Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB

spiritual communication shall cease: so far from this, it is declared, that in the latter day, the influence of the Holy Spirit shall be more powerfully felt, the connection of man with the spiritual world will be closer, and the probability of spiritual intercourse greater, and it must be so if the word of prophecy is to have fulfilment. For in the latter day it is prophecied, "And it shall come to pass that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophecy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions. And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit." (Joel, ii. 28, 29.) There is not a single passage in the Word of God, which asserts that in the latter day, all spiritual communications shall cease; but there are many which assert an abundant out-pouring of the divine influence, and a diversity of spiritual gifts not known before. If spiritual communication were useful in the days of the Lord's first advent it is equally useful

now.

"The gifts of God are without repentance;" (Rom. xi. 9.) "God is no respecter of persons." (Acts, x. 34.) What, therefore, he has once given for the consolation of his church, he never takes away. It may be suspended if the church loses that purity by which alone it can be received; but it is not taken away. Thus the gift of healing which was given to the primitive christian church, continued with it during some centuries, and only failed when the original purity of the church was lost in the great apostacy. It has indeed been said, that these gifts were intended only to continue until the church was fully established; but while we may fairly challenge a Single scriptural proof of such assertion, it is clearly contradicted by the fact that long after the church was fully established, the writers of that period bear a decided testimony to the existence of the gift.

Nor do we lose sight of it, until the church had become a mass of idolatry and pride, fitly imaged by Babylon, the mother of abominations. What the Almighty gives to one, he is also equally ready to give to another. The influence of God has respect to quality, not to person. If it be necessary that men on earth should possess a divine explication of the Word, it can only be given by means of

some one whom God has permitted to see those things which exist in the heavens. Now it is confessed by all that on separate points of doctrine which divide the churches, some information is necessary; and if so, then it is not unreasonable to suppose that at this time such supernatural manifestations should be granted, as are consistent with the grace and mercy of God, and his method of dealing with his creatures.

'If any, however, are found who will deny that some further information is necessary for the perfecting of the church, let us ask, Have they a clear understanding of the relation in which Jesus stands to the Father? Do they, or do they not, comprehend how he can be the everlasting God, and yet the Son of God? Do they feel no doubts when at prayer, lest they should exalt one person of the Trinity at the expense of the others? Do they, in any sense, comprehend the fact, that although there is but one God, and although Jesus Christ is God, there is yet a Father and a Spirit? Do they know any thing about heaven ;-its nature, or its employments? Do they know anything about their own existence after death, save the simple fact that they shall exist? On all these points the church is involved in mystery, and consequent darkness and yet is it not important that these things should be known? We do not say that a man may not be saved without this knowledge; he certainly may and so may a conscientious heathen be saved without the light of the gospel: but it is better that he be saved with it, even as it is better that the gospel should be preached to the heathen.

66

Our Lord himself has promised further information. 'The time will come,' says he, 'that I will shew you plainly of the Father.' That time, however, has hardly yet come. Christians do not yet know plainly what is meant by the Father. To them it is a mystery hitherto unrevealed, and consequently unknown and up to this time they believe that Jesus 'prays to the Father for them;' and that the Father hears him pray.' The promise of our Lord has not therefore been fulfilled; but are we not to look for its fulfilment, and to prepare our minds for the reception of greater light, in what way soever it may please God to impart it? Surely if we had a right to expect the fulfilment of the

[ocr errors]

promise at any time, it is now. These are confessedly the latter days,' 'the evening time,' when it is promised that 'there shall be light.' To these days, then, we must refer the promises given by the prophet, relating to the same subject. The light of the moon shall be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun shall be seven-fold, as the light of seven days.' If, then, these promises of an extraordinary increase of light refer to the present or latter days', we ought most certainly not only to look for it, but to prepare our minds for its reception.

[ocr errors]

There are many persons who are looking earnestly for what they term 'the millennium,' or thousand years' reign of Christ on earth; but have entirely forgot to look for that extraordinary manifestation of unknown truth, which is to precede his coming. They have thought only of a personal appearance, and a temporal reign, forgetting that the reign of Christ is in the hearts of his servants: and that therefore his kingdom is not of this world;' and running into the error of the Jews, who, while they sought for a temporal deliverer, neglected and crucified their expected Messiah; these individuals likewise forget that, according to the belief of the present church, the coming of Jesus is to bring on, not an increase of spiritual light on earth, but a total destruction of the earth itself, and consequently the full end of the church below. While, therefore, they look for an immediate appearance of the Lord, it would be well for them to ask themselves, Has the light which was to go before that coming, yet appeared? Does the christian church know plainly of the Father? Has the light of truth increased seven-fold, or the power of love been exalted to seven times its former strength? Has the light which was to come at the evening time,' yet made its appearance? If they cannot answer in the affirmative, then it is their duty to look for its appearance, that they may be prepared to welcome and receive it.

