OCT 1 1920 "series of tracts ON religious and moral SUBJECTS, ISSUED BY THE TRACT ASSOCIATION OF FRIENDS, m THREE VOLUMES. VOL. III. PHILADELPHIA: DEPOSITORY, 304 ARCH STREET. 1S93. LIST OF TRACTS. No. J . Pages. 97. JohnStickland, 20 98. Brief Account of Robert 4 Barclay, 24 99. Incidents in the Life of Solomon Bayley, formerly a Slave,... 12 100. Extracts from the Writings of Isaac^Penington, 32 101. A Proper Use of Riches, Exemplified in the Life of Richard Reynolds, 8 102. Ralph Dixon, the Converted Soldier 12 103. A New Child; A Biography of Lydia Ann Nixon, 4 104. Gay and Costly Apparel, 12 lOo. Lives and Happy Deaths of Two Little Children, 4 106. The True Christian's Rale of Life, 8 107. The Test of our Christianity, 8 108. The Light of the World,...*. 12 109. The Kingdom of God Within, 8 110. On Lying, 8 111. Short Account of the Last Illness and Death of Helen Brick, 8 112. The Christians' Joy, 2 113. The Power of Divine Grace, as Manifested in the Life of William Chapman 12 114. The Inward Life and Power of Christ 8 115. Samuel Fothergill, 20 116. Because of Swearing the Land Mourneth," 2 117. What is it? 4 118. OnPraver, 4 8 119. On Faith and Hope in God. By Henry Tnke, 4 120. The Love of God. By Henr/fuke * 2 121. On the Fear of God. " By HenryTuke, 4 122. On Religious Meditation". By Henry Tuke, 4 123. Public Worship, and the Appropriation of One Day in the Week for this Purpose. By Henry Tuke, 8 124. Thanksgiving and Praise. By Henry Tuke, , 4 125. Watchfulness and Waiting upon God. By Henry Tuke, 4 120. Obedience and Patience. By Henry Tuke 4 127. Repentance towards God and Faith towards our Lord Jesus Christ By Henry Tuke, 4 128. Tender Counsel and Advice. Bv William Penn, 4 129. The Prodigal, 2 130. How to Become Happy, 4 131. Is Temperate Drinking Safe? 2 132. Faithfulness in Little Thing-, 4 133. Striking Incidents (Temperance), 12 134. On Fiction Reading, 8 135. Demoralizing Literature and Art, 8 iv LIST OF TRACTS. No. Pages. 136. The Sailor in prison to his Fellow Sailors and to his Former Companions, 16 137: Injurious Effects of Tobacco, 12 138. Heathen Names for Days and Months, v 4 139. Convincement and Gospel Labors of Stephen Grellet, 20 140. Earthly and Heavenly Treasure Contrasted, 2 141. A Visit to the Prisoners at Spandau, in Germany. By Thomas Shillitoe, 4 142. John Banks' True Testimony Concerning his Faith in Christ 4 143. The Government of our Thoughts,.. 4 144. The Duty and Efficacy of True Prayer, 8 145. George Withy, 8 146. Was it Time Lost ? 4 147. Remarkable Conversion of A. E. Kothen, ^/ 4 148. Visit to Italy and Pope Pius VII. By Stephen Grellet, 12 149. On Worship, 12 150. A Concise Explanation of the Views of Friends on Lan- guage, Dress and Manners, 12 151. Memoir of James Robinson, formerly a Soldier, 12 152. Incidents in the Life of Henry Robberman, 8 153. What Then? 2 154. The True Christian Communion, 8 155. Vulgar and Profane Language, 4 156. Remarkable Conversion of J ohn Ross, 8 157. Zulu, the Greek Chieftain, 4 158. The Remedy for Intemperance, 4 159. Kindness and Gentleness 4 160. The Divine Pilot, 4 161. The Fruits of the Spirit 2 162. The Prisoner Delivered from the Bondage of Sin, 8 163. On Dancing 8 164. Advice to School Children,.... 2 165. Divine Guidance Needful^or Entering into and Conducting Business. By William Evans, 4 166. Brief Account of Sarah S. Cole, of Salem, New Jersey, 4 167! Our Unconscious Influence, 4 168. Thoughts for Decoration Dav, 4 169. The Effects of Worldly-Mindedness Exemplified, 2 170. Elizabeth, a Colored Minister of the Gospel, Born in Slavery, 16 171. Instances of Women's Preaching, from the Apostles' Days to the Present Time, 16 172. Short Account of Springett Penn. Written by his Father, William Penn, 8 173. War on Christian Principles 4 174. The Work of Religion in the Heart of a Little Child, 2 175. The Power of Truth, 4 176. Foreordi nation, */.. 4 177. Incidents in the Life of David Sands, a Minister of the Gospel in the Society of Friends, 12 No. 97. MEMOIR OF John Stick lvxd. PHILADELPHIA: PUBLISHED BY THE TRACT ASSOCIATION OP FRIENDS, No. 304 Ae.ch Street. 1888. MEMOIR OP JOHN STICKLAND. True religion is the work of the Holy Spirit upon the soul. It does not consist in a subscription to creeds or confessions of faith, or in any outward observances, however good in them- selves; but in the dedication of the heart to God, and the entire surrender of the will and affections to his government. John Stickland was born near Worth, in Dorsetshire, En£- land, in the Twelfth Month, 1753. His life, though passed in an humble occupation, and with few stirring incidents, presents another testimony to the power of Divine Grace to preserve from evil, amid great temptations and under many disadvan- tages, and also to instruct in the knowledge of those things which belong to the salvation of the soul. He was brought up in the profession of the Episcopal society, and attended their place of worship near where he lived. But falling into the company of wicked boys, he gradually became much corrupted, and took liberty in singing songs and other idle pastimes. The good Spirit of God, however, did not fail to wTarn him of his evil practices, and reprove him for them. About his fourteenth year he was more powerfully visited, and, being awakened to a sense of his sinful condition, he sought, even with tears, for a state of redemption. Still, however, the force of temptation again overcame him, and he fell back into his former practices. When about eighteen, he was again awakened and alarmed under a sense of his sins, but no effectual change seems to have been wrought in him. He sought to fly MEMOIR OF JOHN STICK LAND. from conviction, and to drown his sorrow, by frequenting the company of young persons, and indulging in music and dancing, and went farther in folly than he had before done. But he could not stifle the pure Witness in his conscience. His con- victions grew deeper and more poignant, until he became hate- ful in his own eyes, and feared lest the earth should open and swallow him up, as he had read it did some wicked men in ancient days. About this time the Lord was pleased to visit him with a fever, which brought him, apparently, to the borders of the grave. In this reduced state, the Hoiy Spirit again opened his condition to him, and he was awfully affected at the sight of it. For some time he seemed destitute of all hope of salva- tion ; but at length he experienced a state of contrition, in which his heart was broken, and his spiritual eye opened to look, in a degree of faith, upon Christ Jesus as the Saviour of sinners, who could not only forgive his past transgressions, but make him holy in heart and life. Speaking, in after life, of the work of the Holy Spirit in his heart, he says, " I am a witness of the grace of God. I was one of the most vain and wicked, and lived among the wicked. I saw myself going to destruction. I felt my sins a heavy burden. I cried our, ' Mercy ! mercy ! O what shall I do to ' be saved?' I was led to Jesus Christ for redemption through his blood. I obtained pardon, and went on my way rejoicing. His free grace made me to differ from my neighbors. But T do not infer from hence that he has done nothing for them, or not enough to save them. This will condemn them, if they reject his Light." He now felt it to be his duty to be very circumspect in all his conduct and conversation ; and the preacher in the parish where he lived, being an irreligious man, he left him and went to a dissenting meeting. These things drew upon him the censure of his relations and neighbors. He says, "After I 4 MEMOIR OF was awakened, when I went to church and saw the irreverence, and heard the superficial sermons of our parish minister, my heart was filled with grief, so that I thought I could suffer the cutting off of my arm, to open the eyes of one of them, if that would do it. But, alas ! I found them, even my own relations, like a fox in a trap, which will bite you, if you attempt to liberate him, thinking you are an enemy. Instead of attending to my admonitions, they said I was beside myself ; that I wor- shipped the moon and stars, and prayed to hayricks and trees, because I went out to meditate in the fields, and in summer evenings walked in private places to read my Bible. When I went to church I was noticed for my devotion, and the min- ister said I was not now like any one of his people, and he thought the devil was in me, and that I should become an enthusiast." In a manuscript account which he left, of some incidents of his life, he says, " When my father left East Holme, I was retained by my master on the farm, and soon became a servant in the house. At this time he had taken a housekeeper, who had lived with the late clergyman of Win frith in a very un- christian manner. She, with my master's footman and house- maid, were living in a very loose and extravagant manner, drinking, gambling, &c, which I took the liberty to reprove and counteract, as I had begun to seek the favor of God, and live up to my profession. But my conduct was highly dis- pleasing to [the housekeeper,] because I could not drink, dance, and play cards with them. On one occasion she said to me 'Thou hast no taste for a game of cards, or a dance, or a merry song, or jest, but the Bible- the Bible— is all with thee. I would not that thou shouldst visit me on a deathbed for all the world, for fear I should die in despair.' ' But,' ^aid I, ' if reading my Bible gives me as much pleasure as your cards give you, I am not behindhand with you, even in this life ; and I am certain it will give me more comfort on a death-bed, to JOHN STICKLAND. 5 reflect on reading the Bible, than it will give you to remember your waste of time in cards.' ' I think that too,' said she, ' and then I shall be on the wrong side. But how is it that I can sing songs, dance, and play cards, and yet go to church on Sundays, and all is well with me, and I can enjoy myself and be happy. But I have observed that if thou dost only join with us to laugh and jest a, little, I see in thee afterwards a look of grief and a shyness of our company. I see no harm in a merry jest.' ' No,' said I, 'your mind is like a dark room. The window is closed — you cannot see what is in your heart. But the curtain is drawn, in a degree, from my window, and I can see the evil of sin, and what is sin in the sight of the Lord, so as to hate and avoid it, or else to become a miserable soul.'" Finding both his precepts and example to be a constant tes- timony against their wickedness, and an obstacle to the license which they desired; the other servants, and especially the housekeeper, endeavored to prejudice his master against him, and get him turned away. His absenting himself from the national worship, to which his master was attached, was used as one means for this purpose. On this subject he remarks: " The housekeeper stirred up my master against me because I could not go to church. Once in two weeks I went to Corfe Castle, by eight o'clock in the morning, to hear a Methodist preacher, and thence to Wareham. My master called for me, and threatened to discharge me, if I would not go to church, and asked me why it was"? I told him the church minister was a wicked man, and his doctrine very superficial and false in its application, and therefore I could not hear him. < Then,' said he, ' we must part ; there are your wages.' I answered, ' My soul is of more value to me than all you have in the world is to you ; nor will I sell it for money, nor suffer your blind teacher to lead me to destruction. Liberty of conscience 6 MEMOIR OF is my birthright, and I will not sell it for the world.' So I took up my money, and, with my best wishes for his salvation, left the room. Soon after he called for me again, and said, ' You shall have your birthright, if you will stay with me ; and I will give you more wages, and you shall go where you wish to a place of worship. Will you stay with me?' ' Yes,' said I, ' on such terms, except a rise of wages. Let that be as you please. I do not ask it.' ' I will make my observations on you and on your enemies, to see who behave most properly.' So I went on in my duty to my God, and to my master, and to my aged and afflicted mother ; my soul prospered, and I enjoyed good health. "The housekeeper continued to speak against me to my master, and told many false things, but I never spoke against them to him, but reproved them to their faces, going on in my duty to him and to the Lord. I was as a Mordecai in the gate. It came to pass, however, that their conduct became known to him, and it fell upon their own heads, as Avas the case with Haman. The Lord prospered my undertaking on the farm. I took care of the young cattle. As I was feeding the calves at the end of a field, I saw my master coming to me in great haste, and looking angry. When he came near me, he said, in a loud voice, ' John, I have found out your enemies. They fear not God, nor care for my interest. I will discharge them all, and you shall be over all my business, for you only have I found faithful. Old S [the housekeeper] has been making a gallows for you these three years, and now she shall be hanged on it herself. I will go home and give them all notice to go, then I will come to you again.' " Soon after this, he saw his master coming to him again, who said to him, "I now give you the choice of two things: one is to look after my farm and pay my people, with a rise in your wTages; or, secondly, to attend on me and keep accounts, both JOHN STICKLAND. 7 within and without, and I will satisfy you for your services. Let me know in two weeks. * "When I do not ride my horse on Sunday, you take it out of the stable, and ride it to Wareham [to meeting]. I will give you this coat from my hack, which is almost new, and will make you a fine Sunday dress." The servants who had been plotting to effect John's ruin, were soon discharged, and he became the waiter and accoun- tant of his employer, conducting himself with such strict pro- priety and uprightness as to obtain a large place in his affection and confidence. Having neither wife nor child to be his com- panion, he conversed the more freely with John, who had thus opportunities of conveying religious views to his mind, and, there is reason to believe, was made useful to him. Another enemy, however, sprung up in a gardener, who was sometimes employed on the premises, and, being in the filthy habit of smoking tobacco, used to call for frequent draughts of strong beer with his pipes. This, John refused to give him, when the keys came into his hands, because it was his master's property. Offended at his refusal, he sought to prejudice his master against John ; but his efforts turned to his own disad- vantage, and he was himself discharged from the premises. Keeping a single eye to his inward Guide, John prospered in his undertakings, and found favor with his employer. In his diary, John Stickland says : " At Bath I became acquainted with a poor man, a member of the Society of Friends. He said to me, I compare the relating of religious experience, too freely, to a bottle in which is a precious perfume. If the cork be drawn often, the scent will evaporate, and the sweet savor be lost." At the expiration of nearly fourteen years, in Second Month, 1789, his master was affected with paralysis, and on John's going to him, remarked, " I am soon to leave this world, of which I know little, and am going to the world of which I 8 MEMOIR OF know nothing; for which change I am unprepared. I am sorry that I ever discouraged you in religion. I now see there is no such thing as happy living or dying without true religion — I say true religion." " As my master drew near his end, he became more and more attached to me. He was deeply convinced of his fallen state. I feel happy in reflecting on my conduct towards him. There is indeed no real happiness, except we are in Christ, and live to him, and not to ourselves. Reader ! may you so live as to die in the Lord, and be forever happy in his presence. After his interment, and all charges paid, I gave up to my new master the book and balance of all accounts, and had the blessing of a good conscience. He then committed [the farm] East Holme, and all the j)eople and stock into my hands, and I became his bailiff, and had the care of it for about fourteen years after. He came there only occasionally, for a few weeks at a time." The book of expenses, above alluded to, was placed in the hands of an attorney to copy. This man had drawn the will of John Stickland's former master, and persuaded him to let thv, farm and make him (the attorney) the steward for it ; but after the will was executed, he became so uneasy, that he had the attorney called, and altered it so as to provide for J. S., as has already been stated. This circumstance irritated the mind of the attorney, who sought occasion against him, as will be seen by the following narrative. " When the parliament ended that year, J. Bond came to Holme, and informed me of a deficit in my accounts ; saying he had taken the book to his chamber, and had searched it with great care and diligence for two weeks, and found that more than £100 were missing, and that his brother, my master, had likewise examined and found it so. Yet, said he, we do not really suspect you of swindling. I said, 'If there be a fraud, I am the man [who have committed it], for I took and JOHN STICK I,AND. 9 paid all, without the help of any other person, and I have a good conscience.' He said, ' my brother will come soon, when the circuit ends ; ask him for the book, and examine it for yourself.' This report raised fears and perturbation of mind, and I cried unto the Lord for wisdom and direction how to find out the embezzlement ; for I could appeal to him for my innocence in the affair.'' " In a few weeks my master came, and I asked him for the book, which he kindly gave into my hand. I took it aside to trace the copy, and found it right. I then cast up the columns, and found them correct. Then I feared and cried in my heart, Lord ! What shall I do ? The Red Sea is before me, and the Egyptians behind me. I then felt a strong impression of mind, as though a voice said audibly, Oarry over — carry over. I began at once to carry over the columns, and soon found one that was four hundred pounds, but the attorney had carried over only three. Then I proceeded to carry over the other sums, and found another where £14 12s. ~\d. were left back. I went to my ma-ter and said, ' I have found it out.' 1 You have not — you cannot,' said he. I replied, ' I have.' ' I can- not give you credit for it,' said he. 1 Please to see ; here are £400, and the attorney has carried only £300.' ' Ah ! so it is.' he said. 'See again: here are £14 12*. 7 Id. left out of the sum carried over.' 1 So it is,' said master, ' and you are wiser than all of us. Here are five guineas for you, and I will never mistrust you as long as I live.' Soon after, my master's sister- came to see him, and when they saw me, said, 1 We wish vou joy; you have sustained your character.' In like manner every one of the worthy family addressed me, at the first inter- view after my innocence was proved. " But what was yet more gratifying, was a letter my master sent me from London, to say he Mas not coming into the country at this season, and that I was to receive his rents, and if I wanted money on the farm account, I wa« to keep it, and 10 MEMOIR OF send him only what I could spare. He also stated that the attorney was indebted to him such a sum, and I was to call upon him for it. I carried the letter to show the aforesaid attorney my authority, at the sight of which he was greatly agitated, and paid me the money. ' You thought, I suppose,' said I, ' to hang or transport me for cheating my master. But you did not know that I had a Counsellor to teach me, wiser than all the attorneys in the world.' At this he muttered something, and I came away, singing in my heart, the song of Moses: — ' The enemy said, I will pursue ; I will overtake; I will divide the spoil ; my hand shall destroy them ! Thou didst blow with thy wind ; the sea covered them — they sank as lead in the mighty waters. Who is like unto thee, O Lord ; among the gods, who is like unto thee?" " My master, by his abilities and talents, became a great man. I lived under him thirty-three years in all good con- science. For a few years before his death he suffered much, and declined by slow degrees. I cannot recollect a word or action that will plant a thorn in my dying pillow respecting him. For his salvation, I sent up my cries to God, especially when near his end." During the early religious exercise of John Stickland, and before he had attained to an abiding sense of Divine counsel and favor, a person placed in his hands a popish book, the reading of which brought him into much conflict and distress. His mind was greatly agitated with doubts and difficulties which he found himself unable to resolve. But as he honestly endeavored to seek for a knowledge of the Truth as it is in Jesus, He who teaches as never man taught, was pleased to open his understanding, and enable him to see clearly into the errors of that dark delusion. The exercises he had passed through on these subjects prepared him to be useful to others in after life, an instance of which is as follows : JOHN STICK LAND. 11 About the 24th year of his age, he accompanied his first master, Nathaniel Bond, to a meeting of custom-house and excise officers at West Lulworth. At the inn where they quartered he saw some tracts in favor of poj^ery, which the landlady told him belonged to a person who lodged there, and was eagerly endeavoring to propagate his opinions among the neighbors. " We are all such fools here," said she, " that we cannot answer him, but I think you could, and I hope you will. He'll be in by and by, and will be sure to have some- thing to say to you." This brought J. S. under deep concern. He retired to a solitary place among the rocks near the cove, where he earnestly sought the Lord, and asked counsel of Him who has promised both wisdom and utterance to his dependent children in every time of need. " I felt myself," said he, " but a youth and a stripling, unaccustomed to war, while this priest appeared as Goliath. At length I felt assured that the God of Israel, in whom alone I trusted, would be with me to teach me what to say." On his return to the inn, he found the priest in com- pany wTith several of the officers, and he soon challenged J. S. to dispute with him relative to the popish and protestant faith. J. S. proposed that they should have their conversation in some more private and quiet place ; but the priest said, " No place is more suitable than this, that all the company may hear the arguments on both sides." The persons present seemed deeply interested in the discus- sion ; and, by keeping watchful and attentive to the openings of Truth, John was enabled to answer the priest in a satis- factory manner. About the middle of the conversation, one of the officers arose and said : " I wTish I was not obliged to leave — but must beg to offer one remark, which is, that our friend Stickland has both reason and Scripture on his side ; but as for you, (turning to the priest), you have neither." Chagrined at this unlooked-for address, the priest seemed 12 MEMOIR OF troubled, and, before the close of the debate, was quite con- founded. The landlady told afterward, that from that day, the priest left off trying to persuade people into popery ; and never held up his head again while amongst them, saying, lie was tired of his religion, which, in a little while he entirely renounced. In his thirty-sixth year, John Stickland was 'married to Elizabeth Gwyer, a native of Downton in Wilts. In partner- ship with Hannah Beauchamp, she had previously entered into the drapery and grocery business, at Wareham. Though he embarked in this business, he still retained his situation on the farm at East Holme, going and returning daily. His pros- pects of domestic happiness, in his humble sphere of life, were bright, but it pleased his heavenly Father soon to cloud them, for in about eleven months his wife was taken from him. Deeply as he was stricken by this unexpected bereavement, he was afterwards prepared to acknowledge the wisdom and mercy of the dispensation, saying, " I loved her too well; there- fore the Lord took her from me." The flail that strikes hard separates the wheat from the chaff. In 1792, John Stickland was married to Hannah Beau- champ, and they united in endeavoring to seek first the king- dom of heaven. They had five children, whom they were concerned to train up in the fear of the Lord. John had long seen the inconsistency of wearing gay and fashionable attire, with the simplicity of true religion ; and both he and his wife labored to instil into the minds cf their children the duty of self-denial in this respect, adopting for them, upon principle, a plain and simple dress. J. Wesley remarks : " You who are fond of dress, know in your hearts, that it is witli a view to be admired that you thus adorn yourselves, and that you would not be at the pains, were there none to see you but God and his holy angels. O stop, then ! aim at pleasing God alone, and all these ornaments will soon drop off/' No less concerned was J. S. to watch against other things, the tendency of which is to inspire pride and vanity. On sending one of his daughters to school, he charged the governess JOHN STICKLAND. 13 never to call her Miss, observing, " Pride comes fast enough without that." About the year 1794, he believed that his Divine Master called him to engage in the solemn work of the ministry of the Gospel. This brought him into much exercise of soul, under a sense of his own weakness, and the awfulness of the engagement. He was not hasty to enter upon it, but rather disposed to put it by. He had providentially been brought into an acquaintance with Richard C. Brackenbury, a person of considerable estate, who having received, as he believed, a gift in the ministry, thought it right to leave all and travel from place to place, without any view to outward gain, to preach Christ to the people. This man, without any outward information of what was passing in J. S.'s mind, was impressed with the belief that the Lord was calling him into the gospel vineyard, and being led to his house, and brought into much feeling with him, com- municated his impressions. Some time after, R. C. B. was at Poole, and J. S. had a great desire to see him, as he had been an instrument of good to his soul ; but he feared to meet him, lest he should again speak to him about his call to the min- istry, from which he greatly shrunk, and seemed as if he could not be obedient. He however went, and at the close of the morning meeting, R. C. B. gave notice that a friend from the country would hold a meeting there that afternoon. They dined together, and in the course of conversation John asked who the friend was that was to hold the meeting in the after- noon. "You" said the other; "I knew you were coming be- fore I saw you." As this was not known to him by any out- ward information, it struck J. S. with so much force, that he turned pale and could eat no more. Seeing his conflict of mind, Richard said to him, " Go into my chamber and there tell thy great Master what his servant Brackenbury has said to you ; and if he says you are not to go this afternoon, don't go" J. S. retired accordingly, to wait on the great Head of the Church, to know his will ; and, after a season of sweet, silent contrition of heart, in which he poured forth many tears, 14 MEMOIR OF he felt it his duty to go. On his way to the meeting-house, these words were powerfully spoken in his mental ear, Be not afraid of their faces, lest I confound thee before them. After entering it, he says, "All fear of man was taken from me, and the people appeared to me no more than grasshoppers." These words also were brought to his remembrance, " Behold, I have made thee this day a defenced city, and an iron pillar and brazen walls." Speaking, in another place, of going to this meeting, he says, it " was with much previous trembling and fear of man, until the Lord delivered me from it, and then I was bold in spirit." About this time he wrote these lines in his pocket Bible : " How ready is the man to go, Whom God hath never sent ; How timorous, diffident and slow, His chosen instrument. Lord ! if from thee this mark I have Of a true messenger ; By whom thou wilt thy people save And let me always fear." A professed minister one day said to J. S., " Some people say they find it difficult to preach or pray; for my part, I find no difficulty in it, but can pray or preach at any time." He mentioned this to his friend Brackenbury, who replied, " Were such my experience, I should call my whole state in question." John Stickland having engaged in the important work of the ministry, it may not be uninteresting to trace some of his views on the subject. He says, "Christ is the Head of the Church, which is his body. He therefore has the sole prerog- ative, or right and power to call and send whom He pleases to qualify for his work. He calls godly men by his Spirit and by his people to be bishops and deacons in his church. I think such are sometimes called elders, and I read of no other officers appointed by Him. As God is a Holy Spirit, He re- quires us to worship Him with our spirits, taught and assisted by his own Spirit, whether with or without words. But words JOHN STICKLAND. 