To all the household of Faith.

1683. The apostle saith: "Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? And what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? And what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?" (mark, part) "and what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch no unclean thing; and I will receive you, and I will be a Father unto you, (that is, take care for you,) and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord God Almighty."

Therefore have no "fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness," but rather reprove them: for the church of Christ's fellowship (that are the believers) is in the light, which is the life in Christ. And so their fellowship is with the Father and the Son; and their communion is in the Holy Ghost, which proceeds from the Father and

the Son. And, therefore, the church of Christ. is to abstain from every appearance of evil; then they cannot join or have unity with them in whom evil appears.

Therefore such lepers that defile the camp of God, ought to be turned out of it, till they be healed and cleansed from such leprosies; as knowing that such actions and actors are out of the kingdom of God, and out of the holy city, new and heavenly Jerusalem. And no unclean thing comes into the kingdom of God; nor enters into the kingdom, the holy city. And none come into the holy city but by repentance, and being turned and changed from all manner of evil and uncleanness whatsoever.

And again, the apostle saith to the church of the Thessalonians, that "they were to study to be quiet, and to do their own business, and to work with their own hands, and to walk honestly towards them that are without; and that ye may have lack of nothing." So here you may see the diligence in the Truth, that the apostle exhorted the church to practise. First, "They are all to study to be quiet." Secondly, "They are all to do their own

business, and work with their own hands, that they may lack nothing." And thirdly, "To walk honestly towards them that are without." And if they walk honestly towards them that are without, they must walk honestly towards them that are within. For the apostle had some occasion to write to the Thessalonians upon the matter: "For," saith he, "we hear that there are some which walk among you disorderly, working not at all, but are busybodies. Now them that are such we command and exhort by our Lord Jesus Christ, that with quietness they work, and eat their own bread and if any man obey not our word by this epistle, note that man," &c. "and have no company with him, that he may be ashamed: yet count him not as an enemy; but admonish him as a brother."

You may see there were not those gross evils charged upon him, as were upon some among the Corinthians. So you may see the apostle's care in the church of Christ was to keep all things clean and pure, and all diligent in their places, serving the Lord; and not to be busy-bodies, and talkers about other men's business; but to be quiet, and not idle, but "doing their own business, that they may

lack nothing;" and so eat their own bread, natural and spiritual.

Now the apostle speaks of widows in his first Epistle to Timothy, chap. v. what sort of widows they were to receive. And ye may see, first, the decent and lovely practice in the church of Christ: "Rebuke not an elder, but entreat him as a father, and young men as brethren; and the elder women as mothers, and the young women as sisters, with all purity." So are these to be entreated; "And honour widows that are widows indeed. And if any widow have children or nephews, let them learn" (mark, learn) "first to show piety at home, and requite their parents: for that is good and acceptable before God." So this piety must be earned and showed at home; and these the widows must learn to look to. Here these widow women have a service: and in the first place they must "learn to show piety at home, and to their parents and nephews, and then to show it abroad in the church of Christ." So all must learn this lesson, to show piety to their children and nephews, and to requite their parents. For this practice and service is good and acceptable before God.

Now the slate of desolate widows: "She that is a widow indeed and desolate, trusteth in God, and continueth in supplications and prayers night and day: but she that lives in pleasure is dead while she lives. These things give in charge, that they may be blameless: but if any provide not for his own, and especially for those of his own house, he has denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel." For the faith brings every man and every widow to be diligent, and to provide for their own; that is, their children and nephews, or kindred and parents, as before: but the apostle says, "especially those of his own house :" and so here is piety to be shown still two ways; "for his own, and especially to those of his own house" or family; and here are nephews and parents, as before mentioned.

And the apostle says: "If any man or woman that believeth, have widows, let them relieve them, and let not the church be charged; that it may relieve those that are widows indeed." So here you may see the care, piety, and duty, which is required. So let men and women learn to show piety to widows, to nephews, and to parents.