That which overthrows the Jews outward, brings in the Jews inward, in the spirit to Christ the light, which is one in the spirit, and baptizeth them both Jew and Gentile into one body, and here he comes to the life of the law, and the prophets, and Christ, and the promise fulfilled, where there is seeing, and hearing, and conversion, the heart being brought to the Lord God to perceive. And to you this is the word of the Lord.

And this eye the Lord doth not blind, God doth not blind his own eye, but that eye which is out of the life of the law, the prophets, and Christ, and that eye is blinded which receiveth not the testimony of the prophets, nor the Son, and this the prophet saw with the Holy Ghost, and Christ saw, who by the Holy Ghost was conceived, and the apostle saw with the Holy Ghost such as were blinded, and is to be blinded, and the Holy Ghost was not blinded; that which goes from the life, cannot believe the life, but is hardened, they being from the life could not hear, nor see the life, when the life spake unto them, to be converted, their eyes were so closed, lest Christ the light should heal them, to them woe was from the light, to them which were from it, they went from the life, and the life was against them; so the light cast them away, that held up the outward priests, that had the outward covenant; their eyes they have closed, [mark,] they have closed their eyes, lest they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their hearts, and should be converted, and Christ should heal them; [mark,] they have closed their eyes, lest they should see Christ (that own not the light) that lighteth every man that cometh into the world, they have closed their eyes, lest they should see it, and hear it, and come to understand with the heart, and should be converted, and Christ should heal them. They closed their eyes, lest they should see the light, (who were from it and owned it not,) the healing which brings to be converted, and turns the heart from being gross, and the new heart comes to be received; these that have closed their eyes, least they should see the light at any time, saying they see, but are blind; so being from the light the sin remains; these call on God with their lips, but being from the light, the heart is afar off; and these are the unconverted, and understand not with the heart, and are unhealed, and follow the world, which say, they can see, when Christ came to make blind, and for judgment is he come into the world, that they that say they see may be made blind, and they that see not, may see; and the light brings Jews and Gentiles to see one another, and this raises up the tribes of Jacob, and gathers together in the unity in one, and with it doth them reconcile up to God, with the covenant of light, which is unchangeable.

And the apostle James, speaking of the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, which is without respect of persons, and shewing the

law which is royal,* saith, if ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well; but if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors: so that you that respect persons, do commit sin, and would have others to respect persons, and so commit sin, and who cannot, these you cast into prison, and go into the transgression of the law of God, and are against them whose souls are subject to the higher power, and do not respect the ordinances of God (as they do) but respect persons, and do commit sin, and are transgressors, and so bring to yourselves destruction, whose souls are not subject to the higher power, but the ordinance of God is resisted by such, and the royal law, and it convinceth them as transgressors; so speak, and so do, as they that would be judged by the law of liberty: for whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all: [mark,] this one point of not respecting persons, if it be broken makes guilty of all. As for instance; he that saith do not commit adultery, said also, do not kill; if thou commit not adultery, yet if thou killest, thou art become a transgressor of the whole law, adulterated from the life, and resistest the higher power, to which the soul should be subject.

Quere. But deceit will say, if I must not respect persons, I must not honour my father and mother.

Answer. He honours not father and mother that disobeys God's command, and is out of his law, and lives not in the life of his law, who saith, thou shalt not respect persons; and the same saith, obey your parents in the Lord; for the law is the light, and the light is the life, and the life preserves, which light gives to know God and his will in the law, and God's judgments on them that transgress it, and this light keeps from adultery; and where the royal seed Christ is now risen up, (made under the law) brings to know, that marriage is honourable. He that hath an ear to hear, let him hear.

Objection.-Saith he that is out of the light, may I not respect another woman as well as my wife, seeing I may not respect persons?

Answer. The light which is the law, teacheth thee not to commit adultery, and to love thy neighbour as thyself, and thy wife as thy own flesh, and know that marriage is honourable, and the bed undefiled: and this light brings parents to train up their children in the fear of the Lord, with which they come to honour them in the Lord. And this the law, which is the light, tells thee, thou must not lust nor covet, which if thou doest, thou hast an idol. So that which covets goes from the law, which is the light, and from the light, which is the law, to the idol maker, where is the founder of the image, that hardens, blinds, stops the ear,

* James 2.

1

and makes the heart gross, and there comes in the eye which God blinds, and there is the heart far from God, though there be calling upon him with the lips. To the light in you all I appeal, that you may come to the law written in your hearts, with which you may come all to know the Lord, and Christ his son, his righteousness, the end of God's law, which is righteous, the end of the righteous, God's righteous law.

Let every man be subject to the higher power; [mark,] for there is no power but of God; the powers that be are ordained of God. [Mark,] Put on the whole armour of God, for we wrestle that we may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil: for we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities and powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places; wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that you may be able to stand in the evil day, and having done all to stand; having your loins girt about with truth, having the breast-plate of righteousness: so the armour and breast-plate of righteousness, brings to stand against the principalities and powers, against the rulers of darkness, against the spiritual wickedness in high places, whose feet are here shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace, and have the shield of faith, whereby they are able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked, and have the helmet of salvation, the sword of the spirit, which is the word of God, and their souls are subject to the higher powers, and wrestle against the principalities, powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. For there is no power but is of God; the powers that be ordained of God, bring to stand against the principalities and powers, against the rulers of the darkness of the world, the spiritual wickedness in high places: [mark,] here is the higher power, that which God hath ordained, to which the soul must be subject; and here is that which is out of the truth, the which, whose loins are girded with truth stand against.

