nation, and hovered over it with an eye for good.

and all the riches a man can possibly acquire, can never make it up. To all therefore who And now to you who make profession of are in any measure sensible of the requiring of this pure holy principle of Truth, which God in God, through the Spirit of his Son, by whom his great love hath revealed in you, and con- he speaks to his people, according to the author vinced you of, so that you have professed to of the Hebrews; methinks a warning, in the believe, that as it is obeyed and followed, it pure love of God sounds aloud through my will lead to God, and yet do not show your heart to come away and meet the Lord, who faith by your works, nor bring forth fruits of hath long hovered over you. Be aroused up righteousness, which are always the fruits of to zeal and circumspection, while time is offertrue faith; I am earnest with you to considered to you. It runs through my soul in great weightily, wherein true religion consists. Is it dread and fear towards God, and love to the in a bare profession of the Truth; a giving up whole universe to say on this wise, that as sure the name to God? Or is it in well doing? In as Christ ever wept over Jerusalem in ancient obeying this pure principle of Truth we profess, days, because he would have gathered them so as to come to be saved by it, and redeemed together, as a hen gathereth her chickens unout of the crooked ways, and by-paths of this der her wings, but they would not; so surely sinful world? Remember Cain of old; he of he mourns over the inhabitants of this nation, fered an offering, as well as Abel; but Abel's at this day; whom in his tender love, he hath offering was accepted-Cain's rejected. And brought in some degree to be acquainted with what was the reason? The Lord himself de- the Spirit of his Son, even the Spirit of Truth, clares it, in speaking to Cain. If thon doest well, which as it is followed, leads into all truth, and shalt thou not be accepted? And if thou doest out of all error and untruth. Thus gathering not well, sin lies at thy door. Thus we may people's minds into covenant with their maker, see plainly, that true religion doth consist in and into one spirit, whereby they become sheep well doing; false, in evil-doing. No matter of one pasture, children of one Father, and ofwhat the profession hath been or is; for it is ten are fed as at one table; which the good not the hearer of the law, but the doer of it, Shepherd is daily spreading for those who folwho is justified before God. And though many low him with all their hearts, as well as in promay be ready to say, they have but little know- fession. A sense of his goodness to his faithful ledge, and can do but a little; and others, that followers at this time affects my heart in so they are concerned in the world, and cannot strong a manner, that praises spring in my well avoid it, or be so circumspect as they soul to him, the divine and inexhaustible ocean. would be, or as they see they should be; and But still, my Friends, methinks I would exso lose their business, and bring shame upon postulate a little with you further on this subthemselves, their families, and the Society.ject; I mean concerning Jerusalem, whose inAnd here the enemy works all manner of ways habitants our Saviour so often would have gathto keep his hold in the heart of man, the place ered. It does not appear, but that as they where God should predominate. But unto such were a people of one city, so they were of one as may reason on this wise, I would say in the profession, and yet [were not] gathered; let us words of our blessed Lord; to him that hath seriously consider what was the reason of it. but little, if he be faithful, more will be added; Their minds, their affections, wanted to be but he who is not faithful in a little, is not like- gathered into covenant with God, and into obely to be faithful in much; and therefore is un-dience to his Holy Spirit, whereby they might fit to have it. And if the Lord in his mercy have been led [from] the outward ceremonies, hath brought any to the knowledge of good and into that which was within the veil. For want evil, and by the light of his Holy Spirit hath of a willingness to be thus gathered, they came taught them what is righteousness, and what is to a miserable disappointment; the things that unrighteousness, as blessed be his honourable belonged to their peace, were hid from their name for ever, he has done to many, they will eyes. Now, in the fear of God, I desire all be inexcusable. He hath promised unto those you who are making profession of the precious who seek the kingdom of heaven, and his right- truth, seriously to consider, how far your minds eousness, that all other things shall be added, are gathered by it, and whether your wills are as he sees meet. Now those who know what subjected thereby unto the will of God, and is righteousness, and do not pursue it, how can brought into covenant with him; or you are they expect the additional blessing in this world? gathered in name only, and your minds are at Or what just foundation of hope have they, to liberty to wander in the world, and after the enjoy that glorious habitation which God the things thereof, in an inordinate manner. This Lord has prepared for the righteous only when the Lord takes notice of, and beholds with a this world to them is at an end? Which, if dreadful countenance; the sense whereof doth they are deprived of, the loss is dismal indeed, make many poor exercised souls to lay them

and his angel will be your holy companion. And as you thus keep in the gentle and meek wisdom of God, that which would seem to obstruct and withstand the work of truth, will be made to fly before you. So will the mountain of the Lord be established above all other mountains, and his hill be exalted above every hill; many shall flock unto it; and the name of the Lord shall become more and more famous in the earth; which that it may be, the souls of a little remnant desire more earnestly than to see the increase of any visible thing.

