gospel, the power of God, which is preached to every creature under heaven; and according to the light which Christ hath enlightened them, and every man withal; and according to the grace of God which appeared unto all men, to teach them, and to bring their salvation; but they walked despitefully against the spirit of grace, and turned it into lasciviousness.

So the righteous God, king over all the earth, is just in his judgments upon all such rebels. And in Rev. ii. 20. there you may see how God and Christ gave Jezebel, who called herself a prophetess, who was a teacher, and seduced his servants to eat things sacrificed to idols; God gave this Jezebel a space to repent of her fornications, and she repented

not.

Now, this Jezebel might preach the prophets', Christ's, and the apostles' words, from Genesis to the Revelations, and Christ's death and resurrection, but in the unrepentant state.

Now she was enlightened to see what she was to repent of, and turn from, so she had her space, her time, her visitation, as all men have before God brings his judgments upon them; and their candle is lighted by the light of Christ, that they may see what they should do, and what they should not do: and therefore, God does reward every one according to their works; and they that hate the light, their candle is put out, by joining to the evil, and doing evil, and not coming to the light to light their candle with, but hating it, and erring from God's spirit, which would keep it lighted, which light would manifest their evil deeds, and reprove them for it; therefore, the light is their condemnation, which light they should have believed in, and become children of.

And therefore, saith God, concerning Jezebel, who does not repent, 'behold,' that is, take notice, 'I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent; and I will kill her children with death, and all the churches shall know that I am he, who searcheth the reins and hearts; and I will give to every one of you according to your works.'

So there is a light in all people, which Christ enlightens them withal, that will let them see whether their works be good, or whether they be evil; so that Christ who is the righteousness of God, and will judge the world in righteousness, he will judge them according to the light which lets them see whatsoever they have done or spoken; so that every tongue shall confess, that he is true and just in his judgments, and will judge with equity, and not condemn man for that which he hath not, but for that which he hath, and hath not obeyed, nor been faithful to it. And they that believe in the light, as Christ commands, their spirits, their candle is enlightened, and they become children of the light, and are grafted into Christ, who is the first and last, and see him walk in the

midst of his churches, who is the head of them, which the unrepentant and haters of the light, and errers and strayers from the spirit are not like; for the true church is come to Mount Zion, the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly, the church of the first born, and to God, the judge of all, and the spirits of just men made perfect, and to Jesus, the Mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaks better things than that of Abel' for the blood of Abel cried for vengeance against Cain, but the blood of Christ cleanses from all sin, and justifies.

And so the saints, the church that are in this new covenant, and come to Jesus, the Mediator of it, betwixt them and God, they see him walk in the midst of his churches, his general assembly, exercising his offices, as a shepherd to feed them, and a counsellor to counsel them, and a bishop to oversee them, and as a prophet to open to them, whom they do hear, and as a priest that offered up himself for them; and offers them up to God without spot or wrinkle, and as a king to rule them in their hearts by faith.

And all they that quench, vex and grieve the spirit of God, and rebel against it, and resist the Holy Ghost, that are erred from the spirit of God; and likewise all they that turn the grace of God, which has appeared unto all men to teach them, and bring their salvation into wantonness, and walk despitefully against it.

And also, all they that are haters of the light, which is the life in Christ the word, which is the true light, that lighteth every man that comes into the world; and all they that err from the faith, and make shipwreck of it and a good conscience, are in the unrepented state, unconverted, untranslated, and unregenerated; and Christ stands at the doors of such and knocks, and saith unto them, 'behold (that is to say, take notice,) if any man will open unto me, (to wit, any man of you all,) and hear my voice, I will come in to him, and sup with him, and he shall sup with me.'

Now, there is no man opens to Christ and hears his voice, but he joins to the spirit, grace, faith, and light, and truth in the inward parts; and turns at the reproof of the Holy Ghost, which Christ hath sent; and with the grace, light, truth, and spirit, they let in Christ into their hearts: for Christ is in his saints, and dwells in his saints, and they are reprobates, that Christ is not in: therefore, examine yourselves, though you may make a profession from Genesis to the Revelations, of Christ's, and his prophets', and apostles' words; yet, if Christ be not in you, you are reprobates.

So he stands at your doors and knocks; so you cannot say, but that Christ does visit you, when he stands at your doors and knocks, and

tells, if any man hear his voice, and open the door, he will come in to you, and sup with you; so you are all left without excuse in the day that he judges you, and none can plead ignorance, but they have been warned; yea, none of the house of Adam in the fall, for Christ hath enlightened them all, and his grace has appeared unto them all, and he has poured out of his spirit upon ali flesh. For the first man Adam was made of the earth, earthly, the second man is the Lord from heaven: the first man was made a living soul, the second man is a quickening spirit.

Now all being in the fall of Adam, and Adam and his whole house being fallen from the image of God into sin and darkness, Christ the second Adam died for them all, and enlightens them all, and the grace of God which bringeth salvation, hath appeared to them all; and God hath poured out his spirit upon all flesh, and Christ is a quickening spirit.

All they that believe in the light, their spirits, their candle is enlightened, and they know Christ a quickening spirit, this spiritual heavenly man: and they that do not believe in the light, but hate it, and grieve the spirit, and turn his grace into wantonness, and walk despitefully against it, the candles of those wicked are put out.

