Now if you love your neighbour as yourselves, ye will not persecute about religion.

And let all nations in Christendom, and elsewhere, consider this; let no neighbour sect in Christendom (as there is many,) persecute, kill, or banish, prison, or spoil the goods of his neighbour sect about religion, because he will not be of his religion, and of his faith: for the apostle tells you,' they themselves had not power over the saints' faith:' for 'if you do unto all men as you would have them do unto you,' which is Christ's and the apostles' doctrine, you would not have any to banish, prison, kill, or spoil your goods, concerning your religion; then pray see you do not so unto others, and see if you can keep this royal law: for would you have the Turks, or Tartars, or Jews to kill, or imprison, or spoil your goods about your religion? you say no; then do not you do so to them, nor to one another that are called christians, that may differ from you in your religion? for you would not be so served yourselves, seeing that the conformity lies to the image of God, to which all must be conformable; and in that the true uniformity lies; and unto his righteousness and holiness as man was in before he fell: and this is Christ's and God's work to create them anew, and renew them again into his image: and God is the rewarder of all them that diligently seek him, and he will judge every man according to his works.' Rev. xx. 13.

And behold, saith Christ, I come quickly, and my reward is with me, to give every man as his works shall be.' Rev. xxii.

And Christ saith, the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels, and then he shall reward every man according to his works.'

And the apostle tells the church of the Corinthians, every man shall receive his reward according to his own labour.' 1 Cor. iii.

And the apostle said concerning Alexander the copper-smith, which did him much evil, the Lord reward him according to his works.' 2 Tim. iv. And Christ saith, 'let the tares and the wheat grow together, until the harvest, which is the end of the world, lest they pluck up the good seed with the bad;' after he had sown the good seed, and the wicked one came and sowed the tares; for Christ is the good seedsman, and the devil is the wicked seedsman.

And he tells them the harvest is the end of the world;' and then he will send his angels to sever the wheat from the tares.

And Christ reproved the servant, whose Lord had forgiven him his debt, who would not forgive his fellow-servant.'

6

And do not you often say in the Lord's prayer, forgive us as we do forgive them that trespass against us?' and so you ask the Lord to forgive you your trespasses, no more but as you do forgive others that have trespassed against you.

And then consider, all you that do not forgive, whether you can expect any forgiveness.

So Christ hath enlightened all, and his grace hath appeared unto all men, and he hath promised to pour out his spirit upon all flesh, and 'his gospel is preached to every creature,' and he hath tasted death for every man.'

It is he that will reward every man according to his works.

And there is a day, when God will judge the secrets of all men by Jesus Christ, according to the gospel which is preached to every creature under heaven.' Rom. ii. 16.

And he hath appointed a day in the which he will judge the world in righteousness, by the man Christ Jesus, whom he hath ordained, whereof he hath given assurance to all men, in that he hath raised Christ from the dead.' Acts. xvii.

And Christ shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing.

So all judgment is committed unto the Son; and Christ saith, 'judge not, lest ye be judged;' for with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged; and with what measure you meet, it shall be met to you.

So let the beam be plucked out of your own eyes, before ye go to pluck the mote out of your brother's eye;' for ye are all brethren in Adam.

And James tells you, 'you must not speak evil one of another; for he that speaketh evil of his brother, and judges his brother, speaks evil of the law, and judges the law:' but if thou judgest the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge.

And James saith, 'behold the judge standeth before the door.'

Mark, what judge is this? and what door is this? Jam. iv. 11, 5, 9. Here you may see, Christ is the judge of every man, according to his works; and if ye hate his light, and turn his grace into wantonness, and quench his spirit, and rebel against the Holy Ghost, as the Jews did; though you may make a profession of the scripture, and not walk in the life that gave them forth, yet God and Christ will judge you, and reward you according to your works, (and every man,) whether they be good

or evil.

So let all christians give over the work of persecution, and cast forth that birth that is born of the flesh, which will persecute; for he must not be heir with him that is born of the spirit.

And therefore, as the apostle saith, cast forth the bond-woman and her son, for he must not inherit the kingdom, and the world that hath no end.' Gal. iv. 30.

I say, the kingdom of God, that stands in righteousness and joy in the Holy Ghost; they that are led by the Holy Ghost, inherits this.

And this first birth of the flesh you must cast forth by the spirit of God.

For Christ tells you, 'you must be born again, before ye can enter into the kingdom of God.'

And of this birth I fear many that profess themselves christians, are as ignorant of as Nicodemus.

But turn at my reproof,' saith the Lord, and behold I will pour out my spirit upon you, and I will make known my words unto you.'

Now if you will turn at the reproofs of God's spirit, ye will come to know his words, and know this birth of the spirit. Prov. i. 22.

And did not Moses say, 'that God was the God of the spirits of all flesh.' Numb. xvi. And did not the apostle say, 'that in God we live, move, and have our being, as some of you poets have also said.'

And in Numb. xxvii. again, did not Moses call the Lord, 'the God of the spirits of all flesh.'

And so is not all your eyes to look up unto the Lord God, the creator of all, and the life of all; that gives breath unto all, that in him they may live, and move, and have their being.

And the Lord is not slack concerning his promise, but is long suffering towards us, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. 2 Pet. ii.

