The Closing Messages of the Gospel

THE SECOND MESSAGE, CONCLUDED.—One of the most decisive proofs that the announcement made in 1844 was in Heaven's own time and order is the rise of modern Spiritualism immediately after. We have seen that as the result of Babylon's fall she becomes 'the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird.' Rev. 18:2. Spiritualism must act a conspicuous part in the fulfillment of this prophecy.

The sudden rise and universal spread of Spiritualism in our time is a remarkable event. All who reflect upon it will admit this. It marks a new era as it were in the history of mankind. It arose since 1844, the first of its manifestations by rappings being witnessed in 1847; and it has spread over the whole world with astonishing rapidity. And none who are thoroughly acquainted with the demoralizing influence of the spirits which communicate their bare-faced infidelity and out-spoken lawlessness, can dispute the Bible definition and description of them: "The spirits of devils working miracles."

It is evident that these unclean and lying spirits would have engaged in this work of deception long before the year 1844, had they not been restrained by Divine power; and that power might have restrained them still. Why then were they let loose at that time, to begin their work of deception upon mankind, and to encourage infidelity and lawlessness? The answer is apparent: Heaven-sent truth had been rejected. "And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie; that they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness." 2 Thess. 2:11, 12.

There are numerous prophecies of Scripture which foretell a special work of deception by familiar spirits and false prophets in the last days. Our Saviour, speaking of the last days, in answer to the question, What shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world? said, "For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect." Matt. 24:24. Paul's testimony in 2 Thess. 2, to which we have referred, is in perfect harmony with this. After speaking of the coming of the Lord, he says, "Whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion," etc.

Some years ago I asked an intelligent German what these texts meant as they read in the German Bible. His reply was, "Satan will work first, and then Christ will come."

In Rev. 16:14 the spirits of devils are said to "go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty." Christ comes to that battle. His next words are, "Behold, I come as a thief." Again, the apostle Paul says, "Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils." 1 Tim. 4:1. And again he describes the sins of the Babylon of the last days—a people "having a form of godliness but denying the power thereof"— and bids believers, "From such turn away;" an expression equivalent to the call, "Come out of her my people." Then he tells us that these apostates will resist the truth as Jannes and Jambres,—the chief of the magicians of Egypt—withstood Moses. See 2 Tim. 3:1-8.

We view the new and wonderful development of Spiritualism in our times as proof of two things. 1. That the last days are here; because all the texts which predict these lying wonders clearly locate them in the last days. 2. That the proclamations of the hour of judgment and the fall of Babylon in 1844 were made at the right time and were the fulfillment of the promised messages of truth. These being rejected, it was meet that God should withdraw his restraining hand in a measure, and, as the result, the whole earth was soon flooded with the physical manifestations of demons, professing to be the immortal spirits of the dead; a thing well calculated to succeed with a people already drunken with the false doctrines of Babylon.

We have referred to a few out of many testimonies of the religious press, concerning the great spiritual dearth prevailing everywhere throughout the land about the year 1844. We now enquire, Has the state of the Protestant churches improved since that time? Many great revivals have been reported since that time. Are the conversions generally such as may be relied on? or are they merely nominal, serving only to fill up Babylon with very unclean and hateful bird? Of the fruit of these revivals let the leading Congregational and Baptist papers of Boston testify.

Says the Congregationalist for Nov. 1858: "The revival piety of our churches is not such that one can confidently infer, from its mere existence, its legitimate, practical fruits. It ought, for example, to be as certain, after such a shower of grace, that the treasuries of our benevolent societies would be filled, as it is after a plentiful rain, that the streams will swell in their channels. But the managers of our societies are bewailing the feebleness of the sympathy and aid of the churches.

"There is another and sadder illustration of the same general truth. The Watchman and Reflector recently stated that there had never been among the Baptists so lamentable a spread of church dissension as prevails at present. And the sad fact is mentioned that this sin infects the very churches which shared most largely in the late revival. And the still more melancholy fact is added, that these alienations date back their origin, in most cases, to the very midst of that scene of awakening. Even a glance at the weekly journals of our own denomination will evince that the evil is by no means confined to the Baptists. Our own columns have, perhaps, never borne so humiliating a record of contentions and ecclesiastical litigations as during the last few months."

A Presbyterian pastor of Belfast, Ireland (1858), uses the following language respecting the recent revivals in this country: "The determination to crush all ministers who say a word against their national sin [slavery], the determination to suffocate and suppress the plain teachings of Scripture, can be persisted in and carried out at the very time these New York Christians are expecting the religious world to hail their revivals. Until the wretchedly degraded churches of America do the work of God in their own land, they have no spiritual vitality to communicate to others; their revivals are in the religious world what their flaunted cries of liberty, intermingled with the groans of the slave, are in the political."—N. Y. Independent, Dec., 1859.

During the time of the great Irish revival of 1859, the General Assembly of the Presbyterian church of Ireland held its session in Belfast. Says the Belfast News-Letter of Sept. 30: "Here in this venerable body of ministers and elders, we find two ministers openly giving each other the lie, and the whole General Assembly turned into a scene of confusion bordering upon a riot."

Have the public morals of the churches been improving since 1844? Have they not rather been rapidly declining? We have before quoted the testimony of Prof. Finney, editor of the Oberlin Evangelist, given in 1844, that, "Very extensively, church members are becoming devotees of fashion joining hands with the ungodly in parties of pleasure, in dancing, in festivities," etc., and that " the churches generally are becoming sadly degenerate." If this was so in 1844, is it any less so now? Have not parties. fairs, festivals, and sociables gotten up by the churches themselves, together with many means of very questionable morality to raise means to build churches, support the ministry, and to pay other expenses of the church, such as lotteries, grab-bags, fish-ponds, ring cakes, and a whole list of abominations, been wonderfully on the increase since 1844? According to my own memory they have. I was thirty years of age at that time, and I had scarcely heard of even a donation party.

While State laws have condemned lotteries as immoral, and on a par with gambling, the churches have indulged in them, and in other games of chance. The appetite of "lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God " have been appealed to for the support of the cause of God. To such organizations as the Young Men's Christian Association we would naturally look for high and holy motives and a godly example. Read the following report of one of their socials, as given in the Syracuse Journal of March 17, 1879.

"HAPPY TIME."

"The happiest time of the season in the Young Men's Christian Association was last Saturday evening. Over one hundred young men were present. Games, singing and refreshments made up the programme. Secretary Sayford is puzzled to know where to get sufficient room to entertain the large number of young men now seeking the pleasure of the Saturday night social."

"That which has been said concerning Babylon and her fall is spoken with no disposition to speak reproachfully of any. It is spoken only to present the truth of God with fidelity, and that we may each understand our errors and our sins, and may make full preparation for the Judgment, that we may be found without fault at the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ."