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MEANING OF BUILDING THE LORD'S TEMPLE. 453 none remained but new born babes, how would my Bible appear to them but as a novel or invented story, for men to marvel at? neither would they know what they were redeemed from; but it is the living will lay it to heart; therefore it is said in my Gospel, those that were labourers in my vineyard, when I came to give them their reward, I would make them rulers over many cities when they entered into the joy of their Lord. But do men vainly imagine I am going to make them rulers over many cities in heaven? I tell them, no: but mark what is said by the prophet, Zech. vi. 13-He shall build the temple of the Lord, and he shall bear the glory, and rule upon his throne; he shall be a priest upon his throne; and the counsel of peace shall be between them both. Here is the establishment with God and man; when my kingdom of peace is established, I will reign and rule in the hearts of my people but men must be the branches, to obey my command. Yet I am the builder who laid the foundation at first, and I shall be the builder to establish it at last; for where is the man who can' build men anew, or change their hearts? then who is the man that shall bear the glory to sit and rule upon my throne? for where is the man who can be the counsel of peace? Mark all ages, and judge the present; are not men more the counsel for strife than for peace? then how can glory be ascribed to man? No: I tell you, vain men, you have not shewn in any of your conduct, either in my days or since, that peace can ever be brought in by man. Haye ye not in all ages been warring one against another? then know the power is not in you: but I taught you to pray to your Father, which is in heaven, for he hath the power to deliver you from evil; and to him you must give the glory, for he hath the power to build the temple of the Lord; that meaneth, to build his temple in MAN, and to place his kingdom in every heart: then will the

earthly buildings be completed by man. But how will man explain my Bible, how, or in what manner these things will be accomplished? This, I tell thee, is impossible for man: and the believers first will be men wondered at, as my disciples were at first; but how much more are men wondered at now, that believe the truth of my Bible, that I shall accomplish all I have said? Let men answer for themselves, whether they can prove these things have been fulfilled. Thou answerest for man, they cannot. Then I answer, who is true, God or man? let them judge; and let them answer, which way, by their wisdom, they will come to fulfil my Bible; or which way they will bring ME to be the desire of all nations, as it is mentioned in Haggai ii. 7.Will you say it was fulfilled when I came upon the earth? I tell you, no; for how then was I despised and rejected of men! persecuted and put to death! I could not be the desire of all nations then; but I tell you, it is at my SECOND COMING, to bring in my KINGDOM OF PEACE, that I shall be the desire of every nation, when the knowledge is made known of my coming, and men have felt the fatal effects of sin and sorrow; and the eyes of their understanding are opened, that there remaineth a peace for the people of GoD, when sin and sorrow is to be done away but they must feel their misery before they will wish for their deliverance. Now how can men bring ME to be the desire of every nation? Out of their own mouths will I condemn them, as they deny the fulfilment of my Bible, and mock the visitation of my Spirit; then they cannot create a desire in men's hearts, that they tell them can never be obtained; therefore, I tell thee, it is by my Spirit, by my visitation, and by my wisdom to throw my Bible open before them, and place the desire in every heart to see the fulfilment. Now it is known to every man the shadow is begun; and the desire is deeply fixed in the hearts of many, placed by ME,

THE DESIRE OF ALL NATIONS TO COME. 455

that never was placed by man; drawn by my wisdom, that never was done by the wisdom of man. Here you see the shadow of my Bible begun and shall I stop here? I tell you, no; I will not quench the smoking flax; neither will I break the bruised reed; but I will go on to bring the smoke to a flame; and the reed that is bruised by men and devils, and who confess they are bruised, shall not be broken by all the malice men can raise against them. Know what is written by my prophet: Zech. i. 10. the answer of the angel who told the prophet, they went to and fro the earth, and they saw all the evils that were done; yet they wished to make intercession for man. And now I tell you, O vain men, my angels walk to and fro, and see all that is done upon the earth; and all is laid before the THRONE, and the desire of men's hearts are known to

