A VINDICATION OF THE GOVERNMENT OF GOD OVER THE CHILDREN OF MEN

OR,

"THE PROMISE AND OATH OF GOD TO ABRAHAM."

BY GEORGE STORRS:

"For eight years Editor of the Herald of Life; and for nearly twenty years, previously, Editor of the Bible Examiner: also, author of "Six Sermons on the Inquiry;" "Is there Immortality in Sin and Suffering?"

And various other works on the subject.

PUBLISHED BY THE AUTHOR

NEW YORK

1874

GOD’S PROMISE AND OATH TO ABRAHAM

CHAPTER I.

This subject we consider one of the greatest importance we have ever presented to the consideration of our readers; because, if this promise and oath are equivocal, or uncertain of fulfillment, what foundations have we on which to stand in relation to any other promise supposed to be made by God? All other promises are made doubtful, if this is proved of uncertain meaning. No promise of God was ever made with greater clearness or more solemnly proclaimed. To treat it, therefore, with neglect or as if it might be explained to suit human theories, is to undermine all faith in the words of God.

HAS THIS PROMISE AND OATH EVER BEEN FULFILLED?

Let us present the subject as it appears in the Bible. God had called Abram out of his country to go into another; "unto a land that I will show thee." He then told him, "I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: and I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all the families of the earth be blessed." Ge 12:1-3.

After this, when Abram was ninety-nine years old, God appeared to him, and said, "As for me, behold my covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be a father of many nations: neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name, shall be Abraham; for a father of many nations have I made thee... I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant," etc. After this, when God was about to overthrow Sodom and Gomorrah, He said, "Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do, seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him? — Ge 18:17,18.

At length Isaac is born, the heir of the same promises, and when he was grown to some years, the LORD called Abraham to go to a certain place and offer up his son Isaac "for a burnt offering." Abraham made every preparation to carry into execution this command of God. He had gone to the place pointed out, erected his altar, bound his son and laid him on it. He then stretched forth his hand and took the knife to slay his son. At this point, "The Angel of the LORD called unto him out of heaven," forbidding him to proceed any farther. Then followed a second call out of heaven saying, "By myself have I sworn, saith the LORD, for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son: that in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies; and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice." -Gen. xxii.

This promise was renewed to Isaac, Ge 26:4, as follows, "In thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed," etc. The same was more fully confirmed to Jacob, Ge 28:14, "In thee and thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed." Thus it is seen, by the language used by the LORD, that all nations embraced all the families of those nations. Peter, in referring to this matter, Ac 3:25, says, "Ye are the children of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying unto Abraham, and in thy seed shall all the kindred’s of the earth be blessed." Here all families of the earth are embraced. Paul, also, saith, "The scripture foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed." - Ga 3:8. Here is no limitation-"all nations," and of course "all the families of the earth" are to be "blessed" with the gospel proclamation in order that they may be "justified by faith," that is by believing the message of God’s love to the world, or to all the families of the earth. In order to believe it, they must have it proclaimed to them. How can a man believe in that of which he has never heard? Have all the families of the earth heard of the love of God, to "the world," in any age or dispensation past or present? Certainly no man living can prove that they have, and the evidence is clearly against any such assumption. If any age could boast of such a result it is the present century in which we live; but what are the facts?

In a work of a late date by Mr. Shimeall, of this city, who has written and preached much on prophecy, he gives the following statistics:

"The aggregate population of the earth is twelve hundred and twenty-five millions. They may be divided into the following religious systems, namely:

1. Of Brahminical Pagans, in Asia-650,000,000.

2. Mohammedans, in Asia and Africa, .- 150,000,000.

3. Pagans in a purely savage state, .- 100,000,000.

4. Jews, the kingdom of Judah, dispersed, .- 14,000,000.

In Christendom there are:

1. Of the Western, or Roman Church, -170,000,000.

2. Of the Eastern, or Greek Church, -60,000,000.

3. of Protestants, throughout the world, - 80,000,000.

Total population, 1,224, 000,000"

He then adds: "It results from the statistics, first, That less than one fifth of the earth’s population are included within the pale of Christendom. Second, That of these latter, only about one-third bear the Protestant name. Third, computing, as we must, the real numerical strength of Protestant Christianity by the communion statistics of all the various branches of the Protestant Church, scattered over the world, they do not yield a total of over 15,000,000, of the 1,224,000,000]. What a picture."

All this, notwithstanding the promise and oath of God that in Abraham all the families of the earth shall be blessed. From facts like these, one of two things seem inevitable. First, there is an age or ages yet to come, in which the promise and oath of God will be fulfilled; or, Second that promise and oath of God does not mean what it says, and it is impossible to tell what it does mean; and so, the "two immutable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie" cannot be relied on to teach what truth is. No wonder if men are made infidels under the teaching which involves the possibility of the promise and oath of God meaning something entirely different from what is expressed, or is never to be fulfilled at all.

CHAPTER II.

If we put in connection with that promise and oath certain other statements of the Bible, we see not how any impartial student of scripture can come to any other conclusion in regard to the meaning of this engagement of God to Abraham than its obvious sense. It either belongs to the past or future ages of this world’s history. That it has been fulfilled in any past age, or ages, it is impossible for any one to prove.

Let us now look at corresponding testimony, and see if the Bible does not re-affirm the same idea of a period in which all the families of the earth are to be blessed in Abraham and his seed.

Jesus was introduced into the world with this proclamation by "the angel of the Lord:".. "Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people: for unto you is born this day, in the city of David, a Savior, which is Christ the Lord." Lu 2:10,11. This is the same, in substance, as "the angel of the LORD" uttered to Abraham, when He "called to him out of heaven." Ge 22$., after the trial in offering up his son Isaac. "All people" are announced, by the angel at Jesus’ birth, as those who "shall be" the recipients of the "good tidings of great joy," thus proclaimed.

Again. When the child Jesus was brought into the temple at Jerusalem to be "presented to the Lord," old Simeon, full of the Holy Spirit, took the child in his arms and said, "Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word: for mine eyes have seen thy salvation, which thou hast prepared before the face of all people: a light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel." - Lu 2:28-32. "All people" have not yet seen this light in any age past: then it will have a fulfillment somewhere in the future.

John says of "the Word made flesh," "That was the true Light which lighteth every man that cometh into the world." - Joh 1:9. Is this not equal to saying, "All the families of the earth shall be blessed in Abraham’s seed?" Take this in connection with Jesus’ words, Joh 3:16, "God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have eternal life." If God required belief in his Son, in order to the reception of eternal life, then He is pledged to have all the world, that is, "all the families of the earth, blessed with the knowledge of his love and gift. How else could they believe in his Son? To us, this text, in connection with the promise and oath of God to Abraham, is demonstration that in some age "all the families of the earth" are to be blessed with the knowledge of God’s love to them, and so have a chance to believe the good news.

