“The Lord gave the Jews in the Old Testament the land of Canaan, and they built the temple at Jerusalem to worship in. It was called ‘the holy temple;’ and Jerusalem was called ‘the holy city;’ and Canaan ‘the holy land.’ But when the Jews rebelled against the good Spirit, which God gave to instruct them, rebelled against his law, set up idols and images, and defiled the land and the city, the Lord sent his prophets to cry against them, to bring them back again to his Spirit, and to his law, and so to God, to serve and worship him, that they might not worship images and idols, the works of their own hands. But instead of hearkening to God’s prophets, they persecuted them, and at last killed his Son Christ Jesus, and persecuted his apostles. But Christ told the Jews, that both their city and temple should be laid waste, and they should be scattered over all nations: and it was so. Titus the Roman emperor came and took Jerusalem, and destroyed the city and temple; which was a day of vengeance upon the Jews for all their idolatries and their wickedness, and for the innocent blood they had shed, both in the city and country; and they were driven out of their own city and land, and scattered over all nations. The Jews have never had power to obtain the land since, nor to build Jerusalem, nor the temple; but the Turk hath both the land of Canaan, and that which is called ‘the city of Jerusalem.’

“Now, the Turk neither makes images, nor worships images; and so it is a just hand of the Lord, that he should be over the persecuting, idolatrous Jews, so that they cannot defile the land of Canaan now with images and idols, for the Turk hath it, who neither makes images, nor idols, nor worships them. The Jews must never hope, believe, nor expect, that ever they shall go again into the land of Canaan, to set up an outward worship at Jerusalem, and there for their priests to offer outward sacrifices of rams, sheep, and heifers, &c., for burnt-offerings; for Christ, the one offering, hath offered himself once for all, and by this one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.

“And Christ hath changed the priesthood of Aaron, that offered sacrifices, that was made after the power of a carnal commandment; but Christ was made after the power of an endless life, a Priest for ever, who is holy, harmless, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens. This is the Priest that gives power to all that receive him, to become the sons and daughters of God: and Jerusalem that is above, is the mother of all the sons and daughters of God, and is free; but Jerusalem that is below, is in bondage with her children. They that are the children of Jerusalem that is above, do not look down at Jerusalem that is below; but they look at Jerusalem that is above, which is their mother. Christ said, ‘Neither at outward Jerusalem, nor in the mountain of Samaria, should God be worshipped; but God should be worshipped in Spirit and in truth; for he is a Spirit, and such he seeks to worship him,’ John iv. This is the worship that Christ set up above sixteen hundred years ago; and therefore the idolatrous Jews must never think to offer their outward offerings and sacrifices, nor set up their outward worship at Jerusalem, in the holy land of Canaan more. For Christ, by the offering up of himself once for all, for the sins of the whole world, hath ended all the Jews’ offerings, and changed the priesthood, and the law by which it was made; and hath blotted out the handwriting of ordinances, which commanded both priests and offerings; and triumphed, over them. So he is the offering and sacrifice of all the children of the New Testament, and New Covenant, and heavenly New Jerusalem, that is above. He is their Prophet that openeth to them; their Shepherd that feeds them; their Bishop that oversees them; and Priest that died for their sins, and is risen for their justification;—who sanctifies and presents them to God. He is the one Mediator between God and man, even the Man Christ Jesus.”

Kingston, the 9th of the 10th Month, 1687.

“‘God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him, shall not perish (mark, not perish,) but have everlasting life,’ John iii. 16. Again, he saith, ‘He that believeth on the Son of God, hath (mark, hath) everlasting life,’ ver. 36. So these believers have everlasting life while they are upon the earth. And ‘He that believeth on Christ is not condemned; but he that believeth not, is condemned already, and the wrath of God abideth on him.’ And, ‘He that heareth Christ’s word, and believeth on God that sent him, hath (mark, hath) everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation, but is passed from death,’ the death in the first Adam, ‘unto life,’ the life in Christ, the second Adam, John v. 24. And that meat which Christ doth give, endureth unto everlasting life, as in John vi. 27. And the water that Christ doth give, shall be in him that drinks it, ‘a well of water springing up into everlasting life,’ John iv. 14.

