after, to leave this testimony,-whatever evil men or others may say against me,-that if it be the Lord's will to remove me at this time, I die in unity with the Friends of Truth." Though favoured with some degree of returning health, the pressure of natural infirmity was latterly very heavy upon him; yet was he again and again strengthened publicly to advocate the gospel of the free and unmerited grace of God; for, even up to the last day before he took to his chamber, he exhorted and commended his friends to cleave to it. When confined to the bed for some months, under much bodily weakness, distress, and conflict, not without the buffetings of Satan,-the energies of the outward man gradually decaying,-he experienced the frequent rekindling of his desires and hopes heavenward; and was often engaged in a lively, clear strain, to set forth his admiring sense of the Lord's goodness towards his soul. He breathed his last on the 1st of the 2nd month, 1726, in great peace, and full assurance of an everlasting portion among the followers of the Lamb; his remains being interred in his own burial-ground on the family estate of Kingswells.

In the paper above referred to, taken down so shortly previous to his removal, he thus alludes to the memorable outpouring of the Holy Spirit, of which he and others were made partakers, during the time of their long imprisonment at Aberdeen.-" Oh! the unutterable glory, that brake forth and spread even in this country, wherein God Almighty raised up some mean instruments, as well as some more honourable, and myself among others, though very unworthy! And when thirty or forty of our ancient Friends were shut up in prison, I cannot but remember this particular instance; that when we were all

met in the low Tolbooth, and not a word had been spoken among us, either in prayer or preaching,-we breathing in our hearts for power to do the Lord's will; his power at last brake in among us in a wonderful manner, to the melting and tendering our hearts. And though I was kept very empty a long time, yet at last the glorious power of God broke over the whole meeting, and upon me also, and ravished my heart,-yea, did appear as a ray of divine glory, to the ravishing of my soul, and all the living ones in the meeting. So that some of those that were in the town-council above us, confessed to some of our number with tears, that the breaking in of that power, even among them, made them say one to another, O! how astonishing it is, that our ministers should say, the Quakers have no psalms in their meetings; for such an heavenly sound we never heard in either old or new church.' After this, our meetings were often filled with heavenly, divine comfort, to the satisfaction of our souls, and we were often overcome with the love of our God, and many innumerable instances of his miraculous power attended us; many of which are recorded in a book for posterity to come. And God will tread down Satan under the feet of his power in due time, let him rage as he will.”

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CHAPTER XX.

SOME OBSERVATIONS ON THE STATE OF THE SOCIETY OF FRIENDS IN THE PRESENT DAY, OCCASIONED BY THE FOREGOING HISTORY, AND THE ANTICIPATIONS OF THEIR PREDECESSORS.

AT the opening of these Memoirs, the travels of George Fox in Scotland, in the year 1657, were briefly adverted to. After describing, in his Journal, the last meeting he had, previous to his return to England, this extraordinary comment upon his visit. occurs.—“ The truth and the power of God was set over that nation; and many, by the power and Spirit of God, were turned to the Lord Jesus Christ, their Saviour and Teacher, whose blood was shed for them: and there is since a great increase,-and great there will be in Scotland, though the time may be far distant at present. For when first I set my horse's feet upon Scottish ground, I felt the seed of God to sparkle about me, as innumerable sparks of fire. Not but that there is abundance of thick, cloddy earth of hypocrisy and falseness atop, and a briary, brambly nature, which is to be burned up with God's word, and ploughed up with his spiritual plough, before God's seed brings forth heavenly and spiritual fruit to his glory. But the husbandman is to wait in patience."

Whether those readers, who may be inclined to lay some stress upon such anticipation, can see any thing like the fulfilment of it, at least in part, in the foregoing history, must be left with each individual to

decide for himself. Certainly, it is due to the subject to state, that George Fox was not the only one, who deliberately avowed his views, as to the more extensive reception, through that district, of a standard of truth and righteousness, such as is upheld by the Society of Friends. William Dewsbury's letter, at page 311 of this volume, plainly and strongly intimates his expectations on the same point; while one from William Penn to these persecuted people, p. 377, will bear no very different construction. In 1677, George Fox again declares his belief, that "the Lord hath a great seed and work in that country." See p. 405. Andrew Jaffray also, a sketch of whose character and close formed the principal subject of the last preceding chapter, was another who entertained similar impressions. In the testimony respecting him, before cited, and which, it will be recollected, was drawn up by the son of "the Apologist," these following expressions are made use of. "There are several remarkable instances of his having, upon occasion, had the gift of prophecy ;—which strengthens the desire and hope the Lord hath raised in several, in that [respect, in which] he was very positive, namely,-that the Lord would yet again visit this land, to the gathering of many to condemn the world, its wisdom, and ways."-Beside these, John Gratton, whose visit to his fellow-professors in Scotland has been already described, closes his narrative with this encouraging estimate of the prospects, as well as actual condition of religious classes of the people at large:-" I hope and believe, the Lord will have a great people there, in time to come; though the enemy be angry, and would hinder the spreading of the holy Truth ;but carnal, silly, and weak.

-yet, his weapons are I desire many Friends

may think of that nation, and, in the will of God, give up to visit it; for, there is a zealous, professing people, that, were they but brought to the knowledge of Truth-I believe there are many, yea, very many, who would be zealous for it." See his Journal, edit. 1823, p. 115. This was about the year 1694.

Doubtless, such expectations were not unreasonable; they were never entertained, neither were such declared assurances ever given forth, by any true messengers of the Lord, without at least an implied reference to those qualifying conditions, which must ever attend the distribution of the tokens of Divine favour towards any people.

But, in order somewhat further to clear up, at least so far as the Author may be enabled, a subject deeply involving, to a certain extent, the all-important interests of true religion, namely, the condition and prospects of that small portion of the Christian community, whose history has now been brought to a conclusion; it is needful to indulge him with a little latitude, while he attempts to relieve his mind as regards such a people, by some remarks more especially applicable to them.

It has been abundantly, explicitly, and publicly avowed by the early members of the Society of Friends, that they did believe themselves raised up by the power of God, to manifest forth "THE TRUTH as it is in Jesus;" being assured, that, in various essential points and symptoms, the professing Christians of their day, had greatly fallen short of so purely spiritual a standard. It was also their belief, that if they sustained in faithfulness this testimony committed to them, others would in due season be constrained to acknowledge its excellence, and gather unto it. Accordingly, as long as they followed in