saving,
not only their nation, but the house of Israel, from famine. This is
another striking example of the power of _foreknowledge_. _It_ not
only saved from famine, but it exalted Joseph from a dungeon to a
palace; from the lowest degradation to the highest honor; so that they
cried before him, "Bow the knee!" But, O! what death and mourning
would have followed had they dreamed only of spiritual famine and
spiritual corn.
Having given a few plain examples of early ages, we will lightly touch
upon some of the most remarkable events of prophecy, and its
fulfilment, until we come down to the Jewish Prophets, where the field
opens wide, touching in its progress the most remarkable events of all
ages, and terminating in a full development of the opening glories of
the last days.
One remarkable instance, concerning Elijah the Prophet, was, that he
prophesied to Ahab that it should not rain for three years and
upwards, which came to pass according to his word. There is also a
remarkable instance of Hazael, the Syrian, who came to Elisha to
inquire of the Lord concerning the king of Syria, his master, who was
sick. The Prophet, earnestly beholding him, burst into tears: and
Hazael asked him, saying, "Why weepest thou?" and he, answering, said,
"The Lord hath showed me that thou shalt be king over Syria." And he
then proceeded to unfold unto him the cruelties which he would
afterwards exercise towards Israel, which are too horrible to mention
here, lest in so doing I might offend the delicate ear. But Hazael,
astonished to hear these things predicted concerning himself, which at
that time filled him with horror, exclaimed with surprise, "But what?
is thy servant a dog, that he should do this great thing?" Yet
astonishing to tell, all was afterwards fulfilled to the very letter.
In the 21st chapter, 2 Chron., it is written that there came a writing
to Jehoram from Elijah, which, after stating the great wickedness of
which he had been guilty, in turning to idolatry, and also murdering
his brethren of his father's house, who were better than himself,
proceeds thus: "Behold, with a great plague will the Lord smite thy
people, and thy children, and thy wives, and all thy goods; and thou
shalt have great sickness by disease of the bowels, until thy bowels
fall out, by reason of thy sickness, day by day." In the same chapter
it is written, that the Philistines and Arabians came against him, and
took his wives, and children, and goods captive; and after all this,
the Lord smote him in his bowels with an incurable disease, and his
bowels fell out by reason of his sickness, so he died of sore disease.
In the 6th chapter of Joshua, 26th verse, there is a wonderful
prediction concerning Jericho: "Cursed be the man before the Lord,
that riseth up and buildeth this city Jericho. He shall lay the
foundation thereof in his first-born, and in his youngest son shall he
set up the gates of it."
After this curse the city of Jericho lay waste for ages, none daring
to rebuild it at the expense of their first-born and of their youngest
son; until after a long succession of judges and kings, when hundreds
of years had passed, Hiel the Bethelite, who lived in the days of
Ahab, probably supposing that the Lord had forgotten the curse
pronounced upon it by Joshua, ventured to rebuild the city: but no
sooner had he laid the foundation thereof than Abiram his first-born
died, and, still persevering in the hardness of his heart, he set up
the gates thereof, with the loss of his youngest son, Segub, according
to the word of the Lord by Joshua; see 1 Kings, xvi, 34. We might
fill a volume with instances of a similar kind, dispersed through the
historical part of the Scriptures; but we forbear, in order to hasten
to a more full examination of the books of the Jewish Prophets. We
shall trace them in their fulfilment upon Jerusalem, Babylon, Tyre,
Egypt, and various other nations.
