the shepherd over all the living, that are made alive by him; and so the Lord hath the glory of seeking and of gathering you out of the wildernesses, pits, graves, and ditches of old Adam and the serpent, and from his brambles and briars; and so Christ, by whom the world was made, is the rest of the living that he hath made alive, and is their shepherd, to feed them with life, and with the springs of life, and is the bishop of their souls, that doth oversee them, that they do not go out of the pastures of life, and from the springs of life, nor from the fold of life. It is a glorious pasture, to be fed atop of all the mountains, in the life, in the pastures of life, by the living shepherd, and to be overseen by the living bishop, and to be sanctified, and to be presented to God by the living priest, and to be counselled by the living counsellor to an everlasting inheritance, and to a kingdom, and to a world, that hath no end, by an everlasting priest, that sanctifies and offers you to God without spot or wrinkle, a perfect offering, who sprinkles your consciences and hearts with his blood, that you may serve the living God, and not the dead works among the dead.

And now you having an everlasting preacher, whom God hath anointed to preach, and an everlasting minister, that ministers grace, and life, and salvation, and truth to you; an everlasting prophet that God hath raised up, who is to be heard; all the living hear him, but the dead talk but of his fame. So none can silence or stop the mouth of them whom he opens, or take away your shepherd, your bishop, your minister, your preacher, your prophet, your counsellor, &c. And therefore let him have your ears, hearken to him, let him be set up in your hearts, who was set up from everlasting to everlasting by the Father, whom all the righteous witness, Christ Jesus, who is your possession, being heirs with him, by whom all the living are made alive; and so in him live by whom the world was made, who was glorified with the Father before the world began. So in Christ the heavenly man, you have rest, but in old Adam (the transgressor) you have no rest; there is the wilderness, Sodom, Egypt, Babylon, and confusion. For God blessed Abraham in his obeying of his commands, when he went from his native country, and relations; yea, and made him a prince. So they that are redeemed out of kindreds and tongues, Christ makes as princes, to overcome the prince of darkness.

And Abraham was to walk before God, who was perfect, and he was to be perfect; so must all who are of the faith of Abraham. Abraham saw Christ's day, and did rejoice; but thousands now come to enjoy the day that Abraham saw.

The outward Jews did eat of the manna in the wilderness, and disobeyed and perished; but they that eat of the flesh of Christ, and drink his blood, have life everlasting; and this gives an eternal life, by which

they come to an eternal possession, and to the land of the living, as the outward Jews came to possess the land of Canaan. And so you that are heirs of Christ, the heavenly man, and are come to possess him, (whom he hath made alive,) stand fast, now is your time to stand; stand in the life, which was before death, or the king of it was; stand in the light, which was before darkness, or the prince of it was; and stand in the power of God, which was before the devil was; and sit down in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, who was set up from everlasting to everlasting.

And therefore keep your faith in the Lord; for he is the same who hath given you dominion, through faith, over the mountains of opposition, by which they have been subdued, and by which the fiery darts have been quenched. And hath not this been fulfilled, ‘in all their afflictions he was afflicted; and that the angel of his presence should be with them in their trials and sufferings.' So the Lord hath a tender care of his sheep, his people, that the angel of his presence should be with them in all their trials. And therefore let your minds be out of all outward things, and visibles; and fear not the fleece, for it will grow again; and if the Lord should try you now, with the spoil of outward things, after he hath blessed you with them, to see whether your minds be with them, or with him: therefore now stand, having on the whole armour of God, and his righteousness, and your feet shod with the power of God, which was before the devil was; this will keep you from slipping; and having on the armour of light, to stand against darkness; and the breast-plate of righteousness, which is armour proof against the devil and his fiery darts; and keep the shield of faith, and sword of the spirit, the word of God, and the helmet of salvation, that preserves the head in all battles with the devil and his instruments.

And thus with your heavenly armour and arms stand, and keep your possession of life, who are brought out of spiritual Egypt, Sodom, and Babylon, having one to go before you, the captain of your salvation, (Christ Jesus,) who was before Moses and Joshua were. And see how the children of God all along in the scriptures through faith had the victory; Daniel by faith, the three children by faith, Abraham by faith, Joshua by faith, and Caleb by faith; and the other spies, which had no faith, and the elders among the outward Jews and the people, how they fell through unbelief! But by grace through faith the just were saved, by faith they had victory, and by faith they pleased God; and therefore keep in the faith, and you will have the water of life, and the bread of life, from above. And stand still in the faith, for the just live by faith; and they that had not faith to believe, they perished. And Christ hath taught all how to believe, who hath enlightened every one that cometh into the world, he saith, Believe in the light;' which was a

blessed doctrine of the heavenly man; for you believing in the light, you believe in that which makes manifest all things, all fruits, all creatures, all religions, and worship; for the light was before they all were, and will be when they are all gone. Therefore, believe in the light, saith the heavenly man, who teacheth what to believe in; for whatsoever is made manifest, is made manifest by the light. So to believe in the light, that doth make manifest all things that are reproveable, therein you will become children of the light, and children of the day, and sons of God, and daughters of God, and sons of Sion, and daughters of Sion, the heavenly Sion, the heavenly joy. And so herein you come to be of the royal family, above all the families of the earth, above all the households of the earth, a household of God, the workmanship of God, the planting of God, the building of God, the household of faith; which are titles higher than all the titles among men in the world, in the creation; sons and daughters, and servants and handmaids, every man to enjoy something in the household. Every one to have an inheritance (of their own) of life, that they may offer to God of their heavenly substance, who are called a royal priesthood; that is, a kingly priesthood over the devil, and over Adam, in a possession of a spiritual kingdom, and of a world that hath no end, and of a heavenly durable substance and riches which are spiritual; and so to offer up spiritual sacrifices to God, who is a spirit.

