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all nations, and their city Jerusalem should be destroyed, and is not that come to pass?

And are not most christians wandered from the holy ghost, the apostles were in, and is not that the cause that christians are led into so many sects, by the unclean ghost or spirit, and with it destroy one another, because they will not commune or conform one to another? who are wandered from the true communion of the holy ghost, and the fellowship and unity in the spirit, 2 Cor. xiii. 14. and the fellowship of the son of God, 1 Cor. i. 9. and the fellowship of the glorious gospel of salvation, the power of God, and the fellowship with the Father and the son, and one with another, 1 John i.

And you may see the vagabond Jews were like unto Cain and Judas, persecutors and killers of the just and righteous, that kept their habitation in God and Christ, but the Lord hath pronounced a wo against all such vagabonds and wanderers from God and Christ, and his law, and spirit, and command; and will reward them according to their works. And therefore, while ye have time, turn to the Lord by his spirit, and seek him while he may be found, and call upon him while he is nigh;' who would have all men to be saved, and come to the knowledge of the truth. Your hearts shall live that seek God.' Psalm Ixix. 32.

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The Christians' righteousness must exceed the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees, or else they cannot enter into the kingdom of God; and such as persecute the righteous, are full of dead men's bones, and their throats are open sepulchres; and such as envy their brethren, are menslayers, and have not eternal life abiding in them.

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CHRIST saith, Except your righteousness exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in nowise enter into the kingdom of God.' Matt. v. So it is clear, with it, to wit, the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, they cannot enter into the kingdom of God, which stands in Christ's righteousness; and as long as people remain in the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, they remain out of the kingdom of God.

Now, what is the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees? Is it not the righteousness of the law, Do this and live? And no flesh is justified by the works of the law, but by the faith and righteousness which is in Christ Jesus. Now what is the righteousness of the law, and the works of the law, and the righteousness of the Jews, priests, scribes, and Pharisees? Is it not outward circumcision, and observing

the new moons and feasts, and their paying their tithes, first fruits, and offerings, with all their priests' garments; with Aaron's bells, lamps, candles and candlesticks, outward tabernacles, arks, altars, temples, sanctuaries, and priests' lips to preserve people's knowledge; with their sabbath days, with their swearing, and oaths, and all their outward washings and observings of meats? Are not all these the works of the law, and commanded by the law? And by the works of the law, ‘no flesh shall be justified.' Then what profit or comfort have you in doing all these things, seeing that these are the works of the law, and that by the works of the law, 'no flesh shall be justified.' Gal. ii. 16. And did not the Jews, priests, scribes, and Pharisees, cry up these works of the law before mentioned, in opposition to the gospel, by which they were not justified? And were not the works of the law, the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, which Christ saith to his disciples, 'Except your righteousness exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, they shall in nowise enter into the kingdom of God?' But now in the new covenant, the righteousness of God without the law is manifest, being witnessed by the law and the prophets, even the righteousness of God, which is by the faith of Jesus Christ unto all, and upon all them that believe; and therefore, as the apostle saith, we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.

And Isaiah saith, All our righteousness is as filthy rags, and our iniquities like the wind have taken us away.' Isa. Ixiv. 6. So this righteousness that was like filthy rags, was below the righteousness of the law, which was just, holy, and good.

And the apostle saith, the Gentiles which followed not after righteousness, have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness which is of faith; but the children of Israel which followed after the law of righteousness, have not attained to the law of righteousness, because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law, for they stumbled at the stumbling stone, to wit, Christ and his righteous

ness.

And the apostle saith, I count all things but loss, for the excellency of the knowledge of Jesus Christ, my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, and he found in him; not having my own righteousness which is of the law, but that righteousness which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith.' Ephes. iii. 9. And Christ saith, the comforter should reprove the world of their sin, because they believed not in him, and of their righteousness, and of their judgment.' So the world as well as the Jews, high priests, scribes, and Pharisees, have a righteousness, and a judgment in their sin and unbelief, which judgment, righteousness, and unbelief, are reproved by the

holy ghost, that proceeds from the Father and the son. And with that righteousness they cannot enter into the kingdom of God, that stands in power, and righteousness, and peace, and joy, in the holy ghost. And Christ said to the scribes and Pharisees, 'Ye strain at a gnat and swallow a camel,' and ye cleanse the outside of the cup, and of the platter; but within they were full of extortion and excess; they were like unto whitened sepulchres, which appeared beautiful outwardly unto men, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness; though outwardly they appear righteous unto men, but within they are full of hypocrisy and iniquity; as you may see in Matt. xxiii. And John saith, in his 1st epist. iii chap. 15 ver. "Whosoever hateth his brother, is a murderer or a manslayer, and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him.' And David and the apostle say, Their throat is an open sepulchre, and there is no faithfulness in their mouths, in their inward parts is wickedness, and with their tongues they flatter and use deceit.' Psalm v. Rom. iii.

