shall drink plentifully of the river of life :' then drawing near his end, finding his strength fail, there being a cord by his order at the bed's feet, he raised himself up thereby, as long as he had any strength left in his hands, and when his hands and shoulders failed, and his head, when last lifted up, he he spoke very low and faultering, yet so as I could understand, and said, 'Now I am a going;' and about an hour after, lying all the while without sigh or groan, departed this life as in a slumber, in sweet peace; according as he had foretold, just as the clock struck five; in a perfect enjoy. ment of that legacy our Saviour left his followers: My peace I leave with you, &c. leaving us of the succeeding generation, a good example to follow; who, as he lived, so he died, like a lamb, in the eighty-fourth year of his age, the seventh day of the First month, 1725.

GEO. CHALKLEY."

To which account I shall add the following short testimony concerning my dear and greatly beloved father, George Chalkley, viz.

“I have a great deal in my heart, more than I can write concerning my dear father's life, it having been a wonderful life to me from my youth up; his early care of me, and counsel to me, when I was too thoughtless and wild, melts me into tears now in the remembrance of it; and my tender mother was a partner with him in the same exercise, and she died in like peace: the

last words I heard her speak, were, I long to be dissolved.' And as to my tender father, I would record a little briefly in memory of him, that he

was,

A true and faithful servant of Christ.

"1st. "2d. A tender and affectionate husband: I lived at home with my parents about twenty years, and I never heard, that I remember, an angry expression between them, only once something had troubled them, and they both wept, my father saying, I have been an indulgent husband unto thee,' and my mother answered, I have not been one of the worst of wives to thee;' which were the harshest words, and the greatest difference that I observed between them; for their life was a life of peace and love, and they were an excellent example to us their children. Oh! may we follow them therein to the end.

6

"3d. He had a fatherly care for his children, in tender prayers for us, and in good advice to us, and in giving us learning according to his ability, and teaching us, by his example, as well as precept, industry, humility, and the true religion of our blessed Saviour; endeavouring to plant it in us betimes, and to destroy the evil root of sin in us, while young.

4th. I was his servant, as well as his son, and I can truly say, his service was delightful, and his company pleasing and profitable to me; and he was also beloved much by his other servants. He was universally beloved by his

❝ 5th.

neighbours, and I do not remember any difference between him and them, in the many years I lived with him; but all was peace and love.

"6th. He was very loving to his relations, and true to his friends, and a hearty well-wisher and lover of his king and country.

T. CHALKLEY."

CHAP. VII.

1726-1728.

Further religious service chiefly near home-Voyage to Barbadoes on business-Several meetings on the Island-Occurrences after his returnTwo other Voyages to Barbadoes, &c.

OUR general-meeting at Frankfort, the 30th of the Fourth month was large, our friend William Piggot, from London, being there (in the course of his visit to Friends in America) and had close work and good service in this meeting.

In the Fifth month, 1726, I visited the meetings of Friends at Philadelphia, German Town, and Bybury, in some of which meetings, as also at our own at Frankfort; I had very comfortable satisfaction: my testimony was pretty sharp sometimes to transgressors, and therefore some of them hate me, as the Jews did my great Master; because I was concerned to testify, that their deeds were evil, and to excite my friends to manifest a Christian zeal, by openly denying ungodly men, while they continue in their ungodly works; but when they become truly penitent, and reform their lives, the arms of Christ, and his church, will be open to receive them,

in

Being under some melancholy thoughts, because some persons, for whom I wished well, and to whom I had been of service, were so envious and malicious as to tell false stories of me, tending to defame me; as I was riding to our meeting, it opened with satisfaction to my mind, The more my enemies hate me, the more I will love, if that can be; and I had hearty desires to come up the practice of this resolution: and I then thought I should come up with them all, for if a man loves and prays for his enemies, if they are gained, he is instrumental to their good, and so hath cause of rejoicing; and if they are not gained, he heaps coals of fire on their heads; so that every true Christian, by keeping under the cross of Christ, and in the practice of his doctrine, gets the better of his enemies.

In the beginning of the Sixth month, I was at the burial of Robert Fletcher, a worthy man, and one universally beloved by all sorts of people, as far as ever I heard. There was a large meeting at his funeral, wherein several testimonies, suitable to the occasion, were borne: some of his last words were mentioned, which were, that he had lived according to the measure of grace given him. And the doctrine of the resurrection was maintained according to the Scripture, and the people were exhorted to prepare for their final change. The death of this Friend was a loss to the country, to our society, and to his neighbours, as well as to his family and friends.