Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB

count of my children, in these particulars, viz. respecting the compliment of the Hat, and Courtesying, the practice thereof being against my professed principle;-1st. Because I find nothing like it in the Bible; but, as I think, the contrary. Thou knowest the passage of the Three Children of God, who stood covered before a mighty monarch; and Mordecai, who could not bow to great Haman. And, 2ndly, I believe those practices derived from vain, proud man. And as to Language, I desire my children may not be permitted to use the plural language to a single person; but I pray thee to learn them to say Thee, and Thou, and Thy, and to speak it properly, divers using it improperly; and the rather I desire it because it is all along used in the Divine inspired holy writings. I suppose thou art not a stranger of its rise being from the grandeur and apostacy of the Romish Church: and, also, that You to a single person, is not consonant to the Book of God, nor the true rules of grammar. I know

it is generally objected, That the end of speech is to be understood: but it is understood better in and according to the language of God, Christ, and the Holy Ghost, in the Bible, and the language of kings, and all people, as we read it in the Holy Scriptures; why then should we be ashamed of it, or shun it; and bring in and uphold a custom contrary to it? The same

care I would have thee take about the names of Days and Months, which are derived from the names of the gods of the Heathens, and are not found in the Bible. I suppose I have the mind of all those of our society in the above, it being consonant to our principle and profession, and I write in a motion of Divine love to all.

"As to the school-learning of my children, I leave to thy management, not questioning thy ability therein; and if they want correction, spare not the rod.

"I hope thou wilt observe this direction in teaching my children, in which thou wilt oblige thy assured friend,

"T. CHALKLEY."

The latter end of the fifth and the beginning of the sixth month, the weather was exceeding hot, so that divers people died suddenly of the heat, as it was supposed.

The beginning of the sixth month I was at the youths' meeting at Abington, which was large and open to many; and I not having been here since I came from sea, divers expressed their gladness to see me; and we were that day favoured with some showers, both celestial and elementary, to our comfort.

In the same month I was also at the youths' meeting in Philadelphia: it had been a sickly

That passage

time, but many had recovered. opened on my mind, to speak of in the meeting, concerning the lepers, which Christ cleansed and healed, being ten in number, and that but one came to return thanks to God for being healed and restored to health, Luke xvii. 12, 19. -Friends were exhorted to prize their health, and to shew their thankfulness to God, the giver of it, by fearing and serving him, and taking heed to Christ, the word in their hearts. The meeting was in a good, solid frame, and we praised the Lord together, and gave him thanks for his merciful visitation.

About this time I heard of the death of our king (George the First) a prince whom I loved and honoured; which news was very sorrowful to me on divers accounts :-his love and kindness to our society, was well worthy our grateful remembrance.

On a third-day, being our week day meeting at Frankfort, Elizabeth Whartnaby and Mary Smith were there; it was a comfortable opportunity. They were two nights at my house. Elizabeth was preparing to leave this land for Barbadoes and Europe, intending a religious visit to Friends.

The 20th of the sixth month, going into my closet, I there met with a paper of my son-in-law Isaac Brown's, and finding the contents were religious, as I had done of several of his late

writings, I found it on my mind to write to him after this manner :

"Dear son Isaac,

"By several writings of thine of late, I perceive that a good thing is at work in thy mind, the which I pray the All wise and Infinite Being to promote in thy heart, to thy eternal salvation, and his glory. I now begin to be in some hopes that my prayers and tears for thee, in the Lord's time, may be answered: and I do believe, if thou keeps low in thy mind, that God will more and more visit thee. The advice of David to his son Solomon, when he also gave him the kingdom, comes before my mind to give thee. 'My son, know thou the God of thy father, and serve him with a perfect heart, and with a willing mind: for the Lord searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts; if thou seek him, he will be found of thee; but if thou forsake him, he will cast thee off for ever." 1 Chron. xxviii, 9.

66

Dear Isaac, this was counsel from one of the greatest and best of kings, to a wise young prince, who petitioned the Almighty for Divine wisdom, before riches, or honour, or long life; which petition so pleased God, that he answered his request, and over and above, blessed him in an extraodinary manner.

[ocr errors]

"I perceive thou art inclined to read pretty much; I pray thee, that thy chief study in books may be the holy Scriptures. Let all

other books, though of use, and good in their places, be subservient to them; for their authority, of all other writings, to the true believer in Christ, is most Divine; they having a supernatural spring and Divine evidence in them to the virtuous and pious readers. Thou, my son, wilt much comfort the heart of thy tender mother, and of me thy loving and careful father, if thou follow and persevere in the ways of virtue and truth; which, that thou mayest, is the prayer of thy affectionate father-in law.

"T. Chalkley."

The latter end of the sixth month I went to the general meeting of ministers and elders for the East part of New Jersey, and to the quarterly and youth's meeting at Burlington, and to a general meeting at Stony Brook, and to the quarterly-meeting of the county of Bucks. John Oxley, of Barbadoes, and Joshua Fielding, of London, were at divers of those meetings, wherein we had open, seasonable opportunities; and I had a large, affecting account from Joshua, of his long and difficult travels in the service of truth to the West India isles, and thence to South Carolina, from whence he came through

[ocr errors]
« AnteriorContinuar »