AGRUMENTS ON SAINTS JUDGING THE EARTH. 521

1

Before your view, I tell you true,
I call the whole to man,

That you may know which way to go,
And judge thy written hand.

From all the sermons men have preach'd,
Or all the books they've penn'd,
My Bible is beyond men's reach,
For them to judge the end.
So angels here they may appear
And warn you of the sound,
The end for all men now draws near-
But how will men be found
In knowledge great without deceit ?
Then wiser they must come
Than any man hath been before
If they can all discern,

My Bible here to see it clear,

The way I'll make an end.
Therefore my angels must appear,
That I to you shall send,
To tell you plain the time is come
My Bible I'll go through:

The mysteries are unknown to man,
What I intend to do;

Therefore the saints must judge the earth

But thou within dost say,

Thou'st know the saints that will come forth,

And judge it must be they

That are elect I shall protect,

As they have plac'd the word;

They must appear the whole to clear
They are the saints of God.

This is the pondering of thy heart,
Judging what man may say:
These are the saints for to impart
And judge the earth this way;
But I'll appear to answer here,
Their judgment will not do.
I ask my Bible bow they'll clear,
To bring before their view
That they can come a judge for man,
Who say they're so elect

Before the world was form'd by ME;

And men must all expect

For to be cast, as first 'twas plac'd,

For all I had decreed?

I ask what judges they can come ?
Such saints are all misled;

Because no man they can condemn,
If I've decreed the whole.

Against their Lord they here must coine ---
Is man condemn'd to fall
By my decree? they all do say;
Then who must resist my will,
If they in knowledge so do lay,
And prove their knowledge still

Is thus to know how things will go,
How I've ordain'd the whole?
Then sure my counsel they must know,
And make my Bible fall:

My Gospel here no man can clear,
'That way to place my word;

Then man in wisdom ne'er could err;
The knowledge of their Lord
Must be in men, as by their plan,
And they affirm it true;

And so their God they still condemn→
Bring all before their view:
How could I blame, or e'er condemn
The sinners to appear?

If I'd decreed to make them so,
Then I myself must err,

And surely blame and put to shame
What I myself ordain'd.

Are these the saints to judge the earth,
That will so wrong maintain?
My mercies here no man can clear,
They way they've plac'd the whole,
If I've ordain'd the sinners here

To sin and so to fall.

Then where's the man, they'll say so strong To baffle my decrees?

Are these the saints they expect to come
Ever to judge my ways?

I tell thee, no; it can't be so;
I'll ne'er be judg'd by them;
And if they judge the world below
They must their God condemn,
So now these men, I'll tell thee plain,
They are no saints for ME,

For them to judge the world below,
Then I condemn'd must be;

Because no man they can condemn,
If I all sin decreed.

Why should I lay the blame on man,
Or bruise the Serpent's head,
If I ordain'd for him to reign,
And make men him obey?
Then I must be as bad as he,
(Their folly so doth lay)
Thus to create the fallen state,
Ordain'd them so to sin;

I ask them where's the mercy's gate,
For men to enter in,

If I appear to mock them here

And ask them to return,

And threaten judgments so severe,

If they refuse to come?

Then I must mock: for men know not

The judgment here they draw,

That I have made the sinners' lot

My will they shall not do.

ON SAINTS TO JUDGE THE EARTH CONTINUED. 523

So mercy here no man can clear
There can be in a God,
If I ordain'd it so severe,

And then to lay my rod
For men to see their destiny,

What I create them for.

Are these the saints to judge for ME,
Whose doctrine I abhor?

So now of them I've shewn thee plain,
They are no saints to come
Ever to judge the world below,
AS ME they all condemn.
But now within thou dost begin-
Another class appear,

That judge I am a God of Love
For men to serve and fear;
And that my Gospel is held out
For all that will to come,

And of my mercies they'll not doubt,
But I'll receive them home.

