CHAPTER VI.

OF MAN'S TREATMENT WITH GOD'S EXTENDED
OFFERS OF CHARITY AND GRACE; AND OF GOD'S
DEALINGS WITH HIM IN DISPENSATIONS
PAST, AND IN THE PRESENT.

1. Give ear, O ye people, and understand my words, saith the Lord; I testify unto you, that all the foregoing passages, and many more, which have never been handed down on record, were dictated by my spirit, and sent forth, through the mouths of the prophets, that the people might have timely warning of the coming of the Messiah, and be prepared to work with him, by hearkening to his voice, that my peace and my blessing might rest upon them.

2. But how dark was their darkness, and how great was their blindness, that after all the particular instruction from the mouths of my faithful servants, they knew not the Savior, when I sent him forth, neither would they, as a body, believe, when he declared himself unto them, and showed forth, by the miracles which he wrought, that he proceeded, and came forth from God, the Father of all, and from none else.

3. But the gospel which he preached, their carnal, self-willed and bigoted natures did abhor; and the testimony which he bore, cut them to their hearts, therefore, in cruel rage, and malice, they

exerted all their power, to destroy his animal body, as quick as possible, that his galling testimony might be suppressed, and thus did they accomplish their own destruction.

4. But a few chosen ones gathered unto him, and remained true to the cause, to the laying down of their lives; and were thereby crowned with glory, honor and immortality;

5. And the light of that gospel, revealed through the Son, I did never suffer wholly to be extinguished, through the gloomy, dark, and bloody reign of antichrist; but would, at times, cause rays of this light to break forth, in vessels of my own preparing, as twinkling stars in a dark night, from a cloudy horizon; and bear testimony against the awful abominations of the age in which they lived; notwithstanding, their natural lives were sure to be sacrificed, under the most excruciating tortures as the consequence. And thus have been the doings of mankind, from the creation of the world, to the present day.

6. They have always chosen their own way, in opposition to that which I, in mercy, sent forth unto them. Therefore, have they, as a world of human souls, all gone astray, and worshiped the idol god of their own lusts. Yet, as a kind and tender Father, oft have I reasoned with them, and entreated of them to turn from the error of their doings; to cease from doing evil, and learn to do well: to cease from their bloodshed and carnage, and dwell together in peace and love.

7. And many have been the holy Angels which I have sent, with messages of love and mercy, that they might be persuaded, through my unbounded goodness and loving kindness, to turn unto Me their God and Creator; but all to no purpose, save that they would draw out their mouths in ridicule and derision unto Me, and unto my messengers; and sound forth blasphemous words against my holy work, and the subjects thereof. Yea, saith the Lord, they would gladly turn the whole habitable earth into a theatre of sin and corruption !

8. But I have declared in my wrath, and I will execute in my fury, justice upon the nations of the earth, such as will not hearken and return to the law of the Lord their God: for I will surely avenge the innocent blood that crieth unto Me.

9. My spirit shall not always be mocked by frail mortals, who are but as worms and insects, crawling upon the earth's surface.

What is man, that I should be mindful of him, or the son of man that I should visit him?

10. Have we not created him to pursue a different path from that which he hath pursued, from the foundation of the world to the present day? Have I not declared that we created him in our own image, to be an honor and a glory unto us?

11. And shall we suffer him, saith the Lord, instead of doing us honor, to disgrace the name by which he was created,

12. By filling the earth with blood and violence, and covering her face with filthy stews of abomination?

13. By trafficking in human blood, and making merchandise of souls?

14. By grinding the face of the poor, and turning the right of the needy away?

15. By supporting the rich, the great and the high, who have got gain without right, in every kind of the most extravagant luxury; while those of their fellow creatures who labor daily with their hands for bread, are starving for want of the same?

16. Shall the earth groan unto Me, by reason of such injustice, and I not be avenged on her inhabitants, saith the Lord? Nay, nay, crieth my eternal justice.

