when ye speak an evil Word and tells you that ye should not be proud nor wanton nor fashion your selves like unto the World for the fashion of this World passeth away And if ye hearken to that it will keep you in Humbleness of Mind and Lowliness of Heart and turn your Minds within to wait upon the Lord to be guided by it and bring you to lay aside all Sin and Evil and keep you faithful to the Lord and bring you to wait on him for Teaching till an Entrance thereof be made to your Souls There is your Teacher the Light obeying it there is your Condemnation disobeying it If ye hearken to the Light in you it will not suffer you to conform to the evil Ways Customs Fashions Delights and Vanities of the World and so lead you to Purity to Holiness to Vprightness even up to the Lord. Dear Hearts hearken to it to be guided by it For if ye love the Light ye love Christ if ye hate that ye hate Christ Therefore in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ consider of it and the Lord open your Understandings to know him G. F. ALL Dear Friends every where Epist 18. who have tasted of the Everlasting Power and are made Partakers of his Divine Nature Be faithful An Exhortation to Faithfulness and dwell in that which is Pure And take heed of the World 's evil Ways Words Worships Customs and Fashions neither let fair Speeches draw you out nor hard Speeches trouble you and make you afraid But fear the Lord God of Heaven and Earth who by his mighty Power upholds all things And be bold in the Power of Truth and valiant for it upon the Earth treading triumphing over and trampling all Deceit under Foot inward and outward having done it in your selves in particular ye have Power over the World in general And Meet together every-where and keep the Unity of the Spirit which is the Bond of Peace which Circumciseth Inwardly and puts off the Body of Sin and Baptiseth all into one Body with one Spirit And being written all in one another's Heart have all one Voice and the pure Language of Truth where in all plainness of Speech things may be spoken in Nakedness of Heart one unto another in the Eternal Unity in one Spirit which draws off and weans you from all things that are Created and External which fade and pass away up to God the Fountain of Life and Head of all things to whom be Glory Wisdom Riches and Honour God blessed for ever Who hath blessed us and given to us Eternal Life and this Life is in his Son and he that hath the Son hath the Father also And that which the World doth profess and make a Trade withal the Saints do enjoy and possess which the World doth not know but in the Letter And all Friends and Brethren in what ye know be faithful rejoycing and praising the Lord with all Thankfulness that the wise God should Call you and Elect you Oh! dwell in Love in your Hearts to God and one to another And the God of Love and Life keep you all in his Power and Love and Spirit to himself that ye may all be kept pure and stand pure and clean before him The Work and Harvest of the Lord is great My Prayers to God are for you that ye may be faithful and be kept faithful in the Work G. F. Dear and tender Friends MY Love is to you all in the Truth of God Epist 19. and my Prayers and Soul's Desire is to God To Friends in Truth that ye may be kept in the Simplicity of the Truth in Christ Jesus growing up in the Power of his Resurrection and to be made Conformable to his Death and to have Fellowship with him in his Sufferings and that all your Hearts may be knit together in Love and in one Spirit to God and be kept out of all the World 's evil Customs Fashions Words Works Manners Ordinances and Commandments which will all perish which the World holdeth up in the Carnal Mind The Carnal Eye and Mind and the Carnal Man doth act them For whatsoever is seen with a Carnal Eye is Carnal See if ye do find something in your Understandings made manifest which is Eternal to guide your Minds out of all External things which wither away and fade For the Cross is to the Carnal Mind your Carnal Minds going into the Carnal and Earthly things or your Eyes and Lusts into the Earth where Lightness Rashness Crosness Bitterness and Presumption is then the Tongae will run at random and is at liberty and he that hath not Power over his own Tongue his Religion is vain and the light Mind ruleth But the Light within which doth convince thee it will shew thee when the Mind goeth forth and shew thee the daily Cross which is to Crucifie that Carnal Mind For the Carnal Mind minds Carnal Things and the Cross is to the Will of Man for it shall never enter Therefore give not way to your Wills nor busie your selves nor Minds with needless and careless Words or such things for they will vail you and draw your Minds from God But keep within And when they shall say Christ is within Lo here or Lo there is Christ go not forth for Christ is within you And they are Seducers and Anti-Christs which draw your Minds out from the Teaching within you For the Measure is within and the Light of God is within and the Pearl is within you which is hid and the Word of God is within you and ye are the Temples of God and God hath said he will dwell in you and walk in you And then what need ye go to the Idols-Temples without you The true Church the Saints is in God but the Imitation of the Church is in the World without God The Seducers are in the World Anti-Christs and Deceivers are in the World and false Prophets are in the World and Covetousness is in the World and all Hypocrisie and all Heresie and Dissimulation and all Pride and looking for Honour is in the World and he that seeketh for it is of the Devil And all idle foolish Jesting and all light vain Talking which is not seemly nor convenient is in the World Therefore lay aside all Filthiness and Superfluity of naughtiness and fear God and give Glory to him and worship not the Beast for the Beast and the false Prophet must be cast into the Lake of Fire The true Figures and Types were outward and visible to the outward Eye and Mind but the Carnal Mind is to be taken away and destroyed For the Figures did Type forth the Substance when the Substance was come the Figures were taken away and Types were ended And the false Imitations of Christ and of God are in the World and the vain Worships of the World are the Worships of the Beast and are not of God For God is a Spirit and he that
with his Blessings So the Lord God of Power be with you all my dear Hearts I am with you in the Spirit and in the Love of your God your Father and mine The Lord God prosper guide and protect you and bring you all into his Kingdom of Glory you who are Elected Called Chosen and Faithful who are the Lambs God Almighty bless you and keep you all my dear Hearts The Love of God passeth Knowledge The Love of God is Love past Knowledge which bears all things endures all things hopes all things envieth not thinketh no Evil. And the Love of God is the Ground of all true Love in your Hearts which casts out the Love of the World and the Enmity which was gotten betwixt you and God He that believes is born of God and he that is born of God overcomes the World So Fare ye all well and God Almighty bless and prosper you G. F. And all ye Friends that wait in that which is pure in it self which cannot lie which doth not change Wait upon God for God doth not change and let all Flesh be silent before the Lord that the Life may speak in all then the Mouth of the Lord is known Let Life speak and God is Exalted and Glorified with his own Work which he brings forth And Meet together therein every where and mind that which gathers you and wait on that which is pure which gathers you out of the Worlds Nature Disposition Conversation Churches Forms and Customs which will knit your Hearts together up to God That which gathers you out of all these is the Spirit of the Lord which will gather you up to him who is the Father of Spirits that ye may be able to Judge and Discern and Confound all the Deceit in the World and grow up to be as Kings and suffer nothing to reign in you but what is in the Life Eternal And beware of speaking in the Presence of the Lord except your Words be from the Eternal Life Words spoken from the Word the Eternal Word of God else it doth not profit nor build up nor edifie So God Almighty be with you all in your Meetings that ye may see him to be your Head King and Lord over all To you all who are enlightned with the Light of the Spirit that is the Light which shews you Sin and Evil and your evil Deeds and Actings and the Deceit and False-heartedness The Light teaches Holiness which will Teach you Holiness walking in it and bring you into Unity and it will draw your Minds up to God and in it ye will see more Light But hating the Light there is your Condemnation G. F. ALL Friends Epist 44. wait upon the Unlimited Power and Spirit of the Lord which baptises into one Body where ye will have all Unity in that which crucifies the Flesh and mortifies all evil Desires and puts off the Body of Sin the Old Man with his Deeds and Circumcises without hands and joyns together your Hearts up to God from whence the living Mercies come from the Living God alone who is God over all blessed for ever To that in every one of your Consciences do I appeal and speak to the Measure that God hath given the Light The Light is the Eye loving it and taking heed to it and waiting in it for Power from God it will guide you to the Father of Light in which ye will have all Unity and hating the Light it will be your Condemnation Oh Wait wait upon the Living God to nourish the tender Plant in you that ye may bring forth Fruits of Righteousness unto God for he accepts such and none else Therefore wait upon God he hath a pure Seed among you Let your waiting be in the Light and mind that he is a Wise Man whose Eye is in his Head which is Christ the End of all Priests the End of the outward Temple and the Fool 's Eye is abroad after many Priests and they are led away with Conceivings Temptations and divers Temptations Therefore in the Light wait where ye will see all Deceits within and without For it is a Sin to enter into Temptations but it is no Sin to be tempted Christ was tempted but he entred not into the Temptation Therefore in the Fear of the Lord wait and watch The Light is that which lets thee see Sin and Evil and Temptations which if thou enter into the Light will be thy Condemnation then thy Heart will not be right towards God But in the Light of God all wait Wisdom's Gate which will bring you to see where Wisdom's Gate is the Fear of the Lord is the beginning of it Pure Wisdom is let out of the Treasury into the pure Heart which sees God and fearing the Living God it keeps the Heart pure and clean to receive the Wisdom from the Treasury freely who doth not upbraid And as ye depart from Evil and Iniquity he breaks the Bonds by shewing Mercy and then the Understanding grows pure and clear So in the Power of the Lord God Fare ye well And the Lord God of Power keep you all in his Measure up to himself from and above all the World 's evil Ways Baits Customs and Teachings to trample upon them in his Power that Wisdom may be Justified of you all and ye may be preserved and God glorified To whom be all Glory Honour and Thanks over all God blessed for ever Read these among all my Brethren and Friends and send it abroad to Friends that ye may all know the Power of the Living God in one another not in Words but in Power So Farewell G. F. Concerning the Heirs of the Kingdom of God and how Christ was and his Saints are Tempted THey are the Heirs of the Kingdom of God Epist 45. and of the Generation of God that live out of the Kingdom of the Wicked World up to God in the Seed which all the Promises of God are to following after Christ who was in Egypt and passed out of Egypt the House of Darkness And he was in the Wilderness Christ was Tempted and there he was tempted to Lust after the Creature he was tempted to make himself away he was tempted to Worship the Devil to bow down and worship him He is the Captain of our Salvation he 's gone before he endured the Cross he despised the Shame he suffered the Contradiction of Sinners for the Glory that was set before him he hath won the Crown He hath overcome Egypt and he hath fulfilled the Law he hath overcome the World he hath overcome the Temptations he is able to succour all who are tempted It is no Sin to be tempted but to enter into the Temptation that is Sin He is the Head of the Body he is the Head of the Church Christ the Head of the Church who hath blotted out the Ordinances and Traditions of Men who is the End of the daily
