saith the Lord, and do tell them, and cause my people to err by their lies, and by their lightness; yet I sent them not, nor commanded them. Jer. 23: 16, 17; 21, 22; 31, 32.

Now, it is evident from the foregoing, that when teachers or prophets teach men according to their own words, and the dreams and visions of their own heart, and receive not the words which they preach from the mouth of the Lord, that their doctrine is deceitful and false, and should not be received: and to distinguish the true messenger of God from the false, I would mention several tokens whereby they may be known and distinguished, that they are sent from God. Now, Christ Jesus himself giveth a token, when he saith, He that speaketh of himself seeketh his own glory: but he that seeketh his glory that sent him, the same is true, and no unrighteousness is in him. (John 7: 18.) Also, he saith to his disciples, As my Father hath sent me, even so send I you. (20: 21.) Go ye therefore, and teach all nations.... Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you. (Matth. 28: 19, 20.) Moreover He said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations. (Luke 24: 46, 47.) These words clearly evince, what is the calling, and duty, of the true messenger of God: namely, to preach the word of

God, in all its commandments and ordinances to his people; proclaiming to them, That if they would be saved, they must repent of their sins, and with godly sorrow to mourn over them; to keep the commandments and ordinances of God, and to live a pious, holy, and unreprovable life in this evil world and that to such is promised grace and remission of sins in and through the merit and blood of Jesus Christ the Saviour.

But herein is a great error among men, that when a teacher comes in his own name, speaking of himself, and preaching the visions of his own heart, and not the word of the Lord, he will be received, while he who preaches the word of the Lord, is, by many, rejected: For even the Son of God himself was rejected, as he saith: I am come in my Father's name, and ye receive me not: if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive. (John 5: 43.) Therefore, all those who would not be deceived by their teachers, should prove whether they teach the word of God in its purity-unadulterated with the commandments of men, and without prevarication; even as it was taught by Christ and his apostles, and as they commanded it to be taught. Or whether, on the contrary, they speak their own words, and preach the dreams and visions of their own hearts, and doctrines, which the Son of God has not taught and commanded. For the LORD saith, by Moses, What thing soever I command

you, observe to do it: thou shalt not add thereto, nor diminish from it. (Deut. 12: 32.) Moreover, If there arise among you a prophet, or a dreamer of dreams, and giveth thee a sign or a wonder, and the sign or the wonder come to pass, whereof he spake unto thee, saying, Let us go after other gods, which thou hast not known, and let us serve them; thou shalt not hearken unto the words of that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams: for the LORD your God proveth you, to know whether ye love the LORD your God with all your heart, and with all your soul. Ye shall walk after the LORD your God, and fear him, and keep his commandments, and obey his voice, and ye shall serve him and cleave unto him. And that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams, shall be put to death; because he hath spoken to turn you away from the LORD your God, which brought you out of the land of Egypt, and redeemed you out of the house of bondage, to thrust thee out of the way which the Lord thy God commanded thee to walk in. (Deut. 13: 1--5.) Now, here we see, that although this prophet or dreamer was so mighty as to be able to reveal future things, yet was he highly punishable in the sight of the LORD, because he did not stedfastly cleave to the word of the Lord, but departed therefrom and said, Let us go after other gods which thou hast not known. And the people were commanded not to hearken to such, but that they should walk after the

LORD, and that such prophets or dreamers should be put to death. And,

In like manner as it was with those false prophets and dreamers of old, it is, and will be with the false prophets in these last times: therefore, should their appearance be ever so powerful and mighty; even to do wonders, and with an outward show of holiness, and piety, as the apostles of Christ; and withal say, Let us walk other ways than those which are commanded us of Christ;-it does not matter to observe so strictly all that is written and commanded us of him ;—their doctrine is false and deceitful for all that does not agree in perfect harmony with the word of God, is not wrought by the Spirit of God, for the true Spirit of God. teacheth obedience to the word of God, as John saith, And it is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is truth. (1 John 5: 6.) That is, If the Spirit of God dwelleth within us, he will testify that the word of God, which is Spirit and life, is truth. Therefore Christ saith, Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth. (John 16: 13.) Hence we are to try the spirits (as John saith) whether they are of God: and hereby we must know the Spirit of God; if we are by him led into all truth; and this truth, is the word of God, as Christ saith, Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth. Thus we see, that all those who have the Spirit of God dwelling within them, are by him guided

to keep the commandments of God, and to the obedience of the gospel; for Christ saith, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father's which sent me. These things have I spoken unto you, being yet present with you. But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you. (John 14: 23-26.)

From the preceding words we see clearly, that all those who love the Lord, will keep his commandments: and those that do not keep his commandments love him not.

And these words Jesus spake when he was yet upon earth; intimating to his disciples, that the Holy Spirit, whom he would send unto them, would teach them all things, and bring all things to their remembrance, whatsover he had said unto them, and guide them into all truth. And all the teachers who are sent from God, will be moved and guided by this divine Spirit. And whosoever he may be that is guided by any other spirit, to pass by the word of God, and the doctrine of Christ, or set at nought any part thereof must be accounted as false, and from whose voice we must flee as from the voice of a stranger, as Christ saith of his sheep, A