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ghost, that proceedeth from the Father and the son, which leads you into all truth, and out of evil and unbelief, and from your own righteousness, to Christ's righteousness. And are brought into communion of the holy ghost; and this communion is above all communions, that stand in outward elementary things. And these are the saints, and sanctified, and sons and daughters of God, and the children of light, and of the day, of Christ's communion in the holy ghost; and their fellowship and unity is in the spirit of God, by which they are led, which is their spiritual bond of their heavenly peace, that is, a perfect peace, which is the peace of God, that passeth all understanding that is outward. And this peace cannot be broken, neither can any one take this peace away from God's children, and the sheep and the lambs of Christ; for Christ saith, My peace I give unto you, not as the world giveth;' for his peace is beyond, and above the world's; and Christ, the second Adam, saith, In me you have peace, and in the world you have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world,' to wit, in which God's children have tribulation; and in this, Christ's sheep and lambs are to be of good cheer,' that Christ hath overcome the world.

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And Christ Jesus saith, Except a man be born again,' of the spirit, or from above, he cannot see the kingdom of God.' Again, Christ saith, Except a man be born again of water, and of the spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God; for that which is born of the flesh, is flesh; and that which is born of the spirit, is spirit.' And Christ said, • Marvel not that I say, you must be born again.' John iii. to wit, of the spirit, or from above. And these are the true worshippers, that worship the Father in spirit, and in the truth, and that are born of the spirit; for the Father seeks such to worship him. And they do know that God is a spirit; and they that do worship him, must worship him in spirit and in truth; and these are they that are born again of water, and of the spirit. Here Christ makes a distinction between each birth, and saith, That which is born of the flesh, is flesh; and that which is born of the spirit, is spirit;' and the spiritual birth lives in the spirit, and walks in the spirit, and sows to the spirit, and shall of the spirit reap life everlasting.

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And this new birth is the Jew which is one inward, and the circumcision is that of the heart in the spirit, and not in the letter, whose praise is not of men, but of God. Christ Jesus is a minister of this circumcision, &c. And the apostle said, 'We are the circumcision which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, in whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in the putting off the body of the sins of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ.' Col. ii. So this circumcision of Christ is spiritual, that puts off the body of the sins of the flesh, that came into man and woman by transgres

sion; and all must come into the circumcision of Christ by his spirit, if they be the true worshippers of God, in his spirit and truth.

So here you may see, here is an inward spiritual circumcision, and a spiritual worship, for the spiritual birth, which are living stones, built up a spiritual household, a holy and a royal priesthood, that offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ, which are come to Mount Sion, and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels; and are come to the general assembly and church of the first born, which are written, or which are enrolled in heaven; and are come to God the judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect. These are they which are born of the spirit, or from above, that are written in heaven, and come to heavenly Jerusalem, and see the kingdom of God, and enter into it, that can neither be shaken, nor moved; and such serve God in newness of spirit, and are come to the spirits of just men made perfect.

And the apostle saith to the church of Corinth, I verily, as absent in body, but present in the spirit,' &c. 1 Cor. v. 3. And again the apostle saith to the Colossians, Col. ii. 5. Though I be absent in the flesh, yet I am with you in the spirit, joying, and beholding your order, and the steadfastness of your faith in Christ.'

Now this was, and is the true christians' spiritual order, that was discerned in the spirit; though they were absent in the flesh, or body, one from another, yet they could behold their spiritual order, with the spirit of Christ; and also, though they were absent in the flesh or body, they could behold the steadfastness of their faith in Christ Jesus, who was the author and finisher of the saints' holy, divine, and precious faith; which faith is the saints' victory, called the faith of God's elect, in which they have access to God, and do please him. Now the saints do behold one another's steadfastness in this faith of Christ, though they be absent in the flesh, or body, one from another; yet in the spirit of faith, they behold one another's steadfastness in the divine, holy, pure, precious faith in Christ Jesus. And into this heavenly unity, both in the spirit and in the faith, the apostle brought the saints to know one another, though they were absent in the flesh, or in the body, yet present in the spirit, joying and beholding the spiritual order that is amongst the saints, and the steadfastness of their faith in Christ Jesus. This is a heavenly beholding, and a heavenly joying, and a heavenly order, and a spiritual and a heavenly sight, and society, and communion, that can see and behold one another's steadfastness in the faith in Christ Jesus, and do behold that heavenly and spiritual order amongst the saints; though they be absent in the flesh, or body, one from another, yet they are present in the spirit, and beholding the order of the spirit. All that are in this heavenly and spiritual unity, fellowship, and society,