which you may be sensible of his Mercies in which Love you living in the pure Humility you learn of Christ Jesus For Presumption is learned of Adam in the Fall of the Serpent that brought him into the Fall where all the Defilement is and the Prophaneness Being in the Whoredom from God where all manner of Whoredom and Uncleanness is and Deceit and Falshood the Lyar and all Sin and Unrighteousness and Transgression And this is comprehended all to be in the Fall with the Serpent that brought them into the Fall whose Head Christ comes to bruise that is to break his Power and Srtength and to destroy him and his Works And Christ is Pure the Holy One that doth this the Righteous One the Holy One and in him live the Second Adam that never fell then shall you come to know a State that will never fall in that which is First and Last for Christ that sanctifies he is Pure who sanctifies the Impure he who never fell sanctifieth and washeth them that are in the Fall he who never transgressed redeems out of Transgresson he who never sinned redeems out of Sin and makes an end of it and he who never trespassed comes to forgive Trespasses and blot them out And every one that comes to witness this Forgiveness by him who have been the Trespassers against God they cannot but forgive Men their Trespasses against them as they come into the Kingdom of Glory and Life where the Lord hath his Glory O the Glory of the Lord which lasteth for ever And Glory Glory be to him for ever whose Everlasting Glory and life and Power shines over all and spreads it self and puts forth it self over all O Friends let Righteousness flow amongst you all Truth and Equity Vprightness and Holiness which becomes the House of God and live in the holy Order of the Life Spirit and Power of the Everlasting God Keep in the Faith that works by Love that purifieth your Hearts the Mystery of which is held in a pure Conscience which Faith brings you to have access to God and gives you Victory over that which separates from God This is that by which you subdue Mountains and quench the fiery Darts of Satan and overcome him withal and in this you have all pure Vnity and you edifie and build up in the Holy Faith the Gift of God and this is that which is to be contendd for which is the same that was once delivered to the Saints O live in the pure Hope which purifies you as he is Pure which Hope is Christ who was before the Hypocrites Hope was who both him and his Hope are impure and so feel Christ your Hope which anchors your Immortal Souls that staies it in all Waves Storms and Tempests and is sure and safe in all Weathers Christ who is the same to day as he was yesterday so no new thing For he is the Rock of Ages who was before Ages who is the Corner-Stone and also the First and Last who will crush and bruise to pieces all giddy wandering and unstablished Spirits and confound them who are cunning and hunt before the Lord for the Lord should go before them he should be the Guide For they that hunt before him will not have the Lord to be their Guide who is the same to day as he was yesterday and so for ever For Adam and Eve did not abide in their Possession not Cain nor Core nor Balaam see what came upon them and what was their end And likewise the Jews did not abide in the Possession of the Law of God which was Just and Holy And also the Apostatized Christians have gone from Christ and did not abide in him who is the same yesterday to day and for ever therefore they are gone into so many Ways and seek after so many new Ways and run into so many Fables as though Christ who is obeyed one day should not be obeyed next day And this is disobedient Cain wandering in the Land of Nod smiting at Abel who obeys Him who is the same to day as he was yesterday and so for evr yea a Lamb slain from the Foundation of the World who reigns over that Nature that hath slain him and will reign till he hath put all under his Feet And therefore Friends in Christ live and in him walk hear obey and follow him who is the same to day as be was yesterday and so for ever And so you that are the true Believs who ar past from Death and Sin that brought it and the Devil the Author of it are come to the Life of Christ Jesus who as I said before is the same to day as he was yesterday if your Belief stands in him that is the First and Last the same to day yesterday and for ever And this is the Believer that is born of God the Immortal Birth and this Birth is he that overcomes the World that doth not Sin that keeps himself because he is born of God and the Seed of God remains in him and hereby the Children of God and the true Believers are manifest from the false Believers and Children of the Devil He that doth Righteousness is of God he that doth not Righteousness is not of God Therefore you that feel the Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus to have put down the Law of Sin and Death in you that Authority of putting it down Be ye ordered by the Law of the Spirit of Life that is in Christ Jesus which makes you free from the Law of Sin and Death So in this Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus have you Fellowship Order Rule and Government in the Law of Life and in the Law of Peace that gives Victory which Christ Jesus is the Author of who renews you up into the Righteousness and Holiness in the Image of God out of the Vnrighteousness and Vnholiness and the Image of Stan. Here the Lord hath the Glory and Christ your Holy Redeemer and Saviour is confest to the Glory of God So wait that you may all sit down in Christ who is the First and the Last and the Image of God and Wisdom of God that by his Wisdom which is Pure Righteous and Holy you may come to order all things to God's Glory Adam fell from the State God placed him in and in the Fall Adam's Sons and Daughters turn from Way to Way of their own But for Man and Woman to come out of all National corrupt Ways Religions Churches Worships Fellowships and Teachers to the State that Adam and Eve was in before they fell and no farther that 's State where he may fall again But to come to Christ who was before the World began who is First and Last Beginning and Ending such abiding in him shall know a State that will never fall For Adam's State before he fell was above all the earthly and worldly-wise and knowing and their dark Understandings and perverse Ways which their perverse Spirit
the World could meet outwardly together and are not in the Power and Spirit the Apostles were in they are in a Separation But God Almighty is bringing his People by his Son Christ Jesus and by the same Power the Apostles were in out of this Separation and Apostacy from the Apostles Spirit that began in the Apostles days into the same Spirit that the Church and the Apostles were in in the Primitive Times and though they be absent in the Body or Flesh yet they are present in the Spirit seeing and beholding in the Spirit the Spiritual Order and the Stedfastness of their divine Faith which Christ the Second Adam the Spiritual Man hath been the Author and Finisher of And therefore let no Man beguile you by enticing Words from this Spiritual Order Fellowship and Vnity And again the Apostle saith For I verily as absent in the Body but present in the Spirit have judged already as though I was present concerning him that hath so done this deed So here was a Spiritual Sight and a Spiritual Judgment yea a Judgment though absent in the Body by a Spiritual Sight of such as walk not in the Spirit but walk out of the Order of it 1 Cor. 5.3 And this is to the Spiritual-minded who can judge of these things for as many as are led by the Spirit of God they are the Sons of God and the Lord now by his Spirit is separating his Sons and Daughters from the Apostacy and Sin which hath separated from the Spirit that the Apostles were in that they may behold one another with joy and comfort with the Spirit in the Spiritual Order Fellowship and Vnity though they be absent in the Body and in the Flesh yet they are present in the Spirit and know one another in the Spirit of God And also All one in Christ the Apostle saith As many as are baptized into Christ have put on Christ There is neither Jew nor Greek Bond nor Free and here is neither Male nor Female but ye are all one in Christ Jesus So though these be absent in the Body one from another Jews Greeks Bond or Free Males or Females yet they are all one in Christ Jesus the spiritual and heavenly Man and with the Spirit joying and beholding one anothers Spiritual Order so the Joying Vnity and Fellowship stands in the Spirit of God and not in the outward Fleshly Bodily Presence and Carnal and Natural Sight And therefore keep your Spiritual Order To keep in the spiritual Order joying in the Spirit beholding your Spiritual Order and Stedfastness of your Faith in Christ Jesus and in this you will be all stedfast Men and stedfast Women and not tossed up and down with every windy Doctrine and the cunning Crafts and Slights of Men but stedfast Men and stedfast Women in the Faith of Christ as Trees of Righteousness the Planting of the Lord whose Fruit is unto Holiness and whose end is Everlasting Life and such have Fruit on their own Trees and Water in their own Wells and are not shaken with Winds Storms nor Tempests that may rise up within or without but are stedfast and unmoveable built upon the Rock and Foundation of Life Christ Jesus so that as every one hath received the Gift even so minister one to another as good Stewards of the manifold Grace of God And this is the Grace of God wherein ye stand that will teach you to live Godly Righteously and Soberly and brings Salvation so not only to talk Godly but to live Godly keeping your selves in the Love of God and building up your selves in the most Holy Faith which you have from Christ Jesus which makes you stedfast and unmoveable from him who is the Author and Finisher of it and with the Spirit of God in which you spiritually behold your substantial and stedfast Spiritual Order over all outward and carnal Orders and will out-last them all with which Spirit you all see your work and service for the Eternal Immortal God of Truth to whom be all Glory Honour Thanks and Praises in the Church of Jesus Christ throughout all Ages World without end Amen From your Friend and Brother in the Kingdom and Patience of Jesus Worplesdom the 22d of the 5th Month 1680. G. F. To Friends in America DEar Friends My Love to you all in the holy peaceable Truth Epist 364. and my Desires are that whatsoever ye do may be done in the Name of Jesus to the Glory of God the Father and all be subject one to another in the Fear of the Lord God so that ye may all come to dwell in the Love of God which edifies the Body of Christ who is the heavenly Man and let all Strifes and Divisions and Backbitings All Strifes Divisions c. to cease or Whisperings or Prejudices cease and be buried and so whatsoever is amiss or hath been amiss let it be put down by the Truth and Spirit of God that it may be uppermost which is a strong Bond to Vnite your Hearts and Minds and Souls together and to the Lord and be kind and courteous one towards another all studying to be quiet and to excel one another in Vertue and Purity and Holiness and Righteousness and Godliness in all your Words and Lives and Conversations so that you may all walk as become Saints and Christians every one esteeming and preferring one another above your selves in the Truth in Meekness and Lowliness of Mind and Humility for he that Inhabits Eternity dwells with an humble Heart Not to quench the Spirit And therefore do not quench the least Motion of God's good Spirit in your selves nor in any other but let Truth and Goodness be cherished in all and let all Harshness and Bitterness and Revilings be kept down by the Truth that it may have its passage through you all and in it you may bear one anothers Weakness and Infirmities and so fulfil the Law of Christ keeping down Revenge Hastiness or Passion as knowing Vengance is the Lord's and he will repay it on every one that does wrong without respect of Persons For Friends you there should be as Lights or as a City that cannot be hid Lights I say to to give Light in all People and also to be as the Salt of the Earth to be a good Savour and savoury to all People for he or she that is an ill savour hath lost the Salts savour and is good for nothing and is trodden under the Foot of Men and therefore take heed of loosing the Salts savour either in Word or Conversation for if you do you will come under the Foot of Men they will trample upon you therefore be Careful Fervent Circumspect and Faithful in the Truth and let your Moderation Temperance and Sobriety appear to all Men shewing forth the Work of the Lord and your Honesty and Justness in all your Words and Dealings between Man and Man and that you may owe nothing to any Man
