X. 
 
 BF 1291 
 .S74 
 Copy 1 
 
 
 •*L£&zz^Lm <&cd cssiL£3'i3ro»^3. 
 
 EXPOSITION 
 
 OF THE 
 
 PROPHETIC SCRIPTURES 
 
 OF THE* 
 
 NEW TESTAMENT, 
 
 AS RECEIVED ENTIRELY FROM 
 
 SPIRITUAL COMMUNICATIONS, 
 
 2lt Auburn, ©amtga ®ountg, IS. 2., 
 
 BY J. M. BROWN, E. H. BAXTER, E. A. BENEDICT, CELISTA 
 
 SHERMAN, MILO WEBSTER, SEN., D. D. T. BENEDICT, 
 
 C. COVENTRY, SAMUEL BROWN AND G. W. HYATT. 
 
 AUBURN, KY.: 
 PUBLISHED BY E. H. BAXTER, AND E. A. BENEDICT. 
 
 1850. 
 
 'ii m ■ m i i 
 
 
SPIRITUAL EXPOSITION 
 
 II 
 
 OF THE 
 
 PROPHETIC SCRIPTURES. 
 
 OF 
 
 THE NEW TESTAMENT, 
 
 RECEIVED BT 
 
 J. M. BROWN, E, H. BAXTER, E. A. BENEDICT, CELISTA SHER- 
 MAN, MILO WEBSTER, SEN., D. D. T. BENEDICT, 
 M. S. CARR, C. COVENTRY, SAMUEL BROWN, 
 
 SEN., AND G. W. HYATT. 
 
 4 
 
 1st. John, iv. 2 : '" Every Spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ has come 
 in the flesh, is of God." 
 
 Rev. xx. 20 : " He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly.'' 
 
 AUBURN, K Y.: 
 PUBLISHED BY E. H. BAXTER, AND E. A. BENEDICT. 
 
 1850. 
 

 Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year one thousand eight 
 
 hundred and fifty, by 
 
 E. H. BAXTER AND E. A. BENEDICT, 
 
 In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States for the 
 Northern District of New York. 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 December 9th, 1849 : "My name is Peace. Kead the New Tes- 
 tament, and learn how to talk with God's own sons. Love and Mercy- 
 have got to dwell in you all first. Think of the Savior's patience with 
 his persecutors. He returns good for evil. Talk quietly when other 
 men abuse you, and that will conquer them. Soft words turn away 
 wrath. 'Tis wrong to return angry words. Return them mild and 
 quiet. Learn this before you can receive comfort from the holy." 
 
 December 14th, 1849: "I am Lorenzo Dow. Live reserved and 
 try to love as God loves you all. Think and believe every man your 
 brother. Remember the Savior in all things. Forgive all them that 
 persecute you, for they know not what they do. This is the way to 
 live happy." 
 
 December — , 1849: "lam Lorenzo Dow. We have all been 
 created holy beings, and have put on our incorruptible ; Therefore keep 
 yourselves reserved, and prepare for the future works of God. You 
 can prepare yourselves for perfect happiness in this world, if you will. 
 Learn to love and obey the law of God, and his Son will instruct you 
 in the right way to live and dwell with the sons and daughters of the 
 kingdom of His own pleasure, which he has prepared for all who love 
 and obey Him." 
 
TO THE PUBLIC, 
 
 We would here give a short description of the manner in which the 
 following communications have been received ; — 
 
 The alphabet is called over by some one present, and so soon as the 
 required letter is reached, a rap is immediately heard, upon which the 
 alphabet is commenced, and the same process continued until the re- 
 quired word or sentence is completed. The following expositions have 
 not been received word by word as they are printed, as the definition 
 oi a symbol or particular point of a parable is often conveyed to us in a 
 few words, which, if printed verbatim as received, would still be as unin- 
 telligible to the reader as before But not a single word has been insert- 
 ed without first being approved at the time of writing the same, and re- 
 vised and re-confirmed at the next time of meeting. 
 
 We also feel desirous to correct an error predominant in the minds of 
 many who have some knowledge of the system of communications, viz : 
 that no communications can be received except when some one present 
 is in the clairvoyant state. Since the commencement of the following 
 revelations, no single instance is now rememembered when any one pre- 
 sent was magnetized, neither have the spirits required any one to be in 
 other than the normal state at any time whilst receiving these exposi- 
 tions. It is true no communications are freely given excepting some 
 one who is a clairvoyant when . magnetized is present, but it is not true 
 that it is necessary for such clairvoyant to be in other than the normal 
 state. 
 
 The question has been proposed * why the presence of a clairvoyant 
 should necessarily be present ?' and for the want of a better or more 
 philosophical reason or one more explanatory, we give the answer of the 
 spirits themselves, viz: 'They (clairvoyants) have the full power of 
 sympathy with the spirits through the medium of nervous fluid or elec- 
 tricity which is the only medium of communication between spirits in 
 and out of the flesh.' 
 
 That the spirits who have explained the following scriptures are those 
 they profess to be, we have had the following evidence, viz : they have 
 been questioned in the pure Hebrew language and answered correctly, 
 and further, it is beyond the power of any others except the writers of 
 these scriptures to bear such universally harmonious testimony on all 
 teaching^ through such severe and critical cross-examinations as have 
 been given upon their explanation. The company receiving the same 
 almost all held different personal views, most of which have been contra- 
 dicted by the following teachings, so that the expositions as they arc sa- 
 vor nothing more of sectarianism than does the peculiarity of the truth 
 from all the sectarian doctrines now in existence. 
 
SPIRITUAL EXPOSITION 
 
 OF THE 
 
 PEOPHETIC SCRIPTURES 
 
 OF THE NEW TESTAMENT. 
 
 XX, CHAPTER OF REVELATION, 
 
 December 16th: "'Worship God, for the testimony of Jesus is the 
 Spirit of Prophecy:' Revelation xix, verses 7—11. 
 
 What is your name ? 
 
 "Faithful and True." 
 
 Does this Spirit make war? 
 
 " With Ignorance, that the children of men may be 
 no longer in darkness. Read the twentieth chapter 
 of Revelation." 
 
 Verse 1 : 'And I saw an angel come down from Heaven, having the 
 key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand." 
 
 What does 'bottomless pit' mean? 
 " The gulf of Ignorance." 
 What does the 'chain' spoken of mean? 
 "The darkness of the mind." 
 1 
 
6 SPIRITUAL EXPOSITION OF 
 
 Verse 2 : ' And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which 
 is the Devil and Satan, and bound him a thousand years.' 
 
 What does the word 'Devil' signify? 
 
 " Ignorance." 
 
 What means the ' thousand years' spoken of? 
 
 "It commenced in a spiritual sense immediately af- 
 ter Eve transgressed, and expired at the coming of 
 Christ. It is also a symbol of a shorter period of 
 time than a thousand years, which has been fulfilled 
 in the preaching of the Prophetic Word." 
 
 Verse 3: 'And cast Mm into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, 
 and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, 
 till the thousand years should be fulfilled : and after that he must be 
 loosed for a little season.' 
 
 Is Satan now loosed for a little season ? 
 
 "Yes." 
 
 How long is it since Satan was loosed for that little 
 season ? 
 
 " On the tenth day of the seventh month, eighteen 
 hundred and forty-four." 
 
 Verse 4: 'And I saw thrones, and they that sat upon them, and 
 judgment was given unto them : and I saw the souls of them that 
 were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the Avord of God, and 
 which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had re- 
 ceived his mark upon their forehead, or in their hands : and they lived 
 and reigned with Christ a thousand years.' 
 
 Are the thrones spoken of symbols of Doctrines 
 and Theories ? 
 " Yes." 
 Were those who are spoken of as beheaded, they 
 
THE PROPHETIC SCRIPTURES. 7 
 
 who would not and will not receive the dogmas of men 
 for their creed and belief? 
 
 " Yes." 
 
 Has the thousand years mentioned yet to come ? 
 
 " It has just expired spiritually, not yet expired lit- 
 erally." 
 
 Has not the Gospel Dispensation now expired ? 
 
 " Yes : God's economy to man is now changed." 
 
 What is the mark on the forehead and hands of 
 those who had worshipped the beast ?" 
 
 'Deceit and Sectarianism that has existed in the 
 world since the Gospel Dispensation." 
 
 Verse 5: 'But the rest of the dead lived not again until a thou- 
 sand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.' 
 
 Does 'the rest of the dead' refer to those who had 
 departed this life before the Gospel Dispensation had 
 finished? 
 
 " Yes : ' Lived' means exalted to the privilege of 
 communicating the Truth of God to those living. This 
 is the first resurrection." 
 
 Verse 6 : ' Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resur- 
 rection; on such the second death hath no ' power, but they shall be 
 priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand 
 years/ 
 
 " Second death means darkness and error." 
 
 Are those only delivered from darkness and error 
 that are in the seventh sphere ? 
 
 "None other." 
 
8 SPIRITUAL EXPOSITION OF 
 
 Is the 'thousand years' mentioned a symbol of a 
 longer period of time ? 
 
 " Yes." 
 
 Verse V : ' And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall 
 be loosed out of his prison.' 
 
 Does the ' thousand years' close at the end of the 
 Gospel Dispensation? 
 
 " Yes, and Satan is now loosed." 
 
 Verse 8 : ' And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the 
 four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to 
 battle : the number of whom is as the sand of the sea.' 
 
 " ' Earth' means earthly-mindedness and selfishness. 
 4 Gog and Magog' are Sectarians, and those who have 
 not the spirit of Truth. 'Battle' refers to the conse- 
 quent contention between Truth and error. 
 
 Verse 9 ; * And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and com- 
 passed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city ; and fire 
 came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them.' 
 
 What does the ' fire' spoken of refer to ? 
 
 " Truth. It is the fulfillment of the Prophetic Scrip- 
 tures. ' Devouring them,' is overwhelming them with 
 the events of God's providence in fulfilling the Pro- 
 phetic Scriptures." 
 
 Verse 10 ; ' And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake 
 of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and 
 shall be tormented day and night forever and ever.' 
 
 " c Devil' means error and ignorance. ' Lake of fire 
 and brimstone' refers to the providential fulfillment of 
 
THE PROPHETIC SCRIPTURES. 9 
 
 God's Prophetic Word. ' Forever and ever' means so 
 long as error and ignorance exist." 
 
 Verse 11 : 'And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, 
 from whose face the earth and the heaven Ad away : and there was 
 found no place for them.' 
 
 " The present form of the church is to pass away, 
 and the natural man 3 and a new form of the church 
 take place, which is the Redeemed Man. 'Great 
 White Throne' means the Tabernacle of God which he 
 has reserved after sin is abolished, or spiritually means 
 the Divinity of the Word of Jesus Christ. Heavens 
 and earth are also symbolic of Forms and Creeds." 
 
 Verse 12 : 'And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; 
 and the books were opened ; and another book was opened, which is 
 the book of life; and the dead were judged out of those things which 
 were written in the books, according to their works.' 
 
 " This verse refers to the opening of the great day 
 which has now entered. The ' books' are the Prophe- 
 cies, understood by those who perceived and recog- 
 nized the events since eighteen hundred and forty-four 
 as the coming of the Lord. ' Book of Life' is Christ's 
 promise as fulfilled in the Redemption of man, and 
 the providential fulfillment of the events which bring 
 us to that promise." 
 
 Verse 13: 'And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and 
 death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them : and they 
 were judged, every man according to their works.' 
 
 " The ' sea' refers to the living multitudes of people, 
 nations, kindreds and tongues on earth. Those who 
 are in ' death and hell,' are those who were dead to the 
 
10 SPIRITUAL EXPOSITION OF 
 
 knowledge of the Truth, upon whose minds light had 
 not broken in, neither delivered them from ignorance, 
 whether in or out of the body." 
 
 Verse 14: 'And dedth and hell were cast into the lake of fire. 
 This is the second death.' 
 
 " 'Death and hell were cast into the lake of fire,' is 
 the destruction of darkness and error by the power of 
 God's Truth. Those who reject the Prophetic Word 
 and its fulfillment, fall into gross darkness, which is the 
 4 second death.' " 
 
 Verse 15: 'And whosoever was not found written in the book of 
 life was cast into the lake of fire.' 
 
 " Cast into the gulf of Ignorance — overwhelmed with 
 the power of God's Truth." 
 
 III. CHAPTER Of SECOND EPISTLE OF TIMOTHY. 
 
 December 23d : " My name is Peace. Read the 
 third chapter of Second of Timothy." 
 
 Verse 1 : 'This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall 
 come.' 
 
 Do these perilous times refer to the present time ? 
 " Do men persecute you about the truth now ?" 
 How must we act when persecuted ? 
 " Do as Paul and I did when we were persecuted. 
 The Lord will deliver you." 
 
 What was this Spirit's original name ? 
 
THE PROPHETIC SCRIPTURES. 11 
 
 " Timothy." 
 
 What is the meaning of ' Timothy' ? 
 
 " Good Spirit." 
 
 Have the perilous times in verse one commenced ? 
 
 " Commencing now." 
 
 Verse 5 : ' Having the form of godliness, but denying the power 
 thereof: from such turn away.' 
 
 Does this verse refer to the churches ? 
 
 .« Yes." ' 
 
 Verse 7 : ' Ever learning, and never able to come to a knowledge of 
 the truth.' 
 
 Does this refer to the new Sects ever springing up 
 in the Churches ? 
 
 " Yes." 
 
 Verse 8: 'Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do 
 these also resist the truth ; men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning 
 the faith.' 
 
 " Explains itself. Jannes and Jambres are a type 
 of example." 
 
 Verse 9 : ' But they shall proceed no farther : for tJfcr folly shall be 
 manifest unto all men, as theirs also was.' 
 
 " The Lord will do a short work upon earth, and 
 they shall experience the fulfillment of God's judgmet 
 upon them." 
 
 Verse 10-12: 'But thou hast fully known my doctrine, manner of 
 life, purpose, faith, long-suffering, charity, patience, persecutions, afflic- 
 tions, which came unto me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra; which 
 persecutions I endured : but out of them all the Lord delivered me. 
 Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.' 
 
 " You must live according to the doctrine of these 
 verses, and they will refer to all of you." 
 
12 SPIRITUAL EXPOSITION OF 
 
 Verse 14 : ' But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned, 
 and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them.' 
 
 " Keep strong in the faith." 
 
 Verse 15 : 'And that from a child thou hast known the Holy Scrip- 
 tures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation, through faith 
 which is in Christ Jesus.' 
 
 " It refers to all who honestly apply to the Scrip- 
 tures for a knowledge of the truth, whether in or out 
 of the "body, which will eventually lead to salvation 
 through Christ Jesus. 1st Peter, first chapter, 3-5: 
 * Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus 
 Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath 
 begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrec- 
 tion of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance 
 incorruptible and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, 
 reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the pow- 
 er of God through faith unto salvation ready to be re- 
 vealed in the last time.'" 
 
 Verse 16:' All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is prof- 
 itable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteous- 
 ness.* 
 
 What is inspiration? 
 
 "Inspiration is all Scripture, not including the his- 
 torical part of the Old Testament." 
 
 Verse 1 7 : * That the man of God may be perfect* thoroughly fur- 
 nished unto all good works.' 
 
 " Refers to the Redeemed body. The scriptures 
 give all knowledge necessary to a perfection of the 
 truth." 
 
THE PROPHETIC SCRIPTURES. 13 
 
 XXV, CHAPTER OF MATTHEW. 
 
 December 28th : " Read the twenty-fifth chapter 
 of Matthew." 
 
 Verse 1 : ' Then shall the kingdom of Heaven be likened unto ten 
 virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom/ 
 
 Does the ' kingdom of heaven' portray the last fea- 
 tures of the Gospel Dispensation ? 
 
 "Yes: They have passed never to occur again. 
 ' Lamp' signifies the Bible, and ' oil' is faith or implicit 
 confidence in the Word ol God." 
 
 Verses 2, 3, 4 : * And five of them were wise and five of them were 
 foolish. They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with 
 them: but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.' 
 
 " The ' five wise' were those who had implicit con- 
 fidence in the word of God ; the ' foolish ones' were 
 those who merely consented without implicit confi- 
 dence. The ' vessel' is the mind of man — they had 
 implicit confidence in their minds while they had the 
 Word of God for instruction." 
 
 Verse 5 : ■ While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and 
 slept.' 
 
 " The tarrying of the bridegroom is fulfilling now 
 in a spiritual and literal sense." 
 
 Verse 6: 'And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold the 
 bridegroom cometh ; go~ye out to meet him.' 
 
14 SPIRITUAL EXPOSITION OF 
 
 " The ' cry' was made in eighteen hundred and for- 
 ty-four, has now ceased being made, never to be made 
 again." 
 
 Verse 7 : ' Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps.' 
 
 " 'Virgins' refers to those named in verse one. The 
 types preached in eighteen hundred and forty-four is 
 the cry made at midnight — tenth day of seventh month, 
 Jewish year." 
 
 Verse 8 : ' And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil ; 
 for our lamps are gone out' 
 
 " The foolish, when the types were preached, wished 
 for more evidence." 
 
 Verse 9 : ' But the wise answered, saying, Not so ; lest there be not 
 enough for us and you ; but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for 
 yourselves.' 
 
 " It was all a matter of faith, and needed man's ut- 
 most strength to live by the word ; therefore the fool- 
 ish were directed to seek for themselves." 
 
 Verse 10: 'And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; 
 and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage ; and the 
 door was shut' 
 
 " The coming of the bridegroom refers to the ful- 
 fillment of the Prophetic Word, ? Marriage' refers 
 spiritually to those who had adopted the Word as a 
 part of their very being, and would not be persuaded 
 that their belief was incorrect — to be fulfilled literally 
 and spiritually in the redemption of the body. ■ Door 
 was shut' refers to the minds of men closed against 
 the truth." 
 
THE PROPHETIC SCRIPTURES. 15 
 
 Verse 11:' Afterward came also the other virgins, saying : Lord, 
 Lord, open unto us.' 
 
 " The ' other virgins' were those who could not see 
 the fulfillment of the Prophetic Word — who try to 
 make a harmonious teaching of the word again on time, 
 and fail to do so." 
 
 Verse 12: ' But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I 
 know you not' 
 
 " The Word of the Lord and the providence of God 
 reject all their efforts for harmonious teaching." 
 
 Verse 13 : ' Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the 
 hour wherein the Son of man cometh.' 
 
 " The manner of the Lord's coming was so different 
 from their anticipations that they did not know when 
 he had come." 
 
 Vere 14: ' For the kingdom of heaven is as a man travelling into 
 a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered unto them his 
 goods.' 
 
 " ' Kingdom of Heaven' is the Gospel Dispensation. 
 The Word of God is the goods which he gives to his 
 servants." 
 
 Verse 15 : 'And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and 
 to another one; to every man according to his several ability; and 
 straightway took his journey.' 
 
 " The division of talents shows the providential op- 
 portunities of men in understanding the # word. The 
 figure, ' taking his journey,' refers to the Lord Jesus 
 Christ having gone to the Father out of the flesh." 
 
16 SPIRITUAL EXPOSITION OF 
 
 Verse 16: 'Then he that had received the five talents went and 
 traded with the same, and made them other five talents.' 
 
 " Refers to a man perfectly honest in understanding 
 the Word of God." 
 
 Verse 1 7 : ' And likewise he that had received two, he also gained 
 other two.' 
 
 " Refers to a man who had not equal Providential 
 opportunities for understanding the Word of God." 
 
 Verse 18 : 'But he that had received one went and digged in the 
 earth, and hid his Lord's money.' 
 
 " What light he had was buried under a worldly- 
 mindedness and selfishness." 
 
 Verse 19:' After a long time the Lord of those servants cometh, 
 and reckoneth with them.' 
 
 " ' The Lord cometh' refers to the Prophetic fulfill- 
 ment of the Word of the Lord, as it was being ful- 
 filled." 
 
 Verse 20 : ' And so he that had received five talents came and 
 brought other five talents, saying, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me five 
 t alents ; behold, I have gained beside them five talents more.' 
 
 " He who had studied the Scriptures for the purpose 
 of learning the Truth, received more and more light." 
 
 Verse 21: " His Lord said unto him, Well done thou good and faith- 
 ful servant : thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee 
 ruler over many things : enter thou into the joy of thy Lord.' 
 
 " The Word of the Lord strengthens him, and he 
 enters fully into the joy of its fulfillment." 
 
