from him all his Armour wherein he trusted and spoils his Goods c. Is not Christ stronger than the Devil that hath kept the House of the hearts of People And doth not he disarm him and spoil his Goods And is not Christs Weapon Spiritual And the Lord saith to Zachariah Not by might nor by power to wit of men but by my Spirit saith the Lord of Hosts Zach. 4. The Lord saith Comfort ye my People spake ye comfortably to Jerusalem and Cry unto her that her warfare is accomplished that her Iniquity is pardoned c. Is not this Jerusalem Gods People whose Iniquity Christ pardons and warfare is accomplished Isa 40. And again Isaiah saith Isa 2. and Micah 4. spaking of Christ He shall judge amongst the Nations and shall rebuke many People and they shall beat their Swords into Plow-shares and their Spears into Pruning-hooks Nation shall not lift up Sword against Nation neither shall they learn War any more but they shall sit every man under his Vine and under his Fig-Tree and none shall make them affraid for the Mouth of the Lord of Hosts hath spaken it Is not this Vine Christ And are not these the days of his Gospel of Peace And David saith Come behold the Works of the Lord what desolation he makes in the Earth he makes Wars to cease unto the ends of the Earth he breaks the Bow and cuts the Spear in sunder he burns the Chariots in fire Psal 46. The Lord rebukes the company of Spear-men the Multitude of the Bulls with the Calves of the People till every one submit himself to wit to the Lord who scatters the People that delight in War And are not these the days of Christ in the New Testament who ascended on high and led Captivity captive and gave Gifts unto men that the Lord God might dwell amongst them Psal 68. and Ephes 4.8 where the Apostles shews the fulfilling of it and the Apostle James saith in his general Epistle to the Church of Christ From whence comes Wars and Fightings amongst you Come they not even of your Lusts that war in your Members Mark in your Members James 4. So here is a War in your Members the ground of it is from your Lusts before the Wars and Fightings were outwardly amongst People which Wars and Fightings without comes from the Lusts of the Members within And the Apostle saith to the Hebrews in the 11th chapter who by Faith subdued Kingdoms stopt the Mouthes of Lyons quencht the Violence of Fire escaped the edge of the Sword this was the Sheild of Faith a stronger weapon than outward Swords and is a stronger Weapon than Fire and can quench the Violence of it that stopt the Mouthes of Lyons this is beyond Carnal Weapons which Fire and Lyons may overcome And the Apostle exhorts Timothy 2 Tim. 2. Thou therefore my Son be strong in the Grace that is in Christ Jesus and endure hardship as a good souldier of Jesus Christ But Timothy did not War with Flesh and Blood with Carnal Weapons as he was as a souldier of Christ but with Christs heavenly Arms and Armour for as the Apostle Peter saith in his general Epistle to the Church For as much then as Christ hath suffered for us in the Flesh arm your selves likewise with the same mind to wit of Christ for he that hath suffered in the Flesh hath ceased from sin that he no longer should live the rest of his time in the Flesh to the Lusts of men but to the Will of God for the time past of our Life may suffice to have wrought the will of the Gentiles or Nations And the Apostle saith to the Romans chap. 6. Yeild not your Members as Instruments of Vnrighteousness unto Sin but yield your Members unto God as those that are alive from the dead and your Members as Instruments of Righteousness unto God So its clear they that yeild their Members as Instruments of Unrighteousness unto sin are not alive unto God and the two Witnesses that had power to smite the Earth as often as they would do you think that they did it with carnal Weapons And there was War in Heaven Michael and his Angels fought against the Dragon and the Dragon fought against his Angels and the Dragon prevailed not neither was there any more place found in Heaven for him but he and his Angels were cast out into the Earth Rev. 12. Now the holy Angels of God are Spirits so then they had Spiritual Weapons and not carral Swords Muskets Pikes and Pistols c. to sight with the Dragon And John said I saw Heaven open and behold a white Horse and he that sate upon him was called Faithful and true and in Righteousness he doth Judge and make War c. and he was clothed with a Vesture dipt in Blood and his Name was called the Word of God and the Armies which were in Heaven followed him upon White Horses cloathed in fine Linnen white and clean and out of his Mouth goes a sharp Sword that with it he should smite the Nations and he shall Rule them with a Rod of Iron c. And the Beast and the Kings of the Earth and their Armies gathered together to make War against him that sate on the Horse and his Army who is King of Kings and Lord of Lords but the Beast was taken and the false Prophet c. and them that had received the Mark of the Beast and had worshipped his Image these both were cast alive into the Lake of fire burning with brimstone and the Remnant were slain with the Sword of him that sate upon the White Horse which Sword proceeded out of his Mouth Rev. 19. And were these think you carnal Weapons that Christ and his Followers made War with against the Beast and the false Prophet and they that worshipped the Beast and his Image and received his Mark and took them and overcame them and cast the Beast and the false Prophet in the Lake that burns with Brimstone And was that an outward carnal Sword that went out of his Mouth by which he slew the Beasts worshippers that had his Marks and Image Do you think that Christ or his Army that sate on White Horses and followed him which were in Heaven that they had outward Swords and Pistels and Pikes and Muskets and Guns and Cannons by which they overcome the Beast and the false Prophet No it is said that Christs Army was cloathed with fine Linnen and Christs Vesture was dipt in Blood which Army followed him in Heaven Nebuchadnezar lift up his Eyes to Heaven and blest the most High and said all the Inhabitants of the Earth are reputed as nothing and the Lord doth according to his will in the Armies of Heaven and amongst the Inhabitants of Earth and none can stay his hand nor say unto him What dost thou Here you may see Nebuchadnezar was made to confess the great God who saw his Armies in Heaven who abased his Pride
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
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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