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HOW DIFFERENT SECTS WREST THE BIBLE. 511.

is no likeness to be compared together of them and my disciples? and I tell thee, the Romans have taken it for a general rule to all men, without discerning in what manner it was spoken, or to whom it was spoken. Now if men take it general, they must take it to all that believe the Gospel, as well as the popes; so this is the folly of mankind, having no knowledge of the meaning of words, they place them to their own wisdom, and their own belief, and every man professes he hath the Scriptures for his belief, who professes to believe in the Bible, or in any written word of God; for know, it is said in the Scriptures, many wrest them to their own condemnation. So from these words the Romans have Scriptures to conceal their Bibles, and say it is not right for those that are unlearned to see them, fearing they may wrest them to their own condemnation; without discerning I gave a command that men should read the Scriptures; for these were' they that testified of ME; and yet the Romans have built their faith on a few words of the Scriptures, without knowledge or understanding of what they mean; perfectly like the Calvinists resting their faith upon Election and Reprobation, because I said, Jacob have I loved, and Esau have I hated; but never discerned where the type stood, or in what manner the type stood, and that it stood where the promise stood, for all the families of the earth to be blessed. But let men answer ME how all the families of the earth could be bles-sed, if the type of Esau stood for all men to the end? Then all the families of the earth could never be blessed; for they must say, one part I still loved and the other hated; and the redemption of man can never take place, that as in Adam all died, even so in Christ shall all be made alive; and that Christ died to reconcile the world unto God; but how can. the world be reconciled unto God, while one part is beloved, and the other hated? Then what king

dom of peace can there ever be established? Wars and tumults must for ever remain, like Jacob and Esau's anger one against the other, instead of establishing my kingdom in peace, and bringing that blessing on man I created him for, at all the families of the earth may be blesse My followers, like Jacob, must be forced to flee, if the type of Jacob and Esau stand for man. Here I have shewed thee, from the Scriptures, how men place their judgment without judgment, and profess to have knowledge without knowledge, never discerning in what manner, or to whom these words are spoken ; but if men weigh deep in what manner the promise was made before to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, they would draw a different judgment from the words of Esau, that when I fulfilled the promises made to Abraham and to Isaac, what I hated must be destroyed, that all the families of the earth might be blessed; but they have placed it for a general thing for mankind, when they look to the sons of Jacob, whose crimes concerning their brother Joseph were worse than Esau's concerning Jacob; yet the prophecy that was given to Joseph, was, that his brethren should all fall down to him. Esau was a type of the devil; Jacob's sons were a type of men, who persecute my followers, as Jacob's sons persecuted Joseph; but when it cometh to the end, all must fall down to the Josephs whom they have persecuted. But this men do not discern, how nor in what manner the types stood one after the other; first Isaac's being offered up; then the promise so greatly made; and then the curse pronounced on Esau, that stands in the Bible to be cut off; and next the type of Joseph and his brethren. If men had knowledge to understand the Bible they would draw a right judgment from these types: and the same from the type of Pharaoh, when I came to deliver my people by wonders and miracles, there stood a type of destruction the same. So if men will get wisdom they

JEWSFALLING BY THEIR WISDOM, A WARNING. 513

must discern in what manner these things stood; for know, the children of Israel were promised to have the promised land, and to be freed from bondage, where the type stood of Pharaoh, to pursue them for his own destruction; so let them weigh them both together, and 1 will see that they have no more ground to buila their Election and Reprobation to Man, from Pharaoh and Esau, than the Romans have to build their Faith upon the Popes, because I said, Whose sins ye remit they shall be remitted, and whose sins ye retain they shall be retained; and to conceal their Bible, because it is written, many wrest the Scriptures to their own condemnation..

Here I have shewed thee in what manner the Saints must judge the Earth-that men act wrong from want of knowledge; then they will own the truth of my words: my people perish for want of knowledge. And now I tell thee, if they will reject knowledge, I shall reject them; the Jews rejected knowledge when I came amongst them, and I rejected them; and now, I tell thee, I am come in the Spirit to bring all men to the knowledge of the Lord; and I shall not stop till I have accomplished my work; but if men reject ME now, they will find I shall reject them; for I am now throwing open my Bible to call all things to men's remembrance, that they may see, from all ages of the world, how men have perished for want of knowledge. But how can' men boast against the Jews, because they drew awrong judgment from their prophets, when they see those that are enlightened under my Gospel draw so wrong ajudgment therefrom, as I have shewed thee from the Romans, from the Arians, and from the Calvinists, that is visible in the world? And are these all that have drawn a wrong judgment from the Gospel? In thy heart thou answerest, no; then who can boast against the Jews? Let them look at the standard there; if they perished for want of knowledge.

because they relied on their own wisdom, is there not reason for all to fear, who trust to their own wisdom the same? Here I have shewed thee how the Saints must judge the World, from the wrong judgment that hath been in man; and now I shall tell thee how the Saints must judge Angels: Do men vainly suppose they are to go to heaven and judge the angels there? or that men can draw a judgment upon earth what angels are? I tell thee, no; but the judgment they must draw of angels is from their visitation to man. Now I tell thee, from judging of angels, when they are sent as ministering .spirits, it is the manner of their visitation, and the manner of their words, that ye are to judge from whence they come; but ye know not at the same time ye are judging of angels. Now I will make it plain to thy view; suppose a man writes thee a letter, without his name; thou mayest draw thy judgment, whether he writes as a friend or a foe; yet at the same time thou knowest not the man whom thou art judging, whether he be a friend or a foe, because he is unknown to thee; yet thou drawest thy judgment from the manner of his writing; and that is the way thou hast judged the man; perfectly so, I tell thee, men judge the angels and some judge them wrong, because they believe not in their words that are given to man, that they are the ministering spirits of the Lord; but in judging their words, in judging their visitation, when they are sent to man, ye are judging of angels. Here I have shewed thee the shadow, how ye are to judge angels, from their visitation to man; and know, when ye blame their visitation, ye blame the angels, if ye draw a judgment therefrom, that their visitation is not right or consistent with the word of God. But now I shall tell thee why it was said, Know ye not that ye judge angels? because it was known to the Apostle, at the

HOW THE SAINTS ARE TO JUDGE THE ANGELS. 515

coming of your Lord, that men would be strongly visited by angels, that would be as ministering spirits unto them; and so ye judge them by their visitation, as ye judge a minister by his preaching, whether his doctrine be consistent with your own faith and your own belief; perfectly so ye judge of angels, that are ministering spirits unto you; for I now tell thee, concerning angels and concerning men, no more than one minister is approved of by every hearer, no more is the communion of angels approved of by every man; and though their visitation may be approved of by them they are sent to, it will not be approved of by all that hear them, any more than a minister's sermon is approved of by all that hear him; therefore I tell thee, men judge angels as they judge of men; some approve, and others disapprove of the ministering spirits that are from angels, as they approve or disapprove of what is administered by men; therefore I tell thee, angels are judged by men from their communications, as men are judged by men from their doctrine and preaching; and this is the way men will judge angels; this is the way they have begun to judge angels, in like manner as they judge men. Do ye not often say of men, their doctrine is not consistent with the Bible, nor the word of God? therefore ye will not go to hear them, for ye cannot bear their preaching; perfectly so, I tell thee, will men judge angels, that come to be ministering spirits; they will say their communications are not consistent with the word of God, or to come from God: therefore, I tell thee, they will judge angels perfectly from their visitation, and from their communications, as they judge men from their preaching: and all these things are begun, to prove the end of all things is at hand; but what way would the learned prove they are to judge angels? or will they prove the Scriptures will never be fulfilled, that ye are to

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