was constrained, under a sense of duty, to kneel down in the congregation, and confess to the goodness of God, also to pray to him for the continuation of it, and for power whereby I might be enabled to walk worthy of so great a favour, benefit and mercy, that I had received at his bountiful hand. And I remember after I had made public confession to the goodness of God, my soul was as if it had been in another world: it was so enlightened and enlivened by the divine love, that I was in love with the whole creation of God, and I saw every thing to be good in its place. I was showed things ought to be kept in their proper places, that the swine ought not to come into the garden, and the clean beasts ought not to be taken into the bedchamber; that as it was in the outward, so it ought to be in the inward and new creation. So every thing began to preach to me; the very fragrant herbs, and beautiful, innocent flowers had a speaking voice in them to my soul, and things seemed to have another relish with them than before. The judgments of God were sweet to my soul, and I was made to call to others sometimes, to come taste and see how good the Lord is, and to exhort them to prove the Lord, by an obedient, humble, innocent walking before him, and then they would see that he would pour out of his spiritual blessings in so plentiful a manner, that there would not be room enough to contain them; but the overflowings would return to him who is the Fountain, with thanksgivings, &c. And I was made to warn people, that they should not provoke the Lord by disobedience: for although he bears and suffers long, as he did with the rebellious Israelites in the wilderness, yet such shall know him to be a God of justice and judgment, and shall be made so to confess one day. Thus, dear friend, I have given thee a plain, but true account of my qualification and call to the service of the ministry. But it was several years before I came to a freed state, or even temper of mind: for sometimes clouds would arise and interpose between my soul and the rising Sun, and I was brought down into the furnace often, and found by experience that every time my soul was brought down as into the furnace of affliction, that it did still come up more clean and bright; and although the cloud did interpose between me and the rising Sun, yet when the Sun of Righteousness did appear again, he brought healing as under his wings, and was nearer than before. Thus dear friend, I express things in simplicity, as they were represented to me in the manifestation of them in the morning of my days. I came to love to dwell with judgment, and used often to pray, saying, "O Lord! search me and try me, for thou knowest my heart better than I know it; and I pray thee let no deceitfulness of unrighteousness lodge therein; but let thy judgments pass upon every thing that is contrary to thy pure, divine nature. Thus my soul used to breathe to the Lord continually, and hunger and thirst after a more full enjoy. ment of his presence. Although he is a consuming fire to the corrupt nature of the old man, yet my soul loved to dwell with him. I found many sorts of corruptions would be endeavouring to spring up again; but I resigned up my mind to the Lord, with desires that he would feed me with food convenient for me. And this I can say by experience, that the soul that is born of God doth breathe to him as constantly by prayer, as the sucking child, when it is born into the world, doth draw in and breathe out the common air; even so the child of God doth draw in and breathe forth the breath of life, by which man was made a living soul to God. And this breathing that is pure and divine, all that are in the old man or fallen na ture, know nothing of; it is a mystery to them; but the babe in Christ knows it to be true. And although the children in our Father's family are of several ages, growths or statures, both in strength and understanding, yet this I have observed in all my travels, that those who live to God, continue in a state of breathing to him while here, and hunger and thirst after a more full enjoyment of his divine presence; that as every day brings us nearer to the grave, so every day the soul may be brought into a more divine union and communion with God. It is a certain sign to me, of the divine life and health of a soul, if I find it sweetly breathing unto the Lord, and hungering and thirsting after his righteousness. And it is very evidently seen, and easily known by the conversation of persons, what manner of spirit doth govern in them; although many will not believe these things if declared to them; neither will they try whether it be so or not, but they are satisfied with the husk of religion. Oh! what will they do when the rudiments and beggarly elements of this world fall off, and all our works must pass through the fire: my very soul mourns for them; but we must press forwards and leave them, if they will not arise out of their false rest. Dear friend, as thou well observest, it is a great help to the soul to know its own corrup tions, and from whence it is fallen, that it may know whither to return. These things are very true: the knowledge of them hath been a great comfort to me, and so have the experiences of the servants of the Lord, agreeably to the testimonies left on record, which are as waymarks to the spiritual traveller; and we have a great privilege in and by them: but above all in and by Christ our holy Pattern and heavenly Lead er, who hath said, "My judgment is just, because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.' My soul prizeth the knowledge of his footsteps, the leading of his Spirit, the Spirit of Truth, the Comforter, whom the Father hath sent, to lead us into all truth. And O saith my soul, that we may follow the leadings of our unerring Guide in all things that he may lead us into! I have good cause to believe he will bring us through all tribulations to the honour of God and our comfort: for the Lord hath brought my soul through many trials, one after