[ocr errors]

"Yet this light is nowhere said to be caused by a personal coming of the Saviour; on the contrary, it was to rise before that coming, in the evening of the age. If, then, the Lord himself is not personally to communicate it, then it must be communicated either by angels or by men. If by angels, it must either be communicated to the world

at once, or to certain individuals chosen for the purpose, and appointed to declare it to their fellows. If by men, it must either be to all, or to certain persons fitted for the office. Now in all the dispensations of God, the latter method is that which he has chosen. Having revealed himself to certain individuals, he made them his witnesses to the world; we may therefore reasonably believe that such will be the case here; that God will manifest his will to some chosen vessel,' and send him forth as the witness of his truth as already affirmed.

[ocr errors]

"But are we not in such case to look for miracles? We answer, no. On the contrary, our Lord has warned us against miracles at the latter day. There shall,' said he, "arise false Christs and false prophets, who shall shew great signs and wonders, so that if it were possible they shall deceive the very elect.' (Matt. xxiv. 24.) Here, then, we are warned against miracles, and told that, instead of affording any proof that they who perform them are of God, they will be one characteristic of the 'false Christs' and false prophets,' who shall attempt to deceive the church. We are not then to look for miracles as evidence of truth in the latter day. Indeed miracles themselves seem in most cases to have had little or no effect in producing faith. The Israelites, though continually fed by a miracle; though seeing the pillar of cloud and fire constantly before or behind them; and though they had just before seen God himself descend in thunder upon mount Sinai, had not quitted the mount ere they made a golden calf, and worshipped it! In our Lord's day, miracles seem to have been wrought, not to produce belief, but in consequence of it. Thus, ere the Redeemer wrought a miracle he asked, 'Dost thou believe?' The miracle was not wrought to give the man faith; it was wrought in consequence of his faith; and we are told, that in a certain place our Lord could do no great works there, because of their unbelief.' Now, if miracles had been intended to produce faith, this place, where all were in unbelief, was the very place where they ought to have been performed; but they were not so intended, and therefore our Lord performed none there. In fact, those which he did perform, had not the effect of convincing the spectators. Those who saw Lazarus raised

from the dead, went away to consult how they might destroy him; and the very people who had seen the Lord heal the sick, and give sight to the blind, a few days afterwards. were crying out, Crucify him! crucify him!' Miracles, therefore, have no effect in convincing the judgment: they were not wrought for that purpose; and our Lord has warned us against receiving them as proofs of a divine mission. In the manifestation of light at the latter day,' we must not therefore look for miracles. We have Moses and the prophets, Christ and his apostles; let us hear them, for if we will not receive the truth on their testimony, 'neither would we be persuaded though one rose from the dead.'

[ocr errors]

"Very few will, we think, be found to deny the possi bility of a man being permitted to behold the secrets of the invisible world: their great objections are, that such permission is not to be looked for at the present day; and that even were a man so favored, the things above are unutterable, and he could not therefore explain them to others. This latter assertion they ground on Paul's words, where describing himself as being caught up into the third heaven,' he heard 'unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for man to utter.' (2 Corin. xii. 4.) This, however, by no means proves the conclusion which has been drawn from it. It was not that he could not have described what he had seen (for John afterwards both saw and described), but because he was forbidden to describe them; 'it was not lawful,' or it was not permitted for man to utter them.' Our Lord himself said to his disciples, I have many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now;' and it was for this very reason that the apostle was forbidden to declare the things which he had heard in the third heaven.' The time for such declaration was not come ; they could not have borne it, and hence it was not lawful for him to utter it. So far, then, there is not the slightest proof that the things in heaven cannot be described :many things undoubtedly there are which exceed human language to explain, but there are many more which may be in some measure made plain to the minds of men below. And why must we deny, to the presnt day, a privilege which seems peculiarly to belong to it? We have already

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]
« AnteriorContinuar »