^ ■f- 'Jx ■"V" v>V-.'.V "J / '-».-• v-fi>M SCC- SOME BRIEF MEMOIRS SanxTpton o f t h e IL 9yd L I F E Saiwpigi-v OF ILoyd DAVID H ALL; WITH An Account of the Life of his Father J O H N H A L L. To which are added, Divers of his Epistles to Friends^ on various Occafions. LONDON: Printed and Sold by Luke Hinde, at the Bible in George^Tard, Lombard-Street, ij^%^ f X 3 SOMEBRIEF MEMOIRS OF THE LI F E O F DAVID HALL. fUrfuant to the Diredion of Christ our Lord, — Gather up the Fragments that nothing be loji, it is in my Mind to com- mit to Writing fome Remarks of thb Lord's gracious and gentle Dealings with- me David Hall, who have above fifty Years inclufive kept a^ Boarding - School at Skipton in Craven, Torkflnre, apprehending it to be inconfirtent with the faid divine Precept, that any Thing blefs'd and broken, by the Hand of Jesus^ fhould be trodden under Foot in theDufl, though it might appear ever fo diminutive in the Eyes of fome. I^as born at Skiptcn, aforefaid, the 22A of Borr the Tenth Month 1683. My Father and-^^'P-^^ • ' A 2 ^ Mother, n at [ 2 ] Alother, John and Elizabeth Hall, were fignally ovvn'd and blefs'd by good Providence : • They were both convinced of the Truth in their Youth, and received the fame in the Love of it, having had their Education in the Way of the Church of England, Soon after my Father had joined himfelf in Society with the People called fakers, he re- ceived a Difpenfation of the everlafting Gofpel ^ of Peace, even a living Teftimony to the Truth, of which (as he often faid) he was throughly convincd in afilent Meeti?ig, In the Times of Perfecution they freely fuf- ferM the Spoiling of their Goods for Truth's Sake, whereby they were reduced to a low Ebb, as to their outward Circumflances -, but the Lord, who bleffeth the Provifion oi Zion^ and fatisfieth her Poor with Bread, and fupports his faithful Servants in all their Sufferings, wonder- fully blefs'd the little Bafket, and the fmall Store, and the poor Endeavours of this pious Couple ; of whom it may be faid, as in Ifaiah^ /yj/.lxiii. — So he was their Saviour. I?2 all their Afflic- ^*^* tions he was affiBed^ and the Angel oj his Prefe?ice faved them ; in his Love and in his Pity he re- deemed thcm^ and he bare them and carried them. But 'tis obfcrvable, and hath by many been taken notice of, that thofe Perfons who were the ofiicious Agents in fpoiling thefe two reli- gious Friends, feem'd to be remarkably blafted, as [ 3 1 as to their temporal Affairs ; which Obferva-- tion hath alfo been made concerning the rigid Perfecutors of the Lord's innocent People in divers Places. They had five Children ; the firft and fifth whereof, being Sons, died in their Infancy ; the fecond and third were Daughters^ who in two Days Time both died of the Small-pox^ and were buried in one Grave on the 23d of the Seventh Month 1693, the one aged about eleven, and the other about twelve Years : At which Time, I being in the tenth Year of niy^ij7j)°' Age, their only furviving Child, lay grievoufly order, afflicted with the Small-pox alfo, infomuch that my Life was defpaired of by moil: that faw me ; yet He, who can raife the Dead to Life, re- ftor'd me, a poor miferable Creature, a moving Objed: of the Pity and Commiferation of all that beheld me, through unaccountable Diffi- culties, (far beyond Expecflation) from the very Brink of the Grave ; yea, by degrees, to a pretty good State of Health, and Conftitution of Body, notwithftanding fome of the Relicks of that dreadful Contagion have attended me to this Day, and expedl will to the End of my Race, viz. fomething of a Nervous Diforder^ not much unlike, in its Appearance, to a Pal/y^ which at firft was fo ftrong that I could fcarce, for a confiderable Time, either plainly fpeak pne Word, or diftindly difcern any Objedt ; neither could I ftand or walk alone, my Afped: ' and Appearance being near like that of an Idiot, A3 yet. [ 4 1 yet, by little and little, I recruited, and fome- what recover'd my depraved Senfcs ; fo that (after my piteous Manner) I walk'd and rid about Home for the Space of five Years, or thereabouts, not likely ever to be capable to follow any Bufmefs, whereby I might get a Livelihood. I had About the fifteenth Year of my Age I afiay'd my Edu- to refume and open my Grammar^ which I had "fkip^on'l abruptly clos'd and thrown by, when attacked Free, by this fore Difiemper, which thro* the Blefling School. qJ* Qq-q upon my diligent Application, and (almoft) inceffant and indefatigable Studies, I did, with fo good Succefs, under the Inflrudtion of my beloved Mafter, George Croft, Mafter of the Free-School at Skipton^ that, irv'five Years Time, I attained fo much of the Knowledge of thofe caird learned Languages^ that I was judg'd by my faid Mafter, to be fit for Cambridge or Oxford : And with this good Succefs, and thro' the Mercy of kind Providence, I was, in a good Meafure, mercifully preferv'd in the aforefaid School, from running into the Liberties which Pupils at fuch Places are very liable to be drawn into ; yet I muft, from real Experience of a Friench Cafe of this Kind, fay, (c6nfidering the many Children j^^j Examples, undue Liberties, Difficulties and ought to „ 1 i- • 1 ^1 M 1 o be put to Dangers thatrriends Children may expect to Friends meet with, that are imprudently and unad- vifedly put to fuch Schools) all Friends, who have their Childrens Welfare at Heart, fhould be is] be very careful not to expofe them to thofe Dangers. I may give three Reafons for my being put to fuch a School ; ift. I had no Probability of getting my Bread if I fliould not attain to a good Share of Learning, being unfit for mecha- nick or fervile Labour. 2dly, We having no Friends School near us, I w^as not in fuch a State • of Health or Strength as to be fent abroad as a Boarder ; and in cafe I had been fit ; sdly. My Father's Circumftance in the World (I fuppofe) would not have been fufficient to anfwer the Expences of Board and Schooling : Therefore I was excited to exert all my Faculties (though fmall in Comparifon) to attain fo much Lite- rature as might in feme fort countervail the Difadvantages I laid under on the Score of my bodily Weaknefs 5 and by my unwearied Sedu- ^^""^^t lity, under the Bleffing of Providence, I out-makirup ftripped my Fellows that were endow'd with for fmaii larger Parts than myfelf : So was the Maxim once more verify*d, Sedulity 77tafters Difficulty : Gutta cavat lapidem, non vi, fed fsepe cadendo. On the 27th of the Tenth Month 170^, I I begun opened a School of my own in my Father's j^ i-o-*. Houfe, which, through the Affiftance and con- tinued Blefling of God upon my honeft Endea- vours, I managed in fome degree to good Pur- pofe^ though through many Exercifes on various A 4 Accounts, [61 Had Accounts, having conftantly in our Houfe ^Q*^/r^ie^5. Boarders, fometimes above forty in Number, shiptoTi's I "^^^ ^'*^^ ^^ fmall Difturbance from Roger Prici^ is Mitton, Priefl oi SkiptoUy who (in vain) en- fonu^^*^" deavour'd, for feveral Years, to root oiit the fakers Seminary (as he ftii'd my. School) ^t Skipton : In vain faid I ? Yea, verily,, for he could never obtain his defired Ends, neither by cafting me into Prifon, nor any other Ways ex- tirpating my Seminary^ as he call'd it, though he rigidly profecuted me both at the Quarter Seffions and in the Spiritual Court, fo call'd, at one and the fame Time, for teaching School without Licenfe. But before I proceed to fay any more on that Head, let me relate to the Reader, that God, who is no Refpedler of Perfons, but in his uni- verfal Love, (hineth in the Hearts of all Men, in a Day of Vifitation, to give the Light of the Knowledge of the Glory of God in the Face of Jesus Christ, like as the Sun in the outward Firmament, that greater Light to rule the Day, that lively Sign of God's merciful Extendings of univerfal and faving Grace and Favour to the Children of Men, difplays its enlightening and comfortable Beams into and upon the foli- tary Cottages of the loweft Subjedts, as freely as into and upon the moft ftately Palaces of the greateft Monarchs and Potentates in the Earth, gracioufly condefcendcd to fhine into my Soul, who was a defpicable Creature in my young Years, [ 7 ] Years, whereby I faw myfelf, my own Frailties, } was Errors, and Unworthinefs on the one hand, ^i^^^e^n^ and the Goodnefs and Greatnefs of my mer- ter'd into ciful and gracious Creator on the other ; ^?^^"^/^ by which Sight and Senfe I was brought to Lord, in an humble and grateful Acknowledgment of"^yy^""S the Lord's wonderful Condefcenfion, in regard- ing the very low Eftate of me his poor Servant, who accounted myfelf as a Worm and no Man ; fo that divine Imprefiions being frequently made lyjon me, both in Meetings and in private Re- tirements, I was prevailed on (fomewhat like yacoi at Bethel) to enter into Covenant with the Lord my God, which Covenant the Lord fignally fulfilled unto me, and helped me, his humbled Servant, in fome degree to perform xny Part thereof to my righteous Lord and Benefactor ; fo that I was manifeftly blefs'd in Bafket and Store, according to that ancient and conditional Promife to I/rael of old : — ^nJ ye ^^o^* palljerve the Lord your God, and he Jhall blefs '^^^^'' ^^'^ thy Bread and thy Water. Moreover, as Religion, and a religious Exer- cife of Heart, grew and increas'd in me, and I therein, I felt Drawings in my Mind to fay fomething in religious Meetings bjf way of f publick Teftimony ; to which Concern, after pear'd" divers Reafonines a«d Confultations, I at length ^^^ ^** gave up, on the 20th of the Ninth Month 17 1 1, fhe 20th in the Meeting-houfe at Rill/ion, {Thomas Burton 0^' the - ixomNorwich having appointed a Meeting there Month that Day) which my firft Appearance was on i?"* this [ 8 ] My firft this wife,, with a loud Voice, — Ifs 'weightily ny! ^ " ^P^^ ^^^ io ja^y Friends, Stand open ! Stand open! Stand open / Oh ! how few are concern d for the jiffiiBions of Jofeph ! Look not about you^ but open your Hearts to the Lord ! Make ready ^ and^ I believe the Lord will be near to your Comfort and his own Praife^ to whom be Praifes now and for evermore. When you come to the Meetingy then is the Titne to work ; dont wait (only) to know what you can hear from others^ &c. or to that Import ; which was to me fuch ftn open Time, and I was (in my own Ap- prehenfion) in fo much Authority, that I was ready to fuppofe I had got the worfl paft : But oh ! the heavy Exercifes which foon after fell upon me, bowed me mighty low, and gave mc fuch a Turn of Thought, that I readily con- . eluded all was not over, but quite the reverfe, fter's Sta- ^^^^ ^ ^^^ ^^^^ ]^^^ entering a large Field of tionhnm- exercifing Engagements, finding the Station of ftnw'!^ Minifter attended with many humbling, dripping Probations. For on the 22d of the fame Ninth Month, a great Weight feiz'd me, to go through the Town of Skipton^ and call the Inhabitants there- of to Repintance, which Concern and Burthen grew heavier and heavier towards the Middle Part of that Day, fo that I could reft in no Place ; however, keeping it to myfelf, I went to Meeting (it being our Week-day Meeting) where 1 was in great Diftrefs, having not given up to the Concern. After Meeting I returned Home, [ 9 3 Home, and remained under the fame Anxiety of Soul : Next Morning came, and the fame Con- cern fell again weightily upon me, growing heavier and heavier, as before, infomuch, that I went out of the School into a Place apart to crave the Lord's Affiftance in the Difchargc of my Duty. The Weight growing intolerable, I privately kid the Matter before my Father, who, at the hearing thereof, broke out into Tears, and calling my Mother into the Parlour, acquainted her therewith, whereupon (he fell upon her Knees in Humiliation before the Lord, to implore his Aid ; and at her rifing up (he encouraged me, faying, — Be not ca/i donim. We all three wept. After fome little Paufe I gave up, and going to the Street-door, and pul- ling off my Hat, cried out on this wife, There s an Exercife upon me to warn the Inhabit My Met tants of Skipton to repent of their Fornications, ^^fF ^^ Drunkennefs, Pride, Covetoufnefs, Arrogancy, and all their evil Ways, for a difmal Day is com^ ing over England, for its Ingratitude. The 28th of the aforefaid Ninth Month, I gave up to another weighty Concern that came upon me, to go into the Dancing-School in I went Skipton : Entering the School, I alk'd the Man, g^^jjj^. who feem'd moft like to be the Mafter, If he Sch"ooM*n was the Majier of that School? Who reply'd, ^^m^* yes ; I faid, / was come to warn him to defi/ifro^i that his ungodly PraBice^ &c.. further adding, that I believd he was fecretly judg d for his faid Pradlice : Whercunto I could not remember that [ 10 ] that the Man made any Anfwer, but was very mild, and faid, He believdwhat Ifaidwas with a good Intent, My Zeal About the fame Time an additional Exercife againft fell upon me, concerning the Superftition and the vain -r? ^ • • ^ i ^ r^- ii> j andcufto-'^^^^^^vagancies run into at the Time call a T^^^'i Oh' Chrifttnas y wherefore I could not be eafy but of the S^ ^^ Keighley^ on the great Market-day there, Time immediately preceeding the faid Time, and upon clr/vlm ^ ^^^P ^^ ^^^ ^^°^^ ^^ ^^^^ Town, openly de- * clare againft the faid vain Cuftoms -, having been already very zeaioufly engag'd to djfwade Friends from obferving that Time, in that extra- vagant and fuperftitious Way, or promoting or upholding People's vainly cuftomary Obfer- vation of the fame, by providing and felling extraordinary Quantities of fuch Things as fup- ply them, and gratify their licentious Minds, accounting Chrijiendoms Cuftoms of celebrating this Time, like a piece of Idolatry ^ fuch an (almoft) innumerable Number of Creatures be- ing annually flain, and, as it were, facrificed to Mens Lufts (or, at leaft, to their inordinate Feaftings) often ufing the Exhortation of the Apoftle, — Put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not Provifwn for the Flefi^ to fulfil the Lujls thereof Myfirft Marriage In the Thirty-third Year of my Age, at Tod- "stlrr^xht ^norden^ on the Edge of Lancajldire^ I married 24th of Mary Storrs, the youngeft Daughter of "■^^ 't'^ William Month* 1716. [ " ] William Storrs, (formerly) of Chejierfield in Derby [hire^ who died of her firft Child. After that, having ftruggled through many MyFa- Tentations, Tribulations and Probations, in jan ^^"^^ anxious Widowhood of near nine Years (in which Time my aged and honourable Father, ^ ^^^ John Hall, died) I took to my fecond Wife, condMar- Anne Foster, the eldeft Daughter of CHRisTo-^-^^se with . ^ Anne Fol' PHER Foster, of Rillfton^ by whom I had^^r, nine Children. Within three Weeks after my fecond Marriage, My Mo- my honourable Mother, Elizabeth Hall, ^^'^*^ departed this Life, having often faid in my Widowhood, If I would get a good Wtfe^ (Ide thought fJoe foould not Jlay long in this Life^ inti- mating her Apprehenfion, that her Life was prolonged, through the Favour of kind Provi- dence, for my Sake. All this while I grew in my Gift, though my Goings were as under the Mountains ; toe I met with divers Trials on various Accounts, of which this was not one of the leaft, viz. Fi^e Pu- When I had Forty-threc Pupils boarded in my {he SraaU- Houfe, the Small-Pox raged amongft them, fo Fox. that five out of Twenty-feven (that had not had the Difeafe before) died, being South-Country Boys, far diftant from their Parents, which I Had a came very clofe to my Pleart -, for, though I ^chcmj"4 have had a Boarding^- School Thirty-two Years, Years. ^ I never f 12 ] I never buried any befides five, nor had any fo much as a Bone broke in all that Time. MyTra- Notwithftanding my confining Province, I vcls. diligently attended the Monthly and Quarterly- meetings to v^hich I belong'd, and alfo vifited the Meetings of Friends in Torkpire^ Lanca- JJoire^ Welimoreland^ Cumberland^ the BilJ:)oprick of Durham, Derbyfhire j twice Cheflnre, twice Northumberland^ &c. And feveral Times I was at Lofidon Yearly-meeting, having com- monly an Ufher or Deputy to leave with the Boys at Home. In a Meeting at Rawden, at the Burial of yofiah Grimjl^aWy I was fpeaking of Ferfedlion^ and the End of Christ's Comings viz. to put an End to Sin, and to jinifh Tranfgrejjion, and to bring in ever I a (ling Right eoujhefs ; and that he was manifefied to dejlroy the Works of the Devil ; ai}d that Juch Perfons as p^ofefs to war againjl Sin, and at the fame Titiie dont believe they can ever overcome, are in a poor Cafe, or to that A ^i^-EfFe(fl. At which fome rigid Prepyterians, then ^prTsbyters prefcnt, were fo gall'd, that fome Years after at Br id- they challeng'd a Difpute with me at Bradford, !*"'*• which, to fome degree of Satisfadtion, was had in the Prefence of divers Friends at Benjamin Bartletf% Houfe in the faid Town, where one of the Prepyterians alTerted to this Purpofe, — • T^hat God was able, but not willing io Jave all Men, On [ ^3 ] On the 1 8th of the Firft Month 1724, a Couple of Friends were married at Rilljion ; at the Solemnization whereof I was, who, together with Thomas Anderjon^ and fome others, accom- panied the Bridegroom and Bride to their Habi- A young tation, where an Evening-meeting was held j at ^an con- which a certain young Man, who, in a vain that in an Mind, came to the Houfe of the new married airy Mind Couple, for that they call the Wedding ^Hen^^^l^^^, was convinced, and a while after came forth ing. in publick. Note alfo, that for the Good of my Pupils, Meeting that they might in their blooming Years imbibe ^^'^'^j^^J^ the found Principles of the pure and undefiled Religion, and receive early Impreflions thereof in their tender Minds, I generally kept little Meetings in my Houfe or School (when at Home) every Third and Seventh Day Evening : In thefe I waited upon the Lord with the Boys, and, as I found Opennefs and Freedom, fed my Lambs, either by cauling them to read the Holy Scriptures by Turns, and making Obfer- vations to them upon the fame, or by ordering them alternately to read other religious Books, or giving fometimes a fmall Ledure of my own Mind and Experience, to encourage the Good, and difcourage the Evil in them all ; having, as I often faid, a greater Regard to my Scholars Advantage, than to gain their Parents Money. Some I lov'd my good Master, and therefore fed his p^r<^'^<=^ Lambs with Pleafure -, yet not without Exercife Unruly. from [ H ] from fomc that would needs creep through, or break the Hedge. In the Having now, through the gracious Affiftance 55^Ye^^of divine Providence, and the inftrumental IgTvcupHelp of my excellent Yokefellow and Confort School. Anne, rubb'd through various Difficulties, in the fifty third Year of my Age, at the Requeft of my laid dearly beloved Wife, who, by reafon of the great Fatigue attending the Boarding- School, together with frequent Child-bearing, grew now much indifpos'd, as to her bodily Health, I refign'd my faid School to George Routh, myUfher (who, about that Time, mar- ried Elizabeth Birtwbijile) as alfo great Part of my Houfe and Houfhold Goods, referving a fuitable Apartment and Utenfils for the neceflary Accommodation of my own Family and my Friends ; and this we did with a View to live more retiredly and comfortably together, and that I might be more at Liberty to wait on fuch Service as I might think myfelf calPd to : But though Man propofeth, God difpofeth : For, oh ! the Uncertainty of the very beft of thefe temporary Enjoyments ! Alas ! how great is the Viciffitude of human Affairs, and of all fublu- nary Things, how excellent foever in their Time and Place ! Vanity of Vanities, all is Vanity below the Sun ! We had not liv'd much above condWifc two Months together in this our long deiir'd dkth and private and retired Way, before (alas ! alas !) it '"fmair^P'^^^^^ Almighty GoD to take unto himfelf my Children, fecond Wife, who had been unto me a choice Help-meet, Help-meet, the Darling of my Bofom, the Sup- port of my declining Years, and far the moft excellent of all my temporal Enjoyments, next to my own Life. She left me with three fmall Children, John, Elizabeth and Sarah : For a confiderable Time my MouTning and Grief ftuck clofe by me, having now forrowfully fol- lowed to the filent Grave two choice Wives, a tender and pious Father and Mother, fix of my own Children, and five of my Scholars. But God, who is good unto 7/r^f/, and efpecially unto the Upright, and commiferateth the Cafe of the Tribulated, of whom 'tis teftify'd in Scrips tare, and witnels*d in the Experience of his approved Servants, viz. God fetteth the Solitary vfJ. in Families: He bringeth out thoje which are^^^^^^'^* bound with Chains^ hut the Rebellious dwell in a dry Land : — niercituliy lifted up my drooping Head, fo that in the Third Month 1736, I vifited Friends in the Eaft of Torkjhire, Bt/Jjop- ^^/^^^^^^ rick, and Part of Northumberland, John fi/Vw pam^les being my Companion j and in the Fifty-fourth in the Year of my Age I was enabled to vifit moft . I I jl . •* ■ V' , ■ * i - ^ . J I had - In the Firft Month, and Beginning of the '^'J^e . Second MontH.-.i 7:581 I Vifited fomi Meetings in jori^ in Torkjhin^ arfd Bi/I:cpnck; 2tnd was ^t the ihiie, and great and notable SolemrjitVj or Circular Yearly- ^l^^^^^^l'^' tnccting'-dt ^Prejh/i in Lancojlnre. I vifited^' On the ^-th of- the Third Month, I iet for- fonie of V^ard to vifit^ the Meetings of Friends on' my Weft^^^^' ^^^"^ to :Lmi{dn Yearly-meeting, after which 1 Parts of went from' thence, and vifited Part oi Surrf^ EvgUr.i. Hampjhire, and the IJle of IVight, part of Wilt- fiire^ Dorfttjlnre^ Somerfetjlnre^ DevdJiJJjtre ^n& -Cor;ii£)^/-' (the three laft pretty thoroughly) fo •returned .by Brijlol, Worcefler^ Birmingham ^ Leek, Manchcfter, &c. and reach'd Skipton the 27th of the E%hth Month 1738, WiUiam Gott having been .my Companion. KtKjn^ I was at Kendal Qiiartcrly-meeting the 5th of ^^'^j^^'^'^^'^the Eleventh Month 1738, and at the Gcneral- mectirg, -meeting at Prejlon-patriok ; I alfo vifited Gray- ^^. rrgg, Bentha?n znA Settle Mttiin^s. Mi{c'.> In the Twelfth and Flr^jfl Month 1738-9, 'I j^/, and vifited Part of the Dales of Torkflnre. ^Kendal, ,^,^1^ " a.nd Crook General-meeting, Langdale, Hawk- rneeting, yZv^<^, Height, Sii:arthmorL\ LancajleryBentham, Qind IVray^ alfo Settle. * - la I5f. [ 17 y I In the Second Month 1739, 1 fet out for iiiverpooly ' thence to Chefter Yearly - meeting, thence to Staffordfnr'e^ and vifited all the Meet- ings in that County ; was at Nottingham great" Annual- meeting, and at Breach General-meet- ing 'j t h e n ce by Covenffy a n d WarmcU to London^ ' ^nd vifited all the Meeetings in that City. Then I vifited -the' Meetings in Efex, Suffolk, Norfolk kndLhicoln/loire, and returned to' Skipton about the 4th of the Eight Month following. -On the 5th of the Third Month 1740; 1 My third took' to Wife Deborah (the eldeft Daughter of ^*^''^' Daniel Story) Widow of Thomas Atkin- son of ^JJjes in IVeJlmoreland : We were mar- ried at Prejion-patrick Meeting - houfe in the faid County. In the Year 1741, having fpent three or fbui^' Years in vifiting Friends, I refum'd my former Imployment pf a Schoolmafter, yet not with a Defign to have fo numerous a Board- ing-School as 'I formerly had. According to which Purpofe we proceeded, having fometimes a Dozen Boarders, fometimes more, fometimes fewer, finding it fomewhat difiicult to limit ourfelves to a fet Number, though defirous not to be too much ingumbred. V^t^l And althougTi we met with fome unpleafant Occurrences, yet, with humble -Gratitude I may fay, — Hitherto the Lord hath helped us*. B 2 About [ i8 1, About the latter End of the Year 1746, I was attacked with a fore Diforder, whereby I was brought very low, as fome thought near unto the filent Grave ; but was in a lliort Time fo far reftored, as to be capable to attend my School and our own Meeting, but pretty much rendered incapable of travelling abroad among my Friends : Yet, through the great Mercy of kind Prcvidence, I have been enabled at Times to pay fome Vifits to neighbouring Meetings on divers Occafions : And humbly hope I can, in fome Meafure, now in the Seventy-fiifl: Year of my Age, j^?7no Domini 1753, with many of the Poor in Ijrael^ fay, Godlifiefs^ with Cojit ent merit ^ is great Gain \ having, I humbly truft, lomc comfortable Share of that highly valuable Legacy of Peace in my Confinement at, or near. Home, left by our gracious Lord and Master to his Difciples, in all- their Tribulations they may^ meet with in this World ; in going through all which, and even in the whole Courfe of their Pilgrimage, the true Followers and Soldiers of the Lamb of God, will obtain the Vidory, be taught and enabled by him, in CbriJJian Pa- tience, to bear all Indignities and Affronts offered them, and carefully to endeavour to give none, but, by copying after, and faithfully war- ring under the glorious Captain, Christ our Lord and Master, they will learn more and more to reduce to conflant Pradice that beau- tiful and x(^d\\y Chri/iian Principle, Bc\ar and for^ bear^ and fo7'gi'-je Injuries. Did but all proceed on this wife, under the blcflcd Government of our f 19 1 our peaceable Saviour and holy Head, then would Peace and Harmony be enjoy'd and maintained throughout the whole Body, the. Church of Christ. •/^^r/^ Recital of fome of the gracious 'Dealings of the Lord with his Servant JohnHall, late of Skiptou /« Craven, Yorkfliire, as received from his own Mouth and Manufcript^ by David Hall, JOHN HALL, Son of J o H N and Born z% Elizabeth Hall, of Ayrton in ^y^^n. Craven^ in the Weil Part of Torkfhire^ was born in the Year 1637 » ^^^ ^^ ^^ Religion, his Parents, to the beft of their Underftand- ing, carefully educated him in the National Way of Worlhip of thofe commonly cali'd Epifcopalians^ ox \\it Chwrch oi England*^ At the Age of fourteen Years he was bound PucAp- Apprentice for feven Years to a l^aylor, which P'^^niJcc Term he faithfully ferv'd ; and having fpent hr] ^^' fome Time, and gain'd farther Experience in Journey-work, he fet up for himfelf, and thro* the Bleffing of God upon his Endeavours, he got into a good Trade, and was often employed in the Families of Men of great Note and Cir- cumftances, and had in Efteem and Repute amongft them, being willing, capable and ready B 3 to [ 20 ]f to gratify them in the Modes, Cuts, Falhions,. and Superfluities of the Times, being hinifelf at that Time a Youth gay and modifh in Apparel, fprightly and jovial in Spirit, fwimming as it were, with Wind and Tide towards the Profits and Pleafures of this fading World, yet all along preferved from the grofs Enormities thdfeof. But when God (who by his Spirit in the Beghining, when Things were confused and out of Order, mov'd upon the Waters, and com- manded Light to fl:ine out of Darknefs) was pleafed to fhine into his Heart, to give hifn the Knowledge of God in the Face of his Son Jesus Christ, to the End that Things which were out of Order might be brought right, that the new Birth and Creation in him might be begun, duly carried on, and throughly accompliflied, that he might witneis a coming unto Christ, the true Sabbath of Reft ; and, by being m.ade a new Creature in him, might know a ceafing from his own Works, he was fecretly diiquieted, and, not finding true Satisfadion of Soul under the dry Miniftry, either of the hireling Priefts he moftly ufed to hear, or in the Notions of high Profcfibrs of other Denominations, he was confcientioufly concerned to feek after Life and Subftance. Now It fo hap{3ened that a Friend, one Gervafc Benfoji^ had a Meeting near unto the Place where my Father lived ; he therefore, being minded to go to the Meeting, went, and found found them fitting in Silence, whicli feemed tog him a ftrange Thing, and not knowing the Ad-i vantage thereof, he retreated and walked into the Fields: A while after returning near the^ Meeting-place, the Friend Gervaje was declare- xhe Be ing, he therefore approached, and leaning his ginning ut Head to the Door-poft, was fo reach'd that Tears |;;^^^^_^"' trickled down his Cheeks; notwithftandingment. which, being fome.time after at a filent Mcetingv he was uneafy with it, but refolv*d to go to one Meeting niore, and if there were no Words, \he thought to go no more : So he went, and {land- ing at the Door, Friends beckon'd to him that he might come in and (it among them ; he thereupon fat down with them i-n Silence, h\l% prefently the Power of the L or d feiz*d upoii him, and broke him down, fo that he was fully Fully convinced of the bleffed Truth in that filent ^^^^^jfjf^^ Meeting, and never turned his Back thereon to Meeting. his dying Day. > Now the Li^ht, the iufl: Man's Pa,th, which ^, ^^ n ' I J i' ci 1^ J The- Ef^ JJdines more and more to tbe perfect JJay, maaefe£^^ j.^. further Difcoveries unto him ; for whereas afore*- fuking time he had gratify *d the vain Minds of Menf^^Jj^^* and Women in the Falhions and Superfluities* then in Vogue, now' he found a Reftridion laid upon him, and a confcientious Scruple in doing fuch like Things: Howbeit, for fome' fmatl Time, through Reafonings, S"^. and perraitting his Servant or Servants, who wrought with hinv, to have fome hand in the doing.it, he did nqt at firft throughly renounce all thofe Superfluities B 4 and [ « ] and the Profits that might feem to accrue there**^ from ; but the Light (hone brighter and brighter, and diicoverM Things further and further ; and as he fat in a Meeting upon a certain Day, he Rc!TiarT<-^^s remarkably afFedted in Body, fo that his ably (eizM Hands were drawn together, the Ufe of his inaMect-j^jj^l^g taiten from him, and he fell down on the Floor, where he laid for fome time, to the Admiration of the Spedators. After this, which he took to be a Difpenfa- tion of the righteous Judgments of the Lord, for his being inftrumental in letting on of Lace on Women's Apparel, and other Superfluities of the Times, which frequently occurred in his Bufinefs, he was iweetly favoured with an im- mediate Succeflion of a refrelliing Miniftration of Confolation, fo that he could experimentally fing of Judgment and ot Mercy j from that time forwaid he durft never let on any Lace or other fupeifluous Ornaments, or gratify the proud Minds of Men and Women in the vain Fafhions and changeable Modes of the Times, neither with his own Hands, nor the Hands of his Servants what Difadvanrage foever it might feem to be unto him ; but blefled be the Lord, who is woi thy to be lov'd, ferv'd; obeyed and trufted, who was with jfacob in the Houfe of his Uncle Laban^ and profpered what he put his Hand unto, although his Wages were changed ten times ; he v^as with his Servant, and is with all who faithfully follow the Lead* ings and Drawings of the Light and Truth, fveq [ 23 1 even to the giving an Handred-fold in this World, and in the World to come, Life ever- lafting. Soon after this he was fent for, by a gf eat Man, to go to his Houie to make up iome very fvie Cloaths : When he and his Man came to the Place and faw the Work, behold it was very fine, and to be wrought with many Super- fluities, which for Con(cience-fake he durft not Refufcs undertake. Upon his Refulal, they told him, ^o «^\^ That he might let his Man do them ; but he faid, ^^^''^^^^^ He durji neither permit his Man to do them, nor Gffifl him. Then they told him, T^bey mufl em^ ploy another Taylor 5 he was willing to lole all rather than his Peace with the Lord : He free- ly turned his Back of all that worldly Intereft, and Providence fo favour'd his conlcicntious Yet Pro- Care, that he got plain Work enough, and his^'^'*'^^'^ Wages increased, and as he was faithful in a little, hiai m his the Lord made greater Things manifeil unto ^uilaefs. him J for in the very Families wherein, in the |>ean Time of his Ignorance, he had been light, airy his Tciti* and wanton, he was now made to reprove p^,"^!^' 5 Vanicy, and bear a living Teftimony to the m w.i.h cverlafting God, both in Word, Doftrine, Life ^^ ^"^'^ and Converfation ; for it pleated God through Christ, "who afcended on high^ and led Captivity captive^ to difpenfe to him a Gift and Talent a Dif- in the free and living Miniftry of oar Lord^^"^^^!;.^ Jesus Christ, which he, through his Bleffing, n,ft. y improv'd to God*s Honour, arid the Comfort of corr.muni. Souls, he being rather a Waterer, and a Son oi^^^^^ ^^ Conlolation, [ 24. 