Epistle 46

To all Friends who are in the unity, which is in the light; walk in the light [1 Jn 1:7]. It is one light that doth convince you all; and one Christ, that doth call all to repentance, up to himself the one head, which is Christ [Eph 4:15]. The wise man's eye is in his head [Eccl 2:14], who changeth the mind, and calleth from above to that which lies below; it is he alone that gives faith, and all who are in this faith are one. It is one power that raiseth up the seed; and your faith being out of words, in the power, ye are all one, and that seed is one; and ye are all one, if ye be ten thousand; which seed is one, which is Christ, and he is the master, which is one: and all the brethren who are in the spirit, are one.

Ye have all one eye, which is the light [Mat 6:22]; one fire, which consumes all which the light discovers to be evil; and one spirit, which baptizes all into the one body [1 Cor 12:13], where there is no confusion, but pureness and oneness. Therefore all Friends, mind the oneness, and that which keeps you in the oneness and unity, it is that which keeps you out of the world; and this one light leads you out of darkness into the everlasting day, where ye see the church of God.

But living in the darkness, and following that mind, it leads into the world's assemblies, who have the letter of the saints' words, but live out of the life, smiting at one another, fighting for the husks. But minding the light within, it leads you into the assemblies of the righteous, who are in the life. The kernel is to be found within, the husk is without, which the swine feed upon [Luke 15:16], but the pearl is hid from them; and the swine and the dogs would devour them in whom the pearl is found [Mat 7:6].

They are outsides, who feed upon outsides. God that made the world, and all things therein, seeing he is the Lord of heaven and earth, dwells not in temples made with hands [Acts 7:48], and hath made all nations of men, that dwell upon the face of the earth, of one blood, and hath appointed the times and seasons [Acts 17:26], and hath given to every one a measure according to their ability. God hath given ability to every one according to their measure, (that are faithful to it,) [Mat 25:15-30] and here is the righteousness of God received, and the wrath of God revealed upon the children of disobedience [Eph 5:6, Col 3:6].

The grace of God hath appeared upon all, which taught the saints to deny ungodliness [Tit 2:11f], and teacheth us; which the world turns into wantonness, and walks despitefully against the spirit of grace [Heb 10:29]; and yet tempts God and calls for grace. These are they that set up teachers without. And Christ saith, he is the light of the world [John 8:12], and hath enlightened every one that cometh into the world [John 1:9]; and he that loves the light, brings his deeds to the light [John 3:21], to him there is no occasion of stumbling [1 Jn 2:10]; and this teaching guides to God, the Father of light [Jas 1:17].

And the other, he hates the light, because the light will reprove him; here he knows his deeds are evil, <59> by the light. And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men love darkness rather than light [John 3:19f]. And here thou must become silent, O flesh [Zech 2:13], that temptest God to give thee a sight of thy sins; for Christ hath enlightened thee, and given thee a sight of thy sins, which shall be thy condemnation, hating it. For thou that hatest it, hast it.

And it is thou, that puttest the letter for the light, which was given from the light, from them that walked in the light; but thou hating the light given thee, thou knowest not the conditions of them that had the light, but puttest darkness for light, and light for darkness; and so wo rests upon thee! It is thou that puttest evil for good, and the wo rests upon thee! [Isa 5:20] And it is thou that art covered, and not with the spirit of the Lord [Isa 30:1]. And it is thou that standest not in the counsel of the Lord, but followest thy own imaginations, that art turned out from God; and so the wo rests upon thee!

And thy kingdom and crown is pride; and wo is to the king of pride! [Isa 28:1?] And thou art the wicked, that forgettest God, who must be turned into hell; and livest in perverseness, and art a child of disobedience, who disobeyest the light; and so the wrath of God rests upon thee. But who love the light, and walk in the light, Jesus Christ is their king, whose gospel is preached to every creature [Col 1:23]. For death having passed over all men [Rom 5:12], all in the first nature are children of wrath [Eph 2:3], and all in the second are children of God.

The seed is sown upon all sorts of ground; upon the highway ground, thorny, and stony ground, and good ground [Mat 13:3-8]. And Christ hath given to every one a measure, and ability according to his measure; he that improves not his measure [Mat 25:15-30], he hath the eye, and seeth not, and ear, and heareth not, and heart, and doth not understand [Jer 5:21/Isa 6:10]. And he is the thief, that steals the apostles' words, and Christ's words [Jer 23:30]. And is the drunkard who abides not in the light; gone from his measure, and so abides not in the doctrine of Christ.

And this light shall be thy condemnation, when the book of conscience is opened, which should exercise your conscience, which will condemn you. And the wrath of God abides upon the children of disobedience.

G. F.