A Few Remarks from Samuel Fothergill to the Monthly Meeting
In returning from the last Meeting I was at (at Penkith) my Mind was deeply impressed with the Words of the Prophet, Smite the Shepard and the Sheep shall be Scattered, Tho at that Time The Meaning did not appear so obvious, It has since gathered Strength in my Mind, and a Desire has rested with me to have a few Remarks to the Monthly & particular Meeting -
Zach @ 13th 7th verse, Awake O Sword against my Shepherd and against the Man that is my fellow. Smite the Shepherd and the Sheep shall be scattered. Tho I am not the Shepherd to whom the Sword is threatened, yet I have been Sub Shepherd, delegated to you by the great Shepherd, and have laboured amongst you According to the Ability received, in Poverty, in Weakness, in Nakedness, in Strippedness as having Nothing, yet possessing all Things my Mind hath been ever covered with Love towards you both in my Publick Ministry and in private when I have been engaged to deal closely and plainly with you, I have never used any Unnecessary Severity. But I have called and no Man regarded, therefore you shall call and I will not hear. For I will smite the Shepherd and the Sheep shall be scattered They have perverted the Mercies bestowed, Therefore I will take from them the Delight of their Eyes, and the Desire of their Hearts, and remove my Delegated Shepherd by the Arrow of Death, and the Sheep shall be smitten But in the extendings of my Prospect an Encouraging Hope has rested on my Mind towards the little ones, those that are little in Their own Eyes. I will turn mine Hand upon the little ones, I will bring them as thro the Fire, and refine them as Silver. I will gather them as Lambs by my own Power, They shall call on my Name, and I will hear them. Zachariah Chap 13th, and they shall know a Place of feeding when The Sheep shall be scattered and the Shepherd removed
My Spirit feels an Evidence that I laboured amongst you with Acceptance. That since I have been Mercifully called to a Part in the Ministry, I have not Neglected to Warn you, and that when the Great Shepherd appears, I shall also appear with him in Glory. Samuel Fothergill
The Substance of a few Expressions delivered by Samuel Fothergill to some of his Relations when They took Their leave of him previous to Their setting out for the Yearly Meeting in London 1772
Our Health is no more at our Command than length of Days, mine now seems drawing fast to a Conclusion I think, but I am content with every Allotment of Providence, for they are all in Wisdom, unerring Wisdom. There is one Thing which as an arm bears up and Supports, and tho the rolling Tempestuous Billows surrounds, yet my Head is kept above them, and my Feet are firmly established, O seek it and press after it, lay fast hold of it. Tho painful Nights & Wearisome my Days, yet I am presented in Patience & Resignation, Death has no Terrors, nor will the Grave have any Victory, My Soul triumphs over Death, Hell & the Grave, Husbands and wives, Parents & Children, Health and riches must all go. Disappointments is another Name for Them. I should have been Thankful had I been able to have got to the ensuing Yearly Meeting in London, which you are now going to attend, where I have so often been refreshed with my Brethren, but it is otherwise allotted I shall remember them and some of Them will remember me. The Lord knows best, what is best for us. I am content and Resignd to his Will I feel a Foretaste of the Joy that is to come. And who would Wish to Change such a State of Mind I should be glad if an easy Channel could be found to inform the Yearly Meeting, That as I have lived. So I shall close, with the most Unshaken Assurance that we have not followed cunningly devised Fables, but the Pure Living Eternal Substance. Let the Aged be strong, let the Middle Aged be animated, and the Youth Encouraged , for the Lord is still with Lion, The Lord will Bless Lion. If I be now removed out of this Church Militant, where I have endeavoured in some Measure to fill up my Duty. I have an Evidence that I shall gain an admittance into his Church Triumphant far above The Heavens My dear Love to all Them that Love the Lord Jesus
A Dream or Vision of a Friend in New England, The 21st Day of the 11th Month 1734
In the Night Season on my Bed, whether Sleeping or awake, in the Body or out of the Body at the Time, I could not tell, but as I thought I saw a proper Man cloathed in White (his Garments very plain) and Fair as Alabaster, he had the Moon under his Feet, and was Crowned with the Sun, he said unto me, Young Man come unto me and I will shew thee Wonderful Things which shall come to pass soon in Thy Time I drew near to him, he said he had many Things to tell and bid me write them. He then told me that God had raised up a People out of the Sea of Rome and from The Midst of Babylon, Many of whom sealed Their Testimony with their Blood in the midst of the Fiery Flames being chained to the Stake After This God visited a People, being Their Offspring, whom he chose as his peculiar People, convinced Them of his Testimony, but since Those great Works done for the Nations whom he had brought out of Darkness and Those his peculiar People, all had for many years too frequently forgot God, for which a small Number mourned and were bowed down, that The Lord would Visit The Protestant Churches and Nations both in the Old Countries and in North America, as he hath shaken