To Friends of Pennsylvania, New Jersey & ~
My Beloved Friends - Spring mt yr 19th of 2d moth 1778
The Remembrance of you is often Renewed in those Times of Tryal permitted by the Allwise Lord of the Universe, who knows when and where to Shower down of Baptisms in those Days as well as in former Dispensations, some were tried one Way & some another, some in the Cloud & in the Sea, some in Tumults, some by Famine, the Sword & Distress within and without, and yet as their Confidence was fixed in the Almighty Jehovah they evidence his Arm to be Everlasting Strength, & that his Power was the Rock of Ages — He is the same Yesterday, to Day & forever; & his Power to help his own People and Children will ever remain sufficient to the latest Period thro’ all the revolving Years of their Time in this Sublunary State — And dear Friends, as many of you in that Land where he hath established his Furnace, know this by living Experience, bear the Tryal thro’ with Magnanimity & Resignation of Mind suitable & consistent with his People and Offspring, & you will find in the End, that by it there will be an Increase of Strength, you will partake more and more of the Joys of his Salvation, and be sustained with the Waters running from Shiloh’s Streams which are ever new & Refreshing. In the Tryal some will suffer Loss, who have been building, Gold, Silver, & Worldly Fame (which are but as Straw and Stubble) on the Foundation laid in Zion, & yet their Loss may forward them in Fervor of Spirit to seek the Rock of Strength, and by casting down their Crowns as at his Footstool, may be saved by an Everlasting Salvation — Oh may those who have been supine & Degenerate in their Duty & Pursuits after saving knowledge, be aroused by a Godly Consideration, cleave to the Means Ordained, suffer its Sanctifying Virtue to govern Their Wills, that they may be brought under the peaceable Government of the Messiah, who has Erected his Standard & was proclaimed King of Righteousness and Peace, Under his Banner there is Fortitude & Strength to bear what he permits as conflict & Proving in the Tryals Allotted to his People in the Days of outward Peril and Danger, but if we consider his illustrious Power, & Marvellous Strength, what he has done, and what he can do for his own, how can any hesitate to follow him, in Fortitude Humility, & Fear, shielded by the Armour he gives his Followers — This is Strength sufficient for the Evil of the Day, and makes them Conquerors through him that has loved them! His Apostle, who was influenced by his Holy Spirit, says “Who is he that will (or can I may add) hurt you, if ye be Followers after that which is good” And if we Merit his holy Protection, and keep in the Peaceable Spirit of His Doctrine, Law, & Example, we shall find that an Hair of our Head shall not be wrested from us, without his Notice, & that in the Midst of Darkness, his People shall witness Life to abound in them, & in their Assemblies, and tho’ some may be permitted to suffer in Person, or in Property the hidden Life of the Hold Jesus will animate them to Stand Nobly for his Cause, come forth as Gold tried in the Fire, bearing his Image more Intelligibly impress’d upon them, as their trust & Dependance is upon him the Immortal Rock of Ages, & tho’ at Times you may witness Depression & deep Baptism of Spirit on account of the Noble Seed in Prison in the Hearts of those who are doing Despite unto the Spirit of Grace, & Crucifying the Lord of Life and Glory afresh, and putting him to open Shame, which is sometimes the State of some in Profession, & sometimes the State of those we live amongst not in Profession, don’t be dismayed at this, but let us Remember the awful Sufferings of the Divine Son, when in the Body, when bearing the Sins of the People, and ready to be offered as an attonement for their Sins, the large Drops of Sweat like Blood, that were awfully visible, running down his Face, the Agony He was in, on their Account —— He is now come the Second Time in his Spiritual Appearance, his People are Spiritually Minded, & as Members of his Body, must be in Suffering with the Seed, filling up in their Bodies & Measures, what is behind of the Sufferings of Christ Jesus their Captain & Head. This will be the Experience of the Faithful now as well as in Days that are past, & as I know there are a Living Remnant amongst you, Stand fast in the Truth of our Holy Pattern, he will be on your Side, & will make you Free, Notwithstanding the Commotions & Combinations of Men of Corrupt Minds, & in his own due & Appointed Time, will bring his Church as out of the Wilderness, Clear as the Sun, Fair as the Moon, and Terrible as an Army with Banners, to the Prophane & Ungodly, the Hypocrite and Deceiver —— I have deeply Sympathized with my Beloved Friends by Day & by Night in your City & the Provinces Adjacent who have kept their Places, you have been almost the constant Employ of my Thoughts, and tho’ distant in Body, I have been with you in Spirit. I Salute the living Body with Love Unfeigned, desiring that Grace, Mercy & Peace may be multiplied with you, and conclude your loving Friend in the Fellowship of the Gospel