So now the time of trying is; therefore all to stand, and see if there be any thing able to separate you from Christ, who is from everlasting to everlasting, who is first and last, who makes an end of sin, and finishes transgression, and destroys the devil and his works, and is the top and corner-stone, the possession of all the righteous, the rest and sabbath of all the righteous, that have drunk his blood, whom he hath made alive. So in Christ you shall bear no burden, for he destroys that which oppresses both man and beast; and in Christ you shall not go out to gather your meat, who is your sabbath and rest; but in old Adam there is no rest; in the second Adam the heavenly man, there is the rest; and in him, to wit, Christ the heavenly man, you need not go out to gather your meat.

For he is the bread of life, that comes down from above, in him stand, and sit down in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, who was with the Father before the world began, who is your way to God; which way was set up above sixteen hundred years since, before all these got up among the Papists and Protestants, who is the new and living way to all who are made alive by him, and drink his blood: The dead make dead ways for the dead to walk in; but mind you Christ's worship, which was set up above sixteen hundred years since, by himself, in the spirit and truth, whereby every one comes to the truth, the spirit of

God in his own heart; in which truth and spirit he worships the God of truth, (who is a spirit,) and feels him always present. Now to worship God in the truth, is that which the devil and old Adam is out of; and this is the perfect and standing worship; and people that have lost this worship, that Christ set up, they have set up so many false worships among Protestants and Papists, and compelling one another to them, since they have lost the peaceable truth, in which the God of peace is worshipped.

And therefore now all prize the standing truth, and walk as becomes the gospel, the power of God, which was before the devil was, which destroys the devil and his works. And so stand fast in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made you free; yea, free from the devil and old Adam; for the freedom is in him, in Christ, and not in the devil who is out of the truth, nor in old Adam. Yea, Christ is able to deliver out of the six troubles, and the seventh trouble, the perfection of trouble; he who is the perfection itself, so he is the deliverer and mediator, and the intercessor, that makes peace betwixt you and God. So in Christ, (who is the deliverer,) is the peace and the rest, yea, an everlasting rest; he was set up over all troubles, and persecutions, and persecutors, who was before they were, glorified with the Father before the world began, and he will be when they are all gone, as I said before, all that have drunk his blood, and are made alive by him, have life; yea, a possession that will never have an end; but they that are dead in old Adam, are against Christ, who is the life, till he make them alive by believing in the light; and then they become the congregation of the living. And these are they that are gathered together by the Lord; and they that are not gathered together by the Lord, but by men, to themselves, they come to be scattered. Now the congregation of the living, have drunk the blood of Jesus, that are alive by him, and so are gathered together by him, the heavenly man, and he is in the midst of them, to preserve them, and exercise his offices among them, as a shepherd, and a bishop, and a prophet, &c.

And these are the living members, who have a living head, Christ Jesus; and that saying comes to be fulfilled, 'Thy dead men shall live together, with my dead body shall they arise;' so come to live with Christ Jesus. And they are the congregation of the dead, that believe not in the light, nor drink the blood of Jesus, but death and destruction talk of him and of God, and his prophets' and apostles' words; and they come to set their house upon the sand, and so are the fools; and then a storm arises upon the sea, and their house is presently in the sea again, and there they are drowned; the house sits so nigh the sea, that in a little storm they are drowned, they are so nigh the world. But the wise men set their house upon the rock, and the rock is Christ, the

life, who was before the world was, and will stand over all; and they that are built upon it, the storms and tempests cannot move their rock, nor their house. So here is the wisdom of the wise, who build their house upon him by whom all things were created, who is the rock of ages. So in all storms they keep to their house, and they meet in him, and are gathered in him, and he is their head and counsellor, to order them; and in him they all please God; and in Christ Jesus are one another's crown and life; and so through him they have all a crown of life, who was with the Father before the world began. So in him sit down, over all the windy doctrines, that toss the chaff abroad in the world.

I say, in Christ sit down, in him who was before the world was, for out of him is all wearisomeness, but in him ye have rest.

CCLXXX.

G. F.

All dear Friends every where, who have no helper but the Lord, who is your strength and your life, let your cries and prayers be to him, from whom all your help and strength comes; who with his eternal power, hath kept up your heads above all waves and storms. Let none go out of their habitations in the stormy time of the night, whose habitation is in the Lord; let every one keep his habitation, and stand in his lot, the seed, Christ Jesus, to the end of the day. There is the lot of your inheritance, and in this seed you will see the bright and morning star appear, which will expel the night of darkness that hath been in your hearts; by which morning star you will come to the everlasting day, which was before night was. So every one feel this bright morning star in your hearts, there to expel the darkness. G. F.

CCLXXXI.

Dear friends, the truth of God mind, and his pure holy power, which the Lord hath made you partakers of, by his good spirit. Oh! let not his spirit be grieved by you. Let that be mortified that would get up to grieve or quench the spirit, for that will corrupt your reason, understanding, and knowledge; and that which gives you to know God and Christ, that is life eternal. And all have a care that you do not abuse the power, nor crucify to yourselves the seed afresh, but let that be crucified by the seed; in which seed you have life eternal. And therefore prize the truth above all things. Now you have liberty to spread it abroad; for you are called to righteousness and holiness, without which none shall see God. Therefore mind your high calling in God, out of old Adam, into Christ Jesus, the second Adam; and keep your meetings in the name of Jesus, and feel him in the midst of you, who is your life