seeing they may see, and in hearing they may understand. The wisdom of the wise men is perished and the understanding of the prudent men is hid. Darkness hath covered the earth, and gross darkness the eyes of the people: for in seeing they do not see: nor in hearing they do not understand that man, whom I have created, must be raised up in righteousness, and I must direct his goings. But who inquire of me to direct them? or how do men judge they shall be directed without my Spirit visiting them; to come to me for directions and for protection? Is not every man directed by his own wisdom? Do they not ask counsel one of another? But who hath asked counsel of the Lord? Then now judge for your selves, ye men of this world, who is the true Israel of God, that I shall redeem to be justified and glorified in me, and shame all that shame them and confound all that confound them? The true Israel of God, whether Jews or Gentiles, Greeks or Barbarians, or whatsoever religion they profess, they must all come to the standard mentioned in holy writ, as it is spoken by my Prophet. Ask of me things to come concerning my sons and the works of my hands; for they are the true Israel, that shall be saved, when I come to build up men in righteousness, in the earth that I have created, The former things are come to pass, and new things do I declare; before they spring forth I tell you of them. Now answer me, O vain men, how the former things did come to pass? or who informed you of them? or who is now declaring new things unto you, before ye have any knowledge of them? Have I not said, I alone am God, and my glory I will not give to another? For I and my Son am one, who created you, and suffered, to redeem you; and where is the power can stand against me, when I come to plead for my elect, in whom my soul delighteth? He shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles: He shall not cry, nor cause his voice to be heard in the streets; neither shall he be discouraged till he hath set judgment in the earth; and the isles shall wait for his law. Now open your eyes, ye blind; unstop your ears, ye deaf; when was this prophecy to be fulfilled, in the spirit or in the body, when I was wounded for your transgressions, bruised for your iniquities, and the chastisement of your peace was upon me, and with my stripes ye are healed? Then was my voice heard in the streets; and over Jerusalem did I cry, weep and mourn. I was disencouraged by my own disciples, and forsaken. How did they hide themselves from me! When they saw my afflictions they fledsmitten of God, and forsaken of man. Tell me, ye learned, if I was not disencouraged, and what judgment did I then set in the earth? Or where are the isles, that are waiting for my law? or whom do yé call the house of Israel, that is saved with an everlasting salvation? or who is the house of Jacob, that I have redeemed? and where are all the enemies that the Lord hath shamed? Is it not all prophesied to be done in the Spirit, and not when I came in the Body? Tell me, ye wise men, what travail of my soul I have yet seen to be satisfied? Was it to see my followers put to death; my name despised; the martyrs in the flames? Could this satisfy me, to reconcile the whole world unto God? I tell you, No! but their love so far satisfied me, that it shall now rest upon man for a blessing, that copy after them in love to me, and wait for the coming of my Spirit to be poured out upon all flesh, as it is spoken by the mouth of my prophets: and Joel's words are plain before you, that dreams have been heard, and visions have been seen, and my handmaids do prophesy. Now judge for yourselves, all ye children of men, is it not in the Spirit that your Redemp tion is spoken of throughout my Bible? But ye have understood my Gospel, as the Jews did the Prophets they believed I should come to establish the throne of David, and be the mighty Counsellor, conquering and to conquer, and have the government to be upon my shoulders, and redeem the house of Israel. But they did not believe I should bear the iniquity and transgressions of man, to be wounded for their sins, and to be put to death. So they believed in one, and not in the other; and perished through their unbelief; and had their holy city destroyed, that they thought I must come to establish, if I was the Son of God. So they believed the one, without weighing the other, what the Prophet had spoken of in another place, that the transgression of man must first be laid upon me. Reason must teach men, it could not come after I had come in all my Father's Glory, to have all nations brought to the knowledge of the Lord, and all the earth to praise the God of their salvation: to have the heathens for my inhe ritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for my possession. Who then shall lift a hand against me, when every knee shall bow unto me? So the Prophecies could never be fulfilled to the wisdom of the Jews: and it is the same now by the Gentiles; for perfectly so they have understood my Gospel; the first for the last, and the last for the first; relying on one scripture, and denying another. Ye say, that false Prophets shall arise in the latter days. On those words ye build your unbelief of the true ones; for it is written also, Prophets shall arise, 1 Thessalonians, chap. v. verses 19, 20, 21. "Quench not the Spirit. Despise not Prophecies. Prove all things, hold fast that which is good." 1 Corinthians, chap. xiv. v. 1. "Follow after charity and desire spiritual gifts; but ra 1 ther that ye prophesy. He that prophesieth speaketh unto men for edification, exhortation, and comfort. He that speaketh in an unknown tongue edifieth himself; but he that prophesieth, edifieth the church. 1 Cor. chap. x. v. 4. "Know, there are divers gifts, but the same Spirit: for to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to anoher the word of knowledge, by the same Spirit; to another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another the discerning of Spirits. 1 Cor. chap. ix. v. 5. It is written, every woman that prayeth, or prophesieth, must have her head covered. Revelation, chap. xix. ver. 10. It is written, "The testimony of Jesus is the Spirit of prophecy." Now let Jews and Gentiles stand together, and let one answer their Prophets, and the other the Gospel: for both alike have erred and strayed from the truth; believing in one Scripture, and denying another. Then how will ye join the Law and the Gospel together? for both have parted it asunder; putting the first for the last, and the last for the first: wresting the Scripture to your own condemnation; taking away the parts that tend to your own salvation and redemption: for both are taking your names out of the book of life; for the book of life is the word of God, that is left on record for Jews and Gentiles; and for all men, even to the ends of the earth. But who hath believed aright? Will you answer, those that believe in my Gospel? Then I answer, ye must believe all that is written of me by the Prophets and by my Disciples; that the testimony of my coming must be made known by the Spirit of Prophecy. For in the Spirit stands all your Redemption; or how are ye redeemed, if I do not take away the heart of stone, that is hardened by the devil, and give you hearts of flesh, by pouring out my Spirit upon you? Or how will the church be edified by prophecies, if prophecy be not given to edify thereby? Why should ye desire prophecies rather than spiritual gifts, if prophecies were not to be obtained? Or how shall the church be edified to know and understand all the mysteries of the Bible, which they have never yet understood, without the Spirit of Prophecy is given to explain them? For there is no good and perfect gift but what cometh down from the Father of light. Now, what perfect gift is there in man? Though many have spiritual gifts; but they do not edify the church, nor give grace to the hearers; but prophecies are for the edifying of all that will hear them. Try and prove them with the written word of God; for it is by prophecies ye must have the testimony of my coming again in the Spirit, to fulfil all that is written of me, from the Prophets to the Apostles; and what I told you, the Holy Ghost, that is the Comforter, whom the Father should send in my name, he should bring all things to your remembrance. And now I have brought all to your remembrance, from the Prophets to the Apostles, and confirmed the truth by the truth of prophecies. For new things I have declared unto you, that old things shall be done away, and all things shall become new: before they spring forth I have told you of them; as I told you of the wars and dearth, and all other things; before they sprang forth I told you of them, that when they came to pass, ye might know it was I the Lord that told you of them. So now awake, ye sons of men, The former things are come to pass, And now the new before your view My Law and Gospel I'll make clear |