Babylon, the most ancient and renowned city of the world, was
pleasantly situated on the banks of a majestic river, that flowed
through the plains of Shinar, near to which the tower of Babel once
stood. It was laid out four square, and surrounded with a wall upwards
of three hundred feet high, and sixty miles in circumference; having a
hundred gates of brass with bars of iron; twenty-five gates on each
side, which opened to streets running through the city, a distance of
fifteen miles; thus forming the whole city into exact squares of equal
size. In the midst of these squares were beautiful gardens, adorned
with trees and walks, diversified with flowers of varied hue; while
the houses were built upon the borders of the squares, directly
fronting on the streets. In the midst of this city sat Nebuchadnezzar,
enthroned in royal splendor and magnificence, and swaying his sceptre
over all the kingdoms of the world, when it pleased God, in a vision
of the night, to unveil the dark curtain of the future, and to present
before him, at one view, the history of the world, even down to the
consummation of all things. Behold, a great image stood before him,
whose head was of fine gold, his breast and arms of silver, his belly
and thighs of brass, his legs of iron, his feet and toes part of iron
and part of miry clay. He beheld, till a stone was cut out of the
mountain without hands, which smote the image upon the feet, which
were part of iron and part of clay, and brake them in pieces; then was
the iron, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken to pieces
together, and became as the chaff of the summer threshing-floors; and
the wind carried them away, and there was no place found for them; but
the stone which smote the image became a great mountain, and filled
the whole earth. When Daniel was brought in before the king, to tell
the dream and the interpretation, he exclaimed, "There is a God in
heaven that revealeth secrets, and maketh known to the king,
Nebuchadnezzar, what shall be in the latter days." Then, after telling
the dream, he continues thus: "Thou, O king, art a king of kings; for
the God of heaven hath given thee a kingdom, power, and strength, and
glory. And wheresoever the children of men dwell, the beasts of the
field and the fowls of the heaven hath he given into thine hand, and
hath made thee ruler over them all. Thou _art_ this head of gold. And
after thee shall arise another kingdom inferior to thee, and another
third kingdom of brass, which shall bear rule over all the earth. And
the fourth kingdom shall be strong as iron: forasmuch as iron breaketh
in pieces and subdueth all _things_; and as iron that breaketh all
these, shall it break in pieces and bruise. And whereas thou sawest
the feet and toes, part of potters' clay, and part of iron, the
kingdom shall be divided: but there shall be in it of the strength of
the iron, forasmuch as thou sawest the iron mixed with miry clay. And
_as_ the toes of the feet _were_ part of iron, and part of clay, _so_
the kingdom shall be partly strong, and partly broken. And whereas
thou sawest iron mixed with miry clay, they shall mingle themselves
with the seed of men: but they shall not cleave one to another, even
as iron is not mixed with clay. And in the days of these kings shall
the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed:
and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, _but_ it shall
break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand
forever. Forasmuch as thou sawest that the stone was cut out of the
mountain without hands, and that it brake in pieces the iron, the
brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold; the great God hath made
known to the king what shall come to pass hereafter; and the dream
_is_ certain, and the interpretation thereof sure."
In this great view of the subject we have presented before us, in
succession, first, the kingdom of Nebuchadnezzar; second, the Medes
and Persians, who took Babylon from Belshazzar, and reigned over all
the earth; third, the Greeks under Alexander, who conquered the world,
and reigned in the midst of Babylon; and fourth, the Roman empire,
which subdued all things; fifth, its division into eastern and western
empires, and its final breaking up or subdivision into the various
kingdoms of modern Europe, represented by the feet and toes, part of
iron and part of clay. And, lastly, we have presented before us an
entirely new kingdom, organized by the God of heaven in the last days,
or during the reign of these kings, represented by the feet and toes.
This last kingdom was never to change masters, like all the kingdoms
which had gone before it. It was never to be left to another people.
It was to break in pieces all these kingdoms, and stand forever. Many
suppose that this last kingdom alluded to was the kingdom of God which
was organized in the days of Christ, or his Apostles. But a greater
_blunder_ could not exist; the kingdom of God set up in the days of
Christ, or his Apostles, did not break in pieces any of the kingdoms
of the world: it was itself warred against and overcome, in fulfilment
of the words of Daniel, chapter vii, 21; "I beheld, and the same horn
made war with the saints, and prevailed against them;" also 22d verse,
"Until the Ancient of Days came, and judgment was given to the saints
of the Most High; and the time came that the saints possessed the
kingdom;" also verse 27th, "And the kingdom and dominion, and the
greatness of the kingdom, under the whole heaven, shall be given to
the people of the saints of the Most High, whose kingdom is an
everlasting kingdom; and all dominions shall serve and obey him."
