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 THE JOURNAL 
 
 OP 
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY, 
 
 H I 
 
 A MINISTER OF THE GOSPEL IN THE 
 SOCIETY OF FRIENDS. 
 
 "Blessed is the man who walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth 
 in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful; but his delight ig 
 In the taw of the Lord, and in his law doth he meditate both day and night." — 
 Psalm i. 1, 2. 
 
 STEREOTYPE EDITION. 
 
 PHILADELPHIA: 
 FOR SALE AT FRIENDS' BOOKSTORE, 
 
 No. 304 ARCH STREET.
 
 TO THE READER. 
 
 The Christian experiences of the faithful being 
 useful to direct such as are desirous of following 
 them in the path of true religion and virtue, and 
 their good examples shining with the greatest clear- 
 ness, when they have, with the flesh, put off all 
 human infirmities; justice to their memory, and a 
 concern for the benefit of their survivors, demand 
 our grateful remembrance of them, and the contrib- 
 uting of our endeavors to render their labors useful 
 to posterity. 
 
 These considerations engage us to preface the 
 writings of this our esteemed friend and elder in 
 the truth, with this testimony concerning him. 
 
 He was a member of our Monthly Meeting above 
 forty years, so that some of us had opportunities of 
 being intimately acquainted with him, and of know- 
 ing his fidelity and diligence in promoting the cause 
 of truth and the edification of the church of Christ ; 
 this having been the principal engagement and con- 
 cern of his mind, and which he preferred to any 
 other consideration, as will evidently appear to those 
 l* ( v )
 
 VI TO THE READER. 
 
 who with an honest and unprejudiced intention pe- 
 ruse the journal of his life and travels. 
 
 By this it will appear, that he was in the early 
 part of his life, sensibly affected with the visitation 
 of divine life and grace, and by adhering thereto 
 was preserved from the vanities and follies which 
 often divert and alienate the minds of youth from 
 a due remembrance and awful regard of their Cre- 
 ator. Thus he was enabled to bear a testimony of 
 Christian patience and self-denial in his youthful 
 days, and by keeping under that exercise, as he 
 advanced in years, attained to further knowledge 
 and experience in the work of religion, in which 
 he had a sight of the necessity of keeping in a 
 state of humility, and of bearing the cross of Christ, 
 which mortified him to the world. The loss which 
 many sustain by the anxious pursuit of the lawful 
 things thereof, appearing to him, he was concerned 
 to avoid it, and, in obedience to the precept of Christ, 
 to seek first the kingdom of God and his righteous- 
 ness, having faith in his promise, that all things 
 necessary for him should be added. 
 
 Thus the love of God influencing his mind, and 
 opening his understanding, he became concerned 
 for the general good of mankind, and received a 
 gift of the ministry of the gospel of Christ before 
 he had attained the age of twenty-one years ; in the 
 public exercise of which, he soon after travelled 
 through many parts of England, and into Scotland. 
 In the year 1697 he came to visit Friends in this
 
 TO THE READER. Vll 
 
 and the adjacent provinces of America, where his 
 ministry and conversation were to the comfort and 
 edification of the faithful, as some of us can with 
 satisfaction declare from our knowledge and remem- 
 brance of him at that time ; and the near fellowship 
 and union he then had with Friends here, we believe 
 contributed to his more speedy determination of set- 
 tling among us, which he afterwards thought it his 
 duty to do, though leaving his parents and relations 
 was no small cross to him, being of a dutiful and 
 affectionate disposition. 
 
 After fixing his residence among us, he persevered 
 in his concern and labor for the edification of the 
 churches, and gathering people to faith and depend- 
 ence on the inward teachings of Christ, and for that 
 purpose only he travelled many long journeys and 
 voyages through the several English colonies on 
 this continent, and most of the islands in the West 
 Indies, and in Europe, through England, Wales, 
 Scotland, Ireland, Holland, Friesland, and several 
 parts of Germany, and the adjacent northern king- 
 doms. In many of these places his ministry and 
 religious labors were blessed with the desired suc- 
 cess, of which there are yet some witnesses living, 
 and others, who were convinced of the principles 
 of Truth by his means, became serviceable members 
 of the church, and continued therein to the end of 
 their lives. 
 
 But as the wise king Solomon formerly observed, 
 that one event cometh to the righteous and to the
 
 viii TO THE READER. 
 
 wicked, so it happened to this good man, who met 
 with various losses and disappointments in his tem- 
 poral estate; after which, the circumstances of his 
 affairs engaged him to undertake some business, in 
 the management of which he was obliged to cross 
 the seas frequently. This, however, did not abate 
 his zeal and religious care to make use of all oppor- 
 tunities of visiting the meetings of Friends when 
 among them, and of calling, at other times, to such 
 who might be accounted as the outcasts of Israel, 
 and the dispersed of Judah, or as sheep not yet of 
 the fold of Christ ; and his services of that kind are 
 worthy to be commemorated, having been often pro- 
 ductive of good effects. 
 
 His patience was remarkable in disappointments 
 and afflictions, of which he had a large share ; and 
 his meekness, humility, and circumspection in the 
 general' course of his life and conversation, were 
 conspicuous and exemplary. As he frequently ex- 
 horted and admonished others to the observation 
 and practice of the many excellent precepts and 
 rules of Christ, our Lord and lawgiver, and more 
 especially those expressed in his sermon on the 
 mount, which contains the sum of our moral and 
 religious duties, so he manifested himself to be one 
 of that number whom Christ compared to the wise 
 builder, who laid a sure foundation; so that his 
 building stood unshaken by the various floods and 
 winds of tribulations and temptations which he met 
 with, both from within and without.
 
 TO THE READER. IX 
 
 He was a lover of unity amongst brethren, and 
 careful to promote and maintain it, showing the 
 example of a meek, courteous, and loving deport- 
 ment, not only to Friends, but to all others with 
 whom he had conversation or dealings ; so that it 
 may be truly said, few have lived more universally 
 beloved and respected among us. It was manifest 
 that this did not proceed from a desire of being pop- 
 ular, or to be seen of man ; for his love and regard 
 to peace did not divert him from the discharge of 
 his duty in a faithful testimony to those who pro- 
 fessed 'the truth, that they ought to be careful to 
 maintain good works. He was often concerned zeal- 
 ously to incite and press Friends to the exercise of 
 good order and discipline, established in the wisdom 
 of Truth, by admonishing, warning, and timely treat- 
 ing with such as fell short of their duty therein, and 
 by testifying against those who, after loving and 
 brotherly care and endeavors, could not be brought 
 to the sense and practice of their duty ; and thereby 
 he .sometimes shared the ill-will and resentment of 
 such persons. 
 
 The several essays which he wrote on religious 
 subjects while at sea, are further proofs that his mind 
 was principally engaged in the great business and 
 concern of religion; and as he continued under the 
 same engagement to the end, we are fully persuaded 
 the words with which he concluded his last public 
 testimony in the island of Tortola, may be truly and 
 properly applied to him ; that he had fought a good
 
 x TO THE READER. 
 
 fight, and had kept the faith, and, we doubt not, he 
 now enjoys a crown of righteousness. 
 
 Much more might be truly said of his integrity, 
 faithfulness, and worth, but we do not think it neces 
 sary ; our ch'ef intention being to express our re- 
 spectful remembrance of him, and our unity with 
 his labors and services, and in order to assure those 
 to whom he was not personally known, of the truth 
 of what he hath himself written of his life and travels. 
 We believe, as he was a man signally influenced with 
 the spirit of universal love and good will to mankind, 
 this was his chief motive for writing ; and we are 
 sincerely desirous that his good design may be an- 
 swered, and that the glory of every good and perfect 
 work may be attributed to that divine power alone, 
 which can qualify others to supply the places of 
 those faithful ministers and servants of Christ who 
 have been of late years removed from among us, and 
 are of that number, of whom it is written, "Blessed 
 are the dead, which die in the Lord, from henceforth ; 
 yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their 
 labors, and their works do follow them." 
 
 Signed on behalf and by appointment of the Monthly Meet- 
 ing of Friends in Philadelphia, the 2&th day of tht 
 Second month, 1749, by 
 
 ISRAEL PEMBERTON.
 
 THE JOURNAL 
 
 OP 
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY., 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 1675-1699. 
 
 Birth and Education — Youthful Follies — Early Visitations — 
 Broken Covenants — Change of Heart — Trial in regard to 
 Plain Language — Pressed on Board a Man-of-War — Distinc- 
 tion between the Voice of Christ and of Satan — Appears in 
 the Ministry — Expiration of Apprenticeship — Visits Sundry 
 Meetings — Death of his Mother — Travels into the North of 
 England and Scotland — Visit to America — Incidents of Voyage 
 — Lands in Maryland — Goes into Virginia — Pennsylvania — 
 New Jersey — Rhode Island — Boston — Nantucket — Massachu- 
 setts — Returns through' New York to Pennsylvania — Mary- 
 land — Virginia. 
 
 Having great cause to acknowledge the regard 
 and protection of divine Providence in the several 
 stages of my life, I think it may be of service to 
 others to leave behind me the following account of 
 my life and travels. 
 
 I was born on the 3d day of the Third month, 1675, 
 in Southwark, and descended of honest and religious 
 
 (")
 
 12 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 parents, who were very careful of me, and brought 
 me up in the fear of the Lord ; and oftentimes coun- 
 selled me to sobriety, and reproved me for wanton- 
 ness ; and that light spirit which is incident to youth, 
 they were careful to nip in the bud : so that I have 
 cause to bless God, through Christ, on the behalf of 
 •my tender parents. 
 
 I may not forget the dealings of God with me in 
 my very tender years. When between eight and ten 
 years of age, my father and mother sent me nearly 
 two miles to school, to Richard Scoryer, in the suburbs 
 of London. I went mostly by myself, and many and 
 various were the exercises I went through, by beatings 
 and stonings along the streets, being distinguished to 
 the people by the badge of plainness which my parents 
 put upon me, of what profession I was : divers telling 
 me, " it was no more sin to kill me than it was to kill 
 a dog." 
 
 About this time the Lord began to work strongly 
 on my mind by his grace, insomuch that I could not 
 forbear reproving those lads who would take the 
 name of the Lord God in their mouths in vain, re- 
 minding them of the third commandment, " Thou 
 shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain, 
 for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh 
 his name in vain ; " and of Christ's saying, " Every idle 
 word that men shall speak, they shall give an account 
 thereof in the day of judgment ;" for which I was 
 mocked and derided by some, and others would some- 
 times refrain from such bad words when I reproved 
 them.
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 13 
 
 One time I remember being amongst some men, 
 one of whom I had reproved, and he told the rest 
 of it, and turned to me, and said, " that I was no 
 Christian," and asked me, " whether I said the Lord's 
 Prayer?" I asked him, if he said it. He replied 
 yes. I then asked him, how he could call God father, 
 and be so wicked as to swear and take God's name in 
 vain; which I had heard him often do; and I told 
 him what Christ said to the Jews, " Ye are of your 
 father, the devil, because his works ye do ;" and that 
 those that did the devil's work could not truly call 
 God father, according to Christ's doctrine. Being 
 convicted in their consciences that what I said was 
 true, they were all silent, and wondered that I, being 
 so young, should speak in such a manner ; in which 
 I remember I had great peace and good satisfaction ; 
 and from thenceforth these men let me alone. 
 
 Notwithstanding I hated to hear wicked words, I 
 loved play exceedingly, being persuaded that there 
 was no harm in that, if we used no bad words. One 
 time I was at play at a neighbor's house with the 
 children, and in the midst of my sport I was reached 
 with strong conviction, insomuch that I could not 
 forbear weeping. The children's mother observing 
 that I wept, said, "Why do you weep?" I told her 
 I could not tell, except it was because I was a naughty 
 boy. " Oh ! " said she, " don't believe him, for that's 
 the devil tells you so, for you are the best boy in all 
 our street." But I knew I was told the truth by 
 conviction, and that she was mistaken : for I plainly 
 2
 
 14 THE JOURNAL OP 
 
 understood by clear conviction, and by the holy Scrip- 
 tures, which I had been trained up in the reading of, 
 that I was too vain and wanton ; for I loved music, 
 dancing, and playing at cards, and too much delighted 
 therein, and was followed with the judgments of God 
 therefor in the secret of my soul. What I did in 
 those sports and games I always took care to do out 
 of the sight, and without the knowledge, of my tender 
 parents ; for I was afraid of their, reproofs and cor- 
 rections, the which I was sure to have, if they had 
 any intelligence of it. 
 
 I remember that, unknown to my parents, I had 
 bought a pack of cards, with intent to make use of 
 them when I went to see my relations in the country, 
 where there was liberty in the family so to do, at a 
 place called Woodford, about seven miles from London, 
 where I got leave sometimes to go. At the time called 
 Christmas, I went to see them, and five miles on my 
 way went to a meeting, at a town called Wanstead ; 
 at which meeting a minister of Christ declared against 
 the evil of gaming, and particularly of cards; and 
 that the time which people pretend to keep holy for 
 Christ's sake, many of them spend mostly in wicked- 
 ness, sports, and games ; even some pretending to be 
 religious; and, generally speaking, more sin and evil 
 is committed in this time than in the like space of 
 time in all the year besides ; so that the devil is 
 served instead of honoring Christ. From this meet- 
 ing at Wanstead I went to the house of my relations, 
 where the parson of the next parish lodged that night,
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 15 
 
 who used to play cards with them sometimes. The 
 time drawing near that we were to go to our games, 
 my uncle called to the doctor, as he styled him, to 
 me, and to my cousin, to come and take a game at 
 cards; at which motidn I had strong convictions upon 
 me not to do it, as being evil ; and I secretly cried to 
 the Lord to keep me faithful to him ; and lifting up 
 my eyes, I saw a Bible lie in the window, at the sight 
 of which I was glad. I took it, and sat down, and 
 read to myself, greatly rejoicing that I was preserved 
 out of the snare. Then my uncle called again, and 
 said, " Come, doctor, you and I, my wife and daughter, 
 will have a game at cards, for I see my cousin is better 
 disposed." Then he looked upon me, and said, " He 
 was better disposed also." So their sport for that 
 time was spoiled, and mine in that practice for ever ; 
 for I never, as I remember, played with them more, 
 but as soon as I came home, offered my new and un- 
 touched pack of cards to the fire. I am certain the 
 use of them is of evil consequence, and draws away 
 the mind from heaven and heavenly things ; for which 
 reason all Christians ought to shun them as engines of 
 Satan ; and music and dancing having generally the 
 same tendency, ought therefore to be refrained from. 
 The sentiments of the Waldenses, a people in great 
 esteem among Protestants, are worthy the considera- 
 tion of all Christians ; which were, " That as many 
 paces, or steps, as a man or woman takes in the dance, 
 so many paces or steps they take towards hell." 
 I very well remember the work of God upon my
 
 16 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 soul, when I was about ten years of age ; and par 
 ticularly at a certain time when I had been rebelling 
 against God and my parents, in vanity and lightness : 
 and as I had offended both, so I was corrected by both : 
 for I had not ou-y felt the anger of my parents, but 
 the Lord frowned upon me, insomuch that I trembled 
 exceedingly, and was as though I heard a voice say to 
 me, " What will become of thee this night, if I should 
 take thy life from thee ? " At which I was amazed, 
 and in great fear. Then I covenanted with God, that 
 if he would be pleased to spare my life, — for I thought 
 God would have taken it from me that very moment, — 
 I would be more sober, and mind his fear more than 
 I had done before. 
 
 Nevertheless, I broke covenant with God my Maker, 
 my adversary tempting me so to do, telling me I was 
 but a child, and it was natural for children to be brisk 
 and play, and that God would wink at my childhood 
 and youth, and it was time enough for me when a 
 man to become religious. But still God followed me 
 with his chastising rod, and often put me in mind of 
 my covenant which I made with him in my distress ; 
 and that he had granted the request I then made to 
 him ; and unless I would take up a cross to my own 
 corrupt will and inclinations, he should take me out 
 of the world. Then, oh, then ! I cried, " Lord, help, or 
 I die ! Save me, or I perish for ever ! I cannot keep 
 thy covenant, nor do thy will, without thy help and 
 assistance ! " And indeed, if the Lord had not helped, 
 I had b3en undone for ever.
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 17 
 
 I continued bowed down in my mind, calling on the 
 Lord ; thinking and meditating on heaven and heav- 
 enly things : but as I am sensible I had an inward 
 enemy that always sought my hurt and overthrow, 
 I have cause to bless God, who by his grace, as mine 
 eye was turned to it, helped me to do his will, as he 
 was pleased to manifest it to me, so that thereby 
 some change was wrought on me both inwardly and 
 outwardly. 
 
 I then began to delight in reading and sobriety, 
 which before were irksome to me : and when I read 
 the holy Scriptures, I desired, that God would open 
 them to my understanding, which he did many times 
 to my edification. I also begged earnestly of the 
 Lord, that he would be . pleased to be with me, and 
 make me like his children and servants, of whom I 
 read in the holy Scriptures, who faithfully served him 
 all their days. And when I read of the crucifixion of 
 our blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, it would 
 break my soul into tenderness. I thought it was 
 enough to awaken and humble any soul that was 
 well meaning, and had any sense of the power, love, 
 and grace of Christ. Thus I went on for several 
 years, feeling that peace which passeth natural un- 
 derstanding, which many times accompanied my poor 
 a*hd needy soul : and being advanced to about fourteen 
 or fifteen years of age, I remember that I used to 
 shun the cross of speaking in the plain language, 
 which I always read in the holy Scriptures, to those 
 whom I conversed with, except my father and mother,
 
 18 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 who would not allow me to speak otherwise. I was 
 convicted in my conscience that it was not right to 
 play the hypocrite after that manner ; and on a certain 
 time I had occasion to speak with an officer, a great 
 man in our neighborhood, and my heart moved within 
 me for fear I should shun the cross of Christ; for it was 
 Christ's language to all, as we may read in the New 
 Testament; and all the Scriptures, from Genesis to the 
 Revelations, speak thee and thou to a single person. 
 
 So I took up the cross, and said thee to him ; and 
 he was much affronted, and said, " Thee ! what dost 
 thou thee me for ? " I soberly asked him if he did not 
 say thee to his Maker in his prayers ? and whether 
 he was too good, or too great, to be spoken to in the 
 same language in which he addressed the Almighty ? 
 To this he made no reply, but seemed to fall from his 
 passion into admiration, as one smitten in himself. 
 He bore me respect ever after; and I greatly rejoiced 
 that I was preserved faithful. Though it may look 
 a little thing to some, yet I found it good, as the 
 Scripture saith, not to despise the day of small things. 
 
 About the twentieth year of my age I was pressed 
 and carried on board of a vessel belonging to a man- 
 of-war. I was put down into the hold in the dark, 
 not having anything to lie upon but casks : and what 
 made it worse to me, I was among wicked, debauched 
 men ; and as we were shut up in darkness, so was 
 their conversation dark and hellish. In the morning, 
 for which I longed more than the watchman, the lieu- 
 tenant called us up on deck, and examined us, whether
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 19 
 
 we were willing to serve the king? He called me to 
 him, and asked me, if I was willing to serve his ma- 
 jesty ? I answered, that I was willing to serve him 
 in my business, and according to my conscience ; but 
 as for war or fighting,. Christ had forbidden it in his 
 excellent sermon on the mount ; and for that reason 
 I could not bear arms, or be instrumental to destroy 
 or kill men. Then the lieutenant looked on me and 
 on the people, and said, " Gentlemen, what shall we 
 do with this fellow? he swears he will not fis;ht." 
 The commander of the vessel made answer, " No, no, 
 he will neither swear nor fight." Upon which they 
 turned me on shore. I was thankful that I was de- 
 livered out of their hands ; and my tender parents 
 were glad to see me again. 
 
 As I grew in years, the world began to take too 
 much root in me ; and my unwearied enemy would 
 tell me that it was lawful enough ; and indeed I see 
 that he hurts many with lawful things, with whom 
 he knoweth unlawful things will not take ; and here 
 I had been lost, if God had not been gracious to me. 
 But He, in whose presence I delighted, withdrew, and 
 deprived me of that enjoyment which was grateful 
 and comfortable above all things to my soul. Then 
 did I pray with tears, Oh, that it might be with me 
 as it was at other times before ! and I was willing to 
 let the world go, rather than grace and God's glory. 
 The Psalmist saith, " No good thing will he withhold 
 from them that walk uprightly." 
 
 About this time there was a great concern on my
 
 20 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 mini, rightly to distinguish between the vo'ce of 
 Christ and the whisperings of Satan ; and thus it 
 opened to me : that Christ, the truth, always speaketh 
 good and for a good end, and that there is divine life 
 to the soul in this speaking ; but the devil never 
 speaks good, unless sometimes for a bad end, and 
 then not good in reality, only colored with good or 
 a fair show. 
 
 Keeping under this exercise, the Lord appeared to 
 me again, and many times t refreshed my heart with 
 his goodness. When I was in my business amongst 
 men, I witnessed the Holy Ghost, the Comforter, to be 
 near me ; which was more to me than all the world, 
 or the riches, glory, and beauty of it. The love of 
 God being so sweet to my soul and spirit ; my breath- 
 ings, prayers, and supplications were to the Lord, that 
 my neighbors, acquaintance, and relations might also 
 partake of the like precious faith and love which I 
 enjoyed ; and that the children of men might answer 
 that great and good end for which the Lord created 
 them ; which is, that glory, honor, and praise might 
 ascend and be given to Him. 
 
 I had such a sense and fear of dishonoring God, 
 that I often, with tears, cried, " Never let me live to 
 dishonor thee. Oh ! it had been better for me that I 
 had never been born, than that I should live to dis- 
 honor thee, or wilfully reproach the name of Christ, 
 who, with the Father, is only worthy of divine honor." 
 
 In this concern I felt the gospel powe^ of our Lord 
 Jesus Christ to work upon my soul, and the Word of
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 21 
 
 God was as a seed in my heart, growing and opening 
 in me, speaking to me, and making my understanding 
 fruitful in the things of his kingdom; and in that 
 ability which was given me of God, through his grace 
 and holy Spirit, I exhorted people to repentance and 
 amendment of life; and I always humbly desired 
 the help and divine influence of God's eternal Word 
 therein. Oh ! I did fervently pray that I might 
 minister the gospel in the power of Jesus ; for I 
 clearly discerned, in the light of the Son of God, 
 that all ministering out of Christ's power was neither 
 edifying nor efficacious unto, souls : therefore I did 
 earnestly beseech God for the continuance of the gift 
 of his Spirit, that I might be enabled to preach the 
 gospel in the power of Christ Jesus. The concern 
 that was upon me on this account at that time, is 
 hard to be expressed in words. 
 
 The latter end of the year 1695, my father sent me 
 into Essex on some business, and when I had accom- 
 plished it, I visited some meetings of Friends there, 
 and my mind being much affected with the apprehen- 
 sions of an impending storm, — the nation being about 
 this time threatened with an invasion from France, 
 in favor of the late King James, so that there was 
 expectation of much bloodshed and confusion in the 
 land, — I wrote a letter to my parents, and another to 
 Friends of the Evening Meeting kept weekly at my 
 father's house, expressing my thankfulness to the 
 Almighty, in the remembrance of the many precious 
 visitations of divine 'love and favor we had been
 
 22 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 partakers of, uniting our hearts to him, and to one 
 another; and my earnest prayers and supplications, 
 that we might be preserved in true love, and the 
 unity of the Spirit, which is the bond of everlasting 
 peace ; and that the world might be made sensible of 
 this true peace, which abounds in those who love and 
 fear the Lord, and truly believe in the name of Jesus. 
 Ohi surely, they would then depart from sin, and 
 abandon iniquity, by which they incur the wrath of 
 the Lord, and provoke the just One to anger; so that 
 the line of confusion seems to be stretched over the 
 city and nation, and the eyes of the faithful see it to 
 the grief of their souls. Yet the mercy of the Lord, 
 even of the just God, who will render a just reward 
 to every one according to his deeds done in the body, 
 is still handed forth to the land. Oh ! that the inhab- 
 itants thereof would consider their ways, and be wise, 
 and turn to the Lord with unfeigned repentance, while 
 the day of mercy lasteth, before it be said, Now it is 
 hid from thine eyes ; for the Lord, even the God and 
 Father of spirits, hath said, " My spirit shall not 
 always strive with man, for that he also is flesh." 
 
 On the expiration of my apprenticeship, having 
 served my father faithfully seven years, I entered 
 more strongly into covenant with my heavenly Father 
 and Master, to serve him all my days, through his 
 assistance ; and was soon after drawn forth, in the 
 spirit and love of Christ, to visit the meetings of 
 Friends westward from London, viz., through Surry, 
 Sussex, Hampshire, Wiltshire, Devonshire, and Corn-
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 23 
 
 wall to the Land's-end ; in which journey I was ac- 
 companied by William Hornould. At one of our 
 meetings at Falmouth, in Cornwall, two men called 
 gentlemen came from the inn to hear the strangers; 
 and after meeting, they said they could take their 
 oath that I was a Jesuit, and that they had heard 
 me preach in a Romish chapel in France ; which was 
 utterly false, for I never was in France. Besides, 
 had I been a Papist, or popishly inclined, which I was 
 not, I was too young to be a Jesuit. 
 
 Indeed, I thought I was mean for the work of the 
 ministry, but the good Remembrancer brought those 
 truths to my remembrance, which strengthened me in 
 the work and service of God. " The Spirit breatheth 
 where it listeth. Out of the mouths of babes and 
 sucklings thou hast perfected praise," etc. We having 
 great peace in our labors in this journey, and being 
 edified therewith, returned to London, after about four 
 months absence from home. 
 
 After J had been two weeks at home, my dear 
 mother departed this life, in a sweet frame of spirit, 
 praising the Lord. She was one who lived the life of 
 the righteous, and whose latter end was like theirs, 
 and left a good report behind her, being well beloved, 
 I think I may safely say, by all our neighbors ; not 
 only by those of our own society, but others also, to 
 whom she was often very helpful. 
 
 I went to my calling and got a little money, a little 
 being enough, which I was made willing to spend 
 freely in the work and service of my great master,
 
 24 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 Christ Jesus. About this time I was concerned to 
 travel into the north of England, and part of Scot- 
 land, which I did in that ability God gave me ; and 
 that dispensation which I had freely received, I freely 
 handed forth to the people, devoting my strength and 
 time to serve Him who had done so much for me ; and I 
 had the satisfaction to find divers confessing the truth 
 as it is in Jesus. In this journey I was from home 
 about four months, being mostly alone as to any yoke- 
 fellow in that work, travelling many hundreds of miles, 
 as far as Edinburgh, in Scotland, where -our meeting 
 was in the street, we being locked out of our meeting- 
 house by the then power, and great numbers of people 
 were there. This news being carried to the provost 
 of the city, he said, " The Quakers would do more 
 hurt out of doors than within," and he ordered Friends 
 their key. Since which I have understood that Friends 
 in that city have enjoyed their meetings in the meeting- 
 house; and sometimes when the rabble have disturbed 
 Friends, the magistrates have sent officers to disperse 
 them. 
 
 After I had visited the churches of Christ in divers 
 parts of England, and had many sweet seasons of 
 God's love, and many good opportunities with my 
 Friends and others in this nation ; the word of life 
 being declared in the simplicity of the gospel, in 
 several places people were ver}' open-hearted, and 
 received the testimony of it with gladness. After I 
 had been at my father's, and at my calling, a little 
 after this north-country journey, I found myself en*
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 25 
 
 gaged in the love of the gospel to visit Friends in 
 America ; and having acquainted my friends and re- 
 lations of my mind, they being willing to give me 
 up, in order for the voyage, Friends of the Monthly 
 Meeting gave me a certificate, and I had another from 
 the meeting of the ministers in London. 
 
 My father, and several other Friends with me, took 
 boat from London, and accompanied me to Gravesend, 
 on the 21st of the Tenth month, 1697. I went on 
 board the ship Josiah, Thomas Lurting, master, and 
 sailed that day from Gravesend, and got to the 
 Downs the next day, where we tarried some days 
 for a fair wind ; in which time several others, who 
 were concerned in the same gospel labor, came on 
 board, viz., Thomas Turner, William Ellis, and Aaron 
 Atkinson. In about four days' time the wind was 
 fair for us, and we set sail, and in a little time we 
 got out of sight of the land ; soon after which the 
 wind was contrary, and we proceeded but a small dis- 
 tance for several weeks ; the weather was rough and 
 the sea boisterous, so that with the motion thereof 
 most of the passengers were sick. In this time we 
 lost a lad, who fell into the sea as he was drawing a 
 bucket of water, and was drowned ; the ship running 
 swiftly, he could not be saved, although it was speedily 
 endeavored. Several others died before we got over ; 
 but for the most part we were healthful. The Lord 
 be praised, he was, is, and will be with those who faith- 
 fully serve him to the end. « 
 
 There were three ships in company, but by the dis- 
 8
 
 26 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 tress of weather, soon after we came out, we parted. 
 After we had been at sea about eight weeks, on the 
 25th of the Twelfth month we saw two vessels astern 
 of us. One of them came up with us, and the people 
 hailed us, and told us they came from Bristol, and had 
 been out ten weeks. The other came up with us next 
 day. The people informed us they had been at sea 
 seven weeks, and had had a dreadful time of it. She 
 had lost part of her topmast, and her spritsail topmast 
 was gone. She was a new ship, and never at sea 
 before, belonging to London, and bound for Virginia, 
 as near as we could understand. Our ship lost none 
 of her tackling, through the great mercy of God to 
 us, though the wind and sea were wonderfully high 
 at times ; the mate told me, I might go to sea all my 
 life, and not see the like : he said he had been at, or 
 used to, the sea for twenty years, and never saw it so 
 rough and high before. We had meetings twice a 
 week, several of which were comfortable and refresh- 
 ing, to which most of the passengers, being in all 
 about sixty, sometimes came ; and several of them 
 were affected with the sense of truth, and the Lord 
 strengthened our faith and hope in him. 
 
 Oh ! forever blessed be the living and eternal God, 
 who kept my soul above the fear of death, hell, and 
 the. grave ; for my trust was in him, and he did bear 
 up my spirit above the waves of the sea; and in the 
 time of tossing with tempests, I was comforted and 
 cheerful, praising the Lord in my heart, both in the 
 daytime and in the night season.
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 27 
 
 I was much concerned in my mind for many of the 
 passengers, who, with the second mate and several 
 of the seamen, were very sick, and by some were 
 thought near unto death. I cried to the Lord, in 
 the name of his dear Son, to heal them, and that it 
 might be a means to convince- them of the efficacy 
 of love to, and faith in Christ Jesus, the physician 
 of value ; and the Lord was pleased to heal them. 
 The mate of the ship desired that I would come and 
 pray by him. I went to him, and prayed in the 
 power and name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the 
 Lord helped him, that he said' he was fine and easy, 
 and thanked me for my love ; and in a little time he 
 recovered. Several others of the seamen and passen- 
 gers I was instrumental to help in their sickness. 
 The Lord blessed my endeavors in supplicating him 
 on their behalf, and administering what I had to 
 them. One of the seamen said, he was bound to 
 pray for me as long as he lived, and that the Lord 
 would bless me. Another of the passengers said, 
 that I was the blessed doctor; for there was not a 
 surgeon or doctor in the ship. I was very free to 
 communicate of what I had to any sick person in the 
 ship, and several blessed the Lord on my behalf. In- 
 deed, I thought I could scarcely do enough for, any 
 that were in distress. I write not thus that I may 
 seem popular, but with my mind bowed before the 
 Lord. Many times in this voyage there were con- 
 sultations in my mind, whether I had best write a 
 memorandum hereof; but at last, conceiving in my
 
 28 THE JOURNAL OP 
 
 spirit that it might strengthen and excite love to 
 God, and faith in his beloved Son, in true believers, 
 I wrote as aforesaid ; and then I was satisfied, and 
 gave the glory to God. 
 
 Before we came to the land, we saw a ketch, which 
 had saved the lives of some who belonged to a ship 
 that was a little before foundered in the sea; who 
 said also, that a fleet of New England ships which 
 had been upon that coast, by stormy weather were 
 forced to Barbadoes. Within a few days after, we 
 saw the land of Virginia, and also a New England 
 ship, which sailed from England three weeks before 
 us. We arrived within the Capes of Virginia the 31st 
 of the First month, 1698, and overtook the John and 
 Margaret, a ship that came out of the English Channel 
 with us, — the master, Thomas Salmon, being dead. 
 Next day we anchored our ship at the mouth of 
 Patuxent river, in Maryland, where our boats were 
 hoisted out, and we were rowed up Patuxent river 
 twelve miles, to Arthur Young's house, where we 
 lodged that night ; and for our preservation and 
 safe arrival we blessed the Lord our God, and my 
 spirit praised Him who lives forever and ever. Our 
 voyage was above twelve weeks, it being then winter 
 tim#, and for the most part the winds so high that 
 the ship could carry but little sail, which made our 
 voyage the longer. 
 
 About four days after we landed, we had a meeting 
 near Patuxent river; and a blessed one it was ! When 
 it was ended, we went that night to Daniel Eawling's,
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 29 
 
 and from thence to the Cliffs, to Kichard Johns', a 
 Friend who came with us from England, at whose 
 house we had a meeting, wherein God's presence was 
 powerfully felt. We had several meetings on that 
 side the bay called the Westernshore, and then we 
 sailed over to the east side of Chesapeake bay, with 
 Thomas Everden, in his sloop ; went to his house and 
 had a meeting, where many people came. Here we 
 met with our friends, Jonathan Tyler, Henry Payton, 
 and Henry Payton 's sister. While I was at this 
 Friend's house, one Robert Cathing, being very ill, 
 sent for Thomas Everden, and he, not being very well, 
 desired me to visit the sick person. So I went, and 
 the man was near to death. Howbeit, he said he was 
 comforted much with the visit, and that he never had 
 received so much benefit by the parish priest, although, 
 said he, it cost me dear for what I had ; and if ever I 
 live to get over it, by the assistance of God, I shall 
 have nothing to do with them more. But he said 
 he should not live three days. And before the end 
 of three days he expired. He desired, if I were 
 not gone, that I would be at his funeral. On notice 
 hereof, about ten Friends went ; and there were a 
 great many people, among whom we had a good 
 opportunity, and many weighty truths were opened 
 to them in the love of God ; and some of them were 
 tender, and wept ; and the most, if not all, I think I 
 may say, were solid and weighty. 
 
 From Thomas Everden's we went to George Truit's, 
 at whose house we had a meeting. This Friend and 
 3«
 
 30 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 I went to an Indian town not far from his house, 
 because I had a desire to see these people, having 
 never seen any of them before. When we came to 
 the town, they were kind to us, spoke well of Friends, 
 and said they would not cheat them, as some others did. 
 From George Truit's, in Maryland, we went down 
 to Virginia; and in Accomack and Northampton coun- 
 ties had large meetings. I hope they were effectual 
 to many, and I think my hope is not without ground. 
 In those parts we had several meetings, where we 
 were informed Friends had not had any before. And 
 really I cannot but bless the Lord for the opportuni- 
 ties we had with the people ; for the goodness of God, 
 through Christ our Lord, was great, both to us and 
 them, and with tears they did acknowledge the truth. 
 Thomas Turner, who had hitherto accompanied me, 
 went by the sea-side, the nearest way to Philadelphia, 
 and afterwards I had a meeting at George Truit's 
 brother's, and on the First day, another near the 
 court-house, and went to Thomas Everden's, and so 
 to Leven Denwood's, and thence to Nanticoke. river, 
 and visited Friends up the bay until I came to the 
 river Choptank, about which there are many Friends. 
 I went on and took the meetings till I came to Phila- 
 delphia, in and about which place, and in other parts 
 of the province of Pennsylvania, I had many large 
 and precious meetings, the power of the eternal Son 
 of God being wonderful; in which power we many 
 times blessed his name together. It was much in 
 my heart to exhort Friends to love God and to be
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 31 
 
 at unity one with another, without which there is no 
 fulfilling the law or gospel. There are many Friends 
 in that province, and many sober young people, which 
 greatly rejoiced my spirit, so that for their encourage- 
 ment the Lord opened my mouth in a prophetic man- 
 ner to declare unto them the blessings which he had 
 in store for them, on condition of their walking in the 
 truth. Glory to God on high ! untruth decays and 
 the branches of it mightily wither ; the darkness is 
 much past, and the true light shineth gloriously in 
 many souls. Oh ! powerful praises be given to God, 
 who is light forever. 
 
 From Philadelphia I went to Burlington and to 
 Crosswic^s, where we had a large meeting under the 
 trees, and some were convinced of the truth. From 
 hence I went to Shrewsbury and had meetings ; then 
 to Woodbridge, Staten Island, and Long Island, being 
 accompanied by several Friends. On Long Island we 
 had several large and good meetings, wherein Christ 
 was preached freely ; and after we had been two weeks 
 there, we went on board a sloop bound for Khode 
 Island, and by the way we touched at Fisher's and 
 Block islands, and on the First day morning we set 
 sail from Block Island to Khode Island, the Yearly 
 Meeting being just over when we got there. That 
 evening we sailed over to Connanicut Island, and on 
 the Third day of the week had a meeting there. 
 From thence we went over to Narraganset and had 
 a meeting, and back to Khode Island, where Kuth 
 Fry, a sober young woman, was convinced and re-
 
 32 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 mained a Friend till her death. Here I met with 
 several travelling Friends. From this island we went 
 to the main, and had a large meeting on First day, at 
 a place called Greenwich. It was thought there were 
 about five hundred people present, and many of them 
 were tender. We went the same night to the island ; 
 and after several open times with Friends and others 
 on PJiode Island, about twelve Friends of that island 
 went with me to Warwick and Providence Yearly 
 Meetings. We set sail about noon, and having but 
 little wind, it was late in the night before we got 
 there, and very dark, insomuch that we could neither 
 see nor know one another, only by our speech, and 
 the darkness occasioned us to run our vessel against 
 the rocks ; but at last we got ashore with our horses, 
 and after going over a very dirty slough, entered a 
 dismal wilderness. These difficulties occasioned our 
 not getting to the Friend's house till the next day, 
 which being the last day in ^he week, we had a 
 meeting ; and on the First day also we had a very 
 large and satisfactory meeting. Many of us were so 
 united in the love of God, that it was hard to part 
 one from another. 
 
 From Providence I went to Boston and Salem, 
 where I had meetings, and from thence to Hampton. 
 In those parts God Almighty hath shortened the 
 power of persecutors, and brought his righteous judg- 
 ments upon them for their unrighteousness. Oh ! that 
 New England's professors might live in the sense of 
 the same, and repent. I being a stranger and trav-
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 33 
 
 eller, could not but observe the barbarous and un- 
 christian-like welcome I had in Boston, the metropolis 
 of New England. Oh ! what a pity it was, said one, 
 that all of your Society were not hanged with the 
 other four ! * In the eastern part of New England 
 God hath a seed left of his people. 
 
 From thence I returned in order to get a passage 
 to the isle of Nantucket; and from a place called 
 Cushnet we sailed over to the said island in about 
 ten hours, where we tarried several days and had five 
 meetings. The people generally acknowledged to 
 the truth, and many of them were tender-hearted. 
 Some of the ancient people said, it was never known 
 that so many people were together on the island at 
 once. After the first meeting was over, one asked 
 the minister, so called, whether we might have a 
 meeting at his house ? He said, with a good will, we 
 might. This minister had some discourse with me, 
 and asked, What induced me to come hither, being 
 such a young man ? I told him I had no other view 
 in coming there than the good of souls, and that I 
 could say with the apostle, a necessity was laid upon 
 me, and woe would be to me if I did not preach the 
 gospel. Then, said he, I wish you would preach at 
 my house in God's name. So next day we had a 
 meeting at his house ; and on First day we had the 
 largest meeting that we had on the island. It was 
 thought there were above two hundred people. The 
 
 * Marmaduke Stevenson, William Robinson, Mary Dyer, and 
 William Ledra, who were put to death in 1659 and 1660.
 
 34 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 Lord in his power did make his truth known to tha 
 praise of his name. Oh ! how was my soul concerned 
 for that people ! The Lord Jesus did open my heart 
 to them, and theirs to him. They were also loving 
 and kind to us. The chief magistrate of the island 
 desired that I would have a meeting at his house, 
 there being no settled meeting of Friends before I 
 came; and after meeting he disputed with me about 
 religion. I thought we were both but poor dispu- 
 tants ; and cannot remember all that passed between 
 us, but that in the close of our dispute he said, "I dis- 
 puted with your friends in Barbadoes, and they told 
 me that we must eat the spiritual flesh, and drink 
 the spiritual blood of Christ; and," said the governor, 
 " did ever any one hear of such flesh and blood ; for is 
 it not a contradiction in nature, that flesh and blood 
 should be spiritual?" "Oh, surely!" said I, "the 
 governor has forgotten himself; for what flesh and 
 blood was that which Christ said, ' Except ye eat my 
 flesh, and drink my blood, ye have no life in you ' ? " 
 " Why," said he, " I do not think they were to gnaw it 
 from his arms and shoulders." I then told him he had 
 answered himself; and thus our dispute ended. From 
 that time forward they have continued a meeting, and 
 there is now a meeting-house and a Yearly Meeting 
 for worship ; it is a growing meeting to this day, and 
 several public Friends are raised up amongst them, 
 who preach the gospel of Christ freely. 
 
 At this time a Friend was convinced whose name 
 wa3 Starbuck, who became very serviceable on that
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. ' 35 
 
 island, and lived and died an eminent minister of 
 Christ. Several scores of the people accompanied us 
 to the water-side ; and when we embarked on board 
 our sloop, they desired that I would come and visit 
 them again. I recommended them to the grace of 
 our Lord Jesus, and we parted in great love and ten- 
 derness. In the evening of the next day we got to 
 the main land, where we were gladly received. Now 
 it was in my heart again to visit the eastern parts of 
 New England before I left America; therefore I went 
 to Boston Yearly Meeting, thence to Lynn and Salem, 
 where we had a sweet comfortable time ; likewise to 
 the Yearly Meetings at Dover, and to Piscataway, 
 where we had several meetings, which were profitable 
 opportunities to many. From Piscataway, James 
 Goodbridge and I went over to the isle of Shoals. 
 We had with us a church-member of the Presbyte- 
 rians, whose brother invited her over with us to the 
 said island, to the meeting which was at his house ; 
 and while he was talking with her in the yard or gar- 
 den, I saw a bible and took it and read therein. 
 "When she came into the house, she asked me, What 
 I did with, that book? I told her, if she was of- 
 fended, I would lay it down. No, no, said she, do not 
 think to come off so, for you disown or deny that 
 book. I told her she was mistaken ; and asked who 
 told her so. Why, said she, our minister in his pulpit. 
 I replied, that it was a great abuse upon us, for I 
 had been trained up from my childhood in the read- 
 ing and belief of the Scriptures, and my father and
 
 36 THE JOURNAL OP 
 
 mother were Friends, that is, Quakers. She, willing 
 to try me further, said, Did your father and mother 
 suffer you to read the bible when you were a little 
 boy ? Yes, said I, and gave me correction when I 
 was not so willing to read therein as they would have 
 me. Then, said she, our minister has belied you ; 
 and since you say so, if it please God, I will go and 
 hear you. She went with us to meeting ; and after it 
 was over, one asked her how she would answer it to 
 their minister for going to meetings ? She replied, it 
 was truth she had heard, and she would stand by it, 
 through the grace of Christ, and need not be ashamed 
 of it, though we are of ourselves but poor weak 
 creatures. This woman was sober and religious, and 
 one of good report. By the foregoing we may see 
 how slanders flow from some pulpits : the more is the 
 shame and pity. We went on and preached the gos- 
 pel of our Lord Jesus Christ, in that ability he gave 
 us, with which the people were affected, and would 
 have had us tarry longer, but we could not, although 
 they much importuned us, because we had appointed 
 a meeting at Oyster river. After having several 
 meetings about Piscataway and Dover, we went to 
 Hampton, where we had meetings; and at Salisbury 
 we had a large open meeting, of about three hundred 
 people, as it was supposed, which was at this time 
 accounted a great concourse of people thereabouts. 
 At Jamaica and Haverhill also we had meetings, and 
 from thence went to Salem and Lynn again, where 
 we had good service for Truth ; and then to Boston,
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 37 
 
 and had a meeting at the meeting-house, and another 
 at a Friend's house in the evening, at which there 
 were many people. From Boston I went to visit 
 friends about Cape Cod, till I came again to Rhode 
 Island. By the way I met with Aaron Atkinson, 
 who was on a visit to Friends in New England. I 
 had several good opportunities and powerful meetings 
 in those parts, and truth wrought a tenderness in 
 divers at Rhode Island. The presence of Him who 
 said, " "Where two or three are met together in my 
 name, there am I in the midst of them," being sen- 
 sibly witnessed by many ; for He was with us of a 
 truth. From thence I went round the Narraganset 
 country, and had meetings at several places, and was 
 accompanied by John Rodman and William Beackley, 
 through Connecticut to Long Island, which is ac- 
 counted two hundred miles. We had one meeting by 
 the way, in which Christ, the Light of the world, was 
 preached to the people, at a place where we were told 
 there had never been a Friends' meeting before. I 
 came to Long Island about two weeks before the Gen- 
 eral Meeting, and visited Friends in several places on 
 this island, as at Hempstead, Jerusalem, Jericho, and 
 Bethpage, where there were large meetings, and much 
 openness among the people, and some were convinced. 
 We had a meeting at a place called Matinicock, where 
 I met with some of the people called Ranters, who 
 disturbed our meeting. I may say as the apostle 
 Paul, only altering Ephesus to Matinicock, that I 
 fought with beasts there. I travelled to New York, 
 
 4
 
 38 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 where we had two meetings ; from thence we went to 
 the Jerseys, and had several serviceable meetings; 
 and so to Pennsylvania, where there are many very 
 large meetings of Friends, and the Lord is with his 
 people, and prospereth them spiritually and tem- 
 porally. Here I met with my dear friend William 
 Ellis. From Philadelphia, Eichard Gove, of that city, 
 and I travelled to Maryland, and visited Friends on 
 the Western Shore and to Virginia. In Virginia, 
 near James River, I met with an aged Friend whose 
 name was William Porter : he was ninety-two years 
 of age.* We had several meetings there amongst 
 Friends and others, many being well satisfied con- 
 cerning the truth, and spoke well of it. 
 
 After we had had several good and open meetings 
 in Virginia, we found ourselves clear of America, 
 and in order for our passage, agreed with our friend 
 F. Johnson, of the " Elizabeth and Mary," to carry us 
 for England. 
 
 * I saw him some years after, and he was weeding Indian 
 corn with a hoe. He was then about one hundred and six 
 years of age, and had upwards of seventy children, grand- 
 children, and great-grand-children. Divers Friends of us went 
 to see him, and he preached to us a short, but very affecting 
 sermon, which was, as near as I remember, thus: "Friends, 
 you are come to see me in the love of God ; God is love, and 
 those that dwell in God, dwell in love ; I thank God I feel his 
 divine life every day and^ every night." He died, aged one 
 hundred and seven years.
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 39 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 1699-1706. 
 
 Embarks for England — Incidents of Voyage — The Doctor's 
 Dream — The Doctor Drowned — Arrives at Plymouth — London 
 Yearly Meeting — Marriage — Remarkable Exercise of his Wife 
 
 — Visits Ireland — Removes to America — Imminent Danger near 
 Goodwin Sands — Return to Deal — Sail again — Terrible Storm 
 
 — Land in Maryland — Settles at Philadelphia — Visits Barba- 
 does — Conversation with the Governor — Returns Home — Visit 
 to the South — Visits New England — Cruelties of Indians — 
 Preservation of Friends — Remarkable Account by Mary Doe 
 
 — Return Home — Visits New Jersey, Maryland, etc. — Dispute 
 with a Priest. 
 
 On the 11th of the First month, 1698-99, we were 
 accompanied on board by several Friends, who abode 
 with us all night ; and the next day being the First 
 day of the week, we had a comfortable meeting, and 
 then parted in much love, having the evidence of the 
 power of the Almighty with us. We waited for a 
 fair wind until the 20th of the aforesaid month, and 
 left the Capes of Virginia that day, and at night got 
 our ship into a sailing posture ; and I was glad in my 
 spirit that I was setting my face towards my native 
 land ; and more glad that I was returning with peace 
 in my bosom. The power and presence of Him who
 
 40 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 said, " Go, teach all nations," was sweet to my soul at 
 that time, and now in some measure I enjoyed the 
 fruits of having labored in that ability which God 
 had given to me. Glory to God, through Christ, who 
 is worthy for ever ! The presence of God was with 
 us on the great ocean, and we were wonderfully 
 strengthened through his goodness. "We had several 
 good meetings on board our ship, and were very 
 largely opened in the love of God to the poor seamen. 
 When we launched forth into the deep, there were 
 several ships in company ; but we had been but a 
 little time at sea, before we lost sight of them all. 
 Several ships passed by us about a week after we 
 sailed ; and about this time we saw a very large 
 whale, which lifted itself partly out of the water, 
 with its mouth open, which looked like the entrance 
 of a large cave. We likewise saw several other large 
 sea-fish, such as grampuses, sharks, etc., all of which 
 show forth the wondrous works of the great Creator 
 pf all things. Elizabeth Webb and Elizabeth Lloyd 
 went over with us in this vessel, both virtuous women. 
 For about two weeks the winds were mostly fair, in 
 which time we got finely on our way ; but for above 
 a week afterwards the winds were mostly contrary, 
 and the ship had a great motion, which caused some 
 of us to be sea-sick, especially Elizabeth Lloyd,* who 
 
 * She was the daughter of Thomas Lloyd, late Deputy- 
 Governor of Pennsylvania. She lived and died a virtuous 
 ■woman, and, I think, generally beloved by all who were ac- 
 quainted with her. When she died she was the wife of Daniel
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 41 
 
 was but weakly. One night our sailors thought that 
 an enemy or pirate was near us, as a vessel fired two 
 guns and passed by us ; but it being night, we could 
 not certainly know what she was. I rather judged it 
 , might be some ship in distress, for that evening we 
 saw one of the ships that came out with us, and the 
 next morning we could see none at all, and there was 
 hardly any wind that night, so I feared that our com- 
 panion had sprung a leak and foundered ; and when 
 I told our master my opinion, he said he feared the 
 same likewise. For nearly two weeks' time we beat 
 about the sea, and made little progress. Howbeit, 
 we had several good meetings, wherein we gave glory 
 to God, our Saviour ; and forever let it ascend to him 
 over all, saith my soul ! Contrary winds are com- 
 monly tedious at sea, but especially to those that 
 know not where to stay their minds ; but there being 
 several Friends of us on board, we had oftentimes 
 good meetings ; and if any of our ship's company 
 came to meeting, they always were sober and some- 
 times tender ; and truly God's love was extended 
 towards them. When it was not our meeting-days, 
 we spent not our time idly, but for the most part in 
 reading the holy Scriptures, writing, etc., in which 
 we were at seasons greatly refreshed, strengthened, 
 and comforted. Oh ! my soul ! glorify God thy Maker, 
 and Christ thy Saviour, for ever, in the sense of his 
 goodness and mercy, both by sea and land, by night 
 
 Zachary, a merchant of Boston, New England, and was well 
 known and much beloved there for her piety and virtue. 
 4*
 
 42 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 and by day ! After we had been almost seven weeks 
 at sea, we thought that we were near the land, but 
 we sounded several days and found no bottom, although 
 we let out abundance of line, I think above three hun- 
 dred yards. 
 
 About this time our doctor dreamed a dream, which 
 he related to me, to this effect : he said " He dreamed 
 that he went on shore at a great and spacious town, 
 the buildings whereof were high, and the streets 
 broad ; and as he went up the street he saw a large 
 sign, on which was written, in great golden letters, 
 shame. At the door of the house to which the sign 
 belonged, stood a woman with a can in her hand, who 
 said to him, 'Doctor, will you drink?' He replied, 
 ' With all my heart, for I have not drank anything 
 but water a great while,' (our wine and cider being all 
 spent, having had a long passage;) and he drank a 
 hearty draught, which he said made him merry. He 
 went up the street reeling to and fro, when a grim 
 fellow coming behind him, clapped him on the shoulder, 
 and told him that he arrested him in the name of the 
 governor of the place. He asked him for what ; and 
 said, ' What have I done ? ' He answered, ' For steal- 
 ing the woman's can.' The can he had indeed, and so 
 he was had before the governor, which was a mighty 
 black dog, the biggest and grimmest that ever he saw 
 in his life ; and witness was brought in against him 
 by an old companion of his, and he was found guilty, 
 and his sentence was to go to prison, and there lay 
 forever."
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 43 
 
 He told me this dream so punctually, and with such 
 an emphasis, that it affected me with serious sadness, 
 and caused my heart to move within me ; for to me 
 the dream seemed true, and the interpretation sure. 
 I then told him he was an ingenious man, and might 
 clearly see the interpretation of that dream, which 
 exactly answered to his state and condition, which I 
 thus interpreted to him : " This great and spacious 
 place, wherein the buildings were high and the streets 
 broad, is thy great and high profession. The sign, 
 on which was written shame, which thou sawest, and 
 the woman at the door, with the can in her hand, 
 truly represent that great, crying, and shameful sin 
 of drunkenness, which thou knowest to be thy great 
 weakness, which the woman with the can did truly 
 represent to thee. The grim fellow who arrested thee 
 in the devil's territories, is Death, who will assuredly 
 arrest all mortals ; the governor whom thou sawest, 
 representing a great black dog, is certainly the devil, 
 who after his servants have served him to the full, 
 will torment them eternally in hell." So he got up, 
 as it were in haste, and said, " God forbid ! it is no- 
 thing but a dream." But I told him it was a very 
 significant one, and a warning to him from the Al- 
 mighty, who sometimes speaks to men by dreams. 
 
 In seven weeks after we left sight of the land of 
 America, we saw the Scilly Islands, and next day the 
 land of England, which was a comfortable sight to 
 us ; in that God Almighty had preserved us hitherto, 
 and that we were so far on our wav. We drove about
 
 44 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 the Channel's mouth for several days for want of 
 wind ; after which the wind came up, and we got 
 as far up the Channel as Lime bay, and then an east- 
 erly wind blew fresh for several days, and we turned 
 to windward, but rather lost than got on our way, 
 which was tiresome and tedious to some of us. 
 
 About this time, being some days after the doctor's 
 dream, a grievous accident happened to us. Meeting 
 with a Dutch vessel in Lime bay, a little above the 
 Start, we hailed her, and she us. They said they came 
 from Lisbon, and were bound for Holland. She was 
 loaded with wine, brandy, fruit, and such like com- 
 modities, and we having little but water to drink, by 
 reason our passage was longer than we expected, we 
 sent our boat on board in order to buy a little wine 
 to drink with our water. Our doctor, and a merchant 
 who was a passenger, and one sailor, went on board, 
 where they stayed until some of them were overcome 
 with wine, although they were desired to beware 
 thereof. When they came back, a rope was handed 
 to them, but they being filled with wine to excess, 
 were not capable of using it dexterously, insomuch 
 that they overset the boat, and she turned bottom 
 upwards, having the doctor under her. The merchant 
 caught hold of a rope called the main-sheet, whereby 
 his life was saved. The sailor not getting so much 
 drink as the other two, got nimbly on the bottom of 
 the boat, and floated on the water till our other boat 
 was hoisted out, which was done with great speed, and 
 we took him in ; but the doctor was drowned before
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 45 
 
 the boat came. The seaman who sat upon the boat 
 saw him sink, but could not help him. This was the 
 greatest exercise that we met with in al.l our voyage; 
 and the more so, because the doctor was of an evil 
 life and conversation, and much given to excess in 
 drinking. When he got on board the aforesaid ship, 
 the master sent for a can of wine, and said, " Doctor, 
 will you drink?" He replied, "Yes, with all my 
 heart, for I have drank no wine a great while." Upon 
 which he drank a hearty draught, that made him 
 merrv, as he said in his dream: and notwithstand- 
 ing the admonition which was so clearly manifested 
 to him but three days before, and the many promises 
 he had made to Almighty God, some of which I was 
 a witness of, when strong convictions were upon him, 
 yet now he was unhappily overcome, and in drink 
 when he was drowned. This is, I think, a lively repre- 
 sentation of the tender mercy and just judgment of 
 the Almighty to poor mortals ; and I thought it 
 worthy to be recorded for posterity, as a warning 
 to all great lovers of wine and strong liquors. This 
 exercise was so great to me,- that I could not for 
 several days get over it; and one. day, while I was 
 musing in my mind on those things relating to the 
 doctor, it was opened to me that God and his servants 
 were clear, and his blood was on his own head ; for 
 he had been faithfully warned of his evil ways. 
 
 We were obliged by contrary winds to put into 
 Plymouth harbor, and from Plymouth I went by coach 
 to London, where I was gladly received by my rela-
 
 46 THE JOURNAL Or 
 
 tions and friends. I got to the Yearly Meeting of 
 Friends in Lcndon, in the year 1699, which was large, 
 and was at divers public meetings for the worship of 
 Almighty God. I may truly say, the Holy Ghost was 
 amongst us, blessed be God our Saviour, for evermore. 
 In this year I thought it my place to enter into a 
 married state, and I acquainted my.father of my de- 
 sign, and that I inclined to make choice of Martha 
 Betterton, a religious young woman, whom I entirely 
 loved for the piety, virtue, and modesty which I be- 
 held in her. I was in the twenty-fourth year of my 
 age, and she in her twenty-first. I likewise acquainted 
 her father and mother with my intentions, to which 
 both our parents consented ; her father saying, when 
 I spoke to him, the Lord bless you together. And 
 my father said, if I was worth my weight in gold, 
 she deserved me. The heartiness of both our fathers 
 in this matter was more to me than a portion of silver 
 or gold of which we had but very little ; but our love 
 to each other was very great, and being honorably 
 grounded, it was not easily shaken. We proposed our 
 intentions of marriage to the Monthly Meetings to 
 which we belonged ; and because I had been travelling 
 in America, I had certificates from my brethren there, 
 not only of my industry and labor in the ministry, 
 with the good effects thereof, but also of my clearness 
 in relation to marriage. After having twice published 
 our intentions, we had liberty of the said meeting to 
 proceed to the solemnization of our marriage, which 
 was accomplished at Devonshire Bouse, in iondon, at
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 47 
 
 a meeting appointed for that end, on the 28th day of 
 the Seventh month, in the aforesaid year, in the pres- 
 ence of many hundreds of people, and many worthy 
 brethren and elders. A day of days it was to my 
 soul ! wherein I was made sensible of the love and 
 goodness of God in a particular manner, which to me 
 was an earnest of our future well-doing. My dear wife 
 was one who truly loved and feared God, and had an 
 excellent gift of the ministry given unto her, and was 
 serviceable therein. [A paper coming to my hands 
 of her own handwriting and composing, I transcribe 
 it here. She calls it, An Account of the Exercise of 
 Martha Betterton ; viz. : "As I was walking in the 
 city of London, with a concern on my mind, in be- 
 holding the abominable pride of the people, it opened 
 upon my mind in this wise : "Woe, woe to the crown 
 of pride ! And then I was deeply bowed in my spirit 
 before the Lord, and it was said to me, I will yet spare 
 a little longer. I have sheep which I will gather home 
 to me, and there shall be one Shepherd and one sheep- 
 fold. Then I said in my heart, Lord ! shall I be 
 one of the sheep belonging to thy sheepfold of eternal 
 rest ? And again it was answered me, My sheep hear 
 my voice, and they follow me. Then a cry was raised 
 in me, Cause me to hear thy voice ; and not only so, 
 but enable me to obey the same. And then this charge 
 was returned to me, Be thou faithful."] 
 
 Soon after I was married, I had a concern to visit 
 Friends in the counties of Surry, Sussex, and Kent, 
 which I performed in about two weeks' time, and came
 
 48 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 home and followed my calling, and was industrious 
 therein. When I had gotten something to bear my 
 expenses, and settle my wife in some little business, 
 I found an exercise on my spirit to go over to Ire- 
 land, to visit our friends and brethren on that island, 
 in which William Townshend accompanied me ; and 
 Friends in that nation were generally satisfied with 
 our service among them. When we had been from 
 home about ten weeks, and had visited most parts of 
 that nation, having had many meetings among Friends 
 and others, we found freedom in our minds to return 
 home, which we did, being comforted in our service, 
 and blessed the name of the Lord. 
 
 After some few months, I acquainted my wife and 
 my father, with her father and mother, that I thought 
 it my duty to go over and live in America. To which 
 proposal my father consented, though with tenderness 
 of heart, considering that I must be so far separated 
 from him. I also laid it before the Monthly Meeting of 
 Friends, at Horslydown, in Southwark, of which meet- 
 ing I was a member ; they consented to it, though some- 
 what unwilling to part with us, and gave us their cer- 
 tificate, to let our brethren know that we were in love 
 and unity with them, and walked according to our pro- 
 fession. When we were ready, and in order for going, 
 we agreed for the freight of our goods and servants, 
 with John Snowden, and shipped them on board the 
 "Josiah," bound for Maryland. When the ship was 
 at Gravesend, and ready to sail, several of our dear 
 relations and friends accompanied us to the ship, on
 
 \ 
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 49 
 
 board of which we had a good meeting, and took our 
 solemn leave of one another, as expecting never to 
 see each other anv more in this world. It was a 
 solemn time indeed ! We prayed for one another, 
 and so parted, our ship sailing that evening, and we 
 got to Margate-road, where we anchored, and the 
 wind sprung up very fresh, and blew tempestuously, 
 so that we broke our cable, and lost our best bower 
 anchor, and drove violently towards the Goodwin 
 Sands. We let go our sheet anchor and three more, 
 which were all we had, but they did not stop her; 
 upon which the master ordered the carpenters to 
 stand by the mainmast, with their axes upon their 
 shoulders, and when he gave the word, they were to 
 cut the mast. The people in the ship — there being 
 many passengers — were in great consternation, ex- 
 pecting nothing but death: but for my part, being 
 exceedingly sea-sick, and having been in many storms, 
 I was not so much surprised with this, the sailors 
 sometimes making a great- noise when there is but 
 little danger ; but there was more danger than I 
 was aware of, as appeared afterwards. One of the 
 passengers came weeping, and said our case was very 
 bad. The doctor also came in the same manner, and 
 cried, " Oh ! Mr. Chalkley, we are all dead men ! " I 
 thought with myself, I would go out on deck, and see 
 what the matter was. I went to the pilot, who had 
 the lead in his hand; he sounded, and cried out, 
 " Lord, have mercy upon us ! she is gone, she is gone, 
 she is gone ! " by which I perceived that we were very 
 5
 
 50 THE JOUKNAL OF 
 
 near the Goodwin Sands, on which many ships have 
 been lost with all their crews. In this sense of danger, 
 I sent for the passengers into the cabin, and told them 
 that I thought it would be well for us to sit still to- 
 gether, and look unto, and wait upon God, to see what 
 he would please to do for us ; that, if death came, we 
 might meet him in as good a frame of mind as we 
 could, and that we might not be surprised beyond 
 measure. As we were thus composed in our minds, a 
 concern came upon my dear wife, and she prayed to God 
 the Father, in the living power and sense of his Son ; 
 and He heard from his holy habitation, and answered 
 the prayer : for immediately after the wind abated, 
 and our anchors held us. This was a great deliver- 
 ance, which is not to be forgotten. When we saw the 
 longed-for morning, we were very near the Sands, and 
 the sea ran prodigiously high, and broke upon them 
 mightily, so that we were forced to leave our cables 
 and anchors, and make the best of our way to Deal, 
 as well as we could. One of the owners being on 
 shore, and seeing us in distress, sent off a cable and 
 anchor to us ; and we anchored before Deal with our 
 new cable and anchor, and sent a boat for our other 
 anchors and cables, when it was calm, which brought 
 them to us. After we had supplied ourselves with 
 what we wanted, we put to sea again, and had fair 
 winds till we got as far as the "Western Islands, 
 where Captain Cant, being in company with us, spoke 
 with our captain in the evening, and the two captains 
 concluded it would be stormy that night, which ha,p-
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 51 
 
 pened accordingly. They took in their sails, and we 
 all but our mainsail; notwithstanding which, the storm 
 was such that we lost our mainmast, sprung the head 
 of our foremast, and broke our cross-jackyard, and 
 thus lay rolling upon the sea for about two weeks : 
 the ship "Bristol Merchant" coming by in that time, 
 lent us a spare topmast, of which we made a main- 
 mast, and a topmast of our top-gallant-mast, and so 
 refitted as well as we could, and had a pretty good 
 passage afterwards. We were about eight weeks from 
 the Land's-end to the capes of Virginia; had meetings 
 twice a week on board, and they helped to stay our 
 minds on our Maker, though our bodies were tossed 
 to and fro on the mighty waters. We went on shore 
 at Patuxent river, and by land to Herring bay, where 
 my family tarried that winter ; and I with my three 
 servants followed my calling. In the spring we trans- 
 ported ourselves, our goods and servants, from Mary- 
 land to Pennsylvania, where we intended to settle when 
 we came from our native country. At Philadelphia 
 I bought a lot of ground upon the river Delaware, 
 and there I followed my calling that summer. In the 
 fall I had an inward call to visit Friends in Barbadoes, 
 which I proposed to our Monthly Meeting, and they 
 certified on my behalf that they had unity with me 
 in my proposal, conversation, and ministry. I took 
 ship at Philadelphia, about the 20th of the Seventh 
 
 month, 1701, on board the "Abraham," Street, 
 
 commander, and was about a month on the voyage ; 
 Josiah Langdale was with me. We had several good
 
 52 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 ./ 
 
 meetings in the ship to our satisfaction ; and were 
 well received, and had many meetings at Barbadoes, 
 which were often very large and open, and some of 
 the people loving and tender. We had several meet- 
 ings at Bridge-town, Speight's-town, the Spring, the 
 Thickets, and at Pumpkin-hill ; and after being there 
 about six weeks, we went in a sloop to Bermuda, 
 where we found but very few Friends, yet had meet- 
 ings in several places, and at the houses of some people 
 who were not of our profession. The longer we tar- 
 ried, the larger our meetings were ; and many began 
 to be affected, and spoke well of us and our devotion ; 
 but some were disturbed, and spoke to the Governor 
 to break up our meetings ; which at the desire of one 
 of the inhabitants we had appointed at his house: 
 upon which he sent orders by one of his colonels to 
 break up our meeting, which troubled the sober people. 
 After this I met with the Governor at the house of 
 one Judge Stafford ; and he being a moderate man, 
 we had the following discourse, viz. : 
 
 Gov. How do you like our country ? We are but 
 a little spot in the sea. 
 
 T. C. I like it well for its moderate climate. If 
 the people were moderate also, it would be well. 
 
 Gov. Doth it answer your end in coming ? 
 
 T. C. My end in coming was to visit the people in 
 Christian love. 
 
 Gov. Do you think the people will be brought 
 over? 
 
 T. C. If they are brought to truth and righteous-
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 53 
 
 ness, it will be well for them. That is the end of our 
 coming. 
 
 Gov. If you had acquainted me with your design 
 when you first came, you had done well. It was your 
 duty. 
 
 T. C. If we had known the Governor's will herein, 
 or that thou wouldest have spoken with us, we should 
 have readily answered it: but knowing nothing of it, 
 we could not tell but that it might be taken for rude- 
 ness in us, considering our homely way and manner 
 of addressing such men. 
 
 Gov. Then your design in coming here was to 
 preach. Had you no other end ? 
 
 T. C. Yes. As we found a concern upon us to 
 preach, and a desire in the people to hear. 
 
 Gov . Why do you not tarry with them ? that looks 
 strange. Here the people are affected with you, and 
 you go away and leave them : I blame you for that. 
 
 T. C. We do not direct them to men, but to the 
 Lord Jesus Christ, their teacher, and the bishop of 
 their souls. And why should our leaving them look 
 strange to the Governor ? It was the practice of the 
 Apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ, and his own prac- 
 tice and command to his followers. And further, the 
 Apostles (which word signifies ambassadors or messen- 
 gers) say, follow us, as we are followers of Christ. They 
 travelled up and down the world preaching the gospel; 
 and our great Lord himself had not whereon to lay 
 his head. 
 
 Gov. The Apostles were inspired men,* — inspired 
 
 6*
 
 54 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 by the Holy Spirit to preach the gospel. I suppose 
 you do not pretend to be inspired ? 
 
 T. C. Every true Christian ought to pray for the 
 pouring out of the Holy Spirit or Holy Ghost upon 
 him. The Church of England* also prays for it, the 
 receiving of which is inspiration. 
 
 Gov. Your reasons being grounded on Scripture, 
 you are well grounded; for no man can deny the 
 Scriptures. Then you say you are inspired ? 
 
 T. C. I hope I am. I pray for it with great ear- 
 nestness. 
 
 Gov. Then it is but ask, and have, you think ? 
 
 T. C. If we ask in faith, without wavering, we 
 shall receive, according to the doctrine of Christ and 
 his apostles in the New Testament. 
 
 Gov. Well, if any have a desire to hear you, you 
 may preach and welcome. 
 
 After I had this discourse with the governor, it was 
 reported on the island, that he had given us a license 
 to preach, which report was not true, further than the 
 aforesaid discourse, and then we had larger meetings 
 than before. We had a meeting at Judge Stafford's 
 house, and one at a house not far from his. 
 
 It is observable, that this island hath formerly been 
 a very healthy and fruitful place. Eed-cedar, or 
 sweet-wood, is all the timber they have, with which 
 they build their houses, make their household goods, 
 build their ships and sloops, and make their fires ; 
 so that there is continually a fragrant and pleasant 
 * Of which Church the governor was a member.
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 55 
 
 smell, which we could smell at sea some ,ime before 
 we saw the land ; and it is yet a pretty healthy and 
 fruitful island, but not so much so as formerly. In 
 one of the meetings I was concerned to let them 
 know that it was the evil of their ways and doings 
 that had caused the Almighty to withhold from them 
 the fruits of the earth, and to make their island more 
 unhealthy than it was formerly. After meeting, the 
 judge told me I had said truly, for that was the 
 cause ; and if I had spoken more on that subject, I 
 had done well. Several were convinced at this time 
 on the island. 
 
 Soon after, an opportunity offered, in a sloop be- 
 longing to this island, bound for Philadelphia; and 
 being clear we embarked in her, and on our voyage 
 had pretty good weather, only one hard gale of wind, 
 which caused us to hand our jib. A mulatto man, 
 named Stavo, the master's servant, went out upon the 
 bowsprit to hand the sail, and there came a sea and 
 washed him off; and the vessel ran over him; and 
 in all probability he had been drowned, had he not 
 been a good swimmer; for he swam, as we judged, 
 three quarters of a mile before he got to the sloop, it 
 not coming into any one's mind to lower the sails 
 until I sharply ordered it to be done, which they then 
 did readily; and the course of the vessel being 
 stopped, he soon got on board, having stripped him- 
 self of his clothes in the sea, and brought them in 
 his mouth. I was very thankful for the poor fellow's 
 life, and praised the Lord in the secret of my soui
 
 56 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 for his preservation. In about two weeks' time we 
 arrived at Philadelphia, and I had great peace in my 
 labors in this visit, in which I was from home about 
 five months. The Friends of Barbadoes were so well 
 satisfied with this labor of love, that they certified 
 the same by way of certificate, more than is proper 
 for me to mention. But though they thought so well 
 of me, yet I had occasion to think very meanly of 
 myself, for I was emptied at times to exceeding great 
 spiritual poverty. 
 
 After I came home from Barbadoes and Bermuda, 
 I followed my calling, and kept to meetings diligently; 
 for I was not easy to be idle, either in my spiritual 
 or temporal calling. At times I travelled in the 
 work of the ministry in our own province, in which 
 there are many large meetings of Friends, and they 
 increase and multiply from time to time. Since my 
 settling in this province, which is now about a year, 
 some hundreds of people are come here to reside, and 
 many meeting-houses are built ; and I do certainly 
 know from above, that this province of Pennsylvania, 
 and city of Philadelphia, will flourish both spiritually 
 and temporally, if the inhabitants will love and live 
 in righteousness and in the fear of God ; otherwise 
 the hand that planted them can soon pluck them up. 
 After some time, I was drawn forth to visit Friends 
 in Maryland, Virginia, and North Carolina, and went 
 with the unity of Friends ; having their certificate, 
 according to the good order established among us. 
 About the 26th of the First month, 1703, I went
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 57 
 
 through Maryland, and visited Friends in Virginia 
 and North Carolina, to the river Pamlico, where no 
 travelling, public Friends, that ever I heard of, were 
 before, and we had several meetings there on each 
 side of the river. One day going out of our canoe 
 through a marsh, I trod on a rattlesnake, which is 
 accounted one of the most poisonous snakes ; but it 
 only hissed at me, and did no harm. This was one de- 
 liverance among many, which the Lord by his provi- 
 dence wrought for me; and I bless his holy name for all 
 his mercies. In going to, and coming from this place, 
 we lay two nights in the woods, and I think I never 
 slept better. It was the eighth hour in the evening 
 when I laid down on the ground one night, my saddle 
 being my pillow, at the root of a tree, and it was 
 four o'clock in the morning when they called me. 
 When I awoke, I thought of Jacob's lodging on his 
 way to Padan Aram, when he saw the holy vision of 
 angels, with the ladder, whose top reached to heaven. 
 Very sweet was the love of God to my soul that 
 morning, and the dew of the everlasting hills re- 
 freshed me. I went on my way, praising the Lord, 
 and magnifying the God of my salvation. In this 
 journey I met with another remarkable deliverance. 
 Going over a river eight miles broad, there being 
 eight men and seven horses, we put the horses into 
 two canoes tied together, so that they stood with 
 their forefeet in one, and their hind-feet in the other. 
 It was calm when we set out, but when we were about 
 the middle of the river, the wind rose, and the seas
 
 58 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 ran high, and split one of the canoes, so that with 
 our hats we were obliged to cast ou£ the water ; and 
 with much difficulty, at last, all of us, with our horses, 
 got safely on shore, through the good providence of 
 God. On our return through North Carolina, we had 
 several large meetings, and an open time it was ; as 
 also at Nancemond and Chuckatuck, and several other 
 places in Virginia. When my service was over in 
 those two provinces, I went back to Maryland, and 
 visited meetings there, and then went home. As 
 nearly as I can compute, I rode about a thousand 
 miles in this journey; after which I stayed at home, 
 following my business, in order to the maintenance 
 of my family, being blessed with a wife, children, 
 servants, and other things ; for which I am truly 
 thankful. 
 
 While I was at home, I visited the neighboring 
 meetings, as I found a concern on my mind ; and on 
 the 6th day of the Third month, 1704, I laid before 
 our Quarterly Meeting of ministers and elders an 
 exercise that was upon my mind, to visit our Friends' 
 meetings on Long Island, Ehode Island, in New 
 England, and the places adjacent. They gave me a 
 good certificate, which I thought it my duty to en- 
 deavor to live up to ; and being accompanied by sev- 
 eral Friends to Burlington and Crosswicks, and Joseph 
 Glaister being my fellow-laborer in the work of the 
 gospel, at the two aforesaid places we had meetings, 
 and then travelled to New York and Long Island, 
 where we had divers meetings ; as at Flushing, West-
 
 V 
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 59 
 
 bury, Jerusalem, Jericho, Bethpage, Matinicock, and 
 also at West Chester, on the main. From thence we 
 travelled to Rhode Island Yearly Meeting, which was 
 large and serviceable to many. Joseph Glaister then 
 went towards Boston, the inland way, and I went by 
 the sea-side ; and we met together, after I had been 
 at meetings 'at Dartmouth and Nantucket Island, at 
 which island there are large meetings, the people 
 being mostly Friends, and sober and growing in the 
 best things. Though not of our Society when they 
 first received the truth, yet they received it with 
 gladness ; and although the people called Presbyte- 
 rians were very cruel in their expressions, and bitter 
 in their spirits against us, yet there were others who 
 went under that name, who were more open and 
 charitable towards us, and received us gladly with 
 tenderness ; and at some places we had meetings at 
 their houses to our mutual satisfaction. We likewise 
 had meetings at Suckanuset, Scituate, and Sandwich. 
 About this time the Indians were very barbarous in 
 the destruction of the English inhabitants, scalping 
 some, and knocking out the brains of others, men, 
 women, and children, by which the country was 
 greatly alarmed, both night and day; but the great 
 Lord of all was pleased wonderfully to preserve our 
 friends, especially those who kept faithful to their 
 peaceable principle, according to the doctrine of Christ 
 in the holy Scriptures, in his excellent sermon which 
 he preached on the mount, recorded in the 5th, 6th, 
 and 7th chapters of Matthew, which is quite opposite
 
 60 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 to killing, revenge, and destruction, even of our ene- 
 mies. Because Friends could not join with those of 
 fighting principles and practices, some were put into 
 prison ; divers people railing, and speaking very bit- 
 terly against their peaceable neighbors, and wishing 
 the Quakers might be cut off. 
 
 Some of the New England priests and professors 
 were so bitter against Friends, that instead of being 
 humbled under the mighty hand of God upon them, 
 in suffering the Indians to destroy them, they ex- 
 pressed their enmity against the poor Quakers on a 
 day appointed for humiliation and a fast; and par- 
 ticularly in a sermon preached by one of their priests, 
 which he divided into three heads, viz. : First, That 
 the judgments of God were upon them, in letting 
 loose the savage Indians to destroy them. Secondly, 
 In that he withheld the fruits of the earth from them, 
 for there was a great scarcity. Thirdly, That the 
 Quakers prevailed, and were suffered to increase so 
 much among them ; which he said was worse than 
 the Indians destroying them, and gave this absurd 
 reason for it : the Indians destroy our bodies, but the 
 Quakers destroy the soul.* This is an abominable 
 falsehood ; for it is sin that destroys the soul ; and 
 those who preach to the people that there is no free- 
 dom from it in this world, contradict Christ's doc- 
 trine, "Be ye perfect," etc., and that of the apostle, 
 "He that is born of God cannot sin." And thus 
 
 * This priest was soon after killed by the Indians, as I was 
 told by a minister.
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 61 
 
 their blind guides mistake light for darkness, and 
 darkness for light. Among the many hundreds that 
 were slain, I heard but of three Friends being killed, 
 whose destruction was very remarkable, as I was 
 informed : one was a woman, the other two were men. 
 The men used to go to their labor without any wea- 
 pons, and trusted to the Almighty, and depended on 
 his providence to protect them, it being their princi- 
 ple not to use weapons of war to offend others, or to 
 defend themselves. But a spirit of distrust taking 
 place in their minds, they took weapons of war to 
 defend themselves ; and the Indians, who had seen 
 them several times without them, and let them alone, 
 saying, " They were peaceable men, and hurt nobody, 
 therefore they would not hurt them," now seeing 
 them have guns, and supposing they designed to kill 
 the Indians, shot the men dead. The woman had 
 remained in her habitation, and could not be free to 
 go to a fortified place for preservation, neither she, 
 her son, nor daughter, nor to take thither the little 
 ones ; but the poor woman after some time began to 
 let in a slavish fear, and advised her children to go 
 with her to a fort not far 'from their dwelling. Her 
 daughter being one who trusted in the name of the 
 Lord, the mighty tower to which the righteous flee 
 and find safety, could not consent to go with her ; and 
 having left a particular account in a letter to her 
 children of her and their preservation, I think it 
 worthy to be inserted here in hsr own words; viz.:
 
 62 THE JOURNAL OP 
 
 " When the cruel Indians were suffered to kill and 
 destroy, it was shown to me that I must stand in a 
 testimony for truth, and trust in the name of the Lord, 
 who is a strong tower, and that we should wait upon 
 him. I often desired my mother and husband to sit 
 down and wait upon the Lord, and he would show us 
 what we should do. I could not prevail with him, but 
 he would say it was too late now, and was in great 
 haste to be gone ; but I could not go with him, because 
 I was afraid of offending the Lord. Still he would 
 say I was deluded by the devil, so that my mother 
 would often say, ' a house divided could not stand ; ' 
 and she could not tell what to do. Although she had 
 most peace in staying, yet she had thoughts of moving, 
 and said to me, ' Child, canst thou certainly say it is 
 revealed to thee that we should stay ? if it be, I would 
 willingly stay, if I was sure it was the mind of God.' 
 But I being young, was afraid to speak so high, and 
 said, ' Mother, I can say it is thus with me, that when 
 I think of staying, and trusting in the name of the 
 Lord, I find great peace and comfort, more than I can 
 utter, with a belief that we shall be preserved ; but 
 when I think of going, oh ! the trouble and heaviness 
 I feel, with a fear some of us should fall by them ! ' 
 And my dear mother sighed, and said, ' She could 
 not tell what to do.' I said to them, if they would 
 go, I would be willing to stay alone ; if they found 
 freedom, I was very willing, for I was afraid of offend- 
 ing the Lord. But still my poor husband would say, 
 ' I took a wrong spirit for the right.' And he would
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 63 
 
 say, ' How should I know ? For if I was right, I 
 would be willing to condescend to him.' Then I said, 
 in condescension to him I would move ; but I hoped 
 the Lord would not lay it to my charge, for was it not 
 to condescend to him, I would not move for the world ; 
 and after I had given away my strength, in a little 
 time there came men from the garrison, with their 
 guns, and told us, ' They came for us,' a.nd said, ' The 
 Indians they thought might be near;' and then away 
 we went, and my mother went in with my brother-in- 
 law, although I persuaded her not to do it. But she 
 said, ' Why, my child is there ; and may not I be with 
 her as well as thee ? ' And so we went along to Hamp- 
 ton, to my husband's brother's. But, oh ! the fear 
 and trouble I felt ! and I told my husband it seemed 
 as if we were going into the mouths of the Indians. 
 The next day was the first of the week; and our dear 
 friend, Lydia Norton, came with my dear mother ; and 
 in her testimony she said there was there that was 
 very near to her life, who was very near to death. 
 Oh ! then I was ready to think it would be me, be- 
 cause I believed We had done amiss in moving, and 
 great trouble was I in, and told dear Lydia of it ; but 
 she comforted me as much as she could, and said, 'She 
 did not think it would be me.' My dear mother went 
 to my sister's again, to the garrison, where she found 
 herself not easy ; but as she often said to many, she 
 felt herself in a beclouded condition, and more shut 
 from counsel than ever she ha J d been since she knew 
 the truth. Being uneasy, she went to move to a
 
 (54 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 friend's house who lived in the neighborhood ; and 
 as she was moving, the bloody cruel Indians lay by 
 the way, and killed her. Oh ! then how did I lament 
 moving ; and promised if the Lord would be pleased 
 to spare my life, and husband, and children, and carry 
 us home again, I would never do so more. But, oh ! 
 the fear, ,*nd trouble, and darkness that fell upon me, 
 and many more at that time ! and three or four of us 
 kept our meeting : but although we sat and waited as 
 well as we could, yet we sat in a poor beclouded con- 
 dition, until we returned home again, then did the 
 Lord please to lift up the light of his love upon our 
 poor souls. Then I told my husband, although he had 
 'built a little house by the garrison, I couid not move 
 again. So he was willing to stay while the winter 
 season lasted, but told me he could not stay when 
 summer came, for then the Indians would be about ; 
 and told me that if I could not go to the garrison, I 
 might go to a friend's house near it. I was willing 
 to please him if the Lord was willing; and applied 
 my heart to know the mind of Truth, and it was 
 showed me, that if I moved again, I should lose the 
 sense of Truth, and should never hold up my head 
 again. Then I told my husband, he must never ask 
 me to move again, for I durst not do it. Still he would 
 say it was a notion, till our dear friend Thomas Story 
 came, and told him, ' He did not see that I couli have 
 a greater revelation than I had.' He satisfied my hus- 
 band so well, that he never again asked me to go, but 
 was very well cont ented to stay during all the wars ;
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 65 
 
 and then things were made more easy, and we saw the 
 wonderful works and the mighty power of the Lord, in 
 keeping and preserving us, when the Indians were at 
 our doors and windows, and at other times. And the 
 Lord put courage in you, my dear children ; do not 
 you forget it, and do not think that you were young, 
 and because you knew little, so you feared nothing, 
 but often consider how you stayed at home alone, 
 when we went to meetings, and how the Lord pre- 
 served you, and kept you, so that no hurt came upon 
 you. I leave this charge upon you, live in the fear 
 of the Lord, and see you set him always before your 
 eyes, lest you sin against him. If I had not feared 
 the Lord, and felt the comforts of his holy Spirit, I 
 could never have stood so great a trial, when so many 
 judged, and said that I was deluded, and that the 
 blood of my husband and children would be required 
 at my hands ; but the Lord was near to me, and gave 
 me strength and courage, and faith to trust in him, 
 for I know his name to be a strong tower, yea, and 
 stronger than any in the world ; for I have oftentimes 
 fled there for safety. Oh ! blessing, and honor, and 
 everlasting high praises be given to the Lord, and to 
 his dear Son, our Saviour and mediator, Christ Jesus. 
 Amen. Mary Doe." 
 
 A neighbor of the aforesaid people told me, that, as 
 
 he was at work in his field, the Indians saw and called 
 
 him, and he went to them. They told him, they had 
 
 no quarrel with the Quakers, for they were a quiet, 
 
 6*
 
 66 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 peaceable people, and hurt nobody, and that therefore 
 none should hurt them. But they said, that the Pres- 
 byterians in these parts had taken away their lands, 
 and some of their lives, and would now, if they could, 
 destroy all the Indians. 
 
 Those Indians began about this time to shoot people 
 down as they went along the road, and to knock them 
 in the head in their beds, and very barbarously mur- 
 dered many. We travelled the country, and had large 
 meetings, and the^ good presence of God was with us 
 abundantly, and we had great inward joy in the Holy 
 Ghost in our outward jeopardy and travels. The people 
 generally rode and went to their worship armed, but 
 Friends went to their meetings without either sword 
 or gun, having their trust and confidence in God. 
 
 After having had divers good meetings in those 
 eastern parts of New England, I returned to Salem, 
 Lynn, Boston, and so towards Rhode Island, and at 
 adjacent places, as in the Narraganset country ; we 
 had meetings also at Dartmouth, Sandwich, and Scit- 
 uate. As I was entering into the town of Boston, in 
 company with many others, a man rode up to me and 
 asked in a scoffing manner, " Whether I saw or met 
 with any Quakers on the road ? " I pleasantly told 
 him, we should not tell the Presbyterians, lest they 
 should hang them. He not thinking of such an an- 
 swer, went sneakingly away. 
 
 Having thoroughly visited Friends in those parts, 
 in company with my friend Thomas Story, I traveled 
 through Connecticut government, and had several
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 67 
 
 meetings in that colony ; and came to Long Island, 
 where we had meetings to the satisfaction of ourselves 
 and Friends. From Long Island, after we were clear 
 of the service and exercise of the work of the minis- 
 try, and had visited Friends' meetings as we travelled, 
 and in many places found openness among the people 
 who were not of our profession, who sometimes came 
 in great numbers to our meetings, and several were 
 convinced in a good degree, and many comforted, 
 strengthened, and edified, in Christ our Lord, we 
 came to Philadelphia, the place of our habitation. 
 Let his name, saith my soul, have the praise of all 
 his works forever. 
 
 After being at home some time, I visited Friends' 
 meetings in our county, and several parts of New 
 Jersey, Maryland, and the lower counties on Dela- 
 ware. At Jones' I appointed a meeting at a public- 
 house near the court-house. General notice being 
 
 given thereof, there came one Crawford, a 
 
 priest, with many of his hearers, and in the begin- 
 ning of the meeting he read a sermon, as they called 
 it, which was a transcript of the works of some of 
 our adversaries, which we desired to have from them 
 to answer. They said, " If I would answer it myself, 
 I should have it." I told them I should, if they 
 would let me have it ; but though they promised it, 
 they did not perform, but were worse than their word. 
 We heard them read it patiently, and after they had 
 done, had our meeting. The auditory was large, and 
 most of the magistrates were at it. The priest's read-
 
 68 THE JOUKNAL OF 
 
 ing, and my testimony, occasioned this meeting to 
 hold long ; after which, as we were getting on horse- 
 back, the priest cried out among the people, " That 
 he did not think we would go away so sneakingly." 
 We having twenty miles to ride that night, and he 
 near his home, and having the advantage in that 
 respect, some thought it made him the bolder, for he 
 let me get on horseback before he uttered that ex- 
 pression. I told him to challenge was enough to set 
 a coward to work, and we were no cowards ; for he 
 knew we could venture our lives for our religion, 
 which I questioned whether he would do for his. I 
 dismounted, and he having the bible open in his hand, 
 I being near him, chanced, against my will and knowl- 
 edge, to touch it with my foot. " Look you, gentle- 
 men," says he, " he tramples the "Word of God under 
 his feet ! " For which gross abuse his own hearers 
 openly rebuked him, and put him to shame. Then 
 he said, " He would prove us no ministers of Christ." 
 I bid him prove himself one, and he would do the 
 business. " Well," says he, " how shall we know who 
 are Christ's ministers ? " " Why," said I, " art thou 
 willing to be tried by Christ's rule, for he hath given 
 us a plain rule to know them by." " What is that 
 rule? Let us hear it," says he. "It is short, but 
 full, namely, ' By their fruits you shall know them ; 
 for men do not gather grapes of thorns, nor figs of 
 thistles:' wherefore by their fruits they are known." 
 " I deny it," says Priest Crawford, — for that was the 
 name he went by here, he going by another elsewhere,
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 69 
 
 — "that they are known by their fruits." I answered, 
 "Then thou deniest the plain and naked truth of 
 Christ." So I called aloud to the people to take no- 
 tice what a blind guide they had ; and indeed he was 
 wicked, as well as blind, and his fruits not good ; 
 which may make one suppose that he was not willing 
 to be tried by his fruits. For soon after, news came 
 that he had a wife in England, and as he had another 
 here, his fruits were wicked with a witness ; and ac- 
 cording to Christ's doctrine, no good could spring 
 from his ministry, therefore he proved himself by his 
 evil deeds to be no minister of Jesus Christ. Near 
 the aforesaid place we got a meeting settled, which is 
 called Little-creek Meeting; and about. the same time 
 a meeting was established, and a meeting-house built 
 at Duck creek. The people in those parts about this 
 time began mightily to see through the formal preach- 
 ing of such as preach for money, who love the hire, 
 though they do not love to be called hirelings.
 
 70 THE JOURNAL OP 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 1706-1710. 
 
 Opposition by a Priest and Lawyer — Visits to West Indies and 
 Europe — Arrival at Barbadoes — Religious Labors — Priva- 
 teer — Jamaica — Travels through England — Holland — Wm. 
 Sewel — Friesland — Germany — Rough Travelling — Return to 
 England — London Yearly Meeting — Embarks for Philadelphia 
 — Arrives at Home. 
 
 In the year 1706, having some concerns in the 
 province of Maryland, I had divers meetings as I 
 travelled on the road, as at Nottingham, Elk river, 
 North-east, Susquehanna, Bush and Gun -powder 
 rivers ; at some of which places I do not know that 
 there had been any meeting before. At one of these 
 meetings were one Edwards a priest, and a lawyer, 
 the attorney-general, and several justices of the peace. 
 The priest was angry, and said, " It was an unlawful 
 assembly, the house not being licensed by law." The 
 justices told him, " That he and his people being 
 there to hear, if any unwarrantable or false doctrine 
 was preached, he had a fair opportunity to lay it open 
 before all the people." So they desired him to hear 
 patiently and quietly. He seemed to like the propo- 
 sition, and sat down by me. We had not sat down 
 long before I stood up, and spoke to the people a con-
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 71 
 
 siderable time. The lawyer sat opposite to me, and 
 took what I said in short-hand, for about half an 
 hour ; but growing weary, he laid down his pen, and 
 took out of his pocket a bottle of liquor, or spirits, 
 and said, " Come, friend, here is to thee (or you) ; you 
 have spoken a great while, you need something to 
 refresh you." I made a stop, and said to the people, 
 " Here is your minister, and here is some of the fruits 
 of his ministry, of which he and all sober people may 
 be ashamed." And then went on again without any 
 opposition till I had done ; but afterwards they were 
 in a rage, and threatened what they would do to me, 
 if ever I came there again to have a meeting. But 
 I told them, if they had power to take our lives from 
 us, they were not dear to us for the sake of Christ 
 and his gospel ; and that we did not regard their 
 threatenings. I desired the lawyer to give me a copy 
 of what he had written ; he went about it, but did 
 not do it; neither was he candid in penning my 
 words ; for several of the people then present bore 
 witness that he had not written it verbatim, or truly 
 taken the sense of what I spoke. I charged him to 
 be just, otherwise he had many witnesses against 
 him ; at which the priest bent his fist, and held it up 
 to me, but did not strike me, and away they went in 
 a fret. Soon after we had another meeting at the 
 same place, which was large and quiet. The man of 
 the house being an attorney at law, had got his house 
 licensed, and though the priest and lawyer threatened 
 hard, they came not.
 
 72 THE JOUENAL OF 
 
 Aquila Paca, high-sheriff of the county, living at 
 the head of Bush river, near the main road, built a 
 meeting-house, at his own charge, and had it licensed, 
 at which we had many good meetings. About this 
 time also a meeting-house was built at a place called 
 Nottingham, which is a large meeting, and greatly 
 increases. 
 
 When I was travelling in those parts, I had a con- 
 cern on my mind to visit the Indians living near Sus- 
 quehanna, at Cones toga, and I laid it before the elders 
 of Nottingham meeting, with which they expressed 
 their unity, and promoted my visiting them. We got 
 an interpreter, and thirteen or fourteen of us travelled 
 through the woods about fifty miles, carrying our 
 provisions with us, and on the journey sat down by a 
 river, and spread our food on the grass, and refreshed 
 ourselves and horses, and then went on cheerfully, 
 with good will and much love to the poor Indians ; 
 and when we came they received us kindly, treating 
 us civilly in their way. We treated about having a 
 religious meeting with them, upon which they called 
 a council, and were very grave, and spoke one after 
 another, without any heat or jarring; and some of 
 the most esteemed of their women do sometimes speak 
 in their councils. I asked our interpreter why they 
 permitted the women to speak in their councils ? His 
 answer was, " That some women are wiser than some 
 men." Our interpreter told me, that they had not 
 done anything for many years, without the counsel 
 of an ancient grave woman ; who, I observed, spoke
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 73 
 
 much in their council; for I was permitted to be 
 present at it; and I asked what it was the woman 
 said? He told me she was an empress; and they 
 gave much heed to what she said amongst them ; and 
 that she then said, " She looked upon our coming to 
 be more than natural, because we did not come to 
 buy, or sell, or get gain, but came in love and respect 
 to them, and desired their well-doing both here and 
 hereafter;" and further continued, "That our meet- 
 ings among them might be very beneficial to their 
 young people," and related a dream which she had 
 three days before, and interpreted it, viz. : "That she 
 was in London, and that London was the finest place 
 she ever saw, it was like to Philadelphia, but much 
 bigger; and she went across six streets, and in the 
 seventh she saw William Penn preaching to the peo- 
 ple, which was a great multitude, and she and Wil- 
 liam Penn rejoiced to see one another; and after 
 meeting she went to him, and he told her that in a 
 little time he wo aid come over and preach to them 
 also, of which she was very glad. And now she said 
 her dream was fulfilled, for one of his friends was 
 come to preach to them." She advised them to hear 
 us, and entertain us kindly; and accordingly they 
 did. Here were two nations of them, the Senecas 
 and Shawanese. We had first a meeting with the 
 Senecas, with which they were much affected ; and 
 they called the other nation, viz., the Shawanese, and 
 interpreted to them what we spoke in their meeting, 
 and the poor Indians, particularly some of the young 
 7
 
 74 THE JOURNAL OP 
 
 men and women, were under a solid exercise and con- 
 cern. We had also a meeting with the other nation, 
 and they were all very kind to us, and desired more 
 such opportunities ; the which, I hope divine Provi- 
 dence will order for them, if they are worthy thereof. 
 The gospel of Jesus Christ was preached freely to 
 them, and faith in Christ, who was put to death at 
 Jerusalem by the unbelieving Jews; and that this 
 same Jesus came to save people from their sins, and 
 by his grace and light in the soul, shows to man his 
 sins, and convinceth him thereof, delivering him out 
 of them, and gives inward peace and comfort to the 
 soul for well-doing, and sorrow and trouble for evil- 
 doing; to all which, as their manner is, they gave 
 public assents ; and to that of the light in the soul 
 they gave a double assent, and seemed much affected 
 with the doctrine of truth ; also the benefit of the 
 Holy Scriptures was largely opened to them.* 
 
 After. this we returned to our respective habitations, 
 thankful in our hearts to the God and Father of our 
 Lord Jesus Christ. Several of the Friends that went 
 with me, expressed their satisfaction in this visit, 
 and offered themselves freely to go again on the like 
 service. 
 
 * It is worthy of notice that at the first settling of Pennsyl- 
 vania, William Penn took great care to do justice to the Indians, 
 and bought his land of them to their satisfaction, and settled a 
 trade with them ; so that whereas the Indians were destructive 
 to the other colonies, they were helpful to Pennsylvania ; and 
 to this day they love to hear the name of William Penn.
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 75 
 
 I also was concerned soon after to visit the people 
 about Egg Harbor and Cape May, and had meetings 
 amongst them, and several meetings were settled in 
 those parts, and the people somewhat reformed from 
 what they had been before they were visited by 
 Friends. They told me, after a meeting we had with 
 them, that they used to spend the Sabbath days in 
 sporting and vanity, until Friends came among them, 
 and now they meet together to worship God and his 
 Son Jesus Christ. At our coming amongst them, 
 some backsliders and apostates were displeased. One, 
 in a very bitter spirit, called us cursed and cruel 
 devils. Another wrote against us. To him I sent 
 an answer, for which he scandalized me in one of his 
 almanacs, and publicly belied me in print ; which lies 
 I swept away with "A small Broom," printed in this 
 year, 1706, to which I never understood that he re- 
 turned any answer, nor that he wrote against Friends 
 afterwards, though he had made it his practice for 
 several years. 
 
 At Little Es-g- Harbor lived a Friend whose name 
 was Edward Andrews, who, as himself told me, had 
 been a leader of the people into vanity and folly, as 
 music, dancing, etc., but the good hand of the Lord 
 being upon him, wrought a wonderful reformation in 
 him, and made him an instrument to lead people into 
 truth and righteousness, and gave him an excellent 
 gift in the ministry of the gospel of Christ ; so that 
 he was made instrumental in gathering a large and 
 growing meeting, most of the people thereabouts being
 
 76 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 convinced, and a great reformation and change wrought 
 in their conversations. This Friend told me that when 
 he was very rude and wild, he was mightily reached 
 to, at the meeting we had under the trees at Cross- 
 wicks,* so that he could not go on with his vanity as 
 before ; after which he had strong convictions on him, 
 which wrought conversion in the Lord's time, after he 
 had gone through many deep inward exercises. 
 
 After these journeys were over, and I had cleared 
 myself, I was some time at home, and followed my 
 business with diligence and industry, and throve in 
 the things of the world, the Lord adding a blessing 
 to my labor. Some people would tell me that I got 
 money for preaching, and grew rich by it; which being 
 a common calumny cast upon our public Friends that 
 are travellers, I shall take a little notice of it, and 
 leave it to posterity. It is against our principle, and 
 contrary to our known practice and rule, to take 
 money for preaching the gospel of Christ, and pub- 
 lishing salvation through his name unto the people; 
 for according to Christ's command, we, receiving it 
 freely, are to give it forth freely. I can say, without 
 vanity or boasting, I have spent many pounds in that 
 service, besides my time, which is as precious to me 
 as to other people ; rising early, and laying down 
 late ; many days riding forty, fifty, and sixty miles a 
 day, which was very laborious, and hard for my flesh 
 to endure, being corpulent and heavy from the twenty- 
 seventh year of my age. I can truly say, that I never 
 received any money or consideration on account of 
 
 * See page 31.
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 77 
 
 these services, either directly or indirectly ; and yet, 
 if any of our ministers are necessitous or poor, we 
 relieve them freely, not because they are preachers, 
 but because they are needy ; and when we have done 
 those things, we have done but our duty : and well 
 will it be for those that have discharged themselves 
 faithfully therein. Such will, besides the earnest of 
 peace in their own souls in this world, have a blessed 
 reward in the glorious kingdom of the Lord and his 
 Christ in that world which is to come. It is well 
 known that I have spent much of my time, since I 
 have been free from my apprenticeship, in travelling 
 and preaching the gospel, being out often many months, 
 and sometimes a whole year, and more ; and at inter- 
 vals I have been apt to think the time long till I got 
 to my business and family ; and have at times made 
 more haste than I should have done, which has brought 
 trouble on my mind, and is a trouble to me unto this 
 day. This may be a caution to those who travel in 
 the work of the ministry hereafter, not to make too 
 much haste from the' work of Christ ; and yet there 
 ought to be discretion used ; for a minister may stay 
 too long, as well as return too soon, which may be 
 perceived as we keep the eye of our mind to our 
 divine guide. 
 
 After I had stayed at and about home for a con- 
 siderable time, a weighty concern came upon me to 
 visit Friends in the West Indies, and some parts of 
 Europe, as it might please the Almighty to open my 
 way; and as it was to be a long travel, both by 
 7*
 
 78 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 sea and land, and hazardous, by reason that it was 
 war time, and many privateers at sea, I settled my 
 affairs by will and otherwise, that if I should not live 
 to come home again, things relating to my outward 
 affairs might be done honorably and well : for at this 
 time, as at many others, I can truly say I gave up 
 my life freely for my holy Master's sake, and in his 
 cause, who said, " Go teach all nations," etc. 
 
 On the 29th of the Sixth month, 1707, I had a 
 certificate from the Monthly Meeting of Friends at 
 Philadelphia, signifying their unity with my under- 
 taking, and desires for my welfare; and a tender 
 concern was on my mind that I might live according 
 to what my brethren had certified concerning me. I 
 likewise laid my exercise before the general meeting 
 of ministers and elders, held for the provinces of 
 Pennsylvania and New Jersey, on the 22d of the 
 Seventh month, who also signified their fellowship 
 with my intended journey, and recommended me to 
 the grace of God ; and in much love and tenderness I 
 parted with my dear and loving wife, and my near and 
 affectionate friends and brethren. 
 
 I had for my companion and fellow-latorer in the 
 work of the gospel, my dear friend, Eichard Gove, who 
 also had the approbation and unity of Friends in this 
 journey and undertaking. 
 
 We went on board a sloop at Philadelpl ia, bound 
 for Barbadoes, John Knight, master, about the 27th 
 of the Eighth month, in the aforesaid year. 
 
 After a few days' sailing down the river Delaware,
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 79 
 
 we put to sea, and in about a month's time we came 
 within sight of Barbadoes, where we met with a pri- 
 vateer, which chased, and had like to have taken us ; 
 but the good providence of God preserved us out of 
 the hands of those enemies; forever blessed be his 
 name ! In this chase the seamen were uneasy, and 
 belched out wicked oaths, and cursed the Quakers, 
 wishing all their vessels might be taken by the enemy, 
 because they did not carry guns in them; at which 
 [evil conduct] I was grieved, and thus expostulated 
 with them : " Do you know the worth of a man's life ? 
 guns being made on purpose to destroy men's lives. 
 Were this ship and cargo mine, so far as I know my 
 heart, I do ingenuously declare, I had rather lose it 
 all, than that one of you should lose his life." For I 
 certainly knew they were unfit to die. " Lives ! " say 
 they, " we had rather lose our lives than go to France." 
 " But," said I, " that is not the matter; had you ra- 
 ther go to hell than go to France ? " They being guilty 
 of great sins and wickedness, and convicted in their 
 own consciences, held their peace, and said no more 
 about the poor Quakers'; and when we got within 
 gunshot of a fort on Barbadoes, the enemy left chas- 
 ing us. 
 