These are the saints are in thy mind,
That think they must appear,
Who judge their God is good and kind
To returning sinners here.

Now for these men, I'll tell thee plain,
That judgest such may come,

If they gain knowledge they'll maintain,
And prove there's none in man;
They may appear as judges here,
If they will come this way;
But if they say, that saints they are,
And knowledge in them lay,
Then like the first they must be cast;
For judges none can come,
That in their righteousness do trust,
Judgment must be in them.

But I'll appear to ask men here,
When I pronounc'd them so,

That man in judgment could be clear
My perfect will to know?
Angels above are plac'd in love
Enthron'd in glory bright,

And yet the cause they cannot move,
To say before my sight,

My will they know-I've told you so;
Then how came men so wise,

To think that they can judge below
What lies before their eyes?
For what I'll do they do not know,
From angels 'tis conceal'd,
Before I bid them for to go

To have my mind reveal'd;
Then surely man can never come
My will in aught to clear.

So form your judgment now, O men,
What answer shall I hear,

When I demand of every man
To answer for the past?
Why they in unbelief did stand,
And why they are so at last,
Under the Gospel to be wrong,
As I have shewn to thee?

But to thy pondering thoughts I'll come→→→
What seems a mystery
Concerning of the Roman powers:
I know thy pondering heart,
Why should they seek for to devour
And make the martyrs smart,
If in one Gospel all believ'd,
As I have shewn thee here?
What cruelty could they then give
To them that did appear,
Alike believe, be not deceiv'd,
The Gospel join as one?

This is the pondering thoughts of thee,
Why discord so should come.

Now to thy thoughts I'll answer here,
Why they did thus begin;

As from my Gospel they did err
To place the power in man,

With all their zeal, I'll now reveal,

Their pride of heart swells high;

Back to the Pharisees you go

And see where pride doth lie;
For though my Gospel they profess
That they believe it true,
Yet still they make it but a jest-
The power of man, you know,
Is there set up, for men to hope
They must their pardon gain;
Or else they'll say in hell you'll drop;
Then how can they remain
My followers here, when I appear
To shew them of the VINE?
I say theirselves they cannot clear
That they are joined mine;
Therefore I say I'll cut them off
And graft them all anew:
Now you discern, I've said enough
To prove my Gospel true.
Branches in ME they say they be,
My Gospel they allow;

But when I come to make an end,
They cannot tell me how
That e er my Spirit they possess'd,
To copy after ME;

Therefore, I say, I'll cut them off;
My Gospel, all shall see,

I'll now fulfil beyond men's skill-
All this was known to ME,

How Satan strong would work in men,
That blinded they may be;

WHY THE BRANCHES MUST BE PRUNED. 525

But if no errors did appear,

How could I prune the VINE,
To say I'd cut the branches here,
That so were joined mine?
Because to ME they joined be,
The Saviour they profess.
And yet to man they all do flee,
And there they trust for grace.
Then sure my Gospel is denied,
While thus they trust in man,
Though arguments may be applied,
The way their faith did come;
But I'll appear to answer here:
To my disciples go;

I told them not to interfere,
And that you all do know;

If they did come where faith was none,
I bad them leave them all;
No cruelty, you know, in them
I bad them for to call:
I did reprove a Peter's love,

When fiery zeal appear'd;
And know the cause I did remove,

To heal the servant's ear *.
So when I come to make an end,
My Gospel to demand,

They'll find they wrest the Scriptures here;
They in no way can stand,

But branches, sec, cut off must be,

As I have said before;

But as the thing doth puzzle thee,
I'll make it out more clear:
Under the Law, you all do know,
The Jews of old were plac'd;
And Moses gave them all the Law
Wherein they were to trust;
But how that Law did they divide,
And different minds became,
Until the Law was thrown aside?
You know they acted wrong;

Some kept the Law, you all may know
If you my Bible see,

While others wrong did then go on,