another, as he saw meet, some more of which I may give a hint of, viz:— brought into more stillness, and troublesome thoughts were in a good degree expelled; my outward enemies grew weary of their work and failed of their hope, The praise I freely, in great humility, offer up and ascribe to Almighty God; for it was his own work to preserve me from many strong temptations. So after I had [been favoured with] peace at home every way, I was drawn by the Spirit of love, to travel into the north of England. On my journey my soul had many combats with the evil spirit: when I was asleep he tormented me as long as he could. I have, indeed, had a long war with the devil many ways; abund ance of courage was given me to make war with him; and I always gained the victory when cowardly, fearful nature was asleep, which was comfortable to my mind: and I did hope that the Lord would give me perfect victory over the devil when I was awake, as he had let me see it to be so when I was asleep. The Spirit which led me forth, was to me like a needle of a compass, touched with a loadstone; for so it pointed where I ought to go, and when I came to the far end of the journey. In those days I had certain manifestations of many things in dreams, which did come to pass according to their significations; I was many times forewarned of enemies, and so was better able to guard against them. I travelled in great fear and humility, and the Lord was with me to his glory and my comfort, and brought me home again in peace. After my inward tribulation was abated, then outward trials began; for there were some of no small account, that endeavoured with all their might and cunning, to hinder the work from prospering in me: and as Saul hunted David, and sought to take away his natural life, so these hunted my soul to take away its life, which it had in God: but all wrought together for my good. I have often seen, and therefore may say, the Lord knoweth what is best for his children, better than we know for ourselves and so my enemies, instead of driving my soul away from God, drove it nearer to him. This trial caused me to prove the spirit which had the exercise of my mind, and I found it to be the Spirit of Truth, which the worldly and self-minded cannot receive; for I found the nature of it to be harmless and holy, and to lead me to love mine enemies, to pity In the year 1697, in the sixth month, as I them and pray for them. This love was my was sitting in the meeting in Gloucester, which preservation; and as I gave up in obedience to was then the place of my abode, my mind was the operation and requiring of this meek Spirit, gathered into perfect stillness for some time, and it ministered such peace to my soul, as the my spirit was as if it had been carried away world cannot give. But there was a disposition into America; and after it returned, my heart in me to please all, which I found very hard for was as if it had been dissolved with the love of me to be weaned from, so as to stand single to God, which flowed over the great ocean, and I God: for when I did fear man, I had nothing but was constrained to kneel down and pray for the anguish and sorrow; and I used often to walk seed of God in America. The concern never alone and pour out my complaint to the Lord. went out of my mind day nor night, until I But after a long time, when the Lord had tried went to travel there in the love of God, which my fidelity to him as he saw meet, one day as is so universal that it reaches over sea and I was sitting in a meeting in silence, waiting land. But when I looked at my concern with upon the Lord, to know my strength renewed an eye of human reason, it seemed to be very in him, this portion of Scripture was given to strange and hard to me; for I knew not the me, viz. "Comfort ye my people, saith your country, nor any that dwelt therein. I reasonGod: speak comfortably to Jerusalem, and ed much concerning my own unfitness, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplish-when I let in such reasonings, I had nothing ed, that her iniquity is pardoned; for she hath but death and darkness; and trouble attended received of the Lord's hand double for all her my mind: but when I resigned up my all to sins." This brought great comfort to my the Lord, and gave up in my mind to go, then soul; I treasured it in my heart, and made this the divine love sprang up in my heart, and my observation, that from that time the Lord gave soul was at liberty to worship the Lord as in my soul, as the apostle Peter expresses it, a the land of the living. Thus I tried and proved more abundant entrance into the heavenly the concern in my own heart, till at last these kingdom or New Jerusalem, whose walls are words ran through my mind with authority,salvation and her gates praise; my mind was "The fearful and unbelieving shall have their portion with the hypocrite, in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone; which is the second death." This brought a dread; I then told my husband that I had a concern to go to America; and asked him if he could give me up. He said he hoped it would not be required of me; but I told him it was; and that I should not go without his free consent, which seemed a little hard to him at first. A little while after, I was taken with a violent fever, which brought me so weak, that all who saw me thought I should not recover. But I thought my day's work was not done, and my chief concern in my sickness was about going to America. Some were troubled that I had made it public, because they thought I should die, and people would speak reproachfully of me; and said, if I did recover, the ship would be ready to sail before I should be fit to go, &c. But I thought if they would only carry me and lay me down in the ship, I should be well: for the Lord was very gracious to my soul in the time of my sickness, and gave me a promise that his presence should go with me. And then my husband was made very willing to give me up; he said, if it were for seven years, rather than