Covenant of God they come to be made partakers of the sure mercies of David whose Tabernacle the Lord God is building up among men and restoring the waste places thereof that his seed may be exalted and his Covenant may be injoyed among his people in which Covenant they may witness holiness and purity and life in the countenance of the everlasting Jehovah and the Prince of Peace whom the Kingdom and the government belongs unto and in this Covenant they shall be so spotless that the Lord will not find fault with them as he did with them that brake the first Covenant wch he commanded in Horeb and gave to the Israelites when he had led them out of Egypt which Covenant is put an end to for righteousness by that which never shall have end wherein his people shall be found faultless therefore linger not in death and darkness and go not a whoring after your inventions and take heed of rejecting the message or despising or persecuting the messengers of the everlasting Covenant of God as your fathers of old have done least the iniquities of them that hated Gods Covenant and slew the Prophets be upon you And now is the Lord God of power sending forth messengers to witness forth his everlasting name and Covenant and to direct peoples towards his holy mountain and habitation yea the Lord sends forth messengers from the North Countrey to witness forth his Covenant for his remnants sake and behold he causeth his trumpet to be sounded forth and his voyce to be uttered through his sanctified ones whom he hath chosen to War against Babylon against her that is polluted whose abominations have been long over all the earth therefore blessed is that people and happy is that land that receiveth the Testimony of the everlasting Covenant of God and do open the doors that the righteous that holds the truth may come in and be received among them in the name of the everlasting Jehovah who hath sent them that his Name may be published and may be great even among the Gentiles or heathen from the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same as he hath promised Malachi the first Chapter But wo unto them that reject the messengers whom God sendeth forth of the north Countrey and who despise their message and persecutes them or puts any of them to death he Lord God will himself arise like a man of war and will awake and come forth against them to destroy them as a fierce lion that cometh forth of his Thicket to lay hold on the prey for they that truely receive the witnesses that God sendeth forth to direct people into his living way they receive him that sent them and so receives his truth in the love of it but they that reject them they do reject him that sent them and so do refuse the waters of Shilo which run softly and therefore will the Lord bring upon them his fierce indignation as an overflowing scourge that shall sweep away the refuge of lyes and lyars and evil doers into the pit of his indignation therefore O ye scattered people have a regard to Gods Covenant and to his Truth that his Elect seed and heritage may be known among you that there may be a man found among you to make up the breach which hath been between God and you and that he may stand in the gap whom God hath chosen to mediate between him and you and to turn away his wrath from you which hath come upon you because of your Rebellion for thus saith the Lord to the men of Judah and Jerusalem break up your fallow ground sow not among thorns circumcise your selves to the Lord and take away the foreskins of your hearts ye men of Judah and inhabitants of Ierusalem least my fury come forth like fire and burn that none can quench it because of the evil of your doings Jer. 14. chapter so be not uncircumcised in heart but let thine ear and thy heart be circumcised and hearken to the words of the holy One who calleth unto the prisoners to come forth and who is come for to relieve the oppressed he saith the Lord God hath given me the tongue of the learned that I should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary and again he saith the spirit of the Lord God is upon me because he hath appointed me to Preach good tydings to the meek he hath sent me to binde up the broken hearted to proclaim liberty to the Captives and the opening of the prison to them that are bound to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord and the day of vengeance of our God to comfort all that mourn Isai 61. chap. Mark whom glad tydings liberty and comfort is Preached unto not to the hard-hearted nor the proud nor the stubborn nor such as are at ease in their inquities which causeth the seed of God to suffer and imprisons the just but to the meek to the prisoner and to him that mourneth hear this thou seed of Jacob and receive consolation O Israel for thy Saviour and Redeemer is come to visit thee according to the promise a deliverer shall come forth of Zion and he shall turn away iniquity from Jacob for unto him the Lord saith I am with thee to save thee though I make a full end of all Nations whether I have scattered thee yet will I not make a full end of thee but I will correct thee in measure and will not leave thee altogether unpunished Jer. 30. therefore come forth come forth O