A Vindication of the Seventh-Day Sabbath and the Commandments of God Part 4

P. S. Some days after writing the above, an acquaintance of mine loaned me the Advent Herald of Jan. 8th, 1848, to read the remarkable dream, which you had in November last. I am glad that the Lord comforted you by giving you this dream. Since I have read it, I do feel a hope that the Lord will yet save you from the delusive snare into which your pretended friends seemed to have drawn you. Joel's prophecy, quoted by Peter, at the Pentecost, respecting dreams and visions of the last days, are not, in my view, fulfilled; nor cannot be, unless it can be proved that the _last_ days are past. I fully believe that G.o.d warns and instructs his children in various ways, when deep sleep is fallen upon them. There certainly are some very remarkable cases on record in the Bible, and I as much believe them, as other portions of his word.

It seemed to me that I could see some of the outlines of this dream; for instance, the "curiously wrought casket, filled with all sorts and sizes of jewels, diamonds, precious stones, and gold and silver coin of every dimension and value, beautifully arranged in their several places in the casket." These, I think, clearly represent the special treasure, the jewels of the Lord of hosts, that are now being made up in this day of trial, as saith Malachi; brought out and made manifest by the second advent doctrine, which you began to give to the world some few years ago.

Many of them, at that time, bound down by the sectarian creeds and formulas in Babylon, were aroused and won away by the soul-stirring doctrine of the coming of Christ, in 1843 and '44. No wonder that your friends, who then gathered around you, shouted for joy when they began critically and earnestly to examine the curiously wrought casket, (the word of G.o.d,) and to see, the more they examined and expounded, the more the diamonds and jewels increased in splendor, brilliancy and numbers, (converts from the churches and the world,) and scattering all over the land, (the centre table,) and in a few years throughout the world, every nation, kindred, tongue and people, (all over the floor and furniture.) By this time the flying messengers in Rev. xiv, began to draw these jewels out into a clear place by themselves, (the Philadelphia state of the church,) saying, behold, the Bridegroom cometh, go ye out to meet him! As soon as the disapointment came in Oct. 1844, then your counterfeit coin and immense quant.i.ties of spurious jewels (hypocrites and unbelievers) were seen as you saw, scattered among the genuine. Here you felt the great responsibility of the doctrine you had been propogating, and proclaimed that our work for the world was done, and you was grieved to see that so few of the great mult.i.tude which had appeared delighted with your doctrine, really believed it. Hence you became "vexed in your very soul, and began to use physical force to _push them out_." Here, I think is where you changed your views and course, in the spring of 1845, and united with those that have been increasing three to one, as you saw, bringing in dirt, and sand, and shavings and all manner of rubbish and covered up both the genuine and false jewels and diamonds, &c. These I think represent the false doctrine, since 1844, mixed up with almost every thing, and from every where, calling the honest and confiding children of G.o.d almost any thing but their true names; thus covering them up with, as you saw, dirt, sand, shavings, and rubbish of all kinds; at the same time so covering up also the spurious coin, (false teachers) that nothing of them, or of that beauty and glory that was so apparent a little while since, can now as it were, be seen, breaking in pieces your casket (the word of G.o.d) and trampling it also under foot. Just look at the Sabbath controversy, for one item, and the daubing with untempered mortar, this all absorbing subject of Christ coming to Judgment, and compare it with Ezek. x.x.xiv chapter, particularly the 21, 22 and 31st verses, and surely it will be admitted that "the Dream is certain and the interpretation thereof sure."

And whereas thou sawest a man enter the room with a dirt brush and open the windows to cleanse it of its filthiness at which time all the people pa.s.sed out. The spurious coins also arose and pa.s.sed out of the windows.

The room was then cleansed of all its rubbish. All the genuine diamonds, precious coin and jewels, even to those not larger than the point of a pin, were collected, and beautifully arranged in another casket, which, when the man called you to look into, caused you to shout with very joy.

