foul may poffibly enjoy, in the estimation of mankind. The righteous God has fixed as an invariable decifion, that if we jow to the flesh, we had of the flesh reap corruption; but if we fow to the fpirit,-however painful, however exercised, or despised, fecretly furrounded with distress and anxiety, within and without, trodden under foot, or despised amongst men; under whatever difficulties we may have to pass, however mournful or painful our allotment in life may be, we may lift up our heads in hope-for, if we fow to the spirit, of the fpirit we fall finally reap the glorious crop of life everlafting.

The following are the Heads of a Difcourfe that was delivered at Horfleydown Meeting, upon the clofe of a Vifit to Friends Families in that Quarter, the 19th of the Eleventh Month, 1769.

SOLEMN fummons which the Almighty gave through his prophet Joel, to a people whom he had known above all the families of the earth, (at a time when they had revolted and departed in heart from him) has been revived in my mind; with an apprehenfion that the fame authority requires the republication of it in this day, to a people likewife highly favoured of him; and who have in like manner departed from their first love.

A the a

"Blow the trumpet in Zion-fanctify a fast-call a folemn affembly-gather the people-fanctify the congregation-affemble the elders-gather the children and thofe that fuck the breaft-let the bridegroom go forth of his chamber, and the bride out of her closet-let the priests, the minifters of the Lord, weep between the porch and the altar; let them fay, Spare thy people, O Lord! and give not thine heritage to reproach, that the heathen should rule over them! wherefore fhould they fay amongft the people, where is their God? then will the Lord be jealous over his land and pity his people."

* Joel ii. 15, 16, 17, 18.

As I am about to conclude (perhaps finally conclude) my labours amongst you in this quarter; I would query with fome, with many that are prefent, whether they have not heard intelligibly the found of the trumpet, calling them with a degree of certainty, to arife and prepare themfelves for the battle. My brethren and fifters, amongst whom I have been conftrained in the overflowings of the Father's love, to labour in a private capacity, breaking (I hope I may fay) a little bread from houfe to house-the everlasting gospel has been preached amongst you with all the force of pathetic energy, with all the tenderness of divine compaflion; let it not be ineffectual! The gofpel meffage has been delivered with such indubitable clearness, that your judgments have been convinced, you have affented to "the truth as it is in Jefus :"* fuffer not the impreffions it has made on your minds to be speedily erafed. Far, very far, be it from me to think highly of myself, to exalt the officer, the minifter. I would not that you should hold any man's person in high eftimation. I am deeply fenfible that to me belongs " blushing and confusion of face," but I magnify mine office, and the power of him who has seen meet to employ me therein; I would endeavour to exalt in your view the adorable goodness and condefcenfion of the great author of all mercies, in that he has caufed the trumpet to be renewedly founded in your borders; hear its important meffage with fuitable attention; let it roufe and prepare all the

ranks in the armies of our Ifrael, to engage in the glorious caufe of our God. Let the daughter of our Zion arife from the bed of indolence; from the lethargic ftupor of a fatal forgetfulness; from all the deadening, benumbing gratifications of fenfuality, and shake herself from the duft of the earth, that she may come up to the help of him who hath called her with an high and holy calling. The trumpet is blown in our streets, the alarm has been heard by all. Oh! let not its language be rendered unintelligible by the multiplicity of trivial things that too much abforb the minds of many.

for

*

I am fully perfuaded that the gracious visitation of heart-melting goodness, has been afresh extended to individuals prefent, in (I had almoft faid) a very memorable manner; nor will I recal the expreffion, for if it is not treafured up in your remembrance now, your profit and advantage, it will be memorable in that awful approaching period, when every neglected mercy will appear deeply engraven, as a dread "handwriting on the wall," against us. Let me, therefore, tenderly intreat you, with all the warmth of unutterable affection, as a brother, as a fellow pilgrim, through the viciffitudes of time to the unmixed joys of a happy eternity, that you will no longer neglect the offers of mercy, or turn a deaf ear to the reproofs of inftruction. I feel my mind covered with that boundless love, that wishes, that ardently defires, you may indeed be wife for yourselves: For although I may be defi

Dan, v. 5.

cient in many qualifications of a gospel minister, I am not wanting in that pure difinterefted love, which feeks not yours but you. "Blow the trumpet in Zion; fanctify a faft." If we were but enough attentive to the found of the trumpet, we fhould fee the abfolute neceffity of this fanctified fast; a fast from every of those delufive pleasures, those flavish attachments, that render the mind infenfible of good. "Call a folemn affembly" This branch of the fummons (may fome fay belongs only to a few, and we have no fhare in the duty it enjoins. I confefs I am of another opinion; I think every individual has a fhare in the inftruction couched in it. "Call a folemn affembly. "Oh! you active ones, stop a while in your fwift career; make a folemn paufe: ftand collected from every object that can gratify or delight the sensual part; labour diligently to affemble all the powers and faculties of your fouls, that they may be fanctified by him who gave them. I believe there is no useless, dead, unactive member in the church of God; and those that can thus affemble the collected attention of a redeemed mind, devoted to the divine will, have an undoubted right from the highest authority to call an holy convocation. "We can do nothing against the truth, but for the truth," * was the language of fome formerly, who had indeed fanctified an acceptable faft. I much defire that those who perhaps cannot be fo active in promoting this glorious caufe amongst the fons of men, as fome who are called into more eminent fta

* 2 Cor. xiii. 8.