AS there is natural light, as well as darkness, two stand­ing opposites—so is there spiritual light and spiritual darkness, truth and error, which are ever opposing each other; the one flowing from God, as the fountain of light and truth, the other spreading out from the devil, as the centre of dark wickedness, being the father of all sophism and lies.

GOD has witnesses of truth in all circles of the creation.— each according to order or appointment, bearing testimony to his outgoing and incoming, respecting the various dis­pensations or displayings of his truth, or true spirit, as well as providence. So satan also has instruments of error or falsehood, who, in the spirit of darkness, run in direct oppo­sition to God's holy light, let the outgoing of its power and testimony be what it will.

THE first intelligent witness of God's purest truth and power placed on this earth, was Adam, who in his personal office was a prophet, a priest, and a king, as the true figure of the Messiah that was afterwards to come in these charac­ters to redeem the world—who, upon his coming, should of necessity open out a new dispensation, or change of wor­ship, by his gospel, answerable to the second covenant—the [Page 2]conditions of which, in the most true or perfect sense, as well as benefits, were reserved for this gospel's promulgation—as standing upon, or rising out from, its true head, viz. the Messiah born into the world—for before he appeared in per­son, the fulness of the second covenant, as belonging to him, and in which he encircled human nature, never could be manifested—which covenant was to be revealed to men, and from the first establishing of that covenant, at the time of Adam's fall or promise being made, up to the very centre of time that he was to come, in every renewal or the opening out of each new circle of divine light and truth, still pointed unto him, as also to the manner of his coming, as well as to the period of time, giving the very signs and marks that should go before, attend and follow.—All the prophets, as one continued chain of living witnesses linked after each other—as in a twofold row, giving from the spirit of God's own mouth a double testimony, (every eminent prophet having a cotemporary;) the angels of heaven bore witness also, upon every occasion, giving a distinct and yet joint testimony with all the prophets and wise men, infolding their double testi­mony into theirs, making the whole then as a threefold cord that could not be broken—and thus it ran from Adam to the birth of the Messiah, at which point of time a host from Heaven appeared to several living witnesses, testifying his birth into this world—these witnesses seeing him also with their eyes.—

NOR was it at hand, but also afar off, that his birth was known—for God's spirit clearly revealed the very time of it to the eastern philosophers; and his star in the elements bore witness thereto, which they followed, travelling to the place to which his providence led them, till they both beheld and handled him.

SIMEON the prophet, and Anne the prophetess, bore wit­ness to him in the temple, and when an infant, embraced him as the Messiah—his divine wisdom (when he was but twelve years old) bore witness of him before all the learned doctors [Page 3]—His spotless life, before he began his ministry, witnessed him to be the Son of God, because no man lived free from transgression but he.—The Messiah was to have a forerun­ner or herald, to prepare his was—and his be had, viz. John the Baptist, who was in honour greater than all the forerunning prophets, because he could point with his finger to the only begotten son of God, in person then on the spot, who was come to take away the sins of the world by the sa­crifice of himself.—John was commissioned to attend up­on his initiation into public office, which was an honour pe­culiarly reserved for him.—Now this John was acknow­ledged to be a true prophet, and revered as such by all that nation at first, but some were a little after hardened in wick­edness to maliciously bate that truth and divine purity in him that they could not deny—for if John was not true in his testimony of the Messiah, all the prophets from the begin­ning must be false witnesses.—God the father bore witness to Jesus by an audible voice from Heaven, saying, "This is my beloved son," and God the Holy Ghost bore witness also, openly descending on him—And here the blessed TRINITY visibly meets on or in his person, in one point of unity, what could not be seen in any such sense ever before, that mani­festation being reserved for that period of opening the new dispensation—for these extraordinary openings could not be to the world, until that the only begotten son of God came to dwell as a creature in it—then the father could no longer conceal himself in these glorious manifestations from the world—because where the son of his love was, there he should be, as in his fullest presence, and where that is, it cannot but be known—and the most conclusive demonstra­tion should be given on his dedication to the gospel ministry, that being his sealing into office.

IT was impossible for John to be a salse witness herein, because if so, all the prophets must be liars, who exactly agree with him in pointing out the Messiah to the world; and if these could not be liars, how much less could God the father—and when he said Jesus was his only begotten son, [Page 4]would not he be a liar if that he was not his son—and this of Jesus being the true son of God, was declared in the hearing of other witnesses, upon another occasion, by the audible voice of God himself, speaking from Heaven, who saw with their bodily eyes his divine glory shining through the vail of his flesh, even too glorious to be looked upon, how much less then to be described.

IF Jesus of Nazareth was not the true Messiah, the Holy Ghost must be a deceiver—not only at his birth, baptism and transfiguration, but during the whole course of his life, par­ticularly that of his public ministry, and that not only through the means of his words, (truth itself says, no man ever spake like him,) but also through the works which he did, for no man ever before did the like—no, nor since, even in any sort of comparison, save by his power or divine appointment to peculiar persons chosen to work wonderously in his name—and the many glorious works his servants have wrought by his power with them, yet never equal to his, in intrinsic value.—Devils became not only subject to his power, but trembled and fled at the very found of his name when expressed by others—acknowledging him to be the true Mes­siah, and holy one of God; and men who deny him to be that person, and resist self conviction, act even worse than does Satan, which sully proves that there are many embodied spirits on earth, more disingenuous than some disembodied fiends in bell.

TO the JEWS were committed, not only the revealed law, and divine ordinances, but the living prophets of God, as the most lively images of his son, raised up in regular course from time to time amongst them—and though often disapproving of their testimony, yet they were never in point of truth able to contradict them.—All these prophets in ge­neral, one after the other, were most inhumanly murdered for testifying against the vice of these people. So the very heads of this nation, or in other words the reigning spirit of that whole body, rose still from one generation to another to [Page 5]be as wicked comparatively as the powers of the infernal re­gion. The JEWS do not deny but they put the holy pro­phets to death, and yet cannot say that they slew them for their wickedness; and as the last of the ancient Prophets, or head of all, the Father of Heaven, sent them down his only begotten Son to turn them from the error of dark wickedness unto the truest light or holy knowledge of himself. His di­vine precepts, both in their deep purity and power, fully proved him to be the Messiah; his miraculous works on others, as well as the miraculous events that still attended him, proved him altogether so supernatural, that they had no way under heaven to deny him, but by alleging all this su­perabundant goodness, or supernatural power, as coming wholly from Belzebub within him.—O! deluded nation, when did the Devil become such a benefactor to men? It is well known that Jesus discovered his power of giving life unto those who were totally dead, and brought the souls of some, back again, into their bodies, after being long in the invisible world; of this there were different instances, viz. raising a dead person to life, whose corpse was stretched and laid out—a second, who was carried on a bier, to be buried— and a third, who lay four days in the grave. Often he open­ed the eyes of grown persons who were born blind; made those who were always before dumb and deaf, to hear and speak; the lame or dead limbed, at his word, would leap up and walk with all natural liveliness, the bowed down or paralytic he delivered from all such infirmity, the incurable lepers cleansed at his word—in short, be gave instances of his almighty power in repeatedly curing diseases of all kinds, on the bodies and souls of men, without any medicine whatever, by his touch, (nay by the diseased person even touching his garment,) by his word, on those who heard, or by his intention to those who were afar off. These are notorious facts, seen, heard and witnessed, by an innu­merable number of spectators. He fed at different times, se­veral thousands, in the barren wilderness, having only a few small loaves and two or three little fishes—his Disciples taking the bread from his hands and stretching it unto the heads of [Page 6]the ranks, as they sat around, who found it to increase as they brake it then one to the other; nor was it lessened even after they had eat of it to their full satisfaction, for the remaining fragments were more than was the whole bread, before be miraculously increased it to them; and while he could feed hundreds and thousands to their full satisfaction, upon ever so trifling a morsel, yet he himself could live without any na­tural food; an instance of which is given in his fasting, in a wilderness forty days and forty nights together. Nor was it only in his own natural body he did this, but also enabled others, viz. Moses and Elijah, by his supernatural power upon them, even hundreds of years before his coming in the flesh, to fast the same length of time, as two distinct types, figuring or referring to what himself should do, when he would come. These being appointed, each one in his day, a striking sign of him, as forerunning servants unto him who is Lord of all. It was his divine power that raised up and preserved the holy fathers, who all lived according to ap­pointment with a single eye to him; it was he who brought all Israel, with a high hand, up out of Egypt; (yet afterwards murdered him as touching his human person,) led them on dry ground, through the red Sea; overthrew their enemies; bore with their disobedience, in the wilderness, forty years; fed and nourished them all that time in a supernatural man­ner, bringing them into the possession of a land flowing with milk and honey.

