in mind of such and such things." And while this Holy Ghost, or spirit, governed in the primitive christian church, all was well; God and Christ was glorified, and his church and people edified; but by going from that, the apostacy came in.

Wherefore, dear friends, keep close to the spirit, pow. er, light, and divine life, of Christ Jesus, in your monthly and quarterly meetings for the government of the church, as well as in your meetings for the worship of the Almighty; for if we go from that, he will go from us.

And, dear friends, the testimony of Jesus, in the spirit of prophecy, opens in me after this manner, that if our society keep and live up to the spirit and truth of Christ, which hath been manifested to our forefathers, and to us also in this age, the great Lord of all will prosper his work in our hands, and bless both us and our children, as we and they keep therein.

And as we have kept close to this our heavenly guide, how hath the Lord sweetly manifested his love and power to us in our meeting for the well-ordering of our society? which many times hath filled our hearts with pure praises, and holy thanksgiving, to the high and lofty one, who inhabits eternity, and dwells in the highest heavens, and is light for ever: to whom, with the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, I recommend you, my dear and well beloved friends, brethren, and sisters, in Christ, with my own soul.

T. CHALKLEY."

P. S. Since my return, I have been thankful to God for the many favourable visitations and good opportunitics he was pleased to grant me with you, and divers sober people on your island, in which there is an open door among many to receive the testimony of truth. I commend your nobility in building good houses, and making room for your sober neighbours to sit with you in your meetings; this is of good report concerning you, both far and near, and, if I apprehend right, there is more work of that kind for you to do. I thought often, when

among you, and now also, that there would be a large gathering, if there were a house built at the upper end of the Great Plains, not far from Foster's Meadow; but every one may not think or see alike; though I know some solid friends among you, thought the same with me, about the prospect of a large gathering thereaway, if a house were built; to which friends, and well-inclined people, might come from Hempstead, Rocky-hill, Rock. away, Foster's Meadow, &c.

T. C."

After my service on Long-Island, I had great sweetness upon my spirit for some time, which sometimes caused my heart to sing for joy; and yet I rejoiced in a trembling frame of spirit, and had the true sense of what is written in the holy scriptures, where it is said, "Serve the Lord with fear," (I take it, filial fear)" and rejoice with trembling," for fear of losing that precious sense of the love of God, which is in Christ.

On the 20th of the twelfth month, the first day of the week, I was at Abington meeting, in which the love of Christ was manifested to us, in the opening of his saying, “If I be lifted up, I will draw all men unto me." John xii. 32. The next day I was at Germantown, at the bu rial of a son of Dennis Conrad, at which also was our friend Abigail Bowies. On the sixth day following, I went to the general meeting of ministers and elders at Burlington, where I again met with our said friend and divers others: the first day meeting was large; and on second day was the quarterly meeting for the county; and on third day, was their youth's meeting, which was large, and many weighty truths were delivered in that meeting. On fourth day we were at a meeting at Springfield; the house was pretty much thronged, and friends were ex horted thankfully to commemorate the mercies and fa vours of the Almighty to them, and desired to enlarge their meeting-houses as their number increased; for in those parts there was such an openness in the hearts of the people, and increase of their number, that friends had

already agreed on building two meeting-houses between Crosswicks and Burlington; their zeal and unanimity therein, was worthy of commendation. Fifth day, being the week-day meeting at Burlington, friends of the town desired I would stay at it; I thought we had just before had divers good opportunities, and my own inclinations seemed to lead to my family; but friends being desirous of my staying, I did so, and we had a good, solid meeting. After meeting, a solid, good friend said, "he thought we had the best wine at last ;" and indeed the love of God, through Christ, is so sweet to his people, that the last often seems the best, when it is only a renewed visitation of the same love to his children. So I went home rejoicing that I was in some good measure accounted worthy to serve so good and so gracious a Master.

On the 6th day of the first month, being the first of the week, I was at the morning and afternoon meetings in Philadelphia, wherein those who call themselves freethinkers were exhorted to be careful of drinking too freely, lest they might justly be called free-drinkers; for many times such, when they drink too freely of strong liquor, think and speak too freely their own corrupt notions, to the dishonour of God, and to the scandal of religion in general.