John records, Rev. xiii. 7, "And it was given unto him to make war
with the saints, and to overcome them; and power was given him over
all kindreds, and tongues, and nations." In fulfilment of these
sayings, power has been given, to the authorities of the earth to kill
the Apostles and inspired men, until, if any remained, they were
banished from among men, or forced to retire to the desolate islands,
or the dens and caves of the mountains of the earth, being men of whom
the world was not worthy; while at the same time, many false prophets
and teachers were introduced in their place, whom men heaped to
themselves, because they would not endure sound doctrine. In this way
the kingdom of God became _disorganized_, and _lost_ from among men,
and the doctrines and churches of men instituted in its place. But we
design to speak more fully on this subject when we come to treat on
the subject of the kingdom of God. Suffice it to say, that the kingdom
spoken of by Daniel is something to be organized in the last days, by
the God of heaven Himself, without the aid of human institutions or
the precepts of men. And, when once organized, it will never cease to
roll; all the powers of earth and hell will not impede its progress,
until at length the Ancient of Days shall sit, and the Lord Jesus will
come in the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory, as the King
of kings, and Lord of lords, and destroy all these kingdoms, and give
the kingdom and the greatness of the kingdom, under the whole heaven,
to the Saints. Then there will be but one Lord, and His name one, and
He shall be King over all the earth.
We will now return to Nebuchadnezzar, whom the Lord, by the mouth of
Jeremiah, calls His servant, to execute His judgment upon the nations.
It seems that the Lord exalted this great man, and made him a king of
kings, and lord of lords, arming him with His own sword, and clothing
him with power and authority, for the express purpose of executing His
judgments, and scourging and humbling all the nations of the earth.
Jeremiah, chapter xxv, says that the Lord purposed to bring
Nebuchadnezzar and his army against Jerusalem, and against all the
nations round about, that he might bring them to desolation and
captivity for seventy years; and after seventy years, He would turn
and punish the king of Babylon and that nation for their iniquity.
Now, who can trace the history of the fulfilment of these great
events, so exactly pointed out by Jeremiah, Isaiah, and Ezekiel, and
not be struck with astonishment and wonder at the marvellous _gift of
prophecy_ enabling men in those days to read the history of the future
as they read the history of the past? Indeed, the reader of history in
the nineteenth century, holding in his hand the history of the
Babylonians, Medes and Persians, Greeks, Romans and Egyptians,
together with that of the Jews, will hardly render himself more
familiar with the events which transpired among those nations, than
the Prophets were seventy years previous to their accomplishment.
The Jews were reduced to subjection by Nebuchadnezzar; their city,
Jerusalem, was burned, together with their temple; their princes,
nobles, and people were carried to Babylon, together with all their
holy things. All the particulars of this destruction and captivity
were distinctly foretold by Jeremiah, and the time of its continuance,
viz., seventy years. After subduing the Jews, the king of Babylon
marched his army against Tyre, the city of merchants, situated at the
haven of the sea, surrounded not only by the sea, but by a strong
wall. A hold so strong required the utmost skill and perseverance of
Nebuchadnezzar and his whole army, who labored incessantly for a long
time, and at length succeeded in taking Tyre, and bringing it into
captivity for seventy years. After which they returned and established
their city, for Jeremiah had previously foretold the reduction of
Tyre, its captivity for seventy years, and its restoration at the
expiration of that time. After the restoration of Tyre, the city
flourished for a time, but was afterwards reduced to an entire
desolation. Its ruined fragments are seen to this day in the bottom of
the sea; its site has become a barren rock, only occupied by poor
fishermen. All this desolation, and even its present appearance of
desolation and perpetual waste, were clearly pointed out by the
Prophets.