 Next morning early we safely arrived at Bridge- 
 town, in Barbadoes, where our friends gladly received 
 us ; amongst whom we labored in the work of the 
 gospel for about two months. After having had 
 divers good and edifying meetings for the worship 
 of God, we sailed for Antigua, and sUyed seme days
 
 80 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 there, having meetings and visiting our brethren. 
 From Antigua we sailed for Nevis, but the wind 
 being contrary, we put in at Montserrat, an isle that 
 has a great mountain in it, on the top of which is a hot 
 spring of water, which boils up, and the mire of it is 
 clear brimstone, some of which we carried on board 
 our vessel ; which is admirable, and shows the won- 
 derful works of God. They say that the spring is hot 
 enough to boil an egg. From this island we sailed to 
 Nevis, and had meetings with the few Friends there, 
 with whom we parted at the sea-shore in great love 
 and tenderness. We sailed to an island called An- 
 guilla, and were civilly treated there by the generality 
 of the people ; as also by the governor, George Leon- 
 ard, at whose house we had meetings. I remember 
 that after one meeting the governor went into his 
 porch, and took the bible and opened it, and said, 
 " By this book, if people believe the holy Scriptures, 
 I am able to convince the world, and prove, that the 
 people called Quakers are the people of God, and that 
 they follow the example and doctrine of Christ, and 
 the practices of the Apostles»and primitive Christians, 
 nearer than any people in the world ; " i. e., generally 
 speaking. At this island several people were heartily 
 convinced, and confessed to the truth, among whom a 
 meeting was settled. Here was never any Friend 
 before, as the inhabitants said. I entreat the Lord 
 Jehovah to preserve the sincere-hearted among them 
 in his holy fear whilst they remain in this world ; and 
 not them only, but all that love and fear him, in all
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 81 
 
 kindreds and nations, and amongst people of all pro- 
 fessions whatsoever. This, in the universal spirit of 
 God's love, is the desire of my soul. From Anguilla 
 we went to Nevis, and to Antigua; and notwithstand- 
 ing our sloop was a dull sailer, yet we were preserved 
 from the enemy, to the admiration of ourselves, friends, 
 and others, our course being in the very road of the 
 privateers. Just as we got into the harbor and were 
 landed, a privateer came by with a prize, as we sup- 
 posed, which excited oar thankfulness to the Lord for 
 our preservation. Here we met with the packet-boat 
 bound for Jamaica, and thence for England. We 
 stayed a little at the island called St. Christopher's. 
 In our way to Jamaica we saw a small privateer that 
 gave us chase, and it being calm, she rowed up towards 
 us. The master prepared the vessel to fight, hoisting 
 up his mainsail and putting out our colors. In the 
 interim some were bold and some sorrowful. One 
 came to me and asked, " What I thought of it. 
 and of the Quakers' principles, now?" I told him I 
 thought I was as willing to go to heaven as himself; 
 to which he said nothing, but turned away from me. 
 Another asked me, " What I would do now ? " I told 
 him, I would pray that they might be made better, 
 and that they might be made fit to die. In the 
 midst of their noise and hurry, I begged in secret 
 of the Almighty, in the name, and for the sake of his 
 dear Son, that he would be pleased to cause a fresh 
 gale of wind to spring up, that we might be delivered 
 from the enemy without shedding blood, well knowing
 
 82 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 that few of them were fit to die. Whilst I was thus 
 concerned, the Lord answered my desire and prayer, 
 for in a few minutes the wind sprung up, and we soon 
 left them out of sight, our vessel sailing extraordina- 
 rily well, and the next day we got to Jamaica, and had 
 meetings at Port Eoyal, Kingston, Spanish-town, etc. 
 At a meeting at Spanish-town there were some Jews, 
 to whom my heart was very open, and I felt great 
 love to them for the sake of their fathers, Abraham, 
 Isaac, and Jacob ; and they were so affected with the 
 meeting that they sent us some unleavened cakes, 
 made with fine flour and sweet oil, it being a festival 
 time with them. We had a meeting at Port Eoyal, 
 in a place where the earthquake had destroyed a 
 large building, in which meeting I had occasion to 
 remind them of the righteous judgments of God, 
 which had been justly inflicted on them for their 
 wickedness. Some wept, and some were rude. The 
 people here, as I was informed, were generally very 
 wicked. After having had divers meetings, the packet 
 in which we had taken our passage being obliged to 
 stay but ten days, we went off sooner than we other- 
 wise should have done ; and solemnly taking leave of 
 
 those Friends that were there, we went on board our 
 
 t 
 vessel, in order for England, by God's permission. 
 
 We got readily through the windward passage, which 
 
 is between the islands of Cuba and Hispaniola ; and 
 
 several times, after we left Jamaica, we were chased 
 
 by ships, but they could not come up with us. One 
 
 ship of twenty-eight guns gave us chase after a great
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 83 
 
 storm, and was almost up with us before we could 
 well make sail ; they being eager of their prey, sent 
 their hands aloft to let their reefs out of the topsails, 
 in order to make more speed, and came running to- 
 wards us, and gained much upon us. We feared to 
 make sail by reason of the storm, and the sea running 
 very high, and our masts being in danger, we were 
 some time in doubt whether we should escape or not : 
 but whilst we were in this consternation, down came 
 the French ship's three topmasts at once; so we 
 escaped, and left her, and went rejoicing on our way, 
 that we were thus delivered. This was one of the 
 great and remarkable deliverances among many I met 
 with, by the good hand and providence of the Lord, 
 my great and good Master, whom I hope to serve all 
 my days. 
 
 After having been at sea about six weeks, we began 
 to look out for land, and in two or three days we 
 sounded, and found ground at about ninety fathoms ; 
 after which we saw two French privateers, who gave 
 us chase and pursued us vigorously; but sailing better 
 than they, we ran them out of sight, and in about two 
 hours after, we saw the land of Ireland. It being 
 misty weather, with rain and wind, our master thought 
 it best to lay by and forbear sailing, that coast being 
 rocky and dangerous, by which means the two ships 
 that gave us chase came up with us, and found us not 
 in sailing order, and were within gunshot of us before 
 we were aware of it. What to do now we could not 
 tell, until they began to fire at lb ; but in this emer-
 
 84 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 gency and strait, our master resolved lie would rather 
 run the vessel on shore than they should have her, 
 she being richly laden with indigo, silver, and gold, 
 reckoned to the value of fifty thousand pounds. In 
 this strait, we must either fall into the hands of the 
 French, who were our enemies, or run among the 
 rocks ; and we thought it best to fall into the hands 
 of the Almighty, and trust to his providence ; so to- 
 wards the rocks we went, which had a terrible aspect. 
 The native Irish seeing us, came down in great num- 
 bers, and ran on the rocks and called to us, saying, 
 " That if we came any nearer, we should be dashed in 
 pieces." Our master ordered the anchor to be let go, 
 which brought the ship up before she struck; and 
 with much ado he put his boat out into the sea, and 
 put in all the passengers, in order to set them on 
 shore, the waves running very high, so that it looked 
 as if every wave would have swallowed us up ; and it 
 was a great favor of Providence that we got to land 
 in safety. The privateers not daring to come so 
 near the shore as we did, after firing at us went away, 
 and our master carried the ship into the harbor of 
 Kinsale, in Ireland. Thus through many perils and 
 dangers we were preserved, and got safely on the 
 Irish shore, for which, and all other the mercies and 
 favors of the Most High, my soul and spirit did give 
 God glory and praise ! In this voyage we were about 
 seven weeks at sea. 
 
 When I came from my home at Philadelphia, I in- 
 tended, the Lord permitting, to visit Friends in Ire-
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 85 
 
 land, and being accidentally cast on shore there, I 
 thought it my place first to go through that nation. 
 I had been in Ireland about nine years before, and 
 then being but young, and now being more grown in 
 body, my old acquaintance and friends did not at first 
 know me ; but we were kindly and lovingly received 
 by our friends and brethren in that nation, where 
 there is a numerous people that serve and worship 
 the Father in spirit and in truth, and who have good 
 and wholesome order established amongst them, in 
 the unity and fellowship of the gospel. In this nation 
 we had many and large meetings after our landing, 
 visiting Friends' meetings along to the north, many 
 not of our Society coming to them, among whom we 
 often had good service, to our and their satisfaction, 
 as they often declared, Richard Gove being still with 
 me. Friends from their National Meeting certified to 
 our brethren in America, of our service and labor of 
 love among them, after we had travelled several hun- 
 dred miles, and visited Friends' meetings generally, 
 and some other places where it was not usual. While 
 I was in Ireland, under a concern for the prosperity 
 of truth and religion, I wrote an exhortation to the 
 youth and others, which was afterwards printed there. 
 We took ship in the north of Ireland at a town 
 called Donaghadee, being accompanied by divers 
 brethien, who brought us on our way after a godly 
 sort. We got to Port Patrick, in Scotland, after 
 about five hours' sail, in order to visit the few 
 
 Friends that were scattered about in that part of 
 8
 
 86 THE JOURNAL ( F 
 
 the nation. People in those parts looked very shy 
 on us, and did not care to discourse with us on mat- 
 ters civil or religious, which I thought unreasonable. 
 The first town or city we came to, in which we had a 
 meeting, was Glasgow, accounted the second city in 
 North Britain, where, in our meeting for the worship 
 of the Almighty, we were shamefully treated by the 
 people, who threw dirt, stones, coal, etc. amongst 
 us, and by other actions unbecoming men, though 
 heathens or infidels, much more people professing 
 Christianity. I was constrained to tell them, that, 
 though I had preached the gospel to many heathens, 
 and to divers Jews, as also to Indians and Negroes, 
 and had travelled in many countries and nations in 
 the world, in several quarters thereof, and many 
 thousands of miles, yet I never met with the like 
 incivilities and such scurrilous treatment, not in all 
 my travels. I also told them, that I had preached 
 the gospel of Christ among their brethren in New 
 England, and in Boston, where they formerly hanged 
 the Quakers, and cruelly persecuted them for their 
 religion, and yet they did not treat us so brutishly 
 •■liven there. And further, I told them that I lived in 
 those parts of America, and what account I should 
 have to carry home to their aforesaid brethren, of 
 our treatment in Glasgow, the second city in Scotland. 
 I desired them to consider of it, and be ashamed, if 
 they had any shame. This a little abashed them for 
 the present, but afterwards they were as bad as ever. 
 There were at this meeting some collegians, who were
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 87 
 
 vei y rude. I asked if that was their way of treating 
 strangers? and that I believed their teachers in the 
 university did not allow of such ill manners, by which 
 they scandalized themselves, their city, and country. 
 From this city we went to Hamilton and Gershore, 
 where they were more civil. At Gershore, a man 
 of letters and sober conversation begged that I would 
 pray to the Almighty, that he would establish him in 
 the doctrine which he had heard that day. This 
 being rare in those parts, I minute it here. We went 
 on towards the North of Scotland, to Aberdeen, and 
 thereabouts, where there is a tender-hearted people, 
 among whom we had several large gatherings, and 
 some that were not of us expressed their satisfaction. 
 In the north I met with a gentleman who, coming 
 from a nobleman's house, joined me, and asked me, 
 " If I knew Robert Barclay ? " I said, not person- 
 ally, but by his writings I knew him well. He told 
 me, " That he [Barclay] had not left his fellow in 
 Scotland." 
 
 We afterwards travelled southward, where there 
 were but few Friends and small meetings ; yet we 
 may say, that the goodness, love, and presence of 
 Him who said, " Where two or three are gathered 
 in my name, there am I in the midst of them," were 
 oftentimes witnessed to be with us, blessed be his 
 holy name. Oh ! that the children of men would 
 praise him in thought, word, and deed, for he is 
 worthy. In great reverence and holy fear, we trav- 
 elled along towards South Britain, had several meet-
 
 88 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 ings at Edinburgh and divers other places ; also at 
 Berwick upon Tweed, where there were many soldiers, 
 who were very rude. The devil hath had many battles 
 with us ever since we were a people, in order to hinder 
 us in our worship, but we generally came off with vic- 
 tory, as we did here also, through faith in His name 
 who hath loved us, and manifested himself to us. 
 Those rude soldiers threw their hats into the congre- 
 gation, in order to disturb us, and hinder us in our 
 service, but were at last ashamed and disappointed. 
 
 At this place my dear friend and fellow-traveller, 
 Eichard Gove, and I parted. I was going by the 
 east sea-coast up to London, and he inclined towards 
 Cumberland. We had travelled about a year in the 
 work of the ministry, in great love and true friend- 
 ship, in which work we were true helpers one of 
 another ; and as we had labored together in the work 
 of Christ, so we parted in his love. From Berwick I 
 travelled to Newcastle ; had one meeting by the way, 
 and good meetings at Newcastle, Sunderland, Shoten, 
 and Durham, and several other places in the bish- 
 opric of Durham. The winter coming on apace, it 
 began to be bad travelling ; and I being already much 
 spent by it, designed to go speedily up to London; 
 and taking some meetings in my way, as at Stockton, 
 Whitby, Scarborough, Burlington, Hull, and Brigg, 
 and so on through Lincolnshire, where I went to visit 
 a Friend who was prisoner in the castle of Lincoln, 
 because for conscience' sake, — he could not pay an 
 ungodly priest the tithes of his labor. From Lincoln
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 89 
 
 1 j\ Dceeded to Huntingdon, about which place we had 
 several large meetings ; then to Baldock, where I met 
 with my father and John Gopsil, who came from Lon- 
 don to meet me, which was a joyful meeting, for I had 
 not seen my father for about nine years. The love 
 and tenderness between us, and our gladness in seeing 
 each other again, cannot well be expressed, but I be- 
 lieve it was somewhat like Jacob and Joseph's meet- 
 ing in Egypt ; it was affecting and melting ; blessed 
 be the Almighty that gave me once more to see my 
 tender and aged parent ! From Baldock we went to 
 Hitchin, and .had a meeting there, as also at Hertford, 
 from whence, with several Friends, I went to Enfield, 
 where I met "with my dear and only brother, George, 
 and several ot my relations and our friends ; and we 
 were heartily glad to see one another. From Enfield 
 we went to London, and by the way we met with 
 several Friends of the meeting of Horslydown, to 
 which I belonged from my childhood, who came to 
 meet me, and accompanied us to London. 
 
 I stayed in and about the city most of the winter, 
 visiting meetings when I was in health ; for, through 
 often changing climates, I got a severe cold, and was 
 ill for several weeks, so that I was not at any meeting, 
 which time was very tedious to me ; not so much 
 because of my illness, as that I was deprived of the 
 opportunities and meetings which occur in that city 
 every day of the week, except the last. When I had 
 a little gotten over this illness, I went into Hertford- 
 shire and some parts adjacent, and had meetings at 
 8*
 
 90 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 Staines, Langford, Uxbridge, "Walford, Hempstead, 
 Bendish, Albans, Market street, Hitchin, Hertford, 
 Hodgdon, and then returned again to London. 
 
 After I had been in London a while, I visited several 
 other country meetings, as Winchmore-hill, Totten- 
 ham, Wansworth, Plaistow, Deptford, and Epping, and 
 then stayed about London some weeks, waiting for a 
 passage for Holland, which I intended to visit before 
 I left my own habitation. 
 
 On the 14th of the First month, 1708-9, my com- 
 panion, John Bell, and I, after having acquainted our 
 friends and relations, and having their consent, took 
 our solemn leave of them and went down to Graves- 
 end, where we stayed two or three days for a fair 
 wind. We then went on board the ship "Ann," John 
 Duck, master, bound for Rotterdam, in company with 
 a fleet of vessels waiting for wind, etc. When the 
 wind was fair we sailed for the coast of Holland, and 
 when we arrived, the wind was contrary, and blew 
 very hard, so that some of the ships in company lost 
 their anchors, but in a day or two we all arrived safely 
 at Rotterdam, in Holland ; being but two days on the 
 passage. On First-day morning Ave went to meeting at 
 Rotterdam, where Friends have a meeting-house ; and 
 we stayed at this city seven or eight days, and had 
 six or seven meetings, and were comforted with our 
 brethren and sisters, and greatly refreshed in the 
 Lord Almighty. At this city we spoke without an 
 interpreter, because most in the meeting understood 
 English. From Rotterdam we travelled by the Trek-
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 91 
 
 skuyt, a boat drawn by horses, which is a pleasant 
 easy way of travelling, to a large town called Harlem, 
 where we had a meeting, and spoke by an interpreter; 
 to which meeting came divers of those people called 
 Menonists : they were very sober and attentive; stayed 
 all the time of the meeting, and spoke well of it. From 
 Harlem we went to Amsterdam, the metropolis of 
 Holland, where Friends have a meeting-house. Here 
 we had several meetings, and stayed about a week. 
 On the First day we had a large meeting, to which 
 came many people of divers persuasions and religions, 
 as Jews, Papists, and others ; and we had a good op- 
 portunity among them, and several were tender. A 
 Jew came next day to speak with us, and acknowl- 
 edged, " That Christ was the minister of that sanctuary 
 and tabernacle that God had pitched, and not man ; 
 and that he was sensible of the ministry of Christ in 
 his soul ; and (said he) my heart was broken while 
 that subject was spoken of in the meeting." I was 
 glad to see the man tender and reached ; but too 
 generally speaking, the poor Jews, the seed of good 
 Jacob, are very dark and unbelieving. I have met 
 with but very few of them in my travels who have 
 been tender ; but I do love them for Abraham's, 
 Isaac's, and Jacob's sake. At this meeting, William 
 Sewel, the author of the " History of the Rise and 
 Progress of the people called Quakers," a tender- 
 spirited, upright man, interpreted for me. From 
 Amsterdam we" went to North Holland, and John 
 Clans and Peter Reyard went with us to interpret for
 
 92 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 us ; so oy boat we travelled to a town calleu Twisk, 
 where we had two meetings, Friends having a meeting- 
 house there. We went back again to Amsterdam, 
 and had two large meetings on First day; and on 
 Second day in the evening we went on shipboard, 
 in order to cross the South Sea to Harlingen, at which 
 place we had two meetings, and we and Friends were 
 glad to see one another ; and, indeed, we being as one 
 family all the world over, are generally glad to see 
 each other. From this place we travelled eastward, 
 through East Friesland, and went through several 
 great towns and cities, until we came to Embden, the 
 chief city in East Friesland, where we had a comfort- 
 able meeting by the bed-side of one of our friends who 
 lay sick ; and several of her neighbors came in and 
 stayed till the meeting ended; some of them were 
 very tender and loving, and wished us well, and were 
 well satisfied. After meeting we set forward for Ham- 
 burg, it being four days journey by wagon, and passed 
 along through divers towns and cities ; we also trav- 
 elled through the city of Oldenburg, and a place of 
 great commerce called Bremen. A magistrate of this 
 city took notice of us, joined himself to us, and went 
 with us to the inn, and then very lovingly took leave 
 of us, and desired God to bless us. The people at our 
 inns were generally very loving and kind to us, and 
 some would admire at my coming so far only to visit 
 my friends, without any view of advantage or profit 
 outwardly. When we got to Hamburg, we had a 
 meeting at Jacob Hagen's, and those who were there
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 93 
 
 were well satisfied with the doctrine of truth ; blessed 
 be God, who, I may say, was with us at that time and 
 place ! At Hamburg there was at meeting one who 
 had preached before the king of Denmark ; who, as 
 I understood by our interpreter, was turned out of 
 his place for declaring the same truths that we had 
 preached that day ; at which meeting were Papists, 
 Lutherans, Calvin ists, Menonists, Jews, etc. All of 
 them were sober, and generally expressed their satis- 
 faction. I had so much comfort in that meeting, that 
 I thought it was worth my labor in coming from my 
 habitation ; the answer of peace was so sweet to my 
 soul, that I greatly rejoiced in my labor in the work 
 of Christ. From hence I travelled to Frederickstadt, 
 it being two days' journey, where Friends have a 
 meeting-house. We stayed about ten days, and had 
 nine meetings in this city. Some of the meetings 
 were very large, and the longer we stayed, the larger 
 they were. Frederickstadt is a city in the dominions 
 of the duke of Holstein, and was the farthest place to 
 which we travelled eastward ; and from thence I wrote 
 a small piece, called, "A loving invitation unto young 
 and old in Holland and elsewhere ;" which was trans- 
 lated into the German and Low-Dutch languages : and 
 divers impressions of it were also printed in England. 
 We travelled in this journey through some parts of 
 the Emperor of Germany's dominions, as also of the 
 kings of Denmark and Swedeland, and of the Duke of 
 Oldenburg, and Prince of East Friesland's territories, 
 besides some parts of the seven provinces of the United
 
 94 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 States. We parted with our friends of Frederickstadt 
 in much love and tenderness, with our hearts full of 
 good will one towards another, and went back to the 
 city of Embden, a nearer way by two days' journey, 
 than to go by Hamburg. We crossed the rivers 
 Eider, Elfe, and Weser ; over which last we were 
 rowed by three women. The women in these parts of 
 the world are strong and robust, and used to hard 
 labor. I have seen them do not only the work of men, 
 but of horses ; it being common with them to do the 
 most laborious, and the men the lightest and easiest 
 work. I remember that I once saw, near Hamburg, 
 a fair, well-dressed woman, who by her dress and 
 appearance was a woman of some note, and a man 
 whom I took to be her husband walking by her, and 
 the way difficult, being up a very steep hill, and he 
 did not so much as offer his hand, or give any assist- 
 ance to her; which, however it might look to a man 
 of that country, seemed very strange to me, being a 
 Briton. For my part, I thought it unmanly, as well 
 as unmannerly ; on which I observe, that I never in 
 any other part of the world saw women so tenderly 
 dealt by as our English women are, which they ought 
 to prize highly, and therefore to be the more loving 
 and obedient to their husbands ; which indulgence I 
 blame not, but commend, so far as it is a motive to 
 stir them up to love and faithfulness. 
 
 In this journey between Frederickstadt and Embden 
 we had four days' hard travelling, and were twice over- 
 turned out of our wagons, but we received no harm,
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 95 
 
 which was admirable to us ; for once we fell, wagon 
 and all, over a great bank, just by the side of a large 
 ditch, and did but just save ourselves out of the ditch. 
 The next time we overset upon stones : we wondered 
 that none of us were hurt, particularly myself, I being 
 much heavier than any of the rest ; but through the 
 mercy of God, we got well to Embden the second 
 time, and had a meeting upon a First day, and imme- 
 diately after we took ship for Delfzeel, which was from 
 Embden about nine or ten English miles, by water, 
 and with a fair gale of wind got there in less than 
 two hours. "We spoke by interpreters all along, and 
 were divinely helped to preach the gospel to the 
 satisfaction of others, and our own comfort ; and the 
 Friend who interpreted for us was sensible of the 
 same divine assistance, to his admiration, for which 
 we were all truly thankful. But notwithstanding we 
 were so opened, to the satisfaction of ourselves, our 
 friends, and the people, yet we were sometimes emptied 
 to exceeding great spiritual poverty, and in the sense 
 of our want and need we did many times pour out 
 our souls in humble prayer and supplication to the 
 Most High, for his help and strength, that it might 
 be made manifest to us in our weakness ; and we found 
 him a God near at hand, and often a present help in 
 the needful time, and had a sweet answer to our 
 prayers. that my soul, with all the faithful, may 
 dwell near to Him, in whom alone is the help and 
 strength of all his faithful servants and ministers ! 
 Amen.
 
 96 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 From Delfzeel we went to Groningen, the chief 
 city in Groningland, and to a town named Goradick, 
 where we had a meeting with a few Friends and some 
 of their neighbors. It was to us a comfortable meet- 
 ing, and they were glad of it, being but seldom vis- 
 ited by Friends. From this place we travelled by 
 wagon to Hervine, where we lodged that night, and 
 next day went by wagon to Leuwarden. It happened 
 that we had generally very fine weather while in those 
 open wagons, in which we travelled several hundred 
 miles, so that Jacob Claus, our companion and inter- 
 preter, though he had travelled much, said he never 
 had observed the like before ; which observation I 
 thought good to make, with thanks to the Almighty. 
 
 From the city of Leuwarden we came by water to 
 Harlingen, where Friends were glad to see us, and 
 we them. We had a good and comfortable meeting 
 in Friends' meeting-house, blessed be the Lord for it! 
 From hence we crossed the South Sea, and had a con- 
 trary wind, which made our passage long and tedious. 
 We were two days and two nights on this water before 
 we got to Amsterdam, in all which, and the next day, 
 I tasted no food, being three days fasting. I . was 
 willing to keep my body under, and found it for my 
 health, neither had I any desire for food in those 
 three days, in which time we had two meetings. We 
 arrived at Amsterdam about the sixth hour on First- 
 day morning, and had two meetings that day, which 
 were quiet, and many people came to one of them : 
 but we could not be clear without going again to
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 97 
 
 North Holland. So from Amsterdam we went to 
 Horn, where we had a meeting in the collegian's 
 meeting-house, and it was to satisfaction : the people 
 were very loving, and divers very tender, even more 
 than we have usually seen. They desired another 
 meeting, but our time would not admit of it, we 
 having appointed a meeting at Twisk the next day, 
 which we had in the meeting-place, as also another at 
 a Friend's house. Next day we returned to Amster- 
 dam, and had a meeting, which began about the fifth 
 hour, which was the last meeting we had in this city, 
 and I hope it will not easily be forgotten by some. 
 After it we solemnly took our leave of Friends, and 
 departed for Harlem, where we were well refreshed 
 in the love and life of Christ Jesus, our dear Lord 
 and good Master. From Harlem we went with several 
 Friends to Rotterdam, where we had two meetings, 
 and in the evening visited a Friend who was not well, 
 with whom we had an affecting time, and the sick 
 Friend was comforted and refreshed, and said she was 
 much better than before ; and we were edified, and 
 the Lord our God praised and magnified over all, who 
 is blessed forever. 
 
 In those parts, viz., Holland, Friesland, Germany, 
 etc., we travelled nine hundred and seventy-two 
 English miles, all in wagons and vessels. We came 
 not on a horse's back all the time. We stayed about 
 nine weeks in those countries, travelling and getting 
 meetings where we could, which were to the number 
 of forty-five, thus accounted : at Rotterdam, ten ; Har-
 
 98 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 lem, three; Amsterdam, ten ; Twisk, four; Harlingen, 
 three ; Horn, one ; Hamburg, one ; Embden, two ; 
 Frederickstadt, ten ; Goradick, one. 
 
 All these are large cities, except Twisk and 
 Goradick. 
 
 From Rotterdam we took ship for London, and on 
 the 30th of the Third month, 1709, sailed down the 
 river Mouse to the Briel, in the ship "Ann," John Duck, 
 master, but he missing the convoy, we took our pas- 
 sage in the packet; and from Helvoetsluys sailed 
 over to Harwich, and safely arrived in our native 
 land, blessing Almighty God for his many preserva- 
 tions and deliverances by sea and land. 
 
 About this time, after a long continuance of war, 
 there was great talking of peace ; but the old enemy 
 to peace, truth, and righteousness broke it off by his 
 evil working in man : neither can there be any lasting 
 peace, until the nations, come to witness the peaceable 
 government and spirit of our Lord Jesus Christ, set 
 up and established in themselves. The Lord bring it 
 to pass, if it be his blessed will, with speed, for his 
 holy name's sake ! Amen. 
 
 As I have had great peace and satisfaction in my 
 travels in Holland and Germany, so, for inciting 
 others under the like exercise, I may truly say, that 
 there is encouragement for faithful ministers to 
 labor in the work of the gospel. I know not that 
 I ever met with more tenderness and openness in 
 people than in those parts of the world. There is a 
 great people whom they call Menonists, who are very
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 99 
 
 near to truth, and the fields are white unto harvest 
 among divers of them, spiritually speaking. Oh! 
 that faithful laborers, not a few, might be sent of 
 God Almighty into the great vineyard of the world, 
 is what my spirit breathes to him for. 
 
 After lodging one night at Harwich, we came to 
 Ipswich, and from thence to Colchester, where we 
 stayed on First day and had two meetings ; and had a 
 meeting at Birch and Coggeshall, and then back to 
 Colchester, where we took coach for London, to the 
 Yearly Meeting of Friends, which was very large. I 
 gave a short account of my travels to the said meeting, 
 with which Friends were satisfied, and made a minute 
 thereof. I had been about twenty months from my 
 habitation, and from my dear and affectionate wife, 
 and from any trade or business, being all that time 
 wholly given up in my mind to preach the glorious 
 gospel of God our Saviour, without any outward 
 consideration whatever, taking my great Master's 
 counsel ; as I had freely received from him, so I freely 
 gave ; and had that solid peace in my labors which is 
 of more value than gold, yea, than all the world. 
 
 From the Yearly Meeting I travelled through some 
 parts of most of the counties in England, and also in 
 Wales: in which service I labored fervently, and 
 often travelled hard, in body and mind, until the next 
 Yearly Meeting, 1710; having travelled that year 
 about two thousand five hundred miles, and had 
 nearly three hundred public meetings, in many of 
 which there were much people, and oftentimes great
 
 100 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 openness. Being at so many Friends' houses and 
 meetings, if I was to be particular, it would be too 
 voluminous, for which, and some reason beside, I only 
 give a general account thereof. 
 
 In this year, 1710, my dear friend and fellow-trav- 
 eller, Richard Gove, departed this life at Uxbridge, 
 about fifteen miles from London, at our friend Richard 
 Richardson's house. He died of a consumption. 
 We travelled together in great love and unity, and 
 the Lord blessed his work in our hands. We were 
 in company in the West India islands, Ireland, and 
 North Britain, till we came to Berwick on Tweed. 
 We met together again at London, and he visited 
 some other parts of Britain in the time I was in Hol- 
 land and Germany. He was an inoffensive, loving 
 Friend, and had a sound testimony, — which was ser- 
 viceable and convincing, — and was well beloved in 
 Philadelphia, where he lived. He left a good savor 
 and report behind him, I think, wherever he travelled. 
 At this General Meeting in London I had a good 
 opportunity to take leave of my dear friends and 
 brethren in my native land, not expecting to see it, 
 or them, any more. Oh ! I may truly say, it was a 
 solemn parting ! a solemn time to me indeed. After 
 the Yearly Meeting was over, I took my passage in 
 the "Mary Hope," John Annis, master, bound for Phila- 
 delphia; and on the 29th of the Fourth month, 1710, 
 at Gravesend, after having taken a solemn leave of 
 our relations, and several of my dear friends, we set 
 sail and overtook the Russian fleet at Harwich, joined
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 101 
 
 it, and sailed as far as Shetland, which is northward of 
 the Isles of Orkney. We were with the fleet about 
 two weeks, and then left it, and sailed to the west- 
 ward for America. In this time we had rouo;h seas, 
 which made divers of us sea-sick. After we left 
 Shetland, we were seven weeks and four days at sea 
 before we saw the land of America, and glad we were 
 when we got sight thereof. In this time we had 
 divers sweet and solemn meetings, on First days and 
 Fifth days, wherein we worshipped and praised the 
 great Jehovah, and many things were opened in the 
 spirit of love and truth, to our comfort and edification. 
 We had one meeting; with the Germans or Palatines 
 on the ship's deck, and one who understood both lan- 
 guages interpreted for me. The people were tender 
 and wrought upon, behaved soberly, and were well 
 satisfied : and I can truly say, I was well satisfied 
 also. 
 
 In this voyage we had our health to admiration ; 
 and I shall mention one thing worthy of notice. Some 
 of my loving and good friends in London, fearing a 
 sickness in the ship, as she was but small, and consid- 
 ering there were so many souls on board, being 
 ninety-four in number, for that and other reasons, 
 advised me not to go in her ; for they loved me well, 
 and I took it kindly of them. But I could not be 
 easy to take their advice, because I had been long 
 from my habitation and business, and which was yet 
 more, from my dear and loving wife ; and notwith- 
 standing the vessel was so full and crowded, and ako 
 9*
 
 102 THE JOURNAL OP 
 
 several of the people taken into the ship in the river 
 Thames, yet they mended on board the vessel apace, 
 and were soon all brave and hearty, being perfectly 
 recovered at sea, and the ship, through the providence 
 of the Almighty, brought them all well to Philadel- 
 phia, in the Seventh month, 1710. I think I never 
 was in a more healthy vessel, and I thought this a 
 peculiar favor worthy to be recorded by me. We 
 had a very pleasant passage up the river Delaware, 
 to our great satisfaction, the Palatines being wonder- 
 fully pleased with the country, greatly admiring the 
 pleasantness and the fertility of it. Divers of our 
 people went on shore and brought fruit on board, 
 which was the largest and finest they had ever seen, 
 as they said, such as apples, peaches, etc. 
 
 I was from my family and habitation in this jour- 
 ney and travel, for the space of three years, within a 
 few weeks ; in which time, and in my return, I had 
 sweet peace to my soul ; glory to God for evermore ! 
 I had meetings every day when on land, except Second 
 and Seventh days, when in health, and nothing extra- 
 ordinary hindered, and had travelled by sea and land, 
 fourteen thousand three hundred miles, according to 
 our English account. I was kindly and tenderly 
 received by my friends, who longed to see me, as I 
 did them, and our meeting was comfortable and 
 pleasant. 
 
 After this long travel and voyage, I stayed at home 
 and looked after the little family which God had given 
 me, and kept duly to meetings, except something ex-
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 103 
 
 traordinary hindered. Divers people when I came 
 home, raised a false report of me, and said I had 
 brought home a great deal of money and goods, which 
 I got by preaching. This was utterly false and base ; 
 for I brought neither money nor goods, so much as to 
 the value of five pounds, except my wearing apparel. 
 My case was so much the reverse, that I borrowed 
 money at London to pay for my accommodations home, 
 which I faithfully remitted back again to my friend 
 who lent it to me ; and if I might have gained a hun- 
 dred pounds per annum, it would not have tempted 
 me to undertake that, or another such journey. Soon 
 after my return home, I visited a few neighboring 
 meetings, which were large and edifying, Friends 
 being glad to see me ; and I did, as I had reason to 
 do, bless the holy name of the Lord, for his many 
 preservations and deliverances by sea and land.
 
 104 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 1710-1721. 
 
 Death of his Wife — Various Journeys — Dispute with a Priest — 
 Charleston — Virginia — Second Marriage — Two Voyages to 
 Bermuda — Destructive Hurricane — Voyage Home — Threat- 
 ened Starvation — Remarkable Supply of Food — Service about 
 Home — Voyage to Barbadoes and England — Writes "Scruple 
 of Conscience about Prayer," etc. — Natural Curiosities — 
 Writes "Observations on Christ's Sermon on the Mount" — 
 Return Home — Sails again to Barbadoes and England — Con- 
 siderations respecting Business — Incidents of Voyage — Re- 
 turn Home. 
 
 After some stay at Philadelphia, I went doAvn with 
 my wife and family into Maryland, to a corn-mill and 
 saw-mill which I had there, in order to live there 
 some time and settle my affairs. While there, my 
 dear wife was taken ill of a sore disease, and I was 
 desirous of getting her up to Philadelphia. She was 
 carried as far as Chester -in a horse-litter, where she 
 continued for some months in extreme pain, at the 
 house of our very kind friends, David and Grace 
 Lloyd, "&hose kindness to us in that trying and ex^ 
 ercising time was great, and is not to be forgotten 
 by me. From Chester we removed her in a litter, 
 accompanied by our friends, to Philadelphia, where 
 she continued very ill all that winter, often thinking
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 105 
 
 that death tarried long, and crying mightily to the 
 Lord, " Oh ! come away ! come away ! " This was 
 her cry day and nfght, till at last she couM speak no 
 more. As we had lived together in great love and 
 unity, being very affectionate one to another, so, being 
 now left alone, I was very solitary, and sometimes sor- 
 rowful, and broken into many tears, in the sense of 
 my loss and lonesomeness. My dear wife was a vir- 
 tuous young woman, and one who truly feared God 
 and loved his dear Son ; from whom she had received 
 a good gift of the ministry, and was serviceable to 
 many therein. I had five children by her, four sons 
 and one daughter, all of whom I buried before her, 
 under three years old. At the Yearly Meeting before 
 she died, she was so wonderfully carried forth in her 
 ministry by divine grace, that divers of her friends 
 believed she was near her end, she signifying some- 
 thing to that effect in her testimony, and that she 
 should not live to see another Yearly Meeting ; and 
 so it came to pass ; for she died before another Yearly 
 Meeting, being aged about thirty-five years, and a 
 married woman about thirteen years. Her body was 
 carried to the meeting-house in Philadelphia, and 
 buried in Friends' burying-ground, being accompa- 
 nied by many hundreds of our Friends in a solemn 
 manner ; and my heart was greatly broken in consid- 
 eration of my great loss ; and being left alone, as to 
 wife and children, I many times deeply mourned, 
 though I well knew my loss was hers and their gain ! 
 I now gave up my time mostly to travelling, for
 
 106 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 about the space of two years, in which I visited the 
 meetings of Friends in the provinces of Pennsylvania, 
 East and West Jersey, Maryland, Virginia, and North 
 Carolina, back to Philadelphia, and then to New Jer- 
 sey again : also to Long Island, Rhode Island, Conan- 
 icut Island, Nantucket Island, and New England, and 
 through those parts on my return to Philadelphia. 
 In these journeys I travelled some thousands of miles, 
 and had many large meetings, some in places where 
 there had not been any before ; and some were con- 
 vinced, and many would acknowledge to the testimony 
 of truth which was declared by the help and grace 
 of Christ ; and many times, by the assistance of that 
 grace, my heart was wonderfully opened to the people. 
 In Virginia I had a meeting at James river, where 
 a priest of the Church of England, with some of his 
 hearers, made some opposition after our meeting was 
 over, and were for disputing about religion ; and he 
 openly declared, " The Spirit was not his guide nor 
 rule; and he hoped, never should be. But," he said, 
 " the Scriptures were his rule, and that there was no 
 need of any other; and that they were as plain as 
 Gunter's line, or as one, two, three." I told him the 
 Scriptures were a good secondary rule, and that it 
 were well if men would square their lives according 
 to their directions ; which we, as a people, exhorted 
 all to : but that the holy Spirit, from which the holy 
 Scriptures came, must needs be preferable to the letter 
 that came from it. I also asked him how he, or any 
 one else, without the light or influence of the holy
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 107 
 
 Spirit, could understand the Scriptures, which were 
 parabolically and allegorically expressed in many- 
 places? And further, to use his own expression, 
 how could any understand Gunter's line without Gun- 
 ter's knowledge? or without they were taught by 
 Gunter, or some other ? Neither can we be the sons 
 of God, without the spirit of God. Which he an- 
 swered not, but went away. 
 
 In New England, one Joseph Metcalf, a Presby- 
 terian teacher at Falmouth, wrote a book entitled, 
 " Legal forcing a maintenance for a minister of the 
 gospel, warrantable from Scripture," etc. This book, 
 a Friend of Sandwich gave me, and desired I would 
 answer it; and finding some exercise on my mind for 
 the cause of Truth, I was willing to undertake it; and 
 accordingly wrote an answer thereto, which I called, 
 "Forcing a maintenance, not warrantable from the 
 holy Scriptures, for a minister of the gospel." I 
 endeavored to set the texts of Scripture in a true 
 light, which he had darkened and misrepresented by 
 his chimerical doctrines. 
 
 In this year, 1713, I went from Philadelphia, in 
 the " Hope" galley, John Richmond, master, to South 
 Carolina. We were about a month at sea; and when 
 it pleased God that we arrived at Charleston, in South 
 Carolina, we had a meeting there, and divers others 
 afterwards. There are but few Friends in this prov- 
 ince, yet I had several meetings in the country. 
 The people were generally loving, and received me 
 kindly. What I had to declare to them, I always
 
 108 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 desired to speak to the witness of God in the soul, 
 and according to the pure doctrine of Truth in the 
 holy Scriptures ; and there was openness in the people 
 in several places. I was several times to visit the 
 governor, who was courteous and civil to me. He 
 said I "deserved encouragement," and spoke to sev- 
 eral to be generous, and contribute to my assistance. 
 He meant an outward maintenance ; for he would 
 have me encouraged to stay among them. But I told 
 him that, though it might be a practice with them 
 to maintain their ministers, and pay them money for 
 preaching, it was contrary to our principles to be 
 paid for preaching, agreeably to the command of our 
 great master, Christ Jesus, who said to his ministers, 
 " Freely ye have received, freely give : " so that we 
 are limited by his words, whatever others are : and 
 those who take a liberty contrary to his doctrine and 
 command, I think must be antichrists, according to 
 holy Scripture. The longer I stayed there, the larger 
 our meetings were ; and when I found myself free 
 and clear of those parts, I took my passage for Vir- 
 ginia in a sloop, Henry Tucker, master. I had a 
 comfortable and quick passage to James river, it 
 being about two hundred leagues. The master of 
 the vessel told rne, " That he believed he was blessed 
 for my sake." I wished him to live so as that he 
 might be blessed for Christ's sake. Some reforma- 
 tion was begun on him in our voyage ; which was the 
 goodness of God, through Christ, to him, and not to 
 be attributed to me any further than an instrument
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 109 
 
 in the divine hand ; for of ourselves we cannot do 
 anything that is good, it being by grace, through 
 faith, that we are saved, which is God's gift to the 
 soul. 
 
 After I had been some time in Virginia, I got a 
 passage up the bay of Chesapeake, and had several 
 meetings in Maryland, Friends being glad to see me; 
 and we were comforted in Christ, our Lord. I made 
 some little stay at a place I had in that province, 
 called Longbridge, and then returned to Philadelphia, 
 where I lodged at the house of my very kind friends, 
 Richard and Hannah Hill, and was oftentimes at 
 divers neighboring meetings, and sometimes had good 
 service therein. 
 
 About this time I had an inclination to alter my 
 condition to a married state; and Martha, the widow 
 of Joseph Brown, appearing to be a suitable person 
 for me, on the 15th of the Second month, 1714, we 
 were joined together in marriage, with the unity of 
 Friends in general. We had a large meeting at our 
 marriage, the solemnization thereof being attended 
 with the grace and goodness of God ; and for example 
 sake we made but little provision for our guests ; for 
 great entertainments at marriages and funerals began 
 to be a growing thing among us, which was attended 
 with divers inconveniences. 
 
 My wife was a sober and religious young woman, 
 
 and of a quiet natural temper and disposition ; which 
 
 is an excellent ornament to the fair sex ; and indeed 
 
 it is so to both male and female; for, according to the 
 
 10
 
 110 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 i 
 
 holy Scriptures, " A meek and quiet spirit is with the 
 Lord of great price." 
 
 I was at divers Yearly Meetings in 1715, viz., at 
 Choptank, in Maryland; at Shrewsbury and Salem, 
 in New Jersey ; all which meetings were very large 
 and comfortable ; many things being opened therein, 
 tending to convincing and establishing the people in 
 the truth and doctrine of Christ. I was likewise at 
 divers other meetings in those provinces, which were 
 large and satisfactory. 
 
 At Salem Yearly Meeting I was sent for to the 
 prison, where there was a young woman who was to 
 be tried for her life. She desired that I would pray 
 for her, and charged me to warn the young people to 
 be careful not to keep bad company; " for," said she, 
 " it has been my ruin, and brought me to this shame 
 and reproach." She had been tenderly brought up 
 and educated. I knew her when she wore a necklace 
 of gold chains, though now she wore iron ones. Upon 
 which subject I had afterwards a large opportunity to 
 speak to the people in a very moving manner ; which 
 seemed very much to affect the youth and others in 
 the meeting, which consisted of many hundreds of 
 people. I saw this young woman afterwards, the 
 jury acquitting her ; and I told her that her life was 
 given her for a prey ; and reminded her how it was 
 with her when she was in prison in chains; and I 
 advised her to walk more circumspectly for the fu- 
 ture ; which she said she hoped she should do. 
 
 In the year 1716 I had some concerns which drew
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. HI 
 
 me to the island of Bermuda, where I went twice 
 that summer. My family increasing, I traded a little 
 to sea for their support and maintenance ; and I can 
 truly say, I carried on my affairs and business in the 
 fear of God, having an eye or regard therein, more to 
 his glory than to my own interest. We had a rough 
 passage to this island in the first voyage, and were 
 forced by distress of weather to cast some of our 
 goods into the sea ; and the storm being very violent, 
 some of the seamen thought we should be devoured 
 by the waves. As for me, they had shut me up in 
 the cabin alone, all in darkness, and the water came 
 in so that they were forced to take it out in buckets. 
 When the storm was a little over, the master came 
 to me and asked, " How I did all alone in the dark?" 
 I told him pretty well ; and said to him I was very 
 willing to die, if it so pleased God ; and indeed I 
 expected no other at that time. After this great 
 storm was over, we arrived at Bermuda in a few 
 days. Going into the harbor, the bottom of the vessel 
 struck the rocks, but we got well in ; for which I was 
 thankful to the Almighty. I stayed on the island 
 about a month, and had several meetings ; to some 
 of which many came who were not called Friends. 
 They were all sober, and some well satisfied; and 
 the people of the island generally received me lov- 
 ingly, and were very kind to me. Our ancients, who 
 bore the burden and heat of the day, met with very 
 different treatment. I tenderly desire that we who
 
 112 THE JOURNAL OP 
 
 come after them, may be truly humble and thankful 
 to the Almighty for all his mercies. 
 
 By reason of my outward affairs, I had opportuni- 
 ties with some persons of great note and business on 
 this island, and sometimes opened the principles of 
 Friends to their satisfaction ; some of them told me, 
 " They never understood so much concerning our 
 Friends before; and if what I said was true, they 
 had been misinformed." Divers such opportunities 
 I had with several on this island, there being but 
 very few of our Society. 
 
 These are called the Summer Islands, or Bermudas, 
 there being many little islands in the midst of the 
 main island, in form like a horse-shoe : they are about 
 two hundred leagues distant from the Capes of Dela- 
 ware. It is rare to see hail, snow, or ice there. 
 
 After I had done my business, and had been for 
 some time on the island, I had a ready and comfortable 
 passage home, where I was joyfully received. 
 
 After some little stay at home, I went a second time 
 that summer to Bermuda, and then also I had some 
 meetings, and did some business on the island. It 
 was my constant care that my worldly affairs should 
 not hinder me in my religious concern for the good 
 of souls. It happened at this time there was a mighty 
 hurricane of wind, that blew many houses to the 
 ground, and very many trees up by the roots, and 
 rent rocks asunder, of which I was an eye-witness : 
 though it is to be observed, that those rocks in the 
 Summer Islands are not so hard as in some other
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 113 
 
 parts of the world, particularly to the northward ; for 
 
 here they saw them with saws, and cut them with 
 
 axes like wood. I was told there were sixty sail of 
 
 vessels then at these islands, and all were driven on 
 
 shore but three, and ours was one of the three that 
 
 rode out the storm ; for which I was truly thankful. 
 
 In this great storm, or hurricane, several sloops were 
 
 driven upon dry land, so that, after the storm was 
 
 over, one might go round them at high water, and 
 
 several were blown off the dry land into the water. 
 
 One that was ready to be launched, though fastened 
 
 on the stocks with two cables and anchors put deep 
 
 in the ground, yet the violence of the wind blew her 
 
 into the water, and dashed her to pieces. 
 
 About this time the Bermuda people had got a vast 
 
 treasure of silver and gold out of the Spanish wrecks ; 
 
 and at a meeting which I had on the First day of the 
 
 week .before the hurricane, or storm of wind, it came 
 
 weightily on my mind to exhort them not to be lifted 
 
 up therewith, nor exalted with pride : for I declared 
 
 to them, that the same hand which took it from the 
 
 Spaniards, could take it from those who had now got 
 
 it out of the sea; and if He pleased, by the same way; 
 
 which was a storm that cast away the ships going 
 
 for Spain. And indeed so it happened the same 
 
 week ; for it was reckoned by men of experience and 
 
 judgment, that they lost more by the storm than 
 
 they had gained by the wrecks of the Spaniards. A 
 
 sober old man, not of our profession, told me, the next 
 
 day after the hurricane was over, that what I spoke 
 10*
 
 114 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 in the meeting was soon come to pass ; and he added, 
 I was a true prophet to them. Many houees that 
 were not blown down were uncovered. My landlord's 
 house being old, several thought it would be down ; 
 but by the good providence of God, it was one of those 
 which stood. I was in my store, which stood also, 
 though I expected every minute when it would have 
 been blown down. It was by the mercy of God we 
 were preserved, and not for any merit of ours. I 
 entreated the Lord in the midst of this great wind, 
 that he would please to spare the lives of the people; 
 for many of them being seafaring men, were very unfit 
 to die ; at which time I thought I was sensible of the 
 answer of my prayer, and he was pleased to be en- 
 treated for them : for notwithstanding the violence of 
 the s'torm, and the great destruction it made, yet not 
 one man, woman, child, or creature was lost, that I 
 heard of, in all the island, which was to me very 
 admirable. The Friend of the house came to me 
 after the storm abated, and said, " The Lord had 
 heard my prayers for them." Although they could 
 not, by any outward knowledge, know that I had 
 prayed for them, yet they had a sense given them, 
 that I was concerned for them before the Almighty ; 
 which indeed was true. Oh ! that we may never 
 forget the merciful visitations of the high and lofty 
 One, who inhabits eternity ! 
 
 While I was on the island I was invited to, and 
 kindly entertained at, the houses of several of the 
 gentry, and at the governor's, who invited me several
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 115 
 
 times to his house. Once I was with him and some 
 of his chief officers at dinner, with divers of the first 
 rank, where I was treated very kindly ; and after 
 dinner the governor's practice was to drink the king's 
 health, and he hoped I would drink it with them. 
 " Yes," said the rest at the table, " Mr. Chalkley 
 (as they called me) will surely drink the king's health 
 with us." So they passed the glass, with the king's 
 health, till it came to me ; when they all looked stead- 
 fastly, to see what I would do ; and I looked as stead- 
 fastly to the Almighty, and said to them, " I love 
 King George, and wish him as well as any subject he 
 hath ; and it is known to thousands that we pray for 
 him in our meetings for the worship of Almighty God; 
 but as to drinking healths, either the king's or any 
 man's else, it is against my professed principle, I look- 
 ing on it to be a vain, idle custom." They replied, 
 " That they wished the king had more such subjects 
 as I was ; for I had professed a hearty respect for 
 him : " and the governor and they all were very kind 
 and friendly to me all the time I was on the island. 
 
 After I had finished my concerns, I embarked in 
 the sloop "Dove," for Philadelphia, she being con- 
 signed to me in this and the former voyage. It being 
 often calm and small winds, our provisions grew very 
 scanty. We were about twelve persons in the vessel, 
 great and small, and but one piece of beef left in the 
 barrel; and for several days, the wind being contrary, 
 the people began to murmur, and told dismal stories 
 about people eating one another for want of provisions.
 
 116 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 The wind being still against us, and, for auglit we 
 could see, likely to continue so, they murmured more 
 and more, and at last against me in particular, because 
 the vessel and cargo was consigned to me, and was 
 under my care, so that my inward exercise about it 
 was great. Neither myself, nor any in the vessel, 
 imagined that we should be half so long as we were 
 on the voyage ; but since it was so, T seriously con- 
 sidered the matter ; and to stop their murmuring, I 
 told them they should not need to cast lots, which 
 was usual in such cases, which of us should die first, 
 for I would freely offer up my life to do them good. 
 One said, " God bless you, I will not eat any of you." 
 Another said, " He would die before he would eat any 
 of me ; " and so said several. I can truly say, that 
 at that time my life was not dear to me, and that I 
 was serious and ingenuous in my proposition ; and as 
 I was leaning over the side of the vessel, thoughtfully 
 considering my proposal to the company, and looking 
 in my mind to Him who made me, a very large dolphin 
 came up towards the surface of the water, and looked 
 me in the face. I called the people to put a hook into 
 the sea and take him, for here is one come to redeem 
 me, said I to them ; and they put out a hook, and the 
 fish readily took it, and they caught him. I think he 
 was about six feet long, and the largest that ever I 
 saw. This plainly showed us that we ought not to 
 distrust the providence of the Almighty. The people 
 were quieted by this act of Providence, and murmured 
 no more. We caught enough to eat plentiful of till
 
 THOMAS CHALKLE? 117 
 
 we got into the Capes of Delaware. Thus I saw it 
 was good to depend upon the Almighty, and rely 
 upon his eternal arm ; which, in a particular manner, 
 did preserve us safe to our desired port. Blessed be 
 his great and glorious name, through Christ, forever! 
 
 I now stayed at and about home for some time; 
 after which I was concerned to visit Friends in several 
 places, and in the adjacent provinces, as Maryland, 
 New Jersey, etc., and was at many marriages and 
 funerals, at which, many times we had good opportu- 
 nities to open the way, and also the necessity, to be 
 married to Christ Jesus, the great bridegroom of the 
 soul ; and also to exhort the people to consider and 
 prepare for their latter end and final change ; which 
 many times was sanctified to divers souls, and the 
 Lord's name was glorified, who is worthy thereof. 
 
 In the year 1717, I' went into Maryland to look 
 after my affairs in that province ; and as I travelled, 
 I had divers meetings at Nottingham, and at Bush 
 river, about which time, at Bush river, several were 
 convinced. The meeting I found in a growing con- 
 dition in that which is good, several persons meeting 
 together in silence to worship God, according to 
 Christ's institution, which was, and is, and ever will 
 be, in spirit and in truth. For the encouragement 
 of all such, Christ hath said, that the Father seeketh 
 such to worship him ; and again, " Where two 01* 
 three are met together in my name, there am I in 
 the midst of them." And if Christ be in the midst, 
 there is no absolute need of vocal teaching, except it
 
 118 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 be the will of the Lord to call any to it. Let the 
 spiritual Christian read and judge. 
 
 After my return I had several meetings in the 
 country, near Philadelphia; and about the latter end 
 of the Eighth month I was at several marriages, one 
 of which was on the Third day of the week, about 
 fifteen miles above Philadelphia, over Delaware river; 
 the next was over the river again, about twenty miles 
 below the city ; and the third was about twenty miles 
 further down the river, and on the opposite side at 
 Salem, on the following day; so that I crossed the 
 Delaware river three times in three days, and rode 
 about one hundred miles. The meetings were all 
 large, and matter suitable to the occasion freely 
 opened to the people. These remarks are not in- 
 tended to set up man, or exalt flesh, but to stir up 
 others to come up to the work of Christ in their 
 generation. All the glory and goodliness of man is 
 but as the grass, which soon withers, without we 
 dwell in the root of true religion, and in the holy 
 life of Christ. That God may have the glory of all 
 his works, is the end of all the labors and travels of 
 the servants and faithful ministers of Christ. 
 
 In the Tenth month, 1717, divers considerations 
 moving me thereto, I took a voyage to Barbadoes in 
 the " Snow Hope," J. Curtis, master, and from thence 
 to Great Britain and London ; partly on account of 
 business, and hoping once more, if it pleased God, to 
 see my aged father, my brother, relations, and friends; 
 which voyage I undertook in the solid fear of God.
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 119 
 
 I desired the concurrence of my wife, and my friends 
 and brethren of the meeting to which I did belong, 
 in this undertaking, the which I had in a general 
 way, and the good wishes and prayers of many par- 
 ticulars, with a certificate from our Monthly Meeting, 
 signifying their unity with my conversation and min- 
 istry, and present undertaking. I felt the love and 
 goodness of God therein, but in many respects it was 
 a great cross to me, especially leaving my beloved 
 wife and children, and many of my dear friends, 
 whom I loved well in Christ ; and crossing the seas 
 was always troublesome to me, being sickly, especially 
 in windy or stormy weather. The confinement was 
 worse to me for the time than a prison; for it 
 would be much easier to me to be in prison on land 
 upon a good account, than in prison at sea, I always 
 looking on a ship to be a perilous prison, though it 
 was my lot to be much therein. As for my natural 
 life, I always gave it up whenever I went to sea; 
 and I thought that was the least part of the hard- 
 ship, never putting much value thereon. But to sea 
 I went, for the reasons mentioned, and got from Phi- 
 ladelphia to Newcastle the first night in said vessel, 
 and to Elsingburgh next day, where we lay for a fair 
 wind about two days, then sailed to Bombay Hook, 
 where we met with two other vessels bound to sea, 
 who waited also for the wind. We lay there two 
 nights, and on a First-day morning set sail, the 
 weather being very cold, and the ice thick on the 
 sides of our vessel and on our ropes, The day that
 
 120 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 we left Bombay-hook we got out to sea, took in our 
 boat, and went on our way ; and in four or five days 
 we got into warmer weather. 
 
 In this voyage I wrote something on the common 
 prayer used by some of the Church of England, whose 
 conversations were very loose and corrupt, which I 
 entitled, " A truly tender scruple of conscience about 
 that form of prayer called the common prayer, used 
 by the Church of England and her members," etc. 
 
 In this voyage we saw several ships, but spoke 
 with none ; and in twenty-seven days from our capes 
 we arrived at Barbadoes, and came to anchor in Car- 
 lisle bay. 
 
 I had been twice in Barbadoes before, but this was 
 the quickest passage by one day. Here I was lov- 
 ingly and tenderly received by my friends. I took 
 my good friend Joseph Gamble's house for my quar- 
 ters most of the time whilst I stayed on the island, 
 and visited Friends' meetings several times over, 
 there being five of Friends' meeting-houses in the 
 island, and our meetings were sometimes large and 
 open. 
 
 Our stay was longer than we at first expected, by 
 reason of a great drought, they having no rain for 
 more than a quarter of a year, which was a great 
 hinderance to trade on the island. While I was here, 
 our ancient Friend, George Gray, died. I was at his 
 funeral, at which there were many people; and on this 
 occasion we had a large meeting at our meeting-house 
 at Speights-town, where I had a seasonable opportu-
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 121 
 
 nity with the people, opening to them the necessity 
 of thinking of, and preparing for, their latter end; 
 and pressed them earnestly thereto. They were gen- 
 erally attentive and sober, and some were broken into 
 tenderness. While we were burying the Friend, there 
 appeared a dismal cloud hanging over the island, such 
 an one as I never saw before. I thought it was of the 
 color of the flame of brimstone ; and expected there 
 would have been a great storm, or gust, and much rain, 
 they having had very little for many weeks, or some 
 months ; but it went over, and there was no rain or 
 wind as I remember. Soon after, some people came 
 in from sea, and said it rained ashes from that cloud ; 
 and they brought some to the island, some of which 
 ashes I now have before me : the taste of them seems 
 to me to be a little sulphurous, and they have some 
 glittering particles in them; in color and smell I 
 think they differed little from common ashes. Herein 
 the Almighty and Infinite Being signally showed his 
 mercy and favor to poor mortals; for had not his 
 mercy prevented, he could as easily have rained down 
 the fire as the ashes. He rained fire and brimstone 
 on the cities and inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah 
 for their pride and idleness, much of which abounds 
 among the inhabitants of Barbadoes, the people being 
 very luxurious. Oh ! may the inhabitants of that isle, 
 and all others, consider their ways and doings, and 
 not provoke the great Lord, the Sovereign of heaven 
 and earth, as many of them do by their evil lives and 
 
 voluptuous conversations. May they kiss the Son, 
 11
 
 122 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 though not with a Judas kiss of profession, 01 speak- 
 ing well or fairly of him only, but with divine love 
 manifested through obedience, while his wrath is but 
 a little kindled against them, and before it break out 
 into a flame. 
 
 After this funeral I was sent for to Bridgetown, to 
 the burial of a master of a ship, a young man, who 
 was very fresh and well a few days before. There 
 was a great appearance of people, and I was pretty 
 largely opened in the meeting, on the words of the 
 prophet, where he says, "All flesh is grass, and all 
 the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field. 
 The grass withereth, the flower fadeth, because the 
 spirit of the Lord bloweth upon it : surely the people 
 are grass. The grass withereth, the flower fadeth; 
 but the word of our God shall stand forever." I 
 treated of this Word, its wonderfulness, its duration, 
 and its work in man ; also of the fading constitution 
 of mortal man, though young and strong, as that 
 young man was a few days before, whose corpse was 
 then before us. 
 
 I was at several other burials on this island, which 
 proves a grave to many new-comers, it being a hot 
 climate, and those who are not accustomed to it being 
 very thirsty, and it is not easy to quench their thirst; 
 so that what is called moderate drinking, throws 
 many strangers into a violent fever, and oftentimes is 
 the cause of their death. I note this as a caution to 
 those who may transport themselves there, that they 
 may shun that danger ; which might be avoided by
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY 123 
 
 drinking cool drinks, of which they have many sorts 
 very pleasant, viz., cane, sugar-reed, and white sorrel, 
 pine, orange, and divers others. I advise such, as 
 they love their health, to refrain from drinking much 
 hot drink or spirits. 
 
 I saw several natural curiosities on this island, 
 which among the great numbers of the works of God 
 do show forth his praise and glory. One to the lee- 
 ward part of this island, which is called the spout, 
 sends up a vast body of water into the air, occasioned 
 by a great cavity in the rocks under the water, which 
 may be seen in calm weather, when the sea is low. 
 "When the wind blows, a great body of water being 
 pent in a large hollow place, it forces it up into the 
 air, sometimes ten, fifteen, or twenty yards high, 
 according as the strength of the wind is, and makes 
 a report like a cannon, or thunder, a great way off. 
 I believe I have seen it ten or twelve miles out at sea. 
 I was also at a place called Oliver's Cave, which we 
 got to with some difficulty in going down the steep 
 and craggy rocks. There is on the outward part 
 next the sea a very large vaulted place, in the form 
 of a half circle, about one hundred feet high, as near 
 as I could guess. In this large vault, behind a rock, 
 is the mouth of the cave, not the height of a man at 
 the first entrance; after going in a few yards, one 
 may walk upright comfortably, the bottom being pretty 
 plain and smooth for about a hundred yards, and 
 then we come into a large cave which is formed arch- 
 wise, and about ten or fifteen yards high, as we
 
 124 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 thought, being much higher in the middle than at 
 the sides, but almost as regular as if it had been done 
 hy art, which we beheld with admiration, by the help 
 of wax candles and other lights that we made and 
 carried for that purpose. 
 
 When I had done my business in Barbadoes, having 
 been there about thirteen weeks, and loaded our ves- 
 sel, we sailed the tenth of the Second month, 1718, 
 for London. 
 
 "We had a good passage, being five weeks and two 
 days from Barbadoes to Great Britain, in which we 
 saw several vessels at sea, but spoke with none. 
 After sight of the land, we got in two days to 
 Beachy-head, which is about fifteen leagues from the 
 Downs or Deal. We sailed along the shore by Folk- 
 stone, where we took in a pilot, and had a comfortable 
 passage through the Downs, and up the river Thames 
 to London, where I met with my dear and aged father, 
 and loving brother, sister and cousins, and many 
 others of my near and dear relations and friends. 
 
 In this voyage I wrote some things which opened 
 in my mind at sea, upon that excellent sermon of 
 Christ's upon the mount, as it is recorded in the holy 
 Scriptures of the New Testament, in the fifth, sixth, 
 and seventh chapters of the evangelist Matthew, but 
 have since heard that the same is better done by an 
 abler hand ; and therefore it may suffice here to re- 
 peat the advice, which in the course of my travels I 
 have often had occasion to give, viz., that the pro- 
 fessors of Christianity should frequently read this
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 125 
 
 sermon, and be careful to practise the same; that 
 they may not only be Christians in name, but in 
 deed, and in truth. 
 
 After visiting my relations and some meetings of 
 Friends in and about London, having finished my 
 business, and being ready to return homeward, divers 
 Friends accompanied us from London to Gravesend ; 
 and the wind not being fair,'we went to Eochester, 
 and had a meeting there, then back again to Graves- 
 end, and there took a solemn farewell of our Friends, 
 recommending one another to the grace of Christ, 
 having this time made but little stay in Britain. 
 
 In the Fifth month, 1718, we sailed from the Downs 
 in the aforesaid " Snow Hope," divers Friends, viz., John 
 Danson, Isaac Hadwin, John Oxley, Lydia Lancaster, 
 Elizabeth Eawlinson, and Eebecca Turner, being in 
 company with us. After about nine weeks' passage 
 from land to land, having had meetings on First and 
 Fifth days on board, during the voyage, we came all 
 safe and well to Philadelphia, through the blessing of 
 God, where I stayed with my family a few months, 
 and took another voyage for Barbadoes and Britain. 
 I was under more than ordinary concern for the sup- 
 port and accommodation of my family, the circumstances 
 thereof being a little changed by the increase of chil- 
 dren, remembering the words of the apostle, that those 
 who had not this care and concern, were worse than 
 infidels : my Lord Jesus, whose servant I profess my- 
 self to be, also saying, " It is better to give than to 
 receive." An opportunity offering of the consignment 
 11*
 
 126 THE JOURNAL OP 
 
 of a vessel and cargo, the "Snow Hope," Warner Holt, 
 master, to Barbadoes, and from thence to London, 
 and so to make returns home again, for Philadelphia, 
 I embraced it ; though with reluctance to leave my 
 very loving wife, children, and friends, all of whom I 
 tenderly loved and respected. I also had in my eye 
 an hope, through the blessing of God, to obtain where- 
 with to accommodate my friends, who were strangers 
 and pilgrims in this world for Jesus' sake, as I also 
 had been myself; and that they might find a place or 
 home, and refreshment under my roof; not to excess, 
 but to comfort and edification ; which in sincerity is 
 all the grandeur I covet or desire in this world. After 
 due consideration, on the 2d day of the Eleventh 
 month, 1718, we set sail from Philadelphia, many 
 Friends taking their farewell of us for that voyage. 
 Thus with hearts full of love and good will, we parted 
 with our friends, and went down the river about five 
 miles, where we ran aground, but got off next tide, and 
 next day came to an anchor at Chester. On the 4th 
 day of the month we set sail, and got to Newcastle 
 about the eleventh hour ; it being meeting-day, we 
 went to meeting, where our great Lord was pleased 
 in some good measure to own us with his living pres- 
 ence, and comfort us with his love ; blessed be his 
 holy Name ! In the morning we sailed to Reedy 
 Island, where we stayed for the tide, and in the night 
 our cable parted, which we knew not of until morning, 
 and then we had gone from the place where we an- 
 chored about a league : but though the vessel drove
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 127 
 
 about the river, yet she did not go aground. We 
 dropped our other anchor, and sent the boat to seek 
 for that which was parted from us, but could not find 
 it until the next tide, and then could not get it up, 
 and were unwilling to go to sea without it ; which oc- 
 casioned us to stay several tides before we could get 
 it up ; at last with much difficulty we weighed it, our 
 men's clothes being much frozen, for it was very cold, 
 and froze extremely hard. After this we went down 
 to Bombay-hook x where was another vessel going out 
 to sea. Next day the wind was against us, and it 
 snowed much, and froze hard; and that night the 
 river and bay were filled with ice as far as we could 
 see, and it drove very hard against our vessel, so that 
 we wished for day : for we thought sometimes it would 
 have torn her bows into pieces ; but our anchor and 
 cable held us, we thought, to a miracle, for which we 
 were thankful to the great Keeper of all those who 
 put their trust in him. When the tide turned for us, 
 we got up the anchor, and so let her drive with the 
 ice down the bay ; the other vessel did the same. 
 
 It was now dangerous moving, go which way we 
 would. The vessel in company with us attempted to 
 go back again, but seeing that we did not, as we 
 supposed, came to anchor again, and we both went 
 down the bay together; and the wind springing up 
 fair, we got clear of the ice in a few hours' time. By 
 this hinderance we could not get to sea that day, but 
 were obliged to come to anchor near the middle of 
 the great bay of Delaware, and the night being fair
 
 128 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 and calm, we rode it out safely, which, if it had been 
 windy weather, would have been dangerous. Early 
 in the morning of the 9th of the month, we got to sea, 
 and soon lost sight of the land. Next day the wind 
 was high, and the weather proved stormy for several 
 days, insomuch that our main-deck was under water 
 most of the time, so that we were forced to go before 
 the wind for several days together. We also shut up 
 our cabin-windows, and were tossed exceedingly, and 
 I was very sea-sick ; and we began, in this storm to 
 fear falling on the rocks of Bermuda, which we were 
 near, as we imagined, and the wind set right on the 
 island. When we had passed the latitude of Bermuda, 
 we met with fair weather and winds, and all the 
 remaining part of our passage was pleasant and com- 
 fortable. Thus I was led to consider the vicissitudes 
 which mortals may expect while in this unstable life, 
 which is full of changes ; and I strongly desired to be 
 rightly prepared for that world which is eternal, and 
 its joy and felicity permanent ; at which blessed port, 
 I hope in God's time, through his grace, safely to 
 arrive. Through storms, tempests, ice and snow, we 
 left those frozen climes, and crossed the tropic of 
 Cancer, between which and that of Capricorn there is 
 neither frost nor snow at sea, at any time of the year, 
 and the wind always nearly one way, viz., easterly, 
 except in hurricanes and violent storms, which some- 
 times occur in those parts of the world. We arrived 
 at Bridgetown, in Barbadoes, in twenty-one days, 
 which was the quickest passage I ever had, this being
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 129 
 
 the fourth time of my coming hither, where I was 
 always kindly received by my friends. 
 
 About this time war being declared against Spain 
 by the king of Great Britain, proclamation thereof 
 was made in Bridgetown, which put such a damp on 
 trade, that there was little business, and the markets 
 low and dull, which made my stay longer than I would 
 have chosen. But my friends, among whom I had 
 many opportunities, seemed rather pleased than other- 
 wise ; telling me, " That they did not care if I was to 
 stay there always if it were my place:" and when I 
 left Barbadoes, they gave me better credentials than I 
 thought I deserved. A friend of mine giving me in- 
 telligence that the market was better at Antigua than 
 at Barbadoes, I despatched my affairs and took part 
 of our cargo there, and was kindly received by our 
 friends. We were about three days on our passage, 
 and had fine weather. At Antigua I had several 
 meetings : my business at no time hindered me in my 
 more weighty service ; for I always, through divine 
 help, made that give way to my religious duty, in 
 which I ever found peace and inward satisfaction. In 
 about five weeks I finished my business in this island, 
 having no small satisfaction in coming to it ; and our 
 vessel being now loaded, we took our solemn leave, 
 and, with the good wishes of many, departed for Eng- 
 land. 
 
 Our friends there signified to their brethren, that 
 they were glad of my company, and that I was ser- 
 viceable to them, though I came upon business. My
 
 130 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 hand, when need required, was to my business, but 
 my heart was, and I hope is, and ever shall be, freely 
 given up to serve the Lord, in that work whereunto 
 I believe he has called me. We have liberty from 
 God and his dear Son, lawfully, and for accommoda- 
 tion's sake, to work or seek for food and raiment; 
 though that ought to be a work of indifferency, com- 
 pared to the great work of salvation. Our Saviour 
 saith, Labor not for the meat which perisheth, but 
 for that which endureth forever, or to eternal life : 
 by which we do not understand, that Christians must 
 neglect their necessary occasions, and their outward 
 trades and callings ; but that their chief labor and 
 greatest concern ought to be for their future well- 
 being in his glorious kingdom. Why did our Lord 
 say to his disciples, Children, have you any meat? 
 and when they answered No, bid them cast their nets 
 into the sea, and they drew to land a net full of great 
 fishes ? Fishing being their trade, no doubt but they 
 sold them, for it was not likely that they could eat 
 them all themselves. Also the apostle of Christ says, ' 
 He that doth not take care of his family, is worse 
 than an infidel : and the apostle Paul, the great apostle 
 of the gentiles, wrought with his hands, even while 
 he was on his travels in the work of the gospel ; and 
 others tasted of the benefit of his labor naturally, as 
 well as spiritually. It is also written, he that will 
 not work, shall not eat. By this, and much more, 
 which might be noted, it appears that we not only 
 have liberty to labor in moderation, but we are given
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 131 
 
 to understand that it is our duty so to do. The 
 farmer, the tradesman, and the merchant, do not un- 
 derstand by our Lord's doctrine, that they must neglect 
 their calling, or grow idle in their business, but must 
 certainly work, and be industrious in their callings. 
 We all ought to understand, that our hearts and 
 minds ought to be out of the world, or above the 
 nature and spirit of it. It is good and profitable for 
 both soul and body, rightly to distinguish between 
 earthly and heavenly things, and to be careful how 
 we mix the one with the other ; for it is an eternal 
 truth, that God and mammon cannot dwell together, 
 or join together in the heart. If our love is more to 
 God than the creature, or to heaven than earth, then 
 will he dwell in us, and with us : but if our love is 
 more to the creature than to Christ, or to earth than 
 heaven, then will he not dwell with us, but will leave 
 us to ourselves; for the Lord Omnipotent will not 
 admit of any rival. 
 
 On the 11th of the Fourth month, 1719, we left 
 Antigua, stood close to the wind till we again crossed 
 the tropic, and got into those latitudes where the 
 winds are variable. Sailing in the great deep, we 
 saw the wonders of the Lord, particularly in divers 
 kinds of fish, they living upon one another in the sea, 
 the great fishes on the small ones ; and mankind too 
 much resemble them in that respect. About the lat- 
 itude of thirty-three degrees north, our master, Warner 
 Holt, seeing a school of porpoises about the ship, took 
 his harping-iron and struck one of them, out of which
 
 132 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 we go t eleven quart bottles of oil ; and most of us ate 
 heartily of this fish, which agreed with our people 
 very well. They fried the liver for our mess, of which 
 I ate ; it was well tasted, and more like fresh beef than 
 fish. I make this memorandum, that, if any should 
 take them when their provisions are scarce, they may 
 eat freely without danger, according to our experience. 
 When we had been at sea about three weeks, being 
 near the latitude of forty degrees north, and about 
 the longitude of forty-two, though it was in the midst 
 of summer, we saw an island of ice, at which we all 
 marvelled, and judged that there had been a severely 
 cold winter in those latitudes on the land of America. 
 When we saw this island of ice, we judged ourselves 
 not far from the banks of Newfoundland. Hitherto 
 we had easy gales of wind and many calms, which 
 made our passage seem long to us. We saw two sail 
 of ships about those latitudes, but spoke with neither, 
 being willing to shun them, as it was war time. 
 
 We had in this voyage weekly meetings for wor- 
 shipping the Almighty, in which the great Lord both 
 of sea and land was pleased to manifest his name 
 and truth amongst us, for which my soul often se- 
 cretly and openly blessed and praised his divine and 
 glorious name and truth ; for he bore up my drooping 
 spirit, so that I could truly say with the royal psalm- 
 ist, not because he spoke it only, but also from being 
 an experimental witness thereof: "The floods have 
 lifted up, Lord ! the floods have lifted up their 
 voice : the floods lift up their waves. The Lord on
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 133 
 
 high is mightier than the noise of many waters, yea, 
 than the mighty waves of the sea." This the king 
 wrote of his own experience in a spiritual sense ; but 
 I may say, without boasting, I have witnessed the 
 rage and noise of mighty waves and waters, both 
 natural and spiritual : the one, as though it would 
 swallow up my reputation among men, and the other, 
 as though it would swallow up my person in this 
 voyage ; but blessed be the name of Him who is holy 
 and eternal, who indeed is stronger than the noise of 
 many waters, or than the mighty waves of the sea, 
 either inwardly or outwardly, I will through his 
 strength magnify his name, because he is worthy : 
 and may I do it forever ! 
 
 About the 11th of the Fifth month we saw great 
 flocks of birds, which we judged came from the Azores, 
 or Western Islands, near which we reckoned ourselves 
 to be. The 21st day we saw, and came up with a 
 French ship, which had been fishing on the banks of 
 Newfoundland, and was bound for Havre-de-Grace, 
 in France, the master of which came on board of us, 
 and our captain went on board of them. We ex- 
 changed some rum and sugars, of our sea-stores, for 
 French wine and cider, and some of our provisions 
 for their fish. The captain was a Protestant, and 
 very courteous to us : the Regent of France at this 
 time being kind to the Protestants, so that they 
 increased much in that kingdom. The Frenchman 
 seeming desirous to know what religion I was of, I 
 told him by an interpreter, that I was one called a 
 12
 
 134 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 Quaker, or trembler, and that our principle was to do 
 good to all men, and not to hurt any man, according 
 to Christ's doctrine, not to render evil for evil, but to 
 overcome evil with good. When they went away and 
 took leave of us, they desired me to pray for them, 
 the which I remembered with tenderness of spirit. 
 Having but little wind, we kept company for several 
 days ; but the wind springing fair, we wished them 
 well, and went on our way, our vessel outsailing most 
 we met with ; and a few days after we met with a 
 New England ship, which came out six days before 
 us from Antigua. We were then in latitude about 
 fifty degrees north, and twenty-nine and a half longi- 
 tude from the Land's-end of Great Britain. The 30th 
 day of the Fifth month we sounded, and found ground 
 at twenty-eight fathoms ; and on the 1st day of the 
 Sixth month we saw the Land's-end of England, all 
 our company being in health and well ; for which my 
 heart was truly thankful to that great and infinite 
 Being whose providence is over us poor mortals in all 
 parts of the world, and who reigns over sea and land, 
 and is worthy of adoration, worship, service, and liv- 
 ing praise forever ! 
 
 In a few days we came into the English channel, 
 and while going up, there came one of the king's 
 yachts, and pressed most of our men, taking from us 
 our best hands and carrying them on board a man- 
 of-war ; after which we came to anchor at Folkstone, 
 where I left the vessel, and got a horse to Dover, and 
 there took coach to London. In the coach were some 
 persons who began to talk about the Quakers, and
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 135 
 
 spoke against their plain way of living and clothing, 
 and said, " They did not understand their unfashion- 
 able way of conversation ; neither was it the way to 
 gain proselytes." Upon which I asked them whether 
 they understood Paul, the great apostle of the gen- 
 tiles, who said, " Be ye not conformed to this world," 
 i. e., the fashions of it, for this reason, the world and 
 the fashions thereof pass away ; which is a great 
 truth. We plainly see how fickle and changeable 
 the world is in its vain fashions and customs, and to 
 follow it in all its foolish cuts and turns, or changes, 
 must make a man or woman very foppish and apish. 
 I told them that our religion was agreeable to the 
 holy Scriptures, which, if they did not understand, 
 neither could they understand us ; for the doctrine 
 of Christ and his apostles was generally very plain 
 therein ; and the doctrine in Christ's excellent sermon 
 on the mount is clear to very low or mean capacities. 
 They discoursed no more of religion till we came to 
 London. Here I met once more my loving and aged 
 father, a man fearing God, and having a gift of the 
 ministry of the gospel of Christ, and well beloved of 
 his friends and neighbors, who, with others of my 
 near and dear relations and friends, received me 
 gladly. 
 
 After some months' stay among my relations and 
 friends in London, we sold our vessel, the "Snow 
 Hope," and bought a ship which we called the " Trine 
 Hope," Warner Holt, master; and when I had done my 
 business, I sailed in her for Pennsylvania. We had 
 meetings on board the vessel twice a week, in which
 
 136 THE JOURNAL OP 
 
 the Almighty was pleased to favor us wi th his good 
 presence. Sobriety, 'and the fear of God, and faith 
 in his beloved Son, Christ, were often recommended 
 Jo the youth on board the vessel with us, of whom 
 there were several going 'to America, in order to 
 settle there. At one meeting I was tenderly con- 
 cerned to remind them of Jacob, who in his youth 
 left his country and relations to sojourn in a strange 
 land, and how in that undertaking he sought the 
 Lord and his blessing, more than any outward thing; 
 and that he was greatly blessed with many favors 
 from heaven above, and also of the earth beneath, 
 and they were advised to take him for their example. 
 Many other things were tenderly opened to them in 
 the love of God, and in his fear and counsel they 
 were exhorted from time to time. 
 
 It being winter time, we sailed to the southward, 
 and got into warm weather, and were on our passage 
 seven weeks and some days, in which time we saw 
 several vessels, and spoke one whose people said they 
 were chased by a Turk, but got from him, at which 
 they greatly rejoiced. We apprehended it was our 
 ship that they saw overnight, for we saw a sail that 
 crowded from us as fast as she could, and it being 
 near night, we shortened sail, and she left us. In the 
 morning we came up with her, and being pretty near, 
 they and we put out our colors, and being both Eng- 
 lishmen, we spoke to each other, and were glad to 
 meet with some of our own nation upon the great 
 ocean ; but our vessel sailing best, we took our leave 
 of them, wishing them a good voyage. We met with
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 137 
 
 rough seas and high winds in the latter part of our 
 passage, till we came to the capes of Delaware, which 
 we all rejoiced to see ; and had a pleasant passage up 
 the bay and river to Philadelphia, where I had onoe 
 more a comfortable meeting with my dear wife and 
 family, which I gratefully acknowledged as a high 
 favor from the hand of the Almighty. 
 
 "We arrived at Philadelphia the 1st of the Second 
 month, 1720; after which I stayed about home for 
 some time, and was not idle, but kept to my business, 
 and to meetings ; and having a desire to see Friends 
 in the province of Maryland, at their General Meet- 
 ing at "West river, I was accompanied by Isaac Nor- 
 ris and Thomas Masters, both sober young men. It 
 had been a time of much rain, and the waters being 
 high, going over a ford of Brandywine, my mare got 
 among the rocks, it being a very rocky creek, and 
 fell down. The stream being very strong, she rolled 
 upon me, and being entangled with the stirrup, I 
 could not easily clear myself, but I gave a spring, 
 and swam from her. "When I was clear I got to her 
 again; and laid hold of her mane, and, through the 
 good providence of God, got well out on dry land, 
 which was a remarkable deliverance. In three days 
 we got to "West river, to the Yearly Meeting, which 
 was large; and Friends were glad to see me, I having 
 not been there for several years. I was out on this 
 journey about two weeks, and rode about three hun- 
 dred miles ; and after coming home, I travelled much 
 
 in the provinces of Pennsylvania and New Jersey. 
 12*
 
 138 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 CHAPTER, V. 
 
 1721-1724. 
 
 Several Religious Visits — Extraordinary Circumstance /elated 
 by J. Dickinson — Loss of Children — Faith and Works — Ne- 
 cessity for Adherence to Primitive Faith and Manners — Travels 
 in New Jersey — Unjust Censures — Labors near Philadelphia — 
 Epistle to Friends in Barbadoes — Journey to Long Island — 
 Dispute about Conscience — Serious Accident — Letter respect- 
 ing Baptism — Earthquake and Whirlwind — Sore Trials. 
 
 In the year 1721, Thomas Lightfoot and I, with 
 William Brown, went to a meeting at Bush river, 
 and going over Susquehanna ferry, the people were 
 fiddling and dancing. When the dance was over, I 
 asked them, believing them to be Protestants, if they 
 thought Luther to be a good man ? They replied, 
 "Yes, there was no doubt of it." "Well," said I, 
 " and so do I ; and I will tell you what he says con- 
 cerning dancing, ' That as many paces as a man takes 
 in his dance, so many steps he takes towards hell ; ' " 
 which spoiled their sport, and they went away, and 
 we went on ours towards the meeting; and a good 
 meeting it was. After it we returned by way of Not- 
 tingham, and had a meeting there, and one at New 
 Garden, and so on to Philadelphia. I was from home 
 about a week, and travelled in this journey about
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 139 
 
 one hundred and fifty miles, and was well satisfied 
 therein. 
 
 From Philadelphia I went to the General Meeting 
 at Shrewsbury, in East Jersey, where I heard of J. 
 G.'s being wounded by a young man with a sword, 
 of which he died, lamenting that he did not take the 
 counsel of his friends, — as young men who slight the 
 counsel of those that wish them well commonly do, 
 either sooner or later, if the day of their visitation 
 be not over. Some few days after this meeting at 
 Shrewsbury, I visited Friends on Long Island, and 
 returned home again, having travelled about three 
 hundred miles. During my stay at and about home, 
 I wrote something concerning Perfection, in answer 
 to a nameless author : also something- concerning; Pre- 
 destination, or Election and Reprobation. 
 
 In the year 1722, I went back in the woods to 
 Buckingham, the Great Swamp, Perkioming, Mana- 
 tawny, and Oley, where I had meetings, travelling 
 over mountains, from which we could see many miles. 
 After staying some time at home and visiting neigh- 
 boring meetings, I went to the Yearly Meeting of 
 Friends on Long Island, which was very large, many 
 people not of our persuasion being there, who were 
 very sober. Many things were opened in the love of 
 Christ, and his great love was largely declared to the 
 congregation. The parable concerning the prodigal 
 son came before me to speak of in a very moving 
 manner, and strongly to invite the youth to lay hold 
 of the love of the Father in his Son to poor souls :
 
 140 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 and indeed it is a wonderful parable, setting forth the 
 infinite love of the great Lord of all to his poor crea- 
 tures. Many were affected and reached at this meeting, 
 and the Almighty was praised and glorified, who alone 
 is worthy. 
 
 I had a meeting at New York, and then set forward 
 to Woodbridge, where we had a comfortable meeting. 
 Naaman, the Assyrian, was the subject of that day's 
 work ; and that anything, loved and esteemed more 
 than Christ, whatever it be, is to be avoided, and the 
 people were warned to be careful to keep close to the 
 God of spiritual Israel, and to give up all which is 
 contrary to his nature, and to take up Christ's cross 
 and follow him ; for it is those who follow him in the 
 regeneration, that are to be heirs of his kingdom. 
 
 In this year I was at the burial of our friend Jona- 
 than Dickinson, at which we had a very large meeting ; 
 he being a man generally well beloved by his friends 
 and neighbors. In the meeting held on the occasion, 
 a passage which he had often told me in his health, 
 was brought to my remembrance, and I think it 
 worthy to be recorded, which is as follows : " It hap- 
 pened at Port Koyal, in Jamaica, that two young men 
 were at dinner with Jonathan and several other 
 people of account in the world, and they were speaking 
 about earthquakes, there having been one in that 
 place formerly, which was very dreadful, and destroyed 
 many houses and families. These two young men 
 argued that earthquakes and all other things came by 
 nature, and denied a supernatural power, or deity,
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 141 
 
 insomuch that some persons, surprised at suet wicked 
 discourse, and ashamed of their company, left it. At 
 the same time the earth shook and trembled exceed- 
 ingly, as though astonished at such treason against 
 its Sovereign and Creator, whose footstool it is. When 
 the earth thus moved, the company which remained 
 were so astonished, that some ran one way and some 
 another, but these two atheistical young men stayed 
 in the room, and Jonathan with them, he believing 
 that the providence of Almighty God could preserve 
 him there, if he pleased, and if not, that it was in vain 
 to fly. But the hand of God smote these two young 
 men, so that they fell down ; and as Jonathan told 
 me, he laid one on a bed and the other on a couch, 
 and they never spoke more, but died soon after. This 
 w r as the amazing end of these young men." A dreadful 
 example to all atheists and dissolute and wicked livers. 
 Oh ! that young people might be warned, that the hand 
 of God migjrt be upon them for good, and that they 
 would be tenderly concerned for their salvation. 
 
 On the 30th of the Fourth month, 1723, my tenth 
 child, named Thomas, died about midnight, having 
 before buried nine. It was some exercise to me thus 
 to bury my children one after another ; but this re- 
 flection a little mitigated my sorrow, viz., I knew that 
 if I could have all things relating to them according 
 to my desire, could I see them grow up to be sober 
 men and women, well married, have a competency in 
 the world, etc., yet it was safer and better for them, 
 and they more out of danger, to be taken away in their
 
 142 THE JOURNAL OP 
 
 infancy and innocency. I fervently begged the Al- 
 mighty, that he would be pleased to take them away 
 while innocent, rather than that they should live to 
 be vicious or unrighteous men and women, and to 
 bring scandal on the holy name of Christ, and upon 
 our Christian profession ; which considerations tended 
 to settle and quiet my mind in my sorrowful exercise. 
 The great Lord of all sanctify the sorrows and afflic- 
 tions of his people and children, and grant them the 
 fulfilling of that blessed portion of holy Scripture, that 
 all things shall work together for the good of them 
 that love and fear him : even so be it, saith my soul. 
 
 In the Sixth month of this year I removed from the 
 city into the country, to a small plantation I had at 
 Frankford, in order to be more retired, and for health's 
 sake, etc., finding some decline in my bodily strength, 
 which I take to be very much owing to the severe 
 colds and hardships I have sustained in my long and 
 hard travels, especially in the wilderness pi America. 
 Without vanity I may say, that I always loved tem- 
 perance, and have been sometimes zealously concerned 
 to preach against intemperance ; and though I cannot 
 now take as long journeys as formerly, my spirit ear- 
 nestly travels for the welfare of Zion, and the peace 
 and prosperity of all those who love, fear, and serve 
 God, and believe in his Son. 
 
 On the 6th day of the Eighth month, it pleased God 
 to give me another son, whom I named George, after 
 my father, brother, nephew, and king ; and though 
 this name is now a great name among men, I consid-
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 143 
 
 ered that no name can preserve life, so I gave him up to 
 the will of Him who gave him to me, and desire, if I 
 have no name through children to posterity, I may 
 have a name in the Lamb's book of life, which I have 
 ever esteemed far above a name amongst men. 
 
 After my removal to this place I was not idle, but 
 visited neighboring meetings, and in the Eighth month 
 I went to Shrewsbury General Meeting, where there 
 were many hundreds of people, and the truth declared 
 had good impression upon the minds of many ; some 
 after meeting, who were not of our Society, acknowl- 
 edged to it, and that they were glad they were there. 
 In this meeting I was concerned for the welfare of 
 mankind, and the exaltation of the holy name of the 
 Almighty, to declare the universal love of God to man, 
 from several texts of holy Scripture, as that passage 
 of Jacob and Esau, and Peter and Cornelius, and 
 something concerning the objection made against us, 
 the people called Quakers, that we do not acknowl- 
 edge the holy Scriptures to be the word of God ; for 
 though we believe that the Scriptures came by divine 
 inspiration, yet we are clearly convinced by their 
 testimony, and by the spirit of Truth in our hearts, 
 that Christ is the eternal Word of God, by whom all 
 things were made and created, and do still exist. 
 
 From Shrewsbury, with divers other Friends, I 
 rode to Crosswicks, where, on the Fifth day, we had 
 a very comfortable meeting, in which the ancient love 
 and goodness of our heavenly Father was with us, 
 tendering our hearts into tears of joy, some of us
 
 144 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 being likewise affected in remembrance of the good- 
 ness of the Almighty to us, in the meeting we had in 
 this place under the trees, about twenty-five years 
 since. The great subject of faith and works was 
 spoken to; as, that the Koman Catholics seemed to 
 lay too much stress on works, and the Lutherans, 
 Calvinists, and others, too little : but our principles 
 led us to join both together; the Almighty having 
 joined them together, none ought to separate them. 
 This subject of faith and works having been much in 
 debate amongst professed Christians, it is on my mind 
 here to mention a few things deduced from the best 
 authority : 
 
 The first is, "Without faith, it is impossible to 
 please God." 
 
 Second, " Faith is the gift of God." 
 
 Third, "Faith works by love." 
 
 Fourth, " Faith is the evidence of things not seen, 
 and the substance of things hoped for." 
 
 Fifth, " Faith without works is dead." 
 
 Sixth, "The just live by faith." 
 
 Seventh, " Ye believe " or have faith " in God, be- 
 lieve also in me." 
 
 The author to the Hebrews speaks excellently con- 
 cerning the power of faith, and the mighty wonders 
 wrought by it. This living, saving, true and divine 
 faith must be in the heart, through and in Jesus 
 Christ, the Son of the living God, who is, and always 
 will be, the author and finisher of it in every true 
 believer.
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 145 
 
 After I came from Shrewsbury, I visited neighbor' 
 ing meetings, and in Chester county, where I had 
 meetings for nine days successively, some of which 
 were very large, particularly at Providence and 
 Goshen ; in which I was opened to exhort them to 
 keep to that plain, honest way of life and conversation 
 which our fathers and elders were found in, and to 
 remind them of the sufferings they endured for their 
 testimony to the blessed truth, in the first breaking 
 forth thereof in the last age. I was also concerned 
 to show them, that the Almighty, who had blessed us 
 with plenty of temporal blessings, would continue the 
 same to us, if we were careful to live in his fear ; but 
 that otherwise we might expect his judgments for 
 disobedience. 
 
 And after my return, I continued about home for 
 some time, it being the winter season and bad travel- 
 ling, and I not so capable of travelling as formerly ; 
 but I had great peace and tranquillity of mind in 
 that I had freely given up my youthful days to serve 
 my Creator, and the same love and zeal was yet fresh 
 and warm in my heart, for the glory of his great 
 name ; and I still have a full resolution through his 
 strength and grace to serve him, the great Lord of 
 all, during the remainder of my days, according to 
 the light and strength given to me. 
 
 Our Yearly Meeting at Philadelphia this year was 
 large, in which our friend Benjamin Kid, from Eng- 
 land, being with us, had good service. I cannot forget 
 a concern which was upon me at this meeting, that 
 
 13
 
 146 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 the universal love of God, through Christ, might pre- 
 vail amongst mankind, and to press Friends to mani- 
 fest to all people the influence thereof, by their 
 exemplary lives and conversation. 
 
 In the Second month, 1724, 1 went into New Jersey, 
 as far as Shrewsbury, where, on a First day, we had 
 a large meeting to general satisfaction ; and the next 
 day we had another, wherein the love and good will 
 of God, through Christ, was opened freely to the 
 people, and our duty to forgive one another was 
 largely treated of; and it was plainly shown, that 
 without forgiving others, we could not be forgiven of 
 God, as Christ saith, " If ye forgive men their tres- 
 passes, your heavenly Father will also forgive you : 
 but if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither 
 will your heavenly Father forgive your trespasses." 
 Much more was said to the same effect on that subject; 
 as also Christ's answer to Peter, who asked, how often 
 a man should forgive his brother if he trespassed 
 against him ? Peter says, till seven times : our Lord 
 Jesus answers, " I say not unto thee, until seven times, 
 but until seventy times seven." And again, Christ 
 says, " If thy brother trespass against thee seven times 
 in a day, and seven times in a day turn again unto 
 thee, saying, I repent, thou shalt forgive him." Which 
 hard-hearted people think a great hardship, but 
 Christ's cross must be taken up and borne daily, if 
 we will be his disciples and followers in deed and in 
 truth, as well as in profession. 
 
 After we had reconciled some differences at Shrews-
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 147 
 
 bury, we went to a place called Manesquan, and had 
 a good, open meeting, and most of the people of that 
 place were there. It was a good time, and I hope 
 the opportunity will not soon be forgotten by divers. 
 From this place we travelled to Crosswicks, and had 
 a good meeting, after which a Friend told me some 
 would say, " I spoke by information, because I had 
 opened some matters which were exactly to the state 
 of some there." But I knew nothing of their con- 
 dition, otherwise than as it was then immediately 
 opened in my mind; neither had I been told any- 
 thing concerning them, directly or indirectly. From 
 thence we travelled to Burlington, where the Monthly 
 Meeting of Friends had desired that I would assist 
 in ending a difference which had happened through 
 mistake, and continued for about seven years. 
 Through divine, assistance, our hearts being filled 
 with the love of Christ, we so prevailed upon the 
 differing persons, that they gave each other satisfac- 
 tion, with hopes that they should live in love for the 
 future ; and Friends of the place greatly rejoiced at 
 the end of that difference. As I went along this 
 town, some Friends told me of a religious people a 
 few miles distant, with whom they desired I would 
 have a meeting. I requested them to see if it would 
 be granted, and let me know ; which was done ; and 
 we had a meeting, and were kindly received, and the 
 divine nature of the gospel of Christ was freely 
 opened to them, and in great love we parted from 
 one another. I travelled in this journey about two
 
 148 THE JOUENAL OF 
 
 hundred miles ; and when I came home, my dear wifa 
 and family gladly received me with hearts full of love. 
 And this testimony I think proper, for several solid 
 reasons, to leave behind me, of my virtuous and lov- 
 ing wife, that since we were married, she never hin- 
 dered me in the service my great Master called me 
 to, in all the time of our living together; we always 
 parted for the sake of the gospel of Christ, in pure 
 love, and in the same love met again. 
 
 Soon after this time I met with several great losses 
 by sea and land, and myself and my daughter were 
 dangerously sick, so that our recovery seemed doubt- 
 ful ; yet, through the mercy of God, we both recov- 
 ered, for which I praise his name. 
 
 After some stay at home, I was moved in the love 
 of Christ to visit the General Meetings of Duck 
 Creek and Salem. At Duck creek we had a large 
 and satisfactory meeting, and I appointed one at 
 George's creek, which was a good meeting. The 
 next morning we went over to Elsinburgh, and so on 
 to Cohansie, where I met wfth two of my fellow-la- 
 borers in the work of Christ, Thomas Lightfoot and 
 Benjamin Kid. We had a meeting together at Co- 
 hansie, in which the people were exhorted to sobriety 
 and just dealing. The contrary of both is too obvious 
 at such times as fairs ; there being divers people there 
 from the fair, as well as others : the nature of Christ's 
 work in the heart was somewhat spoken to, but it was 
 not so open a meeting as some others, the people 
 thereaway being too slack and dull as to religion.
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 149 
 
 Next day we had a meeting at Alloway's creek, 
 where we all three had some pretty close work ; and 
 from thence we went to the General Meeting at 
 Salem, which was larger than common, on account 
 of the said Friend Benjamin Kid being there : who, 
 in the love of Christ, came from England to visit the 
 churches in this part of the world. There were so 
 many Friends and others here at this time, that some 
 houses were so filled, there was not room for all who 
 came to lodge. After this meeting I returned home, 
 and in a few days went into Chester county, and trav- 
 elled about a hundred miles ; and when I came home, 
 I understood that some for want of a true sense of the 
 work of Christ, had been censuring me for my much 
 travelling and hard labor in the work of the ministry 
 of the gospel of Christ; though by the same rule 
 of judging, the apostles of Christ and our ancient 
 Friends, who travelled much, cannot escape their 
 censure ; for in all my travels I have had an especial 
 regard to the unity of the brethren, and never know- 
 ingly went abroad witkout it. Let this caution be 
 recorded for the instruction of all such forward judges; 
 let them be careful of judging Christ's servants, lest 
 their words become their burden : " Judge not that 
 ye be not judged," saith our great Lord, " for with 
 what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged." 
 
 Soon after my return from Chester county, I was 
 at a marriage at Abington, which was one of the most 
 solemn I have been at ; and on the 15th of the Third 
 month, attended the youths' meeting at Germantown, 
 
 13*
 
 150 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 to my great satisfaction. On the 23d of the same 
 month I went to the General Meeting of ministers 
 and elders at Burlington ; at which meeting several 
 things relating to the gospel ministry were declared ; 
 as its being a free, a clear,. and a powerful ministry, 
 reaching to the conscience, and convincing of the 
 danger of continuing in sin : and divine charity was 
 much recommended, without which all ministry is 
 but as sounding brass, etc. From this meeting I 
 went with Walter Herbert into Bucks county, and at 
 Neshaminy we had an open, tender meeting. From 
 thence I went to Buckingham, and was at a marriage 
 of a son and daughter-in-law of Thomas Canby. The 
 meeting was large, and Friends well satisfied; and it 
 was observable, though I was very hoarse, through 
 a cold I had taken, and could hardly speak in common 
 conversation, yet it was much taken away in my min- 
 istry, so that I was carried through the service to our 
 admiration, for which I was truly thankful. After 
 this meeting I returned home with true satisfaction, 
 such as is much more valuable than silver and gold, 
 two mighty idols in the world. 
 
 After a little stay at home I went on a First day 
 to North Wales, or Gwynnedd, where was a pretty 
 large meeting and many young people, to whom I 
 was concerned to show that Christ is the way by 
 which we must come into the true church, through 
 regeneration, and that all who invent other ways are 
 thieves and robbers. I rode twenty-five miles that 
 day, and the next day came to Frankford, and was
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 151 
 
 at the burial of an ancient Friend, Joan Orpwood, at 
 which was our friend John Salkeld, with whom I was 
 the next day at Philadelphia, at our Third-day meet- 
 ing, which was a good one. 
 
 On the 4th day of the Fourth month, intending 
 soon to take a journey to Long Island, and consider- 
 ing the uncertainty of life, I thought it a proper time 
 to alter my will, as I had kept one by me for divers 
 years before. On the 5th of the Fourth month, I 
 went to Merion to visit an ancient Friend, John 
 Roberts, who was sick near unto death, where I 
 again met with John Salkeld. The Friend expressed 
 his satisfaction in this visit, and we had a reward of 
 peace in the exercise of that Christian duty of visiting 
 the sick, which is recommended by the apostle to the 
 primitive Churches of Christ. After we had been 
 some time with our said sick friend, we went to a 
 meeting appointed for us several days before, which 
 was large and satisfactory, for which favorable visita- 
 tion we blessed the great name of the Almighty, and 
 parted tenderly in Christian love and good will. The 
 Friend we went to visit, died the next day. He was 
 a helper of the poor, and a maker of peace in the 
 neighborhood ; of such Christ said, " Blessed are the 
 peacemakers, for they shall be called the children 
 of God." 
 
 On the 10th of the Fourth month, 1724, I had a 
 concern to write the following epistle to Friends in 
 the island of Barbadoes.
 
 152 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 "Frankford, 10th of Fourth month, 1724. 
 
 "Dear Friends, — In the tender love of God, our 
 heavenly Father, and of our Saviour, Jesus Christ, 
 do I, your orother, at this time greet you, and wish 
 you health and salvation. Understanding by a con- 
 cerned Friend, that of late several of our Friends have 
 been taken away from you by death, a concern came 
 on me to put you in remembrance of your latter end, 
 and of the cause of Christ ; and also of the prosper- 
 ity of his blessed light and truth in your (in that 
 respect poor, though in some others, rich and luxu- 
 rious) island. The posterity of many who have been 
 taken away there, as well as in divers other places, 
 having gone astray ; let a weighty concern come upon 
 you, that it may not be so with those who are left 
 behind. Oh ! dear Friends ! let your practices and 
 expressions manifest to the rising generation, that 
 the welfare of their souls, more than of their bodies, 
 is at heart with you ; and do not indulge them in 
 that which you were convinced to be of an evil ten- 
 dency, when your hearts were first reached by the 
 power of Truth. How many youths have been lost 
 through the looseness of the example of their elders, 
 and through an undue indulgence of them in vanity, 
 folly, pride, and idleness ! woful experience doth but 
 too much declare that they are many. Oh ! they 
 are many indeed, who have been lost by so doing ! 
 wherefore, dear Friends, clear yourselves of your 
 children ; and if they will obstinately go astray, faith- 
 fully bear your testimony against them, in life, doc-
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 153 
 
 trine, expressions, and conversation, which will wit- 
 ness for you when you are dead and gone, and your 
 heads laid in the silent grave. Thus will your youth, 
 through the blessing of God and your endeavors, come 
 up in your places, or at least you will be clear, and 
 their blood will be upon their own heads. A pure, 
 strict watch is required of you in conversation, in 
 all those relations. First, that God may be glori- 
 fied. Secondly, that your children may be exampled. 
 Thirdly, that your neighbors may be edified, or built 
 up in pure religion. And fourthly, that you may die 
 in peace with Him that created you and died for you ; 
 remembering the blessed doctrine of Christ Jesus, 
 'Let your light so shine before men, that others seeing 
 your good works, may glorify your Father which is 
 in heaven.' And again ; ' Ye are as a city set on a 
 hill, which cannot be hid.' As you thus train up 
 your children in the way which they should go, when 
 they are young, you may have reason to hope they 
 will not depart from it when they are old; for many 
 have been convinced of the truth, as it is in Jesus 
 Christ, through the good conversation of his followers. 
 And how can we expect to die well, if we do not live 
 well ? Or can we expect the answer of ' well done,' 
 if we are not in the practice of doing well ? 
 
 " I do desire and earnestly exhort Friends to read 
 the holy Scriptures, and wait to feel the Power from 
 which they sprung, through the holy writers ; and 
 also to teach them to their children. And, dear 
 Friends, let me prevail with you in the love of God,
 
 154 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 and his dear Son, to keep close to your meetings for 
 the worship of Almighty God, and for the well order- 
 ing of your Society ; and do it in the meek spirit, for 
 that is of great price with the Lord; and when in 
 yoar meetings, get into a religious exercise and lively 
 concern for God's glory, and your soul's peace and 
 prosperity. I pray the holy Lord of sabbath, to open 
 your hearts to him in the reading of this epistle, as 
 mine is open to you, my beloved friends, that you and 
 I may be edified, though outwardly separated, as we 
 were when together ;- and if we should never meet 
 more in this world, that we may meet in the kingdom 
 of God, where we may never part more. Amen. 
 Hallelujah, saith my soul! 
 
 " I desire this may be copied and read at the close 
 of one of each of your particular meetings, and if it 
 could be readily, in every family of Friends; to all of 
 whom is my very dear love in Jesus Christ' whose 
 servant I am, and hope to be to the end, and I am an 
 entire lover of souls, and a well-wisher of Sion's pros- 
 perity. Thomas Chalkley." 
 
 On the 11th of the Fourth month, I left home on a 
 journey to Long Island, in order to visit Friends' meet- 
 ings, and also to negotiate some business I had there. 
 The first meeting I had was at Burlington, where I 
 had occasion to advise them to keep in remembrance 
 that ancient love which first united our Society to- 
 gether, and in which, in times of cruel persecution, 
 some freely offered to suffer the imprisonment of their
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. ■ 155 
 
 bodies, to obtain the liberty of their friends in con- 
 finement. From thence we travelled to Amboy, and 
 over to Staten Island. The day being very hot, and 
 the evening cold, I got a severe cold, which I did not 
 get clear of for about two weeks, notwithstanding 
 which I went to meetings, though ill in body. The 
 first meeting I had on Long Island, was at Flushing, 
 on a First day, and a comfortable meeting it was ; in 
 which was closely pressed the taking up the cross of 
 Christ by all who desire to be his disciples, and that 
 without it we could not be true Christians. From 
 Flushing we went to Mosquetto cove, and had a meet- 
 ing there on Third day, which was large, and to 
 general satisfaction, and some were there who were 
 newly convinced. I seeing the openness of the meet- 
 ing, advised Friends to build a meeting-house there, 
 of which they approved. On Fourth day we had a 
 meeting at "Westbury, and Fifth day, at Cow-neck. 
 From Cow-neck I went to the south side of the island, 
 and had a meeting at Captain Hicks'. The neighbors 
 who were not of our Society came generally to this 
 meeting, and were pressingly exhorted to come to 
 Christ and the way opened unto them. It was a 
 good time, and I thought a day of love to us all. Be- 
 fore the meeting I was exceedingly shut up in myself, 
 so that it was very beneficial to, me, among the rest, 
 to see how the Lord could work by his power, and 
 unlock his treasury, as in a moment, as he did for my 
 poor soul at times. Oh ! may I, with Christ's follow- 
 ers and ministers, ever depend upon him, is my
 
 156 * THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 petition ! From Rockaway, for so is the place called, 
 we went to Westbury, and had a very large meeting 
 on a First day ; and, as I was informed, some were 
 convinced. From hence I went to a place called Fos- 
 ter's Meadows, where we had a large meeting in a 
 barn. After this I went over to the main land, and 
 had a meeting at a place called Westchester. From 
 thence we went to Flushing, and had a large meeting 
 on a Fifth day of the week, in which the right training 
 up of children, and careful education of youth, were 
 zealously recommended. From Flushing I went to 
 Huntington, where some were lately convinced of the 
 principle of truth as it is in Christ Jesus, some of 
 whom were excommunicated by the Presbyterians, with 
 whom they had formerly joined. We had a pretty 
 large meeting in a Friend's barn, where a priest op- 
 posed me, as he also had my friend Benjamin Kid, 
 some time before, of which I gave ah account by letter, 
 to my dear friends Thomas Lightfoot and Benjamin 
 Kid, desiring them, in their return from New England, 
 to have an evening meeting there. The ground of 
 this priest's cavilling, or dispute, was my declaring, 
 that it is the light of Christ, or his spirit, which con- 
 vinceth the world of sin, and not a natural light, or 
 the light of a natural conscience ; from whence he 
 took occasion to charge me with denying a natural 
 conscience, the falsehood of which I charged upon him 
 before the auditory, and desired him, if he had any- 
 thing on his mind, to write to me, to which I promised 
 to return him an answer.
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 157 
 
 From Huntington I went to the General Meeting 
 of Friends held at Newtown, which was so large that 
 the meeting-house could not contain the people, and 
 the weather being extremely hot, some of the people 
 without doors were uneasy, and went to and fro ; but 
 those that were in the house, and so near that they 
 could hear, were very attentive, and as far as I could 
 learn, generally satisfied. Our next meeting was at 
 New York, which was the quietest meeting I ever 
 had there ; and the few Friends at New York, and 
 some that were there from Long Island, parted with 
 us in the love of Christ, and in the fellowship of his 
 blessed gospel. I travelled homewards, having good 
 satisfaction in visiting my friends ; and when I came 
 there, found my dear wife and children in health, for 
 which I bless God. 
 