Again. After his resurrection from the dead, Jesus commanded his disciples, saying, "Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature." - Mr 16:15. Was not that command based on the promise and oath to Abraham? and was it not an announcement and pledge that said promise and oath should be accomplished under His superintendence? and will not He, who was the "propitiation for the sins of the whole world," fail in the work he came into the world to accomplish, if "every creature" does not, in this age or "the ages to come," hear the "glad tidings" under circumstances which shall enable them to embrace or reject the offered mercy? The command was given to the apostles, and through them to the Church universal. But it has never yet been carried out. Will this age close without its being done? Certainly it will, if it is to close near the time in which we live. Does not this fact involve another age or ages in which the promise and oath of God, and the command of Jesus shall all find a full and perfect fulfillment? We have no doubt such will be the fact. Does it not follow, that Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and all who belong to the seed promised, viz., all of the true Church of Christ, must first have their resurrection from the dead, or, if alive when Christ returns from heaven, be changed to immortality?

Abraham did not receive the land God swore to give him, during his natural life: therefore, you all say, he must be raised from the dead to have the promise and oath fulfilled. The gospel has never yet been preached to "every creature." Yet the command has never been revoked and must some time be carried out: else how are men to be judged? Justified or condemned? "He that believeth and is baptized, shall be saved;" or, have life; "but he that believeth not, shall be damned;" or, be condemned. Here the principle of judgment is laid down. Faith brings the life which is eternal. Unbelief is that which brings the condemnation to death eternal.

Here, then, we see that the proclamation of God’s love and good will to men must be proclaimed to "every creature’ before their final state is determined, or made permanent; i.e., the Gospel message is to be proclaimed to men first; and their reception or rejection of it determines their final state. The Gospel message is that by which they are to be judged. In no age or dispensation has that message ever yet been proclaimed to "every creature:" therefore, an age or ages will be employed to carry out God’s promise and oath that all the families of the earth shall be blessed in Abraham and his seed.

Again: "For there is one God, and one Mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time." - 1Ti 2:5,6. Here the fact is set forth that Christ gave himself a ransom for all "men;" and that fact is to be testified in due time to all for whom he gave himself a ransom. In other words: "all the families of the earth shall be blessed" in the seed of Abraham according to the promise and oath of God.

Yet again: "We see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels... that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man." - Heb 2:9. "All the families of the earth" are embraced in this language. But, the beloved John says, "Jesus Christ... is the propitiation... for the sins of the whole world. - 1Jo 2:1,2. This expression covers the whole ground—all men, all families, all nations. Still more, John adds, "We have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Savior" (LIFE-GIVER) " of the world." "In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent His Son, to be the propitiation for our sins." - 1Jo 4:9,10,17.

Do not these testimonies cover the whole ground of the promise and oath of God to Abraham, that in him and his seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed? We think they do, and see no way to escape that conclusion; hence, believe a time is to come, in a probationary state, when the promise and oath will be carried out in all their fullness according to God’s design and intention. Whether it embraces all that every have lived, or some one age in the dispensation, it may not be so easy to prove; but it cannot fail of being in an age when men are in a state of probation. If, then, no such universal blessing of the families of the earth has taken place in any of the past ages, there must and will be an age or ages in the future, when the promise and oath of God will be seen not to be and unmeaning pledge, but will have fulfillment which shall justify it in all its fullness and beyond all finite conception

We do not hesitate to admit, that we are inclined to believe the promise includes all those who have died without any knowledge of God’s love to the world; that by some means, God will, hereafter, cause all men to see the love He has had to them in giving his Son to give them eternal life. What God has promised He is able also to perform; no matter how impossible or improbable the thing may appear to finite wisdom. After God had promised Abraham that in Isaac his seed should be called, He commanded him to offer up this child of promise for a burnt offering. Did Abraham stop to find fault, and say, God cannot fulfill his promise, if Isaac is to die? No: he "accounted that God was able to raise him up, that such would be the case, if Isaac died; for he "accounted that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead;" and his faith embraced the fact that such would be the case, if Isaac died; for, "he staggered not at the promise," through all appearances were against it in that hour of the trial of his faith. Is God less able to raise all the dead to whom the blessing of Abraham and his seed has never yet appeared, than He was to raise Isaac, to fulfill His promise of a multitudinous seed? We hardly come up to the Abrahamic faith in these days, though we perhaps think ourselves strong in faith; yet too many, if they cannot see just how a thing is to be done reject it, as if it were impossible for God to do it because they cannot see the process.

CHAPTER III.

In our previous numbers we have set forth this promise and oath as found in the Old Testament, and shown that the language of the New Testament, both in its letter and spirit, abundantly sustains the certainty of the fulfillment of the same: "In thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed."

It is important that we understand what is included in blessing. Blessings are divided into two classes, which we call antecedent and consequent. The first is given to enable the recipient to secure the other. Man needs and desires an endless life; but of himself he has it not, nor the means to obtain it. God, in his love of man, provides the means entirely independent of man, and blesses men with those means without any effort on their part: they are presented as a free gift: without this gift, man never could attain to eternal life. This blessing is antecedent to any thing performed by man. God proposes to confer on him a life without end, if he will approve this blessing. This eternal life is a consequent blessing, and dependent on the improvement he must first be put in possession of the antecedent blessing; without which he cannot do anything, because he is destitute of any means with which to do.

To illustrate our meaning. God has not only given man natural life, but he has given him the earth or soil, the sun to warm it, rain to moisten it, and to man wisdom to know how to cultivate the soil, seed suitable to raise fruit for food, etc. All these are antecedent blessings, a free gift of the CREATOR. Without these blessings man, though he has life, could not produce food to sustain life. Notwithstanding these unsought and free gifts of blessings, we all see that man must improve them, or he will not receive food or protract life. The produce of improvements is the consequent blessing; and the man who would argue that because God had given him the antecedent blessings, therefore he need make no effort to secure consequent ones, for God is too good to withhold them, seeing He has done so much entirely gratuitously, -we say, such a man would be condemned by all thinking persons: blessings consequent are always dependent on improvement; or, are conditional.

It is the antecedent blessings; or those which are essential to put man in a condition to obtain eternal life by improvement, that man needs in his helpless state. These God has provided, richly and freely, in the Son of his love: but the provision itself would prove no blessing if never known, and no opportunity ever given to improve it. God, therefore has pledged himself, by promise and oath, that "all the families of the earth shall be blessed." In Abraham and his seed: that is, they shall have those antecedent blessings which are necessary to enable them to secure eternal life; making that further blessing dependent upon improvement-or, conditional.