1 Confolation, than a Son of Thunder • his Gift was in the Simplicity of the Gofpel, tendering^ quickening and refiefhing. Con- In his early Days, foon after his Convlncement, cern*d to a weighty Concern came upon his Mind, To gp Iteepie- (o the Steeple-houfi, and (land before the PriejL houfe. while he was fpeaki?2g in the Pulpit^ under whole Miniftry aforetime he had often fat ; to which . . Concern he gave up, and, going into the Steeple- houfe, flood by the Prieft, and with a fteady . .Countenance filently fix'd his Eyes upon him, wherewith the Prieft was fo confounded, that be called out to the Wardens to come and take him away ; but they knowing him to be a fober Neighbour, and feeing him ftand ftill and iilent, were not hafly to execute the Prieft's Command ; whereupon the Prieft being wholly at a Stop and Non-plus, beginning toclofe his Book, cries out, If you njuill not come a?id take him away^ / will take him away myjelf. Then the Wardens, or fome of the People, put him out of Doors. The Prieft fell to his Work again, and my Father came in again at a Back-door, and found it his place filently to face the Prieft, as before, at which the Prieft being now-a fecond time confounded, they put him again out of Doors : After a little while the Congregation were dif- miffed, and he cleared himfelf among the People in the Grave-yard, On [ 25 ] On a certain Day he was working at the Arc- Houfe of a high Profeffor : They fat down "^arkable to Meat together, the Pneft having faid what'^'"'''''''''* he 'caird his Gr^r^, feeiog my .Father fitting i'etired, he faid, Come ]ohn, come eat ; xo lylilcn he reply *d, fVke?2 I have done the Will all eM 'with /A^^. , Having fpoken this, , he was drawn forth to Prayer and Thankfgiving tinto the Lord : The Pi ieft put oiF his Hat, and was very calm and quiet, many of the Family being prefent in the Room, fome of whom feem'd to be pretty much tendered arid reached by the Truth; after which Concern^ of Prayer was QVer, he being cheerful and .eafy, fajd to the Priefc,, Come^ nofjo I can eat with thee, ;Many other Exefcifes he had in great Men's Houfes, through which the Lord was pleafed to lead him gently andfafely, which, for Brevity's fake, ^re here omitted : And although became forth^ •^s it'Were, in a Winter Seafon, when the PenM Tjaws were on Foot, he was not difcou raged, but wiUingly fufFered the Spoiling of his Goodis for Truth's fake; when he was very low in the "World, the Informers took from him a Mare, on wbicji he ufed to ride to Meetinp;s. T, After fome Time he cen^ov'd to Skiftoji,,.'^^^^^^^^ where he bore a! living' Teilimony to the Truth,toii:?p;^jj, both in Dodrine and Converfdtion. '^j ■ .r^f Impri- foned and In "the Year 1682 he was taken with a Capias ^\moA Warrant for bearing his Teftimony at a Meet- ^[[jfe^^^.^J [ 26 ] ing, and kept Prifoner until Knaresborougb Seflions, and being fined was releafed : Then was taken from him almoft all the Subftance that he had in the World, infomuch that he, his Wife, fmall Children and Servants, were forced to borrow Bedding to lie upon the Cham- ber-floor, neither had they left them fo ma«h as neceflary VefTels to eat their Meat in ; but by keeping near to the Lord, he was profpered and blefTed in his Undertaking, and through the Favour of Providence, he recruited in the World, and lived reputably among his Neigh- bours: But the Officers, who at that Time fecm'd in good Circumftances, and were fo rigorous in the Execution of the faid Law upon him, thenceforward went to Decay, and their Families, infomuch that one of them made an open and plain Confeffion to my Mother, and ^fk'd her. If jhe had cursed him for taking her HuJhanSs Goods ? No, reply'd (he : Well, fays he, iut I am curid, for I never throve Jince J took your Goods, nor ever muji. Afecond In the Year 1683 he was taken with k '^^^Jj^^' Capias Warrant, and kept Prifoner till the Quarter Seflions at iS/t///o;7, and then relcafs'd. hisWi'fc^ Again, he and his Wife were taken twice the jmpri- fame Year with Capias Warrants -, once he Toned. yjQx\t to Knarejhorough Seflions, and another time to Wetherbyy and was not called for again. In [ ^7 1 In the Year 1684 he was taken with a War-.^Agam rant for his faid Teftimony, and kept Priioner ^'^^'1^^^°'^" one Day, and was releafed : So the Lord madcfoon re- \Vay for him, who makes Way for all who^^*^*^' faithfully follow him, be their Difficulties what they may. He kept an Inn at Skipton for the Space of^ Kept an thirteen Years, and kept his Authority nobly i^ sTi^^H. the Truth, while in that Place, not allowing DriPikennefs, Si?]ging, Dancing, Mujick, or £x- cefs in his Houle, but bearing his Teftimony faithfully againfl: Intemperance, rurd well his own Houfe, and kept it for neceflary Accom- modation. He was alfo feveral other Times taken with Capias Warrants and carried to the Seffions, but always released after a (hort Time. He was all Faithful along faithful in his Teftimony againft /^y«^Teftimo. V^ithes, Steeple-houfe-rateSy &c. according to his ny againft Meafure, being zealous for the maintaining ^^^K^^J^"^. keeping up the Hedge of Difcipline in the^J^ ^^* Church, ftria and confcientious in the Nurture and Education of his Children, not fuffering them to affociate themfelves with others in their vain Games or Paftimes ; and, when it pleafed God, who, for his great Name's Sake, and the Redemption of his People, fmote the Red-fea, and made a Way for his People to pafs fafely through s I fay, 'when it pleafed God to change the Hearts of the Government, fo that there was a great Caln>, and a Chrijiian Toleration and t 28 ] -;.•; < r?and Liberfv of* Confcience efiablifhed, and a ^^ Summer-Searon, and, as it were, a Sabbath or ^.u't R^ft ^^^s enjoyed in our Land ; as the Lorix fcad prefer ved him from taking a Flight in the, Winter Seafon, lo alfo now he prefcrved him in this Sabbath-day ; and as -a pure and immortaV , .r Soring of divine Love and Virtue, which the Jr. fi Lord had opened in his Heart, was not frozen •««^i -^ith the Chilnefs of the Winter-time, fo neither Was it drie'd up with the Drought that attended Summer, but, as a good Spring, ftrong and deep, kept running in a fweet Cuirent ; he often la- mented the State of thofe that were backward and cool Tn fheir Love lo the unchangeable Truth, and in attending Meetings, now in this Time of outward Eafe aqd Liberty, when he pbnfidered how much, and ''how willingly, Friends fuffered formerly 'iii' il^iain.taining their receffary and C/W/?/>;/ TeAittidny in keeping (o Firft-day and Week-day Meetings, aiia oth'e^ Meetings for Truth's Service j-"'''ofien rehe^rfiog his former Sufferings with great Joy, and often ' cieclaring, That hi Well-doing there is.great P^ce ^ and frequently, towards the latter End of his Time, in publick teftified, 'That the Tr'uthM'as as precioin^ai ever, llisCha.^ ^^Hewala'diligentAttender of Meeting?, both racier. (Jjuarterly, Monthly and Preparative, Firft-days and Week-days, and fomet'imcs of the Yearly- meeting at London, His Travels were not very much abroad, flwe in this County, and fome other Southern Parts oi England : T lie Lord his fct§G5b hia'de him Mi in theTrtiS/fdtUe^ell* He was an- innocient Man, a fincere Friend, 1' loving Hulband, a kindly afFedtionate Father, a good and peaceable Neighbour, and a grateful Receiver of God's Mercies, whether fpiritual or temporal. In- a Word, he was of that pure Religion before God the Father, even to viiit the Fatherlefs arid WidbWs in their Affliftion, and to keep from the Spots of the World. 'When he drew nigh to me End of hts Cot he often faid, He bad nothing to do hut to die^ and that he was at Peace with the Lord ajid all Men, In the very Even-tide of his Xime h"e fioaTJlhed in the'Truth : H!e took his laft-Leal^e of Friends, in feveral Places of this County, in much Frefli- nefs, Love and living Zeal : By dwelling in the Houfe of the Lord he brought forth Frt^t in his old Age, openly declaring often, natiois Heart and Houfe were as open to Friends as ever 5 with feveral other Iweet Expreffions, often remembered by fome, which are here 'omitted. His Lamp was trimmed* and by tie Oil of the Kingdom was maintained fliinthg and burning. On the nth of the Ninth '^'Mintli i^rg, His having been about a Week fomewhat infirm ni ^"^^^^^ Body, he expired like a Lamb, and laid doWh his Head in Peace with God ^nd all Wdy Aged Eighty -two Years, and his Body <^>cis ' decently interr'd'in Friends Biirying- ground' 'in '" ^'^^^^^^ Skipton^ where- feveral living Teftimonifs wefe ''* born [ 30 3 ^orn to the Honour of God, ard the mutual Comfort of his People there preient. David Hall. A General EPISTLE T O FRIENDS, To be Read in their Refp^rdive Quarterly and iMonthly Meetings.^ I Dear Friends, Don't fee that I can return clear and eafy to my Habitation, except I leave this farewel hpiflle behii'd me, whereby I tenderly falute you in much Brothcily-kindnefs and Charity, and do humbly recommend -the following Advices to the ferious C'onfideration of the Fathers, the Y< ung Men, and the Chil- dren, being the three Degrees, Clafles, or Ranks in the Church, to which the beloved I ^ohn ii. Apoftle yohn diftindtly wrote ; iaying, — I write '5* unto you Fathers, bccauje you have known Him that E 3^ ] that is from the Beginning ; I write unto you young Men, becaiife ye have ovtrcome the wicked One ; / write unto you little Children, becauje ye have known the Father. . Firjl^ You therefore Fathers, Mothers^ ElderSy and Miniflers in the Ciiurch ; I earneftly intrcat you to come up faithfully in your refpedtive Stations and Services in your Day and Genera- tion, carefully watching and praying, that no- thing here below may unfit you for, or divert you from, the right Performance of your Duties to God and his People , but that ye may, in the pure Liberty of the Spirit of Truth, with true Zeal, guarded by divine Wifdom, feed the Flock ^ ^J^* ^' of God which is among you, taking the Over fight • '* ^ thereof not by Confiraint^ but willifigly ; not for filthy Lucre, but of a ready Mind ; neither as beifig Lords over GoD'i Heritage, but being Enfamples to the Flock ; and when the chief Suef herd fiall appear^ ye [hall receive a Crown of Glory that fadeth not away. Oh ! confider how many wrong Things are crept and creeping in among the Profeffors of the bleffed Truth, as Pride, Covetoujnef, Con-- formity to, and copying after, this vain Worlds Company - keepings and other hurtful Things, which 'tis your indifpenfable Duty impartially to (land againll, and endeavour as much as poC- fible to redrefs, both by Precept and Precedent : And you Parents of Children, I fervently exhort to take a particular Care to bring up your tender C Off.fpring [ 32 ] Off-fpring in the Nurture and Admonition of the Lord, and to be in a Chrijlian Care and Concern tor the Prefervation and Salvation of your Servants alfo, even as ye could defire others might do to your Children, if they were their Servants ; for, with the Lord, the Soul of the . Servant is as the Soul of the Mafter or Miftrefs. And, oh ! Friends, be nobly and warmly concern'd for the maintaining and keeping up of the honourable and neceffary Church JDifci^ pline and good Order, upon the right and true Foundation thereof, having the Truth at Heart, and your Eye folely to the Glory of God, and the Good of the Society ; having no RefpecSt of Perfons for the Sake of Friendfliip, Favour, In- tereft, or Kinfhip, or any other Views what- foever ; for the Shepherds and principal Men in the Flock, the Pillars in the Church, who are as Stakes in the Hedge, mufl be well grounded, founded and rooted upon the Rock, and in the Root of Life eflablifli'd in the Faith and prac- tical Part of pure Religion ; fo that as ye fit at the Helm of Church Governmejit and Difcipline^ ye may really be under the Government and Difcipline of the blefied Crofs of Christ 5 fo fpeak and fo ad: as Men having 'Authority, and not as the Scribes : Thus will ye be directed and helped impartially, and in a Chriftian meek Spirit, to place due Judgment upon the Head of the Tranfgreflbr, and to be a Terror to Evil- doers, and a Praife and Encouragement to thofe who do well ; Thus truly concern'd at your Hearts, [ 33 ] Hearts, you will find it your incumbent Duty, your great Satisfacflion, and the Church's Inter- eft, after a Fatherly Manner, to labour with the young and rifing Generation, and to train up and ufher in, example and encourage, the Orderly and Relieious amongft them, to attend Monthly and Quarterly -meetijigs ; there not only to fee and underftand, but alfo, in the Wifdom of Truth, to put their Hands and Hearts to the Management of the Affairs of the Church, that when it fliall pleafe the Lord to call the Elders off the Stage, they may depart in Peace, leaving the Care of God's Hufbandry and Building in the Hands of hopeful, well qualified, and well inftrucfled Succeffors, who will, by the Direc- tion of the good Hufbandman and Mafter- builder, labour to fence, plant, water, weed, and build up, in the moft holy Faith. And, oh ! dear Friends^ pray ufe your beft ■Endeavours to fupprefs the Growth of Pride, and the vain Fafhions of the World, in your refpedlive Families and Meetings, in Habit ^ Speech and Deportment ; as alfo, that vile Pradlice of Back-biting and 'Tale-bearing, purfuant to the followine Scriptures, ^uiz. — Take us the Foxes ^ ^^"^' ^'- the httle Foxes that Jpoil the Vines ^ for our Vi?2es have tender Grapes. Thou (halt 'not go up and Lev.wn, down as j Tale-bearer ainong thy People, Thou (J^alt not raife a falfe Report, (or, as in the ^^.^.'^\ Margin, receive a laile Report-.) fVherefore lay- ing afide all Malice^ and all Guile ^ and Hypocri- 12.' fics^ and Envies, and all Evihfpeakings, as new^ C 2 born [ 34 ] horn BahcSy dcfire the fncere Milk of the Word^ that ye fncy grow thereby. Like wile, you youjig Men and Wo?nen, I cordially exhort you ferioufly to ponder in your Hearts thefe three Things, viz, T[ke E?id oj your Creation ; your own indi/penfable Duty^ and your jnoji certain Intere/i annexed to the right Ferforrnance of your faid Duty^ both touching this Life and the future -, and al lb, the frefent Circumftances of the Church, Now as to ihtfrfi^ ye were created to glorify God, which ye cannot do, but by bringing forth the Fruits Jofcwxv.of the Spirit, — Herein, lays Christ, is my Father glorified^ that ye bear much Fruity fo JJjall ye be ?7iy Difciples, Now this Fruit ye cannot bring forth, except ye take up a daily Crols to the Flelh, (which is the oppofite Root to the Spirit, and the Fruits of it) therefore, dear young Feoph\ bear the Crofs, that ye may wear the Crown, and rightly apply to the Lord for the Help of his all-iufRcient Grace, that fo, fecofidly^ you may anfwer your Duty called for by the Father and the Son, viz. — Ezel* 1 will yet for this be inquired of by the Houfe of ^"^'* 5''Ifrael. Seek ye firjl the Kingdom of God and ^Mdt.vi. /;/j Fight coufnejs^ and all thfe Thifigs /hall be ''' added unto you. Which godly Exercife is ad- vantageous to all who are found in it, both as to this, and the other World, as is evidently manifcfl: in the.Apoftle FauV^ fatherly Admo- I Tim. nition to his Son 'Timothy^ — But rejufc^ fays he, iv. 7, 8. prophane and old Wives Fables, and exercife thyfelf rather unto Godlinc/s, J or bodily Exerci/e projitetb little J but Godlincjs is profitable unto all Things^ having [ 3S 1 having Promife of the Life that now is, and of that which is to come. So, dear Friends, as ye come under thefe due Confiderations, ye cannot but with Regret ob- ferve the State and dwindling Condition of the Church in divers Parts ; how the Places of many of our jaithful Elders and Minijiers up and down are empty, and few feem rightly con- cerned to come under fuitable Qualifications to fucceed them, and come up in their Stations ; which when we note, together with the loofe Courfes and undue Liberties of many who pro- fefs the Truth, who can but cry cut with the afflidled Prophet 'Jeremiah^ — For the Hurt of "^er.s'm. the Daughter of my People am 1 hurt, I am black :^^* ^*' Ajlonijhment hath taken hold on me. Is there no Balm in Gilead f Is there no Phyfician there ? Why then is not the Health of the Daughter of my People recovered? And again, — Oh ! that my Chap.ii. Head were Waters , and mine Eyes a Fountain oJ^» lears, that I might weep Day and Night for the Slain of the Daughter of my People, -And, oh ! mind the Confequences of fwerving away from the Truth into Libertinifm^ in Chap. ix. 13, 14, 15. — And the Lord faith, becaufe they have for^ faken my haw which 1 fet before them^ and have 77ot obeyed my Voice, neither 'walked therei?t, but have walked after the Imagination of their own Hearts : I^herefore, thus faith the Lord of Hofts, the God of Ifrael, behold I will feed them^ even this People^ with Wormwood, and give them Water of Gall to drink. Oh ! may we not C 3 fometimes. [ 36 ] fometimes, and in fome Places, tajce up a La- menration much like unto this, in a degree, — ■ Ijm. 1.4. fj/jf, Ij/ays of Zion do mourn , becaiije none came to the folemn Feaps ; all her Gates are dejolate^ her Friefts figh^ her Virgins are afliBed^ and jhe is in Bitter fie js. Therefore come away, oh ! ye Touths of this Generation I beleech you, come away from the Ends of the Earth, and from all earthly Ends, which would obllrudt. Confider thefe Things, and let the Glory of' God, the Salvation, of your Souls, and the Service of the Church in this your Day, move you to arife from every Bed of Eafe and falfe Refl, and make timely and fuitable Application for a double Portion of that good Spirit which dwelt in our faithful Elders, who were in their Day valiant for the Truth upon the Earth ; that under thefe Qualification? ye may duly fill their vacant Places, and brightly fuccced them, as EliP:a did Elijah, Pieafe to remember King Davids dying Advice to his Son Solo?no?iy viz. — • I chron. And thou Solomon my Son^ know thou the Gon sxviii. 9, ^jr ^j^y pather, and ferve him with a perfect Hearty and with a willing Mind ; for the Lord fcarcheth all Hearts^ and under ft a^ideth all the Imaginations of the Thoughts : If thou feek hi^n^ he will be found of thee^ hut if tlmi forfake him^ he will cafi thee off for ever. Although the Vifitation and Loving-kindnefs of our merciful God be gracioufly extended to you, in order to make you truly happy and fer- viceable here, and to fit you for Glory hereafter ; vet [ 37 ] yet 'tis very plain, that the God of this World/ the Prince of the Power of the Air, is exceed- ing bufy about you in thefe your flouiifhing Days, in order to blind that Eye which the /J^oRD hath mercifully opened in you, and in cunningly laying divers Snares for your Feet : I befeech you therefore by the Mercies of God, avoid unfuitahle Company^ which has often prov'd of pernicious Confequences to many, both of the Elder and Younger Rank^ by drawing them into Intemperance and Excefs of divers Kinds ; the Source and Caufe of many hurtful and per- nicious EfFeds, both refpeding Soul, Body, Eftate and Reputation, as is too apparent by thofe who follow it ; it makes to them all Pro- feflion of Religion null and void, and gradually darkneth the Underilanding, vitiates the Mind, and alienates it from God, and fo deprives the. ' Creature of the moft comfortable Enjoyment of his Prefencs in this World (the higheft Attain- ment we are capable of arriving at here below ;) and alio macerates the Body, and fills it with many grievous Pains and Infirmities ; and too often renders fuch unable to pay their jufl Debts, and reduces them to Want, and many innocent Wives and Children to the utmoft Diftrefs of Circumftance, fcarce to be retrieved in an Age with'ihe greateft Diligence : Befidcs, hitempe^ rmice^ with its Confequents, exceedingly degrade Men and Women, who have been of Credit and Reputation, and reduce them to a Level with the meanefl Part of Mankind,' and bring a very great and heavy Reproach upon the religious C 4 ProfefTion C 38 ] Profeffion they make ; and which is worfe, without Repentance, renders iheir Souls un- worthy of an Admittance into the Kingdom of God hereafter. Oh ! confider in Time thefe dreadful Confequences, and how much unlike our Chrijlian and high Profeflion thefe Evils are, and how contrary to that excellent Precept of Mit.vii. Christ, <\^iz, — Whatjoever ye umild that Men '** Jl:oidd do unto ycu, do ye even Jo to the tji. And I Cor. X. alfo to the Apoftje's Exhortation, viz.— Whether ' * ^ * therefore ye eat cr drink, or whatjoever ye do, do all to the Glory of God : Give 7ione Offe?ice^ 7ieither to the Jews or to the Gentiles, nor to the Church of God. Alfo, there is another Snare, which fecms very prevalent in thtle our forrow^ul Times, efpccially ot late, viz, the ContraBuig of Mar- riages u'ith Perfons of different Perfwafion in point oj Religion^ whereby many have laid a Foundation for lafting Repen ance ; divine Providence iignally manifefting his Difpleafurc againfl: fuch unhappy and difagreeable Marches ; for they, in their very Nature and Tendency, bring Trouble into Society ; Sorrow upon good Parents ; Anguifh upon the Party immediately concerned ; much Confufion, manifold Perplexi- ties and Inconveniencies into Families 5 and hftly, an almoft irreparable Lofs to their Off*. fpring, in relation to their religious Education : The efore, dearly Beloved, duly obferve our dear Mzu Lord's excellent Precept, — Watch and pray, that xxvi. 41. y^ ^^^^j, ^^^^ 1^^^ T^emptation. And that of the wife 10. X7. [ 39 ] Wife Man, — If Sinners entice thee, confent thou ^y^v.l not \ for^ as faith the Apoftle, evil Communis icor, cations corrupt good Manners, Moreover, ye 33.« Fathers, be good Way-marks to \\\t young People \ and ye, beloved young People, be good Patterns to the Children -y and ye, tender Children, who have in fome degree happily known the Father, be ye good Examples in Word and Adlion to thole dear little Babes and Lambs in the Flock, who as yet have known little or nothing of the Touches of the Love of the Father in their Hearts ; that fo each fuperior and more expe- rienced Rank may fay to the Inferior, Jollow ye us as we follow Christ. Now, my well beloved Friends, both Fathers^ young Men and Children, I muft fay unto you, that there are three Sorts of Profeffors of Truth, viz. Libertines, who dare drink to Excefs, and gratify their carnal Appetites, in Conformity to the Spirit of this World and the Vanities therv^of. Secondly, fome like the Laodiceans, who iliun- ning open Prophanenefs .and Vice, are pretty temperate, and juft in their Dealings, Com- merce and Converfe amongft Men, who feem too much to center contented there, in a cool or lukewarm Frame of Mind, and not to come up in true Love to God, and Zeal for his divine Worfliip, which occafions a DifRclency, or Negled: fometimes, in attending Meetings for Worfhip ; and at other Times, in not attending at the Time appointed -, and which is worfe, in fitting there in a dull\' drowjy, and fleepy Dif pofiiion [ 40 ] pojjtion of Mifid and Body, to the great Shame and Scandal of our Profeflion and Society ; it being abfolutely repugnant to the Spirituality of that Gofpel Worfhip we pretend to : Whence proceeds alfo a Dwarfifhnefs and Shortnefs in keeping up the feveral Branches of our Chrijiian Teftimony, which Truth hath ever led the faithful ProfeiTors thereof to maintain > particu- larly that very material and important one cgainfl paying or receiving Tithe. Further, may we all confider, that the fame Grace and Truth which teacheth to live foberly and righteoufly, and that which bringeth thus far, inftrudteth, advanceth and carrieth on the Chrijiian Scholar and Proficient, truly preffing after Perfedlion, to live godly, /. e. religioufly, and in Conformity in Will and Defire, to the Will of God ; Abort of which whofo refteth, be he never fo regular in his vifible Condud among Men, or never fo punftual in meum and tuumy he inevitably falls . ihort of fully anfwering the Requirings of the Almighty ; for he that commands to do jujily and to love Mercy, alfo commands to walk humbly with God ; and they, who by the Teach- ing of the Grace of God, thus do and perfevere in Sobriety, Righteoufnefs and Godlinefs, are of the third and beft Sort of ProfeiTars, and are alone the true Friends and thorough - paced Chriftians, agreeable to the Words of Christ, ^ohn xr. — ^ ^^^ ^^^y Friends if ye do whatfoever I cofn- 14. mand yoiu Such dare not content themfelves in doing juftly and loving Mercy only, but are fervently engaged in Soul to proceed in the facred [ 41 ] facred Gradation, and run the Race quite thro' to the End, that is, alfo to walk humbly with God ; which will alone efFedually prevent the many Evils and Enormities herein advifed againft, and alfo timely prevent that fcandalous and deteftable Evil of Injohency already hinted at, which hath too often brought Reproach on our Society, to the Sorrow of the Hearts of the Faithful. Finally, dear Friends, in the Words of Christ to his Church, I once more intreat you: — Rife up and come away^ for lo the Canulu Winter is paji^ the Rain is over and gone ; /fo^°» "» Flowers appear on the Earth, the Time of Singing * of Birds is come, and the Voice of the Turtle is heard in our hand % the Fig- tree putteth forth her green Figs, and the Vines with the tender Grapes give a good Smell : Arife — and come away. That as the Ffahniji has it, — Our pfil. Sons may be as Plants grown up in their Touth jcxliv, 12, that our Daughters may be as Cornerflones^ polijhed after the Similitude of a Palace, That this may be the happy Effect of your Obedience, is the Prayer of your fincere Brother in the Truth, From Suum Benjxr in F^ a v t r* TT i T T mitjhire, the 1 2th of the X>'AV I U xTAJ-.!^. Eighth Month 1738, To [ 42 ] To Friends at the ^iarterly- Meeting in York, the 2^th a?id 26th Days of the Fourth Mo?:th 1746 ; being a Caution againjl Drowfinefs in Meetings of Worfliip. Dear Friends ! TTNDER a forrovvfal Senfe of the Growth , / flnH Spreading of lome difagreeable Things in the Church, in this Time of Liberty and Reft from Peifecution, which we have long enjoyed, I can't well any longer forbear, but hereby lay bcfot^^ you one of thofe grievous Diforders, htiinbly craving your renewed Endeavours, that the fame (if poflible) may be remedied. The afHifling Particular now before me, is one cf thole creeping Weeds, riling in the Summer-time of Faie, which, although not ranked amongft Immoralities, yet, neverthelefs, is very ignominious and noxious to our Society, viz. Dullnefs and Sleeping in our religious Meet- ings ; which Reproach would be removed from amongft us, if all the FrofelTors of. Truth did .. obferve and praftife the faithful Advice of the Apoftle to the primitive Believers, — / befeech you^ therefore, by the Mercies of God, that ye prefent your Bodies a living Sacrifice, holy and acceptable unto God, which is your reafonable Service ; and be not conformed to this Worldy but be I. 2 [ 43 3 be ye transformed, by the renewing ofycur Mind^ that you may prove what is that good and accept- able and perfeB Will of God. By which mo- ving Intreaty and Exhortation we may under- hand, that in the right Performance of divine Worfhip qnto Almighty God, we fhould endeavour fo to appear before him, in fuch a living and reverent Concern, as that even our very Bodies may be as living and holy Oblations to him : But alas ! alas ! 'tis too obvious, DuU- nefsy Slumbering and Sleeping prevail over too many, even when aflembled on Account of per- forming Worfhip to the Lord, to the great Reproach of our Society and holy Profeflion, and particularly to the Perfons overtaken with this Weaknefs, which is fo very inconfiftent with the Spirituality of Gofpel Worfhip profefs'd by us ; and the faid grievous Fault affords no fmall Afflidion to the Faithful amongft us, and doubt- lefs is an Occafion of Stumbling to fober En- quirers, if they fee fuch Heavinefs and Dullnefs amongft us, who have juftly difufed fet Forms of Worfhip, and fit in Silence, under Pretence of waiting for the moving and operating of the Spirit of Truth, in which alone the Father is acceptably worfhipped, and obferve feveral overcome with the dark Spirit oi Slujnber \ may they not make their Remarks on fuch unbecom- ing Weaknefs ? And doth it not render us and our filent Meetings contemptible ? May not the lender Enquirers juftly charge us with abfurd Ipxonfiftency ? And may not the frothy and airy n?,ake it the Subjed: of Ridicule ? But oh ! dear [ 44 ] dear Friends^ that is not the worft ; for our gra- cious God, who hath exprefly faid, — I will be fandlijied by them that come nigh 7ne, is di (honour- ed by fuch poor dull Souls, and they alfo de- prive themfelves of that fpiritual Benefit and divine Goodnefs, which accrues to the true and living Worfhippers; neither the Bodies nor the Spirits of fuch poor Creatures, who have con- tra(fled that odious Habit of Sleeping in Meetings, whilft under that dark Cloud, arc either living, holy, or acceptable Sacrifices, not being tranf- formed by the Renewing of their Minds, but being dull, dark and drowfy, are not in a Capacity of knowing ivhat is that good a?id ac- ceptable and perjedl Will of God, much lefs of doing it. Wherefore, my dear Friends, I befeech you, in the Bowels of Christ, that you would exert yourfelves in the Wifdom of Truth, to prevent this indecent Frailty and Diforder 5 for altho' the moft effectual way of amending this and all other Diforders is, that every one come to, and witnefs the real Work and Power of the AU- fufiicient Grace and Spirit of God 5 yet inflru- mental Means, difcreetly ufed,, may be of fingular Service. And I hope it will become the Care and Concern of this Meeting, to give feafonable and fuitable Advice to Monthly and particular Meetings, to intreat, exhort and re- buke fuch on whom a negligent, lukewarm Difpofition of Mind prevails, that they do watch and war againft Sleeping in Meetings of divine [ 45 ] divine Worftiip. Oh ! that fuch may be rous'd up to a Senfe, how they diflionour themfelvcs and the Truth they make Profeffion of, and in Watchfulnefs and Prayer fit before the Lord in a living Frame of Mind, waiting for the comfortable, enlivening Influences of the Holy Spirit, and not be again overcome with the Evil now fpoken of ^ which is the fervent Defirc and Prayer of your exercifed Friend and Brother, Skipton the 2 5d of the t^ tttt^* XJ -r -- 4th Month, 1746. i^AVlD JtlALL. P. S. AH Friends, but more efpecially fuch who are liable to be overtaken with Dtdlnefs and Sleeping in Meetings, fliould eat and drink fparingly betwixt Meetings, where two Meet- ings arc held on one Day. ^ [ 46 ] yi compajfwnate Call^ and Hand reached forth in tender Gofpel Love, to all fuch Perjons^ as having once made Profejjion of the bleffed TRUTH, yt by fome Mijconduti or other ^ have unhappily forfeited their Unity with the Society of FRIENDS j in what Capa* cityy Pojl or Station foever in the CHURCH they may have been ; or in what Circumjlance of Life foever they now ftand^ in their prefent difunited Situation, w Friends, H E N I confider the matchlefs and inexpreflible Love of God, in fending his S o N to fave Sinners ; when I am helped to contemplate the gracious Tenor of the glori- ous Gofpel, clearly and affedlingly fet forth in lute XV. the Parables of the /o/l Sheep, the prodigal Son^ ch. X. 33. and the good Samaritan : When I behold the Father running to meet his returning Son ; when I obferve the Kifs with which he welcomed him home, and how he commanded the beft Robe to be brought forth and put on him, and the Ring to be put on his Hand ; together with the Shoes for his Feet, weary with his long Vagaries in the far Country : When I remem- ber our Saviour's Heart-affc6ling Saying, — The Son of Man is come to feek a?id to fave that which was [ 47 ] was h/i : Together with the exprefs Charge he gave to his Twelve Apoftles, when he fent them forth as Sheep in the midft of Wolves, to pub- lifh the glad Tidings of the Gofpel 5 — Go not, Mhux, faith he, into the fVay of the G^ni\\^s, and into' ^ 8. any Cities of the Samaritans enter ye not\ but go ye rather to the lojl Sheep of the Houfe ^Ifrael, and as ye go, preachy faying^ The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand. Heal the Sick, cleanfe the Lepers, raije the Dead^ call out Devils. My Heart within me is deeply afFeded, yea, even my very Bowels arc moved towards you poor, dear Souls, who may have fo far mifs'd your Way, as that you have fet yourfelves ata DiC- tance from your Brethren ; and hereby, in the fweet Senfe and Feeling of the unparallel'd Love and Mercy of the everlafting Gofpel of Peace and Reconciliation, I falute you, and mofl cor- dially invite you in the Name of the great and good Shepherd of the Sheep, who hath laid down his Life for you, to look homeward , make the beft of your Way to your Father's Houfe again, return to God by true Repentance with- out Delay, which is the Way to the Fold of true Reft. — The Spirit and the Bride fay, j^v. come J and let him that is athirft, come : And who-- tx\u 17* ever will, let him take the Water of Life freely. Pleafe to take Notice, that the Sick, the Lepers^ the Dead, the pojfefjed with Devils, were