"Know therefore and understand;" that in _this day_ of atonement, while our Great High Priest is cleansing the sanctuary, (blotting out his people's sins,) preparing his jewels (Mal. iii: 17) of all sizes to enter the splendid and most glorious mansions in the New Jerusalem, which he promised them, John xiv. And whereas thou wast not shown in thy dream, how the first casket was prepared, that being unnecessary, as thine own experience for the last few years would clearly come into thy mind, which, when compared with our history, brought to view in the xiv chapter of Rev.

particularly 6-11 verses, would show thee how it was done. And the oneness of the angel or messenger in performing this first work, will help thee to understand, how the man (or messenger) which thou sawest enter the room will also be distinctly seen; since our great disappointment in Oct. 1844, operating under the divine guidance of the word and spirit, as far as can be seen through the gross darkness and infidelity that is becoming more and more manifest; through all of their instrumentalities, such as prayer, exhortation, visiting, comforting, writing, especially epistolary correspondence, and all other proper means to ascertain the whereabouts, and the number of the scattered sheep of the house of Israel: even the most lonely and most despised.

Wait patiently therefore and watch, remembering what G.o.d has taught in these last few years respecting the clear fulfillment of his word in our experience, and the perfect harmony we are now _made_ to see in _place_, _manner_ and _time_, for every point. As he had distinctly taught us, viz.

"Which ye shall proclaim in their seasons." "A time for all things."

"Every thing on his day." "Not one jot or t.i.ttle of the law to fail," even _the thoughts of G.o.d towards us to be perfectly considered in the latter_ (or last) _days_.-Jer. xxiii: 20. As therefore it required the s.p.a.ce of a few years to arrange and develope the first casket, so then here likewise must be _order_ and _time_ to cleanse, prepare, and properly arrange, the second casket, by the same kind of instruments.

And whereas thou didst cry to him to forbear for fear he would injure the precious jewels, and he replied fear not, I will take care of them; that is, those that are "keeping the commandments of G.o.d and the faith of Jesus," will not injure the jewels (their brethren) for they will act in harmonious concert, under the new commandments of their officiating great high priest and king.

Your cry to forbear, looks ominous of further resistance and as for any of your a.s.sistance in collecting, cleansing and arranging the jewels of the Lord of hosts (the last casket,) it looks still more dubious, as it seems you kept your eyes closed (in a quiet state,) until the jewels were all arranged. This is the reason why you did not see the pains that the man (or messenger) took in arranging them.

This I fear, that you will not open your eyes to see this important work until the sealing time, and G.o.d speaks himself; but I cannot but still hope that your "shout for very joy," will be one of triumph and redemption.

Several nights before I saw your dream, I had finished writing your letter, I presented the subject of my work before the Lord again, for wisdom to direct me in all that I had, or may write for the benefit of his children, and the vindication of his word. And that I may do so, I asked for a dream, vision, or any way that was consistent with his will to instruct me. The next thing, as near as I can now recollect, was the following

Dream.

A great tumult behind me, with corresponding commotion in the heavens, so fully confirmed me that the Lord Jesus was coming, that I began to sing and rejoice; very soon the people began to a.s.semble around me. They wanted to hear my opinion about the coming of the Lord. I felt no spirit of communication; my work seemed to be done, except to answer a few questions put to me by one or two out of a great number of backslidden adventists that seemed to be engaged in almost _any_ thing but the work of G.o.d.

