is not the sayers of the will of God, and calling Christ Lord, but the doers of the will of God that enter into the kingdom of heaven. And James saith, if they were hearers of the word only, and not doers, they deceive their own souls;' for the apostle Paul saith, The hearers of the law are not justified before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified.' Rom. ii. 13. and James i. 22.

And Christ Jesus saith, Wo be unto you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men, for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in.' Matt. xxiii. 13.

Now is not this the state and condition of many great professors in Christendom, with their long prayers, and with their tithes, mint, anise and cummin, and making, or forcing to themselves proselytes, and shutting up the kingdom of heaven from men; and neither go in themselves, nor suffer them that would enter.' And drawing people from the light of Christ, and his spirit, and power, and grace, in their own hearts, by which they should see the kingdom of God, and enter into it. And Christ said to his disciples when he sent them forth as sheep in the midst of wolves,' namely, the outward professing Jews, And whosoever shall not receive you and hear your words, when you depart out of that house or city, shake off the dust of your feet. Verily, I say unto you, it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment, than for that city.' Matt. x. 14.

Here you may see they that will not receive the message of Christ and his gospel, they shake off the dust of their feet against them,' and leave them to the day of judgment, as Paul and Barnabas did, in Acts xiii. 50, 51. And Christ said to him that he gave five talents to, and he had gained five talents more. Well done thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy Lord.' Matt. xxv. 23. Here you may see they that do well, and do improve their heavenly talents, do enter into the joy of the Lord.' And they which do believe do enter into rest, and he that is entered into his rest is ceased from his own works, as God did from his; and they which do not believe in the life of Christ, do not enter into him their rest, because of their unbelief. Heb. iv. 6. 10. And therefore consider, where they remain, if it be not in the kingdom of the beast and dragon, full of darkness?' and there they gnaw their tongues for pain, and yet will not repent of their evil deeds.' Rev. xvi. But unto his son he saith, Thy throne O God is for ever, and ever, a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom.' Heb. i. 8. And Peter saith, ‘Of a truth, I perceive that God is no respecter of persons, but in every nation he that feareth God, and worketh righteousness is accepted with him.' Acts x.

34, 35. Here you may see they must be such as work righteousness, and not only talk of righteousness if they be accepted with God. And the unprofitable servant that hid his talent, and did not improve it, it was taken from him, and he cast into utter darkness, &c. where there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth;' and will not this be the portion of all them that do not improve their heavenly talent that Christ gave unto them. And Christ Jesus speaking of the 'sheep on his right, and the goats on his left hand; to the goats he saith, Depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels.' And so they do go into everlasting punishment;' but the sheep, which are the righteous, that are on his right hand, they shall go into everlasting life.' Matt. xxv. Now here you may see Christ's judgments upon the wicked, and their end, and the happiness and eternal state of the righteous, which Christ calleth his sheep.

Concerning Condemnation.

He that believeth on Christ in his light, which is the life in him, is not condemned; but he that believeth not in the light, as Christ commands, is condemned already. And this is the condemnation that light is come into the world, and men love darkness rather than light, because their deeds are evil. And every one that doth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved." John i. 3. 12.

Now here you may see, this is the condemnation that light is come into the world, and every one that doth evil hateth the light, and loveth darkness rather than light, whose deeds are evil. And again Christ saith, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation, but is past from death to life.' John v. 24. 'And he that believeth not the son of God shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on him, and he is condemned already. But whosoever believeth in the son of God, shall not perish, but have everlasting life.' John iii. 16, 17, 18. 36. So it is by believing in the light, which is the life in Christ, that people come out of condemnation to life. And as by the offence or disobedience of one, namely, Adam, judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one, namely, Christ, the free gift came upon all men to justification of life.' Rom. v. 18. Now if you do not believe in Christ, as he hath commanded, in his light, which is the life in him, 'you shall not see life' without his light; and Christ tells you

that you are condemned already that do not believe in him,' and his light, and the wrath of God abideth upon you.'

And the apostle Paul saith, "There is no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the spirit,' Rom. viii. 1; that is, not after the motions of the flesh, but after the motions of the spirit of God. These are they which believe in the light, which is the life in Christ, and are grafted into him. And the apostle calleth the old covenant, or old testament, a ministration of condemnation, though it was glorious in its time;' but the ministration of righteousness in the new covenant, and new testament, exceeds it in glory; and the glory of the first testament is done away, and abolished by Christ, as in 2 Cor. iii.

Now in the first testament it was the command of God, that they should not forswear themselves, but perform their oaths to the Lord,' as in Matt. v. 33, 34. But Christ in his new testament and new covenant, saith, I say unto you swear not at all;' and this doctrine he preached to his disciples, and to the Jews that had commanded oaths and swearing. And the apostle James, who directed his epistle to the twelve tribes, and he had been a Jew and a professor of the old testament and old covenant, and now was converted and a believer in Christ Jesus, and a preacher of the new covenant and new testament, according to Christ's doctrine; and he said, 'But above all things my brethren swear not; neither by heaven, nor by earth, neither by any other oath; but let your yea, be yea, and your nay, nay, lest ye fall into condemnation.' James v. 12.