can say as the apostle said to the church, By one spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free, and have been made all to drink into one spirit.' Namely, all that are baptized by one spirit into one body.

So, though we are absent in the flesh, or body, yet by one spirit we are all baptized into one body, and so have all been made to drink into one spirit.

So here is a unity and a fellowship in the spirit; and the saints know by what they are baptized into one body, and into what spirit they do drink, though they be absent in the flesh, or outward body, from one another. And to this heavenly and spiritual fellowship and order, the able ministers of the spirit brought the saints, the church of Christ, to behold one another in the spiritual order, and the spiritual fellowship and communion, and in that to joy and rejoice; and likewise, to behold one another in their steadfastness, in the holy, divine, pure, and precious faith in Christ Jesus; and though they were absent in the flesh, or outward body, yet they were present in the spirit. And therefore, every one must come to their own measure of the spirit in their hearts and gift of faith, which Christ is the author of, if they will come into this heavenly and spiritual sight, and beholding the order of the saints, and the steadfastness of their faith in Christ Jesus, though they be absent in the flesh, or outward body, one from the other.

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So every one must come to the grace, light, and truth, in their hearts, that's come by Jesus, and the word of faith in their hearts, if that they come to this heavenly and spiritual unity, and fellowship, and order, that is amongst the saints in light; though they be absent in the flesh or body, yet they are present in the spirit, and the spirit brings them to the spirits of just men made perfect, to have unity with them. And the apostle saith, If any man have not the spirit of Christ, he is none of his.' And the apostle saith, 'It was the spirit of Christ which was in the prophets, which brought them to inquire and search diligently of the grace that should come;' and the spirit of Christ, in the prophets, did testify beforehand of the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow; and the spirits of the prophets were subject to the prophets; and so they had a communion, and a spiritual sight, fellowship, and society, one with another; though they were absent in the body, yet they were present in the spirit of Christ.

And now all such that do say, BECAUSE THE MEN AND WOMEN DO NOT MEET TOGETHER IN ONE PLACE IN A BODILY PRESENCE, THAT THESE ARE IN A SEPARATION, AND HAVE DECLARED AND PREACHED THEM UP TO BE IN A SEPARATION, BECAUSE THEY DO NOT MEET OUTWARDLY ALTOGETHER, MEN

AND WOMEN, IN A BODILY PRESENCE. In this you have showed your ignorance, and numbness, and darkness, and blindness to the spiritual sight,

and from being ministers of the spirit that the apostles were in; not seeing, nor beholding, though they be absent in the body, or flesh, yet present in the spirit, joying, and beholding the saints' order, and steadfastness of their faith in Christ Jesus our Lord.

And you, then, are not like to bring people to the spiritual order, nor spiritual joy, nor the steadfastness of the saints in the divine, holy, precious faith in Christ Jesus, who are so blind, you cannot see no more than the Pharisees: though the saints are absent in the flesh, or body, one from another, yet are present in the spirit.

Now, though all the world were present in a nation, if it would hold them, and if they be present in the outward body, or flesh, and have not the spirit of Christ, which the apostles and the true church were in, they are none of Christ's, but are in a separation from the spiritual joy, and spiritual order, and divine faith in Christ Jesus. And such cannot preach in truth every one to the grace, and truth, and spirit, and the word of faith in their hearts, that say, EXCEPT THE MEN AND WOMEN ARE

TOGETHER IN AN OUTWARD BODILY PRESENCE, THEY ARE IN A SEPARATION.