This scene soon changed, and I was in meeting with a large a.s.sembly of wors.h.i.+ppers. The speaker arose and pointed to a man that he said was under _conviction_; he seemed very anxious that I should see him. The congregation seemed to have a oneness with the speaker looking at him and myself. I looked, and although the man's head was resting on the railing of the seat, I perceived that it was an old neighbor of mine, who had lived and _died_ a Universalist, several years ago. The preacher's theme, and whole labor, was, look! behold! this man is under _conviction_! I thought if they knew the man as well as I did, their wonder would soon cease. No other effect was produced, by this effort, other than to remind me of the extra exertions that had been made by the leading professed adventists since the spring of 1845, to prove that G.o.d was converting souls under their labors. Here the scene changed again, the house was cleared, and the seats laid away. The room now appeared very large, with a high stage at one end, on which I was standing with an instrument like a mallet in my hand, knocking off the top of a large box. A few spectators on one side, and a large fleshy man, the owner of the box, on the other, apparently very unwilling for me to open it. But it seemed a clear duty that I was fully authorized to examine all contraband goods, and therefore there was no resistance. As the top of the box flew off, this man eagerly seized two or three bottles apparently filled with water and hugged them close to him, silently waiting the result of the examination. The box was about one-third full of what appeared to be wooden feet and legs-it seemed as though they were painted idols. Among them was a very large glazed wide rimmed hat, with the hatters block fitted into it. I looked up to the man and exclaimed! what in the world did you smuggle this hat with a block of wood in it, in here for. The man still grasping the bottles, (I have thought emblematical of the water of life,) darted away to the east end of the room, and entered what appeared to me a closet door painted light blue, from which I could discover no light. Now, dear sir, as I have candidly, and prayerfully attempted to interpret your dream, will you write the interpretation of mine, and receive my love and earnest desire for your perfect reconciliation with G.o.d, and all his precious jewels in the last casket.

JOSEPH BATES. SCRIPTURAL OBSERVANCE OF THE SABBATH.

The only safe rule, is according to the commandment; see Exo. xx: 8-11.

This is the manner the disciples kept it; Luke xxiii: 56. The great G.o.d of heaven inst.i.tuted the Sabbath, or day of rest, when he ended his six days work of creation, rested himself and sanctified the day, and thereby set the example for man. As there was but one man then, it is evident that it was not made for him alone, nor for any particular nation or people that should afterwards come-for he is said to be "no respecter of persons."

Some think it was made for the Jews alone; but the commandment refers us to the creation, twenty-five hundred years before there was a Jew on earth. It also requires the stranger (the Gentile) to keep it, and G.o.d has promised to make him joyful in his house of prayer, by doing so; Isa. lvi: 6, 7. He has also given this day of rest to the beasts of burden, and makes man accountable for causing them to violate his day. They cannot speak for themselves; how important, therefore, that we should not, in any way, allow our beast to labor on that day. But, says the objector, surely there is no harm in using my horse to carry my family three or five miles to meeting on the Sabbath. The word says "obedience is better than sacrifice." If the meeting cannot be nearer home, and we cannot walk, why, then go before the Sabbath commences and stay until the day has ended. If a general meeting, and all cannot be accommodated, then it would be proper to have it some other day. G.o.d has plainly taught us how we shall keep this day: "We are not to do our pleasure on his holy day, but call the Sabbath a _delight_, the _holy_ of the Lord, _honorable_, and shalt _honor him_, not doing our own _ways_, nor finding _our own pleasure_, nor _speaking our own words_, then thou shalt _delight_ thyself in the Lord,"

and he will bless thee. See also what to us an unaccountable promise G.o.d made to his chosen people, if they would not carry any burdens in nor out of their houses, nor do any work on the Sabbath day: "The city of Jerusalem should stand forever."-Jer. xvii: 22-25; see also how Nehemiah enforced the sacredness of the day,-xiii: 15-21. Moses also, and many others; shewing clearly that G.o.d gave more directions about the fourth commandment, and greater promises, than for all others of his laws, and says "Verily, my Sabbaths ye shall keep that ye may know that I, the Lord, do sanctify you." And as I think that I have made it plain and positive from the scriptures alone, that the Sabbath was never changed nor abolished, then how simple, plain and safe to follow the example of our Father in heaven. Surely no living person can be condemned for this. Then let us keep the day as the bible teaches us that he did.

The Sabbath, G.o.d says, is a sign and covenant between him and the children of Israel _forever_; see Exo. x.x.xi: 16, 17; Ezek. xx: 12, 20. Read the curse that followed their violating it-xxii: 8, 25-28. Do you still say this is only for the Jewish dispensation? read in Deut. vii: 9, the promise to them who keep his commandments to a _thousand_ generations.

Suppose a generation to be thirty years: then you have 24,000 years yet to come. But allow the scripture rule, _seventy years_, and then we have not reached that point by at least 64,000 years. Do you think his mercy will cease then, so many ages after immortality? It is not in the power of man to make a figure of this. Some other pa.s.sages regard generation and generation, without limitation.

