Acts, i. 9. 11. disciples on the mount: "Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gaz- CHAP. IV. ing up into heaven? This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye him go into heaven." have seen 40. And the manner in which they saw him go, was, that a cloud received him out of their sight; which shewed them that as in the cloud he was invisible, so by coming in the clouds he would come out of sight. Although the "same Jesus whom the heavens were to receive, until the restitution of all things," did doubtless come again, according to the word of the angel, in a cloud of other saints, as their Leader, at the sounding of the seventh trumpet; yet this is not to be confounded with the second appearing of Christ, the second Adam, in the order of the female. For the female in whom the order of the Bride was manifested, was constituted the Bride of the Lamb; therefore, his Spirit was revealed in union with her in all her works, being the invisible Father of all her children. 32. 41. It is strictly true that every eye shall see him; and be- Mat. xxv. fore him shall be gathered all nations; and he shall separate them, one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats. But it is in the course and progress of his work that every eye shall see him, either to their everlasting joy or sorrow, not by external sight, but by the eyes of the soul, operating upon the mind: For, as the brightness of the rising sun commenceth in the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall the coming of the Son of man be, gradual and progressive, until the whole earth is enlightened with his glory. 42. But it was foreseen and foretold by the spirit of prophecy, that man, wholly under the influence of visible objects, living in earthly pleasures, and under false teachers, walking after their own lusts, should deny Christ at his second coming; because they would not see those visible changes in the natural creation, which, in their blind senses, they had formed, and which they vainly imagined ought to take place, to answer their plans of the manner of his coming. 43. It is true, say they, wars, and rumors of wars, and commotions are great in the earth, but this has always been more or less the case, and there is nothing new. The Gentiles are not yet converted, say they, nor the Jews gathered to old Jerusalem; nor do we see the dead bodies rising up out of their graves, and bone coming to its bone; nor do we see the heavens on fire, or the earth burning up; nor the sun darkened, nor the moon turned into blood, or any of the stars falling from heaven; but all things continue as they were from the beginning. 44. Thus that Scripture is fulfilled, “ Knowing this first, that 2 Peter, iii. there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their 3,4. own lusts, and saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for CHAP. IV. since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation." 39, 39. 45. All of which is but the greater confirmation of the words Mat. xxiv. of Jesus Christ: "For as in the days that were before the flood, [that is, while the ark was preparing, which was said to be 120 years,] they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark; and knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be." Rev xiv. 15. 8. 46. Therefore, as the manner of Christ's coming was certainly and undoubtedly to be as a snare upon all flesh, and as a thief in the night; say not in thine heart, I shall see his coming, unless thou watch and pray, and have thy lamp trimmed, and light burning. 47. The nature of his coming is likened unto the coming of harvest, and no person of common sense will say, Who shall ascend into the clouds to bring down harvest from above? or who shall descend into the earth, to bring up harvest from beneath? (for the seed is nigh thee, already in the earth, and according to the appointed seasons, must grow up to maturity, before the harvest can in reality appear.) 48. Therefore, "Say not in thine heart, Who shall ascend Rom. x. 6 into heaven? (that is, to bring Christ down from above;) or Who shall descend into the deep? (that is, to bring up Christ again from the dead.) But what saith it? The Word [or seed of Christ] is nigh thee, in thy mouth, and in thy heart; that is, the Word of faith which we preach." PART II. A COMPENDIOUS VIEW OF THE ORDER IN DEITY AS RE- CHAPTER I. THE ORDER OF DEITY, MALE AND FEMALE, IN WHOSE THE subject of the order in Deity, as male and female, and CHAP. I. the corresponding order in Christ, has been set forth and illustrated, at considerable length, in the preceding pages'; but in various places, not immediately concentrated, being adapted as explanatory of the various subjects with which it is connected. Hence, this important subject may be more clearly understood in a compendious form. 2. All who profess the Christian name, mutually believe in one God, the eternal Father, the Creator of heaven and earth; the original Father of spirits, of angels, and of men. They also believe in the first begotten Son of God in man; the Saviour of the world; the Redeemer of men. By the Son, the true being and true character of the Father, was first revealed: and, the existence of the Son, while it proved the existence of the Eternal Father, proved also the existence of the Eternal Mother. Mat. xi. 27. Luke, x 22. John, xiv. 10. 3. Neither argument, nor illustration, would seem necessary to prove this! For, without both a father and mother, there can be neither son nor daughter; either natural or spiritual, visible or invisible! The visible order of male and female, by which all animated creation exists, proves the existence of the order, in the invisible world, from which our existence is primarily derived. "For the invisible things of God, from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal Power and Divinity; so Rom. i. 20, that they are without excuse: because that when they knew 22. God, they glorified him not as God." 27. 