are to depart from God as Cursed to Everlasting Punishment where then will ye find him that ye talk of with your Mouths and call your Saviour Ye that live in your vain wicked profane Ways and take him to be your Cloak and say Ye are Redeemed by him and live in your Wickedness Go ye Cursed he will say I know you not Plagues Wo and Misery will be poured upon you all Let every one that nameth the Name of the Lord depart from Iniquity None can call him Lord but by the Holy Ghost and where the Holy Ghost is come there he is Lord and King This is witnessed in all his Saints where he is so but in Cain's Generation it is not but he persecutes it But he is risen and come in his Saints who is Lord and King who will reign over all the World and bear the Government upon his Shoulders The Lord is King in his Saints For the Lord is King in his Saints he guards them and guides them with his mighty Power and doth preserve his Seed and Children from the Seed of Evil-doers into his Kingdom of Glory and Eternal Rest where they find Joy and Peace and Rest Eternal All Glory and Praise be to the Lord God Almighty for ever G. F. ALL Friends in Westmorland Cumberland Bishoprick New-Castleside Northumberland and Lancashire Epist 39. Wait in the Measure of the Spirit of the Living God that with it all your Minds may be guided up to the Living God To Friends in the North. and to it take heed that ye may have Dominion over these Spirits that are in the Earth that in the Spirit of the Living God ye may all know one another and with it come to reign over the World in the Power of the mighty God which upholds all things and wait to receive Wisdom from God who created the Creatures to his Glory And the Lord God Almighty keep you all in the Spirit and be with you all And all of you Live in the Life live in the Life that with it ye may come to know the Father of Life and all being led with the Spirit of the Living God the Lord's Presence ye will enjoy and all that is contrary with it will be Judged So the Lord God Almighty preserve you in that which is Pure up to himself who is Pure to receive his Wisdom and that with it and in it ye all may come to be ordered to his Glory who is God over all to whom be all Honour and Glory God blessed for ever that with it ye may come to see the Lamb of God the Saviour of your Souls who was before the Letter was G. F. FRiends Epist 40. I do you all Warn and Charge to be faithful in the Measure of the Life of God Be Faithful which he hath given you And watch over one another that with that which is Pure ye may discern and Vnity have with that which is Pure And take heed of any Lightness and Frowardness which is Contrary to that which is Pure but in that wait and dwell Lightness and Frowardness to shun which doth that Judge in particular and general that the Garden of the Lord may be dress'd and ye in his Wisdom preserved and kept The Mighty Power of the Lord keep you all in his Spirit and with it up to himself your Hearts joined together And see that ye Meet together and be led together in the Spirit and in the Power of the Lord and that out of all Mens evil Wills ye keep which contrary to the Power and Light are This is the Counsel of the Lord to you G. F. FRiends Epist 41. to you all this Exhortation is from the Word of the Lord Dwell in the Life Friends to live in what they profess that with it ye may see the Father of Life And dwell in the Light with which Light the World is Condemned which Light comprehends the World's Wisdom which Light comprehends the World and their Knowledge and all the Deceivers which are entred into the World who are turned from the Light with which Light they are condemned that is the World which hates the Light because their Deeds are Evil and they will not bring their Deeds to the Light because the Light will reprove them they hating it Deceivers and Anti-Christs and you that live in it And all the Deceivers and all the Anti-Christs they are such as are turned from the Light which oppose Christ To you all my Brethren who dwell in the Light which is the Condemnation of the World and of all the Deceivers who are turned from the Light it is not possible that those Deceivers should deceive you who are the Elect which dwell in the Light which comprehends the World I do Charge you all in the Presence of the Living God to dwell in what ye speak and profess and none to profess what he doth not dwell in and none to profess what he is not a Sayer and not a Doer such beget vain Talkers So with the Light all such are to be condemned from the Life So I charge you all in the Presence of the Living God to Dwell in the Light which is the World's Condemnation The Light is the World's Condemnation who hates it Tho' they may profess all the Words declared from them that were in the Light of Christ they hating the Light in the particular with the Light which never changes are they and all their Profession to be condemned and Wo is the End of it and them from Christ who is the Light Wherefore to you I speak Friends that dwell in the Light and love it that to the Light in all Consciences of them that hate it which Christ Jesus doth enlighten them withal ye may be made manifest which is the World's Condemnation In the Light all Friends dwell which comprehends the World which is its Condemnation The highest Religion to it must bend and bow and all that is to be Condemned which is Contrary to it And all Friends dwell in the Light which is Eternal which comprehends the World that with it ye may comprehend the World and rise up and go on in the mighty Power of God as mighty Men of War in the Power and Strength of the mighty God of Life the Lord of Hosts who is with you your Shield The Lord of Hosts is your Armour Buckler and Defence and Armour who arms you over all the Wicked to reign triumph and trample God Almighty bless you and prosper his Work that to the Light in all Consciences ye may be made manifest to the Measure of God which is Pure which is given to every one that with it all may see what is contrary to God And to you this is from the Word of God G. F. To Friends concerning the Light in which they may see their Saviour and the Deceivers TO all Friends every where scattered abroad In the Light dwell
