Views and experience in relation to entire consecration and the Second Advent : addressed to the ministers of the Portsmouth, N.H. Baptist Association

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SECOND ADVENT LIBRARY.

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APRIL 25, 184S.

VIEWS AND EXPERIENCE

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ADDRESSED TO THE MINISTERS OF THE PORTS-
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BY F. G. BROWN,

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LATE PASTOR OF THE MIDDLE STREET BAPTIST CHURCH,

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PORTSMOUTH, N. H,

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PUBLISHED BY JOSHUA V. HIMES,

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14 Devonshire Street.

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Two Sheets. Postage — ^uader 100 miles, 3 cts. ; over 100, 5 cts.

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All communications relative to the Sigms of the Times, and
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Important IVorks

ON THE PROPHECIES OF THE SECOND ADVENT
OF OUR LORD AND SAVIOR, JESUS CHRIST.

Miller on the Second Coming of Christ. — In one volume.
This work contains nineteen Lectures ; to which is added a
Supplement, containing a Chronological Chart of the prophetic
periods, with an explanation. Price 50 cents.

Miller^s Life and Views. — In one volume. This work con-
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und Exposition, eleven new lectures, reviews, letters, &c. Price
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Bible StudenVs Manual. — This work is compiled from Mr.
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It contains the Chart^ Rules of Interpretation, &c., with blank
paper, for notes. Price 25 cents.

An Address to the Public, and especially the Clergy, on th
Near Approach of the Glorious, Everlasting Kingdom of Got
•on Earth. By J. Litch. Price 25 cents.

No. /., Second Advent Report of General Conference, held
in Boston, Oct. 14th, 15th, 1840. This is a v^ry able and im-
portant document : it contains two discourses from Mr. Litch,
on the Second Advent — Chronology of Prophecy. One from
Rev. Henry Jones, on the Restoration of Israel. Two from
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ment. One Discourse, in three parts, by H. D. Ward, on the
Millennium. 174 pages. Price, 37 cents in boards, 25 cents
in pamphlet. ^

No. 1 1., Second Advent Report of General Conference, held
in Lowell, June 15th, 16th, 17ih, 1841, This is a very able
and important document : it contains the Proceedings of the
Conference, Circular Address, Dissertation on Christ's Second
Coming, Signs of Christ's Second Coming quickly, by Rev.
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VIEWS AND EXPERIENCE

IN RELATION TO

ENTIRE CONSECRATION

AND THE

SECOND ADVENT:

ADDRESSED TO THE MINISTERS OF THE PORTS-
MOUTH, N. H., BAPTIST ASSOCIATION.

BY F. G. BROWN,

LATE PASTOR OF THE MIDDLE STREET BAPTIST CHURCH,
PORTSMOUTH, N. H,

BOSTON:

PUBLISHED BY JOSHUA V. HIMES,
14 Devonshire Street.

1843.

AFFECTIONATELY INSCRIBED

TO THE

MINISTERS OF THE PORTSMOUTH, N. H.,
BAPTIST ASSOCIATION.

I. VIEWS AND EXPERIENCE IN RELATION TO
ENTIRE CONSECRATION.

Dearly Beloved Brethren :

It is not in my power to visit you person-
ally, as it would give me great pleasure to
do : nor am I able to write you individually ;
you will therefore accept of this narrative, as
especially prepared for yourselves.

I feel a great satisfaction in making this
narration to you, brethren, because I have so
long enjoyed your confidence and your love.
You know me ; and I believe still, as ever,
you will candidly consider what I will now
lay before you. — At our Quarterly Ministe-
rial Conferences^ it has been one of our usual
exercises to communicate to each other God's
dealings with us since we parted: and now,
brethren, as I do not expect to be present at
your next session, let this speak in my be-
half. I make this narration from no other
motive, than that the grace of God may be
magnified, and the power of his Spirit be
demonstrated. Let me premise that you
are yourselves, brethren, enjoying much of
God's presence, that prayer is your dehght,

and communion with God more to you than
your daily food ; that you know of the
truths of our holy religion which you preach,
by a powerful experience. And again, let
me believe that you will not hastily reject
what I declare that God has done for my
soul, merely because you may never have
seen and felt the same. I only ask that you
will impartially and prayerfully ponder upon
these things, and endeavor to ascertain
whether the hand of the Lord be in them.
Let me not believe that you will limit the
Almighty, or that you will set up yourselves
as judges of what it might be wisdom in him
to perform. On the assumption that we are all
living in the very last days, that which I have
of late" experienced is very easily accounted
for. I shall lay my whole heart open to you,
brethren, feeling confident, that, however un-
intelligible, and even silly, the exposure might
be to some, you will commend me, at least,
for my honesty, and be disposed to put the
most favorable construction upon what I may
say.

The month of August last will mark more
particularly the period in which my mind
seems to have been conscious of any pecu-
liarity of exercises. Ever since I commenced
my pastoral labors, I have been aware that
something was wanting to stimulate Chris-
tians to a life of constant faith and prayer,
and to give to the great machinery by which
light and salvation are propelled throughout

the eartfi an increase of power. But it was
at this time that I began to look about, and
to reahze, as never before, the apathy of the
church in regard to evangelizing the world,
&c. My sovil fervently responded to the call
made for a convention at Worcester, for the
purpose of deliberation and prayer in regard
to the neglected cause of missions ; but cir-
cumstances prevented my attendance on that
occasion. At our Association, which occurred
shortly after, I felt called upon, with others,
to entreat the churches to pity, and to send
relief to the poor heathen ; and expressed my
heartfelt regret that I had not obeyed what
once appeared to be my duty, and become
myself a missionary. From all that I no-
ticed, it seemed to me as though the whole
American church were in a profound slum-
ber on this subject ; and I naturally inferred
that vital piety must be at a corresponding
ebb. From looking abroad. I came nearer
home, and compared my own church with
what I understood to be the condition of the
churches of our own Association, relative to
missions, and to the private duties of the
Christian : and I found that my own people
were in the advance of most other churches,
as to all that gives dignity, beauty, and life
to the Christian character. But still I saw a
great lack among many of them. From my
own dear church I turned to myself, and
found that my own piety would probably
1=^

suffer in comparison with that of sorrie of my
flock. I began to review my past life, and
especially the few years of my ministry.
This review awakened within me humility
and pain. I knew that I could not be con-
demned for the want of severe intellectual
labor, preparatory to the weekly perform-
ances of the pulpit — for it had always been
my rule not to fail here, though I might as a
pastor : but I could detect some unhallowed
motives which had too long prompted my
ministerial labors; — a lack of confidence in
God to own and bless the word preached, —
of faith in prayer, — of nearness to God, — of
bold and soul-moving conceptions of God, of .
Christ, and of the Holy Spirit. I had al-
ways, from the time of my conversion, which
was at the age of fourteen years, frequented
my closet daily, and had enjoyed a measure
of religion. But it was not until I entered
the ministry, that I knew what it was to
suppress youthful effervescence of feeling,
and to govern self with the sternness of man-
hood : it was not until the holiness of my
calling began to meet me, that I really began
to walk with God. I now see by casting my
eye over the MSS. of the sermons which I
have preached since Sept. 1st, how my hun-
gerings after the living God have been stead-
ily increasing ; and also the steps which I
unconsciously took to bring me out where I
found myself at the opening of this memora-
ble year. I had tried to implore God to

arouse the slumberings of the churches to an
increase of zeal, of sacrifice, and of prayer in
behalf of a perishing world; that he would
in mercy revive religion in the midst of my
own dear people, where it had so long lan-
guished, but especially that my own soul
might experience more of the power of reli-
gion. We had not enjoyed a season of re-
freshing from on high for a long time, and I
had begun to feel that God had nothing more
for me to do where I was then located. After
having labored on until I felt that I had ex-
hausted all the means in my power towards
effecting a change for the better, or in bring-
ing about the conversion of souls, I began to
cry to God to send some servant of his to my
relief I felt willing to stand aside to any
one whom Providence should select for this
work. In desiring a revival of religion, my
own soul was hoping to share in its precious
fruits. I had been accustomed, for a few
years past, to spend a portion of my time
daily in reading memoirs of pious individu-
als, and other religious books, such as would
have a tendency to feed the flame of piety in
my soul : but I never dreamed that it was in
my power to attain to eminence in piety;
supposing either that I had not begun early
enough in life, or that there was some moral
constitutional defect about me which would
render it impossible. Often have I read of
the holy ecstasies, and the triumphant faith,
and the heavenly devotion of Payson, and

8

Taylor, and Edwards, and many others, and
thought that they were religions prodigies;
and of course few could hope to be like them.
I had heard of some around me who had had
the power of God upon them to such a de-
gree, as to lose their natural strength : but I
had always doubted and strenuously opposed
such things as realities. I ever deprecated
all excitements, and preferred a religion that
would give exercise and expansion to the
reason and to the imagination. And yet
whenever, which indeed was very seldom, I
found myself in a meeting where much reli-
gious fervor was exhibited, my own soul
would awaken and kindle up with holy fire.
On the fourth of January last, a minister-
ing brother having come to my aid, a series
of religious meetings were begun in the ves-
try of our church. No extra preparations or
parade were made on this occasion : it had
not even been announced that a protracted
meeting was contemplated. As the coming
of our brother among us was remarkably
providential, I was watching for further in-
dications of our Father's will as to the
measures which should be used towards a
revival of his work. On the following even-
ing, the theme of our brother's discourse was
Prayer : during the sermon, I noticed no
very special interest among the people, nor
did I feel any very strong emotions of soul
myself, as a result of the discourse. Still I
felt that the subject chosen was well timed^

and at its conclusion knelt, earnestly desiring
to lift unto God the effectual, fervent prayer
which availeth much. No sooner had I
bent my knee before God, than my soul
Avas at once drawn out in inexpressible ago-
ny for the outpourings of the Spirit, and that
God would come down among us in great ma-
jesty. Immediately I was conscious of feel-
ings which I cannot better describe, than by
likening them to the effect of electricity, pass-
ing through my whole physical system : the
veil which had separated me from my God
was now entirely torn away, my heart flowed
out like water to Him in whose immediate
presence, as never before, I now seemed to be.
Having risen from my knees, I found the au-
dience all bathed in tears, and a most awful
solemnity pervading the house, i began to
speak; first, inquiring who had been praying
for me : and next, declaring, with great em-
phasis, that now God was going to bless us,
and that my soul was evidence to it. I then
proceeded to remark that it appeared to me
as though our prayers had all been poor,
murmuring, repining, fretting prayers — that
we had not taken God at his word, and be-
lieved him to be liberally disposed unto his
children — we had not presumed upon his
generosity and asked him to do great things
for us. I expressed my views in regard to
myself thus : — That it appeared as if I had
never prayed as I ought ; that I had been in
Jeremiah's dungeon all my life ; that I had

