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"terest I have in this world; I have no other interest." He then kneeled down and wept exceedingly, and all the assembly with him. After rising from his knees, he warned the people in a very feeling and affecting address, to be faithful, and keep the way of God when he was gone, and said, "We have given you the gos"pel; see to it that you make a good use of it. Do abide faith"ful; those of you that abide faithful, will be like a bud in the "bloom; but those who do not abide, will be like a falling leaf; "and you will remember these words when you cannot see me." He then addressed the elders and laborers among the people, and gave them a very solemn charge to be faithful and watch over the people for their protection, and said, "Deal with the brethren ❝and sisters as I have dealt with you." He also warned them in a very special manner concerning the youth and children, and said, "You must take care of the rising generation: for if they are 66 protected, the time will come when they will be the flower of "the pople of God." The next morning he set off for Enfield, in Connecticut, from whence he never returned. After tarrying a short time at Enfield, he visited the believers in Harvard, Shirley, Woburn, and other places at the eastward where they then resided, and returned to Enfield sometime in March, where he remained, and was continually visited by the believers, till his decease.

Father James's ministry was short, but very active and laborious He visited all the different places in the land where the gospel had been planted, and some of them several times. His labors were continually employed in strengthening the weak, comforting the afflicted, and purging out sin. It was the peculiar gift of his ministry to wean the affections of the believers from their natural and earthly ties, and prepare them for a spiritual relation in church order, which he foretold was at hand, and often spoke of it. His instructions to Elder Joseph Meacham and those with him, relative to gathering, building and establishing the church in gospel order, might, with great propriety, be likened to the instructions of David to Solomon, concerning the building of the temple, which was an eminent type of this very work.

Many were the instructions, exhortations and solemn warnings which he delivered in the last days of his ministry. When he came near the close of his life, he said, “I have given you my life; “all I have, I have given unto you. If I ever had any thing, you "possess it—it is yours; and now see that you make a good use of "it." About two weeks before his decease, he said, "My body " is under great sufferings; but I feel my soul at peace with God "and man. I have given you the gospel; now see to it, what "kind of use you make of it. If you keep the gospel, the gospel "will keep you. I have given my life for the people; and after "I am gone, there will be a great increase."

A little before his decease, there came a number of the brethren and sisters from New-Lebanon to see him, and being about to return home, they went into his room to take their leave of him. On entering the room where he lay, they all kneeled down in sorrow and tears, and in prayer to God, feeling sensible that this would be the last time they should ever see his face in this world. He addressed them and said, "I feel thankful to see you all, and "that you have come to see me in my sickness, once more, before "I leave the world. I feel weak in body, but comfortable in my "spirit; and whether I live or die, the gospel will increase. I "have had a great desire to come and see you all; but I have not "been able; but my heart has been with you; and now your hearts must be with me, to labor for the power of God-for one union. I desire you would give my love to the people where you go, and tell them that I am alive, and that I never expect to die; "for the sting of death is taken from me, and all fear and terror; "yet I expect soon to put off this earthly tabernacle. Farewell."

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When he was on his dying bed, numbers of the brethren and sisters went to see him. On enquiring how he felt, he said, "My "sufferings are exceeding great; but that peace and consolation "which I feel in my soul, overbalances them all. That peace "and comfort which I feel in the gospel, I would not exchange "for a thousand such worlds as this." He then exhorted all to hold on and hold out to the end, and said, "If you hold out to the "end, you will feel that peace which I now feel."

Thus he continued to exhort, encourage and strengthen all around him till he expired, July 20th, 1787, in the 37th, year of his age. His funeral was attended on the following day, and the scene was very affecting to all the believers, who viewed him as their Elder and Father, and the last of those faithful ministers of Christ who had brought the gospel of salvation to this land, and who had been called to stand in the ministry.

SUPPLEMENTARY ARTICLE,
Concerning Elder JOHN HOCKNELL.

John Hocknell, whose name is repeatedly mentioned in the preceding pages, is very justly ranked among the first founders of the United Society, and was one of the principal supporters of the gospel in its first commencement in this country; and it is therefore but just and reasonable that he should be particularly noticed in this work; but for want of room the notice will be short.

