(the spiritual man's) house; who are born of God, and led by his spirit: they are of the Lord of lords' and King of kings' house and family, which he is over; and are of the household of the holy, divine, pure, and precious faith, which Christ is the author and finisher of. And they that be of the Son's house, are pure, righteous, and holy, and can do nothing against the truth, but for it, in their words, lives, and conversations; and so are a chosen generation, a holy nation, a peculiar people, that they should show forth the praise of him who hath called them out of darkness into his marvellous light. These are Christ's lively stones, that build up a spiritual house, which he (Christ the spiritual man, the King of kings, and Lord of lords) is over.

London, the 10th month, 1688.'

G. F.

Some time after this, my body continuing weak, I went with my son Mead to his house in Essex; where I staid some weeks. In which time I writ many things relating to the service of truth, some were printed soon after; others were spread abroad in manuscript; and amongst other things, a few lines to this purpose:

THAT, while men are contending for thrones here below, Christ is on his throne, and all his holy angels are about him, who is the beginning and the ending, the first and last, over all. And that the Lord will make way and room for himself, and for them that were born of his spirit, which are heavenly Jerusalem's children, to come home to their free mother.'

A few words also I writ concerning the world's teachers and the emptiness of their teaching. Which were thus:

'DOTH not that which is called Christendom live in talking of Christ's, of the apostles', and prophets' words, and the letter of the scriptures? and do not their priests minister the letter, with their own conceptions thereupon, for money, though the holy scriptures were freely given forth from God, Christ, the prophets, and apostles? yet the apostle saith, "The letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life." 2 Cor. iii. 6. The ministers of the New Testament are not ministers of the letter, but of the spirit, and they sow to the spirit, and of the spirit reap life eternal. But people's spending time about old authors, and talking of them, and of the outward letter, doth not feed their souls. For talking of victuals and clothes doth not clothe the body, nor feed it. No more are their souls and spirits fed and clothed, except they have the bread and water of life from heaven to feed them, and the righteousness of Christ to clothe them. Talking of outward things and spiritual things, and not possess

ing them, may starve both their bodies and their souls. Therefore quench not the spirit of God, which will lead to be diligent in all things.'

With this I writ another short paper, showing, The hurt they did, and the danger they run into, who turned people from the inward manifestation of Christ in the heart.'

8.

THE Jews were commanded by the law of God, "not to remove the outward landmark." Deut. xix. 14. They that did so, or that caused the blind to wander, were cursed in the old covenant. Deut. xxvii. 17. In the new covenant the apostle saith; "Let him be accursed that preacheth any other gospel, than that which he had preached." Gal. i. "The gospel that he preached was the power of God unto salvation, to every one that believeth." Rom. i. 16. And the gospel that was preached to Abraham was, that in his "seed all nations, and all the families of the earth should be blessed." In order to bring men to this blessed state, God poureth out of his spirit upon all flesh; and Christ doth enlighten every one that cometh into the world, and the grace of God, which bringeth salvation, hath appeared unto all men, and teacheth christians, the true believers in Christ, and God doth write his law in the true christians' hearts, and putteth it in their minds, that they may "all know the Lord, from the greatest to the least;" and he giveth his word in their hearts to obey and do, and the anointing within them; so that they need not any man to teach them, but as the anointing doth teach them. Now all such as turn people from the light, spirit, grace, word, and anointing within, remove them from the heavenly landmark of their eternal inheritance, and make them blind, and cause the blind to wander from the living way to their eternal house in the heavens, and from the new and heavenly Jerusalem. So they are cursed that cause the blind to wander out of their way, and remove them from their heavenly landmark.

G. F.'

I wrote also a paper to show, by instances taken out of the holy scriptures, that "many of the holy men and prophets of God, and of the apostles of Christ, were husbandmen and tradesmen: by which people might see how unlike to them the world's teachers now are."

'RIGHTEOUS Abel was a shepherd, "a keeper of sheep." Gen. iv. 2. Noah was an husbandman, and he was a "just man, and perfect in his generation, and walked with God." Gen. ix. 20. vi. 9. Abraham, the father of the faithful, was a husbandman, and had great flocks of cattle; just Lot was a husbandman, and had great flocks and herds. Gen. xiii. Isaac was a husbandman, and had great "flocks and herds of cattle, and

store of corn." Gen. xxvi. 12, 14. And the promise was with Isaac: for the Lord said to Abraham. "In Isaac shall thy seed be called." Gen. xxi. 12. Jacob was a husbandman, and his sons " keepers of flocks of cattle." Gen. xlvi. 32, 34. And God loved Jacob. Moses kept sheep. Exod. iii. 1. The Lord spake to him, when he was keeping sheep. ver. 4. and sent him to Pharaoh, to bring God's people, or sheep out of Egypt. And by the hand and power of the Lord, he, and Aaron his brother brought them out of Egypt, a land of anguish, bondage, darkness, and perplexity. And Moses kept the Lord's people, or sheep, forty years in the wilderness: a meek shepherd of God he was, and kept his great flock of sheep; though some of them were scabbed with the leprosy of contention and murmuring, and were destroyed in the wilderness.

David, (though he afterwards came to be a king,) was a keeper of his father's sheep in the wilderness. 1 Sam. xvii. 15, 28. The Lord called him from the sheepcotes to feed his sheep, the house of Israel, and to defend them from the spiritual wolves, bears, and lions; and he did it to purpose, who was a man after God's own heart.

'Elisha was a ploughman. 1 Kings xix. 19. He was called from the plough, to teach God's people, the children of Israel, to plough up the fallow ground of their hearts, that they might bring forth seed and fruits to God their Creator.

