6

Help-meets in the Government; fo that it was 1725. 'God's Spirit that governed; and while that ruled✔ them, all was well; but when they went from that, they fell into Error and Difobedience; and at length the Meffiab came, and he governed his own little 'Flock himself; and when he ascended up on high, The promised his Spirit fhould be with, and in his • Church for ever, and be their holy Guide into all Truth, in which he would also comfort them: And • Chrift fulfilled this his Promife; for when his Difciples waited at Jerufalem to be endued with Power from on high, according to the Advice of their Lord, they were filled with the Gift and Grace of the holy Spirit: And when the Brethren and Elders met 'together about the Affairs and Government of the 'Church, they gave forth Rules and Orders from that "General-meeting to the particular Ones; and the holy Ghoft prefided amongst them, which they fignified to the other Meetings, faying, It Seemed good to the holy Ghost, and to us, to put you in Mind of fuch and fuch Things. And while this holy Ghoft, or Spirit, governed in the primitive Chriftian Church, all was well; God and Chrift was glorified, and his Church and People edified; but by going 'from that, the Apoftacy came in.

Wherefore, dear Friends, keep close to the Spirit, Power, Light, and divine Life, of Chrift Jefus, in 'your Monthly and Quarterly-meetings for the Go⚫vernment of the Church, as well as in your Meetings for the Worship of the Almighty; for if we go ⚫ from that, he will go from us.

And, dear Friends, the Teftimony of Jefus, in the Spirit of Prophecy, opens in me after this Manner, That if our Society keep and live up to the Spirit and Truth of Chrift, which hath been mani'fested to our Fore-fathers, and to us alfo in this Age, the great Lord of all will profper his Work in our

• Hands,

1725. W

Hands, and blefs both us and our Children, as we and they keep therein,

And as we have kept clofe to this our heavenly Guide, how hath the Lord fweetly manifefted his Love and Power to us in our Meetings for the well• ordering of our Society? Which many Times hath filled our Hearts with pure Praises, and holy Thanksgiving, to the high and lofty One, who inhabits Eternity, and dwells in the highest Heavens, and is Light for ever: To whom, with the Lamb ⚫ of God, who takes away the Sins of the World, I recommend you, my dear and well-beloved Friends, Brethren, and Sisters in Christ, with my own Soul.

T. C.

• P. S. Since my Return, I have been thankful to • God for the many favourable Vifitations and good • Opportunities he was pleased to grant me with you, • and divers fober People on your Ifland, in which

there is an open Door among many to receive the • Testimony of Truth. I commend your Nobility in • building good Houfes, and making Room for your • fober Neighbours to fit with you in your Meetings; this is of good Report concerning you, both far and near, and if I apprehend right, there is more * Work of that Kind for you to do. I thought often, when among you, and now alfo, That there would be a large Gathering, if there were a House built at the Upper-end of the great Plains, not far from Fofter's Meadow; but every one may not think or fee alike; tho' I know fome folid Friends among you, thought the fame with me, about the Profpect of a large Gathering there-away, if a House were built; to which Friends, and well-inclined People, might come from Hempstead, Rocky-bill, Rockway, Foster's Meadow, &c.

T. C.

After

After my Service on Long-Iland, I had great 1725. Sweetness upon my Spirit for fome Time, which fometimes caufed my Heart to fing for Joy; and yet I rejoiced in a trembling Frame of Spirit, and had the true Senfe of what is written in the holy Scriptures, where it is faid, Serve the Lord with Fear (I take it, Filial Fear) and rejoice with Trembling, for fear of lofing that precious Senfe of the Love of God, which is in Chrift.

town.

Burlington:

Springfield.