“Christ said to the Jews, ‘Search the Scriptures, for in them ye think ye have eternal life; and they are they which testify of me; and ye will not come to me, that ye might have life,’ John v. 39, 40. Here ye may see eternal life is to be found in Christ, and not in the Scriptures, which testify of Him, the Life. Christ’s sheep that hear his voice, know and follow him; he gives them eternal life, and they shall not perish, neither shall any pluck them out of his hand. They shall not pluck Christ’s sheep, to whom he hath given eternal life, out of his hand. Christ said to Martha, ‘I am the resurrection and the life; he that believeth in me, though he were dead (mark, though he were dead) yet shall he live; (mark, live, though he were dead;) and whosoever liveth, and believeth in me, shall never die. Believest thou this? Martha said, Yea, Lord,’ John xi. 27. This is the true and substantial belief, which they that believe, shall not perish, but have everlasting life. John saith, ‘This is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life; and this life is in his Son,’ 1 John v. 11. ‘The life was manifested, and we have seen it and bear witness, and show unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us,’ 1 John i. 2. So these were the believers that had eternal life in the Son of God, and showed it unto others. ‘He that hath the Son hath life,’ says John, ‘and he that hath not the Son of God, hath not life,’ 1 John v. 12. Christ says, ‘Every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name’s sake, shall receive an hundred fold, and shall inherit everlasting life,’ Matt. xix. 29.

“The wicked that do not receive Christ, shall go into everlasting punishment; but the righteous into eternal life. The true servants of God have their fruits unto holiness, and their end is everlasting life; for ‘the wages of sin is death: but the gift of God is eternal life, through Jesus Christ our Lord.’ Such have a building of God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. Therefore I desire that God’s people may endure all things, that they may obtain this salvation, which is in Jesus Christ, with eternal glory. For Christ being made perfect, became the Author of eternal salvation to all them that obey him. This eternal salvation is above an external salvation; for they come to receive an eternal inheritance, and live in the possession of the everlasting gospel of joy, comfort, peace, and salvation, having everlasting life in Christ Jesus.”

Kingston, the 6th of the 11th Month, 1687.

“When Christ, the Stone, that became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth, had broken to pieces the head of gold, and the breast of silver, and the belly of brass, and the legs of iron, and the feet part iron part clay (which were the four monarchies, to wit, the Babylonian and Mede, the Persian, the Grecian, and the Roman), and had ended the outward Jews’ typical kingdom; Daniel saith, ‘in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed,’ Dan. ii. 44. Christ saith, ‘All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth,’ Matt. xxviii. 18. And, ‘My kingdom is not of this world,’ John xviii. 36. ‘Christ is the image of the invisible God, the Firstborn of every creature. For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers,; all things were created by him, and for him; and he is before all things, and by him all things consist,’ Col. i. 15-17.

“Here ye may see, all things consist by Jesus Christ, and all things were created by Christ, and for him, whether they be things in heaven, or things in earth, visible or invisible, they were created by him and for him; yea, thrones, dominions, principalities, and powers, these were all created by him and for him. So Christ ‘is King of kings, and Lord of lords,’ Rev. xix. 16. And the ‘Prince of the kings of the earth,’ chap. i. 5. Out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, with which he shall smite the nations, and he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessel of a potter, shall they be dashed in pieces, who do not obey him, the King of kings and Lord of lords. This is Christ, who said, ‘I am Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the Ending, the First and the Last;’ so he is over all nations, and above them all. We must understand this rod of iron, by which Christ rules the nations, is a figurative speech of Christ, who is ascended into heaven, and is at the right hand of God. All power in heaven and in earth is given unto him, and all things were created by him and for him; so then they are Christ’s, and he hath power over all things, for all are his. So, as the Scripture saith, ‘By me kings reign, and princes decree justice,’ Prov.Prov. viii. 15. But if they abuse his power, and do not do justice, as is decreed by Christ, the King of kings and Lord of lords, the First and the Last, they must feel and know the weight of his rod of iron, by which he will rule such as abuse his power. That is decreed by Him, who hath all power in heaven and in earth given to him, and rules in the kingdoms of men.”

