this word, and be judged by it, either in this world or that to CHAP. VI. come. But the words of Christ declare that the final state of all souls shall be decided in the day of judgment, when the wicked shall "go away into everlasting punishment; but the righteous Mat. xxv. into life eternal." 46.. 58. This day, professors who hold that all is decided at death, say, has not yet come; and it is clearly declared to be the work of Christ's second appearing, and it must be the finishing work of that day. But it began at the commencement, for it is not the day of man, but the day of the Lord; and Christ declares the work of this day to be, "that he will send his angels, Mat. xxi. (ministers) and gather out of his kingdom all things that 31. offend and them that work iniquity." "And gather his elect 27. from the four winds; from one end of heaven to the other." This comprehends the whole, both the spiritual and the temporal world. 59. Therefore, until this work is effected, which is the same as the preaching of the "Gospel in all the world, for a witness unto all nations," the final judgment cannot be finished; but when this is effected, all souls must have had a fair offer, to accept or reject the Gospel. "Then cometh the end," when the final judgment will be given; then the mediatorial work of Mark, xiii. 1 Cor. xv. Christ will cease, as says St. Paul. "Then shall the Son give 24, 25. up the kingdom to the Father, that God may be all and in all," VEST WILL BE ENDED, AND THE FINAL SEPARATION BE- CHAP. John. xiv. 15 Luke, vi. Mat. xv. 2. CHAPTER VII. THE WORSHIP OF GOD. WHATEVER may be called the worship of God, it is certain that no external exercise therein can be any thing more than an outward expression of an inward spiritual sensation of love and obedience to God, arising from a knowledge and understanding of his will. And, as nothing is more expressive of love and respect to God than obedience, therefore the most perfect and acceptable worship is performed by those who keep the commandments of God. 2. Hence the words of Jesus Christ, "If ye love me, keep my commandments. Why call ye me Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say? In vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. Ye worship ye know not what. But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in Spirit and in truth: for the Mat. iv. 10. Father seeketh such to worship him. Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve." 22, 23. 3. As man is an active, intelligent being, formed for social communion; so in every age, there have always been certain external forms of Divine worship, which, in different dispensations, have been various, according to the manifestations of the will of God in each, and the various operations of his Spirit, for the time then present. 4. The manner of worship in the first appearing of Christ, was not reduced to any form, but according as true believers were moved by the Spirit, in various circumstances. They worshipped God in prayer, vocal or silent, in praise, in thanksgiving, in exhortations, and in feasts of charity, by which they expressed their 1 Cor.xii. 4. love and union to each other. And, as there were diversities of operations, we have good reason to believe that dancing was one of them. 5. This various manner of worship continued mostly, with all the true witnesses, until near the time of Christ's second appearing, when many, like the guards of the night, sat in solemn silence, waiting for the break of day, denying their own wisdom and judgment, and performing no act of worship but such as they were moved to by the inward light and evidence of the quickening Spirit. 6. Being thus wholly cut off from the fruitless inventions and precepts of men, and wholly dependent on the Author and Fountain of life, they devoted themselves to do his will in all things wherein it might be made manifest. Hence the light, and truth, and revelation of God increased among them, until by the special operation of his power, they were moved to go forth and worship God in the dance; which had been expressly signified by the Law and the Prophets, as the peculiar manner of worship to be established in the latter day. 7. And, as the work of full redemption, and the worship of God attending it, were to be introduced in the line of the female; therefore it is particularly worthy of notice, that through the order of the female, both the example and promise were given, through all the Law and the Prophets, which may evidently appear from what follows: CHAP. VII. Compare 20, with 8. The deliverance of the children of Israel from under Pharaoh, and their escape through the Red sea, was a plain and Ex. xv. 1striking figure of the day of full redemption from the bondage Rev. XV. 2, and dominion of sin, as may appear from the song of Moses and 3 the children of Israel. And therefore it was that Miriam the Prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took a timbrel in her hand; and all the women went out after her, with timbrels, and with dances. See Ne Ant. 163, 194. 9. The same manner of worship was also continued, on all the most triumphant occasions, among the Israelites, after they were vin's Bib. established in the promised land, and commonly practised on obtaining victory over their enemies, and was expressive of their joy and thankfulness for the extraordinary power and presence of God. 10. The first abode of the ark of God was in Shiloh, and it was there, at the yearly feasts of the Lord, that the virgins or daughters of Shiloh, went forth to dance in dances. This, all the time that the house of God was in Shiloh, was an abiding figure of the true worship in Christ, at the bringing in the Ark of the Covenant of God in the latter day. 11. "Shiloh," in Hebrew, is of the same import as Messiah, or Anointed. Hence the daughters of Shiloh prefigured the virgin followers of the Anointed that stand with the Lamb on Mount Zion; as was made known by the parable of the prodigal son, where was music and dancing. 