Discourse, 23 July 1843, as Reported by James Burgess

Luke 16 chap 16 verse. The Laws and the Prophets were untill John since then the Kingdom of Heaven is preached and all men press into it.— We will go back to Mount Scinia [Sinai] where Jesus gave the Law to Moses Exodus 30 chap 30 verse also the last chap 15 verse. The preisthood was given to Aron and his posterity throughout all generations we can trace the leanage [lineage] down to Zachariah he being the only Lawfull administrator [p. [12]] in his day and the Jews knew it well for they always acknowledged the preisthood. and Zachariah having no children, knew that the promise of God must fail, consequently he went into the Temple to wrestle with God according to the order of the preisthood to obtain a promise of a son, and when the Angel told him that his promise was granted he because of unbelief was struck dumb. And when the set time was come John came forth and when he took up his preisthood, he came bounding out of the wilderness saying repent ye for the kingdom of heaven is at hand, he having received the holy anointing was the only lawful administrator and the jews all knew it— for the law and the prophets was untill John since then the kingdom of heaven is preached and all men press into it! Why! Why John because John was the only lawful administrator and they the Jews well knew it. consequently the only alternative was for them to yeild obedience to mandates of this wild man [p. [13]] of the woods, namely John or be damned For all Jerusalam and all Judea came out to be babtised of John, sadusees, pharasees, Essenees &c For untill John was the law and the prophets, since then the kingdom of heaven is preached and all men press into it. The kingdom of heaven suffereth violence and the violent take it by forse. Now I will translate a little, the kingdom of heaven hath power and authourity and by that they take or enter legally and lawfully the kingdom of heaven [p. [10]]