For Christ also hath once suffered for sin, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God; mark, that Christ might bring us to God, 'being put to death in the flesh, but quickened in the spirit;' by which, to wit, the spirit; 'Christ also went and preached unto the spirits in prison, which sometimes were disobedient, when once the long suffering of God waited in the days of Noah, whilst the ark was preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved.' 1 Pet. iii. and the rest were drowned.

And now consider, has not the long suffering of God waited upon Christendom, and all others; and do ye think that Christ now by his spirit does not preach to the disobedient, and the spirits in prison; and consider, all that are disobedient to the spirit of God, are not your spirits in prison?

And was not the old world overthrown by water, and they perished for their rebellion and disobedience to God? and do ye not think, that by the same word and power, that the heavens and earth which are now, are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment, and perdition of ungodly men.

So be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day' and therefore as the Lord destroyed the old ungodly world by water, so will he destroy the ungodly world in the lake of fire.

And so here ye may see Christ by his spirit was a preacher to the spirits in prison, in the days of Noah to the old world; and now he is a

preacher by his spirit unto the spirits that are in prison, in you that disobey it.

For does not James tell you,' that the judge stands at the door;' What door is this? Is it not the door of your hearts, minds, and souls?

And does not John say to the seven churches, seven times, he that hath an ear, let him hear what the spirit saith to the churches? and was not this the spirit of Christ, whom John saw walking in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks, which are the seven churches?

And does not John the divine say of the Son of God, that he stands at the door and knocks?' and saith if any man will hear my voice and open the door, I will come into him, and sup with him, and he with me.' Rev. iii.

So what door is this that Christ knocks at? is it not the door of your hearts, minds, and souls? and therefore, do not you stop your ears, and close your eyes, like the pharisees, but hear Christ's voice, by turning at the reproofs of his spirit and his light; and then he which hath enlightened you will come in, and sup with you, and you with him.'

And Christ tells Pilate, when he was examining him, for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth, and every one that is of the truth heareth my voice; mark this, every one of you christians, every one of you that is of the truth, heareth Christ's voice; but you that are not of the truth, heareth not his voice, and will say there is no hearing of his voice nowadays.

And Pilate, the governor, said unto Christ, what is truth?' and I fear that there is too many that are called christians, that crucify Christ to themselves afresh, that may say as Pilate did, 'what is truth?' so much are they strangers to it. John xviii.

And therefore, as the apostle saith to the Corinthians, examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith,' to wit, that faith' which Jesus Christ is the author and finisher of,' which is holy, divine, and precious, and prove your own selves. Know you not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?' 2 Cor. xiii.

So examine and prove yourselves.

Now if you do say, with what, and how shall we examine and prove ourselves? the apostle tells you, 'God who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined into our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ Jesus; but we have this treasure in earthen vessels,' that the excellency of the 'power may be of God, and not of us.'

So this light that shines in your hearts, will give you the knowledge if you will come to it; and they that doth truth will come to it, that with the light he may see his works, how they are wrought in God; and it will give them the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ

Jesus, where he hath received the light, which is the life in him, the word. 2 Cor. iv. and Job i. 4. and Job iii. 21.

And the Lord God has promised and hath fulfilled, and is fulfilling his promise: I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within them, and I will take away the stony heart out of their flesh, and they shall walk in my statutes, and keep my ordinances, and do them; and they shall be my people, and I will be their God.' Ezek. xi.

And in Ezek. xviii. cast away from you your transgressions, and make you a new heart and a new spirit,' &c.

And I will put my spirit in you, and ye shall live,' saith the Lord; and I will sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean from all your filthiness, and from all your idols I will cleanse you: a new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you, and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh.' Ezek. xxxvi. 37.

And now, consider, ye christians, do ye witness this spirit? and this new heart, which all the true christians doth.

And the Lord said, that his sheep hath been scattered, and they have wandered through all mountains, and from mountain to hill; and he will seek his sheep, and I will feed them in a good pasture,' saith the Lord, and cause them to lie down, and I will set one shepherd over them, and he shall feed them, and he shall be their shepherd.' Ezek. xxxiv. And is not this Christ, who is the only feeder of his sheep?

And does not Solomon acknowledge, 'how God taught Israel the good way wherein they should walk.' 2 Chron. vi.

And does not David say, 'the Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want, he maketh me to lie down in green pastures, he maketh me to lie down beside the still rivers; he restoreth my soul, and leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake?'

Now, can you say so, that are called christians, and acknowledge David's teacher as he did, and that the Lord is your shepherd, and that you do not want?

And David said, 'O, God thou hast taught me from my youth, and hitherto have declared thy wondrous works.' Psalm xvii.

I have not departed from thy judgments, for thou hast taught me ; how sweet are thy words unto my taste, yea, sweeter than the honeycomb to my mouth. Psalm cxix. 102.

Now, ye christians, consider this, here David acknowledged God's teaching, and how sweet his words were to him: but are God's words so sweet unto you? and do you hear God and Christ's voice?

And in Prov. iv. 11. 'I have taught thee in the way of wisdom, I have led thee in the right path.'

And the Lord said, I have taught Ephraim also to go; and when Israel