THE PROPHETIC SCRIPTURES. 17 
 
 Verses 22, 23: 'He also that had received two talents came and 
 said, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me two talents, &c. <fcc.' 
 
 " Similar to verses twenty and twenty-one, in a mi- 
 nor degree." 
 
 Verse 24: 'Then he which had received the one talent came and 
 said, Lord I knew thee, that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou 
 hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strewed.' 
 
 " He thinks but little of the Word of the Lord, and 
 has but little confidence in it.'' 
 
 Verse 29: 'For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he 
 shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away 
 even that which he hath.' 
 
 " The righteous man shall take the highest position, 
 and the wicked shall be trodden under foot." 
 
 Verse 30: 'And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: 
 there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.' 
 
 " Thou insolent and ignorant servant, go thou into 
 the gulf of Ignorance ; there shall be contention of 
 opinion, and no peace" 
 
 Verse 31 : ' When the Son of Man shall come in his glory, and all the 
 holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory.' 
 
 " The coming of the Son of Man is the fulfilment 
 of his Word. ' All the holy angels' includes angels 
 and spirits, but in its spiritual application means the 
 messages of God's truth which should fulfil his word. 
 The ' throne of His glory' is the Divinity of His 
 Word." 
 
 Verse 32: ' And before him shall be gathered all nations/and he shall 
 2 
 
18 SPIRITUAL EXPOSITION OF 
 
 separate them one from another, as a shepard divideth his sheep from the 
 goats.' 
 
 " 'All nations' refers to all denominations who were 
 identified in the fulfilment of the Prophetic Scriptures, 
 in their last features, as spoken of in the beginning of 
 the chapter. The division of one from the other is 
 the separation of the Church, in understanding the 
 character of Jesus Christ as to his Deity." 
 
 Verse 33: * And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats 
 on the left.' 
 
 " Those on the right hand understood Christ to be 
 * God manifested in the flesh,' and his Word also di- 
 vine." Those on the left hand are those who believe 
 Christ to be carnal, and his Word also to be of the 
 flesh." 
 
 Verse 34: « Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, 
 Come ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you 
 from the foundation of the world. 
 
 " The Word of God, his Prophetic Scriptures, and 
 all the events ot his providence which transpire on the 
 whole earth express a strong exhortation to believe. 
 4 Kingdom of God' is Eternal life, developed in the 
 Redeemed Man." 
 
 Verses 35-41: «For I was an hungered and ye gave me meat: I 
 was thirsty and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger and ye took me in: 
 naked and ye clothed me: I was sick and ye visited me: I was in 
 prison and ye came unto me. Then shall the righteous answer him, 
 saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungered and fed thee ? or thirs- 
 ty and gave thee drink ? When saw we thee a stranger and took thee 
 
THE PROPHETIC SCRIPTURES. 19 
 
 in ? or naked and clothed thee ? or when saw we thee sick or in prison 
 and came unto thee ? And the King shall answer and say unto them, 
 Verily I say unto you, inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the 
 least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. 
 
 " The Lord identifies himself with his people, and 
 these Scriptures have been spiritually and literally ful- 
 filled. It refers to the treatment which those who are 
 really the Lord's people show to each other." 
 
 Verse 41: 'Then shall he also say unto them on the left hand, De- 
 part from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and 
 his angels.' 
 
 " Refers to those who have opposed the truth and 
 are ignorant of it, and when the truth is providentially 
 fulfilled, it takes effect upon them and overwhelms 
 them with events." 
 
 Verses 42-45: 'For I was an hungered and ye gave me no meat; 
 I was thirsty and ye gave me no drink ; I was a stranger and ye took 
 me not in ; naked and ye clothed me not ; sick and in prison, and ye vis- 
 ited me not Then shall they also answer him saying, Lord, when saw 
 we thee an hungered, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in pri- 
 son, and did not minister unto thee ? 
 
 " Refer to those who were worldly minded, and op- 
 posed to the simple truth of Jesus Christ. In verse 
 forty-five Christ is again identified with his people." 
 
 Verse 46: ' And these shall go away into everlasting punishment* but 
 the righteous into life eternal' 
 
 " The word ' Everlasting' means the irrevocable de- 
 cree that his word shall take effect upon all men, with- 
 out respect of persons. s But the righteous into Life 
 Eternal' refers to the promise about ready to be ful- 
 
20 SPIRITUAL EXPOSITION OF 
 
 filled, in giving immortality and eternal life to the true 
 people of God." 
 
 XV. CHAPTER I. CORINTHIANS. 
 
 December 30 : My name is Peace, Read the fif- 
 teenth chapter of first Corinthians." 
 
 Verse 1 : ' Moreover brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which 
 I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand.' 
 
 "He preached unto them the good news of the 
 kingdom." 
 
 Verse 2: ' By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I 
 preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.' 
 
 Are not all men to believe the Gospel, and to con- 
 tinue to learn of Christ, and to grow in grace ? 
 
 " Yes, man shall return to his first love and work." 
 
 Will he be made to return involuntarily ? 
 
 "He shall become submissive, and then he will re- 
 turn voluntarily." 
 
 Verses 3, 4: 'For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also 
 received, how that Christ died for our sins, according to the Scriptures ; 
 and that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day, according 
 to the Scriptures.' 
 
 Do the Scriptures named in these verses refer to the 
 typical and prophetic Scriptures ? 
 
 " Yes." 
 
 Verses 5-8: 'And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve: 
 
THE PROPHETIC SCRIPTURES. 21 
 
 after that he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once ; of whom 
 the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep. 
 After that he was seen of James ; then of all the apostles. And last of 
 all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time.' 
 
 " The evidence of his Messiahship was confirmed 
 by his appearance after his resurrection." 
 
 Verse 9: 'For I am the least of the Apostles, that am not meet to be 
 called an Apostle, because I persecuted the Church of God/ 
 
 " Explains itself." 
 
 Verse 10 : 'But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace 
 which was bestowed upon me was not in vain ; but I labored more 
 abundantly than they all : yet not I, but the grace of God which was 
 with me.' 
 
 " St. Paul attributes all the glory of his power and 
 strength to the Lord." 
 
 Verse 11;' Therefore, whether it were I or they, so we preach, and 
 so ye believed.' 
 
 " The early Church consented that it was all of the 
 Lord." 
 
 Verse 12 : 'Now if Christ be preached, that he rose from the dead, 
 how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead.' 
 
 " By questioning the resurrection, they doubt the 
 Messiahship of Jesus Christ." 
 
 Verse 13: 'But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is 
 Christ not risen.' 
 
 " If there be no resurrection of the dead, the true 
 Messiah has not come." 
 
 Verse 14: 'And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, 
 and your faith is also vain.' 
 
22 SPIRITUAL EXPOSITION OF 
 
 " The resurrection of Christ is the evidence of his 
 true Messiahship, as proved by the Typical Scriptures." 
 
 Verses 15, 16 : ' Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God; be- 
 cause we have testified of God, that he raised up Christ, whom he raised 
 not up, if so be that the dead rise not.' 
 
 "If Christ has not risen, the apostles were false 
 witnesses and Christ was not the true Messiah, ac- 
 cording to the Scriptures before mentioned." 
 
 Terse 17: 'And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are 
 yet in your sins.' 
 
 " If Christ has not risen, there is no salvation, as 
 salvation consists in the resurrection." 
 
 Verse 18: 'Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are 
 perished/ 
 
 " If the true Messiah has not come, they who have 
 entered into the conscious joy of rest are annihilated. 
 Falling asleep' refers to departing the natural life." 
 
 "vVhat was the death threatened to Adam in the 
 Garden ? 
 
 " Departing from innocence and going into tribula- 
 tion." 
 
 Did it also include natural death ? 
 " Yes." 
 
 Verse 19 : * If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all 
 men most miserable/ 
 
 " Explains itself." 
 
 Verse 20 : 'But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the 
 first fruits of them that slept/ 
 
 " St. Paul testifies to the resurrection of Christ, in 
 
THE PROPHETIC SCRIPTURES. 23 
 
 fulfillment of the type of the waive sheaf offering. 
 The resurrection of Christ is the assurance of the 
 resurrection of the believer, and a type of the manner." 
 
 Verse 21 : * For since by man came death, by man came also the 
 resurrection of the dead.* 
 
 " Latter part should read ' by man cometh the res- 
 urrection of the dead." 
 
 Verse 22 : ' For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be 
 made alive.' 
 
 " Explains itself." 
 
 Verse 23 : 'But every man in his own order: Christ the first fruits; 
 afterward they that are Christ's at his coming.' 
 
 " Christ answering to the first fruits as taught in the 
 type of the waive sheaf offerings. They that are 
 Christ's are those cleansed from error at his second 
 coming." 
 
 Verses 24-25 : ' Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered 
 up the kingdom to God, even the Father ; when he shall have put down 
 all rule and all authority and power. For he must reign till he hath 
 put all enemies under his feet' 
 
 " Christ must reign until the power of kingdoms 
 and churches is broken." 
 
 Verse 26: 'The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.' 
 
 "Refers to natural death." 
 
 Verses 27,28: 'For he hath put all things under his feet; but 
 when he saith all things are put under him, it is manifest that he is ex- 
 cepted which did put all things under him. And when all things shall 
 be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto 
 him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all.' 
 
 " Christ, the Word, is presented as subduing all op- 
 
24 SPIRITUAL EXPOSITION OF 
 
 posing influences, and making them subject to the 
 Father, which, when accomplished, Christ, the Word, 
 or the Redeemed Church, shall become subject to God 
 the Father. The Redeemed Church is the second 
 coming of Christ, when God again is manifest in the 
 flesh." 
 
 Verse 29 : ' Else what shall they do which are baptized for the dead, 
 if the dead rise not at all ? Why are they then baptized for the dead ?' 
 
 " ' Baptism' is synonymous with suffering." 
 
 Verse 30 : ' And why stand we in jeopardy every hour ?' 
 
 " Explains itself." 
 
 Verse 31 : 'I protest by your rejoicing which I have in Christ Je- 
 sus our Lord, I die daily.' 
 
 " He died to the world daily." 
 
 Verse 32 : 'If after the manner of men I have fought with beasts at 
 Ephesus, what advantageth it me if the dead rise not ? . Let us eat and 
 drink, for to-morrow we die.' 
 
 " Explains itself." 
 
 Verse 33 : 'Be not deceived : evil communications corrupt good man- 
 ners.' 
 
 "We should not question the Divinity of Jesus 
 Christ, when its evidences are so plain." 
 
 Verse 34: 'Awake to righteousness, and sin not; for some have not 
 the knowledge of God : I speak this to your shame.' 
 
 " Explains itself." 
 
 Verses 35-41 : 'But some man will say, How are the dead raised 
 up ? and with what body do they come ? Thou fool ; that which thou 
 sowest is not quickened except it die ; and that which thou sowest thou 
 sowest not that body that shall be, but bear grain ; it may chance of 
 wheat, or of some other grain : but God giveth it a body as it hath 
 
THE PROPHETIC SCRIPTURES. 25 
 
 pleased him, and to every seed his own body. All flesh is not the same 
 flesh : but there is one kind of flesh of men, another flesh of beasts, an- 
 other of fishes, and another of birds. There are also celestial bodies, 
 and bodies terrestrial ; but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory 
 of the terrestrial is another. There is one glory of the sun, and another 
 glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars ; for one star diflereth 
 from another star in glory/ 
 
 " He upbraids men because they do not perceive a 
 similarity between the resurrection and the produc- 
 tions of Nature. He teaches that in the present world 
 God has planted seeds which will continually produce 
 their like, in man, beast and vegetation : that the nat- 
 ural man is planted in the earth and produces his like, 
 and the Redeemed man will be the springing forth of 
 the seed already planted, which will produce its like." 
 
 Verses 42, 43 : 'So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown 
 in corruption ; it is raised in incorruption ; it is sown in dishonor, it is 
 raised in glory ; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power.' 
 
 " ' Raised in incorruption, or exalted to an incorrup- 
 tible state. Eighth chapter Romans 23d verse : "And 
 not only they, but ourselves also, which have the first 
 fruits of the Spirit, even we groan within ourselves, 
 waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our 
 body." 
 
 Verse 44 : 'It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. 
 There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.' 
 
 " ' Spiritual body' is Redeemed body. The natural 
 man is to be redeemed and live forever on the earth." 
 
 Verse 45 : 'And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a 
 living soul ; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit' 
 
26 SPIRITUAL EXPOSITION OF 
 
 "The last man Adam w to be made a quickening 
 spirit." 
 
 Verse 46; ' Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that 
 which is natural ; and afterward that which is spiritual.' 
 
 " Explains itself." 
 
 Verse 47; 'The first man is of the earth, earthy; the second man 
 is the Lord from Heaven.' 
 
 " i The second man' is the redeemed boiy, or sec- 
 ond coming of Christ." 
 
 Verse 48: 'As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy ; 
 and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly.' 
 
 " The world is to be peopled with redeemed men, 
 through the agency of the Redeemed Man. 
 
 Verse 49 ; ' And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall 
 also bear the image of the heavenly.' 
 
 " The ' image of the heavenly' is the partaking of 
 the nature of the Redeemed." 
 
 Verse 50: ' Now this I say, brethren that flesh and blood cannot in- 
 herit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.' 
 
 " ' Inherit' means they have not the principles of 
 immortality in their nature." 
 
 Verses 51, 52 : Behold, I show you a mystery ; we shall not all sleep, 
 but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eyc> 
 at the last trump ; for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be 
 raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.' 
 
 " All will not die a natural death. Those who are 
 Christ's at his second coming shall be changed. ' Last 
 trump' is the last events regarding the natural man." 
 
 Vf.rse 53 : 'For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this 
 mortal must put on immortality.' 
 
THE PROPHETIC SCRIPTURES. 27 
 
 "' This corruptible' means man in the flesh. He 
 must put on incorruption by faith." 
 
 Verses 54, 55 : ' So when this corruptible shall have put on incor- 
 ruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be 
 brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in 
 victory. death, where is thy sting ? grave, where is thy victory V 
 
 " Death is swallowed up in victory in the change 
 
 from the natural to the redeemed body." 
 
 Verse 56 : ' The sting of death is sin ; and the strength of sin is the 
 law.' 
 
 " The sting of death is sin, or ignorance ; and the 
 strength of sin is the law, or penalty of transgression." 
 
 Verses 57, 58 : 'But thanks be to God which giveth us the victory 
 through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be 
 ye steadfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, for- 
 asmuch as ye know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.' 
 
 " Let them be written on your hearts." 
 
 XIV. CHAPTER OF LUKE. 
 
 January 11th: "My name is Timothy. Read the 
 fourteenth chapter of Luke." 
 
 Verse 14: 'And thou shalt be blessed: for they cannot recom- 
 pence thee ; for thou shalt be recompenced at the resurrection of the 
 just/ 
 
 " i Recompence' means reward of merit. ' Resur- 
 rection' means exaltation. ' The just' are those who 
 are submissive to the Truth." 
 
28 SPIRITUAL EXPOSITION OF 
 
 Verse 15: '. And when one of them that sat at meat with him 
 heard these things, he said unto him, Blessed is he that shall eat bread 
 in the kino-dom of God.' 
 
 "'Kingdom of God' spiritually, means in }^our 
 hearts ; to be fulfilled literally in the redeemed man." 
 
 Verses 16-24: * Then said he unto him, A certain man made a 
 great supper, and bade many : and sent his servant at supper time to 
 say to them that were bidden, Come, for all things are now ready. 
 And they all with one consent began to make excuse. The first said 
 unto him, I have bought a piece of ground, and I must needs go and 
 see it: I pray thee have me excused. And another said, I have 
 bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to prove them : I pray thee have 
 me excused. ' And another said, I have married a wife, and there- 
 fore I cannot come. So that servant came, and showed his lord 
 these things. Then the master of the house being angry, said to his 
 servant, Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and 
 bring in hither the poor, and the maimed, and the halt, and the blind. 
 And the servant said, Lord, it is done, as thou hast commanded, and 
 yet there is room, And the Lord said unto his servant, Go out into 
 the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my 
 house may be filled. For I say unto you, That none of those men 
 that were bidden shall taste of my supper.' 
 
 " This parable represents the Gospel dispensation, 
 from its commencement to its close. It is supper 
 time now. All, whether in or out of the flesh, are 
 considered in this parable. The events which fulfil 
 the twenty-fifth chapter of Matthew is the bidding to 
 supper, for all things are now ready. There were 
 some so worldly minded that they would not give heed 
 to the preaching of the Prophetic Word, nor search into 
 the fulfilment of the Prophecies. The ' poor, lame, 
 halt and blind,' are those who were despised of the 
 
THE PROPHETIC SCRIPTURES. 29 
 
 Church and the World, for believing and recognizing 
 the fulfilment of the Prophetic Scriptures, as taking 
 place from eighteen hundred thirty -nine to eighteen 
 hundred and forty-four. The events now occurring 
 are, the compelling men to see the Truth, 'None of 
 those that were bidden,' &c, refers to bigoted secta- 
 rians. The supper is the Truth of, and Faith in, 
 the Redemption of the body. ' Angry,' in verse twen- 
 ty-one, means grieved." 
 
 Verses 25, 26 : ' And there went great multitudes with him : and 
 he turned and said unto them, If any man come to me, and hate not 
 his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and 
 sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.' 
 
 " Men must reject their false doctrines and sinful 
 affections, in order to arrive at a knowledge of the 
 Truth." 
 
 Verse 27 • f And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come aftej 
 me, cannot be my disciple.' 
 
 " ' Bearing the cross,' is becoming a witness of the 
 Truth, for which men in all ages have been despised." 
 
 Verses 28-30 : 'For which of you intending to build a tower, sit- 
 teth not down first and counteth the cost, whether he hath sufficient 
 to finish it ? Lest haply ; after he hath laid the foundation, and is 
 not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him, saying, 
 This man began to build and was not able to finish. 
 
 • " You must have sufficient faith to carry you through 
 the persecutions of the times, and to grasp .immortali- 
 ty, and lay hold on the promise. If you turn back, 
 you will only be rewarded by the persecutions of men, 
 and will lose the first resurrection." 
 Verses 31, 32 : 'Or what king, going to make war against another 
 
30 SPIRITUAL EXPOSITION OF 
 
 king, sitteth not down first, and consulteth whether he be able, with ten 
 thousand, to meet him that cometh against him with twenty thousand ? 
 Or else while the other is yet a great way off, he sendeth an ambassage, 
 and desireth conditions of peace.' 
 
 " Strengthens the previous parable." 
 
 Verse 33 : 'So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not 
 all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple.' 
 
 " You must give up all worldly mindedness and self- 
 ishness, and love the Truth superior to everything 
 else." 
 
 Verses 34, 35: 'Salt is good; but if the salt has lost its savor, 
 wherewith shall it be seasoned ? It is neither fit for the land, nor yet 
 for the dung-hill ; but men cast it out. He that hath ears to hear, let 
 him hear.' 
 
 " An understanding of the Prophetic Word without 
 practical faith in its fulfilment, is salt which has lost 
 its seasoning. He that will receive the Truth, let him 
 act accordingly." 
 
 XV. CHAPTER OF LUKE. 
 
 January 13 : " My name is Timothy. Read the 
 fifteenth Chapter of Luke:" « 
 
 Verses 1,2 : « Then drew near unto him all the publicans and sin- 
 ners, for to hear him. , 
 
 " The work of God is always wrought in such a 
 manner as to humble the hearts of worldly minded 
 and bigoted men. He chooseth the weak things of 
 
THE PROPHETIC SCRIPTURES. 31 
 
 the world to confound the wisdom of the wise of the 
 world." 
 
 Verse 2 : ' And the Pharisees and Scribes murmured, saying, This 
 man cureth sinners, and eateth with them,' 
 
 " All the manifestations of God in the world have 
 had a direct object in the salvation of sinners." 
 
 Verse 7 : *I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over 
 one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons 
 which need no repentence. 
 
 " The spirits of all good men, whether in or out of 
 the body, have a deep interest in the same work, as 
 the salvation of even one sinner causeth joy in heav- 
 en. When the sinner becomes submissive to the love 
 of God, the just have joy in his love." 
 
 Verses 8,9 : ' Either, what woman, having ten pieces of silver, if 
 she lose one piece, doth not light a candle and sweep the house, and 
 seek diligently till she find it. And when she hath found it, she calleth 
 her friends and her neighbors together, saying, Rejoice with me ; for I 
 have found the piece which I had lost." 
 
