| 25 earth, (being a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec) and officiated in the same priesthood in heaven, in the presence of God, that he did upon earth among the children of men.
It is the Melchisedec priesthood that "holds the keys of the mysteries of the revelations of God; that unlocks and unfolds the secret purposes of Jehovah, and through which the children of men are enabled to come into the presence of the Most High: and without it no man can see the face of God alive." Enoch, in possession of this principle "walked with God," and through the same principle was translated by faith,-"he was not for God took him."-Noah had the same priesthood, and hence God spoke to him, and told him to build an ark; revealed unto him the pattern and dimensions, made known unto him the destruction that was coming on the earth; and when the ark was prepared told him and all his house to come in. Melchisedec, and Abraham also possessed the priesthood, and hence "the Lord revealed himself unto Abraham, as he sat in the tent door." and the Lord conversed with Abraham, and revealed unto him his purposes; for our Savior said, "Abraham saw my day and was glad."-Job also possessed the same principle, and hence he said on a certain occasion, "I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear; but now mine eye seeth thee." Moses also had the Melchisedec priesthood, and hence the Lord spake unto him out of the burning bush; told him to go to Egypt and deliver the Israelites: and manifested his power in their behalf, through the instrumentality of Moses. He afterwards appeared unto Moses, and unto the seventy elders of Israel upon the mount; and "they saw the face of the God of Israel, and did eat and drink."-It was the purpose of God had they continued righteous to have made of them a "kingdom of priests;" but their iniquities separated them from the Lord-they could not endure the glory of a celestial law; the unbounded privileges of the gospel, nor the presence of Jehovah; but when the Lord spake unto them, they said, "let not the Lord speak any more, lest we his people die." The Melchisedec priesthood was therefore taken from them, as a nation, and Moses was taken out of their midst, and instead of their being a "kingdom of priests," they had only one high priest that went into the presence of God once a year, where he "atoned for his own sins, and for the sins of the people." They were stript [stripped] of the greater blessings connected with the Melchisedec priesthood; they were left only with the Aaronic; with the law of carnal commandments and ordinances, a yoke that the apostles said, "neither we nor our fathers were able to bear." There were individuals prophets among them who had the priesthood, and testified of great events; yet they "sought what the spirit within them did signify," when it testified concerning the coming of Christ and the glory that should follow; to whom it was revealed; that not unto them, but unto us these blessings pertained. Ezekiel "saw the Lord high and lifted up, and his train filled the Temple." Jeremiah, Daniel, and others had great manifestations. Elijah possessed much of the power of God, and had many revelations; and when he was about to be translated, Elisha prayed that a double portion of his spirit might rest upon him, but Elijah said "thou hast asked a hard thing; nevertheless, if thou see me when I am taken away from thee, it shall be so unto thee; but if not, it shall not be so." Here we may pause and inquire why it was that Elijah made this statement unto Elisha? Because he having the Melchisedec priesthood, knew that it held the keys of the mysteries, and the revelations of God, and although he did not know whether he could receive his request or not, it being the gift of God, he did know that if he could see him after he ascended, that he would possess that power; and when Elijah ascended in a chariot of fire-"Elisha saw it, and he cried my father, my father, the chariots of Israel, and the horsemen thereof,"-he ran and took the cloak of Elijah, smote the river with it and cried, "where is the Lord God of Elijah," the power of God divided the water and he knew that his request was granted.
With the exception, however, of a few isolated individuals, who were scattered here and there, like lonely sparrows upon a house top, the children of Israel were destitute of the Melchisedec priesthood-"the law was added because of transgression;" and they were placed "under a schoolmaster until Christ;" who, when he came, was a priest for ever, after the order of Melchisedec; restored the same priesthood-the same gospel, and placed it within the reach of the children of men, to obtain the same blessings, privileges and glory; and of entering into the same kingdom that the ancient saints had done before the transgression of the children of Israel. "To as many as believed to them gave he power to become the sons of God," which power they possessed not before: "The kingdom of God was now preached, and all men rushed into it," and Jew, and Gentile had the privilege then of becoming, "a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people;" a privilege which the Jews might heretofore have enjoyed, but lost in consequence of transgression.
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