young people's running into the fashions of the world; and the other was of old people's going into earthly things. And that concern coming now again weightily upon me, I was moved to give forth the following paper, as a reproof to such, and an exhortation and warning to all Friends to beware of, and keep out of those snares :—

"To all that profess the Truth of God.

"My desires are, that you may walk in humility in it. For when the Lord first called me forth, he let me see, 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 see too many young people that profess the truth, grow up into the fashions of the world, and too many parents indulge them; and amongst the elder, some are going downwards, and raking after the earth. Therefore take heed, that you are not making your graves, while you are alive outwardly, and loading yourselves with thick clay (Hab. ii. 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 thistles, briars, and thorns, which are for the fire. Such will become brittle, peevish, fretful spirits, that will not abide the heavenly doctrine, the admonitions, exhortations, and reproofs of the Holy Ghost, or heavenly Spirit of God; which would bring you to be conformable to the death of Christ, and to his image, that ye might have fellowship with him in his resurrection. Therefore it is good for all to bow to the name of Jesus, their Saviour, that all may confess him to the glory of God, the Father. For I have had a concern upon me, in a sense of the danger of young people's going into the fashions of the world, and old people's going into earthly things, and many going into a loose and false liberty, till at last they go quite out into the spirit of the world, as some have done. The house of such hath been built upon the sand on the sea-shore, not upon Christ, the Rock, that they are so soon in the world again, under a pretence of liberty of conscience. But it is not a pure conscience, nor in the Spirit of God, nor in Christ Jesus; for in the liberty in the Spirit there is the unity, which is the bond of peace; and all are one in Christ Jesus, in whom is the true liberty: and this is not of the world; for He is not of the world. Therefore all are to stand fast 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 troublesome spirit; but the Spirit of Christ is a peaceable Spirit; in which God Almighty preserve all the faithful. Amen." G. F.

Gooses, the 1st of the 2nd Month, 1690.

Another paper I wrote while I was here, concerning the Ensign, which Isaiah prophesied the Lord should set up for the Gentiles, which I showed was Christ." Of which follows a copy ::

"The Lord saith, They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain; for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the

waters cover the sea,' Isa. xi. 9. 'And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an Ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek, and his rest shall be glorious,' ver. 10. And he shall reign over the Gentiles, and in him shall the Gentiles trust,' Rom. xv. 12. This Ensign is Christ, who was prophesied of by the prophet; which prophecy the apostle, who was a minister to the Gentiles, showeth was fulfilled in the New Testament. And in this day of Christ, Isaiah saith, The Lord shall set his hand again the second time, to recover the remnant of his people, which shall be left, from Assyria and from Egypt,' &c. And he shall set up an Ensign for the nations, and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth,' ver. 11, 12. This is in the day of Christ, and his gospel of life and salvation, which is preached to every creature under heaven; who 'enlighteneth every man that cometh into the world,' both Jews and Gentiles; that by his heavenly, divine light, they may see Christ, their Ensign, and Captain of their salvation; so Christ is one Ensign both to the Jews and Gentiles. Isaiah saith, The Redeemer shall come to Sion,' &c., Isa. lix. 20. And, 'This is my covenant with them, saith the Lord, my Spirit, that is upon thee (to wit, Christ), and my words, which I have put in thy mouth, shall not depart out of thy mouth, nor out of the mouth of thy seed, nor out of the mouth of thy seed's seed, saith the Lord, from henceforth and for ever,' ver. 21. 'Arise, shine, for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee,' chap. lx. 1. And the Gentiles shall 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 shall be thy everlasting light,' ver. 20. And, Thou shalt call thy walls, Salvation, and thy gates, Praise,' ver. 18. And the Lord saith, I will make the place of my feet glorious,' ver. 13. 'Heaven is his throne, and the earth is his footstool,' chap. lxvi. 1. 'And he that puts his trust in me, saith the Lord, shall possess the land, and shall inherit my holy mountain,' chap. lvii. 13. Which mountain is established above all the mountains and hills, Isa. ii. 2. The Lord saith (speaking of Christ), 'I have put my Spirit upon him, he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles,' Isa. xlii. 1. And he saith 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 prison, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison-house. I am the Lord, that is my name, and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images,' ver. 6-8. So Christ the Light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen; and the Gentiles are come to the light of Christ. This prophecy of Isaiah concerning Christ, many of the Gentiles witness fulfilled, that Salvation is come to the Gentiles,' Rom. xi. 11. God gave his glory to his Son; and Christ saith, "The glory, which thou gavest me, I have given them (namely, his believers and followers), that they may be one, even as we are one,' John xvii. 22. Now here you may see, the promises and prophecies are fulfilled in Christ Jesus, whom God hath given for an Ensign both to the Jews and Gentiles, and the Captain of their salvation; and he doth enlighten every one that cometh into the world; that with his heavenly, divine light, they might see Christ, the Lord