Now here according to James's doctrine, they that swear, or take any oath, fall into condemnation; and go out of the doctrine of Christ and the apostles in the new testament and new covenant; and Christ said unto the Jews, If you had known what this meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice, ye would not have condemned the guiltless.'

And James saith to the Jews, Ye have condemned and killed the just, and he doth not resist you.' This James speaketh to the Jews, that had lived in pleasure upon the earth, and been wanton, and had nourished their hearts as in the day of slaughter.' James v. 6. But such ungodly men are for condemnation, as in Jude iv. And as Solomon saith, A man of wicked devices will the Lord condemn; and he that justifieth the wicked, and he that condemneth the just, even they both are an abomination to the Lord.' Prov. xii. 2. 17. 15. And Christ Jesus saith, in Matt. xii. 36. I say unto you, that every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment; for by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.' Are not all here to have a care, and to be watchful against idle words, and bad words, lest they be condemned;

but as the apostle saith, there is no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the spirit;' that is, not after the fleshly ways, words, nor works. And then, as the apostle saith, who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth, who is he that condemneth?' Rom. viii. 1. 33, 34. So you may see here, who are condemned, and who are justified; and who enter into the kingdom of God, and into the heavenly Jerusalem, and who not.

G. F.

Concerning such as have forbidden preaching, or teaching in the name of Jesus, and such as are ashamed to confess Him before men, and call not on the name of the Lord, &c.

HERE you may see who, and what they were, that forbade the apostles to preach, or teach, or speak in the name of Jesus; and what Christ saith of such that are ashamed to confess him before men; and what judgments come upon those families, kingdoms, or nations, that do not call upon the name of the Lord. And they that do not call upon name of the Lord, and know him not, are such as devour Jacob, the elect and beloved of God. And yet the Lord poureth out of his spirit upon all flesh,' that with the spirit they may know God, and call upon his name. Joel ii. Acts ii.

the

The Jews and their priests said unto the apostles, and threatened them, 'that ye speak henceforth to no man in this name' Jesus. Acts iv. 17. And they said again (in verse 18,) to the apostles, that they should not teach in the name of Jesus.' And in Acts v. 28. they again said, that they should not teach in the name of Jesus,' mark, not to teach in the name of Jesus. And in verse 40, they said again to the apostles, that they should not speak in the name of Jesus; mark, not so much as to speak in the name of Jesus. And yet the apostle said, With the heart man believeth, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. And if thou confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus. Christ, and that God hath raised him up from the dead, thou shalt be saved.' Rom. x. 9, 10.

And the Jews, which were the greatest outward professors, agreed, 'that if any man did confess that he was the Christ, he should be put out of the synagogue.' John ix. 22. And many of the chief rulers believed on him; but because of the Pharisees, they did not confess him,' namely, Christ, lest they should be put out of the synagogue.' John xii. 42. So here were them that did believe, both rulers and others, in Christ; but they were afraid to confess Christ, lest they should be excommunicated, or put out of their synagogue. And Christ

saith unto his disciples, Whosoever shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father, which is heaven: but whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father, which is heaven.' Matt. x. 32, 33. and Luke xii. 18. So here you may see, they that do confess Christ before men, are confessed by him before his Father; and they that deny him before men, Christ will deny before his Father.

And John saith, 'Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh, is of God; and every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come into the flesh, is not of God.' So here you may see that it is the good spirit of God that doth confess his son to be come in the flesh.' 1 John iv. 2, 3. 1 John iv. 2, 3. Here you may see the two spirits, that which is of God, and that which is not of God, the good spirit, and the bad spirit. And who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh, is a deceiver, and an antichrist,' and so not in the spirit of God nor Christ. 2 John i. 7. And the apostle saith, Prove your own selves, know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except you be reprobates? 2 Cor. xiii. 5. And so if they have not the spirit of Christ, and if he be not in them, then they are reprobates, and so none of Christ's.

And the apostle saith to the Colossians, Christ in you, the hope of glory.' And they warned every man, and taught every man in all wisdom, that they might present every man perfect in Christ Jesus.' So then Christ must be in his people, and they must be in him. i. 27, 28.

Col.

And Christ before Pontius Pilate witnessed a good confession.' 1 Tim. vi. 13. This was before his persecutor; so must all the followers of the lamb confess him before men, to the glory of God the Father, and not be ashamed of Christ, their life, light, and salvation, redeemer, mediator, prophet, bishop, shepherd, leader, counsellor, way and door to God, and the author and finisher of their faith, and heavenly rock and foundation, and the captain of their salvation, and not to be ashamed to meet in his name, who hath all power in heaven and in earth given to him, lest he be ashamed of you before his holy angels, and his Father, which is in heaven. And therefore, in his light, spirit, grace, truth, and faith, see and hold Christ your head, who bruiseth the serpent's head, and reconcileth you to God, in whom you, and all nations are blessed, and have rest and peace. Amen.

Pour out thy fury upon the heathen that know thee not, and upon the families that call not upon thy name; for they have eaten up Jacob, and devoured him, and consumed him, and have made his habitation desolate.' Jer. x. 5. These were the persecutors of the faithful.

And David saith, Pour out thy wrath upon the heathen that have