And Jesus said unto Pilate My Kingdom is not of this World if my Kingdom were of this World then would my Servants fight that I should not be delivered to the Jews but now is my Kingdom not from hence that is of this World John 18.36 Here you may see a distinction betwixt the New Covenant and the Old and the Kingdom of Christ and the Kingdoms of this World and their Arms and Armour G. F. THe Apostle exhorts the Ephesians My Brethren said he be strong in the Lord and in the Power of his Might put on the whole Armour of God that ye may be able to stand against the Wiles of the Devil for we wrestle not against Flesh and Blood but against Principalities Powers and Rulers of Darkness of this World and against spiritual wickedness in high places Wherefore take unto you the whole Armour of God that you may be able to stand in the Evil day and having done all or overcome all to stand Therefore having your Loyns girded about with Truth and having on the Breast-Plate of Righteousness and your feet shod with the preparation of the Gospel of Peace above all taking the Sheild of Faith wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the siery Darts of the wicked and take the Helmet of Salvation and the Sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God and praying always with all Prayer and Supplication in the Spirit Mark in the spirit they are to pray watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all the Saints Is not this generally to be practised now by all true Christians as it was in the Apostles dayes And the Apostle saith to the Romans The night is far spent the day is at hand let us therefore cast off the works of Darkness and let us put on the Armour of Light So Light you see is your Armour which will defend you against Darkness and the Prince of the Power of it and their Weapons and all such that hate the Light of Christ and are against it are naked and are without the Light which is the true Armour and you may see what the Saints did do and what Victory they had with the sheild of Faith in Heb. 11. And the Apostle said He was set for the defence of the Gospel which is the Power of God and that was in the Sheild of Faith And David said Thou O Lord art a sheild for me my Glory and the Lifter up of my Head So he is now to all his People And further Thou hast given me the sheild of thy salvation and thy Right Hand hath holden me up and thy gentleness hath made me great All must feel this Sheild of Salvation from God and if they be held up it must be by his Right Hand And again David saith The Lord is my strength and my Shield my Heart trusteth in him and I am helped therefore my hreat greatly rejoyceth and with my Tongue will I praise him This was not an outward Shield but the Lord was his strength and his Shield So God is to all his People in all their Troubles And David said The Lord is my Rock and my Fortress and my Delivâ—â—eâ— â—y God my strength in whom I will trust my Buckler and the Horn of my Salvation my High Tower Mark a Rock Fortress Deliverer Strength Horn of Salvation High Tower the Lord God was so to David and is so to all his People God's Way is perfect the Word of the Lord is tryed and endures forever and God is a Buckler to all those that trust in him And again saith David The Eyes of the Lord are upon them that fear him c. to deliver their Souls from Death and to keep them alive from Famine And David said plead my Cause O Lord with them that strive with me fight against them that fight against me take hold of Shield and Buckler and stand up for my help c. and stop the way against them that persecute me and say unto my Soul I am thy Salvation Here David lookt unto the Lord his Shield and Buckler and his help to plead his Cause against them that strove and fought against him and so should all Gods People And David saith I will Sing of thy Power yea I will Sing a loud of thy Mercy for thou hast been my Defence and Refuge in the day of my Trouble And therefore let all Gods People now know the Lord to be their Defence and Refuge in time of Trouble And David said The Lord is only my Rock and my Salvation he is my Defence I shall not be greatly moved so he is to all his People David saith Blessed is the man whose strength is in thee they grow from strength every one of them in Sion appear before God Behold O God our Sheild look upon the Face of thine anointed for the Lord God is a Son and a Sheild and the Lord will give Grace and Glory and no good thing will he with-hold from them that walk uprightly he shall cover thee with his Feathers thou shalt not be affraid of the Terrour by night nor for the Pestilence that walketh in Darkness nor for the Destruction that wasteth at the noon day and under the Lords Wings thou shalt trust his Truth shall be thy Sheild and Buckler so no