satisfied with words. In reading the latter part of thy letter I was tenderly affected, and my prayers to the AImighty were, that he would please to direct thee by his power and spirit, and the grace of his dear Son, who hath said, He that cometh unto me, I will in no wise cast off. Now, tender friend, Christ is the true light, that lighteth every man that cometh into the world, by which light thou must walk to the kingdom and city of God. He is the door into the true sheep-fold: he is the truth, in whom thou must believe: he is the divine life and light of the soul: he is the true christian's all in all. And, as the kingdom is within (as said Christ) so the king is within, and without also. He is God, omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent, the immortal Jehovah, and is God over all, blessed for ever. And, as a servant of his, I recommend thee, with my own soul, unto him for preservation and divine direction; for it is the great work of Christ's true ministers and servants, to direct the seeking, travelling souls, to him; to whom with the Father, and the eternal spirit, be glory, now and evermore. Amen.

From thy assured friend in Christ,

T. CHALKLEY."

The person to whom I wrote this letter, some time after informed me, it gave him great satisfaction.

After I had stayed at home some time, and pretty well recovered of the hurt I had by my fall, I visited some meetings about home, as Philadelphia, Abington, and Germantown. In several of those meetings I was concerned to exhort friends, as our meetings and worship was, in this province of Pennsylvania, a kind of national worship, to beware that they did not indulge themselves in the sins of the nations, but to be careful to keep to the holy, self-denying life of Jesus.

On the 5th of the 6th month, between the hours of nine and ten at night, there was an earthquake, which divers people were very sensible of; and about this time

many were taken off with a violent fever; and I was concerned in several meetings to put the people in mind of their mortality, and shortness of time here; and also of the uncertainty of it, and of the necessity of speedy preparation for their final change and future well-being. In the aforesaid month I was at our youth's meeting in Philadelphia, where I was concerned to advise parents to do justly to their children, in the divers relations of a child's state; to be just in correction, and to be sure to give them learning, and train them up in reading of the holy scriptures, they being able, through faith in Christ, to make us wise to salvation. I also was earnest in exhortation to the youth, to obey and honour their parents, and to have a care not to be disobedient to their fathers and mothers. I had a concern also to remind that large congregation, that the Almighty had stretched out his arm of power, with his rod, and had given the people of this land three strokes therewith, as a gentle admonition towards heart-preparation, to meet him, and to prepare for their latter end, or final dissolution: which were first, a sickness, or pestilential fever, which carried off many of the people. Secondly, an earthquake, of which divers in town and country were very sensible. Thirdly, a terrible whirlwind, such as we never before heard of in this land, that I remember. They were admonished to take particular and special notice of those gentle strokes of the divine hand, for if he pleased, he could as soon take away many by sickness, as a few, and if he pleased could have made us a desolation, as well as the country about mount Etna, or Port-Royal, in Jamaica, not very far from us; and he could also blow us away with a whirlwind of his wrath, and could as easily have blown down all our city, as those few houses in the country.

Next day after this meeting I went with John Rodman to the quarterly general meeting of worship in the county of Chester, which was large and satisfactory.

The 25th of the sixth month I was at the burial of the wife of Richard Walǹ, a virtuous and good woman. Some of her last words were, "Some men's sins go be. fore-hand to judgment, and some follow after them; and ૨

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that her sins were gone before, which was a great comfort to her, now she was going to leave the world." was a large meeting, and a seasonable opportunity that we had at the funeral. The people were called upon to work, while it was called to-day, because, as our Saviour said, the night cometh, wherein no man can work.

