Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	cry_v	father_n	receive_v	7,843	5	5.5639	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A84069	The great earthquake, Revel. 16. 18. or, Fall of all the churches. Discovering the apostasie of purest churches, not yet sensible of their spiritual whoredoms, EZek. 43.9, 10. Or, The great whore made bare and naked before she be judged, and her flesh burnt with fire, Rev. 27. 16. Proving, that none indeed deny the ordinances of Christ, but present churches not being in a Gospel-order. By William Erbery.	Erbery, William, 1604-1654.; J. W.	1654 (1654)	Wing E3227; Thomason E806_7; ESTC R207174	48,514	64

is Deus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 John 6.70 Mat. 16.23 holy Fathers moderne Divines and Ministers are those Devils as the Worships which great and good Men have set up in the Churches are called the worship of Devils Revel 9.10 Let not this seem strange for not only Ju das was called a Devil but Peter was Satan indeed when he savoured the things of Men more then of God therefore let not our Ministers be moved if hereafter they hear their services called Sorceries as 't is there Rev 9 21 and themselves the Sorcerers of Egypt deceiving the Nation in nothing more then in their Forms of prayer For their preaching begins to appear more powerless flat dead having no discovery of God above the Common Form of Knowledge yea they know less and their preaching is more legal then once it was by the judgment of their wisest Hearers Yea as there are not the prayers of the Church this day as it was neither in power not Form so there is scarce a Christian prayer in private among them though they are full and flow with words at duty-times yet God and their own Conscience can tell how little they pray in their Closets how loose their petitions are in private how seldom they retire into their own spirits yea scarce ever doe they thus seek the Lord as the Prophet speaks that is Jer. 10.21 they seek not any nearer sight of the Lord nor any new discovery of God in them Alass New-lights are laugh'd at by these men though God indeed be the Father of Lights there being more Lights then one begotten and brought forth daily by our God and Father who will shine in us more and more to perfect day till we have a full discovery of himself as he is James 1.17 that is have the Fathers name on our Fore-heads Rev. 14.1 And as the Churches erre in their Formes of publique prayer so they fail in their Forms of private Prayers c. For they pray not to the Father nor secondly in the name of Christ nor thirdly can they pray in the Spirit First They do not pray to the Father but to the first Person in Trinity whom Christ never knew nor acknowledged for had there been a second Person or subsistence in the Godhead coessentiall and coequall with the Father surely Christ should and would have worshipped him but Christ never payed to any Person but to the Father and no Christian ever prayed to the Spirit till the spirit of Antichrist Veni Spiritus Sancte came into the world Not that I deny the holy Trinity according to Scriptures Col. 2.2 8 compared But disclaiming all the Traditions of our Fore-fathers and teachings of men I beleeve that God is Father Son and Spirit and that the Son of God Mat. 28.19 Rom 9.5 1 Cor. 8.6 Ephes 4.6 Isa 96. 1 Tim. 3.16 Luk. 24.49 Act. 1 4 1 Cor. 12.6 7. the Man Christ Jesus is God blessed for ever yet both in a Mystery which no man can manifest or reveal but the spirit Matth. 11.25 Ephes 1.17 The Father being none else but the one onely true God of himself and in himself inhabiting eternity The Son being the same God and Father manifest in Flesh and dwelling among men That one mighty God and Father powerfully going forth and exerting himself or appearing in manifold gifts and operations in flesh is the holy Spirit Which things are not to be carnally understood according to the letter as if God sent his Son 1 Cor. 2.13 John 14 9. Heb. 9.14 1 Cor. 15.45 and the Son sent the Spirit but comparing spirituall things with spirituall we shall perceive that the Son is the Father and the eternall Spirit is both Father and Son so the Father is said to send the Son where he himself appears in flesh from the beginning in the fulnesse of time or this day Heb. 13.8 for Christ is the same to day yesterday and for ever And Christ speaking in the dayes of his flesh that he would send the Spirit is nothing else but that he who dwelt with them should be in them that is when God even the Father who dwelt in his flesh should be manifest in theirs Joh. 14.17 18 19 20. Thus also I confesse that Jesus is the Son of God 1 Joh. 4.15 Joh. 14.7 10 20 verses Phil. 2.6 and that the Man Christ is God blessed for ever God even the Father dwelling in him and doing all in him being all in all in him His flesh being the form of God an image in whom the Godhead appeared to men The Son of God being nothing in himself Joh. 5.19 30. John 8 