God; and that makes him rage; and he would not have the woman to have a share in it, (who first deceived the woman, and now would again,) nor the men neither. Nor he cannot get into the worship of God, which is in spirit and truth, which the devil is out of; and therefore keep your possessions in the power of God, and your habitations there within, and in Christ Jesus, who bruises the head of the serpent, who is the head of all false orders, and disorders, and has made the world like a wilderness, and he in his instruments is against the order of the gospel, and the power of God, that men and women should be in the possession of, and the dignity thereof. And this many spoke evil of in the apostles' days, and so they do now; but the power stands, and the order of it over his head, and his instruments; and Christ is the same to-day as yesterday, and so for ever; and of the increase of his government there is no end. So all that be heirs of Christ, and of his power and righteousness are heirs of his government; and they see there is no end of the increase of it.

And you may see how the apostle, after he had convinced people, he brought them into the order of the gospel; and the Jews after they came out of Egypt, they were brought into the order of the law of God. And as the christians come to believe in Christ, then they are to come into the order of the gospel.

So as I was first moved of the Lord God, to go up and down the nation to preach the gospel, then after the Lord moved me to go up and down, to exhort and to write, that all people might come into the possession of the gospel, (and the order of it,) which is the power of God, which was before the devil was; which is not of man, nor by man and his word; by which all things are upheld and ordered to the glory of God. And Christ is a priest after the order of Melchizedeck. So you may see there was a heavenly order in the power and spirit of Christ's priesthood, as there was of Aaron's; of whose order Christ came not. And the apostle saith to the church, Let all things be done decently, and in order.' And this order was in the power of God, the gospel, 1 Cor. xiv. where all decency is. And the apostle saith, 'Though he was absent in the flesh, yet he was present with them in the spirit, rejoicing and beholding their order;' to wit, the churches' order, and their steadfastness in Christ. And as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him.'

So this was the spiritual order of the gospel, which the apostle in spirit beheld, and does admonish them unto; in whom their walking should be; to wit, in Christ, the spiritual heavenly man; and not to walk in old Adam, who was without this spiritual heavenly gospel order; which is the duty of all true christians, to walk in Christ and

his gospel order. And it is said in Psalm xxxvii. 23. The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord;' and that is, by his power and spirit. And in Psalm 1. To him that ordereth his conversation aright will I show forth the salvation of God;' and whoso offereth praises, glorifies me,' saith the Lord. So they that offer up praises by the spirit, glorify God, which all must keep to, and not quench it. And all whose conversation is ordered aright, it is by the power of God, the gospel; for they are kept by the power of God unto the day of salvation; and this is the right order, and everlasting order, which all must keep and walk in; by which all conversations must be ordered aright, that all may see their salvation, Christ Jesus, who is the head of the church, and who see and receive him, have life everlasting, and through him they have peace with God. So all in him live, and meet, in whom you have life, and a peace that is everlasting, that none can take away; which peace is not this world's peace..

And also the whole church of Christ, which are the believers in the light, children of the light, living stones, that make up the spiritual household; over which house Christ is the head; all such believers, men and women, are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people, that they should show forth the virtue of Christ, that hath called them out of darkness into his marvellous light.

So into him the life, to wit, Christ Jesus, by whom the world was made, here in him they know their election before the world began. So a royal priesthood, Christ's church is called, offering up spiritual sacrifices to God, who is a spirit; and this royal priesthood has a high priest, made higher than the heavens, to wit, Christ Jesus; and this royal priesthood is not after the order of Aaron, whose order was proved by his rod's bearing fruit, laid over night in the tabernacle, and in the morning brought forth fruit; but your order is proved by your rods' budding, and bringing forth fruit, in the morning of God's day, which are the fruits of the spirit; through which spirit you come to offer according to your order, which is in the power of God, the gospel, the spiritual sacrifices, the first fruits of the spirit to God, who is a spirit; according to your order (as I said before) of the gospel, the power of God. For the Jew outward was to offer the first fruits of the earth, according to the order of Aaron; but according to the order of the gospel, you (both men and women) are to offer the first fruits of the spirit to God, who is a spirit, over all, blessed for ever. And show how the Lord has blest you in your spiritual fruits, and how you have been captives, in spiritual Egypt, and how you were redeemed. Much more I might write concerning these things but they are hard to be uttered, or to be borne; for there has so much strife and foolishness entered into the minds of people, and a want of the stillness and quietness in the pure spirit of

God, in which things are revealed that have been veiled; in which things are opened that have been hid, and uncovered that have been covered. But wait all in the diligence, in the holy life, by which the holy things are seen and received, in which the holy unity and fellowship is. So no more but my love. G. F.

CCCXIV. To all my dear Friends, elect and precious, in America.

Stand fast in the faith which Christ Jesus is the author of, by his heavenly ensign, in your heavenly armour, and your feet shod with the preparation of the heavenly gospel of peace, and your heads preserved with the helmet of salvation, and your hearts fenced with the breastplate of righteousness, and so stand feeling and seeing God's banner of love over your heads, manifesting that you are the good ground, that God's seed hath taken root downward in, and springs upward in, and brings forth fruits in some sixty, and some an hundred fold in this life, to the praise and glory of God, always beholding the sun of righteousness, that never sets, ruling the supernatural day, of which you are children, and the persecutor's sun, (which rises and sets again,) the heat of it cannot scorch your blade, which it may do that seed that grows on the stony ground.