BEING the second in the divine plurality, and in point of unity—God of the whole creation. He was therefore in his own person, above all creatures: Every thing that he created should in its own order or place serve his holy design; even in his human person he could walk over or upon the seas, when his way was to pass thereon, without the help of any natural means whatsoever, and gave a visible instance therein of his divine power; and not only doing it himself, but by his word, could appoint any other to do the same.—He could transport himself, in less than a moment, to any dis­tance; and not himself alone, but cause any number of per­sons, [Page 7]or natural bodies, to be insensibly moved to ever so great a distance, as in a moment; of which there was art in­stance—witness the ship and crew of Disciples, who found themselves on the intended shore without ever sailing their or­dinary course—he being found with them the other side of the sea, to the miraculous astonishment of numbers of Jews, who knew him to be on this side, the very night before; and that there was no ship or boat of any kind there, for his pas­sage. Now this was a notorious fact, known to thousands; and yet he never acted upon caprice or whimsical fancy, but upon grounds altogether necessary to make known his divine power, without moving out of the straight line of providen­tial occurrences, for it was upon whatever offered, or provi­dentially occurred, that he always acted like a God of truth and order, without doing violence to any of his creatures, respecting time, thing, place or person, for all created nature, should give way, and each order yield a compliance to serve as well as to prove or bear testimony as he passed in course through this creation, that he alone is GOD, [...], independent to all, and on whom alone, all [...], and who, in all the fulness of [...] GOD-HEAD, duelt in that of his own person, or veil of flesh. He had no occasion to form any new invention, or introduce any [...] unconnected or inconsistent with the even course of things; for that of doing things unnecessary, never was or could be the ways of the divine Spirit; all that God ever does is truly necessary to his own true order and good ends.—By his own divine power, he could cause his natural body, at any time to become invisible, when there was the utmost necessity that he should not be seen even by those enemies who had their eyes fastened upon him, nor be thon felt by them who had griped him in their hands to murder him: This was the case, else he could not so often nave escaped death, or at least gross abuse, from those who were in the very act of doing it; yet would lose him out of their hands and sight, and could not tell how: He could not suffer himself to be put to death until the due time, and until all things which be laid out from eternity, and that were also written by the Prophets, concerning [Page 8]his course of humiliation and suffering, were fully accom­plished.

THAT the ALMIGHTY was living in the person of Christ Jesus, and that he was still in Heaven, though dwel­ling on the Earth, acting at one, and the same time in both the visible and invisible worlds, is very evident from his working so powerfully by his Apostles, after he sent them away two and two, to different quarters to preach, acting then more effectually by them and for them, than while they were beside or dwelling with his human person.—If he was not God of all power, how could he cause the fish that had the piece of money in its belly to come and fasten itself on Saint Peter's hook, whom he sent to take up that fish, fore­telling him what money he should find in it, which piece was just as much as answered the end of paying the tribute that was then demanded of him—though he did not move all the time of Peter's absence, but waited his return! If not God, how could he cause, not only the fire, but the fish to be roast­ing thereon at the sea shore, where there were neither fish nor fire in any such nature, till his almighty power caused it then to come into that place, as well as being, in order to re­fresh and feed his fatigued and hungry Disciples, who had been toiling all night on the sea? If not God, how could he cause such multitudes of fishes to come into their nets, at different times, as was sinking their little ship, even where themselves, by long endeavours, could not take one?

CHRIST'S miracles seem to have run two and two, where ever space gave room, or circumstance offered—He cured two who were possessed with logion, dwelling in the wild [...] and cutting their own flesh with stones, [...] could not bind, even with iron [...] near them, yet one is [...] cured two blind men together, when [...] for both; where his miracles have been [...] generally fall under the one head for [...] and agreeably to the divine order, are described as [Page 9]knit together in one. And not only the miraculous mercies, out the miraculous judgments of God, generally run with a double force, or in twofold order. Two were struck dead on Saint Peter's sentence against them, at the one time, and for the one offence; two were devoted and both together made over to Satan, under the one sentence of Saint PAUL: these two men of God acting through the power of Christ Jesus, and even where a judgment is executed on a single person, it is generally in a double or twofold nature— Elymas the sorcerer, was struck with dimness within, and stone blind­ness without—The angel of the Lord smote king Herod in­wardly, and worms or lice then began outwardly to eat him alive, &c. &c.

