When she has been faithful, she is cheerful, comfortable, and happy in herself; and, indeed, I believe this is generally the case with her: her even, steady, humble conduct, manifests the placid tenor and composure of her mind. I have never yet spoken to her between ourselves on this important subject: I leave her to Him who, I believe, has called and put her forth. But frequent and fervent have been my desires on her account; and not on her's only, but for others, to whom I am nearly united, both by nature and grace, that you may do valiantly in your day, not looking about for little, mean subterfuges, and pitiful evasions for self, but be willing to lose this selfish life, that so you may find that life which is hid with Christ in God.

"This is a day of revolting and backsliding—a day in which a vaunting, defying spirit, has too much prevailed, and Israel, those who are truly the Lord's people, have been discomfited and discouraged. If those who have received gifts from on high, and have in every respect been distinguished by peculiar favours, both spiritual and temporal, will pusillanimously slink back, or ungratefully refuse to comply with the clear requisitions of duty, surely great will be their condemnation. But I hope better things of divers of you: that you will, in the first place, take diligent heed to yourselves, and then, as with the heart of one man, advance under Divine direction and protection against the common enemy. So be it, saith thy tenderly

affectionate father.

"How is our dear E. P.? If I do not mistake, I had the last word with her in this way. Assure her of my dear love. Her letters are always particularly acceptable to me; but I would not have her be uneasy about writing or not writing to me: may she mind well the work before her! and that is enough for me. Her preservation and her progress in the heavenly pilgrimage, is the object of my solicitous desire.

"R. S."

P

CHAPTER VI.

LETTERS-THE ILLNESS AND DECEASE OF RICHARD SHACKLETON-DEATH OF ELIZABETH SHACKLETON.

R. S. TO HIS DAUGHTER G

“Ballitore, 21st of First Month, 1789.

'My mind is often humbled in deep thankfulness, on account of divers of you, my beloved children, who are not only preserved to walk in the truth, but called to bear testimony to it; and my earnest and affectionate desire is, that you may be faithful and obedient to the clear manifestations of duty, and of the Divine requirings. This is what will render you comfortable and happy in yourselves, and be as a Goshen to you in the midst of Egyptian darkness you will have light, cheering light, in your dwellings. But the contrary has a contrary effect: instead of the conscious answer of 'well done, good and faithful servant,' there will be a fearful looking for of judgment, Divine favour will be withdrawn, and the spirit left solitary in a dry pit: nay, even the lawful gratifications of this life will lose their relish, the cup will be embittered, the cross occurrences which fall out will cut with a keener edge, and the hurts and wounds made by them will be in danger of rankling and festering, instead of being presently healed. So may we all be mercifully preserved, a family, a field, which the Lord hath blessed, and will graciously delight to bless. A little time, and all will be over with us here: eternity and its prospects should be the object of our contemplation, and have all their due weight and influence with us. I sent thy message of love to our friend E. Pike. That wise lady's answer was: 'We accept thy daughter Grubb's love: she seems as a piece of myself.' Is not this multum in parvo ?

"I often think of you in that city, (Cork,) and at

times, in my measure, suffer with you. May the faithful be pre

served faithful to the end! Remember the woe to those, who take counsel, but not of the Lord, and that cover with a covering, but not of his Spirit. Therefore may ye be enabled to put on Christ, and to be covered with his meek, passive, long forbearing Spirit, which in the end shall have the victory. No weapon that is formed against it shall prosper, and every tongue that shall rise against it in judgment, it shall condemn, 'This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is of me, saith the Lord.'

"It is not that I apprehend myself any way furnished for a communication of this kind, beyond the course of ordinary conversation, that I sit down to address my beloved friend, but I had a mind to keep our correspondence from gathering rust by lying by, and to rub, if not brighten, my end of the chain. Thy dear sister S. W., very opportunely handed me thy last letter. Like an old fashioned Friend, she made it a point to attend the Monthly Meeting, and aiming directly and honestly at it, was not disappointed in her intention, as some others were. I think we should be cautious lest we get into a habit of making dispensing clauses for our own convenience, remembering that the magistrate is not above the law, but the law above the magistrate; and that precedents set by authority will undoubtedly have their influence, and be often occasionally quoted. Let us be fair and candid practitioners in our own court of conscience, and we shall not be novices, but learned adepts in the law of the Spirit. It was very pleasing to us here to find that dear , though the years of her pilgrimage have been as yet few and evil, is mercifully helped through one indisposition after another, like wave succeeding wave. No doubt the dispensations allotted to the dear child, are in Infinite Wisdom, a cup tempered with bitters, salutary both for her and her anxious mother, a rod uplifted for the purpose of keeping low and humble, and in the eligible state of chastened children. May all that has passed, things present and yet to come, work together, my dear friend, for thy establishment, in good, and for the reducing, refining and preparing thee to fill with propriety and acceptance, the station appointed for thee, by Divine Providence, in civil and religious life. Mayst thou ever be willing to be any thing or nothing in His hand, doing and suffering, acting and refraining, not according to thy own, but according to the will

