1726. equally yoked; for to be fure all fuch Marriages are un equal, when those who marry are of different Principles in Religion. The Meeting ended with tender Supplication for Preservation through whatever Exercises, further Troubles or Trials, Temptations or Afflictions, we might meet with in the World, that we might end well at laft, and live for ever to praife and glorify God and the Lamb, who, through the holy, eternal Spirit, is worthy for ever, i

An Ac

Count of

ther's Death,

On the Receipt of the laft Letter from my dear Father, which I fome Time fince mentioned, I was appre henfive it might be his laft, which it proved to be; for the next Letter from my dear Brother gave me Intelmy Fa ligence of his Death, which I received the 25th of the Fourth Month this Year. The News of my dear Father's Decease took fuch hold of my Mind (tho' I daily expected it) that for fome Time I was hardly fociable.Oh how have I been fometimes comforted in his loving and tender Epiftles! At the Receipt of which I have cryed to the Lord, that if it pleafed him, I might have a double Portion of the Spirit which he gave to my Father: But Oh! Now I'muft never hear more from him in this World; yet in this I have fome inward Comfort, that I hope we shall meet where we fhall never part more.Here follows a Part of my affectionate Brother's Account of my Father's Death and Burial..

Edmonton, 25th of the 1ft Month, 1726.

Dear Brother,

T

HIS comes with the forrowful Account of our dear Father's Decease, who departed this Life the 7th Inft. after having been indifpofed about a Fortnight. I have herewith fent a particular Account of fome remarkable Paffages, and his laft Expreffions in his Sickness; that Part relating to his • Convincement,

• Convincement, he defired fhould be committed to 1726. • Writing, which I have done, and fent it to thee.

I was with him feveral Times in his laft Illness, and • most of the two laft Days of his Life, as thou mayst

perceive by the Contents.-Our worthy Father was ⚫ honourably buried on the 11th Inft. being carried ⚫ from his own House to the Meeting-house at Horsleydown, accompanied with his Relations, where was a large Meeting of many People, as many as the Meet⚫ing-house could well contain, and many Teftimonies were there born to the innocent, exemplary Life, Integrity and honest Zeal of our dear Father, fo concurrent and unanimous, that I have hardly known any fuch Occafion more remarkable: He was ac'companied from thence to the Grave very folemnly, and there in like Manner interred, where a further Testimony was given to his honeft Life and Converfation, and lively Zeal for the holy Truth, whereof he made Profeffion.

6

Dear Brother, though it be a forrowful Occafion of Writing, yet herein we may be comforted, in • Confideration that our Father went to his Grave in Peace in a good old Age: He had his Understanding ⚫ and Memory to the laft in a wonderful Manner. I believe (as I have fometimes faid) that he embraced Death as joyfully as ever he did any happy Accident of his Life: I remember one Paffage of his chearful Refignation: Finding him fine and cheary when I came to fee him, a Week before his Deceafe, and he shewing me how well he could walk about the Room, and would have went out of it, though he was very bad the Day before, fo that I faid, Father, I hope thou wilt get over this Illness; but he answered me 6 pretty quick and loud, No, but I don't though: 'Tis ⚫ not long fince he was at my Houfe, and was chearful and well, but spoke as if he thought it would be the laft Time.-My Wife faid, Father, thou mayft live fome Years; but he replied, Is it not better for me to

1726.

An Ac

count of my Fa

die, and go to Chrift? So, dear Brother, with dear Love to thee, my Sifter, and thy dear Children, and our Relations, I conclude with earnest Defires for thy Health and Welfare.'

Thy affectionate Brother,

GEO. CHALKLEY.

My Brother's Account of my Father's Convincement, and of his laft Sickness and dying Words.

• My Father was born of religious Parents at Kempton, near Hitching, in Hertfordshire, the 1ft of the ther's Con- Ninth Month 1642; his Father's Name was Thomas Chalkley, by Trade a Dealer in Meal, by Profeffion of the Church of England, and zealous in his Way, as was alfo his Wife.

vincement,

Esc.