Israel in the light and glory and strength of thy Redeemer and let thy Tabernacle be set up for Nations to come to and let thy tents be set up and increased among the heathen and let them bow to thy Standard and Ensign and inlarge thy dwelling places and thy borders over the desert waste places where thou mayst find a way for thy seed and rivers of living waters may issue forth unto thee for thy thirsty ones to drink at that thou maist be nourished and thy children satisfied in a fruitful land that thou maist possesse a goodly heritage and thy seed shall be known among the Gentiles and thy off-spring among the people and all that see them shall acknowledge them that they are the seed which the Lord hath blessed for these are they who walk in the wayes and keep the judgements and obey the commands of the Lord God whom he calleth and Redeemeth and justifieth by his righteousness which he revealeth in them whom he finds out in a day of salvation and whom he gathers in an accepted time who do answer his call in due season and are willing to keep his Covenant and such a seed and a people will the Lord God find out in many Nations where his word shall be heard and unto whom his standard shall be listed up And ye scattered Jewes this know that now as the everlasting Covenant of light and life
that is the circumcision which is inward known by the spirit and we are the circumcision in Christ who worship God in the spirit and have no confidence in the flesh and who are circumcised outwardly they are bound to keep the whole Law which none of the Jewes could do who had circumcision outwardly but who are of faith are of Abrabraham unto whom the promise was when he was in the uncircumcision or before he was circumcised so that neither circumcision availeth any thing nor uncircumcision but a new Creature Jer 4.3 Colos 2.11 Rom. 2.25.28 29. Phil. 3.3 1 Cor. 7.19 Gal. 5.2 Ioh. 7.19 Rom. 4.10 4 Of the outward Passover THe Lord God commanded the Passover to be observed in the first Covenant which was a Lambe without blemish a male of the first yeare which was to be roasted with fire and they were not to carry the flesh of it abroad but to eat it with their loines girded and their shoos on their feet and they did strike the blood of this lamb on the posts of the door of the house where they did eat it which was for a token unto them that the Lord seeing it he would not smite them when he smote the Egyptians but his plague did passe over them and did not hurt them that eat the passeover and they kept the feast of it seven daies with unleavened bread But no uncircumcised person might eate of the pasover now the ordinance of the passover was in force untill Christ fulfilled it that night he was betrayed he eate the passover with his disciples Exo. 12. Lev. 23.5 Num. 9.12 and 28.16 Mat. 26. Mark 14.12 Luke 22. In the second Covenant is Christ received and his life made manifest in the Saints and he is our passover who hath offered himselfe a lamb without spot to God having laid down his life for the ransome of many and he is the bread of life and his flesh is meat indeed and his blood is drink indeed which except a man eat and drink he hath no life in him and with him is the Saints feast and solemnity kept of unleavened bread of sincerity and truth having their hearts circumcised and purified unto God by his spirit and the old leaven of iniquity and corruption purged our and the loines of their minds girded up in the spirit and life of Christ which brings to see him the bread of life which came down from God and in this feast must none be partakers but who come to have their minds joyned unto God and their hearts circumcised from unrighteousnesse by his spirit and they who are come to Christ the Saints passover they are kept in remembrance of him and do witnesse him come that they need not observe the taking of outward bread and wine and elementary things to keep them in remembrance of him or to signifie the crucifying of his body and shedding of his blood as many in the world do 6. Io. 3.36 and 5 24. Mat. 20.28 1 Pet. 1.19 Iohn 6.53 1 Cor. 5.7 8. 1 Pet. 1.13 5 Of the outward Sabbaths THe first Covenant priesthood had a command to keep the Sabbath which was the seven daies of the weeks and in the Sabbath to rest from all their labours and works For the Lord rested from his work on the seventh day and was refreshed so that none of the Israelites was to travel nor bear any burthen on the Sabbath day seeing God had sanctified it neither might they gather sticks nor kindle a fire within all their families on the Sabbath daies Moreover they had a command to keep every seventh year for a Sabbath of rest unto the Lord which was called the year of Jubelee wherein every debter was to be freed from his servitude or bondage wherein he had served towards the satisfaction of his Creditors And every creditor was to release the debts owing them and they that had their lands or estates morgaged for debt were to have them released that every man might possesse his own in the year of the Sabbath but the everlasting Sabbath they were not then come to For they had often fightings and war with their enemies who sought to oppresse them Gen. 2.2 Exo. 16.23 and 20.8.11 and 31.15 and 35.2 Levit. 