“Divines have been quarreling for ages about the meaning of this.

[“]I am like a <​huge​> rough stone rolling down <​from​> a <​high​> mountain, and the only polishing I get, is when some corner gets rubbed off by coming in contact with something else striking with accelerated force against Religious bigotry, Priestcraft, Lawyer craft, Doctor craft, Lying Editors suborned Judges and Jurors, and the authority of Perjured Executives, backed by Mobs, Blasphemers, Licentious and corrupt men and women; all hell knocking off a corner here and a corner there; thus, I <​will​> become a smooth and polished shaft in the quiver of the Almighty, who will give me dominion over all and every one of them, when their refuge of lies shall fail, and their hiding place shall be destroyed, while these smooth polished stones with which I come in contact, become marred.

“There are three grand secrets lying in this chapter, which no man can dig out, unless by the light of revelation, and which unlocks the whole chapter, as the things that are written, are only hints [HC 5:401] of things which existed in the Prophet’s mind which are not written, concerning eternal glory.

“I am going to take up this subject by virtue of the knowledge of God in me, which I have received from heaven, the opinions of men so far as I am concerned are to me, as the crackling of the thorns under the pot, or the whistling of the wind. I break the ground, I lead the way. like Columbus when he was invited to a banquet, where he was assigned the most honorable place at table and served with the ceremonials which were observed towards Soverigns. A shallow Courtier present, who was meanly jealous of him, abruptly asked him whether he thought, that in case he had not discovered the Indies, there were not other men in Spain, who would have been capable of the enterprise? Columbus made no reply, but took an egg and invited the Company to make it stand on end. They all attempted it, but in vain, whereupon he struck it upon the table, so as to break one end, and left it standing on the broken part. illustrating that when he had once shewn the way, to the New world, nothing was easier than to follow it.

“Paul ascended into the third Heavens and he could understand the three principal rounds of Jacob’s Ladder, the Telestial, the Terrestrial and the Celestial glories or Kingdoms, where Paul saw and heard things which were not lawful for him to utter. I could explain a hundred fold more than I ever have, of the glories of the Kingdoms manifested to me in the vision, were I permitted, and were the people prepared to receive it, the Lord deals with this people as a tender parent with a child, communicating light and intelligence and the knowledge of his ways, as they can hear it.

<​see below +​> <​+The Inhabitants of the Earth are asleep, they know not the day of their visitation. The Lord hath set the bow in the cloud for a sign that while it shall be seen, seed time and harvest, summer and winter shall not fail, but when it shall disappear, wo to that generation, for behold the end cometh quickly.​>

“contend earnestly for the like precious faith with the apostle Peter, and add to your faith virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, Godliness, brotherly kindness, charity, for if these things be in you and abound, ye shall neither be barren or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ, another point after having all these qualifications, he lays this injunction upon the people, but rather make your calling and election sure, he is emphatic upon the subject. after adding all this virtue, knowledge &c. make your calling and election sure. What is the secret, the starting point? according [HC 5:402] to his divine power which hath given unto us all things that pertain to life and Godliness. How did he obtain all things? through the knowledge of him who hath called him, there could not anything be given, pertaining to life and Godliness without knowledge. Wo, Wo, Wo, to christendom, especially the Divines and Priests, if this be true. [p. 1556]