The Gospel of God as taught by his Holy Son and prophet, Jesus Christ...

Front matter

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Chapter I

Christ's sermon on the mount — Glory and power of God —His Hght, life and life of man— The Word— Truth— All born of God — All sons and daughters of God — All things made by him — Not born of the flesh — Two royal commandments — Are tests of all others — Penaltj^ of violating them — Murder, direct and indirect — Stealing, direct and indirect — Adultery.

Chapter II

Revenge forbidden — God no respecter of persons — God is love, and never curses any of his children at any time — Sobriety — Usury — Perfection — All on the way to heaven under God's care and majesty — Borrowing and lending — Feed the hungry, etc. — Swear not — Prayer — Not to pray until reconciled to brother — God's compassion on poor and ignorant — Alms — Lord's prayer — Forgive trespasses — Fasting — Cheerfulness enjoined — God is a spirit — His strength to save us.

Chapter III

Covetousness — Contentment — Lay up treasures in heaven — Eye must be single unto God — Ye cannot serve God and mammon — Parable of the rich man and Lazarus — One in hell, the other in heaven — The rich farmer — Labor six days and provide for thine own — The Sabbath — Then take no covetous thought — Seek heaven first — Great reward in heaven for every day of labor — And laborers to have bright crowns — The idle to receive stripes in hell to hasten them to heaven.

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Chapter IV

Mercy — Judge not, condemn not — Grudge not — Forgive — The wicked servant— Cast into prison of hell — Do not error — No variableness in God — Examine yourselves — Cast the beam from thine eye — Seek the kingdom of heaven, ask, etc. — God better and more merciful than any man — Hypocrisy — Correct wrongs — Pa5^the laborer —lycnd to neighbor — Good measure — The golden rule— Not a sparrow shall fall without God's perception and help — Hairs of head numbered — Nothing lost — Rewards of the righteous.

Chapter V

Faith without works is dead — Charity the evidence of love and mercy — Shall cover many sins — Humility — Take low seats at feasts — Call the poor to your feasts — Use hospitality, but alike to rich and poor — How to act when the rich and poor visit you — Ye are convicted by the royal law if you have respect to persons — Call none father nor master — Love one another — No man hath seen God — God is love, love is truth — All variety compared to heaven — Love little children — The Father raises the dead, but does not judge them — Neither does Christ — They are self-adjudged by their works.

Chapter VI

How to be saved — Keep the commandments — The good Samaritan — The greatest commandments — Wicked servants to be beaten with many stripes — The ignorant with few stripes — Are there few saved ? — Narrow way and broad way — All to be saved finally — Marriage of the King's son — All that came, good and bad, had on wedding garments, except Satan — Not the Father's will that they should be lost — Blessings for the righteous — Woes for the wicked — God will draw all men to him — The good cannot repent for the bad — Christ is the door — Bad men cannot enter by other ways — A man cannot get religion — It must be by good works, which are treasures in heaven.

Chapter VII

How to be saved — None good except God— The ten commandments — Give to the poor — Danger of riches — Sell that thou hast and give to the poor — Nothing impossible with

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God — Jesus showeth that the publicans and harlots will go to heaven before the chief priests and elders — Life more abundant — Pray against temptation — The Pharisee and the publican pray in the temple — Exalt not thyself — Christ called little children and blessed them — None shall injure theiiii — Charity and selfishness compared — Training of children — Every house builded by some man — Heaven and all things of God and are his children's — The silver rule — All flesh shall see the salvation of God — Not a sparrow to fall without his help — All saved and nothing to be lost — The flesh profiteth not — The Word is life eternal — God draws us to him.

Chapter VIII

Repentance, how made — Just persons need no repentance — He that cometh to the Lord he will not cast out — Tree known by its fruits — Go to Christ, all ye that are weary and heavy laden — Be of good cheer — If ye do well, ye shall be accepted — All sins shall be forgiven, except blaspheming against the Holy Ghost — Revile not the gods — A man to reap that which he sows — He that damages his neighbor, let him make recompense — If he steals a hoe or any other thing, let him restore it — Kingdom of God at hand — Blight of sin — Love God — Fear Satan — Purify your souls — Humble yourselves — The infidel — Least in heaven greater than John the Baptist was here — Death, shall come as a snare— The law of sacrifice was until John — God requires love, mercy, and charity — Rewards to righteous — Three great errors.

