Guofes.

1689. I went back to London; where I tarried, labouring in the Work of the Miniftry, till the middle of the Enfield. Ninth Month: at which time I went down with my Effer. Son Mead to his Houfe in Effex, and abode there all the Winter. During which time I ftirred not much abroad; unless it were fometimes to the Meeting, to which that Family belonged, which was about Half a Mile from thence: but I had Meetings often in the Houfe with the Family, and thofe Friends that came thither. Many things alfo I writ, while I was there; fome of which follow here. One was an Epiftle to the Quarterly and Yearly Meetings of Friends in Penfylvania, New-England, Virginia, Maryland, the Ferfeys, Carolina, and other Plantations in America. And it was thus:

My dear Friends and Brethren in the Lord Jefus Chrift, who, by believing in his Light, are become Children of his Light and of his Day; my Defires are, that you may all walk in his Light and in his Day, and keep the Feaft of Chrift, our Paffover, who is facrificed for us, not with Old Leaven, neither with the Leaven of Malice and Wickedness; but let all that be purged out that ye may be a new Lump, 'keeping the Feaft of Chrift, our Paffover, with the unleavened Bread of Sincerity and Truth. Therefore let no leavened Bread be found in your Houses, nor in your Meetings, nor in the Camp of God, or 'Houfhold of Faith, which are the Houfhold of Chrift: But all that four, old Leaven, which makes Peoples 'Hearts four, and to burn one against another; all that must be purged out of the Camp of God, and kept C out. For the Feaft of Chrift, our Paffover, must be kept, in the New Covenant, with his heavenly, unleavened Bread of Life. The Jews in the Old Tefta'ment their Feaft was kept with outward unleavened 'Bread: And now, in the New Teftament, in the Gofpel-Day, our Feaft is to be kept with the heavenly, unleavened Bread of Sincerity and Truth. There fore, Friends, I defire you ferioufly to confider, and to keep this Feaft, which the Apoftle directed the

.

'Church

Church of Chrift to keep. Do not you fee Chriftendom, 1689. fo called, keep their Feafts with the leavened Bread of Malice and Wickednefs? which makes them fo Goofes. four, and their Hearts to burn one against another, that they have deftroyed, and do deftroy one another about Religion. Therefore all live in the Love of God, which keeps above the Love of the World; fo that none of your Hearts may be choaked or furfeited with thefe outward Things, or with the Cares of the World, which will pafs away: But mind ye the "World and the Life, that is without end, that ye may be Heirs of it. And Friends, you fhould ftrive to excel all, both Profeffor and Prophane, both in Morality, Humanity and Chriftianity, Modeity, Sobriety and Moderation, and in a good, godly, righteous Life and Converfation; fhewing forth the Fruits of the Spirit of God, and that you are the Children of the living God, and Children of the Light, and of the Day, and not of the Night. And ferve God in Newnefs of Life: for it is the Life, and a living and walking in the Truth, that must answer the Witnefs of God in all People; that they, Seeing your good Works, may glorifie our Father, which is in Heaven. Therefore be valiant for God's holy, pure Truth, and fpread it abroad, among both Profeffors and Prophane, and the Indians. And you fhould write over once a Year, from all your Yearly Meetings, to the Yearly Meeting here, concerning your Diligence in the Truth, and of its spreading, and of Peoples receiving it, both Profeffors and Prophane, and the Indians and concerning the Peace of the Church of 'Chrift amongst your felves. For, bleffed be the Lord, Truth doth get ground in thefe Parts, and many are made very loving to Friends, and the Lord's Power and Seed is over all: In which God Almighty keep 'all his People to his Glory, Amen.

Goofes, the 28th of the

G. F.

11th Month, 1689. While I was in the City, I had a Concern upon my Spirit with respect to a twofold Danger that attended L14 foine,

1689. fome, who profeft Truth: one was of young Peoples running into the Fashions of the World; and the other Gooles was of old Peoples going into the Earth. And that Concern coming now again weightily upon me, I was moved to give forth the following Paper, as a Reproof to fuch, and an Exhortation and Warning to all Friends to beware of, and keep out of those Snares.

To all that do Profefs the Truth of God:

My Defires are, that you may walk in Humility in it. For when the Lord firft called me forth, he let me fee, That Young People grew up together in Vanity, and the Fashions of the World; and Old People went downwards into the Earth, raking it together and to both these I was to be a Stranger. And now Friends, I do fee too many Young People 'that do profefs the Truth, do grow up into the Fathions of the World; and too many Parents indulge them: And amongst the Elder, fome are growing downwards, and raking after the Earth. Therefore take heed, that you are not making your Graves, while you are alive outwardly, and loading your felves with thick Clay, (Hab. 2. 6.) For if you have not power over the Earthly Spirit, and that which leadeth into a vain Mind, and the Fashions of the World, and into the Earth; though you have often had the Rain fall upon your Fields, you will but bring forth Thiftles, Briars and Thorns, which is for the Fire. And fuch will become brittle, peevish, fretful Spirits, that will not abide the Heavenly Doctrine, and the Admonitions, Exhortations and Reproofs of the Holy Ghoft, or Heavenly Spirit of God; which would bring you to be conformable to the Death of Chrift, and to his Image, that ye might have Fellowship with him in his Refurrection. And therefore it is good for all to bow to the Name of Jefus, their Saviour, and that all may confefs him to the Glory of God the Father. For I have had a Concern upon ine, in a fenfe of the Danger of Young Peoples going into the Fashions of the World, and