 " The anxiety of worldly minded men to recover 
 what they have lost, is shown as a figure of the anxiety 
 of just men in the salvation of sinners." 
 
 Verse 10 : ' Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of 
 the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.' 
 
 " ' Angels of God,' are spirits of just men, who 
 have lived in the flesh. They have a deeper anxiety 
 in the salvation of men in proportion to their increas- 
 ed knowledge of the importance of the Truth." 
 
 Verse 11 : * And he said, A certain man had two sons.' 
 
32 SPIRITUAL EXPOSITION OF 
 
 " The two sons represent two classes of men, hold- 
 ing two classes of opinions." 
 
 Verse 12 : < And the younger of them said to his father, Father, give 
 me the portion of goods that falleth to me. And he divided unto them 
 his living/ 
 
 "The 'younger son' represents backsliders, or 
 transgressors of the law. It is now fulfilling in its 
 prominent features. 'Goods' represents the Truth, 
 as embodied in the New Testament system." 
 
 Verse 13 : 'And not many days after, the younger son gathered al- 
 together and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his 
 substance with riotous living.' 
 
 "His 'journey into a far country,' the great wan- 
 dering from the Truth of the generality of men, in 
 looking for a literal and temporal fulfilment of the 
 Word of God. ' Wasted his substance with riotous 
 living,' is using the cloak of religion for self interest, 
 in temporal matters, and bringing the Word of God 
 to justify their iniquities." 
 
 Verse 14 : • And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty fam- 
 ine in that land ; and he began to be in want/ 
 
 " The 'mighty famine' is the lack of true piety seen 
 and felt at the present time by all men. His being 
 " in want" is his becoming perfectly submissive, and 
 wishing to return to his first love of the Truth, and 
 his being taught of the Spirit." 
 
 Verse 15: 'And he went and joined himself to a citizen of that 
 country : and he sent him into his fields to feed swine/ 
 
THE PROPHETIC SCRIPTURES. 33 
 
 " He was employed in upholding and sustaining 
 some sectarian creed." 
 
 Verse 16 : 'And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks 
 that the swine did eat ; and no man gave unto him/ ^ 
 
 " The time has come when sectarian dogmas will 
 not satisfy the mind of a candid seeker after Truth. 
 They have not the understanding of the Truth, and 
 therefore cannot impart it unto others." 
 
 Verse 17 : 'And when he came to himself, he said, How many 
 hired Servants of my father's have bread enough and to spare, and I 
 perish with hunger !' 
 
 " He laments his first departure from the Truth. 
 ' Hired servants' means that God richly repays all 
 who honestly seek after the truth, by giving them 
 more and more light." 
 
 Verses 18, 19 : 'I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto 
 him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee, and am no 
 more worthy to be called thy son : make me as one of thy hired 
 servants.' 
 
 " Refers to individuals who rejected all sectarian- 
 ism, and returned to the Word of God for a knowledge 
 of the Truth, praying for light to understand its Pro- 
 phetic teachings." 
 
 Verse 20 : 'And he arose and came to his father. But when he 
 was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and 
 ran and fell on his neck and kissed him.' 
 
 " ' Fell on his neck and kissed him' means giving 
 him light and understanding, which is life and love, 
 mercy and truth." 
 
 Verse 21 : 'And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned 
 3 
 
34 SPIRITUAL EXPOSITION OF 
 
 against heaven and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be calle 
 thy son.' 
 
 " Teaches the humble state of mind consequent on 
 the understanding of the Word." 
 
 Verse 22 : 'But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the bes 
 robe and put it on him ; and put a ring on his hand and shoes on his 
 feet' 
 
 " ' Father' is the Spirit which dictated the Word, 
 and is now accompanying its fulfilment. ' Servants' 
 are the true believers in the fulfilment of the Prqphetic 
 Word. ' Best robe' is strongest faith. ' Ring on his 
 hand' is enclosing him with true belief. ' Shoes on his 
 feet' means being shod with the good news of peace." 
 
 Verse 23 : 'And bring hither the fatted calf and kill jt ; and let us 
 eat and be merry.' 
 
 " Killing the fatted calf is the consummation of true 
 faith, which is the adoption, to wit, the redemption of 
 the body, just ready to be fulfilled upon the true be- 
 liever. Eating and being merry is receiving and be 
 ing comforted by the promise." 
 
 Verse 24 : 'For this my son was dead, and is alive again ; he was 
 lost, and is found. And they began to be merry.' 
 
 " He was dead to the knowledge of the Truth, but 
 now sees and believes it, and is rejoiced in the hope of 
 Israel." 
 
 Verse 25 : 'Now his elder son was in the .field ; and as he came 
 and drew nigh to the house, he heard music and dancing.' 
 
 " The ■ elder son' is he who keeps the faith of the 
 Word and promise, in its practical bearing as man in 
 the flesh. He represents a class of men known as 
 
THE PROPHETIC SCRIPTURES. 35 
 
 Shakers,^ who have kept the requirements of the New 
 Testament as perfect as man can in a practical sense, 
 while in the body, but have not hitherto discovered 
 the doctrine of the redemption of the body, and who 
 will be jealous of and oppose the Truth, when it is ful- 
 filled in the redeemed body. ' Drew nigh to the 
 house' means drawing near to the promise, ready to 
 be fulfilled." 
 
 Verse 26 : 'And lie called one of the servants and asked what these 
 things meant' 
 
 * Asking one of the servants refers to their consul- 
 tation of the Sacred Roll,| to know the meaning of 
 these things. The rest of the parable explains itself, 
 in connexion with the Shakers," 
 
 XVL CHAPTER OF LUKE. 
 
 January 8 : " My name is Timothy. Read ths 
 sixteenth Chapter of Luke. 
 
 Verse 1 : 'And he said unto his disciples, 'There was a certain ricii 
 man which had a steward ; and the same was accused unto him, that 
 he had wasted his goods.' 
 
 " The ' rich man' is God. The ' steward' represents 
 
 * We would here inform our readers, that the Shakers were defined by the 
 Spirit as fulfilling the part of the parable represented in the elder son, with- 
 out the particular sect having been mentioned by any one present. — Compile?, 
 
 f The Shakers have a work which thay call the " Sacred Roll," purport^ 
 lo contain revelations made to thein by an angel irom heaven.— i&jaf. 
 
36 SPIRITUAL EXPOSITION OF 
 
 all who possess knowledge or the means of obtaining 
 it. Wasting his goods is not improving his talents." 
 
 Verse 2 : 'And he called hirn, and said unto him, How is it that I 
 bear this of thee ? give an account of thy stewardship, for thou mayest 
 be no longer stewara.' 
 
 "God will judge every man according to his oppor- 
 tunities. The stewardship was taken away when we 
 commenced explaining the Scriptures. The Churches 
 and those looking for a literal fulfilment of the Pro- 
 phetic Word, have been wasting his substance ever 
 since the close of the Gospel Dispensation, which 
 ended on the tenth day of the seventh month, eighteen 
 hundred forty-four." 
 
 Verse 3 : ' Then the steward said within himself, What shall I do ? 
 for my lord taketh away from me the stewardship : I cannot dig : to 
 beg I am ashamed.' 
 
 " ' Steward' means sectarian preachers. The feel- 
 ing that is now manifest by sectarian preachers, in 
 making friends with the world, is fairly shown in this 
 verse." 
 
 Verse 4 : 'I am resolved what to do, that when I am put out of the 
 stewardship, they may receive me into their houses/ 
 
 " Sectarian preachers courting friendship with the 
 world." 
 
 Verses 5, 6 : 'So he called every one of his lord's debtors unto him, 
 and said unto the first, How much owcst thou imto my lord ? And 
 be said an hundred measures of oil. And he said unto him, Take 
 thy bill, and sit down quickly, and write fifty/ 
 
 " They will pass over the sins and worldly-minded- 
 
THE PROPHETIC SCRIPTURES, 37 
 
 ncss apparent in the Church, for honor and worldly 
 gain." 
 
 Verse 7 : 'Then said he to another, And how much owest thou ? 
 And he said, An hundred measures of wheat And he said unto him, 
 Take thy bill, and write four score/ 
 
 " They will court the society of all worldly-minded 
 men, who will pay them money for their services." 
 
 Verse 8 : 'And the lord commended the unjust steward, because 
 he had done wisely : for the children of this word are in their genera- 
 tion wiser than the children of lio-ht' 
 
 o 
 
 " ' The lord' personifies the covetous seekers for 
 money. The children of darkness are wiser in their 
 own opinions than the children of light, and therefore 
 seek more diligently for money than the children of 
 light do after truth and knowledge." 
 
 Verse 9 : ' And I say unto you, Make to yourselves friends of the 
 mammon of unrighteousness ; that when ye fail, they may receive you 
 into everlasting habitations.' 
 
 " The Lord exhorts his followers to use their world- 
 ly means to assist the poor and needy, that they may 
 make friends of them, so that when their natural life 
 fails, they may be received into everlasting habitations, 
 which is the Redeemed body." 
 
 Verse 10 : 'He that is faithful in that which is least, is faithful also 
 in much ; and he that is unjust in the least, is unjust also in much.' 
 
 " He that is faithful in temporal matters will also be 
 faithful in spiritual matters. He that is unjust in tem- 
 poral matters will also be unjust in spiritual matters," 
 
 Verse 11 : 'If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous 
 mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches.' 
 
38 SPIRITUAL EXPOSITION OF 
 
 " Those who have professed Christianity without 
 benevolence in temporal matters, are not worthy to 
 fall heirs to the promise." 
 
 Verse 12 : 'And if ye have not been faithful in that which is another 
 man's, who shall give you that which is your own ?' 
 
 " If ye have not been faithful in keeping the Word 
 of God and its requirements, who shall give you the 
 promise — the Redeemed body. This parable refers 
 only to the ending of the Gospel Dispensation. From 
 verse thirteen to nineteen refers to the end of the 
 Jewish Dispensation." 
 
 Verse 19 : 'There was certain rich man, which was clothed in purple 
 and fine linen and fared sumptuously every day/ 
 
 "The 'rich man' represents the worldly-minded 
 man in high life." 
 
 Verse 20 : 'And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which 
 was laid at his gate, full of sores.' 
 
 " The i beggar' represents those perfectly destitute. 
 'Full of sores' represents that he had an afflicted 
 mind, but was an humble seeker after Truth." 
 
 Verse 21 : 'And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from 
 the rich man's table : moreover, the dogs came and licked his sores/ 
 
 " The 'crumbs,' were the pennies which the rich 
 man did not need. ' Dogs' represents humble Chris- 
 tians." 
 
 Verse 22 : 'And it came to pass that the beggar died, and was 
 carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom. The rich man also died, 
 and was buried/ 
 
 " ' Dying' means he overcame his infirmities through 
 the power of Truth, and was one of the blessed sub* 
 
THE PROPHETIC SCRIPTURES. 39 
 
 jects of the Redemption.' ' Carried by the angels in- 
 to Abraham's bosom' means he was beyond the cares 
 of this world. " The death of the rich man means 
 he was left in the gulf of ignorance, deprived of all 
 the means of gratifying his natural propensities, and 
 also includes natural death." 
 
 ]*s not the object of this work to lay before the 
 world the full doctrine of the Redemption of the body? 
 
 " Yes." 
 
 Verse 23 : 'And in hell lie lifted up his eyes, being in torments, 
 and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.' 
 
 " ' Hell' means the gulf of ignorance. ' Being in 
 torments' means he had no peace of mind or body. 
 'Abraham's bosom' is a comparison of the seventh 
 sphere completed." 
 
 Verse 24 : 'And he cried, and said, Father Abraham, have mercy 
 on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in 
 water, and cool my tongue : for I am tormented in this flame/ 
 
 " He sought a knowledge of the Truth from Laz- 
 arus, the beggar." 
 
 Verse 26 : 'And besides all this, between us and you there is a 
 great gulf fixed : so that they which would p'ass from hence to you, 
 cannot ; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence. 
 
 " The ' gulf is the moral distance between them. 
 The rich man was not sufficiently perfect to go to 
 Lazarus, neither could Lazarus go back to imperfec- 
 tion. It would take a long time before the rich man 
 could become sufficiently humble to learn." 
 
 Verses 28, 29 : 'Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that 
 
40 SPIRITUAL EXPOSITION OF 
 
 thou wouldest send him to my father's house : For I have five brethren ; 
 that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of 
 torment. 
 
 " ' Father's house' means the natural man. The 
 * five brethren' are the five natural senses." 
 
 Verse 29 : 'Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the 
 prophets ; let them hear them.' 
 
 " The natural man in the flesh can only learn from 
 the Word of God." 
 
 Verse 30 : 'And he said, ISTay, father Abraham : but if one went 
 unto them from the dead, they will repent. And he said unto him, If 
 they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, 
 though one rose from the dead.' 
 
 " The kingdom of God will be fulfilled in the world, 
 and the natural man will not perceive it. The natu- 
 ral man would not believe, though one should rise 
 from the dead." 
 
 XVII. CHAPTER OF LUKE. 
 
 January 20 : " My name is Timothy. Read the 
 seventeenth chapter of Luke." 
 
 Verse 1 : 'Then said he unto the disciples, It is impossible but that 
 offences will come : but wo unto him through whom they come !* 
 
 " The work of God has always been opposed by 
 the natural man. When they persecute the humble 
 seeker after Truth they are in offence, and must die 
 
THE PROPHETIC SCRIPTURES. 41 
 
 the natural death, which will be ' woe,' after judgment 
 has commenced." 
 
 Verse 2 : 'It were better for him that a millstone were hanged 
 about his neck, and he cast into the sea, than that he should offend one 
 of these little ones.' 
 
 " It were better for him that he should be cut off 
 before offending those who seek humbly after Truth, 
 without regard to what men may say." 
 
 Verse 6 : 'And the Lord said, If ye had faith as a grain of mustard 
 seed, ye might say unto this sycamine-tree, Be thou plucked up by the 
 root, and be thou planted in the sea ; and it should obey you.' 
 
 " ' Syacamine tree' means the children of the world. 
 6 Sea' means the true kingdom." 
 
 Verses 7, 8 : 'But which of you having a servant ploughing, or 
 feeding cattle, will say unto him by and by, when he is come from the 
 field, Go and sit down to meat ? And will not rather say unto him, 
 Make ready wherewith I may sup, and gird thyself, and serve me, till 
 I have eaten and drunken ; and afterward thou shalt eat and drink V 
 
 " Serving the Lord your Master faithfully is ' gird- 
 ing thyself — making ready for the promise of the re- 
 deemed body. ' Sitting down to meat' is the fulfilment 
 of that promise. The natural elements of the world 
 are to be subject to the Redeemed man." 
 
 Verse 9 : 'Doth he thank that servant, because he did the things 
 that were commanded him ? I trow not' 
 
 " You are taught that the salvation of each and ev- 
 ery man is wrought alone through the death of Jesus 
 Christ." 
 
 Verses 12, 19 : 'And as he entered into a certain village, there met 
 him ten men that were lepers, which stood afar off : And they lifted up 
 their voices, and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us. And when he 
 
42 SPIRITUAL EXPOSITION OF 
 
 saw them, he said unto them, Go, shew yourselves unto the priests. 
 And it came to pass, that as they went they were cleansed. And one 
 of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud 
 voice glorified God, and fell down on his face at his feet, giving him 
 thanks ; and he was a Samaritan. And Jesus answering, said, Were 
 there not ten cleansed ? but where are the nine ? There are not found 
 that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger. And he said unto 
 him, Arise, go thy way : thy faith hath made thee whole.' 
 
 " They were required to go to the priests, to confirm 
 the truth of his true messiahship. Their obedience to 
 his requirement showed their faith, and he healed 
 them. In these verses you are taught faith and obe- 
 dience in the the true God, relying on his love and 
 mercy alone, without any sectarian dogmas." 
 
 Verses 20, 21 : 'And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, 
 when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, 
 The kingdom of God cometh not with observation. Neither shall they 
 say, Lo here ! or, Lo there ! for behold, the kingdom of God is within 
 you.' 
 
 " The kingdom of God, spiritually, is Love, Faith 
 and Truth, and Good Will to all men — to be fulfilled 
 literally in the Redeemed Man." 
 
 Verse 22 : 'And he said unto the disciples, The days will come,, 
 when ye shall desire to see one of the days of the Son ot man, and ye 
 shall not see it' 
 
 " The Apostles would die before the fulfilment of 
 
 the promise." 
 
 Verse 23 : 'And they shall say to you, See here! or, See there! go 
 not after them, nor follow them.' 
 
 "The disciples are particularly warned against the 
 lo here ! of their day." 
 
THE PROPHETIC SCRIPTURES. 43 
 
 Verse 24 : ' For as the lightning that lighteneth out of the one part 
 under heaven, shineth unto the other part under heaven : so shall also 
 the Son of man be in his day/ 
 
 " Refers to the preaching of the Prophetic Word, 
 in the last times, in eighteen hundred forty-three." 
 
 Verse 25 : 'But first must he suffer many things, and be rejected of 
 this generation/ 
 
 " Literally, refers to the generation that lived during 
 the life of Christ. Spiritually, refers to the suffering 
 of the Word in eighteen hundred and forty-four." 
 
 Verses 26-30 : 'And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also 
 in the days of the Son of man. They did eat, they drank, they mar- 
 ried wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noe entered 
 into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all. Likewise al- 
 so as it was in the days of Lot : they did eat, they drank, they bought, 
 they sold, they planted, they builded ; but the same day that Lot went 
 out of Sodom, it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed 
 them all : Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is re- 
 vealed/ 
 
 " These verses contain a spiritual type of the de- 
 struction of the error of the enemies of the Truth. The 
 1 Son of Man revealed' is fulfilled in the Redeemed 
 body." 
 
 Verse 31 : 'In that day, he which shall be upon the house-top, and 
 his stuff in the house, let him not come down to take it away : and he 
 that is in the field, let him likewise not return back/ 
 
 " ' That day' refers to the present time. The ' stuff' 
 are the doctrines men have incorporated into 'their 
 theories. Those 'in the field' are those preaching 
 their sectarian theories." 
 
 Verse 32: 'Remember Lot's wife/ 
 
44 SPIRITUAL EXPOSITION OF 
 
 "You are exhorted to believe and obey the Truth 
 from the evidence of its fulfilment." 
 
 Verse 33 : ' Whosoever,shall seek to save his life, shall loose it ; and 
 whosoever shall lose his life, shall preserve it' 
 
 "'Life' is good name among his former followers. 
 Whosoever seeks to preserve it among the othodox 
 men of the age shall lose it. He that will give up his 
 good name among men shall fall heir to the Redeemed 
 body." 
 
 Verse 34: 'I tell you, in that night there shall be two men in one 
 bed ; the one shall be taken, and the other shall be left' 
 
 "'Night' refers to the dark times of the few past 
 years of the history before the close of the Gospel 
 Dispensation. One of two men believing the same 
 theory will receive the truth, the other reject it." 
 
 Verse 35: 'Two women shall be grinding together ; the one shall 
 be taken, and the other left.' 
 
 " Two women shall be contending about the Word 
 
 of God : the one will believe, the other reject it." 
 
 Verse 36: 'Two men shall be in the field; the one shall be taken 
 and the other left' 
 
 "Two sectarian ministers shall labor together in 
 their creeds \ the one will accept, the other reject the 
 Truth." 
 
 Verse 37: 'And they answered and said unto him, Where, Lord? 
 And he said unto them, Wheresoever the body is, thither will the eagles 
 be gathered together/ 
 
 "Wheresoever the true Life is, there will all God's 
 people be gathered together. Jesus said, 'I will draw 
 all men unto me : He is the True Light." 
 
THE PROPHETIC SCRIPTURES. 45 
 
 XXIV. CHAPTER OF LUKE. 
 
 January 25, 1850 : "My name is Timothy. Read 
 the twenty-fourth chapter of Luke." 
 
 Verses 13-16: 'And behold, two of them went that same day to a 
 village called Emmaus, which was from Jerusalem about three-score 
 furlongs. And they talked together of all these things which had hap- 
 pened. And it came to .pass, that, while they communed together, and 
 reasoned, Jesus himself drew near, and went with them.' But their 
 eyes were hoiden, that they should not know him/ 
 
 "A type of the manner of the second coming of 
 Christ. 'Their eyes were hoiden' means spiritually, 
 the understanding being hoiden.' ' 
 
 Verse 17: 'And he said unto them, What manner of communica- 
 tions are these that ye have one to another, as ye walk, and are sad ?' 
 
