were sure of, while they were in their earthly tabernacles. For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house, which is from heaven, if so be that we being clothed, we shall not be found naked. For we that are in this tabernacle, do groan, being burthened, not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up with life.' This should be every true christian's mind.

This is the mind of all the believers in the light, the life in Christ Jesus, by which all things were made and created; and as Christ says, He that believeth in the son of God shall not perish, but have everlasting life. And he that believeth not the son of God, shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth upon him." For how can he see life, if he doth not believe in the light, which is the life in Christ, by whom all things were made and created. And therefore Christ saith, This is the condemnation, that light is come into the world;' and this light is the life in Christ, the word, who is not of the world. And men loving darkness rather than this light, because their deeds are evil, then they love the DARKNESS more than the LIGHT, the life in Christ, and more than CHRIST and GoD.

And Christ saith, Every one that doeth evil, hateth the light, neither cometh he to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.' So they that do evil, and hate the light, will not come to the light by which their deeds are made manifest and reproved; and therefore such will not come to the light, which is the life in Christ; and this light is their condemnation, that do evil, and hate it, and will not come to it to have their evil deeds made manifest, and be reproved by it, as before.

So they that do hate the light, and will not have their evil deeds reproved, and love the darkness more than the light, they love the devil, the power of darkness, more than God and Christ, who comes to destroy the devil and his works, and bruise the serpent's head. But he that doth the truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that are wrought in God.'

Now this heavenly, divine light, which is the life in Christ the word, who is from above, is the light by which all men see in whom their deeds have been, and are wrought; so that Christ might very well say, 'If you do not believe that I am he (THE SON OF GOD) ye shall die in your sins.' For how can such, that do not believe in the LIGHT, the LIFE IN CHRIST, die in the Lord, or sleep in Christ Jesus? How can they die otherwise but in their sins, (as Christ saith,) and are condemned, and the wrath of God abides upon them. And they that believe in the light, which is the life in Christ, are grafted into him, and have eternal life. Such are they that pass from death to life, and overcome the world, and shall not come into condemnation. For Christ saith, Verily, 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 is passed from death unto life. For, verily I say unto you, the hour is coming, and Now Is, (mark, Now Is,) when the dead shall hear the voice of the son of God, and they that hear shall live." And they that will not hear, but love darkness rather than light, and will not come to the light, nor believe in the light that they may become children of the light, how can they but DIE IN THEIR SINS, and PERISH IN

THEIR VAIN SAYINGS AND CORRUPTIONS.

And the Lord saith in Ezek. 'I have no pleasure at all that the wicked should die;" again, 'I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord God; wherefore turn yourselves, and live ye.' Now the wicked die in their wickedness, who have gone from the spirit of God in themselves, and so from God; and, therefore, the Lord God would have them to turn again by his spirit to him who made them, and gives them breath and life, that they may not DIE IN THEIR SINS. And they that are led by the spirit of God, which are the children of the Lord, SUCH DIE IN THE LORD, and SLEEP IN JESUS. In such, God, who is a spirit, has pleasure with them in his spirit, that live and walk in his spirit, and die in the Lord. But he has no pleasure in them that hate the light, the life in Christ, whom he sent to enlighten them, and rebel against his spirit, and so against God who gave it them: such die in their sins, and perish in their gain-sayings; in such, God, who is a spirit, has no pleasure. Those that rebel against his spirit, rebel against him; for his pleasure is with them while they live and walk in his spirit, and his light, and truth, and grace.

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Concerning the BIRTH OF JESUS CHRIST, THE SON OF GOD, he came NOT into the world with the POMP and GLORY of the WORLD, neither went he out of the world with the POMP and GLORY of the WORLD. It is said, when Joseph went from Galilee out of the city of Nazareth into Judea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem;5 (because he was of the lineage of David,) to be taxed, with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child; and so it was, that while they were there, (to wit, in Bethlehem,) the days were accomplished, that she should be delivered. And she brought forth her first-born son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a MANGER, because there was NO ROOM FOR THEM IN THE INN. And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, watching over their flocks by night, &c. And the angel of the Lord appeared to them, &c. and told them, 'Unto you is born today in the city of David, a saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you, YE SHALL FIND THE BABE WRAPPED IN SWADDLINGCLOTHES, LYING IN A MANGER.' So you do not read here, that Mary had so much as a midwife; and if she had not one, she had the same power, the same holy ghost which came upon her; and the same power of the Highest, which did overshadow her, was able to help her to bring forth her first-born, which is called the son of God.

AND IF CHRIST AS YOU DO SAY, WAS BORN AT Christmas, AND Mary WRAPPED HIM, AND LAID HIM IN A MANGER, IT WAS A COLD PLACE, AND A COLD TIME IN THE YEAR: YOU DO NOT READ THAT Mary HAD SO MUCH AS A FIRE. And again, WHEN CHRIST WAS CRUCIFIED AT THE TIME OF THE PASSOVER, WHICH YOU CALL Easter, (WHICH IS A GOOD WHILE AFTER Christmas,) IT WAS COLD WEATHER; FOR Peter WARMED HIMSELF BY THE FIRE, WHEN THE HIGH-PRIESTS WERE EXAMINING CHRIST.