Soon after I was at the first day meetings at Philadel phia; and in this month I went to the Jerseys, and was at three large meetings in company with Abigail Bowles, in which our said friend had good service, to the comfort of friends, convincing of gainsayers, and confirming the weak, and the people were glad of our visit.

The 15th day of this month I was at Burlington, at the burial of my good friend and old acquaintance, Abraham Bickley, at whose funeral were great numbers of people, he being well beloved of his neighbours: Christ's raising Lazarus out of the grave, and his tenderness and weep. ing there, was spoken of, in order to stir people up to a tender, religious exercise of mind, which is too much wanting among many of the professors of his holy name, who have too little sense of that which should bring true tenderness over their minds, being more in earth than

heaven; so that they are dry and barren, as to the things of God. The meeting ended, to satisfaction, with supplications to the Almighty.

A few days after, I was at our general spring meeting in Philadelphia, which was large; where our friends Robert Jordan, and Abigail Bowles, had good service.

This week I was at four very large meetings, at Philadelphia, Frankfort, and Abington, much to my satis faction, though I had no vocal service therein; yet my heart was broken into tenderness and tears, under the ministry of several weighty, solid testimonies, that were borne by good and living ministers, qualified to preach the gospel in the demonstration of the spirit, and with

power.

The 26th of the first month, 1726, I went to Germantown meeting, which was large, and I was opened therein to speak of the vision of the prophet Ezekiel, of the holy waters, which proceeded from under the threshold of the sanctuary, which the angel measuring, they grew deeper and deeper, until they became a river to swim in. Ezek. xlvii. 5. Which mystically sheweth the work of grace, conversion, and regeneration; and that these holy waters the soul must drink of, and be washed, and baptized in, are spiritual and supernatural, and therefore not to be measured by the spirit and will of man, in his natural state, according to the prophet Isaiah, chap. xxxiii. v. 21. Man, before he can swim therein, must be stript of all his self-righteousness, and artificial religion, though as splendid and beautiful as a gallant ship, or galley with oars, which, in this respect, is agreeable to the state of men smimming in elementary water, where the most skilful have sometimes lost their lives, for want of being naked or unclothed; and those who had not yet attained much experience, were advised not to go out of their depth, but to wait in patience and humility, to enjoy the medicinal virtue of the trees growing by the side of this river, whose fruit is for meat, and leaves for medicine. Ezek. xlvii. 12. The people of this meeting were generally Germans, several of whom stayed in the house after the meeting was over, and were broken into tender

ness, in a sense of the presence and love of God unto us, for which I was also humbly thankful and bowed in spirit.

I was at the third day weekly meeting in Philadelphia, which was but small, considering the large number of those professing to be of our society in this city; those present were closely and tenderly exhorted to be zealous for good works, and against bad works; not respecting the person of any man; the abominations committed by some under our profession, in this city and province, calling for humiliation; and as the promise of God's favour was to those who mourned with sighs and cries for the abominations among his people formerly, Ezek. ix. 4, so now, as many as are under the same concern, may hope for preservation and salvation, if he should in like manner visit us, as at this time he doth some of our neighbours; there being a great sickness and mortality in some of the adjacent places.

In the second month, I visited the meetings of friends at Haverford, Newtown, Radnor, and Merion; which meetings consist chiefly of ancient Britons, who are a religious, industrious, and increasing people; among whom my service was, as they expressed, to our mutual satisfaction. After my return home, I went to visit friends at the Falls of Delaware, and was at a large meeting in their new meeting-house. After a satisfactory meeting at Frankfort, on the fifth day of the same week I went with Ennion Williams to his son's marriage; and the next day he, and several other friends, accompanied me to Woodberry-creek, and had a good, open meeting, and that night went to James Lord's, and next morning went towards Salem, and lodged at Isaac Sharp's; where I was informed of a great mortality at Cohansy. The 24th of the second month was the general meeting at Salem, which was a large gathering of people of different persuasions, from many parts of the country, where the doctrine of the gospel was preached in great love to the people, which they heard with solid attention. From Salem I went to Alloway's-creek and Cohansy, and had meetings there: I was informed that more than seventy

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