10

not had a place where to stand large enough
for the sole of my foot; that I had just
emerged from a dreary wilderness, into a
vast and boundless field where all was beau-
ty, and loveliness and glory. Such peace,
joy and confidence now took possession of
my soul as I cannot describe. Having re-
sumed my seat, and finding myself vari-
ously aflfected Avith involuntary emotions of
joy and of grief, and being still sensible of
this holy celestial influence to such an ex-
tent, that every limb and joint in my body
trembled, I became alarmed, and inquired
of my ministering brother, who was sitting at
my side, if he could tell me what it was that
was then on me ; or if he had ever seen an
individual aflfected in like manner. As the
time drew near for the conclusion of the
meeting, I felt loth to leave the desk, and to
mingle with the brethren, apprehensive that
what I had been enjoying might be a delu-
sion, and even though it were, I desired
never to lose it. But what was my surprise,
as I left my seat, to find that still my soul
was filled with inexpressible pleasure, and
for the first time in my life I cried out, —
^^ glory ! glory !" and immediately sunk down,
unable to stand upon my feet. I was sensi-
ble that I had never prayed for such heaven-
ly manifestations as these, and on inquiry,
soon ascertained to whose prayers I was pro-
bably indebted for what I was then enjoying.
Again I felt a reluctance to leave the pre-

11

cious place of our worship, and then to enter
the door of my residence, lest all these glori-
ous emotions, and indescribable views of
heaven, should vanish. Having arrived
home, I gave myself up for a few hours to
earnest and agonizing prayer, and to exalted
praise and thanksgiving to God. My soul
was filled with deepest agony for all who
were preaching lies and false doctrine, and
with faith and confidence in God, that he
would hear my supplications, and now begin
a mighty work of grace in our midst. Such
peace and glory as I now felt for eight and
forty hours, human language cannot por-
tray : heaven had come down to earth, and
I had such bliss and transports, as I had
never expected to realize even in the world
of glory ! I wanted an angel's powers, and
an angel's trumpet, to make known all and
to all just what my soul felt and beheld. I
retired to rest on that night, and awoke in
the enjoyment of the same celestial peace,
and spent the day in weeping and rejoicing
before God, in view of what he had done for
so unworthy a creature of the dust as my-
self, and in exchanging sympathies and con-
gratulations with Christian friends who called
to see me.

It .was intimated by one dear sister, who
called at this time, that I had experienced
the blessing of sanctification : the suggestion
startled me for a moment, and made me
shudder, supposing that she meant to inti-

12

mate that I was now perfect. I replied by
remarking that I hardly knew what name to
give to what I had experienced ; but should
1 select terms that would seem to me to im-
ply just and only just that of which I was
then conscious, they would be these : — the
baptism of the Holy Ghost — entire consecra-
tion— perfect love. These had always be-
fore been very odious terms to my ear ; odi-
ouSj only because they were used by a party
or sect of Christians whom I regarded as
exceedingly superstitious and fanatical. But
I now felt that it was due to my God, and to
the sovereign power of his grace, to own that
he had baptized me with the Holy Ghost. I
now felt the purest and strongest affection
for all who were truly Christians, irrespective
of names or of denomination. My sectarian
feelings had all fled like dew before the sun,
and I wanted to mingle at once with God's
dear children, however poor or despised they
might be, to unite my prayers and songs
with theirs, and to tell them what wonderful
things God had done for my soul. I saw
that I had made an idol of my denomination,
and had been too distrustful of the piety of
other sects, and too jealous of their prosperi-
ty. My books and authors, that had yielded
me so much intellectual delight, were now to
me as chaff; they appeared as if sealed up,
never again to be opened ; everything earthly
which I had fondly called mine, had fled
away, and appeared to me, as at this mo-

13

ment, of no more value than a bubble. A
desire for distinction, the love of reputation,
of honor, pride, were all gone, and I felt as
though I loved God supremely, and that I
could now not only reckon^ but feel that I
was dead indeed unto the world, and alive
unto God. I preferred to be taken out of the
world; yes, to suffer ten thousand deaths,
rather than to fall back and live where I
had been living for the past years of my life.
O, what a sense of condemnation and guilt !
how terrible God 1 how hard to bear Christ's
yoke ! how anxious and distressed about the
church, about poor godless men, and about
numberless earthly things, all of which
should have been left entirely with God !
How many times I have looked forward
with joyful anticipations to deaths which
would end all this strife. I supposed that in
these things, however, was the conflict of the
Christian, and he must submit to them as a
part of his warfare. But of no grace was I
now more conscious, than that of humility.
I felt like a young convert, child-like, weak,
ignorant, and willing to be taught by any
one who could tell me more about what I
had experienced, and who would take me by
the hand, and lead me into all truth. 1 could
see that God had opened my eyes wonder-
fully, but still I felt as though there was
much more for me to learn — that there
was some truth undiscovered, and into the
knowledge of which the Holv Spirit was de-
2

14

signing to lead me. These convictions 1 ex-
pressed to a ministering brother, who called
to visit me on the day succeeding the one on
which I had been so greatly blest; and O,
how my soul yearned for some kind hand to
lead me ! I was inclined to suppose that I
did not have a clear and full knowledge of
tlie doctrine of holiness, and that it was some
unpenetrated part of this grand Scripture
truth into which I was yet to be introduced.
I now received, without a sneer, or any
feelings of contempt, the Guide to Christian
Perfection. I devoured with avidity perhaps
twenty numbers of this precious little work,
and was highly gratified to find that there
were so many Christians, of all denomina-
tions, who had had an experience precisely
like my own ; and, moreover, how greatly
was my joy increased, to find that I could
read my experience in the book of the Acts
— that God had given me the experience of
the primitive Christians, so that I could now
know what they meant by ^' joy unspeakable
and full of glory ! " There was, I could dis-
cover, however, a lack oi faith in my experi-
ence, of which others, who had been blest
like myself, seemed to be better acquainted
than I was. 1 wanted that faith, so as to
grasp all God's promises as mine — so as to
cry continually Abba, Father ! and so as to
make Jesus my Savior. With particular
reference to this end, 1 searched the Bible, in
order to gain still clearer and more correct

15

views of .God, of Christ, and of the Spirit.
Soon I began to behold God as a being full
of love, and who could have nothing but
love for those who walked uprightly. I be-
held Christ as my Savior, who died for me
as though I had been the only sinner in the
universe ; as my Priest, who had passed
within the veil to make atonement for my
sins ; as my Mediator, who stood between
me and the flaming sword of justice, and
thus shielded me from destruction. I saw
him as my elder brother ; I looked at all the
terms which were expressive of his endear-
ment for his disciples ; I contemplated him,
on earth never turning away any suppliant
for temporal or spiritual favors, and even
suffering a beloved disciple to indulge in the
familiarity of reclining on his bosom ; and I
reasoned thus : he is the very same Jesus
now ; he is the Savior of all, especially of
them that believe ; why should he not love
me, and do for me far above all that I can
ask, or even think, if I will but yield to him,
and fully believe in him? I labored to bring
him near to me, and to conceive of him just
as he was when he left earth for heaven.
It was not long ere I could feel that he
had made me truly one of his ; he was pres-
ent with me in my place of meditation and
prayer ; and again I was humbled in the
dust at his feet, and could cry out — '' My
Lord, and my God !" I could now live by
faith, day by day, on the love of God, with-

16

out one care or solicitude for the. morrow ;
the Bible became my only book of study, the
Spirit of truth my only expositor. Indeed, I
had a new Bible, a new Savior, and a new
heart ; and what was remarkable, I could
now preach, for the first time in my life,
without the aid of written sermons.

My investigations went on in regard to
sanctification ; I searched the Bible with ref-
erence to it ; and then read Fletcher, Bram-
well, Wesley, and others on the subject, until
I was well satisfied, that, speculate as we
might, and dispute about terms as we would,
the doctrine of holiness was a most promi-
nent doctrine of the Bible, and that it was
the duty and the privilege of Christians to
arrive at a state, to say the least, of conscious
purity ; to be where our hearts condemn us
not; that we might have confidence toward
God. I do not use the term Perfection ; not
because I have myself much difliculty with
that expression, but because it is liable to
be misunderstood. Entire consecration is
less objectionable. My experience on this
subject is now better to me than all my the-
orizing ever was. Six months ago, an angel
might have reasoned with me, and I should
have almost doubted whether Christians, at
the present day, could enjoy such influences,
experience such overwhelming emotions of
soul, have such bright and glorious views of
truth, and be so sanctified unto God. What
I have experienced, brethren, is only what

17

others have, and are experiencing all over
the land. Converts, and Christians who
have long been on their way to the heavenly-
Canaan, have alike been filled with the great
power of God, as on the day of Pentecost.

After having obtained such, new light on
the Scriptures, and enjoyed such remarkable
manifestations of the Spirit of God, I felt
most deeply for you, my beloved brethren,
and for all the ministers of Christ, that all
who were called to minister at the altar
might have the same power of God resting
down upon them, so that their own souls
might be refreshed, and that they might per-
form the duties of their office Avith more ease
and delight. I beheld them toiling and
weeping over the souls that were committed
to their charge, and I longed to tell them
how they might cast all upon God, and get
such an anointing from on high as would
give effect to all their ministrations. It ap-
peared to me, that the great majority of them
were in gross darkness. I wrestled and ago-
nized in prayer for them ; and O, how distressed
was my soul for an inactive and slumbering
church ! I can now see that my distress was
caused by something beside the discovery of
the fact, that the doctrine of holiness had not
a strong hold on the hearts of ministers and
people. So important did the doctrine of
sanctification appear to me, and I could see
so vividly, as I thought, its connection with
the conversion of the world, that I felt it

18

might soon be my duty to go forth and
make this the great theme of my preaching
to the churcheSj or to devote the remnant of
my life to the work of an evangeUst, endeav-
oring to labor for Christ on a more extensive
scale than ever. For it seemed to me that
all my sympathies, and prayers, and toils,
had been criminally restricted. As I had no
tie to earth, and love for distinction had
gone, I found that I had no sacrifice to
make, but that toil, privation and suflering
would be a pleasure, for Christ's sake. I
was willing to be accounted a fool for my
Master, and to bear with patience any re-
proach or persecution in defence of the gos-
pel. I had always before thought much of
preserving my good name, and enjoying the
commendations of the community for my ur-
banity, frankness and inoffensiveness; and I
here confess that the greatest injury that an
individual could once have done me, would
have been to speak ill of me. But now,
blessed be God, while conscious of serving
him who has redeemed me with his most
precious blood, I care but little whether I
have the approbation or the disapprobation
of the world. I am now kept in perfect
peace, while my whole soul is stayed on God.
I sometimes feel as though I could stand un-
moved amidst the wreck of matter and the
crash of worlds: such confidence has my soul
in the omnipotent arm of my Father and my
God. Dear brethren, hurt not the oil and the
wine ; do not be guilty of attributing to the in-

19

fluence of the imagination, to the excitement
of the animal passions, or to the agency of
Beelzebub, that which should be devoutly
and adoringly attributed to the power of the
Holy Ghost; bearing in mind that ^^the
kingdom of God is not in word, but in
poioerr If you reject these things, when
they are confirmed by so many witnesses,
with equal propriety might you discard the
proofs of ordinary conversion. If you smile
at such experiences, as I hope yoii will not,
fear lest the ungodly ridicule as superstition
and enthusiasm all that the young convert
professes to experience, and thus the reality
of our religion be questioned. If you will
turn over the pages of the New Testament,
you will find just such exhibitions of God's
power there. And you will recollect, that
those extraordinary manifestations of the
Holy Spirit have often been made by us sub-
jects of discourse. Let not then the natural
reverence which we all have for antiquity,
and the charm with which we invest every-
thing that was peculiar to the first age of the
church, lead us to extol and admire every-
thing that existed in apostolic times, while
we be guilty of rejecting the very same phe-
nomena because we witness it with our own
eyes, in these last days. Many can eulogize
the carpenter's son as a more profound
teacher of wisdom than ever Socrates was;
applaud the eloquence of the fishermen, and
throw all the enchantments of romance
around the babe in the manger ; who, never-

20

theless, it is to be feared, would spurn to re-
ceive instructions from any man, however he
might be filled with the Holy Ghost, unless he
had been initiated into all the mysteries of
science, had explored all the metaphysics of
theology ; and who, so far from condescend-
ing to make a stable their place of worship,
would feel as though the Almighty was in-
sulted, or could not be devoutly worshipped,
unless in a granite or marble temple. But
I wander from my subject ; brethren, say not,
''these men are filled with new wine.''

