"I have considered the days of old, the years of ancient times. I call to remembrance my song in the night I commune with mine own heart and my spirit made diligent search. Will the Lord cast off for ever? and will he be favourable no more? Is his mercy clean gone for ever? doth his promise fail for evermore? Hath the Lord forgotten to be gracious? hath he in anger shut up his tender mercies? Selah. And I said, This is my infirmity; but I will remember the years of the right hand of the Most High. I will remember the works of the Lord surely, I will remember thy wonders of old. I will meditate also of all thy work, and talk of thy doings."

But," Behold," said the evangelical Prophet, "the Lord's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save, neither his ear grown heavy, that it cannot hear"and, for the cry of the poor and the sighing of the needy, he yet continues to arise, having mercy upon Zion, and comforting all her waste places; so that the confession is still known to break forth, season after season, from prepared hearts,-in the language of the blessed Virgin,-" He hath showed strength with his arm-his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation."

Wonderful, indeed, in every age, are the dealings of the Shepherd of Israel towards those under every name, who are the sheep of his hand! Wherever scattered, or wherever gathered, truly they have " a goodly heritage," as well as "exceeding great and precious promises;" and, however these provided blessings may seem for a time to fall short of fulfilment, yet are they all in progress, yet are they all steadfast and sure to His seed and church,-to those who cleave unto Him in dependence and submission of soul. A mark is said to be set upon those who sigh and cry,-who, waiting, mourn for the accom

plishment of these heavenly promises, in the further development, purification, and glory of Zion:-their borders will be enlarged, saith the Lord God! See Isai. liv. 2, 3, 6, and 11; also Jer. xxx. 15 to 19. "For yet a little while, and he that shall come, will come, and will not tarry;" he will, in due season, more fully and more unequivocally acknowledge his holy work and people, all the world over, even those that are endeavouring, however feebly, to acknowledge him in their ways. The declaration hath gone forth-"Thou shalt arise and have mercy upon Zion; for the time to favour her, yea, the set time, is come," Psal. cii. 13; and verse 16,-" When the Lord shall build up Zion, he will appear in his glory." And again, it is affirmed by the Prophet, that he will beautify the place of his sanctuary, and will make the place of his feet glorious. Isai. lx. 13.

Thus, the tribulated followers of the Lamb, however burdened with a sense of the present triumphing of their enemies, however bowed down in spirit when given to see the state of things around them,-if they can adopt that language of appeal uttered by the servant of God in ancient days, Isai. xxvi. 8, “ In the way of thy judgments, O Lord! have we waited for thee; the desire of our soul is to thy name, and to the remembrance of thee;"-even all such, may undoubtedly look forward with confidence to the completion of what is written,-" Yet a very little while, and the indignation shall cease, and mine anger in their destruction." The rebuke of his people, shall he take away from off all the earth ;' and "it shall be said in that day, Lo! this is our God; we have waited for him, and he will save us, we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation." Isai.

XXV. 9.

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CONCLUDING OBSERVATIONS

ON THE STATE OF THE CHURCH AT LARGE, WITH REFERENCE TO THE SUCCESSIVE STAGES OF HER REFORMATION, AND OCCASIONED BY A VIEW OF THAT SHARE AND INTEREST, WHICH THE SOCIETY OF FRIENDS HAVE EVER TAKEN THEREIN.

THE Author of these Memoirs, having now finished the task he ventured to take in hand, or rather that allotment of labour which seemed to devolve upon him, apprehends there is yet a duty he owes, not only to his subject but to the reader,--to take his leave of both, with some general and concluding observations.

He does not hesitate to avow his belief, that the religious Society of Friends were a people originally raised up, in the line of the Apostles, martyrs, and confessors of Christ Jesus, the blessed Mediator, "whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting." Micah, v. 2. He rests assured, they were designed to be faithful and living witnesses of the revival of that "time of reformation," Heb. ix. 10. when the holy Head and High Priest, having ascended up on high, visibly separated and eminently sanctified to himself " a glorious church," whose character and constitution is best set forth in the disencumbered pages of Sacred Writ. Doubtless, through the long night of apostasy, which succeeded the first establishment of the Christian church, there has been, at every period, a "remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ." Rev. xii. 17. These,— however they may differ in some respects one from another, according to that measure of light and

knowledge which has been assigned them, according to the particular share in this testimony, with which they may have been intrusted,-while they continue to occupy with the talent of grace received, and to walk in the way of the cross, as mercifully cast up before them, are all under the special notice and care of the great Shepherd of the sheep.

The church, then, coming up more and more from a wilderness state, "leaning on her Beloved," out of that oppressed and beclouded condition, into which she has been driven; it is certain, she will be more and more clothed with the glory of the Sun of righteousness, and there will be more clear vision among her children. The power of Antichrist will be more unveiled before them in all his delusions,—that is, they will be given to know what has contributed to eclipse the brightness of the gospel day, and to detain her in weakness and in bondage: also, "they shall see eye to eye, when the Lord shall bring again Zion." Isai. lii. 8. But, in the mean while, it behoves every of her sons and daughters, who are from time to time made sensible of any degree of captivity, to shake themselves as from the dust, and to loose the bands of their neck, Isai. lii. 2; in other words, no longer to be resting satisfied with any thing short of that perfect reformation and redemption, which the Deliverer is opening before them.

It was to be expected, in the progress of this glorious work, a work to be begun and to be carried on in the hearts of individuals,-that there should be different classes of students in the school of Christ; and that as each of the "members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones," were attracted to acknowledge one another in the covenant of life, according to the vision of the Prophet, they should come

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bone to his bone." How precious is the consideration, that as the various professors of the saving faith of Jesus, more largely and more purely drink into his Spirit, they will be by this one Spirit bap tised into one body; and will feel themselves to be, far more truly than can at present be said to be the case,-bone of HIS bone, who is espoused to be their Husband, and "every one members one of another!" Thus, there is cause to believe, that, " in the dispensation of the fulness of times," will be gathered" together in one, all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth, even in Him." Eph. i. 10.

The situation and prospects, in every age, of the true disciples of our Lord and Saviour, must prove to the Christian mind a subject of vast importance; and it deeply concerns every one of us to know for ourselves, how far we are promoting, by individual reception of the leaven of his gospel, that universal diffusion of unmixed "glory," which, we are assured, "shall cover the earth, as the waters cover the sea.' Hab. ii. 14. The government and dominion of " the Prince of Life," "the Prince of Peace," which is ultimately to subdue and reduce all things unto itself, Dan. ii. 44, the Society of Friends have preeminently held, to be wholly of a spiritual character: it is to be set up within man, and "cometh not by observation," neither stands in any mere outward observances, but in "righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost." They have all along considered the standing, lasting, and indispensable ordinance of the gospel to be, the manifestation of the Saviour by his Spirit, as the Guide into ALL truth; according to the whole tenour of the 14th chapter of John, and likewise that language