to Timothy Give attendance to Reading to Exhortation to Doctrine neglect not the Gift that is in thee and bad Timothy Teach and Exhort and to be an Example to the Believers in Word Conversation Faith Charity and Purity 1 Tim. 2.4 6. And the Apostle exhorts Timothy Preach the Word in season and out of season reprove rebuke exhort with all Long-suffering and Doctrine the time will come when they will not endure sound Doctrine but turn their Ears away from the Truth and heap to themselves Teachers having itching Ears And therefore ye see the Churches authority to Exhort Rebuke and Reprove such 2 Tim. 4. But the Apostle saith to Timothy Rebuke not an Elder but entreat him as a Father and the elder Women as Mothers c. 1 Tim. 5. And the Apostle saith to Titus in Chap. 2. Exhort rebuke with all Authority and exhort Servants to be obedient to their own Masters c. that they may adorn the Doctrine of God in all things And the Apostle exhorted Titus To set in order the things that are wanting in Creet and ordain Elders in every City as I had appointed thee And they were to be such as were able by sound Doctrine both to exhort and convince Gain-sayers and the Apostle exhorted Titus To rebuke sharply the Vnruly and vain Talkers and Deceivers Tit. 1. And Titus received the Apostles Exhortation when they sent him to the Corinthians 2 Cor. 8. And the Apostle said A man that is a Heretick after the first and second Admonition reject And the Apostle saith Let us consider one another to provoke one another unto good Works not forsaking the assembling of our selves together as the manner of some is but exhorting one another and so much the more as ye see the Day approach to wit of Christ Jesus Heb 10 24 25. And the Apostle said â—eseech you Brethren suffer ye the Word of Exhortation c. Heb. 13. And the Apostle saith to the Colosians Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly in all Wisdom teaching and admonishing one another c. Col. 3. So here you may see the Church of Christ from his Word dwelling in them were able to teach and admonish one another from the Word of Wisdom in them So it seems then they did not set a Priest over them that he might be always teaching of them and they might be always paying of them And the Apostle saith to the Romans Rom. 15.14 I my self also am perswaded of you my Brethren that ye are full of Goodness and filled with all Knowledge able also to Admonish one another So here you may see the Church of the Romans were able to admonish one another then without setting up of Colledges to make Priests to admonish them and therefore as the Apostle saith to the Philippians in Chap. 2. That ye may be blameless and harmless the Sons of God without rebuke in the midst of a Crocked Generation among whom ye shine as Lights in the World holding forth the Word of Life And the Apostle saith I have sent Tythicus unto you the Ephesians that he might know your Affairs and he might Comfort your Hearts Ephes 6. Here the Churches knew and made known the Affairs one of another in the Lord. And Jude exhorted the Church in his general Epistle That they should earnestly contend for the Faith which was once delivered to the Saints or sanctified Ones which Faith Christ is the author and finisher of And now had all Christendom contended for this Faith or Belief then they would not have made so many Faiths or Beliefs to kill and destroy one another about which had they kept in Christs saving Faith which saves and doth not destroy and with that Shield of Faith ye do not War with Flesh and Blood to destroy it And the Lord sent Jeremiah to admonish the Children of Israel that they should not go into Egypt but they disobeyed the Word of the Lord unto Jeremiah and went into Egypt therefore Jeremiah told them They should dye in the Land of Egypt and should be consumed Jer. 42.43 44. Here you may see what became of them that disobeyed the admonishment of the Lord and his Prophet and therefore Solomon saith Better is a poor and a wise Child then an old and soolish King who will no more be admonished or knoweth not to be admonished Eccles 4. And Solomon saith The words of the Wise are as Goards and as Nails fastened by the Masters of Assemblies c. by these my Son be admonished Eccles 12. So it is good for all to receive the Exhortations and Admonishments from the Power and Spirit of Christ and Christ bad John write unto the Church of Thyatira and that he had a few things against them because they suffered Jezabel to teach c. Rev. 2. And so you may see this Church came under Reproof because they did not make use of their Power