Epist 42. which comes from Christ that with it ye may see Christ your Saviour that ye may grow up in him For they who are in him are new Creatures and Old things are passed away and all things are become New And who are in him are led by the Spirit to them there is no Condemnation but they dwell in that which doth Condemn the World and do with the Light see the Deceivers and the Anti-Christs which are entred into the World And such Teachers as bear Rule by their means and such as seek for the Fleece Hireling-Teachers and make a Prey upon the People and are Hirelings and such as go in the Way of Cain and run greedily after the Error of Balaam and such as are called of Men Master and stand praying in the Synagogues and have the Chief Seats in the Assemblies All which are in the World which by those that dwelt in the Light were cried against for it did them Condemn and all such as speak a Divination of their own Brain and are filthy Dreamers who use their Tongues and steal the Words from their Neighbours with the Light the World and all these afore-said are comprehended and all that is in it and all they that hate it and all the Anti-Christs that oppose it and all the false Prophets and Deceivers that are turned from it with the Light are comprehended and with the Light are Condemned and all that are turned from it and hate it I am the Light of the World saith Christ and he doth enlighten every one that cometh into the World and he that loves the Light and walks in the Light receives the Light of Life And the other he hates the Light because his Deeds are evil and the Light doth reprove him And this is the Condemnation that Light is come into the World in which Light they that love it walk which is the Condemnation of him that hates it Anti-Christs false Prophets and Deceivers are seen And all the Anti-Christs and all the false Prophets and all the Deceivers the Beast and the well-favoured Harlot all these are seen with the Light to be in that Nature acting contrary to the Light and with the Light are they comprehended and by the Light condemned For he is not an Anti-Christ that walks in the Light that comes from Christ he is no Deceiver that walks in the Light that comes from Christ Many Deceivers are entred into the World The World hates the Light and Deceivers are turned from the Light and the Anti-christs they are turned from the Light therefore they oppose it and some of them call it a Natural Conscience a Natural Light and such put the Letter for the Light But with the Light which never changes which was before the World was are these Deceivers seen where they enter into the World For many Deceivers are entred into the World and the false Prophets are entred into the World the World hates the Light and if it were possible they would deceive the Elect. But in the Light the Elect do dwell which the Anti-Christs Deceivers and false Prophets are turned from into the World that hate the Light That Light which they do hate the Children of Light dwell in the Elect. So it is not possible that the Anti-Christs and Deceivers that are entred into the World that hate the Light should deceive the Elect who dwell in the Light which they hate which Light doth them all comprehend and the World which Light was before the World was and is the World's Condemnation in which Light the Elect walk And here it is not possible that they that dwell in the Light should be deceived which comprehends the World and is the World's Condemnation Which Light shall bring every Tongue to Confess and every Knee to bow when the Judgments of God come upon them it shall make them confess that the Judgments of God are Just G. F. TO all my Dear Brethren the Flock of God every where Epist 43. Keep together in the Power up to God 8. Month 53. and none be discouraged or disheartned at the Enemies without which are without God in the World but be bold all in the Power of Truth triumphing over the World Stand fast in the Freedom of Christ Hold your Freedom and keep and stand fast in it that ye may be armed with Wisdom and furnished against your Enemies who are Wiser in their Generation than the Children of Light But the Wisdom of the Most High is spreading and making it self manifest in your Hearts by which ye may comprehend the World's Wisdom the World's Worship and Knowledge The World's Worship and Knowledge And waiting in that which is Pure it will lead you into that which was before the World was before the false Worship was before the Seducers were before the Antichrist was and before the outward Temple was and false Prophet and Hirelings And here ye will comprehend the World and what is done in the World Therefore every one keep your Habitation abide the Trial and abide the Day and stand fast in your Freedom so far as Christ hath made you free free from Man's Will and Commandments Freedom from the Lusts of the World which imbondageth free from the Fashions and Lusts of the World the fleshly Will which bondageth and burdens the Pure And to you that cannot witness this Wait and mind the Pure and then the Burden will be easie and wait for Redemption and Salvation to make it so And your Strength is to stand still that ye may receive Refreshings that ye may know how to Wait and how to Walk before God by the Spirit of God within you So God Almighty be with you and keep you up to himself under his own Dominion from under the Dominion of Satan that ye may trample him under your Feet And Friends every where Meet together treading and trampling all the Deceit under your Feet Watch in the Eternal and watch over one another in that which is Eternal and see every one that your Words be from the Eternal Life Examin and Search with that which is Eternal which speaks to that which is in Prison in others And ye that are led forth to Exhort or to Reprove do it with all Diligence taking all Opportunities reproving that which devours the Creation and thereby destroys the very humane Reason For the Truth doth preserve every thing in its place And all Meet together every where and in your Meetings wait upon the Lord and take heed of forming Words but mind the Power and know that which is Eternal which will keep you all in Vnity walking in the Spirit See the Lord near and will let you see the Lord near you and amongst you So God Almighty be with you and multiply you and give you the Dew of Heaven the heavenly Dew the living Mercies which nourisheth the tender Plants which causeth them to grow bud and bring forth and water you