12. Also when David returned, after the victory over Goliah the Philistine, (a type of antichrist,) the women came out of all the cities of Israel, singing and dancing. Rev. xiv. 4. 1 Samuel, xviii. 6. 13. Again, The final establishment of the Ark of God and his Testament, was prefigured when the typical ark was removed from Shiloh to the city of David, being accompanied with the same solemn exercise. And David and all Israel played, 1Chron. [that is, danced] before God with all their might, and with singing. xiii. 8. 14. But when Michal, the proud daughter of Saul, saw David 2 Sam. vi. leaping and dancing before the Lord, she despised him in her 14-23 CHAP. heart, and scornfully reproached him for dishonoring his dignity as a king, by shamelessly uncovering himself (as she said) in the eyes of the handmaids of his servants; and counted him and all the rest as vain fellows. 15. But David said to Michal, "It was before the Lord, who chose me before thy father, to appoint me ruler over Israel: therefore I will play before the Lord. And I will yet be more vile than thus, and will be base in mine own sight: and of the maid-servants which thou hast spoken of, of them shall I be had in honor." 16. Therefore, as a punishment, for despising that which God. accepted, Michal, the daughter of Saul, had no child to the day of her death. This, according to the figurative order of that day, was counted a great disgrace, because it prefigured barrenness of soul, in the true worship of God. 17. It is therefore evident that it was a peculiar kind of worship, practiced among the children of Israel, on the most joyful and important occasions, during their prosperity; and that it was acceptable unto God, and was the highest expression of joy and gratitude that could possibly be used on those occasions; and served as a figure of the joy and triumph of the saints in the latter day. 18. But, in the time of their captivity at Babylon, this sacred exercise was entirely lost from the people of God, and like the vessels of the sanctuary, profaned by the wicked in the service of the devil. And hence the lamentation of the Prophet JereLam. v. 15. miah, The joy of our heart is ceased, our dance is turned into See Psalm, cxxxvii. mourning. Dan. v. 23. Jer. xxx. 18-24. xxxi. 4-14. 19. And although the wicked unjustly took and used this manner of worship in their idolatrous feasts, yet there was a promise of restoring it to the people of God in the latter day; hence a plain figure of this restoration, was the bringing back to Jerusalem, and cleansing again, those vessels and ornaments of the temple, which had been so impiously abused in their feasts. at Babylon. 20. The promise that this mode of worship should be restored to the people of God in the latter day, evidently appears from the most express and pointed prophecies, given in the time of the captivity. Thus, the Lord by the Prophet Jeremiah, Behold, I will bring again the captivity of Jacob's tents, and have mercy on his dwelling places: And out of them shall proceed thanksgiving, and the voice of them that make merry: In the latter days ye shall consider it." 21. Again I will build thee, and thou shalt be built, O virgin of Israel; and thou shalt go forth in the dances of them that make merry: Therefore they shall come and sing in the height of Zion, and shall flow together to the goodness of the Lord: Then shall the virgin rejoice in the dance, both young men and old together: for I will turn their mourning into joy, and will comfort them, and make them rejoice from their sorrow. 22. It may be said that this alludes to the return of the Jews from captivity; but whatever might have then taken place, it could have been no more than a figure, for the Jews were far from filling the character of the " virgin;" the substance remained to be fulfilled in the virgin Church of the latter day. CHAP. VII. 23. The same, in substance, was also promised through the Hosea, ii. Prophet Hosea, speaking of the valley of Achor, (which alludes 15. to the confession and mortification of sin,) it is expressly said, She shall sing there, as in the days of her youth, as in the day when she came up out of the land of Egypt. This alludes to the deliverance of Israel on the banks of the Red sea. 24. Thus it is evident, that the promise of God for the restoration of this solemn exercise, was given in the line of the female, to virgins, or such as were pure and undefiled before God; and it was to such only that this worship was to be restored in the latter day. Luke, xxiv. 25. But as these things could not be but in part fulfilled in Christ's first appearing, therefore he renewed the promises, which were made through the Prophets, saying, "All things must be fulfilled which were written in the law of Moses, and in the 44. Prophets, and in the Psalms, concerning me;" which, in this particular, was more expressly alluded to in his parable of the younger son, who returned to his father's house, and being stript of his old garments, and clothed with the best robe, and there Luke, xv. was music and dancing. 26. But the elder son was offended, and would not go in; which was particularly expressive of the effect of this manner of worship, in making a separation between the old leaven of malice in a hypocritical profession, and the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. 27. Therefore, those who found their belief on the Bible, may know that there are nineteen passages recorded in Scripture, which speak of dancing as the worship of God, and not one passage in the whole which speaks against it as sacred devotion, Hence, all opposition to it, as devotion to God, is entirely unfounded in Scripture. It is evident that the faculty of dancing was created of God, to be used for his honor; hence, although the wicked have abused it in the service of the devil, they have abused singing to a far greater extent, and for much baser purposes. 28. For there is not a single corrupt propensity, which has 25. |