whether there be any holy ghost.' Then they were not like to know the baptism of Christ with the holy ghost. But when the apostle Paul laid his hands upon them, the holy ghost came upon them, then they were baptized with the holy ghost.

And while Peter spoke to Cornelius's family, the holy ghost fell upon them which heard the word that he preached. Acts x. 44. So the holy ghost was given through the preaching of the word Christ, and the holy ghost doth baptize them; through which baptism the wheat or seed of God is gathered into God's garner.

And Saul, who had been a persecutor of God's people, and was struck blind, and Ananias went to him, and laid his hands upon him, and said, The Lord Jesus sent me to thee, that thou might receive thy sight, and be filled with the holy ghost.' Acts ix. 11 to 18. which came to pass unto Paul, who did receive his sight. And was not he baptized by the holy ghost, who was filled with it? And then after, did not he bring others to the same spiritual baptism, and called Jesus Lord by the holy ghost, and bore witness to Christ, both among Jews and Gentiles? And the apostles laid their hands upon the Samaritans that believed in Christ; and through the laying on of the apostle's hands, the holy ghost was given to the Samaritans, when they had prayed that they might receive the holy ghost. And Simon Magus proffered the apostles money to buy their gift; but they sharply rebuked him, and said, 'Thy money perish with thee,' because he thought the gift of God might be purchased with money; and told him, that he was in the gall of bitterness, and in the bond of iniquity, and bid him repent,' &c. Acts x. 15 to 24.

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Now were not these Samaritans, that received the holy ghost by the apostles' laying hands on them, baptized by the holy ghost? And the holy ghost said, 'Separate me Barnabas and Paul, for the work whereunto I have called them.' So they being sent forth by the holy ghost, departed and preached the word of God. Acts xiii. 2. 4.

Here you may see, it was the holy ghost that fitted Paul and Barnabas for the work whereto they were called, and sent them forth to preach Christ Jesus.

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And Stephen said to the outward professing high priests and Jews, their council, Ye stiff-necked, and uncircumcised in hearts and ears! ye always resist the holy ghost; as your forefathers did, so do ye.' Acts vi. 15. chap. vii. 1. 51. And may not the same be said of many that are called christians, that live in an outward profession of the letter of the scripture, and some outward elements of bread, wine, and water, and outward shows and signs? And how can such as resist the holy ghost, as their forefathers did, come to be baptized by the holy ghost, and by unquenchable fire, (which is the baptism of Christ,) and have

their sins and corruptions burned up, that chaff, and their wheat gathed into God's garner?

And some came unto John, and said, ' He to whom thou bearest witness, behold, the same baptizeth, and all men come to him.' And 'the Pharisees heard that Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John, though Christ himself baptized not' with water; for Christ baptized with the holy ghost, and with unquenchable fire, as John bore witness of his baptism, John iii. 26. chap. iv. 1, 2. And from that time John was cast into prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, 'The time is fulfilled, the kingdom of God is at hand, repent ye, and believe the gospel.' Mark i. 14, 15. Matt. iv. 12. 17. So here you may see, Christ preaches a higher doctrine than John, and cometh with a greater baptism after John.

And the apostle saith to the Romans, 'that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ, were baptized into his death.' Mark, they were baptized into Christ Jesus and his death. Then that must be by the holy ghost; and therefore the apostle saith, We are buried with him by baptism into death, that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in the newness of life.' So they that come out of this death by baptism, walk in newness of life; and this baptism into Christ and his death, is not the baptism of John, with his outward elementary water. The apostle saith, 'If we have been planted together in the likeness of Christ's death, we shall also be planted in the likeness of his resurrection.' Rom. vi. 3, 4, 5. And the apostle saith, 1 Cor. x. 12. that all our father's were under the cloud, and all past through the sea, and were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud, and in the sea.' Moses in the cloud, and in the sea, they were all baptized. Exod. xiii. 21. and chap. xiv. 21. The Lord caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea dry land, and the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea upon dry ground, and the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand, and on their left.' Here you may see, though it is said they were baptized in the cloud, and in the sea unto Moses, yet they went upon dry land, or ground, and the waters did not touch them.

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Mark, unto

But the apostle brings the same Corinthians to the baptism of the spirit, and saith, We are all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Gentiles, whether bond or free, and have been all made to drink into one spirit.' This is Christ's spiritual baptism, which is beyond John's with the element of water, which was to decrease. And the apostle saith, he was not sent to baptize, but to preach the gospel.' And the apostle saith, ‘For as many as have been baptized into Christ, have

put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, bond nor free, male nor female; for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.' Gal. iii. 27, 28. Mark, they that have been baptized into Christ, are all one in him, and have put on Christ. And this baptism is not into outward elementary water; for the spiritual baptism brings to put on Christ, the heavenly man, and makes all one in him. Heb. vi. So it is clear, the apostle brought people off the doctrine of many baptisms, to the one faith, and one spiritual baptism, as in Ephes. iv. 5. And by this one spirit were all to be baptized into one body, and so to drink all into one spirit, and in that they have unity and fellowship with the Father, and with his son Jesus Christ, and one with another. 1 Cor. xii. 13. 1 John i. 3. The Lord bring all people into this spiritual baptism, and into this fellowship. Amen. G. F.

POSTSCRIPT.