UNDER THE GOSPEL.

Christ, the Son of G.o.d, and his Disciples, kept the same Sabbath-(it is folly to speak of any other, the scriptures forbid it.) He was the Lord of the Sabbath, and he said it "was made for _man_."-Mark ii: 27, 28. For what man?-[See article, 2d Pillar.] He says he kept his Father's commandments. Paul says they are holy, just and good. John says, they are from the _beginning_, and points a company who are now keeping them. James tells us we are to keep the whole-surely the Sabbath is here; G.o.d himself, says it is.-Exo. xvi: 27, 28, and xx: 8-11.

Jesus, then, is our example. Surely we shall not err if we follow him.

Respecting working, cooking, making fires, &c. &c., please see my reply to Barnabas. Jesus always preached on the Sabbath, and healed, and wrought miracles, and blessed his honest followers. And I know for one that he blesses them still, who wors.h.i.+p on that day; see Mark vi: 2, "And when the Sabbath day was come, he began to teach in their synagogues," "as his custom was." Luke iv: 16, 31, he asked "if it was lawful to do well on the Sabbath days?" If we can do good in like manner, we shall be perfectly safe; if better, try it. Just read in the following pa.s.sages, how and what he did. His being judged by primitive and modern professors, is no rule for us, "What is that to thee, follow thou me."-Matt. xii: 1-15. He shows that his disciples were "guiltless for eating," 7th v. They were soon into their meeting; see, he's at work immediately, 13th v.; see Luke xiii: 11-17, healing the woman; how withering his reply to his enemies, 14th v.

I would that his adversaries were as much ashamed now; 17th v. See xiv.

chapter, 1-6, and 7-14; here he went in to eat bread on the Sabbath day; 1st v., here he cures the dropsy and teaches them how to treat the poor, &c. See also John v: 1-20, and vii: 21-24, he shows that all of this is not (servile work) but works of mercy and necessity. He even instructed his disciples, Jew and Gentile, respecting the sanct.i.ty of THE Sabbath, thirty-six years after his death, Matt. xxiv: 20. In chapter v, he shows that the keeping of the _law_, &c., will make us great in the kingdom of heaven, 17-19. Then in 38-48 verses, shows us that under the Gospel, we are to follow his teachings and that we are now about to make the change from the ministration of Moses to that of his own, in the Gospel. Do see how _John_ puts it together, Rev. xii: 17; xiv: 12, explained to be the spirit of prophecy, in xix: 10. Now every law with respect to the keeping the commandments and of course the Sabbath, is embraced in the testimony of Jesus. The special messenger of the Lord to the Gentiles, to teach them the abolition of Moses's ministration in the law, observed the Sabbath in obedience to his master; see Acts xvii: 2: xiii: 42-44, preaching to the Gentiles, 42 v.; xvi: 13, by the water side; xviii: 4, every Sabbath; 11 v. seventy-eight in succession. Luke records these, many years after the law of Moses was abolished. John had his vision on the Lord's day. Jesus never claimed any day for his, but the seventh-day Sabbath, Mark ii: 28; neither did his Father, Exo. xx: 10. Therefore, in following the authority and example of G.o.d, Jesus Christ, and the holy Apostles, we shall meet our glorious king with clear consciences. We never need to fear of keeping the holy and sanctified Sabbath day too strict. We cannot keep it holy, nor acceptable, if we employ _men_ or _beasts_ to labor for us on that day, neither printers, postmasters, nor carriers. The day is not ours, it is the Lord's: follow the Scripture rule, and the Sabbath will be a delight to us, and G.o.d will sanctify and save.

THE BEGINNING OF THE SABBATH.

Here, also, we cannot be too particular; G.o.d claims every moment of his day. Out of one hundred and sixty-eight hours in the week he claims twenty-four, and gives man the balance, one hundred and forty-four, to do his servile work. According to the record of Moses, in Gen. i: 2, G.o.d commenced the motion of this Planet from a chaotic state of darkness, and sent it flying round the sun at the rate of about fifty-eight thousand miles per hour. He "divided the light from the darkness, and G.o.d called the light day, and the darkness he called night, and the evening and the morning were the first day,"-4, 5. G.o.d "made the sun and the moon; the sun to rule the day, and the moon the night, to divide the light from darkness."

