love us the better.--How instructive it is to see, Thy affectionate remembrance of us is very precious; J. B. Page 253, line 3 from the bottom, after the word "love", "in" "But Oh! how flat are things days, and what sen now a we come to, unless there is a revival, and how can this be (one is ready to say) without a shaking!" Sormetiines se CHAPTER XIV. To C. P. A. Croydon, Tenth Month, 1834. MY BELOVED FRIENDS, -I am ready to believe you would not attribute my silence to neglect or want of feeling, were I even longer to forbear to communicate by pen and ink. I trust we are too much like epistles written in one another's hearts, that this should have place. Be assured, however, that it is very pleasant to me to salute you from my home. I visited dear W. Byrd, and found him comfortable in mind; he had lately been taken into the garden, and was placed by the grave of his wife for a short time. I thought him more bright, and clear, and collected in his faculties and memory, than when his wife was living. The retrospect of my journey, leaves me nothing but peace hitherto; and my only disquietude is, lest I should not duly estimate this blessing, with those also that have attended me throughout. I think nothing has failed, of what it seemed given me to expect beforehand would be allotted and meted out. It has been an instructive humbling time; and in this I rejoice greatly, for there is no state, I so desire to be preserved in, as that of pure dependence, fear, and tenderness of spirit. I gave in my report to our Monthly Meeting, and endeavoured to stir up the poor flagging mind to faith, zeal, and love; but things are flat now-a-day: sometimes under a sense of it, one is ready to say, My soul is sick with sighing," and 66 love us the better. How instructive it is to see, that the most eminently gifted instruments are only really useful, while in the Divine hand and ordering; and that the Almighty is not bound to work by them, but as he sees meet: and he can raise up striplings, that no flesh should glory! It is the distinguishing feature of this heresy, that it runs among the rich, and the great, and learned, and the eloquent, and the gifted, and experienced. O! that all who are not with us would even go out from us, and show their true colours; it would be more honourable, than to be endeavouring to insinuate something else among us, which our fathers could not, neither can we adopt,-nay, which we have protested against, and came out from, when we became a people. Thy affectionate remembrance of us is very precious; and it is our sincere desire, that thou wilt continue to think of us for good, who often feel very sensible what poor unworthy unprofitable things we are, and how we are borne with and favoured! Farewell, my beloved friend; may the Most High be our shield and exceeding great reward, and a very present help in trouble! J. B. CHAPTER XIV. To C. P. A. Croydon, Tenth Month, 1834. MY BELOVED FRIENDS, - I am ready to believe you would not attribute my silence to neglect or want of feeling, were I even longer to forbear to communicate by pen and ink. I trust we are too much like epistles written in one another's hearts, that this should have place. Be assured, however, that it is very pleasant to me to salute you from my home. I visited dear W. Byrd, and found him comfortable in mind; he had lately been taken into the garden, and was placed by the grave of his wife for a short time. I thought him more bright, and clear, and collected in his faculties and memory, than when his wife was living. The retrospect of my journey, leaves me nothing but peace hitherto; and my only disquietude is, lest I should not duly estimate this blessing, with those also that have attended me throughout. I think nothing has failed, of what it seemed given me to expect beforehand would be allotted and meted out. It has been an instructive humbling time; and in this I rejoice greatly, for there is no state, I so desire to be preserved in, as that of pure dependence, fear, and tenderness of spirit. I gave in my report to our Monthly Meeting, and endeavoured to stir up the poor flagging mind to faith, zeal, and love; but things are flat now-a-day: sometimes under a sense of it, one is ready to say, "My soul is sick with sighing," and "Oh! that I had in the wilderness a lodging place," &c. Yet at other times, when favoured to rise above a selfish interest and anxiety, one cannot but see it is very needful there should be a falling away first, that the man of sin may be revealed, and more and more discovered, and that Zion may be more and more redeemed through judgment, and saved as by fire. O! may nothing in low and trying seasons be permitted to intervene and trouble us unprofitably, either as to our individual lot and state, or as regards our precious fellowship and unity in that which is unchangeable, or as to the state of the church or the world; but may we continue in faith and patience to the end. J. B. [In a letter to another friend about the same date, alluding to his late journey, he says;]- Though the humiliations have been frequent and great, a sense of preserving help has never been withheld in the needful measure, and at the needful time. I have found no wonderful enlargement; but in my little way, have endeavoured to sympathize with the suffering seed, the wrestling remnant, who are concerned above all things to maintain the testimony of Jesus, by dying daily to themselves. And the Lord will still keep these in the hollow of his hand; and, amidst all exercises and tribulations, such will grow. May we ever be counted worthy of taking our lot among this number, drinking into one spirit.' Το 16th of Twelfth Month, 1834. Unless we have forfeited our privileges as Christians, and are utterly lost to all right feeling of Divine help, is it not natural and likely, and consistent |