They had four Sons and three Daughters, Thomas, John, George, and Robert; Elizabeth, Sarah, and Mary. My Father (being the third Son) was convinced very young at a Meeting by Enfield Chace fide, near Winchmore-Hill, through the powerful Miniftry of William Brend, who was an eminent Minister in the Lord's Hand in that Day, and had been a great Sufferer for his Teftimony in New-England. He was preaching, as I heard my Father feveral Times fay, upon the Words of the Preacher, Ecclef. xi. 9. Rejoice, O. young Man, in thy Youth, and let thy Heart chear thee in the Days of thy Youth, and walk in the Ways of thy Heart, and in the Sight of thine Eyes; but know thou, that for all thefe Things God will bring thee into Judgment. Upon which Subject he spoke fo home to my Father's State and Condition, that he was convinced, and two others of his Companions were reached and affected with the Teftimony of Chrift's Truth and Gofpel; my Father and two young Men had been walking in the Fields, having religious Converfation together.

<together, and were providentially directed to the 1726. Meeting, by obferving fome Friends going to it, whom they followed thither: One of his Companions • was Samuel Hodges, who lived and died a faithful • Friend, at whofe House in fucceeding Times a Meet⚫ing was fettled, and is there continued, and a Meet⚫ing-house built at this Day at Mims in Hertfordshire.

My Father was the firft of the Family who re⚫ceived the Teftimony of Truth as it is in Jefus, after ⚫ which his Father and Mother were convinced, and all his Brothers and Sifters, who lived and died honeft Friends, except one who died young, continuing in the Church of England Perfwafion. Soon after the • Convincement of my Father and his two Companions 'aforesaid, they met with a Trial of their Faith and Patience; for being taken at a religious Meeting of Friends, they were all three committed to the New• Prifon in White Chappel, where having continued Pri foners for fome Time, the Magiftrates obferving their Christian Courage, Boldness and Innocency, and ⚫ being touch'd with Tenderness towards them, confi dering their Youth, they discharged them.

My Father, about the 25th Year of his Age, mar⚫ried my Mother (a virtuous young Woman) who was ⚫ the Widow of Nathaniel Harding, a Friend, who died under the Sentence of Banifhment for his Profeffion of Chrift; the above Account I had from my Fa⚫ther's own Mouth; what follows fell within my own • Obfervation.

My dear Father met with great Exercises and Difappointments in his early Days; he, dealing in his Father's Bufinefs, fold Meal to fome who broke ⚫ in his Debt, which brought him low in the World, in which low Eftate he was an eminent Example of Patience, Refignation and Industry, labouring with ⚫ his Hands for the Support of his Family, and con• fcientiously answered all his Engagements; so that it may be justly faid of him, he was careful that he

N 3

⚫ might

1726.6

might owe nothing to any Man but Love; and farther, he was very conftant in keeping to Meetings, being a good Example therein, though in very hot Times of Perfecution; for when Friends were forely and feverely perfecuted on Account of keeping their religious Meetings, and the Prisons filled with them through the Nation, and their Goods taken away, ' and much Spoil and Havock made about the Years 1680 to 1684, my Father conftantly attended Meet6 ings, and never miffed, as I remember, when well; and though he was fometimes concerned to speak by • Way of Exhortation to Friends in their publick Meetings, when they were kept out of their Meeting-houses (by the then Powers) to stand faithful to the Truth, and teftifying of the folid Comfort and • Satisfaction thofe had who truly waited on the Lord, " which the Faithful enjoy'd, notwithstanding their deep and many Sufferings for Chrift's Sake, and his Gospel, it pleased the Lord to preferve him by his divine Pro⚫vidence, that he did not fuffer Imprisonment, though the wicked Informers were very bufy in that Time of fevere Perfecution. I may farther add, that when my Father was about 60 Years of Age, he had a Concern to vifit Friends Meetings in the North of England, ⚫ and some other Parts of the Nation; and in the 75th Year of his Age, he travelled to Chefter, and from thence (in Company with James Bates, a publick Friend, of Virginia) went over for Ireland; in all which Services he had good Satisfaction, and was * well received of Friends; divers other Journeys and Travels he performed not here noted; but this Journey into another Nation at 75 Years of Age, fhews his Age had not quenched his Love and Zeal for his • Lord's Work and Service.

• In our Father's Old Age he was attended with very great Exercifes: About the 77th Year of his Age, as he was affifting his Men in the Dufk of the Evening, he miffed his Footing, and fell down and

• broke