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thing, yet possessing all things.' These are good examples for the true christians to follow. 2 Cor. vi. 5. 11. 27.

And do not you read what became of Jezabel, that persecutor of the Lord's prophets? And what is become of all the persecutors of God's people since the beginning? That birth born after the flesh, will it not have the same portion to the end of the world? Is it not recorded to be the birth of the flesh; and is not to inherit with the heir of the promise; but is shut out from that inheritance?

London, the 8th month, 1682.

G. Fox.

How the Devil was, and is the Old Informer against the Righteous.

By G. F.

He that is an informer, is a persecutor, and spoiler, and a destroyer; and the devil is the head of all informers, persecutors, and destroyers of the righteous.

He is an adversary of the happiness of all God's people, and an accuser of them. He is a serpent, an enemy to all that which is good. See his enmity against Adam and Eve, and against their happiness, how it did appear against Adam and Eve, in Gen. i.

And see his enmity in the Sodomites, who vexed just and righteous Lot's soul from day to day. And Noah, a preacher of righteousness to the old ungodly world, who did not regard him, no more than Sodom did Lot; but the one was drowned, and the other was turned into ashes. And see the serpent's enmity in the Jews, and in Corah, Dathan, and Abiram against Moses; and what became of them who would have stoned him?

And you may see the enmity of the serpent in the Jews against the prophets. And did not both the ten tribes, and the two tribes go into captivity for disobeying the Lord? (like their father Adam,) in their enmity against his prophets and righteous people.

And likewise you may see the enmity of the serpent in the Jews against Christ and his apostles, insomuch that Christ called the Jews 'serpents, and of their father the devil.' And what became of those Jews? were they not scattered among all nations, and Jerusalem, and their place of worship destroyed?

And what condition is all Christendom in, that is erred from the holy ghost, and power the apostles were in? Have they not received the unclean ghost, or foul spirit of the devil, the enmity, adversary, accuser and destroyer, that old informer, that makes them to destroy one

another, makes them to envy and accuse, and informers, and destroyers of the righteous? And that foul spirit or unclean ghost hath brought Christendom on heaps, one against another, that are not in the spirit and power of Christ the apostles were in.

And in Job, chap. i. 2. there you may see, the devil and satan, who was the enemy and murderer, appeared against Job and his sons and daughters, to the spoiling of his goods, yea, and his wife, who said unto Job, Curse God and die;' but Job called her a foolish woman, and did not sin with his lips, though he lost his sons and daughters, and his goods, and was stripped of all; and though the devil, satan, said unto the Lord, if that he would put his hand against Job, Job would curse him to his face.' Chap. i. 11.

And again, satan the informer said, Skin for skin, yea, all that a man hath, will he give for his life; but put forth thine hand now, and touch his bone, and flesh, and he will curse thee to thy face.' Job ii.

But in all these false informations of the devil, who was a murderer and a liar from the beginning, and so was proved and manifest to be both a murderer and a liar, and a false accuser; for Job blessed the Lord, and did not sin with his lips. Job i. 2.

And Job's friends were miserable comforters; for the Lord said, 'his wrath was kindled against them; for they had not spoken right of the Lord, as his servant Job had; and therefore Job was to pray to the Lord for them; and the Lord heard Job's prayer for them.'

And Joseph's mistress was a wicked informer to her husband, against innocent Joseph. First she informed the men of her house, then she informed her husband, whose wrath was kindled against him, that he took him, and cast him into prison. And all this was because Joseph would not yield unto his mistress's wickedness, and sin against God; so here the serpent, and the devil, the adversary, appeared against innocent Joseph whom God was withal, and made him to prosper. Gen. xl.

But in Proverbs vii. you may see, how the woman, with the attire of an harlot, and subtilty of heart, whose feet abides not in her house, and lieth in wait in every corner of the street, in the twilight in the evening, in the black and dark night, deceived the young man void of understanding; for they that have understanding will shun her; for by the means of a whorish woman, a man is brought to piece of bread, and the adulterous will hunt for the precious life of the righteous.

And though the informers and archers, did sorely grieve Joseph, and shot at him, and hated him, yet his bow abode in strength, and Joseph's brethren did envy him for his dream, but his father Jacob observed his sayings.

And you may see how Pharaoh, king of Egypt, informed his people, the Egyptians, against the children of Israel, and set task-masters over

them, that made their lives bitter; and the Egyptian task-masters obeyed Pharaoh's commands, and made them to make brick without straw, and serve with rigour: but the Hebrew midwifes would not obey Pharaoh, to kill the men children; and the more Pharaoh and his task-masters persecuted and oppressed them, the more they multiplied. But what became of Pharaoh, and all his persecutors and informers at last? Did not God overthrow them in the sea, and deliver his people? There ran a young man, and told Moses, and said, Eldad and Medad were prophesying in the camp.' And one said unto Moses, my lord forbid them; and Moses said unto him, Enviest thou for my sake? would God that all the Lord's people were prophets; and that the Lord would put his spirit upon them.' Numb. xi.

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Here Moses did not give credit to those informers, but rather reproved them, and encouraged the prophets, desiring that all the Lord's people were prophets. So Moses was far off from saying, have them before a magistrate, and fine them 201. a piece, for speaking. And what became of all those that went to search the land of Canaan, and brought an evil report upon the land of Canaan, contrary to God's promise, and to the testimony of Caleb and Joshua, that these false informers made the congregation so envious, that they were ready to stone Moses? And did not those false informers, and them that joined with them, their carcasses fall in the wilderness? Numb. xiv. And what became of Corah, Dathan, and Abiram, and the two hundred and fifty princes, that were famous in the congregation, and men of renown, which told Moses and Aaron, Ye take too much upon you, seeing all the congregation were holy, every one of them; for the Lord is among them; wherefore then lift you up yourselves above the congregation of the Lord.' See what high words these informers could speak, to incense the congregation against Moses and Aaron, and such as feared God. Did not the earth swallow up Corah and his company alive? And did not a fire come from the Lord, and consume the two hundred and fifty men? And on the morrow, all the congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses, and told him, he had killed the people of the Lord.' Did not the wrath of the Lord go out against them, and there died of the plague 14,700 of them? So here was the end of those murmurers, or informers, and rebels against the Lord, his truth, and people. Num. xvi.

