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though it were to the wilderness; and being somewhat. sensible of the workings of God upon her spirit in this matter, she was willing to condescend in her mind to what He wrought in her but by hearkening to one who had not well weighed the matter, she became disobedient to what God had revealed to her; which brought great sorrow and trouble upon her. I went to see her in this poor condition, and I rested satisfied with the will of God in this concern, being freely resigned to receive her as His gift to me; and after some time, we waiting upon the Lord together, she declared before me and the other Friend who had begat doubts and rea sonings in her mind, that in the name and power of God she consented to be my wife, and to go with me whither theord should order us; and I said, 'In the * fear of the Lord, I receive thee as the gift of God to ' me.'

"Under a weighty consideration which way to take each other in marriage, we concluded to lay our proceedings before our elders, and especially our ancient Friend George Fox, (people in those days were married by a priest, or before a justice,) and I told G. Fox, we thought to take each other into a public meeting: so he desired the Lord to be with us. And when we saw our clear ness in the Lord, we went to the Snail meeting in Tower street, London, in the morning; and in the afternoon to Horslydown, Southwark; and in that meeting, in the presence of God and that assembly, we took each other to be man and wife.

"God alone knew our innocency and integrity in coming together. It was not for gold, nor silver, nor any

outward thing; but to be serviceable to Him in our age and generation, and to stand witnesses for Him and His blessed Truth, where He should send us. Soon after, in the Lord's time, we made what haste we could to come to the country, where we believed the Lord would have us to be, and we said, 'O Lord, if thou wilt go *with us in our way, and give us bread to eat and rai'ment to put on, then, O Lord, thou shalt be our God.' See Gen. xxviii. 20. And the Lord was with us in all our journey, and gave unto us His sweet and comfortable presence."

R. Davies Journal.

THE FRIEND AND THE ROBBER.

The courage and presence of mind exhibited by the true soldier of Jesus Christ, when permitted in the course of Divine Providence to be cast into straits and trying situations, is often conspicuous. He not only knows the strength of that preserving arm, which rules or overrules all circumstances for the good of those that are faithful, he not only is furnished for all occasions, and out of weakness is made strong, so as even to stop the mouths of lions, and quench the violence of fire, Heb. xi. but is abundantly furnished with resignation to submit unto the Lord in all things; with one who was "in perils of robbers," and "in deaths oft," 2 Cor. 11. he can say, "Whether we live or die, we are the Lord's." Rom. 14. 8.

The conduct of some of our Society who have fallen among thieves, and who by their religious scruples were of course precluded from retaliating vio

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fence even in their own defence, is an exemplification of this feature in the Christian character. It is recorded of Robert Barclay, that as he was returning from a journey into Hertfordshire, his life was in some danger from the attack of a highwayman. His wife had observed him in the morning to be more pensive than usual, and he then told her, he believed some uncommon trial would that day befal the company. When the robber presented his pistol, Robert Barclay calmly asked him, How he came to be so rude, and took him by the arm; on which the robber let the pistol drop, and offered him no further violence. It is also told of Leonard Fell, one of Judge Fell's sons, that, "travelling alone, he was attacked by a highwayman, who demanded his money, which he gave him; then he desired to have his horse, Leonard dismounted and let him take it. Then feeling the power of Truth rise in his mind, he turned to the robber, and under its authority solemnly warned him of the evil of his ways: but he, flying into a passion, asked the Friend why he preached to him, and threatened to blow out his brains. But Leonard replying to this effect, Though I would 'not give my life for my money or my horse, I would 'give it to save thy soul,' so struck the astonished robber, that he declared, if he was such a man as that, he would take neither his money nor his horse from him; and returning both to the faithful Friend, went his way, leaving Leonard to the enjoyment of that peace attending the honest discharge of his conscience, to obtain which he had not counted his life dear."

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JOHN WOOLMAN in his journal has given the following instructive relation, which, it is believed, few that are rightly concerned for the interests of true piety, and that practical religion laid down by the Head of the Church, can read with indifference. It were good perhaps for every one, to lay to heart such considerations as arise, on taking a view of primitive genuine Christianity, and to examine, how far they as individuals are contributing by their lives and conversation to the growth of that vanity, pride, and earthly-mindedness, which are but too prevalent.

"At our yearly meeting at Philadelphia, the 25th day of the 9th month, 1764, John Smith, of Marlborough, aged upwards of eighty years, a faithful minister though not eloquent, stood up in our meeting for ministers and elders, and appearing to be under a great exercise of spirit, informed Friends in substance as follows: to wit, That he had been a member of our Society upwards of sixty years, and well remembered that in those early times Friends were a plain lowly-minded people; and that there was much tenderness and contrition in their meetings. That at twenty years from that time the Society increased in wealth, and in some degree conforming to the fashions of the world, true humility was less apparent, and their meetings in general not so lively and edifying. That at the end of forty years, many of them had grown very rich; that' wearing of fine costly garments, &c. became customary with them, their sons, and their daughters, and many of the Society made a specious appearance in the world; which marks of outward wealth and greatness appear

ed on some in our meetings of ministers and elders; and as these things became more prevalent, so the powerful overshadowings of the Holy Ghost were less manifest in the Society. That there had been a continued increase of these ways of life even until now; and that the weakness which hath now overspread the Society, and the barrenness manifest amongst us, is matter of much sorrow. He then mentioned the uncertainty of his attending these meetings in future, expecting his dissolution was now near; and having tenderly expressed his concern for us, signified, that he had seen in the true light that the Lord would bring back his people from these things, into which they were thus degenerated, but that his faithful servants must first go through great and heavy exercises therein."

THOMAS STORY, in his travels, coming to the town of Mildorp in Germany, tarried there to refresh himself. He, with Pieter Leendaars, went into a place of worship that was open, belonging to the Lutherans, where, says he in his journal, "we observed several pictures and images (as they say) of Christ in several conditions, as, on the cross, risen again, &c. and one was of agolden colour all over. Here were painted and wooden Christs in statuary and imagery, painted heaven and painted hell, painted saints, and this among professors of Christ, pretending reformation from that Church which is condemned for idolatry; and all is justly condemned by the holy scriptures, and by the practice of the saints in all ages. I asked our landlord, why they had so many images of Christ in their churches and houses? He answered, 'It is to put us in mind of Christ.' I replied,

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