Chapter IX

The prodigal son — He demanded his portion — Went into a far country — Wasted his portion — A famine came — He died — Was lost in hell — Was restored to his reason — Repented — Arose and went to his Father in heaven— His royal reception and feast — That reception and feast spread for all — God's great love to his children — He is omnipotent, yet cannot do all things at once — His warm invitation to all to come — False prophets slander God — The least has the most powerful friend in him — God is good — And will draw all men unto him, and gather them unto their fathers and mothers, even the wicked, in due time, and reward them as their works shall be — God is rich and ye are his heirs.

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Chapter X

Offenses — Drawing the sword — Forgiveness — Church differences — Forgive thy brother as often as he asks it — Who is Christ's brother? — Tradition of men, as washing cups and pots — Devouring widows' houses — Imposing heavy taxes and burdens — Unrighteous decrees — Gather not from the poor to scatter to the rich — Marriage and divorce — Adulterous woman — No marriages in heaven as in the world — All men, past and present, live unto God — Render to Caesar and God their own — The widow's mite.

Chapter XI

Death — New birth into heaven — Explained to Nicodemus — All shall know the voice of the Son of God— Death described— The angels shall appear — Shall take all to the judgment bar as soon as dead — Death swallowed up in victory — The judgment — Rewards to the righteous and wicked — This gospel to be preached so the world will have no cloak for its sins — Building house on rock and sand — Christ's poverty in this world's goods.

Chapter XII. Heaven

God created it and spread it out — Garnished it — He ruleth it — Many mansions — Each star a mansion — Full of angelic life — All good, clean, and beautiful — No marriages, pain, or sorrow there — Life is eternal — We will know each other — Angels travel and work — Work does not fatigue — All are young there — They are children of light, and they shine as the sun — They differ in glory, according to their works — Why we do not see them here — AH are perfected there as their work shall be — God's voice fills the infinite heavens, cheering the angels — The mind cannot conceive the good things there — A star as bright as the morning star for the good — The sun and his planets our heaven — Nothing vile or unclean can enter heaven — The angels cannot get unclean — The raiment of the angels, peace and contentment.

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CHAPTER XIII. HEIvL AND THE EXILE

Hell is a purgatory to remove sins — A school of instruction and repentance and cleansing— Sinners cleansed by God's love and righteousness, not by fire — The work is done by angels — Hell is the sinner's condition — First, second, and third divisions of hell — Repentance in hell — Finally each arises and goes to God, as they repent, until they all go — Necessity for a hell — God's love for sinners the same as a mother's love for her child — The land and the sea — Death and hell must give up their dead unto God — The angel of hell is his servant — The blight of sin after repentance — Falling short of the glory of God is eternal punishment.

THE EXILE.

Its nature — A matter of choice for some angels — Only the very wicked choose it — Blasphemy against the Holy Ghost — Such choose the exile — If a man is punished in this world, he will not be in the next — Angels in exile have all the feasts of heaven, and are contented.

Chapter XIV

Christ's ministry — He sends out his disciples to preach — They return with joy — Jesus baptized not, but his disciples — He goes to the Feast of Tabernacles and preaches — Warned that Herod would kill him — Great multitudes hear him preach — The transfiguration of Christ to angel form — His glorious appearance — What he did during his ministry — He ordains his church — Gives St. Peter, his oldest apostle, the keys to heaven —Jesus and his disciples go to Jerusalem at the Feast of the Passover — They went by Jacob's Well to Bethany — There a supper was given them — Mary, the sister of Martha, anoints his head and feet against his death and burial — His triumphal entry into Jerusalem — He drove the money-changers from the temple with a scourge of small plaited ropes — He and his apostles eat the Passover — He instituted the sacrament of his supper — Washes his disciples' feet — He appoints Judas, and commanded him to betray him, and ordered him to do so quickly — Poor Judas humbly obeys his Master, and then hanged himself for grief.

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Chapter XV

Christ's farewell to his disciples — He cried and said, "I and my Father are one, but he is greater than I; he is greater than all" — All things made known to the disciples — He sends them to preach — Love and peace enjoined — Life in heaven — He to be cast out from this earth — "Be not troubled" — Ye shall live — He will draw all men unto him — The Holy Spirit of truth — False prophets — "Judge ye what is right, but err not" — Christ is the way — Follow him — God judges no man, nor Christ, but the law — Christ came from the Father and goeth again to him — "In our Father's house are many mansions" — Be not afraid, but cheerful in your tribulations — He promises to come again — His prayer for the world and disciples.

