1687. also glorified together (namely with Christ) Rom. 8.

14, 15, 16, 17. Now seeing, they are the Sons of Gooses. God, that are led by the Spirit of God, and the • Spirit beareth witness unto their Spirit, that they ' are the Children of God, and Heirs of God, and Joint-heirs with Chrift: Are not all these Children ' of God, Heirs of the righteous, glorious Kingdom ' of God? and do they not fee it, and enter into it?

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'The Lord faith in Hofea 1. 10. Where it was said ' unto them; Te are not my People; there it shall be faid ' unto them, Te are the Sons of the living God. Did 'not this relate to the Gospel-days of the New Cove'nant? see Rom. 9. 26. And what the Lord said by 'the Prophet Jeremiah, Ch. 31. 1. the Apostle applies ' to the Gospel-days, and says; Be ye separate, Saith 'the Lord, and touch not the Unclean thing; and I will 'receive you, and will be a Father unto you, and ye 'Shall be my Sons and Daughters, faith the Lord Almighty, 2 Cor. 6. 18. Are not these the Children, that 'fee, and enter into the righteous Kingdom of God, 'that separate from that which is Unclean, and touch ' it not?

'The Lord faith also by Ifaiah: I will say to the 'North, Give up, and to the South, Keep not back: 'Bring my Sons from far, and my Daughters from 'the ends of the Earth, Ifa. 43.6. Then doth not 'he bring them to his Kingdom of Glory, that stands ' in Righteousness and Peace, and Joy in the Holy 'Ghoft?

'And the Lord said to Job, When the Morning'Stars Sang together, and all the Sons of God shouted 'for Foy, Job 38.7. Where did these Sons of God 'shout for joy? Was it not in his Kingdom of Glory?

Chrift faith, The least in the Kingdom of God is 'greater than John, Luke 7.28. And in Chap. 16. 16. 'he says, The Law and the Prophets were until John: 'fince that time (viz. fince the Law, and the Prophets, and John) the Kingdom of God is preached, and every Man presseth into it.

The

'The good Seed are the Children of the Kingdom, 1687.

'Matth. 13. 38. And the righteous shall shine forth,

as the Sun, in the Kingdom of their Father, ver. 43. Goules. 'And Christ said unto his Disciples; Unto you it is 'given to know the Mysteries of the Kingdom of God, 'Mark 4. 11. And Christ lifted up his Eyes upon his 'Disciples, and faid; Blessed be ye poor: for yours is 'the Kingdom of God, Luke 6. 20. And the Apostles 'preached the Kingdom of God. These were Born again: that saw and knew the Kingdom of God, preached it.

'Christ said to his Disciples; Fear not, little Flock, 'for it is your Fathers good pleasure, to give you the 'Kingdom, Luke. 12. 32. And, I appoint to you a 'Kingdom, faid Christ, as my Father bath appointed 'to me, Chap. 22. 29. The Lord faid: He that over'cometh, Shall Inherit all things : and I will be his 'God, and he shall be my Son, Rev. 21.7. And Juhn 'faith; I have written unto you, Young-men, because 'ye are strong, and the Word of God abideth in you, and ye have overcome the wicked One, 1 John 2.14. 'And Chrift, by whom are all things, is said To bring many Sons to Glory, Hebr. 2.10.

Christ said, Wo unto you Scribes and Pharisees, Hypocrites; for ye Shut up the Kingdom of Heaven against Men; for ye neither go in your felves, nei'ther suffer ye them, that are entring, to go in, Matth. 23. 13. He also said, Wo unto you Lawyers; for ye ' have taken away the Key of Knowledge : ye entred not 'in your selves; and them that were entring in, ye 'bindred, Luke 11. 52. Christ gives unto his Chil'dren the Keys of the Kingdom, his Spirit : but the Scribes, and the Pharifees, and the Lawyers, 'great Profefssors, who were erred from the Spirit, like the great Professors in our Age, that Scoff at the Spirit, and draw People from the Spirit of God within, these shut up the Kingdom from Men, and draw People from the Key of Knowledge, and the Key of the Kingdom. For no Man knows the things of God, but by the Spirit of God: for the Things of

