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النشر الإلكتروني

And the apostle saith, in Rom. iii. 24. 'and we are justified freely by his grace, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.'

And in Rom. iv. 12, 16. but unto them also that walk in the steps of the faith of our father Abraham:' and is not this a rule sufficient?

And in Rom. viii. 1, 2. now there is no condemnation to them who are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the spirit; for the law of the spirit of life, which is in Christ Jesus, hath made me free from the law of sin and death.'

Now, is not this spirit a sufficient rule to walk by? but you that say it is not the rule, do not you remain under condemnation, under the law of sin and death, pleading for it, and not for freedom by the law of the spirit in Christ on this side the grave.

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And further, the apostle saith, but if ye mortify the deeds of the flesh by the spirit, ye shall live.' Therefore is not this spirit a sufficient rule to walk by?

And in 2 Cor. v. the apostle saith, for we walk by faith, and not by sight.' [Mark, not by sight.] The church was not to walk by sight, but by faith, which Christ is the author of; and is not this sufficient? and they who walk by faith, walk in the steps of the faith of our father Abraham, his faith, which was before scriptures were written? and is not this a sufficient rule for all the faithful, which is testified of in the scripture, and was before scripture was written; and which scripture is to be believed, and fulfilled, and practised, &c. And Ephes. ii. 8. by grace are ye saved, through faith, and not of yourselves, it is the gift of God.' So is not that sufficient to walk by,

which saves?

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And in 1 John i. 7. If we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, cleanses us from all sin.'

So is not this light sufficient to preserve the fellowship, by walking in it? and is there any cleansing from all sin by the blood of Jesus Christ, but first they must walk in the light? there may be a talking of the blood of Christ, and yet a pleading for the body of sin and death, and imperfections to the grave; so that only talking of the blood of Christ will do them but little good, and pleading for their body of sin and death, and imperfections to the grave, that there they may be all buried in the pit together, where there is no repentance, and give a man ten or twenty shillings to preach them a funeral sermon: and as it is in Heb. ix. 27. it is appointed unto men, that they should once die, and after that come to judgment.' And therefore, consider and mark this, and quench not the spirit which God hath given you to profit withal; and do not resist the Holy Ghost, which Christ hath sent to lead you into all truth, and to reprove you; and hate not the light which Christ hath

enlightened you withal, that you may believe in it, and walk in it, that you may become children of the light, lest it be your condemnation: for is not the light sufficient to lead you, and guide you, and rule you, and to give you the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ Jesus? and is not that the treasure which the saints had in their earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power might be of God, and not of us. 2 Cor. iv. And rebel not against the spirit, which God hath given you to instruct you, and to know the things of God by, and that in the spirit you may have fellowship with the saints: for if you rebel against his good spirit, what are all your fellowships good for? and is not God's spirit sufficient? doth not Christ say, it is the spirit of the Father, that speaks in you?' and is not that sufficient to rule and to guide, and to serve and worship God in, in spirit and truth?

And did not the apostle say, in Rom. i. 9. that he 'served God in the spirit.' And is it not the duty of all christians, to serve God in the spirit? and is not that a sufficient rule that will teach them to know how to serve God, (to wit, his holy spirit,) by which spirit they may know God, and Christ, and the scriptures, and know one another in the spirit, and in it have fellowship, and so keep the unity of the spirit, in the bond of peace, yea, the bond of the Prince of princes', King of kings', and Lord of lords' peace, which none can take away from them?

And doth not Christ say, 'they that worship the Father, must worship him in spirit and in truth? and is not that a sufficient rule, to worship him in, the grace of God, which brings salvation, which teacheth the saints? is not this a sufficient rule to teach and to establish the heart, and season thy words, and bring salvation?

And the apostle saith, Rom. viii. 26. likewise the spirit also helpeth our infirmities.' So is not this spirit sufficient, that helps people's infirmities? and the spirit itself makes intercession.'

And in Gal. v. 16. 'I say, walk in the spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lusts of the flesh.'

And is not this a sufficient rule for people to walk by?

And the apostle saith, in Gal. ii. 19, 20. for I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God; I am crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live, yet not I, but Christ liveth in me; and the life that I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.' [Mark,] This should be every christian's life and living.

Worcester-Prison, the 9th day of the 11th month, 1676.

G. F.

For obeying the command of Christ, and the apostle James's doctrine, who

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THE BEGINNING OF TYTHES IN THE LAW,

AND ENDING OF TYTHES IN THE GOSPEL.

The Law and the Commandment of the Lord concerning payment of Tythes, to whom, and how they were to be disposed, viz. to the Levitical Priesthood in the Old Testament, and how Christ is come to end that Priesthood, Law, and Commandment, by which he took the Tythes and Offerings.-By G. F.

ALL the tythes of the land, whether of the seed of the land, or of the fruits of the trees, are the Lord's, they are holy unto the Lord.

And concerning the tenths of the herds, or of the flock, even of whatsoever passeth under the rod, 'the tenth shall be holy unto the Lord.' Levit. xxvii. 40, to the end.

'Behold, I have taken your brethren the Levites, from among the children of Israel, to you they are given as a gift from the Lord, to do the service of the tabernacle of the congregation: therefore, thou and thy sons with thee shall keep your priest's office, for every thing of the altar; and within the vail ye shall serve: I have given your priest's office unto you, as a service of gift; and I have given to thee, the charge of the heave-offerings, and thou shalt keep the charge of the altar and the sanctuary, and thou shalt keep the charge of the tabernacle for the congregation, and for all the services of the tabernacle. Numb. xviii. 6, 7. and the Levites shall be mine, I am the Lord.' Numb. iii. 45.

