constantly employed; though sometimes in great weakness and want. Deep are my dippings, at times, and that often;-but enlargement and favour follow, in proportion. I am learning contentment, and not to repine. Indeed, I have much greater cause to rejoice evermore, and give thanks in every thing, and every state: for I find all works for good, where my own will prevents it not. May I, and all the Israel of God, press forward to a full victory over all evil; not resting in any thing short of it. Oh! had this been the unremitted pursuit of all that have known the Truth, what a people we should have been, ere this day. But alas! alas! what ease! what unconcernedness! what deviations! what mean compliances, and crouching! what mixtures with the world, and the spirit of the world! and how these things have dimmed and eclipsed the bright shining of our poor society! May the Lord "revive the work in the midst of the years," lest they say among the people, Where is their God?

I am pleased to find thou bearest my dear wife in remembrance, and writes to her.

Center, 10th mo. 9th.

My wife informs that her health has been better than usual, and that she has been, in good degree resigned, but not without many conflicts. May the Helper of Israel support her still, as I am rejoiced in believing he hitherto has graciously done.

This Yearly Meeting is very large, and some solid weight attends it, with a good degree of condescension and concord. The matter of joining the Eastern Quarter to Virginia Yearly Meeting, has been before a very large committee, and they agree

to report, best to refer it as a matter too weighty to be now resulted. Truth eminently overshadowed the committee. Divers other weighty subjects were very solidly before them; the Master's help was graciously felt, and some souls humblingly bowed. Blessed be his name forever.

My prospects as to service and procedure, are much as mentioned in my last. The work looks pretty laborious, and my dippings are more in the strippings, than many are sensible of. But I labour along, and sometimes rejoice in a little help, that is evidently divine;-all else I choose to be divested of.

Dear Richard Ridgway and Jonathan Wright are acceptably at this Meeting. Samuel Emlen's remarks in thy letter are humbling to my mind-and gratitude to him and his divine Master, has a deepfelt place therein.

Yearly Meeting is over; and ended under as solemn a covering as I ever knew one. "The holy oil swam atop of all." The Lord's name was exalted; his people's souls greatly tendered and refreshedand it was a time not to be forgotten. Farewell. JOB SCOTT.

ANCIENT RECORD

Of Chesterfield monthly meeting.

The following is a preface, taken from the origi nal book of minutes of Chesterfield monthly meeting, in New Jersey, at its first institution, about the year 1684.

"It hath pleased the mighty God and great Jehq

vah, in this last age, after the great night of darkness and apostacy which hath spread over nations, kindreds, tongues, and people, since those glorious days in which the Apostles lived,-by his outstretched gathering arm, and by the word of his eternal Power, to gather a people who were weary of all dead forms, and outside professions, into a waiting frame of spirit; where we durst not think our own thoughts, nor speak our own words, relating to his kingdom and way of worship.

And being thus brought down by the mighty power of God, we were the more capable to receive counsel and instruction from him, who through and by his Son, Christ Jesus, the true light that lighteth every one that cometh into the world, appeared in us, and taught us his way and worship, which is in spirit and in truth. This he taught us while we were in old England, our native land. While we, through the great mercy of the Lord, were, in this latter age, the first of nations where the Lord appeared in so mighty a power and bright shining glory, to the gathering of thousands into his fold, whereby his people become a body, of which Christ is the head.

And then the Lord our God, as he did unto Paul and the elders of the churches in the Apostles' days, begot a godly care in the hearts of some of his people, whom he had gathered and brought into a living sense of his work in this day;-and also of the mysterious working of the enemy of all good, who, in all ages, as the Scriptures of truth fully testify, laboured by his subtlety and transforming, to draw the Lord's people into looseness and disorder, that so the precious truth and pure way of the Lord might be dishonoured, and his worthy name blasphemed;—

OF CHESTERFIELD MONTHLY MEETING. 71

we say the Lord hath set some as watchmen upon the walls of Jerusalem, and hath laid a godly care, and necessity upon some of his people, that in all things the churches of Christ may be kept sweet and clean;—and that marriages and all other things relating to the church affairs may be performed in the good order of the gospel of peace. Therefore, in the wisdom and counsel of God, it was seen meet that first-days and weekly meetings might be appointed and diligently kept unto for edification, and the worshipping of God—and that monthly, Quarterly, and Yearly Meetings, might be appointed, and diligently kept unto by all such who are of an honest conversation, as becomes truth, and hath the weight of the Lord's work in these days, and the care of the churches upon them, for the settling and ordering the affairs thereof;-and to admonish and give advice unto such as stand in need.

And the Lord, by his providence and mighty power, hath brought some of his people out of their native country, over the great deep, into this wilderness and remote part of the world, as West Jersey, and places adjacent;-where he hath laid the same weight and care upon some of us, as he did in our native land,-that all things may be well among us to the honor of his great and worthy name, which is the ground and end of the following book. Signed by

JOHN WILFORD,

FRANCIS DEVENPORT,
WILLIAM WATSON."

What follows is from the same book of minutes, and more particularly relates to women's meetings.

"All dear friends, both men and women; when

you come to meet about business, as well as at other meetings, wait to feel the power of God, so what you do in things relating to church affairs may be done in that power which is over all deceit and disorder. And then, if any should be so stubborn or wilful as to oppose what you do, or resist your counsel or advice, they will oppose and resist the power of God, which is the higher power, to which all should be subject, both in themselves and in others in whom it appears; which power will stand over all that is unruly and rebellious.

And as to women's meetings, I certainly know they have a service for God in his church, and the Lord's power doth often attend their assemblies in a wonderful manner: and he hath made them, and will make such who keep in the power of God, to answer the end for which they were created, viz; to be help-meets, as the woman was in the beginning, while she stood in God's counsel; but when she lost that, and took counsel of the serpent, she became hurtful to the man. So all should keep in the power of God, that so they may receive counsel from him; so will they be co-workers and fellow labourers, and held on in the work of the Lord-the older instructing the younger, as the holy women did in the days of old. Dear friends, in the love. of God are these few lines written, and in the same I desire they may be received.

1st of the 10th mo. 1687-8.

JOHN WILFORD."