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thence to Ipswich and Woodbridge, and

my spirit, to go for England in the service of truth; and after our Half-year's meeting in through Suffolk into Norfolk, having many Dublin, took shipping in company with John Barcroft, and several other Friends intending to the Yearly Meeting at London. After being two days at sea, the ship struck often on the sand in the night time, so that we seemed in great danger of being lost; but through the favour of divine providence were preserved, and in the morning, the tide being out, the ship lay aground, and we got out our horses, and went ashore in Wales, from whence we rode seventeen miles to Chester, and thence to White-church, where one of our company parted with us. The rest of us travelled to Wolverhampton, and were at the meeting on the first-day of the week, and the next day we all met at Dudley, at a burial. I, with one other of our company, went to Storbridge, and we all met again at the Quarterly Meeting at Bromsgrove in Worcestershire; and travelled together to Oster, and so to Evesham and Sheepstown, at each of which two last places we had a meeting, and then went to London, and were at the Yearly Meeting, which was large and peaceable. After it was over, I staid a little time in that city, and had some service for the Lord; and so departed in company with John Barcroft, and travelled through Buckinghamshire, Berkshire, and Wiltshire, and thence to Bath, and so to Bristol, in which city we staid some time, and had several very precious meetings. I went from Bristol into some parts of Gloucestershire, and when clear, returned to Bristol, and had some further service for the Lord; and my dear friend, John Barcroft, being indisposed and feeble of body, I left him amongst his kind friends at Bristol, having a constraint upon me to fulfil the service that was before me. I travelled westward, as far as the Land's End in Cornwall, having many very blessed meetings through the country. I visited Cornwall thoroughly, and was greatly comforted with Friends there, and found great openness amongst the people in divers places. I returned by Plymouth, Exeter, Bridgport, Pool, and thence by the sea coast until I came to Dover, having many refreshing meetings as I travelled through that country, Samuel Hopwood being with me; we went from Dover to Canterbury, and by Rochester to London.

meetings, Isaac Pickerel of London accompa nying me. We had two very large meetings at Norwich, greatly to edification, the word of eternal life being freely preached, whereby many hearts were tendered; so travelled through the country, until we came to Lynn, having divers good meetings in our way thither. I was very glad to meet with several, who were convinced when I formerly travelled through that county. At Lynn I parted with Isaac Pickerel, and went northward, through Lincolnshire, Michael Williams going along with me to several meetings. I passed thence into Yorkshire, visiting Friends meetings; and made some stay at York, and had service for the Lord. Then I crossed the country, and went to the Yearly Meeting in Wales, which was held at Glanncedlass, having several meetings as I passed along. In this Yearly Meeting, the Lord's power and love was richly manifested, and I was greatly comforted amongst Friends; after which I went to Holyhead, and took shipping for Ireland, and in the third month, 1722, returned home, being truly thankful to the Lord, who had supported and enabled me by his divine power to answer his holy requirings.

I staid about home, sometimes visiting Friends' meetings that were near; and in the year 1724, went to the Half-year's Meeting at Dublin, in the third month, where I was greatly comforted in the feeling of that divine life and power, which is the crown and glory of our meetings. After this meeting I returned home, and growing infirm, went little abroad to distant meetings; but in the ninth month following, Friends of Leinster kept the Province Meeting at Edenderry, to which I went, and the Lord's power was richly manifested, and the affairs of truth managed in great love and sweetness; John Fothergill, from England, being there, had good service for the Lord.