15 can never please God, except when they are the language of the heart, therefore wicked men can never worship Him accept- ably. And pious men, I think, are in danger of falling into lip service and bodily exercise, which profit nothing, but may deceive the unguarded soul." •'True Gospel ministry may not inaptly be represented as a coin of pure gold from the heavenly treasury, of great value, having on one side the memorable words of our blessed Lord, Without me ye can do nothing; and on the other, Jonah's com- mission, Preach thd preaching that Ibid thee. "I think I have never read in the Bible of any person who read his prayers. I believe Jacob did not. Neither did Abra- ham's servant, for he spake to God in his heart: nor did Han- nah in the temple, for she also spake in her heart, The pub- lican said, God be merciful to me a sinner; and the poor woman only said, Lord help me. None of these had a book to pray from, yet God heard and answered them. The Lord's prayer is very short but comprehensive. I read of some who made long prayers and received the greater condemnation on that account. I remember, when my eyes were opened to see that I was in the high road to destruction, nothing troubled me more than my mocking the Almighty at church, saying about twenty times in one service, 'Lord have mercy upon us' — 'Christ have mercy on us' — 'We beseech thee hear us, good Lord,' &c. "I would be careful, too, not to take his name in vain, by too frecpient mention of it. I have felt quite shocked, under some people's prayers, by their boldness and vain repetition of the Divine name. "Christ is wise enough to be our Teacher, and He has prom- ised to be with his people to the end of the world. Why then should we not trust Him? L'nbelief is the root of formality in worship, deadness in preaching, and dulness in hearing. Yea, it opens the heart to error. For as without faith it is impossi- ble to please God in our conduct, how much more in our wor- ship." On one occasion, and one only, "wishing to be more me- 16 MEMOIR OF thodical in his sermon," he studied it beforehand; but when he went to deliver it, he says he felt like David in Saul's ar- mor, and prayed to be forgiven for the attempt, and he would never do so again. Attending a Friends' meeting at Poole, the silence was broken by a woman who repeated only a short passage of Scripture. The strength and light imparted to his mind were such that he often afterward referred to this pre- cious opportunity as a proof that a few words, with life accom- panying, are more profitable than a long discourse without it, and also that the ministry of women may tend greatly to es- tablish the soul. In vindicating and encouraging the ministry of women, he stood much alone in his neighborhood ; few, if any, of the preachers agreeing with him. He relates the following anec- dote: "I was conversing with a dissenting minister on the ministry of women, when he told me that, some time before, he delivered a discourse against it, from the passage, 'I suffer not a woman to teach.' When the family were called to din- ner that day, one of his daughters tarried behind, being en- gagaged in reading the Bible. I asked her why she came not? She said, "O, father, I am reading something so pretty.' What is it? said I. She replied, ' Paul went into Philip's house, and he had four daughters that did preach? The word in our ver- sion is 'prophesied;' but, said he, I looked at the Greek, and found it should be translated preached. I felt mortified that my own little child should pull down my sermon ; but I per- ceived my error, and hope I shall never speak against women preaching any more." Speaking of preaching, a Friend asked him how he man- aged about going out to hold meetings. " I consider first what is my duty ; — next, how it will look on my dying bed ; — and then I trust in the Lord to give me what to say." It was John's maxim to return good for evil. If he was told, Such an one is your enemy, his reply was, Then I'll try and do him some good. Meeting with a stranger one day, whilst riding on the road, JOHN STICK LAND, 17 they fell into conversation on the planting of trees, a subject with which J. S. was very familiar. Ever watchful to mind the pointings of duty, he felt his mind drawn to refer to the beautiful passage in Isaiah lv. 13: "Instead of the thorn shall come up the fir tree, and instead of the briar shall come up the myrtle tree," &c. ; and to illustrate the two states it represented, and the necessity of a change from the first, or fallen nature, to that of a regenerated Christian. Some time after, he re- ceived, from an unknown hand, a fine myrtle tree, carefully packed, which he set out in a favorite spot in the shrubbery at East Holme, and prized highly. From whom it came re- mained a mystery, till one day he received a message from the principal inn at Wareham, informing that a person there wished to speak with him. The stranger asked if he had re- ceived a myrtle. " Yes," replied he, "but I never knew whence it came." "I sent it," returned the other. "Do you remem- ber seeing me on the road, and speaking to me about the briar and the myrtle? I was then as a thorn and a briar, but now, through grace, I am become a myrtle." It appeared that the communication had left a deep and lasting impression on the mind of the stranger, and produced a happy effect. On one occasion, when John Stickland was preaching at Portland, he felt a stop to that Divine liberty and authority with which he had been favored, and a gentle intimation that it was the proper time to close. But the idea occurred, "What will the people think of my ending so soon?" He was induced to go on longer, and when the meeting closed, a woman said to him, "If you had left off about the middle of your sermon, I should have got some good — but I lost in the last part all I had gained in the first" "Ah," said John, with a heavy sigh, which showed that his conscience was already smiting him, "if I have not preached to you, you have preached to me." The following circumstance illustrates the benefit of silent Avaiting. A number of persons, whose minds had been power- fully awakened, during what is called a revival among the Methodists, found themselves much drawn, after a time, into a state of stillness and inward waiting on God. Finding the 18 MEMOIR OF comfort and benefit of this exercise, they met together for the purpose, which the preacher hearing of, he began to be appre- hensive that, if persisted in, it would lead them to lay aside activity in performances professedly religious. He advised them against it, and reasoned the point, without being able to convince them ; their own experience being more than a full answer to all his arguments. They still continued their silent meetings, and were evidently growing in the root of religion, that inward life which is hid with Christ in God. Pained at his own want of success in producing a change in their views, and hoping to accomplish by an experiment what he could not by words, after setting forth the ridiculous appearance which he thought one of their assemblies would present, sitting in perfect stillness, he said, in substance, " Well, come now, we will hold a silent meeting in the chapel, and you'll see what will come of it — what a dry, dull time it will be.'' Accord- ingly, lit the next meeting, they all sat in silence; there was neither hymn, nor sermon, nor prayer, nor benediction, vocally uttered. But we may well believe that those spiritual wor- shippers, whose souls had oft been strengthened and refreshed in silence, did not sit in listless indifference, but wrestled in spirit for the Divine blessing on the opportunity. Nor was it withheld. After they had remained some time together, the Lord's power broke in upon them in a marvellous manner, contriting their spirits, and bedewing many cheeks with tears. The solemn and precious feeling spread from one to another, until it seemed to cover the whole assembly like a heavenly canopy; and, under its humbling influence, the minister, no longer able to restrain the fulness of his emotions, broke forth, with tears, in these memorable words, " Surely the Lord is in this thing, and I knew it not." With this exception, the meeting continued to its close in silent waiting, and separated under a deep solemnity. In the Fifth Month of the year 1832, his second wife died, a loss which he deeply felt ; but he says, "My comforts under this trouble are, that she is fallen asleep in Christ, and my hope soon to go to her, and to have our part with the meek joiin stick land. 19 followers of the Lamb. Full of concern for her children's eternal happiness, she followed them with her prayers and tears to the latest hour." " Her death was almost sudden. She was very cheerful on the evening of her decease, and we went to bed at our usual hour, but neither of us felt disposed to sleep. She said, ' We cannot sleep ; but if I ever sleep again, I hope to dream of heaven and heavenly things, as I shall not be much longer in this world.' Soon after these words, she became very rest- less, and desired to dress and go down and sit in her chair, which was complied with. I helped her down, and she directly closed her eyes, and fell asleep in Christ, without a sigh or groan." The death of his wife left him very solitary ; he had reached that period of life when temporal enjoyments yield but little satisfaction, yet he had within himself an unfailing source of comfort. The blessed Comforter, promised by our Lord to come to and abide with his disciples, graciously condescended to be present with him, and to solace and sweeten his lonely moments. About this time, he removed into a very lowly cottage, containing only three small rooms, all on the ground floor. But he possessed an humble and contented mind, and had learned how to receive with cheerful and resigned feelings, all that his heavenly Father saw meet to dispense, adopting, as his own, these words : " The little room for me designed, "Will suit as well my easy mind, As palaces of kings." The following extracts from letters were written by J. Stickland, near the close of life. " Oh ! what a comfort to look back on sixty years of my eighty, and call the Almighty the God of my youth, too, and to retaste the comfort of my first love, and to be a child in my old age." 20 MEMOIR OF J.)IIN STICK LAND. "Yet I want a deejjer work of faith, love, and every grace of the good Spirit of the Lord. To 'be holy and without blame before him in love.' — Eph. i. 4. " If any man worship God, and do his will, him he heareth. This, by the help of the Holy Spirit, every Christian can do." Gradually ripening for heaven, this humble servant of the Lord was now descending to the borders of the grave ; and, though the infirmities of age were stealing upon him, yet the fervor of his spirit did not abate. He knew that the daily bread must daily be wrestled for, and he was earnest not to fall into a state of listless ease or cool indifference. His views of the spiritual nature of true religion, and the insufficiency of all outward observances, were strengthened. There was an evident deepening in religious experience, and an increased meetness for the kingdom of heaven. His heart seemed replenished with love to all, and he delighted in that com- munion of spirit with the Source of all good, and with his fel- low believers, which is the privilege and the joy of Christians. His last sickness continued eight months. He was desirous to be released from his earthly tenement, and often prayed his heavenly Father to take him home. Shortly before his de- cease, his daughter asked him if he was quite happy. He replied, "Yes; I have nothing upon my conscience. Re- member, my dear, these words, ' I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.' Hemember that word, never."' He was quite cheerful, but spoke little of the things of this world, his mind seeming almost constantly employed in prayer, or in exhorta- tion to those around him. In the Seventh ?.Ionth, 1836, he quietly departed ; and, in contemplating his circumspect, watchful life, and his peaceful death, we may well adopt the language, " Let me die the death of the righteous, and let my last end be like his." No. 98. BRIEF ACCOUNT OF Robert Barclay, AUTHOR OF A TREATISE ON THE DOCTKINES AND PRINCIPLES OF THE Religious Society of Friends. PHILADELPHIA : PUBLISHED BY THE TRACT ASSOCIATION OF FRIENDS No. 304 Arch Street. 1889. BRIEF ACCOUNT OF ROBERT BARCLAY. Robert Barclay, son of David and Katharine Bar- clay, of Ury, Avas born at Gordonstoun, in the shire of Moray, Scotland, the 23rd of the Tenth Month, 1648. When very young he had the appearance of a promising genius : and, after passing through the best schools of his native country, was sent by his father to the Scottish College at Paris, of which his uncle was the rector. Here he made so great proficiency in his studies, as to gain the notice and particular approbation of the masters of the college ; and became especially a favorite with his uncle, who offered to make him heir to all his property, (which was very considerable,) if he would remain with him. But his father, fearing that he might become tainted with the superstitions of Pop- ery, and in compliance with his mother's dying request, went to Paris in order to bring him home, when he was not much more than sixteen }^ears of age. The uncle still endeavored to prevent his return ; and pro- posed to purchase and give to him immediately an es- tate greater than his paternal one. Robert replied, " He is my father, and must be obeyed." Thus he sacrificed interest to filial duty ; and the uncle, diso- bliged, left his property to the college, and to other Roman Catholic institutions in France. BRIEF ACCOUNT OF ROBERT BARCLAY. 3 Robert Barclay returned to Scotland in 1664 : two years after which, his father became united in member- ship with Friends. So far from endeavors being used to gain over the son to this persuasion, it was the ex- press desire of the parent, that he should have his re- ligion from conviction, rather than from imitation : which accordingly proved the case. For, having freely and extensively visited his relations and friends, in dif- ferent parts of the country, of whatever religious de- nomination, and particularly those of the Roman Cath- olic body ; having also strictly examined how far both their principle and practices were consonant with the Scriptures of truth; he found himself constrained, upon the same ground of real conviction as his father had been, to embrace the same doctrine and course of life. His own explanation of the change appears in the following passage in the u Apology,*' where, speaking of himself, he says, — " \Yho, not by strength of argu- ment, or by a particular disquisition of each doctrine, and convincement of my understanding thereby, came to receive and bear witness to the Truth ; but by being secretly reached by this Life. For, when I came into the silent assemblies of God's people, I felt a secret power amongst them which touched my heart ; and as I gave way unto it, I found the evil weakening in me, and the good raised up : and so I became thus knit and united unto them, hungering more and more after the increase of this power and life, whereby I might find myself perfectly redeemed."' Prop. xi. sect. 7. Some account of his religious experience from his youth, is contained in the succeeding extract, from an- other of his publications, a treatise on " Universal 4 BRIEF ACCOUNT OF Love:" — "My first education from my infancy, fell among the strictest sort of Calvanists ; those of our coun- try being generally acknowledged to be the severest of that sect; in heat of zeal surpassing not only Geneva, from whence they derive their pedigree, but all other reformed churches abroad. I had scarce got out of my childhood, when I was, by permission of Divine Providence, cast among the company of Papists ; and my tender years and immature capacity, not being able to withstand the insinuations that were used to prose- lyte me to that way, I became quickly defiled with the pollutions thereof; and continued so for a time, until it pleased God, through his rich love and mercy, to de- liver me out of those snares, and to give me a clear un- derstanding of the evil of that way. In both these sects I had abundant occasion to receive impressions contrary to this principle of love ; seeing the straight- ness of several of their doctrines, as well as their prac- tice of persecution, do abundantly declare, how opposite they are to universal love. The time that intervened between my forsaking the church of Rome, and unit- ing with those with whom I now stand engaged, I kept myself free from joining any sort of people, though I took liberty to hear several. My converse was most with those, who inveigh much against judging, and such kind of severity : which latitude may perhaps be es- teemed the other extreme, opposite to the preciseness of these other sects ; whereby I also received an oppor- tunity to know, what usually is pretended on that side likewise. As for those I am now united to, I justly es- teem them to be the true followers and servants of Je- sus Christ." ROBERT BARCLAY. 5 In the winter of 1669, Robert Barclay, then about twenty-one years of age, married Christian Mollison, daughter of Gilbert Mollison, a merchant in Aberdeen. It is interesting to observe the motives which appear to have influenced his mind in entering into the marriage state, as they are shown in the following extract from a letter addressed to the object of his choice. " The love of thy converse, the desire of thy friend- ship, the sympathy of thy way, and meekness of thy spirit, has often, as thou mayst have observed, occa- sioned me to take frequent opportunity to have the benefit of thy company ; in which, I can truly say, I have often been refreshed, and the life in me touched with a sweet unity, which flowed from the same in thee, — tender flames of pure love have been kindled in my bosom towards thee, and praises have sprung up in me to the God of our salvation, for what he hath done for thee ! Many things in the natural will concur to strengthen and encourage my affection towards thee, and make thee acceptable unto me ; but that which is before all and beyond all, is, that I can say in the fear of the Lord, that I have received a charge from Him to love thee, and for that I know his love is much towards thee; and his blessing and goodness is and shall be unto thee, so long as thou abidest in a true sense of it/"' Christian Barclay's after life proved that Robert Bar- clay judged correctly of her piety and worth. She was an helpmeet to him, till he was removed by death, and when left a widow, she was as a spiritual nursing mother to her household. We are informed by a Friend, who passed several days under her roof, that 6 BRIEF ACCOUNT OF when her children were up in the morning and dressed, she sat down with them before breakfast, and in a re- ligious manner, waited upon the Lord, " which pious care," he adds, "and motherly instruction of her chil- dren when young, doubtless had its desired effect upon them ; for, as they grew in years, they also grew in knowledge of the blessed Truth ; and since that time, some of them are become public preachers thereof." After Robert Barclay's marriage he settled at Ury, with his father, and whilst residing here, all his publi- cations, together comprising a folio volume of 200 pages, were put forth, when he was between the age of twenty-two and thirty-one years. His time, however, was not all passed in endeavoring to serve the cause of religion with his pen. He believed that he was called, also to take part in the public ministry of the gospel, and in various ways, by the labors he performed, and the sufferings he endured, to promote the spread of truth and righteousness in the earth. Andrew Jaff'ray intimates, that Robert Barclay some- times availed himself of the opportunity, which the na- tional congregations afforded, of promulgating the doc- trines of the Society. His lirst visit to London was probably in 1674. The next year, conjointly with George Keith, he was engaged in a public dispute with some of the students in the university of Aberdeen. Though this dispute did not terminate to the satisfac- tion of the disputants on either side, yet it was attended as is said, with this effect, that it proved the means of convincing four students, who were part of the auditory, of the truth of the principles maintained by Robert Barclay. In 1676, he travelled again to London, on a ROBERT -BARCLAY. 7 religious visi to his friends: and made a similar visit in Holland and Germany. In this journey he com- menced an acquaintance with Elizabeth princess-pala- tine of the Rhine ; with whom, as appears from a letter she wrote to him on his return, he had a conference on religious subjects. After he had completed this visit he returned to London, where he received intelligence of the imprisonment of his father, with some other friends, at Aberdeen. Soon after his return home he was himself imprison- ed ; but he was so tar indulged as to be put into a better prison than the rest. His commitment was on the 7th of the Ninth Month, 1676 ; and in the following month the news of his con- finement reached his friend the princess-palatine, pro- bably with some circumstances of exaggeration, so that she wrote to her brother, the prince Rupert, to inter- cede on behalf of Robert Barclay and his friends, and do what he could "to prevent their destruction." Whilst Robert Barclay lay in the Tolbooth at Aber- deen, his father was again committed to prison and lodged in the lower gaol. He was committed on the 6th of the First Month, 1677, about four months after his son's imprisonment; and on the 17th they were both removed, with three others, to a place out of the town called the Chapel. In this chapel the five prison- ers were confined in a small room, which allowed them little more space than was necessary to hold their beds. It had a large door, which was not opened except when the keeper brought them food; and when it was shut the prisoners had not sufficient light to serve them at their meals. It was usual when the door was opened, 8 BRIEF ACCOUNT OF for a servant to come and sweep out the room ; and because, to make way for him the prisoners occasionally stepped a few paces out of the door, induced also by a desire of breathing for a few minutes a purer air, the magistrate of Aberdeen reprimanded their keeper for allowing so much indulgence. The same magistrate also chid the person who kept the key of their cell, for proposing to let them have a smaller place under their room for the purpose of stowing fuel ; and rejected with indignation a proposal to make another window to their darksome place of confinement. On the 3rd of the Second Month, an order of the commissioners of the Scottish council was made for re- moving David from the chapel, for confining him at his country house, and prohibiting him to hold meetings or to go to them. He was therefore released, but he informed the bearers of the conditions that he accepted his liberty, but that as to restrictions he should act as he saw proper. Robert was ordered to be removed to the Tolbooth of Banff; to which place were also ordered several other prisoners. The sheriff gave him his liberty on condition of his being forth-coming when he should appoint a time to convey him to Banff. A recommendation from the king's council at Edin- burgh had been referred by that body to certain com- missioners appointed for putting into execution some acts of the Scottish parliament, against what was termed " keeping of conventicles and withdrawers from Divine worship;" under which acts the friends at Aberdeen had been persecuted ; and by some of these commis- sioners the decree had been made by which David was liberated and Robert ordered to be removed to Banff. ROBERT BARCLAY. 9 Previously, however, to this decree, the prisoners in general had preferred a petition to the council itself, requesting relief, and stating their sufferings ; which seem to have been even more grievous than those which Robert Barclay and his four companions had endured in the chapel. The council listened to the request; appointed a day in the Third Month for receiving from the commissioners information respecting the condition and circumstances of the prisoners, and ordered, that in the meantime, they should be provided with better ac- commodations. This order of council caused much dispute between the magistrates of Aberdeen and the under-sheriff; the former insisting that the sheriff should take to Banff' such prisoners as had been ordered thither by the decree of the commissioners ; and the latter refusing to convey them, and pressing the magis- trates to accommodate them better in consequence of the council's order, which bore a date subsequent to the commissioner's decree. The contention grew violent, and each party entered formal protests at law against the neglect of the other. Robert Barclay, also, and the other prisoners who had been ordered to be taken to Banff, being, as has been said, at large, on their parole, and seeing that neither of the contending parties would take charge of them, went before a notary and pro- tested, " that themselves were freemen, and should pass away about their lawful occasions." Thus did Robert Barclay regain his liberty the 9th of Second Month, 1677, after an imprisonment of about five months. Xot many days before, he had written a letter to Archbishop Sharp, remonstrating in very plain terms against these persecuting measures, of which the Arch- 10 BRIEF ACCOUNT OF bishop (he observes) was " said to be the chief and principal author." The year in which Robert Barclay was released from prison he accompanied William Penn in a part of the religions visit to Holland and Germany, of which there is an account published by the latter. After a short stay at Amsterdam, they proceeded to Herwerden, the residence of Elizabeth the princess-palatine. The prin- cipal object of their journey thither was to visit this princess and Anna Maria de Homes, countess of Homes, who was her intimate acquaintance, who resided much in her house, and was, as well as herself, a woman seek- ing after the best things, and a favorer of such (says William Penn,) as separate themselves from the world, for the sake of righteousness. They were received by the princess and her friend, the day after their arrival, about seven in the morning. Their visit appears to have been a religious meeting, which lasted till eleven. The princess invited them to dine with her, which they declined ; but as they desired another meeting, she appointed two o'clock in the afternoon. At this meeting several were present besides the princess and countess. It continued till near seven in the evening. William Penn thus speaks of it : " The eternal word showed itself a hammer this day ; yea, sharper than a two-edged sword, dividing asunder between the soul and the spirit, the joints and the marrow." The following day they paid two visits at this little court; and the day after, which was the first day of the week, they held there a meeting appointed at two o'clock by the direction of the princess; at which were ROBERT BARCLAY. 11 present others besides those of her household. Among other things, William Perm says of this meeting : " The quickening power and life of Jesus wrought and reached them ; and virtue from him in whom dwelleth the Godhead bodily, went forth." After this meeting, which held till late in the evening, the visitors took their leave ; but not before they had been witnesses of the tender disposition of mind of the princess, who, attempting to set forth her sense of the power and presence of God prevalent among them, could not pro- ceed, but turned herself to the window and said : " My heart is full, I cannot speak to you." The next day Robert Barclay left the company, and returned to Am- sterdam, and so home by way of London. In the Ninth Month, 1679, he was again taken, with several other Friends, from the meeting at Aberdeen, and committed to prison. This confinement was not only of short duration, as they were released in about three hours, but it proved the last on this account ; for from that period the religious meetings of Friends at Aberdeen were held without any molestation from the magistrates. The well known interest which Robert Barclay possessed at court, might in part restrain them from further persecution ; and the con- stancy of the sufferers could scarcely fail of producing an effect favorable to the end for which they suffered ; the liberty of assembling to worship God, in the way they believed to be most acceptable to Him. The remainder of the life of Robert Barclay is not marked with many instances of public action. Much of it appears to have been passed in tranquillity, and in the bosom of his family; yet he occasionally made some 12 BRIEF ACCOUNT OF journeys to promote his private concerns, to serve his relations and neighbors, or to maintain the cause of his brethren in religious profession. On his return from a journey to the neighborhood of London, where he had been settling his son at boarding school, kept by a friend, at Theobalds in Hertfordshire, his life appears to have been in some danger from the attack of a high- wayman. His wife had observed him in the morning to be more pensive than usual, and he told her that he believed some uncommon trial would that day befall the company, which consisted of himself, his wife, her brother, and Aarent Sonmans, a Dutchman, formerly a merchant in Holland, but then resident in Scotland. When the robber presented his pistol, Eobert Barclay calmly asked him " how he came to be so rude," and took him by the arm, on which the robber let the pistol drop, and offered him no farther violence ; but his brother-in-law was rifled, and Sonmans received a mortal wound in the thigh, though it was thought, rather accidentally than by design. He died at Stilton a few days afterwards. In 1686 he was much solicited by George Fox and some other Friends who knew his interest at court, to come again to London and employ himself on behalf of the Society. Though the juncture in which this application was made, was not a time of persecution (for that had ceased on the accession of James II.) yet the legal incapacity of Friends in consequence of their refusing to swear; and the ruinous processes which were generally instituted against them for tithes, even of small amount ; together with the little security which they felt, whilst the penal laws were only suspended by ROBERT BARCLAY. 13 a power which they knew to be incompetent ; all these considerations naturally induced them to desire that their case might rest on a surer basis. During the time of Robert Barclay's abode in the metropolis he presented to the king an address of acknowledgment of the general meeting of Friends at Aberdeen. He also visited the seven bishops, then con- fined in the Tower for having refused to distribute, in their respective dioceses, the king's declaration for liberty of conscience, and for having represented to the king the grounds of their objection to the measure. The popular opinion was in favor of the Bishops; yet the former severities of some of that order against dis- senters, particularly against Friends, occasioned some reflections on them, which coming to the knowledge of the imprisoned bishops, they declared that the Quakers had belied them, by reporting that they had been the death of some. Eobert Barclay being informed of this declaration went to the Tower and gave the bishops a well substantiated account of some persons having been detained in prison till death, by order of bishops, though they had been apprised of the danger by phy- sicians who were not Quakers. He, however, observed to the bishops that it was by no means the intention of Friends to publish such events, and thereby give the king and their other adversaries any advantage against them. After having visited James the Second in London for the last time, in 1688, he spent the remainder of his life chiefly at home, where he enjoyed the esteem and regard of his neighbors, and the comforts of domestic society. In the year 1690 he accompanied James Dickinson, 14 BRIEF ACCOUNT OF a minister from Cumberland, in a religious visit to some parts of the north of Scotland, and soon after his return from this visit was seized with a violent fever, which in a short time put an end to his life. James Dickinson was with him at the time of his ill- ness. It was a solemn season : and as he. sat by him, the Lord's power and presence bowed their hearts together, and Robert Barclay was sweetly melted in a sense of God's love. Though much oppressed by the disorder, a resigned, peaceful, and Christian frame of mind shone through all. With tears, he expressed the love he bore towards " all faithful brethren in England, who keep their integrity to the Truth," and added, " Remember my love to Friends in Cumberland, at Swarthmore, and to dear George (meaning George Fox), and to all the faithful everywhere," concluding with these comfortable words: " God is good still; and though I am under a great weight of sickness and weakness as to my body, yet my peace flows. And this I know, that whatever exercises may be permitted to come upon me, they shall tend to God's glory and my salvation, and in that I rest." He died on the 3rd of the Eighth Month, 1690, in the 42d year of his age, the remains being attended to the grave in the family burial-place at Ury, by many Friends and others of the neighborhood. William Penn, who was intimately acquainted with Robert Barclay, and had travelled with him in the min- istry of the Gospel both in England and on the conti- nent of Europe, bears this testimony concerning him : " He loved the truth and way of God as revealed among us, above all the world, and was not ashamed of it ROBERT BARCLAY. 15 before men ; but bold and able in maintaining it. He was a learned man, a good Christian, an able minister, a dutiful son, a loving husband, a tender and careful father, an easy master, a good and kind neighbor and friend." George Fox says, " He was a wise and faithful min- ister, a pillar in the Church of Christ, a man I very much loved for his labor in the Truth." Equally full and clear is the testimony borne of him by some of his own neighbors and countrymen ; one says, " I never knew him at any time to be in passion or anger. He was a man of a sweet, pleasant and cheerful temper, and above many for evenness of spirit." Another says, " He was so far from being lifted up, or exalted by the great gifts he had received from his Maker, both in the Truth, and as a man, that I can say, I have often desired to grow in the plain, down- right, humble and lowly spirit, wherein he became as weak with the weakest, and poor with the poorest, and low with the lowest." His first appearance as an author was as early as his twenty-second year, in a controversy between " the Friends in Aberdeen and some of the Clergy;" the limits of this tract will only permit the notice of his principal works — the Apology, and two or three others, of like general tendency. Though dealing more in argument than in narrative, yet his Writings contain much encouragement to sin- cere hearted persons, travelling through the temptations of time to the rewards of eternity. His Catechism and Confession of Faith has gone through many editions in English, and several in other 16 BRIEF ACCOUNT OF languages. The first edition is that of 1673. The Society of Friends had been represented as vilifying and denying the Scriptures ; " to disprove which," says Barclay, addressing himself to the reader, " this Cate- chism and Confession of Faith are compiled and brought to thy view — in answer to the questions,'" there is not one word, that I know of, placed, but the express words of Scripture." We may next notice " The Anarchy of the Ranters, and other libertines, the Hierarchy of the Romanists, and other pretended churches, equally refused and refuted ; in a two-fold apology for the church and people of God called in derision Quakers." The work has passed through several impressions, and an addi- tional title prefixed, namely,. " A Treatise on Christian Discipline." It is well worthy of a general perusal. His most important work is entitled " An Apology for the true Christian divinity, as the same is held forth, and preached, by the people called in scorn Quakers ; being a full explanation and vindication of their prin- ciples and doctrines, by many arguments deduced from Scriptures and right reason, and the testimonies of famous authors, both ancient and modern ; with a full answer to the strongest objections usually made against them. Presented to the king." In this work, fifteen prop- ositions which he had previously published under the title of Theses Theologies, are examined and proved. The author's general method is, to state clearly the position which he is about to prove ; afterwards to adduce one or more Scripture texts, which either plainly affirm the truth of what he has laid down, or from which it may be naturally, fairly and clearly deduced by an argument. ROBERT BARCLAY. 