of the sufficiency of the power and mercy of the Lord, or to turn you aside from the way of truth, using all his subtlety to keep you from calling to mind how the Lord heretofore brought you over mountains and high hills, and levelled them all before you. And your hopes sometimes have been so faint, that some of you have been ready to say, with one in the days of old, "Lord, hast thou forgotten to be gracious!"

Dear Friends, whom my soul loveth in all true tenderness, and unto whom I am inseparably joined; in the unity of the spirit, my heart is full of love and life, which flows from the living Fountain; with desires for your eternal good. That you ancient ones, whose time cannot be long here, may finish in that in which you began, in freshness, and true tenderness, and receive the crown, that so it may be well with you for evermore.

And that you who are younger in the truth, and also in years, may not please yourselves with long life, nor yet with worldly preferment; but wait with all diligence and true fear, to feel the work of the converting, hearttendering power of the great and mighty God,

and spirit; that so it may be well with you, when death looks you in the face.

And yet has not the Lord, after all this and much more, renewed your hope and strength again, and by the glorious appearance of his heavenly Sun, hath broken forth and shined in your hearts, clearly discovering to you the enemy's wiles and working, with all the mists and darkness he brings in with him, and driv-to work a true change in you, in body, soul, ing away the same, through the power that is received in the light, even the light of life. Thereby you see what hath been the cause of your being so exercised, so long after your convincement; and after you have known many deliverances, and watering-showers, and fruitful seasons; yet now are brought to judgment and the sentence of condemnation; that all which is of self, in which the enemy works to the hurt of the soul, may be slain with the sword of the spirit, which is the Word of God, and consumed with the fire of the Lord.

Thus hath the only wise God taught you by his holy Spirit, and thereby you have learned experience and spiritual skill, how to come to his judgment seat, that you might come to his mercy seat also; that so you might know the way of your soul's travel, from death to life, through weeping and mourning, to joy and gladness, through poverty and weakness, to feed at the table of the Lord; and come to have your strength daily renewed, to sit in heavenly places in Christ Jesus, in that rest prepared of God in Him, where his glory shines in your dwellings, which will make you to shine as the stars of heaven, as you keep your station in inward watchfulness and waiting in the light.

When the mind is stayed there, it is immoveable, for its stay and strength is the sure rock and foundation of God, his great and glorious power, out of which, both the water and honey proceed. O the divine sweetness that is in it! Who can set forth the greatness, the goodness, and excellency thereof?

You know, dear brethren and sisters, that our souls many times when together, have been made rich partakers of the same, in the enjoyment of the life-giving presence of our God, and made near and dear one to another; when we have been so filled with the wine of his kingdom, that tears of joy have often run, which have far exceeded the tears of our sor

row.

VOL. II.-No. 2.

And my dear ancient Friends, be careful that you never forget, nor depart from your first love and tenderness; and all you younger who have not so fully known it, wait diligently for it, that you may know the blessed effects of it, as the ancients have done, that through the fear of God placed in the heart, and an awe and dread of offending the Lord, you may come to say with them; Oh! that I may never speak a word, nor do any action that may grieve his good spirit, nor break my peace with him. May I neither eat nor drink to excess, nor wear anything in apparel contrary to the pure truth, neither be found in any carriage or behaviour, in conversation or communication, that may give any occasion, or whereby truth may suffer. This was and is the desire, and cry of all the faithful, and of those that truly fear the Lord, and have known what the first love is, and the blessed effects of it.

This was a time when nothing was valued like the truth; and it is so still, with all who love truth and righteousness. No hardship, no scoffing, no scorn, no reproach for the name of Jesus, no suffering, no spoiling of goods, nor imprisonment of body, neither principalities nor powers, things present, nor things to come, shall be able to separate such from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

All these, and much more than I am able to express, were the effects of your first love and true tenderness that was begotten in you thereby. Keep to it, live in it, and never depart from it, nor forget it; that so you may continue unto the end, in that in which you have begun; as those whom the Lord in his love and by his power, hath thus far preserved, so shall you be everlastingly happy, when time here shall be no more.

Dear Friends, were we the wisest, the great9

est, the mightiest, or richest among the sons and daughters of men? Most of us were such as were accounted foolish, weak, mean and contemptible, like the Jews in the days of the prophet Nehemiah, who were called feeble by the enemies of God, and of his people, who mocked and laughed them to scorn, and said, What do these feeble Jews? not knowing what work the Lord hath determined to do by them in answer to the prayer of the prophet.

there is nothing that I have, that is so near and dear to me, but I can freely part with it for the Lord and his worthy name's sake, for all I have and do enjoy is the Lord's; so can his redeemed say with a good understanding, not only their souls and bodies, but all they have and do enjoy, are his.