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And again, you may see what Moab said unto the elders of Midian against the children of Israel; and Balak sent the elders of Moab, and the elders of Midian, to Balaam with rewards of divination in their hands, to curse the Jews, the people of God; but the Lord forbade Balaam to curse them, though Balaam loved the reward of unrighteousness. And Balak sent yet again princes more honourable than the

first elders; and Balak told Balaam 'he would promote him to great honour, if he would curse the children of Israel.' But see what came upon Balaam, his ass reproved him, and the Lord made her to speak that which confounded Balaam; and after was not Balaam and the Midianites destroyed? Numb. xxii. and xxxi. Here you may see how the enemy appeared in Balak, who would have destroyed the Jews; but the Lord prevented him and Balaam.

And many informers were against David, but especially Doeg the Edomite, which informed Saul against David, and Abimelech the priest, and all his father's house, because he received David. And Saul commanded his footmen to slay the priests; but Saul's servants would not put forth their hands to fall upon the priests of the Lord; and Saul bid Doeg the Edomite, the informer, and he fell upon them, and slew eighty-five persons on that day, that wore the linen ephod; and Nob, the city of the priests, smote he with the edge of the sword, both men, women, children, and sucklings. And here you may see the informer was a murderer of the innocent. 1 Sam. xxii. And in chap. xxiii. xxv. xxvi. you may see how the informers went to Saul, and informed him against David. And you may see in Psalm lii. how David prophesied the destruction of Doeg the Edomite, who came and told Saul, and said unto him, 'David is come into the house of Abimelech.'

And in Ezra iv. there you may see, several informers writ letters against Jerusalem to Artaxerxes, to hinder the building of the city of Jerusalem. And you may see how busy Tobiah, and the Arabians, and the Amonites, and Ashdodites, and Sandbalat were against the Jews when they built Jerusalem; and how that Tobiah and Sandbalat hired the false prophet to prophesy against Nehemiah; but their prpohecies and their works come to naught, for the Lord helped his people against them, whom the serpent made enemies, and adversaries, and informers against them.

And Haman, that great informer against Mordecai and the Jews, Haman said unto king Ahashuerus, 'There is a certain people scattered abroad in all the provinces of thy kingdom, and their laws are diverse from all people, neither keep they the king's laws, therefore it is not for the kings profit to suffer them. If it please the king, let it be written that they may be destroyed, and I will pay ten thousand talents of silver to the hands of those that have the charge of the business, to bring it into the king's treasuries.' Now here you may see the devil, the destroyer, who is the enemy and adversary of God's people, how this informer hath exceeded all the informers before, and all the informers in our times; for instead of being an informer to get money, he would give the king money to destroy God's people, yea, ten thousand talents of silver; and he got the king's seal for it too, to seal his writing; but for all this,

what became of Haman? Was not he hanged on the gallows which he built for Mordecai, and abundance of his confederates destroyed? And there was the end of proud Haman, whom the destroyer led to be an informer and a destroyer, who was destroyed upon the gallows that he built for another.

And in Jer. xxxviii. Pashur, with many others, were informers against Jeremiah, to Zedekiah the king; and you may see this Pashur, the son of a priest, had put Jeremiah in the stocks, and smote him; and the envious informers said unto Zedekiah, whom the devil stirred up to murder him, We beseech thee, O king, let Jeremiah be put to death, for he weakens the hands of the men of war, that remain in the city, and the hands of all the people, in speaking such words unto them; for Jeremiah seeks not the welfare of this people, but their hurt.' Then Zedekiah said, 'He is in your hands, for the king is not he that can do any thing against you.' Then they took Jeremiah, and let him down with cords into the dungeon, and he sunk in the mire. And the Ethiopian, one of the king's eunuchs, told the king what these informers had done, and how that Jeremiah would die in the dungeon; and the king bid him take thirty men with him, and take up Jeremiah before he died; and the Æthiopian took old clouts and rotten rags, and let them down by cords into the dungeon, and bid him tie them under his arm holes, and so he drew him out of the dungeon, and put him in the court of the prison, where he remained till Jerusalem was taken by Nebuchadnezzer, who put Jeremiah out of prison, and gave him liberty. And so he found more mercy at the hands of the Æthiopian and Nebuchadnezzer's officers, than he did among the professing Jews, the informers. And you may see what a destruction came upon the city, Zedekiah and his sons, and his men of war, and his people, for disobeying the word of the Lord. And Jeremiah told the Æthiopian that helped him out of the dungeon, that he should not fall by Nebuchadnezzer's sword, because he put his trust in the Lord.' Jer. xxxix.

So here was the end of these informers, carried into Babylon, and many destroyed. And you may see how the devil, the murderer, and his informers, his persecutors, that put Jeremiah in the dungeon, and thought to have taken away his life, were put into prison themselves, and many of their lives lost; and Jeremiah, who was faithful, and trusted the Lord, saved. Jer. xlix. and xl.

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And Dan. iii. you may see how the destroyers raised up informers against the three children, and went to the king, and accused the Jews, and said, Thou, O king, hast made a decree, that every man should fall down and worship the golden image; and whoso falleth not down, and worshippeth, he shall be cast into the fiery furnace:' 'there are certain Jews, (said they,) which are set over the affairs of the province

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