 After this journey I kept to meetings at and about 
 home as usual, and was at the Fifth day meeting in 
 Philadelphia, when Samuel Preston was married to 
 Margaret Langdale, the widow of my dear friend and 
 fellow-traveller, Josiah Langdale. The meeting was 
 large, and the parable of the virgins and the bride- 
 groom coming at midnight, was opened, with an 
 exhortation to the people to be ready against that 
 hour, and that they should take care to have the holy 
 oil of divine grace in their hearts. 
 
 After this meeting I had some affairs which called 
 
 me into Chester county, and on the road my horse 
 
 gave a sudden and violent start out of the path, and 
 
 threw me down, and before I could get up again, he 
 
 14
 
 158 THE JOUKNAL OF 
 
 struck my face, and trod on my right eye with his 
 foot, being newly shod, which stunned me for the 
 present. As soon as I opened the eye which was 
 unhurt, I perceived that I lay on my back, under my 
 horse's belly, with my head between his forefeet. He 
 stood still, and I got on my hands and knees, the blood 
 streaming out of my nose and right eye, and while I 
 was bleeding, a man and woman came by, and stayed 
 till I was done bleeding, and saw me mounted on my 
 horse again. I went forward about two miles, to the 
 house I intended to go to, and after riding about a 
 mile, I met with a Friend who knew me, and was 
 surprised to see me so bloody, and went with me to 
 Eandal Malin's, a faithful, honest Friend, who was 
 upwards of eighty years of age, and had suffered much 
 for his profession of the truth in his younger years, 
 where they dressed my wounded eye. I was truly 
 thankful to the Lord for his providence towards me 
 in this deliverance, among many others, which he in 
 his goodness hath vouchsafed to me. I stayed at the 
 Friend's house three nights and mended apace, and 
 he accompanied me to my house at Frankford, where 
 my loving wife, with some surprise, received me very 
 affectionately ; and through her care, I recovered so 
 that I could see pretty well with spectacles, which I 
 was obliged to use for some months. Such accidents 
 plainly show us the necessity of preparing for sudden 
 death, as we know not when, or how, we may go off 
 the stage of this life. 
 
 On the 25th of the Fifth month, I received a letter
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 159 
 
 from a person in the county of Burlington, relating to 
 water baptism, to which I made answer as follows : 
 
 "Thy lines I received last night, in perusing of 
 which, there was a Christian love in my heart towards 
 thee, though unknown by face, and I have much free- 
 dom of mind to answer thine, according to thy request, 
 and my small ability. 
 
 " First, then, we are near in sentiment to each other, 
 in the grand Christian principle of saving religion, 
 which is the work of the Holy Spirit of Christ upon 
 the soul, for that is the baptism which is Christ's and 
 is truly saving, and absolutely necessary to salvation. 
 Christ's baptism is but one, which is with the Holy 
 Ghost, and with spiritual fire or water ; John's being, 
 the element, or figure ; and Christ's being the spirit, 
 power, and divine substance, is to be with the church 
 of Christ, and with his true ministers, to the end of 
 the world. 
 
 " Secondly, in answer to thy query, Was not water 
 baptism, that is, the element, commanded by Christ 
 himself, in Matt, xxviii. 19 ? I answer, I believe not. 
 My reason is this, because the Holy Ghost, or Spirit, 
 is mentioned in the text, in express words, and water 
 is not; and therefore we omit going into outward 
 water, and for other reasons as follow : 
 
 11 Thirdly, that water baptism, which was John's, 
 was practised by the apostles, is true ; but it was not 
 practised by Christ, who, no doubt, would have done 
 it, if it had been absolutely necessary ; for he disdained
 
 160 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 not to wash his disciples' feet, a much more despicable 
 office than that of the baptismal ceremony : so because 
 Christ did not himself practise it, nor, as we conceive, 
 commanded us to go into material water, we there- 
 fore forbear it. 
 
 " Fourthly, that the apostles did baptize with water, 
 we deny not; and that they were circumcised, and did 
 circumcise, is also undeniable. Now, must we circum- 
 cise because the apostles did, and were themselves 
 circumcised? Consider this carefully, and I hope 
 that will give thee some sight or light, concerning 
 the dispensation of water baptism, which was John's 
 baptism, and was glorious in its day and dispensation, 
 in pointing at Christ's baptism, until it came, which 
 .was the substance, and was with spiritual fire and spir- 
 itual water, and will continue forever. To Christ and 
 his baptism, I heartily direct thee for further instruc- 
 tion, in whom is life, and that life is the light of men. 
 
 " I would write a little further concerning water 
 baptism, on some texts of Scripture, being Christ's 
 own words, viz. : ' He that believeth, and is baptized, 
 shall be saved, and he. that .believeth not, shall be 
 damned, or condemned.' This must needs be under- 
 stood of the Spirit's baptism ; for it would be absurd 
 to say, or believe, that all who are baptized with 
 water, are saved, or that all who are not baptized 
 with water, are damned ; therefore it is the Spirit's 
 baptism that all professing Christianity ought to come 
 unto, in order to witness salvation. Again, Christ 
 says, ' Except a man be born of water, and of the
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 161 
 
 Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.' 
 Some will have this to be a mixture of the element 
 water and of the Spirit ; but Christ says, ' It is the 
 Spirit that quicken eth, the flesh profiteth nothing. 
 The words that 1 speak unto you, they are spirit, and 
 they are life.' ' That which' is born of the flesh, is 
 flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit, is spirit.' 
 According to which doctrine, I have faith to believe, 
 that outward, fleshly, or elementary water baptism 
 profits little or nothing to the soul. Again, why 
 should water in that place be understood of the ele- 
 ment, any more than fire in the other, viz. : To be 
 baptized with the Holy Ghost and with fire, since 
 Christ said, 'My words they are spirit and life.' 
 Eemember the well of water that springs up to eter- 
 nal life in the believers, and the water that Christ 
 gave, whosoever drank of which, was never to thirst 
 more. This is all spiritual, which the carnal mind 
 cannot comprehend or enjoy, but is witnessed by the 
 spiritual man. And further, if we consider what 
 confusion there is in the world about water- baptism, 
 it may well put a tender seeking soul upon further 
 search into the nature of holy, saving baptism. The 
 Papists have one way ; the Lutherans and Calvinists 
 another ; and the Baptists have another ; and all differ 
 so widely, that, generally speaking, they will not 
 worship together ; neither are they ever likely to be 
 reconciled, except they come to the holy Spirit and 
 divine power of Jesus, the good Saviour and precious 
 
 guide of souls. That saying of his has often been a 
 14*
 
 162 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 comfort to me in deep exercises and distresses of 
 mind, when he said to his disciples, ' It is expedient 
 for you that I go away ; for if I go not away, the 
 Comforter will not come ; but if I depart, I will send 
 him unto you.' I will pray the Father, and he will 
 give you another Comforter, that he may abide with 
 you forever, even the Spirit of Truth. And when 
 he is come, he shall guide you into all truth ; he shall 
 take of mine, and show it unto you, and shall bring 
 all things to your remembrance, that I have spoken 
 unto you. He was to convince the world of sin, and 
 to abide with Christ's disciples forever. May the 
 precious gift of the Spirit be given to thee, and to 
 all true seekers of God, his Christ and kingdom, is 
 my real desire and humble prayer to the Most High. 
 [See the four Evangelists for this promise, they not 
 wording it alike.] 
 
 " Having answered most parts of thy letter, I would 
 add a few lines more, viz. : I have known some who 
 could not be satisfied with words about this point of 
 baptism with water, until Christ had by his spirit 
 given them satisfaction in themselves ; and as thou 
 comest more and more into close communion with his 
 grace and spirit in thy own soul, I hope thou also wilt 
 have better satisfaction than that of words only. I 
 have known some of the people called Baptists, who 
 have been convinced of the truth, according to our 
 way and principle, to whom all the writing and dis- 
 puting, and reading, and preaching about this point, 
 could never give full satisfaction, until they had it
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 163 
 
 inwardly and immediately from Christ, manifested to 
 them by his holy spirit in their hearts, as aforesaid. 
 I would not, however, be understood to be against 
 satisfying one another as much as lieth in our power, 
 and as we find openness in the love of God and Christ. 
 And further, I never understood that our Society 
 were absolutely against those persons practising it, 
 who could see no further, or did really think in their 
 conscience that it was their duty so to do ; but we 
 believe, that we see beyond the figure or shadow, and 
 are come to the substance, for the reasons mentioned, 
 and many more which might be given. Several 
 treatises have been published upon this subject, one 
 of which is very full, written before we were a people, 
 by William Dell, a wise and learned man, and one 
 who had a large sense of the power of God: and 
 among us, Barclay's Apology, and a treatise by John 
 Gratton, who had been a Baptist preacher, and one by 
 Joseph Pike. There is also a little book of Thomas 
 Upsher's, who was a Baptist preacher before he came to 
 join with us, which I send thee, with whom I was well 
 acquainted, as also with those men who subscribed it. 
 If thou applies thyself to Richard Smith, of Burling- 
 ton, he is as likely as any person I know, to help thee 
 to those books, all which are larger on the subject, 
 and have given satisfaction to thousands about it ; 
 though some, as I have said, could never be satisfied 
 with words. In reading the latter part of thy letter 
 I was tenderly affected, and my prayers to the Al- 
 mighty were, that he would please to direct thee by
 
 164 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 his power and spirit, and the grace of his dear Son, 
 who hath said, ' He that cometh unto me, I will in no 
 wise cast off.' Now, tender friend, Christ is the true 
 light, that lighteth every man that cometh into the 
 world, by which light thou must walk to the kingdom 
 and city of God. He is the door into the true sheep- 
 fold : he is the truth, in whom thou must believe : he 
 is the divine life and light of the soul : he is the true 
 Christian's all in all. And as the kingdom is within, 
 as said Christ, so the king is within, and without also. 
 He is God, omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent, the 
 immortal Jehovah, and is God over all, blessed for- 
 ever. And, as a servant of his, I recommend thee, 
 with my own soul, unto him for preservation and 
 direction; for it is the great work of Christ's true 
 ministers and servants, to direct the seeking, trav- 
 elling souls to him ; to whom with the Father, and the 
 eternal Spirit, be glory, now and evermore. Amen. 
 " From thy assured friend in Christ, 
 
 "Thomas Chalkley." 
 
 The person to whom I wrote this letter, some time 
 after informed me, that it gave him great satisfaction. 
 
 After I had stayed at home some time, and pretty 
 well recovered of the hurt I received by my fall, I 
 visited some meetings about home, as Philadelphia, 
 Abington, and Germantown. In several of those 
 meetings I was concerned to exhort Friends, as our 
 meetings and worship in this province of Pennsyl- 
 vania were a kind of national worship, to beware
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 165 
 
 that they did not indulge themselves in the sins of 
 the nations, but to be careful to keep to the holy, 
 self-denying life of Jesus. 
 
 On the 5th of the Sixth month, between the hours 
 of nine and ten at night, there was an earthquake, 
 of which many people were sensible; and about this 
 time many were taken off with a violent fever. I 
 was concerned in several meetings to put the people 
 in mind of their mortality, and the shortness and 
 uncertainty of time ; and of the necessity of speedy 
 preparation for their final change and future well- 
 being. In the aforesaid month I was at our Youths' 
 Meeting in Philadelphia, where I was concerned to 
 advise parents to do justly to their children, in the 
 divers relations of a child's state ; to be just in cor- 
 rection, and to be sure to give them learning, and 
 train them up in reading the holy Scriptures, they 
 being able, through faith in Christ, to make us wise 
 unto salvation. I also was earnest in exhortation to 
 the youth, to obey and honor their parents, and to 
 have a care not to be disobedient to their fathers and 
 mothers. I had a concern also to remind that large 
 congregation, that the Almighty had stretched out 
 his arm, with his rod, and had given the people of 
 this land three strokes therewith, as a gentle admoni- 
 tion towards heart preparation to meet him, and to 
 be ready for their latter end : which were, First, a 
 sickness, or pestilential fever, which carried off many 
 of the people. Secondly, an earthquake, of which 
 divers in town and country were sensible. Thirdly,
 
 166 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 a terrible whirlwind, such as we never before heard 
 of in this land, that I remember. They were ad- 
 monished to take particular and special notice of 
 these gentle strokes of the divine hand; for if he 
 pleased, he could as soon take away many by sick- 
 ness, as a few, and could make us a desolation, as 
 well as the country about Mount JEtna, or Port 
 Soyal, in Jamaica, not very far from us; and he 
 could also blow us away with the whirlwind of his 
 wrath, and could as easily have blown down all our 
 city as those few houses in the country. 
 
 Next day after this meeting I went with John 
 Eodman to the Quarterly General Meeting of wor- 
 ship in the county of Chester, which was large and 
 satisfactory. 
 
 The 25th of the Sixth month I was at the burial 
 of the wife of Richard "Wain, a virtuous and good 
 woman. Some of her last words were, " Some men's 
 sins go beforehand to judgment, and some follow after 
 them ; and that her sins were gone before, which was 
 a great comfort to her, now she was going to leave 
 the world." It was a large meeting, and a seasonable 
 opportunity at the funeral. The people were called 
 upon to work while it is called to-day, because, as our 
 Saviour said, the night cometh, wherein no man can 
 work. 
 
 In this and the foregoing year I met with various 
 trials and exercises, as, First, great inward poverty 
 and want. Secondly, great losses in outward affairs. 
 And, thirdly, the evil spirits of some were stirred
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 167 
 
 up against me, to report falsehoods concerning me, 
 with many other sore exercises, both inward and 
 outward. As to the first, I had often been tried 
 that way, and found by experience, that I must wait 
 upon God my Saviour for fresh and renewed visita- 
 tions from above; in which exercise I had always, 
 in the Lord's time, received comfort from him, and 
 by the same exercise I had now the same comfort 
 also ; but I thought it very long, and the enemy did 
 now greatly endeavor to break in upon my patience 
 more than usual : but my heart still depended in faith 
 and hope upon the Lord, my Redeemer and Saviour, 
 and in his time he was pleased to help me, blessed be 
 his holy arm and power forever ! Many blessed saints 
 and servants of Jesus were brought to my mind, who 
 were in the like condition, so that I had a secret joy 
 in their company, who met with the like in their 
 travels to the holy city. 
 
 Secondly, as to my outward losses, I thought with 
 myself, peradventure it might be best for me : and I 
 remembered that many, through the increase of out- 
 ward riches, were exceedingly hurt as to their inward 
 state ; and though I, or any good man, might be con- 
 cerned for our children, to get and leave something 
 for them, yet I plainly saw, that, generally speaking, 
 much riches does much hurt to youth. This was a 
 melancholy observation that I had made in my life and 
 travels, and I see at this day, that it is an universal 
 distemper, a very few excepted; wherefore I cried 
 mightily to God that he would give to me and mine
 
 168 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 the gift of his grace and holy Spirit, whatever our 
 circumstances might be in the world. In this also I 
 saw that patience was an excellent virtue, and that 
 the meek had the best inheritance of the earth, if 
 they had ever so little of it ; and that true happiness 
 did not consist in earthly things, which my experience 
 had largely taught me. 
 
 And thirdly, as to the base and evil treatment I 
 met with, which was more than I had ever met with 
 in all my life before, great endeavors were used to 
 lessen my reputation, as a man and a Christian ; all 
 which proved false and fruitless, and in due time my 
 innocence was made manifest. I considered that 
 they could not use me worse than they had done my 
 Lord and Master, and that the devil was angry with 
 any who endeavored to dethrone him and pull down 
 his kingdom, at the foundation of which, through the 
 help of my master, I had made many a stroke, with 
 such weapons as he was pleased to furnish me withal. 
 
 The last of the Sixth month, and the 1st of the 
 Seventh month, was the Quarterly and Youths' Meet- 
 ing at Burlington, at both of which I was present. 
 At the Quarterly Meeting I was concerned to open 
 how the church of God was governed by his spirit, 
 in the time of the law, and Moses was an instrument 
 therein ; and that when it was too hard, and too 
 much work for Moses, he was advised to get the 
 assistance of the elders ; and that the same power 
 and spirit of God which was with Moses, was upon the 
 elders who assisted him in the affairs of the church
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 169 
 
 and congregation of the Lord's people ; so that it was 
 governed by God's spirit, and is to be governed by the 
 same still, and not by the will of man, nor according 
 to the will of man, in his corrupt nature. And when 
 Israel went from God's power and spirit, the Lord left 
 them, but at last sent to them his only-begotten Son, 
 our dear Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ ; and he was, 
 and ever is, to be governor of his church, through 
 his holy Spirit, of which he told his disciples, that he 
 would pray the Father, and he should send unto them 
 the Comforter, the Holy Ghost, or holy Spirit, the 
 spirit of truth, and that he should abide with them 
 forever, and should lead and guide them into all 
 truth; which sweet and precious promises the true 
 believers do witness to be fulfilled at this day. Glory 
 to his name forever, he is the wonderful Counsellor, 
 mighty Saviour, and Prince of peace ! of whose peace 
 and government there shall never be an end, and 
 upon whose shoulder the government is to be forever. 
 Friends were exhorted to pray and wait for His holy 
 power and spirit, and to be sensible of it in the dis- 
 cipline and government of the church now in this 
 gospel day, in which is a brighter manifestation of 
 God's love, through his Son, than in the time of the 
 law. The Youths' Meeting was also large, and divers 
 testimonies were borne, by way of exhortation and 
 counsel to the youth. They were with much tender- 
 ness advised to take counsel of their elders, and were 
 shown how it fared with some young men, who slighted 
 the advice and counsel of the elders ; and that one, 
 15
 
 170 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 when on a dying-bed, cried out in the bitterness and 
 agonies of his spirit, " Oh ! that I had taken the 
 counsel and advice of my friends, for then I had not 
 been here, nor in this condition." They were advised 
 to beware of keeping bad company, and spending 
 their precious time in taverns, which hath undone 
 many fair and promising youths : and it was shown 
 how a young man might cleanse his ways, by taking 
 heed thereto, according to the Word of God, which 
 liveth and abideth forever, and which the holy Scrip- 
 tures proceeded from ; and they were earnestly ex- 
 horted to read and practise what was written therein. 
 A very tender time we had in prayer to God, through 
 his dear Son, to preserve us all in his fear, both youth 
 and aged; and so our meeting broke up, and we parted 
 in the sweet love of God, and his Christ, our holy 
 * Saviour.
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 171 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 1724-1725. 
 
 Correspondence — Losses and Troubles — Letter to Elizabeth Levis 
 and Jane Fenn — Letter respecting the Ministry — Family Visit 
 
 — Services near Home — Visit to New Jersey and Chester County 
 
 — Visit in Burlington Quarter — Separation in Barbadoes — 
 Letter to the Leader — Danger of Riches — Rewards and Pun- 
 ishments — Letter to a Young Man under Conviction — Criterion 
 for Judging of following the Holy Spirit — Serious Accident. 
 
 My troubles in the world, and in the things of it, 
 being many, and my outward losses great; as also 
 was my inward poverty of spirit, I took my pen and 
 wrote one day as follows : " Oh ! if it be right in the 
 sight of God, how do I long to be unclothed of this 
 frail, mortal body, that my soul might mount up to 
 the ethereal plains, and repose itself in the arms of 
 its Maker and most sweet Saviour forever." 
 
 Being at and near home some time after I came 
 from Burlington, I visited the meetings of German- 
 town and Philadelphia, which were large, and some 
 sense of truth was in the hearts of divers. I was 
 concerned at that meeting at Philadelphia, to let the 
 people know, that, as God had blessed the people of 
 that city, and the province, with spiritual and tem- 
 poral blessings, and made the land fruitful, enriching
 
 172 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 many of the inhabitants, he now expected from them 
 fruits of piety and virtue ; and that if there was not 
 a stricter walking with God in Christ Jesus, they 
 might expect his divine hand, which had visited them 
 with favors from heaven above, and from the earth 
 beneath, would visit them with a rod, with which he 
 had already given them some gentle strokes. 
 
 Our Yearly Meeting was this year at Burlington, 
 for the provinces of New Jersey and Pennsylvania, 
 to attend the service of which, our Quarterly Meet- 
 ing appointed me, with divers others. It was a large 
 and comfortable meeting, and many went home thank- 
 ful to the holy name of God and Christ, that they 
 were there. 
 
 I shall here transcribe part of a letter which my 
 dear father wrote to me, when above eighty years of 
 age, he having been a minister of Christ above forty 
 years ; viz. : 
 
 " Loving Son, Thomas Chalkley, — Thine dated 
 the 11th of the Tenth month, 1723, I received, and 
 was very glad to hear of your welfare, and that the 
 Lord hath given you children : and I pray the Al- 
 mighty God, that he may preserve them with you, 
 that they may be a comfort to you in your latter 
 days ; and that if the Lord may be pleased to con- 
 tinue them with you, they may, as they grow in days,* 
 grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and 
 Saviour Jesus Christ; and that the Lord may be 
 pleased to preserve us all to the end of those few
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 173 
 
 days we may have in this world, that we may lay 
 down our heads in peace, and in the full assurance 
 of everlasting blessedness, forever and evermore. 
 
 " I bless the Lord that he hath preserved me sen- 
 sible of his blessed and holy Spirit, whereby my un- 
 derstanding is clear and well, considering my age ; 
 and the Lord in his great loving-kindness, I do feel 
 to help me to my great satisfaction, in my little ser- 
 vice for him. 
 
 " With repeated love to you all, I rest thy aged, 
 and thereby, through pain, afflicted father, 
 
 " George Chalkley 
 
 "Southwark, London, 5th of Sixth month, 1724." 
 
 To see my dear father's handwriting, now he was 
 above four-score years of age, was very affecting to 
 me; and the more, because I expected it might be 
 his last, which it was. The answer I sent to my 
 dear father's letter is as followeth : 
 
 " Frankford, 22d of Eighth month, 1724. 
 
 "My dear Father, — Thine, per James Wilkins, 
 I received with joy, and was greatly comforted to 
 hear that thou wast yet alive ; and especially that 
 thou art favored, now in thy old age, with a sense of 
 the gift of God, through the holy Spirit of his dear 
 Son, our blessed Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. 
 
 " The reading of thine did refresh and tender my 
 heart, not expecting many more such epistles from 
 thee, by reason of thy great age. But, my very dear 
 15*
 
 174 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 and truly honored father, if we should never hear 
 from nor see one another more in mutability, yet are 
 we, while here on earth, as living epistles in one 
 another's hearts, written by the finger of God. I 
 have hope also, that we shall meet where we shall 
 never part more, in the glorious kingdom of God and 
 his Christ. 
 
 " With unspeakable love from self and wife, to 
 thee, my dear and aged father, and all relations and 
 friends, 
 
 " I remain thy loving and dutiful son, 
 
 "Thomas Chalzley." 
 
 In this year, 1724, I met with various trials, afflic- 
 tions, and tribulations ; and had not the secret hand 
 of the Lord, which I felt underneath, borne up my 
 spirit from sinking, I think I could not have waded 
 through them. 
 
 I was now removed, as already related, into the 
 country, for retirement, which I greatly loved and 
 delighted in ; but as soon as I was a little settled 
 there, the enemy of all good endeavored to disquiet 
 my repose, by stirring up some bad people against 
 me, who lived near, and in time past had fawned 
 upon me. To add to my afflictions, I lost a vessel, 
 in which, I suppose, I had upwards of five hundred 
 pounds ; another vessel came in almost a wreck, in 
 which I suffered in my interest several hundreds 
 more, and a third I heard of, in which I had the like 
 loss ; and about the. same time I had also a good new
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 175 
 
 barn burned to the ground in a few minutes, so that 
 I was exceedingly stripped that way. To add yet 
 more to my exercise, I was sorely afflicted with sick- 
 ness, having a swelling in my jaws, mouth, and throat, 
 that I could neither speak nor swallow for some time, 
 nor eat, nor sleep, for about*seven days, as I remem- 
 ber, without great difficulty. What the distemper 
 was, we could not be certain. Some supposed it to 
 be the quinsy, others an imposthume ; also my only 
 daughter at the same time was likely to die ; and as 
 for my own part, I was very willing to go, if it so 
 pleased God ; for I saw through the deceit of the 
 world, and that the friendship of it was not perma- 
 nent. And in my sore afflictions of body, mind, and 
 interest, it fared with me as with Job, for divers of 
 my pretended friends added to my afflictions by undue 
 reflections ; whom I pray the Lord to forgive for his 
 Son's sake ! At these times, the remembrance of 
 that saying of Christ, that the very hairs of your 
 head are numbered, supported me in hope that all 
 would work together for good. 
 
 "When I got better, so that I could go to meetings, 
 I went to Germantown, Abington, Philadelphia, and 
 Darby. My first going abroad was to Philadelphia, 
 where, on a First day, we had a large meeting, and 
 divers things were opened in my mind. I told them 
 they had Moses and the prophets, and Jesus Christ, 
 who has arisen from the dead ; for neither death, hell, 
 nor the grave could detain the Lord of life and glory. 
 And I was opened to declare to them, that they had a
 
 176 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 great advantage of the coming of Christ, not only in 
 his appearance at Jerusalem, but as he came to, and 
 spoke in the heart, by his inward and spiritual appear- 
 ance; and that this gospel dispensation was, by his 
 coming, made more conspicuous, bright, and glorious, 
 than that which went before. Friends were very glad 
 to see me abroad again, they having expected daily to 
 hear I was dead, and there was tenderness over the 
 meeting, and God over all, through his dear Son our 
 Lord Jesus Christ, was praised and glorified, who is 
 v/orthy for ever. 
 
 In this year two sober young women, Elizabeth 
 Levis and Jane Fenn, were concerned to visit Friends 
 in the Island of Barbadoes, and they meeting with 
 some discouragement, in Christian love, I wrote them 
 the following letter to encourage them in the work of 
 Christ. 
 
 " Frankford, 1st of Twelfth month, 1724-25. 
 
 " My dear Friends, Elizabeth Levis and Jane 
 Fenn, — Understanding by our friend, Grace Lloyd, 
 that you have proposed your intention of visiting the 
 few Friends in the Island of Barbadoes, and that you 
 meet with some discouragement inwardly and out- 
 wardly, it is in my mind to comfort and strengthen 
 you in so great and good an undertaking, and honor- 
 able work, as is the cause of Christ, who, for our sakes, 
 crossed himself abundantly beyond expression, more 
 than is possible for us to do for his sake, or the sake 
 of his people, whom we may so entirely love as to lay
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 177 
 
 down our lives for his and their sakes. But what are 
 our lives to the life of the only -begotten Son of God ? 
 And truly, we must give them up often, if we have 
 the cause of souls at heart ; and then he often gives 
 them to us again, glory to his holy name for ever ! 
 As Christ said, 'He that will save his life, shall lose 
 it, and he that will lay down his life for my sake and 
 the gospel, shall find it ; ' which reacheth your case in 
 this undertaking. And indeed, some of our lives, in 
 our own sense, are hardly worth mentioning, consid- 
 erins; the cause of Christ. 
 
 " And, dear children of our heavenly Father, I may, 
 through some good experience, truly inform you, that 
 there is much openness in many people on that island, 
 and good encouragement I have had from above, in 
 my visiting the people there ; though, true it is, the 
 inhabitants too generally are luxurious, and much 
 given to vanity : yet I have this seal in my heart, 
 that the Lord hath a seed in that place who desire to 
 serve him, and that seed will surely join with you in 
 your exercise, and you will be comforted one in an- 
 other, and in the Lord. And that there are differences 
 among them, is also true ; but they have the more 
 need of being visited by such, who are, through their 
 wise conduct and restoring disposition, likely to heal 
 those breaches which are, or may be among them. 
 Some, indeed, have gone among them, and have done 
 hurt, by a rash and turbulent management, and by 
 so doing have rather made the breaches wider, than
 
 178 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 by a meek and loving, as well as lowly disposition, 
 lessened their differences and healed them. 
 
 " And, tender friends, though it may seem hard for 
 you in several considerations, to give up to go to sea, 
 and also to divers who love you, and are nearly re- 
 lated to you, know ye and such so concerned, that the 
 Lord is stronger than the noise of many waters, and 
 than the mighty waves of the sea. And I really 
 believe that you, as well as my soul, with all the 
 servants of Christ, will experience it to be so, as David 
 did, whose words they are. 
 
 "I remember the words of our great Lord and 
 Master, Jesus Christ, when he sent forth his servants 
 to preach his gospel ; ' I send you forth as lambs 
 among wolves.' No question but you, like innocent 
 lambs, before your return, if it please God to give 
 you to us again, may meet with the wolf's spirit, or 
 the spirit of the beast, in some among whom you may 
 travel ; then will the counsel of Christ, added to his 
 commission, be good for you to keep close to : 'Be ye 
 wise as serpents, but innocent or harmless as doves.' 
 
 " And, dear maidens, as your cross is great* you 
 being two innocent young women, in giving up your 
 names to cross the sea, which I know is a great trial, 
 the seamen too generally being rude, dissolute people ; 
 so your crown will be great also. I have known that 
 by keeping near to Christ, and his truth and power, 
 there hath been a wonderful reformation sometimes 
 in several of those rude seamen ; and some have been 
 so far convinced as to be exceedingly kind, and to
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 179 
 
 Bpeak well of Friends and their conversation, when 
 it has been coupled with the fear and wisdom of God. 
 When I have gone to sea, I always found a religious 
 and Christian concern upon me, for the poor sailors, 
 the good effects of which have been much more than 
 I may speak of; but give this little hint for your 
 encouragement and information. 
 
 " Well, dear souls, if you go, I believe the Lord 
 will go with you ; and sure I am, that my spirit will 
 also go along with you, which will not hurt you, if it 
 do you no good. And although my exercises and 
 tribulations of late have been very great, both spirit- 
 ual and natural, yet my very heart within me affects 
 the cause of Christ, according to the best of my un- 
 derstanding : and I heartily wish well to all my fellow- 
 laborers, who are faithful, painful servants of Christ, 
 and disinterested, except as to the interest which 
 they desire in Christ and his kingdom, for the sake 
 of which, they love not their lives unto death. 
 
 " I must now take leave, after putting you in mind 
 to remember your poor friend and brother, when be- 
 fore the throne you are supplicating the Father of 
 mercies in secret, even as my heart is tenderly bowed 
 and broken into tears on your behalf at this time. 
 The Lord be with you, and sanctify the present ex- 
 ercise and concern that is v,pon you, and you to 
 himself, with all the faithful lovers and followers of 
 the Lamb, ' through his word, whose word is truth.' 
 I am your friend and brother, in the fellowship of the 
 gospel of Christ Jesus, our great Lord and good
 
 180 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 Master ; and blessed are all those who, ©y their fearing 
 to offend him, manifest him to be their Master, and by 
 their honoring him, manifest him to be their Lord. 
 
 " Thomas Chalkley." 
 
 In the Twelfth month I went to the Quarterly 
 Meeting of Friends, held at Providence, in Chester 
 county, for discipline and worship. It was large, and 
 a concern came upon Friends to suppress excess in 
 eating and drinking, and great entertainments at 
 marriages and funerals, and spending time idly in 
 tippling houses ; also in several other things for the 
 well ordering our Society, in which there appeared 
 great love and unanimity. The people were reminded 
 of God's love to them, and many favors were recount- 
 ed to them, which he had showed the inhabitants 
 of the land, which were very singular, and that he 
 expected they should bring forth fruits answerable to 
 the labors of love, which the Lord had bestowed upon 
 
 them. 
 
 About this time I had it in my mind to write to 
 one who was conscientiously concerned to preach the 
 gospel of Christ, but was under great exercise on that 
 occasion. 
 
 " Frankford, 24th of Twelfth month, 1724-25. 
 "My Friend, — Since I last saw thee and con- 
 versed with thee, thou hast often been in my mind, 
 and thy exercise has come before me ; and not having 
 an opportunity to converse with thee personally, I
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 181 
 
 take this way of communicating my mind, hoping, in 
 Christ, thou wilt reap some satisfaction and advan- 
 tage thereby. I think I know thou art concerned 
 for Christ's cause, as also was thi.t eminent minister 
 Apollos, who yet was instructed more perfectly by 
 good Aquila and Priscilla. The subject on which I 
 have it in my mind to write to thee, is the ministry 
 of the gospel of Christ Jesus, which I believe to be 
 very different from that which it is taken for in most 
 parts of the world, by many professing Christianity. 
 First, the greatest part of Christendom, so called, 
 calls and elects its ministers, and will not call them 
 unless they have school learning, although Christ 
 called and chose unlearned men, as to that sort of 
 learning, and the apostles were called, ' Not according 
 to the will of man, but by the revelation of Christ 
 Jesus.' Christ thanked his Father that ' He had re- 
 vealed the mysteries of his kingdom to babes and 
 sucklings.' The wise Jews, the scribes and pharisees, 
 admired at the apostles, who so powerfully preached 
 Christ, and were so wonderfully carried forth in their 
 ministry, and yet few of them were men of learning. 
 The call, election, and wages of Christ's ministers, are 
 spiritual, and not carnal ; and therefore, their ministry 
 is with divine life and power, by which they are 
 qualified for this service, without either study or pre- 
 meditation ; though it is not denied that Christ may 
 show a minister beforehand, what he shall, or is to 
 speak, at such a" time or place, as he may see meet. 
 But studying, or writing sermons, and afterwards 
 
 16
 
 182 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 preaching, or rather reading them to the people, is 
 not the practice of the true minister of Jesus, our 
 great Lord and Master; of which, I do believe thou 
 hast a real sense. 
 
 " I shall impart to thee something of my own expe- 
 rience for thy edification in this great work, viz. : 
 As in the work of conversion or regeneration there 
 is a growth and increase from the state of a child to 
 that of a man in Christ, so in the work of the min- 
 istry, or preaching the gospel, there is also a growth 
 from a babe to an able minister, in all which the 
 power and grace of the holy Spirit must be our 
 guide, our help and support. Keeping close to this, 
 we shall increase in divine wisdom and sound judg- 
 ment, and our hearts and understandings will be 
 more and more opened and enlarged. The apostle 
 Paul said, ' When I was a child, I spake as a child, 
 understood as a child, and thought as a child ; ' and 
 yet he was a child of God and minister of Christ; 
 and as he grew in his gift, and in Christ's grace, he 
 became an eminently serviceable instrument in the 
 hand of God. Now a child's state in the ministry 
 is too much overlooked by many, some thinking to 
 be men as soon as they are brought forth into the 
 ministry; and according to my observation, divers 
 have been at a loss, and some quite lost, for want of 
 a patient continuing in well-doing; and not waiting 
 to feel a growth and increase from above, have gone 
 on in their own strength and will, perhaps against 
 the advice and instruction of a sound and honest
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 183 
 
 Aquila or Priscilla, and have been hurt ; and some 
 who had received a gift, have had that same gift 
 taken from them, even by the Lord, who gave it 
 them. 
 
 "A true minister of Christ is to take no thought 
 what to say, but in the same hour that which he 
 should speak to the people, will be given him, that 
 is, in a general way, and if it is not given from 
 above, I believe he or she ought to be silent; for 
 they receive freely, if they do receive anything from 
 Christ, and so they ought freely to administer ; and 
 where little is given, little is required, all which is 
 plain from Christ's own words in the New Testament; 
 and Christ's cross is to be taken up by his ministers 
 in their preaching, as well as in their conversation. 
 
 " It is a practice with which the holy Scriptures 
 have not acquainted us, that the ministers of Christ 
 should take a verse, or a line, out of the holy Scrip- 
 tures, and write, or study, beforehand, a discourse 
 on it, and preach it, or rather read it, to the people. 
 The holy men of old, as we read both in the Old and 
 New Testament, spoke as they were moved by the 
 Holy Ghost, and by it they were gifted for convin- 
 cing, converting, and reforming the world, and for 
 comforting and edifying the saints, quite contrary to 
 the latter practice of modern reading divines, who 
 dispute, write, and preach against the immediate rev- 
 elation of the spirit of Christ, and therefore cannot 
 be his ministers, but must be the ministers of anti- 
 christ, and ministers of the letter, and not of the
 
 184 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 spirit of Christ, or of his gospel. And where the 
 apostle says, ' When I was a child, I spake as a child,' 
 I take him to point at being brought newly into the 
 work of the ministry, as well as the work of conver- 
 sion, and that he useth those expressions by way of 
 comparison, and therefore I compare it thus : a child 
 when it first begins to speak, speaks but a few words, 
 and those stammeringly sometimes, and its judgment 
 is weak, and he must be put upon speaking by his 
 father over and over, if he be a backward child ; 
 otherwise, if he be forward, and speaks too much, 
 he is 'curbed by a wise father. Thus, according to 
 my observation, it hath pleased our heavenly Father 
 to instruct his children in the ministry, and as a child 
 in Christ, I would speak a little of my experience to 
 the children of God. When I first felt a necessity on 
 me to preach the gospel, I had but a few sentences tc 
 deliver, in great fear and tenderness, with some trem- 
 bling, with which my brethren were generally satisfied 
 and edified. After some time I felt a concern to 
 preach the gospel in other countries, and to other 
 nations, than that in which I was born, which to me 
 was a very great cross ; but feeling the woe of the 
 Lord to follow me in not giving up to it, after some 
 time I took that cross up for Christ's sake and the 
 gospel's ; and in taking it up I experienced the truth 
 of the apostle's doctrine, that 'The gospel of Christ 
 is the power of God unto salvation to every one that 
 believeth.' Thus, through a continual labor and spir- 
 itual travel, I witnessed a growth in experience and
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 185 
 
 an enlargement in expression and heavenly doctrine ; 
 and my heart was mightily enlarged to run the waya 
 of God's commandments, and divers were convinced, 
 and some, I hope, thoroughly converted, and many 
 comforted, and God, through the ministry of his dear 
 Son, glorified, who only is thereof worthy forever. 
 
 " In all this I have nothing to boast of or glory in, 
 saving in the cross of Christ; for what is Paul, or 
 Apollos, or Cephas, but 'an instrument? I would not 
 be understood to compare myself with those apostles, 
 but to endeavor to follow them as they followed Christ. 
 Christ is all in all : he is the great teacher of teachers, 
 and the highest schoolmaster of all : and he says, 
 ' Whosoever doth not bear his cross and come after 
 me, cannot be my disciple.' 
 
 " We do not find anywhere in the New Testament, 
 that Christ's ministers or messengers were only to 
 speak or preach to one meeting of people, or that 
 they were called or hired by men ; for then it would 
 have been necessary that man should pay them ; but 
 Christ says, ' Freely ye have received, freely give ; 
 and go forth,' etc. 
 
 " And, my friend, I find to this day, that it is safe 
 for me when I am ministering to the people, when 
 the Spring of divine life and power, from which sound 
 truths and edifying matter spring and flow into the 
 heart, abates, or stops, to stop with it, and sit down, 
 and not to arise, or speak publicly to the people, 
 without some spiritual impulse or moving, and open- 
 ings. 
 
 16*
 
 186 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 " I would have this taken no otherwise, but as one 
 friend and brother opening his state and condition to 
 another for edification, and for strengthening each 
 other in Christ. And as I fear lest I should exceed 
 the bounds of a letter, therefore shall conclude thy 
 real friend in Jesus Christ ; 
 
 "Thomas Chalkley." 
 
 The 25th of the Twelfth month I was at the burial 
 of the wife of Kandal Speakman. It being our Fifth- 
 day Meeting, divers sober people not of our persua- 
 sion, were there, and I was drawn to speak of the 
 death of Christ and his merits, and to show them 
 that there is no merit in the works of man, as he is 
 man, or in a formal righteousness or holiness. 
 
 In our Yearly Meeting at Burlington it was agreed 
 that the families of Friends should be visited, and 
 soon after, our Monthly Meeting appointed me, with 
 other Friends, to visit the families of our meeting; : 
 in which visitation many were comforted and edified, 
 both of the youth and aged ; and we could truly say, 
 that the power and grace of God, and the sweet love 
 of Christ, accompanied us from house to house, to our 
 mutual comfort. We were so extraordinarily opened 
 and guided to speak to the states of the people in 
 their families, who were unknown to us, that some of 
 them were ready to think we spoke by information, 
 when in truth we were clear of any such thing, and 
 only spoke from what was immediately given to us, 
 without any information from man or woman ; which
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 187 
 
 to us was sometimes very wonderful, and caused us to 
 praise the great name of the Lord. 
 
 The General Meeting held at Philadelphia in the 
 First month, was a solid good meeting, and ended in 
 a sense of grace and truth, which comes by Jesus 
 Christ. Next day being our Week-day Meeting, our 
 dear friends Elizabeth Levis and Jane Fenn, took 
 leave of us, they intending for the island of Barba- 
 does; and it was a parting meeting that will not soon 
 be forgotten by some of us then present. 
 
 After this meeting I went to Burlington to visit 
 one who was sick, and under some trouble of mind 
 for going astray, and greatly desired to come into 
 the right way, with whom I had a good seasonable 
 meeting, to her comfort and my own satisfaction. 
 Upon this visit I would remark, that it is a great 
 pity that youth, when in health and strength, should 
 put off the work of their salvation, and forget the 
 Most High, till either sickness or death overtakes 
 them. And then, oh ! the bitter piercing cries and 
 groans, and terrible agonies the soul is in ; which, by 
 timely repentance and amendment of life, might b$ 
 avoided. 
 
 I was afterwards at meetings at Philadelphia, Me- 
 rion, Germantown, etc., and had some service and 
 satisfaction therein. On the 2d of the Second month, 
 the Friend whom I visited, as above, was buried, and 
 the relations of the deceased sent for me to the burial. 
 The person being well beloved, there was a large ap- 
 pearance of people of divers persuasions, and we had
 
 188 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 an 0] portunity at this funeral to exhort the people so 
 to live that they might die well ; and that the way to 
 die in the favor of God, was to live in his fear. Char- 
 ity to those who dissent from one another, was press- 
 ingly recommended from the apostle's words, that, " If 
 we had faith to remove mountains, and to give all our 
 goods to the poor, and our bodies to be burned, yet if 
 we wanted charity, we were but like sounding brass, 
 and a tinkling cymbal." And also our belief of the 
 doctrine of the resurrection of the dead was asserted, 
 in contradiction to that gross calumny cast on our 
 Society, of denying it. 
 
 The latter end of the Second month, I was at a 
 marriage at Horsham, at which was present William 
 Keith, our Governor, and I was concerned to speak 
 of the end of that great ordinance, and of the hap- 
 piness of those married persons who fulfil the cove- 
 nants they make in marriage, and what strength and 
 comfort the man is to the woman, and the woman to 
 the man, when they keep their covenants, and that 
 they are the contrary when they break them. I also 
 opened the methods prescribed by our discipline, to 
 be observed in marriages, and our care to prevent 
 any clandestine marriages amongst us. After this 
 meeting I returned home, without going to the mar- 
 riage-dinner, as I generally avoided such entertain- 
 ments as much as I could, having no life in, or liking 
 to them, being sensible that great companies and pre- 
 paration at weddings were growing inconveniences 
 among us, which I was conscientiously concerned to
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 189 
 
 discourage. A few days after my return home, at 
 our meeting at Frankford, I was concerned particu- 
 larly to exhort Friends to keep to plainness in lan- 
 guage, dress, etc., according to the examples given 
 us in the holy Scriptures, particularly that of Daniel 
 and his companions ; and to caution against vain and 
 indecent fashions, which, with concern, I have ob- 
 served to prevail too much among some who make 
 profession with us. 
 
 In this Second month I went to the Yearly Meeting 
 of Friends at Salem, and by the way had two meetings 
 at Woodbury creek. At Salem we had a large meet- 
 ing, and our gracious Lord was with us, bowing many 
 hearts before him ; and many testimonies were given 
 of the goodness, love, mercy, and grace of God and 
 his dear Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. From Salem 
 we travelled to Alloway's creek and Cohansie, and 
 from thence to Elsinburgh, and ferried over the river 
 Delaware with our horses to George's creek, and had 
 meetings at all those places. At George's creek, one 
 not a Friend came to me after meeting, and said he 
 thanked me for my advice and counsel, and seemed 
 heartily affected with the doctrine of Christ. From 
 George's creek we travelled to Nottingham, and had 
 a large meeting on a First day, and another, very 
 large, on a Second day, where were many people of 
 divers persuasions. The house could not contain us, 
 so that we met in an orchard. A solid meeting it 
 was, wherein the mighty power of the Creator was 
 declared, as also the divinity of Christ and his man-
 
 190 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 hood, and the people were exhorted to be careful of 
 forming any personal ideas of the Almighty ; for the 
 holy Scriptures do plainly manifest, that God is a 
 wonderful, infinite, eternal spirit, and therefore is to 
 be worshipped in spirit and in truth, and outward 
 representations of the Lord Jehovah border on idol- 
 atry. Much was delivered on that head ; and I was 
 told after meeting that divers Papists were there, 
 though I knew nothing of it. From Nottingham I 
 went to Newcastle, had a meeting there, and then 
 visited a sick Friend, with which he expressed much 
 satisfaction ; and then went on to Center, Kennet, and 
 Marlborough, and so to the Monthly Meeting at New 
 Garden, where we had a large open meeting, wherein 
 was shown, that those who meddled with our discipline, 
 in the will, nature, spirit, and wisdom of man only, 
 could do but little service; and that our discipline, 
 as also our worship and ministry, ought to be per- 
 formed in the wisdom and power of God, through the 
 grace and spirit of Christ. From New Garden we 
 went to Birmingham, had a large meeting, and I was 
 much drawn forth to the youth, of whom many were 
 there. We then went to the Quarterly Meeting for 
 discipline and worship at Concord, in Chester county, 
 which was larger than I had ever seen there before. 
 In the meeting for discipline, Friends were exhorted to 
 keep to the cross of Christ, and to speak to matters 
 in the fear of God, and to avoid and shun, as much 
 as in them lay, self-will, humor, pride, and passion ; 
 showing that the rough, crooked, unhewn, unpolished
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 191 
 
 nature of man, could never work the righteousness of 
 God, and is contrary to the meek, self-denying life 
 of Jesus. John Salkeld and Jacob Howell then sig- 
 nified that they were going to visit Friends on Long 
 Island and Rhode Island. The sense of the call, labor, 
 and work of the ministry of the gospel and of the 
 love of Christ, in the freeness of it, to mankind, took 
 some good hold on divers in that meeting, and the 
 great name of God, and his dear Son, through the 
 Holy Spirit, was glorified. 
 
 From this meeting I came home, having been out 
 on this journey nearly three weeks, was at twenty 
 meetings, and travelled more than two hundred miles, 
 and found my wife and children in health, and we 
 rejoiced to see each other; but my rejoicing was in 
 fear, even almost to trembling, lest I should be too 
 much lifted up when things were agreeable to me. 
 
 After my return home I went to several neighbor- 
 ing meetings, and on a Fifth day was at Philadelphia, 
 at the marriage of Richard Smith and Elizabeth 
 Powell. The meeting was large, and the marriage 
 solemnly celebrated, and the people were earnestly 
 entreated to love Christ above all, and to manifest 
 that love by keeping his commandments, and that not 
 in show or words only, but in the heart and affections. 
 
 About the latter end of the Third month, I went 
 to the Quarterly Meeting of ministers and elders for 
 the county of Burlington ; and from thence to Stony- 
 brook ; where, on a First day, we had a large meeting 
 in Joseph Worth's barn, which was crowded with peo-
 
 192 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 pie, and was a solid, good time. From Stony-brook 
 I went to Crosswicks, and was at their Youths' Meet- 
 ing, which was the largest I had seen in that place. 
 I told them they might say as the sons of the prophets 
 did, that " the place was too straight for them," and 
 advised them to enlarge it. I was glad to see such 
 a large appearance of sober people, and so great an 
 increase of youth, in this wilderness of America, and 
 exhorted them to live in the fear of God, that his 
 blessings might still be continued to them; and an 
 exercise was on my mind for the welfare of the young 
 people, to show them the danger of sin and vanity, 
 and of keeping ill company, and following bad coun- 
 sel ; and that the young king, Rehoboam, Solomon's 
 son, lost the greater part of his father's kingdom by 
 following the company and counsel of vain young 
 men ; and that many young men in this age had lost 
 and spent the estates their fathers had left them, by 
 the like conduct, and brought themselves to ruin, and 
 their families to poverty and want. Divers lively 
 testimonies were delivered in this meeting, and it 
 ended with adoration and praise of Almighty God; 
 and although the meeting held more than four hours, 
 the people did not seem willing to go away when it 
 was over ; for indeed it was a solid, good time. The 
 business of the Quarterly Meeting was carried on in 
 peace and love, that being the mark by which the 
 disciples of Jesus were to be known, and Friends 
 were exhorted with a great deal of tenderness to 
 keep it.
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 193 
 
 In this journey I travelled about ninety miles, and 
 was at four meetings, being from home four days, and 
 was much satisfied in my journey; but met with some 
 exercise when I came home, hearing of some losses 
 and damage to my estate; so that I found after I 
 had, according to my best endeavors, done the will 
 of God, I had need of patience, that I might receive 
 the promise. I was sensible of the messenger of 
 Satan, the thorn in the flesh, of which the apostle 
 speaks. 
 
 About this time a loving friend of mine informed 
 me that one whom I very well knew in Barbadoes, a 
 minister of our Society, had gone into an open separa- 
 tion, so as to keep meetings separate from his brethren, 
 and contrary to their advice. I was concerned in love 
 to write a few lines to him, to remind him of the un- 
 happy state and end of such who, notwithstanding 
 the brotherly 'love and kind treatment of Friends, 
 had separated from us, and losing the sense of Truth 
 which had made them serviceable in the church, were 
 actuated by a rending, dividing spirit, by which the 
 enemy of our happiness had so far obtained his end 
 as to make some disturbance for a time ; but few, if 
 any, of these separatists, have had further power than 
 to promote and maintain their separate meetings dur- 
 ing their own lives ; such meetings having, in every 
 instance I have known, except one, and that lasted 
 not long, dropped on the death of the founders. And 
 though we think it our duty to testify against, and 
 
 disown all such, yet this disowning is only until the 
 17
 
 194 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 persons offending, from a real sense of, and sorrow 
 for, their faults, acknowledge and oondemn the same; 
 then the arms of Christ, and of his church, are open 
 to receive and embrace them. I therefore earnestly 
 besought him to consider the danger of offending any 
 who love and believe in Christ, though ever so little 
 in their own. or other men's esteem, for we cannot 
 have true peace in departing from the pure love of 
 God, his truth, and people ; to which I added the fol- 
 lowing sentences out of the New Testament : 
 
 1. " By this shall all men know that ye are my 
 disciples, if ye have love one to another." Do not 
 lose this mark. 
 
 2. " We know that we have passed from death unto 
 life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not 
 his brother, abideth in death." 
 
 3. " He that loveth not, knoweth not God ; for God 
 is love." 
 
 4. " He that dwelleth in love, dwelleth in God, and 
 God in him." 
 
 About the latter end of the Fourth month I was at 
 a meeting at Abington, occasioned by a burial ; and 
 in the beginning of the Fifth month, I was at a mar- 
 riage in Philadelphia; and was soon after, on a First 
 day, at two meetings at Germantown, where I went 
 to visit a Friend who had not for some months been 
 at meeting, being in a disconsolate condition. I in- 
 vited her to meeting, where the love and goodness 
 of Christ to the poor in spirit was largely manifested, 
 and the Friend after meeting said she was better, and
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 195 
 
 afterwards recovered, and kept to meetings. I was 
 frequently at the Week-day Meetings at Philadelphia; 
 for I thought that week not well spent, in which 
 I could not get to Week-day Meetings, if I was in 
 health. 
 
 In this month I was at the burial of George Cal- 
 yert, who was one of a sober life and just conversation, 
 and being w T ell beloved by his neighbors, left a good 
 report behind him. Soon after which I was at Merion 
 meeting, which was large and solid : the people were 
 tenderly exhorted, that neither outward favors, nor 
 spiritual blessings, might make them grow forgetful 
 of God ; but that in the sense of the increase and 
 enjoyment thereof, they might be the more humble ; 
 and forasmuch as the Christian church in former ages 
 was corrupted by temporal riches and power, it was 
 intimated, that, as we had favor shown us from the 
 government, and increase of outward things, we should 
 be very careful not to abuse those privileges by grow- 
 ing proud and wanton, or envious and quarrelsome ; 
 but "to do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with 
 God." 
 
 In this month I was at Middletown, in Bucks county, 
 at the burial of my dear and intimate friend, John 
 Rutledge, who died very suddenly, at which there 
 were above one thousand people : he was well beloved 
 among his neighbors, and was a serviceable man 
 where he lived. I admired to see such a number of 
 people collected upon so short a notice, he dying one 
 day in the afternoon, and being buried the day follow-
 
 196 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 ing ; divers testimonies were borne concerning the 
 wonderful works and ways of God. It was a pclid. 
 bowing time, wherein many hearts were broken an<3 
 melted into tenderness. After meeting a young man 
 came to me trembling, and begged that I would pray 
 for him, for he had spent much of his time in vanity, 
 and had strong convictions for it, and had been greatly 
 affected and wrought upon that day. I exhorted him 
 to deny himself, and to take up his cross, and to follow 
 Christ, who hath said, he would in no wise cast off those 
 who came to him in true faith. He went from me 
 very tender and loving, being broken in his spirit. 
 
 From thence I went to Gwynned, or North "Wales, 
 and on the First day of the week had a very large 
 meeting. In the morning of the day a voice awoke 
 me, which cried aloud, saying, " Eewards and pun- 
 ishments for well and evil doings are sealed as an 
 eternal decree in heaven," which confirmed me that 
 mankind are happy or unhappy in that world which 
 is to come, according to their deeds in this life; if 
 their deeds be good, as Christ said, their sentence will 
 be, " Come, ye blessed ;" if their deeds be evil, " Depart 
 from me all ye that work iniquity," and "Go, ye 
 cursed," etc. And, " If thou doest well, shalt thou 
 not be accepted? And if thou doest not well, sin 
 lieth at the door." And again, " I have no pleasure 
 in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked 
 turn from his way, and live." These, with many 
 more texts of the same nature, contained in the holy 
 Scriptures, are contrary to the doctrine o? ^vxrwl
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 197 
 
 election arid reprobation, as some hold it. We had a 
 meeting in the afternoon of the same day, which was 
 satisfactory to many; our hearts being filled with the 
 love of God, for which we thankfully praised him. 
 The next day we had a meeting of ministers, in which 
 they were exhorted to wait for the gift of the Holy 
 Ghost, without which there can be no true minister 
 or ministry. I was concerned to put them in mind 
 to keep close to Christ, their sure guide and bishop ; 
 to be cautious of going before, lest they should miss 
 their way, and of staying too far behind, for fear we 
 should lose our guide; and to be careful to keep a 
 conscience void of offence towards God, and also to- 
 wards man ; that we might say to the people truly, 
 follow us as we follow Christ ; that our conversation 
 might confirm and not contradict our doctrine, for 
 our Saviour says, "By their fruits ye shall know 
 them; men do not gather grapes of thorns," etc., and 
 he charged his followers not to be like such as say, 
 and do not. The next day we had another very large 
 meeting there, in which many things were opened and 
 declared, tending to establish and build us up in our 
 faith in Christ. After this meeting, parting with my 
 friend John Cadwallader, who accompanied me, I came 
 homeward, lodging that night at Morris Morris's, 
 whose wife was very weakly, with whom we had a 
 tender time. 
 
 The 9th of the Fifth month, I was at the General 
 Meeting at Germantown, which was a large and good 
 
 meeting. Next day I went to visit Jane Breintnall, 
 17*
 
 198 THE JOURNAL OP 
 
 who was seized with the palsy, and the Lord was 
 pleased to comfort us together, as she expressed, to 
 our mutual satisfaction. 
 
 On the 30th of the said month, was our Quarterly 
 Meeting of ministers at Philadelphia, where humble 
 walking with God was recommended and prayed for, 
 and it was desired that ministers might be exemplary 
 therein, having Christ for their pattern. 
 
 On the 1st of the Sixth month, I was at our meeting 
 at Frankford, which was dull to me and divers others, 
 a lively exercise of spirit being much wanting among 
 many, and close walking with God in conversation. 
 If we would really enjoy the love and presence of 
 Christ in our religious meetings, we ought to keep 
 near to him in our daily conversation ; and that we 
 might do so, was humbly desired in supplication and 
 prayer to God. 
 
 The young man who came to me under great con- 
 cern of mind, after the funeral of John Kutledge, 
 wrote to me, that he was followed with the judgments 
 of God for his manifold transgressions, desiring that 
 I would pray for him. In answer to his letter, I 
 wrote to the following effect. 
 
 " Frankford, 7th of Sixth month, 1725. 
 " Thine from Burlington, of the 26th of Fifth month, 
 I received, by which I perceive the hand of the Al- 
 mighty hath been upon thee for thy vanity and folly. 
 I desire that thou may be very careful to keep close 
 to that hand, and do not go from under it, but mind
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 199 
 
 the light of Christ that hath discovered God to be 
 great and good, and his dear Son to be thy Saviour, 
 and sin and Satan to be evil, which evil, if thou follows 
 it, will certainly bring thee to destruction and eternal 
 woe ; but if thou follows Christ, and walks according 
 to that light by which he hath manifested sin to be 
 exceedingly sinful ; in his time, as thou waits in 
 patience, he will bring thee through his righteous 
 judgments unto victory. 
 
 " Wait, oh ! wait in patience upon God, if it be all 
 thy days ! ' I will bear the indignation of the Lord, 
 because I have sinned against him.' Again, 'All the 
 days of my appointed time will I wait, till my change 
 come.' 
 
 " Thou art young in years, and young in experience 
 in the work of grace, wherefore advise with solid, good 
 men, if thou meets with inward or outward straits and 
 difficulties, for the enemy will not easily let go the 
 hold which he hath had of thee ; therefore walk cir- 
 cumspectly, and shun evil company. As to praying 
 in a form of words, without the Spirit helps, in order 
 to open them according to thy state and condition, 
 that will not avail : a sigh or groan, through the help 
 of the Spirit, is much more acceptable to God, than 
 any forms without it. 
 
 " That in the Lord's time thou may est enjoy the 
 reward of peace^ is the desire of thy friend, 
 
 " Thomas Chalkley." 
 
 The young man took this counsel well, and kept to
 
 2(70 THE JOURNAL OP 
 
 meetings, and behaved soberly for a time, but after- 
 wards ran out, kept bad company, took to drinking to 
 excess, ran himself in debt, and at length into a jail, 
 which haih been the unhappy case of many unstable 
 youths, who, " when they knew God, glorified him not 
 as God, neither were thankful, but became vain in 
 their imaginations, and their foolish hearts were 
 darkened." 
 
 In thib month I was at Byberry and Abington 
 meetings, ia which we were favored with the imme- 
 diate power and presence of Christ, to our great 
 comfort and edification, the visitation of divine love 
 to the youth, having a good effect on some of them, 
 and the latter meeting ended with praise to the Al- 
 mighty, after supplications for all men, from our king 
 on the throne to the meanest of his subjects. 
 
 In my travels I met with a person, who queried of 
 me, how he should know which society had most of 
 the holy Spirit, since most of the professors of Christ 
 do believe in the Holy Ghost, or spirit ? to whom I 
 made the following answer. 
 
 Let the rule of Christ determine this question : he 
 says, " By their fruits ye shall know them ; do men 
 gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles ? " The fruits 
 then of the Spirit of Christ are, love, faith, hope, 
 patience, humility, temperance, godliness, brotherly 
 kindness, and charity, with all manner of virtues. 
 Therefore the society of Christians, which brings forth 
 most of the fruits of the holy Spirit, consequently 
 have most of Christ's grace and spirit. But some
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 201 
 
 object and say, we will not believe that any society 
 have the Holy Ghost now, or the immediate revelation 
 or inspiration of the Spirit, unless they work miracles. 
 To which it is answered, that right reformation from 
 sin, and true faith in Christ, cannot be wrought 
 without a miracle, neither can we bring forth the 
 fruits of the Spirit without the miraculous power of 
 Christ. Men by nature bring forth the works of 
 nature, and that which is contrary to nature is mirac- 
 ulous. Sin is natural; but divine holiness, or the 
 righteousness of Christ, wrought in man, is spiritual, 
 supernatural, and miraculous. And as to natural 
 men, who are in a state of nature, seeing outward 
 miracles, if they will not, or do not believe what is 
 written in the holy Scriptures of the Old and New 
 Testament, neither will they believe, although one 
 were to rise from the dead. Notwithstanding Christ 
 wrought outward miracles, and did the works which 
 none other could do ; though he cured all manner of 
 diseases, and fed many thousands with a few loaves, 
 and a few small fishes ; and what remained when all 
 had eaten, was more than there was at first ; though 
 he raised the dead, and himself arose from the dead, 
 yet few, but very few, believed in him so as truly to 
 follow him. His birth, his life, his doctrine, his death, 
 his resurrection, are all miraculous ; and since all this 
 was done in the person of Christ, and at the first 
 publication of his religion to men, there is now no 
 absolute necessity of outward miracles, though his 
 power is the same now as ever ; but he said to his
 
 202 THE JOUKNAL OF 
 
 disciples, " He that believe th on me, the works that I 
 do, shall he do also, and greater works than these 
 shall he do." Upon which, W. Dell says, " this must 
 be understood in relation to sin ; for Christ had no sin 
 in himself to overcome, but we all have sinned," and 
 to overcome sin is the greatest of miracles. This will 
 try the notional or nominal Christian, who says we 
 can never overcome sin in this world. Where then is 
 our faith in the Son of God, who for this purpose was 
 manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil. 
 
 Therefore let not Christians be slow of heart to 
 believe in the glorious gospel of Christ; and if we 
 truly believe therein, and live in the practice of his 
 doctrine, we shall see miracles enough to satisfy us 
 for ever. 
 
 The 16th of the Sixth month, I was at the weekly 
 meeting at Frankford, which, though small, was sweet, 
 reviving, and comfortable to some of us ; so that we 
 had a sufficient reward for leaving our business, it 
 being the time of our harvest. Week-day meetings 
 are much neglected by many ; more is the pity. The 
 apostle's advice is necessary for men in our age, even 
 of professed Christians, viz. : " Let us consider one 
 another to provoke unto love and good works, not 
 forsaking the assembling of yourselves together, as the 
 manner of some is." 
 
 The 23d of the Sixth month, my cart-wheel, being 
 iron-bound, ran over me, and my horse kicked me on 
 my head; the wheel put my shoulder out, and the 
 horse wounded my head so that the skull was bare,
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 203 
 
 and my leg was sorely bruised. The same day Dr. 
 Owen and Dr. Graham, with the help of two of our 
 neighbors, set my shoulder and dressed my wounds ; 
 and the Lord was so merciful to me, that the next day 
 I was enabled to write this memorandum of this won- 
 derful deliverance and speedy cure, for which, added 
 to many others I have received from his gracious 
 hand, I have occasion to be truly thankful. I was 
 obliged to keep at home some time, and I thought it 
 long, because I could not go to meetings as usual; 
 but many Friends came to see me, which was a com- 
 fort to me. One day upwards of thirty persons came 
 from several parts of the country to see how I did, 
 and were glad I was likely to recover. The day 
 before I was so hurt, being the first of the week, I 
 was at meeting at Philadelphia, and was concerned to 
 speak of the uncertainty of life, and the many accidents 
 we are incident to in these frail bodies, and exhorted 
 Friends to live so, that they might have a conscience 
 serene and clear of offence towards God and man, and 
 then they might expect the comforts of the Holy 
 Ghost, which in such seasons of difficulty would be a 
 great help and benefit to them. Of this I had sweet 
 experience the next day, under great extremity of 
 pain ; and though the pain of my body was such that 
 I could not for several nights take my natural rest, 
 yet I had comfort, through the sweet influence of the 
 Holy Spirit, which Christ promised his followers.
 
 204 THE JOURNAL OP 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 1724-1726. 
 
 Travels on Eas em Shore — General Visit on Long Island, Con* 
 necticut, and New York — Letter to Friends on Long IslaDd — 
 Services at Burlington, Philadelphia, and Neighborhood — Visit 
 to New Jersey — Journey to Oley, etc. — Death of Thomas Chalk- 
 ley's Father — Account of his Death. 
 
 On the 18th of the Seventh month began our 
 Yearly Meeting at Philadelphia, which was large, 
 and our friends John Wanton and William Anthony, 
 from Rhode Island, and Abigail Bowles, from Ire- 
 land, had good service therein. From this meeting 
 an address was sent to King George, acknowledging 
 his favor to us as a people, in giving his assent to a 
 law made in this province, prescribing the forms of 
 declaration, affirmation, etc., instead of those hereto- 
 fore used. 
 
 The beginning of the Eighth month, being a little 
 recovered from my hurt, I had a desire once more to 
 see my friends on the eastern shore of Maryland, at 
 their General Meeting at Choptank. The first day 
 I set out, I travelled about thirty miles, and at night 
 was very weary, being weak in body, and I was almost 
 ready to faint in my mind about proceeding further. 
 Next day George Robinson, at whose house I lodged,
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 205 
 
 offering to accompany me, we travelled about forty 
 miles to Sassafras river, and though much tired, we 
 were comforted in each other's company and conver- 
 sation. On the following day we travelled nearly 
 twenty miles to the General Meeting in Cecil county, 
 in Maryland; where we met with two Friends from 
 B-hode Island, and two from Pennsylvania, who were 
 there on the like occasion. The meeting was large 
 and quiet, many people being there not of our Society, 
 who were very sober. It held several days, and the 
 gospel dispensation was set forth, and the love of God 
 in Christ, exalted. From Cecil we went to Chester 
 river, and had a meeting there, at which the people 
 were exhorted to come to Christ, the eternal rock and 
 true foundation, and to build their religion on him, 
 against whom the gates of hell can never prevail ; 
 and they were so much affected, that they did not 
 seem forward to leave the house after the meeting 
 was over. From Chester river we went to Third- 
 haven to the General Meeting of Friends for Mary- 
 land, which was very large, some Friends from Penn- 
 sylvania and Virginia being there, and many people 
 of other societies. Many testimonies were borne to 
 the work of Christ by his spirit in the soul, and 
 Friends were earnestly desired to be diligent in read- 
 ing the holy Scriptures, and to keep up the practice 
 of our wholesome discipline; by the neglect of which, 
 a door would be open to loose living and undue liber- 
 ties. From Third-haven we travelled into the Great 
 
 Forest, between the bays of Chesapeake and Dela- 
 18
 
 206 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 ware, and had a satisfactory meeting. There was no 
 public meeting-house in this place, wherefore I told 
 the people of the house, I was obliged to them for 
 the use of it ; but they tenderly answered, they were 
 more obliged to me for my kind visiting of them : and 
 truly we had a solid, good meeting there; the people 
 being generally poor, they had but little notice taken 
 of them by the money-loving teachers, who preach 
 for hire. From the Forest I went to Little creek, in 
 the territories of Pennsylvania ; where was a General 
 Meeting for the counties of Newcastle, Kent, and 
 Sussex. The meeting was large, and Friends parted 
 in great love and tenderness. I went forward to 
 Duck creek, where we had a meeting, divers persons 
 of note being there, and all were quiet and heard 
 with attention. From Duck creek I went to George's 
 creek, and had a meeting; where a man of a sober 
 conversation said he had never heard things so spoken 
 to before ; but that he could witness to the truth of 
 all that was said. It was a good meeting before the 
 conclusion ; but I was very low and poor in my spirit 
 in the beginning of it. From this place we set for- 
 ward to Newcastle, where we had a meeting ; it was 
 the, time of the sitting of the General Assembly, and 
 several members of the house were at meeting. The 
 governor, who had from our first acquaintance been 
 very respectful to me, hearing that I was in town, 
 sent to desire me to tarry all night in Newcastle ; but 
 being engaged to a meeting over the rivers Christiana 
 and Brandywine, and it being near night, I could not
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 207 
 
 stay, but went away that evening and sent my love 
 to him, desiring to be excused. That night I lodged 
 at John Richardson's, and next day went to George 
 Robinson's, at Newark, where we had a meeting on 
 First day, and on Second day another at Providence; 
 and went from thence to Darby, to visit our worthy, 
 aged friend, Thomas Lightfoot, who lay very weak in 
 body, none expecting his recovery. I had called as 
 I 'went from home, and then he was very ill, and told 
 me, " He thought that illness would conclude his time 
 in this world, but said that all was well ; and that he 
 had a great concern upon his mind for the growth 
 and prosperity of truth in the earth, and desired 
 with tenderness of spirit, that I would give his dear 
 love to all Friends ; " and he now said, " I thought 
 never to see thee more, but am glad to see thee." I 
 stayed there all night, and in the morning we had a 
 comfortable, heart-melting time together, in which was 
 revived the remembrance of the many favorable sea- 
 sons of God's love we had enjoyed in our travels in 
 the work of the ministry of the gospel of Christ, and 
 we tenderly prayed, if we never met more in this 
 world, we might meet in that which is to come, never 
 more to part, but forever live to sing with all the 
 saints and holy angels, hallelujah to God and the 
 Lamb. From Darby I went to Philadelphia Third- 
 day meeting, and from thence to my house, where 
 my dear wife and children with open hearts and arms 
 received me, and I them with joy ; at which time I 
 had a gracious reward of peace for my labor of love,
 
 208 THE JOUKNAL OF 
 
 which far exceeded silver or gold. In this journey 
 I travelled above three hundred miles, had nineteen 
 meetings, and was from home above three weeks, in 
 which time I recovered of my lameness to admira- 
 tion, so that I had with satisfaction to remember the 
 apostle's saying, that "All things work together for 
 good to them that love God." 
 
 After my return I was at the General Meeting at 
 Frankford ; and in the beginning of the Ninth month 
 I was at meetings at Abington, Germantown, and 
 divers times at Philadelphia, particularly at the 
 Youths' Meeting, wherein several testimonies were 
 borne, and the youth exhorted to piety and humility. 
 
 On the 5th day of this month in the morning, being 
 under a consideration of the many sore exercises and 
 trials I had met with from my childhood, I was much 
 affected ; but the following portions of Scripture being 
 brought to my remembrance, afforded me some relief: 
 " Whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth." " If ye be 
 without chastisement, ye are bastards, and not sons." 
 " In the world ye shall have tribulation, but be of 
 good cheer, I have overcome the world." So that I 
 patiently bore my affliction and praised God under it. 
 
 In this month I was at the funeral of our worthy, 
 ancient Friend, Thomas Lightfoot. He was buried 
 at Darby ; the meeting was the largest that I had 
 ever seen at that place. Our dear friend was greatly 
 beloved for his piety and virtue, his sweet disposition 
 and lively ministry : the Lord was with him in his 
 life and death, and with us at his burial.
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 209 
 
 I was also about this time at German town, and at 
 a General Meeting at Plymouth, to my great satisfac- 
 tion, being accompanied by my ancient friend Row- 
 land Ellis ; and at the Third-day meeting in Philadel- 
 phia, at the time of our fall fair ; there were fervent 
 desires and prayers in several of us, that the youth 
 might be preserved from the evils prevalent at such 
 times of liberty and profaneness. 
 
 About the 20th of the month I went for Long 
 Island, being drawn in true love to make a general 
 visit to Friends there ; and likewise having some 
 business to transact. On the Fifth day of the week, 
 Thomas Masters and I set out from Frankford, and 
 in the evening we got to a Friend's house, near the 
 falls of Delaware, where we were kindly entertained, 
 and our horses taken good care of: to take due care 
 of travellers' horses is a commendable thing, and 
 more grateful to some travellers than to take care 
 of themselves. From the falls of Delaware we trav- 
 elled next day to Piscataway, and lodged at an inn ; 
 and on the next day we went to Woodbridge, to John 
 Kinsey's, where on the First day we had a satisfactory 
 meeting with Friends and others. On the following 
 day John Kinsey went with us to Long Island, and 
 that night got to John Rodman's, and next day we 
 rested, being weary with travelling so far in the cold. 
 Our dear friends in that island very lovingly received 
 my visit to them ; so that I had occasion to remember 
 
 that saying of the holy Scripture, " Iron sharpeneth 
 18*
 
 210 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his 
 friend!" 
 
 The Fifth day of the week we had a large meeting 
 at Flushing, and another in the evening at Obadiah 
 Lawrence's, which was an open, tender time. From 
 Flushing we went to Cow-neck, to Joseph Latham's, 
 who went with me to Westbury meeting, which, con- 
 sidering the cold, was much larger than I expected. 
 From Westbury, Nathaniel Simmons, Samuel Under- 
 bill, and Phebe Willet, went with us to Bethpage, 
 where we had a comfortable evening meeting at the 
 house of Thomas Powell, who went with us next 
 morning to a town called Setawket ; it was as cold a 
 day's travel as ever I went through in all my life ; 
 the wind was in our faces, and northerly. I do not 
 remember, though I had been a traveller above thirty 
 years, that ever I endured so much hardship by cold 
 in one day ; my chin and jaws were much affected 
 with the frost for several days ; but we had a good 
 meeting that made up for all. After which we went 
 ten miles to Amos Willet's house, where we had a 
 serviceable meeting ; he invited his neighbors, who 
 came and received us with hearts full of good will ; 
 and those not of our Society were well satisfied with 
 the meeting ; so that we went on our way rejoicing 
 that we were favored with the good presence of God 
 in our journey. Amos Willet and his wife went with 
 us to Huntington, where we had a quiet, peaceable 
 meeting, and the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ was 
 with us, as many can witness that were there. From
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 211 
 
 hence we went to Samuel Underbill's, and visited his 
 weak brother ; in which visit the Lord mightily re- 
 freshed us together, and we blessed his holy name, 
 for "He is good to all them who put their trust in 
 him." Next day we had a large meeting at Matini- 
 cock, and had an evening meeting at Thomas Pear- 
 sail's. The next day being a snowy, stormy day, 
 and one of the shortest in the year, we went, being 
 eighteen in company, to Cow-neck, where we had a 
 good meeting, and much larger than could be expected. 
 After meeting we went to Joseph Latham's, and had 
 a tender, open evening meeting, in which we were 
 edified and refreshed in Christ Jesus. 
 
 From Cow-neck I went to Flushing, had a large 
 meeting on the First day of the week, and on Second 
 day went over the sound which divides Long Island 
 from the main continent, to Horse-neck, and had a 
 meeting where I understood there never had been one 
 before : the people were sober and attentive, and some 
 expressed their satisfaction. That evening we had a 
 meeting at an inn near Byram river, where divers 
 people came, and were attentive; the innkeeper, his 
 father, brother, wife, and several others, took our 
 visit very kindly ; though there was one restless man, 
 who seemed to be out of order with drink before he 
 came into the house. When we were sitting in silence 
 waiting for the gift of Christ, and worshipping in 
 spirit, as Christ instituted, he sitting by me, jogged 
 me, and said, " It is time to begin, for there are as 
 many come as will come to-night;" he was 'mistaken
 
 212 THE JOURNAL OP 
 
 in that ; but not having patience to watch and pray, 
 he went away ; after which we had a good meeting. 
 These two meetings were in the Government of Con- 
 necticut, where they formerly made a law imposing a 
 fine of five pounds on those who should entertain any 
 of our Society, which law I was informed was re- 
 pealed in Great Britain. From thence we travelled 
 into New York government, and had a meeting at 
 Rye, and another at Mamaroneck; then to "West 
 Chester, and had a meeting there on a Sixth day of 
 the week, intending to go over the ferry next day to 
 Long Island ; but the wind being high and boisterous, 
 so that we could not get over, we tarried three nights 
 at the house of John Stephenson, where we were lov- 
 ingly and generously entertained. On First day we 
 were again at West Chester meeting, which ended 
 comfortably, though I was in a low state both of body 
 and mind in the beginning of it. On Second day we 
 all got well over the ferry to Long Island, parting 
 with our friends at the ferry in much love and good 
 will. Joseph Latham having been my fellow-traveller 
 on the main, I went to his house ; then to Westbury 
 to a large meeting, and next to Bethpage, and had a 
 meeting there; and in the evening, accompanied by 
 Samuel Bowne and Joseph Latham, I went to Jeru- 
 salem, and had a large and satisfactory meeting: 
 many of the people of the town who were there, came 
 the next day to our meeting at Hempstead, which 
 was large. The great Lord of all was good to us that 
 day, which I hope many who were there will not
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 213 
 
 forget; and some convincement was wrought on some 
 who were of account in the world, at these last-men- 
 tioned meetings; one who lived at Jerusalem, with 
 tenderness of spirit, desired my remembrance, whom 
 I pray God to preserve to the end, with all those who 
 love and fear him, and believe in his Son. 
 
 From Hempstead I went to Matinicock, where, on 
 a First day of the week, we had a large and good 
 meeting; then to Thomas Townsend's, on the Plains, 
 at whose house we had an evening meeting. Next 
 morning many Friends from the Plains went with us 
 to the south side of the island, to a place called Eock- 
 away, where we had a meeting at Hicks's, the neighbors 
 coming to it pretty generally; there was great open- 
 ness to receive the doctrine of truth in those not of 
 our Society, and they were very kind to us in those 
 parts. This was the second meeting I had been at in 
 this place, Benjamin Holme having the first there, 
 since which they had not been visited by any Friend 
 in the ministry except myself. From Eockaway we 
 went to Foster's meadow, where was a large gathering 
 of people, and Christ filled our hearts with divine 
 love. I then went to Peter Titus's, and had a meeting 
 at his house, to which came the neighbors, and were 
 well affected ; and next day we had a meeting in the 
 meeting-house at Westbury, which was very large 
 and to our satisfaction. From Westbury, in the 
 evening, we went to visit a young woman who had 
 been in a despairing condition for several years. The 
 family came together, and we put up our prayers to
 
 214 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 the Almighty, in the name of his dear Son ; it was a 
 good time to us all; and the young woman and some 
 others expressed their satisfaction. 
 
 This evening we went to see another young woman 
 who was in a deep consumption, but in a very com- 
 fortable state of mind ; having a great desire to see 
 me before she died, she sent for me to come to her, 
 and her desire was answered, her spirit being revived 
 with a fresh visitation of the love of Jesus Christ, the 
 holy physician of value, and our supplications were, 
 that the Lord would be pleased to be with her, and 
 support her to the end, and grant her an easy passage 
 from this life to his glorious kingdom, when it should 
 please him to remove her; which prayer we have 
 cause to hope was answered. 
 
 Though the days were short and the weather ex- 
 ceedingly cold, we rode about fifteen miles and made 
 these two visits, after that great meeting at Westbury ; 
 but our good Master supported us, and was with us in 
 our exercises and service for his name and truth's 
 sake. I lodged this night at Joseph Rodman's, and 
 was next day at Flushing week-day meeting, which 
 was very large and satisfactory ; had a meeting the 
 same evening at Samuel Bowne's, and the next day 
 went to New York, and had a quiet, good meeting in 
 the evening at Samuel Harrison's, and on the morrow 
 had an evening meeting at a place called the Kills, 
 at the house of Richard Hallet, and the next day 
 being First day, had a large meeting at Newtown, to 
 the edification of Friends and other sober people.
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 215 
 
 It being now generally known that I was on the 
 island, the people flocked to meetings, though the 
 weather was extremely cold, for the Lord in the 
 riches of his love manifested himself unto us in our 
 meetings for the worship of his holy name. The 
 next meeting was at James Jackson's, at Eocky-hill, 
 where was Judge Hicks, the high sheriff, and a jus- 
 tice of the peace, with several other persons of note, 
 with whom, and our friends, we had a good time to 
 set forth the work of grace and reformation, I think, 
 to general satisfaction, for which we blessed the holy 
 name of God, and humble prayer was put up to him 
 for all men, and particularly for our King George, as 
 also for all in authority under him, and that they might 
 be a terror to evil-doers, and the praise of them that 
 do well. The next meeting was at Jamaica, which 
 was also large, and several in authority were there, 
 and were very loving and respectful. The next First 
 day we had a large meeting at Cow-neck, which was 
 somewhat crowded. Though my exercises were very 
 great, I was glad that there was such openness and 
 room in people's hearts to receive the doctrine which 
 I had to declare unto them, in the name and power 
 of Christ; afterwards we had an evening meeting 
 with the widow Titus, to which divers Dutch people 
 came, and were very attentive and sober. On the 
 Third day of the week we had a meeting near the 
 place called Hurl-gate, a narrow passage in the great 
 sound or bay, between Long Island and the main 
 land. Several justices and their wives attended it,
 
 216 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 one of whom had disowned his son and turned him 
 out of doors for coming among us ; but beholding his 
 son's sober conversation, he grew more moderate, and 
 after meeting he and his wife invited us to dine with 
 them ; but we were engaged to visit the widow Ste- 
 phens that evening, at whose house we had a meet- 
 ing. Going thither, it being very cold and stormy, 
 my hands were touched with the frost, and perceiving 
 it when I came to the fire, I called for a basin of cold 
 water, which soon cured them : I note this that others 
 may reap benefit thereby. Next day we went to the 
 week-day meeting at Newtown, and on Fifth day to 
 Flushing meeting, which was large and to edification, 
 and in the evening had a meeting at our ancient 
 friend Hugh Cowperthwait's, which was acceptable to 
 him, as he expressed when it was ended ; and to us 
 also. On Seventh day we had a very large evening 
 meeting at Thomas Pearsall's, and likewise a large, 
 good meeting, the day after, being First day, at 
 Matinicock, wherein the kingdom of Christ was ex- 
 alted, and the deformed state of sin and iniquity 
 represented, and the example and doctrine of Christ 
 closely recommended, in order to the overcoming of 
 sin, this being not only possible, but the duty of 
 Christians, through the power of Christ and true 
 faith in his holy name. The danger of believing that 
 it is impossible to overcome sin was opened to them, 
 and that such a belief is contrary to, and against 
 Christ and his doctrine, and darkens and blinds the 
 hearts of men ; but the love of Christ enlightens the
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 217 
 
 soul, and strengthens it to believe that all things are 
 possible with God ; for this great work cannot be done 
 in the will, wit, and power of man, but through the 
 power and grace of Christ, which he promised to true 
 believers in him. 
 
 I was faint after this meeting, but resting a little, 
 soon grew better, so that we had an evening meeting 
 at James Cock's, where one came and told us, we must 
 not eat any flesh, and produced Thomas Tryon's works 
 for his proof. I took the bible and showed him proof 
 to the contrary, and told him we were resolved to 
 believe our book before his, and showed him from the 
 apostle, that the kingdom of God is not meat and 
 drink, nor divers washings, but righteousness, peace, 
 and joy in the Holy Ghost. Though at the same 
 time, according to the doctrine of Christ and his 
 apostles, I was for temperance in meats and drinks, 
 as well as moderation in apparel. The next day we 
 had a very large meeting at Oyster bay, many being 
 there who were not of our Society, who steadily gave 
 attention to what was declared; and there being many 
 young people, they were persuaded to give up their 
 blooming years to do the will of God, and to remem- 
 ber him their Creator, in their youthful days. Friends 
 said there had not been such a meeting there a great 
 while, for which opportunity I was humbly thankful 
 to the Lord. After meeting we went to Samuel 
 Underbill's, and had an evening meeting with his 
 brother, who, through sickness and lameness, could 
 
 not get out for a long time. Next day Samuel Bowne 
 19
 
 218 . THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 being with me, we went to visit a young woman who 
 was weak in body, but lay in a comfortable frame of 
 mind ; she was thankful for our visit, and said the 
 visits of her friends were comfortable to her. Next 
 day being the Fourth of the week, we had a meeting 
 at the widow Taylor's, who desired it on account of 
 her father, then in the eighty-eighth year of his age, 
 and so infirm, that he could not get to meetings ; he 
 was very clear in his understanding and memory, and 
 was much refreshed with this meeting, as were divers 
 of us also. Next day we had a meeting at Flushing, 
 which was large and open, and the grace and power 
 of Christ was with us in the ministration of the 
 gospel. After this meeting we had an evening meet- 
 ing with our ancient friend Joseph Thorne, who by 
 reason of his age and infirmity could not go abroad 
 as far as the meeting-house :' many of his neighbors 
 and friends came, and we had a solid, good time 
 together. While at Flushing, I went to visit a young 
 woman who was a most sad spectacle to behold, an 
 object of great pity : her face, hand, and foot being 
 much eaten away by the king's evil; our prayers 
 were, that now in her great misery, the Almighty 
 would be pleased to support her soul by his grace 
 and spirit, and sanctify her affliction to her, that it 
 might work for her a more exceeding weight of glory 
 in that world which is to come. The next First day 
 we had a large meeting at Flushing, wherein many 
 weighty truths were opened to the satisfaction and 
 edification of the auditory, and in the evening we
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 219 
 
 had a meeting with the wife of Matthew Farrington, 
 who was too weakly to go abroad ; the neighbors 
 came in, and we had a seasonable opportunity. On 
 Third day was the Youths' Meeting at Flushing, in 
 which we were concerned to exhort them to obedience 
 to God and their parents, and to follow their parents 
 as they follow Christ; for where any leave Christ, 
 there we are to leave their example, though they 
 were our fathers or mothers ; and the right honoring 
 of our parents was set forth, and they exhorted not 
 to despise the day of small things ; the happy state 
 of the obedient, and the unhappy state of the disobe- 
 dient, with many other weighty truths were deliv- 
 ered to them in that meeting, by several experienced 
 Friends. From Flushing I went to the week-day 
 meeting at Newtown, and in the evening we had a 
 meeting at the widow Way's ; the neighbors coming 
 in, we had a good time with them : the parable of 
 the ten virgins was treated of, and the great disad- 
 vantage of wanting the divine oil of grace in our 
 vessels, was shown to them. 
 
 The next day being the Fifth of the week, we had 
 a very large, satisfactory meeting at the widow Al- 
 sop's, at the Kills ; and from thence with several 
 Friends went to New York, where we had three 
 meetings to our edification, the weather still remain- 
 ing very cold, but we felt the love of Christ to waim 
 our hearts, and though I think I never felt it colder, 
 I never had my health better. Several Friends ac- 
 companied us to the boaf at New York, the water
 
 220 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 being open on that side, we took our leave of each 
 other, and put out for the other shore ; but before 
 we got there, we were blocked up in the ice, and it 
 was a considerable time before we could work our 
 way through, but at last got well on Long Island, 
 where I waited some hours for company, who through 
 some difficulty got on shore. We went to the Nar- 
 rows through a storm of wind and snow, but the 
 wind being high, we could not get over that night 
 nor the next day, the ice having come down and 
 filled the bay : when the tide had driven away the 
 ice, we put out and got well over, and lodged at 
 the ferry-house on Staten Island. Next morning we 
 went to the ferry at the Blazing Star, over against 
 Woodbridge, but it was all fastened with ice, and we 
 not daring to venture over it, went to the ferry at 
 Amboy, and got comfortably over, stayed there that 
 night, and next day went to Trenton and lodged at 
 Captain Gould's, who treated me very kindly, I being 
 much tired with travelling. Next morning I went 
 over Delaware river on the ice, as we had done the 
 day before over the Rariton, and that day being the 
 5th of Twelfth month, I got safely home to my loving 
 spouse and tender children, where I found all well 
 and a hearty reception, having travelled six hundred 
 miles, and attended above sixty meetings. 
 
 After having been at home, at our own meeting at 
 Frankford, I went to the Quarterly Meeting at Phi- 
 ladelphia, where Friends were glad to see me. 
 
 On the next Fifth day I was at the marriage of
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 221 
 
 Thomas Masters and Hannah Dickinson, where were 
 many sober people not of our Society. 
 
 Having been lately among Friends at Long Island, 
 
 • and been comforted in the many opportunities we had 
 
 together, it came into my mind to visit them with an 
 
 epistle at their Quarterly Meeting at Flushing, which 
 
 was as followeth : 
 
 " Frankford, Twelfth month, 1725. 
 
 "My dear and well beloved Friends, — Be- 
 lieving it might be acceptable to you to hear that I 
 was got well to my habitation in such a difficult time 
 of the year as that in which I set out from you ; and 
 also feeling the sweet influence of the love of the 
 heavenly Father, and his dear Son our Lord Jesus 
 Christ, to arise and spring in my heart, and flowing 
 towards you, it came into my mind to write a few 
 lines to the Quarterly Meeting of Friends at Flush- 
 ing, by way of epistle, well knowing also that many 
 of us are as epistles written in one another's hearts 
 by the finger of the Most High ; and those characters 
 of divine love so written will not easily be erased. I 
 could willingly have been at your Quarterly Meeting, 
 but had been so long from my family, that I was 
 much wanted therein, and my coming home was sea- 
 sonable and acceptable, both to them and my friends ; 
 and I humbly thank the Lord, I found all well. That 
 which is on my mind to your Quarterly Meeting, is 
 concerning the government of the church of Christ, 
 
 of which he is the holy head and lawgiver ; wherefore 
 19*
 
 222 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 we are to seek and wait for counsel and wisdom from 
 him, in all our Monthly and Quarterly Meetings, for 
 the well ordering of our little Society, which is grow- 
 ing and increasing in the earth, and also in your 
 island, notwithstanding the invidious attempts of 
 some men of corrupt minds; and it will grow and 
 increase more and more, as we keep our places, our 
 heavenly places in Christ Jesus. 
 
 "Dear Friends, the good order of truth and the 
 government of Christ in his church, is a great help 
 to us and our children, when carried on in Christ's 
 spirit; [pray observe or mind that;] for if our order 
 and church government be carried on in the spirit 
 of man, as he is mere man, though he is ever so 
 crafty or cunning, it will do more hurt than good in 
 the church of Christ. Christ's spirit must govern 
 Christ's church; and when and where that is over 
 all, then and there Christ's church and kingdom are 
 exalted, of whose kingdom and peace there will be 
 no end ; and happy will all those be whose end is in 
 it. Moses, that man of God, governed in the Jewish 
 church in the spirit of God, and when he found the 
 work too heavy for him, the Lord put his spirit on 
 seventy more, who were help-meets in the govern- 
 ment ; so that it was God's spirit that governed ; and 
 while that ruled, all was well ; but when they went 
 from that, they fell into error and disobedience. At 
 length the Messiah came, and he governed his own 
 little flock himself; and when he ascended up on 
 high, he promised that his spirit should be with and
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 223 
 
 in his church forever, and be their holy guide into 
 all truth, in which he would also comfort them : and 
 Christ fulfilled this his promise ; for when his disci- 
 ples waited at Jerusalem to be endued with power 
 from on high, according to the advice of their Lord, 
 they were filled with the gift and grace of the Holy 
 Spirit. And when the brethren and elders met to- 
 gether about the affairs and government of the church, 
 they gave forth rules and orders from that general 
 meeting to the particular, ones ; and the Holy Ghost 
 presided amongst them, which they signified to the 
 other meetings, saying, ' It seemed good to the Holy 
 Ghost and to us, to put you in mind of such and such 
 things.' And while this Holy Ghost, or Spirit, gov- 
 erned in the primitive Christian Church, all was well ; 
 God and Christ was glorified, and his church and 
 people edified ; but by going from that the apostasy 
 came in. 
 
 " Wherefore, dear Friends, keep close to the spirit, 
 power, light, and divine life of Christ Jesus, in your 
 Monthly and Quarterly Meetings for the government 
 of the church, as well as in your meetings for the 
 worship of the Almighty ; for if we go from that he 
 will go from us. 
 
 "And, dear Friends, the testimony of Jesus, in the 
 spirit of prophecy, opens in me after this manner, 
 that if our Society keep and live up to the spirit and 
 truth of Christ, which hath been manifested to our 
 forefathers, and to us also in this age, the great Lord 
 of all will prosper his work in our hands, and bless
 
 224 THE JOURNAL OP 
 
 both us and our children, as we and they keep 
 therein. 
 
 "And as we have kept close to this our heavenly 
 guide, how hath the Lord sweetly manifested his love 
 and power to us in our meetings for the well ordering 
 of our Society? which many times hath filled our 
 hearts with pure praises and holy thanksgiving to 
 the high and lofty One who inhabits eternity, and 
 dwells in the highest heavens, and is light forever : 
 to whom, with the Lamb of God, who takes away the 
 sins of the world, I recommend you, my dear and 
 well beloved friends, brethren and sisters in Christ, 
 with my own soul. Thomas Ohalkley. 
 
 " P. S. Since my return I have been thankful to 
 God for the many favorable visitations and good op- 
 portunities he was pleased to grant me with you and 
 divers sober people on your island, in which there is 
 an open door among many to receive the testimony 
 of Truth. I commend your nobility in building good 
 houses, and making room for your sober neighbors to 
 sit with you in your meetings ; this is of good report 
 concerning you, both far and near, and if I apprehend 
 right, there is more work of that kind for you to do. 
 I thought often, when among you, and now also, that 
 there would be a large gathering, if there were a 
 house built at the upper end of the Great Plains, not 
 far from Foster's meadow ; but every one may not 
 think or see alike ; though I know some solid Friends 
 among you, thought the same with me, about the
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 225 
 
 prospect of a large gathering thereaway, if a house 
 -were built ; to which Friends and well inclined people 
 might come from Hempstead, Rocky-hill, Rockaway, 
 Foster's meadow, etc. Thomas Chalkley." 
 
 After my service on Long Island, I had great sweet- 
 ness upon my spirit for some time, which sometimes 
 caused my heart to sing for joy ; and yet I rejoiced in 
 a trembling frame of spirit, and had the true sense of 
 what is written in the holy Scriptures, where it is 
 said, " Serve the Lord with fear," I take it to be filial 
 fear, " and rejoice with trembling," for fear of losing 
 that precious sense of the love of God which is in 
 Christ. 
 
 On the 20th of the Twelfth month, the First day 
 of the week, I was at Abington meeting, in which the 
 love of Christ was manifested to us, in the opening of 
 his saying, "If I be lifted up, I will draw all men 
 unto me." The next day I was at Germantown, at 
 the burial of a son of Dennis Conrad, at which also 
 was our friend Abigail Bowles. On the Sixth day 
 following, I went to the General Meeting of ministers 
 and elders at Burlington, where I again met with our 
 said friend and divers others. The First day meeting 
 was large; and on Second day was the Quarterly 
 Meeting for the county ; and on Third day was their 
 Youths' Meeting, where many weighty truths were 
 delivered. On Fourth day we were at a meeting at 
 Springfield ; the house was pretty much thronged, 
 and Friends were exhorted thankfully to commemo-
 
 226 THE JOURNAL OP 
 
 rate the mercies and favors of the Almighty to them, 
 and desired to enlarge their meeting-houses as their 
 number increased; for in those parts there was such 
 an openness in the hearts of the people and increase 
 of their number, that Friends had already agreed on 
 building two meeting-houses between Crosswicks and 
 Burlington ; their zeal and unanimity therein, were 
 worthy of commendation. Fifth day being the week- 
 day meeting at Burlington, Friends of the town 
 desired I would stay at it. I thought we had just 
 before had divers good opportunities, and my own 
 inclination seemed to lead to my family ; but Friends 
 being desirous of my staying, I did so, and we had a 
 good meeting. After it, a solid Friend said, " he 
 thought we had the best wine at last ;" and indeed 
 the love of God, through Christ, is so sweet to his 
 people, that the last often seems the best, when it is 
 only a renewed visitation of the same love to his 
 children. I went home rejoicing that I was in some 
 measure accounted worthy to serve so good and so 
 gracious a Master. 
 
 On the 6th day of the First month, being the first 
 of the week, I was at the morning and afternoon 
 meetings in Philadelphia, wherein those who call 
 themselves freethinkers, were exhorted to be careful 
 of drinking too freely, lest they might justly be called 
 free-drinkers ; for many times such, when they drink 
 too freely of strong liquor, think and speak too freely 
 their own corrupt notions to the dishonor of God, and 
 to the scandal of religion in general.
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 227 
 
 In this month I went to the Jerseys, and was at 
 three large meetings in company with Abigail Bowles, 
 in which our said friend had good service, to the com- 
 fort of Friends, convincing of gainsayers, and con- 
 firming the weak, and the people were glad of our 
 visit. 
 
 The 15th day of this month I was at Burlington, 
 at the burial of my good friend and old acquaintance, 
 Abraham Bickley, at whose funeral were great num- 
 bers of people, he being well beloved of his neighbors. 
 Christ's raising Lazarus out of the grave, and his 
 tenderness and weeping there, were spoken of, in 
 order to stir people up to a tender, religious exercise 
 of mind, which is much wanting among many of the 
 professors of his holy name, who have too little sense 
 of that which should bring true tenderness over their 
 minds, being more in earth than heaven ; so that they 
 are dry and barren, as to the things of God. The 
 meeting ended to satisfaction, with supplications to 
 the Almighty. 
 
 xi few days after I was at our General Spring 
 Meeting in Philadelphia, which was large ; where our 
 friends Kobert Jordan and Abigail Bowles had good 
 service. 
 
 This week I was at four very large meetings at 
 Philadelphia, Frankford, and Abington, much to my 
 satisfaction, though I had no vocal service therein ; 
 yet my heart was broken into tenderness and tears, 
 under several weighty, solid testimonies, that were 
 borne by living ministers, qualified to preach the
 
 228 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 gospel in the demonstration of the Spirit, and with 
 power. 
 
 The 26th of the First month, 1726, I went to Ger- 
 man town meeting, which was large, and I was opened 
 therein to speak of the vision of the prophet Ezekiel, 
 of the holy waters, which proceeded from under the 
 threshold of the sanctuary, which the angel measuring, 
 they grew deeper and deeper, until they became a 
 river to swim in. Which showeth the work of grace, 
 conversion, and regeneration; and that these holy 
 waters, of which the soul must drink and be washed, 
 and baptized in, are spiritual and supernatural, and 
 therefore not to be measured by the spirit and will 
 of man, in his natural state, according to the prophet 
 Isaiah. Man, before he can swim therein, must be 
 stripped of all his self-righteousness and artificial 
 religion, though as splendid and beautiful as a gallant 
 ship, or galley with oars, in which respect it is agree- 
 able to the state of men swimming in elementary 
 water, where the most skilful have sometimes lost 
 their lives, for want of being unclothed. Those who 
 had not yet attained much experience, were advised 
 not to go out of their depth, but to wait in patience 
 and humility, to enjoy the medicinal virtue of the 
 trees growing by the side of this river, whose fruit is 
 for meat and its leaves for medicine. The people of 
 this meeting were generally Germans, several of 
 whom stayed in the house after it was over, and were 
 broken into tenderness, in a sense of the presence and
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 229 
 
 love of God unto us, for which I was also humbly- 
 thankful and bowed in spirit. 
 
 I was at the Third-day weekly meeting in Phila- 
 delphia, which was but small, considering the large 
 number of those professing to be of our Society in 
 this city ; those present were closely and tenderly 
 exhorted to be zealous for good works, and against 
 bad works; not respecting the person of any man. 
 The abominations committed by some under our pro- 
 fession in this city and province, call for humiliation ; 
 and as the promise of God's favor was to those who 
 mourned with sighs and cries for the abominations 
 among his people formerly, so now, as many as are 
 under the same concern, may hope for preservation 
 and salvation, if He should in like manner visit us, as 
 at this time he doth some of our neighbors; there 
 being a great sickness and mortality in some of the 
 adjacent places. 
 
 ■ In the Second month I visited the meetings of 
 Friends at Haverford, Newtown, Bad nor, and Merion; 
 which meetings consist chiefly of ancient Britons, who 
 are a religious, industrious, and increasing people ; 
 among whom my service was, as they expressed, to 
 our mutual satisfaction. After my return home, I went 
 to visit Friends at the falls of Delaware, and was at a 
 large meeting in their new meeting-house. After a 
 satisfactory meeting at Frankford, on the Fifth day 
 of the same week I went with Ennion "Williams to his 
 son's marriage ; next day he and several other Friends 
 accompanied me to Woodbury creek, and had a good, 
 
 20
 
 230 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 open meeting, and that night went to James Lord's, 
 and next morning towards Salem, and lodged at Isaac 
 Sharp's ; where I was informed of a great mortality 
 at Cohansey. The 24th of the Second month was 
 the General Meeting at Salem, which was a large 
 gathering of people of different persuasions, from 
 many parts of the country, where the doctrine of the 
 gospel was preached in great love to the people, which 
 they heard with solid attention. From Salem I went 
 to Alloway's creek and Cohansey, and had meetings 
 there. I was informed that more than seventy per- 
 sons had lately died here of a malignant distemper, 
 though it seemed to abate, none dying while we were 
 there. At Cohansey the meeting was large and solid, 
 though but few of our Society reside there ; and they 
 were earnestly admonished to a proper disposition of 
 mind, to fit them either for life or death, and remind- 
 ed of the regard of the Almighty to such as live in 
 his fear, who will have peace in their death, and their 
 change will be glorious, when they are taken out of 
 this life ; but with the wicked it is not so. 
 
 From Cohansey I went through the wilderness over 
 Maurice river, accompanied by James Daniel, through 
 a miry, boggy way, in which we saw no house for 
 about forty miles, except at the ferry; and that night 
 we got to Richard Townsend's, at Cape May, where 
 we were kindly received. Next day we had a meet- 
 ing at Rebecca Garrison's, and the day after a pretty 
 large one at Richard Townsend's, and then went 
 down to the Cape, and had a meeting at John Page's,
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 231 
 
 and next day another at Aaron Learning's ; several 
 expressed their satisfaction with those meetings. I 
 lodged two nights at Jacob Spicer's, my wife's 
 brother. 
 
 From Cape May we travelled along the sea-coast 
 to Great Egg Harbor, had another meeting much 
 larger than the first, at Rebecca Garrison's, and here 
 I was much concerned to promote the settlement of 
 a monthly meeting, for the well ordering of the affairs 
 of our Society. 
 
 We swam our horses over Egg Harbor river, and 
 went over ourselves in canoes, and afterwards had a 
 meeting at Richard Summers', which was as large as 
 could be expected, considering the people live at such 
 a distance from each other. 
 
 The next meeting we had at John Scull's ; on First 
 day we had a large one at Peter White's ; on Second 
 day at Japhet Leeds' ; and then we went five miles 
 through a marsh to Little Egg Harbor river, and had 
 a meeting in their meeting-house on the Fourth day 
 of the week, and 11th day of the month, which was 
 larger by the addition of the owners, masters, and 
 mariners of two sloops from New York, who, hearing 
 of the meeting, came to it. Next day we had another 
 meeting at the same place, and lodged at Jarvis Faro's. 
 After these two meetings I left Egg Harbor, accom- 
 panied by several Friends, and travelled about forty 
 miles before we came to any house. In the evening 
 we reached a Friend's house, where we were kindly 
 entertained, and next morning got to Burlington, and
 
 232 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 so home, where I found all well, and was thankful 
 therefor to the Almighty. In this journey I travelled 
 about three hundred miles, had twenty-one meetings, 
 and was from home about three weeks. 
 
 In the Third month I stayed at and about home, 
 visiting the meetings at Philadelphia, Germantown, 
 Abington, and Frankford. 
 
 In the Fourth month I left my family, and went 
 back in the woods as far as Oley. I was from home 
 nine days, travelled about one hundred and fifty 
 miles, and had six meetings at Oley, Perkiomen, 
 and divers other places, chiefly in barns and open 
 places, there being large companies of people, and 
 few meeting-houses yet built in those parts of the 
 country. In this journey I suffered much through 
 the heat. The first meeting was at the iron works 
 settled a little beyond a place called Mount Misery. 
 I was concerned for those people, having heard of 
 their rude doings before I left my habitation ; and 
 although some were rude, others behaved themselves 
 soberly, and expressed their thankfulness for that 
 visitation, as I do for the opportunity I had of clear- 
 ing myself to them. On my return homewards, I 
 crossed Schuylkill, and went to Samuel Nutt's iron 
 works, where I had a large, quiet, solid meeting; 
 and the next day called to see my old friend David 
 Meredith, who being about eighty-nine years of age, 
 I thought it probable I might not have another oppor- 
 tunity of seeing. He met me with gladness, and told 
 me it was their meeting-day ; so I stayed, and was
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 233 
 
 much comforted and tendered by the power of Christ ; 
 after which I came home that night. 
 
 On the next First day after my return I went to 
 Philadelphia, and then to a Yearly Meeting in Chester 
 county, held at Goshen ; though the season was wet, 
 this was a large, good meeting ; at which there were 
 three young men, who had lately been called to the 
 work of the ministry, whom I was glad to hear declare 
 the truth in the power and simplicity of the gospel 
 of Christ, being of the mind of Moses, when he said, 
 in answer to Joshua, " Would God that all the Lord's 
 people were prophets, and that the Lord would put 
 of his spirit upon them." After this meeting I went 
 to Springfield, and the next day returned home. 
 