The Earth, so will he shake it again, and Wars and Commotions shall much cover the Earth and men shall be slain. Then Old England will be threatened with his Rod, ah with an overthrow, but as his Mercies continue towards you he will help you with a little Help When you shall be in Pain on every Side, Then will your Deliverer deliver you from the Hands of Merciless Men, not by the Arm of Flesh, But by the Arm of his mighty Power he will turn your Enemies back again without so much as Striking you one Blow. Then shall the Nations have some quiet for a short Space, but because of Irreligion and the crying Sins of Pride and Oppression and making Slaves of the Souls of Men, will he visit you again and shake terribly the Earth, many shall be buried, in some Places with the Rubbish of the Earth, paleness shall be in their Faces and many shall be surprised in their Beds, then will he bring on Wars and rumours of Wars, then shall not the Sword prosper in your Hands, then shall you begin to fear and tremble. O and he will raise up a Nation against you, or Nations, which were before your Friends, a despised Nation, even the Heathen of North America, which shall Slay, and carry off your People young and old. Then shall The Blood of the Slain run like a Stream of Water on the Earth, and the Earth shall be covered with the Bodies of Men in Many places of North America. Then shall your Mighty Men fall back Oh North America: Thy Sins are great, Thy Punishments are great likewise Oh the Sword shall be sheathed in Thy Bowel until Thou repent, Oh New England Thy Distresses shall be very great, for Thou art full of Oppression, and thy Sons shall be oppressed, and Slain in Battle. Thou that Thinkest Thyself strong shall be weak. Oh North America Thy Distresses shall be on upon another and one after Another until a Suffering trying Time come more and more upon thee. Your Young Men and Maidens shall be brought low as at Gods Footstool the Fathers and Mothers shall mourn apart. Many shall go into Captivity and suffer much. Many shall desire Death and it will not be granted Famine shall be in some Places others Distressed in the Wilderness with Savage People. Many shall be slain in cold Blood. The Cries of the Poor shall enter the Streets of Towns and Cities and one continued Trouble shall follow after another, until the inhabitants bow in Reverence and True Humility of Heart and Mind with Cries to Their Helper; then shall your Young Men be bowed down and seek Their God. Maidens shall Cry for help. Then shall your Inhabitants that know not God, rise up with The old Spirit of Persecution, in which Time many shall be gathered to the true Fold of Rest Your Young Men and Women shall stand up for the Honour of God, and the Chosen People and Church shall appear in its primitive Beauty & Purity Your Young Men and Maidens shall run to and from with The Gospel, as in Their Mouths, Preaching as in the dark corners of the Earth, even at the Seat of the Whore of Babylon, Many shall suffer great Persecution, and then shall The old Whore have one Draught of the Blood of Saints, but a short one. Then will he raise up the Powers of the Earth to help his Children and Church, and Deliver his Servants, and The Gospel shall be declared to the ends of the Earth more fully than ever it hath been before. The God of Mercies shall make his Church shine more and more, and Oppression will cease amongst his Chosen People So he said, and took me by the Hand, and bid me Adieu, and when I awoke I was sitting up in my Bed, and said, O Lord, what have I seen,
N Davis
The Substance of a Sermon Publickly delivered at York 9th the 2nd moth 1721 by Luke Cock
Necessity Friends outstrips The Law. Necessity has made many People go by The Weeping Cross, I am much afraid There are some here That have never known a going by The Weeping Cross I remembered I was Travelling Thro Shrewsbury and my Guide said to me Ill shew Thee the Weeping Cross Nay, said I, Thou need not, I have seen it a great while since. This Place which he shewed me was four Lanes End. I remember when first I met with my Guide, he led me into a very large and cross one, where I was to speak the Truth from my Heart, and before I used to lie and swear for Gain, Nay Then, said I to my Guide, I must leave Thee here, if thou leads me up This Lane, I can never follow thee. I shall be ruined of this Butchers Trade if I many not lie for Gain, here I left my Guide, and was filled with Sorrow, and was brought to the Weeping Cross and, I said, if I can but find my Guide again I will follow him, lead me whither he will, so I found my Guide again, and I began to follow him up this Lane and tell the Truth from my Heart, I had been nought but Beggary and Poverty before, and now I began to thrive of my Trade, and got the End of this Lane Tho with some Difficulty, but now my Guide began to lead me up another Lane, harder than the first, it was to bear my Testimony in Using the plain Language, this was very hard. Yet said I to my Guide, take my feeble Pace, and Ill follow Thee as fast as I can do not out stretch me, I pray thee. So by Degrees I got up here, but now I was led up the third Lane, and it was harder still, to bear my Testimony against Tythes (My Wife not being yet convinced) I said to my Guide, I doubt I shall never be able to follow thee up here, but dont leave me, take my Pace, I pray Thee, for I must rest here, so I stewed a great while, till my Wife cried, we