teaching the younger men to be sober-minded, join, we shall incur his displeasure, as Israel and likewise the "aged women, that they be did, when they joined themselves with the inin behaviour as becometh holiness; not false habitants of the land, which the Lord had accusers, but teachers of good things, that commanded they should not do, and brought they may teach the younger women to be so- God's wrath upon them, whereby we may take ber, ta love their husbands, to love their chil- warning not to commit the like evil in sufferdren, to be chaste, keepers at home, that the ing our minds to wander from the Lord, and word of God be not blasphemed, and that their join with the world in their ways, worships, adorning should not be the outward adorning customs and fashions, or to marry with them, of plaiting the hair, and wearing of gold, or which was expressly forbidden in the time of putting on of apparel; but let it be of the hid- the first covenant, and also by the apostle in den man of the heart, in that which is not the second covenant, who said, "Be not uncorruptible, even the ornament of a meek and equally yoked with unbelievers," &c. So thus quiet spirit, which in the sight of God is of you may see that God's people were to dwell great price, for after this manner the holy wo- alone, and not to mix with other nations; and men of old adorned themselves, who trusted while they did so dwell, the Lord wonderfully in God." All that keep to God's spirit, must blessed them, so that Balaam could not curse mind those things, and labour to keep their them, nor any enchantment prevail against children out of pride, and the foolish fashions them, but their strength was as the strength that are in the world, which youth are apt to of a lion and a unicorn, and their enemies run into, and covet after, and to take liberty were a prey to them. But when they joined one by another. themselves unto Baalpeor, the Lord's wrath was kindled against them, so that twenty-three thousand died of the plague, which the Lord sent amongst them. You that are parents of children, take Abraham for an example, of whom God gave testimony that he would command his household after him; so all are to wait for power from God, and stand in your authority in your families; and not indulge your children when they are young, nor deck them in the fashions of the world, as soon as they can go, nor let them speak the language of the world, as soon as they can speak, without reproving them, nor let them keep company with the world, without restraining them. These things we have seen to our great grief, and they have brought bitter mourning to our souls, considering the floodgate of iniquity it opens to youth. As those who feel a concern upon our spirits for the truth, and your good, and your childrens' also, we are drawn forth in tender love, to desire you to mind the truth, and the power of it, and be taught by it, and then we know you will be concerned to see things amended, where they have been amiss. We know there are many under a concern with our souls in this matter, which has been weighty upon our spirits; and therefore in true love, we visit you with these lines, desiring the Lord may fill you with love and zeal for his name and truth; that you may be valiant for it upon the earth, and in your testimonies for God, and against all that would defile the camp of God, and bring his wrath upon us, or cause him to withdraw his holy presence from us, which hath given us life, and separated us from the world's ways, worships, customs, and fashions. Now, as God hath separated us, we are to keep to him, that he may keep us so separated, that we may never join with those things again. For if we do so VOL. II.-No. 9. Oh! that your zeal may appear in a Gospel way, as Phineas' did, according to that legal covenant, to the appeasing God's anger, that ye may know the Lord to make his covenant of peace with you, and that it may abide with you forever. For truly, God is jealous of his own glory, and will have a clean people to serve him in sincerity and uprightness, clear of all mixtures, and linsey-woolsey garments, which are not to be worn in this Gospel day, wherein the Lord hath been great in mercy and love, causing his glorious light to shine, and giving us the knowledge of himself; therefore let our care be, to keep in his fear, that we may walk before him in humility, worthy of those mercies and blessings, that God in all things may be glorified, and our peace preserved with him. Amen. We remain your friends and brethren in the truth, THOMAS WILSON, frothy notions of their own imaginations, will Our souls have been often concerned for THOMAS WILSON, Nevis, the 4th of the Twelfth Another Epistle to Friends in America. The God of our life keep you all an inward people, that the weight of his power may be upon your souls, that you