 On the 22d of the Fourth month I went to the 
 marriage of John Lee's daughter, at Springfield, in 
 Chester county. I was concerned to speak mostly to 
 the young people, advising them to seek the Lord in 
 that great affair of marriage, that they be careful on 
 whom they set their affections, and not to draw out 
 one another's minds, if they did not intend an honor- 
 able marriage ; reminding them of the ill tendency 
 of courting several at a time, or suffering several to 
 court at once, and that they be chaste and true in 
 their proceedings, duly regarding the advice of the 
 apostle, " Be not unequally yoked ; " for all such mar- 
 riages are unequal, when those who marry are of 
 different principles of religion. The meeting ended 
 with tender supplication for preservation through 
 whatever exercises, further troubles or trials, tempta- 
 
 20*
 
 234 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 tions or afflictions, we might meet with in the world, 
 that so we might end well at last, and live forever to 
 praise and glorify God and the Lamb, who, through 
 the holy, eternal Spirit, is worthy forever. 
 
 On the receipt of the last letter from my dear 
 father, which I some time since mentioned, I was 
 apprehensive it might be his last, which it proved to 
 be ; for the next letter from my dear brother gave me 
 intelligence of his death, which I received the 25th 
 of the Fourth month this year. The news of my dear 
 father's decease took such hold of my mind, though 
 I daily expected it, that for some time I was hardly 
 sociable. Oh ! how have I been sometimes comforted 
 in his loving and tender epistles ! at the receipt of 
 which I have cried to the Lord, that if it pleased 
 him, I might have a double portion of the spirit 
 which he gave to my father. But now I must never 
 hear more from him in this world ; yet in this I have 
 some inward comfort, that I hope we shall meet where 
 we shall never part. Here follows a part of my affec- 
 tionate brother's account of my father's death and 
 burial. 
 
 "Edmonton, 25th of the First month, 1726. 
 
 " Dear Brother, — This comes with the sorrowful 
 account of our dear father's decease, who departed 
 this life the 7th instant, after having been indisposed 
 about a fortnight. I have herewith sent a particular 
 account of some remarkable passages, and his last 
 expressions in his sickness ; that part relating to his
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 235 
 
 convincement, he desired should be committed to 
 writing, which I have done, and sent it to thee. 
 
 " I was with him several times in his last illness, 
 and most of the last two days of his life, as thou 
 may est perceive by the contents. Our worthy father 
 was honorably buried on the 11th instant, being car- 
 ried from his own house to the meeting-house at 
 Horsleydown, accompanied by his relations, where 
 was a large meeting of as many people as the meet- 
 ing-house could well contain, and many testimonies 
 were borne to the innocent, exemplary life, integrity, 
 and honest zeal of our dear father, so concurrent and 
 unanimous, that I have hardly known any such occa- 
 sion more remarkable : he was accompanied from 
 thence to the grave very solemnly, and there in like 
 manner interred, where a further testimony was given 
 to his honest life and conversation, and lively zeal for 
 the holy truth, whereof he made profession. 
 
 " Dear brother, though it be a sorrowful occasion 
 of writing, yet herein we may be comforted in consid- 
 eration that our father went to his grave in peace in 
 a good old age : he had his understanding and memory 
 to the last. I believe, as I have sometimes said, that 
 he embraced death as joyfully as ever he did any 
 happy accident of his life. I remember one passage 
 of his cheerful resignation; — finding him fine and 
 cheery when I came to see him, a week before his 
 decease, and he showing me how well he could walk 
 about the room, and would have gone out of it, though 
 he was very bad the day before, I said, ' Father, I
 
 236 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 hope thou wilt get over this illness ;' but he answered 
 me pretty quick and loud, ' No, but I don't though.' 
 It is not long since he was at my house, and was 
 cheerful and well, but spoke as if he thought it would 
 be the last time. My wife said, ' Father, thou mayest 
 live some years ; but he replied, ' Is it not better for 
 me to die, and go to Christ ? ' So, dear brother, with 
 dear love to thee, my sister, and thy dear children 
 and our relations, I conclude with earnest desires for 
 thy health and welfare, 
 
 " Thy affectionate brother, 
 
 "George Chalkley."
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 237 
 
 CHAPTEB VIII. 
 
 1726-1727. 
 
 Convincement and Last Sickness of George Chalkley — Testimony 
 respecting him by Thomas Chalkley — Christians may not 
 Swear — Grievous Declension among some of the Youth — The 
 Blessings of Temperance — Unusual Mortality — Divine Dis- 
 pleasure with the People — Religious Labor in Barbadoes — 
 Convincement that the Use of the Sword is Unchristian — In- 
 struction to a Schoolmaster — Letter to a Son-in-law — Con- 
 tinued Losses. 
 
 An Account of my Father's Convincement, and of 
 his Last Sickness and Dying Words. 
 
 My father was born of religious parents at Kemp- 
 ton, near Hitching, in Hertfordshire, the 1st of. the 
 Ninth month, 1642; his father's name was Thomas 
 Chalkley, by trade, a dealer in meal ; by profession, of 
 the Church of England, and zealous in his way, as 
 was also his wife. 
 
 They had four sons and three daughters, John, 
 George, Thomas, and Eobert ; Elizabeth, Sarah, and 
 Mary. My father being the third son, was convinced 
 very young at a meeting by Enfield-Chace-Side, near 
 Winchmore hill, through the powerful ministry of 
 William Brend, who was an eminent minister in
 
 238 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 the Lord's hand in that day, and had been a great 
 sufferer for his testimony in New England. He was 
 preaching, as I heard my father several times say, 
 upon the words of the preacher, " Rejoice, young 
 man, in thy youth, and let thy heart cheer thee in 
 the days of thy youth, and walk in the ways of thy 
 heart, and in the sight of thine eyes ; but know thou, 
 that for all these things God will bring thee into 
 judgment." Upon this subject he spoke so home to 
 my father's state and condition, that he was convinced, 
 and two others of his companions were reached and 
 affected with the testimony of Christ's truth and 
 gospel. My father and two young men had been 
 walking in the fields, having religious conversation 
 together, and were providentially directed to the 
 meeting, by observing some Friends going to it, whom 
 they followed thither : one of his companions was 
 Samuel Hodges, who lived and died a faithful Friend, 
 at whose house in succeeding times a meeting was 
 settled, and is there continued, and a meeting-house 
 built at this day at Mims in Hertfordshire. 
 
 My father was the first of the family who received 
 the testimony of truth as it is in Jesus, after which 
 his father and mother were convinced, and all his 
 brothers and sisters, who lived and died honest 
 Friends ; except one who died young, continuing in 
 the Church of England persuasion. Soon after the 
 convin cement of my father and his two companions 
 aforesaid, they met with a trial of their faith and 
 patience ; for being taken at a religious meeting of
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 239 
 
 Friends, they were all three committed to the new 
 prison in Whitechapel, where having continued pris- 
 oners for some time, the magistrates observing their 
 Christian courage, boldness, and innocency, and being 
 touched with tenderness towards them, considering 
 their youth, discharged them. 
 
 My father about the twenty-fifth year of his age, 
 married my mother, a virtuous young woman, who 
 was the widow of Nathaniel Harding, a Friend who 
 died under the sentence of banishment for his pro- 
 fession of Christ; the above account I had from my 
 father's own mouth ; what follows fell within my own 
 observation. 
 
 My dear father met with great exercises and dis- 
 appointments in his early days; he, dealing in his 
 father's business, sold meal to some who broke in his 
 debt, which brought him low in the world, in which 
 low estate he was an eminent example of patience, 
 resignation, and industry, laboring with his hands 
 for the support of his family, and conscientiously 
 answering all his engagements; so that it may be 
 justly said of him, he was careful that he might owe 
 nothing to any man but love. He was very constant 
 in keeping to meetings, being a good example therein, 
 though in very hot times " of persecution; for when 
 Friends were sorely and severely persecuted on ac- 
 count of keeping their religious meetings, and the 
 prisons filled with them through the nation, and their 
 goods taken away, and much spoil and havoc made 
 about the years 1680 to 1684, my father constantly
 
 240 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 attended meetings, and never missed, as I remember, 
 when well. He was sometimes concerned to speak by 
 way of exhortation to Friends in their public meet- 
 ings, when they were kept out of their meeting- 
 houses by the then powers, to stand faithful to the 
 truth, and testifying of the solid comfort and satis- 
 faction those had who truly waited on the Lord, 
 which the faithful enjoyed, notwithstanding their 
 deep and many sufferings for Christ's sake and his 
 gospel ; and it pleased the Lord to preserve him by 
 his divine providence, that he did not suffer imprison- 
 ment, though the wicked informers were very busy 
 in that time of severe persecution. I may further 
 add, that when my father was about sixty years of 
 age, he had a concern to visit Friends in the north 
 of England, and some other parts of the nation ; and 
 in the seventy-fifth year of his age he travelled to 
 Chester, and from thence, in company with James 
 Bates, a public Friend of Virginia, went over for 
 Ireland ; in all which services he had good satisfac- 
 tion, and was well received of Friends : divers other 
 journeys and travels he performed, not here noted; 
 but this journey into another nation at seventy-five 
 years of age, shows that age had not quenched his 
 love and zeal for his Lord's work and service. 
 
 Our father's old age was attended with very great 
 exercises : about his seventy-seventh year, as he was 
 assisting his men in the dusk of the evening, he 
 missed his footing, fell down and broke his leg; and 
 soon after his leg w\s well, he met with another
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 241 
 
 accident by a fall, which disabled him, and made him 
 lame to his death, never recovering the hurt, which 
 was after this manner : he was sitting in a chair by 
 his door, on a plank, which not being set fast, it fell, 
 and he, to save himself from the stroke of the plank, 
 fell with his hip on the stones, and got hurt exceed- 
 ingly. Notwithstanding this, he was remarkable for 
 his activity ; he would walk, though so aged, and also 
 lame, as far as the work-house, Devonshire house, and 
 Bull and Mouth meetings, two or three miles from 
 home. The last bad accident that befell him was 
 about three weeks before his death, when, being walk- 
 ing in the timber-yard, a single plank, which stood 
 against a pile, fell down, and striking him on his side, 
 threw him down. He complained not much of the 
 blow till about a week after, when he was taken with 
 a violent pain in his side, on the place where he re- 
 ceived the stroke, and when his cough took him, with 
 which he was often troubled, the pain was very great. 
 Through the means used for his relief, he received 
 some ease, the pain of his side abated, and the cough 
 went off; but a violent flux followed, and brought 
 him very low, so that it was thought he could not 
 continue long; but he revived. He continued all the 
 time of his illness in a patient and resigned frame of 
 mind ; on First day, in the afternoon, he took his 
 bed, being the 6th of the First month, and in the 
 evening, after the afternoon meeting, which was the 
 First day before his death, several Friends came to 
 
 visit him, who finding him very weak, after a little 
 21
 
 242 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 stay went to take their leave of him, whom he de- 
 sired to sit down, and after some time of silence, he 
 broke forth in declaration in an intelligible and lively 
 manner, to this effect, saying, " We have no continu- 
 ing city here, but seek one to come, which hath foun- 
 dations, whose builder and maker is God : Friends, 
 may we all labor to be prepared for our last and 
 great change, that when this earthly tabernacle shall 
 be dissolved, we may have an habitation with the 
 Lord, a building not made with hands, eternal in 
 the heavens. And that it might be thus, the Lord 
 hath showed thee, oh ! man, what is good, viz. : To 
 do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with thy 
 God. I do not expect but that this will be the last 
 night I shall have in this world, and I desire these 
 things may be remembered as the words of a dying 
 man ; oh ! that we may labor to be clothed upon 
 with our house that is from heaven, so that when the 
 finishing hour comes, we may have nothing to do but 
 to die." About one or two o'clock the next morning, 
 he began to change, and desired to see me ; I came 
 to him and found him very sensible, but expected his 
 end quickly to approach ; he saying he was waiting 
 for his change. About the fourth hour in the morn- 
 ing he prayed fervently after this manner : " Lord, 
 now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, for mine 
 eyes have seen thy salvation, which thou hast pre- 
 pared before the face of all people. Thou hast given 
 thy Son, a light to enlighten the gentiles, and to be 
 the glory of thy people Israel; and now, Lord, be
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 243 
 
 with thy people and servants, and preserve my near 
 and dear relations, and keep them from the snares 
 and temptations of the enemy, that in thy truth they 
 may fear thy great name." 
 
 After a little time of silence he desired me to 
 remember his dear love, in the life of Christ Jesus, 
 to my dear brother, Thomas Chalkley, in Pennsyl- 
 vania, and to all his old friends and acquaintance. 
 After some time he spoke cheerfully out aloud, so 
 that all in the room might hear him, " I shall go off 
 about five; " his man said, " Master, how dost know? " 
 To which he answered, " I do not know, but I believe 
 it." About noon, the apothecary, one of his neigh- 
 bors, among whom he was well beloved, came to see 
 him, and asked him how he was. Father answered, 
 that for three or four hours in the night he thought 
 he should have gone. Why, said he, it will be no 
 surprise to you, I hope. No, no, said my father very 
 cheerfully. He taking leave of father, said, The Lord 
 be with you. To whom he answered, And with thee 
 also. The doctor having ordered him a cordial to 
 drink, he drank it willingly, and then said, I do not 
 think to drink any more in this world ; but I hope I 
 ahall drink plentifully of the river of life. Finding 
 his strength fail, there being a cord at the bed's feet, 
 he raised himself up thereby as long as he had 
 strength ; when last lifted up, he spoke very low 
 and faltering, and said, now I am going, and about 
 an hour after, laying all the while without sigh or 
 groan, departed this life, as in a slumber, in sweet
 
 244: THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 peace, just as. the clock struck five, in the enjoyment 
 of that legacy which our Saviour left his followers ; 
 " My peace I leave with you," etc., leaving us, of the 
 succeeding generation, a good example to follow. He 
 died like a lamb, in the eighty-fourth year of his age, 
 the 7th day of the First month, 1725-26. 
 
 George Chalkley. 
 
 To which account I shall add the following short 
 testimony concerning my dear and greatly beloved 
 father, George Chalkley, viz. : 
 
 I have a great deal in my heart, more than I can 
 write concerning my dear father's life, it having been 
 a remarkable life to me from my youth up. His 
 early care of me, and counsel to me, when I was too 
 thoughtless and wild, melts me into tears now in the 
 remembrance of it; and my tender mother was a 
 partner with him in the same exercise, and she died 
 in like peace. The last words I heard her speak 
 were, I long to be dissolved. And as to my tender 
 father, I would record a little briefly in memory of 
 him, that he was a true and faithful servant of Christ, 
 and a tender and affectionate husband. I lived at 
 home with my parents about twenty years : their life 
 was a life of peace and love, and they were an excel- 
 lent example to us their children. Oh ! may we follow 
 them therein to the end ! 
 
 He had a fatherly care for his children, in tender 
 prayers for us, and in good advice to us, and in giving
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 245 
 
 us learning according to his ability, and teaching us 
 by his example, as well as precept, industry, humility, 
 and the true religion of our blessed Saviour, endeavor- 
 ing to plant it in us betimes, and to destroy the evil 
 root of sin in us, while young. 
 
 I was his servant as well as his son, and I can truly 
 say his service was delightful, and his company pleas- 
 ing and profitable to me; and he was also beloved 
 much by his other servants. He was universally 
 beloved by his neighbors, and I do not remember any 
 difference between him and them, in the many years 
 I lived with him ; but all was peace and love. 
 
 He was very loving to his relations, and true to 
 his friends, and a hearty well-wisher and lover of 
 his king and country. Thomas Chalkley. 
 
 Our General Meeting held at Frankford the 30th 
 of Fourth month, was large, our friend, William 
 Pigot, from London, being there, in the course of 
 his visit to Friends in America, and had close work 
 and good service. 
 
 In the Fifth month, 1726, I visited the meetings 
 of Friends at Philadelphia, Germantown, Byberry, 
 and Frankford, and had very comfortable satisfaction. 
 My testimony was sometimes pretty sharp to trans- 
 gressors, and therefore some of them hate me, as the 
 Jews did my great Master ; because I was concerned 
 to testify, that their deeds were evil, and to excite my 
 friends to manifest a Christian zeal, by openly denying 
 ungodly men while they continue in their ungodly 
 
 21*
 
 246 THE JOUENAL OF 
 
 works; but when they become truly penitent, and 
 reform their lives, the arms of Christ and his church 
 will be open to receive them. 
 
 Being under some melancholy thoughts, because 
 some persons for whom I wished well, and to whom I 
 had been of service, were so envious and malicious as 
 to tell false stories of me, tending to defame me : as I 
 was riding to our meeting, it opened with satisfaction 
 to my mind, the more my enemies hate me, the more 
 I will love, if that can be. I had hearty desires to 
 come up in the practice of this resolution ; and I then 
 thought I should come up with them all, for if a man 
 loves and prays for his enemies, if they are gained, he 
 is instrumental to their good, and so hath cause of 
 rejoicing ; and if they are not gained, he heaps coals 
 of fire upon their heads ; so that every true Chris- 
 tian, by keeping under the cross of Christ, and in 
 the practice of his doctrine, gets the better of his 
 enemies. 
 
 In the beginning of the Sixth month, I was at the 
 burial of Eobert Fletcher, a worthy man and one 
 universally beloved by all sorts of people, as far as 
 ever I heard. There was a large meeting at his 
 funeral, wherein several testimonies suitable to the 
 occasion were borne : some of his last words were 
 mentioned, which were, that he had lived according 
 to the measure of grace given him. The doctrine of 
 the resurrection was maintained according to the 
 Scripture, and the people were exhorted to prepare 
 for their final change. The death of this Friend was
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 247 
 
 a loss to the country, to our Society, and to his 
 neighbors, as well as to his family and friends. 
 
 After meeting I travelled towards Uwchland, had 
 a meeting there on First day; on Second day, one at 
 Lewis Walker's, and on Third day was at the General 
 Meeting at Haverford. Friends were exhorted to 
 dwell in the love of God, one towards another ; for if 
 they lost their love they would lose their religion, 
 their peace, and their God ; for " God is love, and 
 those that dwell in God, dwell in love." 
 
 My neighbor, Daniel Worthington, accompanied 
 me in this rough travel, some part of the way being 
 hilly, and very stony and bushy, and the weather 
 wet. "We had four meetings, and rode about four- 
 score miles ; and though I had travelled much in this 
 province, I had never been at some of those places 
 before. A few nights before I set out, I had a plain 
 prospect of them in a dream, as I saw them afterwards, 
 which I thought somewhat remarkable. 
 
 The people inhabiting this province are now become 
 numerous, and make many settlements in the woods, 
 more than I have observed in my travels in any other 
 •of the British plantations ; and there hath long been 
 a desire in my mind that they might prosper in the 
 work of true and thorough reformation. A godly 
 fear and concern being upon me, I have sometimes 
 put them in mind of the state of this land, when their 
 fathers first came and settled in it; and cautioned 
 them against growing careless, and forgetting the 
 Lord, lest he should forsake them, and turn their now
 
 248 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 " fruitful fields into a barren wilderness," as this was 
 so lately; which it is easy with him to do, if he 
 pleases, for the sins of the people. 
 
 After my return home, I visited Abington Youths' 
 Meeting, and the meetings at Philadelphia and Ches- 
 ter. At Chester I was concerned to direct the people 
 to that power in themselves, which is the life of 
 religion, and exhorted them to be careful not to rest 
 in the best forms without it ; for if we had only the 
 form of godliness, and had not the life and power of 
 it, it might be as reasonable for people to turn away 
 from us, as it was for our forefathers to turn away 
 from other societies. 
 
 In the Seventh month I was at our Yearly Meeting 
 held at Burlington, for the provinces of New Jersey 
 and Pennsylvania, which was a very large meeting, 
 there being Friends from New England, Rhode Island, 
 and Europe. 
 
 First-day morning I went to Evesham, to the 
 burial of our serviceable friend Jervice Stockdale ; he 
 being in good esteem, there was much people. The 
 meeting was in a good, tender frame, and continued 
 several hours, in which divers testimonies were deliv- 
 ered, in order to stir up people to truth and right- 
 eousness, and godly living, that they might die well. 
 I lodged the night before at Peter Fearon's, and in 
 the morning I was awakened out of my sleep, as it 
 were by a voice, expressing these words : " He that 
 liveth and believeth in me shall never die." This I 
 took to be the voice of Christ ; I do not know that
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 249 
 
 it was vocal, but it was as plain as if it were. From 
 these expressions I had to observe to the people, the 
 happy state and privilege of those who live and be- 
 lieve in Christ, and that such must not live in sin. 
 
 During the time of our Yearly Meeting, some rude 
 people came up the river in a small sloop provided 
 by them for that purpose, and spent their time in drink- 
 ing, carousing, and firing of guns, to the grief and 
 concern of Friends, who were religiously discharging 
 their duty, in serving and worshipping the Almighty. 
 It is observable, that one of these disorderly persons 
 had his hand shot off at that time, and that the chief 
 promoters and actors in this riotous company were 
 soon after cut off by death, in the prime of their days. 
 
 After the General Meeting was over, which ended 
 well, Friends, in the love of God, departed in peace 
 for their several habitations, praising and glorifying 
 God. 
 
 In the beginning of the Eighth month, having some 
 business at Cape May, I ferried over to Gloucester, 
 and went the first night to James Lord's, lodged 
 there, got up before day, it being First-day morning, 
 and rode near thirty miles to Salem, where we had a 
 good meeting, and so went to Alloway's creek, Cohan- 
 sey, and through a barren wilderness to Cape May, 
 where we. had one meeting, and returned home by 
 way of Egg Harbor ; travelling upwards of two hun- 
 dred miles. At Cape May I was concerned to write 
 a few lines concerning swearing, as follows :
 
 250 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 "Christians ought not to swear in any case, for 
 these reasons : First, because Christ, their Lord, for- 
 bade it ; un to whom the angels in heaven must be 
 subject, and doubtless, so must mortal man, to whom 
 he gave the precept. We must and ought to be sub- 
 ject to Christ, who is Lord of lords, and King of kings, 
 and the Judge of quick and the dead : to him all 
 mortals must be accountable for their disobedience. 
 He says, in his sermon on the mount, ' I say unto you 
 swear not at all ; ' wherefore, how can Christians, or 
 such who are his friends, swear, since he says also, 
 ' Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command 
 you ; ' consequently, those who disobey his commands 
 must be his enemies. To this command it is objected, 
 that Christ only spoke against common or profane 
 swearing : but this must needs be a great mistake, 
 because Christ says, ' It was said in old time, thou 
 shalt perform unto the Lord thine oaths,' alluding to 
 the law of Moses, which oaths were solemn and reli- 
 gious ; therefore Christ did not only prohibit vain 
 and profane swearing, but all swearing. If we un- 
 derstand the word all, and what all signifies, then all 
 and any swearing whatsoever is not lawful for a 
 Christian, according to Christ's law and command, 
 which is positive to his followers. 
 
 " Second ; James, the holy apostle of Christ, our 
 lawgiver and our king, says, ' Above all things, my 
 brethren, swear not, neither by heaven, neither by 
 the earth, neither by any other oath.' Christ says, 
 ' Swear not at all ; ' and James, his disciple and apostle,
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 251 
 
 says, ' Swear not by any oath ; ' wherefore, if swearing 
 on the Bible be an oath, or is swearing at all, it is 
 contrary to the express doctrine of Christ and his 
 apostle James, as is plain from the above cited texts. 
 
 " Third ; the primitive Christians did not swear at 
 all, in the first ages of Christianity. Query, whether 
 our modern swearing Christians are better than the 
 primitive ones, who, for Christ and conscience sake, 
 could not swear at all, even before a magistrate, 
 though legally called ? 
 
 " Fourth ; many Christians have suffered death, 
 because for conscience sake they could not swear, 
 and so break the command of Christ their Lord ; and 
 do not our modern Christians trample upon their 
 testimony and sufferings? some of whom suffered 
 death for not swearing before the heathen magistrates, 
 and some were martyred by the Papists ; judge then 
 whether the persecuted or persecutors were in the 
 light. 
 
 " Fifth ; many of our worthy Friends and fore- 
 fathers, since the former, have suffered to death in 
 jails, for not swearing, when required by persecuting 
 Protestants, because for Christ's sake and sayings, 
 as above, they could not swear at all : and this is a 
 testimony which our Society hath constantly borne 
 ever since we have been a people, for the reasons 
 above, and more also, which, if there were occasion, 
 might be given." 
 
 The 23d of the Eighth month I was at the morn-
 
 252 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 ing meeting at Philadelphia, on a First day of the 
 week, which was large, and I was concerned therein 
 to exhort Friends to labor to purge and cleanse our 
 Society of those under our profession who live in open 
 profaneness, and are riotous in their conversations. 
 I was at the Bank meeting in the afternoon, where 
 we had a comfortable time : and the next Sixth day of 
 the week, I was at our Monthly Meeting, where it was 
 unanimously agreed, in consideration of some late 
 indecent conduct of some persons pretending to be of 
 our profession, that a testimony from that meeting 
 should go forth against such disorderly doings and 
 unchristian practices ; and that all such persons, who 
 were irregular in their conversations, be disowned to 
 be of our community, until they, by repentance, 
 manifest their reformation ; which was accordingly 
 soon after published, and read in our First-day 
 morning meeting,, and in our youths' meeting. 
 
 About this time our governor issued a seasonable 
 proclamation against drinking to excess, gaming, 
 swearing profanely, revelling, night-walking, and 
 disturbing the peace, and other immoralities ; which 
 afforded some satisfaction to sober and well inclined 
 Friends and others : yet there remained a great ex- 
 ercise and concern upon my mind, that some young 
 people, whose parents had been careful in training 
 them up, were grown so wicked, that by their extrav- 
 agant conduct they not only disturbed our religious 
 meetings, but likewise became obnoxious to the peace- 
 able government we live under.
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 253 
 
 In the Ninth month I was at meetings at Merion, 
 Gerrnantown, Fairhill, Abington, and Philadelphia, 
 in which were several marriages solemnized in a re- 
 ligious manner. In the Tenth month I went into the 
 county of Salem, about my affairs : it happened to 
 be the time of the Quarterly Meeting for Salem and 
 Gloucester counties ; but I did not know it, until I 
 came to Salem, where Friends were glad to see me, 
 as I also was to see them ; there were some of us 
 whose hearts were knit together as Jonathan's and 
 David's, the love of God being much shed abroad in 
 our hearts at that meeting. When it was over, and 
 I had finished my business, I could not be clear in 
 my mind without having some meetings ; and though 
 it was a sickly time, and people died pretty much in 
 those parts where we were going, James Lord and I, 
 in the love of Christ, visited the meetings at Allo- 
 way's creek, Cohansey, Pilesgrove, Woodbury, New- 
 ton, and Haddonfield, having meetings every day in 
 the week, except the last, and sometimes riding nearly 
 twenty miles after meeting, the days being at the 
 shortest, and the weather very cold ; but the Lord 
 was with us, which made amends for all the bodily 
 hardships we met with. 
 
 I got home well but weary ; and was joyfully re- 
 ceived by my loving spouse, children, and servants ; 
 and I was truly thankful to the Most High, for his 
 presence and goodness continued to me; so that, 
 though I perceived my bodily strength to decline 
 apace, my sight, hearing, and voice failing much, I 
 22
 
 254 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 have occasion to believe, at times I was helped even 
 beyond nature in the work of Christ, my dear Lord 
 and Master. 
 
 The 27th of the Tenth month, I heard the news of 
 the death of my dear friend John Lee, by one sent to 
 desire my company at his burial ; it affected me with 
 sorrow, he being an old acquaintance and friend of 
 mine, with whom I had travelled many miles. He 
 was a living, serviceable minister of the gospel of 
 Christ, and instrumental to convince divers of that 
 principle of divine light and truth which we profess. 
 I could not be at his burial, because of my indisposi- 
 tion, and the unseasonableness of the weather ; yet I 
 think it my duty to say this concerning him: that 
 our love and friendship were constant and entire unto 
 the end, having been acquainted about thirty-five 
 years, as near as I can remember. 
 
 In the Eleventh month, as I was meditating in my 
 closet, on the duty and beauty of that great virtue of 
 temperance, it appeared very bright to the view of 
 my mind, and the great benefit of it to those who 
 loved and lived in it. First, as to religion, it tends 
 to keep the mind in an even temper, which is a help 
 to devotion and the practice of religious duties. 
 Second, it is a great preservative to health and a 
 good constitution. Third, it is a blessing to poster- 
 ity, in many considerations. Whereas, intemperance 
 destroys the health, stains the reputation, hurts pos- 
 terity, in respect to a healthy constitution of body 
 and estate, ruins many families, brings to poverty
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 255 
 
 and disgrace, and, what is yet worst of all, is a great 
 let to religion and the true fear of God, and is a great 
 scandal to any who make profession of the Christian 
 religion. 
 
 In this month I accompanied William Pigot, who 
 lately arrived from London, on a religious visit to 
 the meetings of Friends in America. From Philadel- 
 phia we went to my house at Frankford, and from 
 thence to North Wales, and had two large satisfac- 
 tory meetings on the First day ; next day we were at 
 the Monthly Meeting at Abington, Third day at 
 Frankford, and Fourth day at German town. Fifth 
 day I went to Philadelphia week-day meeting, and 
 the said Friend to Abington General Meeting, and a 
 few days after we met again at the Quarterly Meet- 
 ing of ministers and elders at Philadelphia. 
 
 The 8th of the Twelfth month was our Youths' 
 Meeting at Frankford ; and many persons dying about 
 this time, I was concerned in the meeting to put 
 Friends in mind of their mortality ; and that I had 
 told Friends lately, at their meetings at Abington and 
 Philadelphia, that as I was riding from my house to 
 Philadelphia, about a mile from the city, I saw in the 
 vision of life, the hand of the Lord stretched over 
 the city and province, with a rod in it, in order to 
 correct the inhabitants for their sins and iniquities. 
 This sight affected my mind greatly, and although I 
 did not hear any vocal voice, nor see any visible hand, 
 yet it was as plainly revealed to me as though I had. 
 I understood some slighted that testimony, yet I ob-
 
 256 THE JOURNAL OP 
 
 served to them, that since that time, mere people 
 were taken away than common, as they now might 
 see; and indeed that inward sight and sense I had 
 of the displeasure of God, for the sins of the times, 
 made great impression on my mind; and that no 
 flesh might glory, the Lord took, from the evil to 
 come, several sober, well-inclined young people, as 
 well as others whose lives and conversations were 
 evil and vicious ; so that all had need to be watchful 
 and turn to the Lord, lest he come at unawares, and 
 call us suddenly out of the world unprepared. In 
 the Twelfth and First months many died, of all ages 
 and professions; and .now some, who would hardly 
 give credit to what I had delivered in several meet- 
 ings, began to see the fulfilling of it, and great talk 
 there was about it : and many solid and large meet- 
 ings we had with the people at divers funerals about 
 this time, exhorting them not to slight the present 
 visitation of the Almighty, but to prepare for eter- 
 nity, to meet the Judge of quick and dead, who stands 
 at the door. Among many that were taken away by 
 death, were some few of my particular friends ; and 
 first, dear Hannah Hill, who was a bright example of 
 piety and charity ; she was like a nursing mother to 
 me in my afflictions, and her husband was more like 
 a brother than one not related, whose generous enter- 
 tainment I may not forget. Thomas Griffith, and 
 Elizabeth his wife, died also about this time. Thomas 
 was a serviceable man, and well esteemed in our So- 
 ciety ; and his wife, a noted woman for being helpful
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 257 
 
 to, and visiting the sick : she chose the house of 
 mourning, rather than the house of mirth. These 
 were worthy ancients, who made peaceful and good 
 ends, and to whom may be properly applied that 
 remarkable text of Scripture, " Mark the perfect 
 man, and behold the upright, for the end of that 
 man is peace." 
 
 In the Second month, 1727, I proceeded on a voy- 
 age to Barbadoes, on account of business, for the 
 support of my family, and in order to discharge my 
 just debts, which were occasioned by great losses by 
 sea and land. Many of my friends were kind to me, 
 and sent a cargo of goods, in the sloop "John," Anthony 
 Peel, master, consigned to me for sales and returns. 
 When the vessel was loaded, she proceeded down the 
 river, and I went by land to Salem, and was at meet- 
 ing there on First day, and on Third day went on 
 board the sloop at Elsenborough. On the eighth of 
 the Second month, we took in our boats and anchors, 
 and proceeded to sea. From Elsenborough and the 
 Capes, I wrote to my wife, giving her an account how 
 it was with me, and encouraged her to bear my ab- 
 sence with patience : it was indeed very hard for us 
 to part. 
 
 I may not omit taking notice of an exercise which 
 I felt one night as I lay on my bed in Philadelphia, 
 on the 21st of the First month, my sleep being taken 
 from me, which I recollected and wrote down on 
 board the aforesaid vessel, and was in this manner : 
 
 " That the Lord was angry with the people of Phi- 
 
 22*
 
 258 THE JOUKNAL OF 
 
 ladelpliia and Pennsylvania, because of the great sina 
 and wickedness which were committed by the inhabi- 
 tants in public-houses and elsewhere. That the Lord 
 was angry with the magistrates also, because they 
 use not their power as they might do, in order to 
 suppress wickedness ; and do not, so much as they 
 ought, put the laws already made into execution 
 against profaneness and immorality : and the Lord 
 is angry with the representatives of the people of the 
 land, because they take not so much care as they 
 ought to do to suppress vice and wickedness, and 
 wicked houses, in which our youth are grossly cor- 
 rupted : and also the Lord is angry with many of the 
 better sort of the people, because they seek after and 
 love the things of this world, more than the things 
 of his- kingdom. It was shown me that the anger of 
 the Most High would still be against us, until there 
 was a greater reformation in these things." It is 
 worthy of commendation, that our governor, Thomas 
 Lloyd, sometimes in the evening, before he went to 
 rest, used to go in person to public-houses, and order 
 the people he found there to their own houses, till at 
 length he was instrumental to promote better order, 
 and did, in a great measure, suppress vice and im- 
 morality in the city. 
 
 For some days after we were at sea, the weather 
 was pleasant, and we had our health, for which my 
 heart was truly thankful. I exhorted the sailors 
 against swearing; and though they had been much 
 used to it, they left it off, so that it was rare to hear
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 259 
 
 any of them swear ; for which reformation, so far, I 
 was glad. I lent and gave them several good books, 
 which they read, and showed much respect to me ; 
 but soon after the wind was contrary for some days, 
 and some in the vessel were quarrelsome. I asked 
 them what they thought of the saying of Christ, " If 
 a man smite thee on one cheek, turn to him the other 
 also ; " at which they were silent, and of a better dis- 
 position to one another afterwards, and we had some 
 reformation both from fighting and swearing. During 
 this voyage I was not so sea-sick as I formerly had 
 been, which I took as a peculiar favor from heaven. 
 About the latitude of twenty degrees north, we met 
 with calms and contrary winds, which were very hard 
 for some in the vessel to bear, they putting themselves 
 much out of temper about it. For my part, I had 
 been used to disappointments, and therefore did not 
 so much mind it. I spent pretty much of my time 
 in reading and writing, and God being gracious, it 
 was, in the main, a comfortable time to me ; and I 
 enjoyed my health as well as ever I did at sea in my 
 life, for which I often breathed forth inward thanks 
 to the Almighty. On the fifth of the Third month 
 we arrived at Barbadoes, and I was lovingly received 
 by our friends, but came to a very low market for my 
 goods. 
 
 I visited Friends' meetings on the island, and had 
 several open meetings at Bridgetown, and Speight's- 
 town, and likewise at Pumpkin-hill, and the Spring. 
 On the day of Pentecost, so called, we had a meeting
 
 260 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 at Bridgetown, in which was shown the work and 
 operation of God's spirit on the old world, and under 
 the law ; and the everlasting duration and operation 
 of the same Holy Spirit under the gospel dispensa- 
 tion, which Christ said should abide forever. At the 
 Quarterly Meeting at Speight's-town, were Judge 
 Allen, and the captain of a man-of-war stationed 
 there, with several others not of our Society. I was 
 much drawn forth in this meeting to speak of the 
 power of the Father, Son, and the Spirit, opening to 
 the people how we had been misrepresented in respect 
 to our belief in the Trinity, or the holy Three, which 
 bear record in heaven, the Father, Word, and Spirit, 
 which three are one ; for that it was clear and plain 
 we are more orthodox in our belief in the Deity, than 
 those who do not believe in the operation of the Holy 
 Ghost ; as also that none could be true Christians 
 without it. It was queried, how could they be clear 
 in their belief in the holy Trinity, or the Three that 
 bear record in heaven, who believe the Holy Spirit 
 has ceased his operations, gifts, or immediate revela- 
 tions, and if ceased, when, and where, to whom, and 
 how ? The people were very sober and attentive, and 
 stayed some time after the meeting was done, and 
 divers expressed their satisfaction with what was 
 said. My good friend Peter Sharp, of Maryland, 
 was with me at this meeting, on whose account some 
 of the people came. He had good service in the 
 meeting, and I was glad of his company in this island, 
 where we joyfully met an i parted in the love of Christ.
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 261 
 
 At this meeting we had each of us a certificate from 
 Friends, signifying their unity with our conversation 
 and services. The last meeting I had at Barbadoes 
 was at Speight's-town, on a First day. It was a 
 solid, good meeting, in which I took my leave of 
 Friends there, and exhorted them to believe in and 
 hear Christ, he being a teacher that could not be 
 removed from them, as men often were ; and though 
 they were but few, they were desired to meet in 
 Christ's name ; and I had to show them the difference 
 between us and other Christian professors, who hold 
 no public worship, if there be no outward teacher : 
 whereas, if but two or three meet in the name of 
 Christ, he has promised to be in the midst of them ; 
 and he is the best teacher we can have. 
 
 On the 14th of the Fourth month we set sail from 
 this island, and for the most part, had fair weather and 
 fair winds, and saw several ships, but spoke with none. 
 
 I was one evening leaning over the side of the 
 vessel, being very lonesome, and having little conver- 
 sation with any in the vessel, for divers reasons, I 
 turned from all outward things to the Lord, and was 
 glad to feel his presence and goodness, which was a 
 comfort to me in my lonesome state ; and as my 
 travels and concerns had called and caused me to be 
 much on the seas, it also pleased my good and gra- 
 cious God, to support me thereon many times, in trials, 
 temptations, and exercises ; for all which, I bow in 
 awful reverence before him, and return thanksgiving 
 and praise to his great name.
 
 262 THE JOURNAL Of 
 
 The 1st of the Fifth month, about noon, we came 
 to the Capes of Delaware, and sailed up the bay ; but 
 in a little time, we touched the ground with our ves- 
 sel several times ; there being little wind, we got no 
 harm ; but two hours after, or thereabouts, a gust, or 
 storm of wind took us, which, if it had met with us 
 on the shoals where we struck, in all likelihood we 
 must have perished ; which I took to be a remarkable 
 deliverance. Next tide we got to Newcastle, and it 
 being First day, I had a meeting with Friends there, 
 with which we were greatly refreshed in the Lord, 
 and in one another. After meeting I went on board 
 the sloop, and having a fair wind, we sailed for Phila- 
 delphia, where we arrived about the eleventh hour, 
 lodged that night at Paul Preston's, and next day 
 went home to my family at Frankford, where my 
 wife, children, and servants received me with much 
 rejoicing. 
 
 While I was in Barbadoes, P. M., who accompanied 
 me from Bridgetown to counsellor Weeks', told me, 
 that when I was in the island before, he and I had 
 some discourse concerning the use of the sword ; he, 
 then not being of our Society, wore a sword, but now 
 had left it off, and his business also, which was worth 
 some hundreds a year. I had reminded him of 
 Christ's words, that " Those who take the sword, 
 shall perish with the sword." "Resist not evil, and 
 if a man smite thee on one cheek, turn the other also ; 
 love your enemies, do good to them that hate you, 
 pray for them who despitefully use you, and persecute
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 263 
 
 you." After I had used these arguments, he asked 
 me, if one came to kill me, would I not rather kill 
 than be killed ? I told him, no ; so far as I knew my 
 own heart, I had rather be killed than kill. He said 
 that was strange, and desired to know what reason I 
 could give for it. I told him, that I being innocent, if 
 I were killed in my body, my soul might be happy ; 
 but if I killed him, he dying in his wickedness, would 
 consequently be unhappy; and if I were killed, he 
 might live to repent ; but if I killed him, he would 
 have no time to repent ; so that if he killed me, I should 
 have much the better, both in respect to myself and to 
 him. This discourse had made so much impression, 
 and so affected him, that he said he could not but 
 often remember it. And when we parted at Bridge- 
 town, we embraced each other in open arms of Chris- 
 tian love, far from that which would hurt or destroy. 
 
 After I had been at home some time,. I visited the 
 meetings at Philadelphia, Burlington, and German- 
 town ; in which places I had service of divers kinds, 
 and was lovingly received by Friends and others. 
 
 In the Fifth month, Joshua Fielding and John 
 Oxley had a large and satisfactory meeting at Frank- 
 ford. Joshua came from London on a religious visit 
 to America, and having been on divers islands, he 
 landed on the main at South Carolina, and from 
 thence travelled through the wilderness four hundred 
 miles, or more, where no public Friend had ever trav- 
 elled before : the journey was perilous, but the Lord 
 was with him ; who may, in his own time, make way
 
 264 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 for his servants in those desert places. John Oxley 
 came on the same account from Barbadoes, and had 
 good service among Friends in his public ministry. 
 
 In this month we thinking it convenient to send 
 our little children to school, and not having a school- 
 master of our Society near us, concluded to put our 
 son and daughter under the care of Nathaniel Walton, 
 to whom I thought it my duty to write a few lines 
 about the salutations and language I would have 
 them trained up in, which were on this wise : 
 
 "Frankford, 30th of Fifth month, 1727. 
 
 " Loving Friend, Nathaniel Walton, — I hope 
 thou wilt excuse the freedom which I take with thee, 
 in writing this on account of my children, in these 
 particulars, viz. : Eespecting the compliment of the 
 hat and courtesying, the practice thereof being against 
 my professed principle : First, because I find nothing 
 like it in the Bible ; but, as I think, the contrary. 
 Thou knowest the passage of the three children of 
 God, who stood covered before a mighty monarch ; 
 and Mordecai, who could not bow to great Haman : 
 Second, I believe those practices derived from vain, 
 proud man. And as to language, I desire my children 
 may not be permitted to use the plural language to a 
 single person ; but I pray thee to learn them to say 
 thee, and thou, and thy, and to speak it properly, 
 many using it improperly, and the rather I desire it, 
 because it is all along used in the divine, inspired, 
 holy writings. I suppose thou art not a stranger to
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 265 
 
 its rise, being from the grandeur and apostasy of 
 the Eomish Church ; and also, that you, to a single 
 person, is not consonant to the book of God, or the 
 true rules of grammar. I know it is generally ob- 
 jected, that the end of speech is to be understood ; but 
 it is understood better in and according to the lan- 
 guage of God, Christ, and the Holy Ghost, in the 
 Bible, and the language of kings, and all people, as 
 we read it in the holy Scriptures ; why then should 
 we be ashamed of it, or shun it, and bring in and up- 
 hold a custom contrary to it ? The same care I would 
 have thee take about the names of the days and 
 months, which are derived from the names of the 
 gods of the heathen, and are not found in the Bible. 
 I suppose I have the mind of all those of our Society 
 in the above, it being consonant to our principle and 
 profession, and I write in a motion of divine love to all. 
 
 "As to the school learning of my children, I leave 
 it to thy management, not questioning thy ability 
 therein ; and if they want correction, spare not the rod. 
 
 " I hope thou wilt observe this direction in teaching 
 my children, in which thou wilt oblige thy assured 
 friend, Thomas Chalkley." 
 
 The latter end of- the Fifth, and the beginning of 
 the Sixth months, the weather was exceedingly hot, so 
 that several people died suddenly of the heat, as it 
 was supposed. 
 
 The beginning of the Sixth month, I was at the 
 
 Youths' Meeting at Abington, which was large, and 
 23
 
 266 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 open to many ; and I not having been there since I 
 came from sea, divers expressed their gladness to see 
 me ; and we were that day favored with some showers, 
 both celestial and elementary, to our comfort. 
 
 In the same month I was also at the Youths' Meet- 
 ing in Philadelphia ; it had been a sickly time, but 
 many had recovered. That passage opened on my 
 mind, to speak of in the meeting, concerning the 
 lepers whom Christ cleansed and healed, being ten in 
 number, and that but one came to return thanks to 
 God, for being healed and restored to health. Friends 
 were exhorted to prize their health, and to show their 
 thankfulness to God the giver of it, by fearing and 
 serving him, and taking heed to Christ, the Word, in 
 their hearts. The meeting was in a good, solid frame, 
 and we praised the Lord together, and gave him 
 thanks for his merciful visitation. 
 
 About this time I heard of the death of our king, 
 George I., a prince whom I loved and honored ; which 
 news was very sorrowful to me on divers accounts ; 
 his love and kindness to our Society was well worthy 
 of our grateful remembrance. 
 
 On a Third day, being our week-day meeting at 
 Frankford, Elizabeth Whartnaby and Mary Smith 
 were there ; it was a comfortable opportunity : they 
 were two nights at my house. Elizabeth was pre- 
 paring to leave this land for Barbadoes and Europe, 
 intending a religious visit to Friends. 
 
 The 20th of the Sixth month, going into my closet, 
 I there met with a paper of my son-in-law, Isaac
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 267 
 
 Brown's, and finding the contents were religious, as I 
 had done of several of his late writings, I found it on 
 my mind to write to him after this manner : 
 
 " My dear Son, Isaac, — By several writings of 
 thine, of late, I perceive that a good thing is at work 
 in thy mind, the which I pray the all-wise and infi- 
 nite Being to promote in thy heart, to thy eternal 
 salvation, and his glory. I now begin to be in some 
 hopes that my prayers and tears for thee, in the 
 Lord's time, may be answered ; and I do believe, if 
 thou keepest low in thy mind, that God will more and 
 more visit thee. The advice of David to his son 
 Solomon, when he also gave him the kingdom, comes 
 before my mind to give thee : ' My son, know thou 
 the God of thy father, and serve him with a perfect 
 heart, and with a willing mind ; for the Lord search- 
 eth all hearts, and understandeth all the imaginations 
 of the thoughts ; if thou seek him, he will be found 
 of thee : but if thou forsake him, he will cast thee off 
 for ever.' Dear Isaac, this was counsel from one of 
 the greatest and best of kings, to a wise young prince 
 who petitioned the Almighty for divine wisdom, 
 before riches, or honor, or long life ; which petition so 
 pleased God, that he answered his request, and over 
 and above, blessed him in an extraordinary manner. 
 
 " I perceive thou art inclined to read pretty much; 
 I pray thee, that thy chief study in books may be the 
 holy Scriptures. Let all other books, though of use, 
 and good in their places, be subservient to them ; for
 
 268 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 their authority, of all other writings, to the true be- 
 lievers in Christ, is most divine ; they having a super- 
 natural spring and divine evidence in them to 
 virtuous and pious readers. Thou, my son, wilt 
 much comfort the heart of thy tender mother, and of 
 me thy loving and careful father, if thou followest 
 and perseverest in the ways of virtue and truth ; 
 which, that thou mayest, is the prayer of thy affec- 
 tionate father-in-law, Thomas Chalkley." 
 
 The latter end of the Sixth month I went to the 
 General Meeting of ministers and elders for the east 
 part of New Jersey, and to the Quarterly and Youths' 
 Meeting at Burlington, and to a General Meeting at 
 Stony-brook, and to the Quarterly Meeting of the 
 county of Bucks. John Oxley, of Barbadoes, and 
 Joshua Fielding, of London, were at divers of those 
 meetings ; wherein we had open, seasonable opportu- 
 nities ; and I had a large, affecting account from 
 Joshua, of his long and difficult travels in the service 
 of Truth to the West India isles, and thence to South 
 Carolina, from whence he came through the wilder- 
 ness, by land, through North Carolina, Virginia, etc., 
 to this province. 
 
 The 16th of the Seventh month began our Yearly 
 Meeting at Philadelphia,which was attended with the 
 gracious presence of God, to the comfort and great 
 satisfaction of many souls. In this meeting divers 
 young men and young women appeared, who were 
 lately come forth in the ministry, and as I believe,
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 269 
 
 Lad received a measure of the gift of Christ's gospel ; 
 which was cause of rejoicing to the faithful among us, 
 and excited our thanksgiving and praises to the Al- 
 mighty Lord of heaven and earth. 
 
 At this meeting we had the company of four minis- 
 ters from Great Britain, and one from Barbadoes, and 
 many from divers other parts, it being a very large 
 gathering of some thousands of people, as was believed, 
 in which many were strengthened in their faith in 
 Christ, and comforted through the power of the Holy 
 Ghost, that blessed Comforter, which Christ promised 
 to his Church, who should be with them for ever, and 
 guide them into all truth. 
 
 Next First day after the Yearly Meeting, I, with 
 several of my neighbors, went over Delaware to a 
 meeting up Pensawken creek ; in which the wonderful 
 love of God was declared, in sending his Son upon 
 earth, who, as he was man, died for man, and is now 
 by his spirit present with all those that truly believe 
 in him ; he being the messenger of the covenant of 
 God to mankind. On Second day, the 25th of the 
 Seventh month, I had the sorrowful tidings of the 
 death of my beloved friend James Lord, who on his 
 death-bed desired that I might be sent for to his 
 burial. In the consideration of that Christian love 
 which was between us, I think I may truly note, that 
 we were always glad to meet each other ; therefore 
 the thoughts of this so sudden change and final part- 
 ing, brought for the present a sadness and heaviness 
 
 over my mind ; considering his station in that neigh- 
 23*
 
 270 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 borhood, and service in that congregation to wliich 
 he did belong; for therein he was well beloved, and 
 very serviceable. 
 
 And, oh ! the loss that his dear wife and tender 
 children will have of him, really affects me with sor- 
 row in penning these notes ; but the sorrow, in these 
 things, is all on our side ; for he, without doubt, is at 
 rest with his great Master in heaven. We had a 
 larger meeting at his funeral than ever was known to 
 be there before, as an ancient Friend told me, which 
 was solemn and serviceable to many. 
 
 Some time after, having been at divers meetings 
 about home, John Oxley and I, in company, visited 
 Friends on Long Island. At Flushing we were at 
 the burial of Jonathan Dickinson : many people of 
 divers persuasions were at the meeting on that occa- 
 sion, and were very sober and attentive. I was at 
 the Yearly Meeting for the south side of the island, 
 at a place called Sequetague, which meeting was large, 
 many Friends and others coming to it over the Plains. 
 I was afterwards at the Yearly Meeting at Shrews- 
 bury, in East Jersey, which held three days, and was 
 very large, and the last day the people were very 
 still. Joshua Fielding was at this meeting, and was 
 therein concerned to preach the gospel of Christ with 
 good authority, and matter suitable to a true gospel 
 minister ; John Oxley was ill of a fever, so that he 
 could not be there ; but there were brethren from 
 divers parts, and the power and presence of the Most 
 High were with and among us ; blessed be his name.
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 271 
 
 I was also at Eahway river, where was a solid, 
 good meeting. From thence I returned home, having 
 been abroad about a month, and at above twenty 
 meetings, and travelled above three hundred and 
 fifty miles. 
 
 In the Eighth month, at Frankford, we had three 
 burials out of one house, at one time; the mother, 
 daughter, and grand-daughter, of which I had never 
 known the like instance before. On this occasion we 
 had the company of many neighbors, and a very 
 solemn meeting at our meeting-house at Frankford. 
 
 About this time I was at meetings at Philadelphia, 
 Abington, and Burlington : we had an evening meeting 
 at Burlington, with Richard Smith, jr., who had been 
 so ill that he could not get out to meetings for some 
 months : it was such a satisfactory meeting, that he 
 and I, and others who were there, will not easily 
 forget it, our hearts being broken together. 
 
 The world still continued to frown upon me ; but 
 though this was the case, yet at times I had great 
 consolation in Christ ; and in the midst of my troubles, 
 when I looked back, I could truly say that I had. not 
 been extravagant, but frugal ; not covetous, but char- 
 itable; not idle, but industrious; not willing to be 
 such an infidel as not to take care for my family. 
 This was some solid comfort to my mind ; and I bless 
 the Almighty, that I always preferred his work and 
 service to my own, and therein had great peace. This 
 I. can also say, if it were the last I should say, that 
 I never wilfully, or knowingly, wronged any man,
 
 272 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 woman, or child, since I came to years of discretion; 
 and yet I have nothing to boast of; it is the Lord's 
 grace and mercy which saveth us. 
 
 Having occasion to make another voyage to Bar- 
 badoes, I wrote to the teacher of my children as 
 followeth : 
 
 " Frankford, 10th of Tenth month, 1727. 
 
 " Loving Friend, — Being about to embark for 
 Barbadoes, I leave the charge of my little children to 
 thy care, not doubting thy management of them, by 
 their growing in their learning. Please to instruct 
 them to sobriety and the fear of God, and faith in 
 Christ ; and if I should never see them nor thee any 
 more, our lives being uncertain in this World, pray 
 let them know that it was their father's will and de- 
 sire that they should mind their learning, and above 
 all things, mind the fear of the Most High. When 
 my little daughter hath read her testament through, 
 I would have her go to writing ; and George the same, 
 on the same terms. Please to learn them the use of 
 chapter and verse, that if any ask them where they 
 are. learning, they may tell. And, kind friend, inas- 
 much as I perceive thou hast followed my former 
 directions, I look on myself obliged to thee ; therefore 
 am so much the more free to impart my mind to thee 
 now on my departure ; which, with real love, is from 
 thy loving friend, Thomas Chalkley." 
 
 " P. S. Although my care is great for my children's 
 learning their books, yet it is much more so as to 
 their learning true piety and virtue."
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 273 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 1727-1730. 
 
 Repeated Voyages to the West Indies — Religious Labors there and 
 at Home — Ministerial Labor in Philadelphia — Narrow Escape 
 from Death — Care to banish Swearing and Drunkenness from 
 his Ship — Condemnation of Dancing — Concern respecting the 
 Youth — Loud Call to Consistency of Conduct — Stormy Voyage 
 — Services about Home — Terrible Hurricane in Barbadoes — 
 Providential Deliverances. 
 
 On the 25th of the Tenth month we set sail from 
 Philadelphia in the sloop " Dove," Oswald Peel, master; 
 having taken a solemn farewell of my dear wife, chil- 
 dren, and friends, in order for the support of my 
 family, and answering my just debts, which I had 
 contracted. On the 27th day of the month, in the 
 evening, we took in our boat and put to sea ; had 
 some rough weather in our passage, but lived com- 
 fortably ; we being all loving and obliging one to 
 another. On the 15th of the Eleventh month, we 
 safely arrived at Speight's-town, in Barbadoes ; and 
 the 18th, between the hours of five and six in the 
 morning, we felt the greatest earthquake that I had 
 ever felt; having been sensible of three, one at Lon- 
 don, one at Jamaica, and one at Frankford, in Penn- 
 sylvania. I was thankful in my heart to the Lord
 
 274 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 for my safe arrival, and that we were all preserved 
 safe in our stormy passage, and deeply-loaded vessel ; 
 one vessel being lost that came out a little time before 
 us; and another, which came from our port to this 
 island a few days sooner than we, lost three men by 
 the violence of the storm, and received much damage 
 otherwise; one of them being a neighbor of mine, 
 with whom I was well acquainted, it affected my mind 
 very much. I visited Friends' meetings in Barbadoes, 
 and some divers times over ; and had occasion in some 
 meetings to mention the earthquake, which I told 
 them I did believe was a visitation from the Almighty 
 in order to put people in mind of mortality, and to 
 reform them from the evil of their ways, and call 
 them to repentance. 
 
 While I was in Barbadoes, Francis Gamble died, 
 whom I went to visit several times in his sickness : at 
 his funeral was a large gathering of his neighbors 
 and others ; and divers, not of our Society, expressed 
 their satisfaction with the meeting. The people in 
 and about Speight's-town, in Barbadoes, were very 
 loving and kind to me, more than I ever had observed 
 before ; even some vile, profane men, whom I could 
 not forbear to reprove for their swearing, and taking 
 the sacred name in vain, yet they showed respect, 
 notwithstanding I reproved them sharply. Who can 
 take the sacred name of God into their mouths in 
 vain, and be guiltless ? or who can hear it, and for- 
 bear reproving it, without being remiss in their duty ? 
 This great evil is too frequently practised in this rich
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 275 
 
 (poor) island of Barbadoes ; rich in earthly, but poor 
 in heavenly treasure, which caused me many times to 
 mourn in secret before the Almighty, praying him 
 for the reformation of the people, for Christ's sake, 
 and for the glory of his own eternal name. 
 
 The 27th of the First month, 1728, having done 
 my business in Barbadoes, and seen Friends gener- 
 ally, an opportunity offered for my return home, in 
 the brigantine " Sarah and Mary," Samuel Gallop, 
 master, bound for Burlington, in company with Wil- 
 liam Dury and "William Callender, both of Barbadoes. 
 Our master was exceedingly kind to us in the voyage. 
 The wind hanging northerly, we could not go to 
 windward, but drove to leeward, and sailed by the 
 isles of Lucia, Martinico, Dominica, Guadaloupe, An- 
 tigua, Montserrat, Bodondo, Nevis, Christopher's, 
 Eustatius, Saba, Martin's, Anguilla, Bartholomew's, 
 Sombrero, and four other small islands, which are 
 called the Saints. It was very pleasant sailing by 
 these islands, only some of them were so exceedingly 
 high, that in some places we were becalmed, and the 
 clouds appeared below the tops of the mountains. 
 At Christopher's, which is counted the highest of 
 them, there being a small river of good fresh water, 
 we sent our boat on shore for some, having none very 
 good on board : we lay off and on about two hours, 
 but did not come to. I was thankful for this water, 
 it being my constant drink ; it was also very service- 
 able to the people on board. After we left the isle 
 of Sombrero, we saw a sail, which we thought stood
 
 276 THE JOUKNAL OP 
 
 after us, and hearing at Christopher's that several 
 Spanish privateers were on that coast, our master, 
 and some others on board, were a little surprised ; 
 but we soon left her out of sight, and we afterwards 
 went pleasantly on our way, till we came to the lati- 
 tude of Bermuda, where the winds blew fresh, and 
 much against us ; and this winter having been very 
 hard, we felt the sharp blasts of the latter end of it. 
 We had a passage of about thirty days, and came 
 very pleasantly up the bay and river ; and it pleased 
 God that I got home once more to my beloved wife 
 and children, and was joyfully received by all my 
 family, whom I found in a good degree of health ; for 
 which I did, as I had occasion to do, bless and praise 
 the great name of the Most High, who is worthy 
 forever. 
 
 After I came home I was at many meetings in 
 Pennsylvania and Jersey, viz. : at Philadelphia, Bur- 
 lington, Bristol, Byberry, Frankford, Germantown, 
 New Hanover, Crosswicks, etc., in all which meetings 
 I had some service to Friends' satisfaction, and was 
 comforted with the goodness of God in the midst of 
 my afflictions. My business lying much at Burling- 
 ton, I spent pretty much of my time there for several 
 weeks;. where my friends manifested a tender and 
 hearty respect towards me, and sympathized with me 
 in my troubles and travels ; and there I prepared for 
 another voyage; for I was fully resolved, through 
 divine assistance, to pay all my just debts, which I 
 contracted, and lay on me, through many losses, or
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 277 
 
 else to die in the pursuit of it; in which resolve I 
 had inward peace and satisfaction; though such labor, 
 travel, and separation from my family, was a great 
 cross to nature. 
 
 On the 14th of the Fifth month we went on board 
 the brigantine " Sarah and Mary," Samuel Gallop, 
 master, for Barbadoes ; and on the 16th we sailed 
 down the bay and put to sea, and I wrote a loving, 
 tender letter to my wife and family > and another to 
 my friends at Burlington. "We had fair winds for 
 about two weeks, after which they were contrary for 
 several days, during which two of our men had a 
 fever, and our vessel proved leaky, though tight in 
 'smooth water, which was some ' concern to us, and 
 obliged us to pump every half hour; but the leak 
 being much the same while at sea, we were the more 
 easy about it : I took care of those two people that 
 were sick, who soon recovered. The 3d and 4th 
 days of the Sixth month it was very windy, with 
 lightning, thunder, and rain ; in which rough weather 
 one of our best sailors put his shoulder out of joint, 
 and they brought him to me to see if I could do him 
 any service. I was not forward to meddle ; but the 
 man and the people believing if I would undertake 
 for him, I might help him; I told them that, though 
 I did not understand bone-setting, I would instruct 
 them the best I could; then I ordered him to sit 
 down upon the deck, and to be stripped to the waist, 
 and got a round piece of wood as thick as his arm, 
 and wrapped a piece of cloth about it, that it might 
 
 24
 
 278 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 not bruise his flesh, and put it under his arm, and 
 ordered two men, one at each end of it, to lift up 
 strongly, and a third man to stretch his arm out, and 
 keep it down withal; which being done, the bone 
 went into its place ; for which I was thankful in my 
 heart to the Almighty. About the 10th of the Sixth 
 month we safely arrived at Speight's-town, in Bar- 
 badoes, being the First day of the week. From 
 whence I had an opportunity, by Alexander Seaton, 
 master of a vessel bound to Pennsylvania, to send an 
 account of our safe arrival. 
 
 I had many meetings in the island, and made sev- 
 eral visits to sick persons, one of which was particu- 
 larly to the satisfaction of the person visited and his 
 relations : he died, and was buried at Hethcott's bay, 
 and we had a large meeting at our meeting-house, 
 where were many people, and it was a good, season- 
 able opportunity ; in which I had occasion to remind 
 them of their mortality, and press them to a holy 
 life, the way to a happy immortality. I had divers 
 meetings at Bridgetown, Speight's-town, and the 
 Spring ; where the testimony of Christ's gospel was 
 well received. After a stay of three weeks, I left 
 Barbadoes on the 1st of the Seventh month, and took 
 my passage in the "Amity," Charles Hargrave, mas- 
 ter, who was very friendly to me in my passage, as 
 were all on board. We arrived at our port without 
 casting anchor in all our voyage, and laid the vessel 
 to the wharf at Philadelphia; and on my landing, I 
 immediately went into the meeting of ministers and
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 279 
 
 elders, it being just meeting- time, where we were 
 much comforted together in Christ; after which I 
 went home, being lovingly received by my wife and 
 family, having been from home about ten weeks. 
 
 After I came home from this voyage, I visited the 
 meetings of Friends at Philadelphia, Frankford, Grer- 
 mantown, the Falls of Delaware, Burlington, New 
 Hanover, Mount Holly, Fairhill, etc. 
 
 The 2d of the Ninth month I was at the Quar- 
 terly Meeting of ministers and elders at Philadelphia, 
 where I met with Joseph Taylor, a Friend who had 
 visited our meetings pretty generally on the continent 
 of America, in the ministry of the gospel, and was 
 now on his return homewards; with whose visit 
 Friends had good unity, and certified the same to 
 our brethren of the meeting where he lived in Great 
 Britain. 
 
 After this I was at divers meetings in. Pennsylvania 
 and Jersey ; and the latter end of the Ninth month, 
 Sarah, the wife of Jeremiah Elfreth, died very sud- 
 denly ; having been the day before walking in her 
 garden : she was a sober young woman, and her death 
 was much lamented. Her burial occasioned my stay 
 at Philadelphia, which I had shunned, because a con- 
 cern had been on me for some time, to declare to the 
 people of that city, that the Lord was angry with the 
 legislators of Pennsylvania, because they were not so 
 much concerned to promote religion and piety, as 
 they ought, and to make such laws as might prevent" 
 the excessive increase of public-houses, which often
 
 280 THE JOUKNAL OF 
 
 prove seminaries of Satan; but strove to promote 
 parties more than religion : and that the Lord was 
 angry with the magistrates, because they did not so 
 much as they might, and ought, to put those good 
 and wholesome laws in execution, which were already 
 made, against vice and immorality ; and that the Lord 
 was angry with some of the better sort of people, 
 because they seek and mind the things of this world, 
 more than the things of God and his kingdom. But 
 I was helped to clear myself in the morning meeting 
 to the satisfaction of many of the honest-hearted, and 
 unburden my mind of a great exercise that I had 
 long laid under. f 
 
 In the afternoon we had a large meeting at the 
 Bank meeting-house, occasioned by the aforesaid 
 burial ; the resurrection of the dead was declared in 
 that meeting, according to the doctrine of our Saviour, 
 Jesus Christ, the great author of the Christian reli- 
 gion, and also of the eminent apostle, Paul; and the 
 old and false calumny, that our Society denied the 
 resurrection of the dead, was publicly denied and 
 refuted. The people were exhorted to live well, that 
 they might die well ; and then they need not doubt, 
 but that they would rise well at the resurrection in 
 the last day. The meeting concluded with praise to 
 the Almighty for all his mercies, and prayer to him 
 that he would sanctify that day's service to the 
 people. 
 
 In the Tenth month I prepared for another voyage 
 to the island of Barbadoes, and had the ship " Bristol
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 281 
 
 Hope" consigned to me, but the winter setting in 
 sooner than common, caused our stay much longer 
 than we expected, whereby I had the opportunity to 
 visit divers meetings, as Burlington, the Falls of 
 Delaware, Neshaminy, Wright's town, and Philadel- 
 phia. In this city" a concern was on my mind to 
 declare to the people, that the Almighty had showed 
 me, that he had often visited those in Philadelphia 
 and Pennsylvania with his own hand, and with his 
 rod ; but if that did not work the designed end for 
 which he visited them, of which they were told also 
 before it came to pass, he then would chastise them 
 with the rod of man, and this was as plainly spoken 
 to me in my own habitation, as if it had been the 
 voice of man, though it was not vocal. 
 
 The 12th of the Eleventh month, being First day, 
 I was at Horsham meeting, and had a tender, bowing 
 time therein ; and in my way home visited some Friends 
 who were sick, it being a time of general visitation 
 in those parts ; and the next Seventh day I was at 
 the meeting of ministers and elders at Philadelphia, 
 where we had a good meeting. Here I was earnestly 
 desired to be at the funeral of Edmond Orpwood, the 
 eldest Friend belonging to Frankford meeting; but 
 was in a strait, this Friend being my neighbor, and I 
 had before engaged to be at the burial of one with 
 whom I had been acquainted nearly forty years. I 
 did my endeavor to be at both, being each of them 
 buried in the afternoon, and five miles distant; the 
 days being short also, divers told me it was imprac- 
 24*
 
 282 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 ticable. I told them they might be mistaken, as they 
 were ; for though we had a large meeting, and the 
 company of Rowland Wilson, from Britain, who had 
 large and good service therein, yet after meeting we 
 mounted, and got to Philadelphia about a quarter of 
 an hour after the corpse was brought into the meeting- 
 house, as I was informed. We had a large, and as I 
 thought, a good meeting ; after which I went home, 
 being weary in my body, but thankful in my heart, 
 that the Almighty had been with us, and helped us 
 to perform that day's service. 
 
 On the 20th of the Eleventh month, and Second 
 day of the week, I went into a piece of ground, which 
 I was clearing for meadow, in order to give directions 
 to the workmen ; one of the trees fell contrary to the 
 kerf, and also to the wind, which was then at north- 
 west, and when I saw it falling towards me, I ran 
 from it, but before I could get out of the way, it fell 
 upon me, across my back, from my shoulder to my 
 hips, and struck me down to the earth, where for some 
 time I lay speechless, and in all likelihood I should 
 have been immediately killed, if I had not been provi- 
 dentially preserved by the body of the falling tree 
 laying on a stump, which prevented its crushing me, 
 as I lay on the ground. A Friend who was near me, 
 with a horse, desired the wood-cutters, when they 
 were recovered from the surprise, and I to the use 
 of my speech, to help me on his horse, and I rode 
 home, but in extreme misery, and I was under great 
 concern, lest I should surprise my wife and children
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 283 
 
 suddenly. "We sent to Philadelphia for Dr. Griffith 
 Owen, who came in about two hours, and let me 
 blood, and ordered several things to be applied and 
 taken, which through divine favor proved very ser- 
 viceable to me; notwithstanding which, I was in great 
 pain many days, and the nights were long and tedious, 
 not being able either to feed myself, or to turn in my 
 bed, for a great while. In this confinement I was at 
 times favored with a very comfortable sense of the 
 presence of God, whose providence is over all his 
 works ; and as his love to me was great, so the love 
 of his people was also, many of whom, and of my 
 neighbors, came to see me, sympathizing with me in 
 my distress ; but among them I had one of Job's com- 
 forters, who wickedly abused me in this low state. 
 I can scarcely forbear mentioning his name, having 
 example for it in holy Writ, but through the Lord's 
 help, I will put on charity. 
 
 The 9th of the Twelfth month I got abroad the first 
 time to our meeting at Frankford, with which divers 
 expressed their gladness to see me there again. In 
 this meeting I exhorted them to think on eternity, 
 and to prepare for it, by living to-day as though 
 they were to die to-morrow ; for I found it by expe- 
 rience to be needful, and then if sudden death comes, 
 it will not surprise us. 
 
 As I now found it my business to go to sea for a 
 livelihood, I undertook the charge of the ship " New 
 Bristol Hope," as master, though it was a way of 
 living to which I did not incline. I took care in our
 
 284 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 vessel that there should be no swearing in my hearing, 
 nor drunkenness, to my knowledge, without reproof; 
 and if I could not be instrumental in that way to 
 break them from swearing and drinking to excess, 
 my manner was, to put them away, so that we gen- 
 erally had a pretty quiet ship. We left Philadelphia 
 the 13th of the Twelfth month, but storms and con- 
 trary winds detained us in the river and bay, so that 
 we did not get out to sea till the 21st of said month, 
 when the pilot left us, by whom I wrote to my wife 
 and family. And now I thought I felt the benefit of 
 the good wishes of my beloved friends whom I had 
 left behind, which did me a great deal of good, as it 
 often hath done on the like occasion : for faithful 
 friends and good Christians are as epistles written 
 in one another's hearts. In our passage we took 
 several dolphins, which were very welcome to us, we 
 having a long passage, and our fresh provisions being 
 nearly spent. The 19th of the First month we saw 
 the island of Barbadoes, having had several meetings 
 on board the ship in this voyage : of the good effects 
 I could see but little, only for that day they would be 
 a little more sober, and some of them, addicted to 
 swearing, did not swear so often as they did before. 
 The day following we safely arrived at Speight's-town, 
 where we had the next day a very comfortable meeting 
 for the worship of God. The Fifth day following I 
 was at Bridgetown, at their week-day meeting ; and 
 next First day, being the 30th of the month, I was 
 at a meeting at Pumpkin-hill, where I was enlarged 
 on the doctrine of faith.
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 285 
 
 After this I went to the Bridge with a Friend from 
 New England ; we had two good meetings, it being 
 the General Meeting for the Friends of the island; 
 and afterwards with several Friends, I went again to 
 Speight's-town, and on the 12th of the Second month 
 I was at the Thicket meeting, at which were Counsellor 
 "Weeks, Colonel Charnock, and Justice Sims. I dined 
 with them at Judge Weeks', and they discoursed of 
 what was said in the meeting about dancing, I quoting 
 Luther's words, " That as many paces as the person 
 takes in the dance, so many paces or steps they take 
 towards hell." I told them I had heard that several 
 had used that vain exercise in our meeting-house, 
 which was appointed for the worship of God; and 
 said I hoped for the future it would be so no more; 
 two of those persons who danced in our meeting-house, 
 were then in the meeting, though I did not know it. 
 This testimony so wrought on the colonel, that he said 
 he could scarcely feel his legs since I^spoke it; and 
 the justice said if these words were true, he had taken 
 many steps towards hell; and the counsellor and judge 
 said it was home doctrine to some who were there : 
 divers of them seemed to be touched with the testi- 
 mony of truth, though not so solidly as I desired. 
 Soon after, I went with Joshua Birch to visit the 
 governor of the island, Colonel Worsley, who treated 
 us with much freedom and civility ; he desired me to 
 sit down bv him, and then called for a decanter of 
 wine, of which he kindly offered me a glass, but I 
 told him I chiefly drank water ; he said water is cer-
 
 286 THE JOUKNAL OP 
 
 tainly the best drink in the world, and told me I was 
 a credit to my drink, as I looked as well, or better, 
 than most who drank wine. 
 
 In the Second month I was at meeting on a First 
 day at Bridgetown, which was somewhat larger than 
 usual ; it was a good open time in the morning, but 
 more so in the afternoon. At this meeting there was 
 a merchant of the town, not of our profession, who 
 sent to know if our friends would make a contribu- 
 tion for me, in consideration of my losses. He said 
 he would contribute as much as any, although he had 
 heard me only that one time ; but he was informed 
 that we received no money or pay for our preaching ; 
 yet his good will I acknowledged. 
 
 The 4th of the Third month I was at meeting at 
 the Spring, where I met with Joseph Gamble, and 
 John Oxley and his wife, and several others not 
 belonging to this particular meeting, and we were 
 edified together in the love and life of Christ. I was 
 concerned to speak of the divers visitations and speak- 
 ings of God to the people since the world began ; 
 quoting the words of holy Writ, that " God, who at 
 sundry times, and in divers manners, spoke to the 
 fathers by the prophets, hath in these last days spoken 
 unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of 
 all things : " and that this dispensation is the last and 
 brightest dispensation of all, and is the greatest and 
 most glorious manifestation of God's love to mankind; 
 and that beside this vocal speaking of Christ, when in 
 the body on earth, he now speaks spiritually : which
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 287 
 
 spiritual speaking of Christ, in and to the true church 
 and true believers, will outlast time, and endure to 
 all eternity ; the great Lord of all, for his unspeakable 
 benefit therein, was praised and glorified, as being 
 alone worthy. 
 
 I had other meetings on the island, which I pass 
 by, not being willing to be prolix. After a stay of 
 about nine weeks, we proposed sailing. Judge Gray, 
 a very noted man, and much esteemed among the 
 people, took passage with us ; also Joshua Birch, of 
 Bridgetown, for his health, and William Callender, 
 and several others, as merchants. Though I came 
 on account of trade, our friends gave me a certificate 
 that I had good service among them, and in my out- 
 ward affairs had gained esteem among the people, as 
 well as in my service in preaching Christ ; all which 
 I acknowledge to be the effects of divine grace. Sev- 
 eral Friends and acquaintance came to the sea-shore 
 at Speight's-town and in a great deal of tender Chris- 
 tian love and good desires, we took leave, and com- 
 mitted one another to the protection of the Almighty. 
 We had a comfortable passage, and arrived at Phila- 
 delphia, where I was lovingly received by my wife 
 and friends. 
 
 In this voyage a great and weighty concern came 
 on my mind, on account of the young and rising 
 generation, desiring that they might be happy in this 
 world, and in that which is to come. And first, as to 
 this world, I have taken notice that divers of the 
 youth are too apt to waste their outward substance,
 
 288 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 which is given to them, for when they get it themselves, 
 they are for the most part more saving of it, and this 
 wasting and spending, they call generosity, liberality, 
 good nature, gentility, fine breeding, and abundance 
 of other fine names ; not considering the labor and 
 industry, frugality, care and watchings, of their 
 parents or ancestors, to get what they have. May 
 parents note this well, and not be anxiously concerned 
 to get much wealth, which jnay be a means to ruin 
 their posterity ; and truly most of these spending, 
 drinking, company-keeping, gaming, chatting, tip- 
 pling youngsters, take a great deal more care how 
 they may get money from others, that they may 
 spend it, than how to earn it, or faithfully labor for 
 it themselves. They will beg, or borrow, or run in 
 debt, but take little or no solid thought to pay ; by 
 which means divers of those topping, beggarly beaus 
 and spenders, have brought both themselves and rela- 
 tions, parents and friends, to shame and disgrace, and 
 sometimes to poverty, where their relations and par- 
 ents have been too liberal. Let all indulgent parents 
 note this also. 
 
 And if any concerned person should advise those 
 inconsiderate youths of their evils, it is much if they 
 gain not their lasting ill will, and the epithets of nig- 
 gards and covetous, ill-natured, censorious, sour, 
 morose, etc. However, I shall venture to stand the 
 shock of their displeasure, and in as moving terms as 
 I can, consistently with the matter on my mind, en- 
 treat them to consider the end of their spending,
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 289 
 
 slothful life, which if continued in, must needs end in 
 their ruin, and they may repent when it is too late, 
 crying out, Oh ! that I had hearkened to the advice 
 of my father and my indulgent mother ! Oh ! that I 
 had taken the counsel of my good friends in time, 
 then I had not been in this condition, nor in those 
 straits I am now in. This, or worse, must at last 
 inevitably be the condition of those unthinking, time- 
 wasting, money-spending, and evil company-keeping, 
 young people of both sexes. Some of whom, if they 
 can get it, will spend more in a few hours, than their 
 parents can get in so many days, which is very un- 
 reasonable, as well as unthinking ; for if the indulgent 
 parents do not hold their hands, truly they must all 
 sink together ; and where the parents have been what 
 these youths call liberal, whole families have by such 
 liberality been undone, which is a case to be lamented. 
 
 I pray our spending youths to consider, how many 
 brave, fine young men and women, whose parents 
 have left them estates and handsome incomes, have 
 by such extravagances soon spent all, and sometimes 
 more than all, and disgrace and a jail have been 
 their portion ; and how many, by living too fast have 
 died too soon, much sooner than might be expected 
 according to the course of nature. 
 
 Wherefore, I would advise them to regard what 
 the wise king Solomon said, " Go to the ant, thou 
 sluggard, consider her ways, and be wise ; she gath- 
 ereth her food in the summer;" i. e., she prepares 
 against the winter. Though this may be despicable 
 25
 
 290 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 in the eyes of our fine gentlemen and wits, yet there 
 appears more wiscbm in these little industrious ani- 
 mals, than in those great spenders, who in the spring 
 and summer of their years, take so little thought of 
 saving what hath been with so much care gotten for 
 them, or of getting more against their winter or old 
 age; which, if they live, will certainly overtake them, 
 when their youth or summer is gone. 
 
 But many youths object against this advice, crying 
 out, as I have often heard, ""The aged give this 
 advice when they are old, but did as we do when 
 they were young as we are." Although this may be 
 true in some, yet it will not hold good in the general; 
 and if it does in some, is not that maxim good, " Let 
 others' harms learn us to beware, before it be too late, 
 that we fall not into the same snare, which hath en- 
 tangled or caught thousands, to their great shame 
 and reproach?" Again, those who have been so 
 overtaken in their youth, and are escaped out of the 
 snare, are more fit to caution or advise how to escape 
 it, or to show those paths which lead them into that 
 labyrinth of woe and misery. 
 
 The author of all evil useth his utmost skill and 
 power to promote the practice of excessive drinking, 
 etc., among mankind, it being a mighty support to 
 his kingdom ; for when the nobility of the under- 
 standing is clouded thereby, then, oh ! how many 
 wicked oaths, what corrupt language, what unhand- 
 some, unbecoming words and actions, are brought 
 forth ! ■ How is the sober, chaste soul offended, and
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 291 
 
 above all other considerations, how is God dishonored, 
 and the end of our creation frustrated, and man 
 condemned ! 
 
 When people are in those excesses, how do they 
 take the sacred name in vain, and so bring themselves 
 in guilty before God and man ; for he has positively 
 said he will not hold those guiltless who take his 
 name in vain ; so that let him plead ever so many ex- 
 cuses, he is pronounced guilty by the Judge of heaven 
 and earth : therefore, let me persuade the youth to 
 remember what the Lord by his servants said con- 
 cerning drinking to excess : " Woe to the drunkards ;" 
 and that " no drunkard shall inherit the kingdom." 
 Again, "Woe to them that are mighty to drink 
 wine, and men of strength to mingle strong drink," 
 etc. If it be objected, as it often is, when such poor 
 souls are reproved, and their sins set in order before 
 them ; we trust in the mercy of God and the merits 
 of Christ ; I say this is a good trust and hope, if upon 
 a good foundation ; but the wicked must forsake their 
 ways, and the unrighteous their evil thoughts; but 
 what forsaking is that, when strong conviction is 
 upon the soul, to make covenants, vows, and promises, 
 and break them from time to time? And though 
 Christ hath satisfied the justice of the Almighty for 
 sinners, it is for those who forsake their sins, not for 
 those who plead for the practice of them, and en- 
 deavor, by many vain excuses, to justify themselves 
 in them. ... 
 
 Since then the salvation of the soul is precious, and
 
 292 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 hath cost the precious blood of the Lamb of God, and 
 is much more precious than health or wealth, why 
 should any be so cruel and hard-hearted to themselves 
 as, for a little vanity, mirth, toys, trifles, vain sports, 
 and evil pastime, to plunge and sink themselves into 
 the gulf of eternal woe and misery ; pray, oh ! pray 
 consider it, dear youth. 
 
 After my return from Barbadoes in the Fourth 
 month, I visited Friends' meetings at Burlington, the 
 Falls of Delaware, Abington, Germantown, and was 
 divers times at Philadelphia and Frankford; which 
 meetings were much to my satisfaction ; the Lord 
 being pleased to manifest his goodness to many, as 
 also to my poor exercised soul ; for which I was truly 
 thankful unto him. 
 
 In the Sixth month I was at the General Meeting 
 of Friends at Darby, in Chester county, which was 
 a large and good meeting, divers Friends appearing 
 there in a lively ministry. About this time, some 
 thousands of people came from Ireland, and also many 
 from Holland; among whom, it was reported, were 
 Komans, or Papists, several of whom, it was said, 
 gave out threatening speeches, which caused some 
 consternation among the people. 
 
 At this large General Meeting) I exhorted them to 
 trust in the Lord, and not to distrust that hand which 
 had hitherto preserved us by his providence without 
 outward force; and that though the people who came 
 among us were many in number, yet we having the 
 Lord on our side, were more than they, in a mystical
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 293 
 
 sense ; putting them in remembrance of the prophet, 
 who, when his servant was afraid, prayed to the Al- 
 mighty to open his eyes, and when they were opened, 
 he saw the mountain full of chariots of fire, and horses 
 of fire, and that they were more than their enemies. 
 I was also concerned to exhort Friends to be good 
 examples to those strangers who came among us in 
 such great numbers ;' and that our lights in our con- 
 versations, might so shine, that those people seeing 
 our good works, might glorify our Father which is in 
 heaven, according to the doctrine of Christ ; and then 
 we should do them good, and they would do us no 
 hurt, but good also. But on the other hand, if we 
 keep not our places, and do not live in the fear of God, 
 nor according to our holy principles and profession, then 
 it might be just with the Lord God, to make them a 
 scourge to us. Many were comforted in this meeting, 
 and God was praised, who is worthy. 
 
 On the 15th of the Sixth month, having loaded the 
 ship " New Bristol Hope " a second time, I sailed in 
 her from Philadelphia, and having a concern to visit 
 the meeting of Friends at Salem, I left the ship at 
 Gloucester, under the care of the pilot, and went by 
 land to the First-day meeting at Salem, and from 
 thence to Elsenborough, and stayed till the ship came 
 down ; and on the 20th of the month we got to sea, 
 and had a fair wind for several days, and lived very 
 lovingly on board, being respectfully treated by my 
 sailors. 
 
 In this voyage we had several meetings on board, 
 
 25*
 
 294 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 the first of which was at the request of my second 
 mate, to call the sailors together in the cabin ; I not 
 being forward to propose it to them, lest they should 
 suspect me of some vanity, in desiring to preach to 
 them ; they not knowing the cross of Christ in that 
 exercise. 
 
 On the 24th day of the Seventh month, at noon, 
 our ship by observation, being exactly in the latitude 
 of Barbadoes, we steered away west for the island, and 
 on the 26th we saw it, five weeks and one day after 
 leaving sight of Cape Henlopen ; we having, after the 
 first few days, light winds, calms, and head winds, 
 which made our passage long, and our sea-stores al- 
 most spent ; but now the sight of land made the people 
 forget all uneasiness, and for this favor, my heart was 
 thankful to the great Preserver of men. 
 
 This time we came to a tolerable market with our 
 provisions, which made our stay short ; yet I was 
 divers times at Bridge meeting of Friends, as also at 
 Speight's- town, where my concerns chiefly lay; and 
 once at Pumpkin-hill meeting, in which it was ob- 
 served to the people, that the salvation of the soul is 
 precious, and that true religion is a solid thing, a 
 thing of the greatest moment to both body and soul, 
 and that people ought to be very serious and solidly 
 concerned about it, taking special care to lay, or 
 build, their religion on a sure foundation. It was 
 showed them, that Christ Jesus is the sure rock and 
 foundation of all the righteous, in all ages ; that he 
 was the Kock that followed Israel, which they drank
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 295 
 
 of; and that any other foundation than him, no man 
 can lay ; who is, in the truly T-eligious, and the true 
 believers, the hope of their glory. Many other pre- 
 cious truths were manifested to us in that meeting, 
 for which we praised the Lord. 
 
 Soon after I went to Bridgetown to clear out the 
 vessel, and was at their week-day meeting ; the sub- 
 ject-matter I had to treat of in that meeting, was 
 that " The Lord bringeth low, and he raiseth up 
 again ;" and that in divers respects, as to kingdoms, 
 families, and particular persons ; and as to health, 
 wealth, honor, etc., divers in that meeting were ap- 
 pealed to as witnesses of it. After this meeting I went 
 to visit the governor, who was courteous to me, and 
 took my visit kindly, and desired to be remembered 
 to our governor and several others, and wished me a 
 prosperous voyage, and well back again, which he 
 hoped would be in about three months ; he said, 
 " Whoever lived to see it, Pennsylvania would be the 
 metropolis of America, in some hundreds of years." 
 He said " He loved downright honest men, but he 
 hated deceit and hypocrisy." 
 
 The 21st of the Eighth month, 1729, we having 
 done our business, weighed anchor and went to sea; 
 and on the 26th we had a good meeting with the 
 ship's company, for the service and worship of God ; 
 in which the gospel of Christ was deckred without 
 partiality, and the reigning sins of sailors openly 
 exposed, according to the doctrine of the gospel, and 
 the most high Lord entreated to carry on in the
 
 296 THE JOURNAL OP 
 
 earth the great work of reformation. Hitherto we 
 have had fine, pleasant weather. 
 
 The beginning of the Ninth month we had a very 
 blustering, stormy time for many days, so that we could 
 not carry sail, but sometimes lay by, and sometimes 
 went with a reefed mainsail and foresail ; the ship 
 had such a violent motion, that it broke our glasses 
 and about a dozen bottles of wine, and our earthen- 
 ware, and strained our hogsheads and casks, so that 
 we pumped out molasses into the sea, and beat us 
 back many leagues, and blew our sails out of the 
 bolt-ropes. 
 
 After those storms we had a calm, and the wind 
 sprung up westerly ; our course being north-west, or 
 thereabouts, we could barely lay it ; yet it being mod- 
 erate, we had cause to be thankful. 
 
 The 12th of the Ninth month we found ourselves 
 in the latitude of thirty-six degrees, seventeen min- 
 utes, north ; but the wind was ahead, and our fresh 
 stock of provisions almost expended, and winter com- 
 ing on apace, the nights dark and long, made it seem 
 tedious to our people ; the which I was helped to bear 
 with patience. 
 
 The 14th day, about eight o'clock at night, John 
 Plasket, one of the best of our sailors, through the 
 violent pitching of the ship, fell into the sea from 
 off the bowsprit ; one of the sailors seeing him fall, 
 nimbly threw a rope to him, which he caught hold of, 
 and the people helped him into the ship ; though in 
 all probability he had perished in the sea, if he had
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 297 
 
 missed taking hold of the rope. I was thankful to 
 the Almighty for this young man's life, and took it 
 as a great favor from heaven. The next day it was 
 dreadfully stormy, the wind blew violently at south- 
 west, with lightning, thunder, and much rain; the 
 seas ran so high, and the ship had such a great 
 motion, that the goods, or casks, shifted in the hold, 
 and we lay by till next day ; our sails also were much 
 torn, and in many places blown out of the bolt-ropes, 
 so that we were half a day mending them, and then 
 proceeded on our voyage home, where we arrived the 
 latter end of the month. 
 
 After I came home from this voyage, during the 
 small stay I made on shore, I was divers times at 
 meetings at Philadelphia and Frankford, and also at 
 Germantown, at the burial of our ancient friend Den- 
 nis Conrad, who was one of the first settlers of this 
 town, as I understood the first meeting of Friends, 
 for worship, was kept at his house ; he was a man of 
 an inoffensive life, much given to hospitality, and left 
 a good report behind him. The meeting was large, 
 and many of the first settlers of the country were 
 there. I was also at the burial of Catharine, the 
 daughter of Thomas Lightfoot, and wife of James 
 Miller, a worthy woman, who died soon after their 
 arrival from Ireland, and was buried from our great 
 meeting-house in Philadelphia, in a decent and exem- 
 plary manner. 
 
 The latter end of the Tenth month, Samuel Harri- 
 son, of New York, and Obadiah Lawrence, of Long
 
 298 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 Island, favored me with their company all night at 
 our house, where we called the family together, and 
 had a seasonable time to take leave, they of me, and 
 I of them, and my family also ; and the next day 
 divers very dear friends came with me to the boat, 
 to the river-side, to take leave, and we parted with 
 hearts full of love and good will to each other. 
 
 I went on board at Wiccacoe, and had a cold pas- 
 sage down the river and bay, and left the Capes the 
 1st of the Eleventh month, being the third voyage 
 as master, and the 17th we passed the tropic of Can- 
 cer. Hitherto we had a comfortable passage, and 
 though we had a crowded ship, yet we had peace and 
 quietness to a greater degree than I expected; for 
 men that use the seas are too generally inconstant 
 as the winds and waters they pass through. We had 
 several meetings on board the vessel, and were at sea 
 about four weeks before we arrived at Barbadoes, 
 where the markets were dull, which occasioned our 
 staying about twelve weeks. 
 
 During this time I had divers religious and good 
 opportunities, with those of our own and other socie- 
 ties, I believe to general satisfaction; having the good 
 wishes of people of all ranks, from the governor to 
 the poor negroes ; all of whom I profess to love for 
 Christ's sake. 
 
 In our return home we had a full ship and upwards 
 of thirty passengers, and were on our passage about 
 a month, and had good comfortable weather therein. 
 
 Soon after I came home from Barbadoes in the
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 299 
 
 Third month, 1730, I went to a meeting at Burling- 
 ton, at which Thomas Evans was married ; Margaret 
 Preston was also there. It was a good meeting. I 
 crossed the river Delaware twice, visited a sick per- 
 son, and rode thirty miles that day. I also went to 
 the Falls meeting, and after it, appointed another at 
 Neshaminy the same day. I went with Joseph Kirk- 
 bride to William Paxton's, and lodged, and next 
 morning Joseph Kirkbride rode with me home, and 
 thence to Philadelphia. I was divers times at Phi- 
 ladelphia, Frankford, and German town, and at the 
 General Meeting at Frankford, where our friend John 
 Cadwallader was married ; Isaac Norris, Samuel Pres- 
 ton, and Margaret his wife, and John Oxley, were at 
 this meeting, with many other Friends, a good share 
 of whose company I had at my house, of which I was 
 glad, ever loving and coveting the company of good 
 men and women. 
 
 I was now preparing for the fourth voyage, as 
 master of the "New Bristol Hope," for Barbadoes; 
 but it grew harder and harder for me to leave my 
 family, which, for many considerations, was very ex- 
 ercising ; yet I was obliged to continue going to sea, 
 upon an honorable account; i. e., that no person might 
 suffer by me, if I could help it ; and having got our 
 vessel loaded, we sailed from Philadelphia the 9th of 
 the Fifth month. Next day came to anchor at Ches- 
 ter, and visited my old friend David Lloyd, who, with 
 his good spouse Grace, treated me with tender, Chris- 
 tian love : the Judge and I being old acquaintances, 
 and both of us in years, and he not well, we took
 
 300 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 leave as if we were not to see one another any more, 
 which happened accordingly, for he died before I 
 returned. 
 
 "We weighed anchor at Chester, and got down to 
 Elsenborough, and went to Salem meeting, with some 
 of our passengers and sailors, it being the First day 
 of the week and 12th of the month. The meeting 
 was pretty large, and I was earnestly concerned for 
 their welfare, as I had often been when I was absent, 
 and was glad I was with them that day. 
 
 After this meeting we proceeded on our voyage, 
 and left the Capes the 15th of the aforesaid month ; 
 had small and contrary winds, and sometimes calms, 
 until the 2d of the Sixth month; and First day of 
 the week, when the wind was at south, and a hard 
 gale, the sea high, and the ship having a great mo- 
 tion, we had not a meeting as usual : many of the pas 
 sengers were very sea-sick. For my part, I thought if 
 the Almighty was but with me, that would make up 
 for all difficulties ; for in him was, and is, my life and 
 chiefest joy ; and as an answer of peace in my tossed 
 condition, I sometimes had comfortable times; being 
 inwardly refreshed with the love and presence of 
 God ; not only in the day, but also in the night, in 
 my sleep ; out of which I was awakened one mora- 
 ine: with these comfortable words, " He took me to 
 his banqueting-house, and his banner o -T er me was 
 love." These expressions were so fresh in my mind 
 for some days, that I could not forbear but bless the 
 holy name of the living Lord secretly in my soul. 
 
 The 16th of the Sixth month we arrived at Bar-
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 301 
 
 badoes. The 17th there arose about midnight a 
 hard gale of wind, which the Barbadians call a hur- 
 ricane, or tornado, and blew more than ten vessels 
 ashore, great and small, which were wholly lost ; and 
 our ship was very near the rocks, people looking 
 every minute when she would come on shore : but 
 through divine favor we escaped, with only the boat 
 stove against the rocks. I would have got on board, 
 but that was impracticable ; but I got on the highest 
 place I could, from which I could see them in the 
 ship, and they me on shore; but we could not, for 
 the violence of the wind, hear one another ; yet they 
 were so near the fort where I stood, that I could 
 discern them one from another, and they me from 
 the multitude of people, many being in the fort with 
 me. I seeing the chief mate look towards me, waved 
 my hat towards him, and he in answer, his to me; 
 then I made a signal to him to go to sea, which they 
 immediately did, letting slip their cables and went to 
 sea, without either boat, anchor, or cables, and came 
 in the next day, and got their cables and anchors 
 again, to the great joy of many of the inhabitants, 
 whose hearty prayers were for our safety, as many 
 of them told me. This among many others, I put in 
 my calendar of deliverances and preservations from 
 imminent dangers, by the hand of divine Providence. 
 We stayed this time in Barbadoes about five weeks 
 leaving the island the 27th of the Seventh month; 
 and there I met with Kobert Jordan, my friend and 
 
 brother in the work and fellowship of the gospel of 
 26
 
 302 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 Christ, who took his passage with us for Philadelphia, 
 whose company was pleasant and comfortable. 
 
 The 4th of the Eighth month we met with a hard 
 gale of wind, which broke the tiller of our rudder, 
 and split our bowsprit and mainsail, and overset 
 many of our chests ; Robert Jordan narrowly missed 
 his, chest falling on him from one side of the ship to 
 the other, which escape we looked upon as a merciful 
 providence, and spoke of it to one another. 
 
 In this passage we saw three vessels only ; it was 
 a blustering time, but the shortest from land to land 
 that ever I had, being but fourteen days and fourteen 
 hours from the sight of Barbadoes to the sight of the 
 mainland : we arrived at Philadelphia the 16th of 
 the Eighth month. 
 
 In the Ninth month I proceeded on a fifth voyage 
 to Barbadoes, as master, and went down the river 
 Delaware on a Seventh day, and on First day was at 
 Chester meeting, at which time there was a burial of 
 a child, and a large meeting. Our friends at Chester 
 were glad to see me, and I them ; and after meeting 
 we set sail and went down the river to Elsenborough, 
 where we came to and landed Robert Worthington, 
 whose son Ezra was on board, and went to Barbadoes 
 for his health, being in a deep consumption. 
 
 "We were on our passage about thirty-three days 
 before we arrived at Barbadoes, when after doing my 
 business, and visiting Friends' meetings about five 
 weeks, we put to sea on the 10th of the Twelfth 
 month, and sailed along to the leeward of several 
 islands, till we came to Anguilla, where we landed io
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 303 
 
 expectation to get salt, but at this time there was not 
 any to be had there. We came to an anchor here in 
 the night, hoping to get to a harbor before it was 
 dark ; but it soon being very dark, and coming into 
 shoal water, we saw a large rock, and came to by the 
 side of it, in about five or six fathom water, taking 
 it to be a ship, and when it was day we saw our mis- 
 take, and that instead of a vessel, we were too nigh 
 a rock, and the wind coming about, tailed our ship 
 towards it, so near that we were sensible of touching 
 twice; I ordered the men to heave a little further 
 ahead, and so we lay clear till morning. When 
 morning came, of which we were glad, several boats 
 with a cable came to us, and the people advised us 
 to put a spring on our cable and cut it, that she 
 might cast the right way ; which accordingly we did, 
 and it had the desired effect ; so that we soon got 
 into a very fine harbor, it being about a mile off. 
 Thanks were given to the Almighty by many of the 
 people, for this deliverance. George Leonard, the 
 governor of the island, heard in the morning, that a 
 vessel was on the rocks, and the people were running 
 with saws and axes, in order to break her up, if she 
 could not be got off: the governor seeing them, sent 
 a lieutenant with orders that, let her belong to what 
 nation soever, they should help to get her off, if it 
 could be, and if she was likely to be made a wreck, 
 he charged them at their peril not to meddle with 
 her, nor anything belonging to her, until they had 
 first come to teims with the master; which is worthy 
 to be recorded.
 
 304 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 We stayed several days before we could get our 
 anchor; for after we were in the harbor, it blew very 
 hard for four or five days ; so that with our four oars 
 we could not row our boat ahead, but watching for a 
 calm one night, our people went out and got it, and 
 then we went into the principal road or harbor in the 
 island, called Croaker's bay. The name of that we 
 came from was Rendezvous bay, where lived a very 
 kind friend of ours, named John Rumney, who, with 
 his wife and family, treated us with great love, and 
 courteously received us into their house, and he went 
 with me to the governor's, who was my old acquaint- 
 ance and friend, who with much love and tenderness, 
 when he knew me, took me in his arms and embraced 
 me, saluted me with a kiss of charity, and thanked 
 God for our deliverance, and that he had lived to see 
 me once more, I having been there some years before : 
 he was seventy odd years of age, as I remember, and 
 had more than eighty who called him father; the 
 people living much on roots and pulse, are very 
 healthy in this island. I was here nine days, and 
 had seven meetings with the people; the longer I 
 stayed the larger the meetings were ; so that I had 
 some difficulty to leave them. Through the grace 
 and gift of God I was helped to preach the gospel of 
 Christ freely, and they received it both freely and 
 thankfully, divers, if not all; for their hearts and 
 mine were very open one to another, the Lord's holy 
 name be praised forever.
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 305 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 1731-1734. 
 
 Continued Voyaging — Small-Pox in Philadelphia —Hurricane in 
 Barbadoes — Storms at Sea — Troubles from Ice — Religious 
 Labors about Home — Concealed Sorrow — Heavy Gales — Need 
 for Patience — First Friends' Meeting in Christopher's — Insur- 
 rection of Negroes in St. John's — Death of Thomas Chalkley's 
 Son George — George's Character and last Sickness — Voyage to 
 Ireland — Return Home. 
 
 The 3d of the First month Ezra Worthington died, 
 and the 4th in the afternoon, he was buried on the 
 plantation of John Rumney, near his house ; the gov- 
 ernor and his son-in-law were at the burial, where I 
 told them that he was an inoffensive, innocent, sober 
 young man, and that death was to be the end of us 
 here, putting them in mind to remember their latter 
 end. After I had done speaking, the governor said 
 that death was a debt due to nature, and that we 
 must all pay it, and blessed is the man who in time 
 truly prepares for it. This was a good expression 
 for a man in his post, and worthy of my notice, as I 
 thought. 
 
 I was at one meeting, where were the governor and 
 his daughter, with divers of the best and soberest 
 
 people of this island: it was a satisfactory meeting, 
 26*
 
 306 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 which ended in prayer ; and when I arose from my 
 knees, I found the governor on one side and his 
 daughter on the other side of me, both on their 
 knees; a posture in which people are too seldom 
 found in this degenerate age of the world. 
 
 On the 10th of the First month we departed from 
 the island of Anguilla, with a pleasant gale, and had 
 fair weather and winds for several days. I spent 
 some time of this voyage in reading, and met with 
 a passage concerning friendship. The comfort and 
 beauty of it was set forth therein, yet most who treat 
 upon that noble subject, place the felicity thereof in 
 humanity ; whereas true and lasting friendship is of 
 a divine nature, and can never be firmly settled with- 
 out divine grace. Christ Jesus is the prime friend 
 of mankind, from whom all true and lasting friend- 
 ship flows, as from a living fountain, himself being 
 the head spring thereof. " Henceforth," says he, " I 
 call you not servants, but friends, and ye are my 
 friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you." And 
 again, "By this shall all men know that ye are my 
 disciples, if ye love one another." Oh, holy expres- 
 sions ! much to be admired, and worthy every man 
 -and woman's imitation and practice. Observe that 
 when they had done whatsoever Christ had com- 
 manded them, then they were to be his friends, and 
 they were not only to be his friends, but one another's 
 friends, as he was theirs ; and if occasion were, as he 
 died for them, so they would die for one another. 
 By this mark and true seal of the truest friendship,
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 307 
 
 all the world should know they belonged to Christ, 
 that they were united to him, and in him united to 
 one another. Nothing but disobedience and sin can 
 ever separate this friendship. 
 
 Against this friendship which is in Christ, and 
 grounded and founded upon him, the gates of hell 
 can never prevail; but all friendship founded upon 
 any consideration merely human, is brittle and un- 
 certain, and subject to change or mutability, as expe- 
 rience hath taught in all ages. 
 
 If any person has a desire to have a faithful friend, 
 let that person be sure to make choice of Christ ; for 
 such as choose him have a friend in whom are lasting 
 peace, comfort, and delight, joy and pleasure, and in 
 him alone are they to be enjoyed forever. 
 
 The 20th of the First month being the first of the 
 week, we had a comfortable meeting for divine wor- 
 ship, in which the goodness of God was extended to 
 us as we were rolling on the mighty waters of the 
 great deep, after which we had pleasant weather and 
 a fair wind for several days. 
 
 On the t!6th the wind sprung up at E. N. E., a 
 hard gale, which lasted several days ; for about thirty 
 hours it blew so hard that we could dress no victuals. 
 I thought on the words of Job, when he spoke to his 
 impatient wife, saying, " Shall we receive good at the 
 hand of God, and shall we not receive evil also ? " cr 
 that which is accounted or looks like evil in the eyes 
 of man. In this time of exercise, the love and heav- 
 enly life of God, in his beloved Son, filled my heart,
 
 308 THE JOURNAL OP 
 
 and caused an overflowing of praises to his holy, glo- 
 rious, and blessed name. Oh ! it was exceedingly 
 precious to my soul at that time. 
 
 The 1st of the Second month we saw land, being 
 driven to the southward nearly two hundred and fifty 
 miles in this last hard weather; but we soon after 
 arrived at our desired port. 
 
 I visited the meetings of Friends at Philadelphia, 
 Burlington, the Falls, Abington, Germantown, Bris- 
 tol, and Frankford, and found the people had been 
 under a general visitation of the small-pox, insomuch 
 that many hundreds, especially of children, were taken 
 off the stage of this life, in the city of Philadelphia ; 
 and I was concerned to exhort Friends in that city 
 ,to bring their children to meetings, and to educate 
 them when young, in the way they should go, that 
 they might not depart from it when old ; and that 
 He who had taken many away, could, if he pleased, 
 take many more ; for though he had laid down his 
 rod at present, the distemper in the city being much 
 abated, yet he could soon take it up again. It is my 
 belief that the Lord Almighty will still continue to 
 visit the city and people, if there is not a reformation, 
 with further, if not sorer visitations, because he hath 
 known them to do them good, and make them a bless- 
 ing to many islands and people ; giving them the fat- 
 ness of the earth, and that which is far more, the 
 dew of heaven ; so that he may justly say to us, aa 
 to Israel of old, " You have I known of all the fam- 
 ilies of the earth ; therefore I will visit you for all 
 your iniquities."
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 309 
 
 In the beginning of the Fourth month, Robert 
 Jordan was married to Mary, the widow of Richard 
 Hill, all three worthy Friends. The meeting on this 
 occasion was large, and the marriage solemnized in 
 the fear of God. Divers Friends were concerned to 
 speak to ihe people, and it was greatly desired that 
 those present, who were then spoken to, might be 
 married to Christ, the great lover of souls, who laid 
 down his life, the most precious life that ever was on 
 earth, and shed his precious blood for our salvation. 
 
 A few days after, I again took shipping for the 
 island of Barbadoes, being the sixth voyage, in the 
 "New Bristol Hope," and left the Capes of Delaware 
 the 8th day of the Fourth month. The 22d of the 
 month, being weary, I laid down to rest, and falling 
 asleep, was awakened with these words, " Oh, heart 
 in heaven ! it is an excellent thing to have an heart 
 in heaven ! " These words were comfortable to me, 
 and left a sweetness on my mind all the day after, 
 for which I was thankful, and greatly desired that 
 my heart might be set and fixed more and more on 
 heaven and heavenly things, and that my treasure 
 might be in heaven, that my heart might be there 
 also, according to the doctrine of my Saviour: "Lay 
 up for yourselves treasure in heaven, for where your 
 treasure is, there will your heart be also." 
 