28. Gal. 4.19 but the Manifestation of the Father and could do nothing of himself but as the Father dwlling in him did all his works and words Again I conceive the Man Jesus Christ the Man-God being in us to be all in all to us Ephes 3.19 John 17.23 God dwelling in us as in him our flesh annointed and filled with the Godhead as his and we perfect in one with the Father as he This is the true Faith and Confession of the Son of God if once revealed in us Gal. 1.16 and 2.20 else how could the Son thus confess'd bring us to God God dwelling in us and we in him thereby 1 John 4.2 3 15. compared I shall not now declare at large how the present Churches deny all the Doctrine of God and of Christ c. which if God will we shall do in his due time onely we are now discovering all their forms of Worship to be false though some may worship the Father in spirit and truth yet in form of words they worship not nor pray to the Father at all Secondly They do not pray in the name of Christ but as saints of the Old Testament knew God in Covenant with them not God in Christ one with them that 's the Father So the Churches apprehend God at a distance standing a far off below in the Temple Heb. 10.19 not able to enter into the Holy of holiest into the Godhead himself but call upon his Name as great and terrible Deut. 28.58 Gal. 4.6 glorious and fearfull for so the Law presented God to Men they have not the spirit of the Son to cry Abba Father the Son being not revealed in them how can the spirit of the Son be sent forth at all I beleeve the Son is in them and the Spirit is there though hid in their flesh but they conceiving Christ at a distance Christ without them as long ago in flesh on earth and now afar off in heaven from them not nigh them and in them They do not pray in his Name Rom. 10.8 Joh. 16.23 They go not as the Son to the Father with that neernesse and confidence as Christ did to God but as strangers and forraigners or as far off from God being very low in the flesh They beg the Father still for Christ Jesus

12.12 John 14.19 though a Saint may be so called also Christ being in every one and every one in Christ so Antichrist appears most visibly in particular Churches or in Saints joyned in that fleshly fellowship where the Spirit of Christ or Manifestation of the Spirit not appearing the Church must now be called Antichrist the Man of sinn the great Whore How the Church came to be thus Apostate and when the Apostacy began I have not time at present to declare this secret depending much on what the mind of the Spirit shall make out in the Saints and what may be learnt by Ecclesiastick History by both it is manifest that the manifestation of the Spirit in manifold gifts given to the Church ceasing with the Apostles was the first beginning of Apostasie the Apostle John lived about one hundred years after Christ and the seven Churches of Asia types of the apostate Churches stood up a little longer but before the two hundred years compleat the wisdom and power of man so prevailed in the Church the inventions and traditions of Men were so many superstitious and childish ceremonies in Churches that of the British in Wales being the first Christian Church in the world long before the Papall Church in Rome I say the Apostasie of those Churches was so visible the pride of their Ministers so vile Spelmanantiq Britanic the power of their Synods in Glamorgan and Monmouth-shire so prevailing over the Gentry and petty Kings of that Country the canons of their Clergy so potent yea the Churches there and then so carnall in all superstitious Ceremonies both Jewish and Heathenish as never was more gross in the midst of Popery afterward How this Apostasie prevailed and became so powerfull History will tell you that Antichrist never came to be great till Kingdoms began to be Christian and Christian Kingdoms because they were Christian would needs appear and act as Churches call Councels and Synods condemn Heresies Judg of the Truth and Mysteries of God by the gifts of Men. When Kingdoms came thus to be Churches then Churches began to be Kingdoms That is the mysterie of Antichrist and Man of sin was then also working when nothing but the Spirit nothing but the wisdom and power of God appeared in the Churches of Christ I say then the Mysterie of Man the Man of Sin did work then the Churches did begin to act as Kingdoms yea the very Apostles aspiring to a Prelacy would needs exercise authority as Kings and Rulers of the Nations Luk. 22.24 and the Elders not only to seek preheminence as Diotrophes but to Lord it over Gods heritage or Clergie for so the Church was called 1 Pet. 5.1 3. though afterward the Elders or Ministers appropriated that name to themselves for they indeed alone would be the Church as the Pope with his conclave Prelates in their Convocation and Presbyters in their classis call themselves the Church yea the Elders of Independent Churches also have all the power and doe Lord it over