So as Moses the servant was faithful over his house in the old covenant, and the law of works; so Christ the son of God is over his spiritual house, in his new covenant of light, life, and grace, whose house we

are.

Concerning the upright and good conversation of the Saints in Christ, and in heaven.

DAVID saith, The wicked have drawn out the sword, and have bent their bow, to cast down the poor and needy, and to slay such as be of an upright conversation: their sword shall enter into their own heart, and their bow shall be broken.' Psalm xxxvii. 14.

Here is David's judgment upon such that cast down the poor and needy, and do slay such as be of an upright conversation.

But whoso offereth praise, glorifieth me,' saith the Lord; and to him that orders his conversation aright, will I show the salvation of God.' Psalm 1. 23.

So all that will see the salvation of God, you are first to see your conversations to be ordered aright with the light, power, and spirit of God; for the apostle saith, 'By the grace of God we have had our conversation in the world,' &c. 2 Cor. i. 12.

So now are all by the grace of God to have their conversation preserved from the wickedness of the world, which grace brings their salvation.

And the apostle saith to the Ephesians, how that we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of our flesh, and of our mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as well as others.' Ephes. ii. 3. And therefore he exhorts them 'to put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt, according to the deceitful lusts, and be ye renewed in the spirit of your mind, and only let your conversation be as becomes the gospel of Christ, &c. that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind, striving together for the faith of the gospel; for our conversation is in heaven, from whence we look for the saviour, our Lord Jesus Christ, who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body.' See Ephes. iv. 22. Phil. i. 27. and iii. 20.

t

So here the apostles and the saints had put off their former conversation according to the world, whose conversation was in heaven, where all the true saints or christians had their conversation.

And the apostle exhorted Timothy, and said, 'Be thou an example VOL. VI.

14

of the believers in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity;' which is a good conversation to be followed.' 1 Tim. iv. 12.

And the apostle saith to the Hebrews, Heb. xiii. 5, Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have; for the Lord hath said, he will never leave thee nor forsake thee.'

And James saith in his General Epistle, James iii. 13, 14, 'Who is a wise man, and endowed with knowledge among you? let him show out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom; for where envying and strife is, there is confusion, and every evil work.'

Now this good conversation must be showed forth in practice.

And Peter, in his General Epistle, admonishes the church to be as 'obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance; but as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation: [Mark, all manner of conversation:] forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation, received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.' 1 Pet. iii. 14, 15. &c.

And in 1 Pet. iii. 1. 'Likewise, ye wives, be subject to your own husbands, that if any obey not the word, they also may without the word be won by the conversation of the wives, while they behold your chaste conversation, coupled with fear,' &c. Having a good conscience, that whereas they speak evil of you, as of evil doers, they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ.' 1 Pet. iii. 16.

Here you see the true Christians' conversations were in Christ, which all Christians are and ought to be; and they whose conversations are in Christ Jesus, are agrieved and vexed with the filthy conversations of the wicked, as just Lot was.' 2 Pet. ii, 7, 8.

G. F.

An encouragement for all lo trust in the Lord; who hath the breath of all mankind, and their souls in his hand. And how that not a sparrow shall full to the ground without the will of the Father. By G. F.

"THE Lord God breathed into man the breath of life, and man became a living soul." Job saith, ' In the Lord's hand is the soul of every living thing; and the breath of all mankind;" and is not his hand his

and

power? And again Job saith, The spirit of God hath made me, the breath of the Almighty hath given me life." And David saith, "The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord; by the word of the Lord, were the heavens made, and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth."2

And David says, 'he trusted in the Lord, and his times were in his hand." So you may see how all things were made by the word, Christ Jesus, and who made them, to wit, the Lord; and man's time is in the Lord's hand.

And the Lord God, He that created the heavens and stretched them out; he that spread forth the earth, and that which comes out of it; he giveth breath unto the people upon it, and spirit to them that walk therein." And Job says, 'God gathers to himself man's spirit and breath." So God, that gives breath and spirit unto man, it is he that gathers his breath and spirit to himself again, who has all in his hand. And the steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, and he delights in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down, for the Lord upholdeth him with his hand." And David says, 'O Lord, how manifold are thy works! in wisdom hast thou made them all; the earth is full of thy riches; the great and wide seas, wherein are things creeping innumerable, both small and great beasts; these all wait upon thee, that thou mayst give them their meat in due season; that thou givest them, they gather; thou openest thy hand, and they are filled with good." So here you may see the Lord that created all, how he takes care for all, and gives them their meat in due season. And all that keep their mind to the Lord with his spirit, and so with it are acquainted, and his hand, whose breath is in his hand, they can say, The Lord is my strength, and is become my salvation; and the voice of rejoicing and salvation is in the tabernacle of the righteous;' and can say, 'The right hand of the Lord doth valiantly, and is exalted."

So every man and woman's hope must be in the Lord, who made heaven and earth, the sea, and all things therein, who keepeth -truth for ever.

