Exercise I had now the fame Comfort alfo ; but I 1724. thought it very long, and the Enemy did greatly endeavour to break in upon my Patience now more than ufual: But my Heart ftill depended in Faith and Hope upon the Lord my Redeemer and Saviour, and in his Time he was pleased to help me, blessed be his holy Arm and Power for ever! Many bleffed Saints and Servants of Jefus were brought to my Mind, who were in the like Condition, fo that I had a fecret Joy in their Company (who met with the like in their Travels to the holy City.) Secondly, as to my outward Loffes, I thought with myfelf, peradventure it might be beft for me: And I remembred that many, through the Increase of outward Riches, were exceedingly hurt as to their inward State; and tho' I (or any good Man) might be concerned for our Children, to get and leave fomething for them; yet I plainly faw, that generally speaking, much Riches doth much Hurt to Youth. This was a melancholly Obfervation that I had made in my Life and Travels, and I fee at this Day that it is an univerfal Diftemper (a very few excepted) wherefore I cry'd mightily to God, that he would give to me and mine the Gift of his Grace and holy Spirit, whatever our Circumftances might be in the World. In this alfo I faw that Patience was an excellent Virtue, and that the Meek had the best Inheritance of the Earth, if they had ever fo little of it; and that true Happiness did not confift in earthly Things, which my Experience had largely taught me. And Thirdly, As to the bafe and evil Treatment I met with (which was more than I had ever met with in all my Life before) great Endeavours were used to leffen my Reputation, as a Man and a Christian; all which proved falfe and fruitless, and in due Time my Innocence was made manifeft; and I confidered that they could not use me worse than they had done my Lord and Mafter, and that the Devil was angry with any who endeavoured to dethrone.

1724. him, and pull down his Kingdom, at the Foundation of which, thro' the Help of my Master, I had many a Stroke or Blow, with fuch Weapons as he was pleafed to furnish me withal.

The last of the Sixth Month, and the 1ft of the Seventh Month, was the Quarterly and Youths Meeting at Burlington, at both which I was. At the Quarterly Meeting I was concerned to open to that Meeting, how all along the Church of God was governed by his Spirit, in the Time of the Law, and Mofes was an Inftrument therein; and that when it was too hard, and too much Work for Mofes, he was advised to get the Help and Affiftance of the Elders, and that the fame Power and Spirit of God that was with and upon Mofes, was upon the Elders who affifted him in the Affairs of the Church, and Congregation of the Lord's People; fo that it was governed by God's Spirit, and is to be governed by the fame ftill, and not by the Will of Man, nor according to the Will of Man in his corrupt Nature. And when Ifrael went from God's Power and Spirit, the Lord left them, but at laft fent to them his only begotten Son, our dear Lord and Saviour Jefus Chrift; and he was, and ever is, to be Governor of his Church, thro' his holy Spirit, which, he told his Difciples, he would pray the Father, and be fhould fend unto them the Comforter, the holy Ghoft, or Spirit, the Spirit of Truth, and be fhould abide with them for ever, and should lead and guide them into all Truth; which sweet and precious Promifes that he made to them, the true Believers do witnefs to be fulfilled at this Day. Glory to his Name for ever, he is the wonderful Counsellor, mighty Saviour, and Prince of Peace! of whofe Peace and Government there fhall never be an End, and upon whofe Shoulder the Government is to be for ever, for whofe Power, and holy Spirit, Friends were exhorted to pray and wait, and to be fenfibe of it in the Discipline and Government of the Church now in this Gofpel Day, in which is a brighter Manifeftation

Manifestation of God's Love, thro' his Son, than in the Time of the Law. The Youths Meeting was alfo large, and divers Teftimonies were born, by Way of Exhortation and Counsel to the Youth. They were with much Tenderness advised to take Counfel of their Elders, and were fhewn how it fared with fome young Men, who flighted the Advice and Counfel of the Elders; and that one, when on a Dying-bed, cried out in the Bitterness and Agonies of his Spirit, Oh! that I bad taken the Counsel and Advice of my Friends, for then I had not been here, nor in this Condition. The Youth were advised to beware of keeping bad Company, and spending their precious Time in Taverns, which hath undone many fair and promifing Youths: And it was fhewn, how a young Man might cleanfe his Ways, by taking beed thereunto, according to the Word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever, and which the holy Scriptures proceeded from; and they were earneftly exhorted to read and practice what was written therein: And a very tender Time we had in Prayer to God, thro' his dear Son, to preferve us all in his Fear, both Youth and Aged; and fo our Meeting broke up, and we parted in the fweet Love of God, and his Chrift, our holy Saviour.