17 He afterwards adds the testimonies of other authors of approved reputation in support of the doctrine which he is proving; and lastly states the objections to it that have been made, or that might be made ; which he likewise answers from Scripture, or from self-evident truths, acknowledged by all. On the subject of the first proposition, our author asserts that the true foundation of knowledge consists in being acquainted with God ; an assertion which, as he supposes it will generally be granted, he does not stop long to explain. Immediate revelation is held up in the second proposition ; and Barclay not only shows the necessity of it, for obtaining that true knowledge which is mentioned in the first; but proves that the doctrine was held by the early teachers of Christianity; and that the revelation for which he pleads, is only to be obtained in and by Christ, through the Spirit. This part of the Apology also contains (§5.) Robert Barclay's faith as to the eternal divinity of Christ. The Apologist begins the third proposition, treating of the Scriptures, with declaring them to be the most excellent writings in the world: to which not only no other writings are to be preferred, but even in divers respects are not comparable. Nevertheless, he asserts that it is the Spirit that must apply them for our benefit, and must still be the primary rule of Christians. He then guards against the common objection, that hereby the Scriptures are rendered useless ; and shows that, as they have proceeded from the revelation of the Divine ' Spirit in the writers, they can never be contradicted by the revelation of the same Spirit in the mind of any. He is willing that all doctrines and practices should be 18 BRIEF ACCOUNT OF tried by them ; and that whatever any persons pretend- ing to the Spirit, do contrary to the Scriptures, should be taken for delusion. In the fourth proposition are unfolded the views of the Society of Friends respecting the State of man in the fall. He denies the imputation of sin to infants, on account of Adam's transgression, until they join with the seed of evil in themselves by their own aetual sin, and declares that they cannot derive from their fallen progenitor any power to overcome it. A seed of sin he confesses to be transmitted to all men from Adam ; but, he prefers to call it by the Scriptural terms of Death, the old man, the old Adam, rather than by the Calvinistic term of Original Sin: which notion he thinks has given rise to that of imputing sin to infants. In the two following propositions, the fifth and sixth, which are considered jointly, our author shows the means of man's restoration from the fall ; and ably asserts Universal redemption by Christ, and the saving and spiritual light wherewith every man is enlightened. He begins with some short, yet sharp strictures on the doctrine ef Absolute reprobation, which he successfully opposes ; and proves the universality of Christ's death, and the consequent possibility of salvation to all. The author lays it down that God, who, of his infinite love, sent his Son into the world, who tasted death for every man, hath given to every man a time of visitation, during which he may partake of the fruits of Christ's death. Secondly, that, to this end God hath given to every man a measure of the light of his own son — a measure of grace — a measure of the Spirit. Thirdly, that God, in and by this light, invites, calls, exhorts ROBERT BARCLAY. 19 and strives with every man, in order to save him ; which liffht received and not resisted, works the salva- tion of all ; but, that it may he resisted, and then it becomes man's condemnation. Having thus shown that man eo-operates in the work of his salvation, he guards against derogating from the atonement and sac- rifice of Christ ; asserts belief in all that is recorded of him in -Scripture; and that remission of sins is only by virtue of that most satisfactory sacrifice. Justification forms the matter for the seventh propo- sition, in which he cautions all against supposing them- selves justified by virtue of Christ's death, while they remain unsanctified in heart, and polluted with sin. The doctrine of the eighth proposition has been much opposed. It asserts the possibility of Perfection in this life; which perfection is defined to consist in a freedom from actual sinning, and from transgressing the law of God. It is a state which admits of a growth ; and from which there is a possibility of falling. The doctrine of those who plead for the impossibility of perfection, and for the continuance in sin during life, is opposed at length. The ninth proposition respects Perseverance, and the possibility of falling from grace. On these subjects the author's judgment may, in great measure, be inferred from what precedes. Accordingly, he is short in this part of the Apology; and his sense is, that the truth lies betwixt these two extremes, viz., the doctrine of such as affirm that the least degree of true and saving grace cannot be fallen from ; and that of those who deny any such stability attainable, as that there can be no total and final apostacg from it. 20 BRIEF ACCOUNT OF In the tenth proposition, we meet with a subject on which the Society of Friends have appeared to differ more from other professors of Christianity than on most other points, namely Gospel ministry. After ex- plaining his sense of what constitutes the Church, which he defines to be the Society of such as God has called out of the worldly spirit, to walk in his light and life, he shows what is the call of a true minister, asserting it to be the inward power and virtue of the Spirit of God ; and rejects the notion of succession from the apostles. Having established the call, he lays down the qualifi- cation of a minister, of which he asserts human learning to form no necessary part ; but places all in the power, life and virtue of the Holy Spirit. Lastly, he maintains that the true ministers should not, cannot, teach for lu re ; and opposes the practice of a forced maintenance. This is a very interesting part of the Apology, and teems with able arguments drawn both from the letter and the spirit of the Bible. Worship is spoken of in the eleventh proposition. True worship is referred to an inward feeling of rever- ence and devotion, to the exclusion of all ceremonies which may be set about in the will of man. The author, nevertheless, takes care to assert the necessity of meeting at stated times for worship; but that when assembled, the great duty of all is to wait to feel the Lord's presence, and to know indeed a gathering into his name. The twelfth and thirteenth propositions are employed on, what are termed the two sacraments, Baptism and the Supper. Baptism with water is declared not to be the one true baptism of Christ ; which is proved to be ROBERT BARCLAY. 21 inward and spiritual, according to the text, me- OF ISAAC PENINGTOX. 9 trhzt of his hnly Spirit and power; discovering and drawing from that which is contrary to him, and into his holy nature and heavenly image. And then, as the mind is joined to this, some- what is received, some true life, some true light, some true dis- cerning; which the creature not exceeding, but abiding in the measure of, is safe. But it is easy erring from this, but hard abiding with it, and not going before its leadings. But he that feels life, and begins in life, doth he not begin safely ? And he that waits and fears, and goes on no further than his captain goes before him, doth he not proceed safely ? Yea, very safely, even till he cometh to be so settled and established in the virtue, demonstration, and power of Truth, as nothing can prevail to shake him. Now, blessed be the Lord, there are many at this day, who can truly and faithfully witness, that they have been brought by the Lord to this state. And thus have we learned of the Lord : to wit, not by the high striving, aspiring mind ; but by lying low, and being contented with a little. If but a crumb of bread, (yet if bread,) if but a drop of water, (yet if water,) we have been contented with it, and also thankful to the Lord for it : nor by thoughtfulness, and wise searching, and deep considering with our own wisdom and reason have we obtained it; but in the still, meek, and humble waiting, have we found that brought into the death, which is not to know the mysteries of God's kingdom ; and that which is to live, made alive, and increase in life. Therefore he that would truly know the Lord, let him take heed of his own reason and understanding. I tried this way very far, for I considered most seriously and uprightly. I prayed, I read the Scriptures, I earnestly desired to understand and find out, whether that which this people, called Quakers, testified of, was the only way and truth of God, as they seemed to me but to pretend ; but for all this, prejudices multiplied upon me, and strong reasonings against them, which appeared to me as unanswerable. But when the Lord revealed his seed in me, and touched my heart therewith, which administered true life and virtue to me, I presently felt them there, the children of the Most High, and so grown xfp in his life, power, and holy dominion, (as the inward eye, being opened by the Lord, sees,) as drew forth from me great reverence of heart, and praises to the Lord, who had so appeared among men, in these latter days. And as God draweth, in any respect, oh ! give up in faithfulness to him. Despise the shame, take up the cross; for indeed it is a way which is very cross to man, and which his wisdom will exceedingly be ashamed of; but that must be denied and turned from, and the secret, sensible drawings of God's spirit waited for, and given up to. Mind people, he that will come into the 10 EXTRACTS FROM THE WRITINGS new covenant, must come into the obedience of it. The light of life, which God hath hid in the heart, is the covenant; ana from this covenant God doth not give knowledge, to satisfy the vast, aspiring, comprehending wisdom of man ; but living know- ledge, to feed that which is quickened by him ; which knowledge is given in the obedience, and is very sweet and precious to the state of him that knows how to feed upon it. Yea, truly, this is of a very excellent, pure, precious nature ; and a little of it weighs down that great, vast knowledge, in the comprehending part, Which man's spirit and nature so much prizeth and presseth after. And truly, friends, I witness at this day, a great difference between the sweetness of comprehending the knowledge of things, as expressed in the Scriptures, (this I fed much on for- merly,) and tasting the hidden life, the hidden manna in the heart, which is my food now, blessed forever be the Lord, my God and Saviour. Oh ! that others had a true, certain and sen- sible taste of the life, virtue, and goodness of the Lord, as it is revealed there ! Surely it could not but kindle the true hunger, and inflame the true thirst ; which can never be satisfied but by the true bread, and by water from the living fountain. This the Lord, in the tenderness of his love, and in the riches of his grace and mercy hath brought us to; and this we earnestly and uprightly desire and endeavour, that others may be brought to also ; that they may rightly in the true silence of the flesh, and in the pure stillness of spirit, wait for, and in the Lord's due time, receive that which answers the desire of the awakened mind and soul, and satisfies it with the true, precious substance, forevermore. Amen. Oh ! I have known it to be a bitter thing to follow this wis- dom [carnal wisdom] in understanding of Scriptures, in remem- bering of Scriptures, in remembering of experiences, and in many more inward ways of workings, that many cannot bear to hear. The Lord hath judged me for that, and I have borne the burden and condemnation of that, which many at this day wear as their crown. And now, wliat am I at length ? A poor worm ! Whom can I warn effectually? Whom can I help ? Whom can I stop from running into the pit ? But though I am nothing, I must speak, for the Lord draweth and moveth me; and how unserviceable soever my pity be, yet my bowels cannot but roll, both towards those that are in misery, and those that are running into misery. I am a lover of mankind in general, and have been a deep sufferer with and travailer for, all the miserable. None knows the path of my sorrows, or the extent of my bowels, but he that OF ISAAC PEXIXGTOX. 11 made me. It is not natural, or kindly to me, to upbraid an\ man with any kind of wickedness, or ever so justly deserved misery ; but my bowels work concerning him towards the spring of eternal power and compassions : even as I would be pitied, and represented to the Father of mercies in the like condition. Indeed I have been emptied from vessel to vessel, and tossea with multitudes of storms and tempests; yet the savour of my life remaineth with me to this day, and the Spirit of my God breathed on my heart; blessed be his holy name forever! And though I walk with one sort of people, because my heart saith, yea, the Spirit of the eternal God hath witnessed unto me and shown me in that light which cannot be deceived, that they are the people, whom he hath chosen out of all the gatherings throughout the earth, from the apostacy, to manifest his power in, and his presence among : I say, though I have been guided, and led by the Spirit of the Lord to walk among these ; yet I am not bounded there, either in the love, or in the unity of my heart; but I have unity with the integrity and zeal for God which is in others, of wThat sort or gathering soever; and I have tender bowels for all, even for those which hate and persecute that which is my life, and hath the love of my heart forever. Oh ! how have I prayed for the lost world ! For all the souls of mankind : how hath my soul bowed in unutterable breathings of spirit before my God, and could not be silenced, until he quieted my spirit in the righteousness and excellency of his will, and bid me leave it to him. Of Certainty, and Rightly Grounded Assurance in Matters of Religion . There is a witness of and from God, in every conscience ; which in his light, power, and authority, witnesseth for him, and against that which is contrary to him, as he pleaseth to move upon it, visiting and drawing the hearts of the sons of men by it. From this witness proceeds the true and well grounded re- ligion in the mind towards God ; for this witness both testifieth and demonstrated that there is a God, and also inclineth the mind to desire and seek after the right knowledge and true wor- ship of him. And such who keep to this witness, and wait upon God therein, are taught by it, the true spiritual worship ; the true and pure fear of the Most High; the faith which he giveth to his saints; the love which is chaste and unfeigned; the hope which purifieth the mind and anchors it on the eternal rock; the meekness, patience, gentleness, humility, &c. which is not 12 EXTRACTS F.ROM THE WRITINGS man's nature, but the gift of God, and the nature of the heavenly Giver. And then for exercises of religion, as praying to the Father of spirits, hearing the heavenly voice, reading in the spirit, and with the renewed understanding, singing and making melody in the heart to the Lord, as his life is felt, and the spiritual bless- ings and treasure received ; all these, and whatever else is judged necessary for the soul, are taught by this witness of God in the conscience, as the soul groweth up in the light, spirit, nature, and holy power thereof. But now when the Lord reacheth to his witness in men, and is teaching their hearts by it, then the enemy, the other spirit, whose seat is in the other part, keepeth a noise there to overbear the voice of the witness, and to make men take up a religion in another part, which is shallow, and reacheth not to the depth and weight of truth, which is in the witness of God, and which the witness of God, gives to them that come thither. Thus, the enemy stirreth up reasonings, imaginations, and consultations, about God, and his worship; wherein he raiseth up the vain, shallow mind, forging and bringing forth somewhat pleasing and suitable to the earthly understanding ; taking up the mind therewith, and engaging the heart in some such prac- tices therefrom, as may quiet and satisfy that part in men. For the ways that men take up in their reasonings and understand- ings, satisfy their reasonings and understandings; and so they walk in the light of the sparks, and warm themselves by the fire of their own kindling ; but all this answers not the witness of God in them, nor will be approved by his light in their own consciences, when it conies again to be revealed and made mani- fest in them. This was the ground of the error both of the Jews and Gentiles. Now, from this part in man ariseth all the uncertainty, and doubts, and dissatisfaction about religion. And hence arise the opinions, and judgments, and reasonings, in the minds of men : yea, indeed, the best of men's religion here, is but an opinion or judgment, which the breath of God's Spirit will shake and dissolve every where, sooner or later. All flesh is grass; and all the beauty of men's knowledge, religion, and worship here, will wither like grass. All the buildings and churches that are raised here, how beautiful soever, are but Babylon, built by man's understanding, by man's knowledge, by man's compre- hension, by man's wisdom, by man's skill, and indeed in man's will and time; and their standing, beauty, strength and glory, is but from man, and in man's day, and will fade away like a flower. But the true certainty is in the day of God, from the OF ISAAC PEX1XGTON. 13 light of his Spirit shining into man's spirit, from God's inward reaching to his heart by his power, and testifying his truth there. A.nd this, all the powers of darkness cannot prevail against in itself; no, nor against that man that is kept to it. For it is the rock, the only rock upon which the whole church is built, and which cannot fail to preserve every member of the church which is built upou it Extracts from an Article entitled, "Some Directions to the Panting Soul." " Come unto me, all ye that labour, and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me, for I am meek and lowly in heart, and ye shall find rest unto your souls; for my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." In the Gospel, which is " the power of God unto salvation," is the soul's rest. It is the doctrine of the kingdom, wherein is life, joy, peace, and everlasting rest to the soul in God. Christ hath plainly pointed out the path of his rest to every weary, panting soul, which he that walketh in, cannot miss of. He hath made the way plain in the gospel; so plain, that the way-faring man, though a fool, yet keeping to the light of the gospel, cannot err therein, or miss of the blessed rest thereof. How is it? Why, "come unto me; take my yoke upon you, and learn of me." He that walketh in this path, cannot miss of it: the rest is at the end of it, nay, the rest is in it: u he that belie veth, entereth into the rest." The true faith, the faith which stands in the power, and which is given to the birth which is born from above, is the substance of the rest hoped for, and there is a true taste and some enjoyment of it given to him that truly believeth. There is no rest to the soul to be enjo}'ed in the gospel from under the yoke. This stands eternally : that which 3Tokes down that which would be at ease and liberty out of the life, that is the soul's true rest; there is no other; and under the yoke it is enjoyed, and not otherwise ; only when that which is to be yoked down, is consumed and destroyed, it is then no longer a yoke, but perfect liberty. But the same thing which is the liberty, is the yoke ; and under the 3*oke, the sweetness, the ease, the lighrsomeness, the safe possession of the life is enjoyed. Mark this therefore diligently : the yoke is not one thing, and the liberty another ; but one and the same. The power of God, the life everlasting, the pure light, the divine nature, is a yoke to the transgressing nature ; but it is the ease, the pleasure, thp 14 EXTRACTS FROM THE WRITINGS rest, the peace, th joy, the natural centre of that which is born ,f God. Ah ! do not iu ngine an 'I talk away the rest and salvation of thy soul. The gospel-stace is a state of substance, a state of en- joying the life, a state of feeling the presence and power of the Lord in his pure Holy Spirit, a state of binding up, a state of healing, a state of knowing the Lord, and walking with him in the light of his own Spirit. It begins in a sweet, powerful touch of life ; and there is a growth in the life, in the power, in the divine virtue, in the rest, peace, and satisfaction of the soul in God, to be administered and waited for daily. Now art thou here, in the living power, in the divine life, joined to the spring of life, drawing water of life out of the well of life with joy : Or art thou dry, dead, barren, sapless, or at best but unsatis- fiedly mourning after what thou wantest. Well, ye that are dry, dead, barren, as it were without tli3 living God, that know not the shining of his sun, nor the de- scending of his dews from <^n high on his tend ;r plants, nor the care, diligence, and circumspection of the husbandman over I'is husbandry : Oh ! wait for the quickening virtue, for the visita- tions of the day-spring from on high ! that ye may be quickened again to God, that ye may find his life visiting you, his Spirit breathing upon you, that the seed of Jacob may be raised in you, to travel out of this barren state, even out of this land of darkness, and from under the shadow of death, to the land where life lives and flourishes, and daily distributeth plentiful nourish- ment and refreshment to all its offspring, who are taught to wait for it, and to feed on it in the holy place, out of the sight of the eye of the fleshly wisdom. " Strait is the gate, narrow is the way, that leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it." The way of unbelief is broad, yea, the way of belief is broad also. It is easy for a man so to believe concerning Christ, or in Christ, as his heart may call it, as to miss of the nature of the true faith, and of the sweet and blessed effects which accompany it. It is one thing to mourn after a gospel-state, but another thing to be brought into it by the power. With my heart I own those that mourn after, and feel the want of God, wherever they are ) but this I know cer- tainly, that they can never come to the enjoyment of him, but in that living path which the Scriptures testify of, to be in him who is the life, and which his Spirit is now found manifestly leading into: blessed be his name. Thou that wouldst enjoy thy beloved, and feel the rest of his gospel, and walk in that path which leads thereto, wait to learn of the Spirit. OP ISAAC PENIKGTOH". 15 1. Know what it is that is to walk in the path of life, and indeed is alone capable of walking therein. It is that which groans, and which mourns; that which is begotten of God in thee. The path of life is for the seed of life. The true know- ledge of the way, with the walking in the way, is reserved for God's child, for God's traveller. Therefore keep in the regen- eration, keep in the birth ; be no more than God hath made thee. Give over thine own willing; give over thine own run- ning; give over thine own desiring to kuow, or to be any thing, and sink down to the seed which God sows in the heart; and let that grow in thee, and be in thee, and breathe in thee, and act in thee, and thou shalt find by sweet experience, that the Lord knows that, and loves and owns that, and will lead it to the inheritance of life, which is his portion. And as thou takest up the cross to thyself, and sufferest that to overspread and be- come a yoke over thee, thou shalt become renewed, and enjoj life, and everlasting inheritance in that. Watch against the selfish wisdom, in every step of thy growth, and in every spiritual motion, that that come not between thev and thy life ; that that deceive thee not with a likeness, a shadow, making it appear more pleasing to the eye than the substancb. Every step of thy way it will be laying baits for thee; an<2 it is easy for deceit to enter thee at any time, and for thaw wisdom to get up in thee under an appearance of spiritual wis- dom, unless the Lord tenderly and powerfully preserve thee . aud if it prevail, it will lead thee from the path of true wisdom , It will cozen thee with a false faith, instead of the true faith ; with false praying instead of the breathings of the true child ; with diligence and zeal in thy false way, instead of the true zeal and diligence ; yea, it will hurry thee on in the path of error, shutting that eye in thee, which should see, and hardening thy heart against thy bosom friend. Let nothing judge in thee, concerning thine own heart, or concerning others, or concerning any way or truth of God, but only the begotten of God in the heart. Let the light in which thou art begotten to God, and which shines upon his begotten, be the only judge in thee, and then thou canst not err in judg- ment. Be not hasty, be not forward in judgment; keep back to the life, still waiting for the appearance and openings of the life. A few steps, fetched in the life and power of God, are much si.i'er and sweeter than a hasty progress in the hasty, forward spirit. Indeed this is true religion, to feel God beginning the work, tjd to wait on him for his carrying it on. The feeling of God'a Spirit beginning somewhat in the heart, the heart's waiting on Lira for more of his Spirit, and walking with him in his Spirit, 16 EXTRACTS FROM THE WRITINGS as he pleaseth to quicken, lead, draw, and strengthen ; this is the spiritual and true religion : and there is no duty or ordi- nance of the gospel out of the Spirit : but it is easy crying up and observing the likeness of any of them out of the Spirit, into which observance, a strange spirit easily enters; and then that which was of God in the heart, soon withers, and a contrary building is raised, and the state of the heart changed. Oh ! wait on the Lord, that he may give you to understand these things; for the apostacy from God is very deep, and most pro- voking where it is most inward and spiritual. Quest. But how may I know and keep to the begotten of God, and to the light and power of the Lord, and keep down the fleshly wisdom and comprehension concerning the things of God? Ans. When God begets life in the heart, there is a savour of it in thy vessel, and a secret, living warmth and virtue, which the heart in some measure feels, whereby it is known. Lie low in the fear of the Most High, that this leaven may grow and increase in thee. This is the leaven of the kingdom ; this is it which must change thy heart and nature, and make thy vessel, which perhaps hath been long and much corrupted, fit to receive the treasure of the kingdom. Now while the savour is upon thee, while the virtue of the life is fresh in thee, thou findest some strength towards God, with some little taste and discerning of the things of his kingdom. Know thy weakness, and go not beyond thy measure ; but in what thou hast received, bow be- fore the fulness, worship God in that, and be patient in what he exercises thee withal, waiting for more from him. And when tiie night comes upon thee, and thou perhaps art at a loss, miss- ing the savour and presence of the life, and not knowing how to come by it again, be patient and still, and thou wilt find breath- ings" after a fresh visitation, and a meek, humble, broken spirit before the Lord. Thou wilt see thou canst do nothing to re- cover his presence again; nay, thou canst not so much as wait for him, or breathe after him, without his help; but he is nigh to the poor, nigh to the broken, nigh to the distressed, nigh to the helpless. Oh ! do not, with thy fleshly cries and roarings, think to awaken thy beloved before his season; but, in the night of distress, feel after somewhat which may quiet and stay thy heart till the next springing of the day. The sun will arise, which will scatter the clouds; and he is near thee, who will give thee to hope that thou shalt yet see God, and find again the quickenings and leadings of his Spirit. And in the day of his power, thou wilt find strength to walk with him; yea, in tb« day of thy weakness his grace will be sufficient for thee; and lie OF ISAAC PENIKGTON. 