Samuel Neale
P.S
Please to let this be read by my dear Friends in your City of my Acquaintance, if thought proper, and in the Country to whom it might be suitable in your Freedom ——
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Beloved Friends, Isaac Lane, Will.m Brown, Sam.l Emlen, John Reynell, John Parrish, Charles West, Tho. Masterman, Samuel Smith, & John James,
Having the Probability of an Offer of a Conveyance to your City, and feeling my Mind bound to my Friends in Philad. & Places Adjacent, I penned the foregoing Epistle or Letter, it was too much to write to the many my Love Streams towards as Individuals, & therefore comprised them as in one; I heard lately from several of my dear Friends by Isaac Forster & Maurice Shipley; with whose Company I was favoured near two Weeks, They are gone for England a few Days. — The dear Friends expelled to Virginia I believe have not lost by their Testimony to what they thought it their Duty to bear Witness to, & a Conscience void of Offense towards God & Man ever will Overcome even Persecution itself, their dear Partners will I trust participate of their Enjoyments of Peace for their Testimony, and in the End they will feel the Reward attendant on Resignation and a faithful Acquiescence in the Divine Will. My Love is to all engaged in the Cause of Truth, the Establishment and Promulgation Thereof ought to be our Chief Concern, and I am well assured that in the End it will be found the strongest of all, and that it liveth and Conquereth forever —— I Salute you, and your beloved Connections in Love without Dissimulation, & as the Passage is now open to your City, I hope we shall enjoy a Communication that has been much interrupted. If Providence permits Conciliatory Measures to take Place, as is the Wish of many I trust the Afflictions which have been already felt will bring many to greater Enjoyments in the Divine Presence than they have ever yet experienced & tend more fully to establish the Faithful. I remain Affectionate Friend —
Samuel Neale
To the Visited Children of our Heavenly Father
Dear Friends
To you I am moved in Spirit to Write a short Epistle of Love, wishing Grace, Mercy & Truth may Spread and abound more & more amongst us that so our Heavenly Father may be honoured, we strengthened; and Mankind in general brought more to the teachings of Christ in themselves — My Dear Fellow Youth, I have this some Time past felt my heart engaged to Visit some of you after this sort, in a particular Manner you unto whose charge the Lord has been pleased to dispense a Dispensation of the Gospel of his Son, unto you the Language of my Soul has been, Stand fast in that Liberty wherein Christ hath in Measure set you free — Watch over your Gifts, loose not your hold, Watch for the Night Season even to the dawning of Day, Adopt the Language of Jacob formerly “I will not let thee go until thou bless me” Persevere in Faithfulness and let not any thing get between you & your God, but let us labour in our several Allotments to be faithful to the Unfoldings of Divine Counsel in our hearts, & let us beware of reasoning away the precious Sense we have had from time to time of his Goodness & Mercy towards us — But in times of deep proving which we must all expect, let us endeavour to keep the Eye of our Minds single, and our Attention steady to the Counsel of the Unerring Guide, there are many Discouragements in the Outward, there is the World & the Captivating Luxuries thereof, which, Alas, has been a Means of drawing back even some that had made good advances in the Work of Their Souls Salvation, in whom there has been Unfaithfulness,, or (I am bold to declare unto you) they never would have fallen. The Lord (Blessed be his Name for it is his Power) has not been wanting on his part, neither shall any of us find him deficient, if there is but a singleness of heart towards him, he will arise, and there are many who can say he has arose for our help, when the Waves seem to swell high, Billows rowl & Winds blow, he will Command a Calm to Ensure & Send the refreshing Southern Breeze to cherish our drooping Souls, & we shall have to Acknowledge with one formerly “The Lord was in this Place & I knew it not” in these tempestuous Seasons so great is our distress, and deep inward Conflict, that our very hearts are ready to despair of ever working out our Souls Salvation, our Groans, Tears & Sighs are the only