And here Christ is just and true in his judgments upon the world, who judges them in equity, according to the spirit that is poured upon all, and the grace which hath appeared unto all, and the light of Christ which has enlightened all; and Christ died for all, and what could God have done more, (for the ungodly world,) who is just and righteous, and true in all his judgments? all that walk in the spirit, and believe in the light, and in his grace, it teacheth them, and brings their salvation, and they that follow Christ, from whence the grace comes, in the belief in his light, have everlasting life; and here is God's love to the world; that whosoever believes on him shall not perish, but have everlasting life; for they that perish, perish for not believing in the Son, whom God has sent in his love, who enlightens them all with a true and saving light, which is the life in him the word; and bids them believe in the light, that they may be grafted into him the root..

And so they that are not grafted into Christ, it is because of unbelief; and though christians may say, they believe in Christ, and the Jews may say, they believe in God, and the Messiah to come, yet if they do not believe in the light, as Christ has commanded, which is the life in the word by which all things were made and created, they are not grafted into Christ the life.

The 2d of the 4th Month, 1677.

G. F.

VOL. V.-46

A Testimony concerning the Blood of the Old Covenant, and the Blood of the New Covenant, &c.-By G. F.

MOSES took the blood of the oxen and calves that were offered for sacrifices, burnt-offerings and peace-offerings, and sprinkled it upon the altar, and upon the people, and said unto them, behold the blood of the covenant which the Lord hath made with you:' so the life of the beasts and other creatures (which is blood,) was the blood of the old covenant. And after Moses had sprinkled the people, he sprinkled the tabernacle, and the vessels of the ministry, he sprinkled Aaron and his sons, and he sprinkled the books of the Old Testament; so the first testament and covenant was dedicated with the blood of beasts and other creatures, which was the life of beasts and other creatures; and almost all things were by the law of Moses, purged with blood, which was the life of beasts. And without shedding of blood there was no remission of sin. And, (as I said before,) when Moses had sprinkled the books of the Old Testament, and the people with the blood, (which was the life of beasts,) he said, this is the blood of the covenant and testament which God hath enjoined to you.' So the blood of the old covenant and the Old Testament, was the life of the clean beasts without blemish, (as I said before,) for is not the blood the life? and it is not posssble that the blood, the life of bulls, goats, or other creatures in the old covenant should take away sin. But in the new covenant it is written, forasmuch as we are not redeemed with corruptible things, nor with silver, nor gold, from our vain conversations, or tradition of our forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, a Lamb without blemish or spot, which Lamb was foreordained, before the foundation of the world,' and was manifested in the apostles' time and days, which he calls the last times. Silver and gold are corruptible things, which cannot redeem from corruption, nor the 'blood of bulls, goats, or other creatures, which will corrupt, but the blood of the Lamb, which was ordained before the foundation of the world, and manifested in the last times, in the new covenant; this precious blood of the Lamb, without spot or blemish, Christ Jesus, doth not corrupt, for it doth redeem from the traditions of our forefathers, the Jews in the old covenant, and the corruptible blood of bulls, goats, and other creatures, that could not take away sin. And so, by the blood of the Lamb Christ Jesus, the saints are redeemed from their vain conversation and corruptible life, to a conversation in heaven, and incorruptible life.

And as Moses in the old covenant sprinkled the people with the blood, the life of beasts; so Christ our high priest sprinkles the hearts and consciences of his people in the new covenant with his blood, his life, from

their dead works, that they may serve the living God in newness of life :' and as the blood of the old covenant was the life of the beasts, so the blood of the everlasting covenant is the life of Christ the Lamb, ordained before the foundation of the world, who is the great shepherd of his sheep, through the blood of his everlasting covenant he makes his saints perfect in every good work to do his will, working in them that which is well pleasing in his sight.'

So it is clear, the blood of the everlasting new covenant is the life of Christ Jesus; and the blood of the old covenant was the life of the beasts, and the bodies of those beasts in the old covenant were burnt without the Jews' camp, and the blood was brought into the sanctuary by the high priest, as an atonement for the sins of the priests and people; wherefore, Jesus also, that he might sanctify his people with his own blood, suffered without the gates of Jerusalem: let us go, therefore, unto him, (to wit, Christ,) without the Jews' camp, bearing Christ's reproach, who was reproached, who sanctifies with his blood, his life, which dedicates the new covenant; so that all may come to Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant, and his blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel, or of the blood of bulls and goats, the life of beasts; for Christ being a high priest, and of a more perfect tabernacle than that which was made with hands in the old covenant, did not enter into the holy place made with hands, by the blood of bulls, goats, and calves, as the priests of the old covenant did. But Christ, the Lamb of God, ordained before the foundation of the world, which was manifested in time, by his own blood, his life, entered once into the holy place, into heaven itself, (now to appear in the presence of God for us,) having obtained eternal redemption for us: so it is the blood, the life of Christ in the new covenant, that cleanseth from all sin, who through the eternal spirit offered himself without spot to God,' to purge our consciences from dead works, to serve the living God: for this cause he is the Mediator of the New Testament.

And so Christ was once offered for sin, who tasted death for every man; so he takes away the first covenant, that he may establish the second, and by one offering he hath perfected forever them that are sanctified; so it is by the blood of Christ, by which all his peoples' sins are washed away, who did and do confess, that Christ hath redeemed them to God by his blood, and their garments were made white with the blood of the Lamb.

So the blood of the old covenant was the life of the beasts and other creatures; and the blood of the new covenant is the life of Christ Jesus, who saith, except ye eat my flesh, and drink my blood, ye have no life in you.' John vi. 53.

6

So the blood of the new covenant is not according to the old; and so with this blood of the new covenant must every one feel their hearts