17 will irirtmo thc2 up in his life by his pure Spirit, causing thoe to grow under his shadow ; and he will be teaching thee to live, and to speak, and to move, and act from the principle, and within the compass of his light and life eternal. Only be not wise to natch the notion of things into the earthly part, where the moth can corrupt, and where the thief can break through and steal; but know the divine treasury, where all the things of life are treasured up by the Spirit, and handed forth to the living child, with fresh life according to its need of them. And thus thy heart being kept close to God, and thy spiritual senses contin- ually exercised about the things of God, it will be easy to thee to know the Shepherd's voice, and to distinguish the sound 0/ the Spirit in thine own heart. The beginning of life eternal i= in a higher principle than man can come at. Man's wisdom and knowledge of the things of God, is but brutish before it. As thou comest into that principle, abidest and growest in that prin- ciple, thou art beyond man's judgment, and art able to judge ui'.n, and fathom his wThole course as with a span. Extracts from a Treatise, "Concerning the Worship of the Living God." As the worship is spiritual, so is the place where it is to be cffercd. It is to be offered in the spirit; that is the place. ])ivers living stones, meeting together, every one retiring in spirit into the living name, into the power which begat them, they all meet in one and the same place, in one and the same power, in one and the same fountain of life ; and here they bow down to the Father of life, offering up living sacrifices to him, and feeding in the rich pastures of his infinite fulness. Quest. What is the worship, or what are the sacrifices, which the true worshippers offer up to God in this holy place? Arts. The gifts of his spirit. These they offer up, and nothing else. The breathings which the Father gives into the heart of the child, they are breathed back unto him, in the same spirit of life; in the living sense, in the quickening power. Nothing of man's wisdom, nothing of man's invention, nothing according to man's will, nothing that would please the flesh, or seem glo- rious in its eye, is offered up here; but the exhortations, or directions, or reproofs that spring up in God's light, in God' a wisdom, they are given forth in the leadings, and by the gui- dance of his Spirit, and they reach to the hearts of those to whom he pleaseth to direct them. The seasons of the true worship stand iu the will of GchL 18 EXTRACTS FROM THE WRITINGS They are gifts, and the time of them stands in the will of the giver. Prayer is a gift.. A man cannot pray when he will ; but he is to watch and to wait, when the Father will kindle in him living breathings towards himself. So the word of God, whether of exhortation or instruction, is a gift, which is to be waited for, and then to be given forth in the life and strength of that Spirit which caused it to spring. Indeed it is an hard matter either to speak the word of the Lord, or to hear aright the word of the Lord. A man may easily speak what he invents, and another may easily hear and judge of such words; but to speak the word of life, requires the tongue of the learned in the language of God's Spirit ; and to hear the word of life, requires a quickened ear; and to know the times and seasons of the Spirit, requires both being begotten of the Spirit, and being acquainted with it. Our worship is a deep exercise of our spirits before the Lord, which doth not consist in an exercising the natural part or natural mind, either to hear or speak words, or in praying according to what we of ourselves can apprehend or compre- hend concerning our needs; but we wait, in silence of the fleshly part, to hear with the new ear what God shall please to speak inwardly in our own hearts, or outwardly through others, who speak with the new tongue, which he unlooseth, and teacheth to speak ; and we pray in the Spirit, and with the new understanding, as God pleaseth to quicken, draw forth, and open our hearts towards himself. Thus our minds being gath- ered into the measure, or gift of grace, which is by Jesus Christ, here we appear before God ; and here our God and his Christ is witnessed in the midst of us. This is that gathering in the name, which the promise is to; where we meet together, waiting with one consent on the Father of life, bowing and con- fessing to him in the name of his Son ; and that fleshly part, that fleshly understanding, that fleshly wisdom, tUat fleshly will, which will not br^- iss p.lmuied down and kept under by the power of life, which God stretcheth forth over it, and subdueth it by. Silent Meetings. This is a great mystery, hid from the eye of man, who is run from the inward life into outward observations. He cannot see either that this is required by the Lord of his people, or any edification therein, or benefit thereby ; but to the mind that is drawn inward, the{ thing is plain; and the building up hereby OF ISAAC PENIS GTON. 19 in the life of God, and fellowship one with another therein, is sweetly felt ; and precious refreshment from the presence of the Lord received by them, who singly herein wait upon him ac- cording to the leadings and requirings of his Holy Spirit. After the mind is in some measure turned to the Lord, his quickenings felt, his seed beginning to arise and spring up in the heart, then the flesh is to be silent before him, and the soul to wait upon him, and for his further appearings, in that measure of life which is already revealed. Now in this measure of life, which is of Christ, an/1 in which Christ is, and appears to the soul, there is the power of life and death ; power to kill to the flesh, and power to quicken to God ; power to cause the soul to cease from its own workings, and power to work in and for the soul, what God requires, and what is acceptable in his sight. And in this, God is to be waited upon and worshipped continually, both in private and in public, according as his Spirit draws and teaches. Fo/ the Lord requireth of his people, not only to worship him apart, but to meet together to worship him ; and they that are taught of him dare not forsake the assembling of themseives together, as the manner of some is; but watch against the temptations and snares, which the enemy lays to deceive them therefrom, and to disturb their sense by, that they might not feel the drawings of the Father thereuuto. And this is the manner of their worship. They are to wait upon the Lord, to meet in the silence of flesh, and to watch for the stirrings of his life, and the breaking forth of his power amongst them. And in the breakings forth of that power, they may pray, speak, exhort, rebuke, &c, according as the Spirit teaches, requires, and gives utterance. But if the Spirit do not require to speak, and give to utter, then every one is to sit still in his place, — in his heavenly place I mean, — feeling his own measure, feeding thereupon, receiving therefrom, into his spirit, what the Lord giveth. Now in this is edifying, pure edifying, precious edifying ; his soul who thus waits, is hereby particu- larly edified by the Spirit of the Lord at every meeting. And theu also there is the life of the whole felt in every vessel that is turned to its measure ; insomuch as the warmth of life in each \e_-sel doth not only warm the particular, but they are like an heap of fresh and living coals, warming one another, insomuch as a great strength, freshness, and vigour of life flows into all And if any be burthened, tempted, buffeted by Satan, bowed down, overborne, languishing, afflicted, distressed, &c, the estate of such is felt in spirit, and secret cries, or open, as the Lord pleaseth, ascend up to the Lord for them; and they, macy 20 EXTRACTS FROM THE WRITINGS times find ease and relief in a few words spoken, or without words, if it be the season of their help and relief with the Lord. For absolutely silent meetings, wherein there is a resolution not to speak, we know not; but we wait on the Lord, either to feel him in words, or in silence of spirit without words, as he pleaseth. And that which we aim at, and are instructed to by the Spirit of the Lord as to silent meetings, k, that the flesh in every one be kept silent, and that there be no building up, but in the Spirit and power of the Lord. Now there are several states of people : some feel little of the Lord's presence, but feel temptations and thoughts, with many wanderings and rovings of mind. These are not yet acquainted with the power, or at least know not its dominion, but rather feel dominion of the evil over the good in them : and this is a sore travailing and mournful state ; and meetings to such as these, many times, may seem to themselves rather for the worse than for the better. Yet even these, turning, as much as may be, from such things, and cleaving, or at least in truth of heart desiring to cleave, to that which disliketh or witnesseth against them, have acceptance with the Lord herein ; and continuing to wait in this trouble and distress, keeping close to meetings in fear and subjection to the Lord who requireth it, though with little appearing benefit, do reap an hidden benefit at present, and shall reap a more clear and manifest benefit afterwards, as the Lord wasteth and weareth out that in them, wherein the dark- ness hath its strength. God is to be worshipped in spirit, in his own power and life, and this is at his own disposal. His church is a gathering in the Spirit. If any man speak there, he must speak as the oracle of God, as the vessel out of which God speaks; as the trumpet out of which he gives the sound. Therefore there is to be a waiting in silence, till the Spirit of the Lord move to speak, and also to give words to speak. For a man is not to speak his own words, or in his own wisdom or time ; but the Spirit's words, in the Spirit's wisdom and time, which is when he moves and gives to speak. Yea, the ministry of the spirit and life is more close and immediate when without words, than when with words, as has been often felt, and is faithfully testi- fied by many witnesses. Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither hath entered into the heart of man, how, and what things God reveals to his children by his Spirit, when they Avait upon him in his pure fear, and worship and converse with him in spirit ; for then the fountain of the great deep is unsealed, and the everlasting springs surely give up the pure and living water. OF ISAAC PEXIXGTON. 21 Prayer. True prayer is the breathing of I be child to the l ather which begat it, from the sense of its wants, for the supply of those wants. " The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou nearest the sound thereof; but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth ; so is every one that is born of the Spirit." John iii. 8. God, by the breath of his Spirit, begets a man out of the spirit and likeness of this world, into his own image and likeness. He that is thus begotten, wants nourishment, wants divine warmth, the breasts of consolation, the clothing of the Spirit, the garment of salvation j wants the bread of life to feed on ; wants the water of life to drink j wants strengtn against the enemy's assaults, wisdom against his snares and temptations ; wants the arm of the Deliverer to preserve and carry on the work of redemption daily; wants faith to deny the fleshly wisdom, that so he may trust and feel the virtue of the ?rm of the Deliverer j wants hope, patience, meekness, a clear guidance, an upright heart to follow after the Lord ; yea, very many are the daily wants of that which is begotten by the breath of God, in its state of weakness, until it be drawn up into the unity of the body, where the full communion with the life is felt, the heart satisfied, and the wants drowned. Now the breathing of this child to the Father from the sense of these wants for his supply, that is, prayer; nay, though it be but a groan, or sigh, which cannot be uttered, or expressed; yet that is prayer, true prayer, which hath an acceptance with the Lord, and receiveth a gracious answer from him. In watching daily to the Spirit, the child is kept sensible of the will of the Father, and in his light he sees the way wherein he is to walk he sees also the enemy when he is coming, yea, and the snares he is privily laying, and he feels his own weakness to withstand or escape : and in this sense his heart cries to the Father of spirits for preservation. And thus watching to the Spirit, the life of a Christian is a continual course of prayer; he pray* continually. Now as the Father teacheth to pray, so he giveth desires or words, if he please, according to the present need. Sometimes he gives but ability to sigh or groan ; if he gives no more, he accepts that. Sometimes he gives strong breathings and plenty of words to pour out the soul in before the Lord. But if a man should catch those words, and lay them up against another time, and offer them up to God in his own will, this would be but will-worship and abomination. This I have known experi- mentally, and have felt the wrath of God for it. That io prayer, EXTRACTS FItOM THE WHITINGS which conies fresh from the Spirit ; and that is a true desire which the Spirit begets; but the affections and sparks of man's kindling please not the Lord, nor do they conduce to the soul's rest, but will end in the bed of sorrow. Now, if the prayer be in words, — for there is a praying without words, — then it must be in those words which he pleaseth to give, from the sense which he kindleth, and not in the words which man's wisdom teach- eth, or would choose to use. And indeed in the true religion, and in every exercise of it, man's wisdom is kept out, aud nailed to the cross; by which meaus, the immortal life is raised, and grows in the true disciple. So mark: prayer is wholly out of the will of the creature, wholly out of the time of the creature, wholly out of the power of the creature ; in the Spirit of the Father, who is the fountain of life, and giveth forth breathings of life to his child at his pleasure. Concerning the Cross of Christ. This I have experienced concerning the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ; that it is an inward and spiritual thing, pro- ducing inward and spiritual efFectc in the mind ; and that this is it, even that which slays the enmity in the mind, and crucifies to the world, and the affections thereof. " God forbid," said the Apostle, " that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, whereby the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world." Now mark ; that which is contrary to the world, and crucifies to the world, that is the cross. The cross hath this power, and nothing else; and so there is nothing else to glory in. The wisdom of God is contrary, and a foolish thing to the wisdom of man. Yea, the new creature, which springs from God's Holy Spirit, is contrary and death to the old. Now he that conies hither, out of his own wisdom, out of his owrn will, out of his own thoughts, out of his own reason- ings; and comes to a discerning of God's Spirit, and to the feeling of his begetting of life in his heart, and his stirrings and movings in the life which he hath begotten, and wraits here; he is taught to deny himself, and to join to, and take up that by which Christ daily crosseth and subdueth in him that which is contrary to God. It will make truth, life, holiness, righteous- ness, faith, obedience, meekness, patience, love, separation from sin, communion with the Lord, and all the fruits of the Spirit, as natural to them in the renewed state, as ever sin was in the corrupt state. And in that state they shall be able to say with OF ISAAC PENINGTON. 23 Paul, who once complained of his captivity, and that he did what he hated ; yet after he had known the power of the cross> mad was crucified with Christ, he could then do nothing against the truth ; yea, then being a conqueror, having overcome the enemies which stood in his way, he could do all things through Christ that strengthened him. The cause of so many com- plaints and bowings down of the head, and going mourning because of the prevailings of the enemy, through temptations, sin and corruption, is, because the cross of Christ, whir-h is the power of God, which is his ordinance against the strength of the enemy, is either not knowu, or not taken up. And this is the reason that many that make a fair show for a while, yet after- wards come to nothing, but are like untimely figs, or like corn upon the house-tops, which hastily springeth up, but soon withereth, because they either never rightly learn, or keep not to the cross. For that alone hath power from God, to bring down and keep down that which is contrary to him. So that, from under the cross of Christ, there is no witnessing salvation or preservation from the Lord; but out of the limits of the cross, the enemy hath power to recover and bring back under his dominion again. And whoever, in his travels, leaves the cross behind him, does draw back unto perdition, and not travel on, in the living faith, and newness of obedience, towards the salvation of the soul. Most men that have felt any thing of God, cannot but desire his life and power; but most fly the cross, wherein it hath chosen to appear ; and so they can never meet with it, but are still complaining for the want of it : for under the cross the seed grows up and flourishes, and the flesh withers and dies. And as the power of flesh and death wastes, so the power of spirit and life increases. Eegeneration. It is an inward change, by the Spirit and power of the living God, into his own nature. It is a being begotten of his Spirit ; born of his Spirit ; begotten into, and born of the very nature of his Spirit : " That which is born of the Spirit, is spirit." John iii. It is not every change of mind which is the right change ; but only that, which God, by the very same power wherewith he raised our Lord Jesus Christ from the grave, makes in the hearts of those whom he visits; who are sensiblb of, receive, and arc subject to his inward life, light and power. 24 EXTRACTS FROM THE WRITINGS Concerning Making our Calling and Election Sure. How may a man make his calling and election sure ? Arts. By making the gift of God sure to him ; by making that sure to him wherein his calling and election is. For the choice is of the seed, the holy seed, the inward seed, the seed of God's Spirit, and of the creature as joined to the seed.- God would have none to perish ; but would have all come to the knowledge of Christ, the truth, who is the seed, in whom the election stands : and his holy advice to men is, whom he begins to call and to lead towards the election, " to make their calling and election sure." So that the way of making the calling and election sure is, to make the gift sure, the seed sure, the leaven sure, the pearl sure, which God will never reject, nor any that are found in union with it, and in the love and obedience of it. Oh ! therefore, as God visits with power, with his powerful gift, and as thou receivest power, dominion, and authority over sin, for in this gift is God's dominion and authority revealed, be faithful to the gift, be faithful to the power, give up to the truth in the inward parts, come into it, dwell in it, that thou maycst feel its virtue and delivering nature from every enslaving and embondaging thing; and then stand fast in the liberty wherewith Christ the Lord, by the life, virtue, and power of his truth, sets thee free. And so here thou wilt read thy calling, and read thy election day by day ; and find them sealed, and sure to thee, in that truth, in that gift, in that heavenly light, in that holy seed, which came from God, and is of him, and which he delights to own, and will never reject. There is no man perisheth for want of power; for there is power in the free gift which comes upon all. There is power in it to quicken, to give faith, to preserve in the faith, to do all that is to be done in the soul ; and it doth all every where, as it findeth place and entertainment in the soul. But man re- fuseth, man loveth the darkness, hateth the light, shutteth his eyes against it, withdraweth his heart from it, and so beateth back the purpose and counsel of God's love and good-will towards him. Had there not been somewhat near every man, which had more power in it than sin had, they might have had some plea before the Lord ; but the presence of this, the power of this, the working of this in every heart, more or less, leaves all men without excuse, and clears the free giver and his free gift in tfee balance of righteousness. For this gift of his is faithful to every man upon the face of the earth, never consenting to his iniquities and transgressions in any kind, but still testifying OF ISAAC PENINGTON. 25 against them as the Lord pleaseth to open its mouth. But who hath believed its report 'i and to whom hath the arm of the Lord been revealed ? This visitation of grace is to all man- kind, there being none upon earth whom the Lord doth not thus seek and visit with the light of his eternal life, thus administered through grace. As concerning election itself, observe this; that it is in Christ, and not out of him. For it was the intent of God to honour his Son, even as his Son honoured him : and this was the honour which God gave him : u That he should be his salvation to the ends of the earth j that whosoever believed on him should not perish, but have ever- lasting life." That he should be the way for all mankind to come to the Father through faith in him : " that as in Adam all died, so in Christ all might be made alive/' "He hath mercy on whom he will have mercy; and whom he will, he hard- eneth." But that he hardeneth any, without first giving them d day of mercy, and visitations of mercy, following them with mercy, and forbearing them in mercy ; and so by the riches of his goodness, forbearance and long-suffering, leading them to repentance, thU they might escape his wrath, and the dread of his powerful vengeance, because of sin : I say, that God hardens any before he hath dealt thus with them, from a mere will in himself, because he would destroy the most and fax greatest part of men ; this the Scriptures no where testify to, but abundantly testify against. Concerning the Mystery of Life, and the Mystery of the fellowship Therein. God is hid from man, as he lies in his sinful and fallen state : and no man can find or know him, but as he pleaseth to reveal himself by his own blessed Spirit. And Christ being God's image, there is no knowing or confessing him, or right calling him Lord, but in and by the same Spirit. — 1 Cor. xii. 3. He is not to be known now, but in the same Spirit; in his own grace and truth, in a measure of his own life. The dead cannot know him : they only know him, who are his sheep, who are quickened and made alive by him. And this life is a mystery; iione can understand it, but they that partake of it. Can a man that is naturally dead, know what the life of nature means ? Ho more can a man that is spiritually dead, know what the life of the Spirit means. The natural man may get the words that came from life, and cry up them, and speak great word* nf the fame of wisdom, and of her children ; but the thing itself 20 EXTRACTS FUOM THE WRITINGS is hid from them all. Oh ! it is a straight gate at which th« birth, the spiritual life enters, at which none else can enter. The wise and prudent knowers and searchers after the flesh, and of the Scriptures, as they can put meanings upon them, and comprehend them, are shut out in every age; but there is a babe born of naked truth, born of the pure simplicity, ad- mitted by Grod, while men disdain and despise it. And the fellowship of the Saints is in the life, and in the light, which is this mystery. The fellowship is. not outward, but inward. All they that meet together in the outward place, are not in the fellowship, or worship; but only they that meet together in the inward life and spirit. " They that worship the Father, must worship him in spirit and in truth." Look, there is the worship, there are the worshippers; they that are in the spirit, in the truth ; they that meet in the spirit, in the truth, they meet together in one spiritual place And so we own no man after the flesh, no man according to the appearance; but in the righteous judgment of the spirit, those only who are of the spirit. Indeed we are tender, where there is the least beginning of the work of God in any heart; yea, where there is but so much as a conviction of the understand- ing; but men are not presently of us, who own our principle in words or outward appearance, but only such as are inwardly changed thereby in the heart. It is true, persons may walk among us, and afterwards go out from us, who were never of us, as it was in the Apostle's days, that were never in the fellow- ship of life with us, whom we could never own in the sight of the Lord, as being born of him ; though we were willing to wait and watch for their good, that they might come to witness the true birth. Now from such come the offences, even from the falling off' of such as were never truly ingrafted, and also from the slips of such, who are not watchful to that which preserves. And woe is to the world, because of the offences which cannot but come. For they which are to be approved in the sight of the Lord, must not somewhat or other happen to make them manifest ? And when they are made manifest, the world's eye is offended, and is apt to think hardly of, and reproach the truth itself, because of them. Blessed is the eye which sees into the mystery, into the life, itself, where there is no offence. Truth is one and the same forever. But if the Lord hath taught a man, opened the same eye in him that he opened in others, and brought him into unity and uuifonnity with the Church, in the practices which the Lord hath taught it; and he afterwards let in another spirit, and fall from these practices, and judge the very church itself for con No 100.— 3 OF ISAAC PENINGTON. 27 tinuing in them ; may not the church testify to this person, that he is erred from his guide, hath lost the light in himself, and so judgeth amiss, both concerning himself, and concerning the church of God ? This hath been the state of some who went out from among us formerly, and may also be the state of some who go out from us now. For as there is one that gathers to the true church ; so there is another that endeavours to draw and scatter from it, and then to cause men to turn head against it, as if it were not of God, but apostatized from the Spirit and principle of *Truth, which indeed is their own state and con- dition in God's sight. The enemy is very subtle and watchful, and there is danger to Israel all along, both in the poverty and in the riches ; but the greater danger is in the riches : because then man is apt to forget God, and to lose somewhat of the sense of his depend- ence, which keeps the soul low and safe in the life ; and also to suffer somewhat of exaltation to creep upon him, which pre- sently in a degree, corrupts and betrays him. The heart thai is in any measure lifted up in itself, so far it is not upright in the Lord. Let every one feel this, waiting to be preserved, and praying for those who are most beautified by gifts and abilities from the life ; because in this respect, and at this time, their danger is greatest. When Israel is poor, low, weak, trembling, seeing no loveliness nor worthiness in himself, but depending upon the mere mercy and tender bowels of the Lord in the free covenant of his love, &c, then is Israel safe. But when he hath a being* given him in the life, and is richly adorned with the ornaments of life, and comes to have the power itself in his hand to make use of, then is he in more dauge'r of being somewhat of himself, and of forgetting him that formed him ; being apt to make use of his gifts without such an immediate sense of the Giver, as he had in his trembling and weak estate ; and so of departing out of that humble, tender, abased, contrite state, and temper of spirit, wherein he was stiii preserved. Spiritual Unity. What is Spiritual Unity? Jlns. The meeting of the same spiritual nature in divers, in one and the same spiritual centre or streams of life. When the spirits or souls of creatures are begotten by one power, into one life, and meet in heart there ; so far as they thus meet, there is true unity among them. Tho doing the same thing, the thinking the same thing, the speaking 28 EXTRACTS FROM THE WRITINGS the same thing ; tins doth not unite here in this state, in this nature ; but only the doing, or thinking, or speaking of it in the same life. Yea, though the doings, or thoughts, or words be divers ; yet if they proceed'from the same [divine] principle and nature, there is a true unity felt therein, where the life alone is judge- How is the unity preserved? ./Ins. Only by abiding in the life ; only by keeping to the power, and in the principle, from whence the unity sprang, and in which it stands. Here is a knitting of natures, and a fellowship in the same spiritual centre. Here the divers and different motions of several members in the body, thiia coming from the life and spirit of the body, are known to, and owned by, the same life, where it is fresh and sensible. It is not keeping up an outward knowledge or belief concerning things, that unites, nor keeping up an outward con- formity in actions, &e.; for these may be held and done by another part in man, and in another nature ; but it is by keeping and acting in that which did at first unite. In this there is neither matter nor room for division ; and he that is within these limits, cannot but be found in the oneness. How is the unity interrupt- ed ? Jlns. By the interposition of any thing of a different nature or spirit from the life. When any thing of the earthly or sensual part comes between the soul and the life, this interrupts the soul's unity with the life itself ; and it also interrupts its unity with the life in others, and the unity of the life in others with it. Any thing of the man's spirit, of the man's wisdom, of the man's will, not bowed down and brought into subjection, and so not coming forth in and uuder the authority and guidance of life, in this is somewhat of the nature of division ; yea, the very knowledge of truth, and holding it forth by man's wisdom, and in his will, out of the movings and power of life, brings a damp upon the life, and interrupts the unity ; for the life in others cannot unite with this in spirit, though it may own the words to be true. How may unity be recovered, if at any time decaying? Jlns. In the Lord alone is the recovery of Israel, from any degree of loss in any kind, at any time ; who alone can teach to retire into, and to be found in that wherein the unity is and stands, and into which division cannot enter. This is the way of restoring unity to Israel, upon the sense of any want thereof; even every one, through the Lord's help, retiring in his own particular, and furthering the retirings of others to the principle of life, that every one there may feel the washing from what hath in any measure corrupted, and the new begetting into the power of life. From this the true and lasting unity will spring amain, to the gladdening of all hearts that know the sweetness of it, and wHo f OF ISAAC PEXINGTON. 29 eannot but naturally and most earnestly desire it. Oh ! raarX therefore ! the way is not by striving to beget into one and the same apprehension concerning things, nor by endeavoring to bring into one and the same practice; but by alluring and drawing into that wherein the unity consists, and which brings it forth in the vessels, which are seasoned therewith, and ordered thereby. And from this, let all wait for the daily new and liv- ing knowledge, and for the ordering of their conversations and practices in that light, and drawings thereof, and in that sim- plicity and integrity of heart, which the spirit of life at present holdeth forth and worketh in them ; and the life will be felt and the name of the Lord praised in all the tents of Jacob, and through all the inhabitants of his Israel ; and there will be but one heart, and one soul, and one spirit, and one mind, and one way and power of life ; and what is already wrought in every heart, the Lord will be acknowledged in, and his name praised; and the Lord's season contentedly waited for his filling up ot what is wanting any where. And unity in the life is the ground of true brotherly love and fellowship. Not that another man walks just as I do; but though he be weaker or stronger, yet he walks by the same prin- ciple of light, and is felt in the same spirit of life, which guideth both the weak and the strong, in their several ranks, order, proper way, and place of subjection, to that one Spirit of life and truth, which all are to be subject to. Nay, he that is truly spiritual and strong in the light aud Spirit of the Lord, cannot desire that the weak should walk just as he does; but only as they are strengthened, taught, and led thereunto by the same spirit that strengthened, taught, and led him. Quest. How may I come to the seed ; and how may I wait aright to feel and receive the power which, raiseth it? Jlns. Mind that in thee which searcheth the heart, and what it reach- eth to, and quickeneth in thee; what it draweth thee from, and what it draweth thee to; how it showeth thee thine own inability to follow, and how it giveth ability when thou art weary of toil- ing and labouring of thyself. Oh ! this is he whom we waited for ! Thus he appeared to us ; thus he taught us to turn in, and to turn from the kingdom of darkness within, towards the kingdom of light, which the good Seedsman had sown in us as a grain of mustard seed; which when we found, we knew it to be the pearl of price, and were made willing to sell all for it. 0, hungering and thirsting soul after life, after truth, after the Lamb's righteousness, do thou also wait to be taught of the Lord, who thus taught us, and then do thou go and do so like- 30 EXTRACTS FROM THE WRITINGS wise, and thou wilt never repent of this purchase, or what thoa partest with for it, when once thou comest to enjoy and possess any portion of it. Brief Extracts from a few Letters Conveying "Weighty, Edifying Counsel. It is of the infinite mercy and compassion of the Lord, that his pure love visiteth any of us, and it is by the preservation thereof alone, that we stand. If he leave us at any time, but one moment, what are we ? In the truth itself, in the living power and virtue, there is no offence ; but that part which is not perfectly redeemed, hath still matter for the temptation to work upon, and may be taken in the snare. Let him that stands, take heed lest he fall ; and, in the bowels of pity, mourn over and wait for the restoring of him that is fallen. That which is bo apt to be offended, is the same with that which falls. 0, know the weakness of the creature in the withdrawings of the life, and the strength of the enemy in that hour, and the free grace and mercy which alone can preserve. When the pure springs of life open in the heart, immediately the enemy watcheth his opportunity to get entrance ; and many times finds entrance soon after, the soul little fearing or suspect- ing him, having lately felt such mighty unconquerable strength; and yet how often then doth he get in, and smite the life down to the ground ; and what may he not do with the creature, un- less the L®rd graciously help. Friends, — Be not discouraged because of your souls' enemies. Are ye troubled with thoughts, fears, doubts, imaginations, rea- sonings, &c; yea, do you see yet much in you unsubdued to the power of life ? 