Chapter XVI

Christ Would not flee — His agony in the garden— His arrest — Peter cut off one of Malchus's ears — Christ healed it — He that taketh the sword shall perish by the sword — Peter denied Christ — Jesus was taken before the high priest — He avowed that he was Christ — Had spoken nothing in secret — An officer strikes Jesus — Crowing of the cock — Peter wept — Jesus taken before Pilate for trial — Judas was so grieved that he hanged himself — Jesus was tried first before Pilate, who acquitted him — On a demand by the priests, he was sent before Herod, who acquitted him — Pilate acquitted him again — But, for fear of Caesar, Pilate delivered Jesus to be crucified — His crucifixion — His resurrection — On the cross he forgives his slayers — Committed his mother to John's care — At his death angels appear — Also at his resurrection and ascension.

CHAPTER XVn.

His ascension to heaven — His commissions to the women and disciples — Christ afterwards preaches to the spirits in hell — Makes a prison delivery— Conclusion of the whole matter — Love God and keep his commandments in thy strength and manhood as well as in sickness and old age.

EXPLANATION.

I have studiously endeavored to collect all the important commandments and promises of God to man, out of sacred history, into this work, and so arrange them that they be more readily found and better understood.

I have proceeded on the great truths, that God is good and merciful, and that there is no evil or spite in Him, and that He is the very best friend of man, whether they are good or bad ; that hell is not a consuming fire, but is a fire of love, repentance, and instruction, in which the wicked are purified, taught, and prepared for heaven for all they are worth or can be made.

All the verses contained in this book, if not the very words of the present record, are strictly so in spirit, and are truth.

Some few will doubt, perhaps, the love and goodness of God as shown herein, but they will please remember that God is better than any man, however good and holy that man may be. Therefore doubt not, for all, good and bad, shall finally see the salvation of God and heaven, and be rewarded according to their works.

God in His majesty and goodness so loves all His children, good and bad, in this world, that He has commanded all men and nations not to kill, hurt, rob, falsely teach, condemn to hell, or injure them in tlie least; and if they are sick, to visit them ; and if in want, to give them the necessaries of life without grudging — under the penalty of being cast into prison by their transgressions (not of God), and there to remain till they pay the last farthing ; then they arise and go to their Father in heaven, and are rewarded for all good works.

A man shall reap that which he sows, and religion begins at the cradle and ends at the grave.

Death-bed repentance will not avail a man very much, as faith and prayer without works are dead. But they are good deeds and help him.

Ministers of the gospel and good people should visit the sick and the dying and comfort them with the goodness of God and heaven, for the very wicked and disobedient have many more good deeds to their credit in heaven than forgetful man can remember, and not one of the good deeds shall be forgotten by our Father in heaven, but each one of them shall be abundantly rewarded, as treasures laid up in heaven.

If a man does not try to keep the commandments of God and Christ, he 'does not believe in either of them or love them. It is folly for him to think so. Such words as ^' hell fire,'' ** everlasting fire," " damnation or hell," ^^destruction," "perish," " wrath of God," " bottomless pit," ** eternal punishment in hell," are used in this book to warn man of the evil and blight of sin. And the word " Me " as used by Christ oftentimes means " My Gospel,'' and " My Father," " Our Father." Follow His gospel, for His burden is light and His yoke is easy.

James A. Spurlock,

May the \st^ 1895. Versailles, Missouri.

Chapter I

Christ's sermon on the mount — Glory and power of God — His light, life and life of man — The Word — Truth — All born of God — All sons and daughters of God — All things made by him — Not born of the flesh — Two royal commandments— Are tests of all others — Penalt)^ of violating them — Murder, direct and indirect — Stealing, direct and indirect — Adultery.

1 Christ and his disciples went up into the Mount, and he chose his twelve apostles.

2 And he spake unto them and the multitudes that came to hear him, as man never spake before, saying :

3 God our Father created the starry heavens and the earth, and he said. Let there be hght^ and there was light.

4 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

5 The same was in the beginning with God.

6 All things were made by him, and without him not anything was made that was made.

7 In him there is life everlasting, and there is infinite strength in that life.

8 The life of God is the light of men, and the life of men is the light of God.

9 That light shineth in the darkness of our bodies and giveth us life through the will and power of God, and we comprehend it not.