Blessed and happy are all they, whose godly resolution this is, who are thus redeemed by his power; hold fast and continue your godly He hath done great and wonderful things in resolution unto the end, in true faith; and look this his day, through the might of his own not out, nor give way to the reasoning part; power, by those whom he hath called and but keep near the Lord and rely upon the chosen out of the world, though counted weak sufficiency of his power; that by waiting and and feeble, yet made strong, through his re-watching therein, you may receive strength. newing of their strength. Here is encour- Then you will be strong and courageous, bold agement given by our Lord and Master Jesus and valiant for the truth upon earth; for he, Christ, for all true believers and faithful fol- for whose name's sake you suffer, has suffilowers of him, through many tribulations: cient in store to reward all your losses, crosses, "Behold," saith Christ, "I give unto you trials and sufferings, both here, and eternally power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and hereafter; and assuredly will not withhold it over all the power of the enemy, and nothing from you, as you stand faithful unto him in by any means shall hurt you: notwithstanding, your testimony unto the end; unto which, in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject the Lord by his own power, preserve you all, unto you; but rather rejoice that your names Amen. are written in heaven. In that hour Jesus rejoiced in spirit, and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes, even so Father, for so it seemed good in thy sight." What remains for you then to say; Oh saith the truly humbled, what manner of love is this wherewith the Lord my God hath loved me, and visited my soul? And most especially, in a day when I was an enemy in my mind to him by wicked works. I am constrained to love him again, and to fear him always, that I may in no wise offend Him, so good and gracious a God, so dear and tender a Father, who hath dealt so kindly with me, not according to my desert, for I was unworthy that his love should reach unto me.

And such were we. Yet, notwithstanding all this, and much more, hath the Lord, with whom there is no respect of persons, loved us

Dear Friends, I being well stricken in years, cannot promise long time to myself in this world, and I was willing, in answer to the motion of God's blessed spirit, to send this epistle abroad amongst you, as a token of my entire love and tender care over the flock of Christ; wishing that grace, mercy and peace, in and through Him, may be multiplied and increased amongst you, and that brotherly love and unity, in the one spirit of life may continue, and abound more and more, and that in all your meetings and families, you may be blessed with heavenly blessings in Christ Jesus.

From your friend and brother, in the covenant
of light and life.
JOHN BANKS.

Given forth at Meare, in Somersetshire,
the 23d day of the Fifth month, 1698.

freely, in a time never to be forgotten. Oh! A TRUE TESTIMONY CONCERNING MY FAITH

be humbled, and laid low before him, under the sense of his love, that our hearts may be often broken, and tendered thereby; for if the love of God doth not work this effect, nothing can. But all who, in true fear, dwell in a sense of what the Lord hath done for them; the secret cry of their soul is, Oh! I can never do enough for the Lord, to answer his love, and the knowledge of his blessed truth he hath given me, and the divine sweetness and abounding thereof, that I have many times felt to spring afresh in my soul, in waiting upon him.

Wherefore such a one is made often to say,

IN CHRIST.

I BELIEVE in that same Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, for remission of sins, and the salvation of my soul, who "was conceived of the Holy Ghost, born of the virgin Mary, made a good confession before Pontius Pilate, and was crucified without the gates of Jerusalem; was dead and buried, and rose again the third-day, and ascended into glory, far above all heavens," that he might fill all things, according to the testimony of the holy Scriptures; for which I have a godly and reverent esteem.

I also believe in Him, as to his appearing

the second time, without sin, unto salvation, to all that look for Him, by his living and eternal spirit, the Spirit of Truth, which the world cannot receive, as when he prayed unto the Father, that he would send the Comforter, that leads into all truth, all that believe in him thereby.

truth, and the life; the true light, the door, the true Shepherd, who laid down his life for his sheep, and saves by his grace all true believers, who obey the teachings thereof.

He is also believed in and known by his second coming, to be the ingrafted Word, that is able to save the soul. He took flesh and When it pleased the Lord to visit me with suffered in it, the one Offering once for all, to the day-spring of his love from on high, in put an end to sin, and finish transgression, the days of my youth, by this Spirit of Life and bring in everlasting righteousness.-The and Truth, sin and satan were manifested; fulfiller, the finisher and end of the law, with and if at any time I was prevailed upon, by all the types, figures and shadows of it; entering into any of his temptations, I was the end of tithes, swearing, temple-worship, reproved and judged thereby. But when faith outward circumcision, offerings and oblations. was begotten in my heart, to believe in the The end, finisher and fulfiller of water-bapSpirit of Truth that reproved me, I received tism, and outward communion by eating of power from Him, in whom I did and do be- bread, and drinking of wine; He the great lieve, to overcome one sin after another, in Baptizer, having baptized many by his spirit order to a perfect freedom from it, which must into one body, of which he is the Head, which be in this life, or else there is no entering is the one saving baptism, with the Holy into the kingdom of heaven. For all who Ghost and fire;-and John with his waterlive and die in sin are unclean and therefore | baptism is decreased, and ended. cannot enter the kingdom.