of the Great Master. Then, no doubt, being thus trained and disciplined, thou wilt, in thy movements, feel the favour and solid approbation of the Head of the church to thy spirit, and thou wilt quietly and patiently leave all the rest to His ordering.

R. S. TO HIS WIFE.

"R. S.”

"Waterford, 19th of Fifth Month, 1789.

.

"It is thirty-five years, this day, since a former beloved companion was translated from earth to heaven. The loss was grievous, and the outward prospect melancholy; but the great Controller of events, in the plenitude of his goodness, was pleased to make up that loss to me and mine, and to brighten that gloomy aspect of things, by adding thee, his precious gift, to my family. In thee we have found a wife, a mother, a daughter, a superintendent, a counsellor, helper and friend; and I trust we are all thankfully sensible of the favour. I do seem at times as if home was not to be my constant place of residence, and as if the comforts of domestic life were folded up; so that I apprehend, at times, it is best for me to leave home, and be in the way of witnessing that some religious service goes forward. On these occasions I have ever found thee willing to encourage, release, expedite, and accommodate me to the best of thy power, which I gratefully acknowledge. . . Thy children will, I doubt not, care for thee now in the decline of life; and I trust Almighty help and favour will be near for thy comfort and support. Remember me affectionately to our dear S. A petition was begot in my heart for her this day in meeting, that she may be preserved in the training of Infinite Wisdom, and grow to be useful in the church of Christ, according to the extent of the designation of her gracious Master, whose she is, and whom I believe she serves acceptably. If she finds in her heart to write me a line, it will, doubtless, be acceptable; but I would not have her to be uneasy if she does not, for I shall not be uneasy on that account. I wish her never to give to others that which is only for herself, nor to keep unprofitably and detrimentally to herself, what may be given to her for others. If it will be any encouragement or satisfaction to her, I can freely say I have near unity with her sweet effusions, and her deportment and conduct preaches loudly, I wish I could say effectually, to me.

"R. S."

FROM THE SAME TO THE SAME.

"Hubberstone, 23rd of Fifth Month, 1789. "Now, my beloved companion and dearest friend, for thy satisfaction I may inform thee, that I have been quite satisfied in my mind with this excursion, which I have ventured to take, not rashly, but as seekingly and as feelingly as I well could; and I hope Divine Mercy has cleared the way for it, and will be near to preserve and support every way.

Along with innumerable favours heaped on my unworthy head, I am, I trust, thoroughly sensible of my own manifold weaknesses and insufficiency; and this sense, renewed and confirmed to me from time to time, is cause of deep thankfulness to me; for I love the low, and tender, and helpless state, in myself and others. This is what the eye of blessed regard is graciously towards; this is the field which the Lord hath blessed and will bless. While I write thus, thou and our beloved S. are particularly in my thoughts, and I crave the help of your spirits, and your intercession on my behalf. I hope our beloved child is in sound health of body and mind; that she goes on, in public and private life, in simplicity and godly sincerity.

"The believer, the true believer, whose hope and confidence is in the fresh supplies of everlasting strength, maketh not haste, but patiently waiteth for the former and the latter rain: the former to fructify, and bring to maturity the heavenly harvest; the latter to replenish and reward the fruitful soil, and prepare for another crop. "R. S."

R. S. TO HIS DAUGHTER G

"Ballitore, 27th of Sixth Month, 1789.

"I am glad thy honest Samuel was so well pleased with his excursion [the Yearly Meeting in London]; he seemed to enjoy it. Thou mentionest his apparent increase of flesh: I trust he has also witnessed an increase of spirit in the course of his tour, by the opportunities of instruction and observation which he has had. We sometimes grow, I believe, and do not know that we grow; as we may decline, and not be immediately sensible of it,—so it is said of Samson: He wist not that the Lord was departed from him.' Thy husband is possessed of that humility, simplicity, and integrity, which will not fail of making way for him; and as he diligently cultivates a renewal of inward strength, by frequent re