CHAPTER XVI.

An Epistle to Friends in Pennsylvania.

DEAR FRIENDS,

IN the heavenly covenant of Eternal Life, is the salutation of my love in the Lord Jesus, unto all that love and fear him in [your] country. I am sensible that God has sown a good seed amongst you; therefore be careful to receive it rightly and deeply, that the fruit may appear: for though the testimony is true, of the rich and plentiful visitation of the heavenly power among you, [yet] if there be not a true and right receiving the seed, and a tender waiting for the watering rain and dew of life, and its taking root in the honest heart, the good ground, thorns may grow up instead thereof. Therefore, in the fear and dread of the great God, keep low; and out of the snares of the enemy, in the cares of this life and the deceitfulness of riches; and I warn you in the name of Him who is the dread of nations, let none defile that land in which ye are strangers. But walk in the way of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, &c., and the Lord God will pour out wonderful blessings upon you. But if ye will not cleave unto him with your whole heart, and serve him in fear and trembling, that a good savour may go forth from you, then will he bring his righteous judgments over you, according to the swiftness of his goings in his sanctuary. Therefore sanctify the dreadful God of the whole earth before the

heathen; so shall ye prosper. In his love and fear, I send these few lines unto you; hoping you may be watchful and diligent in all things to glorify his name, who is over all, God blessed for ever. tender friend,

Your

CHARLES MARSHALL.

A Salutation to the Men's and Women's Meetings about the City of Bristol.

DEAR FRIENDS,

In the ever-blessed truth of our God, which endures for ever, I tenderly salute you at this time; desiring greatly your prosperity and growth therein, [and that you may] serve up your generation according to the will of God; in which you will have peace for ever. Now the God of heaven hath not only called you to watch and take care of your own hearts and families, but also the flock and family of God where you live; therefore be careful and diligent in your meeting together, and in a faithful discharge, as before the Lord, to answer the service of your meetings effectually and to that end I exhort you, in the dread of Israel's God, to wait diligently upon the Lord, to feel his sweet, opening power and spring of divine wisdom, that you may see your several places in the body, and service in that place faithfully performed.

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And dear Friends, for some time it hath lain before me, in the name of the Lord, to stir you up to an increase of love and you that have families, sons and daughters, stir them up often to come to meetings, and into the service with you, answering the Lord's requiring; that they may remain with you, serving the Lord: then, when you are taken away, they may be ready to serve the Lord, being thus trained up in his way, in a holy freedom. And therefore I charge all young men and women, in the sight

of Him who shall judge righteously, who hath put you, in some measure, in a capacity to serve the Lord in the men's and women's meetings, that you neglect not your care herein; lest the Lord God exercise you with various trials, unthought of by the careless mind. For if ye do love, and give up to serve the Lord, and bring of your substance to serve the poor, as the Lord hath commanded, you will find a reward in your bosom, and satisfaction by being in your duty and service.

And, dear Friends, lift up your heads in the light of the Lord; feel his eternal arm to gather you into a growing state, in the holy root of life; that therein you may be able to stand in the dreadful day of his vengeance, fury and fire, that breaks over a sinful people, for the humbling of thousands to the dust. Arise, shake yourselves in the strength of the Lord, from the dust of the earth; put on strength and heavenly zeal for his name, and his sweet counsel; with your minds gathered to stand and see the fulfilling of his words that have dropped over this land.

The God of our tender mercies incline you all his counsel to take, that so you may serve him in all faithfulness; that now, as living travellers, ye may journey on, and come to Zion, the city of the heavenly King; where his glory shines, his love flows, his mercy extends, and the joy of the Lord springs up, to furnish man with living high praises to him that sits upon the throne, and to the Lamb for evermore. That you may have your lot and portion in that city, hath been the travail of soul and ardent desire of your tender friend and brother,

C. M.

An Epistle to the Captives.

DEAR FRIENDS,

In the everlasting, living, sweet Truth of our God, I dearly salute you; bowing in spirit to our God and Father, in supplication, that he would remember you in the greatness of his love and heavenly providences; making your captivity the more easy through his divine and glorious shinings in your souls; making you to sit together in heavenly places in the Son of his love; and in his own time make way for your redemption, to see your dear relations and families.

We often yearn over you, and remember you; and our eye is to the Holy God, that his right arm of salvation you may find underneath; that his Divine counsel may guide you, and that your time may be improved to a spiritual advantage; that out of the inward captivity you being redeemed and ransomed, may joy in the Lord, and magnify his great and glorious name.

Your letter was read in our meeting, and the spirits of Friends sympathised with you; and I believe they will let no time or opportunity slip wherein they might hasten your redemption. The salutation or their dear and tender love is unto you; so is mine; and I rest your tender friend,

CHARLES MARSHALL.

[It is probable, "the Captives" to whom this Epistle was addressed, were those mentioned in Sewell's History of Friends, as some seamen of the people called Quakers, who were in slavery at Algiers,