Kingston, the 11th Month, 1687.

“They that touched the dead were unclean, and were to be cleansed by the water of purification, Num. xix. And they who touch the dead doctrines or faiths, and let them in, burden the pure, defile, and make themselves unclean, until the spring of the water of the Word do arise, and wash and cleanse them; for all the dead in Adam in the fall are unclean, and they must be washed by Christ, in his blood, and water of life, who quickens and makes alive.”

“A dwarf might not come near to offer upon God’s altar; but he might eat of the holy bread, that he might grow, Lev. xxi. 20, &c. So the new-born babes may eat of the milk of the Word, that they may grow thereby and increase. He that had any blemish might not come near to offer upon God’s altar; neither might anything be offered upon God’s altar that had any blemish, or was unclean, Lev. xxi. And it is said, ‘The ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous,’ Psal. i. 5. But ‘God standeth in the congregation of the mighty,’” Psal. lxxxii. 1.

“The camp of God was to be kept clean and holy. That which was unclean, or defiled, was to be kept out of God’s camp in the old Testament. And in the New Testament all that is defiled and unclean must be kept out of God’s kingdom, the new and heavenly Jerusalem, that is from above. All was to pass through the fire (even of those things that would bear the fire), and to be purified by fire and water, before the people might come into God’s camp, Num. xxxi. So all must be circumcised and baptized with the Holy Ghost and with fire, and be cleansed with the blood of Christ, and washed with the water of the Word before they come into the kingdom of God, and into heavenly Jerusalem.”

“The apostle Paul says, ‘We know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house, which is from heaven, that mortality might be swallowed up of life,’ 2 Cor. v. 1, 2, 4. Here is (WE in the earthly house of this tabernacle) which (WE) are they that have received Christ, and are become the sons of God, new creatures, and children of the light, that believe in Christ’s light; who have an eternal house in the heavens, where mortality is swallowed up of life, in which house from heaven they will not groan.”

“Peter said, ‘I think it meet, as long as I am in this tabernacle, to stir you up by putting you in remembrance, knowing that shortly I must put off this my tabernacle, even as our Lord Jesus Christ hath showed me,’me,’ 2 Pet. i. 13, 14. So Peter knew he must put off this tabernacle shortly; but as long as he was in it he stirred up the saints to their duty in holiness, that they might remember it after he was deceased.”

“The apostle Paul says, ‘The first man is of the earth, earthy,’ (mark, earthy), 1 Cor. xv. 47. ‘And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly’ (mark, the heavenly), ver. 40. And, ‘We‘We have this treasure in earthen vessels,’ &c., 2 Cor. iv. 7. ‘Nevertheless I live,’ said he, ‘yet not I, but Christ liveth in me,’ Gal. ii. 20, who is the life of all God’s people.”

“Christ said to the Jews, ‘That the dead are raised, even Moses showed at the bush, when he calleth the Lord the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob: for he is not the God of the dead, but of the living; for all live unto him,’ Luke xx. 37, 38. So, ‘None of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself; for whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord. Whether we live, therefore, or die, we are the Lord’s. For to this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead and living,’ Rom. xiv. 7-9. For all died in Adam; and Christ, by the grace of God, tasted death for every man, that they might come out of the death in Adam, to the eternal life in Jesus Christ, who is also a quickening Spirit; for as in Adam all died, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. So Christ that died and rose again is Lord both of the living and of the dead: for the living live to the Lord, and die in him, and are blessed.”