"Faith" is the first and principal condition. "The Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed." - Ga 3:8. Is he a preacher of the gospel who does not give the same testimony, or who denies that all nations, not excepting the heathen, are to have the gospel proclaimed to them, and an opportunity to secure eternal life? "All nations" includes all the families of the earth; and "all families" includes every individual of those families; hence, Jesus said, "Preach the gospel to every creature." That commission, or command, as we have said, embraces all that the promise and oath of God to Abraham embraces, and is a pledge of the fulfillment of it; and God gave Jesus "power over all flesh, that He should give eternal life to as many as" God had "given him." - Joh 17:2. "All flesh" -"all the families of the earth" then, are to have an opportunity, or the means granted them to secure that provision in Jesus, His only begotten Son, "he that believeth and is baptized shall have life;" that is "eternal life." "He that believeth not shall be condemned;" i.e., to death; or, "not to see life."

Our Lord thus fixes the final doom of the sinner on unbelief; which would be no sin, if the individual had never heard the proclamation of a provision made for him: hence, in order to a final condemnation to death, men must have been blessed with a knowledge of God’s merciful provision for them; a rejection of that provision fixes their destiny in the dominion of death.

But the idea of a provision made, yet never proclaimed to men, and death eternal inflicted for a sin of which they never could have been guilty, is too much like the administration of an ancient tyrant, who causes his laws to be placed so high as to make it impossible for the people to read them, and yet punish them for not conforming to them. Such an administration is not to be attributed to the God who gave his Son up unto death for us "all, to be testified in due time." - 1Ti 2:6. God’s time is not so limited as our finite minds may suppose: and His time will surely come, if not in this age, it will surely come in "the ages to come," - { Eph 2:7}, when "all the families of the earth will be blessed in Abraham and his seed;" which "seed is Christ;" and "if ye be Christ’s, then are ye," also Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise." - Ga 3:29. Hence, Abraham, personally, and all his seed, by faith, will be concerned in carrying out God’s promise and oath of blessing all the families of the earth: therefore, if this present age is soon to end, another age, or ages, is inevitable to complete the work of the promise and oath.

It seems to us that Christians, generally, do not yet understand for what the present age was given. It was not given to "convert the world;" for God well knew it would be a wicked and corrupt age; "evil man and seducers waxing worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived;" { 2Ti 3:13}; and that "the time would come when" men would "not endure sound doctrine; but, after their own lusts," would "heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; and... turn away their ears from the truth, and be turned unto fables." - 2Ti 4:3,4. Such is the history of the present age; and God foresaw that it would be so. Hence, He provided for "ages to come." { Eph 3:7}, "that He might show the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus."

The nation of Israel having failed to become "a kingdom of priests," { Ex 19:6}, by rejecting their King, God determined to "visit the Gentiles, to take out of them a people for his name;" { Ac 15:14}; a people to do the work that ancient Israel was called and set apart to do, but utterly failed by their unbelief and final rejection of God’s chosen King and Leader in the work of blessing "all the families of the earth." From the time, the grand privilege of doing this work was taken from the nation of Israel, "according to the flesh," and thereafter a people taken "out of the Gentiles" were to constitute the "kingdom of priests," at the head of whom, Jesus was to be placed, as their King and High Priest, to carry out "God’s promise and oath to Abraham," that, "In thee and in they seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed."

The present age or dispensation has been, and still is, the age in which God is gathering that seed of Abraham, of whom Christ was and is the "first-fruits," and preparing them for their work of blessing "all nations and "kindred’s of the earth." This dispensation, or age, in which we now live, was not designed to witness the fulfillment of the promise and oath of God, but to prepare a people, freed from carnal and selfish designs, earnestly desiring not only to see God’s promise and oath to Abraham carried out, but a like one to Moses, by the same God, viz., "As truly as I live, all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the LORD." - Nu 14:21.

This age, then, so far from being the final one, is only a preparatory one, to prepare men and women for the great work of blessing "all the families of the earth" in "the ages to come," of which Paul speaks. Let our hearts be enlarged, then, on the subject of God’s love to "the world."

CHAPTER IV.

The promise and oath, that in Abraham and his seed "all the families of the earth all kindred’s, all nations shall be blessed." I understand to relate to all the race of Adam, without exception; to be fulfilled in this life or a future one: all men, of every age or nation, are embraced in it and cannot fail of having an opportunity, here or hereafter, of receiving the benefit of that promised blessing.

At this point we are met by the objection that, Such a view conflicts with the doctrine, taught in the Bible, that there is to be no resurrection of the wicked dead. Here, then, it is proper to inquire who this class embraces:

WHO ARE THE WICKED DEAD?

In answering this question, we trust we shall leave all conjectures and be instructed by the Bible alone. That book is a safe guide in all matters of faith. John Wesley, the founder of what is known as "Methodism," gave a definition of sin which is both scriptural and rational. He said, "sin properly so called is the voluntary transgression of the known law of God. Sin improperly so called is the involuntary transgression of the law of God whether known or unknown."

This definition of sin is clearly set forth in the Bible. Said Jesus, "If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin: but now they have no cloak for their sin... If I had not done among them the works which none other man did, they had not had sin: but now have they both seen and hated both me and my Father." - Joh 15:22,24 . Here is a clear recognition of the distinction between voluntary sins and involuntary ones. It is light sinned against that constitutes sin, properly so called: light which gives us the knowledge of God, his love and kind designs. An act may be sin in itself, and yet not be sin properly so called. The apostle John says, "If any man see his brother sin a sin which is not unto death, he shall ask, and he shall give him life for them that sin not unto death. There is a sin unto death: I do not say that he shall pray for it." - 1Jo 5:16.

Here is a clear distinction made as to sins: some are of a worse character than others. Paul saith, "Sin is not imputed when there is no law." - Ro 5:12. Again he says, "Where no law is, there is no transgression." - Ro 4:15. Also, Paul, in speaking of the ignorance of the heathen, says, "The times of the ignorance of the heathen, says, "The times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men, every where to repent," etc. - Ac 17:30. All this testimony shows there is a distinction in what is called sin. In the Bible, which warrants the idea that sin, under some circumstances is such properly so called; and under other circumstances it is improperly called sin, though such in itself. Without enlarging on this point we proceed to show that the gospel knows but one sin which is punished with the loss of endless life.

