Abbildungen der Seite
PDF
EPUB

In this month I was at Middletown, in Bucks county, at the burial of my dear and intimate friend John Rutledge (who died very suddenly) at which burial there were above one thousand people: he was well-beloved among his neighbours, and was a serviceable man where he lived: I admired to see such a number of people upon so short notice, he dying one day in the afternoon, and being buried the day following: divers testimonies were borne concerning the wonderful works and ways of God. It was a solid bowing time, wherein many hearts were broken, and melted into tenderness. After meeting a young man came to me trembling, and begged that I would pray for him, for he had spent too much of his time in vanity, and had strong convictions on him for it, and, had been greatly affected and wrought upon that day. I exhorted him to deny himself, and to take up his cross, and to follow Christ, who hath said, he would in no wise cast off those who came to him in true faith. He went from me very tender and loving, being broken in his spirit.

bless

ye

From thence I went to Gwynnedd (or North-Wales) where on the first day of the week we had a very large meeting; in the morning of the day a voice awoke me, which cried aloud, saying, "Rewards and punishments for well and evil doings are sealed as an eternal decree in heaven," which confirmed me that mankind were happy or unhappy in that world which is to come, according to their deeds in this life, if their deeds be good (as Christ said) their sentence will be, "Come, ye ed;" if their deeds be evil, "Depart from me all that work iniquity," and "Go, ye cursed," &c. And, * If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? And if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door." And again, "I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way, and live." These, with many more texts of the same nature, contained in the holy scriptures, are contrary to the doctrine of personal election and reprobation, as some hold it. We had a meeting also in the afternoon of the same day, which was satisfactory to many; our hearts being filled with the love of God, for

Τ

which we thankfully praised him. The next day we had a meeting of ministers, in which they were exhorted to wait for the gift of the Holy Ghost without which there can be no true minister nor ministry. I was concerned to put them in mind to keep close to Christ, their holy, sure guide, and bishop; to be cautious of going before, lest they should miss their way, and of staying too far behind, for fear we should lose our guide; and to be careful to keep a conscience void of offence towards God, and also towards man; that we might say to the people truly, follow us, as we follow Christ; that our conversation might confirm and not contradict our doctrine, for our Saviour says, 66 By their fruits ye shall know them; men do not gather grapes of thorns," &c. and of such as say and do not, he charged his followers not to be like them, Mat. xxiii. 3. The next day we had another very large meeting there, in which many things were opened and declared, tending to establish and build us up in our faith in Christ. After this meeting, parting with my friend John Cadwallader, who accompanied me, I came homeward, lodging that night at Morris Morris's, (whose wife was very weakly) with whom we had a tender time.

The 9th of the fifth month, I was at the general meeting at Germantown, which was a large and good meeting; going home I went to see Richard Busby, who was not well; he said the company of his friends revived him. Next day I went to visit Jane Breintnall, who was seized with the dead-palsy on one side, and the Lord was pleas ed to comfort us together, as she expressed, to our mu tual satisfaction.

On the 30th of the said month, was our quarterly meeting of ministers at Philadelphia, where humble walking with God was recommended and prayed for, and it was desired that ministers might be exemplary therein, having Christ for their pattern.

On the 1st of the sixth month, I was at our meeting at Frankfort, which was a dull meeting to me and divers others, a lively exercise of spirit being too much wanting among many, and close walking with God in conversa. tion. If we would really enjoy the love and presence

of

Christ in our religious meetings; we ought to keep near to him in our daily conversation, which that we might do, was humbly desired in supplication and prayer to God.

The young man who came to me under great concern of mind after the funeral of John Rutledge, wrote to me, that he was followed with the judgments of God for his manifold transgressions, desiring that I would pray for him. In answer to his letter, I wrote him to the following effect.