II. VIEWS AND EXPERIENCE IN RELATION TO
THE SECOND ADVENT.

Let me now, brethren, invite your atten-
tion to a continuation of my experience, on
another subject. I was always opposed to the
introduction into our pulpits and churches,
of all the great moral topics which have
agitated the minds of the community for a
few years past. And I have thought myself
more than fortunate, as you well know, in
keeping them all out of our midst. Our little
bark has safely outrode all the storms to
which other churches have been exposed,
and from which they have so severely suffer-
ed^ as I should once have said. I believe I
have never preached on one of those topics,
and certainly I have never been the open
advocate of any of them, unless it might be
thought that I have of the cause of Temper-
ance. Here J I confess, I have erred greatly.

21

One of my main reasons for so doing, how-
ever, has been because I plainly saw that one
exciting theme prepared the mind for
another: and if one was introduced, a hun-
dred might he, and no one could foresee to
what such steps might lead.

When the doctrine of Sanctification began
to be generally discussed, I thought it a
branch of that very tree from which so much
bitter fruit had of late been gathered.
And when the doctrine of the Second Advent
began to be preached, I thought it an offshoot
of the doctrine of Sanctification, and that the
friends of the former and of the latter would
be the same. These convictions were
strengthened on listening to several dis-
courses by Mr. Fitch, which were professed-
ly Second Advent sermons, but, in fact, dis-
courses on Sanctification. I thought him
really dishonest; wickedly designing, under
the cloak of the Second Advent, to palm off
Sanctification upon the churches. I publicly
rebuked him for it, and left attendance on
his lectures. Nor was I pleased with the
two or three discourses which I heard from
him on the Advent near; I had even invited
my own congregation to give him a hearing,
supposing that he was a ripe scholar, and a
profound theologian. But what was my
disappointment and mortification on finding
him, as I then thought, such an intolerable
perverter of plain texts of Scripture. I can
now see that it was myself that was abusing

22

the plain declarations of God's most holy
word ; and he was perverting them in my
then opinion, because he did not depart from
their literal rendering, and give them the
spiritual interpretation which I had been
taught to do.

lean now see, and am free to admit, that
the two doctrines are closely conjoined.
Not that every Christian who believes in and
embraces the jSrst, will also receive the
second ; because facts would not bear me out
in this remark. But he who has been truly
sanctified is better prepared to look at the
doctrine of Christ at the door : he is qualified
by patience, by lowliness, and by the in-
dwelling influences of the Spirit to sit himself
down to the investigation of God's word on
this subject, until he arrives at the truth: the
ties are rent that once held him to earth, and
he is not only willing, but anxious to soar
away and meet Jesus in his descent from
the skies.

I never directly preached against the doc-
trine of Christ's Second Advent at hand ;
though I have often aimed incidentally to
tear up some of the superstructure on which
the friends of it were endeavoring to build
their theory. I had prophesied much evil
against all who connected themselves with
this cause. I received their books and news-
papers, as I could not do otherwise without-
treating those indecorously who presented
them to me. Some of these I read, more per-

23

haps from curiosity than from anything else;
just as one might look on and witness a con-
test between two pugilists, without feeling
any special interest in the success of either
party; others I carefully stowed away, in-
tending, at the expiration of 1843, to bring
them to hght again, and hold them up as a
monument of religious folly; then, I was in-
tending to correct the presumption of all the
foolish and ignorant who had dared to exalt
themselves above the wisdom and erudition
of the pulpit. Brethren, do not be guilty of
as great a sin, lest you provoke the wrath of
the Almighty. Only one day previous to the
great blessing which God conferred upon me,
and of which I have spoken, I had declared
that I would not be seen in a Second Advent
meeting. Those composing them, were, I saw,
as a class, of too low an order for me to asso-
ciate with. I had no sympathy for their
noise, and for their broken harangues. But
how mighty is the arm of God to abase the
proud, and to humble tlie lofty ! On the
very next day after, so marvellous had been
God's dealings with me, that I could not keep
away from just such a meeting as I had
heretofore despised. My soul wanted to give
utterance to its emotions of love to Christ,
and to all whom he had truly purchased with
his blood ; and now I was determined that the
last vestige of pride should be crucified and
driven out of my heart, if, indeed, any yet
lurked there. Accordingly I repaired to the

24

church where those despised followers of the
Lamb were holding a series of meetings; and
there, to the rejoicing of many hearts, I told
what great things God had done for my soul.
I was now favorably disposed towards the
doctrine of the Advent near, and was willing
to read on the subject, as I did occasionally,
while I thought, weighed considerations, and
prayed more.

It should have been remarked, that at this
time my mind was perfectly free from all

care and concern. Brother H conducted

the series of meetings which we had soon
determined on holding: Christians were
Avonderfully quickened, and sinners were
pricked in their hearts, and cried out, '' Men
and brethren, what shall we do to be saved?''
For about four weeks I did not myself
preach a discourse. The minister's usual
anxiety, which attends a revival, was not
felt by me. I gave the church, souls, my-
self, and all into the keeping of God's hands,
while I seckided myself in my study, in
obedience to what seemed to be the movings
of God's Spirit, searching the Scriptures, and
weeping and praying before God that he
Avould make truth known to me. I was
aware that there was some truth left, which
my mind did not apprehend ; and this con-
viction I expressed to a brother minister who
called to see me on the day after I was so
signally blest. I sought interviews at vari-
ous times with the clergymen of the town,

hoping that some words would be providen-
tially dropt that would give me a clue to that
for which my heart was anxious. But I al-
ways left them with disappointed hopes. At
times I fancied that it might, perhaps^ be my
duty to unite myself with another denomina-
tion, where there might be more vital piety,
more scripture truth, and a greater field for
usefulness. But my views on the leading
doctrines of the Bible were unchanged, and I
did not and do not feel like sacrificing them
on any account. Indeed, these doctrines, as
held by our church, never seemed to stand
out so prominently on the pages of inspiration
as at this moment; they are all harmonious,
beautiful, glorious. Well, I would ask my-
self, with what denomination can I unite ? I
could fix upon none, a connexion with which
I felt would satisfy the strong desires, and
calm the restless feelings of my heart. Now
my soul was all ecstasy and devotion, and
then indescribable darkness and wretched-
ness would succeed. I wondered that my
peace and enjoyment were not as deep and
as continuous as those of others who had been
baptized with the Holy Ghost; for I was
fully conscious of striving, in all things, to
please my Heavenly Father ; was much in
prayer, and felt willing to submit myself
entirely to the divine will. Never did I so
feel my weakness, my liability to err, my
need of the prayers of Christians. O, how I
longed to say to each member of my church,
' 3

26

and to every one who had access to a mercy-
seat — pray for me; how my soul yearned
to make known to my dear people my pecu-
liar exercises of mind, that 1 might have
their sympathies.

Greatly was my soul refreshed and com-
forted on one occasion, about the first of
Pebrnary, during one of our vestry meet-
ings, to hear a number of praying sonls
arise, and say that it had been deeply im-
pressed upon their miiids that they must
pray more than ever for the pastor. One of
them stated that the burden of his own
prayers had long been for me — that the mo-
ment he had undertaken toprayfor himself, he
almost unconsciously and involuntarily found
himself praying for me. Three of these in-
dividuals were neither membersof our church,
nor believers in the doctrine of the Second
Advent near, although devoted Christians,
having come in to enjoy the season of revival.
And now my soul flowed out like water in
gratitude and thankfulness to God for the
intelligence that others were bearing my case
continually up to heaven. Immediately we
all bowed before God, and my soul wrestled
and agonized before the Throne, that God
would keep my feet from stumbling, take me
into his hand, and reveal to me not only all
truth, but show me what he meant by the
peculiar strivings of his Spirit. On returning
to my residence, again I knelt to pour out my
desires unto God ; and no sooner was my

27

knee bent, than again I found myself, as on
the first of January, in theawfnl presence of
Jehovah; fear and trembhng seized all my
reins, while glory seemed to envelope me.
At once, with as much clearness and force as
though an audible voice had thundered it in
my ear, and down into the very depths of my
soul, I was given to understand something to
this effect : — the glorious reign of Christ — my
own responsible connexion with the accom-
plishment of his triumph over the wicked —
brevity — lightning. Immediately, and for
several days following, my mind dwelt with
overwhelming interest on what these things
might mean. Now, I thought I could inter-
pret them in this way ; — God is about to con-
vert the town, and perhaps a large portion
of the earth — the day for a temporal millen-
nium is fast dawning; — I am to be used as
an instrument in effecting these glorious
things for Zion; — my life is just at its close;
— allis to be done with the speed of lightning.
Again, this was my interpretation : Christ is
about to make his personal appearance, for
the destruction of the ungodly, and the
gathering home of the saints ; — 1 am to sound
the Midnight Cry ; — the day of probation has
just run out, and all are to be hurried into
eternity; — these things are to be closed up
with the speed of lightning ! Impressions of
this kind were invariably made upon my
mind, whenever I got near to God in holy,
agonizing prayer; and whenever my mind

2S

wavered in regard to the near approach of
Christ to reign on earth either temporally
or spiritually, I was completely wretched 5
though previously I might have been in
religious raptures. Frequently, when in
prayer^ I would have such heavenly mani-
festations, and such convictions wrought on
my soul, that I would rise from my knees,
Avith the fullest persuasion that Christ was
truly at the door. Still I had not studied the
Bible with careful reference to the doctrine
of the Advent near. I thought the task to be
a difficult one, and I did not feel that I had
time then to enter upon it. But I could have
no inward rest until I made a commence-
ment.

I now began to search the Scriptures, with-
out note or comment, for myself. I took the
chart used to illustrate the visions of Daniel,
merely to aid in keeping everything clear
and distinct before my mind. It was hum-
bling, notwithstanding all that God had done
for me, to study the Bible with the aid of a
chart, on which I had heretofore looked with
so much contempt. There was the figure of a
man in a certain attitude ! and then, in diflfer-
ent postures, the figures of various and most
hideous beasts! The repugnance with which
I regarded that chart cannot be well con-
ceived. I thought it to have been con-
jured up by some dreamy, silly person, who
was seeking to make everybody Irke himself.
But why should I have had this deep-rooted

29

prejudice against those symbols ? There is
man, a being proud of his capacities, allied
to God, and the destined associate of angels ;
what symbol more appropriately chosen to
illustrate the occurrence of the greatest events
which the world has or will ever witness?
There is the lion, the lord of the forest, at
whose roar man himself trembles and turns
pale; and there are the other mighty beasts
of the field, next to man in the scale of being ;
what symbols more appropriate than these
Avith which to mark the scale of time ? Those
symbols, those pictures^ hideous as they ap-
pear, why, they are the language of the
Bible. And supposing there should be just
such a transfer to paper of all events recorded
in the word of God, what kind of a scene
would be presented before the eye ! But the
chart is in perfect obedience to the command
of God — '' Write the vision and make it plain
upon tables, that he may run that readeth it.''
I was totally ignorant of just what the chart
was designed to illustrate, and knew not what
was the reasoning from it.

