Two thousand years in eternity

Preface

In the latter part of the year 1882 I was taken down with an inflammatory disease; from which I had little hope of recovering, and in the '.early part of the year 1883 I lay some time in the Santa Eosa Hospital, at San Antonio, under the care of the estimable gentlemen. Doctors C. E. R. King and Geo. W. Cupples, who also looked upon my condition as being without any favorable probabilities. And while thus solitarily confined with in the walls of the small room I occupied, believing that I should never again be permitted to look out upon the world, or mingle with kindred spirits dwelling in the flesh, I realized, upon examination of my entire intellectual being, that I was not ready to launch into that boundless spiritual existence, where all material things become as a myth, and none save the mighty arm of God could protect me, or alleviate my dreadful condition; but my heart assured me that, as I had been disobedient to the commands of His Spirit, I had no right to ask or expect any relief from that Omnipotent Being, and neither would I receive any assistance so long as my spirit was conscious if forever, and realized that I was almost face to face witli that God who made me for His own purposes, whom I had not served acceptably, and became truly and in every sense of the word afraid — yes, afraid of God, the only being capable of understanding, or ministering to our necessities beyond the shores of tangible things. But the most horrifying and immediate reality was that the intense physical pain

I suffered day and nighty almost without intermission, rendered it impossible for me to compose my mind enough to present a petition in my behalf in a manner sufficiently intelligent to satisfy the philosophic reasoning of my own heart, and I knew tha,t delirium was threatening, which would certainly seal up my eternal destiny. My most ordinary intelligence revolted at ritualism, and hence I persistently refused the urgent requests of the poor, honest-hearted Sister of Charity (who, at stated periods, came to minister to my wants) to call in the priest ;. although to satisfy her heart, which I really desired, knowing that mine could never be, I did repeat after her the lifeless, formal prayer to the Virgin Mary which she had been taught, and rehearsed to me as she adjusted the heated appliances to keep up the temperature of my body, or tried to smooth my thorny pillow. May the everlasting Father shelter her in His arms, and protect her from all trouble and future sorrow. But oh, how worthless and lifeless is form and ceremony to a thinking mind !

There was but one thing I could do, which I unhesitatingly did, with most perfect truth and sincerity. I promised the God of heaven that if it were possible, according to His will, for me to regain my health, I would strive by His assistance to be a better man — and left it all with Him.

As the fear of God will cause a man to seek earnestly and diligently for truth, and hence is, as King Solomon said, "the beginning of wisdom'^; when I began to recover, I set about the work, and soon realized that I would have to understand God and His re(|uirements according to the intelligence and reason of my own heart in order to be satisfied, and as I progressed I was informed by that Spirit of Truth within that it was useless and worse than folly to listen to the instructions of other human beings, for they were just as incapable of instructing me, though they be possessed of a most superb education, as I was of instructing others in their duties, and that there was no mortal man now upon earth possessed of authority from God to teach men their duty to their Creator. Being now guided by that Spirit of Truth in me (which I learned afterward was the Spirit of God), the next thing suggested to my mind was to examine the Scriptures, and determine their purpose. Holding sacred the belief that Jesus was the Messiah, and connecting link between God and man, though I did not then understand the manner of His operations to satisfy God, and give life to His creatures. But before beginning this part of the work, I understood that I must close up my mind against all human teachers, and strive to unlearn what I had been taught was the interpretation of the Word of God to man. I therefore had nothing but that Spirit of unadulterated Truth within me for a guide and teacher, and constantly prayed that I might be freed from all prejudice and thoroughly understand its instructions, and ere I read the Scriptures through the first time, I understood to my perfect satisfaction that they were only to show to us that God intended His intelligent beings to be governed by their philosophic reason, constantly and unremittingly measured by that rule of Truth in each heart.

I also understood clearly_ how that as soon as I was made afraid of God by the sore affliction and great suffering, which was one of His judgments upon individuals, I immediately came submissively to the Truth, and therefore came to God for help, and in my promise to be a better man, I only promised to follow the truth in my heart, which was to follow the Spirit of God wherever it led the way, and to turn a deaf ear to all humain beings, both great and small; and being thus guided, I arrived at my present understanding of the Scriptures and of God, and was thus directed to write what I had learned — not as a guide to man, but a suggestion to all intelligent people of the Christian world that to secure perfect rest to their spirits throughout the never-ending period of eternity, they must satisfy that intelligent reason which He has placed within their being, accepting nothing in the way of form and ceremony which that reason does not approve. Thus becoming intelligently acquainted with God, and His requirements, and live constantly under the uncontrovertable and indubitable knowledge, that if men are condemned by their own hearts, they are also in the same ratio condemned by the Allwise God, and vice versa. And so great is my confidence in the power and operation of the Spirit of Truth in the hearts of men that, although I use plain and very common language, and my \\Titing is grossly deficient in rhetoric, I verily believe it will convey the ideas intended by the God of heaven to the minds of all intelligent thinking men, who are in search of truth, and therefore read and accept a work for the ideas intended to be conveyed, rather than the elegance and harmony of the language with which those ideas are clothed. I therefore dedicate this work to that class of sterling men and women who fear God rather than man, or material organizations, and are ever ready to stand up boldly in defense of the Truth, and in the likeness and image of the Creator, calmly, but with great firmness, refuse to yield obedience to lifeless formalities, and ordinances which were but the letter-blocks to teach men in ages past the alphabet of the language by which an Onmipotent and Allwise God intended to communicate with His people in all the future of a vast and endless eternity. I also hope that all of the above class at least will consult that Spirit of Eternal Truth within them in every-day life, and be governed by its commands in their acts, language and thoughts, for upon them is laid the responsible duty of carrying out the designs of God, since no one guided by the precepts of men can ever please Him in the performance of his duty.

The great object, therefore, of this work is to induce men to examine for themselves and understand Grod in an intelligent manner in every business and calling of life, and know that there is but one guide to all men at the present day, which is the Spirit of Truth — plain and simple, yet wise and powerful, quite sufficient for every emergency, however complicated it may be, for ''God is Truth.''

Very respectful^, your obedient servant,

B. Bywaters.

Tivo Thousand Years in Eternity. H

CHAPTEE I.