That one sin is a "willful" and deliberate rejection of Christ after He has been made known to him by a clear presentation of the truth concerning His work of redemption from sin and death, and as the author of an endless life. Such shall not "see" the life of the ages, but "the wrath of God abideth on him." Such is the law (so to speak) of the Gospel: a dispensation under which "every creature" has been or must be placed before an endless life is given or a final death can be inflicted. Whoever has had made known to them "the only true God and Jesus Christ," or has "received the knowledge of the truth" concerning God’s love to them in sending His Son to "give himself a ransom for them," and thus become "a propitiation for their sins," and then "sins willfully" by rejecting that love and Jesus as the "one Mediator" -such persons commit a sin for which there is "no more sacrifice," nothing remains to them but the fearful death which "devours" them. - ( Joh 17:3 _ 1Ti 3:5,6 _ 1Jo 2:2 Heb 10:26,27). But what has this to do with such as have never heard the facts above stated? They have "no sin" in a Gospel sense. "Every creature" must first hear the "Glad Tidings," and have an opportunity to embrace Christ as their Deliverer before their final state is fixed: their faith or unbelief must be a manifested fact.

Says the objector, "Then there must be a resurrection of some into a moral state; and we cannot believe that." There are many things we may not "believe," nevertheless they may be true. The Scriptures are our rule: they do affirm that "all the families of the earth shall be blessed in Abraham and his seed." If a moral revival into life is necessary to fulfill that promise and oath of God, then there will be such a revival; and who shall say that the ALMIGHTY cannot or will not cause it to take place? Mark well, our view excludes from such revival all those who have been blessed with the truth, and willfully reject Jesus Christ: such are wicked in the gospel sense; and dying in their unbelief are condemned "not to see life," but to have "the wrath of God" abide "on them." - Joh 3:36. Thus our view does not effect the doctrine of the non-resurrection of the wicked dead, but it defines who are properly, or in a gospel sense, the wicked dead.

As a resurrection into a mortal state, Scripture acts show such has been the case, both under the Old and New Testaments; and that Abraham expected it in Isaac’s case, if he had slain him; because, otherwise God’s promise would fail, "that in Isaac shall they seed be called." "He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; and being fully persuaded that, what He had promised, He was able to perform: and therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness." - Ro 4:20-22 .

God’s promise and oath—"two immutable things in which it is impossible for God to lie" -must be honored, however improbable or impossible it may seem to us finite creatures, that the thing shall surely come to pass. By unbelief, to say the least, we dishonor God, and bring discredit on His word; and in so plain and clear a case, stated in such a solemn manner, as the promise and oath of God to Abraham, we feel bound to accept it as meaning what it says, whatever difficulties might appear to limit its meaning.

No criticism can change this promise and oath. We therefore accept it in all its fullness, and believe to accept it thus, is to accept "the gospel preached to Abraham;" the unwavering belief of which, constituted that patriarch the father of all believers.

CHAPTER V.

At this point our argument, that "all the families of the earth shall be blessed in Abraham and his seed," we will notice the supposed disproof of our views by the text of Ro 2:12 -It reads as follows: "For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law; and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law." Then follows the parenthetical statement, thus, "(for not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified. For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature" [or, truly do] "the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves: which show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the meanwhile accusing or else excusing one another;) in the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel."

This portion of Scripture is supposed to militate against the idea that those who have died without ever having heard of Christ, may, possibly, be made alive again to hear of him, and so be judged by the gospel as to their final destiny. It is confidently asserted that the Apostle’s language shows that the heathen sinners "shall perish without law," or the gospel. This text bears something of the same relation to the view we advocate relating to the promise and oath of God to Abraham, that Joh 5:28,29 does to the non-resurrection of the wicked dead; with this difference, however, this is a solitary text; there being none other that expresses the same sentiment this is supposed to convey. Let us then examine the text and context and see if we can arrive at its true sense and intent.

The Apostle’s controversy was especially with the "Jew," who "rested in the law," etc., and was "confident that himself was a guide to the blind," etc; ( Ro 2:17-19). Paul had told them that tribulation would be visited upon "every soul of man that doeth evil; of the Jew first, and also [afterwards] of the Gentile: but the glory, honor, and peace to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentiles: for there is no respect of persons with God." Ro 2:9-11. He then adds, "For as many as have sinned without law" [the Mosaic, or Jewish law] "shall also perish without law:" [the Jew’s law]: "and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law... in the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel."

Thus reading the text, (as we must get the sense) without the parenthesis, we see what the Apostle designed to teach. The Gentiles, to whom he preached, were not under the law, of which the Jew boasted; they were not to be judged by that law. If the Gentile sinned (using the term sin in its proper sense) his sin was not against the law, for he was not under it, but he sinned against the gospel light, now brought unto him by the preaching thereof: his sin (be it remembered) is "in the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ; or, by the preaching of the gospel." "For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow; and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart." - Heb 4:12.

It is by the preaching of the gospel (which Paul calls, "my gospel") that "God shall judge the secrets of men;" and it is "in the day" when the gospel is preached to them that the judgment takes place on the hearers of it: "the secrets of their hearts are then laid open; their disposition towards God and his Son, the LIFE-GIVER, are manifested, and then, if they reject the proffered mercy, although never under the law, they "shall perish without law;" but not without having first rejected the message of God’s love made known to them according to the promise and oath of God.

To suppose those who are said to perish without law, also perish without the knowledge of God’s willingness to save them by Jesus Christ, is to envelop God’s promise and oath in thick darkness, and is a dishonor done to His government of the creatures He has made, out of all harmony with His revealed character; for, "God commendeth his love towards us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." - Ro 5:8. Are we to admit that the same God will doom millions on millions of these same sinners, for whom Christ died, to eternal death for not believing on Him of whom they never heard? We think the Apostle to the Gentiles would characterize such preaching as "another gospel" from that which he had preached.

As to what Paul saith in parenthesis, { Ro 2:13-15}, it only shows there is intelligence in human beings to see truth when made known to them, and lays the foundation for responsibility so far as the truth is presented to their minds; but states nothing of the final doom of such as never have been blessed with the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ, which is to judge those who hear it. It is then, that men pass into the investigating judgment, which fixes their final state of life or death eternal. The light which is necessary to this end, is what God’s promise and oath to Abraham secures to "every creature" possessed of human nature, and will surely be imparted to them in some way, at some time, before they receive life eternal or are doomed to death eternal. God cannot be thwarted in his work whether we believe it or not. His promise and oath stand and will stand against all the theories and unbelief of good or bad men. He will take care to see the end is reached, however impossible it may seem to us. The means are His. Faith is ours.