JOHN FOTHergill.

My bowels, my bowels; I am pained at my very heart; my heart maketh a noise within me; I cannot hold my peace, because thou hast heard, oh my soul, the sound of the trumpet, the alarm of war. Jer. iv. 19.

selves as in the dust, before the Lord, on the behalf of such, being satisfied that the day of God is hastening on apace, wherein all coverings will be found too narrow, that are not of the Spirit of Truth. Hasten therefore to come under its government, all you who are making profession of it; that so in this scattering day which is approaching, you may be of those who have a right to fly to the name of the Lord, which was, and is, and ever will be, a place of refuge to the righteous. For methinks I hear, as it were, the noise of a day near at hand, wherein it will be said to the righteous, be righteous still, and to the filthy, be filthy still. A tender visitation of endeared love, flowing Let all therefore be aroused up to the work of from the divine Fountain, towards the whole sanctification, through the operation of the pow-flock and family of God, wherever scattered. er of Truth, while it is called to-day. This From one who is a lover of souls, and a travailmy soul and spirit deeply travail for, my er for the welfare of Zion. heart being filled with true love and good-will unto all men, desiring nothing in this my present exercise, but that God's will may be done by me; and that his love may be embraced by all, in laying things rightly to heart, and turning from the spirit of this entangling world, which is in danger to hinder you, if tampered with, from coming up in that zeal and courage, and boldness, that God would furnish you with, as you give up freely to his work. Indeed, Friends, here is great need of faithfulness, and zeal in practice, and close discipline, in maintaining and managing the holy and good order, which God in his great wisdom hath instrumentally established amongst us; and that in the authority and wisdom which the Lord is endowing his waiting people with, whose secret labour it is, that Zion may become the glory of nations, Jerusalem the praise of the whole earth. And dear brethren and faithful sisters, whose exercise none know but the Lord alone, though you can in measure sympathize one with another, and you mourn sometimes because the work is heavy, and but few who are willing faithfully to join, and put their shoulders to it, yet be not dismayed nor discouraged. The Lord is able, and also willing, in his own time, to send forth more labourers into his harvest, and he will bless your exercises to you, and grant you to see the fruits of your labours, to your unspeakable joy. This is my faith, and herein is my soul often borne up above close exercises, believing the great and powerful God is desirous that his camp should be cleansed. For it seems to me, that there are abundance of people who are not of our Society, who will confess to the truth in words, and have their eyes very strictly upon us, to see if our actions agree with our principles, and our conduct answers the profession we make. Therefore, dear Friends, join hand in hand, and set shoulder to shoulder, and go on in the name and fear of the living God; his power will be with you, VOL. XIII.-No. 12,

Upon the 24th day of the eleventh month, 1699, as I was walking solitarily to our weekday meeting, and pondering in my spirit, as at many other times, upon the things that belong to the welfare of the Church of God, there fell a weighty concern upon me to visit Friends with this following epistle; and finding a necessity to remain upon me, in the constraining love of our heavenly Father, I do hereby salute you all who in any measure are come to taste of the good word of life, which is even so near as in the mouth and in the heart, and of the powers of the world to come.

