in, in that righteousness, and power, and holy ghost, and peace, that never will have an end; and is over all kingdoms that will have an end, and are unclean; and any unclean and imperfect thing may enter into them; and in them are troubles, tumults, and sin, and not peace, but sorrow. But into the kingdom of God no imperfect thing entereth, nor sin, nor any unclean thing. For the kingdom of God standeth in righteousness, and everlasting peace, and in joy in the holy ghost. G. F.

CCLXXXVII.

Friends, Consider, you that have known the mercies of the Lord God, and of Jesus Christ. Look back, and see how they that had known much of God, how soon they forgot him, as in the days of the old world, and in the days of Moses, and in the days of the Judges, how they soon forgot God, that had done great things for them, and forsook God, and his way, and religion, and worship, and followed such gods as men had made. And in the days of the prophets, how the people forsook the Lord God; and in the days of Christ and his apostles, how they were mostly gone astray from God; though they kept an outward profession of their words, yet denied Christ in his light, and life, and power; who was the end of the law and the prophets. And they that did receive Christ Jesus, and believed in him, in a few ages after the apostles, how most of Christendom ran from the life into death, and ran from the light into darkness; and into error, from the holy spirit, and into Babylon, which is confusion; and from the worship in the spirit, and in the truth, that Christ set up, and followed after the worship of the beast and the dragon; and went from the true church after the whore; and from Christ, the way to God, after the ways that men had made; and from the religion that is pure from above, after the religions that men have made. And so, now the gospel is preached again, and the living way (Christ) to the living God, and his religion and his worship are set up and received of many, and they come to the true worship, which is in God. And all be faithful, and take heed of running back again, where you were before, lest you and your children perish, as others have done, that forsook the Lord God of mercies. And therefore train up your children in the fear of God, and in the way of Christ, and in his worship and religion, that they may observe and keep in it, when you are gone.

And walk in the spirit and truth, in which God is worshipped, and keep in the order of the gospel, in the power of God, which was before the devil was; which power of God will keep you pure to God, that nothing may get betwixt you and the Lord God. And be obedient to

the law, that God hath written in your hearts, and put in your minds, that you may be the children of the new covenant; and that you may be the royal priesthood, offering up to God the spiritual sacrifices. And sitting under your teacher, the grace of God, which bringeth salvation, and seasoneth your words, and establisheth your hearts. And this grace saveth, and is sufficient, saith God Almighty. And you need no man to teach you, but as the same anointing doth teach you to know all things: which anointing abideth in you. And hearken all what the righteousness of faith saith, speaking on this wise, 'The word is nigh thee, even in thy heart and in thy mouth, to obey it and do it. That thou need not say, who shall ascend to bring Christ from above, or descend to bring Christ from the grave, &c. for that is the word of faith which we do preach.' G. F.

CCLXXXVIII.-To Friends in Carolina.

Dear friends, to whom is my love in the blessed seed, which bruiseth the head of the serpent, and is over all, and changeth not, which is the first and last, in whom you have life and peace with the God of peace. So you few that are that ways, keep your meetings and meet together in the name of Jesus, whose name is above every name, and gathering is above every gathering; and there is no salvation in any other name, but by the name of Jesus; and you gathering in his name, where salvation is, he is your prophet, your shepherd, your bishop, your priest, in the midst of you, to open to you, and to sanctify you, and to feed you with life, and to quicken you with life; wait in his power and light, that ye may be children of the light, by believing in the light, which is the life in Christ; that you may be grafted into him, the true root, and built upon him, the true foundation, who was the foundation of the holy prophets and apostles, and of all the holy martyrs, and is the foundation of all his holy people now; and is the rock of ages, yea, of the ages of the prophets, and of the ages of his apostles, and of the ages of his people now, and martyrs, who kept them above the raging of the seas, and doth now; which rock the wise men build upon, the rock that stands against all the storms and tempestuous weather. And therefore be valiant for God's truth upon the earth, and his good spirit; and live in it, by which you may profit in the things of God, through which ye may answer the witness of God in all, and the spirit which they grieve and quench, which they are erred from, through which he may be served, and his truth spread abroad. So every one in your measures of the spirit of God and Christ, be faithful, that in it you may increase, and answer the Lord in a good life and conversation, for all his mercies. And as every one hath received the Lord Jesus Christ, so walk in him, that you may serve the Lord in a new life, and worship

him in the spirit and truth, which the devil is out of; and by this truth you may be made free, by which ye may be espoused and married to Christ Jesus, for the marriage of the Lamb is come and coming. And therefore, if you want wisdom, keep in the truth, that you may go to the treasure of life and of salvation, that you may be heirs of the same, and of life, and possessors of it. Yea, I say, heirs of life, and inherit that, and that will be more to you, than if all the world was your portion; and the riches you lay up there, will stand by, and be with you when time is gone, and shall be no more. For the truth is the truth, and changeth not, in which live, and it will be your peace and joy everlasting. And in the seed, Christ Jesus, (who bruises the serpent's head, who was before the devil was, glorified with the Father before the world began; and was from everlasting to everlasting, the first and last, the top and corner-stone,) in him live, that you may inherit life everlasting; and dwell in the love of God in Christ Jesus, that will edify and build one another up; and therein walk in all holiness of life and conversation, for that becomes God's house; and dwell, and live, and walk in the peaceable truth, that keeps you in peace, and in the holy fellowship of the spirit, the bond of peace; by which spirit you may be led into all truth, up to God and Christ, from him who is out of the truth. Amen saith my soul.

