of God, that can bear all things, and are in the wisdom of God, which is pure and peaceable. For troubles, afflictions, sufferings, imprisonments, spoiling of goods, and many perils do attend God's people, by the world that lieth in wickedness: and therefore it is good for all God's people to keep in Christ their sanctuary, in whom they have eternal rest and peace.

And also God's people are exercised now (as in days past) with trials and perils by false brethren, as the church of Christ was in the apostles' day, such as went from the church, in Cain's, Corah's, and Balaam's ways, as the apostle saith, fierce despisers, false accusers of those that are good.' And you may read in 2 Pet. ii. throughout, of such as forsook the right way, and of many following their 'pernicious ways, by reason of whom the way of truth was evil spoken of:' and so it is now, as it was in the apostles' days. And the apostle saith to the church, 'You have heard say, that antichrists should come; even now are there many antichrists: they went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us; but they went out from us, that they might be manifest they were not of us.' 1 John ii. 18, 19. Christ did forewarn his disciples of these antichrists and false prophets, that they should be inwardly ravening wolves, and by the fruits of their trees they should be known to be of the nature of the wolf, and not of the lamb: such as these went from the church (in the apostles' days) into the world; and such as these are gone from the church of Christ now, into the spirit of the world; their evil spirits are tried; as in 1 John iv.

And the sufferings and perils by false brethren, have been more grief many times to the church of Christ, than open persecution; for they cause the way of truth to be evil spoken of; that turn from the way of righteousness, like the dog to the vomit, or the sow to the mire. And in the way of righteousness, Christ Jesus, God preserve all his people from all the biting devouring dogs, and greedy swine.

And you read how righteous Abel suffered by his false brother Cain; and did not Ishmael persecute his brother Isaac? And would not Esau have destroyed his brother Jacob? but God prevented him. And was not Ishmael and Esau in an outward profession of the circumcision? And how often did the Jews (that were brought out of Egypt by the power of the Lord) turn against Moses and Aaron, and other elders, and so turned against the power and spirit of God, that brought them out of Egypt, whom the Lord destroyed in the wilderness, and they never came to see the land of promise? And how often did the Jews turn against the holy prophets of God, after they came into the land of Canaan, and what was their end, when they had rebelled against the good spirit that God gave them to instruct them? And were not these VOL. VIII.

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holy prophets the Jews' brethren, whom they killed, and imprisoned, and persecuted? And was not Joseph sold into Egypt, and persecuted by his brethren; but God was with him, and preserved him: and so he will his faithful people? And did not Moses say unto the children of Israel, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up of your brethren, him shall ye hear in all things, whatsoever he shall say unto you?' Deut. xviii. 15. Acts iii. 22. and vii. 37.

Now when God had raised up this prophet, Christ Jesus, you see many of the Jews would not receive him, nor believe him, nor many would hardly hear him, though they were called brethren, but they mocked him, and persecuted him, and blasphemed him; and the chief priest gave money to Judas (one of his disciples) to betray him: and what became of all the Jews, and of Judas, that betrayed and persecuted Christ and the prophets? And what became of all those false apostles and antichrists that went in Cain's, Corah's, Balaam's and Jezabel's way? And will not all of the same spirit in our age, that have gone and go in the same way, or path, have the same end? yea, their latter end will be worse than their beginning, and to be as the synagogue of satan, who maketh them to accuse, slander, and revile God's righteous people, from whom Christ will save and deliver his people, who bruises the head of the serpent; and against such synagogues of satan the wrath of the Lamb is turned: and in Christ, the Lamb of God, the saints have their rest and peace, and can sing hallelujah.

Bednal Green, the 14th of the 4th month, 1685.

CCCCII-A general epistle.

G. F.

Dear friends, go not out from your habitation, but keep in your heavenly habitation, in the spirit of grace and truth, and the gospel, the power of God, and the holy divine faith you will feel in your habitation Christ Jesus; for all storms and tempests, and clouds of darkness, and the tempter with his temptations, you will see without. And therefore keep in your habitation Christ Jesus; there you are safe, and there you have your heavenly weapons and armour, to war with him and his followers, that is out of the truth, to wit, the devil; whom Christ destroys, and his works; and Christ reconciles to God all things in heaven and in the earth. And so all that are reconciled do feed upon the milk of the word, by which word all things were made, and by this word all things are upheld, and by this word all things do increase, and by it all things have their virtue and their being, and man and woman come to feed upon the virtue of the creatures; and man and woman are sanctified by the word; and by the word all things arc sanctified to them; by which

word all things are reconciled, all things in heaven, and all things in the earth. And so, ' man liveth not by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.' And he that reads the scriptures of truth, and understands them, he must have Christ Jesus in him, who is the substance of them. For if Christ Jesus be not in you, the apostle saith, you are reprobates.

And is not Christ the substance or body of divinity? And if men that are unlearned in natural language and tongues, have Christ Jesus the substance, do not they come to know the body of divinity?

And if natural men do learn all the natural tongues and languages, and arts and sciences in the earth, at natural schools, can those natural men receive or perceive the body of divinity, or things of God, without the spirit of God and Christ in them?

And, if not, then what do all the natural tongues and languages, or natural arts or sciences, profit natural men to perceive or receive the things of God, by which they learn at schools or colleges?

For the apostle saith, 'The natural man receiveth not the things of the spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.' And again the apostle saith, The things of God knoweth no man, but the spirit of God.' So it is clear, the things of God are revealed and discerned by the spirit of God.' 1 Cor. ii. 10, 11. 14.

