love and truth; and madly hath pursued his own course, in destruction's broad road of sin and death. 32. The dispensations of his Maker's goodness, sent forth to him in streams of loving kindness, he hath trampled under his feet as vain and worthless offers, designed in hearts of men, and portrayed by lips of mortals. 33. In no age of time that is past, nor in modern days that now are, have mankind whom God created, ever been willing, as a body, to receive, own and acknowledge, the GREAT SUPREME FIRST CAUSE of all creation's vast extent, when in his wisdom He saw fit, in mercy, to reveal Himself to man. 34. The blind and bigoted worms of dust, have never been pleased nor satisfied with the way and manner in which He chose to reveal Himself. 35. The two gospel dispensations of his eternal grace, He hath sent forth to earth; and the door of saving grace and full salvation, is opened free to man; A salvation that can save in the present tense. 36. Though many were called, in both dispensations of his everlasting goodness, yet, few were willing to pay the price required, that they might become the elect and chosen of the Lord. 37. Therefore hath man, in all ages, chosen his own way; and his Maker, God, hath suffered his delusion; he hath chosen the ways of death unto his soul, and the wages thereof he must receive, as a just recompense for his determined folly. 38. O sorrowful earth! Dost thou consider the time that is past, and the day that is gone, wherein the Lord thy God would have clothed thee in beautiful garments of peace, but thou wouldst not receive at his hand? 39. And all ye people who dwell in her, how oft would his Allpowerful hand, in mercy have gathered you, from the earliest ages to the present day! Yea, how oft would He have gathered you under the wings of his divine providence and blessing! 40. How oft would you have been fed at his hand from the eternal stores of his goodness! How oft would He have watered your thirsty souls, from his eternal springs of life! 41. And how oft and continually, would He have caused the enlivening dews of his everlasting blessings to drop down from the Heavens above, with smiles of his approbation and pleasure, upon the inhabitants of earth below! 42. And how much more honorable and exalted would man's situation have been, in the eyes of his Creator God, than what it now is! 43. Would not his God now have said unto him, Thou hast answered the purpose for which I created thee, and my blessing of peace and mantle of love, shall never depart from thy borders? Thou didst receive the watch-word of warning, sent forth through my servants to thee; and thereby, at my coming, thou wast prepared for my reception, and denied Me not. 44. But O thou perishing earth! whose inhabitants languish in sin, groping their way in shadows of death! 45. Defiled in heart and polluted in hand, doth thy God behold thee. The garment thy fathers did wear, by heirship hath now become thine. The cup which thy fathers did drink, is now filled to overflowing for thee: for by all that hath passed for thousands of years, thou shouldest have learned that the fear of the Lord was required of thee. 46. For his infinite goodness, in mercy and love, unto thee hath been extended through all preceding ages, unto the present day, in which He hath accomplished the last and final display of his goodness and grace to mortals on earth, in the setting up of his kingdom which is never more to be destroyed. 47. O inhabitants of earth, lamentable earth! your God and Creator hath called you in mercy; but you have answered in the spirit of rebellion, and for his goodness ye have requited Him evil. 48. Time after time hath He proved you from the foundations of the world. And as oft ye have hardened your hearts in rebellion and stiffened your necks in stubbornness, against his holy will, until you have become clothed in blackness and despair, and enshrouded in the shades of death. 49. Your garments are moth-eaten, your shoes are worn out, and nought have you on to cover your nakedness; your shame doth appear to all who behold you. 50. Instead of peace and quietness dwelling within your borders, wars and contention, bloodshed and carnage mark your footsteps. Instead of love and good will to each other, hearts filled with animosity and revenge, and hands stained in your brother's blood. 51. Instead of keeping the golden rule of the Savior of men, doing unto others as ye would have them do to you, ye have turned it square around; doing to others as ye would not have them do to you. 52. Instead of just weights, the deceitful and fraudulent balance is used, always in favor of self, at the expense of the just rights of your brother. 53. Instead of correct measures, scanted ones when going out, and pressed down ones when coming in. 54. Instead of love, union and peace, whose beautiful graces, among brethren and sisters, are as the sweet smelling roses of Sharon, are found growing the thorn, the thistle and the brier; or pride, strife and ambition. 55. Instead of cultivating the principles of peace at home, and nourishing the same abroad, what do we behold, but schools of vice, to learn the arts of war. 56. Had this been, when my Master was on earth, says the Archer, it would not have been so far behind the age. 57. But now, it is at least, eighteen hundred years behind the age, wherein God intended man should enjoy, if he would, peace within and peace without, peace at home and peace abroad. 58. And it is now more than eighteen hundred years, since the Son of God commanded all to love one another, and said that his servants would not fight; his kingdom was a kingdom of peace, and he that taketh the sword should perish by the sword. 