I cannot here relate what were my feelings
as my investigations went on. I was as-
tonished and humbled to observe the Baby-
lonian kingdom represented by the head of
gold; the Medo- Persian by the breast and
^.xms oi silver ; the Grecian by the belly and
thighs of brass; and the fourth kingdom by
the legs of iron, and its divisions by the feet

and toes of iron and of clay. And then to
3#

^

admit, that our own and other proud nations
were represented by the feet and toes, ^'part
of iron and part of potter's clay,'^ I could
hardly brook ; still I would believe it if I had
good and sufficient proof for it. Pursuing my
study, I was amazed, surprised, delighted, on
discovering such a complete correspondence
between the vision of Nebuchadnezzar and
that of Daniel ; and then finding such a
perfect likeness between that seen by Daniel
and by John the revelator, even to the number
of days when the vision should expire. I
could but think that John must have been
verv familiar with the book of Daniel ;
or that some of his book must have been
penned without much inspiration. But I
could reconcile the matter easier than this : —
it was of God, and he was taking these vari-
ous means to remind man, at different and
remote intervals from each other, that he
was not slack concerning his promises, and
that he might have some gauge by which to
ascertain how fast and at what period the
sands of time should all run out. My Poly-
glot Bible was on my table, and aided me
wonderfully in making speedy references to
other portions of God's word. Such was the
harmony between the books of Daniel and
of John, and other books of the Bible; so
plainly did the book of Daniel and all the
passages to which I had reference for the
purpose of comparing Scripture with Scrip-
ture, teach the doctrine of the near approach

31

of Christ, that I began to be suspicious of
the edition of my Bible, and actually turned
to the title-page to see by whom and when
it was published. I know the reference
column is the work of man ; but still it ap-
pears singular, that man, years ago, and
probably without any intention of teaching
the Second Advent near, should make such
happy references.

Having given the book of Daniel a
thorough investigation, which I had never
before done, — supposing if that or any other
book of the Bible really taught the doctrine
of Christ's speedy coming, those who were
more aged, learned and pious than myself,
would be likely to ascertain it ; and that when
they sounded the note of alarm it would be
time enough for me to awake, — I was
astonished to find the mass of Scripture tes-
timony in favor of this doctrine. My mind
had seemed to sympathize with that of
Daniel throughout the whole vision ; and I
waited in fearful suspense for every word of
explanation and revelation which the angel
gave him ; and when his last words were
uttered, as contained in the last verse of the
last chapter of Daniel, my interest was over-
whelming ; and I asked, what do these things
mean ? They cannot have but a very par-
tial reference to DaniePs people after the flesh.
Daniel could not have understood them thus.
Had they been a plain, literal account of
what was to befall his own people, he could

32

not have been so amazed and astonished ; he
would have more readily comprehended the
meaning of the angel's instructions. Besides,
there are things in the book which cannot be
interpreted as having a mere reference to the
Jews ; there is a mist, a veil, drawn over the
whole book when such an application is
made of it. On the other hand, all is clear
and harmonious, when it is applied to teach
mainly the captivity and the deliverance of
the children of God, together with the setting
up of the kingdom of Christ.

1 accordingly found that if I was still re-
solved on making the Bible my chart in these
perilous times, / must believe that the book
of Daniel contains a full description of the
kingdoms of this world down to the present
hour — that it introduces the kingdom of the
Messiah, which is just ready to be set up,
the consummation of all things, the coming
of Christ in the clouds of heaven, to receive
his dear disciples home to everlasting habita-
tions, the burning of the earth, and the
destruction of the wicked.

When I found it admitted, on all hands, that
the seventy weeks were weeks of years, and
that near the expiration of 490 years Messiah
the Prince was cut off according to the vision ;
the inference appeared both natural and
necessary, that the days should be considered
as prophetical days or solar years ; and find-
ing that events corresponding exactly to those
referred to in the vision, were engraved on

33

the broad page of history, and harmonized
perfectly with those in the vision ; and see-
ing that if the last chapter of Daniel did not
teach the final resurrection and judgment, no
chapter of the New Testament did ; that the
days in the last verse of that chapter included
the occurrence of those great events which
Daniel hhnself was to witness ; and that if it
were allowed that this chapter does refer to
the final judgment, (and before this contro-
versy, it has always been supposed to,)
then it seemed to me to be a very strange
appendage to affix to the vision which inclu-
ded events which had transpired centuries
ago — a wonderful leaping from 164 B. C,
when Antiochus died, or 68 A. D., when Nero
died, to the time of the judgment, &c. : — I
accordingly felt that I must give way to the
clear and sober convictions not only of my
understanding, but to the more solemn con-
victions of my soul, to which the truth was
now applied with unspeakable power. Still I
sought for additional evidence, by comparing
the contents of the book of Daniel with other
portions of God's word, by the signs of the times
in the natural, political, the commercial, the
moral and religious world; and I thought
that if we had not, and were not witnessing
these sig7is at the present day, then my im-
agination could not conceive of what those
signs spoken of by our Saviour could possibly
be, and it would relieve my mind much to
see an individual sit down, and with pencil

S4

and brush delineate them any better than
they had already been exhibited.

Humbling and mortifying as it would have
been to me six months ago to have taken my
seat at the feet of brother Miller, brother
Hersey, and brother Himes, I could do it
now without a struggle. Light began to
break in upon my mind by degrees, until the
conflict of old and long-cherished prejudices
and errors with pure truth ended forever, and
was succeeded with indescribable peace and
glory, and yet with dreadful solemnity of
mind; and whereas for the past two months,
although I had received great light on the
doctrine of holiness," yet, as remarked, I had
felt as though some undiscovered truth was
still to be perceived, not even supposing that
it was the doctrine of the Advent near ; and
whereas I had felt as though the firmament
of my mind was yet bedotted with a few re-
maining clouds, I could now look up to the
natural heavens, which were then as clear as
crystal, and feel that my mind was just like
those heavens ; all was like the blazing sun
in yon azure blue. I now found that I stood
where I could run and read ; that I had ob-
tained the mystical key, by which I could
open at pleasure and lay my hand on each
and all the sparkling gems and precious
pearls of the holy treasury ; that the Holy
Spirit had conferred upon me the white stoue,
with the new name written thereon, which
no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it.

35

I seemed to stand on a rock which hell could
not shake, and to be armed with ten thousand
weapons with which to meet all the hosts of
darkness.

On the next Sunday I preached the blessed
doctrine of Christ at the door; and O the
power of God which came down upon me ! I
was amazed and confounded at the words
which God poured from my lips ; for I can call
God to witness that it was not me that spoke,
it was the Holy Ghost that spake by me!
The awful solemnity of that day, of that place,
and of that audience, can never be forgotten.
After the close of the afternoon services, I
feared to open even the lids of the Bible, for the
truth came almost independent of the Bible,
rushing and streaming, and blazing into my
mind like waves of light; God's Holy Spirit
still continued to increase upon me, until my
body was entirely "prostrated^ my strength
gone, and I was compelled to cry out after the
example of my Master, — "Father, if it be pos-
sible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless
not my will, but thine be done."

Yes, singular, and almost blasphemous as
it might appear to some, I could but pray that
light might be in a measure withdrawn from
my mind, and glory from my soul, if agreeable
to God's will. , Nevertheless, without the
Divine will, I felt ready to die under it. Be-
fore retiring to rest, God heard ; and my soul,
that had been like the destructive tempest of
the ocean, settled down into the calm and

36

quiet of the rivulet of the valley, and I gave
myself to slumber as though nothing had
happened, and slept sweetly until morning.

And now, my dear brethren, I feel so confi-
dent that the judgment is just at hand, that the
great moral drama of earth is just over, and
that in a very few more months, at least, I
shall see my Jesus descending from the skies,
that I feel as though I oould stand up alone
in the face of all Christendom in defence of
these things. God has wrought it into my
very soul : he has given me the evidence of it
there. Ah ! that is significant language !
O that I had seen these things years ago !
How have I been in such a dungeon all my
life ! What a Babylon^ what a Babylon I
have been inhabiting ; like the feet and the
toes of the image, which were part of clay
and part of iron, so the world, our country,
philosophy, religion, are a perfect compound.
Religious truth has become curiously com-
plicated, and distributed and divided around
among all the difierent sects of professing
Christians, each having a portion of the
truth ; while Christians, in general, have the
sacred truth of Christ as our only ground of
hope and salvation ; but what denomination
has most of the love of Jesus — most of vital
godliness, I know not: this seems to be like
the blood which is not confined to any one
portion, but spreads and diff'uses its vital
power throughout the whole body. I must
say that the religion of Protestants, as it is

3T

now held, is, to use the weakest language,
tii:ictured with a little atheism, and deism,
and Unitarianism, and Universalism, and
philosophy, and mysticism. I am grieved to
say it, but it is even so. Many of our dear
brethren almost deny the doctrine of the res-
urrection of the dead, — the body is to rise, if
at all, in some ethereal, invisible form ; and
heaven, and Jesus, and all holy intelligences
are of the same subtle nature. With many,
the judgment, to a great extent, was at the
destruction of Jerusalem. And then, too,
Christ comes the second time, as he comes
to every man the second time when he dies.
Whereas Paul says that he shall appear the
second time, when he comes, ^' without sin
unto salvation." O, I am confounded at our
past ignorance of the word of God, and at
our awful abuse of its doctrines. We have
spiritualized them all away, until our holy
religion has neither life nor tangibility, and
there is hardly a solitary motive left to use
in inspiring to a life of holiness, and in draw-
ing the poor soul up to heaven ! Where is
the Christian's God, the Christian's Savior,
the Christian's Comforter, the Christian's
Bible? O, to weep tears of blood! The
Bible, the Bible! The Old Testament we
have all, long since, thrown over to the
carnal Jew : and as to the Neiv Testament,
we have given him a good proportion of that
too, and the rest is distributed among Chris-
tians, philosophers, and scoffers. O, what a
4

38

pity ! How it has pained my very soul for the
past few months ! Where is the Christian's
Bible?

And now, where are the watchmen upon
the walls, that have dared to speak the truth
FEARLESSLY, without any regard to pop-
ular opinion, station, and at the peril of their
idol, — reputation and influence? Come down
into the streets of this blazing Babylon ; enter
the houses of merchandise, and the gorgeous
palaces of the professed disciples of our dear
Master, who had not where to lay his head:
and then look abroad and see a heathen
world plunging down to hell ! O, is this, is
this primitive Christianity? and yet we are
told that Christians are going to convert the
world ! Why, the energies of the Christian
church are all paralyzed, and there are
hardly the least signs of life in the spiritual
body as a whole ; and yet some tell us that
the temporal millermium is to commence this
very year, or hereabouts ; and perhaps in
the next breath, that the treasury is ex-
hausted, that candidates for the field have
withdrawn their names, that the missionary
has setted down in utter despair^ finding it
worse than useless to cry out, '^ Come over
and help us!" while it is boldly confessed
that we need a ''^History of Moral Stagna-
tion.^^ And it is verily so.