4. ForGod said, Let us make man in our image, after our Gen. i. 26, likeness." "So God created man; male and female created he them, in his own image, and after his own likeness." To whom did God say, "Let us make man in OUR image?" Was it to the kelas CHAP. I. Son the Father spoke the divines (so called) have long taught, and still teach? How then came man to be created male and female father and son are not male and female; but father and mother are male and female, as likewise are son and daughter. It was in this order that man was created. It was the order that existed in Deity, and superior spiritual intelligences before him, even "before the world was; " and in the image and after the likeness of which he was made, and placed as a probationer on the earth. See John, xvii. 5, and Job, xxxviii. 17. See Prov. viii. 22. Prv. viii. 22, 32. 5. But it was not the Son with whom the Father spoke or counselled; or with any other being, angel or spirit, save only with the Eternal Mother; even Divine Wisdom; the Mother of all celestial beings! It was the Eternal Two who thus counselled together, and said, "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness." This is the same Eternal Mother who was with the Father, whom the "Lord possessed in the beginning of his way, before his works of old; even from everlasting, before ever the earth was." 6. And this was, and is, the voice of the Eternal Mother, through the inspiration of her holy spirit: When the Lord prepared the heavens, I was there: When he appointed the foundations of the earth, then I was by him as one brought up with him;* and I was daily his delight, rejoicing always before him.t Now, therefore, hearken unto me, my children ; for blessed are they that keep my ways." 7. Thus we may see the true order and origin of our existence, descending through proper mediations, not only in the state of innocent nature, but in the state of grace; proceeding from an Eternal Parentage; the Eternal Two, as distinctly Two, as Power and Wisdom are Two ; and as the Father and Mother are two; yet immutably, unchangeably, One Spirit: One in Essence and in substance, One in love and in design; and so of the whole spiritual relationship in the new creation and household of God, Father and Mother, Son and Daughter, Brother and Sister, Parents and Children; of which the order in the natural creation is a similitude. 8. And without this relationship there can exist no order in creation! Without a father and a mother we can have no exist ence, either in the old creation, by the first Adam, or in the new "Then I was by him, as one brought up with him." The German translation reads, "Da war ich der werkmeister bey ihm: that is, "Then was I the chief co-worker with him." And this conveys the most correct idea, showing that She was a co-worker with the Father, in all his works. "I was daily his delight, rejoicing always before him." This clearly shows that She is the glory of the Father," as, in the similitude of man's creation and existence, "the woman is the glory of the man." (1 Cor. xi. 7.) "My children," I have here preferred the German reading, "meine kinder," as being more correct than "O ye children," the latter implying other children besides her own. creation, by Christ the second Adam! For all beings having CHAP. I. life, in either the natural or spiritual creation, have both a father and a mother, according to the natural or spiritual state in which they "live, move and have their being;" whether that father, or that mother, be to them known, or unknown, visible, or invisible. This ground is indisputable. This position is unchangeable in all its bearings. And to this the very existence of man, in the order of male and female, bears witness. 9. Now, the Lord promised to create "new heavens, and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness," which shall abide forever; and that the old heavens and earth shall pass away, and come to an end. It is evident that this new creation, or kingdom of righteousness, shall be effected by the work of redemption and regeneration through Christ, who was, and who is, the beginning of this new creation; emphatically called, the "Creation of God." 10. It will be proper to remark here, that, although Christ, by Jesus, commenced the work of the new creation in his first appearing; yet, the promises, in regard to the perfect order of that creation, were not then fulfilled. Nor could the everlasting kingdom of righteousness be "set-up " and established in the earth, until the time appointed" of the Father, when the Mother Spirit in Christ should be revealed, which completes the "desire of all nations," when the second Eve should be made manifest on earth, in the second "Anointed one:" 18. lxvi. 22. Isa. lxv. 17, xxi. 1. iii. 9; iv. 10, & Rev. ii. 14. Hag. ii. 6, iv. 11, 14. Rev. xi. 4. 11. Thus, when that which is perfect is come," and the order of male and female, in the spiritual work of regeneration 7. Zech. should be completed; then, and not till then, could Christ's kingdom of righteousness and peace be set up and established on the earth. These things concerning Christ, having to be fulfilled in a future day, was the very reason why that Divine Spirit should come the "second time.' 12. Nothing could be more inconsistent, than for any one to suppose that this new and spiritual creation, which is to abide forever, can in any respect, be inferior to the order and glory of the old, or natural creation, which is to pass away. The noblest part of the creation is man. But the man alone, without the woman, could not be the noblest work of God, because he would be imperfect. 13. It was therefore necessary that he should have an helpmeet for him, a companion congenial to his being, and according to the perfection of that order which existed before him. And, as his creation could not be perfect without the woman; so neither could his redemption be perfect without the woman. 14. When the Lord God had created the heavens and the earth, and all the hosts thereof, when he had formed the man, 1 Cor. xiii. John, iii. 2, & Heb, ix. 9, 10. 1 8, 28. |