Epistle 192

Friends,--In the fear of the Lord God live, departing from sin and evil [Job 28:28], as it appears in your own particulars, and therein ye will receive the wisdom of God, by which all things were made and created [Wis 7:22]; with which wisdom they may be ordered to the glory of God [Wis 8:1, 1 Cor 10:31], that created all things. And with that wisdom use all things, and order all that are under your hands and dominion, to the glory of him that created them. And in this ye will feel the Lord God going in and out amongst you, and to be with you, and his blessing and presence with you, (in your actings,) and he over all giving you dominion in his wisdom, power, and life; that with that ye may come to answer that of God in every one, with which your minds should be guided up to God.

And in that ye will be a good savour to God, and in the hearts of all people that live up to the witness, and are led by the witness of God [1 Jn 5:9] up to God. And such as go from it, upon them the law of God is to be added, and they by it to be stopped and limited; which law is a praise to them that do well [1 Pet 2:14], who come from under the occasion of the law. And in this that eye is opened which beholds God and his law, which answers that of God in every one; which when men go from that of God in themselves, the law takes hold upon them.

Which when Adam went from, he transgressed the law of God, when he went from the life and image of God within him; and then the law came upon him, which was not made for the righteous, but for sinners and transgressors [1 Tim 1:9]. And in this stands the covenant of works, the law of works that brings under and yokes the man down; which Christ the covenant of God, and of life, and of peace [Mal 2:5], redeems men from under this law [Gal 4:5]; and the law of the spirit of life makes free from the law of sin and death [Rom 8:2].

So Christ, the covenant of God being felt, the law of life is come and witnessed within man again; and to such, they that are in the wisdom of God, will be a praise, and your moderation will increase, your temperance will increase, your knowledge of God and his <184> son Jesus Christ will increase, whom to know is eternal life [John 17:3]; and this will not be lacking. And so as ye are kept in the wisdom of God, and in his life and power, ye will see the law that goes over all transgressors, which was added because of transgression [Gal 3:19].

Which life lets you see to the higher power, which was before any transgression was; because of which the law was added upon man, when he went from that of God in himself. Which, (as I said before,) every true christian, (which is a christian indeed,) witnesseth the law of life in Christ, which sets free from the law of sin and death; and such come to see and feel him, who was before any transgression was. And so as to the Lord God ye are kept faithful in your generation, and in his fear are preserved in humility and mercy, doing good and justly [Micah 6:8], the jaws of the wicked will be broken [Job 29:17], and ye will feel the Lord's blessing upon you, and come to know the seed in yourselves which inherits, which is the heir of the promise [Gal 3:29] of the world without end.

And the power of an endless life [Heb 7:16] you will feel in Christ, the seed, in whom the words of the prophets and apostles are fulfilled; and therein is unity and love, righteousness and peace, even in him who bruiseth the serpent's head, that feeds upon dust [Gen 3:14f]. Here there is nothing fed upon, but life, yea, the life, which was with the Father, before the world began, which is Christ Jesus. And who are in this, are in the thing the scripture testifies of. And this hath been wanting in Christendom.

They have had the words of the prophets, Christ, and the apostles, and been on heaps about them, not being in the seed, Christ, who is the end and substance of them; who is the light and life, righteousness, wisdom, and truth, which makes free from the adversary, who is the cause of strife.

From a lover of your souls' eternal good, and of your establishment in righteousness [Isa 54:14] and peace, in this day of the Lamb's power [Psa 110:3]; glory to the highest for ever!

G. F.