I felt my hope and faith revived in the belief that I was not, as I had been ready to conclude I was, wholly forsaken: blessed for ever be the name of the Most High. He has stood by me in the midst of my tossings, which have been many and various, and supported me by his own right arm, or I should have sunk, never more to have arisen again. Oh! saith

my soul, may I be found in some degree worthy of his continued love and favour. Having no prospect of being exempt from burdens, exercises and trials whilst I inhabit this mortal tabernacle, I am often engaged to beg for patience that I may bear with some degree of resignation whatever may befal me. The present day is a trying one, in various respects. It is, as thou observes in regard to changing habitations; some say, come here, and others, there: and when I have given way to their opinions, I have almost got lost; for as yet I have never seen my way from this place. The love and travail that I feel for the people in and about this place, are beyond expression. Stillness is indeed the ground of safety. But I sometimes think I am both blind and deaf with respect to moving; while yet the nature and state of outward things seem to call for it; rents being high, and little or no business to be done. But whenever I look that way, the people, and the youth in particular, are brought into view, with this language, Canst thou leave them?

Dear Peter, when thou art favoured to approach the throne of God, the Father of all our sure mercies, mayst thou remember me. I sometimes think that if I am saved and kept in my proper place, it must be through the intercession of my friends; for

I believe the effectual, fervent prayer of those that are in favour with the great I AM, availeth much.

I was truly glad to hear thou hadst thoughts of being at the Yearly Meeting in Maryland; for I rejoice at others moving forward in their day's work, however behindhand I may be with mine. I hope thou wilt be encouraged to do whatever thy hands find to do. Remembering at this time, one omission of mine when at Bay-side, on the Eastern Shore, I am free to mention the circumstance. We went there in the morning to meeting, and returned in the afternoon before we got dinner, so that we were not in any Friend's house belonging to Bay-side meeting; being cramped for time as meetings were laid out. I mention this, that if thou hast not been there, thou may think twice before thou deprives thyself of an opportunity of seeing some of those Friends in their families. They live remote, and have very little of Friends' company; and I have understood others have done as I did, which has not felt so pleasant to me at times when I have thought of their situation. It is possible to make more haste than good speed. With the salutation of dear love to thyself and companion, I conclude, and am thy sincere friend, HUGH JUDGE.

11th. At our monthly meeting, Zachariah Ferris was recommended as a minister. May he be kept in a steady dependance upon that Arm of power which can preserve in every trial.

16th. I feel at no time more suitably qualified for the work of the ministry, than when the most humbled under a sense of my own nothingness, and the awfulness of the work. In this state there is an entire dependance upon holy help. It is a great thing, and

will be found so in the day of awful account, to steer clear of mixing the flashes of our own imagination with the openings of Truth; and this is sometimes done by standing too long. It is a brave thing to begin in the life, to move in it, and to end in it, to cast anchor in deep water;-or, in other words, while there is solemnity over the mind and over the meeting. What a sweetness there is to be felt, and a secret rejoicing before God; having evidence that we have been preserved, not only in standing up, but also in sitting down! I have known lively testimonies much hurt by over-standing the right time of closing. Oh! that all may be preserved from offering strange fire before the Lord.

17th. A remarkable wet season. Flax and barley much beat down. The past winter killed much of the wheat, the remainder is now threatened with mildew; and in some parts of Bucks county it is said the crops are almost wholly cut off by an insect called the Hessian fly. When I attended Long Island Yearly Meeting some years ago, this insect was there, and destroyed most of their wheat. Surely, these things are intended for our instruction. If we would but hear the rod and him that appointed it, heavier chastisements might be prevented. Fulness of bread and abundance of idleness hath prevailed in the land, and I believe the inhabitants thereof will be brought down. It seems to me that a day of humiliation and deep distress is coming upon us.

7th mo. 10th. At our preparative meeting, the Queries were read and answered. It was a close, searching time, in which Friends seemed willing to get to the bottom of things, and not gloss over smooth answers, as is too much the case in some places. A

consideration concerning the use of fans in our solemn meetings, claimed the deep attention of some minds; and it was judged unbecoming the occasion of our assembling together to wait upon God. As the women were most implicated in this custom, the subject was weightily laid before their meeting; and a belief was entertained, that as Friends keep under this concern, it will be productive of good.

Oh! that Friends every where and in all things, did but live answerable to their holy profession! Were they but duly subject to the Divine principle and power that first gathered our worthy predecessors from amongst the nations, what bright and shining lights they would be in this day! We are a large body of people, scattered pretty much over this continent, and did we live up to the principles we make profession of, what an influence our example would have among others! What a terror and check to evildoers! for there is a dignity in the Truth, and a nobility in living answerable thereunto, which keeps transgressors in awe. But, alas! there is such a mixing with the people of the land, that our society is falling far behind what our forefathers were, in many respects.

20th. Being first-day, I was at Kennet meeting in the morning; had hard work, but the meeting ended to the solid comfort of some minds, and the holy Arm was magnified. In the afternoon, I attended a meeting at Thomas Carlton's. The old man being unable to get out, Friends appointed a meeting at his house, to be held once a month. It was a good opportunity, and I returned home in the evening, most of the way after sunset; but the ride was agreeable, having the company of John Kendall, John Way and

John Haines, three clean-spirited young men who had had a desire for some time to attend the afternoon meeting at Thomas Carlton's, and had concluded to go this day without knowing of my being there. May the arm of everlasting kindness be round about them.

21st. By the operative effects of the power of Truth in the obedient mind, victory over wrong things is not only obtained, but strength, wisdom and understanding are furnished, so as to keep the ground we haye gained, and to move forward in what is called the Lamb's warfare, under his direction and government. We have few (if any) greater enemies to contend with, than the undue love of those things belonging to this world, with which we are connected. They lie close to us, and in times of seeming prosperity and peace, we are too apt to become too much attached to them: they prevail over us, like the old inhabitants of Canaan did over the Israelites. But it is through inattention and unwatchfulness in us, as it was in them. We see in many instances, where there has been a fair beginning in a religious life, and for a time a hopeful circumspection, that for want of watchfulness and a steady care, the mind becomes gradually weakened, and a withering ensues; till, at length, numbness and insensibility bring forth sorrowful fruits of defection from the purity of Truth. Yet some of these, as to outward appearance, manifest some zeal and exactness for outward order and discipline in society: but the life being wanting, their labours in a public or private capacity do not profit. If we are useful members of the church of Christ, there must be a warfare maintained against the spirit of this world in all its forms and shapes, until we