outward Sheild or Buckler but the Lord is my Defence and the Rock of my refuge So he is of all Gods People O! Ye that fear the Lord trust in the Lord he is their help c. their Sheild that trust in him for thou art my hiding-place and my Sheild my hope is in thy Word depart from me ye Evil Doers for I will keep the Commands of my God Here is the bold confidence and steadfastness of all Gods People Blessed be the Lord my Strength my Goodness my Fortress my High-Tower and my Deliverer and my Shield and he in whom I trust c. Here you may see the Lord was all to David who said I know the Lord will maintain the cause of the Afflicted and the Right of the Poor c. Therefore as the Apostle saith to the Thessalonians let us who are of the day be sober putting on the Brest-plate of Faith and Love and for a Helmet the Hope of Salvation This was the Children of Lights heavenly Armour and Defence which they had from God and Christ and not out of Smiths shops for such will not defend them from the Devil G. F. Concerning Cain ANd the Lord God said unto Cain If thou dost well shalt thou not be accepted if thou dost not well sin lies at thy Door and unto thee shall be his desire c. So here you may see it is not only saying or talking well but acting and doing well if they be accepted with the Lord God for if ye talk and say never so well and if ye do not do well but evil sin lies at the Door of your Hearts and gets into your Hearts if ye do evil
stumbling and a Rock of Offence who stumbles at the Word the Stone which the Builders disallowed viz. the outward professors the same is made the Head of the Corner of Gods House whose House Gods People are and this Sion the chief Corner Stone which is laid in Sion was not laid in the Hill called Sion in outward Jerusalem for Christ the chief Corner Stone was born in Bethlem as is said before And the Apostle writes to the Church in his Epistle to the Hebâ—ew and said They were not come to the Mount Sinai where they received the Law but ye are come to Mount-Sion the City of the living God the heavenly Jerusalem and to an innumerable Compâ—ny of Angels and they were come to the general Assembly the Church of the first born which are written in heaven and to God the Judge of all and to the Spirits of Just men made perfect and to Jesus the Mediator of the New-Covenant and to the Blood of sprinkling c. See that ye refuse not him that speaks from Heaven if we turn away from him that speaks from Heaven whose Voice shakes not the Earth only but the Heavens also but if ye here the Voice of Christ and follow him ye will receive his Kingdom that cannot be moved nor shaken And Now all ye Christions that profess Christianity are ye come to Mount-Sion or are ye under the Law which came from Mount-Sinai not Mount-Sion which Law commanded Tythes Offerings Sacrifice Oaths and Swearing with outward Tabernacle Sanctuary and Temple and Priests Lips to preserve Peoples Knowledge commanded by the Law in the Old Testament and if ye be come to Mount-Sion and heavenly Jerusalem the City of the Living God then you see the innumerable Company of Angels and the Spirits of Just men made perfect and they that are come here their Names are written in Heaven and such are come to Jesus the Mediator of the new Covenant who speaks from Heaven whose Voice shakes the Heavens and the Earth that are to be shaken that those things that cannot be shaken may remain Heb. 12. And John said Rev. 14. He saw a Lamb stood on Mount-Zion and with him a hundred forty four thousand having their Fathers Name written in their foreheads which were redeemed out of the Earth and from amongst men and they followed the Lamb and in their mouthes were found no Guile for they are without fault before the Throne of God and they sung a new Song before the Throne and no man could learn that Song but the hundred forty four thousand which were redeemed c. Then surely this was spiritual and surely this was heavenly-Sion and not Earthy which the hundred and forty four thousand stood upon which were redeemed from the Earth and so from Earthly Sion and Earthly Jerusalem and all those Earthly things that followed Christ the Lamb and was with him after he was risen before the Throne of God Gouses in Essex 13th day of the 2d Moneth 1683. G. F. A Distinction betwixt the Wars and the Weapons and the Arms and the Armour in the Old Testament and the New for in the Old Testament they were Carnal and in the New Testament Spiritual THe Apostle bids the Church of Christ Put on the whole Armour of God that ye may be able to stand against the Wiles of the Devil for we wrestle not against Flesh and Blood but against Principalities and Powers against the Rulers of the Darkness of this World against Spiritual Wickedness in High-places So this Wrestling was with Spiritual