In this and the foregoing year, I met with various trials and exercises: as first, great inward poverty and want. Secondly, great losses in outward affairs. And thirdly, the evil spirits of divers stirred up against me, to report falsehoods concerning me, with many other sore exercises both inward and outward. As to the first, I had often been tried that way, and found by experience, that I must wait upon God my Saviour, for fresh and renewed visitations from above; in which exercise, I had always, in the Lord's time, comfort from him, as by the same exercise I had now the same comfort also; but I thought it very long, and the enemy did greatly endeav our to break in upon my patience now more than usual: but my heart still depended in faith and hope upon the Lord, my Redeemer and Saviour, and in his time he was pleased to help me, blessed be his holy arm and power for ever! Many blessed saints and servants of Jesus were brought to my mind, who were in the like condition, so that I had a secret joy in their company (who met with the like in their travels to the holy city). Secondly, as to my outward losses, I thought with myself, peradventure it might be best for me: and I remembered that many, through the increase of outward riches, were exceedingly hurt as to their inward state; and though I (or any good man) might be concerned for our children, to get and leave something for them, yet I plainly saw, that generally speaking, much riches doth much hurt to youth. This was a melancholly observation that I had made in my life and travels, and I see at this day, that it is an universal distemper (a very few excepted); wherefore I cried mightily to God that he would give to me and mine, the gift of his grace and holy spirit, whatever our circumstances might be in the world. In this also I saw that patience was an excellent virtue, and that the meek

had the best inheritance of the earth, if they had ever so little of it; and that true happiness did not consist in earthly things, which my experience had largely taught And thirdly, as to the base and evil treatment I met with (which was more than I had ever met with in all my life before) great endeavours were used to lessen my reputation, as a man, and a christian; all which proved false and fruitless, and in due time my innocence was made manifest; and I considered that they could not use me worse than they had done my Lord and Master, and that the devil was angry with any who endeavoured to dethrone him and pull down his kingdom, at the foun. dation of which, through the help of my Master, I had many a stroke or blow, with such weapons as he was pleased to furnish me withal.

The last of the sixth month, and the 1st of the seventh month, was the quarterly and youth's meeting at Burlington, at both of which, I was. At the quarterly meeting I was concerned to open to that meeting, how all along the church of God was governed by his spirit, in the time of the law, and Moses was an instrument therein; and that when it was too hard, and too much work for Moses, he was advised to get the help and assistance of the elders; and that the same power and spirit of God that was with and upon Moses, was upon the elders who assisted him in the affairs of the church, and congregation of the Lord's people; so that it was governed by God's spirit, and is to be governed by the same still, and not by the will of man, nor according to the will of man, in his corrupt nature. And when Israel went from God's power and spirit, the Lord left them, but at last sent to them his only begotten son, our dear Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ; and he was, and ever is, to be governor of his church, through his holy spirit, which he told his disciples, he would pray the Father, and he should send unto them, the Comforter, the Holy Ghost, or Spirit, the Spirit of Truth, and he should abide with them for ever, and should lead and guide them into all truth; which sweet and precious promises that he made to them, the true believers do witness to be fulfilled at

this day. Glory to his name for ever, he is the wonderful Counsellor, mighty Saviour, and Prince of Peace! of whose peace and government there shall never be an end, and upon whose shoulder the government is to be for ever, for whose power and holy spirit, friends were exhorted to pray and wait, and to be sensible of it in the discipline and government of the church now in this gospel day, in which is a brighter manifestation of God's love, through his Son, than in the time of the law. The youth's meeting was also large, and divers testimonies were borne, by way of exhortation and counsel to the youth. They were with much tenderness advised to take counsel of their elders, and were shewn how it fared with some young men, who slighted the advice and coun sel of the elders; and that one, when on a dying bed, cried out in the bitterness and agonies of his spirit, "Oh! that I had taken the counsel and advice of my friends, for then I had not been here, nor in this condition." Youth were advised to beware of keeping bad company, and spending their precious time in taverns, which hath undone many fair and promising youths and it was shewn, how a young man might cleanse his ways, by taking heed thereto, according to the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever, and which the holy scriptures proceeded from; and they were earnestly exhorted to read and prac. tise what was written therein. And a very tender time we had in prayer to God, through his dear Son, to preserve us all in his fear, both youth and aged; and so our meeting broke up, and we parted in the sweet love of God, and his Christ our holy Saviour.

My troubles in the world, and in the things of it, being many, and my outward losses being great; as also was my inward poverty of mind and spirit, I took my pen, and wrote one day as followeth : " Oh! if it be right in the sight of God, how do I long to be unclothed of this frail and mortal body, that my soul and spirit might mount up into the ethereal plains, and repose itself in the vast expanding arms of its Maker and most sweet Saviour for ever."