Testimonies (part 3 of 3)

101. That the Holy Spirit has frequently appeared in fire.

In Exodus: "And the whole of Mount Sinai smoked, because God had come down upon it in fire."⁴⁵⁹⁵ Also in the Acts of the Apostles: "And suddenly there was made a sound from heaven, as if a vehement blast were borne along, and it filled the whole of that place in which they were sitting. And there appeared to them cloven tongues as if of fire, which also settled upon each of them; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost."⁴⁵⁹⁶ Also in the sacrifices, whatsoever God accounted accepted, fire descended from heaven, which consumed what was sacrificed. In Exodus: "The angel of the Lord appeared in a flame of fire from the bush."⁴⁵⁹⁷

102. That all good men ought willingly to hear rebuke.

In Solomon, in the Proverbs: "He who reproveth a wicked man shall be hated by him. Rebuke a wise man, and he will love you."⁴⁵⁹⁸

103. That we must abstain from much speaking.

In Solomon: "Out of much speaking thou shalt not escape sin; but sparing thy lips, thou shalt be wise."⁴⁵⁹⁹

104. That we must not lie.

"Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord."⁴⁶⁰⁰

105. That they are frequently to be corrected who do wrong in domestic duty.

In Solomon: "He who spareth the rod, hateth his son."⁴⁶⁰¹ And again: "Do not cease from correcting the child."⁴⁶⁰²

106. That when a wrong is received, patience is to be maintained, and vengeance to be left to God.

"Say not, I will avenge me of mine enemy; but wait for the Lord, that He may be thy help."⁴⁶⁰³ Also elsewhere: "To me belongeth vengeance; I will repay, saith the Lord."⁴⁶⁰⁴ Also in Zephaniah: "Wait on me, saith the Lord, in the day of my rising again to witness; because my judgment is to the congregations of the Gentiles, that I may take kings, and pour out upon them my anger."⁴⁶⁰⁵

107. That we must not use detraction.

In Solomon, in the Proverbs: "Love not to detract, lest thou be taken away."⁴⁶⁰⁶ Also in the forty-ninth Psalm: "Thou sattest, and spakest against thy brother; and against the son of thy mother thou placedst a stumbling-block."⁴⁶⁰⁷ Also in the Epistle of Paul to the Colossians:⁴⁶⁰⁸ "To speak ill of no man, nor to be litigious."⁴⁶⁰⁹

108. That we must not lay snares against our neighbour.

In Solomon, in the Proverbs: "He who diggeth a pit for his neighbour, himself shall fall into it."⁴⁶¹⁰

109. That the sick are to be visited.⁴⁶¹¹

In Solomon, in Ecclesiasticus: "Be not slack to visit the sick man; for from these things thou shalt be strengthened in love."⁴⁶¹² Also in the Gospel: "I was sick, and ye visited me; I was in prison, and ye came unto me."⁴⁶¹³

110. That tale-bearers are accursed.

In Ecclesiasticus, in Solomon: "The talebearer and the double-tongued is accursed; for he will disturb many who have peace."⁴⁶¹⁴

111. That the sacrifices of the wicked are not acceptable.

In the same: "The Highest approveth not the gifts of the unrighteous."⁴⁶¹⁵

112. That those are more severely judged, who in this world have had more power.

In Solomon: "The hardest judgment shall be made on those who govern. For to a mean man mercy is granted; but the powerful shall suffer torments mightily."⁴⁶¹⁶ Also in the second Psalm: "And now, ye kings, understand; be amended, ye who judge the earth."⁴⁶¹⁷

113. That the widow and orphans ought to be protected.

In Solomon: "Be merciful to the orphans as a father, and as a husband to their mother; and thou shalt be the son of the Highest if thou shalt obey."⁴⁶¹⁸ Also in Exodus: "Ye shall not afflict any widow and orphan. But if ye afflict them, and they cry out and call unto me, I will hear their cryings, and will be angry in mind against you; and I will destroy you with the sword, and your wives shall be widows, and your children orphans."⁴⁶¹⁹ Also in Isaiah: "Judge for the fatherless, and justify the widow; and come let us reason, saith the Lord."⁴⁶²⁰ Also in Job: "I have preserved the poor man from the hand of the mighty, and I have helped the fatherless who had no helper: the mouth of the widow hath blessed me."⁴⁶²¹ Also in the sixty-seventh Psalm: "The Father of the orphans, and the Judge of the widows."⁴⁶²²

114. That one ought to make confession while he is in the flesh.

In the fifth Psalm: "But in the grave who will confess unto Thee?"⁴⁶²³ Also in the twenty-ninth Psalm: "Shall the dust make confession to Thee?"⁴⁶²⁴ Also elsewhere that confession is to be made: "I would rather have the repentance of the sinner than his death."⁴⁶²⁵ Also in Jeremiah: "Thus saith the Lord, Shall not he that falleth arise? or shall not he that is turned away be converted?"⁴⁶²⁶

115. That flattery is pernicious.

In Isaiah: "They who call you blessed, lead you into error, and trouble the paths of your feet."⁴⁶²⁷

116. That God is more loved by him who has had many sins forgiven in baptism.

In the Gospel according to Luke: "To whom much is forgiven, he loveth much; and to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little."⁴⁶²⁸

117. That there is a strong conflict to be waged against the devil, and that therefore we ought to stand bravely, that we may be able to conquer.

In the Epistle of Paul to the Ephesians: "Our wrestle is not against flesh and blood, but against the powers and princes of this world, and of this darkness; against the spiritual things of wickedness in the heavenly places. Because of this, put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to resist in the most evil day; that when ye have accomplished all, ye may stand, having your loins girt in the truth of the Gospel, putting on the breastplate of righteousness, and having your feet shod with the preparation of the Gospel of peace; in all things taking the shield of faith, in which ye may extinguish all the fiery darts of the most wicked one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God."⁴⁶²⁹

118. Also of Antichrist, that he will come as a man.

In Isaiah: "This is the man who arouseth the earth, who disturbeth kings, who maketh the whole earth a desert."⁴⁶³⁰

119. That the yoke of the law was heavy, which is cast off by us, and that the Lord's yoke is easy, which is taken up by us.

In the second Psalm: "Wherefore have the heathen been in tumult, and the peoples meditated vain things? The kings of the earth have stood up, and their princes have been gathered together against the Lord, and against His Christ. Let us break their bonds asunder, and cast away from us their yoke."⁴⁶³¹ Also in the Gospel according to Matthew: "Come unto me, ye who labour and are burdened, and I will make you to rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me: for I am meek and lowly of heart,⁴⁶³² and ye shall find rest for your souls. For my yoke is good, and my burden is light."⁴⁶³³ Also in the Acts of the Apostles: "It seemed good to the Holy Ghost, and to us, to impose upon you no other burden than those things which are of necessity, that you should abstain from idolatries, from shedding of blood, and from fornication. And whatsoever you would not to be done unto you, do not to others."⁴⁶³⁴

120. That we are to be urgent in prayers.

In the Epistle of Paul to the Colossians: "Be instant in prayer, and watch therein."⁴⁶³⁵ Also in the first Psalm: "But in the law of the Lord is his will, and in His law will he meditate day and night."⁴⁶³⁶