God

1687. God are spiritually difcerned. So the Spirit is the Key, by which the Kingdom of God, and the Things Goofes of God are revealed, and difcerned, and known, ac'cording to 1 Cor. 2. 10, 11, 13, 14. The Apostle names some in his Epistle to the Coloffians, and says; 'These are my Fellow-workers unto the Kingdom of God, Col. 4. 11. And he tells that Church, that 'God hath delivered us from the power of darkness, * and hath translated us into the Kingdom of his dear Son, Chap. 1. 13. So ye may fee these were born 'again, that were translated into the Kingdom of 'Christ; and were Fellow-workers unto the King'dom of God.

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'Christ exhorts his Disciples to Love. and to do 'Good; that they might be the Children of their 'Father, which is in Heaven, Matth. 5.45. And he 'bids them be perfect, even as their Father, which ' is in Heaven, is perfect, ver. 48. And the Apostle 'faith to the Church at Philippi; That ye may be blameless, and barmless, the Sons of God, without 'Rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse Na'tion; amongst whom ye shine, as Lights in the 'World, holding forth the Word of Life, &c. Phil. 2. 15, 16, And writing to the Church of the Thef'Salonians, he puts them in mind, how he had ex'horted them, That they would Walk worthy of God, 'who had called them into his Kingdom and Glory, 1 Theff. 2. 12.

'The Lord had promised by the Prophet Joel, that ' he would Pour out his Spirit upon all Flesh, and that 'Sons and Daughters should Prophefie; Old men should 'dream Dreams, and Young-men see Visions, Joel 2. 28. 'Now the Cause, that Sons and Daughters, Hand'maids, Servants, Young-men and Old-men have not 'these heavenly Visions, Dreams and Prophecies, is, 'because they are Erred from the Spirit of God, which he poureth upon them: but as many as are 'led by the Spirit of God, are the Sons of God. 'John faith, Christ was the True Light, which lighteth every Man, that cometh into the World, John

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で '1.9. And that, As many as received him, to them 1687 'gave he power, to become the Sons of God, ver. 12. 'which were born not of blood, nor of the will of the Goodes. 'flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God, ver. 13. 'Now, the Reason, why People do not become the 'Sons of God, is, because they do not receive Chrift. 'The Jews, the great Profeffors, which had the Pro'mises, Prophecies, Figures and Shadows of him, 'they would not receive him, when he came. And now the Priests, and high Profeffors 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 Confcience; and 'some have called it Jack in the Lanthorn. Such are 'not like to become the Sons of God, nor to fee the glorious Kingdom of Christ, which stands in Righ'teousness, 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 Chrift '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, left his ' deeds should be reproved, John 3. 19, 20. But the 'Children of the Light, that walk in the Light, they 'come to heavenly Ferufalem, 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

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:

can Sing Hallelujab.

Gooses, the 2d of the 7th Month, 1687.

Ii

G. F.

Having

1687. Having now been somewhat more than a Quarter

of a Year in the Country, I returned to London, someLondon. what 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 Publick 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

Kingston. Son Roufe's by Kingston; where I abode some time, 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 profess'd Christians may fee, 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 Je'rufalem to worship in; and it was called The Holy 'Temple, and Jerufalem was called The Holy City, and 'Canaan, The Holy Land. But when the Jews rebel'led against the good Spirit, which God gave them

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to instruct them, and rebelled against his Law, and 'fet up Idols and Images, and defiled the Land and 'the City; the Lord fent his Prophets to Cry againft ' them, and to bring them back again to his Spirit, ' and to his Law, and so to God, to serve and wor * ship him, that they might not worship Images and 'Idols, the Works of their own hands. But inftead ' of hearkening to God's Prophets, they perfecuted 'them; and at last killed his Son Chrift Jesus, and 'perfecuted his Apostles. But Christ told the Fews, 'that both their City and Temple should be laid 'Wafte, and they should be scattered over all Na tions: And it was so, when Titus the Roman Empe