Now I rejoice in that I have served the Lord in my day; and as I have laboured to promote the truth in my generation, I feel great peace from the Lord, flowing in my soul; and am thankful that I have been made willing to serve him. My dear wife, being a woman that truly fears God, hath freely given I staid in and about the city of London me up to answer the requirings of truth, and several weeks, the Lord's presence and power I hope she will have a share in that reward attending me in his work; then travelled into and peace, whereof the Lord hath given me Hertfordshire, and had divers good meetings the earnest. I have deeply travelled both in greatly to my satisfaction. I returned to Lon- body and spirit for the promotion of truth don, where I had again some comfortable in the earth, in a general way, so I have meetings; and being clear of that city, parted with Friends in great love and sweetness, and travelled through Essex to Colchester, and

also often besought the Lord, that he would be pleased to reach effectually to my own children in particular, that they may be

faithful witnesses for him in their genera- and the water of life, and quenched my thirst,

tion.

which hath been great, the will of the Lord be done; and fervently prayed to the Lord for his people, especially the youth, that he Our dear friend, Thomas Wilson, being would be pleased to incline their hearts to foltaken ill of body, about the 18th day of the low him in the way of truth: and soon after eleventh month, in the year 1724, continued said to this effect, if the youth of this meeting weakly for several months, in which time he and nation incline their hearts to the Lord uttered many weighty expressions; and at se- above all, he will make them a shining peoveral times was concerned in fervent prayer ple; but if they do not, he will cast them off. to the Lord, for the young and rising genera. And again said, the Lord's goodness fills my tion, that they might be faithful witnesses for the heart, which gives me the evidence and assurtruth in their day. He was freely resigned to the ance of my everlasting peace in his kingdom, will of God, yet desired of the Lord if he had with my ancient Friends that are gone before no further service for him, to remove him out me, with whom I had sweet comfort in the of his pain, which, at times, was very great. work of the Gospel. Those who touch the When he was a little easy, he often spoke Lord's work, and are not of clean hands, will of the things of God, and was very much not prosper. Notwithstanding our said friend concerned that Friends should live agreeably had been eminently attended with the power to the doctrine of Christ, and that the good of truth, and had great service many ways, order established amongst us by our faithful he would speak very humbly of himself, aselders, might be kept up and maintained, and cribing all the honour to the Lord. And at a that all differences and disorders should be certain time he said to this effect: although kept out of the church; and said, if Friends the Lord hath made use of me at times to be kept the ancient path, and observed the Lord's serviceable in his hand, what I trust in, is the rules, they would be a blessed people, expressing his satisfaction, that in all nations where he travelled, he had been careful not to join with any that were for false liberty, or laying waste the testimony of truth, which the Lord had called his people to bear.

mercy of God in Jesus Christ. To Friends sitting by him, he said, the Lord visited me in my young years, and I felt his power, which hath been with me all along, and I am assured he will never leave me, which is my comfort. He also often expressed his desire, that Friends might dwell in humility, and keep low, for that to his sorrow, he had seen many who grew high, come to ruin, both themselves and posterity, and their places left desolate.

One evening, several Friends sitting with him, he was very sweetly and prophetically opened in words to this effect; that a great harvest-day was coming over the nations, and that the Lord was fitting, and would fit many, Near his conclusion, he often desired the and send them into the harvest; but said, he Lord would give him an easy passage, which hoped in a little time to be gathered to the was granted, being also preserved sensible to generations of the just, that were gone before; the last; so passed away without sigh or groan, and was comforted to feel that Friends were as if he had been going to sleep, on the 20th inward with the Lord in their spirits, express- day of the third month, 1725. He was buried ing how near truth made Friends one to an- the 22nd of the same, accompanied by a great other in the beginning, and that he was glad number of Friends and others, where Friends of the nearness and unity amongst Friends had a good opportunity to bear testimony to now, desiring it might continue and increase. At a time he was asked, if he would have anything to wet his mouth; to which he replied to this effect; the Lord hath taken away all my pain, and given me the bread of life,

that divine power, whereby he was raised up to be a faithful witness for the truth, in his generation. And though his removal be a great loss to his family in particular, and the church in general, it is no doubt his everlasting gain

EPISTLES

WRITTEN BY THOMAS WILSON, AND HIS FELLOW-LABOURER IN THE SERVICE OF THE GOSPEL, JAMES DICKINSON, WHILST IN AMERICA.