Language we have to express ourselves in. Here is a time the Adversary of Mankind is exceeding busy in his Subtle Workings, perhaps in Accusing but in These proving Dispensations let us labour to Stand Still and see the Salvation of God, nor attempt to Move till we witness our Lights trimmed, the Cloud moved from off the Tabernacle, and the Command given to go forward, here is the Acceptable Time his Service must be done in, we had need to be exceeding careful of our own Wills, which never wrought the Righteousness of God, and the Workings of our own Imaginations, which sometimes prove Strong in these Dispensations, and we had need to be very deep & Weighty to feel from whence our Exercises Spring and without great Care & Watchfulness we may offer Something that is unsavory or Unwholesome for the Family and thereby destroy our Peace, and bring a Wound upon our own Souls, but let us be well persuaded in our own Minds from whence the Motive springs, & if viewing it in the light — we find it proceeds from the Living Fountain, let it be small or great withhold it not, for by unfaithfulness in the Improvement of our Gifts, our Understandings become veil’d & we have to grope about in Darkness at Noon Day ——— Oh my dear Fellow Youths, my Souls desire & travail to God the Father is that we stand firm in these Times of Commotion wherein we may see (oh lamentable consideration) many falling on the Right Hand & on the Left, some indeed from whose high Profession better Things might have been expected, but if it now please the Lord to search Thoroughly his Camp, and by his Mighty Power to Winnow the Chaff from the Wheat and bring to light the hidden things of Darkness, let none of us be discouraged, for the Truth is the same, tho’ all Men forsakes, Yet Blessed be God there is a remnant preserved, who have not bowed the knee to Baal, and whose hands are waxing Stronger and Stronger in the Lords Cause, and even now while Confusion spreads its baneful Influence over this once highly favoured Land, he is pleased to raise up some in one Place, and some in another, to sound the Alarm to those who are in Captivity in the Borders of Spiritual Egypt, and to draw the Confidence of Mankind more Universally from the Arm of Flesh, which will prove too short in an hastening Moment, when no Covering Short of his holy Spirit will be sufficient to hide the very secret recesses of our Souls, and whose awful Sentence at that time will prove our Eternal doom either in the Mansions of Rest & Glory, or in the Infernal Regions where with Devils we shall abide to all Eternity And now dear Brethren, the Exercise that has bore Weight with me, is, that we may Individually get down deep enough, to feel the life springing up in us, and that we may with all diligence attend to the Unfoldings of the Divine Monitor placed in each of our Hearts. That we may not become Dwarfs in Religion, for Verily this is a State of danger, a false rest, thinking we have made greater Advances than many others Oh remember all the Faithful were not called to the Work of the Ministry, yet of Obedience to that hand that it may be a faithful support when we may be called to give an Account of our Stewardship we may render it with Joy, having a like Confidence with the Apostle formerly, when he says “I have fought the good fight, & have kept the Faith, & well nigh finished my Course, henceforth is laid up for me a Crown of Righteousness, & not for me only but for all those who believe in the Glorious Appearance of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ —— I remain your Friend in the Love & Fellowship of the Truth
Daniel Offley ——
Dear Friend
Had I no other Motive than to Continue a Correspondence between us, it is likely I should Now and then send thee some of thoughts, scattered as They are in Pieces up & down on a piece of Paper altho’ they are of a larger extent than to be confined to these Narrow Limits, & I may say as they revolve they are in Silence deeper than all Words. Letters are not Sufficient to compose Syllables & Sounds in such order as to convey proper Ideas of the Use & Weight of Silence. Tho’ it utters in the Spirit Things Unutterable by Man, Man is not at all Times capable of discerning the Motions thereof — But as he is enlarged by the Operation of this Gift of Grace he is made sensible of the Assistance of the Spirit to understand clearly & Experimentally that it makes Intercession for us According to the Will of God. Now, while the Creature makes use only of those Means which are Proper to him as a Creature, Viz external hearing, seeing & which are proper to the Sensitive part in Man, it is impossible to conceive or comprehend thereby what is Meant when those Things are recommended in the most invigorated Degree of human Eloquence, because