Epistle 208

All ye prisoners of the Lord [Eph 4:1] for his truth sake, and for keeping the testimony of Jesus Christ, against all the inventions, traditions, rudiments [Col 2:8], will-worships, feigned humilities [Col 2:23] and self-righteousnesses, that are in the fall, (and are out of God's power and righteousness,) who have no weapons but carnal [2 Cor 10:4], like themselves; your patience must overcome all the rough spirits in the world, and your love must bear all things [1 Cor 3:7]. For patience obtains the crown which is immortal, which runs the race [Heb 12:1/1 Cor 9:24f]: so, it is the Lamb must have the victory [Rev 17:14] over all the unclean, airy spirits, and over him that is out of the truth [John 8:44].

So, be meek and low, then ye follow the example of Christ, and come to bear the image of the just, who suffered by the unjust [1 Pet 3:18]; and put on his righteousness, who suffered by the unrighteous, whose back was struck, hair was plucked off, and face was spit upon [Isa 50:6, Mat 26:67], and yet cried, 'Father, forgive them [Luke 23:34]:' here he kept his dominion, though a sufferer, who had the victory, which the followers of the Lamb do (in measure) attain to. So, put on courage, put on patience: let your loyalty be known for your King, that hath conquered the devil, death, and hell; in walking in righteousness, peace, and truth, feeling the power of God preaching and reaching the witness of God in every one, when words are not uttered.

And let your faith be in the power, that goes through all things, and over all things, and every one hearken to it. So, the power of the mighty God then ye will know, and his arm, how it works, and the hand, how it carries you, which will bring you out of tribulation and thraldom, and spiritual Egypt [Rev 11:8], into peace. And this is the power of God, in which live and dwell, in which ye will feel him, which was before enmity was. And be at peace one with another, then ye will live in the Prince of princes [Dan 8:25]' peace, and in his kingdom, dominion, and life, in which is unity, which was before enmity was, and which destroys it [Eph 2:16].

And so, in the power of the Lord God ye are made strong [Eph 6:10], which goes over the power of darkness [Col 1:13], and was before all that was which is out of the power of God. . . . For all people that are gone from the witness of God in their own particulars, that are erred from it, and hate the light [John 3:20], they are full of darkness, sin, and iniquity, and <209> are far from inspiration and revelation, while their minds are erred from the spirit [Isa 29:24] of God in themselves, that is hid from them. . . .

G. F.