MILLEBISM CON FOUNDED, AND THE SECOND COMING OF OUR LORD ELUCIDATED. BY ICHABOD COOK. PROVIDENCE: PRINTED BY M. B. YOUNG, 24 WESTMINSTER STREET. 1849. iMILLERISM CONFOUNDED. Peter’s chief object, in both his Epistles, appears to have been to turn the attention of his readers to be mindful of what the prophets had spoken; and more particularly what they had said concerning the events that would occur in this great day of the Lord; when He, the Sun of Righteousness, should shine on all, from the east to the west. And these prophecies are very important in understanding what our Savior and his Apostles said; for they made great use of these. The prophets showed that the Hebrew Nation, with its institutions, must be dissolved; that this old heaven must pass away with a great noise} which took place as foretold. Daniel very plainly shows that the heaven spoken of by him was here upon the earth; for the little horn, which was the power of the Roman government, cast down some ef the hosts of heaven, and the stars, and stamped upon them; and we know by the event what these were; for the Romans never had any power to stamp upon the hosts of any higher heaven, or the stars of the higher regions. It was also shown that the little horn should magnify himself even to the Prince of the hosts. We know well that it was by the power of the Roman government that Jesus was crucified, as shown by Daniel: c-He shall also stand up against the Prince of Princes.” 8: 25. As Jesus is the Sun that lights up this heaven, so they that turn many to righteousness, are called stars. Many of these fell by the power of this government. And what other stars were ever trodden under their feet ? Why then should we fook for the falling of 4 any other? Jesus, having shown to his disciples certain events by which they might understand, and escape from the terrible day that was hastening upon all Palestine, so often foretold by the prophets, says, “ Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the Moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken. And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven. And then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect, from the four winds? from one end of heaven to the other.” Mat. 24: 29. What ignorance does it show to be looking for events now which Jesus said should occur immediately after the destruction of Jerusalem? Did he not understand the meaning of the word ? Did he not purposely use that word, that we might understand that it was the sapie Jesus whom he had promised in the comforter to all the right eous from that day to the end of the world, that ascended up into heaven, that should descend ? And while they stood gazing up, instead of looking for the Holy Ghost which he had told them to wait for, were repremanded by, “Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.” Showing them that it was the same Jesus, though his descension should be invisible to the eye of flesh—that he again would dwell in bodies of flesh, in like manner, not in the same manner, as some would have it, for if they had meant so, they would have said so, for angels know what they say. Lpt history inform us of 5 the events that followed this awful calamity of that Nation, when the whole Nation were rolled together as a scroll (a long written paper rolled up) in Jerusalem, when their Nation was dissolved, as foretold by the prophets. Did the Sun of righteousness shine with the same brightness upon the moon, which represents the Church, shining with borrowed light ? Did not the stars of the Church fall one after another ? And were not the powers of this heaven— where his angels gather the elect from the four winds— shaken ? Here also the sign of the Son of Man appeared, as foretold by Isaiah. “ And the Lord will create upon every dwelling place of Mount Zion, and upon her assemblies, a cloud and smoke by day, and the shining of a flaming fire by night. For upon all the glory shall be a defence.” 4: 5. This was to be In a day clearly described above like the present. These clouds were typified by one visible to the eye of flesh under the Mosaic dispensation, for the very reason that they are invisible to that eye. But they appear to the eye of faith; “ For they shall see the Son of Man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.” Lest deceivers should say this was not the same Jesus, he assures us that all these events should occur before that generation passed away. As the Millerites try very hard to make like mean the same, I will give the meaning of the word from Walker: “ resembling, having resemblance; equal, having the same quantity.” In using this word, we say one thing looks like another, which has but a little resemblance. If it looks more like it, we put some qualifying word to show it; as exactly like it. It is the same Jesus that comes and abides with all them that serve him, in these bodies of flesh; bringing their sins to judgment beforehand; and as he says of him that believeth not, u The word that I have 6 spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day.” But some will say, this is not his coming in his glory. Let us look into this and see what the prophets and his apostles say about it. “ When the Lord shall build up Zion, he shall appear in his glory. Ps. 102: 16. When shall this be ? The prophet informs us it will be at the dissolution of the Mosaic institutions. He haying foretold the destruction of Babylon 140 years before the Jews were carried away captive there, in the 70 years captivity, and long before the Roman Nation existed, he pointed out the dissolution of the whole of Palestine, and the origin of the nation that should do it, and that they then should be told that Zion was founded, and that a poor remnant should trust in it. Isa. 14: 31. “Rejoice not thou, whole Palestine, because the word of him that smote thee is broken ; for out of the serpent’s root shall come forth a cockatrice, and his fruit shall be a fiery flying serpent. And the firstborn of the poor shall feed, and the needy shall lie down in safety; and I will kill