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And the apostle saith, The world by wisdom knew not God,' nor yet by their wisdom do they know God. Therefore the christian's faith is not to stand in the wisdom of men, &c. by which they do not know God; but in the power of God. And the apostle saith, We speak the wisdom of God in a mystery; even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world to our glory,' who receive it. 1 Cor. i. 21. and ii. 7. And so in the wisdom of God, which was before the world and its wisdom was, the living God is known. And the beginning of this wisdom is the fear of God; and the fear of God is to depart from evil.

And so to all the true believers and christians that are called in Christ by his grace and truth, Christ is made unto them, the power of God, and the wisdom of God, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption; as in 1 Cor. i. 24. 30.

And now, such that are redeemed and sanctified by Christ, he is their righteousness and their wisdom, which is from above, and above the world's wisdom that is below, who by their wisdom do not know God; they that know Christ made so unto them, witness Christ by whom all things were made and created. Such cannot look down into the world after the world's wisdom, nor the natural man's natural tongues, arts and sciences, which he learns at the natural schools and colleges, there

by to know God. For by all his natural parts, and his worldly wisdom, the natural man knows not, nor receives not the things of the spirit of God; for they are foolishness to him. And therefore all men and women must come to the spirit of God, and to Christ the wisdom of God, if they do know God and the things of God.

·

The apostle saith, ' If any man be in Christ Jesus, he is a new creature; old things are past away: behold, all things are become new.' And Christ saith, Behold, I make all things new.' 2 Cor. v. 17. Rev. xxi. 5.

Are not the old things in the old testament, and the old covenant, which Christ abolishes and doth away? And is not outward circumcision, and all outward offerings and sacrifices, and the blood of bulls, goats, lambs, and other creatures, and the sprinkling of their blood, and cleansing with it; are not these old things, in the old testament and old covenant, abolished and done away by Christ in his new covenant and new testament?

And is not Aaron's priesthood, with his outward linen garments, and other garments, and bells, and outward precious stones, are not all these old things in the old covenant, abolished and done away by Christ in his new covenant, who is the precious corner stone? And were not all the outward washings, and tabernacles, and sanctuaries, and temples, and all the surplices and fine linen of the priests' garments in the old testament, and old covenant, the old things which are done away and abolished by Christ Jesus?

And are not all the Jews' feasts, and new moons, and sabbaths, and holy days, and Aaron's priest's lips, which were to preserve people's knowledge, and the priests receiving tithes, and paying tithes to Aaron; are not all these old things, in the old covenant and old testament, held up by the law, which served till the seed Christ came, done away and abolished by Christ?

And Christ said to his disciples,' Learn of me; freely ye have received, freely give,' in his new testament. And so all these old things, held up by the old covenant and old testament, which old things and old covenant are decayed, and vanish and pass away, being abolished by Christ Jesus in his new covenant and new testament. All that be in Christ are new creatures, and they see old things are past away; and can say,' Behold, all things are become new' to the new creatures in Christ. For to the new creature, Christ is the offering once for all; and his blood giveth life in the new testament and new covenant; and taking oaths and swearing to the Lord, and performing them to the Lord, this was in the old time, in the old covenant and testament; and Christ hath abolished that law and covenant, and those old things that were in the old time. And in his new covenant and new testament, he

saith, 'Swear not at all; but let your yea be yea; and your nay, nay. Whatsoever is more than these, cometh of evil.'

And in the new covenant and new testament, circumcision is of the spirit, and the children of the new covenant, their bodies are the temples of the living God; and none are saved or justified by the works and righteousness of the law in the old covenant, but by the faith of Christ and his righteousness.

And so all the figures, shadows, and types, in the old testament and covenant, Christ the substance is come, and abolishes them, and doth them away; and he saith, Behold, I make all things new.' So the new creature in Christ Jesus, seeth the old things are passed away, and all things are become new. So the new creature is the new bottle, that holds the new wine, he hath the new garments; and a piece of new cloth must not be sewed in the old garment. So the old garments, and old bottles, and old wine, must be kept distinct from the new garments, and new cloth, and new bottles, and new wine. So the new covenant and new testament, is distinct from the old covenant and old testament. The new and living way in the new testament and new covenant, is distinct from the way in the old testament and old covenant; and the new creatures in Christ Jesus, behold all things are become new to them; and see that the old things are past away from them. Here is a distinction betwixt the new creatures and the old creatures, that cry up the old things, and live in them; and the new, that cry up the new, and live in them.

And in the old testament, the outward Jews defended their religion by carnal weapons, and outward armour; but in the new testament, the children of the new covenant, their armour and weapons are spiritual, not carnal.

And in the old testament, and old covenant, there was a tribe of priests that offered up outward offerings and sacrifices; but in the new testament, the children of the new covenant are called, a spiritual household, and a royal and a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.'

And in the old testament, and the old covenant, the priesthood was made by the law of a carnal commandment; but Christ, our high priest, in the testament, was made after the power of an endless life. And the high priest in the old testament entered into the outward sanctuary, called, the holy place, made with hands; which priesthood and sanctuary is abolished and done away by Christ. But Christ in his new testament, is entered into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God, for the children of the new testament, who do praise God through Jesus Christ their mediator, who makes their peace betwixt them and God; for he that sitteth on the throne, maketh all things new and reconciles to God.