O, why do not the dear disciples see, that
Jehovah is reining in the chariot steeds of
earth, and shouting, ''Thus far and no far-

39

ther?" Where are the means, but above all.
where is the disposition to convert the world
to Christ! Where is the Christian nation
that will be the first to advance in this en-
terprise ? England, according to her own
confession, is fast going back to heathenism.
America, I fear, is in danger of a like predica-
ment; she is exporting Bibles and missiona-
ries to Germany, and importing, in exchange,
German neology, the direct tendency of
which is to rob the Bible of its inspiration,
miracles, and divine authority. She is quite in
the arms of the papal hierarchy ; the tramp of
the iron foot of the Pope already breaks upon
our ear from over the hills and valleys of
the great West. I am truly confounded, as I
look and behold the death-like slumbers of
the church ; and I do solemnly believe that
there is nothing that can save us but the in-
terposition of his arm who is the Almighty.
Unless the Prince, the mighty Conqueror, Je-
sus Christ, the Son of God, does speedily
appear, all is lost. But for myself, I enter-
tain no fears. Christ will come, and deliver
us a^ccording to the Word of God, ere such
a crisis shall occur. I believe it with all
my soul. I believe it with as much confi-
dence as I believe that the doctrine of regene-
ration is a doctrine of the Bible; with as much,
and perhaps more assurance than I believe
that I have a personal interest in the blood
of Christ. I am willing to peril everything
on it. In thus proclaiming, I am well aware

40

that I incur a most tremendous responsibility.
Granted ; so did Noah, and Jonah. But hear,
beloved brethren; God has made me take
upon myself this awful responsibility ; and
you must feel that I should be the last man
to bear it, had not God himself laid it upon
me. Once I should have trembled to have
stood up in the face of the world and the
church, feeble as I am, to preach this start-
Hng, awful, and yet, to the Christian, glori-
ous truth. But God has ordered ; God is on
my side ; and God is witness to what I
write. O, that 1 had been more diligent for
my Master ; that I had labored more faith-
fully for souls ; that I had more frequently
denied self, and made greater sacrifices for
him who died for me, and who is now com-
ing to take me to be with him forever ! At
the eleventh hour, and when the last cry,
that '^ the Bridegroom cometh,'' is just ready
to be uttered, I am graciously brought in, to
blow the trumpet in Zion, and to sound the
alarm in God's holy mountain.

My soul is now content, and in a state of
greater peace and joy than ever ; Jesus, has
seemed to smile affectionately; and the Spirit,
which had so long been striving with me in
relation to something, seems to have left me
to go about my Father's business.

Beloved brethren, do not censure me for
the confident tone in which I speak ; for it is
the confidence of my soul. God has wrought
this great truth on my soul, too, ''as with a

41

pen of ii^on!''^ I cannot think that it is my
nature to he headstrong in my religious opin-
ions ; on the contrary, I have ever been more
disposed to yield my own to the better judg-
ment and wisdom of my superiors. There
is only one respect in which I think that I
have the advantage of those who differ with
us on the great question of Christ's Advent;
it is that God has vouchsafed to me the aid
of the Spirit of tritth to lead me into all truth,
and to show me things to come.

In the midst of such a clashing of opinions
on this subject, I want light ; I want a guide ;
and I feel that I must make the Bible that
light, and the Spirit that guide, and learn
and decide for myself. I do not set myself
up haughtily and arrogantly as a teacher of
those who are so much my seniors, and for
whom I have not as yet lost my reverence.
I am only reading God's word for myself,
and I hope that I shall teach it with a mod-
esty becoming my youth. If now I have
imbibed an error, then I will with all pa-
tience and humility sit at the feet of any of
our. Master's holy servants who can supply
me with the truth, promising that I will
heartily renounce my present for more scrip-
tural views, when they are produced, and
will rejoice to labor on for years to come in
the cause of Christ, feeling that I am just
qualified to be a laborer in the vineyard of
our Lord. I am wedded to no party, and to
no stereotyped theo'ry. What I have learnt

42

of late, I have, I believe, been taught by the
word of God. I have not read Mr. Miller's
lectures, neither know what they are. As to
any mortification or chagrin which it might
be supposed that I should feel, should time
prove my error, I have only to say, that if a
vestige of pride is yet lurking in my heart, I
desire its total destruction. Yea, more, if I
am deceived, which I do not believe, I am
perfectly willing to be held up to the world
as a subject of religious fanaticism. In this
way I may subserve the cause of religion,
by being a warning to future generations, to
be careful how they handle the word of
God. I am willing to be remembered, only
to be despised.

But it may be said that I am laboring un-
der a delusion ; that I am visionary and fa-
natical. In refutation of this charge, I must
refer not only to the cast of my mind, which
would sooner incline me to scepticism than to
fanaticism, and sooner subject me to the slow
progress of my reason, than to any sudden
impulses of feeling ; but to the brief history
of my life, brethren, as you are acquainted
with it. You know that I have always been
a conservative on all the great moral topics
of the day, and exceedingly fearful of all
'' isms." And as for being deluded, I cannot
allow. I know that the devil is always
busy, and for fear of attributing either to the
devil or to nature what ought to be attribu-
ted to grace or to God's Spirit, I have all my

43

life long been in bondage. Must I throw
away all good impressions and influences for
fear the devil may have originated them?
If in the present instance I am deluded, then
I was deluded fourteen weeks since, and six-
teen years ago, when first converted to God.
The same kind of arguments by which I
satisfy myself that I was ever converted, I
urge in order to prove the reaUty of what I
experienced at the opening of this year ; and
in like manner I prove the genuineness of
what I have again experienced by what I
then saw and felt ; each were perfect conver-
sions, brought about by the sovereign agen-
cy of God. If it still be contended that I am
deluded, then I would humbly ask, how
may I know when my prayers are answered ;
when I am under the influences of God's
Spirit, and the leadings of the spirit of truth?
In despair I must cry out — I am like a vessel
at sea, with the storm beating, the winds
raging, the waves dashing, the stars obscured
in impenetrable darkness, the helm gone, and
chart and compass as good as useless. Have
we forgotten some of the first principles of
our faith 'I Has God left us to such awful
uncertainty, and been no more mindful of
the safety, comfort and good of his children ?
The Spirit and the Word agree in what I
have seen and felt ; and I feel as though it
would be next to the commission of that sin
which hath no forgiveness, either in this
world or in the world to come, to go contra-

44

ry to the Bible as I now read it, and to the
Spirit which now influences me to give the
midnight cry. It is far, far easier for me to
beUeve than to disbeUeve that Christ stand-
eth at the door ; and that I am under the in-
fluence of the good, than of the evil spirit.
Could the devil so deceive me, and fill my
soul for days and weeks with such unuttera-
ble peace, joy, and glory — give me such
nearness to God in prayer — make me willing
to leave all for Christ's sake — to endure the
loss of the friendship and esteem of my dear
brethren^ — to be accounted as "• stupid''— and
willingly to stand and sufler the scoff's and
sneers of both the wicked and the professedly
religious ! Will not Satan be likely to lose more
than he can possibly gain by such a manoeu-
vre ? / must hazard the issue, in connection
with many whom I am gratified and sur-
prised to find have had an experience just
like my own on this subject; they are good
men, whatever /may be.

In months and years gone by, the preach-
ing of ''Christ at the door" has resulted in
the conversion of souls, who still adorn their
profession. If the preaching of this doctrine
is calculated to frighten men into religion,
and to make spurious converts, then is the
preaching of future punishment, when dis-
connected with this subject, liable to like ob-
jection. And if the doctrine that Christ is
about to leave the mediatorial seat, is calcu-
lated to lead to insanity, then should the

45

doctrine of the final judgment be a proscribed
themCj on the same ground. And the friends
of evangelical religion ought to beware how
fast they work into the hands of those who
are not the friends of the religion of Christ.
Should time continue, and the world run on
as ever, they will have to meet their enemies
under circumstances new and strange, but
whic?i they will have the satisfaction of
knowing have been of their own creating.
The fortifications of sand which they have
hastily thrown up as a seeming defence
against one enemy, will be washed away by
the first storm that sets in from the opposite
quarter.

One good, at least, has already resulted
from this controversy : it has shown to some
extent what are the real, tangible doctrines
of the church — to what the heart as well as
the mind assents in the Scriptures; and it
has exhumed some of the cardinal doctrines
of our holy religion, with the reasonable hope
that they will be preserved, in all their native
freshness and power, unto the coming of our
Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

And now, dear brethren, I take my leave
of you; and in so' doing, let me ask you, as
friends to me and to the cause of truth, will
you account for what 1 have experienced?
If disposed to reject all natural phenomena,
as indicative of Christ's coming, as Christian
philosophers will you account for the present
religious phenomena in the moral heavens !

46

How is it? I had never read the experience
of any soul on this subject, until I read my
own experience in theirs. Here are minis-
ters of the gospel, and Christians of all sects,
in all parts of our land, without any previous
knowledge of each other, exercised alike by
the Spirit and power of God, and led into
the unshaken behef that the Judge standeth
at the door. And nothing as yet advanced
by their opponents can persuade them to the
contrary !

Brethren, I could write much, but time is
short and forbids it. I have not given you
the argument on this great subject, for it was
not my design so to do. I only give you my
experience in connection with it. Others
have prepared works on this subject, to the
investigation of which I now invite your
prayerful attention. My present aim is
merely to conciliate your feelings in behalf
of this great truth. God's word is intelligi-
ble; you may understand it; search for it
with childlike simplicity ; cry after it, and
you shall find it. Consider, God is the same
as ever ; and hence it would not be strange,
if he should cause the midnight cry to swell
up first from among the poor and illiterate.
He is a mysterious God !

And now, brethren, often have I wept and
agonized in prayer to God for you. You
have my heart ; I love you ; and because
I love you, I want you to see the truth.
You have labored anxiously and faithfully

47

for God, and now I want yon to lift np your
heads and rejoice, for your redemption draw-
eth nigh. You need not be assured that it is
not in my heart to harbor one hard feehng
against those who do not see the vision : I
can sympathize with them in their blindness
— ^just so /once was, and should be now but
for the sovereign power and unmerited grace
of God. I can truly say that I never loved
them so well : and I feel strong convictions
that they will soon be startled from their
slumbers. If ever there was a time when
every minister of Christ should prayerfully
think, solemnly study, and independently
act, noiv is that monient. They hazard souls
more than we do : for if Christ should come
suddenly^ how many poor souls will they be
the occasion of destroying ! Brethren, need
I remind you of your own individual respon-
sibility at this interesting period? Will you
suifer one soul to perish through your indif-
ference to the cause of truth !

Brethren, I have written hastily and fa-
miliarly. I have left much unsaid, and some
things unexplained. By a reference to page
26, you will perceive that I allude to one bro-
ther in particular, who had for weeks and
months prayed much for me, although we
had had but a partial acquaintance. He
knew not, as he has since confessed, why he
should have such feelings for me. Bi\t when
God so signally blest me at the opening of
this year, then with a heart full of emotion

48

and tears gushing from his eyes, he said God
had heard his prayers, and made all plain to
him. I have learned, too, that many pray-
ing souls had agonized in prayer to God for
me, that my eyes might be opened to the
momentous truth of the approach of our Lord
to gather home his children; and they had
gained an evidence at a throne of grace that
their prayers were accepted, and should be
answered. My own people had felt, and
publicly declared their convictions, that per-
secution and suffering awaited me for the
truth's sake ; and hence their prayers as-
cended to God in my behalf, little thinking,
as well as myself, from what quarter, and on
what ground, the trial and pain would come.
Their impressions were well founded ; the
fiery trial has overtaken me ; but as I then
said, so I now say, let the storm come; I
was never before worthy of persecution.
God, however, is my daily support and con-
solation ; and I am thankful to be one to
suffer reproach for his sake ; for I have the
promise that if I suffer with him, I shall also
reign with him. And now it is my prayer
that this brief narrative of God's gracious
dealings with me, maybe blest to your ever-
lasting good.