Jesus says "are there not twelve hours in the day?" Well, then, there must be twelve hours in the night, to make a twenty-four hour day, and it must be equally divided, for us to keep the weeks correct. For example-say now the first of Jan., the inhabitants of the north pole have no sun, while those at the south have the sun all the twenty-four hours; now as we approximate to the centre or middle of the globe from the south pole, we shorten the days, but from the north we shorten the nights; when arrived at the centre, or under the sun, (the great time piece for the inhabitants of all the earth, Deut. iv: 19,) we find the days and nights are equal. At the beginning of the sacred year, for the pa.s.sover, the sun rises at 6 A.

M. and sets at 5 P. M., and there is not an inhabitant on any part of this globe that can regulate the time for day, or night without admitting the polar distance into his calculation, which is 90 from the centre. This at once shows that all the way we can calculate time is by calculating from the centre of the earth, and also bringing the sun there, if his declination be north or south. Therefore by the same rule (and no other,) we regulate the weeks, and must of necessity begin the scripture day at 6 P. M., or else being in one place, we never have two Sabbaths begin at one time. Says the objector we might begin at sunset. If so, no two persons could keep the same time except they were directly north or south of each other. But can they keep the same time all over the globe if they begin at six P. M.? Yes, certainly. For example.-Jerusalem being about 90, or fifty-four hundred geographical miles east of us, makes a difference of six hours; it is six P. M. with them when it is noon day with us; their Sabbath closes then, six hours before it does with us-but it is at six o'clock P. M. there. And so when the Sabbath closes here, although it is precisely the same hour of the day, viz. six P. M., and in like manner all round the globe. Hence the necessity of beginning the twenty-four hour day at sun set from the centre of the earth. We are told that we cannot keep time right, because men, who circ.u.mnavigate the globe, make a difference of twenty-four hours in time. Well, suppose men could girt the globe with their magnetic wires, so that half of the inhabitants of the United States could pa.s.s clear round ten times a day, what odds would that make to the motion of the globe. This looks like another snare of Satan. The change from old to new style, they say, if eleven days are taken from the calender then that certainly has changed the seventh day, but some how or other it does not affect the first day, Sunday. How is it done? say some two hundred members in the British Parliament on Thursday, at six P. M.

the first day of Jan. pa.s.s a unanimous vote by uplifted hands that we drop eleven days from the calendar. Now all the change here, is, it is now a few minutes past six P. M. on the same Thursday night called the eleventh of Jan. G.o.d never stopped the earth's motion one moment to listen to them.

This certainly did not effect the day of the week, any more than the sun's standing still a whole day, that being true also, at 4 P. M., did not prevent them from counting Friday when it came. If he stood still for twenty-four hours, then no time would be lost to us, for Friday could not come until six, P. M., two hours after he started again. If it had been less than twenty-four hours then must it be regulated. The shadow going back ten degrees or forty minutes on the dial of Ahas, ("not ten hours,") was another miracle, but it remains to be proved that the _sun_ went back.

If any thing could possibly affect the time before the christian era, Jesus certainly had the correct _time_, _the Sabbath_ before he was crucified. Astronomers can find no change since. If the christian era was four years out of date, it does not follow that the day of the week has changed since G.o.d inst.i.tuted the Sabbath in Paradise. Gen. first chapter teaches when the sun is up it is day or morning; when he is down it is night, or evening. G.o.d reckoned the first six days from evening to morning; but further on, in the history of the world, he says "from even to even shall you celebrate your Sabbath," or rest. This proves that every day in the week began at evening; so it must continue while we have day and night. Surely G.o.d has done all things well, but man has sought out many inventions. G.o.d help the little flock to follow the truth, and "Remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy." Amen.

THE LAST EXPERIMENT ON DEFINITE TIME; THE PROLONGING OF THE DAYS _ALL_ FAILED.

