is given you; and be good examples of the believers in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity; and always be ready to preach the word, and be instant in season, and out of season. He that observes the wind or storms, will not sow the seed; and he that regards the clouds will not reap. Eccles. xi. 4. But the word of the Lord must be preached in season and out of season, as in 2 Tim. iv. 2. And the apostle saith to Timothy, I put thee in remembrance, that thou stir up the gift of God which is in thee.' 2 Tim. i. 6. Which indeed there is need enough now to put many in remembrance, and to stir up the gift of God in them, and to fight the good fight of faith, and to lay hold of eternal life, whereunto they are called; and to follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, and meekness.

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And the apostle saith, that the holy ghost witnesses in every city; saying, That bonds and afflictions abode him, and waited for him, but none of these things moved him; neither counted he his life dear unto himself, so that he might finish his course with joy; and the ministry which he received of the Lord Jesus Christ, to testify the gospel of the grace of God.' Acts xx. 24. You may see the apostle had received his ministry from the Lord Jesus Christ. And what a resolution was in him to finish it, though bonds and afflictions waited upon him. He did not mind the storms and winds of persecution; and he exhorted others to take heed of the ministry which they had received from the Lord to fulfil it; and did exhort all to let their speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that they may know how to answer every man, commending themselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God.

And Peter saith in his General Epistle to the church of Christ, As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same to another, as good stewards of the manifold graces of God. If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth, that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ.' 1 Pet. iv. 10, 11.

So here you may see the ministry is not limited to one sort of people, or to a tribe. But as every man hath received the gift, even so let him minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.' So this gift they receive from God, and are stewards of the manifold grace of God. And if any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God.' So not the oracles of men. 'And if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth him.' So it is not of the ability that they minister which men give, but what God giveth. So it is to the glory of God through Jesus Christ.

And the apostle saith, God hath dealt to every man a measure of faith.' And he that ministered, was to wait on his ministry; and he VOL. VI.

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that exhorteth, on his exhortation; and he that teacheth, on teaching: and he that giveth, he must do it with simplicity; and he that ruleth, with diligence; and he that showeth mercy, with cheerfulness. So this work and practice is from the grace and faith of Christ in their hearts. Rom. xii. 3 to the 9th.

And the apostle exhorts to give no offence in any thing that the ministry, namely, of Christ, be not blamed.

Now you see what a care the apostle had upon him to keep all blameless, that God may be glorified, saying, But in all things approv ing ourselves as the ministers of God, in much patience, in affliction, in necessity, in distresses, in stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labours, in watchings, in fastings, by pureness, by knowledge, by long suffering, by kindness, by the holy ghost, by love unfeigned, by the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armour of righteousness on the right hand and on the left, by honour and dishonour, by evil report and good report, as deceivers, and yet true, as unknown, and yet well known, as dying, and behold we live, as chastened, and not killed, as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing, as poor, yet making many rich, as having nothing, yet possessing all things.' 2 Cor. vi. 4 to the 11th.

Here you may see the ministers of God and Christ prove themselves. And the apostle exhorts the ministers and the church of Christ, to put on the armour of light.' Rom. xiii. 12,

Here you may see light is the armour against darkness and its works. And again, the apostle writes to the church of Christ, and the ministers, and saith, My brethren be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might; and put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil; for we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness, and your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked, and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the spirit, which is the word of God.' Ephes. vi. 11 to the 18.

Here you may see the heavenly and spiritual arms and armour, that the ministers of Christ and his church are to put on, which is able to defend and preserve them, against the devil and all his foul instruments. For God's people have proved and tried these heavenly arms and armour, and by it they have been preserved steadfast and undaunted,

and valiant for Christ Jesus and God's name and truth upon the earth; and by it they have been able to stand against the wicked, and overcome him, and have the victory over him. And my desire is, that all God's ministers and his church, may be armed with these heavenly arms and armour, in this their age and generation, and then they will not fear the devil, nor all his darts, nor lying accusations, nor slanders, nor false reports, but in the spiritual arms and armour of God, they will stand as valiant soldiers in Christ, over him and them all. Amen.

Let all have oil in their own lamps, and water in their own wells, and fruit on their own trees, and mind their own vine, and improve their own talent, and not hide it in a napkin, like the slothful servant, and let none put their candle under a bed, or a bushel, but in a candlestick, that it may give light. So let your heavenly light so shine that men may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

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When Christ sent for his disciples, he said unto them, When I sent you without purse, and scrip, and shoes, lacked ye any thing?' and the disciples answered and said, they lacked nothing.

