very

rejected: for thou art worthy of it, from this time forth, forever, and for evermore, Amen. This was finished the 13th day of the second month, 1692. By me,

ELIZABETH Stirredge, Sen.

ed so long as she was able; many times going to it through great weakness, and many living and powerful testimonies, especially towards her latter end, she bore in it, exhorting Friends to faithfulness; frequently setting forth the wonderful power that attended Friends in the beginning, and which still doth all the faithful, of which she often spoke in the be ginning of her last illness, amongst her own family. She departed this life, in peace with the Lord, at Hempstead, on the 7th day of the ninth month, 1706, in the seventy-second year of her age.

to have regard to the low estate of thy handmaid, and hast heard my prayers many a time, if I have found favour in thy sight, once more hear my petition and grant my request. Bless my children, by preserving them in thy fear, cause them to remember thy mercies, from day to day; what thou hast done for them, and their father and mother, in their The last fourteen years of her life, she great affliction, when destruction and ruin lived at Hempstead, in Hertfordshire, whither her husband removed from Chew-magna, in were determined against us, and when we were almost past hope; how hast thou apthe county of Somerset, in the year 1688. peared, and confounded our enemies before She did not travel much abroad in her latter our eyes! Lord, let these things never be for- days; except once or twice to Bristol, &c., gotten by me, nor them, whilst we have a day and usually to the Yearly Meeting at Lonto live upon the earth: but, sanctify all thy don, once a year; but laboured mostly about blessings and mercies bestowed upon us, and home, as she grew aged and weakly; but give us a thankful heart, and humble mind, often as the Lord afforded her strength, visitand more and more unite us unto thee, and ed the neighbouring meetings in the same cause us to walk worthy of the same. Oh! County; and her service therein tended to that my heart was but worthy enough; for edify and comfort God's heritage, as many methinks it is not able to set forth thy praises. faithful Friends in those parts can bear witNo, surely it is impossible for tongue to de-ness. And great was her concern for the clare thy infinite goodness, and thy noble acts. meeting she belonged to, which she frequentBut, Lord, we who have made our choice of thee, and have believed in thy Son Christ Jesus, have known him to be sufficient strength in time of need; and thy holy arm to be made bare, for our deliverance out of thraldom, have known it sufficient to preserve us to this day. Therefore, strengthen my faith, hope and confidence, that I may steadfastly believe that thou wilt preserve my children, when I am gone to my resting place. Lord, keep my family and thy people, let not one of them be lost, or become a prey to the wicked one. If thou shouldest yet add more days to my life, let me not cease to pray for them, and their offspring, that I may do my endeavour for their entrance into thy blessed kingdom, so shall I go to my grave in peace. And now, I do wholly resign them into thy hands, knowing thou art able to keep them through faith, and to preserve them all their days, and to do more for them than I am able to ask of thee. Whatever exercise they meet with, strengthen them, and bear up their spirits, that they may not be overcome with the temptations of the wicked one: for, thy power hath been sufficient to redeem my soul. Lord, once more do I commit the keeping of my spirit to thee, with my children, and all thy flock and family upon the face of the earth, with whom my soul is at peace and in unity. I feel the renewings of thy love at this time, which is the greatest comfort that can be enjoyed; therefore does my heart, and all that is within me, return unto thee all praises, glory and honour, with hearty thanksgiving, and pure obedience for evermore. Lord, accept it this evening, as a sacrifice from a broken heart, and a contrite spirit, which thou never

A SALUTATION of my endeared love, in God's holy fear, for the clearing of my conscience, once more unto you of the city of Bristol, amongst whom my soul hath travailed under many exercises, which have made my heart to tremble before the great God of heaven and earth, who will yet further reveal his notable day, wherein all flesh shall tremble before him.

In the sense of the great love of God that hath been extended unto you of that city continually; first, in sending his servants amongst you, and enduing them with power from on high, so that it wrought effectually upon many; whereby they were brought out of Egypt's darkness, and through the Red Sea, spiritually, and could sing to the Lord, as Moses and the children of Israel did, when the Lord had wrought wonderfully for their deliverance, and by a high hand and a wonderful power brought them forth. Blessed be the Lord God Almighty, and honoured be his worthy name, and the right arm of his strength there are many living witnesses of these things in this

our day. Oh, dear Friends! forget it not, but dwell low in the sense of the deplorable state you were in, when first the Lord reached unto you, and opened that eye in you, which let you see you were undone for ever, if the Lord did not arise for your deliverance, when many cried out, "A Saviour, or I perish for ever." O Friends! what was too dear for us to part with in that day for the Lord? Truly can my soul say, "That all that ever my eyes beheld, was nothing to me in comparison to my soul's redemption." It was precious in my eye, and to this very day the living remembrance of it dwells fresh upon my spirit, and my soul loveth the Lord, and blesseth his worthy name. And now the Lord is remembering the covenant that many made with him in the days of their distress. Oh! remember, remember to pay your vows to the Lord; and look into your hearts this day, and with the light of the Lord search and see, whether you are in covenant with the Lord, or no? If you are, surely you are not to serve yourselves, but the living God, who made you for a purpose of his own glory, and redeemed you with his precious blood.