And therefore, be valiant for God's truth upon the earth, and fear him, that can break their fetters, their jails, and their bonds in sunder, and can make your fleece to grow again, after the wolves have torn the wool from your backs; for the rod of the wicked shall not be always upon the backs of the righteous.

And therefore mind Christ, who is the first and last, who bruises the head of him who is the head of all persecutors, to wit, the devil.

And consider how all the faithful in all ages suffered, from righteous Abel to just Lot, and the children of Israel by Pharaoh, and the true prophets by the false, and Christ and the apostles by the vagabond professing Jews, (out of the possession,) and what rejoicing it was to them to suffer for the Lord Jesus, and how it was given unto them, not only to believe, but also to suffer; so it was the gift of God to them not only to believe, but to suffer, and to bear them up in their sufferings.

And consider how all the martyrs and saints have suffered since the apostles' days, by the heathens and false Christians; and so there is no new thing under the sun.

And therefore, keep your meetings in the name of Jesus, whose name is above.every name, in whose name you have salvation; and be valiant for God's truth upon the earth, and sound his name abroad, and keep in the truth, and give no just occasion to the adversary; for the lamb must have the victory. And keep in the Lord's power, that is over all, VOL. VIII.

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and in his peaceable truth, in which you will seek the good and eternal welfare and salvation of all people.

And the prophet Isaiah speaking of Christ, says, ' In all their afflictions he was afflicted, and the angel of his presence saved them;' so all Friends feel the Lord in all your afflictions.

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And the apostle saith, We ourselves glory in you, (to wit, in the churches of God,) for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that you endure.'

So here you may see the saints are one another's joy in the Lord, who doth uphold them in all their persecutions, tribulations, and sufferings; and therefore look over the devil, that is out of truth, that makes to suffer, to Christ, who bruises his head; and in Christ, who is first and last, in him have you rest, life, and peace.

And you see, by faith, Moses chose rather to suffer afflictions with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season.' So by faith, he esteemed the reproaches of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt.'

And by faith, Moses forsook Egypt, nor fearing the wrath of the king, for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible;' and so by faith God's people now forsake spiritual Egypt.

And by faith the mouths of the lions were stopped;' and by faith they endured tortures, not accepting deliverance that they might obtain a better resurrection; and by faith they underwent all the cruel mockings, scornings, bonds, and imprisonments; and by faith they underwent stoning and sawing asunder, and were tempted and slain with the sword; and they wandered about in sheep-skins and goat-skins, being destitute, afflicted, and tormented; of whom the world was not worthy,' &c.

Now all these lived in the one faith, by which they saw him who was invisible; which is the faith of God's elect now, (which Christ Jesus is the author and finisher of,) which faith upholds his people now, as it did then, against the persecutors in days and ages past.

And hold fast the hope which anchors the soul, which is sure and steadfast, that you may float above the world's sea; for your anchor holds sure and steadfast in the bottom, let the winds, storms, and raging waves rise never so high. And your star is fixed, by which you may steer to the eternal land of rest, and kingdom of God. So, no more, but my love to you all. G. F. Swarthmore in Lancashire, the 12th of the 12th month, 1675.

CCCXV. To Friends in Barbadoes.

Dear Friends,-To whom is my love in the holy truth; my desire is,

that you may all be valiant for it, against all deceit, that the camp of God may be kept clean; and all may be faithful in your testimonies of light and life, against all those things which have come up in this night of apostacy from the light, life, and power of God. So look at the Lord and his eternal power, which has brought you out of the night of apostacy, to his eternal praise, and his power hath preserved you to this day. The Lord with his glorious power was with us in all our assemblies, at this Yearly Meeting; he hath the dominion, and over all evil spirits gave dominion to his people. Glory to his name for ever. Amen.

Great persecutions are in most counties in England, and many are imprisoned in many places, and their goods spoiled. And we had a very large Yearly Meeting here, and very peaceable and quiet. And the Lord's power and presence was richly manifest in our meetings, and the Lord wonderfully supports Friends in all their trials and sufferings, and Friends generally are in much love and unity one with another.

Now, friends, we desire that at your Quarterly Meeting, you may write over an epistle to the Yearly Meeting in London, of the affairs of the church of Christ, and the prosperity, and the spreading of his truth there; for we had a large epistle from the Half-Year Meeting in Ireland, which declares, that Friends were all in unity there; and likewise an account was given from Scotland, that Friends were in unity there; and likewise an epistle was read in our Yearly Meeting here, from the Yearly Meeting in Holland, which gives an account, that Friends are in love and unity there; and in Friesland, Germany, and other places; but at Embden and Dantzick, they are under great persecution; and we have lately a new meeting set up beyond Holland, who have been under much suffering and persecutions, but they stand faithful to the Lord. And at Algiers, in the Turks country, Friends there have set up a meeting amongst themselves, (who are captives,) about twenty Friends, and some other of the captives have been convinced at that meeting.

And one Thomas Tilby, a captive Friend, hath a testimony for God, and speaks there among them; and their patrons, or masters, let them meet; and one of their masters spoke to a Friend, as he was going to a meeting, and thought he had been going to a public tippling house, and he stopped him, and asked him whither he was going? and he told him, to worship the great God; and he said it was well, and let him go; and some of the Turks said, they had some among them of their people, that would not buy stolen goods. I have written a large epistle to them to encourage them, and that they might preach the gospel abroad in those parts, both in their words, lives, and conversations; and this meeting there, among the Turks, may be of great service.