ON THE RESTITUTION OF ALL THINGS.

Liverpool, November 14, 1847.

Reverend and Dear Sir.—THE RESTITUTION OF ALL THINGS, is a subject deserving rather a volumious treatise than the contracted limits of a single letter; still some out-standing features of this very prominent part of scripture revelation shall be briefly touched upon. The apostle says that the heavens must receive (Jesus) until the times of the restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began.

By the term restitution, the scriptures mean putting all things on a permanent and righteous basis. All things are not, and never have been on a righteous basis since the fall of Adam.

After the expulsion of Lucifer and his associates from heaven, order and harmony were restored, and the everlasting system of progressive intelligence and felicity again established on an immutable basis, so far as heaven was concerned. And even among the third part of heaven, drawn away by the apostacy of Lucifer, there might possibly have been some persons capable of ultimate restoration in the interminable ages of futurity. Of this, however, it may, perhaps, be said that no man knoweth. No man, surely can know unless it is revealed to him from heaven. The possibility, however, of redeeming all flesh from the transgression laid upon mankind in this mortal state, through obedience to the gospel, is abundantly revealed in the scriptures. However wrong may have been the conduct and opinions of the inhabitants of the earth, obedience to the gospel will reinstate them in the course of permanent felicity, intelligence, and righteousness.

There are particular and set times for the restitution of all those things which God has spoken of by the prophets. God hath spoken of the subject of restitution by all the prophets since the world began; indeed there never was a prophet on the earth whose business did not engage him more or less in the work of restitution. But long periods have elapsed on the earth in which no prophets have been known. During such periods the work of restitution has invariably ceased. Iniquity and misery have been made to abound, and gross darkness has spread over all people. But at particular periods God would raise up prophets, and then the work of restitution would commence and continue until the prophets were slain or otherwise removed from the earth. It is during such particular times of restitution in the latter days, that even Jesus himself may appear from the heavens, in order to give direction and mighty impulse to the work of restitution. Noah was raised up to stay the progress of wickedness and build up the waste places. Wickedness was swept off the earth according to his prophecyings and teachings, and a race of righteous men put in the place of the wicked to people the earth. It was also a time of restitution when Abraham was commissioned to reform mankind by truth and judgment, teaching them to walk in the old paths of revelation and immediate and constant intercourse with the heavens.

Again, in mercy God raised up Moses, and recommenced the same work of restitution which was subsequently undertaken by John the Baptist, under the immediate supervision of Jesus himself. But it was not competent for any one prophet, in the short period of his ministry on the earth, to set everything right that was wrong; but each did what he could, under existing circumstances, with the people with whom he had to do. The spirit of revelation rested upon each successive prophet to perform that work which was most fit and necessary to the age in which he lived. No one could attend to all things; and many things are yet to be revealed that have been kept secret since the foundation of the world. No man has ever understood all those measures and principles by which the human family can be brought to the highest degree of perfection. The angels probably do not know them, and even the Son himself did not know them, but the Father only.

The reign of a thousand years of righteousness will probably do much to correct, ennoble, and exalt mankind, and beautify the works of his hands, and felicitate all flesh. Whatever principles and measures can contribute to exalt and felicitate mankind in the sight of the heavens, is yet to be done. The profound philosophy and science of the highest intelligences, with all the embellishments which art, and taste, and genius can secure, are destined to become tributary to the righteous; and when these things shall take place in the times of the restitution of all things, God will be crowned with ineffable glory and honour, blessing and dominion, for ever and ever. Amen.

The spirit of apostacy has stripped and shorn true religion of all its luscious and beautiful fruit, and left nothing scarcely but the naked withered hulk of false spirituality. Religion has been taught, by protestant dissenters, as a science almost wholly abstracted from civil government—from political, social, and domestic institutions, and also from the useful and fine arts. It has been circumscribed to the most revoltingly contracted limits.

In the zeal of its advocates to put down an illegitimate and bastardly union of church and state, that had long darkened the moral atmosphere of the earth, and made nations groan under oppression, and sigh and mourn that religion was the wedded ally of the civil sceptre, they pushed off into the opposite extreme of imbecile, naked, and sterile spirituality; thereby proving, plainly, that any religion that is not based on constant and immediate inspiration of the Holy Ghost, can neither walk long with or without the crutches of governmental aid and support. It will not only become a stink in the nostrils of Jehovah, but soon cause great dissatisfaction and fall into merited contempt and ignominy.

