38. When the Spirit of Prophecy speaks from the Person Where
The Passion and the preaching of the Gospel thus foretold. 29
{or) incense, it is an abomination to Me.
The fat of lambs, apoi,.' and the blood of goats, I desire not; for who hath required^'"^^'^^'
''^*^^'^" these things at your hands ?
But loose every band of wickedness, tear in pieces the knots of contracts made by violence, shelter the houseless and naked, deal thy bread to the hungry : of what nature then were the thino^s that were tauerht through the Prophets from God, you may now perceive.
38. When the Spirit of Prophecy speaks from the Person Where of Christ, He speaks in this manner; / have spread out^^'^'^^f^^ My hands to a rebellious and gainsaying people, which is.65,2. ivalketh in a way that is not good.
And again, I have given \s.oO, 6.
My back to the scourges, and My cheeks to buffets, and I have not turned My face from the shame of the spittings ; and the Lord ivas My helper, therefore I was not confounded, but I • fixed My face like a hard, rock, and I knew that I sliould not be put to shame, for He is near ivho justifieth Me. And again when He says. They cast lots upon My vesture, and pierced ^5.12,
My hands and My feet.
I laid Me down and slept, and I rose pg' 3 \ up again, for the Lord sustained Me : and again, They spoke Ps.21,7. ivith their lips, they wagged their heads, saying, Let Him deliver Himself: all which things were done by the Jews to Christ, as you may learn : for when He was crucified, they distorted their lips, and moved their heads, saying, " He Who raised the dead, let Him save Himself."
39. But when, as prophesying what is about to come to W ^^re pass, the Holy Ghost speaks. His words are as follows;
For^Q^^J^^^ out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the tuord of the XortZ ^p«?fiks« from Jerusalem.
And He shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people ; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks ; and nation shall not lift up svjord against nation, neitlier shall they learn wo.r any more.
And that it so came to pass you may believe ; for from Jerusalem there went out into the world twelve men in nun)ber, and they obscure persons, and unskilled in speaking; but through the power of God they declared to every race of men that they were sent by Christ to teach all men the word of God ; and we, who were formerly murderers of each other, not only make no war on our enemies, but, to avoid even lying or deceiving those who examine us, we willingly confess Christ and die, for it were possible that what is said, " My tongue has
Prophecies of the combination of Christ's enemies, Just, sworn it, but my mind's unsworn' " we should do in this M ART.
. i Eurip. c^se ; for it would be ridiculous that the soldiers who are Hippoi. mustered and enrolled by you should prefer even to their de Off. own life, their parents, their country, and all their kindred, m. sub their allegiance to you, who are unable to give them any incon'uptible reward ; but that we, who desire incorruptibility, should not endure all things, in order to receive the rewards we long for, from Him Who is able to give them.
Preach40. Hear also how it was foretold of those who preached the His doctrine, and proclaimed His appearance
; the beforeGospel mentioned prophet and king speaking thus by the Spirit Ps.
19, of Prophecy, Day unto day utiereth speech, and night unto * night sheweth knowledge.
There is no speech nor language, where their voices are not heard.
Their voice has gone out through all the earth, their words to the ends of the world.
In the sun hath He placed His tabernacle, and He as a bridegroom that goeth out of his chamber, shall rejoice as a giant to run his way.
Besides these, I think it right, and applicable, to mention some other prophecies which were uttered by the same
David, from which you may learn how the Spirit of Prophecy urges men to live, and how He speaks of that conspiracy of Herod the king of the Jews and of the Jews themselves, and of Pilate your procurator in their country, with his soldiers, against Christ, and that men from every nation should believe in Him, and that God calls Him His Son, and has declared that He will put all enemies under Him ; and how the devils, as far as they can, endeavour to escape the power of God the Father and Lord of all, and that of Christ Himself, and how God calls all men to repentance before Ps. 1.2. the day of judgment comes ; He speaks thus; Blessed is the man that hath not walked in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stood in the way of sinners, nor sat in the seat of the scornful.
But in the law of the Lord is his delight, and in His law doth he meditate day and night.
And he shall be like a tree planted by the streams of waters, that shall give his fruit in his season: his leaf shall not wither, and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.
Not so are the ungodly, not so, hut they are like the dust which the wind driveth awayfrom theface of the earth.
Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous ; for the Lord knoweth the ivay Ps. 2, 1. o/ the righteous, but the way of the ungodly shall perish.
Why