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lords. This is Christ, who said, 'I am Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the Ending, the First and the Last;' so he is over all nations, and above them all. We must understand this rod of iron, by which Christ rules the nations, is a figurative speech of Christ, who is ascended into heaven, and is at the right hand of God. All power in heaven and in earth is given unto him, and all things were created by him and for him; so then they are Christ's, and he hath power over all things, for all are his. So, as the Scripture saith, 'By me kings reign, and princes decree justice,' Prov. viii. 15. But if they abuse his power, and do not do justice, as is decreed by Christ, the King of kings and Lord of lords, the First and the Last, they must feel and know the weight of his rod of iron, by which he will rule such as abuse his power. That is decreed by Him, who hath all power in heaven and in earth given to him, and rules in the kingdoms of G. F.

men.

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Kingston, the 11th Month, 1687.

Several other things I wrote while at KINGSTON; for my spirit being continually exercised towards God, I had many precious openings of divine matters; and divers portions of Scripture, both in the Old Testament and in the New, relating to a state of regeneration, and sanctification, &c, were brought to my remembrance by the Holy Spirit; some of which I committed to writing, as follows :

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"THEY that touched the dead were unclean, and were to be cleansed by the water of purification, Num. xix. And they who touch the dead doctrines or faiths, and let them in, burden the pure, defile, and make themselves unclean, until the spring of the water of the Word do arise, and wash and cleanse them; for all the dead in Adam in the fall are unclean, and they must be washed by Christ, in his blood, and water of life, who quickens and makes alive.”

"A dwarf might not come near to offer upon God's altar; but he might eat of the holy bread, that he might grow, Lev. xxi. 20, &c. So the new-born babes may eat of the milk of the Word, that they may grow thereby and increase. He that had any blemish might not come near to offer upon God's altar; neither might anything be offered upon God's altar that had any blemish, or was unclean, Lev. xxi. And it is said, 'The ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous,' Psal. i. 5. But God standeth in the congregation of the mighty,'" Psal. lxxxii. 1.

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The camp of God was to be kept clean and holy. That which was unclean, or defiled, was to be kept out of God's camp in the Old Testament. And in the New Testament all that is defiled and unclean must be kept out of God's kingdom, the new and heavenly Jerusalem, that is from above. All was to pass through the fire (even of those things that would bear the fire), and to be purified by fire and water, before the people might come into God's camp, Num. xxxi. So all must be circumcised and baptized with the Holy Ghost and with fire, and be cleansed with the blood of Christ, and washed with the water of the Word, before they come into the kingdom of God, and into heavenly Jerusalem."

"The apostle Paul says, 'We know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house, which is from heaven, that mortality might be swallowed up of life,' 2 Cor. v. 1, 2, 4. Here is (wE. in the carthly house of this tabernacle) which (we) are they that have received Christ, and are become the sons of God, new creatures, and children of the light, that believe in Christ's light; who have an eternal house in the heavens, where mortality is swallowed up of life, in which house from heaven they will not groan."

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"Peter said, 'I think it meet, as long as I am in this tabernacle, to stir you up by putting you in remembrance, knowing that shortly I must put off this my tabernacle, even as our Lord Jesus Christ hath showed me,' 2 Pet. i. 13, 14. So Peter knew he must put off this tabernacle shortly; but as long as he was in it he stirred up the saints to their duty in holiness, that they might remember it after he was deceased."

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"The apostle Paul says, "The first man is of the earth, earthly' (mark, earthly), 1 Cor. xv. 47. And as we have borne the image of the earthly, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly' (mark, the heavenly), ver. 69. And, 'We have this treasure in earthen vessels,' &c., 2 Cor. iv. 7. And I live,' said he, 'yet not I, but Christ liveth in me,' Gal. ii. 20, who is the life of all God's people."

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"Christ said to the Jews, That the dead are raised, even Moscs showed at the bush, when he calleth the Lord the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob: for he is not the God of the dead, but of the living; for all live unto him,' Luke xx. 37, 38. So, None of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself; for whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord. Whether we live, therefore, or die, we are the Lord's. For to this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead and living,' Rom. xiv. 7-9. For all died in Adam; and Christ, by the grace of God, tasted death for every man, that they might come out of the death in Adam, to the eternal life in Jesus Christ. Who is also a quickening Spirit; for as in Adam all died, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. So Christ that died and rose again is Lord both of the living and of the dead: for the living live to the Lord, and die in him, and are blessed."

"All Christendom say they believe in God and in Christ, and that they believe Moses and the prophets, and preach Christ, Moses, and the prophets so their words and writings are preached and printed; and ye say ye believe them. But what life do ye live? Are ye through the law dead to the law, that ye may live unto God? Are ye crucified with Christ? and doth Christ live in you? Is the life that ye now live in the flesh by the faith of the Son of God; and ye do not live, but Christ liveth in you, who gave himself for you? Is this your present life? for the just live by the faith which Christ is the author and finisher of: by which holy, divine, and precious faith they have victory over that which is vile, unholy, and not divine; and in this faith they please God, and have access to God

