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VI.

48. And as The tree is known by its fruit, so the CHAP. Spirit by which the Primitive Church was led, was evidently distinguished by such fruits as are briefly Gal.v.22, summed up by the apostle, namely: love, joy, peace, 23, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

CHAPTER VI.

The Order and Power of the Primitive Church.

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HRIST JESUS our Saviour, during the time of his ministry on earth, took great pains to instruct his disciples, concerning the design of his coming into the world-the nature of his kingdomthe order and place in which he stood, as the light of the world-the salt or Saviour of the earth, for their salvation and redemption-and the order in which his church should stand as his body, for the same purpose, } after his decease, or departure from them.

Acts .34

2. “No man hath ascended up into heaven, said John iii. Jesus, but he that came down from heaven, even the 13-Se Son of man, who is in heaven. He that hath seen John xiv. me, hath seen the Father.-Believe me that I am in 9, 10, 11. the Father, and the Father in me." Here was God and heaven made manifest in earth.

chap. iii.

v. 22, 23,

26, 27.

3. "The Father himself loveth the Son, and hath given all things into his hand.-The Father judgeth no 35. man; but hath committed all judgment unto the Son : that all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. He that honoureth not the Son, honoureth not the Father which sent him."

4. "As the Father hath life in himself, so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself; and hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man." He is the Son of man, because he dwells in man, and takes the lead and government of man's affections, and is therefore capable of exercising true judgment, in opposition to the man of sin, the son of perdition,

CHAP.

VI.

5. "As long as I am in the world, said Jesus, I am the light of the world-I am the way, and the truth, John ix. and the life: no man cometh unto the Father but by From all which it is evident that in his human Col. i. 19, body, dwelt all the fulness of God the Father, pertaining to man's redemption.

5.

xiv. 6.

ii. 9.

Matt.

XXVI. 18,

19.

John xiv. 20.

me."

6. Through the same power and authority of the Holy Ghost with which Jesus was invested, he commanded his disciples, saying, “ All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations." And he promised to endow them with the same power to perform their mission: which promise he fulfilled on the day of pentecost.

7. And as his disciples and immediate followers, stood nearest to him in point of union, therefore the descent of the Holy Ghost was properly the descent of all that he had so that whatever order, lot or office he had received from the Father, relative to the world, the same pertained also to the church who received his fulness.

8. Then they knew in truth, that the Father was in Christ, and he in them, and they in him; and that they had both the Father and the Son. Then God, Rom. xii. and Christ, and the Church became ONE. And such

4, 5.

Eph.i.22,

23.

as believed and were baptized with the Holy Ghost, being of one heart and of one soul, were the true body chap. v. of Christ, and members in particular; members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.

20.

9. So that according to the measure of that dispensation, the Church was as really the body of CHRIST, a body as really ANOINTED, as the man Jesus was, while visible on the earth; and God did as really dwell in the one as in the other.

10. And as Christ was the only light of the world, the only salt of the earth, by which men could be sayed, and was now really and actually in the Church as his true body, he in them, and they in him, and they were perfect in one; therefore they were now the only light of the world, the only salt of the earth.

11. Of this Jesus had told them while he was yet with them, before the Holy Ghost was given, saying, Matt.v."Ye are the salt of the earth; but if the salt have lost 13, 14, its savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thence

VL

forth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be CHAP. trodden under foot of men.-Ye are the light of the world. A city set upon a hill cannot be hid.”

12. By which he plainly intimated the order in which they were to stand, with regard to the salvation of others, and that the world could not be saved without them. And as the salt of the earth is the on>ly saviour of the body, the Church, so all the salvation that was within the reach of the world, was in the Church, and the Church remained to be the only true saviour of the world, according to the sayings of Christ.

xvii. 11,

13. "Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no John xiv. more; but ye see me: because I live, ye shall live 19 also. And now I am no more in the world, but these 22,23. are in the world-And the glory which thou gavest me, I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one: I in them and thou in me."

