An analysis of texts of scripture, the better to understand the true fact, or spiritual meaning, that the revelator intended to convey to the reader by means of the letter

Front matter

(SMITHSONIAN DEPOSIT.)

Shelf [TVf

In the Congregalionalist of May 25th is a notice of " Scripture Read Spiritually," which closes with the following sentence: "Mr. Fowler means well." That the reader may know what the meaning is, the following statement is made:

Appendix

Scripture Read Spiritually,

The first commandment says: "Thou shalt have no other Gods before me." The God that said this is revealed in the ten commandments, and in them we have only reference to life, we live in the body, which is the means or power to manifest the unseen contrivance and inventions of soul and mind or spirit. When these exercises are in accordance with the commandments then shall we be growing in His image and likeness, and fulfill the end for which we were made. Experience, as well as revelation, teaches this Christ interpreted the commandments so that we might know their spiritual meaning, or the idea which the letter represents. The end of the world, as theoretically set forth in this book, fulfills the law, the prophets and Jesus Christ, and also the saying of mother Shipton, in the time of Henry VIII. When man shall manifest the theory in loving obedience to all the commandments the theory will be finished.

APPENDIX.

It is evident idol worship was the occasion of this commandment, and that idol worship was the invention of man, and that the idea of a future state, as popularly held, belongs to worship of idols, also the multitudes of Gods, and also the burnt offerings, attonements and sacrifices. God prohibited Moses from using human sacrifices and allowing the use of others for their good ; also for the same reason that Moses allowed a bill of divorce. Christ says, "His commandments are life everlasting," and we must worship in spirit and truth. It is mind or spiritual worship referred to, instead of material, as Moses instituted, which Christ abolished. The dogma of the future state, as held by saint and sinner, is not revealed in the ten commandments, and Christ's spiritual interpretation revealed no such dogma. Author.

Preface

Introduction, ]

" 15

Hope, .

" 29

" 49

Judges and Judged, . . .

" 72

" 97

Spirittal Joys,

11 108

Heaven, ....

" 113

Christ's Second Coming,

" 130

Holy Children, ...

" 133

Ante Christ,

?< 151

The True Believer,

" 156

" 179

Right Theory Before Right Practice,

" 205

The Father's House or Mansions,

" 217

" 226

Body, Soul and Spirit, their Creation and Union,

11 248

» 253

The Great End for which Christ came

Into the World,

» 257

PREFACE.

•o

In reading the scriptures the inquiring mind will form opinions of its meaning, and the truthful mind will endeavor to attain to the idea, or thought the words are meant to convey. The declaration and instruction, or command, to Adam and Eve in the first Chapter has respect to them as a family. The command in the garden was more informatory than dictatorial, and was of the same nature as was said to them in the first Chapter. The tree of good and evil had respect to moral qualities of sense and soul in their entering into and carrying out in full the reponsibility of the family relation. The threatened death was no more than the loss of there body and soul happiness. This loss Christ restores by teaching us how to overcome evil with good. The loss was necessary to their attaining a greater good. This is almost universal in material transactions. Mothers experience is of this character. Suffering may be a consequence of our doings not punishment. In Hebrews 11-35 mothers sufferings are enumerated as being righteous, " by which they obtain a better resurrection," meaning the joy and blessedness of their souls, "that a man child is born into the world." To "overcome evil with good" is the Christ way; to overcome good with evil is the way of the world, the flesh and the devil. The seed of the serpent sin in their taking pleasure in material things, especially as they take pleasure in others misery. Man sins when he plans and contrives so as to bring good to himself when he knows it will bring evil to others. Cain was a sinner, and he might have been a sinner a hundred times before he killed his body by tormenting his feelings and soul and thus destroy his happiness, which is spiritual death. Revelation is given for man whilst he lives in the flesh. Christ died because sinners killed Him. Christ is a Savior because He was righteous, God forgives sin because of His own good pleasure. The way He does it has respect to the hardness of men's hearts. Man is the crowning work of the Creator of this material world, and is so organized that he can manifest the attributes of the Creator, this is the end for which he was made.