And whosoever therefore resisteth the powers which he ordained of God, resisteth the ordinance of God; and they that resist, shall receive to themselves damnation: such as go from the light, the truth, and the power of God, their souls are not subject to the higher power, but that comes in which wars against it, (the lusts) which war against the soul, where the spiritual wickedness, and the ruler of the darkness is, against which, who be in the truth war; for rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? Do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same; [mark] then thou art kept in the truth, and the loins about girded with it; for he is the minister of God to thee for good, who hath this higher power which is of God, which is above the principalities, and powers, and rulers of darkness in the world, and spiritual wickedness in high places, which

is out of the light, out of the truth; such are not the help-governors, but he is the help-government that stands against sin, which is the higher power to which the soul must be subject: but if thou doest that which is evil, be afraid, then thou goest from the light, and thy soul is not subject to the higher power, and art where the spiritual wickedness is, and the ruler of darkness, and the spiritual wickedness in the high places, which is to be wrestled against, and so thou goest into the evil, and this higher power goes against thee, for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath on him that doth evil, whose soul is not subject to the higher power, but is gone from the truth, the light, into the power of wickedness and darkness, which the power of God is above. Wherefore ye must needs be subject, not only for wrath, but for conscience sake, so the light which turneth from the evil, and the powers and rulers of darkness, and spiritual wickednesses in high places and principalities, the soul it brings to be subject to the higher power for conscience sake, and to own the minister of God, which is for good, which is in the power, which who resists, brings to himself damnation, who to the evil doers is a terror, for the power of God turns against them that go from the light, and this is the power, that no man's person doth respect.

So for the Lord's sake submit yourselves to every ordinance of man, whether it be the king, as superior; or to governors, or unto them that are sent by him, for the punishment of evil doers, and for the praise of them that do well; here the higher power is it that punisheth the evil doer, and torments the evil, goes against it, and against all the spiritual wickednesses, in high places,* [take notice of that:] to that ordinance for the Lord's sake, we are to be subject unto, for the Lord's sake, for it is the will of God to have the evil doer punished, that so with well-doing you put to silence the ignorance of foolish men, as free not using your liberty as a cloak of maliciousness, but as the servants of God. [Mark,] And again, Peter who was in the light, and his soul subject to the higher power, and owned every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake, which went against the evil, he said unto the rulers when they commanded him to speak no more in the name of Jesus, whether was it better to obey God, or man? This spake Peter, he that stood against man's ordinance, which was contrary to the command of God; so such as did not believe in the light, such were not to be obeyed, whose souls were not subject to the higher powers, for the commands of God are not contrary to his own power, for whose souls are subject to the higher power, they own Christ the light, the power of God, the end of the law: so all for the Lord's sake, be ye subject to every ordinance of man, for the Lord's sake, for the punishment of evil doers, [mark,] to be subject to that ordinance

1 Pet. 2. 13, 14, &c.

that punishes the evil, that doth not punish the good, that doth not go against the command of God, nor Christ, for it is that power the soul must be subject unto.

And Peter that was subject to the higher power, who was not subject to the rulers, the high-priests, elders, and council, who charged them to speak no more in the name of Christ, said to them, whether was it better to obey God or man, and to their ordinance was not subject, but preached Christ the light, whose soul was subject to the higher power. Neither were the three children subject to the king's command, who commanded them to bow to the image he set up; neither was Daniel obedient to the king's decree, which was made that he should not pray unto his God. Neither was Mordecai obedient to the king's command, and to Haman could not bow, though by his not bowing all the Jews might have been destroyed; so him that would have Mordecai to bow, God bowed, and overthrew Haman, and brought down Nebuchadnezzar that set up the image and gave forth his commandment, to all nations, people, and languages, that all to it should bow; and God with his power made him to know the most high reigned; which most high made him to bow, and feed with the beasts of the field, seven times was to pass over till he knew the most high to rule in the kingdoms of men, and gives it to whomsoever he will; [mark,] to whomsoever he will he gives it: here was a higher power above Nebuchadnezzar's power, which Nebuchadnezzar was out of, which power overthrew him, which power the three children were in. This he knew not by all his might and authority, until seven times passed over him, and that which was to pass over him seven times, was to be fulfilled, before it was known that the most high ruled in the kingdoms of men; [mark,] which thing he did not know, when he was against that power which the three children were in, and to which their souls were subject, though they were cast into the fire, for not bowing to the image, nor hearkening to the king's command. But the image, and the founder of the image, were thrown down, and before he was thrown down, he knew not the most high to rule, as they do not now, and such God with his power breaks down, and the images to which the servants of the Lord could not bow, that were subject to the higher power, that delivered them; which power threw down Nebuchadnezzar that had set up the image, and made him to bow to, and to worship, and to know that the most high reigned. And to you this is the word of the Lord.

VOL. IV.-12