thy root with famine, and he shall slay thy remnant. Howl, 0 gate; cry 0 city; thou, whole Palestine, art dissolved: for there shall come from the north a smoke, and none shall be alone in his appointed time. What shall one then answer the messengers of the nation? That the Lord hath founded Zion, and the poor of his people shall trust in it.” This Northern smoke or army of the Romans, is many times spoken of by the prophets. Joel very particularly tells what they will do if they do not refrain from their sinful ways, and that if they do he will remove far off from them the Northern army. 2: 20. He says,. “ they shall run to and fro in the city; they shall run upon the wall; they shall climb up upon the houses; they shall enter in at the windows like a thief. The earth shall quake before them; the heavens 7 shall tremble; the sun and the moon shall be dark, and the stars shall withdraw their shining. And the Lord shall utter his voice before his anny; for his camp is very gTeat; for he is strong that executeth his word; for the day of the Lord is gTeat and very terrible.” 2: 9. This is that day which Peter told them would come. And the earth quaked before them; their heavens trembled, and passed away with a great noise; and the luminaries of their heaven were dark. Josephus, their own historian, gives a very affecting account of the fulfilment of these events while the heavens and the earth remained in the great store of the Almighty, reserved for the purpose of his judgments. The earth still remains as a place of judgment for the scoffers, who are looking for Jesus to come in a body visible to the eye of flesh, to set up a kingdom that may be observed with that eye; disregarding his words: “ The kingdom of God cometh not with observation.”— “ The kingdom of God is within you.” Luke, 17: 20.— u Verily I say unto you, there be some standing here which shall not taste of death till they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.” Mat. 16: 28. Daniel showed this kingdom would be set up in the days of those kingdoms which are nearly passed away; the time not limited to any particular period, because it is set up in the hearts of individuals in the periods in which they exist. Here be-gins the new covenant, a law written in the heart where he erects his throne. Here begins the new heavens and a new earth, (Isaiah 65: 17) which Peter looked for after the passing away of the old heavens. “ But who may abide the day of his coming ? And who shall stand when he appeareth ? For he is like a refiner’s fire, and like a fuller’s soap. And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge 8 them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness.” Mat. 3: 2. Well did Peter recommend a looking for and hasting unto this coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat. The word fervent, I believe, is nowhere used in the whole Bible in any other sense than as applied to a spiritual operation. Was this burning by elementary fire, how could they haste unto it ? Or what could it benefit them 7 Paul truly said,(* Now once in the end of the world (Mosaic institutions) hath he appeared, to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.” Heb. 9 : 26. That the new heavens are the people under the new covenant is shown by Isaiah, 51: 16. “ I have put my words in thy mouth, and have covered thee in the shadow of my hand, that I may plant the heavens, and lay the foundations of the earth, and say unto Zion, Thou art my people.” And he very clearly points out the day when this should be, by*telling what should befall the people of old Zion in the dissolution. “ And thy men shall fall by the sword, and thy mighty in the war. And her, gates shall lament and mourn; and she. being desolate, shall sit upon the ground. And in that day seven women shall take hold of one man, saying, we will eat our own bread, and wear our own apparel: only let us be called by thy name to take away our reproach. In that day shall the branch of the Lord be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the earth excellent and comely for them that are escaped of Israel. And it shall come to pass, that he that is left in Zion, and he that remaineth in Jerusalem, shall be called holy, even every one that is. written among the living in Jerusalem. When the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion, and shall have purged the blood of Jerusalem from the midst thereof, by 9 the spirit of judgment, and by the spirit of burning. And the Lord will create upon every dwelling place of Mount Zion, and upon her assemblies, a cloud and smoke by day, and the shining of a flaming fire by night: for upon all the glory shall be a defence.” Isaiah 3: 25. Here we are shown, that in those great tribulations, some of Israel after the flesh, should escape, and bring forth excellent fruit, and this would be in the same day in which women would eat their own bread, and wear their own apparel; living as in the present day; wanting to be called Christians merely to take away the reproach of their past sins. Again we are shown, that every dwelling place of spiritual Zion shall be covered with a cloud by day, and the shining of a flaming fire by night. Is this a visiblé cloud to the eye of flesh, or a spiritual one, represented by that that covered the tabernacle in the wilderness, and elsewhere, as a guide? Paul says, “Ye are not come unto the Mount that might be touched, but ye are come unto Mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem,” &c. This cloud may be felt, though it cannot be touched with the hand; and it will defend us, if we will be guarded by it. Jesus will come to every dwelling place of Mount Zion, and create a cloud there; making it a living temple, where his holy fire shall send up the smoke of incense in holy prayer. Having shown that Zion was founded when the old heavens were dissolved, or passed away; and that the Lord would appear in his glory when he builds up Zion, we may understand Jesus, when he said, “ Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my word shall not pass