O friends!—You all that have tasted of the power of the Lord God, and of his truth, that is pure, and doth not admit of any impurity nor change. Oh! therefore the holy truth mind, which will let nothing that is unholy in you live. For nothing that is unholy can enter into the kingdom of God [Rev 21:27?]; and none that are disobedient to truth must enter into the paradise of God; for, because of disobedience was man and woman put out of paradise. And therefore all every where, mind the pure power of the Lord God, and the truth which first convinced you; and whatsoever is gotten up through the carnal reason [Rom 8:6f], and your eyes going from the power of God, and that which did convince you; let that be purged out of your hearts; if not, it will lift up your hearts to consultations, subtilty, questionings, reasonings, and disputes [1 Tim 6:4f]. Oh! I feel too much of that which hath gotten up into the wrong understanding part, through which wrong liberty [Gal 5:13, 2 Pet 2:19] gets up, which will bring a plague into the heart, which is worse than an outward plague [1 Ki 8:37f]. Oh! therefore consider, the life and the power of God hath not the supremacy in all your hearts; for I feel some minds, and some bodies have let in that which hath defiled them, and doth defile them. Oh! cleanse, cleanse, cleanse, and join to the pure immortal power; for the power of the Lord God will make room for itself, either in cleansing or in <274> vomiting or casting out them and that that doth not join to the power of God. Sodom, that whorish and adulterous spirit [Hos 4:12], it must to the fire [Jude 1:7]; and gainsaying Core [Jude 1:11] into the earth. And it will throw down that which hath been lifted up. The besom of the Lord is going forth to sweep [Isa 14:23], the candle of the Lord [Prov 20:27] is lighted to search every corner of your houses [Luke 15:8f]; for the just walk in the path which is a shining light [Prov 4:18], which admits of no rubbish in it. Oh! come out of all these things which you have entertained in your minds, which you received not from them that came to minister unto you in the beginning. Oh! dwell in the power of the Lord God, for to keep you low; and take heed of getting up into conceitedness and the air, and to set up that which pertains not to the kingdom of God, but to strife, which never the apostles, nor the saints since, in the power of God set up; for if you do, the power of God will sweep it and you all away. And Oh! you that come to be vessels of honour, and vessels of the mercies of God, have esteem of your bodies; for such as defile their bodies, are neither vessels of honour, nor vessels of the mercies, but of wrath, and are for the wrath [Rom 9:21-23]. Therefore keep out strife, keep out fornication and the adulterous spirit; keep out the lusts of the eye, the lusts of the flesh, and pride of life, which is not of the Father [1 Jn 2:16]; that that which is of the Father, may be received, and have an entrance into every vessel. Oh! be not lifted up with a vain mind; and let Balaam's nature be slain, that erreth from the spirit [Jude 1:11,Isa 29:24], and raiseth stumbling-blocks [Rev 2:14]; and such as keep not their first habitation [Jude 1:6] in the power of God and his truth, become enemies to such as are heirs of the kingdom [James 2:5], and the power of an endless life [Heb 7:16]. Therefore all Friends and people, mind that which first convinced you, that power of God which first awakened you, and arise and live in it, that all your eyes, minds, and hearts may be kept single and naked to God, and to one another; and unclothed of all that which is contrary, and is got up since. For the seed, the life of Christ Jesus, reigns and rules: glory to him for ever. I have been incapable to write or receive writing a long time, or to speak, or bear to be spoken to, but have been as a man buried alive, for else I should have written to you before now; and therefore, O dear friends! give no occasion of stumbling [1 Jn 2:10]; keep tender; for hardness of heart is worse than an outward plague, for that brings destruction many ways. And so grieve not the spirit [Eph 4:30] in others, nor in yourselves. And whatsoever is decent and comely follow; honest and of a good report [Phil 4:8]; that makes for peace [Rom 14:19], and not for strife under pretence of love; for that is not of God. For God who is love [1 Jn 4:8,16], is not the author of strife and confusion, but of peace [1 Cor 14:33]. G. F.