23.3 and 35.3 Num. 15 Deut 5.14 Neh 10.31 Jer. 17.21 Exo. 21.2 and 23.10 11. Levit. 25. Deut. 15.2.12 Jer. 34.14 They who are come into the second Covenant have received Christ who is the Lord of the Sabboth the end of the Sabbaths without for meats and drinks and new Moons holy dayes and Sabbaths were but a shadow of things to come which they who do observe the shadow they neglect the substance even the body of Christ And the Jewes who observed the Sabboths without they accused Christ because he healed the sick on the Sabboth-day and because his disciples had pluckt the eares of Corn on the Sabboth day but these knew not him who was Lord of the Sabboth And the Jews said unto one that had been an Impotent man that Christ had cured on the Sabboth day it is the Sabboth day it is not Lawful for thee to carry thy bed he Answerred them he that made me whole the same said unto me take up thy bed and walk and the Jews sought the more to kill Jesus not onely because he had broken the Sabboth but said also that God was his Father and in Acts 1.12 it is written then returned they unto Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet which is from Jerusalem a Sabboth dayes Journey And according to one Greek translation in the 6 Chap. of Luke next after the 5 vers it is written Jesus seeing a certaine man working on the Sabbath-day said unto him O man if thou didst know indeed what thou dost thou wert happy but if thou knowest not thou art accursed and a transgressor of the Law And the saints who were come to Christ the end of the outward Sabboths they met on the first dayes of the weeks not in observation to the dayes but in obedience to Christ in whom is the everlasting Sabboth of rest remaining where the burthens must not be for the people of God who continue in his Faith and love whereby the rest comes to be obtained And the year or time of release or restauration comes to be witnessed and the Bedemption from under the bondages and the burthens known and the Iniquity which hath caused burthens is there taken away by the Lord of the Sabboth who is the foundation of many Generations who is raised up to him that maketh the Sabboth his delight and doth not his own pleasure nor speaketh his own words on the holy day he shall delight himself in the Lord but unto this Sabbath are all strangers who are following their own pleasures and lusts from whence the Wars and the strifes do arise speaking their own words And none comes to the true rest but they who receive the true light wch brings man to deny his own will
to keep it in remember Judas his end how he hanged himself how he thus fell into disparation and remember that the Angel of the Lord smote them that watched to keep Jesus in the grave or tomb that these watchmen were made to shake for fear and became as dead men and these watchmen who thus watch against the light of Christ which enlighteneth every man that cometh into the world the Lord God will smite them that they will be made to shake and quake for all their filthy crimes one day though now they despise Quaking and despises him that God regardeth who trembleth at his word And remember that Christ he called them graves that appeared not and painted Sepulchres who had gotten the true Prophets words but were out of the Prophets life in the pride and hypocrifie and may we not call these teachers graves now who profefesse the Scriptures to be their rule but are in the pride coverousness and hypocrisie And let people that follow them and seek for help among them note that they are but seeking the living among the dead and are but seeking life among the graves and whited Sepulchres who have gotten the words of the Scripture but the life lies buryed in them and know that that man that kept among the dead mens tombes or graves was not led by the spirit of truth but was possessed with an unclean spirit and is it not an unclean spirit of error that makes so many people keep among these filthy graves and tombes whose out-side is whited with an empty profeshion but their inside is full of rottennesse and ravening Consider these things vee people and Priests It is written in the book of Iohn that many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples which are not written in this book but these are written that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ the Son of God that believing ye might have life through his Name Iohn 20.30 31. Also it is written that there are also many other things which Jesus did the which if they should be written every one I suppose that even the world it self could not containe the books that should be written Amen Iohn 21.25 Indeed the whole world lieth in wickednesse and are reproved by the spirit of truth because they believe not in Christ whom the Scripture doth testifie of So that If all things that Christ did and spoke were written the world it self could not contain them for they truly do not contain these things that are already written of Christ for as much as they are ignorant of Christ and his light and many hypocrites had the Prophets words that prophesied of Christ but knew not Christ but persecuted him when he came many there are now who are both