standing seemed opened, and all his faculties so sensi'ble, that he appeared to himself another man, a divine and spiritual sweetness abiding with him night and day for some time. The scriptures also became wonderfully clear and plain to his view, and the truths of the gospel, therein spoken of, he readily understood and embraced, so that in a very short time the I ord engaged him with a concern to preach those truths to others; and through faithfulness in that service his ministry was blessed to many.

HUMPHREY SMITH, a valuable minister of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, and patient sufferer for his gospel cause, even to imprisonment and death, gave forth a short and impressive address to "All parents of children upon the face of the whole earth," which was printed with his collected writings about the year 1683. It contains some valuable remarks in the shape of exhortation, a few of which are subjoined: but the parts most consonant with the design of this compilation, are those in which the writer makes mention of certain circumstances or incidents, relative to his own conduct and experience in very early life. These are lively illustrations of his meaning; they prove that simplicity of heart and sensibility of conscience form the best groundwork in youth, and are capable of being easily wrought on and regulated for the highest purposes. To such also who admire the sobriety of deportment and quiet regulated habits, usually to be met with among the children of Friends, the extracts that follow may be interesting and useful; they may explain and enforce some practical views which this Society has

always taken, and may elucidate in what manner these views result from their "grand tenet," the Life of God in the soul of man.

It is scarcely needful to notice, that Humphrey Smith knew nothing of Friends at the time of which he speaks; indeed he became a public preacher among the high professors of that day, before he joined our Society.

you

"This do I know, that in many tender babes and young children, there is a meek, innocent, harmless principle from God, who willeth not the death of any; and they have a light from Christ that lighteth every man that cometh into the world, which light is in them. He said, 'Suffer little children to come unto me, and 'forbid them not,' for of such who come unto Him that is meek and low in heart is the kingdom of God.' Therefore should suffer them to come unto and keep unto that which is meek and low in the heart; 'for that which may be known of God is manifest in 'them.' Christ, the Light, had a love to little children, and said, 'He that will enter the kingdom of God must become as a little child.' Therefore as you love their good, both of soul and body, see that you bring, and in all things keep them to God's witness in them, and that will judge and reprove them for any evil they have done, and will keep them more out of all evil, than you by any other reproof can do, and will [shew them that] your chastising for any evil is just, when done in the true moderation, not exceeding the offence committed, nor proceeding from the least motion of the wrathful nature in you.

"And that you may the more consider my words,

and come into moderation and the wisdom of God, to walk exemplarily before your children, and to be to them patterns of gravity, meekness, and sobriety, therefore shall I set before your eyes some plain and simple truths of my own experience when I was a child.

sorrows.

"My heart was much affected with tenderness, and tears were as my meat and drink night and day; and often was my heart refreshed with love from God, when I came unto that which came from Christ, the Man of But many despised my tears, and vilified my mournful state, not knowing (as they said) what was the matter with me; and much provocation was used to get me out of that condition, and as I grew up to hurry me into the earth: and by the violent, fierce, wrathful nature that ruled in others, was my quietness disturbed, which begat wrath and anger in me again towards them; this may be a warning to you: yet something of God in me was not wholly overcome.

"The first words according to scripture that pierced my heart, and remained with me, were, 'He hath filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he hath sent empty away' which words remained as a thing printed and sealed in my heart.

"The love of God was exceeding prevalent upon my little tender heart; and so much the greater was my grief, when by the earthly-mindedness, and wrathful hasty nature in parents and others, I was even forced out of it, and provoked to wrath, grief, and discontent, and so not suffered to come to nor keep with Christ, who saith, 'I am the Light; which light I felt to be meek and low in the heart. Therefore was my trouble great many times, and wrath and hastiness began

to have entrance in me; which being sensible of, and finding a love towards God to be much more precious than any thing of the world, and having a hope towards Him, when I was but a little child, I would often pray to God, even earnestly did I pray with tears, and my heart. was opened with His love. I would also sometimes make my complaint to Him in secret upon my knees, when I could get into such a place that none could see me, nor come to know it: and sometimes as I went along the way, when it came into my heart, then would I even (as it were) beg and cry with many tears, and had boldness towards God, as towards a familiar friend, though much in submission and fear, as one unworthy, because I had sinned against him. And for these things I had no creature to be my example, nor to learn it of; and not knowing of any that did the like, I durst not let any know of it, nor wherefore I so often wept, when any saw me; for I saw none but despised that condition, and were insensible of my state.

"And thus, not having any that were sensible of that tender principle of God in me, to cherish that, or be a help to me in it, the evil earthly thing that was begotten in me [was nursed up] by that nature my leaders were in; so that as I grew in years, that was apt to grow in me, (my father being more eager than most men in labouring and caring for earthly things,) and so the tender principle of God in me was veiled from me, and I became in after years as a child of wrath, disobedient to God.

"And this I write to be an ensample unto you, and a warning, that you may not bring your children into the like alienation, torment, and condemnation, which

I was brought into, especially as few afterward return to God with all their hearts, and enter in at the strait gate. So train them up in the fear of the living God, that you may have comfort in them at the last, and that they may grow up in the wisdom of God, to rule over such outward earthly things, as the Lord or you may commit to their hands.

"Therefore that it may go well with them and you, and that God may do them good at the latter end, let all your children every where be trained in the way they should go, which way is Christ, and He saith, 'I am the Light;' and his light in them will let them see that they should not lie, nor speak wicked words, nor do any violence one to another: it is in this light they come to know God and hear his voice, for God speaks by Him that is the Light. God called Sanuel, being yet a child, and Eli bid the child answer the call of the Lord. And the child who answered the call of the Lord reproved old Eli the priest. Those sons of his were sons of Belial, and knew not God, and [it is remarkable] they were the first priests that ever took tithes by force, and they came to an untimely death, under the judgments of God, as did their father, [who restrained them not].

"And take heed how you cause or suffer your children to babble many vain words, with a delight to hear them prattle when there is no need; for thereby afterward the tongue becomes an unruly member, set on fire of hell, James iii. 6, as I found, and bore the fierce indignation of the Lord for it. Their words and your's should be few, seasoned with salt, that they may minister grace to the hearers; for to God an account