<< world;" C not only a GODLY TRADITION of what others have enjoyed, but the EXPERIMENTAL ENJOYMENT and knowledge thereof, by the operation of the DIVINE POWER in their own hearts, which • makes up the inward Jew, and accomplished Chriftian, whofe praife is not of men but of God: fuch are Chriftians of CHRIST's making, that can fay with the apostle, "It is not we that live, but CHRIST "that liveth in us," dying daily to felf, and rifing up, through faith in the Son of God, to newness of life. Here formality bows to REALITY, memory to FEELING, letter to SPIRIT, and form to POWER; which brings to the regeneration, without which no man can inherit the kingdom of God; and by which he is enabled, in every estate, to cry, Abba, • Father.

Thou wilt fee a great deal of this in the following author's writings; and that he rightly began with a juft diftinction between true wisdom and the fame of wifdom; what was of God, and taught of God, and of man, and taught by man; which, at beft, is a fandy foundation for religion to be built upon; or rather, the faith and hope of man, in reference to religion, and falvation by it. And, oh! that none, who make profeffion of the difpenfation of the Spirit, may build befide the work of JESUS CHRIST in their own fouls, in reference to his prophetical, prieftly, and kingly office! In which regard, God, his Father, gave him as a tried ftone, elect and precious, to build by and upon: concerning which great and glorious truth, we do most humbly befeech the Almighty, who is God of the fpirits of all flefh, the Father of light and fpirits, to ground and establish all his vifited and convinced ones, that they may grow up an holy house and building to the Lord: fo fhall purity, peace and charity abound in the house and fanctuary that he hath pitched, and not man.

‹ Now,

Now as to this worthy man, the author of the following treatifes, I hope I may without offence fay, his memorial is bleffed, having known him ' above forty-four years, an heavenly minister of experimental religion, of a found judgment and pious practice, valiant for the truth upon the earth, and ready to serve all in the love and peace of the gofpel. He was amongst the first in Cumberland that received the glad tidings of it, and then readily gave up, with other brethren, to declare to others what the Lord had done for their fouls.

• Thus I first met him, and as I received his testimony through the favour of life, fo I was kindly accepted and encouraged by him in the belief of the bleffed teftimony of the light, fpirit, grace and truth of Chrift in the inward parts, reproving, in'ftructing, reforming and redeeming thofe fouls from the evil of the world that were obedient thereunto: here he was a ftrength to my foul, in the early days ' of my convincement; together with his dear and ⚫ faithful friend, brother, and fellow-traveller, John Wilkinson of Cumberland, formerly a very zealous and able independent minifter.

And as I hope this piece of labour of our ancient friend and brother will find acceptance every where among God's people; fo I hope it will be more efpecially acceptable in the north, where he began and had his early fervices; and in the weft, where they were witneffes of his care to preferve good order in the church.

Now, reader, before I take my leave of thee, let me advise thee to hold thy religion in the SPIRIT, whether thou prayeft, praifeft, or minifterest to ' others; go forth in the ability God giveth thee; prefume not to awaken thy Beloved before his time; 'be not thy own in thy performances, but the LORD'S; and thou shalt not hold the truth in unrighteoufness, as too many do, but according to the oracle of God, that will never leave nor forfake them who will take counfel at it: which that all God's people

may

may do, is, and hath long been, the earnest desire and fervent fupplication of

Theirs and thy faithful friend in the Lord
Jefus Chrift,

• London, 23d of the 12th month, 1711.'

W. PENN.'

In the year 1712, he was feized at diftant times. with three feveral fits, fuppofed to be apoplectick; by the last of which, though beyond all probability of expectation he furvived it, his understanding and memory were fo impaired, as to render him incapable of publick action for the future: nevertheless we shall continue our annals to the close of his days, from the accounts an intimate friend hath left of his condition at the vifits he yearly made him.

In the third month 1713, the aforefaid friend being at his house fome days, found him to appearance pretty well in health, and cheerful of difpofition, but defective in memory; fo that though he could relate many paft tranfactions, yet could he not readily recollect the names of abfent perfons; nor could he deliver his words fo readily as heretofore; yet many fenfible and favoury expreffions came from him, rendering his company even yet acceptable, and manifefting the religious fettlement and stability of his mind.

At a fecond visit made him in the fpring, 1714, he was very little altered from what he had been the laft year. The friend accompanied him in his chariot to Reading meeting, where he fpoke feveral fenfible fentences, but was not able to fay much. At parting he took leave of his friends with much tenderness and affection.

In the year 1715, his memory became yet more deficient; but his love to, and his sense of, religious enjoyments, apparently continued; for he still often went in his chariot to the meeting at Reading, and there fometimes uttered fhort, but very found and favoury expref

expreffions. One morning, while the friend was at his house, being about to go to the meeting, he expressed his defires to the Lord, that they might receive some good from him. This year he went to the Bath, but the waters there proved of no benefit to his longcontinued distemper.

In the year 1716, the faid friend and another went to vifit him, at whofe coming he feemed glad; and though he could not then remember their names, yet, by his anfwers, it appeared he knew their perfons. He was now much weaker than last year, but ftill expreffed himself fenfibly at times, and particularly took his leave of them at their going away in these words, My love is with you: the Lord preferve you, and ' remember me in the everlasting covenant!'

In the fifth month 1717, being the last visit the said friend made him, he found his understanding fo much weakened, as that he scarce knew his old acquaintance, and his bodily ftrength fo much decayed, that he could not well walk without leading; nor fcarce exprefs himself intelligibly.

After a continued and gradual declenfion for about fix years, his body drew near to its diffolution; and on the thirtieth day of the fifth month, 1718, in the seventy-fourth year of his age, his foul, prepared for a more glorious habitation, forfook the decayed taber

nacle: which was committed to the earth on the fifth of the fixth month following, at Jordans in Buckinghamshire, where his former wife, and feveral of his family, had been before interred.

As he had led in this life a courfe of patient continuance in well-doing, and, through faith in our Lord Jefus Chrift, had been enabled to overcome the world, the flesh and the devil, the grand enemies of man's falvation; he is, we doubt not, admitted to that everlafting inheritance, which God hath prepared for his people, and made partaker of the promise of Christ, Rev. iii. 21. "To him that overcometh will I grant to "fit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, "and am fet down with my Father in his throne."

TRUTH