An Epistle to Friends in Virginia and Carolina, other in the most holy faith, by which you from King's creek, in Maryland, the 12th of will be made heirs of that crown which is inthe Second month, 1692.

Dear Friends,

corruptible, and full of glory. For the attainment of this, let every one press forward, in the life of righteousness, watching one over ALL dwell in the love of God, by which another for good, and stirring up one another your hearts were at first reached, and tender to love and good works, wherein God will desires raised, to make your peace with him, supply you with the increase of his holy Spiwhich was lost by reason of sin. It was rit, by which you will be fitted for the service the love of the Father to bring you to his God hath called you into, which is to be zealSon, the Lord Jesus Christ, in whom you all ous for the truth upon earth, and against every have life and salvation, as you abide in him, thing that would cause the truth to be evil and keep in his love, that draws your affec- spoken of, that none may be as those spoken tions heavenward, where they will be fixed on of formerly, who walked as enemies to the heavenly things, and where your souls will cross of Christ, and were a grief to the faithwitness the sweetness of life, strengthening ful in ages past. Such are a grief to the and building you up in that most holy faith, honest-hearted in this day, who are concerned which God hath called you into, and made for God and his truth, and for the spread of you partakers of. Every one be careful to the Gospel, travelling for the prosperity of walk worthy of the vocation, whereunto ye Zion, and peace of Jerusalem, and know her are called, in all fear and meekness, watching to be a quiet habitation, and themselves inin the light, where you will discern the wiles habitants thereof. The Lord is making these of the enemy in all his cunning baits and as watchmen upon her walls, whose resolution transformations. As every one of you keeps is to keep them up, notwithstanding the scoffs inward to the Lord, you will have salt in your- and reproaches of such, who, like Sanballat selves, to savour withal, as Christ our Lord and Tobias, are without the city. Those who said, "Every one shall be salted with fire, and are within, are really concerned for God, and every sacrifice seasoned with salt; have salt in to stand against every appearance of evil, both yourselves, and dwell at peace one with an- in themselves and others; and the Lord is enother." As every one keeps to the spirit of duing them with power and wisdom proceedjudgment and burning, and knows the fire of ing from his holy Spirit, that they heed not God's jealousy kindled against every appear- the reproaches of Ammon, nor the reviling of ance of evil, you will be kept inquiring and Moab; for though "he may go into the sanc taking counsel of the Lord, where you will tuary to pray, he shall not prevail, but Israel, be safe, and can do nothing against the truth, that wrestleth with the Lord, shall prevail." but for the truth, and the Lord will take de-Therefore let your care be, to wait for the aslight to appear in your meetings, by his living sistance of God's spirit, and that none plead power, and give you a sense and feeling be- for the truth, and be out of the Spirit of Truth, yond words, as he hath done unto a remnant for that will never tend to God's glory, nor of you. Blessed be his holy name forever, your edification; but on the contrary, to darkthat there are those who can taste words as en, veil, and oppress the Seed of God, one in the mouth tastes meat; therefore is it that words cannot deceive such, but all have not attained this length; some are unskilful, and have need of milk, which our God will give. If you keep those longing desires that are already raised in you, ye shall know the sincere milk of the word that you may grow thereby, from one degree of grace unto another, until you become perfect men in Christ Jesus, in whom you may edify and build up one an

another. But as all keep low in their respec tive gifts, waiting to know the assistance of God's spirit, being nothing without it, you will feel the Lord to work all your works in you and for you, and give power to answer what he requires of you, and then his love will be increased unto you, and you will abide in favour with him; as you are preserved here, you will daily witness an increase of the life of truth, which will occasion praises to be sound

ed forth to the Lord God and the Lamb, who marks of true disciples, if ye love one another; is blessed for evermore. Amen.

POSTSCRIPT.