Our theology was made under the monarchal idea. We want a theology in accordance with our Americanized Republicanism. The great unbelief of the church and the world is their reading texts of scripture to a material end, instead of a spiritual. The mustard-stalk was not the end for which the parable was spoken, but it was the growth, or progress in the acquisition of the knowledge of God, and His requirements, in gaining the right theory of operation of mind, or spirit, in the giowth of mind for its own highest good, and to direct the exercises of the soul faculties and to govern the senses. The piece of money has a spiritual end. The parable of Dives and Lazerus teaches us that the poor and despised may have more of the heavenly state of mind than the rich, and that the knowledge of the Law and the Prophets was more likely to lead to repentance and love of good and blessedness, than all one could tell us of the state of the dead. Christ used a common theory of the world, as well as of the Jews, to manifest His spiritual teachings for the growth of grace in the hearts and minds of believers.

The Author.

Introduction

In view of the various opinions concerning the nature, character and destiny of man, I understand it to be the duty of every lover of God and man to do all he can to obviate mysteries and differences, and make easy to the mind, or understanding the begining, progress and end of man.

When we follow the Bible we must begin with man as a good being, as God is good, differing in degree, if not in kind. There was no limit to the experience of man in goodness and blessings, but he was instructed by a commandment not to do evil, or to experience misery he might learn the knowledge of good without evil ; to eat of the forbiden tree was to think and do wrong, which was disobedience ; which caused his loss of blessedness; which is spiritual death; which was the threatened punishment, The seed of woman are those that live after the spirit, or do good and thus attain to happiness in life. The seed of the serpent are those that live after the flesh and never gain spiritual life.

IV INTRODUCTION.

As in the first, man in his organic body failed to attain to that eternal life which was intended. The Creator, in Jesus, had a body in which he could manifest himself, according to the original intention. The material organization of man was the end or head of created beings on earth, and was the only created body that could display his perfections, jesus is our only Savior, because he lived without sin ; fulfilled the law, and did not transgress any commandment, and those that believe in him to salvation, must know God and Jesus Christ whom he hath sent, and obey his word, which He says is, spirit and life; thus blessedness which was lost by the first Adam is regained by Christ, to the spirit and conscience, and flesh too, as far as it can be saved from pain and suffering.

We find sacrifice and atonements used by men be fore Moses instituted them, and they might have been the invention of men, for man naturally can do good as well as evil. Moses regulated it by abolishing human sacrifice, and Christ abolished the remainder and established righteousness in all things pertaining to the duties and privileges of man towards himself, his neighbor and the Creator. Why so much is said in the New Testament about atonement and the blood of Christ, is to persuade the Jews and all the rest of the world to give up the idea of by these means to appease the wrath of an offended God and Creator, and accept the new way, which was to repent of past sin and work works of righteousness. This way of reading the Bible finds suport in devious expressions, and I see Good in the Old and New Testament lays

INTRODUCTION. V

the stress on forsaking their wicked ways and obey all His commandments.

As all agree that the Bible does not teach, or en - courage in transgression, but on the contrary commands men to obey all the teachings, intreaties, commands and precepts, the Creator has given in our natural, or fleshy creation, in the exercise of which experience teaches us good and right, as well as wrong and evil. To what we learn from our own experience we may add the experience of those that have lived before us, and their testimony is evidenced by all the powers of the senses, soul and spirit like ourselves, it is unwise not to believe. To this we add the teachings of the Creator, which are particular as to our physical powers and soul exercises, which are the instituted ways to acquire facts and truths; which if right and good will make in our minds the divine spirit, which will be the Kingdom of Heaven in us. Moses says, the keeping of God's commandments is our life. Next we have the teachings of the Redeemer* in the exercises of his body, soul and spirit we have manifested and made easy to our spirit and souls what man might and ought to attain by the powers of nature as man by nature failed, God began a source of helpful miracles, which ended with Christ and the descent of the spirit on the day of Penticost. By this long and various manner God exhausted or finished all that could be done to make man a righteous, blessed being. This righteousness is all that is required to make us in the image of God.

VI ■ INTRODUCTION.

THE CARNAL.

Job 14-4 says: "Who can bring a clean thingout of an unclean? not one."

Job is speaking of the natural state, or bodily and soul powers of man.

Job J-J: "O remember that my life is wind."

This has reference to the breath of all animals that cannot live without breath or air. Sin cannot generate holiness. Nature cannot give the life eternal. Man naturally cannot generate more than the flesh and soul. This is what Job refers to. He does not mean to say what God by his spirit through this or in this unclean thing can do. The way of Jesus Christ was not yet revealed. This unclean thing by Christ's power is made the temple for its indwelling. God's building includes the body as well as the spirit. Believers are His house in body, soul and spirit. The many mansions Christ speaks of are the various degres in the believers enjoyments, labors, attainments, faith, love and holiness.

Job 17-13: "If I wait the grave is my house, I have made my bed in the darkness."

Chapter I

THE COMMENCEMENT OF THE PLAN OF SALVATION — THE FALL OF MAN AND HIS FINAL RESTORATION PROMISED BY THE SACRIFICE OF JESUS CHRIST.

Gen. i -31: ''And God saw everything He had made, and behold it was very good."

In this chapter we have the account of man being made in the image of God. Male and female made He them. Male and female refers to the flesh or to the material part of man, in connection with the soul which was created with the body. The spirit is created, or is the result or consequence of man's keeping and obeying God's commandments, and living in accordance with the natural good endowments with which God had endowed him, in all the functions of body and faculties of soul; in this way he would have attained to perfection, in the image of God the Creator. It is plain to every good mind that God intended to make use of the fleshy creation, to create the spiritual, or to attain a good character which is a spiritual body, in the presence of God, and in the minds of men with living bodies. This good character is one

of Paul's bodies in I Cor.. 15 Chap., to which believers are raised up too by their holy exercises.

The elder brother of the prodigal, was one that attained to this character, and was aproved of his father because of his loving obediance, while his brother was approved by his repentance, and prospective obediance. Adam in innocence needed the second birth, to attain to perfection in Godliness. Which depends on his keeping the commandments, this was as necessary before he sinned as it was afterwards. Christ by his spirit was in that first command, as much as he was in any command after he sinned. The righteous need Christ's spirit to keep them from sin, as much as the sinner to •repent and forsake sin. The natural goodness of man saved him from distruction, for a long time— from Adam to Noah. This natural goodness is as much from God as supernatural is, and it was only when this natural goodness was lost, or turned into "evil, and every imagination of his heart was only evil, continually" that God determined to destroy him. In this state of fleshly mind man had no faith, spirit or life.

Deut. 32-20. "And he said, I will hide my face from them, I will see what their end shall be ; for they are a very fro ward generation, children in whon is no faith." They were the children of the serpent, and God did not destroy His own work, for this sin and misery was man's making out of the natural goodness with which God had made him. Man must use his natural goodness by and with the spirit, that is in the commandments, to attain to eternal life.

John 6-63. "It is the spirit that quickneth ; the flesh profiteth nothing : the words that I speak unto you they. are spirit and they are life."

John 12-50. "And I know that His commandment is life ever lasting: Man was shut off from the tree of life that he should not become eternal in his sinful state." It was tile loving obedience of Abel and Noah that saved them. There was as much of the Christ spirit, out of the garden as there was in it, but not so clearly manifested, (this spirit is the tree of life), therefore man had more to do to gain life because of the weakness of the natural fleshly life.

Romans 7 Chap. "The spirit is willing but the

flesh is weak."

God's answer to Cain, shows He was ready to help

all who would seek Him, or would do well, or would follow their natural goodness. God from the garden could instruct all that would seek Him. It is written, the Lord God made coats of skins and clothed '"hem. Whether God instituted sacrifices and attonements, or they came into use by the inventions of men, it is of but little consequence, since God, through Christ coming in the flesh abolished all the religious rites of the bloody sacrifice which was the ground of pardon for sin, and substituted His own blood and His righteousness, that every one who believes in Him might have everlasting life. " The blood of Christ is through sq; eternal spirit, made effectual to purge our conscience, from dead works to serve the living God."

Romans 6-23. " For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."

8-2. " For the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus, hath made me free from the law of sin and death."

ii Verse. "But if the spirit of Him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you; He that raised up Christ from the dead, shall also quicken your mortal bodies, by his spirit which dwelleth in you."

14 Verse. "For as many as are led by thespirit of God, are the sons of God."

After man had chosen to think and do evil, God instituted, to bring good out of evil, this was the way or principle, of Christ's sufferings. Paul rejoiced in his sufferings for the good that would come by this means to believers. The good resulting to man from Christ's sufferings, was the joy set before him."

There is much suffering of men and women that are entered upon, for the good that will result from it. This process requires their knowing the end from the beginning. As the fear, shame and remorse of conscience was the death which Adam experienced (and it was the death threatened) so the life Christ gives by His spirit, takes away this tormenting fear and anguish of soul, and we enter into rest, through obedience to all his requirements, the body, soul and spirit " brings forth fruits mete for repentance," and this is salvation by Jesus Christ.