to be the peculiar Objeds of Regard, to whom thofe early Ambaffadors of Christ were firft to ad* minifter fpecial and fuitablc Relief, according to the Directions of him the bleffed Messias, tiis P cfFeitaal [1 4« ] effectual Repairer of Breaches, and the merciful Reftorerot right Paths to dwell in, from which Mankind in the Fall hath milerably ftrayed. O therefore, let the Exhortation of the Pro- phet Hojea univerfally obtain and prevail with //o/e4vi. all that are out of the Way ! — Come^ and let us J, i) 3* return unto the Lord ; for he hath iorn^ and he 'Will heal us 'y, he hathjmitten^ and he will bind us up, j^fter tivo Days will he revive us, in the third Day h^ will raife us up, and we ^oall live in his Sight, T^hen Jljall we know, if w^ follow on to know the Lord : His Going forth is prepared as the Morning ; and he (Joall come wito us as the Rain ; as the latter and former Rain unto the Earth, O, dear Souls, may this be your fleady Refo- lution, and you may yet do well ; the merciful Arms of our moft gracious Saviour are ever open to receive penitent Sinners. O remember and pradife the Apoftle's encouraging Advice, ^ ^smes — Submit yourfelves to G o D ; refiji the Devil $t io» ' and he will fy from you; draw nigh to God and he will draw nigh unto you : Cleanfe your Hands^ ye Sinners, and purify your Hearts, ye double Minded \ be afflicted, and mourn, and weep ; humble yourfelves in the Sight of theLoj^t), and he pjall lift you up. There is a blefled and open Door, even Faith in Christ, Repentance and Amendment of Life, whereby all poor Souls, who have mifs'd their Way in any refpedt (the Sin againft the Holy Ghost excepted) mar re-enter 1^ 4 i re-enter into the precious Favour of a merciful Cjod, .and be reconciled to him through Jesus Christ. Pleafe to read the Royal Pfalmiji's penitential Prayer, Pfabn li. alfo Deut, xxx. CJ' dear Souls, return unto the Lord, .be mindful of his repeated Calls, and gracious Pro- mifes to the Penitent, which run thus; — Go^ and "f^^- "^ proclaim thefe fVords towards the North y and jay ^^^^^^^^^^ Return thou hackjliding Ifrael, faith the Lor d, and I will 720 1 caufe mine Aijger to fall upon yoUy - for I am merciful^ faith the Lord, and I will not keep Ariger for ever.. Only acknowledge thine Iniquity^ that thou hall tranfgreffed againji the Lord thy God, &c, Turn^ O backfltding Cbil^ dren^ faith the L^OKDyfor I am married unto you : Return ye backfliding Children^ and I will heal your Backflidings, We lie down in our Shame ^ and our Confu/ion cover eth us -, for we have finned againji the Lord our God. Repent ^ and turn ji^eihi your/elves from all your Tranfgrefions y. fo Iniquity^'^^^^'^^^, fljall not be your Ruin: Cajt away from you all your TranfgrefJionSy whereby ye have traifgreffed^ and make you a new Hearty and a new Spirit ; for why will ye di'e^ O Houfe. of Ifrael ! For I have no Pleafure in him that dieth^ faith the Lord God; wherefore turn yourfelves and live ye. And, in Ifaiah^ he ^ faith to the degenerate JewSy Wafh yej make you clean, put away the Jfa.liS, Evil of your Doings from before mine EyeSy ceafe ^7>^^»*^» to do Evily leafm to do welly feek Judgment^ re-- lieve the Opprejfedy judge the Fatherlefsy plead for the JVidow : Come now and let us reafon tO'- D 2 getbcr [ 50 3 gether^ faith the Lord : Tlocugk your Sins be as Scarlet^ they {kail he as ivhite as Snow ; though they be red like Crimjbn^ they Jhall be as JVoolL If ye be ^willing and obedient, ye Jhall eat the Good of the Land : But if ye refufe and rebels ye Jhall be devoured by the Sword : For the Mouth of the Lord hath fpoken it. Moreover, King Solomon^ at the Dedication of the Temple, in his mod cordial Interceffion to the Lord on Behalf of the People, (whereby he glorioufly reprefents, and typifies the facred Mediation of our bleffed jldvocate^ Jesus Christ) pours out his moft fervent Prayers on this wife,— ichron, ^* And if thy People Ifrael be put to the f i. 24. Hall. P. S. Furthermore, may all humbly wait for Faith, to lay hold on the mod gracious Promifes *of our merciful God, (which are 77'^ and Ameyi to all thofe- that truly believe : ) And may all j.iu-ii.i the the puft up, the Stout-hearted, Impenitent, and Obftinate, timely and ferioufly confider the Threatnings annexed thereunto, and juftly de- nounced upon the fat Ones, while the Day of Grace is extended, and the Door of Mercy is opened unto them: viz. — / will feek that Ezeh which was lofi, and bring again that which ivas^^^'^'^*^^* drive?! away\ and will bind up that which was broken, and will ftrejigthen that which wasjick : But I will dejlroy the Fat a?id the Strongs 1 mil feed them with judgment. And again,*— yif a Shepherd feeketh out hii Flock VcrC it, in the Day that he is among his Sheep that are Jcattered : So will I feek out my Sheep^ and will deliver them out of all F laces where they have been fcatiered in the cloudy and dark Day. An [ 58 ] -■JiJ / An Epistle pf Love and Caution to the §luarterly and Monthly Meetings of Friends /;? Great-Britain, or elfewhere-, but more particularly to the Friends of \ . Knarelborough Monthly-meeting, ajfembled at Afquith, in Yorkfliire, {of which the Author is a Member) Grace, Mercy and Peace, from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ, be mul- tiplied among you. Dear Friends ^ Brethren and Sifters, AL T H O* I have now been a confiderablc while perfonally abfent from our Monthly- meeting, and from mod of the Meetings that conftitute the fame, not of Choice, but of Neccflity, being under bodily Indifpofition 5 yet I have not forgotten you, nor would I be for- got by you ; I have remembered you in my Prayers, as I defire to be remembered by you in yours. And now, ye dear and faithful Mini/iers and Elders, who yet remain upon the Stage, to whom I am nearly united in the Covenant of Life, I hereby greet you well in the Love of the Gofpel, earneftly defiring you may be pre- ferved [ 59 ] ferved and ftrengthened in the fweet and pcacc^ . able Spirit of our Lord Jesus Christ, and therein tenderly feed the Flock of God which fc among you, willingly taking the Overfight thereof ; not as being Lords over God's Heritage^ but being Enfamples to the Flock 5 and when he the chief Shepherd (hall appear, ye (hall have a Crown of Glory which fliall never fade away. '-^ Warn them that are unruly^ comfort the jTb^j.r. Feeble-minded, fupport the Weaky be patient to- ^^ wards all Men. Brethren, If a Man be over- c^J, vi. taken in a Fault, ye which are fpiritual, reftore >• fuch a one in the Spirit of Meeknejs ; confidering thyjelj^ left thou alfo be tempted. And by all. Means take Care that Brotherly Love and Con-r- defcenfion remain among you. And where any Matter of Debate or Difference, tending to divide or fcatter, may fall out, wait fingly upon the Lord for that Wifdom which is pure and peaceable, without Partiality, and without Hypocrify, that ve may prudently interpofe as mediating Peace-makers and Moderators, to the healing, accommodating and making up fuch Breaches; and be fure ufe your utmoft: Endea- vours, that the Meeting or Meetings, in which iiich unhappy Things arife, may be preferved from running into Parties: For alas! how have fome Meetings been fplit and (hatter'd by thcfc Kinds of Factions ; and how have the young People been ftagger'd and difcouraged thereby ; • — Th Servant of the LoRDy faith the Apoftlc, zTim.ii muft notjlrive^ but be gentle unto all Men, apt to ^4» ^5. teach^ oppdjh therhfeMs, &c. ^Let us'alflabsiir therefore to hold the Umtj^ o( the Spirit in t^e Bond of Peace, ever ftand- ' ing upon our Guard againft all Things that^ guilder td Strife, and againft that Temper of * Mind which is forward either to give or takc^ Occafion, o^ let in, or retain Grudges againft any Friends ; and pray labour what in you lies^ to prevent, and fupprefs that vile and Antichrif-" tian Practice of Evil-fur nit fing, backbiting, and traducing \ tenderly exciting all Friends in your refpeftive Meetings toFaithfulnefs in the feveral Branches of their Chriftian Teftimony, and cfpecially in that very material one, againft the Antichriftian Yoke of lithes^ and all Things of that dark Nature. And ye Majlers and Miflrejfes of Families','^' who have Children, or Servants, or both under your Care, prize your prcfent Privileges: Be diligent in attending, and vigilant in truly wait^^ irig upon the Lord, the Author of all ou^^ BlefTings, in your religious Meetings, both oii'' ' Firft-days, and alfo on other Days^of the Week -^ and take along with you your tender Children/ when their Age and reafonable Convenience will permits arid, allow fufficient Liberty tg^ your Servants to attend religious AfTcmblies.' ,^A"^ P^^y* attend as near the Hour appointed^ QS ever you can ; for oftentimes Meetings are" difturb'd, and hurt by the diforderly and un- feafonabk [1 6^^ ]- feafonable Gathering of fome ; tho' no Friend is to be blam'd, if in cafe of Neceffity he may' chance fometinies to be late ; but the conftanC . Pradtice of late Coming is a bad Symptom, de-"' noting the Want of a true Concern of Mind. It affords Matter of much Concern and Sorrow^I to fee divers ProfelTors of the Truth fo flack and remifs in this incumbent Duty of afTembling", thcmfelves together, now when good Providence^ hath fo rebuked the Storms of Perfecution, that' we are gracioufly favoured with a great Calm'j* our Way is open peaceably to attend, and e'njoyf our highly valuable religious Meetings: Yet^ fome are lo extremely negligent, that even on Firft-days, fmall Matters do fometimes hindei:" them from appearing with their Friends in that' great and important Affair and Duty, of the Worfliip of Almightv God : And fome that' are pretty conftant in attending Firft-day Meet-*" ings, luffer themfelves through Weaknefs, Luke;-i warmnefs and Indolence, to be deprived of the' Benefit, Comfort and Edification, that theyj thcmfelves, by duly attending Week-day Meet-* ings, might probably be Enjoyers of ; and alfo' deprive their Friends of the Benefit of theic* Company, and are bad Examples to the young^ Ones. Again, there may perhaps be fome that do themfelves attend Meetings both on Firff-davs, and pretty often on Week-days ; yet don-t exert themfelves as they ffiould do, in exciting their Families to Diligence, taking along with them * their C 62 ] their Children, but leaving their Children be- hind them, when very capable of getting to the Meetings ; allow them from Time to Time to be abfent, as though they had forgotten the wife Man's Precept,— 7r^/>/ up a Child in the Way he fiould go, &c. The Hulband and the Wife ought to be joinily concerned in the ftridt and careful Education of their Children, and to beware, left the one by Indulgence, or for want of a right Zeal in a Matter of fuch Importance, fhould weaken the Hands of the other. And pray, let none whilft in Health and Strength of Body, tolerably near the Meeting-place, be fo weak as to let in Reafonings that they cannot afford, or fparc Time to attend Week-day Meetings, being but of low Circumftances in the World : Pleafe to confider, that the Bleffing of God maketh truly rich ; if we give up our- felves to ferve and obey him, and faithfully perform our Duties to him, (of which the due attending of religious Meetings is not one of the leaft) we (hall find his Bleflings upon our honeft and moderate Endeavours more advan- tageous to us than all our Buftlings, anxious Mir. vi. Labours, and Contrivances, without it. — Seek \e ^5- frjl, faith our bleffed Lord,, the Kingdom of God, and his Righteoufnefs, and- all theje Things JJjall be added unto you. 'Tis concluded by many Friends of found Judgment and Experience, that none were ever poorer (but richer) for duly and rightly attending religious Meetings en Week-days, as well as Firft-days j but 'tis fully believed, that many have fuffcred themfelves to be [ 63 ] be much hurt, both as to the Condition of their Minds, and outward Circumftances, by letting the inordinate and choaking Cares about Things of this Life prevail, and confequently by be- coming negligent and remifs in attending re- ligious Meetings ; for the royal Pfalmift faith, — Except the Lord build the Houfe^ they labour in ?fzU vain that build it : Except the Lord keep the^^^"^^^* '» City^ the Watchman waketh but in vain. It is vain for you to rife up early ^ to Jit up late, to eat the Bread of Sorrow, &c. The gracious Toleration and Time of Peace now put into our Hands, ought to be as our Seed-time, in which we fhould be diligently fowing to the Spirit, that hereafter we might reap the Harveft of Life everlafting. But what faith the wife Man of the Slug- gards and Slack-handed, in fo favourable an Opportunity ? — He becometh poor, faith he, that Prov, x 4. dealeth with a flack Hand : But the Hand of the Diligent maketh rich. T^he Sluggard will ;z^/Ch. xx.4i plow by reafon of the Cold ; therefore (Jo all he leg hi Harveji, and have nothing. I therefore tenderly exhort you, make the beft Ufe and Application of the prefont Favours, Peace and Tranquility, yet lengthened out unto the Churches ; double vour Diligence, be fer- vent in Spirit, ferving the Lord : Slip no Op- portunity, wherein ye may either do Good to others, or obtain Good to yourfelves, or both. t^i^la'] E But [ 64 ] But oh ! what Excufe (hall thofe Profeffor^ of Truth plead in the Day of Account, who being ftationed by kind Providence in the Affluence of the good Things of this Life, and alfo fituated near the Meeting-place, yet never- thelefs feldom vouchfafe to appear with their •Brethren at Week-day Meetings ? Moreover, (which is ftill worfe) fome having let in a Dif- like or Difguft againft fome particular Friend or Friends, on one Account or other, thence have taken Occafion fometimes to decline the Meet- ing ', Yea, alas ! fome are fo much out of the way, that they will not come at the Houfes or Families of thofe Friends againft whom they have taken occafion of Offence. Thereby not only betraying their own Weaknefs, and a mean and wrong Difpofition of Mind, but alfo hurt- ing and leffening themfelves, and (hewing a bad Example to the young and rifing Generation, whofe Eyes are upon us, and can quickly remark the Failures and Miftakes of fuch as (hould be as Way-marks to them. Oh ! there- fore, I earneftly befeech all fuch, that they let the Time part be fufficient, and that for the future they may be of better, and more ex- emplary Condudt. Furthermore, in as much as the moft folcmn, facred, and profound Part of the divine Worftiip of the Father, who is a Spirit, is now in this Gofpel, and new Covenant Difpenfation, to be performed in Spirit and T/'z///?, in a deep Silence, - Compofure, and Stilnefs of Mind -, being alto- ' ^ gcther , If 65 ]1 gether confident with the divine Nature and Spirituality of the faid Difpenfation, the Dodrine of Christ the Author thereof, and our own profeffed Principles ; in much Brotherly Love I cordially exhort you, and by the Meeknefs of Christ fervently befeech you, to labour with the utmoft Diligence and Application of Heart and Soul, really to become fuch inward and fpiritual Worftiippers, which Christ hath told us, — The Father is feekijig to u'orJJ:>ip him. Thefe are the Circumcijion which worptp God in Spirit^ and have no Conjideiice in the Flefh ; whofe principal Teacher is the Minifter of the Sanduary, -and true Tabernacle, which God hath pitched and not Man, and can never be re- moved into a Corner, Although we muft own, that anointed Inftruments, while they keep their Places, are of Service, Comfort and Edification to Meetings, as the Eyes and Expedation of the Hearers are chiefly to the Lord, who alone can give a Bleffing upon the Plantings of Paul, and the Waterings of Jpollos ; yet we fee thefe In- ftruments are not to be depended lipon, being liable to be fliut up, according to the Wifdom and good Pleafure of the great Mailer of Affem- blies, or to be removed from us by Death ; but they that duly wait for that Water firm the Hand of Christ, our bleifcd Mediator, which he told the enquiring Sa?naritan Woman of, faying, — Whofoever drinketh oj the Water that I fi all give ^ohn U. him, Jl)all never thirft -, hut the Water that 1"^^ p.^all give him, pail be in him a Well of Water fpringing up into ever lafting Life, will not be E 2 quite [ 66 ] quite caft down, and totally difcouraged, when it (hall pleafe the Lord to take from them fuch as have been as coniolatory Evangelijis^ Minifters^ Pf'ophets^ or ProphetelJes among them ; but feeling, in the Openings and Bubblings up of the aforefaid Spring of Life, the Love df God, that true Charity to be fhed abroad in their Hearts, they will experience the Truth of xUifs? ^^^ bleffed Apoftle's Words, — Charity never Jaileth 5 but "whether there he Prophejies^ they Jhall fail ; whether there he Tongues, they Jhall ceafe ; whether there be Knowledge y it JJjall vani(h away. Wherefore, Beloved^ be not difconfolate upon the View of any of your Meetings being left bare of, or quite without inftrumental Minijiers ^ though fome Branches be removed, the Root remains* Oh ! remember Christ's Words, a little before his Departure fiom his Difciples, as ' foht with refped: to his Humanity, — Jf y^ love me^ \l' I'l ^^^P ^y Commandmejits^ and I will pray the Father, and he [hall give you another Comforter ^ that he may abide with you for ever ; even the Spirit of Truths whom the World cannot receive^ hecaufe it feeth him not^ ?jeither knoweth him\ ; but ye know him^ for he dwelieth with you, and Jl:all be in you. Again, — Where two or three, faith he, are gathered in my Name, there am I i?t the Midjl of them. If fome eminent Difciple or Difciples be taken from you, the bead Mafter remains, to whom you may have free Accels. If fome fmall Rivulets f 67 1 Rivulets you have drunk of fometimes, be novf difcontinucd, your Way is open to the never- failing, inexhapltible Spring-head : What Rea- fon have any then to be difcou raged, or be cool in attending their Meetings, for Want oiinliru" mental Minijiry ? Would not this be like a Slight upon the great eji and be(i Mini/iery who hath gracioufly promifed his moft excellent Company, even at the leaft Meetings, upoa moft reafonable Terms ? For the compaffionate Promifcs above, as alfo this, — I will not leave you comfortlep, are not only applicable to his then immediate Followers, but to all his true Pifciples down to the lateft Pofterity. Let none therefore, old or young, be afhamed of, or undervalue filent Meetings ; for they cer- tainly are to all true Worfhippers of Angular Advantage, and diflionourable to none that rightly attend them, but quite the reverfe. May all thofe who belong to Meetings, wherein are no Friends of the Minijiry^ ferioufly confider, their prefent Situation is far better than if they were loaded with a dead^ dry^ fniitlejs^ unac-' ceptable Minijiry. Befides, as there may be Danger of fome de- pending too much upon the publick Minijiry^ where there is pretty much of it ; the Want thereof, if rightly applied, may prevent this Danger, and drive People home to the inward Spring. E3 Well, [' 68 ] Well, but may fome fay, *we hazr Children and yoiiJig Ones coming tip, 'which yet know not thefe Thi72gs, and our Hearts ake for tkem. I anfwer, let all of us, efpecially Parents and Elders, ufe our very beft Endeavours to bring up the young and tender Plants in the Nurture and Admonition of the Lord, exemplifying our Precepts in a prudent and fuitable Condudl, by waiting in pure Sihice in our religious Meet- ings, to feel the Aboundings of that Life which Christ faith, he came to give to his People mere abundantly : Then, 1 truft, the Lord will from his holy Habitation mercifully look down upon us and our Off-ipring. For my part, I know no vifible Thing more likely to prevail upon Children, and to fet them on thinking on good Things, than to fee the awful Sittings, and fometimes the overflowing Tears of their Parents and Elders, in their Devotion before the Lord in their religious Retirements ; together with a careful and godly Condu6l at other Times : Who knows but it may pleafe good Providence in due Time to open Springs in the Defart, and dignify the now pooreft and dimmefl Meetings with the bright eji Minijlers ? Let none after a defponding Manner fay, — Can any Good come cut of Nazareth ? The Lord is able of thefe Stones to raife up Children unto Abraham. Mean while may. we all endeavour to live by Faitb, and in that Faith to truft in God, for in the Lord Jehovah is cverlafting Strength. Bifides [ 69 ] Befidcs thefe Things, I further humbly in- treat you, Parents and Governors ot Families^ that youflridly watch over your Children and Servants reijpeding their moral Condud. The wife Man tells us, and Experience confirms it, — That the Rod and Reproof give PVifdom % but Prov, a Child left to himjef bringeth his Mother to^^^^*^^' Shame, What truly confcientious Parent, or Head of a Family, can or dare fufFer their Chil- dren (or Servants when not engaged in Bufinefs) to go whither they will, when they will, into any Sort of Company, according to their own Option or Liking ? This Kind of imprudent Indulgence, and undue Liberty, allowed by rea- fon of the Inconfiderateneis, and Want of true Zeal in the Governors, hath proved ruinous to many of the young Generation. How often hath Grief of Mind accru'd to fome concerned Friends, to fee fome Profeflbrs of Truth fo carelefs about their Children, as to fufFer them to run even amongft the wild Rabble of the Town, or Neighbourhood, where they often receive corrupt Impreffions on -their tender Minds, both with regard to Speech and Deport- ment ? Which inconfiderate and indifcreet Parents, being fpoke to by feme concerned Friend or Friends, and admoniflied touching this their unfafe Indulgence, would perhaps reply, They are but Children ; fo what /Ignifes retraining them till they come to fmre Under ftand- zng ? We have bee?i Children ourfelves^ and wild too. But alas ! how often have thefe Kind of E 4 carelefs [ 70 ] carelcfs Fathers and IVIothers laid for themfelves a lad Foundation for too late Repentance ! We muft own, that when we have done our beft in Precept, in Pattern, in Reftridion, and religioufly turned every Stone for the Good of our Oft-fpring, and the honeft Difcharge of our confcientious Duties towards them, fome may prove Prodigals and Libertines; yet happy thofe Parents who can juftly appeal to Heaven on this wife, — 'Thou, Lord, knoweft we have done our be ft for the P refer vation and right Injlitution of our Child or Children. Such, with good Samuel of old, in the confcientious Difcharge of their Duty, will have Peace and Joy in the Lord, though fome of their Children caufe them much Trouble and Anxiety. La/lly^ before I leave you Parents and lead- ing Perlonsin Families and Meetings, I humbly cr^ve that we, and all faithful Minifters and Elders, may be inward with the Lord, and join in deep Supplication to him, that he may be pleafed in his inexpreffible Loving-kindnefs to remember the Youth of our Time, grant them a gracious Vifitation, lay faft hold on them, as by the Shepherd's Crook of his bleffed Truth and Power, circumcife their Hearts to ferve him ; and alfo, that he would be pleafed in his tender Mercy to reach unto all poor wan- dering Prodigals, wherefoever they are fcattered, and bring again the lofl Sheep to the Fold of Reft. And ( 7^ ] And now, Oh ! ye Striplings znd young Peo* ple^ I maft addrefs you in particular ; my Heart is open unto you, and enlarged in the Love of the Gofpel, wherein I afFedionately call upon you, and lovingly advife you, to bev^ar-s of unfuitable Company ; and take great Care to avoid ^11 kind of Intemperance, but efpecially that pernicious, infedling, growing evil Cuftom of clubbings tippling^ and drinking to Exce/s j which has proved the Bane and Ruin of fo many (once) hopeful Youths, as well as Perfons of more advanced Age: And watch with the ut- inoft Caution, that ye do by no Means let out your AfFedtions to Perfons of other Communions^ in order to contradl Marriages with them ; nor yet with fuch as are too near of Kin^ though within the Pale of our Society ; for alas! alas ! we have many forrowful Inftances of the fundry afflidling and difmal Confequences that attend thefe unhappy and difagreeable Matches. Oh!' therefore, let the Harms of others be your timely Precautions, and always ftand open to receive the wholefome Counfel of yQbr Parents, and well-wi(hing Friends ; for this is well pleafing unto God, who hath exprcfly commanded, — Honour thy Father and thy Mo- Jher, and feverely threatned fuch as flight their Parents, as in Deuteronomy xxvii. i6. — Cur fed be he that Jetteth light by his Father or his Mother^ and all the People Jhalffay Amen. Likewifc the wife Man faith, — Ttje Eye that mocketh at his p^^^, Father y and defpifeth to obey his Mot her ^ the Ra^xw. ly, vens Dent, [ 72 ] 'vens of the Valley Jh all pluck it out^ and the yoimg Eagles fljall eat it, Alfo we find what was com- manded concerning the ftubborn and rebellious Children of the Ifraelites of old 5 — - If a Man yxi. 18, have a flubborn and rebellious Son, which will not i9> io> obey the Voice of his Father^ or the Voice of his Mother ; and that when they have chaflened him^ will not hearken unto them : Then [hall his Father and his Mother lay hold of him, and bring him out unto the Elders of his City, and unto the Gate of his Place ; and they Jhall fay unto the Elders of his City, This our Son is ftubborn and rebellious, he will not obey our Voice, he is a Glutton, and a Drunkard : And all the Men of his City fhall jlone him with Stones that he die : So Jloalt thou put Evil away from among you, and all \{x?it\ Jhall hear and fear. And it were well, if fuch who are rebellious and difobedient to their Parents, did enough confider the Punifhment inflidled upon them in that Difpenfation, by a Law prefcribed by the Lord ; and fuch would do well to remember, that though this Law remains not in Force in this Difpenfation, yet fuch Punifhment as is adequate to the Tranf- greffion of the fpiritual Law we now are under, Bcb. waits for fuch ; — For if they efcaped not, who refufed him that fpake on Earth, 'much more fo all not we efcape, if we turn away from him that fpeaketh Jr^m Heaven. I earneftly recommend unto you, the ferious and frequent Reading of the holy Scriptures: Some Friends, with much Concern of Heart, are :ii. 25* [ 73 1 are afraid that this beft of Books is too much neglefted by too many of our Youth, if not by fome of the elder Rank too : Pleafe to examine and confider the Principles you are educated in the Profeffion of, That the Religion of your Education may become the Religion of your Judgment ; and befure avoid the reading of fuch profane Books and Pamphlets, as tend to vitiate and alienate the Mind from the Simplicity of the Truth. Pleafe to read and duly obferve I Tim. iv. 7, 8. 2 Tim. iii. 15, 16, 17. And above all Things, be concerned to be made fenfibleof theDay of the Lord's Power, wherein and whereby, you may be made willing intire- ly to refign yourfelves to his Service and Difpo- fal : O ! wait with Diligence to know and ex- perience the quickning, refining Baptifm of the Holy Ghost and of Fire, whereby ye may be truly baptized into the one Body of Christ, and by feeling the Influences of his good Spirit to defcend upon you, from him the heavenly Head, you may be truly ferviceable in your refpediive and proper Places and Stations therein, and fo come up in the true Line of Succeflion in this your Day. Oh, that the Spirit of Elijah might reft upon Elijha. Pleafe to confider, how Meetings are deprived In many Places oi faithful Minifters and Elders : How many Seats are now left empty, and how Meetings are now pretty much made up of the younger Sort of Ferfons, into whofe Hands the Care 12. [ 74 ] Care and Difcipline of the Church are likely to fall ? May the Glory of God, may thg Ser- vice of the Church, and the prefent State thereof; may your own temporal and earned Intereft and Salvation move and prevail upon you, to apply your Hearts unto Wifdom, that ye may come under fuitable Qualifications for the much defired Succeffion aforefaid 5 that thofe Vacancies in the Places of Minifters and Elders may be honourably fopplied. Having in much Brotherly-kindnefs premifed the few Things above, I find a Concern remain- ing upon my Mind, more particularly, in the fame good Will, here to fubjoin fome loving Cautions to all you Tradefmen and Merchandizers^ that ye be very careful to keep clofely unto the ftrift and neceffary Rules of moral Jujltce in all your Dealings, and duly to obferve your Words, PromifeSy and ContraBs, punctually anfwering all your juft Debts and Demands in due Time^ purfuant to the excellent Chriliian Rule, — Miu vn, fVhatfoever ye would that Meji fiould do to you^ do ye evenfo to them : And befure take particular Care, I beg of you, to keep within the Compafs of your own Stocks and Capacities, that in cafe your Affiiirs don't fucceed welf, you may but lofe what is your own : It has been remarked, that divers at their firft embarking in Trade and Bufinefs, have feem'd to be pretty hopeful ; but inconfiderately putting themfelves forth into more Articles and Branches of Trade, than their Stock and Capacity were able to fupport and manage. t 75 ] manage, whereby great Reproach has been brought upon our Society, of which they profefs themfelves MeUfibers, Diftrefs upon themfelves and Families, and they have unhappily fallen into that difmal and infamous State of Infohency ; and have not only in a great Meafure ruined themfelves, but divers other honefl and innocent Perfons have fuftained much, and perhaps irre- parable Lofs, by fuch their unwary and unwarrantable Proceedings. Wherefore, it is much to be defired, that (efpecially our young and unexperienced) Tradefmen and others, may not only be willing to receive and take due Notice of the Advice of judicious and experi- enced Friends, when given, but even apply to fuch Friends before they undertake any Aftair of confiderable Moment, for their Counfel therein. Yea, too many, even of fuch who have appeared in the Miniftry, for want of due Care and Integrity, and a timely Infpeftion into the State of their Affairs, and proper Applica- tion in the Management thereof, have lament- ably loft themfelves, to the Diftionour of God, Scandal of our holy ProfefTion, and the wound- ing the Reputation oioMvfree Minijiry \ it being an abfurd Contradidlion, to pretend to preach the Gofpely and negleft the Rules of moral Juftice, To conclude this Head : Whereas in thefe kind of Mifcarriages, the Wives, Houfe-keepers and Servants (yea and perhaps Children too) fometimes may have a Share of the Blame crjl: upon [ 76 ] upon them, whether defervedly or not ; there- fore I tenderly exhort all fucb, in their refpedtive Provinces and Ports at home, whilft Hufbands or Maftcrs are adling abroad, that they may ufe fuch an honeft Care, fuitable Induftry, Fru- gality, and Moderation in their Houfe- keeping, and all Things under their Hand, as may tend (fo far as in them lies) to preferve themfelves blamelefs in thefe Refpedts. May all who profefs the Name of Christ, come under his Crofs, who is come to lead us into all Truth , learn of him who is meek and lowly in Heart, thankfully to be content to live according to, or rather within our Abilities ; for it is an undeniable Argument of Weaknefs, In- difcretion, if not Injuftice too, for any but of low Circumftances in the World (comparatively fpeaking) to imitate, copy after, or in any wife to vie with Perfons of confiderable Eftates, either in Drefs, Houfe- keepings or Furniture^ &c. Happy the Perfons, whom the Harms and Mif- takes of others do timely awaken to due Caution and more prudent Condud: -, all along taking Yrov. the Advice of the wife Man, — Be diligent fa xxvii. 