away.” “ Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all'be fulfilled.” Mat. 5 : 18. lc But the earth abideth forever.” Eccl. 1:4. He fulfill- 10 ed the law, and said on the cross, it is finished, and bowed his head, and his soul departed from the body of flesh it had taken up for that purpose. Every jot or tittle of the law of Moses must continue till heaven and earth passed away, if it was not all fulfilled. The heaven here upon earth—these bodies, composed of spiritual and earthly substances—where Jesus dwells, is often shaken, as Jesus said, the powers of heaven shall be shaken. Paul quotes from Haggai: “ Yet once, it is a little while, and I will shake the heavens and the earth,” &c., from which he shows that those things that are shaken must be removed, to make room for the new covenant “ Wherefore, we receiving a kingdom which cannot be mo ved.” This makes it very plain that he understood the heavens and earth there spoken of, to be all that comes by an external law, that the subjects of his kingdom may walk by the law of his spirit. When the Lord, by the mouth of Isaiah, informed all nations that bis fury would be upon all their armies henceforward, he says, “ All the host of heaven shall be dissolved, and the heavens shall be rolled together as a scroll, and all their host shall fall down, as the leaf falleth off from the vine, and as a falling fig fronf the fig-tree.” In opening the seals—the events which would occur in the church—the first showed Jesus going forth to conquer all. The second, the spirit of war, which took peace from the church, and they ruled by the carnal sword. The third, the hireling priests in black, seeking their wages. The fourth, persecutions by the church, and death and hell in their church-power followed. The fifth, the servants of Jesus, with death 6taring them in the face, if they served Christ rather than the beasts of the church. The sixth, a great earthquake in the church, a house divided against itself ; her Sun become black as sackcloth of hair, and her 11 Moon (the church) stained all over with blood. Then they who had been as stars fell to the earth, as a fig-tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind; and their heaven was rolled together as a scroll; and the mountains they had built, and those encircled by living water, were moved out of their places. Rev. 6. The Jewish church had her signs and wonders described in like similitudes, which should instruct the wise and warn them of what was coming upon them. “ Í will show wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood and fire and pillars of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and terrible day of the Lord come.” Joel 2: 30. That day came, and found the Christians fled to the mountains. I think I begin to hear the Millerites say, why so much of this ? Let us hear what Paul says about the resurrection, the great day of general judgment, and the death of the unrighteous that follows. Be it so. Paul says, all have sinned and come short of the glory of God; that the wages of sin is death; and that, as in Adam ail die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive; and you, being dead in your sins, hath he quickened together with him. If ye then be risen with Christ. Ail this shows a resurrection of the dead. But, will you say with the serpent, these did not really die ? This is the only death that all men die. For on such as have part in the first resurrection, the second death has no power. For the second death is being cast into the lake of fire. As the first birth is not the beginning of life, but only the change that takes place when the child begins to breathe elementary air, so the second birth is that change which takes place when he breathes the Holy Spirit. So .also death is nothing but changes which take place in the person. What necessity 12 then for writing whole volumes to make out that it is that childish idea, gained in infancy, by seeing a dead body^ before he learns that a person has a soul. The dividing assunder of soul and spirit is what Paul makes the first death to be ; or a seperation of the breath of life ; not common air, for this is dead matter; but that which Jesus breathed on his disciples after his resurrection, and said, receive ye the Holy Ghost. How childish the idea, that God breathes elementary air! And more so, that this is the soul! They who have suffered this death have not lost all consciousness, from which we may judge that the second death will be like it; and Paul must have been a poor grammarian, when he wrote of this-class, “ Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power,” if he meant only a momentary punishment. But the Millerite will quote from Malachi: 11 The day that cometh shall bum them up, saith the Lord of hosts, that it shall neither leave them root nor branch.” I heard a Millerite preach upon the operation of fire, in relation to its burning up the earth, as told by Peter, wherein he gave a very philosophical view of it. He showed that not a particle of matter was wasted, or annihilated; but that it merely decomposed the elements, and each returned to its native fountain. It is just so with the root and branch of the tree, when con-sumed by fire. Wherefore it is a very just comparison of the operation of decomposing of the body, soul and spirit of a sinner. The body is decomposed into its proper elements, the spirit returns to God that gave it, and the soul to the company it has mated with. The soul then may be conscious of its loss of eternal felicity, by neglect, and other misdeeds, and this without end, and yet would rather exist so than to be annihilated; and cannot think hard of 13 them that brought him into existence. We have by this time learned the meaning which Paul put for. the meaning -of the words Death and Destruction. Now I will see what Walker says: “ In theology, damnation, eternal tor-merits.” Of destruction he says, “ In theology, eternal death” These words have various other meanings in Walker and in Scripture, as where Moses said, “Every soul, which will not hear that prophet, shall be destroyed from among the people.” Here every soul which will not obey that prophet, (for such is the meaning of the word hear, in this place,) shall be not of his people for a period, as a limited punishment. He that is subject to either of these deaths is mortal; but when the righteous have run their race, they are crowned with immortality. As Jesus had said, “Now is the judgment of this world,” doubtless, Paul took him to mean as he said; for nothing can be plainer than these words ; and I cannot give you words that will be plainer, than to say, I believe, now is the general judgment of this world. Therefore, Paul says, “ Some men’s sins are open beforehand, going before to judgment; and some men they follow after.” 