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stand to his glory, and that he may be glorified in and among you. Amen. So fare ye well in the Lord.

London, the 18th of the 12th month, 1681.

CCCLXXI.-To Friends in Carolina.

G. F.

Dear friends, With my love to all the faithful and tender Friends in Christ, the holy seed, that bruises the head of the serpent, (the cause of enmity,) in which seed no enmity is, nor can come; for in this seed are all nations blessed, which destroys the evil seed that brought the curse, and his cursed works and workers. So let this seed Christ rule in all your hearts, who was promised and prophesied of to come, who is come, and reigns, in whom is wisdom, salvation, life, and glory over all, the first and last; this seed doth live and reign over all that doth change and will have an end. Now in this holy seed you enjoy the blessings, and your election in it, which was before the world began. Now in this holy seed is the treasure of wisdom and knowledge, and as you all live and walk in this seed, you will have wisdom and knowledge that is heavenly from this treasure; with which wisdom and knowledge you will have understanding, that all your conversations may be ordered by it aright, and to preach righteousness, and holiness, and godliness, so that you may glorify God in your lives and conversations, and all your words may be gracious, and seasoned with grace; and whatever promises you may make to any man, you may consider before, that you may perform them; that so your words may preach righteousness and truth; so that you may be the lights of the world, and the salt of the earth, that by your light shining, you may answer the light in all men; and by the grace, and by the salt, you may savour that which is unsavoury; and so by your good works, and keeping to the salt, and to the light shining, you may be instrumental to open the eyes of others, to know your Father which is in heaven, that they may glorify him.

And my desire is, that all Friends may keep low, and meek, and humble, that he that doth inhabit eternity may dwell with you; and that you may take upon you Christ's yoke, that you may draw with his heavenly plough, that with it the earth may be turned up, that hath oppressed and grieved the tender seed, and God's holy spirit; so that God's plantations may be minded above the outward, that his lilies and vines may grow, and bring forth fruit to his praise, who giveth the in

crease.

And now, dear friends, keep in the love of God, which doth edify the body of Christ; that will bear all things. And be gentle, and courteous, and kind one to another in the fear of the Lord; for there is no danger VOL. VIII.

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in keeping low; for the danger is to such that are high and lofty, and puffed up. Such will swell; and though they may have good words, and a form of godliness, yet such that do so swell, will break out into bitter fruits, strife, and contention; and such go out from the power of God and his spirit, and so out of the camp of God, and then out of the unity of the spirit, which is the bond of peace; and therefore all must keep in the holy spirit of God, if they will keep in fellowship with the saints in light, and so keep the bond of peace. For they that go from the spirit of God in themselves, though they have the whole form of godliness, they break the bond of peace; and such run into vain disputes, strife, and contention. But there is no such custom in the church of Christ, which keeps the unity in the spirit, which is the bond of peace.

And now, dear friends, in the name and power of the Lord Jesus Christ, and his spirit, keep all your meetings for worship, and your meetings for business, that you may see that all that profess the light of Christ, and his truth, and have received it, that they do walk according to truth, and as becomes the gospel, that the name of God may not be blasphemed amongst you. And if that you of Ashly Cooper River, and that way, and Albemarle River, and that way, had once a year, or once in a half year, a meeting together, it might do very well, some where in the middle of the country, as you shall see meet, as they have in Maryland and Rhode Island. And if you had sometimes some meetings with the Indian kings and their people, to preach the gospel of peace, of life, and of salvation to them; for the gospel is to be preached to every creature; and Christ hath tasted death for every man, and died for their sins, that they might come out of death and sin, and live to Christ, that died for them; who hath enlightened them, with the light, which is the life in himself; and God pours out of this spirit upon all flesh; that is, upon all men and women. And the grace and favour of God appears unto all men; so that all may believe in his light, and walk in his holy spirit, and receive his grace, which will teach them to live godly, &c. and bring them salvation; so that you may come to see the light of Christ's glorious gospel set up in those parts. And God hath promised he will lift up an ensign unto the nations. And again, ‘There shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign to the people; to it the Gentiles shall seek.' And again, he saith, For the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea.' So, I desire that that part of the earth may be filled with the knowledge of the Lord.

And now, dear and tender friends, my tender desire is, that you may in nowise abuse, neither by your words, nor by your lives nor conversations, the liberty which God or the rulers have given you; but in all

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things you may have an eye to God's glory, that he may be glorified by you all, who is worthy of all, who is the Lord of all, both in heaven. and earth, blessed for ever. G. F.

CCCLXXII.-An Epistle concerning the Government of Christ, and his Peace, of whose kingdom there shall be no end.

Concerning the government of Christ, and his peace, 'of the increase of which there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment, and justice, from henceforth and for ever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this."

Now Christ Jesus, the second Adam, the Lord from heaven, it is he who rules, and reigns, and governs in the hearts of his saints, who are the believers in his light, (the life in him,) who is their governor and counsellor, who died for their sins, and is risen for their justification, and is the captain of salvation.

And Christ's government in the hearts of his people, is by his grace and truth, that comes from Christ Jesus, by whom all things were made, who doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world, which light is the life in him; he saith, Believe in the light, that you may become the children of the light;' and such have the light of life, and by it come under Christ's government and peace, and his order in his light and life. Now, they that hate his light, they hate the life in Christ the heavenly man; and such will hate Christ by whom all things were made and created; and hate his order, and his justice, and judgment, and his light and life: and such are not like to come into his established government and kingdom; so Christ, who is the governor, the counsellor, the orderer, he orders and governs with his light (his life) in the hearts of all the believers in the light; and all the believers in the light, have the witness in themselves, of Christ their ruler, counsellor, orderer, heavenly governor, and of his judgment, justice, and peace; and that of the increase of his government there is no end.