2'^, know the State of thy Flocks, and look well to thy *^ Herds ; for Riches are not J or eve,r, I have here alfo further to add, and recom- mend to the ferious Confideratlon and Animad- verfion of all you Pare?2ts, Elders, and Mini/ters, together with all the School- ma/lers and School- mi/hrj/es within the Pale of our Society, that affliding [ n ] afflidling Cafe of the Growth of Pride, Gaiety, and unbecoming Conformity to the v^in World in Apparel^ DialeB^ and Deportment^ which feem to fpread and gain Ground amongft the Profeffors of the bleffed Truth at this Day, to the inexpreffible Grief of the Faithful, and great Reproach of the Society in general : Whereby the Mouths of many of other Communions, who have their Eyes upon us, obferving the Extent of our rehgious Principles and Preten- fions, make their Remarks on our Condu<^ and Appearance, and are ready to fay to this EfFedt : Te were once a plain People^ dijlinguifhable in divers ReJpeBs^ particularly in Plainnefs of Habit, a7id Speech, from all others ; but we now can fcarce know you to be of the Community of the Quakers, who at the fir/i were very remark- able in their religious Conduct ^ for their Humility, Plainnefs in Apparel and Expreffion, Simplicity, Sobriety, Gravity, and Self-denial ; but now^ what Conformity to the Fafhions, Cuftoms, Gran- deur, and Vanities of the Worlds are ycu run and running into, whilji under the Frpjejjion of the Guidance of the Spirit ? Tou are coming over to lis apace. Oh ! therefore, I call upon you in /a particular and moft fervent Manner, begging of you for the Lord's Sake, and the Sake of the rifing Generation, to lend your helping Hand, and be heartily and jointly concerned for the redreffing and fuppreffing thefe reproachful Grievances, fo abfurdly inconfiftent with the pure, plain and honourable Principle of Truth we profefs* Dear [ 78 ] Dear Friends^ pray bear the Word of Ex- hortation ; I am not rigidly cenforious upon my Friends, nor, I hope, laying too much Strefs upon Externals, but moft cordially and humbly treat with you, to the End that the aforefaid Reproach we now lie under, may be rolled away from our Community. F/r/?, Therefore yc Parents^ who have the firft and beft Opportunity of making Impreffions upon, and biaffing the tender Minds of your Children, by inftilling into, or putting upon them what ye pleafe, pray take Care you don't awaken or indulge, but rather nip in the Bud thofe Seeds of Pride fo interwoven with, and implanted in the fallen Nature of Man 5 if we take the Apoftle's Advice, we muft bring up our Children in the Nurture and Ad?nonition of the Lord 5 which is not arraying them with gaudy Apparel^ according to the mutable Fafhions of this World, as they come in vogue in the Nation. But in cafe any of you, to whom Providence hath given Children, are taking undue Liberties herein, and love to be in thefe vain Fafhions, certainly you are not only incon- fiftent with the Principles yourfelves profefs, but alfo are fetting your OfF-fpring inconfiftent Ex- amples by your Condudl ; for Children think they adt with Authority when they have their Parents for Precedents. As there is in our Natures (as abovefaid) a Propenfity to thefe Gaities, the fame being in- dulged I 79 ] dulged and nurfed up, tend to divert and alienate the Mind from the Simplicity and Gravity of the Truth : Yea, alas ! where the Youth of out Time are permitted and encouraged to take their Swing in thefe undue Liberties, they don't only afford frequent Occafion for the aforefaid Re- flexions, but are often accounted to appertain to that numerous Clafs of temporizing Fafhion- mongers and Citizens of this World, rather than Children of new Jerufalem. If Christ^ whofe Kingdom is not of this World, fhould be our Pattern, we certainly fhould be plain in Drefs, Words^ and Behaviour: If the Apoftie's Advice be to be minded, we muft not be conformed to the Worlds but be tranf- formed^ by the renewing of our Minds ; and lay apart not only Filthinefsj but all Superfuity of Naughtinefs, We muft own, Conformity to the World may make its Appearance divers Ways, and in divers Shapes ; but its Root lodges in the Mind ; and therefore, according to tbe Apofllc's religious Precept, we mufl be transfor?ned and changed by the internal Work of the Spirit : We profefs another and better Way of think- ing and adting, by the Renovation of our Minds ; • and though we can by no Means effed: this in- ward Transformation either in ourfelves, or in oar Children, yet it is the Senfe of many Per- fons, truly judicious and experienced in the one true Cbriftian Religion, that it is a Duty in- cumbent on Parents to regulate and reflrid: their Children in their vifible Garb and Conduct : F ■ And [ 8o ] And though we cannot give our Children the Power ot Truth, yet it is our Duty carefully to bring them up in the Form thereof, at the lame Time humbly praying to the Lord to water our Labours with his Bkffing, interpofe by his Grace in their Hearts, and fo crown our Endeavours with Succefs, by thus granting to them his Power. Some may fay, Religion doth not (land in out- ward Apparel. A?ifwer. We own it doth not confift barely in any Externals, but in that Power which makes clean the Infide ; fo that an exte- rior Reftitude is thereby confequently effedted, where this Power inwardly operating in the Mir. Heart is fubmitted unto. Thou blind Pharijeey xxiu. 26. f^jjj^ Christ, cleanfe firfl that which is within the Cup and the Flatter ^ that tlx Oiitfide of them may be clean aljo ; whereby we are informed and direfted where to begin the Work of Regu- lation and Reformation ; and alfo that a vifible Regularity will enfue upon this invifible Opera- tion : Howbeit, and yet neverthelefs I fay again, Parents and l^utors are in the mean while to exercife themfelves, and the Authority lodged in them, to ufe a proper ReftridVion and Cor- redion of what they fee amifs in' their Children, and lop off the Branches (thefe being Things within their Reach) until it Ihall pleafe God to lay the Axe to the Root of the Tree in them. May we not therefore fafely conclude, that Libertinijrn^ fo obvious and glaring in any of its deformed Shapes, is a raanitefl: Symptom of a Diforder i St ] I5iforder kvkhiny and of the deplorable Want of experiencing this abfolutely neceffary Power of Regeneration ; unto which we, in the Bowels of Charity invite all our Friends, efpecially thofe too much fcattered in the fantaftick Modes^ Cuf- tomSy FaJhionSi Friendfhips and Ways of this de^ generate and depraved Age ; owning neverthe- lefs, that fome Perfons appearing in plain Garba to Men, may be inwardly far wrong in the Sight of God : We are not in any wife countenancing Pharijhifmy whilft we thus oppugn Libertinifm • The King's high Road to Heaven lies in the golden Medium, even in the Midft of the Path ef Judgment. As the frequent and repeated Advices from the Yearly-meetings are againft all bad and vile Things, difagreeable to our holy Principles -, fo likewife againft the Extravagancies now before us : And how clofely and warmlyj and to how good Purpofe, doth our honourable Friend William Penn write againft them in his No Crojs No Crown, to which I refer. • — ** The " very Trimming of the vain World would *' cloath all the naked one," faith he in his Reflexions and Maxims, Into which Exorbi- tances, efpecially on the Score of Attire, Fur- niture and Equipage, too too many under our Name (with Regret be it fpoken) are now gone and going, notwithftanding the Purity, and (where it is duly obeyed) the .all-fufficient Effi- cacy of our honourable Principle of Grace and Truth, which comes by Jesus Christ. Truly, F 2 Friends, [ 82 ] Friends^ the Prevalency of thefe unbecoming Things is fuch, and they have got fo much Head amongft our Youth, and too many of thofe of mature Age, that it feems very difficult to ftem the Tide of thefe growing evil Cuiloms, except it pleafe the Lord mercifully to interpofe. Therefore I find myfelf engaged, as a Brother in Love, here to fay, with a certain honourable ancient Minifler, on the like Occafion, in a great Meeting : — '' Friends^ if we cannot rule *' our Children, let us rule our Purfes." What he meant is plain ; if our Children are not willing to take our Counfel, and keep within the Bounds cf Truth, let us not fupport or fupply them with Money, in the Gratification of them- felves in thefe Vanities, which bring Reproach upon us. Again, Peradventure there may be fome Chil- dren or Youths in (ome Families well difpofed and enclined, under fome early Influences of the good Principle, who don't affedl thefe Trifles themfelves, yet by Infligatlon of their grand Parents or Relations, are puflied forward into Fineries againfl their Will. Secondly^ Therefore I call upon you Elders and MimfierSy in the Phrafe of the Man of Macedonia to the Apoftle, — Come over hither ^ and help us. Embrace all Opportunities of en- couraging and ftrengthening the Hands of the truly concerned Pare72tSy fuitably caution the Remifs ; [ 83 ] Remifs ; and pray admonifli undutiful and libertine Children, both by Precept and Pattern, as vigilant and fkilful Paftors in your refpedtive Meetings and Places where your Lots are caft, now in thefe forrowful Days, wherein fo many are foaring aloft, and drop a Word of Encou- ragement to the lowly minded Children and Youths, who may labour under the Difficulties above. T^hirdly^ Upon Confideration of the powerful Afcendant, Education often has over Youth, I now befpeak you in particular, who are intrufted with the Care and Tutelage of young Plants, in thofe weighty and important Pofts of School- maflers and School-miJlreJfeSy efpecially fuch who keep Boar ding- fchoo/s, imploring your hearty and unanimous Affiftance, as neceffary Coadjutors, in rectifying thefe licentious Indecencies. Is it not our incumbent Duty, with all Circumfpec- fion and Diligence to watch over the young Generation, efpecially thofe committed to our Difcipline, and honeftly to ftudy to acquit our- felves as faithful and accountable Stewards, not over the Eftates of our Friends, but, which is of infinite greater Moment, over the Souls and Conducft of their OfF-fpring ? Ought we not to account it our indifpenfible Duty to labour with the utmoft Sincerity, Application, and Integrity, timely to implant in them (fo far as we are capable) the Maxims and Principles of the one true Chriftian Religion^ ftriving to rivet the Pre^ cepts we give, by the Lives we live ? Can any F 3 truly }^! [ H ] truly confcientious School-mafter and Schools niiftrefs be content to teach their Scholars how to ufe their Book, Pen, or Needle, and feldom endeavour, in a proper Manner, to teach, them even the firft Principles of this moft honourable, moft neceffary Religion, and, above all Things, train them up therein ? To make them Writers^ Liriguifls^ Mathematicians^ and PhilofopherSy (the/ within the Bounds of Moderation in a fubfervient Way, may be good and commendable) is but, in Comparifon, a fmall Part of our Charge. In ftiort, (notwithftanding the Difficulty obferved above) if wc Parents, Elders, Mimfters^ Schools piafters and School-mijirejjes^ would heartily con- jCWr and exert ourfelves in this fo good a Work, there is ground to hope, (through the Bleffing of God) a Stop, in fome degree, might be hap- pily put to the Growth and Prevalency of thefe Liberties many are taking mfuperfuous, modifh^ fantajiicaly and co/lly Apparel, ujing Ton to a iingle Perfon, with the Untruth-like Bowings^ Cringings, and vain Flefti-pleafing Salutations^ &c. io difagreeable and repugnant to the Croft pf Christ. But alas ! if we or any of us, in thefe Cft* pacities, fbould ourfelves, as ab6ve hinted, bo found in thefe undue Liberties, how can we reform thofe under our Care ? But rather render that Complaint of the Prophet applicable to uSj ifi, is. rr-The Leaders of this People caufe them to err^ m^ they that are led of them are dejiroyed* Pray [ 85 ] Pray let none fay, The Lord doth not regard thefe outward Things, he looks at the Heart : Pleafe to conlider, how he, by the Mouth of his Prophet, feverely reprehends, and threatens with heavy Judgments, thofe among his People who were run into Pride in Apparel, Orna- ments and Gejlures^ at that Day, in their Declen- fion from the Purity and Plainnefs of their faithful Forefathers 5 defcending into Particu- lars, thus : — Moreover the Lord faith, becaufe If^- jji. the Daughters of Zion are haughty, and walk ^ ' '^' with jlretched forth Necks, and wanton EyeSy walking and mincing as they go, and making a tinkling with their Feet-, therefore the Lord will fmite with a Scab, the Crown of the Head of the Daughters cf Zion, and the Lord will dif cover their fecret Parts. In that Day the Lord will take away the Bravery of their tinkling Orna* ments about their Feet, and their Cawls, and their round Tires like the Moon, the Chains and the Bracelets, and the Mufflers, the Bonnets, and the Ornaments of the Legs, and the Head-bands, and the Tablets, and the Ear-rings. The Rings and the Nofe-jewels, the changeable Suits of Apparel^ and the Mantles and the Wimples, and the Crt/pin- fins, the Glajfes, and the fine Linen, and the Hoods and the Vails. And it /hall come to pafs, that inftead of fweet Smell, there Jhall be Stink ; and inflead of a Girdle, a Rent ; and inftead of well- fet Hair J Baldnefs ; ajtd inftead of a Stomacher, a girding of Sackcloth \ and Burnifig injlead of Beauty. I am (faith our blefled Lord, who is given a Leader to the People, and is the very F 4 Mirror [ 86 ] Mirror of Humility, Self-denial and Plainnels ^ohnvVn. in Habit, Speech and Deportment) the Light of '^- tbe PForU, he that followetb me, Jhall 7iot abide in Darhiefsy but fiall have the Light of Lije. May we not therefore juftly conclude, t}ie airy fafl:ilonable Temporizers of the Times don't fol- low him, nor imitate his excellent Example. . May it alfo be noted, that as thofe Badges of Degeneracy were offenfive to the Lord in the foregoing Difpenfation, fo the eminent Apoftles Paul and Ptter, who undoubtedly had the Mind of God, lemarkably exhorted to Modefty in Drefs, and warmly at the fame Time dehorted from gandy and expenfive Attire, pointing out wliere the principal Adorning lies, advifing, I iVw. ii. — ^hat Women adorn themfekes in mcdeji Ap^ 5>« fai'd, with Shamefacednefs aJid Sobriety -, not with broidcred Hair, or Gold, or Pearls, or cojlly Array ;^ but (which become tb Women prof effing Godlinefs) with good Works, I Vet. iii. JVhofe Adorning, let it not be that outward 5i 4; 5- Adorning of plaitijig the Hair, and of 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. For after this Manner in the old 'fi?ne, the holy Women aljb who trujled in God adorned thetnfelves, being in SubjeClion unto their own Hujbands. Hence 18/] Hence therefore it is plain, that our faithful and concerned Friends (who having the Care of the Churches upon them, at fundry Times, both from our Yearly-meetings at London, and at other Seafons, have feriouily recommended a becoming Plainnefs in thefe Externals, and warmly difcouraged the Reverfe, and ftill con- tinue the fame Concern) have divine and Apof- tolick Authority on their Side, how lightly foever fome may have looked upon thefe Labours of Love. And if we ftiould here alfo defcend into Particulars, we have the fame Precedents in our Favour : Wherefore I now take Freedom, not out of ill Nature, or in a carping Spirit, as upbraiding my Friends with their WeaknefTes, but in that Love which wiftieth well to all, and looks for the Reparation of all the Breaches in the Walls of Zion, to fpecify fome few Things vaftly difgraceful to the Profeffors of the glorious Light of the Gentiles, viz. The lofty and airy Tofition of Mens Hats ; the Ribba?ids, KnotSy and Ruffles, upon Womens Heads, &c, the cu- rious Girdles, and coftly diamond Buckles we are upbraided with, with other pompous and expenfive Array : As alfo the putting on of mourning Apparel for the Deceafed, with fome other Cufloms at Funerals not approved of, but difliked and advifed againft by our faithful Friends, as not comporting with the Truth we profefs. Bat of all the giddy Modes, antick and fantaftick Liventions, that ever old Satan or his Agents, with refpe6t to external Drefs, have hitherto vampt up, fince the Fall oi Adam y was [ 88 ] was there ever any Thing contrived fo much for the Rain of Female Modelly, and the Incite- ment to Senfuahty and Corruption, as thefe immodeft, indecent, odious, extravagant Hoops, calculated not tor the ftrait, but for the wide Gate and broad Way, leading to Deftrudion ? Nay, fome are ready to fay, Either contradl thefe jcandalous expanded Hoops^ or elfe enlarge your Doors, Portals, Styles, Coaches, &c. *' 'Tis " mightily furprifing, and really j[hocking,/7/Vy5 ^* a certain Per/on, to think, that any modeft *' Matron, or any chafte young Woman, who *' is not lunatick or delirious, flfiould ever dare " to appear in fuch an aukward and unfeemly " Drefs, fo far from the Modefty which (hould *' adorn their Sex, and fo oppofite to the Shame- " facednefs commended and recommended by ** the Apoftle/' to«thei3thofthc DaVTD HaTT I2th Month, 1747. l^AMU jrXAl^l., yl?i [ 95 ] *tai An Epistle ^/Advice to Minifters, Parents and Children, addrefsd to the Monthly Af^^^/V?^ 0/ Knarefborough, held at Afquith, the igth of the Third Month 1752, and to the next enfuing ^arterly Meeting at York. Dear Friends^ Brethren and Sijler^y AS the Apoftle teftified in his Day, that He Eph, W. that afcended on high, led Captivity captive^ 1 ^^ i*- and gave Gifts unto Men 5 and he gave fome' Apoftles ', and fome Prophets 5 and jbme Evan- gelijls ; and fome Pafiors and Teachers ; for the ferfeBing oj the Saints, for the Work of the Mini-- (iry, for the edifying of the Body (p/' C h R i s T ;^ fo it has pleafed the Fountain of Mercies, in his abundant and renewed Loving-kindnefs unto his Church and People, to raife up and anoint many fuch Inftruments in thefe latter Ages of the World, for the fame good and great End and Service. But, beloved Friends, in Confideration that thefe kind of ufeful and valuable Inftruments and Ornaments, are now in many Places re- duced to a very few in Number, (many being gone from Works to Rewards) it fprings in my Heart in the Love of the everlafting Gofpel of Peace, which ever did, and doth breath out, — G Glory V 96 1 • — Glory to God in the Higheft^ on Earth Peace^ and Goodwill towards Men, to call upon you Mini/lers, that are yet left, in the Words of a faithful Servant of the Lord to the Church in 1 Cor. Ws Day, — Watch ye, fland faft in the Faith^ xvi. 13. quit yoii like Men and be jlrong-, defiring like- wife, that tiae Advice of the Apoftle Paul to his beloved Ttmothyy may be duly obferved by 2 r/m. ^^ ^^'» — Study tofJoew thy felf approved unto God, ii. 1 5. a Workman that needeth not to be ajhamed^ rightly dividing the Word of Truth ; ever mindful of I Teu the Apoftle Peters Advice, — If any Manfpeak^ ^* ^ ^* let him [peak as the Oracles oj God : // any Man minifier, let him do it as of the Ability which God givethy that God in all Thittgs may be glorijied through Jesus Christ. I further alfo find in my Heart a clofe Coti* cern to call upon and intreat you Minijlers^ ElderSy Parents of Children, and all who have at Heart the Caufe of Truth and Profperity of Zion, that we may humbly and jointly approach the Throne of Grace, as we find our Way open, and there unanimoufly pour out our fin- cere Prayers and hearty Interceffions to the Father of Mercies, on behalf, not only of our own immediate OfF-fpring, but of all the young and rifing Generation in general, that he V/ould be gracioufly pleas'd to acquaint them with the Day of his Power, and bring them iinder the bleffed Crofs of Christ, and the pfining Baptilm of the Holy Ghost and of Fire, that lo (the Spirit of Elijah refting upon Elijia) Btijha) they rtiay con^e up in the right LinC,* under fuitable Qualifications for the feveral Set-' vices in the Body of Christ, that many right- ly anointed' and fpirtted Planters and Waterers m^y fiicceffively be fent into the Vineyard, andP that' ,otir Chrtjiian Difcipline may (from ond GeneVition to another) fall under the Care of fuch as arc or may be of fandtified Hearts and! clean* Hands J in which weighty Concern andt AppKcatron, we may receive Encouragement from this Confideration, That when our bleflecf LoRi) obferv*d to his Difciples, \\\2X the Harvejl truly nvas great and plenteous, but the Labourer i few, he moved them to addrefs the Lord of th6 Harveft, That he would be pleafed to /end forth more faithful Labourers into his Harvejl. May we alfo remember, my dearly Beloved^ how the Lord fpake comfortably to the Church of old, promifing that he would mercifully regard them and their Children, as in Ifaiah, -^ Fear not, O Jacob, my Servant ^ and thou Jja.\\\v. Jefurun, whom I have chofen. For I will pour'^* 3> 4» Water upon him that is thir/ly, and Floods upon the dry Ground : I will pour my Spirit upon thy Seed^ and my BleJJing upon thine Off-fpring : And they Jhall jpring up as among the Grafs, as Willows by a the Water Courfes. O that we may truly wait and wreftle with him for the like Blefling: And I much long that we may be tenderly con- cern'd in the Spirit of the Gofpel, that the loji Sheep may be fought out and brought home to G 2 the [ 98 1, the Fold again, and the Prodigals may return to the Father's Houfe. And now ye dear young Perfons, Defcendants gf believing Parents, I tenderly befeech you by the Mercies of Christ, that ye turn in your Minds, and Wait for the Manifeftation and Ap- pearance of the bleffed Spirit of GoD^ the Root and Source of all good Gifts and Service^ in the Church, in the Profeffion of which holy Prin- ciple ye have had your Education, that coming to experience the heavenly Influ&nces thereof, ye may happily witnefs your Minds and Affections weaned and drawn from Things that are below^ and fix'd upon Things which are above, tha^: ye may be intirely refign'd and given up to the Service of the Lord in your Day and Genera- tion, like Mojes of old, who when he was come Hch, xi. to Years, refujed to be called the Son of Pharaoh'i ^^' Daughter:, *;^ Great-Britain, or elfewh^re. en? c: ^iT vns vo 3rl ^-'^Dearly beloved Trimds ! '^2 NOtwithftanding Line upon Line, Precept upon Precept, and many .wholefome Ad- vicies, . fuitable to divers States in the Church, have been from Time to Time heretofore ad- miniftred by feveral worthy Friends, which I truft feave been, and ftill may be of Service, if duly applied ; yet neverthelefs in my Confine- ment at Home, occafion*d by fome Indifpofition of Body, having had frequent Opportunities of folidly remembering my Friends abroad, and weightily confidering the prefent State of the Church, f 163 1 Chnrc hj 1 bsive of kte Time found my Miod engag^cT and drawn, ( I humbly hope ) by the Cords of Gofpel Love, purfuant to the Direftion fob vi. in Jol^, — To him that is affliSed, Pity Jhould ^ bCjhenqifd fro?7r\^f:^l Friend \ to^; feek (5ut all ffie l?ofieft-h€*Fted iai>ii faithful pilor Fpiertds, ani even thofe of the lowed Eftate in .our Ifrael^ and cordially to pay theni the following Epifto- kry Vifit, in all their various Excrcifcs and Prpbations, wherever their Lots are caft, which Friow here offer to your Perufal, and ferious Cbnlidcration ; and inafmuch as ( if I miflake not) the following Lines proceed fram that univerfal Love which is not confined within the Bounds of one Monthly-Meeting or County, I could defire they might be faffered to circulate further : Howbeit, with that due Submiffion, in which it always becomes and behoves any one Member of the Body to appear, whenever he or {he may make any Propofitions to the Society, I refer the Matter to my dear Friends Judgment and Determination, who am, in the Love of Truth, ^niu^ ' -'JL Tour kindly affeSlionate Friend and Brother^ David Hall; r. To [[ ^^9 r T^O the Poor, and thofe even of the lowefi -* Degree and Rank in Ifrael, a^ touching the things of this Life, wherefoever they are fcattered^ who^ prof effing the bleffed Principle of Truths are honeflly endeavouring by the Afjijlance thereof fo to order their whole Converfation^ as that they may have a Confcience always void of Offence toward God a72d toward Men^ according to their fever al Growths and Capacities, thd attended with many Exercijes^ Straits and pinching Circumfiances on divers Accounts, a nearly fympathizing Brother of theirs in tribulation^ who often remembers them in the Bowels of Gofpel Love and Charity, wifjeth Confolationy and tenderly fendeth Greeting. My dear Friends, Brethren and Siflers in Tribulation ! IT is moft certain, that the Love of Goi>, through Christ his Son our Saviour, fs in a inerciful Day of Vifitation- extended to aU Men, of all Nations and Stations, high a^id low, rich and poor, in order for their Redemp* tion. Reconciliation and. Salvation ; yet in a peculiar Manner, I am humbly and thankfully feniible, that eve a the very good Will of hiM that dwelt in the Bui\\ when jufi: about to femi feafonable Relief to his afflidred People, fighing and groaning in ;the Land of Egypt, runs wirTi a flowing Stream abundantly to his upFipl'>f- hearted;, [ 11^ ]■ liearted, faithful poor Servants, that are going through many Tribulations, often drinking various bitter Cups, and frequently meeting v^ith difagreeable Things, to the End that their bitter Cups might be Ivveeten'd and fandify'd by his heavenly Life-giving Prefence, as fure as ever the bitter Waters of Marah were by him, through the Mediation of Mofes, made fweet and refrefliing to his poor People in their Travels through the Wildernefs, towards the Land flowing with Milk and Honey ; that the Poor in Ifrael might experimentally underftand the 30m. Truth of the Apoftle's Aflertion, — j^ll Things ^"*- ^ • work together Jor good to them that love God. Dear Hearts ! It fprings up in my Mind to fay unto you, O be not difmayed, nor difcou- raged, for although you may at Times be ready to lament yourfelves, under Apprehenfions that you are funk and prefs'd down very low ; yet, be affured, the eternal God is your Refuge, and underneath are the everlafting Arms: In all your proving Jundures, labour to ftand ftill, and fee the Salvation of the Lord, and I doubt not but you will witnefs that bleffed Hope (fo often fpoken of by the Apoftle) to be unto you as an Anchor of your poor toffed Souls, both fure and ftedfaft, and which entreth into that within the Vail. Let us ever remember, that the merciful Regard of the Almighty was, in all Ages and Difpenfations, fignally manifefted to his poor fuffering People in all their Diffi- culties. — IVhen they were but a few Men in Number^ [ "I ] Number^ faith the Text, yea very few, and ^f'^ ^"» Strangers in the Land : When they went fro7n\\\^^''^ one Nation to another, Jrom one Kingdom to another People, he fiiffered no Man to do them wrong : Tea, he reproved Kings for their Sakes, faying, Touch not mine Anointed, and do my Pro- phetsnoHarm. — For he that toucheth you, toiicheth ^■•'^ '^* the Jpple of his Eye, — He found him, faith Mo/es ' in his Song, in a defart Lajid, and in the wajie ^^^■' howling Wildernefs : He led him about, he in- '^*^' * ^^* flru6ied him, he kept him as the Apple of his Eye. '':^ In all their AffliB ions he was afjiicied, faith jc^ ixiii. Ijaiah, and the Angel of his Prefence faved them -, f^« in his Love and in his Pity he redee?ned them, and he bare them^ and carried them all the Days of old. In the foregoing Places we may plainly per- ceive, how engaging and well-pleaiing to the Lord the Faithfulnefs of his People is, and ever was ; for he faid, — Surely they are my }[.i ixllt. People, Children that will not lie : So he was * their Saviour. Moreover, my Beloved, may all the Faithful and Poor in Ifrael be encouraged by the Privi- leges, Virtues and Promifes of the Gofpel : — - Strengthen ye the weak Hands ^ and confirm the /y'^^xxv. feeble Knees, Say to them that are of a fearful^^^"^^ Heart, Be ftron'^, fear not, behold your God will come with Ve?igea7ice^ even God with a Reco?n* pence, he will come and jt^.ve you, faith that fame evangelical Piophet. Ac^ain,-^^;?^ in that Dav H Jhdll 112 ifa.^^\^.JJjall the Deaf hear the Words of the Book, aftd ^^' ^^' the Eyes of the Blind pall fee out of Obfcurity\ and out of Darknejs, 'The Meek alfo (hall increafe their Joy in the Lord, and the Boor among Men P:all rejoice in the holy One of Ifrael. What good Caufe therefore have all the Faithful and Upright in Heart, in how low Situation foever in this World, to be encouraged and truft in the Lord ? For as one of his tried Tfiim Servants teAify*d, — Jhe Angel of the Lord en^ XXX iv. 7. campeth round about them that fear him^ and deliver eth them. How amiable therefore, how excellent muft the very Tents and Situations of the Upright in Heart be, (tho' never fo poor as to this fading World) who have the highly valuable Pearls and Riches of Faith, Hope and Charity within, and fuch a powerful, glorious and heavenly Prote(!?tor to guard and defend them in their folitary Habitations. May not we then juftly account thofe the truly noble and right honourable Princes and Princefl'es in Ifrael^ comforted and made glad by the lifting up of the Light of the Countenance of the Lord, while he refilfeth and beholdeth the Proud afar off, though they be the Grandees of this World,' dwelling as in fpacious Palaces, faring fumptuoufly every Day, and ftretching themfelves on their foft and deli- cate Couches and Beds of Down. My Heart is open to you in the Love of Truth, being en- couraged and comforted in this my Vifit and Salutation [ "3 ] Salutatiorf uiito you, humbly remembring the Words of the royal Pfalmift, — Blefed is be that pfjil xli. co?jJidereth the Poor^ the Lord will deliver him ^* in Time of Trouble. But, O my Beloved^ that I may pay you this Vint of Love as throughly as I am capable, that, as I may fay, I may fee all your folitary Cottages, Tents and Families, and greet you one by one, from Houfe to Houfe, I am engaged and drawn by the Cords of Love to defcend to the follow- ing Particulars, viz, iji. To the Widows and Fatherlefs. 2d, To Orphans. 3^. To thofe in the Station of Apprentices. /[th. To Merl^fervants and Maid-fervants ; as alfo to the poor young People among Friends in general, in what Station foever they be, whether married or unmarried, Boarders in Friends Families, Journeymen, or fuch as are juft opening Shops, and beginning Buluiefs for themfelves in their ftrait and narrow Circum-^ fiances. ^tk To Fathers and Mothers, with their Children in their Families. 6tk To the Aged, and Infirm, whether relieved by the Church, or otherwife. H « Fir [I, [ 114 ] ' Flrfty O ye dear Widows, who arc Widows indeed, I mean faithful according to Knowledge, (for to fuch I am now writing) altho* in fome Refpe^ts your States may look difconfolate and difcouia^^ing, being as lonefome Doves without your Mates, yet the fpecial Regard of the Fountain of Mercies is fuch towards vou, that even to pay you and your poor Fatherlefs Chil- dren a Vifit in your Afflidions, is affirm'd by '^mes i.the holy Apoitle, to be a Part of the pure Re-* * ' ' ligioTiy and undc filed before God and the Fat her; and the Lord God himfelf, in his tender Mercy and Pity, many hundred Years before theApoftle declared thofe his Sentiments, hath often ex- prefs'd his tender Care and compaffionate Regard to Perfons in your Situation, as particularly in ^er. xlix y^remiah^^ — Leave thy Fatherlefs Children^ faith !!• hty I njcill preferve them alive, and let thy JVidows trufi in me, Alfo when the Lord is treating with the degenerate Jews^ he mercifully con- defcends to propofe what was to be done, and what Steps were to be taken by them, in order that they might be reconciled unto him ; three //d.l. i;.of which were thele following,- — Relieve the Opprcfjcd : Judge the Fatherlefs : Plead for the Widow, Notwithflanding ye pious Widows, my ho- noured Friends, ye are deprived of your dear Hufbands, do not dcfpond, but receive ye Con- folation in this. That God in his holy Habita- tion is your Judge. And although, O ye dear Fathcrleis Children, who are of orderly Con- [ XI5 1 dufl-, and are defirous to grow in Grace, and the faving Knowledge of God, though ye be left deflitute of natural Fathers, God is, and will be much more than a natural Father unto each of you, fo long as ye (hall continue and perfevere in the Ways of Virtue ; — A Father pfaJm of the Fatherlefs^ faith the kingly Prophet, ^^xviiu5. Judge of the Widows^ is God in his holy Habi^ tation J who alfo gave a ftridl Charge concern- "^ itig Perfons in your Condition, on this wife, — Te Jhall not afjii6l any Widow or Fatherlefs ^^oL Child, faith the Lord. Likewife the Pfalmift ^^^^- "' teftifies, — T'be Lord preferveth the Strangers ; Tfdm he relieveth the Fatherlefs and Widow, ^^^'^'^* ^* May It be remembered for your Encourage- ment, O ye poor Widows, how our unchange- able God, in his tender Mercy, had Compaffion upon two of your deeply tried Sifters in former Days, when under very difconfolate Circum- ftances : And O ye dear Fatherlefs Children, how three of your Brothers were at the fame Time mercifully and miraculoufly relieved : The Hufband of the firft Widow dying, left her in .