the Organs by which they ought to be received are entirely closed, & therefore rendered useless, for the Apostle informs us that “it is the Spirit that Searches all Things, Yea, the deep Things of God” & that this is to be Witness’d in the Depth of Silence, is clearer than to want any other Demonstration, to them that have the Experience of it in themselves, & to such an one I conclude freely I am Writing — Therefore only consider that as God dwells in Silence, He is in that as well as in all his Other Manifestations & Attributes inimitable, but by his own peculiar Power & in his own Will, & in that & by that it is he throws an Universal Stillness or Silence by His Spirit over the Face of the great Deep causing it to bring forth innumerable living Creatures, so this Silence by the same Spirit he throws in like Manner over The restless & Noisy Amusements that perplex & disorder Mankind in which State he is like a rude Chaos or undigested Body of Disorder. But when this Silence sits in its proper place, & that is in the whole Mind, Thoughts, Comprehensions, Ideas & Will, it brings forth at one View as the Native Product of its Operation, Innumerable Instances of his Mercies & Wonderful Works thro’ the Deeps, & all the Despondings of the Mind that it has laboured under are removed out of Sight, & in the Place where they grew Springs up living Monuments of Thanksgiving to the Eternal Mercy which can find rest or Center no where short of the Eternal Goodness— But it is to be Observed that there is something in us that shews a great Unwillingness to be reduced to this state of Silence, this Emptiness, it appears as Death, a Mortification, a kind of Unhanging all our Purposes, in a Word a total Annihilation, as if we were not ourselves, neither had the command of our own thoughts, which is both true & very right, but it is only in Order that we may thereby learn that we are not our own, but his that has the Right to dispose of us as he pleases that he may rule in us, in that Silence first, & when that great Work is Accomplished in us all the rest is easy & comes in Order, when we are out of ourselves, we have a Being Nevertheless somewhere — Thus it is that in him we live & Move & have our Being, in the most proper Christian Sense, & we know not, can hardly perceive, that the beloved is enfolding us in his Arms, & transporting of us to the Mansions of Bliss, and until we go Willingly & cheerfully we deprive ourselves of that Happiness that he is persuading of us to Accept of, and that opens itself to receive all Those that are sick of Love, & that cannot live without Their Beloved; and Yet when he comes on a sudden to his own that are sick of Love, & impatiently desiring of him too, they are near to be Overcome with Transport to Disorder, Overjoy or Joy to excess has the same effect, as Grief or Trouble, till reviv’d and Cheared by that soft & Compassionate Voice “Be of good Cheer, thy Faith has saved thee! — or made thee whole, go in Peace!” How did The poor Woman that had laboured Under an Infirmity twelve Years, that spent all her living upon Physicians without any Advantage, rather growing worse & worse, press thro’ the Crowd to touch if it were but the Hem of his Garment, as believing that would perfect her Cure, which answered her Expectation to the full; Yet when the Work was done according to her Faith how was she overcome with Fear & Trembling when he Enquir’d “Who hath touched me” which seems to Introduce an Acquaintance between her & Himself. He took more Notice of her than she expected or seemed to desire. He raises her drooping Spirits when he beheld her trembling with Fear (and not doubt, mingled with Joy at that Extraordinary Work that was wrought in her) and falling down at his Feet declared unto him the Truth for what Cause she had touched him, & how she was Healed immediately, How I say was she Overjoyed when he said unto her “Daughter be of good Comfort thy Faith hath made thee whole, go in Peace.” What remains Therefore for us when we feel the Weight of any Affliction or Infirmity, but to retire & endeavour According to our Ability to get thro’ the Throngs that interpose or Stop our Approach to him, & wait with Patience to be Endued with Power from on High to remove Obstacles that so easily beset, and consider that those Afflictions which are but for a Moment will Work for us a more Exceeding & Eternal Weight of Glory, and again the Apostle says “No Tribulation for the present is Joyous but Grievous, nevertheless it yields the peaceable Fruit of Righteousness to them that are Exercised thereby — and tho’ the Beloved of souls delay his coming for a while, and we are not to limit the Holy One, when He comes His Reward is with him, & his Work is before him to Prepare an Habitation for Himself to