DEAR FRIENDS, we desire you, in the love of God, as it was our advice when present with you, that you watch one over another in love, and keep in a Christian spirit, forgiving one another; if any brother have anything against another, as God, for Christ's sake, doth forgive you, so forgive one another. Take the advice of the apostle, "Be not children in understanding, but in malice be ye children," that you may bear the marks of true disciples, and manifest yourselves to all men to be such; that you may be preachers of righteousness to the world, that lies in wickedness, and follow after those things that make for peace, and eschew the contrary, and the God of peace will bless you, and keep you from evil, that it hurt you not, to his glory, and your comfort. Amen.

So

Let copies of this be taken and read in your meetings, and a copy be sent to Carolina. remain your friends and brethren in the truth, letting you know that we are well, with love to you all, sending these lines as a token

thereof. Farewell.

THOMAS WILSON,
JAMES DICKINSON.

An Epistle to Friends in Pennsylvania.
Dear Friends,

THE tender salutation of our love in the Lord Jesus Christ, salutes you all, in the spring of divine love, as those that desire your growth and settlement in God's everlasting truth, of which, in his rich mercy, he hath made you sensible, and gathered you into, wherein you have found great peace with God, and sweet unity one with another, so that your hearts have been filled in your assemblies with his living presence, which hath occasioned praises to spring unanimously unto the Lord.

for God is love, and they that dwell in him, dwell in love. "He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness, even until now. For if a man say he loves God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar.” Therefore we desire you may follow those things that make for peace, and eschew the contrary, all keeping down to your own gifts, travelling with the Seed, and for the coming of it into dominion, in all your hearts, that the will of God. you may know your wills truly subjected to Here holy dread and pure awe, in all your meetyou will be kept in a ings, and in your lives and conversations will be preachers of righteousness, tender of God's good, and none for evil; but that eye will be glory, and one over another, watching for plucked out. As you are kept truly bowed down, still waiting to feel the operation of the power of God, that was before the power of the devil, you will feel the arm that gathered you, to be about you, and keep you in all trials and exercises, as many have done to God's glory and their comfort; so that they hath kept them unto this day, in unity with can say, the same arm which gathered them, the Lord, and in fellowship one with another, and are concerned to be kept in the unity of the spirit, which is the bond of peace. Those grow sound in the faith, and in charity, and know the virtues of the charity, that "seeks not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil, rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;" without which, the apostle concluded, he was but as sounding brass and a tinkling symbal, though he had never so large gifts without it.

Dear Friends, what gifts soever you have received, be careful that you be improving them, to the honour of the Giver, as those that know an account must be given unto Him, who will require it of us all; and how near that time is to any, may be out of the sight of most of us.

Our souls are concerned for you, that you Dear Friends, truth is the same that ever it may all grow in grace, and increase in the was, and the power of it as prevailing as ever; knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ, and in and where it is kept to, and dwelt in, hath the obedience unto him, for it is they that do his same effect as ever, as many of you are wit-will, that shall know of his doctrine; whose nesses, who keep your habitation therein, with doctrine is known to drop as the dew, and his whom our souls are bound up in God's ever- speech to distil as the small rain. Blessed be lasting covenant of light, in which, as we walk, his name forever, he is daily opening the diwe have true fellowship one with another, and vine mysteries of his kingdom to them who the blood of Jesus Christ his Son, cleanseth are kept humble and low before him, truly deus from all unrighteousness. Let all be care- siring to keep at wisdom's gate, and wait for ful to walk in the light, where there is no oc-counsel from the Lord every day, and to feel casion of stumbling, but every one will see their way in the Lord, and where your fellowship will be increased with him, and one with another, and you will bear to the world the

the assistance of his spirit, and dare not move until the Lord go before, and draw them forward; these walk safely, and feel their peace to flow as a river. The Lord establisheth

their goings, that they are not easily moved with any storm or wind, but know the rock, and are as the dove that maketh her nest there; and though such may be tried, and lie as amongst the pots, yet shall they come forth more bright, as the dove whose wings are covered with silver, and her feathers with yellow gold, and shall know the trial of their faith to be more precious than that of gold which perisheth.