prayers to the great God of heaven and earth are, "That he would be pleased again to arise, and utter his voice, and thunder his alarm from his holy habitation, and make the hearts of people to tremble before his power, and that he will yet afford a day and try them again, and that his trumpet may sound an alarm, to the awakening of their consciences out of that spiritual slumber, wherein many are sleeping, and dreaming it is well with them, and that they are rich, and fat, and full, and need nothing; when their state is miserable, and wretched, naked and bare, and undone for ever, if they do not speedily repent, and return with their whole hearts, and cry to God for mercy, and that he will pardon their iniquities, and heal their backslidings." Oh, backsliding Israel! return, return, before it be too late, for the Lord hath long borne with thee. Oh, thou city of Bristol! as the testimony livingly sprung in my heart a little before thy distress came upon thee, I was constrained to say, "Oh! thou city of Bristol, a city of the mercies of the living God, he hath highly favoured thee; thou hast had a day, wherein thou mightest have enriched thyself And now consider, you that are at ease in with the treasures of God's kingdom, and your Sion, and eating and drinking, and wear- have grown strong in the Lord, and in the ing what seemeth desirable in your own eyes, power of his might, whereby thou mightest notwithstanding the honour of the Lord lies have stood in a living testimony for the Lord, engaged, and your souls in great danger, and with one consent, as one man; but now be the servants of the Lord distressed on your hold, the days of thy distress are at hand, behalf. Oh! for the Lord's sake, and for your and thy calamity hastens like an armed man; own souls' sake, which will perish, if you do and who can bemoan thee, or who can innot speedily repent, arise and strip yourselves, tercede with the Lord for thee? Who can and shake yourselves from these things and say to the Lord, Why hast thou suffered come away, while the call of the Lord lasteth. these things to come to pass? Because Oh! linger not, for the day of the Lord hast- it is in his justice he hath done it. And eneth, let nothing hinder you-make no ex- blessed be his name forever, he is fulfilling cuses any longer, lest you be excluded out of the prophecies of his servants, whom he hath God's kingdom, and the door be shut against sent early and late to proclaim his dreadful you. Think upon it, before the midnight cry day in this city; and year after year, and come, wherein not one day more will be af month after month have the mind and will of forded to work for the Lord. Then neither the Lord been declared, and messenger after wife nor children, lands nor livings, husband messenger sent, insomuch that many a full nor trade, gold nor silver will redeem the stomach loathed the honey-comb, and all who soul; then that doleful sentence will be sound- seemed to receive it, made not a right use of ed against the rebellious, "Depart ye workers it; for the Lord's end, in sending his servants of iniquity, into everlasting fire, prepared in days past, was, that his people might be for the devil and his angels." The sense of these things lies very heavy upon my spirit, and bows my heart in reverence before the Lord, and morning and evening is my heart afflicted, insomuch that I can say, as the prophet said, "Oh! that my head were as water, and mine eyes as a fountain of tears, that I might weep day and night, for the unfaithful, that my spirit might be eased." For truly, Friends, though I am the least amongst many thousands of the Lord's people, and a weak instrument, yet my soul is concerned, and my

fitted and prepared, that judgment or destruction should not come upon his children at unawares; but that they should believe the testimonies of his truth, and take warning by it, and amend their lives, and be bowed in spirit, and humbled before the great God of heaven and earth, that your prayers in this state might ascend unto the long provoked God, whose anger is waxen hot, and nothing will appease it but true repentance, and that with speed, and true brokenness of heart. Oh! is this your state? Or are you this day trampling

lieved in him, and then all things were possible; for by obeying the command of the Lord, the walls of Jericho fell; but if they had reasoned with flesh and blood, or thought the instruments too mean, they had never seen the power of the Lord to do this work, neither shall any now, who reason with flesh and blood. No, first learn obedience, give up to obey the Lord, and then your eyes shall see the blessed work of the Lord fulfilled in its due time; for he is God Almighty, and allsufficient: therefore let every heart confide in his power.