In 1843, the Herald and Midnight Cry for many months stated that all the signs preparatory to the second coming of Christ, were in the past. Soon after the pa.s.sing of the _time_ in 1844, they changed their minds and told us that we had but "just entered upon the ground of disputed chronology and that we should be justified in looking with more and more confidence to the extreme boundary of 1847, the extreme point of time in _dispute_."-See Advent Harbinger, Sept. 28th, 1847. On the strength of this, A. Hale came out with his definite time-LAST EXPERIMENT.

Well, we have now come to Jan. 1848, and all has failed. What is the matter? Answer-the disputed time was properly named; there is no truth in it. It is all a perfect failure; hence all their boasting ends with it. We say the cry at midnight, was right, and the appointed time did end in the fall of 1844, as shown in the _Way Marks_. We will now try some further proof, and still farther that their confessions and reorganization have fairly led them into the Laodocean state of the Church. They say that Christ may come any time; this is the teaching of all three of the Editors, and some of them talk loudly about the ending of the 2300 days, at that point of time. How vain to a.s.sert that the 2300 days will end here, the first of January. It is well known that the spring, or fall is the only place ever fixed for their ending.

Those who believe that Christ was crucified any where but in the middle of the week are teaching, as H. H. Gross, that his advent will be in the spring. Those who still believe in the types, and that Christ was crucified in the midst or half of the week can see no place for the ending of the 2300 days or the advent of Jesus, but in the seventh month. Neither can the 6000 years end any where but in the seventh month; the proof is clear in Gen. i: 11, 12, and 29, that the seed and fruit was ripe for the harvest when G.o.d finished his six days; proof, Adam and Eve partook of it.

It is also perfectly clear that G.o.d changed the beginning of the year from thence to the first month, to commence the feasts of the Lord and the types to which we have, and still may, refer; see Exo. xii: 2; xiii: 3, 4; x.x.xiv: 18; Deut. xvi: 1. This was the beginning of months and the beginning of the year, the pa.s.sover month.

Now we say here, according to the scriptures, Christ was crucified on the 14th day of Abib, or April, in the midst (or middle) of the week, meaning the last week of the seventy. This is just 486- years; then the balance _eighteen hundred and thirteen and a half_ years more, would just make the 2300 days, or years. Now carry the half year from the Pa.s.sover to the fall of the seventh month, then you will have just 1813 full years to come.

Then, of course, every full year unto the last, must end here; and it is not in the power of man to make them end any where else, but in the seventh month. Neither is it in the power of any adventist, who says he believes in the speedy coming of Christ, to show any thing about their ending, since Oct. 1844, because we never have, and it is not likely we ever shall know of any other place or point, for their ending. If the beating of the air, three years, has proved a failure, and made the subject gross darkness, what can be expected from a farther experiment. If any one disputes this point, he will confer a great favor by showing where they do end.