 The 27th being the First day of the week, we had 
 a comfortable meeting, the weather being moderate ; 
 and on the 7th of the Fifth month we arrived at 
 Bridgetown in Barbadoes, where we unloaded part
 
 310 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 of our cargo, and from thence we went to Speight's- 
 town ; where, after a stay of about five weeks, we 
 accomplished our affairs. I also visited all our Friends' 
 meetings, and some several times, in which we were 
 edified and comforted, and divers of us had occasion 
 to bless the holy name of God for his mercy to us. 
 Before we left the island, there happened a great 
 storm or hurricane, which did much damage to the 
 ships and to the island, blowing down many houses 
 and spoiling much provisions, destroying almost all 
 the plantain-trees on the island, which is a very 
 wholesome and pleasant fruit, and much used by 
 many instead of bread. 
 
 I was clearing out the vessel when this storm hap-' 
 pened, and being twelve miles off, could not hear 
 concerning her, but thought it altogether unlikely 
 that she should ride out so great a storm, in so bad a 
 harbor or road, it being open to the sea, and the 
 storm such as had not been known for many years, and 
 some said, never but once, to their knowledge, though 
 more damage had at some other times been done to the 
 shipping, by reason that the hardest of the wind was 
 not that way, which was most dangerous to them in 
 Carlisle bay, where they mostly lay ; they all got out 
 to sea, except two or three that were lost by the vio- " 
 Lence of the weather. It was indeed a very dismal 
 time ; the vessels which rode it out were much dam- 
 aged, and one being loaded, ready to sail, sunk down, 
 and was lost in the bay. When I had cleared our 
 ship, I set forward in order to see what was become
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 311 
 
 of her; but the floods were so great, and the ways 
 were so bad, I could not without some danger get to 
 her that night ; but next morning set out from Joseph 
 Gamble's, and to my admiration, from the top of a 
 hill on which a house was blown flat to the ground 
 during the storm, I saw our ship at anchor, having 
 rode out the storm, with one sloop by her, for which 
 cause my soul was humbly thankful. 
 
 On the 17th of the said month, with some more 
 than ordinary fatigue, we got up our anchor and took 
 in our boat, and got our passengers and provisions on 
 board, the sea breaking high on the shore, so that 
 several of our people and our boat were in jeopardy 
 of being lost ; but at length we set sail, and having 
 sailed slowly about six or seven miles, we met with a 
 sloop which had lost her mast in the storm, and next 
 morning met two large London ships, which had put 
 out to sea, not venturing to ride it out. 
 
 We had fine pleasant weather for several days after 
 we left the island, and on the 22d of the Sixth 
 month, being the First day of the week, we had a 
 meeting for the worship of God, which was comfort- 
 able and satisfactory to us. The 4th and 5th of the 
 Seventh month, we had very fresh gales from the 
 north-east to the north, and were near a water-spout 
 about a stone's-throw off, which surprised some on 
 board, on which I came out of my cabin, and saw the 
 water run up out of the sea into the cloud, as plainly 
 as ever I saw the water run into the river, till it filled 
 the cloud with blackness, and then it would break
 
 312 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 in great quantities into the sea, which is dangerous, 
 when falling on vessels. 
 
 The 5th of the month being First day, we had a 
 good religious meeting for divine worship, wherein 
 our people were earnestly exhorted to a holy life, and 
 to be earnestly concerned for the true faith, which is 
 in Christ ; that faith which works by love, which is 
 the evidence of things not visibly seen, and is mani- 
 fest by works of piety and virtue. In this voyage we 
 were twenty-two days from the island of Barbadoes 
 to the sight of Cape Henry, in Virginia, and had a 
 pleasant passage, in the main, to Philadelphia, where, 
 in the Seventh month, was held our Yearly Meeting, 
 at which I had a desire to be, my watery employment 
 having hindered my being at one for several years. 
 At this meeting I met with my old acquaintance and 
 dear friends, John Richardson, of Yorkshire, and 
 Paul Johnson, of Dublin, both on a gospel visit to the 
 brethren and Friends in America. The meeting was 
 large, and attended with divine grace and goodness, 
 and ended with thanksgiving and praise to God and 
 the Lamb. 
 
 While our ship was loading, I was at meetings at 
 Abington, Germantown, Fairhill, and Frankford, in 
 Philadelphia county ; and at the Falls of Delaware, 
 Buckingham, Neshaminy, and Bristol, in Bucks county. 
 I was also at Burlington, at the marriage of William 
 Callender, Jr., of Barbadoes, with Catharine Smith, 
 daughter of Daniel and Mary Smith, of Burlington. 
 
 On the 16th of the Ninth month, I proceeded on
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 313 
 
 the seventh voyage to Barbadoes, in the ship " New 
 Bristol Hope," having on board several passengers, 
 one of whom, Elizabeth Martindale, was convinced of 
 the principles of truth on the passage, and afterwards 
 suffered in divers respects, for making profession 
 with us. 
 
 We had a long passage down tne river, the wind 
 b?ing high and boisterous. On the 22d of the Ninth 
 moTith we left the Capes of Delaware, and saw the 
 island of Barbadoes on the 21st of the Tenth month, 
 before it was day, and in the afternoon came to anchor 
 in the bay of Speight's-town. In this voyage I met 
 with a painful and troublesome accident, which hap- 
 pened in a hard gale of wind : I being to the windward, 
 and the ship having a large motion, missed my hold, 
 was canted from my place to the other side of the 
 vessel, against the edge of a chest, and so bruised my 
 leg that I could not do my business as usual, which 
 was a great hinderance and disappointment to me. • 
 But in about a month's time, with the assistance of 
 some of my friends there, I got indifferently through 
 it, and also rode to Bridgetown and had several 
 meetings there. I was also at several good and com- 
 fortable meetings at Speight's-town, where we had 
 one the day we sailed, being the 21st of the Eleventh 
 month ; and on the sea-shore parted with our friends 
 in great love, and set sail, the wind being north-east, 
 so that we could weather the island of Martinico ; we 
 therefore sailed along by the islands of Dominico and 
 Guadaloupe, and had calms under the islands, and 
 27
 
 314 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 sometimes the eddy winds from the mountains or 
 high lands, would take the sails, and carry the ship 
 round, which made it tedious. The 23d and 24th we 
 passed by several islands, the winds and weather 
 being fair and pleasant. The 25th in the evening, it 
 began to be hazy ; and in the night we split pur main- 
 top-sail, which cost us a great deal of labor and loss 
 of time, before we could get it mended and set again. 
 We had pretty fair weather about twenty days, until 
 we came on our own coast and into soundings, when 
 a hard gale of easterly wind springing up and blowing 
 on the shore, was dangerous, and we had a long night 
 coming on ; but through the favor of the Almighty, 
 we got off from the land. In the midst of the danger 
 of this storm, my soul sung praises to the Lord. 
 
 The 12th of the Twelfth month we had another 
 easterly storm, being in about thirty fathoms water; 
 it blew and rained very hard, and was exceedingly 
 cold, and our coming from a hot climate made it more' 
 hard to bear. In this storm we saw the lights which 
 the sailors call corposants, one of them was exceed- 
 ingly bright, and sat about half an hour on our main- 
 top-mast head, plain to the view of all the ship's 
 company, divers of whom said they never saw the 
 like, and I think I never heard of or saw the like 
 before. 
 
 The storm continued all night till day, when it 
 abated ; and it being the first of the week, we had a 
 comfortable meeting, in which the people on board 
 were advised to get divine and heavenly learni jg, and
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 315 
 
 not to be fools in religion, or in the things of God, nor 
 to hate true knowledge ; for if they had all the natu- 
 ral knowledge and brightest natural parts in the 
 world, they would be but fools without the true fear 
 of God, which the wise King Solomon says is the 
 beginning of wisdom. 
 
 The 27th of the month we saw Cape Henlopen, 
 having been twenty-seven days from the island of 
 Barbadoes : this was a close, foggy day, we could see 
 but very little before us, and had like to have been 
 aground on the shoals, which they call the hen and 
 chickens, but went between it and the Cape, in three 
 fathom water ; the wind blowing hard at south, we 
 went up the bay by the lead, for we could not see 
 land ; and the gale being so fresh, we got to Bombay- 
 hook from our Capes, in about six hours, which is 
 accounted twenty leagues ; where we came to anchor, 
 and met with abundance of ice. Merciful was the 
 deliverance and preservation we met with from the 
 hand of the Almighty in this voyage ; may we ever 
 gratefully remember it ! About a league above Bom- 
 bay-hook, when the fog broke up, we found ourselves 
 close on the Jersey shore ; and the wind sprung up 
 at north-west, and obliged us to come to an anchor ; 
 whare the ice came down upon us, which surprised 
 some of us much. Coming out of so hot a climate, 
 into one so severely cold, had a bad effect on most of 
 our ship's company.. I had a sore fit of the phthisic, 
 and was at times almost breathless, and thought I 
 must die, for I could hardly breathe or speak ; but yet
 
 316 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 I resolved as long as I was capable of reflection, I 
 would think of God and my beloved Jesus ; in which 
 thoughts and meditations I found some comfort and 
 consolation. I sat up for several nights, not being 
 able to lie down for want of breath ; and drank sage 
 tea, which was very helpful to me. 
 
 The next day the ice came down more and more 
 upon us, and we feared to put back, because if we 
 had gotten aground in the bay, the ice might have 
 demolished us ; so we took the most convenient time 
 we could, and got up our anchor with some difficulty, 
 and stood for Eeedy Island, one of the best harbors 
 upon the Delaware ; but the wind and tide failing us, 
 we could not get in ; and the ebb brought down the 
 ice mightily on us; so that it took away the head of 
 our vessel, and cut her sides very much. The next 
 tide we got into the harbor, and lay close to Reedy 
 Island, making the ship fast on shore. While we lay 
 here, several vessels came to us and fastened on shore 
 as we did. The ice drove one vessel on us, and broke 
 our spritsail-yard. Here I went on shore, where the 
 people were very kind to us, particularly the sheriff 
 of the county, John Gooding, and his wife and family. 
 I went also to the house of John M'Cool, who with 
 his wife were very tender in their care and love to- 
 wards me ; bathing my swelled and benumbed limbs 
 until the frost was pretty well out of them. The 
 good will and tender love and care I here met with, 
 affect my mind in the noting of it : I pray the Most 
 High, whom I love and serve, to be their rewarder.
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 317 
 
 I had two meetings at our meeting-house at George's 
 creek, where were people of divers persuasions, who 
 gave good attention. For these meetings I was truly 
 thankful ; for though through the extreme cold, I 
 could hardly speak when on board, I now spoke 
 freely, much to my admiration, and I believe to the 
 people's satisfaction, more than is proper for me to 
 mention ; wherefore I praise God. When the weather 
 was a little more open and the ice gone, we sailed up 
 the river to Philadelphia, where I was joyfully re- 
 ceived by my friends ; and while the vessel was re- 
 pairing and fitting for another voyage, I was not 
 idle, but visited Friends' meetings at Philadelphia, 
 Burlington, Abington, Germantown, Byberry, Fair- 
 hill, and Frankford ; being sometimes at four or five 
 meetings a week. I was also at Haddonfield and 
 Evesham meetings, in West Jersey ; both good and 
 comfortable meetings, which will not easily be for- 
 gotten : for therein God was graciously pleased to 
 visit us with his word ; blessed b% -his name ! 
 
 The 4th of the Third month we again set sail for 
 •Speight's-town, in Barbadoes; and the 6th of the 
 month, about six o'clock in the morning, left the 
 Capes of Delaware. From this time until we got 
 sight of Barbadoes, was twenty-five days, which was 
 the quickest voyage I ever had in this ship ; in which 
 time we had three meetings for the public worship 
 of Almighty God, and to me they were beneficial ; 
 and for God's goodness, I could do no less than return 
 praise to him, who alone is worthy forever. 
 
 27 *
 
 318 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 After I had done my business at Barbadoes and 
 visited Friends' meetings, on the 5th of the Fifth 
 month I sailed for South Carolina, touched at the 
 island of Christopher's, and landed some passengers 
 there. From thence we went to sea, and the same 
 night had a storm, though we suffered but little, the 
 wind being for us, so that we went before it, and after 
 it was over, we had a pleasant passage of about four- 
 teen days to the coast of Carolina ; and when we saw 
 the land, the wind came against us, which made some 
 of our passengers very uneasy ; but in meditating on 
 the infinite Being, I was favored with inward com- 
 fort and strong consolation, so that I was humbly 
 thankful, and praised God. 
 
 We were prevented by contrary winds, and a strong 
 current, from getting into Charleston ; and while we 
 were beating about the coast, we met with a vessel, 
 which came from thence, and gave us intelligence 
 that many people died suddenly, and that they buried 
 ten or twelve in a day. Hearing such news, and the 
 wind being still against us, our passengers, who in- 
 tended for Carolina, concluded to go for Philadelphia : 
 so we tacked about, and stood for Delaware bay, and 
 then we had a fresh gale ahead again for several days, 
 and spending so much time on the coast, our water 
 was far expended, and we agreed to come to an allow- 
 ance of it, a quart each man, for twenty-four hours, 
 for several days before we get in. We were about 
 five weeks on our passage from Barbadoes to Dela- 
 ware river.
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 319 
 
 Soon after our arrival at Philadelphia, we got our 
 ship on the ways, in order to refit and sheathe her, in 
 ■which time I travelled into several counties, and had 
 many religious meetings, in which I had good satis- 
 faction ; and my old acquaintance and friends said 
 they rejoiced to see me again, after my sea-voyages. 
 I was thankful in my heart for the good will of my 
 good Master, and of my friends, in those journeys, 
 which was, and I hope ever will be, better to me than 
 choice silver or fine gold. 
 
 The winter setting in about a month sooner than 
 usual, many vessels were detained from going to sea, 
 and frozen up ; and many vessels could not come from 
 sea up the river, so that a great damp was put on 
 trade, and the frost coming suddenly, many people 
 were taken with colds and died, in both the provinces 
 of New Jersey and Pennsylvania. My dear friend 
 *and kind landlord, Paul Preston, died about this time, 
 who on his dying-bed, said, " He had no desire to 
 live but to do good, and that it had been his care to 
 keep a conscience void of offence towards God and 
 to all men, which now was his comfort." The hard 
 weather continuing, I found a concern on my mind to 
 visit Friends' meetings in the county of Bucks, in 
 Pennsylvania, and the county of Burlington, in West 
 Jersey ; and was at above twenty meetings in about 
 twenty days. In this journey I was favored with the 
 grace and goodness of the divine hand to a greater 
 degree than I was worthy of, though I was sometimes 
 exceedingly poor in my spirit, and in my own judg-
 
 320 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 ment, very weak for service and labor, both in body 
 and mind ; our meetings, considering the severe sea- 
 son, were large, and I hope they were to general 
 edification. 
 
 On the 25th of the Tenth month, being the reputed 
 birthday of our Lord Jesus Christ, at a little town 
 near the Falls, called Bordentown, we had a meeting, 
 where none had been held before by Friends, in one 
 of the houses newly built by Joseph Borden, the pro- 
 prietor of the place : he entertained us lovingly at 
 his house, and generously offered ground for a grave- 
 yard, and to build a meeting-house on, and a hand- 
 some sum of money towards building it, though he 
 did not make profession with our Society. Some 
 that were at this meeting, who did not profess with 
 us, came over the creek on the ice to Isaac Horner's, 
 in the evening, where we had a satisfactory meeting, 
 in which God through Christ was glorified. Daniel 
 Stanton, my wife's sister's son, accompanied me in 
 this journey, whose company and ministry were ac- 
 ceptable, both to me and Friends, and we "had 
 meetings at the Falls, Bristol, Middletown, Wright's- 
 town, Bordentown, Crosswicks, Mansfield, Upper and 
 Lower Springfield, Mount Holly, B,ancocas, Evesham, 
 and Chester, and divers evening meetings at several 
 Friends' houses. It being a sickly time, I was often 
 sent for to visit the sick, in which visits we were 
 comforted, and God's holy name was praised. 
 
 On the 18th of the Eleventh month I was sent for 
 to Bristol, to visit En n ion Williams, who was danger-
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 321 
 
 ously ill, and to Burlington, to the burial of Eliza- 
 beth, the wife of Jonathan Wright, who was buried 
 from the great meeting-house. The meeting was very 
 large, she being well beloved by her neighbors and 
 acquaintance, being a woman much given to hospi- 
 tality, and indeed many of the Friends of Burlington 
 have exceeded in that respect the most that I have 
 ever observed in my travels. She was a pattern of 
 piety, a loving, obliging wife, and a tender, careful 
 mother, a kind neighbor, a loving and faithful friend, 
 and so continued to the end ; some of her dying words 
 were, that she desired her love might be remembered 
 to all her friends, which was done openly in the said 
 meeting, and tenderly affected many. 
 
 After I came home I was at the marriage of Wil- 
 liam Parker and Elizabeth Gilbert, at which marriage 
 was our worthy, ancient friend, John Richardson, with 
 divers other European Friends. The meeting was 
 large and edifying. 
 
 The river still continuing frozen up, I had a desire 
 to visit my friends and brethren in Chester county, 
 whom I had not seen for some years ; and in order 
 thereto, in the beginning of the Twelfth month, I 
 with my kinsman, Daniel Stanton, set out from Phi- 
 ladelphia, and went to Newtown, where we had a 
 meeting next day, being the first of the week, and 
 afterwards an evening meeting at Evan Lewis's. 
 From thence we went to the Monthly Meeting at 
 Providence, on Third day to Middletown, Fourth 
 day to Concord, Fifth day to Birmingham, Sixth day
 
 322 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 to London Grove; after which we had an evening meet- 
 ing at a widow's house ; from thence we travelled on 
 Seventh day to Nottingham, and were at a large 
 meeting there on First day, and had an evening 
 meeting at a Friend's house, where some persons 
 came, who had never been at a meeting of Friends 
 before. On Second day we had a meeting at Susque- 
 hanna ferry, to which divers people came over the 
 ice, and it was a good opportunity to many of them. 
 Third day we had a large meeting at West Notting- 
 ham, and in the evening at William Brown's, and 
 next we had a large meeting at New Garden,. and at 
 Michael Liehtfoot's house we met with two Friends 
 from Ireland, Mungo Bewley and Samuel Stephens, 
 who were now proceeding on their religious visit to 
 Friends in Maryland, Virginia, and North Carolina. 
 From thence I went to visit my old friend and ac- 
 quaintance, Ellis Lewis, who had a desire to see me ; 
 and we had an evening meeting in his chamber to 
 our mutual comfort and refreshment. Next day we 
 had a very large meeting in the meeting-house at 
 Kennet; after which we went to Concord to the 
 Quarterly Meeting for the county of Chester, and 
 were at three meetings there, and likewise had three 
 evening meetings at Friends' houses ; at which meet- 
 ings we had the company of my kinswoman Alice 
 Alderson, and her companion Margaret Coupland, 
 who were lately come from the north of England to 
 visit Friends in this and the adjacent provinces. 
 We went on Third day to the General Meeting at
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 323 
 
 Providence, which was very large; Joshua Fielding 
 and Ebenezer Large were there; and we had an 
 evening meeting at Rebecca Minshall's; and next 
 went to Chichester, where we had a larger meeting 
 than I expected, considering the season; we lodged 
 at John Salkeld's. On Fifth day we had a good, open 
 meeting at Chester, and in th« evening, another at 
 Grace Lloyd's ; next day had a meeting at Springfield, 
 which I believe will be remembered by»some that 
 were there, when we do not see one another ; after- 
 wards we travelled to Philadelphia. 
 
 In the year 1732, arrived Thomas Penn, one of the 
 proprietors of Pennsylvania, and son of the truly 
 honorable William Penn, governor and proprietor of 
 this province. A wise man, a good Christian, and a 
 mild governor : a great promoter of piety and virtue, 
 and of good men. May this his son walk in his steps ! 
 
 In the First month was our General Spring Meeting, 
 at which were several public Friends from England, 
 viz. : John Richardson, Alice Alderson, and Margaret 
 Coupland. The meeting was large and edifying, the 
 said Friends having service therein to general satis- 
 faction. 
 
 The 2d of the Second month I proceeded on a 
 voyage to Barbadoes, it being the first in the " Snow " 
 Barbadoes packet, a vessel built on purpose for me-. 
 We got to the Capes on the evening of the 20th of the 
 Second month, and were obliged to come to anchor. On 
 the 21st we put out to sea, but the wind being against 
 us, and looking like windy weather, I concluded to come
 
 324 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 to under our Cape, and wait for a fair wind : as soon 
 as our " Snow " came to, we got our boat out and went 
 to Lewistown ; and next day being First day, had a 
 meeting in the court-house ; the people were glad of a 
 meeting, and I had a good opportunity with them. 
 After meeting I went on board and weighed anchor, 
 and had a fair wind for above a week. Near the 
 latitude of Bermuda, we had smart gales of wind, 
 which obliged us to carry our topsail double-reefed ; 
 and after having been at sea twenty-seven days and 
 one night, in which time we had several meetings, we 
 saw the island of Barbadoes ; though for the most 
 part we had contrary winds, yet all was well, and 
 God blessed, who is forever worthy. 
 
 The 20th of the Fourth month, having done my 
 business, and also visited Friends' meetings, we sailed 
 for Philadelphia ; and on the 25th, being First day, 
 we had a seasonable and serviceable meeting, wherein 
 the Almighty was worshipped and praised, and the 
 people exhorted to sobriety and temperance. We were 
 about twenty days from Barbadoes to Philadelphia. 
 
 After having stayed at home about six weeks, and 
 visited the meetings of Friends in divers places, to 
 mine and their satisfaction, on the 28th of the Sixth 
 month I proceeded on another voyage for the island 
 of Barbadoes, and left sight of our Capes on the 31st. 
 The winds were for the most part contrary, and be- 
 fore we got into the trade wind, we met with two 
 hard gales ; the last of which was a kind of hurricane, 
 in which we could carry no sail at all, but let the
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 325 
 
 vessel lie to the mercy of the seas, or rather to the 
 mercy of Him who made the seas and all that is 
 therein, and in the earth also. In this storm we lost 
 a square topmast, and divers other things belonging 
 to the vessel ; but all our people were well and safe. 
 This voyage we had several comfortable religious 
 meetings on board, in which we were exhorted to 
 prepare for another and better world, this being so 
 very uncertain and momentary, and full of various 
 exercises, temptations, and afflictions. 
 
 I had on board three Whitehaven sailors, William 
 Towerson, William Trimble, and William Atkinson, 
 and I do not remember that I heard any of them 
 swear an oath during the whole voyage, which I 
 thought worthy to stand on record, because it is so 
 rare in sea-faring men. About the beginning of the 
 Eighth month, being in the latitude of Barbadoes, the 
 thoughts of leaving my family and habitation, and 
 many of my loving relations and near and dear friends, 
 as at divers other times also, made me pensive and 
 sorrowful ; but it being on a principle of justice, and 
 sometimes meeting with the presence and goodness 
 of God, I was enabled to do my affairs and business, 
 and forbore to appear sorrowful as much as I possibly 
 could, or to be of a sad countenance in the sight of 
 men ; but to Him who knows all things, and sees in 
 secret, I poured out my soul in all my afflictions, for 
 He only is able to help me. I met with some who un- 
 truly censured me, as covetous of the things of this 
 world, or to be rich ; and that for the sake of these 
 
 28
 
 326 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 outward things, I might venture ray life, until I might 
 lose it. As to my life, it hath long been my desire to be 
 ready to resign it, and is so still ; and as to those 
 outward things, so far as I know, my heart is clear. 
 Food and raiment, and to be clear and even with the 
 world, having rather to give than receive, is all the 
 grandeur I desire ; and if that be not granted, I hope 
 to be contented without it, and to be thankful. I 
 look upon crowns and sceptres, and all the fine things 
 of this world, but as trifles, and diminutive, in com- 
 parison of a house and kingdom eternal in the heav- 
 ens. In this voyage, as usual, I read in the holy 
 Scriptures, and met with strong consolation therein, 
 especially in the New Testament; I also read much in 
 the works of that eminent judge and good Christian, 
 Matthew Hale. 
 
 On the 7th of the Eighth month we arrived at 
 Barbadoes, stayed three weeks and one day, and had 
 several religious meetings. I hastened to accomplish 
 my affaiis before winter, it being a time of the year 
 when it is dangerous sailing on our coasts. On the 
 30th of the Eighth month we left the island of Barba- 
 does, bound to Philadelphia; and on the 11th of the 
 Ninth month it pleased God to favor us with a gra- 
 cious opportunity to worship him; wherein was de- 
 clared to the ship's company the nature and advantage 
 of good, and the Fountain from whenGe it flows ; also 
 the nature and disadvantage of evil ; the one springing 
 from God, and the other proceeding from Satan, or 
 the devil, who is the root of all evil : and that men
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 327 
 
 might be left without excuse, God hath sent the divine 
 and supernatural light of his holy Spirit, to show to 
 mortals what is good and what is evil ; in order that 
 they might embrace the good and refuse the evil. 
 
 The 21st of the Ninth month we had a very hard 
 gale of wind at north-west, which blew so hard that 
 we were obliged to lay the ship to the wind ; for by 
 the violence thereof we could not carry any sail, 
 and it was so dark that we could neither see stars 
 nor one another, nor hear one another, without we 
 were very near, the seas rising very high. Indeed, 
 the long, stormy, and dark nights, were very dismal, 
 and- some of our goods got loose in the hold. In the 
 beginning of the night, about the seventh hour, 
 Philip Kearney, my apprentice, fell into the sea and 
 was lost, which was a deep affliction to us. 
 
 The 25th we saw land, and next day came to anch- 
 or in Delaware bay. The loss of this lad was a cause 
 that we were not so joyful as is usual for people to 
 be when come to the shore. 
 
 The latter end ofctlie Tenth month I went the third 
 voyage, commander of the Barbadoes packet from Phi- 
 ladelphia, bound to Barbadoes : we were towed through 
 the ice by two boats from Thomas Master's wharf, and 
 in two days got to Reedy Island; from whence we 
 sailed down Delaware bay, where we lay two nights, 
 the wind being contrary, and blowing hard. We left 
 our Capes in the night, it being dangerous lying in the 
 bay ; and after being out several days, had favorable 
 winds and pleasant weather ; . but when we got into
 
 328 THE JOURNAL OP 
 
 the trade wind, it blew hard and mostly against us. 
 The first land we saw was the island of Christopher's, 
 where we arrived in twenty days from our Capes ; 
 and the market for provisions being at that time bet- 
 ter than any other of those islands, and the property 
 of the vessel mostly belonging to me, and the cargo 
 generally consigned to me, I disposed of part of it. 
 Here being no meeting of our Society on this island, 
 I had meetings on board the vessel in the harbor, 
 and divers from the shore and several masters of ves- 
 sels came to them, the Snow having large accommo- 
 dations for such an occasion ; and so far as I could 
 understand, the people were generally satisfied. 
 
 Of late times, and also in this voyage, meeting with 
 many losses and crosses, and much affliction and va- 
 rious exercises, I was ready to say in my heart, Lord, 
 why am I thus afflicted, now in my declining years, 
 since, thou knowest, I love thee above all things, and 
 that I would not willingly or knowingly offend thee, 
 my great and dear Lord ? It was answered, as though 
 vocally spoken, My only-begotteif and beloved Son, 
 who never offended me, suffered much more. This 
 word being such an evident truth, I begged patience 
 to go through all my sufferings and afflictions, so that 
 at last I might live with Christ in the glorious king- 
 dom of God forever, where I might always bless and 
 praise his holy name. 
 
 Five or six days after our arrival at this island, a 
 vessel that came out five or six days before us, ar- 
 rived, she meeting with the same boisterous weather
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 329 
 
 as we did, yet we made our passage ten or eleven days 
 sooner. Several other vessels bound to Barbadoes, 
 put in here, through these contrary winds ; and when 
 I saw others in the like circumstances with us, I was 
 the more thankful for being preserved safe, and so 
 soon to this place ; yet it was a considerable loss 
 and trial not to get to Barbadoes, the island I was 
 bound to. 
 
 At this island a person whose name was Galloway, 
 a man of a great estate, hearing that I kept meetings 
 on board the vessel, kindly invited me to have a 
 meeting at his house, and said he would give notice 
 of it to divers of the gentlemen, as he called them, of 
 the island, telling $ne that I should be welcome to his 
 house, which was much more convenient than the 
 vessel. I was not very forward to accept of my friend 
 Galloway's kind offer, being sensible of my own weak- 
 ness and inward poverty, so that I made several 
 excuses to evade it ; but he obviated them all. First; 
 I asked him," If he could bear the reproach of having 
 a Quakers' meeting at his house ? " He answered, 
 " Yes ; there are good and bad of all societies." Sec- 
 ondly; I asked, " If his wife would like it, or be willing 
 that a meeting should be in the house ? " He said, 
 " She desired it, and would be very willing." Third- 
 ly ; I asked, " If he thought he could sit in silence ? " 
 He told me, " He believed he could." I then told 
 him, " I was obliged to him for his kind and friendly 
 offer, and God willing, I intended to come, and tell 
 my people of the ship's company to come also, and 
 28*
 
 330 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 desired* him to give notice of it;" which he did : aud 
 there was a large, satisfactory meeting. Oh ! may 
 the Almighty sanctify it to some souls, is my desire. 
 He and his wife were very courteous to me, and 
 invited many of his rich friends and relations. His 
 wife's father was a judge in this island, of good repute. 
 People of several professions were at this meeting, and 
 many expressed their being glad of it. An attorney- 
 at-law said, " He was thankful for the words he heard 
 that day, and if I would stay with them, he would 
 always come to our meetings." One Judge Mills was 
 at this meeting, and very kindly invited me to his 
 house. Some meeting me next day, said "They were 
 sorry they were not there." The mistress of the 
 house told come of the people, who were persons of 
 note, " That they should remember what they had 
 heard ; " and spoke it with a religious concern, as it 
 seemed to me. When I went to this meeting I was 
 very poor, and in much fear, speaking with a great 
 concern oo my mind for the people's salvation, and 
 that God, through Christ, might be glorified. 
 
 After this meeting it was as though a voice said 
 unto me, " How dost thou know but for this cause, 
 and for this meeting, thou art brought to this island, 
 though against thy will?" The people told me they« 
 did not remember that there ever was a meeting of 
 Friends before on this island. The meeting had this 
 effect, that the people had a better opinion of our 
 Society than they had before. The subject I spoke cf 
 was, the excellency of the gospel dispensation above
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 331 
 
 that of the law, in that it brought us to the law, 
 went through the law, and was above the law, and 
 so far from destroying the law, fulfilled it; for proof 
 of which, they were referred to Christ's most excel- 
 lent sermon, which he preached on the mount. 
 
 From the island of Christopher's, I purposed, God 
 willing, for Barbadoes ; which I apprehended would 
 be a troublesome voyage, it being about one hundred 
 leagues to windward, and a strong current against 
 us. On the 19th of the -Twelfth month we sailed 
 towards Barbadoes ; and the wind being ahead and 
 blowing hard, we tarried two nights at the island of 
 Lucia, where we took in wood and water : the people 
 here are mostly French, and were very civil to us. 
 
 The 21st we put out again to sea ; but the wind 
 and current being against us, obliged us to go into 
 the harbor from whence we came, and tarry for an 
 opportunity more favorable. While we were in this 
 harbor, which is a very good one, several vessels came 
 in on the like occasion ; and a vessel that left Chris- 
 topher's about three hours after us, came here three 
 days since we did. 
 
 "We went out again in order to proceed to Bar- 
 badoes, but as before, the current was so strong 
 against us, and the wind also, that we could not get 
 forward on our way ; wherefore we put back again 
 to Christopher's, and by the way called at Antigua, 
 where I had an open, satisfactory meeting, for which 
 I was truly thankful, and so were some not of our
 
 332 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 Society, of whom there were divers, and some who 
 had not been at our meetings before. 
 
 The next day we arrived again at Christopher's, and 
 there unloaded the remainder of our cargo, though 
 much against my mind. After having sold the most 
 of our cargo at Basseterre, we went to Sandy point, 
 and there sold the remainder, and took in our load- 
 ing for Philadelphia. 
 
 In loading our vessel, Judge Brown was my very 
 good friend, and helpful to me therein, for which I 
 think myself much obliged to him. 
 
 While we lay here I had a meeting on board our 
 vessel, to which came five masters of vessels. It was 
 a good meeting, though I spoke to them in much 
 misery and pain, having very angry, painful sores on 
 my legs, occasioned by a fall in getting out of the 
 boat ; the seas running high through the violence of 
 the waves, I fell across the boat, and broke both my 
 shins very grievously. 
 
 The 31st of the First month, 1734, we had another 
 meeting on board our vessel, to which came several 
 from other vessels, and some from the shore, among 
 whom was a young baronet and his host, a tavern- 
 keeper, who at first behaved airily, but after some time 
 he was more sober, and seemed respectful at parting^ 
 
 I was invited to have a meeting next First day on 
 board the ship "King George," a large vessel; the 
 master told me his cabin was large, and would accom- 
 modate many more than mine ; but we did not stay 
 so long as till the First day.
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 333 
 
 After this meeting was over, the master of the 
 large ship came on board, and said he was sorry he 
 had not come sooner, so as to have had the opportu- 
 nity to be at the meeting. 
 
 From Christopher's we set sail for the island of 
 Anguilla, and had a meeting at the governor's house 
 on a First day. We stayed at Anguilla three days, 
 and there took on board some bags of cotton on 
 freight, and sailed from thence the 10th of the Second 
 month. The governor of this island, whose name 
 was George Leonard, told me that he should live and 
 die in our principles, saving that he must defend his 
 people. But he did not consider that his defence 
 might destroy both him and them, and that such 
 defence was directly contrary to Christ's doctrine 
 and practice. 
 
 Not far from Anguilla is an island they call St. 
 John's, the inhabitants of which are Dutch : the ne- 
 groes there lately rose and took the island, killed the 
 people, spoiled their plantations, and burnt their 
 houses. I lodged at the house of a person who went 
 to subdue those negroes, who were too strong for him 
 and his company, and the negroes killed divers of 
 them, and among them killed this man's two sons, 
 for which their mother and sisters were in bitter 
 . mourning, when I was at their house. The thoughts 
 • of the bloodshed and vast destruction which war 
 makes in the world, caused me to cry in my heart, 
 "How long, Lord! thou holy, just, and true God,
 
 334 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 will it be till nation lift up the sword no more against 
 nation, and the people learn war no more." 
 
 When I came home from this voyage, which was 
 the 30th of the Second month, I met with the sor- 
 rowful news of the death of my only son, George, a 
 dear youth, who was but ten years and seven days 
 old when he died, and as he was much beloved for 
 the sweetness of his nature and disposition, so he was 
 greatly lamented by many who were acquainted with 
 him. I have this account to leave concerning him, 
 not so much that he was my son, as to excite other 
 youths to serve and fear the Lord, and to love him 
 above all, and that they may remember their Creator 
 in their youthful days, that it may be well with them 
 in this world, and when time here to them shall be 
 no more. 
 
 He was a lad much inclined to read the holy Scrip- 
 tures and other good books, especially religious ones ; 
 and was always obliging, obedient, and loving to his 
 parents, and ready and willing to do any service he 
 could to his friends; any little services in his power 
 he cheerfully performed and took delight in ; he was 
 very diligent and ready to go to religious meetings^ 
 and an entire lover of religious people. In his sick- 
 ness he behaved himself more like a wise man than 
 a youth of that age, bearing his pain and sickness 
 with a great deal of patience. I being in another 
 part of the world, he would gladly have seen me, but 
 said he should never see me any more, and therefore 
 desired his mother to remember his dear love to his
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 335 
 
 father, and tell him he was gone to his heavenly 
 Father. He was very fervent in prayer in the time ' 
 of his sickness, and prayed that God would preserve 
 his people all the world over. One time, when in 
 great misery and pain, he prayed to Christ, saying, 
 " Sweet Jesus ! blessed Jesus ! give me patience to bear 
 my misery and pain, for my misery is greater than I 
 can well bear ! Oh ! come, sweet Jesus, why art thou 
 so long coming ? I had rather be with thee than in 
 the finest place in all the world." Many other reli- 
 gious expressions he spoke on his death-bed, greatly 
 to the satisfaction and melting of his friends and re- 
 lations who came to see him. One day he said, " My 
 misery and pain are very great, but what would it be 
 if the wrath of God was in my soul ? " He believing 
 in the love of God in Christ, made him desirous of 
 being with him, and seeing the joy that was set before 
 him, thought the time long to be with Jesus, as know- 
 ing that then he would he out of all misery and pain. 
 His heart was full of love to his relations, acquaint- 
 ance, and friends, who came to see him in his illness ; 
 and full of tender sweetness and divine love, he took 
 his last leave of them, which greatly affected many. 
 This was one of the most pinching exercises I ever 
 met with ; but as he said in his illness, so I now 
 write : The wisdom of the Lord is wonderful. One 
 time in this dear child's sickness he said, " Oh ! the 
 good hand of the Lord help me, give me ease, and 
 conduct me safely," i. e., to God's kingdom, uttering 
 this verse :
 
 336 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 Sweet Jesus, give me ease, for mercy I do crave ; 
 And if thou 'It give me ease, then mercy I shall have. 
 
 Although this was a great exercise and deep afflic- 
 tion to me, in losing this promising youth, and my 
 only son, yet considering that he went off the stage 
 of life like a solid, good Christian, it was made toler- 
 ably easy to me ; for he departed this life in much 
 brightness and sweetness, and more like an old Chris- 
 tian than a youth of ten years of age. 
 
 It was usual for me to advise his mother not to set 
 her affections too much upon him, thinking he was 
 too good to live long in this world, and too ripe for 
 heaven, to stay long on earth, in this world of sorrow 
 and misery. This dear and tender youth, when read- 
 ing, to which he was much inclined, if he met with 
 anything that affected him, either in the Sacred Writ- 
 ings or other good authors, would write it down, and 
 get it by heart. He was more than common affection- 
 ately concerned for his mother, doing whatever he 
 could freely and cheerfully to serve her, and told her 
 not to do some things which he thought too much for 
 her, saying, Mother, let me do it ; if 1 were a man, 
 thou should not do anything at all ; meaning as to 
 labor. She being affected with his filial love and care 
 for her in his father's absence, it caused her some- 
 times to turn about and weep. I thought a little 
 memorandum of the life and death of this religious 
 lad was worthy of recording, in order to stir up other 
 youth to obedience and love to their parents, who 
 carefully and tenderly nourished and brought them
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 337 
 
 up ; and also to love and obey God, from whom they 
 have their life, breath, and being ; and to believe in 
 Christ, who died for them ; who is the glorious light 
 of all the nations of them that are saved, and walk 
 therein, according to Sacred Writ. 
 
 He got several pieces by heart out of the Bible 
 and other religious writings, first writing them with 
 his pen. 
 
 One which much affected my mind, was die fifteenth 
 verse of the fifty-seventh chapter of that evangelical 
 prophet Isaiah : " For thus saith the high and lofty 
 One, that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is holy, I 
 dwell in the high and holy place ; with him also that 
 is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit 
 of the humble, and to revive the heart of the con- 
 trite ones." 
 
 I have now one only daughter, Rebecca, left me, 
 out of 'twelve children, except my wife's son and 
 daughter. 
 
 After this long and tedious voyage, which ended in 
 the Second month, I stayed but a few weeks at home, 
 and loaded with wheat and flour for Dublin, in Ire- 
 land ; Alice Alderson, my kinswoman, and Margaret 
 Coupland, were passengers. We had a very comfort- 
 able, pleasant passage, fair winds and weather, and 
 good religious meetings. I think it was the most 
 pleasant time that ever I crossed the seas. About 
 Nantucket we saw several sloops whaling, and spoke 
 with one, by which opportunity we inquired of the 
 
 welfare of our friends on that island, and sent our 
 29
 
 338 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 lovss to them. Not many miles from the sloops we 
 saw a shoal of whales ; I counted eight in a row lying 
 side by side in the water. 
 
 We were four weeks and six days from our Capes 
 to Cape Clear, in Ireland : coming near the land, we 
 met with fishing-boats, and got plenty of choice fresh 
 fish ; in the evening we got into Kinsale, took in a 
 pilot for Dublin, and sailed next day from Kinsale 
 and were out one night at sea, got next day to Dublin 
 bay, where we went ashore, and were kindly enter- 
 tained by our friends. We were at several large 
 meetings in that great city, which some of us, while 
 we live, at times I believe, shall remember. My stay 
 in Ireland was about seven weeks, in which time I 
 visited several meetings in the country, and at Eden- 
 derry, the Moate of Greenough, Carlow, Ballytore, etc. 
 
 We set sail from Dublin with a fair wind, in com- 
 pany with the ship "Neptune," and our friends sent 
 many prayers and good wishes after us. We were 
 about forty persons, sailors, passengers, and servants, 
 on board, and had a good passage, all things consid- 
 ered. We had religious meetings on board, and were 
 on our passage, from the sight of Ireland to the sight 
 of our land, five weeks and six days : it was the 
 quickest voyage I ever made to Europe and back 
 again to Philadelphia.
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 339 
 
 CHAPTER XL 
 
 1734-1737. 
 
 Voyage <o the West Indies and Great Britain — Religious Services 
 in Barbadoes and on Board Ship — Shot at — From Barbadoes 
 to London — Debts all Paid — May Drummond — Religious Ser- 
 vices in England — Return Home — Visit in New Jersey — Rise 
 and Design of Meetings for Discipline — Meteors — Necessity 
 of Preparation for Death — Travels in Long Island, New York, 
 and New England — Reasons for Women Preaching — Return 
 Home — Service near Home. 
 
 When I came home, finding all well, I was thankful 
 to God, in the name of Christ, for all his mercies 
 and the many preservations wherewithal he had fa- 
 vored me. 
 
 After being a little at home and at several meet- 
 ings, and not being clear of the world, in order to it, 
 I undertook another voyage to Barbadoes, and from 
 thence intending for London, in order to settle my 
 affairs there, which I intended some years before, but 
 losses and disappointments hindered me. On the 7th 
 of the Tenth month I proceeded on a fifth voyage in 
 the Barbadoes packet, and left Philadelphia, and was 
 at a meeting the next day at Chester, being First day, 
 and in the evening we had a large meeting at Grace 
 Lloyd's, where I met with my dear friend, Joseph
 
 340 THE JOURNAL OP 
 
 Gill, who had good service in said meeting; we re- 
 joiced in Christ to see each other. We left Chester 
 the 9th, and s;ot that tide down the river to Newcas- 
 tie, and after visiting the few Friends there, we set 
 sail the 12th in the morning ; the wind being high, 
 and the weather very sharp, freezing hard, our sails 
 were so frozen that we had hard work to get the 
 vessel under sail. The 13th day weighed anchor and 
 sailed down the bay, and the 14th were clear of the 
 Capes. The First day following we had a good, sea- 
 sonable meeting for the worship and service of God ; 
 in which, as I was treating of disobedience to parents, 
 and disobedience to Almighty God, our great Parent 
 and heavenly Father, a youth who was a passenger 
 in the vessel, went out hastily and abruptly, as I was 
 showing the ungratefulness of the first, much more 
 of the last. When I asked the reason of his going 
 out, he said it was because he could not forbear cry- 
 ing ; and thinking I spoke so because of him, he said 
 he could not hear me any more. Afterwards I under- 
 stood that he was a youth who was very ungrateful 
 and disobedient to his parents ; the which I knew not 
 of, for his mother told me, and himself also, that he 
 went to sea on account of his health. I thought his 
 going out so hastily was occasioned by some indisposi- 
 tion of body.; but it was, as he gave us to understand, 
 through resenting illy what was spoken, and by taking 
 it to himself. I have sometimes observed, that per- 
 sons have shown a restlessness and uneasiness in pub- 
 lic assemblies for worship, sometimes going ouj, etc.,
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 341 
 
 so that they have thereby exposed themselves to the 
 notice of the people, as persons guilty of the matter 
 publicly reprehended, or spoken against; just as though 
 they were the only persons in the assembly who were 
 guilty of the evil then taken notice of: such public 
 restlessness is a great folly and weakness, besides so 
 openly and publicly exposing themselves. 
 
 After we left our Capes, we had hard gales of wind, 
 which lasted several days. The 28th being First day, 
 we had a meeting for divine worship, in which God 
 was praised and his holy name exalted, for his un- 
 speakable grace, in sending his only-begotten Son, a 
 divine light to enlighten the inhabitants of the world. 
 We had stormy weather and contrary winds for some 
 weeks, so that our passage was tedious ; and of fifteen 
 times going to Barbadoes, I found this the most diffi- 
 cult ; and the prospect was very discouraging of 
 making a losing voyage, by the great expense I ex- 
 pected for repairing and refitting the vessel, etc., so 
 that I began to despair of accomplishing my design 
 of discharging my debts in Great Britain, and the 
 thoughts and consideration of losing so much of the 
 company and conversation of my wife, relations, and 
 friends, and spending so much precious time, which 
 cannot be recalled, to so little purpose, lay heavy on 
 my mind ; yet by the grace of God my mind was 
 supported, and my resolutions confirmed to praise 
 the Almighty for every dispensation of his providence. 
 
 The 23d of the Eleventh month we saw the island 
 
 of Barbadoes at the breaking of the day, having been 
 29*
 
 342 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 from the Capes of Delaware forty days and one night; 
 and were truly thankful, that at last, we, through 
 divine favor, got to our desired port ; where we were 
 lovingly received by our friends at Speight's-town, 
 who were joyful at our arrival. From thence I went 
 to Bridgetown, and to the governor's, in order to 
 enter our vessel; but staying a little too late, the 
 governor, who was the Lord Howe, was come from 
 his house on his way to Bridgetown, with his coach 
 and six, and his attendants ; but seeing me, he court- 
 eously stopped his coach, and did my business as he 
 sat therein ; and though I made an essay towards an 
 excuse, he would not admit of it, saying, " There is no 
 need of any excuse." He was indeed an extraordina- 
 rily courteous man : he died soon after, much la- 
 mented, as he was much beloved. 
 
 My stay at Barbadoes this time was the longest I 
 ever made, believing it to be the last time I should go 
 there, and that I should see them no more. My so 
 saying troubled some of them ; but growing in years, 
 being then turned of threescore, I thought it would 
 be too hard for me to undertake such another voyage ; 
 therefore I was at all the meetings of our Frier ds on 
 the island. 
 
 Here I met with Moses Aldridge, a Friend from 
 New England, who came on a religious visit to Friends 
 of this island, with whom we had divers good meet- 
 ings, his service in preaching the gospel being edifying 
 and acceptable ; we were together at the marriage of 
 Andrew Drury and Mary Lewis, after which I was ill
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 343 
 
 of a fever several days ; this distemper was very much 
 among the people, and nearly twenty masters of ves- 
 sels and some hundreds of people died. Though I 
 had been at Barbadoes many times, I never had so 
 much illness there before. Moses Aldridge and several 
 Friends of us had a large meeting at John Gibson's, 
 where were many people not of our persuasion, who 
 were generally sober. I recommended charity to the 
 people, according to the doctrine of the apostle Paul; 
 as the most excellent gift, and advised them to show 
 it forth to all people of all professions, and also to 
 their negroes, telling them that some of the gentry 
 of this island had observed to me, that the more kind 
 they were to their slaves, the better their business 
 was done for it. I observed also, that I had been at 
 some places where I had watched to hear some ex- 
 pressions that might look like charity ; but in many 
 houses, and some of note, I could not hear any Chris- 
 tian-like expressions to their slaves or negroes, and 
 that with sorrow I had seen a great deal of tyranny 
 and cruelty, the which I dissuaded them from. This 
 doctrine so exasperated some, that they made a dis- 
 turbance in the meeting : one of these persons meet- 
 ing me on the king's highway, shot off his fowling- 
 piece at me, being loaded with small shot, ten of 
 which made marks on me, and several drew blood ; 
 by which unfriendly action the man got a great- deal 
 of disgrace, it being highly resented by all whc were 
 acquainted with me. The president, of the inland 
 looked on it as a very base action, as did also some 
 
 • *
 
 844 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 of the justices and the gentry, also the vestry and 
 several clergymen and lawyers. One of the lawyers 
 told me I should not be just to the country, myself, 
 or the man, if I did not prosecute him ; another pro- 
 fessing the law, said he ought to be abandoned by all 
 mankind if he shot at me with design; many were 
 for prosecuting him, for the people generally took 
 notice of it with abhorrence ; but he sending for me, 
 and signifying he would not do so again, I forgave 
 him ; and I pray it may not be laid to his charge in 
 the great day, and that he may be forgiven, he being 
 ignorant of the love I had and have for him and all 
 men, even for those whom I know to be mine enemies. 
 It would be too great a scandal and reproach to 
 expose his name and station in the world. Some 
 thought I did well in forgiving him, and some thought 
 I did ill in it: but I spoke my mind to him alone 
 freely, in which I had satisfaction and peace. 
 
 Intending my vessel for London, I made my chief 
 mate, Ralph Loftus, master of her, not knowing 
 whether I might proceed on the voyage, it being a 
 very sickly time : afterwards my mate had the dis- 
 temper also, but I bless God, we both recovered a 
 good state of health. 
 
 It was during this voyage that my friends in Bar- 
 badoes published a little piece I wrote at sea, which I 
 called "Free thoughts communicated to freethinkers;" 
 dona in order to promote thinking on the name and 
 works of God ; which had, as far as I understand, a 
 good acceptance among the people. The principal 
 
 » •
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 345 
 
 clergyman on the island thanked me for it, and said 
 " There was need enough of it; " tut I could be glad 
 another, or a better hand, had done something of 
 that nature, and more at large. If this may be of . 
 any service, I shall be thankful. 
 
 I had a meeting at John Lewis's, in Joseph's parish, 
 at which were divers not of our profession, and some 
 who were never at any of our religious meetings be- 
 fore ; who said they- were glad they were there that 
 day ; it being a satisfactory open time. 
 
 After I had visited my friends and settled my 
 affairs as well as I could, and loaded our vessel with 
 sugars for London, being willing once more to see my 
 native land, and settle my affairs there and see my 
 relations and friends, on the 6th of the Third month 
 we set sail from Barbadoes for London, and had 
 pleasant weather. The 16th being First day, we had 
 a religious meeting for the worship of God, in which 
 I was concerned to speak on the government of the 
 tongue, having on board several hands who did not 
 sail with us before that voyage, and were much used 
 to swearing. After that meeting we had not so many 
 bad words and oaths as before. 'I was thankful in 
 my soul to the Lord, and blessed his holy name, for 
 his goodness to us that day; and in the night my 
 sleep was very sweet and comfortable, being sensible 
 of the love of God in the visions of the night ; so that 
 I witnessed the fulfilling of the prophecy of Joel, 
 chapter ii. 28. 
 
 The 23d being the First day of the week, wi had
 
 S46 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 a meeting, in which the grace of God that comes by 
 Jesus Christ, was magnified, and a blessing begged 
 for all who love and serve God, throughout the world, 
 on sea and land ; also a tender petition was put up to 
 Almighty God, that as he was graciously pleased to 
 look down on those eight persons in Noah's ark, so 
 he would please to look upon us in our vessel ; and 
 that as by his divine providence they safely landed 
 on the earth, so we, if it were his will, might safely 
 land at our desired port, yet not that our wills, but 
 his will might be done : which supplication was put 
 up with great submission. Both day and night I 
 often sought the Lord, and was much alone in this 
 voyage.- I read the Old and New Testament almost 
 through, and much of it divers times over ; my time 
 being mostly taken up in reading, writing, and medi- 
 tating, in which, at times, my heart was broken into 
 tenderness, and I was humbly thankful to God that 
 my heart was not hard ; he having promised to visit 
 the contrite ones ; which he sometimes fulfilled, to my 
 unspeakable satisfaction ; glory to his holy name for- 
 ever. My heart was also thankful that God was 
 pleased to visit me in my watery travels and troubles, 
 and in my separation from my family and friends, 
 who are much nearer and more valuable to me than 
 all riches, and it was a great cross to my natural incli- 
 nation to part with them. 
 
 The 8th of the Fourth month being the First day 
 of the week, we had a meeting, in which acquaintance 
 with God was exhorted to, showing the benefit of it,
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 347 
 
 and of loving him above all things, and delighting in 
 his law and meditating therein day and night. The 
 19th in the morning, a strong northerly wind came 
 up and blew so hard that we could not carry sail, but 
 lay to the wind, under our mizzen, which was split or 
 torn with the violence of the wind ; and the sea rose 
 high, so that it came into the windows of our great 
 cabin. It was very rugged for the time, and though 
 it was mid-summer, was so cold that we were obliged 
 to clothe ourselves as in winter. The 22d being First 
 day, we had a comfortable meeting after the storm, 
 wherein the great benefit of true religion was a little 
 opened to our small company, and the Lord, Most 
 High, was praised for our deliverance and preserva- 
 tion. The 26th we sounded, and found about seventy 
 fathom depth of water. The 29th we were abreast 
 the Isle of Wight. From the time we left the island 
 of Barbadoes to the time we found ground, was seven 
 weeks. Thus through many perils and dangers we 
 came to Great Britain ; for all which mercies and 
 providences, let my soul bless and praise the holy 
 name and mighty power of the Most High. 
 
 It was now a time of a very great pressing for sea- 
 men, and several men-of-war's boats came on board 
 to press our sailors ; but they had prepared a place 
 in the vessel to hide themselves, and the men-of-war's 
 people could not find them. One lieutenant with his 
 men came on board, and seeing us weak-handed, the 
 best of our hands being hid, he asked me if I had any 
 more hands on board ? I made him litt?e answer.
 
 348 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 He then said lie was sure I could not bring the ship 
 from Barbadoes without hands. I told him sailors 
 were hard to be got in Barbadoes, either for love or 
 money, to go for London, for fear of being pressed, 
 and I was obliged to take any I could get. He said 
 it was in vain to talk much, but if I would say I had 
 no more hands on board, he would be satisfied ; he 
 having a belief that I would speak the truth, though 
 he never saw me before ; and he said if I would say 
 there were no more* men on board, he would go away, 
 for then he had no more business there : but I made 
 him no answer, not daring to tell a lie. Now I know 
 that there are men on board, said he ; so he command- 
 ed his men to search the ship to her keel. So they 
 stripped and made a narrow search, and sweated and 
 fretted, but could not find them. He being civil, I 
 made him when he went away, a small present. He 
 wished me well ; and so I carried my people safely up 
 to London. 
 
 In the beginning of the Fifth month I came to 
 London, and lodged at the house of Simeon "Warner, 
 in South wark, and at several kind friends and rela- 
 tions in and about London. The tender and broth- 
 erly respect which I received in some of those families 
 in my sickness, will not, I believe, ever be forgotten 
 while I am in this world ; and I hope that He whom 
 I serve with my might and strength, will be their re- 
 ward. When in the country about London, my resi- 
 dence was mostly at Edmonton, at my dear brother 
 George Chalkley's, who, with my sister and cousins,were
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 349 
 
 a comfort to me both in health and sickness. In Lon- 
 don I was often sorely afflicted with the phthisic and 
 asthma, which sometimes made me very uneasy ; and 
 though my affairs required me to be often in the city, 
 yet I was obliged to return to the country for air, 
 and both in health and sickness was kindly and 
 affectionately received and tended by my dear broth- 
 er, sister, and all my loving cousins. The memory 
 thereof is cordial to me in penning these lines. It 
 may be truly said, we were very joyful in meeting 
 one another, and our sorrow in parting is not easy to 
 be expressed. 
 
 In London I sold my vessel, the Barbadoes packet, 
 and settled all my affairs to general satisfaction, so 
 far as I know, on which account I had labored for 
 several years, and was joyful that Providence had 
 favored me so far as to see it accomplished : so that 
 now I wholly intend to leave trading by sea, which I 
 never inclined to, only on a principle of justice; for I 
 was fully resolved in my mind that my creditors 
 should be paid their just debts, though I might lose 
 my life in the pursuit of it. I never was extravagant 
 or indolent, but met with many casualties by fire 
 and water ; by the latter I lost many hundreds of 
 pounds for several years together. I would persuade 
 all in their undertakings for a livelihood in this world 
 to be sure to have an eye to divine Providence, who 
 will not suffer us, if we do well, nor so much as a 
 spairow, to fall to the ground, without He think it 
 
 30
 
 350 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 best for us, He knowing what is for our good better 
 than we know ourselves. 
 
 When I had paid my debts and in a good degree 
 settled my affairs, I visited several of my relations at 
 Kingsworth, Staines, Guilford, etc. ; had a meeting 
 at Market street, and one at Guilford, another at 
 Staines, and one at Longford ; in all which I had some 
 service, and my relations were joyful to see me once 
 more, not having expected to see me again. When I 
 had visited meetings in and about London, I went 
 towards the north, in order to visit some places where 
 I had never been, and some that I had been at. The 
 number of meetings and the names of the places where 
 I had meetings, while I was this time in England, 
 are as follows. While I was in and about London, I 
 was at eighteen meetings in that great city, at two 
 of which I was with May Drummond, a virtuous 
 young woman, who hath a good gift in the ministry, 
 and had a gracious opportunity of declaring her con- 
 vincement to our noble Queen Caroline, our great 
 King George's royal consort. The kind treatment 
 and good reception she had with the Queen, spread 
 so in city and country, that many thousands flocked 
 to hear her, and more of the gentry and nobility than 
 ever were known before at our meetings. I had some 
 private conversation with her, which put me in mind 
 of the apostle's exhortation, where he adviseth the 
 primitive Christians, that their words be few and 
 savory, and that they should be seasoned with grace, 
 for this great reason, that they might administer
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 351 
 
 grace to the hearers ; and truly I thought there was 
 the influence of grace in her conduct and conversa- 
 tion, whom I pray God to preserve in Christ to the end. 
 I had a meeting' at the house of my brother with 
 his scholars at Edmonton, and also with his family 
 and others of our relations, which some of us may 
 have occasion to remember. We had seven meetings 
 at Tottenham at sundry times, and four at Hartford ; 
 I travelled to Hitchin, from thence to Baldock, and 
 then to Stadtfold and Ashwell. The 7th of the 
 Eighth month being the Third day of the week, to 
 Royston, Fourth to Ives, Fifth to Huntington, Sixth 
 to Ramsey. First day being the 12th of the month, 
 we had a meeting at a small town named Finding, 
 and the same day in the evening had a large meeting 
 at Wellingborough, in Northamptonshire. The 14th 
 being the Third day of the week, we had a meeting 
 at Northampton, Fourth day at Braybrook, Fifth day 
 at Okeham, the county town of Rutland, Sixth day 
 at Long Clackson ; and First day being the 19th of 
 the month, I was at a large and open meeting at Not- 
 tingham, where were many people not of our Society, 
 who were very sober ; Third day had a meeting at 
 Fairnsfield, Fourth day at Mansfield, and Fifth at Ches- 
 terfield, in Derbyshire ; from whence we went over the 
 moors and mountains. Benjamin Bangs, the younger, 
 accompanied me, who came from Stockport to be my 
 companion and guide thither : his company was pleas- 
 ant and profitable to me in that hilly country, through 
 which we travelled to Stockport, where we had three
 
 352 THE JOURNAL OP 
 
 meetings, and where I met with my dear, worthy 
 old friend, Benjamin Bangs. When we met we em- 
 braced each other in Christian love, having not seen 
 one another for many years, with whom I stayed fonr 
 days. This worthy Friend, though upwards of four- 
 score years of age, went with me to Manchester, 
 where we had two meetings, and then I went back 
 with him to his house. He was a man of extraordi- 
 nary character, and well beloved, being a pillar in 
 the church of Christ. 
 
 From Stockport I went to Macclesfield, to Joseph 
 Hobson's, where I met with Joshua Toft and his 
 brother, two choice ministers of Jesus Christ, of whose 
 company I was glad, though at that time I was very 
 low and poor in my spirit. We had two meetings 
 here on the 2d of the Ninth month, being First day. 
 I was at a large meeting at Morley, and in the even- 
 ing at the meeting at John Leigh's, at both which 
 there were many people not of our Society, who were 
 very still, and some were broken into tenderness. 
 From Morley I went to Penketh, where we had a large, 
 solid meeting, and had an evening meeting at War- 
 rington, where I met with many brethren and sisters, 
 who sincerely love our Lord Jesus Christ, with whom 
 I was refreshed, particularly at Gilbert Thompson's 
 and Lawrence Calen's. From Warrington I went to 
 Langtree, Preston, and Clifton, where I had meetings, 
 and so went on to Lancaster. I went to Wray, in 
 order to visit my old ship-mate, Elizabeth Rawlinson, 
 whose son, Hutton Eawlinson, went with me. When
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 353 
 
 I came to Wray, they desired me to have a meeting 
 with them ; and though there was little notice, yet 
 we had a large meeting, the neighbors coming in, and 
 Christ was preached to them freely ; this was the 10th 
 in the evening, and Second day of the week. Third 
 Jay I went to Kendal, and in the evening, with very 
 little notice, we met with several hundreds of people, 
 Friends and others. It was a surprise to me, I ex- 
 pecting but a few, because of the shortness of time ; 
 but I acknowledge it was a pleasant surprise to see 
 the willingness and readiness of the people to hear 
 the gospel preached. Friends here are a great people, 
 and well beloved and esteemed by their neighbors, 
 and live in much love and unity. The Fourth day 
 many Friends came to see me from divers parts, I 
 giving them some notice that I designed to go no 
 further northward, and hastening to get ready to go 
 to America, betimes in the spring ; having been from 
 home nearly two years ; wherefore many of my friends, 
 some of whom had been at sea with me, met me here. 
 We rejoiced to see one another, and after a large and 
 good meeting, took a solemn farewell, many of us not 
 expecting to see each other any more. 
 
 In this journey and travel I endeavored to be, as 
 much as I well could, at such meetings as I had never 
 been at before, and because I was short in this visit 
 to my friends, some were not so well pleased ; but my 
 call was most to the American shore, where I thought 
 my service mostly lay, and in order to return, I set 
 my face toward London, and expected to meet with 
 30*
 
 354 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 my friend and brother in Christ, Isaac Pickerell, in 
 
 Cheshire, who designed to accompany me towards the 
 south. I went from Kendal to Lancaster, and was 
 at Penketh on a First day, being the 16th of the 
 Ninth month, which meeting was large and solid. 
 We then went to Sutton, where I met with Isaac 
 Pickerell, also with our ancient friend, James Dickin- 
 son, and Christopher Wilson, a choice young man, his 
 fellow-laborer. We had meetings at Sutton, New- 
 town, Chester, and Shrewsbury. James Dickinson 
 was about fourscore years of age, and yet held out in 
 travel to admiration, and was lively in preaching the 
 gospel : he is a worthy elder, of whose company I 
 was joyful : at Shrewsbury we parted, and Isaac and 
 I went to Colebrook, where, on a First day, we had a 
 solid, good meeting. From thence we went to Stour- 
 bridge, and after having a meeting there and at 
 Broomsgrove, went on to Worcester, where we had 
 divers large and solemn meetings : we lodged at John 
 Corbin's, who was very kind to us, as also were his 
 hopeful children ; and in great love and unity we both 
 met and parted. From Worcester we went to Eves- 
 ham, where we had two meetings, and from thence 
 to Oddington, and had a large evening meeting ; the 
 people, who were most]y of other societies, were very 
 sober, and gave good attention. On Fifth day we 
 had a meeting at Chalbury, and a tender time with 
 a Friend at Wallingford, who was very weak, and 
 expressed his satisfaction and thankfulness for the 
 visit; his children were very tenderly affected also.
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 355 
 
 The good Lord, the great physician of value, was with 
 us, and his grace was at that time shed abroad in our 
 hearts. From Wallingford we went to Beading, 
 where my good companion and fellow-traveller, Isaac 
 Pickerell, dwelt; we were lovingly received by our 
 friends. I stayed here and rested several days, and 
 had several satisfactory meetings with Friends, they 
 being a large people, living much in love and good 
 will. Here Samuel Thornton, of Edmonton, my kins- 
 man, and Isaac Brown, my wife's son, came from 
 London to see me. From Reading, Isaac Pickerell 
 accompanied me to Maidenhead and to Jordan's, at 
 both which places we had meetings. The house and 
 burying-ground at Jordan's are kept in the neatest 
 order of any I ever saw, in which ground lie the 
 bones of our worthy Friends, Isaac Penington, Wil- 
 liam Penn, Thomas Ellwood, George Bowles, and their 
 wives, as I remember. This meeting is often, if not 
 mostly, kept in silence ; yet several have been con- 
 vinced there, through the grace of God and the 
 power of the Holy Ghost, which Christ said he would 
 send to the true believers, and that should abide with 
 the Church forever : here my beloved friend Isaac 
 and I parted in much love, having good desires for 
 each other's welfare. From Jordan's I went to my 
 brother's, at Edmonton, where I rested a few days 
 from travelling. 
 
 Then a concern came upon me. to visit Friends' 
 meetings in the county of Essex, and I went from my 
 brother's to Hartford^, and had several meetings there,
 
 356 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 and one at Ware, which was very large ; after which 
 I went to Hartford again, having relations there. 
 Thence I went to Bishopstafford and Stebbing, where 
 I had meetings ; and at Braintree, Coggeshall, and 
 Halstead; and there were abundance of people at 
 Colne, at an evening meeting we had, where I met 
 with my worthy friend Joshua Toft, and his fellow- 
 traveller, Joseph Hobson, we rejoicing to see each 
 other. From Colne I Went to Cockfield, which was 
 a very small meeting; then to Colchester, where I 
 stayed several days and went to several meetings, as 
 at Kockstead and Manningtree, and then back to 
 Colchester. On First day I had a large meeting in 
 the afternoon, and after it Friends were for appoint- 
 ing meetings for me to be at in the ensuing week, 
 and desired to know my mind therein. After a little 
 pause I told them I found a full stop in my mind 
 from going to any more meetings at present, and that 
 I would wait some days with them in the city, till I 
 saw further. While we were sitting together, a letter 
 came to me from London, that a Friend, Stephen 
 Payton, had set up my name on the Exchange, in 
 London, as master of the Barbadoes packet, which 
 was the vessel bought of me by John Agar, who sold 
 her to said Stephen Payton, who intended her for 
 Philadelphia, and next morning a messenger was sent 
 for me from London : thus having such a favorable 
 opportunity of returning home, I embraced it, and 
 went on Second day to Witham, where I again met 
 with Joshua Toft and Joseph Hobson at meeting ; then
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 357 
 
 to Plaistow, where we had a meeting, and then to 
 Bromley, near Bow, at Joseph Olive's, where we had 
 a meeting with his people and servants, who were 
 many. I thought it was a good time, a divine hand 
 of love was reached out to the young people, and they 
 were advised to give up their hearts to their Creator 
 in their youthful days ; several scores of people belong 
 to this family. After this meeting I went to London 
 and prepared for the voyage. When our vessel was 
 loaded, which was chiefly by Israel Pemberton, the 
 younger, who went with us, as did our owner, Stephen 
 Payton, and Isaac Brown, and four of my kinsfolks, 
 whose names are Freeman, with several other passen- 
 gers; in the latter end of the Twelfth month my 
 brother and his eldest daughter, Rebecca, with her 
 husband, Samuel Thornton, accompanied me to Graves- 
 end, where our parting with them was very solemn 
 and sorrowful, we not expecting to see one another 
 more. 
 
 From Gravesend we sailed the 3d of the First 
 month to the Downs, and from thence down the Brit- 
 ish channel, and were at sea about nine weeks, which 
 we thought long, having many contrary winds ; but 
 after we came on shore, we understood many vessels 
 were much longer. At sea we had meetings, some of 
 which were to my satisfaction. I came very unwell 
 on board ; but when at sea, I mended ; for which 
 favor I am truly thankful. We landed all well and 
 in health at Philadelphia, in the Third month, 1736, 
 where we were received with joy by our relations,
 
 358 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 friends, and acquaintance ; it was much the more so, 
 because they had heard I was likely to die. At Lon- 
 don I had a sore fit of the asthma or phthisic, three 
 persons sitting up with me for three nights, who I 
 thought would see my end ; but the time was not yet 
 come that I must die, though indeed death was no 
 terror to me, hoping my change would be much for 
 the better ; for then, I hoped I should be forever with 
 Him whom I loved better than life. 
 
 After I had been at home some time, I went to 
 Salem, and from thence to Cohansey, and in my 
 return was at Woodbury creek, and had meetings at 
 each place : and soon after I visited the meetings of 
 Friends at Bristol, Burlington, Trenton, and Borden- 
 town, and in my return home, at Middletown. By 
 the way I called to see my ancient friends, Joseph 
 Kirkbride and the widow Warder ; she was ninety-two 
 years of age, and perfect in her understanding; she 
 said she did not know for what end the Almighty 
 should prolong her days to that age; but she was 
 satisfied in his will. * 
 
 In the Fifth month I visited the meetings of 
 Friends at Haddonfield, in West Jersey, and at New- 
 ton, Haverford, Germantown, Abington, North Wales, 
 and Plymouth, and was several times at Philadelphia 
 and Frankford. 
 
 After many exercises and large travels by sea and 
 land, my brethren and others not of our Society ex- 
 pressed their gladness to see me, rejoicing that I was 
 likely to spend my time more on the land, hoping that
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 359 
 
 I would go no more to sea ; the which, God willing, I 
 determined, having so settled my affairs that I could 
 stay on shore ; and am truly and humbly thankful to 
 the Almighty, that he by his good hand of providence, 
 in his due time, had favored and helped me so to do. 
 
 In the Sixth and Seventh months I again visited the 
 meetings of Friends at Bristol, Burlington, Byberry, 
 Abington, Horsham, Germantown, Fairhill, and many 
 times at Frankford and Philadelphia. 
 
 In the Eighth month I was at two meetings at 
 Cohansey, and one at Alloway's creek, where I met 
 with Edward Tyler, a Friend on a religious visit from 
 Europe, and John Sykes, a Friend living near Cross- 
 wicks, in Jersey, where we had an open satisfactory 
 meeting ; from whence I went to Salem, it being their 
 week-day meeting, which was large and to the edifi- 
 cation of many. I was also at Pilesgrove on Fifth 
 day, and at Woodbury creek on Sixth day : in which 
 last meeting the obedient son was encouraged, and 
 the disobedient earnestly called home to his heavenly 
 Father's house. In this journey I had John Bring- 
 hurst, the younger, for my fellow-traveller ; his father 
 being unwilling that I should go the journey alone. 
 
 After I had been at home some time, I, with some 
 others, went to the Yearly Meeting at Shrewsbury, 
 in East Jersey, which was on the 23d of the Eighth 
 month ; it was exceedingly large, and the quietest and 
 most settled meeting that ever I was at there ; and 
 many divine truths were deliveied therein. From 
 thence I went to Manesquan, and had a meeting, then
 
 360 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 to Middletown, where we had a meeting in the Baptist 
 meeting-house, divers of whom were there, and glad 
 of the meeting; thence to Shrewsbury, and had a 
 meeting on First day, being the 30th of the month : 
 from whence, on my return home, had meetings at 
 Moses Robin's, Allentown, Crosswicks, Bordentown, 
 and Mansfield; some of which were large, open, and 
 satisfactory. After the last meeting, we went to 
 Burlington, and next day came home, accompanied 
 by Richard Smith, Jr. After 'being a few days at 
 home, I was sent for to Chester, to the marriage of 
 John Lee, (who had sailed several voyages with me ;) 
 next day I went to the week-day meeting at Provi- 
 dence, and on First day was at Springfield ; from 
 whence I returned home. 
 
 The 23d of the Ninth month, I left home again, 
 and went to Philadelphia, and from thence with Dan- 
 iel Stanton, John Easton, and John Proud, Jr., (the 
 two latter of Rhode Island,) to Radnor and Goshen 
 meetings, and by the coldness of the weather, and 
 crossing several creeks, I got a cold, which settled on 
 my lungs, so that, in conversation, I was hoarse; but 
 I was helped in meetings to admiration ; for which I 
 was truly thankful to the Almighty, the great helper 
 of his servants and children. We had a meeting with 
 an ancient Friend, who said she had above two hun- 
 dred who called her mother, being her children by 
 blood and marriage to the fourth generation : we took 
 our leave of her, as not expecting to see each other 
 more, and parted in tenderness of heart. One of this
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 361 
 
 Friend's grandsons went with us to Concord, where, 
 on a First day, we had a very large meeting, and an 
 evening meeting at Moses Mendenhall's ; and the re- 
 mainder of the week we had meetings at Birmingham, 
 Ken net, New Garden, Marlborough, and the Monthly 
 Meeting at Center, on the Seventh day following, at 
 which were many young people; for whose sakes I 
 was drawn, in my exercise of the ministry, to show 
 the rise and design of our meetings of discipline. 
 
 First, That the same Power which gathered us to 
 be a people, inclined our elders to establish those 
 meetings, and settle them in most parts where we 
 were gathered and had meetings for the worship 
 of God. 
 
 Second ; They were advised to do the business of 
 them, and speak to their affairs, in the sense of the 
 same power, spirit, and wisdom of Christ, which, as 
 it had raised us, would, as we kept to it, preserve us 
 to be a people to the praise of God's holy name. 
 
 Third ; They were advised, in doing the business, 
 not to run out into many unnecessary words, which 
 might lead to contention, and spending much time to 
 little purpose ; religious affairs being done best in a 
 meek and quiet spirit, which is of great price with the 
 Lord ; great evils having arisen in many ages, through 
 hot and long contentions about religion. It is also 
 good to avoid, in matters of difference, respect of per- 
 sons, on account of being acquainted or related so as 
 to be swayed thereby from justice. 
 
 Fourth ; They were advised to be very carefiu of 
 31 „ 
 
 v.
 
 362 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 giving any just occasion of offence to any, to Jew or 
 Gentile, to Indian or Negro ; for " Woe to them," 
 says our Saviour, " by whom offences come ; " and if 
 any will take offence when none is justly given, it is 
 the best way to be patient, and take our Saviour for 
 our example, who got the victory through suffering ; 
 a safe way, and glorious in the end. And as to few 
 words, the apostle says, "Let your words be few and 
 savory, seasoned with grace, that they may admin- 
 ister grace to the hearers." 
 
 Fifth ; I was engaged for the sake of the youth of 
 both sexes, to show them that a material part of the 
 service of these meetings, is that care be taken there- 
 in, to see that persons are clear of prior engagements 
 or entanglements, in relation to marriage, and that 
 they have the consent of parents, or parties concerned, 
 as guardians, etc., and also, that they, and all who 
 belong to our Society, walk orderly in conversation ; 
 otherwise they could not be in unity with us, or owned 
 by us, as a society of religious people. We do not own 
 scandalous persons, or admit them to be married 
 amongst us, without acknowledging their faults and 
 promising amendment for the future, through divine 
 grace and assistance. Also in those meetings the 
 widows and fatherless are taken care of, that they may 
 be supported and visited, and youths put out appren- 
 tices to learn trades, etc. 
 
 This meeting concluded with supplication for the 
 rising generation, and for the king and all his sub- 
 jects, and with thanksgiving and praises to the sacred 
 name of Him who lives forever.
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 363 
 
 After the above-said meeting we went to Wilming- 
 ton, a newly settled town on Christiana creek, which 
 I believe will be a flourishing place, if the inhabitants 
 take care to live in the fear of God, and seek his glory 
 and the riches of his kingdom, preferring it to any 
 thing of this world. We had a pretty large meeting 
 here, considering the season, for it was very cold, 
 which was held in a large house of William Shipley's ; 
 but they are making provision for a meeting-house. 
 From this town we went to Newark, and had a com- 
 fortable meeting at George Robinson's in the evening, 
 and next morning set out for Philadelphia. 
 
 As it was now the winter season, and having been 
 divers times at this season of the year in the warm 
 climates, it was harder for me to bear the cold than 
 usual, so that I stayed at and about home pretty 
 much, being often at Philadelphia, Frankford, Ger- 
 mantown, and Abington meetings. 
 
 The latter end of the Tenth month, on a First day 
 of the week, I was at a large, open meeting at Darby, 
 in Chester county. After meeting I rode home, about 
 fourteen miles ; but it was so cold that my limbs were 
 much benumbed, and were not fully recovered in 
 more than a week. Coming home, between Schuyl- 
 kill river and Philadelphia, we observed the largest 
 meteor that ever I saw, though I had seen many by 
 sea and land ; this was in sight almost a minute, as 
 nearly as I could guess ; it was a mighty stream, like 
 a flame of fire, leaving, as it were, sparks of fire behind 
 it as it went along, and then settled like a star, and
 
 364 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 disappeared. A few days after this meteor there 
 appeared in the sky an uncommon redness, with 
 streams like fire. 
 
 About this time was buried at Frankford, John 
 Hurford, who was about ninety years of age ; at whose 
 burial, the coldness of the season considered, were a 
 pretty many Friends, neighbors, and relations of the 
 deceased ; as also divers from Philadelphia. I was 
 concerned to advise those present to prepare for their 
 final change ; that being certain, though the time is 
 uncertain ; which, generally, none knows but the Al- 
 mighty ; therefore we ought always to be preparing 
 for our dissolution, and always watching and praying 
 lest we enter into temptation ; as said our dear Lord, 
 " If the good man of the house had known in what 
 hour the thief would come, he would have watched." 
 And we not knowing whether death 'will come in our 
 youth, in middle, or old age, ought therefore earnestly 
 to prepare our hearts to meet death, so that we might 
 dwell with God and Christ in his kingdom forever. 
 It was also observed, that though this Friend had 
 lived to a great age, yet that few lived so long, no, 
 not one in a thousand, and many die very young. 
 They were earnestly entreated, in the love of God 
 through Christ, to prepare for their latter end, and 
 not to set their hearts and affections on things below ; 
 for, by how much they set their hearts and affections 
 on natural or outward objects, by so much the harder 
 it would be to part with them, when death should 
 come. This meeting ended with prayer for reforma-
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 365 
 
 tion and preservation to the end of life ; and praises, 
 yea, high praises were given to Him who had given 
 to all present life, breath and being. 
 
 It being exceedingly severe weather, with much 
 rain, wind, and snow, there were great floods, so that 
 we could not get over Frankford creek to meeting ; 
 wherefore the Friends on the west side met together 
 at my house, and we had a satisfactory, good meeting, 
 in which we were exhorted to build our religion on 
 the sure foundation ; that neither storms, rain, nor 
 winds might be able to shake us from this foundation, 
 which is Christ, the rock of ages. 
 
 This winter we were visited at Frankford with the 
 small-pox, of which many died at Philadelphia, and 
 several in our neighborhood. 
 
 Staying chiefly at home, I spent much of my time 
 in reading and writing, being often sensible of the 
 love and goodness of God, my exceeding great re- 
 ward ; He by the spirit of his Son comforting me, 
 and sometimes melting my heart into tenderness in 
 consideration of his many mercies, which caused me 
 to praise his holy name, who is thereof worthy, be- 
 yond expression, forever. 
 
 In the First month I went with my friend John 
 Oxley, of Barbadoes, to Bristol, where we had a large 
 meeting ; and then over the river Delaware to Bur- 
 lington Quarterly Meeting : we were obliged to get 
 to the Jersey shore on the ice, laying boards thereon 
 for about one hundred yards together ; and being 
 long on the ice and poorly as to health, I took such 
 31*
 
 366 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 a cold that I could not get to meeting next day, but 
 was at the Youths' Meeting on Third day following. 
 On Fourth day I went to Eancocas meeting, then to 
 a large meeting at Mount Holly, where was a mar- 
 riage ; afterwards to Evesham and Upper Springfield, 
 or Hanover, and then returned to Burlington, and 
 next day was at the Monthly Meeting there, which, 
 to me, was a good, open meeting, wherein church 
 discipline was somewhat treated of, and Friends ad- 
 vised to wait for that Spirit which leads into all truth, 
 to guide them in the discipline. 
 
 In the Second month, 1737, I went to Cohansey, in 
 order to negotiate some affairs, and had three meet- 
 ings at Greenwich and one at Alloway's creek ; and 
 on the 9th of said month, being First day, was at 
 Salem meeting, which was large and open : and in 
 the evening we had a heavenly meeting at Bartholo- 
 mew Wyat's. 
 
 After my return from Salem, on the 1st of the 
 Third month I took a journey to the eastward, hav- 
 ing a desire to see Friends in those parts, whom I 
 had divers times visited in the service of the gospel, 
 in my young years ; and though now upwards of 
 threescore years of age, was willing to visit them 
 once more before I died, who, in some places where I 
 had formerly travelled, were grown veiy numerous. I 
 set out with Joseph Gilbert and several other Friends, 
 and we travelled together to Long Island, where we 
 parted, and I went to Newtown, where I met with 
 John Fothergill and Samuel Bowne ; at which plac*
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 367 
 
 we had a meeting, which was appointed on John '3 
 account, and his service therein was to the satisfac- 
 tion and edification of Friends. From thence John 
 went to West Chester, on the main, and I went to 
 Flushing, where we had a large, open meeting : it was 
 . a solid, good time, and the sacred name of Him who 
 lives forever, was praised. 
 
 From Flushing I went with my old friend and 
 schoolfellow, Joseph Latham, to his house. Our con- 
 versation was pleasant and comfortable to each other, 
 wherein we remembered our walking to and from 
 school, in the suburbs of that great and populous 
 city, London ; when we were beaten, stoned, and 
 abused, only for being the children of those called 
 Quakers. The priests, who had money for preach- 
 ing, had preached and printed so many lies against 
 our Friends, that the common people were almost 
 ready to make a sacrifice of us ; they telling us, when 
 we pleaded our innocency by saying we went quietly 
 along the streets to school, that " It was no more sin 
 to kill us, than to kill a dog ; " but now, through the 
 grace and favor of the Almighty, we enjoy the exer- 
 cise of our religion, according to our consciences, free 
 from jails and prisons, in which our primitive Friends 
 suffered much ; for which we ought to be truly thank- 
 ful to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 
 
 From Joseph Latham's we went to Westbury and 
 Matinicock, after a meeting at Cowneck, and to New 
 York, where I had also religious service and a meet- 
 ing; and from New York I took my passage in
 
 368 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 Robert Bowne's sloop, for Newport, on Rhode Island, 
 was two days and nights on the water, and on my 
 arrival at Rhode Island, the brethren lovingly re- 
 ceived me, and we were joyful to see each other. 
 
 After having had divers good meetings on Rhode 
 Island, I went to Dartmouth, where we had a large,, 
 serviceable meeting at a place called Aponyganset, 
 many hundreds being added to the Church since I 
 first visited those parts. From this place I went to 
 Holder Slocum's, and he lent us his shallop to go 
 over to Nantucket ; but the wind not favoring, we 
 had a satisfactory meeting at a large farm of his on 
 an island bearing his own name, and after meeting 
 set sail for Nantucket, had several large meetings 
 there, and I rejoiced to see the growth and increase 
 of Friends on this island ; where God hath greatly 
 multiplied his people, and made them honorable; 
 glory to his name forever. 
 
 The priests, who have money for preaching ; the 
 lawyers, who have it for pleading; and the physi- 
 cians, who have money for giving receipts for health ; 
 are poor trades on this island. 
 
 I had been at Nantucket about thirty-nine years 
 before, at which time there were only two men and 
 one woman, who joined with our Friends in profession, 
 and now it was computed there were above a thousand 
 who went to our meetings, they being a sober, reli- 
 gious peoj le ; and there is a great increase of Friends 
 in -divers other places in New England ; and whereas 
 formerly we were greatly persecuted for our religion,
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 369 
 
 now we are treated with more civility and respect in 
 those parts. 
 
 From Nantucket, Nathaniel Starbuck and Elijah 
 Collins went with me, with several other Friends, to 
 the Yearly Meeting at Rhode Island ; which was so 
 very large that it was difficult to speak so' as to be 
 heard all over it; but the last day our friend, John 
 Fothergill, who had a high voice, being attended with 
 the divine power, gave good satisfaction to the meet- 
 ing, and it ended well. After this meeting was over, 
 I went with Benjamin Bagnal to Boston, and from 
 thence to Lynn and Salem, and had several satisfac- 
 tory meetings, which tended to unite our' hearts to- 
 gether in the love of Christ, and the fellowship of 
 his gospel. From Salem I went with Zaccheus Collins 
 and his wife to their house, and lodged there three 
 nights, and was lovingly entertained, as I was also at 
 many other Friends' houses. From Lynn Zaccheus 
 Collins accompanied me to Boston, where we had a 
 meeting on a Fourth day of the week, and the next 
 day there was a very large meeting, the greatest 
 gathering of people which had been seen at Friends' 
 meeting-house for a long time, occasioned by the 
 marriage of John Mifflin, of Philadelphia, to Benja- 
 min Bagnal's eldest daughter. 
 
 From Boston I returned to Rhode Island, and had 
 divers meetings at Newport and Portsmouth, wherein 
 our hearts were made glad in Christ, and we were 
 strengthened in our faith in him ; blessed be his holy 
 name forever.
 
 370 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 From Khode Island I went to Conanicut, and to 
 Kingston in the Narraganset country, and had meet- 
 ings, and then back to Khode Island again, and by- 
 water in company with divers Friends to Greenwich, 
 where I was at two large meetings : at this place they 
 showed me the trees under which about forty years 
 ago I had a meeting ; but now they have a pleasant 
 meeting-house. 
 
 The next First day I was at a large, solid, edifying 
 meeting in a new meeting-house at Tiverton. From 
 thence I went to visit Joseph Wanton's wife, who had 
 been long sick ; and in her chamber, with several of 
 her friends and relations, I had divers religious sea- 
 sons, with which she expressed much satisfaction ; she 
 died of this sickness, and I was at her burial, which 
 was large, she being well known and beloved. Next 
 day I was at an appointed meeting at Portsmouth, 
 which was large and to satisfaction, for which we 
 blessed the holy name of God. I had many good 
 opportunities on Khode Island in private families, 
 and was at several meetings over the Beach, at John 
 Easton's, who was about ninety years of age ; he had 
 travelled with me when I was a young man ; we took 
 leave of each other, not expecting to meet more in 
 this world. 
 
 After many meetings on Khode Island, I took my 
 passage for Long Island, in my return homeward; 
 and after a boisterous passage, and being four nights 
 on the water, I got well again to my loving friend 
 Joseph Latham's, where I had left my horse, and on
 
 THOMAS CHALKI.EY. 371 
 
 Fifth day had a meeting at Cowneck, where I met 
 with Elijah Collins, Eose Tibbets, and Patience Bar- 
 ker, we rejoicing to see each other, after their long 
 journey by land, and mine by water, they being like- 
 wise going for Pennsylvania. These Friends went 
 to Flushing First-day meeting, and I to Westbury, 
 where was a large meeting, in which there was a 
 drunken schoolmaster, who disturbed us, though at 
 last it ended quietly, and I hope well also. The next 
 Fourth day I was at the Monthly Meeting at West- 
 bury, where many Friends met from divers quarters, 
 and it was a solid good time. We had a meeting at 
 Thomas Rodman's, who was unwell, and had not been 
 at a meeting for some months ; he took our visit 
 kindly, expressing his love to us ; we had also a meet- 
 ing at Jeremiah Williams', to good satisfaction. Fifth 
 day we had a large gathering at Matinicock, and in 
 the evening a tender broken meeting at Samuel Un- 
 derbill's, and Sixth day a good one at Newtown, 
 wherein primitive Christianity was opened and ex- 
 perimentally declared to the people ; and in the even- 
 ing we had a good opportunity to declare the truth 
 of Christ at the house of Richard Hallet, among 
 several of his sober neighbors. Next morning being 
 the seventh of the week, we went to West Chester to 
 a Yearly Meeting, which was much crowded and the 
 people very unsettled, so that it was not so satisfac- 
 tory as could have been desired. After meeting we 
 went over again to Long Island, and then to New 
 York, where we had a large quiet meeting in the
 
 372 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 evening. At New York on Third day morning, 
 divers dear friends accompanied us to the water-side, 
 where we solemnly took leave of one another in the 
 love of Christ, and in the fellowship of his gospel ; 
 some of us not expecting to see each other any more. 
 Passing over Long and Staten Islands to Elizabeth 
 town, we travelled to Kahway, and had a meeting on 
 a Fourth day in the evening, where many neigh- 
 bors came. After meeting a certain person was dis- 
 satisfied about women's public speaking in religious 
 meetings; Rose Tibbets having publicly exhorted 
 them in this meeting to be religious and to fear God, 
 and having prayed to God for us all, and praised his 
 holy name, the said person desired we would endeavor 
 to satisfy him about it, inasmuch as the apostle Paul 
 forbade it, as he apprehended. To which it was 
 answered, that the apostle Paul only forbade, or did 
 not permit forward or busy women to speak or ask 
 questions in the church ; but advised them to ask 
 their husbands at home, and that doubtless he never 
 intended to debar such godly women who had a real 
 necessity laid on them, and were concerned by the 
 Almighty to speak unto or pray for the people, else 
 he would not have showed them how they ought to 
 behave themselves in the service. For if he had any 
 design to hinder such, whom the Almighty should 
 call to this work, then he must have contradicted 
 himself, where he shows how they must behave them- 
 selves in their duty of speaking or praying ; and he 
 would likewise thereby have opposed the apostle
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 373 
 
 Peter, who said, Now is fulfilled the prophecy of the 
 prophet Joel, that in the latter days sons and daugh- 
 ters should prophesy. So that it is clear and plain, 
 they who would limit or silence those who have a gift 
 from God to preach or pray in public, from the words 
 of the apostle Paul, oppose him to himself, and to the 
 apostle Peter, and also to the prophet Joel. 
 
 From Kahway we went to Woodbridge, where we 
 had a meeting, and there I parted with my fellow- 
 travellers, having a concern, though much in the 
 cross to my own will, to go back in the woods to a 
 meeting about eight or nine miles off; which meeting 
 was much to my own satisfaction, as well as of those 
 present, as divers of them expressed. From this 
 place I went to Stonybrook, and had a pretty large 
 meeting, considering it was rainy, in the time of the 
 meeting's gathering. At this place, my son-in-law, 
 Isaac Brown, with several Friends, came to meet me, 
 whom I was glad to see, and after meeting went with 
 them to Trenton, and next day to Bristol, it being 
 their Third-day meeting, which was large, and after 
 meeting went home to Frankford, and there was lov- 
 ingly received by my wife and family. In this jour- 
 ney I was from home three months and nine days, 
 had fifty-five meetings, and travelled by land and 
 water above a thousand miles. ' I may truly say, that 
 therein I was favored with the divine presence and 
 grace of God by Christ, in a good degree, and also 
 with the fellowship of many sincere believers in him, 
 
 32
 
 374 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 which in my return caused my soul to bless His holy 
 name, who lives forever. 
 
 In the Sixth month, after having had divers meet- 
 ings at and about home, I went to Darby, Chester, 
 and Newcastle, having meetings in each place, which 
 were to the tendering of some mournful souls, and to 
 their comfort and strength. From Newcastle I fer- 
 ried over Delaware river to Penn's-neck, where I had 
 a meeting, at which were several that had never been 
 at any of our meetings before, who went away well 
 satisfied. From thence I went to Salem Monthly 
 Meeting, which was very large, and to Cohansey to 
 the Third-day meeting, and stayed till next First-day 
 meeting, which, though small, by reason of rainy, 
 stormy weather, was a very precious time. After I 
 had negotiated some affairs at Cohansey, I returned 
 to Salem, where I met with my fellow-traveller, Elijah 
 Collins, of Boston, with whom I went on to Philadel- 
 phia, and from thence home ; having much satisfaction 
 in this journey, in which I had nine meetings, and 
 travelled about one hundred and fifty miles. I can- 
 not be clear in my mind without saying that I did 
 not, nor do I study what to preach to the people. 
 Nor did I, nor do I, receive any pay or outward 
 consideration for preaching, it being, as I really be- 
 lieve, contrary to the doctrine of Christ, and his 
 apostles and disciples.
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 375 
 
 CHAPTEE XII. 
 
 1737-1740. 
 
 Religious Services about Home — Religious Visit in New Jersey 
 and through several Southern Provinces — Death of George 
 Chalkley of London — Epistle to Friends of Opeckon — Journey 
 into the Lower Counties — Visit to Parts of New Jersey — 
 Mortality in Philadelphia — Obligation on the People of Penn- 
 sylvania to maintain the Principles of Peace — Religious Visit 
 to the Virgin Islands — Voyage and Services in Tortola — Last 
 Sickness and Death. 
 
 This fall I visited several of the meetings of Friends 
 in Bucks county, and the meetings at and about home, 
 as at Frankford, Philadelphia, Abington, Byberry, 
 and Germantown. In the Ninth month I was appoint- 
 ed with several other Friends, by our Monthly Meet- 
 ing, to visit the families of Friends in Philadelphia. 
 My lot was to visit the upper part of the city, in 
 company with Phebe Morris, Hannah Parrock, and 
 Daniel Stanton ; in which service we were of one 
 heart and mind, and performed it in pure self-denial, 
 and in the cross of our holy Lord Jesus Christ. And 
 wonderful it was, how the presence and goodness of 
 God went with us from house to house, and opened 
 the states and conditions of the families to us, to the 
 tendering of many hearts, both of parents and chil-
 
 376 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 dren. We visited about forty families of Friends, 
 when the winter setting in, and I being but weakly, 
 having had a sharp spell of the' fever, we by consent 
 were willing to defer the conclusion of this work until 
 longer days and warmer weather. 
 
 In this month I was sent to, in order to be at the 
 burial of the wife of Richard Smith, Jr. She was a 
 virtuous woman, and well beloved, at whose funeral 
 were many of her neighbors and friends. It was a 
 very solemn time, in which meeting it was desired 
 that those who had lost their parents, would live so 
 that they might not be a dishonor to them ; for it was 
 observed of some children, after their parents were 
 dead, they grew worse than when they were alive, 
 taking undue liberties, which their fathers and moth- 
 ers could not have allowed of, which was a sore grief 
 and trouble to their friends, and such as wished them 
 well. Therefore they were exhorted not to do that 
 when their parents were dead, which they would not 
 have done if they were living ; which would be heavy 
 on them, and tend to bring a blast on them in this 
 world ; and they were desired to consider how they 
 would answer it in the world to come. 
 
 It waa also observed, that sometimes the death of 
 parents had a good effect on sober young people, they 
 being thereby led more seriously to think on their 
 own mortality, and to consider the great loss of their 
 careful and religious fathers and mothers, and the 
 good example and counsel they gave them. This 
 meeting concluded v/ith a solid, weighty frame of
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 377 
 
 mind in many. From Burlington I went to Mount 
 Holly, had a large meeting at the meeting-house, and 
 another in the evening at Mount Holly town, at the 
 house of Thomas Shinn; both of which were open, 
 and some people not of our profession were there, 
 who were well satisfied. I then went to Evesham, 
 Chester, and Haddonfield, at all which places I had 
 large meetings, and back to Burlington, and was at 
 their Fifth-day meeting. From Burlington I went 
 with Richard Smith, Caleb Raper, and Jonathan 
 Wright, to visit a Friend who was sick, after which 
 the said Friends accompanied me to the ferry ; and I 
 rode home, where I found my family well, for which 
 I was thankful. 
 
 In the forepart of the Tenth month, our worthy 
 friend John Fothergill sailed in the brigantine 
 "Joseph," Ralph Loftus, master, for Barbadoes, he 
 having made a third visit to America from Europe, 
 on a religious account. His visit was acceptable and 
 serviceable, and we parted in great love and tenderness. 
 The night before, about the eleventh hour, was an earth- 
 quake, which was the greatest known in this province, 
 the whole city of Philadelphia being shaken, and most 
 part of the adjacent provinces, though little or no 
 damage was done thereby, which shows the abundant 
 mercy of a merciful God ; as also, if it were the pleas- 
 ure of his will, how soon he can lay cities and coun- 
 tries waste and desolate, and bury thousands in a 
 moment. But notwithstanding the mighty power of 
 the eternal Jehovah, oh ! how hard are the people's 
 
 32*
 
 378 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 hearts, and how they hate to be reformed, and how 
 unconcerned are the inhabitants of the land about 
 their eternal peace and wellbeing ! This is really- 
 lamentable. Oh ! how do earthly-mindedness, pride, 
 covetousness, and drunkenness abound, with many 
 other evils, which were scarcely known amongst the 
 first settlers of this peaceful, and now plentiful land 
 of Pennsylvania. 
 
 The 26th of the Twelfth month, being the First 
 day of the week, was buried at Merion, Edward Jones, 
 aged about ninety-two years. He was one of the first 
 settlers of Pennsylvania, a man much given to hospi- 
 tality, a lover of good and virtuous people, and was 
 beloved by them. There were many hundreds of 
 people at his funeral. I had a concern to be at this 
 meeting before I left my place at Frankford, and 
 before I heard of this Friend's decease. 
 
 The beginning of the First month, being the Fifth 
 day of the week, I was sent to, in order to be at the 
 burial of Hannah, the wife of John Mickle, at New- 
 town, in West Jersey. My kinsman, Daniel Stanton, 
 was with me. It was a solid, heart-melting time; 
 my heart was broken into tenderness with many 
 others. The deceased was much beloved by her 
 friends and neighbors, and there was much mourning 
 among her relations, by whom she will be greatly 
 missed. The people were desired earnestly to prepare 
 for their latter end and final change ; and that as we 
 had all reason to hope it was well with our deceased 
 friend, we might likewise have a well-grounded hope
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 379 
 
 that it would be well with ourselves, when we came to 
 put off mortality and put on immortality. The meet- 
 ing ended with fervent supplication for our future well- 
 doing and wellbeing, both here and hereafter, and praise 
 to the Most High, who is alone worthy for evermore. 
 As soon as I returned to Philadelphia on the Sixth 
 day of the week, I heard of the death of Joseph Kirk- 
 bride, at Israel Pemberton's, who told me I was desired 
 to be at his burial. He, his son, and William Logan, 
 accompanied me as far as Samuel Bunting's that 
 afternoon, with which journey I was exceedingly 
 tired, so that I could hardly stand or go when I 
 alighted off my horse ; but being refreshed with a 
 good night's rest, I went in the morning to the house 
 of my deceased friend. There was a multitude of 
 people at the burial, among whom we had a good op- 
 portunity to invite them to lay hold on truth and 
 righteousness, and prepare for another world. They 
 were reminded that neither natural wisdom nor riches, 
 youth nor strength, crowns nor sceptres, could secure 
 them from the stroke of death. Eobert Jordan was 
 at this meeting and had good service therein ; it con- 
 cluded in supplication for the widow and fatherless, 
 and for mankind universally. Fourth day being the 
 4th of the First month, I was at Middletown meeting 
 in company with Thomas Brown, wherein the divinity 
 of Christ and his being made flesh, born of a virgin, 
 crucified, dead and buried, and his being raised from 
 the dead by the divine power, were largely opened to 
 the people, and that the same power must be wit-
 
 380 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 nessed to reform our lives, and give us the true saving 
 faith in, and knowledge of God the Father, and Christ 
 the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. 
 
 This month at our General Spring Meeting, I ac- 
 quainted Friends that I had a desire once more to see 
 my friends in Virginia, Maryland, and North Carolina, 
 if health and strength did permit, and divine Provi- 
 dence favored, not having yet fully recovered my 
 former health and strength : the meeting consented 
 to my request. 
 
 The latter end of the First month I was at the 
 burial of Robert Evan, of North Wales ; he was up- 
 wards of fourscore years of age, and one of the first 
 settlers there. A man who lived and died in the love 
 of God and his neighbors, of whom I believe it might 
 be truly said, as our Saviour said of Nathaniel : " Be- 
 hold an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no guile." 
 He was a minister of Christ, full of divine and religious 
 matter. In this month I was at Fairhill, at a meeting 
 appointed for Ruth Courtney and Susannah Hudson, 
 who were on a religious visit from Ireland to Friends 
 in this and the adjacent provinces. It was a good 
 meeting, the Friends speaking to the state thereof. 
 
 The beginning of the Second month I went over 
 the Delaware, and so to Cohansey, intending home 
 before I set out for my journey to the southward ; 
 but my affairs not answering so as to come home, and 
 afterward to reach the Yearly Meeting of Friends at 
 West river, which I proposed to our General Meeting, 
 I wrote to my wife and family that I intended to pro-
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 381 
 
 ceed to "West river Meeting, it saving me much time 
 and riding ; and after having been at several meetings 
 at Cohansey, and at the Yearly Meeting at Salem, and 
 at a meeting at Pilesgrove, being accompanied by a 
 Friend of Salem, I proceeded and went over Delaware 
 river, and first had a meeting at George's creek, and 
 from thence to the head of Sassafras river, where we 
 had a meeting, but by reason of the wet weather it 
 was small. We travelled to Cecil meeting, and so on 
 to Chester; then to Queen Ann's county, and from 
 thence to Newtown, on Chester river, where we had 
 a large satisfactory meeting ; in which it was shown 
 that no Christian might or could break the moral 
 part of the law ; for, said the apostle, it is a school- 
 master to bring to Christ, and that those who come 
 to the gospel of Christ, can in no wise break the least 
 commandment of God. For example : the law saith, 
 "Thou shalt not forswear thyself;" but if a man, 
 according to Christ's gospel, swears not at all, then 
 that man cannot forswear himself. Again the law 
 saith, " Thou shalt love thy neighbor and hate thine 
 enemy ;" but Christ says, love your enemies ; the which 
 if we do, there is no doubt but we shall love our neigh- 
 bors. Those things were largely spoken to and opened 
 in the meeting, and the people, many of whom were 
 not of our Society, were very attentive and sober, and 
 the good hand of the Almighty was amongst us. 
 
 From Chester river we crossed Chesapeake bay to 
 the Yearly Meeting at West river, where we met with 
 our friends Michael Lightfoot, Elizabeth Wyat, and
 
 382 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 Grace Mason, with divers others; Elizabeth and Grace 
 being on their return home from a religious visit to 
 North Carolina and Virginia. We all being far from 
 home and well acquainted, were glad to see one another, 
 being thankful to the Almighty, who had been pleased 
 to preserve us so far on our way. After the meeting 
 was ended at "West river, taking leave in the love of 
 Christ of divers Friends, with hearts full of love and 
 eyes full of tears, as never expecting to see one an- 
 other again, I with my companion and Armiger Trotter, 
 who came up with the Friends from Virginia to West 
 river, set out for Virginia, and having passed over 
 Patuxent river, had a meeting among the family of 
 the Plummers, one of whom, with another Friend, 
 accompanied us to the river Potomac ; we rode as 
 nearly as we could compute sixty miles that day. I 
 being heavy and aged and the weather hot, was very 
 much tired, and laid down in my clothes all night, 
 and the next morning ferried over the river Potomac, 
 computed about three miles, and parted with our 
 guides. When over this river we travelled fifteen 
 miles to William Duff's, had a meeting there, and 
 from thence to a meeting of Friends at John Cheagle's, 
 and so to Black creek, had a meeting there, and then 
 went to the Monthly Meeting of Friends on the west 
 side of James river, and to the Monthly Meeting at 
 JSTansemond river, and from thence to Carolina, and 
 on a First day had a large meeting at a new meeting- 
 house built to accommodate the Yearly Meeting; it was 
 a good, solid meeting, and there Friends appointed
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 383 
 
 several meetings for us ; after attending which we 
 went to the Quarterly Meeting for Friends in North 
 Carolina, which was very large. The people were 
 exhorted to overcome sin as Christ overcame, that 
 they might sit with him in his kingdom, as he over- 
 came, and is set down in the kingdom of God his 
 Father: that subject was largely spoken to, and we 
 had a good opportunity with the people, and the great 
 name of God was exalted over all. After this Quar- 
 terly Meeting we had a meeting at James Wilson's, 
 in the barrens, which was a large, good, and open 
 meeting : in the conclusion thereof, I told them that 
 I came among them in great love, though in a cross 
 to my own will, with respect to my age and the heat 
 of the weather, being willing to see them in that 
 province once more before I left this world ; and as 
 I came in love, so I parted with them; desiring them 
 to dwell in love and peace, and then the God of love 
 would be with them. 
 
 From Carolina we travelled into Virginia, Zachariah 
 Nixon accompanying us, and had a meeting at the 
 widow Newby's, and then at Nansemond and the 
 Branch; many people were there not of our Society, 
 and were very attentive and sober. Next day being 
 the second of the week, we had a satisfactory meeting 
 at Bennet's creek ; then to Chuckatuck, Basper-neck, 
 Pagan creek, and into Surry county, to Samuel 
 Sebrell's ; then to Robert Honicut's, had a meeting 
 there ; then to Curl's, up James river ; to Thomas 
 and John Pleasants', and then to the Swamp and Cedar 
 creek ; and so on to John Cheagle's.
 
 384 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 We came to his house on Fifth day, the 20th of the 
 Fifth month ; and being unwilling to be idle on Sixth 
 and Seventh days, intending to have a meeting at his 
 house on First day, we appointed one about three 
 miles, and another about six miles off; at which places 
 we had good service : and then had a very large 
 meeting at his house, on First day, which was, I hope, 
 to pretty general satisfaction, to the religious part 
 of the people. From thence we travelled to William 
 Duff's, and had a meeting at their meeting-house ; 
 and afterwards William went with us over Potomac 
 river, as far as Piscataway, in Maryland. This river 
 is computed to be nearly four miles over, and when 
 we were about the middle, there was a large swell, 
 and the motion of the boat made our horses fall down, 
 and the boat having much water in it, being very 
 leaky, was near oversetting. Those in the boat were 
 in some concern and consternation, saying, when we 
 came to the shore, that they did not remember they 
 were ever before in the like danger. I apprehend 
 we were in danger ; and if the boat had overset, in 
 all likelihood we might have been drowned. And I 
 then thought I was in the service of Christ, my great 
 master, and I also knew I must die, and I thought I 
 might as well die in his service as my own ; so I gave 
 up my life for Christ's sake, and he gave it to me 
 again. Oh ! may I, with all those who sincerely love 
 him, serve him truly all our days, is my desire! 
 
