EPISTLE LXVI-1743. Dearly beloved Friends and Brethren, In a fresh remembrance of the gracious visitations of the Lord, and in a renewed experience of his continued goodness, we tenderly salute you; earnestly desiring, that having our hearts deeply affected with gratitude and love, we may all unite in thankfulness to the Lord our God, who hath not dealt with us after our sins, nor rewarded us according to our iniquities; but, according to the multitude of his mercies, in Christ Jesus, still continueth to be gracious, reviving and refreshing with the consolations of his spirit the souls of those who are contrite and humble before him, and extending of his grace even to the rebellious, that they may repent and return unto him, and that he may dwell among them. Oh! that all were wise to observe these things, and to understand the loving kindness of the Lord! : By accounts received from the several Quarterly Meetings in England and Wales, and by epistles from North-Britain, Ireland, Holland, Pennsylvania and New Jersey, Long-Island, Virginia, Maryland, New-England and Tortola, we understand, that a fresh spring and visitation of heavenly love hath of late been manifested in divers places, to the reaching and convincing of many; and particularly that the Lord is inclining the hearts of some young Friends to follow the footsteps of the ancients, in christian pu rity, plainness, and self-denial; and that some of their mouths have been opened to bear testimony to the truth, from a living experience; and, by the constraining power of love, to call unto others to follow the Lord in the way of his requirings and also that some, who were not educated in our way, observing the comely order amongst us, and the uprightness of life which truth leads its followers into, have been affected with its beauty, and joined themselves unto us; and that some of these, from a sense of its living power and virtue, are inviting others to come unto Shiloh, the peaceable Saviour, in themselves, and to wait in holy silence to witness him to be their governor and director in all things; of whose government and peace there never shall be end. Wherefore, dear Friends, we earnestly exhort you, as heretofore, to be fervent and diligent in all your meetings for worship; that those, who may be inclined to come to our assemblies, may observe the gravity and reverence of your deportment to be such as becometh the worshippers of God in spirit and in truth; and that, so waiting, we may witness the renewings of the love of God, and experience, each of us, the fulfilling of his gracious promise of the presence of his Holy Spirit in and among his people. The sufferings of Friends brought in this year, being generally for tithes and church-rates, so called, amount in England and Wales to three thousand one hundred and ninety-five pounds and upwards; and in Ireland, to above one thousand five hundred and thirty-two pounds; making together four thousand seven hundred twenty-eight pounds and upwards. There are yet three Friends remaining prisoners in York-Castle for tithes; but it hath pleased the legislature, in christian compassion to their case, by a particular clause in a late act, to prescríbe a means for their discharge; which, we hope, will be effectual. As the truth, whereunto we have been called, hath led us into a conscientious concern against the payment of tithes, and forced maintenance of ministers, as forbidden by the doctrine of Christ and his apostles, let all maintain their testimony with christian innocence and freedom; and beware, lest, by any indirect methods and mean compliances with their prosecutors, they betray the christian cause in which they are engaged, and minister occasion to suspect their sincerity therein. But in that, and every other branch of our religious testimony, let your conversation among men be answerable to your profession, lest you be stumbling blocks in the way of such serious and thinking enquirers as may come to be convinced of the truth of the principles by us professed. Dear Friends, Beware of that wisdom which descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, and puffeth up the mind; but be ye, like our great pattern the Lord Jesus, meek and lowly in heart, not seeking your own glory, but the honour of him that hath called you. Be ready to every good office of love, even to the least of Christ's disciples, and he will esteem it as done unto himself: delight to encourage those who are honest and sincere in heart, and to strengthen the feeble-minded under their trials and conflicts; so shall ye become as nursing-fathers and nursing-mothers in the church of God, and be qualified with wisdom from above to ad, minister suitably to the conditions of others, to the comforting of their souls, that they may have cause to bless the Lord on your behalf. And, dear Friends; under a consideration of the subtle and continual assaults of the enemy of our souls, we find it necessary to put you in mind, that whatever your advancement in the work of religion, or your services in the church, may have been, you have still as great need as ever to dwell in an humble state of watchfulness. For some, whom the Lord hath favoured with the influences of his love, while their hearts remained low and humble in his sight, have, by giving way to the subtle temptations of the enemy, under the specious pretence of enlargement and freedom of spirit, become exalted in their minds, gradually declined from their first love, and from that tender regard and care which once rested upon their minds towards God; and by an unguarded conduct have lost their esteem and service in the church, and brought dishonour on the blessed truth which they had long professed. Wherefore," let him that thinketh he "standeth, take heed lest he fall."