given, little is required, all which is plain from Christ's own words in the New Testament; and Christ's cross is to be taken up by his ministers in their preaching, as well as in their conversation.

"It is a practice which the holy Scriptures have not acquainted us with, that the ministers of Christ should take a verse, or line, out of the holy Scriptures, and write, or study before hand, a discourse on it, and preach it, or rather read it, to the people. The holy men of old (as we read both in the Old and New Testament) spoke as they were moved by the Holy Ghost, and by it they were gifted for the convincing, converting, and reforming the world, and for comforting and edifying of the saints; quite contrary to the latter practice of modern reading divines, who dispute, write, and preach against the immediate and divine revelation of the Spirit of Christ, and therefore cannot be of his ministers, but must be the ministers of antichrist, and ministers of the letter, and not of the Spirit of Christ, or of his gospel. And where the apostle says, "When I was a child, I spake as a child,' I take him to point at the being brought forth newly into the work of the ministry, as well as the work of conversion, and that he useth those expressions by way of comparison, and therefore I compare it thus: A child when it first begins or ventures to speak, he speaks but a few words, and those stammering sometimes, and its judgment is weak,

and must be put upon speaking by his father over and over, if he be a backward child; otherwise, if he be forward, and speaks too much, he is curbed by a wise father. And thus, according to my observation, it hath pleased our heavenly Father, to instruct his children in the ministry, and as a child in Christ, I would speak a little of my experience unto the child, or children of God. When I first felt a necessity on me to preach the gospel, I had but a few sentences to deliver, in great fear and tenderness, with some trembling, with which my brethren were generally satisfied and edified; and after some time I felt a concern to preach the gospel in other countries, and to other nations than that in which I was born, which to me was a very great cross; but feeling the woe of the Lord to follow me in not giving up to it, I in some time took that cross up, for Christ's sake and the gospel's. And in taking it up, I experienced the truth of the apostle's doctrine, That the gospel of Christ is the power of God unto salvation, to every one that believeth,' Rom. i. 16. Thus through a continual labour and spiritual travail, I witnessed a growth in experience, and an enlargement in expressions and heavenly doctrine; and my heart was mightily enlarged to run the ways of God's commandments, and divers were convinced, and some, I hope, thoroughly converted, and many comforted, and God, through the ministry of his dear Son, glorified, who is thereof only worthy for ever.

6

"In all which I have nothing to boast of nor glory in, saving in the cross of Christ; for what is Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, but instruments? (I would not be understood to compare with those apostles, but to endeavour to follow them as they followed Christ). Christ is All in all: He is the great Teacher of teachers, and the highest Schoolmaster of all. And he says, He that will be my disciple, must first deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.

"We do not find any where in the New Testament, that Christ's ministers or messengers were only to speak or preach to one meeting of people, or that they were called or hired by men; for then it would have been necessary man should pay them; but Christ says, Freely you have received, freely give;' and Go forth, &c. Matt. xxviii. 19, 20.

"And, my friend, I find to this day that it is safe for me when I am ministering to the people; when the spring of Divine life and power, (from which sound truths and edifying matter springs and flows into the heart or understanding,) abates or stops, to stop with it, and sit down, and not to arise, or speak publicly to the people, without some spiritual impulse or moving, and openings.

"I would have this taken no otherwise, but as one friend and brother opening their states and condition to another for edification, and the strengthening each other in Christ. And as I fear

lest I should exceed the bounds of a letter, therefore shall conclude,

66

Thy real friend in Jesus Christ,

T. CHALKLEY."

The 25th of the twelfth month I was at the burial of the wife of Randal Spikeman. It being our Fifth-day meeting, divers sober people were there not of our persuasion, and I was drawn forth to speak to the people of the death of Christ and his merits, and to shew them that there is no merit in the works of man, as he is man, or in a formal righteousness or holiness.

In our yearly-meeting at Burlington, it was agreed that the families of friends should be visited, and soon after our monthly-meeting appointed me, with other friends, to visit the families of friends of our meeting; in which visitation many were comforted and edified, both youth and aged; and we could truly say, that the power and grace of God, and the sweet love of Christ accompanied us from house to house, to our mutual comfort; and we were so extraordinarily opened and guided to speak to the states of the people in their families, (that were unknown and strangers to us,) that sometimes some of them were ready to think that we spoke by information, when in truth we were clear of any such thing, and only spoke from what was immediately given to us, without any information from man or woman; which to us was sometimes very wonderful, and caused us to praise the name of the Lord.

In the first month, the general-meeting at Philadelphia was a solid, good meeting, and ended in a sense of grace and truth, which comes by Jesus Christ. Next day, being our week-day meeting, our dear friends, Elizabeth Levis and Jane Fenn, took leave of us, they intending for the island of Barbadoes; and it was such a parting meeting, that will not soon be forgotten by some of us then present.

After this meeting I went to Burlington, to visit one that was sick, and under some trouble of mind for going astray, and greatly desired to come into the right way; with whom I had a good, seasonable meeting to her comfort, and my own satisfaction. Upon this visit I would remark, that it is a great pity, that youth, when in health and strength, should put off the work of their salvation, and forget the Most High, till either sickness or death overtake them. And then, Oh! the bitter piercing cries and groans, and terrible agonies the soul is in, which, by timely repentance, and amendment of life, might be avoided.

I was afterwards at meetings at Philadelphia, Merion, German-Town, &c. and had some service and satisfaction therein. And on the 2d of the second month, 1725, the Friend whom I visited, as above, was buried, and the relations of the deceased sent for me to the burial. The person being well beloved, there was a large appearance of people of divers persuasions, and we had an opportunity at this funeral to exhort the peo