CHAPTER XVI.

AND it should be known and understood by all kings, governments and governors, "that the powers that be," even of earth, are ordained of God, for the well-being of the entire humanity, and are under the control and the direction of the Son of God, as they ever have been; and it should be kept in memory that the spiritual Son of God, by whom he spake the universe into visibility of form ́and glory, has in all time been the same speaker of his word and doer of his will in all the government of all beings and things in that universe. God spake by him (as we understand the Scriptures) all his words to Adam and Eve, and in all cases where his word was spoken to any of their posterity. He gave to Adam, and through him to the elders, as we gather from the record, a good and true report of the framing of the worlds, and henceforth by him and by him only came the word of God, whether to instruct or command, to institute sacrificial offerings and worship, or to bring the flood upon the earth, or to destroy human life by any other means, which he alone may do, seeing he is the giver of it, and always does it in love; or

whether the rain is to be brought upon the earth, or withheld, as the will of God may be. And all miraculous manifestations of divine power were performed by him, at the will and command of the Father. Instance the signs and wonders in Egypt, at the Red Sea, at Mount Sinai, and the continuance of them by the prophets. By him alone came also the word of the Lord to all true prophets. He was the spirit of prophecy in them. They searched to know what or what manner of time "the spirit of Christ, which was in them, did signify where it testified beforehand of his sufferings and glory that should follow." Now the Apostle Peter speaks here of the spiritual Son of God as the spirit of prophecy and the spirit of Christ also, which was true when Peter wrote, but not so when the prophecy was spoken, because there was no Christ until Jesus, the Messiah, came, and was anointed with that same holy spirit, which was in the prophets, and which was none other than the spiritual Son of God. And by that anointing Jesus became Christ, the Son of God, and the spiritual Son of God became his ghost or his spirit; and he was thenceforth "known as the holy spirit or ghost of Jesus, and hence the saying of Jesus that the Father would send the comforter,' the spiritual Son of God in Jesus' name, and that when he did so come he would not speak of himself, but of him, Jesus, only. And Paul says of him, that he was made of the seed of David, according to the flesh, and was "declared the Son of God, with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead."

de miverse into visibility of form and in all time een the same speaker of his and be of his will in all the government of egs and things in fat miverse. God spake wemlestond the Scriptures) all his wds to Jim and Ere, and in all cases where his wad was quen to any of their posterity. He are to Am, and tirough him to the elders, as we gather from the red a good and true of the firming of

whether the rain is to be brong pen the earth, or withheld, as the will of God may be. And ail miraculous manifestations fine power were performed by him, at the wand command of the Father. Instance the signs and wonders in Egypt, at the Red Sea, at Mount Sinai and the continuance of them by the prophets. By alone came also the word of the Lord to a true prophets. He was the spirit of prophecy in them. They searched to know what or what manner of time "the spirit of Christ, which was in them, did signify where it testified beforehand of his sufferings and glory that should follow." Now the Apostle Peter speaks here of the spiritual Son of God as the spirit of prophecy and the spirit of Christ also, which was true when Peter wrote, but not so when the prophecy was spoken, because there was no Christ until Jesus, the Messiah, came, and was anointed with that same holy spirit, which was in the prophets, and which was none other than the spiritual Son of God. And by that anointing Jesus became Christ, the Son of God, and the spiritual Son of God became his ghost or his spirit; and he was thenceforth" holy spirit or ghost of Jesus, and h

These testimonies show most clearly, as we have before seen, that the body which God prepared, in which for his first begotten spiritual Son to become incarnate, as saith the Scriptures, that the word might become flesh and dwell among us, and thereby the head of the fleshly as well as the spiritual nature, was the person of Jesus, and his record shows that his personal endowments, both of body and mind, were transcendently great in wisdom, grace and beauty, being altogether worthy such a glorious anointing and perfect union with him, who was the express image of God's person and brightness of his glory.

It was meet also that the head of the earthly fleshly humanity should, in all these endowments, have the preeminence over the members of the body. Such was the true character of Jesus when he came from Nazareth to be anointed by and made one with the first begotten Son of God, who (as we have before seen), literally and visibly descended upon him from heaven, forming thereby in one person, the Son of God and the Son of man-and that person being the head both of the spiritual, the earthly and fleshly humanity. We have, therefore, existing in that person, the first begotten Son of God, and head of every man reigning over, resurrecting and glorifying the humanity and all in the name of Jesus, and who will so "reign until death itself is swallowed up of life." And such was the power of which he spake to his Apostles, when he told them, just before his ascension, "that all power in heaven and in earth was given unto him.”