as Levi, that payed tythes in Abraham, which after had a law, for the apostle cuts off the outward circumcision in Abraham, and so the law of tythes to Levi in Abraham, for the promise that Abraham should be heir of the world, was not to Abraham and his seed through the law, but through the righteousness of faith, and faith was reckoned to Abraham for righteousness, when he was in uncircumcision, and not in circumcision. Here the apostle cuts off, not only the Levitical priesthood and his law, but the circumcision and his law.' Rom. iv.

And the apostle saith, 'for as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse.' Gal. iii. 16. But Christ has redeemed us from under the curse of the law, being made a curse for us; that the blessings of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles through Jesus Christ, that we might receive the promise of the spirit through faith.

All these outward things, tythes, offerings, and other shadows in the first covenant, held up by carnal ordinances, imposed on the Jews until the time of reformation by Christ; so their law is called a school-master, and it served till the seed came; and a child differs nothing from a servant, but is under tutors and governors, until the time appointed of the Father; [mark,] then they were not always to be there in that state; even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world; now these outward things, the apostle calls them, Gal. iv. the world's elements; but when the fulness of their time was come, God sent forth his Son made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons; and because ye are sons [mark,] God hath sent forth the spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying Abba Father, wherefore thou art no more a servant but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ; so all that witness this, witness the time of his Father's appointing, and the fulness of his time is come, and the time of reformation; and they are redeemed out of bondage from under the world's elements, and they are redeemed from under the law, priest, tythes, and offerings, by him that is made under the law, and so from under the curse, by him that became a curse for us, and can say, 'Christ is the end of the law for righteousness sake, to every one that believes.'

So all the faithful walk in the steps of that faith of our father Abraham, which he had before he was circumcised; for the promise that he should be heir of the world, was not to Abraham, or to his seed through the law, but through the righteousness of faith; and, here the apostle cuts off the law of circumcision, and also the law by which the priest Levi was made, and received his tythes and offerings, and so the justification is in the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law that held up circumcision, nor the law by which the Levitical priesthood was made, and all his services, tythes, and maintenances for the priest and

his services and maintenance, tythes and law, is put down and changed by Christ, who remains a priest forever; who had a better sacrifice than all those in the first covenant; but Christ is entered by his own blood into the holy place, that is not made with hands, as the Levites' chief priest did, which were but figures of the true, but Christ the substance, is entered into heaven itself, having obtained eternal redemption for us, and now to appear in the presence of God for us, wherefore he is able to save them to the utmost, that come unto God by him; seeing he ever lives to make intercession for them; for such an high priest became us believers and true christians, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and is made higher than the heavens; so we need not daily those high priests that were made by the law, who offered up sacrifices for their own sins, and then for the people, who had tythes for their wages and maintenance; for Christ offered up himself once for all, and ended all outward offering; the law made high priests, who have infirmities, but the word of an oath which was since the law, maketh the Son, who is consecrated and perfected forevermore. Heb. vii. 28. Now of things which were spoken, this is the sum; we have such an high priest, (to wit, Christ,) who has ended Aaron's priesthood, and his tythes, law, and offerings, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the majesty in the heavens. And is a minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle which the Lord hath pitched, and not man. And so hath obtained a more excellent ministry than that of Moses and Levi, by how much more also he is the Mediator of a better covenant than the first, which is established upon better promises, glory to God forever.

6

And whereas you do allege what Christ said to the pharisees in Luke xi. 42. which saith, woe be unto you pharisees, for ye tythe mint and rue, and all manner of herbs, and pass over judgment and the love of God, these ought you to have done, and not to leave the other undone ; to which I say, these things was before Christ was offered up, and the tenths of tenths was a heave-offering, and Christ bid them go offer to the priest for their cleansing, for he did not come to break the law, but to fulfil every jot and tittle of it; but when Christ was offered up once for all the offerings, then the high priests' offerings and Levi's tythe of mint and rue, &c. was ended. And they that preached the gospel, said the Levitical priesthood was changed, and the law was changed, by which he was made, and the command was disannulled that gave him his tythes for his services and, offerings; and Christ was preached, and set up the unchangeable priest, and so Christ the Priest by offering up himself, has ended the first priesthood and his offerings; then Christ said to his apostles, ministers, and messengers, freely ye have received, freely give,' so people may keep their tythe of mint, and their rue, and other herbs and things to themselves, for Christ has taken away the law

that gave them: for the apostle was to go without bag or scrip; therefore, they were not to take people's mints and herbs, as the Levitical priesthood did by the law; but Christ has changed this law and him, and put down his office; therefore, Levi has no power to take them of people, and therefore, people may keep them to themselves; for where there is no law there is no transgression for not paying of them; but Christ remains an unchangeable Priest forever, who by the offering up himself, has ended all their offerings, and all people must come to God by him, who is consecrated a new and living way. Heb. x.

