TO ABRAHAM GRIMSDEN.

FRIEND,

Thou hast made some profession of truth, and at times come amongst us; but whether thou hast been changed thereby, and been faithful to the Lord in what has been made manifest to thee, belongs unto thee diligently to inquire. There is no safe dallying with truth. He that puts his hand to the plow, must not look back at any thing of this world; but take up the cross and follow Christ, in the single-hearted obedience, hating father, mother, goods, lands, wife, yea, all for His sake; or he is not worthy of Him. The good hand of the Lord is with his people, and he blesseth them both inwardly and outwardly; and they that seek the kingdom of heaven, and the righteousness thereof, in the first place, have other things also added: but they that neglect the kingdom, and are unfaithful to truth, seeking the world before it, the hand of the Lord goes forth against them, and they many times, miss of that also of the world, which they seek and labor for.

Truth is honorable. Oh! take heed of bringing a reproach upon it, by pretending to it, and yet not being of it, in the pure sense and obedience, which it begets and brings forth in the hearts and lives of the faithful. But if any be careless and unfaithful to what they are convinced of, and so, for the present, bring a reproach upon God's truth, which is altogether innocent thereof; the Lord, in his due time, will wipe off that reproach from his truth and people; but the sorrow and burden will light upon themselves, which will be very bitter and heavy to them, in the day that the Lord shall visit them with his righteous judgments.

Oh, consider rightly and truly! It had been better for thee, thou hadst never known truth, nor been directed to the principle and path of righteousness; than, after direction thereto, to turn from the holy commandments, and deny obedience to the righteous One. The Lord give thee true sense and repentance, if it be his holy pleasure, and

raise thee out of this world's spirit, to live to him in his own pure Spirit. It is easy to profess and make a show of truth, but hard to come into it. It is very hard to the earthly mind, to part with that which must be parted with for it, before the soul can come to possess and enjoy it. Profession of truth, without the life and power, is but a slippery place, which men may easily slide from; nay, indeed, if men be not in the life and power, they can hardly be kept from that which will stain their profession. The Lord, who searcheth the heart, knows how it is with thee: oh, consider thy ways, and fear before him, and take heed of taking his name in vain, for he will not hold such guiltless!

I am, in this, faithful and friendly to thy soul, desiring its eternal welfare, and that it may not for ever perish from the presence and power of the Lord.

I. P.

Το

FRIEND,

God breathed into man the breath of life, and man thereby became a living soul to God, to whom by transgression he died. But Christ (who was before Abraham, and, in due time, took up that body prepared by the Father) is the resurrection and the life, who, from the Father, breathes life into man again, and so he comes to live again. And man, being quickened by Christ, is to rise up from the dead, and travel with Christ into the land of the living. And Christ is all to the believers, in whom dwells all fulness; the circumcision is in him, the baptism in him, and the righteousness, rest, and peace also; yea, in him are all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge; and he is made of God, unto them that believe in him, wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption. Now, it is very precious to feel this; but of little value to imagine or comprehend apprehensions about this. For the end of words is to bring men to the thing; but the Scribes and Pharisees, by their apprehenVol. III. 47

sions upon the words given forth by the Spirit, missed of the thing (though they thought they missed not, but were blessed in the knowledge of the law, and they that knew not the law were cursed): and the same spirit is alive in many that profess truth now, who, by their understanding of scripture words, are kept from the thing which the Scriptures testify of. What did Christ come in the flesh and suf fer for, but to unite and reconcile to God? and what is the antichristian way of erring from the truth, but to cry up the appearance of Christ in the flesh, his sufferings, resurrection, ascension, &c., in that spirit, wherein the true union and reconciliation is not witnessed? If we receive the light, and walk in the light, as God is in the light, then have we a share in his Son's death and atonement, and his blood cleanseth from unrighteousness; but not otherwise.

Oh that all who truly desire salvation, might know the way hither, and receive that from God, which cleanseth and keepeth clean! Amen.