he that can receive it let him and he that hath an Ear to hear it let him hear In Time and before Time what the Spirit saith Abel was the Second Birth he was no Murderer nor no Sinner for God called him And God saw no Iniquity in Jacob but Esau the first is hated and not perfect And except ye be born again ye cannot enter into the Kingdom of God Flesh and Blood shall not inherit the Kingdom of God And he that is born of God sins not because the Seed of God remains in him neither can he sin 1 John 3.9 because he is born of God And he that is born of God overcomes the World he that is born of God is not of this World And he that is born of God testifies against all the Works of the World and the Wickedness of it and he that is born of God doth not commit Sin He that commits Sin is of the Devil and hath not seen God at any time Hereby are the Children of God made manifest from the Children of the Devil for he that sins is of the Devil and knows not God For this Purpose was the Son of God made manifest to destroy the Works of the Devil and he that doth Righteousness is Righteous even as he is Righteous And they that were of the Second Birth were taught of God Born of God and needed no Man to teach them and were come into the Everlasting Covenant And those are the Second Birth who are born again of the Immortal Seed by the Will of God and not by the Will of Man And as many as received Christ he gave Power to them to become the Sons of God which are not born by the Will of Man but by the Will of God John 3.5 not by Water only but by Water and the Spirit G. F. TO all Friends who are in the Vnity which is in the Light Walk in the Light Epist 46. It is one Light that doth Convince you all and one Christ that doth call all to Repentance up to himself the one Head Concerning the Vnity which is in the Light which is Christ The wise Man's Eye is his Head who changeth the Mind and calleth from above to that which lies below it is he alone that gives Faith and all who are in this Faith are one It is one Power that raiseth up the Seed and your Faith being out of Words in the Power ye are all one and that Seed is one and ye are all one if ye he Ten Thousand which Seed is one which is Christ and he is the Master which is one and all the Brethren who are in the Spirit are one Ye have all one Eye ehich is the Light one Fire which Consumes all which the Light discovers to be evil and one Spirit which baptises all into the one Body where there is no Confusion but Pureness and Oneness Therefore all Friendds mind the Oneness and that which keeps you in the Oneness and Vnity it is that which keeps you out of the World and this one Light leads you out of Darkness into the Everlasting Day where ye see the Church of God But living in the Darkness and following that Mind it leads into the World's Assemblies who have the Letter of the Saints Words but live out of the Life smiting at one another fighting for the Husks But minding the Light within it leads you into the Assemblies of the Righteous who are in the Life The Kernel is to be found within The Kernel and the Husk distinguished the Husk is without which the Swine feed upon but the Pearl is hid from them and the Swine and the Dogs would devore them in whom the Pearl is found They are Outsides who feed upon Outsides God that made the World and all things therein seeing he is the Lord of Heaven and Earth dwells not in Temples made with Hands Acts 17.24 and hath made all Nations of Men that dwell upon the Face of the Earth of one Blood and hath appointed the Times and Seasons and hath given to every one a Measure according to their Ability God hath given Ability to every one according to their Measure that are Faithful to it and here is the Righteousness of God received and the Wrath of God revealed upon the Children of Disobedience The Grace of God hath appeared unto all which taught the Saints to deny Ungodliness and teacheth us which the World turns into Wantonness and walks despitefully against the Spirit of Grace and yet tempts God and calls for Grace These are they that set up Teachers without And Christ saith He is the Light of the World and hath enlightned every one that cometh into the World and he that loves the Light brings his Deeds to the Light to him there is no occasion of stumbling and this Teaching guides to God the Father of Light And the other he hates the Light because the Light will reprove him here he knows his Deeds are evil by the Light And this is the Condemnation that Light is come into the World and Men love Darkness rather than Light And here thou must become silent The Sight of Sin Oh Flesh that temptest God to give thee a Sight of thy Sins for Christ hath enlightned thee and given thee a Sight of thy Sins which shall be thy Condemnation hating it For thou that hatest it hast it And it is Thou that puttest the Letter for the Light which was given from the Light from them that walked in the Light but thou hating the Light given thee thou knowest not the Conditions of them that had the Light but puttest Darkness for Light and Light for Darkness and so Wo rests upon thee It is Thou that puttest Evil for Good and the Wo rests upon thee And it is Thou that art covered and not with the Spirit of the Lord And it is Thou that stand'st not in the Counsel of the Lord but followest thy own Imaginations that art turned out from God and so the Wo rests upon thee And thy Kingdom and Crown is Pride and Wo is to the King of Pride And Thou art the Wicked that forgettest God which must be turned into Hell and livest in Perversness and art a Child of Disobedience who disobeyest the Light and so the Wrath of God rests upon thee But who love the Light and walk in the Light Jesus Christ is their King whose Gospel is preached to every Creature For Death having passed over all Men all in the first Nature are Children of Wrath and all in the Second are Children of God The Seed is sown upon all sorts of Ground The Seed and its fourfold Ground upon the High-Way-Ground Thorny and Stony Ground and Good Ground And Christ hath given to every one a Measure and Ability according to his Measure he that improves not his Measure he hath the Eye and seeth not and Ear and heareth not and Heart and doth not understand
