stars; carried about with a tempest; such must expect to be cast down into hell, and the chain of darkness to come over them, and to be reserved unto the judgment and condemnation of the great day.

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The apostle saith, There must come a falling way first before the man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition, who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God, &c. So he that sits in the temple of God, &c. but that wicked one shall be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and destroy with the brightness of his coming.' And the son of perdition, his coming is after the working of satan, in the enmity, with all power, &c. and ' with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish, because they receive not the love of the truth that they might be saved; for this cause God shall send them strong delusions that they should believe a lie, that they all might be damned, who believe not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.'

Therefore, brethren, stand fast in the Lord Jesus Christ, and be established in him in every good word and work.

And now, my friends, here you may see this mystery of iniquity did begin to work in the apostles' days, after Christ was ascended, and after the gospel was preached in the nations; and you may see how the apostles, and the church of Christ were troubled with such as went in Cain's, Corah's and Balaam's way, and Jezabel's and the Nicolaitans, and such as said that they were Jews, and were not, but did lie, as many say they are christians and inward Jews now, but do not walk in Christ.

Now there hath been a night of apostacy since the apostles' days, and now the everlasting gospel is preached again, which was preached to Adam, saying, 'The seed of the woman shall bruise the serpent's head;' and to Abraham, saying, 'In thy seed shall all the nations, and all the families of the earth be blessed;' so that many are gathered into. Christ the seed, both males and females; into his government, of the increase of it, and his peace there is no end. And now this mystery of iniquity, you know how it hath wrought, and that there hath been a falling away, and many have run into Cain's, Corah's, and Balaam's way, and Jezabel's, and the Nicolaitans, and have been, and are the troublers of the church of Christ; and the son of perdition, that man of sin is revealed, who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God, &c. and sits in the temple of God; and they that receive not the truth in the love of it, but believe a lie, are deceived by him to their destruction.

Now you read how the outward Judas or son of perdition betrayed Christ without, but this was and is an inward son of perdition that betrayed Christ within, who sits in the temple of God, and opposes and

exalts himself above all that is called God, as before; for that which may be known of God is manifest within, and God hath showed it unto them. So the son of perdition, the man of sin, the wicked one, and mystery of iniquity, whose working is after satan with all deceivableness in them that perish; he gets into the temple of God and sits there, where light, grace, and truth and the word of God should be, and the holy ghost; for the saints' bodies are the temples of the holy ghost, and God and Christ, who dwells in them, and walks in them. But there is a falling away from the truth first, before the man of sin and son of perdition be revealed, and then his opposition is seen, and then he deceives, after the working of satan, such as receive not the truth in the love of it; for Judas the son of perdition which betrayed Christ, he was numbered with the apostles, and obtained part of their ministry, from which by transgression he fell; and therefore saith the apostle, As it is written in the book of Psalms, let his habitation be made desolate, and his bishopric let another take,' as in Acts i. 17. 20.

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So here you may see no man is to dwell in Judas' habitation who fell from the truth, and that part of the ministry which he had: so there is a falling away first, before that the man of sin the son of perdition be revealed, and many may come so far as outward Judas the son of perdition, to be partakers of the true ministry, and then fall away from the life and power of it, and become sons of perdition, opposers, betrayers, and deceivers of them that believe a lie, and receive not the truth in the love of it. But let all men beware of his habitation, for the Lord will consume him with the spirit of his mouth, and destroy him with the brightness of his coming.

And you that have stood steadfast in the Lord Jesus Christ and his government, have been sensible what work this man of sin, the son of perdition, hath made in his opposition and opposing, yea, with all its power to betray them who walk and live in Christ, with their words, and books, and carriages, and actions; but he shall not prosper, for the Lord will consume him with the spirit of his mouth, and destroy him with the brightness of his coming. Hallelujah.

And therefore, all every where that have received the gospel, and the seed in which all nations are blessed, dwell in this seed, males and females, who are all one in him, and live in the peaceable holy government of Christ, of the increase of which, and its peace, there is no end. And in this government, neither Cain, Corah, Dathan, nor Abiram, with their false fire, nor Balaam, nor the son of perdition can come. These are all without; though they trouble the church of Christ for awhile, yet Christ will trouble them in the day of their consuming and destruction. And so all walk in Christ Jesus, who was before they were, and will be when they are gone; and in Christ there is no division, but VOL. VI.

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peace, for he is not divided; and in him God Almighty preserve all his people. Amen.

A POSTSCRIPT CONCERNING PRAYER.

Here you may see is a scripture testimony of the apostle of Christ to the Christians and church of Christ, how and what they were to pray by, and in; and that the apostles did not make them prayers, and give them books and other things to pray by.

THE apostle writes to the church of Christ, the Ephesians, (Eph. v. 18, 19.) and exhorts them, and saith, Praying always with all prayer and supplications in the spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints, and for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel.' Mark, their prayers, and supplications, and watchings, were to be in the spirit, both for themselves, and the saints, and for the apostles.