their Churches though the Churches carry the name But after that when He that did let was taken out of the way 2 Thess 2.7 that is when the Spirits presence and power from on high in manifold gifts then appearing which did let and hinder the wisdom and power of Man to be so prevalent in the Primitive Churches I say when that manifestation of the Spirit that which did then let was removed then the Man of sin was revealed then the wisdom and power of man appeared visibly in the Churches I will not mention now the Papall Churches where the Popes save raigned as Kings and Emperors yea were called Gods Neither will I mind the Episcopall Churches when Prelates domineered as Lords not only Lording it over Gods heritage but as spirituall Lords in the Civil State I pass by also the Presbytery their Sun being set at noon day their Directory of Worship Confession of Faith Classicall Government their large and little Catechism with all those great works being even at an end The Independent Churches are those my spirit hath been most carryed out against these two last years but could not come forth in a publique contest till now they are come to power carryed up in pomp and state and fleshly glory wherby they discover themselves by their delicacies to be indeed the Great whore deceiving a world of men their Forms being more refined and her flesh fairer for they are men of great Gifts and Grace too this being that purple and skarlet and precious stones Rev. 17.4 the golden Cup wherein they carry their abomination and cause the Kings of the Earth men of highest place and choicest parts to drink the wine of her fornication i. e. Their false worship and Forms of Doctrine which are the Fornications or flesh of the Whore I wil not repeat all that I have written but this with God I shall make good to the world that These are no true Churches of Christ not Zion but The whore though they seem and speak as the Spouse yet are they not like the Gospel-Churches neither in Spirit nor Form No Ordinance among them in the letter much lesse in spirit according to the Gospel For indeed the first Gospel-ordinance or that which constituted the Church in a Gospel Order was the baptism of the Spirit this being not the bare presence of the Spirit for so all the saints under the Law had the Spirit but the spirit in a Gospel-sense was not yet come or as it is in the Greek The Spirit was not yet John 7.39 til Jesus was glorified Again the abundance of the spirit was not this baptism of the spirit for the Prophets had thus the spirit of Christ and Christ breathed the holy spirit on his disciples after his Resurrection but the baptism of the spirit was not till after the Ascension 1 Pet. 1.11 Jhon 20.22 Act. 1.5 The Apostles with all the disciples 120 by name were assembled together yet were they not in a Church-state not constituted in the order of a Gospel-church till they were baptised with the holy spirit Act. 1.15 2 47. yea the Apostles themselves who had a call and a commission from Christ to teach all Nations and to baptize beleevers could not go forth to perform either till the baptism of the holy spirit was come upon them Act. 2.38 Therefore the baptised churches are very carnal in crying out to their ignorant disciples Oh you must obey the command of Christ and Christs command is that beleevers should be immediately baptized c. Act. 8.6 38. Act. 9.18 True if there were a Minister who had the manifestation of the spirit as all who baptized had But again the first command of Christ before baptism was this He commanded them that they should not depart out of Jerusalem till they were baptized with the holy spirit not many dayes hence Act. 1.5 If the saints could stay a while and wait for the spirit not

so the Saints under the Law had the spirit yea our Gospel Churches at this day come far short of the Legall Church 1 King 13.4 2 Kings 1. 2 King 2. c. for there were some gifts of the Spirit manifest as of prophecying and gifts of healing of signes and miracles but the Baptism of the Spirit was that manifestation or pouring forth of all the gifts of the Spirit not on every believer but on every Church of Christ that the Church came short in no gift 1 Cor. 1.7 This was the true constitution of a Gospel-Church the Baptism of the Spirit the manifestation of the Spirit in manifold gifts without which no Church can be in the order of the Gospel 1 Cor. 12.6 7 28. 