of Jeremiah, and the rest of the prophets, and the faith of Daniel, and the three children, and the faith of all the apostles, what sufferings and imprisonments they went through; and consider all the martyrs since the apostles' days, consider what sufferings they have gone through; and God and Christ is the same to uphold you, that are given up in his spirit, power, and faith, to stand for his glory; and be valiant for his truth and name upon the earth. And therefore keep in your sanctuary, Christ Jesus, who destroys the destroyer, and bruises the serpent's head; and so in Christ Jesus, your sanctuary, you all are in safety, in whom you have all life, and salvation, and peace with God, in him you may all triumph and rejoice with exceeding great joy, and say, 'What shall separate us from the love of God which we have in Christ Jesus?' And the apostle said to the saints in their days, that there was not any thing able to separate him from the love of God in Christ Jesus;' you feeling the same love, you feeling the same faith to dwell in you, and walk by; for the just shall live by faith,' which is his victory, and hath access to God, in which he pleases God. And so with my love to you all in Christ Jesus, who was before the devil was, that makes you to suffer, and will be when he is gone. In Christ you have heavenly peace, that none can take away from you; in him dwell and live. Amen.

POSTSCRIPT.

And all be faithful in their testimony of life, against riches, and all those things which have come up in this night of apostacy, from the light, life, and power of Christ and God, against all looseness whatsoever, that the heavenly camp of God may be kept holy, clean, and pure.

And all Friends, look at the Lord above all your sufferings, and trust in him, who with his eternal power hath preserved you to this day; and the Lord in his glorious power was with us in all our assemblies, at this Yearly Meeting; he over all hath the dominion, and over all evil spirits gave dominion to his people. Glory to his name for ever. Amen.

And therefore let your faith be in the gospel, the power of God, which hath brought life and immortality to light in you. G. F.

CCCLXXVIII.-To all the elect of God, chosen and faithful, who have known the work of the Lord, and his dealings, and his eternal hand, his spirit and power, in preserving of you to this day, and in this glorious gospel day of Christ Jesus; who are built upon him, the holy rock and foundation of God, that standeth sure, and are fed with the heavenly bread, and feel the springs of living water, and enjoy the presence of the Lord, who daily gives the increase.

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And now, friends, with the eternal power, and heavenly light of Christ, with it you have seen, and do see, and will see, that which Christ hath spoken, Matt. xiii. and Luke viii. which he taught to the great multitude in parables, 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 highway side, and it was trodden down, and the fowls 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 awhile, or for awhile 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; when the heat of persecution is up, they are scorched, and withered away, and so come to nothing. And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprung up and choked 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 choked with the cares of this world, and deceitfulness of riches, and pleasures of this life, and become unfruitful, 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 a hundred fold.' So they that received the seed into the good ground, are they who (in an honest and good heart) have heard the word, and understand it, and keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience, some a 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, who brings forth fruit unto perfection, who live over the deceitful riches and cares of the word, 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, a hundred, sixty, thirty fold in Christ Jesus, who bruises the head of the serpent that makes men and women's hearts VOL. VIII.

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like the highway, thorny, rocky, and stony ground. For men and women, whose hearts are like unto the highways, 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.' 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. G. F. From Kingston upon Thames, the 2nd of the 9th month, 1682.

CCCLXXIX.-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, 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 lilies be not hurt. And in all places where you do outwardly live and settle, invite all the Indians, and their kings, and have meetings with them, or they with you; so that you may make inward plantations 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 oversee, 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 midst 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 pure offering; for my name shall be great among the heathen, saith the Lord of hosts.' Mal. i. 11.

'The Lord reigneth, let the earth rejoice, 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 beautify the meek with salvation.' Psalm xcvii. xcviii. and cxlix. cl.

London, the 22nd of the 9th month, 1682.

G. F.

CCCLXXX. 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, 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 any people; but that you may, (before you make any promises to any man or woman,) consider before hand, that you may be able to perform and fulfil both your words and promises to all people, that you make your promises, or give your word unto. And that your yea And that your 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 forbid 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 beforehand, 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 able 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 run into, that do neither perform their yea, yea, nor their nay, nay.

Therefore 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, that in 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, 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 numbered among the covenant breakers, spoken of, Rom. i. 31. and such truce-breakers, which the apostle speaks of, 2 Tim. iii. 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. iv. 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, says, '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 steadfast 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 will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy, and sell, and get gain: whereas they did not know what should be on the morrow. But they ought to say,

Therefore you may christians in the fear

if the Lord will, we shall live, and do this or that.' see how careful the apostle was, to keep all true 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 he that is unjust in the least, is unjust also in much. And further he saith, 'If ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous 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 inward faithfulness to God bringeth forth faithfulness to men in outward things.' And as the apostle said to the saints, Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think