2 Ye are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read of all men:

He has told us plainly and elaborately what He would have us to do, and what kind of people He would have us be and all we have to do is to make ourselves acquainted with what He has said. This requires continual reading, without discouragement, with great perseverance, of the things that God has caused to be written for our instruction.

By this means, the divine law will in course of time work into our nature, and become written In our hearts -- a living power within, which will outwardly manifest itself in the doing of the will of God.

Seasons 1.46.

3 Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart.

Where the truth has possession of the sentiments, setting them to work and so forming the thoughts, it becomes the law of God to them which the apostle styles "the law of his mind;" and because it is written there through the hearing of "the law and the testimony," which came to the prophets and apostles through the Spirit, he terms it, "the law of the spirit" (Rom. 7:23; 8:2) inscribed "on fleshly tablets of the heart "; and "the law of the spirit of life," because, while obeyed, it confers a right to eternal life.

Elpis Israel 1.3.

Paul speaks of two kinds of tablets

—stone tables, and fleshly tables of the heart. On the former, the Mosaic law was written; on the latter 'the epistle of Christ.' It is worthy of remark here, that the scripture divides heart-tables into two kinds—stony heart tablets, and fleshy heart tables. The former are like the tables of the law, hard and insensible; the latter, soft and sensible as flesh.

Israel now, and of old time, seeking a justification by the law, is an illustration of the old stony heart in the flesh; being unbelieving, perverse, and stiffnecked—'uncircumcised of heart, and ears.' The Gentiles are like them. God, however, has promised to give Israel 'a new heart,' which he styles 'a heart of flesh,' upon which he will write his law that they may fear him forever.

This new heart was given to the apostles, and to those, both Jews and Gentiles, who believe the gospel of the kingdom, and in Jesus as the king, through their word.

...How did the Spirit write the epistle of Christ upon the Corinthian heart? Paul says, he did it by him and Timothy. They were the Spirit's amanuenses or secretaries. 'Ye are the epistle of Christ,' says he, 'ministered by us'.

The way they wrote the letter at the dictation of the Spirit is set forth in the narrative of the introduction of the gospel of the kingdom into Corinth.

'He reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath, and persuaded the Jews and the Greeks.'

He went to them 'declaring the testimony of God,' 'teaching His word among them,' and 'testifying that Jesus is the Christ' (or king) 'in demonstration of Spirit and of power.'He did not bring them to the acknowledgment of a theory by eloquence or a display of worldly wisdom. Their reception of the truth was the work of the Spirit through him and Timothy. The testimony was God's, the power was God's, and the demonstration his Spirit's; the reasoning alone was the apostle's, who testified also that he had seen Jesus and conversed with him, since his crucifixion, and that consequently he was indeed risen from the dead.

'Many of the Corinthians hearing, believed, and were baptised.' Their heart tablet, stony before, became fleshy, and inscribed so notably with Spirit-truth, that they were known and read of all men as Christ's in whose hearts he dwelt by faith.

When a man thinks, and at the same time his brain is in an aching state, he is conscious of thinking with that organ.—Observation also proves that the brain is the thinking substance of the body; for pressure upon it suspends all thought and sensation.

The scriptures do not say that 'life and immortality are brought to light in the New Testament;' but that Jesus Christ' has brought them to light 'through the Gospel;' which, the same apostle whose words these are, says,

'God promised before by his prophets in the holy scriptures.'

Herald of the Kingdom and Age to Come, Dec 1852

17 Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.

Writing about body, the apostle says, "there is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body." But, he does not content himself with simply declaring this truth; he goes further, and proves it by quoting the words of Moses, saying, "for so it is written, the first man Adam was made into a living soul and then adds, "the last Adam into a spirit giving life (1 Cor. 15:44-5).

Elpis Israel 1.2.

20. What is IMMORTALITY?

Incorruptible body in living action; or life manifested through an incorruptible body. The Deity, who is the life, is the only being in the universe who has it underived from anything exterior to Himself. (1 Tim. 6:16.)

21. What is the relation of the resurrection-earthy body to the resurrection spiritual body?

Its relation is that of a "terrestrial" inferior body to a "celestial" superior body; bearing a similar relation the one to the other, that the acorn does to the oak.

22. What is the transition from the lower terrestrial body to the higher celestial, or heavenly, termed?

It is an ascent, in which the subject of the ascension is exalted and "RAISED" from the one to the other. (John 19:17.)

23. What was the Body that came out of Joseph's sepulchre?

The same that was crucified, died, and was buried there -"out of the earth, earthy." An earthy body is not consubstantial with the Father, who is Spirit. At the emergence from the tomb, there was inequality of substance between the Father and the Son.

24. What was necessary in order to remedy this imperfection?

It was necessary that the Body which had come forth, and which is the example that illustrates "the Way," should be "made perfect" by ascending to the Father, in the twinkling of an eye.

25. Are the ascent and the assumption of Jesus the same?

No; they occurred forty days apart. The assumption of Jesus was the taking of him up into heaven, where he now is. (Acts 1:11.)

