and Inftructive, yet severe against any thing that was beyond the Liberty of Truth. Thefe, with his other Qualifications of Body and Mind, did render him both very Acceptable and very Useful, as a Friend, as a Neighbour, and as a Member and Elder in the Church of Chrift; and the more, for that his Time was chiefly Imployed in being Serviceable in one or other of thefe Capacities.

I might here particularly mention the feveral Labours of our Deceased Friend, according to their refpective Times, and the Nature of their feveral Subjects; but much of this being already done in the enfuing Pages, I chufe to remit the Reader thither; by which poffibly he may be excited to the Perufal of them, and fhall only say concerning them, that the Fudicious Reader will eafily Observe, that his Method and Stile do denote him to bave been a Scholar: And yet not farther So, than the Simplicity and Purity of the Truth, whereof be made Profeffion, would permit him.

I was

I was with our Friend Thomas Ellwood, the greater part of his Sickness: In which he was also very frequently vifited by our Friend George Bowles, who was his Neighbour; to whom therefore I refer, for the Account which he may give of his Sickness and Dying Words.

As it was my good Lot to be well acquainted with him (though only in the latter Years of his Life) and know that he did neither ufe nor encourage the bestowing Elaborate Encomiums upon Perfons Deceased: So neither fhall I add further concerning him, than to fay with the Apoftle concerning the Faithful, That he was Righteous, God Teftifying of his Gifts; and by it being Dead, yet Speaketb.

London the 12th of the

2d Month, 1714.

Heb.

11.4.

J. W.

George

7

George Bowles his TESTIMONY Concerning Thomas Ellwood.

Dear Friends,

It is

Tis in my Heart briefly, on this Occafion, to commemorate the tender Dealings of the Lord with bis People in this latter Age of the World, when it hath pleafed him, in Love to poor loft Man, gracioufly to appear, by the breaking forth of his Glorious Gospel Day, And by the fecret divine Reaches of the Hand of God, which hath been felt and Jeen in the Light of it, many have been drawn in their Spirits to feek after the Lord, and to enquire after the Knowledge of the Way of Life and Salvation; and bleffed be his Holy Name, who was graciously pleafed, by the Infbinings of this Divine Light in the Hearts of many, to expel the Darkness and rend the Vail. And then was the Arm of his mighty Power made bare, for the gathering many Thousands to the faving Knowledge of Himself. And in that Day was the Lord pleafed according to his Promife, to pour forth of his Spirit upon Sons and upon Daughters; yea, upon Servants and upon Handmaids, and many were made to Prophefie; and being qualified by the Holy Spirit, which they received, and were baptized by it into his Name, became willing, and were freely given up in Obedience to the Lord, and in Bowels of tender Love to the Souls of Mankind, in his Power, to preach the Gospel of Life and Salvation to those to whom they were fent, and ma

ny

ny were turned from Darkness to Light, and from the Power of Satan unto God, by their Miniftry: Amongst whom our dear deceased Friend and Brother, THOMAS ELLWOOD, was one, whofe Confcience was reached and awakened by the Powerful "Miniftry of dear Edward Burrough, as I have heard him relate (and as by the following Sheets will more plainly appear.) And of that Day and Time, and the worthy Inftrument by whofe Miniftry he was Convinced, and turned unto God, and made fenfible of the Divine Principle of Life and Light in his own Heart, have I heard him fpeak with great Regard; and alfo of the Sufferings which did attend him after he received the Truth in his Father's Family, for the Truth's fake: and how the Lord preferved him in that time, under the various Exercifes, which he paffed through for Truth's Testimony; which for "Chrift's fake he was Confcientiously Concerned to Stand in, according to that Plainneß and Simplicity which Truth then led, and still continues to lead the fincere Difciples of Chrift into, by which they were diftinguished from the World; and, for the fake thereof, they were defpifed of Men, and Wated of the World. Such was the Plain Langu age of Thou to one, and refusing the Hat-Honour; For which, Dear T. E. Juffered not a little in that Day, as, by the following Account of his Life more fully appears. And it were well if all, who come up in a Profeffion of the Blessed Truth in this Time, were Faithful in these, and in the other Branches of its Teftimony. And let all confider, that the neglecting thereof, is, in a Degree,