CHAPTER VII (2)

When the churches were settled in the North, and Friends were sat down under Christ’s teaching, and the glory of the Lord shone over them, I passed from Swarthmore to Lancaster (about the beginning of the year 1654,) and so through the counties, visiting Friends till I came to Synderhill-Green,[32] where a meeting was appointed three weeks before; leaving the North fresh and green, under Christ their teacher. But before I came to Synderhill-Green, we passed through Halifax, a rude town of professors, and came to one, Thomas Taylor’s, who had been a captain, where we met with some janglers; but the Lord’s power was over all; for I travelled in the motion of God’s power. When I came to Synderhill-Green, there was a mighty meeting, some thousands of people (as it was supposed). Many persons of note were there, as captains and other officers; and there was a general convincement; for the Lord’s power and truth was over all, and there was no opposition.

About this time did the Lord move upon the spirits of many, whom he had raised up, and sent forth to labour in his vineyard, to travel southwards, and spread themselves, in the service of the gospel, to the eastern, southern, and western parts of the nation; as Francis Howgill and Edward Burrough to London; John Camm and John Audland to Bristol; Richard Hubberthorn and George Whitehead[33] towards Norwich; Thomas Holmes[34] into Wales, and others different ways; for above sixty ministers had the Lord raised up, and now sent abroad out of the North country. The sense of their service being very weighty upon me, I was moved to give forth the following paper:—

“To Friends in the Ministry.

“All Friends everywhere, Know the Seed of God, which bruiseth the seed of the serpent, and is above the seed of the serpent; which Seed sins not, but bruiseth the serpent’s head, that doth sin, and tempts to sin; which Seed God’s promise and God’s blessing is to; and which is one in the male and in the female. Where it is head, and hath bruised the head of the other, to the beginning you are come; and the younger is known, and he that is servant to the younger. And the promise of God, which is to the Seed, is fulfilled and fulfilling; the Scriptures come to be opened and owned; the flesh of Christ known, who took upon him the seed of Abraham according to the flesh; and the everlasting priesthood known, the everlasting covenant. Christ takes upon him the seed of Abraham, and is a priest after the order of Melchizedek; without father, without mother, without beginning of days (mark) or end of life; this is the priest that ever lives; the covenant of life, of light and peace. And the everlasting offering here is known once for all, which offering overthrows that nature which offered; out of which the priesthood arose, that could not continue by reason of death. And here is the other offering known, the everlasting offering which perfects for ever them that are sanctified; which offering blotted out the hand-writing of ordinances, triumphs over them, and ascends above all principalities and powers.

“Now he that hath the Spirit of Jesus, sees this; and here is the love of God received, that doth not rejoice in iniquity, but leads to repent of it. This is the word of the Lord God to you all, Friends everywhere scattered abroad, Know the power of God in one another, and in that rejoice; for then you rejoice in the cross of Christ, who is not of the world; which cross is the power of God to all them that are saved. You, that know the power, and feel the power, you feel the cross of Christ, you feel the gospel, which is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth. Now, he that believes in the light, believes in the everlasting covenant, in the one offering; comes to the life of the prophets and Moses; comes to see Christ the hope, the mystery, which hope perisheth not, but lets you see the hope that perisheth, which is not that mystery; and the expectation in that perishing hope fades. Where this never-failing hope is witnessed, the Lord comes to be sanctified in the heart, and you come to the beginning, to Christ the hope, which perisheth not; but the other hope, and the other expectation perisheth. So all of you, know the perishing of the other, and the failing of the expectation therein; and know that which perisheth not; that you may be ready to give a reason of this hope with meekness and fear, to every man that asketh you. Christ the hope, the mystery, that perisheth not; the end of all perishing things, the end of all changeable things, the end of the decaying covenant, the end of that which waxeth old and doth decay; the end of the first covenant, of Moses, and of the prophets; the righteousness of God, Christ Jesus the Son; his throne ye will know, heirs with him ye will be; who makes his children kings and priests to him, and brings them to know his throne and his power.

“There is no justification out of the light, out of Christ; justification is in the light in Christ; here is the doer of the will of God, here is the entering into the kingdom. He that believes in the light, becomes a child of light; and here the wisdom is received that is justified of her children. Here believing in the light, you shall not abide in darkness, but shall have the light of life; and come every one to witness the light that shines in your hearts, which light will give you the light of the knowledge of the glory of God, in the face of Jesus Christ. With which light you will see him reign, who is the prince of life and of peace; which light turns from him, that is out of the truth, and abode not in it; where the true peace is not.