may learn in true silence and stillness, where the divine mysteries of his kingdom are daily opened, and you will see through the mystery of iniquity, and not be ignorant of the wiles of satan; but abiding in the light, they will be clearly discovered, and you will be pressing after the life of innocency, whereunto God hath called you, and which must wear the crown. They who are most in favour with him, make it their habitation, labouring to have their own spirits silenced, and daily depend upon God's teaching. It was our glory in years past to learn in silence, which is since too much neglected by many professors of truth, upon whom a light OUR tender love in the Lord Jesus Christ, frothy spirit has prevailed, having a life in dearly salutes you, and all the faithful in that disputes, arguments, and words to little pur-island, amongst whom we have travelled to pose, but amusing and perverting the mind, which ought to be staid upon God, who is the strength and stay of his people, keeping them in perfect peace, whose minds are staid upon him. Such who run into disputes in their own wills and imaginations, depart from the truth, the sure foundation, and the light, whereunto our minds were at first turned, in which all that walk, are preserved in sweet fellowship one with another, and their unity in the spirit and light of the Lord Jesus Christ increaseth with him, and one with another, being weighty in spirit, not easily moved. Such see that all the disputes and arguments, even concerning religious matters, which proceed from the will of man, not of God's spirit, are but as froth and chaff, that will not abide God's fan, but be blown away by the whirlwind of his wrath. All your safety is and will be, to keep inward to the Lord, that he may be your teacher, your own spirits being silenced, waiting with delight to hear what he speaks. Then if he be pleased to open any of your mouths, for the edification one of another, it will be in his power and wisdom from above, that is, first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be entreated, in which you may build up one another in the most holy faith; but those that run into a passionate, hasty spirit, go out of the wisdom which is from above, into that which is from below, and the wrath of man cannot work the righteousness of God. So all keep in your own gifts, inward to the Lord, who will fit you for his service, and guide you in his wisdom, to hit the mark aimed at, and preserve you in the living faith delivered unto you, of which Christ Jesus our Lord is the Author, whereby you may live, as did the just in every generation, to the glory of God, and being, by his power, made as the weighty wheat, be gathered into the garner of his salvation, when those who run out, with preach the Gospel of life and salvation, de- Dear Friends, we desire as you are free and Monthly Meeting of your unity with us, while directed, that every one is to be salted with we were present with you, and at our parting fire, and every sacrifice seasoned with salt; from you; and enclose it for us, to be left at mark, the vessel is to be seasoned with the Joseph Groves' in Barbadoes. We have had holy fire of the word of God, and sanctified good service here, and the Lord hath been by the truth, otherwise God will not accept of with us, to our great comfort, though under their offerings, no more than he did the offergreat sorrow of soul, for those things which ings of Aaron's sons, who offered strange fire, have happened at Delaware, and more espe- which the Lord never commanded, and so cially to see them published in print, to the brought death upon them. You may also obview of the world, and the enemies of truth. serve, that when Moses was dead, who received The publishers of which may expect a reward the law from God's mouth, that Joshua was according to their works, and God, in his own to succeed him in the same spirit, which plaintime, will wipe away all those reproaches, and ly appears from the positive command of the ease the spirits of them that travel under the weight thereof. Unto him we are willing to commit the cause, and do commit you, and our own souls; so remain your friends and brethren, THOMAS WILSON, Lord to him, that he should be courageous, and observe and do according to all the law, which Moses, the servant of the Lord commanded him. He was not to depart therefrom either to the right hand or to the left, that so he might prosper wherever he went. By which it is plain, the blessing is only to them, who come up in the same holy Spirit, which case is very applicable to Friends in this our day; To Friends of Mount-melick, Men's Meeting, for it is undeniable, that the weighty rules and and elsewhere. Dear Friends, order of the church were received in the beginning by our ancients and elders from the opening of the divine Spirit of Truth, and I