And He is the one bread of life, come down from God out of heaven, which is eaten of by faith, whose flesh is meat indeed, and his blood is drink indeed. He the living substance is come and fed upon; that was and is the communion of saints.

This is the blessed effect of the faith of every true believer in the Lord Jesus Christ; as to his birth, suffering, resurrection, ascension, and second coming without sin, unto salvation; in whom all must believe for life and salvation to their souls, whoever come to know the full assurance thereof, in the king-in brevity, of my faith in Christ, I am willing dom of happiness, and endless glory.

I believe in Him, and own Him in all his offices, and under every name and denomination which is given to Him in the holy Scriptures. I own Him as King, even King of saints, and Lord of life and glory; High Priest of the profession of all that were and are of the true faith; God's covenant of light and life; Emmanuel, God with us, who is come to save his people from their sins, not in their sins, for there is no being saved therein; which is in the fallen and lost condition.

I own and believe in Him, as he is the "true light, that enlighteneth every man that cometh into the world."

I own and believe Him to be "the way, the truth, and the life; and that no man comes to the Father but by Him."

I believe in Him, as he is the Minister of the sanctuary, and true tabernacle which God hath pitched, and not man; who by his power and spirit, hath fitted and made many able and faithful ministers, in this the day of his everlasting Gospel, among whom he hath been pleased to account me worthy to be one, though one of the least of many. He is the Minister of ministers, and none are or can be true ministers, but who are made so and ordained by Him.-He fits, opens and prepares by his power, and quickening spirit. So the ministers of Christ preach Him, the way, the

This being the substance of the testimony,

to leave it behind me, when I have finished the work of my day, and am gathered to my everlasting rest, which I have long travailed for, through many deep exercises. And this not only for myself, but I was willing to leave this upon record, on the behalf of my Friends and brethren also, the people of God in scorn called Quakers, who are of the same faith in Christ with me.

That all may know, who have a desire to have a right understanding of our faith and principles; that we are no such people as to our faith in Christ, as some ignorantly, and others hatefully have rendered us; as though we only or wholly depended upon the light within, for salvation to our souls; and did not own or believe in Christ, as to his coming, death, resurrection, ascension, &c.; and the benefit we, and all true believers have thereby.

But, blessed, praised and magnified be the worthy name of the Lord our God for ever, who hath opened our understandings by his power, whereby we know Him, in whom we do believe; which is not to believe in the light within, distinct from Christ;-or as if people could believe in the light, and not in Christ. But we believe in both, as one; knowing and being clear in our understanding, that no separation can be made between Christ, and the light that comes from him, which shines in the hearts of all true believers; and shines in

"Come and hear, all ye that fear God, and I will declare what he hath done for my soul." Ps. lxvi. 16.

IT hath been in my heart for many years, to leave behind me a brief relation of the Lord's dealings with me, from my youth up to this day, for the encouragement of the young to faithfulness and continual trust and confidence in the Lord, who is never wanting to those that truly depend upon him, either in temporal or spiritual mercies.

nor by the priest, I went on in the same, grieving the holy Spirit of God in myself; not yet knowing what it was that reproved me in secret for these things; though, through the Lord's great mercy and goodness to me, I was addicted to no worse evils in all my life.

Nevertheless, when the Searcher of all hearts came by his light to open my underI was born at Rickmansworth, in Hertford- standing, and to set my sins in order before shire, in the year 1657, of honest parents, me, and to make known what it was that rewho educated me in the profession of the pub-proved me for my mispent time, then, oh! then lic worship of the church of England. My it was, that the day of Jacob's trouble was mother died when I was very young; but witnessed. Oh! dreadful was it to me, to whilst she lived, she was a tender, affection-consider how I had overlooked the reproofs of ate parent to me, almost to excess. One in the Almighty! and often was I ready to bestance of her affection was very remarkable: moan myself after this manner;-Oh! that I I being at one time very weak, and as was had but had parents that could have informed supposed nigh unto death, the exercise thereof me that those things for which I was reproved was so hard to her, that she fell down upon were evil; or that those reproofs I often felt her knees, and prayed the Lord to take her in secret were of the Spirit of the Lord! and spare me; which he did, for what end was surely I never would have done as I did: but best known to himself. neither my parents, nor the priest, taught me I continued at home with my father till any such doctrine; both of them counting about the age of sixteen years, under the those things but innocent and harmless diversharp government of a mother-in-law, whose sions. And as for the light, and grace, or austerity to me made me weary of living with Spirit of God, that reproved me, I had never her, insomuch that I left my father's house, heard there was any such thing so near me, and went to service, that I might live more at as I felt it and found it. Then was I grieved peace than I had done. The Lord in mercy to think the Lord of glory should have so long remembered me, and looked upon my affliction in that day, though I was not yet come to the knowledge of the truth: and he followed me in those days with his reproofs in my conscience for the sins of my youth; which were dancing, singing, telling idle stories, and some other pastimes, into which youth are too liable to

knocked at the door of my dark heart, and waited for entrance, and that I had so long kept out him who still followed me with his judgments, and in great mercy to my poor soul, often brought me into deep sorrow.

