which who do so conform are in the heavenly unity and conformity and Christ who tasted Death for every man for all dyed in Adam he enlightens every man that comes into the world with his heavenly Light which is the Life in him the Word by whom all things were made Now every man and woman being turned to the Light which is the Life in Christ and believing in it and walking in it is the means by which they may be made conformable to the Image of the Son of God and so come into Unity and Conformity and Fellowship one with another and with the Father and the Son And the Grace of God which brings salvation hath appeared unto all men which Grace taught the Church of Christ which Grace and Truth came by Jesus now I say this Grace taught the Church of Christ to live Godly Righteously and to deny Ungodliness and Unrighteousness and to live soberly in this World Now if all People will be conformed to the Image of the Son of God it must be through this grace that comes from the Son of God and this grace is in their hearts to settle them and stablish them which teaches them to deny that which is ungodly and unrighteous and to receive and cleave to that which is godly and righteous And so here is Gods Love and favour to all men who dyed in Adam that his grace and favour should appear unto all men to teach them and bring their Salvation that they may be made conformable to Christs death who hath tasted death for them all and dye and live with him and suffer and reign with him and so be conformable to the Image of the son of God and here is a heavenly divine and spiritual Conformity and Uniformity And Joel saith by Prophecy It shall come to pass in the last days I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh Now these last days are the days of the New Covenant and New Testament and the days of the Gospel of Salvation preacht to every Creature man and woman that all might be obedient and conformable to the Power of God the Gospel of Salvation and so as all are conformable to this glorious Gospel of Christ they will be conformed to the Image of the Son of God and so into a glorious peaceable uniformity and conformity fellowship and unity in the Gospel the Power of God which brings Life and Immortality to light and in this Power of God they will see over the Power of the Devil and before he was that hath darkned them And likewise God who poureth out of his Spirit upon all flesh both men and women that all with the spirit of God might mortifie the deeds of the flesh and in the spirit of God live and that all with the spirit of God might be circumcised and put off the body of Death and fins of the flesh that 's come into them by transgression and disobeying of God so that all in the spirit may be conformable to the Image of the Son of God and be in unity and a spiritual fellowship and uniformity through the spiritual conformity for all the Sons and Daughters of God are led by the spirit of God and here is a spiritual conformity and a heavenly uniformity amongst the Sons and Daughters of God and God having poured out of his spirit upon all flesh that is all men and women that all men and women might be conformable to this holy pure spirit of God which spirit of God will baptize them if they do not quench vex grieve and rebel against it or err from it I say it will baptize them all into one body which Christ the Lord from Heaven is the head of and so with this holy spirit that baptizes into one body are all made to drink into one spirit Here is a spiritual conformity and a heavenly uniformity and concord where there is no discord for the Apostle saith There is is one Lord one Baptism one Faith c. and the work of the Ministry was to bring People into the unity of this Faith and the knowledge of the Son of God who was the Author and Finisher of this precious holy and divine Faith in which Faith they had victory over that which is unholy and access to God in which Faith they pleased him having victory over that which displeased him and this is called the Faith of Gods Elect in which they had all unity and they were called The Houshold of Faith and through this Faith did receive the Righteousness of Christ through which Faith they were made conformable to Christs death and conformable to the Image of the son of God through the Righteousness of Faith which was before and beyond and above the Righteousness of Man and the Righteousness of the Law and in the Righteousness of Christ and the Image of the son of God here is the Saints holy and righteous Uniformity and spiritual and heavenly Unity and Fellowship And David saith Behold how good and how pleasant it is for Brethren to dwell together in unity Now the unity and fellowship is in the Light Grace and Truth and Spirit and the Gospel the Power of God and the Faith which Jesus Christ is the Author and Finisher of and therefore all must be conformable to the Light Grace and Truth that comes by Jesus Christ and to the Spirit of God that God pours upon them and to the Gospel of salvation and to the Faith that Jesus Christ is the Author and Finisher of if ever ye do come into Vniformity Vnity and Fellowship in the Light in the Truth in the Gospel in the Faith in the Image of the Son of God one with another and with the Father and the Son that the Saints are and were in in the Apostles days glory and honour to the Lord over all sorever who is teaching his People by his Son who bruises the Serpents head that false Teacher and now God is the Teacher of his People by his Son and I say was the Teacher of Adam and Eve in Paradise before they fell who is God all-sufficient and a sufficient Teacher G. F. The Authority of the Church of Christ THe Apostle saith to the Corinthians I told you before and fore-tell you as if I were present now I write to them which heretofore have sinned and to all others if I come I will not spare 2 Cor. 13.2 Here the Apostle used his Authority in the Power and Spirit of Christ who would not spare Sin and Sinners And John said That I wrote unto the Church but Diotrâ—phes who loveth to have the preheminence amongst them received us not wherefore if I come I will remember his Deeds which he doth prate against us with malicious Words And so John thought of this Diotrephes in the Power of God and had Authority in his Power to judge such Prating puft-up Diotrephes's and their malicious Words and so hath the Church of Christ in his Power to judge such now