My Troubles in the World, and in the Things of it, being many, and my outward Loffes being great; as alfo was my inward Poverty of Mind and Spirit, I took my Pen, and wrote one Day as followeth: Ob! if it be right in the Sight of God, how do I long to be uncloathed of this frail and mortal Body, that my Soul and Spirit might mount up into the etherial Plains, and repofe itself in the vast expanding Arms of its Maker, and moft fweet Saviour for ever!

1724.

Frankfort

Being at and near Home fome Time after I came Philadel from Burlington, I vifited the Meetings of German-town Fhia, &c, and Philadelphia, which were large, and fome good Senfe of Truth was in the Hearts of divers. I was concerned at that Meeting at Philadelphia to let the

People

1724. People know, That as God had bleffed the People of that City, and the Province, with spiritual and temporal Bleffings, and made the Land naturally fruitful, to the Inriching many of the Inhabitants, he now expected Fruits from them of Piety and Virtue; and that if there was not a stricter walking with God in Chrift Jefus, they might expect his divine Hand, which had vifited them with Favours from Heaven above, and from the Earth beneath, would vifit them with a Rod in it, and that he had already given them fome gentle Strokes therewith.

Yearly.

A Letter

from my Father:

Our Yearly-meeting was this Year at Burlington, for the Provinces of New Jersey and Penfylvania, the Service of which our Quarterly meeting appointed me with divers others, to attend. It was a large and comfortable Meeting, and many went Home thankful to the holy Name of God and Chrift, that they were there.

I fhall end the fecond Part of the Journal of my Life and Travels, when I have transcribed Part of a Letter which my dear Father wrote me, when eighty odd Years of Age, he having been a Minister of Chrift above forty Years, which followeth :

Loving Son, Thomas Chalkley,

T

HINE dated the 11th of the Tenth Month 1723, I received, and was very glad to hear of your Welfare, and that the Lord hath • given you Children: And I pray the Almighty God that he may preferve them with you, that they may be a Comfort to you in your latter Days; and that if the Lord may be pleafed to continue them. with you, that they may, as they grow in Days, grow in Grace, and in the Knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jefus Chrift; and that the Lord may be pleased to preferve us all to the End of those few Days we may have in this World, that then we may lay down our Heads in Peace and in full Affurance

' of

of everlasting Bleffednefs for ever and evermore.- 1724. I blefs the Lord that he has preferved me fenfible of his bleffed and holy Spirit, whereby my Understanding is indifferent clear and well, confidering my Age; and the Lord in his great Loving-kindness I do feel to help me to my great Satisfaction, in my little Service for him.

Having this Opportunity by a Friend of your Town, was willing to let you hear of our Welfare and Health. I am in as good Health at present as I have been for many Years, and can make a Shift to go over London-Bridge, and to the Meeting at Alderfgate, and to the Peel-Meeting, from my House • in Shad Thames.-- And the Lord hath been pleafed to be with me now in my poor aged Con

'dition.

So, dear Son, my dear Love is to thee and thine, and to Friends that may enquire after us. Divers Friends give their Love to thee, whofe Names I'can't remember.

With repeated Love to you all, I reft thy aged, and (thereby thro' Pain) afflicted Father.

GEORGE CHALKLEY.

Southwark, London, 5th of the 6th Month 1724.

P. S. Thy Brother George, his Love is to you all, and I defire thee to let us hear of you as Op

'portunity may ferve.'

To fee my dear Father's Hand-writing, now he was above four-fcore Years of Age, was very affecting to me; and the more, because I expected it might be his laft; (which it wasThe Anfwer I fent to my dear Father's Letter is as followeth :