the first operations of the work of Christ, in his second coming, to be, not only very small, but entirely out of the sight of the world; as much so as a grain of mustard-seed is, when covered in the earth. It also shews a progressive and increasing work, like the growth of the seed to a large plant, the greatest among herbs, branching out like a tree, so as to afford a shelter for the birds of the air.

Again, it is compared to leaven. "The Kingdom of Heaven is "like unto leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures "of meal, till the whole was leavened."* This is also a figurative representation of the hidden and progressive operations of the Spirit of Christ, in his second appearing; which is entirely out of sight of the world of mankind, both professors and profane; and yet it is a work which operates with a progressive increase, in every faithful soul.

The Kingdom of Heaven is also compared to a man's sowing good seed in his field, and afterward his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat. This clearly shows that wherever the work of God begins, and the seed of Christ is sown, there the enemy follows, with his secret influences, his works of darkness, to corrupt and contaminate the good by a mixture of evil, intending thereby to dishonor and abase the genuine fruits of the true gospel of Christ, by endeavoring to blend therewith his wicked and corrupt fruits. Evidences of this have appeared, more or less, in every place where the gospel has been planted, since the first opening of the testimony in America; and will undoubtedly continue till the final separation shall take place between the good and the evil, and each shall receive its due reward.

The season of harvest is a very apt similitude of the coming of Christ. "The harvest is the end of the world, and the reapers are the angels." It is well known that the work of harvest is a progressive work; and tho it may require the reapers many days to accomplish it; yet every stalk of grain, whether good or bad, when encircled by the sickle of the reaper, is very suddenly cut down; and tho but an instant before, it was majestically waving in the field, without any premonition of its sudden fall, it is henceforth forever separated from the foundation on which it stood, and must now pass through a new scene, and either be gathered to a place of safety, for the use of the husbandman, or devoted to destruction, according as it shall be found to be either good or bad. And such will be the fate of all souls in the great harvest of the world. Thus the useful wheat and worthless tares are used, as plain similitudes, to show the distinction which will be made between those who do good, and those who do evil; and the result ·

* Matt. xiii 23

† Matt. xiii 38 to 42. See also Rev. xiv 15 to the end.

T

of the parable is a certain token of that righteous and impartial judgment which will reward all souls according to their works.

"Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like unto a net that was "cast into the sea, and gathered of every kind; which, when it (6 was full, they drew to shore, and sat down, and gathered the good into vessels, but cast the bad away.' "" This points out a great and important work which, in its progress, will make a final separation between good and evil. "So shall it be at the end of "the world: the angels (signifying the messengers of truth) shall "come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just."* This has been continually fulfilling ever since the first gathering of the people in America; and these are the people, "upon whom the ends of the world are come."+

The event of Christ's second coming is also compared to the time of Noah, and the days before the flood. "For as in the days “that were before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marry"ing and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into "the ark; and knew not till the flood came and took them all away; "so shall it be also in the days of the son of man.”‡

Noah was called a preacher of righteousness. But it appears that the inhabitants of the old world were disobedient to his testimony which undoubtedly continued during the whole time the ark was building, which is said to be a hundred and twenty years. But notwithstanding their unbelief and disobedience, they were at last overtaken in their sins, and could not escape. The forementioned similitude of our Savior, is evidently designed, and well-calculated to show the state of unbelief, disobedience and disrespect to the testimony of truth, in which mankind will be found; and their careless insensibility and disregard respecting the second coming of Christ; and that altho they will be earnestly and repeatedly warned by the preachers of righteousness, from time to time, and in all probability, even from generation to generation, during the time of Christ's reign upon earth; yet they will not believe the testimony, nor turn from their wickedness; but still go on, "eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage," seeking their own gratifications, and pursuing their own pleasures, until they are overtaken by judgments which they cannot escape.

Tho the judgments of God upon the wicked are often spoken of as coming suddenly, which is frequently the case in reality; yet in the time of Noah's flood, it rained "forty days and forty nights;" and in all probability, the destruction of lives was not fully accomplished till the end of that period; (for there could have been no use in continuing the flood after its design was accomplished.) So in the present day, many may remain secure for a long time; but the deluge of destruction, tho it may endure many ages, and

* Matt xiii. 47, 48, 49. † See 1 Cor. x. 11.

Matt. xxiv. 28, 39. & Luke xvii. 26.

CHAP. III.] CHRIST'S SECOND MANIFESTATION, &C. 207 operate in many ways, will finally accomplish the work for which

it is sent.

CHAPTER III.

The second manifestation of Christ not instantly universal, but gradual and progressive, like the rising of the sun.

It has long been maintained that Christ is to come in the clouds of heaven, and that all shall see him. In a spiritual sense, this is true, and accords with his own testimony: "They shall see the "Son of man coming in the clouds of Heaven, with power and "great glory." Again, when questioned before the Jewish council, he said, "Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the "right hand of Power, and coming in the clouds of Heaven," And again; “Behold he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall 66 see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of "the earth shall wail because of him."* These and other similar passages are often advanced as evidences that Christ is not only to come openly, in the clouds, but that he will suddenly appear in the most public manner, so as to be seen at once, by all mankind, the wicked as well as the righteous, who have lived in all ages, and in all quarters of the world.

