Scriptures proceeded from; and they were earnestly exhorted to read and practise 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 into the vast expanding arms of its Maker, and most sweet Saviour for ever!" Being at and near home some time after I came from Burlington, I visited the meetings of German-town and Philadelphia, which were large, and some good sense of truth was in the hearts of divers. I was concerned at that meeting at Philadelphia, to let the people know, that as God had blessed the people of that city, and the province, with spiritual and temporal blessings, and made the land naturally fruitful, to the enriching many of the inhabitants, he now expected fruits from them of piety and virtue; and that if there was not a stricter walking with God in Christ Jesus, they might expect his Divine hand, which had visited them with favours from heaven above, and from the earth beneath, would visit them with a rod in it, and that he had already given them some gentle strokes therewith. Our yearly-meeting was this year at Burlington, for the provinces of New-Jersey and Pennsylvania, the service of which our quarterly-meeting appointed me, with divers others, to attend. It was a large and comfortable meeting, and many went home thankful to the holy name of God and Christ, that they were there. I shall end the second Part* of the journal of my life and travels, when I have transcribed part of a letter which my dear father wrote me, when eighty odd years of age, he having been a minister of Christ above forty years, which followeth: "Loving Son, Thomas Chalkley, : "Thine, dated the 11th of the tenth month, 1723, 1 received, and was very glad to hear of your welfare, and that the Lord hath given you children and I pray the Almighty God, that he may preserve them with you, that they may be a comfort to you in your latter days; and that if the Lord may be pleased to continue them with you, that they may, as they grow in days, grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ; and that the Lord may be pleased to preserve us all to the end of those few days we may have in this world, that then we may * See the note at page 107. lay down our heads in peace and in full assurance of everlasting blessedness for ever and evermore. I bless the Lord that he has preserved me sensible of his blessed and holy Spirit, whereby my understanding is indifferent clear and well, considering my age; and the Lord in his great lovingkindness I do feel to help me to my great satisfaction, in my little service for him. "Having this opportunity by a friend of your town, was willing to let you hear of our welfare and health. I am in as good health at present as I have been for many years, and can make a shift to go over London-Bridge, and to the meeting at Aldersgate, and to the Peel-Meeting, from my house in Shad-Thames. And the Lord hath been pleased to be with me now in my poor aged condition. "So, dear Son, my dear love is to thee and thine, and to friends that may inquire after us. Divers Friends give their love to thee, whose names I cannot remember. "With repeated love to you all, I rest thy aged, and, thereby through pain, afflicted father, GEORGE CHALKLEY.” Southwark, London, 5th of the 6th mo. 1724. "P. S. Thy brother George, his love is to you all, and I desire thee to let us hear of you as opportunity may serve." To see my dear father's hand-writing, now he was above four-score years of age, was very affecting to me; and the more, because I expected it might be his last, which it was. The answer I sent to my dear father's letter is as followeth,: "Frankfort, 22d of the 8th mo. 1724. "My dear Father, "Thine, per James Wilkins, I received with joy, and was greatly comforted to hear that thou wast yet alive; and especially that thou art favoured now in thy old age, with a sense of the gift of God, through the holy Spirit of his dear Son, our blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. "The reading of thine did mightily refresh and tender my heart and spirit, not expecting many more such epistles from thee, by reason of thy great age. But my very dear and truly honoured father, if we should never hear from, nor see one another more in mutability, yet are we, while here on earth, as living epistles in one another's hearts, wrote by the finger, or hand of God. I have hope also, that we shall meet where we shall never part more, in the glorious kingdom of God and his Christ. "We are all in good health, I humbly thank the Lord, and if it be his will, should rejoice to hear that these find thee, my tender and loving father, with my dear brother and sister, and all my loving cousins, and our friends in general, in like health. I desire to know exactly, thy age in thy next, if thou art able to write to me, and if thou livest where thou did formerly, or with brother or cousin, which will be very acceptable to me. "Thus, with unspeakable love from self, and wife, to thee my dear and aged father, and all relations, and friends, I remain thy loving and dutiful son, THOMAS CHALKLEY." |