London, the 15th of the 7th month,
1690.
1691.
Passing now by other matters of the year, we step to the next, being
that of 1691, about the beginning of which G. Fox departed this
life, who even in the last period thereof wrote much, and continued
laborious without fainting. The last epistle I find of his, was to his
friends and brethren in Ireland, who, because of the revolution and
troubles there, suffered much, chiefly, as I think, by the Papists; and
therefore in the said epistle he exhorted his friends to steadfastness.
This was in the month called January; and the next day, being the first
of the week, and the 11th of the said month, he went to the meeting
at Gracechurch-street, where he preached very effectually, treating
of many things with great power and clearness; and concluded with a
prayer. After which, the meeting ending, he went to Henry Gouldney’s,
in White-Hart court, near the meeting-house, where he said to some
that came with him, he thought he felt the cold strike to his heart,
as he came out of the meeting. Yet added, ‘I am glad I was here: now
I am clear; I am fully clear.’ When those friends that were with him
were withdrawn, he lay down in his clothes upon a bed, but soon rose
again; yet after a little time he lay down again, complaining still of
cold; and his strength decaying, he not long after undressed, and went
to bed, where he lay in much contentment and resignation, continuing
very sensible to the last. His distemper increasing, and perhaps
perceiving that his end was at hand, he recommended to some of his
friends that came to him after having been sent for, the spreading of
books containing the doctrine of truth. And to some others who came to
visit him in his illness, he said, ‘All is well, the seed of God reigns
over all, and over death itself. And though, continued he, I am weak in
the body, yet the power of God is over all, and the seed reigns over
all disorderly spirits.’ He used often, even in his preaching, when
he spoke of Christ, to call him the seed; wherefore those that were
with him very well knew what he meant when he spoke of the seed. Thus
he lay in a heavenly frame of mind, his spirit being wholly exercised
towards the Lord, and he grew weaker and weaker in body, until, on the
third day of the week, and of his sickness also, he piously departed
this life. About four or five hours before, being asked how he did, he
answered, ‘Do not heed, the power of the Lord is above all sickness and
death; the seed reigns, blessed be the Lord.’ And thus triumphing over
death, he departed from hence in peace, and slept sweetly on the 13th
of the month, anciently called January, for being as a door or entrance
into the new year, about ten o’clock at night, in the 67th year of his
age. His body was buried near Bunhill-fields, on the 16th of the said
month, the corpse being accompanied by great numbers of his friends,
and of other people also: for though he had had many enemies, yet he
had made himself also beloved of many.
He was tall of stature, and pretty big-bodied, yet very moderate in
meat and drink; neither did he yield much to sleep. He was a man of a
deep understanding, and of a discerning spirit: and though his words
were not always linked together by a neat grammatical connexion, and
his speech sometimes seemed abrupt, as with a kind of gap; yet he
expressed himself intelligently, and what was wanting in human wisdom,
was abundantly supplied with heavenly knowledge. He was of a quick
apprehension; and though his wit was not polished by human art, yet
he was ingenious; and in his prayers, which generally were not very
long, though powerful, appeared a decent gravity, mixed with an awful
reverence, to admiration. His qualities are at large set forth by
Thomas Ellwood, an eminent author, who having much conversed with him,
gave the following character of him. ‘He was indeed an 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, immoveable 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, 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 and 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.’ Yet more is said
of him to his praise, both by the said Thomas Ellwood and others, but
I will not detain my reader any longer therewith. His wife, about six
months before his death, came to him at London, and being glad of his
health, which then was better than some time before, she, after some
stay in the said city, returned home well satisfied, leaving him at
London, where his general service to the church seemed to be then most
requisite. After his decease an epistle was found, which was written
with his own hand, and left sealed up with this superscription, ‘Not to
be opened before the time.’ What this signified, seemed to be a riddle,
but he being now deceased, it was judged to be the time to open this
letter, which was directed to his friends, and was as followeth:
‘_For the yearly and second-day’s-meeting in London, and to
all the children of God in all places in the world.
By and from G. Fox._
‘This for all the children of God every where, that are led by
his spirit, and do walk in his light, in which they have life,
and 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 all friends, all your meetings, both men’s and women’s,
monthly and quarterly, and yearly, &c. were set up by the power,
and spirit, and wisdom of God: and in them you do know that you
have felt both his power, and spirit, and wisdom, and blessed
refreshing spirit amongst 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, both in print and other ways; but you
have seen how they have come to nought; and the Lord hath blasted
them, and brought their deeds to light, and made them manifest
to be the trees without fruit, and wells without water, and
wandering stars from the firmament of God’s power, and the 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. And this hath been the
condition of many, God knoweth, and his people.
‘And therefore all stand steadfast in Christ Jesus your head, in
whom you are all one, male and female, and know his government,
and of the increase of his government and peace there shall be
no end; but there will be an end of the devil’s, and of all
them that be out of Christ, and do oppose it and him, whose
judgment doth not linger, and their damnation doth not slumber:
and therefore in God’s and Christ’s light, life, spirit and
power live and walk, that is over all, (and the seed of it,) in
love and in innocency, and in simplicity; and 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.
‘And 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. And 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; and all God’s witnesses in his tabernacle go out
against it, and always have and will.
‘And 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. And dwell
in the pure, peaceable, heavenly wisdom of God, that is gentle
and easy to be intreated, 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. So glory to God through Christ, in
this age, and all other ages, who is the rock and foundation, and
the Immanuel, 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 thereof,
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. And so they that come, and are come, to heavenly
Jerusalem, are them that receive Christ; and he giveth them power
to become the sons of God, and are born again of the spirit: so
Jerusalem that is above, is their mother. And such do come to
heavenly mount Sion, and the innumerable company of angels, and
to the spirits of just men made perfect; and are come to the
church of the living God, written in heaven, and have the name
of God, and the city of God written upon them: so here is a new
mother, that bringeth forth a heavenly and a spiritual generation.
‘There is no schism, nor division, nor contention, nor strife, in
heavenly Jerusalem, nor in the body of Christ, which is made up
of living stones, a spiritual house. And 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.