26. What did the crucified body become on its instantaneous ascent to the Father, on the third day?

It became "the last Adam for a spirit-imparting life." (1 Cor. 15:45.) He was "made both Lord and Christ." (Acts 2:36.) He became "the Lord from heaven." (1 Cor.15:47.) "The Lord the Spirit" (2 Cor. 3:17); and "the exact likeness of the Father's substance." (Heb.1:3.)

27. What is it to be "clothed upon with the house which is from heaven?"

To be "swallowed up of life."

28. At what time does the swallowing-up of life occur?

After the coming forth of the earthy body from the grave, and after it has subsequently passed the scrutiny of the judgment.

29. What does Paul say it is that, after coming forth from the grave, is swallowed up of life?

"THE MORTAL"-to thneton: his words are, "that the Mortal might be swallowed up of life." (2 Cor. 5:4.)

30. By what other form of sound words does he express the same thing?

By the words in 1 Cor.15:53, "this corruptible must put on incorruption, and THIS MORTAL (to thneton touto) must put on immortality:" incorruption and immortality are vestments to be put on to a corruptible and mortal thing.

31. What is "the mortal" and "the corruptible" he refers to in these texts?

It is not to dust and ashes in the grave, for they are neither corruptible nor mortal. He refers to what he plainly expresses in Rom. 8:11, where he says "The Spirit of Him who raised the Christ from the dead, shall also quicken your mortal bodies:" to thneta somata. Dust and ashes resulting from decomposition, are not mortal bodies.

Catechesis

Deity Manifested In Spirit

The Lord the spirit

Jesus, then, like all his brethren, is to be considered in two states, each state having a nature peculiar to it. In the former state, "he was crucified through weakness;" but in the after state wherein he now is, "he liveth by the power of the Deity" (2 Cor. 13:4).

In the former state, the flesh was "the filthy garments" with which the SPIRIT-WORD was clothed (Zech. 3:3); "the iniquity of us all" that was laid upon him; "the soul made an offering for sin" (Isa. 43:6,10); but, as He now is, the filthy garments have been taken away; "his iniquity has passed from him," and he is clothed with "change of raiment."

His flesh thus designated has been subjected to the transforming energy of the radiant power of the Eternal Spirit. By this energy his flesh has been transformed into spirit, styled by Paul, spirit of holiness. That is, a nature in which there is no filthiness of flesh or spirit.

It is therefore HOLY SPIRIT NATURE; a nature, generated out of the free spirit radiant from the Eternal Substance. It is therefore like that substance, and hence consubstantial with it. Begotten of spirit it is spirit; as that which is begotten of flesh is flesh (John 3:6). Therefore, Paul speaks of the exalted Jesus, saying, "he was made into a life imparting spirit;" (1 Cor. 15:45), and elsewhere he styles him "the Lord the Spirit!" (2 Cor. 3:16).

Now Jesus as the Lord the Spirit, is the manifestation represented in the Apocalypse by the title of "the Who is, and Who was, and Who is to come; and the Seven Spirits which is before the throne" (Apoc. 1:4). In relation to Jesus Anointed as he is now, these Seven Spirits are his Seven Eyes. This appears from ch. 5:6, where John says,

"I beheld a Lamb as it had been slain, having Seven Horns and Seven Eyes, which are the Seven Spirits of the Deity sent forth into all the earth."

Seven is the number of perfection and completeness. The seven spirits are symbolical of the "One Spirit" in perfect manifestation; the seven eyes of omniscience and perfection of vision; and the seven horns, of omnipotence and perfection of power.

Hence, he who was slain is now a perfect manifestation of Deity, omniscient, all-seeing, and all-powerful -

"Jesus Anointed, the faithful witness, the Chief Born from among dead ones, and the Prince of the kings of the earth;" from among those dead, who are to awake from their sleep in the dust of the earth; and Prince in their midst, when they shall reign with him for a thousand years (ch. 20:6).

Eureka 1.2.3.

18 But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.

In Jesus, then, raised from the dead, incorruptible, and clothed with brightness as when He was transfigured upon the Holy Mount (Matt. 17:2), we behold the image and likeness of the God. When we contemplate Him by faith, as we shall hereafter by sight, we see A MIRROR from which the glory of Yahweh is reflected in intellectual, moral, and physical grandeur.

He that would know God must behold Him in Christ. If he be acquainted with Him as He is pourtrayed in the prophets and apostles, he will understand the character of God, whom no man hath seen, nor can see; who chargeth His angels with folly, and before whom the heavens are not clean. Jesus was the true light shining in the darkness of Judea, whose inhabitants "comprehended it not." Through Him, God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, shone into the hearts of as many as received Him, to give them the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ; that so they might receive power to become the sons of God, believing on His name (2 Cor. 3:18,4:6; John 1:5-12).

How consoling and cheering is it, then, amid all the evils of the present state, that God hath found a ransom, who is willing and able to deliver us from the power of the grave; and not only so, but that "at the manifestation of the sons of God " (Rom. 8:17-25), when He shall appear in power and great glory, "we shall be like Him: because we shall see Him as He is" (1 John 3:2). Then will the saints be "changed into the same image from glory," now only a matter of hope, "into glory," as seen and actually possessed, "even as the Lord " Himself was changed, when He became "the spirit giving life," or "a quickening spirit."

Elpis Israel 1.2.