So Christ has ended old Levi's priesthood, with his old wages, his old tythes and offerings, and his old altars; and his old temple, and his old carnal ordinances, and his old offerings, and his old washings, and old tabernacle made with hands, and his old testament, which is sprinkled with the blood of bulls and goats, and his old covenant, and the old worldly sanctuary, and the old shadows and sacrifices: Christ, I say, has ended all these things by the one offering and sacrificing of himself once for all, and is set down at the right hand of God above them all, and over them all; and none comes to God but through him, and by him, and Christ hath appeared to put away sin, by the sacrificing of himself; and after Christ had offered one sacrifice for sins, he forever sat down at the right hand of God, so he hath ended the Levitical priesthood that offered up for their own sins, and then for the sins of the people; so Christ I say has ended their work and their service; so likewise he has ended the tythes which was for their wages. And every one's faith is to stand in Christ the author of it, and to live by it, and walk by it, if they be justified, and come into the heirship with faithful Abraham.

And after Christ was risen, he said unto his disciples, Luke xxiv. 'while I was yet with you, I told you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms concerning me;' so the law and the prophets are fulfilled in Christ, and he is the end of them; who is the first and the last, the beginning and the ending, the amen. G. F.

The 1st day of the 7th month, 1676.

A Postscript.

'UNTO the tribes of Levi, Moses gave no inheritance, the Lord God of Israel was their inheritance, as he said unto them,' in Numb. xviii. 20, 21. 'And behold I have given the children of Levi, all the tenths in Israel, for an inheritance for their service, even the service of the tabernacle of the congregation: so the eleven tribes had the land by lot, as in Joshua, xiii. xiv.

So the law served, and the priests did their service about the tabernacle, till Christ came and was offered up.

For when the fulness of time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, and made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law, that they might receive the adoption of sons, which many witness at this day.

And so Christ has ended the Levitical priesthood, and his service, and has taken away the first priesthood, that he may establish the second, who is made higher than the heavens, who hath not entered into the worldly sanctuary or tabernacle, but into the holy place by his own blood.

⚫ And has ended the first covenant, and has made the first old, and it was ready to vanish away, in the days of the apostles.' Heb. viii.

And so Christ Jesus the heavenly priest, hath discharged Levi of his services at the altar, tabernacle, and temple, and of his outward ark, and of all his offerings and sacrifices, and his heave-offerings of his tythes, which he was to shake to and fro, east, west, north, and south, which was a type of Christ's offering up himself, once for all their offerings.

And so Christ having discharged him of his offices, and taken away his temple, altar, tabernacle, sanctuary, blood of bulls and goats, and tythes, the priest's wages and portion for his service, and his offerings which he was to feed upon, which had no lot nor inheritance in the land.

Now he may take himself a plantation, or buy himself land, for Christ has taken away his offerings and his law, and the command that gave him his tythes, for he must expect no more tythes.

So now God has no work for him at outward tabernacles, nor to offer outward sacrifices; for he has no law nor power from God to take wages, to wit, tythes, for any such services.

For Christ has offered up himself once for all their offerings, and is a priest, not after the order of Aaron, but after the order of Melchizedek. So Levi was to have no portion but the tenths of Israel.

Now Christ has ended this Levitical priesthood and his tenths, for his service, which he served in it by the law, till the seed Christ came, which in the fulness of time, that God sent forth his Son which was the time of reformation out of those things, and a time to take away the first, to establish the second, the everlasting priest, and the everlasting covenant.

And he took away the circumcision in the flesh, and he established the circumcision in the spirit.

And so if Levi should plead for the tenths of Israel now, he is an usurper of authority, for he has no law nor command from God, for so doing.

VOL. V.-34

And Christ has died for all, and enlightened all men; that all might believe in the light, and become children of the light.

And his gospel of salvation is preached unto all men, and to every creature under heaven; and the grace of God has appeared to all men, which is the true christian's teacher.

And so all the believers in the light, are the children of the light, and are grafted into Christ that died for them, and eats the flesh and drinks the blood of the heavenly man, and so feeds upon Christ Jesus their sacrifice.

And so all the circumcised in heart, men and women, feed upon the sacrifice; and are the royal priesthood, offering up spiritual sacrifices. And God has made us (to wit, the true church,) kings and priests; and has redeemed us from the earth, so to reign over the devil and the earth, and so to offer up spiritual sacrifices.

And these priests that God has made, offers up no earthly sacrifices, therefore, they will not have earthly tythes, for they see the Levitical priesthood taken away, that took them, which was the first.

And they do see Christ, the second established, a priest forever, made higher than the heavens, who is over all from everlasting to everlasting, the first and last.

G. F.

THE SPIRITUAL MAN CHRIST JESUS,

The Blessed Seed, Light of Life, Purger of Conscience, Healer of Nations, and Restorer of Mankind.

How all Nations are blessed in the Seed Christ Jesus, that bruiseth the Head of the Serpent and his Seed that brought the Curse; and something further, how all men and women in Adam, in the Transgression, their Spirits are dark, and how Christ the Spiritual Man enlightens their Spirits (their Candles,) and how that no meat that goes into the belly defiles the man; and how Christ is the Purger of the Soul, Conscience, and Heart, and Mind, of all those evil things that have gotten into man and woman by Transgression, who bruises the Head of the Serpent, and makes all things clean to man, and brings him to the blessed state as he was in at the beginning.-By G. F.

THE Lord said unto Abraham, because thou hast obeyed my voice, all nations of the earth shall be blessed in thy seed.' Gen. xxii. 16.

Now this was the promise of God to Abraham, of whom Christ came according to the flesh.