〈◊〉 6.2 For as the doctrine of Baptisms not of water only but of the Spirit especially concerned the Church in her members so the next doctrine The laying on of Hands did concern the Ministery who received a gift by the laying on of Hands Independent Ministers make a meer ceremony of this never looking for any gift thereby as Papists and Prelates did but the Presbyterian Ministers of Scotland are a little wiser then ours for there being no Gift they lay aside the laying on of Hands altogether in ordaining their Elders Secondly The Breaking of Bread or Communion that was in the primitive Churches was not as 't is in the present Churches by taking a piece of Bread or tasting a sip of wine from the Ministers hands a meer popish superstition to put such pomp and reverence on sacramentall Bread and Wine but breaking of Bread was a full Meal for the word is so and The supper of the Lord shews the same to be a ful Meal or Feast of Love Jude 12. Acts 1.46 for both is one though old childish Fathers make a difference between the Feast of Love and Supper of the Lord so often used even daily that is every First day the Church meeting to break Bread Feast in Love to Feast on the Lord together on the Lord in them the Bread broken being the Communion of his Body 1 Cor. 12.22 Ephes 5.30 for the Church indeed was that body of the Lord the Church was Christ This the Church knows not nor confesses how fully the Godhead is embodyed in their flesh how perfectly one with the Father as Christ They are afraid of this therefore as if there were but a part of God and part of Christ in them they take a piece of Bread thus they discern not the Lords Body yea they doe not shew forth the Lords death that is dying to all things but to God as Christs purest flesh was crucified to the Father but this communion and mystery of Christ Hebr. 9.14 and of his death is not known nor taught by the Churches alass these are heavenly things too high for them who live in dead Forms nay they scarce know the earthly thing the Form of Breaking bread this being as I said a full Meal for they did break Bread from house to house Acts 2.46 eating their meat with singleness of heart praising God yea they drank also to the full for some drank too much or were drunk 1 Cor. 11.21 which could not be with a sip of wine the abuse that was in the Lords supper shews the use to be not to eat and drink to themselves for so they had Houses to eat in ver 22. but to tarry one for another till all being come together sate down in that spirituall Feast feasting on the Lords crucified body which the breaking of bread being a full Meal did signifie as we shall shew more fully hereafter Thirdly the next Ordinance was Church-prayers these being as peculiar and proper to the Church and for the Church alone as Breaking of Bread Acts 2.42 They continued together in the Apostles doctrine in fellowship breaking of Bread and Prayers The Churches of Christ could no more pray with the world then break Bread or have church-fellowship with the world Therefore neither Christ nor his Apostles did ever pray with preaching Christ prayed only in private or with his Disciples apart Luke 11.1 And the Apostles preaching to the world never prayed with the world for after Peter and John had been in the Temple at the houre of Prayer preaching to them in publique they returned to their own company in private to pray Acts 3.1 Acts 4.23 The Jews indeed had certain houres of prayer of publique prayer the Church being Nationall so there was a certain place appointed for preaching in the Synagogue or Temple just like our Churches now who are the Jewes indeed to be converted they have none but common prayers still houres of Preaching and houres of praying yea such Forms of Prayer praying before Sermon and after Sermon a meer popish custome with the Lords prayer after the first and a Priestly benediction after the second Prayer For Blessing the people last of all is both Popish and Priestly it being a legal Ordinance ending in Christ the great High-Priest Numb 6.23 Luke 24.50 who ceased this ceremony when he blest his Disciples and afterward came in Spirit to bless his people Acts 3.26 But the mysterie of Iniquity and Man of Sinn is not manifest in any thing more then in those Forms of prayer publique and private We know the whole power of popish Religion is in their much praying so Protestants could not be taken from it till their common Prayer was taken from them by force I cannot commend this Reformation for what are Men the better to be beaten from one Form of Prayer to another which is as bad if not worse then that before because seemingly more spirituall yet having not the power The Churches prayers how powerfull were they not full of words and fine expressions but there was a mighty power and appearance of God in their publique prayers see Acts 4.31 Acts 12.5 12. 1 Cor. 14.25 James 5.24 15. Besides that long praying which Ministers glory in is both legall and heathenish 2 Chron. 6. Nehem. 9. Dan. 9. Mat. 6 7. The Lords prayer the prayers of Christ and the Apostles prayers were very short succinct plain and to the purpose without such preambles abundance and vanity of words and vain-glorious enlargements Act. 1.24 25. Act. 4.24 The cause why the Churches err in all these after Ordinances is because they continue not in the First which is the chiefest Ordinance continuing in the Apostles Doctrine and holding forth the form of sound words Act. 2.42 2 Tim. 1.13 And this we shall prove another time that the Doctrine of the Apostate Church is not the Doctrine of the Apostles but the Doctrine of Devils and yet these Devils being not evill spirits but good Men great in Gifts are those Devils 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as those heathenish Heroes of old were called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Tim. 4.1 so our knowing men our Christian Heroes Yea 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sometimes