0, do not fear it ; do not look at it, so as to be discouraged by it; but look to him j look up to the power which is over all their strength ; wait for the descendings of the power upon you; abide in the faith of the Lord's help; and wait in the patience till the Lord arise ; and see if his arm do not scatter, what yours could not. So be still before him, and in stillness believe in his name ; yea, enter not into the hurryings of the enemy, though they fill the soul ; for there is yet some- what to which they cannot enter, from whence patience, and faith, and hope, will spring up in you, in the midst of all that they can do. So into this sink ; in this be hid in the evil hour ; and the temptations will pass away, and the tempter's strength be broken, and the arm of the Lord which brake him, revealed^ No. 100.— 3* OF ISAAC PENIXGTON. 31 and then ye shall see, that he raised but a sea of troub'.e in your souls, to sink himself by; and the Lord will throw the horse and his rider, which trampled upon and rode over the just ia you into that sea; and ye shall stand upon the bank, and sing the song of Moses to him that drowned him, and delivered you from him ; and in due season ye shall sing the song of the Lamb also, when his life springs up in you in his pure domin- ion; triumphing over death, and all that is contrary to God, both within and without. Now, friends, in a sensible waiting and giving up to the Lord, »n the daily exercise, by the daily cross to that in you, which is not of the life, this work will daily go on, and ye will feel from the Lord that which will help, relieve, refresh, and satisfy, which neither tongue nor wrords can utter. And then, as to what may befal us outwardly, in this con- fused state of things, shall we not trust our tender Father, and rest satisfied in his will? Are we not engraven in his heart, and on the palms of his hands, and can he forget us in any thing that he doeth ? Yea, shall he not bear up the mind, and be our strength, portion, armour, rock, peace, joy, and full satis- faction, in every condition ? For it is not the condition makes miserable, but the want of him in the condition : he is the sub- stance of all, the virtue of all, the life of all, the power of all ; he nourisheth, he preserveth, he upholds, with the creatures or without the creatures, as it pleaseth him ; and he that hath him, he that is with him, he that is in him, cannot want, Hath the spirit of this world content in all that it enjoys? No: it is restless, it. is unsatisfied. But can tribulation, distress, persecu- tion, famine, nakedness, peril or sword, come between the love of the Father to the* child, or the child's rest, content aud de- light in his love ? And doth uot the love, the peace, the joy, the rest felt, swallow up all the bitterness and sorrow of the outwrard condition ? So let us not look out like the world, or judge or fear according to the appearance of things, after the manner of the world; but sanctify the Lord of hosts in our hearts, and let him be our fear and dread, and he shall be an hiding-place unto us in the storms, and in the tempests which are coming thick upon the earth. Concerning Love. [Divine Love.] What shall I say of it, or how shall I in words express its nature! It is the sweetness of life; it is the sweet, tender, melting nature of God, flowing up through his seed of life into 32 EXTRACTS FROM THE WRITINGS OF ISAAC PENINGTON. the creature, and of all things making the creature most like unto himself, both in nature and operation. It fulfils the Law, it fulfils the Gospel j it wraps up all in one, and brings forth all in the oneness. It excludes all evil out of the heart, it perfects all good in the heart. A touch of love doth this in measure ; perfect love doth this in fulness. But how can I proceed to speak of it ! Oh ! that the souls of all that fear and wait on the Lord, might feel its nature fully; and then would they not fail of its sweet overcoming operations, both towards one another, and towards enemies. The great heajing, the great conquest, the great salvation, is reserved for the full manifestation of the love of God. His judgments, his cuttings, his hewings by the word of his mouth, are but to prepare for, but not to do, the great work of raising up the sweet building of his life ; which is to be done in love, and m peace, and by the power thereof. And this my soul waits and cries after, even the full springing up of eternal love in my heart, and in the swallowing of me wholly into it, and the bringing of my soul wholly forth in it, that the life of God, in its own perfect sweetness, may fully run forth through this vessel, and not to be at all tinctured by the vessel, but perfectly tincture and change the vessel into its own nature : and then shall no fault be found in my soul before the Lord, but the spotless life be fully enjoyed by me, and become a perfectly pleasant sacrifice to my God. 0 ! how sweet is love ! how pleasant is its nature ! how takingly doth it behave itself in every condition, upon every occasion, to every person, and about every thing ! How tenderly, how readily, doth it help and serve the meanest ! How patiently, ho"W meekly, doth it bear all things, either from God or man, how unexpectedly so- ever they come, or how hard soever they seem ! How doth it believe, how doth it hope, how doth it excuse, how doth it cover even that which seemeth not to be excusable, and not fit to be covered ! How kind is it even in its interpretations and charges concerning miscarriages ! It never overchargeth, it never grates upon the spirit of him whom it reprehends; it never hardens, it never provokes; but carrieth a meltingness and power of con- viction with it. This is the nature of God; this, in the vessels capacitated to receive and bring it forth in its glory, the power of enmity is not able to stand against, but falls before, and is overcome by it. No. 101. A PROPER USE OF RICHES EXEMPLIFIED IX THE Life of Richard Reynolds. PHILADELPHIA: POLISHED BY THE TRACT ASSOCIATION OF FRIENDS, No. 304 Arch Street. 1887. A PROPER USE OF RICHES EXEMPLIFIED IN THE Life of Richard Reynolds. Richard Reynolds was born in the year 1735, in Bristol, England. He received but a limited education, but improved his mind in mature life by judicious reading, and by the large intercourse with men into which his business led him. He was allied by marriage with a family concerned in the manufacture of iron, in the west of England, and grew rich by the prodi- gious extension and prosperity of that branch of industry. At the age of fifty he retired from active business to the city of Bristol, where he spent much of the remainder of his life in efforts to promote the welfare of his fellow-creatures. He had four almoners constantly employed in Bristol, who brought their accounts to him every week, which contained the names of each person or family who had been relieved, the sum given and the circumstances. In the year 1795 he ad- dressed a letter to some friends in London, stating the impres- sion made on his mind by the distresses of the community ; and desiring that they would draw upon him for such sums as they might think proper. They complied with his request, and drew in a very short time to the extent of £11,000. In the course of a few months he wrote again, and stated that his mind was not easy and that his coffers were still too full. In consequence of this information, they drew for £9,000 more. With such extensive liberality, he was not lavish of his bounty ; but regulated his donations with great judgment. When applied to on behalf of the distressed, he studied not A PROPER USE OF RICHES, ETC. 3 only how to discriminate between the deserving and the im- posing applicant, but how he could render his charitable dona- tions the most extensively beneficial. He was generous in all his private transactions, and paid over large sums rather than allow the most remote possibility of error in the settlement of an account. In one instance where he held shares in an undertaking, by which the con- tracting party for its construction was a loser, he did not choose to be the possessor of a property for which he considered he had not paid the cost, and he paid to the contractor the propor- tion of the excess which attached not only to the shares which he originally held, but to those which he subsequently pur- chased. Not the least to be appreciated was the consideration and delicacy with which he assisted many persons who were not ostensibly objects of charity, (to use this word in its common sense,) and many who, through relationship or other ties of personal interest, or estimable conduct, were felt by him to have claims on his kindness and generosity. He kept a minute and accurate account of this portion, as of every other of his expenditure, but he contrived so to enter the sums which he gave away, that no one could learn their precise determination. Possessed of an annual income of many thousands, his style of living remained perfectly simple ; there was every needful and substantial comfort, and an open-handed readiness to pro- vide for the enjoyment as well as convenience of those who shared his hospitality ; yet without display, or indulgence in luxuries: hence, but a small proportion of his income was spent upon himself — the remainder flowed in the continuous and bountiful stream of a well-regulated and catholic benevo- lence. He made it his constant practice, from religious principle, to spend the whole of his income. While receiving the heart- felt expressions of gratitude of those who had the opportunity of personally thanking him, he always directed such feelings to the Source of all good. After he had very liberally contri- buted towards the support of an orphan, he checked the grate- 4 A PROPER USE OF RICHES, ETC. fill expressions of the applicant, who proposed to teach the infant " to lisp his name, and thank his humane benefactor," by this reply — " Not so ; we do not thank the clouds for rain. Teach the infant to look higher and thank Him who gives both clouds and rain." " My talent," said he to a friend, " is the meanest of all talents — a little sordid dust; but as the man in the parable who had but one talent was accountable, I am also accountable for the talent I possess, humble as it is, to the great Lord of all." There are too many who seem to think that they are at liberty to bestow any amount of expense which their means will admit of on their personal gratifications, forgetting that they are responsible to the Author of all their blessings for the right employment of that which he has placed in their hands. Richard Reynolds, in one of his letters, remarks — " That riches are not always best for all that have them, we have abundant proof. They are always trials, and may be blessings, if the possessors make them such to others ; but how few are fully faithful in the discharge of their stewardship ? How awful the responsibility attached to great wealth ! Though my charge is less than many, it is more than some ; and I greatly fear for myself." This sense of the great responsibility resting on those who possess much of this world's riches, tends to prevent us from setting our affections too much upon them ; and such appears to have been the effect on Richard Reynolds' mind. He says, in a letter to his wife, written while still in active business — "I hear nothing but bad accounts (as they are generally called) respecting the pig-iron trade, and predictions of its being still worse. I am thankful I can say, I am at all times enabled to consider the things of this life in that degree of subordination and inferiority to the concerns of the next, that whether an increase or a decrease of outward riches seems most probable, is matter of great indifference to me ; and when I consider further the ill effects riches frequently have upon the mind, especially of young people, together with the remem- brance that where there is but little given, there is but little A PROPER USE OF RICHES, ETC. 5 fequired, and where there is much given, there is much re- quired, I am inclined to contemplate a state of inferiority to former expectations, if not with a positive desire for it, at least with a cheerful acquiescence in it. If I attain to purity of heart and meekness of temper, how little of worldly riches will be sufficient! and if either one or the other of the former will be prevented by my having even so much as I have of the latter, may I be deprived of it ! This I can truly say has been the desire of my mind many times, and especially of late." His temper was by nature hasty, and if, in moments of irri- tation he spoke to the servants of the family more strongly than the occasion justified, or with a severity which, upon re- flection, appeared to himself inconsistent with the meekness and forbearance of a disciple of Jesus, he hesitated not frankly to acknowledge, and to apologize to them for his error. And in the same spirit of humility he has been known to follow a poor woman to her house, and ask her excuse for having either spoken hastily or sent a sharp message to her, when she had applied to him for help at an unseasonable time. In 1810, he had a painful and dangerous illness, from which he never recovered his wonted strength : though in the sum- mer of that year he went into Devonshire, in hopes that the carriage exercise and the pleasant excitement he had ever been accustomed to derive from the beauties of the scenery, would be of service. In these hopes, however, he was disappointed. He thus writes to a friend — " I feel with increased conscious- ness the effects of old age — the decrease of mental strength with lessened bodily powers, of firmness of nerve and energy of mind. I find, too, that I consider it wisely ordained in the constitution of mankind in their present state of existence, that with the power of enjoyment, the inclination declines also. I believe few men with means so limited from education, so con- tracted a sphere of action, and that so occupied by the duties attached to my station in life as not to admit of much intel- lectual cultivation, have had a higher relish for the gay or the grand, the beautiful or the sublime, or the wonderful works of the Almighty in the outward creation ; and I remember with 6 A PROPER USE OF RICHES, ETC. gratitude, the admiration, the delightful astonishment, the raj> ture which scenes like those at present before me — the bound- less ocean in its various states of awful agitation or placid expansion — excited the first time I beheld them, and frequently since. But I do not regret that the things which are seen — which are temporal, and which I must soon leave — now affect me so little. My principal, my frequent wish is, that those things which are not seen, but which are eternal, may be the objects of my solicitude in proportion to their incomparable importance, and my swift approaching, my almost instant in- terest in them." And to another friend he says — " My dis- position, indeed, to seek or expect happiness in or from out- ward things, seems to have decreased as fast as my powers have diminished. I am sometimes thankful that my desires for an increase of spiritual-mindedness bear some proportion to the importance of it in the hour so swiftly approaching, when I shall have done with all the objects of sense, and when time shall be lost in eternity. * * * The broken slumbers in which my nights are frequently passed have the advantage of favoring the immediate application of heart to the Lord, which He mercifully inspires and regards; and if I cannot say much of ' songs in the night,' I may to thee thankfully acknowledge that, through Divine favor, a degree of the spirit of grace and of supplication has been experienced more frequently at those times, and with nearer access to the footstool of the mercy- seat, than at some more appropriate seasons." Richard Reynolds was a sincere and consistent member of the Society of Friends, and writes thus in 1779 : " When I consider William Penn's description of us as a people, in his account of our rise, and progress to his day — when they were in conversation innocent, serious, and weighty, their wills and affections bowed and brought into subjection, and that nothing could draw them from this retired, inward, watchful frame — and compare it with the present state of our Society, or indeed my own, need I scruple to acknowledge and lament the disparity — to admire, in his own words, ' the humility and chaste zeal of that day ? How constant at meetr A PROPER USE OF RICHES, ETC. 7 ings ! how retired in them ! how firm to Truth's life, as well as Truth's principles! how entire and united in their commu- nion!' Ah! my friend, how are we now? But, instead of ineffectual bewailings and fruitless comparisons, let us, through the assistance and Divine help of the holy Arm, which sup- ported them in that day, and which is equally ready to lead us in the same path, let us endeavor after a reformation in our- selves, let us walk by the same rule, let us mind the same things, and following them as they followed Christ, be quali- fied to be examples to others in the same way." In a letter to his nephew, written in his eightieth year he says :— " I cannot describe the effect of the retrospect of the time that is past — the events that have occurred in the course of a long life ; how important many of them were thought while in expectation — how much reduced when attained; and now of so little consequence, that the wonder is they should ever have been thought of so much. Where are now the companions of my youth ? my associates in the animating endeavors to ac- quire knowledge ? Those whose friendship I cultivated with pleasure and advantage ? Those with whom I entered the busy scenes of trade — some in concert with me, some in competi- tion ? Not one of them remaining ! not a relation, not a friend scarcely an acquaintance, but who is my junior. Most reason- ably, therefore, may I expect soon to follow those who are gone from this state of probation and intended refinement — from works to rewards ; and earnest are my desires, nor always faint my hopes, that through the mercy of God in Christ Jesus, it will be to be again united in heaven with those whom I have loved best on earth. Not as though I had already attained a sufficient degree of refinement or were already perfect ; alas ! much remains to be removed, much to be acquired, and in how short a time! If it depended on my own unassisted efforts, or my expectation rested upon works of righteousness which I have done, or can do, my hope would perish, and my confidence fail ; but I trust I may in all humility, though in a very limited degree, adopt the language of the apostle, and say, ' I know in 8 A PROPER USE OF RICHES, ETC. whom I have believed,' and commit my soul to Him, as unto a faithful Creator and all-sufficient Redeemer. " Farewell, my dear nephew ; unite thy prayers with me and for me ; and if we never meet again in this world, may we in that into which our nearest relations and dearest connections have already entered ; there to unite with them in praises to Him who sitteth upon the throne, and to the Lamb, who is worthy forever. Amen." A few days previous to his decease, he bore this testimony — " My faith and hope are, as they have long been, on the mercy of God through Jesus Christ, who was the propitiation for my sins; and not for mine only, but for the sins of the whole world." During his sickness, he was exceedingly placid and kind to everybody ; his countenance and conduct indicating that all within was peace. He died on the 10th of Ninth Month, 1816, aged 81 years. No. 102. KALPH DIXON, THE CONVERTED SOLDIEU. PHILADELPHIA : PUBLISHED BY THE TRACT ASSOCIATION OF FRIENDS, No. 304 Arch Street. 1890. RALPH DIXON. From some memoranda left by Ralph Dixon, the subject of the following brief memoir, it appears he was early visited by the convictions of the Holy Spirit. His mother was a serious woman. He says, — " One day, it is amongst the earliest of my recollections, she addressed me very seriously ; and among other cautions, warned me against using improper language. It im- mediately occurred to me that I had once offended in this respect, and conviction seized me so strongly, that I was almost frantic with grief. Seeing my distress of mind, she kneeled down and supplicated the throne of grace on my behalf; after which my feelings subsided. I was not more than four years of age at this time, but my infant years did not exempt me from the temptations of the enemy of souls. When six years of age, I was accused of a fault, which, though guilty, I denied ; but I had no sooner uttered the falsehood than a dark cloud came over my mind, and I felt awfully condemned. I relate these circumstances to show, that the Almighty does not leave himself without a witness, even in the hearts of children, condemning the evil and approving the good." He seems to have suffered much in his boyhood from evil communications. His parents, from reverses in business, were much reduced in their circumstances, and in order to lessen their expenses, bound him appren- tice to a shoemaker in his native village of Staindrop, England, when he was only twelve years of age. He says, " the morals of my master's workmen were very RALPH DIXON, THE CONVERTED SOLDIER. 3 loose indeed, and although they were often changed, yet. with the exception of one man, who only remained in the shop a few days, I do not recollect, during the whole of my apprenticeship, one serious person being amongst them. I am sorry to say, I was too ready a learner in this school of vice and immorality; and though followed by an accusing conscience, yet I turned a deaf ear to its admonitions. I well remember, about this period of my life, being brought into very great dis- tress at my awfully lost condition ; I passed a sleepless night, and resolved in future, to live more circumspectly; but these resolutions, being made in my own strength, were soon forgotten, and I plunged again into folly." At the expiration of his apprenticeship, he visited Leeds for improvement in his business ; but trade being greatly depressed in consequence of the war, he found much difficulty in obtaining regular employment. He says, " the war with France at this time was very hot, and the government was forming an 4 army of reserve,' and to induce young men to join it, were offering large bounties. My fellow-traveller and myself, being under great discouragement, owing to the difficulty of obtain- ing work, determined to enlist. We had no sooner put our resolution into effect, than I became very much distressed at the rash act which I had committed ; but finding I could not retrace my steps, I determined to make the best of my new situation."' He afterwards voluntered into the 31st regiment of foot for regular service. He states in the narrative, " It was very evident that this 4 army of reserve,' and 4 army of defence,' as they were called, were nothing more than decoys, into which, under the expectation of not having to leave their native country, young men were induced to enlist ; and afterwards either tempted by bounties, or forced by ill usage, to volunteer into the regular service." The 31st regiment was sent into Ireland. During his sojourn in that island, he married the daughter of 4 RALPH DIXON, a soldier. They had not been long married before they sailed from the Cove of Cork for actual service in Spain and Portugal, and landed at Lisbon. The sol- dier's wives being found a great encumbrance, were all sent back to England. The 31st soon joined the army under Sir Arthur Wellesley, and met the French at Talavera. A most sanguinary battle ensued, in which Ralph Dixon was severely wounded; a bullet having passed through his left shoulder, and one through the middle finger of his right hand. A bullet also passed through his haversack. Although he was able to walk, yet, in consequence of the great loss of blood, it was with difficulty he got from the battle-field to the hos- pital at Lisbon. A few days after his arrival, the wound in his shoulder mortified, and the medical men considered his case hopeless ; but a gracious Providence had better things in store for him. To the great sur- prise of all, the mortified part sloughed out, bringing away with it splinters of bone, after which, the wound so far healed as to enable him to undertake the voyage back to his native country. Twelve months after his arrival, he was discharged an out-pensioner of Chelsea Hospital, with one shilling per day ; and returned with his wife and infant son, to his native village, to the great pleasure of his parents, especially of his dear mother, who loved him most tenderly, and whose peti- tions at the throne of grace for his preservation had been many and fervent. For the maintenance of him- self and family, he turned his attention again to shoe- making; but in consequence of the weakness of his wounded shoulder, the loss of a finger, and want of practice, he made poor wages, which compelled him to work long hours to make up deficiencies. Finding his health giving way under such close application, he opened a little shop for the sale of provisions and drugs, which he gradually extended, and which soon required his undivided attention. His sufferings in the army had so undermined his constitution, that he seldom THE CONVERTED SOLDIER. 5 enjoyed good health, and repeated attacks of hem- orrhage from the lungs rendered him an infirm man for the rest of his life. But to return to his own simple narrative : — " Soon after I had settled down in my native village, my mind took a serious turn, and I was pretty punctual in attend- ing a place of worship of some kind. My youngest and surviving brother had joined the Methodists, and often preached amongst them. He was a schoolmaster, and being very intelligent, it was pleasant to me to have his company. One day he gave me an outline of a sermon he had just preached from the text, ' The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God.' The words of the text took ^reat hold on my mind, and I saw that although I was not outwardly wicked, I was among those that were for- getting God. My convictions gradually deepened, but I was not brought to that state of distress which some experience, and I often sorrowed because I thought I was not sufficiently sorrowful. One First-day, feeling my mind more than usually burdened, I retired to a private place, and kneeling down, opened my Bible, when this passage caught my eye : ' What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common.' The cloud dis- persed, and my contrite heart was favored to feel a measure of peace. " About this time I joined the Methodists. My wife, becoming serious, joined them a little after. I attended class-meetings regularly, but with them I was very much dissatisfied; finding that some gave evasive answers to the interrogations of their leader, and others made an ostentatious display of their experience ; errors into which I was insensibly falling myself. I was zealous in attending prayer meetings, and prayed with my family morning and evening. About this time I had a little book put into my hands, called ' A Guide to True Peace, or, How to Attain Inward and Spiritual Prayer :' from perusing which I was led to see, what 6 RALPH DIXON, I had often felt, that my lifeless performances only tended to poverty of spirit, and came under the condem- nation of ' vain repetitions/ against which the blessed Eedeemer warned his followers. My mind was now turned toward the Society of Friends. I read several of their books; and, a minister of their persuasion holding a public meeting at Staindrop, I attended it. The opportunity was a very favored one ; and doctrinal points were so far explained to my satisfaction, that I said in my heart, ' This people shall be my people, and their God my God.' " I soon left the Methodist society, and became a regular attender of Friends' Meetings, both First-days and week-days. The more I examined their principles, the more congenial they appeared to my own mind and feelings, and in accordance with the Scriptures of Truth. I had nothing but love to the Methodists. The greatest trial was the displeasure of my brother. My wife continued to attend the Methodists' Meetings, and I did what I could to promote her doing so; but getting uneasy with many of their ceremonies, without any persuasion of mine, she left them, and attended the meetings of Friends. I found it required of me, if I wished to be faithful to what I felt in my OAvn mind to be in accordance with truth, to adopt the address and dress of Friends; the latter cost me no sacrifice, but to use the plain language was a great mortification. My views respecting war were now changed, and my pension became a subject of serious consideration, as it stood in the way of my being received into membership. I could not, however, see my way clear to give it up. I had to appear before a magistrate half-yearly, and swear before him that I was the person mentioned in the instructions given me from Chelsea Hospital, before I could obtain my pen- sion. This brought me into a very strait place, for I was fully convinced that the taking of an oath was contrary to the command of our Saviour. I therefore THE CONVERTED SOLDIER. 7 determined the next time I appeared before a magis- trate, to offer him my affirmation. The magistrate who generally signed my affidavits was a clergyman. On the road to his house, a distance of four miles, I was much cast down, and earnest were my cries to the Lord, that He would give me strength to be faithful. On my arrival at his house, I offered him my affirma- tion, which he accepted, and took no offence, either at my hat or plain language. I returned home, thankful in having thus far succeeded. My pension still bur- dened my mind, the unflattering witness in my own breast showed me that if I would be faithful to this unerring guide, I must make the sacrifice. Friends were very tender over me, seldom mentioning the sub- ject, believing, no doubt, that in time, faith would gain the victory. " My appearing before the collector of excise, dressed as a Friend, and with my hat on, to receive my pen- sion, appeared strange, no doubt, to many. On one occasion, an exciseman came towards me in a hasty manner, intending to take off my hat; but another officer who knew me, said, ' Let him alone, he is a Quaker.' He immediately replied, ' If he is a Quaker, what business has he with a pension V I keenly felt this rebuke, and it was indeed a word in season. I now saw more clearly the inconsistency between my profession and practice, besides depriving myself and family of many religious privileges. I began to be more in earnest in a matter of such great importance. Taking a walk one day in the fields, with a heavy burden upon my mind, I earnestly besought the Lord to show me, in some particular way, his will in respect to my pension, and I would obey it. In great conde- scension to my weakness, he answered my prayer ; for, a day or two afterwards, two ministers came to our Week-day Meeting very unexpectedly, having been with us only a few days before ; and what they had to say, the one in testimony, and the other in supplica- 8 RALPH DIXON, tion, was in such a remarkable manner applicable to my case, that I could no longer doubt." About this time he addressed the following letter : " To the Duke of Wellington : " Respected friend. — I was formerly a soldier in the 31st regiment of foot ; but, in consequence of wounds which I received at the battle of Talavera (namely, shot through the left shoulder and wounded in the right hand,) was discharged with a pension of one shilling per day, which I have received ever since. But having been long convinced that all war is anti- christian, I have felt at times uneasy under a persuasion that the receiving of a pension was inconsistent with that belief; besides, being a burden to the public in these times of distress, I have often felt painfully. So that, notwithstanding I have a large family to maintain, and not in any great circumstances, I have found it my duty to resign again into the hands of government the pension which was kindly given me, and for which I return thanks. " Next to Divine Providence, my thanks are due to thee, 0 Duke ! for the great care that was taken of the sick and wounded in the Peninsula, otherwise my life could not have been preserved ; a grateful remem- brance of which, with the foregoing reason, is the cause of my taking the great liberty of troubling thee with this letter. Desiring thy present and everlasting wel- lare, I remain, " Thy friend, Ralph Dixon. " Staindrop, County of Durham, "Sixth Mo., 27, 1830." To this letter he received the following reply : " Royal Hospital, Chelsea, 27th July, 1830. " To Ralph Dixon. "I laid before the lords and other commissioners of this Hospital, at their late meeting, your letter of the THE CONVERTED SOLDIER. 