whose Light doth Justifie you who then shall condemn you Therefore in that dwell which doth Condemn all the Evil in the World G. F. AND all Friends every where pray to the Lord to give you Dominion over all and that in his Power and Life and Seed ye may live and reign And all Friends submit your selves one to another in the Fear of God and be one with the Witness of God in all One with the Witness of God and look at that and that will keep you down from looking at the Bad but looking at the Good keepeth your Minds over the Bad with the Lord. G. F. To Friends Concerning the Covenant of Light and Life FRiends every where Epist 63. to the Measure of the Life of God in you all take heed that with it your Minds may be guided up to the Living God from whence Light and Life doth come and Vertue A Note concerning the Life and Strength and Nourishment so that with the Life ye may be kept from that which vails and clouds and darkens where the Mist of Darkness cometh over you Wherefore to the Measure of Light take heed that with it all your Minds may be guided up to the Father of Life from whence Life cometh that the Knowledge of the Glory of God in the Face of Christ Jesus ye may all come to enjoy So that in Peace Patience Righteousness and Temperance and Godliness ye may be kept and all grow up in brotherly Kindness Brotherly Kindness and be kept from that which causeth Strife and Sects and Divisions so that nothing may rule but the Light of God among you To that which is pure and lowly take heed that Mastery and Strife may be thrown down and the Evil Eye and the Eye that is out from the Life of God may be known and pluck'd out so that the Light of the glorious Gospel may shine and that ye may all know it And so all awake to the Righteousness of Christ the Righteousness of God whom Man was departed from Christ the Righteousness of God who enlighteneth every one The Righteousness of Christ that cometh into the World that all Men through him might believe So all having a Light from Christ Jesus the Righteousness of God he is the Way to the Father whom God gave for a Covenant of Light Life and Peace Therefore every one in your Measures Wait that ye may see him and come to witness the Covenant of Life and Peace with God receiving his Gift Christ Jesus the Son and Mediator So this I warn you all in the Presence of the Living God to wait every one in the Measure of Light and of Life that ye may all come to witness the Seal of the Covenant The Seal the Covenant and be led and kept with that which will keep you Spotless and Clean and Holy and Righteous where Power is received from him who hath given you a Light so that in the Light ye may all have Vnity and in it be kept and all that which is contrary to it with it may be Condemned And in this Covenant of Light and Life the Gift of God know one another and him by whom the World was made who was before the World was who is now again manifested Glory and Honour for ever be unto the Lord That the Crown that is Immortal ye may all come to see and receive and your own Crowns lay down at the Feet of Jesus And so his Light being come to all your own Works are ceased from and your own Thoughts which if ye follow them they will lead you into Error Therefore wait in the Light which comes from him by whom the World was made to receive Wisdom from him that in it and with it ye may be preserved from the World and out of the World to him by whom the World was made and that Wisdom may be Justified of her Children Wisdom Justified of her Children and ye kept all Low in the Fear of God from all Strife and Deceit and Dissension and Pollution and Hypocrisie and Dissimulation single with the Measure of Light which comes from the Father of Life Every one to feel with the Life of God the Arm of the Lord God not to be shortened but to reach to every one of you all and to carry you all in his Arm and gently to lead them that are with young So feeling the Presence of the Lord God with you ye receive Vertue into your Souls from the Living God who nourisheth his own living Plant and Plants So the Lord God Almighty preserve you in the Light which shews to every one their evil Deeds and reproves for them this is the true Light which if ye come to it and love it ye come to Christ and love him by whom the World was made and it will let you see the Chief Shepherd and Bishop of your Souls and how ye have gone astray like Sheep without a Shepherd For it is that which restores you to Christ the Bishop of your Souls who is the Prophet that must be heard And all who will not come to the Light which cometh from Jesus Christ but hate it because their Deeds are evil they do know that the Light will reprove them Therefore this is their Condemnation The Light of Truth the Light which is your Teacher who come to it and receive it ye receive Christ and he giveth the Power to become the Sons of God which many do witness blessed be the Name of the Lord. Therefore wait every one in your Measure to know the Scripture fulfilled in you which came not by the Will of Man but was learned of God which is for the perfecting of the Man of God through Faith in Christ Jesus and is to be read and to be fulfilled and to be practised which was given forth from the Spirit Therefore every one wait in the Measure of the Spirit to learn of him as they did which gave it forth G. F. To Friends in the Ministry ALL Friends Epist 64. who are moved of the Lord to speak the Word of the Lord whom the Lord hath made to be his Mouth speak not your own Words to feed the sensual part of Man in your own Wills for there God is not honoured and Wisdom is not justified But ye that are moved to speak in Steeple-Houses or to the Priests who have not the Word of the Lord Speak the Word of the Lord faithfully but the Letter speak the Word of the Lord faithfully neither add to it with your Reason nor diminish from it with a disobedient Mind but speaking the Word of the Lord faithfully it is sharper than a Two-edged Sword to cut down all Deceit and as a Fire to burn up the Chaff and it purifies you that speak it And so as an Hammer it will break down all the Contrary And the Word is but One which sanctifies all and cleanseth the Heart and sanctifies and reconciles