^Ki^^gs ft rait and afflidting Circumftances, fo that the Creditor was ready to lay Hands on her two Sons, and take them for Bondmen ; but upon an humble and honeft Application to the Lord's Servant Elijha, the Lord blefs'd her little Oil, and alleviated her diftreffed Cafe. The fecond I fpeak of, was the Widow of Zarephathy to j r-/,;^, whom the Vvo^htt Elijah was fent for Sufte-xvii. 12. nance in a Time of great Scarcity v which poor H 3 Widow IV. I, r "6 ] "Widow had only an handful of Meal in a Barrel, and a little Oil in a Crufe, for the Support of herfelf and her poor Fatherlefs Child ; yet being under the tender Notice of the Judge of the Widow, and the Father of the Fatherlefs, they both, and their fmall Provifion, were mightily blefs'd, and had a Sufficiency granted them, both for the Prophet's Cake in the fiift Place., and their own feafonable Relief : Truft therefore in the Lord, caft your Care upon him, for he careth for you, as he ever hath done here- tofore for the faithful Widows, and innocent Fatherlefs. Notwithftanding we don't expefl: fuch Miracles to be wrought upon our Oil and Meal in the fame degree, yet the Blefiing of God maketh poor Widows and Fatherlefs rich, and gives them, in their low Eftate, really to experience the Truth of that worthy Affertion of the 1 Tirjuxl Apoftle, — Godlinefs with Contentment is gfeat Gain. The Lord blefs you, and fanftify you unto himfelf, and your Circumftances unto you. I rf».v. — Sbe^ faith the Apoftle, that is a Widow ifideedy ^* and defolate, trujleth in God, and continueth in ^supplications and Prayers Night and Day. I hope, dear Sifters, you, under the like pious, depending Concern, and devout Exercife, arc journeying along. And befure take heed that none of you let in Reafonings, that you have never been capable of being fo ferviceablc as many others have been in thofe Particulars mentioned by the Apoftle, that js to fay, in lodging f 117 ] lodging Strangers, in wafhing the Saints Feet, in relieving the Afflidted, &c. For if you have been, are, and Ihall be honeftly concerned to do your beft, your Mites have been, are, and will be accepted, as certainly as ever your Sifters of old were not only accepted, but even com- mended and preferred before the large Gifts, which the rich Perfons out of their Abundance had caft into the Treafury 5 fo pray be not uneafy on fuch Accounts 5 if ye have done what you could, it is enough, let not your Heart be troubled, — Fo?\ as faith the Apoftle, if there be }Cor. firjl a willing Mind^ it is accepted^ according to^^^^'^'* that a Man hath^ and not according to that he hath not. And, O ye dear Fatherlefs Children, whenever it may fo fall out that the Circumftances of your poor Mothers, by reafon of Sicknefs, old Age, or any other Accident, may require your Succour and Afliftance, as you are and £hall be ready and willing, after the heft Manner you are capable, affedionately to help and attend them in their necefiitous Conditions, you'll undoubtedly have much Peace of Mind in ihus exprefling the Marks of your Gratitude and AfFedtion, and a bleffed Reward will from the Lord certainly be given unto you -, which good Offices, both natural Affedion and the Truth always incline . virtuous Children, without grudging, to perform as their incumbent and reafonable Duty, and honourable Retaliation to their tender Mothers, H 4 . vvho C "8 1 who took fo much Care of them when they were not capable to take Care of thcaifcives. Mark^ All fincere and faithful poor Widowers are, in all their Straits, with their hopeful Chil- dren, included in this compaflionatc Salutation. I'arewtl, I muft at prefent leave you, and pro- ceed to the next Particular, where I fliall find, 2dly. You dear Orphans, that are now left withom Fathers and Mothers in a dangerous and troubiclome World, my Bowels yearn over you, and in the Arms of Love I embrace you, begging you may not be too much raft down ; only live in the Fear of God, and do your beft according to Knowledge to obey his Requirings, and he fr,/. will certainly take Care of you; — When my Father and Mother ^ faith the Pfalmift, forfake we, then the Lord will take me up. The Stay or Continuance of the moft near and dear Relations here is altogether uncertain : We fee how foon Hulbands are, by Death, feparated from their Wives, and Wives from Hufbands, Parents from Children, and Children from Parents ; but I have often thought, and fome- times told Childien, of that everlafting Father, which the evangelical Prophet in a moft moving Manner fpeaks of. That when Widows, Father- lefs, Orphans, &c, are left in this Vale of Tears, fomething like mournful Pelicans in the defolate Wildernefs, and as. complaining Sparrows on the Houk-top, they might in Faith look up unto this tyerlafting FATiiER, and be comforted, relieved >,v» i; IC» [ "9 J relieved and preferved. The evangelical Prophet thus exprcffes his glorious and heart-afFe<^ing Prediction, — For unto us a Child is born^ unto z/^. ix. us a Son is given ; and the Government Jhall be^^ '" zipon his Shoulder ; and his Name Poali be called Wonderful, Counsellor, the mighty God, the everlajiing Father, the Prince o/' Peace : Of the Encreafe of his Governme?2t and Peace there jhall he no End, O dear Creatures, if he be your Counsellor, and if you (and all novsr' faluted in this Epiftle) ftand in and obey his Counfel, you (hall certainly know him to be unto you the mighty God to preferve, proted:, deliver and fave you -, and alfo the Prince of Peace, to fet up and eftablifli his peaceable Kingdom in your Hearts, and there to fway his righteous Sceptre ; and alfo to be unto you a never- failing and everlafting Father, to nouiifh" and provide for you according to his Wifdom, and to fupply your Wants by his Bleffing upon your honefl Endeavours. Therefore, dear Children, be of good Courage, if your natural Fathers and Mothers have left you, your beft, moft certain, moft powerful and everlafting Father ever remains, and can- not be removed into a Corner. FareweL I re- cotnmend you to him, and leave you under his Care, and proceed to the next Particular, even to, ^dl)\ You honeft and well-minded, trufty /Apprentices, whomlfalute.in much Love, and :^^ for [ I20 ] for your Encouragement tell you, That many being faithful to the Lord, and to their own Mailers, (according to the heft of their Under- flandings) though but very poor as to this World, and even of mean Capacities too, in Comparifon as to natural or acquired Parts, have made notable Improvements in their ow^n natural Parts, and in the Arts and Myfteries that they were bound Apprentices to learn, have been wonderfully blefs'd by divine Providence, have laid a Foundation in their Apprenticefliips for their becoming in due Time honourable Tradef- men upon their own Bottom, yea many. have rifen (thro' God's Bleffing on their honeft Endea- vours) from poor laborious Apprentices to prof- perous, rich, and honourable Mafters, and often even have been anointed for the Miniftration of the glorious Gofpel, and divers good Services in the Church of Christ ; while fome rich Mens Sons have turn'd Prodigals, fpent their Subftance in bad Company, and have landed among in-^ folvent Debtors in Prifon-houfes. Therefore, dear Children, continue faithful, have your Dependency upon yacob's God, and he can raife you from the very loweft State, even from the Dunghill, to lit among Princes. Pleafe to remember Jacob'^ having entered into Covenant with the Lord, the Articles whereof were on ^'[l' this wife, — T/jj/ if the Lord would give him xivni. -^»J5^.^,^^ fQ Q^f^ ^^^ Raiment to put on^ would pre- Jerve and bring him Jafe to his Father s Houje at lajiy he Jhould be his God. After twenty Years faithful and hard Service in his Uncle Laban\ Houfe 21. [ 121 3 Houfe and Field, he became a religious, pru-r dent and exemplary Mailer of a large Family, and was made even two Bands : He was as a Bleffing to his Uncle, Flock and Family -, fo often do faithful and confcientious Appren- tices prove to their Mafters Families. Thofe that are bound as Apprentices, and proceed honeftly in all their Condudt, they are like as if they were carting good Seed into the Ground, which afterwards will produce a plentiful Har-r veft; fuch grow in Favour wifh God and good Friends, who will always be ready with Pleafure to aflift them, as Occafion may require ; for all thofe Friends, in whole Hearts the Truth and Gofpel Spirit prevail and preiide, have always a tender Regard to all fuch as thisEpiflle is diredled to, whom thefe poor Creatures may freely con* fiilt and advife with in any difficult Emergency : Whilft they who are only Eye-fervants, and in their Mafters Abfence loiter, purloin, and are unfaithful, lay a Foundation for ^i^dttt^* I^ObertP, and fometimes for the ||OUCe of COt^teCtion too. The Lord blefs you, and preferve you 5 I muft proceed to the next Particular. ^.fhly. My well-efteemed Friends, w^ho arc of orderly Converfation, and religioufly inclin'd^ in the Stations, of Men-fervants and Maid-fer- vants, be of good Courage in the honeft Dit. charge of your Duties to your Mafters, Miftreffes^ and their Children, looking up unto, and begging a Bleffing of your good and great Lord and Master, [ 122 ] Master which is in Heaven, fo you'll be pre- fervcd by him from the many Snares of your grand Enemy and his Agents, which are cunningly and fubtilly laid for the Feet of our dear young People in their feveral Ports and Capacities. As you perfeverc in the Ways of Virtue, you may become (with the trufty and hopeful Apprentices) a Bleffing and Advantage to your Matters Families, being good Examples fo their Children : Thus proceeding, though you have but little in this World, the God of "Jacob will blefs your Bafkct and your Store, and add unto you many Bleffings, even beyond your Expedtation ; for you being Servants, will, by the Truth, be made the Lord's free Men and free Women, and if the Truth make you free, then are you free indeed. Such young Perfons as thefe, are with the faithful Widows abovefaid, worthy of double Honour: Thefe have a blefled Portion in the Truth : Thefe have a goodly Heritage, and are, by the Lord and his People, efteemed far above thofe that are rich as to Things of this Life, but are high and irreligious. As you continue thus in the Way of Well-doing, ye may become very ferviceable to the Church of Christ in your Generation, it may be both in the Difcipline, and fome of you in the Publication of the Gofpel •, being rnade experimental Witnefles (in your Merfures and Degrees) of that glorious and evangelical ^of/ ii. Promife and Predidion, — And it Jhall come to * ^^ P^P afterwards y that' I will pour out my Spirit upon all Flefi?^ and your Sons, and your Daughters •'•^- (hall t 123 ] Jhall prophecy, your old Men fh all dream Dreams ^ your young Men jJ: all fee Vifiom : And alfo upon ti.e Servants, and upon the Handmaids^ in thofe Ijdys "will I pour out my Spirit. O every one o^^ you wait diligently to know this gracious Promile fulfiU'd in you. And although fome of you may (with fome of the poor Apprentices) think your Places hard, and attended with divers Difficulties on fome Accounts, yet fear the Lord, and depend upon him, and he will give you Patience, fuccour and fupport you ; yea, he will alleviate all your Grievances, and fweeten your Bitters by his comfortable Prefence, and the lifting up of his glorious Countenance upon you. O dear Hearts, confider ye alfo the exerciiing Cafe of your Brother ^acob in former Times, who, though he had his Wages changed tea Times, and thus complained, — In the Day the Drought confumed me, and the Froft by Nighty and my Sleep departed from mine Ryes. In all which twenty Years hard Service, the G o d of his Father, the God of Abraham, and the Fear of Ifaac, conduced and protedled him fafe through all to the End of his Servitude, and Jthe End of his Life : And wherefoever Appren- tices and Servants have their Lots caft in the Fanailies of fuch religious Mafters and MiftrefTes as don't only permit, but encourage and put forward their Servants in going to religious Meetings, both on Firft-days and other Days ot the Week, let it be accounted as a great Privi- lege, and a fingular Favour, which all ought carefully and thankfully to make proper Ufe of, who are favoured therewith ; and 1 hope and wifh that all our well-minded young Men and Women, that are defirous to be Servants, may ufe proper Endeavours to get fuch Places in Friends Families, where the abovefaid valuable Privileges and Liberties may be allowed them, and enjoyed. And, ye dear young People, who are Journey- men, or Boarders in Friends Families, diligently working for your Bread in your refped:ive Em- ployments, and alfo ye that are fetting up for yourfelves, and have not much of this World to begin with, being pioufly and religioufly inclined, for fuch I am feeking out 3 pleafe to obferve the Apoftle's Advice to the Roman Church, (that i^ow.xil.they (hould be) not Jlothful in Buftnefs (but)y^r- II, 12. fi;ent in Spirit^ ferving the Lord : Rejoicing in Hope ', patient in Tribulation ; continuing injiant in Prayer. As you are diligently labouring with your Hands, breathe with your Hearts and Minds to the Lord for his Bleffing upon your Endeavours, and be not too anxious about Tem- porals ; Serve the Lord faithfully, and above all Things in this World, mind your Growth and Eftablifhment in the Truth, and fear not that you (hall ever want thofe three neceffary Articles, MEAT, DRINK, and APPAREL j ever remembring the Exhortation and Promife of Christ, moll worthy of Commemoration, moft worthy to be written in Letters of Gold, and I 125 ] and ever to be reduced to conftant Pradlice, — - Seek yefrji the Kingdom of God, and his Righ-^ MatM, teouffiefs^ and all theje Things fiall be added unto ^^'^ you. The Truth ever teaches all Tradefmen, who mind its Didates, to keep within the Bounds of their own Stocks and Capacities. Befure follow this your fure Guide, and you'll do well. Under the Care and Keeping oijacob'% God I rnuft now leave you for a while, and ftep along to the next particular, where I hope and exped: to find Induftry, Frugality, Juftice, true Religion, and the Bleffing of Heaven. ^thly. My welUbcloved and much efteemed Friends, juft as I was approaching you, that ancient Salutation (prefcribed and commanded by our bleffed Lokd to his feventy Difciples, juft fetting out on their Gofpel Vifit to Families, Towns and Cities) fprang in my Mind, — j^nd Luk:^ into whatfoenjer Houje ye e?iter^ fr^ft f^J-i Peace be ^ to this Houfe : And inafmuch as I believe the Prince of Peace is here among you honeft, laborious, frugal, religious Fathers, Mothers and Children, all (that are capable thereof) co- working and employed together in your lawful and neceffary Vocations, in Love and Harmony, in order to earn your Bread, and that your little Oil, through the Bleffing of God, may be made fufficient to anfwer all juft Demands made upon you, having at the fame Time your Eye fix'd on the Lord above all Things, and depending upon him, being all along conicientioufly and fer- vently concerned to perform your leveral Duties uato unto God, who is the Author of your Being,^ and your Mercies, not daring to omit the attend- ing religious Meetings, both on Firft-days and other Days of the Week, fo far as your Circum- ftances and Situation (with refped: to Diftance from the Meeting-place, S^c.) will reafonably allow ; for Truth requires nothing unreafonablc at our Hands : May the Peace of God reft upon you, and may all your Labours be water* d with his Blcffing. Suffer me, dear Friends, to lay before your ferious Confideration, how that when Christ our Lord was going about in che Body of Fle(h, doing Good, and calling Men to be his Difciples, Meffengers and Promulgators of the Gofpcl, he went not to the Courts of Kings, Colleges or Academies of the Learned, but walking by the Sea of Galilee^ he faw divers young Men aboard with their Fathers in Veffels, induftrioully con- cerned and engaged in their fifliing Bufinefs, (as you are in your refpeftive Vocations) fome were cafting a Net into the Sea, and others mending their Nets ; to which young Perfons Jesus faid, Miu i. "^ Come ye after me^ and I ivill make you to be- ll, come Fifiers of Men, Afid/lraitwaytheyjhfook their Nets, and Jollcwed him. Stand open, I befeech you theicfore, and wait for the Call, and give up yourfelves, and faithfully obey and follow him that calleth. O confider their ready Obedience in llraitway leaving both Fathers, Ships and Nets ; and of how eminent and re- markable Service thofepoor Fiflieis became?' — Not [ 127 ] Net many wife Men after the Fleflo, faith the i ^^^- »• Apoftle, not ma?iy Mighty, not many Noble are^!^^ ^o! called. But God hath chofen the foolijh Things of the World to confound the Wife^ and God hath chojen the weak Thiitgs of the World to cmfound the Things which are mighty ; and bafe Things of the World, and Things which are defpifed, hath God chofen, yea, and Things which are not, ti> bring to mught Things that are ^ that ?io Flefh P^oitld glory in his Prefence. We fee the faithful Miniftcrs and Elders are reduced to a few in Number in fome Places ; yea, divers Meetings have no publick Minifters belonging to therrT: The prelent State of the Church therefore feems to call for thefe kind of ufeful Inftruments ; the Lord, we muft own, is not awanting ; but in this Cafe we may fay, Though many are called^ few are chofen, by reafon of their Difobediencc and Unwillingnefs to give up to the heavenly Call and Vifion. Too many of the young People of this Generation, under the Profeffion of Truth, (efpecially of thofe) that are rich and full, living in the Affluence of the Enjoyments of this Life, feem too much to foar above the gracious Calls and Invitations of humble Jesus, fometimes called the Carpe?iters Son : J beg and hope therefore that you, with the laborious young Filliermen above-mentioned, may ftrait- way leave all Incumbrances, when you are fen- fible of the gracious and heavenly Call of the good and great Shepherd of the Sheep, when- foever he fhall call you to Service among his Lambs and Sheep. In the mean while, dear J Children, [ 128 ] children, as ye keep under the Condud of the hoh" Spirit of Truth, tl e Conifoner and Re- ipeiiil lancer, you will not forget, but often thankil'lly and humbly remember, acknow- ledge, ?nd put a rigl.: Value upon the Favours of kind 1 lovidencc wijich you enjoy ; efpecialiy you thr; ^^^ have yet good Parents alive to i^pply unto, and to receive wholfome Counfel and Afliflance from, and that you are not yet re- duced to the Number of the poor Fatherlefs Children or Orphans -, yet let your Rejoicings in liie Enjoyments of thefe peculiar Bleflings be always attended with Fear and Reverence, not knowing how foon they may be taken from you, or you from them. But before I leave you, I mull here infert a few Words in much Ckrifiian Sympathy and Commiferation (confident with that apoftolick i(ow. xii. Advice, — Weep 'ucith them that weep) to every '5« fuch faithful Father or Mother, whether pro- perly appertaining to any of the particular ClafTes fpetiiied and gieeteo in this Epiille of Condo- lence, or placed in other Stations of the World, with regard to Enjoyments of this Life, as may be deeply tried wnth that very affii^ling, heart- breaking, heavy Exerelle, and extremely bitter Cup, of having a Son or Daughter who takes bad Courfes, (omewhat like ^Efau, who by hunting, roving about, and marrying out of the Counfel of God, and contrary to the Mind of his good Parents, almoft ruin'd himfelf, and brought much Grief on them ; under a Senfe whereof. t 1^9 I whereof, his tender Mother forrowing for the Mifcarriage of her elder Son, and folicitous foi* the Prefervation of her Younger, thus complains in her moving and mournful Strains, on this wife, — I am weary of my Life, becaufe of the Gen. Daughters of Heth y if Jacob take a Wife of the ^^vii. 4<^. Daughters ^'Heth, fuch as thefe which are of the Daughters of the Land, what Good Jh all my Life do me ? Or in fome Refpeds like poor unhappy Dijtah, the Daughter of her worthy Vdiihtv Jacob, who letting out her Mind abroad, took a Tour into the Land to fee the Daughters thereof; and while fhe was cafting her wandering Eyes upon the Daughters of the Land, a Son of that Land caft his Eyes upon her, enfnar'd and defiled her, to her own very great Lofs and Shame, and ta the inexpreffible Grief of her honourable Father and Brethren. To every fuch diftrefs'd Parent, I have, in much Compafiion, to fay, Be not too much caft down, tkou art under the tender Regard and merciful Notice of the Lord : As I hope thou canft honeftly make thy Appeal unto God, who knows the Hearts of all Men, that thou haft, both by Example and Precept, done thy? very beft for the Prefervation of thy Child of Children ; and as from Time to Time, in much Humility and Sincerity thou fpreadeft thy Caule, and layeft thy forrowful Cafe before him> pouring out thy humble Petitions, Prayers and Supplications at the Throne of Grace, for his gracious Relief, he will undoubtedly take Notice and Pity of thefe thy diftieffing Circumfta^ees and forrowful Tears ; he will in due Tiibe I 2 mitjgiitc [ I30 ] mitigate this and all other thy Anxieties, and help thee more and yet more to caft thy Care upon him, who careth for thee, and not fuffer thee to fink too low under thy Troubles and perplexing Care ; yea, I am ready to hope that fome, if not many, will yet live to fee that joyful and much defired Day, in which they may have the Happinefs (and after a long Time- of mourning) to meet, embrace and kils their long exil'd penitent, returning prodigal Sons or Daughters, and with Tears of Joy fee them mercifully re-inftated and re-admitted into the Father's Houfe. Moreover, as I am now on my way enquiring* for all the poor Friends in Diftrefs, in order that a Word of Comfort and Advice might be tenderly dropt to each of them in this Vifit of Love, I find I muft not pafs by without (peak- ing to fome particular Cafes, where fuch a Couple or Couples may dwell, whether rich or poor, who having been Profeflbrs in the Church of E7Jgland^ or fome other Communion (not of us) married therein ; but fome Time after Mar- riage, the Hufbands or Wives being convinced pf the blefied Truth, receive the lame in the Love thereof, and refolve, through divine Af- fiflance, to give up in faithful Obedience there- unto ; yet by rcafon of the different Opinion^ an^ Ways of Thinking thofe Wives and Huf- b^?)ds are of, tguching divine Worfliip, and fevcral Particulars, as the ufing 6f fundry Ce- Teutonics, Traditions and Formalities, and alfo touching [ i2'i 1 • touching that weighty Point, the Education and Management of their Children (who have them) there are often Difficulties and proving Exer- cifes, on divers Accounts, to be met with bv fuch convinced Hufbands or Wives, who are truly defirous faithfully to difcharge their feveral Duties to God Almighty, to their (yet uncon- vinced) Wives or Hufbands and their Children, &c, to each of thefe I find it to fpring in my Mind, cordially to fay, Dear Brother or Si/ler^ as thou knoweft thy marriage Covenant and r;uptial Ties are not difTolv'd or canceli'd by thy Convincement, but art fenfible that the precious Truth, thou art in thy Judgment convinced of, will ever teach and excite thee to demean thy- felf well, afFedionately and prudently, in fuch , manner as becomes the Truth, to thy Wife or Hulband, though thou dareft not join v/ith her or him in the fet Form.s, Ceremonies and fuper- ficial Performances, &c, which the Truth hath given thee plainly to fee not confiftent with the Spirituality of the new Covenant or Gofpel Dif- penfation in which we now live. For the Spirit of Truth leads its Followers into all Truth, in all their Stations and Relations, whether Huf- bands or Wives, Parents or Children, Mafters or Servants, and helps all to perform their feveral Duties reciprocally -one to another, fo that, as thou keeps under the Condudt thereof, thou wilt be enabled to give undeniable Proofs to thy (yet unconvinced) Confort and others, that thy Change of Opinion or religious Principles hath not proceeded from a vain and whimfical I 3 ' Imagination, [ 132 ] Imagination, but from a real, confcientious, fin^ cere Heart-work, Concern, Convidtion and Illu*. mination ; which will alfo be farther confirmed, if by thy prudent;, circumfpedt and Chrijiian Behaviour, thou fhalt demonlliate to all impar- tial Beholders, that thou art not a worfe, but a better Hufband, Wife or Parent, than thou was before the faid Change. And befure, my dear Friend^ whenever thou argues or difputes cither with thy Confort, or any other Perfon, about Matters of FAITH, be very careful and watch- ful that thou all along keep to, and retain that moft excellent Gift CHARITY s for it hath been often obferv'd with Sorrow, that fome, if not many, have in a fiery Zeal contended for FAITH, until they have loft CHARITY, As thou comcft up in this Chrijiian Deportment, who knows what good Effeft and Influence thy prudent Condud: may in Time have on thy diffenting Confort in the conjugal Tye ; for, as f I Cot. faith the Apoftle on the like Occafion, — Fcr ▼ii. \6. tiii;ljat kiiowefl thou, O JVifey whether thou fhalt Jave thy Hujband ? Or how knowe/l thou, O Man^ whether thou Jhalt Jave thy Wife f However, the wife and cautious Behaviour of fuch a confcientious convinced Hulband or Wife, may prove very winning and gaining upon his or her oppofite Companion. Befides, it often happens that the poor Children of fuch Parents labour under their refpedtive Difficulties, being many Times hard put to it, how to pleafe both Father and Mother in their AddrefTes, Deportment and Froceedings in divers Refpeds*.- In I 133 J In much Brotherly-kindnefs therefore, I cor-^, dially fay unto you convinced Fathers and Mothers, and yoor Children, who may incline to go along with you to religious Meetings : As your prefent Cafe, and the Difficulties you lie under, feem loudly to call for Wifdom and Prudence, Patience and Difcretion, I earneftly entreat you to beg, and hujiibly wait for that Wifdom, which is firft pure, then peaceable, gentle, &c. and for your Encouragement, the Apoftle James fpeaks on this wife, — Jf an]^ '?/' James i. you lack IVifdom, let him a^ of Got>, fhat giveth^^ to all Men liberally, and iipbraideth not, and it fiall be given him -, and I hope you*ll be fafely and honourably conduced in the feveral Steps you have to tread, whereby you1l be preferv'd from being overcome of Evil, and helped to overcome Evil with Good ; and experimentally learn the Truth of that Expr^ffioD, - IViJdom is better than Strength -, and know that (feemingly) great Oppofitions are often got thro' by patient Suffering ; the Fiercenefs of the Lion is often conquered by the Meekncfs of the Lamb : And as cur good Friend William Penn faith in his Advice to his Children, — " Silence to Paflion^ " Prejudice and Mockery, is the beft Anfwer, " and often conquers what Refiftance inflames.'* I can but deeply condole with you, who are tried with thefe perplexing CircUmiiances, and I muft in an efpccial Manner commiferate the Lot of thofe poor Children, who remembiing the Commandment. — Honour thy Father and ^^^(^'^^^^ thy Mother, that thy Days may be long in the I 4 - Land j [ 134 ] Land) and being very willing and d-efirous to keep and perform the fame, but the Fathers and Mothers differing fo far in their Sentiments on the Score of Religion, it is (next to) im- prad:icable or impoffible, that their Children ihould always pleafe them both, in Drefs or Addrefs, Language, Deportment, or the Per- formance of their religious Duties and Devo- tion ; whilft the Father thinks and draws one Way, the Mother is of another Mind, thinks and draws another Way ; the Father propofes one Thing, the Mother diffents therefrom, and propofes quite the Reverfe ; the poor affecftionate Children lie under a pinching Dilemma, fcarcc knowing what to do, or what to fay, or how to demean themfelves, fo as rightly to anfwer the Commandment abovefaid ; for whilft they pleafe their Father, they difpleafe their Mother in divers Things, and by pleafing their Mother, they generally difoblige their Father. A certain worthy publick Friend's Son, who unwarily let out his Mind to a young Woman of another Society, gain'd her Affedions, and married her (I fuppofe) by a Prieft ; _he had one Daughter by her, which poor Girl, as (he grew up to Years converfible, fell under the aforefaid Difficulties, as I heard her Father with Sorrow relate ; for when his Friends came to their Houfe, the Child apprehended herfelf under Obligation to behave in Salutations and Condudl agreeable to her Father's Mind, though at the fame Time quite contrary to her Mother's liking J I ^35 J iiKing ; and again, a while after, when a Vifit is paid them by her Mother's Friends, the poor Child muft wheel about, put on other Airs, appear after another Mode, in Conformity to her Mother's Fancy, though to the Grief and Trouble of her Father. Alas ! the Confufion of mixt Marriages. In cafe all our young and unmarried Friends would ferioufly and timely ponder and confider the aforefaid Particulars, with all the Inconvenien- cies and afflidling Circumftances that generally attend fuch unhappy Matches as thofe, wherein the Hufband and Wife being of different Senti- ments in Matters of Religion (which are of far greater Moment than Temporals) are linked together as uneafy Yoke-fellows in the inviolable Covenant of Matrimony for Term of Life ; we would hope they might be henceforward dif- courag'd and deter'd from fach imprudent and unadvifed Contrads, as have very often been an inexpreflible Grief of Mind to Parents, prov'd perplexing Cafes to the Parties concerned, and have ulher'd Confufion and Trouble into Fami- lies and the Society, (as above) and have been followed with fuch difmal Circumftances, as confirm many in their full Belief, that the Hand of divine Providence is againft fuch mixt Matches. Happy is he whom other Mens Harms do make to beware. Furthermore, I earneflly defire that the Fathers iand. Mothers, and Governors of Families, ac- cording [ 136 ] cording to the worthy Recommendation and Advice given from a late Yearly - meeting at Londoriy may now and then fit down together in their rcfpedtive Families to wait upon the Lord with their Ciiildren, Servants and Boarders (who have them) to feel his good Picfence ; that the Elders may know their Hearts opened to drop a Word of Counfel to the Younger, as ' the Truth may make Way, and the Hearts of thofe that are Younger may be open'd to receive the fame ; fo that the Lord may be comfortably remembred, and acceptably worfliipped in our Families ; and Parents, Children, Servants, and all the Houfhold, may be mercifully reachM unto, and mutually edify *d one with another, to the further Eftablifliment of the Elders in, and the drawing of the Youth to a Senfe and Knowledge of the blefled Truth, and preferving them from the Corruptions of bad Examples and unfuitable Company ; in which Opportu- tunities the Elders or Parents may probably have to give their Children, Servants, &c. at Times^ fome encouraging and inftrucSive Relations of the LoRD^s gracious Dealings with them, ac- cording to that divine Diredtion given to Ifrael Veut, vi. of old, viz, — j4nd thefe Words which I command ^f 7« thee this Day, Jloall be in thine Heart. And thou Jbalt teach them diligently unto thy Children^ and Jhalt talk of them when thou Jitteji in thy Houje^ and when thou walkeft by the JVayy and when thou Heft downy and when thou rijejl up. i Apd [ 137 ] ' And as Servants are tenderly exhorted to Fidelity and Circumfpedlion in their Places, it is much defired thit all Mafters and Miftreffcs might fo abide under the Guidance of the blefled Principle of Truth, as that they might always fo behave themfelves to their Servants with fuch prudent Gentlenefs, Juftice and Chrifiian Mode- ration on all Accounts, as becomes our holy Profeffion, confiftent with the Apoftle's Advice, — Majlers^ give unto your Servants that which Col iv.i. is jujl and equal, knowitig that ye alfo have a Majler in Heaven \ forbearing Threatning, And ^^^^f* agreeable to our honourable Friend William ^^* ^' Penn% Advice to his Children, in cafe they Ihould have Servants, on this wife, • — *' Let them know their Bufinefs as well as their Wages ; and as they do the one, pay them honeftly the other. Though Servants, yet remember they are Brethren in Christ, and that you alfo are but Stewards, and muft ac- count to God. Wherefore let your Modera- tion appear unto them, and that will provoke them to Diligence for Love rather than Fear, which is the trueft and beft Motive to Ser- vice." FareweL Having made this Di- greffion, I now find Drawings in my Mind to give fome Counfel and Advice, in Brotherly Love and Charity, to fuch who may in divers Refpedts be faid to dwell in the Houfe of Mourning ; and now, 6thlyy and la/ily. In much Companion, Sym- pathy, and Brotherly-kindnefs, I am concern'd to [ 138 ] to vifit you honeft-hearted, infirm, afflided dear Friends, with all the Faithful in Diftrefs on any Account whatfoever, here or cliewhere, all the World over, bond or free, in your feve- ral Situations. Ye dear Elders, who by reafon of Age find