 " There have been those who have communed to- 
 gether, since eighteen hundred and forty -four in sad- 
 ness, though strong in faith, but who have been com- 
 forted by the Word of God." 
 
 Verse 23: 'And when they found not his body, they came, saying, 
 that they had also seen a vision of angels, which said that he was alive/ 
 
 " Those women were what are now called ' clair- 
 voyants,' thrown into that state by their own desire, 
 and strengthened by the Spirit of God." 
 
 Verse 26: 'Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to 
 enter into his glory V 
 
46 SPIRITUAL EXPOSITION OF 
 
 " It was his good will to save his people." 
 
 Verse 27: 'And beginning at Moses, and all the prophets, he ex- 
 pounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.' 
 
 " He assured them he was able to save them by his 
 having himself fulfilled the prophecies concerning him- 
 self, which proved him to be the true Messiah ; and 
 you are now admonished and assured of the fulfillment 
 of the promise of the Redemption of the body upon 
 the evidence of his having fulfilled the parables and 
 Prophetic Scriptures down to the present time, and 
 also that it is the next great event to take place upon 
 the earth." 
 
 Verses 30-31 : 'And it came to pass, as he sat at meat with them 
 he took bread, and blessed it, and brake, and gave to them. And their 
 eyes were opened, and they knew him : and he vanished out of their 
 eight > 
 
 "As they were counseling together, he opened their 
 understanding and disappeared supernaturally." 
 
 Verse 39: 'Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: 
 handle me, and see ; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me 
 have/ 
 
 " Christ's reference to the manner of the existence 
 of departed spirits. Teaches the doctrine of the con- 
 scious existence of departed spirits after death." 
 
 Verse 41 : 'And while they yet believed not for joy, and wondered, 
 he said unto them, Have ye here any meat V 
 
 " His enquiring for meat, shows that he was really 
 
 Christ raised from the dead with a literal body." 
 
 Verse 45 : * Then opened he their understanding, that they might 
 understand the scriptures. ' 
 
THE PROPHETIC SCRIPTURES. 47 
 
 " There is a deep meaning to the scriptures, which 
 it requires the spirit of God to teach." 
 
 Verse 46 : 'And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it be- 
 hooved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day :' 
 
 " Refers to the fulfilment of the types of the Mosaic 
 Law. You are also taught that the Prophesies of 
 Scripture are always fulfilled before they are under- 
 stood by those who study most diligently to under- 
 stand them." 
 
 Verse 47: 'And that repentance and remission of sins should be 
 preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.' 
 
 "'Repentance' means submission. 'Remission/ 
 means redemption." 
 
 Verse 49 : 'And behold, I send the promise of my father upon you: 
 but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power 
 from on high.' 
 
 " Refers to the day of Pentecost, whe% the Holy 
 Ghost was poured upon them." 
 
 Verse 51: 'And it came to pass, while he blessed them, he was 
 parted from them, and earned up into heaven.' • 
 
 "He was too pure for them to behold, and was 
 taken from them and carried by his own power into 
 heaven." 
 
 Verse 53 : 'And were continually in the temple, praising and bless- 
 ing God.' Amen. 
 
 " That temple was the bodies of true believers. It 
 is a type of the Redeemed body." 
 
48 SPIRITUAL EXPOSITION OF 
 
 I. CHAPTER OF JOHN. 
 
 January 27 : " My name is Peace. Read the first 
 Chapter of St. John's Gospel." 
 
 Verse 1 : 'In the beginning was the "Word, and the Word was with 
 God, and the Word was God' 
 
 " In the beginning was the Spirit, and the Spirit 
 was with God, and the Spirit was God." 
 
 Verse 3 : 'All things were made by him: and without him was not 
 anything made that was made.' 
 
 " All things were made by the Spirit.' 
 
 Verse 4 : ' In him was life ; and the life was the light of men. 
 
 " ' In him was life.' That life was exhibited in the 
 flesh which constituted the Son of God, to be exhibit- 
 ed again in the Redeemed man." 
 
 Verse 5: 'And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness 
 comprehended it not' 
 
 "'Light shineth in darkness' means Truth exhibited 
 
 in the midst of error, and is not received." 
 
 Verse 7: 'The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the 
 Light, that all men through him might believe/ 
 
 " To bear witness of the Truth, that all men might 
 believe, and through him might be saved." 
 
 Verses 11-12: 'He came unto his own, and his own received him 
 
THE PROPHETIC SCRIPTURES. 49 
 
 not. But as many as received him, to them gave he the power to be- 
 come the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name :' 
 
 " He came unto his own people, the Jews, but they 
 knew him not as the Messiah. But as many as received 
 him gave he the Truth which is power to become the 
 Sons of God. It also refers to all afterwards, who 
 would believe on his name — both Jew and Gentile." 
 
 Verse 13: * Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the 
 flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.' 
 
 "Born of God, means born of the Spirit of God, 
 unto Love, and Truth, and Holiness, and consequent 
 happiness." 
 
 Verse 16: 'And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for 
 grace.' 
 
 "'Grace' means love." 
 
 Verse 23 : 'He said, I am the voice of one crying'in the wilderness, 
 Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Esaias.' 
 
 "'Wilderness' means the wide world of Ignorance 
 and wickedness, destitute of the true light." 
 
 Verse 29: 'The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and 
 saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world ! 
 
 " Behold the love of God, which taketh away the 
 darkness of the mind." 
 
 Verse 32 : 'And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descend- 
 ing from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him/ 
 
 " The spirit of love dwelt in him." 
 
 Verse 36 : 'And looking upon Jesus as he walked, he saith, Behold 
 the Lamb of God !' 
 
 " Behold the love of God." 
 4 
 
50 SPIRITUAL EXPOSITION OF 
 
 Verse 37: 'And the two disciples heard him speak, and they fol- 
 lowed Jesus.' 
 
 " They received the spirit of God." 
 
 Verse 41 : 'He first findeth his own brother Simon, and saith unto 
 him, We have found the Messias; which is, being interpreted, the 
 Christ 
 
 "We have found the Messiah, which is love and 
 mercy, truth and peace." 
 
 Verse 43: 'The day following Jesus would go forth into Galilee, 
 and findeth Philip, and saith unto him, Follow me.' 
 
 " ' Follow me ' means receive the truth." 
 
 Verse 45: 'Philip findeth Nathanael, and saith unto him, We have 
 found him of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write, Jesus 
 of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.' 
 
 "A wrong translation. 'Son of Joseph' in the 
 original is Son of the Spirit." 
 
 Verse 47 : 'Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and saith of him, 
 Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile!' 
 
 * Christ referred to himself when he said ' Behold 
 an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile ! * ' Guile ' 
 means darkness of understanding." 
 
 Verse 48 : ' Nathanael saith unto him, Whence knowest thou me ? 
 Jesus answered and said unto him, Before that Philip called thee, when 
 thou wast under the fig-tree, I saw thee.' 
 
 " ' Under the fig-tree ' means receiving the spirit of 
 truth and knowledge." 
 
 Verse 49 : ' Nathanael answered and saith unto him, Rabbi, thou 
 art the Son of God ; thou art the King of Israel/ 
 
 " ' King of Israel ' means Redeemer of Israel. ' Is- 
 rael ' means the Redeemed." 
 
THE PROPHETIC SCRIPTURES. 51 
 
 Verse 51 : ' And he saith unto him, Yerily, verily, I say unto yon, 
 Hereafter ye shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending 
 and descending upon the Son of man.' 
 
 " Heavens being opened means the truth being re- 
 vealed. This refers to the present time and the fu- 
 ture. The angels of God ascending and descending 
 refer to the spirits that are teaching you. The Son 
 of man means the present generation." 
 
 II. CHAPTER OF JOHN. 
 
 February 3d : " My name is John. Read the sec- 
 ond Chapter of John." 
 
 Verse 4 ; f Jesus saith unto her, Woman, what have I to do with 
 thee ? mine hour is not yet come.' 
 
 " You are directed in this verse to recognize the 
 historical chronology of the prophecies. The chro- 
 nological time for manifesting forth his glory had not 
 yet come, but he wrought that miracle to answer the 
 claims of the faith of his mother." , 
 
 Verse 5 : ' His mother saith unto the servants, Whatsoever he saith 
 unto you, do it.' 
 
 " She desired them to manifest their faith in obey- 
 ing his commands." 
 
 Verse 7 : ' Jesus saith unto them, Fill the water pots with watea 
 And they filled them up to the brim/ 
 
 " They did obey according to their faith. It shows 
 that all true obedience is based on faith," 
 
52 SPIRITUAL EXPOSITION OF 
 
 Verse 8 : * And he saith unto them, Draw out now, and bear unto 
 the governor of the feast. And they bare it.' 
 
 " He still required them to manifest their faith and 
 obedience." 
 
 Verses 9, 10: 'When the ruler of the feast had tasted the water 
 that was made wine, and knew not whence it was, (but the servants 
 which drew the water knew,) the governor of the feast called the bride- 
 groom, and saith unto him, Every man at the beginning doth set forth 
 good wine ; and when men have well drunk, then that which is worse : 
 but thou hast kept the good wine until now/ 
 
 " The fact that the governor of the feast had no 
 knowledge of the miracle is evidence that it was no 
 deception. The water was actually made into wine 
 by the power of an infinite will. All the appearances 
 of making water taste like wine in the present day 
 are merely the productions of a finite mind." 
 
 Verse 11: ' This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Gali- 
 lee, and manifested forth his glory; and his disciples believed on him.' 
 
 " You are still strengthened in believing that it was 
 a real miracle because the disciples who were present 
 saw and believed it." 
 
 Verse 14: 'And found in the temple those that sold oxen, and 
 sheep, and doves, and the changers of money, sitting.' 
 
 " Christ's zeal in cleansing the temple is a type of 
 his cleansing every man in the last times and fitting 
 them for the redemption. The oxen and sheep and 
 money changers refer to those who seek pecuniary 
 benefit under the cloak of sectarian religion. They 
 have to yield all selfish interests in order to adopt the 
 truth." 
 
THE PROPHETIC SCRIPTURES. 53 
 
 Verse 15:' And when he had made a scourge of small cords, he 
 drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep, and the oxen ; and 
 poured out the changers' money, and overthrew the tables.' 
 
 " When the merchants saw his zeal in driving out 
 the sheep and oxen, they recognized his authority and 
 left the temple also. The scourge of small cords is 
 parabolical according to the manner of the speaking 
 of the Jews." 
 
 Verse 17: 'And his disciples remembered that it was written, The 
 zeal of thine house hath eaten me up.' 
 
 " ' The zeal of thine house' is the Spirit of Christ 
 ' Eaten me up' means will devour their enmity to the 
 truth. In its figure means that the Spirit of Christ 
 will destroy all error." 
 
 Verses 23-25 : ' Now when he was in Jerusalem at the passover, 
 in the feast-day, many believed in his name, when they saw the mira- 
 cles which he did. But Jesus did not commit himself unto them, be- 
 cause he knew all men, and needed not that any should testify of man : 
 for he knew what was in man.' 
 
 " Many consented that he was superior to common 
 man, but did not have faith in him as his disciples 
 did. You are taught that the works of God will be 
 wrought before the eyes of many, and they will not 
 receive them as such. Others who place implicit 
 confidence in them will believe and fall heirs to the 
 promise of the Redemption." 
 
54 SPIRITUAL EXPOSITION OF 
 
 III. CHAPTER OF JOHN, 
 
 February 8 : " My name is John. Read the third 
 Chapter of John." 
 
 Verse 2 : ? The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, 
 Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God : for no man 
 can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him/ 
 
 "You know as well as Nicodemus knew that these 
 communications are of God, being miraculously per- 
 formed." 
 
 Verse 3 : ' Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say 
 unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of 
 God/ 
 
 " Except a man inhale the spirit of love and mercy 
 and truth, he cannot enjoy the kingdom of God." 
 
 Verse 5 : 'Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a 
 man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the king- 
 dom of God/ 
 
 " Except a man be born of Truth and the Spirit he 
 cannot enjoy the kingdom of God." 
 
 Verse 8 : ' The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou nearest the 
 •ound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it gc- 
 eth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit' 
 
 " You hear the sounds of the Spirits — can you tell 
 from whence these sounds come ? The mysterious 
 influence caused by truth upon the mind is equally as 
 
THE PROPHETIC SCRIPTURES. 55 
 
 3 
 
 mysterious as the manner of communications you are 
 now receiving." 
 
 Terse 9 ' Nicodernus answered and said unto him, How can these 
 things be V 
 
 " The wisdom of man never was able to compre- 
 hend the mysteries of God." 
 
 Verse 10: 'Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou a master 
 of Israel, and knowest not these things ?' 
 
 " He said it to conform him to his will." 
 
 Verse 11 : 'Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that we do 
 know, and testify that we have seen ; and ye receive not our witness.' 
 
 " This verse teaches you to testify what you have 
 heard and know." 
 
 Verse 12 : 'I have told you earthly things and ye believe not, how 
 shall ye believe if I tell you of heavenly things ?' 
 
 " Other spirits have told you earthly things which 
 have been rejected, and men will also reject the heav- 
 enly things which we are now teaching." 
 
 Verse 14: 'And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, 
 even so must the son of man be lifted up.' 
 
 " The serpent raised in the wilderness was a type 
 of the crucifixion of Christ." 
 
 Verse 15 : ' That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, bu£ 
 have eternal life/ 
 
 t " * Perish' means enduring the penalty of the law 
 in suffering the absence of the Holy spirit. * Eternal 
 life' is perfect love of a pure mind, consummated in 
 the redeemed man." 
 
56 SPIRITUAL EXPOSITION OF 
 
 Verse 16 : 'For God so loved the world, that he gave his only be- 
 gotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but 
 have everlasting life.' 
 
 " The pledge of redemption was given in the suf- 
 ferings of Christ." * 
 
 Verse 1 7 : ' For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn 
 the world, but that the world through him might be saved.' 
 
 < " * World' means all the human family, to be saved 
 through the doctrine of progression." 
 
 Verse 23: 'And John also was baptizing in iEnon, near to Salim, 
 because there was much water there : and they came and were bap- 
 tized/ 
 
 " ' Baptizing' means preaching. John's baptism 
 was his preaching the Prophetic Scriptures concerning 
 the coming of Christ. John's baptizing Christ was 
 his recognizing him as the Messiah and preaching him 
 as such."^ 
 
 *Matt, iii 11, 13, 16. Mark, i. 4, 5, 8, 9: xvl 16. Luke, iii. 7, 
 16, 21. John, iv. 1. Acts, i. 5: viii. 12, 13: xxii. 16. Romans, vi. 
 3. 1 Cor., i. 17. — All the above texts are explained by the following 
 definitions : " Water in every instance means light of the true inspira- 
 tion of the Holy Spirit. The river Jordan [Mark i. 9] in the original 
 tongue means a stream of light. The river Jordan also means the in- 
 structions given them in that land. The translators of the Bible did 
 not understand the spiritual meaning of the proper names in the origi- 
 nal tongue. Christ, when he came to John to be baptized, did so to 
 fulfill the requirements of the law of Moses, which required that the 
 High Priest should be set apart for that office — John being the last ac- 
 ceptable Prophet under the Jewish Dispensation. No man ever 
 preached acceptably under the Law or the Gospel Dispensation with- 
 out being qualified so to do by the Holy Spirit Neither John or any 
 
THE PROPHETIC SCRIPTURES. 57 
 
 Verse 29: 'He that hath the bride, is the bridegroom: but the 
 friend of the bridegroom, which standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth 
 greatly, because of the bridegroom's voice : this my joy therefore is ful- 
 filled.' 
 
 " The ' bride' is the truth and all who receive it." 
 
 Verse 32: 'And what he hath seen and heard, that he testifieth; 
 and no man receiveth his testimony.' 
 
 " Teaches the authority by which Christ taught, 
 but no man received his testimony." 
 
 Verse 33: 'He that hath received his testimony, hath set to his 
 seal that God is true.' 
 
 " They that receive the truth have the evidence of 
 the truth within themselves." 
 
 Verse 34 : ' For he whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God ; 
 for God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto him.' 
 
 " Teaches God manifest in the flesh." 
 
 Verse 36 : 'He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life ; and 
 he that believeth not the Son, shall not see life ; but the wrath of God 
 abideth on him.' 
 
 " He that believeth on the son hath the Spirit of 
 God dwelling in him. He that believeth not remains 
 in darkness so long as he rejects the truth." 
 
 of the Apostles ever taught the use of literal water for baptism in any 
 manner. Translators have made a mistake in every instance in the 
 translations on baptism. Philip baptizing the eunoch was the first mis- 
 take made in understanding the requirements of God in his ordinances." 
 
58 SPIRITUAL EXPOSITION OF 
 
 IV. CHAPTER OF JOHN. 
 
 February 11: " My name is John. Read the 
 fourth Chapter of John." 
 
 Verse 2 : ' (Though Jesus himself baptized not, but his disciples.)' 
 
 " Christ gave the Spirit of Truth to none but his 
 disciples." 
 
 Verse 10: 'Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the 
 gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink ; thou 
 wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.' 
 
 " If she had known that he was Christ, she would 
 have asked for true light, which is the living water." 
 
 Verse 11:' The woman saith unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to 
 draw with, and the well is deep : from whence then hast thou that liv- 
 ing water V 
 
 " She began to see her ignorance." 
 
 Verse 12 : ' Art thou greater than our father Jacob, which gave us 
 the well, and drank thereof himself, and his children and his cattle.' 
 
 " It shows a subtle doubt." 
 
 Verse 14: ' But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give 
 him, shall never thirst ; but the water that I shall give him, shall be in 
 him a well of water, springing up into everlasting life.' 
 
 " The water which Christ gives is a knowledge of 
 the Truth. And ' life springing up' means the Truth 
 shall grow brighter and brighter, until the promise of 
 Redemption is consummated." 
 
THE PROPHETIC SCRIPTURES. 59 
 
 Verse 15: 'The woman saith unto him, Sir, give me this water, 
 that I thirst not, neither come hither to draw.' 
 
 " She did not comprehend his figurative language." 
 
 Verse 16: 'Jesus saith unto her, Go call thy husband, and come 
 hither.' 
 
 " Gave the order to test her faith." 
 
 Verse 19: 'The woman saith unto him, Sir, I perceive that thou 
 art a prophet/ 
 
 " Expresses her conviction." 
 
 Verses 20-23: 'Our fathers worshipped in this mountain; and ye 
 say that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship. Jesus 
 saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall 
 neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem worship the Father. 
 Ye worship ye know not what : we know what we worship, for salvation 
 is of the Jews. But the hour cometh and now is, when the true wor- 
 shippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth : For the Father 
 seeketh such to worship him.' 
 
 " Show that Jewish error is to be done away by the 
 true Spirit. The error of the Jews is that the types 
 will always exist." 
 
 Verse 25 : ' The woman saith unto him, I know that Messias cometh, 
 which is called Christ : when he is come, he will tell us all things/ 
 
 " It shows that her mind was still in the dark. Al- 
 so that they were looking for Christ at that time." 
 
 Verse 27: 'And upon this came his disciples, and marvelled that 
 he talked with the woman : yet no man said, What seekest thou ? or 
 Why talkest thou with her ?, 
 
 " It shows their obedience to their superiors." 
 
 Verses 28, 29 : ' The woman then left her water-pot, and went her 
 
6.0 SPIRITUAL EXPOSITION OF 
 
 way into the city, and saith to the men, Come, see a man which told 
 me all things that ever I did : Is not this the Christ V 
 
 " Express her full convictions." 
 
 Verse 32: 'But he said unto them, I have meat to eat that ye 
 know not of/ 
 
 " He meant faith." 
 
 Verse 35 ; ' Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh 
 harvest ? Behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes and look on the 
 fields; for they are white already to harvest.' 
 
 " The harvest means the world." 
 
 Verse 36 : ' And he that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth 
 fruit unto life eternal : that both he that soweth, and he that reapeth, 
 may rejoice together.' 
 
 " He that cometh, means those giving Truth. Those 
 who reap are the believers in it." 
 
 Verse 38 : ' I sent you to reap that whereon ye bestowed no labor: 
 other men labored, and ye are entered into their labors.' 
 