But it ought to be considered in the first place, that these clouds are not the common clouds of the atmosphere, but the clouds of Heaven; therefore they must be heavenly clouds-clouds of faithful witnesses of God, who are ready and willing to embrace the testimony of Christ, whenever and wherever it shall appear; and to declare it to the world without restraint and without disguise. "Who are these that fly as a cloud, and as the doves to their win"dows?-Seeing we are compassed about with so great a cloud "of witnesses." Thus cloud is used in scripture as a figure to express a multitude; and in this sense it was often used by ancient writers, both sacred and profane.

Secondly. As Christ, the anointed of God, is a Spirit, and can only be seen and known in the spirit; therefore his Kingdom must be spiritual and divine; not natural and sensual. Hence, as before stated, his appearance must be in the spirit; and the clouds in which he appears must be spiritual clouds, pertaining to the spiritual heavens; and these things must be discerned by spiritual light: for, "The natural man receiveth not the things of the 66 Spirit of God; for they are foolishness to him; neither can he "know them, because they are spiritually discerned." Yet the natural man looks for Christ to come in a bodily appearance, * See Matt. xxiv. 30. chap. xxvi 64. and Rev i. 7. ‡ 1 Cor. ii. 14.

Isa, !x. B. & Heb zii...

through the clouds of the natural heavens, and expects, with his natural eyes, to behold in him a supernatural being, magnificently great and transcendantly glorious; and supposes that his appearance will be so universally visible that every eye in heaven, earth and hell shall see him at once.

But a little reflection will show the inconsistency of this opinion. For if Christ should descend in person, from the starry regions to this earth, and appear in our hemisphere, tho in ever so great splendor, he could not be seen at the same time, by those who live on the opposite side of the globe. But in order to be seen by them, in the same manner, he must descend in their hemisphere. And to be seen in both hemispheres at once, he must descend in two opposite directions at the same time. But if Christ is to make a bodily appearance, as a personal or material being, as many suppose, it must be impossible for him to descend in this manner. For it is a selfevident truth, as every person of sense will acknowledge, that no material substance or local being, can descend from two opposite directions in the heavens, and appear in two opposite hemispheres, and on two opposite sides of the earth, at one and the same time. Thus the natural man's plan destroys itself. But if we consider Christ as the elemental spirit of eternal life, the difficulty is at once removed; because upon this principle, that Spirit can appear in many places at the same time, however distant or differently situated.

Thirdly. It appears evident, not only from the testimony of the scriptures, but from the very nature of God, who is Spirit, that the work of Christ in the new creation, pertaining to the salvation and redemption of man, is a spiritual work. This none can deny. Therefore the things relating to Christ's second coming, and the finishing of the mystery of God, must be of a spiritual nature. How then should the natural man be able to conceive of these things in their true light, seeing he receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God?

The ideas formed in the mind of man, concerning the coming of Christ in the natural clouds, and appearing visible to the natural eye, are merely natural conceptions; natural enough indeed to the natural man, and therefore, if the forecited testimony of the apostle be true, they must be false conceptions. It is true that, in the progress of his work, "every eye shall see him;" for he will be made manifest to all, either to their everlasting joy or sorrow; but they will see him with the eyes of the soul, not of the body. Those who accept the invitation, and come when called, and faithfully obey the testimony of the gospel, will see him to their joy and salvation; but those who reject it, to their condemnation and sorrow. To the former it will prove "the savor of life unto life;" but to the latter, "the savor of death unto death."

But it may be objected that Jesus Christ himself has said, “As "the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the "west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be." This passage of scripture is generally quoted as an evidence of the instantaneous and universal manifestation of Christ in his second appearing. But we apprehend that when the passage is duly considered, and its real import rightly understood, the objection founded upon it will appear groundless. It is well known that our Savior often made use of natural things, and natural occurrences, as similitudes to represent and illustrate things of a spiritual nature. In the above quoted passage, he alluded to the dawning of the day, and the breaking forth of the morning light in the east, as a clear and striking similitude of the commencement of that period, so often represented in scripture, as the day of gospel light and liberty, or thousand years of Christ's reign upon earth. This appears evident from the following considerations.

1. It is not the peculiar nature of lightning "to come out of the east and shine even unto the west;" its flashes, tho often seen in every direction, are known, in this country, to come out of the west much oftener than out of the east; and they never extend so as to be seen but a few miles distant, in any direction. If therefore Christ intended, by the similitude of lightning, to represent an instantaneous and universal display of his second appearance, the similitude is quite imperfect, the comparison falls very short.

2. The Greek word åsgarn, tho sometimes properly translated lightning, signifies any vivid brightness or shining light, as that of the sun, or of a star, a lamp or candle, as the same word is used in other places.* It is sometimes used to signify the breaking forth of light, as the dawning of the day, or the rising of the sun, which is evidently the meaning in the text quoted above. The light breaks forth in the east, "and shineth even unto the west," still progressing on in its western direction, till it enlightens the whole earth; and this it will effectually do in the space of twentyfour hours, so that all nations, even every eye, may see the light thereof; unless it be those who through blindness or some other cause, are deprived of that privilege.

We also find the same testimony in Luke, but a little differently expressed: "As the lightning that lighteneth," or more properly, "As the shining light that shineth forth from the one part under "heaven, and giveth light unto the other part under heaven; so “shall also the Son of man be in his day." This plainly implies that, as the light of the natural day (alluding to the sun as before) proceeds in its course, enlightening the earth from place to place; * The same original word which in Matthew xxiv. 27, is translated lightning, is in Lukë xi. 36, translated bright shining; in Luke xxiv. 4, as an adjective, it is translated shining: and in Acts ix_3, used as a verb, it is translated shined; as the reader may see.

Luke xvii. 24.