HAVE been for some years past, and more settled in the counsel of God. And as surely especially of late, under deep considerations as ever Joshua was to succeed Moses, and to respecting the state of Friends, and the affairs observe all the law which was commanded of truth in general, and our Monthly Meeting him; so are Friends now, who are of a sucin particular, which hath brought a weight of ceeding generation, faithfully to keep and obexercise upon my mind; and doubting whether serve those weighty rules and precepts left I may ever have an opportunity of seeing them by their elders, without turning from you, so as to ease myself of what remains as a concern upon me, I was willing to communicate these few lines to your weighty and serious consideration. them, either to the right hand or to the left; and it remains as a testimony in my heart for the Lord, to leave with you, that when any offer anything in Men's Meetings, which conThe order and government of the church tradicts the ancient rules and divine precepts was settled by the same divine spirit, from settled amongst us in the heavenly power, they which the true ministry sprung; and all who contradict the very counsel of God, and it is speak in Men's Meetings, should be careful but an offering of strange fire, which God they do not speak anything to offend God, but never commanded, neither will accept, and wait to have their offerings seasoned with so they bring death over themselves, kindle grace, and offered in the same divine spirit, by which the order and government of the church was first established. And as the doctrine of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ strange fire in the meeting, dazzle the minds of Friends, and are hinderers of the work and service of truth. THE END. THOMAS WILSON. SOME ACCOUNT OF THE LIFE OF JOSEPH PIKE, OF CORK, IN IRELAND, WHO DIED IN THE YEAR 1729, 1 WRITTEN BY HIMSELF: ALSO, A JOURNAL OF THE LIFE AND GOSPEL LABOURS OF JOSEPH OXLEY, OF NORWICH, WHO DIED IN THE YEAR 1775; TOGETHER WITH LETTERS ADDRESSED TO THEIR FRIENDS. WITH PRELIMINARY OBSERVATIONS BY JOHN BARCLAY. By humility and the fear of the Lord, are riches, honour, and life. Prov. xxii. 4. PRELIMINARY OBSERVATIONS, CHIEFLY ADDRESSED TO THE SOCIETY OF FRIENDS. his life, a lively and instructive exemplification of that kind of care and labour, by example and by exhortation, which the early Friends most undeniably and conspicuously bestowed, upon the vineyard of their own hearts and THE two narratives now offered to the no- towards each other in the Lord. The whole tice of the Society of Friends and others, are drift of his exercise is, that both he himself, not made choice of for publication on the and all those professing with him to have “represent occasion, as containing anything of ceived Christ Jesus," should “walk in him," very extraordinary or novel character; they should "adorn the doctrine of God our Samay not be calculated to impart that sort of viour in all things," should "show out of a attractive and peculiar interest, which the diary of a Jaffray or the life of a Dewsbury must do, to minds capable of a true relish for spiritual things; but they nevertheless furnish much that is wholesome and unsophisticated. If the discipline of the heart to the Author of our lives, if the discipline of the church to her Holy Head, "who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity," be of value, then the experience of his servants, of those who were concerned to "walk with God," and to "put on the Lord Jesus Christ," cannot be devoid of some important bearing upon the state of every reader. good conversation their works with meekness of wisdom,” should "be holy in all manner of conversation," should have their "fruit unto holiness," in short, should altogether illustrate the "pure and undefiled religion." Now, in this point of view, the counsel that is handed by this worthy elder to his succes sors, to those who would rightly belong to and build up the church of Christ, who would truly "comfort all her waste places," is of peculiar and pressing import. Here are sound, wellseasoned materials; plain, positive, practical advices, not showy and superficial, but sober and solid admonitions, grounded upon and In the first of these journals, that of Joseph growing out of Scriptural truth, the result of Pike, will be found, besides the incidents of conviction and of experience, highly needful to be borne in mind, laid to heart, day by day | honest and good heart," has a most strength. acted upon as we pass through life, and which ening efficacy there, to the building up of such involve much of genuine self-denial, and strait- believers in their most holy faith. It was a keeping of the soul. Nothing is to be found of a wild, doubtful, crude, or strange enthusiasm, no morbid refinement, no fine-spun empty theories, no