After it has been demonstrated that this promise and oath never have been fulfilled, either to all families, nor all nations, it is said, " Some of all nations have been blessed in Abraham and his seed, and that some of all nations have been blessed according to the promise and oath. But, for the sake of the argument, suppose we admit this assumption; then the promise and oath should be altered to correspond, and would read thus: "By myself have I sworn... that in thy seed some of all nations shall be blessed."

What would be thought of an immensely wealthy man if he should promise, and confirm it by an oath, saying, "In my wealth the United States shall be blessed." But the facts prove that only one of those States ever received any blessing from his wealth, or every heard of his promise and oath? Would any thinking man, knowing these facts, say the promise and oath had been fulfilled?

What is the difference between a promise to nations and to families? It takes families to make nations; and a nation, as such, cannot be blessed without the families composing it being partakers of the blessing in some degree. God, clearly, included families when he spoke of the blessing to come through Abraham for He expressly said so to Abraham, Ge 28:14, thus, "In thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed." To say that "all nations mean something short—far short—of "all the families" of which those nations are composed is making a distinction where God has made none, but has expressly joined the two together, so that the one includes the other; and "what God has joined together let not man put asunder," saith Jesus.

CHAPTER VI.

We shall next notice a very natural conclusion that some draw from Re 7:9-14, that all nations have had the good news of Christ and of redemption through his blood. Of a "multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindred’s, and people, and tongues," who "stood before the throne, and before the Lamb," it is said, "These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb."

The general opinion of Commentators is, that this exhibition represents the church, universal, glorified. Our friends, who are opposed to our views of the age to come-or, kingdom of God age—accept the view of the Commentators, and conclude this multitude out of all nations, etc., precludes the idea that all nations have not already been blessed in Abraham and his seed.

In dealing with the book of Revelation; or explaining its figures and symbols, we have need to express ourselves cautiously. Let us look at the idea that this multitude represents the church universal, or all the saved at the end of this age. If it does, we might ask the question once propounded to our Lord by his disciples—"Who then can be saved?" out of those who now lived for the last seventy years, or during the present century? How many professed Christians, for these 70 years, can be numbered as those "who came out of great tribulation?" If that is to be the test, we think nearly all of us, who have lived in this nineteenth century, will fail of salvation. What have any of us yet passed through that would entitle us to say we came "out of great tribulation?" We must look for some other construction of the language of Re 7:9-14 than that of the Commentators, or give up our hope of salvation among that multitude which John saw there.

This idea may startle some of our friends: but we repeat it, if all that are ever to be saved are from this, or any previous age of the world’s history not only multitudes of those who call themselves Christians in this century, but many of previous ages will fail of being of the "great multitude" see in Rev. vii., no matter how great their faith may have been; for very many true believers have died without passing through "great tribulation."

We seek, therefore, an explanation of the text which shall harmonize with the facts of history, and the general tenor of Scripture. First: Let us see where the scene of Rev. vii. is laid. It is after that scene of chap. vi., in which the sixth seal was opened, and "the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men," etc., "said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: for the great day of his wrath has come; and who shall be able to stand?"

This scene shows that the persons represented, upon whom this great tribulation falls, were those who had the knowledge of "the Lamb," and had learned that there would be a "great day of His wrath:" hence it is clear that they had previously had the gospel message and despised or neglected it. A "great tribulation" now overtakes them; corresponding with smiting the image and dashing it to pieces, Da 7$., and the destruction of the fourth beast, Dan. vii. That "great tribulation" passed, "the kingdom of God" is established on the earth—"the saints of the Most High shall take the kingdom, and possess it forever and ever."

The "great tribulation," then, is on the wicked rejecters or neglecters of the gospel message; and is the winding up scene of this age, when the corrupters of the earth, and the corrupters of God’s word, will find the "great day of the wrath of the Lamb," on them, has come. That "great tribulation" being over, John is presented with a new scene; he says, " After this I beheld, and lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindred’s, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes and palms in their hands," etc. When John was asked by the angel, "What are these...and whence came they?" he evidently did not understand the matter; he must have been surprised at such a glorious multitude, in such a position, and asked the angel an explanation. The angel replied, "These are they which came ( ek) after the great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb."

But, says one, "you have altered the text; it reads out of, and not after." Our translators have rendered the Greek word, ek, " out of," and it is generally so rendered in our Bibles; but in turning to our Greek Concordance we find the first English word used, in defining the Greek word ek, is " after," and it has also the sense of " since." It will also be observed that we have inserted the definite article [ tees, the] before "tribulation." The article is left out of the text by our translators; but it is in the Greek, and clearly refers to the tribulation described at the close of chapter vi.

[Editor: Please forgive my interruption of Bro. Storrs discussion of the Greek word (ek,) and the poor translation in the King James, and other translations, of this word. Of interest to all Bible Students I have included a remark taken from Thayer’s Greek English Lexicon and introduced it here for your inspection: {1537}, before a vowel e x, a preposition governing the genitive. Also, it denotes exit or emission out of, as separation from, something with which there has been close connection; opposed to the prepositions eiv into and en in: "from out of, out from, forth from, from," (Latin e, e x) (cf. Winer’s Grammar, 364, 366f (343f); Buttmann, 326f (281)). It is used I. of place, and (660714) Re 7:14; metabainein ek tou qanatou eiv thn zwh n,]

In the account of what John saw, in Re 7$. -it is expressly laid "after this" —"after this," what? clearly, after the "great day of the wrath of the Lamb" spoken of in the previous chapter. After this day of wrath, which winds up the present age, John saw the fruit of the following age, or the age of the kingdom of God; briefly stated, it is true, but sufficiently clear to be unmistakable as a fulfillment of the promise and oath of God to Abraham.

Let the text be read with the closing of chap. vi., in view, and the fact that the scene of chap. vii., is expressly said to be "after this," and see if the following is not evidently the true sense of the text: "These are they which came [to Christ] after the great tribulation on the kings of the earth, etc., and have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb."

This construction agrees and harmonizes with a similar representation in Rev. xv., where John saw those who had gotten the victory over the beast "stand on the sea of glass, having the harp of God: and they sing the song of Moses... and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvelous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints. Who shall not fear thee O Lord, and glorify thy name? for thou only art holy: for all nations shall come and worship before thee; for thy judgments are made manifest."