NUMEROUS instances of Christ's ALMIGHTY power, might be mentioned, shining forth even through the most simple things in nature, which all the powers of Earth and Hell would fall totally short of ever effecting. His personal actions, as well as what he wrought through his Apostles, proved beyond all contradiction that he was the true Messi­ah unlimitted in wisdom, spiritual presence and power di­vine. For not only in the days of his sojourning here in a human body, were the Devils subject unto him, but by his holy spirit in all his servants from the beginning, has he fully made known, on every necessary occasion, his power over the spirit of darkness—and also ever since the days of his hu­miliation has his divine power, in all his faithful witnesses, or true ministers of his holy gospel, been displayed, i. e. upon every appointed occasion in which he designed to honour himself in the eyes of the world, and exalt his truth above the power of error: yet, as it was his eter­nal design to redeem the world, and tha without shedding of his blood, there could be no remission of sin, did he, there­fore, suffer himself to be murdered—If he did not give his life a ransom, and thus suffer himself to be slain, by the instruments of iniquity, there could be no redemption for man; yet his having power in himself first to lay it down, and secondly to take it again, fully proved him to be that [Page 10] Messiah, who in his own wisdom and divine power as God, redeemed his creation by laying down that life; and though all this his goodness unto men was foreordained, and the manner of accomplishing it the wise result of his own mind— yet those who murdered him, though acting even in the very course that forwarded God's foreordained purpose, were therein committing the greatest wickedness. His goodness in dying for the world, was not the least share of goodness in those who killed him, because he and they were of oppo­site spirits; and his suffering himself to be sold, betrayed, falsely accused, to be condemned, taunted, derided, scoffed, spit upon, beaten, wounded, torn, pierced and wrecked, when hung up a spectacle between Heaven and Earth, to fully accomplish the whole circle of his eternal design; as also what had been recorded of him, in the scripture of truth, fully proved him to be the Messiah, who was to bear in his bo­dy, the iniquities of all men; the chastisements justly due to all being laid upon him, that by his stripes they might be healed; and having run (as to his manhood) a course of suffering, was in length worn out, and his life thus by wicked hands, taken from him, for he should be led as a lamb to the slaughter, ac­cording to his own eternal purpose, as well as scripture pro­phecy. All truths that in anywise related hereto, as well as visible demonstration, meeting in the one point, or person of Jesus, evidenced him to be the son of God: Nor was it possi­ble that any one inferior to that Messiah, could lay down his life for these his bitter enemies, purchasing the love of God for his murderers, by the pouring out of that blood which they were spilling, and the free pardon of Heaven for every sin­ner, who would believe in his goodness, and yield to the in­fluence of his grace, which strove then with his murderers, and continues to strive for a certain period, to reclaim all, men, even the most abandoned sinners; and if laying down his very life for his enemies, evidenced him to be that per­son, how much more does his rising from the dead, in which be takes that life into him again. The angels who attended his coming forth from the tomb, in the very order of their waiting upon him, evidence him to be the Son of God; the [Page 11]guards who were placed to watch him there, trembled and became as dead men, at the sight of his glorious attendants; and upon recovering themselves to be able to retreat, were found then in the city, as so many living witnesses of his re­surrection, till threatened by their rulers, and also bribed by them, to say that he was stolen away by his Disciples, while these guards were asleep, though watching him. When he was risen from the dead, they could not say he was then in the tomb, and yet by shutting it up and keeping it so, they could better pass the cheat upon the world, than by such an ill framed lie, that had not even the smallest probability: They were broad awake, and yet they could not hinder him from rising! If asleep, how could they perceive his Disciples taking him away? Nor was it possible that the Son of the living God, who is Lord of life and glory, could be holden down by the chains of death; or that all the lying inventions of Devils and Men could for ever deceive the world in the disbelief of his resurrection; for God has both ways and means to make himself and his truths manifest where he will, and whenever he pleases. Although he suffers those who, for a just punishment of their sins, are given over to the blindness of their own perverse hearts, or delusions of the Devil, to believe lies and harden themselves in falsehood, his visible as­cension to glory, before a croud of living witnesses, evidenced him to be the son of God, seated for ever, at the right hand of power, having, with the eternal Father, the whole govern­ment of all worlds. His sending down the Holy Ghost, even visibly on his Disciples, evidences him to be the living God, one with the Father, and the supernatural power that was publicly known to remain with them, proved to a de­monstration, that through him they possessed the Holy Ghost —enabling them instantaneously to speak all kinds of lan­guages—cure all manner of diseases without any fort of me­dicine, by their word, or by their shadow, and even by handkerchiefs or aprons only touching one of these persons, and carried ever so far to the sick, were then recovered in laying the same upon them—also their raising the dead to like again by his name, their casting out Devils; converting [Page 12]of sinners to the true love and worship of God; likewise in his name, pronouncing just judgments, which were visibly ex­ecuted.

AND the graces of the same pure spirit that still remains with all the true servants of God, as well as its miraculous operations, bear witness that Jesus of Nazareth was the true Messiah, and the only advocate or mediator between God and man, and that through him alone is SALVATION. And all the doctrines of that spirit which have been providently preserved hitherto, manifest their true light, even by self de­monstration, and as branching cut in all their various chan­nels; yet never run contrary to themselves, in countenancing sin in the smallest degree, opposite the purity and upright­ness of their holy nature, making against sin and de­ceiving error at all times. And they could not, in every past and particular, be pure and holy, if all sprung from a false head—for as the fountain, so should be the streams.— Then as the gospel of Christ is pure and holy, it evidences, beyond all contradiction, that Christ is GOD, and through him alone that fountain of light and happiness, viz. the second covenant as well as the first was opened to the world, and this is the true fountain for sin and uncleanness, which was in that centre of time, opened in the midst of the house of David; for divine purity could come from no other head but God, through the second Person, or Son of his love, by the agency of God the Holy Ghost. If there was the least deceit or imposture in Jesus of Nazareth, his gospel should be false and blasphemous, and be abhorred by God the Father—but, on the contrary, it is most pleasing to God, who, by his own voice from Heaven, declared Jesus to be his Son, commanding then his disciples (and through them all the world) to bear him. And the light that shines in the conscience of every intelligent being upon Earth, bears wit­ness to the strivings of his grace within them, though all do not know him by name, and do also justify the motions of that spirit, though they may not follow it; yet they know there has been the motion of that good spirit in them.—So [Page 13]be they saved or be they lost, they shall justify him, or his gospel spirit, in the great day of accounts. And all that were written in the new testament concerning the birth, mi­nistry, suffering, death, burial, resurrection and ascension, of Jesus Christ, as also the obtaining, through his merits, the various gifts or portions of his spirit for men, exactly cor­respond with the fights the Prophets of the old testament got of the Messiah, hundreds of years before he did come.

MOSES was the highest and grandest witness in all the old testament, as a lawgiver, and in that respect stood the near­est related to Christ, whose figure he was—answering not only in office and character exactly, but also in all his laws, whose aim or end was Christ and his gospel, that being as the true substance itself, and the outward or literal ce­remony of Moses, as the shadow of it. And Moses, in a clear foresight of Christ, says of him, "a prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you like unto me." Here Moses shews that himself was a figure of him. And the prophet Isaiah, in one extensive view, eyes him as man and God in one person, speaking thus of him, "unts us a child is borw, unto us a son is given, and the government shall be upon his shoulders, and his name shall be called Wonderful, Coun­sellor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace," his names being descriptive of his nature. After­wards he describes the nature of his birth— "Beheld, a vir­gin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Im­manuel," (God with us;) then the nature of his ministry, "preaching good tidings to the meek, proclaiming liberty to the captives, opening the eyes of the blind, unstopping the ears of the deaf, making the lame man leap as a bort, and the tongue of the dumb to sing." He then describes him in his suffer­ing, "despised and rejected of men, a man of sorrows and ac­quainted with grief, who was cut off from the land of the living, and poured out his foul unto death; he hath borne our griefs and carried our sorrows, was wounded for our trans­gressions and braised for our iniquities, because the Lord, or Father of Heaven, laid upon him the iniquities of us all." [Page 14]Also in patiently enduring— "he was oppressed and be was afflicted, and yet he opened not his mouth; be was brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before his shearers is dumb, so opened be not his mouth."