Old

Old Peoples going into the Earth, and many going 1690. into a loose and falfe Liberty; till at laft they go quite out into the Spirit of the World, as fome have Goofes. 'done. Such their Houfe hath been built upon the 'Sand on the Sea-fhore, not upon Chrift the Rock 'that they are fo foon in the World again, under a pretence of Liberty of Confcience. But it is not a pure Confcience, nor in the Spirit of God, nor in Chrift Jefus for in the Liberty in the Spirit there is the Unity, which is the Bond of Peace; and all are one in Chrift Jefus, in whom is the true Liberty. And this is not of the World: for he is not of the 'World. And therefore all are to ftand faft in him, as they have received him; for in him there is Peace, 'who is the Prince of Peace: but in the World there is Trouble. For the Spirit of the World is a trou'blefome Spirit; but the Spirit of Chrift is a peaceable Spirit: and in it God Almighty preserve all the Faithful, Amen.

Goofes, the ift of the

2d Month, 1690.

G. F.

Another Paper, that I writ while I was here, was concerning the Enfign, which Isaiah prophefied the Lord fhould fet up for the Gentiles, which I fhewed was Chrift. Of that Paper this which follows, is a Copy:

The Lord faith; They shall not hurt nor deftroy in all my holy Mountain: for the Earth fhall be full of the 'Knowledge of the Lord, as the Waters cover the Sea, Ifa. 11.9. And in that day there fhall be a Root of 'Jeffe, which shall ftand for an Ensign of the People; to it fhall the Gentiles feek, and his Reft fhall be glorious, ver. 10. And he shall reign over the Gentiles, and in 'him shall the Gentiles truft, Rom. 15. 12. This Enfign 'is Chrift, which was prophefied of by the Prophet; which Prophecy the Apoftle, who was a Minifter to the Gentiles, fheweth was fulfilled in the New Tefta$ ment. And in this Day of Chrift, Ifaiah faith, The Lord fhall fet his hand again the fecond time, to recoper the Remnant of his People, which shall be left, from

Allyria

Gooses.

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1690. Affyria and from Egypt, &c. And he shall fet up an Enfign for the Nations, and shall affemble the Outcasts of Ifrael, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four Corners of the Earth, ver. 11, 12. This is in the Day of Chrift, and his Gospel of Life and Salvation, which is preached to every Creature un'der Heaven, who Enlighteneth every Man that cometh into the World, both Jews and Gentiles; that by his Heavenly, Divine Light they may fee Chrift, their Enfign, and Captain of their Salvation: So Chrift is one Enfign both to the Jews and Gentiles. And Ifaiah faith, The Redeemer fhall come to Sion, &c. Ifa. 59. 20. And, This is my Covenant with them, faith the Lord, my Spirit, that is upon thee (to wit, Chrift) and my Words, which I have put in thy Mouth, fhall not depart out of thy Mouth, nor out of the Mouth of thy Seed, nor out of the Mouth of thy Seeds Seed, faith the Lord, from benceforth and for ever, ver. 21. Arife, Shine, for thy Light is come, and the Glory of the Lord is rifen upon thee, Chap. 60. 1. And the Gentiles fhall come to thy Light, ver. 3. And the abundance of the Sea Shall be converted unto thee, ver. 5. (the Sea is the World.) The Lord fhall be thy everlasting Light, ver. 20. And, Thou shalt call thy Walls, Salvation, and thy "Gates, Praife, ver. 18. And the Lord faith; I will make the place of my Feet glorious, ver. 13. Heaven is his Throne, and Earth is his Footstool, Chap. 66. 1. "And he that puts his Truft in me, faith the Lord, fhall poffefs the Land, and fhall inherit my boly Mountain, Chap. 57. 13. Which Mountain is eftablished above all the Mountains and Hills, Ifa. 2. 2. The Lord faith (fpeaking of Chrift) I have put my Spirit upon bim, he hall bring forth Fudgment to the Gentiles, Ifa. 42. 1. And he faith of him, I will give thee for a Covenant of the People, for a Light of the Gentiles; To open the blind Eyes, to bring out the Prisoners from the Prifon, and them that fit in Darkness, out of the Prifon boufe. I am the Lord, that is my Name, and i my Glory will I not give to another, neither my Praife to graven Images, ver. 6, 7, 8. So Chrift the Light is

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⚫ come,