On the 20th of the Twelfth Month (the First-day of the Week) I was at Abington Meeting, in which Abington. the Love of Chrift was manifefted to us, in the Opening of his Saying, If I be lifted up, I will draw all Men unto me, John xii. 32. The next Day I was at German-town, at the Burial of a Son of Dennis Cunrad, German at which also was our Friend Abigail Bowles. On the Sixth-day following, I went to the General-meeting of Minifters and Elders at Burlington, where I again met with our faid Friend and divers others: The Firftday-meeting was large; and on Second-day was the Quarterly-meeting for the County; and on Thirdday was their Youths-meeting, which was large, and many weighty Truths were delivered in that Meeting. On Fourth-day we were at a Meeting at Springfield; the House was pretty much thronged, and Friends were exhorted, thankfully to commemorate the Mercies and Favours of the Almighty to them, and defired to enlarge their Meeting-houses as their Number increased; for in those Parts there was fuch an Opennefs in the Hearts of the People, and Increase of their Number, that Friends had already agreed on building two Meeting-houses between Crofwicks and Burlington; their Zeal and Unanimity therein, was worthy of Commendation. Fifth-day being the Week-day-meeting at Burlington, Friends of the Town defired I would ftay at it; I thought we had just before had divers good Opportunities, and my own Inclinations feemed to lead to my Family; but

Friends

1725. Friends being defirous of my ftaying, I did fo, and we had a good, folid Meeting. After Meeting a folid good Friend faid, He thought we bad the best Wine at laft; and indeed the Love of God, through Chrift, is fo fweet to his People, that the laft often seems the beft, when it is only a renewed Vifitation of the fame Love to his Children. So I went home rejoicing that I was in fome good Measure accounted worthy to serve fo good, and fo gracious a Master.

Jerfeys.

On the 6th Day of the First Month (being the First of the Week) I was at the Morning and Afternoon Meetings in Philadelphia, wherein those who call themfelves Free-thinkers, were exhorted to be careful of drinking too freely, left they might juftly be called Free-drinkers; for many Times fuch, when they drink too freely of ftrong Liquor, think and fpeak too freely their own corrupt Notions, to the Dishonour of God, and to the Scandal of Religion in general.

Soon after I was at the First-day Meetings at Philadelphia; and in this Month I went into the Jerfeys, and was at three large Meetings in Company with Abigail Bowles, in which our faid Friend had good Service, to the Comfort of Friends, convincing of Gainfayers, and confirming the Weak, and the People were glad of our Vifit.

The 15th Day of this Month I was at Burlington at the Burial of my good Friend and old Acquaintance. Abraham Bickley, at whofe Funeral were great Numbers of People, he being well-beloved of his Neighbours; Chrift's raifing Lazarus out of the Grave, and his Tenderness and Weeping there was spoken of, in order to ftir People up to a tender, religious Exercise of Mind, which is too much wanting among many of the Profeffors of his holy Name, who have too little Senfe of that which fhould bring true Tenderness over their Minds, being more in Earth than Heaven; to that they are dry and barren, as to the Things of

God.

God. The Meeting ended (to Satisfaction) with Sup- 1725. plications to the Almighty. m

A few Days after, I was at our General Springmeeting in Philadelphia, which was large; where our Friends Robert Jordan and Abigail Bowles had goodService.

This Week I was at four very large Meetings at Philadelphia, Frankfort, and Abington, much to my Satisfaction, tho' I had no vocal Service therein; yet my Heart was broken into Tenderness and Tears, under the Ministry of several weighty, folid Testimonies, that were born by good and living Ministers, quali fied to preach the Gofpel in the Demonftation of the Spirit, and with Power.

The 26th of the First Month 1726, I went to German-town Meeting, which was large, and I was opened 1726. therein to speak of the Vision of the Prophet Ezekiel, of the holy Waters which proceeded from under the Threshold of the Sanctuary, which the Angel mea-: furing, they grew deeper and deeper, until they became a River to fwim in, Ezek. xlvii. 5. Which myfti-. cally fheweth the Work of Grace, Converfion, and Regeneration; and that thefe holy Waters the Soul must drink of, and be washed, and baptized in, are fpiritual and fupernatural, and therefore not to be measured by the Spirit and Will of Man, in his natural State, according to the Prophet Ifaiah, Chap. xxxiii. 21. Man, before he can fwim therein, must be ftript of all his Self-righteoufnefs, and artificial Religion, though as fplendid and beautiful as a gallant Ship, or Galley, with Oars, which in this Refpect is agreeable to the State of Men fwimming in elementary Water, where the most skilful have fometimes loft their Lives, for want of being naked or uncloathed; and those who had not yet attain'd much Experience, were advis'd) not go out of their Depth, but to wait in Patience and Humility, to enjoy the medicinal Virtue of the Trees growing by the Side of this River, whofe Fruit

is