and Authority in the Spirit of Christ to judge Jezabel's Spirit and therefore the Church of Christ now is not to suffer Jezabel's Spirit lest they come under the same Reproof if they suffer that Jezabel's Spirit to teach now as then And here you may see how that Christ hath given his Church Power and Authority in his holy Spirit to admonish exhort judge reprove and rebuke in his Power and Spirit G. F. Concorning such as cry against Orders GOD is a God of Order and not of Consusion and the Apostle saith to the Church of Christ Let all things be done decently and in Order Mark all things in the Church of Christ So then there is nothing to be done undecently out of the Order of the peaceable Truth for God is not the author of Confusion or Tumults or Unquietness but of Peace in all the Churches of the Saints and therefore if God be not the Author of such Confusion Tumults and Unquietness but of Peace in all the Churches of the Saints therefore then confused tumultuous unquiet undesent and disorderly Spirits with the Power and Spirit of God they must be admonished to the peaceable Spirit of God in them and with it judge out the contrary else the Church of Christ in its power and peaceable spirit can have no unity with them but with the spirit and power of Christ judge that undesent confused tumultuous unquiet disorderly Spirit for God as I said before is a God of Order but the Devil which is the Worlds God hath made the World like a Wilderness which lies in Wickedness and this Devil or Satan in whom there is no Truth the power of death and darkness and confusion got into Adam and Eve by their disobedience and rules in the hearts of the Disobedient where all tumults disquietness confusion and disorders are for who went and go into disobedience from God they went and are gone from his Image from the innocency and simplicity and his power and spirit within and so go out and from his Power Spirit and Image in which his
holy Order is and go out of simplicity and innocency into subtilty and craft for the Devil that abode not in the Truth and his followers that disobey God and his Truth which follow the Devil in whom there is no Truth there is no order but confusion Truth hath an order for all things that God did make by Jesus Christ upholds all things by his Word and Power So with his Word and Power he keeps all things in their places and in their order in their times and in their seasons the Summer and the Winter the Night and the Day the Sun Moon and the Stars all things are kept in order by the Word of God and his Power and the Earth is the Lords and the fullness thereof and the Sea and the fullness therein So both the Earth and the Sea and all things therein are kept in their order by the Word and Power of God by which they were made by which they are upheld So all the works of the Lord praise him and all men and women that are in the Truth which makes them free from him that abode not in the Truth in whom there is no Truth So all Gods free People or Children that are made free indeed by the Truth are in the order of the Truth and in the order of the Spirit of God and in the order of the Gospel and are in the order of the Light the Life in Christ and are over the foul Spirit of Disorder in the Land of Death and Darkness as the Scripture saith A Land of Darkness as Darkness it self and of the shadow of Death without any Order Mark without any Order where the Light is as Darkness This Spirit may cry out against Orders whose Habitation is Darkness without any order but as the Lord saith Who offers up Praise glorifies me and he that orders his Conversation aright shall see the Salvation of God Now here is a particular Order for every man and woman to observe for the steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord and he delight in his way Psal 37. The Lord hath sworn and will not repent speaking of Christ Thou art a Priest forever after the order of Melchizedeck Psal 110. Heb. 5. and Christ is not called after the order of Aaron Heb. 7. Here you may see Melchizedeck the Priest was not made without an Order and Aaron's Priesthood was made by an order of God according to his Rod's budding in the Tabernacle and Christ was not a Priest made without an Order which is after the order of Melchizedeck and his Royal Priesthood which offers up spiritual Sacrifices acceptable to God are in his spiritual Order and in the Order of the spirit of God And Isaiah saith chap. 9. Vnto us a Child is born unto us a Son is given and the Government shall be upon his Shoulders So here Christ bears up his Government and of the