experiments from outward providences from the writings of Poets and prophane Authors yea from all the Creation Therefore 't is plaine there is no preaching of the Gospell by any Independent-Church or preacher whatsoever But still our Ministers cry Do we not preach as the Apostles did not Paul and Peter hold forth Christ after flesh I answer againe The Apostles indeed did hold forth Christ after the the flesh 1 Because their Ministery was much in the Letter having but the first-fruits of the Spirit 2 They preacht much of Christ after the flesh to the Jewes proving him to be the Messias by Scriptures but to the Heathen who know no Scriptures nor expected the Messias thereby Christ after the flesh is never named to them by the Apostles but Christ only in Spirit God in mans flesh which they manifested yea God manifest in the flesh of the Creation as we said before for this is Christ in Spirit also 3. Though the Apostles did preach Christ after the flesh yet not as the end as the adequate or ultimate object of their ministry or of mens beleiving but Christ being the only way to the Father by him men were brought to God and by him did believe in God that all the Christian knowledg faith of men might tend end in God 1 Pet. 3.18 4. The Apostles were so much Ministers of the spirit yea could so minister the Spirit to men 1 Pet. 1.21 2 Cor. 3.6 Gal. 3.5 that in the man Christ Jesus they could manifest God even the Father in perfect union with Men as with Christ and so raise up beleevers from Christ after the flesh to Christ in spirit to God in their flesh as in his No Minister of the Churches this day has this ministry of the Spirit neither can they manifest the Mystery of Christ in us but carry their hearers no higher then Christ in flesh and there leave them in the flesh which profiteth nothing Joh. 6.63 though God in his free grace and love takes up all his to himself the quickening spirit living in them and revealing himself to men as he pleases Yet this we shall with God make good hereafter when we come to speak of Doctrines that the Churches know not the Doctrine of Christ nor yet so much as Christ after the flesh for what was the Man Christ Jesus but God in flesh the Saviour of men not the Man but God in that man was Jesus the Saviour For as God in Christ was the Reconciler c. 2 Cor. 5.29 so God in Christ was the Redeemer of the world God in him was the Head and Husband of the Church God even the Father was all in all in that flesh brought forth of a Virgin the hypostaticall Union so called being not between the person of the Son and humane Nature but the humane Nature united to God even the Father was the person of the Son The preaching of the Gospel was thus to manifest God in the flesh of men as in the man Christ and men in union with the Father as that Man that Man-God being in us Act. 10.38 Isa 8.8 10. because God was in him for as God was with him so God is with us and God with us is Christ Immanuel Without this knowledge taught of God men preach not Christ but they preach Man and themselves 5. A Psalm was the musick of Churches and the melody of the Gospel but the sound of the Gospel being not heard how we heare a Psalme sung in the Churches Indeed under the Law a Psalm was in ryme and meeter Secondly in tune and melody Thirdly the multitude altogether did sing but a Gospel Psalme was no such thing and the Churches of Christ had no such order women were forbid to speak in the Church much lesse to sing A Psalme then was a special gift of the spirit whereby some one filled with the Spirit and word of Christ did speake the praises of God with exceeding joy and full of Glory I say t was a special gift of the Spirit how is it brethren when you come together every one of you hath a Psalme hath a doctrine hath a tongue hath a Revelation hath an interpretation let all things be done to edifying 1 Cor. 14.26 The Apostle doth not there chide the Corinthians for their disorder as speaking together but he commends their order and decency ver 40. that every one spake that is none spake but according to the gift of the Spirit which each had some had a doctrine that is no common truth delivered but some speciall and glorious discovery of God Esa 29.24 again a tongue and interpretation were two other gifts of the Spirit and a Revelation or the manifesting of the Truth that was long hid from the Churches this was a gift so was a Psalme not which every one had no not all saints but some had a Psalme that is such a one who was filled