ignorant of the power of God and of the Scriptures Neverthelesse the example of Christ is known in his light and by his power which he hath left to be walked after and his steps to be followed who did not sin neither was there guile found in his mouth 1 Pet. 2.21 22. which example comes to be followed and fulfiled in the power of God by such as receive Christ and walk in him who is the wisdome of God and the power of God to him be glory for ever and ever Amen The difference between the first and the second Covenants and between the first and the second Priesthoods plainly described And the end of the things abolished discovered according to the scriptures of truth for their sakes who desire to have the vail taken from off their hearts and to see to the end of the figures and shadowes that were under the first Covenant and Priesthood into the life of the everlasting Priesthood And here they may see who deny Christ come in the flesh and who are strangers to the Covenant of life both among the Jewes and the professors of of the world as followeth c. AS the Law was added because of transgression which all men by nature are guilty of who are aliens and strangers to the righteousnesse of the Law being in the degeneration falen in the first man Adam who is of the earth earthly and no man in that state can fulfill the righteous Law of God nor come into the Bighteousness of the Law without the drawings and assistance of God by his Son Christ who lighteth every man that cometh into the world which light doth answer the Righteous Law of God in every man So Christ Jesus is come to fulfill the Law and he is the end of the Law for Righteousnesse and not that men should say or conceit that they are no more under the law when daâ—ly they do transgress the law but for righteousness is Christ come that the righteousness of the law may be fulfilled in as many as walk not after the flesh but after the spirit And so none knowes any sure freedome from under the Law but who witness in themselves a sure freedom from under the transgression which the law takes hold of and hath power over the transgressors and many did and may seek to attain unto the righteousnesse of the Law but cannot so long as they believe not in Christ who is come a light into the World that whosoever believeth in him might not perish but have everlasting life and to this righteousnesse of the Law in Christ many have desirâ—d to come but never could so long as they stumbled at Christ the true light and believed not in his Light and in this stâ—te was Israel after the flesh when they had the vail over their hearts and stumbled at the stumbling stone which was Christ so that they câ—uld not see into Christ the everlasting salvation of God and the end of things abolished which none sees while the vail is over their hearts and the shadow or earthly part is standing in them which many shadowes without had a resemblance of and the types and figures without which were in the shadow did signifie a greater thing to come and to be manifest which was Christ the end of the figure Types and shadowes that were upheld in the first Covenant and Priesthood for in him dwelleth the fulness of the Godhead the fulnesse of all things And indeed though the Law had a shadow of heavenly things which are known in Christ yet it had not the very image of the heavenly things much lesse could the heavenly things or the fulnesse of Christ be contained or comprehended in the shadowes for they did but shadow or figure forth the life of the heavenly things which are a misterie for ever sealed and hid from that part which is cloudie and elementarie and earthly by which the Types in the first Covenant were upheld But now is the true light manifest and his Righteousness declared that all men through the light may believe and see Christ the everlasting righteousnesse and the salvation of God by whom all the ends of the earth that do look unto God may
is freely given and tendred to all Nations and none are hindered from having a priviledge or interest in it but they who are hindered and kept from it by their iniquities unbelief so you cannot justly challenge an interest in the Covenant because of any outward line or succession you are of since many of your fathers did provoke the Lord God to wrath who were cut off for their grievous abominations whose feed was mixt with the uncircumcised neither can you attain unto this Covenant wherein God presents his seed faultless by all your will-worships and carnal observations pertaining to the first Covenant where neither Priests nor people are without fault so are all short of the promise in the second Covenant which now the Lord God is fulfilling even among many who have been strangers and many of Israel after the flesh did seek after the righteousness of the Law but attained not to it because they sought it not by faith and stumbled at the holy one who is a stumbling stone in Zion and a Rock of offence Psa 118. Isai 28. which if you stumble at and seek after the righteousnes of the law by the works of the law then your expectations will fail you and you 'l be broken to pieces and scattered in Gods wrath and perish among the uncircumcised and Rebellious if you continue in hardness of heart and Rebellion against the Redeemer who comes to turn away iniquity from them that receive him and though many of Israel after the flesh did not or do not attain to the everlasting righteousness in Gods Covenant yet his Covenant shall not be disanulled neither will he fail thereof neither shall his City lie waste nor his habitation desolate for as a City may be builded in a Barren wilderness or desart place and the Elect one may spring up as a root out of a dry ground that groweth up as a tender plant and increaseth till it bring forth precious fruit even so can the Lord God raise up seed unto Iacob who is called Israel from among the heathen and outcasts who have been accounted as the barren places and as the dry ground that doth not bring forth fruit And as that wch was planted a noble vine wholly a right seed did become a degenerate Plant of a strange vine unto the Lord even so can the Lord take plants of a wilde vine and plant them into the true vine that they may receive nourishment from the true root and grow into the nature and become branches of the true vine and said the Prophet David thou hast brought a vine out of Egypt thou hast cast out the heathen and planted it thou preparedst room before it and didst cause it to take deep root and it filled the land Ps 80. and now are the last dayes come and now is the accepted time wherein God is causing the light of Israel to break forth as a flame that shall burn up the stuble and the Bryars and the thorns which the wicked are compared unto and now behold the light appeareth to lead many thousands into the path of life and the way of peace that Israel may now remember his resting place and the people that are weary and deeply loaden under the burthen of their iniquities who does seek unto the holy One of Israel may come to find rest for their souls and in the light of the holy One they may come to learn doctrine who have murmured and they that have Erred in spirit may come to understanding Isa 29. and again it shall come to passe in the last dayes that the mountain of the Lords house shall be established in the top of the mountains and shall be exalted above the hills and all Nations shall flow unto it and many people shall go and say come ye and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord and to the house of the God of Jacob and he will teach us of his wayes and we will walk in his pathes O house of Jacob come ye and let us walk in the light of the Lord Isai 2. Mich. the fourth chapter Now in these last days is the Lord God bringing this to pass that his holy mountain may be exalted and many may have a true desire to walk and come to walk in the light of the Lord which now he causeth to be Preached and published which Light many do oppose and many hates it and rejects it even many who make a professing of God in words but in practices deny him though they do build themselves up in their own imaginations and sets up their own knowledge but in resisting the light of the Lord these builders do reject the chief corner stone as it is written of them but he that believeth on him shall never be confounded nor ashamed for he shall be counted among the remnant that God hath chosen and gathered according to his promise as he hath promised Therefore behold the dayes come saith the Lord that they shall no more say the Lord liveth which brought the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt but the Lord liveth which brought up and which led the seed of the house of Israel out of the North Country and from all Countries whether I had driven them and they shall dwell in their own land Read Ier. 16. and chap. 23. Now this in a great measure hath the Lord fulfilled and hath gathered and is gathering his seed in the North Country and he hath made his Arm and power so far manifest in many there that he hath made them able to War against Babylon who hath long oppressed the seed of Israel but spoilers and men of War cometh forth of the North that shall fight against and spoil Babylon whose weapons are the weapons of indignation which God hath given them to fight withal Isai 13. and Ier. 50. Chapters and the heathen that do resist the spirit and the powerful truth of the Lord who have laid desolate the habitation of Iacob and devoured him they shall dread before the Lord of hostes who goeth before his hoste and overturneth the wicked and casteth out the heathen that his vine may take deep root and spread forth her branches even as far as the Sea and the Lord God is pouring forth his spirit upon all flesh that both Sons and Daughters may prophesie as he hath promised which already is come to passe both among Sons and Daughters Ioel 2. cha therefore O ye dispersed ones consider these things and lay them to heart for the Lord is bringing them surely to passe and he is not slack concerning his promises he that believes them and waits in the light to see them fulfilled shall partake therein and his soul shall live and be satisfied and he shall come to praise the Lord God in his fruitful hill and rejoice in his salvation in the land of the living But they that live in pride and stifneckednesse and hardens their hearts against the counsel of the Lord and