from heaven, their Captain and Ensign, and trust in Him, their Conqueror, who bruises the serpent's head, and destroys the devil and his works; and Christ and his followers overcome the dragon, beast, and false prophet. Therefore all Jews, Gentiles, and Christians, that come to believe in Christ, are to stand to their Ensign, Christ; who is also the Captain of their salvation, above all ensigns and captains below; for he is from above; therefore all are to trust in him; for he is certain and able to save to the utmost, &c. He is the same Ensign and Captain to-day that he was yesterday, and so for ever, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the Ending, the Lord of all lords, and King of all kings upon the earth; and there is nothing certain to be trusted in below Christ Jesus, who is from above.

"You see in the Scriptures there were many ways and religions among the heathen, as there were many sects among the Jews when Christ came; and now there are many sects or religions among the Christians, who believe from the Scriptures that he is come,' as the Jews believed 'he was to come.' But they that close their eyes, and stop their ears to the Light of Christ, are not like to see Christ, who hath enlightened them, to be their Ensign and the Captain of their salvation, that see not with the heavenly eye, nor hear with the heavenly ear, to see and hear their heavenly Ensign and Captain of their salvation, to convert and heal them; that they might follow him, and be of his holy camp, his heavenly soldiers, to whom he gives spiritual arms and armour, the helmet of salvation, the breastplate of righteousness, the armour of light, and the shield of faith (which will quench all the fiery darts of Satan, and give victory), and the sword of the Spirit, the Word of God, which shall cut, hammer down, and burn up all the strongholds of Satan. Also he clothed his soldiers with fine linen, white and clean, his righteousness, and shoeth them with the everlasting gospel of peace, the power of God; which clothes and shoes will never wax old. And all that are shod with the everlasting gospel, the power of God, will never wax old, but will stand all storms and tempests in the world. They that are shod with the gospel, the power of God, can in it tread upon scrpents, vipers, and scorpions, and all the venomous beasts upon the earth, and all the thorns, briars, brambles, thistles, and sharp rocks and mountains, and never be hurt, nor ever wear out their shoes; but their feet are always beautiful upon the mountains. Moses, a captain, the servant of the Lord, said unto the people of Israel, 'I have led you forty years in the wilderness; your clothes are not waxen old upon you, and thy shoe is not waxen old upon thy foot,' Deut. xxix. 5. Here ye may see the Jews in the Old Testament, their clothes and their shoes did not wax old; so they who are Christ's followers, whom he shoeth with his everlasting gospel of peace, clothes with his fine linen, his righteousness, and arms with his arms and armour, are clothed, shod, and armed, with that which will never decay, or wax old, never canker, or rust, corrupt, or grow blunt. Now, all (whether Christians, or Jews, or Gentiles) that hate the Light of Christ, and close their eyes and stop their ears to it, are not like to see Christ, their Ensign, and Captain of their salvation; but are blind. As no outward captain would enlist a company of blind and deaf men, and clothe and arm them with outward armour; so such as are blind and deaf, whose eyes

are closed, and ears stopped to the heavenly Light of Christ, he is not likely to clothe them with his fine linen, and arm them with his heavenly and spiritual armour; neither are they like to be heavenly and spiritually disciplined, to see and know his holy, spiritual, living camp, nor to follow him, while they are deaf and blind, and hate his Light, which is the Life in Christ. For it is the Light that shines in the heart, which gives the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ Jesus; who is the Ensign and Captain of men's salvation, and who hath brought, and doth bring many sons unto glory; praises, honour, and glory be unto the Lord over all, who liveth for ever. G. F.

Amen."

Gooses, the 14th of the 2nd Month, 1690.