G. F.

CCLX
CCLXXXIX.

Dear friends every where, be faithful to God, who hath been faithful and true to you; therefore be you true to God, and faithful witnesses to him, and to Christ Jesus; that now ye may all have riches and treasure laid up in store, against a time of want, storms and tempests, that you may stand; for if you do not stand now, you are as bad as such professors, who stood only when the sun shined, and crept out when it was fine and fair weather, but when a storm or tempest came, then they ran creeping into their holes and corners, and skulking into by corners and fled by back doors, who were ashamed of their religion, and what they professed; but when the sun did shine, then they showed their enmity to the righteous. And therefore be you of the faith of David, and of his spirit, who said, 'I was young, and now am old. I never saw the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread;' and the Lord, (to encourage his people,) saith, In all their afflictions he was afflicted, and the angel of his presence saved them;' and Christ tells you, it is he that suffers and is persecuted, when his children are persecuted. And so it is for the Lord's sake that the just suffer by the unjust; and you read how such as suffered the spoiling of their goods, and scoffing and mocking, yet they were not to forsake the assembling themselves to

gether, as the manner of some was; for they that suffer with Christ shall reign with him; for the Lord may try you, (who hath blessed you with outward things,) whether your minds do stand with him, or in the outward things.

G. F.

CCXC.

Dear friends, live in love, for that is of God, and doth edify the body of Christ; and keep in the truth of God, which the devil is out of; and walk in the same peaceable truth, and do righteously to all people, and walk in righteousness: and then you will walk in peace with God, and one with another: and walk in holiness, for that becomes the house of God, and in holiness you will see the holy God among you. And so that you may keep the unity in the spirit, which is the bond of peace, and dwell in love one with another: for all eyes are upon you, and some watch for evil, but do you answer the good in all, in your words and lives. This is the counsel of the Lord God to you all, and that you may be the salt of the earth, and the light of the world, and as a city set on a hill that cannot be hid: so that all that do profess Christ and God, may show forth Christ and godliness in life and word.

G. F.

CCXCI. To all the women's meetings, that are believers in the truth.

Friends,-Keep your women's meetings in the power of God, which the devil is out of; and take your possession of that which you are heirs of, and keep the gospel order. For man and woman were helps-meet in the image of God, and in righteousness and holiness, in the dominion, before they fell; but after the fall in the transgression, the man was to rule over his wife; but in the restoration by Christ, into the image of God, and his righteousness and holiness again, in that they are helpsmeet, man and woman, as they were before the fall. Sarah obeyed Abraham, and called him lord. Abraham did also obey the voice of his wife Sarah, in casting out the bond-woman and her son. Dorcas, a woman, was a disciple. So there was a woman disciple as well as men disciples; and mind the women that accompanied her. And women are to take up the cross daily, and follow Christ daily, as well as the men; and so to be taught of him their prophet, and fed of him their shepherd, and counselled of him their counsellor, and sanctified by him who offered up himself once for all. And there were elder women in the truth, as well as elder men in the truth; and these women are to be teachers of good things; so they have an office as well as the men, for they have a stewardship, and must give an account of their stewardship to the Lord, as well as the men. Deborah was a judge; Miriam

and Huldah were prophetesses; old Anna was a prophetess, and a preacher of Christ, to all them that looked for redemption in Jerusalem. Mary Magdalene, and the other Mary, were the first preachers of Christ's resurrection to the disciples, and the disciples could not believe their message and testimony that they had from Jesus, as some nowa-days cannot; but they received the command, and being sent preached it. So is every woman and man to do, that sees him risen, and has the command and message; daughters shall prophesy as well as sons. So they are to be obedient, that have the spirit poured upon them. Women are to prophesy; and prophecy is not to be quenched. They that have the testimony of Jesus, are commanded to keep it, whether men or women. Priscilla and Aquilla were both exhorters and expounders, or instructers to Apollos. So in the church there were women instructers, and prophetesses, and daughters prophetesses in the church; for Philip had four daughters, virgins, that were prophetesses; and there were women disciples in the church, and women elders in the church, as well as men. So women are to keep in the government of Christ, and to be obeyers of Christ; and women are to keep the comely order of the gospel, as well as men, and to see that all that have received Christ Jesus, that they walk in Christ Jesus; and to see that all that have received the gospel, do walk in the gospel, the power of God, which they are heirs of; for this is a day for all to keep their possession in the gospel order, who are heirs with Christ, of the increase of whose government there is no end. So the foundation of our women's meetings is Christ, to all them that be heirs of him, and of his government. And the ground of our order of the women's meetings is the gospel, the power of God, which was before the devil was; and all that be heirs of the gospel, which hath brought life and immortality to light in them, which shines over him that hath darkened them, and was before he was: I say, they are heirs of the comely order of the gospel; and therefore, I say, take your possessions of it, and walk as becomes the gospel; and keep the comely order of it, and in it keep your meetings. And here is the ground and foundation of our women's meetings. Now mothers of families, that have the ordering of children, maids, and servants, may do a great deal of good in their families, to the making or spoiling of their children, maids, and servants; and many things women may do, and speak of amongst women, which are not men's business. So, as I said before, that you, both men and women, be helps-meet in the image of God, in the righteousness and holiness in the restoration, as man and woman were in the image of God before they fell; and not only so, but in Christ the foundation, and in his gospel that never fell, nor never will fall, whose foundation stands sure, for all his members and heirs to build upon. And so see that nothing be lacking amongst you, then all will be well.