So all keep the word of God's patience, and wait for the feeling of his power in all your meetings, that your hearts may be kept tender; and a godly care will be more and more raised in you all, to watch over your children, and train them up in the fear of the Lord, and to discharge your duty in restraining them, out of the ways and fashions of the world. Our souls are concerned for your tender children, that as they grow in years, they may grow in grace, and be God's children, succeeding you in the way of righteousness, and be a blessing to you in your old age. We are sensible God's great love is unto them, and several of them were reached by his power, when we were with you; our love flows unto you and them, that you all may be kept by the power of God out of evil, in that life wherein you may find acceptance with him, where the streams of his love will be daily opened unto you, and in the sense of it you will be engaged to walk in fear before him, as those that feel his preserving arm, to be with and to support you. That God of his infinite mercy may grant this for you all, is the sincere breathing of your friends and brethren, in the kingdom, patience, and tribulation of the Lamb, with hearts full of love unto all the faithful, desiring your prayers to God for us, unto whom we commit you, with our own souls, who is only able to keep us from falling; to whom be all fear, obedience and worship, both now and evermore. Amen.

THOMAS WILSON. JAMES DICKINSON.

From Rhode Island, the 5th of the Fifth month, 1692.

An Epistle to Friends in Barbadoes and elsewhere.

Dear Friends, brethren and sisters, FOR whom we are concerned in true brotherly love, wherewith God, in his rich mercy hath filled our hearts, unto all the sons and daughters of men, but more especially to the household of faith, which hath been gathered by his eternal power, the salutation of our love in the Lord Jesus Christ tenderly flows forth. We desire you all to keep down to your gifts which God hath given you, waiting low in his fear, to feel the operation of his living power,

to tender all your hearts, and open them unto the Lord, that your spirits may be truly bowed and subjected unto God's will, which is your sanctification. Here the springs of God's love will flow, and his life run from vessel to vessel, and the life of innocency flourish amongst you, and the Lord will put his own comeliness upon you, and cover you with his spirit, and your delight will be to feel the overshadowing of his presence. Here self will be had in no reputation, but denied by all, and your delight will be under the cross, which is the power of God, whereby you will be crucified to the world, and the world unto you; so will the Lord delight to visit your assemblies with his living presence, and fill your hearts with love to himself, and one to another, whereby you will be kept tender and humble, watching one over another for good, and none for evil; that eye that watches for evil must be plucked out, for wherever it is, it doth offend.

All give up your hearts to God, to be kept by his power, in fellowship with him; then will your fellowship be sweet one with another, being made partakers of the saints fellowship, who wrote one to another, that they might have sweet fellowship together, and their fellowship was with the Father, and with his Son, Christ Jesus. So will you know all things that offend to be cast out of the kingdom, and you will be tender one over another, the strong lending a hand of help to the weak, and be of Moses' mind, who wished that all the people were prophets, and would not leave a hoof behind in Egypt; and not of the mind of him, that would have had Moses forbid Eldad and Medad to prophesy in the camp; nor of the mind of Pharaoh, and the Egyp tians, that would have only the men to go and sacrifice to the Lord, but the women and chil dren to stay and not go to sacrifice. Moses wished that all the Lord's people were prophets, and that he would put his spirit upon them, and the women and children all must go; and it is the mind of Christ, our spiritual Moses, that all, both male and female, should come up in their places. Jacob was tender and careful, not to over drive the flock, lest those with young should be hurt; which ought to be a caution to us, and thereby learn us to keep to the Lord's spirit. Wait for wisdom from him, that you may be guided thereby, in your gifts and places in the church of Christ, and so build up one another in the most holy faith, stirring up one another to love and good works, that wisdom may be justified of her children, and "your lights shine before men, that they seeing your good works, may glorify your Father which is in heaven." Be ye as a city set upon a hill, where their elder men will grow sound in the faith, and in charity,

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