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Such be out of the doctrine of the able ministers of the spirit, which said, 'Though they be absent in the flesh, or body, yet they are present in the spirit, joying and beholding their order, and the steadfastness of faith in Christ Jesus.' And so, all are in a separation, let them meet outwardly together, in a bodily presence, if they are not, as I said before, in the spirit of Christ the apostles and the true church were in; as the apostle saith, These be they that separate themselves, sensual, having not the spirit, (to wit,) raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame. They are gone into Cain's way,' in envy, and after the error of Balaam,' from the spirit, and Corah's way of gainsaying; 'clouds without water, trees without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots,' so cannot grow; wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever, which kept not their first state, but left their habitation' in the spirit. These are the murmurers and complainers, and their mouths speak great swelling words, &c. These be they who separate themselves, sensual, having not the spirit; though they meet all together, men and women, in a bodily presence, yet they are in a separation from the spirit of Christ, the apostles and the church were in. I say they are in a separation from the heavenly spiritual worship, and unity, and communion, and order in the holy spirit, and gospel the church of Christ were and are in. You may know them by their fruits, their murmuring, and complaining, and their mouths speaking high swelling word; and yet, wells without water of life, and trees that have not spiritual fruit on them, and in Cain's envy and Balaam's error, and Corah's gainsaying, self-willed, speaking evil of those things they know not, and speaking evil of dignities or dominions, that is over such spirits,

the power of God. These be they which separate themselves, sensual, having not the spirit, which troubled the church in the apostles' days, and now who are known by their fruits; and though they meet in a bodily presence together, yet they are in a separation from God; and though the faithful believers in Christ do meet, the women by themselves in one room, in the spirit and name of Christ Jesus; and the men do meet in another room, in the name, and spirit, and power of Jesus, to do those services that he commands them; this is no separation, though they be absent in the flesh, or outward body, one from another, yet they are present in the spirit, joying and beholding, seeing their order in the spirit, and the steadfastness of their divine faith in Christ Jesus the Lord from heaven, who is the author and finisher of it. And so every believer in Christ, and saint comes to their own, and lives and walks in their own, as they did in the beginning, when they were turned to the light. But they that see not the spiritual order of the saints, though they be not outwardly absent in the body one from another, they are they that separate themselves, sensual, having not the spirit, and are blind and do not see, like the Pharisees; and have ears, and do not hear, and have hearts, and do not perceive. Such are wells without water, and trees without fruit, that are gone into Cain's, Corah's, and Balaam's way; though they have great swelling words of vanity, yet they are gone from their own; to wit, erred from the spirit of God, and so from the spiritual order, into the outward carnal order; and so from the spiritual union, and communion, and fellowship, into their body, sight, and fellowships, who are absent from the spirit, and separate from it, and are present together in the body; and that is the thing that they so rage for, like waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame, and gainsay the saints' order and practice; that is, though they be absent in the flesh, or body outwardly, yet the saints are present in the spirit, joying and beholding one another's heavenly and spiritual order, (which are born of the spirit,) and the steadfastness of their holy faith in Christ, the Holy One, the author and finisher of it; and so are under Christ's peaceable government, of the increase of which there is no end, and praise God in the spirit, and to him sing hallelujah. Amen. As it is written, The first Adam was made a living soul, the last Adam, (to wit, Christ,) was made a quickening spirit. Again, 'The first man is of the earth, earthly, the second man is the Lord from heaven, (to wit, Christ;) and as we have borne the image of the earthly, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly, (to wit, Christ,) who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, &c. For as in the first Adam all died, even so in Christ, the second Adam, shall all be made alive.' Christ is a quickening spirit, and makes alive, and changes the vile body like unto his glorious body;

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