“All Christendom say they believe in God and in Christ, and that they believe Moses and the prophets, and preach Christ, Moses, and the prophets; so their words and writings are preached and printed; and ye say ye believe them. But what life do ye live? Are ye through the law dead to the law, that ye may live unto God? Are ye crucified with Christ? and doth Christ live in you? Is the life that ye now live in the flesh by the faith of the Son of God; and ye do not live, but Christ liveth in you, who gave himself for you? Is this your present life? for the just live by the faith which Christ is the author and finisher of: by which holy, divine, and precious faith they have victory over that which is vile, unholy, and not divine; and in this faith they please God, and have access to God and his Son, who fulfilleth the law and the prophets. For the law and the prophets were until John; and since that the kingdom of God hath been preached, and men press into it: and the least in the kingdom of God is greater than John, though he was the greatest prophet born of a woman. See whether ye are in the kingdom that stands in peace, and righteousness, and joy in the Holy Ghost, or not.

“Christ, ‘who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature, was before any creature; for by him were all things created that are in heaven and that are in earth, visible or invisible, whether they be thrones or dominions, principalities or powers, all things were created by him and for him; he was before all things, and by him all things consist: and he is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead.’ So here ye may see that all things were made by Christ Jesus, and created for him, and by him all things consist and have their being, who is the firstborn from the dead, and dieth no more. It pleased the Father that in him all fulness should dwell; and by Christ to reconcile all things unto himself, whether they be things in heaven, or things in the earth. ‘In him are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge,’ who is the head of all principality and power; for ‘all power in heaven and in earth is given to him,’ the first-born of every creature, and the firstborn from the dead, who liveth for evermore in his power over all; the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. While the world’s spirit rules in men’s hearts, they do not know Christ, nor the beginning nor ending of the work of God.

“Christ was outwardly crucified and slain without the gates of Jerusalem by the disobedient Jews; and they that hate the light of Christ, disobey his gospel, quench his Spirit, and are erred from his faith, crucify to themselves Christ afresh. So Adam and Eve, and their children that disobeyed God, did slay the Lamb; and the blind Jews, that disobeyed God, crucified Christ Jesus; and the outward Christians, that live and walk not in Christ, but in sin and evil, though they make an outward profession of Christ, yet crucify to themselves Christ afresh. But as to Christ himself, he is ‘ascended far above all principalities, thrones, powers, and dominions,’ so that they cannot put him to death or crucify him any more as to himself: but what the killers, crucifiers, and persecutors do now upon the earth, is against Christ, as in themselves, and in his members; as Christ said to Saul, ‘Why persecutest thou me,’ Acts ix. 4. For what is done to his members Christ takes as done to himself, Matt. xxv. 40, 45. And they that did not visit Christ, but persecuted him in his members, persecuted Christ in themselves first.”

“The serpent, that enemy to man and woman, the destroyer, the god of the world and prince of the air, that ruleth in the hearts of the disobedient, got in by disobedience. But Christ bruises his head, breaks his power to pieces, and destroys the devil and his works; and through death destroys death, and the devil, the power of death. So Christ, the light and life, hath all power in heaven and in earth, and openeth the prison-doors, and the eyes of the blind, and takes captive him that hath led into captivity, and gives gifts unto men. So Christ binds the strong man of sin, spoils his goods, and casts him out; hallelujah! For the strong man of sin is the god of the world, and his house is the whole world, that lieth in wickedness. And this god of the world hath kept his house, and his goods have been in peace, until a stronger than he comes and binds and casts him out; and then destroys him and his goods. So Christ, the Son of God, who is stronger than the devil, having destroyed the devil and his works, setteth up his own house. All the believers in the light are the children of light, are of the Son of God’s spiritual house, and the Son of God is over his house for evermore: glory to God in the highest, through Jesus Christ. Amen.”

“God spoke by the mouth of all his holy prophets concerning Christ Jesus, his Son, the Holy One; so they were holy men, and not unholy, that God spoke by. Therefore all that name the name of the Lord Jesus Christ are to depart from iniquity.”

Kingston-upon-Thames, the 11th Month, 1687.