10 We are not born of our own will, nor of the flesh, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but we are born of God.

11 Ye are all brethren; ye are all the sons and daughters of the true and living God.

12 He is the Father of all humanity, and loves his children with tender mercy, and has' the highest right to govern.

13 We are all members of his family, and are all members of his church, both good and bad.

14 He raises up the dead and quickens them with everlasting life in heaven.

15 Glory be to God in the highest, peace and good-will towards men.

16 I come not to destroy, but to fulfill the law and the prophets.

17 I come not to seek mine own honor, but the honor of our Father in heaven, who sent me. I receive not honor from men.

18 I come not to call the righteous, but sin> ners to repentance and knowledge of God.

19 I am sent to preach the gospel of God, and the kingdom of heaven to this world. I came into this world to bear witness unto the truth, that ye may have life in heaven more abundantly.

20 In the beginning God gave to man two great royal commandments. The first is,

21 THOU SHALT LOVE THE LORD THY GOD WITH ALL THY HEART, AND WITH ALL THY SOUL, AND WITH ALL THY MIND, AND WITH ALL THY STRENGTH.

22 The second is, THOU SHALT LOVE THY NEIGHBOR AS THYSELF.

23 On these two great royal commandments hang all the law and the prophets, and not a part of them.

24 All other laws are only explanatory of these two, and must be compared and tested by them.

26 Whatsoever is spoken, whatsoever is written, and whatsoever is done in accordance with these two commandments is truth.

26 And by the exercise or obeying the truth ye shall be saved in heaven.

27 And whatsoever is spoken, whatsoever is written, and whatsoever is done not in accordance with them is error ; and for willful error, not repented of, you shall receive condemnation by the law.

28 Whosoever shall, knowingly and of his own will, break the least of these commandments, and teach men so, shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven.

29. And whesoever shall do them, and teach men so, shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven ; for all men, even the very wicked, shall in due time be drawn into the kingdom of heaven and be rewarded according to their works, but the condition of the very wicked will be very bad, in mind and body.

30 Ye have heard it said. Thou shalt not kill, that thou shalt do no murder, and that whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment.

31 But I say unto you, That whoever shall commit murder shall be held guilty of violating all the laws of God.

32 And whosoever shall injure his brother by word, act, deed, or evil contrivance shall be in danger of hell fire.

33 Ye are all brethren, and whosoever shall be angry with his brother without a cause, or shall say to him. Thou fool, or Thou worthless fellow, shall be in danger of the judgment.

34 There are many ways of killing a man and of stealing from him. It is not necessary to have a club, a dagger, nor a gun to kill him.

35 But he may be, and is most frequently, killed by tbe slow poison of human oppression : he or some member of his family.

36 One man or combination of men may so oppress another, and perhaps his family, that it is not possible for him or his family to procure food, raiment, and shelter.

37 Then they hunger first, they sicken next, and then die. This is like lying in wait and killing the victims, and is murder.

38 It would be better for a man if a mill-stone were first tied about his neck and he cast into the sea, than he be guilty of human oppression.

39 Ye have heard it said, Thou shalt not steal, nor defraud.

40 But I say unto you, That whosoever shall deprive his brother or his neighbor of his liberty, his labor, his lands, his house, his property, or just rights, by any species of fraud, cunning, or deceit, gambling, lying, cheating, usury, or unjust taxes, or contrivance or combination of men, stands convicted by the law of stealing and defrauding.

41 The only way to repent of stealing is to make recompense to the injured party in this life, or pay the last farthing in the prison of hell.

42 Ye have heard it said. Thou shalt not commit adultery. But I say unto you, Whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her and encompass her shame and ruin hath already committed adultery in his heart.

43 And whosoever puts away his wife, except for the cause of adultery, committeth sin; and likewise with the wife if she do so.

44 The blackguards and profane swearers shall be known in the judgment by their mouths.

Chapter II

Revenge forbidden — God no respecter of persons — God is love, and never curses any of his children at any time — Sobriety — Usury — Perfection — All on the way to heaven under God's care and majesty — Borrowing and lending — Feed the hungry, etc. — Swear not — Prayer — Not to pray until reconciled to brother — God's compassion on poor and ignorant — Alms — I^ord's prayer — Forgive trespasses — Fasting — Cheerfulness enjoined — God is a spirit — His strength to save us.