But when the king of Babylon had succeeded in taking Tyre, after many
a bald head and peeled shoulder, caused by the hard service of his
army in the siege, the Lord, by the mouth of Ezekiel, promised to give
the spoils of Egypt unto him, for wages for his army, in order to pay
him for the great service, wherewith he had served God, against Tyre.
Next, witness his war in the taking of Egypt, and bringing it into
captivity, until the seventy years were accomplished.
And, finally, trace him executing the Lord's vengeance and anger
against Uz, upon the kings of the Philistines, and Askelon, Azaah;
Ekrom, Edom, Moab, Ammon; Dedan, Tema, and Buz; and upon the kings of
Arabia, Zimri and Elam; and upon all the kings of the Medes; and upon
all the kings of the north, far and near; and finally upon all the
kingdoms of the world, who were to be drunken, and spew, and fall to
rise no more, because of the sword which He would send among them.
But, when the Lord had accomplished all his mind on these nations, He
purposed, in turn, to punish this great monarch, and those who
succeeded him; and also the city and nation over which he reigned; and
finally to make it perpetual desolations. And all this for their pride
and haughtiness. The Lord exclaims: "Shall the ax boast itself against
him that heweth therewith, or shall the saw boast itself against him
that shaketh it?" etc. But, in order to trace the events of the return
of the Jews, and the other nations, from their seventy years'
captivity and bondage, and the punishment of Babylon, another and very
different character from that of Nebuchadnezzar is introduced by the
Prophets--one who is in Scripture termed the Lord's anointed. He may
be considered one of the most extraordinary characters that ever the
heathen world produced: his mildness, courage, perseverance, success,
and, above all, his strict obedience to the command of _that_ God
which neither he nor his fathers had known, all go to prove that
Isaiah was not mistaken when he called him by name, as the Lord's
anointed, to deliver the nations from bondage, to scourge and subdue
the greatest city and monarchy that have at any time existed on the
earth, and to restore the Jews, and rebuild their city and temple.
Indeed, he was one of those few whom the world never produces except
for extraordinary purposes. But let us hear the Prophet's own
description of him, Isaiah, chapter xlv: "Thus saith the Lord to his
anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have holden to subdue nations
before him: and I will loose the loins of kings, to open before him
the two-leaved gates, and the gates shall not be shut. I will go
before thee, and make the crooked places straight: I will break in
pieces the gates of brass, and cut in sunder the bars of iron. And I
will give thee the treasures of darkness, and hidden riches of secret
places, that thou mayest know that I, the Lord, which call thee by thy
name, am the God of Israel. For Jacob my servant's sake, and Israel
mine elect, I have even called thee by thy name: I have surnamed thee,
though thou hast not known me. I am the Lord, and there is none else,
there is no God beside me: I girded thee, though thou hast not known
me: that they may know from the rising of the sun, and from the west,
that there is none besides me." In the 13th verse, he says: "I have
raised him up in righteousness, and I will direct all his ways: he
shall build my city, and he shall let go my captives, not for price
nor reward, saith the Lord of hosts." The reader will bear in mind
that Isaiah lived about one hundred years before the Jewish captivity,
and one hundred and seventy years before Cyrus caused their return.