The best biographies of such men as David Brainard and Edward Payson, is a fair exhibition of internal mental turmoil, and fitful commotion of spirit, and servile bondage to a law that neither they nor their fathers could keep. Poor misguided but honest men! How happy might they have been had they known the true primitive gospel that Paul preached, by the infallible light of inspiration! How joyful the intelligence to the honest but misguided, when the glad news of restitution shall reverberate in their prisons, and cause the captive exile to haste into light and liberty! Not only will the hopes and faith of men be set right in the times of restitution, but the earth itself will undergo an important change, and the heavenly bodies or planetary system. The islands shall flee, and continents be united, and the waters be restored to their proper bounds, no more to break over their proper barriers. The curse shall be clean removed from the earth, and the air shall become salubrious and delightful. The animal race shall cease from their animosity and virulence of temper. The lion and the lamb shall lie down together; and there shall nothing hurt or destroy in all God's holy mountain. In short, all things that are now wrong shall be set right. Human life shall be prolonged: the infant shall die an hundred years old. The power and perpetuity of life will be secured to the ultimate extinction of death from off the earth. Death, the last enemy, will be conquered and swallowed up in victory. When every form and power of sin ceases, may we not expect that death will also cease? Death hath passed upon all men in that all have sinned. Sin is the sting of death and the cause of it. It is true that Jesus died, although he never sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression; but he took upon him Adam's nature, and became sin for us, though he knew no sin. But it was not possible for him to be holden of death, or to see corruption, because he was holy.

When a holy seed shall be raised up from the loins of the righteous, which know no sin (which will be the case when the devil is bound), then their bodies will not see corruption. They shall not all sleep (or die), but they shall be changed. Those who partake of the curse of Adam will be changed in a moment, without knowing corruption; but the posterity of such as are changed will be the legitimate heirs of sanctified bodies, upon whom death has no conceivable claim. Death will not pass upon them because they have not sinned. Their bodies are generically spiritual and holy, like Christ's own most glorious body. Then will the seeds of death become extinguished from the human body, and man will stand as holy and pure as in his pristine creation, blooming with health, vigour, and immortality. Then he is prepared to hold intercourse with the heavens, and to reign with Christ on the earth.

You will perceive, sir, a difference in the liability of such persons as are born during the reign of righteousness, who do not sleep or die, and those who must die by reason of sin. The former know not the dominion or sting of sin, but are as trees of the Lord's planting—righteous. The latter must needs die and be resurrected. Jesus was the first fruits of them that slept. In the case of all others, corruption followed death; and a longer period must elapse before their bodies could be resurrected by reason of corruption. But Jesus was first and foremost to ripen into immortality. Corruptibility did not pertain to him, of course it was not necessarily pre-requisite to his resurrection and immortality; but with all others, down to the period when it is said that they should not sleep, corruption must precede the resurrection.—If the body of Jesus did not corrupt and moulder back to dust, then it is evident that he had substantially the same sort of corporal frame after his resurrection that he had before. The spirit resting upon him without measure, animated and resuscitated his body with no other material change than that of loss of blood. He shewed his disciples his body, and told them to handle him and see of what material it was: "a spirit hath not flesh and bones as ye see me have." He shewed them, demonstratively, in his own person, a proper specimen of a living resurrected body. He shewed them that a spirit did not possess flesh and bones as a resurrected body did. He also proved another thing, viz.: that a resurrected body retains probably all the five senses common to a mortal body. He eat and drank with them, and shewed them that his person was identically the same as before his death.—Here there is a specimen of corporal immortality. In this person we may see what all resurrected bodies will be, for we shall be like him. Life and immortality are brought to light in the example of Christ's resurrected body. Such is the organization of a resurrected body, in consequence of the expulsion of the seeds of death, the last enemy, that decay and disease have no further power or influence.

The immediate resurrection of Jesus, after the lapse of only three days, was one of the greatest blessings and honours that could be conferred. In addition to all the faculties and powers which he possessed previous to his death, he also had those of an immortal being; instead of lingering a long time, with barely the circumscribed and limited powers and privileges of a disembodied spirit, he was blessed in body, soul, and spirit united. The key to innumerable lives and boundless dominions was given him on the third day after his death. It was his sole prerogative to say how long the dead should sleep before they should be resurrected. All the innumerable privileges of a resurrected body—privileges unspeakable and even unlawful to be uttered by reason of the hardness of men's hearts—were conferred upon him! He held the key of death and hell. No one could come forth from the tomb without his orders—none could felicitate his spirit by possessing his own body till Jesus should grant permission. His friends could all be called forth at his pleasure, and be reinstated on the earth as he had been, with all their friends and posterity after them, but no enemy could resuscitate the slumbering ashes of his tomb, till Jesus should speak the word and grant permission.

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,

ORSON SPENCER.