1 Ye have Heard it has been said of olden times, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth. But I say unto you, Bear with one another, and render not evil for evil, or railing for railing, but contrariwise blessings.

2 Ye have heard that it has been said. Thou shalt love thy neighbor, and hate thine enemy.

3 But I say unto you. Love thine enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use and persecute you,

4 That ye may have a great reward in the kingdom of heaven. These texts overrule one-half of the teachings of the ancients and much of the present day.

5 God is no respecter of persons, nor partial to any, but has reserved judgment and rewards to be made and rendered in heaven. He knows no more of the " great priests, ministers, and rulers of this earth than he knows of the humble people. They are all his own children.

6 He maketh his sun to shine on the evil and the good, and sendeth his rain on the just and the unjust.

7 If ye salute your brethren only, or love them only which love you, what do ye do more than others ?

8 If your brother offend thee, forgive him, for he will repent in this world, or in the next, and finally meet thee in heaven.

9 God is love, and is far exalted in heaven above any hatred, malice, spite, or revenge, and never at any time cursed or hated any of his children, bat loves all of them, and will in due time exalt all of them in the kingdom of heaven.

10 God is a spirit, and must be worshiped in spirit and truth by all true worshipers.

11 Be ye sober, be ye steadfast, and if sinners entice thee, consent thou not. Strive to be perfect as your Father in heaven is perfect.

12 Ye are all brethren, both good and bad, pursuing life's journey to the judgment-bar of heaven under the sure and mighty dispensation of God, where every one shall be judged and rewarded as his works shall be.

13 Therefore avoid giving offences one to another, but have ye compassion one to another.

14 Love as brethren : Be courteous. Imagine no evil against thy neighbor.

15 Eschew evil and do good. Seek peace and pursue her ways. Bridle thy tongue from evil, and let thy lips speak no guile or falsehood.

16 Thou shalt not take usury nor interest for the loan or forbearance of money or commodity, except paid by free consent of the borrower.

17 But if thou borrowest, pay it back with reasonable interest, if you reasonably can.

18 Thou shalt not refuse to lend thy neighbor the necessaries of life, however poor or trifling he may be.

19 Thou shalt feed the hungry, clothe the naked, visit the sick with proper relief, if needed, and those in prison, and entertain the stranger or cause it to be done ; all these thou shalt reasonably and righteously do.

20 Ye have heard it said. Thou shalt perform all thine oaths unto the Lord, and not forswear thyself.

21 But I say unto you. Swear not at all ; neither by heaven, for it is God's throne ; nor by the earth, for it is his footstool ; neither by thy head, because thou canst not make one hair white or black.

22 Let your communications be. Yea, yea; or Nay, nay : for more than these may come of evil.

23 Thou shalt love and honor thy father and thy mother. He that hateth his father, his mother, his wife, his child, his brother, his sister, his neighbor, or his own life, cannot be my disciple, and cannot be worthy of the kingdom of heaven till he loves them, and he shall love God more than these.

24 When ye pray, forgive, if ye have aught against anyone, that your Father in heaven may forgive you.

25 When thou shalt come before the altar of prayer, remember if thy brother or sister hath aught against thee. If so, make not that prayer ; but go first and be reconciled to thy brother or sister, and then come and make thy prayer.

26 Agree with thine adversary quickly, while thou art in the way of life with him, lest at any time he shall accuse thee before the judge, and the judgdeliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into the prison of hell.

27 Verily I say unto thee, Thou shalt by no means come out from thence till thou hast paid the uttermost farthing.

28 But God will have compassion for the ignorant, poor, and weak.

29 Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them ; if ye do, ye have no reward in heaven.

30 Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you. They have their reward.

31 But when thou doest thine alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth,

32 That thy alms may be in secret, and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly in heaven.

33 And if thou doest thy neighbor a kind deed, thou shalt not cause him to acknowledge the same before men.

34 When thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are, for they love to pray standing in the houses of worship, and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you. They have their reward.

35 But when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut the door, pray to thy Father which is in secret, and he shall reward thee openly in heaven.

36 When ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do ; for they think they shall be heard for their much speaking.

37 Be not like unto them, for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of before ye ask of him.