1725.

Epistle, well knowing alfo that many of us are as Epiftles writ in one anothers Hearts by the heavenly Finger of the moft High; and thofe Characters of divine Love fo written will not easily be erased: I could willingly have been at your Quarterlymeeting, but that I had been fo long from my Family, that I was much wanted therein, and my coming Home was feasonable and acceptable, both to them and my Friends; and I humbly thank the Lord, I found all well. Now that which is on my "Mind to your Quarterly-meeting, is after this Manner, concerning the Government of the Church of Christ, of which Church He is the holy Head and Lawgiver: Wherefore we are to feek and wait for • Counsel and Wifdom from him, in all our Monthly and Quarterly-meetings, for the well-ordering of our little Society, which is growing and increasing in the Earth, and alfo in your Ifland (notwithstanding the invidious Attempts of fome Men of corrupt Minds) and it will grow and increase more and more, as we keep our Places, our heavenly Places in Chrift • Jesus.

Dear Friends, the good Order of Truth and Go<vernment of Chrift in his Church, is a great Help to us and our Children, when carried on in Chrift's Spirit [pray oblerve or mind that] for if our Order, • and Church-Government, be carried on in the Spirit of Man (as he is meer Man) though he is never fo crafty or cunning, it will do more Hurt than Good in the Church of Chrift. Chrift's Spirit muft govern Chrift's Church; and when, and where that is over all, then, and there, Chrift's Church and Kingdom is exalted, of whofe Kingdom and Peace there will be no End; and happy will all thofe be, whofe End is in it. Mofes, that Man of God, governed in the Jewish Church in the Spirit of God, and ⚫ when he found the Work too heavy for him, the • Lord put his Spirit on Seventy more, who were

Help

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 afcended up on high, he 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 feemed good to the boly Ghoft, and to us, to put you in Mind of fuch and fuch Things. And while this holy Ghost, 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• fefted to our Fore-fathers, and to us alfo in this Age, the great Lord of all will profper his Work in our 、ཝ Hands,

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

And as we have kept close to this our heavenly Guide, how hath the Lord fweetly manifefted his • Love and Power to us in our Meetings for the wellordering of our Society? Which many Times hath filled our Hearts with pure Praifes, 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 Sifters in Chrift, 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 pleafed 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 Houses, 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 C you, thought the fame with me, about the Profpect of a large Gathering there-away, if a Houfe were built; to which Friends, and well-inclined People, might come from Hempstead, Rocky-bill, Rockway, Fofter's Meadow, &c.

T. C.

After

After my Service on Long-Ifland, I had great 1725. Sweetness upon my Spirit for fome Time, which fometimes caused my Heart to fing for Joy; and yet I rejoiced in a trembling Frame of Spirit, and had the true Sense 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 Firft-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, Germanat which alfo 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 Firstday-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 thofe 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-houfes 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 juft before had divers good Opportunities, and my own Inclinations feemed to lead to my Family; but Friends

1725. Friends being defirous of my staying, I did fo, and we had a good, folid Meeting. After Meeting a folid good Friend faid, He thought we bad the beft Wine at laft; and indeed the Love of God, through Chrift, is fo fweet to his People, that the laft often feems the best, 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 ferve 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 strong 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 Jerseys, 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 Visit.

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 raising 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; fo that they are dry and barren, as to the Things of

God.