your natural Faculties and Abilities to fail, your Sight to wax very dim, and even quite, or almoft to leave fonie of you ; though you may in thefe proving Circumftances be con- fin'd to your Rooms or Beds, and being incapa- ble to earn your Bread, may be fupply'd by, and are under the tender Care of the Church ; be not caft down, the Lord is with you, and as you depend upon him, he will be your Com- fort ; yea, my Beloved, he that was your Morning Light, will become your Evening Song : The Lord will ftrengthen you upon the Bed of Languiftiing, make all your Bed in your Sicknefs, bear up your Heads above the Watei-s, and fanftify your Conditions unto you, and in a while mercifully remove you out of this trou- blefome World, into his blifsful Kingdom, where the Wicked ceafe from troubling, and where the Weary are at reft. And you, my dear poor Friends, who may not yet be attained to old Age, yet by the Permiffion of Providence, labour under fome or divers Diftempers, Infir- mities, and difagreeable difcouraging Circum- ftances, whether fupply*d by the Benevolence of your Friends (with your elder Brethren afore- faid) or otherwife, be of good Comfort, you are alfo under the merciful Notice and Regard of the Phyfician of Value, the moft com- paffionate [ ^39 3 paffionate Shepherd of the Sheep, and the glo- rious Bifhop of the Souls of his People j as you have your Reliance upon him, he will fweeten your Paffage, grant you Patience, ftrengthen your Faith, make all your Burthens tolerable to you ; and if, my Beloved, v/c be but enabled to bear what is laid upon us with becoming Patience (which will be granted, in cafe we are not wanting on our Part) all will be well. May' we remember that our Brother Lazarus, in the Parable, was afflided with Sores, Pains, and Poverty, and the rich Man's Dogs afforded this poor Beggar more Relief than their voluptuous Mafter did ; yet being under the tender Notice of Heaven, he was loon delivered from all his Troubles, and conveyed by Angels into j^ira- ham ^Bo(om : Humbly and patiently therefore truft in the Lord; do your beft to ferve him with all your Heart, and in a {hort Time (I have to tell you) you'll be favoured with the like happy Change, and be removed hence from this your Houfe of Mourning into the Father's Houfe of Joy, "wherein are many bleffed Man- fions, where, though ye are poor in this World, ye will be Heirs, and Joint-heirs in the endlefs Kingdom of Glory, Reft and Peace ; and in the mean Time, dear Brethren, though many of you, by reafon of bodily Weaknefs, cannot perlonally attend religious Affemblies, to wpr-^ fhip >6oD with your Brethren, your private Devotion will be accepted, and you'll feel^ according to your Degrees and Growths, a drinking of the Water that Christ fl^all give ycu, [ I40 ] yod, which will be in you a Well of Water fpringing and bubbling up into eternal Life j when your afflicted Bodies are confined in your folitary Chambers or Apartments, and you may have to fay, with a good Friend now gone to Reft, whoexprels'd himfelf thus, a while before he made his Exit, — *' Although I cannot get ** to Meetings, yet I know the Way to my " own Spring." Furthermore, for the Encouragement of every faithful Friend, and fincere Lover of holy Jesus, who is not capable perfonally to attend religious Meetings, 'tis moft certain that both the Father and the Son will gracioufly meet with every fuch an one, and mercifully grant unto him (or her) a comfortable and permanent fofcwxiv. Vifit, — • Jf (t Man love me, faith bleffed Jesus, 23' he ivill keep my Words \ and my Father will love him^ and we will come unto him^ and make Qur Abode with him. And before I take Leave of you, and bid you adieu, I muft put you in mind for your Comfort^ there is a moft glorious Appointment made for you, and all greeted in this Epiftle, as you and they perfevere in well-doing ; of which Christ our dear Lord is to be the Minifter and Difpen- ifi ixi ^^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ exprefs'd, — To appoint to them that ' mourn in Zion, to give unto them Beauty for AJJoes^ the Oil of Joy for Mourning, the Garment of Praijejor the Spirit of Heavinefs. As thefe are the beavenly Graces and fwcet Comforts you are in i 14J ] in due Time to receive, in exchange for all your Sorrows and Anxieties; as this, I fay, is the glorious Change of Apparel you are to be arrayed with, fo I muft put you all in Mind, who don't only proftfs, but keep, (/. e. have in PoffefTion) the bieffed Truth, chough never 16 poor, you are Citizens of a glorious City, into which yoa are welcomed by an Inhabitant of the faid City, on this wife, — In that Day fJ^a/i this Song be ifa.. xxvi. fu?2g in the Land of Judah ; we have a ftrong ■> ^> 3> 4» C/Vj, Salvation will God appoint for Waih and Bulwarks. Open ye the Gates, that the righteous Nation, which keepeth the Truth, may enter in, Tloou wilt keep him in perfeB Peace, whofe Mind is flayed on thee, becauje he tru/ieth in thee, Truft ye in the Lord for ever ; Jor in the Lord Jehovah is everla/iing Strength. My dear Friends, of all the fix Clafles vifited by this Epiftle, it ariles in my Heart further to put you in mind of the comfortable Expreffiorrs of our dear Lord and Master to his deeply tried Difciples, which I truii are applicable to your Circumftances in your refpedive Degrees, ^^ Are not Jive Sparrows fold for two Farthings, lAlrxii. and not one of them is jor gotten before God : hut^-* ''' even the very Hairs of your Head/ire all number d. Fear not therefore; ye are of more Value than many Sparrows. — Fear not little Flock, for it is Lui^-^ xii. your Father*s gooJ Pleafure to give you the'^^^^ Kingdom. — BleJJed arc they that mourn^ for M.n. v. 4. they Iball be conijorted, I Finally^ f H2 ] Finally, having thus far paid you, dear Friends the Debt of Love I have long ow'd you and left you this (it may be) my lafl Legacy' after this Manner, I recommend ycu to God, his Keeping and Prefervation ; and as I can do na lefs than fympathize with and pray for you I humbly crave your Prayers for me and mine; having met with Comfort in each of your Situa- tions, for which I am thankful. I remain your affedionate Brother in Tribulation and the Pa- tience of the Kingdom, (according to my fmall Meafure) ^ Jil/pfow, thei-thof the t^ tt Twdfth Month, 1752. i^AVID HaLL. N. B. Notwithftanding the foregoing Lines are chiefly and efpecially intended, and fent as a confolatory Salutation, for the Encouragement of all the upright-hearted poor Friends in their feyeral Straits and Diftreffes, yet I don't in any wife forget, but comfortably remember our dear faithful Friends, whom kind Providence has favoured with a plentiful Share of temporal Bleffings, whereby they are in a great Meafuie exempted from divers Difficulties which gene- rally attend Perfons in low and pinching Cir- cumftances, praying for their Prefervationt fur- ther Growth and Eftablifl:iment in the bWed Truth ', neither do I at all difregard or overlook thofe ProfefTors of the Truth, in what Station of Life foever, who are as lcatter*d and ft raying Sheep from the triie Fold of Reft, whether their S H3 1 tlieir Wanderings be in a loofe and immoral Condudt, or they under the Cloke of a plairi outfide and meer fuperficial Conformity in a moral Converfation among Men, yet are fettled down in Indolence, with refped to the Spirit and vital Part of the true Religion, or are fuf- fering the precious Seed of the Kingdom to be choaked in them by the Cares of this Life, or by the Deceitfulnefs of Riches, or by the Love of (or Lull after) other Things; very fervent Prayers are often In my Heart, and in the Hearts of many Brethren, that all the Mat- tered and difperfed poor Wanderers may be happily prevailed upon, fpeedily and timely to return unto cur glorious Shepherd and his Fold, whilft the Door of Mercy is yet open, and the gracious Day of Vifitation, and his compaffionate Invitation, is yet mercifully afforded arid length- ened out unto them, which was the blefled Experience of fome whom the Apoftle wrote unto on this wife, — For ye were as S beep going j p^^w ajiray -, but are now returned unto the Shepherd and^^* Bifhop of your Souls, D. H A L L4 K FRUITS t^ R U I T 'S OF '^^^^ EARLY PIET\^. ■] Reprcfetntd and exemplify'd in ' fevferal 'Iriftancfes rtt'qVdcd in the IfoLV ScRiPTtJRilS;' and bilMx good Books, here '"'' record. nidnded ILP tlifc-'ftrious Oblcrvation of ^'Children. ' ' -m ' n fn." • -Deaf an^a"t6\iM tffiWM, ; ^ ..' '^ /"^ N much Love I fend you this frme^ Efi/lli^ ^ ■ thereby 1 dearly fahite you, greatly 'dcfiringye htav jirive to he gcody and never Jpe ok any ba-d Words, or tell any falfe Stories, but al'ways Jpeak ■' - ' the Truth y and remember, the great ajidgjorioui God that indde you, in Hjohofe Hands youj;' JLivH are, ivho can call you to thefilent Gra^ce\jol^en he pleafes, who many Jiges Jince gave out that Jpecial Commaridy duly to be ohjervd by all Children who have Fathers and Mothers living, with a gracious Exodus Promt fe join d thereto, as follows, — Honour thy ''^^- ^^' Father and Mother, that thy Days may be long upon the Land which the Lord thy God giveth thee. Bcjure conflantly endeavour to keep this Jpecial Commandment, that Jo the Lord's enriching Bhjjing may attend you : . yJnd oh ! feek to be acqucu/itcd with him, ani the birfed 1 ouches and Teachings 'feachiri^s'df fm Holy Spirit, now in voter' fen- der Tears : For he hath often been gracioiijly pleas a in his Mercy, to reach unto the Hearts of many Children^ as in the Morning of their 'Time, fome of -which :^ my dear little Friefzds, are hereproposd^ - to you- -as Eiocamples of early Piety ^ for your folid Co f7f deration and Imitation, hy a truly Loving andiV-ell-wiJlnng Friend of yours ^ ivt w i> y^ David HALiii ' » ■ ■ ■ • . . i . ' ■ ' ■ - . I • 1 .-At/ -> •? ^ , ' ■ ' • ; • i vV ^YTv: ZM a Fruits of early Piet):. 0V. 1/?. X Recommend to your Notice how X Jacob, that pious and dutiful Strip- ling, duly obferving his'good Parents Diredtions^ in his young Day's entered into^Covenani wicli the Lord, and was temarkably blefs'd cvciy Way, 'Read Geiufis xxviii. ^''** * ua ^1 . ■ '2^^ ' Joseph Hs Son likewlfewlis a remark- able Inftance of God*s merciful PvegaiKl to, and Prefervation of, fuch dear Striplings as fear him, and dare not yield to the Teinptations of \k^ wicked One and his Agents;' 'and how the Lord by his Almighty Power can (and dfcea doth) riiife pious young Perfons through many Sufferings (yea and fometimes through the evil K 2 Treatment [ 146 li Treatment of envious Brethren, and falfe Accu- fations too) to great Dignities and fignal Services. Read Gcne/is xxxvii, and xxxix. tsm,\u 3^* Samuel, in his tender Years, miniftred 18,19, before the Lord, being a Child girded with a Linen Ephod. Moreover, his Mother made him a httle Coat, and brought it to him from Year to Year, when fhe came up with her Hufband to offer the Yearly Sacrifice. Being dutiful to his. Parents and to his Mafler, he grew in Favour with God and Men, and the Lokd blefled him, made himfelf known unto him, and reveal'd his Secrets unto him ; fo that all Ifraely from Da?i even to Beerfljeba, knew that Samuel was eftablilh'd to be a Prophet of the Lord ; and he was alfo an honourable and mighty fcrviceable Judge in Ifrael, and went, as faith the Scripture, Ch. ii. from Year to Year, in Circuit, to Bethel and 111. vij. Gilgaly and Mifpeh^ and judged IJrael in all thofe Places, being a wonderful Bleffing and Help to the People many Ways. /^th, David, Son of Jeffe^ a virtuous and obedient Son, faithful in the Bufinefs his Father had committed to his Care, was, by divine Pro- vidence, promoted from the Sheepfold to the ij'/im.xvi.Crown and Kingdom of Ifrael^ and was in the main, denominated a Man ajter GcdV oiJi;n Hearty (the lamentable Cafe of Uriah^ being excepted.) Thus we lee, dear Childrt?i^ that the J'V^r^GoD is not only the Beginning of ■ .. ' JVifdo?n^ J*'-' r H7 1 fVifdoniy but of all true Promotion to real Service and Honour. ^tb. The early Piety and Devotion of Jabez, procured him the Title of being more honourable than his Brethren^ and he was thought worthy to be inferted in the Chronicles of facred Writ. And Jabez called on the God of Ifrael^ faying, Oh! that thou wouldji blefs me indeed, ^^^f-^'^^^' and enlarge my Coajl^ and that thine Hand may be with me, and that thou wouldfi keep me from Evil, that it may not grieve me. And God granted him that which he reque/ied. Oh ! that all Children and Youth would feek to be acquainted with their Maker, and in true Sin- cerity thus addrefs him for his Bleffing and Preferv^tion. 6th, JosiAH, that remarkable pious young Prince, was eight Years old when he began to reign, and he reigned thirty and one Years in Jerujalem. And he did that which was right ^KJ'f^gs in the Sight of the Lord, and walked in alP'"^*''- ^»^' the Ways of David his Father, and turned not afide to the right Hand or to the left. He caused the Book of the Law to be read ; Ch. xxiii. he renewed the Covenant of the Lord ; de- fl:roy*d Idolatry, and brake down the Houfes of the Sodomites, Thus this honourable young Prince, liv'd be- loved, and died lamented, after his iignal good Service$. : 3 K3 ytk r h3 I c 'jth. Richard BuRy-, in his Collcfljcu^ of fundry notable Occurrences, gives. u§. the fol- lowing Account of a Boy, between three and "four Years of Age, who was remarkable fpr his religious Difpofition, very ,often reproving any Perlbn he heard fpeak prophanely. The Day he died, though not attended with any apparent Illnefs, when he .came from School in the After- noon, as he was fitting on his Grandmother's Lap, on a fudden faid,. — Hark^ Grandmother^ God Almighty calls ; to which fhe made fome Anfwer, .but he faid the fame again, adding, 3?j, but he doth call, and I fnuft be gone -, and tiied that Night without any Illnefs perceiv'd by liim, in the Year 1723. Oh 1 dear Hearts,- take Notice hereby how foon the Lord can, and may make little Children fenfible of his awaken- ing Call. ?>th. A worthy and honourable Minifter, now gone to Reft, hath left behind him an Account of the Lord's gracious Dealings with him on this wife, — That when he was between fix and feven Years old, being at Play with another Boy, through the Force of a fudden Temptation, he fiL'ore an Oat by which notwithftanding it was to a Truth, yet fuch ficret Convidlions oi the Evil of fo doing in the Sight of Almighty God, fo affeded hi? Alind wnth Sorrow and Remorfe, as made a lading Imprefilon on his Judgment, and alfo imprinted that Warning and Fear in his Heart in this refpedt, that, he lays, he never did the like fince on any Occafion. Therefore my dear [ H9 J dear little Children, fear God, and mind the early Reproofs of lDftru(ftion, which are the Way of Life, and the Lord will blefs you. > Like wife this good Friend hath left upon Record, — That when he was about twelVe or thirteen Years old, a flrong Liclination took, place in him to have a Coat made with fome more Refemblance of the Mode or Fa(hion of the Time, than in the plain Manner which he had, with other Friends, us*d, and prevail'd upon his Father to grant it ; but he was made uneafy in it, almofl: at the lirft wearing of it, and the more fo in ufing it, feeling the certain Reproofs of the Spirit of Truth, for his fo lean- ing to, and joining with the vain and reftlefs Spirit of the World, and turning from the fteady Plainnefs of the unchangeable Truth, &c. See Fothergili'i ^ournal\, Pag, 7, 8, 9. gfh, Sarah Scott, who died before flie was quite thirteen Years of Age, a virtuous young Woa:ian, is faid to have frequently pray'd to the Lord in fecret, and once being fpoken to, when /?///, fhe laid,' Let me alone, that 1 may meditate on my God : And likewife faid, /Jje eujoyd the Streams of the Love of God ; adding, JJ:)e was for ry for all that did live wickedh\ and lamented what maJty wpuld do when they came upon a Death-bed-, .defiring, that one of her Acquaintari£e might talie more Care of her iVords and Aclions^, or [Ik would find if hard when. jfSe came upojt\bef Death-bed. And {lie faid, I' bcive had miich Trouble ^ tloe I K'4 Enemy i ^50 1 Enemy having been bufy when 1 ivas in Meetings^ Jo that I kok'd out Jometimes^ and negleBed the inward JVork^ Jor which I have known Sorrow ; Lamenting thofe that live in Pride, and fpend inuchTime in adorning the Body, and walking wantonly; advifing one on this wife, — Be careful of thy Words and Carriage^ efpecially in Meetings, fo keep in thy Mind, for God is to be %Grp:ipped in Spirit and in Truth. joth. WiLtiAM Fennei^l, who died about twelve Years of Age, was often follow'd with the Reproofs and Convidions of God's holy Spirit, when he had fometinies been wild, and run to play among other Boys. When he was brought on his fick Bed, he was under an inward Exer- cuc of Mind, cefiring to have the ten Com- mandments read to him, which was done ; and he was aik'd, How far he found he had kept them ? He anfwer'd. He had not, a$ he could re^ VJember, ever taken the LoRD'i ISIatne in vain^ (ind that he lovd and honour d his Father and Mother, and had been careful not to tell Lies, or Jalfe Stories : Then calling for his Siftei-g and Brother, he exhorted them to love arid fear God, and his Truth, and pray to him to fit thein to die ; and to attend religious Meetings j and to think upon Gop and good Things, and the Lord would love them ; and bid them do what their Father and Mother commanded them, and he obedient to ihcm, and look in their Bibles^ and they would find it was GoD*i Command to Children^ to obey their Parents^ for it is well- plcafing [ i5» ] pleajing unto the Lord. He was forry he had been wild, and lov'd Play too much, as above, fpr which he was reprovM often, and made fo uneafy, that fometimes he has gone into the Garret, and wept bitterly : But when enticed by his Comrades, he was again prevailed upon, and fo laid a Foundation for renewing Repent- ance ; and often pray*d to the LoRp in the Night Seafon on his Knees, when others have been afleep. And this Child cried out, faying. Oh ! the Lord loves Solitariiiejs ; he doth not love laughi72g and joaking ; I ftever read that Christ fmil*dy but often prayd and wept. See Piety Promoted, Part /^th, Pag, 56. It is fully believ'd, that this mercifully vifited Stripling made an happy End. Oh ! therefore, dear Children, I fay again, duly obferve the Reproofs of Inftrudtion, which are the Way of Life, never confenting to any Companions, who would entice you to do thofe Things that after- wards will bring Trouble upon your tender Minds ; by avoiding which you will make your Parents Hearts g'ad, and ye yourfelves may be bleffed and happy for ever. nth. Nicholas Gates, defirous to have the tme Knowledge of Gop in his Childhood, took great Delight in reading the holy Scriptures, and private Prayer : He, receiv'd a Gift of the Minilify, became a ferviceable Friend, given to I-Iofpitality, a Labourer for the Prefervation of Unity, f ^5? ) Unity, &c. , §(( Piety .Promoted, ..P^r^ 5^/.. a£. 117- /-> -> jl2tbf Mary Post, aged about eight Years, Y{2ls of a tender Spirit, foher Behaviour, reli- gioufly inclined, and a Lover of Plainr>efs in Habit and Speech, but a Difliker of Pride and Finery in Apparel, Hearing fome Boys in the Streets take God's Name in vain, flie faid, Tbey take Gods Name in vain enough to fright one. She alfo faid, S^he P^ould delight to go to Meetings. l^ee Piety Promoted, Part £th. P^g, 87. i^th. PiTEBE Daughty was dutiful to her Parents, and a great Comfort to them, being, from a Child mindful of Eternity, meditated on the beft Things, and had God in her Thoughts, and would enquire the Meaning of fome Scriptures. She was never given to fpeak that which was not true : So from thefe good Beginnings, (lie became an honourable Woman, liv*d well, and died happily. Hi J. Pag, 133. 14^/6. Taner Costard was of an innocent Converfation, dutiful, loving and affeftionate to his Parents, religioufly inclined from his Infancy, and greatly delighted to read the holy Scriptures, efpecially the new Teflament. He experienced the Work of Truth in his Heart. So living the Life of the Righteous, he attained to a bleffed Death like theirs. Aged about 22 Year*. Hid. Pag. 136. I ^th\ t 753 ] 15//6. Rebecca Toovey, who died about the Age of r.me Years, was a dutiful and pious Child, a great Reader and Lover of the holy- Scriptures and Friends Books ; of an innocent and wife Behaviour and Carriage, and her Con- verfation was pleafing and acceptable ; though {he was but a young Plant, it pleafed the Lord to endue her with a large Underiftanding in Things both natural and divine : She was very juft and equal in all (he undertook, and never known to tell a Lie, or fpeak an ill Word. She lov'd to go to Meetings, and faid, it was fweet to her. Thus proceeding, her {hort (but pious) Life was crown'd with a blefTed Death. Piety Promoted, Part ^th, Pag. 148. 16th, George Newland, of the City of Dubliij, was alfo a remarkable Inftance of early Virtue and Piety, very well worthy of the Ob- fervation of the Children and Striplings, being an orderly and dutiful Child, and fought the Lord in his young and tender Years ; and when he was drawn or perfuaded by his School-fellows to play, or be wild, he afterwards would be under fuch Trouble in himfelf, that he would weep and mourn in the Night Seafon. And when about ten Years of Age, defir*d he might bejent into the Country ^ and retire jrom his Com* f anions in the City, Sp in a while his Parents fent him into E?2gland, where, about eleven or twelve Years of Age, the Lord concerned him to give Teftimony unto the Truth, caUipg him r into [ »54 ] into the Miniftry, in which he was faithful, and traveird in the Work thereof in divers Parts of Ireland. As therefore a virtuous Life is the Way to art happy Death, to live in the Fear of God is the Way to die in his Favour, this honourable Stripling, after a pious and exemplary Life, came to an honourable and comfortable Death, near nineteen Years of Age. See Piety Pro- moted, Part ^th. Pag, 155. I'-ih, Another good Friend and Minifter likewife, when between eight and ten Years of Age, was made very fenfible of the Lord's Dcialings with him. Notwithftanding this early vilited Boy hated to hear wicked Words, yet he lov'd Play exceedingly j and one Time in the Midft of his Sport, he was reach'd unto with ftrong Convidtions, fo that he could not forbear weeping. He alfo lov*d Mufick, Dancing, and playing at Cards, though unknown to his boneft Parents, but was followed with the righteous Judgments of God in the Secret of his Soul ; by which righteous Judgments he was redeemed from thofe Vanities, againft which the Spirit of Truth always appears, and redeems all his faithful Followers from, how ' nearly foever any may have been attached thereto in Times paft. He began to delight in Reading and Sobriety, and when he read the holy Scrip- tures, iit would defire that God would opm them [ ^55 ] A^mt6h{sXJ?iderlianding ; and when he read of ^he Cfucifixion of our bleffed Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, it would break his Soul into Tendernefs ; yet neverthelefs, being advanced to about fourteen or fifteen Years of Age, he ufed to fhun the Crofs of fpeaking in the plain Language (which is always ufed in the holy Scriptures) to thpfe whom he conversed with, except his Father and Mother, who would not allow him to fpeak otherwife ; for which Eva- fions he alfo met with Judgment, and was brought to take up the Grofs to that Flefh-^ pleafing kind of Expreffion of faying Tou to one Perfon, whether high or low, and from that Time forward ufed Thou and "Thee to one Perfon, and in fo doing both found Peace ia his own Mind, and thereby got more Reputa- tion among confiderate Perfons, than he l^ad, clone by conforming to the Dialedt of the vain World, both unfound in itfelf, and inconfiilent with the Principle he profefs'd. For People generally know when any of us, either young or old, appear in Deportment j Habit and Speech,, inconfiftent with our Principle ; And pray, "what, do, any of us get by running counter to our Principle in any Shape^ hut Lofsy Scorn and Con- tempt ? Oh ! that all our young People, and modern, temporizing ProfefTors of the bleffed ;Truth, would duly confider thofe Things, and no longer think light of pradifing what our good Friends have fuffefd much for, by bear* ing their Teftimony againft, in this and other Refpeds. T! Chalkleys Journal, Pag. 3, 4, 5, 6. iZtk i 156 1 i8//j. Joseph Pikf, hear Cork m IretditS:^ upon whole tender Mind the divine Spirit began to work very early, even before he was feven Years old, to draw him off from childilli Play and Vanities ; from which Time, until he arriv'd at the Age of eighteen Years, he under- went great Conflids of Soul, and at length grew up to be an ufeful Member of the Church. See Hillory of Friends in Ireland, Fag, 3 16. ) ^L'3 \()th. We read that a certain Stripling in Ireland, eldeft Son to a Counfellor at Law and Juftice of the Peace, poffefs'a of an Eftate to the Yearly Value of 360/. per Aiimun, embraced the Truth and became very religious, and join'd with Friends ; for which his faid Father (being mightily offended when he met his Son with his Hat on) did not only treat him feverely and cruelly with furious Blows, &c. but difinherited him, leaving him only \qI per AnmmuXo keep him (as he faid) from ftarving, or rely in o- oii thofe feducing People (meaning the '^ijakers) and threaten'd to turm any of his Children out of Doors that fliould go to their Meetings : Yet this fuffering Youth became a worthy Man, and by the Crofs attained to the Crown. luL Pag, 325, &c. Finally, '^enr Children, I have three Things to lay before your ferious ^Jptice and Confiiei^^ tion ; ly?. That you (and^ll) who have good leligious P^i-ents, or Guardians, that are much concern ^ \Vrlliiig ind defimM'to Wrihg |oii lip iti'&\i Nurture and Admonition of tile Lord, and td train you up in the Way you fliould go, affording you all.due Encouragements to.go tiC)oMeetii;]gs, an'd^\^k iii aW'tMWays of Tn^tfai {Virtue -ahd Piety, being alfo themfelves good Examples to you therein : I fay, that you prize thefe your highly valuable Privileges, and exprefs the true Value you have for them, by a Condu6t agreeable unto the good Precepts and Examples you are favoured with. 2r/. I v^ould have you know and confider, that many Boys and Girls have not fuch Favours and Bleffings, but are (alas!) either left without Par-^-n^s or Gu ardians- in this dangerous Wof^j or are under the Tuition of fuch as are not pro- perly concerned for their right Education ; but being left much to themfelves, are lamentably expofed to bad Company, and corrupting Ex- amples, whence they generally learn vicious Habits. id. May, therefore, all Children of pious Pareiits be entreated, excited and prevail'd upon, to make a proper and right Application of the great and fpecial Favours now put into their IJ^cL^w, eve!i,hy this Con fideration,- — That 771am wen m^ofcdwid religious I^oiiths have met ^ivith much Difcouragements and HardJJ:ip, and cruel Wage from their oppcfite Fathers and Relations^ luhen [ 158 y 'when tn their Search after the Truth they inclitid to go to the Meetings of Friends, as appears by the laft cited Inftance. Shhton, the 8th of the D A V T Ti PT A T T Ninth Month 1753. JVAVlLi jriAi^L.. A MITE MITE INTO THE TREASURY, OR Some ferious Remarks on that folemn and indirpcnlable Duty of duly attending AfTemblies for divine Worlhip, incumbent upon all Perlons come to Years of Underftanding (efpecially the ProfcfTors of Truth) whilft favoured with Health, Strength and Liberty ; together with fome due Animadversions upon tne Negledl thereof ; as alfo a Word of Confolation to fuch fincere hearted Friends, as are rcnder'd incapable of perfonally attending them, by reafonof old Age, fome bodily Diforder, or Confinement, ^c. To which is Subjoin'd, An EPISTLE to Friends of Knarejborough Monthly - Meeting. By DAVID HALL. <— — — *— p»^— «— — — ^— I III For where two or three are gathcr*d together in my Name, there ami in the Midft of them. Mjf. xviiL 2c. I befeechyou, therefore, Brethren, by. the Mercies ot GOD, that ye prefent yourBodiesa living Sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto GOD, which is your reafonable Service. Rom, \\u i. Not foriaking the Aflembling of ourfeWes together, as the Manner of fome is \ but Exhorting one another, and fomuch th- more, as ye fee the Day appro iching. Hsh* x. 25. L O N B O N: Printed by Luke Hin;>e 1758. t i6i I ^•iw«"i»i^ r — ~~ ; THE PR E F ACE. Friendly Reader, I ' • . . V ; MA T it be remember* d that when Mofes, that eminent a?id faithful Servant of the Lord, even the Mediator of thefirjl Covenant ^ having been^ by divine CommiJJion and AJfiflance^ fgnally and fuccefsfully inftrumental in delivering poor Jighing and groaning Ifrael out oj the Egyptiai^ Bondage^ and was now bringing them on their Way towards the Land oj Promife^ f owing with Milk and Honey ^ being right Jenjible how liable People are (if not truly watchful) who have been very humble while in Adverfity and AffliBion, to become carelefs and Jorgetful of the Lord ana hi^ Succour in their foregoing Uriahs when Profpe- rity fmiles upon them, gave them the following timely Precautions and feafonable Charges^ worthy of their and our due Obfervation arid Notice^ faying^ - — Hear Ifrael, the Lord our God is one Lord. And tftou fhalt love the Lord thy^^ 5, 2ifcar^ry\ yet^ aim ! they are often fo much involtid and taken tip with the Hurries, Projects and Cares about ^Things of this TAfe, that they prove lamentably deficient in thofe mofi material and weighty Par-* ticularSy viz. In working out their own Salva- tion with Fear and Trembhng, and in glorifying God in their refpeftive Services in the Churchy and in their own Families. Notwithjlanding ihefe lafi Ohfervations^ there are^ 1 hope^ fome, though toofew^ extenjive Tradefmen^ who are very careful that their Hearts may have Room in them for tide pure Religion and undefiled before God and the Father, and that the lemple may not be unfuitably croiwded with Money-Changers and their Tables j but that their Hearts (though fome- times neceffarily bufy in Comiiierce) , may be pre- fervcd really a Houfe of Prayer. T^hefe religious ^radefmen are truly worthy of double Honour^ remarkable for their prudent and Chriilian Con- duB and Fortitude^ notfufferifzg Mammon to be their Mafler, but keeping him in his Place, at a proper T) i [lance y as their Servant \ fo they are in a Capacity to ferve God their Lord and Master, and chiefeji Sovereign^ and alfo his Church and^ People in their refpeElive Places, This kind of honourable Tradefmen^ being above all other Things concern d to improve their Talents of Grace^ dare not eafily omit attejiding their religious Alcetings, fiiher on the FirjUdays, or other Days of the Week', yea J fome have even (hut up their Shops during the Meeting-time on the Week-days^ left their Shops jfhould have (hut them up, and debarrd. { i65 ] debarred them from the Enjoyment oj Chrtst'x Company with the two or three met in his Name r May not we account thefe like faithful Abraham, who faid to his Servants upon a weighty Occajion^ —Abide ye here, and I and the Lad will go yonder and worfhip, and come again to you. When this Sort of highly valuable Tradefmen are occafionally call'd abroad, and are riding their Circuits among their Chapmen, they endeavour, I believe, to get to as many Meetings, even on the Week-days, as they well can : Thefe have good' ground to hope for and expeB the Bleffing of ki?id Providence to attend their honeft Rndeavours. We have alfo ground to fear, that too many under our Name keep and frequent unfui table Company, taking more Pleafure in the Society of Wine- bibbers, at the Tavern or Alehoufe, than with the two or three at the Meeting, waiting for the Appearing of bleffed Jesus. Moreover, another aflidting forrowful Diforder, and, I fear, a growing Evil, in thefe Times of Liberty and Eafe from Perfecution, is Mixt- Marriages, which generally iijloer Conjufion^ Trou- ble and Perplexity into Families and the Society ^ much grieving, and almofl (if not quite) breaking the Hearts of good Pare?its, fo that 7na7iy anxious Fathers and Mothers, ohferving with Sorrow the wide Courfes which many are takijig, do in EfeB, frequently revolve in their penfive Flearts that mournful ^erv of folicitous Rebekah of old, — L 4 If [ i66 ] If my Child or Children do as fuch and fuch have done, what Good fhall my Life do me ! . Again^ ^tis much to be fear' d there are fome (I wifh I had ground to Jay there are none) guilty of that abfolute and abfurd ContradiSion rfprofejjing. the peaceable Spirit of meek Jesus, the Kimg of Salem, and the Prince of Peace, and at the fame *Ti7ne are litigious and