Monthly Meeting, they sent us the following brief testimony of his service, from the time he finished his journal to his decease, viz:

ject very largely, much to my own satisfac- From this time it does not appear that our tion, all being quiet and well. At Bardwell I dear friend kept any account of the meetings had a small meeting, which was pretty well; he attended, but upon application to his then had three meetings at Bury, and one at Rattlesdon, all to pretty good satisfaction. From Rattlesdon I went to Walden, Royston and Baldock, and so to Hitchin; had but low times in all these last meetings; thence to Hartford and Ware, and had tolerably good satisfaction; to Bishop Stortford and Dunmow, and had a small meeting at each place; and so to Chelmsford on first-day; things were well and comfortable. At Billerica I had a small meeting, and then went with my friend Samuel Arnold to his house, in a parish called Stock, staid some days, and came with him to London, being the 20th of the sixth month,

1749.

I was in town several weeks, and my concern grew upon me, and being filled with Gospel virtue, I had some very agreeable service, visiting all the meetings in the city, some three or four times, and the first-day meetings were very full, but week-day meetings were small.

Finding myself easy and clear of the city, Finding myself easy and clear of the city I left it in great peace on the 3d of the eighth month, 1749, and came to Esher to a small meeting, so to Guildford, Godalming and Alton, Basingstoke, Baghurst and Andover, and had some very agreeable times, and in the main was pretty well satisfied. Thence to Salisbury, and had a very full meeting; and to Fording-bridge, and was at a funeral, where many people attended. I had good satisfaction in being there, and left the place in much comfort and inward peace; thence to Ringwood, and had a pretty large evening meeting to good satisfaction; to Pool, and so to Weymouth, and had opportunities in both places; and from thence I came home the 2nd of the ninth month, 1749.

From our Monthly Meeting held at Bridport, the 21st of the ninth month, 1755, to Friends at their second-day's morning meeting in London. Dear friends and brethren,

Samuel Bownas, seems to break off somewhat The journal of our dear and worthy friend, abruptly, ending the second of the ninth month, 1749, and we cannot find that he kept any account of his travels, labours and servi ces in the ministry, from that time to the time the fourth month, 1753. During this time he of his decease, which was on the 2nd day of took no long journeys, for being advanced in failed him much, but he was very diligent in years, his hands shook, and his eye-sight attending meetings both at home and in the neighbourhood, for twenty or thirty miles round, as long as his health and strength continued; and his ministry was lively and powerful to the last, to the edification and comfort of those who were favoured with it. His removal was a great loss to Friends in these parts, but we have reason to believe it which was very short, he seemed quite sensi was his great gain, for in his last illness, ble of his approaching change, saying that he could not stay long with us, and hoped that kind Providence would be pleased to take him to himself.

Signed in and on behalf of the said meeting, by

THE END.

A NARRATIVE

OF THE

LIFE OF EDWARD CHESTER,

BY HIS WIFE, ELIZABETH CHESTER.

world, and the world to us, and which cruci fies the flesh with the affections and lusts; and thus to follow the Lord Jesus Christ.

When the sense of this was imprinted on his mind, he cried within himself, "alas! have I been a professor of religion so long, and have not yet known the power of the cross of Christ? Have I read the Scriptures so often, and have they been to me all this time but as

He was religiously inclined from his youth, daily cross; that which crucifies us to the having his conversation then mostly among the Baptists. About the seventeenth year of his age, his father died intestate; and his mother, who was a religious woman, committed the care and management of her business to him, which he readily undertook for her, and for twelve years conducted it with so much diligence and faithfulness, that he improved the estate and left her more for her other five children, all younger than himself, than their a sealed book?" father could have given them, if he had made a will-a good example to young men thus circumstanced.

