SECOND COMING OF CHRIST REJECTED. 227 Christ should come, and restore all things to Man; but he tells them to repent and be converted, that their sins might be blotted out when the time of refreshing did come. The more I read my BIBLE,: the more I am astonished, how ministers can read their Bibles and not discern that the visitation of. the LORD must come in the SPIRIT; and that CHRIST must come the SECOND TIME in the SPIRIT to establish his KINGDOM in RIGHTEOUSNESS and in PEACE, as He taught us to pray for his Kingdomto come, and his will to be done on earth as it is in Heaven, which is spoken of throughout the Bible. But can HE warn of HIS COMING by the SPIRIT, to: such as do not believe the visitation of the LORD in the Spirit? It would be like sending of Moses to: Pharoah, for their condemnation, and not for their salvation. Now as I find in the BIBLE I must go through evil report, and good report, have friends and foes, be persecuted and despised, and yet be believed and supported by those that go through the fire of men's anger and indignation; all this must be to fulfil the Scriptures, therefore I rejoice, that I am counted worthy to suffer persecutions for the sake of CHRIST. I see, in pondering through the Bible, how HE suffered persecution, ridicule, mock-› ery, scorn, and contempt, to be counted a mad-. man, a babbler, and having a Devil, doing his miracles by Beelzebub the chief of Devils; all this, and more, HE suffered for me, and for an ungrate ful world, that is just the same now as it was then. And shall I forsake HIM also? No; sooner let me die by HIS CROss than ever forsake HIM, or lose him. from my sight; for persecution strengthens my faith; and if men would not believe in CHRIST himself, when HE was in the BODY upon earth amongst them, what have I to marvel, if they reject HIM now in the SPIRIT? For I see perfectly the same different spirits in men now, as there were in our SAVIOUR's days. Now persecution was not in our SAVIOUR nor in HIS DISCIPLES; for they went about doing good, and persuading men for their own happiness, to repent and believe in HIM who had POWER to save unto the uttermost; for which reason they were persecuted; and just so is the world now, that the LORD is come to warn men every where to repent, that HIS KINGDOM is at hand, that they may be able to stand, as good and faithful servants, to enter into the JOY of their LORD at his coming; and be like the wise virgins, ready to enter in when their LORD cometh. Now for this merciful visitation, HE is mocked and despised by a persecuting and ungrateful world; and his servants are treated by the world now as they were in the days of old. Persecution has been throughout the BIBLE; for they that are born after the flesh persecute them that are born after the SPIRIT. So I am clearly convinced, the carnal mind, that is at enmity against God, will ever be at enmity against God, as long as the Powers of Darkness reign. These are my thoughts on reading the BIBLE, which men cannot explain to me themselves, neither will they suffer the LORD to do it. But shall I quench the Spirit, because man would persuade me? God forbid who can answer for me at the hour of death and in the day of judgment? He that can answer for me, and HE that can save me from the powers of death and hell, let him direct me; HE that can save me, let him instruct me; by my own Master I must stand or fall. THE ANSWER OF THE LORD, "Now I shall answer from the ponderings of thy heart; and begin from thy last words. By thy own Master thou must stand or fall. And thou sayest, HE that can save thee let him direct thee. Then surely I, who dwell on high, Well now direct thy hand; Thy Foes I shall make silent lie, The Trial none can stand; BLIND STATE OF MAN UNDER THE FALL. 220 When I've went through what's in my view The Trial must appear; And men shall see they've mocked Mɛ→ To see how all must come : The Scriptures no one could express, For to explain is what I mean By saying to express ; But now 'th drawing to the end, I'll boldly answer this; That all are blind, they all will find, And made so in the Fall: So from their birth they may express Never to see the mystery, The PROMISE how it stood; But those that say they've eyes to see, Back to the Fall the whole must call. "The way that PROMISE must appear, "We could not see the mind of HE, "How he would all fulfil; "And of our Bibles blind we be--" So let the blind stand still, And they shall see the LIGHT from ME, But those that boast they've eyes to see, Thy pondering here from ME appear'd, To let thee see my Bible clear, it is the blind the LIGHT must find, For I shall open every mind But those that boast, their light is plac'd. I tell them,' blind theirselves they'll find, For as thou dost say, this very day, My Bible here to make it clear, Which way the mysteries I should clear, So thys have been, I say, blind men Not with their MAKER to contend, But those that boast they've eyes to see, And by their eye-sight they were cast, That said to ME they could not see, And so the fishermen did flee, And left their ships, 'tis known; And rulers there, that did appeer, And so, I say, they blinded were, They could not see the light That came from ME, they could not see, By wisdom they did fall; Men judg'd theirselves as wise as ME, But now I tell you all, LAZARUS A TYPE OF THE NEW LIFE IN MAN. 231 My Bible here no man can clear; That men such wisdom e'er should share, Till I'd destroy'd their Foe. If man could come in wisdom strong, The words before ME let them come- A Type for MAN they'll find it strong, And I've began to raise up men Out of their native dust, That they may see MY GOSPEL plain, On Satan's head, as it was laid- Now thou set plain, what I do mean, How I shall raise up Man From the first death, that was pronounc'd, And they shall know MY NAME; Like Lazarus here they shall appear, That men do say are dead; For to believe thy calling here, I'll raise them as I've said From death to LIFE, I'll end the strife, Or Spirit here, that doth appear They'll find such wonders drawing near, They were not dead, as then I said, |