contentious Pcvfons, feem- ing to delight in Strife, and ft riving for Maftery, either in the Churchy or among Neighbours, or, it may be, fometimes both, l^he Eyes of the People have long been, and fill are upon us, and conjidering the Extent of our high ProfeJJicn, have, mid do make their Remarks upon us, and can quickly obferve when our Condu5i is confiflent with our profefs'd Principles, and when repugjiant thereto, either in Habit, Speech or Deportment, Have not fome been ready to make the following Obfervdtions ? Such an one is an honeft primitive Quaker, his or her Drefs, ylddi'efs, and whole ConduB, agree to what he or Jlje projefeth. But fuch and fuch are modern, falhionablc (^lakers, they profefs the Spirit, yet, it is plain they live after the Flefli ; fo they are but- Nominal Quakers. Now inafmuch as the Continuance 'of the above Tiientioiid Errors (and all others) are owing to, and caujed by Mens fighting afid dif regarding the fpiritual Appearance and refining Work of Christ in their Hearts, who is now come in spirit to put an End to Sin, and to fniflj Tranf grefiony. [ i67 ) greffiofty to make Reconciliation^ to bring in ever^^ la/ling Righteoufne/s ; and inafmuch as he hath promifed his blejjed Frejence to thofe who^ though very few in Number^ meet in his Name^ I have in much good Will wrote the following Lines for the Encouragement of the Faithful and Diligent^ and for the rotfmg^ if pjfible^ the Remijs and Negligent^ to that highly necefary and profitable Duty of rightly attending religious Meetings^ where he bath promifed to be in the Midft of fuch Meeters : So that Mens negledting, being the Caufe of thefe their continual Diforders (as Christ Jaid, — While Men flept, an Enemy did Mifchief in the Field) this being difcontinued^ and a vigilant Diligence being ufed in the Room thereof that evil Caufe being thus taken away^ the evil Effedls thereof might confequently ceafe. But in cafcy after thefe my honefi Endeavours and Labours of Love^ 1 [loould be blamed for making the following Remarks^ or producing par^ ticular Infiances of the bad Effects commonly at^ tending the forfaking of religious Meetings^ as though I expofed the JVeaknefs fubfifling in our Society ; I affure thee^ friendly Reader, / am far from upbraiding any of my Friends with their Failures^ but in good Will to the Caufe^ and the Souls of ally I found my f elf engagd to write fomething on thefe Negleds and Diforders, find the pernicious Conjequences thereof y which long before I pend thefe Lines y were too notorious^ being plainly expofed by the very Perjons them- felves^ found in the Errors fpoken of here^ and in t »68 j in the fubfequent Lines ; fo that the Remarks tnade^ and the Inftances produced of the Deficiences cf any of the Profejfors of 'Truth, proceed not from ill Will, or were hidden Things heretofore^ and now brought to Light, but alas ! have long been conjpicuousand noted by many. For not with- /landing the Prophet of old was commanded on Jfi, Iviii. this Wife, — Cry aloud, and fpare not, Gfc. yet I f^uld be very forry from hence^ to prejume to fay or write any Thing againji the real Inter efi of the good and great Caufe, or to the Prejudice cf any Maris Perfon, Condition or Character, hut compajfionating my Brethrens Ailings and Failings, am rather ready to cry out, — Tell it not in Gath, publifli it not in Afikehn. In much Humility and good Will to the Souls of all, I cajl my Bread upon the Waters, and fubfcribe myfelf Thy really afFedionate Friend, David Hall. T o C 169 3 TO ALL THE PROFESSORS O F T H E BlefTcd Truth, Whcrefoever the fubfequent Lines may come. Dear Friends, IN the univerfal Love of the glorious Gofpel of Christ, which ever breaths out, Glonf to God i72 the higheji, on Earth Peace^ and good. Will towards Men^ I cordially falute you, and therein take Freedom humbly to offer the fol- lowing Obfervations to your folid Cgnfideration. Notwithftanding, with much Comfort I firmly hope, we have a large Number in our Society in a good degree faithful to the Principle of Truth we profefs, giving Diligence to make, their Calling and Ele5iion Jure, walking circum- fpeSly and honeflly as in the Day, both with regard to their moral and religious Converfation, though not without their refpecSive Exercifes on divers Accounts, not daring to forfake the ajjembling cffembling of themfelves together whilft capiblc •, for the Encouragement of all fach beloved Brethren and Sifters, wherefoever their Lots arc caft, (to whom my Heart is nearly knit in the Unity of the Spirit and the Bond of Peace) it fprings up in my Mind to remind them of the Gal.vi, Apoftle's tender Advice, — Let lis not be 'wear)' in ^' well-doing, for in due Seafon we /hall reap if we fames v. faint not. Be patient therefore. Brethren, unto '9 S. the Coming of the Lord. Behold the Hujband- man waiteth for the precious Fruit of the Earth, and hath long Patience for it, until he receive the early and latter Rain. Be ye alfo patient ; fiabliflo your Hearts ^ for the Comi77g of the Lord I Vet i. ^^^"^'^^^ nigh. Wherefore gird up the Loins of 13. your Mind, be fober, and hope to the End, for the Grace that is to be brought unto you at the iCor.wi.'R^'^'^laflon 0/' Jesus Christ. Watch ye, (land J3» 14' faji in the Faith, quit you like Men ; be Jlroiig. Let all your Things be done with Charity. t Yet neverthelefs, for the Sake of fome, yea, alas ! (with Regret be it fpoken) many of the Profeflbrs of the blefled Truth, who through Coldnefs, Lukewarmnefs, Inconfideratenefs, In- dolence, and the want of a true Hunger and Thii ft: after Righteoufnefs, (occafioned by their neglcFliiig the Work and Guidance of the Spirit of Truth they profefs) are become very remifs and negligent in this highly and necelTary and reafonable Duty of attending religious Meetings on Week-days, as well as Firft-days, I find it to rife in my Heart, in much good Will, to recommend [ ^7^ ] recommend the following Obfervations to their ferious Notice and Conlideration. i(l, Infomuch as Almighty God, our faith- ful and righteous Creator, hath placed us in a Station abfolutely dependent on him, in 'whom we IhCy and move^ and have our Being, in whofe Hand and Difpofal we, our Lives, Health, Abilities both of Body and Mind, our Preferva- , tion, our Protedlion, Support, Favours, Privi- leges and Enjoyments, both Temporal and Spiritual are, we being, as it were, Tenants at Will, having no known Leafe of our Time, or Command of any Thing, we are under moft reafonable and clofe Obligations to behave our- felves as wholly dependent Creatures, humbly and honeftly to pay due Homage and Obedience to him our gracious and bountiful Sovereign, Lord and Benefactor, for all his unmerited Favours we enjoy under him, in faithfully anfwering his Requirings, in doing Ju/l/y, Iovi?2> i?* (whence we may cojiclude they were met to- gether) ^ndthe'LoKD hearken d and heard it ^ arid a Book of Remembrance was ijoritten before him for them that feared the Lord, and that thought upon his Name, And they fhall be mine, faith the Lord of Hojis^ in that Day when I make up my Jewels 'y and I will f pare them as a Man fparetb his own Son that Jerveth him. The Fafjover was fo ftridlly enjoined, that it was commanded on- this wife, viz. — T^he Man that is cleans and is not Numk in a fourney^ and forbear eth to keep the Paffover^ *^* ^5>H* even the fame Soul fo all he cut off from his People \ becaufe he brought not the Offering cf the Lord in bis appointed Seafon : That Man Jhall bear his- Sin, And if a Stranger fall fojourn among yoUy and will keep the Paffover unto the Lord, according to the Ordinance of the Paflbver, an4 according to the Ma?iner thereof fo he ffall dQ .^ Te Jhall have ojie Ordinance^ both for the Stran^^^ ger^ and for him that was born in the Land. ■■.'■ Yet fuch was, and now is, the Mercy and Juftice of God, that he neither ever did, nor, now doth, require any Thing anreafonable ox; impradicable 5 for he condefcended to allow a fecond Paffover to fuch as were neccflarily de^ priv'd of appearing at the Firft, by rcafon of Indifpofition, through Unclcannefs, or Abfence in a Journey afar off. ^ ' . ^thh. i 174 ] /^tbly. Let us now come to the glorious Di{l penfation of the Gofpel that we live in, wherein Christ, the Author thereof, our glorious High- Prieft and blelTed Mediator, himfelf fpeaks unto the Churches, who is the compleat Antitype, in whom all the Types, Shadows and Figures concenter ; and let it be with folemn Reverence, and all due Regard, humbly obferved, that he Mir. hath gracioufly promised on this wife, — Where xviii. 20. ^^^^ ^^ three are gathered together in my Name^ ^rn.^n. there am I in the Midjl of them. — I hefeech you, '• therefore^ Brethren, by the Mercies of God^ that ye pre/ent your Bodies a living Sacrifice^ holy^ acceptable unto God, which is your reafonable Hzh, X. Service:* — Not forfaking the Affembling of our- *5» f elves together^ as the Manner of fbme is ; but exhorting one another^ and fo much the more^ as ye fee the Day approaching. Now, dear Friends^ have we not fome ground to fear, that io many as under the Profeffion of the bleffed Truth, who do, whilft in Health and Strength fadly negledl the attending of re- ligious Meetings, fo much encouraged by the Promife above, are not truly obedient, but negledting their own Mercies, by fo flighting our glorious High-Prieft, and his blefTcd Com- pany with his two or three garthered in his Name. Oh ! that all the ProfelTois of Truth were rightly concerned duly to regard the faid gracious Promife, with the full Extent and Conditions thereof ; and alfo to reduce to Prac- tice the Advice of the Apoftle, — Pui^ge out tberejore [ 175 ] therefore the old Leaven^ that ye may be a neis) ^ cour^ Lump 'y as ye are unleavened. For even Christ '' our PaJJover is facrificed for us, Therefore let us keep the Feaft, not with old Leaven, neither with the Leaven of Malice and Wickednefs^ hut imth the unleavened Bread of Sincerity and Truth. May it therefore, I fay, be humbly remem-- bered, how this our gracious High-Prieft hath not only promifed his Attendance, and moft worthy Company, where two or three are ga- thered in his Name, (as above) hut hath alfo mercifully and tenderly invited needy Souls unto him-, on ihis wife, — G?^;/^ unto me all ye that M^t x. labour. and are heavy laden y and I will give you^^'^^'^"^* Reft. Take my Toke upon you, and learn of me ; for I am meek and lowly in Heart, and ye (hail find Reft unto your Souls : For my Toke is eafy, and fny Burden is light. And again, his Call is repeated, — /« the laft Day, that great Day of the fohnvW. Feaft, ]'E.s\3s jiood and cried, fayingy If any Man ^^'^'^^^''^' thirji, let him come unto me and drink. He that believeth on me^ as the Scripture hathfaid, out of his Belly Jhall flow Rivers of living PFater. But thisjpake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him Jhould receive, &c. ■ :W - '■'Sthlyj May it be added to the Premifes, how -'that foon after the breaking forth of the blefled Truth, after the long and dark Night of Apof- tacy, our ancient Friends, in the Morning of the Day, finding a confcientious Concern upon them to decline the Formalities then run into, • - M rctir'd [ 176 1 . . retir'd and met together to wait upon the Lord, to know and witnels the fulfilling of that bleffed ?^^"^'^^'*Promife of Christ to his Difciples, — But the Comforter ivhich is the lioi.Y Ghost, whom the Father will jend^ in piy Name^ he (hall teach you all ThifigSy and bring all Things, to your Remembrance^ whatfoever I have Jaid unto you.' — As they were (we have good ground cer- tainly to believe) led into this Praftice, and by the fame alfo mercifully regarded and protefted tlierein, through many and great Sufferings, gccafioned by the penal Laws then iii Force ^gainft thofe that diffented from the national Church, eflablifhed by Law 5 fo that our dear Fore-fathers and ancient faithful Friends, con- fcientioufly then attended religious Meetings, both on Firft-days and other Days of the Week, under the Hazard of their Lives, Liberties and Eftates > yea, I f?y, they flock'd to Meet- ings as Doves to the Windows, though fome- times a good many Miles diftant, and found great Peace in fo doing, and the enriching. Bleffing of God to attend them, and often their Off-fpring too : So in Time, as they increafed, by the Direction and fweet Influence of the bleffed Spirit, they were engaged to appqint and fettle Meetings here and there, as in the Wif- dom of Truth they faw convenient, both on Firfl-days and other Days of the Week ; and when they were haled from their Meetings to Prifons, they had often precious Meetings there, and found thofe Places, as Jacob (aid of idhel on his Pillow of Stone^ to be to them as tne i?(?^ ofGoDy ^nd G^/^ ^ Heaven, bbin^ rnade tp fing in the Prifon as Paul and AS/7^i did, ;W}ien their L^gs were in the Stocks, byi the then fecular Powers. ^ Now, therefore, I befeech all that profefs the ever bleffed Truth, ^nd efpecially thofe that are rennifs, ,ij)f this important and fo material a Duty; now before u,s, duly to remember, and truly Gonfider, how wonderfully the Lord hatlv wrought for his Church and People, how he hath turned the Hearts of Kings, and, in effedtjt hath faid to them, r— Touch not mine Anoint ed^^ (fo my Prophets no Harm, What peaceable calnt Times j^aye we long enjoy 'd, with refpedl to thofe violent Storms and rugged Billows of Per- fecution aforefaid ! Are not we now both tole- rated and proteded in keeping our religious Meetings 1 What then will become of thofe poor ProfeiTors of the unchangeable Truth, who^ in this Time of Tranquility, and, as;I may fay,i Sabbath-rday of Reft from the aforemention'd Probations^ are taking their Flight from the refining Work and Baptifm of the Holy Spirit they are making a Profeffion of, .into the inor- dinate Cares or Pleafures of thisiAVorld, or into Indolence, IndifFerency and Lukewarmneis, touching the vital Part of Religion, fo as mife- rably to forfake (or at leail too much negled:) the affembling of them felves together, in order to worfhip and pay due Homage to the bountiful Author of all our unmerited Mercies, temporal and fpiritual ! M 2 Infomuch, .(i f\x \ t '78 1 Infomuch, therefore/ as tne divine Minifter of the Sanduary and tiU^ Tabernacle, which God hath pitched and not Man, hath To rea- fonably afforded us fuch great Encouragement to attend rcHgious Meetings, tho' confiding of very few in Number, and hath fhewn fo undeniably and indifputably hispcculiarAppiobation thereof, by that gracious and Ipecial Promife of his vouch- fafing to be pr^lent^with-thei two or three that fo meet : The ianie Duty being alfo ur^M and earneftly recommended by the Apoflle to the Believers of his Day, that they (liduld not for- {^kc the yjjjetnbltng of tllenrtielves together, as the Manner of fome m tliole Times was, and, alas! of too many in lhefe--Days, though fo //e^. X. highly favoured: -^^;;<^ At if^/'^ow/fJ^r,-; faith he, '' one another y\ta provoke ■ unto Lo*i!)e and 'tb good Works : Not J/}rJakv2g the y^Jfembling-of oitf^jehei together^ as the Manner of fome is ^ but- exhorting one another^ and Jo ■ much the more^ as ye fee the Day approaching. And likewife remembring! how the fame Apoflle fervently and pathetically addreffed the Roman Church- exciting them to pious and devout Performance of this their rea- sonable Service, reminding them of the. iRgnat Mercies oj Cod, as a preflln'g and cogent Argu- ment, moving grateful and truly confiderate Perfons to the taithful Performance of their rea- fonable Duties to their merciful Benefafto'r, and the glorious Donor of all their Enjoyments, ^om. exprcfs^d his Adcjrefs on' this wife, — 1 hefeecb ^"**'' yoUy therefore^ (as above hinted) Brethren, bfthe Mercies of God, thai ye prefent your 'Bodies a -I * living i r ^79 1 . //i;/«^ Sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reafonable Service, May we, not fately conclude, that the right attending of Affemblies for divine Worfhip, is both a Duty acceptable unto God, and fignally advantageous unto our Souls 'y and that, as this is an indifpenlable Duty (whilft we are in Health and Strength, and at Liberty) therefore the Omlffion of this weighty Service is of dangerous Confequence. — l^hen were^ Ex^a* afembled unto me (faith Ezra, that deeply con-/^* ^* cern'd Servant of the Lord) every one that trembleth at the Words of the God of IfraeU The true hearted fakers then did and now do (whilft Strength and Liberty do permit) aiTemble; in order to obtain Help and Relief from the Lord, to worfliip him in Spirit and Truth, to enjoy the fweet and edifying Communion one with another, as Members of one Body, by. feehng the one quickening Spirit from the holy: Head, the living Circulation of the Blood of Christ. And now, my Friends, may Ltake Freedom to make the following Remarks. ly?. It hath been objefted by fome on this wiie, T^hat as the Sabbath was but one Day in the Week commanded and fet apart for divine Service, in the T'ime of the Mofaick Law, what need fo much ado about Week- day s Meetings now ? To which very weak and poor Objedion, I (hall in the firft Place anlwer thus : Suppofe there had been in that Difpenfation no other Day but the M 3 Sevcntl^ ,%.-' I 180 1 Seventh in each Week, appointed by the Lo.rd^ Wherein his People (lioiild ceafe from fervile Work, and devoutly and fokmnly perforih Woi (hip to him ; yet in this Gofpel Dilpcnfation wc are, or ought to be, iDfought much nearer to God, and be much more devout and fpiritually minded, according to the Apoftle's Teftimony, Beh.sW,'^— For the Law made nothing perfect ^ but the ^^' bringing in of a better Hope did^ by the which we draw nigh unto God. Befides, the Solemnities and holy Convocations, above mentioned, fuffi- ciently refute the aforefaid very v^eak Plea and ObjecSion, which Solemnities were to be obferv^d by the Lord*s People in that Difpenfation ; the Negleftors whereof were to be taken Notice of, and caird to an Account. What Apology then, I fay, {hall thofe make, or how (hall they anlvver it, who are remifs and negligent in obferving and attending the folemn Meetings and Affem- blies in this glorious Gofpel Day ? idly. Some may perhaps objedl, and feem to endeavour to excufe themfelves in this Kind of Negligence, and Omiffion of fo neceffary and profitable a Duty, as we are, in much good Will to the Caufe of Truth and the Souls of its Profeflbrs, treating of, by alledging, That their Meeting is Jo fmall^ or that they',have no publick Minifter fettled tljerein, they may perhaps jcarce think it worth their while conftantly to attend the fame, Anfw. Are not there two or three ? If fo many, Christ hath promifed them hisbleffed Company, if met in a right Mind, who being the I 18 1 ] the moft excellent Minifter of the Sanduarjr and true Tabernacle, which God hath pitched^ and not Man, without whom, the greateft of inftrumental Miniftcrs can do nothing, are of no Service : But this moft powerful, moft mer- ciful, and moft glorious High-Prieft, and hea- venly Minifter, appears with his People and Flock, according to his gracious Promfife ; he can when he pleafes, whofe Time is the heft Time, effedually and fuitably fupply all the Wants of his true Followers, without inftru--. mental Minifters, (altho* we own, and humbly confefs, that the Miniftry of the Gofpel, by an(j through inftruments influenced and aftuarted by the abovefaid all-powerful Minifter, hath been, is, and ever will be of Angular Service to the? Hufbandry, Heritage and Plantation of God, as' it is rightly applied) and therefore ought to be valued in its Place. But oh, alas ! how do thofe ungrateful Creatures undervalue and put a Slight upon our bleffed Mediator of this new Covenant, our Phyfician of the greateft Value, the Biftiop of our Souls, and our Saviour, who hath flied his precious Blood, and given his Life a Ranfom for us, that in any wife can find in their Heart to omit the attending even fmall Meetings, tho' without any inftrumental Minifter, when he hath upon moft reafcnable Conditions pro- mifed his Life-giving Prefence there. '^dly. As the true-hearted and faithful Fol- lowers of humble Jesus find it their indifpen- fable Duty, and peculiar Intereft, to attend re- M 4 ligious Ugious Meetings, whether they be great or fmall, whether they have in them inftiumental Minifters, or they have none, both on Firft- days and other Days of the Week, they grow and profper in the Truth, even in the Root of true Rehgion, and are very often fignally blefsM and favoured by kind Providence, even in the Things of this Life, and come up in the real Improvement of their Talents, and confequently in their refpedtive Services in the Church, en- joying their Peace whilft in Health, and the Aboundings thereof when on fick and dying Beds ; whilft, on the other hand, thofe poor unthinking Profeffors of Truth, who, by neg- lecting the Work thereof in their own Hearts, become flack and backward in the attending of Meetings for divine Worfhip, letting in Realon- ings, and probably the vain Allegations above- faid, they don't thrive in the true Religion, and feem alfo fometimes blafted, as touching their Succefs in temporal Affairs, are of little or no Help (but rather Nuiancts) in the Society, and often are made to bewail their paft Negli- gence on lick and dying Beds, of which more hereafter. Divers remarkable Inftances of the peculiar Blefling of kind Providence attending the Pro- ftiTors of Truth, who witnefs'd the real Work thereof in their own Hearts, and were obedient to its Requirings, have occurred to my particular Notice in my Pilgrimage ; one whereof I may ': here mention. A certain r '% I ^ ■ A certain worthy ancient Minifter gave, ia my Audience, the following Relation, " That* in his young Years, (having been from his' Childhood educated in the Way of the na-' tional Church) being favoured with the mer- '* ciful Vifitation of the Lord, he became un- " eafy with the traditional Singings and fuper- " ficial Fornnalities ufed in the faid Communion j whereupon feeking and enquiring for the right Way of Worfliip acceptable unto God,' he dropt into a fmall Meeting of Friends, wherein no inftrumental Miniflry (as I' remember) was heard that Day ; yet never- thelefe the feeking Youth was made contrite, melted, and througWy convinced of the Truth in that filent Meeting." (The like Account I have alfo heard concerning the Con- vincement of fome others) " And thencefor-' ward, perfevering under an awful Regard to that gracious Hand that had fo vifited him, he grew in Grace and the faving Knowledge of God ; who, being of poor and low Cir- ' ** cumftances, as to Things of this Life, was '^ obliged to labour hard for his Bread, and, " being a Tay/or by Trade, was often obligM " to work at other Peoples Houfes, yet could ** not be eafy to omit Week-day Meetings, but *' laying afide his Work, was engag'd to walk *^ often a pretty Way to Week-day Meetings ; " yet fuch v/as his Diligence and Induflry be- " fore and after the faid Meetings, that thofe *' he work'd for defirM o Allowance or Abate- " ment for the Time (pent on Account of the " i^id tt €t (C €( C( r 1^4 I *'j;;faid Meelings. Some Time after this he *? married a young Woman convinced of the " • Truth a little while before. Now the Storms- of Perfecution rofe high, and having now and then a Meeting in his Houle, (being himfelf in the minifterial Capacity) they cheerfully fufFer'd the Spoiling of their Goods for Truth's Sake, and were ftripp'd very bare as to Temporals, having two fmall Children, and his Wife with Child of the third i yet' keeping faithful, according to the beft of their Knowledge and Ability, and confequently not daring to be remifs or indifferent in that im- portant Duty of attending religious Meetings," *' they were blefs*d every Way, and their little Oil and Meal were thereby rendered capable to anfwer all juft Demands, and moreover to make many little Cakes for the Prophets of ** the Lord, having all along a Place and Houfe of Reception and Hofpitality for his MefTen- gers to the Day of their Death, which was ** in Peace inexprefTible.'* On the other hand many, by the wretched Ilfidifferency about fpiritual and religious Mat- ters, (though it may be at the fame Time pretty llanch Moralifls) have become guilty of this njiferabic Deficiency of negledting or forfaking t^ie affembling themfelves, in order to perform divine Worfhip on Week-days, and fome have fo lamentably been prevail'd upon by that In- difpofition of Lukewarmnefs, or by the furfeit- ing and chg^king Cares of this World, the Deceitfulnefs (C (C €C <( €< C( all be lightly ejlee???d. On the oth'r Jiand, may not the true and faithful Attenders of religious Affemblies, by Faith lay hold on that Promife, — 'The??! that honour me, 1 will honour. And likewile receive Confolation and Encourage- Iwie xii. ment from thefe Words of Christ, — Fear not little Flock, for it is your Father s good Plea fare to give you the Kingdo?n, Faithful Friends forecaft their Bufinefs fo as nothing, lo far as in them lies, may interfere and hinder them from attend- ing Week-day Meetings. Do nut we generally know on what Day the Week-day Meetings will fall ? We ought therefore, I fay, lo to foie- caft, and as much as we can, to order our tem- poral Affaiis, that nothing which may be well . done on another Day, may be fuffcr'd to fall in our Way as an Impediment to hinder us from meeting with Christ and his two or three. If I attend religious Meetings only on luch Davs, wherein the very Laws of the Land lufter no Fairs or Markers to be held, nor will allow me to open my Shop, or to be eng^g'd in fervile Work : If, I fay, I ferve (or pretend to ferve) God in religious Aflemblies on thofe Days only, on which the Laws of the Land do not allow me [ m 1 me actually to labour for the Things of this World, what Reward have I? Sfhly. As King Solomon advifeth,-'- Tr^'/w up prov» a Child in the Way he P:}Ould go, &c. it is fully x^"' ^' believ'd by a large Cloud of living, WitneiTes, that as Men (hould go to, and diligently attend Meetings for divine Worihip -, fo even Children ought to be train'd up in attending fuch Aflem- blies, when in the Wifdom of Truth, pious Parents, Guardians and Schoolmafters may fee convenient and (uitable, not at all doubting, but all thofe that have thefe tender Plants under their Care, as they rnind their own Conditions - and Growths in Grace, will be moved and helped prudently and gradually to train them towards (and in due Time in) the real Performance of this fo important a Duty ; neither ever-driving the little Lambs, nor, through a too fond Indul- gence or Carelefnefs, leaving them behind, or luffer them to loiter, but always watching over them with an Eye of Regard, in a due Con- fideration of their tender Age, Ca'pacities and Circumflanccs. Being thus conduded, I don't much queftion but they will often find them- felves engag'd to bring the little Ones to Meetings at proper Times. Obje5iion, Some have objed:ed to fuch Propo- fals on this wife, — Let them firjl have Senfe, a?td then brifig them to Meetings. Anfw, He that was reprefented by a certain Houfholder, who went out early in the Morning to hire Labourers N 3 into [ 196 ] into his Vineyard, hath often touched the tender Minds of Children in the early Part of their Time, and, as it were, in the Dawn and Morn- ing of their Day ; fome about the fixth, feventh, eighth or tenth Year of their Age (or fome fooner) have been gracioufly vifited, broken and tendered by the fweet Influences of him, who blefs*d the little Children that were formerly brought unto him, commanding, that fiich jhould he Juffer*d^ and in no wije forbidden. We cannot £x tlieTime of Childrens Vifitations, whether at the third, (ixth, or ninth Hour he fhall be pleafed to give them an Invitation out of the Market- place into the Vineyard ; however, it is firmly believ'd it is the indifpenfable Duty of Parents, School-mafters, and thofe entrufted with theNur- ture of Children, humbly to prefent them before the Lord in the folemn Meetings of Worfhip abovefaid, and fervently to beg his Blefling upon them ; which I am fenfible is and will be un- doubtedly the Concern of all thofe Parents, &c, that are (or Ihall be) rightly concerned for their own Souls. But, oh ! Friends, how can it be expeded, that they who negledt their own States and Conditions, and their own refpeftive Duties in attending Meetings, (hould be effedlu- ally concerned for, and rightly bring thofe up in the Nurture and Admonition of the Lord, who are under their Care ? How (hould thofe Parents, who do not weep for themfelves, rightly weep for their Children ? — Weep not for me, faid Christ, to the lamenting Daughters of ^erufakm, but weep for yourfelves and your Children. [ ^97 ] Children. Nay, fome of thofe Parents, remife in their Duty to God and their own Souls (in Regard to attending Meetings, ©c.) and confe- quently to their Offspring, have too often rejedl- ed and taken amifs the Advice of their wellwifh- ing Friends, with refpedl to their Negligence, refpedting their own Welfare, and coniequently their Childrens Good. Some Parents it may be, have gone to Meetings themfelves, but have too often left their Children (or at leaft too many of them) at Home, exposed, very likely, to unfuitable Company, and undue Liberties. Nay, fome living in the Town where the Firfl- day and Week-day Meetings were held, have both themfelves and their Children too much forfaken the Affembling themfelves together, efpecially on the Week-days, and perhaps fome of thofe irreligious ProfelTors would be fitting, or walking, or talking in the Street, during the Week-day Meeting-tim^, and when ad- monifti'd to a more becoming Condudt, they have taken it amifs, and fpurn'd violently againft the Advice and the Advifer j and by fuch Beha- viour it has been thought they have harden'd their Children againft Friends. But, alas ! thofe imprudent Creatures, both Elder and Younger, have been attended with manifeft Tokens of the great Lofs they fuftain'd thereby divers Ways. May therefore the Harms of others be our feafonable Precautions. In Anfwer to the Objediions fome have made, or may make, againft bringing Children to N 4 religious [ '98 1 religious Meetings, fcarce thinking them perhaps capable of receiving Profit therein, I much define the Words and Obfervations of our worthy' Friend Robert Barclay, in his Propofition of Worfhip, Pag, 359, 360, may be ferioufly confider'd, as follows : " And this Power would ^ *' fometimes alfo reach to, and wonderfully *V work in Meetings, even in little Children, to [^ the Admiration and Artoniihmeiit of many.'