with the Spirit and word of Christ or Gospel knowledge He could sing that is speak the prayses of God with exceeding joy men thinke they doe not sing unlesse they make a noise like a bird or tune their voice but to sing in the Gospel language is no more then to speak Speaking to your selves in Psalmes hymms and spiritual songs making melody in your hearts to the Lord there was no tune in the voice but in the heart no melody to men but to the Lord God for to sing was to speak his prayses as is plaine 1 Cor. 14 15 16 Ephes 5.20 Col. 3.17 not that every speaking or praysing God is singing but such as was with exceeding joy if any be afflicted let him pray if any be merry let him sing Psalmes Jam. 5. let him expresse his mirth the joy and melody of his heart in the prayses of God as those Re. 14.1 who had the Fathers name on their fore heads i.e. who had a full discovery of God in them were as the voice of Harpers harping with their Harps ver 2. none could sing that song but themselves ver 3. now all all can sing Davids Psalmes the Churches songs but those who sing the song of the Lambe have not Davids harp but the Harpes of God the joy of the Holy Spirit unspeakable and full of Glory Rev. 15.2 'T is too long at present to shew how the Churches as it was said of the Princes of Egypt do err in every work of their hand Isa 19.14 erring in all their Ordinances duties dayes of Fasting feasts of Thanksgiving conforming in all to the National Churches but especially in sanctifying the Lords Day There is nothing they are more dark in then in this whereas the Lords Day is no more then the Day of the Lord the Day of God when God shall reveal himself to men and in them cleerly as John saith of himself Revel 1.10 I was in the spirit on the Lords day that is the manifestation of God in flesh when God did fully reveal

water with measure whereas the Churches of Christ had the spirit given without measure so the chiefest Ministers have nothing b●t what comes of man to make and bake their bread withall therefore their bread which they break must needes be unclean or as the Prophet cals it the bread of mourners This mourning and famin of the Churches we shall speak of once more when we come to shew the judgement of the great whore but now our businesse is only to make her naked for this man chosen before to be a Ruler swore that as he had not bread so neither cloathing in his house to cover his nakedness This naked estate which the Laodicean Church could not see is nothing but the discovery of her shame and secret parts For this we shall see anon not only Babylon the great whores leggs made bare as that which is much spoken of by the Prophets to make bare her skirts but even Zyon's secret parts must be made bare also These secret parts are those spiritualities in men of parts as we call them their Parts and Arts and all their ability shall appear to be nothing but emptinesse and vanity for that 's the nakednesse that the Famin also foretold What is this famin or hunger 'T is the vanity and vexation of spirit out of the darknesse of understanding whereby the Churches vex and fret themselves that they cannot destroy all others who conform not to their forms This definition is clearly delivered in Scripture and applyed also here to the Churches as was shewed in part before of Ephraim feeding on the wind that 's vanity or emptinesse and upon the Eastwind that 's vexing and annoying the grouth of corn As by hunger is there an emptinesse of the stomack and a fretting of the guts with wind besides in famin men will feed on anothers flesh yea eat their own at last That which we said of the Churches eating the flesh one of another is that which we speak of here their seeking to destroy each other and others who conform not to them and this out of a darkness of understanding All is clear Isa 8.18 Behold I and the children whom the Lord hath given me are signes and wonders in Israel Israel is the Church-state as those who are given to the Prophet are Saints carried forth to that glory which the Prophet speaks of even to God himself from all dead forms false Teachers and teachings of men v. 19. that such Saints are secretly wrought against by strong confederacy of the Churches is proved before v. 7. for sure according to man here is much cause of fear dread and destruction to such Saints who will not conform to their forms of Churches The Lord spake thus to me with a strong hand and instructed me that I should not walk in the way of his people That is the Prophet could scarce forbear to walk in Church-fellowship with them had not God spoken by a strong hand and which held him from their societies for who would not walk with so many thousands in association joyned and gathered together But those who are instructed of the Lord know that the gatherings of the Nations yea of National Saints is for no other end than as sheaves are gathered to be thresht or as dry sticks are gathered to be broken Both