Here I would pause and inquire, What power but the power of the great
God could enable one man to call another by name, a century before his
birth, and also to foretell correctly the history of his life? What
must have been his wonder and astonishment, when, after many years of
wars and commotions, during which he marched forth, conquering and to
conquer, gathering as a nest the riches of the nations, he at last
pitched his camp near the walls of the strongest hold in all the
earth? He gazed upon its walls of upwards of three hundred feet in
height, with its gates of brass and its bars of iron: the people
within feeling perfectly safe, with provisions enough to last the
inhabitants of the city for several years. How could he think of
taking that city? Who would not have shrunk from such an undertaking,
unless inspired by the great Jehovah? But, turning the river Euphrates
from its course, and marching under the walls of the city, in the
dried bed of the river, he found himself in possession of the city,
without any difficulty; for Belshazzar, the king, was drinking himself
drunk, with his nobles and concubines, and that, too, from the vessels
of the House of the Lord which his father had taken from Jerusalem,
and his knees had already smote together with horror, from the
handwriting on the wall, which Daniel had just been called in to
interpret, giving his kingdom to the Medes and Persians. Having
subdued this great monarchy, he seated himself upon the throne of
kingdoms; and, becoming familiar with Daniel, he was, no doubt,
introduced to an acquaintance with the Jewish records, and then the
mystery was unfolded: he could then see that God had called him by
name, that the Almighty hand girded him for the battle, and directed
all his work; he could then understand why the treasures of the earth
poured themselves into his bosom, and why the loins of kings had been
unloosed before him, and why the gates of brass had been opened, and
the bars of iron burst asunder. It was that he might know that there
was a God in Israel, and none else, and that all idols were as
nothing; that he might also restore the Jews, and rebuild their city
and temple, and fulfil God's purposes upon Babylon. He accordingly
issued his proclamation to the Jews to return, and for the nations to
assist them in rebuilding, "for," said he, "God hath commanded me to
build him an house at Jerusalem." Ezra, chapter i, 2, 3, says: "Thus
saith Cyrus, king of Persia, The Lord God of heaven hath given me all
the kingdoms of the earth; and he hath charged me to build him an
house at Jerusalem, which is in Judea. Who is there among you of all
his people? his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem, which
is in Judea, and build the house of the Lord God of Israel, he is the
God which is in Jerusalem."
What powerful argument, what mighty influence was it which caused
Cyrus to be convinced that it was the God of heaven who dwelt at
Jerusalem, who alone was God, and who had done all these things? He
had not been traditioned in the belief of the true God, nor of the
holy Scriptures. Nay, he had ever been very zealous in the worship of
idols; it was to idols he looked for assistance in the former part of
his life. I reply, it was the power of God, made manifest by prophecy
and its fulfilment; not in a spiritualized sense, not in some obscure,
uncertain, or dark, mysterious way, which was difficult to be
understood; but in positive, literal, plain demonstration, which none
could gainsay or resist. Isaiah says that this was the object the Lord
had in view when he revealed such plainness. And Cyrus manifested that
it had the desired effect.
I would here remark that when we come to treat of that part of
prophecy which yet remains to be fulfilled, we shall bring proof
positive that the heathen nations of the latter days are to be
convinced in the same way that Cyrus was; that is, there are certain
events plainly predicted in the Prophets, yet future, which, when
fulfilled, will convince all the heathen nations of the true God, and
they shall know that he hath spoken and performed it. And all the
great and learned men of Christendom, and all societies, who put any
other than a _literal_ construction on the word of prophecy, shall
stand confounded, and be constrained to acknowledge that all has come
to pass even as it is written.
But to return to our research of prophecy and its fulfilment. The
Prophets had not only predicted the reduction of Babylon by Cyrus, but
they had denounced its fate through all ages, until reduced to entire
desolation, never to be inhabited, not even as a temporary residence
for the wandering Arab: "And the Arabian shall not pitch tent there."
See Isaiah, xiii, 19-22.
Mr. Joseph Wolfe, the celebrated Jewish missionary, while traveling in
Chaldea, inquired of the Arabs whether they pitched their tents among
the ruins of Babylon, to which they replied in the negative, declaring
their fears that, should they do so, Nimrod's ghost would haunt them.
Thus all the predictions of the Prophets concerning that mighty city
have been fulfilled.
Edom also presents a striking fulfilment of plain and pointed
predictions in the Prophets. These predictions were pronounced upon
Edom at a time when its soil was very productive and well cultivated,
and everywhere abounding in flourishing towns and cities. But now its
cities have become heaps of desolate ruins, only inhabited by the
cormorant, bittern, and by wild beasts, serpents, etc., and its soil
has become barren; the Lord has cast upon it the line of confusion,
and the stones of emptiness, and it has been waste from generation to
generation, in express fulfilment of the word of prophecy.
