through Elijah as their representative, surrendered their commission at the feet of Jesus. Since, hence, that inspired class of prophets that the Lord gave as helps to the apostles in their ministry passed away, there has not been a prophet of the Lord. Therefore, as Paul declares, God does not in this dispensation, speak in divers manners. As Christ gave, through the inspired ministry of the New Testament, the perfect will of God, it is by the words that he has spoken that all are to be judged at the last day. "He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him; the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him at the last day."—John 12: 48. God having given His perfect will through Christ, revelation from Him closed with the completion of the New Testament, and, as a consequence, miracles being for the purpose of demonstrating and confirming his revelations, since the passing away of the inspired ministry of the New Testament there has not been a miracle nor vision from heaven. God having done all things possible for His people; for, as we have seen, He is limited within His own perfections, giving them His perfect will, thoroughly demonstrated to be such, and giving them a perfect institution that embodies his own fulness, assuring all that it was an exhibition of His own manifold wisdom; perfecting and thoroughly furnishing His people for the mission to which they were called, pledging himself upon oath for the present and eternal salvation of all who would accept of His arrangement and be faithful to His will, as a matter of justice permits a delusion to come upon all who persist in impeaching His wisdom and honor. Hence the strong delusion and power of which we read in Thessalonians and Revelations. Therefore, if there be anything in the way of miraculous power, at the present, or has been in the past, since the completion of the work of the New Testament ministry, it has been by Satanic power, and for the purpose of deception. If there be anything in the visions and apparations of today, or in the past, since the close of apostolic ministry, beyond a heated imagination, an