All that was done by Moses, and Christ, in the flesh, was to prepare the way for the work of the spirit, in the hearts of men, that all inteligent beings might see and understand, and thus be manifested the great and previous blessedness, prepared from the foundation of the world for all of God's loving, obedient children; all the ransomed shall sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus.

This blessed state of the believer, and the right exercisea of the soul are declared in the 12 Chapter of Romans, commencing at the 9 Verse. And in other of the epistles this same enumeration of the fruits of the Heavenly or spiritual state of mind, shows what is the effect of believing in Christ, as the Savior. Natural goodness was all that saved men from Adam to Moses, (except when supernatural was added in the case of Abram and Joseph). And by this goodness man sought out some right invention, as well as many evil ones. Abram, Isaac, Jacob and Job, and others, are samples of this kind. Christ said many should come from the North, from the East, the West and the South and sit down in the Kingdom of Heaven. This is fulfilled in the present existance of righteous Heavenly blessed spirits, in living bodies, from Abel to the present generation. What an innumerable company of souls made perfect is this spiritual host before God and the Lamb, and in the presence of all intelligent, wise and spiritual believers.

Luke 20-38. '* For he is not a God of the dead, but of the living, for all live unto Him."

Abraham, Isaac and Jacob have not a bodily"Vesurrection, but they had experienced the spiritual, in their living bodies and by their righteous exercises in body, soul and spirit, they formed a character which is a spiritual body — belongs to things not seen, and is ever present in God's mind, and the minds of all wise true believers. It is the spiritual or mind life, that the Creator and Redeemer requires, to be in accordance with his will, as revealed in his commandments and teachings, and in the good experiences of the natural goodness, with which he has made us capable. And their natural goodness being made perfect by the spirit of God by or in the outward teaching of the word of God, by or through Jesus Christ. The soul and spirit which in wise obediance, to the will of the Redeemer, is in a saved state. And manifests the attributes, which makes up the mind of the Creator, which is the end for which man was made.

ist Samuel 13-14: "The Lord sought him a man after his own heart."

2d Kings 23-25. "And like unto him was there no king before him that turned to the Lord with all his heart, and with all his soul, and with all his might, according to all the law of Moses; neither after him arose there any like him. ,,

Luke 24-45. "Then opened he there understanding that they might understand the scriptures."

49. "But tarry ye in Jerusalem, until ye be endowed with power from on high."

Eph. 3-19. "And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God."

The above texts show that man in his saved Godly state has the same qualities of mind, soul or spirit which Christ or God has though not in the same de-

PLAN OF SALVATION. I 3

gree; for it is only in this perfected spiritual state of soul and spirit that he can claim to be in the image of his maker. ' .

In this way man is made capable of fulfilling the duties and enjoying the privileges conferred on him by the Creator; in being made ruler and possessor of things animate and inanimate, or of all things in heaven and earth (spirit or body), as the result of his wise and intelligent faith and obediance in Christ the Savior.

Gen. 1-28. "And God blessed them and God said unto them, be fruitful and multiply and replenish the earth, and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thingfthat moveth upon the earth."

God blesses our first parents as he declares to them their linerty, and their duty in exercising all their functions of body and faculties of soul, so as to fulfill all the requirements of their nature which, He had endowed them with. And we cannot suppose this power was given them only to be used for the good and blessedness of the creatures over which it was exercised. These exercises would manifest to themselves and all intelligent beings their divine nature, and show their progress and growth in the same. Their works should be all good, as was their Creator's. God's declarations and commandments were as necessary to their divine growth, or spiritual creation as dust and food was to their bodily creation and life. For the want of love and obedience they lost their soul happiness, which in them was the spiritual life or the divine image or likeness. After this, Eve says, she has gotten a man from the Lord. And it is said of Cain if thou doest well shalt thou not be accepted.

Gen. 5-24. "And Enoc walked with God and he was not for God took him.''

The sons of God are spoken of in the same generations of men. And Noah was found righteous in his generation.

Although God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, yet there were those that were accepted of Him, and were found righteous in His sight. And in this way were the seed of the woman, while the wicked were the seed of the serpent.

Math. 3-7. "O generation of vipers who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come."

Math. 23-33. "Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers how can ye escape the damnation of hell."