DEAR FRIENDS AND BRETHREN,-Dwell, I beseech you, in a sense of the great need you daily have of the renewing of this taste, and in remembrance of God's inexpressible love to your souls, in discovering unto you the way of life; even unto you who sat in darkness, and under the region and shadow of death, now is light sprung up, according to Scripture testimony. As you have walked in this light, the light of the glorious Son of God, which has shined as from on high into your souls, you have come to behold the baits and snares of your soul's enemy, so that many have been made to pour forth their souls to God, in a sense of the need they were in of a Saviour, and of his having heard them in an acceptable time, granting them ability to escape the evils they had been overcome with, and giving them victory over that which had been master over them. Thus many have been made conquerors, and more than conquerors, through

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him who hath loved them; through whom blood, nor reason with the spirit of the world, not only inward, but even outward enemies, which hinders your growth, and makes you have been in a great degree subdued, and dwarfish, so that there is but very little fruit on made willing to be at peace with them. This some of you, upon whom the Lord hath behath been the Lord's doing, and indeed it is stowed much labour. And although some of marvellous in the eyes of many to this day; you, as to age, might have been teachers of and I have faith to believe it will never be for- others, yet have you need that others should gotten by them. But it is their chiefest concern how to demean themselves so, as that they may answer the great love of God to their souls, not in the least doubting, but as they thus live, all things in this life will be added, as the Lord sees convenient.

teach you, though you may not be very willing to hear of it, but be ready to say in order to excuse or cover yourselves, that you have known the Truth many years, and have openly professed it. But let me tell you, in the fear and dread of the powerful God, that a knowledge of the Truth, or a profession thereof, is not sufficient. Nay, although it has been so obeyed, as that you have come out of the

My heart is filled with the aboundings of God's love towards you, my dear Friends, who are thus concerned, and herein I can dearly salute you, with my mind bowed to the Lord Je-open profaneness of the world, which may well hovah, in whom is safety, that he may preserve you ever mindful of him, and low before him, waiting, as at his footstool, to hear the gracious words that proceed from him; considering, that of yourselves, and without him, you can do nothing that will further the great work which he hath called you to be engaged in.

be called the open streets of Babylon; yet if you do not obey its requirings, so as to bring forth fruits meet for him who hath given you so many refreshing showers of his pure love, and come out of the secret chambers of Babylon also, you will be in danger of suffering great loss, in more ways than one. For God is determined to lay her waste, to make her a heap of ruins; and woe will be to all those who have been delighting to drink in the cup of her fornications, whatever their profession or appearance has been; and the day of her sorrow is hastening with speed.

And thus as we all keep in self denial, and under the daily cross, the cross of Christ, which the apostle said, was to them that are saved, the power of God, we shall dwell under his power, and the operation of the Spirit of Truth in ourselves, and be made instrumental Therefore my brethren and sisters in proin the hand of the Lord, in our respective places fession, my heart being full of good will, I am and offices in the church, every one consider-led, in the constraining love of God, to warn ing what his duty and station in the body is. For if we are members of the church, we have each one some service in it, either greater or less; and that all who profess themselves to be of her, may be stirred up to consider what this is, and to be diligently engaged in performing it, to work while it is called to-day, before the night comes, wherein none can labour, am I at this time concerned. That so the end for which the Lord reached unto us, and visited our souls, may be answered by all to his honour and our comfort. I cannot but earnestly desire, that all may be aroused up faithfully to pursue after this point, in this time of peace and outward quiet, if it please the Lord to lengthen it out to you a little longer, that when we are called to account, we may so have numbered the favours and mercies of God to us, as to be able to give up our accounts with cheerfulness.

What shall I say or write that may prevail upon you, whom God hath been pleased to call by his grace, and to reveal his saving Truth in you. How shall I prevail upon you, to shake yourselves from the dust of the earth, and come away in faithfulness and obedience to your call, in zeal and boldness for your heavenly Captain; and no longer to confer with flesh and

you all to beware of the merchandizes of Babylon, especially the pleasures of this fading world, and to have a care that they do not prevail upon the minds of any, so as to get between you and the Lord, or separate you from the love of God, manifested unto you through his dear Son, and the light of his Holy Spirit. May all who have come to believe in the light of Christ, so live as that they may show forth their faith by obedience unto righteousness, which is always the fruit of true faith: for as the body is dead without the spirit, so is faith without works dead also: James ii. 26.