Saints Feet if she have relieved the Afflicted if she have dilgently followed every good Work c. These are the qualified Widows that are to be taken into the Number So here was a great Practice and a diligence in Piety for this Woman to do before she was receivinto the Number of the Faithful But says the Apostle The Younger Refuse for when they begin to wax Wanton against Christ c. they cast off their first Faith and withal they learn to be Idle so they forsake to learn and shew Piety and to live in that and so do not learn to be diligent and wander about from House to House and not only Idle but Tattlers and busie-Bodies speaking things they ought not and therefore such things were and are to be reproved such as these were not to be received and taken into the Number of the Faithful but to be refused And again the Apostle saith I will therefore that ye Younger Woman Marry bear Children guide the House give no occasion to the Adversary to speak reproachfully And the Apostle says To relieve our own Relations and to charge the Church with them If any Man or Woman that believeth have Widows let them relieve them and let not the Church be charged that it may relieve those that are Widows indeed So here you may see the Care Piety and Duty if either Man or Woman that Believes have Widows they are to relieve them and not let the Church of Christ be charged with them So let Men and Women learn to shew Piety to Widows to Nephews and to Parents And the Apostle saith to Timothy I charge thee before God and the Lord Jesus Christ and the Elect Angels that thou observe these things without preferring one before another do nothing by partiality lay hands suddenly on no Man So here you may see the Apostle's Care in the Church of Christ who would have all to be exercised in Truth and Piety and be diligent in their Service that Truth requireth of them And then again the Apostle speaks of such as are Lovers of themselves Covetous Proud Boasters disobedient to Parents Unthankful Unholy without natural Affections to wit to Husband or Wife Children Parents or others and likewise Truce-breakers which break their Covenant or Promises in their Marriages with God and with Man and so likewise break their Truce and Covenant with Men in Outward Things and also such as are false Accusers Incontinent Fierce Despisers of them that are Good such are not like to be subject to the good Spirit of God in themselves and Traitors Heady High-minded Lovers of Pleasures more than Lovers of God having the form of Godliness but deny the Power thereof from such turn away says the Apostle now if they were to turn away from them they were not to be heeded though they had the Form of Godliness and of Christianity if they were to turn away from them they were not to receive them into the Camp for such are as Lepers are to be turned away from And therefore the Camp of God must be kept clean And Christ hath given Authority to his Church to admonish and exhort and to reprove and rebuke all such things with his Authority Now Friends concerning putting on of Apparrel The Apostle in the Spirit and Power of Christ had a Care in the Church of God that they should adorn themselves as becomes the Gospel The Gospel Adorning with chaste Lives and Conversations and with the hidden Man of the Heart in that which is not corruptible even the Ornament of a meek and quiet Spirit which is in the sight of God of a great Price This is that which arrays and beautifies God's Church and not the outward adorning and plaiting the Hair and every new Fashion that comes up into the World 1. Pet. 3. And also the Apostle writes to Timothy and gives him that Exhortation to the Church That Women adorn themselves with modest Apparrel mark Modest with shamefacedness and sobriety mark Sobriety not with broidered Hair or Gold or Pearls For that was the Practice of the Jew outward and is to this Day or costly Array But with that which becomes Women professing Godliness with good Works So this is the Adorning that all that profess Godliness must be arrayed withal 1 Tim. 2.9 So that all may be in that good Behaviour as becomes Godliness and Holiness And likewise Chaste and Discreet Teachers of good things that the Word of God may not be blasphemed which they profess as in Tit. 2. And it 's desired That all Friends that have Children To train up Children and Servants in the pure Religion Families and Servants may train them up in the pure and unspotted Religion and in the nurture and fear of God and that frequently they read the Holy Scriptures which is much better than to be gadding abroad And exhort and admonish them that every Family apart may serve and worship the Lord as well as in Publick And that when they go to Meetings they may take their Servants and Families with them that they may not go wandring up and down in the Fields or to Ale-Houses as many have done to the dishonour of God and to the dishonour of their Masters and Mistresses Families and to their own Ruine and Destruction And therefore for Christ's sake and his pure Religion let there be Care taken to prevent all these things For such an one as cannot rule well his own House having his Children in subjection with all gravity how can he take Care of the Church of God 1 Tim. 3. And now Friends concerning Marriages Concerning Marriages of which very many things have been written it 's desired that all may be careful in that thing of running hastily together And consider it first that first as it is God's Joining so it is his Ordinance and it is honourable in all and the Bed undefiled And again such Men as draw out young Womens Affections and run from one to another and leave them and run to others And such Women as draw out Mens Affections and then leave them and draw out other Mens Affections These Practises bring many young Women and many young Men into Trouble and are sharply to be reproved For this Work is not of God's Joining but out of his Covenant Some of which have gone so far as to Promises Espousals and Contracts and then left them and gone to others This is to be Judged and Reproved For as we make no Contract for Marriages we break none And likewise such young People that trim up themselves in gay Apparrel and make a great shew and hang most on their Backs that appear what they are not in Substance The ill Consequence of Pride and Vanity which Women have sometimes deceived young Men and Men deceived Women and drawn out their Affections and Minds by outward shew and deceived one another and brought one another into Trouble Such are out of the Fear of God and a
like it self Oh therefore mind the Holy Life the Chast Life That is the Bride's Cloathing by which she adorns her self for her Husband Christ Jesus Therefore in that which keeps your Peace live there is your Life and Dominion that Weeds may not grow nor Brambles but that it all may be cut down and weeded out For those grow through the Liberty of the Flesh and by that ye come to be darkned and lose your Discerning and Feeling The Beam in the Eye and there gets the Beam into the Eye by which ye come to Judge with that Judgment which is for Judgment which should be judged down by the Spirit of Truth and Peace And so Live in the same Peace with God and one with another and have Fellowship in the Chast Life and in the Spirit and Power of God And keep down that which lusts to Envy and Strife and Contention for that will not nor cannot bear true Judgment but will flatter and fawn and sow Dissension and so in the End will bring Dishonour both to God and his People That can never abide true Judgment or sound Doctrine for that Adulterates from God and joins in Marriage with that which is Adulterated from God And so the Vnchast follows the Whore and the Adulterer The Whore and Adulterer and goes to the Marriage-Supper of the Adulterer and the Whore but the Chast Virgin follows the Lamb and goes to the Marriage-Supper of the Lamb Therefore all live in the Chast Life by which ye may follow the Lamb of God to his Supper and Marriage And keep ye all out of that from whence Contentions and Strife and Wars arise which are the Fruits of them that live in the Lust which is seen with the Everlasting Power the Ground from whence Strife and Contention and Wars come The Ground of Strife the Vnchaste which live in the Lust which Lust will defile all that receive it Therefore all Friends every where your Fellowship is to be in the Gospel the Power of God and in the Spirit the Fruits of which is Peace in which ye all will be kept in Dominion Pure and Chaste to God and one towards another For all that come to the Sabbath of Rest must put off their Old Cloaths which they have worn in their Old Works Labours and Travels For Six Days the Jews were to labour but the Seventh Day was their Rest which is Perfection G. F. Concerning the Light FRiends Ye that be turned to the Light in it Wait Epist 155. in it Meet together that with it your Hearts may be joined together up to Christ the Head from whence the Light doth come The World's Gatherings with which ye may see all the World and all the Gatherings that are out of the Light which are in the Vanities of their Minds and in the Rebelliousness of their Hearts and Stubbornness of it from the Light But ye believing in the Light and receiving it ye receive and come into the Covenant with God and Peace with God and into that which gives the Knowledge of his Glory and of his Image And this Belief giveth the Victory over the World and brings unto God and into his Likeness and separates you from the World The World and its Likeness and its Likeness and Image and its Fashion which is out of the Light and its Knowledge and its Wisdom and its Honour and its Fear and its Love and its Rejoycing which are out of the Light in the Flesh and in the Iniquity where the Soul is in Death But in the Light rejoycing and walking ye receive the Love of God shed abroad into your Hearts which Love rejoyceth in the Truth mark in that which the Devil abode not in with that ye know and will know the Increase of God and know God and his Law put in your Minds and in your Hearts written where the Fear is placed where the Secrets of the Lord are revealed and the Light which is the Truth comes to be walked in Here is a Joy in the Lord where no Flesh glories In this waiting in the Light the World where there is no End it gives you to see World without End and the Power of the World which is to come ye will come to see and be Partakers of Which Power ye receiving who are in the Light it brings you to become the Sons of God and to be Heirs of the World where there is no End and of the Everlasting Inheritance which fadeth not away and the Riches which are durable where no Thief can come nor nothing to rust or canker for that is out of the Light that doth thieve rust or canker and in the Transgression Therefore ye Saints in the Light of the Most-High God whose Name is dreadful amongst you and his Power made manifest in Measure and his Glory appearing Walk worthy of the High Calling The High Calling Keep your Dominion keep your Place of Rest in the Power and Strength of the Almighty and Meet together in the Love Vnity and Peace Meet in the Love and know one another in this Love that changeth not which being received ye walk in that which condemns that which is changable This Love rejoiceth in the Truth and hath Dominion over him that abode not in the Truth but rejoyceth in that which the Devil abode not in And here the Spirit is received in which God is Worshipped the Father of Spirits He that believeth here believes in the Lord and shall never be confounded for he believes in that which doth Confound and Condemn those who are out of the Light and gone from the Word of God in the Heart and from the Power of God and from the Light of the Glorious Gospel which is the Power of God The God of the World hath blinded their Eyes that abide not in the Truth they are gone from the Light which is the Truth and all that are blinded by the God of the World The God of the World these are out of the Light and out of the Truth Therefore ye being in the Light and to it turned the Light of the glorious Gospel the Image of God is seen and the glorious Gospel received Therefore walk in the Light as the Children of the Light and know the Wisdom that is of her Children justified that ye may answer the Light in every one that comes into the World that hateth it And keep your Habitations that ye may every one feel your Spring in the Light which comes from the Lord and feel your Nourishment and Refreshment which waters the Plants and causeth them to grow up in the Lord from whom the pure living Springs come The Water the Witness And here is the Water which is the Witness in the Earth which doth wash and here comes the Spirit to be known the Witness which doth baptise and the Witness the Blood which doth cleanse which agrees with the Witness in Heaven So he that
Royal Seed and Heirs of the Promise what are they to you who are Married to the Lamb who was Slain from the Foundation of the World against whom they warred and banded themselves and took Counsel together against the Lord and his Anointed who breaks their Bonds asunder whom neither Death Grave nor all the Powers of the World were able to hold nor contain but over all he rose the Seed and reigns till he hath made all his Enemies his Footstoole Honour and Praise be to the Lord the living God that lives for ever So all ye which are gathered in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ whose Name is called that Power of God the Word which was in the beginning over the Powers of Darkness before it was and compelling Worships Ministry Maintenance and Churches were this Gathering Meeting in the Name this Meeting in the Name the Power the unrighteous World cannot separate you from it for it is over it and was before it was In that Power have ye the Kingdom and Dominion in the Power reigning over all that which hath been out of the Power And ye that partake of the Power have Power with God in that we need not bid you keep your Meetings for ye are met and gathered into the Fold of Christ Jesus and are put forth by him and are brought from under that that leads from God by the Power of God In this Gathering by the Power into the Name of Christ which is the Power with the Power he is felt in the midst who is King of Kings and Lord of Lords and Prince of Life and Peace and Prophet to open by his Power and Light in you all and a Priest for ever that lives to offer up the Spiritual Sacrifice and Praise to God and he being among you felt and in you all ye will have every one of you in your own particular Joy Peace Comfort Consolation Assurance Confidence and Satisfaction when all Gatherings Meetings Heaven and Earth Types and Figures and Shadows and Prophets and the Prophecies are ended And Swearing before the Law and in the Law and all invented Oaths since the Law and amongst the Heathen when these are gone past away and fulfilled the Election and the Seed and the Gathering in the Name of Jesus Christ the Lord of Life remains and stands and his Throne and Dominion