mere "talk of the lips, which the wise man tells us, "tendeth only to penury," no beautiful symmetry and paint of language without life, nor dry doctrinals separated from and set at variance with that transforming power, in which alone true doctrine can be truly held, or availingly held forth. It is as if the writer all along conveyed to us the very substance of the adage, “Tell me not how any talk, but how they walk;" agreeably to that language of the dear Redeemer, "He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me:" "He that followeth me, shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life:" "If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow me:" "Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father, which is in heaven." For, assuredly, as said his beloved disciple, "He that keepeth [Christ's] commandments, dwelleth in him, and he in him." heinous sin in Israel of old, that they slighted or loathed the manna which the Lord had provided for them; and one, on the other hand, reverently prays, "Feed me with food convenient for me." Surely, as his reasonable creatures, his redeemed people, even these who wait upon Him, he will "give them their meat in due season;" for he feedeth his flock and causeth them to lie down in green pastures, and cannot be wanting to "bless the provision of Zion." But, now as ever, the rich and the full are sent empty away from the banquet of our King; indeed, these come prepared only to loathe the honeycomb and, whatever may be their dreams of satisfaction and comfort in the use of means, who are contriving and choosing for themselves, who would cater and carve according to their own apprehensions in religious matters, such, when really awakened to see themselves as they are and where they are, will ever find leanness and emptiness the portion of the immortal part, they inherit the wind, they shall be even "filled with their own devices." How sickly, how superficial, how unstable is their state! tossed about by every wind of doctrine, readily "beguiled with enticing words," with It is lamentable to think, how much is lost great swelling words, the words which man's by professing Christians, and how much is wisdom teacheth, and which the itching ear gained by the enemy of souls, when they suf- stretches forth after; but the truth, the pearl fer themselves to be "carried about by divers of great price, is almost thrown away upon and strange doctrines," or at least unduly de-them, as upon the swine, they receive it only tained amidst fields of speculation, and "striving about words to no profit, but to the sub- The Christian path is a plain path,-blessed verting of the hearers," of the readers, and of be his name who is the Captain of salvation, the speakers also. Indeed, even "good doc- the Leader and Commander of his spiritual trine," "sound doctrine," essential doctrine, Israel; he hath opened and cast up the way that which is "according to godliness," as it for them; through his obedience unto suffercan only be given forth under the express di-ing, unto death, he hath consecrated it by his rection of our ever-living Oracle, High Priest, own example, and hath graciously offered to and Holy Head, the Minister of the sanctuary, guide us by his spirit into all truth. It was so must it be received in entire subjection, with his own declaration, "If any man will do his full resignation to his good will and pleasure, will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it who condescends to work mightily and effectu- be of God, or whether I speak of myself;" ally in those that believe, yet oftentimes obscurely, and to man's judgment weakly, yea foolishly. In spiritual, as in temporal things, "a little that a righteous man hath, is better than the riches of many wicked;" for, in this respect, it is most true, that "the blessing of the Lord" is that which "maketh rich." So, a little shedding forth of light and of truth from Him, whose doctrine drops as the rain, and distils as the dew, "who openeth, and none can shut," and who delights to satisfy the longing soul, and to fill the hungry soul with goodness, when received into ground rightly prepared to appropriate it, "into an to abuse, to misapprehend, to pervert it. that is, he shall have adequate evidence of my doctrine; and again, he declared, "My sheep hear my voice," "and I am known of mine." These were, however, to become as little children, to receive the kingdom of God as a little child, as new-born babes; for unto such, these things were to be revealed, but not to any others. Our Wonderful Counsellor did not even clear up his divine truth to the understandings of his disciples, further than he saw needful for their present growth, further than they were able to receive and to bear it, Mark iv. 33, and John xvi. 12. And though his apostle Paul wrote some things "hard to |