“Friends, be not hasty; for he that believes in the light, makes not haste. Here the grace is received, by which you come to be saved; the election is known, which obtains the promise; the will is seen that wills; the mind is known that runs and obtains not, but stops and becomes dull. Now, that with the light being seen, and judged, and stopped, the patience is here known which obtains the crown, and the immortality is come to light. So all they now that act contrary to the light, and do not believe in it, do not come to justification. And, all Friends, if you go from the light, from wanting to have the promise of God fulfilled to the Seed, whereby you may know Christ to reign, you thereby bring on yourselves changeable garments, and come to wear the changeable garments, and the strange flesh, which leads to adultery, which the law goes upon, which shuts out of the kingdom: and out of this will doth proceed the work or building, that is for the fire; whereby you may come to suffer loss. Therefore love the light, which doth condemn that, and receive the power from the Lord, with which you stand over that, and condemn it: feeling and seeing that which gives you the victory over the world, and to see out of time, to before time.

“Again Friends, know Abraham, that must obey the voice of Sarah, that bears seed; which casts forth the bondwoman and her son: do not go forth, there will the wildness lodge. Know that which bears the wild son, and its mother, who is not Sarah; for the promise is to the Seed, not of many, but one, which seed is Christ: and this Seed now you come to witness stands above all, yea, on the head of the serpent. And so all, as I said before, who come to feel and witness this, come to the beginning; and this to all the seed of God, the church, that it you all may come to know, where there is no blemish, nor spot, nor wrinkle, nor any such thing. This is that which is purchased by the blood of Jesus, and to the Father presented out of all that defiles; which is the pillar and ground of truth. None come to this, but such as come to the light of Christ, who purchased this church. They who go from the light are shut out and condemned, though they profess all the Scriptures declared from it. Therefore walk in the light, that you may have fellowship with the Son, and with the Father; and come all to witness his image, his power, and his law, which is his light; which hath converted your souls, and brought them to submit to the higher power, above that which is out of the truth: that you may know here the mercy and truth, and the faith that works by love, which Christ is the author of, who lighteth every one of you; which faith gives the victory. Now that which gives the victory is perfect; and that which the ministers of God received from God, is that which is perfect; and that which they are to minister is for the perfecting of the saints, till they all come in the unity of the faith unto a perfect man. This is the word of the Lord God to you all; every one in the measure of life wait, that with it all your minds may be guided up to the Father of life, the Father of Spirits; to receive power from him, and wisdom, that with it you may be ordered to his glory; to whom be all glory for ever! All keep in the light and life, that judgeth down that which is contrary to the light and life. So the Lord God Almighty be with you all. And keep your meetings everywhere, being guided by that of God; by that you may see the Lord God among you, even him who lighteth every man that cometh into the world: by whom the world was made; that men, who are come into the world, might believe. He that believeth not, the light condemns him: he that believeth, cometh out of condemnation. So this light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world, and which they that hate it stumble at, is the light of men.

“All Friends, that speak in public, see that it be in the life of God; for that begets to God: the fruits of that shall never wither. This sows to the Spirit, which is in prison, and of the Spirit reaps life; and the other sows to the flesh, and of the flesh reaps corruption. And this you may see all the world over, amongst these seeds-men, what may be reaped in the field, that is, the world. Therefore in the Spirit of the Lord God wait, which cuts down and casts out all this, the root and branches of it. In that wait to receive power, and the Lord God Almighty preserve you in it; whereby you may come to feel the light, that comprehends time and the world, and fathoms it; which, believed in, gives you victory over the world. And here the power of the Lord is received, which subdues all the contrary, and puts off the garments that will stain and pollute. With this light you come to reach the light in every man, which Christ enlightens every man that cometh into the world withal: and here the things of Christ come to be known, and the voice of Christ heard. Therefore keep in the light, the covenant of peace, and walk in the covenant of life.

“There is that which maketh merry over the witness of God; and there is that which maketh merry in the Lord; which rejoiceth over that which hath made merry over it: of that take notice, you who are in the light. Such the Lord doth beautify, whose trust is in his strength: and the Lord doth see such, and them that are in his light. But such as are from the light, whose eyes are after their abominations and idols, their eyes are to be blinded; and their beautiful idols, and their abominations to be destroyed, and by the light condemned, which they have made from the life, in their own strength; which with the light is seen, and overthrown by the power of God. ‘If you can change my covenant,’ saith the Lord, ‘which keeps the day in its season, and the night in its season (mark, my covenant, the light); if you can change this, then may you change the covenant of God with his seed.’

“So all Friends, that are turned to the light, which cometh from him, by whom the world was made, who was, before it was made, Christ Jesus, the Saviour of your souls; abide in the light, and you will see your salvation to be walls and bulwarks against that, which the light discovers to be contrary to it. Waiting in the light, you will receive the power of God, which is the gospel of peace; that you may be shod with it, and know that in one another, which raiseth up the seed of God, sets it over the world and the earth, and crucifies the affections and lusts: then the truth comes to reign, which is the girdle.”