May the grace of our Lord and Savior Je-
sus Christ be with you all forever. Amen.
Your beloved brother,

F. G. BROWN.

Boston, April 19, 1843.

APPENDIX

Note. The following letters, written by Rev. J. B.
Cookj of Middletown, Ct., exhibit the progress of his mind
and the results of his investigations of the doctrine of the
Second Advent. They are appended to this narrative, in
the hope that they may be blest to the souls of some of the
servants of Christ.

Middletown, April 14, 1843.

Dear Brother Brown, — It gives me pleas-
ure to be able to add my hmnble testimony
to yours, relative to our Lord's glorious ap-
pearing, and the influence of this truth on
the heart and life. ^'In the mouth of two or
three witnesses every word shall be estab-
hshed."

It is an interesting fact, that there are several
ministers, one of the Episcopal church, another
of the Baptist, and another of the Congrega-
tional, whose deep and awful convictions of
these things may be expressed in your own
language. Indeed, all with whom I have
conversed, who are waiting for the coming
of Jesus, have substantially the same experi-
ence. In most instances, it is in advance of
all ordinary Christian experience. It cuts
5

50

the soul loose from the world, lifts it above
the earth, and fills it with glory and with
God. They feel, speak, pray, and sing with
unwonted energy. They are more like the
first Christians than any whom I have
known. On the day of Pentecost they felt
so deeply, spoke with such power, and
were so much above the fear of man, that
unbelievers said, " These men are filled Vvdth
new wine." It was not natural for poor men
to feel so happy and independent. It was
not common for uneducated men to utter
such strong emotions in such resistless argu-
ment, without something to excite them. It
is apparent, also, that the Second Advent
friends have something that is not natural to
them ; therefore, they ascribe it to some
cause. They know that we do not drink
wine, and they dare not say it is from Satan ;
hence they aver that we are crazy. Any-
thing to set aside the agency of the Holy
Ghost. A fact may not be amiss : One of
my good deacons, who felt obliged to account
for my depth of feeling for the salvation of
men, and burning love to Christ and his ap~
pearing, said, in a neighboring city, that I
must be crazy. He called several times, from
sheer sympathy, to see me ; we did not dis-
pute, but sung, and then bowled in solemn
prayer till all prayed. The good deacon,
though he felt like a great sinner under aw-
ful conviction, was touched, and made more
willing to look at our Lord's coming. In a

51

short time he became quite as crazy as his
so much pitied pastor. But now he knows
'^ we are not mad,^^ No upright mind can
long ascribe this spiritual phenomena to any
other agency than that of the good Spirit,
Avhich appHes the most overwhelming truths
to the soul.

Judging from facts, which have come un-
der my own observation, I should think that
thousands have had an experience, in all its
leading characteristics, Hke our own. Our
spirit is one — our views, our language, our
desire the same. Each pulsation of my soul
beats in unison with yours. Six ministers, as
I have learned very recently, say their expe-
riences agree with ours. There is a flood of
light poured on our minds from the Bible.
The seals of the prophecies seem broken off*,
and the mysteries unravelled — indeed, the sa-
cred volume seems all light, the blessed Savior
its fulness, and the glory to be revealed as in
open vision. I have learned more of the
present and prospective condition of man,
more of Christ and his kingdom, during the
past few weeks, than during all my former
life. My soul reposes on God, and seems
satisfied with its having, at least, a clue to
his purposes relating to man.

The nature and reality of our experience
may be seen by contrasting it with those
who have opposed the speedy coming of our
Lord. Were we in a delusion, and our op-
ponents basking in the sunshine of truth, we

52

might expect to see them just so much more
spiritual and separate from the world, and
zealous for the Lord of Hosts. But alas,
their Lord seems, as he says he will, in the
parable of the talents, to have taken away
what they had. Many of them lose their in-
terest in prayer, even for inquiring souls. I
have seen them go straightway into dark-
ness, their lamps go out, and they feel and
say that they are wretched. Now my bro-
ther, ''do men gather grapes of thorns^ or
figs of thistles ?^^ ''Make the tree good^
then the /n/i^ will be good." The truth is
adapted to our minds. It sits easily and
naturally on our hearts. It is attended by
the good Spirit, makes us at home with God
in prayer, at peace with ourselves, and to
feel compassion toward all mankind. If,
therefore, any feel at war with themselves,
and in sympathy with the wicked, they
have proof positive that they are wrong —
radically wrong. This experimental truth
is so simple that every mind can grasp it.
Every one, not a stranger to themselves and
to truth, must see that when love to God
burns within, till it absorbs the whole soul,
and our eyes are opened to see that we
should warn the world, doomed to fire, —
when we are "crucified to the world, and
the world to us," we must be actuated by a
spirit that is not of this world. It is the good
Spirit, which has no sympathy with sin, in
the church, or out of it. This experience.

53

standing out in such striking contrast with
that above stated, is a strong confirmation
of prophecy. Thousands who do not receive
our views, say that we are in the last days,
but the Spirit must be '^poured out'' accor-
ding to prophecy. Now we may ask where
are any more remarkable proofs of this fulfil-
ment, than in cases like your own, among
those who believe the Lord's coming at the
doors ?

Allow me to say some things, which I feel
compelled to, though they may seem severe.
They are severe, however, only because
they are, I solemnly believe, true. Nothing
but the truth searches out and shows up
what is opposed to the simplicity of Christ.
My mind seems to have been like that of the
prophet of God, in the chambers of imagery.
The views I have had of the church are aw-
fully solemn. It gives me no pleasure to al-
lude to them, — I should not, but from a pain-
ful conviction of duty. '^ That which makes
manifest 7*5 triith.''^ It is manifest to me, that
the ruling spirit of this world controls most
professors in their dress, in their sanctuaries,
in the order of their Avorship, in the rage for a
popular ministry, and in the means for perpet-
uating such a ministry as the worldly, rather
than the spiritually-minded, will follow and
applaud. The minister who pleases the rich,
and secures their attendance by the poetry and
eloquence of his sermons, is praised, on the
same principle that a successful lawyer or
5'^

54

mercantile adventurer is. '' Men will praise
thee, when thou doest well for thyself." But
alas, this kind of doing well by a minister,
is, I solemnly fear, but a device of the devil
to destroy souls. There are many powerful
elements in our nature which the tempter
employs to make us worldly. They are em-
ployed with tremendous effect to make pro-
fessors dress fashionably, walk to the house
of God fashionably, sit up in church fashion-
ably, worship fashionably, preach and pray
fashionably, and, though deeply pained to
record it, truth adds — go to hell fashionably!
O that their dreadful delusion might end be-
fore the blast of the seventh trumpet shall
end it for them. Fashionable disciples of a
crucified Jesus! The sin of the Pharisees
was unbelief. It was occasioned by their
yielding to the spirit of this world. ''How
can ye believe, who receive honor one of an-
other, and seek not the honor that cometh
from God only 7"

When we with Christian faithfulness say
these things to those who most need warn-
ing, they regard us a little as Ahab did Eli-
jah: ''Art thou he that troubleth Israel?"
But were we silent, these very ministers
would mark our inconsistency. Many min-
isters and people unite to hinder the break-
ing of the slumbers of the church by the re-
vealed truth that Christ is coming. Alas !
that they do not see that opposition to his
second advent is more sinful than was the

55

opposition of the scribes and Pharisees to
him at his first advent: then he came to
suffer and die, now he is coming to be glori-
fied. He is coming to reward all his injured
servants. O, it is '' far more exceeding" sin-
ful for them to oppose the Savior's coming
now, than eighteen hundred years ago. They
have more light, — they oppose the destruc-
tion of the man of sin, the consummation of
Christ's glory, and the happiness of all his
servants. They would perpetuate the reign
of sin and Satan, and see hundreds of thou-
sands going weekly to perdition.
/That the church is seeking to perpetuate
the existing state of things, is seen in all that
is said and done to resist a change.^ It is
seen in the advice given to ministers to
adapt their discourses to the taste of respect-
able ungodliness. Thousands of pastors
would lose their places^ did they not con-
form, and leave sin in its more specious
forms unrepr^yfed. One minister just told
me that his people wanted him to cater to
the Unitarian palate of his audience. Many
ministers need no such advice from without
to induce them to such a course. They are
too ^'wise and prudent" to risk much on
God's Avord. They want a '^sign," — some-
thing to insure them. So did the chief
priests; and so they were damned. Could
I speak in trumpet tones, I would say to
every one who is fearful to follow the word
and the Spirit of God, "• O ye of little faith."

56

You tell a sinner to cast himself on God, —
why don't you? Unbelief in a minister of
Christ is far more sinful than in a sceptic,
whose mind has always been darkened.
Their excuse is, that there are dijfiiculties
about the prophetic periods ; but you are
right in saying that if we set aside all the
evidence from that source, we ought still to
expect the speedy coming of our Lord.
Thousands have become assured of it, by
the current language of Scripture, sent home
to the heart by the Spirit.

It is not for me to judge or set at naught
my brother, — but it is for me to give full ut-
terance to truth, when our Lord has written
it on%ny heart. He has written out two
classes of ministers, as plainly as he has two
classes of people — Matt. vii. 21 — 27. One
class digs deep, and does God's will at all
hazards — does not, dares not, flinch, though
traduced and despised : these stand. The
other class do many things — achieve won-
ders— are highly esteemed, but they build on
human wisdom and prudence, which is folly
— 'tis sliding sand. This class ^^falV' for-
ever.

In Matt. xxiv. 42 — 51, our Lord has given
us a pair of scales in which all ministers
may be weighed. One class is free to avow
their expectation of their Lord's coming.
They do not fear a failure; therefore they
say to the household, be ye ready — trim
your lamps — have them well filled and burn-

57

ing. Let your work be all done and well
done. Now what says the Judge ? '^Blessed
is thiit servant" — '• He will make him
ruler."

. The other class is not looking for the
L6rd's coming. From some cause they say
that our Lord is not now to be expected.
They call their fellow-servants, who would
rouse the household, weak, or deluded, or
insane. O, that they would read their doom !
They say to others, '^ He that believeth and
is baptized shall be saved, but he that believ-
eth not shall be damned." My soul is pained
to see ministers living in disregard of more
plain and pointed descriptions of their char-
acter and their doom, than did the scribes
and Pharisees. If courtesy or charity de-
mands silence of me as to the doom which
Jesus has written out beforehand, for those
who say their ''Lord delayeth his coming;"
then are they required, on the same principle,
to hush the note of alarm, given to arouse
the unbelievers in their congregation? No.
No, it is not charity to be silent. It is treason
to Christ and cruelty to man, either to sup-
press or misconstrue the doom of the unbe-
liever, or the unfaithful minister.