And the apostle doth not give them a book to pray by, and say, pray by the book, but by the spirit, yea, the apostle saith, they were always to pray in the spirit.'

And the apostle saith to the church of Christ, the Corinthians, (1 Cor. xiv. 15.) I will pray with the spirit, and will pray with understanding also. I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing with understanding also.' And again the apostle said to the Colossians, that he prayed always for them.'

So you may see the apostle doth not say that he prayed by the book; but he prayed by the spirit, and the people cannot have always the book to pray by, but the spirit they may have in them, by which they may pray always.

And the apostle saith to the Romans of the church of Christ, The spirit helpeth our infirmities, for we know not what we should pray for as we ought; but the spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groans that cannot be uttered; and he that searcheth the heart, knows what is the mind of the spirit, because he makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.' Rom. viii. 26, 27.

Now here you may see the apostle doth not say it was outward forms, or prayer books, that did help their infirmities, nor turn them to the prayer books to help their infirmities, or make intercession for them; but he plainly tells them the spirit did help their infirmities, and makes intercession for them according to the will of God, who knows the mind

of the spirit; for the spirit which he pours upon them, people have always with them, but the book they may not always have with them, but the spirit they have always with them by sea and land, and night and day, to help their infirmities, and make intercession for them, if they do not err from it, and rebel against it.

And the apostle Jude in his General Epistle to the church of Christ, exhorts them, saying, But ye beloved, build up yourselves in the most holy faith, praying in the holy ghost.' Jude xx.

Now here you may see what the church of Christ were to build themselves up in, and what to pray in. Namely, in the holy faith, and to pray in the holy ghost. He doth not say they were to pray in books, neither do we read that he made books for them to pray by or in; but the apostle told the church of Christ, in the last time there should be mockers who should walk after their ungodly lusts;' and these were they who separate themselves, sensual, having not the spirit, who were wandered and erred from it: then such were not like to pray in the spirit, and in the holy ghost, as the true christians were and are. Christ saith,Watch ye therefore, and pray always.' Luke xxi. 36.

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And in Luke xviii. 1. it is said, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint; and this must needs be by the spirit that makes intercession.

And the apostle saith, 'Be careful for nothing, but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God.' Phil. iv. 6. And I will therefore that men pray every where, lifting up holy hands without wrath and doubting, and that prayers, supplications, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men.' Is not this in the holy spirit, with lifting up holy hands. 1 Tim. ii. 1. 8.

And the angels offered up the prayers of the saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne of God, and the prayers of the saints ascended up before God out of the angels' hand. Rev. viii. 3, 4.

And do you think that these prayers of all the saints were outward prayer books that were made for them, or were they prayers by and in the spirit, which they offered up to God?

G. F.

Several treatises worthy of every true Christian's serious consideration. By G. F.

I. A distinction betwixt the prophets of God, Christ, and his ministers, and the messengers of satan; for the one preaches up Christ's works and things, and the other preaches up satan's works

and his evil things. Wherein you may clearly see, the outward body of man and woman is not the body of death, nor sins of the flesh, nor the old man with his deceitful lusts, which must be put off; and how that men and women had outward bodies, before the body of death, and sins of the flesh, and the old man came into them, and by what means they came into man, and by what means they are cast out again, while men and women are upon the earth. And how that the ministers of satan teach people, that they must carry about them a body of death, and sins of the flesh, and imperfection, whilst on this side the grave, which never did the prophets of God, Christ, nor his apostles preach any such doctrine.

THE Protestant priests, ministers, and teachers, preach to the people, and teach them both in public and private, that they must carry a body of sin, and a body of death, as long as they live on this side the grave; and none can be made free from sin and this body of death, as long as they live upon the earth. And they have so riveted this doctrine into the people, of carrying a body of sin and death, and not being made free from it while upon the earth, that both the professors and the hearers, as well as the priests, plead for this body of sin, death and imperfection while upon the earth; and many of the teachers and professors are so ignorant, that they say, the outward body or creature of man and woman, is the outward body of sin and death; which doctrine is utterly false, and they are quite mistaken, for the apostle saith, "The earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God, because the creature itself shall also be delivered from the bondage of corruption, into the glorious liberty of the children of God.' Rom. viii. 19, 20, 21. So here it is clear that the outward man of flesh, blood, and bones, is not the old man with his body of death, and body of the sins of the flesh. For the apostle saith, Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with Christ, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin; for he that is dead is free from sin; but now being made free from sin, and become servants of God, that ye have your fruits unto holiness, and your end everlasting life.' Rom. vi. 6, 7. 22. So you may see here that the Romans, and the church of Christ, and the apostles, as men and women, were living, though the old man of sin was crucified.

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And in the beginning, when God Almighty created man and woman in his own likeness and image, 'God blessed them, and said unto them, be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it. And said unto them, 'Have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowls of the air, and over every beast of the earth; and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.