And I desire that you may be very kind. and courteous to all in necessity, in the love of God; for there are many people go over to your countries, some poor and some rich; and so, many eyes are upon you, and those that go over to you; and therefore my desire is, that you may all be careful in the love of God, and in his truth and righteousness, as the family of God; and be careful and tender to your servants, in all respects, that there may come no complaints from them or others; that so in all things you may be ordered by the wisdom of God, that his blessing may be amongst you.

And, dear friends, I desire that you would send over an account by the next ship how many meetings you have, and how many Meetings Monthly, of men and women, and how many Quarterly Meetings, and Halfyear Meetings; and let us know how Truth spreads and prospers amongst you; which you would do well to write over every year, to the Yearly Meeting at London. So with my love in the Seed which reigns over all, in whom you have all life and salvation, and peace in the Lord God.

G. F.

NUMBER

CCCLXXVII.

To Friends that are prisoners in York.

Dear Friends,

1682.

My love is to you, and all the rest of the faithful friends in bonds; and my desire is to the Lord, that ye all may stand faithful and valiant for his glorious Name, and his holy peaceable Truth, now in this day of storm and tempest; that none may turn their backs on the Lord in this day of trial, and that none may be ashamed of confessing Christ before the adulterous generation, as Christ said, lest Christ be ashamed of them, before his Father and before his holy angels. And therefore now is the time and day of your trial; for the Lord is just; though I know that the faithful and innocent, just and righteous, must stand it out; and therefore mind the Lord in all your sufferings, and keep low, and in the humility of heart, and there you will feel that He that inhabits eternity, dwells with an humble heart, and He will be your Shield and Buckler, and Defender in time of trouble. The Lord hath promised to deliver his people in the six troubles, yea in the seventh, the perfection of troubles; and therefore do not

think time long, and your sufferings long, for the Lord will lay no more upon his faithful people than you are able to bear; I know it, and am a witness for God in all my sufferings and imprisonments, and haling before magistrates about sixty times, in about these thirty six years.

And so, friends, when you have been tried, you may come forth more precious than gold that is tried in the fire; and keep the word of patience, and it will keep you from the temptations that come upon the world to try them; for the Word of God was before the world was: and though you be in outward bonds from your wives, families, houses, and relations, yet the Word of God is not bound, neither can they bind it; the Word of God is at liberty, it abides and endures for ever; will make you all rich, though they think to make you poor with their bonds, and cast you into prisons; but, I tell you, the Word of God will make you rich, for the Word of God was before the wicked and his bonds

66

it

were. They that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution by the ungodly;" for it was the just that suffered by the unjust in all ages; and Christ said to

Saul: "Why persecutest thou me ?" So it was Christ that was persecuted, as well as those in whom He reigned. And do not you understand and know the sufferings and trials which the holy men of God went through; and how by faith they subdued the mountains? And consider the faith of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and the faith of Abel, and Enoch, and Noah, and the faith of Jeremiah, and the rest of the prophets, and the faith of Daniel and the three children, and the faith of all the apostles, what sufferings and imprisonments they went through; and consider all the martyrs since the apostles' days, consider what sufferings they have gone through; and God and Christ is the same to uphold you, who are given up in his Spirit, power, and faith, to stand for his glory, and to be valiant for his Truth and Name upon the earth.

And therefore keep in your sanctuary, Christ Jesus, who destroys the destroyer, snd bruises the Serpent's head; and so in Christ Jesus, your sanctuary, you all are in safety, and all have life and salvation, and peace with God. In Him you may all triumph and rejoice with exceeding great joy

and say : "What shall separate us from the love of God which we have in Christ Jesus?" And the apostle said, that "there was not any thing able to separate him from the love of God in Christ Jesus." And so with my love to you all in Christ Jesus, who was before the devil was, that makes you to suffer, and will be when he is gone. In Christ you have heavenly peace, that none can take away from you; in Him dwell and live. Amen.

NUMBER

CCCLXXIX.

G. F.

An Epistle to all Planters, and such as are transporting themselves into foreign plantations in America, &c.

London, 22nd of 9th Month, 1682.

My friends, who are gone or are going over to plant and make outward plantations in America, keep your own plantations in your hearts, with the Spirit and Power of God, that your own vines and lilies be not hurt. And in all places where you do outwardly live and settle, invite all the Indians, and their kings, and have meetings with them,