large threshold, consisting of one entire stone. About the fifth hour of the night this gate opened without any human assistance.

On the twenty-first day of the month Artemisius, not long after the festival was ended, a vision of an extraordinary kind made its appearance, before the setting of the sun; chariots and armed men were seen in the air in various parts of the country passing round the city among the clouds.

About four years before the commencement of the war, and while the city appeared to be in the most perfect peace and abounded in plenty, there came to the feast of tabernacles, which was annually celebrated to the honour of God, a simple countryman, named Jesus, who was the Son of Ananus, and who without any previous intimation exclaimed in the following manner: "A voice from the East; a voice from the West; a voice from the four quarters of the World; a voice to Jerusalem, and a voice to the Temple: a voice to men and women newly married, and a voice to the nation at large." In this manner did he continue his exclamations night and day, in various places, through all the streets of the city, though he was persecuted and punished in a most cruel manner, yet he continued to proceed in this manner for the space of seven years and five months; nor did his voice or strength appear to fail him, till his predictions were verified by the siege of Jerusalem. When this event had taken place, he went for the last time on the wall, and exclaimed in a more powerful voice than usual, "Woe, woe to this city; this temple, and this people, and concluded his lamentations by saying: woe, woe be to myself." He had no sooner spoke these words than in the midst of his predictions he was destroyed by a stone thrown from an engine.

Josephus adds, "From what has been above resited it will be evident to mankind in general, that

our destruction arises from our misconduct; our ruin is certainly to be attributed to ourselves, when we refuse to take warning after being preadmonished of future events."

From these warnings to Jerusalem I was answered in the following manner:

THE ANSWER OF THE SPIRIT.

Know the parable* I gave thee before, and what I compared the Jews to; and know from the parable how often the warning was given, and how often it was slighted before sudden destruction came upon them; and this I compared to the Jews, as well as the people of this age. Now the Jews had the warning first given from ME, that the city should be destroyed, in the perfect manner it was destroyed, encompassed round by their enemies, till their destruction came, as I foretold them; and their city laid level with the ground. But these predictions were slighted by them, and mocked and despised. Again the warning was given them by a man to whom they had given My Name; and his pres dictions went on according to the words I had spoken before; and I was put to death after giving the FIRST warning; and the man for giving the last.

Now here were the warnings slighted by them, as I told thee before, till the destruction came upon them, according to the parable that I had brought forward concerning them. And now mark the stubbornness, and unbelief of the Jews,-seeing the sword hang over their heads to shew them plainly the predictions were true; yet, neither words, nor visions altered the 'self-confidence of their minds; they went on as before. And though they had heard from My apostles, that I was the Lamb slain to take away the sin of the world; that the blood of bul

See Mr. Foley's Book called "What Manner of Communitions are these," published at the close of 1804.

locks would not do; and though so marvellous a thing had happened as the Cow bringing forth a Lamb, when she was led for the sacrifice; to shew them plainly it was the Lamb that had been slain for the transgression of man, they must trust in for their salvation: yet, these things worked no change in the minds of the Jews; they neither discerned what was said by their prophets, nor what I said unto them in the days of the flesh; neither did they regard what was said by John the Baptist, or what was said by my disciples. Neither words, nor signs, had any effect upon them; they went on in blindness as before; and though the light shone at the altar, and the Lamb in so marvellous a manner had appeared; yet, they never discerned from whence that likeness burst: but know what I have told thee before :

In the altar I was seen at first,

And in the altar must the glory burst.

.. And now mark from what I have said concerning the altar to thee here before. And now discern how the glory did burst, by the light; yet, all was as light shining in darkness to them; they neither discerned, nor understood from whence it came; and though the gates were thrown open, in so marvellous and powerful a manner; yet, they never discerned from what hand or in what manner this came to fulfil the Psalms, "Lift up your heads O ye gates; and be ye lift up ye everlasting doors: that the King of Glory may come in. Now I shall answer thee from this Psalm: had they opened the gates to ME, and the doors of their hearts had been opened, as the doors of the sanctuary were ; then, I should have come mighty in battle to deliver them, and have destroyed their enemies. But

See page 9, First Book of Prophecies.

1

as their hearts were bolted against me, the doors were opened for their destruction; to shew them all, the enemy would come in, and destroy the whole; that it should no longer be kept shut by me for their vain oblations, and sacrifice; but it should be thrown open for their enemies. And this was the fatal omen to them, which they had neither sense nor understanding to discern. And though they saw the visions appear to warn them all, their dangers were nigh, and were warned by the voices* yet all these things did not awaken them to look on him whom they had crucified. And seeing the appearance of the spirits in the air, as it were of chariot's coming upon them, to warn them of their destruction; yet, still they were hardened till it came upon them.

So here let men discern deeply what Parable I ordered thee to bring forward to compare with the Jews. And now come to the Gentiles, and know, I compared the PARABLE to both; so from the Jews, let the Gentiles take warning; (as it is a custom amongst you to call those under the Gospel to be of the Gentiles, without knowing from what stock ye all proceed.) But as the warning was given to the Jews, by singular signs, and words, before the destruction came upon them; so I told them in the END warnings should be given from the Spirit of Truth, that proceeds from the FATHER, to warn you all of the END; to bring all things to your remembrance; and that the God of Truth should lead you into all truths. This was my warning of the END. But know, I told them it would be mocked; that men of the world would not receive them, because the Spirit is not discerned. And therefore I told them from the PARABLES that my second

Alluding to voices being heard in the temple, saying, "let us be gone!" repeated many times distinctly.

coming would be to many; to the wicked servants, and the foolish virgins; as the destruction of Jerusalem would be to the Jews. This, I told them while I was with them. And now the end draweth near, I have warned them again, to fulfil the words I said in my Gospel. And according to the words I said to the Jews of their destruction, as they were warned again, before it took place. And yet discern, how the warning was despised, and slighted by them; and with what self-confidence and their boasting of religion, they went on till they brought on their own fatal destruction; only left to remain as a scattered people, having no city to call their own: standing as a people, to be as a warning, and a caution to all; that from their fall, others may learn to stand and from their folly others may learn to grow wise. But if men now go on with the same self-confidence the Jews did, like the Jews they will find their destruction in the end. If the natural branches were cut off, let the wild olive now take care; and let them know, my Gospel is as plain of my visiting again in the Spirit, as all the words of the Prophets were to the Jews. And equally blind with the Jews, the professors of the Gospel are now come. Therefore, let believers take care they are not struck with the blindness of others, and led away by the wisdom of men, that hath no more wisdom than the Jews had; who, after so many predictions had been given them, and so many warnings as they had; they blinded their eyes against the whole; and puffed themselves up with their own confidence, their own wisdom, and understanding. But perfectly like them is this present AGE, therefore my caution is to the believers, that they may deeply weigh the whole together; that the wise may not fall back with the foolish.

But thou enquirest, how can that be? To thy thoughts I answer; many have foolishly fallen back