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and salvation; and that all occasions and stumbling blocks may be taken away, so that the precious truth may be minded by you all, wherein all are to live in unity, and walk in peace, with the God of peace, and one with another; that all your springs may be kept open, and all your fountains may run with living water; and all your candles may burn, and every one may have bread on his own table in his temple, and his rod budding there, that he may be known to be a priest of the royal priesthood. So that all may have salt in yourselves, that you may be good for something; for if you be not the good salt, you cannot make the earth savoury. Therefore all keep in the sense of truth, and be digging for the pearl in your own field, and to find the silver in your own house, that was lost, and the leaven in your own hearts; that were it works, and is joined to, will leaven into its own nature. So in all your meetings, be faithful in the power and life, that you may be watered by the spring of life, that you may grow. And so whatever strife, or whatever runs out, or whatever occasion of offence has been, let the seed of God rise, and put all that down in all; that all you, in the everlasting seed, the second Adam, may have your peace, familiarness, and kindness, and affableness, and courteousness, and gentleness, and love, one with and towards another; for the power of the Lord God is over all, and his everlasting seed, Christ Jesus, reigns over all, in whom is eternal fellowship, peace, and unity, and not in old Adam; for old Adam's sons and daughters may get the words of Christ, and of the prophets, and apostles, but are out of their life, as their practice speaks. And therefore it is the life that differs, and the new way differs from the old, and the religion that is above, from that which is below; and the worship Christ set up above sixteen hundred years ago, from all them that are made since, amongst the nominal christians; and the fellowship of God in the spirit and gospel, differs from all the fellowships that have been made since the apostles' days; and the liberty in Christ, in the gospel, in the spirit, is far above the liberty of old Adam in the flesh, in the sin, the wages of which is death; here no false liberty can be in the spirit, and in the power of the gospel, and in Christ Jesus; nor any false freedom in the truth, for all false freedom is out of the truth; and therefore keep over all those false liberties and false freedoms, (in old Adam and his spirit, and dark power, and corrupt seed,) in the seed of life, and spirit and power of God, that is holy and pure, without spot. So no more, but my love in the holy seed, that is over all.

G. F.

To be read in all Friends' Meetings. And send copies of this to Maryland, Virginia, Barbadoes, New England, &c.

CCLXXXII.

Friends, in the seed that bruiseth the serpent's head, and destroyeth the devil and his works, live; and in the light, which is the life, in the word, by which all things were made; which light, and life, and word, doth hammer, and cut down, and condemn, and judge, all evil words and works, and the spirit of them, that is out of the light, life, seed, and word of reconciliation. In this, I have unity with you, and in this all true believers are reconciled to God, and one to another, and in it is the heavenly wisdom, in which is the holy and spiritual fellowship preserved, over that short, brittle, defaming, and inconstant spirit, which must be kept down with the spirit of God that doth not change, which hath been crucified by the wicked; but the seed of life doth slay the enmity, and in life and power reigns over it. Glory to the Lord God for ever. Amen. G. F.

CCLXXXIII.—To Friends at Bristol in time of suffering.

Dear friends, now is the time for you to stand; therefore put on the whole armour of God, from the crown of the head unto the soles of your feet, that you may stand in the possession of life: and you that have been public men, and formerly did travel abroad, mind to keep up your testimony, both in the city and in the countries, that you may encourage Friends to keep up their meetings as usual thereaway; so that none faint in the time of trial; but that all may be encouraged, both small and great, to stand faithful to the Lord God, and his power, and truth; that their heads may not sink in the storms, but may be kept up above the waves. So, go into your meeting places, as at other times: and keep up your public testimony, and visit Friends thereabouts, now in this time of storm; for there is your crown, in the universal power and spirit of God. So let your minds, and souls, and hearts, be kept above all outward and visible things. Few travel now the countries: it may be well to visit them, lest any should faint. Stir up one another in that which is good, and to faithfulness in the truth, this day. And let your minds be kept above all visible things; for God took care for man in the beginning, and set him above the works of his hands: and therefore mind the heavenly treasure, that will never fade away; and dwell in the seed, in which you may know your election. It is hard for me to give forth in writing what is before me, because of my bodily weakness; but I was desirous in some measure to ease my mind, desiring that you may stand fast, and faithful to truth. Of my travels and weakness it is like you have heard, and of my affliction, both by

them that are without, and also by them that are within, which are hard to be uttered and spoken. My love is to all faithful Friends.

The 2d of the 11th month, 1670.

CCLXXXIV.

