Second advent library

_3 uc-mn xvm.sllgntest circumstances. This is the description of thechurch, as given to us in this Song of Solomon's. I shalltherefore show in explanation of our subject,I. What has been the general character of the churchin the wildemess;II. Her character when out of the wilderness; and,then,-III. Make anapplication of our subject, by showingin what state the church may be considered at the pres.ent time.I. The church in the wilderness.It appears by the word of God, that for some wise purpose,God has called his people into the wilderness state,time and again. lst. Abraham was called to go out fromthe land of his fathers "into astrange land, not knowingwhither he went; and he obeyed God, sdourning in theland of promise as in a strange country, dwelling in tabemacleswith Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him ofthesamepromise; for he looked for a city which hath foundations,whose Builder and Maker is God." By thismeans, Abraham obtained the name of the Father of allthem that believe. We learn by the history of Abraham,that thelirst seed ofthe church was called into thewildemess as a place of promise; where God took special care of them, saying to the kings and-princes of thisworld, " Touch not mine anointed, and do my prophets noharm." We see them supported and kept through allthe trials of life; and, in the midst of xdolatrous natiom,among whom they sojourned, not one of them lost theirfaith, or became impure in their worship; but God waswith them, preserving them in war, famine, and the heavyjudgments of God upon the nations with whom they so-Jnurned.The next account we have of the church being calledinto the wilderness was in the days of Moses, when thechildren of Israel were delivered from Egyptian slavery,and brought out by the mighty and powerful hand of Godinto the wildemess, where she was fed, clothed, and shodby miracle, and preserved by manna from heaven, andtlesh from the desert; where the cloud of his resencaovershadowed them by day, and the pillar of fire by night.