Weapons Spiritual Men for Carnal Men Wrestle with Flesh and Blood and with Carnal Weapons and mens Armour and not the Armour of God And again the Apostle saith Take unto you the whole Armour of God that you may be able to stand in the Evil day having done and having overcome all to stand having your Loyns girt with Truth So this is a heavenly Girdle not natural and having on the Breast-plate of Righteousness this is a Spiritual Breast-plate not Natural having your Feet shod with the preparation of the Gospel of Peace which is the Power of God over the Devil and before he was to be shod thus is not with outward shoes but with that which will never wax old nor wear out and above all take the shield of Faith that Faith which Christ is the Author and Finisher of wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery Darts of the Wicked this Shield of Faith is Holy Divine and Precious and is the Victory which Spiritual Faith God and Christ is the Author of and not Men And take unto you the Holmet of Salvation and the Sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God Phil. 6. This Helmet of Salvation is Spiritual and the Sword is Spiritual so not a natural Sword or a natural Helmet and the Word of God is called a Hammer a Fire and a Sword to hammer down and cut down and burn up that which hath made a Separation betwixt man and God and it is called the Word of Reconciliation that reconciles to God So the true Church and Ministers of Christ are to prove themselves by Pureness by Knowledge by Long-suffering by Kindness by the holy Ghost by Love unfeigned by the Word of Truth by the Power of God by the Armour of Righteousness on the Right hand and on the Left 2 Cor. 6. For though the Church of Christ do walk in the Flesh yet the Apostle saith We do not War after the Flesh for the Weapons of our Warfare are not Carnal but Mighty through God to the plucking down of strong-Holds to wit of Satan casting down Imaginations and every High thing that exalts it self against the knowledge of God and bringing into Captivity every Thought to the Obedience of Chirst having in readiness to revenge all Disobedience This is with Spiritual Weapons not Carnal 2 Cor. 10. And the Apostle saith to the Romans The night is far spent and the day is at hand let us cast off therefore the Works of Darkness and put on the Armour of Light This Armour of Light is not Natural but Divine and Spiritual to all the Children of the Light and of the day this Armour of Light is afore Darkness was and the Devil the Power of it and he the Power of Darkness cannot pearce thorow this Armour of Light and this Armour of Light is above all natural and carnal Armour and all the Children of the Light that walk in this Light and this Armour they walk honestly and decently as in the day for they that walk in Rioting Drunhenness Chambering and Wantonness make provision for the Flesh to fulfill the Lusts thereof such are naked concerning this Armour of Light and though they may make profession of Christ they do not put him on as in Rom. 13. And Christ saith When a strong man armed keeps his House his Goods are at peace but when a stronger then he shall come upon him and overcome him he takes
that knows to do good and doth it not to him it is sin And Christ said The Jews Scribes and Pharisees they say and do not that is they said Moses and the Prophets words but they did not Moses and the Prophets words and now the Christians they have Christs and the Apostles words and say them often over but the same Wo will be to them that was against the Pharisees that do them not And Christ saith But all their works they do for to be seen of men but such Works and Doers are not accepted with God and Christ for he cryes Wo against such Workers and Christ commanded them that improved their Talents and said unto them Well done good and faithful Servants that he had been faithful in a few things he would make them Ruler over many things and said Enter into the Joy of the Lord So the Wicked go into Everlasting Punishment and the Righteous into Life Eternal And therefore the Saints are to take unto them the whole Armour of God that they may be able to stand in the evil Day and having done all to stand in his Armour for every sin that a man doth is without his Body and every one shall receive according to the things done in his Body So here you may see he must have Truth 's judgment and sentence upon the sins done out of the body upon the sins done in the Body by Thoughts and Imaginations before they be acted outwardly So every one shall receive a Reward and Judgment according to his Works whethey be good or evil and therefore all the Saints have need of Patience to exercise that Gift that after they have done the will of God they might inherit his Promise of eternal Life