* And inasmuch as many of our faithful elders have been of late taken from us by death, a concern is upon our minds, that their places and services in the church may be supplied; wherefore we advise, as † formerly, that such of our younger Friends, as are sober and hopeful, may be invited and encouraged to attend our meetings for the affairs and business of the church, that they may become useful and serviceable therein, and instrumental to the continuing that good order and discipline which the spirit of truth led our ancient Friends into the practice of; for the same spirit which was their leader must be ours. But if we depart from its holy guidance, the will and wisdom of man will be found unable to build upon that foundation which God hath laid. And, dear Friends; we think it especially necessary at this time to remind you of the former advices of this meeting, respecting a frequent and diligent reading of the holy Scriptures; the doctrines contained in those inspired writings, duly attended to, and firmly impressed upon the minds of our young people, may be a means of preserving them from the danger and infection of such corrupt and irreligious principles, as, having a tendency to the exaltation of self and human abilities, would lessen their dependence on the power and spirit of God, their only security and preservation. And as the voice of mortality is ever sounding in our ears, a concern arises in us to exhort all to settle their worldly affairs according to truth and justice, to set their houses in order, and to live in a state of preparation for their departure hence; ever mindful of the advice of the apostle; viz. "Brethren, the time is "short; it remaineth, that both they that have wives, be as though they had none; and they that weep, as though they "weep not; and they that rejoice, as though they rejoiced not; "and they that buy, as though they possessed not; and they "that use this world, as not abusing it; for the fashion of this "world passeth away."+ 46 * COR. X. 12. In 1734 and 1737. 1 COR. vii. 29. Finally, brethren; the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you, seasoning your spirits, leavening your conversations with his fear, and enabling you to walk before him in all humility and lowliness of mind, impressing upon your hearts a just sense of the vanity and uncertainty of all things here below, and setting your affections on things that are above, where Christ sitteth at the right hand of God. To whom be glory and dominion ascribed now and for ever. Amen. Signed in and on behalf of the Yearly Meeting, by JOHN WILSON, Clerk to the Meeting this Year. EPISTLE LXVII-1744. Dearly beloved Friends and Brethren, In the spirit of christian love and charity, which to our exceeding joy and consolation, hath been witnessed to preside in this our general assembly, we tenderly salute you. Blessed be the God and Father of all our mercies, who, by the influences of his heavenly grace, hath at this time been with us, enlarging the hearts of the faithful with earnest desires for the welfare one of another, and with fervent supplications unto him, who giveth ability for every good word and work, and who alone can bless and sanctify our endeavours for the peace of the church, and the preservation of its discipline. By the accounts we have received from the several Quarterly and Monthly Meetings in England, and by epistles from Wales, North-Britain, Ireland, Holland, Pennsylvania, and New-Jersey, Rhode-Island, Long-Island, Maryland, Virginia, North-Carolina, Barbadoes, and Tortola, we understand, that the churches are ge nerally preserved in peace and unity; and that although in too many places a declension from our ancient plainness and simplicity doth appear; yet, in others, the testimony of truth is received with joy, and embraced with readiness of heart, and many are added to the church; so that we have reason to hope and believe, that the Lord will yet comfort Zion, and enlarge the borders of her sanctuary. The sufferings of Friends brought in this year, being generally for tithes and church-rates, so called, amount in England and Wales to two thousand eight hundred thirty-seven pounds, and upwards; and those from Ireland to above one thousand four hundred and sixty pounds, making together four thousand two hun dred ninety-seven pounds, and upwards. The three Friends we mentioned last year, then remaining prisoners in York-Castle, are since discharged, pursuant to the means prescribed by an act of the legislature; and we have no account of any Friends committed to prison this year. Several prosecutions are now depending, and others have been put a stop to by the favourable interposition of persons of distinction, and some of them of the priesthood, who have manifested their dislike of such unchristian severities. As Friends continue faithful to their testimony with an open and undisguised plainness and integrity of heart, trusting in the Lord alone, he is pleased to work for their deliverance, in his own appointed time, by such ways and instruments as he sees fit. And, dear Friends; we find it our concern, at this time, earnestly to intreat and exhort, that the elders in your several Monthly Meetings be mindful of the advice of the apostle, " to watch over the flock of Christ," within the compass of their respective meetings; to advise and assist the weak, and to use their christian endeavours for the restoring such as may have wander ed and gone astray from the wholesome advices from time to time given forth and recommended by this meeting; and to encourage, with meekness of wisdom, the appearance of good in all: and where they perceive a neglect or remissness, either in particular persons, or in families, of duly attending meetings for worship, that they would visit such in the spirit of love, that so the hindmost of the flock may be brought forward, and none of them be dispersed and lost, And, dear Friends; in all your religious meetings for the worship of Almighty God, let your minds be seasoned with an awful sense of real and true devotion, and be ye exemplary to the flock of Christ. Let the solemn gravity of your deportment be such, as may demonstrate to others that you are in earnest in the great duty of waiting upon and worshipping God in spirit; that serious and tender hearted enquirers may be encouraged to come and partake in your assemblies of that inward and spiritual consolation and refreshment, which the Lord is graciously pleased to impart unto the souls of such as are humbled in his sight, and approach his holy presence with reverence and fear, And as it has pleased the Lord, by the breaking forth of the glorious light of his gospel, and the shedding abroad of his holy Spirit, to gather us to be a people to his praise, and to unite us in love, not only one unto another, but to the whole creation of God, by subjecting us to the government of his Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, the prince of peace; it behoveth us to hold forth the ensign of the Lamb of God, and, by our patience and * ACTS xxix. |