G. F.

Dear friends and brethren, see that all live in the peaceable and blessed truth, into which no enmity can come; for the blessed seed, Christ Jesus, takes away the curse; of the increase of whose government there is no end; who rules in righteousness among the righteous for ever. And see that this righteousness, (in which you all have peace,) run down and flow as a stream among you, who are begotten again into a lively hope, and born again by the immortal seed of the word of God, which lives and abides for ever. And you who have received Christ, have received power to become the sons of God, and to believe in the light, in obedience to Christ's command; by which you become children of the light, and children of the day. Therefore this I say unto you, let no man abuse this power, that is everlasting; and keep the gospel order, which was before any impurity was, and will be when it is gone. So that in all your men and women's meetings, see that virtue flow, and see that all your words be gracious, and see that love flows, which bears all things, that kindness, tenderness, and gentleness may be among you, and that the fruits of the good spirit may abound; for nothing that is unclean must enter into God's kingdom, which stands in righteousness, and in holiness, and in the power of God, and in the joy of the holy ghost for all joy that is out of the holy ghost, will have an end. And see in all your men and women's meetings, that God be no ways dishonoured, nor the pure and blessed name of Christ (in which you are gathered) be blasphemed; but in all things that God may be glorified, exalted, and honoured; for you have the light, to see all evil, and the power to withstand it, and to see that nothing be lacking, then all will be well among you, in all your men and women's meetings. And see that nothing be lacking, neither within nor without, for God is rich in both, and abundance of his riches you have received. And so this is a warning and a charge to you all, in the presence of the living God, that you keep up the testimony of Jesus, against all that which is contrary to Jesus the heavenly man, that your fruits may appear to his glory, and your works to his praise; and that you may have water in your own cisterns, and know those clouds through which Christ gives you rain, having purchased the field wherein the pearl lies. And now is the spring time that the lily and the rose begin to flourish, and the vine is putting forth, and the apple tree to bring forth her fruit, by the VOL. VIII.

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power of the Lord God, who is over all. And keep your testimony for your religion, that you have received from God, and for your worship in the spirit and in the truth, that Christ Jesus hath set up; and for your gospel fellowship, which is in the power of God before the devil was: and see that all live in peace and in the love of God, for love edifieth the body; for he who is the head of it, is the beloved of God, who is from everlasting to everlasting. And see that every one's affections be set on things above, and not upon things below, that be earthly; for now is the time to contend for the faith, that gives victory, which was once delivered to the saints, in which you have unity. And so the God of power preserve you all, and keep you in his blessed seed, to wit, Christ Jesus, that none of you may be without a minister, without a priest, or without a prophet, or without a shepherd, or without a bishop, but let every one receive him in his offices: then you all have one who will exercise his offices in you all, whom God hath given for a leader and a covenant; yea, an everlasting leader, who was the foun-, dation of the prophets and apostles, and is to us this day. And so be valiant for the truth upon the earth, in the seed Christ Jesus, that through him who destroys death, you may have a crown of life; and through him you may be one another's crown and joy in the Lord; yea, I say, through Christ, who was glorified with the Father before the world began.

I am just now upon leaving this island, where I have had very great and blessed service; though I underwent very great weights, and burthens, and sufferings, and travels: but all is well, and the blessed seed and power is over all; to whom be glory for evermore. Amen, amen. G. F.

CCLXXXV.

Dear friends,-This is the counsel of the Lord to you all, who are brought into the eternal truth of God, whose minds are guided out of the earth up to God, and have received their wisdom from God; which wisdom orders all the creatures; that with it you may come to know how to order in the creation, with the wisdom by which all was made. This I charge you, and warn you all, in the presence of the living God, that you suffer no creature to perish for want of the creatures, and that none be lost through slothfulness, laziness, and filthiness; and let not these things be, which are for condemnation with the light that leads to the wisdom, with which the creation must be ordered. And, friends, let there be no slothfulness among you; but all keep in diligence and liveliness. For he that is slothful, is an evil example; and such must be judged with the light, that they may come to know

the servant's place, and be diligent. And such as have gone up and down begging, whom you have received in amongst you, with the light which hath convinced them, see that they be kept in diligence, and not wander, but be kept in obedience to the light, to receive their wisdom from God, how to labour in the creation; and see that they have things decent and necessary, and that their nakedness may be covered, that no reproach nor shame may come upon the truth from such as are without; but that with the light all such may be denied who act contrary to it; and in the light which condemns the evil world ye may walk, and receive the light of the son of God, (which the world stumbles at, which is their condemnation,) and in which the saints have unity. And all being kept diligent, walking in the light, there will be no slothfulness. For that is judged with the light, which is one with that in his conscience, which condemns him for evil. G. F.

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CCLXXXVI.

Friends, When you are met together in the name of Jesus your saviour, let your minds be over all to him, and out of all things that change, and perish, and die of itself, and will corrupt, and are visible, up to him that is invisible, the Lord God, and his son Jesus Christ, that you may see him and feel him among you, and in your meetings, in his life, and light, and power, and spirit; and that you may know that God is, and that he is the rewarder of all them that diligently seek him; and to know that God is present. And that which giveth the knowledge of him, is the light that shineth in the heart, in the face of Jesus Christ, and so see him in all your troubles and afflictions; and that God is present, beholding all your actions done in your bodies, and your consenting to your evil thoughts, lusts, or motions; the thoughts, what you will speak or act; or motions which you have not acted outwardly; but if you do consent to do them in your mind or heart, the Lord seeth them there to be done, though they be not done outwardly to the sight of men; and so to God you must give an account of things done in your bodies, and of things done out of the body; for God both heareth, and seeth what is done in the body, and what is said and done without the body; and therefore turn from the evil that leadeth to destruction, and judge it, and yourselves for cleaving to it; and turn to the Lord, and know him who is mighty to save, and to reward all them that diligently seek him, who is Almighty in his power to save and deliver, and to help in time of need. So know him that was from everlasting to everlasting. And here thou knowest God in his power, light, and life, and righteousness, which his kingdom stands

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