1 Tim. 5: 24, He doubtless knew that Jesus had said, that “ The word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day.” Peter also was confirmed in this, for he says, “ The time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God.” All these passages were very plain; but there is one of Paul’s which is not quite so plain to some, viz: “ As it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment, so Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time, without sin unto salvation.” He has shown why it is appointed unto men once to die— 2 14 i{ So death passed upon all men, for that all men have sinned.” Rom. 5: 12. None but a spiritual death is appointed unto all men; and this must take place before judgment, and all that look for him will see him with the eye of faith. If he comes in a spiritual body, Paul has told us he must be spiritually discerned. He has forbidden us to judge anything M until the Lord come who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts.” So if we deny that he is come to us, we are evidently in a state not fit for judging of spiritual things. He has told us that it is by the spirit of man (the soul) that we know the things of a man; and by the spirit of God that we know the things of God. “ Awake to righteousness, and sin not; for some have not the knowledge of God.” He thus prepared the way to describe the resurrection, and calls him a fool that inquires with what body they come. And he makes use of the same comparison which our Savior used to show the necessity of his laying down his life, like a wheat-corn, that he might produce fruit enough to plant every heart with a seed, that would judge them for their sins, and lead them into all truth. By his comparison he shows that it is not the same body that is sown which is raised. “ Thou sowest not that body that shall be, but God giveth it a body as it hath pleased him.” If we say that the body which is buried in the grave is raised, we make the comparison contradict itself, and the plain words above. 11 There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.” And if the comparison is good for anything, it is not the same body that goes into the grave that is raised. And we have abundance of proof that the soul does not go into the grave, unless the person is buried alive; and then it will immediately rise. “ For as the body without the spirit is dead,” 15 so the body with the spirit in it is alive; and there is no Bible proof that the soul goes into the grave. It is said of Rachel, “ as her soul was departing, (for she died) that she called his name Ben-oni.” Gen. 35: 18. “Then Abraham gave up the ghost, (which is the soul) and died.*1 Gen. 25: 8. “ And Isaac gave up the ghost, and died.” Gen. 35: 29. When Jacob had made an end of commending his sons, he gathered up his feet into bed, and yielded up the ghost.” Gen. 49: 33. By this we see they understood this change in that day. Elijah said, “ let this child’s soul come into him again.” Paul tells us there are celestial bodies and terrestrial, which differ in glory; and that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption. “ Behold I show you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump; (for the trumpet shall sound,) and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.” Now what was this mystery ? Did not the Jews believe with Martha, that “ he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day ?” Did not Jesus show her that he could raise the dead at any day; and tell her that “ whosoever liveth, and believeth in me, shall never die ?” Did Jesus mean the earthy body should not die ? Or the soul? We know that the body does die when the soul departs from it; and where does the soul abide till the last day ? The last day upon earth has come to that soul j it has been changed in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye; and shall this still remain a mystery? The trumpet of death has sounded. The trumpet was used in the wilderness to sound an alarm that the cloud was taken up, and they must prepare to remove to another place. The soul has departed from the body, and shall it return in some after 16 age to put on this corruptible body? No l Flesh has no-more right to the inheritance of the kingdom of God than blood has. But the righteous soul, that was subject to mortality, has gained the victory over death and the grave. As tiie soul is the body which Jesus said should never die* instead of calling this change death, they call it sleep. Paul, to stir up some of the Thessalemans in a belief that they should see their departed friends again, says,li I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died, and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive, and remain unto the coming of the Lord, shall not prevent (prevent means here to go before, or as soon,) them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend horn heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, andl with the trump of God; and the dead in Christ shall rise first. Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore, comfort one another with these words. But of the times and seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. For yourselves know perfectly, that the day of the Lord 50 cometh as a thief in the night For when they shall say, peace and safety, then sudden destruction coiðupon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. But ye, brethren, are not in, darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: We are not of the night, nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.’1 17 From this we learn that God would bring the saints with him which had gone before, when they, who were in Christ, and remained so till his coming, should be caught up in the clouds, which are on every dwelling place of Zion, to meet the Lord in the air; that, of course, those saints had risen first; that the Lord himself descends in the shout of his ministers, in the voice of u him that speak-eth from heaven,” and in the alarms of death, (the last trumpet) when the soul goes hence to be seen by the eye of flesh no more; but to be always present with the Lord in whatever part of space we may be. Space being unbounded, has no centre nor outside, no up nor down; and eternity would be necessary to traverse it, though one moved with the swiftness of light. Wherever the Lord is, there is heaven; but space may be very differently occupied by him. He dwells in all the saints of this lower heaven, and is with them when they take the wings of the wind to more glorious mansions. With him, who dwells in any part of this boundless space where he pleases, ascending and descending, coming and going, are all alike; but to us, he comes and goes. From the above we also learn, that there are times and seasons of his coming to take us away, which there was no need of his writing about; for they were all children of the light, of the shining of the flaming fire by night, and of the sun of righteousness by day; and, as to the wicked, who had wasted their oil, and neglected to be prepared, it would come as a thief in the night. To the first that day could not come as a thief; to the last it would come when they should cry peace and safety. To them it would be the day of Christ, his treading them as in a wine-press. The Thessalonians being alarmed at this Epistle, Paul and his associates write again. A fter addressing the church 18 in God in a very flattering manner, they again describe the coming of our Lord in flaming colors upon their persecutors, saying, “ And to you who are troubled, rest with us, when the Lord shall be revealed from heaven, with his mighty angels, in flaming fire, taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power; when he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired by all them that believe.”— This Epistle, doubtless, satisfied them; for this showed them that this time would be when the saints might rest together; that it would be when their Lord come to be glorified in his saints, not out of them; and when he would be admired by all them that believed ; and they knew this time was taking place daily. And they knew that their persecutors were going hence to receive their destruction. But to put the case beyond doubt, they say, “ Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, (and to show them that it was not a future coming) and by our gathering together unto him, that ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand, let no man deceive you by any means; for that day (of Christ’s vengeance) shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped ; so that he, as God, sitteth in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.” They had been abundantly informed that the temple of God was Christ’s people, in whom he dwelt, the temple composed of living stones, that should be more glorious than Solomon’s; that this could not be 19 entered by him,11 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;” unless they were like them who receive the word with joy, u which for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall away.” Luke 8: 13. The day of Christ’s coming to destroy with everlasting destruction, which they had been speaking of in this letter, and Paul had spoken of when with them, could not come upon the children of light, who were all awake, till they served Satan, and were left to him, as some had ; for the mystery of iniquity did already work ; and Satan had entered the temple of God, and was opposing and exalting himself above all that is called God. And so “ we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye withdraw yourselves from every brother that walk-eth disorderly.” 2 Thes. 3 : 6. Now what, in all the sayings of Paul, looks like those imaginary visions of the Millerites, and the multitude of their coadjutors, who have so often got up an excitement in this way, which ended in the mystery of iniquity, wherein Satan involved many in spiritual darkness and insanity. Of what consequence is it to know with what bodies they come ? Christ put on, as some others have, that body of flesh, the way in which he could be seen by the eyes of flesh; but if that is changed into a spiritual body it will be invisible to the eye of flesh, as shown by Paul. John says, “ it doth not yet appear what we shall be ; but we know that when he shall appear we shall be like him.” Paul says,tc But we all, with open face, beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image, from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord; (2 20 Cor. 3 : 18 ;) and also, “ Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself” Phi. 3: 21. He says, “ our conversation is in heaven, from whence we look for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ” What heaven was their conversation in ? was it not with him in the heart, the proper place to look for him ? for “ though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more.” 2 Cor. 5: 16. And he says, “ we know that, if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have á building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.” “ We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body and present with the Lord.” Does this not show us that, when these tabernacles are dissolved, and we are absent from the body, that we shall be present with the Lord? 2 Cor. 5 : 1, 8. But it will be said, that Peter declared that