 " The prophets labored, and the Apostles carried 
 on their work." 
 
 Verse 39: 'And many of the Samaritans of that city believed on 
 him for the saying of the woman, which testified, He told me all that 
 ever I did.' 
 
 " Shows what weight the Truth will bear." 
 
 Verse 41 : * And many more believed, because of his own word' 
 
 " His word proved her words to be true." 
 
 Verses 45-47 : ' Then when he was come into Galilee, the Galileans 
 received him, having seen all the things that he did at Jerusalem at 
 the feast : for they also went unto the feast. So Jesus came again into 
 Cana of Galilee, where he made the water wine. And there was a 
 
THE PROPHETIC SCRIPTURES. 61 
 
 certain nobleman, whose son was sick at Capernaum. When he heard 
 that Jesiis was come out of Judea into Galilee, he went unto him, and 
 besouoht him that he would come down, and heal his son : for he was 
 at the point of death.' 
 
 " Those who received the Truth sought after him." 
 
 Verse 48 : ' Then said Jesus unto him, Except ye see signs and 
 wonders, ye will not believe.' 
 
 " He tried his faith." 
 
 Verse 49 : ' The nobleman saith unto him, Sir, come down ere my 
 child die.' 
 
 " The expression of the strength of his faith." 
 
 I. AND II. CHAPTER OF REVELATIONS, 
 
 February 16 : " My name is John the Divine. 
 Read the first and second Chapters of Revelations. 
 The book of Revelations is wholly a symbolical 
 book." 
 
 Verse 3 : ' Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words 
 of this prophecy, and keep those things which, are written therein: for 
 the time is at hand.' 
 
 " Shortly at hand — had commenced its fulfilment 
 at that time." 
 
 Verse 4: 'John to the seven churches which are in Asia : Grace 
 be unto you, and peace, from liim which is, and which was, and which 
 is to come ; and from the seven Spirits which are before his throne.' 
 
 " Asia then representing the world, the seven 
 churches represent the seven different stages of the 
 
62 SPIRITUAL EXPOSITION OF 
 
 church to the end of the Gospel Dispensation. The 
 ' seven spirits' are a symbol of the seven different 
 providential dealings of God with the Church in its 
 different stages. From these seven different degrees 
 of knowledge are formed the seven spheres in the 
 natural and spiritual world. The seventh form of the 
 Church has now spiritually commenced on earth." 
 
 Verse 5 : ' And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful "Witness, and 
 the First-begotten of the dead, and the Prince of the kings oi the earth. 
 Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood* 
 
 " All the purifying is done by Jesus Christ. It is 
 the work of progression through which he purifies his 
 people, he being ' the way, the truth and the light.' " 
 
 Verse 6 : And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his 
 Father ; to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. 
 
 " A synopsis of events from the beginning of the 
 world to the Redemption is given from the first to the 
 end of this verse. You are also taught that the Word 
 of Christ represents himself." 
 
 Verse 1 : ' Behold, he cometh with clouds ; and every eye shall see 
 him, and they also which pierced him; and all kindreds of the earth 
 shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen. 
 
 " i Clouds' means evidence. From this verse to the 
 end of the chapter the history of the Old and New 
 Testaments is symbolized in its prophetic application 
 upon the different nations and ages of the world as 
 prefigured in the fifteenth verse by ' his voice in the 
 sound of many waters' or the history of many na- 
 tions, kindreds and tongues. The weakness of man 
 
THE PROPHETIC SCRIPTURES. 63 
 
 in understanding the Word of God is described in the 
 seventeenth verse. 
 
 Verse 18: 'I am he that liveth, and was dead; and behold, I am 
 alive forevermore, Amen : and have the keys of hell and of death.' 
 
 " A symbol of Redemption." 
 
 Verse 19 : 'Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things 
 which are, and the things which shall be hereafter:' 
 
 " This verse teaches you that the Redeemed man 
 after Redemption will continue to grow stronger by 
 the recognition of the history through which he has 
 passed." 
 
 Verse 20 : 'The mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in 
 my right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars are 
 the angels of the seven churches : and the seven candlesticks which 
 thou sawest are the seven churches.' 
 
 " The ' angels' are messengers to the Church in its 
 different eras." 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 Verse 3: 'And hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name's 
 sake hast labored, and hast not fainted.' 
 
 " ' Hast not fainted' means has kept the faith." 
 
 Verses 4, 5 : ■' Nevertheless, I have somewhat against thee, because 
 thou hast left thy first love. Remember therefore from whence thou 
 art fallen, and repent, and do the first works ; or else I will come unto 
 thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except 
 thou repent' 
 
64 SPIRITUAL EXPOSITION OF 
 
 " The Church in its early stages became corrupted 
 by worldly-mindedness." 
 
 Verse 10: 'Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer. 
 Behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be 
 tried : and ye shall have tribulation ten days. Be thou faithful unto 
 death, and I will give thee a crown of life.' 
 
 " ' Ten days' is a symbol of ten talents, which tal- 
 ents are the providential opportunities of understand- 
 ing the Word of God. A doubt of the Truth will 
 call into action all the faculties of a man, and cause 
 tribulation in forming his conclusions. ' Crown of 
 life' means the Redeemed body 4 Death' means dead 
 unto ignorance." 
 
 Verse 12 : 'And to the angel of the church in Pergamos write: 
 These things saith he which hath the sharp sword with two edges :' 
 
 " ' The sharp sword with two edges' is a symbol of 
 the Old and New Testaments." 
 
 Verse 1 3 : ' I know thy works, and where thou dwellest, even where 
 Satan's seat is : and thou boldest fast my name, and hast not denied my 
 faith, even in those days wherein Antipas was my faithful martyr, who 
 was slain among you, where Satan dwelleth.' 
 
 " ' Satan's seat' is false doctrine. * Antipas' was 
 a martyr for the Truth." 
 
 Verse 14: 'But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast 
 there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to cast 
 a stumbling-block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed 
 unto idols, and to commit fornication.' 
 
 " The Church had become so corrupt as to preach 
 false doctrine for money." 
 
 Verse 1G: « Repent: or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will 
 
THE PROPHETIC SCRIPTURES. 65 
 
 fight against them with the sword of my mouth.' [17 :] ' He that hath 
 an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches : To him 
 that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give 
 him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man 
 knoweth, saving he that receiveth it.' 
 
 " Christ has destroyed the pretended Church by 
 raising up people to preach the Truth, which is repre- 
 sented by the sword of his mouth. ' Hidden manna' 
 is true joy. ' White stone' is the Redeemed body. 
 The heir to the Redemption will not recognize his 
 Redemption until he is in actual possession of the 
 promise." 
 
 Verse 18: 'And unto the angel of the church in Thyatira write: 
 These things saith the Son of God, who hath his eyes like unto a flame 
 of fire, and his feet are like fine brass.' 
 
 " The Prophetic Word represents Jesus Christ." 
 
 Verse 1 9 : ' I know thy works, and charity, and service, and faith, 
 and thy patience, and thy works ; and the last to be more than the first' 
 
 " They had more show than reality." 
 
 Verse 20 : ' Notwithstanding, I have a few things against thee, be- 
 cause thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a proph- 
 etess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to 
 eat things sacrificed unto idols.' 
 
 " ' Jezebel' represents the world. Worldly-minded- 
 ness seduced the believers from the true Church." 
 
 Verse 21 : ' And I gave her space to repent of her fornication, and 
 she repented not' 
 
 " When a church becomes corrupt, it continues to 
 grow worse in corruption, until overthrown by God." 
 
 Verse 22 : ' Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them that com- 
 5 
 
66 SPIRITUAL EXPOSITION OF 
 
 mit fornication with her into great tribulation, except they repent of 
 their deeds.' 
 
 " ' Bed' means gulf of ignorance. Those nations 
 that commit fornications with the fallen church will 
 be brought into great tribulation." 
 
 Verse 23: 'And I will kill her children with death; and all the 
 churches shall know that I am he which searcheth the reins and hearts : 
 and I will give unto every one of you according to your works.' 
 
 " The branches of the fallen church are her chil- 
 dren. They shall also suffer ignorance, that those in 
 after ages may see the manner in which God had pun- 
 ished the Church for false doctrine." 
 
 Verse 24 : ' But unto you I say, and unto the rest in Thyatira, As 
 many as have not this doctrine, and which have not known the depths 
 of Satan, as they speak: I will put upon you none other burden.' 
 
 " There were some in that stage of the church who 
 were true believers." 
 
 Verse 25 : c But that which ye have already, hold fast till I come.' 
 
 "Hold fast what truth ye have until I redeem you." 
 
 Verse 27 : (' And he shall rule them with a rod of iron ; as the 
 vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers :) even as I received 
 of my father.' 
 
 "' Rod of iron' is a symbol of the authority and 
 power of the Redeemed Church." 
 
 Verse 28 : ' And I will give him the morning star.' 
 
 " I will give him the evidence that the day of God 
 has come." 
 
THE PROPHETIC SCRIPTURES. 67 
 
 III, CHAPTER. 
 
 February 21 : "My name is John. Read the 
 third Chapter of Revelation." 
 
 Verses 1, 2: 'And unto the angel of the church in Sardis write; 
 These things saith he that hath the seven Spirits of God, and the sev- 
 en stars ; I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, 
 and art dead. Be watchful, and strengthen the things that remain, 
 that are ready to die : for I have not found thy works perfect before 
 God.' 
 
 " Those who reject the teachings of Martin Luther 
 and John Wesley, and other eminent men in the 
 Church in their day on the time of the second com- 
 ing of Christ, are those now exhorted to cherish their 
 teachings, which are now apparently almost extin- 
 guished. Let them read the third, fourth and fifth 
 verses." 
 
 Verse 4 : ' Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not 
 denied their garments; and they shall walk with me in white: for 
 they are worthy/ 
 
 " There were some in the time referred to who re- 
 jected sectarianism and preached the truth concern- 
 ing time, not caring for the ridicule of men." 
 
 Verse 5 : ' He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white 
 raiment : and I will not blot out his name from the book of life, but I 
 will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels." 
 
 " An exhortation to those living in the present 
 
68 SPIRITUAL EXPOSITION OF 
 
 events to exercise faith, that their names may be 
 written in the book of life. Christ confessing him 
 before God and his holy angels is fulfilling the prom- 
 ise of the redemption upon him, and the world shall 
 be obliged to submit to him." 
 
 Verse 6 : * He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith 
 unto the churches.' 
 
 " * He that hath an ear ' means he that hath an 
 honest mind for investigation." 
 
 Verse *1 ; ' And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write : 
 These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key 
 of David, he that openeth and no man shutteth ; and shutteth, and no 
 man openeth/ 
 
 " ' Philadelphia' means brotherly love. The term 
 itself gives the prominent features of the next and 
 last form of the Church. Its features are not yet ful- 
 ly developed, but some of them may now be recoo-- 
 nized. ' Key of David' means power of truth." 
 
 Verse 8 : * I know thy works : behold I have set before thee an 
 open door, and no man can shut it : for thou hast a little strength, and 
 hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name.' 
 
 " The ' open door ' is the nervous fluid, which is 
 the only medium of communication between the natu- 
 ral and spiritual world, through the agency of elec- 
 tricity. The Spirit is nervous fluid inseparably con- 
 nected with the mind, and will always hold its identity 
 as possessed here. Keeping the word is recognizing 
 the fulfilment of the Prophetic Scriptures. Not de- 
 nying the name of Christ is recognizing him as God 
 manifest in the flesh." 
 
THE PROPHETIC SCRIPTURES. 69 
 
 Verse 9 : * Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, 
 which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie ; behold, I will make 
 them to come and worship before thy feet and to know that I have 
 loved thee.' 
 
 " Behold I will make them of the synagogue o f 
 darkness who say they are Christians and are not, 
 and they shall be obliged to submit to the truth as it 
 shall be revealed in you." 
 
 Verse 10 : ' Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also 
 will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all 
 the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.' ' 
 
 " Men will be tempted to renounce the true belief 
 through the ridicule of those who say they are Chris- 
 tians and are not, but God will uphold them." 
 
 Verses 11: * Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou 
 hast> that no man take thy crown.' 
 
 " Read the thirty third verse of the twenty-fourth 
 chapter of Matthew, and the thirty first verse of the 
 twenty first chapter of Luke." 
 
 Verse 12:' Him that overcometh, will I make a pillar in the tem- 
 ple of my God, and he shall go no more out : and I will write upon 
 him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which 
 is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God ; and 
 I will write upon him my new name.' 
 
 " A symbol of the Redemption." 
 
 " From verse fourteen to seventeen is a symbol of 
 the Sectarian and divided church in all its features." 
 
 Verse 16: 'So then, because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold 
 nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.' 
 
70 SPIRITUAL EXPOSITION OF 
 
 " ' Spue thee out of my mouth ' means God will 
 reject sectarian churches for a season, for their sub- 
 mission, and will not recognize them as his people 
 any more than he will the world."- 
 
 Verse 17: 'Because thou sayest, I am rich and increased with 
 goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art 
 wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked.' 
 
 " The riches of the churches is their boast of the- 
 ological learning and the pretended possession of the 
 truth. They do not know that all the zeal they man- 
 ifest is worldly-mindedness." 
 
 Verse 18 : 'I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the. fire, that 
 thou mayestbe rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, 
 and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear ; and anoint thine 
 eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.' 
 
 " God counsels them to adopt the truth which has 
 been corroborated in the fulfilment of the Prophetic 
 Scriptures down to the present time, that they may 
 embrace the true faith and fall heirs to the promise. 
 ' Eye salve' means the spirit of truth." 
 
 Verse 19 : 'As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous 
 therefore, and repent* 
 
 " The way of God is an humble way." 
 
 Verse 20: 'Behold, I stand at the door and knock: If any man 
 hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup 
 with him, and he with me.' 
 
 " The Lord Jesus Christ recognizes these expo- 
 sitions as his own act. The truth of God must be 
 
THE PROPHETIC SCRIPTURES. 71 
 
 recognized in this event as in other events in the ful- 
 filment of the Prophetic Scriptures."* 
 
 Verse 21 : 'To him that overcome th will I grant to sit with me in 
 my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father 
 in his throne.' 
 
 " When man is redeemed he will occupy the same 
 position in the economy of God as Christ did when 
 manifest in the flesh. The redeemed man will be a 
 partaker of the Divine nature." 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 February 24 : " I am John the Divine. Read the 
 fourth Chapter of Revelation." 
 
 Verse 1 : ' After this I looked, and behold, a door was opened in 
 heaven : and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet 
 talking with me ; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee 
 things which must be hereafter.' 
 
 " The chronology of this verse refers to the present 
 time. The ' door' is the medium of spiritual commu- 
 nications. This event coresponding with the Prophet- 
 ic Scriptures works great conviction upon the minds 
 of men, as expressed by the ' trumpet.' " 
 ■ - i ■ 
 
 * In -answer to a question regarding tfhe possibility of other spirits 
 deceiving by false explanations, the following answer was given : " No 
 other spirits can communicate to you while we explain the Scriptures , 
 excepting the Apostles." 
 
/ 
 
 72 SPIRITUAL EXPOSITION OF 
 
 Verse 2: 'And immediately I was in the Spirit: and behold, a 
 throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne.' 
 
 " The Redemption is the next great event." 
 
 Verse 3 : " And he that sat was to look upon like a Jasper and a 
 sardine stone : and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in 
 sight like unto an emerald.' 
 
 " The symbols represent the great doctrine of sal- 
 vation through the merits of Jesus Christ, which is 
 yet to be fulfilled upon all men through the work of 
 progression." 
 
 Verse 4 : * And round about the throne . were four and twenty 
 seats ; and upon the seats I saw four and twenty elders sitting, clothed 
 in white raiment : and they had on their heads crowns of gold.' 
 
 " The s four and twenty elders' represent the Word 
 of God, as taught through the Prophets and Apostles 
 of the Old and New Testaments. John saw that the 
 weight of all the Prophecies pointed to the Redemp- 
 tion, as represented by the ' crown of gold.' 
 
 Verse 5 : ' And out of the throne proceeded lightnings, and thun- 
 derings, and voices. And there were seven lamps of fire burning be- 
 fore the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God.' 
 
 " The ' Lightnings' means differences of opinions. 
 4 Thunderings' mean loud rejected calls from the Spirit. 
 The ' seven lamps of fire' represent the prophetic 
 Word of God as taking effect upon the world during 
 the seven stages of the Church, upon the last of which 
 stages the church has entered. When man is re- 
 deemed, the symbols of this verse will have been ful- 
 filled spiritually and literally." 
 
THE PROPHETIC SCRIPTURES. 73 
 
 Verse 6 : ■ And before the throne there was a sea of glass like un- 
 to crystal: And in the midst of the throne, and round about the 
 throne, were four beasts full of eyes before and behind.' 
 
 " ' Sea of glass ' is a representation of the great 
 mass of purified spirits." 
 
 Verse 7 : ' And the first beast was like a lion, and the second beast 
 like a calf, and the third beast had a face as a man, and the fourth 
 beast was like a flying eagle.' 
 
 " The 'four beasts' are symbols of progression in 
 science. The first beast represents improvement in 
 navigation; the second represents improvements in 
 agriculture 5 the third represents intellectual improve- 
 ment in science generally 5 the fourth represents 
 spiritual clairvoyance." 
 
 Verse 8 ; ' And the four beasts had each of them six wings about 
 him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and 
 night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, 
 and is to come.' 
 
 " ' Six wings' represent six different stages of pro- 
 gression in science. The ' eyes within' are the in- 
 ward self-development of facts in science. Every 
 new development in science glorifies* God and agrees 
 with the teaching of his word, as represented by the 
 four and twenty elders." 
 
 Verse 10: 'The four and twenty elders fall down before him that 
 sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and 
 cast their crowns before the throne.' 
 
 " The Prophetic Word of God glorifies his name in 
 its fulfilment, as represented by the four and twenty 
 elders falling down and worshipping him." 
 
74 SPIRITUAL EXPOSITION OF 
 
 CHAPTER V, 
 
 March 3d : " My name is John the Divine. Read 
 the fifth Chapter of Revelation." 
 
 Verse 1 : * And I saw in the right hand of him that sat on the 
 throne a book written within and on the back side, sealed with seven 
 
 seals/ 
 
 " * Him that sat on the throne' is the Father. The 
 
 * throne' is the redeemed man. The * book' is the 
 
 doctrine of redemption. The ' seven seals' represent 
 
 the seven different stages of the church, which bring 
 
 you down to full redemption." 
 
 Verse 2 : ' And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, 
 Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof?' 
 
 " The ' strong angel' is the Prophet Elijah." 
 
 Verse 4 : ' And I wept much, because no man was found worthy to 
 open, and to read the book, neither to look thereon.' 
 
 " ' Wept much' means saught much. * Wept ' is a 
 
 wrong translation." 
 
 Verse 5 : ' And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not : behold 
 the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open 
 the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof.' 
 
 " ' One of the elders' means Matthew. * Weep 
 not' means seek not. The * Lion of the tribe of Ju- 
 da, the Root of David,' means Jesus the Son of God. 
 The doctrine of atonement opens the book." 
 
THE PROPHETIC SCRIPTURES. 75 
 
 Verse 6 : ' And I beheld, and lo, in the midst of the throne, and of 
 the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had 
 been slain, kaving seven horns, and seven eyes, which are the seven 
 Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth/ 
 
 " Shows the symbol of Christ in all his character, 
 as Creator and Redeemer." 
 
 Verse 7 : ' And he came and took the book out of the right hand 
 of him that sat upon the throne.' 
 
 " The chronology of this verse refers to the first 
 coming of Christ. * Took the book' means he ful- 
 filled the Prophetic Scriptures concerning himself." 
 
 Verse 8 : ' And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and 
 four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one 
 of them harps, and golden vials full of odors, which are the prayers 
 of saints.' 
 
 " All the prophecies and types of the Old and New 
 Testaments concentrate themselves in the first and 
 second coming of Jesus Christ. Every science has 
 ever glorified God in its development. ' Vials full of 
 pdors' means implicit confidence and unshaken faith." 
 
 Verse 9 : ' And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to 
 take the book and to open the seals thereof: for' thou wast slain, and 
 hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and 
 tongue, and people, and nation.' 
 
 " The ' new song' is free salvation. ' Us ' means 
 the whole human family. All men will sing the new 
 song through the merits of Jesus Christ." 
 
