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all created by him and for him. So Christ is "King of kings and Lord of lords." Rev. xix. 16. And the “ Prince of the kings of the earth." chap. i. 5. And out of his mouth goes a sharp sword, with which he shall smite the nations, and he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessel of a potter shall they be dashed in pieces, who do not obey him, who is King of kings and Lord of lords. This is Christ, by whom all things were made, who doth rule the nations, who saith, "I am Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the Ending, the First and the Last:" so he is over all nations, and above them all. Now we must understand this rod of iron, by which Christ, who is the First and Last, doth rule the nations, is a figurative speech of Christ, who is ascended into heaven, and is at the right hand of God; yet all power in heaven and earth is given unto him, and all things were created by him and for him; so then they are Christ's, and he hath power over all things, for all are his. So as the scripture saith, "By me kings reign, and princes decree justice." Prov. viii. 15. But if they abuse his power, and do not do justice, as is decreed by Christ, the King of kings and Lord of lords, the First and the Last, they must feel and know the weight of his rod of iron, by which he will rule such as abuse his power, and do not do justice (that is decreed by him) who hath all power in heaven and earth given to him, and rules in the kingdoms of men.'

Kingston, the 11th month, 1687.

G. F.

Several other things I writ, while I was now at Kingston; for my spirit being continually exercised towards God, I had many precious openings of divine matters; and divers places of scripture, both in the Old Testament and in the new, relating to a state of regeneration, and sanctification, &c. were brought to my remembrance by the Holy Spirit; some of which I committed to writing, and were as followeth:

They that touched the dead were unclean, and were to be cleansed by the water of purification. Numb. xix. And they which touch the dead doctrines or faiths, and let them in, burden the pure, and defile and make themselves unclean, until the spring of the water of the word do arise, and wash and cleanse them; for all the dead in Adam in the fall are unclean, and they must be washed by Christ, in his blood, and water of life, who quickeneth and makes alive.

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A dwarf might not come near to offer upon God's altar; but he might eat of the holy bread, that he might grow. Levit. xxi. 20, &c. So the new-born babes may eat of the milk of the word, that they may grow thereby and increase. And he that had any blemish, might not come near to offer upon God's altar; neither might any thing be offered upon God's altar, that had any blemish, or was unclean. Levit. xxi. And it is said, "The ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous." Psal. i. 5. But "God standeth in the congregation of the mighty." Psal. lxxxii. 1.

The camp of God was to be kept clean and holy; all that which was unclean, or defiled, was to be kept out of God's camp in the old testament. And in the new testament, all that is defiled and unclean, must be kept out of God's kingdom, the new and heavenly Jerusalem, that is from above. All was to pass through the fire (even of those things that would bear the fire) and to be purified by fire and water, before the people might come into God's camp. Numb. xxxi. So all must be circumcised, and baptized with the Holy Ghost and with fire, and be cleansed with the blood of Christ, and washed with the water of the word, before they come into the kingdom of God, and into heavenly Jerusalem.

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The apostle Paul saith, "We know, that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house, which is from heaven, that mortality might be swallowed up of life." 2 Cor. v. 1, 2, 4. Here is (we in the earthly house of this tabernacle,) which (we) are they that have received Christ, and are become the sons of God, and new creatures, and children of the light, that do believe in Christ's light; who have an eternal house in the heavens, where mortality is swallowed up of life, in which house from heaven they will not groan.

'And Peter said, "I think it meet, as long as I am in this tabernacle, to stir you up, by putting you in remembrance, knowing, that shortly I must put off this my taber nacle, even as our Lord Jesus Christ hath shewed me.' 2 Pet. i. 13, 14. So Peter knew he must put off this tabernacle shortly; but as long as he was in it, he did stir up the saints to their duty in holiness, that they might remember it after he was deceased.

The apostle Paul saith, "The first man is of the earth, earthly," (mark, earthly) 1 Cor. xv. 47. "And as we

have borne the image of the earthly, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly," (mark, the heavenly), ver. lxix. And, "We have this treasure in earthen vessels," &c. 2 Cor. iv. 7. "And I live (said he) yet not I, but Christ liveth in me," Gal. ii. 20. who is the life of all God's people.

"And Christ said to the Jews, "That the dead are raised, even Moses shewed at the bush, when he calleth the Lord, the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob: for he is not the God of the dead, but of the living; for all live unto him," Luke xx. 37, 38. So, "None of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself: for whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord. Whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord's. For to this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead and living." Rom. xiv. 7, 8, 9. For all died in Adam and Christ by the grace of God tasted death for every man, that they might come out of the death in Adam, to the eternal life in Jesus Christ. Who is also a quickening Spirit: for as in Adam all died; even so in Christ shall all be made alive. So Christ, that died and rose again, is Lord both of the living and of the dead: for the living live to the Lord, and die in him, and are blessed.