in which there is no Curse but a Blessing So happy are ye who are partakers of this heirs of this Blessing and heirs of the Promise and of the Life and of the World that hath no End who have your Confidence and Assurance in him So all ye that have felt the Light and have been turned to it The Light in that Light ye feel the Covenant with God who is Light which brings to be acquainted with the Life of God and gives the Knowledge of Christ your Saviour and Redeemer which is the Salvation to the Ends of the Earth By which Light and Covenant ye are turned from Darkness and the Power of Satan that separated you from God who was the Enemy through whom ye had not Peace with God But now being turned from him into the Light and Power in this Covenant of Light and Power ye have Peace with God that destroys the Enmity and are come to receive it and so Heirs of the Kingdom that is Everlasting Be at Peace one with another and in Love and Tenderness and in the Wisdom of God order and preserve and nourish and cherish all things to his glory in which ye will feel his blessing and treasure and riches and Julness in you with you and amongst you So put on the Armour of Light that with it ye may be able to defend and see and walk and stand against all the Arrows and Darts that are in the unrighteous World The Armour of Light and before they were as Children of the Light and Children of the Day where the Darkness is past Put on your Breast-plate of Righteousness to save and preserve your Hearts and Minds and to keep you from all that which would defile and surfeit it or cause you to be weary or think the War or Time long For the Power is Everlasting and the Righteousness is Everlasting that destroys the Works of the Devil and him both whereby the Seed of God comes to be set on the head of it all The Shield of Faith Glory and Praise be to him for ever Put on therefore the Shield of Faith by which Faith your Shield ye have the Victory For Faith is a Mystery held in a pure Conscience by which ye have Access to God in which Faith ye please God in which Faith ye have Vnity which gives you the Victory over that which separates from God the Enmity In that Faith be Joyful which is the Faith of God's Elect that brings them over the World and to that which was before the Foundation of it And this is the Faith the Just lives by by which he is saved and justified by which he lives and conquers anmd hath the Victory over the Vnjust Glory to the Highest PVT on the Helmet of Salvation and take the Sword of the Spirit the Word of God your Helmet being on The Helmet of Salvation nothing can destroy nor hurt your Salvation Christ Jesus being your Helmet and your Head who destroys the Devil and his Works the Sword of the Spirit that mortifies that crucifies baptizes cuts off plunges under all Corruptions that have gotten up since the Transgression then in the Spirit ye will worship God and have Fellowship and Spiritual Weapons and come to be Spiritual Men and not as the Carnal World that rules and wrestles with Carnal Weapons and with Flesh and Blood The Stone cut out of the Mountain without hands will dash and break into pieces all the Cutters with Hands and Carnal-weaponed Men about Religion Church and Worship and his Kingdom is an Everlasting Kingdom and his Dominion hath no End This Stone is that which laid Nebuchadnezzar's head low and brought him to eat Grass like a Beast who knew not the Kingdom of the Most-high ruling in Men. So ye that know this Stone cut out of the Mountain without hands ye all know the Kingdom of the Most-high God ruling in you and his Dominion which s Everlasting and come to be his Temple For there was but One Temple in the whole World commanded of God One Temple as a Figure of Christ who would dwell in Man in Male and Female who should be the Temples of God in whom should be his Name and Power Blessings Honour and Glory and Praises be given to the Lord God for evermore by all them who witness this So all Dear Lambs and Babes and Brethren Happy and blessed are ye who the Seed do know which is Heir of the Blessings and the Power and Life and the Kingdom and the World that is Everlasting and without End Be shod all with the Gospel The Gospel
that the Thorns choak it and the Cares of the World they are such Stony Hearts that the Seed hath not much Earth that when Tryals and Persecutions comes with its heats it is scorched by the heat of the Sun And therefore be ye all warned of these Natures both of the Stony and of the Thorny and of the High-way Ground and of the Fowles and of the Air. And Friends keep down feigned Flattery Keep in the Truth that brings to plain-heartedness that all may be the good Ground that you may abound in Goodness and Righteousness and Holiness for Peace is sown to the Righteous and Gladness to the upright in Heart and see that you walk in the Light and the Life that it may be your Life that you may have Treasure in your Vessels that you may enter in with the Bridegroom having the Oil in your own Lamps that you may inherit the Life that is above all the foolish Talkers which be out of the Peace the Second Adam in whom the Peace is and the Life for they that be in Strife about the Body of Christ are in Adam in the Fall and they are neither at Peace in themselves with God nor Christ nor them that be in Christ so whatever Men or People profess their End manifests them and crowns them with Death or Life So live in the Word which all ends in the Seed this keeps over all Pretences in the Substance and over the Airy Spirits that be out of the Life running up and down sowing Dissention Tatling and Back-biting and Whispering and setting one against another The Seed Christ is over that Spirit and he hath little room in their Hearts for they are abroad in the Fields Above the World lifting up themselves higher than the World but are worse to deceive the Simple but Truth and the Light and the Life is over all that in which all keep your Habitation for Adam lost his Habitation and so his Sons and Daughters who are in the Disobedience are in the Fall and the Jews lost their Habitation from the Love of God and so they lost their Authority and were mingled among the Heathen And the Apostate-Christians lost their Habitation from the Life and Power that the Apostles were in And so have brought all Christendom into Heaps and Sects about outward things being out of the Life and Word which was in the Beginning before the Apostacy and the Fall was So live in the Word in that you have Life and Dominion and Authority over all that which Adam and Eve's Sons and Daughters invented and also over all in the Fall In which Word you have Wisdom as I said before and there is a faithful Witness Christ whose Name is called the Word and he is the First and the Last the Beginning and the Ending the Amen And Friends keep over all the Bustlings and Wars and Strife and the Talkers of such things among the Sons of Adam in the Fall you that be in Christ Jesus that never fell in whom is the Peace who makes the First Adam's Sons and Daughters to break their Swords into Plough-Shares and their Spears into Pruning-Hooks that they shall not learn War any more for they that be there are in the foolish State but they that are in Christ are in the wise State and have Spiritual Weapons though accounted by the World foolish yea the Wisdom of God is so to the Wisdom of the World which is Foolishness And so you that the Lord hath blessed in outward things for his Truth keep over them and out of them serving the Lord who hath blessed you lest you be intangled So keep above them in the Righteous Life and Conversation that Righteousness may flow to all Men in all things Honesty and Truth and that which doth Justice and doing justly that may flourish for whose Conversation is ordered aright they shall see the Salvation of God keep out of all Heats and Passions and over the tempestuous Spirits the ground of which is Vncleanness all which are up and down and sudden which makes a Mountain of Wickedness and Vnholiness and keeps out of the Holy Mountain which they that walk in the Light of the Lord goes to and they are taught his Ways Take heed of a false Liberty in any thing to the Flesh but keep your first Love and Habitation in the Power and Truth of God for the lowly Mind the humble and meek and broken and contrite Spirit and Heart the Lord doth not despise but exalt Keep out of the many Words of the World and take heed of a liberty of going into them but keep in the Power of the Lord God over all which was before all and is over all that your Lives and Conversations may preach to all Men and adorn the Truth of God and speak in the Hearts of all Men. Forsake not the assembling of your selves together as the manner of some was in the beginning of the Apostacy which entred into the reasoning Part and so went from the Exhorting daily and the Building and the Fellowship and the Communion of the Saints in the Spirit and from the Flocks and the Garden of God which he waters with his Water of Life and feeds with his Bread of Life and sets open his broad Rivers of Living Water to drink And such as forsake the Assemblies of the Righteous some for fear of the Earth and Sufferings become quarrelling Spirits and so go out of the Path of the Flocks Footsteps and sits not down with the Flock at Noon-day in the heavenly Places in Christ Jesus for there the Flocks meet and there they have all a Fountain through which they are all of one Soul and Mind and Judgment and Heart and Spirit and comes to be gathered out of all the Separations and Sects and Fellowships and Gatherings and Meetings of Adam and Eve in the Fall and sits down in Christ Jesus that never fell where the Fulness is and the Life in whom there is no Shadow no Variableness nor Turning in him that is the Way But Oh the Poverty the Shadows the Variableness the Turnings the Worships and Traditions and the Sects that be in the World among the Sons of Adam in the Fall Oh the Riches that is in him that never fell the Peace and the Life that was with the Father before the World began the Amen And Friends take heed of the vain Inventions and Arts of the World keep out of their Rhimes and their Verses for they are the Arts of Men and stirs up the light part and lifts up that that pertains to it self that is stirred up that will turn in the end to the Strife or the Earth But you that lives in the Word of God that never fell changes nor alters do not but as you are moved by it and that will stand and remain in whom you may know a Dwelling Life over Death and before it was for the Serpent that got into Adam and Eve by Disobedience they
God how soon they forgot him as in the Days of the old World and in the Days of Moses and in the Days of the Judges how they soon forgot God that had done great things for them and for sook God and his Way and Religion and Worship and followed such Gods as Men had made And in the Days of the Prophets how the People forsook the Lord God and in the Days of Christ and his Apostles how they were mostly gone astray from God though they kept an outward Profession of their Words yet denied Christ in his Light and Life and Power who was the End of the Law and the Prophets Many of old Time forsock the Truth and ran into Error And them that did receive Christ Jesus and believed in him in a few Ages after the Apostles how most of Christendom ran from the Life into Death and ran from the Light into Darkness and into Error from the Holy Sprit and into Babylon which is Confusion and from the Worship in the Spirit and in the Turth that Christ set up and follwed after the Worship of the Beast and the Dragon and went from the true Church after the Whore and from Christ the Way to God after the Ways that Men had made and from the Religion that is Pure from above after the Religions that Men have made And so now the Gospel is preached again Now the Gospel is preached again and the Living Way Christ to the Living God and his Religion and his Worship is set up and received of many and they come to the true Worship which is in God And all be Faithful All be faitbful and take heed of running back again where you were before lest you and your Children perish as others have done that forsook the Lord God for Mercies And therefore train up your Children in the Fear of God and in the Way of Christ and in his Worship and Religion that they may observe and keep in it when you are gone And walk in the Spirit and Truth And walk in the Spirit and keep in the Order of the Gospel in which God is worshipped and keep in the Order of the Gospel in the Power of God which was before the Devil was which Power of God will keep you Pure to God that nothing may get betwixt you and the Lord God And be obedient to the Law that God hath written in your Hearts and put in your Minds that you may be the Children of the New Covenant and that you may be the Royal Priesthood offering up to God the Spiritual Sacrifices And sitting under your Teacher the Grace of God which bringeth Salvation and seasoneth your Words and establisheth your Hearts And this Grace saveth and is sufficient saith God Almighty And you need no Man to teach you but as the same Anointing doth teach you to know all things which Anointing abideth in you And hearken all what the Righteosness of Faith saith speaking on this wise Rom. 10.6 7 8. The Word is nigh thee even in thy Heart and in thy Mouth to obey it and do it That thou need not say Who shall ascend to bring Christ from above or descend to bring Christ from the Grace c. for