a measure of which is given to thee and all men to profit with. That by it piety, wisdom, and charity may dwell with thee, and thou mayst be qualified to serve the mighty God suitable to the great opportunities He hath put into thy hands, so prays a little man, but thy great friend and well-wisher, WILLIAM PENN."

"Seventh mo., 2, '98."

William Penn appears to have spent much time, after his release from seclusion by order of King William, in travelling through England and Ireland in the work of the ministry. There was in the public mind a reaction in his favor and he rose higher than ever in the estimation of his friends.

It is said of some of his meetings, in the Life prefacing his writings, "The people flocked in abundantly, and his testimony to the Truth, answering to that of God in their consciences, was assented to by many."

Thos. Story speaking of the Half-Yearly Meeting at Dublin, says, "Great was the resort of people of all ranks and professions to our meetings, chiefly on account of our friend William Penn, who was ever furnished by the Truth with matter fully to answer their expectations. Many of the clergy were there, and the people, with one voice, spoke well of what they heard."

In other places in Ireland, William Penn and the Friends who accompanied him had large meetings attended by people of all ranks. During this journey, Thomas Story says that some members of his own Society, "filled with envy and unwisely emulating that glory and dignity the Lord was pleased to put upon William Penn for the ex

latation of his own holy name, had made very unworthy and unchristian attempts against his character in his absence, and even in the Yearly Meeting, to the great grief of all the right-minded among them." Again he says, "On the First day following we had another very large meeting there, and the Lord was mightily with William Penn that day, clothing him with majesty, holy zeal, and divine wisdom, to the great satisfaction of Friends there, even increasing that unsought praise which some did much grudge him, who by attempting his character unjustly greatly lost their own."

A

XXIII.

BOUT fifteen years had now passed away since Wil-
liam Penn left his province in America.
In the year

to which we have arrived, he found his way open to return. On his former visit, we may remember, he left his family behind; but he now resolved upon taking his wife and children with him; expecting in all probability to spend the remainder of his days in Pennsylvania.

In the course of this year, (1699,) and probably while he was preparing for his American voyage, he wrote a valuable compendium of Christian morality, in the form of "ADVICE TO HIS CHILDREN," relating to their civil and religious conduct, from which the following characteristic passages are taken.

"I will begin with that which is the beginning of all true wisdom and happiness, the holy fear of God.

"Children, fear God; that is to say, have an holy awe upon your minds to avoid that which is evil and a strict care to embrace and do that which is good. The measure and standard of which knowledge and duty is the light of Christ in your consciences, by which, as in John iii. 20, 21, you may clearly see if your deeds, aye, and your words and thoughts, too, are wrought in God or not; for thoughts are the deeds of the mind for which you must be judged. And as you come to obey this blessed light in its holy con

victions, it will lead you out of the world's dark and degenerate ways and works, and bring you unto Christ's way and life, and to be of the number of his true, selfdenying followers, to take up your cross for his sake, who bore his for yours.

"Christ is called light because He gives man a sight of his sin. And He is also called the quickening Spirit. It is the great end, and benefit, and blessing of the coming of Christ, viz., the shining forth of this light and pouring forth of this Spirit. God sent his Son to bless us in turning us from the evil of our ways; therefore have a care of evil, for that turns you away from God; and wherein you have done evil, do so no more; but be ye turned, my dear children, from evil in thought, as well as in word and deed, or that will turn you from God your Creator, and Christ, whom He has given you for your Redeemer, who redeems and saves his people from their sins, not in their sins. This holy, divine principle is called grace, too. And why grace? Because it is God's love and not our desert, his good-will, his kindness. He so loved the world that He gave his only-begotten Son into the world, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life;' and this holy Son is declared in John i. 14, 16 to be full of grace and truth, and that of his grace we receive grace for grace, that is, we receive of Him the fulness, what measure of grace we need.

"This is that which is come by Christ, and a measure of this light, spirit, grace, and truth is given to every man and woman to see their way to go by.

"Oh, my dear children, this is the pearl of price; part with all for it, but never part with it for all the world.

Yea, this is the divine and incorruptible seed of the kingdom, of which all truly regenerate men and women, Christians of Christ's making, are born. Receive it into your hearts, give it room there, let it take deep root in you, and you will be fruitful unto God in every good word and work. As you take heed to it and the holy enlightenings and motions of it, you will have a perfect discerning of the spirit of this world, in all its appearances in yourselves and others. And you will also see that the testimony unto which the eternal God hath brought our poor Friends, as to religion, worship, truth-speaking, ministry, plainness, simplicity, and moderation in apparel, furniture, food, salutation, as you may read in their writings, from the very beginning, is a true and heavenly testimony of his mind, will, work, and dispensation in this last age of the world to mankind, being the revival of true primitive Christianity; where your most tender father prays that you may be kept, and charges you to watch that you may be preserved in the faith and practice of that blessed testimony; and count it no small mercy from God and honor to you that you come of parents who counted nothing too dear or near to part with, nor too great to do or suffer, that they might approve themselves to God, and testify their love to his most precious Truth in the inward parts in their generation.

"Having thus expressed myself to you, my dear children, as to the things of God, his Truth and kingdom, I refer you to his light, grace, Spirit, and Truth within you, and to the Holy Scriptures of Truth without you, which from my youth I loved to read, and were ever blessed to me, and which I charge you to read daily; the Old Testa