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26. And all who were faithful and true, to keep the law, and the restrictions therein contained, were justified by the deeds done under the law; and were, by this means, prepared, when called upon by an increasing and superior light, sent forth by my Almighty hand, to enter, with thankful hearts, and rejoice in that God who called them, that they were counted worthy.

CHAPTER X1.

OF THE DISPENSATIONS OF GOD'S GRACE TO MANKIND; THE MANNER IN WHICH MAN HAS TREATED THEM, THE EFFECTS OF HIS DISOBEDIENCE, AND REFUSAL OF THE OFFERS OF GRACE.

THE LAW AND THE PROPHETS REACHED THE DAYS OF THE MESSIAH; THE DISPENSATION OF CHRIST'S FIRST APPEARING, REACHED UNTO THAT OF HIS SECOND, IN WHICH THE ORDER OF HIS KINGDOM AND WORK ARE COMPLETED.

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1. When I caused manna to come down from Heaven, for food to the children of Israel, did I not require each to gather, day by

day, the store which they needed for that day only? save that which was for food on the Sabbath, was gathered the day previous. And could any keep it longer in an eatable state? Surely not, saith He who sent it.

2. And from this one circumstance, mankind should have learned a lesson, not easily to be forgotten; which is, that God, their Heavenly Father, requires the objects whom he hath created, to be constantly employed; first, seeking to do his will and pleasure, by laboring for spiritual food, or that which would feed, nourish and strengthen the soul, against every evil temptation, without and within; and their hands to work daily, for their own support.

3. Had mankind learned these two important lessons, and practiced the same, from that day to this, their principles of morality, and spiritual goodness, gained by actual works, more than by words, would have been far in advance of what they now are; they would never, after having been called by the law of grace, again have turned their sense and feelings to seek after indulgences, permitted under a law given after [the order of] a carnal commandment.

4. But the works of mankind declare unto Me, saith the Lord, that they have neither kept the Mosaic law, nor in any way, walked agreeable to the order and law of grace; or the precepts of the gospel revealed through my blessed Son. But the law which hath ruled among the children of men, upon the face of the whole earth, from Adam to Moses, from Moses to Christ, and from Christ to the present day, is the law of their own corrupt natures.

5. And shall I, after suffering the wicked inhabitants of the earth to go on for thousands of years, in their own way, suffer them still longer to continue their course, uninterrupted, defying my holy power, and setting at naught my righteous commands?

6. Hath he not already begun to say, in his heart, "There is no God, there is no Christ that will ever do us any harm, [for these, our doings,] let us go on, and take our comfort, while we do live; for when we die, that will be the end of us; for we are no more than the beasts that perish!

7. Nay, saith the Lord God of Heaven, whose goings forth are from everlasting, and whose ways are past finding out by mortals, any further than his infinite wisdom and goodness may condescend to reveal them.

tor.

8. I will not always suffer man to scorn the works of his CreaAll flesh shall become as dross and dung before Me; and as

a vapor before the morning sun, shall it vanish quickly away; no flesh shall glory in my presence.

9. Man, with all the excuses he can collect, and with all the permission to indulge his carnal propensities, which he thinks he can derive from the record of my sacred word, can alter nothing in the least. The motives of his heart are recorded; they make nothing that is white, black, nor black, that is white. Eternal truth and justice shall bear the sway.

10. Sufficient unto the day, and to the people who lived in that day, were the precepts and doctrines of Christ, brought forth and preached loudly to the world, by examples of great sufferings, and true self-denial.

11. But few heeded his warning voice, or bettered their lives by reason of his coming. The cross which he bore, and testified to all, that none could come to him, who would not bear the same, was so galling to the carnal sense of man, in that day, that but very few made the sacrifice required, to obtain salvation, or gain the seal of eternal life.

12. But this hath not altered my declaration through the mouths of my servants, that there is no other name given under Heaven whereby men shall be saved; and he that preacheth any other gospel than this, let him be accursed.

13. And although there be millions of the present day, who pretend they are the true followers of the Lord and Savior; yet do I testify unto them, they are not the sheep of his fold.

14. Fair words, and fine speeches, saith the Lord, make not a true follower of Christ. It is not the hearers of the word only, but the doers of the work.