THE language of the spirit out of this Prophet's mouth runs all in the past tense, because the spirit of God had all along an eye to this present age, or dawning of the millenni­um, when there was to be a general CALL to all, (who re­jected Christ in the first circle or era of the gospel,) that they might look back and take a view of all this, which has been long fulfilled—although hitherto neglected by the greater part of the world, the word of God suiting itself to men in the most suitable and striking manner, always falling in with the situation of things or course of his providence to which ancient scriptures, the whole new testament, exactly agrees, proving the full accomplishment of these prophecies in his holy person. Instance the following harmony:

THE Prophet Micah, 5 chap. 2. ver. in the old testa­ment, foretold him to be born at Bethlehem, and Saint Mat­thew and Saint Luke's gospel, of the new testament, shews he was born there, and the inhuman massacre of the young infants gave cause for a public remembrance of that to be the very place of his birth, as also the time of it. The Pro­phet Malachi, speaking the language of Christ's spirit, says, " behold I send my messenger, (John the baptist) and he shall prepare the way before me;" and so he did, for John came before him into this world, and also began his ministry be­fore, as the gospel evidences, and the Prophet Isaiah de­scribes John in that public office, "crying in the wilderness, prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight a high way for our God." Now if Christ was not the Lord or true God, this Prophet must be all along a liar. And the gospel shews how exactly all this was fulfilled—And the public alarm that was given by John's preaching, was well known to all the countries about Judea, for it was of him the Prophet Mala­chi speaks, where he says in the word of God, behold I will [Page 15]send you Elijah the Prophet, before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord. So John came in that very spirit and alarming power of Elias, to turn the hearts of parents to their children, and children to their parents. This, the most unnatural rebellion, is mentioned, to signify how far the whole Earth was-corrupted at the time John came to be­gin that prepartion of bringing them back to the true fear of God, answering exactly to that situation of things, when Elijah began to restore the true worship of God, when lost as it were from the Earth. They were not only inwardly but also outwardly the likeness of each other—Elijah was clad with a rough garment and a leathern girdle, and so was John —Elijah was supported in an uncommon manner in the de­sert, and so was John in an uncommon manner in the wil­derness—three years and a half was the time of Elijah's re­tirement with the cause of God, and three years and a half was the course signified by Daniel's prophecy for John's mi­nistry to continue. It was said of Elijah, that he stood up as a fire, and that his word burned like a lamp—Eccles. 48, 1. And the son of God said of John that he was a burning and a shining light. The one did not fear to reprove king Ahab, nor the other to reprove king Herod—the one forced to fly from Ahab's wise, who would have put him to death—the other put to death by the instigation of the wise of Herod.— And as Elijah was the true figure of John, so was John a true figure of the son of God, and the very nighest to Christ in preparing men for the kingdom of heaven. John baptized with water, as setting men cleanly apart for-God's kingdom, and Christ, as the only true God, baptized with the Holy Ghost, taking them into it. John's circle of action therein was his last three and a half years, and the course of Christ's public ministry in his body of flesh, was his last three and a half years also. The matchableness of God's equptal ways should be kept up, so the scriptures also should be ful­filled, the one in course still giving place to the other, all things going on hand in hand and consistent with each other. The gospel of the new testament evidently shews that Jesus or Messeah was sold and betrayed by his own friend or Apos­tle, [Page 16]and that they pierced both his hands and his feet, nail­ing him to the cross; and after they hanged him up, stood staring and looking upon him, dying thereon, and did not the Psalmist, by the clearest foresight hereof, in the old testa­ment, describe him in that situation, when he says of him, "mine own familiar friend, in whom I trusted, which did eat of my bread, hath lifted up his heel against me; they piercea any hands and my feet, they stand staring and looking upon me." Psa. 41, 9. The treatment they gave him on the cross Da­vid clearly foresaw also by the same spirit of prophecy.— "All they that see me laugh me to scorn, they shoot out the lip and wag the head, saying, he trusted in God that he would de­liver him, let him deliver him if be will have him. They gave me gall to eat, and when I was thirsty they gave me vinegar to drink; they parted my garments amongst them, and upon my vesture did they cast lots"—Psa. 22. How exactly was all this fulfilled, both in word and action, on the Son of God.

THE gospel of the new testament shews he was cruci­fied between two thieves, and the spirit of the Prophet, hun­dreds of years before that, in the old testament, eyed him in that situation. See Isa. 53, 12— "He was numbered with the transgressors." The new testament shews he was in­terred in a rich man's tomb, and there surrounded by a guard of wicked men, and did not the Holy Ghost eye him thus when it speaks by the Prophet, "that he should make his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death." Isa. 53, 9. By the gospel of the new testament, his resurrec­tion in every circumstance is plainly shewed, to which these very guards of wicked men gave affirmation, as eye-win nesles of it, and their framing a lie afterwards to the contra­ry remains still only a negative testimony to the same—and did not the Holy Ghost foreshew his resurrection, when [...] is said by the prophet, in the old testament, thou wilt [...] leave my soul in Hell, (Hades, or the place of separate spi­rits,) i. e. to remain long separate from the body, neither wilt thou suffer the body, though separated from the soul, [...] thy holy one, to see corruption. Psa. 16, 10.

[Page 17] THE very truth of the new testament manifests his as­cension into Heaven, there being a vast number of living witnesses beholding him with their eyes, going up, till the clouds received him out of their sight, and this was only ful­filling what the holy spirit declared in the old, when, by the mouth of David, it cries, lift up your heads, O! ye gates, and be ye lift up ye everlasting doors, and the king of glary shall come in—Psa. 24, 9. This text fully shews that the Prophet was by no means speaking of himself, but of Christ, the everlasting King of glory, who thus ascended up to the eternal Heavens. And if God had not come down in the person of Christ, dwelling bodily in him, he could not, in the language of truth, be said to ascend up, to take his glory above. The same Prophet Tpeaks of him as having actually gone up in triumph, where he says, " thou art gone up on high, thou hast led captivity captive, and received gifts for men, not for himself; and to this the new testament bears witness by the miraculous power of these spiritual gifts, which men received, as do also the doctrines of grace and purity, in or upon those who truly obey the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ; and all being thus, as in the last sentence, brought home to a point, into the very centre of man's in­ward feeling, he must know these things to be true, and before ever his conscience can be brought to discredit any of these fundamental truths, respecting the incarnation of the Son of God, and full redemption of mankind through him, he must be first persuaded that he has no lively feeling nor existence, and that never could be, because while he is ca­pable of knowledge he has both life and feeling. So strong, conclusive, and self evident, has God made the clear light of his gospel truth upon the souls of all men, that no man can perish, but in wilfully persisting in sin, ever against the true light of the gospel spirit that shines unto him, and appears within him, knowing himself to be opposing God's saving truth, and also perverting his own understanding.

THE harmony that is between the old and the new testaments is worthy the admiration of angels; how much [Page 18]more the admiration of men, for whose sake the whole was accomplished—not by a mean person—not by a created an­gel; no, but by the ETERNAL JEHOVAH. O! man, how highly favoured.