Some little time before this, he heard of a people in the North of England, who professed the light and inward manifestations of the When he was about eighteen years of age Spirit of Truth, to be their guide and teacher; he joined in communion with the Baptists, and and he felt a strong desire to know them. was held in such esteem by the chief of them, Providence so ordered it, that John Askew, a that, I, who then frequented their meetings, Friend of London, brought a young man to have heard them say, he was likely to be a his house, whom he since thought was Richteacher among them; and they would often ard Farnsworth, with whom he had a conferbe putting him forward to exercise his gift, as ence, to his great satisfaction; and expressing their manner of speaking was; but I have a wish to have more acquaintance with this heard him say, he waited for a stronger and people, then in scorn called Quakers, many of more powerful impulse on his spirit. Some-them afterwards called upon him. His heart times through their importunity, he undertook being opened by the Lord, his house was it in their private meetings; but it brought opened also to receive and entertain the sertrouble upon him and an exercise of mind, vants of the Lord, at a period when they for he was not satisfied with the outside could hardly get entertainment in some places of religion. His spirit travailed after the en- for their money. joyment of the substance; an hunger being begotten in him after that bread which comes down from heaven, and a thirsting after that water which springs up to eternal life, and was to be set open as a fountain to wash in, from sin and from uncleanness.

Now that he gave up to follow the Lord, it pleased the Lord to bless him both inwardly and outwardly; he was increased in the things of this world, and grew in the knowledge and obedience of the Truth, and was enabled to suffer for it, both in the spoiling of his goods and the imprisonment of his body. For being brought before the justices in Oliver Cromwell's time, for bearing his testimony against the oppressive burthen of tithes, and not having freedom to put off his hat to them, he was committed to prison for it, and was the first Friend that was sent to Bedford jail on Truth's account.

Whilst his mind was thus exercised, with desires after the Lord, he was graciously pleased to manifest himself to him in love and with power, so that I have often heard him say, he was convinced of the blessed Truth by his own fire side, as he sat alone bemoaning his condition, and crying to the Lord for power to overcome those sins which secretly and so easily beset him. Under this exercise, He has often since been a prisoner, but not the doctrine of the cross of Christ was opened long at a time, for being beloved by most who to him, by the illuminating Spirit of God, by knew him, both justices and others, because which he clearly saw, and was fully satisfied, of his innocent life and peaceable and loving that the way to know and witness redemption behaviour, his neighbours were always unand salvation from sin, was to take up the easy when he suffered. One of his persecu

After our little company was somewhat increased, we still sat together for the most part After we had thus walked together for seve in silence, not having a word spoken amongst ral years in the profession of the blessed Truth, us for several months. Sometimes a minis- my dear husband and I took each other in tering Friend was sent by the Lord to visit us marriage, on the 19th of the fifth month, 1663. with a living testimony, whereby we were en- Being the first who were married amongst couraged to wait upon the Lord, and directed Friends in our meeting, or in this county of where and how to wait, so as to find him and Bedford, that we had heard of, we had no be accepted of him. And the Lord's presence track to follow, and that good order which is and power being what we waited for, blessed now established amongst Friends was then be his name, he never sent us altogether wanting. Wherefore, we took each other in empty away; though sometimes we waited a public meeting, and had a certificate thereof, long, before he brake forth in his tendering signed by about seven Friends of the meeting, power and consolating love; which, when and we joined in that which through the Lord's it did break forth, brought into true humili- assistance, caused us to love and to be faithful ty and tenderness, and begat in us a strong to each other, until death.

press, and he much desired stillness and retirement, saying, he knew the worth of a quiet habitation. I felt him in that love of God, which surpasses the love of all things here below, in which we were joined together by the Lord, and in the same love the Lord was

In the year 1665, it pleased the Lord to well as formerly, hath made in measure, hard bring my husband forth in the ministry, de- things easy, and bitter things sweet. claring what he had done for his soul, setting In his last sickness he uttered many comforth the great love of God to man, and ex-fortable expressions, though it was difficult for horting all to come unto and persevere in the him to speak. He would often say, he felt blessed way of Truth, that they might inherit more of the love of God than he could exeverlasting life. And truly his honest, plain testimony made such impression on the people, and produced such tenderness in them, that the remembrance of it rests upon me with great satisfaction. From that time forward, as the Lord by his constraining love drew him forth and gave him utterance, he laboured in pleased to separate us, by taking him to himthe service of Truth, and had great travail of spirit, more especially for the meetings to which he belonged, Market street and Sewell, where his service mostly lay. Sometimes he had drawings to visit Friends in other meetings, but always felt a care, that he might not make that little dispensation of the Gospel, as he used modestly to call it, which was committed to him, chargeable to any. He was also much concerned for the recovery of those who professed the holy Truth and yet walked disorderly, or not according to it.