 From Piscataway we travelled to Patuxent, to the 
 family of the Plummers, who were ten sons of one
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 385 
 
 father and mother, and were convinced about the time 
 I first had meetings in those parts, and so far as I 
 know, they are all sober men. 
 
 After this meeting we went to Gerard Hopkins', 
 then to Patapsco, and had a large meeting, the house 
 being full before the Friends came, so that they could 
 hardly get in ; to me it was a good, seasonable oppor- 
 tunity, as was our next in the forest of Gunpowder 
 river ; where Friends have built a new meeting- 
 house, which, at this time, could not contain the 
 people. From Gunpowder river we went to Bush 
 river, had a good, open meeting, and one at Deer 
 creek, and so over Susquehanna to Elihu Hall's. 
 
 At West Nottingham I parted with my companion, 
 he having about a day's travel home. I had two 
 meetyigs on First day at the great meeting-house at 
 West Nottingham, which were very large, and Friends 
 glad to see me once more. After having meetings at 
 Christiana bridge, Wilmington, Center, and Kennet, 
 I went to the Quarterly Meeting of ministers at Con- 
 cord, and was there First and Second day, and Third 
 day at Darby ; all which were very large meetings, 
 and Friends were satisfied and comforted, and I was 
 encouraged in the work and service of the gospel 
 of Christ. From Darby I went home, having been 
 abroad about four months, and rode, by computation, 
 above eleven hundred miles, and was at about seventy 
 meetings. 
 
 While I was on this journey, I had an account 
 
 of the death of my dear and only brother, George 
 33
 
 386 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 Chalkley, a religious, prudent man ; lie died the 24th 
 of the Ninth month, 1737, near the seventieth year 
 of his age, and left behind him a mournful widow and 
 four daughters, all virtuous women. 
 
 When in Virginia, I wrote to those of our Society 
 at Opeckon, Shenandoah, etc., many of whom went 
 out of our province to settle in the government of 
 Virginia; to the following effect. 
 
 To Friends of the Monthly Meeting at Opeckon. 
 
 "Virginia, at John Cheagle's, 21st of Fifth month, 1738. 
 
 "Dear Friends, who inhabit Shenandoah and 
 Opeckon, — ; 
 
 " Having a concern for your welfare and prosperity, 
 both now and hereafter, and also the prosperity of 
 your children, I had a desire to see you ; but being 
 in years and heavy, and much spent and fatigued with 
 my long journeys in Virginia and Carolina, it seems 
 too hard for me to perform a visit in person to you ; 
 wherefore I take this way to discharge my mind of 
 what lies weightily thereon : and, 
 
 " First ; I desire that you be very careful, being 
 far and back inhabitants, to keep a friendly corre- 
 spondence with the native Indians, giving them no 
 occasion of offence; they being a cruel and merciless 
 enemy, where they think they are wronged or de- 
 frauded of their right, as woful experience hath 
 taught in Carolina, Virginia, and Maryland, and 
 especially in New England, etc. ; and,
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 387 
 
 " Second ; As divine Providence hath given them 
 and their forefathers the possession of this continent 
 of America, or this wilderness, they have a natural 
 right thereto, in justice and equity ; and no people, 
 according to the law of nature and justice, and our 
 own principle, which is according to the glorious 
 gospel of our dear and holy Lord Jesus Christ, ought 
 to take away, or settle on other men's lands or rights, 
 without consent, or purchasing the same, by agree- 
 ment of parties concerned ; which I suppose in your 
 case is not yet done. 
 
 " Third ; Therefore my counsel and Christian advice 
 to you is, my dear friends, that the most reputable 
 among you do, with speed, endeavor to agree with 
 and purchase your lands of the native Indians or 
 inhabitants. Take example of our worthy and hon- 
 orable late proprietor, William Penn ; who, by his 
 wise and religious care in that relation, hath settled 
 a lasting peace and commerce with the natives, and 
 through his prudent management therein hath been 
 instrumental to plant in peace one of the most flour- 
 ishing provinces in the world. 
 
 " Fourth ; "Who would run the risk of the lives of 
 their wives and children, for the sparing a little cost 
 and pains ? I am concerned to lay these things before 
 you under an uncommon exercise of mind, that your 
 new and flourishing little settlement may not be laid 
 waste, and if the providence of the Almighty doth 
 not intervene, some of the blood of yourselves, wives, 
 or children, be spilled on the ground.
 
 388 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 " Fifth ; Consider you are in the province of Vir- 
 ginia, holding what rights you have under that gov- 
 ernment ; and the Virginians have made an agree- 
 ment with the natives to go as far as the mountains, 
 but no further ; and you are over and beyond the 
 mountains, therefore out of that agreement ; by which 
 you lie open to the insults and incursions of the 
 southern Indians, who have destroyed many of the 
 inhabitants of Carolina and Virginia, and even now 
 have destroyed more on the like occasion. The 
 English going beyond the bounds of their agreement, 
 eleven of them were killed by the Indians while we 
 were travelling in Virginia. 
 
 " Sixth ; If you believe yourselves to be within the 
 bounds of William Penn's patent from King Charles 
 II., which will be hard for you to prove, you being 
 far to the southward of his line ; yet, if done, that 
 is of no consideration with the Indians, without a 
 purchase of them ; except you will go about to con- 
 vince them by fire and sword, contrary to our prin- 
 ciples ; and if that were done, they would ever be im- 
 placable enemies, and the land could never be enjoyed 
 in peace. 
 
 " Seventh ; Please to note that in Pennsylvania no 
 new settlements are made without an agreement with 
 the natives ; as witness Lancaster county, lately set- 
 tled; though that is far within the grant of William 
 Penn's patent from King Charles II., wherefore you 
 lie open to insurrections of the northern as well as 
 southern Indians.
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 389 
 
 " And lastly ; Thus having shown my good will to 
 you and to your new settlement, that you might sit 
 every one under your own shady tree, where none 
 might make you afraid, and that you might prosper 
 naturally and spiritually, you and your children ; and 
 having in some measure eased my mind of the weight 
 and concern that lay upon me, I subscribe in the love 
 of our holy Lord Jesus Christ, 
 
 " Your real friend, 
 
 " Thomas Chalkley." 
 
 After my return from this journey, I stayed much 
 at home that winter, travelling being now hard for 
 me, so that I could not perform long journeys as for- 
 merly, being more broken in the long and hard trav- 
 elling in this journey than in divers years before. 
 
 In the year 1739 I took several short journeys in 
 Salem and Burlington counties, in West Jersey, and 
 in Philadelphia, Chester and Bucks counties, in Penn- 
 sylvania, having many large and comfortable meet- 
 ings, and some satisfactory service in several of them. 
 
 This year the war broke out between Great Britain 
 and Spain; the . Spaniards giving great occasion of 
 offence to the British nation ; notwithstanding which, 
 King George II. sought to accommodate matters peace- 
 ably ; but the crown of Spain not complying with the 
 terms agreed on for an accommodation, war was pro- 
 claimed ; which occasioned much disturbance and 
 distraction in our peaceable province and govern- 
 ment. War being destructive to life, health, and 
 33*
 
 390 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 trade, the peace and prosperity of the people, and 
 absolutely against the doctrine and practice of the 
 Prince of life and peace, our Lord and Saviour Jesus 
 Christ, a great concern came on my mind to promote 
 his doctrine ; in order to which I was largely con- 
 cerned to treat thereof at the General Spring Meet- 
 ing at Philadelphia ; with which service divers wise 
 and pious people were well satisfied, though some 
 were offended. 
 
 When the meeting was over, having a desire and 
 concern once more to visit Friends in the lower 
 counties, Newcastle, Kent, and Sussex, among whom 
 I had not travelled for nearly twenty years, and 
 being now a little better in health than I had been, 
 I set out from my home, and went to Chester, and 
 from thence to Wilmington and Newcastle, where we 
 had meetings ; William Hammond being with me. 
 We had meetings at George's creek, Duck creek, and 
 Little creek, and proceeded to Motherkill, where I 
 had a large, open time in preaching the gospel to the 
 people, which divers of them received with gladness. 
 There were many, not of our Society, who were very 
 sober and attentive, a door being open among them ; 
 yet, notwithstanding there may be much openness 
 both in speakers and hearers, I have observed with 
 sorrow that there are but few who retain the truth, 
 so as to be really converted; many are convinced, 
 but few converted and come to be regenerated or 
 born again, as our Saviour taught. 
 
 From Motherkill I went back to Little creek and
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 391 
 
 Buck creek, and from thence to Appoquinimink to 
 the burial of a Friend's son, who died of the small- 
 pox ; on which occasion we had a solid meeting, the 
 mournful relations being thankful for our company. 
 I then went to John M'Cool's, and to Newcastle; 
 where we had a large, open meeting to the satisfac- 
 tion of divers ; though I was very weakly and poorly, 
 as to my health, so that it was hard for me to stoop 
 to take anything from the ground, and with difficulty 
 I walked from the Friend's house to the meeting; 
 but being helped by grace and carried through the 
 service of the meeting beyond my expectation, was, 
 with divers others, truly thankful to God the Father, 
 and Christ, my Lord and Saviour. 
 
 From Newcastle I went to Wilmington, had a 
 meeting there, and to Newark, to the marriage of 
 Alexander Seaton. The meeting was uncommonly 
 large, and to general satisfaction. 
 
 From Newark I went to Center Monthly Meeting, 
 and to Kennet, where was a very large meeting. 
 Here divers who had professed among us, refrained 
 coming to the public meetings for divine worship ; 
 with whom next day we had a meeting, wherein the 
 evil consequence of forsaking the* assembling our- 
 selves together was spoken to, and that it would be 
 a great hurt to the young and rising generation, and 
 themselves also ; being a bad example to them, and 
 contrary to the advice and counsel of the holy apostle, 
 " Not to forsake the assembling ourselves together, 
 as the manner of some is."
 
 392 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 From Ken net I went to Concord, to the burial of 
 .Benjamin Mendenhall, where we had a large and 
 solid meeting, several lively testimonies being borne 
 therein.^ This Friend was a worthy elder and a ser- 
 viceable man in our Society, and one of the early 
 settlers in Pennsylvania; a man given to hospitality, 
 and a good example to his family, and hath left divers 
 hopeful children surviving him. 
 
 The night before this meeting I lodged at the 
 widow Gilpin's, whose husband, Joseph Gilpin, was 
 lately deceased. There was true Christian love and 
 friendship between us for above fifty years. When 
 first I saw Joseph in Pennsylvania, he lived in a cave 
 in the earth, where we enjoyed each other's company 
 in the love and fear of God. This Friend had fifteen 
 children, whom he lived to see brought up to the 
 states of men and women, and all but two married 
 well, and to his mind. 
 
 From Concord I went to Wilmington, and after 
 meeting to Newcastle, where with George Hogg, I 
 went over the river Delaware into Penn's-neck, and 
 had a meeting at James Wilson's. Then to Salem 
 and Cohansey, where I had several meetings at Green- 
 wich, and at the" head of Alloway's creek ; also at 
 David Davis's, where the people kindly lent us the 
 benches of their meeting-house, and many of them 
 came and were very attentive ; after which I went 
 to Pilesgrove, and had a meeting there, and to Wood- 
 bury creek, and from thence home, having travelled 
 about five hundred miles in this journey. I stayed 
 at and about home for some time.
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 393 
 
 I was at the Yearly Meeting at Burli Jgton in the 
 Seventh month ; in going to which my horse started 
 and threw me, and hurt my shoulder and hip badly, 
 of which I did not recover for above half a year. 
 
 This meeting was very large, and though I was 
 outwardly in pain, yet in the sense of the love and 
 goodness of God and grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, 
 I was, with many others, much comforted in spirit. 
 
 From Burlington I travelled to Shrewsbury, having 
 several meetings by the way; as at Bordentown, 
 Crosswicks, Trenton, etc. This journey I rode in 
 much pain ; but the satisfaction I had in meetings, 
 through the spirit and power of the Most High, made 
 amends for all the labor and pain I underwent. I 
 bless the sacred name of God, and may I do it for- 
 ever 1 I made what haste I could home, being in 
 pain with my fall, and tarried at home most of the 
 winter, which was one of the longest and hardest 
 known in these parts ,by some of the oldest livers ; 
 people being frozen to death in several places, and 
 many sheep and cattle perishing, and much of the 
 winter grain killed with the frost, so that there was 
 some apprehension of a want of bread : all which I 
 took to be warnings of the just and righteous judg- 
 ments of God for the ingratitude, pride, and other 
 sins and iniquities of the people, of which I was at 
 many times and places concerned to put them in 
 mind. How well would it be if the people would lay 
 the judgments of the Most" High to heart; and when 
 they are abroad in the earth, that the inhabitants 
 thereof would learn righteousness !
 
 394 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 After this winter I was at a General Meeting at 
 Germantown, and at meetings at North Wales, Hors- 
 ham, and Byberry, and from thence, with Joseph Gil- 
 bert, went to Burlington, and was at a marriage, and 
 then returned home. 
 
 In the Second month I was under a religious en- 
 gagement to visit the meetings of Friends in Gloucester 
 and Salem counties, in West Jersey ; and the 19th of 
 said month I went over Delaware river, and was at 
 Haddonfield on a First day, and Third day at Chester, 
 Fourth o^ay had a meeting at the house of Josiah 
 Foster, and Fifth day at Evesham ; from which meet- 
 ing I went to John Estaugh's, Ebenezer Large and 
 Samuel Jordan being with me. In the morning we 
 went to Woodbury creek meeting, and next day down 
 to Salem, in order for the Yearly Meeting, which 
 began on the 26th of the Second month, and was an 
 extraordinarily solid meeting, the divine presence and 
 glory being richly manifested amongst us. 
 
 From Salem I went in company with John Evans 
 and Elizabeth Stevens, to Alloway's creek and Co- 
 hansey, where we had meetings, I believe to the satis- 
 faction of many. Here I parted with said Friends, 
 and not being well, I stayed at Greenwich, and they 
 went to David Davis's, in order for Pilesgrove meeting. 
 
 The 3d of the Third month, being the first of the 
 week, I was at Cohansey meeting, which was solid and 
 weighty ; in which the mighty works of God and his 
 wonderful power were set forth to the people in divers 
 respects.
 
 THOMAS CHVLKLEY. 395 
 
 First; As to the work of the creation of the heavens 
 and the earth, and of man to govern in the earth, 
 reserving to himself the government of man, to whom 
 he gave a law, for the breach of which he was turned 
 out of paradise, and brought death into tne world. 
 
 Second ; Notwithstanding man's fall, God ha,d love, 
 mercy, and compassion towards him, and promised 
 that the seed of the woman should bruise the head 
 of the serpent, who led them astray; which seed is 
 Christ, whom all are commanded to hear, believe, and 
 follow, in the practice of his holy doctrine, which is 
 contained in his words spoken to his immediate dis- 
 ciples and apostles, and likewise made known and 
 revealed in our hearts. 
 
 Third; That now in our day his righteous. judg- 
 ments are abroad in the earth, as the sword, and a 
 threatening of famine, or want of bread : all which 
 was spoken in the tender love and fear of God and 
 faith of Christ, and all were entreated to lay these 
 things to heart, and " Turn to the Lord, and he will 
 have mercy ; and to our God, and he will abundantly 
 pardon." In this meeting God was glorified and his 
 name magnified, through the assistance of the spirit 
 of his dear Son, our Lord. 
 
 From Cohansey I went to Salem, and to David 
 Davis's, where we had a meeting, at which were 
 several people of divers professions, who were satis- 
 fied and edified therein ; and thence we went to Piles- 
 grove meeting, afterwards into Penn's-neck, and had 
 a good open meeting at the widow Hugh's, and so to
 
 396 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 Woodbury creek meeting, which I hope was service- 
 able. After this I went home with my friend James 
 Lord's widow, who, with Joseph Clews and her sister 
 Ann Cooper, went with me to Gloucester jail, where 
 we visited one under sentence of death for stealing. 
 I asked him if he truly repented of that sin of stealing, 
 of which he had been so often guilty ? He told me 
 he hoped he had, and was willing to die. He was 
 recommended to the grace of God, and to keep in an 
 humble frame of mind, and beg mercy of the Almighty 
 for the sake of Christ, for all his sins. While a Friend 
 was praying by him, he was broken into tenderness. 
 
 Here the aforesaid Friends parted from me; I cross- 
 ing the river Delaware to Philadelphia, and so home 
 to Frankford. I was at ten meetings in this journey, 
 besides the Yearly Meeting at Salem, and travelled 
 about one hundred and fifty miles ; but travelling was 
 painful to my body : for now I more and more felt 
 the effects of many old falls and bruises, which much 
 disabled and hurt me in riding. 
 
 In the Fourth month I was at several meetings 
 about or near home, as at Fairhill, Germantown, a 
 meeting at Thomas Roberts'; and also at Philadelphia. 
 In the beginning of the Fifth month I visited Friends' 
 meetings at Darby, Merion, and Haverford ; at the 
 last place the meeting was large and very open; 
 wherein the mighty power of God was exalted over 
 all, and it was plainly manifested, that if there was 
 any virtue, or any good gift or genius in the creature, 
 it derived its excellency from the Creator ; ai.d that
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 397 
 
 man, in his best capacity, in either natural or spiritual 
 attainments, has no cause to boast or glory in any- 
 thing which he, as an instrument in the divine hand, 
 might help to perform ; wherefore we ought to humble 
 ourselves under the mighty hand of God, attributing 
 no glory to self, or the creature ; but all glory and 
 praise to the Creator, who is in and over all blessed 
 forever. 
 
 The 20th of the Fifth month, I set forward on a 
 journey, in order to visit Friends at and near Bur- 
 lington, and was next day at a meeting at Bristol, 
 which was large, considering the heat of the weather, 
 and the shortness of the notice. On Fourth day, the 
 22d, I was at Mount Holly, at the burial of our ancient 
 friend, Kestored Lippincot : he was, as I understood, 
 nearly a hundred years of age, and had upwards of 
 two hundred children, grandchildren, and great- 
 grandchildren, many of whom were at his funeral; 
 the meeting was large, and thought to be serviceable. 
 After this meeting, I went with a few choice Friends 
 to visit Susanna Fearon, who had been long ill ; in 
 which visit we were favored with the divine presence 
 and goodness of the Most High ; for which we returned 
 him thanks and praise ; we then went to Burlington, 
 and next day had a meeting, which was an acceptable 
 opportunity to many. 
 
 Next First day, being the 27th of the month, we 
 had a good solid meeting at Trenton ; and I went, 
 with divers Friends, to Bristol, and so^ome to Frank- 
 ford ; and was thankful to the Almighty for the grace 
 34
 
 398 THE JOURNAL OF » 
 
 which he was pleased to bestow upon me, a poor 
 worm ; and that, considering the extreme heat, I had 
 my health better than usual. After coming home, I 
 visited meetings at Philadelphia, Haddonfield, Frank- 
 ford, etc. 
 
 In the Sixth month there was a great mortality in 
 Philadelphia, and many were taken away ; on a Fifth 
 day I was concerned to put the people in mind of it, 
 and of their own mortality, and exhorted them to 
 prepare for it, they not knowing whose turn it might 
 be next, nor the hour when death might come to their 
 own habitations ; and was concerned in the same way, 
 at several large burials. In the meeting at Philadel- 
 phia, they were told it was better to fall into the hands 
 of the Lord than into the hands of men : and that since 
 we had been settled in this province of Pennsylvania, 
 we were preserved from the hands of men ; there having 
 never been an enemy in it, in a warlike way ; our de- 
 pendence being in Providence, and our principle against 
 war and against spilling human blood by wars and 
 fighting, according to the doctrineof Christ, the peace- 
 able Saviour ; wherefore I believe the hand of God was 
 manifested in preserving us in peace ; yet I would not 
 be understood to be against the magistrates exercising 
 the power committed to them, according to just law; 
 but national wars, woful experience teacheth, are de- 
 structive to the peaceable religion of Jesus, to trade, 
 wealth, health, and happiness. Our dear Lord preached 
 peace to the p§ople, and against wars ; telling his fol- 
 lowers, That they must love and pray for their ene-
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 399 
 
 mies, and rather take a stroke or a blow, than give 
 one ; and that they should not resist evil ; which 
 peaceable doctrine of Christ, the Jews could not 
 away with ; no, no, by no means : " Oh ! " say they, 
 " If we let this man alone, the Romans will come and 
 take away our place and nation : " just as the people 
 now say in this province, to those peaceable men who, 
 for the sake of Christ and his doctrine, cannot use the 
 sword: "The Romans will come and take our country, 
 if we do not build forts and castles, and have military 
 preparations." I wish it were not true, that some who 
 profess this peaceable principle, too much endeavor to 
 smother, stifle, and keep under this peaceable doctrine, 
 through a slavish fear and distrusting divine Provi- 
 dence, which may cause his hand to deliver us to the 
 Romans indeed ; at which I should not wonder, since 
 we distrust Him who hath hitherto preserved us, 
 without our preparing for war, for more than fifty 
 years. To which I know it is objected : " But now 
 there are abundance of people who are not of that 
 principle." I answer, then why did they come among 
 us, if they could not trust themselves with our prin- 
 ciples, which they knew, or might have known, if 
 they would ? The king gave the province, and the 
 government of it, to our worthy proprietor, William 
 Penn ; who was a man of this peaceable principle ; 
 for which the heathens loved him and honor his name 
 and memory to this day, and those of his Society and 
 principles ; whereof I am a living witness. The sense 
 of the sweetness and social life that the first settlers
 
 400 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 of the province of Pennsylvania and the city of Phila- 
 delphia lived in, makes me express myself in this 
 manner. Oh ! that the inhabitants of the city and 
 country did but live and dwell in .that first love, and 
 hold it fast ; then I believe that the Almighty would 
 not suffer any to take our crown : which crown is 
 righteousness, peace, and love, through true faith ; 
 which true faith works by love in Christ Jesus. 
 
 On the last day of the Fifth month, I acquainted 
 my friends of the Monthly Meeting of Philadelphia, 
 with a concern I had been some time under, to visit 
 the people in the Virgin Islands, and more particularly 
 in Anguilla and Tortola ; in order to preach the gospel 
 of our* Lord Jesus Christ freely, to those who might 
 have a desire to hear, as the Lord should be pleased 
 to open my way. My friends having unity with me 
 therein, at their next meeting gave me a certificate 
 of their concurrence : soon after which, having settled 
 my affairs and taken leave of my dear wife and 
 daughter, and the rest of my family and friends, on 
 the 19th day of the Seventh month, I embarked at 
 Philadelphia in the sloop "John," Peter Blunder, 
 master, bound for the island of Tortola. 
 
 We sailed down the river and came to anchor near 
 Christiana creek that night, in which there was a 
 violent storm, which drove several vessels on the 
 marshes ; so that when the tide ebbed, one might 
 walk round them. Next day we sailed to Keedy isl- 
 and, where we waited for a fair wind : we sailed down 
 the bay in company with two sloops, one bound for
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 401 
 
 Bermuda, the other for the island of Christopher's ; 
 and left the Capes on the 23d day of the month, and 
 in eighteen days from that time fell in with the island 
 of Thomas, and in one day more turned up to Tortola. 
 
 In this voyage we saw nine sail of vessels ; but 
 spoke with none of them : had a rough passage, the 
 wind being high and contrary above a week, and 
 much rain ; yet through the mercy and grace of God, 
 I was preserved above all fear, except the holy fear 
 of the living Lord, in which I blessed his holy name. 
 
 On the 12th day of the Eighth month, John Pick- 
 ering, the owner of the sloop, who was likewise gov- 
 ernor of the Island, with his spouse, met me at the 
 water-side, and lovingly embraced me, and led me up 
 to their house, where we had a meeting the same 
 evening; and on the 15th of the month, being the 
 Fifth day of the week, we had a large, satisfactory 
 meeting, at which were many people, divers of them 
 not of our profession ; and I think the good hand of 
 the Lord was with us. I was concerned in this meeting 
 to show that the last dispensation of God to mankind, in 
 and through his dear Son, is a spiritual dispensation, 
 a dispensation of pure, divine love, which is to last 
 and be with the true believers in Christ forever, accord- 
 ing to his own doctrine in the ]$ew Testament. 
 
 On the First day of the week and the 18th of the 
 month, we had another meeting, larger than the 
 former, and the governor told me he had never seen 
 so large a gathering on the island, on any occasion. 
 My spirit was much set at liberty in this meeting, 
 34*
 
 402 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 and great openness and brokenness was among the 
 people, so that the gospel was freely and largely de- 
 3lared to them. The case of Cornelius and of the 
 apostle Peter going to his house, was treated of, with 
 other matters tending to edification. I was so af- 
 fected with the power, spirit, and grace of our Lord 
 Jesus Christ, that when the meeting was over I with- 
 drew, and in private poured out my soul before the 
 Lord, and begged that he would be pleased to mani- 
 fest his power and glorious gospel more and more. 
 At this meeting there was a woman who had suffered 
 much for going to meetings ; her husband being a 
 proud, haughty man, had beaten her to the drawing 
 of blood ; he also drew his sword and presented his 
 pistol, with threatenings to kill her ; but she thanked 
 God that she was resigned to lose her life for Christ's 
 sake. She expressed some words in supplication in 
 this meeting in a broken manner. There was also 
 a young woman, whose father had turned her out of 
 doors for coming to Friends' meetings. 
 
 I went with the governor and his wife, to visit a 
 few families up in the mountains, and had a meeting, 
 in which was great brokenness and tenderness in the 
 time of prayer. 
 
 On Second day w.« visited several families in the 
 division called the road, to which we went by water 
 in a coble, somewhat like our canoes ; there were four 
 of these in company, five persons in two of them, and 
 seven in the other two. In this visiting of families, 
 the people came and filled the rooms, and we had
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 403 
 
 seasonable meetings, in which the people were so 
 loving and well affected, that we could seldom go in 
 a friendly way to visit our friends, but they would 
 presently fill their rooms, and we scarcely could de- 
 part, without having a time of worship. 
 
 Next day we went to visit a young man's habita- 
 tion, and the neighbors coming in as usual, we had a 
 good meeting. 
 
 I cannot but note that the hand of the Lord God 
 was with us, and I felt his visitation as fresh and 
 lively as ever ; for which I was truly thankful, and 
 thought if I never saw my habitation again, I was 
 satisfied in this gospel call and religious visit; though 
 being in years, it was sometimes a little troublesome 
 to the flesh ; being in the sixty-sixth year of my age, 
 and stiff in all my limbs from hurts with many falls 
 and bruises. As to my health, I had it better now 
 than for several years past ; for which I am humbly 
 thankful to Him, in whom we live and have our being ; 
 glory to his name, through his dear Son. 
 
 Third and Fourth days, visited several families, 
 and had divers good opportunities : in one of those 
 meetings, a young man named Jeremiah Martin, 
 spoke a few words in prayer ; in which season we 
 were, I think, all broken into tenderness ; so that in 
 truth we might say, that the power and Spirit of 
 Christ was with and among us, and his great name 
 was praised. 
 
 Fifth day being the week-day meeting, it was larger 
 than was ever known on a week-day in that place ;
 
 404 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 there being divers Friends who came from an island 
 called Joseph Vandike's, and many neighbors and 
 sober people, who were very attentive. 
 
 Sixth day was at several people's houses and had 
 religious meetings ; which we could not well avoid, 
 the people were so loving and desirous to hear what 
 might be spoken to them ; many of them being like 
 thirsty ground wanting rain, and our good and gra- 
 cious Lord gave us celestial showers, which were 
 refreshing to us, and thankfully received. 
 
 Seventh day I went with several Friends to the 
 house of one who, with his wife, had been at our 
 meeting on Fifth day ; he kindly invited me to his 
 house ; his 1 name was Blake ; he and his wife were 
 loving ; and though he had formerly written against 
 Friends, he was now better informed. From his 
 house I went to Townsend Bishop's, and there being 
 many Friends from another island, we had a most 
 comfortable, tender evening meeting, in which we 
 offered up a sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving to 
 the holy name of the living eternal God, and his dear 
 Son our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, through the 
 influence of the holy Spirit, one God over all blessed 
 forever. 
 
 On the First day of the week, being the 25th of 
 the month, we had a larger meeting than ordinary; 
 and in expectation of larger meetings than usual, the 
 governor, John Pickering, had made several new forms 
 to accommodate the people at his own house, which 
 he sent six miles on men's heads, the roads not being
 
 THOMAS CIIALKLEF. 405 
 
 passable for carts, etc. This I think worth noting 
 that their zeal may be had in remembrance, and that 
 others may be stirred up to more religious concern, 
 who will scarcely go six steps to a religious meeting, 
 or will not go at all. In this meeting I was concerned 
 to speak of and set forth the doctrine of Christ, which 
 he preached on the mount, contained in the fifth, 
 sixth, and seventh chapters of Matthew ; and to press 
 the people to come to the practice of what is there 
 commanded by the great Author of the Christian 
 religion ; and to show that the despised Quakers had 
 learned, out of that excellent sermon, much of their 
 religion, which displeases many people, and divers of 
 the great men of the world ; and to urge them to re- 
 gard the grace of God, which bringeth salvation, and 
 hath appeared to all men. In this meeting, Dorcas, 
 the wife of John Pickering, spoke to the people in 
 public testimony, to which they gave good attention. 
 
 After meeting we returned by water from the Road 
 Harbor to Fat Hog bay, where John Pickering lives, 
 being upwards of twenty of us in company in three 
 cobles. 
 
 These two weeks I spent in the island of Tortola, 
 to my great satisfaction. 
 
 The Journal of this worthy Friend ending here, 
 the following supplement is collected from some notes 
 sent by a Friend of that island, giving an account of 
 his further services, sickness and death.
 
 406 THE JOURNAL OP 
 
 THE SUPPLEMENT. 
 
 « 
 
 On the Second day of the third week of his being 
 among us, he visited some Friends in the neighbor- 
 hood, and likewise the man who had treated his wife 
 so cruelly for coming to Friends' meetings. 
 
 On Third day he was employed chiefly in writing 
 to his family and friends in Philadelphia. 
 
 On Fourth day some Friends from the Road came 
 to see him, which prevented his going out to visit the 
 neighbors as usual. 
 
 On Fifth day morning, being the 29th of the Eighth 
 month, he found himself much indisposed ; yet he 
 went to our week-day meeting, about a quarter of a 
 mile. When the meeting broke up, he had a hot 
 fever upon him. Doctor Turnbull, the chief physician 
 in our island, thought it proper to take some blood 
 from him, and he being very willing, it' was done that 
 afternoon, and the fever abated some time that night ; 
 and next day he walked about, and made no com- 
 plaint until about eight o'clock in the evening. About 
 this time the fever returned, and continued very 
 severe till First-day morning, when the doctor advised 
 him to take a vomit, which he declined that day, 
 being desirous of attending the meeting which was 
 held at my house, and was a large, sweet and tender 
 meeting ; in which he spoke to us concerning temp- 
 tations, and how Christ was tempted, and how to 
 withstand them ; and afterwards on the parable of
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 407 
 
 the great supper, and other subjects ; ending his 
 testimony with the words of the apostle Paul, " I 
 have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, 
 I have kept the faith, henceforth there is laid up for 
 me a crown of righteousness :" which words, and most 
 part of this last sermon, were delivered in great 
 brokenness ; from whence I judged he was sensible 
 that he hao^not long to live, though I believe he was 
 not afraid to die. 
 
 On Second-day morning the fever abated a little, 
 and he complied with the doctor's prescription of 
 taking a vomit, which seemed to have its proper 
 effect ; but that night the fever returned, and continued 
 on him until he died; which was between two and 
 three o'clock on Fourth-day morning, the 4th day of 
 the Ninth month, being speechless about seven hours 
 before. 
 
 A general invitation was given to Friends and- 
 others to his funeral, where three testimonies were 
 borne, all in great brokenness, under a just sense of 
 our great loss. After which he was decently interred^ 
 on the evening of the said day, in a piece of ground 
 which is since given to Friends for a burial-place, 
 and on which a meeting-house is built by John Pick- 
 ering, the governor of the island at that time. 
 
 It is said in the Scriptures, that the righteous are 
 taken away, and no man layeth it to heart ; but I 
 hope it may be truly said, this was not the case at 
 this time ; for Friends in general much lamented 
 their great loss, in being so soon deprived of so in-
 
 408 THE JOURNAL OF THOMAS CHALKLEY. 
 
 structive a friend and elder, whose care over us was 
 very great; and who, by his loving and exemplary 
 life, and tenderness to people of all ranks and profes- 
 sions, engaged the love and respect of almost all the 
 people in the island. We are fully assured that his 
 labor among us was not in vain, and that many have 
 felt the good effects of it; so that we believe some 
 of the last words he spoke in public may justly be 
 applied to him, and that he now enjoys a crown of 
 righteousness.
 
 GOD'S GREAT LOVE UNTO MANKIND, 
 
 THROUGH JESUS CHRIST, OUR LORD. 
 
 And there came a voice out of the cloud, saying, This (». e. Christ) 
 13 my beloved Son, hear ye him. — Luke ix. 35. 
 
 If ye love me, keep jay commandments. — John xiv. 16. 
 
 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only-begotten Son, 
 that whosoever believed in him might not perish, but have ever- 
 lasting life. — John iii. 16. 
 
 PREFACE. 
 
 To the Reader. 
 
 In sincerity and unfeigned love, both to God and 
 man, were these lines penned. I desire thee to 
 peruse them in the same love, and then, peradven- 
 ture, thou may est find some sweetness in them. Ex- 
 pect not learned phrases or florid expressions ; for 
 many times heavenly matter is hid in mean sentences, 
 or wrapped up in plain expressions. It sometimes 
 pleases God to reveal the mysteries of his kingdom, 
 through the grace of his Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, 
 to babes and sucklings ; and he oftentimes ordains 
 praise out of their mouths ; one of which, reader, I 
 desire thou mayest be. 
 
 My intent in writing these sheets is, that they, 
 through the help of God's grace and the good Spirit 
 
 35 (409)
 
 410 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 of Christ, may stir up true love in thee; first to God 
 and Christ, and then to man : so thou wilt be fit to 
 be espoused to him, who is altogether lovely, that is 
 Christ, which is the desire of him who is thy friend, 
 more in heart than word. Thomas Chalkley. 
 
 I have been concerned for the good and welfare 
 of the children of men from my youthful days, and 
 tasted of the infinite love of God in and through his 
 dear Son, the holy Lamb Jesus, fvho laid down his 
 life for the sins of the world ; and in my tender years 
 reaped great benefit through faith in and obedience 
 unto him. And I have found by experience, that one 
 without the other, to wit, faith without works, will 
 not answer the end of the great love of Christ Jesus, 
 our Lord, who offered himself a sacrifice for all man- 
 kind ; not for people to live in sin, but to take away 
 the sin of the world. In a word, " Faith without 
 works is dead." I found it so, and so must all true 
 believers in the Son of God. 
 
 Christ first loved us, and paid that debt for us, 
 which, of ourselves, we were not able to do. Oh ! 
 his infinite love hath oftentimes melted my soul into 
 tenderness. 
 
 Methinks it is a great pity that the sons of men 
 should requite evil for good, or disobedience for such 
 gracious obedience. I would to God, that all believ- 
 ers in Christ would live in that fear of God and that 
 love to Christ which keep the heart clean ; because 
 nothing unclean can enter the kingdom of heaven.
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 411 
 
 I do not mean a slavish fear, but fear that is wrought 
 by love ; for they who love the Lord, the great, ever- 
 lasting God, will fear to offend him. 
 
 This is the matter that chiefly concerns my mind 
 at this time : the necessity of love to God and Christ, 
 and one another. " Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, 
 neither have entered into the heart of man the things 
 that God hath prepared for them that love him." 
 For my part I cannot pretend to tell thee, oh, man ! 
 to the full ; but only a little to hint at it ; it is " Joy 
 unspeakable, and full of glory : " but then we must 
 love him so as to keep his commandments. This is 
 the work that I am very earnest in pressing people 
 to, whether youth or aged : it is not too soon for the 
 young, nor too late for the aged to begin this work 
 of obedience, through faith and love to God and 
 Christ, if his spirit is reproving or striving in them. 
 But it is more honorable and acceptable for a man 
 to give up the strength of his days to serve the Lord 
 and to remember his Creator in the days of his youth, 
 before sin is rooted and grown in him; for then it 
 will be much more labor to get the root of unright- 
 eousness plucked up. 
 
 In that ability which God hath given me, I would 
 endeavor to stir up all to serve him, and to be in 
 good earnest, and not to put the day of God, even 
 the mighty Jehovah, afar off; but to love the Lord 
 unfeignedly, and with true obedience ; since that sac- 
 rifice only is acceptable to him ; that is to say, to love 
 him in deed and in truth more than in word and with
 
 412 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 tongue. The Lord, by his servant complained against 
 a people in old time; "They draw nigh to -me with 
 their mouths, and with their lips they do honor me : " 
 but their great misery was, their hearts were far 
 from him. They did not love him with their whole 
 hearts ; this was their fault : this thing is also a 
 great evil in the sight of God in our age ; and is too 
 frequent in England, the land of my nativity, as also 
 in other islands and places beyond the seas. What 
 lamentation shall be taken up for such as do so mock 
 the Lord, the great God of love? Surely he will 
 render vengeance, as in flames of fire, upon all the 
 wicked and ungodly, and those that forget him. It 
 is not by saying, but by doing, that we are justified 
 through faith in Christ; not he that saith, Lord, 
 Lord, only, but he that doth his will also, shall 
 enter the kingdom. 
 
 The will of God and of Christ his Son is, that we 
 should love him above all; and in loving him, we 
 shall love one another ; for Christ saw the great need 
 there was of loving God above all, and also of loving 
 one another ; therefore he answered thus to him that 
 asked which was the greatest commandment, " Thou 
 shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and 
 with all thy soul, and with all thy mind." 
 
 " This," says Christ, " is the first and great com- 
 mandment, and the second is like unto it, Thou shalt 
 love thy neighbor as thyself : on these two command- 
 ments hang all the law and the prophets." 
 
 If these two great commandments were obeyed, it
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 413 
 
 would answer God's great love to us, in sending his 
 Son to bless us. Oh ! the glory of God, how it would 
 shine ! it would make the young men as valiants of 
 Israel, and the old men as captains of thousands; 
 then Christ would reign gloriously indeed in the 
 hearts of the children of men ; here the Lamb and 
 his followers, who walk in the light, and in that com- 
 mandment, that burns as a lamp, would get the vic- 
 tory over the devil and his followers. But, on the 
 contrary, the great error of mankind, is that they 
 talk of God and Christ in words ; but deny him in 
 works : nay, some will not stick to say, it is impossi- 
 ble to keep the commandments of Christ. It is too 
 commonly spoken, and also believed, that there is no 
 perfection on this side the grave; contrary to the 
 saying of Christ, " Be ye perfect, even as your Father 
 which is in heaven, is perfect." Yet, say they, it is 
 impossible ; which is as much as to say, Christ is a 
 hard master, in commanding what cannot be done ; 
 consequently, out of their own mouths they will be 
 condemned ; for Christ is not a hard master ; I testify 
 it against all such unholy and imperfect believers, in 
 solid fear before the Lord; but according to such 
 people's faith and belief, he must needs be hard. Oh 
 that people would so love God and his dear Son, as 
 to strive to do his commands; for it is impossible 
 they should obey if they neither believe nor endeavor. 
 Let such know, that " Many shall seek, and shall not 
 enter ; " much less shall they enter if they do not 
 seek. But we must strive in obedience to his will, 
 
 35*
 
 414 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 and by his assistance, not in our own natural will, 
 " to enter in at the strait gate : " man would enter in 
 with all his pleasant things, and in all his bravery 
 and gallantry; but God's will is, that he should be 
 brought low, that he might exalt him. Oh, this self 
 is a great enemy to mankind. 
 
 My intention is, to awaken people out of the sleep 
 of sin, which is death, and to stir them up to right- 
 eousness, and love to the Lord and their neighbor, 
 even with their whole heart; for this my heart 
 breathes to, and supplicates the Lord of heaven; 
 then would the end of my labor, in his love, be an- 
 swered. Great is the love of God in sending his Son, 
 and also in sending his servants, and stirring them 
 up to arouse people out of the sleep of security, that 
 they might see the danger they are in, and how near 
 they lie to the brink of the pit of burning. Oh, that 
 people would but seriously consider that which is 
 showed and told them in the love of the Lord, that 
 it might be laid to heart. Whether they will hear, 
 or forbear, God will be clear, and his servants also 
 will be clear. But if we not only hear, but also obey, 
 that peace which passeth the understanding of men, 
 and which our Lord giveth to his followers, will be 
 our portion, and the lot of our inheritance forever ; 
 but this is on condition of our obedience, and keeping 
 the commands of God ; " If ye love me, keep my 
 commandments," saith the Lord. 
 
 If people live in saying, and not in doing, in pro- 
 fessing, and confessing, yet still living in pride and
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 415 
 
 high-min ledness and in sin, it is apparent they do 
 not love Christ Jesus, according to his own words, 
 neither doth he justify them ; for it is only the doers 
 that he will justify. The apostle John says, "If a 
 man says he loves God, and yet hateth his brother, 
 he is a liar ; " and by plain Scripture testimony, such 
 are not of God. Moreover, if he says he loves Christ, 
 yet keepeth not his sayings, he is also a liar, and the 
 truth is not in him, or Christ is not in him; who said 
 " I am the truth ; " and thus man becomes reprobate. 
 Paul writing to the brethren, saith, " Examine your- 
 selves, whether vou be in the faith, prove your own- 
 selves ; know ye not your ownselves, how that Jesus 
 Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?" Which 
 indwelling of Christ is a great mystery to many ; al- 
 though Christ within which the apostles preached, is 
 the hope of the saints' glory. And how earnest was 
 Christ in prayer to his Father, that his followers 
 might be one in him, and united together in one. 
 Such is the love of Christ to his church ; and what 
 remains on the church's part, since Christ has done 
 his part ? Surely is, that we love him again ; for, 
 saith John, " He that loveth not knoweth not God ; 
 for God is love." They that dwell in enmity, are not 
 the children of God, but the children of Satan, who 
 always hated the appearance of Christ, the light of 
 the world ; and still stirreth up those who are led by 
 his dark spirit, to war against Him and his seed in his 
 children, who said, " I am the light of the world." 
 But it is as Christ hath said, " Men love darkness
 
 416 THE JOURNAL OP 
 
 rathe j" than light ; " and how strange is it, seeing the 
 one is so glorious, and the other so miserable ? The 
 reason is as Christ hath showed, " because their deeds 
 are evil." This is indeed the very cause ; for if their 
 deeds were good, they would love the light, Christ 
 Jesus, the Lord of life and glory; and bring their 
 deeds to him, that he might judge them: who will 
 give righteous judgment to every man according to 
 his works. The righteous will have their portion in 
 the resurrection of life, joy and peace in the Holy 
 Ghost ; but the wicked in the resurrection of damna- 
 tion. Oh ! that I might be instrumental in the hand 
 of the Lord to open the eyes of some who are spirit- 
 ually blind, that they might see the beauty and the 
 great glory of the dear Son of God, that most excel- 
 lent light whom God hath prepared, according to good 
 old Simeon's testimony of him. " Thou hast, says he, 
 prepared him a light to enlighten the gentiles, and to 
 be the glory of thy people Israel." A glorious light 
 indeed ! Truly, methinks everybody should be in 
 love with him. For my part, He is my chiefest joy. 
 I would not part with him for all the pomp and vain- 
 glory of the world ; neither would I have the shining 
 beams and glorious rays, which comfort me for well 
 doing, and discover and reprove me for the contrary, 
 clouded from my sight and understanding, for the 
 finest gold, or choicest rubies. Such is my love to 
 Christ, the bridegroom of souls ; but by the way, it 
 hath cost me many a tear, and many groanings in 
 my spirit, before I came thus to enjoy Christ, who is
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 417 
 
 the beloved of all the redeemed. May I never give 
 him cause to withdraw himself from dwelling in me. 
 Oh ! the universal love of Christ : it is everlasting to 
 them that are open-hearted unto him, and to all that 
 will hear his voice, so as to obey it; for, says he, " I 
 stand at the door and knock," that is the door of the 
 heart of man ; "if any man hear my voice, and open 
 the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with 
 him, and he with me." And John says, " And we 
 have known and believed the love that God hath to 
 us : God is love, and he that dwelleth in love, dwelleth 
 in God, and God in him." A heavenly habitation 
 and glorious dwelling-place ! Who would not en- 
 deavor to dwell in love, and forsake enmity, that they 
 might attain unto such eternal happiness, as to have 
 their abode with the Lord. 
 
 This fulnlleth the words of Christ : " For he dwell- 
 eth with you, and shall be in you." How was he to 
 be in them ? A comforter for well-doing, that they 
 might have the hope of glory ; and a reprover for sin, 
 self-righteousness, and wrong judgment. Indeed it 
 was the great love of God in thus sending his beloved 
 Son, a light into this dark world, to show people their 
 evil deeds, and to condemn sin in the flesh : for he is 
 the sinful world's condemnation, as well as a Saviour 
 and justifier of the righteous and holy believer. The 
 Jews of old hated him, and many of them did intend 
 to darken his bright and shining light ; but some of 
 the Jews believed on him, and after they came truly 
 to believe on his name, spread his gospel of truth and
 
 418 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 glad tidiigs amongst the children of men, and also 
 suffered for his name's sake. It is also said, " He 
 came unto his own, and his own received him not; 
 but as many as received him, to them gave he power 
 to become the sons of God, even to them that believe 
 on his name." But many of those that call themselves 
 by his name, trample upon his light and appearance, 
 and despise the spirit of his grace, which is a swift 
 witness against evil, and lets men see what is good, 
 and what is bad, comforts for the one, and brings 
 judgment and condemnation for the other. I can 
 truly say, I would with my whole heart, that God 
 did dwell a comforter in all, or Christ, or the Holy 
 Ghost, or Holy Spirit, which are all one, but this can 
 never be, while sin remains and has an evil root in 
 mankind. "An evil tree cannot bring forth good 
 fruit." By this we may know Christians from anti- 
 christians, and lovers of Christ from them that love 
 him not : if we love him we become subjects to him, 
 subject to do his will. It is a dignified station to be 
 subjects of the King of heaven, and if we love him 
 unfeignedly, with all our might and mind, and our 
 neighbors as ourselves, and with the sword of the 
 Spirit valiantly encounter the devil, then shall we be 
 his subjects, and Christ will receive us into his war- 
 fare, and through him we shall be victorious, for the 
 Lamb and his followers will have the victory. I 
 would press people in love into this warfare, having 
 commission from my Master and Lord, by showing 
 them what anxiety and distress of mind they will
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 419 
 
 procure to themselves, by living in enmity to the 
 Lord and his saints. Oh ! my soul, I charge thee 
 with all those that have any regard to the holy Jesus, 
 obey the commands of the Lord, and love his fol- 
 lowers, or thy neighbor as thyself. Let his universal 
 spirit of love to all dwell in thee. 
 
 I would have all to cast down at his footstool, that 
 which they glory in, that is not right in his sight, 
 and do like the poor penitent woman, who lay and 
 wept at his feet. She thought all, little enough to 
 part with to get into his favor. Christ himself was 
 meek and lowly ; " Learn of me," said he. All power 
 in heaven and earth was given unto him ; " Take me, 
 said he, for an example ; " when he washed his 
 servants' feet. Seeing his love was so great to them 
 and is also to us, let us love him again, not with 
 feigned love, but with love that may manifest us to 
 be his followers ; and in it let us love one another ; 
 for this intent our Lord issued forth his royal com- 
 mand, which is this, " A new commandment give I 
 unto you, that ye love one another, as I have loved 
 you that ye also love one another : by this shall all 
 men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love 
 for one another." Christ's love was unfeigned to his 
 disciples, nay, to all the world in general : for what 
 greater love can there be, than for a man to lay down 
 his life for his friend ; and he not only laid down his 
 life for his friends, but for his enemies also. So that 
 his love was great and unfeigned ; we ought with the 
 same icve to love him again, since he loved us first;
 
 420 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 anl this cannct be without obedience to his commands. 
 Thus we should love him and one another with true 
 love, which is exceedingly precious ; it thinks no evil, 
 and we may be sure will not do any willingly or 
 knowingly. If a man seeth his neighbor or brother 
 in that which is not right, he prayeth to the Lord to 
 help him, and tenderly admonisheth him ; yea, if 
 having this love, he woundeth, his wounds are faith- 
 ful, for " Faithful are the wounds of a friend." 
 
 He that is thus endued with love, is not hindered 
 from reproving his brother, but if there be a cause, it 
 rather stirs him up to be faithful therein, without 
 respect of persons. The love that is raised in them 
 that love the Lord above all, is great to the sons and 
 daughters of men : it doth wonderful things ; it is 
 valiant for God ; it overcomes its enemies : it is not 
 overcome with evil, but it often overcomes evil with 
 good : it smiteth sin in the gate, that is, in its first 
 appearance, before it be entered into man, so as to 
 subject him thereunto; it gets victory over the devil; 
 for he cannot stand before God's love. I would to 
 God that people did but know the virtue of love to 
 Christ, and one another in him ; it would cause them, 
 for the enjoyment thereof, to forsake all manner of 
 enmity one against another, and all things else, how 
 near or dear soever ; yea, though they were as a 
 right hand or a right eye, they would be forsaken 
 for its sake, and for the sake of Him who first loved 
 us. Then we should strive, through the ability of 
 his grace, even the grace or spirit which he told Paul
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 421 
 
 was sufficient for him, to love him again, and our 
 neighbor as ourself ; but this cursed self is loved too 
 much and our neighbor too little. 
 
 Paul, the apostle of Christ, after his conversion, did 
 not hate his neighbors, nor was he in enmity with 
 them. When he was Saul, he oppressed and injured 
 his nearest neighbors and chief friends ; for his blind 
 zeal was part of that body of sin and death that was 
 upon him, and from which, by the help of Christ's 
 grace, he was delivered, and came to love his enemies, 
 and for their good hazarded his life ; and, for his love 
 to Christ, laid it down, as many holy martyrs have 
 done since. Surely they had not much regard for 
 self, then ! It is a common expression nowadays, 
 "Every one for himself, and God for us all;" but if 
 every one were for his neighbor or his brother, as 
 much as for himself, God would be more for us all. 
 This self-love is an abomination in the sight of the 
 Lord, and the great eternal God abhors it ; therefore 
 were the first and second commandments given forth, 
 and if all people would obey these, the whole law and 
 the prophets, yea, and the gospel too, would be fulfilled. 
 
 Self-love is a great enemy to man, and very much 
 hinders his eternal happiness; it shutteth the ear 
 from hearing the cause of the widow and fatherless, 
 or of the needy, and drowns the cry of the op- 
 pressed ; to which we ought not only to lend an ear, 
 but also to administer relief according to their neces- 
 sity and our ability. Mankind are too apt to join 
 with that which is pleasant to the eye and agreeable 
 
 36
 
 422 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 to the lust of the heart ; like Dives, the rich glutton 
 of old, who loved self better than poor Lazarus, but 
 do not consider that which is lasting, and would do 
 them good forever. How shall I express the excel- 
 lent glory and eternal sweetness of this love to the 
 Lord and our neighbor ? Oh ! how is my soul grieved, 
 and how doth my spirit mourn before the Lord, when 
 I see any walk contrary to the commands of Christ, 
 or who are in enmity to the truth, and in hatred one 
 to another, even from my tender years, ever since 
 God Almighty opened my understanding, and made 
 known to me Him that is true. And my cry hath 
 been many times to him, to keep and preserve me in 
 his true love and fear, to the end of my days ; in love 
 both to him and to the brethren, more especially to 
 those that do his will, although there is universal 
 love in my heart to all. Christ said, " For whosoever 
 shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, 
 the same is my brother, and sister, and mother." 
 Therefore my love is more singly unto those. The 
 apostle also thus writes concerning love to the breth- 
 ren : " We know that we have passed from death unto 
 life, because we love the brethren ; he that loveth 
 not his brother, abideth in death." Are they then 
 in death that are at enmity with the brethren ? As- 
 suredly they are, for this enmity is sin ; " And the 
 wages of sin is death ; " and those that are therein, 
 are dead while they live. I wish and heartily pray 
 to the God and Father of spirits, that from the snares 
 of death his people may forever be preserved.
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 423 
 
 Some people are too apt to judge one another, and 
 to speak evil of things they know not, except by 
 report and supposition, which too often lets in enmity, 
 and is not according to the mind of Christ, but is a 
 snare of the enemy of man's salvation. Surely if 
 people were sensible thereof, they would not so hardly 
 censure one another ; for indeed we ought to be well 
 satisfied before we give judgment, and then it ought 
 to be in love, and not in enmity. It is better to 
 suffer than to censure; to be judged than to judge. 
 "Judge not, that ye be not judged," said the Judge 
 *of heaven and earth. But people are too much pos- 
 sessed with uncharitableness and revenge one towards 
 another, and are not so ready to forgive one another 
 their trespasses, as the Almighty is to forgive them : 
 though to forgive one another their trespasses be 
 every Christian's duty, without which we cannot 
 justly expect God to forgive us our trespasses, as 
 Christ taught. 
 
 Persecution for righteousness' sake also is another 
 branch of that corrupt tree, which never,, did, and 
 never will bring forth good fruit, but must be cut 
 down by the axe of God's power, which is laid to the 
 root of every corrupt tree in order to cut it down ; 
 and the Lord will burn it with unquenchable fire. 
 It is the true church's lot to be persecuted, but she 
 never persecutes any; for He that is her High Priest 
 forever, commanded quite the contrary, viz. : Love to 
 enemies, and to do good to them that hated them, to 
 pray for them that despitefully used and persecuted
 
 424 THE JOURNAL OP 
 
 them. They were also to rejoice, and to be exceed- 
 ing glad when all* manner of evil was spoken falsely 
 against them for Christ's sake ; because great should 
 be their reward in heaven ; and Christ observes, that 
 so they persecuted the prophets. 
 
 Many are rebelling against God, and doing despite 
 to the spirit of grace in their own hearts, and tres- 
 passing one against another, not living in love, but 
 in enmity against God and one another. The judg- 
 ment of man is terrible to the rebellious, how much 
 more if men rebel against God our Saviour, will his 
 judgment be just and dreadful, as he hath not only 
 power to kill the body, but can afterwards cast the 
 soul into hell ! Oh ! that the sons and daughters of 
 men would but fear to offend him, the King of eternal 
 glory. Israel of old, his own peculiar people, did 
 fear and tremble before him ; even all their host, his 
 presence was so dreadful. And a noble king made 
 a decree, that men should fear and tremble before 
 the living God. 
 
 Oh ! tfcat all would work out their salvation with 
 fear and trembling, according to Scripture testimony, 
 and as people truly love the Lord, they would fear 
 exceedingly to oifend him ; also if one man did truly 
 love another, he would very unwillingly offend him. 
 So if we love Christ in deed and in truth, we should 
 fear to offend him, and must of necessity love one 
 another also : so shall we fulfil the great commands, 
 that the whole law and the prophets hang on. 
 
 I have many times been grieved, when I have
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 425 
 
 heard cursing and swearing, and the Lord's name 
 taken in vain, which too much abound; and such too 
 little consider that God will not hold them guiltless. 
 This is far from obeying him. The deep sense of 
 this great sin is a deep concern on my mind ; ven- 
 geance from heaven is, and will be the portion of all 
 such who thus violate the mind and will of God. 
 Judgment, judgment is the lot and inheritance of all 
 the wicked who remain and live in wickedness. Al- 
 though the Lord is slow to anger, and of great lov- 
 ing-kindness, and his mercy endureth forever to them 
 that truly repent of evil, and do that which is good, 
 yet he has also prepared weeping, wailing, and gnash- 
 ing of teeth for them that continually live in sin. 
 There is a possibility of sinning until there is no 
 more mercy or grace for man : witness the words 
 of God : " My spirit shall not always strive with 
 man, for that he also is flesh." But those who are 
 willing to put the day of God afar off, are ready to 
 say, Christ is our advocate with the Father; he 
 maketh intercession for our sins; very well, but it 
 is conditionally, it is if thou wilt repent and sin no 
 more. Mark that well ; repentance without sinning 
 no more will not do. Confession is very good, but 
 forsaking sin is abundantly better : confession with- 
 out forsaking will stand -in little stead in the day 
 of account. 
 
 Drunkenness is a great sin, first against God, and 
 secondly, the abuse of God's mercies and good creat- 
 ures ; and by it men are often fitted for any business 
 
 86*
 
 426 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 their master the devil may call them to : so that this 
 great sin ought to be strictly watched against. Surely 
 if men had any good desires in their hearts, or any 
 love to God, they would refrain from such great wick- 
 edness. I admire how people can expect mercy from 
 God, or the intercession of Christ, when by their sins 
 they are piercing his sides, and putting him to open 
 shame. How can such expect he will intercede for 
 them, when they have dealt so shamefully with him, 
 and grieved him, and from time to time disobeyed 
 his voice ? Suppose a man stood condemned before 
 a judge, and that at the judge's right hand there sat 
 one in power, whom this poor condemned person hopes 
 will intercede for him ; and yet the poor wretch does 
 to him as before mentioned. What grounds can he 
 have to hope for intercession, clemency, or lenity, 
 while he believes he can do no otherwise than sin 
 against him all his days ? For my part, I think his 
 faith, hope, and belief are but vain ; without any 
 reason or ground. But he that loveth Christ Jesus, 
 the Lord of life and glory, so as to keep his com- 
 mandments, the Lord will love him, and intercede 
 for him, and make himself known unto him ; accord- 
 ing to his words which he spake, " He that hath my 
 commandments, and keeps them, he it is that loveth 
 me, and he that loveth me, shall be loved of my 
 Father ; and I will love him, and manifest myself 
 unto him." 
 
 Covetousness, which is idolatry, is also another 
 great snare of the enemy, and many are caught
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 427 
 
 therein. It is in vain for the covetous to say, he 
 hath a share in the love of God ; for he hath neither 
 love to the Lord, nor to his neighbor. A poor naked 
 man might ask him long enough for relief, or for his 
 coat, before he would give him his hand to help, or 
 coat either; or any manner of relief; although Christ 
 expressly commanded, " Give to him that asketh, and 
 from him that would borrow, turn not thou away." 
 How can any be so hard-hearted, as to see his 
 brother's or his neighbor's poverty, and not admin- 
 ister of his ability to the necessity of the needy ? 
 The covetous or miserable man may say, I have 
 children, or a family to take care of; yet too often 
 covetousness brings a curse, and not a blessing, upon 
 family and children also. Perhaps some may say, 
 that charity begins at home. But let him remember, 
 that if it doth begin there, the consequence most 
 commonly is very bad when it ends there. Every 
 Christian hath need to have charity in a twofold 
 sense, or else there is no proper pretence to Chris- 
 tianity : in short, covetousness is out of the love 
 either to God or man. 
 
 All these, with abundance more, that I shall for- 
 bear to mention, are eminent snares of the devil ; 
 and he layeth them according to the propensity of 
 man or woman, and suits them to their nature. He 
 colors them finely, and puts a pleasant gloss upon 
 them to betray the soul, and keep it in bondage for- 
 ever. 
 
 It is he that tells the murderer, the thief, and the
 
 428 THE JOURNAL OP 
 
 robber, that it is better to live a merry life and short 
 than to take pains and care all one's lifetime. 
 
 It is he also who tells the whoremongers and drunk- 
 ards, that so many people are in these practices, be- 
 cause it is natural for people to be so overcome : but 
 he doth not tell them that by nature all are children 
 of wrath, and that without this lustful nature be 
 overcome, there is no salvation. 
 
 It is he that tells the swearers, they are so used 
 to it, that it is impossible for them to leave it off. 
 He never bids them repent and forsake, that they 
 might find mercy with God and Christ that died for 
 them; but died not that they should live in sin. 
 
 It is the devil tells the covetous it is good to be 
 saving, and not to spend all his substance in gluttony 
 and pride ; he will bid him hate pride, and that he 
 should not give much alms, though rich in this world, 
 for that proud people do it only in ambition, and to 
 be seen of men : but he will not tell him, it is a sin 
 to be covetous. He also tells the proud that they are 
 counted happy, and that pride is counted good for 
 promoting the commonwealth, and that it is as good 
 to be out of the world as out of the fashion ; he telis 
 them that pride is neatness ; and it is admirable how 
 many pretty excuses he has, to keep people in pride. 
 He does not tell them that Christ, the Lord, was meek 
 and lowly, and that they should take him for an ex- 
 ample. He, the Lord, did not come in splendor and 
 glory, outwardly, but plain in speech and also in 
 apparel, being clothed and adorned with the robes
 
 THOMAS CHALK-LEY. 429 
 
 of righteousness and love. This is my beloved ! may 
 he be thine also, gentle reader. Oh ! how lovely is 
 he ! he is the chiefest of tens of thousands. Oh ! ye 
 children of men, both sons and daughters ! do not 
 offend Christ, by disobeying him, the bridegroom of 
 the righteous ; but I beseech you, in his sweet and 
 tender love, if you have offended him by sinning 
 against him, oh ! for the Lord's sake, and your own 
 soul's sake, do so no more ; but unfeignedly repent ; 
 and then in his time, when he hath tried you, and 
 found you faithful, he will embrace you with the 
 sweet embraces of his love. 
 
 If the poor creature did but love the Lord its 
 Maker above all, and its fellow-creature as itself, the 
 enemy of mankind would be overcome, and we be 
 made more than conquerors, through him that loved 
 us, even Christ Jesus, our Lord ; and man and woman 
 would see all those evil things to be abominable, and 
 many more which I have not mentioned, insomuch 
 that self would be abhorred as in dust and ashes, and 
 the Lord would be loved and glorified above all, for 
 which end he created mankind. But certain it is, 
 that this end cannot be answered, nor the Lord so 
 loved, without sin be forsaken and hated ; for the 
 devil is the author of sin, and Christ of righteousness. 
 
 Christ says, " I am the way, the truth, and the 
 life." And again, " I am the light of the world." 
 Oh ! saith my soul, in love and good-will to the sons 
 and daughters of men, that they would but walk in 
 the way of truth, and in the true light of the world;
 
 430 • THE JOUKNAL OF 
 
 then they would see clearly the snares of Satan ; which 
 that every one, especially those that profess Chris- 
 tianity, may do, and escape the same, is the very 
 desire of my soul : even so prayeth he, who through 
 the spirit of Jesus Christ, and the ability of his grace, 
 labors for the salvation of mankind. 
 
 Thomas Chalkley. 
 
 An Exhortation to Youth and Others, being Part 
 of a Letter from Thomas Chalkley to a Friend 
 in Dublin. 
 
 Let the young men and maidens diligently read 
 the holy Scriptures; and whenever they come to a 
 passage that affects them, let them not only turn 
 down that leaf, but let them be sure that it hath 
 place in their hearts : and when they read of a good 
 man or woman, let them earnestly pray and fervently 
 cry to the Lord, the great God and Father of our Lord 
 Jesus Christ, and God of the righteous in all ages, 
 that he would please to make them like those his dear 
 children and servants. Oh ! that young people might 
 not forget this great command of God, " Honor thy 
 parents, that thy days may be long upon the land 
 which the Lord thy God giveth thee." How many 
 stubborn youths hath the Lord cut off in their prime, 
 and in the flower of their days ; and on the other 
 hand, how hath the Almighty blessed, prospered, 
 preserved, and honored those who have been obedient
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 431 
 
 to their parents, and honored them and their elders? 
 And let the young men and maidens note this, that 
 none truly honor their parents and elders, but those 
 who are pious and virtuous ; such were Joseph, Samuel, 
 David, and Solomon ; as also King Josiah, who began 
 to reign at eight years old. God Almighty gives to 
 many a sense of his grace at that age, and there- 
 abouts; he ordaineth praise many times out of the 
 mouths of babes and sucklings. Let the youth en- 
 deavor to follow those good and great men ; and for 
 their instruction, I shall say something of the above 
 five worthies. 
 
 First, in particular, beginning with Joseph. His 
 father sent him to his brethren ; he went willingly, 
 though his brethren hated him ; and when it was in 
 his power to hurt them, he rendered them good for 
 their evil ; a good example for both young and old. 
 And when tempted to sin by his mistress in Egypt, 
 he said, " How can I do this great wickedness, and 
 sin against God ? " who highly favored him for his 
 piety, virtue, and chastity. 
 
 Secondly, Samuel, for whom his mother prayed 
 earnestly to the Lord ; and when he had given him 
 to her, she gave him to God again : a good pattern 
 for all mothers. When he was but a little lad, the 
 Almighty called him, and he thought it had been Eli; 
 and said, "Thou calledst me?" "No," said the old 
 man, " I did not call thee; lie down again." He did 
 not grumble, as many of our youth do : when the 
 Lord called again, he willingly ran to Eli; he did not
 
 432 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 ]ove his bed so much as obedience, and said, " Thou 
 didst call me ; " Eli observing that God had spoken 
 to the child, said to him, " When he calleth again, 
 say, ' Speak, Lord, for thy servant heareth.' ' Let 
 old ones mind this, and encourage their youth to 
 answer the call of God betimes : God called again, 
 and he answered, " Speak, Lord, for thy servant 
 heareth." The Lord, by his grace, calls to little 
 ones, many times in the midst of their play, and 
 sometimes in their beds. Oh ! that our youth may 
 do and say as little Samuel ; that they may grow as 
 he did, and be in favor both with God and man. 
 
 Thirdly, David, his father's youngest son, kept his 
 sheep, and in that innocent employ the Lord was with 
 him. His father sent him to his brethren; but Eliab, 
 his eldest brother, frowned upon him, and reviled him. 
 He only made this soft reply; " Is there not a cause? " 
 He overcame the great Philistine, in the name of the 
 God of Israel ; and God highly exalted him for his 
 uprightness, sincerity, and piety, which were very 
 great; for notwithstanding Saul would have killed 
 him, yet when David had him in his power, he spared 
 him, insomuch that Saul wept, and said, " If a man 
 find his enemy, will he let him go ? " And there was 
 loving greeting between them : so he overcame the 
 evil of Saul's heart, by the good that was in his, 
 according to those holy expressions of the apostle 
 Paul, " Be not overcome with evil, but overcome evil 
 with good." Words worthy to be written in letters 
 of gold, and more worthy to be observed and practised.
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 433 
 
 Fourthly, Solomon, who asked of God wisdom, be- 
 ing in his own eyes but as a little child, said unto 
 the Lord, "Give unto thy servant an understanding 
 heart : " which request God granted him, and gave 
 him also riches and honor. Oh ! see the benefit of 
 pleasing God, young men and young women. 
 
 Fifthly, Josiah, a young prince and king. How 
 zealous was he for God's service and worship ! What 
 a wonderful reformation he made in the land, and 
 how was he lamented at his death, as generally all 
 good and zealous men and women are, whether old 
 or young. 
 
 Having touched a little upon the young men, let 
 me remember the young women also : as for example, 
 Ruth and Abigail, two discreet young women ; the 
 first very loving, kind, and true to Naomi, her mother- 
 in-law : a good pattern for all daughters-in-law : " En- 
 treat me not," said she, " to leave thee ; for where 
 thou goest, I will go ; and where thou lodgest, I will 
 lodge : and where thou diest, there will I be buried ; 
 thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God;" 
 and the Lord abundantly rewarded her for this godly 
 resolution. Boaz had a sense of her virtue and piety, 
 and said, " All the city of my people do know, that 
 thou art a virtuous woman." Which doubtless was 
 a strong motive for him to love her ; and that love 
 commonly lasts till death : whereas when money is a 
 motive, it often happens that many evils attend. 
 
 Consider also wise Abigail, her ingenious speech to 
 
 David, and contrivance to hinder him from shedding 
 37
 
 434 THE JOUKNAL OF 
 
 blood ; which he was coming to do, thinking he had 
 cause, but was prevented by her wisdom. This was 
 a great motive to him to love her, after Nabal's death, 
 and to take her to wife. She was no proud woman ; 
 "For," said she, "let thy handmaid serve to wash 
 the feet of the servants of my lord." 
 
 As there are many good examples in holy Scripture, 
 whereby young people might be stirred up to virtue ; 
 so also there are examples of the judgments of God 
 on disobedient, impious, vain, and ungodly men and 
 women, even young and old. Let our youth consider, 
 I beseech them, wicked, disobedient Absalom, and poor 
 Dinah : also the prince and the Moabitish damsel, 
 whom zealous Phineas slew ; for God was angry, and 
 is angry with the wicked every day. 
 
 The before-mentioned good men and women were 
 in the time of the law; and let me add to them, the 
 holy pattern and good example of our great Lord and 
 blessed master, who loved righteousness, and hated 
 wickedness, therefore he was highly exalted, and 
 anointed with the oil of gladness above his fellows : 
 he had the heathen given him for his inheritance, and 
 the uttermost parts of the earth for his possession : 
 and what is more, all power in heaven and earth. 
 
 Oh ! dear young men and maidens ! He is our great 
 pattern, whom we ought to take for our example; 
 walking in all humility and reverence : Christ saith, 
 " He that will be my disciple, that is his scholar, must 
 take up his cross, deny himself, and follow me." Oh! 
 blessed pattern ! Oh ! glorious example ! let us follow
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 435 
 
 him whilst we have breath ; for it is always well for 
 them that follow him. What think ye, young men 
 and maidens ! had it not been well for that rich young 
 man, had he left all, and followed dear Jesus : be ye 
 your own judges; look on your pattern Christ Jesus, 
 when he was but twelve years old ; see what he was 
 doing, forget not that saying which his mother laid 
 up in her heart, " Wist ye not that I must be about 
 my Father's business ? " I can say, through some 
 experience, it is good business. Let me tell you for 
 your edification, I have served my master, holy Jesus, 
 and followed him several years according to the best 
 of my understanding, and I have always found him a 
 good master; his service is sweet, and his work is 
 delightful. I have a great deal more to say for my 
 Lord and Master, but my design is brevity : " His 
 yoke is easy, and his burthen is light." He hath said 
 it, and I have experienced it. Wherefore I am the 
 more free to invite you to follow him, and be his 
 scholars. An eminent servant and scholar of his 
 said, " Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of 
 Christ." The apostle Paul exhorts Timothy, a young 
 scholar, and his son in the faith, to be a good example 
 to others ; as also his son Titus. We are also told 
 of four young women, who were prophetesses, and 
 divers others; a more particular account of whose 
 exemplary lives and actions is recorded in the holy 
 Scripture for our learning; unto which, with the grace 
 of God in the heart, I recommend all young men and 
 women, and conclude this small token of my very dear
 
 436 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 love in Christ, our holy Lord and master, desiring the 
 above may be as so many patterns for them to follow. 
 
 Thomas Chalkley. 
 
 A Loving Invitation to Young and Old, in Holland 
 and elsewhere, to seek and love Almighty God, and 
 to prepare in time for their Eternal Welfare. 
 
 PEEFACE. 
 
 Having from my childhood been a lover of the 
 Dutch, and that love being increased by travelling 
 in Holland and Germany, it came weightily on my 
 mind to invite and persuade this people, with others 
 into whose hands this may come, and especially the 
 youth, to love, serve, and fear the Lord, the Almighty, 
 the great Jehovah, and that they first seek the king- 
 dom of God and his righteousness, as Christ exhorts 
 or commands. Those weighty expressions, with the 
 large promise thereto annexed, are well worth the due 
 notice and consideration of all, both youth and aged; 
 but seem to be very apt to the condition of those that 
 are just entering into the affairs of the world. Oh ! 
 that the youth had but faith in the blessed Lord Jesus, 
 and owned his pure doctrine, now in their tender 
 years ; and in the prime of their days. " That they 
 would remember their Creator in the days of their 
 youth, before the evil days come ; " that in their
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 437 
 
 blooming spring time, they might be like lovely 
 branches, and growing trees of righteousness, bear- 
 ing much good fruit of piety and virtue ; in which, 
 saith our Lord Jesus Christ, " Is your heavenly Father 
 glorified." This is the real and hearty desire of my 
 soul, for the youth of this and all generations, in all 
 nations throughout the world : the universal love of 
 God flows in my soul, like a living stream, to all my 
 fellow-mortals. The great love of God in Christ Jesus, 
 our Lord and Master, is abundantly and universally 
 shed abroad to all nations, through his eternal Spirit 
 and grace in the hearts of the sons and daughters of 
 men, in order to draw, lead, and guide men and 
 women from earth to heaven. 
 
 Being desirous, according to my measure, to pro- 
 mote truth and righteousness in the earth, and having 
 been sensible of the love, mercy, and goodness of God, 
 in my very young and tender years, I am willing, for 
 the sake of well inclined young men and women, to 
 send this loving invitation : and am desirous that it 
 might be translated into the Dutch language ; hoping 
 it may be beneficial to some well inclined souls, to 
 stir them up to seek, serve, and love Almighty God. 
 Amen. 
 
 So wisheth and heartily prayeth, a friend to, and 
 lover of all mankind. Thomas Chalkley. 
 
 It is a thing truly excellent for mortals to love, 
 serve, and fear Him that made them, and gave unto 
 all life and being : and to begin this work betimes, is 
 
 37*
 
 438 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 very advantageous to the never-dying soul. It is an 
 indispensable duty, which is incumbent upon every one ; 
 male and female ; and whoever is found in the neglect 
 thereof, will certainly have cause to repent it ; and un- 
 less they repent before they go hence, and see man no 
 more, will be miserable to all eternity. This solid con- 
 sideration hath often been weighty on my mind, and I 
 could not be clear, as I thought, in the sight of God, 
 without laying it before men and women. 
 
 Truth commands us, reason persuades us, and ex- 
 ample is very powerful and inviting, that the children 
 of men would be wise to salvation, and embrace the 
 love of God in his dear and well beloved Son, our 
 Lord Jesus Christ, who himself said, " I am the way, 
 the truth, and the life." Oh ! surely here is a three- 
 fold cord, i. e., truth, reason, and example, which is 
 not easily broken : God Almighty grant, for Christ's 
 sake, that by it poor souls may be drawn to him, even 
 now in their tender years. To-day, to-day, if any will 
 hear the voice of the Lord, let them not harden their 
 hearts ; for that is provoking to him that made us. 
 How know we whether He who made the heavens, will 
 be pleased to give us another hour ? How know we, 
 but that after this day we may never open our eyes, 
 till we open them in eternity? Oh ! eternity, eternity, 
 that boundless ocean ! who can fathom those words, 
 forever and ever ? What will this world and all ita 
 glories and vanities signify, or avail to poor souls, 
 when lying on a dying-bed ? 
 
 It will therefore be well for both old and young to 
 note this :
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 439 
 
 First ; The old, because it is not likely they should 
 have many days, according to the course of nature 
 and a common proverb, i. e. } the young may die, but 
 the old must die. 
 
 Second ; The young, because they know not but 
 that they may die to-morrow. 
 
 In the great and notable day of the Most High, 
 heavenlv things will be found serious and solid truths, 
 and not toys and trifles, nor indifferent; when he shall 
 come as in flames of fire, to render vengeance, which 
 is his only, upon all the workers of iniquity, and shall 
 come to judge the secrets of all hearts by that great 
 and just Judge, the Lord Jesus Christ. 
 
 Wherefore, let me prevail with some poor souls, now 
 in time, to lay the truth to heart, and to be found in 
 the work of God in their day ; that so for their pains 
 here, they may receive their penny hereafter ; and 
 that enlivening, that quickening answer of "well 
 done," may be their portion, and the glorious lot 
 of their inheritance : " Come, ye blessed ; well done, 
 good and faithful servant : enter thou into the joy of 
 thy Lord." Oh ! powerful voice, and heart-ravishing 
 sentence ! enough to make one alive, though dead ; 
 and exceedingly joyful, though sorrowful even to 
 death. This divine favor and grace, wherewith the 
 Most High will favor those that; love him and faith- 
 fully serve him, in that great and notable day, will 
 far exceed the favor of kings and princes : for those 
 that get the latter, can only be happy, or so accounted, 
 in this world, which is but momentary ; and those
 
 440 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 who are living and sensible witnesses of the former, 
 are certainly happy, even in this world, although men 
 may not see it, and likewise everlastingly happy in 
 that world which is to come. To be sensible of God's 
 grace in the heart, and to follow the holy teaching of 
 it, is preferable to all things here below, it will make 
 one more wise and more comely, than all outward 
 learning, beauty, or parts whatever. God Almighty 
 grant, I beseech him, that all our young men, our rich 
 men, our wise men, may glory only in him, according 
 to the language of the Spirit in the holy Scriptures, 
 " Let not the young or strong man glory in his youth 
 or strength, nor the rich man in his riches, nor the 
 wise man in his wisdom ; but he who glories, let him 
 glory in the Lord ; " or in this, " That he knows the 
 Lord." Let the wits of the age consider this well ; 
 let the boaster and disputer rightly note this, and 
 he will have cause to bow before heaven's Majesty. 
 What becomes of the young man's and young woman's 
 strength and lovely beauty, when their heads are laid 
 in the cold grave ? What will become of, or of what 
 service to him will be, the riches of the rich man, 
 when he shall receive his summons to his long home ? 
 May he not then say, Oh ! that I had been as indus- 
 trious to get heaven and peace with my Maker, as I 
 have been to get this world. Let all worldly-minded 
 men and women remember the expostulation of Christ 
 Jesus with the rich young man. This is not to hinder 
 any in their outward concerns : for the heart of a 
 man may be in heaven, though his hands may be in 
 his employment.
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 441 
 
 And as to the wise man : pray, what will become 
 of his great wit, his acquired parts, his arguments 
 and criticisms, when pale-faced death shall look him 
 in the face, and strike him with his sharp arrow ? 
 Then he will find, that it had been much better for 
 him, had he lived well, although he had not talked so 
 much, or so well. To talk well, is good ; but to live 
 well is much better. To talk finely, and live badly, 
 is of little worth. Oh ! that the great Master work- 
 man of all, may drive home this nail, in the heart of* 
 him whose eye shall look thereon, by his mighty 
 hammer, the hammer of his word, his heart-breaking, 
 heart-melting, and heart-piercing word ; according to 
 the doctrine of the Holy Spirit in the holy Scriptures, 
 " Is not my word as a fire ? Is not my word as a 
 hammer ? Is not my word as a sword ? " i. e., to burn, 
 to break, to cut down all manner of sin : not to destroy 
 man, but sin in man. Hear further the language of 
 the Holy Spirit : " Say not in thine heart, who shall 
 ascend up into heaven, to fetch it down from above ? 
 Or who shall go down into the deep, or beyond the 
 seas, to fetch it from thence? But what saith it? 
 The word is nigh thee, in thy heart, and in thy mouth 
 that thou mayest do it." This was, and is, and ever 
 will be, the doctrine of the gospel ; from which people 
 may perceive that Christ Jesus is near to them ; near 
 to save, near to deliver, near to redeem. The great 
 Jehovah, the blessed Jesus, the holy divine Spirit, is 
 not a God afar off, but a God near at hand, and a 
 present and sure help in the needful time. Oh! 
 blessed be his name forever and ever.
 
 442 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 I appeal to the consciences of all men, whether they 
 have not, or do not sensibly witness something of a 
 nature contrary to sin and unrighteousness, to re- 
 prove them and convince them of the evil of their 
 ways and doings, perhaps sometimes in the midst of 
 their vanity, in the song, in the dance, or in the game ; 
 or sometimes after a debauch, or for their pride, either 
 in mind or in apparel, for overreaching, or covetous- 
 ness ; all which, with all manner of evils, are of the 
 'devil. And the King of heaven is lifting up his holy 
 and righteous spirit as a standard against it, and 
 against him who is the author of it. Let this his 
 convincing grace take place in thy heart, oh mortal 
 man ! for know of a truth, it is the grace of God to 
 thy soul; for infallible proof of which, besides the 
 experience of the faithful, take these two texts of 
 holy Scripture, the doctrine of which will stand for- 
 ever, notwithstanding all the opposition of man : " I 
 will pray the Father, says Christ, and he will send 
 you another comforter, even the Spirit of truth, that 
 he may abide with you forever ; and when he is come, 
 he shall convince the world of sin." Again, " The 
 grace of God which brings salvation, hath appeared 
 unto all men, teaching us, that, denying ungodliness 
 and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, 
 and godly, in this present world." Why should the 
 Almighty show to men the evil of their ways ? Why 
 does he not let them run on in their vanities, with- 
 out control ? Oh, ye children of men ! it is his mere 
 grace and mercy to the precious, dear-bought, and
 
 THOMAS CHALKLE'S 443 
 
 never dying souls of poor mortal mankind; for he 
 would have none to perish. If any perish, their de- 
 struction is of themselves, but their help is of the 
 Lord. Oh ! that people would be entreated and per- 
 suaded, through loving invitation, to follow the Lord 
 fully, and do his work faithfully. 
 
 I humbly beg of the Lord, the great God, and 
 Father of spirits, and of our dear Lord Jesus, that 
 this may be instrumental, in his hand, to draw some 
 poor seeking, travailing soul from earth towards 
 heaven ; the which, if it doth, let the praises be given 
 to God alone, through his well beloved Son. 
 
 First, then : As to truth, I would hope few in this 
 generation, who profess Christianity, need to say, 
 What is truth? God Almighty, Christ Jesus, the 
 Holy Spirit, is that infinite, divine truth, which will 
 endure forever ; and he hath said, " Thou shalt love 
 the Lord thy God with all thy heart, with all thy 
 mind, and with all thy strength." He is richly 
 worthy thereof: this is his law which is to endure 
 forever; and he who doth and teacheth it, is to be 
 called great in the kingdom of God ; and that it might 
 not be forgotten, he wrote it on stony tables ; which 
 law, Jacob's seed broke and transgressed. Wherefore, 
 thus saith the Lord, who spoke by the prophet, " I 
 will put my law in their inward parts, and write it. 
 in their hearts." There it is written in large char- 
 acters, very plain and legible, and easy to be read of 
 mankind. Moses, the man of God, was an instrument 
 to promote the law outwardly, written on tables of
 
 444 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 stone, among the children of Israel : so Christ Jesus, 
 in this gospel-df.y, is promoting and proclaiming the 
 power of this law inwardly engraven in men's hearts 
 by God's finger, throughout the whole world. This 
 great law of love, in which all the law and the 
 prophets are contained, Christ not only lived in, and 
 declared to mortals, but he also died in it, and for 
 us sealed his holy, glorious testimony and doctrine 
 with his most precious blood. This is he, of whom 
 the voice from the most excellent glory said, " This 
 is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased, hear 
 ye him." This is he, of whom the former lawgiver 
 said, " The Lord your God shall raise up a prophet 
 from amongst your brethren, him shall ye hear in all 
 things." This is he who said, " I am the way, the 
 truth, and the life." This is he who said, " He 
 dwelleth with you, and shall be in you : " and again, 
 " I stand at the door and knock ; if any man hear my 
 voice, and open the door, I will come in to him and 
 sup with him, and he with me." His love is wonder- 
 ful ; he not only commands obedience, but invites to it. 
 Who can be so hard-hearted, and so cruel to him and 
 themselves also, as to slight and refuse such heavenly 
 offers of infinite love, grace, and mercy ? The Spirit 
 and the bride say, Come ; and all that are athirst 
 may come and drink freely, and buy heavenly milk 
 and rich wine, without money or any outward price. 
 Secondly, Touching reason : it is very reasonable 
 that we should serve and love God Almighty, in the 
 space of time that we have in this world, and
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 445 
 
 work the works of piety and virtue, because there 
 is solid peace therein : here none can make afraid, 
 but the soul is calm and quiet, being anchored in 
 a safe harbor. Here no law can take hold of us. 
 If any should imagine that there are no future 
 rewards or punishments, which no mortal can do 
 without blushing or self-condemnation, as I conceive; 
 yet a life of holiness is a much better life, even for 
 the body, for its health and most sweet repose, and 
 for pleasure that is solid, and not flashy ; and for its 
 outward tranquillity in every respect. I appeal to 
 the reasoning wits of the age, whether the above be 
 not a great and undeniable truth : besides, all true 
 men and women, in practising as above, have a living 
 hope and faith, through and in Christ, of a glorious 
 rest in eternity, which is very reasonable to believe. 
 Christ wrought such wonderful works and mighty 
 miracles, which before were never wrought by man 
 on earth ; so that those must needs be self-condemned 
 that believe not in him, his works and grace. There 
 is no writ nor wit in the whole world, that can, or 
 ever will be able to make void, or lay waste the 
 mighty and miraculous works of truth, which were 
 done by the blessed Jesus. Moses was a mighty 
 man of God, and highly favored and greatly beloved 
 of him, and did many mighty works ; yet Christ ex- 
 ceeded him, as also did his dispensation. Moses went 
 through the sea : Christ went upon the sea. Moses 
 prayed for bread from heaven, and it was given in 
 
 abundance ; Christ with a few small fishes and seven 
 38
 
 446 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 loaves, fed many thousands, which was unreasonable 
 to expect, but from a divine hand. Moses prayed for 
 water for the people : Christ made wine, and admi- 
 rable wine too, even of water. Moses preached the law 
 and judgment to Israel only ; but Christ Jesus 
 preached grace, mercy, peace, and truth, not only to 
 Israel, but also to all the world, through divine faith 
 in God, in and through repentance, and the work of 
 the Spirit. Oh ! is not here reason and truth pleading 
 with, and persuading poor creatures to love, serve, 
 and follow, reverence and fear their Creator? 
 
 It is likely some such doctrine as this might better 
 please the sparks of the age, and the jolly young men 
 and maidens up and down in the world, viz., "Rejoice, 
 oh ! young man and young woman, and let thy heart 
 cheer thee in the days of thy youth ; follow the desire 
 of thy heart, and the sight of thine eyes." But. let 
 them remember, that for all these things God will 
 bring them to judgment : they must surely come to 
 judgment. They will have it inwardly and secretly 
 in their hearts, here in this world, notwithstanding 
 they may endeavor to hide it from men ; but they 
 cannot hide it from Heaven, from the all-seeing, 
 heart-piercing eye of the Holy One : " He who inhabits 
 eternity, whose dwelling is in the light; and whose 
 eye goes through the earth, beholding the good and 
 the evil;" sees them at all times, and without repent- 
 ance they will have condemnation without end, in 
 the world that is to come. Let the youth and aged 
 seriously consider it.
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 447 
 
 And further, let them call to mind the great and 
 heavy judgments that have fallen upon wicked and 
 ungodly men, many of which were foretold by the 
 messengers of heaven, and came to pass according to 
 their sayings, viz., the flood of waters, which destroyed 
 the old world, which the very Indians in America 
 have a notable idea of, handed down to them by the 
 tradition of their fathers to this day. The destruc- 
 tion of the land and inhabitants of Sodom and 
 Gomorrah, and the thousands of thousands that have 
 been destroyed in battles, which will still be, and 
 continue to the world's end, unless people come into 
 the love of God, which will teach them to love one 
 another, and into the faith and doctrine of the Prince 
 of Peace, which is, " To do unto all men, as we would 
 have them do unto us," and to "do good for evil;" 
 which to be sure is not to destroy. Likewise the 
 destruction of Jerusalem and scattering of the Jews, 
 the' seed of faithful Abraham ; and divers terrible 
 earthquakes, which have happened in these latter 
 ages of the world ; some of the dreadful ruins of which 
 I have seen in my travels. Surely there is much 
 reason to walk in reverence and holy fear before the 
 great Lord of all : he who made the heavens and the 
 earth, the seas and the fountains of water, and hath 
 given life and breath to all that move therein, can 
 take it from them at his pleasure, in the twinkling 
 of an eye. 
 
 Oh ! happy are all those who live and dwell in the 
 holy fear of God, and in the self-denying life of Jesus :
 
 448 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 no greater happiness or felicity than to be one of 
 these. Let my soul dwell here, and be in unity and 
 fellowship with all such forever. 
 
 As to the third and last part of the argument, 
 viz., example ; which, as the proverb says, is above 
 precept. Good example is very taking with many, 
 and often happens to be very affecting to the younger 
 sort more particularly : for they look out much at 
 others, and take great notice of the words and con- 
 duct of their elders and superiors. Jacob was a good 
 example to his great family : he was a pious affection- 
 ate father, a loving husband, a faithful servant, and 
 an obedient son : the history of his life and travels in 
 holy Scripture is affecting. He sought God betimes ; 
 and how humble, how lowly did he behave himself in 
 his pilgrimage ! his father and mother called him, 
 and bid him go ; he does it without any replies to the 
 contrary ; not like some of the youth of this age. 
 Being benighted on his way, he lays himself dovfn ; 
 his pillow was hard, but his bed large, and the heavens 
 were his curtains ; his sleep was sweet, and his dream 
 precious. In which sleep he sees angels ; and when 
 he awakes, he says, " Surely, this is none other than 
 the house of God and the gate of heaven." The 
 condition of his covenant with his Maker, as to out- 
 ward things, was as small as well could be, viz., 
 Bread to eat, and raiment to put on, and the presence 
 of his Maker, with his blessing. This was when he 
 was about to set up for himself in the world : his 
 mind was not high, neither sought he after great
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 449 
 
 things ; notwithstanding which, the Almighty gave 
 him abundance. So onward he went, and came to 
 Laban, and became his servant. I could wish that 
 all young people, who are servants, would follow his 
 steps in faithfulness, then might they be a blessing to 
 their masters, as he was to his. I ever observed in 
 my travels, having travelled much in divers nations, 
 and made many observations, that Almighty God 
 hath greatly blessed obedient, industrious children and 
 servants ; which observation I hope will be of good 
 use to the world, if well considered. And on the 
 other hand, I have taken notice of the contrary, and 
 have perfectly understood, that God's hand hath been 
 manifestly against those who have been disobedient 
 and ill-natured and idle; which may be an .useful 
 caution to all. The Lord blessed the good service 
 and faithful industry of this his servant with great 
 increase; as also with many children, for whom he 
 was concerned even to the very last ; and like a pious 
 and godly father, prayed to the Lord for their pre- 
 servation, and was zealously concerned to cleanse his 
 family from superstition and idolatry ; and call them 
 to go up to Bethel, the house of God. Oh ! that all 
 heads of families would be concerned for their pos- 
 terity, and seek God and the things of his kingdom, 
 for their children and servants, more than the things 
 of this world ; there being too much care for the one 
 and too little for the other, generally speaking; so 
 that there is need of this caution. This good man 
 was not only concerned for his family in his life, but 
 38*
 
 450 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 even at his death also : waiting for the salvation of 
 God, and being sensible of it, he very livingly and 
 sensibly blessed his seed, and was opened in faith to 
 speak exactly to each of their states and conditions. 
 I refer to the history of it in holy Scripture, the 
 which I believe will be affecting to pious minds. 
 What a race he left behind ! all his twelve sons were 
 patriarchs, and fathers of many people, who were 
 highly favored of God, and had been to this day, had 
 they walked in the steps of their fathers, Abraham, 
 Isaac, and Jacob ; from whom came many valiant and 
 noble men for God ; as Moses, Joshua, Samuel, David, 
 Solomon, Josiah, Elijah, aiid Elisha; also the holy 
 blessed Star and Sun of righteousness, Holy Jesus, 
 whom the degenerate offspring of good old Israel 
 slew and hanged on a tree. The holy apostles also 
 were great examples of virtue ; as well as the blessed 
 martyrs, and many modern good men might be 
 brought in for inviting examples, to stir up the minds 
 of men and women, to serve, love, and follow the 
 Lord, and to believe in him, and in his dear Son, and 
 in the appearance of his grace working in the soul, 
 in order to convince and convert them. 
 
 To be particular in all the above instances, would 
 swell this far beyond what is intended ; and consid- 
 ering the many and large volumes that are in the 
 world, though a large door is opened before me, yet 
 I am now willing to conclude, and recommend the 
 work, with the reader, to the grace of God, in and 
 through his dear Son Christ Jesus, ouy great ex-
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 451 
 
 ample : to whom with the Father, through the divine 
 Spirit, be glory forever. Thomas Chalkley. 
 
 "Written at Frederickstadt, in Holstein. 
 
 Some Observations on Christ's Sermon on the Mount. 
 
 PREFACE. 
 
 Christ being the great author of the Christian 
 religion, some observations on the sermon which he 
 preached on the mount, may be acceptable to some 
 of his followers ; especially such who desire to fulfil 
 his holy will, and not to rest satisfied in a mere form 
 and show of religion. 
 
 And also considering that it is the greatest collec- 
 tion of his words left us in the New Testament by 
 the Evangelists, in any one place, I was in hopes some 
 observations thereon might tend to promote the read- 
 ing of it in the holy Scriptures. 
 
 But the great aim I had in this undertaking was, 
 that the professors of the name of holy Jesus might 
 live and walk in his truth, and in the doctrine which 
 he has there laid down for his followers to practise ; 
 and that in so doing they might have peace to their 
 souls here, and rest in the kingdom of glory forever. 
 
 It is by some accounted and looked upon in youth 
 to be a commendable and worthy practice to write 
 down sermons, and to copy and read them over ; and
 
 452 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 I believe it will be generally acknowledged, that 
 there was never any sermon that can be compared 
 with this preached in the mount, and recorded by 
 the evangelist Matthew, in the fifth, sixth, and sev- 
 enth chapters ; which if our young and rising gener- 
 ation would often read, and sometimes write down, 
 but be sure to practise, this would be truly noble in 
 them. If they find they want inward strength to 
 perform the duties it prescribes, let them seek it in 
 secret at the hand of the Almighty, in whom is ever- 
 lasting strength ; and it is recorded in holy Scripture, 
 " That he gives liberally, and upbraideth not." He 
 will not upbraid thee, because thou art but a child, * 
 or tender in years. Oh, therefore, seek him betimes ! 
 for it is written, " They who seek him early shall 
 find him." 
 
 If Christians would walk according to this holy 
 sermon, it would help to heal their differences, and 
 to soften them in their sentiments one to another. 
 All .parties will confess that the doctrine in this ser- 
 mon is good, and ought to be promoted amongst all 
 who profess the worthy name of the Lord Jesus ; and 
 whoever walks contrary to this rule must needs be 
 in the wrong. 
 
 The general end of preachers is, or should be, to 
 have their doctrine taken notice of, and put in prac- 
 tice ; and this being counsel from the " Wonderful, 
 Counsellor, the mighty God and Saviour, the ever- 
 lasting Father, and Prince of Peace," we should take 
 more than ordinary notice of it.
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 453 
 
 Considering also that he not only spake his doc- 
 trine, but lived in it, and not only lived in, but died 
 in it and for it, and us also, we are deeply engaged 
 tq hear him with an obedient heart and ear. "This," 
 says the voice from the most excellent glory, "is my 
 beloved Son, hear ye him." And Moses, the man of 
 God, says, " He that will not hear him, shall be de- 
 stroyed from amongst the people ; " viz., from an in- 
 heritance with the saints in the kingdom of God, and 
 his Christ. 
 
 I have carefully transcribed the sermon verbatim, 
 and made some observations on it afterwards, I think 
 on every verse a little, as I found openness to it on 
 my mind ; and it is recommended to the serious 
 perusal and consideration of all those who tenderly 
 and unfeignedly love our Lord Jesus Christ. 
 
 Thomas Chalkley. 
 
 "And seeing the multitudes, he went up into a 
 mountain : and when he was set, his disciples came 
 unto him, and he opened his mouth, and taught them, 
 saying," etc. 
 
 Our Lord seeing the multitudes, for the advancing 
 his Father's glory, his own kingdom, and the good 
 of souls, went up into the mountain, and sat in the 
 power of the Father ; and when so sat down, his dis- 
 ciples came unto him ; which shows the necessity of 
 coming to Christ, to hear his word, and that Chris- 
 tians ought to assemble themselves before him, that 
 he may speak to them either immediately, or by his
 
 454 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 ministers if he pleases to enlarge the heart of any of 
 them to declare his word; and as his disciples then 
 personally came unto him, so now we ought to come 
 to him in spirit ; and when but two or three are so 
 come to him, He is as really present spiritually, as he 
 was personally in the mount. And as this meeting 
 in the mount was powerful and glorious, so will all 
 those be, in measure, where Jesus is really present in 
 spirit. 
 
 "And he opened his mouth, and taught them." 
 Thus when true believers meet before Christ, he 
 teaches them, and opens the mysteries of the king- 
 dom of God, and speaks truly to the state of the 
 people, even now spiritually, as he did then vocally ; 
 and his word is with power and great glory. Oh ! 
 may all his servants and ministers, who are sensible 
 of his divine call, minister according to their several 
 gifts and capacities, in his power, and by his holy 
 and divine authority. This must change the hearts 
 of poor mortals, and forward the work of reformation, 
 which, with godly sorrow it may be truly said, goes 
 on but too slowly in this world. Christ being thus 
 set in the power of his Father, opened his mouth and 
 let fall a shower of blessings on those hearts who 
 were prepared to receive them. For his great love 
 and tender compassion are generally manifested to 
 poor souls when they, with love and zeal to him, and 
 for the honor of his great name, assemble before him. 
 He begins and says, — 
 
 " Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the 
 kingdom of heaven."
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 455 
 
 It is a safe and blessed state to be spiritually poor, 
 and to be rightly sensible of it before the Most High. 
 For then we are nothing, and have nothing, but from 
 the Lord : and without him man sees himself undone: 
 his soul must starve, he must go naked, if the Al- 
 mighty do not feed and clothe him. When people 
 see themselves poor and wretched, miserable, blind, 
 and naked, without Christ, notwithstanding all the 
 fine things they may enjoy in this world, which is of 
 a fading nature, oh, then, how the soul cries and 
 begs for mercy and grace ! A dry form of words 
 will not satisfy it, but it begs with tears, Lord, help 
 me, or I perish ! Save me, or I am undone forever ! 
 Here the soul humbly approaches the throne of grace 
 by prayer ; and if an answer is not quickly received, 
 for such a soul is apt to think the time long, it waits 
 patiently with that servant of God, who said, " Though 
 he slay me, yet will I trust in him : " for I know 
 there is no help for me but from thee, oh, my God, 
 and my Saviour! saith the truly poor soul. The 
 food which must keep life in me, is thy word : and 
 the raiment which I want, is thy righteousness, as 
 thou wroughtest it for me, and workest it in me also. 
 The Lord looks with a compassionate eye on such 
 souls, and doth not use to turn them away empty ; 
 but as they abide in the* patience, waiting for his ap- 
 pearance in hope, he assures them of the kingdom; 
 and a great change is witnessed ; for the blessing of 
 Christ makes them rich, which adds no sorrow with 
 it. Their greatest sorrow was, and is, for wan t of it ;
 
 456 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 now their treasure and heart is in heaven, and heav- 
 enly things are their chiefest delight ; now they are 
 clothed with Christ's righteousness, he hath put it 
 upon them, and they show it in the sight of men, a 
 thorough change being wrought both within and 
 without also; "The holy Spirit bearing witness with 
 their spirits, that they are the children of God ; " 
 and Christ says theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 
 
 " Blessed are they that mourn : for they shall be 
 comforted." 
 
 The mourning here spoken of, is of a godly sort, 
 which may sometimes appear outwardly. First, The 
 soul may mourn for its own sins and iniquities ; Second, 
 For want of a Saviour ; and Third, For the iniquities 
 of others. " All have sinned, and come short of the 
 glory of God ; " and since we have all sinned, we have 
 all need to mourn before the Lord, and bow ourselves 
 before the Most High ; and when he sees that we are 
 humbled before him, he will comfort us. Christ will 
 send the Comforter, the Spirit of Truth in his name, 
 who will come unto us ; and when he is come, we may 
 plainly know that it is he, by what he doth, according 
 to Christ's own rule, which is infallible and certain. 
 He says, " When he is come, he will reprove, or con- 
 vince the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judg- 
 ment; of sin, because they believe not on me; of 
 righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see 
 me no more ; and of judgment, because the prince 
 of this world is judged." Thus, according to Christ, 
 that which shows us our sins, which convinces us of
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 457 
 
 them, is the Spirit of Truth, the Comforter ; and after 
 we have mourned for the sins of which he convinces 
 us, then he comforts us with inward comfort and con- 
 solation. This Comforter also convinceth us of our 
 formal righteousness, when it is only formal, without 
 the power of Christ ; and then the soul mourns after 
 the life and power of godliness, which indeed is great 
 gain, with true contentment; and hath the promise 
 of the things of this life, and of that also which is to 
 come. Here we are comforted by the Spirit in the 
 promise, in which we have faith to believe in Christ, 
 that he will verily do as he hath promised. It also 
 convinceth us of judgment, when we judge with a 
 wrong judgment; and when we mourn for our mis- 
 take, he makes us sensible of his righteous judgment, 
 which judges the prince of this world, who is judged 
 by Christ; and then instead of mourning, we are 
 ready to sing with the saints of old, " Salvation, and 
 glory, and honor, and power, unto the Lord our God, 
 for true and righteous are his judgments, for he hath 
 judged the beast which did corrupt the earth, and 
 hath revenged the blood of his servants at her hands." 
 The soul being truly in love with Christ, and he 
 beins; absent from it in some sense; or if he seem to 
 stay a great while from it, although it be only to prove 
 it ; this makes it mourn like the spouse in the Can- 
 ticles, who sets forth the beauty and excellent parts 
 and comeliness of her beloved, and her sorrow is, 
 that he has withdrawn himself; and well may a soul 
 be sorrowful, when Christ spiritually withdraws him- 
 
 39
 
 458 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 self. The children of the bride-chamber mourn in 
 the bridegroom's absence, but rejoice in His presence, 
 who is the very perfection of beauty and holiness. 
 But the soul abiding in his love, seeking him and 
 waiting for him, in his own time he will certainly 
 come to that soul ; for he is the truth who said, 
 " Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be 
 comforted." 
 
 Again, pious souls cannot but mourn for the sins 
 and abominations of the times, which are a great 
 exercise to them, and affect them with sorrow and 
 mourning ; but they are comforted with blessed 
 promises, which the Holy Ghost, at times, immedi- 
 ately applies to their souls, as recorded in the holy 
 Scripture ; and let it be remembered, that all our 
 good times are in the hands of the Lord. It is re- 
 corded in the holy Scripture, that God would have 
 his people comfortably spoken to ; and that he would 
 " give them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for 
 mourning, and the garment of praise for the spirit of 
 heaviness ; that they might be called trees of right- 
 eousness, the planting of the Lord, that he might be 
 glorified." • 
 
 " Blessed are the meek : for they shall inherit the 
 earth." 
 
 Be not high-minded, saith one of his servants ; and 
 another saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth 
 grace to the humble. Again, " The meek will he 
 teach his way, and the meek will he guide in judg- 
 ment ; " as the holy Scripture witnesseth. Well said
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 459 
 
 our holy Saviour, that the meek should be blessed : 
 grace is given to them, and God is their teacher and 
 their guide in judgment; a most blessed gift, teacher, 
 and guide. It is a great blessing indeed, to receive 
 grace from Almighty God, to be taught his ways, and 
 to have the holy One to be our guide in judgment. 
 He who has all power in heaven and in earth com- 
 mitted into his hand, says that the meek " shall in- 
 herit the earth : " they have the truest enjoyment of 
 all the things of this life ; whereas the proud and 
 scornful are a burden to themselves and others, and 
 hardly any thing pleases them, or is good enough for 
 them ; when, on the other hand, the meek and con- 
 tented mind hath a continual feast. 
 
 " Blessed are they who hunger and thirst after 
 righteousness ; for they shall be filled." 
 
 Let it be remembered, that as our mortal bodies 
 cannot enjoy health long without a natural appetite 
 to meat and drink, so our souls cannot live unto 
 holiness without a spiritual hunger and an inward 
 thirst after the righteousness which Christ puts upon 
 his saints; not by imputation only, but actually also. 
 Such souls he will fill, as Mary witnessed and bore 
 her testimony to the truth thereof, viz. : " He hath 
 filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he 
 hath sent empty away." When we are emptied of 
 sin and self, there is room for the Almighty to pour 
 his Spirit into us. If we would fill any thing, it must 
 first be emptied ; so must we be empty, if we hunger 
 and thirst after righteousness : then shall we truly
 
 460 the Journal op 
 
 pray to our heavenly Father for divine food, and it 
 will be our meat and drink to do his will ; and we 
 shall delight to feed upon his word ; as Christ says, 
 " Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every 
 word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God." This 
 is holy food for the soul, which nourishes and keeps 
 it alive unto God ; without this it is dead, notwith- 
 standing it may have the name of a living soul. As 
 this hunger and thirst, or desire, must be spiritual, 
 so must the food be also ; " It being the Spirit that 
 quickens," and gives life ; wherefore let a spiritual 
 hunger and thirst after God and his righteousness be 
 in the soul. A righteous man being greatly athirst 
 after the living Lord, cries out, "As the hart panteth 
 after the water brooks, so doth my soul after the living 
 God." And this holy thirst was greatly satisfied, so 
 that his heart was many times sweetly opened to 
 praise the Lord. It is true, we have an adversary, 
 that would be filling us with many things, fleshly, 
 worldly, and satanical ; but we are to shut our hearts 
 against him, to keep out'all those things, and to stand 
 open to Christ, empty before him. If we find our 
 adversary too hard for us, we are to flee and cry to 
 the Lord for succor and help, who is a God not only 
 afar off, but also near at hand, a present help in the 
 needful time, as many of his servants and children 
 have experienced. "Wherefore, to be hungry and 
 thirsty after Christ and his righteousness, entitles 
 us to his gracious promise, who says they shall be 
 filled.
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 461 
 
 "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain 
 mercy." 
 