We will now give a passing notice of the vision of Daniel, recorded in
the eighth chapter of his prophecies, concerning the ram and the goat.
The reader would do well to turn and read the whole chapter; but we
will more particularly notice the interpretation, as it was given him
by Gabriel, recorded from the nineteenth to the twenty-fifth verses.
And he said: "I will make thee know what shall be in the last end of
the indignation, for at the time appointed the end shall be. The ram
which thou sawest having two horns, are the kings of Media and Persia:
and the rough goat is the king of Grecia; and the great horn that is
between the eyes is the first king. Now that being broken, whereas
four stood up for it, four kingdoms shall stand up out of the nation,
but not in his power. And in the latter time of their kingdom, when
the transgressors are come to the full, a king of fierce countenance,
and understanding dark sentences, shall stand up; and his power shall
be mighty, but not by his own power; and he shall destroy wonderfully,
and shall prosper, and practise, and shall destroy the mighty and the
holy people; and through his policy also he shall cause craft to
prosper in his hand, and he shall magnify himself in his heart, and
by peace shall destroy many; he shall also stand up against the Prince
of princes; but he shall be broken without hand." In this vision we
have first presented the Medes and Persians, as they were to exist
until they were conquered by Alexander the Great. Now, it is a fact
well known that this empire waxed exceedingly great for some time
after the death of Daniel, pushing its conquests westward, northward,
and southward, so that none could stand before it; until Alexander,
the king of Grecia, came from the west, with a small army of chosen
men, and attacked the Persians upon the banks of the river, and
plunging his horse in, and his army following, they crossed, and
attacked the Persians, who stood to oppose them on the bank with many
times their number; but, notwithstanding their number, and their
advantage of the ground, they were totally routed, and the Grecians
proceeded to overrun and subdue the country, beating the Persians in a
number of pitched battles, until they were entirely subdued. It is
also well known that Alexander, the king of Greece, went forth from
nation to nation, subduing the world before him, until, having
conquered the world, he died at Babylon, at the age of thirty-two
years. And thus, when he had waxed strong, the great horn was broken,
and for it came up four notable ones towards the four winds of heaven.
His kingdom was divided among four of his generals, who never attained
unto his power. Now, in the latter time of their kingdom, when the
transgression of the Jewish nation was come to the full, the Roman
power destroyed the Jewish nation, took Jerusalem, caused the daily
sacrifice to cease, and not only that, bat afterwards destroyed the
mighty and holy people, that is, the Apostles and primitive
Christians, who were slain by the authorities at Rome.
Now, let me inquire, Does the history of these United States give a
plainer account of past events than Daniel's wisdom did of events
which were then future, and some of them reaching down the stream of
time for several hundred years, unfolding events which no human
sagacity could possibly have foreseen? Man, by his own sagacity, may
accomplish many things; he may plough the trackless ocean without wind
or tide in his favor; he may soar aloft amid the clouds without the
aid of wings; he may traverse the land with astonishing velocity
without the aid of beasts; or he may convey his thoughts to his
fellows by the aid of letters. But there is a principle which he can
never attain to; no, not even by the wisdom of ages combined; money
will not purchase it; it comes from God only, and is bestowed upon man
as a free gift. Says the Prophet to the idols, "_Tell us what shall
be, thai we may know that ye are gods_."