ALL the scriptures of the old testament that related to the Messiah, were in the only full or truest sense accomplish­ed in Jesus Christ, at the very head of the gospel, as failing all within the circle of the christian dispensation, into which these prophecies should launch, and by no other person, nor at any other point of time, could these scriptures be accom­plished, else all prophecy is false. And not barely through the words of a Prophet, but from the very mouth of an Arch-Angel of the first Heavenly order, was conveyed to Daniel, and through him to all men, the very time that the Messiah should come, and be also cut off for his people; and where all this has been fulfilled, even to the last exactness, taking in all these prophecies within that point of time, and in that very person, agreeable to the report of that Angel, it does not leave even the smallest room for people to conceit any thing to the contrary.

That Angel said to Daniel, "seventy weeks are determined upon thy people, and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgres­sion, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most holy," even Jesus Christ, who is the most holy God; or that Angel is a liar. Here this Angel delivers the whole circle or course of the time, counting a day for a year, in which all these things in their full or truest heads were to be accomplished. He then divides that circle of seventy weeks (or 490 years) into three distinct periods, viz. seven weeks—sixty-two weeks—and one week, and fully explains what should be accomplished in each of these distinctly, one after the other, to the fulfilment of the whole 490 years, counting from the seventh year of the reign of Artaxerxes, in which a commandment was to go forth from God, through the mouth of that King, unto [Page 19] Ezra, to restore and build again the walls and city of Jeru­salem, which was completed by Nehemiah in the first seven weeks period of forty-nine years, reckoning from the date of that command. Just at the close of three score and two weeks, or 434 years after, which was the second period, making in all 483 years, John came preaching in the wil­derness, the 26th year of Christ; then there remained but the third period, viz. one week, or seven years of the whole 490; and this one week was particularly singled out, and chiefly pointed at by the Angel as the crowning of all; for the Mes­siah could not be cut off, within the second period, nor until the close of the third, for he said, " and after (not before) three score and two weeks, from the finishing of Jerusalem, shall Messiah be cut off," viz. at the close of the last week, and then a particular account follows of what was to be ac­complished by the Messiah, and his forerunner these seven years, allowing three and a half years to each, to wit: " He shall confirm the covenant (of the gospel light) with many for one week, (even as many as did receive it,) and in the midst of the week, (namely, when Christ began to preach)— he shall cause the sacrifice and oblation to cease, (Jewish ceremonies never more to be accounted the true worship of God,) and for the overspreading of abominations, he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation of the whole; and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate"—And has not all this been known to be exactly and fully accomplished, before the face of the world?

THE prophetic accounts of the Messiah's actions, suffer­ings and death, are so wonderfully minute and exact, that they look altogether more like a history than prophecies, re­sembling more a copy drawn from the events, than a predic­tion of them; and yet these prophecies were written several hundred years before his coming; and as an additional evi­dence in savour of these scriptures, they were in the keeping of the enemies of the gospel, who hated and despised Christ, and at that foreknown point of time crucified him—being at once both the preservers and accomplishers of the very [Page 20]prophecies, which their own wilful blindness would not let them see fulfilled, and God justly gave them up thereto.

IN the first grand and extended view, this Angel (who conversed with Daniel) gathers up all as into one head, in which he shews the full atonement to be made for the sins of the whole world, viz. "to finish transgression, to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision" of all the prophecies of the old testament concerning the Messiah, being all directed to this as their central point. He then, as within this one great head, or upon the grounds of it, parti­cularizes every thing necessary, whereby the fulfilment there­of might be clearly known, from his foregoing description, including also within these seventy weeks the removal of the sceptre from Judah, and after the end of that space of time how the Romans were to destroy Jerusalem, as also the deso­lating misery, or long scene of misfortunes, that were to fol­low that nation for wickedly rejecting their Messiah.

IN this one revelation to Daniel, was determined first, the very point of time, that Christ was to be born into this world, secondly, the exact time, he was to enter into his ministry, and thirdly, the instant of time, he was to be cut off for the sins or his people, and may be well termed one of the noblest prophe­cies in all the old testament, this intelligence not being con­veyed to the Prophet in the ordinary line, but the most extra­ordinary, and in that sense rises to the highest head of clearest knowledge, receiving it all from the very mouth of the Arch­angel, whom he beheld face to face, and with whom he freely conversed; and that great Angel always addressed Daniel as a man mightily beloved of God for his great piety and truth, which love to him was made manifest, where God changed the very nature of the lions, so that, instead of destroying him, as was designed, they fawned upon him, when he was cast down into their den; and that his light far exceeded all the Prophets in discerning particular periods in which the most extraordinary events were to happen, and giving an account [Page 21]of the number of years that reached to each, is very evident as also the amazing extent of his views, and so far as things have had time to come about, or follow in course, his pro­phecies have been so far fulfilled to the nicest exactness; and in point of freedom with the Almighty he stands not a whit below any man, but was, in this respect, a striking figure or type of Christ; he conversed freely with God himself in the person of the Angel of the covenant, afterwards manifested in the flesh as the Messiah, and that Messiah has named him Daniel the Prophet, and the Holy Ghost has signified him, in Zek. 14, 20, to be one of the greatest worth in the sight of God. If Daniel was liable to err in his judgment, yet the Arch Angel could not err in his commission; and how much less could the Angel of the covenant, or God himself, who confirmed these truths unto him, and when all the Prophets bear witness hereto, in the most exact harmony, and that the fulfilment of all has been truly accomplished before the face of the world, there cannot then be the least room left for any error in all these accounts of the Messiah, and his gospel kingdom, neither can the truth of those which have been long since fulfilled be now disputed, for those prophesies which are now fulfilling evidences the truth of those which have been already fulfilled. Daniel's prophecies are this ve­ry moment fulfilling, and so are all the extended prophecies of the old testament which reached into this gospel era, where men now stand, for the gospel time now surrounds all, being come to its middle point, in which there must be a ge­neral change or turning round, and unto which the whole old testament does lend its strength to assist that change— standing no longer, as it were, upon its own legs or old grounds, but as uniting with that is entirely new, and shall bring forth a new scene in its present revolution throughout the world, turning about as it were upon its own centre, yet this strength, or strong revolve of the gos­pel, is not upon any thing old, but upon that which is now, in its present motion. Though the old testament was written long before the new, to which is bears a forerun­ning witness, yet the new testament fully proves itself to [Page 22]be diving, without a dependence on the old for that proof. The old testament, considered altogether in itself, is but one witness—and in the nature of things there could not but be a second in that order—for God would not leave himself without a second witness therein. And that the gospel dispen­sation has sufficiently proved itself, may be now fully known from all the true grounds already opened in the circular courses of its twofold order, exactly correspondent to that foreknowledge, which at its first head was displayed by nu­merous predictions—and the full completion of these pre­dictions not only prove the gospel true, but also manifests its divine independence to any thing else for that proof. The prophecies of the new testament, corresponding exactly with the occurrencies of these seventeen or eighteen hundred years past, plainly discovers that this gospel of the new testament is divine, and totally independent to the old testament for any support, which proves its head Christ Jesus to be GOD, and also shews, that all the revolutions on the whole face of this creation since the commencement of the gospel era, de­pended upon it, as lying in, and proceeding from, the womb of God, whose providential power over-ruleth all things; and through the wisdom, mercy and justlce, of the gospel, is his presence displayed, the true picture of which in matter and miniature, was his veil of flesh; nor is there any know­ing or huding him out, but as in the truth of that gospel, for through this alone be displays his attributes; first, in the light of his spirit; secondly, through the doctrines and pre­cepts of the scripture word; and thirdly, the revolving and wondrous occurrences of Providence; and it is through these that men can see him, and through which, in all the depths of divine wisdom, he ministers both mercy and justice to all pations, as well as individuals. Not even a devil in hell can with any face, say, but there have many things occurred in this world these eighteen hundred years past, and that all these momentous things have been consistent with the pro­phecies of the new testament, is what the powers of darkness cannot deny—Therefore all that has occurred throughout the whole world these eighteen hundred years, is one conti­nued [Page 23]proof of the gospel's truth, and they who deny the truth of it, only set their poor little insignificant selves against the weighty force of all the revolutions that have been in either the visible or invisible worlds, during the immense sphere of eighteen hundred years—but the very delusion on which they labour to settle themselves, obliges them first to over­turn all that the power of Heaven has effected, during eighteen hundred years, else they cannot securely fix themselves on any grounds whatsoever that are opposite the gospel; and what number or power of men can do what is impossible? Therefore, shallow, light and empty, must those be, though their number be ever so great, who set up themselves against divine wisdom, or that weight of God's fulness; and where the whole force of Heaven and Earth, in a bulk of eighteen hundred years occurrences, (not to mention more,) come against such, what can be their wisdom and strength, in comparison? Less than nothing! So that all must become ex­ceeding evil, who attempt from henceforth to stand or fight against that immeme power or force of truth that comes now full against them.

