THE MANIFESTO. PUBLISHED BY THE UNITED SOCIETIES. VOL. XVI. "Every plant which my heavenly Father hath not planted shall be rooted SHAKER VILLAGE, N. H. 1886. THE FOUR DISPENSATIONS. ELDER JOSEPH MEACHAM. First Dispensation. WE believe that the first light of salvation was given or made known to the patriarchs by promise; and they that believed in the promise of CHRIST, and were obedient to the command of God made known unto them, were the people of God and were accepted of God, as righteous, or perfect in their genera No. 1. come, that they should receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit and fire; for the destruction of the body of sin, and purification of the soul. Abram being called and chosen of God as the father of the faithful; was received into covenant relation with God by promise; that in him, (and his seed which was Christ,) all the families of the earth should be blessed; and these earthly blessings which were promised to Abram, were a shadow of gos tions; according to the measure of pel or spiritual blessings to come. light and truth manifested unto them; So that Abram, though in the full which was as waters to the ankles, sig-faith of the promise; yet, as he did not nified by Ezekiel's vision of the holy waters. (Chap. xlvii.) receive the substance of the thing prom- And although they could not receive regeneration, or the fullness of salvation from the fleshly nature in this life; because the fullness of time was not yet THE second dispensation was the law |