6

And further, David saith, Put not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man, in whom there is no help; his breath goes forth, he turneth to the earth, in that very day his thoughts perish." Therefore, all are to trust in the Lord, in whose hand is their breath and life.

And Solomon, speaking of the Lord, Prov. iii. 'how by his wisdom the Lord hath founded the earth, and by his understanding established the heavens ;' saith, The length of days are in her right hand, and

1 Job xxxiii. 4.

5 Job xxxiv. 14.

2 Psal. xxxiii. 6.

6 Psal. xxxvii. 23. 24.

3 Psal. xxxi. 14. 15. 4 Isa. xlii. 5. 7 Psal. 104. Psal. cxviii. 13. 14. 15.

Psal. cxlvi. 3. 4. 5.

in her left hand is riches for evermore.' Therefore, let this wisdom into your hearts, which cries in the streets, if you will have her riches and pleasure.

And you may see in Isaiah, how the Lord encourages his people that are sensible that they are the work of God's hand. He saith, That you may suck and be satisfied with the breasts of her consolations, that ye may milk out, and be delighted with the abundance of her (to wit Jerusalem's) glory. For thus saith the Lord, Behold, I will extend peace unto her like a river, and the glory of the Gentiles shall flow like a flowing stream: then shall ye suck, ye shall be borne and dandled upon her knees; as one whom his mother comforted, so will I comfort you, and ye shall be comforted in Jerusalem. And when ye see this, your hearts shall rejoice, and your bones shall flourish like an herb, and the hand of the Lord shall be known to his servants." Is not this the heavenly Jerusalem, the mother of all true Christians in the new covenant and new testament?

Now, the breath of all mankind is in the hand of the Lord, who made the world, and all things therein; seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, he dwelleth not in temples made with hands,' &c. who giveth breath and life to all things, as the apostle says, Acts xvii., ' And who hath made of one blood all nations of men that dwell upon the face of the earth, that with his breath and life they should seek the Lord, and feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of them for in him we live, and move, and have our being,' as some of the heathen poets could say.

And now God that giveth breath and life to all mankind, he commands all men, every where, to repent, that they might turn to him, serve and worship him, and praise him, who has created them, and takes care for them, both with his temporal and spiritual blessings; opens with his hand, his power, and fills with his blessings. For 'God hath appointed a day wherein he will judge the world in righteousness by Christ Jesus.'

Now, all you that have erred from the spirit of God, and so from God, among the witches or fortune-tellers, that tell people when and how they shall die; such were forbidden, and judged by the Lord in the old testament, and not to be followed or hearkened to. But God, who gives breath and life to all mankind, who hath their life and breath in his hand, and the length of their days; he saith, 'Look unto me all ye ends of the earth, and be ye saved.' So with his breath and life they must look unto the Lord, from whence it comes, and be saved. So he that gives them breath and life, is the Creator, and hath their breath and

Isa. Ixiv. 8. c. lxviii. 11. to the end.

life in his hand, and is the saviour, from whom all have salvation; and they are to look unto the Lord for it, all the ends of the earth, through Jesus Christ.

And Christ saith in his new testament, when he encourages his disciples, he bids them, Fear God, &c. and be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do.'

6

And again he saith, Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing, and not one of them is forgotten before God?' And Mat. says, 'Not one of them shall fall on the ground without the will of the Father. Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows. For even the hairs of your head are all numbered.' 'Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven, and before the angels of God. But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I deny before my Father, which is in heaven, and before the angels of God."1

Now here ye may see what Christ saith, that a sparrow shall not fall to the ground without the will of God; for not one of them is forgotten of God. So that neither with your guns nor nets ye can catch a sparrow without the will of God; for not one of them shall fall to the ground without the Father that made them. And therefore mankind, to wit, man and woman, which are of more value than many sparrows, are not forgotten of God, neither shall they fall to the ground without the will of the Father. For Christ says, 'The hairs of your heads are numbered,' to wit, by the Lord that made them. And the Lord who giveth them their breath, spirit, and life, by which they become living souls, to live to him, who also hath their breath and their souls in his hand, yea, of all mankind, as in Job. And therefore the eternal living God is to be feared by men and women all the days of their lives, that they may discern the times and seasons, that are in the Father's hand, &c. This is a discerning beyond the hypocrites looking at the face of the skies for fair weather and foul."

"

And if the sparrows are not forgotten of God, and not one of them shall fall to the ground without the will of the Father, as it is said before; surely men and women are of more value than many sparrows with the Lord, who hath numbered all the hairs of their heads,' and gives them breath and life, by which they become living souls, and hath all the breath of mankind, &c. in his hand, his power. How can any one of them be forgotten, when the sparrows are not; who sees and knows with his all-seeing eye? Certainly not one of them shall fall to the ground without the will of the Father, who hath all in his hand, to wit, his power.

1 Mat. x. 28. 29. 30. 31. 32. 33. Luke xii. 4. 9.

2 Mat. xvi.