A week after this, I returned to LONDON; and after a little stay there went to visit, Friends at KINGSTON, where I stayed not long; but came back to LONDON, and remained there in the Lord's work till after the Yearly Meeting, which was in the fourth month this year; in which the wonted goodness of the Lord was witnessed, his blessed presence enjoyed, and his heavenly power livingly felt, opening the hearts of his people unto him, and his divine treasures of life and wisdom in and unto them; whereby many useful and necessary things, relating to the safety of Friends and to the honour and prosperity of truth, were weightily treated of, and unanimously concluded.

After the meeting I wrote the following paper to Friends, to be added to the epistle which from the Yearly Meeting was sent into the several counties;

"ALL Friends everywhere, that are alive to God through Jesus Christ, and are living members of Christ, the holy Head, be still; and stand still in the Lord's camp of holiness and righteousness; and therein see the salvation of God, and your eternal life, rest, and peace. In it you may feel and see the Lord's power is over all; and how the Lord is at work in his power, ruling the nations with his rod of iron, and breaking (in the nations) the old leaky vessels and cisterns to pieces, like the potter's vessels, that will not hold his living water; who are erred from his Spirit.

"But blessed be the Lord God of heaven and earth, who, by his eternal arm and power hath settled all his people upon the living, holy rock and foundation, that stands sure; whom he hath drawn by his Spirit to his Son, and gathered into the name of Jesus Christ, his only begotten Son, full of grace and truth; who hath all power in heaven and in earth given to him; whose name is above every name under the whole heaven; and all his living members know there is no salvation given by any other name than by the name of Jesus. He, their salvation and their living head, is felt in the midst of them in his light, life, Spirit, grace, and truth, and his word of patience, wisdom, and power; who is his people's prophet, that God hath raised up in his New Testament and Covenant, to open to them; and their living Shepherd, that hath purchased, redeemed, and bought them with his precious blood.

"Christ, the living One, feeds his living sheep in his pastures of life,

and they know their living Shepherd's voice with his living bread and water, and follow him; and will not follow any of the world's hirelings, nor thieves, nor robbers, nor climbers, that are without Christ, the door. Christ's living children likewise know him, the bishop of their souls, to oversee them with his heavenly and spiritual eye, that they may be preserved in his fold of life, and go no more forth. They also know Christ, their holy priest, that by the grace of God tasted death for them, and for every man, and is a propitiation for their sins; and not for theirs only, but for the sins of the whole world: and by the one offering up of himself he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.

"Such a High-priest becomes Christ's sheep in his New Covenant and Testament, who is holy, harmless, and separate from sinners, and is made higher than the heavens; who is not made a priest after the order of Aaron, with his tithes, offerings, &c., but makes an end of all those things, having abolished them; and is made a High-priest after the power of an endless life, who ever liveth to make intercession for his people: and is able to save to the uttermost all that come to God through him. He is the one holy Mediator between God and man; who sanctifies his people, his church, that he is head of, and presents them to God without spot, or wrinkle, or blemish, or any such thing; and makes them a holy, royal priesthood, to offer up spiritual, holy sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ, who is King of all kings, and Lord of all lords in the earth; so a holy, heavenly King, who hath all power in heaven and in earth given to him, and rules in all the hearts of his sheep and lambs, by his holy, divine, precious faith, that is held in all the pure consciences of his people: of which holy faith Christ, the holy One, is the author and finisher. By this holy faith all the just live; in which divine and precious faith all the just and holy ones have unity; by it they quench all the fiery darts of Satan, have access to the pure God, and in it please him.

"Christ, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven, in his New Testament and New Covenant, is the minister of the sanctuary and true tabernacle which the Lord hath pitched, and not man. Therefore all the lambs and sheep of Christ must feel this holy Minister in their temple and sanctuary, who ministers spiritual, holy, and heavenly things to them in their sanctuary and tabernacle. For all the tabernacles and sanctuaries that are built or pitched by man, men make ministers for them; and such ministers are of men and by men, with their worldly sanctuaries and tabernacles of men's pitching, by men's hands.

"And now, dear Friends and brethren everywhere that are of the flock of Christ; Christ our passover is sacrificed for us. Therefore let us all keep this heavenly feast of our passover in his New Testament and Covenant, not with old leaven, neither of malice nor wickedness; but let all that be purged out, with the sour, old leavened bread, that all may become a new lump; and so keep this heavenly feast of Christ, our heavenly Passover, with the unleavened bread (mark, with the unleavened bread) of sincerity and truth. My desires are, that all the flock of Christ everywhere may keep this heavenly feast of Christ, our heavenly passover, with his heavenly, unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. G. F.

Amen."