The consideration of my latter end he laid weightily before me, and the thoughts of eternity, and the words "ever and ever,” laid fast

hold of me.

Then, oh! the trouble and surprise I was in, insomuch that I could not tell what course to take, neither unto whom to discover my distressed condition. Sometimes I have gone into company, and striven that way to divert my sorrow, but that would not do; and then I would seek some secret place, and there I would fall upon my knees, and pour out my spirit before the Lord, begging for mercy and forgiveness at his hands.

worship, and that of those among whom I went. After some time of silence, a woman stood up and spoke, whose testimony affected my heart, and tendered my spirit, so that I could not refrain from weeping: but, alas! alas! after the meeting was over, the enemy soon prevailed again, and darkened that little sense I had, by his instruments without and suggestions within, so that I went no more to any such meeting for several years.

The time being come to go to my service at the justice's, my mistress, before I had been long with her, would be often saying, "This Alice will be a Quaker:" though still I had no such thoughts; but through the Lord's goodness to me, I spent all my spare time either in reading or in getting alone, or in some reli

Now I am about to relate, how the wise hand of the Almighty guided me. After I left my father's house, I went inquiring for a place, and soon heard of one, where I continued some time, and was well beloved in the family, and I served them honestly, and in love. But it may not be amiss to state how I spent my time at my first service, with relation to religious performance, and continued diligent and gion, which was after this manner: I kept faithful to the trust that my master and misclose and constant, as opportunity permitted, tress reposed in me, to their satisfaction, and in going to the public worship, and very often my own too, being well pleased with my place. went alone into private places to pray, and It was in this family, as I said before, that greatly delighted to read the Scriptures, and I became acquainted with my first husband, to get passages by heart; and when my Daniel Smith, who in love made suit to me, ; hand has been in my labour, my heart was and we continued together in that family meditating on good matter, and I was very near two years. About the end of that glad that I was from my father's house, be- time, it pleased the Lord to visit me with sore cause of the quietness I enjoyed. I was often lameness occasioned by a wrench in my ancle; comforted in my heart in those days, though but for some time longer I continued in my I knew not from whence it came. service.

As I thus continued in well-doing, according to the best of my knowledge, the Lord was pleased to appear to me in an extraordinary manner, and a sweet visitation I had; for I was led into a deep silence before the Lord, there to wait, and durst not utter words, notwithstanding I had gathered much, in the brain, of good words and Scripture sentences; but now I came to see that would not do. After this manner that time was spent, and a good time it was to me it was the Lord's doing, and he shall have the praise of it; blessed be his name for ever!

After some time, I went to live at the house of a justice of the peace, where my first husband and I became acquainted. But I should first notice, that I went for a short time to a brother's house before I entered into my second service, and while I was there, heard a report about the neighbourhood of a woman preacher, greatly esteemed among the Quakers, and who was to be at one of their meetings not far from my brother's house. Some of the neighbours, in curiosity, had a mind to hear and see, and asked me to go with them; to which I consented. When I came to the meeting, it made a great impression upon my mind. The solidity of the people, and the weighty frame of spirit they were under, occasioned many deep thoughts to pass through my heart, by beholding so much difference between their way of

That winter my master and mistress removing to London, had not occasion for so many servants in town as they kept in the country; some they dismissed, and my mistress provided a place for me till summer, when they were to return. At this place I received hurt, as to my spiritual condition. Here I had no help towards heaven, but the contrary, by the ill example of vain and irreligious conversation in that family. I therefore caution young people to take especial care what company they join, and to fly from bad associates as from a serpent; for surely it was a sore venom to me, because it helped to drive good things out of my mind, and forgetfulness of God followed, which caused me to have many a sorrowful hour, when the Lord brought me to a sense of it. Blessed be his name, he did not permit me to go on long in this state: for now my lameness grew worse, and the time came that I was to leave this family, and to return to my former master, the justice, where I longed to be, because it was a more orderly family.

I fain would have been well of my lameness in my own time, that I might be able to go through my business; but I found the more I strove for a cure, the worse I grew, insomuch that I was obliged to go home to my father's house, which was no small exercise, on account of my mother-in-law. But blessed be