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his people and children, and grant them the fulfilling of that blessed portion of holy Scripture, that all things shall work together for the good of them that love and fear God: even so be it, saith my soul!

In the sixth month of this year, I removed from the city into the country, to a small plantation I had at Frankfort, in order to be more retired, and for health's sake, &c. finding some declining in my bodily strength, which I take to be very much owing to the severe colds and hardships I have sustained in my long and hard travels, more especially in the wilderness of America; for without vanity I may say, that I always loved temperance, and have been sometimes zealously concerned to preach against intemperance; and though I cannot now take so long journies as I have formerly, my spirit earnestly travails for the welfare of Zion, and the peace and prosperity of all those who love, fear, and serve God, and believe in his Son.

On the sixth day of the eighth month, it pleased God to give me another son, whom I named George, after my father, brother, nephew, and king; and though this name is now a great name among men, I considered that no man can preserve live, so I gave him up to the will of him who gave him to me, and desire, if I have no name through children to posterity, I may have a name in the Lamb's book of life, which I have ever esteemed far above a name amongst men.

After my removal to this place I was not idle, but visited neighbouring meetings, and in the eighth month I went to Shrewsbury general meeting, where there were many hundreds of people, and the truth declared had good impressions upon the minds of many; some, after meeting, who were not of our society, acknowledged to the truth, and that they were glad they were there. In this meeting I was concerned for the welfare of mankind, and the exaltation of the holy name of the Almighty, to declare the universal love of God to man, from several texts of holy Scripture, as that passage concerning Jacob and Esau, and Peter, and Cornelius, and something concerning the objection made against us the people called Quakers, that we do not acknowledge the holy Scriptures to be the word of God; for though we believe that the Scriptures came by divine inspiration, yet we are clearly convinced by their testimony, and by the Spirit of truth in our hearts, that Christ is the eternal Word of God, by whom all things were made and created, and do still exist.

From Shrewsbury, with divers other Friends, I rode to Croswicks, where on the fifth-day, we had a very comfortable meeting, in which the ancient love and goodness of our heavenly Father was with us, to the tendering our hearts into tears of joy; some of us being likewise affected, in remembrance of the goodness of the Almighty to us, in the meeting we had in this place under the

The great

trees about twenty-five years since. subject of faith and works was spoken to; as that the Romans (Romanists) seemed to lay too much stress on works, and the Lutherans, Calvinists, and others, too little but our principle led us to join both together; the Almighty having joined them together, none ought to separate them. This subject of faith and works having been much in debate amongst professed Christians, it is on my mind here to mention a few things deduced from the best authority :

The first is, Without faith it is impossible to please God. Heb. xi. 6.

Second, Faith is the gift of God.
Third, Faith works by love.

Fourth, Faith is the evidence of things not seen, and the substance of things hoped for.

Fifth, Faith without works is dead.
Sixth, The just live by faith.

Seventh, You believe (or have faith) in God, believe also in me. John xiv. 1.

And the author to the Hebrews speaks excellently concerning the power of faith, and the mighty wonders wrought by it. Note, this living, saving, true and divine faith, must be in the heart, through, and in Christ Jesus the Son of the living God, who is, and always will be, the author and finisher of it in every true believer.

After I came from Shrewsbury, I visited divers neighbouring meetings, and some in Chester county, where I had meetings for nine days suc

cessively, some of which were very large, particularly at Providence and Goshen, in which I was opened to exhort them to keep to that plain, honest way of life and conversation, which our fathers and elders were found in, and to remind them of the sufferings they endured for their testimony to the blessed truth, in the first breaking forth thereof in the last age; and I was concerned to shew them that the Almighty, who had blessed us with plenty of temporal blessings, would continue the same to us, if we were careful to live in his fear; but that otherwise, we might expect his judgments for disobedience.

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And after my return I continued about home for some time, it being winter season and bad travelling, and I not so capable of travelling as formerly but I had great peace and tranquillity of mind, in that I had freely given up my youthful days to serve my Creator; and the same love and zeal was yet fresh and warm in my heart, for the glory of his great name; and I still have a full resolution, through his strength and grace, to serve him, the great Lord of all, all my days, according to the light and strength given to me.

Our yearly-meeting at Philadelphia this year was large, in which our Friend Benjamin Kidd, from England, being with us, had good service. I cannot forget a concern which was upon me at this meeting, that the universal love of God, through Christ, might prevail amongst mankind, and to press Friends to manifest to all people the

influence thereof, by their exemplary lives and conversation.

In the second month, 1724, I went into New Jersey, as far as Shrewsbury, where, on a firstday, we had a large meeting, to general satisfaction; and the next day we had another, wherein the love and good-will of God, through Christ, was opened freely to the people, and our duty to forgive one another was largely treated of; and it was plainly shewn, that without forgiving others, we could not be forgiven of God, as Christ saith, "If ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: but if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses," Matt. vi. 14, 15, &c. and much more to the same effect on that subject; as also Christ's answer to Peter, who asked, how oft a man should forgive his brother if he trespassed against him. Peter says, "till seven times ?" Our Lord Jesus answers, 66 I not unto thee, until seven times, but until seventy times seven," Matt. xviii. 22. And again Christ says, If thy brother "trespass against thee seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turn again unto thee, saying, I repent, thou shalt forgive him," Luke xvii. 4. Which hard-hearted people think a great hardship, but Christ's cross must be taken up, and borne daily, if we will be his disciples and followers in deed, and in truth, as well as in profession.

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After we had reconciled some differences at

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