Thus, we see, the saints on the sea of glass, glorified—take the same view of the effect, on "all nations," of the judgments—"the great tribulation" —on "the kings of the earth," etc., that we have suggested on the texts in chapters vi. and vii., and the coming of "all nations," or, the "great multitude of all nations," appear in both cases to be after the judgments which wind up the present age, and opens the age of the "kingdom of God," which immediately follows the end of this; and "Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear." - Mt 13:43. Thus shining on the "left of the nations," the world—"all nations" —will be blessed in "Abraham and his seed," and the multitudes of the saved, in the dispensation of the kingdom of God, will as much surprise many of our good brethren, who do not as yet see the matter as we do, as it surprised John when he saw it in vision. Then shall we truly see a multitude of redeemed ones, who have washed their robes in the blood of the Lamb, "which no man can number, out of all nations, kindred’s, people, and tongues." How gloriously, then, will the promise and oath of God to Abraham shine forth over the face of the whole earth, and His immortalized saints rejoice that they are honored in having part with Christ in the glorious work of earth’s redemption, and the salvation of such untold multitudes.

Who desires a part in this work of God’s promise and oath is blessing all the families of the earth, or all nations? O, how blessed the thought that we, who may be among the redeemed of the past ages, will have such glorious employment in "the ages to come." What are all the earth’s present joys or glories, when compared with the glory and honor of being "workers together with God" and His dear Son in reducing the earth, so long cursed with sin, to order, peace, universal love and good will; making "wars to cease to the ends of the earth;" and every man "shall sit under his own vine and fig tree, having none to molest or make him afraid." If you dear reader, would share in that glory, come now to Christ, that you may live in that blessed age.

The view we have taken of chapters vi. and vii., of Rev.(Re 6$-7$), and of chap. Xv ( Re 15$)., might be further urged as the true one from many testimonies of the Old Testament. We will notice Isa 66$., "Rejoice ye with Jerusalem, and be glad with her, all ye that love her:.. that ye may milk out and be delighted with the abundance of her glory: for thus saith the LORD, Behold I will extend peace to her like a river, and the glory of the Gentiles like a flowing stream... Ye shall be comforted in Jerusalem....The hand of the LORD shall be known toward his servants, and his indignation toward his enemies for behold, the LORD will come with fire, and with his chariots like a whirlwind, to render his anger with fury, and his rebuke with flames of fire: for by fire and by his sword will the LORD plead with all flesh: and the slain of the LORD shall be many." (This corresponds with Re 6:12-17; which please read.)... "For I know their works and their thoughts: it shall come, that I will gather all nations and tongues; and they shall come and see my glory: and I will set a sign among them, and I will send those that escape of them unto the nations... and to the isles afar off, that have not heard my fame, neither have seen my glory; and they shall declare my glory among the Gentiles," etc.

Observe, this proclamation is to those who had not heard the LORD’S fame; and it was after the fearful judgment on "many," who were "slain" in that judgment; and there were those who "escape," and they are employed in making the proclamation to the "nations and the isles afar off," who had "not heard’ of the LORD’S "fame," etc. Here, also, we might introduce God’s oath, Isa 45:21, "I have sworn by myself, the word has gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, That unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear." Compare this with Paul’s language- Php 2:10,11, "That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and in earth: and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." Thus a universal proclamation of Jesus Christ is to be made to all; and all are required to give him honor to the glory of God. Here, then, is a proclamation of God’s good-will to men which has never yet been made in the fullness set forth to the word; but God has sworn by himself it shall be. Who shall call in question His promise and oath? When that promise and oath is carried into effect, we shall see the innumerable company brought to the Revelator’s astonished view, Re 7$., "of all nations, and kindred’s, and people, and tongues."

No wonder Jesus said, "And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me." - ( Joh 12:32). We knew all the "families of the earth" were to be "blessed" in him; and He hesitated not to accept the cross in his work of blessing all men with the means of securing eternal life. His faith in God’s promise and oath was not shaken, though the awful death of the cross lay in his path to the accomplishment of his work of blessing all the families of the earth: and because He became "obedient unto the death of the cross, God highly exalted Him," and gave "Him a Name which is above every name; that at the Name of Jesus every knee should bow," etc. Therefore, his Name is to be proclaimed to all "the families of the earth;" else, how could they be required to bow to it?

Let us rejoice and be glad that God is not so restricted in the means of carrying out his promise and oath as our finite minds might be disposed to think: and let us remember, His thoughts are not as our thoughts, nor His ways as our finite ways. His word will not return void; but will surely be accomplished, every "jot and tittle" of it. "So let it be."

CHAPTER VII.

"I do not believe there will be any mortals in the future state: they cannot dwell together with immortals."

What if you "do not believe?" shall your "unbelief" altar, or change the promise and oath of God? or, "make it of none effect?" Do these objectors not believe that angels visited Abraham, Lot and others, and conversed with them? yea, even eat with them? And more strange still, do they not believe that the only begotten Son of God, came to this earth, and dwelt among mortal beings many years? and even laid down his life among and for mortal beings? Yes, and after his resurrection still remained among mortal beings forty days teaching and instructing them in "the things pertaining to the kingdom of God?" Ac 1:3. All this the objectors believe, we presume. Is the disciple above his Lord? If our LIFE-GIVER has done these things, is it either impossible, improbable, or unlikely that his immortal saints may be among, teach and rule over mortal beings? Shall we say "any thing" is "to hard for God?" If God has said it shall be, is not that sufficient to satisfy faith? And what, we pray, are the immortal saints to be kings over and priests to, during the reign of Christ on earth? Who, if not those who are "left of the nations," after the "Lord my God shall come and all the saints with" him?

The idea that mortal and immortal beings cannot dwell together, is founded in prejudice; is unscriptural, and subversive of the Christian faith. It limits the power of God, and makes our weak judgment the rule to determine what God can, or will do. If He please to have it so, it can be done. The only thing faith asks, is, the proof that God has said it. That point settles, faith asks no more: it "staggers not," but is "strong, giving glory to God." "That point was "settled" in our mind years ago; and nothing that we have since seen or read has changed it; but we do not disfellowship those who see not as we do.

It no more follows that all mortals will cease to live when this age is followed by another, than it did when the antediluvian age ended in the patriarchal age, or that in the Mosaic age, or that in the gospel age. In neither case were all mortals cut off. Enoch was translated, still mortals were left and propagation went on. Jesus was raised from the dead, yet there were mortals still. What then shall hinder there being mortals in a future age, or under the administration of the kingdom of God which is the next dispensation? True, they that attain that age by a resurrection from the dead, will not marry nor be given in marriage: they are immortal like their risen Lord. But does that prove that none others in that age will marry or be given in marriage? Not at all. Those who use the words of our Lord in Lu 20$ as proof that there are no mortals in that age read carelessly, we think: they overlook the subject of discourse and the important conjunction "and." The Sadducees held that there was "no resurrection of the dead." If such were the case, in their estimation, there would be a difficulty in marriage matters. Our Lord tells them, "They which shall be accounted worthy to obtain that world, [ aionos —age], and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry, nor are given in marriage," etc. The question was not about the living, but about "the dead." Those who attain to that age, by a resurrection from the dead, are clearly distinguished from mortals by the conjunction "and," which would have been needless if all in that age were immortal.