9 1st instant, addressed to the Duke of Wellington, which has been referred to this department; when their lordships, upon considering the same, directed me to acquaint you, that so long as you may think proper to discontinue to transmit the usual quarterly affidavits, no pension can be issued on you account ; but in con- sideration of your wife and family, their lordships have desired that, in the event of your making application for your pension at any future period, the same is to be paid to you as heretofore. " Richard Neave, " Secretary and Registrar. "Staindrop, Durham." After passing through this trial of faith, he and his family became members of the Society of Friends. Soon after this event he was introduced into fresh trials growing out of his straitened circumstances. Having lost his pension, and £20 being required for the admis- sion of two of his children to a boarding-school, besides their outfit and travelling expenses, he became fearful lest he should be unable to meet his pecuniary engage- ments. He says, " In order to lessen the expenses of the journey, I concluded to take my children by wagon to York; but on making inquiry at the office of the owner, I was informed they did not take passengers. It Avas intimated to me, by one of the men, that if I Avalked a little way out of the town, the wagoner would take us up on the road. I did not feel satisfied to act in this underhand way. At our Week-day Meeting, the enemy suggested to me that I was too particular, and that there could be no great harm in my going with the wagon. After a little struggle, truth pre- vailed, and I determined to go by coach. A holy calm spread over me, and my mind became peaceful the remainder of the meeting. After which a kind friend called and put £10 into my hands towards sending my children to school. I could not look upon this in any other light than the interposition of a kind Providence." 10 RALPH DIXON, As he grew in years he grew in grace ; his feelings, once too sensitive, became remarkably calm and peace- ful. When his health permitted he was very regular in attending meetings for worship both on First and other days of the week, and his serious deportment cherein evinced the deep exercise of his soul before the Lord. He sometimes spoke of them as highly favored seasons and times of spiritual refreshment to him, though generally held in silence. He was not unfre- quently called upon to explain to others the principles of truth of which he had been convinced — a work for which he was peculiarly qualified ; and it was instruc- tive to hear how clearly he proved them in accordance with Scripture, and generally satisfied the inquirer of their soundness. He used to say, " it is easy to con- vince ; but the cross, — the narrow, self-denying path, is the great stumbling-stone." He loved to peruse the Bible, and encouraged his children in the practice by narrating to them the most striking parts of Scripture history. It is stated at times when the Scriptures were read in his family, the heavenly wing of ancient goodness was so remarkably spread over them that all were in tears. His annual savings increased notwithstanding the loss of his pension, and this made his heart overflow with gratitude to his Heavenly Father. An assurance which had been given him that he should be able to bring up his family without it, was strikingly realized ; for his youngest son finished his apprenticeship about the time of his father's death. The poor always found in him a kind, sympathizing friend, and to the utmost of his ability he administered to their wants. His skill in medicine enabled him from his own little stock of drugs to alleviate their bodily sufferings. His neighbors frequently sought his advice when difficulties and perplexities overtook them, and when they were on the bed of sickness he THE CONVERTED SOLDIER. 11 was often concerned to direct them to the only source of help. He was in the practice of lending religious tracts to such as wished them, and from an account which he kept it appears that for a long time a large number were put in circulation in this way. At one time, he established a drapery business in connection with his provision and drug trade ; but to recommend to others articles of apparel which he could not allow his own children to wear, was such a burden to his tender conscience, that he gave it up. The following memorandum, written on the 41st anniversary of the day on which he was wounded, was found in his pocket-book : " Seventh mo. 28th, 1850. Forty-one years to-day since I was wounded at the battle of Talavera. What a mercy that I was not then cut off! Although utterly unworthy, truly I may say, the Lord was my salvation. He covered my head in the day of battle. Xotwith- standing the many hardships and troubles I have since passed through, goodness and mercy have followed me all the da\s of my life. To-morrow, if all be well, my wife and I intend setting out for Ay ton, and it is not without some degree of pleasure that I look forward to our visit. Yet I am not without solicitude for those we leave behind. It will be forty-two years to-morrow since we were married — one year less a day from the time of our marriage to the day on which I was wounded. " The lingering illness and the death of several of his children he felt keenly ; yet it was instructive to those around him, to witness the Christian fortitude with which he bore the chastenings. He believed that in inscrutable wisdom they had been taken whilst in comparative innocence ; and firm was his belief, that through the redeeming love and mercy of God, in Christ Jesus, they were in a better and happier world. He had for many years been afflicted with a cough ; and in the spring of the year 1854, in the sixty-eighth 12 RALPH DIXON, THE CONVERTED SOLDIER. year of his age, he was seized with a cold, which very much prostrated his strength. His breathing became laborious, and he felt the end rapidly approaching. The accuser of the breathren was again permitted to come in like a flood ; but He who had brought him through so many perils, enabled him again to triumph. He addressed his family individually as opportunities occurred, giving them suitable admonition, and com- mitting them to the Lord. To one of his sons, who arrived a few hours before his death, he said, " I have had to come down very low, but I have not been forsaken ; my sufferings have been great, but I have desired patience, and it has been mercifully granted. Blessed be his holy name, ' He giveth to all men liberally and upbraideth not;'" raising his voice and looking at his son with great earnestness, he reiterated, " No upbraiding." All his family were now around him, and it was evident to them that life was fast ebb- ing. He was perfectly sensible and took leave of an invalid daughter who addressed him very sweetly. Her desire that he might have a short and easy pas- sage was remarkably granted. All was now peace and serenity. His breathing became gradually shorter, and in a few minutes, without a sigh, or the least appearance of suffering, his purified spirit took its flight, doubtless to join the church triumphant in heaven, and the ranks of those " who have come out of much tribulation, and have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb." Xo. 103. A NEW CHILD: A BIOGRAPHY OF LYDIA ANN NIXON. Lydia Ann Nixon was born in Montgomery County, Pa., in 1835. Her parents had resided in North Carolina, where they, with many other colored persons, had long been under the care of the Society of Friends. A number of this com- pany, including the parents of Lydia Ann, had been sent to Philadelphia, and Friends of that city interested themselves in obtaining suitable places for them. Her parents resided for some time in the family of Hannah Williams, of Plymouth, and Lydia Ann, when four years of age, was regularly inden- tured to Abigail, her youngest daughter. Being thus under her particular care, the young child clung to her as to a mother, and the filial feeling remained through life. Much care was bestowed on her, both in instructing in good, and in restraining her from evil. She was taught to read and write, as well as to perform those household duties which appertained to her station in life. As she advanced in years, she manifested a tender and kind feeling for others, showed much sympathy for the sick and afflicted, — gladly embracing every opportunity of waiting upon them, and was very con- siderate and humane to the brute creation. She very early in life manifested a fondness for serious reading, and often spent her First-day afternoons in copying religious verses. She was careful of her things, and the books presented to her she neatly covered, to protect from injury. After the death of Hannah Williams, the household was broken up, and Lydia Ann was brought to Philadelphia. After being a time with one of the family residing in the city, she learned the trade of mantua-making. In 1854 she went to the Shelter for Colored Orphans, in Philadelphia, to take care A NEW CHILD : of a part of the little children in the nursery. All this time she was under the care of her early friends, who watched over her welfare. During the winter of 1854-5, she took a heavy cold, and feeling her health declining, she wished to get again into the family, and spend her last days among those who had brought her up. They still, to her, were the dearest of earthly objects. Phoebe, one of the daughters of Hannah Williams, with her husband, had removed to Chester County, and their house seemed the most suitable "place for the poor invalid. Early in 1855, the physician who was sent for, pronounced her right lung much diseased, and gave it as his opinion, that she would never be much better. So it proved. The progress of the disease was rapid. She did not complain of much pain, but lay very still and quiet, in patient, cheerful submission to her lot. She was very fond of hearing the Holy Scriptures read, as well as other good books, and often requested those with her to read them. It was particularly pleasant to her to hear little Alice, one of Jacob Roberts' young children, read, and she said the reading of no one seemed so good to her. It is probable that the child read slowly, and with childish simplicity, and Lydia Ann felt, although a woman in age, as if she too had become a little child. A few days before her death, she desired Sarah to arrange the things in her trunk, telling her there was a pack of con- versation cards in it, which she wished burned ; she added, " they are not considered a bad kind of cards — but foolish — and I do not want any one to have them." Mary Ann, a young woman who lived with J. Roberts, came into her room, and sat down by the bed. The sick girl, observing her white undersleeves, took hold of them, and said, — " Mary Ann, I have seen the day when I thought as much of these things as thee can. I could not get finery enough to put on ! — but — I feel very different now ! " She desired to see her brother, who was living in the family of J. Roberts. He was soon by her bedside. She seemed pleased to see him, inquired what he had been doing that morning, and then, after a silence of a few minutes, she ad- dressed him in very suitable language, instructive and strik- ing. She told him that she was very desirous that he might A BIOGRAPHY OF LYDIA ANN NIXON. 3 be a good boy, and grow up to be a good man, — if he should live. She expressed her earnest desire that he would never tell stories, or take anything that was not his own, adding, "I don't know how I should feel now, if I had done so; but I never did. Mistress Hannah told me on her death-bed, and I now tell thee, Jakey, — ' Lydia Ann try to be good, that when thee dies, thee may go to heaven.' Now, Jakey, thy father is dead, and I am going, — and if thee should live to be a man, I hope thee will be good. I want thee to mind what is said to thee. Don't be saucy. I heard thee answer back the other day. Here is a card, with good advice on it. I want thee to have it and keep it as long as thee lives, to remember me. Now thee can put it away carefully." This card she had selected for him the day before, from among her treasures. It was headed with the following passage from Scripture : " Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil men ; avoid it, pass not by it, turn from it, and pass away." Pro v. iv. 14, 15. After her brother left her, she inquired of Sarah, " Have I been patient ? I have tried to be." She was told she had been remarkably preserved in patience throughout her illness. She felt her close w7as drawing near, and requested the family to be called. She looked upon them with great composure, then extended her hand to each, bidding them farewell, and saying, " I am well." To her mother she said, " Mother, don't weep for me! I am not afraid to die." She then continued, — " I have prayed and prayed — I could not make out much — but I have faith and trust. I believe I am prepared. I feel like a new child. Nothing seems to trouble me. I feel so happy, happy. I am going to that happy home in Heaven. My Heavenly Father is calling me. I hope to meet you all in Heaven." As Jacob was not at home, she said, " I'll leave a message for him. Tell him, farewell ! Tell him I feel much obliged for their kindness to me. They could not have done more for one of their own children. I want him to bring Jakey up." Here her voice for the first time faltered. Her heart seemed too full for her to finish the sentence. She was silent a few minutes, and then continued, " I have talked a great deal to him, and tried to persuade him to be a good boy. I am thank- 4 A NEW CHILD, ETC. ful he has, such a good home. I told him I never forgot the care 'Aunt Hannah ' and all of you took of me." Throughout her sickness, she was very thoughtful about the comfort of those who waited on her. She wa3 very thankful for every act of kindness and attention shown her, and prompt in expressing her obligations. Indeed, she was so remarkably patient, quiet, and easy to be pleased, and so grateful withal, that every member of the family derived comfort and satis- faction from waiting upon her. On reviving from a sinking spell, she said, " I don't feel anything against anybody. What a beautiful day this is. That is not why I feel so happy. I feel like a new child." She had then another sinking spell, and it seemed for a time as though the last struggle was on her. She revived, however, and soon broke the silence which reigned in her room, by repeating Watts' hymn beginning, "On Jordan's stormy banks, I stand." The situation in which Lydia Ann was lying, so evidently feeling the full force of the beautiful verses she was repeating, and her voice was so melodious, that the hymn seemed very sweet and solemn to those by her bed-side. Two others she repeated, and then her voice failed. After a time, Sarah draw- ing near her, heard her repeat, " Glory ! glory ! " After this, she had a short period of extreme bodily suffering, during which Phoebe said to her, " Dear child ! thy suffering will soon be over, — and I believe a mansion is prepared for thee ; and that the Lord will be with thee, through the valley and shadow of death." Her fever soon subsided, and she lay perfectly quiet, and passed away peacefully and easily. A pleasant smile settled on her countenance. The family, who were collected in the room, felt a comfortable assurance that a blessed change had taken place, and that for the late patient sufferer there was nothing to desire ; but they were exhorted to attend individu- ally to that witness for God within, which, if followed faith- fuily, will, through the mercies of God, in Christ Jesus, our Lord, fit every one for fulfilling their earthly duties, and pre- pare them to receive the crown of glory. She died in the Sixth month, 1855, agred twenty years. Published by the Tract Association of Friends, 304 Arch Street, Philadelphia. No. 104. GAY AND COSTLY APPAREL. PHILADELPHIA: PUBLISHED BY THE TRACT ASSOCIATION OF PEIEITDS. No. 304 Arch Street. 1890. GAY AND COSTLY APPAREL. CLEMENT OP ALEXANDKIA, (who lived early in the third century.) " The garments that we should wear ought to be simple and frugal, not cunningly wrought with devious colors. That is true simplicity of habit which takes away what is vain and superfluous; and that is the best and most solid garment which is furthest from art and curiosity, and most apt to pre- serve and keep warm the body." DON CLAUDE LANCELOT. (Roman Catholic). " Of how much importance it is, not only to retain Christian principle in its integrity, but also to let it appear externally, and allow it to model even the least circumstance of counte- nance, manners, dress — in short, the whole demeanor. A Christian appearance speaks irresistibly, though silently, to those who would not listen to Christian conversation." WILLIAM PENN, (Founder of Pennsylvania.) " Pride leads people to a fond value of their persons, espe- cially if they have any pretensions to shape or beauty. It is admirable to see how much some are taken with themselves, as if nothing else deserved their regard or the good opinion of others. It would abate their folly if they could find in their hearts to spare but half of the time to think of God and their GAY AND COSTLY APPAREL. e latter end, which they most prodigally spend in perfuming, painting, attiring and dressing. In these things they are very precise and artificial, and for cost they spare not. That which aggravates the evil is, that the pride of one might comfortably supply the need of ten. Gross impiety it is that a nation's pride should not be spared to a nation's poor ! But what is this for at last ? Only to be admired, to have reverence, to draw love, and to command the eyes and affections of behold- ers. And so fantastic are they in it, as hardly to be pleased. Nothing, scarcely, is good, or fine, or fashionable enough for them. The sun itself, the blessing of heaven, must not shine upon them, lest it tan them ; nor the wind blow upon them, lest it disorder them. O impious nicety ! While they value themselves above all else, they make themselves the slaves of their own pride, worshipping their shape, features, or com- plexion, whichsoever is their excellency. In such follies we have a specimen of man — what a creature he is in his lapse from his primitive image. All this, as Jesus said of sin of old, comes from within — from the disregard of men and women to the Word of their Creator in their hearts ; which shows pride, and teaches humility and self-abasement, and directs the mind to the true object of honor and worship ; and that with an awe and reverence suitable to his sovereignty and majesty. Poor mortals ! But living dirt, made of what they tread on : who, with all their pride and finery, cannot secure themselves from the spoil of sickness, much less from the scroke of death. Oh, did people consider the inconstancy of all visible things, the crosses and adverse occurrences of man's life, the certainty of his departure, and of eternal judgment it is to be hoped they would bring their deeds to Christ's light in their hearts, and see whether they are taught in God or not." He also says, " Plainness is odd, uncouth and goes mightily against the grain ; but so does Christianity too, and that for the same reasons. But had not the heathen spirit prevailed 4 GAY AND COSTLY APPAREL. too long under a Christian profession, it would not be so hard to discover the right from the wrong. Oh that Christians would look upon themselves with the glass of righteousness ! and let them examine what in them and about them agrees with Christ's doctrine and life. How much, how deeply, have those who are called Christians revolted from the plainness of the primitive days, and practice of holy men and women in former ages! How are they become degenerated into the loose, proud, and wanton customs of the world, which knows not God, to whom use hath made these things (condemned by Scriptures, reason and example) almost natural! And so insensible are they of both their cause and bad effects, that they not only costume to practise them, but plead for them, and unchristianly make a very mock of those who cannot imi- tate them." — No Gross No Crown. JOHN WESLEY, (Methodist). "The wearing gay or costly apparel naturally tends to breed and to increase vanity. By vanity I here mean the love and desire of being admired and praised. Every one of you that is fond of dress has a witness of this in your own bosom. Whether you will confess it before man or not, you are con- vinced of this before God. You know in your hearts, it is with a view to be admired that you thus adorn yourselves ; and that you would not be at the pains were none to see you but God and his holy angels. Now the more you indulge this foolish desire, the more it grows upon you. You have vanity enough by nature ; and by thus indulging it, you increase it an hundredfold. Oh, stop ! aim at pleasing God alone, and all these ornaments will drop of£" GAY AND COSTLY APPAREL. 5 MARY FLETCHEE, (Episcopalian.) The following observations and conclusions upon the sub- ject of personal attire and behavior were made by Mary Fletcher, in the nineteenth year of her age, and are the more valuable from the circumstance of her having been " brought up amid the gayeties of fashionable life, and surrounded by the seductions of wealth and pleasure." They may be taken as evidences of her sincere conversion through attention to the secret operations of the Holy Spirit upon her mind. She was the wife of John Fletcher, vicar of Medley, Shropshire, England. She says, "I prayed for direction, and saw clearly that plainness of dress and behavior best became a Christian ; and that for the following reasons, among others : " The Apostle expressly forbids women professing godliness to let their adorning be in apparel ; allowing them no other ornament than that of a meek and quiet spirit. " When I appeared like the world, in Babylonish garments, I had its esteem aud knew not how to part with it. But when I showed by my appearance that I considered myself as a stranger and foreigner, none can know, but by trying, what an influence it has on our whole conduct, and what a fence it is to keep us from sinking into the spirit of the world. For there is no medium : they who are conformed to the fashions, customs and maxims of the world, must embrace the spirit alsc, and they shall find the esteem they seek ; for the world will love its own. But let them also remember that ' The friend- ship of the world is enmity with God.' " I saw myself as a steward, wTho must render an account for every talent. I saw clearly that the helping of my fellow- creatures in their need was both more rational and more pleasant than spending my substance on superfluities; and, as I am commanded to. lpve my neighbor as myself, and to- con- 6 GAY AND COSTLY APPAREL. sider all done to the household of faith as done to Christ, surely I ought not only to suffer my superfluity to give way to their necessity, but also (as occasion may require) my necessi- ties to their extremities. " The end usually proposed by young persons in their dress is such as a devout soul would abominate. A heathen may say, * It will promote my being comfortably settled in life but I believe the Lord appoints the bounds of our habitation, and that ' no good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly.' I have therefore nothing to do but to commend myself to God, in holy obedience, and to leave every step of my life to be guided by his will. I will therefore make it my rule to be clean and neat, but in the plainnest things, accord- ing to my station ; and whenever I think on the subject, these words will pass through my mind with power : ' For so the holy women of old adorned themselves.' " EOBEET BAKOLAY, (Early Friend). " Those who so adorn themselves in the use of their clothes as to beset them with things having no real use or necessity, but merely for ornament sake, openly declare that the end of it is either to please their lust, for which these things are chiefly contrived, or to gratify a vain, proud, and ostentatious mind ; and it is obvious these are their general designs in so doing. We see how easily men are puffed up with their garments, and how proud and vain they are, when adorned to their minds. How far these things are below a true Christian, and how unsuitable, needs very little proof. Those who love to be gaudy and superfluous in their clothes showT that they concern themselves little with mortification and self-denial, and that they study to beautify their bodies more than their souls; which proves they think little upon their mortality, and so are certainly more nominal than real Christians. GAY AND COSTLY APPAREL. 7 " The Scriptures severely reprove such practices, both com- mending and commanding the contrary. How severely doth the prophet Isaiah, chap, iii., reprove the daughters of Israel for their tinkling ornaments, their cauls, their round tires, their chains and bracelets, etc. Yet, is it not strange to see Chris- tians allow themselves in these things, from wThom a more strict and exemplary conversation is required ? Christ desires us not to be anxious about our clothing ; and to show the vanity of such as glory in the splendor of their clothing, tells them, 1 That even Solomon, in all his glory, was not to be compared to the lily of the field, which to-day is, and to-morrow is cast into the oven.' But surely they make small reckoning of Christ's words and doctrine who are so curious in their cloth- ing, so industrious to deck themselves, so earnest to justify it, and so displeased when they are reproved for it. The apostle Paul is very positive in this respect. He says, ' I will there- fore in like manner also that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shame-facedness and sobriety, and not with broi- dered hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array ; but, which be- cometh women professing godliness, with good works. To the same purpose saith Peter, 1 Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel ; but let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible ; even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is, in the sight of God, of great price.' " Here both the apostles do very positively and expressly assert two things. First, that the adorning of Christian women — of whom it is particularly spoken, I judge, because this sex is most naturally inclined to that vanity — ought not to be out- ward, nor to consist in the apparel. " Secondly, that they ought not to use the plaiting of the hair or ornaments, etc., which was at that time the custom of the nations. But is it not strange that such as make the Scrip- 8 GAY AND COSTLY APPAREL. ture their rule, and pretend they are guided by it, should not only be so generally in the use of these things which the Scrip- ture so plainly condemns, but also should attempt to justify themselves in so doing ? For the apostles not only commend the forbearance of these things as an attainment commendable in Christians, but condemn the use of them as unlawful. Yet does it not seem more strange that, in contradiction to the apostles' doctrine, as if they had resolved to slight their testimony, they should condemn those who out of conscience apply themselves seriously to follow it, as if in so doing they were singular, proud or superstitious ?" — Apology. ANTHONY BENEZET (Philadelphia Friend). "I have remembered the apostle's injunction, 'that Chris- tian women ought to be arrayed in modest apparel, not costly, but with sobriety and shame-facedness.' I have also had to think of the nature of the gospel — the conduct, dress, food, etc. — of him who was greater than any of the prophets, even John, the forerunner of Christ. I have remembered the birth and situation of our blessed Saviour himself ; his submitting to the most humbling appearance — even to be laid in a manger ; and when grown up, declared his coming was in the form of a ser- vant— not to be ministered unto, but to minister. ' Behold,' says He, ' I am amongst you as one that serveth.' ' Leaving us an example,' saith the apostle, 1 that we should follow his footsteps.' But how different from the example of the Lord are the conduct and views of the greatest part of our young people, notwithstanding it is indispensably necessary that such as are desirous to follow Christ in the regeneration should behave in their clothing, etc., in such a manner as will best enable them to answer the sober ends of an industrious, frugal life: — a life of affection and care, not only in their own families, but as sisters and friends ; as nurses, spiritually and temporally, GAY AND OOSTLY APPAREL. 9 to many who may suffer for want of their assistance. Doctor Cave, in his account of the first Christians, tells us, ' They were exceeding careful to avoid all such things as savored of cost- liness and finery ; choosing such as expressed the greatest low- liness and innocency.' William Penn says in his Reflections and Maxims, ' If thou art clean and warm, it is sufficient ; for more does but rob the poor, and please the wanton.' If every ex- pense which might be spared is vainly wasting that which prop- erly belongs to the poor, and every conformity to vain and foolish fashions is to please, and, indeed, often meant to allure the wanton, what can be said in defence of the appearance of so many of our young women ? — so contrary to that humble, self-denying state of service, which, as followers of Christ, is required of them ; choosing to appear as mistresses, as ladies, delighting themselves, like the false Church, in sitting as queens, to be looked at and admired, rathe* than capacitated to fulfil the sober ends of life in the service we owe one to another. From a sense of the prevalency of these evils, how can the sincere lover of truth but mourn — deeply mourn — even over many of those who esteem themselves, and are esteemed, as moderate, comparatively with others — the softness and delicacy of their clothing more adapted to Pagan king's palaces than Christian pilgrim's cottages, the putting on of their apparel too manifestly calculated to allure the wanton. To these things may be added that most abhorrent practice, formerly used, and now come again in fashion, of causing their clothes, even their rich silks, etc., to trail on the ground. I have been sorrowful to observe so many manifest such ingrati- tude as to throw off all considerations of delicacy and neatness ; and only because it is the fashion — because the god of this world (the devil), the prince of the power of the air, who rules in the children of disobedience, calls to follow his fashions, they should conform to that which is in itself so odious, so destructive, so contrary to every sense of reason and neatness. 10 GAY AND COSTLY APPAREL. What shall I call it? Indeed, it is in itself more expressive of that folly and corruption in which the human heart is capable of running than words can set forth." JOSEPH PIKE, (Irish Friend).' " Though there is a form of godliness without the power, yet the power of truth leads into a godly form and order in out- ward things. This is abundantly proved from the Holy Scrip- tures ; and amongst the rest even in outward clothing. Thus did true religion in the heart lead our first elders and fathers in the Church out of the fashions, customs, finery, and super- fluity of apparel and furniture, and to testify against it, as not proceeding from the spirit of truth, but from the vain, unsettled spirit of this world, as it most certainly does." SOPHIA HUME, (Friend.) " When I was conducted by my great Leader into the nar- row path of self-denial, I was sensible that I must part with many hurtful and superfluous things I had been accustomed to — the way was too narrow to admit of pride in any shape or form ; and superfluity in apparel, as well as many other instances of luxury, appeared to me inconsistent with the doc- trines of Christianity, and the particular instructions and ad- monitions of several of the Apostles. I found pride in apparel absolutely necessary to be avoided ; and though pride, in every species and appearance, is abominable and odious in the sight of the Almighty, yet it seems particularly against this branch of it that the prophet Isaiah exclaims. — See chap. iii. " One argument some have made use of to support the vanity of gay and costly clothing was this : that pride was not in the clothes, but in the heart — an assertion I have greatly proved true by my own experience ; for I know full well that pride pro- GAY AND COSTLY APPAREL. 