All my dear friends and brethren, who are of the royal seed of God!—Patience obtains the victory that runs the race and obtains the crown [1 Cor 9:24f/Heb 12:1]; be married and joined to the seed Christ the Lamb, slain from the foundation of the world [Heb 13:8]; from its foundation, I say. For as you are joined to the seed, and married to that which hath been slain from the foundation of the world, which hath the victory and doth overcome [Rev 17:14]; by this you come to the end of the world [Heb 9:26]; mark, to its end. And now all Friends, look upon the sufferings that have been since the fall, and since the world began. And again, look upon the valiant prisoners, and such as stood with the Lord and for the Lord, and followed and obeyed his movings, and motions, and commands; with the victory they had, how they triumphed in the Lord, over that which was against the Lord; for by faith Abraham forsook his country [Heb 11:8], and his Father's house, and his national worship. And by faith was Abel's offering accepted of God, unto whom God had respect [Heb 11:4, Gen 4:3-5]. Therefore did wicked Cain persecute and kill him about his religion [Gen 4:8]. And this was not long after man was fallen from the righteousness, and the power, and the image of God, which man was made in [Gen 1:27]. And by the faith, and the power, and wisdom of God did Moses go down and speak to Pharaoh <260> the king of Egypt, and through the power, and hand, and arm of God he led them out of Egypt; which signifies misery, thraldom, and bondage; though afterwards when they were come out, and had tasted the power of God, many fell. And Moses saw Christ, the great prophet that was to come [Deut 18:15], which was to build his house [Heb 3:2-6], (as Moses by the wisdom of God had done his, in the time of the law, with types, figures, and shadows,) and so look upon Moses how he conquered all the magicians, and comprehended all the sorcerers, and soothsayers, and Pharaoh's religion, and their worship [Exo 7 - 9], and could not bow nor bend unto it.
Look upon Joseph, who through the enmity in his brethren was sold into Egypt [Gen 37:28], who underwent reproach and imprisonment [Gen 39:20]; unto whom God gave power over all at last, and confounded all the wise men, and the national worshippers in Egypt, and came in favour over them all by the power of God [Gen 41]. And remember Abraham, who was in the faith and the fear of God; and how Abimelech's house for his sake God plagued. Therefore keep in the faith of Abraham [Rom 4:16], then who wrongs you the hand of the Lord will turn against them. And whilst they stood in the power of God, what victories they had over their enemies! As instance Sampson, David, and Saul. But when any went from the command of God, how under the heathen they fell! So now ye who are come to God's power, which goes over the power of darkness, and before it was; in that stand, triumph, and trample; who are come to the end of carnal weapons, and striving with outward arms. And ye may look upon them, how valiant they were over the Philistines, both Sampson and David, and his mighty men, when they were in the power of God; and how David's three mighty men broke through a whole host to fetch water to refresh David [2 Sam 23:16]. Therefore now ye in the power of the Lord, the mighty God, go over all the Philistines of the earth, and their carnal weapons [2 Cor 10:4], as there they in the time of the law did with carnal weapons. And how often Jacob's well was stopped up (the beloved of God, the second birth) by the Philistines [Gen 26:15-18]; but Jacob did thresh the mountains as he did arise, and drove them away; by which he might drink again [Isa 41:14-18]. So read this in the substance, who are come to the second birth, which goes over Esau and the Philistines, both which was before they were. And also remember how the prophets were imprisoned, and put into dungeons and stocks, &c. As in particular Jeremiah [Jer 20:2f, etc], and how they were mocked, and scoffed at, and reproached, for declaring against the sins and wickedness of the times, both by rulers, teachers, and people; and yet by the power of God they were carried through, and over all. And the cry was then ‘Cursed is he that puts his trust in man, or feared man, or the arm of flesh [Jer 17:5],’ &c. Top
So remember Daniel, and the three children, though prisoners, yet could not bow to the national worship, and so were cast into the fiery <261> furnace [Dan 3], and the den of lions [Dan 6], unto whom the Lord God gave dominion over their enemies, and confounded the national worshippers, with all the magicians, and made the king to change his decree and law. And this was in the Babylonish monarchy; and when the Medes and Persians got up, the power was changed, then they cast Daniel into the den of lions, because he prayed to his God contrary to the king's decree, to whom God appeared again and confounded them all, and made the king or emperor to change his decree. Therefore keep faith in the power of God, for that is it by which the elders of old obtained a good report. And consider Mordecai, who stood faithful, and could not bow to proud flesh, though it was in danger of destroying all the Jews, over whom, through obedience to God, he gave him victory [Esth 3 - 8], by which he came to answer the good in all people. Now consider, they that came to profess Christ, who was the substance before the types, figures, and shadows [Col 2:17], which were held up by the Jews in the law, and first covenant, and priesthood, and ordinances, (which Christ the substance came to end,) how that, I say, the christians of old by that kind of people, the Jews, as you do now suffer the most, and have done, by them that are the greatest professors of Christ's words, but out of the life and power of Christ, which the apostles and saints were in in the primitive times.