and his Son, who fulfilleth the law and the prophets. For the law and the prophets were until John; and since that the kingdom of God hath been preached, and men press into it: and the least in the kingdom of God is greater than John, though he was the greatest prophet born of a woman. See whether ye are in the kingdom that stands in peace, and righteousness, and joy in the Holy Ghost, or not. Christ, who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature, was before any creature; for by him were all things created that are in heaven and that are in earth, visible or invisible, whether they be thrones or dominions, principalities or powers, all things were created by him and for him; he was before all things, and by him all things consist: and he is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead.' So here ye may see that all things were made by Christ Jesus, and created for him, and by him all things consist and have their being, who is the firstborn from the dead, and dieth no more. It pleased the Father that in him all fulness should dwell; and by Christ to reconcile all things unto himself, whether they be things in heaven, or things in the earth. In him are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge,' who is the head of all principality and power; for all power in heaven and in earth is given to him,' the first-born of every creature, and the firstborn from the dead, who liveth for evermore in his power over all; the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. While the world's spirit rules in men's hearts, they do not know Christ, nor the beginning nor ending of the work of God. Christ was outwardly crucified and slain without the gates of Jerusalem by the disobedient Jews; and they that hate the light of Christ, disobey his gospel, quench his Spirit, and are erred from his faith, crucify to themselves Christ afresh.' So Adam and Eve, and their children that disobeyed God, did slay the Lamb; and the blind Jews, that disobeyed God, crucified Christ Jesus; and the outward Christians, that live and walk not in Christ, but in sin and evil, though they make an outward profession of Christ, yet crucify to themselves Christ afresh. But as to Christ himself, he is ascended far above all principalities, thrones, powers, and dominions,' so that they cannot put him to death or crucify him any more as to himself: but what the killers, crucifiers, and persecutors do now upon the earth, is against Christ, as in themselves, and in his members; as Christ said to Saul, Why persecutest thou me,' Acts ix. 4. For what is done to his members Christ takes as done to himself, Matt. xxv. 40, 45. And they that did not visit Christ, but persecuted him in his members, persecuted Christ in themselves first."

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The serpent, that enemy to man and woman, the destroyer, the god of the world and prince of the air, that ruleth in the hearts of the disobedient, got in by disobedience. But Christ bruises his head, breaks his power to pieces, and destroys the devil and his works; and through death destroys death, and the devil, the power of death. So Christ, the light and life, hath all power in heaven and in earth, and openeth the prisondoors, and the eyes of the blind, and takes captive him that hath led into captivity, and gives gifts unto men. So Christ binds the strong man of sin, spoils his goods, and casts him out; hallelujah! For the strong man

of sin is the god of the world, and his house is the whole world, that lieth in wickedness. And this god of the world hath kept his house, and his goods have been in peace, until a stronger than he comes and binds and casts him out; and then destroys him and his goods. So Christ, the Son of God, who is stronger than the devil, having destroyed the devil and his works, setteth up his own house. All the believers in the light are the children of light, are of the Son of God's spiritual house, and the Son of God is over his house for evermore: glory to God in the highest, through Jesus Christ. Amen."

"God spoke by the mouth of all his holy prophets concerning Christ Jesus, his Son, the Holy One: so they were holy men, and not unholy, that God spoke by. Therefore all that name the name of the Lord Jesus Christ are to depart from iniquity." G. F.

Kingston-upon-Thames, the 11th Month, 1687.

CHAPTER XIV.

1687-1690.-George Fox continues to have service in London and the neighbour hood-writes a paper respecting the gospel and the seed; being also an incentive to diligence-a general epistle to Friends, forewarning them of an approaching storm-Moses and Christ both faithful under their respective dispensationsChrist is on his throne-George Fox's health declining, he visits William Mead again for a few weeks-the world's teachers, and the emptiness of their teaching —those who turn people from the inward manifestation of Christ in the heart, remove them from the heavenly landmark, and bring a curse on themselves—the prophets, apostles, and holy men of old, were husbandmen and tradesmen, unlike the world's teachers-the vanity of being too much busied with, and spending the time in, hearing and telling news-though still declining, George Fox attends at the Parliament-house many days on behalf of his Friends-writes to Peter Hendricks, and to Friends at Dantzic, to strengthen and comfort them under their sufferings-to the magistrates and priests of Dantzic, showing the evil of persecution, and persuading to Christian moderation-an appendix to the Yearly Meeting's epistle—an epistle to the Northern Yearly Meeting, to be held at York-George Fox's health still impaired-writes an epistle to Friends in Barbadoes-to Friends in Pennsylvania and other parts of America-to all that profess the Truth of God; being a warning to the young against the world's fashions, and to the old against going into the earthly things-Christ is the "Ensign," prophesied of by Isaiah-an appendix to the Yearly Meeting's epistle -an epistle to Friends in the ministry-to Friends in the ministry gone to America to suffering Friends in Ireland-death of George Fox in 1690-epistle written with his hand and found sealed up-some account of the interment.

I RETURNED to London towards the latter end of the 11th month, 1687, visiting Friends in the way at CHISWICK, and at HAMMERSMITH, where I had two meetings, one on a First-day, the other upon the occasion of a marriage there, at which were many people of other denominations, amongst whom I had a very seasonable opportunity of opening the way of truth.

Being come to LONDON, I visited Friends' meetings in and about the city, as the Lord led me, in whose service I continued labouring in the city until the middle of the first month, 1687-8. At which time I went down towards ENFIELD, and visited Friends there and thereabouts, and at BARNET, WALTHAM ABBEY, and other places, where I had many meetings, and very good service; in which I spent several weeks. I then returned to LONDON, where I continued labouring in the work of the gospel, till after the Yearly Meeting, which this year was about the beginning of the fourth month. A precious meeting it was; and a very refreshing season Friends had together, the Lord vouchsafing to honour our assemblies with his living and glorious presence in a very plentiful manner. At the conclusion of the meeting I felt a concern upon my spirit to give forth the following paper, to be dispersed amongst Friends :

"ALL you believers in the light, that are become children of the light, walk as children of the light, and of the day of Christ; as a city set on a

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