Witness one another in the Sight of weak Friends but dwell in the Power of the Lord God and that will keep that down in every particular which is to be judged through which ye may judge the whole World that lies in Wickedness Therefore dwell all I warn you from the Lord God of Power of Life of Heaven and Earth dwell in his Power and Wisdom and Life that in that ye may have Dominion over the World and the Andersaries in it and live in it through which ye will feel the Preciousness and Weight of Truth The Weight of Truth which now is going over all the World and To all Nations of Mankind the Everlasting Gospel the Power of God is to be preached through which life and Immortality shall come to Light in which Power is the Fellowship Therefore this is the Word of the Lord God to you all those that are convinced by the Power of the Lord God and the Light let them dwell in it in which they may have Vnity For the the Lord hath a Seed that ways if ye in Patience all of you wait and not matter the Weather the Storms the Winds the Hail the Rain when ye are to sow the Seed nor the rough Ground The Husbandman that is to be tilled For the Husband-man waits patiently after the Seed is sown there is a Winter before the Summer comes And there must be a great Work before the Misty Heathen be cleared in their Understandings that are so naturally and the dark Air be driven back and the Prince of Life and Light be witnessed Dwell in the Life and in the Light for the great Professors of Spiritual Babylon the Mother of Harlots that are full of Craft will be brought down and that must be witnessed before ye know the bride made ready for her Husband So live in Patience and in Peace and in the weighty Wisdom of God and then ye will see the End of all frothy Spirits that will not abide the Trial. Therefore Friends keep ye in the Power of the Lord God and dwell in Live one with another and in the pure Power and Life of Truth and the Seed of God which ye first kept in that ye may be kept over all light and airy Spirits that will be up and down like a Tempest Comers and Goers to the Seed that ye may stand in the Seed which is Everlasting Airy Spirits In that the Lord preserve you Ye may write over how things are there for Truth is well here and spreads abroad in the World in other Nations and is of a good Report G. F. Reading the 15th of the 8th Month 1659. THE Lord is King over all the Earth and Christ hath all Power in Heaven and in the Earth and he is King of Kings and Lord of Lords let him rule and reign in all your Hearts by Faith and exalt him in the Land and in your Assemblies G. F. OH Friends have an Esteem of Truth and God's Glory Epist 192. Keep down all Inordinate Affections Concerning Marrying with the world and bad Marriages and have an Esteem of Truth above your Lusts and Earthly things worldly Riches and Goods and mind the Example of the Old World When the Sons of God saw the Daughters of Men were fair they took unto them Wives of all that they liked and so made no Distinction between the Righteous and the Wicked Which grieved the Lord God that he said His Spirit should not always strive with Man And therefore he shortned his Days to an Hundred and twenty Years which before were many Hundred Years Enoch-Methuselah and Lamech Though Enoch Methuselah and Lamech and the holy Men of God their Marriages God did not Judge but when the Sons of those holy Men which were called the Sons of God went to the World for Wives they slew the Spiritual Birth in them and quenched the Holy Spirit of God in them and corrupted the Earth and filled it with Cruelty and followed the Imaginations of their own Hearts Lasts continually insomuch that they grieved the Lord and he repented that he made Man For he saw All Flesh had corrupted his Way upon the Earth saving Noah a Just Man with his Family who walked with God Noah a Just Man and did not join with the Wickedness of the World Therefore God destroyed the Old World The Old World and the Beginning thereof was these bad Marriages as Jude and Peter saith They followed strange Flesh by which they came to be corrupted and therefore God sent a Flood and destroyed the Old World with its ungodly Deeds And there is your Example that Marry with the World Gen. 6. And doth not the Lord say to the Chidren of Israel Forbidden Marriages Thou shalt not give thy Sons nor thy Daughters in Marriage with the Heathen And were not such as did so reproved by the Lord and his Prophets As ye may see through the Scriptures And doth not the Apostle say Be ye not unequally yoked together with Vnbelievers for what Fellowship hath Light with Darkness or Christ with Belial or a Believer with an Infidel For how many Thousands of the Jews did the Lord destroy which went and married with other Nations and pleaded Liberty And did not Phineas run one through and his Heathenish Woman Phineas And so must not all such be run through with the Sword of the Spirit of God And the Lord said Numb 25.7 8. Phineas hath turned mine Anger away from the Children of Israel when the Lord had destroyed Twenty four Thousand of them And doth not the World call such Bastard and Hypocrite Quakers and not faithful that go to the World for a Wife and to the Priests to be Married Priest's Marriages Oh! That ye should profess Truth and go from its Power and Life and so corrupt your selves and to have no more Esteem of your Bodies which God hath so honoured and made them Vessels of his Mercy to put his Mercy into And have no more Esteem of God his Truth nor his People but to Esteem your Affections and Lusts above them all and to make your selves a Talk and a Laughing-stock by going into that for which ye are judged of God and of all his People and of that of God in your own Consciences also Burying-places And do not Friends buy Burying-places because they cannot give their dead Bodies to the World no more than Abraham could And ye that profess your selves to be quickned by Christ and made alive by him to give your Bodies to them that are dead in Sins and Trespasses Oh ye makde your selves ridiculous both to God's People and the World and come under the Judgment of both and of God and the Scriptures to be such as follow strange Flesh and corrupt the Earth like the Old World Ye bring Burthens upon the Just But God will shorten your Days as he did the Old World's except ye repent as ye may