So it is no new thing, and, as Solomon saith, ‘here is no new thing under the sun [Eccl 1:9];’ for it is not a new thing for the birth that is born after the flesh to persecute the birth that is born after the spirit [Gal 4:29]. And look upon the apostles, and consider how they suffered, (and by whom,) that bore testimony to the substance; their sufferings were by such as were in the husks, shadows, inventions, and rudiments of the world [Col 2:8], and such as were fallen from God's righteousness, image, and holiness, and not in the renewed state. And consider how that the Hebrews suffered the spoiling of their goods by the Hebrews [Acts 10:34], who were called Jews, as you may read in the epistle to the Hebrews; for ye read in few of the epistles, that the Gentiles suffered the spoiling of their goods, (or the christians by the Gentiles,) but mostly by the Jews, the great professors, as you do and have done in these days. Top
And consider how the witness hath been slain, and (the true church,) the woman fled into the wilderness, who was persecuted; and how she hath been fed there of God [Rev 12:6]; and how since that time the beast and dragon's worship hath been up, and the false prophet, and the whore, (the false church,) which hath ridden on the beast in the dragon's power, whom the people have worshipped; who hath caused all nations to drink of the whore's cup of fornication [Rev 17:2f] . Now you that have come to the end, and beyond all the worships of the beast, and after the worship of the dragon, who come now to fathom the whore (the false church) and the false prophets, and come to see the power, <262> and to be in it, that takes them and casts them alive into the lake of fire [Rev 19:20], (which hath been worshipped,) and burns the whore's flesh with fire [Rev 17:16]; which power gives them dominion over them all, and to see to the very apostles' days, what they were in, and what hath got up since then; for it is sixteen hundred years since the false prophets and antichrists came in, (therefore they may plead antiquity.) Now with the power of God ye may look what tricks they have played in the world, since the primitive times in the apostacy: but now is the bride coming up out of the wilderness, and the prophet is arisen and arising [John 7:52], and the everlasting gospel shall be, and is preached again to all nations, kindreds, tongues, and peoples [Rev 14:6], of them that dwell upon the earth; and the reapers are going forth to reap people down, and so up to God, and to bring them into the barn [Mat 13:30], and to gather the wheat into the garner [Mat 3:12]. And people shall come to worship God, that made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is therein, and the beast's worship, and dragon's worship, and the great whore's church is falling, (the true woman is coming up,) false prophets are falling, true prophets and true witnesses are rising and risen. Sing, triumph, and rejoice; glory in the highest [Luke 19:38]! trample, tread, and bow them before the mighty God: let the wicked bow before the gates of the righteous [Prov 14:19]. Sing and rejoice [Zech 2:10], the heaven of heavens praise the Lord! Now the dragon's worship, beast, false church, false prophet are taken, the old dragon cast into the lake of fire, (and with him the false prophets,) and the flesh of the whore burnt. Reap out, reap out, reap out, I say, (with the power of God,) ye reapers unto the Lord, for here is the day of harvest; for as the other falls, the day of harvest is known, a day of gathering; for it is that which hath inwardly ravened that hath scattered. For the inwardly raveners, and wolves in sheep's clothing [Mat 7:15], whose fruits have been briars and thorns, and thistles [Rev 7:16], are them which have made up the false church, the whore, the false prophets, and the beast's worship, and the dragon's worship out of the truth, which have made the world like a wilderness [Isa 14:17], overgrown with thistles, thorns, and briars, in which lodge the wolves and dragons [Isa 34:13]. The beginning of this ravening into this state was a matter of sixteen hundred years since, amongst whom is found the blood of the martyrs, prophets, and saints in the faith, and in the testimony of Jesus, shed in this dark night of apostacy, separation, degeneration, with all their compelling worships, inventions, laws, traditions, churches, rudiments [Col 2:8] to be observed, and cups for people to drink. In these, I say, and among these have the righteous suffered since the days of the apostles; and among them is the blood of the martyrs, and the prophets [Rev 16:6], and holy people of the royal seed found; and by them have they all suffered, and from amongst them will God fetch his royal seed with his own hand, and with his mighty power will he fetch it. Glory <263> over all to him! rejoice and sing praises, he is now triumphing gloriously [Exo 15:1], and bringing you over with his power, that ye might see to the beginning before man fell; and know the state of the Jews in the law, and the state of the christians in the end