as in 2 John v. 10. And therefore my Beloved follow not that which is Evil but that which is Good for he that doth good is of God and he that doth evil hath not seen God Here is the true Judgment of a true Watch-man in the Power and Spirit of Christ as many as receive Christ to them he gives Power to become the Sons of God which were born not of Blood nor of the will of the Flesh nor of the will of Man but of God these had Power from Christ to admonish reprove and rebuke such as went out from the Will of God into Sin and Evil and the Apostle said Though I should boast some what more of our Authority which the Lord hath given us for Edification and not for your Destruction So here the Apostles had Authority which the Lord had given them for the Edification of the Church to keep them out of Destruction 2 Cor. 10. And the Apostle said to the Church of Corinth I fear lest when I come I shall not find you as I would and yet I shall be found unto you such as ye woâ—lâ— not lest there be Debates Envying Wrath Strifes c. and lest when I come again my God will humble me amongst you and I should bewail many which have sinned already and have not repented of your Uncleanness Fornication and Lasciviousness which you have committed I write these things being absent lest being present I should use sharpness according to the Power which the Lord hath given me to Edification and not to Destruction Here you see the Authority and Power from the Lord the Apostles had to judge such as these for the Edification of them that profess Christianity not for their Destruction 2 Cor. 11.12 And the Apostle faith For to this end also did I write that I might know the truth of you whether ye be obedient in all things to whom ye forgave any thing I forgave it for your sakes in the Person of Christ So here you may see where there was an Obedience to the Truth there was a Forgiveness in Christ 2 Cor. 2. And the Apostle saith For verily as absent in Body but present in the Spirit I have judged already as though I was present concerning him that has done this Deed in the Name of the Lord Jesus when you are gathered together and my Spirit with the Power of our Lord Jesus Christ to deliver such a one unto Satan for the destruction of the Flesh c. Know ye not a little Leaven leavens the whole lump purge out therefore the old Leaven that ye may be a new lump 1 Cor. 5. Here you see the Apostle and the Church of Christ had Power and Authority from Christ to cast out and to purge out that which is Evil or the old Leaven out of the Church of Christ that they may be a new lump for the Apostle said He would shortly come to the Church of the Corinthians if the Lord will and I will not know the Speech of them which are puft up but the Power to wit of the Speech for the Kingdom of God is not in Word but in Power So here the Apostle in his Authority in the Power of Christ would know the Power of Christ in others and would have the Church of Christ to do the same for the Apostle saith Do ye not know that the Saints shall judge the World So the sanctified which are made holy judge the unholy World And again Know ye not that ye shall judge Angels Angels are Spirits they that keep their habitation in the Truth and are in the Spirit of Christ do judge the Angels and Spirits that are â—aâ—â—â— from the Truth and their Habitation in the Truth yea I say the Devil and his Angels in whom is no Truth they that walk in the Truth and live in the Power and Spirit of Jesus do judge such and therefore it was a shame to the Church of Christ who had this Power to judge small things to go to Law one with another before the uâ—bâ—lieving World whom they had Power to judge and not to set up the least in the Church to judge of outward things pertaining to this Life seeing they had the Power to judge of greater matters So here you may see the Church of Christ hath Power from Christ to judge the Angels to judge the World and to judge in outward matters of things that pertain to this Life 1 Cor. 6. Concerning Exhortation and Admonition COncerning Exhortation Judas and Silas c. exhorted the Brethren with many Words and comforted them Acts 15. And the Apostle confirmed the Souls of the Disciples and exhorted them to continue in the Faith and that we must through many Tribulations enter into the Kingdom of God when he had ordained them Elders in every Church c. they commended them to the Lord whom they believed Acts 14. So you may see here was Elders ordained in every Church and the aged Women are commended as well as the Men as in Titus 2. And Barnabas exhorted the Church of Antioch yea he exhorted them all that with purpose of heart they would cleave unto the Lord Acts 11. And the Brethren wrote exhorting to receive Apollos who when he was come into Achia helped them much who had believed through Grace Here you may see it was the practice of the Church of Christ of exhorting and did help them which believed through Grace Acts 18. And you may see in Acts 20. how the Apostle had given the Church of Macedonia much Exhortation and this Exhortation was in the Spirit and Power of Christ for Christ gave to his Disciples Power and Authority over all Devils c. Luk. 9. And the Apostles exhorted the Thessalonians to exhort 2 Thes 3. and in Thes 4.1 and said We beseech you Brethren and exhort you by the Name of the Lord Jesus that as you have received of us how ye ought to walk and please God And said Moreover ye know how that we exhorted and comforted and charged every one of you c. that ye walk worthy of God who hath called you unto his Kingdom and Glory 1 Thes 2. wherefore comfort your selves together and exhort and edifie one another even as ye also do and we exhort you Brethren warn them that are Unruly and comfort the Feeble-minded and support the Weak and be patient towards all Men. Here you may see the Church hath Authority both to support and comfort and exhort and warn the Unruly 1 Thes 5. And you may see how the Apostles did command and exhort such as walk disorderly in 2 Thes 3. And the Apostle did exhort saying Save your selves from this untoward Generation Acts 20.40 And the Apostle exhorted the Marriners that were in the Ship To be of good cheer for there shall be no loss of any mans Life I believe in God and that it shall be even as it was told me to wit by the Lord Acts 27. And the Apostle saith
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. 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