 Verse 10: * And hast made us unto our God kings and priests : and 
 we shall reign on the earth.' 
 
 " A symbolical teaching of the Redeemed State." 
 
76 SPIRITUAL EXPOSITION OF 
 
 Verse 13: 'And every dreature which is in heaven, and on the, 
 earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are 
 in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honor, and glory, and power, 
 be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb, for 
 ever and ever/ 
 
 " The chronology of this text is far in the future. 
 6 Every creature ' means every human being. ' For 
 ever and ever' means without end." 
 
 Verse 14: 'And the four beasts said, Amen. And the four and 
 twenty elders fell down and worshipped him that liveth for ever and 
 ever.' 
 
 " Science invariably corroborates and corresponds 
 with the Word of God." 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 March 8th : " My name is John the Divine. Read 
 the sixth Chapter of Revelation." 
 
 Verse 1 : ' And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, and 
 I heard, as it were the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts, saying, 
 Come and see.' 
 
 " The chronology of this verse refers to the first 
 coming of Christ. ' Lamb ' means the Son of God. 
 * Opened one of the seals' means he enlightened the 
 understanding of men in relation to God's moral gov- 
 ernment. The ' noise of thunder' represents the as- 
 tonishment of men at his miracles, which miracles 
 
THE PROPHETIC SCRIPTURES. 77 
 
 were wrought on scientific principles, as represented 
 by ' one of the beasts,' through omnipotent power." 
 
 • Verse 2 : ' And I saw, and behold a white horse : and he that sat 
 on him had a bow ; and a crown was given unto him : and he went 
 forth conquering, and to conquer.' 
 
 " ' White horse' is a symbol of pure strength. He 
 that sat on the horse means God. A ' bow ' and a 
 crown' are symbols of love and redemption as taught 
 uy the Apostolic Church. ' Conquering and to con- 
 quer' is a symbol of the progression and final re- 
 demption of all men, through the willingness, love, 
 and meritorious death of Jesus Christ." 
 
 Verses 3, 4 : i And when he had opened the second seal, I heard 
 the second beast say, Come and see. And there went out another 
 horse that was red ; and power was given to him that sat thereon to 
 take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another: and 
 there was given to him a great sword.' 
 
 " These verses represent the commencement of sec- 
 tarianism after the Apostolic Church." 
 
 Verses 5, 6 : ' And when he had opened the third seal, I heard the 
 third beast say, Come and -see. And I beheld, and lo, a black horse ; 
 and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand. And I 
 leard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, A measure of wheat 
 for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny, and see thou 
 hurt not the oil and the wine.' 
 
 " The ' black horse' represents the Roman Catholic 
 system of religion. The symbols in the sixth verse 
 
 epresent her policy to dictate in worldly matters. 
 
 See thou hurt not the oil and the wine' shows she 
 also claimed the right to dictate in religious matters." 
 
78 SPIRITUAL EXPOSITION OF 
 
 Verses 7, 8 : ' And when lie had opened the fourth seal, I heard 
 the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see. And I looked, and 
 behold, a pale horse : and his name that sat on him was Death, and 
 hell followed with him, And power was given unto them over the 
 fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with 
 death, and with the beasts of the earth.' 
 
 " Represent the features of the Roman Catholic 
 church since the Pope lost his dominion through 
 Bonaparte in seventeen hundred and ninety-eight. 
 The pale horse system reaches to the present time, 
 and includes all sectarianism and oppression in con- 
 sequence of it." 
 
 Verses 9-1 1 : * And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under 
 the altar the souls oi them that were slain for the word of God, and for 
 the testimony which they held. And they cried with a loud voice, 
 saying, How long, Lord, Holy and true, dost thou not judge and 
 avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth ? And white robes 
 were given unto every one of them, and it was said unto them that they, 
 should rest yet for a little season, until their fellow-servants also and 
 their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled' 
 
 " The history of popery and sectarianism calls for 
 the just rebuke of God." 
 
 Verse 12: 'And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and 
 lo, there was a great earthquake ; and the sun became black as sack- 
 cloth of hair, and the moon became as blood.' 
 
 " The ' earthquake' is the present commotion in 
 kingly governments. The ' sun' represents the sec- 
 tarian churches. The ' moon' represents the ordi- 
 nances and forms of religion of the churches." 
 
 Verse 13 : ' And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as s 
 fig-tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind' 
 
THE PROPHETIC SCRIPTURES. 79 
 
 * The ' stars' represent the prominent men of the 
 churches revolting from their God, in denying the ful- 
 filment of his Prophetic Word." 
 
 Verse 14: 'And the heaven departed as a scroll wken it is rolled 
 together ; and every mountain and island were moved out of their 
 
 places/ 
 
 " The 'heavens' represent the morals of the church. 
 Being rolled together as a scroll represents the de- 
 parture of the moral power of the church. Every 
 mountain and island being moved out of their places 
 represents the relaxation of the discipline of the 
 church." 
 
 Verses 15, 16: 'And the kings of the earth, and the great men, 
 and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and 
 every bond-man, and every free-man, hid themselves in the dens and 
 in the rocks of the mountains ; and said to the mountains and rocks, 
 Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, 
 and from the wrath of the Lamb.' 
 
 " All the members of the churches will call upon 
 their doctrines and discipline to hide them from the 
 Truth revealed in the fulfilment Qf the. Prophetic 
 Word of God. He that sits upon the throne is God. 
 The wrath of the Lamb is the penalty consequent on 
 rejecting the merits of Jesus Christ and his doctrine 
 of the Redemption — which penalty is, to be left in 
 deeper ignorance and error. 'Bond-men' are those 
 who do not exercise their own talents. ' Free-men' 
 are free-thinkers." 
 
80 SPIRITUAL EXPOSITION OF 
 
 Verse 17 : ' For the great day of his wrath is come: and who shall 
 be able to stand ?' 
 
 " This verse portrays their fear of the truth of the 
 present fulfilment of the Prophetic Scriptures." 
 
 VII. CHAPTER. 
 
 March 10th : " My name is John the Divine, 
 Read the seventh Chapter of Revelation." 
 
 Verse 1 : * And after these things I saw four angels standing on 
 the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that 
 the wind should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree/ 
 
 " The ' four angels' are symbols of four Spirits of 
 knowledge. The ' four winds' are the arts of the in- 
 tellect. The blowing of the winds represents the 
 progress of the sciences. ' Holding the four winds 
 of the earth' shows that no essential improvements 
 shall be made in science by the natural man." 
 
 Verse 2 : ' And I saw another angel ascending from the east, hav- 
 ing the seal of the living God ; and he cried with a loud voice to the 
 four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea, saying/ 
 
 "' Another angel' represents the message now be- 
 ing delivered through Spiritual communications. 
 ' East' is a symbol of the fountain of knowledge, which 
 is God. 'The seal of the living God' means the doc- 
 trine of Redemption." 
 
THE PROPHETIC SCRIPTURES. 81 
 
 Terse 3 : ' Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we 
 have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads.' 
 
 " This message of the angel commands those who 
 reject the Word of God by accounting for the infinite 
 mysteries of God through their finite conceptions of 
 science, not to be corrupted by their finite ideas until 
 they are taught the true origin of all science." 
 
 Verse 4: 'And I heard the number of them which were sealed; 
 and there were sealed an hundred and forty and four thousand of all 
 the tribes of the children of Israel/ 
 
 " The \ hundred and forty-four thousand' is a sym- 
 bol of all purified spirits who have fallen heirs to the 
 first redemption, through the belief of the Truth. 
 The figure of the twelve tribes of Israel represent the 
 whole human family." 
 
 Verse 9 : After this I beheld, and lo, a great multitude, which no 
 man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people and tongues, 
 stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white 
 robes, and palms in their hands :' 
 
 " From this verse to the end of the chapter teaches 
 the final redemption of all men through the merits of 
 Jesus Christ." 
 
 Verse 13: 'And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What 
 are these which are arrayed in white robes ? and whence came they V 
 
 " ' One ol the elders' means Saint Paul, who was 
 the only apostle who taught the manner of the resur- 
 rection and redemption." 
 6 
 
82 SPIRITUAL EXPOSITION OF 
 
 VIII. CHAPTER, 
 
 " Read from the first to the fifth verse of the eighth 
 chapter." 
 
 Verse 1: 'And when he had opened the seventh seal, there was 
 silence in heaven about the space of half an hour.* 
 
 " The opening of the seventh seal represents the 
 fulfilment of the Prophetic Word as regards its teach- 
 ing by Mr. Miller and others, on the tenth day of the 
 seventh month, eighteen hundred and forty-four, Jew- 
 ish time, which was the twenty-fourth day of October, 
 eighteen hundred and forty-four. The 'silence in 
 heaven for the space of half an hour,' refers to pro- 
 phetic time, which was seven and a half days." 
 
 Verse 3 : ' And another angel came and stood at the altar, having 
 a golden censer ; and there was given unto him much incense, that he 
 •hould offer it with the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar which 
 was before the throne/ 
 
 "'Another angel' represents another teaching of 
 the Word, which is Spiritual. This teaching is con- 
 summated by these Spiritual communications." 
 
 Verse 4 : * And the smoke of the incense, which came with the 
 prayers of the saints, ascended up before God out of the angel's hand.' 
 
 " A symbolical teaching of the approbation of God 
 
THE PROPHETIC SCRIPTURES. 83 
 
 towards his people in understanding the spiritual 
 teaching of his Word." 
 
 Verse 5 : And the angel took the censer, and filled it with fire of 
 the altar, and cast it into the earth : and there were voices, and thun- 
 derings, and lightnings, and an earthquake.' 
 
 The effect of this teaching upon the world is sym- 
 bolically taught in this verse, showing the difference 
 of the opinions of men upon it. The ' earthquake' re- 
 fers to the political commotion of the world which 
 has just commenced. 5 ' 
 
 III. CHAPTER PHILIPPIANS. 
 
 March 12 : " My name is Paul. Read the third 
 chapter of the epistle to the Philippians." 
 
 Verse 2 : ' Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the 
 concision.' 
 
 " ' Dogs' are those who love and make a lie. ' Con- 
 cision' is contention." 
 
 Verse 3 : * For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the 
 Spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh/ 
 
 " No formal ordinances are of any avail without 
 the Spirit of Christ." 
 
 Verses 4-6 : ' Though I might also have confidence in the flesh. 
 If any other man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the 
 flesh, I more : Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the 
 
84 SPIRITUAL EXPOSITION OF 
 
 tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews ; as touching the law, a 
 Pharisee: Concerning zeal, persecuting the Church; touching the 
 righteousness which is in the law, blameless.' 
 
 " Teach that the fulfilment of the Jewish law was 
 not then necessary to righteousness, the Gospel Dis- 
 pensation having commenced." 
 
 Verse 7 : " But what things were gain to me, 
 those I counted loss for Christ." 
 
 Verses 8, 9 : * Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the 
 excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord : for whom I 
 have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that 
 I may win Christ, and be found in him, not having mine own righteous- 
 ness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, 
 the righteousness which is of God by faith. 
 
 "A type, showing that those who live in the last 
 days must cast aside all sectarianism, in order to 
 adopt the Truth." 
 
 Verse 10 : 'That I may know him, and the power of his resurrec- 
 tion, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto 
 his death.' 
 
 " As Christ died, so you must die to the world, and 
 all your affections for it, having a single eye for the 
 glory of God in all things." 
 
 Verse 11 : 'If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection 
 of the dead.' 
 
 " If by any means I might attain unto the Redemp- 
 tion." 
 
 Verses 12-14: « Not as though I had already attained, either were 
 already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for 
 which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. Brethren, I count not 
 
THE PROPHETIC SCRIPTURES. 85 
 
 myself to have apprehended ; but this one thing I do, forgetting those 
 things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which 
 are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of 
 God in Christ Jesus/ 
 
 " Teach humility and dependence on the merits of 
 Christ. The ' prize' is the Redeemed body." 
 
 Verse 15: ' Let us, therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus mind- 
 ed : and if in anything ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even 
 this unto you/ 
 
 " God will enlighten the minds of all humble seek- 
 ers after Truth." 
 
 Verse 16: ' Nevertheless, whereto we have already attained, let us 
 walk by the same rule, let us mind the same thing.' 
 
 The early Church was taught not to return to Ju- 
 daism, but to trust in the merits of Christ. You are 
 taught not to return again to sectarianism. The 
 Church at the present time occupies the same posi- 
 tion between you and God as the Jewish Church did 
 between us and Jesus Christ, and you must give no 
 heed to its sectarian teachings. You are taught to 
 lay aside all other doctrines and believe in the Re- 
 demption, as we teach you." 
 
 " Verse seventeen has a special application to you 
 at the present time." 
 
 Verses 18, 19 : ' (For many walk of whom I have told you often, 
 and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross 
 of Christ : Whose end is destruction, whose god is their belly, and 
 whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.)' 
 
 " Refer to all who understand the Word of God in 
 
86 SPIRITUAL EXPOSITION OF 
 
 a temporal sense, and look for a temporal fulfilment 
 of the Prophetic Word in the second advent of Jesus 
 Christ, ' who mind earthly things.' " 
 
 Verses 20, 21 : 'For our conversation is in heaven; from whence 
 also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ : who shall change 
 our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, ac- 
 cording to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things 
 unto himself/ 
 
 " For our conversation is with pure spirits, from 
 whence we look for Redemption in Christ, by the 
 change of our vile bodies, that it may be fashioned 
 like unto his glorious body, according to the working 
 whereby he is able to subdue all things unto himself. 
 4 His glorious body' refers to the transfiguration as a 
 type of the Redeemed body of his people." 
 
 IV. CHAPTER PHILIPPMS. 
 
 March 14 : " My name is Paul. Read the fourth 
 Chapter of Philippians." 
 
 Verse 1 : * Therefore, my brethren dearly beloved and longed for, 
 my joy and crown, so stand fast in the Lord, my dearly beloved.' 
 
 " True and faithful and first believers in this glo- 
 rious work, this verse has stronger application to 
 you as believers in these Spiritual teachings of the 
 Apostles, though written to the Phillippians." 
 
 Verses 2-5 : ' I beseech Euodias, and beseech Syntyche, that they 
 
THE PROPHETIC SCRIPTURES. 87 
 
 be of the same mind in the Lord. And I entreat thee also, true yoke- 
 fellow, help those women which labored with me in the gospel, with 
 Clement also, and with other my fellow laborers, whose names are in 
 the book of life. Rejoice in the Lord always : and again I say, rejoice. 
 Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand.' 
 
 " It was an exhortation to the Phillippian Church, 
 to labor for the Redemption, and bear in mind the 
 second coming of Christ, who ' was and is, and is to 
 come.' It has a special application to the present 
 time : The second appearing of Christ, which is the 
 Redemption, being the next great event." 
 
 Verse 6 : ' Be careful for nothing ; but in every thing by prayer and 
 supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto 
 God.' 
 
 " ' Prayer,' is an earnest desire. It is expressed to 
 God when desired, 'but of the abundance of the 
 heart the mouth speaketh.' " 
 
 Verse 7 : ' And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding^ 
 shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.' 
 
 " The ' peace of God' is the love of God." 
 
 Verses 8, 9 : " Finally, brethren, whatsoever things 
 are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever 
 things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoev- 
 er things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good 
 report ; if there be any virtue, and if there be any 
 praise, think on these things. Those things which ye 
 have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen 
 in me, do : and the God of peace shall be with you." 
 
 Verse 10 : ' But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly, that now at the last 
 
88 SPIRITUAL EXPOSITION OF 
 
 your care of me hath flourished again ; wherein we were also careful, 
 but ye lacked opportunity/ 
 
 " ' Flourished' means revived." 
 
 VERSES 11-17: ' Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have 
 learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. I know 
 both how to be abased, and I know how to abound : everywhere and 
 in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to 
 abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ which 
 strengthened me. Notwithstanding, ye have well done that ye did 
 communicate with my affliction. Now ye Phillippians, know also, that 
 in the beginning of the gospel, when I departed from Macedonia, no 
 church communicated with me as concerning giving and receiving, but 
 ye only. For even in Thessalonica ye sent once and again unto my 
 necessity. Not because I desire a gift : but I desire fruit that may 
 abound to your account ' 
 
 " You are exhorted to follow the commendable 
 qualities of the Phillippians, in strengthening the weak 
 and desponding in faith." 
 
 Verse 19 : ' But my God shall supply all your need according to his 
 riches in glory by Christ Jesus.' 
 
 •' All the promises of God are infallible, as shown 
 by the merciful gift of his Son Jesus Christ." 
 
 Verse 20 : ' Now unto God and our Father be glory forever and 
 ever. Amen.' 
 
 " Christ and God are one equal." 
 
 Verses 21, 22 : ' Salute every saint in Christ Jesus. The brethren 
 which are with me greet you. All the saints salute you, chiefly they 
 that are of Cesar's household.' 
 
 " Receive all as brethren who have the Spirit of Je- 
 sus Christ. Especially salute those of Cesar's house- 
 
THE PROPHETIC SCRIPTURES. 89 
 
 hold, because their position in the reigning but op- 
 posing power required more consolation for them." 
 
 I. CHAPTER COLOSSIANS. 
 
 March 17 : " My name is Paul. Read the first 
 Chapter of Colossians." 
 
 Verses 1-5 : l Paul an apostle of Jesus Christ, by the will of God, 
 and Timotheus our brother, to the saints and faithful brethren in Christ 
 which are at Colosse: Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our 
 Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. We give thanks to God, and the 
 Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you, since we 
 heard of your faith in Christ Jesus, and of the love which ye have to all 
 the saints, lor the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, whereof ye 
 heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel :' 
 
 " My address to the Colossians." 
 
 Verse 6 : ' Which is come unto you, as it is in all the world ; and 
 bringeth forth fruit, as it doth also in you, since the day ye heard of it, 
 and knew the grace of God in truth :' 
 
 " The truths of the Gospel apply to the whole 
 world as well as the Colossian Church." 
 
 Verses 7, 8 ; " As ye also learned of Epaphras our 
 dear fellow-servant, who is for you a faithful minister 
 of Christ ; who also declared unto us your love in the 
 Spirit." 
 
 Verse 9 : ' For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not 
 cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the 
 knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding ;' 
 
90 SPIRITUAL EXPOSITION OF 
 
 " ' Spiritual understanding' means a spiritual under- 
 standing of the Word of God, which all should pray 
 and desire especially to obtain." 
 
 Verses 10, 11 : "That ye might walk worthy of 
 the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good 
 work, and increasing in the knowledge of God : 
 strengthened with all might, according to his glorious 
 Power, unto all patience and long-suffering with joyful- 
 ness." 
 
 Verse 12: ' Giving thanks unto the Father, -which hath made us 
 meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light :' 
 
 " ' The saints in light' were those who were not in 
 the flesh, and includes also the doctrine of Redemp- 
 tion." 
 
 Verses 13, 14 : ' Who hath delivered us^from the power of darkness, 
 and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son : In whom we 
 have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins :' 
 
 w Who hath delivered us from the power of error, 
 and hath shown unto us the truth of the great doc- 
 trine of Redemption, through the meritorious death of 
 Jesus Christ." 
 
 Verses 15-20: 'Who is the image of the invisible God, the first- 
 born of every creature : for by him are all things created, that are in 
 heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be 
 thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers : all things were creat- 
 ed by him, and for him ; and he is before all things, and by him all 
 things consist ; and he is the head of the body, the church : who is the 
 beginning, the first-born from the dead; that in all things he might 
 have the pre-eminence. For it pleased the Father that in him should 
 all fullness dwell ; and, having made peace through the blood of his 
 
THE PROPHETIC SCRIPTURES. 91 
 
 cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, wheth- 
 er they be things in earth, or things in heaven/ 
 
 " Give a description of the character of Jesus 
 Christ." 
 
 Verse 21 ; 'And you, that were some time alienated and enemies 
 in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled,' 
 
 " And you that were sometimes ignorant, and ene- 
 mies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he 
 enlightened." 
 
 Verse 22 : 'In the body of his flesh through death, to present you 
 holy, and unblamable, and unreprovable, in his sight:' 
 
 " The doctrine of Redemption plainly taught." 
 
 Verse 23 : ' If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and 
 be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, 
 and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven ; 
 whereof I Paul am made a minister.' 
 