There is _one_ more point; that is, G.o.d's people are now in their trial foretold by prophets and apostles; and in their every day experience. If they deny this, then they cannot look for Jesus, because that trial must take place here in _time_; and according to the type, it must be while Jesus our great high priest is cleansing the sanctuary-for by turning to Lev. xxiii: 27-32 verses, we see the type of affliction was always on the tenth day of the seventh month, in the day of atonement, and it continued all the time that the high priest was in the most holy place, cleansing the sanctuary. The reason for this is obvious; if we turn to Lev. xvi: 15-"And he shall make an atonement for the holy place _because_ of the _uncleanness_ of the _children_ of _Israel_, and _because_ of _their transgressions in all their sins_," &c.; see also 29-34 verses, particularly the 30th verse. Then the true meaning of the cleansing of the sanctuary is, Christ our high priest in the sanctuary which the Lord pitched and not man; Heb. xiii: 2, that is, the new Jerusalem in the heavens, making atonement, or blotting out the sins of his true waiting people; and while he is doing this, they are in their trial. "Here is the patience of the Saints," as it was in the type referred to, with this difference-their day and trial and atonement was "from even to even," just twenty-four hours, whereas ours is to be from the tenth "day of the seventh month, until G.o.d roars out of Zion and utters his voice from Jerusalem," then Jerusalem will be _holy_, the atonement will be finished.-Joel iii: 16, 17-G.o.d's people be cleansed, sealed, and the captivity of Zion turned. This will be the shaking of the Heavens and the earth, the sea and all nations. Matt. xxiv: 29; Amos i: 2; Hagg. ii: 6-7; Jer. xxv: 30, 31; Heb. xii: 26; Eze. xiii: 25, 28. According to the signs given by Jesus, the next after this will be the sign of the son of man in heaven; "And then the son of man."-Matt. xxiv: 30. But as the world is to be taken by surprise, "crying peace and safety," they will not long be troubled with the shaking of the heavens and earth, it will pa.s.s from the mind, most likely, as has the _cry at mid-night_, so that after this, Christ will "come as a thief." But I do not design now to take up the argument, but merely refer to these points to show our position. For further reference, see Way Marks. I now propose to show the certain failure and confusion of all those Adventists who have denied the past, and the ending of the 2300 days. As I have already shown, they have prolonged, or, as in Prov. x: 27, "added to the days." The 2300 days, all the time from where they ended, Oct. 1844, to the extreme end of 1847, which would be three and a half years. Hosea calls this removing the bounds; well, we see they have finally moved them 1260 days. But G.o.d calls to Ezekiel and says: "What is that proverb that ye have in the land of Israel, saying the days are prolonged, and every vision faileth. _Tell them therefore_, thus saith the Lord G.o.d, I will make this proverb to cease, and they shall no more use it as a proverb in Israel, but say unto them the days are at hand and the effect of every vision, for there shall be no more any vain vision, nor faltering devination within the house of Israel; For I am the Lord, I will speak, and the word that I shall speak shall come to pa.s.s; It shall be no more prolonged, for in your days, O rebellious house, I will say the word, and will perform it, saith the Lord G.o.d" xii: 22-25. Three things here we notice; first, that the effect of every vision is to fail with the rebellious house of Israel. This, then, most certainly includes the _effect_ of Daniel's vision on the second advent believers, it is the _effect_ of _every vision_. The effect of John's vision fails with this. Now we actually know that the _effect_ of Daniel's vision since 1842, has caused the whole world to tremble. We have no account in history that any vision, or all the visions of the prophets together, ever _began_, as it were, to have such an EFFECT as was produced down to Oct. 1844. _From that time the effect began to cease._ Second, here at the end of the prolonging of the days then, of this vision, G.o.d is to speak. It is well known that he never has spoken to the world since these prophets were born; therefore this is in the future, and right here at this point of time, and after this _effect_, and before the coming of Jesus. Third, then these days spoken of here are no other than the days of Daniel's vision, to measure time, for Ezekiel's vision nor any other vision given to the prophets, have chronological time to mark their fulfillment, save Daniel's and John's. Respecting the rebellious house of Israel, the prophets plainly and emphatically describe them to be in these last days, according to the texts above. The 27th and 28th verses of this xii chapter of Ezekiel, is more emphatic still: "They of the house of Israel (same rebellious house,) say the vision that he seeth is for many days to come, (yes, it is already advocated that it is thirty years, in the future,) he prophesieth of the times that are far off." G.o.d says "there shall none of my words be prolonged _any more_, but the word which I have _spoken_ shall be done saith the Lord G.o.d." Here, then, if we will believe G.o.d, no man after the prolonging of the days shall do it any more; that is, after the effect of the vision. What is the sign? Answer-G.o.d says, _He will_ SPEAK. This, then, will end _all_ the controversy. Now our history fully proves that the prolonging of the 2300 days with the effect of the vision, is claimed, to the end of the Jewish year of 1847, this spring. Now mark this! The rebellious house continue to say that these days, say Daniel's 2300, will not end until the coming of Christ, and he may come any time. I think I have proved conclusively that the 2300 days cannot end any where but in the seventh month; and the above scriptures and our history do clearly show that they have ended, and the time has been prolonged to the end of 1847. Now the seventh month 1847, is past, and this was the last point in their land marks, where the types, or seventy weeks shows they could end. It is impossible for any man to show their ending in the coming spring; and they have by their own showing forever shut themselves out for saying it will be in the fall of 1848, because this spring is the very extreme point to which the days are, or can be, prolonged. Here then, I say, according to the heading of this article, their last experiment fails, and fails them forever; they have no point to guide them to now, it is all gross darkness. Now if this is what the Bible Advocate calls "following the word of G.o.d and sound reason," I am glad that the shut door and Sabbath believers, are on the other side of the gulf, with "light in all of their dwellings."

