This holy man was raised up by God in an extraordinary manner, for an extraordinary work, even to awaken the sleeping world, by proclaiming the mighty day of the Lord to the nations, and publishing again the everlasting gospel to the inhabitants of the earth, after the long and dismal night of apostasy and darkness. For this work the Lord began to prepare him by many and various trials and exercises from his very childhood; and having fitted and furnished him for it, he called him into it very young, and made him instrumental, by the effectual working of the Holy Ghost, through his ministry, to call many others into the same work, and to turn many thousands from darkness to the light of Christ, and from the power of Satan unto God.

I knew him not till the year 1660; from that time to the time of his death I knew him well, conversed with him often, observed him much, loved him dearly, and honoured him truly; and upon good experience can say, he was indeed a heavenly-minded man, zealous for the name of the Lord, and preferred the honour of God before all things. He was valiant for the truth, bold in asserting it, patient in suffering for it, unwearied in labouring in it, steady in his testimony to it; immovable as a rock. Deep he was in divine knowledge, clear in opening heavenly mysteries, plain and powerful in preaching, fervent in prayer. He was richly endued with heavenly wisdom, quick in discerning, sound in judgment, able and ready in giving, discreet in keeping counsel; a lover of righteousness, an encourager of virtue, justice, temperance, meekness, purity, chastity, modesty, humility, charity, and self-denial in all, both by word and example. Graceful he was in countenance, manly in personage, grave in gesture, courteous in conversation, weighty in communication, instructive in discourse, free from affectation in speech or carriage; a severe reprover of hard and obstinate sinners; a mild and gentle admonisher of such as were tender, and sensible of their failings; not apt to resent personal wrongs; easy to forgive injuries; but zealously earnest, where the honour of God, the prosperity of truth, the peace of the church, were concerned; very tender, compassionate, and pitiful he was to all that were under any sort of affliction; full of brotherly love, full of fatherly care; for, indeed, the care of the churches of Christ was daily upon him, the prosperity and peace whereof he studiously sought. Beloved he was of God; beloved of God’s people; and (which was not the least part of his honour) the common butt of all apostates’ envy; whose good, notwithstanding, he earnestly sought.

He lived to see the desire of his soul, the spreading of that blessed principle of divine light, through many of the European nations, and not a few of the American islands and provinces, and the gathering many thousands into an establishment therein; which the Lord vouchsafed him the honour to be the first effectual publisher of, in this latter age of the world. And having fought a good fight, finished his course, and kept the faith, his righteous soul, freed from the earthly tabernacle, in which he had led an exemplary life of holiness, was translated into those heavenly mansions, where Christ our Lord went to prepare a place for his; there to possess that glorious crown of righteousness, which is laid up for, and shall be given by the Lord the righteous judge to all them that love his appearance.

Ages to come and people yet unborn shall call him blessed, and bless the Lord for raising him up. And blessed shall we also be, if we so walk, as we had him for an example; for whom this Testimony lives in my heart, “He lived and died the SERVANT of the Lord.”

AN EPISTLE OF GEORGE FOX’S,

WRITTEN WITH HIS OWN HAND, AND LEFT SEALED UP WITH THIS SUPERSCRIPTION, VIZ., “NOT TO BE OPENED BEFORE THE TIME;” WHICH AFTER HIS DECEASE BEING OPENED, WAS THOUGHT MEET TO BE PRINTED, VIZ.:—

“For the Yearly and Second-day’s Meeting in London, and to all the Children of God in all places in the world.

“This for all the children of God everywhere, who are led by his Spirit, and walk in his Light, in which they have life, unity, and fellowship with the Father, and the Son, and one with another.

“Keep all your meetings in the name of the Lord Jesus, that be gathered in his name by his Light, Grace, Truth, Power, and Spirit; by which you will feel his blessed and refreshing presence among you, and in you, to your comfort, and God’s glory.

“And now, Friends, all your meetings, both men’s and women’s, monthly, quarterly, and yearly, &c., were set up by the power, and Spirit, and wisdom of God: and in them you know, that you have felt his power, and Spirit, and wisdom, and blessed refreshing presence among you, and in you, to his praise and glory, and your comfort; so that you have been ‘a city set on a hill, that cannot be hid.’

“And although many loose and unruly spirits have risen betimes to oppose you and them, in print and other ways, you have seen how they have come to nought. The Lord hath blasted them, brought their deeds to light and made them manifest to be trees without fruit, wells without water, wandering stars from the firmament of God’s power, and raging waves of the sea, casting up their mire and dirt; and many of them are like the dog turned to his old vomit, and the sow that was washed, turned again to the mire. This hath been the condition of many, God knoweth, and his people!

