met in the low Tolbooth, and not a word had been spoken among us, either in prayer or preaching,-we breathing in our hearts for power to do the Lord's will;-his power at last brake in among us in a wonderful manner, to the melting and tendering our hearts. And though I was kept very empty a long time, yet at last the glorious power of God broke over the whole meeting, and upon me also, and ravished my heart,-yea, did appear as a ray of divine glory, to the ravishing of my soul, and all the living ones in the meeting. So that some of those that were in the town-council above us, confessed to some of our number with tears, that the breaking in of that power, even among them, made them say one to another, O! how astonishing it is, that our ministers should say, the Quakers have no psalms in their meetings; for such an heavenly sound we never heard in either old or new church.' After this, our meetings were often filled with heavenly, divine comfort, to the satisfaction of our souls, and we were often overcome with the love of our God, and many innumerable instances of his miraculous power attended us; many of which are recorded in a book for posterity to come. And God will tread down Satan under the feet of his power in due time, let him rage as he will."

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CHAPTER XX.

SOME OBSERVATIONS ON THE STATE OF THE SOCIETY OF FRIENDS IN THE PRESENT DAY, OCCASIONED BY THE FOREGOING HISTORY, AND THE ANTICIPATIONS OF THEIR PREDECESSORS.

Ar the opening of these Memoirs, the travels of George Fox in Scotland, in the year 1657, were briefly adverted to. After describing, in his Journal, the last meeting he had, previous to his return to England, this extraordinary comment upon his visit occurs." The truth and the power of God was set over that nation; and many, by the power and Spirit of God, were turned to the Lord Jesus Christ, their Saviour and Teacher, whose blood was shed for them : and there is since a great increase,-and great there will be in Scotland, though the time may be far distant at present. For when first I set my horse's feet upon Scottish ground, I felt the seed of God to sparkle about me, as innumerable sparks of fire. Not but that there is abundance of thick, cloddy earth of hypocrisy and falseness atop, and a briary, brambly nature, which is to be burned up with God's word, and ploughed up with his spiritual plough, before God's seed brings forth heavenly and spiritual fruit to his glory. But the husbandman is to wait in patience."

Whether those readers, who may be inclined to lay some stress upon such anticipation, can see any thing like the fulfilment of it, at least in part, in the foregoing history, must be left with each individual to

decide for himself. Certainly, it is due to the subject to state, that George Fox was not the only one, who deliberately avowed his views, as to the more extensive reception, through that district, of a standard of truth and righteousness, such as is upheld by the Society of Friends. William Dewsbury's letter, at page 311 of this volume, plainly and strongly intimates his expectations on the same point; while one from William Penn to these persecuted people, p. 377, will bear no very different construction. In 1677, George Fox again declares his belief, that "the Lord hath a great seed and work in that country." See p. 405. Andrew Jaffray also, a sketch of whose character and close formed the principal subject of the last preceding chapter, was another who entertained similar impressions. In the testimony respecting him, before cited, and which, it will be recollected, was drawn up by the son of " the Apologist," these following expressions are made use of. "There are several remarkable instances of his having, upon occasion, had the gift of prophecy ;-which strengthens the desire and hope the Lord hath raised in several, in that [respect, in which] he was very positive, namely,—that the Lord would yet again visit this land, to the gathering of many to condemn the world, its wisdom, and ways."-Besides these, John Gratton, whose visit to his fellow-professors in Scotland has been already described, closes his narrative with this encouraging estimate of the prospects, as well as actual condition of religious classes of the people at large:-" I hope and believe, the Lord will have a great people there, in time to come ; though the enemy be angry, and would hinder the spreading of the holy Truth ;-yet, his weapons are but carnal, silly, and weak. I desire many Friends

may think of that nation, and, in the will of God, give up to visit it; for, there is a zealous, professing people, that, were they but brought to the knowledge of Truth-I believe there are many, yea, very many, who would be zealous for it." See his Journal, edit. 1823, p. 115. This was about the year 1694.

Doubtless, such expectations were not unreasonable; they were never entertained, neither were such declared assurances ever given forth, by any true messengers of the Lord, without at least an implied reference to those qualifying conditions, which must ever attend the distribution of the tokens of Divine favour towards any people.

But, in order somewhat further to clear up, at least so far as the Author may be enabled, a subject deeply involving, to a certain extent, the all-important interests of true religion-namely, the condition and prospects of that small portion of the Christian community, whose history has now been brought to a conclusion; it is needful to indulge him with a little latitude, while he attempts to relieve his mind as regards such a people, by some remarks more especially applicable to them.

It has been abundantly, explicitly, and publicly avowed by the early members of the Society of Friends, that they did believe themselves raised up by the power of God, to manifest forth "THE TRUTH as it is in Jesus;" being assured, that, in various essential points and symptoms, the professing Christians of their day, had greatly fallen short of so purely spiritual a standard. It was also their belief, that if they sustained in faithfulness this testimony committed to them, others would in due season be constrained to acknowledge its excellence, and gather unto it. Accordingly, as long as they followed in

simplicity their Leader and Light, obeying unreservedly that power in which their faith stood, wonderful, even in the face of all opposition, were the effects of their example and ministry. But, when

they or their successors in any wise withdrew their necks from the yoke of Christ, allowing any thing to stand in competition with his will concerning them, and so declining to cleave unto the Lord with full purpose of heart; he hid his face from them, and veiled that glory, which had indeed been a wall of defence about them, on the right hand and on the left. Thus, in proportion as they have at any time cast away the shield of faith in this Divine, inward power, whereby their predecessors measurably obtained victory over the things of a present world; the enemy by little and little has prevailed, so as, in some respects, to reduce them to a comparatively feeble and defective condition. Meanwhile, among the different persuasions of Protestants in these nations, there have been those, who, occupying with what has been made known to them of Divine light and truth, have grown stronger and stronger in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. These have been given to see and to maintain some of those very principles and practices, with which the people called Quakers, almost singly and alone, seemed aforetime to have been intrusted. Thus, in the present day, the sentiments held by others of the pious, dedicated servants of God, beside the Friends, have undergone a considerable, though gradual amelioration; the standard of Truth has been more purely exalted through them, although their respective popular creeds and ceremonial usages, may remain much as they were in former times; they are pressing into the marrow and pith of true religion,-the life of Jesus inwardly revealed. So that, as might be expected,