are in old Adam which they did and do dote after which the new Creatures in Christ Jesus the second Adam were not to taste touch nor handle for they did perish with the using And are not all the Will-worships and the Beasts and the Dragon's Worships of the old Creatures that be out of Christ bearing the Mark of the Beast in their Hand or Forehead And they that be in Christ which be new Creatures have their Father's Mark or Name in their Fore heads and worship the Holy Pure and Living God in Spirit and in Truth And it was the old Creatures that made Images and Idols and such make them now and worship them But they that are in Christ are new Creatures and are renewed up into the Image of God and worship him in his Holy Spirit and Truth that liveth for ever Amen And these cannot touch taste nor handle the old Creatures Images Idols Not to touch with the Rudiments of the World Doctrines Ordinances Traditions or Rudiments of the World which are the old Creatures in Old Adam which doth touth taste and handle them But the new Creature cannot who is in Christ the express Image of the Father and he maketh his new Creatures like himself Moses appointed Servants for God in the Law or Old Testament but Christ made Sons in the New Testament for as many as received Christ he gave them Power to become the Sons of God Swarthmore in Lancashire the 30th of the 11th Month 1678. G. F. To Friends in America concerning their Negroes and Indians ALL Friends Epist 335. every where that have Indians or Blacks You are to preach the Gospel to them The Gespel to be preacked to the Blacks Indians c. and other Servants if you be true Christians for the Gospel of Salvation was to be preached to every Creature under Heaven Christ commands it to his Disciples Go and teach all Nations baptizing them into the Name of the Father Son and Holy Ghost And this is the one Baptism with the Spirit into one Body which plunges down Sin and Corruption which hath gotten up by Disobedience and Transgression For all hath been plunged into Sin and Death from the Life for all died in Adam then they have been all subjected by the Evil Spirit which hath led them out of the Truth into the Evil and therefore they must all be baptized into the Death of Christ and put on Christ if they have Life And also you must preach the Grace of God to all Blacks and Indians which Grace brings Salvation that hath appeared unto all Men to teach and instruct them to live Godly Righteously and Soberly Which Grace of God is sufficient to teach and establish all true Christians that they may appear before the Throne of Grace And also you must teach and instruct Blacks and Indians and other Indians and Negroes directed to God's Spirit how that God doth pour out of his Spirit upon all Flesh in these days of the New Covenant and New Testament and that none of them must quench the Motions of his Spirit nor grieve it nor vex it nor rebel against it nor err from it nor resist it but be led by his good Spirit to instruct them and with which they may profit in the things of God neither must they turn from his Grace into Wantonness nor walk despitefully against the Spirit of Grace for it will teach them to live Soberly Godly and Righteously and season their Words And also you must instruct and teach your Indians and Negroes and all others how that Christ by the Grace of God Christ tasted Death for every Man and is the Propitiation for the Sins of the whole World tasted Death for every Man and gave himself a Ransom for all Men to be testified in due time and is the Propitiation not for the Sins of Christians only but for the Sins of the whole World And how that he doth enlighten every Man that cometh into the World with his true Light which is the Life in Christ by whom the World was made And Christ who is the Light of the World saith Believe in the Light that ye may become Children of the Light And they that do Evil and hate the Light which is the Life in Christ will not come to the Light because it will reprove them and love the Darkness more than the Light this Light is their Condemnation And so all must be turned from Darkness to Light to believe in the Light and from the Power of Satan to God and if they do not believe they will be reproved condemned and judged by Christ who hath all Power in Heaven and in Earth given unto him who will judge both the Quick and the Dead and reward every Man according to his Works whether they be good or evil And therefore you are to open the Promises of God to the Ignorant and how God would give Christ a Covenant a Light to the Gentiles Christ a Light to the Gentiles the Heathen and a New Covenant to the House of Israel and the House of Judah and that he is God's Salvation to the ends of the Earth and how that the Earth shall be covered with the Knowledge of the Lord as the Waters covers the Sea so that the glorious Knowledge of the Lord should cover the Earth And the Lord said The Example of Abraham for the Instruction of Families He knew that Abraham would teach and instruct his Family that they should learn to keep his Laws and Statutes after he was gone and Abraham did Circumcise all his Males yea them that he had bought with his Money of any Stranger Now who are of Faith and walks in the steps of faithful Abraham doth preach up and instruct all their Families in the Circumcision of the Spirit that they might be Circumcised with the Spirit which puts off the Body of Death and the Sins of the Flesh that is come up in Man and Woman by Transgression so that in the Spirit they may serve and worship the true and living God and so that ye all may come to enjoy the Presence of the Lord in your Families and improve your Talents that Christ hath given unto you for David saith that saw Christ in his New Covenant Let all Nations Praise the Lord and again All that have Breath Praise the Lord again Let the Poor and Needy praise thy Name And let all People praise thee O God And O ye Servants of the Lord praise the Lord for the Lord is good to all and his tender Mercies is over all his Works And all thy Works shall praise thee O Lord and thy Saints shall bless thee they shall speak of thy Glory and of thy Kingdom and talk of thy Power For the Lord saith From the rising of the Sun 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 pure Offering