shall all be ruined, what, art Thou going Stark Mad, to follow these silly Quakers, here I struggled, and cried and begged of my guide to Stay and take my Pace, till presently my Wife was convinced. Well said she, follow thy Guide, let come what will. The Lord has done abundance for us, we will trust in him, now I thought I would follow my Guide wherever he led me, So I got to the End of this Lane Now Friends be careful to maintain your Testimonies in this Town, tell the Truth from your Hearts, and speak the Plain Language, and maintain the Testimony in the free Ministry. Tho you may have an Opportunity to make something to yourselves, yet remember Gehazi (Luke repeated The Story of Naaman, which for Brevitys sake is omitted) here you must observe to hold sometimes, and sometimes draw, here a Comparison simply comes up, concerning an Ox. I dont remember ever having it before. I doubt you know not what it means, but what, you have heard of an Ox have not you, dont you know that it is a Creature Thats put to the Yoke, sometimes draws, and sometimes holds; so must you sometimes draw & sometimes hold. But I mean to read you a little more out of my Journal. My Guide led me up another Lane more difficult than the others, which was to bear my Testimony for That Good Hand which had done all This for me This Lane I thought I should never have seen the End of I was eleven years all but one Month a going up it, and then I began to go on my Knees & creep under the hedges, a Trade I have never forgot since, and hope never shall I would fain Think its impossible to fall now, but let him that thinks he stands, take heed least he fall and so I leave you, every one to your own Guide
A Dream dreamed by Jeremiah Dean about 5 Months & 8 Days before his Death 6th month 23rd 1740
As I slept upon my Bed, I dreamed, and behold in my Dream, I was carried in the Spirit into the Foundation of Divine joy, where I saw a few Persons that were entered into the same happy Enjoyment with me, some of which I knew by Person, and Some which I knew not by Person, but we were all one in him, in whom all Fulness dwells, his Light being our Life, and his Love our Everlasting Joy. We were 12 of us in Number, and were joined to the twelve Tribes of Israel That were Sealed in Heaven before the Sea or the Earth was to be hurt, and every several Person was joined to the several Tribes, and when I heard to what tribe I was joined, I said O Lord why should I who am so Unworthy, be joined to such a Princely Tribe, and it was answered me, it is for them for whom it was prepared And I saw the Tabernacle of the Testimony opened in Heaven into which we had a Desire and were to enter but not yet, but there was a Table spread for us by the Door of the Tabernacle, and our Hearts and Souls being filled with Divine and pure Love, we sat down together and in breaking Bread our Souls were Overcome and one at the Table wept. I said why dost Thou weep, it was answered that we should return to the Troubles That are on Earth lest we miss of This happy Enjoyment. I said, be not discouraged, for we are joined and numbered with the twelve Tribes of Israel, and as we abide Faithful we shall never be separated. The Person to whom I spake replied, Thou has been a Dear fellow Labourer So I awoke, my Heart and Soul being filled with Divine pure Love, sweet and Heavenly joy, And in it I rest and remain your Brother in the Tribulations, Patience and Hope of the Gospel Jeremiah Dean
The following was wrote by Clemens Willet about a Month before her Death in the 6th month 1772
It hath been some Time on my Mind to say in The Secret of my Heart, what shall I render unto Thee O Lord, my God for Thy Numberless Benefits both Spiritual and Temporal, for They Live giving Presence is more to the afflicted that all the World besides, which Thou in thy unchangeable Goodness has been pleased to afford to The poor and Needy, tho never so unworthy. Therefore I humbly pray Thee to continue Thy outstretched Arm of great Power for the Preservation of the Poor to the last Period of Time and grant Lord if it be Thy Blessed Will That Thy great Work of Regeneration may be perfected in my Soul and shortened in Righteousness and That I may be able to say in Truth Thy Kingdom come, Thy Will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven, and in me through thy holy Spirit, which comes by our Holy Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ to whom be all Praises Thanksgiving and Renown both now and forever more
Part of Ann Moores Alarm to the Inhabitants of Albany
I have to acquaint you the Inhabitants of This City of Albany when I last entered your Streets the Power of the Lord seized upon me which made my Flesh & Bones & Heart within me to tremble the greatest part of one Day. This Voice passing thro me, Tis to be feared this People will not repent Notwithstanding all the Warnings They have had with the many that have lately fallen on their Border, and the impending Judgments which seem to hang over them, untill their Houses shall be laid in Ashes and their Streets run down with Blood. Therefore hear I beseech you & repent and turn from the Evil of your Ways. Proclaim a Fast not from Food but from Sin, and as the King of Ninevah did repent in Sack cloth & Ashes and seek his Face in Mercy before it be too late, that the Wrath of a just offended God may be appeased, or otherwise he will laugh at your Calamities and mock when your Fear cometh
