His attention would be especially directed to the speedy and early restitution of such as had been beheaded for his sake and the gospel's. They should be the very first to be raised, and others in their time and order; but the wicked enemies! alas, how long they must lie unnoticed! A thousand years, at least, must roll slowly away before their mouldering bodies could be allowed to have a living re-organization! Long and doleful banishment from the joys of life and immortality! In the meantime the righteous are restored to their own bodies, now immortalized for ever; they are reinstated on the earth in the company of kindred spirits, while their enemies are trodden down as so much dust under the soles of their feet.
How remarkable a contrast between the righteous and the wicked! They that sowed to the Spirit are reaping the fruits of the Spirit, which are life everlasting. They inherit the earth and multiply upon it, and build cities and temples, and their posterity are as numerous as the sands upon the sea shore. How glorious the rich reward of keeping the commands of God! but, alas! where are the wicked all this time? Where are those who have sown to the flesh during this long and glorious reign of the righteous on the earth? Poor wretched creatures! they are reaping corruption, just according to what they sowed. Once they scorned the righteous, and oppressed the hireling, and sneered at prophets, and said they needed no revelations in their day and age. But where are they now? Their bodies mingle with the dust of the streets and of the field, that men tread upon daily. Their memories are nearly faded from remembrance. Their posterity can no where be found on the earth. When the wicked return from their banishment (so many as do return, for they shall be visited after many days) they have become an inferior race of beings: the righteous have outstripped them in knowledge, and happiness, and power, and dominion, and glory, and honour.
The resurrection will bring about a great restitution both to the righteous and to the wicked. The righteous will receive the reward of righteousness, and the wicked will receive the wages of sin. When the wicked are swept off the earth, the books will be opened and examined in order to know whose names are recorded; and those "that are found written in the book shall be delivered;" and such shall be resurrected immediately, and shine as the brightness of the firmament on account of the illustrious part they had taken in Christ's service. But the wages of the wicked shall be paid off in a long night of death before they rise; and when they rise, it shall be to shame and everlasting contempt. If their long banishment and death is followed by a subdued and humbled spirit of loyalty to truth, still their late resurrection, with all its doleful accompaniments, will be an eternal stigma on their name. It will always be known that they were once banished and trod under foot a thousand years at least, in consequence of their disgraceful rebellion against the laws and ordinances of God's government. Neither they nor their posterity can ever wipe off the disgrace; they may repent and reform, and become truly loyal to God, still their former rebellion against immediate revelation and prophets, will stand on record eternally, and crimson their face with shame, and furnish occasion for contempt to their name at the retrospect. Many ancient Saints endured "tortures, not accepting deliverance, in order that they might obtain a better resurrection."
The domestic tie is the strongest bond of union, and the most prolific source of virtue and happiness that appertains to mankind on earth or in heaven. Hence the promise made to Abraham of an innumerable domestic confederation, and to all others also, who should be heirs of the same faith with faithful Abraham. But the wicked are disembodied spirits, without flesh and bones, and cannot partake of the blessings of domestic union, and that friendship and fellowship that the whole family of God in heaven and upon earth enjoy. Poor desolate spirits, that once despised prophecyings and forbid to speak in tongues, ye are now left without the sweet ties of parentage, and the endearing bonds of filial and conjugal affection! The social circle in which you move, and the government under which you are organized, have lost their most lovely and essential ligaments of union and strength. How gladly would wicked spirits accept the bodies of the inferior animals as their tabernacle, might they be permitted to do so; even the swine would be a desirable habitation rather than none at all.
The angels that kept not their first estate are reserved in chains (have not the liberty of embodied spirits) to the far distant period of final judgment, when death and hell shall be judged after the lapse of a thousand years and "little season;" even then death and hell, with all others whose reprieve is not found written in the book, must fall victims to the second death. Oh! dreadful consequence of sin! How oft would I have gathered you, as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wing, but ye would not; but now, your house is left unto you desolate!
But, alas! sir, how many attach no more importance to the resurrection, than merely the fact of its being an evidence that we shall survive the dissolution of death? but blessed are those who understand and have part in the first resurrection, for on such the second death hath no power. Sir, my heart swells with deep concern that all men might obey the only true gospel, that entitles to a part in the first resurrection!
The limits of my letter forbid me to exhort; but suffer me to say, unless you have the same faith with Daniel and Elijah, and the same spirit of revelation with Peter, Abraham, and Moses, you can never associate with resurrected bodies, neither with holy angels, nor with God. In your flesh you never can see God. All former Saints were united with the spirits of the just, and angels, and Christ, and God the judge of all: and if you are not united to the same by supernatural faith, and the spirit of vision and revelation, you may bid farewell to every endearing social tie, and launch forth among the disembodied powers of the air; and there with bitter regret and wailing, lament over that fallen and lost bodily image of your Maker, laid low in corruptible ruins through your transgression and hatred of the ministry of the prophet of the last days. There, this spectacle of your rebellion against prophets (monument of your shame) must lie till your self-righteous spirit is subdued, or be raised only to encounter the mortal grasp of a second death.
Yes, sir, while the restitution will elevate the righteous to their proper level in the scale of being, where the wicked cannot molest, it will also depress the wicked to their humiliating level. It will separate them to their own place, and the want of bodies will prove an impassable gulf between them and happiness. In this state they may, indeed, contemplate what they have lost, without the power of recovering it. Oh, tantalizing state of keen despair! Dreadful chains! Cruel death holds that once noble image of thy Maker fast in mouldering ruins, as a monument of thy contempt of prophets! Now, thou needest supernatural power to restore to thee that lost image of thy Maker! Now, thou needest a new name and key to resurrecting power! but thou hast despised these things, and saidst thou hadst no need, therefore thy light is put out and clean gone! Now, angels offer to minister to thee, and prophets to become thy teachers, but thou wouldst have none of these; therefore they will withdraw from thee for a long and dreary night, in which thou wilt often cry out with bitter wailing, "Would God it were morning!"
Now, sir, may a consideration of these truths lead you to choose the good and refuse the evil, and stand on the immutable basis of every one that is taught of God, is the unceasing desire of
Your humble servant,