To

I. P.

FRIEND,

The Lord God on whom I wait, and whom I worship in spirit and truth, and whom it is my delight to serve and obey, hath divers times engaged my mind to write to thee in true and tender love. There is somewhat, also, on my heart at this time to thee, concerning the state of the gospel in general, and in particular concerning the state and condition of those, who truly know and serve the Lord Jesus Christ, the King of saints.

The state of the gospel in general, is a state of redemption and deliverance from the soul's enemies; of which redemption every soul partakes, according to its faith in and obedience to the Truth, and according to its growth in him who is true. The babes in Christ and little children, their sins are forgiven them for his name's sake. The young

men have fought valiantly, and have overcome the wicked one. The old men, or elders in the truth, they are experienced in the heavenly wisdom and knowledge of Him who is from the beginning.

Now, there are some things which belong to all in general, or which are common to all, and somewhat which is peculiar to each member in particular. These things, which belong to all in general, are very many; but it is only on my heart to mention to thee at this time those few which the apostle recites together in Eph. iv. 4, 5, 6, which indeed comprehend much; and he that knoweth and partaketh of them, hath also a share in, and benefit by, all the rest. First, he saith, "There is one body." There is one head; and this one head hath one body, of which all that are truly living are members. Secondly, "There is one Spirit," which quickens, keeps alive, and gives nourishment to, ordereth, comforteth, defendeth this one body. Thirdly, "There is one hope of" their "calling;" for they are all called from the land of darkness, and out of the shadow and dominion of death, to travel towards an inheritance of light, and life everlasting. Fourthly, There is "one Lord," who hath power over, and the rule and dominion of, this one body; to whom they are all to give an account daily of what they do, and at the last day, of what hath been done in their body of flesh. Fifthly, There is "one faith," wherewith they all believe in, and draw virtue from, the head; which faith is the gift of God, and springs from the root of life in his Son, and is of another nature than that natural ability of believing, which is found in mankind. Sixthly, There is "one baptism," by the one Spirit; whereby all the true members are baptized into the one living body, and come to partake of the virtue, benefits, and privileges thereof. Lastly, There is "one God and Father of all," who begat them all, and is to be worshipped by them all, as their Lord and God; he being witnessed and experienced by them to be "above all, and through all, and in" them "all." This is the state in general, the gospel state, into which Christ gives his sheep-his Father's children-en

trance; and it is a blessed thing to know and experience this state, that is, to have a real interest in, aud really to partake of, these things.

The state of every one in particular is thus:- “Unto every one" in particular is given grace, according to the measure of the gift of Christ." Grace and truth comes by Jesus Christ; for the fulness is his, yea, he is the fulness; and of his fulness doth he give a measure to each member in particular. Not to all a like proportion, but to every one some; as he pleaseth to distribute and proportion out the gift of his grace to them. For it is his own, and he may dispense his gifts and heavenly talents as he pleaseth; and according to the state of each in the body, and according to their work and service, so doth he proportion out his gift of grace to them. Now, this is that which every one is to mind; even the grace given to them, their own gift from Christ, to grow in that, and to be what they are in that. He that hath none of this grace, he is none of Christ's; and he that hath received the grace, the free gift, he is to keep to the measure of it, in all he is and does.

Now, shall I say to thee, feel my love in these lines? or shall I not rather say, feel the love of my God, who visits thee yet again, and would not have thee perish, in resisting his Holy Spirit, and slighting the grace and truth which is by Jesus Christ, which is now powerfully revealed in many hearts? Blessed be he who hath visited his people with the horn of salvation.

O DEAR FRIEND!

To

I. P.

The eternal love of my Father is to thee; and, because he loves thee, and would entirely enjoy thee, therefore doth he so grievously batter and break down that which stands in the way. What he is doing towards thee, thou canst not know now, but thou shalt know hereafter. Only be still, and wait for the springing up of hope, in the seasons the Father sees necessary; that thou mayst not faint under his