My- brother, we must renounce all our
ideas of faith and spiritual guidance, and
become infidels in heart, before we can cher-
ish a doubt as to which of the above classes
we and all other ministers should belong.
At all events, I go for trusting all with God

58

— for following the Lamb whithersoever he
leads. When the truth is seen, it should be
received, though it subject us to a banish-
ment in our day, as painful as was that of
Roger Williams. Nay, it should be pror
claimed, though it consigned us to the fiAy
furnace, seven times heated. I hear the
Judge saying, ^' If any man come to me, and
hate not father and mother, wife and chil-
dren, yea, and his own life also, he cannot
be my disciple.'*' These are fearful words,
because they cut off so large a portion of
those for whom we would entertain a hope.

Our Lord is coming, — no one can dispute
this except they be ignorant, or at heart infi-
dels. Then let us preach his coming, in pub-
lic and in private. If our ministering breth-
ren shut us out, it will be one fearful token
against them; Isa. Ixvi. 5. '^Hear the word
of the Lord, ye that tremble at his word.
Your brethren that hated you, that cast you
out for my name's sake, said. Let the Lord be
magnified ; but He shall appear to your joy,
and they shall be ashamed." I pity them,
from my soul. Father, forgive them. Amen !

The accompanying letters show the pro-
gress of my mind in relation to the Second
Advent, and are at your service. Adieu.
Yours in the blessed hope,

J. B. COOK,

59

From the Christian Secretary.

MiDDLETowN, Jan. 30, 1843.
Bro. Burr, — I feel very solemn in making
this communication. It may surprise some,
— make others think me weak and waver-
ing,— and others still, that I am as Festus
thought Paul, mad; but no, — I "speak forth
the words of truth and soberness.'' My ob-
ject is, in part, to forestall false reports of
what is passing here. We are having Sec-
ond Advent meetings in our church, and my
views and feelings have undergone a great
change. It began last August, by a singu-
larly sweet and holy influence, which led me
to pray over and investigate this subject. It
was not by human agency, for I was alone
with God. It was not from a prepossession
in its favor, because I was as much afraid
of it as many unconverted men are of reli-
gion. If I were ever led by the Holy Spirit,
or if I know what this leading is, that bless-
ed guide of God's people led me solemnly to
contemplate this subject. Having been very
much engaged through the winter, my inves-
tigations have proceeded slowly, till the 21st
inst., when brother Stoddard began to lec-
ture. I need not describe the great change
of Avhich I have been the subject. Suflice it
to say, I have never, since my conversion, felt
so much like a young convert as I do now.
I fear neither poverty, nor reproach — indeed,
I dread nothing save the displeasure of God.
My prejudice, my pride, my desire lo please

60

men, seems to be gone ; so that I am the
Lord's freeman. Let me say, then, that /
am solemnly j)ersuade^ that the doctrine of
our blessed Lord's speedy coming is of
God.

I have not time to furnish you with but a
brief statement of the hope that is in me. I
had read the prophecies with much interest,
and had learned something of what others
have written, but still darkness, more or less
dense, seemed to shroud them from my view.
My understanding was not convinced. Now
I am persuaded — my mind reposes in the
persuasion that the truth is seen. To show
that the clouds of darkness have shrouded
this portion of God's word, this fact is in
point. An infidel, having read Prof. Stuart,
said, '•'Well^ he makes the Bible mean but
very little, and that is the opinion I always
had of it." I frankly confess that many of
the prophecies have very little meaning in
my view, if they be interpreted as they have
been. Their obscurity has been increased,
— their darkness has been perpetuated, by
overlooking their sim^plicity.

I got some views, thirteen years since,
from Elder Frey concerning the Jews' re-
turn, which I have ever entertained, because
I was sure he was an honest and unwearied
student of the prophecies. But just come
out from the poetry and symbolic prophecy
of the Old Testament^ where the distinction
between the national and the real Israel is not

61

very accurately maintained, into the clearer
light of the New. Here the Old Covenant is
seen to have been vanishing away more than
seventeen hundred years ago. Now don't
supply another idea. '' That which decay-
eth and waxeth old, is ready to vanish
away^^^ (not restored.) '' They that are un-
der the laiv are under the curse," (not under
the promise.) They adhered only to '^ the
letter^^^ which killed^ and rejected the prom-
ise, which alone could give life. They in-
voked the blood of Messiah on them, and
wrath came on them to the uttermost —
^^ wrath to the uttermost.'''' These passages
should be understood as they say. As many
of the Jews as adhered to "the law," — "the
letter," the Old Covenant, have perished.
This was so at the destruction of Jerusalem,
and has been so since ; by consequence all
other Jews, as really as Gentiles, who are
not brought off from the Old Covenant must
perish, because the law cannot restore Jews
more than Gentiles. If they be ever graffed
in, it must be "by/«27A." If they ever be-
come the children of God, they must believe
in Christ. Gal. iii. 8—10, and 26—30.

There are only two Jerusalems answering
to the two covenants. The old has nothing
left but a few fragments floating down the
current of time. It is a wreck from which
none are saved, except those who are brought
off* by Christ. They must let go and betake
themselves to the better Covenant which di-
6

62

rects their minds to the Jerusalem above —
^' the city which hath foundations — the hea-
venly country." Now the obscure in pro-
phecy should be interpreted by this plain,
unambiguous language. Then all is clear,
that the unbelieving Jews of our day are
lost, as really as in the first age of Christian-
ity, except they repent. The inheritance
given to Abraham by promise, and which is
''sure to all the seed^^' is the heavenly Jeru-
salem, and this is according to God's prom-
ise, '^ in the new heavens and the new earth,
wherein dwelleth righteousness.'' I mean
to say that there is no third or immediate
Jerusalem. As to the signs, I have not room
to say but a word. It seems to me plain,
that as the Jewish Christians had signs given
them, by which they might know when to
escape, so has our Lord given us signs of
his second coming. Nay, he has fulfilled
them in this generation literally. He says,
therefore, '-''Knoio that it is nigh, even at the
doors." This, then, is my solemn convic-
tion, that the coming of the Lord draiveth
nigh. I lift up my head in hope, and say,
'' Even so, come Lord Jesus, come quickly."
Amen !

I do affectionately entreat my brethren in
the ministry to give this subject a candid,
prayerful uivestigation. You will be greatly
blessed, if I may judge from my experience,
in opening your pulpits as well as your
hearts. But let others do as they may, I

63

will not be among the ^^ foolish virgins," nor
among '' the fearful and unbelieving." May
none of you be.

Yours, J. B. Cook.

From the Sentinel and Witness.

The Lord's second coming seems to have
been ever present to the minds of the apos-
tles, when they looked forward into futurity;
'^ For our conversation is in heaven, whence
also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus
Christ." '• To them that look for him, shall
he appear a second time." He will give a
crown of life to all '^ who love his appearing.^^

That he will appear, be seen in person, is
taught in the most intelhgible terms : ^' This
same Jesus which is taken up from you into
heaven, shall so come in like mminer as ye
have seen him go into heaven." Jesus is the
seed of Abraham, to whom the promises were
made. Gal. iii. 16. Those who are of faith, are
Christ's, and thus they become heirs '^accord-
ing to promise." They will be conformed in
their persons, as well as characters, to their
Lord; as it is written, ''He will change our
vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto
His glorious hody^^'' Phil. iii. 2L " When He
shall appear, we shall be like him, for we
shall see him as he is," 1 John iii. 2. This is
not all shadowy or ghostly; because it is the
consummation of that renewing, of which the
apostle speaks, "after the image of him that
made" us. The idea of the Messiah's per-

64

sonal appearing is not an isolated one; but
seems linked in with other more generally-
received truths, so that I discover no more
difficulty in believing it, than I have in be-
lieving that Moses and Elijah were seen ^4n
the holy mount'' by the apostles.

But why do you believe this event is at
hand ? In reply, let me say, that I have re-
flected on the subject a great deal, and have
come to the conclusion that it is so from
the force of evidence. This evidence cannot
be given now, except in the most brief man-
ner possible. The millennium, which Chris-
tians generally believe to be near, is subse-
quent to the second advent, because the
figurative interpretation of Rev. xx. 16, con-
flicts with some of the plainest assertions of
inspired men. The doctrine of a temporal
millennium has this passage, interpretedj?^?^-
ratively^ for its basis. But after investigation,
this seems to oppose other plain declarations
of God's word. Dan. vii. 1 1 — 22. The horn
— the Papal power — made war with the
saints, and prevailed against them. How
long? Until the Ancient of Days came.
Surely, Satan cannot be bound, so long as
his most efficient agent is not only making
war, but prevailing! Matt. xiii. 36, 43.
The tares grow with the wheat. How long?
^^ Till the end," when the righteous shall be
made ^^to shine forth as the sun," according
to the prophecy of Dan. xii. 3.

Jesus saysj Luke xxi. 28, when these

65

things begin to come to pass, then look up
and hft up your heads, for your redemption
draweth nigh."^ At what period then, in the
Divine dispensation, will this redemption
take place? Let the apostle answer, Rom.
viii. 22, 23: ''The whole creation groaneth —
even we ourselves eroan, waiting for the
adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body."
Here there is no room for a thousand years
to intervene between the deliverance of crea-
tion and their resurrection. There is no
place for a thousand years between the signs
foretold by our blessed Lord, and the re-
demption promised his disciples. There is
nothing in the prediction of Daniel to au-
thorize the insertion of a thousand years, or
even days, between the breaking up of anti-
christ and our Lord's Advent; for thus it is
"written, " whom the Lord shall consume with
the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with
the brightness of his coming." If we allow our
minds to follow the plain, unambiguous lan-
guage of inspiration, it is all day-light. Satan
is to be bound, Rev. xx. 2; but no one can bind
the strong man armed except a stronger than
he, which is Jesus, and thisbinding, or consum-
ing, is stated in plain language, 2 Thess. ii. 8.
Then Satan cannot deceive those who have

* This redemption could not have been their escape from
Jerusalem, because they were to escape for their lives, not
even turning back to take ap their garments. To flee ut-
terly destitute, was more like exi'e, than the redemption,
when they should stand before the Son of man, ver. 36.
6%

66

part in the ^' first resurrection;" but they
shall live and reign according to promise.
Then there will be no occasion for any of
them to say to his neighbor, ^Mi:now the
Lord," as in the present state, '^for all shall
know Him," without instruction, " from the
least to the greatest." Then there will be
''none to hurt or destroy in all my holy
mountain." It will be a new order of things;
and this will be the millennium of the Bible,
subsequent to our Lord's "glorious appear-
ing," and the resurrection. As to the prophetic
periods named in Daniel and John, I see and
feel that they are involved in obscurity; but
after hearing the recent lectures and discus-
sions, and reading Profs. Stuart and Chase,
Drs. Cox and DufReld, Messrs. Dowling,
Fitch and Bernard, the piobability is to my
mind that the period of Dan. viii. 14, is 2300
years, the period through which the whole
scheme of his prophecy extends. Gabriel ex-
plained '^ the visiotiy^^ and told him that 70
sevens, or 490 years, were determined or "cut
off" from the whole period, as I suppose,
and gave it a date from the going forth of the
commandment, Dan. ix. 22, 25. This, it
seems to me, was most probably the decree
of Artaxerxes, B. C. 457 — Ezra viii. If so,
then the 490 years terminated in the 33d year
of the Christian era, and the 2300 will ter-
minate this year. As I approached this con-
clusion, I trembled — never have I been so
overwhelmed, so crushed by any admission, as

67

by this. I could have borne but Uttle more;
but I did not, durst not, resist the conviction
— suffice it to say, that my feelings were sub-
sequently as dehghtfuily solemn as they were
overpowering. Never have I had a sweeter
experience, and if it be a blessing to realize
eternal things more, while earthly things are
valued less, then I have been blessed. May
every other one be alike blessed ; for then, if
they be reviled, they will not revile again,
but be at peace with God, and Uve in charity
with all mankind. This conclusion cannot
be made tangible, but must be received like
other truths. '' ^y faith we understand that
the world was made.''^ By faith alone shall
we know its approaching end.