* When honeft Parents have done what they could or can do, on Account of their own and their dear Childrens Souls Welfare, all may be little enough ; but happy thole poor Parents, who being tried with that exceeding bitter Cup, and Heart-breaking Exercife, of having a pro- digal Son or Daughter, can in Sincerity appeal unto the Lord on this wife, — Lord, thou hiowefl 1 have done my Be/I Jor my Childre?i^ both by hufnble Prayer and frequent Inter ccjjion with thee for them, as well as by Example and Precept, for their Prejcrvation, But what will become of thofe unhappy Parents, who have afforded their Children nei- ther good Examples nor Precepts, but di Re- garded the greateft Bufinefs of their-Time, that is, of working out their own Salvation, and therefore have neglected (and by that Negledb render'd themfelves uncapable) to bring up their Children in the Nurture and Admonition of the Lord ? What, I fay, will become of fuch Parents, when they fee the Mifcarriages and bad Courfes [ ^99 I Courfes of any of their Offspring, being confcious to themfelves of their finful Negled: touching their Education, and may be obliged to confefs, and forrowfully reflect on themlelves for this their Deficiency, as being in fome fort acceflary to the Ruin of their poor Children. I find in the Journal of our worthy Friend 'Thomas Ckalkley^ that he was fometimes con- cerned to exhort Friends to bring their Children to Meetings, and educate them when young, in the Way they fhould go, that they might . not depart from it when old ; which I am perfuaded faithful Friends have all along been (and ftill are) confcientioufly concerned to do, as being to them not a Matter of IndifFerency, but ever efteem'd by them as their incumbent and paternal Duty. Don't we read that, befides the five Thoufand Men, Women and Children wh^' j^^^^ followed, and were fed by Christ, even in axiv. 21. Wildernefs or defart Place, when he appeared amongft them in the Body of Flefh ? Shall any therefore now be fo unwife in thefe calm and quiet Times, wherein we may fit together peaceably and undifturbed in cur religious Meetings, and wait for the fpiritual Appearance of Christ :' Can any, I fay, be fo unwife, as now to negledt religious Meetings ? Should we not by all Means, in point of Gratitude to our gracious God, in point of Juftice to our own Souls, our Children, Families, and our Friends, flock to our religious Meetings, both on Firfl- days and other Days of the Week, taking our Children [ 200 ] Children along with us, and allowing all rea* fonable Liberty to our Servants ? But oh ! how (hall thofe anfwer for it at the great Day of Ac- count, who are, or fliall be found negligent in an Affair of fo great Importance ! The late and diforderly coming to Meetings of fome of the Profeffors of Truth, who generally drop in, when thofe who carefully obferve the Hour ap- pointed have fitten perhaps Half an Hour, or mofl of an Hour, don't only interrupt and hurt the Meeting, but is a bad Example to the young People and others, but the greateft Lofs is their own. This irregular Pradlice of coming late to Meetings is inconfiftent with our Reputation as a religious Society, and contrary to the Pradice of Friends in the Beginning, of whom we read, that not only thofe of advanced Years were good Examples in this Refpedt, but alfo that fome of their Children, who were left at Home during their Parents Imprifonment for keeping up this Teftimony, were concerned honourably to at- tend their religious Meetings, and were them- felves alfo call'd in queflion by the fecular Powers for this their Chrijiian Teftimony in thofe trying and proving Times ? Shall therefore any, either Parents or Children, dare through Indolence and Lukewarmnefs, to be guilty of fuch Ingratitude in negleding, or not duly attending religious Meetings in thefe peaceable Times, wherein there is, through the Mercy of kind Providence, a great Calm to the Churches. Here [ 201 ] Here I take Freedom to infert fome fenliblc Expreflions of fome pious Children, a little before their Death, touching religious Meetings, as a convincing Argument that Children have received Benefit in attending them, and to obvi- ate the Objedtions that fome Parents have made, or may make, againft the Concern of fuch Friends as advife Fathers and Mothers profeffing the Truth, to bring their Children to Meetings whilft young. I. Mary Post, aged about eight Years, a little before her Death, exprefs'd her Delight in going to Meetings. Piety promoted. Part ^th. Pag. 87. II. Rebekah Toovey, aged about nine Years, faid (near her Death) Jhe lovd to go to Meetings -, they were fweet to her. Ibid. Pag, 143, III. William Fennel l, aged about twelve Years when he dyM, calling for his Sifters and Brother, (on his fick Bed) he exhort- ed them to love T^ruth, and to go to Meetings^ and think upon God and good T-hings^ and the Lord would love them. 'Tis plain therefore, that young Plants have often been, and may be, truly fenfible of the fingular Benefit to be reaped in religious Meet- ings. ^tbly. [ 202 ] ()thly. 'Tis admirable to obferve what Diffi- culties, even through Hail, Rain and Snow, up early and down late, will fome Profeffors wade through, in order to attend Markets and Fairs, but what fmall Matters will fometimes deter them from fetting out to a religioas Meeting. I had^ faid one, intended to have been at fuch a Meetings but there came a Shower of Rain^ when 1 was jufi going off^ and prevented me. May we not fay to fuch a poor cool One, tkou of little Faith. Our worthy Friend Thomas Chalkley obferves in his Journal, Pag. 324, That *' one John '' Pickerings the Governor of T'ortola, made ** feveral new Forms to accommodate the Peo- " pie in religious Meetings in his own Houfe, " which he fent fix Miles on Mens Heads, the "Roads not being paffable by Cartiage, by '* Carts, Gfr. This I think worth noting, fays he ^ *' that their Zeal may be had in Remembrance, '^ and that ours may be flirr'd up to a more " religious Concern, who will fcarce go fix Steps *V to a religious Meeting, or will not go at all/' \othly. When we remember and confider, as above obferv'd, the heavy Exercifes and deep Sufferings, Spoilings of Goods, Imprifonments, Csfr. our Fore-faihers were try'd with, and mer- cifully enabled faithfully and nobly to endure and go through with Chrijlian Patience for their Teftimonies- fake, in holding their religious Meetings : And when we alfo humbly confider, how [203] how our gracious God has rebuk'd the Storms of Perfecution, and has caus'd a long Calm to his Church and People, this marvellous Work of the Lord ought never to be forgotten, but thankfully, and in deep Humility, ever to be remembred and duly acknowledged by all the Profeflbrsof Truth, by a Condudt truly religious, circumfpe<5t and agreeable to thefe invaluable Favours, and in the fincere, dihgent and fervent Performance of all our Jeveral Duties we owe unto him the Author and Giver of all our Privileges. But oh ! Friends, when the faithful in our Ifrael^ with much Sorrow and Regret take Notice of the lamentable Lukewarmnefs of too many under the Profeffion of the bleffed Truth in divers Places, who have not only too much forfaken the attending of Week-day Meetings, but in fome Places have quite dropt them, as many faithful Brethren think, to the great and certain Lofs of themfelves, their Families and their Children, and to the Difhonour of our gracious God, to the Difadvantage of our Society in general, and the great Afflidion of the living Members thereof, and is like to prove, as many- good Friends fear, an Irilet to other undue Liberties and hurtful Things. While I am writing thefe Words, the mourn- ful Expoftulation of Mo/es, with backfliding Jfrael of old, fprings in my Mind, wherein he movingly cries out on this V\'ife, — Do ye thus ^^^^^ requite y.xxu. 6. [ 204 ] requite the Lord, O foolifld People and unwife ? Is not he thy Father that hath bought thee ? Hatb he not made thee and ejlablijh'd thee^ &c. Where- fore, with much Concern of Mind, for the LoRD*s Sake, for the Welfare of yourfelves. Families and Children, (that have them) I cor- dially and compailionatcly addrefs you, who may be guilty of this Defedion and Revolt here mention'd and mourn'd for. Pray confider in time of this your Negligence, as the certain Effects of your flighting the Reproofs, Teachings and Operations of the Spirit of Truth ye make Profeflion of; and I befeech you, take away the Caufe, that the EffecSs may ceafe, by timely, diligently and devoutly retiring to, and obeying this precious Gift of G o d in your own Hearts, whereby ye may be hclp'd, before your Day be over, to repair thofe lamentable Breaches, and, as I may fay, rebuild thefe very forrowful Defolations. Oh ! Friends, is this a Time to drop your religious Meetings, when the Lord hath lo marveloufly opened our Way, fo that, through the Clemency of the mild Government we live under, we, as a People, are not only tolerated, but protected in attending them ? He hath wonderfully, as I may fay, divided and opened our Way through the Oppofition of fecular Powers^ penal Laws, Prijon-houfes, &c. Shall any of us now fit down at Eafe in any Engagement of this uncertain World, (hort of a truly religious Concern and Perfeverance in the Way and Work of Regeneration^ when, I fay, our Way is thus open'd ? I beg of you, by the [ 205 ] the Mercies of Christ, duly to remember, and piadice according to the Command of the Almighty, when he had open'd the Way for his People, laying, — Speak to my People that they go forward. And, my Beloved, herein earneflly fought after, and in the Goodwill of the Gofpel treated with, fuffer me to fay, as this grievous dropping of Week-day Meetings may juftly be called a Backfliding from the Purity and Integrity of our worthy Ancients, and the Pradice of the Faithful in this Day, and from the repeated Advices and Diredtions of many Particulars, as well as our Yearly-meeting from Time to Time, who have been engaged to counfel in divine Love ; let fuch remember the tender Call of the Lord to his backfliding Ifrael of old, with the Heart-affedting conditional Promife annexed thereto, — Return ye backfliding ^ar. iii. Children^ and I will heal your Back fit dings ; ^^' which gracious and compaffionate Promife, I humbly hope, will be vouchfafed unto you, in cafe ye fhall rightly obferve the gracious Invita- tion to return, and (hall be fincerely and heartily concerned henceforward to let your paft Negli- gence fuffice, and for the future ufe your utmoft Diligence to make your Calling and Eledion fure, and {hall, as the Apoftle exhorted the Ephejians^ walk circumfpeBlly^ not as FoolSy but Epb, as Wife ^ redeeming the 1*1 me, becaufe the Days^^* ^^' are evil : That when the great and notable ap- proaching Day ihall come, wherein each of you {hall be called to an Account, — ComCy give an Account of thy Stewardflnp, for thou [haft be no T. [ 206 ] 710 longer Steward -, each of you, may receive this moft defirable and welcome Sentence, — Mit. XXV. IVcIl done, thou good and jaithful Servant^ thou ^^* hajl heenjaithjul over a few Things^ I will make thee Ruler over many Tubings \ enter thou into tlje Joy of thy Lord. But alas ! alas ! how can they exped: to be then denominated good and faithjul Servants^ who in this gracious Toleration are thus ungrate- fully negleding or dropping their Week-day Meetings, and fo flighting the encouraging Expreffionsof blelTed Jesus, the righteous Judge of the Quick and Dead, while they are yet in Health and Stiength, and in a Capacity to meet together with the two or three ? Again, may it be obferv'd, that when Mojes, that faithful Servant of the Lord, was near leaving the People, being one Hundred and twenty Years old, he wrote the Law, and de- livered it to the Priefts which bore the Ark of the Lord, and unto all the Elders of Ifrael^ with this pofitive Command and Charge, fay- Dent, ingj — Gather the People together^ Men, fVomen xxxi. 12, ^jid Children J and thy Stranger which is within ^^' thy Gates, that they may hear^ and that they may learn and fear the LoRDjyw/r God, and obferve to do all the Words of this Law : And that their Children, which have not known any Tubing, ?nay bear and learn to fear /^^ Lord j)'i?//r God, as long as ye live in the hand whither ye go over Jordan to pofefs it, Pleafe t 2^7 1 Pleafe ib mark here. Strangers, and everf Children, were not to be overlook'd or left at Home, but to appear among the Elders at the Time and Place appointed ^ neither were the People of the Lord to drop or omit the due Performance of this Charge fo long as they fliould live in the Land. Shall Gofpel Duties then be dropt in this glorious Gofpel Difpen- fation ? How many good Friends, even upon their dying Beds, have been frequently con- cerned to advife their Survivors, diligently and duly to attend religious Meetings ? May we remember that the Jews began theif Preparation of the Sabbath at three o' Clock in the Afternoon of the aforegoing Day, that is, of the Sixth-day of the Week : Should we not therefore now, as the Meeting-day and Time approaches, be, after a fuitable Manner, ab- fl:ra(fting our Minds and Thoughts from earthly Things, and get into a proper Concern for meet- ing in the Name of Jesus, with the two or three, in order to know him in the Midft of uSc But would it not be a very forry and piteous Cafe, if any of us ftiould have our Minds fo ingrc^s'd and employed with Things of this Wor!d, that we ihould go talking and communing, on the Meeting-days, about earthly Concerns, almoft to the Meeting-houfe Door, and likewife, Meet- ing being broken up, refume the fame worldly Subjects of Difccurfe ? If fuch fhould in the Meeting receive any Share of the heavenly Seed ipto their Hearts, (being too much like the O Highway [ 2o8. ] Highway Ground) are they not in Danger, of having the fame devoured by the Fowls of the Air ? Oh ! therefore, how great Care and Cir- cumfpedion ought v/e to be found in, both in going to our Meetings, waiting reverently in them, and awfully returning from them, and even in the whole Courfe of our (hort and uncer- tain Time ? If therefore an honeft Concern of this kind was come into and duly obferv'd by the Profeffors of Truth, that is, a proper Exer- cife, a ftrid: Obfervation of the Hour appointed, and a fuitable Concern and waiting for the fenfi- ble Enjoyment of the divine Prefence ; all which neceffary Steps I am well affur^d the Principle we profefs would, if rightly obeyed, lead all its Profeffors into ; our religious Meetings would, in the beft Senfe, become Times and Places of Pleafure and Proht united ; and as for the mod Part, or often, our Meetings have in them fome Children, fome infirm Perfons, who are fcarce able to endure very long Meetings, though we cannot limit the Continuation of our Meetings by the Clock or Hour-glafs, yet by the Methods abovelaid, thro' the Lord's Blefling thereupon, Meetings would be fliort and fweet, and the Performance of this our reafonable Duty would be rendered unto the general not grievous, but ioycus and profitable, even to the fnicere Weak- lings of the Flock, according to the AfTertion of him who has promifed his bleffed Company, • — My Yoke is eajy, dnd my Burden is light. And inafmuch as our ProfefTion of the Guidance and Teachings of the Holy Spirit in the Gofpel- Difpenfaiion, Difpenfation, implies an Abrogation of the typi- cal Ceremonies commanded and pradlifed under the Mojaick Law, how greatly it behoves us, and under how clofe Obligations do we lie, who profefs the bleffed Truth, fo to demean ourfelves at all Times, and in all Places, (but efpecially in our religious Meetings) that nothing incon- fiftent with our high Profeffion may appear ; no fcandalous Dulnefs or Sleepinefs, no gaping or yawning, no wandering Eyes, no unbecoming or refllefs Poftures, may ever appear in the Times of our Devotion -, for, to be fure, whether we watch ourfelves rightly or not, the Eyes of the People are upon us ; and if, while we profefs to be come beyond Ceremonies, formal Prayer, premeditated Sermons, formal Singings, and the like, any of us fhould be fo unhappy and un- wife, by an imprudent Condudl, Lukevvarmnefs, and an unconcerned Frame of Mind in our re- ligious Meetings, to give Occafion to any that have their Eyes upon us, feme it may be for Good, and fome other wife, to fay, we^ cr any of us, are fo poor, that we have neither Shadow nor Subfta?2ce^ we fhall certainly hurt our Sou!?, and be bad Examples to others. Finallyy my Friends, having in much Love, Charity and good Will, not (I alTure you) with a View churlifhly to expofe the Failings of any weak Brother or Sifter, but rather by Way of Caution to all where thefe Lines may come, made the foregoing Remarks, I now moft dearly lalute you our dear and'near Friends, who have O 2 dedicated [ 2IO ) dedicated the Day of your Health and Strength to the Service of Truth, in diligently attending Meetings, and faithfully dilchaiging your Duties therein, but now either thro* want of Health, or by reafon of old Age, or other Circum- fiances, are render'd incapable of appearing in religious Affemblies ; be not difcouraged, the Lord is with you, his holy Arms are about you. — Trujl in the Lord, for in the Lord Jehovah n everlafii?2g Strength : He, who accepts of a Man according to what he hath, and not ac- cording to what he hath not, will accept of your fincere and private Devotions, and you may, I truft, by Faith, lay hold on thefe Words of Itth xii. Christ, as if fpoken to you, — Fear not little 5^' Flock, for it is your Father's good Pleafure to give you the Kingdom, And alfo, I am fatisfied ^ohn:Liv. ye may lay hold on that Fromife, — If a Man ^5* love me^ he will keep rny Words ^ and my Father will love him, and we will come unto hi?n, and 7nake our Abode with him. O my dearly Beloved, altho' you be depriv'd of appearing perfonally with your dear Friends in publick Aflemblies, you have here each of you, through the moft merciful Condefcenfion of the Lord, a moft comfortable, moft gracious Promife of the per- manent Company of the Father and the boN, who will make their Abode with you. In the Love of the everlafting Gofpel I greet you, and bid you all Farcwel, who am your truly well-wiftiing Friend, David Hall. • [ 211 ] P. S, Some may perhaps have faid, or may fay, / can have as good a Meeting with a good Book by my Fire-fide, as you can have at your publick Ajfembly. Anjw. We muft own the Lord is omniprefent, and will undoubtedly own his Peoples private Devotion, tho' ihey cannot perfonally attend with their Friends ; but whilft they are favoured with the Bleffing of Health and Strength, it is according to the Apoftle's Exhortation, Heb, x. 25. and divers other Scrip- tures, their undoubted Duty to meet and aC- femble together, to demonftrate their Care for the Maintenance of the publick Worfhip of Almighty God. And it is often obferved,' that this pretended Fire-fide Devotion is only an Excufe, and tends to the Deftrudiion rather than Edification, not only of fuch Particulars, but of the Society in general. I much defire that the worthy and wholfome Advices, lovingly and fuitably, from Time to Time, recommended to us by our Yearly- Meeting on divers particular Accounts, and efpecially thefe that follow, as pertinent to the Matter in hand, may be read and duly obferv'd by us all. Yearly-Meeting's Epiftle^ i7S4- " We farther find ourfelves, dearly beloved " Brethren, earneftly concerned to remind you " of another Mark of Degeneracy too vifible ** among us, viz» a Negligence of attending O 3 " our [ 2IE ] our appointed Meetings for Worfliip, both ** on the Fiiil-days and other Days of the Week : A Neglefl: which calls for feafonable Reproof, and a preffing Exhortation, that a religious Concern of attending all your Meet- *' ings, and efpecially of your Week-day Meet- *' ings, may grow, increafe, and become more " general , this we recommend as the proper ^*^ Means of renewing your Strength, and as fuitable Opportunities of abftradting your Thoughts from the Hurries and Incumbrances of worldly Affairs, and of habituating your Minds to a ferious Meditation on heavenly Things : And, dear Friends^ let not the Small- nefs of your Numbers difcourage you from conflantly attending thofe Meetings, inafmuch as the Words of Christ remain unchange- Mif. " ably true and fledfaft, — Where two or three are iviii. 20. t< gathered together in my Name ^ there am 1 in the Mid/l of them. And as your AffecSions come to be fet on Things that are above, your De- light will be in frequent Retirement from the *' World, its Trade and Concerns, and your *' chiefeft Care will be to lay up Treafure in *' Heaven, fecure from the Reach of Corrup- ** tion and Difappointment ; and then where your Jreajure is, there will your. Hearts be alfo. But on the contrary, it hath been juftly *' obferv*d, that where Remifnefs and Neglecft ** of attending Meetings for Worfliip hath ** prcvaird, it hath been too often an Inlet to *' farther Declenfion, and an Introducer of fuch " other cc cc cc cc CC cc cc , and in the Power of his Might, Put on the wljole Armour of. God, that ye may be able ta fland againft the Wiles of the DeviL o ^ My dearly beloved Friends^ in much BrotherljT Klndnefs and Charity, I tenderly fympathize- V^ith you that may be under SuiFering or Dif- couragement in any Refpedt, and particularly in tjiis, That divers of the worthy Elders and Miniftene, in fome Places, are removed from you by Death, and divers Meetings may now be fipall and reduced ; I beg you will not be too ^iktieh difgouraged on this Account ; for the all- , ivfficient Rock and Root remains, which, as ye duly obferye ity will fupply all your Wants, and will qualify and teach Parents and Elders to be' good Examples, and rightly to inftrud: their Children and young Generation, by Precept and Pattern, as niiifing Fathers and nurling Mothers, and likewife would direft and help Children and Youths to demean themfelves aright toward Parents arid Elders, Servants towards Mafters, and Mafters towards Servants.-. -t\^ ,\ \uo-; y> O dear Friendly Tbcfecch you go not out after the Lo-heres, and Lo-thereSy now crying aloud in the Nation, but diligently attend your religious Meetings, both on the Firft-days and Week-days, and other Meetings for Truth's' Service, as you may find your Way ppencd, while [ 217 ] while you are favoured with the Bleffings of Health and Strength, and there devoutly wait for the fpiritual Appearance of Christ, who hath given this gracious PromifCy—fFhere two ^?/' or three are gathered together in my Name^ there ^"*' *^* am I in the Midji of them. It is now in my Heart lovingly to addrefs and advife you, concerning two particular Things of no fmall Importance, viz. iji. Befure to watch againft the leaft Appear- ance of any Thing that would gender to Difcordy and, with ^11 Care and Circumfpedlion, labour to keep the Unity of the Spirit in the Bond of Peace. — Now I befeech you^ as faitji the Apoftle, ^ ^^^' '• Brethren^ by the Name oj our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all fpeak the fame "things and that there be no Divifons among you^ but that ye be perfeBly joined together in the; fame Mind\ and in the fame Judgment, Wherefore, whenever any Matter of Debate may happen to be, wherein Friends may be of different Sentiments, it is much to be defircd, that all Friends would la- bour fo to keep to and under the Government' of the meek Spirit of Jesus, as that all Animo- fities, lU-temper, exafperating Expreiflions and Refentaients, may be prevented, and that mutual Love, that certain ^iftinguifliing Charafteriftick of the Difciples of Christ, may ever be in all Cafes maintained and retained among us j which honeft Care and Concern, would, I firmly be- lieve, greatly tend to the Praife of him our heavenly '[ 2i8 i heavenly Head, and to the Edification of his Church and People, through the Influence of the divine Spirit, fo that v/e might thereby - ' really and experimentally know the bleffed Efficacy of divine Love, according to the I ^obi iv. Apoftle's extenfive and moving AiTertion. — God i6. is Love, and he that dwelleth in Love^ dwelleth in God, and God in him, O blelTed Dwelling ! O glorious, and fafe, O comfortable Habitation ! idly. That all the young and rifing Gene- ration, and Children of believing Parents efpe- cially, may carefully wait, and truly endeavour to know and dwell under the Crofs of Christ,' . ^ ^ and to be acquainted w^ith the bleflfed Truth, even the glorious Appearance of Christ in their own Hearts and Souls, being the Principle of their Education, and the refining, abfoltftely' necefl^ry faving Baptifm thereof, that thereby' they may be made truly ufeful Members of the one Church and Body of Christ, be ferviceable and honourable Inftruments therein while here, (as right SucceflTors of the faithful Minifters and Elders now gone, and going oflF the Stage) and Inheritors of the Kingdom of Heaven hereafter. ^c/^xxii. "^'^^7^^^'^^ ^^^yfi^f therefore ivith him, and be at' ii. Peace, fo JJmll Good come unto thee, faith one in yob. If our dear young People would be per- Iwaded to chufe the bleffed Truth for their Por- tion, and the God of Jacob for the Lot of their Inheritance, then would the enriching Bleffing of God attend them in all their Enterprizes ; then would the Lord bring up many that are low. [ 219 ] low, to fit as among Princes, and would provide for them, and fupply their Wants, according to the gracious Promife of bleffed Jesus, — Seek Miusu yejirjl the Kingdom of God, and his Right eoufnejsy 53* and all thefe Things fiall be added unto you : And as the Royal Pfalmift faith,— Tz&d' Lord God is pfaim a Sun and Shield, the Lord will give Grace and^^^"^^^* Glory ^ no good Thing will he with-hold from them that walk uprightly. And thus would they be • preferved from the various Snares and Gins that : are cunningly laid by our common Adverfary for the Feet of the Youth, efpecially in this afflidting Cafe of mixt Marriages, wherein fo many of our carelefs, difobedient Youths have fo often fallen, and alas ! yet are falling, to the inex- preffible Sorrow of their honeft Parents, and to the great Trouble and Exercife of their truly, welwifliing Friends, and the Society in general ; but alas 1 the greateft Lofs is their own. And verily, we have many Inftances at this Time of the miferable Situation fuch poor refolute incon- fiderate Creatures have brought thepifelves into, by their imprudent and difagreeable Proceedings and Contrads on Account of that very momen-. tous Affair of Marriage, Let therefore, I be- feech you my dear young and unmarried Friends, the Harms and By-fleps of others, with the difmal Confequenccs thereof, be your timely Cautions. Faithful Friends in thefe forrowful Times, can but deeply lament to fee fo many of our young Men and Women fo far llraying from the [ 220 ] the Principles of their Education, and the fettled and well known Rules of our Society in divers Refpeds, but in particular, I fay, in that, (which is now weightily before me and many others) even that difagreeable, dangerous Error of piixt Marriages^ whereby Confufion and Perplexity are ufherM into Families, Meetings, and the Society. How many that might pro- bably have been of fingular Service in the Society many Ways, have forfeited their Unity with Friends, rendered themfclves lame, and rather Caufes of Afflidion, than Help to the Commu- nity ; have involved themfelves in many Incon- veniences, by refolutely deviating from the faid wholefome and fafe Rules agreed upon by the Society in the Wifdom of Truth, in this very afflidting Cafe ? Wherefore, in the Bowels of Love, once more I earneftly intreat you, that are not yet enthralFd in that difmal Yoke of Bondage, Stand upon your Guards watch and prajy that ye enter not into 'Temptation of any Kind, and efpecially that ye be not allur'd into thefe Snares of being unequally yoked in thefe Kinds of unfuitable Marriages, which have perhaps feem'd pleafant to fome at the firil:, but generally have, and do prove bitter Cups after- wards, it having long been, and yet is, the Senfe of folid and judicious Friends, that the Hand of divine Providence is againft fuch difagreeable >^rov. XX. Matches. — Bread of Deceit is fwcet to a Man^ ^7. hut afterwards his Mouth (hallbefiWd with Gra^ vcl, faith wife King So/omon, Finally, [ 221 } i' Finally y my dearly Beloved, who have at Heart the Profperity of Zio/i, as the prefent Stale of Affairs, with regard to the Church, and the fecular Powers, feems loudly, in an efpecial manner to call upon us, as in Times part on a certain Occafion, — Prepare to meet thy God, O lirael ! I humbly and fervently beg, that we may dwell fo inward with the Lord, fo humble ourfelves under his mighty Hand, that we, being ourfelves preferv'd in Covenant with him, may in true Brotherly Love, and Chrijlian Sympathy, be help'd rightly to remem- ber and pray for our Brethren all the World over, and particularly for thofe our dear Friends who may now be under Sufferings and Probations, occafion*d by the Commotions of JVar^ which we in thefe Parts do but, as yet, hear the Ru- mours of, that the everlafling Arms may be nn-^ derneath their Souls, that they may be by him directed, protected and fupported through, and under all the Trials they may, by divine Per- miffion, meet with -, and, with the Exhortation of the Apoftle, — Watch ye^ /land fa ft in the iCor.xn, Faith, quit you like Men, he firong. Let all^'^^ *^ your Things he done ivith Charity j I bid you Parewel, who am Tour Brother in the Unity of the Spirit ^ and Bond of Peace^ Skipton, the z^ih of the "H i xr rn ThT * t t t-ifch Month, 1:55. .UAYID llALL. P. s. [ 222 ] It S. Ibefeech you, dear Friends, bear thU further Caution and following Word of Exhor^ tation, that is to fay, Carefully beware of, and; avoid that vile and antichriftian Pradtice o(- Evil'furmlftngy Backbiting^ or fpr ending evil Re^ ports of a7iy Brother or Sifter behind their Backs ; but rather, if any of us (hould hear fomething amifs concerning any Friend, let fuch who hear of it, in a friendly and brotherly Manner, go to the Perfon of whom the Report is rais'd, lovingly enquire into the Truth of the Cafe, and friendly admonifh as the Cafe may require, purfuant to that cordial and Chriftian Diredtioa GaU vi. of the Apoftle, — Brethren^ if a Man be over- taken with a Faulty ye which are jpiritual^ re/lore fuch an one in the Spirit of Meeknefs, confidering thyfelf left thou aljb be tempted ^ ever mindful of Christ's excellent Precept, — And as ye would that Men fljould do to you^ do ye Jo to them likewife. D. Hall. FINIS. 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The Saints Travel to fpiritual Canaan, wherein are difcovercd feveral falfeRefts, ftiort of the true fpiritual Coming of Chrift in his People, by J?, . rilkjnfon^ the fccond Edition, price is. Memoirs of the Life and Convinamcnt of John Whiting j together roith the Chara^ers of many eminsnt Friends, price 3J. The Life ^/ Samuel VVaLibii, price is. 66. Ncvj-England judged ; in two Farts : Firft, containing a brief Re« lation 6^ the Sulierings of the 1 eople called Quakers in New- England^ from the Time of their Arrival there, in the Year 1656, to 16601 wherein their merciles Whippings, chainings. Finings, Imprifon- ments, Starving, Burning in the Hand, Cutting off Ears, and putting to Death, with divers other Cruelties, ini1i£l:ed upon the Bodies ofin- nocent Men and Women, only for Confcience-fake, are briefly de- fcriocd. Second Part, being a farther Relation of the cruel Sufferings of the People cailed Quakers in Hem- England, continued fi:QmJnhoi660f to Anno 1665, beginning with the Sulierings of U^iiliam leddra, whom they put to Death. Publiftied by George Bifiop, inAnno 1661 and 1667, and now fome what abreviated. With an Appendix, containing the Writingsof feveral of the Sufferers ; with fome Notes, fliewing the- Accomplilhment of their Prophecies, and aPofrfcripc ofthcjudgments of God that have befallen divers ol their Perfecutors. ^jJfj an Anjwer to Cotton Mather'/ Ahufes of the [aid V eople ^ in his lattHipory o/New* England, primed himo 1702. price 5^-. Anguis Flagelatus ; or a Switch for the Snake. Beinj^ an Anfv^er to the third and lafl Editln of the Snake in the Grafs, tsherein ^.he Atithois Injufiice and Falfiood, both in Quotation andStOfV, are discovered and ob' viated ; and the Truth dofirinaUy delivered by us, fasted and niaintainedf in oppofition to his Mifrefrefentation and PerverJiOii, By jofeph Wyeth, to robich is added, A Supplement, by G. W. price 4s. The Arraignment of Popery ; being a Colle^ion taken out of the Chronicles, and other Eooks, concerning the State of the Church in the«prlmitive Times. i(L The State of the Fapi^s ; how long it ^ was before the Univerfal ^ope and ;ipafs was fee up, and their bringing in their Rudiments, Traditions, Beads, Purgacory, Tithes and Inquifitions. ^.ily A Relation of the Cruelties they aded after the Pcpe got up, and an Account of the bloody Mafiacre in Ireland in the Year 1642. "^dly. What the People of England worfhipped be« fore they were Chrijiians, The fecond Edition, price is, 6d, Tl:e Writing Scholar's Companion : Or I(ules for writing true Eng^Hfii Tvith Eafe and Certainty , drtwn from the Grounds and Rcafons cf ths EngliQi fofigtie. Compofed for the Benefit t>f all fiich rvho are induftri* etijly ambitious of fo commendable an Ornament, as writing true Englidl is generally e^eemei. Kccommendedtothe Touth of both Sexes, price is. The good Houfewifc made aDoftor; or Health^s choice and fure Friend ; Being a plain Way of Nature's own prefcribing, to prevent and cure moft.Difeafes incident to Men, Women and Children, by Diet and Kitchea-phylick only To which is added, fom* Obferva- tions on the tedious Methods of unskilful Surgeons j with cheap aui cafy Remedies. By Thsmas "iryon. price 15. ei. BOOKS Printed omJ Sold, &c. A Tredttfe of Drejims and Vifions ; wherein the CauJeSy Ndtures] dnd Vfesy of noBuml J(eprefentationSy and the Communications both of ^ood an.i evil yin^e'Sy us alfo departed Souls, to Mankind, To tohich is ddded, A Di\cowrfc of the Caufes, Natures and Curs ofptrenfy, Madnejs^ CT D I (f ration. Ihe fecond Edition^ by T. Tryon, price is. 6d. A new and infallible Method of teaching young Children to fpell and read Englijb in a very fliort Time ; containing one hundred and twenty Lellons, from Words of one to three Syllables, dilpofed in proper Order, and divided according to Rule; being one of tire * cafieft and heft Book for teaching Children to fpeU and read, now extant, price 6d, Where alfo may be had Bibles, Teftaments, Concordances, Spelling Books, Primers, Horn-Booki ; with Writing-Paper, and Paper-Books,. , Ink-Powder^ &c. And Marriage Certificates on Parchment, Stamped. 4 no 'C K Pnncfton TheoloqiC.ll Seminary-Sp«r Library 1 1012 01024 5365 r, -!•.'• ,- :•••.. :•./:.. >:'v>>::. 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