59. But what do the present works of man declare? Are not hosts of armies trained on land, and fleets afloat at sea, watching an opportunity to cause the blood from human veins to flow? 60. And how can mortals, in this way, prepare to meet their God, save to drink the cup of his wrath and indignation, in rolling strokes of judgment? And this for their works' sake, both past and present, they surely do deserve. 61. And what is now beheld on earth, among the sons of men? Do they present themselves to worship a pure and holy God, who will accept no offerings from any, save those whose hearts are sincere, and hands undefiled? Or do they think the God they worship will not behold their awful and filthy works of abomination? 62. Can the image of God's creation, think to visit, for indulgence, the beastly and filthy stews of vice, then wipe their lips, and say, I've done no wrong? And go into the place of worship, thinking to make offerings to a pure and holy God! 63. Awful! awful indeed! cry the Angels of the Most High God! Awful, awful will be their judgments on the earth, if into the order of nature's path, mankind do not return. 64. By vile corruption, man hath sunk his soul in darkest shades of night. The law of nature is set at naught, to gratify his own insatiable propensities of lust; and by this means he draws down the judgment of Heaven upon his own head, for violating his Maker's laws, which are right, just and good, and agreeable unto which, his offspring, in a natural state, was to have been begotten. 65. Had this been kept, man, at this stage of his existence on the earth, would not have inherited from his progenitors, a curse through life, by hereditary diseases and raging humors, which cover his body with blains and sores, from the crown of his head to the sole of his foot. 66. And what is now beheld among the sons of men, but the visible marks of an abused and degenerated nature, handed down from parents to children, and increased in every generation! 67. And thus, in this state and condition of man, his soul is inwrapped in darkness, and his mortal body clothed in disease; and still he is pursuing the downward road with rapid march and quickened pace, to utter destruction's gate. 68. And instead of being found by their God, each pursuing the path of true honesty and uprightness, dealing justly, loving mercy, and walking humbly before the Lord, how different their situation and pursuit. 69. Is it not the leading effort of the human family to get gain, and that without right, or true honesty? Are they not willing to traverse both sea and land to trade and traffic, and by unjust speculations heap up to themselves silver and gold? Are not many inventions sought out by man to procure gain without right? 70. Are not unjust reckonings and deceitful weights constantly employed for this purpose? 71. Is not man anxious to become rich, and popular in the eyes of his fellow beings, without putting his own hands to honest industry, day by day, to obtain it? 72. Are they now, as a body, found honestly tilling the soil with their own hands, and gaining their bread by the sweat of their face? Is each one sitting in peace under his vine, and under his fig tree, and none to make him afraid? 73. Or are they now found in tumult and confusion, all over the face of the whole earth, both rulers and people, not considering that they have departed from the law of their God, until even the providential hand of his blessing is withdrawn, and they left to be confounded in their own doings; 74. While the heavy and desolating judgments of an Almighty God are about to burst upon them, as destroying blasts on every side? 75. But O, inhabitants of earth, consider the greatness and goodness of your God; for when ye justly deserved the severest of punishment for running, ages and ages in forbidden paths, the arm of tender kindness, by your God and Creator, was stretched out, clothed in mercy and compassion, to all who would hearken to his word. Even to-day, after so long a time, if ye will hearken and obey his voice, He promises you mercy at his hand; He whose promises fail not, whether given in mercy, or in judgment. 76. Turn, turn O earth and all ye inhabitants thereon; humble yourselves to the dust, and put on your garments of mourning: from the king on his throne to those in humblest walks of life; for your God is merciful, and will be touched with your cries and lamentations, in true obedience to his word. 77. O cast from thee thy tattered garments, and be clothed upon with the mercies of thy God. Cease ye longer to grope your ways encompassed by midnight darkness. Come forth of his prisons, and be loosed of his bands, that ye may not be holden of him, and ye shall become as fruitful fields by the side of pleasant waters. 78. Come ye forth from nature's darkness, and ye shall walk in the light of the luminous orb, at the meridian of day. forth to Him who hath called you; in songs of praises and thanksgiving, adore the God of eternal mercies. Come 79. Yea, saith the Lord, instead of briers, thorns and thistles, thou shalt become as a pleasant garden filled with flowers and lilies, in the midst of a fruitful field; whose fragrance shall be strength to the weak, and courage to the way-faring man. 80. The king and the prince, the rulers and people, the rich and the poor, the strong and the weak, the halt and the blind, can now unite in one voice of thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise to the God of their salvation, whose anger is now turned into mercy, and judgments into blessings of peace and prosperity; who maketh the desert to flourish, and the barren land a fruitful field, yielding increasing bounties to the tillers thereof. 81. In the strength of your God ye shall run, but shall not be weary; and by his power ye shall walk, but shall not faint; for by |