If parents fully realized the responsibility and consequences of the married relation, they would pray like Hannah, and study and seek to attain the mind and spirit of Elizabeth, Mary and of Timothy's Mother and Grandmother — see 1 Tim. 25-18 — that their children may be sons and daughters of the Lord God Almighty, and not children of the serpent.

Rom. 8-6. "To be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritual minded is life and peace. If the parents have the mind and spirit of Christ, most surely the children will have the same.

Chapter II. Bodies Mortal

Job 4-17. * 'Shall mortal man be more just than God ? shall a man be more pure than his maker?''

Isaiah 38-18. "For the grave cannot praise thee, death cannot celebrate thee : they that go down into the pit cannot hope for Thy truth."

19. "The living, the living, he shall praise as I do this day, the father to the children, shall make known Thy truth."

It is the living bodies and souls that do praise God, and the faith and repentance as manifested by Hesikiah, grows into a spiritual character which lives before all succeeding generations, for their help into the same blessed heavenly state of mind; making the heavenly spiritual character, or body. Making in the ages the innumerable company of saints, that are and shall be with Christ, as the Judge of the world, among the clouds of doubts and errors of believers, and the sins and miseries of the unbelivers.

Paul says, the believer in Christ is not called to Mount Sinai, that burned with fire, nor unto blackness, and darkness and tempest, but ye are come unto Mount Zion and the city of the living God, the heavl6 BODIES MORTAL.

enly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and church of the first-born, which are written in heaven, and to God the judge of all, and the spirits of just men made perfect.

Paul in these texts is making an argument of the blessed state of those that believe in Christ, to induce them to accept of his righteousness as a renewing power, to give them all the blessedness promised in the Old Testament, and in this mind character way to be in the presence of God, angels and spirits of just men made perfect, and all in living bodies.

Paul, in Hebrews 12-22, 23 and 24, is describing the same congregation of saints as Moses, in Deut. 33-2; as John in Rev., of the city New Jerusalem coming down out of heaven, represented by all precious pearls, and stones and gold ; as Christ in Math. 24-31, all the saints should be gathered together from one end of heaven to the other. These material representations which men so much value, are intended to represent the qualities of mind or spirit of obedient believers and their glory or their goodness before God. The expression gathered together before God's general assembly and church of the first-born come unto Mount Sion, the Lord shall come with ten thousands of his saints. These expressions are fulfilled in the minds of each generation of believers and in each individual believer by the knowledge which each believer has of God, Christ and the spirit; which knowledge makes them all as one mind in Christ and an innumerable company, as individual characters, or spirtual bodies. These invisible, or celestial spiritual bodies make Christ's spiritual kingdom, and by the knowledge of each soul and spirit, in each material body before death, Js this Christ kingdom a present reality.

Psalm 6-5. ' ' For in death there is no rememberance of thee, in the grave, who shall give thee thanks."

30-9. ' 'What profit is there in my blood, when I go down to the pit; shall the dust praise thee; shall it declare thy truth."

88-11. "Shall thy lovingkindness be declared in the grave; or thy faithfulness in corruption."

12. "Shall thy wonders be known in the dark; and thy righteousness in the land of forgetfulness. "

1 15-17. "The dead praise not the Lord, neither any that go down into silence."

These texts speak of man in all his powers and faculties of body and soul, as he was when the Creator breathed into him the breath of life, and he became a living soul. These texts may refer only to things seen, or temporal, for it is true, as applied to bodies, for they cannot act or feel when the breath leaves the body, but while they did live, their feelings and exercise of soul and body in action formed a character which will survive the body, and be a living principle, or body, before or in all minds, or intelligent beings, who shall take cognizance of it. In this way Abram is still living in the mind of God and man, and does make intelligent Christ's expression, "God is the God of the living and not of the dead."

i Cor. 15-44. "There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body." This spiritual is eternal and has gained an existence through all the generations past, that have lived like faithful Abram, and since Christ, all who will believe in his name, and bring forth fruits mete for repentence, shall attain the life and character that shall make each one blessed, and cause joy to Christ and all holy beings.

Ecclesiastes 9-10. " Whatsoever thy hand find to do do it with all thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom in the grave, whither thou g.oest."

This text declares the necessity of energetic action, and diligent study, to attain to and acquire all qualities of mind and intelligence, by knowledge and understanding, which alone can form in us that wisdom which is heavenly and without which we cannot gain that character which will live forever.

Psalms 89 — 48. "What man is he that liveth and shall not see death ; shall he deliver his soul from the hand of the grave."