upon the testimonies of truth, and upon the ner, as they did who thus leaned upon the sufferings of your dear brethren and sisters, Lord, and trusted in his strength, and bewho are sufferers for the testimony of Jesus, and are cruelly used? Oh! can you forget these things? Come, put your hands to the work, and your shoulders to the burden, and cry mightily unto the Lord to spare, and give a little time to renew your strength in him, that you may do something for the Lord, though but at the last hour. Surely Friends, the last hour to many is very near, and the long invited, if they miss of this hour, will never have another hour to work for the living God; and therefore is my heart pained within me, and the shortness of time is much before me; and I beg of you, that you Dear friends, keep you heart with all diliwill lay it to heart, before it be too late, and gence, for out of it are the issues of life; for consider how soon the Lord can call for we all well know, that the people who live your breath. Our lives are likened to the most chaste, keep nearest to the Lord, and they flower of the field, as the Lord said to his that are nearest, hear most of his counsel. prophet, when he said, "What shall I cry?" And truly friends, the time is at hand, when "Cry, all flesh is grass, and the glory thereof all shall be distressed for the Lord's will, and as the flower of the field." Pray consider, the most faithful cannot spare of the heavenly how soon is that withered, and the beauty of it come to naught? And seeing it is so, why will people run the hazard of their poor souls, for that which will augment their misery, world without end.

oil, then it will be too late for any to go to buy. Oh! it often riseth in my heart, that yet a little while, and time to many will be no more, for which my soul is more concerned, than for any outward suffering; for it is I am very earnest with the Lord, and my in my heart to believe, that the great God of heart is pained within me on your behalf; heaven and earth, who hath been long prowho should have been as 66 pillars in the voked, and shaken his rod over this nation house of the Lord," that the weakest might many times, and nothing will prevail, will have leaned upon you, that your courage and arise in his strength, and go through this valour might have appeared in the sight of nation, and afflict the inhabitants thereof; he the weak, that they might have been encou- will bring terror and amazement upon them, raged by it. Thus the strong and the weak that none shall be able to deliver out of his might have gone up together to the mountain hand; for he hath long called, and they have of the house of the Lord, where the Lord not regarded; he hath long held out his hand, would have taught you of his ways, and you and they have not laid it to heart, and theremight have walked in his paths, and he would fore will their calamity come at unawares; have fortified you with courage, strength and and because they have not regarded the call valour, so that you would have grown strong of the Lord, when they cry aloud to him, he in the Lord, and in the power of his might, had you wholly given up yourselves, and all that he had given you, and gave way to that noble spirit that was in Joshua and Caleb, who were resolved to follow the Lord, they and their families. Oh, friends! I can hardly write what ariseth in my heart, touching this matter; but in the fear of the Lord, I have this to say, your eyes should have seen the wonders of the Lord, in a miraculous man

will not regard them. Oh! then blessed eternally, and happy for evermore will all those be, who have obeyed the Lord in their day, and have not their portion with the wicked. With my endeared love to you, desiring and praying for your soul's prosperity, I remain your loving friend,

The 2nd day of the
First month, 1683.

ELIZABETH Stirredge.

THE END.

THE

LIFE OF WILLIAM DEWSBURY,

AN EARLY AND EMINENT MINISTER OF THE GOSPEL IN THE SOCIETY OF FRIENDS;

INTERSPERSED WITH MANY PARTICULARS RELATING TO THE PECULIAR VIEWS OF THAT SOCIETY, AND THE SUFFERINGS OF ITS MEMBERS FOR THE TESTIMONY OF A GOOD CONSCIENCE.

BY THE LATE EDWARD SMITH.

WITH A PREFATORY ADDRESS BY JOHN BARCLAY.

Ir is proper to state, that the LIFE OF WILLIAM DEWSBURY forms one of the volumes of a valuable series of Friends' Works, published by JOHN BARCLAY, of England-from which, omitting some parts not connected with his life, the following is reprinted.

THE EDITOR'S PREFATORY ADDRESS.

"Died Abner as a fool dieth?" said David, when he lamented the death of a valiant man. THE author of this volume having gone "the And it has, in my best moments, when greatly way of all the earth," and yielded up his spirit divested of personal or selfish considerations to the God of the spirits of all flesh, it becomes of my own loss, even been cause of joy and my duty, as the individual into whose hands gratitude to the Lord, who gives and takes the manuscript was by him in a very peculiar away in his admirable discretion and good manner consigned, not only to lay before my pleasure, that he saw meet to remove my dear readers some of the circumstances under which friend, while "his bow abode in strength," the work now makes its appearance; but also while he had his armour so evidently girt to give some brief account of my beloved and about him; when the spiritual weapons of the lamented friend, whose unlooked-for transla-Christian's warfare were even in his hands,tion from this state of being to a better, I trust will prove on the minds of many as a seal to his labour of love.

in the strength of his time, in the clearness of his spirit; having been thus manifestly carried through to the precise completion of an undertaking that appeared to be laid upon him as his appointed duty, and about which he had thought it due to the cause of the Gospel of truth to lay out the energies and the prayers of his soul.