The apostle said, 'Let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and for an helmet the hope of salvation.' 1 Thess. v. 8.

Here you may see that Christ's disciples wanted nothing, who freely had received, and freely did give.

And you that are of the day of Christ, be armed with this breastplate of faith and love, and the helmet of hope and salvation.

David said, 'Mine heart is not haughty, nor mine eyes lofty; neither do I exercise myself in great matters, or in things too high for me.' Psalm cxxxi. 1.

And the apostle said, 'I do exercise myself to have always a conscience void of offence, toward God, and toward men.' Acts. xxiv. 16.

And the apostle writes to Timothy, to exercise himself unto godliness, for bodily exercise profits little, but godliness is profitable unto all things; having the promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come. 1 Tim. iv. 7, 8.

And the apostle saith, Strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those, who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.' Heb. v. 14.

God chasteneth his people for their profit, that they might be partakers of his holiness. Now no chastening for the present seems to be joyous, but grievous; nevertheless, afterwards it yieldeth the peaceable fruits of righteousness, unto them that are exercised thereby.' Heb. xii. 11.

Now here Christ's ministers and his church must know these several sorts of exercises, both to God and man, and unto godliness, and a discerning of good and evil; and this exercise must be in the spirit and power of God, which keeps people's minds low and in humility. And this must be in the spiritual exercise, for bodily exercise profits little, or for a little time, that passes away, but godliness is profitable unto all things; and they that are exercised in this godliness, they have a promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come, which is life everlasting; and God preserve all his people in this exercise. Amen. And Paul said to Agrippa, the king, when he was brought before him, he was sent to open people's eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith in Christ. Whereupon, O king Agrippa, I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision, but showed first unto them of Damascus, and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the coasts of Judea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance.' Acts xxvi. 18, 19, 20.

So here you may see, it is no new thing for the ministers of Christ, to turn people from darkness to light, and from the power of satan to the power of God.

Concerning such who ignorantly do say that Christ reconcileth the serpent, satan, devil, and enmity; for Christ comes to destroy the devil, &c. and slay the enmity.

THE apostle saith, all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself, and having made peace through the blood of his cross by him to reconcile all things unto himself, by Christ, I say, whether they be things in the heaven, or things in the earth, and that he might reconcile both Jews and Gentiles unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby, or in himself.

Now some have said, both ranters and others, that Christ doth reconcile the serpent, satan, the devil, and enmity, which they ignorantly say from these scriptures before mentioned; for they say, are not these things which defile a man, which come out of a man, the evil things! And though they are called things, yet these evil things were not in Adam, when God made him, nor as long as he abode under God's teaching; but when he forsook God, and disobeyed him, and followed the serpent, teaching them his transgression and sin, brought into his heart

all these evil things which come from the heart; evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies, sin, death, and the devil, the power of death. And so these evil things defile a man and woman, which proceed out of him, as Christ speaks of. And Christ was manifest to destroy the works of the devil, and who through death destroys death, and the devil the destroyer, who is the power of death, and bruises the serpent's head, and slays the enmity, and makes peace; and so doth destroy the things and works of the devil, satan, serpent, and enmity. And so it is clear, Christ doth not reconcile the things and works of the devil; nor the devil, satan, serpent, and enmity; but bruises the head of the serpent, and destroys the devil, and his works, and his things, and slays the enmity, as before; and Christ reconcileth all things in the earth, and things in the heaven, which are God's works that he hath made. And Christ sanctifieth man, who hath been defiled by the devil, and his evil things and works; and the old man must be put off with his deeds, and the new man put on, which is after God, &c. So the old man, and his deeds, and the evil things, and the members that are below, are to be mortified, or killed. So Christ doth not reconcile to God, the old man and his deeds; nor the evil things and members that are below; nor the body of death; nor the chaff, nor sins of the flesh. For Christ, baptizeth with the holy ghost and with fire, whose fan is in his hand, and he will thoroughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into his garner, but will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire; so the chaff and corruption is to be purged and burnt up with unquenchable fire, and not reconciled to God.

And the apostle said, 'Ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh, by the spiritual circumcision of Christ.' So you may see this body of sins of the flesh is not to be reconciled, but to be put off. And God through Christ reconcileth all things in heaven, and things in the earth to himself, who bruises the serpent's head and slays the enmity; and destroys the devil and his works, and makes an end of sin; and so through death destroys death, and the devil, the power of death, as is said before. And so it is clear, that Christ doth not reconcile the serpent, satan, devil, nor none of his works, but destroys them, and slays the enmity; and yet God by Christ doth reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in the earth, or things in the heaven. Col. iii.

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