15. As soon as antichrist began to set up the abomination of desolation, by remodeling the letter of that gospel preached by Christ, that it might serve for a cloak, under which to conceal every species of wickedness; its followers at once became very numerous, and have increased rapidly unto the present day.

16. But remember, the Lord your God hath declared, that the gospel brought forth by the Lord Jesus Christ, was never known or practiced, in antichrist's reign; neither was the strait gate entered, or the narrow way traveled, from the time that the primitive church declined, and fell away, until Christ, or the fullness of the same spirit was sent forth the second time, without sin unto salvation, by my Holy Power, and Eternal Wisdom.

17. And [this second manifestation,] was, and is, quite as offensive to the children of men, in this day, as it was when he made his first appearance. And they appear to be no more ready now, to receive him in truth, in this day, notwithstanding their great profession, than the Jews were in their day.

18. And upon which class will the greatest weight of guilt and condemnation fall? Surely, upon the latter, saith the Lord. For greater light hath shone upon them, if they would but have obeyed it, than ever shone upon the Jews.

19. Christ plainly saw, when he was upon earth, all that was in man. He needed not that any one should tell him what man possessed; therefore, he did plainly foretell to his disciples, what kind of use the wicked nature in man, would yet make of his name, and of the gospel he preached, as is plainly recorded in sacred writ be

fore you.

20. He plainly saw that they would borrow his words, in blasphemy, and use his name in deceit, and loudly proclaim the letter of the gospel he preached; all for a cloak, and a show of religion to be seen of men.

21. And under this banner, they could shed the blood of millions of their fellow creatures, and readily destroy all such as presumed to bear testimony against their heaven-daring wickedness, the blood of whose slain, crieth unto Me to this very day.

22. And furthermore, every species of abomination could be tolerated, and committed, by those professing to be the subjects of this remodeled religion, said to embrace the true gospel principles of Christ. The least ray of true gospel light, would at once condemn all their sacrilegious proceedings.

23. Had mankind, from the day that the Messiah was on earth, to the present time, but kept the one following passage, in truth, "Love thy neighbor as thyself," they would have been much nigher to Me, their God and Creator, at this day, than they now are; take the body of the inhabitants of the world together.

24. Though many there be, upon whom the true light of the gospel hath never shone, yet, they are sincere according to the best of their understanding.

25. All such will merit my blessing and protection, until further light is suffered to shine into their souls; then they must likewise obey that, or they will fall into a far worse state, than they were

fore it reached them; for transgressions, committed in ignorance, will be lightly passed over, saith the Lord.

26. But, saith the God of Heaven, I again call upon all professing christians, to ponder well this question; Do you sincerely be lieve, from your hearts, that you are fulfilling the divine commands of your blessed Lord and Savior, and are daily walking in that gospel he preached, by bearing the cross which he bore, and wearing the yoke which he wore?

27. Ponder well this question in your own hearts, and let truth decide, as ye would if ye knew ye must appear before my eternal bar of justice at the next hour: for the time hasteneth on, in my own wisdom, that I will know no man by his words, but by the fruit which he produceth.

28. As I before told you, disobedience is the cause; and judgment, desolation and destruction, are the effects proceeding from this cause.

29. But my creature man, for nearly six thousand years, hath adhered to the cause of destruction; and for which cause, I once swept him from the face of the earth, save a small remnant, to preserve his seed.

30. Yet, notwithstanding all this, he hath never learned obedience to my divine commands, either as regards the law of nature, given in the beginning; or that which was given by Moses, under the dispensation of types and shadows, or the order and law of grace, given under the gospel dispensation by the Holy Son of God.

31. Therefore, do I send forth my word of solemn warning; and declare, in the voice of my eternal truth, to all nations, that the inhabitants of the earth are ripe for the heavy hand of my judg ments to visit them.

32. For violence doth cover the earth; deceit and hypocrisy stand up, and walk in the congregrations and assemblies of such as meet together, to adore my holy name. Abomination is found in their skirts; it weareth the clothing of a sheep, but possesseth the body of a wolf.

33. Their fathers have gone astray, and their children have followed their footsteps; until the truly upright have become scarce and few, as particles of gold in the midst of crude ore.

34. Many have been the prophecies and predictions, in former dispensations, respecting the latter day of glory, in which Christ should come, the second time, with thousands of his saints; in

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