As time runs on, so does the cause of God, it never stands still, and as his outward providence still brings round all ge­neral changes, so does the spirit of his cause ever run paral­lel thereto and consistent therewith—and as every day or sea­son is perfectly new in itself, so is the renewed scenes or out­goings of God's cause. It stands at this instant, upon its own invisible and eternal centre, totally independent in its truth and strength to all that preceded, (save within this par­ticular circle which belongs to the centre upon which its present motion stands, or turns;) yet all the earlier eras of time or circles of its holy course, do as much illustrate, or bear witness to its present motions or out goings, as what all days, since the creation of the world, do illustrate or bear witness to this present day, viz. to be as true a day in itself as ever was the first day, or any other since, and yet the pre­sent is distinct in itself from the first day, as well as every day that was since. The season of the movements [...] renewings [Page 24]of God's cause in its widest extent, as well as its parti­cular manifestations to individuals, is ever new and distinct in itself, as much as it there never was such a thing before; yet never stands opposite to the former outgoings of truth— these that went before being all proving illustrations, bearing witness to the present work of God. God himself is the present God, not a past one; his highest work, which is most to be thought of, is his present work, and not that which is past; it is what is doing this moment that bas his greatest engagement, and it is what he is engaged most in, that is to be the greatest concern of men and angels; then his chief concernat this present, is to bring all men back un­to him, or his true spiritual worship, through a new dispensed power of light and truth, which is now to extend to all, in order to gain them, even on the grounds of their own free­dom; therefore this is what every intelligent creature is now to eye or attend.

ALL the former outgoings of truth, in the line of redemp­tion, have had a tendency to this present outgoing; and this, as the last and highest, being the upper head or middle point of the gospel duration, gathers in all the former; therefore the present is the mean point, in which God, Angels and Men, are concerned, and also that against which all the infernal powers are engaged, and not against any scene that is past; what is past and gone, is past and gone, but now sets in a seens that is perfectly new, (though the likeness has been in ages past) and as to its foundation rise, stands entirely upon its own centre, the eternal, 1 AM; without a dependence for its support upon any former scene, or upon him who was; for the Messiah, or great deliverer comes out now anew, in his splendid power, the same as if he had never come before, yet fully illustrated, and witnessed by his former coming; not as opposite to his first coming, but consistent with it, having all the light and strength of his first coming bearing wit­ness to this his second; yet the former grounds are not it, invisible support, no more than its direct circle of action, for the strength of this comes anew down from above, and all [Page 25]the former truths manifested even from the beginning of the world, are but illustrations to it, backing and confirming it. This new scene stands upon its own true base, even the eter­nal independent, under no obligation for the aid of any thing that is past to hold him up, and yet, before this can be con­tradicted or reversed, all the truths from the beginning that have been even already openly fulfilled before the face of the world, must be proved false, which could not be done by all the powers in Heaven, Earth or Hell; and even in case the truth of any former scene was never called in question, nor a portion of ancient scripture alleged, as a proof in all this, yet God would make his present cause stand in itself strong against every opposition, though adversaries, in all the power and subtilty of Satan, were to twist about even the whole letter of scripture against it, yet it would be but a dead word against this living power, or moving of God upon the face of the world, and in which motion all men find their hearts moved for something great, which they term freedom. There are no bounds to be set by men or angels to the free liberty of God, who has his own way and time for all things, and Christ is this God. The incontenstible proofs of his god-head could never be delivered in full, for they would not only be beyond all number, but they run as long as eternity, and as wide as immensity, so that not only a book, but this whole world could not contain all the proofs of it. Himself, who contains all worlds, says he is one with the Father, and commands men to worship him eveil as they worship the Fa­ther; and the Father of glory speaks down out of Heaven, and desires all men to hear and obey him; and God the Holy Ghost does openly appear, as a distinct attendant upon him, or as one with him in point of inseparable union, obeying his com­mand, or working together by the word of his own power, to bring all men to that faith and obedience of him.

IT is through God that men live, move, and have their being, as well as freedom of power either in ordinary or extraordina­ry things; and this power is through Christ as God, for he treated all things, and by him all things now subsist; and he [Page 26]says to his Disciples and true worshippers, I give you power over devils, &c. and has not Providence openly bore witness, together with the holy word and spirit, manifesting that Christ is God, seated above the Heavens, at this present up­holding all things, visible and invisible? Every occurrence, or whatever has been within the circle of the creation, must witness to Christ's god-head. It is only God himself could save a lost world, and all the angels in Heaven testify that he is the Saviour of all. All the created elements stooped to him as God of all, and were attendants on his beck, in either ordinary or extraordinary cases, and all do at this day serve his purpose, and fall into the line or circle of his wise de­signs. The powers of the damned region, so sar as they have had a communion with men, openly acknowledged him to be the God of Heaven. All the Prophets and wise men taken together witness him to be God, nor was there ever a divine prophecy yet given that contradicted it, or denied him to be one with the Father, whatever alleged to the contrary, at any time, was altogether from the infernal region. The ac­complishment both of his threats and promises, and the general occurrences of his over-ruling providence, continually evi­dence that he is God over all; for God the Father, God the Holy Ghost, Arch-Angels, Angels, Prophets, holy Men, learned Philosophers, as well as the unlearned and simple, to­gether with holy Apostles, Evangelists, as also an innumerable number of pious Preachers, and multitudes of righteous people, in all ages since, give a full and incontestible evidence to the divine nature and power of Jesus Christ, as have at times the very infernal powers; so that all worlds, creatures and things, visible and invisible, do harmonize in this, let them appear ever so opposite in other things, leaving it out of the power of any to call this (even in any degree of probability) in question, having now no sort of grounds lest them to act upon against it. If the word, which was made flesh in the person of Jesus of Nazareth, and dwelt amongst men, was not God, as the second person coequal and coeternal with the Father, one and all of these must be false witnesses. Long before he assumed the fleshly form of a man, his spirit [Page 27]says, by one of its instruments, " behold I will send Elijah the Prophet, (viz John, who acted as Elijah,) before the coming of the great and awful day of the Lord, and be shall turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the hearts of the children to the spirit of the holy fathers, lest I come and smite the Earth with a curse." The hearts of the children have been turned to the true spirit of the fathers, and parents to a pious regard for their children, so far as they embraced and obeyed John's doctrine, who was the immediate forerun­ner to the Lord of that great and awful day, or gospel scene; and all those who slighted that reclaiming doctrine of John, and disregarded his warning, particularly that nation to which he was immediately sent, sell under that curse, to the utter destruction of their temple, city and selves; for, at the first head, or highest outgoing of its power, it swept the chief part of them away with the besom of destruction, and has, though in a lighter sense, been pursuing a punishment upon their children, from generation to generation, above 1700 years, their native land, all that time lying under the essects or that curse.