Know what I told thee in the beginning the sins of the nations were come up before ME; and the time was come that I would begin and make an end; then my Bible must be revealed by MYSELF, and not by the wisdom of men, who never could tell in what manner I should come into the world by their wisdom, or in what manner I should go through my first office, to bear the transgression man cast on ME; then how can men vainly imagine they can tell the way I shall bring in my Kingdom, or redeem Man from the miseries of the Fall? Yet know it is written, I will shake all nations; and I have begun to shake them; but the end is not yet; for I shall shake the heavens and the earth, the sea and the dry land: Know that all these things must first be shaken, then cometh the desire of every nation, to fill the house with the glory of the Lord : For the latter house shall be greater than the former; for then cometh the peace of the Lord; then will ye see the fulfilment of MY COMING much greater to bring in your REDEMPTION, than when I died for your SALVATION; for then will ye see the words of

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the prophet Zephaniah fulfilled, iii. 9, 17.-I will turn to the people a pure language, that they may all call upon the name of the Lord, and serve him with one consent.-Then is the Lord thy God in the midst of thee; he will rejoice over thee with joy ; he will rest in his love; he will joy over thee with singing. Here is the fulness of my salvation to rest upon man in love, when I have destroyed all the works of the devil. Now mark, and weigh my prophets through-the glory of the Lord covered the heavens, and the earth was full of his praises; but know what must come before: HE driveth asunder the nations, and the everlasting mountains are scattered, the perpetual hills do bow: HIS ways are everlasting. Hab.iii, 6. Hear, O man, and consider; weigh deep my prophets together. I ask you what perpetual hills must bow before ME? I ask you what everlasting mountains must be scattered? But I tell you what perpetual hills have stood before ME: Sin, as mountains, has been perpetually standing before ME, by the influence of Satan; but now I tell you the mountains in men shall be scattered, and the perpetual hills shall bow. Mark the words of the prophet Nahum, i. 9-What do ye imagine against the Lord he will make an utter end. Now if I make an utter end, it must be an utter end of sin; mark the words that follow-affliction shall not rise up the second time. But did not afflictions and sin rise up after my death? See the afflictions that followed my own followers; and the afflictions that have followed them to this day, besides the misery sin bringeth upon the world of sinners. Then now discern, ye blind, the mountains of sin remain; the perpetual hills stand between ME and my people; but know from my Gospel, I have promised to make a full end of sin; and here it is said the Lord will make an utter end; then how can affliction rise up after my second coming, to bring you the GOOD TIDINGS OF PEACE? But when were those good tidings established?

BIBLE FULFILLED BY CHRIST'S KINGDOM. 457

Then hear the Lord's controversy, ye strong foundations of the earth; for the Lord hath a controversy with his people, and he will plead with Israel; the Lord's voice crieth unto the city, and the men of wisdom shall see thy name; hear ye the rod, and who hath appointed it. Then now discern my Bible, ye men of wisdom; did I not threaten the rod before it began? Before it sprang forth I told you of it, that the rod of mine anger would be stretched upon all nations; then fear the rod, and HE that hath appointed it. For mark thy first visitation, and let it be weighed deep with mankind, how glorious I told thee the end should be to believers; for they should see it and rejoice. Now let them weigh this with my Bible, what the promise is in the end to Jacob; and know how I have explained to thee what is meant by Jacob: it meaneth faith in man, and the power in the LORD, to fulfil all I have said, that the remnant of Jacob shall be among the Gentiles. Now let men weigh thy first visitation with my Bible, and how I have gone on by thee, to hold a controversy with mankind; let them weigh them both together, then they may see the day appear, that the fulfilment of my Bible is at hand; and the last days are come, that the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be established; and many nations shall come and say, Let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob, and he will teach us his ways, and we will walk in his paths: and they shall beat their swords into plough-shares, and their spears into pruning-hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more. Hear, ye nations, and consider; learn, ye wise, and understand; this is the establishment of my Kingdom, that formed the heavens above, and laid the foundation of the earth below; that spoke the word and all things were created; that gave thee breath, O man, and thou receivedst life: this is my promise I have made unto thee; I will

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