34.35 Mich. 3. And now are such seen and known which our Lord Jesus Christ cried Wo against who stand praying in the Synagogues Mart. 23. having the chiefest Seats in the Assemblies called of Men Masters which devour Widows Houses And now are such Deceives seen and known Deceivers that by their Lies and Lightness have caused the people to err which speak a Divination of their own Brain and use their Tongues and say The Lord sent them when he never sent them And now are th Mockers and Scorners come which the Scriptures speak of which mock Scoffers stone and persecute the Children of the Light as they pass up and down the Streets and many have been almost murdered in the High-ways and Steeple-houses by them And now is the Scripture fulfilled which saith The Beast and Dragon That the Beast and the Dragon shall make War against the Lamb and the Saints for such are manifest now who are as natural brute Beasts what they know they know naturally having not the Life that gave forth the Scriptures but are found in the Self-Separation from the Spirit of God having gotten the Words which were declard from the Spirit of God murdering and destroying as much as in them lyeth those that are in the Light and Life of those holy Men of God that gave forth the Scriptures Now the Shame of all their Profession is seen which is Abomination unto the Lord which profess the Words declared from the Light of God but are strangers to the Light and Life And now the Vnsavoury things are smelt tased of and seen to be among many of the Professors of Religion who are more like Swine rending Dogs and Swine and like Dogs biting and devouring one another than like the Children of the Light Which doth them mainfest to be contrary to the Light which all that are contrary unto with the Light are condemned G. F. To all the Seed of Abraham which suffer for denying the World's Customs and because they cannot hold up the Corrupt Priesthood that is therin or for Testifying against the World that the Works threof are evil ALL Friends and Brethren every where Epist 92. that are Imprisoned for the Truth give your selves up in it and it will make you free To the Prisoners and the Power of the Lord will carry you over all the Persecutors which was before they were For since the Beginning hath this Persecution got up therefore live and reign in that Power which remains when the other is gone and in that ye will have Peace and Vnity with God and one with another who suffer for not putting into the false Prophets Mouths and for Crying against them and for not swearing Sufferings for not Swearing and not giving the World's Complements and their Honour which the Lord is staining and who are suffering for reproving Sin in the Gate Be faithful in the Life and Power of the Lord God and for the Truth be Valiant on the Earth and look not at your Sufferings but at the Power of God and that will bring some good out in all your Sufferings and your Imprisonments will reach to the Prisoned that the Persecutor prisons in himself So be faithful in your Sufferings in the Power of the Lord Tithes Oaths Temples who suffer now by a false Priesthood for his Tithes Oaths Temples which have got up since the Apostles days For as the Apostles and true Christians suffered for denying the Jewish Temple Priesthood Tithes and Oaths so ye do by the false and amongst the Apostatized Christians who are got up since the Apostles days So the Power and Life and Wisdom of the Lord God Almighty keep you and preserve you to finish your Testimony to the End that ye may witness every one of you a Crown of Life Eternal in which ye may sing Praises to the Lord and in that triumph And so be faithful in that which overcomes and gives Victory G. F. That Friends should have a Sense of one anothers Sufferings FRiends Epist 93. in the Power of the Lord God live which goes over the Heads of all the World that so in the Power ye may witness forth the Truth in their Courts and then if ye suffer ye by suffering will get Dominion over their Heads And lay down and offer up your Lives for one another Offer up your Lives for one anoher And here is the Love of and unto the Brethren manifest to lay down their Lives one for another But the Love of Christ is further he laid down his Life for his Enemies So dwell Low in the Life that ye may answer that of God in every one G. F. FRiends Epist 94. I do Warn and Exhort you all in the Presence of the Lord God Dwell in the Measure which God hath given you of himself in which is no Strife Dwell in Vnity but Unity Therefore every one of you dwell in it Boast not your selves And this I do Warn you of Boast not your selves above your Measures but dwell in the Truth it self that with the Measure of the Living Spirit of the Living God ye may be guided up to God in which Spirit ye will all have Vnity in the least Measure of it And so every one of you Judge Self for it would have the Mastery which is to be Condemned with the Light Self Judged and Mastery in which is Vnity So the Eternal God of Light and Life and Power be with you all and in you all And keep from all Strife and above it in Love and Vnity in every Place AND Friends the Going from the Life into the Changable is the Cause of Strife and Confusion G. F. GRow in the Increase of God My Dear Children and know all your Assurance in the Lord and the Seed in every one of you Epist 95. which the Promise of God is to And be Obedient to the Just and in the Truth of God wald and the Love of it And my Dear Hearts in the Seed dwell which gives the Victory over the World Victory over the World and that in the Wisdom ye may be preserved which bruises the contrary under foot whereby ye may reign in the Life of God to be as Nursers and Waterers of the Plants Nursers and Waterers and that all the Contrary may be kept under that in the Eternal Power of God ye may be kept which gives Dominion over all and condemneth the contrary In which Power the Lord God Almighty preserve you to his Glory Amen Live in the Life of God and feel it AND Friends take heed of being hurried with many Thoughts Many Thoughts but live in that which goes over them all G. F. A Warning to Friends to keep to the Light out of Deceit and Strife in Vnity FRiends Epist 96. I do warn and exhort you all in the Presence of the Lord God to Meet together in the Measure of Life that with
