truth he may come to serve and worship God in his Spirit and truth; so that he may serve the living eternal God that made him, in his generation, and have his peace in Christ, that the world cannot take away. And I do desire his good, peace, and prosperity in this world, and his eternal comfort and happiness in the world that is everlasting without end. Amen.'

London, the 26th of the Eighth month, 1684.

G. F.

Besides the foregoing, I writ also epistles to friends, one of which the following is a copy:

'Friends and brethren in the Lord Jesus Christ, in whom you have all life, peace and salvation; walk in him, who is your heavenly rock and foundation, that stands sure, who hath all power in heaven and earth given unto him. So his power is over all: and let your faith stand in his power, which is over all from everlasting to everlasting, and so is over the devil and his power; that in the holy, heavenly wisdom of God, ye may be all preserved and kept to God's glory, out of all snares and temptations; so that God's wisdom may be justified of all his children in this day of his power, and they all may be faithful, serving and worshipping God in his Spirit and truth, and valiant for it upon the earth. For, as the apostle saith, "They that believe are entered into their rest, and have ceased from their own works, as God did from his." Now this rest is an eternal rest in Christ, the eternal Son of God, in whom every true believer hath everlasting life in Christ Jesus, their rest and everlasting day. For Christ the Rest bruiseth the serpent's head, and through death destroyeth death, and the devil (the power of death) and his works; and he is the eternal Rest, that giveth eternal life to his sheep. And Christ fulfilleth the prophets, and all the figures, shadows and ceremonies, as in the Old Testament; and all the promises are yea and amen in Christ, their and our eternal rest, who was the eternal rest to all the true believers in the apostles' days and ever since, and is so now. And Christ is the beginning and the ending, the first and last, who is ascended above all principalities, powers, thrones and dominions, that he might fill all things. For by Jesus Christ all things were made and created, whether they be things in heaven, or things in the earth; and he is the eternal rest, and they that believe are entered into Christ, their eternal rest, in whom they have (as I said before) eternal life and peace with God. Wherefore I say

again, in him who is your rest, live and abide; for in him ye are happy, and his blessings will rest upon you. God Almighty keep and preserve you all, his true believers, in Christ your rest and peace this day. Amen.'

London, the 18th of the Twelfth month, 1683.

G. F.

About a month after this I got a little out of London, visiting friends, first at South-street, then at Ford Green and Enfield, where I had meetings; and afterwards I went to Waltham Abbey, and was at the meeting there on a first day, which was very large and peaceable. Then returning through friends at Enfield and about Edmontonside, I came back to London in the third month, to advise with and assist friends, in laying friends' sufferings before the parliament then sitting; and we drew up a short account of our sufferings, which we caused to be printed and spread amongst the parliament-men.

The yearly-meeting now coming on, I was much concerned for the friends that came up to it out of the countries, lest they should meet with any trouble or disturbance in their passages up or down; and the rather, for that about this time there began to be great bustles in the nation upon the duke of Monmouth's landing in the west. But the Lord, according to his wonted goodness, was graciously pleased to preserve and keep friends in safety, and gave us a blessed opportunity to meet together in peace and quietness, and accompanied our meeting with his living refreshing presence; blessed for ever be his holy name!

Now considering the hurries and bustles that were in the nation, it came upon me at the close of this meeting, to write a few lines to friends, to caution all to keep out of the spirit of the world, in which the trouble is, and to dwell in the peaceable truth. Wherefore I writ as followeth :

'Dear friends and brethren,

'Whom the Lord hath called and chosen in Christ Jesus, your life and salvation, in whom ye have all rest and peace with God; the Lord God by his mighty power, which is over all, hath preserved you and supported you to this day, to be a peculiar holy people to himself, so that by his eternal spirit and power ye might be all preserved and kept out of the world; for in the world is the trouble. And now in this great day of the Lord God Almighty, he is shaking the heavens and the earth of outward professions, and their elements are in a heat, and

their sun and their moon are darkened, and the stars falling, and the mountains and bills shaking and tottering, as it was among the Jews in the day of Christ's appearing. And therefore, all dear friends and brethren, dwell in the Seed, Christ Jesus, who is the rock and foundation, that cannot be shaken; that ye may see with the light and Spirit of Christ, that ye are the fixed stars in the firmament of God's power; and in this his power and light, you will see over all the wandering stars, and clouds without water, and trees without fruit. And that which may be shaken, will be shaken; as will all they that are wandered from the firmament of God's power.

'Now, dear friends and brethren, you that are redeemed from the death and fall of Adam, by Christ the second Adam, in him ye have life, rest, and peace; for Christ saith, In me ye shall have peace; but in the world trouble. And the apostle saith, They that believe, are entered into their rest, namely, Christ, who hath overcome the world, who bruiseth the serpent's head, and destroys the devil and his works, and fulfills the types, figures, and shadows of the Old Testament and the prophets; in whom the promises are yea and amen; who is the first and last, beginning and ending, yea and amen; who is the eternal rest. So keep and walk in Christ, your rest, every one that have received him, your eternal rest.