these are Scripture expressions Mich. 4.12 Zeph. 3.8 the breaking in pieces of Churches is that which is here spoken of Zech. 11.10 For as Judah and Israel are by Ezekiel called two dry sticks dead bones so the Prophet here breaking his staffe Beauty shews that the Lord is breaking his Covenant that he made with all the people that is all the Churches are broken for their Covenant which once they thought and taught to be essential to the Church that Church-Covenant is now broken they are ashamed to call it so any longer 'T is now an Agreement or Association For as Church-fellowship is now called an Agreement of Saints to walk in the ways of Christ so when Saints differ or some great controversie ariseth here is an association of Churches nothing differing from a Classical or Provincial Presbytery though the Independant Elders are not pleased to call it so But what saith our Prophet Isay 3.8 Associate your selves O ye people and ye shall be broken in pieces gird your selves and ye shall be broken in pieces c. Formerly there was a gathering of Churches but the everlasting Gospel shall be yet preached by an Angel flying in the midst of heaven with more freedom and fulnesse of salvation with more light and glory then the first Apostles who preached the Gospel with the holy spirit sent down from heaven which the present Churches have not received yet conceive they can preach the Gospel having not the gift of the spirit to manifest the mystery but when Christ shall come again in spirit when Christ shall appear the second time without sin to salvation surely then death shall be quite abolished and that last enemy destroyed and utter destruction shall be no more for sin and evil shall be seen no more but salvation only and life shall be again brought to light with more glory then ever as I shall shew another time in another Treatise with God But now two parts of the Lords Land shall be cut off and die two parts of Gods people I count are scattered from God in gathered Churches these shall be cut off and die till they come out of Babylon till they return to God that is till they be gathered up to God such Saints are said to live whose life appears in God The next Judgements are Mourning and Famin this the Churches make to be the excellency of a Christian to be mourning for sin and complaining for the want of grace whereas this is but the weakness of a Saint the weak low and legal estate of Christians the Churches shall have enough of mourning and famin to the full while the Saints in the spirit shall be filled with joy joy in God and feast on the God-head dwelling in them My servants shall eat but ye shall be hungry my servants shall drink but ye shall be thirsty my servants shall sing for joy of heart but ye shall howle for vexation of spirit and ye shall leave your name as a curse to my chosen for the Lord God shall slay thee and call his servants by another name Esa 65.13 14 15. These whom the Lord God will slay are the Apostate Churches which seperate themselves having not the spirit which say not only to the world but to Saints not in fellowwip with themselves stand by thy self come not near me for I am holyer then thou v. 5. These are said to remain among the graves and lodg in the monuments v. 4. because they are dead and the dead are there as in the Whores house before yea though they would build a house for God Esa 61.1 yet all their sacrifices and ordinances are but as the cutting off a doggs

neck or slaying of a man because they see not God dwelling with men the great God appearing in the least and lowest Saints v. 2. whom yet they hate casting out their brethren for his names sake that is because of God manifest in them but he shall appear to your joy and they shall be ashamed v. 5. they shall leave their name their name is a curse to my chosen that is the legal Churches shall be left as accursed lying under the curse of the Law But the chosen or elect of God as they are called Esa 65.22 not saved persons for such may be deceived by false Christs that is by false Churches for the Church is Christ in truth such elect or chosen persons I say for whom it is impossible to be deceived by those false Prophets and Apostate Churches not deceived by all the fairest forms and flesh of the Whore these servants of God wait on God only who wait for the appearance of God in them these that wait thus on God shall not be ashamed but God shal appear in them to their joy yea God shal call them by another name not the shamefull name of a Church but the name of Christ yea the name of God shall appear in them they shall feast on God and all the Gods of the earth shall be famished that is all men and members of Churches also men of highest parts and purest graces shall be famished by God by Gods appearance in men for man shall be nothing and God shall be all in all Next to Famin to Judgement of the great Whore shall be fire she shall be utterly burnt with fire There is nothing so