of the law, and the state of the apostatized pretended christians since the apostles' days, out of both law and gospel, how they have gotten up, and in what they have lived out of the life and power the apostles were in, and Christ Jesus, who is the first and the last [Rev 1:11], the top and corner-stone [Eph 2:20], who is over all felt, and lies heavy upon the transgressors, who is the rock, upon which the lambs leap and skip. Him feel in you all, then ye may all feel the first and the last, who destroys the devil and his works [Heb 2:14, 1 Jn 3:8], (which are imperfect,) whose works are persecution, and murder, and banishment, and cruelty, and imprisonment: ‘for the devil shall cast some into prison [Rev 2:10],’ saith John in the Revelations; and the devil was a murderer from the beginning, and a liar [John 8;44], whom Christ destroys, and his works, who was before he was, and remains when he is destroyed and gone, and his works. . . . Top
So the measuring line of righteousness [Isa 28:17] is in this known; . . . <264> . . . So wait to know every particular of yourselves, to be heirs of this; and know your portion, the power of God, the gospel fellowship, then are ye members one of another [Rom 12:5], and living stones, that build up the spiritual household [1 Pet 2:5]. And also know the cross of Christ, which is the power of God [1 Cor 1:18], which crucifies from the state in the fall and the apostacy; in that state, I say, that Adam and Eve, and all their sons and daughters are in, in the fall; where, in that state, they glory in the creatures, and in their shame [Phil 3:8], and in their inventions, or in their strength, wisdom, or riches. But glorying in the cross of Christ [Gal 6:14], the power of God, the glorying is in that which doth crucify from the state of Adam and Eve, and all their sons and daughters in the fall; and from this state all the apostate christians are since the apostles' days. . . . come into the same power that brings you up before the fall, and brings you to be gathered in the name of Jesus [Mat 18:20], which is above every name [Phil 2:9], and be gathered into the name of Jesus, by which salvation is brought; for there is no other name under heaven given, by which salvation is brought, but by the name of Jesus [Acts 4:12]. So, ye being gathered in the name which is above every name, and also in the name by which salvation is brought, and by no other name; in that wait, and meet, and keep together; so ye will feel the blessing of the Lord in you, and amongst you. So farewell.
And consider how the servants of the Lord, and his royal people, and <265> prophets, feared not flames, feared not dens of lions, or dragons, heeded not prisonments, bonds, banishments, whips, nor scourgings, nor spoiling of their goods, and their tortures; nor feared not their being sawed asunder, nor their stocks, their clubs, and staves, nor persecution [Heb 11:32-37]; but chose rather to suffer reproach with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season [Heb 11:25]. And how that reproaches, slanders, vilifying words they regarded not, but trampled upon such and said, the sufferings were not to be valued with the excellency and riches of grace [Eph 2:7], which they were made partakers of [Phil 1:7]. And the cry was, what shall separate us from the love of God, which we have in Christ Jesus? Shall death, shall famine, or sword, or persecution, or cold, or nakedness, or things present, or things to come, or heighth, or depth, or angels, or men, or principalities, or powers, separate us from the love of God? [Rom 8:38f] &c. For by the powers were all the national worships held up, as they are at this day, and the false prophets, the teachers, and the powers joined together then against them that were in the faith; by which faith they overcame and said, there was not any thing that was able to separate them from the love of God which they had in Christ Jesus. Mark! Christ the seed, who destroys the devil and his works [Heb 2:14, 1 Jn 3:8]; in which seed (Christ) ye come over the devil the author of all prisoning, persecuting, darkness, ungodliness, unrighteousness, unholiness; Christ who doth subdue all things to himself [Phil 3:21], whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and dominion an everlasting dominion over all dominions [Dan 4:3,34]. And in this kingdom and dominion have ye all peace, where no unrighteous thing enters. And so in this ye come to be a free people, in life, and power, and dominion. And there is no new thing under the sun [Eccl 1:9], for the wicked cry light is darkness yet, (as of old time,) and call good, evil; and evil, good [Isa 5:20]; and truth, error; and cry up the false teachers and prophets for the true; and false church and worship, and the feigned humility, for the true; and the blind zeal, for the good and true zeal, now as in former days. And so it is the old enemy of mankind, and his works, which the seed destroys, who reigns. Glory for ever to the Highest.
G. F.
Be the first to react on this!
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."