Epistle 44

All Friends, wait upon the unlimited power and spirit of the Lord, which baptizes into one body [1 Cor 12:13]: where ye will have all unity in that which crucifies the flesh [Gal 5:24], and mortifies all evil desires [Col 3:5], and puts off the body of sin, the old man with his deeds [Rom 6:6, Col 3:9], and circumcises without hands [Col 2:11], and joins together your hearts up to God [Col 2:2], from whence the living mercies come, from the living God alone, who is God over all, blessed for ever. To that in every one of your consciences [Rom 2:15] do I appeal and <54> speak, to the measure that God hath given, the light; loving it, and taking heed to it, and waiting in it for power from God, it will guide you to the Father of light, in which ye will have all unity; and hating the light it will be your condemnation. [John 3:19f] Oh! wait, wait upon the living God to nourish the tender plant in you, that ye may bring forth fruits of righteousness unto God, for he accepts such, and none else. Therefore wait upon God, he hath a pure seed among you. Let your waiting be in the light; and mind that he is a wise man whose eye is in his head [Eccl 2:14], which is Christ, the end of all priests [Heb 7], the end of the outward temple: and the fool's eye is abroad [Prov 17:24], after many priests, and they are led away with conceivings, and divers temptations. Therefore in the light wait, where ye will see all deceits within and without. For it is a sin to enter into temptations; but it is no sin to be tempted. Christ was tempted, but he entered not into the temptation. Therefore in the fear of the Lord wait and watch. The light is that, which lets thee see sin, and evil, and temptations; which if thou enter into, the light will be thy condemnation; then thy heart will not be right towards God [Acts 8:21]. But in the light of God all wait, which will bring you to see where wisdom's gate [Prov 1:20f] is; the fear of the Lord is the beginning of it [Psa 111:10]. Pure wisdom [James 3:17] is let out of the treasury into the pure heart, which sees God [Mat 5:8]; and fearing the living God, it keeps the heart pure and clean, to receive the wisdom from the treasury freely, who doth not upbraid. [James 1:5] And as ye depart from evil and iniquity, he breaks the bonds by showing mercy; and then the understanding grows pure and clear. [Prov 16:6, Job 28:28, Acts 8:23] So in the power of the Lord God fare ye well.

And the Lord God of power keep you all in his measure up to himself, from and above all the world's evil ways, baits, customs, and teachings, to trample upon them in his power; that wisdom may be justified of you all [Mat 11:19], and ye may be preserved, and God glorified. To whom be all glory, honour, and thanks over all, God blessed for ever!

Read these among all my brethren and friends, and send it abroad to Friends, that ye may all know the power of the living God in one another, not in words, but in power [1 Cor 4:20]. So farewell.

G. F.