17. I will visit her in mercy, if she will hearken; but if not, I will visit her in judgment, still more severe than I poured forth upon those stiff-necked, hard hearted and rebellious Jews, who crucified the holy Son of God, when he was sent forth unto them.

18. For I have suffered light, knowledge and understanding to be increased in the earth, and where ever much is given, there much, in return, will be required. And unto whomsoever light and knowledge is given, to do their master's will, and they do it not, the same shall be beaten with many stripes.

19. And where the true gospel light does shine into a soul, and they obey it not, for fear they shall be mocked and scorned, by their fellow creatures; double condemnation will fall upon that soul; and my judgments will surely visit them, unless they speedily repent, and obey the light which I have given them, saith the Lord.

20. Understand the word of the Lord your God all ye people; I did not send my beloved Son into the world for naught: I did not send him to make a show of the gospel without possessing the sub

stance.

21. He took on him the nature of man, with all its frail and fallen

propensities, that he might set him a true example, how to deny himself, by taking up a daily cross, against every evil propensity of his nature.

22. This, your Lord and Savior effectually did, by putting every enemy of the soul's best good and comfort, under his feet. He conquered the power of sin and death, by passing through the deepest of sufferings.

23. And by this means, he was always able to resist the temptations of every fallen propensity of nature, at the first presentment, and was never, in any instance, overcome; therefore, he was perfected through sufferings, and enabled to open the door of eternal salvation to every one, that would strip themselves for the race, and run for the prize, in the path which he directed.

24. But I never sent him on earth, either in his first, or second appearance, to save any souls in their sins. There can be no power given to do this, saith the Lord; my attribute of eternal justice forbiddeth it.

25. But every one, who would come into the order of my grace, must confess their sins, one by one, before my Witnesses; and labor to repent of the same, by leaving them off. And none can ever come into the true gospel of Christ, either in his first or in his second appearance, short of doing this.

26. And none can ever stand as true witnesses for Me, until they have done this, in sincerity of heart and honesty of soul, and have labored to repent, and cry to God that they might be forgiven for the same.

27. For the heart, defiled and corrupted with sinful abominations, is like unto a cage filled with every unclean and hateful bird; or like unto a whited sepulchre, that is full of rottenness and dead men's bones within, and it never can be cleansed, short of a full and free confession.

28. I AM, is a God of eternal justice, and will render to every、 one their just reward. I have in past dispensations of my grace to man, given him laws and statutes, agreeable to the age and day in which he lived, and in keeping them, he would always have been insured with my love and blessing, to protect him in his duty.

29. But few, very few, saith the Creator of all, have I ever found in any age of the world, who were willing to sacrifice their own ways and wills, with all their carnal enjoyments, to do my will and pleasure; therefore have they run in their own way, and not in the way of their God.

CHAPTER VII.

OF THE MANIFESTATIONS OF MY HOLY SPIRIT, AND THE MANNER OF MY WORK, AS OPERATING UPON THE HEARTS OF THE CHILDREN OF MEN, THROUGH VISIBLE AND INVISIBLE

AGENCIES.

1. God calleth unto man, and reasoneth 22. Man warned to turn from his wickwith him.

edness.

6. Man justified in proportion to obedi- 24. His works merit a scourge at the hand

1. Draw near unto me, the Lord your God, 0 ye inhabitants of earth! Incline your hearts to understand my word, and turn your feet to walk in my paths.

2. Open your eyes to behold, and unstop your ears that you may hear, while I hold forth the sceptre of my mercy, and extend the arm of my charity, once more unto you; and teach you again of my laws, that you may walk in my paths.

3. While I command the holy Angels, whom I have sent forth with the vials of my wrath and judgment, to stay their hands for a short season, that the people may hear my word, and have a space to repent if they will, and prove unto Me, by the humility of their souls, that they really believe my word, and will hearken unto my voice.

4. The great I AM, who sitteth upon his throne on high, is a spirit of everlasting goodness and eternal brightness, operating through all immensity and space, and endless worlds unknown;