We will now proceed to show how exactly the prophecies were fulfilled
_literally_ in the person of Jesus Christ. "Behold," said the Prophet,
"a virgin shall conceive and bear a son." Again, Bethlehem should be
the place of his birth, and Egypt, where he sojourned with his
parents, the place out of which he was to be called. He turned aside
to Nazareth, for it was written, "He shall be called a Nazarene." He
rode into Jerusalem upon a colt, the foal of an ass, because the
Prophet had said, "Behold thy King cometh, meek and lowly, riding upon
a colt," etc. And again, saith the Prophet: "He shall be afflicted and
despised; he shall be a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; he
shall be led as a lamb to the slaughter, and, like a sheep dumb before
his shearers, so he opened not his mouth; in his humiliation his
judgment was taken away; and who shall declare his generation, for his
life is taken from the earth. He was wounded for our transgressions,
and by his stripes we are healed; he was numbered with the
transgressors; he made his grave with the rich." Not a bone of him is
broken; they divide his raiment; cast lots for his vesture; give him
gall and vinegar to drink; betray him for thirty pieces of silver; and
finally, when it was finished, he rested in the tomb until the third
day, and then rose triumphant, without seeing corruption. Now, kind
reader, had you walked up and down with our dear Redeemer during his
whole sojourn in the flesh, and had you taken pains to record the
particular circumstances of his life and death, as they occurred from
time to time, your history would not be a plainer one than the
Prophets gave of him hundreds of years before he was born. There is
one thing we would do well to notice concerning the manner in which
the Apostles interpreted prophecy, and that is this--they simply
quoted it, and recorded its literal fulfilment. By pursuing this
course, they were enabled to bring it home to the hearts of the people
in the Jewish synagogues, with such convincing proof that they were
constrained to believe the supposed impostor whom they had crucified
was the Messiah. But had they once dreamed of rendering a
spiritualizing or uncertain application, like the teachers of the
present day, all would have been uncertainty and doubt, and
demonstration would have vanished from the earth.
Having taken a view of the Old Testament Prophets, concerning prophecy
and its fulfilment, and having shown clearly that nothing but a
literal fulfilment was intended, the objector may inquire whether the
same mode will apply to the predictions contained in the New
Testament. We will therefore bring a few important instances of
prophecy, and its fulfilment, from the New Testament; after which we
shall be prepared to enter the vast field which is still future. One
of the most remarkable prophecies in sacred writ is recorded by Luke,
chap, xxi, 20-24: "And when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with
armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh. Then let them
which are in Judea flee to the mountains, and let them which are in
the midst of it depart out; and let not them that are in the countries
enter thereinto; for these be the days of vengeance, that all things
which are written may be fulfilled. But woe unto them that are with
child, and to them that give suck in those days; for there shall be
great distress in the land, and wrath upon this people; and they shall
fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all
nations; and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until
the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled." This prophecy involves the
fate of Jerusalem and the temple, and the whole Jewish nation, for at
least eighteen hundred years. About the year seventy, the Roman army
compassed Jerusalem. The disciples remembered the warning which had
been given them by their Lord and Master forty years before, and fled
to the mountains. The city of Jerusalem was taken, after a long and
tedious siege, in which the Jews suffered the extreme of famine,
pestilence and the sword; filling houses with the dead, for want of a
place to bury them, while women ate their own children, for want of
all things. In this struggle there perished, in Judea, near one
million and a half of Jews, besides those taken captive. Their country
was laid waste, their city burned, their temple destroyed, and the
miserable remnant dispersed abroad into all the nations of the earth;
in which situation they have continued ever since, being driven from
one nation to another, often falsely accused of the worst of crimes,
for which they have been banished and their goods confiscated. Indeed,
they have been mostly accounted as outlaws among the various nations;
the soles of their feet have found no rest, and they have been a hiss
and a byword; and people have said, "These are the people of the Lord,
and are gone forth out of his land."
During all this time the Gentiles have possessed the land of Canaan,
and trodden under foot the holy city where their forefathers
worshipped the Lord. Now, in this long captivity, the Jews have never
lost sight of the promises respecting their return. Their eyes have
watched and failed with longing for the day, when they might possess
again that blessed inheritance bequeathed to their forefathers; when
they might again rear their city and temple, and re-establish their
priesthood, and worship as in days of old. Indeed they have made
several attempts to return, but were always frustrated in all their
attempts; for it was an unalterable decree, that Jerusalem should be
trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles should
be fulfilled. On the subject of this long dispersion, Moses and the
Prophets have written very plainly; indeed, Moses even mentioned the
particulars of their eating their children secretly in the siege and
in the straitness, wherewith their enemies should besiege them in all
their gates. Whoever will read the twenty-eighth of Deuteronomy, will
read the history of what has befallen the Jews, foretold by Moses with
all the clearness that characterizes the history of past events, and
all this thousands of years before its accomplishment.