“Therefore all stand steadfast in Christ Jesus, your Head, in whom you are all one, male and female, and know His government, of the increase of whose government and peace there shall be no end; but there will be an end of the devil’s, and of all that are out of Christ, who oppose it and him, whose judgment doth not linger, and their damnation doth not slumber. Therefore in God and Christ’s light, life, Spirit, and power, live and walk, that is over all (and the seed of it) in love, in innocency, and simplicity. In righteousness and holiness dwell, and in his power and Holy Ghost, in which God’s kingdom doth stand. All children of New and Heavenly Jerusalem, that is from above, and is free, with all her holy, spiritual children, to her keep your eyes.

“As for this spirit of rebellion and opposition, that hath risen formerly and lately, it is out of the kingdom of God and Heavenly Jerusalem; and is for judgment and condemnation, with all its books, words, and works. Therefore Friends are to live and walk in the power and Spirit of God, that is over it, and in the Seed, that will bruise and break it to pieces. In which Seed you have joy and peace with God, and power and authority to judge it; and your unity is in the power and Spirit of God, that doth judge it: all God’s witnesses in his tabernacle go out against it, and always have and will.

“Let no man live to self, but to the Lord, as they will die in him; and seek the peace of the church of Christ, and the peace of all men in him: for ‘blessed are the peace-makers.’ Dwell in the pure, peaceable, heavenly wisdom of God, that is gentle, and easy to be entreated, that is full of mercy; all striving to be of one mind, heart, soul, and judgment in Christ, having His mind and Spirit dwelling in you, building up one another in the love of God, which doth edify the body of Christ, his church, who is the holy Head thereof. Glory to God through Christ, in this age and all other ages, who is the Rock and Foundation, the Emmanuel, God with us, Amen, over all, the Beginning and the Ending. In Him live and walk, in whom you have life eternal; in whom you will feel me, and I you.

“All children of New Jerusalem, that descends from above, the holy city, which the Lord and the Lamb is the light of, and is the temple; in it they are born again of the Spirit; so Jerusalem that is above, is the mother of them that are born of the Spirit. They that come, and are come to heavenly Jerusalem, receive Christ; and he giveth them power to become the sons of God, and they are born again of the Spirit; so Jerusalem that is above is their mother. Such come to heavenly Mount Sion, and the innumerable company of angels, to the spirits of just men made perfect; and to the church of the Living God written in heaven, and have the name of God, and of the city of God, written upon them. So here is a new mother, that bringeth forth a heavenly and spiritual generation.

“There is no schism, no division, no contention, nor strife, in heavenly Jerusalem, nor in the body of Christ, which is made up of living stones, a spiritual house. Christ is not divided, for in Him there is peace. Christ saith, ‘In me you have peace.’ And He is from above, and not of this world; but in the world below, in the spirit of it, there is trouble: therefore keep in Christ, and walk in Him. Amen.

“Jerusalem was the mother of all true Christians before the apostasy; and since the outward Christians are broken into many sects, they have got many mothers: but all they that are come out of the apostasy by the power and Spirit of Christ, Jerusalem that is above, is their mother (and none below her), who doth nourish all her spiritual children.”

THE APPEARANCE OF THE LORD’S EVERLASTING TRUTH,

Wherein the Lord’s mighty power and word of life hath been richly and freely preached, to the gathering of many into reconciliation with God by it; to the exaltation and glory of the great God, through the bringing forth of the heavenly and spiritual fruits, from such as have been gathered by his eternal light, power, and Spirit, unto himself. And by the sowing to the Spirit in the hearts of people, life eternal hath been reaped; that the flocks have been gathered, which have the milk of the word plenteously; that the riches of the word have flourished, and mightily abounded; and God’s heavenly plough with his spiritual men hath gone on cheerfully, to the overturning the fallow ground of the hearts, that had not borne heavenly fruit to God. And God’s heavenly thrashers with his heavenly flail, have with joy and delight thrashed out the chaff, and the corruptions, that have been a-top of God’s seed and wheat in man and woman. And thus have they thrashed in hope, and are made partakers of their hope, through which God’s seed is come into his garner.

O! the unutterable glory, and the inexpressible excellency of the everlasting glorious truth, gospel, and word of life, that the infinite, invisible, and wise God (who is over all), hath revealed and manifested! And how have the professors, priests, and powers risen up in opposition against his children, that are born of the immortal Seed by the word of God! And, O! how great have the persecutions, and reproaches, and spoiling of goods been, that have been executed upon them! But notwithstanding these sufferings from such as have touched them, and do touch them, which are as dear to God as the apple of his eye, how hath the Lord manifested himself to stand by them, in overthrowing powers, priests, and states! What changes have there been since 1644, and 1650, and 1652! How have the jails been filled since then in this nation with the heirs of life, God’s chosen ones, who had no helper in the earth but the Lord and his Christ! So that truth’s faithful witnesses were scarcely to be found, but in jails and prisons, where the righteous were numbered among the transgressors; who had neither staff nor bag from man, but the staff, the bread of life, and the bag that holds the treasure that waxes not old. But the Lord Jesus Christ, that sent them forth, was their exceeding great supporter and upholder by his eternal power and Spirit, both then and now.