14
we could know nothing of the time of that event.
Other texts which are advanced in support of the
doctrine of a temporal. millenoium, would arise;
but on examining their context, I invariably found
that they were applicable only to the eternal state,
or were so illustrative of the spread of the Gospel
‘here, as to be entirely irrelevant to the position they
were adduced to support.
"Thus all those passages that speak of the will of
God being done on earth as in heaven, of the earth
being full of the knowledge of the glory ot God, &ec.
could not be applicable to a time when the Man of
Sin was prevailing against the saints, or when the
righteous and wicked were dwelling together,
which is to be the case until the end of the world.
Those which speak of the gospel being preached
in all the world, teach tha: as soon as it should
be thus preached, the end was to come, so that it
could not be delayed 1000 years from that time, not
long enough for the world’s conversion after the
preaching of the gospel as a witness.
The question of the resurrection and judgment,
was for a time an obstacle in the way: being in-
structed that all the dead would be raised at the
same time, I supposed it must be so taught in the
Bible; but I soon saw it was one of the traditions
of the elders. a
So also with the return of the Jews: that ques-
tion I saw could only be sustained by denying the
positive declarations of the New Testament which
assert, * there is no difference between the Jew and
the Greek "—that * the promise that he shall be
the heir of the world was not to Abraham and his
seed through the law, but through the righteous-
ness of faith "—that * there is neither Jew nor
Greek, bond nor free, male nor female,” but that
“if ye are Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed,
and heirs according to the promise.” I was there-
fore obliged to discard an objection which asserts
there is a difference between the Jew and Greek—
that the children of the flesh gre accounted for the
seed, &c,
15
Tn this way I was occupied for five years, from
1818 to 1822, in weighing the various objections
which were being presented to my mind. During
that time, more vhjections arose in my mind, than
have been advanced by my opponents since; and I
know of nu vbjection that has been since advanced,
which did not then occur to me. But however
strong they at first appeared, after examining them
in the light of the divine word, I could only com-
pare them to straws laid down singly as obstacles,
on a well beaten road : the car of truth rolled over
them, unimpeded ia jts progress.
STILL INPRESSED WITH THE DUTY OF PRESENTING
THE EVIDENCES OF THE ADVENT.
I was then fully settled in the conclusions which
seven years previously had begun to bear with such
impressive force upon my mind; and the duty of
presenting the evidence of the nearness of the ad-
veot 10 others,—which 1 had managed to evade
while I could find the shadow of an objection re-
maining againet its truth—again came home to me
with great force. I had, previously, only thrown
out occasional hints of my views. I then began 10
speak more clearly my opinions to my neighbors,
to winisters, and others, To my astonishment, I
found verv few who listened with any interest. Oc-
casionally, one would see the force of the evidence;
but the great majority passed it by as an idle tale.
I was, therefore, disappuinted in finding any who
would declare this doctrine, as I felt it should be,
for the comfort of saints, and as a warning to sio-
pers.
I contioved to study the Scriptures, and was
more and more convinced that I had a personal du-
ty to perform respecting this matter. When I was
about my business, it was cootinually ringing in
my ears, ** Go and tell the world of their danger.”
This text was constantly occurring to me, “ When
I say unto the wicked, O wicked man, thou shalt
surely die; if thou dost not speak lo warn the
wicked from his way, that wicked man shall die in