that is the Word of Faith which we do Preach G. F. To Friends in Carolina DEar Friends to whom is my Love in the blessed Seed Epist 288. which bruiseth the Head of the Serpent and is over all and changeth not which is the First and Last in whom you have Life and Peace with the God of Peace So you few that are that ways keep your Meetings Keep your Meetings in the Name of Jesus and meet together in the Name of Jesus whose Name is above every Name and Gathering is above every Gathering and there is no Salvation in any other Name but by the Name of Jesus and you Gathering in his Name where Salvation is he is your Prophet your Shepherd your Bishop your Priest in the midst of you to open to you and to santifie you and to feed you with Life and to quicken you with Life wait in his Power and Light that ye may be Children of the Light by believing in the Light which is the Life in Christ that you may be grafted into him the true Root and built upon him the true Foundation Who is the Foundation of his People who was the Foundation of the holy Prophets and Apostles and of all the holy Martyrs and is the Foundation of all his holy People now and is the Rock of Ages yea of the Ages of the Prophets and of the Ages of his Apostles and of the Ages of his People now and Martyrs who kept them above the Raging of the Seas and doth now which Rock the Wise Men builds upon the Rock that stands against all the Storms and Tempestuous Weather And therefore be valiant for God's Truth upon the Earth and his good Spirit and live in it by which you may profit in the things of God through which ye may answer the Witness of God in all and the Spirit which they grieve and quench which they are erred from through which he may be served and his Truth spread abroad So every one in your Measoures of the Spirit of God and Christ be faithful that in it you may increase and answer the Lord in a good Life and Conversation for all his Mercies And as every one hath received the Lord Jesus Christ so walk in him that you may serve the Lord in a New Life and worship him in the Spirit and Truth which the Devil is out of and by this Truth you may be made free by whith ye may be espoused and married to Christ Jesus for the Marriage of the Lamb is come and coming And therefore if you want Wisdom keep in the Truth that you may go to the Treasure of Life and of Salvation that you may be Heirs of the same and of Life and Possessors of it Yea I say Heirs of Life and Inherit that and that will be more to you than if all the World was your Portion and the Riches you lay up there will stand buy and be with uyou when time is gone and shall be no more For the Truth is the Truth and changeth not in which live and it will be your Peace and Joy everlasting And in the Seed Christ Jesus who bruises the Serpent's Head who was before the Devil was glorified with the Father before the World began and was from Ecverlasting to Everlasting the First and Last the Top and Corner-Stone in him live that you may inherit Life Everlasting and dwell in the Love of God in Christ Jesus that will edifie and build one another up and therein walk in all Holiness of Life and Conversation for that becomes God's House and dwell and live and walk in the Peaceable Truth that keeps you in Peace and in the Holy Fellowship of the Spirit the Bond of Peace by which
out of the Unity which Teaching is forbidden both by Law and Gospel and they are not fit to Teach if they have not learn'd Subjection to the Spirit of God and know the Silence of all Flesh before the Lord and have not learn'd to adorn themselves with that which is modest and the Lesson of Sobriety whith becomes Godliness and with the good Works the Fruits of the Spirit And such Women as have learn'd this Lesson may Teach and Prophesie for the Spirit is poured upon them to that End And the same Apostle saith Elder Women Nurses Mothers Teachers c. in the Church of Christ 1 Tim. 5. That the Women should be as Mothers and a Mother is a Nurser and a Teacher and Instructer of her Children and the younger Women as Sisters with all Purity and Sisters in Christ and in Purity all have but one Father and a Sister is in the Vnity in the Spirit in the Gospel 1 Tim. 5. And if any Woman that believes have widows let them relieve them So here was the Womans Work to relieve their Widows c. And again The Apostle writes to Titus and saith unto him Speak thou the things which become sound Doctrine c. The aged Women that they be of good behaviour as becometh Holiness not false Accusers not given to much Wine teachers of good things Now here they must be qualified before they can be Teachers of those good things And that these aged Women teach the younger Women first To be Sober secondly To love their Husbands thirdly To love their Children fourthly To be Discreet fifthly To be Chaste and keepers at home and Good Obedient to their own Husbands that the Word of God be not blasphemed Now here the aged Women not a Woman but the aged Women were to teach the younger Women these things And how could these Women be Teachers of all these Vertues and good Things if these Mothers and holy Woman did not meet togeter and converse together of Holiness and Vertue as in Tit. 2. And in 1 Pet. 3. Women to win Husbands by the Word and Conversation also he encourageth Wives and Women That if their Husbands will not be won by the Word they may without the Word be won by the chaste Conversation of the Wives whilst they behold your chaste Conversation saith he coupled with Fear and whose adorning saith he Let it not be that of the Outward with plaiting of the Hair or wearing of Gold or putting on costly Apparel but let it be the hidden Man of the Heart in that which is not Corruptible even the Ornament of a meek and quiet Spirit which is in the sight of God of great Price And this he saith was the Ornament of the holy Women in the old time with which they adorned themselves who trusted in God as Sarch c. whose Daughters ye are as long as ye do well and are not afraid with any Amazement And likewise the Believing Husband and the Believing Wife are Heirs together of the Grace and Life And therefore the Believing Women being Heirs of Grace and Life as well as the Men they may impart of their Life which they do inherit as well as Men for an Heir of Life is beyond an Heir of the Earth And there is no Believing Husband will hinder his Believing Wife Men not to binder Wives from administring to the Necessity of the Poor c. being Heirs of Life to adiminister some of their temporal things to them that are in Necessity he will not have all the Earth to himself but let her have the disposing of some of it as well as himselfe whilst they do enjoy it and ministring of outward things is the least Love And Women many times know the Condition of poor Families and Widows and such as are in distress more than the Men because they are most conversant in their Families and about such things But there are many Idle Talkers and Busie Bodies that are out of the Sense and Service of God that will not do good themselves nor suffer others to do their Service of Love and Charity for the Lord in the Church And John writes in his Second Epistle unto the Elect Lady and her Chidlren whom I love in the Truth saith he and not I only Note John the Evang list sent his Epistle to a Woman but also all they that have known the Truth for the Truth 's sake which dwelleth in us and shall be with us for ever c. I rejoyce greatly says he that I have found they Children walking in the Truth And further saith I write no new Commandment unto thee but that which we had from the beginning that we love one another And so he trusts to come and see her and speak Face to Face unto her the Children of thy Elect Sister greet thee Amen The elect Lady and her elect Sister So was not this an honourable Woman that had trained up her Children in the Truth as was commanded by John And he admonished her against such as did transgress and did not abide in the Doctrine of Christ Jesus that they had not the Father nor the Son but they that did abide in the Doctrine of Christ Jesus had both the Father and the Son So is not this an Encouragement to all faithful Women to see that their Children do walk in the Truth and abide in the Doctrine of Christ that they may have both the Father and Son And farther Solomon saith A gracious Woman attains Honour The vertues of a gracious Woman and a vertuous Woman is a Crown to her Husband and every wise Woman buildeth her own House Surely then she hath a work to do he that hath Ears let him hear But the foolishe Woman plucketh it down with her Hands And there are too many of those that are in the Transgression of the Spirit and Power of God with which they must build But a Woman that feareth God she shall be praised give her of the Fruit of her hands and let her Works Praise her in the Gates And then surely she hath a work to do that must praise her in the Gates She stretcheth forth her hands to the Poor yea she reacheth forth her hands to the Needy Prov. 31. And must she not then have something of the Outward to do it withal She opens her Mouth in Wisdom and in her Tongue is the Law of Kingness She looks well to the Ways of her Houshold and eateth not the Bread of Idleness She is like the Merchant 's Shir she bringeth her Food from far she riseth also whilst it is Night and giveth Meat to her Houshold and Portions to her Maidens she considereth a Field and buyeth it with the Fruit of her hands she planteth a Vineyard she guirdeth her Loins with strength and strengtheneth her Arms she perceiveth that her Merchandize is good her Candle goeth not out by Night c. And here is an Example to all Women a
the Lord to deal with them For that which they get by spoiling you they will never be the richer for and when they have done spoiling the Lord can spoil them and theirs And all the Goods they take from Friends for serving God will torment them at last and be a greater Plague to them more than keeping on your Hats and saying Thou to them was And you have had Experience how the other Powers spoiled your Goods The Spoil of the Righteous not durable Riches to their Persecutors but were they either the richer or the fatter Nay the more thery did eat destroy and devour the more they look like Pharaoh's lean Cattel And did not the Christians of old suffer joyfully the spoiling of their Goods by Professors and Prophane So they that are born of the Flesh will persecute them that are born of the Spirit and they that will live Godly in Christ Jesus must suffer Persecution and blessed are they that do suffer Persecution for Christ and his Righteousness sake And so never fear the loss of the Fleece for God can make it grow again as he did poor Job's And it is the way of the Enemy and Adversary to set upon the young convinced to think by that means to make them to yield For have you not read it was the way how that the Enemies of Israel of old fell upon the weak and feeble of their Camp and the hindermost of the Flock but they had their Reward at the End And so wait upon the Lord and he will support you though he may try you a while as he doth all his Saints that the Trial of your Faith may come forth more pure than Gold And so never fear Man nor what they are permitted to do unto you but the Lord Though the hungry Lions may lack yet they that wait upon the Lord shall not want any good thing for his Promise is he will never leave them nor forsake them And so the Lord God Almighty give you Power and Courage to stand against all the Wiles of the Enemy and to be Valiant for his Truth upon the Earth And so with my Love in the Everlasting Seed Christ Jesus who is over him that makes to suffer and will be when he is gone Marshgrange the 6th of the 4th Month. 