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All Christendom say, that they do believe in God and in Christ, and that they do believe Moses and the prophets, and preach Christ, Moses, and the prophets: so their words and writings are preached and printed; and ye say ye do believe them. But now what life do ye live? Are ye through the law dead to the law, that ye may live unto God? And are ye crucified with Christ? and doth Christ live in you? And is the life, that ye now live in the flesh, by the faith of the Son of God, and ye do not live, but Christ liveth in you, who gave himself for you? Is this your present life? for the just live by the faith which Christ is the author and finisher of: by which holy, divine, and precious faith, they have victory over that which is vile and unholy, and is not divine; and in this faith they do please God, and have access to God and his Son, who fulfilleth the law and the prophets. For the law and the prophets were until John; and since that, the kingdom of God hath been preached, and men do press into it: and the least in the kingdom of God is greater than John, though he was the greatest prophet born of a woman. So see whether ye are in the kingdom that stands in peace

and righteousness, and joy, in the Holy Ghost, or not. Christ, who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature, was before any creature; for by him were all things created, that are in heaven and that are in the earth, visible or invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers, all things were created by him and for him, and he was before all things, and by him all things consist: and he is the head of the body, the church, and is the beginning, the first-born from the dead. So here ye may see that all things were made by Christ Jesus, and all things were created for Christ Jesus, and by him all things consist and have their being, who is the first-born from the dead, and dieth no more. And it pleased the Father, that in him all fullness should dwell; and by Christ to reconcile all things unto himself, whether they be things in heaven, or things in the earth. And in him are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge, who is the head of all principality and power; for all power in heaven and in earth is given to him, the first-born of every creature, and the first-born from the dead, who liveth for evermore in his power over all; the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world: and while the world's spirit rules in men's hearts, they do not know Christ, nor the beginning nor ending of the work of God. Christ was outwardly crucified and slain, without the gates of Jerusalem, by the disobedient Jews: and they that hate the light of Christ, and disobey his gospel, and quench his Spirit, and are erred from his faith, do crucify to themselves Christ afresh. So Adam and Eve, and their children, that disobeyed God, did slay the Lamb; and the blind Jews, that disobeyed God, crucified Christ Jesus: and the outward Christians, that live and walk not in Christ, but in sin and evil, though they do make an outward profession of Christ, yet they do crucify to themselves Christ afresh. But as to Christ himself, he is ascended far above all principalities, thrones, powers, and dominions, so that they cannot put him to death, or crucify him any more, as to himself: but what the killers, and crucifiers, and persecutors, do now upon the earth, it is against Christ, as in themselves, and in his members; as Christ said to Saul, "Why persecutest thou me?" Acts ix. 4. For what is done to his members, Christ takes as done to himself, Matth. xxv. 40, and 45. And they that did not visit Christ, but persecuted him in his members, they persecuted Christ in themselves first.

The serpent, that enemy to man and woman; and satan, that adversary to man's prosperity; and the devil,

the destroyer, the god of the world and prince of the air, that ruleth in the hearts of the disobedient, he got in by disobedience. But Christ bruises his head, breaketh his power to pieces, and destroys the devil and his works; and through death destroys death, and the devil, the power of death. And so Christ, the light and life, hath all power in heaven and earth, and openeth the prison-doors, and the eyes of the blind, and takes captive him that hath led into captivity, and gives gifts unto men. And so Christ bindeth the strong man of sin, and spoils his goods (for Christ is stronger than the devil) and casts him out; hallelujah! For the strong man of sin is the god of the world, and his house is the whole world, that lieth in wickedness: and the god of the world hath kept his house, and his goods have been in peace, until a stronger than he comes, and binds the devil, and casts him out, and then destroys him and his goods. And so Christ, the Son of God, who is stronger than the devil, having destroyed the devil and his works, setteth up his house; and all the believers in the light are the children of light, and are of the Son of God's spiritual house, and the Son of God is over his house for evermore: glory to God in the highest, through Jesus Christ. Amen.

God spake by the mouth of all his holy prophets concerning Christ Jesus, his Son, the Holy One: so they were holy men, and not unholy, that God spake by. And therefore all that name the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, are to depart from iniquity.'

Kingston-upon-Thames, the

11th month, 1687.

G. F.

I returned to London towards the latter end of the eleventh month, 1687, visiting friends in the way at Chiswick, and at Hammersmith, where I had two meetings, one upon a first-day, and the other upon the occasion of a marriage there, at which were many of the world's people, amongst whom I had a very seasonable opportunity of opening the way of truth.

Being come to London, I visited friends' meetings in and about the city, as the Lord led me, in whose service I continued labouring in the city until the middle of the first month, 1687. At which time I went down towards Enfield, and visited friends there and thereabouts, and at Barnet, and Waltham Abbey, and other places, where I had many meetings, and very good service amongst friends; in which I spent several weeks, and then returned to

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