11 ceeds from a vain and ambitious heart; and that if it had not its residence and seat there, it would not appear in the habit or garb. " I have considered man'« inordinate desire for wealth, as well as the sinful lusting after many things which are destruct- ive to the light of Christianity, and which the laws and doc- trines thereof require every professor of the same to bury. And for my own part, I can say by experience that an affection for these things chokes the seed of the kingdom, and separates from the presence and approbation of God, whom thou, O man and woman ! art required to love with every faculty of thy soul. But if people love not the world, nor the things that are in the world, the lust of the eye, the lust of the flesh, and the pride of life, if they prefer them not to spiritual things, why is most of their attention laid out on temporal objects ? Though religion stands not simply in clothes, yet true religion stands in that which bounds and sets limits to clothes as well as to other things." ADONIRAM JUDSOff. (Baptist.) While engaged as a missionary at Maulmien, in India, A. Judson thus addressed "the female members of Christian churches in the United States of America:" " In raising up a church of Christ in this heathen land, and in laboring to elevate the minds of the female converts to the standard of the gospel, we have always found one chief obstacle in that principle of vauity, that love of dress and display (I beg you will bear with me), which has in every age and in all countries been a ruling passion of the fair sex, as the love of riches, power and fame, has characterized the other. " Let me appeal to conscience, and inquire what is the real motive for wearing ornamental and costly apparel ? Is it not the desire of setting off one's person to the best advantage, and 12 GAY AND COSTLY APPAREL. of exciting the love and admiration of others ? Is not such dress calculated to gratify self-love, to cherish sentiments of vanity and pride ? And is not the nature of those sentiments to acquire strength from indulgence ? Do such motives and sentiments comport with the meek, humble, self-denying relig- ion of Jesus Christ? I would here respectfully suggest that these questions will not be answered so faithfully in the midst of company, as when quite alone, kneeling before God." CHABLES 6. FINIfEY, (Congregationalism) " To maintain that we are not to be singular, is the same as to maintain that we are to be conformed to the world. ' Be not singular f that is, ' be like the world.' In other words, be ye conformed to the world. This is the direct opposite to the command in the text. It is your duty to dress so plain as to show to the world that you place no sort of reliance in the things of fashion, and set no value at all on them, but despise and neglect them altogether. But unless you are singular, unless you separate yourselves from the fashions of the world, you show that you do value them. There is no way in which you can bear a proper testimony, by your lives, against the fashions of the world, but by dressing plain. I do not mean that you should sfo«efy singularity ; but that you should consult convenience and economy, although it may be singular. ' No matter how we dress, if our hearts are right/ Our hearts right ! Then our hearts may be right when our conduct is all wrong f Just as well might the profane swearer say, ' No mat- ter what words I speak, if my heart is right/ No ; our heart is not right unless our conduct is right. What is outward con- duct but the acting out of the heart ? If our heart was right, we would not wish to follow the fashions of the world." No. 105. AN ACCOUNT OF THE LIVES AND HAPPY DEATHS OF TWO LITTLE CHILDREN. " Suffer little children to come unto me, and forbid them not, for of such is the kingdom of Heaven." — Luke xviii. 16. BENNY WHITE. Many persons living near Chester, can remember Benny White, a little colored boy who lived in the town ; and all who knew him, parents and teachers and friends, can remem- ber how pleasant and truthful, and affectionate he was. He was but a little boy, but he knew the right, and young as he was, he was generally found doing right, and was never known to tell a falsehood. Think of this, children. That this little boy, poor as he was, and no doubt tempted to do wrong by the evil example around him — always spoke the truth, so that his schoolmaster said of him, "If Benny said anything, I knew it was so." And the teacher whose school he attended on First days for six years, said she never had occasion to speak to him for bad conduct ; and that though he was very 2 BENNY WHITE. young, she gave him charge of a little class, and that it was very interesting to see his love for them. And so little Benny was beginning to be useful in the world ; kind and affectionate to all around him, particularly his young associates, and obedient and dutiful to his parents and teachers. But his Heavenly Father, who watched over him, and by His good Spirit taught him to walk in His fear, and in His paths of truth and righteousness, saw meet to take him from the world. About the last of the year 1857, when he was between nine and ten years old, little Benny took a heavy cold, which settled on his lungs, and as he grew rapidly worse, he was confined to the house all winter. One day when the ground was covered with snow, he looked a long time out of the window, and said, " I have promised myself if I live until the snow is gone, I will go down yonder to the hill by the river, and how I will pray." Often during the long winter evenings, while his mother was busy with her sewing, this dear little boy would get his Bible and read to her, and if he saw her getting drowsy, would say, " Rouse up, mother, listen to this passage," and in his simple, child-like way, try to explain its meaning. And when he read about persons remarkable for their piety, he would ask his mother, "If we do wTell will it be so with us?" He seemed to feel a great interest in his former playmates, and at one time a little boy being called in to read to him, he selected a chapter in Job, and several times during the read- ing, he looked around the room to those present, saying, " There is room for all, there is room for all." At another time, he had some of his little companions called in out of the street, and asked them separately if they " would try to bo good," and obey their parents and meet him in Heaven, where he would soon be? and on their replying, he added, "Now I am done with you." After this he looked towards his parents, and said very impressively, " I want you to be better than you have ever been ; " and to the rest in the room, " I want you all to do better ; " adding, " I love everybody, even those who BENNY WHITE. 8 have spitefully used me." He was particularly interested in his little sister, often telling her to be a good girl, and always mind her mother. His mother sometimes asked him if he wished to get well, he always answered, "No, for I feel I will go to Heaven." She once said, "Benny, would you like me to go with you?" he replied, " No, but I wish you so to live that you may follow me." Many times during his sickness he would ask to be taken to the window, that he might look toward the hill where he had promised himself he would go to. pray ; and a short time before his death he told his mother, " I had hoped to get there, but I am too weak now, neither can I kneel, but I can sit here and pray in my heart." One day, seeing him looking upward with a bright smile on his countenance, his mother asked him what made him look so pleasant ; he made no reply, but continued looking up, still smiling ; — after she had waited some time, he asked her if " she saw that beautiful angel ? " and on her saying no, he looked much disappointed. The morning of his death, he called his father to go to work, telling him " always to pray every morning." He then wished to be carried down stairs, gave one longing look to the hill he had so much wished to visit, and remarked, " What beautiful flowers you have, mother," though there were none visible to any eyes save his ; then his head fell backward, and his mother caught him just as his happy spirit fled. He who said, "Suffer little children to come unto me," had doubtless gathered him with the lambs in his heavenly fold, " to go no more out." He died the 19th of Seventh month, 1858, aged 10 years and 3 months. 4 HANNAH DINGLE. HANNAH DINGLE. Hannah Dingle was the daughter of Johnson and Harriet Dingle, of Philadelphia. Before she was one year old, her mother died, and (the following year) she was admitted into the " Shelter for Colored Orphans ;" there she soon became an example to all, of cheerfulness, gentleness, and obedience ; while at times the gravity and sweetness of her countenance and behavior seemed almost to foreshadow that her tarriance in this world would be brief. In 1851 she was apprenticed to a Friend in Delaware county, Pennsylvania, under whose tender care she remained until her death. Here the genuine kindness and integrity of her character were more and more developed, her word was never doubted, and throughout the day, her love to all was manifested by a steady attention to their interest and comfort, while her evenings were generally occupied in reading to her fellow-servants. During the last year of her life, her health rapidly declined, and for more than a month previous to her decease, she was unable to walk without assistance. A week or two before her death, her mistress asked her if she knew that she was very sick. She replied, " I do, and I do not expect to get well, but I have been trying to be patient and to be ready to die." On the morning of her death, she suffered much from difficulty of breathing, and several times expressed her desire "to go home." In the afternoon, as if aware that the time of her departure had nearly come, she requested that the family might be called into her room ; after addessing each of them by name, she said with earnestness, " I want all my friends to hear what I have to say — I have nothing against any one — I love everybody — I am going to die — I am going to rest — I am going to Heaven " — and in a few minutes gently ceased to breathe, and we doubt not, has joined the company of those who are unceasingly singing the song of Moses and the Lamb. She died Second month, 11th, 1854, aged 11 years. Published by the Tract Association of Friends, No. 304 Arch St., Philadelphia. No. 10G THE TRUE CHRISTIAN'S KTJLE OF LIFE PHILADELPHIA : PUBLISHED BY THE TRACT ASSOCIATION OF FRIENDS, No. 304 Arch Street. 1890. THE True Christian's Rule of Life. Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ, writing to Titus, has this saying, "The grace of God, that bringeth sal- vation, hath appeared to all men ; teaching us, that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world." What is the grace of God ? The grace of God, that bringeth salvation, is no less than a Divine inspiration, the gift of God to the sons and daughters of men. It is, under the gospel admin- istration, the fulfilling of that covenant which God, by the mouth of his prophet Jeremiah, promised to make with the house of Jacob ; which was, that he would write his law in their hearts, and put it in their inward parts. For as God made man in the beginning, humble, lowly, meek, merciful, pure, peaceable, just; so He would have all men to be. But forasmuch as nothing less than the good Spirit of God, in the inward parts of man, can reduce any of us to such a qualification or state, God hath given to every man a measure thereof, to enlighten his understanding, and to guide him in the path of life and salvation ; and this measure, being the free gift of God, is called Grace. In our present age, light within, a law within, Spirit within, Christ within, is the scoffing of some, and little regarded by many : they scoff and slight the chiefest treasure that ever the soul of man was possessed of; they slight the talent that God hath given to every man THE TRUE CHRISTIAN'S RULE OF LIFE. 3 to improve, in order to our rising from our fall, and corning to live under the government of the eternal Spirit. The great God, in his infinite wisdom and everlast- ing love, hath placed his royal seed and plant of re- nown in the hearts of the sons and daughters of men: there the grace of God, that bringeth salvation, may be found : there, until it comes to be veiled by clouds of iniquity, it shows itself a witness against all un- righteousness and ungodliness. As every evil motion and temptation that leads to sin, appears within; so the grace of God, that is given to men, to save from sin, appears also within. There is not a man born into the world, if he has lived to commit sin, but hath felt and known in himself rebukes for sin : and these rebukes are the appearances of grace, and called in Scripture " light," and " true light;" for it manifests every work of darkness: it shows us both when and wherein we have done amiss ; and this it hath done in all ages. God hath not in any age left himself without a wit- ness in the hearts of men, to declare his righteousness, truth, and faithfulness. But there is as much differ- ence between the appearance of grace, and the power of grace to salvation ; the light of righteousness, and that fulness which enables us to lead a life of right- eousness; as between a seed that is sown, and the herb when it is come to full growth : but the one leads to the other; and it is he that attains to the fulness of grace, that comes to lead a sober, righteous, godly life in this present world. Every man hath life and salvation before him, death and destruction behind him ; he hath also a good Spirit to conduct him in the way of life and salvation, and an evil spirit waits to lead him in paths of death and destruction. Many may be found that would confess, they have some sight, some sense, and some feeling of the eternal 4 THE TRUE CHRISTIAN'S RULE OF LIFE. Spirit of Jesus : that they have the knowledge of some- thing in themselves that calls for just weights and an ♦ equal balance, for doing unto all men as they would be done by, for truth in their words, and faithfulness in their promises. Did they keep to this, they would fol- low a right guide, and the seed of grace would grow ; truth and faithfulness would grow ; knowledge, tem- perance, patience, brotherly kindness, and charity, would grow; and we should find in ourselves, that an entrance into the kingdom of Christ would be abun- dantly ministered. The proud, the covetous, the envious, and other un- godly persons may for a time, and a long time, have the appearances or visitations of grace ; they may have rebukes for sin ; but if by such rebukes they do not learn righteousness, they grow not in grace, neither doth grace grow in them. All such hide their talent, and, in time, for want of improvement, may come to have it quite taken from them. As the grace of God that bringeth salvation, appears unto all men, so motions of sin, that lead to destruc- tion, appear unto all men ; and the work of the devil is to make forbidden things appear desirable ; the world and the vanities thereof to be full of pleasantness : and as our affections come to be taken therewith, as we make the world our delight, and pursue after it, we depart from God ; and though grace may make many appearances, though the good Spirit of God may long strive with us, though we have in ourselves many checks and rebukes, and are thereby made sensible that our ways and our doings displease God, yet are we prone to persevere therein ; and through a continual per- severance, sin grows and comes to have dominion over us. What manner of salvation doth the grace of God bring ? As the appearances of grace are rebukes for sin, so the salvation that grace brings, is a saving from sin. THE TRUE CHRISTIAN'S RULE OF LIFE. 5 If grace teacheth men to live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world, grace saves good men from sin in this present world. Saving from sin, on this side the grave, may, to such as are strangers to God's salvation, seem an incredible thing ; but were they so well acquainted with the power of grace, as too many are with the strength of sin, they would say, " Christ's yoke is easy." The shining of an inward light, which is the first manifestation of Christ to the sons and daughters of men, seems at first small and powerless ; and so do our first motions to sin ; but follow such sinful motions as far as they will lead, and we shall find them powerful enough. And if the seed of sin comes, by our follow- ing the motions thereof, to have such power over us, why may not the seed of grace, if we return thereunto, and become followers thereof, have as much power over us ? Undoubtedly, John, who had travelled " from death unto life," and was an eye-witness of things as they were in the beginning, felt in himself such a power when he said, " Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin ; for his seed remaineth in him, and he can- not sin." And many living witnesses may be found at this day, who can say, from a sensible experience, that where this righteous seed is risen and comes to have dominion, it is so powerful and restraining that they cannot be unjust in their dealings, nor unfaithful in their promises; they cannot tell an untruth, though ever so much to their outward advantage ; they cannot be in- temperate, wasting the good creatures that God hath given for their nourishment, by excessive eating and drinking; they cannot oppress the poor, the widow, and fatherless, nor take by violence that which they have no right unto. The small seed in them is become the tallest of herbs, and hath as much power over them as sin hath over those who dwell therein. By grace the ear of a man is shut from hearkening 6 THE TRUE CHRISTIAN S RULE OF LIFE. to fables and evil reports ; his eye is turned aside from gazing upon vanity ; his tongue is not suffered to curse, swear, lie, or to be employed in any idle communica- tion ; his hand is limited from taking bribes to pervert justice, and from taking by violence, or otherwise, any- thing that is not his own. By this dominion, that grace comes to have over us, the Lord saves his people from their sins. As we live in subjection to this power, we are servants to another prince ; sin and Satan have lost their dominion over us. This is God's salvation ; by this we come to " live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world." Inward rebukes, if we have regard thereunto, beget a fear; and as "the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom," so it is the beginning of a reformation of our lives. If I am checked in myself for making a lie, and have regard to that which checked me, I shall be afraid of making another; or if I find in myself rebukes for not keeping my promise, or for doing anything amiss, and have regard to such rebukes, I shall be afraid to do the like, lest the next rebukes be sharper ; and, as this holy fear abides in us, we come to deny ungodliness, and in denying ungodliness we learn righteousness : but such as find in themselves rebukes for sin, and have no regard thereunto, are no scholars in the school of grace. Paul knew terror before he came to find peace with God, and peace in his own conscience : he was ac- quainted with judgment, before he came to obtain vic- tory. Nothing hath power to break the bonds of cap- tivity, and set us free from the law of sin and death, but the law of the Spirit of life in our own hearts. When violent motions to sin arise, stand still, and the Lord will fight for us ; for as our hearts come to be possessed with grace, if the enemy should come in as a flood, the Spirit of the Lord, being in our inward parts, will lift up a standard against him. THE TRUE CHRISTIAN S RULE OF LIFE. i What may truly and properly be called, a "sober, righteous, godly life V A sober life, many may, in some measure, be ac- quainted with, but a righteous, godly life, is too rarely considered. "Whosoever thinks to attain to a righteous, godly life, but by the teachings of grace in his own heart, deceiv- eth his own soul. Men may lop or hinder the growth of many branches of iniquity that appear outwardly, but cannot take away the cause which is within ; and until the cause is re- moved, there can be no thorough cure. "Walk in the Spirt," said Paul, "and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh." That is the only remedy, that is the soul-healing salve : and what is the walk- ing in the Spirit, but following the leading of grace in our hearts? Grace, as it comes to have the rule over us, brings down all exalted thoughts, abaseth pride, shuts out covetousness, gives no place unto wrath, reduceth us to a cool, quiet frame of spirit, in which frame we can bear and suffer. Grace will not suffer us to do any unjust thing, nor allow us to speak an ill word, much less to be drunk, steal, or commit any other vices: for it is the promised Spirit of truth that leads into all truth, leads out of all error, and so brings salvation indeed. JSo man can lead a righteous life, till a right spirit comes to have the whole possession of his heart ; for from the good treasures of the heart proceed all good living ; for that is the guide, and this guide being of a Divine nature, makes us to be heavenly-minded. As God, in his unlimited love to mankind, " mak- eth his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust," so he that hath good will to all, which proceeds out of the heart, when the good Spirit of God comes to make its abode there, will not wrong any, oppress any, show 8 THE TRUE CHRISTIAN'S RULE OF LIFE. violence to any, or speak evil of any, but be ready to serve all men in love and faithfulness. This reformation is only and alone by the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ ; as saith the prophet, " Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters," and drink; every one that hath a desire in his soul after righteous- ness, turn in to the grace of God in his own heart. The water that the prophet invited all thirsty souls unto, is no other than that which Christ giveth ; and whoso- ever drinketh thereof thirsteth no more, but hath, as many at this day can witness, a well in himself, not only issuing, but flowing up to eternal life. But some may say, Our dependence for life and sal- vation is not on works of righteousness, but on faith : We believe, and thereof hope to be saved. Faith we all think we have ; but is it a faith that purifies the heart, and makes our bodies fit temples for the Holy Spirit ? Paul put the Corinthians on an examination of themselves, on a trial and proof of their faith, and it would not be amiss, if all that account themselves be- lievers, did prove their faith by the same touchstone: " Know ye not," said Paul, " your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?" This is life eternal, not only to hear of a God and a Saviour, but to know Him ; to feel the power of God, and to be witnesses of Christ's salvation. Faith and works of righteousness go together : he that hath the one hath both, and grace is the spring from whence both proceed. No. 107. THE •TEST OF OUR CHRISTIANITY. l¥ the Spirit of Christ hath the rule in us, these fol- lowing fruits will be brought forth by us : In all our communications, our yea will be yea, and our na\\ nay : the word that goeth out of our lips will be sure. He thai is a Christian indeed hath no necessity in himself, nor need to be urged by others, to bind his soul with an rath to perform his word ; for the law of the Spirit of life in his own heart constrains him so to do. Christians in their communications weigh their words, before they utter them, with their capacities to perform them ; knowing that a promise cannot be broken with- out violating the righteous law of God in their own hearts. Whenever such violence is done, terror en- sues; and this makes good men, who live under the government of Christ, dread much more to break their words, than others do to forfeit their bonds. This holy dread makes our yea to be yea, and our nay to be nay; this makes us cautious in our promises, and careful in our performances. The exhortation may be read in Scripture, but the binding tie must be known in our own hearts. All that have the Scripture have this rule ; but unless we have a principle of life in our- 2 THE TEST OF OUR CHRISTIANITY. selves, we cannot walk by this rule ; and we must not only have such a principle, but we must also improve it by a continued practice, before it comes to be our life, our centre, and our nature ; till then we may say, " These things we should do ; " but cannot say, " These things we do : " and so witness against ourselves, that,' though we have the Scriptures, we walk not according to the Scriptures ; though we have the words of Christ, we are not in the life and nature of Christ; our yea is not yea, and our nay, nay, in our communications; our words and our promises are not steadfast and sure. An exhortation or command of our Lord was this, " Resist not evil ;" and this was not only his, doctrine, but his life and nature, as we may plentifully read in Scripture. Though He met with revilings, reproaches, buffetings and cruel usage, we do not find that He was once moved thereby, much less that ever He resisted; but gave his face to the smiter, and his cheeks to them that plucked olF the hair ; and when He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, " He was as a sheep dumb before the shearer ; He opened not his mouth." Now the fruits of the Spirit, in the Head and mem- bers, are one in nature ; for as Christ was humble, lowly, meek, patient, peaceable, under all his sufferings, so are Christians, if Christians indeed : they render not evil for evil, they desire not an eye for an eye, nor a tooth for a tooth; revenge of any kind is far from them ; but as patience and forbearance was the life and nature of Christ, so it is the life and nature of all Christians, as they grow in grace, and come to the fulness of the stature of Christ. Another command of Christ was this, " Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them that despitefully use you and persecute you." THE TEST OF OUR CHRISTIANITY. 3 "No man, having the Spirit of Jesus, and living under the government thereof, can hate his brother ; for by creation we are all the workmanship of God's hands ; and all true Christians know that enmity, hatred, cursing, spite and persecution, proceed not from men, as they are the Lord's creation, but as they have lost this image, and thereby become emptied of good, and filled with all evil : for as an evil spirit comes to have the rule over us, evil fruits will be brought forth by us. Could we but see ourselves, did we but observe our own natures, with the fruits we bring forth in our lives, we might easily judge of ourselves whether we were converts or not; whether the Spirit of Christ, or the spirit of this world, had the rule in us, and over us ; for the course of our lives, especially in times of trial, declares who are led by the meek Spirit of Jesus, and who are not; who are leavened with the leaven of righteousness, and who are not ; who lead a sober, upright, godly life, and who do not ; it is not our words, but our conversation, our lives, that manifest what spirit hath the rule in us and over us. As many as have found the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and are come to live under the rule and government of a right Spirit, have the mind of Christ ; though they live in the world, their thoughts run not out after the world. A true Christian is diligent in his calling, moderate in his expenses, content in his state ; takes but little thought what he shall eat, or what he shall drink, or wherewithal he shall be clothed; he delights in justice, equity, truth and faithfulness, and his thoughts are exercised therein, and resting on God's providence, his honest endeavors are attended with a blessing. There must be a death unto sin, before there can be a new birth unto righteousness; and a growth in right- 4 THE TEST OF OUR CHRISTIANITY. eousness, before we can centre in that content, as to " take no thought of what we shall eat, what we shall drink, or wherewithal we shall be clothed." And so it is every man's principal concern, first to seek the king- dom of God and his righteousness ; first tp know the rule and government of a right Spirit in himself ; for this makes him capable of leading a Christian life, and of performing Christian duties both to God and man. "All things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them ; for this is the law and the prophets." Were the understandings of all who are called Chris- tians enlightened to see themselves as they are, to prove themselves by this Christian rule, weigh them- selves in this equal balance, the following sorts of men and women, with many others, would not pass for true Christians : All such as detain the wages of the hireling, or grind the poor, by beating down the value of their labor till they cannot live thereby. All such as in trade or dealing use light weights, short measure, or any other kind of deceit. All such as either give or take bribes. All such as take wages to serve, and are not faithful to their trust. All such as make contracts, and perform not the same ; or engage themselves by promises, and have no regard to their word. All such as by evil reports, whisperings, or back- bitings, sow the seeds of strife, create prejudice, or quench charity. None of these abide in the doctrine of Christ, none of these do as they would be done unto ; though they bear a Christian name, they are strangers to a Christian life. THE TEST OF OUR CHRISTIANITY. 5 By what way may the proud become humble, the wild become sober, the covetous become content, the fraudulent become just, the intemperate become mod- erate, the incontinent become chaste, the unfaithful become faithful ? By reading good books, and conferring with good men, we may be convicted, but not thoroughly con- verted : for as virtue hath a spring, so vice hath a root that mere words will not reach. The strength of sin, is the growth of that seed which the wicked one hath sown in the inward parts of the sons and daughters of men ; and forasmuch as the cause is within, it is im- possible it should be wholly removed by things with- out : as the cause is within, so the cure must be within, by mortifying the body of sin, or bringing down the strength thereof; which is thus effected : There is no unrighteous thing done, but there is an inward motion before there is any outward action ; and, by that light which enlighteneth every man that cometh into the world, if our eyes are inward, we may see those motions : and the way to mortify the body of sin, is to deny and turn from every such motion in the rising thereof; for in their rising they are weak and powerless, and may be easily turned back. If we do not suppress vice in the risings thereof, it will continue our lord; but by every such denial, we bring down that which would arise and reign in us and over us, whether it be pride, covetousness, envy, falsehood, or any other vice whatever; for the more denials are given to vice, the fewer assaults it will make ; the stronger the oppo- sition, the weaker the attempt. As yielding gives vice ground to grow from a seed to a body, denials bring it down from a body to a seed; so that though something thereof may abide in us, it doth not reign over us. The axe is never laid to the root of the tree, till a 6 THE TEST OF OUR CHRISTIANITY. reformation begins within ; the life of righteousness stands or has its rise, in the mortification of sin, which is an inward work. The spirit of this world must be brought down, before the Spirit of the Lord can be exalted in us. And as they that live after the flesh have less life, less light, less grace, less fear; so such as walk after the Spirit, doing such things as are upright, honest and of good report, from a principle in their own hearts, find an increase : they come to have more life, more light, more grace, more fear of offending God; and this increase is a living unto righteousness. As the one goes further from, so the other draws nearer to, the kingdom of heaven. Now a talent is not improved by lying hid in a nap- kin : if we would have more grace, we must exercise the measure we have attained unto ; we must live in the continual practice of right things ; we must keep in lowliness, meekness, temperance, patience, and other virtues; we must be just in our dealings, as well in the smallest concern as in those which are more weighty ; for a small matter turns the balance, and if that small matter be wanting, things are not just, we do not as we would be done by. And this just dealing, as righteousness comes to reign, will be no hard thing, for as we accustom our- selves thereunto, it will be uppermost ; it will be as a diligent handmaid, ready to offer her service; and every act of righteousness performed in a right spirit, hath its reward, which is not only an answer of peace, but joy in the Holy Ghost. The way of life is the way of pleasantness, all her paths are peace. At the beginning of our journey, it will seem a strait and narrow way; but after we have travelled on awhile, we shall run therein with great THE TEST OF OUR CHRISTIANITY. 