Now let Zachariah, the prophet, finish this subject. In his peculiar view of the wonderful things to take place in the last days from the tenth to the fourteenth chapter inclusive, he says, "And it shall come to pa.s.s that in all the land, saith the Lord, two parts therein shall be cut off and die, but the third shall be left therein, and I will bring the third part through the fire and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried; _they shall_ call on my name and I will hear them, I WILL SAY IT IS MY PEOPLE; and THEY _shall say_ THE LORD IS MY G.o.d."-xiii: 8, 9. Here then, is clearly pointed out the believers in the coming of Christ; a cry at mid-night shows first, but two parts; but before Christ comes Zachariah shows three parts. Now for the development of the history. The first is already described, by prolonging the days and denying the past. The three papers Advent Herald, Advent Harbinger and Bible Advocate, are still advocating their views, and as I have shown, _cut_ themselves off. Second, cla.s.s or part, are the spiritualizers; a large majority of which have joined the Shakers, whose faith is, that Christ came the second time in Ann Lee, more than seventy years ago, thus forever _cutting_ themselves off from even looking for his personal appearing; John calls them anti-christ-thus, "Little children it is the last time, and as ye have heard that anti-christ _shall come_, even now are there many anti-christs (i. e. don't believe in any Christ-he is G.o.d, and G.o.d is love, &c.) whereby we know it is the last time: They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us; but they went out that _they_ be made _manifest_ that they were not all of us. Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? _He is anti-christ_ that denieth the Father and Son."-1st John ii: 18-22 verses. John cla.s.ses all such with _liars_, and they are barred from the kingdom of heaven. In the 19th verse he says, "they were not ALL of us." This I think shows that some would see their error and repent. John here embraces _all_ such believers from his day to the last. Here, then it is clearly manifest that this second part have cut themselves off! The third part are now in the fire (or fiery trial.); they are to be _refined_ as silver, and _tried_ as gold; they shall call on G.o.d, and they will be his people. They have nothing to boast of, they have got to overcome "by their perseverance."-[_Camp. trans._ of Luke xxi: 19.]

Jesus also distinguishes them from the other parts: "They have a little strength (nothing to boast of,) and hast kept my word and hast not _denied my name_." Which one? New name-King of Kings and Lord of Lords.-Rev. iii: 8, 12. The first and second cla.s.ses have denied his name. The first say he is the Mediator, and therefore cannot have received his kingdom; the second cla.s.s have dissolved his name into vapor. Ninth verse shows they have got to bow to his third part, because _they_ have kept the word of his patience: Where is it shown that they do this? Answer-in Rev. xiv: 12th verse, "_Here is the patience of the Saints_; here are they that keep the commandments of G.o.d and the faith of Jesus." Yes! here are they who are denounced as "_door shutters_" and "great _sticklers_ for the _seventh day Sabbath_, in and out of _almost every door_ but the right one, following _any thing_ but the _word_ of G.o.d and _sound reason_!" triumphed at last. How amazing these things appear; not more so perhaps than to the prophets when looking down into our history and beholding this first cla.s.s composed of the leading messengers and about all of the shepherds, after leading the whole flock out into the most dangerous part of their journey, desert, denounce, and betray them; and then go and form themselves into a confederacy and positively disregard the message which G.o.d pressed upon them, viz. "Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your G.o.d," &c. I rejoice in my soul and praise the _living_ G.o.d, who is seated upon this Great White Throne in the height of his Sanctuary in the heaven of heavens, that I am still numbered in this third part. Call me what you please, my feet are planted on the _Rock_. I had rather suffer affliction with the Outcasts, than enjoy the pleasures of sin with all other people.

Praise the Lord! if faithful, we shall soon enter the everlasting kingdom.

Amen.