Now, they that hate the light, which is the life in Christ the second Adam, the Lord from heaven, they are those that would not have Christ rule over them, nor in them; therefore it condemns them. And, what is the matter that all men and women do not see, but are blind, and are not in unity? Is it not because they hate the light, (the life in the second Adam,) and will not come to the light, nor walk in the light? And then, is not the light their condemnation, who are in transgressing old Adam? And, how are they like to see or believe, or have faith in Christ, that hate his light, and will not come to it, which is the life in the second Adam? And therefore all that hate his light (which is

the life in him) are not like to see, nor receive faith from him, that will not believe in his light, nor come to it, but hate it; and such will hate both the divine faith and the author of it. And therefore all that do hate the light (which is the life in Christ) which he enlightens them withal, they hate his order, they hate his government, his rule; yea, Christ the second Adam, the Lord from heaven: and all such haters of Christ, his light, life, order, government, and counsel, are in a false liberty, though they may profess Christ or his government in words, yet not believing in the light, and walking in the light (the life of Christ) they have no true fellowship one with another, but are in confusion; and have no true fellowship with the believers in the light (the life in Christ) nor with the son, and the Father; for, how should they? For, until they come to believe in the light, (the life in the second Adam,) they cannot see their own states, they are in a blind state; for none see, nor enter into the kingdom of God, till they are born again; and those that are born again, are the believers in the light (the life in Christ) and so become children of the light, grafted into Christ; and such do know and see the true liberty in Christ Jesus, the second Adam: all such do see, and know, that all false liberty is out of the light, (the life in the second Adam,) in old Adam in the transgression.

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And Christ that doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world, (which is the life in him,) such come to Christ, and are grafted into him the head, and so hold Christ their head, by whom all things were made and created; who is over all, from everlasting to everlasting, the first and the last, the beginning and the ending. These are they that see his order, his government, and his rule in their hearts, and receive his law of spirit and life, and live and walk in it, which makes them free from the law of sin and death. These see Christ to be the author and finisher of their holy, divine, precious faith. And their faith stands in Christ, who is the author of it, who hath all power in heaven and earth given to him.' And the mystery of this faith they hold in a pure conscience, and do know the law of this faith, and the law of love that God hath shed in their hearts through Jesus Christ. And so in this light, faith, and life, that they have from Jesus the second Adam, the Lord from heaven, they come all to be of one faith, of one light, and one life; and so of one mind, heart, and judgment, in this new covenant of light and life; so in it they are under the government, and counsel, and order of Jesus, that he establishes in his everlasting covenant of light and life in their hearts.

The law came by Moses, and all the Jews were to be under the law in the old covenant; and this law served till Christ (the seed) came, in his new covenant. He is come, and now grace and truth are come by Jesus Christ, the great governor. And now, this grace and this truth is come from him, into the hearts of all his believers.

And with and in this grace and truth, Christ rules in the hearts of them that receive his grace and truth; and with this grace and truth, and in it, every believer and saint receiveth Christ their governor, and his order, and his counsel, and heavenly judgment, and justice from the heavenly man, in his established government, which he establishes with his grace and truth. Now this grace of God which brings salvation, which hath appeared unto all men, which does manifest, that all men have a day of grace and favour: now this must needs be the special grace of God, which brings salvation, which hath appeared unto all men. Now then, not receiving this grace and favour of God, but turning from this grace into wantonness, and walking despitefully against the spirit of grace; therein they are hardened, and blind, and turn that into wantonness, and walk despitefully against it; which should teach them, and bring their salvation. And therefore such come to be blind, and hardened against the grace and favour of God, that turn it into wantonness, as I said before, and walk despitefully against the spirit of grace and truth; and such turn against God and Christ, from whence grace and truth come, and turn from and against his people that are established in the grace of God, that brings their salvation. Though such may profess God and Christ in words only, and his grace and truth, their profession will come to nothing, except they receive his grace and truth into their hearts. They that do receive Christ in his grace and truth, which come from him; they know his government in the truth, and in the covenant of grace; yea, in their hearts, and know their gracious and true liberty in the grace and truth, and in Christ from whence it comes, and his holy and heavenly order in his grace, and his reign in their hearts. And all such that walk despitefully against the spirit of grace, and turn the grace into wantonness, though such may profess God and Christ, their profession will come to nothing, and all their liberty is false, and in the flesh, in old Adam in transgression. For true liberty is in the grace and truth that is come by Jesus, which leads up unto Jesus, from whence it comes, in whom the everlasting true liberty is.

For Christ, who is the truth, holy and pure, he reigns in the truth, and in his grace. And therefore every man and woman, must with this grace and truth in their hearts, (which they have from Christ,) feel and see Christ's reign and rule in their hearts; and him in his heavenly, eternal, everlasting government.

The Lord spoke by his prophet Joel, 'that it shall come to pass in the last days, that God will pour out of his spirit upon all flesh,' &c. Joel ii. 28.

And Peter said, 'This is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel, it shall come to pass in the last days, (saith God,) that I will pour out

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