les and prophecies of both
the Old and the New Testament for those unquestionable miracles, and
clearly-accomplished prophecies, if it were not that men should believe?
Why, absolutely, they were the very arguments appointed by God himself
to show us that men should not believe, but that damnation should be
their punishment if they did believe. 'To the law and the testimony.'"
Sirs! These are the very words:--'Of miracles, saith God's word, 'They
are the spirits of devils, that work miracles.' Rev. xvi. 14. And it
is the Devil who 'deceiveih them which dwell on the earth, by means of
those miracles which he hath power to do.' Rev. xiii. 14. So much for
miracles. Is it on the score of prophets and of prophecies, then, that
you will take believing to be the safe side? Then 'thus saith the Lord
of Hosts, the God of Israel, the prophets prophesy falsely and the
priests bear rule by their means.' Jer. v. 31. 'The prophet is a fool:
the spiritual man is mad.' Hosea i. 7. 'Thus saith the Lord of Hosts:
hearken not unto the prophets.' Jer. xxiii. 15. 'O Israel, thy prophets
are like the foxes of the desert.' Ezekiel xiii. 4. 'They lie unto
thee.' Jerem. xiv. 14. 'And they shall be tormented day and night
forever and ever.' Rev. xx. 10. 'And the punishment of the prophet shall
be even as the punishment of him that seeketh unto him.' Ezekiel xiv.
10. Nay more, then, it is, when God hath determined to damn men, that
he, in every instance, causeth them to become believers, and to have
faith in divine Revelation, in order that they may be damned. Believers,
and none but believers, becoming liable to damnation; believers and none
but believers, being capable of committing that unpardonable sin against
the Holy Ghost, which hath never forgiveness, neither in this world nor
in that which is to come. 'Whereas all other kinds of blasphemy shall
be forgiven unto men, and all sorts of blasphemy wherewith soever they
shall blaspheme. But there is no forgiveness for believers.' Mark
iii. 28. For it is written, 'For this cause God shall send them strong
delusion, that they should believe a lie: that they all might be
damned.' 2 Thessal. ii. 11. So when it was determined by God that the
wicked Ahab should perish, the means to bring him to destruction, both
of body and soul, was to make him become a believer.

"I offer no comment of my own on words so sacred; but these are the
words: 'Hear thou, therefore, the word of the Lord. I saw the Lord
s