He was a native of Cheshire, in England, and was a man of respectable character, and possessed considerable property. He had formerly belonged to the Methodist society, and afterwards became F

a zealous member of the society under James and Jane Wardley, and readily embraced the increasing light through Mother Ann, and was a faithful believer. He was a man of very meek deportment, and was greatly gifted in visions and prophecies, and was well known among the believers of his day to possess the gift of healing. He was a great help to Mother Ann and her little family, in a temporal view, and was very zealous in the support of the gospel. It was through his instrumentality that they were enabled to cross the ocean, and establish themselves in this land. Indeed the temporal assistance which his zeal and liberality afforded the society, in its infant state, was its principal dependance. He was a very honest, conscientious and upright man, and continued faithful and zealous during life, and lived to see the church established in gospel order, and with great joy, saw its growing prosperity, in things temporal and spiritual. He departed this life February 27th, 1799, aged 76 years.

THE ESTABLISHED ORDER AND RELIGIOUS PRACTICE OF THE UNITED SOCIETY.

CHAPTER 1.

Formation of the Society into a united Body, possessing a consecrated Interest.

As the manner of God's work, both in the natural and spiritual creation, has always been progressive, increasing from one degree of order to another until it arrives to perfection; so the order which has been established in the church of Christ on earth, was necessarily progressive, being effected by the progressive operations of his Divine Spirit in the hearts of the faithful. While the believers, as a people, remained in their respective natural families, scattered about in different places, possessing respectively the temporal interest inherited by natural heirship, or acquired by their own labors in their respective callings, there could not be much order among them, excepting the common order of nature. But all who had honestly confessed and forsaken their sins, and faithfully continued to take up their crosses, according to the manifestation of the gift of God which they had received, who had paid all their just debts, and freed themselves from all outward embarrassments, and by their faithfulness and obedience, had gained a sufficient degree of mortification to the fallen nature of the flesh, were thereby prepared for a further increase of gospel order. To gain this increase, it was necessary that they should be brought into a nearer connection together, and thereby be enabled to serve God in a more united capacity, as members of the body of Christ in a church relation.

To constitute a true church of Christ, there must necessarily be a union of faith, of motives and of interest, in all the members who compose it. There must be "one body and one bread:"* and nothing short of this union in all things, both spiritual and temporal, can constitute a true church, which is the body of Christ. And wherever that united body exists, it will bring into operation every individual talent for the general good of the whole body. And herein is the prayer of Jesus answered; "That they may be one, even as we are one." In this united capacity, the strength of the whole body becomes the strength of each member; and being united in the one Spirit of Christ, they have a greater privilege to serve God than they possibly could have in a separate capacity, and are better able to be mutual helps to each other; and they also find a greater degree of protection from the snares of a selfish and worldly nature.

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* Cor. x, 17.

John xvii. 22.

The way having been gradually prepared for the attainment of this important object, particularly by the ministration of Father James, it now began to take place under the ministration of Father Joseph and Mother Lucy. The first step was to gather the believers into a body, where they could enjoy all things in common, both of a spiritual and temporal kind, and in which their tempora! interest could be united together, and be consecrated to religious purposes. This proceeding, being dictated by Divine Wisdom, was a matter of free choice to every individual: for no one was compelled to give up his interest contrary to his own faith and inward feelings. But all who had faithfully kept pace with the work of God, in its increase thus far, and had been able to settle their temporal concerns, were prepared for it, and esteemed it a special privilege to be admitted into that united body, and be numbered with the most faithful. But the permanent establishment of order was necessarily a progressive work, and could not be suddenly accomplished.

The gathering of the society began at New-Lebanon, in the month of September, 1787, and continued to progress as fast as circumstances and the nature of the work would admit. Elders and deacons were appointed to lead and direct in matters of spiritual and temporal concern; suitable buildings were erected for the accommodation of the members; and order and regularity were, by degrees, established in the society: so that by the year 1792, the Church was considered as established in the principles of her present order and spirit of government. Those who were thus gathered into a united body, were denominated The Church; being a collective body of christians separated from the world, and enjoying, in their united capacity, one common interest. In this situation, they were enabled to gain a greater degree of victory over the nature of selfishness, and thus to subdue, more effectually, the evil propensities of a carnal nature. By this means they found a greater degree of mortification and death to the nature of sin, and experienced a gradual growth in love and union, peace and harmony, and all those heavenly graces which adorn the man of God, and render him perfect in every good word and work.

But there were many whose circumstances did not, at that time, admit of so complete a separation from the world, being still under more or less embarrassments, or entanglements with those without. These were progressively gathered into families, in a separate capacity, having a subordinate privilege; but at the same time, they were at full liberty to follow the example of the church, to walk in their steps, and to maintain the like united interest, in that capacity, as fast as their situation and circumstances would admit. Many of these, having unbelieving children and heirs, or being otherwise entangled in their temporal circumstances, could not, consistent

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