ALL the foregoing truths that bear witness to Christ's di­vine power as God, do also witness that he has long ago come in the flesh; for if he has not come in the flesh, the whole of what has been said is false, and if false, all the Pro­phets are liars, and if liars, the whole grounds upon which Judaism was founded, as well as that upon which Christiani­ty is founded, is erroneous, and of the devil. But christia­nity is founded upon GOD, and if Christ is not GOD, the wisest and holiest men that ever were in the world have been all deceived in every age, none being right or true but infidels.

LET men think what they may, God is true, and delights in nothing but truth, and the Prophets who were influenced by his spirit must be true, for he had pleasure in them, and all who hurted his faithful Prophets highly offended him, and yet hurt they would be, as he clearly foresaw and predicted, in the serpent biting their heel; and even those who slew the [Page 28]prophets well knew that they were neither false nor wicked, for it was for bearing testimony against the errors and vices which these people themselves were conscious of, and fore­telling them the consequence of their doings, and the judg­ments that should follow, that provoked them to kill them; and as God cannot vary in the least from his own truth and holiness, neither can that prophecy which comes from his own spirit, vary even the smallest degree from what it abso­lutely declares; for it is that that must be, and nothing else— and as a crowning or concluding point, even the closing of the patriarch Jacob's life, he in his last words declared by the spirit of God, "that the sceptre should not depart from Judah, nor a ruling lawgiver until Shiloh should come"—So the temple, city, or Jewish polity, never could be destroyed until after the coming of the Messiah, and these have been destroyed above 1700 years, therefore it is above that long since he did come in bodily person.

ALL prophecies in both the new and the old testaments do in this agree, nor is there any one, in all the scriptures, against it, nor could there even one sentence, from the spirit of truth, by any person whatsoever, be delivered since to the contrary; and Christ the head, as God of all the Prophets, should suffer in his flesh in like manner with them, for testi­fying that the deeds of men were evil, and pronouncing his righteous judgments against such, which, in all particulars, answered to the predictions of all the forerunning Prophets, as have been verified upon them who crucified their King, even the holy one of God; and this their doing in all particulars, was just fulfilling the predictions of the Prophets, who, through the light of God, foresaw they would do it; also the severe chastisement that such have undergone ever since, is but a fulfilment of the predictions of that true spirit; for, up­on committing that evil, they were to be punished, and un­dergo such a course of affliction, as could not be one jot lighter than that decreed, nor a whit shorter than the fore­known course of its appointed bounds, agreeable to the pro­phecies of Daniel, and declarations of Christ, as also of his [Page 29]Prophets of the new testament, witnessed particularly by his two chief or most extensive seers, Saint Paul and Saint John; and yet the Prophet Daniel, in respect of the Jews deliverance, as foreseeing the very date or day of it, seems to lie closest to them of all, for as living and dying within the Jewish Church, he was favoured with the clearest views of all things that were to befal the children of his people, during the rites of Moses, and even afterwards, until they should be all gathered into the christian fold, under the one true shepherd; and therein this holy Prophet rejoiced in the close of that true account delivered him by the Angel of the covenant, viz. "blessed is he that waiteth and cometh to the thousand three hundred and five and thirty days," which is forty-five days longer than the "thousand two hundred and ninety days," being two particular points or eras of circu­lating time, mentioned to this Prophet; and this waiting or patiently enduring, implies an eager longing for that little time of forty-five days to be closed—and the natural occur­rences within these forty-five years, it seems will need this patient waiting, or steady enduring, and blessed is he that cometh to the end thereof, (this was written in Europe, by the Watchman, where the great slaughter was to begin,) or to whatever time he is suffered to live, in the line of believing and holding to what this new opening or renewing dispensa­tion, now in its first outgoing declares; acting all along consistent therewith, and growing up in the divine power thereof. The lesser circle, viz. Daniel's 1290 days, has reached to the first dawning of this new dispensation; the greater, viz. his 1335 days, reaches unto its setting in, in all its fulness of conquering power. By or through the tri­als of these forty-five years, "many shall be purified and made white," to enjoy the fulness of blessings that is to be dis­pensed, in all civil and religious freedom, to the whole world, i. e. established universally at the end of those days, namely, at the close of the 1335 days; but the wilfully wicked (if the Angel spoke truth to Daniel) shall do wickedly in the interme­diate time, and and [...] of these wicked, who wilfully continue so, shall understand their delusion so great, notwithstanding [Page 30]the alarming outgoing of the divine power through its zea­lous instruments, to overthrow the corruption and iniquity of high states, and the help afforded them by the renewing light of true prophecy, which one might think would make the most foolish wise. But the wise, says the Angel, shall under­stand, i. e. all discerning Christians and enlightened JEWS, who may now prepare themselves for a return to their own land, where none shall be able, after this little time, to make them afraid.

THEY who reckon these forty-five days (as that foreor­dained period of purging the general floor,) from the year 1789, taking the year 1790 as the first of the forty-five which reaches to 1836, will hardly be mistaken.

ALL the prophecies of the peaceful state of the Messiah kingdom, are yet, in the most eminent sense, to be fulfilled; nor could he ever answer that character, Prince of Peace, if he was not to give universal peace on Earth, which has not yet come to pass. It seems that peaceful state falls into this second era, or higher circle of his gospel. It was a grand error or in those who rejected the Messiah, to suppose that his kingdom of universal peace was to take place immediately on-his appearing. The prophecies of the old testament plainly intimate, that this prosperous state of his kingdom was not only to be preceded by his suffering, but the prophe­cies of the new testament also shew that persecutions, trials, and sufferings, should, in different degrees, attend his follow­ers, before the kingdoms of the earth became, by a general conversion, the kingdom of the Lord and his Christ. See Math. 10, 34.