 " If you continue to have confidence in the doctrine 
 of Redemption, grounded and settled, and be not mov- 
 ed away from the hope of the gospel which ye have 
 been taught, and which is free salvation to every crea- 
 ture under heaven, whereof I, Paul, am made a minis- 
 ter, ye shall fall heirs to the promise, which cannot be 
 received without a full and correct faith in the Bible 
 doctrine of Redemption." 
 
 Verse 24 ' Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up 
 that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for fys body's 
 sake, which is the church :' 
 
 " You must recognize the body of Christ in his vis- 
 
92 SPIRITUAL EXPOSITION OF 
 
 ible people, who, when redeemed, will be the second 
 coming of Christ." 
 
 Verse 25 ; * "Whereof I am made a minister, according to the dis- 
 pensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfil the word of 
 God;' 
 
 " Whereof I am appointed a messenger, according 
 to the dispensation of God, which is given to me for 
 you to fulfil the Prophetic Word of God. You are 
 taught that after the close of the Gospel Dispensation 
 the Apostles would themselves come and explain the 
 Word of God." 
 
 Verse 26 : ' Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages, and 
 from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints:' 
 
 " The ' mystery' is the doctrine of the Redemption 
 and the Redemption." 
 
 Verse 27 : " To whom God would make known 
 what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among 
 the Gentiles ; which is Christ in you, the hope of 
 glory." 
 
 Verse 28 ; ' "Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching 
 every man in all wisdom ; that we may present every man perfect in 
 Christ Jesus:' 
 
 " The especial work of the present time." 
 
 Verse 29 : Whereunto I also labor, striving according to his work- 
 ing, which worketh in me mightily.' 
 
 " Paul labored to the same end when in the flesh." 
 
THE PROPHETIC SCRIPTURES. 93 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 March 20 : " My name is Paul. Read the second 
 Chapter of Colossians," 
 
 Verse 1 : ' For I would that ye knew what great conflict I have for 
 you, and for them at Laodicea, and for as many as have not seen my 
 face in the flesh ;' 
 
 " Had an application to the people of the day in 
 which he lived, and has a special application to the 
 present time. You are the latter part of the Laodi- 
 cean Church." 
 
 Verse 2 : * That their hearts might be comforted, being knit togeth- 
 er in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding 
 to the acknowledgment of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and 
 of Christ:' 
 
 " The ' mystery' of God is the doctrine we are now 
 teaching, which is the doctrine of universal redemp- 
 tion through the merits of Jesus Christ." 
 
 Verse 3 : "In whom are hid all the treasures of 
 wisdom and knowledge." 
 
 Verse 4 : ' And this I say, lest any man should beguile you with 
 enticing words/ 
 
 " ' Beguile' means destroy your faith and confidence 
 n the Word of God." 
 
 Verse 5 : ' For though I be absent in the flesh, yet am I with you 
 
94 SPIRITUAL EXPOSITION OF 
 
 in the Spirit, joying and beholding your order, and the steadfastness of 
 your faith in Christ.' 
 
 " It applied to them and now applies to you literal- 
 ly. I saw them and you through the medium of spir- 
 ituarvision. The philosophy of spiritual clairvoyance 
 is here recognized." 
 
 Verses 6, 7 : ' As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord 
 so walk ye in him : rooted and built up in him, and stablished irMhe 
 faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.' 
 
 " Receive and adopt the doctrine of Christ as you 
 are now taught, and keep steadfast in the same." 
 
 Verses 8, 9 : ' Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy 
 
 and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the 
 
 world, and not after Christ. For in him dwelleth all the fullness of 
 
 the Godhead bodily/ 
 
 i 
 
 " You are taught to believe in the deity of Christ, 
 
 notwithstanding the finite philosophy and teachings of 
 
 men." 
 
 Verse 10: ' And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all 
 principality and power/ 
 
 " Ye are complete or redeemed by him through faith. 
 Thrones, kingdoms, republics and all powers are sub- 
 ject to the will of God." 
 
 Verse 12 : ' Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen 
 with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised 
 him from the dead.' 
 
 " ' Buried with him in baptism' means having receive 
 ed the Truth of Jesus Christ and suffered persecution 
 
THE PROPHETIC SCRIPTURES. 95 
 
 for his name's sake. ' The faith in the operation of 
 God' is the hope of redemption. The assurance of 
 the fulfilment of the promise is the resurrection of 
 Christ." 
 
 Verses 13-15: i And you, being dead in your sins and the uncir- 
 cumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having 
 forgiven you all trespasses ; blotting out the hand writing of ordinances 
 that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the 
 way, nailing it to his cross ; and having spoiled principalities and pow- 
 ers, he made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in iV 
 
 " These verses refer to the law dispensation, and 
 are a type of the Gospel Dispensation," 
 
 Verses 16, 17: *Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in 
 drink, or in respect of an holy-day, or of the new moon, or of the sab- 
 bath days : which are a shadow of things to come ; but the body is of 
 Christ' 
 
 " Let no man dictate your doctrine or theology. 
 The keeping of the sabbath days, or of the eating of 
 meat, are types of things to come. The Dispensation 
 has already commenced under which the bodies of all 
 shall be redeemed. The ' body' of Christ is the Re- 
 deemed Church." 
 
 Verses 18, 19 : ' Let no man beguile you of your reward in a volun- 
 tary humility and worshipping of angels, intruding into those things 
 which he hath not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind, and not 
 holding the Head, from whieh all the body by joints and bands hav- 
 ing nourishment ministered, and knit together, increaseth with the in- 
 crease of God/ 
 
 " Let no man destroy your faith by your voluntarily 
 receiving spiritual teachings which contradict the 
 Word of God, explaining what they do not compre- 
 
96 SPIRITUAL EXPOSITION OF 
 
 hend and teaching views in accordance with human 
 desires and false philosophy, and not recognizing God 
 through his Word, who is the source of all knowledge, 
 philosophy and science." 
 
 Verses 20-23 : 'Wherefore, if ye be dead with Christ from the ru- 
 diments of the world, why as though living in the world, are ye subject 
 to ordinances, (Touch not ; taste not ; handle not ; which all are to per- 
 ish with the using ;) after the commandments and doctrines of men ? 
 which tilings have a show of wisdom in will-worship, and humility, and 
 
 neglecting of the body ; not in any honor to the satisfying of the flesh/ 
 
 * 
 
 " You are taught that there is now no force in any 
 forms or ordinances of religion that exist at the pres- 
 ent time." 
 
 III. CHAPTER. 
 
 March 24 : " My name is Paul. Read the third 
 Chapter of Colossians." 
 
 Verse 1 : '. If ye then be risen with Christ* seek those things which 
 are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.' 
 
 " Those, who adopt the teachings of Christ are spir- 
 itually exalted, which is meant by being 'risen with 
 Christ.' " 
 
 Verses 2, 3 : * Set your affection on things above, not on things on 
 the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God 
 
 " Receive the Truth and pursue it, for ye are dead 
 t o the ignorant theories of the natural man, and y©ur 
 
THE PROPHETIC SCRIPTURES. 97 
 
 hope, which will appear at the redemption, is hid with 
 Christ in God." 
 
 Verse 4 : ' When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall 
 ye also appear with him in glory.' 
 
 " A figure representing the union of Christ with his 
 people in the Redemption, when the atonement shall 
 be completed." 
 
 Verse 5: ' Mortify therefore your members which are upon the 
 earth: fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, 
 and covetousness, which is idolatry :' 
 
 " ' Mortify' means cast off." 
 
 Verse 7 : ' In the which ye also walked sometime, when ye lived in 
 them.' 
 
 " All men gratify their worldly lusts until they com- 
 prehend and adopt the Spirit of Christ." 
 
 Verses 10, 11 : 'And have put on the new man, which is renewed 
 in knowledge after the image of him that created him : where there is 
 neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, 
 Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all and in all/ 
 
 " Put on the doctrine of Christ and the love of God 
 in the heart, which will cause you to lay aside all sec- 
 tarianism, and Christ will dwell in you and identify 
 you with himself in love and peace." 
 
 Verses 12-15 : " Put on, therefore, as the elect of 
 God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness* 
 humbleness of mind, meekness, long-suffering ; for- 
 bearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any 
 man have a quarrel against any : even as Christ for- 
 gave you, so also do ye. And above all these thinga 
 
 I ' 7 
 
98 SPIRITUAL EXPOSITION OF 
 
 put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness. 
 And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the 
 which also ye are called in one body ; and be ye 
 thankful." 
 
 Verse 16: 'Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wis- 
 dom ; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms, and hymns, and 
 spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.' 
 
 " The < Word' of Christ is the Spirit of Christ. 
 * Searching and admonishing' means simplifying the 
 Word to the understanding of men, and giving them 
 warning of its fulfilment. ' Psalms and hymns and 
 spiritual songs' are the inward devotion and gratitude 
 of the soul towards God." 
 
 Verse 18:' Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as 
 it is fit in the Lord/ 
 
 " ' Submit' means be advised of your husbands so 
 
 far as it is just and holy." 
 
 Verse 19: 'Husbands, love your wives, and be not bitter against 
 them.' 
 
 " Teaches that unanimity always ought to exist be- 
 tween man and wife." 
 
 Verses 20-23: "Children, obey your parents in 
 all things : for this is well pleasing unto the Lord. 
 Fathers, provoke not your children to anger, lest they 
 be discouraged. Servants, obey in all things your 
 masters according to the flesh ; not with eye-service, 
 as men-pleasers, ; but in singleness of heart, fearing 
 God : and whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the 
 Lord, and not unto men :" 
 
THE PROPHETIC SCRIPTURES. 99 
 
 Verse 24 : ' Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward 
 of the inheritance : for ye serve the Lord Christ.' 
 
 " The ' reward of the inheritance' is the Redemp- 
 tion." 
 
 Verse 25 : " But he that doeth wrong, shall receive 
 for the wrong which he hath done : and there is no 
 respect of persons." 
 
 IV. CHAPTER 
 
 " Read the fourth Chapter of Colossians. This 
 Chapter was originally addressed to the Colossians, 
 and is Spiritual and Prophetic in its meaning." 
 
 Verse 1: ' Masters, give unto your servants that which is just and 
 equal: knowing that ye also have a Master in heaven.' 
 
 " Deal justly between man and man." 
 
 Verse 2 : ' Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanks- 
 giving :' 
 
 " You must continually desire righteousness and 
 peace, and constantly guard against temptation, and 
 be thankful." 
 
 Verse 3 : ' "Withal praying also for us, that God would open unto 
 us a door of utterance, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am 
 also in bonds :' 
 
 " ' Door of utterance' is the present communica- 
 tions. ' Mystery of Christ' is the Redemption. This 
 
100 SPIRITUAL EXPOSITION OF 
 
 Terse is prophetic, and refers to the present time. I 
 am now in bonds, waiting for the Redemption. The 
 4 door of utterance' will be fully opened very shortly." 
 
 Verse 4 : ' That I may make it manifest, as I ought to speak.' 
 
 " The doctrine of Redemption shall soon be made 
 manifest as you ought to understand it." 
 
 Verse 5 : ' Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeem- 
 ing the time.* 
 
 " ' Them that are without' means all those who 
 have not the true faith. ' Redeeming the time' means 
 recognizing the Prophetic time." 
 
 Verse 6 : * Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salty 
 that ye may know how ye ought to answer eveiy man/ 
 
 " Let your speech be always in love, strengthened 
 with truth and wisdom, that ye may never err in your 
 conversation." 
 
 Verses 7, 8 : ' All my state shall Tychicus declare unto you, who is 
 a beloved brother, and a faithful minister and fellow-servant in the 
 Lord : whom I have sent unto you for the same purpose, that he might 
 know your estate, and comfort your hearts ;' 
 
 *' You now recognize the order of these communi- 
 cations, f Tychicus' is Timothy, who first communi- 
 cated to you, ' whom I have sent unto you that he 
 might know your estate, and comfort your hearts.' " 
 
 Verse 9 : t With Onesimus, a faithful and beloved brother, who is 
 one of you. They shall make known unto you all things which are 
 done here.' 
 
 " f Onesimus' is James, who was one of the Colos- 
 sians. ' Here' means in the Spirit world. ■ They 
 
THE PROPHETIC SCRIPTURES. 101 
 
 shall make known unto you all things which are done 
 here.' " 
 
 Verse 10: 'Aristarchus, my fellow-prisoner, saluteth you; and Mar- 
 cus, sister's son to Barnabas, (touching whom ye received command- 
 ments ; if he come unto you, receive him ;) 
 
 " Receive all true Spirits." 
 
 Verse 11 : * And Jesus, which is called Justus, who are of the cir- 
 cumcision. These only are my fellow- workers, unto the kingdom of 
 God, which have been a comfort unto me.' 
 
 " Those * of the circumcision' are Jews." 
 
 Verse 13: 'For I bear him record, that he hath a great zeal for 
 you, and them that are in Laodicea, and them in Hierapolis/ 
 
 " All true Spirits have a great anxiety that men 
 should receive the Truth." 
 
 Verse 15: ' Salute the brethren which are in Laodicea, and Nym- 
 phas, and the church which is in his house.' 
 
 " The chapters explained in Luke are an exhorta- 
 tion to the sects of the present day, who are the Lao- 
 diceans." 
 
 Verse 16 ; 'And when this epistle is read among you, cause that it 
 be read also in the church of the Laodiceans ; and that ye likewise read 
 the epistle from Laodicea/ 
 
 " Spread this history wide through the sectarian 
 world. You are also exhorted to read the epistle 
 from the Laodicean Church, which is a work giving 
 the history of these events." 
 
 Verse 17 : ' And say to Archippus, Take heed to the ministry which 
 thou hast received in the Lord, that thou fulfil it' 
 
 " ' Archippus' means sectarian ministers." 
 
102 SPIRITUAL EXPOSITION OF 
 
 I. EPISTLE THESSALONIANS, V. CHAPTER. 
 
 March 29, 1850 : " My name is Paul. Read the 
 fifth Chapter of the first Epistle to the Thessalo- 
 
 nians." 
 
 Verse 1 : ' But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no 
 need that I write unto you/ 
 
 " The times and seasons here spoken of refer to 
 those prophecies which speak of the promises which 
 are yet to be fulfilled upon the people of the Lord." 
 
 Verse 2 : ' For yourselves know perfectly, that the day of the Lord 
 »o cometh as a thief in the night. ' 
 
 " Coming when you least expect it." 
 
 Verse 3 : * For when they shall say, Peace and safety ; then sudden 
 destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; 
 and they shall not escape.' 
 
 " ' Sudden destruction' means destruction of their 
 false doctrines and annihilation of their happiness, 
 growing out of these doctrines, together with their 
 natural life." 
 
 Verses 4-6 : ' But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day 
 •hould overtake you as a thief. Ye are all the children of light, and 
 the children of the day : we are not of the night, nor of darkness. 
 Therefore let us not sleep, as do others ; but let us watch and be sober." 
 
 " But ye, brethren, are not ignorant that the day 
 should overtake you as a thief. Ye are children ot 
 
THE PROPHETIC SCRIPTURES. 103 
 
 the true faith and knowledge of the day. The morn- 
 ing of understanding has dawned upon you ; therefore 
 be ye not dull of understanding, but watch and be 
 firm." 
 
 Verse 7 : ' For they that sleep, sleep in the night : and they that be 
 drunken are drunken in the night.' 
 
 " Describes the character of unbelievers. ' Drunk- 
 en' means those who wilfully refuse to examine for 
 themselves." 
 
 Verses 8-10 : ' But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on 
 the breast-plate of faith and love ; and for a helmet, the hope of salva- 
 tion. For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation 
 by our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, that whether we wake or 
 sleep, we should live together with him.' 
 
 " Ye who are of the day, be firm ; putting on the 
 breast-plate of faith and love ; and for an helmet, the 
 hope of salvation. For God hath not appointed you 
 to suffer in consequence of your ignorance, but to ob- 
 tain redemption through the merits of our Lord Je- 
 sus Christ. ' Wake or sleep' means spirits whether 
 in or out of the flesh. ' Live together with him' is a 
 figure of the union that is to take place between 
 Christ and his people — making them one." 
 
 Verse 11: "Wherefore, comfort yourselves to- 
 gether, and edify one another, even as also ye do." 
 
 Verse 12: < And we beseech you, brethren, to know them which 
 labor among you, and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you:' 
 
 "And we beseech you, brethren, to know the Apos- 
 tles which labor among you by the doctrines they 
 
104 SPIRITUAL EXPOSITION OF 
 
 teach and by the Prophetic Scriptures which recog- 
 nize these events. - Events' here means revelations 
 of the past and present day." 
 
 Verse 13:* And to esteem them very highly in love for their work'* 
 gake. And be at peace among yourselves/ 
 
 " Esteem the apostles through whom this informa- 
 tion comes, and be at peace among yourselves." 
 
 Verses 14,15: "Now we exhort you, brethren, 
 warn them that are unruly, comfort the feeble-minded, 
 support the weak, be patient toward all men. See 
 that none render evil for evil unto any man ; but ever 
 follow that which is good, both among yourselves, 
 and to all men." 
 
 Verse 16 : 'Rejoice evermore.' 
 
 " Never doubt." 
 
 Verse 1*7 : * Pray without ceasing.' 
 
 " Desire and look constantly for the promise." 
 
 Verse 18 : " In everything give thanks : for this is 
 the w T ill of God in Christ Jesus concerning you." 
 
 Verse 19: * Quench not the Spirit' 
 
 " Grieve or doubt not the Spirit." 
 
 Verse 20 : ■ Despise not prophesying^' 
 
 " Despise not spiritual clairvoyants, who are those 
 magnetized by the brightest order of spirits, through 
 the power of God, without human agency." 
 
 Verse 21 : " Prove all things ; hold fast that which 
 is good." 
 
 Vbrsi 22: 'Abstain from all appearance of eviL' 
 
THE PROPHETIC SCRIPTURES. 105 
 
 " Mind your daily walk and conversation." 
 
 Verse 23 : ' And the very God of Peace sanctify you wholly; and 
 I pray God your whole spirit, and soul, and body, be preserved blame- 
 less unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.' 
 
 " And the very God of Peace identify you wholly, 
 until ye shall be made one with him in the kingdom of 
 God." 
 
 Verse 24 : " Faithful is he that calleth you, who 
 also will do it." 
 
 Verse 25 : ' Brethren, pray for us.' 
 
 " Synonimous with Hebrews xi. 40 : ' God having 
 provided some better thing for us, that they without 
 us should not be made perfect.' " 
 
 Verse 26 : * Greet all the brethren with an holy kiss.* 
 
 " Greet all the brethren with holy love." 
 
 Verse 27 : * I charge you by the Lord that this epistle be read unto 
 ill the holy brethren.' 
 
 " Publish this history to all." 
 
 Verse 28 : ' The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. 
 Amen.' 
 
 " The events that shall follow these teachings shall 
 prove them true. Amen." 
 
 II EPISTLE THESSALONIANS. I. CHAPTER. 
 
 March 31 : "My name is Paul. Read the first 
 chapter of the second Epistle to the Thessalonians.'* 
 
106 SPIRITUAL EXPOSITION OF 
 
 Verses 1,2:' Paul, and Sylvanus, and Timotheus, unto the church 
 of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: 
 Grace unto you and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus 
 Christ.' 
 
 " Our address to the Thessalonians." 
 
 Ye rses 3-5 : ' We are bound to thank God always for you, breth- 
 ren, as it is meet, because that your faith groweth exceedingly, and the 
 charity of every one of you all toward each other abound eth; so that 
 we ourselves glory in you in the churches of God, for your patience and 
 faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that ye endure : which is 
 a manifest token of the righteous judgment of God, that ye may be 
 counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which ye also suffer:' 
 
 " ' Church' here means where two or three are 
 gathered together in God's name. You are taught in 
 these verses that the Apostles and all true believers 
 have always had and do now have a deep and grow- 
 ing interest in their brethren -in the flesh, knowing as 
 we do that neither can be perfected without the other. 
 It is meet that you should suffer persecution, to pre- 
 pare you for the blessing which God has in reserve 
 for his people." 
 
 Verse 6 : ' Seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompence 
 tribulation to them that trouble you ;' 
 
 " The fulfilment of the promise of God upon his 
 people will be the tribulation of those that oppose his 
 truth." 
 
