Children of the World

George Fox, 1624-1691

This is from The Missing Cross to Purity:

(Letter #2)

Friends,

The children of the devil,
how expert are they in evil, in all deceit in his kingdom;
and yet they may speak of the things of God;
but no vulturous eye or venomous beast ever trod in the steps of the just,
though they may talk of the way.
For those who have their conversation in this world,
and only mind the things of this world,
profess godliness in vain.

But the children of God,
who are conceived and begotten of him, are not of this world,
neither do they mind only the things of this world,
but the things which are eternal.

But the children of this world do mostly mind the external things,
and their love is in them,
and the others live by faith;
the one is sanctified by the word, the other painted with the words.

The children of God are pure in heart, not looking only at the outside.
The favor of the world and friendship with it is enmity to God.
Man may soon be stained with it.
Oh! Love the stranger, and be as strangers in the world, and to the world!
For those who followed Christ in his cross,
they were strangers in the world,
and wonders to the world,
and condemned by the world;
and the world did not know him,
neither does it know those who follow him now.
So, marvel not if the world hates you;
for the world lies in hatred and wickedness.
Whoever loves this world, are enemies to Christ;
and whoever loves the Lord Jesus Christ,
and have him for their Lord over them,
they are redeemed out of the world.
The world would have a Christ, but not to rule over them;
the nature of the world chains down Christ in man,
until Christ has subdued that nature in man.
While the nature of the world rules in man,
oh, the deaf ears and blind eyes, and the understandings,
that are all shut up among them, with which they judge!
But those who love the Lord Jesus Christ,
do not mind the world’s judgment, nor are troubled at it;
but consider all our brethren, who have gone before us.

When you think you are past all crosses,
when the trial does come,
you will find a cross to that will
which meddles with the things of God presumptuously;
that man may live in joy, but the spirit is in bondage.
Do not rejoice in the flesh, but rather in the spirit,
which crucifies all fleshly boastings.
If the fleshly will be fed, then carelessness comes up,
and they fall into flatness, (from the spirit),
and are mindless of the Lord God;
such are soon up and down.
The serpent tempted Eve to eat of the forbidden fruit,
and she took and gave to her husband,
and so they fell under the serpent’s power, and the creatures,
out of the power of God, which would have kept them in dominion.
And so, Adam and Eve, and the serpent, all went out of truth.
And Eve eating of the tree of knowledge,
she had knowledge and wisdom after the fall,
but not in the dominion, in the power of God.
But the seed Christ, who was in the beginning,
bruises the serpent’s head, and he is the wisdom of God.