And now, dear friends and brethren, whatever bustlings and trouble, or tumults, or outrages, quarrels and strife, should arise and be in the world, keep out of them all; and concern not yourselves with them: but keep in the Lord's power and peaceable truth, that is over all such things; in which power ye seek the peace and good of all men. And live in the love which God hath shed abroad in your hearts through Christ Jesus; in which love nothing is able to separate you from God and Christ, neither outward sufferings, persecutions, nor any outward thing, that is below and without; nor to hinder or break your heavenly fellowship in the light and gospel and Spirit of Christ; nor your holy communion in the Holy Ghost, that proceeds from the Father and the Son, which leads you into all truth. And in this Holy Ghost, in which is your communion, that proceeds from the Father and the Son, you have fellowship with the Father and the Son; and communion and fellowship one with another. And this is it which links and joins Christ's church or body together, to him the heavenly and spiritual head, and in unity in his spirit, which is the bond of peace of all his church and living members, in whom they have eternal and everlasting rest

and peace in Christ, and with God everlasting, who is to be blessed and praised for ever, amen.

'Now, dear friends, forsake not the assembling of yourselves together, who are gathered in the name of Jesus; who is your prophet, that God has raised up in the New Testament, to be heard in all things: who opens to you, and no man can shut; and shuts, and no man can open : who is your priest, made higher than the heavens by the power of an endless life; by him you are made a royal priesthood, to offer up to God spiritual sacrifice: who is the bishop of your souls, to oversee you, that do not go astray from God: who is the good shepherd, that hath laid down his life for his sheep; and they hear his voice, and follow him, and he gives to them eternal life.

ye

And now, dear friends and brethren, abide in Christ, the vine, that ye may bring forth fruit to the glory of God. And as every one hath received Christ, walk in him (who is not of the world, that lies in wickedness); so that ye may be preserved out of the vain fashions and customs of the world, which satisfy the lust of the eye, the lust of the flesh, and the pride of life, which are not of the Father, but are of the world that passes away. And who joins to that which is not of the Father, or encourages it; draws the mind from God the Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ. And therefore let Christ rule in your hearts, that your minds, souls, and spirits may be kept, and preserved out of the vanities of the world, both in their words, ways, and actions; so that ye may be a peculiar people, zealous of good works, serving the Lord God through Jesus Christ, in whom is life: and may be a peculiar people to the praise and glory of God; and by the word of his grace your words may be gracious, and in your lives and conversations ye may shew forth righteousness, holiness, and godliness. That so God Almighty may be glorified in you all, and through you all, who is above all, blessed and praised for

ever, amen.'

G. F.

Several other letters also I writ at this time to friends in divers foreign countries, from whom I had received letters about the affairs of truth; which when I had dispatched, the yearly meeting being over, and the country friends for 1 the most part gone out of town, I got a little way out of town also; being much spent with the heat of the weather, throngs in meetings, and continual business. I went at

first to South-street, where I abode some days. And among other services that I had there, a great sense entered me of the growth and increase of pride, vanity, and excess in apparel; and that not only amongst the people of the world, but too much also amongst some that came among us, and seemed to make a profession of the truth. And in the sense I had of the evil thereof, it came upon me to give forth the following paper, as a reproof and check there

unto:

The apostle Peter saith (in 1 Pet. iii.) "of the women's adorning; "Let it not be (mark, let it not be this is a positive prohibition) that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel: but let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of a great price: for after this manner in the old time the holy women also, who trusted in God, adorned themselves."

'Here ye may see what is the ornament of the holy women, which was in the sight of God of great price, and which the holy women, who trusted in God, adorned themselves with. But the unholy women, that trust not in God, their ornament is not a meek and a quiet spirit: they adorn themselves with plaiting the hair, and putting on of apparel, and wearing of gold; which is forbidden by the apostle in his general epistle to the church of Christ, the true Chris

tians.

And the apostle saith, (1 Tim. ii. 9, 10.) "In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with broidered hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array, but (which becometh women professing godliness) with good works.

Now here ye may see what the women were not to adorn themselves with, who professed godliness: they were not to adorn themselves with broidered hair, nor gold, nor pearls, nor costly array; for this was not looked upon to be modest apparel for holy women, that professed godliness and good works. But this adorning or apparel is for the immodest, and unshamefaced and unsober women, that profess not godliness, neither follow those good works that God commands. And therefore it doth not become men and women who profess true Christianity and godliness, to be adorned with gold, or chains, or pearls, or costly array, with broidered hair; for these things are for the lust of the eye, the lust of the flesh, and the pride of life, which is not of the Father. And therefore all