7 delight. For the kingdom of heaven, or Christ's gov- ernment by his eternal Spirit in the hearts of his people, doth not consist of righteousness alone; the righteousness that proceeds from a right spirit, is ac- companied with peace and joy. As ill-doing is attended with trouble and sorrow, well-doing is attended with peace and joy. All the pleasures of wickedness, that the whole world affords, are not to be compared to the joys of a righteous life. Every evil motion we deny, in obedience unto Christ, affordeth a superior joy to that which a warrior hath in battle, when his enemy fleeth before him. What can satisfy a soul that thirsteth after righteous- ness, but that which is in very truth the spring of righteousness ? It is in ourselves the well is to be found, that whosoever drinketh of shall never thirst; there is the spring that floweth up unto everlasting life. As the kingdom of heaven stands not in words, but in power; so it is not words, but the power of God that can mortify the deeds of the body, change our nature, and make us new creatures. Should we enter into reasoning with any motions of sin, it is much if we are not overcome thereby ; for it is the nature of sin, not to turn back at a small denial, especially if it be a sin that hath prevailed over us before; but in turning therefrom we give it the repulse: if it be not hearkened unto, it goes back. And what can show us the rising of evil motions ? nothing that is without can effectually show us what is within : it must be an inward light ; it must be the eternal Spirit, that was in the beginning given unto man for an instructor. As the seed of sin grows and waxeth strong in us by our yielding to evil motions, so the seed of grace grows and waxeth strong in us by the denying of evil motions. 8 THE TEST OF OUR CHRISTIANITY. As the old man is put off, the new man is put on ; as vice is denied, virtue is embraced. But if this old man with his deeds of darkness be not put off, the new man that is created after God's image in righteousness and true holiness, will not be put on : and though we have been awakened unto righteous- ness, we shall fall asleep again, some in one form and some in another, feeding on words without any sense of power or life ; and this second sleep appears to be a dead sleep; for that though we may hear much spoken against pride, covetousness, envy, &c, we are not so much as touched therewith, but live in the open show thereof. Did the sons and daughters of men who are called Christians, make it their concern to be Christians in- deed, by mortifying in themselves the spirit of this world, they would be not only happy, but a lovely people ; for by mortifying the body of sin, oppression would cease, all wrongs and injuries would be at an end ; love would spring both to God and man ; grace would grow; humility, meekness, moderation and all other virtues would show themselves. They would be another manner of people in their conversation ; their words and their works would be just, upright and honest; they would confide in one another without any scruple or doubt. What is more lovely than to be at all times, and on all occasions, just, upright, honest and faithful, doing to all men, in all things, even as we would that they should do unto us ? Living under the rule and government of a right spirit, qualifies us for performing every Christian duty : " We shall love the Lord our God with all our hearts, and our neigh- bors as ourselves ; " which is the sum of all godliness, and the true character of Christianity. Published by the Tract Association of Friends, No. 304 Arch Street, Philad'a, No. 108. THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. "Again therefore, Jesus spake unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in the darkness, but shall have the light of life." John viii-12 — R. V. PHILADELPHIA: PUBLISHED BY THE TRACT ASSOCIATION OF ERIENDS, No. 304 Arch Street. 1891. Selected from the Gospel ACCORDING TO ST. JOHN.—R. V. In the beginning was the Word, and the "Word was with God, and the Word Avas God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him ; and without him was not anything made that hath been made. In him was life ; and the life was the light of men. And the light sbineth in the darkness ; and the darkness apprehended it not. There came a man, sent from God, whose name was John. The same came for witness, that he might bear witness of the light, that all might believe through him. He was not the light, but came that he might bear witness of the light. There was the true light, even (he light which lighteth every man, coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. He came unto his own, and they that were his own received him not. But as many as received him, to them gave he the right to become children of God, even to them that believe on his name : which were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us (and we beheld his glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father), full of grace and truth. John beareth witness of him, and crieth, saying, This was he of whom I said, He that cometh after me is become before me : for he was before me. For of his fullness we all re- ceived, and grace for grace. For the law was given by Moses ; grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. Now there was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: the same came unto THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. 6 him by night, and said to him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God : for no man can do these signs that thou doest, except God be with him. Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born anew. The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou nearest the voice thereof, but knowest not whence it cometh, and whither it goeth : so is every one that is born of the Spirit. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness,* even so must the Son of man be lifted up : that whosoever believeth may in him have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God sent not the Son into the world to judge the world; but that the world should be saved through him. lie that believeth on him is not judged : he that believeth not hath been judged already, because he hath not believed on the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the judgment, that the light is come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the light : for their works were evil. For every one that doeth ill hateth the light, and cometh not to the light, lest his works should be re- proved. But he that doeth the truth cometh to the light, that his works may be made manifest, that they have been wrought in God. So he cometh to a city of Samaria, called Sychar, near to the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph : and Jacob's well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied with his journey, sat thus by the well. *see Numbers, xxi : 9. 4 THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. It was about the sixth hour. There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water : Jesus saith unto her, Give me to drink. The Samaritan woman therefore saith unto him, How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a Samaritan woman? (For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans). Jesus an- swered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldst have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water. The woman saith unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep : from whence then hast thou that living water? Art thou greater than our father Jacob, which gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his sons, and his cattle ? Jesus answered and said unto her, Every one that drinketh of this wrater shall thirst again : 'but whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst ; but the water that I shall give him shall become in him a well of water springing up unto eternal life. The woman saith unto him, Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet. Our fathers worshipped in this mountain ; and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship. Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when neither in this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, shall ye worship the Father. Ye worship that which ye know not : we worship that which we know : for salvation is from the Jewrs. But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and truth : for such doth the Father seek to be his worshippers. God is a Spirit : and they that worship him must worship in spirit and truth. The woman saith unto him, I know that Messiah cometh (which is called Christ) : when he is come, he will declare unto us all things. Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am he. THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. 5 After these things Jesus went away to the other side of the sea of Galilee, which is the sea of Tiberias. And a great multitude followed him, because they beheld the signs which he did on them that were sick. They said therefore unto him, What must we do that we may work the works of God ? Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent. They said therefore unto him, What then doest thou for a sign, that we may see, and believe thee ? what workest thou ? Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness;* as it is written, He gave them bread out of heaven to eat. Jesus therefore said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, It was not Moses that gave you the bread out of heaven ; but my Father giveth you the true bread out of heaven. For the bread of God is that which cometh down out of heaven, and giveth life unto the world. They said therefore unto him, Lord, ever- more give us this bread. Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life : he that cometh to me shall not hunger, and he that belie veth on me shall never thirst. But I said unto you, that ye have seen me, and yet be- lieve not. All that which the Father giveth me shall come unto me ; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. For I am come down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me. And this is the will of him that sent me, that of all that which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day. For this is the will of my Father, that every one that beholdeth the Son, and believeth on him, should have eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. The Jews there- fore murmured concerning him, because he said, I am the bread which came down out of heaven. And they *See Exodus, xvi : 14, 15. 6 THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. said, Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? how doth he now say, I am come down out of heaven ? Jesus answered and said unto them, Murmur not among yourselves. No man can come to me, except the Father which sent me draw him : and I will raise him up in the last day. It is written in the prophets, And they shall all be taught of God. Every one that hath heard from the Father, and hath learned, cometh unto me. Not that any man hath seen the Father, save he which is from God, he hath seen the Father. Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth hath eternal life. I am the bread of life. Your fathers did eat the manna in the wilderness, and they died. This is the bread which cometh down out of heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die. I am the living bread which came down out of heaven ; if any man eat of this bread, he shall live forever : yea and the bread which I will give is my flesh, for the life of the world. The Jews therefore strove one with another, saying, How can this man give us his flesh to eat? Jesus therefore said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, ye have not life in yourselves. He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood abideth in me, and I in him. As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father ; so he. that eateth me, he also shall live because of me. This is the bread which came down out of heaven : not as the fathers did eat, and died : he that eateth this bread shall live forever. These things said he in the syna- gogue, as he taught in Capernaum. Many therefore of his disciples, when they heard this, said, This is a hard saying; who can hear it? But Jesus knowing in him- self that his disciples murmured at this, said unto them, THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. 7 Doth this cause you to stumble? What then if ye should behold the Son of man ascending where he was before? It is the spirit that cuiickeneth : the flesh prohteth nothing: the words that I have spoken unto you are spirit, and are life. But when it was now the midst of the feast Jesus went up into the temple, and taught. The Jews therefore marvelled, saying, How knoweth this man letters, hav- ing never learned ? Jesus therefore answered them, and said, My teaching is not mine, but his that sent me. If anv man willeth to do his will, he shall know of the teaching, whether it be of God, or whether I speak from myself. He that speaketh from himself, seeketh his own glory : but he that seeketh the glory of him that sent him, the same is true, and no unrighteousness is in him. Xow on the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believed on him were to receive : for the Spirit was not yet given; because Jesus was not yet glorified. Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the fold of the sheep, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. I am the door : by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and go out, and shall find pasture. The thief cometh not, but that he may steal, and kill, and destroy : I came that they may have life, and may have it abundantly. I am the good shepherd; and I know mine own, and mine own know me, even as the Father knoweth me, and I know the Father ; and I lay down my life for the sheep. And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold : them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice ; and they shall become one flock, one shepherd. Therefore doth the Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I may 8 THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. take it again. No one taketh it away from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment received I from my Father. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me : and I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, and no one shall snatch them out of my hand. My Father, which hath given them, unto me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand. I and the Father are one. Now a certain man was sick, Lazarus of Bethany, of the village of Mary and her sister Martha. And it was that Mary which anointed the Lord with ointment, and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick. The sisters therefore sent unto him, saying, Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick. But when Jesus heard it, he said, This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified thereby. Now Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus. When therefore he heard that he was sick, he abode at that time two days in the place where he was. Then after this he saith to the disciples, Let us go into Judaea again. The disciples say unto him, Babbi, the Jews were but now seeking to stone thee; and goest thou thither again? Jesus answered, Are there not twelve hours in the day ? If a man walk in the day, he stumbleth not, because he seeth the light of this world. But if a man walk in the night, he stumbleth, because the light is not in him. These things spake he: and after this he saith unto them, Our friend Lazarus is fallen asleep ; but I go, that I may awake him out of sleep. The disciples therefore said unto him, Lord, if he is fallen asleep, he will recover. Now Jesus had spoken of his death : but they thought that he spake of taking rest in sleep. Then Jesus there- fore said unto them plainly, Lazarus is dead. And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, to the intent ye may believe; nevertheless, let us go unto him. THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. 9 So when Jesus came, he found that he nad been in the tomb four days already. And many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary, to console them con- cerning their brother. Martha therefore, when she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met him : but Mary still sat in the house. Martha therefore said unto Jesus, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died. And even now I know that, whatsoever thou shalt ask of God, God will give thee. Jesus saith unto her, Thy brother shall rise again. Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resur- rection at the last day. Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection and the life : he that belie veth on me, though he die, yet shall he live: and whosoever liveth and believeth on me shall never die. Believest thou this ? She saith unto him, Yea, Lord ; I have believed that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, even he that cometh into the world. And when she had said this, she went away, and called Mary her sister secretly, saying, The Master is here, and calleth thee. And she, when she heard it, arose quickly, and went unto him. (Xow Jesus was not yet come into the village, but was still in the place where Martha met him). The Jews then which were with her in the house, and were comforting her, when they saw Mary, that she rose up quickly and went out, followed her, supposing that she was going unto the tomb to weep there. Mary therefore, when she came where Jesus was, and saw him, fell down at his feet, saying unto him, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died. When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews also weeping which came with her, he groaned in the spirit, and was troubled, and said, Where have ye laid him ? They say unto him, Lord, come and see. Jesus wept. The Jews therefore said, Behold how he loved him ! But some of them said, Could not this man, which opened the eyes of him that was blind, have caused that this man also should not die? Jesus therefore, as^aiii groaning: in 10 THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. himself cometh to the tomb. Now it was a cave, and a stone lay against it. Jesus saith, Take ye away the stone. Martha, the sister of him that was dead, saith unto him, Lord, by this time he stinketh: for he hath been dead four days. Jesus saith unto her, Said I not unto thee, that, if thou believedst, thou shouldest see the glory of God ? So they took away the stone. And Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said, Father, I thank thee that thou heardest me. And I knew that thou nearest me always : but because of the multitude which standeth around I said it, that they may believe that thou didst send me. And when he had thus spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth. He that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with grave-clothes; and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus saith unto them, Loose him, and let him go. Many therefore of the Jews, which came to Mary and beheld that which he did, believed on him. Jesus therefore said unto them, Yet a little while is the light among you. Walk while ye have the light, that darkness overtake you not : and lie that walketh in the darkness knoweth not whither he goeth. While ye have the light, believe on the light, that ye may become sons of light. I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me may not abide in the darkness. And if any man hear my sayings, and keep them not, I judge him not : for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world. He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my sayings, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I spake, the same shall judge him in the last day. For I spake not from myself ; but the Father which sent me, he hath given me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak. And I knowT that his commandment is life eternal : the things therefore which I speak, even as the Father hath said unto me, so I speak. Let not your heart be troubled : ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. 11 mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I come again, and will receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. And whither I go, ye know the way. Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; how know we the way ? Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, and the truth, and the life : no one cometh unto the Father, but by me. If ye love me, ye will keep my commandments. And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth : whom the world cannot receive; for it beholdeth him not, neither knoweth him : ye know him ; for he abideth with you, and shall be in you. I will not leave you desolate : I come unto vou. These things have I spoken unto you, while yet abiding with you. But the Comforter, even the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said unto you. I am the true vine, and my Father is the husband- man. Every branch in me that beareth not fruit, he taketh it away : and every branch that beareth fruit, he cleanseth it, that it may bear more fruit. Already ye are clean because of the word which I have spoken unto you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; so neither can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches : He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same beareth much fruit: for apart from me ye can do nothing. If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered ; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatsoever ye will, and it shall be done unto you. Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit ; and so shall ye be my disciples. Even as the Father hath loved me, I also have loved you : abide ye 12 THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. in my love. If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love. These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be fulfilled. This is my com- mandment, that ye love one another even as I have loved you. Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. Ye are my friends, if*, ye do the things which I command you. For the Father himself loveth you, because ye have loved me, and have believed that I came forth from the Father. I came out from the Father, and am come into the world: again, I leave the world, and go unto the Father. His disciples say, Lo, now speakest thou plainly, and speakest no proverb. Now know we that thou knowest all things, and needest not that any man should ask thee: by this we believe that thou earnest forth from God. Jesus answered them, Do ye now believe ? Behold, the hour cometh, yea, is come, that ye shall be scattered, every man to his own, and shall leave me alone : and yet I am not alone, because the Father is with me. These things have I spoken unto you, that in me ye may have peace. In the world ye have tribulation : but be of good cheer ; I have over- come the world. These things spake Jesus; and lifting up his eyes to heaven, he said, Father, the hour is come ; glorify thy Son, that the Son may glorify thee : even as thou gavest him authority over all flesh, that whatsoever thou hast given him, to them he should give eternal life. And this is life eternal, that they should know thee the only true God, and him whom thou didst send, even Jesus Christ. No. 109. THE KINGDOM OF GOD WITHIN. The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand ; repent ye, and believe the Gospel." PHILADELPHIA: PUBLISHED BY THE TRACT ASSOCIATION OF FRIENDS, No. 304 Arch Street. THE KINGDOM OF GOD WITHIN. •'The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the Gospel." The day of the Lord has come, in which the accom- plishment of great and notable things, the mighty works of God, which have been prophesied of, may be lawfully expected. It is the work of every Christian to wait upon the Lord in the light of this day, and to be acquainted with the works of the Lord, both inwardly and outwrardly ; for the day of the Lord is a day of power, and that power of God worketh wonderful things; and if we are not kept in the light of that day, the Lord may work great things, and we not know it. If we wrould be faithful wit- nesses, we must have regard to the works of the Lord and the operations of his hands. The greatest thing we have to expect in this day of the Lord, is, that God will set up the kingdom of his Son Christ Jesus: and unto this all the prophets did bear witness in their time, and now it is our turn t( bear witness of it, by sensible and living experiences of the accomplishment of those things that they prophesied of, that the Lord will set up the kingdom of Christ, and bring down and lay waste the kingdom of Antichrist. That which chiefly concerns us at this day, is to behold the kingdom of Christ, the eternal Son of God, within us, to go forward and prosper; and the kingdom of Antichrist suppressed and destroyed, and utterly laid waste. It is our duty to turn our minds to the working of the power of God in ourselves, and to see that other 4 THE KINGDOM OF GOD WITHIN. kingdom of the man of sin weakened and brought down within us; then there is no fear but he will carry on his work outwardly ; but the great matter is to see the kingdom of God set up within us, which stands in holiness and righteousness ; our business is to wait till we see the righteousness of this kingdom set up within us, in our hearts and souls, and to have a real change made. We all know, and must confess, that we have been subject to the man of sin. We have seen the reign and government, the rage and tyranny of the wicked one, that has led us into rebellion and disobedience to the Lord our Maker. How do we like that government, to be ruled by the devil, and to be led captive, and to be made to do his will, and to rebel against God that gave us our life, and breath, and being ? How do we like the government of Satan ? They that are under the tyrannical government of Satan,' and are favored to see their condi- tion, have many cries and wishes in their souls, that they were freed and delivered from it, and brought under the government and obedience of Christ Jesus ; and that they were able to serve God as they ought to do, that they might be translated from the kingdom of sin and Satan, into the kingdom of the blessed and dearly be- loved Son of God. But may not some say, how shall this great work be wrought ? For it is a great work, and we verily think that nothing but an Almighty Power can effect it. For many have been trying to no purpose, and done what they could in their own strength, to deliver their own souls from death, and yet they find themselves in bond- age still ; nay, they have called in the help and assist- ance of those that they thought to be stronger than themselves, and all have failed, and they are yet weak and entangled, and they cannot find themselves at liberty to serve the Lord as they ought to do. Nothing but the Almighty Power of God can do it; and when we have come to experience, and know this, then we will seek after that, and will come to this profes- sion ; if the Lord puts not forth his Almighty Power, we must perish, for there is no other power can deliver us THE KINGDOM OF GOD WITHIN. 0 When we come to know this, — what must we do ? We must wait for the revelation of that power that will take us off from all trust and confidence that we have ever had in anything else. A man that hath nothing to trust to but the power, and mercy, and goodness of God, puts his whole trust and confidence therein. Now, if there was but a willingness in every one freely to give up himself to that power that created us, to obey bis will, there is not a man or woman who would long be without the knowledge of it. If we are but willing to be subject to the law of him that made us, it will not be long before he will discover it to us, and reveal his power in us in the glory and excellency of it ; that power which is more able to preserve us than all the power on earth, or all the power of the devil to destroy us. But the cry of flesh and blood becomes loud, and says: I would be subject to God, but I would not have him cross mine interest, and deprive me of that I love and thirst after; I would not have him imbitter my carnal delights and pleasure, and undo me as to my reputation in the world. If we will become spiritual, and partake of spiritual blessings and benefits, we must turn from all kind of rea- sonings that come from the pit of darkness, that has thus far deceived us, and will ruin us forever, if we hearken to them. New gospel terms no man can make ; and if any come to preach new gospel terms, count him a de- ceiver ; for there is no possibility of being a disciple of Christ, but by taking up our daily cross, and denying ourselves, and following him as our leader and guide. To him we must go, and go in no other way, speaking nothing, and doing nothing but what is holy and pure ; he must conduct us in our walking, guide us in our way, and justify us in it. This is to be a true disciple of Christ. When a man comes to join and adhere to the power of God revealed in his soul, he sees the coming of the kingdom of God; he sees it at a distance ; he saith within himself, I will follow my captain ; I will become subject to the kingdom of Christ. If I obey this divine grace THE KINGDOM OF GOD WITHIN. which came by Jesus Christ, I shall oe his disciple. For as many q,s are led by the fyririt of God, are the children of God. I am not to propose new terms, but to accept of the old terms of the gospel of Christ. For it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth. I see that the kingdom of God is to be set up, and the kingdom of the devil to be brought down in me ; if 1 follow this divine leader, I shall never follow the devil more; if he would have me lie, I shall refuse; if he would have me run into vain and corrupt communi- cation, and foolish jesting, that will be a bridle to me, that I cannot clo it. We speak now to persons that live under the light of the gospel of Christ, and are subdued by his grace ; we would speak that which all the logic in the world cannot overthrow; that which the most cunning logician, with all his wit and quirks, cannot refute and prove erroneous. If a man be led by the Spirit of God, he cannot lie; this is a common cure for all men ; if we be led by the Spirit of Truth, and hearken to the principle of truth in our own soul, this will cure and heal us of the Avounds and maladies of our corrupt nature, and set us at liberty from our old master. We hope, if any like the servitude and bondage of sin and Satan, they will desire liberty, before they die : why not desire it now ? It may be they think to enjoy a little liberty, and reputation, and pleasure in sin for years, and then break off from it, and repent, and turn to God : how do they know that they have a single day to live? It is of high concernment to every one of us to wait for a discovery of gospel liberty, and an ability and power in his soul, to enable him to break off from the servitude and bondage of sin and Satan, that he hath so long lived under; and to wait upon God with pa- tience, for the setting his soul at liberty, and setting up the kingdom of Christ within him, and pulling down the kingdom of Satan, that he may be brought into the king- dom of Christ, that consists in peace and righteousness, and joy in the Holy Ghost. These are the things that fol- low one another; when righteousness is set up in us, we shall not be disturbed, we shall have peace aud joy, and THE KINGDOM OF