14. Hence the Church was in possession of what Christ called the keys of the kingdom of heaven; for heaven was really upon earth, in them, and they sat in heavenly places, in Christ Jesus. And this order Jesus gave them when he said of the Church, "Verily I say unto you, whatsoever ye shall bind on Mat.xvi earth, shall be bound in heaven; and whatsoever ye 18,19, 20. shall loose on earth, shall be loosed in heaven."

15. "Again I say unto you, that if two of you shall agree on earth, as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them."

16. Now although the world could see the Son of man no more in the body and flesh of Jesus, yet his power, which he had while visible on earth, was not diminished in his followers, but increased, according to his promise: "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He John, that believeth on me, [and keepeth my commandments,] the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go to my Father."

12.

Luke.

17. The Scribes and Pharisees had reasoned against Jesus, because he forgave sins, saying, Who is this m

CHAP that speaketh blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone?

VI.

18. But that power was not diminished after Jesus left the world; the true and real members of the Church or body of Christ, had the same power on earth that Jesus had; according to his words, Whose John xx soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained.

23.

10.

19. Hence saith the apostle to the Corinthians, 2 Cor. i. To whom ye forgive any thing, I forgive also: for if I forgave any thing, to whom I forgave it, [gr. dia inas.] by you forgave I it, in the person of Christ." 1 Cor. v. And again, "In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when ye are gathered together, and my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus, to deliver such an one to Satan."

4, 5.

1 Thes.

W. 7,8.

John xii

20. Thus it is evident that the Church and messengers of Christ stood in his very character, and acted by the very same spirit and power of the Lord Jesus, which he had received from his Father, and given unto them. Whatsoever they taught, was taught of God, and whosoever received, despised, or rejected them, received, despised, or rejected not man, but God.

21. Hence the words of the apostle, "God hath not called us to uncleanness, but unto holiness. He, therefore, that despiseth, [or rejecteth,] despiseth 38,40 [or rejecteth] not man, but God." "He that rejecteth me, said Jesus, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the woRD that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day. For I have not spoken of myself; but the Father which sent me, he gave me a commandment what I should say, and what I should speak."

22. And whatsoever Jesus spake of himself, pertained also to his followers: for all that the Father gave unto him, he gave unto them, even eternal life : as he expresses it in his address to the Father.

23. "Now they have known that all things, whatsoever thou hast given me, are of thee. For I have John xvii given unto them the Words which thou gavest me, and 7,8,9,& they have received them.-I pray for them: I pray 20,22,23. not for the world. Sanctify them through thy truth;

17, 18, &

VI.

thy Word is truth. As thou hast sent me into the CHAP. world, even so have I sent them into the world. Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word-And the glory which thou gavest me, I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one: I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me."

24. In the same order which his Father had placed him, he also placed them, as his joint body, and endowed them with the same power and authority.

XX.21,23.

25. "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that re- John x ceiveth whomsoever I send, receiveth me; and he 20, and that receiveth me, receiveth him that sent me. As my Father hath sent me, even so send I you.' " Then as the Father was revealed in Christ; so in the same manner is Christ revealed in his Church, as his true body. And as God is the head of Christ; so is Christ the head of his Church.

26. And as whatever was done by Christ, was done by the Father; so whatever is done by the true Church and body of Christ, is done by Christ himself.

22.

27. And as the Father judged no man, but committed John v all judgment to the Son; so in like manner, when the Son had finished the work on earth which was given him to do, he committed all judgment to the saints, in whom he promised to dwell, and out of the Church he judgeth no man. Know ye not, saith the apostle, 1 Cor. vi. that the saints shall judge the world?

2. •

28. And as no man hath seen God at any time; but the only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, hath declared him; so no man hath seen the Son in his glorified state, at any time; but his only begotten saints, who are in him, and he in them, they have declared him in his true character. God is a Spirit, and cannot be seen, known, or worshipped, but by and in the Spirit. For the things of God knoweth no man, ii. but the Spirit of God.

29. Then, as Christ, that is, the Anointing, with which Jesus was anointed, alone knew the Father, being a quickening Spirit, one with the Father; it is evident that no man can know the things of Christ,

1 Cor. ii

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