for so is the Will of God that with well-doing ye may put to silence the Ignorance of foolish men So it is not only well talking but well doing for it is said That God hears not Sinners for they that go into sin and do evil go out of Gods spirit of Grace and savour but if any man be a Worshipper of God in his spirit and truth and doth his Will him he heareth in his Spirit and therefore are all Gods Children exhorted to walk in the Faith and by the Faith which Christ is the Author of to walk in the Light of Christ in which they have fellowship one with another and to walk in the Spirit of God by which they are circumcised and baptized in which they have fellowship and to put on the Lord Jesus Christ and to walk in him So it is not only Talkers of the Light and Spirit and Faith and of the Will of God and Christ and his Will and his Doctrine but them that walk in his Will and do his Will c. that are accepted and enter into his Kingdom that he hath prepared for them G. F. Uniformity Conformity Proclaimed to the whole World in the Name of the Eternal GOD and his Son Christ Jesus GOD so loved the World that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believes in him should not perish but have Everlasting Life for as in Adam all dyed so in Christ shall all be made alive And Christ by the Grace of God hath tasted Death for every man and is a Propitiation for the sins of the whole World the one Mediator betwixt God and Man through Death destroys Death and the Devil the power of Death for sin brought Death and the Devil who abode not in the Truth in whom there is no Truth he is the Power of Death and Christ who is the Truth and the Life makes an end of sin that brought Death and destroys Death and the Devil the Power of Death for the Son of God was manifest that he might destroy the Works of the Devil and finish Transgression and to make an end of sin and to make a Reconciliation for Iniquity and to bring in everlasting Righteousness into Man and Woman Here is the work of the Son of God who bruises the Serpents Head breaks his Power and destroys the Destroyer he is the Saviour called the seed of the VVoman in which Seed Christ all Nations are blessed which bruises the Serpents head which hath brought man into the Curse and Sin Darkness and Corruption c. but in this seed Christ that bruises the serpents head destroys his works are all Nations blest all in aniformity unity and fellowship one with another and with the Son and the Father And therefore all must come into this eed Christ Jesus if they come into the beavenly unity and uniformity and that ye may know him and the power of his Resurrection and the fellowship of the suffering of Christ being made conformable unto his death who by the Grace of God tasted Death for every man for in Adam all dyed Now Christ by the grace of God having tasted death for every man that every man may be conformable unto his death Here is a conformity unto the Death of Christ for ye must all dye with him before ye live with him and ye must all suffer with him if ye reign with him and therefore all Men and Women in the whole world of what Religion or Opinion soever ye be of in old Adam ye all dyed and are dead and Christ by the grace of God hath tasted Death for you all and by Christ ye are all made alive and therefore ye must all be made conformable to Christs death and that is the Conformity ye are all to press after and to exhort one another to be conformable to the death of Christ and to dye with him if ye do intend to live with him and to suffer with him and to come into the fellowship of his Sufferings if ye reign with Christ or do intend to reign with him yea all that do profess Christ the Son of God they ought to be conformed to the Image of the Son of God and if that ye be not conformed to the Image of God who destroys the Devil and his Works your outward profession will stand ye in no more stead than the Jews Profession without Life but all that are conformable to the Image of the Son of God in his Image they are in uniformity and in unity Hallelujah praising the Lord. And the Apostle saith to the Saints Be not conformed to this World but be ye transformed by the renewing of the Mind c. to the Image of the Son of God and being made conformable unto his Death Phil. 3.10 Rom. 8.29 12. 2. And now all People if ye be not conformable to the death of Christ that hath tasted Death for you all then you are yet alive in your sin and if ye be not conformed to the Image of the Son of God who bruises the serpents head and destroys the Devil and his Works what Image then are ye conformable to all your Profession without ye be conformed to the Image of the Son of God is nothing
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
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.