 It is highly necessary for mortals to show mercy 
 in all their words and actions one to another ; and 
 also to the creatures which God hath made for the 
 use of man. It is usually said, that a merciful man 
 is merciful to his beast, which generally is true ; and 
 if men are merciful to their beasts, how much more 
 ought they to be merciful one to another. Where 
 mercy is to be extended, it ought not to be done 
 sparingly, since thereby, according to Christ's blessed 
 doctrine, we are to obtain mercy. That servant who 
 showed no mercy to his fellow, had no mercy showed 
 to him from his lord. It is also recorded, in the name 
 of the Lord, " He hath shown unto thee, man ! what 
 is good, and what doth the Lord require of thee, but 
 to do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with thy 
 God." By which it appears that we are not just in 
 the sight of God, if we are cruel and unmerciful one 
 to another. And we ought not only to be merciful, 
 but to love it, which, if we are truly humble, we shall 
 certainly do. Mercy will lessen, and not magnify 
 weakness, failings, or small and trivial things, one in 
 another ; and sometimes, as the case may require, 
 larger things. Yet there is room for seasonable re- 
 proof and correction ; but mercy must be mixed with 
 justice, else the correction may end in tyranny. We 
 ought to be gentle to all men, which is a token of true 
 gentility ; so to be truly merciful, is to be blessed, and 
 to obtain mercy. 
 39*
 
 462 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 " Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see 
 God." 
 
 By which we may understand, that we are to take 
 care of our hearts, and to keep a strict watch over 
 them ; and not admit unclean or unchaste thoughts, 
 or sinful desires, to have an entrance therein. And 
 if at unawares they should at any time enter, we 
 must not entertain or love them, but turn them out ; 
 for we, in this, should be like our heavenly Father, 
 of purer eyes than to behold iniquity with any allow- 
 ance or approbation : otherwise it will hinder us from 
 seeing God, and from the sweet enjoyment of his most 
 precious presence, and from beholding the only-be- 
 gotten of the Father, and the fulness of his grace and 
 truth, which we cannot see if our hearts are impure. 
 We have an instance in the scribes and pharisees, who, 
 though they were outwardly righteous and clean, yet 
 within were very impure, so that they could not see 
 God, though he was in Christ reconciling the world 
 to himself: notwithstanding their nice discerning eyes, 
 yet they could not see him, for the impurity of their 
 hearts ; which was so great, that they murdered the 
 just One, their hearts being full of deceit and hypoc- 
 risy. " Make clean the inside, and the outside will 
 be clean also," says Christ : from whence it appears, 
 that a true Christian must be clean both within and 
 without. The beginning of the work of purity and 
 sanctity must be within ; and being innocent and 
 pure in heart, we shall then see the glory of the 
 Father, the lovely beauty of the Son, and the power 
 of the Holy Ghost, or Spirit.
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 463 
 
 " Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be 
 called the children of God." 
 
 This peacemaking is excellent work, and a blessed 
 calling ; what pity it is, that there are not more work- 
 men in the world who would set themselves heartily to 
 it, which if they did, in a right spirit, God would cer- 
 tainly prosper the work in their hands, and plenti- 
 fully reward them with his own peace, which passeth 
 the understanding of the natural man. If our ingen- 
 ious men, our men and women of skill and good natural 
 parts, would take a little pains, nay, when the case 
 requires it, a great deal, the Almighty would richly 
 reward them. This work is not too mean even for 
 princes and nobles ; no, not even the greatest mon- 
 archs on earth, unless it be too mean for them to be 
 called the children of God. And if the children of 
 God are peacemakers, what and whose children are 
 they who break the peace of nations, com v ~-- , nities, 
 and families? Wherefore we should seek pe^Ge with 
 all men, and ensue it, or sue for it, by our continual 
 seeking of it, being a precious jewel when found; and 
 though this office may seem a little unthankful at 
 first, yet in the end it brings forth the peaceable 
 fruits of righteousness, as many so laboring have 
 witnessed. And Christ, to encourage the work, says, 
 " They shall be called the children of God;" which 
 are the words of the King of kings ; and if the 
 princes of this world would promote this work among 
 themselves, it would save a vast expense of treasure 
 and of blood; and as these peacemakers are to be
 
 464 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 called the children of God, they who are truly con- 
 cerned herein, are not only so called, but are so in 
 deed and in truth. 
 
 " Blessed are they who are persecuted for right- 
 eousness' sake : for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." 
 
 Persecution may be considered in relation to cal- 
 umny and reproach, and in imprisonments, confine- 
 ments, or the like, or taking away life or goods on 
 a religious account, for conscientious scruples, etc. 
 What sad work hath there been on this account in 
 the world, not among Turks and Jews only, but 
 among professors of Christianity, which is indeed a 
 great reproach to that holy name. Persecution for 
 righteousness' sake is not fit for Turks or Jews, 
 much less for the professors of our meek Lord ; his 
 dispensation and gospel being absolutely the reverse 
 of ib, which is a shameful sin to all men in all nations. 
 However, the persecuted have this comfort in the 
 midsi, of all their sufferings : they are blessed of 
 Christ their Lord, who himself suffered for them ; 
 and they are promised by him the kingdom of heaven. 
 By which doctrine it may be safely concluded, that 
 the members of his true church never persecuted 
 any, though they have been often persecuted ; but 
 the eyes of many are now open to see the evil of it, 
 and a spirit of moderation begins to grow and spring 
 in divers parts of the earth. 
 
 It is to be desired, that the moderation of Chris- 
 tians might more and more increase, and appear to 
 all men ; because God is at hand, who will justify
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 465 
 
 the innocent, whom he knows better than any man, 
 because he sees their hearts, and he will condemn 
 none but the guilty. How shall the Jews be con- 
 verted, or the Turks be convinced of the verity of 
 the Christian religion, while its professors are tearing 
 and rending one another : had it not been for the 
 immoderation and persecution among professors of 
 Christ in Christendom, so called, it is probable Chris- 
 tianity would have made far greater progress in the 
 four quarters of the world long before this time, than 
 it hath done. Persecution hath been proposed by 
 the immoderate to allay heats and divisions, and cure 
 breaches ; but the ancient history of persecution, and 
 the modern practice of it, fully convince us, that it 
 hath always tended to make the hot hotter, the 
 divisions greater, and the breach wider, and so the 
 contention to grow endless; which nothing will end 
 but a calm and quiet temper, the mind being cooled 
 by the gentle influences of the holy Spirit of Christ, 
 the immaculate Lamb, who came not to destroy, or 
 devour, but to seek and- to save that which was lost 
 and gone astray, that he might bring them home to his 
 fold of rest in his Father's kingdom. 
 
 " Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and 
 persecute you, and say all manner of evil against 
 you falsely, for my sake. 
 
 " Rejoice and be exceeding glad : for great is your 
 reward in heaven : for so persecuted they the prophets 
 who were before you." 
 
 There is a persecution as before hinted, by calumny
 
 466 THE JOURNAL OP 
 
 and reproach, or reviling, by evil speaking and falsi- 
 ties, which, for the most part, it is better patiently 
 and quietly to suffer for Christ's sake, and if we are 
 abused to appeal to him ; for many times words beget 
 words, till at last it comes to prejudice, and breaks 
 the unity and peace of brethren and families. So 
 that in a general way one had better suffer the cal- 
 umnies and reproaches of evil men, with a tender 
 concern for God's glory, resting in the blessing of 
 Christ ; and that thou wilt most surely feel if thou 
 canst appeal to him on this wise, " Lord, thou knowest 
 I suffer this wrong for thy sake." In such sufferings 
 there is an inward joy, a spiritual rejoicing, and the 
 heart of the persecuted is abundantly* more glad, 
 through the blessing and goodness of Christ, than 
 the persecutor, whose conscience accuseth him in 
 secret. And as to personal persecution, it is no more 
 than the prophets and our Lord suffered before us : 
 and with that consideration Christ comforts his suf- 
 fering seed : Those who suffer with him and his seed, 
 these have the promise of reigning with him ; and 
 himself hath promised them a reward, no less than 
 the kingdom of heaven. 
 
 " Ye are the salt of the earth : but if the salt hath 
 lost its savor, wherewith shall it be salted ? it is 
 thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and 
 to be trodden under foot by men." 
 
 Here Christ showeth that his followers must season 
 the earth, by living a savory life, and by walking 
 according to his doctrine, which is wonderfully set
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 467 
 
 forth in this excellent sermon. If we live up to those 
 
 holy rules, we shall be serviceable in our generation, 
 
 and our lives will teach the people as well as our 
 
 words, and better too, by how much example is better 
 
 than precept. And indeed Christians ought to be 
 
 careful in both ; in life to live holy, and in words to 
 
 be sparing, observing to "Let their words be few 
 
 and savory, and seasoned with grace, that they may 
 
 minister' grace to the hearers." Thus should we 
 
 season the world, and salt it with the salt of the 
 
 covenant ; but if we lose this savor of grace, and 
 
 take a liberty which Christ and his truth do not 
 
 allow of, speaking things at random, which are not. 
 
 convenient or edifying, but altogether unsavory, 
 
 then, according to our Master, who is in heaven, we 
 
 are good for nothing but to be cast out, i. e., out of 
 
 the church, to be trampled upon by men, as in truth 
 
 we deserve : not that our bodies are to be killed or 
 
 destroyed ; for the door of the church is always open 
 
 to receive true penitents : but for this end and good 
 
 purpose we are chastened of the Lord, that the soul 
 
 may be saved in the day of the Lord. And those 
 
 who know godly sorrow for their sins, and turn from 
 
 the evil of their ways by amendment of life, those 
 
 Christ forgives, and adviseth his church to do the 
 
 same, saying, " If he repent, forgive him ; " which 
 
 repentance is best manifested by a new life and a 
 
 holy and blameless conversation. 
 
 "Ye are the light of the world; a city set oo a 
 hill cannot be hicl."
 
 468 THE JOURNAL OP 
 
 True and faithful Christians are indeed as stars in 
 God's firmament, which are of excellent use to people 
 in the night, and more especially when they are not 
 clouded, arid in a particular manner to those who 
 travel on the seas, for when they have not seen the 
 sun for a season, then they are good guides to the 
 sea-faring; man ; and likewise in the wilderness on the 
 land. This world is like a wilderness, and like the 
 troubled sea, to some poor souls ; and good men and 
 good women are serviceable to reprove and instruct 
 in righteousness : " Such," says Daniel the prophet, 
 " shall shine as the brightness of the firmament, and 
 as the stars, forever and ever." And these are like 
 a city set upon a hill, which cannot be hid. 
 
 " Neither do men light a candle, and set it under 
 a bushel, but on a candlestick ; and it giveth light 
 to all that are in the house." 
 
 Men, when divinely enlightened by the grace and 
 spirit of Christ, ought to exert themselves to their 
 Master's glory and excite others, and stir them up 
 to their duty ; and to endeavor, as much as in them 
 lies, to promote the kingdom and interest of our 
 dear Lord. For men are God's candles, as the Scrip- 
 ture saith, " The spirit of man is the candle of the 
 Lord ; " and this candle is often lighted by Christ, 
 who " Lighteth every man that cometh into the 
 world," and is the true light of the great Father of 
 lights. The great and good end of Christ's lighting 
 man's spirit, and illuminating him with divine light, 
 is, that he may shine out to others in a good conver-
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 469 
 
 sation and a holy life, which is serviceable to others 
 and himself also, and answers the end of Him who 
 enlightened him by the fire of his word, or with a 
 coal from his holy altar ; being thus lighted and 
 walking in it, as the nations of them that are saved 
 shall walk in the light of the Lamb. Here all the 
 house, or society, is truly lighted by such lights; 
 and those who have received greater gifts, or degrees 
 of divine light from Christ, than some others, and 
 may have a larger share of natural or acquired parts, 
 ought not to hide it, as our Lord phrases it, under a 
 bushel, but put it in its proper place, on a candle- 
 stick ; and as the candle is of little use when it is 
 put out, therefore we ought to be very careful to keep 
 to watchfulness and prayer, that it be kept lighted in 
 time of darkness ; for " The candle of the wicked is 
 often put out." 
 
 " Let your light so shine before men, that they may 
 see your good works, and glorify your Father which 
 is in heaven." 
 
 Since there is a bright and shining nature and 
 quality in the holy lives of Christ's servants, and in 
 the conversation of his faithful followers, therefore 
 it should be manifest and appear before men; our 
 lamp should be burning and our light shining ; and 
 we should take care to keep holy oil in our vessels, 
 that therewith our lamps may be supplied, otherwise 
 folly instead of wisdom will appear in our conver- 
 sations, which will be a hinderance, when our great 
 bridegroom cometh, to our entrance into life, or God's 
 40
 
 470 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 kingdom, and greatly hindereth our Master s glory, 
 of which we are by all means to endeavor tne fur- 
 therance. Men generally take more notice of our 
 evil works, and when an evil eye is open, will sooner 
 see them, than our good ones ; so that we had need 
 to be very careful, and keep a holy watch in our con- 
 versations, that our light may so shine, that our 
 Father who is in heaven may be glorified, in our 
 bringing forth much good fruit. 
 
 " Think not that I am come to destroy the law or 
 the prophets : I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. 
 
 " For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth 
 pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from 
 the law, till all be fulfilled." 
 
 The excellency of the dispensation of the glorious 
 gospel of Jesus Christ is wonderful ! having no ten- 
 dency to destroy the law of God given by Moses ; 
 for Christ's doctrine comes up through it, fulfils it, 
 and goes beyond it, in perfection and in the beauty 
 of holiness, and in. the life and power of pure religion. 
 
 " For I say unto you, except your righteousness 
 shall exceed that of the scribes and pharisees, ye 
 shall in no case enter the kingdom of heaven." 
 
 Those scribes and pharisees had a righteousness, 
 but it was one of their own making, an outside one 
 only, whereas within they were full of deceit and 
 hypocrisy ; they cried up righteousness in words, and 
 /et cried out against him who taught it in the great- 
 est purity, . and sought his destruction ; they were 
 notable examples to all persecutors fc r religion. Our
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 471 
 
 Lord and his servants did not speak against outward 
 holiness, but that the inside should be the same ; for 
 living righteousness leads to inward and outward 
 purity, which is manifest by its fruit; and those 
 fruits are fruits of the Spirit, which are, love, meek- 
 ness, temperance, patience, experience, hope, and char- 
 ity, or brotherly love ; of which those people showed 
 very little to Christ. He was sensible of their envy 
 and malice, which were very contrary fruits to holi- 
 ness ; and therefore he tells them that hear him, that 
 their " Righteousness must exceed that of the scribes 
 and pharisees, or they in no case shall enter the king- 
 dom of heaven." 
 
 " Ye have heard that it was said by them of old 
 time, Thou shalt not kill ; and whosoever shall kill 
 shall be in danger of the judgment. 
 
 " But- 1 say unto you, that whosoever is angry with 
 his brother without a cause, shall be in danger of the 
 judgment : and whosoever shall say to his brother, 
 Baca, shall be in danger of the council : but whoso- 
 ever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell- 
 fire." 
 
 Here we may learn that the law provided nothing 
 against anger, only in this case, against shedding of 
 blood, and many times if anger is too much kindled 
 it sets the soul on fire of hell, if it be not timely 
 quenched. People, as it grows hotter, call one an- 
 other out of their names, and take the name of the 
 Lord in vain, break the third commandment, swear- 
 ing by him, and cursing men. We may plainly see
 
 472 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 by Christ's doctrine, that anger, without cause, is 
 dangerous. Soft words from a sedate mind will won- 
 derfully help in this case : it is not easily conceived 
 what a mighty advantage Satan hath upon one that 
 is angry without a cause : and we are often apt to 
 think we have cause when we have none at all ; and 
 then we make work for repentance, without which we 
 are in danger of hell-fire. Wherefore every true 
 Christian ought to watch against the evil of anger; 
 and yet there may be anger where there is real cause, 
 without sin. 
 
 " Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and 
 there rememberest that thy brother hath aught 
 against thee ; 
 
 " Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy 
 way ; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then 
 come and offer thy gift." 
 
 The Christian religion admits of no malice or guile; 
 the worship of it is in spirit and truth, and love, 
 without hypocrisy, without deceit or hatred : if we 
 come with these to the altar, they will hinder our 
 acceptance. Though we may indeed have a gift, we 
 are to seek reconciliation, and not say, Let him come 
 to me, I will not go to him ; but Christ tells us we 
 must go to him ; and if thou go to the offended in a 
 meek and Christian spirit, and seek reconciliation, 
 if thy brother will not be reconciled, if the fault .be 
 in him, thou hast done thy duty, and thy gift will 
 be received, and Christ will manifest himself to thee 
 by his grace and spirit. But yet art thou to seek for
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 473 
 
 peace, he having ordained it, and laid it as a duty 
 incumbent on thee. 
 
 " Agree with thine adversary quickly, whiles thou 
 art in the way with him ; lest at any time the adver- 
 sary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver 
 thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison. 
 
 " Verily I say unto thee, Thou shalt by no means 
 come out thence, till thou hast paid the uttermost 
 farthing." 
 
 It is plain from hence, that Jesus is for a quick and 
 speedy end to differences ; "Agree with him quickly ; " 
 for it is of dangerous consequence to let disagree- 
 ments lay long, they eat like a canker, and they 
 destroy the very nature of religion. Personal differ- 
 ences are a great hurt to families, to churches, and to 
 nations and countries, especially when espoused by 
 parties ; then what rending, tearing, and devouring 
 work it makes : wherefore take Christ's counsel, and 
 agree quickly. If the difference be on the account 
 of debt, and the debt be just, it is better to offer up 
 one's self and all that he has in the world, than to 
 stand out with one's adversary, till it come to the 
 utmost extremity : and for Christians to go to law 
 one with another, is contrary to the apostle's advice ; 
 and oftentimes the gainer of the cause loses by 
 going to law ; so that it is good to agree quickly ; 
 it being profitable so to do, both spiritually and nat- 
 urally. 
 
 " Ye have heard that it was said by them of old 
 time, Thou shalt not commit adultery. 
 40*
 
 474 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 "But I say unto you, whosoever looketh on a 
 woman to lust after her, hath committed adultery 
 with her already in his heart." 
 
 The law was against adultery; but the gospel is 
 against lust; and where there is no lust, there can 
 be no adultery ; for then the occasion of adultery is 
 taken away; and the cause being taken away, the 
 ♦effect of course ceaseth. Behold the chaste and pure 
 doctrine of Christ, and his holy dispensation, greatly 
 excelling the law, or Mosaic dispensation ! Our 
 blessed Saviour doth not admit of an unchaste or 
 lustful looking upon women; much less of immodest 
 salutations, touches, embraces, or discourses, which 
 all tend to beget lust in the hearts of men ; and lust 
 conceived brings forth sin ; and sin when finished, 
 brings forth death to the soul. 
 
 "Atid if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, 
 and cast it from thee : for it is profitable for thee 
 that one of thy members should perish, z nd not that. 
 thy whole body should be cast into hell. 
 
 " And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and 
 cast it from thee : for it is profitable for thee that 
 one of thy members should perish, and not that thy 
 whole body should be cast into hell." 
 
 Christ compares the sinful lusts and inclinations, 
 which are the cause of men's destruction, and their 
 being cast into hell, to a right eye, or a right hand, 
 two of the most useful and serviceable members of 
 the body ; not that he intended that we should cut 
 off our natural members, but that we should cu* off
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 475 
 
 these sinful lusts, and cast them from us, though 
 they were as a right eye or hand. It is very much 
 against nature, and very painful, to pull out an eye, 
 or cut off a hand ; so sin of many kinds is very agree- 
 able to the natural man, and it is very hard for him 
 to part with it; he pleads the use of it, and when 
 Christ, the physician of the soul, comes to put his 
 knife to it, which is his word, poor man is too apt to 
 fly from it, and to shrink from under its stroke : the 
 holy baptist, John, understanding our Lord's doctrine, 
 and being sensible of the powerful working of Christ's 
 word and spirit, says, " Now also the axe is laid to 
 the root of the trees, every tree therefore, which 
 bringeth not forth good fruit, is hewn down and cast 
 into the fire." 
 
 " Again, ye have heard that it hath been said by 
 them of old time, Thou shalt not forswear thyself, 
 but shalt perform unto the Lord thine oaths. 
 
 " But I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by 
 heaven, for it is God's throne : 
 
 " Nor by the earth, for it is his footstool : neither 
 by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. 
 
 "Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, because 
 thou canst not make one hair white or black. 
 
 "But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, 
 nay : for whatsoever is more than these, cometh of 
 evil." 
 
 It was allowed to the Jews to vow to the Lord, and 
 swear by his name, provided they performed their 
 vows and oaths. But here our Lord prohibits acd
 
 476 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 abolishes all swearing with an " I say unto you, Swear 
 not at all." Though swearing Christians will have 
 it that he here prohibits only vain swearing, or 
 common swearing, this cannot be, because the oaths 
 he here speaks of were solemn, and to the Lord. 
 And the apostle James tells us, " "We must not swear 
 by any oath." Neither did the primitive Christians 
 swear at all; and Christians ought to be so just in 
 their conversation, as that their solemn words or 
 promises would give them credit without any need 
 of oaths. If more than yea, yea, and nay, nay, be 
 evil, it must also be evil to require more, and that 
 it is evil if it be more, as all vows and oaths are, we 
 have Christ for our author, a good foundation to build 
 upon. 
 
 " Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for 
 an eye, and a tooth for a tooth : 
 
 " But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil : but 
 whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn 
 to him the other also. 
 
 " And if any man will sue thee at the law, and 
 take away thy coat, let' him have thy cloak also." 
 
 There was liberty by the law of Moses, for a man 
 to revenge himself, if he had an injury done to him ; 
 but Christ teacheth patient suffering ; we are not to 
 give any offence, but we are to take them quietly 
 for his sake, in which Jesus was an excellent example 
 to us, whose sufferings were not for himself, but for 
 us : he turned his cheek to the smiter, and his face 
 to those that plucked off the hair. To a man of
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 477 
 
 courage and choler, this indeed is no smaL cross; 
 but he must deny himself, and take up Christ's cross 
 daily, and follow him, if he will be his disciple : and 
 as for the law, it is better never to meddle with it, 
 in a general way ; and if thy coat by law is taken 
 away, thou hadst better give him thy cloak than 
 stand another trial with him : and it is much if thou 
 art not a gainer by so doing. But the gain is not 
 urced as the motive ; but obedience to Christ, our 
 great Lord and good Master, who said, " If ye love 
 me, keep my commandments." 
 
 " Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that 
 would borrow of thee turn not thou away." 
 
 We are here to suppose the asker to be in real 
 want and necessity, and the borrower also to stand 
 in need, and the asked to be in a capacity and of 
 ability to supply and assist the asker and borrower ; 
 and in such case we are by no means to refuse to give 
 him that asketh, nor turn away from him who would 
 borrow of us. If we are not in a capacity to supply, 
 we are yet to use mild and friendly expressions ; for 
 Christians should be courteous and kind to all, and 
 particularly to the distressed. And if we think the 
 askers or borrowers are not worthy or deserving for 
 their own sakes, we should, if need be, give and lend 
 for Christ's sake, and in obedience to him, though it 
 cross our own inclinations. 
 
 " Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt 
 love thy neighbor, and hate thine enemy. 
 
 "But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless
 
 478 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, 
 and pray for them who despitefully use you, and per- 
 secute you ; 
 
 " That ye may be the children of your Father who 
 is in heaven : for he maketh his sun to rise on the 
 evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just 
 and on the unjust." 
 
 The Hebrews had liberty to hate their enemies; 
 but no people, by any dispensation, had liberty to hate 
 their neighbors or friends ; so that those who are in 
 that state are far beyond the line of truth. But, 
 says our holy Lawgiver, " I say unto you, love your 
 enemies." If we love our enemies, we can in no wise 
 destroy them, although it were in our power. Again, 
 " Bless them that curse you." But, alas ! how apt 
 are men, and even those who would think it hard to 
 be told they are disobedient to Christ, to render 
 railing for railing, and cursing for cursing, instead of 
 blessing. " Do good to them thai? hate you." If we are 
 sensible that anybody hates us, and have demonstra- 
 tion of it, for sometimes we imagine it when it is not 
 so, yet are we to do them all the good turns we can. 
 "And pray for them who despitefully use you, and 
 persecute you." Thus we are not to render evil for 
 evil, but to overcome the evil with that which is good. 
 Sweet was our Lord's example to us in this when he 
 said, " Father, forgive them, for they know not what 
 they do." If spiteful persecutors really know what 
 they do when they' persecute the just, their damna- 
 tion must needs be very great ; but if we do good for
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 479 
 
 evil, as Christ hath taught, then are we the children 
 of our heavenly Father, " Who maketh his sun to rise 
 on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the 
 just and on the unjust." 
 
 " For if ye love them who love you, what reward 
 have ye ? do not even the publicans the same ? 
 
 "And if ye salute your brethren only, what do 
 you more than others ? do not even the publicans so ? " 
 
 Our virtue is much more shining in loving those 
 who do not love us, than in loving those who do. It 
 is natural for us to love those who love us, and we 
 should be ungrateful if we did not; but the reward is 
 greater, if we love them who do not love us, which 
 must be manifested in deeds, as well as words ; for 
 saying and doing sometimes are two things, which 
 made the apostle say, " Our love must not be with 
 word and with tongue only, but in deed and in 
 truth." 
 
 As to friendly and hearty salutations, that may be 
 necessary or needful, we should not only manifest 
 them to our brethren, but as occasion requires to all, 
 it being a shining virtue in Christians to be kind to 
 strangers, and to show forth a generous and loving 
 temper and deportment to such as may not be of us ; 
 though not in a nattering, modish, or complimental 
 way, but hearty and respectful, according to the 
 plainness of Christ and the simplicity of his gospel, 
 without respect of persons, respect being too generally 
 shown to high, more than to them of low degree. As 
 we are not to refuse our friendly salutations to the
 
 480 THE JOURNAL OP 
 
 great, or the rich, so we are not to neglect the poor, 
 for the publicans do so. 
 
 "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father 
 which is in heaven is perfect." 
 
 Christ would have us to be perfect in the practice 
 of his doctrine, and to live up to it in perfect obedi- 
 ence, according to the best of our judgment and 
 understanding, and not to do his work by halves, but 
 honestly and perfectly, according to the measure of 
 grace received. Some have received twice, some 
 thrice so much as some others, as the parable of the 
 talents plainly showeth ; but whatever discoveries or 
 manifestations of grace, light, or truth, we have re- 
 ceived, we ought to walk up to them perfectly; 
 " Even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect." 
 As the Almighty is perfect in his love, justice, mercy, 
 grace, and truth, unto poor mortals, in Christ Jesus, 
 his only-begotten, and in all his works, so ought we 
 to be perfect in our known duty : as it is written, 
 " Ye shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy." 
 So must we be according to the degree of grace 
 received. 
 
 It is supposed that nobody will imagine that any 
 mortal can come up in degree with the Almighty, 
 but according to our measure, gift, and degree of 
 grace received, we are to be holy and perfect, as Grod, 
 our heavenly Father, and Christ, our dear Lord, are 
 so in fulness. 
 
 " Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, 
 to be seen of them : otherwise ye have no reward of 
 your Father which is in heaven.
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 481 
 
 "Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not 
 sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do, in 
 the synagogues and in the streets, that they may 
 have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, they have 
 their reward. 
 
 " But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand 
 know what thy right hand doeth : 
 
 " That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father 
 which seeth in secret, himself shall reward thee 
 openly." 
 
 The Christian religion, in its purity, according to 
 the doctrine of the founder of it, is a compassionate 
 religion, and full of pity, as well as piety. It is a 
 holy composition of charity and goodness. The apostle 
 thus describes it : " Pure religion, and undefiled be- 
 fore God and the Father, is this, to visit the fatherless 
 and widows, in their affliction ; and to keep himself 
 unspotted from the world. ,T This is pure religion, 
 and this is the Christian religion : happy are those 
 who walk up to it, and live according to the precepts 
 of Him who dictated them ; then the widows and the 
 fatherless would not be neglected ; the poor would be 
 very generously taken care of, and our garments kept 
 clean, and all done as secretly as may be. For when 
 we proclaim our alms-deeds and charity, we lose our 
 reward from our heavenly Father. Also when alms 
 are given, it ought to be done in the spirit of love 
 and meekness, and so received ; else the receiver loses 
 a second benefit, and the giver his heavenly reward. 
 
 To give to the poor is to lend to Him that made us, 
 41
 
 482 t THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 and we shall have good and greater measure returned 
 us again. If we hope to have the gates of Christ's 
 kingdom opened to us at last, our hearts must also be 
 opened to the poor and needy, when in distress ; re- 
 membering the words of Christ, where he says to 
 some who were waiting for, and wanting an entrance 
 into the kingdom, " I was hungry, and ye gave me no 
 meat ; I was naked, and ye clothed me not. I was 
 sick and in prison, and ye visited me not." They 
 answered, "Lord, when saw we thee hungry, naked, 
 sick, or in prison, and did not feed thee, clothe thee, 
 and visit thee? " He answers, " Inasmuch as ye did 
 it not to one of the least of these, my brethren, ye 
 did it not to me." He sympathizes with his poorest 
 and meanest members, whatever others do, and takes 
 that which is done to them, as if done to himself, 
 whether it be good or bad. We should be good to 
 all, but especially to Christ's members, or the house- 
 hold of the faithful keepers of his commandments. 
 Our alms being thus distributed, according to our 
 ability and the necessities of the object, without 
 ostentation, and in secret, our munificent Father, who , 
 sees in secret, will openly reward us. 
 
 How many rich men are there in the world, who 
 have made great and costly entertainments for their 
 rich friends, neighbors, and relations; and if their 
 substance be so great that it is not felt by them, 
 they had the more need to remember the poor ; when 
 they never so much as spare the tithe of it to them, 
 though the poor have ten times the need of it ; and
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 483 
 
 though Christ says, "When thou makest a feast, 
 invite not thy rich friends, for they will invite thee 
 again ; but call the poor, the lame, and the blind," etc. 
 
 " And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the 
 hypocrites are, for they love to pray standing in the 
 synagogues, and in the corners of the streets, that 
 they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, they 
 have their reward. 
 
 "But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy 
 closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy 
 Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth 
 in secret, shall reward thee openly. 
 
 " But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as 
 the heathen do : for they think they shall be heard 
 for their much speaking. 
 
 " Be not ye therefore like unto them : for your 
 Father knoweth what things ye have need of before 
 you ask him." 
 
 Prayer is absolutely necessary for the being and 
 well-being of a Christian ; an outside formal Christian 
 may use the form, though unreformed ; but it availeth 
 little without reformation. Private prayer, according 
 to Christ's rule, is effectual and rewardable, agree- 
 able to his doctrine. He also speaks against hypocrisy 
 and loving to be seen of men, with a command not to 
 be like unto those who do so. " But thou, when thou 
 prayest, enter into thy closet." When we feel and 
 are sensible of a divine call, — thi§ must of course be 
 the right and best .time, for Christ has not set us a 
 distinct hour, — then we are to enter into the closet of
 
 484 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 an humble heart or mind, or some secret place in 
 private. This is Christ's order for particular persons 
 in a general way ; but is not intended to prevent 
 such who are rightly concerned to pray in the pub- 
 lic assemblies or gatherings of the church ; for we 
 have Christ for our example, who prayed openly and 
 publicly with his disciples. 
 
 " But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the 
 heathen do ; for they think to be heard for their much 
 speaking." Formal repetitions of prayer, repeated day 
 by day, when they are not according, but contrary to 
 the states of those by whom they are read or repeated, 
 must needs be vain ; and people may vainly make use 
 of the Lord's own form in that case, though it is the 
 best in the world, and to think to be heard for much 
 speaking, is to run into the error of the heathen. 
 " Be not ye," says Christ, " therefore like unto them; 
 for your Father knoweth what things ye have need 
 of, before ye ask him." Prayer is a gift from God 
 and from Christ ; and as we wait on God in Christ's 
 name and power, he will give us that gift, when he 
 sees we stand in need of it, or that it will be for our 
 edification. For he has promised to pour out the 
 spirit of prayer and of supplication upon his people. 
 A great apostle said, " If he prayed, he would pray 
 with the Spirit." In another place he says, " We 
 know not what we should pray for, as we ought ; but 
 the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us, with groan- 
 ings that cannot be uttered." Likewise, " The Spirit 
 also helpeth our infirmities." Since there is no form
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 485 
 
 like that of Christ's, it is here set down, that people 
 might take diligent care to learn it, and to teach it to 
 their children. But if they learn it rightly, they must 
 also learn to live in it: that is, live according to it; 
 otherwise they will mock, instead of serving Him, who 
 made both it and them for his own honor and the 
 glory of his name. 
 
 " After this manner therefore pray ye : Our Father 
 who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name : 
 
 " Thy kingdom come : thy will be done in earth, as 
 it is in heaven. 
 
 " Give us this day our daily bread. 
 
 "And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our 
 debtors. 
 
 " And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us 
 from evil ; for thine is the kingdom, and the power, 
 and the glory, forever. Amen. 
 
 " For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your 
 heavenly Father will also forgive you. 
 
 " But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither 
 will your Father forgive your trespasses." 
 
 A short form and but few words, but of excellent 
 composition. And truly happy are those who live so 
 in their conversation that they may, when they use 
 them, do it without falsehood or deceit ; enjoying the 
 answer of peace in the practice of it, and the sense 
 of grace influencing the soul. 
 
 First; "Our Father who art in heaven." The 
 great Creator, our universal Father, hath made us 
 and all nations, of one blood ; but there is another, 
 
 41*
 
 486 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 and a nearer relation to him than this, to be a child 
 of God by regeneration. If we live in an unregen- 
 erate state, in our sins and lusts, all which are of 
 Satan, then Christ says, " Ye are of your father the 
 devil ; and the lusts of your father ye will do ; " and 
 in another place he says, " Whosoever shall do the 
 will of my Father who is in heaven, the same is my 
 brother, and sister, and mother." It is into this 
 relation that the soul ought to come, who can truly 
 and religiously say, " Our Father," etc. 
 
 Second ; " Hallowed be thy name." Do we sanctify 
 the holy name of the God of the whole earth ? Do 
 we religiously observe to fear and serve him ? Do 
 we profane his awful name, by taking it in vain, and 
 living in sin and vanity ? This, instead of hallowing 
 and sanctifying his name, is to dishonor and reproach 
 it on our part, though he will hallow and honor his 
 own name in justice and judgment, on profane and 
 ungodly livers, at the last day, when he shall come 
 to judge the quick and the dead by Jesus Christ. 
 God will not be mocked ; such as every one sows, 
 such shall they reap, whether sin unto death, or 
 righteousness unto life. 
 
 Third; " Thy kingdom come." His kingdom is a 
 kingdom of righteousness. Happy souls ! who seek 
 the righteousness of it betimes and continue in it to 
 the end. If this kingdom come, Satan's, which is a 
 kingdom of sin and unrighteousness, must needs fall. 
 
 Oh ! that the rising generation might be strong to 
 overcome the wicked one, and to be instruments to
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 487 
 
 pull down his kingdom, and promote the kingdom 
 of God and his Christ. If we do not believe that 
 Satan's power and kingdom may and ought to be 
 destroyed in us, how can we pray without hypocrisy 
 for the coming of God's holy kingdom? Believing 
 we must live and die in sin, is a great support to 
 Satan's kingdom, and a great hinderance of the coming 
 of the kingdom of the dear Son of God. 
 
 Fourth ; " Thy will be done in earth as it is in 
 heaven." Most certainly the will of God is punctu- 
 ally and perfectly done in heaven ; and hardly any 
 who make use of this blessed form but believe it is 
 so ; but it is the misery of many souls to believe it 
 not possible for them to do God's will here on earth, 
 as it is done in heaven. So that such pray in un- 
 belief, or without a true faith ; and the apostle says, 
 " What is not of faith is sin." Is it not also charging 
 Christ with commanding that which cannot be done ? 
 It is worthy our sedate consideration. He hath sown 
 grace, and ought in justice to reap it from all mortals. 
 The great sower, Christ, sows in all sorts of men or 
 grounds : the grace of God appears to all men, and 
 teaches them to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts, 
 to live soberly, and righteously, and godly, in the 
 present world. But antichrist teaches that it cannot 
 be done here on earth as in heaven. 
 
 Fifth ; " Give us this day our daily bread." "We 
 not being capable, without his blessing, of procuring 
 bread for our bodies or souls, either natural or super- 
 natural ; and because our souls cannot live without
 
 488 THE JOURNAL OP 
 
 the last, "no more than our bodies without the first, 
 therefore we ought to pray to our heavenly and most 
 holy Father for both, without doubting : and this 
 should be done daily, either in words, holy sighing, 
 or spiritual groans, the Almighty knowing the lan- 
 guage of the soul in the one, as well as in the other. 
 
 Sixth ; " Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our 
 debtors." Or, as one of the evangelists hath it, "Our 
 trespasses, as we forgive them who trespass against 
 us ; " which is to the same end and purpose. If 
 a debtor is indebted to us, and happens, through 
 some accident or other, to be insolvent, and hath not 
 wherewith to pay, we are to forgive him, else how 
 can we expect God to forgive us. For we are all his 
 debtors, and have nothing that we can call our own, 
 to pay that great debt which we owe to Him, our 
 mighty creditor ; who might lawfully cast us into an 
 eternal jail. But, oh ! his infinite mercy and love to 
 us poor mortals : he would have us to imitate him, 
 and forgive one another, as we expect he should for- 
 give us. And since offences and trespasses will come, 
 we must forgive, and the more freely, when the person 
 offending sues for it, by humble petition, to the offended. 
 If we forgive not, neither will our heavenly Father 
 forgive us our trespasses. 
 
 Seventh ; " And lead us not into temptation, but 
 deliver us from evil ; for thine is the kingdom, the 
 power, and the glory, forever. Amen." 
 
 That is, lead us into truth and righteousness, which 
 is the same with leading us out of sin and out of
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 489 
 
 temptation : for we pray to be led out of it by pray- 
 ing not to be led into it ; seeing we are not to under- 
 stand that the Almighty will tempt any man to evil. 
 "If," says the apostle, "any man is tempted, let him 
 not say that he is tempted of God, for God tempteth 
 no man, but he is tempted when he is drawn away of 
 his own lust." Though he doth sometimes permit-and 
 suffer us to be tempted, and when we fall into divers 
 temptations, and escape them, we have cause to be 
 joyful, and thankful that we are delivered out of 
 them, and give the glory to God, who is the great 
 preserver of men : whose " is the kingdom, and the 
 power, and the glory, forever. Amen." 
 
 " Moreover, when ye fast, be not as the hypocrites, 
 of a sad countenance, for they disfigure their faces, 
 that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say 
 unto you, they have their reward. 
 
 " But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head 
 and wash thy face ; 
 
 " That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto 
 thy Father which is in secret, and thy Father which 
 seeth in secret shall reward thee openly." 
 
 Christ would have all our works of piety, virtue, 
 and charity, all our religious duties done in the divine 
 love and filial fear of God, and not for vainglory or 
 ostentation. And truly, without we expect our reward 
 from men, there is no need of an outward, hypocritical 
 show, in such duties as that is of fasting, when truly 
 called to it, and truly performed. This the Jews were 
 much in the practice of; but many of them being
 
 490 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 formal hypocrites in it, our Lord reprehends them, 
 and warns his hearers to shun the like deceit ; and 
 tells them, if they fast secretly, their heavenly Father 
 will reward them openly : yet we must not be open 
 sinners, or private ones either : for open or public sin 
 is damning, if not repented of and forsaken, as well 
 as private deceit. 
 
 " Lay not up for yourselves treasure upon earth, 
 where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves 
 break through and steal : 
 
 " But lay up for yourselves treasure in heaven, 
 where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where 
 thieves do not break through nor steal : 
 
 " For where your treasure is, there will your heart 
 be also." 
 
 Earthly treasures are very apt to take up the mind 
 and draw it from heaven ; and because Christ would 
 have his children to be in heaven with him, in tender 
 love he adviseth them not to lay up for themselves 
 riches or treasure on earth. If it be said we lay it 
 up for our children, it may be said also, it is the same 
 snare for them as to the parents, and sometimes a 
 greater ; and when it is gotten, it is liable to many 
 casualties, and creates a great deal of care and trouble. 
 Wherefore Christ tenderly adviseth to seek after, and 
 lay up treasure of another nature, in a safer and better 
 place, which will not be liable to the like casualties, 
 and urgeth us to it, with this great reason : " For 
 where your treasure is, there will your hearts be 
 also." Oh ! may every true Christian's treasure and 
 heart be there forever.
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 491 
 
 " The light of the body is the e^e : if therefore 
 thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of 
 light. 
 
 " But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be 
 full of darkness: if therefore the light which is in 
 thee be darkness, how great is that darkness." 
 
 It is not good to look on men or things with an 
 evil eye; but singly to look on one's self and others, 
 in the fear of God, having a single eye to his glory ; 
 and then being enlightened by his divine light, we 
 shall discern between good and evil. Whereas if 
 there be any double-dealings, or looking, or thinking, 
 or if ungodly self be in the bottom, and not the glory 
 of God, then our light will be darkness, and that 
 darkness will be very great ; as it is said in the holy 
 Scriptures, a double-minded man is unstable in all 
 his ways : so that our Saviour's doctrine is good ; to 
 have a single eye, and to avoid all double-dealing. 
 
 " No man can serve two masters ; for he will either 
 hate the one and love the other ; or else he will hold 
 to the one, and despise the other : ye cannot serve 
 God and mammon." 
 
 We cannot give our hearts to God and to this 
 world, and the things of it also, so as to set our af- 
 fections on both, for the apostle saith, " If any man 
 love the world, the love of the Father is not in him." 
 And again, " The love of n oney is the root of all 
 evil;" i. e., the inordinate love of it, and seeking 
 after it, more than for our Maker and Saviour. Then 
 let us despise the world and the things of it, in com-
 
 492. THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 parison of our God and our Saviour. We do not 
 understand by those words of Christ, that he intended 
 to debar us from seeking a comfortable accommoda- 
 tion for ourselves and families in this world ; but 
 that we should not set our hearts and affections upon 
 it; ibr we cannot equally affect both heaven and 
 earth. 
 
 " Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for 
 your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink ; 
 nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on : is not 
 the life more than meat, and the body than raiment ? 
 
 " Behold the fowls of the air : for they sow not, 
 neither do they reap, nor gather into barns ; yet your 
 heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much 
 better than they ? " 
 
 Christ would have us without anxious thoughts 
 about our living in this world, i. e., about our eating, 
 drinking, and clothing, and tells us, " That the life is 
 more than meat, and the body more than raiment ; " 
 by which he shows us, that he who gave the life, will, 
 by his providence, support it : and as he hath formed 
 the body, he will form that which must feed it ; and 
 that we might the more depend upon God's provi- 
 dence, he teaches us by the fowls of the air, which 
 neither sow nor reap, nor gather into barns, and yet 
 their great Creator feedeth them ; and asks, If we 
 are not much better than they ? So that we being 
 more noble creatures, need not doubt of the care and 
 providence of God, and his blessing on the labor of 
 our hands; though our hearts are not concerned
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 493 
 
 * 
 
 unnecessarily about it, but we have freely given them 
 to God, and his Christ, our Saviour. 
 
 " Which of you, by taking thought, can add one 
 cubit to his stature ? " 
 
 The farmers or planters cannot by their thought- 
 fulness, cause their corn, fruits, or cattle to multiply 
 or grow ; nor the tradesman his custom, goods, or 
 business, without a proper application, which our 
 Saviour is not against, only he would have us with- 
 out an encumbered and over-caring mind. The mer- 
 chant likewise, by all his thoughtfulness, cannot bring 
 home his ship from afar, nor carry her safe to her 
 desired port. All things on this wise are in the 
 hands of Almighty God, and it is our duty to trust 
 in him, and to depend upon his divine providence 
 for meat, drink, and clothing, for happiness here, and 
 hereafter, forever. 
 
 " And why take ye thought for raiment ? Consider 
 the lilies of the field how they grow ; they toil not, 
 neither do they spin : 
 
 " And yet I say unto you, that even Solomon, in 
 all his glory, was not arrayed like one of these. 
 
 " Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, 
 which to-day is, and to-morrow is cast into the oven, 
 shall he not much more clothe you, oh ! ye of little 
 ' faith ? 
 
 " Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall 
 we edX, or what shall we drink, or wherewithal shall 
 we be clothed ? 
 
 " For after all these things do the gentiles seek ; 
 
 42
 
 494 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need 
 of all these things." 
 
 Many people now, as well as then, are very fond 
 of their clothing, and love to be gay and fashionable 
 therein; and some are not a little proud of their 
 clothes, and are thoughtful how they may deck them- 
 selves to be admired. Our Lord, who was meek and 
 lowly of heart, sends us to the lily to consider her 
 beauty and glory and innocent thoughtlessness, de- 
 claring that Solomon, in all his grandeur and splen- 
 dor, was not arrayed like one of these : for this is a 
 natural sweetness and gayety the lily is clad with ; 
 but Solomon's, as also most men's and women's, is 
 generally but artificial. If God so clothe the grass 
 of the earth, will he not clothe us; if we believe not, 
 we must have but very little true faith. So that it 
 would be much better for us to consult how we shall 
 please God and honor him, and his holy Son and 
 divine name, than to consult what we shall eat or 
 drink, or how, or wherewith we shall be clothed, 
 which things the gentiles sought after, more than 
 after God. But we, knowing that our heavenly 
 Father seeth that we have need of all these things, 
 should chiefly leave it to him, and first seek his king- 
 dom and righteousness. 
 
 " But seek ye first the kingdom of God and his 
 righteousness, and all these things shall be added 
 unto you. 
 
 " Take therefore no thought for the morrow : for 
 the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. 
 Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof."
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 495 
 
 Here is a glorious gospel promise; upon seeking 
 first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, all 
 these things shall be added to us, viz., meat, drink, 
 and raiment, the necessary things that we want to 
 support us while we are in this world. But let us 
 remember, it must be our first work, it must be the 
 chief desire of our souls. It must be first in several 
 senses : first as to our young and tender years ; first, 
 in the morning of every day ; first, in respect of 
 all other things. First, as it hath pleased God to 
 give us a being in this world, and being in the prime 
 and flower of our years, we should then devote our 
 souls to God and his work and service, and enter 
 into covenant with him, with full purpose of heart to 
 keep the same truly and inviolably ; for it would be 
 better not to make a covenant, than to make it and 
 break it. Neither should we slight or put off the 
 work of God till we are in our declining years, as 
 though we would give him only the refuse and broken 
 end of our days, and conclude it will better become 
 us when we are old, to serve him. Oh, no ! learn the 
 fear of God truly, and practise it when thou art young, 
 and thou wilt not easily depart from it when thou 
 art old. Thou wilt find it hard to get into a holy life 
 and conversation, when thou hast been spending thy 
 youth in vanity and folly ; therefore, " Remember 
 now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, before 
 the evil day come." The autumn of man's years is 
 in divers respects called the evil day. Oh ! it is 
 exceedingly sweet and precious to see an innocent
 
 496 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 life, and modest, sober conversation in youth, when 
 they are in their blooming years, seasoned with grace 
 and truth. When youth is laden with the fruits of 
 grace, and of the holy Spirit, how pleasant is the 
 taste of it ; it relishes well with all men, and natu- 
 rally brings praise to God, as well as peace to the 
 soul. May the youth of this present generation, as 
 also generations to come, be such holy plants, that 
 God's right hand may be seen in planting them : 
 when after being fruitful, and doing the work and 
 service of their day, and answering the noble end of 
 God in making and planting them in this world, they 
 may be transplanted into the eternal kingdom of 
 heaven : which, doubtless, they will, who first seek 
 his kingdom and the righteousness of it. 
 
 Second ; If we consider that our life and being are 
 daily granted to us, and we are supported by the 
 goodness and providence of Almighty God every day, 
 it is but just that he should have the first of our 
 thoughts, in the morning of the day, as well as the 
 last in the evening. The royal psalmist saith, " If I 
 prefer not Jerusalem before my chiefest joy, then let 
 my right hand forget its cunning, and my tongue 
 cleave to the roof of my mouth ; " much more ought 
 we to prefef our Creator to all things, and to have our 
 thoughts on him, first in all things, and every day. 
 
 Third ; What are the things of this world in com- 
 parison of those that are to come ; all these are fading 
 and transitory; but the things of that which is to 
 come are durable and permanent; and therefore
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 497 
 
 ought to be Erst and chief in our minds. That which 
 is chief in our hearts, may be said to have the first 
 place there. " One thing," says a servant of God, 
 " have I desired, and that will I seek after, that I 
 might dwell in the house of God all the days of my 
 life." This is the first thing we are to seek for. As 
 for the morrow, we need not be too thoughtful or 
 anxious concerning it, for we know not whether we 
 shall live to enjoy it, so that as Christ says, " Suffi- 
 cient unto the day is the evil thereof." 
 
 " Judge not, that ye be not judged : 
 
 "For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be 
 judged ; and with what measure ye mete, it shall be 
 measured to you again." 
 
 A great and wise expression from a righteous and 
 just Judge ; the Judge of heaven and of earth, to 
 whom all power in both is given ; by which we may 
 easily perceive we are to be very careful in our judg- 
 ment and censure of others, and that we be not rash 
 and censorious therein ; considering that with what 
 judgment we judge our fellow-mortals, with such 
 shall we also be judged ourselves, and that measure 
 which we measure out to others, shall be filled to us 
 again. When it comes to our turn to be judged, or 
 censured by others, for anything which we have done 
 or said, we are ready then to cry out for charity ; 
 are we so careful to be charitable in judging and cen- 
 suring others ! 
 
 It is better to suspend personal judgment, without 
 
 we could see the hearts of men ; and if we think we 
 42*
 
 498 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 do, then to imitate God and Christ, and mix mercy 
 and love with judgment; rashness and extremes in 
 judgment being commonly hurtful. 
 
 " And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy 
 brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in 
 thine own eye ? 
 
 " Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, let me pull 
 out the mote that is in thine eye, and behold a beam 
 is in thine own eye. 
 
 " Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of 
 thine own eye, and then shalt thou see clearly to cast 
 out the mote out of thy brother's eye." 
 
 True it is, that the transgressions of others are 
 very afflicting to those who fear God; and this passage 
 is not intended to hinder the good from reproving the 
 evil ; but shows us that we must be clear of evil in 
 ourselves when we reprove others, else the guilt of 
 hypocrisy will be laid at our door. We are to look 
 more at our own failings than at the failings of others, 
 and to take special care that we are clear of that for 
 which we reprove others ; and is it not deceit, to set 
 up for reformers of others, when there are great defects 
 in ourselves ? It is too general a fault in poor mortals 
 to be quicker sighted to see the faults of others, than 
 their own. Our Saviour's words to the Jews, who 
 brought the woman to him, and told him, by their 
 law she ought to die, are worthy of notice; he an- 
 swers, " He that is without sin, let him cast the first 
 stone at her." They being guilty, and convicted of 
 sin in their own consciences, left her to Christ, and
 
 THOMAS CHALKLET. 499 
 
 went their way : and when we have done what we 
 can to convince others of sin, we must leave them to 
 Christ at last ; whether we are in sin or without it ; 
 but we shall be the better able to help to reform 
 others, if we are clear from guilt in our own hearts. 
 
 " Give not that which is holy to dogs, neither cast 
 ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them 
 under their feet, and turn again and rend you." 
 
 When we see the biting and persecuting nature, 
 and dirty, selfish spirit of men, it is to little purpose, 
 generally, to cast before them the precious pearl of 
 truth, or to show unto them the deep mysterj.es of 
 the kingdom of God, or the light of life, they being 
 in a brutish spirit ; but when people are sober, and 
 show forth humanity and moderation, then are holy 
 things valuable to them, and the things of Christ's 
 kingdom and his doctrine precious in their eyes. 
 "Wherefore it greatly behooveth Christ's ministers to 
 minister that to the people which is suitable for them, 
 and rightly to divide between the precious and the 
 vile, and to give to every one their portion, according 
 to their deeds; mercy to whom mercy, and judgment 
 to whom judgment belongs ; without partiality, and 
 without hypocrisy or deceit ; and not to flatter and 
 daub those who are in the doggish and swinish nature. 
 
 " Ask, and it shall be given you ; seek, and ye shall 
 find ; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. 
 
 " For every one that asketh, receiveth; and he that 
 seeketh, findeth ; and to him that knocketh, it shall 
 be opened.
 
 500 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 " Or what man is there of you, whom if his son 
 ask bread, will he give him a stone ? 
 
 " Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent ? 
 
 " If ye then, being evil, know how to give good 
 gifts to your children, how much more shall your 
 Father who is in heaven give good things to them 
 that ask him?" 
 
 Our kind and tender Kedeemer would stir up and 
 provoke souls to prayer and supplication ; he has been 
 liberal in his holy advice ; and to stir us up to it, here 
 are moving expressions, if thy heart be open to receive 
 them.* Could we have easier terms if we were to make 
 them ourselves with the Lord, than to ask, and have ; 
 seek, and find ; knock, and the gates are opened ; pro- 
 vided we ask in faith, tenderly, and seek in humility, 
 and knock with divine wisdom and submission ? Our 
 Lord's own practice shows that we should be tender, 
 submissive, and fervent in prayer ; and then the fer- 
 vent prayer of the righteous availeth much with the 
 Lord. Christ urgeth us to it, and brings ourselves 
 for example. " "What man is there among you, who 
 if his son ask bread, or a fish, will he give him a 
 stone, or a serpent ? " Surely no : no father would 
 deal thus with his child; but when his child is hungry, 
 and asks bread, he gives it to him : so when the Al- 
 mighty sees our hunger, and we tenderly seek divine 
 assistance and refreshment from him, he, in his own 
 time, satisfies such souls with bread from above, and 
 the thirsty with living water out of the wells of salva- 
 tion. Oh ! blessed be his holy name for evermore.
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 501 
 
 Evil men know how to give good things to their 
 children, therefore we may well conclude that our 
 heavenly Father knows how to give with much more 
 discretion and understanding the good things of his 
 kingdom, to true asking, seeking, knocking, or pray- 
 ing souls. 
 
 "Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that 
 men should do unto you, do ye even so to them ; for 
 this is the law and the prophets." 
 
 "Well may this be called the golden rule ; for if we 
 square our lives and actions by it, it will certainly 
 mete us out the true way to happiness and glory. 
 We are generally apt to say, when any one doth ill 
 to another, " Would he be willing to be served so 
 himself?" And if we follow this rule in all our 
 concerns, it will be well ; whether in relation to public 
 or private business ; whether in trade or religion, or 
 in our domestic affairs : the law and the prophets 
 point at it, and our Saviour plainly lays it down as a 
 rule for us to walk by. 
 
 " Enter ye in at the strait gate ; for wide is the 
 gate, and broad is the way that leadeth to destruction, 
 and many there be who go in thereat. 
 
 " Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way 
 that leadeth unto life, and few there be who find it." 
 
 It is afflicting to consider how natural it is for 
 people to walk in this broad way, and they who walk 
 in it are many ; for here is room for people to walk 
 if they are proud, whoremongers, adulterers, thieves, 
 swearers, liars, drunkards, covetous, or in any other
 
 502 THE JOURNAL OP 
 
 evil course of life ; but let them know, it leadeth to 
 destruction, and the end is eternal misery, and their 
 many companions will administer no consolation to 
 them, when they lift up their eyes in hell. And 
 whereas the way that leads to life is called strait, it 
 is only strait to flesh and blood, or the will of unre- 
 generate man. Oh ! it is a pleasant way, exceedingly 
 pleasant, when brethren walk together in love and 
 unity. The enemy of mankind would persuade souls, 
 that it is narrower than it really is, when they have 
 some faint inclinations to make trial of it. It may 
 truly be said, " Blessed are the undefiled in this way, 
 who walk in the law of the Lord : " for, " His ways are 
 ways of pleasantness, and all his paths are peace." 
 And although the way to the kingdom is strait and 
 narrow, yet there are hills and valleys therein as well 
 as plains, until we get through the gate to glory : 
 there shall we know no more sorrow nor pain, but 
 shall praise and glorify God and the Lamb forever. 
 
 " Beware of false prophets, who come to you in 
 sheep's clothing; but inwardly they are ravening 
 wolves. 
 
 " Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men 
 gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? 
 
 " Even so every good tree bringeth forth good 
 fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. 
 
 " A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither 
 can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. 
 
 " Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit, is 
 hewn down and cast into the fire.
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY., 503 
 
 " Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them." 
 The great Shepherd and Bishop of souls, shows the 
 care which he takes of his sheep, and forewarns them 
 to be careful of false prophets and deceivers ; who, 
 though they may clothe themselves with words like 
 the true ones, yet inwardly they would destroy all 
 who do not join with them, or receive them; and 
 they are for biting the poor harmless sheep of Christ, 
 and if they could, or it were in their power, would 
 devour them, their minds being in the ravening na- 
 ture. But our holy and all-wise Bishop, that we might 
 be preserved from them, tells us how we may infallibly 
 know them; saying, "Ye shall know them by their 
 fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of 
 thistles ? " says Christ : Surely no. That is altogether 
 unnatural, as well as unreasonable and impossible. 
 In the grape there is a sweet and pleasant nourish- 
 ment, those fruits being cordial and wholesome ; but 
 it is bad meddling with thistles and thorns, they being 
 generally very unprofitable to mankind, and hurt the 
 good seed wherever they grow among it. "Well, where 
 must we go for the grapes and the figs ? To be sure 
 we must go to the vine, and the fig-tree : Christ is 
 this vine, and his people are the branches, who bring 
 forth such fruit, according to the divine life or sap 
 which they receive, as he taught, and teaches to his 
 followers. So that if men's words be like the words 
 of angels, if they have never so great parts and en- 
 dowments, yet if their fruit be evil, if they live in 
 sin and do iniquity, and bring forth the fruits of
 
 504 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 malice and rage, or devouring persecution, they then 
 are none of Christ's sheep, though they may have 
 their clothing : " For every good tree bringeth forth 
 good fruit; and a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil 
 fruit." So if the fruit be evil, the tree is certainly 
 
 corrupt. 
 
 Our Lord elsewhere saith, " Make the tree good, 
 and the fruit will be good also:" and to be made 
 truly good, since we are all corrupt by nature, and 
 in the fall, we must be cut off from that nature, and 
 grafted into Christ, who said, " I am the vine, and ye 
 are the branches ; " and then our lives and fruits will 
 be changed. " A good tree cannot bring forth evil 
 fruit, nor can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit : 
 and every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit, is 
 hewn down and cast into the fire." That axe which 
 John speaks of, will be laid to the roots of the corrupt 
 trees, and will hew them down, and they will be cast 
 into the fire, as Christ speaks. It is not destroying 
 the bodies of men that Christ speaks of, but an inward 
 work in the soul, showing the powerful nature of the 
 dispensation of the gospel of Christ, which is not 
 material cutting, or burning with material fire, or 
 sword : but Christ's word is a fire and sword to cut 
 down and burn up the evil nature in man. The 
 apostle confirms this doctrine of his Master thus, 
 " He that doth righteousness is righteous, but he 
 that sinneth is of the devil." The apostle is plain 
 and full, as is Christ, who repeats his doctrine over 
 again, with, " Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know 
 them."
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 505 
 
 " Not every one that saith unto me, Lord ! Lord ! 
 shall enter into the kingdom of heaven ; but he that 
 doeth the will of my Father who is in heaven." 
 
 It is not our profession that will give us admittance 
 into heaven, or a name of religion, or religious per- 
 formances, if we love sin and unrighteousness \ nor is 
 it our praying, preaching, hearing, reading, or dis- 
 coursing of, or arguing for Christ, if we do the works 
 of Satan; for there are many who may go further 
 than this, and .yet not have admittance into the king- 
 dom of God and our blessed Lord Jesus, as is plainly 
 manifest in the next verse. 
 
 " Many will say unto me in that day, Lord, Lord, 
 have we not prophesied in thy name, and in thy name 
 have cast out devils, and in thy name have done 
 many wonderful works. 
 
 " And then I will profess to them, I know ye not ; 
 depart from me, ye workers of iniquity." 
 
 So that professing Christ's own name, and pro- 
 phesying therein, without working the works of God, 
 will not do. Nay, though they may cast out devils, 
 which indeed is a great work. 
 
 Christ speaks about the strong man armed, who 
 kept the house till a stronger than he came; who, 
 when he came, spoiled his goods and dispossessed him, 
 but coming again, found the house, or heart, swept 
 and garnished : swept from many immoralities, and 
 garnished with self-righteousness and carnal security ; 
 and the man off his watch and not at home with 
 Christ, who is stronger than Satan : he then re-enters, 
 
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 506 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 and seven worse spirits with him. So that we had 
 need to be on our watch, and keep near to Christ, 
 lest after all our experience and wondrous works, 
 our last state be worse than our beginning, and we 
 be shut out of the kingdom in the end. For these 
 say, that they have done many wonderful works in 
 Christ's name : so that we may work miraculous 
 things, and be sensible of wonderful power and 
 strength from Christ ; and yet, without persevering in 
 the way of holiness and self-denial, may fall short of 
 heaven. Wherefore it is of dangerous consequence 
 to live in sin and iniquity; or to lean towards it, so 
 as to plead for it, or believe we cannot live without 
 it while in this world. For if we live and die in it, 
 we may justly, according to the above doctrine of 
 Christ, expect that he will say unto us in the great 
 day, " Depart from me, ye that work iniquity." 
 
 " Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of 
 mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise 
 man who built his house upon a rock. 
 
 "And the rains descended, and the floods came, 
 and the winds blew, and beat upon that house, and it 
 fell not; for it was founded upon a rock." 
 
 Oh ! what excellent sayings and doctrine, what 
 holy precepts has Christ here recommended to the 
 professors of his name, and to them who believe in 
 him and the Almighty Father and maker of heaven 
 and earth. Surely we are greatly beholden to our 
 Lord Jesus Christ for those divine sayings. But to 
 commend them or to read them, or hear them only,
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 507 
 
 is doing but little; the keeping and the doing of them 
 is the main thing, the thing that is needful; and to 
 press the practice of them, Jesus has made this apt 
 comparison. 
 
 First; "He who hears them, and doeth them, I 
 will liken him unto a wise man." And indeed it is 
 great wisdom to keep them, that is, to practise them, 
 and as great folly to live contrary to them and plead 
 against them. • 
 
 Second ; " Who built his house upon a rock." This 
 rock is Christ, the rock of ages, and his Holy Spirit, 
 or the Holy Ghost, as Christ said to Peter, when 
 Christ was revealed to him : " Flesh and blood hath 
 not revealed this unto thee, but my Father who is in 
 heaven : " " Thou art Peter," or a stone or rock : thou 
 art a man, though thy name signifies a rock, and as 
 thy name signifies a rock, so " On this rock I will 
 build my church ; the gates of hell cannot prevail 
 against it." Peter was one who heard these sayings 
 and did them, when he had received the Holy Ghost, 
 or Spirit; for which every true believer ought to 
 pray continually, until he receive it ; through the help 
 of which he may, without doubt, keep those holy say- 
 ings. For of ourselves, without it, we cannot do any 
 real good, either in speaking, thinking, or acting. 
 
 Third ; " And the rain descended, and the floods 
 came, and the winds blew, and beat upon the house, 
 and it fell not ; because it was founded upon a rock." 
 
 If rain from above be poured out in wrath on man, 
 for sin and iniquity, and floods of persecution, or the
 
 508 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 windy words of men come upon this house, it will 
 stand : if sickness and death itself, and many other 
 storms, that we may meet with in this world, should 
 beat against our building, we being built upon the 
 Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, shall surely stand them 
 all, and live through all, if we hear or read Christ's 
 sayings, and practise the same ; we are on the rock, 
 and shall not fall for that reason. 
 
 " And every one who heareth these sayings of 
 mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a 
 foolish man, who built his house upon the sand. 
 
 "And the rains descended, and the floods came, 
 and the winds blew, and beat upon that house, and it 
 fell ; and great was the fall of it." 
 
 If we read or hear these sayings, or doctrine of 
 Christ, and do not dwell in the life of it, nor practise 
 the same, it were better we knew it not. For our 
 Saviour saith, " He who knoweth his master's will, 
 and doeth it not, shall be beaten with many stripes." 
 It is great folly to be sensible of Christ's holy will 
 and doctrine, and not to do it : if we profess Chris- 
 tianity, and build our profession on Christ, and yet 
 do not observe to keep his sayings, the foundation of 
 our building will be very loose and sandy : and when 
 those rains, and floods, and winds, which Christ 
 speaks of, shall descend and beat against this building, 
 it must needs fall, and the higher the building is, tha 
 greater will be the fall of it. 
 
 Thus ended the best sermon that ever was preached ; 
 in which is set forth the great truths of God and our
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 509 
 
 Lord Jesus Christ, "with blessings and rewards to the 
 righteous, and holy believers in him, who put in 
 practice his precepts; and reproof to the disobedient 
 and unfaithful ; with promises of the kingdom of 
 heaven to one, and to the other, a being shut out 
 of it. 
 
 " And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these 
 sayings, that the people were astonished at his doctrine. 
 
 " For he taught them as one having authority, and 
 not as the scribes." 
 
 They were astonished at his doctrine, and well they 
 might be, for it excelled even the law, and went 
 beyond it, as when he tells them, it was said of old 
 time, or in the law, " Thou shalt not kill," he taught 
 that we must not be angry without a cause. And 
 whereas the law gives liberty to hate our enemies, 
 he charges us to love them, and pray for them, and 
 do good to them ; again the law prohibits adultery ; 
 Christ prohibits lusts, both in the eye and in the 
 heart. And whereas the law commanded to perform 
 their oaths to the Lord, Christ commands not to 
 swear at all. Now those who are not angry, it is not 
 likely should kill ; those who love their enemies can- 
 not hate or destroy them ; those who have not lusts 
 in their hearts or eyes, cannot commit adultery ; and 
 those who never swear, cannot forswear themselves : 
 all which he taught with divine power and authority 
 from above. He was not dry and formal like the 
 scribes : so likewise his ministers, and the preachers 
 
 of his gospel, should wait on him, to be endued with 
 43*
 
 510 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 a measure of his divine spirit and holy grace, that 
 the hearers might be edified, and the Father, Son, 
 and Spirit, might have the glory, who over all is 
 worthy forever. 
 
 Some truly tender Scruples of Conscience, about that 
 Form of Prayer called the Common Prayer, as 
 used by the Members of the Church of England. 
 
 I am not against reading the holy Scripture, either 
 privately or openly, but would encourage it in all 
 Christians and true believers in Christ : and we ought 
 to excite one another thereto, and more especially to 
 put in practice what we read to be our duty ; other- 
 wise the holy letter will kill, as said the apostle, 
 which is to be understood when we practise contrary 
 to what we read therein. As for example, where our 
 Lord saith, " Every idle word that men shall speak, 
 they shall give account thereof in the day of judg- 
 ment." Again, " God will not hold him guiltless 
 that taketh his name in vain." "That servant that 
 knew his Lord's will, and did it not, shall be beaten 
 with many stripes." These, and many more portions 
 of holy Scripture, are condemning and killing to 
 those who live in sin and evil, which the letter is 
 absolutely against, and without true repentance, ac- 
 companied with amendment of life, though the holy 
 Bible be read every day, it will but add to our con- 
 demnation. But if people truly repent of the evil of
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEf. 511 
 
 their ways, and awake to righteousness, and sin not, 
 as the holy Scriptures themselves hold, and Christ 
 taught, then unto such souls they are as a rich 
 treasure, and as a cabinet full of precious jewels, able 
 to make the man of God wise unto salvation, through 
 faith in Christ, by the influence of the Holy Ghost, 
 or Spirit. It is not the reading divinely inspired 
 writings, or the Bible, which is scrupled, but the 
 formal reading of formal composed prayezs and songs, 
 at set times, instituted by such whose principle is 
 that there is now no divine revelation, and that we 
 cannot live without sinning, while we are in this 
 world, according to the tenor of the Common Prayer ; 
 holding, that we sin as long as we live, as if God's 
 power were not stronger to preserve out of sin, than 
 the devil's to keep us in sin, contrary to the work 
 and doctrine of the holy apostles, who were sent of 
 God to turn people from Satan's power to the power 
 of God ; whose glorious, eternal power is above the 
 power of sin, death, and the devil. 
 
 I wish to write a few words concerning some un- 
 so ind words, and also some Scripture expressions 
 perverted to a wrong use in the Common Prayer. 
 
 First ; As to that expression in the Common 
 Prayer, that "We are miserable sinners." 
 
 Second ; And that " We are full of bruises and 
 putrefying sores." 
 
 Third ; And " From the crown of the head to the 
 sole of the foot there is no soundness in us." 
 
 Fourth; And that "We have left undone the
 
 512 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 things which we ought to do, and do those thing! 
 which we ought not to do ; " and these to be repeated 
 for life. 
 
 First, then, If people must be miserable sinners all 
 their days, to what end did Christ come into the 
 world and preach the gospel, and suffer death, the 
 painful death of the cross ? Did he not come to put 
 an end to sin, and to destroy the works of the devil, 
 whose works are sin ? Did he not preach against sin, 
 both within and without? Witness the fifth, sixth, 
 and seventh chapters of the evangelist Matthew. 
 Yea, his birth, life, preaching, suffering, death and 
 resurrection, and ascension into glory, were all against 
 sin, the devil, death and darkness, and all the works 
 and deeds thereof. Christ died for our sins, and we 
 should die to them, and live to him : He came to save 
 us from the act of sin, as well as the imputation of it ; 
 and takes away the guilt of sin on condition of true 
 ♦repentance and amendment of life, as the doctrine of 
 Christ and his apostles largely and plainly demon- 
 strates, as any who are come to the years of discre- 
 tion, and who can but read the holy Scriptures, may 
 plainly discover. 
 
 The apostle saith, " Whatsoever things are holy, 
 whatsoever things are pure, just, and of good report, 
 seek after those things." And again, " No unclean 
 thing can enter the kingdom of heaven ; " but cer- 
 tainly all sin is unclean. Bead over the holy Scrip- 
 tures, from the beginning to the end, their nature and 
 tendency is against all sin ; and as it is true that we
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 513 
 
 all have been sinners, surely therefore all true Chris- 
 tians and true believers in Christ have cause rever- 
 ently to bow, and to be truly and humbly thankful, 
 that Christ, our great Lord, by offering himself for 
 us, hath taken away that imputation, so that now, 
 through faith and belief in Christ, accompanied with 
 true repentance and amendment of life, the imputation 
 of our former sins is taken away ; for this cause we 
 praise God and adore his eternal majesty forever. 
 
 Second ; As to the word " miserable," a Christian 
 may indeed be poor ; but since Christ is come tc 
 make us happy and comfortable, through the hope of 
 eternal salvation, in his name and power, as we are 
 not to think ourselves better than we are, so we can- 
 not aay nor think we are miserable, unless we are 
 without God and Christ ; and then we are miserable 
 indeed ; but no mortal can be miserable who hath 
 Christ ; " For he that hath the Son, hath life (eternal 
 life) abiding in him." To be truly in Christ, is to be 
 truly happy ; this doctrine is as clear as the sun at 
 noonday, or as a morning without clouds. When the 
 soul comes to see itself undone without a Saviour, and 
 sees sin to be exceeding sinful, and is ready to cry to 
 the Almighty, Lord, help, or I perish ! save me, or I 
 am undone forever ! then it seeth itself miserable ; 
 but it is for want of Christ : and when Christ is come 
 into the soul, then its misery vanisheth, or flieth 
 away. But from day to day and week to week, yea, 
 all the days of one's life, to be miserable sinners, is a 
 miserable case indeed, destroying the very nature of
 
 514 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 Christianity : wherefore some tender, conscientious 
 souls cannot join with such miserable sinners and 
 sayers, who neither say nor do that which they ought. 
 
 Third; As to these sayings, "We are full of bruises 
 and putrefying sores, from the crown of the head to 
 the sole of the foot, and there is no soundness in us." 
 
 If a congregation of such people as these say truly, 
 and if they do not say truly, what will the conse- 
 quence be, let the wise in heart judge; can such* a 
 people be the church of Christ, or his spouse, or 
 beautiful bride ? Christ saith, " If the inside be 
 clean, the outside will be clean also ; and he came to 
 cleanse the souls of poor mortals, and to heal them, 
 and wash them from sin, and he doth it by his spir- 
 itual baptism and the fire of his word. The above- 
 said church and people do both " Promise and vow 
 that they will forsake the devil and all his works, the 
 pomp and vanity of this wicked world, and all the 
 sinful lusts of the flesh, and walk in God's holy will 
 and commandments all the days of their lives," which 
 is the very highest pitch of perfection any man or 
 Christian can attain in this life ; and yet, contrary to 
 those vows and solemn covenants, they tell the Al- 
 mighty, from time to time, that they are unsound, 
 nay, that there is no soundness in them ; but that 
 they are putrefied from head to foot, and by their 
 common practice intend to tell him so as long as they 
 live in this life : this is unsound work indeed : and 
 truly those who are tenderly conscientious may well 
 scruple to join with it, or with those, who are in such 
 ways, words and works.
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 515 
 
 Those bruised, putrefied, sore, and unsound soula 
 are therefore in Christian love tenderly advised tc 
 come to Christ, the physician of value, and great 
 doctor of the soul, that he may heal them, and wash 
 their sinful souls and unsound hearts, "By the wash- 
 ing of regeneration, and renewing of his word and 
 spirit." " Ye are clean through the word which I 
 have spoken unto you," saith our Saviour. They 
 were cleansed by putting his word in practice ; for, 
 eaith Christ, " He that heareth these sayings of mine 
 and doeth them, I will liken him to a wise man ; " 
 so, consequently, he that doeth them not is foolish, 
 sinful, and unclean. 
 
 Fourth ; And further, say they, " We have left 
 undone those things which we ought to have done." 
 Doing the truth and that which is right, is what we 
 ought to do ; and committing sin is that which we 
 ought not to do : certainly any man would think it 
 mockery if his children or servants should serve him 
 so from time to time, and make a common practice 
 of it. By this confession, if it be genuine, it appears 
 they must needs know better than they practise, they 
 knowing what they ought to do, but not doing it; 
 and our Lord Jesus Christ saith positively, " He that 
 knoweth his master's will and doeth it not, shall be 
 beaten with many'stripes ; " and again, " Be ye not 
 like the scribes and pharisees ; for they say, and do 
 not ; therefore be ye not like unto them." 
 
 But what can be expected from those who say they 
 sin in their best duties ? If so, they sin whenever
 
 516 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 they read the common prayers ; and by the same 
 rule, the oftener they read them, the oftener they 
 sin ; wherefore, how can a sincere, devout soul, who 
 unfeignedly loves the Lord Jesus Christ, so as to 
 keep his commandments, — for that is to love him 
 truly, and according to his own definition of it, " If 
 ye love me, keep my commandments," saith Christ, — 
 I say, how can any such sincere soul join with such 
 wrong-doers and sayers ? It must needs be an unsafe 
 practice to do what we know should not be done, the 
 •nature of such doings being provoking either to God 
 or man : what man in the world would like it, in 
 either son or servant ? 
 
 Oh ! what would become of poor, degenerate man, 
 if the Lord Almighty were not very indulgent, if he 
 were not a God gracious and merciful, slow to anger, 
 and of great loving-kindness to poor mortals ! 
 
 Fifth ; And as to their singing David's psalms in 
 metre, how often do they sing that which is not true 
 as to themselves, and also that which is not according, 
 but contrary to their states and conditions ? As when 
 they sing, " That they water their couch with their 
 tears," and that " they practise what they know ; " 
 when they confess they " Do that which they ought 
 not to do, and leave undone that which they ought 
 to do." 
 
 The apostle said he would " Sing with the spirit, 
 and with the understanding also." And again, "We 
 know not what we should pray for as we ought, but 
 the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us, with
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 517 
 
 groanings which cannot be uttered." In the primi- 
 tive times of Christianity they prayed and sung as 
 they were helped by the Holy Ghost, or Spirit, and 
 not by book, or stinted or set forms ; but, oh ! the 
 primitive soundness of Christianity is too much lost 
 and defaced ; and therefore some who desire to come 
 again to the primitive soundness and purity of the 
 Christian religion, scruple to join with such unsound 
 formalities, and that conscientiously, for the reasons 
 above, and more which might be given. 
 
 When such scruples are mentioned, the members 
 of the Church of England usually reply, that the 
 Scriptures vindicate them 'in their form, which, how 
 well they do so, let it be freely and fairly examined, 
 not for contention, but for edification in the pure 
 love of Jesus. 
 
 First; "The Scripture saith, that there was a 
 people that was full of bruises and putrefying sores," 
 etc. 
 
 Answer. But that was in the time of the law, 
 when the people had transgressed the law, and were 
 under the law; for had they done their duty, and 
 kept the law, they could not truly have said so. They 
 were then indeed gone astray like the lost sheep, and 
 that brought them into that sore, putrefied state and 
 bruised condition, and " Their law did not make the 
 comers thereunto perfect; yet, as saith the apostle, 
 the bringing in of a better hqpe did," which was the 
 hope of the gospel. The apostle preaches perfection 
 under the gospel dispensation, though some of our 
 44
 
 618 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 worldly-wise men will not allow of it-; and I hope wo 
 are not under the law, but under grace ; the law of 
 the spirit of life, in Christ Jesus, doth set the true 
 believers free from the law of sin and death ; so that 
 a true Christian cannot say truly, with the false and 
 rebellious Jews, of whom the prophet there speaks, 
 " That he is full of putrefying sores, and that there 
 is no soundness in him, and say it all the days of his 
 life." 
 
 Second ; Again the Scripture saith, " I was shapen 
 in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me." 
 
 Answer. The psalmist was at that time under 
 deep convictions for the sins he had been guilty of in 
 the matter of Uriah ; but by his expressions in the 
 ninth, tenth, and eleventh verses of the same psalm, 
 it is plain he believed a better state attainable. And 
 surely these expressions cannot be applicable to all 
 men, at all times. No, surely, if we believe Christ 
 and the holy Scriptures, whose doctrine is holy, and 
 commands holiness, in both Testaments. And if 
 people would walk in the holy light of Christ, who 
 enlightens every man that cometh into the world, as 
 recorded in the holy Scriptures, they would then be 
 cleansed from their sin, from both the act and the 
 imputation, as saith the apostle : " If we walk in the 
 light, as he is in the light, then have we fellowship 
 one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ, his 
 Son, cleanseth us from all sin." 
 
 Third; -''There is none that doth good, no, aot one." 
 
 Answer. It is beyond all doubt the apostle spoke of
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 5.19 
 
 the people in their unconverted state ; for if they had 
 been come to the work of conversion and regeneration, 
 they must, and it is impossible but that they should 
 do some good; and though there was a time that none 
 did good, it was under the law, and not under grace ; 
 and spoken of the unbelievers, and not of believers : 
 especially since Christ has brought a covenant of 
 grace, in order to teach and help us to live righteous, 
 virtuous, holy, religious, and sober lives and conver- 
 sations. 
 
 Fourth ; They object the words of our Saviour to 
 the young man in the gospel, where he calls Christ 
 good master, asking him, " What good thing shall I 
 do that I may have eternal life?" Christ answered, 
 " Why callest thou me good ? There is none good 
 but one, that is God." 
 
 Answer. And true it is, in our Lord's sense, fdr 
 comparing men to Christ, who is God, there is none 
 good ; the young man thought he had been speaking 
 to a man like himself, and knew not that he was 
 speaking to the good and gracious Son of the most 
 high God. But if we compare men with men, it must 
 be granted that there are some good men, women, and 
 children, in that sense; and our Lord showethjiow 
 we may know these good men, women, and children. 
 " By their fruits ye shall know them ; men do not 
 gather grapes of thorns, nor figs of thistles : a good 
 tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can an evil 
 tree bring forth good fruit; wherefore by their fruits 
 ye fhall know them." How plain is the doctrine of
 
 520 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 Christ, if people would but lend an obedient ear, and 
 give him a faithful and sincere heart, and serve him 
 in a pure mind, without deceit or guile, taking up his 
 holy cross to the corrupt will of man, in true self- 
 denial. The Scripture says, " If we confess our sins, 
 he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to 
 cleanse us from all unrighteousness : " where then is 
 the sin, when God has cleansed us from all unright- 
 eousness ? Indeed it is very meet an4 our duty to 
 confess our sins ; they truly say, that, 
 
 Fifth ; " The Scripture in sundry places excites us 
 to confess our sins." 
 
 Answer. For poor mortals have all sinned, and by 
 this sinful nature we are all children of wrath, and 
 this is a strong and mighty motive for us in truth to 
 confess our sins, because God is so just and merciful 
 to forgive and pass by our iniquities ; and indeed if 
 the weight of our sins were upon us, and the true 
 sense of the heinousness of sin and evil, it would 
 certainly bow us in deep reverence and humility 
 before the throne of grace, and melt our spirits into 
 tenderness before the Most High. Then it is that he 
 forgives us, and cleanseth us from all iniquity, and 
 wouid, according to the apostle's doctrine, " Purify us 
 to himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works," 
 and against bad works and words, and thoughts also : 
 and when God hath so cleansed the soul, then, of 
 course, these common, and often repeated, dry con- 
 fessions, full of sin and putrefaction, must fall, and 
 we should fear to offend any more. Let it be ten-
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 521 
 
 derly, and in Christian love, asked, how often do our 
 Common-Prayer people go into their closets, or pri- 
 vately retire into some secret place, and there pour 
 out their cries and tears to the Almighty, and humbly 
 confess their faults to him alone ? I ask, would not 
 such an exercise be more acceptable to God, than a 
 popular repetition, daily and formally made? This 
 I leave to the consideration of all sober Christians, 
 and to the judgment of the truly pious. And how 
 like mockery it looks, that as soon as they come from 
 their prayers and confessions, many of them will 
 vainly laugh, and be full of idle words and discourse, 
 and some of them curse and swear, and take the 
 awful and sacred name which they have been address- 
 ing, or pretending to address, in vain, and profane * 
 that holy name of God and Christ, which they have 
 been using in their devotion. To this I have been 
 an eye- and ear-witness, many a time, to the sorrow 
 and grief of my soul, and which hath, in part, occa- 
 sioned these lines ; also hoping it may be a motive to 
 stir up some to more holy living, and that the name 
 of God and Christ might be glorified, and the precious 
 dear-bought soul saved. Let us also remember that 
 the holy Scripture doth abundantly require and com- 
 mand us to forsake our sins ; the text says, " He that 
 confesseth and forsaketh his sins, shall have mercy." 
 
 Sixth ; And whereas the apostle John, in his first 
 general epistle, writes, " If we say we have no sin, 
 we deceive ourselves;" from whence it is objected, 
 we ought always to confess our sins. 
 44*
 
 522 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 Answer. Yes, we should do so whenever we commit 
 any, or knowingly do evil ; but when the Almighty 
 hath cleansed us from all unrighteousness, then our 
 sins are done away by the grace of his Son, our Lord 
 Jesus Christ, and we are washed by regeneration ; 
 then it cannot be true to say we are miserable and 
 putrefied sinners, when at the same time also Christ 
 hath purified and sanctified his church and people. 
 
 That is true which St. John saith, when opening 
 and explaining the eighth verse, " If we say we have- 
 not sinned, we make him (i.e., God) a liar;" for all 
 have sinned ! So it is plain that he speaks of the 
 state of man before he comes to the work of conver- 
 sion, or to be renewed by grace; for when we come 
 truly to know Christ, and to see and believe in him, 
 we witness a change from our corrupt and evil nature, 
 and sinful course of life, which is clear, from the same 
 apostle's words, which I shall transcribe for the infor- 
 mation and edification of any who may see this. 
 
 The first general epistle of John, the beloved disciple 
 of our Lord, says, " Whosoever abideth in him (i. e. f 
 Christ), sinneth not : whosoever sinneth, hath not seen 
 him, neither known him. Little children, let no man 
 deceive you: he who doeth righteousness, is righteous, 
 even as He is righteous : he who committeth sin, is of 
 the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. 
 For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that 
 he might destroy the works of the devil. Whosoever 
 Is born of God, doth not commit sin; for his seed 
 remaineth in him, and he cannot sin, because he ia
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 523 
 
 born of God. In this the children of God are mani- 
 fest, and the children of the devil ; whosoever doeth 
 not righteousness, is not of God ; " and as above, " he 
 who committeth sin, is of the devil." 
 
 This is naked truth, without any covering, and the 
 very sum and substance of pure religion. Oh ! that 
 all true Christians would lay it to heart, and ponder 
 it in their minds, and then resolve whether they wil. 
 be sinners to the end of their days, or whether they 
 will repent, and turn from the evil of their ways ; the 
 latter of which, that poor mortals may come to witness 
 for themselves, is the desire and prayer of my soul. 
 
 If it be further objected, " That our Saviour taught 
 his disciples a form ; " he did so ; and a glorious form 
 it is ; and they did as they prayed, and were taught 
 of Christ, arid so they did it truly, and in true faith, 
 believing they should witness what they said and 
 prayed to be fulfilled. " Our Father who art in 
 heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come. 
 Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give 
 us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our tres- 
 passes, as we forgive them who trespass against us. 
 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from 
 evil : for thine is the kingdom, and the power, and 
 the glory, forever. Amen." 
 
 Christ said to some of old, " Ye are of your father 
 the devil, because his works ye do." And all sin ia 
 his work, and by our works we are manifest, whether 
 we are the children of God or of the devil.
 
 524 • THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 A Letter to a Friend in Ireland, containing a Rela- 
 tion of some Sorrowful Instances of the Sad Effects 
 of Intemperance, as a Warning to Young People. 
 
 PREFACE. 
 
 Temperate Reader, — 
 
 The longer we live in the world, the more we see 
 the danger and many mischiefs, miseries, and incon- 
 veniences, intemperance occasions to mankind, not 
 only in eating, clothing, buying and selling, etc., but 
 particularly in that great sin of drinking to excess. 
 And though a risk is run of incurring the displeasure 
 of some ill-natured over-lovers of strong liquors, the 
 which hath been experienced by the author, through 
 some of the former impressions ; yet they having 
 found such general acceptance in many parts of the 
 world, and being serviceable to people of all per- 
 suasions, for the further service of poor mortals, I 
 venture to put forth this tenth edition, with this 
 additional preface, in order, if possible, to persuade 
 all rational souls to forsake so destructive and vile 
 an evil. 
 
 First ; Then, in the aged it hath these bad effects, 
 viz. : they are bad examples to the youth, who, when 
 reproved, may reply, My father before me loved strong 
 liquors, as well as I : he loved a glass of wine ; he 
 loved a bowl of punch ; he loved good cider and good 
 ale, and wov.ld be merry with it, and why may not I,
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 525 
 
 as well as he ? He was a wise, good man, when he 
 was sober ; and pray where is the harm of loving 
 good liquor, and being merry ? 
 
 What can we say to the youth of such parents that 
 will avail, while their parents show them such evil 
 examples ? And as it is in that, so it is in all other 
 evils, parents' examples are very hurtful in evil things, 
 though very helpful in that which is good. If a man 
 sees a youth to be out of order, and reproves him for 
 being in drink, evil speaking, pride, covetousness, etc., 
 and he guilty of the same, his child may answer, Why, 
 father, I had not done so, if I had not seen thee, or 
 you, do it! And it being an incumbent duty in a 
 father, mother, master, or mistress, to reprove their 
 youth for evil ; if we are not clear in ourselves of 
 what we reprove in our children or servants, and our 
 children or servants miscarry through our bad exam- 
 ple, what a melancholy reflection will that be to us, 
 if rightly considered ! which indeed would be this, I 
 have been instrumental to my poor child's ruin and 
 destruction ! A melancholy reflection to any sober 
 Christian. 
 
 Also, except there is a large income, instead of 
 taking care to put the youth in a reputable way to 
 live in the world, it brings them to poverty ; and if 
 there is a large estate, it puts them in the way to 
 -jpend it. And, oh ! how many are spending their 
 precious time in taverns and ordinaries, and at the 
 same time their wives and children suffering and 
 weeping at home? And some sober, modest women
 
 526 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 would suffer unspeakable hardships before they would 
 expose their husbands. 
 
 Second; Concerning the youth, it mightily hurts 
 them, as it doth the aged also, as to their religion, 
 reputation, health, and estate, etc. 
 
 First; As to their religion, it not only clouds their 
 understanding, and darkens the nobility thereof, but 
 it unfits them for all and every religious duty. 
 
 Second ; Some who value a good name, had rather 
 lose their lives, than lose their reputation through 
 immoderate drinking. For if the youth be single, 
 and addicted to immoderate drinking, no wise and 
 virtuous person will tie themselves to them for life, 
 by marriage; which state of life, to a wise and vir- 
 tuous pair, is iar exceeding in happiness all other 
 company or conversation whatsoever. It is better to 
 be one of these than to enjoy a kingdom : and on the 
 other hand, it is better to be a slave than to be mar- 
 ried to an intemperate person. 
 
 Third ; Intemperance destroys the health of the 
 body, which we generally esteem before wealth. And 
 if a man were a king, prince, or duke, if he did not 
 enjoy his health, what good would all his honor, 
 power, and wealth do him? Oh! what abundance 
 of young people have destroyed themselves by this 
 sin ? As it is written : " The wicked do not live out 
 half their days : " and where this sin is growing gen- 
 eral in a country, that country is growing to its ruin 
 and destruction. It wastes the people, decays trade, 
 and is very destructive to religion, and an inlet to
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 527 
 
 Atheism. Good people are afraid to live in such a 
 country ; bad people flock to it, and often make their 
 exit in it. 
 
 Fourth ; And many a fair estate has been embezzled 
 and spent through intemperance, which honest par- 
 ents, with great labor, care, and industry, have got 
 together, and left to their sons and daughters, who 
 have extravagantly spent it upon their lusts ; and 
 thereby have brought infamy on themselves, their 
 fathers, and their posterity, whenever it has pleased 
 God that they have left any behind them; besides, 
 which is worst of all, dishonoring God, and bringing 
 a scandal on the Christian religion. 
 
 Some of our wise kings and queens in Great 
 Britain, being sorrowfully affected with the heinous- 
 ness of this great sin, have made strict laws against 
 intemperance: and where the legislative authority 
 makes little or no provision against it, or when they 
 do make any, do not take care to put it in practice, 
 such a state or colony must needs be in a declining 
 condition. And for particular families and persons, 
 we may see too much of this evil in our neighbor- 
 hoods, almost in all parts of the world, which causes 
 sober and truly religious Christians to mourn, and 
 humbly to bow before the most high God, begging of 
 him, for Christ's sake, that he, by his mighty power, 
 would be pleased to reform the unregenerate world. 
 
 This is the prayer and fervent desire of an entire 
 lover of mankind, both body and soul, and who desires 
 their welfare in this, and in the world to come. 
 
 Thomas Chalkley.
 
 528 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 Barbadoes, 1th of First month, 1718-19. 
 
 My dear Friend, — 
 
 It is long since I had a line from thee: but not 
 long since I thought of thee and thine, with Friends 
 of your nation ; where I know that the Lord hath a 
 seed, who love him, and desire to serve him, and are 
 accounted to him for a chosen generation ; and that 
 this generation may spread and prosper in the earth, 
 is at times my earnest travail in spirit both night 
 and day. There is also an exercise upon my mind 
 for the offspring of this seed, the children of those 
 men and women who have confessed the name of 
 Christ before men, in a holy, self-denying life and 
 sober conversation ; and I do certainly know, that 
 many pious souls join with me in this exercise, bow- 
 ing the knee to the Lord of Sabbaths, for the peace, 
 prosperity, and eternal welfare of the present rising 
 generation. Oh ! how exercising it is to good men 
 and women to see their youth take those ways which 
 lead to destruction, and go in company with the 
 wicked, whose ways lead to the utter ruining of both 
 body and soul, and whose steps take hold on hell. 
 
 A great evil, to which many are prone, is keeping 
 vain and idle company, which has brought many 
 young men and young women to their utter ruin 
 and destruction, both body and soul. How many 
 fair estates have been wasted ! How many fine 
 youths have been destroyed by keeping evil com- 
 pany, and by excess in drinking, it is really lamen-
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 529 
 
 table to consider ! It keeps the poor in poverty : it 
 makes the rich many times poor; and brings both 
 rich and poor into disgrace : it breaks and destroys 
 the health and natural good constitution of the body, 
 and instead thereof fills it with misery and pain : 
 and which is yet more, it destroys the soul, which is 
 the most noble part of man : so that it is a sore and 
 threefold evil; but the last is the worst, by how 
 much the soul is the more lasting and better part. 
 Several terrible instances of this nature I have met 
 with in my travels among the children of men ; three 
 or four of which I may inform thee of; and it may 
 be affecting to thee, as it hath often been to my mind, 
 when I have thought thereon. 
 
 The First Instance of a Young Man given to 111 
 Company and Hard Drinking. 
 
 The first is of a certain young man, a physician 
 by profession, who was much addicted to evil com- 
 pany, and to drink hard, and was sometimes visited 
 with strong convictions ; in one of which visitations 
 he sent for me, and told me his condition, and made 
 solemn covenants, " If God would but that once spare 
 him, he would not do the like evil again." At that 
 time it did please the Almighty to spare him : but 
 he soon forgot how it had been with him, and fell 
 into the same sin again; although he had a most 
 notable admonition in a dream, but a little before. 
 45
 
 530 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 His dream was this, which is very remarkable; we 
 being then at sea, in sight of Great Britain. He saw 
 in his dream a great and spacious town, the buildings 
 high and streets broad ; at which he landed, and 
 going up the street he espied a large sign, on which 
 was written in great golden letters, shame, to which 
 he went, and at the door stood a woman, with a can 
 of drink in her hand, who asked him to drink; to 
 which he replied, " with all his heart, for he said he 
 had drunk nothing but water a great while ; " so he 
 took the can, and drank a hearty draught, which, as 
 he said, made him merry, and he went reeling up the 
 street; when behold, on a sudden, a grim fellow met 
 him, and arrested him in the name of the governor 
 of the place, before whom he brought him. This 
 governor, he said, was like a great black dog, the 
 largest he ever saw, who grinned at him, and passed 
 sentence on him ; and sent him to prison, there to 
 live forever. He told me this dream with such 
 emphasis as made me to tremble, which was inter- 
 preted to him. I told him that he was an ingenious 
 young man, and might easily discern the interpreta- 
 tion of this dream, which to me seemed to be ominous 
 to him. " The great town and high buildings are 
 thy great and high profession ; the sign on which 
 shame was written, with the woman with the can at 
 the door, show the great shame of the sin of drunk- 
 enness, and that is thy weakness; and that grim 
 fellow that arrested thee, is death, who will arrest 
 all mortals ; and the great black dog, the governor
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 531 
 
 of the place, is the devil; who, when his servants 
 have served him to the last, will torment them for- 
 ever." " God forbid, it is but a dream," was his 
 answer to me. I said it was a very significant one 
 to him. 
 
 About three days after the same person went on 
 board a ship, whose loading was wine and brandy. 
 The master gave a can of wine to him, and said the 
 same words as the woman said to him in his dream, 
 and he answered with the same expressions, and it 
 had the same effect upon him. He took such a hearty 
 draught as made him too merry, insomuch that he 
 overset the boat, and was drowned, much in drink : 
 and I seeing him sink down, and his dream so punc- 
 tually fulfilled, I was very heavy in my mind for 
 several days. 
 
 Oh ! methinks I could wish that the many right- 
 eous judgments of the Most High might effectually 
 work on the hearts of those people who are in the 
 flower of their age, to their conversion and salvation. 
 
 The Second Instance of a Merchant addicted to the 
 like Destructive Practices. 
 
 The second is of a merchant, about thirty-five 
 years of age, whom I saw take leave of this world : 
 he was one who had spent much time in keeping 
 unprofitable company and over drinking, which prac- 
 tice wasted his strength and flesh, as it did his time
 
 532 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 and money, and brought him into a deep consump- 
 tion ; as it has many to my certain knowledge ; 
 besides bringing the racking painful distemper of 
 the gout, and many other miseries; so that at last 
 it brought him to his chamber, and then to his bed. 
 In his sickness he several times sent for me, and 
 made serious acknowledgments of his " former mis- 
 spent time, and hoped, if the Lord would spare him, 
 to be more careful for the time to come." But he 
 was no longer to be trusted in this world; for he 
 went not out until he was carried in his coffin : he 
 held my hand fast in his until he died, and was sen- 
 sible to the last. 
 
 One day, as he lay on his death-bed, he called me 
 to him into his chamber, and " Charged me to caution 
 the young people to be careful how they keep, and 
 spend their time in, evil company, for it had been his 
 ruin, and now lay as a great and heavy burden on 
 his conscience. Oh ! said he, if they did but feel one 
 quarter of an hour what I feel, they never would 
 keep such company any more : tell this to my former 
 companions." 
 
 And indeed there is a great deal of hurt done by 
 young men getting together to drink wine, or other 
 strong drink. I wish the woe, mentioned in the holy 
 Scriptures, may not be the portion of many of them ; 
 " Who are mighty to drink wine, and men of strength 
 to mingle strong drink ; " and sit late at it, which 
 many times brings suffering on parents, wife, children, 
 and servants, as well as themselves ; and is a very dis-
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 533 
 
 orderly practice, being a reproach to all Christian 
 societies and families, wherever such things are. 
 
 There is a great concern upon me against this 
 growing evil in our young generation ; and I hope, in 
 Christ our Lord, that heads of families will come 
 under the like exercise in themselves : and then, if 
 our youth will neither hear nor fear the Lord, nor us, 
 we shall be clear, and their blood will be on their own 
 heads, as a worthy and honorable elder, and man of 
 God, of your nation, said ; one of whose offspring is 
 the third subject that I shall mention to thee, of the 
 many I have been acquainted with in my pilgrimage 
 here. 
 
 The Third Instance of another Young Man, who 
 much embraced the same Destroying Delights. 
 
 The 5th of the First month, at Bridgetown, in 
 
 Barbadoes, S. E., son of W. E., died. His death wa3 
 
 sudden ; and as was reasonably supposed, he destroyed 
 
 himself by drinking and undue company-keeping, and 
 
 sitting long at it. A person, to whom he himself had 
 
 told it, told me, " That he and four more, at one 
 
 sitting, drank above twenty quarts of double-distilled 
 
 rum punch ; which put him in a violent fever : so that 
 
 he ran about the streets, with a naked sword, and 
 
 talked of killing one of the neighbors, in this drunken 
 
 fit." The next day he came to me, and asked me, 
 
 " Whose door the blood would have lain at, if he had, 
 45*
 
 534 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 in that fit of disorder, killed anybody ? " By which 
 query, I thought he was not yet rightly come to him- 
 self: because there were some ordinary reports about 
 the town concerning him, he reckoned those who 
 broached and spread those reports, would have been 
 culpable, and must have answered for the murder, if 
 he had committed any : but this was but covering 
 his sin. 
 
 He seemed to fall out with religion too; for he 
 said, " He would come no more to worship, till he 
 should have justice done him, as to the reports:" 
 though, poor soul, he had the more need to present 
 himself before his Maker, and bow before the most 
 high God, and repent in great humiliation. The 
 same day in which he neglected his duty, he was 
 taken sick, and that day week was buried. He sent 
 for me, and I went to him : he had but little sense of 
 his end, that I could perceive, and remained so till 
 the night he died. I was by him when he died, and 
 saw him fetch his last breath. A few minutes before 
 he gave up the ghost, he trembled and shook exceed- 
 ingly, and shrieked out, to the astonishment of all 
 those present, which pierced my very soul within me : 
 for he seemed to go out of the world in an extreme 
 great agony. 
 
 I never saw any depart the world like him ; and 
 indeed it was amazing, and greatly affected my mind 
 with sorrow ; for I thought he was very unfit to die. 
 Oh ! methinks I could heartily wish, that such objects 
 might be as so many strong motives, to stir up and
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 535 
 
 awaken the offspring of good men and virtuous 
 women, and all professing Christianity, to fear the 
 Lord and walk in his ways, which lead to life, where 
 the sting of death is taken away. 
 
 The children of godly parents have much to answer 
 for, in slighting or neglecting the wholesome counsel 
 and faithful admonition, of their faithful and careful 
 parents ; whom they disgrace and dishonor, contrary 
 to the command of God, who says, " Honor thy par- 
 ents, that thy days may be long in the land, which 
 the Lord thy God giveth thee : " and none can truly 
 honor their parents, who dishonor God their Maker. 
 
 The Fourth Instance of a Young Woman, who 
 often absented herself from Meetings for the sake 
 of Bad Company. 
 
 The fourth instance which I shall give thee, is 
 concerning a young woman of about twenty-five years 
 of age ; who was brought up very tenderly and deli- 
 cately, with her lockets and chains of gold, and wait- 
 ing-maid : but her parents living too high for their 
 income, broke in people's debt ; and their children as 
 they grew up, were put to their shifts. What pity 
 it is, that youth are not brought up to some business, 
 whereby they may get a livelihood in the world, if 
 their parents should die before them ! And though 
 parents may have a handsome interest in this world, 
 yet it has been thought by great, as well as wise men,
 
 536 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 that to put out youth to trades and business, is both 
 profitable and honorable : instances of the evil conse- 
 quences of the contrary have been very many, as 
 woful experience doth daily teach us. This young 
 woman was one : for falling into evil company, she 
 r/in into debt, and was put into prison ; where was a 
 murderer, whom, it was said, she was accessory to 
 loose from his chains ; and for so doing was put in 
 chains herself, along with him, when he was taken 
 again. Now, instead of her gold chain, she must 
 take up with an iron one, and in a little time be tried 
 for her life. In expectation of death, being in great 
 distress, she sent for me, and entreated me to eome 
 and see her die, and much lamented her condition : 
 " Oh ! said she, that I might be a warning to all 
 young people, to be careful that they keep not evil 
 company, and spend their time which should be spent 
 in worship, in airy company, and other vain diver- 
 sions, when they should be doing their duty to God." 
 And then she would weep bitterly ; she being very 
 penitent, it very much affected me; and I told her, 
 " That I did believe, if she in her heart was clear, and 
 noways consenting to the murder, her life would be 
 given her; but then woe and misery would be her 
 portion, if she did not amend her ways." And as I 
 was leaving her, she charged me, " To warn young 
 people that they might be careful that they spend not 
 their time in vanity, and to keep out of vain and 
 wicked company," which she said had brought her to 
 that misery and shame : " And that they should take
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 537 
 
 the counsel and advice of good friends, which if I had 
 done, said she, I had not brought reproach on my 
 friends and on my parents." 
 
 In a little time after, she was brought to a trial, 
 and acquitted by the jury. I saw her once since, 
 and reminded her of her duty; which, she said, " She 
 hoped to perform ; and that it should be a warning 
 to her while she lived in this world : " and that such 
 examples may be a warning to all people, is the 
 earnest desire of a lover of souls, and servant of 
 Jesus. Thomas Chalkley. 
 
 Since I wrote the foregoing, there being a person 
 in this place who would be sometimes overtaken in 
 drink, I sent it to him to copy over, hoping it might 
 have some good effect on him. Before he had copied 
 the relation of the first person, he was so smitten with 
 the sense of the judgment of the Almighty, that he 
 cried out, and said, " He was a condemned person, 
 and that he felt the fire of hell." He sent for me 
 and several others, and begged of us to pray for him : 
 he was told, " That the hand of God was upon him 
 for sin, and desired to take warning in time, and 
 repent, lest the Lord should cut him off in his iniqui- 
 ty." The Lord did accordingly cut off this person, 
 he dying suddenly, by hard drinking, as I was in- 
 formed by a letter from Barbadoes ; though he 
 promised, " If the Lord would spare him then, to be 
 more faithful for the time to come; and was then 
 under deep inward exercise of mind. I mention this
 
 538 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 as a corroboration of the above instances, for further 
 admonition. This person was in a considerable post 
 in that government : his name I forbear to mention, 
 for divers reasons. If thou and Friends see meet, I 
 could desire, from the exercise that is on my mind, 
 that this might be spread; peradventure it might 
 have place with some, for their good. 
 
 A Letter to Aquila Paea, High Sheriff of Baltimore 
 County, in the Province of Maryland, and to 
 other Friends there. 
 
 Barbadoes, 1st of Twelfth month, 1718. 
 
 Loving Friend, Aquila Paca, — Meeting here with 
 Captain Swaddle, bound for your river, I found a 
 concern on my mind to send a few lines, remembering 
 the good opportunities I had at your meeting in that 
 neighborhood, together with those few poor honest 
 souls that I met with there ; and I desire thee to give 
 my dear love in Christ to them. 
 
 Dear friend, I am tenderly concerned in the love 
 of God and his dear Son, to beg of thee, that thou let 
 not the world, nor any thing therein, either the 
 riches, pleasures, or friendship thereof, draw thy mind 
 from that measure of grace which hath been mani- 
 fested to thee ; for God hath visited thee in his tender 
 love and mercy, as thou well knowest, and hath be- 
 gotten good desires in thee, and convinced thee of the
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 539 
 
 holy truth as it is in Jesus. Oh ! saith my soul, that 
 thou mayest more and more grow therein, to thy 
 bringing forth much good fruit, to the glory of God, 
 and the eternal good of that part in thee which will 
 never die. 
 
 Salute me to thy wife and children, and the neigh- 
 bors, and their children also, all of whom I wish well 
 in this world, and also in that which is to come, the 
 same I wish to all those who love Christ, so as to 
 keep his commandments. 
 
 If thou seest meet, thou mayest read what follows 
 at the close of your meeting on a First day, which 
 meeting I hope you keep up in order to worship God 
 in Christ's name ; for to such as meet in his name, he 
 hath promised to be in the midst of them, wherever 
 they so meet; which he hath graciously fulfilled at 
 many times. 
 
