Friends of God and brethren,—This is a warning to you all from the Lord God and Jesus Christ, that all that ye speak, it may be in plainness of speech [2 Cor 3:12], according to that of God in all consciences, and that it may proceed from that of God in you, the light of Christ; that all your words be words of life to the life, and death to the death [2 Cor 2:16], where it reigns above the light. And that all words, which are spoken, be in plainness of speech; that the light of Christ in all consciences, which he hath enlightened every one withal [John 1:9], may witness your words to be the words of life: so that dwelling in the light, to that of God ye may be made manifest in all consciences [2 Cor 5:11]; which shall be their condemnation that hate it [John 3:19]. Ye that dwell in the light [1 Tim6:16], and walk in the light [1 Jn 1:7], use plainness of speech and plain words, single words in the single life, pure words from the pure life, seasoned words, seasoned with grace [Col 4:6], which teacheth to deny all ungodliness and worldly lusts [Tit 2:12]. They who live in ungodliness and worldly lusts, turn from the grace of God into <111> wantonness [Jude 1:4], who are light and vain, whose words are unsavoury, not seasoned with grace, whose words edify not; upon whom God will render vengeance in flames of fire [2 Th 1:8], who shall be separated from his presence and his angels. Therefore, friends, in plainness of speech all dwell; for dwelling in the light, it will bring you to plainness and few words [Eccl 5:2], to live in the life, which gave forth the scriptures, which was before the scriptures were given forth; and with it ye will see their conditions that dwelt in the life, and gave forth the scriptures. And with this light ye will see their conditions who were testified against (who were out of the life) by them who dwelt in the light; and with it all that comes to be seen, read, and understood, which was given forth with the life and from the life; and all comes to be known in plainness, and is with plainness spoken forth again. Which comes not by the will of man: for no prophecy of the scripture came by the will of man; all the prophecies in it were out of the will of man: and they witnessed and prophesied of Christ, who was born not by the will of man [John 1:13]; who was supposed to be the son of Joseph [Luke 3:23], but was the son of God. And all the apostles were made ministers by the will of God [1 Cor 1:1, etc], and not by man, nor of man, but by the will of God; and so they witnessed Christ, who was not born by the will of man, who were made ministers not by the will of man: and they witnessed that no prophecy of the scripture in old time came by the will of man, neither was it of any private interpretation; but holy men of God spake it as they were moved by the holy ghost [2 Pet 1:20f], the holy mover, which is but one. . . . And ye all walking in this light, it will bring you to all plainness and singleness of speech; which will make the deceit to tremble, and the mystery of iniquity [2 Th 2:7] to shake, which lodgeth in the temple and sits there, where it ought not to sit, and is exalted above all that is called God: now, with the brightness <112> of his coming is he discovered, and with the breath of his mouth he is to be consumed [2 Th 2:8]. So dwell all in the eternal power of God, and in his pure light, that ye may be a terror to all evil doers [Rom 13:3], and to all ungodliness, and to all who act unrighteously, and live in uncleanness. And so ye will come to use plain words and plainness of speech to them all, and no flattery shall dwell in you, no enchanter nor witch shall live [Deut 18:10, Exo 22:18], no hypocrisy shall stand before the judgment-seat of God; but shall be as the chaff, driven to and fro [Psa 1:4f?]; that the scripture may be fulfilled upon them. . . . And abiding in Christ, who is the vine, every one will come to witness yourselves to be as branches abiding in the vine [John 15:5], and sitting under the vine [Mic 4:4].
. . . .Therefore in the life dwell and walk every one in particular; then ye will have unity one with another, and grow up to be trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord [Isa 61:3].
G. F.
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George Fox (1624 - 1691)
Was an English Dissenter and a founder of the Religious Society of Friends, commonly known as the Quakers or Friends. This was a group the Lord started through the ministry of George Fox. God called him apart from all other forms of Christendom in his day because of the lack of Biblical obedience and holiness.The emphasis in George Fox's ministry was firstly prophetic. He called out the people of God to show them that they had the Holy Spirit of God and could be taught of Him and not to solely rely on the teachings of ecclesiastical leaders. Secondly, he spoke directly to many ministers in his day to show them they were hirelings and did not have a true shepherds heart for the people of God rather they were seeking after financial gain.
Founder of the Society of Friends (Quakers). George Fox was born in Drayton-in-the-Clay, Leicestershire, England, the son of Puritan parents. Little is known of his early life, apart from what he wrote in his journal: "In my very young years, I had a gravity and stayedness of mind and spirit not usual in young children. Insomuch that, when I saw old men behave lightly and wantonly toward each other, I had a dislike thereof raise in my heart, and I said within myself, `If ever I come to be a man, surely I shall not do so, nor be so wanton.'"
At the age of 19, he gained deep, personal assurance of his salvation and began to travel as an itinerant preacher, seeking a return to the simple practices of the New Testament. He abhorred technical theology, and preached a faith borne of experience, freshly fed and guided by the immediate presence of the Holy Spirit.
Fox was persecuted almost daily, yet his power of endurance was phenomenal. He was beaten with dogwhips, knocked down with fists and stones, brutally struck with pikestaves, hard beset by mobs, incarcerated eight times in the pestilential jails, prisons, castles and dungeons--yet he went straightforward with his mission as though he had discovered some fresh courage which made him impervious to man's inhumanity.
He undertook as far as possible to let the new life in Christ take its own free course of development in his ministry. He shunned rigid forms and static systems, and for that reason he refused to head a new sect or to start a new denomination, or to begin a new church. He would not build an organization of any kind. His followers at first called themselves "Children of the Light," and later adopted the name "The Society (or Fellowship) of Friends."
Fox preached and traveled for 40 years throughout England, Scotland, Holland, and America. His life demonstrated the truth of his famous saying, "One man raised by God's power to stand and live in the same spirit the apostle and prophets were in, can shake the country for ten miles around."