His tenderness and love to me I want words to express; but this I can with good assurance say, we were true help-meets to one another, and our love increased to the last, for it stood not in the natural affections only, but was grounded in that which endures forever. When the period of our separation drew near, this made me desire to be thoroughly resigned and kept subject to the Lord's heavenly will, for therein only could I be comforted on parting with my dear husband, considering that my loss, was his greatly desired gain; even that he might be in the full fruition of Divine love in the heavenly mansions, "where the wicked cease to trouble and the weary are at rest." Blessed be the name of the Lord, who now as

self, on the 23d of the twelfth month, 1707, in the seventy-fourth year of his age. And now my desire is, that I and the children he hath left behind him, may follow him in that straight and narrow way, which we took delight to walk in, until we arrive at our journey's end in true peace with the Lord.

This was upon my mind to write, in commemoration of the Lord's gracious dealings, in the remembrance of his goodness to us in our tender years, how he shed abroad his love in our hearts when we were but young, which drew us to love him again, and not to think anything too dear to part with for his name and truth's sake. Surely we had good cause to say, He remembered the kindness of our youth, when we followed him in a land that was not sown, through briars and thorns. Hitherto he hath been the support of our youth and the stay of our old age, and hath helped my dear companion to become more than a conqueror, through Jesus Christ who loved him; and that it may be so with me also, and with all who love the Truth in sincerity, is the earnest desire and fervent breathing of my soul to God. ELIZABETH CHESTER.

Dunstable, 31st of the
First month, 1708.

VOL. III.-No. 2.

THE END.

10

JOURNAL

OF

THE LIFE, LABOURS AND TRAVELS

OF

THOMAS SHILLITOE,

IN THE SERVICE OF THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST.

PREFACE BY THE AUTHOR.

[The original journal containing some minute details which possess little or no general interest or instruction, they have been omitted, taking care however not to suppress any parts which were of importance to the character or sentiments of the work. AM. EDITORS.]

concerning THOMAS SHILLITOE.

BELIEVING it required of me in my early life, to keep a record of the merciful dealings of the Lord with me, and the remarkable manner in which he, in his tender compassion, has followed me by his reproofs of instruction, accompanied by such offers of help, as when faithfully co-operated with, never have failed A Testimony from Tottenham Monthly Meeting, to be all-sufficient for every work and service He has been pleased to call me to perform, I have been induced to continue the narrative, in hopes that, if it should be published, the perusal of it would afford lessons of instruction and encouragement to such as may, in adorable mercy, be awakened to the necessity of searching into the things which pertain to salvation.

This our dear friend was born in London in the second month, 1754, of parents not in profession with Friends. In his youthful days, through the visitations of Divine grace, he was given to feel the importance of a religious life; but, at that very critical period, he was often exposed to great temptations, and in the way of associating with those who did not fear God, but slighted his holy law, and went in the way to do evil. He felt the sad consequences of this; but a hand unseen was near to protect him: the attractions of heavenly love were graciously afforded, and were not disregarded.

The reader will, I hope, make every reasonable allowance for my relating some circumstances, which may not be likely to excite general interest. In the narration of what occurred in discourses and controversies, great allowance must also be made; the best of memories not being able to recollect every par- It appears that, as he advanced towards ticular: but the earliest care was taken, after manhood, he became, from preference, a fresuch opportunity, to minute down what oc- quent attendant of our religious meetings, curred; and I believe I am safe in saying, though he had been brought up in the national that by seeking, at these times, for help from mode of worship. He was then entirely dethe good Remembrancer, he graciously con- pendent on his own industry for support; and, descended to assist me. Care has been taken as his attachment to the principles of our rein no wise to alter the sense of what was com-ligious Society increased, he was, in consemunicated by others; and where I had com- quence of his conscientious conduct, brought panions, to whom I could conveniently submit into difficulty as to the means of gaining a my memorandums for perusal and correction, if necessary, it has been done; and in revising these, where any doubt has arisen as to the correctness of any part, it has been suppressed. THOMAS SHILLITOE.

Tottenham, 1834.

livelihood. This circumstance became known to some Friends in London, through whose kind interest in his behalf he was placed as a clerk in a banking-house in the city. He felt the great importance of a life of self-denial, and of entire conformity to the Divine will;