The apostle Paul told believers, 2 Thess.
ii. 8, that the day of the Lord would not
come till the lawless one should be revealed.
That one has not only come, but, in the esti-
mation of Christians generally, has had his
day — therefore, instead of using that passage
against, it becomes an impressive proof that
the coming of the Lord draweth nigh.
Jehovah gave warning of the flood — of the
destruction of Sodom — of the destruction of
Jerusalem — and why not of the destruction
of Antichrist 7 Had he not given us warning,
we should have been in darkness, in contra-
diction to 1 Thess. V. 4: ^'But ye, brethren,
are not in darkness^ that that day should
overtake you as a thief.''

There are, to my mind, several indications

68

that that day is at hand; therefore I am
bound, by every principle of reason and
rehgion, to say so, and pray to be ready.
The doom of the unfaithful servant, who
said my Lord delayeth his coming, is enough
to appal anyone; Matt. xxiv. 50, 51. The
company of those who inquire '^ where is the
promise of his coming," is surely undesirable;
2 Pet. iii. 3. To sum it all up, allow me to
say, ^^Let others do as they may, as for me
and my house, we will," by aid of Divine
grace, look for our blessed Lord, till he come.
^' If the vision tarry, we will wait," assured
^^ it will surely come." As to the manner of
waiting, it should bedn the discharge of every
duty; as it is written, — '' Occupy /i/// come."
''Blessed is that servant whom his Lord,
when he cometh, shall find so ^doing."
Amen ! t o i-.

Feb. mh, 1843. ^ J.B.Cook.

LETTER TO N. HERVEY.

Dear Brother Hervey : — On my return from New
Jersey, I found a very good letter from you. My grati-
tude to God for his goodness to me, as well as you, is
expressed by my writing ; — but O, how can I write the
feelings of my heart ! The blessed SEARCHER of
hearts alone knows them. Human language is too
poor to express them, even though it were entirely at
my command. O, it seems as it never did before, that
God has my whole heart. BLESSED be his holy name,
forever and ever, amen !

If my heart were magnetized iron , and tKe Holy One
the magnet, (excuse the figure,) it could hardly draw
more pov/erfully than my Lord seems to draw out my

69

soul after himself. Yes, my heart, my whole heart,
is drawn away from earth — from all trust in myself or
in man. The Spirit leading me, I cannot, dare not, re-
sist ; yet my understanding was never more clear ;
never more disposed to consider well everything my
heart believes and loves. My interest in the Second
Advent began with a very sweet and holy, yet strong
and melting influence, which inclined my mind to in-
quire into it, in August last. From that time my mind
has been inquiring, and my heart somewhat restless.
Indeed, neither has my intellect or heart been satisfied
on those portions of Scripture relating to this doctrine,
since I left Newton. Now my w^hole intellectual and
moral nature reposes as if the truth is indeed seen. If
this sentiment need illustration, let me say, that, on the
subject of atonement, justification by faith, believers'
baptism, &c., my mind is at rest. As it is written,
'' we who have believed do enter into rest,^'' the heart
reposes in a full belief of pure truth, as does a weary
head on a pillow of down. ERROR never gives such
peace as this. It may lull a person to sleep in sin^ and
leave him as destitute of devotion as of the Holy Ghost.
" Hereby we kno\\'^ the spirit of truth, and the spirit
of error." I have seen some believe the Bible doctrine
of the second coming of Messiah at hand, and they
have been bathed with devotion — '' baptized with the
Holy Ghost. ''^ But others, of whom I entertained an
equally good opinion in disbelieving, have lost all
comfort in prayer, and been constrained to admit that
they had yielded to the devil. This is a fact, whether
my reasoning concerning it be right or not. But when
I see such facts, in apparent illustration of established
Scriptural principles, it is impossible for me to treat
them lightly. You may see what truth I suppose to
be explained by these facts, by reading 1 John iv. 1 — 5.
The principle applies to the second advent as obviously
as to the first. To believe just what God says, as little
children, is to be blest, — truly blessed with the good
Spirit. To disbelieve, is to grieve the Spirit and sin
against God ; nay, more, to yield to the spirit of Anti-
christ. To reject the coming One is to be antichrist.

70

I am too wear)" to write much, especially as it is late
on Saturday evening. It was my purpose to have
come to N., to see all I once knew, and tell them how
great things the Lord has done for me. My desire
is to see brothers N. and S., for whom I entertain a
strong affection — Lord Jesus, bless them, and '' open to
them the Scriptures," that their hearts may ''burn
within" them. I shall be there, Lord willing, soon.
Your name is announced in N. Y. ; can you not come
this way 1 Do, and write me as long as possible before-
hand.

How plain and pregnant with meaning is the leading
petition in our Lord's prayer, " ^^y kingdom, come.''''
This I never understood till now. It is the kingdom
seen by the prophet Daniel in vision, that will be the
millennium, not of the imagination, but of God, and glo-
rious beyond conception. The millennium which hu-
man imagination, aided by a spiritual interpretation of
plain Scripture, has framed, the millennium which com-
prehended the man of sin, and the devil, and death, —
more or less of all the ills which sin has originated, this
millennium, instead of losing itself in the brightening
glories of eternity, as does the millennium of the Bible,
at the end of a thousand years, makes provision for the
almost triumphant reign of Satan. O Lord, deliver us
from such a millennium ; thy will, and not mine, be done.
When I went to New Jersey, I left my big Bible open,
so that the eye of Mercy might see what I wished to be
prayed continually, '' Come, Lord Jesus, even so, come
quickly. Amen ! Grace be with thee. Amen ! "

Yours, in hope of the better resurrection,

J. B. Cook.

Middletown, March llth, 1843.

To the Editor of the Middletown Sentinel.
********
There are several points which I should like to touch,
had I room to write, and you to print, one of which is

71

the oft-repeated inquiry, What will you do if the Lord
does not come at the time expected? I answer, I shall
have the satisfaction of knorving, beyond all controversy,
that I ^Move his appearing-" — also, that my soul is
much richer in the experience of divine grace — that my
views of Bible truth are greatly enlarged and improved,
and that it is better " to be ready and not go," than to
be found among the unbelieving. But I am reproved
when such language is used without explanation. I
entertain no fear that the promise shall fail — neither
will my conscience, or my Judge, ever cause a blush
for lifting up my head and ^'looking up,^^ as he has di-
rected, when my ^' redemption draweth nigh.'^^ If shame
ever mantles any face at the appearing of Christ, it will
be the face of him, who, when he sees the truth, re-
fuses, from some sinister motive, to avow it. If this
subject does not appear to other minds as it does to
mine, it does not affect my duty. Who would, who
could blame an affectionate, afflicted wife for desiring-
the return of her husband, when she knew it would end
her trials 1 It would be a shame to her not to expect
him as soon as his letter authorized an expectation.
Now I feel assured that our Lord has given us ground
for expectation ; hence I long for it more than for any-
thing else. I love his coming with all my heart, and
have a rich earnest of it, of which I am infinitely un-
worthy, and for which I would ever be devoutly thank-
ful. Amen ! Come, Lord Jesus.

Yours, J. B. Cook.

To the Editor of The Midnight Cry.

*' Allow me to say a word, through you, to those as-
sociated with you. Daniel learned by books that God
would restore his people from captivity at the end of
seventy years. Then he did not renounce all care, and
say, If I am ready, it will make no difference. No.
He made the promise of God the ground on which he
threw himself, soul and body, and poured out an agony

72

of desire that it might be fulfilled. No one was ever
more absorbed in supplication than the beloved prophet
seems to have been, in view of a promise that was ab-
solute. ' When seventy years are accomplished, I will
punish the king of Babylon,' &c. How essential the
prophet's prayer was to the accomplishment of the di-
vine promise, we are not told ; yet we may be fully as-
sured that he would not have been qualified to act the
part assigned him had he been less prayerful. Now
God nas given us a greater promise, comprehending all
the called, and the chosen, and the faithful, — a promise
which, when fulfilled, will be hell's discomfiture and
heaven's jubilee. And shall we not give ourselves to
prayer as did Daniel 1 We have ' learned by books'
that the days of ' the little horn' are numbered, ' the
last end of the indignation ' is just arrived, and the time
that the saints shall possess ' the kingdom ' is at hand ;
and I want to pray all the time, with all my heart, and
soul, and mind, and strength — with every beating pulse
I want to pray the effectual, fervent prayer, ' Come^ Lord
Jesus, even so, come quickly.' Amen! In this over-
whelming prayer I want help — never did I feel myself
so weak — ^never so much in need of strength to pour out
my soul in believing, agonizing, unceasing supplication,
' Thi/ kingdom come ! '

'' O Lord, when thou didst appear 'a child horn^
there was but one Simeon and one Anna to welcome
thee ! Now, blessed Jesus, pour thy spirit upon all
who love thine appearing. O let Zion travail in prayer,
till thou shalt come in thy kingdom and appear in thy
glory. Amen !

*' When we are waiting, as Daniel waited for the ter-
mination of the captivity, we shall be blessed — thrice,
and forever blessed. Then with joy we '11 welcome our
descending Deliverer. O for prayer, the world over,
that the sanctuary may be cleansed ! Lord, fulfil thine
own promise. Amen ! "

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\

AND GREAT GLORY, AND WHEN TKESX

7

H

O

PRAYER OF THE TRUE CHURCH.

1
S

Q

s

How long, 0 Lord our Savior,

Wilt thou remain away ?

M

O

Our hearts are growing weary

t3

Of thy so long delay.

4

o

0 when shall come the moment

O

>4

When, brighter far than mom,

o

-<

The sunshine of thy glory

9Q

Shall on thy people dawn ?

H

e

How long, 0 gracious Master,

O

K

Wilt thou thy household leave ?

»

So long hast thou now tarried,

OB

o
o

Few thy return believe.

Immers'd in sloth and folly,

X

Thy servants, Lord, we see ;

H

n

And few of us stand ready

^

e

With joy to welcome thee.

O

K

How long, 0 heav'nly Bridegroom,

o

o

m

How long wilt thou delay ?

a

H

And yet how few are giMgmg

•tf

S

That thou dost abse^jMta^

►

H

Thy very Bride her porlpi

«

D

And calling hatlTfbfgbt,

m

And seeks for ease and glory

M

H

Where thou, her Lord, art not.

"<

H

S

0 wake thy slumbering virgins ;

•J

Send forth the solemn cry,

o

i4

•<

Let all thy saints repeat it,

d

s

" The Bridegroom draweth nigh."

M

May all our lamps be burning,

Our loins well girded be.

>•

S

|4

Each longing heart preparing

OB

With joy thy face to see.

e

/

•HOIK HxaiAiv«a Koixdwaaan Hnoi

^