| 636 On reflection, we think Pollock's words for Death, in his 'Course of Time,' comes very near a reality. He says:
"Earth's cup
Is poisoned: her renown most infamous;
Her gold, seem as it may, is really dust;
Her titles, slanderous names; her praise reproach;
Her strength, an idiot's boast; her wisdom blind;
Her gain, eternal loss; her hope, a dream;
Her love, her friendship, enmity with God;
Her promises, a lie; her smile, a harlot's;
Her beauty, paint, and rotten within; her pleasures;
Deadly assassins masked; her laughter, grief;
Her breasts, the sting of Death; ; her total sum,
Her all, most utter vanity; and all
Her lovers mad; insane most grieviously [grievously];
And most insane, because they know it not."
TEN VIRGINS,
And five of them were wise, and five foolish: Mat. 25;2.
So much is said about stakes of Zion, recently, that a few words of Revelation on the subject may suffice. On the 235 page of the old book of Doctrine and Covenants, (366 in the new) we read as follows:
"Verily, I say unto you, notwithstanding their sins my bowels are filled with compassion towards them: I will not utterly cast them off; and in the day of wrath I will remember mercy. I have sworn, and the decree hath gone forth by a former commandment which I have given unto you, that I would let fall the sword of mine indignation in the behalf of my people; and even as I have said, shall it come to pass. Mine indignation is soon to be poured out without measure upon all nations, and this will I do when the cup of their iniquity is full. And in that day, all who are found upon the watchtower, or in other words, all mine Israel shall be saved. And they that have been scattered shall be gathered: and all they who have mourned shall be comforted; and all they who have given their lives for my name shall be crowned. Therefore, let your hearts be comforted concerning Zion; for all flesh is in mine hands: be still, and know that I am God. Zion shall not be moved out of her place, notwithstanding her children are scattered, they that remain and are pure in heart shall return and come to their inheritances; they and their children, with songs of everlasting joy; to build up the waste places of Zion. And all these things that the prophets might be fulfilled. And behold, there is none other place appointed than that which I have appointed; neither shall there be any other place appointed than that which I have appointed for the work of the gathering of my saints, until the day cometh when there is found no more room for them; and then I have other places which I will appoint unto them, and they shall be called stakes, for the curtains, or the strength of Zion."
Now, brethren, the word of the Lord is plain, no more 'places of gathering, will be appointed of the Lord, till there is 'no more room" in Zion; and should the wicked scatter the saints ever so far and wide from their inheritance, yet, when Jacob begins to go up to the house of the Lord, and to the God of Israel, they will come home. The wise virgins will have oil enough in their lamps to see the 'way marks,' and walk in the old paths. Glory to God who giveth us the victory through Jesus Christ our Lord, by adhering to his commandments, as given by Joseph Smith, his servant the seer.
PRELIMINARIES FOR RELIGION.
In 1835 there was published in London, a 'Book of the Denominations.' This publication, of about 700 pages, contains an account of nearly sixty different sects, all serving God under various creeds, ceremonies and expectations. Truly was it said, 'when the shepherd is smitten the sheep will scatter.' To obviate the objection, however, so often made to revelations, as believed by the Latter Day Saints, we have though [thought] it advisable to make an extract from the writer's preliminary remarks. It is not all gold that shines, neither is every pile of rubbish destitute of jewels: By proving contrarieties, truth often manifests itself so clearly that he that runs may read, and he that reads may understand.
Now to the extract:-
"For eighteen centuries it has been the singular fate of christianity to attach to itself, and yet to seperate [separate] from each other, those who have professed to embrace it as a revelation from heaven. Its promulgation has been uniformly marked by this two-fold character of unity and division. The most violent zealots for opposite or different opinions, have yet ranged themselves under the common standard of the faith; they have all strenuously adhered to the name of their founder, while they have strangely used that name as the watchword of dissension and persecution. So remarkably has the anomalous exhibition of the christian religion prevailed, that there has scarcely been a moment during its progress in which its friends, because they were its friends, have not been opponents of each other. Thus the odium of engendering strife, and every uncharitable and
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