Friends,—Every one in particular, who are of God, and not of the world, walk out of the world's vain customs [Jer 10:3], ordinances, and commands; and stand a witness against them all, in the testimony of Jesus, and witness him the substance of all, waiting in the light of God, and walking in it, then will ye have unity one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ will cleanse you from all sin [1 Jn 1:7]; for through it and by it we do overcome; which blood of the new covenant is but one. There shall ye witness the lamb of God, that takes away the sins of the world [John 1:29]. Oh! wait all in that which is pure, to be fed alone of God with the eternal, living food! Go not out among the swine, who feed upon the outside, the husk [Luke 15:16], among the merchants of Babylon [Rev 18:10f,23], and so forsake the living bread; but as ye have received Christ Jesus, in him walk [Col 2:6], that ye may all honour the Lord Jesus Christ, and adorn his gospel. And be famous in his light, and bold in his strength, which will carry you above the world, and above all the deceits of it. Oh! in love watch over one another for good, and for the better, and not for the worse [Jer 44:27]! And dwell in that which is pure of God in you, lest your thoughts get forth; and then evil thoughts get up, and surmising one against another, which ariseth out of the veiled mind, which darkens the pure discerning. But as ye dwell in that which is of God, it guides you up out of the elementary life, and out of the mortal into the immortal, (which is hid from all the fleshly ones,) where is peace and joy eternal to all that can witness the new birth. Babes in Christ [1 Cor 3:1], born again of the immortal seed [1 Pet 1:23], in it wait, my life is with you in perfect unity; bow down to nothing but the Lord God. Satan would have had Christ to have bowed down, but he would not [Mat 4:9f]; the same seed now, the same birth born in you now, which is the same to-day, yesterday, and for ever [Heb 13:8]. The tempter will come to you; and if ye look forth, and hearken to his words, and let them in, then ye bow down under him, and worship him. But I say unto you, and charge you in the presence of the Lord, mind the pure seed of God in you, and the mighty power of God will cherish you up <24> to the Lord God above all temptations, not to bow down to any thing; but feeding upon the immortal food, ye will feel yourselves supported, and carried over him by your Father and your God, who is over all, blessed for ever! Who is the virtue of all creatures, the wisdom of all things; all holy praises be unto the holy, glorious Lord God for ever!
G. F.
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George Fox (1624 - 1691)
Was an English Dissenter and a founder of the Religious Society of Friends, commonly known as the Quakers or Friends. This was a group the Lord started through the ministry of George Fox. God called him apart from all other forms of Christendom in his day because of the lack of Biblical obedience and holiness.The emphasis in George Fox's ministry was firstly prophetic. He called out the people of God to show them that they had the Holy Spirit of God and could be taught of Him and not to solely rely on the teachings of ecclesiastical leaders. Secondly, he spoke directly to many ministers in his day to show them they were hirelings and did not have a true shepherds heart for the people of God rather they were seeking after financial gain.
Founder of the Society of Friends (Quakers). George Fox was born in Drayton-in-the-Clay, Leicestershire, England, the son of Puritan parents. Little is known of his early life, apart from what he wrote in his journal: "In my very young years, I had a gravity and stayedness of mind and spirit not usual in young children. Insomuch that, when I saw old men behave lightly and wantonly toward each other, I had a dislike thereof raise in my heart, and I said within myself, `If ever I come to be a man, surely I shall not do so, nor be so wanton.'"
At the age of 19, he gained deep, personal assurance of his salvation and began to travel as an itinerant preacher, seeking a return to the simple practices of the New Testament. He abhorred technical theology, and preached a faith borne of experience, freshly fed and guided by the immediate presence of the Holy Spirit.
Fox was persecuted almost daily, yet his power of endurance was phenomenal. He was beaten with dogwhips, knocked down with fists and stones, brutally struck with pikestaves, hard beset by mobs, incarcerated eight times in the pestilential jails, prisons, castles and dungeons--yet he went straightforward with his mission as though he had discovered some fresh courage which made him impervious to man's inhumanity.
He undertook as far as possible to let the new life in Christ take its own free course of development in his ministry. He shunned rigid forms and static systems, and for that reason he refused to head a new sect or to start a new denomination, or to begin a new church. He would not build an organization of any kind. His followers at first called themselves "Children of the Light," and later adopted the name "The Society (or Fellowship) of Friends."
Fox preached and traveled for 40 years throughout England, Scotland, Holland, and America. His life demonstrated the truth of his famous saying, "One man raised by God's power to stand and live in the same spirit the apostle and prophets were in, can shake the country for ten miles around."