An explanation of the parables

tempter to his den referring to the imprisonment of Satan and shake the fabric of the
earth, as thou shakedst thy brother’s house. And
full as marvellous as the parable is, of the sheep
bringing the murder to light, that it should not go
unpunished, as marvellous are my ways and decrees,
to bring to light the hidden things that are done in
darkness, concealed from the knowledge of man,
that justice may take place in the end.

And now mark the next parable, that I ordered
thee to bring forward, was the HERMIT IN DISGUISE a story where a character hides his true identity to achieve a righteous goal See page 26 of the Book called The Flock of Sheep.: and now mark from the parable I told
thee before, of the Sheep in Disguise; because it
was in disguise he appeared to steal the sheep, when
in reality he tried to shun them; and so in disguise
have all my footsteps appeared to Satan, and to
mankind, when I suffered myself to be betrayed and
put to death by men. My disguise was unknown
to him, and to my disciples, in what manner I
should come again to bring the guilt on his head.
All my threatenings stand to man throughout the
Scriptures, that man might fear: few Scriptures are
understood by man, how they stand for the de-
struction of evil, for Satan’s power to be destroyed.
And now I shall tell thee my disguise, unknown to
men and devils: when I took man’s nature upon
ME, and came in the Flesh the physical body of a human being, and suffered myself to
be tempted by the devil, as man is tempted and
tried, to be a witness against all his arts; thus in
disguise I suffered as a man; but how could I come
as a God, to suffer Satan to tempt ME to fall down
and worship him? This could not be done, as a
God; it must be suffered in disguise, as a man:
and in like manner I went on, through my Gospel the record of Christ's life and teachings,
in disguise and appearance like a man, who had not
power to save my Life, when I came upon the Cross.
But had not my Love, like the Hermit, been great
for mankind, to lay down my life for their sakes,
which I had power to raise again—had not this been