And as you come up in obedience to him in whom you profess to believe, he will lead and guide you into all Truth, in the way of holiness, which is the only way to rest and peace. Thus you will be Israelites of God in heart as well as in profession, and your care will be to dwell alone-no more to be numbered among the nations, neither in their worship, which is in the alienation from God; nor in the polluted ways and customs of the world. This is what my soul desires, and is the end of my present exercise; and that it may never happen to any whom God has visited in this day, as it did to some of the Israelites formerly, who lived to see a time, wherein they were ready to lament that

the summer was over, the harvest ended, and they ungathered. This state my soul earnestly breathes to God may never be any of ours, to whom he has graciously given a summer season; but that we may embrace his tender love, which is extended towards us. For this and his numberless tokens of mercy and favour vouchsafed to us ever since we were a people, my soul in reverence, with many more, doth bow unto the living Fountain; and feeling his pure love to fill my soul at this time, I am made to sing praises to God who dwells on high, and is alone worthy, worthy, world without end.

Το you, my elder brethren, who have known the Truth many years, I cannot but say, in humility of soul before the Lord, and with a true esteem for faithful elders, as the words ran through my heart when this exercise came upon me, lift up your eyes and see how white the fields are unto harvest. Do not you see how many there be who do not yet profess with us, but are so far convinced as to confess that it is the Truth which is held forth amongst us? And now their eyes are attentively upon us, to see how we come up in the practical part of our religion, in care, in zeal and circumspection in all our undertakings. I have sometimes said, that in many places verbal testimonies are not so much wanting, as a care in answering our testimonies and principles, in all our behaviour and deportment amongst the sons of men. The want whereof doth often hinder Truth from prevailing, and stands in the way of those who are not yet of this fold, whom the Lord yet waits to gather into it. For the sake of such he hath staid his hand, which hath long been stretched out over this poor nation. Wherefore let all be stirred up to see, if nothing lies at any of your doors, or remains undone on your parts; but that you come up in a holy zeal and boldness for God and his cause upon earth, that so the beauty and glory of the everlasting Truth may shine forth to the world through you all. Let your lights so shine in the world, that they that see your good works and holy care, may glorify your heavenly Father this doth my soul earnestly entreat for you all.

stands between God and your souls; whether you have not resisted, as Jerusalem did, until they were left in darkness, and could not discern the things that belonged to their peace? Whether you have answered the call of the Lord in obedience unto righteousness, and thereby brought honour to God? Or have otherwise by negligence, or liberty taken to fulfil the lusts of the flesh, caused the way of Truth to be evilly spoken of? If it hath thus been with any who profess the blessed Truth, methinks the trumpet of the Lord sounds very loud to such; and with yearning bowels of true good will, I cannot but warn such, to seek the Lord with your whole hearts, if haply he may yet be found of you. And although it be in the way of his righteous judgments, which is the alone way of redemption, and is for the present not joyous, but grievous, yet embrace it and be willing to bear his chastisements, while he condescends to mix them with mercy. For this I must say, that those who will not bow under the judgments which God Almighty is offering in love, they must bear his indignation, when the door of mercy is shut upon them in the day that is approaching, when the sinners, although in Zion, shall be afraid, and fear will surprise the hypocrite, even all such who profess themselves to be what they are not in reality.

Oh! how shall I write, or what shall I say, to clear myself, and ease my spirit of that weight of exercise which rests upon me, in true love to all? Let me say unto all who make mention of the name of the Lord, depart ye from iniquity; and in the words of our Lord, speaking to the Jews that had believed on him, if ye abide in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; and ye shall know the Truth, and the Truth shall set you free. They then alledged, they were Abraham's children, and consequently free: but our Saviour replied, that if they were Abraham's children, they would do the works of Abraham; but he tells them plainly, they were of their father the devil, and his lusts would they do. You therefore who are the children of believing parents, have a care I entreat you, of trusting to this plea of the Jews. It is a covering that will prove too narrow; an excuse that will do your souls no good; and if you are not following your Father's steps in the way of regeneration, and working the works of righteousness, you will stand condemned as the Jews were, and your profession will be of no avail.

It would be a dismal thing indeed, if any whom God had sent to be as way marks to others to walk by, to be as the salt of the earth, as the primitive Christians were, and the true Christians [now] are, should, through negligence or indif. ference, rather be hinderers of others, until the time of gathering be over. Would not such be Therefore, as you believe in the light, see in danger of being guilty of the blood of others? that you walk in it, while it shines upon you, In the fear and love of God, therefore let all that so ye may become the children of the lay these things to heart. Turn to the light of light and of the day, children of God, heirs and Christ in your own bosoms, and consider of co-heirs with Christ in the kingdom of his Fayour ways, and see by it, how the matter ther's glory, which will be of more value in a