Epistle 416

All Friends, strive to keep in unity in the holy spirit of Christ, which is the bond of the heavenly peace [Eph 4:3], and that you elders may be examples in the heavenly wisdom, and word of life [1 Jn 1:1], and of power [Heb 1:3] and patience [Rev 3:10], to all the younger, that hardly know the right hand from the left; so that they may be trained up, both by the word and law in their hearts, and good examples from their elders in grace, truth, virtue, modesty, and sobriety, as becoming men and women professing and possessing godliness [1 Tim 2:10], being adorned with a meek and a quiet spirit, which is with the Lord of a great price [1 Pet 3:4]. And keep that eye blind, and that spirit under, that would go into the fashions of the world; for that will blind and burden, and will not bear sound doctrine [2 Tim 4:3]; and therefore that must be kept down with the spirit of God, by which all may have power over their own spirits, and they that have not, are like unto a city, whose walls are broken down [Prov 25:28], that any thing that is evil or bad may come in. And therefore the power and spirit of God is as the wall that preserveth. Therefore be wise; for when lust is conceived, 'it brings forth sin, and sin when it is finished, brings forth death [Jas 1:15].' <308>

Now here you may see what brings forth sin and death in man and woman, which, by the spirit of God, is to be mortified [Rom 8:13], and by it their affections to be changed, and set on things above, where Christ sits at the right hand of God [Col 3:1f]; so that you may come to sit in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus [Eph 2:6]; which is a holy, pure, and safe sitting, in which all may keep that heavenly feast of Christ, our passover, not with the old leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the heavenly unleavened bread of sincerity and truth [1 Cor 5:8]. For Christ, our passover, hath been sacrificed for us [1 Cor 5:7]; and therefore he is the heavenly bread [John 6:35-58], which the feast of him our passover must be kept withal, by the clean and circumcised in spirit in the new testament and covenant: for the Jews in the old testament and covenant, were to be clean and circumcised outwardly, before they eat of the outward sacrifices; which sacrifice and circumcision Christ our sacrifice hath ended. And therefore keep to him our circumciser, and the feast of our passover, and let all the old leaven of malice and wickedness be purged out, that you may become a new lump in Christ Jesus. Amen.

G. F.