However liable we all are in the present probationary condition, to be mistaken in our estimates of men and things, and even by the soothing snares of friendship in its purest forms, to be led away from that unerring balance of the sanctuary, the judgment of truth; And how was it, he was thus devotedly enyet surely there is some call upon me on the gaged in an almost unremitting manner for present occasion, to bear my testimony to the some months together, abridging himself of riches of that grace, by which my friend was every lawful indulgence, and putting all other what he was and therefore I trust, that in at- claims than this, of whatever kind they might tempting to perform this debt of love, I shall be, into the smallest compass that duty would be preserved from speaking unduly of the allow of; without knowing, but as though he creature, as well as from neglecting to ascribe knew, the very hours of his time were to be the glory of every good word and work to that just barely sufficient for this his last day's Divine Source, whose workmanship at the best work? Truly," the Lord's ways are higher we are, created in Christ Jesus unto good than our ways, and his thoughts than our works. Eph. ii. 10. thoughts;" he knows the end from the begin

ning, and ordereth all things in harmony and Christian testimonies to their full extent. My wisdom; nor will he permit his upright, faith- plan was almost anticipated by my friend, and ful, simple-hearted children, who look up to cordially united with; and in the further dihim for counsel and strength in all their step-gestion of my arrangements, he was always pings, materially to contravene his purposes, anxious to afford me all the assistance and or widely to deviate from fulfilling, even in the encouragement in his power. In the course midst of all their manifold weaknesses, his of our frequent interchange of sentiment on holy will. He keepeth them in the hollow of this subject, he conveyed to me the great his hand, he hideth them under the shadow of value he placed upon the character of Wilhis wing, he healeth all their backslidings, he overrules everything that concerns them for their good, turning all to his own glory.

These musings of a mind, that has abundant cause to observe and extol the mercies of Him, who is "wonderful in counsel and excellent in working," will not I trust be deemed irrelevant or unseasonable.

Ever since I have been capable of appreciating the purity and excellence of "the Truth as it is in Jesus," the character and productions of those departed ancients, who first lifted up a standard to the nations in these latter days, altogether so congenial, as I believe, with the spirit and injunctions of our Holy Redeemer, have been a subject of deep interest to me. The author of the present volume had been for years one with me in entertaining this interest: we had often communed together on that remarkable era, when the Society of Friends first became known as a distinct church; and we had many times reciprocated the firm conviction, that as the professors of the Christian name come back to the simplicity and spirituality of the Gospel, such writings and such characters are likely to be more duly valued than has hitherto been the case. If this was infatuation, it was a natural, an honest, a consistent infatuation. We have need every one of us, to be fully persuaded in our own minds respecting that which makes for peace and edification in our belief and practice; for, "he that doubteth is condemned if he eat," and "whatsoever is not of faith is sin." Certainly, had I any real misgiving as to those things which may be known of God, and to which through education or otherwise I found myself conforming, it would seem due to my own soul and to that religious Society among whom I walked, to take means of obtaining a solid and genuine satisfaction.

liam Dewsbury, and the strong desire he had to see a memoir of this worthy, upheld in a manner consistent with his standing and the line of his testimony. I besought him to take the matter home with him, and dwell upon it, and see if this engagement did not devolve upon himself. During part of the summer and autumn of the year, we were separated from each other; when, on my return from a journey, he produced the manuscript of this volume. Still, there was much to be done to it, before it could be prepared for the press; and after bestowing further diligence in perfecting it, in the freedom of unreserved friendship, he committed the whole to me, charging me not to spare such suggestions as I believed would tend to the object of his heart. Some alterations I had proposed before it thus came into my hands, and my meaning was uniformly accepted; and I have good reason to believe from our long intimacy, that such corrections as have been made since his removal, would have been adopted equally with those that were submitted to his eye. This course I deemed to be only justice to his memory and to myself, in carrying forward the publication, under the peculiar circumstances of the case. Some channels of inquiry for additional information even then remained unsearched; these I have, since the author's decease, looked into, and the result of my endeavours is marked out in the ensuing pages to the notice of the reader, by brackets enclosing such fresh matter.

With regard to the old work, from which the epistles and some other papers are now reprinted, the title thus stood:-"The faithful testimony of that ancient servant of the Lord, and minister of the everlasting Gospel, William Dewsbury, in his books, epistles, and writings, collected and printed for future service. London, 1689." Like many of the In the spring of the past year, I communi- works of that day, it is so indifferently got cated to my beloved friend, the author, a plan up, that the correct import of some passages that had matured on my mind, of reviving is not very plain, and even admits of misinthe writings of the early Friends in a form terpretation; and as to those autograph letters accessible to their successors of every class; of William Dewsbury's that have come under believing too, that many of these productions my notice, while the writing is for the most would be acceptable to the spiritual followers part difficult, the construction of the sentences of the Lord Jesus Christ in general, whether is very far more so. On this account, it themselves prepared or not to follow out our was requisite to make such transpositions and