increase of his Government and Peace there shall be no end for Christ orders it and establishes it c. So Christ's Government is a peaceable Government and there is no strife in it and Christ's Government is peaceable in his Power Light and Spirit And the Apostle after he had exhorted the Corinthians of many things said The rest I will set in order when I come and this was by the Power and Spirit of Christ And the Apostle saith to Titâ—â— I left thee in Creet that thou shouldst set in order the things that be wanting and that thou ordain Elders in every City as I have appointed thee And in the 2d chapt ye may see how he speaks of the Qualifications of the aged men and the aged women that were to be teachers of good things and of the younger c. Now here you may see the Apostle was for good Order and established good Order in the Church of Christ and encouraged Titus to set in order and ordain Elders in every City in Creet which were wanting so that all the Church of Christ might be kept in the Order and Power and Spirit of Christ And the Apostle saith to the Colosians Though I be absent in the flesh yet I am with you in the spirit joying and beholding your Order and the stedfastness of your Faith in Christ and as you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord so walk in him Now here you may see the Church of Christ had a spiritual order though the Apostle was absent in the flesh from them yet he was present with them in his spirit with which spirit he rejoyced and beheld their spiritual order so in this spiritual order must all Gods People live though they be absent in Body one from another yet in the spirit they may rejoyce beholding the spiritual order that is in the Church of Christ and the stedfastness of one anothers Faith in Christ Jesus who is the Author and Finisher of it G. F. THE END Books lately published and sold by Andrew Sowle HUmphry Smith's Books collected into one Volumn Price 2 s. 6 d. A handful after the Harvest-man or a Collection of the Epistles and Testimonies of Richard Samble William Penn's No Cross No Crown His Letter from Pennsilvania giving a brief description thereof Concerning Meetings in Houses Streets By ways c. By G. F. A brief Treatise of Religious Womens Meetings Truth 's Vindication or a gentle stroke to wipe off the foul Aspersions and Misrepresentations cast upon the Quakers By E. Bathurst 8o. Some Fruits brought forth through a tender Branch named W. Sixmith The good Housewife made a Doctor Or a plain way of Natures own prescribing to prevent and cure most Diseases incident to Men Women and Children by Diet and Kitchin-Physick only 8o. bound 1 s.
SEVERAL Plain Truths Manifested and Declared from the SPIRIT of GOD And born Testimony to by Christ the Apostles and Scriptures of Truth I. Concerning Mount-Sion II. A Distinction betwixt Wars and Armour in the Old Testament and the New III. Concerning CAIN IV. Concerning Uniformity and Conformity V. The Authority of the Church of Christ VI. Concerning Exhorting and Admonishing VII Concerning such as cry against Orders c. By G. F. London Printed and Sold by Andrew Sowle at the Crooked-Billet in Holloway-Lane Shoreditch 1684. Concerning Mount-Sion MOVNT-SION was a Hill higher than all other Hills and it stands northwards in Jerusalem and therefore is called SION that is a Watch-Tower because from this Hill Sion from it one might see the Holy Land and all the Countries thereabouts and upon this Hill David built his City and blew the Trumpet which Mount-Sion and Jerusalem was a Type of a Heavenly Jerusalem and Sion for the Lord said I have set my King or Anointed upon my holy Hill of Sion Heavenly Sion is the Hill or Mountain of Gods Holiness beautiful for Scituation the Joy of the whole Earth is Mount-Sion let Mount-Sion rejoyce Psal 48. For God will save Sion the Salvation of Israel comes out of Sion to wit Christ who is elect and precious laid in Sion but not in the outward Hill or Mount-Sion for Christ was born in Bethlem and David saith by Prophecy concerning Christ O that the Salvation of Israel was come out of Sion when the Lord brings back the Captivity of his People Jacob shall rejoyce and Israel shall be glad Psal 14. And again he saith Let Israel rejoyce in the Lord that made him let the Children of Sion be joyful in their King for Sion shall be redeemed through Judgment and her Converts through Righteousness Is not this Sion Gods People and not the outward Hill For out of Sion shall go forth a Law and the Word of the Lord from Jerusalem Is not this heavenly Jerusalem and heavenly Sion that the Word of the Lord