and fruitful seasons." For our souls are as truly nourished by faith,-virtue,-knowledge,-temperance, patience,-godliness,-brotherly kindness,—— and charity, or Divine love, as our bodies are by the fruits of the earth. And as the latter, when eaten, digested, and assimilated with the animal life,-form the animal body;-so does the nutrition afforded by these articles of spiritual food, when eaten or lived upon by the soul, constitute the spiritual body; which is in this way renewed by the "wisdom and power of God," (which is Christ) and is "the resurrection and the life," of which He is the author.

But as resurrection implies a preceding death,and a spiritual resurrection, a spiritual death; so this case is equally clear, and in unison with the fact and with scripture declarations. For the soul, by making its food of faithlessness, vice, ignorance, intemperance, impatience, ungodliness, hostility to others, and hatred, becomes thereby clothed upon with a spiritual body formed of these doleful constituents, and necessarily dies to that life in which only it can be happy, (" for the wages of sin is death") and dwells in what the apostle calls "our vile body," and in another place, "the body of this death:" and from which it cannot be delivered, but by being "clothed upon with our house which is from heaven," whose builder and maker is God.

Again, as the natural body is that alone by which the natural life performs all natural operations,so the spiritual body is that by which the soul performs all spiritual operations; for without virtue it cannot act virtuously,-nor affectionately, without love, nor mercifully, without mercy, &c. and vice EDWARD STABLER.

versa.

FRIENDS' MISCELLANY.

No. 7.]

SEVENTH MONTH, 1839.

A BRIEF REMEMBRANCER

[VOL. XII.

For the inhabitants of Pennsylvania; affectionately addressed to people of all ranks. With a SUPPLEMENT, more particularly addressed to the people called Quakers. By a well-wisher to all mankind.

“Yet I had planted thee a noble vine, wholly a right seed; how then art thou turned into the degenerate plant of a strange vine unto me." Jer. ii. 21.

INTRODUCTION.

The original of this essay, entitled "A little Looking-glass for the times," &c. was begun by George Churchman in the year 1761-near three years afterwards, he again took up the subject, and extended his views on what he considered the degenerate state of the inhabitants of Pennsylvania, to the amount of about four hundred lines of a kind of poetry that had more good sense than good measure of rhyme. In his preface to an edition published by himself in 1764, he speaks of a disposition then much prevalent, in "a fondness for novelties," which he apprehended might "procure him many readers;" but says he had little hopes of success in the object of calling their attention to "the situation of their sinking country, if they of the rising generation did not VOL. XII.-26

in a more general manner exert themselves in a humble application to virtue and the fear of God." How far the jingle of verse, inferior to the style of Elwood, might then please the taste of juvenile or other readers we know not, but the subjects treated of and held up to view as "a looking-glass for the times," were of serious importance to the welfare of the community. Luxuries, superfluities, pride, with vain pastimes and amusements, were spreading in city and country; and it is no marvel that men of moral and religious consideration viewed these innovations as having a deleterious effect on the habits and manners of the people.

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How large the edition of this "Looking-glass” was, or how widely it was spread among the inhabitants of the province, we are not informed-but it was taken years after by that excellent and gifted man Joseph White, of Bucks county, and remodeled in an improved style of poetic composition. Its title was then altered to "The little Lookingglass new framed and enlarged; being a Brief Remembrancer for the inhabitants of Pennsylvania, affectionately addressed to people of all ranks."Whether it was ever printed in this revised form, we have not ascertained—but in the manuscript copies we have seen, the name of the new framer, Joseph White, does not appear. The "Supplement,” more particularly addressed to Friends, we have always understood to be the production of Joseph White-and John Hunt of Moorestown, in his Diary, under date of 3rd mo. 12th, 1792, calls it "Joseph White's affectionate address."

Whatever may be the defects from correct poetic composition, or however the measure and style may

not be adapted to the taste of the present age of supposed refinement;-the portrait thus given of the state of Pennsylvania and the country adjacent, about seventy years ago, may, in some respects, be compared with the present state of society, its customs, manners and pursuits;-and by such comparison, the moralist, the philanthropist, and he who through the pure medium of Truth, looks into the mirror of the present day, may see whether virtue, truth and righteousness, or the reverse, are prevailing in the once highly favoured province of Pennsylvania. Such reflected views of the general or particular state of society in other parts of this widely extended country, may be profitable to the well-wishers of mankind, who know the ancient truth to be a reality, that it is "righteousness alone which exalteth a nation; while sin (and dissolute practices) are a shame (and disgrace) to any people."

Whether any benefit may result to society or to any individual, by a re-publication of this Brief Remembrancer or not, we are fully aware that many need to be reminded of what are called primitive principles and corresponding conduct. Nor do we believe it beneficial to society to disregard such admonitions as are exhibited in the economy of Divine Providence; to some of which the reader's attention is particularly called in the "Looking-glass," now re-published. The excellent counsel, exhortations and reproofs, interspersed through the work, being founded, in the unchanging principles of righteousness, are applicable to the present as well as past circumstances of society. And the affectionate " Address to Friends," is worthy to be had in remembrance by the members generally, both in Pennsyl

vania and elsewhere. The subjects of a free gospel ministry; pure, spiritual worship, and christian discipline, are of vital importance, not only to the wellbeing, preservation and advancement of the society of Friends in the support of the testimonies of Truth, but also through their faithfulness, to the diffusion of light among the great family of mankind.

6th mo. 1839.

Grievous to see, and painful to relate,
So great a change in Pennsylvania's state,-
That threescore years (unhapp'ly!) should produce
Weeds so destructive and in common use!
Should any query, How it happen'd here?
The answer's ready and the reason's clear:
While men securely slept, an en'my found
His time to sow with tares the fertile ground.
But in her early state, while yet but new,
Fruit of a different kind, and better,-grew.
Here, our forefathers pass'd delightful hours
Under refreshing, soft and pleasant showers:
Celestial rain did here in plenty fall,

The Lord their teacher, and his strength their wall.
Here, concord, peace and harmony were found,
And graceful speech their conversation crown'd.
A pleasant Eden was apparent here,

The garden truly of our hemisphere.
'Twas then by all, acquainted with it's state,
Pronounc'd a province bless'd with favours great.
In her no trace of raging war was found,

Nor drums, nor swords, nor cannon's roaring sound.
Soon was a forest made a fruitful field;

The fertile ground did plenteous harvests yield.