Jesus told his disciples, "Ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones judging [ruling] the twelve tribes of Israel." - Mt 19:28. The immortals are the rulers in the kingdom of God "under the whole heaven" { Da 7:27} ; that kingdom is an everlasting one, and its rulers "cannot die any more." In that day "the LORD shall be King over all the earth: in that day shall there be one Lord and his name one... And it shall come to pass that every one that is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall even go up from year to year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to keep the feasts of tabernacles: and it shall be, that whoso will not come up of all the families of the earth unto Jerusalem to worship the King the LORD of hosts, even upon them shall be no rain: and if the family of Egypt go not up, and come not, that have no rain, there shall be the plague, wherewith the LORD will smite the heathen that come not up to keep the feast of tabernacles. This shall be the punishment... of all nations that come not up to keep the feast of tabernacles." - Zec 14:9,16-19.

Thus we see there will be mortals when the LORD is King over all the earth, and punishments will be inflicted on the disobedient.

"Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God," etc. True: because to inherit is to be an heir. Christ is the primal heir. "If children (of God) then heirs, heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ." { Ro 8:17}; and we become children of God, in fact, by "being the children of the resurrection." - Lu 20:36. These are those who "inherit the kingdom." But the subjects of that kingdom are not heirs, and do not inherit it, though they are greatly blessed in living under the rule of the heirs of it. The heirs are immortal and cannot die any longer. Does that prove all mortals are excluded from being citizens there? We have shown that there are mortals there, who are liable to "punishment," in our remarks on Zec 14$., which is only one scripture among many of the same character.

We think we have produced abundant evidences that Christ, after he takes his father David’s throne, is to reign over "all people, nations and languages," which includes a wide domain, even over "kings and princes" of the earth, who shall become subject to his government, and offer Him gifts and do Him homage, as saith the prophecy.

Do not let us drop into the narrow notions of the ancient Jews, who supposed they were the only favorites of heaven, and all others reprobates. These ancient, self-righteous Jews had no heart to receive the promise of God to Abraham, that "all the families of the earth," or "all nations," were the objects in that love which led God to give His Son. { Joh 3:16}. To suppose the few saved in this and previous ages, are all who are to be saved into eternal life by Him who "tasted death for every man," and "is the propitiation for the sins of the whole world," { 1Jo 2:2}, is a view, to our minds, as narrow as the selfish platform of the old Jews. "O, but the saved in this and past ages are a great multitude." Jesus calls them a "little flock," and saith but "few find the strait gate." The "great multitude" of saved ones may be found to belong to "the ages to come." God’s love hitherto has been eclipsed by the traditions of men and the selfishness of the human heart: but that obscuration will vanish away when the Sun of righteousness shall arise to shine on this benighted world and a pur-blind church, and "the knowledge of the LORD shall fill the earth, as the waters cover the sea."

It is asserted, by some, that the Scriptures have been translated into all the earth’s dialects, and so all nations have them in their own language. This is an assumption which we do not accept: but suppose it were true. What then? How long ago was that accomplished? If at all, it has been done only recently. Does that cover the broad promise and oath of God? By no means. Four thousand years have passed since the promise was made, and hardly a century has passed since the Scriptures have been accessible to one in ten thousand, and even now, out of Christendom, not one in a million, probably, have the Bible within their reach. That fulfills the promise and oath of God, in the estimation of some men. If such a meager fulfillment is all we are to look for, who can tell us how much can be relied on of God’s promises in other matters? We are thrown into the mazes no of uncertainty in regard to the future. If there is no more certainty of a literal fulfillment of God’s promise and oath to Abraham than some professed believers in the Bible would have us to think, then all faith, in any of His promises, is but a fancy; they may possibly come to pass some how, or in some way, but they say; and what ground for faith that Christ will ever come again to this earth? "O, the Bible says He will." We know it does, and God says, and confirms it with an oath, that in Abraham and his seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed; yet some men do not believe it means just that: for they know that very few of the families of the earth have ever yet been thus blessed, and they do not believe they ever will be, for millions on millions and thousands on millions have gone down into the grave without ever having heard of Abraham or his seed; and they think God’s promise and oath cannot reach them now; as if their thoughts could bind God’s power. "O, but God has said" —! No matter what He "has said," they are not sure that He means what He has said to Abraham; and hence, they have no foundation on which to stand in regard to anything else He has said: it may mean something very different from what the language expresses.

This same principle prostrates nearly all that God has spoken of the future in the Old Testament, and carries the idea, that God’s thoughts cannot exceed our thoughts, nor His ways our ways. But we care not to press this last point, though it is clear to us, it saps the foundation of all faith, and leaves men exposed to be "tossed to and fro by every wind of doctrine’ that happens to blow with most positiveness.

CHAPTER VIII.

Let us throw away our old Jewish spectacles, which enabled them to see no blessings from Messiah but for themselves, and look through the "promise and oath of God" to that blessing promised to "all the families of the earth:" then shall we see, as we have never seen the magnitude of God’s love to "the world." This view will cause us to wonder at our past blindness, and to adore the LOVE of God and of "Christ which passeth knowledge." "Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end" —or, "the endless succession of ages," as Macknight renders it. Eph 3:21. A literal translation of this text may be given as follows:

"To him be glory in the church, by Christ Jesus, through all the generations" ( genas, accusative plural) "of the age of the ages. Amen."

Here is a solemn testimony, to which the Holy Spirit, in Paul, adds its oath, by an "Amen." This testimony is, that there shall be "generations’ in "the age of ages," and that Christ Jesus" is the administrator; for it is "by" Him, the "glory" is to be revealed in that "age of ages."

What of the "generations?" How many are there? Well, there are at least a thousand. Thus saith the LORD, by the mouth of David, "Be ye mindful always of His covenant; the word He made with Abraham," etc. - 1Ch 16:15; also Ps 105:8. All the generations from Adam to this time, do not exceed two hundred, allowing thirty years to a generation. Eight hundred generations yet to come. If the thousand generations are yet to be made up, which side of the second advent shall we place them? If 6000 years have made only 200 generations, how may will be wanted to fill up the "1000 generations?" Ans. Twenty-four thousand. Who are willing to wait that long for the second advent of Christ, rather than admit in age, or ages to come, after the advent, in which generations, and consequently, probations will go on, to fill up the thousand generations? But we will not press this point.