Our next is found in Acts xxi, 10, 11, where a Prophet named Agabus
took Paul's girdle and bound his own hands and feet, and said: "Thus
saith the Holy Ghost, So shall the Jews at Jerusalem bind the man that
owneth this girdle, and shall deliver him into the hands of the
Gentiles." The fulfilment of this prediction is too well known to need
any description. We therefore proceed to notice a prophecy of Paul,
recorded in 2 Tim. iv, 3, 4: "For the time will come, when they will
not endure sound doctrine, but, after their own lusts, shall they heap
to themselves teachers, having itching ears; and they shall turn away
their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables." This
prophecy has been fulfilled to the very letter; for it applies to
every religious teacher who has arisen from that day unto the present,
except those commissioned by direct _revelation_ and _inspired_ by the
_Holy Ghost_. But, to convince the reader of its full accomplishment,
we need only point to the numberless priests of the day who preach for
hire, and divine for money, and who receive their authority from their
fellow man; and as to the fables to which they are turned, we need
only to mention the spiritualizings and private interpretations which
salute our ears from almost every religious press and pulpit.
But there is another prophecy of Paul well worth our attention, as
illustrative of the times in which we live; it is found in the first
five verses of the third chapter of 2 Timothy: "This know also that in
the last days perilous times shall come; for men shall be lovers of
their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient
to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, truce
breakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that
are good, traitors, heady, high minded, lovers of pleasures more than
lovers of God, having a form of godliness, but denying the power
thereof: from such turn away." From the last verse of this quotation
we learn to our _astonishment_ that this _sum_ of awful _wickedness_
applies to _professors_ of _religion_ ONLY; that is, this would be the
character of the (so called) Christian part of the community in the
last days. Do not startle, kind reader; we do not make the application
without proof _positive_ to the point, for, remember, non-professors
have no _form of godliness_, but those ungodly characters spoken of
were to have a _form of godliness_, _denying the power thereof_. But,
if you doubt Paul's testimony on the subject, look around you, examine
for yourselves. "By their fruits ye shall know them." My heart is
pained while I write. Alas, has it come to this; has the Spirit of
Truth removed the veil of obscurity from the last days, only to
present us with the vision of a fallen people; an apostate church,
full of all manner of abominations, and even despising those who are
good; while they themselves have nothing left but the form of
godliness, denying the power of God; that is, setting aside the direct
inspiration and supernatural gifts of the Spirit, which ever
characterize the Church of Christ? Was it for this only that the Holy
Spirit opened to the view of holy men the events of unborn time,
enabling them to gaze upon the opening glories of the latter days? O
ye Prophets and Apostles, ye holy men of old, what have you done if
you stop here; if your prophetic vision only extended down the stream
of time to the present year? Alas! you have filled our minds with
sorrow and despair: the Jews you have left wandering in sorrow and
darkness, far from all their hearts hold most dear on earth; their
land a desolation, their city and temple in ruins, and they, without
the knowledge of the true Messiah. The Gentiles, after partaking of
the root and fatness of the tame olive tree, having fallen, after the
same example of unbelief, are left without fruit, dead, plucked up by
the roots, with naught but a form of godliness; while the powers that
characterized the ancient church have fled from among men. Is this the
consummation of all your labors? Was it for this you searched, toiled,
bled, and died? I pause for a reply; if you have a word of comfort yet
in store, concerning the future, let it quickly speak, lest our souls
should linger in the dark valley of sorrow and despair!