to have me taken from him for ever. So at last all those difficulties passed over, and I sailed from Bristol in the ninth month, 1697, with my companion Mary Rogers. The dangers we were in at sea, and the faith and courage the Lord gave to my soul, would be too large here to relate; for I had such an evidence of my being in my proper place, that the fear of death was taken away. Oh! it is good to trust in the Lord and be obedient to him, for his mercies endure for ever. About the middle of the twelfth month, 1697, through the good providence of the Almighty, we arrived in Virginia. As I travelled along the country from one meeting to another, I observed great numbers of black people that were in slavery. They were a strange people to me; I wanted to know whether the visitation of God was to their souls or not; and I observed their conversation, to see if I could discern any good in them. After I had travelled about four weeks, as I was in bed one morning in a house in Maryland, after the sun was up I fell into a slumber, and dreamed I was a servant in a great man's house, and that I was drawing water at a well to wash the uppermost rooms of the house. When I was at the well, a voice came to me, which bid me go and call other servants to help me, and I went presently. But as I was going along in a very pleasant green meadow, a great light shined about me, which exceeded the light of the sun, and I walked in the midst. As I went on in the way, I saw a chariot drawn with horses coming to meet me, and I was in care lest the light that shone about me should frighten the horses, and cause them to throw down the people whom I saw in the chariot. When I came to them, I looked on them, and I knew they were the servants I was sent to call: I saw they were both white and black people, and I said unto them, "Why have you staid so long?" They said, "The buckets were frozen, we could come no sooner:"-So I was satisfied the call of the Lord was unto the black people as well as the white; and I saw the fulfilling of it in part, before I returned out of America, with many more remarkable things, which would be too tedious here to mention. But O how great is the condescension and goodness of God, to poor mankind! it is a good observation on the tender dealings of our Heavenly Father, to set up our Ebenezer, and say, "Hitherto hath the Lord helped us :”—and indeed I may say to his praise, it hath been [so with me] through many straits and difficulties, more than I can number; and they have all wrought together for the good of my soul. And I have cause to believe, that every son or daughter whom he receives, he chastens, tries, and proves; and those who do not bear the chastisements of God, do prove bastards and not sons. But I may say, as one did of old, “ It is good for me that I have been afflicted," &c., and that it is good to follow the leadings of the Spirit of God, as faithful Abraham did, who was called the friend of God, and who did not withhold his only son when the Lord called for him. And it is my belief the Lord will try his chosen ones as gold is tried, and will yet refine them as gold is refined. And what if he brings us yet down again into the furnace, which way it shall please him, until we are seven times refined; we shall be the better able to bear the impression of his image upon us in all our conversation. And if the day should come, wherein none shall buy nor sell, that have not the mark of the beast, either in their right hands or in their foreheads, it is but what hath been told us beforehand: and those that will know an overcoming, it must be by the blood of the Lamb, (viz. by abiding in the meek love and suffering seed), and by the word of their testimony; not loving their lives unto death. We may observe that those who had not the mark of the beast in their foreheads, if they had it in their right hands it would do ; they could show it if there was occasion, to take off a stroke. O the mystery of iniquity, how secretly it works! We may well say, the testimony that Jesus bore to the Scribe who desired to follow him, is very true-"Foxes have holes, and the fowls of the air have nests, but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head." O innocent Truth! O plain, meek, humble Jesus! Where ter of Ezekiel. O my dear friend! my heart is full of the goodness of the Lord. But I must stop writing, lest I should be too tedious to thee; and indeed, it might be accounted foolishness for me to write after this manner, to one in thy station. But I find a constraint thereto, and must commit it to thy judgment, be it what it may: and this I will assure thee, my heart is plain; I mean as I speak, and I find it safest so to do, and to keep in humble obedience to the Lord in whatsoever he requires of me. Yet I know the wisdom of God appears to be foolishness in the eyes of the wise men of this world, and we know that the wisdom of prove so in the latter end to those poor souls that so mightily esteem it. But the souls of the righteous are in the hand of the Lord, and then shall no torment touch them; although in the sight of the unwise, both their life and their death are taken for misery-nevertheless, they are in peace. If thou findest anything on thy mind, please to let me have it. So in the love that is pure, doth my soul greet thee, and remain thy friend in true sincerity, ELIZABETH Webb, THE ANSWER TO THE FOREGOING LETTER. Dear friend, excuse my freedom with thee, for the love of God constraineth me: and I do believe the Lord will show thee yet further, what testimony thou must bear for his name, and what thou must suffer for his sake, if faithful. For trying times will come, and offences will be given and taken; but there is nothing will offend those that love the Lord Jesus above all. Many murmured and were offended at Jesus when he told them the truth, and that which was of absolute necessity for all to know and witness in themselves; as we read in the 6th of John, beginning at the 32nd verse. By this world is foolishness with God, and