1676. G. F. To Friends in Barbadoes MY Dear Friends in the heavenly Relation and Zion's Children Epist 333 amongst whom the Stone that the Builders rejected is elect and precious and in him Christ you are Elect Christ the Head of God's Church who is the Head of the Corner of God's Building And therefore in the Name of Jesus keep your Meetings in whom you all have Salvation and not by any other Name under Heaven and though the Lord may try you where your Minds are and in what by the outward Powers yet be valiant for God's Truth upon the Earth and if some of you be cast into Prison and your Goods be spoiled the Seed is upon the Head of him that maketh to suffer and will remain when he is gone And the Lord God who giveth the increase of all both Invisible and Visible can make the Fleece to grow again And therefore let your Faith be in the Power and Word of Life And the Authority of your Men and Womens Meetings is the Power of God and all the Heirs of the Gospel are Heirs of Christ the heavenly Man and of his Government the increase of which there is no end And so all walk in Christ So walk in Christ who bruiseth the Serpent's Head that hath gotten between you and God so as you all are in him then nothing can get between you and the Lord God and so in the glorious Order of the Gospel the Power of God dwell which is over the Devil and the World and before he and it was and the Power of God will be when he and it is gone This is the everlafting Gospel which bringeth Life and Immortality to Light and that you all may see over him that hath darkned you to him who was before he was and the Power of God will be when he is gone And therefore walk in the glorious blessed peaceable and comfortable Order of the everlasting Gospel for the Gospel the Power of God is the Gospel of Peace and the Truth is Peaceable The Devil the Destroyer and Adversary abode not in the Peaceable Truth and the Kingdom of God stands in Peace and Joy in the Holy Ghost and the Vnity of the Spirit is a Bond of Peace yea the Bond of the heavenly Man the Prince of Princes Peace that Bond must be kept by all Zion's Children the Heirs of Life And all seek the Peace and Good one of another To seek Peace and dwell is Love and dwell in the Love of God thet does edifie the Body of Christ and bears all things and endures all things and build up one another in the most holy Faith which you have from Christ the holy One for Holiness becomes the House of God And therefore all mind that which becomes his House and now is the time for every one to put on the Armour of God and to take his Weapons and Arms that you may stand by God's Ensign in the Truth against him that is out of Truth keeping on your Helmet of Salvation as a token of your Victory and your Breast-Plate of Righteousness which preserves both Mind Heart and Soul and your Loins girded with Truth Keep on the Armor of Righteousness that you may be Valiant for it and your Feet shod with the Preparation of the Gospel the Power of God that your Feet may stand fast over all slippery Places in the Power of God the Gospel that is sure and everlasting Here is your Armor and your Weapon is the Sword of the Spirit the Word of God the Word of Life and Salvation and Wisdom and Reconciliation that is as a Sword and a Hammer to cut down and hammer down that which hath made a separation betwixt you and God and is as Fire to burn it up And the Shield of Faith that is your Shield by which you have victory and access to God by which Faith all the Just lives and are saved and contend for it which is declared to the Saints by Christ who is the Author and Finisher of it And by this Faith you come to Christ the Author and as many as receive him walk in him that you may be always fresh and green in him who bruises the Head of the Serpent that hath made People lean and barren and hath made so many barren Mountains which Christ is gathering and calling his People from that they might walk in the Light of the Lord and come to the Mountain of the House of the Lord that is established above all the Mountains where God teaches all his the Way of Life Truth and Salvation And the Mountain of the House of the Lord is always green with fresh
Salvation who Redeems out of the Curse and Fear of Men or that makes the Arm of Flesh his strength and not the Arm of God and therefore the Arm of the Lord being your Strength Christ your Rock and Salvation then you need not fear what Man can do unto you for all God's Children are dear and tender to him whom he hath begotten again by the Word of God to be Heirs of his Kingdom he feeds them with Life Eternal and the Milk of his Word which Word lives and abides and endures for ever and is always full and plentious of Milk to nurse and nourish all God's Children unto Eternal Life and to inherit his Kingdom and the World which is Everlasting which Christ is the Ruler of the heavenly and spiritual Man and therefore they that are in him must be New Creatures for all the Old Creatures are in old Adam And therefore my Desires are that you may all be settled in Christ Jesus who was dead and is alive again and lives for evermore a Prophet Counsellor Priest Bishop and Shepherd a Circumciser and Baptiser a living Rock and Foundation for evermore the Beginning and Ending the First and Last the Amen sit down in him and he in you in whom you have Peace with God Amen Swarthmore the 6th of the 12th Month 1678. G. F. MY Dear Friends Epist 353. Whose Faces are set towards Zion from this Dung-hill World of Vanity and Vexation of Spirit the Glory Comfort and Pleasures of which pass away they that have more or less of it and that enter into it enter into Trouble and when they are in it it is a great Trouble to come out of it and to be a Fool for Christ's sake Be a fool for Christ's sake who is not of this World but of the World that hath no end And therefore you must believe in the Light Grace and Truth that cometh from him in the Inward Parts or Heart which directeth your Minds to Christ from whence this comes and to unite to him that is Heavenly who saith Seek the Kingdom of God first and the Righteousness of his Kingdom then all outward things will be added to them that have found the Kingdom of God that stands in Righteousness over Unrighteousness and it stands in the Power of God over the Power of the Devil and was before he was and it standeth in Peace and Joy in the Holy Ghost over all the Unclean Ghosts or Unholy Spirits and the good Seed are the Children of this Kingdom which is Everlasting And take heed of your Wills and give not way to them but give way to the Power and Spirit of God which crucifieth it Submit your Wills to God and keeps it under the Cross of Christ so that your Inward Man may be renewed and the Old Adam put off so that the Day Light of Jesus Christ may be seen which Abraham rejoyced to see and so do they that be of the Faith of Abraham which Faith is the Gift of God that see the Son of Righteousness shine in their Hearts to nourish that which God hath there planted who watereth it with the living Water of the Word his living Plant And here is Water in your own Wells that you may drink out of your own Wells or Cisterns and to have Grapas off their own Vines from which they may have the new Wine in their new Bottles to glad and chear their Hearts with the Wine from the heavenly Branch of the heavenly Vine of which the Lord is the Husband-Man and this must every one of God's People feel What is the matter that all the World is of so many Ways since the Apostles days Because they are out of Christ the Way Out of Christ the one Way the new and living Way which is over all the dead Ways which was set up above Sixteen Hundred Years ago And why have they so many Religions Because that they are out of the pure and undefiled Religion before God which was set up above Sixteen Hundred Years ago which Religion keeps from the spots of the World and then this Religion must be above the World that keepeth from the spots of it and they that are gone from this Religion into them of their own making and tell People They must not be Perfect here and must carry a Body of Death with them to the Grave and others say That they must have a Purgatory when they are Dead this Doctrine is contrary to the Apostles who said Cleansed by the Blood of Jesus that They were cleansed by the Blood of Jesus and washed by the Water of the Word and this Blood and Water God's People must feel the effects of within to wash and cleanse their Hearts Souls Minds and Consciences Their Hearts and Consciences being sprinkled as the Apostle saith with the Blood of Jesus from their dead Works to serve the Living God For many may talk of the Blood of Jesus without them in their dead Works not serving the Living God their Hearts and Consciences being not sprinkled with the Blood of Jesus and they must feel it within as well as without And if they have Life they eat his Flesh and drink his Blood if they do live by him that is Heavenly and Spiritual the second Adam the Lord from Heaven For they have drank long enough into old Adam's unclean Spirit which is the cause that there are so many Bodies that they do vex and quench the good Spirit and resist the Holy Ghost which should Baptize them all into one Body that is to plunge down all Sin and Evil that is got up by Transgression and burn that up which is Chaff or Corruption and so to drink into one Spirit as the Apostles and Churches did in the Primitive Times and so to have the same Fellowship and Vnity in the holy spirit of Christ as they had to wit in Christ Jesus who was and is the holy Head of his Church his Elect in him And Jerusalem that is above is the Mother of all such and such do worship God as Christ taught above Sixteen Hundred Years ago in Spirit and in Truth So all must come to the Spirit and the Truth in their Hearts and Souls if they do know the God of Truth who is a Spirit and must worship him in Spirit and in the Truth into which holy Spirit and Truth the unclean Spirit and him that is out of Truth cannot come So all Will-worshippers and the Dragon and Beast and False Worshippers are out of this Holy spirit and Truth in which the Pure and Holy God is worshipped and as all that did eat of the Passover in the Old Covenant were to be Circumcised in the Flesh so are all in the New Covenant to be Circumcised with the Spirit by putting off the Body of the Sins of the Flesh that came upon Man by Transgression if they will feed on Christ their Heavenly Sacrifice All feed on Christ your beavenly Sacrifice
the Srwer when he sat in a Ship Behold saith Christ a Sower went out to sow his Seed and as he sowed some fell by the High-way side and it was trodden down and the Fowles of the Air devoured it and some fell upon the Rocks or Stony Places where they had not much Earth and as soon as it was sprung up it withered away So he that receiveth the Seed into rocky and stony Places the same is he that receiveth the Word with joy yet hath he not root in himself but endureth for a while or for a while believeth and in Temptations falleth away for when Tribulations or Persecutions arise because of the Word by and by he is offended and upon too many such have we seen this Parable fulfilled in Times of Persecutions and Tribulations and Sufferings the Heat of Persecution when it is up they are scorch'd and withered away and so come to nothing And some fell among Thorns and the Thorns sprung up and choaked it and they also that received Seed among the Thorns are they that hear the Word and when they have heard go forth and are choak'd with the Cares of this World and Deceitfulness of Riches and Pleasures of this Life and become Vnfruitful and bring no Fruit to Perfection And this is seen to be the Condition of too many But the other fell into good Ground and brought forth Fruit some Thirty some Sixty and some an Hundred fold So they that received the Seed into the good Ground are they which in an honest and good Heart have heard the Word and understand it and keep it and bring forth Fruti with Patience some an Hundred fold some Sixty some Thirty as was said before these are the honest and good Hearts upon whom Christ the Son of Righteousness shines that nourishes his good Seed whol brings forth Fruit unto Perfection who lives over the deceitful Riches and Cares of the World and the Pleasures of this Life that pass away who are not offended nor moved at Tribulations and Persecutions but patiently do endure them such do bring forth Fruit unto Perfection yea an Hundred Sixty Thirty fold in Christ Jesus who bruises the Head of the Serpent that makes Men and Womens Hearts like the High-way thorny rocky and stony Ground for Men and Women whose Hearts are like unto the High-ways stony rocky and thorny Ground the Seed hath fallen into these Grounds as before and from these Grounds all can talk of the Seed and of the Word but bring forth no Fruit unto Perfection And therefore let all consider what Ground you are and what Fruit you bring forth and when ye hear the Word of the Kingdom that ye understand it which none can without the Light and Spirit of Christ and walk in it but he that shall endure to the end in the Light in the Grace Truth and Spirit and in Christ from whom you do receive these shall be saved For the Apostle saith The just Man lives by Faith The just lives by Faith And this is not by any Faith which Men make but by the Faith which Christ Jesus is both the Author and Finisher of in your Hearts and Consciences and in this Faith ye have access to God and do please him But If any Man draw back to wit in not living by this Faith doth not the Lord say my Soul shall have no pleasure in him But we are not of them who draw back unto Perdition that is a sad drawing back but of them that believe to the saving of our Souls From Kingston upon Thames the 2d of the 9th Month 1682. G. F. An Epistle to all Planters and such who are Transporting themselves into Foreign Plantations in America c. MY Friends that are gone and are going over to Plant Epist 379. and make outward Plantations in America Keep your own Plantations in your Hearts with the Spirit and Power of God that your own Vines and Lillies be not hurt And in all places where you do outwardly live and settle invite all the Indians and their Kings To invite the Iddian Kings to Friends Meetings and have Meetings with them or they with you so that you may make inward Plantaions with the Light and Power of God the Gospel and the Grace and Truth and Spirit of Christ and with it you may answer the Light and Truth and Spirit of God in the Indians their Kings and People and so by it you may make Heavenly Plantations in their Hearts for the Lord and so beget them to God that they may serve and worship him and spread his Truth abroad And so that you all may be kept warm in God's Love Power and Zeal for the Honour of his Name That his Name may be great among the Heathen or Gentiles and ye may see over or be Overseers with the Holy Ghost which was before the unclean Ghost got into Man and Woman So with this Holy Ghost you may see and over-see that the unclean Ghost and his Works may be kept out of the Camp of God So that his Camp may be Holy and all the Holy may come into it and He who is Holy may walk in the midft of you his Camp and be glorified in and among you all who is over all and worthy of all Glory from Everlasting to Everlasting blessed and praised for evermore From the rising of the Sun even to the going down of the same my Name shall be great among the Gentiles And in every place Incense shall be offered unto my Name and a pare Offering for my Name shall be great among the Heathen saith the Lord of Hosts Mal. 1.11 The Lord reigneth let the Earth rejoyce let the Multitudes of the Isles be glad let every thing that hath Breath praise the Lord for the Lord taketh pleasure in his People He will beautifie the meek with Salvation Plal. 97 and 98. and Plal. 149 150. London the 22d of the 9 the Month 1682. G. F. To all christians to keep to Yea Yea and Nay Nay and to fulfil their Words and Promises ALL my Dearly Beloved Friends and Brethren every where The Lord God Almighty Epist 382 with his holy Power and Spirit hath gathered and kept and preserved you to this Day a People to himself And now dear Friends and Brethren in all your Words in all your Business and Employments Have a care of breaking your Words and Promises to and People but that you may before you make and Promises to any Man or Woman consider before-hand that you may be able to perform and fulfil both you Words and Promises to all People that you make your Promises or give your Word unto And that you Yea be Yea That our Yea be Yea. and Nay Nay in all things which Christ hath set up instead of an Oath yea above an Oath and Swearing in his New Covenant and Testament And the Apostle James holds forth the same Doctrine And this Yea Yea and Nay Nay was set