Altar And other Places might be shewed of the Womens Offerings and Sacrifices And you may see Hannah's fervent Zeal to God and what a large Speech she made in magnifying and exalting the Lord in 1 Sam. 1st and 2d Chap. And so you may see the Offerings and Sacrifices of the Women were accepted upon God's Altar as well as the Mens But the hire of a Whore was not to be brought into the House of God for any Vow for it was an abomination to the Lord Deut. 23.10 Now Hannah's Husband and the other Womens Husbands Hannah's Offering that offered up their Offerings upon God's Altar were not offended at them nor did they say their Offerings were enough for them both but every one was to offer up their Peace-Offerings and Thanksgiving-Offerings themselves and other Offerings So here youmay see the Service and Work of the Women and how serviceable the Women were in their Assemblies in the time of the Law about the Tabernacle and Holy Things and how the Women offered upon God's Altar as well as the Men they had their Liberty But the hire of the Whore was to be kept out of God's House and not to be offered up upon God's Altar So ye may see man and Woman were meet helps in Paradise before the Fall and Death reigned from Adam till Moses and after Moses received the Law from God which went over Death and Sin that brought it who saw the State of Man and Woman in Paradise Men and Women in the time of the Law were meet helps again to one another in the Work and Service of the holy Things about the Tabernacle and Sanctuary and the Women had their Assemblies And it 's said in Joel 2. and in Acts 2. That the Lord would pur cut of his Spirit upon all Flesh in the last Days or Times So this Spirit being poured upon all Flesh in the Christian Times God poureth his Spirit upon all Flesh under the Gospel Sons and Daughters Hand-maids and Servants old Men and young Men that by the Spirit of God all these might have his Visions Prophesies and Dreams and this is his Spirit by which all should profit in the things that be Eternal and to serve God in the Spirit both Men and Women Sons and Daughters old Men and young Men Hand-maids and Servants and all offer up to God his Spiritual Sacrifices For all being dead in old earthly Adam Christ the heavenly Adam has tasted Death for them all and is a Propitiation for the Sins of the whole World and he enlightens all and his Grace hath appeared unto all and his Spirit is poured upon all Flesh and his Gospel which is the Power of God is preached to every Creature under Heaven And now must not all receive the Grace and believe in the Light and receive this Gospel and walk and labour in it both Men and Women Sons and Daughters old Men and young Servants and Handmaids Yea I say the Gospel being preached to all Nations and to every Creature under Heaven old Men and young Servants and Handmaids Sons and Daughters I say then must not all these receive this Gospel and the Light and Grace And are they not all to walk in it and to offer up their Spiritual Sacrifices upon the heavenly Altar in the New Covenant and to walk in the New and Living Way and all to receive the Light of Christ which enlightens all and to become Children of Light and to feel the Blood of Christ to cleanse them from all Sin which they have in old Adam So as the Women were to offer in the old Covenant and in the time of the Law upon the outward Altar their Offerings and God poured out his Spirit upon the House of Israel that they might understand and do what he commanded them At which time they had the Assemblies of the Women which were not forbidden So now in the time of the Gospel and the Day of Christ which enlightens all and in the time of his Grace which hath appeared unto all Men to teach them and to bring their Salvation and in the time of his Gospel preached to every Creature and in the time of his pouring out of his Spirit upon all Flesh that they might understand and walk and live in his Gospel and by his Spirit offer up their Spiritual Sacrifices So in this the Time and Day of Christ the captain of our Salvation must not all these Labour in the Gospel and in the Word and in the Grace and in the Light and know and do God and Christ's Work and Service about his heavenly Tabernacle and Sanctuary Assemblies of the Women in the time of the Cospol c. Hath not every one their Service that are enlightened And his Grace that hath appeared unto them are they not Stewards of it And must not they have their Assemblies of the Women in the time of the Gospel and of the New Covenant and in the time of Grace and Light and Life as well as in the time of the Law and of the old Covenant And are not all to albour in that which tends to God'd Glory and Praise and Honour For which End he hath made them all and for which End he hath redeemed them and converted them and translated and sanctified them to make them VessEls of his Honour and of his Grace and Mercies And so now the End of all our Men and Womens Meetings in the time of the Gospel the Power of Christ being the Authority of them is That they might all labour in his Power and in his Grace and in his Spirit and in his Light to his Service and his Business in Truth and Righteousness So the Women in the time of the Gospel Light and Grace are to look into their own selves and Families and to look to the Training up of their Children for they are oft-times more amongst them than the Men and may prevent many things that may fall out and many times they may make or marr their Children in their Education So now they come to be exercised in the Grace of God and to admonish and exhort reprove and rebuke and to keep all their Families modest honest vertuous sober and civil and not to gibe Liberty nor indulge that which tends to Vice or Lasiviousness or any Evil or Idleness or Sloathfulness or the Fashions of the World which pass away and to stop all vain Words and idle Talking and Stories and Tales which are unproffitable but rather to turn their Ears to Godliness which they should be trained up and exercised in and not to fulfil the Lust of the Eye for that being satisfied brings the Pride of Life and then comes the Lust of the Flesh and this is not of the Father but of the World And if either Men or Women suffer such things they suffer that which defiles their Children and Families And therefore such things are to be reproved in Families and their Children to be stop'd from going
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