The word of the Lord came to Amos, when he was among the herdsmen of Tekoa. Amos i. 1. Amaziah, the priest of Bethel, said to Amos, "Prophesy not again any more at Bethel: for it is the king's chapel, and it is the king's court." chap. vii. 13. Amos answered "I was no prophet, neither was I a prophet's son: but I was an herdsman, and a gatherer of sycamore fruit; and the Lord took me as I followed the flock. And the Lord said unto me, go, prophesy unto my people Israel." ver. 14, 15. Here ye may see, the Lord made use of a poor man, and called him from following the outward flock, and from gathering of outward fruits, to gather his fruits, and to following his people or flock, the children of Israel.

Christ called Peter, and Andrew his brother, when casting their net into the sea (for they were fishers :) and he said unto them, "Follow me, and I will make you tishers of men." Matt. iv. 18, 19. Christ likewise called James, and John his brother, when they were in a ship, with Zebedee their father, "mending their nets, and they immediately left the ship, and their father and followed him," ver. 21, 22. He gave them power (a net that will hold, and not want mending) and made them fishers of men, to fish them out of the great sea, the world of wickedness. We read, when Peter, Thomas, Nathaniel, the sons of Zebedee, and other disciples went a fishing together, and that night caught nothing, in the morning Jesus appeared, and said, "Cast the net on the right

side of the ship, and ye shall find." They did so, and catched so great a multitude, they were not able to draw them to the shore. When thereupon one of the other disciples said to Peter, "It is the Lord;" Peter, hearing that, "girded his fisher's coat unto him." John xxi. 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7. This was after Christ had risen. So here ye may see, Peter had not laid aside his fisher's coat all the while that he had been preaching before Christ's death.

'Jesus saw Matthew "sitting at the receipt of custom, and he said unto him, follow me. And he arose and followed him." Matt. ix. 9. And Christ employed Matthew to gather his people, that were scattered from God; another manner of treasure than the outward custom of the Romans. Luke was a physician, whom Christ made a physician spiritual; which was better than outward.

'Paul was a tent-maker; and being of the same craft with Aquila and Priscilla, "he abode with them at Corinth and wrought; for by their occupation they were tent-makers,") Acts xviii. 3. G. F.

'Gooses, the first month, 1688-9.'

It was now a time of much talk, and people too much busied their minds, and spent their time, in hearing and telling news. To show them the vanity thereof, and to draw them from it, I writ the following lines:

In the low region, in the airy life, all news is uncertain; there is nothing stable; but in the higher region, in the kingdom of Christ, all things are stable and sure, and the news always good and certain. For Christ, who hath all power in heaven and in earth given unto him, ruleth in the kingdoms of men: and he, who doth inherit the heathen, and possess the utmost parts of the earth with his divine power and light, rules all nations with his rod of iron, and "dashes them to pieces like a potter's vessels," the vessels of dishonour, and the leaky vessels that will not hold his living water of life: and he doth preserve his elect vessels of mercy and honour. His power is certain and doth not change, by which he doth remove the mountains and hills, and shakes the heavens and the earth. Leaky, dishonourable vessels, the hills and mountains, and the old heavens and the earth, are all to be shaken, removed, and broken to pieces, though they do not see it nor him that doth it; but the elect and faithful both see it, and know him and his power that cannot be shaken, and changeth not. G. F.

About the middle of the 1st month, 1688-9, I went to London, the parliament then sitting, and being then about the bill of indulgence.

Though I was weak in body, and not well able to stir to and fro, yet so great a concern was upon my spirit on behalf of truth and Friends, that I attended continually for many days, with others, at the parliamenthouse, labouring with the members, that the thing might be done comprehensively and effectually.

In this and other services I continued till towards the end of the second month, when being much spent with continual labour, I got out of town for a little while, as far as Southgate and thereabouts. While I was there I wrote a letter to Peter Hendricks, a Friend, at Amsterdam, in which I enclosed an epistle to Friends at Dantzick, in Poland, who at this time were under great persecution. And I wrote unto them to encourage and strengthen them in their testimony, and to comfort them in their sufferings for the truth. I also wrote a paper to their persecutors, the magistrates of Dantzick, laying before them the evil of persecution, persuading them to christian moderation, and to do unto others in matters of religion, as they would be done unto.'

"To Peter Hendricks at Amsterdam; and to Friends at Dantzick, who are under persecution.

DEAR FRIEND, P. H. with my love to thee and thy wife, J. Claus, and J. Roeloffs, and all the rest of Friends every where in Christ Jesus, who reigns over all. I am glad to hear Friends are well in all those provinces and places every where, except Dantzick, and that you were so diligent in spreading my papers to the strengthening of Friends. I have lately printed the life of William Caton, but have not made a collection of his books. I think to send some of them to you, which you may translate and print if you will; they may be serviceable among Friends, especially them that knew him.

"Concerning Friends at Dantzick, whom the Lord hath supported with his eternal arm and power to this day, I hope by the same arm and power he will support them, and in it they will feel his blessed presence with them in all their sufferings; who is over the cruelty of their persecutors, who will hardly let them breathe outwardly or inwardly, in the common air of their native soil. Which shows their immortality, inhumanity, and unchristianity, and that they want the counsel of a Gamaliel amongst them; whose actions are below the law of God, to "do unto others as they would have others do unto them;" God will not bless the doings of such. However I desire that Friends may mind the Lord's power that is over all, be valiant for his truth, and keep upon the rock and foundation Christ Jesus, that stands sure in the time of the heat of persecution which is so hot upon you, that they will not suffer you to have so much as your houses to work and sleep in, nor to meet nor serve God in. The Lord beholds all such actors and their actions. Therefore