dwell in, & when He takes up his Abode there, there is none can express the Joy, the Harmony, the Comfort & Calmness it brings over the Soul, too deep in Silence to be expressed — Yea the Blessing is so great that it opens the Mind, dilates the Soul, & enlarges the Heart, that we may say, I’ll run the Ways of thy Commandments: Thus in the Days of his Power his People are made a Willing People, & e’er they are aware, the Soul is made like the Chariots of Amminadol (a free or Willing People as that Word Signifies) therefore resign and say in Truth & Righteousness “Thy Will be done” and certainly all Things shall be well, the Mountains shall be removed & thrown into the Sea. Sinai that gendereth to Bondage shall melt away before the Presence of the Lord of Hosts, for we are not come unto the Mount that might not be touched, & that burned with Fire, nor unto Blackness of Darkness & Tempest & the Sound of Trumpet & the Voice of Words; but unto Mount Zion, and unto the City of the Living God the Heavenly Jerusalem, & to an Innumerable Company of Angels, to the General Assembly & Church of the First born which are written in Heaven, and to God the Judge of all’ & to the Spirits of Just Men made perfect and to Jesus the Mediator of the New Covenant & to the Blood of Sprinkling that speaks better things than that of Abel, for that of Abel cry’d for Vengeance. This makes Intercession for Atonement, Reconciliation & Adoption, and Christ Jesus thereby becomes to us Righteousness, Wisdom, Sanctification and Redemption – Amen ——
Subscribed Richard Smith Minor
In the Year 1749, I Sybil Cooper being in Bed one Night before my Husband, & having my Mind upon my Creator & duty to him considering How many People I knew that I believed were good Men & Women, and how unlike them I was, & earnestly wishing I could be as good as they — I heard a distinct & most sweet & Melodious Voice say “Child so thou may” — And in the Year 1754 in the first Month, soon after my first Child was Born I had a Dream, and thought I was Standing in the Porch at our door, & the Sky was overcast with Clouds which looked extremely black & frightful & in the East appeared a Stream of Fire which reached almost to where I stood, & it seemed as tho’ it would Thunder dreadfully, & I was exceedingly terrified thinking myself in great danger where I was, & concluded if I was in the House I should be more safe, so went in, and it did Thunder , but I was as much terrified as before believing I ought not to have come in, being as much in the reach of Providence as at the door and His Power as great to preserve me in one place as Another, and in my Surprize and horror I awoke — and as I lay musing on my Dream, something took hold of the posts at the Beds feet and shook them sometime & then came on the Bed, it seemed to have Wings & with Them moved itself gently along to the Bedstead, & tho I perceived the Nurse (Siddon) was asleep yet all fear was taken away when I considered that I was guarded by him who hath all Power, & nothing could hurt me contrary to his Will, and when this consideration Settled on my Mind it took hold of my Shoulder (as I lay on one side) and with such a sweet Heavenly Voice as I had heard before said, so as might be heard all over the Room “How oft have I guarded thee” and then descended off as it came on, making a most melodious & delightful sound beyond the Understanding of Men to conceive, only ceasing while the above words were spoke, and then went on again — These things I thought worthy to be recorded, that in the Consideration on us, our hearts may be humbled, and a Holy Awe remain on our Minds to keep us from offending that gracious Goodness which is hovering over us poor unworthy Creatures! —— The above was taken down the 18th of the 2d Month 1754 when my Wife gave me the relation, and oh the Heavenly sweetness and Divine Love which overshadowed us at the Time, & occasioned revered and Awful Admiration ——— She was a Graceful Person, singularly favoured with many Extraordinary Endowments, of a sweet Natural Disposition, remarkable calm and steady, of a Courteous and Engaging Deportment which gain’d respect from all that knew her, and it may be said few Women of her age, ever lived more beloved, as died more lamented she departed this life on the 11th Day of the 5th month 1759 being twenty eight Years old
David Cooper
A Prophecy, by one who left his Mark R.B in the Year 1664
And unto the Angels of the Churches (Mystically) in America; in thee are a People whom God will yet gather to his Praise, but thou wilt be broken as a Potters Vessel, and turned on a Fiery Earth; Thou hast of the Captivated Tribes & Scattered Broken off branch as bound in Chains under thy Quarter, & come let them forth for the mighty Day of God is proclaim’d ——
