'Every creature of God is good.' And God and Christ hath sanctified every creature; as Peter preached it from a voice he heard from heaven, when he saw four-footed beasts, and wild beasts, and creeping things let down from heaven, in his vision, which he was to kill and eat; and they were not to be called common nor unclean in the new covenant. For every thing that God had made was sanctified by the word, by which all things in the beginning were made good, yea, very good.

And so in this the new covenant and testament, and new and living way, are not according to the old.

And as they in the old covenant were not to touch the dead, nor the unclean creatures, so the Jews in the spirit are not to touch the unclean creeping spirits, which are like beasts and ravenous fowls. And those are the unclean spirits which the apostles would not have the saints to touch; for if they did, they must be washed with heavenly water, and the blood of Jesus, before they can be cleansed. And for eating, or touching of outward creatures, he told the saints in the new covenant, that 'whatsoever was sold in the shambles, that they might eat.'

And though it was the doctrine of the law in the old covenant to forbid several sorts of meat to eat; but in the new covenant it is the doctrine of devils to forbid meats and marriages, or to command to abstain from them, which God hath created, to be received with thanksgiving, by them that receive the doctrine of Christ Jesus in his new covenant and testament. For every creature of God is good, and nothing is to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving; for it is sanctified by the word of God, and prayer.' 1 Tim. iv. 4.

So here it is clear, the new covenant and testament is not according to the old.

And in the old covenant, when the outward Jews went to wars with their carnal weapons, and took any prize, every thing that could abide the fire, must go through the outward fire, and that was to cleanse it and purify it with the outward water and fire; and they were to abide seven days out of the camp, and to wash their clothes, before they came in again into the camp. Numb. xxxi.

But in the new covenant, which is not according to the old, every thing must be washed with the water of life, and cleansed by Christ, and come through his fiery baptism, before they can come into his treasure, and camp, and city, and be perfect. For the seven days that were to pass upon them in the old covenant, was the perfection of days. And that was outward fire and water, that was to cleanse and purify the Jews, and those outward things; but all the believers in the light must be washed with the heavenly water, and purified with heavenly VOL. VI.

fire, and the blood of Jesus Christ, before they can come into his heavenly camp.

And in the old covenant and testament, Ruben, Gad, and Asher, Zebulon, Dan, and Naphtali, these were to stand up upon Mount Ebal, and to curse the disobedient; and others were to stand up and bless the obedient. Deut. xxvii.

But in the new covenant and new testament, which is not according to the old, Christ saith, 'Love your enemies, and bless them that curse you, and do good to them that hate you, and pray for them that despitefully use you, and persecute you, that you may be the children of your father that is in heaven: for he makes the sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends his rain on the unjust, as well as the just.' Matt. v.

And this is Christ's doctrine in the new covenant. And the apostle saith, Being reviled we bless; being persecuted we rejoice.' 1 Cor. iv. And again the apostle saith, Bless them which persecute you; bless, and curse not.' So though they were to bless and curse in the old covenant; yet in the new covenant they are to bless, and not curse, as in Rom. xii. 14.

And so here it is clear, the practice of the new covenant and testament is not according to the old.

And in the old covenant it is said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.' But Christ in his new covenant and testament saith, 'Whosoever smites thee on the one cheek, turn to him the other also.' So here the new covenant's practice is not according to the old.

And you have heard say in the old covenant and testament, and that old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery.' But Christ in the new covenant and new testament saith, Whosoever looks after a woman to lust after her, hath committed adultery already in his heart.' So the righteousness and holiness of the new covenant doth exceed the old.

And in the old covenant, whosoever put away his wife, was to give her a bill of divorcement,' &c. But Christ in his new covenant saith, Whosoever putteth away his wife, save for the cause of fornication, and marrieth another, committeth adultery; and whosoever marrieth her that is put away from her husband, committeth adultery also.' Luke xvi. and Matt. v.

So here the new covenant is not according to the old; and the righte ousness of the law of life doth exceed the righteousness of works in the old law.

And in the old time it was said, 'Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.' But in the new covenant, which is not according to the old, it is said, 'Thou shalt love thine enemies, and pray for them, and do good for them that hate you.'

So though the old covenant taught humanity, yet the new covenant teaches not only natural humanity, but heavenly humanity, divinity, and christianity.

And in the old covenant and testament the Jews were to keep the year of jubilee, which was the fiftieth year; and therein they were to proclaim liberty with trumpets, throughout all the land. And this year of jubilee was to be holy unto all the Jews; and in the year of jubilee the servants went out free, and therein was a redemption of lands and houses, and bondmen, and servants, which were of the children of Israel. Levit. xxv.

And now this was an outward freedom and liberty in the old covenant; and this outward year was holy, and it was proclaimed with outward trumpets. But in the new covenant and new testament, the year of jubilee is proclaimed, blown and sounded with the spiritual gospel trumpets, throughout all the world, and unto every creature under heaven, unto bond and free, without respect; yea, eternal liberty in the gospel of Christ Jesus, the heavenly man, the power of God, and in the light, which is the life in him; and in the grace, which hath appeared unto all men, which brings their salvation; and in the spirit which is poured out upon all flesh, that by the spirit all flesh might see the glory of God, and Christ their salvation, who redeems them, and pays all their debts of sin; who was made sin that knew none, and so made it to be his; and so died for the sins of the whole world and the ungodly, to redeem them out of the sin, and ungodliness, and bondage, and captivity, yea, to set all the prisoners and captives at liberty, and to make the blind to see, by opening their eyes; and heals the leper, cripple, and the sick, and looses the tongue of the dumb. Here is the year of jubilee, the everlasting holy year, or day of Christ, who destroys the devil and his works, that hath made man and woman unholy, and kept them in bondage and slavery. And so Christ brings all his believers into his glorious liberty of the sons of God, and to an eternal redemption; yea, he takes off and destroys that which hath brought the oppression upon the creation. So an everlasting jubilee in the new covenant, and new testament, and new and living way, which doth far exceed the Jews' outward year of jubilee, which was only to that particular nation. But Christ's jubilee of his everlasting gospel is to all nations to whom the gospel is preached, and liberty unto every creature under heaven, by his spiritual and gospel trumpets, which are blown and sounded by his light, and power, and spirit, and faith, in all nations, of their spiritual liberty and freedom in the land of the living, yea, a liberty both inwardly and outwardly; and he that believeth in the light, which is the life in Christ, is saved; and he that doth not, is condemned.

And this gospel trumpet, which sounds into all nations, and into all

countries, for their liberty, and salvation, and freedom, proclaims forgiveness and redemption to men, if they will believe it, and come out of thraldom and captivity; and he that believes it is saved, and hath the comfort of the salvation and liberty; and he that will not believe it is condemned, and lies under condemnation. And so in this, the new covenant and new testament is not according to the old; for this liberty and jubilee is to all nations, but in the old covenant it was but to the particular nation of the Jews.

6

And in the old covenant, the sons of Aaron shall blow with the trumpets; and this was an ordinance to the priests; and when they blowed the trumpets, the outward Jews were to assemble themselves before the tabernacle. And when they blew an alarm, then the camp set forward.' Numb. x. So they did not gather them together to the door of the tabernacle with ringing of bells, in the old covenant, but with the blowing of trumpets. And at the solemn feasts they blew the trumpets; which was a day of blowing the trumpets, which were outward, in their outward feasts, to their outward gathering to their outward tabernacle. But in the new covenant and testament, which is not according to the old, the trumpets are spiritual and heavenly, which are sounded with the power and spirit of God, in the day of Christ; yea, all his believers in his light, the life in him, are a royal priesthood, and blow the trumpet. And at the sound of this heavenly trumpet, they gather to this heavenly tabernacle, not made with hands, and to the heavenly Jerusalem, to his heavenly solemn feast, through the baptism of Christ and circumcision with his spirit, that plunges down and cuts off all corruptions; and so all come to drink into one spirit, that put off the body of death and sins of the flesh, that are gotten up upon man and woman by transgression; for Adam and Eve had it not before they transgressed the command of God.

And so by these spiritual and heavenly trumpets, ye are gathered to the heavenly feast, and bread, and wine, and honey, from heaven, and the new milk from the living word, that lives and abides, whose heavenly breast is never dry, but is always full of heavenly milk. And so as the heavenly trumpet sounds, the Jews in spirit move and go, and follow the heavenly spiritual Lamb in their fine linen, his righteousness, and keep their feast of the heavenly bread, that cannot be leavened. So the bread, the wine, the milk, the honey, the water, the trumpets, and the tabernacle, are heavenly and spiritual in the new covenant and testament, which are not according to the old, with their outward bread, and water, and trumpets, and outward tabernacle. All those outward things Christ abolished, which served but till the seed came to reform it; and in the time of the reformation of Christ, the heavenly and spiritual man, he reforms his believers and followers out of the natural, outward, and

il

carnal, into the heavenly, inward, and spiritual. And so the new and living way, and the new covenant and testament, and the new time of reformation, are not according to the Jews' old covenant and testament, and old time and way.

And the outward kingdom among the Jews in the old covenant and testament, Christ, in his everlasting kingdom, in his new covenant and new testament, doth exceed it. And they were commanded to an outward cleanness in that outward kingdom, with the outward cleansing by the blood of beasts, &c. And when they did transgress the outward law of God in their outward kingdoms, they were carried away captives. But Christ's kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and is holy and pure, and none that are defiled enter into it; for it stands in power and joy in the holy ghost. And all must be born again before they can either see the kingdom of Christ, or enter into it. And Christ saith, 'The law and the prophets were until John, (which was the forerunner of Christ, and the preparer of the way,) but the least in the kingdom of God is greater than John.' 'And from the days of John Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence,' saith Christ, and men press into it.' And Christ said unto his disciples, it was given unto them to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God,' &c. And John, when he wrote unto the seven churches, said, he was their brother and companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ.' Rev. i. And Christ sent forth his disciples, and bid them 'Go, and say, repent, for the kingdom of God is at hand.' And they preached the kingdom of Ged; yea, Paul did, at Rome, to all that came unto him. And Christ saith, 'Not every one that saith Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of God; but he that doth the will of my Father, which is in heaven.' And they were to seek the kingdom of God, and the righteousness of it, and then all those outward things (which the Gentiles did seek after) should be added unto them. And Christ saith to his followers, in his new covenant and new testament, and new and living way, that except their righteousness do exceed the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees, they shall in nowise enter into the kingdom of heaven.' And therefore the christians in the new covenant, their inward and outward holiness, and righteousness, and godliness, and virtue, and temperance, and patience, and love, must exceed all the outward righteousness and holiness in the old testament and covenant of the Jews and priests, and Scribes and Pharisees, else they cannot enter into the kingdom of God. And so it is clear, that the new covenant and new testament, and the new and living way, and the kingdom of Christ, and his righteousness, exceed the Jews' in the old covenant and testament, and their old way; which kingdom is an everlasting established kingdom, and no unclean thing can come into it; and it stands in power and joy in the holy ghost.