CHRIST saith,It is written, behold I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee.' And Christ saith, • Verily I say unto you, amongst those that are born of women, there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist; but he that is least in the kingdom of God, is greater than John; for all the prophets and the law prophesied until John. Since that time, the kingdom of God is preached, and every man presses into it. This is that Elias which was to come, (namely, John,) he that hath an ear to hear let him hear." Matt. xi. 10 to 15. Luke vii. 17 to 28. chap. xvi. 16. And Christ said unto his disciples, 'But Elias is come already, and they knew him not, but have done unto him whatsoever they listed. Likewise shall also the son of man suffer by them,' (namely, the Jews, &c.) And Christ's disciples understood that this Elias that was come already, was John Baptist, whom the Jews and Herod had done unto whatever they listed. Matt. xvii. 12. So you may see here, the least in the kingdom of God, is greater than John. And since the time of John, the kingdom of God hath been preached, and men press into it, and the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than John. And the apostle said, 'God hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear son.' Col. i. 13. And Rev. i. 9, I, John, who am your brother, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ.' So those that were in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, were greater than John the Baptist.

And all those that do grieve and vex the spirit of God, and err from it, and rebel against it, are such as do resist the holy ghost, whether

they be Jews, or Gentiles, or Christians, or bond, or free; though they may make a profession of the letter of the scripture, and some outward shows and signs of some outward elementary things, they are not like to be baptized with the holy ghost, that do resist the holy ghost, and therefore the wheat or seed of God is not like to be gathered into God's garner; 'for none can call Jesus Lord,' as the apostle saith, but by the holy ghost.' And by that holy ghost, and the unquenchable fire, (which is above the natural fire that may be quenched,) are all they, who have their wheat gathered into God's garner, baptized; and all such have communion and fellowship in the holy ghost. G. F.

Concerning Christ, the resurrection of the just and unjust.

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CHRIST saith to Martha, Thy brother Lazarus shall rise again.' Martha said unto Jesus, I know he shall rise in the resurrection at the last day.' Jesus said unto Martha, I am the resurrection and the life, he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live.' Mark, though he were dead, yet shall he live, that believeth in Christ; he shall live for ever, he hath eternal life, as in John xi. 23, 24, 25, 26. And again, Jesus saith, Whosoever liveth and believeth in me, shall never die.' Christ said, 'Believest thou this, Martha? She said unto him, 'Yea, Lord.' Mark, who liveth and believeth in Christ, shall never die, but have eternal life, and are grafted into Christ, them that live and believe; and though we were dead, he that believeth in Christ, yet shall he live. And Christ said, 'As I live by the Father, so he that eateth me shall live by me.' John vi. 57. And Jesus said, ‘Verily, I say unto you, he that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation, but hath past from death unto life.' Mark, such believers as these are passed from the death in Adam, to the life in Christ, and have everlasting life in him. And again, Jesus said, ' Verily, verily, I say unto you, (namely, the Jews,) the hour is coming, and now is, (mark, and now is,) when the dead shall hear the voice of the son of God, and they that hear shall live.' Mark, they that hear shall live. Marvel not at this, for the hour is coming, in which all that are in the grave shall hear the voice, (mark, the voice,) of the son of God, and shall come forth, they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life, and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.

So here you may see, the resurrection of them that have done good, to life, them that have done evil, to damnation. John v. 25. 29. and

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Matt. xxv. 46, The wicked shall go into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into life eternal.' Christ saith, the Father hath given him authority to execute judgment, because he is the son of man. The Father hath committed all judgment unto the son, and all power in heaven and earth is given unto him; because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness, by that man whom he hath ordained,' to wit, Christ Jesus. Acts xvii. 31. Rev. xxii. 12. John v. Matt. xxviii. And here you may see, Christ saith, he is the resurrection and the life; for as the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth them, even so the son quickeneth whom he will.' John v. 21. And Christ who is the image of the invisible God, by him are all things created that are in heaven, and that are in the earth, &c. All things were created by him, and for him.' Col. i. 16, 17. He is before all things, and by him all things consist, and having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself, whether they be things in heaven, or things in the earth.' For by Christ God made the world, who is the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his substance, and upholdeth all things by the word of his power.' Heb. i. 2, 3. John i. All things were made by Christ, the word, and without him was not any thing made that was made.' Christ Jesus, the first born of every creature, the first begotten from the dead, by him were all things created that are in heaven, and that are in the earth. And the apostle saith, that the gospel of Christ was preached to every creature under heaven.' Col. i. 15, 16, 18. 23. And that in the fulness of time Christ might gather in one all things in himself, both which are in heaven, and which are on the earth, even in him.' Ephes. i. 10. And therefore the apostle saith, he was to 'let all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ.' Ephes. iii. 9. Here you may see, all things were made and created by Jesus Christ; and man being fallen from God into sin and death, from the life, Christ saith, I am the resurrection and the life;' and saith, he that believeth on him shall not perish, but have everlasting life.' And moreover, saith he, 'He that believeth on me, though he were dead, yet shall he live; and whosoever liveth and believeth in me, shall never die.' And Christ saith to the Jews, 'If any man keep my sayings, he shall never taste of death.' And again, Christ saith unto the Jews, Verily, verily, I say unto you, if any man keep my sayings, he shall never taste of death.' John viii. 51, 52. The Father loveth the son, and hath given all things into his hand; and he that believeth on the son, hath everlasting life, (mark, hath it, and is not condemned,) but he that believeth not the son, is condemned, and shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on him.' John iii. 18.36.