a day to come, if they persist in such courses. Instead of "their children rising up and calling them blessed," it may be sorrowfully the case, that the sins of the children will be in some measure chargeable upon the neglect of the parents, and not only be visited upon them by bitterness and anguish in this life, but add to their guilt in that which will never have an end.

O then, look to yourselves, we beseech you, and discharge your trust for God, and for the good of their souls, exhorting in meekness, and commanding in wisdom; that so you may minister and reach to the witness, and help them over their temptations in the authority of the Lord's power; and when they feel themselves helped and delivered, their souls will bless God on your behalf, and you will reap the comfort of your labour.

We feel a fervent exercise on behalf of the visited children of our heavenly Father, in whose view the glory of this world has been stained, and their spiritual eyes anointed to see the transcendent beauty and excellency of the pure unchangeable truth. We apprehend these are often discouraged, in beholding the declension from ancient zeal and uprightness; and that unless they are watchful, and singly attentive to their heavenly Counsellor, they may be induced to settle down at ease, short of the attainment of that entire redemption and sanctification, which is held up as the mark for the Christian to aim at. Lean not, we beseech you, upon the arm of flesh, in yourselves, or even in the most favoured of the Lord's instruments, but let your dependence be upon God alone. In this day of unsettlement and shaking, there are many voices to be heard which are not in unison with the

voice of Christ Jesus, our holy Shepherd; and your safety will very much depend upon maintaining, through divine assistance, a state of inward retirement and stillness of mind; that so you may be favoured to distinguish his voice from that of the stranger; and reverently to wait on Him for the unfoldings of his blessed will concerning you.

In this state of patient waiting for Christ, and childlike obedience to His requirings, you will be safely led forward in your Christian course, step by step, as He sees you are able to bear it; your experience and knowledge in divine things will be gradually enlarged by Him; you will be preserved from falling into errors in faith or practice; and from running before your guide, and engaging in things, which, however laudable in themselves, are not the work in which He designs you should be employed.

As you thus rely in simple faith upon Him and His teaching, following whithersoever He leads, but not daring to move without His putting forth, He will not fail, in His own time and way, clearly to open before you the path of allotted service, and to give you wisdom and strength faithfully to walk therein. He will baptize you again and again, with the baptism of His own Spirit, in order that the vessel may be sanctified and kept clean for the reception and occupancy of the gifts which He may see meet to bestow upon you, for the edification of His church; and as you diligently employ these in His fear, and to His glory, depending upon the strength which comes from Him, you will, through His mercy, be numbered among those, who, "having served their generation by the will of God," shall receive "the end of their faith, even the salvation

of their souls," and hear the consoling language, "Well done, good and faithful servant,-enter thou into the joy of thy Lord."

IN presenting these important subjects at this time to the serious and weighty attention of our beloved Friends, we would affectionately and earnestly exhort all to let them have due place in their minds, and to be steadfast and unmoveable in the faithful maintenance of all our doctrines and testimonies, always abounding in the work of the Lord, and scrupulously guardingagainst every thing which would tend to weaken their attachment to our holy profession.

In connexion with this subject, we believe it right to spread a caution against the indiscriminate reading of books, which purport to be of a religious character. Many of these contain much that is inconsistent with our Christian principles and testimonies,-and though interspersed with other matter, which is sound and instructive, yet this is rather calculated to render such works more injurious, serving as a cover for erroneous opinions, and thus more easily insinuating them into the mind. That the course of reading pursued by individuals, has a direct and powerful tendency to mould their religious sentiments and practices, is a truth abundantly confirmed by observation. It has also been found, in the experience of many, that the frequent and familiar perusal of treatises and forms of expression in reference to religious topics, which are not in accordance with our views of the spirituality and purity of the gospel-and of modes of defining and explaining doctrines, which differ from the simple and scriptural methods used by the Society although they may at first strike us unpleasantly an

as being objectionable, yet by frequent repetition and dwelling upon them, this feeling is lost; the mind is gradually led to look upon them as matters of indifference, or of very little moment, and thus by degrees imperceptible perhaps to its clouded vision, the way is prepared for its departure from a full belief and acknowledgment of the Truth as it is in Jesus.

We believe, that in this way, many sincere and seeking minds, who have been sensible of the day of the Lord's merciful visitation, and measurably yielded thereto, have lost their strength, become involved in doubt and perplexity,―and for want of keeping singly to the unfoldings of the light of Christ, "blindness in part hath happened unto them;" so that after having begun in the Spirit, and run well for a time, they have turned, as it were, to the beggarly elements, and sought to be made perfect by the works of the flesh. Thus, the unsanctified activity of the natural mind getting up, they have grown weary of the path of self-denial and the daily cross, and of "the patient waiting for Christ,"-have marred the work of regeneration in their own hearts, and eventually thrown off their religious profession.

Next to the Holy Scriptures, we would recommend all to read frequently in the writings of our worthy predecessors. In them may be found clear and enlarged views of Christian doctrine and practice, given forth by men who were subject to the divine government in themselves; and having tasted of the good word of life, and the powers of the world to come, could testify from living experience, to the blessed efficacy and truth of the principles they professed. They furnish us also with lively and instructive ex

amples of love to God and faith in Christ; of zeal and devotedness to his cause-of patient, unwearied labours, and the meek endurance of privations, reproach, derision, and cruel persecution, even unto death, for the spread of the kingdom of their dear Redeemer, and the testimony of a good conscience; and as a convincing evidence of the reality of their religion, a fulness of peace and joy, and a wellgrounded hope of immortality and eternal life, when brought upon the bed of sickness and of death. Let us, then, be conversant with the writings of these devoted servants of Christ, and endeavour, through divine assistance, to follow in their footsteps, and maintain the same faith; that so, in the end, we may reap the same blessed and everlastingly glorious reward.

May all carefully avoid a disputatious spirit, that would be cavilling about niceties of doctrine, and questions which gender strife and contention,-seeking to be wise above what is written in the Holy Scriptures, and to reason and argue about those things, which Divine Providence has not seen meet to reveal to us. And let all beware of resting in a bare acknowledgment, even of the most sound and consistent principles; ever remembering, that a profession of the Truth will add to our condemnation, if we are not endeavouring to live in conformity with it. It is only as we bow to the visitations of divine love, in mercy extended to our souls, and submit to the heart-changing and sanctifying power of the Holy Spirit, that we can show forth in our life and conversation, the blessed effects of the doctrines we profess, even the fruits of the Spirit, which are declared to be "love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,