up when they forbad all Oaths and Swearing And therefore every one 's Yea should be Yea and every one 's Nay should be Nay and so to stand And therefore all are to consider afore-hand before they speak their yea yea and before they speak their Nay Nay in the New Covenant of Grace Light and Life that with the Light they may see safely when they speak their yea yea and their Nay Nay which is the Practice of the Children of Light in the New Covenant of Light by and in which Light they see and consider what they are albe to perform what they speak at Yea Yea and what they are able to stand to at Nay Nay So if you walk in the Light it will preserve you out of all rash and hasty Words and Promises which many runs into that do neither perform either their Yea Yea or their Nay Nay Therefor in the New Covenant of Grace Light and Life all are to speak Yea Yea to what they can do and perform and what they say Nay Nay to thatin the Light and Life and Grace of God they may likewise stand to their Nay what they say Nay to So that none make any Promise or speak Yea Yea or Nay Nay rashly To keep Promises which they cannot perform For such kind of inconsiderate and rash Speaking is not in the Everlasting Covenant of Light Life and Grace Take heed lest you be numbred among the Covenant-breakers spoken of Rom. 1.31 and such Truce-breakers which the Apostle speaks of 2 Tim. 3. Which have a form of Godliness but deny the Power thereof from such turn away saith the Apostle And therefore they that deny the Power of Godliness will not be faithful to God nor Man and such cannot exercise a good Conscience to God in Obedience to him nor to Man to perform that which is just righteous and honest Therefore the Apostle exhorts the Christians in the New Testament to speak the Truth in Love and to put away Lying and to speak every Man the Truth to his Neighbour Eph. 4.15 25. And David saith Who shall abide in thy Tabernacle and who shall dwell in thy holy Hill He that walketh uprightly and worketh Righteousness and speaketh the Truth in his Heart But they that speak Vanity every one to his Neighbour with flattering Lips and a double Heart the Lord shall cut off And Solomon speaking of Wisdom say My Mouth shall speak Truth and Wickedness is an Abomination to my Lips And James says in his General Epistle So speak ye and so do c. So see here how certain and stedfast the holy Men of God would have God's People to be in their words and doings And also James was careful that the Saints in their very outward Dealings were to be just and reproved such for saying To day or to morrow we wil go into such a City and continne there a Year and buy and sell and get gain To have regard to God in our Purposes Whereas they did not know what should be on the morrow But they ought to say If the Lord will we shall live and do this or that Therefore you may see how careful the Apostle was to keep all true Christians in the Fear of the Lord and in the Sense of his Will God is true and faithful to his People in all Generations and so he would have his People to be true and faithful to him and to one another and to all Men in his Spirit and Truth And Christ saith He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much and be that is unjust in the least is unjist also in much And further he faith If ye have not been faithful in the Vnrighteous Mammon or Riches who will commit unto you the true Riches Therefore there must be a Justness and Faithfulness in the outward Riches between Man and Man if you will have a place in your Hearts for the true heavenly Riches The inword Faithfulness to God bringeth forth Faithfulness to Men in outword Things And as the Apostle said to the Saints Finally Brethrean whatsoever things are true whatsoever things are honest whatsoever things are just whatsoever things are pure Follow whatsoever is pure and of good Report whatsoever thing 's are lovely whatsoever things are of good report if there be any virtue and if there be any praise think on these things Which are very good things to be minded thought upon and practised by the Church of Christ The Lord faith by Zachary These are the things that ye shall do speak ye every Man the Truth to his Neighbour execuse the Judgment of Truth and Peace in the Gates Again Therefore faith the Lord I am returned unto Zion and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem and Jerusalem shall be called a City of Truth and the Mountain of the Lord of Host an holy Mountain And if outward Jerusalem was called so in the Days of the Old Testament surely much more is heavenly Jerusalem in the New Covenant and Testament called The City of the living God the heavenly Jerusalem into which nothing that is unclean can enter but all the Believers in the Light and the Children of the Light enter into it whose Names are written in the Lamb's Book of Life and are to walk in Truth and Righteousness and speak the Truth every Man to his Neighbour according to the Apostle's Doctrine And so as every one hath received Christ Jesus who is the Truth walk in him the Truth and speak the Truth as it is in Jesus For you are bought with a price therefore glorifie God in your Bodies and in your Spirits which are his And the Lord in Mercy grant that all his People who profess his Name may do s to his Praise to his Glory and to his Honour over all for ever Amen And do not slight the form of sound Words in Truth You who have bought the Truth do not sell it And He that orders his Conversation aright shall see the Salvation of God And the Apostle says to the Philippians Let your Conversation be as it becometh the Gospel of Christ For the Apostle says Our Conversation is in Heaven where must be the Conversation of all the true Followers of Christ that are built upon him the Rock and Foundation who is from above And the Lord GOD establish all his People upon this Rock and Foundation which standeth sure that upon him they may stand fast with the Grace and Truth that comes from him Amen Edmonton in the County of Middlesex the 23d of the 11th Morth 1682. G.F. A way to prevent the Indignation and Judgments of God from coming on a Kingdom Nation or Family commended to the Consciences of all concerned First Epist 381. All you Vintners that sell Wine that keep Taverns or such like Houses and all you Inn-keepers and you that keep Victualling-Houses Ale-Houses Not to suffer Men to abuse the Creation Strong-Water-Shops c. see
added unto you as in Matth. 6. Here you may see how Christ is restoring People up into the Image of God out of the Thoughts and Cares of the Heathen for God took care of Man and Woman before he made them And the Apostle exhorted Timothy how the Women should adorn themselves with modest Apparrel Modest Apparrel c. and with Shamefulness and Sobriety and not with broidered or plaiting the Hair or Gold Pearls or Costly Array but with that which becomes Women professing Godliness with good Works 1 Tim. 2. mark this every one And James he reproves and and exhorts such whose Eye and Esteem was to the Gold Ring and goodly Apparel more than the poor in vile Raiment and tells them They were not to hold the Faith of our Lord Jesus Christ with respect to Persons much more not with gay Cloathing or Apparrel James 2.1 And Peter in 1 Pet. 3. exhorts the Saints how to adorn themselves The Adorning of the Holy Women Whose Adorning let it not be the outward Adorning of plaiting the Hair or wearing of Gold and putting on of Apparrel But let it be the hidden Man of the Heart in that which is not corruptible even the Ornament of a meek and quiet Spirit Which is in the sight of God of great Price For after this manner in old Times the holy Women also who trusted in God adorned themselves And this ought to be the Adorning now in the New Covenant And though you may say The Jews or Hebrews adorned themselves with Jewels and they did adorn the Temple c. But in the New Covenant these things were forbidden And they were to adorn the Temple of the Heart and not to defile that and to know the hidden Man of the Heart which is not corruptible And therefore look into all your Hearts and see if you can find any thing there which is not corruptible and to put off the old Man with his Deeds with the Lust of the Flesh the Lust of the Eye and the Pride of Life which is not of the Father but of the World And this old Man delights in the glory of the World which must be put off And all Christians in the New Covenant must put on the New Man that is renewed in Knowledge after the Image of God that created him which walks and serves God in the New and Living Way who is born again not of corruptible Seed but of incorruptible Seed by the Word of God and feed upon the incorruptible Milk and Wine and Water and Bread and the incorruptible Flesh and Blood of Christ and wears the fine Linnen the Righteousness of Christ the incorruptible Cloathing And this is the Birth born of the Spirit that enters into the incorruptible Kingdom of God as in John 3.5 and in 1 Pet. 1.23 And the Apostle Paul exhorts the Ephesians in Chapter 4.22 To put off out vain Conversation To put off their former Conversation the old Man which is corruptible according to the deceitful Lusts and be renewed in the Spirit of your Minds that is out of the Fall of Adam And that ye put on the New Man which after God is created in Righteousness and true Holiness So here Man comes to know his first Creation and his Degeneration so always to see the New Man put on which is in Righteousness and Holiness and the old Man put off with all his vain Deckings Trimmings and Cloathings which is not acceptable both in the sight of God and his People And so all in the New Covenant are to be conformable to the Image of God Rom. 8.2 For all hath been conformed long enough to the Image of Satan And the Apostle saith We all behold with open face as in a Glass the Glory of the Lord and are changed into the same image from Glory to Glory even as by the same Spirit of the Lord 2 Cor. 3.10 So every one are to mind this happy and blessed Change And the Apostle saith Put on the Lord Jesus and make no provision for the Flesh to fulfil the Lust thereof Rom. 13.14 And as every one hath received the Lord Jesus so walk in him and then you will put off the Old Adam and his Deeds in Transgression and not walk in him but walk in Christ that never sinned nor was guilt found in his Mouth And if any Man be in Christ he is a new Creature Old things passeth away and all things become new 2 Cor. 5.17 Therefore the Apostle exhorts the Colosians Chap. 2.8 That they were not to follow the Rudiments of the World for they were not after Christ And so People are not to follow the World's Rudiments but Christ And you may see how the Children of Israel that came out of Egypt Not to Lust and tempt God as Israel did and the mixt Multitude lusted after the Flesh-pots of Egypt And the Lord smote them with a grievous Plague Numb 11. And David saith They tempted God in their Hearts by asking Meat for their Lust Psam 78.18 And again David saith They lusted exceedingly in the Wilderness and tempted God in the Desart And he gave them their Request but sent leanness into their Souls Psalm 106.14 15. And therefore in the New Covenant the Apostle saith These things were for our Examples to the intent we should not lust after evil things as they also lusted 1 Cor. 10.11 And Solomon exhorts to keep from the evil Woman from the flattery of the Tongue of a strange Woman Lust not after her Beauty in thy Heart neither let her take thee with her Eye-lids For by means of a whorish Woman a Man is brought to a piece of Bread And the Adulterous will hunt for thy precious Life Prov. 6.26 And Christ not only forbids Adultery but Lust also Matth. 5. And again Christ saith The Cares of the World and the Love of other things choaks the Word and it becomes unfruitful to them Mark 4.19 And you may see what became of such as the Apostle speaks of in Rom. 1.21 Who when they knew God they glorified him not as God neither were thankful How at last God gave them up when they forsook him through the Lust of their Hearts And there you may see what Evils they run into And also you may see in Jude 16.18 How he declares against Murderers and Complainers and Mockers who walked after their ungodly Lusts And in 1 Pet. 2.11 there the Apostle Peter saith Dearly beloved I beseech you as Strangers and Pilgrims abstain from fleshly Lusts which war against the Soul And James saith Wars and Fightings came from the Lusts War and Fightings came from the Lusts that warred in their Members And such asked but received not because they asked amiss that they might consume it upon their Lusts Therefore saith he know ye not that the friendship of this World is Enmity to God Whosoever therefore will be a Friend to the World is an Enemy to God James 4.1 And Paul saith That