 Verses 7, 8: 'And to you, who are troubled, rest with us, when the 
 Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels. In 
 flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that 
 obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ' 
 
 " This brings to view the glorified Church, when 
 
THE PROPHETIC SCRIPTURES. 107 
 
 God's people become partakers of the divine nature. 
 4 Flaming fire' means the Prophetic Truth now being 
 fulfilled taking effect in them that know not God. 
 * Vengeance' here means taking effect." 
 
 Verses 9, 10: 'Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction 
 from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power ; when 
 he shall come to be glorified in his saints and to be admired in all them 
 that believe (because our testimony among you was believed) in that 
 day.' # 
 
 " Who shall be left in darkness without peace, so 
 long as he chooses to remain in ignorance. You are 
 also taught that the Word of God shall take effect 
 upon all men, without respect of persons. And this 
 shall take effect when he shall come to be glorified in 
 his saints, and to be admired by all them that be- 
 lieve." 
 
 Verse 11 : 'Wherefore also we pray always for you, that our God 
 would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfil all the good pleasure 
 of his goodness, and the work of faith with power.' 
 
 " This calling refers to the time of these spiritual 
 communications, and the doctrines herein taught by 
 God through the Apostles. The promises are to be 
 received by faith with desire." 
 
 Verse 12 : ' That the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glori- 
 fied in you and ye in him, according to the grace of our God, and the 
 Lord Jesus Christ' 
 
 " A figure of a complete union that is to take place 
 between Christ and his people." 
 
108 SPIRITUAL EXPOSITION OF 
 
 II. CHAPTER. 
 
 April 2 : " My name is Paul. Read the second 
 Chapter of the second Epistle to the Thessalonians." 
 
 Verses 1-4 : ' Now we bessech you, brethren, by the coming of our 
 Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto hirn, that ye be 
 not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, 
 nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. Let no 
 man deceive you by any means : for that day shall not come, except 
 there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son 
 of perdition. Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is call- 
 ed God, or that is worshipped ; so that he, as God, sitteth in the temple 
 of God, and showing himself that he is God/ 
 
 " ' Coming of our Lord Jesus Christ' means that he 
 has given us liberty to give these communications to 
 the world, and will be made manifest when the work 
 of redemption shall have been completed. ' Son of 
 perdition' means darkness of the mind. Those that 
 fall away are those that reject the Truth as now re- 
 vealed, and fall away into entire worldly-mindedness. 
 The features of the ' son of perdition' are seen in all 
 sectarianism, in so construing the Word of God as to 
 make it a cloak for sins for selfish [purposes. The 
 fourth verse is directed to clergymen of the different 
 sects, who will insist upon disseminating their 
 creeds in opposition to the light of these teachings." 
 
THE PROPHETIC SCRIPTURES. 109 
 
 Verse 5 : " Remember ye not, that when I was 
 yet with you, I told you these things ?" 
 
 Verse 6 : ' And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be 
 revealed in his time.' 
 
 " Roman Catholicism was a renewal of paganism 
 under a different form, with a Christian name, and 
 modern sectarianism sustains Roman Catholicism 
 with another name." 
 
 Verse 7 : * For the mystery of iniquity doth already work ; only he 
 who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.' 
 
 " People being ignorant of the great doctrine of 
 Redemption, upon which ignorance have been found- 
 ed the sectarian and false doctrines of the past eight- 
 een hundred years, will hinder the progress of the 
 Truth until their ignorance shall be consumed by the 
 fulfilment of the Prophetic Word, which is the Spirit 
 of God's Truth." 
 
 Verse 8 : ' And then shall that "Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord 
 shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the 
 brightness of his coming/ 
 
 " And then shall prejudice, the offspring of ig- 
 norance, be brought to sight, which the Lord shall 
 consume with the Spirit of Truth, and will utterly de- 
 stroy in the fulfilment of the promise of universal re- 
 demption." 
 
 Verses 9, 10 : * Even him, whose coming is after the working of Sa- 
 tan, with all power, and signs, and lying wonders. And with all de- 
 ceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish ; because they re- 
 ceived not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.' 
 
 " Even false Christianity, whose foundation and 
 
110 SPIRITUAL EXPOSITION OF 
 
 works are built in ignorance, with great power and 
 
 forms and lying wonders in philosophy, and error and 
 
 iniquity, which must all perish, because they believe 
 
 not the doctrine of redemption which leads to the 
 
 possession of the first fruits of salvation." 
 
 Verse 11 : 'And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, 
 that they should believe a lie :' 
 
 " It is in perfect accordance with natural laws 
 known to you, that ignorance and error become in- 
 herent parts of men's organizations, which leads them 
 to account for the mysteries of God on the principles 
 of human and false philosophy, which is a lie." 
 
 Verse 12: ' That they all might be damned who believed not the 
 truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.' 
 
 " All who cling to false philosophy and love un- 
 righteousness, and receive not the Truth, must suffer 
 condemnation and bear the infliction of the penalty of 
 the law." 
 
 Verses 13, 14: 'But we are bound to give thanks always to God 
 for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the be- 
 ginning chosen you to salvation, through sanctification of the Spirit, and 
 belief of the truth : whereunto he called you by our gospel, to the ob- 
 taining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ' 
 
 " Addressed to them who shall come into the pos- 
 session of the first dominion." 
 
 Verse 15: 'Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions 
 which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle.' 
 
 " Applies to all who have and now do look to Christ 
 only for salvation, and have been obedient to the re- 
 quirements of his Word." 
 
THE PROPHETIC SCRIPTURES. Ill 
 
 Verses 16, 17 : " Now our Lord Jesus Christ him- 
 self, and God, even our Father, which hath loved us 9 
 and hath given us everlasting consolation and good 
 hope through grace, comfort your hearts, and stablish 
 you in every good word and work." 
 
 XVIII. CHAPTER OF REVELATION, 
 
 April 3 : " My name is John the Divine. Read the 
 eighteenth Chapter of Revelation. It applies to the 
 present time and future." 
 
 Verses 1-4 : ' And after these things I saw another angel come 
 down from heaven, having great power ; and the earth was lightened 
 with his glory. And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, 
 Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of 
 devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean 
 and hateful bird. For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath 
 of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornica- 
 tion with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through 
 the abundance of her delicacies. And I heard another voice from 
 heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers 
 of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues,' 
 
 " These verses refer to the message that has been 
 delivered in your day, showing that sectarianism is 
 emphatically Babylon, as it now appears upon the 
 earth. The ' other voice' is the conviction which now 
 rests upon the minds of all honest men, that sectarian- 
 ism as it now exists, or any part of it, is not the 
 Church of Christ." 
 
112 SPIRITUAL EXPOSITION OF 
 
 Vsrse 5 : ' For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath 
 remembered her iniquities/ 
 
 " Her ' sins' consist in wresting the true meaning 
 of the Word of God to sustain sectarian dogmas." 
 
 Verse 6 : ' Reward her even as she rewarded you, and double unto 
 her double according to her works ; in the cup which she hath filled, 
 fill to her double.' 
 
 " The church has caused you tribulation through 
 false doctrines, and ye shall cause her double tribula- 
 tion through the power of the Truth." 
 
 Verse 7 : ' How much she hath glorified herself, and lived delirious- 
 ly, so much torment and sorrow give her: for she saith in her heart* I 
 sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow.' 
 
 " Her disappointment and vexation in finding that 
 she is not the bride of Christ, which she now claims 
 tq be, will be doubly bittered by the overthrow of her 
 now conscious power, and consequent desolation." 
 
 Verse 8 : ' Therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death, and 
 mourning, and famine : and she shall be utterly burned with fire : for 
 strong is the Lord God who judgeth her.' 
 
 " The ' day' is the symbol of a year. The present 
 year, eighteen hundred and fifty, is the time for the 
 overthrow of sectarianism, through the effect of God's 
 Truth upon it. ' Famine' is the lack of the Spirit of 
 Christ in the Churches." 
 
 Verses 9, 10: 'And the kings of the earth, who have committed 
 fornication and lived deliriously with her, shall bewail her, and lament 
 for her, when they shall see the smoke of her burning, standing afar 
 off for the fear of her torment, saying, Alas, alas ! that great city Bab- 
 ylon, that mighty city! for in one hour is thy judgment come.' 
 
THE PROPHETIC SCRIPTURES. 113 
 
 " The ' kings' are the doctors of divinity, and the 
 other highest men in power in sectarian churches. 
 ' Fornication' means the sympathy of the sects with 
 each other to sustain their power, and still differing 
 in belief, thereby sanctioning different views of the 
 Word of God, and still each and all claiming individ- 
 ually to be the Church of Christ. The 4 smoke of 
 her burning' is the consuming of the ignorance of the 
 churches by the power of Truth, which has now com- 
 menced. ' Standing afar off' shows the great men of 
 the churches blame the churches for their coldness, 
 without taking any of the blame to themselves. It 
 shows also the moral distance they claim there is be- 
 tween themselves and the body of the churches. ' For 
 fear of her torments' means lest they should be con- 
 sidered to blame. Verse ten shows the mourning of 
 the great men of the churches for fear of the final 
 overthrow of the churches, which overthrow is now 
 evidently commenced in the falling off and lack of ad- 
 dition of members to the churches, and the want of 
 zeal in those who continue to support them." 
 
 Verse 11 : ' And the merchants of the earth' shall weep and mourn 
 over her ; for no man buyeth their merchandize any more.* 
 
 " The preachers mourn because their lucrative sup- 
 port departs with the members of the churches, and 
 no one will buy their doctrines any more." 
 
 Verses 12, 13: 'The merchandize of gold, and silver, and precious 
 stones, and of pearls, and fine linen, and purple, and silk, and scarlet, 
 and all thyne wood, and all manner vessels of ivory, and all manner 
 vessels of most precious wood, and of brass, and iron, and marble.' 
 and cinnamon, and odors, and ointments, and frankincense, and wine- 
 
 8 
 
114 SPIRITUAL EXPOSITION OF 
 
 and oil, and fine flour, and wheat, and beasts, and sheep and horses, 
 and chariots, and slaves, and souls of men.' 
 
 " These are symbols of sectarian doctrines and fine 
 spun theories, made palatable to the tastes of men 
 through the additions of human philosophy, unwar- 
 ranted by the Word of God, by which theories all the 
 corrupt feelings of the natural man have been fostered, 
 even to the trading in the opinions and minds of men." 
 
 Verse 14: 'And the fruits that thy soul lusted after are departed 
 from thee, and all things which were dainty and goodly are departed 
 from thee, and thou shalt find them no more at all.' 
 
 " ' Fruit' is a symbol of the earnest desire which the 
 great men in the churches have to be considered the cho- 
 sen favorites of God. The ' dainty and goodly things' 
 are those worldly benefits accruing to them so long as 
 the people consider them the chosen men of God." 
 
 Verses 15, 16: 'The merchants of these things which were made 
 rich by her, shall stand afar off, for the fear of her torment, weeping 
 and wailing, and saying, Alas, alas ! that great city, that was clothed 
 in fine linen, and purple, and scarlet, and decked with gold, and precious 
 stones, and pearls!' 
 
 " The ' merchants' in the fifteenth verse means mis- 
 sionaries. They will mourn when their supplies are 
 stopped, from the church at home. These verses also 
 express their dismay at the devastation in the secta- 
 rian churches, by which they are supported." 
 
 Verse 17: 'For in one hour so great riches is come to naught 
 And every ship-master, and all the company in ships, and sailors, and 
 as many as trade by sea, stood afar off/ 
 
 " The chronology of the ' one hour' is yet in the 
 future. ' Ships,' ' shipmasters,' and ' companies in 
 ships,' represent the different sects claiming to be a 
 
THE PROPHETIC SCRIPTURES. 115 
 
 part of the church of Christ and the ministers and mem- 
 bers supporting them. The sectarian churches claim 
 the right to supervision over the nations and tongues 
 of the earth, which are represented by the 6 sea' " 
 
 Verse 18: 'And cried when they saw the smoke of her burning, 
 saying, What city is like unto this great city !' 
 
 " The ' smoke of her burning' is the consuming of 
 her false doctrines by the power of Truth, and still 
 they will claim that it is the Church of Christ." 
 
 Verse 19 : £ And they cast dust on their heads, and cried, weeping 
 and wailing, saying, Alas, alas ! that great city, wherein were made 
 rich all that had ships in the sea by reason of her costliness ! for in one 
 hour is she made desolate.' 
 
 " The casting of dust on their heads is a symbol of 
 the ridicule and false arguments they will use against 
 the fact fulfilling the Prophetic Word. The rest of 
 the symbols in this verse are explained in interpreta- 
 tions before given." 
 
 Verse 20 : ' Rejoice over her, thou heaven, and ye holy apostles and 
 prophets ; for God hath avenged you on her/ 
 
 These are symbols of the Prophetic Scriptures of 
 the old and new Testament, which take effect upon 
 the Babylon state of the Church hi the last time." 
 
 Verse 21 : 'And a mighty angel took up a stone like a great mill- 
 stone, and cast it into the sea, saying, Thus with violence shall that 
 great city Babylon be thrown down, and shall be found no more at all.' 
 
 " The ' mighty angel' represents the message now 
 being delivered to the world by the Apostles, explain- 
 ing the Prophetic Scriptures applicable to the present 
 time, and teaching the doctrine of the Redemption of 
 all men through the merits of Jesus Christ. Being 
 ' cast into the sea' represents the message thrown 
 
116 SPIRITUAL EXPOSITION OF 
 
 plainly before the whole world. ' With violence shall 
 that great city Babylon be thrown down' teaches that 
 the doctrine of Redemption and its manner of fulfil- 
 ment not being believed by the churches, shall cause 
 their speedy overthrow and total destruction." 
 
 Verses 22, 23: 'And the voice of harpers, and musicians, and of 
 pipers, and trumpeters, shall be heard no more at all in thee ; and no 
 craftsman, of whatsoever craft he be, shall be found any more in thee ; 
 and the sound of a millstone shall be heard no more at all in thee ; 
 And the light of a candle shall shine no more at all in thee ; and the 
 voice of the bridegroom and of the bride shall be heard no more at all 
 in thee : for thy merchants were the great men of the earth ; for by 
 thy sorceries were all nations deceived.' 
 
 " ' Musicians, harpers and trumpeters' represent the 
 inward union and harmony of the expressions of the 
 soul consequent upon the convictions and belief of the 
 true faith. ' Craftsmen' represent all officers and su- 
 periors in the churches. ' Mill-stone' represents new 
 theories : men will not believe new sectarian theories 
 contrary to the Truth. The * light of a candle' is a 
 symbol of the smallest degree of spiritual light, which 
 shall shine no more at all in Babylon. The ' voice of 
 the bridegroom' are impressions of the Spirit of 
 Christ. The c bride' represents the true children of 
 the Lord. The ministers of the sects, as represented 
 by the 'merchants,' have always received homage from 
 the world. The world has been deceived by false doc- 
 trines of 'Babylon,' which are her sorceries." 
 
 Verse 24: 'And in her was found the blood of prophets, and of 
 saints, and of all that were slain upon the earth.' 
 
 "The sectarian churches are held responsible for 
 
THE PROPHETIC SCRIPTURES. 117 
 
 all the false doctrines upon the face of the earth. 
 False doctrines have caused all the religious troubles 
 of the earth, and the bloodshed and persecution which 
 have ever stained their history." 
 
 II. EPISTLE PETER, III. CHAPTER. 
 
 April 7: My name is Peter. Read the third chap- 
 ter of the second of Peter." 
 
 Verse 2: 'That ye may be mindful of the words which were 
 spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us 
 the apostles of the Lord and Saviour : 
 
 "That ye may be mindful of the spirit which spake 
 through the Prophets, and of the commandments 
 which we the apostles of our Lord and Savior are ever 
 delivering unto you. You must understand that the 
 work of the Prophets and Apostles is all one work, and 
 all agreeing, being the teaching of the Lord through his 
 spirit. The prophesies of the Old and New Testament 
 all point to this work, which is now being fulfilled." 
 
 Verse 3: 'Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last 
 days scoffers, walking after their own lusts.' 
 
 " The first and most prominent point in the Prophe- 
 cies of the Old and*New Testament is that man shall 
 
 a 
 
 scoff at the Truth in the last days. ' Last days' means 
 the last year of the natural man, ' Walking after their 
 own lusts' means following after the desires of the 
 natural man, and being blind to spiritual things. Read 
 the five first series of the third chapter of the second 
 epistle of Timothy." 
 
118 SPIRITUAL EXPOSITION OF 
 
 Verse 4 : " And saying, Where is the promise of 
 his coming ? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things 
 continue as they were from the beginning of the 
 
 creation." 
 
 Verses 5, 6: 'For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the 
 word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of 
 the water and in the water : Whereby the world that then was, being 
 overflowed with water, perished.' 
 
 " ' Willingly ignorant' means the voluntary adop- 
 tion of false doctrines without investigation, and not 
 recognizing the judgment of God upon the antedilu- 
 vian world for rejecting the teachings of Noah, which 
 were the only means of salvation in that age, whereof 
 the people that then were, being confounded by the 
 fulfilment of Prophetic Truth, perished." 
 
 Verse 7: 'But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the 
 same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judg- 
 ment and perdition of ungodly men. 
 
 " But the rational man which is now reserved by 
 the same spirit to be consumed by the power of God's 
 Truth in the day of his judgment, when the natural 
 and ignorant man must suffer the penalty of the law, 
 which is natural death, after which he shall see the 
 awful consequence of rejecting the Truth. This is 
 
 the perdition of the ungodly." 
 
 Verse 8: 'But beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one 
 day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one 
 day.' 
 
 " You are taught not to look for the fulfilment of 
 the Promise of the Redemption until all the Prophe- 
 cies are fulfilled which bring you down to that event." 
 
 Verse 9: 'The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some 
 
THE PROPHETIC SCRIPTURES. 119 
 
 men count slackness ; but is long-suffering to us- ward, not willing that 
 any should perish, but that all should come to repentance/ 
 
 " The Word of God will be fulfilled precisely in its 
 time. The Lord is not willing that any should for- 
 ever remain in ignorance, but that all should finally 
 submit to and adopt a knowledge of the True Faith, 
 the adoption of which is Redemption." 
 
 Verse 10: 'But the day of* the Lord will come as a thief in the 
 night ; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, 
 and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the 
 works that are therein shall be burned up.' 
 
 " The day commenced when we first began to ex- 
 plain the scriptures to you, in which day the sectarian 
 theories of men shall be put away with great conten- 
 tion, and all superstition consequent upon them shall 
 be destroyed by the power of the Truth, and the natu- 
 ral man and his natural and false views of science and 
 philosophy shall also be consumed through progression 
 after the death of the body." 
 
 Verse 11: " Seeing then that all these things shall 
 be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be 
 in all holy conversation and godliness. 
 
 Verse 12 : ' Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of 
 God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the ele- 
 ments shall melt with fervent heat V 
 
 " Shows the feelings of the pure Christian in look- 
 ing forward to the day of the fulfilment of the prom- 
 ise, wherein the Truth shall overwhelm and destroy 
 the natural views of the natural man." 
 
 Verse 13 : 'Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new 
 heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness/ 
 
 " Nevertheless, according to his promise, we look, 
 
120 SPIRITUAL EXPOSITION OF 
 
 for the true faith and the true church, wherein shall 
 dwell righteousness, which shall be communicated in 
 the Redeemed man." 
 
 Verse 14: 'Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things 
 be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and 
 blameless. 
 
 " An exhortation to all true believers." 
 
 Verses 15, 16: 'And account that the long-suffering of our Lord 
 is salvation ; even as our beloved brother Paul also, according to the 
 wisdom given unto him, hath written unto you : As also in all his epis- 
 tles, speaking in them of these things ; in which are some things hard 
 to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as 
 they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction/ 
 
 " St. Paul recognized in all his teachings the doc- 
 trine of Redemption, and the manner especially in the 
 fifteenth chapter of the first of Corinthians. You are 
 taught that this chapter is spiritual and figurative, in- 
 asmuch as St. Paul does not use the same figures to 
 express the fulfilment of the events leading to the 
 promise, in any of his epistles. ' Hard to be under- 
 stood' teaches that the Word of God is to be spiritu- 
 ally discerned." 
 
 Verse 17: 'Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things be- 
 fore, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, 
 fall from your own steadfastness.' 
 
 " The ' error of the wicked' is the natural view of 
 the Word of the Lord." 
 
 Verse 18 : " But grow in grace, and in the know- 
 ledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him 
 be glory both now and for ever, Amen. 
 
 " We have no further orders." 
 
LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 
 
 022 194 177 9