and his Law goes out of and not out of the outward Hill Sion In the last dayes Isaiah saith that the Mountain of the House of the Lord shall be established on the top of all Mountains and exalted above all the Hills and all Nations shall flow unto it Is not this heavenly Mount-Sion and heavenly Jerusalem And Isaiah saith The Lord is exalted for he dwells on high he hath filled Sion with Judgment and Righteousness Sion is called a City of our Solemnity and Jerusalem a quiet habitation a Tabernacle that shall not be taken down not one of the stakes thereof shall ever be removed neither shall any of the Cords thereof be broken Is not this heavenly Jerusalem and heavenly Sion But let the Hypocrites or Sinners of outward Sion or Jerusalem be afraid which may be removed or broken which heavenly Sion or Jerusalem cannot for no unclean thing enters into it O Sion that bringest good Tidings get thee up into the high Mountain of Jerusalem that brings good tidings lift up thy Voice with strength lift it up be not afraid Say unto the City of Judah Behold your God So here 's Sion and Jerusalem that bring good tidings Now do ye think that this was the outward Jerusalem or outward Hill for Christ was born in Bethlem a Cheif Corner Stone elect and precious laid in Sion but it doth not say in the outward Hili Sion Isaiah speakes by prophecy Isa 51. He will comfort all her waste places and he will make her Wilderness like Eden and her Desart like the Garden of the Lord Joy and Gladness shall be found therein Thanks-giving and the Voice of Melody I have put my Words in thy Mouth and have Covered thee even in the Shadow of my hand that I may plant the Heavens and lay the Foundations of the Earth and say unto Sion Thou art my People Here you may see that Sion is Gods People And how beautiful upon the Mountains are the feet of him that brings glad Tidings that publishes Peace that brings good Tidings of good that publisheth Salvation that saith unto Sion Thy God riegns when the Lord shall bring again Sion to wit his People for the outward Mountain with the outward Hill was not removed and the Redeemer shall come to Sion and unto them that are turned from Transgression Isa 59. and Rom. 11. And this Redeemer is Christ And Isaiah saith Who hath seen such a thing and who hath heard such things Shall a Nation be born at once For so soon as Sion travelled she brought forth her Chileren Now here you may see the wonder of Sion's Travel which was not the Great Hill nor Watch-Tower in Jerusalem And Zachariah saith The Lord shall yet Comfort Sion that is his People Zach. 1. And Zachariah saith shout thou Daughter of Sion And again he saith to Sion Let not thy hand be slack so Sion was and is Gods People And Micah saith In the Last dayes c. the Mountain of the house of the Lord shall be established above all the Mountains and it shall be exalted above all the Hills So here is Gods heavenly Mountain or Watch Tower which is above all Hills and Mountains and People shall flow unto it and many Nations shall come and say Come let us go up to the Mountain of the Lord and to the House of the God of Jacob and he will teach us of his wayes and we will walk in his Paths Here God is the Teacher of his People and Nations for these last days are the dayes of Cluist in his New Covenant or Testament where the Lord goes forth from heavenly Sion the Mountain of the House of God established above all Mountains and the Word from heavenly Jerusalem that is above old Jerusalem which was the Word of Faith the Apostles preach't in Peoples Hearts and Mouthes Rom. 10. Micah 4. Isa 2. The Jews in the Old Testament they had the Law given to them at the outward Hill Moum-Sion who had the outward Hill North in Jerusalem called Mount-Sion and read the outward Law in outward Jerusalem but the Mountain of the Lord or heavenly Mount-Sion which is called the Mountain of the House of the Lord is established on the top of all the Mountains and exalted above all the Hills so that all Nations may see it and slow unto it And Obadiah saith Vpon Mount-Sion shall be deliverance c. and saviours shall come upon Mount-Sion to judge the Mount of Esau and the Kingdom shall be the Lords And the Apostle saith Rom. 9. As it is written behold I lay in Sion a Stone of stumbling and a Rock of Offence and whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed And Peter saith 1 Epist 2. Behold I lay in Sion a chief Corner Stone elect and precious and he that believeth on him shall not be Confounded to all that believe in him he is precious but unto them that are disobedient he is a Stone of