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Now, here you may see the great professing high priests, Jews, and scribes, and Pharisees, which were the greatest professors upon the carth. Their throats were open sepulchres, and full of dead men's bones, yea, such as appeared outwardly beautiful and righteous unto men, and yet the greatest killers and persecutors of men, about religion; and have not all the persecutors and killers of people about religion in Christendom, succeeded them in their spirit, and followed them in their examples and footsteps, and not Christ and his apostles? And then are not their throats open sepulchres, and full of dead men's bones, as the Jews were? and to be such as hate their brethren, murderers, and manslayers? and no murderer among the Christians, or Jews, or heathens, hath eternal life abiding in him, but their throats are open sepulchres, and full of dead men's bones.' And such their outward beauty and righteousness, and outward washings avail them nothing, whose throats are open sepulchres, and they full of dead men's bones; and therefore Christ cried, wo against such scribes and Pharisees, and hypocrites, and said, they were as graves. Luke xi. 44. So you know that a sepulchre that is open and full of dead men's bones, gives an ill savour, for he that hates his brother is a manslayer, and a murderer, and he hath slain him, and buried him in his heart, his sepulchre, if he have not killed him, and buried him outwardly, for their throat is an open sepulchre, and they are full of dead men's bones;' and so their open sepulchres give an ill savour to God and just men, as before said. And all persecutors that persecute and kill men outwardly concerning religion, and they that hate their brethren are murderers, and all such are graves, and open sepulchres, and full of dead men's bones; and have not eternal life abiding in them, though they may profess the new testament, as the Jews did the old, without being in the same holy

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ghost that they were in that gave them forth, and so the wicked persecuted the righteous and just in all ages.

G. F.

Concerning such as shall enter into the kingdom of God, and New and Heavenly Jerusalem, and such as shall not. By G. F.

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CHRIST JESUS saith, No man can see the kingdom of God, nor enter into the kingdom of God, except he be born again of water, and of the spirit. For that which is born of the flesh, is flesh, and that which is born of the spirit, is spirit.' John iii. 6. And he that was born after the flesh, persecuted him that was born after the spirit; even so it is now.' Gal. iv. 29. And in Christ, neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but a new creature. For he that soweth to the flesh, shall of the flesh reap corruption: but he that soweth to the spirit, shall of the spirit reap life everlasting.' Gal. v. 6. 8. 15.

Now consider, what good all the Christians' or the Jews,' or Turks' outward worships, religions, or professions do them; if they be not new creatures, and born again, it availeth them nothing, neither shall they see the kingdom of God, or enter into it, except they be born again of the spirit; for if they do sow to the flesh, of the flesh they shall reap corruption, for they cannot sow to the spirit, and of the spirit reap life eternal, except they be born of the spirit.

The works of the flesh are manifest, which are these, adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, wrath, strife, sedition, heresy, envyings, murder, drunkenness, revelings, and such like; of which I tell you, as I have told you before in times past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.' Gal. v. 19, 20, 21.

And now consider, all you that do these evil works, the apostle tells you, ye shall not inherit the kingdom of God, for the kingdom of God is not in words, but in power; and stands in righteousness and peace, and joy in the holy ghost.'

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And again, the apostle saith, Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived, neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor abusers of themselves with mankind; nor thieves, nor covetous, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.' 1 Cor. vi. 9, 10.

Here you may see, such as act and live in these wicked things, shall not inherit the kingdom of God. And therefore, you that act such things and live in them, consider what your end will be, and what kingdom you must inherit.

And the apostle saith to the Corinthians, Know ye not that you are the temple of God, and the spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are. Let no man deceive himself.' 1 Cor. iii.

16, 17, 18.

Here you may see what judgment God threatens upon them that defile his temple; namely, their bodies, as in 1 Cor. vi. 15 to 19.

And the apostle saith to the Ephesians, Fornication and all uncleanness, and covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints; neither filthiness nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient, for this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no man deceive you with vain words, for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience,' as you may see in Ephesians v. 6.

Now here you may see, they that commit these things and live in them, shall not inherit the kingdom of Christ nor of God; but these evil things who commit them, bring the wrath of God upon them: and do not deceive yourselves, for you cannot escape it. And these evil things are so far from being practised or acted amongst the saints, that they are not so much as once to be named amongst them; the saints are to be kept so holy, which do inherit the kingdom of Christ and of God, which is holy.

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And Christ said unto John, He that overcometh shall inherit all things, and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. But the fearful and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.' Revelations xxi. 7, 8.

Now here you may see is the end of all such that live in such unclean actions, according to Christ's judgment. And the end and comfort of all them that overcome the devil and his works, they shall inherit all things, and shall be called God's sons.

And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of heavenly Jerusalem, the glory of the Lord doth lighten it, and the lamb is the light thereof. And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day, for there shall be no night there, and there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whosoever worketh abomination,.or maketh a lie, but they which are written in the lamb's book of life;' they shall enter into this heavenly Jerusalem, for without this heavenly Jerusalem 'are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.' Revelations xxii. 15.

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