the Disobedience and Pride of the Jews and how his Judgments were fulfilled upon them that did not Repent and how the Apostle did admonish and reprove such as went into Pride and the Fashions of the World THE Lord saith Because the Daughters of Zion are Haughty The Pride of the Daughters of Zion and walk with stretched forth Necks and wanton Eyes walking and mincing as they go and making a tinkling with their Feet therefore the Lord will smite with a Scab the Crown of the Head of the Daughters of Zion and the Lord will discover their secret Parts in that Day the Lord will take away the Bravery of their Tinkling Ornaments about their Feet and their Cauls and their Round Tyres like the Moon the Chains mark the Chains and the Bracelets and the Mufflers the Bonnets and the Ornaments of the Legs and the Head-bands and the Tablets and the Ear-rings the Rings and Nose-Jewels the Changable Suits of Apparrel and the Mantles and the Wimbles and the Crisping-pins and Glasses and the fine Linnen and the Hoods and the Vails And it shall come to pass that instead of sweet smell there shall be a stink and instead of a girdle a rent and instead of well set hair baldness and instead of a stomacher a girding of sackcloath and burning instead of beauty Thy Men shall fall by the Sword and thy Mighty in the War and her Gates shall lament and mourn and she being desolate shall sit on the Ground Isa 3.16 to the end And you may read in 2 Kings 17. how that the Children of Israel were carried into Captivity in Assyria for the King of Assyria besieged Samaria and after three Years Besieging he took it and carrried away the Ten Tribes of the Children of Israel into the Land of Assyria And Isaiah according to the Word of the Lord went to the Prophetess and she conceived and bore a Son c. And the Lord said Before the Child should have the Knowledge to cry My Father and my Mother the Riches of Damascus and the Spoil of Samaria shall be taken away by the King of Assyria Isa 8.3 4. Now here you may see what a Destruction came upon Samaria and the Jews because of their Rebellion and Disobedience The Ten Tribes punished for their Pride and their Haughtiness and Pride as Isaiah cried against in Chap. 3. And then what became of all their Haughtiness and Pride and their Mincing and their Tinkling with their Feet and their Chains and Bracelets and Jewels and Round Attire with their Glasses and Hoods and Veils when they were driven away by Droves by the King of Assyria into Captivity into Assyria out of their own Land Houses and Cities Then Isaiah 's Prophecy was fulfilled upon those Haughty and Proud Jews And did not Nebuchadnezzar afterwards carry away the two Tribes and destroy Jerusalem because of their Disobedience Rebellion Haughtiness and Pride who would not regard the Lord nor his Prophets therefore the Lord suffered them to be led away Prisoners out of their own Houses Cities and Land into Babylon so strip'd them of their Pride And the Two Tribes also and caused them to be carried away into strange Countries so was not the Prophets Prophecy fulfilled upon them The Lord saith Behold the Day cometh that shall burn as an Oven and all the Proud yea all that do Wickedly shall be as Stubble and the Day that cometh shall burn them up The proud as Stubble saith the Lork of Host that it shall leave them neither Root nor Branch But unto them that fear my Name shall the Son of Righteousness arise with healing in his Wings and ye shall go forth and grow up as Calves in the Stall Mal. 4.1 2. Therefore it is good for all to keep out of Pride and Wickedness in Humility lest they be burnt up And the Apostle commanded That Women adorn themselves in modest Apparrel with Shamefacedness and Sobriety not with Broidered Hair or Gold or Pearls or Costly Array but that which becometh Women professing Godliness with good Works I tim 2.9 10. And likewise Peter in his General Epistle saith to the Women Whose Adorning let it not be that outward Adorning of plaiting the Hair and of wearing of Gold or of putting on of Apparrel but let it be the hidden Man of the Heart in that which is not Corruptible even the Ornament of a meek and quiet Spirit which is in the sight of God of great price For after this manner in the old time the holy Women who trusted in God adorned rhemselves being in subjection unto their own Husbands 1 Pet. 3.3 4 5. Here you may see both the Prophets and Apostles declared against the Pride and Haughtiness of People both in the Old and New Testament And the Apostle John saith in his first General Epistle to the Church of Christ Love not the World Love not the World neither the things that are in the World if any one 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 is of the World and the World passeth away and the Lust thereof but he that doth the Will of God abideth for ever 1 John 2.2 15 16 47. Now here you may see an express Command to the true Christians the Church of Christ against the Love of the World and the Things of the World and the Lust of the Eye and the Lust of the Flesh and the Pride of Life and they that love the World the love of the Father is not in them and how that the World passeth away and the Lust thereof and therefore love not the Lust of the Eye the Lust of the Flesh and the Pride of Life which is not of the Father And do not most of Christendom say the Lord's Prayer Our Father which art in Heaven hallowed be thy Name c. and you that live in the Lust of the Flesh and the Lust of the Eyes and the Pride of your Life which is not of the Father which is in Heaver but of the World that passeth away and the Lust thereof And is it not said The Devil is the king of Pride And therefore do not do his Lusts but he that doth the Will of God abideth for ever And therefore consider when you say Our Father which art in Heaven hallowed be the Name c. when you live in those things which are not of the Father which is in Heaven and daily obey and love the Lust of your Eye the Lust of your Flesh and the Pride of your Life which is not of the Father but of the World And the Apostle John tells you He that toves the World the love of the Father is not in him G. F. An Epistle to all the Prisoners and Sufferers for the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ and his Worship The Word of God is
every creeping thing upon the Earth and over every living thing that moveth upon the Earth Gen. I. Now here you may see the Power and Authority that God gave unto Man over all the Earth and the Sea and all things therein The Authority God gaveMan in the begining And now when Cain had done wickedly and killed his Brother about Religion the Lord told him He was cursed from the Earth and when thou tillest the Earth it shall not henceforth yield unto thee her strength And then C ain said It shall come to puss that every one that findeth me shall slay me And then Cain went and built a City in the Land of Nod Gen. 4. Now here you may see what was the Cause that the Earth should not yield her strength after it was tilled and of Cain's fear of being killed and of building the City And John saith in his Epistle He that hateth his Brother is a Murderer or a Man-slayer and no Murderer hath eternal Life abiding in them 1 John 3.15 Now here you may see that Cain and such Murderers have not Eternal Life abiding in them and then they are not like to have Dominion but be in Fears and get into Cities But Abraham who sojourned in the Land of Promise as in a strange Country dwelt in Tabernacles with Isanc and Jacob as Heirs with him of the same Promise for he looked for a City which hath Foundations whose Builder and Maker is God So they looked above all the Cities that were built by Men in the Land of Promise as in Heb. 11. 9,10 For Abraham was in the Faith in which he pleased God and had Victory And the Lord God blessed Noah and his Sons when they came out of the Ark and said unto them Be fruitful and maltiply and replenish the Earth and the fear of you and the dread of you shall be upon every Beast of the Earth and upon every Fowl of the Air and upon all that moveth upon the Earth and upon all the Fish of the Sea into your Hands are they delivered Gen. 9. Here again you may see that faithful Noah had Power over all the Creatures that God made upon the Earth and in the Sea and they were delivered unto Noah and his Sons hands and the Lord said unto the Children of Israel Great Blessings to the Obedient in Levit. 26. If that they were obedient and kept his Commandments he would give them their Rain in due season and the Land should yield her Increase and the Trees of the Field should yield their Fruit and their Threshing should reach to their Vintage and their Vintage unto their sowing Time and you shall eat your Bread unto the full and shall dwell in your Land safely mark safely and I will give Peace in the Land and ye shall lie down and none shall make you afraid and I will rid evil Beasts out of your Land neither shall the Sword go through the Land I will set my Tabernacle among you and my Soulshall not abhor you and I will walk among you and will be your God and you shall be my People This is to all them that are faithful and obey and serve the Lord but if you be disobedient then see what Fears and Judgments and Plagues Many Judgments to Disobedience and Sorrows comes upon you and the Curse will come upon you both in City and Field when thou goest out and when thou comest in and the Curse will be in thy Basket and in thy Store and the Fruit of thy Body and the Fruit of thy Land and the Increase of tby Flocks and the Lord will send his Vexations and Rebukes upon all that thou sets thy Hands unto and the Lord will smite with Consumptions and Feavers and Blastings and Mildews c. and the Heavens that is over their Heads shall be Iron and the Earth that is under thee shall be as Brass and the Lord shall make the Rain of the Land Powder and Dust thou shalt carry much Seed into thy Field and sbalt gather little the Locusts shall consume it and thou shalt plant Vineyards and the Worms shall eat them because thou hearkens not to the Voice of the Lord thy God to keep his Commandments c. And because thou servest not the Lord God with joyfulness and with gladness of Heart for the abundance of all things the Lord thy God giveth thee and therefore shalt thou serve thine Enemies which the Lord thy God shall send against thee in hunger and in thirst and in nakedness and in want of all things and thine Enemy shall put a Yoke of Iron about thy neck to yoke thee down Who will not bear the Yoke of Christ and doth not hearken to the Lord to serve and obey him but they that diligently hearken to the Lord their God and obey and serve him in Truth and Righteousness he blesses them in the City and in the Field and in their Basket and in their Store-house and in all they set their Hands to and he blesses the Fruit of their Body and the Fruit of their Ground and the Cattle and their Flocks and the Lord shall open his good Treasure the Heavens to give them Rain upon their Land in his season and to bless all the Works of their Hands that thou may lend to other Nations and shalt not borrow And these are the Blessings of them that hearken to the Lord and serve him as you may see in Deut. 28. the Blessings that come upon the Faithful and the Judgments upon thd Disobedient and Unfaithful When God giveth quietness who then can make trouble c. whether it be done against a Nation or against a Man only Job 34.29 The Lord shall save the humble Person he shall deliver the Island of the Innocent it is delivered by the Pureness of the Hands Job 22.29 30. Read this in all your Assemblies both in Pensilvania and West-Jersey Bednal-Green near London the 4th Month 1686. G. F. To all the holy Women that trust in God and do profess Godliness with good Works according to the Apostles Doctrine in this Age for them to read over and put in Practice FRiends the Apostle saith Epist 409. I will therefore that Women adorn themselves in modest Apparrel with Shamefacedness and Sobriety and not with broidered Hair or Gold or Pearls or Costly Array The Christian Adorning but as becometh Women professing Godliness with good Works 1 Tim. 2.9 10. And likewise Peter saith in his General Epistle to the Church of Christ to the Women Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the Hair and wearing of Gold and of putting on of Apparrel but let it be the hidden Man of the Heart in that which is not Corruptible even the Ornament of a meek and quiet Spirit which is in the sight of God of a great price for after this manner in old time the holy Women also who trusted in God adorned themselves 1 Pet. 3.3 4