To the Rev. Mr. M——
Can persons who are sincerely pious be deceived? — Satan transforms himself — A visit from a fiend clothed in an angel garb im — agined; he quotes Scripture — How Christ received such a one — Satan loves a shining mark — A sure method of finding him out — The Bible the only chart — Satan may answer petitions presented on wrong premises — Gracious assurances may be counterfeited.
How is it possible that so many sincerely pious persons should be deceived, may be asked? Did they not take the book — the only hook to guide poor erring men to heaven? Was not this their only chart? And did they not say. By this one and only sure guide we stand or fall? And also was not the Holy Spirit, which has been promised to guide into all truth, earnestly implored? How,
Pious Persons may be deceived. “In all Deceivableness.”
after this careful, Bible-directed mode of procedure, can these mistakes be accounted for? And can we conceive otherwise, than that, after all the apparent failures, we must be mainly right?
In answer to the question relative to the possibility of sincerely pious persons being deceived, I would say. To me it seems very possible. I now tread on ground where I would proceed with the most humble dependence upon Christ as my wisdom, and will endeavor through his grace to present no idea but what may be fully qualified by a reference to the “law and to the testimony.” The arch deceiver is represented in the Scriptures as capable of transforming himself into an angel of light. I have such confidence in your piety, dear sir, and also in the Christian integrity of very many who have adhered to your views, that I fully believe you would turn away from the deceiver, if he should present himself in his native robe. How far would you be from receiving an opinion from one that you know to be a fiend of the lower regions! But would it not serve the interests of the prince of darkness, whose coming is in all deceivableness, if he could get a sincere Christian, especially one of elevated piety and extensive usefulness, would he not, I ask, serve the interests of his kingdom by a corresponding extensiveness, if he could so transform himself as to appear truly as an angel of light, and thus get such a one en-A Fiend clothed in an Angel Garb. A Shining Mark.
gaged ill carrying out his designs? Should the deceiver, thus clothed in light, rise up before us this moment, would not the first impression be, to regard him really as an angel from heaven? And then to cap the climax of deceivableness, if he should bring detached portions from the blessed word, as he did to our Saviour, and tell us,” It is written,’’ how hastily we might be prompted to yield! But what would be wisdom in such a dilemma as this? The Saviour has set an example, just in point. He brings up the detached portions, and by the light of truth, symmetrically arranged, Satan is vanquished. From the example just presented, and from the history of the world, from Adam down to the present time, we are furnished with assurances that Satan
“Loves a shining mark;”
and that he should fix his eye on one so distinguished for piety and talent as the lamented and distinguished individual referred to in our last, is just what might have been expected; but that he should have succeeded with his deceptions, so far as to turn his eye off from the one direct path, and to divert his devoted heart and labors from the one thing needful to those lesser matters of endless genealogies, &c., I confess not to be so easily accounted for.
“If such sincere persons may thus, -with Bible
in hand, be deceived, how can we come at any
A Lamp. Try the Spirits. Human Calculations.
certain standard of truth?” may still be urged. This leads to a more explicit answer to the second question. David says, “Thy word is a lamp.” It is the lio-ht that maketh manifest. We are admonished to believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they be of God. And by what standard are we to try them? “To the law and to the testimony; if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.” It is only thus that a fiend of darkness, when transformed, can be discerned from a true angel of light. It is by holding up this lamp, and with prayerful scrutiny drawing aside the assumed vestments, that we are enabled clearly to discover his deceptions.
InansAver to the question, “Whether you did not take the Bible, as the one and only foundation of your faith,” I answer, No. You added thereunto, b)^ making a faith necessary to salvation which could not be understood without the addition of human calculations. This, you know, is most expressly prohibited by the word: see Rev. xxii, 1 8, “If any man shall add unto these things,” &c. You surely will not now say, that your peculiar views relative to the time of the second advent can be adduced from the Bible alone. In that blessed book, the way to heaven is set forth so plainly, that wayfaring men, though fools, shall not err. But who would ever have thought of
An Illegitimate Faith. Supernatural Influences not always divine
arriving at your views from the simple word of God, without the aid of human calculations? You may say, what has been added in making up the sum of the advent faith has been gathered from accredited history, of which all may inform themselves, if they will only be at the pains to do so. And if they should do so, and come at your faith, would it be a faith made up from the Bible? As it is, our best historians and commentators differ as to the date of events, both ecclesiastical and profane; and if any one, or half dozen of them, had been permitted to add their calculations to the sacred text, what a Bible should we by this time have had? But have you not, in a sense, done this? And I think you can hardly conceive of the perplexities in which many sincere minds have been involved, in fruitless endeavors to brinof out your faith from the Bible.
“But was not the guidance of the Spirit of truth earnestly implored in these investigations, and have not spiritual influences, which cannot be accounted for otherwise than from a supernatural source, given corroborative evidence of the propriety and truthfulness of the impressions thus gained?” These influences can only be accounted for from the fact, that one step aside from the direct line marked out in the chart to heaven is exceedingly perilous. There is but one way in which we can rightfully claim answers to prayer, and this is di-How Answers maybe received from a Right or a Wrong Source.
rectly on the ground of Bihle truth. “This is the confidence we have in him, that if we ask anything according to his will, he heareth us.” 1 John v, 14. Was it not straying from the direct Mne of the word, when you asked to know the precise time of the second advent? Were you not withheld admittance to the court of heaven by the word which says, “Secret things belong unto God; but those which are revealed, unto us and to our children.” Should you still urge your way, you are still peremptorily warded off by the “sword of the Spirit.” “It is not for you to know the times or the seasons which the Father hath put in his own power.”
Looking at the matter thus, I see not how a petition, relative to knowing the precise time of the Saviour’s advent, could be answered from the court of heaven; and being presented on wrong ground, might not the answer to the petition come from a wrong source? If the adversary of God and man can transform himself into an angel of light, quote Scripture to suit his purpose, (fee, why may we not presume that he would be at pains to counterfeit gracious assurances? We read that the working of Satan is “with all power, and signs, and lying wonders;” and may not some extraordinary spiritual influences, which have been experienced relative to this subject, be accounted for thus?
Yours, sincerely.
God will reveal it. A Class Leader questioned.