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live by me; and he that eateth this bread that cometh down from heaven shall live for ever,' see John vi. 50 to 59.

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Now here you see it is clear, that the cup and the bread that Judas did eat and drink of at Christ's last supper, was not the flesh of Christ, the bread of life that came down from heaven, nor his blood that giveth life everlasting; for Judas had not eternal life, nor did live for ever, by eating of that outward bread, and drinking of that outward cup, the fruit of the vine.' And so Judas did not eat Christ, and live by him, and live for ever, though he drank of the outward cup, the fruit of the vine,' and eat of the outward bread that Christ broke at his last supper, the same night that he betrayed him; and that Judas might do, and not eat the bread from heaven, the flesh of the son of man, and drink his blood; for such have not life eternal in them, as Christ saith, that do not eat his flesh, and drink his blood. For Christ said, Except ye eat the flesh of the son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you.' John vi. 53. And the Jews murmured at Christ when he said, 'I am the bread that came down from heaven;' and 'except ye eat my flesh, and drink my blood, ye have no life in you;' and 'he that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood hath eternal life.'

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So here is a great difference between the flesh and the blood of Christ, the bread which came down from heaven, which giveth life eternal, and the elements of bread and wine, which reprobates and Judas's may take and eat, that have not life eternal, nor know Christ to be in them, as the apostle saith. Where the tree falleth there it shall be.' Ecclesiastes xi. 3.

And after Esau had sold his birthright, he sought it carefully with tears, but he found no place of repentance; and therefore, how are any like to repent, and come out of the grave and purgatory, as you call it, after they are dead, when Esau could not find repentance upon the earth?

Concerning the traditions of the Jews, and apostate Christians.

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CHRIST said to the Pharisees, Why do you transgress the command of God by your traditions? You hypocrites, well did Isaiah prophesy of you: This people draweth nigh me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. But in vain do you worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.' Thus you have made the commandment of God of none effect by your traditions. Matt. xv. 3. 6, 7, 8, 9.

And again Christ said unto the scribes and Pharisees, Laying aside

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the commandment of God, you hold the traditions of men, and of your elders;' and again he saith unto them, Full well you reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own traditions, making the word of God of none effect through your traditions which you have delivered.' Mark vii. 3. 8, 9. 13.

Now is not this the condition of the apostate christians that set up their traditions above the scriptures of truth, like the Jews, and forbid the reading of the scriptures of truth? Nay, are not they worse than the Jews, for they must read and pray in an unknown tongue; so are like barbarians, worse than the Jews who read and pray in their mother tongue?

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And Paul saith to the church of Christ, Ye have heard of my conversation in times past, in the Jews' religion, how that beyond measure I persecuted the church of God, and wasted it, and profited in the Jews' religion above many my equals in my own nation, being more exceedingly zealous of the traditions of my fathers; but when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb, and called me by his grace, to reveal his son in me, that I might preach him,' &c. Gal. i. 13, 14, 15, 16.

Now here you may see while Paul was zealous of the traditions of his forefathers, he was not separate from traditions, nor called by God's grace, nor the son of God was not revealed in him; therefore he was not like to preach him, but persecute him.

And now are all the apostate christians in their blind zeal of their forefathers, (like persecuting Saul,) separate from the Lord, and not so called by God's grace, as Paul was? And is the son of God revealed in them that have been such persecutors and wasters of God's people, the church of Christ, since the apostles' days? And if not, can they preach Christ in truth, but withstand him like the Jews in their traditions, and set traditions above the holy scriptures of truth that testify of Christ?

And after the apostle was converted, he bid the church of Christ Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the traditions of men, and not after Christ; if you be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances? Touch not, taste not, handle not, which all are to perish with the using, after the commandments and doctrines of men; which if you be risen with Christ seek those things which are above, where Christ sits at the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.' Col. ii. 8. 20, 21, 22, and iii. 1, 2.

So you may see that the apostle brought the church of Christ off the traditions, and doctrines, and ordinances of men, and rudiments of the

world; and would not have them to be spoiled by any man, through philosophy and vain deceit, for such things as these were not after Christ. But the church of Christ was, and is to seek those things that are above, where Christ sits at the right hand of God, and not those things on the earth, which are below; they are not so much as to touch, taste, nor handle them, all which perish with the using; but the scriptures of truth they are to read, believe, and practice: for the church of Christ then, and now, know that they are not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from their vain conversation, or by the traditions of their forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without spot or blemish. Glory to God for ever, through the Lord Jesus Christ, who is the only one mediator between God and man, even the man Christ Jesus, who makes peace between us and God; the same to-day, yesterday, and for ever.

Christ is the rock and foundation which the heavenly Father revealed to Peter, on which he builds his church, and not on Peter, nor that which flesh and blood had revealed to Peter.

JESUS asked his disciples, Whom do men say that I the son of man am?' and the disciples answered and said, 'Some say thou art John Baptist, and some say Elias, and others Jeremiah, or one of the prophets.'

And Jesus said unto his disciples, And Simon Peter answered and living God;' and Jesus answered

Here you may see there were divers judgments and opinions of Christ among people that knew him not. But whom do you say that I am? said, Thou art Christ the son of the and said, Blessed art thou Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood hath not revealed this unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven; and I say unto thee that thou art Peter, and upon this rock will I build my church,' (mark, he saith upon this rock which flesh and blood had not revealed, he doth not say upon thee Peter,) and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.' And Jesus showed unto his disciples how that he must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders, chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day. Then Peter took Christ, and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee Lord, this shall not be unto thee; then Christ turned and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me satan, for thou art an offence unto me, for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men.' Matt. xvi. 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18. 21, 22, 23.

Now here you may clearly see that Christ doth not build his church

upon Peter, as a man of flesh and blood, or that which flesh and blood reveals, but upon that rock which flesh and blood had not revealed unto Peter, but the Father which is in heaven. And so I say again, it is clear, that Christ doth not build his church upon Peter and his outward name, as a man of flesh and blood, nor upon that which flesh and blood may reveal, or did reveal unto Peter; but he builds his church upon that rock which the Father which is in heaven had revealed to Peter, which was, 'Thou art Christ the son of the living God.' This is the rock and foundation that the true church is built upon, Christ who bruises the serpent's head, and destroys the devil and his works; so that the gates of hell cannot, nor shall not prevail against Christ's church, and him the rock and foundation, which his church is built upon. And though Christ blessed Peter in Matt. xvi. 17. after his revelation, yet in the 23d verse, Christ said unto Peter, 'Get thee behind me satan, thou art an offence unto me, for thou savourest not the things which be of God, but those that be of men.' So here it is clear, Christ did not build his church upon Peter, nor his outward name Peter, as a man of flesh and blood, nor the revelation of flesh and blood, nor upon satan, for he bruises satan the serpent's head; so he was not like to build his church upon him. Therefore, they that do succeed Peter, it must be in that which the Father revealed from heaven, (to wit,) thou art Christ the son of the living God,'' upon this rock will I build my church;' but when Peter rebuked Christ, saying, 'Be it far from thee Lord; this shall not be unto thee,' (namely, when Christ told him and the rest that he should suffer and be killed, and rise again the third day,) Christ called Peter satan, and bid him get him behind him, as before.

And Christ said unto Peter, he was an offence unto him, and savoured not those things that be of God, but those that be of men,' in that which he said to Christ. And what, are any so ignorant as to think that Christ built his church upon Peter, as he was in this condition? No, surely, they are mistaken that think so; and they that do succeed Peter in that condition, they savour not the things of God, but of men, and are an offence to Christ, whom Christ calleth satan, and bids get behind him; for he was not like to build his church upon that which was an offence unto him, and savoured not the things of God, but the things of men. And therefore they that build their church upon such, the gates of hell are like to prevail against them; and they that do succeed Peter in that spiritual revelation, which the Father revealed from heaven, namely, Christ, the son of the living God, upon which rock the true church is built, which the gates of hell shall not prevail against; this is above satan, and the revelation of flesh and blood, and that which offends Christ, and that which savours the things of men, and not the things of God, and that which flesh and blood may reveal;

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Christ's church is not built upon such things, but the rock which is far above them, which the heavenly Father revealeth, and hath the glory of it, who is blessed for ever.

Amen.

G. F.

Now concerning whom the scripture saith is the true rock and

foundation.

DAVID saith, 'The Lord is my rock and my fortress, and my deliverer.' Psalm xviii. 2. And again, David saith, 'For who is God save the Lord, or who is a rock save our God.' Verse 31. And again, 'He (viz. God,) only is my rock and salvation, he is my defence, I shall not be moved. Psalm lxii. 2.6. And David speaking of Israel, said, 'They remembered that God was their rock.' Psalm lxxviii. 35.

And Isaiah speaking of Christ, saith, that he shall be for a sanctuary, a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, to both the houses of Israel.' And Peter is so far off from looking upon himself to be the rock upon which Christ builds his church, that he tells the church of Christ, in his General Epistle, that Christ was a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient.' 1 Pet. ii. 8. For the apostle saith to the Romans, the church of Christ, speaking of Christ, Behold I lay in Sion a stone of stumbling and a rock of offence, and whosoever believes in him shall not be ashamed;' this was Christ, and not Peter. Rom. ix. 33. And the apostle tells the church of Christ, speaking of Israel, how that they did all drink the same spiritual drink, for they drank of the same spiritual rock that followed them, and that rock was Christ.' 1 Cor. x. 4. So he did not say it was Peter, nor any outward man.

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And the wise man builds his house upon the rock Christ Jesus; if it be not, the rain and the floods will beat it down, as in Matt. vii. 25. And the apostle tells the church of Christ, 'No other foundation can any man lay than that which is already laid, which is Christ Jesus.' 1 Cor. iii. 11. And again he saith to the Ephesians, 'You are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the chief corner stone;' so the rock and foundation of God stands sure, Christ Jesus, the same yesterday, and to-day, and so for ever.

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