Now here you see the son of God, and the Lord of glory, what entertainment he had at his birth, amongst them that were in the pomp of the world. He that said, he was from above, his cradle was a manger. You know a manger is in a stable, where you feed your horses in. And who were Mary and Christ's visiters, but the country shepherds that watched their flocks by night? There is no talk of scribes, high-priests, or Pharisees. So see what entertainment the Lord of life found at his coming into the world, without the pomp of the world, wrapped in swaddling-clothes, a manger instead of a cradle. Oh! the proud and lofty ones might say, this place was good enough; there was no room within for a carpenter's wife and her son; the innkeepers could find no room for Christ, the saviour, and Mary.

And what could the poor country shepherds present unto him, that watched all night the sheep? But such God made instruments to come to visit Christ the Lord and saviour; yea, and declare him abroad. And did not the Jews in a despising way, say, 'Is not this the carpenter's son? Is not his mother called Mary? And in Mark, did not the Jews deride him, and say, 'Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary ?" So they called Christ the carpenter; but they did not know that he was to build up the fallen house of Adam with his power and spirit. For the apostle Peter says, 'Ye are built up a spiritual household;'a and the author to the Hebrews; He that buildeth all things is God." And again, 'For he (Abraham) looked for a city, whose builder and maker is God." And the apostle Paul says, speaking of God and Christ, • After this I will return, and will build again the tabernacle of David, which is fallen down; and I will build again the ruins thereof, and I

will set it up." And who is this builder but Christ Jesus with his power and spirit? Again, 'And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified. And the Lord spake by the prophet Isaiah concerning Christ, and said, 'Is it a light thing that thou shouldst be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel? I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayst be my salvation to the ends of the earth." Again: and who is he that shall build up the waste places, and raise up the foundation of many generations, and is called the 'repairer of the breach, and the restorer of paths to dwell in? And when the devil tempted Christ, and showed him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them, he said to him, 'All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.'s But Christ said unto the devil, 'Get thee hence satan.' It seems he showed him the glory of the world, which he would have given Christ, if he would have fallen down and worshipped the devil, in whom there is no truth. But Christ says, The devil was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him; when he speaks a lie, he speaks of his own, and is the father of it. So it was not like for Christ, the truth, to bow to and worship him, in whom there is no truth.

Now, what is the glory of the world? John saith, 'Love not the world, nor the things that are in the world; if any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lusts thereof; but he that doth the will of God, abideth for ever."

Now, you see here, what is of the world, and what is its glory, which the devil that overcame Adam and Eve by his lies, in telling them they should be as gods, if they did eat that which God had forbidden. He set upon Christ the truth; but as Christ says, 'He found nought in him.' Now the glory of the world, which is the lusts of the flesh, the lust of the eye, and the pride of life, with the pomps and vanities of the world, which are not of God the Father, but of the devil, which he had begotten in the kingdoms of the world, and which was their glory, who disobeyed God: this glory of the world the devil would have given to Christ, who is the life and the truth, if he would have fallen down and worshipped him, to wit, the devil, in whom there is no truth. But Christ the truth bruiseth the serpent's head, and destroys the devil and his works.

And Christ set up a worship in the holy spirit of God, and in the truth which the devil is out of; for there is no truth in him, as Christ saith. So they that worship God in his spirit and truth, worship in that which the devil is out of, and is not in him, neither can he get into it. And therefore, that which is of the devil, who is out of the truth, the glory of the world, which the devil said he would give to Christ, if he would have worshipped him, is that, which is not of the Father, but of himself, 'the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye, and the pride of life,' which pass away. For God Almighty created all things; 'and the earth is the Lord's, and the fulness thereof;' and he gives the increase. So the glory of all the creatures, and the glory of all the creation is the Lord's, and he doth beautify them. For the devil could not give Christ the glory of a thistle, the glory of a nettle, nay, not the glory of any weed; for these are the Lord's, with the earth, and the fulness thereof; and the glory of all his creation is the Lord's, who is God in heaven, and in the earth, to be served and worshipped above all.

And Christ saith, 'For I say unto you, that Solomon in all his glory, was not arrayed like one of these lilies." So it is God that arrayeth the lilies with glory, that doth exceed Solomon in all his glory. And Jesus Christ, who is a greater than Solomon, hath spoken it, by whom all things were made and created, who is greater than Solomon, and whose glory exceeds all the glory of the creatures in the creation; 'who is the brightness of God's glory, and the express image of his substance, upholding all things by the word of his power, by whom all things were made; who is glorified with the Father with the same glory that he had with him before the world began, and before the creatures were made, and their glory.

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So here you see the glory of Christ, and the glory of Solomon, and the glory of the arrayed lily, which was beyond all Solomon's glory, for the lily was arrayed by the Lord. But the glory of Christ is beyond the glory of the lily, and the glory of the whole creation, as is said before.

And likewise here you may see the glory of the kingdoms of the world, which the devil would have given to Christ; which he had begotten in the sons and daughters of Adam and Eve, who disobeyed God; which he would have given to Christ, if he would have fallen down and worshipped him: which POMP and GLORY of the WORLD, is the LUST OF THE FLESH, THE LUST OF THE EYE, AND THE PRIDE OF LIFE, which is not of God the Father that sent Christ. Therefore Christ came not into the world with any of the POMPS and GLORY, neither would he have any of them, when the devil proffered them to him; for he came to destroy