For our own part, we accept the Psalmist’s testimony as follows: "All the ends of the world shall remember and turn unto the LORD: all the kindred’s of the nations shall worship before thee: for the kingdom is the LORD’S: and He is the governor among the nations:" [plural]... "A seed shall serve Him; it shall be accounted to the LORD for a generation:" [singular]: "they" [that seed] "shall come, and shall declare His righteousness unto a people that shall be born, that He hath done this." - Ps 22:27-31. Generations will go on among the "left of the nations," and people will "be born," after the one generation has had its resurrection and are immortal: then, after that, "they shall declare" God’s "righteousness" [His infinite mercy to the creatures He has made] "unto a people that shall be born." A blessed and glorious work, which looks like God’s fulfilling His "promise and oath to Abraham." Those who do not like such work, will not be compelled to engage in it.

In connection with Ps 22$., just considered, read Ps 67$. "God be merciful unto us, and bless us; and cause his face to shine upon us; Selah. That thy way may be known upon the earth, thy saving health among all nations. Let the people praise thee, O God; let all the people praise thee. O let the nations be glad and sing for joy: for thou shalt judge the people righteously, and govern the nations upon the earth. Selah. Let the people praise thee, O God; let all the people praise thee. Then shall the earth yield her increase; and God, our own God, shall bless us. God shall bless us; and all the end of the earth shall fear him."

This again corresponds with Jer 23:5,6: "Behold, the days come saith the LORD, that I will raise unto David a righteous BRANCH, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth. In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell in safety," etc. Hence are promises, which the LORD is pledged to fulfill, agreeing with Ps 22:27-31, and corresponding with the promises and oath to Abraham.

At this point we may as well look at the testimony of God by Isaiah, chap. xi. On this chapter immense labor has been bestowed to harmonize it with the theory of burning the world at the second advent of Christ; but still it reads just as it always did, and shows conclusively an age in this world that has never yet been seen, and never can be, if there is not a dispensation yet future differing essentially from any that has ever gone before. Here is presented to us a BRANCH out of the root of Jesse. None will doubt but that the Son of David-the Son of God-is here intended. Under his government the animal creation will become changed so as to be harmless and docile; "the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child put his hand on the cockatrice’s den. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for, the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea. And in that day [when the earth is thus full of the knowledge of the Lord] there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek; and his rest shall be glorious." This is not all; "It shall come to pass in that day that the Lord shall set his hand again the second time to recover the remnant of his people which shall be left from Assyria," etc. Not the gathering of spiritual Jews, but his people whom he had once before gathered from Babylon, as will be seen: that gathering was not in "that day" just spoken of. "And he shall set up an ensign for the nations, and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth."

Here the language distinctly marks the two nations into which the posterity of Jacob were divided in the days of Rehoboam, son of Solomon: one nation was called Judah, and the other Israel, and sometimes Ephraim, from the principal tribe of the nation of Israel. This latter nation was not "scattered," but was "cast out" of the land of Israel into Assyria, some hundred years before Judah was carried captive into Babylon. Israel was therefore called "outcasts," as in the text before us; see also 2Ki 17:20. Nor was "Judah dispersed" to the "four corners of the earth" till their Temple was destroyed by the Romans. The promise in this text, therefore, clearly relates to their gathering subsequent to that destruction; and as no such gathering ever has taken place, it must still be future, and is not "conditional," and is as certain as "Thus saith the LORD" can make it. [ Editor: Remember! this paper was published in 1874] If any doubt remained, the next verse would dispel it: "The envy also of Ephraim shall depart, and the adversaries of Judah shall be cut off; Ephraim shall not envy Judah, and Judah shall not vex Ephraim."

Before Ephraim or Israel was carried away into Assyria, there was continual strife, contention, and war between the two nations. When one shall be assembled and the other gathered, this envy and vexing each other shall be known no more. And let it never be forgotten, these things are to be done "in that day" when "the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord;" of course, future, and a glorious day. In that day, Isa 11:16, "There shall be a highway for the remnant of his people, which shall be left, from Assyria; like as it was to Israel in the day that he came out of the land of Egypt." Here we see what the first "recovering" was, which is alluded to, Isa 11:11, where it is said, "The Lord shall set his hand again the second time to recover the remnant of his people," etc. It was their being brought up out of Egypt, and it is "the remnant" of the people of whom the prophet speaks.

The prophet then goes on to tell us what that people will say when gathered: "And in that day thou shalt say, O Lord, I will praise thee: though thou wast angry with me, thine anger is turned away, and thou comfortest me. Behold, God is my salvation. I will trust, and not be afraid; for the LORD JEHOVAH is my strength and my song: he also is become my salvation. Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation. And in that day shall we say, Praise the LORD, call upon his name, declare his doings among the people, make mention that his name is exalted. Sing unto the LORD; for he hath done excellent things: this is known in all the earth. Cry out and shout, thou inhabitant of Zion: for great is the Holy One of Israel in the midst of thee." - Isa 12$.

This subject is made so plain by the prophet that it does really seem wonderful that any should call in question the meaning of the prophecy, or attempt to spiritualize it. That it applies to any events in the past has never yet been shown. That it is not a conditional promise, is equally manifest. So surely as the BRANCH of Jesse’s root ever reigns on earth, so surely, "in that day," will these things come to pass. So we believe.

The text relied upon to prove the end of the world, or mundane system, is to come when the gospel of the kingdom has been preached in all the world for a witness to all nations. { Mt 24:14}, has no such sense as is attached to it by the advocates of burning the world or earth at the second advent. Let us carefully examine the text and the context.

As Jesus went out of the temple his disciples called attention to the "buildings of the temple." "Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? Verily, I say unto you, there shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down." The subject then was the destruction of Jerusalem and her temple. The disciples inquired of him, "privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of aionos —age," not of the "world," as our translation has it: for the end of the world, proper, had no connection with the Saviour’s language in relation to the destruction of the temple. This destruction of the buildings of the temple, involving, as it necessarily would, the end of services there, the disciples construed into an end of that age, as it truly was.

In his reply, Jesus tells them, "This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the ( oikoumenee) world for a witness unto all ( ethnesi, heathen) nations; and then shall the end come." The end of what? The end of the age spoken of, when the temple should be thrown down. This, to our mind, is clearly the sense.

Now as to the oikoumenee, translated world, Mt 24:14, it is the same word found in Lu 2:1, "There went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the ( oikoumenee) world should be taxed." All the world, here, was the Roman empire, and no more. Jesus uses the same word in his statement o