And I will make them, and the places round about my hill, a blessing; and I will cause the shower to come down in his season; there shall be showers of blessing.

And the tree of the field shall yield her fruit, and the earth shall yield her increase, and they shall be safe in their land, and they shall know that I am the LORD, when I have broken the bands of their yoke, and delivered them out of the hand of those that served themselves of them.

And they shall no more be a prey to the heathen, neither shall the beasts of the land devour them; but they shall dwell safely, and none shall make them afraid.

And I will raise up for them a Plant of renown, and they shall be no more consumed with hunger in the land, neither bear the shame of the heathen any more.

Thus shall they know that I the LORD their God am with them, and that they, even the house, of Israel, are my people, saith the Lord GOD.

And ye my flock, the flock of my pasture, are men, and I am your God, saith the Lord GOD.--Ezekiel xxxiv. 20-31.

And David my servant shall be king over them and they all shall have one shepherd:

they shall also walk in my judgments, and observe my statutes, and do them.

And they shall dwell in the land that I have given unto Jacob my servant, wherein your fathers have dwelt; and they shall dwell therein, even they and their children, and their children's children, for ever; and my servant David shall be their prince for ever.

Moreover, I will make a covenant of peace with them; it shall be an everlasting covenant with them and I will place them, and multiply them, and will set my sanctuary in the midst of them for evermore.

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My tabernacle also shall be with them, yea, I will be their God, and they shall be my people. And the heathen shall know that I the LORD do sanctify Israel, when my sanctuary shall be in the midst of them for evermore.-Ezekiel xxxvii. 24-28.

I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep,

But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep.

The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep.

I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine.

As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep.

And other sheep I have which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice: and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.-John x. 11-16.

For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.— 1 Pet. ii. 25.

THE TIME OF THE COMING OF CHRIST.

JOHN THE FORERUNNER OF CHRIST.

The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.

Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low; and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain :

And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together; for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.-Isaiah xl. 3---5.

In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judea,

And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. Matt. iii. 1-3.

The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.

John did baptise in the wilderness, and preach the baptism of repentance for the remissions of sins.Mark i. 3, 4.

Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the LORD, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in behold, he shall come, saith the LORD of hosts.-Malachi iii. 1.

As it is written in the prophets, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee.

The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.

John did baptize in the wilderness, and preach the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins.-Mark ii. 2-4.

THE TIME WHICH WAS APPOINTED FOR THE COMING

OF CHRIST.

Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore

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and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times.

And after three score and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself; and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.

And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.---Daniel ix. 25---27.

Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you.

Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God.-1 Peter i. 20, 21.

JOHN, IN THE SPIRIT AND POWER OF ELIJAH,
PREPARED THE WAY OF CHRIST.

Behold I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD: