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but of God," ver. 13. Now, the reason why people do not become the sons of God, is because they do not receive Christ. The Jews, the great professors, which had the promises, prophecies, figures and shadows of him, they would not receive him when he came. And now the priests and high professors of Christ, they are so far from receiving the light of Christ, and believing in it,, that they have hated the light, and scoff at it, calling it a natural conscience; and some have called it, jack in the lanthorn. Such are not like to become the sons of God, nor to see the glorious kingdom of Christ which stands in righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. For the light that shines in the heart gives the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ Jesus. And they that do not receive Christ Jesus, but hate his light (which is the life in him) and yet profess him in words, such neither know the children of the light, nor true fellowship in the light, nor the kingdom of God, that stands in righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost; but by the light they are condemned. "And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men love darkness rather than light, because their deeds are evil. For every one that doth evil, hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved." John iii. 19. 20. But the children of the light, that walk in the light, they come to heavenly Jerusalem, and to the city of the living God, and to the innumerable company of angels, and to the general assembly and church of the first-born, that are written in heaven, and can sing hallelujah!'

Gooses, the 2d of the

7th month, 1687.

G. F.

Having now been somewhat more than a quarter of a year in the country, I returned to London, somewhat better in health than formerly, having received much benefit by the country air. And it being now a time of general liberty, and great openness amongst the people, I had much service for the Lord in the city; being almost daily at public meetings, and frequently taken up in visiting friends that were sick, and in other services of the church. I continued at London about three months; and then finding my strength much spent, with continual labouring in the work of the Lord, and my body much stopped for want of fresh air, I went down to my son Rouse's by Kingston, where I abode sometime, and visited friends at Kingston. While I was there, it came upon me to write a paper concerning the

Jews, shewing how by their disobedience and rebellion, they lost the holy city and land. By which example the professed Christians may see what they are to expect, if they continue to disobey and provoke the Lord. Of that paper the copy here followeth:

'The Lord gave the Jews in the Old Testament the land of Canaan, and they built the temple at Jerusalem to worship in, and it was called the holy temple, and Jerusalem was called the holy city, and Canaan the holy land. But when the Jews rebelled against the good Spirit, which God gave them to instruct them, and rebelled against his law, and set up idols and images, and defiled the land and the city, the Lord sent his prophets to cry against them, and to bring them back again to his Spirit, and to his law, and so to God, to serve and worship him, that they might not worship images and idols, the works of their own hands. But instead of hearkening to God's prophets, they persecuted them, and at last killed his Son Christ Jesus, and persecuted his apostles. But Christ told the Jews, that both their city and temple should be laid waste, and they should be scattered over all nations; and it was so, when Titus the Roman emperor came and took Jerusalem, and destroyed the city and temple; which was a day of vengeance upon the Jews for all their idolatries and their wickedness, and for the innocent blood they had shed, both in city and country; and they were driven out of their own city and land, and scattered over all nations. And the Jews had never power to get the land since, nor to build Jerusalem, nor the temple; but the Turk hath both the land of Canaan, and that which is called the city Jeru-, salem. Now, the Turk neither makes images, nor worships images; and so it is a just hand of the Lord, that he should be over the persecuting idolatrous Jews, so that they cannot defile the land of Canaan now with images and idols, for the Turk hath it, who neither makes images, nor idols, nor worships them. And the Jews must never hope, believe nor expect, that ever they shall go again into the land of Canaan, to set up an outward worship at Jerusalem, and there for their priests to offer outward sacrifices of rams, sheep and heifers, &c. for burnt offerings; for Christ, the one offering, hath offered himself once for all, and by this one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified. And Christ hath changed the priesthood of Aaron, that offered sacrifices, which was made after the power of a carnal commandment; but Christ was made after the power of an endless life, a Priest

for ever, who was holy and harmless, and separate from sinners, and is a Priest made higher than the heavens. This is the Priest that gives power to all that receive him, to become the sons and daughters of God; and Jerusalem that is above, is the mother of all the sons and daughters of God, which is free; but Jerusalem that is below, is in bondage with her children. And they that are the chil dren of Jerusalem that is above, do not look down at Jerusalem that is below; but they look at Jerusalem that is above, which is their mother. Christ said, Neither at outward Jerusalem, nor in the mountain of Samaria should God be worshipped; but God should be worshipped in spirit and in truth; for he is a Spirit, and such he seeks to worship him. John iv. This is the worship that Christ set up above sixteen hundred years ago; and therefore the idolatrous Jews must never think to offer their outward offerings and sacrifices, nor set up their outward worship at Jerusalem, in the holy land of Canaan more. Christ, by the offering up of himself once for all for the sins of the whole world, hath ended all the Jews' offerings, and changed the priesthood and the law, by which it was made; and hath blotted out the hand-writing of ordinances, which commanded both priests and offerings, and triumphed over them. And so he is the offering and sacrifice of all the children of the New Testament, and new covenant, and heavenly new Jerusalem, that is above; and he is their Prophet that openeth to them; and Shepherd that feeds them; and Bishop that oversees them; and Priest that died for their sins, and is risen for their justification, and sanctifies them and presents them to God, So he is the one Mediator betwixt God and man, even the Man Christ Jesus.'

Kingston, the 9th of the

Tenth month, 1687.

For

G. F.

After this I went from Kingston to Guildford to visit friends there, and staid three days with them; and had a large and very good meeting there on the first-day of the week. After which I came back to Kingston again, and tarried there about two weeks longer, visiting friends, and having meetings amongst them, both at their public meeting-house and in their families. Many things I writ while I was now at Kingston; amongst which the following paper was one :

"God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him, shall not perish,

(mark, not perish) but have everlasting life." John iii. 16. And again he saith, "He that believeth on the Son of God, hath (mark, hath) everlasting life." ver 36. So these believers have everlasting life while they are upon the earth. And he that believeth on Christ is not condemned; but he that believeth not, is condemned already, and the wrath of God abideth on him. And, "He that heareth Christ's word, and believeth on God that sent him, hath (mark, hath) everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation, but is passed from death (the death in the first Adam) to life (the life in Christ the second Adam)." John v. 24. And that meat which Christ doth give, endureth unto everlasting life, as in John vi. 27. And the water that Christ doth give, shall be in him that drinks it, a well of water springing up into everlasting life. John iv 14. Christ said to the Jews, "Search the scriptures, for in them ye think ye have eternal life; and they are they which testify of me and ye will not come to me, that ye might have life." John v. 39, 40. Here ye may see the eternal life is to be found in Christ, and not in the scriptures, which testify of him, the Life. Christ's sheep that hear his voice, and know and follow him, he gives unto them eternal life; and they shall not perish, neither shall any pluck them out of his hand. They shall not pluck Christ's sheep, to whom he hath given eternal life, out of his eternal hand. Christ said to Martha, "I am the resurrection and the life; he that believeth in me, though he were dead (mark, though he were dead) yet shall he live; (mark, live, though he were dead) and whosoever liveth, and believeth in me, shall never die. Believest thou this? Martha said, Yea, Lord." John xxv. 26. This is the true and substantial belief, which they that do believe, shall not perish, but have everlasting life. John saith, "This is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life; and this life is in his Son." 1 John v. 11. "The life was manifested, and we (saith he) have seen it and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us." 1 John i. 2. So these were the believers, that had eternal life in the Son of God, and shewed it unto others. "He that hath the Son hath life, (saith John) and he that hath not the Son of God, hath not life." 1 John v. 12. Christ saith," Every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands for my name's sake, shall receive an hundred fold, and shall inherit everlasting life." Matth. xix. 29. And the wicked that do not receive Christ, shall go into everlasting punish

ment; but the righteous into everlasting life. And the true servants of God have their fruits unto holiness, and their end is everlasting life: for the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is everlasting life, through Jesus Christ our Lord. And such have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. Therefore I desire, that God's people may endure all things, that they may obtain this salvation, which is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory, a glory which is eternal; for Christ being made perfect, became the Author of eternal salvation to all them that obey him. And this eternal salvation is above an external salvation; for they come to receive an eternal inheritance, and live in the possession of the everlasting gospel of joy, comfort, peace and salvation; having eternal and everlasting life in Christ Jesus, which shall never die.' G. F.

Kingston, the 6th of the

11th month, 1637.

Another paper I writ there, concerning the Stone spoken of by Daniel, chap. ii, which became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth; shewing, that thereby was set forth the kingdom and power of Christ:

When Christ, the Stone, that became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth, had broke to pieces the head of gold, and the breast of silver, and the belly of brass, and the legs of iron, and the feet, part iron part clay (which were the four monarchies, to wit, the Babylonian and Mede, the Persian, the Grecian, and the Roman) and had ended the outward Jews' typical kingdom; Daniel saith, "In the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed." Dan. ii. 44. Christ saith, "All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Matth. xxviii. 18. And he saith, “My kingdom is not of this world." John xviii. 36. And "Christ is the image of the invisible God, the First-born of every creature. For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him; and he is before all things, and by him all things consist." Col. i. 15, 16, 17. Here ye may see, all things consist by Jesus Christ, and all things were created by Christ, and for him, whether they be things in heaven, or things in earth, visible or invisible, they were created by him and for him; yea, thrones, dominions, or principalities, or powers, these were

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