formidable and dreadfull to Churches and to all their fleshly forms as fire This fire is the spirit this spirit shall burn up all the flesh and forms and fellowship of churches The fire which first set up the churches in the first appearence of Christ the same fire shall burn down churches at the second appearing of Christ God shall appear with more yower in the Saints So that as God spake to the church of Israel They shall goe from one fire and another fire shall devour them so the christian churches have gone from one fire and another fire shall devour them or as 't is in the Hebrew they shall goe from fire and fire shall devour them 't is the same spirit is the first and second appearing of Christ the churches have gone forth from that fire in the first appearing of Christ the fire that comes forth in the second appearing of God in scattered Saints shall burn and devour all gathered churches only the fire of the last day is greater then before that is the manifestation of the spirit shall be more at last then ever in former ages To cleare up this know that all outward formes and Church-Ordinances at the best are but flesh but these forms defiled are called the flesh of the Whore the defilement of these forms and ordinances came by the loss of that fire and baptism of the spirit which did first constitute the Churches of Christ and kept their Ordinances pure for as Christ in flesh foretold that every one should be salted with fire so it came to pass that afterward the Church was baptized with the holy spirit and with fire The Apostles themselves though they had a call and a Commission before to go forth to all the world to teach and baptize yet they could do neither till they were baptized with the spirit and with fire They had the spirit at first and Christ breathed the holy spirit on them after his resurrection but the baptism of the spirit was not till after the ascension till Jesus was glorified 't is said the spirit was not yet given or as 't is in the Greek the spirit was not yet the spirit was before yea abundance of the spirit in some but the baptism of the spirit was not till afterward till then t is said the spirit was not yet and therefore this was the first command not to baptize or be baptized as baptized Churches cry but to wait for the spirit not to depart from Jerusalem but to wait for the baptism of the spirit and of fire This was the first Command which these last Churches will not obey 'T is confest they have been in Babylon and called to depart but yet they should not depart in haste or go by flight not fly out of their Country nor hasten into Churches till the Lord should go before them and the God of Israel should gather them up as the Hebrew reads 't was nor man but God that gathered the first Church of Christ the Apostles and primitive Saints were assembled and gathered together in company 120 at first but they were not gathered into Church-fellowship till the baptism of the spirit came upon them Acts 2. no preaching the Gospel nor baptism with water in a Gospel way could be but by the holy spirit sent down from heaven The spirit as I said was in them before and God was in men from the beginning God was manifest in the Saints with power also that 's spirit God powerfully appearing in the Saints and this is in Jerusalem indeed and in this sense the Disciples at first were commanded not to depart from Jerusalem and so the Saints in these last daies are commanded not to depart out of Jerusalem but to abide still in God to stay and wait on God in them till he should come forth in power and spirit till the appearance of the great God should be There was the appearance of Christ then when God did powerfully appear in the Church in manifold gifts there were not only gifts of the spirit but the spirit was so given to the Churches that the spirit did appear visibly among them as first in tongues of fire so still afterward the spirit said to the Churches of Antioch Separate me Barnabas and Saul Again the spirit spake to Philip and to Peter plainly so the spirit spake expresly to Paul many a time likewise to John He that hath an ear let him hear what the spirit saith the Churches Rev. 1.10.12 Rev. 2. and Rev 3. But the Churches are deaf of that ear they will not hear of the spirit they are sore afraid of fire but this was the baptism of the spirit and of fire which did set up the first Churches of Christ in a Gospel order the manifestation of the spirit in manifold gifts The Church under the Law had some gifts of the spirit manifest among them as the gift of prophesie the gift of healing yea raising the dead with signes and miracles and the Angels moving the waters of Bethesda wherein all diseases were healed at an instant this continued in the Jewish Church to the last this is more then present Churches have having less of the manifestation of the spirit then ●hat under the Law therefore must needs be more in bondage in Babylon not having one gift of the