THE new testament prophecies take in, as it were, all the old, and add not only new lustre, but extended strength un­to them; so that had the JEWS believed Moses and the Prophets, they would have believed in Jesus Christ, and their opposition to him, proved they were neither of the faith or spirit of Moses, Prophets, or holy Fathers, set these [...] [Page 31]at the sight of his day, though seeing it a great way off, but foolish Jews were grieved and offended at the day that he in person dwelt amongst them, casting him from them, and preferring a robber and murderer before him. They con­founded themselves in every sense by opposing the MESSI­AH, and in justice, God confounded them; sor in the very line of their disobedience, his judgment overtook them. They put the Messiah to a shameful death, when all their nation were assembled at the celebration of the passover; and when assembled to that celebration, Titus the Roman, (as the in­strument of justice) shut them up within the walls of Jeru­salem to put them to death. The rejection of the true Mes­siah was their crime, and the following of false Messiahs was their sore punishment. They sold and bought Jesus as a slave, and were afterwards sold and bought at the lowest price for miserable slavery themselves. They made him a companion of thieves and robbers, and they were afterwards infested with bands of thieves and robbers. They put their Messiah to death, lest the Romans should come and take away their place and nation, and in so doing the Romans did come, and took away their place and nation. They cruci­fied him before the walls of Jerusalem, and before the walls themselves were crucified, in such numbers that it is said room was wanted for the crosses, and crosses for the bodies; so their own imprecation, "his blood be upon us and our chil­dren," was remarkably fulfilled; and that predicted by Mo­ses has been verified, viz. the Lord shall scatter thee among all people, from the one end of the Earth even to the other, &c. Deut. 28, 64. And being now so many hundred years un­der the effect of that prediction, fully proves that till now there has been some heinous crime amongst them, for which they did not repent. The downfal of the tabernacle of Da­vid, could not be before the rejection of the Messiah; for it was upon that sin that God gave it wholly up, to be trodden down by the Gentiles, justly rejecting them who rejected his Son, and this tabernacle could not be again raised up, ac­cording to the predictions of the Prophets, if it was not first broken down, nor could it be raised up according to all [...] [Page 32]prophecies, until they look upon him whom they have pierced, and mourn; for all the prophecies, as they follow in order, must be fulfilled in regular course, and that second era of time is now set in, in which they will look upon him and mourn. The true light has now dawned forth, by which they cannot but see he has come.

THEIR fathers put the Messiah to death, not for any evil that was in him, but to satisfy their malice; and to the open­ing of this new scene, they have been of that same spirit of their fathers; so that the guilt, till now, has lain upon them, and of course the punishment continues, while ever there is guilt. They persecuted him to death, merely upon their own judgment; and was not this at best acting upon the greatest uncertainty? He that trusts his own heart, or de­pends upon the public cry, often finds himself a fool; and if their hearts deceived them herein, is it any wonder that they now shrink at the thought, and keep as far off as possible from it? But though they should strive ever so much against it, yet it is true, and truth will break in and overpower them.

HE was to come at the very time he did come, and at no other time could he come, agreeably to the Prophets. If he has not yet come, all their ancient Prophets must be false, and of course their manner of worship, founded upon their scriptures, were always false; so if he did not come, their present worship must be utterly false; and if he has come, their Jewish worship now is erroneous, and rejected of God, because opposing his gospel; so their present case, as to the Mosaic ceremonies, is bad on every hand; and we be unto them if he has not yet come, because his coming was to be unto his own people, the stock of Israel, and him they will not receive, as their own scriptures affirm, but cast him out and stay him, in order to keep the inheritance; so that, upon the grounds of their own supposision, if he is yet to come in the flesh, they are to put him to death, and after that, there is above 1700 years of such, misery to come upon them, as [Page 33]never besel any nation. Now here is what they gain by de­nying that he did come; for if he was yet to come in the flesh, all this would lie before them, as certain as God is in Heaven; but in the very nature of things that cannot be, because they are that long in a course of shame and afflicting misery—Already dispersed, their temple and city destroyed, and their polity gone; so that he has no house of David now to come unto as a King, they having no particular kingdom, being broken down long since. Moreover, God's spirit, word and providence, must have confounded one another, and wrought all along against each other, to the great frustration or confustion of divine oeconomy.

BUT know, O! JEW, that blindness in part only happened to Israel. TRUTH leads thee now into the light of a new mystery, which could not be opened before this second ERA of the gospel disclosed it, and which fully corresponds with thy idea of expecting the Messiah.

UPON your rejecting the Son of God, you were then given up to the blindness of your own hearts, and upon mur­dering him, divine justice engaged itself against you; yet, during the foreordained period of your long punishment, you were in part supported, and by mercy kept distinct from every people, from generation to generation. Through all your calamities a remnant was still preserved. An expectation of the Messiah's coming, one day or other, to deliver you, has been always your hope, and this has been founded in the very depth of God's truth. But your denying that he came before, is not of God, but of that evil power that deceived your hearts. When ye rejected him, at the first head of his gospel, ye could not, in point of divine justice, receive him, until that first circle, belonging to that head of its dispensa­tion, closed, but as consisting of two eras within itsels— Christ comes at the head of the second, as well as he did at the head of the first, not in bodily person, but spiritual power, through which he brings all nations, kindreds and people, to acknowledge him; so that, in expecting the Deliverer, you [Page 34]have been all along right; and though you had that hope, yet you could not clearly comprehend the manner of his coming, nor the nature of his kingdom, till opened out unto you, notwithstanding your being in a measure united to God through grace, and reserved until this day should dawn, and its morning star rise clear before your eyes, and you receive the true evidence thereof in your own consciences. And further, this WORD, is the first DIVINE CALL to you on this head; for the calls given you before this, were only from men, but now God's power speaks, and sooner than now it could not be; nor was the like from Heaven to you these 1700 years past, nor could you sooner than this, as one great body, come into the Messiah's kingdom; but now you will enter therein, for this word cannot return till it accom­plishes that for which it is sent; and you will know that it is from HIM, by his light shining upon your hearts, and by the general influence of his grace swaying your wills, which now is yielding thereto, as if the whole of ye were but one man.

HERE is good tidings for you—and shall, in the course of a little time be matter of joy unto all nations. But then it is required of men, as Beings capable of free action, to fall in with God's designs, concerning them: His richest blessings are received only in the line of believing his report, i. e. yielding thereto. Without faith it is impossible to please him, much less to rise high in his favour.

THOUGH you have waited now above 1700 years, ex­pecting your MESSIAH, yet ye have had no deliverance, and you should wait now not only 1700, but 17000 years, were the world to last so long, and yet find no MESSIAH to deliver you, if you do not accept him in the light and truth of this simple word, through which he offers himself unto ye.

THEREFORE open your hearts to God, and he will now sa­tisfy you with an enlarged freedom in all happy circumstances, both internally and externally, becoming a people peculiarly [Page 35]beloved and favoured. You are called at this moment, not only to stand up from lying longer in your broken down or scattered condition, but as enlivened beings to move with the present general revolve, (as the effect of Divine Provi­dence) towards meeting your God, who has his way in this whirlwind, and comes toward you in all the fulness of his boundless blessings. The extraordinary promises that never were yet fulfilled, are now to be made over to you.