"Frankfort, 7th of 6th Month, 1725,

"THINE from Burlington of the 26th of fifth month, I received, by which I perceive the hand of the Almighty hath been upon thee for thy vanity and folly; and I desire that thou may be very careful to keep close to that hand, and do not go from under it, but mind the light of Christ that hath discovered God to be great and good, and his dear Son to be thy saviour, and sin and Satan to be evil, which evil (if thou follows it) will cer tainly bring thee to destruction and eternal wo; but if thou follows Christ, and walks according to that light by which he hath manifested sin to be exceeding sinful, in his time; as thou waits in patience, he will bring thee through his righteous judgments unto victory.

Wait, Oh! wait in patience upon God, if it be all thy days! "I will bear the indignation of the Lord, because I have sinned against him," said the prophet Micah. Again, "All the days of my appointed time will I wait, till my change come," says Job.

Thou art young in years, and young in experience in the works of grace, wherefore advise with solid, good men, if thou meets with inward or outward straits and

difficulties, for the enemy will not easily let go his hold, which he hath had of thee; therefore walk circumspectly, and shun evil company. As to praying in a form of words (without the spirit helps, in order to open them according to thy state and condition) that will not avail :

a sigh or groan, through the help of the spirit, is much more acceptable to God, than any forms without it. That in the Lord's time thou mayest enjoy the reward of peace, is the desire of

Thy Friend,

T. CHALKLEY."

The young man took this counsel well, and kept to meetings, and behaved soberly for a time, but afterwards ran out, kept bad company, took to drinking to excess, ran himself in debt, and at length into a goal, which hath been the unhappy case of many unstable youths, who, "when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful, but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish hearts became darkened."

In this month, I was at Bybury and Abington meetings, in which we were favoured with the immediate power and presence of Christ, to our great comfort and edi fication, the visitation of divine love to the youth having a good effect on some of them, and the latter meeting ended with praise to the Almighty, after supplications for all men, from our king on the throne, to the meanest of his subjects.

In my travels I met with a person, who queried of me, how he should know which society had most of the Holy Spirit, since most of the professors of Christ do believe in the Holy Ghost, or spirit? to whom I made the following answer.

Let the rule of Christ determine this question: he says, "By their fruits ye shall know them; do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles ?" Mat. vii. 16. The fruits then of the Spirit of Christ are, love, faith, hope, patience, humility, temperance, godliness. brotherly kindness, and charity, with all manner of virtues. Therefore the society of christians, who brings forth most of the fruits of the Holy Spirit, consequently have most of Christ's grace and spirit. But some object and say, we will not believe that any society have the Holy

Ghost now, or the immediate revelation or inspiration of the Spirit, unless they work miracles. To which it is answered, that right reformation from sin, and true faith in Christ, cannot be wrought without a miracle, neither can we bring forth the fruits of the Spirit without the miraculous power of Christ. Men by nature bring forth the works of nature, and that which is contrary to nature is miraculous. Sin is natural, but divine holiness, or the righteousness of Christ, wrought in man, is spiritual, supernatural, and miraculous. And as to natural men, that are in a state of nature, seeing outward miracles, if they will not, nor do not believe what is written in the holy scriptures of the Old and New Testament, neither will they believe, although one were to rise from the dead. Notwithstanding Christ wrought outward miracles, and did the works which none other could do; though he cured all manner of diseases, and fed many thousands with a few loaves, and a few small fishes; and what remained, when all had eaten, was more than there was at first, though he raised the dead, and himself arose from the dead, yet few, but very few, believed in him, so as truly to follow him. His birth, his life, his doctrine, his death, his resurrection, are all miraculous; and since all this was done in the person of Christ, and at the first publication of his religion to men, there is now no absolute necessity of outward miracles, though his power is the same now as ever; but he said to his disciples, "He that believeth on me, the works that I do, shall he do also, and greater works than these shall he do." John xiv. 12. Upon which W. Dell says, "this must be understood in relation to sin; for Christ had no sin in himself to overcome, but we all have sinned," and to overcome sin is the greatest of miracles. This will try the notional or nominal christian, who says, we can never overcome sin in this world. Where then is our faith in the Son of God, who for this purpose was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil. John iii. 8. Heb. ii. 14.

Therefore let not christians be slow of heart to believe in the glorious gospel of Christ; and if we truly believe

« ZurückWeiter »