And behold, I have given the children of Levi all the tenths in Israel for an inheritance, for their services which they serve, even the service of the tabernacle.**

Neither must the children of Israel come nigh the tabernacle of the congregation, least they bear sin and die.

But the Levites shall do the service of the tabernacle of the congregation, and they shall bear their iniquity, this shall be a statute forever among your generations, that among the children of Israel they have no inheritance, (to wit, the Levites.)

But the tythes of the children of Israel, which they offered an heaveoffering unto the Lord, I have given to the Levites to inherit, for they have no other inheritance among the children of Israel.'

And the Lord said unto Moses, thus speak unto the Levites, when ye take of the children of Israel's tythes, which I have given you from them

* Christ has discharged them of this charge.

for your inheritance, when ye shall offer an heave-offering of it for the Lord, even a tenth part of the tythe.'

• And this your heave-offering shall be reckoned to you, as the corn of the threshing-floor,' &c.

And thus you also shall offer an heave-offering unto the Lord, of all your tythes which ye receive of the children of Israel, and ye shall give thereof the Lord's heave-offering to Aaron the priest.' Numb. xviii.

"The place which the Lord your God shall choose out of all your tribes to put his name there, even unto his habitation shall he seek, and thither shalt thou come, and thither shall you bring your offerings and sacrifices, and your tythes and heave-offerings of your hands,' &c.

And there you shall eat before the Lord your God, and ye shall rejoice in all that you put your hands unto, ye and your households, wherein the Lord thy God hath blessed thee. For ye are not as yet come to the rest, &c.—But when ye go over Jordan, and dwell in the land which the Lord your God giveth you to inherit, and he giveth you rest from all your enemies round about you, so that ye dwell in safety.Then there shall be a place which the Lord your God shall choose to cause his name to dwell there, thither shall ye bring your offerings, sacrifices, tythes, and your heave-offerings of your hands, &c. unto the Lord. -And ye shall rejoice before the Lord, ye and your sons, and your daughters, and your men-servants and maid-servants, and Levi that is within your gates; forasmuch as he hath no part nor inheritance with you his brethren. The Lord is his inheritance according as the Lord promised him; for the Lord separated the tribe of Levi, to bear the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and to stand before the Lord, to minister unto him, and to bless in his name.' Deut xii. x. 8, 9.

'And thou mayest not eat within thy gates the tythes of thy corn, or of the wine, or of the oil, or of the firstling of thy herd, or of thy flock. But thou shalt eat them before the Lord thy God, in the place which the Lord thy God shall choose, thou and thy son, and thy daughter, and thy man-servant, and thy maid-servant, and the Levite that is within. thy gates, and thou shalt rejoice before the Lord thy God, in all thou puttest thy hands unto.' Deut. xii. 17, 26.

And take heed to thyself that thou forsake not the Levite, &c. And thou must eat flesh within thy gates, or what thou desirest: only the holy things which thou hast, and thy vows, thou shalt take, and go unto the place which the Lord thy God shall choose, observe and hear all these words which I command thee.'

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And in Deut. xiv. Thou shalt truly tythe all the increase of thy seed year by year, and thou shalt eat it before the Lord thy God, in the place which he shall choose to place his name there, the tythe of thy corn, of thy wine, of thy oil, and the firstlings of thy herds, and of thy flocks,

that thou mayest learn to fear the Lord thy God always.-And if the way be too long for thee, so that thou art not able to carry it; or if the place be too far from thee, which the Lord thy God shall choose, and set his name there; when the Lord thy God hath blessed thee.* Then thou shalt turn it into money, and bind up the money in thy hand, and shalt go unto the place which the Lord thy God shall choose.-And thou shalt bestow that money for whatsoever thy soul desireth after, for oxen, or for sheep, or for wine, or for strong drink, or for whatsoever thy soul desires; and thou shalt eat it before the Lord thy God, and thou shalt rejoice, thou and thy household. And the Levite that is within thy gates, thou shalt not forsake him, for he hath no part nor inheritance with thee. At the end of three years thou shalt bring forth all the tythe of thine increase, the same year thou shalt lay it up within thy gates. And the Levite, and the stranger, and the fatherless, and the widow, which are within thy gates, shall come, and shall eat and be satisfied, that the Lord thy God may bless thee, in all the works of thy hands which thou dost.' Deut. xiv. 22, to the end.

And also, in Deut. xxvi. When thou hast made an end of tything all, the tythes of the increase, the third year, which is the year of tything, and hast given it unto the Levite, the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, that they may eat within thy gates and be filled. Then thou shalt say before the Lord thy God, I have brought away the hallowed things out of my house, and also given them unto the Levite, and unto the stranger, to the fatherless, and to the widow, according to thy commandments, which thou hast commanded me,' &c. Here you may see the laws and the commandments of God concerning tythes, and who they were to. Deut. xxvi. 12, 13.

And you may see how that the tythes were to be brought to the chambers of the house of God at Jerusalem. Neh. x. 37, 38.

And in 2 Chron. xxxi. 11. how the chambers for the tythes, were in the house of the Lord, which was the place the Lord had chosen according to Moses.

And in Mal. iii. it was called a robbing of God and the whole nation, when they did not bring in their tythes into the storehouse, that there might be meat in his house, so it was a wronging of Levi, the stranger, the widow, the fatherless, from their right, for the tythes of the land were the Lord's, and for Levi, the widow, stranger, and fatherless, and so if they did not bring them in, they robbed God in his tythes and offerings, and walked contrary to the law and command of God, therefore, says he, ye are cursed with a curse, for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation.

*Here was their own choice in laying out their tythe-money.

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