will that time he had done, many of his disciples went from him: then said he to the twelve, "Will ye also go away?" but Peter said, "Lord, to whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal life. And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God." So God hath given the faithful to believe; yea, and we are sure that the Spirit of Truth is come, that leads the followers of it into all truth; and that Christ who is one with his Spirit, and who was once offered to bear the sins of many, has appeared again the second time without sin unto salvation. Oh! surely the goodness of God hath been very great to the children of men from age to age, and from DEAR FRIEND, I am heartily glad you are one generation to another, ever since the fall of come to town again, so that I might have an our first parents. The more my mind pene- opportunity of seeing you before you leave Engtrates into it, the more I am like to be swallow-land. Your letter hath been read with great ed up in admiration of his condescension and satisfaction by myself and many of my friends; goodness through all his dispensations, but but I have not been able to recover it yet, out above all in the manifestation of Jesus Christ, of their hands. Some have even desired to our holy Pattern and heavenly Leader. O my transcribe it for their edification, and this soul! praise him for the knowledge of his is the reason I did not send you presently an holy footsteps, whom God gave for a light to answer; though it hath been all along upon my us Gentiles, and to be his salvation unto the mind to express the satisfaction I had at the ends of the earth; and hath given his Spirit to reading thereof, and to assure you how wel dwell in us, and accepted our souls to dwell in come it is to me to meet with a fellow-pilgrim him. O admirable goodness! Shall we leave traveling to the city adorned with twelve him? He is the Word of eternal life, and whi-pearls, which is to receive all such who have ther shall we go? So far as any are followers of Jesus, so far I desire to follow them or to be one with them, and no farther. Let these do what they will, if any will go back into the sea, out of which the beast ariseth, and receive his mark, our Leader is not to be blamed; He holds on his way, and causes his trumpet to be blown in Zion, and an alarm to be beaten in his holy mountain: and whosoever heareth the sound of the trumpet, and taketh not warning, if the sword of the Lord do come, in any kind, and take him away, his blood shall be upon his own head; he heard the sound of the trumpet and took not warning: but he that taketh warning shall deliver his own soul. Great is the duty of the watchman, and great is the kindness of God as expressed in the 33rd chap made up the family of God in this wicked gene- Strand, Jan. 2, 1712. MEMOIR OF EVAN BEVAN, WHO DIED AT PONTYMOIL, IN MONMOUTHSHIRE, the 17th OF THE SECOND MONTH, 1746; WITH HIS LETTER TO A FRIEND, CONTAINING AN ACCOUNT OF HIS CONVINCEMENT, &c. Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright: for the end of that man is peace.-PSALM XXXVII. 37. LETTER TO A FRIEND. EVAN BEVAN* was the son of Charles Bevan of Lantwit Vardre, in Glamorganshire, and was born about the year 1678. His father Since it has pleased the Divine Goodness to having determined to give him a liberal educa- endue me with reason, I heartily thank his tion, sent him to the university of Oxford, most excellent Majesty; and that it has been where he made considerable progress in various the further product of his good will to give me parts of literature. He subsequently applied life and being in that part of the world, where himself to the study and practice of the law in I have had the freedom to use it; especially in Glamorganshire, and served the office of de- the choice of my persuasion, and way of reputy-sheriff of that county with reputation. turning my acknowledgments to him. I wish But after a time, he was visited in an extraor- that all who make any pretensions to religion, dinary manner with the convictions of the Holy would make use of this noble faculty with subSpirit; and whilst judgment was thus passing jection to the divine will, to determine their over the transgressing nature in him, he was choice in this grand affair; and not [be tenabrought into deep sorrow and anguish, until cious of] the religion of their education [unless after long mourning and various baptisms, he it] be that of their judgment. If people were was favoured to know mercy to cover the judg-thus truly wise unto their own salvation, and ment seat the Lord was pleased to bind up did not too lazily resign themselves to the conthe bruised reed, so that he seemed to be duct of their guides, thereby regarding more brought forth pure, as gold seven times refined, their ease than safety, they would not only be and was made a chosen vessel, fit for the great the better able to give a reason of the hope that Master's use. This part of his religious experience, the manner in which he was brought to embrace the principles of Friends, and his answers to some charges which appear to have been urged against him for so doing, are well set forth by himself, in the following *W. Sewel, in his History of Friends, designates him "Evan Jevans," and it seems, not without some reason: in the Testimony of his monthly meeting, he is called "Evan Bevan alias Jevans," and so he sometimes signed himself, but generally only, "Evan Bevan." is in them, but they would show more warmth in their devotion, more charity in their religion, and more piety in their conversation, than at present they do. When I was visited some time ago by the chastising hand of the Lord, for sin and my disobedience to his holy will, I laboured under great. affliction of mind and anguish of spirit: and though I was constant above many in my attendance on the public prayers of the church, strict in my observance of its ceremonies, and exceedingly frequent in the use of private devotion, yet my burden increased and I waxed worse. |