 Dear Friends, it is in my mind to visit you with the 
 salutation of brotherly love, in our holy Lord Jesus 
 Christ, and may let you know, that though I have 
 been long absent from you in body, yet have I been 
 often present in spirit with you, and you have been 
 often in my mind, with prayers to the Lord for your 
 growth in the holy truth, which he hath been pleased 
 to make known to you; and many times I have desired 
 the Almighty, that he would be pleased to preserve 
 a seed in your parts that should serve him, and be 
 accounted to him for a generation. I have also desired 
 that the Lord would visit your young ones, and bring 
 them to the knowledge of his truth : and I pray God,
 
 540 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 that the tende.- visitation that was on divers of them, 
 when I wa3 present with you, may never be forgotten 
 by them, but that they may be plants of righteous- 
 ness, of God's own right-hand planting. 
 
 And, dear Friends, forsake not the assembling of 
 yourselves together, in the name of Christ, remem- 
 bering how you have been visited with the heart- 
 melting power, and the sweet presence of the Most 
 High, in your silent waiting on, and worshipping him 
 in his holy Spirit and truth, as well as when you have 
 been vocally visited by the ministers of Jesus. 
 
 Such worshippers, as our Lord said to the woman 
 of Samaria, the heavenly Father seeketh to worship 
 him ; and those whom God finds under such exercise, 
 such find him to be unto them all in all ; he is unto 
 them wisdom, righteousness, justification, sanctifica- 
 tion, and redemption. 
 
 Oh ! dear souls, look to him who is invisible to the 
 outward eye, who is God over all, and is blessed for 
 ever : and may you, if this comes to you, feel the 
 divine life and spirit of Christ, in the reading of this 
 little epistle of brotherly love. 
 
 Live in love, for God is love, and all those who 
 dwell in divine love, dwell in God; wherefore love 
 one another, that thereby ye may be known to be 
 Christ's disciples : " For," says he, " by this shall all 
 men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love 
 one to another;" or, "if you love one another," as 
 one of the evangelists hath it. 
 
 Keep low in mind and humble in spirit; for the
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 541 
 
 humble, God will teach of his ways, and the meek he 
 will guide in judgment, and those whom he teaches, 
 are taught the mysteries of his kirlgdom, which mys- 
 teries he teaches to spiritual babes and sucklings, 
 glory to his holy name ! He often hides those holy 
 mysteries from the wise and prudent, and reveals 
 them unto such men, women, and children, as are 
 little in their own eyes, and despised by the wise 
 in natural wisdom, or the wisdom of this vain world. 
 
 Oh ! mind your heavenly Guide, dear Friends, let 
 me entreat you ; for he leads out of all sin, and out 
 of all vanity and evil, of what kind soever; and as 
 our Saviour saith, into all truth. When Christ comes 
 by his grace and spirit into the heart, he opens the 
 soul and enlightens the understanding, even in our 
 common conversation ; and much more, at times, in 
 our solemn meetings, when we meet together to wor- 
 ship and serve him ; so that it is good to wait upon 
 the Lord, and to seek him with the whole heart. 
 
 Dear Friends, though my heart is full of love and 
 good will to y f ou at this time, as at many other times 
 also, I must now conclude, and commit you into the 
 holy arms of Him who is love, begging the God of 
 love and peace to keep you, and preserve you to his 
 heavenly kingdom ; to whom be all glory and praise, 
 might, majesty, and divine dominion, through his dear 
 Son and the holy Spirit, for evermore. 
 
 Thomas Chalkley. 
 
 46
 
 542 THE JOURNAL OP 
 
 Christ* a Kingdom exalted ; being a Short Essay in 
 order to promote Truth and Righteousness in the 
 Earth, and to discourage Unholiyiess, Ungodliness, 
 and Unbelief. 
 
 PREFACE. 
 
 Christian Reader, — 
 
 In order to promote and exalt the kingdom of the 
 dear Son of God, according to the gift and measure 
 of grace received, I was concerned to write the follow- 
 ing tract at sea. Considering the evil tendency of the 
 belief and principle which has overspread a great part 
 of the professors of Christianity, that we cannot be 
 free from sin in this life, which is contrary to the doc- 
 trine of the holy Scriptures of both the Old and New 
 Testament, I could not be easy in my mind, without 
 opposing such a dangerous tenet. For if we believe 
 that we must always sin, this being a sinful faith, 
 " according to our faith, so it will be unto us ; " and 
 if we die in our sins, Christ hath told us, where he is 
 gone, we cannot come. And holy record informs us, 
 that no unclean thing can enter God's kingdom. 
 
 I have, also, for the satisfaction of the true Christian 
 believer, collected the following texts of holy Scrip- 
 ture, which maintain the doctrine of holiness and 
 perfection, and directly oppose that evil principle, 
 that we can never be free from sin in this life. 
 
 " Walk before me, and be thou perfect."
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 543 
 
 " Ye shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am 
 holy." 
 
 "And ye shall be holy men unto me." 
 
 "Noah was a just man, and perfect in his genera- 
 tion." 
 
 " Without holiness, no man shall see the Lord." 
 
 "We should be holy, and without blame before 
 him, in love." 
 
 " To present you holy, unblamable, unreprovable, 
 in his sight." 
 
 " If any man defile- the temple of God, him shall 
 God destroy, for the temple of God is holy, which 
 temple ye are." 
 
 " So be ye holy in all manner of conversation, 
 because it is written, be ye holy, for I am holy." 
 
 "What manner of persons ought ye to be in all 
 holy conversation and godliness." 
 
 "Thou shalt be perfect with the Lord thy God." 
 
 " The Lord said, Job was perfect and upright." 
 
 " Be ye therefore perfect; " the words of Christ. 
 
 " I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made 
 perfect in one." 
 
 " Howbeit we speak wisdom among them who are 
 perfect." 
 
 " Finally, brethren, be perfect, be of one mind." 
 
 " That we may present every man perfect in Christ 
 Jesus : that ye may stand perfect and complete in all 
 the will of God." 
 
 "Now the God of peace, etc., make you perfect in 
 every good work."
 
 544 THE JOURNAL OP 
 
 " That ye may be perfect and entire, wanting 
 nothing." 
 
 " Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, 
 let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of flesh and 
 spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God." 
 
 " Unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the 
 stature of the fulness of Christ." 
 
 " This we wish, even your perfection." 
 
 "Let us go on to perfection." 
 
 " Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with 
 good." 
 
 " Ye have overcome the wicked one ; " this is twice 
 repeated in one chapter. 
 
 " Ye are of God, and have overcome." 
 
 "Whatsoever is born of God, overcometh the 
 world," etc. 
 
 " To him that overcometh, will I give to eat of the 
 tree of life." 
 
 " He that overcometh, shall not be hurt of the 
 second death." 
 
 " To him that overcometh, will I give to eat of the 
 hidden manna." 
 
 " To him that overcometh, will I give power over 
 the nations." 
 
 " He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in 
 white raiment." 
 
 " Him that overcometh, will I make a pillar in the 
 temple of my God, and he shall go no more out." 
 
 "To him that overcometh, will I grant to sit with 
 me in my throne."
 
 THOMAS CHALKLET. 545 
 
 "He that overcometh shall inherit all things." 
 
 Consider, then, courteous reader, I pray thee, for 
 what are all this language of the Spirit, all these 
 words of God, and all these commands, exhortations, 
 and glorious promises? What is the end and ten- 
 dency of them ? 
 
 If the Almighty commands things that cannot be 
 done, what will that make of him ? If his servants 
 labor and exhort us to things not to be done, where 
 will those absurdities land ? Surely it must centre 
 in the mouth of the. unprofitable servant, and such 
 as charge God foolishly. And are all those glorious 
 promises made to put us on to fight against sin and 
 Satan, without a possibility of overcoming? God for- 
 bid; and may he, Christian reader, forbid also that 
 thou shouldst believe such a gross and palpable error. 
 
 Oh ! that the Almighty Lord may send forth more 
 and more his holy light and truth, and thereby lead 
 and guide the inhabitants of the earth ; so that they 
 may not give up the cause of Christ, but manfully 
 resist, even to death, that at last they may have a 
 crown of life. Thomas Chalkley. 
 
 In the Christian world, it is too generally believed, 
 that on this side the grave people cannot be free from 
 sin. This principle, or belief, is a great hinderance 
 to the glorious work of reformation, and mightily 
 obstructs people in their way to eternal glory. It 
 tends to uphold the kingdom of Satan, which every 
 good Christian, with St. Paul, should be for pulling 
 
 46*
 
 546 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 down ; and in order to do this, should make use of 
 the weapons which he did, that is, the armor of light, 
 viz. : The preparation of the gospel of peace, the girdle 
 of truth, the helmet of salvation, the breastplate of 
 righteousness, the shield of faith, and the sword of 
 the Spirit, which is the word of God. This is indeed 
 a holy war, to war against sin and Satan ; and the 
 armor of light is also heavenly armor ; and this holy 
 apostle was a valiant soldier, who was also victorious 
 in this war. Oh ! who would not enlist themselves 
 under Christ's banner, and fight this fight of faith 
 with courage and true Christian valor. Then would 
 they witness the truth of that saying of the apostle, 
 "That the weapons of this warfare are not carnal, 
 but mighty, through God, to the pulling down of the 
 strongholds of sin and Satan." Oh! down with those 
 strongholds : let every lover of Jesus Christ pray that 
 the kingdom of God and his Christ may be exalted 
 forever. Sin is the chief support of Satan's kingdom, 
 which Christ came to destroy and put an end to, and 
 to bring in everlasting righteousness. He came to 
 save his people from their sins ; as his doctrine in his 
 excellent sermon on the mount, and his many other 
 divine expressions, do plainly and abundantly mani- 
 fest. Now considering the great evil of this danger- 
 ous principle, I have been deeply affected on account 
 of poor mankind, to whose utter ruin and eternal 
 destruction it most certainly tends. If we were to 
 reason as rational beings, with what spirit and courage 
 should we undertake any business, or concern, if before-
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 547 
 
 hand we were grounded in a belief that we could not 
 perform our undertaking? Or what nation or people 
 in the world would have any courage to oppose their 
 common enemies, if at the same time they did believe 
 they should never overcome them ? Would not this 
 abundantly dispirit and discourage them ? let any 
 rational soul judge. This belief of sinning to the 
 end of our days, is a mighty engine of Satan to sup- 
 port his kingdom. Pray, what signify all the preach- 
 ing and writing in the world against sin, though ever 
 so elegantly or scholastically written or delivered by 
 the greatest orators or ministers, if at the same time 
 this doctrine be upheld and maintained in pulpits, 
 prints, and otherwise, and received and believed by 
 the people ? Let truth and right reason in this mat- 
 ter bear rule and be judge, and the cause will be 
 determined against sin and Satan : but the " King- 
 dom of Christ is an everlasting kingdom, and of his 
 dominion there shall never be an end." This is a 
 word of encouragement to the followers of Christ to 
 be faithful to his commands. 
 
 Though the devil is king over all the children of 
 pride and disobedience, and prince of the power of 
 the air, yet " the Lamb and his followers will have 
 the victory" over sin and him, although sometimes 
 it may fare with them as with their Lord, who obtained 
 it through sufferings ; and let it be remembered by 
 them, that they shall in the end reign with him. 
 " Fear not little flock, says Christ, for it is your 
 Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom."
 
 548 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 By which words, when received in faith, the soul is 
 inspired with courage and holy boldness, to resist the 
 tempter ; though we may have the disadvantage of 
 being but few, and Satan and his followers many, 
 who support his kingdom with this sinful principle 
 and doctrine above mentioned. One wily way which 
 he useth to uphold his kingdom, is to wrest and abuse 
 the holy Scriptures, and strain them to his evil pur- 
 poses, as he served our Lord, the Captain of our sal- 
 vation, as will be shown hereafter. When he makes 
 use of any of the words of God, it is for an evil end, 
 and that end must needs be wicked which is to keep 
 people in sin, 'or to create a belief that we cannot live 
 without it in this world; which, if he can obtain, and 
 cause people to believe, he knows he hath a great 
 advantage over them. For how should dust and 
 ashes overcome sin, who confess they are, and be- 
 lieve they always shall be, sinners ? Wherefore let 
 us examine and see what use he makes of those 
 Scriptures, which he brings to support people in sin, 
 and by which he makes them believe they can never 
 live without it ; some of which are as follows, viz. : 
 First, beginning with that saying of our Lord Jesus 
 Christ, to a young man who asked him, " What good 
 thing he should do to inherit eternal life," calling him 
 good master. Our Saviour replies, " Why callest thou 
 me good, there is none who is good, but one, that is 
 God." The young man thought he was speaking to 
 a mortal man ; and it seems to have been the will of 
 Christ, by this remark, both to caution his disciples
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 549 
 
 against the use of vain compliments, and to let them 
 know that the young man had not true faith in him, 
 as he was the Son of God. It is most certainly true, 
 that in fulness and perfection there is no man good, 
 compared with God ; but comparing men with men, 
 there are good men, women, and children, who fea* 
 God and do truly love Christ, and there have been a 
 few such in all ages, and will be some such to the end 
 of the world. To construe Christ's words otherwise, 
 would be to abuse the holy Scriptures, which Satan 
 makes a common practice of doing. 
 
 Second ; Another is that expression of Solomon, 
 " There is no man that sinneth not." The learned 
 say this should be interpreted, and who may not sin. 
 But though it may truly be said of men, in one part 
 of their lives or other, or in the state of man in the 
 fall, or degeneration, there is no man that sinneth 
 not, yet in the regeneration or new birth, the apostle 
 John, in the third chapter of his first epistle, and 
 ninth verse, saith, that " Whosoever is born of God, 
 doth not commit sin, for his seed remaineth in him : 
 and he cannot sin, because he is born of God." It 
 is this seed which would beget this new and living 
 birth, which- makes us children of God, and heirs 
 of the kingdom of heaven ; and this, Satan would 
 destroy, for he knows he shall have an enemy of 
 every such soul, and therefore it is the devil's inter- 
 est and endeavor to destroy every such birth, and 
 the belief that Christians can live without sin in the 
 world.
 
 550 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 Third ; " Who can say, I have made my heart 
 clean, I am pure from sin." David prayed to the 
 Almighty in his psalms; " Create in me a clean heart, 
 and renew a right, or pure spirit within me ; " which 
 prayer was no doubt answered : but this is the work 
 of God, and to him all things are possible, even that 
 which looks impossible to men ; for " He can make a 
 man more pure than gold." So it being the work of 
 God, no man can say, he hath done it, that he hath 
 purified himself, or made himself clean. Can the 
 Almighty make a man pure ? It might with much 
 truth be answered, he can ; and it is supposed no 
 good Christian will deny it : and then what will 
 become of that absurd, antichristian, and antiscrip- 
 tural tenet, that we cannot be clean or pure from sin 
 in this world ? 
 
 It may be said, if there are any who live without 
 sin, they are but very few : a sorrowful truth indeed ! 
 But is it not every one's interest to strive to be one 
 of those few, as it is also his indispensable duty : our 
 Lord also saith, that the way to his kingdom is 
 straight and narrow, and that there are but few that 
 find it. Must we therefore give up the cause, and 
 not seek the kingdom, and because of the difficulty 
 of Christ's cross here in this world, go in the broad 
 way, where there is much room and company ? May 
 every true Christian say, the Lord forbid it, and I 
 humbly pray, not only say, but do that which is 
 right in the sight of God. 
 
 Fourth; The next is an expression of Solomon's,
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 551 
 
 "There is not a just man upon earth that doth good, 
 and sinneth not." This should be interpreted as the 
 former, and who may not sin : he speaketh of a man 
 in the state of vanity and sin, before a reformation ; 
 for divine wisdom and the fear of the Lord, which 
 he taught, keeps the heart clean, and preserves from 
 the snares of sin, death, and the devil ; so that this 
 state of sin that he here speaks of, must be before 
 man attains to the wisdom of God, and before he 
 comes truly to live in his fear. He must certainly 
 do good, who lives in the fear of God, " Which," as 
 the same Solomon says, " is the beginning of wisdom ; 
 and to depart from iniquity is a good understanding." 
 So that he shows man his state of vanity and sin, and 
 teacheth people how to avoid it, by fearing the Lord 
 and walking in the counsel of wisdom, i. e., Christ's 
 counsel, who is the wisdom of God to salvation. 
 That all men are sinners before the work of conver- 
 sion, is true, and that the devil intends to keep them 
 there to their lives' end, is as true ; and no likelier 
 way can he do it, than by keeping them in a belief 
 that they must live in sin, and cannot live without it' 
 whilst they live in this world ; and when they come 
 to die, then fear surprises the hypocrite, and terror 
 takes hold of the ungodly: and many times, when 
 too late, they see the snares which the devil and sin 
 have brought them into. Oh ! what pity it is,*that 
 this veil of darkness is not done away in time of 
 youth, strength, and health, when the bones are full 
 of marrow, and the veins are full of blood : but the
 
 552 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 design of Satan is to lead people on in this pernicious 
 principle till death, and then before they are aware, 
 they may drop into eternal woe and misery, where 
 the wicked and the ungodly must be turned, with all 
 them that forget God ; for in heaven, where Christ is, 
 " If we die in our sins, we cannot come." 
 
 Fifth ; The apostle John writes thus, " If we say 
 we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth 
 is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful 
 and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from 
 all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned, 
 we make him a liar, and his word is not in us ; " 
 which answers to the eighth verse, "If we say we 
 have no sin, we deceive ourselves." The ninth verse 
 fully lets us into the meaning of the eighth verse, 
 i. e., if we confess our sins, for all ought toiconfess, 
 and also to forsake their sins, all having sinned, and 
 being by nature children of wrath ; otherwise we 
 have no assurance of mercy from the holy Scriptures ; 
 then the Almighty " is faithful and just to forgive 
 us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteous- 
 ness." And pray what sin is there when we are 
 cleansed from all unrighteousness ? And then in the 
 tenth verse he says, " If we say we have not sinned, 
 we make him a liar." There is no doubt that we 
 havp sinned, which is what the apostle plainly points 
 at in the eighth verse. And if any man sin, " We 
 have an advocate with the Father, even Jesus Christ, 
 the righteous : and God is faithful and just to forgive 
 us our sins." But then we must repent and forsake,
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 553 
 
 if we expect to find mercy ; though we have sin, or 
 have had sin, we mast not always have it, for if we 
 have it always, woe will be to us, according to the 
 words of God and Christ. "Let no man," nor the 
 devil either, " deceive you : he that doth righteous- 
 ness, is righteous : he that committeth sin, is of the 
 devil." This is plain and naked truth, let who will 
 like, or dislike it. Further, in the ninth and tenth 
 verses, he again repeats to the same purpose, saying, 
 " In this the children of God are manifest, and the 
 children of the devil : whosoever doeth not righteous- 
 ness, is not of God." Ergo, then he must be of the 
 devil, while he is in unrighteousness. 
 
 There are divers other places in the holy Scriptures, 
 which he abuseth in like manner, and which he and 
 his children wrest to uphold him and his kingdom of 
 sin and unrighteousness, and themselves therein. By 
 the grace of God, we may see his wiles and delusions, 
 and the rottenness of his cause, as also the unsafe and 
 dangerous foundation of his building, though endeav- 
 oring to support the same, by that which was always 
 designed to destroy him and his kingdom, i. e., the 
 holy Scriptures. May all men judge in this matter, 
 whether that is a right .spirit which would pick and 
 cull out a few verses, and sometimes a few words out 
 of a verse, in osder to make them speak contrary to 
 the whole scope and tenor, or tendency of the holy 
 Scriptures, and to plant a belief that we shall never 
 overcome sia and unrighteousness in this world, 
 though the holy Scriptures all along exhort, and 
 47
 
 554 THE JOURNAL Of 
 
 teach us, to avoid sin and unrighteousness, and live a 
 holy righteous life in this present world. I say, may 
 all judge whether such a spirit can be of God, or 
 whether it be not of, and from the father of lies. If 
 it be plainly proved, that there have been those who 
 have overcome sin and Satan, and that Christ and 
 his holy apostles repeatedly exhorted to fight against 
 sin and the devil, who is the author of all sin ; and 
 Christ faithfully promises most sweet and gracious 
 rewards to those who shall overcome, in order to 
 encourage the spiritual warrior to a faithful persever- 
 ance, and resisting of sin and Satan, then it is hoped 
 that Satan will be wounded, his kingdom shaken, and 
 this evil and destructive principle, in some measure 
 laid waste, in some poor souls, into whose hands these 
 may come. 
 
 First; Beginning with the great apostle of the 
 gentiles, a notable soldier in the Lamb's spiritual war, 
 "I have," says he, "fought a good fight, I have fin- 
 ished my course, I have kept the faith. Henceforth 
 there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, 
 which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me at 
 that day : and not to me only, but unto all those that 
 love his appearing." And if this be not encourage- 
 ment, what is ? He also saith, "Be ye followers of 
 me, even as I also am of Christ." Jlere is example, 
 exhortation, and encouragement, with experience. 
 
 Second ; Another of the apostles, John, in his first 
 epistle, is positive that those young men he writes to 
 had already overcome the wicked one. "I write
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 555 
 
 unto you," says he, "young men, because you have 
 overcome the wicked one." And in the fourteenth 
 verse he repeats it again, as though he would doubly 
 and deeply imprint it in their minds, " I have written 
 unto you young men, because ye are strong, and the 
 word of God abideth in you, and ye have overcome 
 the wicked one." Here were young men, who were 
 truly valiant and noble, to wage war with the wicked 
 one. If it was possible for them, why is it not pos- 
 sible for us also ? Oh ! that our young men of this 
 generation would take" those young men for their ex- 
 amples, to make war with the wicked one, and truly 
 endeavor to pull down his kingdom. It is worth our 
 notice, that those young men had the word of God 
 abiding in them; by the sword of the Spirit they 
 overcame, by it they were cleansed, by taking heed 
 to walk according to its directions, as it is written, 
 " Wherewith shall a young man cleanse his ways ? 
 By taking heed thereto, according to thy word." 
 The great reason why young men are overcome, in- 
 stead of overcoming, is their heedlessness to, and of 
 the word ; for notwithstanding their bones be full of 
 marrow, and their veins full of blood, and nature 
 strong, having many temptations to sin and evil, yet, 
 by taking heed to the word, they might be reformed : 
 and through the immediate power and strength there- 
 of, may overcome the wicked one. Here were young 
 men who actually overcame sin and Satan, to whom 
 this holy servant of Jesus wrote, by way of encour- 
 agement. Is the arm of the Lord shortened ? Surely
 
 556 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 no. It is true mortals are short in their duty, but 
 not the Almighty in his holy power, nor his dear 
 Son, in his unparalleled love, and most pure doctrine : 
 whose doctrine shall be set down, as the Spirit indited 
 it to the seven churches in Asia. 
 
 First ; To the church of Ephesus : "He that hath 
 an ear to hear, let him hear what the Spirit saith to 
 the churches : To him that overcometh, will I give 
 to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the 
 paradise of God." Here is an excellent promise and 
 blessed encouragement to such as believe, and are 
 faithful, and are desirous to fight in the Lamb's.war 
 against sin and Satan. The same apostle gives a 
 description of this tree of life, " That it bears twelve 
 manner of fruits, and bears its fruits every month, 
 and its leaves are for the healing of the nations ; " 
 which mystically points at Christ, who is faithful in 
 his precious promises and doctrine, and has virtue in 
 him, which through faith will heal the nations of the 
 wounds which sin hath given them. Those who 
 continually eat of the tree of life, shall live forever ; 
 but a flaming sword will turn every way, to keep the 
 unbelieving sinner from it : none in a state of sin and 
 disobedience can come to enjoy the paradise of God. 
 The above is an excellent promise to all those who 
 overcome sin and the devil, who is the author of it. 
 
 Secondly; To the church of Smyrna: "He that 
 hath an ear to hear, let him hear what the Spirit 
 saith to the churches : He that overcometh shall not 
 be hurt of the second death : " which is that eternal
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 557 
 
 death which is in hell, or that lake of fire which burns 
 forever, where the worm never dieth, and the fire 
 never goeth out. This holy warfare is certainly a 
 fighting for life, against eternal death and hell ; which 
 s of much greater consequence than natural life and 
 death. Oh ! fight for your lives against sin and Satan, 
 against pride and vanity, and all manner of wicked- 
 ness; put on the whole armor of light; look unto 
 God, through Christ the victorious Lamb, that you 
 may be saved from the lake of fire, and not be hurt 
 of the second death. Oh ! may we know a dying 
 daily to sin, to the world, the flesh and the devil, that 
 we may live unto God, through faith in his dear Son 
 Jesus Christ. 
 
 Thirdly ; To the church of Pergamos : " He that 
 hath an ear to hear, let him hear what the Spirit saith 
 to the churches : To him that overcometh, will I give 
 to eat of the hidden manna ; and I will give a white 
 stone, and in the stone a new name written, which 
 no man knoweth, saving he that receiveth it." Here 
 are four excellent promises to him that overcometh ; 
 the Lord opens his treasury of life and of wisdom, in 
 order to invite souls to the mighty battle of the Lamb, 
 who is not like the princes of this world, who some- 
 times promise great things to their soldiers or fol- 
 lowers, and do not perform ; but God's promises are 
 all yea and amen forever. 
 
 The first promise is, " To eat of the hidden manna : " 
 the children of Israel did eat manna, outwardly, as it 
 is written, in the wilderness, and are dead ; but those 
 
 47*
 
 558 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 who eat of this hidden manna, this angel's food, who 
 are hid with Christ in God, these shall never die, i. e., 
 spiritually, for his hidden manna is the flesh and 
 blood of the Son of God, who said, ". Except ye eat 
 my flesh, and drink my blood, ye have no life in you." 
 
 The second promise is, " To have a white stone ; " 
 this stone is Christ, who is the chief corner-stone of 
 God's building or church, the New Jerusalem, which 
 the wise letter-learned master-builders set at naught; 
 but he is the head of the saint's building or corner, 
 and a holy precious stone, the elect or chosen of God, 
 the gift of God, to all those who truly believe, and 
 overcome sin, as he did; and as it is written, "If he 
 give us his Son, shall he not with him freely give us 
 all things?" This stone will certainly do miracles 
 for them that have it, through the virtue of its power: 
 it will procure joy in tribulation, patience in afflic- 
 tions, health in sickness, riches in poverty, strength 
 in weakness, liberty in bonds, and, to sum up all, 
 which indeed is a great sum, life in death. 
 
 Third promise ; " And in the stone a new name : " 
 how many gay sparks and beaus would do abundance 
 to gain honor, or a name among men? No thin o- is 
 dear to them in this world, neither their estates, nor 
 the nearest relation they have in the world, so that 
 they may gain a name here below ; no, not even their 
 own lives. But, oh ! did mortals know the virtue of 
 this new name, and were they in love with it, then 
 the world and all its fading beauty and vanity would 
 be nothing to them in comparison of it, which is
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 559 
 
 better than the names of sons of worldly glory, and 
 daughters of honor; for those outward names are 
 fading, viz.* To-day a king, a prince, a duke, an earl, 
 a lord, a knight, and, as has been and may be again, 
 to-morrow on the scaffold : but this name which the 
 King of kings giveth those who overcome sin and 
 Satan, is a name which will outlast time, and endure 
 to eternity. 
 
 Fourth promise is, that it should be secret, only to 
 the world, but surely known to him that hath it. 
 Great men, when their acts and titles of honor are 
 blazoned abroad in the world, have many enemies 
 who envy them ; and yet some are so vain as to love 
 grandeur and popularity notwithstanding; but he that 
 hath a name which Christ gives, so long as he is sen- 
 sible^ it in himself, is therewith satisfied. 
 
 Now as this is the portion, and more which is* 
 hereafter mentioned, of those who overcome the 
 wicked one, then, on the contrary, what will become 
 of those who live and delight in sin, and are daily 
 overcome with it? For the holy Scriptures are 
 positive " That the wicked, with all those that forget 
 God, shall be turned into hell." This is the determi- 
 nate will of God ; and that we may take the more 
 notice of it, to observe and do his will, he hath caused 
 it to be written down in the language of the holy 
 Spirit, in the holy Scriptures of truth, which are of 
 no private interpretation, but naked and open to 
 mean capacities. The holy Scriptures are not to be 
 interpreted to the private interest of any particular
 
 560 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 person or set of persons only, but are a general bene- 
 fit unto all the faithful believers and followers of 
 Christ, through the whole world. 
 
 Fourthly ; To the church at Thyatira : " And he 
 that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, 
 to him will I give power over the nations, and I will 
 give him the morning star. He that hath an ear to 
 hear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the 
 churches." The Spirit still continues promising his 
 gracious privileges upon condition of overcoming : 
 wherefore, if it had been impossible to have overcome 
 sin and Satan, then all these promises would have 
 been in vain, and the holy Scriptures deceiving, which 
 would be to make Christ and the apostles deceivers : 
 but Christ, his apostles, and the holy Scriptures, are 
 true, and every one who contradicts God, is a liar. 
 
 Let it be observed, that there must be a keeping 
 the works of God to the end ; for divers have run 
 well for a time, and overcome many sins, through the 
 help and goodness of God, and yet afterwards have 
 run into sin again, whereby they have grieved the 
 good spirit of God, by which they should have been 
 sealed to the day of redemption, and so the Lord 
 hath taken his good spirit and gift of light and grace 
 from them, and left them to themselves and their 
 own hearts' lusts. But such as hold out in well-doing 
 to the end, the same shall be saved, and "Those shall 
 have power over the nations : " the laws of men, or 
 powers of earth or hell, cannot hurt them ; but they 
 will be as kings and priests unto God, ruling over
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 561 
 
 their own spirits ; and such an one is greater than 
 one that ruleth a city, and cannot govern himself. 
 Another excellent gift is promised here to the victo- 
 rious Christian warrior, viz., " I will give him the 
 morning star : " it is indeed a very comfortable gift 
 to behold the morning star, after a long, tedious, 
 stormy night, earnestly waiting for the morning. 
 This morning star the writer of these lines hath wit- 
 nessed, both as to his natural and spiritual travels ; 
 bat especially in his inward condition as a Christian. 
 Those that have a true sigUt and sense of this divine 
 star, are made to rejoice ; for then they do infallibly 
 know, that the day of the Most High is at hand, and 
 that his kingdom draws near unto them. Amen, 
 holy. Lord Jesus ! 
 
 As the day star is the forerunner of the natural 
 day, so is the heavenly morning star a forerunner of 
 the day of the Most High to the soul. 
 
 Fifthly ; To the church of Sardis : " He that over- 
 come th shall be clothed in white raiment, and I will 
 not blot his name out of the book of life; but I will 
 confess him before my Father, and before his angels. 
 He that hath an ear to hear, let him hear what the 
 Spirit saith unto the churches." These promises of 
 God, through his Spirit, and through his servant to 
 the church of Sardis, are, that those who overcome 
 shall be clothed in white raiment; and he says, in 
 the fourth verse of the same chapter, that that church 
 had a few in her, who had not defiled their garments, 
 who should walk with him in white, for, saith he,
 
 » 
 562 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 they are worthy. So that there were a few undefiled 
 ones who had overcome ; although others were blam- 
 able, whom the Spirit reproved sharply. But those 
 who overcame were to be clothed in white raiment; 
 which raiment is that clean linen called the right- 
 eousness of the saints, or elsewhere the wedding-gar- 
 ment, and the garment unspotted of the world, with- 
 out having which, we may expect to be asked, how 
 we dare presume to approach the holy presence of a 
 just and righteous God, who is of purer eyes than to 
 behold iniquity with allowance or approbation, as it 
 is written, " Friend, how earnest thou hither not hav- 
 ing on the wedding-garment? " And by the promise 
 to the Church, that those who overcome " shall not 
 be blotted out of the book of life," it plainly appears 
 that the names of those who fight the Lamb's battle, 
 and overcome sin and Satan, are upon record in 
 heaven in the Lamb's book of life ; and that though 
 we may have done well or valiantly in some things, 
 yet if we suffer ourselves to be overcome of sin, there 
 is danger that we may have our names blotted out 
 of the book of life. 
 
 The third promise is very excellent and glorious, 
 viz. : " But I will confess him before my Father, and 
 before his angels." Oh, wonderful honor ! to have 
 Christ confess that we are his and belong to him, and 
 have been men of courage in this holy war, and over- 
 come the enemy, and been victorious in this fight of 
 
 aith ; to confess us before God and his angels, must 
 needs be unspeakable honor done to us before the
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 563 
 
 armies in heaven. He expressed again his often 
 repeated advice to those who have ears, saying, "He 
 that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith 
 to the churches ; " which is much wanting among 
 men, and also a believing heart. Is not God, Christ, 
 and the Holy Ghost stronger than the world, the 
 flesh, and the devil ? But is not this belief of its 
 being impossible to overcome sin, and saying that we 
 cannot do it while we are in this world, as much as 
 to believe and say, that Satan and nature are stronger 
 than grace ? 
 
 Sixthly ; To the Church at Philadelphia the Spirit 
 saith : " Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in 
 the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out : 
 and I will write upon him the name of my God, and 
 the name of the city of my God, etc. He that hath 
 an ear to hear, let him hear what the Spirit saith 
 unto the churches." Here is promise upon promise, 
 all to persuade and invite people to fight the fight of 
 faith, believing they shall obtain the victory, and to 
 destroy the principle of unbelief. The overcomer, 
 through grace, is to be made a pillar in the temple 
 of God ; that is, one of his church, who helps to sup- 
 port the credit of it, through a true Christian repu- 
 tation in his conversation. Such an one is a pillar 
 in the church militant here on earth, and will, if he 
 is faithful to the end, be of the church triumphant in 
 heaven also ; and he will not go out any more, but 
 will abide in, and with Christ forever. Here are 
 gospel promises and privileges, happy are they who
 
 564 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 through faith attain thereto ; how much have Chris- 
 tians med to be concerned before God for the excel- 
 lent gift of faith, since, " Without faith it is impos- 
 sible to please God." Our Saviour saith, "If ye had 
 faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye might say to this 
 mountain, be removed, and cast into the sea, and it 
 should be so." Now, though sin indeed has grown a 
 very great mountain, in this generation, yet through 
 true faith it is removed, according to the doctrine of 
 Christ, blessed be his holy name. Upon those over- 
 comers, the Lord hath also promised to "Write the 
 name of God, and the name of the city of God, which 
 is New Jerusalem, which cometh down from heaven," 
 which is the mother of all saints. Here is a train of 
 glorious expressions and promises, enough to inspire 
 the tender soul with strong desires after God and 
 Christ, and his kingdom. My heart is deeply af- 
 fected at this time, in the sense of the love of our 
 heavenly Father ; and my spirit is greatly concerned 
 for the welfare of the children of men, my fellow- 
 mortals. Oh ! that they might believe, and that 
 believing they might have life, through the name of 
 Christ. It is observable, that to overcome, is the 
 condition of obtaining all these great and glorious 
 promises; and overcoming is repeated seven times; 
 once to every church. And after all those glorious 
 and fair promises, is not the consequence of saying or 
 believing that sin and Satan cannot be overcome, to 
 make Christ a deceiver ? which is absurd and anti- 
 christian doctrine.
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 565 
 
 Seventhly; To the church of Laodicea: "To ir'm 
 that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my 
 throne, even as I also overcame and am set down 
 with my Father in his throne. He that hath an ear 
 to hear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the 
 churches." What greater promise could Christ make 
 to his church than this, to take her into his throne, 
 and into his Father's kingdom, into his bosom of 
 love? This is wonderful indeed. But then, oh, 
 Christian ! the condition is to overcome, as Christ 
 overcame. 
 
 Now since it may be beneficial to Christians to 
 understand, and to consider duly this great fight or 
 battle, and how this great conqueror overcame, be- 
 cause we are to follow him, and to take him for our 
 example, let us have a description of it, it being the 
 greatest encounter or battle that ever was in the 
 world, between the Prince of life and the king of the 
 bottomless pit. The history of which is worth the 
 reading of the greatest prince or monarch on earth, 
 since they must leave this low world, and lay down 
 all their crowns when death calls them. To fight 
 this battle, and to follow this monarch, who hath all 
 divine power in heaven and earth, and to take his 
 direction, is every man's duty and interest, both noble 
 and ignoble. The holy evangelists, Matthew and 
 Luke, give us an account of this great fight, in the 
 fourth chapter of Matthew, and fourth chapter of 
 Luke, and agree in the most weighty matters, though 
 they did not exactly word it alike, yet the substance 
 48
 
 566 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 is the same, and the temptation, conflict, or battle, 
 all one. First, Satan bids Christ, as Matthew and 
 Luke have it, "Command the stones, or stone to 
 become bread." Secondly, "To cast himself down 
 from the pinnacle of the temple." Thirdly, "To 
 worship the devil, or fall down to him." 
 
 " Then was Jesus led up of the spirit into the wil- 
 derness, to be tempted of the devil." And when he 
 had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was after- 
 wards an hungered. And when the tempter came to 
 him, he said, " If thou be the Son of God, command 
 that these stones be made bread." But he, i. e.\ 
 Christ, answered and said, It is written, man shall, 
 or doth, not live by bread alone, but by every word 
 that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. Then the 
 devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth 
 him on a pinnacle of the temple, and saith unto him, 
 " If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down : for 
 it is written, He shall give his angels charge concern- 
 ing thee ; and in their hands they shall bear thee up, 
 lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone." 
 Jesus said unto him, It is written again, " Thou shalt 
 not tempt the Lord thy God." "Again, the devil 
 taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and 
 showeth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the 
 glory of them ; and saith unto him, All these things 
 will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship 
 me. Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, 
 Satan ; for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord 
 thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. Then the
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 567 
 
 devil leaveth him, and behold, angels came and min- 
 istered unto him." 
 
 Behold how the Saviour of the world overcame 
 the devil and his temptations. As he did, so ought 
 all Christians to resist the tempter, as it is written, 
 "Resist the devil, and he will flee from you." Here 
 we may see he is a conquered enemy; and we are 
 told, " By Christ's spirit we must overcome, as he 
 also overcame." After our Lord had fasted forty 
 days and forty nights, he was hungry, at which time 
 the devil urged him, if he was the Son of God, to 
 make the stone or stones bread. After the same 
 manner he tempts us poor mortals, by laying his 
 snares and baiting his hooks, according to the nature 
 and propensity of the person he is engaged withal. 
 If a man, woman, or child be addicted to passion, 
 pride, swearing, lying, drunkenness, taking the sacred 
 name in vain, idle or vain discourses to steal away 
 our precious time ; let the sin be what it will, which 
 we are most naturally addicted to, there will he lay 
 his temptations, for he preys upon our weakness, 
 and plies the weakest part in us most. For this rea- 
 son we have need to keep a strict watch ; as Christ 
 advised, " Watch and pray continually, lest ye enter 
 into temptation." It is no sin to be tempted, but the 
 sin is to entertain and enter into the temptation; if 
 we overcome, as Christ did, it is an honor to be 
 tempted, and a secret joy springs in the soul, in a 
 sense of fcs victory in sore conflicts between the 
 enemy and the soul ; the Lord manifesting his divine
 
 568 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 grace for our assistance and help. Here we can take 
 the advice of the apostle, when he says, " Count it 
 all joy when ye fall into diyers temptations," and 
 overcome them as Christ did, by resistance. 
 
 If it be objected, though Christ overcame, yet I am 
 a poor sinful creature, and have no power; but he 
 had and hath all power, both in heaven and earth, 
 committed into his hands, so that he might well over- 
 come. It is well if thou seest thou hast no power, 
 and if thou also seest that Christ hath all power; 
 then since we have no power of ourselves, we must 
 by prayer and humble supplication apply to him for 
 it in the time of need ; believing that He who hath 
 made so many encouraging promises as are before 
 recited, hath also grace, and will give grace and 
 glory, and power to those who will diligently seek 
 him ; else why did he make so many excellent promises 
 to the spiritual warriors ? It is worthy the notice of 
 all, that Satan is a conquered and limited adversary. 
 
 It is a sweet portion of gospel tidings, and good 
 news, that the devil cannot force any one, whether 
 he will or not, into sin ; for if he could, r.-o flesh could 
 be saved. If a man, woman, or child is tempted by 
 Satan to tell a lie, he cannot force them to it against 
 their will ; so that there must be a cowardly giving 
 way and falling from the Lamb's standard, or ensign, 
 and going over to Satan, if man is overcome of sin 
 and wickedness. For if we stand stiffly against him, 
 although we may be weak of ourselves, our great 
 Master, who seeth us in secret, if we cry to him for
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 569 
 
 help, will come to our assistance, even lie whom Satan 
 could never conquer. Therefore it is safe for all pro- 
 fessing the name of Jesus Christ, to keep near to him, 
 through faith in his name and power, which ever was 
 and will be, a strong tower to those who fly thereto. 
 Christ did not do as the devil tempted or persuaded 
 him to do ; but he withstood the temptation, with this 
 reply, " It is written, that man lives not by bread 
 alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the 
 mouth of God : " for there is life in every word of 
 God. Thus our Lord overcame him; for Satan cannot 
 resist, so as to make void, or lay waste the words of 
 God in the holy Scriptures of truth, when they are 
 brought into our minds by his spirit, to uphold and 
 promote the kingdom of God and Christ, and to de- 
 stroy the kingdom of sin and Satan ; though he, i. e., 
 the devil, makes use of those Sacred Writings, often 
 wresting them, and bringing them for evil uses and 
 wrong purposes, as most certainly he doth when he 
 allegeth from them, that people cannot live otherwise 
 than in sin. 
 
 " Then," as Matthew has it, " he took our Lord to 
 the pinnacle of the temple, and bid him cast himself 
 down; for," says Satan, "it is written, he shall give 
 his angels charge concerning thee, lest at any time 
 thou dash thy foot against a stone." Though he was 
 once overcome, yet he has boldness to tempt again : as 
 Christ overcame him by his power, making use of 
 the holy Scriptures, he now tries what he can do 
 
 with the Scriptures; he tempts Christ with them, 
 48*
 
 570 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 that he might tempt his Father; and so he tempts 
 poor mortals by the Scriptures, to keep them in sin, 
 by making a wrong use of them, and misapplying 
 them ; and if he can hold them in sin, he knows it is 
 a ready way to cause the Almighty to be angry with 
 them ; and if they hold out in it to the end, to turn 
 them at last into hell, where the wicked must be 
 turned. He begins his temptations with an " If thou 
 be the Son of God," though he knew very well that 
 he was the Son of God ; yet like some of his evil seed, 
 or seed of evil doers, he tempted him to show a sign ; 
 but our Lord did not gratify either him or them, but 
 rebuked them both, as they well deserved ; and so by 
 denial and resistance he overcame ; and we also must 
 in the same way. 
 
 After this our Lord makes a right use of the Scrip- 
 tures, saying, " It is written again, Thou shalt not 
 tempt the Lord thy God." And truly, those who 
 read the holy Scriptures, and know how much they 
 speak against sin, and for righteousness, and who 
 notwithstanding live in sin and ungodliness, and 
 plead for it, even from these Sacred "Writings, which 
 were written on purpose to destroy sin, should seri- 
 ously consider, whether they are not guilty of tempt- 
 ing God, which Christ says it is written thou shalt 
 not do. Oh ! that people would turn away from sin 
 and Satan, and break off from their sins by repentance, 
 and their iniquities by amendment of life, which is 
 the way to have the days of their tranquillity length- 
 ened out in this world, and to be happy in that which
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 571 
 
 is without end ; for it is written, " The wicked do not 
 live out half their days;" which, according to my 
 observation, is a true general rule. How many Lave 
 been taken off in their prime and strength, and in the 
 flower of their years, who might, according to the 
 course of nature, have lived many years, had they 
 been sober and temperate, and lived in the fear of 
 God ? If it be asked, do not pious young people die 
 also ? Yes ; but not so frequently as intemperate 
 ones ; I have had occasion to observe it in divers 
 parts of the world ; and besides, if pious young people 
 leave this world, their change is glorious : whereas 
 the wicked and ungodly make a sad and bitter ex- 
 change. Since life is so uncertain, and death so sure 
 and certain to all, what care and fear ought there to 
 be on all, of offending so merciful a God, and so sweet 
 a Saviour ; who overcame, to show us the way to 
 overcome also ; and died for sin, that we might die 
 to the world and the sinful part of it, and live to him, 
 exhorting us to overcome, as he also did, and then 
 promiseth to take us for his companions, with himself 
 and his Father, in his heavenly kingdom. 
 
 Satan repeats his temptation a third time ; for he 
 is an unwearied enemy, and will tempt poor mortals 
 over and over, many times ; but he is to be resisted 
 as often as he tempts, if we will follow the counsel 
 and example of Christ: "He takes him up into an 
 exceeding high mountain, and showeth him all the 
 kingdoms of the world, and the glory of it." A 
 temptation which takes with abundance of souls : the
 
 572 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 glory, riches, and greatness of this world, ruin many; 
 they having it, and being swelled with pride therein. 
 Some are destroying themselves to get it, and cannot 
 attain it ; and many would endeavor to create a belief 
 that they are greater, richer, and more noble than 
 they really are ; which is a temptation of the evil 
 one ; for we ought to think meanly of ourselves ; and 
 if we will follow Christ's example, make ourselves of 
 no reputation. When Satan would tempt us to be 
 proud, or high of mind, we should resist, as Christ 
 did, who said to the devil, " Get thee behind me, 
 Satan, for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord 
 thy God, and him only shalt thou serve." If this 
 holy rule was followed, as Christ instituted it, then 
 we should overcome sin and Satan : Christ's institu- 
 tion is, that " The hour cometh, and now is, that 
 those that worship the Father, must worship him in 
 spirit and in truth." The duty of every Christian is 
 to worship the Lord God of heaven and earth, and 
 he only we should serve and worship ; and that not 
 in a formal way, but with hearts truly devoted to his 
 will. We are to worship the Father in spirit and in 
 truth, into which the devil can never come ; though 
 he may get into the form of it, he cannot overcome 
 us, where the power of Christ is lived in ; for by the 
 power of God, which dwells in Christ, who overcame 
 by the same power, Christians shall overcome. The 
 devil was forced to fly when Christ resisted him, and 
 so he will be when Christians resist him in Christ: 
 and when Christ had overcome, then the angels came
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 573 
 
 and ministered unto him; likewise the guardian angel 
 of God's presence will administer sweet comfort and 
 pleasure to every soul who stands truly for the cause 
 of God and Christ against sin and Satan, sincerely 
 endeavoring to pull down Satan's kingdom, and sin 
 which upholds it, and faithfully desire to exalt the 
 kingdom of God and his dear Son. 
 
 He or she that believes and overcomes, — for with- 
 out belief it is impossible to overcome, — is truly 
 entitled to all the above precious promises and privi- 
 leges. But the wrath of God will be revealed from 
 heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness 
 of men, and against all those who hold the truth 
 in self-righteousness, or unrighteousness. Again, 
 " Tribulation and anguish upon every soul of man 
 that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the 
 Gentile ; but glory, honor, and peace to every man 
 that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the 
 Gentile ; for there is no respect of persons with God." 
 The ways of God are equal, but the ways of man and 
 Satan are unequal ; sin, iniquity, and transgression 
 are of the devil, and of man in the fall ; but right- 
 eousness, holiness, and truth are of God, to which 
 man is restored, through regeneration and reforma- 
 tion. Glory over all be given to God and the Lamb 
 forever. Amen.
 
 574 THE JOURNAL OP 
 
 Some Considerations on the Call, Work, and Wages 
 of the Ministers of Christ. 
 
 It hath been on my mind to write something con- 
 cerning the work of the ministry of the gospel of 
 Christ, with a design of instruction to ministers in 
 particular, and also for the benefit of others. 
 
 It is an unspeakable benefit to mankind, to be 
 favored with a powerful living ministry, which edifies 
 the church of God, and builds up the true believers 
 in the most holy faith, according to the word of God, 
 in Christ Jesus, who is the great minister of the 
 sanctuary and true tabernacle, which God hath pitched 
 and not man. This great Minister sent forth his 
 ministers and servants, saying, " I send you forth as 
 sheep among wolves, be ye therefore wise as serpents, 
 and harmless as doves." He did not send them forth 
 as lords over his heritage, nor as persecuting priests, 
 or mercenary hirelings ; but said to them, " Freely ye 
 have received, freely give." No compulsion or force 
 is enjoined by Christ; but it is plain, from his own 
 doctrine and example, that his ministry is a free 
 ministry, blessed be his holy name and truth forever : 
 nor do we read or understand of any alteration thereof 
 by Christ. The ministers of antichrist have made an 
 alteration in their ministry; but the holy apostles, who, 
 after Christ, were the first planters of Christianity in 
 the earth, when it shone in its primitive beauty and 
 gl >ry, followed the counsel of their Lord and Master,
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 575 
 
 and ministered freely. Then was the power of Christ's 
 ministry and gospel, through his ministers and ser- 
 vants, great, and the glory and beauty thereof ravishing 
 to pious souls. Oh ! may every true minister and every 
 sensible soul, bow before the Most High, and bless the 
 holy name of Him that lives and reigns forever, for 
 this unspeakable gift of Christ's holy ministry, which 
 always was, now is, and ever will be, convincing and 
 converting to souls who are not slow in heart to be- 
 lieve in God, and in his dear Son, the Lord Jesus 
 Christ, who is our great high-priest and the bishop 
 of souls ; he saw the need that his church had of his 
 ministry, and therefore he established it among his 
 followers to the end of time. 
 
 In order to this great work, he told his disciples, 
 w"hen he was going into his glory and to the kingdom 
 of his Father, " That he would pray to the Father, 
 and he would send them another comforter, the Spirit 
 of Truth, and that he should abide with them for 
 ever." He also told them, that when he is come, he 
 shall reprove or convince the world of sin, because 
 they believe not in him ; for if they believed truly in 
 Christ, they would love his spiritual appearance. But 
 how many are there in the world, who slight this 
 high favor, the grace of God and Christ, calling this 
 wonderful gift the light of nature : whereas Christ 
 says it is the Holy Ghost ; and the apostle Paul says, 
 It is God's grace that teaches us to deny ungodliness, 
 and hath appeared unto all men. ! that the chil- 
 dren of men might love Him who appears to them,
 
 576 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 and convinceth them of their sins ; and surely it is a 
 great sin not to believe in the spirit and light of 
 Christ : such unbelieving souls are in darkness, and 
 not yet turned from darkness to light, and from the 
 power of Satan to the power of God, which is the 
 very work Christ's ministers are sent of God to do. 
 
 Second ; He convinceth or reproveth the world of 
 righteousness, because " I go to the Father and ye 
 see me no more." When their righteousness is only 
 wrought in the wisdom of man, and not by the power , 
 of God, whether it be in preaching or worship, when 
 only the form, and not the power is witnessed, he 
 then convinceth them that they have been building 
 their religion upon a wrong bottom, and a sandy 
 foundation ; and showeth the formal minister, that he 
 is only a minister of the letter, and not of the spirit ; 
 and the formal worshipper, that he has not yet come 
 to worship in spirit and truth ; and the professor of 
 Christ in words, that he denieth him in works and 
 inward faith; because "Faith without works is 
 dead," as works without this spiritual faith are 
 dead also. 
 
 "Because I go to the Father," is the reason given 
 by Christ, for it is Christ's righteousness that must 
 save the soul, and Christ being gone to the Father, 
 the soul must go there to him, for all his gifts and 
 favors, mercies and blessings, and must witness him 
 in spirit to be with them and in them, as he is in the 
 Father. When Christ was personally on earth, he 
 taught us by words vocally expressed ; but " Hence-
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 577 
 
 I 
 
 forth know we him so no more." Now he teacheth 
 us . by his spirit, light, and life, which convinceth us 
 of form without power, letter without spirit, religion 
 without life, righteousness without grace, and light 
 and imputative righteousness without actual right- 
 eousness, and formal righteousness in our own wills 
 only ; all this, and much more, it convinceth us not 
 to be effectual to salvation, and showeth us that the 
 spiritual power and presence of Christ are absolutely 
 necessary for the work of the ministry and the con- 
 version of souls. 
 
 Third; He convinceth the world of judgment, be- 
 cause the prince of this world is judged. He, the 
 Comforter, the Spirit of Truth, when he is come, 
 showeth us our wrong judgment, and convinceth us 
 of the evil of being too censorious, rash and unchari- 
 table in judging, and plainly giveth us to understand 
 that such judgment is from the prince of this world, 
 who is king over all the children of pride, and that 
 this prince or evil spirit is judged by the righteous 
 and just Judge of heaven and earth, Christ Jesus. 
 He also convinceth us of the everlasting truth as it 
 is in Jesus, and is our sure comforter, while we keep 
 therein in doctrine, worship, and conversation. 
 
 Fourth ; " He shall bring all things to your reraera- 
 brance, whatsoever I have spoken unto you." Where- 
 fore this gift is absolutely necessary for a minister of 
 Christ; and every true believer in him wants this 
 remembrancer, which must be a great" comfort to us, 
 
 to have his excellent speeches and divine doctrine 
 49 *
 
 578 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 brought by his own spirit to our remembi ance, if we 
 love him in sincerity. 
 
 Fifth ; " He shall take of mine, and shall show it 
 unto you," says Christ. Take of his light, his life 
 his grace, his wisdom, his mercy, peace and truth 
 and show it unto you. Oh, infinite love from a tendei 
 Saviour ! Well may we admire his goodness, and 
 entirely love him above all things in the world. 
 
 Sixth ; Christ speaks in divers places concerning 
 this wonderful and extraordinary gift of the holy 
 Spirit ; and in the fourteenth chapter of John he 
 says, " I will pray the Father, and he shall give you 
 another Comforter, that he may abide with you for- 
 ever ; even the Spirit of Truth, whom the world can- 
 not receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth 
 him : but ye know him, for he dwelleth with you, and 
 shall be in you." Oh ! ye ministers of the Lord Jesus 
 Christ, in this his gift is your strength, your comfort, 
 and your exceeding great reward, both here and here- 
 after, forever; far exceeding silver and gold, or the 
 diadems of princes. The whole world, wanting this, 
 lieth in wickedness, and must lie there unavoidably, 
 if they have not the sense of this unspeakable gift. 
 There cannot be salvation, nor any saving ministry 
 without it;, it being absolutely needful to the being 
 and well-being of a minister of Christ. And indeed 
 the holy text is plain and positive, that he that hath 
 not the spirit of Christ is none of his ; none of his 
 minister, none of his believer. But if it should be 
 objected, how shall we know the minister or the man
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 579 
 
 ■* ^0 ^aih tliis divine gift, or Spirit of Christ, since it 
 may "be pietended to both by the ministers and peo- 
 ple, and yet they may not have it in reality ? This 
 indeed is a great point, and highly necessary to be 
 searched into, which is to be known by our Lord's 
 rule prescribed for that end. " Do men," saith he, 
 " gather grapes of thcrns, or figs of thistles ? " Surely 
 no. The grape is gathered from the vine, and the 
 fig from the fig-tree. " Wherefore by their fruits ye 
 shall know them." Now those who have the Spirit, 
 or Holy Ghost, bring forth the fruits of it: which 
 fruits are love, charity, meekness, temperance, pa- 
 tience, experience, hope, faith, and wisdom from above, 
 which is pure and peaceable, gentle, and easy to be 
 entreated, to all and everything that is good. And 
 those who have the holy Spirit, bring forth the fruits 
 of it as naturally as the vine doth the grape, or the 
 fig-tree the fig. Also, whatsoever things are holy, 
 just, honest, pure, and of good report, or tend to piety 
 or virtue : in a word, everything that is good, is the 
 fruit of the Spirit of God and Christ : and they are 
 brought forth with divine life and power in that 
 minister and people, who through true faith in the 
 blessed Jesus have received the gift of the Holy 
 Ghost, or Spirit of Christ. 
 
 The minister of the gospel being thus fitly furnished 
 to every good word and work, is ready to answer the 
 call of his great Lord and Master, who is in heaven ; 
 he wants not the call of man, nor authority from man, 
 nor wages of man. But those who bring forth fruits
 
 580 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 contrary to the above, can neither be true ministers, 
 nor Christians, according to the doctrine of our holy 
 Lord. Being thus qualified by the Most High, those 
 ministers are freely given up to serve the Lord, and 
 go wheresoever he is pleased to send them, though he 
 send them as sheep among wolves : and it is worth 
 noting, that Christ's messengers and ministers are 
 called and sent of him ; they do not run of themselves, 
 nor in their will ; which if they did, their end would 
 be like the forward false prophets of old, who did not 
 profit the people at all. 
 
 Our Lord seeing what need the world had of true 
 teaching, and true teachers, sends his ministers forth 
 into it, saying, " All power is given unto me in heaven 
 and in earth, go ye therefore and teach all nations, 
 baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the 
 Son, and of the Holy Ghost : teaching them to observe 
 all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and 
 lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the 
 world." 
 
 Here Christ shows his ministers his power, and 
 sends them forth in his own name, for there is none 
 other given under heaven for salvation ; and Christ 
 comforts his ministers with a glorious promise, of 
 beino- with them to the end of the world. Oh, the 
 
 O 
 
 sweetness of this gracious promise ! and such are all 
 his promises, for they are yea, and amen, forever. 
 Wherefore Christ's ministers may well go forth with- 
 out doubting, having their authority from the King 
 of kings. Again he saith, " Go ye into all the world,
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 581 
 
 and preach the gospel unto every creature. He that 
 believeth, and is baptized, shall be saved ; but he that 
 believeth not, shall be damned." Christ says, go; 
 but the world, the flesh, and the devil, say, stay ; for 
 the spirit of sin and Satan is for obstructing the work 
 of Christ, and hindering the free gospel ministry, and 
 the motions of the word and testimony of Jesus ; and 
 is for quenching it in those in whom it may appear. 
 It is a new mode or fashion, contrary to the primitive 
 order of Christ, for ministers to be tied to an outward 
 benefit, or a particular meeting or congregation ; 
 which way of preaching, or reading, reading being 
 much in practice now, is quite contrary to the call 
 and practice of Christ and his ministers, and of the 
 martyrs, and confessors of Jesus ; as also of many of 
 the most noted reformers in religion. But it is ob- 
 jected, if ministers should always go about among the 
 nations, what would become of their families, or how 
 must they live, and be maintained ? To which it may 
 be answered, that when the ministers of our Lord 
 returned to their Master, he asked them, " If they 
 lacked anything?" they answered, "No." But in- 
 stead of lacking anything, the devils were subject to 
 them. Pray, let the serious Christian consider, here 
 is now a wonderful change. Is it in Christ, or in the 
 hireling, money -loving priest ? It is certainly in the 
 man and not in Christ Jesus ; for he is the same to- 
 day, yesterday, and forever. Where the power of 
 Christ rules, there the devil and his power must of 
 necepsity be subject. 
 49*
 
 582 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 But some object, that people are not so free now ; 
 were there not a law to maintain ministers, the min- 
 isters might starve and perish in this generation ; if 
 so, then their ministry must starve the people's souls. 
 But this thought of starving is for want of the gift 
 of God and power of Christ; which power in the 
 ministry would wonderfully open people's hearts to- 
 wards God, and those who are his true servants; 
 who said, "Freely ye have received, freely give." 
 Oh ! faithless generation ! what, shall we mistrust 
 Him who provides for all his creatures, even the 
 ravens and sparrows, and will he not much more 
 provide for his servants and ministers ? How shall 
 we receive power from on high, if we want faith, and 
 cannot depend on the providential hand of God ? 
 
 Christ sends his ministers into the world in order to 
 propagate his gospel of salvation, and to let the world 
 know that he is come to put an end to sin, and bring 
 life and peace to the soul, according to the angel's 
 testimony of him, that " His name shall be called 
 Jesus," which is a Saviour, "for he shall save his 
 people from their sins." The apostles of Christ also, 
 according to their holy commission, declared, that 
 "God hath sent his Son to bless us, in turning us 
 from the evil of our ways." But that doctrine must 
 certainly be opposite to this of the angels of Christ 
 and of his disciples, which teacheth that we must 
 live in sin while on this side the grave, and that 
 there is no being free from it while we are in tho 
 world; though Christ himself came for that very
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY 583 
 
 purpose, to put an end to it, to save us from it, and 
 to bring into the world everlasting righteousness ; as 
 is that doctrine which maintains that no perfection 
 can be attained to in this life ; though Christ says, 
 " Be ye perfect, as your Father who is in heaven is 
 perfect ; " as he is perfect in fulness, so are we to be 
 perfect, according to the measure of grace received. 
 This faith and belief are much wanting in this unbe- 
 lieving generation, which is the reason that people 
 remain in their sins, and their leaders cause them to 
 err, and their ministers minister in their sin, and 
 minister sin to the people. Oh ! that the great Lord 
 of all may grant the faith which purifies the heart, 
 unto the children of men, and especially to his min- 
 isters, that they might be instrumental to convince 
 and convert souls to Christ, and his "Gospel, which 
 is the power of God to salvation to all them that 
 believe." And as without believing and being bap- 
 tized we can neither be saved nor truly preach the 
 gospel, how do we believe in Christ if we remain in 
 our sins ? For Christ saith, " If ye believe not that 
 I am he, ye shall die in your sins." So it is plain, 
 that the true faith and belief in Christ taketh away 
 our sins, and that if we remain in our sins, we have 
 not the true faith of Christ. 
 
 It is not enough to have a notional or historical 
 faith or belief that Christ is the Son of God, but we 
 must also believe, as the angel declared, " This is he 
 that shall save his people from their sins." This 
 was before he was born of the holy "Virgin ; and
 
 584 THE JOURNAL OP 
 
 those people mightily mistake the doctrine of Christ 
 in the holy Scriptures, who think or believe they 
 shall be saved in their sins; and those ministers 
 must needs be antichristian, who preach and write 
 that there can be no living in this world without sin, 
 which is also contrary to their own doctrine at other 
 times, and to their solemn covenant in water baptism, 
 or sprinkling, in which they promise for their children, 
 " To forsake the devil and all his works ; " and no 
 Christian can pretend to greater or higher perfection 
 than to forsake the devil and all his works, "the 
 pomp and vanity of this wicked world, and all the 
 sinful lusts of the flesh, and to keep God's holy will 
 and commandments, and to walk in the same all the 
 days of our lives." According to this solemn cove- 
 nant there is no day for sin ; yet those covenanters 
 at other times will say, that the best saints cannot 
 live without sin, and that people sin in their best 
 duties. If any think to mock the Almighty after 
 that manner, they will be much mistaken in the 
 day of the righteous judgment of God: for "Christ 
 came to put an end to sin, and to finish transgres- 
 sion, and to destroy the works of the devil," which 
 all sin most certainly is. It is plain, that John, the 
 beloved disciple of Christ, believed this, from his own 
 words : " I write unto you, young men, because ye 
 have overcome the wicked one. I have written unto 
 you, young men, because ye are strong, and the word 
 of God abideth in you, and ye have overcome the 
 wicked one."
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY 585 
 
 .To the church of Ephesus he writes : " He that 
 hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto 
 the churches : To him that overcometh, will I give 
 to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the 
 paradise of God." To the church of Smyrna : " He 
 that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith 
 unto the churches : he that overcometh shall not be 
 hurt of the second death." To the church of Perga- 
 mos, " He that hath an ear, let him hear what the 
 Spirit saith unto the churches : To him that over- 
 cometh, will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and 
 will give him a white stone, and in it a new name 
 written, which no man knoweth, save him that re- 
 ceiveth it." To the church of Thyatira: "He that 
 overcometh and keepeth my works unto the end, to 
 him will I give power over the nations : and he shall 
 rule them with a rod of iron ; as the vessels of a 
 potter shall they be broken to shivers : even as I 
 received of my Father. And I will give him the 
 morning star. He that hath an ear, let him hear 
 what the Spirit saith unto the churches." To the 
 church of Sardis : " He that overcometh, the same 
 shall be clothed in white raiment ; and I will not blot 
 out his name out of the book of life ; but I will confess 
 his name before my Father, and before his angels." 
 To the church of Philadelphia : " He that overcometh 
 will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he 
 shall go no more out : and I will write upon him the 
 name of my God, and the name of the city of my 
 God, which is New Jerusalem, which cor.aeth down
 
 586 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 out of heaven from my God : and I will write upon 
 him my new name." To the church of Laodicea: 
 " To him that overeometh will I grant to sit with me 
 in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set 
 down with my Father in his throne." 
 
 Surely that soul who cannot by all this see that 
 there is an overcoming, must certainly be blind as 
 to a spiritual sight of the doctrine of Christ ; and 
 what is it but to make Christ and the holy Spirit a 
 deceiver, to promise all those great things to his 
 churches, if they cannot perform the condition he 
 prescribes. If it were true, as it is not, that it is 
 impossible to overcome sin and Satan, then would 
 Christ be a hard master, which is absurd and wicked 
 to suggest. But this overcoming cannot be in our 
 own wills, nor in our own time, nor with our own 
 weapons, but according to the apostle Paul's testi- 
 mony of the saints' weapons and their warfare, and 
 also of his own fight and victory, viz. : " The weapons 
 of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty, through 
 God, to the pulling down of strong holds." Satan's 
 holds of sin are strong ones, if never to be overcome. 
 
 With these weapons we may overcome : and he bids 
 the Christian put them on, and calls them the whole 
 armor of light ; opposite and contrary to Satan's 
 dark power, and he names them after this manner : 
 " Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with 
 truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness, 
 and your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel 
 of peace ; above all, taking the shield of faith, where-
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. • 587 
 
 with ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of 
 the wicked : and take the helmet of salvation, and 
 the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God." 
 " I have fought a good fight, I have finished my 
 course, I have kept the faith, henceforth there is laid 
 up for me a crown of righteousness ; which the Lord, 
 the righteous Judge, shall give to me at that day, and 
 not to me only, but to all them who love his appear- 
 
 kg." 
 
 Thus the saints and primitive Christians were vic- 
 torious in this Christian and spiritual warfare, and 
 they encouraged others to follow them, as they did 
 Christ. The very belief of this doctrine, that we 
 can never overcome sin and Satan, is contrary to the 
 faith of Christ, and is a mighty engine of the wicked 
 one to destroy souls. For what encouragement have 
 any to the work of reformation, or to believe in, or 
 press after the new birth, if they do not believe in 
 the new birth, or that they can be created anew in 
 Christ Jesus unto good works, and that they must 
 not walk after the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof. 
 Oh ! that ministers and people would consider tha* 
 awful sentence of holy Scripture, "If ye live after 
 the flesh, ye shall die ; but if ye, through the Spirit, 
 do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live." The 
 want of a lively hope and faith in Christ, the Lord 
 of heaven and earth, is great indeed. Oh ! that true 
 faith in him might increase in the earth more and 
 more ! Then would he inspire the soul with inward 
 strength and grace to resist the devil, and overcome
 
 588 THE JOURNAL OP 
 
 him, and actually to do the works of God, and to 
 forsake the devil and all his works ; then, and not 
 until then, is Christ's righteousness imputed to us; 
 so that true Christians are truly righteous, not only 
 by imputation, but by action also. Oh ! that those 
 who make profession of the name of the holy Jesus, 
 would deny themselves, and take up their daily cross, 
 and follow him in the regeneration ! otherwise, how 
 can they be his 'disciples or ministers? And then 
 would true Christianity flourish in the earth; then 
 would Christ be exalted over all, who, with the 
 Father and holy Spirit,' is God blessed forever. 
 
 To return a little to Christ's baptism, viz.: "He 
 that believeth and is baptized, shall be saved." Here 
 our great baptizer and chief minister is positive that 
 they shall be saved who are baptized with his baptism; 
 from which, with strong reason, we may conclude, that 
 the baptism which is absolutely necessary to salvation, 
 is not water baptism, which was John's, but spiritual 
 baptism, which is Christ's ; and for this reason also, 
 that most Christians who have any spiritual under- 
 standing, do plainly see, that notwithstanding people 
 are baptized, or sprinkled with elementary water, many 
 live wicked, ungodly lives, and die in that state. But 
 quite the contrary effect hath that baptism which is 
 of the Holy Ghost and spiritual fire, which is Christ's 
 baptism ; for that where it is witnessed, and where 
 people not only talk of it, but live according to its 
 holy operation on the soul, saves and cleanses from 
 sin and evil, and washes by regeneration, and renews 
 the soul by grace, with divine life and power.
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 589 
 
 The call of a true minister is from and by Christ ; 
 he must come to the school of Christ, and take hi3 
 degrees there ; in the universal love of God he must 
 learn and experience patience, humility, faith, hope, 
 and charity ; " Learn of me," saith he, " for I am 
 meek and lowly in heart." Notwithstanding he was 
 the heir of all things, and all power in heaven and 
 earth was given unto him, he humbled himself to the 
 death of the cross, for the sake of mankind ; and as 
 the living Father sent his Son, so the Son sends his 
 servants contrary to the will of man, as the apostle 
 Paul said : " But I certify unto you, brethren, that 
 the gospel which was preached of me, is not after 
 man ; for I neither received it of man, nor was I 
 taught it but by the revelation of Jesus Christ." 
 Hereby it is plain he thought there was no absolute 
 necessity of outward learning, or outward call by man. 
 
 And as there is no absolute necessity of outward 
 
 learning to make a minister of Christ, so there is no 
 
 need to force an outward maintenance ; for Christ 
 
 will take care of his servants, and feed and clothe 
 
 them, when he sends them, as he did his disciples, who 
 
 went forth without staff or scrip, yet acknowledged, 
 
 after their return, that they lacked nothing. As 
 
 Christ said, "Freely ye have received, freely give;" 
 
 so there is no outward compulsion or force in Christ's 
 
 doctrine or religion. Some are indeed of another 
 
 opinion, and have practised the contrary, and' bring 
 
 those words of Christ to uphold them in the practice 
 
 of forcing religion, where he says, in the parable of 
 50
 
 590 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 the marriage supper, " Go, compel them to come in;*' 
 which was no other compulsion or force but that of 
 love, which is the greatest power in heaven or earth : 
 to construe our Saviour's words in any other sense, 
 would be absurd, and contrary to the whole tenor and 
 doctrine of his holy ministry. 
 
 Thus then the work of Christ's ministers is to bring 
 the people to Christ, as he is their Redeemer and 
 Saviour from sin, and as he is their comforter and 
 good remembrancer, and their spiritual guide into all 
 truth, in the performance of which work they will 
 have their reward in this world, and in the world to 
 come, everlasting life. Amen. 
 
 Concerning Personal Election and Reprobation. 
 
 A concern came upon me, in Christian love to the 
 honest-hearted of the Presbyterian way, to show them 
 how their teachers have misled them, and misrepre- 
 sented the words of God, in pretending to prove the 
 doctrine they hold of personal election and reproba- 
 tion, and in wresting the Scriptures in support of it. 
 
 Some of the texts of Scripture whereby they vainly 
 endeavor to defend it, whereupon they chiefly found 
 their tenet, are these, viz. : , 
 
 Concerning Jacob and Esau, and the Lord's harden- 
 ing Pharaoh's heart. " He that made them, will not 
 have mercy upon them, and he that formed them, will 
 show them no favor." " Hath not the potter power over
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 591 
 
 the clay of the same lump, to make one vessel to honor 
 and another to dishonor ? " " Therefore he hath mercy 
 on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he 
 hardeneth." 
 
 Relating to Jacob and Esau, the case was thus : the 
 Almighty showed Rebecca, the mother of them both, 
 while the children were yet unborn, that the elder 
 should serve the younger. Not that the elder should 
 be damned to eternity, and the younger only saved, 
 as it is hoped will appear clear in the sequel, and the 
 contrary be plainly proved, both by Scripture and 
 right reason. Jacob and Esau were the sons of godly 
 Isaac, to whom, with faithful Abraham, was the promise 
 of God, and to their seed, and both Jacob and Esau 
 were blessed in the name of God, and in his faith also : 
 " For," saith the author of the Hebrews, " Isaac blessed 
 Jacob and Esau by faith." This he wrote when he 
 was illustrating the power of faith, by many wonderful 
 works which had been done thereby ; and doubtless 
 the faith there spoken of is the true faith ; and what- 
 ever is foretold through true faith will most certainly 
 be fulfilled, as this significant blessing of Isaac to his 
 sons was. The good old man calls his eldest son to 
 him, being disposed to bless him, and bids him seek 
 venison, and make him savory meat, such as he knew 
 his father loved, " that my soul may bless thee before 
 I die ; " and Rebecca, their mother, knowing, from 
 what God had shown her before they were born, that 
 the elder should serve the younger, for whom she had 
 the greatest love, she calls Jacob and opens the matter
 
 592 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 to him, and bids him get savory meat for his father, 
 which, through her importunity, he did. After he 
 had prepared it, he brought it to his father before his 
 brother came, and his father blessed him in faith, but 
 he did it against his natural inclination; for he would 
 have had his son Esau to have had the blessing of 
 preference, because he was the eldest son, and by 
 nature it was his birth-right ; but he, in his profane 
 state and condition, had despised it and sold it to his 
 brother Jacob for a thing of little value ; so that 
 Jacob, having, by his brother's consent, bought it of 
 him, had a right to it on a double account, both by 
 the promise of God before he wa3 born, and by pur- 
 chase from his brother.. But let it be observed, this 
 was the blessing of preference only, that blessing which 
 Esau sought with tears, but could not find ; neverthe- 
 less he had a blessing pronounced upon him by his 
 father, through faith, though he does not seem to 
 have had a right sense thereof, for he was at times 
 in a profane spirit, and in enmity and malice against 
 his brother Jacob, as appears by that murdering, per- 
 secuting mind, that then was unmortified in him; 
 " For," says he, " the days of mourning for my father 
 are at hand, and then I will slay my brother Jacob." 
 But as his wickedness was great, his conversion must 
 be so much the more glorious. It would be well if 
 all murdering persecutors would, in his conversion, 
 take him for an example ; for instead of killing his 
 brother, when he met him on his return to his father's 
 house, from whence he had fled, he fell on his neck 
 and kissed him, and wept.
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 59 
 
 q 
 
 It is hoped that no Christian will be offended to 
 hear of the conversion and great change of this pro- 
 fane person, who, though he was not favored with the 
 blessing of preference, or the natural blessing of birth- 
 right, which he sought with tears, and could not find, 
 yet the blessing of God's grace and favor, being the 
 free gift of the Almighty to him, with the fatness of 
 the earth, he had, and it was delivered to him by his 
 father by faith, as saith the apostle, in the afore-cited 
 epistle to the Hebrews, which blessing was by their 
 father Isaac thus expressed to each of them. First, 
 to Jacob, " That the purpose of God according to 
 election might stand ; " which choice or election, be- 
 fore they were born, or had- done good or evil, was, 
 "that the elder should serve the younger," or the 
 younger be preferred before the elder ; not that one 
 should be damned, and the other saved ; there is no 
 damnation to eternity, that we read of concerning 
 Esau, but a choice blessing of God, of a quite different 
 nature. Unto Jacob he said thus : " God give thee 
 of the dew of heaven, and the fatness of the earth, 
 and plenty of corn and wine ; be lord over thy brethren, 
 and let thy mother's sons bow down to thee," etc. And 
 unto Esau he says, " Behold thy dwelling shall be of 
 the fatness of the earth, and of the dew of heaven from 
 above, and by thy sword shalt thou live, and shalt 
 serve thy brother ; and it shall come to pass, when 
 thou shalt have the dominion, that thou shalt break 
 his yoke from off thy neck." 
 
 These blessings have not only respect to their own 
 50*
 
 594 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 proper persons, but also to their posterity ; bat are 
 far from pre-ordaining them, or any of them, to dam- 
 nation ; and we have good ground from what is above, 
 together with the reformation wrought in Esau him- 
 self, to believe much better things of him ; for it is 
 written, "When the wicked man turneth away from 
 his wickedness which he hath committed, and doth 
 that which is lawful and right, he shall save his 
 soul alive. So when a righteous man turneth away 
 from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, and 
 dieth in it, for his iniquity which he hath done shall 
 he die." 
 
 Having thus far taken notice of the purport of the 
 blessings of Jacob and Esau, relating to their persons, 
 who were both blessed with the dew of heaven and 
 the fatness of the earth, I would add this remark, 
 "Let none curse him or them whom God hath blessed." 
 
 And whereas the apostle, reciting the words of the 
 prophet Malachi, saith, " Jacob have I loved, but Esau 
 have I hated ; " this was not said of them before they 
 were born, or had done either good or evil ; but was 
 justly denounced by the Almighty for the cruelty and 
 hatred of the children of Esau to the children of 
 Israel, as is fully and clearly expressed by the pro- 
 phets David, Ezekiel, Amos, and Obadiah; and was 
 written many ages after. 
 
 Second; The next text under consideration is, "That 
 the Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh." But it 
 should be observed, he had first hardened himself 
 against God and his people, and then God hardened
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 595 
 
 him yet harden in order to show his great power to 
 mortals, which well consisted with his justice to the 
 wicked and unmerciful ; for as God is merciful to 
 the righteous, so is he just in his judgment to the 
 ungodly. 
 
 So that God was clear of that evil heart of unbelief 
 in him, and it is but just, and also reasonable, that 
 when man, having been often visited, refuseth the 
 offers of God's love, he should visit such with his 
 righteous judgment, who have slighted his mercy 
 and grace. And then, according to the holy Scrip- 
 ture, " His destruction is of himself, but his help is 
 in the Lord." So that " God is true, and every man 
 contradicting him is a liar." 
 
 Wherefore may all have a care of hardening their 
 hearts as Pharaoh did, for that is provoking the Al- 
 mighty, and then he justly gives them over to an evil 
 heart of unbelief, and to a reprobate mind, in departing 
 from the living God. The Lord saith unto Pharaoh, 
 "Let my people go," over and over, and it was the 
 mind of God he should have done it : without those 
 men who hold the contrary, would make the Almighty 
 such an one as themselves, to say one thing, and 
 mean another. "What is that but to charge the Al- 
 mighty with hypocrisy ? a thing hated of him, and 
 his dear Son, Christ Jesus. Pharaoh might have 
 obeyed the Lord in a day of visitation : but he refused, 
 and said, " Who is the Lord, that I should obey his 
 voice, to let Israel go ? I know not the Lord, neither 
 will I let Israel go." And he continued to harden
 
 596 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 himself against God and his people, cruelly persecuting 
 them, and forcing them to make bricks without straw, 
 before we read that the Lord hardened his heart. 
 Oh ! that all hard-hearted, persecuting, unbelieving 
 people, migh: take warning by him, before it be 
 too late. 
 
 It is clsar, he might have let the people go ; because 
 God by Moses commanded him so to do. And who 
 can deny, that what God did, was more proper to 
 soften than to harden his heart, by letting him see 
 the miracles wrought in bis name, and the ceasing of ■ 
 the plagues he had inflicted. It was possible for him 
 to do what God required of him ; he was not predes- 
 tinated to that obduration, but he hardened his own 
 heart; and then it was, is, and always will be, just 
 with God to suffer his, or any other man's heart to 
 become hardened, and give them up to a reprobate 
 mind. 
 
 Third; The following Scripture is wrested, and 
 falsely made use of, viz., " He that made them, will 
 not have mercy on them; and he that formed them, 
 will show them no favor." This text hath, in some 
 of the writings of those that espouse the aforesaid 
 doctrine, been brought to vindicate that despairing, 
 destructive, evil principle, of the pre-ordination of 
 particular persons to destruction and damnation : but 
 this text, with the rest brought for that end, is grossly 
 perverted ; for in the same place the case is fairly 
 stated, and the reason clearly shown, why God will 
 show them no favor, viz., "Because they were with-
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 597 
 
 ered brandies, and people of no understanding • there- 
 fore he that made them, would not have mercy upon 
 them, and he that formed them, would show them no 
 favor." From whence it appears they might have 
 been fruitful, but would not, and had been green, but 
 were withered from their greenness ; much like those 
 whom Christ expostulates with, when he says, " How 
 often would I have gathered you as a hen gathereth 
 her chickens under her wings, and ye would not." 
 " If thou hadst known, in this thy day, the things 
 which belong to thy peace, but now they are hid from 
 thine eyes." Which shows the great and fervent 
 desire of Christ to save souls, and his tender love to 
 poor mortals, and that they had a day of visitation, 
 in which they might have been gathered, which is far 
 from ordaining them to destruction from all eternity. 
 
 God is fully clear of all men, and their blood is on 
 their own heads, and their destruction is of them- 
 selves; whereas they might have help in the Lord 
 and his Christ, through faith, which he offers to man 
 freely ; but man will not receive or embrace it. And 
 further, it should be observed, that if the whole texts 
 of the prophecy of Isaiah in his thirty-seventh chap- 
 ter be considered, it will plainly appear, that he is so 
 far from uttering an express or positive decree of their 
 final destruction, that he clearly and fully foretells 
 their recovery and restoration out of that state. 
 
 Fourth ; They argue from the words of the apostle, 
 " Hath not the potter power over the clay, to make 
 of the same lump one vessel to honor, and another to
 
 598 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 dishonor ? " Yes, doubtless he hath ; but the potter 
 doth not make vessels with design to destroy them, 
 or to break them to pieces, but for use and service ; 
 and it is contrary to his will and interest, when a 
 vessel is marred under his hand. And it is very 
 plainly expressed* by the prophet Jeremiah, after 
 mentioning his beholding the work of the potter, 
 "Oh, house of Israel, cannot I do with you as this 
 potter ? saith the Lord. Behold as the clay is in the 
 potter's hand, so are ye in my hand, oh, house of 
 Israel ! At what instant I shall speak concerning a 
 nation, and concerning a kingdom, to pluck up and to 
 pull down, and to destroy it ; if that nation against 
 whom I have pronounced, turn from their evil, I will 
 repent of the evil that I thought to do unto them." 
 All which is contrary to the doctrine of an absolute and 
 unconditional predestination. The Lord in his wisdom, 
 and to show his power, doth make souls more or less 
 honorable, as he pleaseth ; but it is very plain, from 
 Scripture and right reason, that he makes none with 
 a design to destroy them, nor hath he ordained any 
 to eternal damnation. Though he hath ordained 
 damnation for wicked and ungodly men, yet he never 
 ordained that men should be wicked and ungodly. 
 
 Fifth; They urge the apostle's words, but to as 
 little purpose as the former, " He will have mercy on 
 whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hard- 
 eneth." It is true, that God hath abundantly shown 
 us, in the holy Scriptures, on whom he will have 
 mercy, viz., He hath mercy on the poor in spirit; the
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 599 
 
 humble he teaches of his ways ; the meek he guides 
 in judgment ; he clothes the meek with salvation ; he 
 hath the righteous in everlasting remembrance; he 
 loveth them who love him ; he saveth them who love 
 his dear Son, and believe in him ; he giyeth to them 
 eternal life, and Christ loveth them, and manifesteth 
 himself unto them. And his beloved disciple John 
 declared, " If any man sin, we have an advocate with 
 the Father, Jesus Christ, the righteous ; and he is the 
 propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only, but 
 also for the sins of the whole world." And the author 
 of the Epistle to the Hebrews, saith, " But we see Jesus, 
 who was made a little lower than the angels, for the 
 suffering of death, crowned with glory and honor, 
 that he, by the grace of God, should taste death for 
 every man." And all who believe in, and obey him, 
 will partake of the benefit of his death aud suffering ; 
 " But the wicked is snared in the work of his owr 
 hands." 
 
 It has been in my mind for some years, to show 
 the weakness of some of what are called the proofs, 
 for this, as I take it, corrupt and dangerous doctrine, 
 and the misapplication of those texts of Scripture, 
 which are advanced to maintain this absurd notion, 
 of souls being fore-ordained to damnation eternally, 
 whether they do good or evil, and that it is so deter- 
 mined before we are born into the world. Oh ! that 
 people might come to true repentance, and lay hold 
 of the universal love of God to eternal life, through 
 the living faith of Jesus Christ our Lord, in whose
 
 600 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 tender love to ail, are these lines written, and in 
 great good-will they are invited to search the Scrip- 
 tures, and to see whether the whole scope of them do 
 not show the contrary to what they hold in relation 
 to personal . reprobation to destruction, fore-ordained 
 before we are born, or have done either good or evil; 
 there not being one text to be found to prove that 
 doctrine. But there are abundance which set forth 
 the love, mercy, and goodness of God to mankind; 
 only two of which I shall add hereunto, viz., "And 
 God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the 
 earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of 
 his heart was only evil continually. And it repented 
 the Lord that he had made man on the earth, and it 
 grieved him at his heart." " And Jonah arose, and 
 went unto Nineveh, according to the word of the 
 Lord, and entered and said, Yet forty days, and Nine- 
 veh shall be overthrown. So the people of Nineveh 
 believed God, and proclaimed a fast, and put on sack- 
 cloth, from the greatest of them even to the least of 
 them. And God saw their works, that they returned 
 from their evil way, and God repented of the evil that 
 he had said he would do unto them, and he did it 
 not." I heartily desire that these two texts may be 
 duly considered and weighed; therein the mercy, 
 loving-kindness, and long forbearance of God, being 
 so clearly and fully manifested, that I think it may 
 be sufficient to convince every unprejudiced mind of 
 the error of believing the absolute predestination by 
 the Almighty, of any part of mankind to destruction. 
 
 Thomas Chalkley.
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 601 
 
 A Letter to Cotton Mather, in New England.'* 
 Frankford, 20th of Third month, 1726. 
 
 Coukteous Feiend, C. M.,— 
 
 Thine, dated November 30th, 1725, I received a 
 few days ago, having been visiting the people along 
 the sea-shore in the Jerseys, in the love of Christ, 
 hoping to bring some to him, among whom, in a 
 general way, the gospel which I had to preach in his 
 name, found acceptance, for which I was truly thank- 
 ful. And though I had no earthly consideration for 
 •so doing, yet I had an inward satisfaction, that I 
 thought I would not exchange or part with for the 
 bishop of Rome or Canterbury's revenue : and at my 
 return I received thy friendly letter, of which I was 
 glad, and that mine to thee found that acceptance, so 
 as to answer my request. 
 
 And whereas thou sayest thy aim and hope have 
 been to persuade us who call ourselves Friends, we 
 professing ourselves friends to all people, that our 
 superior stress should be upon the grand point of 
 Christ inward ; we having found, by living and blessed 
 experience, the great benefit and comfort of his sweet 
 
 * Having received a courteous letter from Cotton Mather, 
 one of the greatest preachers among the people of New Eng- 
 land ; he being in community with the national church there, 
 and having preached a sermon concerning the power and ex- 
 cellence of Christ within, recommending the people thereunto, 
 and commending our Society therein ; but differing from us in 
 some particulars, which particulars I was concerned to answer 
 51
 
 602 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 and glorious presence, by the manifestation of hia 
 power, spirit, and grace, in and to our souls, we can- 
 not do otherwise than lay the greatest stress thereon, 
 our benefit thereby being not easily expressed, so 
 as to be understood by the carnal mind, or those who 
 are in a state of degeneration. '^Christ within was, is, 
 and ever will be the hope of the sanctified soul's 
 glory, though a mystery hid from ages of the unre- 
 generate people, or from those who are in the repro- 
 bation ; "Know ye not your ownselves that Jesus 
 Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates," as saith 
 the apostle Paul. 
 
 From the above I would not be understood as 
 though I believed Christ is nowhere but in the 
 people; neither did I ever understand any of our 
 Friends so, though we have been often misrepre- 
 sented on that head^ 
 
 And as to the ceremony of the hat, and the plural 
 language to single persons, I thus answer thee, that 
 many of us left that way of salutation and speaking 
 through strong conviction, accompanied with these 
 reasons : 
 
 First ; It being a respect we pay to Almighty God, 
 he being our head, is honored by uncovering our 
 heads, as saith the apostle Paul ; we think, for that 
 reason, it is not right to uncover our heads to men, 
 but that to give one another our hands, in an inward 
 and hearty respect, is better. 
 
 Second; "We read in the holy Scriptures, that 
 Mordecai could not bow to Haman for conscience'
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 603 
 
 sake, and I think it may be safely concluded, that he 
 did not take off his hat, or uncover his head, though 
 he was in danger of suffering for it. And, 
 
 Third; The three children of God walked in the 
 presence of the great king of Babylon, and those 
 present with him, with their hats on; and they stood 
 the king's fury and the fire, though seven times 
 hotter than usual, with their hats on. 
 
 I beseech thee, my good friend, to consider the 
 tenor of the holy Scriptures maturely, and then I 
 hope thou wilt not think the hat, and the language 
 of thee and thou to a single person, to be needless 
 ceremonies and encumbrances, according to our prin- 
 ciple and practice. I do not write thus to thee for 
 contention, nor in a contentious spirit, but in the 
 innocent love of our dear Lord Jesus, and for edifica- 
 tion, or, if need be, for information. 
 
 Also, as to thee and thou to a single person, I 
 answer, that the holy Scriptures, or the words of 
 God therein recorded, are by Protestant professors 
 of Christ acknowledged a rule to us all, next to the 
 holy Spirit, from whence they came, or the Holy 
 Ghost, who our Saviour promised, "shall lead into 
 all truth, and abide with the true believers forever;" 
 and that God and Christ's spirit doth not contradict 
 the holy Scriptures, which have proceeded from 
 thence: this general proposition we all agree to if 
 we rightly understand one another. Then, according 
 to this rule, our plain language is right, otherwise 
 I should be obliged to thee to show us wherein we
 
 604 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 err from that good rule. Now, the Most High 
 thought good to teach arid use that lar guage in the 
 beginning to our first parents, so that is our mother 
 tongue, and is the language of the Bible, or holy 
 Scriptures, from Genesis to the Revelations. I sup- 
 pose I need not tell thee, that you to a single person 
 had its rise from pride and flattery; and thyself 
 knoweth, that you to a single person is neither good 
 English nor good grammar. And if I am rightly 
 informed, your forefathers, as well as ours, made use 
 of this plain Scripture language of thee and thou to 
 a single person, in their first separation from the 
 common sinners of their times. 
 
 Though I thus apologize for the plain Scripture 
 language, yet in respect of faith or grace, and prin- 
 ciples to be believed, which are absolutely necessary 
 to salvation, I call these but small things, but we are 
 not to despise the day of small things. If we are 
 faithful in the little, ve have the promise of more, or 
 greater things. 
 
 I pray thee excuoe this long letter ; for it seems 
 meet that we should render a reason for our disuse 
 of those things used by some of most societies pro- 
 fessing the Christian faith. 
 
 In respect of water baptism, and the bread and 
 wine. First; As to water baptism, I have this to 
 answer, the which I hope thou wilt charitably con- 
 strue. 
 
 The first account that we have of it is from John 
 the Baptist, who first practised it, according to the
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 605 
 
 account the evangelists give concerning it, and he said, 
 " I indeed baptize you with water, but he," Christ, 
 " shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with 
 fire ; " plainly distinguishing between the two bap- 
 tisms, and the two natures of them ; adding, " He 
 must increase, but I must decrease ; " he spoke not 
 of their persons, but of their dispensations. 
 
 William Dell, a learned man in his day, wrote an 
 excellent piece oh the subject of baptism, which be 
 pleased to peruse : it is very evangelical, and well 
 worth reading. I shall take care to procure thee one 
 of his books. I am the more concerned about this 
 subject, because thou art positive about our coming 
 to it, if we improve in wisdom : but I would hope to 
 be, in some measure, instrumental to convince thee, 
 that there is no absolute need, in order to salvation, 
 to go into or unto the water or element; but that it 
 is absolutely necessary for us to go unto and into 
 Christ, that being the way to be new creatures, as 
 it is written, " He that is in Christ is a new creature." 
 
 Our dear Lord says on this subject, " John truly 
 baptized with water, but ye shall be baptized with the 
 Holy Ghost." Here our Saviour, as well as John, 
 distinguished between the tw T o dispensations. John's 
 was indeed a glorious dispensation in its time; but 
 Christ's far exceedeth it in glory, and is to endure 
 forever. 
 
 The apostle Peter remembered this doctrine of 
 
 Christ's when the holy Spirit's baptism was come; 
 
 "Then," says he, "I remembered the word of the 
 51*
 
 606 THE JOURNAL OP 
 
 Lord, John baptized with water, but ye shall be bap- 
 tized with the Holy Ghost." Paul, the great apostle 
 of the Gentiles, says, " He was not sent to baptize, 
 but to preach the gospel;" which, when truly preached, 
 hath a spiritual baptizing power attending it ; and if 
 we come rightly to be baptized with the holy Spirit 
 and fire of the divine word, we shall witness a reno 
 vation, and the work of reformation and regenera- 
 tion will go forward more and more, both without, 
 and within, in body and spirit, for which every true 
 Christian and minister of Christ longs and prays 
 with fervent desires. The apostle says, and pray 
 be pleased to judge for what reason, " That the king- 
 dom of heaven is not meat nor drink, but righteous- 
 ness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost." Oh ! may 
 the Most High inspire thy soul when thou read est 
 these lines, is my tender desire. 
 
 I know I am writing to one who in many things 
 is far before me ; so that I write in fear, mixed with 
 Christian love ; and if it meet with the same love in 
 thee, that will cover a multitude of faults. 
 
 As to the supper or ceremony of bread and wine, 
 which is called the sacrament, which word we find 
 not in the Bible, we do not understand that our Lord 
 laid it as an injunction on his followers to observe 
 this practice to perpetuity ; or that the observation 
 thereof is absolutely necessary to salvation, or that 
 his church should be in the practice of the elements 
 of either water to dip in, or sprinkle with, or bread 
 and wine to eat and drink, as a lasting ordinance to 
 be observed by believers.
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 607 
 
 Christ said, " This do ye, as often as ye drink it, 
 in remembrance of me ; " which to me seems to leave 
 it indifferent : also from the debates and contentions 
 of Christians about it, and the blood that hath been 
 spilt in this controversy, and the many doubts arising 
 concerning it, I think it is evident that Christ was 
 not positive that his followers should be found to 
 perpetuity therein ; and where he says, " Take, eat, 
 this is my body which is broken for you, or for 
 many ; and drink, this is my blood which is shed foi 
 many ; " I believe it is not to be doubted but that he 
 pointed at his flesh and blood rather than the bread 
 and wine, as in a figure, and that also he had an eye 
 to his spiritual flesh and blood or body, as where he 
 says, " Except ye eat my flesh, and drink my blood, 
 ye have no life in you ; " the which every true Chris- 
 tian should daily feed upon, and without which we 
 have no divine life in us ; and as himself also said, 
 " My flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink 
 indeed." 
 
 It is worthy of note, that much of his holy words 
 and heavenly doctrine was to be understood spiritu- 
 ally; "My words," says he, "are spirit and life." 
 A glorious speech to such as truly witness and under- 
 stand it, which is much better felt by a true believing 
 Christian than expressed. Oh ! may we so open our 
 hearts to our beloved Jesus, that he may come in 
 unto us, and that we may sup with him and he 
 with us, and that he may not only sup with us, but 
 take up his abode with us, and we with him, forever;
 
 608 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 and not only in us twain, but in all those who truly 
 love, believe in, and follow him, throughout the world; 
 so wisheth and prayeth, in sincerity, thy real friend, 
 
 / Thomas Chalkley. 
 
 P. S. I hope thou wilt excuse this long letter, thy 
 "Vi.al Christianity" being instrumental towards our 
 corresponding together by way of epistle, at which, 
 if it proves any way to thy satisfaction, I shall re- 
 joice. In reading several of thy latter tracts, I have 
 had love in my heart towards thee, which was yet 
 more renewed in perusing thy "Vital Christianity," 
 and thy friendly letter to me. 
 
 Free Thoughts Communicated to Freethinkers, in, 
 order to Promote Thinking on the Name and 
 Works of God ; with a Relation of a Remarka- 
 ble Providence, which fell out at Port Royal, in 
 Jamaica. 
 
 To the Reader. 
 
 The author having been much pressed in spirit to 
 write the following considerations, begs they may be 
 read with attention, and examined without prejudice. 
 He hopes the learned and ingenuous reader will ex- 
 cuse any faults in style or method, having respect to 
 the sincerity of intention which he professes to have 
 had in this undertaking and humbly prays that a
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 609 
 
 divine blessing may attend it, to the ss tisfaction and 
 eternal advantage of all whom it may concern. 
 
 Having had some discourse with a young man of 
 bright natural parts, concerning another world, and 
 of leaping out of this into that in the dark, which 
 must needs be very dangerous ; and fearing that many 
 take that great leap in that manner, I have been in- 
 duced to write these lines. 
 
 Upon which I cannot forbear asking, what man in 
 his senses will venture to leap in the dark, he knows 
 not where ? or into a pit of which he knows not the 
 bottom ? To think of it is terrifying, and must needs 
 shock any considerate thinker 
 
 Though a man, having a bright genius, and a large 
 share of natural parts, may acquire much literal and 
 natural knowledge ; yet, for want of a spiritual un- 
 derstanding, which is derived from the divine Spirit, 
 he may greatly err concerning true faith and religion, 
 and have no just apprehension of the eternal kingdom 
 and judgment of God, or of another world; which it 
 might be well for the ungodly, were never to be at all : 
 though even if this were to be supposed, yet to live 
 virtuously, as the Bishop of Sarum observed to that 
 great libertine, Lord Eochester, would be an advantage 
 to men, even in this world. 
 
 But if there should be an eternal righteous king- 
 dom, of which we may internally and spiritually be 
 sensible, and a state of life therein to come, then. oh. 
 then ! what will become of the wicked, and all who
 
 610 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 forget God ! and what perturbation of soul must attend 
 such, when, under the convictions thereof, they shall 
 be ready to launch into eternity. I beseech thee, oh, 
 soul ! seriously to consider, before it be too late. 
 
 The great Saviour of the world says, " The kingdom 
 of God is within you." That is, inwardly and spirit- 
 ually, to be known and perceived. He also says, " I 
 am the light of the world." He, by this divine and 
 supernatural light, lights us through this dark world 
 to his spiritual and glorious kingdom, where he rules 
 and reigns in transcendent majesty and brightness; 
 of which his faithful subjects are in some measure 
 sensible ; glory to the King of kings forever. 
 
 And that eminently wise apostle, Paul, says, " He 
 was sent to turn men from darkness to light." Dark- 
 ness he calls the power of Satan, and light the power 
 of God. Now as a man walking in outward darkness 
 is in continual danger of falling, not knowing whither 
 he goeth, so also a man living and walking in spiritual 
 darkness, which is the power of Satan, where the won- 
 derful power and works of God cannot be seen or un- 
 derstood, must needs be in the greatest danger of 
 falling into the bottomless pit of perdition, where 
 horrible darkness and unutterable misery prevail 
 forever. 
 
 The many bitter cries, dreadful shrieks, and heavy 
 groans which my ears have heard from such dark 
 souls, ready to depart the body, have been enough 
 to convince me of the judgment of another world, 
 though there had been no other demonstration of it
 
 THOMAS CflALKLEY. 611 
 
 to me. May our fine wits and sprightly youths repent 
 in time. Oh ! my heart is pained for them ; and my 
 soul mourns in secret for many of my former and 
 latter acquaintance, and I have also tender desires for 
 the well-doing and well-being of mankind in general. 
 
 If any, by duly thinking of these things, should be 
 awakened and convinced of their state, and their 
 former lives and wicked practices, and have so much 
 light as to see the danger of living without God in 
 the world; but be ready to conclude, that if there be 
 indeed a righteous God, who will reward every man 
 according to his works, there can then be no hope for 
 them, they are such wretched sinners. Oh ! if this 
 be the case of any, look not at such thoughts, which, 
 in the midst of your just apprehensions, Satan, taking 
 advantage, may thus suggest to you ; who having got 
 you deep already in the mire of sin, would by such 
 infusions plunge you deeper both into sin and despair. 
 
 Be it remembered that Christ died for sinners, even 
 the chief, as Paul says, and he can make a chief saint 
 of a chief sinner, as appears in the case of that apostle, 
 by his own testimony. God hath done and can do it, 
 though it be wonderful ! 
 
 Wherefore abide not in darkness, but repent and 
 turn to the light of life ! strive and struggle for life, 
 the life of God in the soul of man ! turn ye to the 
 divine light; turn to God who is light, and in him is 
 no darkness at all ; live and walk in the light of God, 
 which is far above the light of human reason ; therein 
 shall we have fellowship with the Father of lights,
 
 612 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 and his Son Jesus Christ ; whose religion is spiritual : 
 " God is a spirit, and they that worship him, must 
 worship him in spirit and in truth." 
 
 God must be worshipped in thought, word, and 
 deed; that is, in all things we ought to express an 
 humble reverence and adoration to the Sovereign 
 Being, frequently meditating on his great name. 
 But all evil and sinful thinking we must refrain 
 from with abhorrence, as displeasing to him, being 
 of the devil, that wicked spirit ; and indeed it is 
 contrary to the nature and end of free-thinking ; 
 which is a sincere exercise of the rational faculty, in 
 order to distinguish between good and evil, truth and 
 falsehood, that we may choose and acknowledge the 
 one, and avoid and reject the other. And here it 
 may not be unfit to recommend the care of all our 
 thoughts, from whence proceed our words and actions, 
 as naturally as good and evil fruit from the different 
 seeds sown in the earth. 
 
 And as the truest and most sublime end of thinking, 
 which is the reasonable service of every intelligent 
 being, is the contemplation, fear, and adoration of 
 the Almighty Creator, so are we thereto greatly en- 
 couraged by that Scripture of Malachi, which I am 
 concerned here to transcribe and recommend, viz. : 
 " Then they that feared the Lord, spake often one to 
 another, and the Lord hearkened and heard it, and 
 a book of remembrance was written before him for 
 them that feared the Lord, and that thought upon 
 his name. And they shall be mine, saith the Lord
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 613 
 
 of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels, and 
 I will spare them as a man spareth his own son that 
 serveth him. Then shall ye return and discern be- 
 tween the righteous and the wicked, between him that 
 serveth God, and him that serveth him not." 
 
 In which Scripture we may observe how great and 
 glorious a reward is promised to those who sanctify 
 the name of the Lord ; the consideration of which 
 must needs raise their love and admiration, and add 
 to their present delight in such holy thoughts. 
 
 But, on the contrary, it is to be feared, that evil 
 thinkers and actors, when the divine Spirit and light 
 would inspire them with good thoughts, or convince 
 them of their sins, endeavor to stifle or overcome such 
 thoughts or motions as would awaken them to right- 
 eousness, or restrain them from sin; and strive by 
 their natural wit to reason the good Spirit out of their 
 souls ; at the same time opening their hearts to the 
 evil spirit and his suggestions, which they hug to their 
 own destruction. But to judge rightly of these things, 
 if a man have ever so much natural wit and strength 
 of reason, it must be sanctified through his faithful 
 subjection to the divine will, and raised by divine 
 inspiration ; which as far surpasses human reason as 
 heaven is above the earth. May our men of bright 
 natural thought think clearly and seriously of this. 
 This is evident in the case of the great apostle Paul, 
 who was educated at the feet of Gamaliel, in the per- 
 fect manner of the law, yet, by all his knowledge 
 could not justly distinguish concerning religion, but 
 52
 
 614 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 was a persecutor of the church of Christ. But when 
 his knowledge and spirit came to be sanctified by the 
 grace and spirit of our Lord Jesus Christ, then, and 
 not till then, he became of great and good use to his 
 Maker and mankind. Then his reason and religion 
 became spiritual, " who had not conferred with flesh 
 and blood, but had been obedient to the heavenly- 
 vision." And he says, "If in this life only we have 
 hope in Christ, we are of all men the most miserable." 
 His hope and expectation, as well as of all faithful 
 believers, must have been of another life, , and the 
 kingdom of God hereafter : " For here," says he, "we 
 have no continuing city, but seek one to come." And 
 though the condition of such, in this life, be often 
 exposed to much persecution and trouble for their 
 faith's sake, towards the name of God and testimony 
 against this world and the evil spirit ruling therein ; 
 yet, blessed be the Most High, he gives them strength 
 and the assurance of his favor, whereby they endure 
 to the end, as well as that he refreshes them with his 
 outward blessings and comforts ; so that they may 
 well say, with his ancient servant Job, " Shall we 
 receive good at the hand of the Lord, and not evil ? " 
 Thus afflictions have been indeed usually called, but 
 they often, in the hand of God, are means of redeem- 
 ing the soul, and raising up many excellent virtues, 
 when they are rightly submitted to. 
 
 I would inquire what subject we can possibly choose 
 so worthy of our meditation, or from whence so great 
 a benefit can redound both to spirit and body ? The
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 615 
 
 fear and thoughts of Almighty God, which are inspired 
 by his grace sanctifying our hearts, thereby render us 
 more fit to receive his favors both to spirit and body, 
 which he multiplies according to his wisdom and good 
 pleasure ; and all our faculties and passions being re- 
 deemed and governed by the spirit of faith, we shall 
 possess and enjoy all things in a more regular and 
 excellent manner. But who is there that hath not 
 been so great a partaker of the many blessings, with 
 which the infinite Creator filleth the world, and in an 
 especial manner encompasseth mankind, as not to be 
 obliged to a continual acknowledgment thereof, and 
 remembrance of the great and bountiful Author? The 
 state therefore of the wicked and rebellious is stigma- 
 tized in holy Scripture with this character, in partic- 
 ular, that " God is not in all their thoughts." And 
 indeed for this came his judgment upon the old world 
 of the ungodly, who cannot be supposed ever to have 
 thought of the adorable Lord, since every imagination 
 and thought of their hearts was only evil continually, 
 as the Almighty himself hath complained. 
 
 But instead of the returns of faith and love, how 
 sad a consideration is it, that there should among 
 men be found any so vile and foolish as even to deny 
 the divine existence, and the effects of his infinite 
 power in the external creation, and to affirm that all 
 things have come by nature, without God, or any 
 supernatural power ; which evil tenet some have 
 endeavored to justify and support by natural reason; 
 " Wherein the name thereof may indeed be abused ;
 
 616 THE JOURNAL OP 
 
 but reason itself, which concludes nothing without- 
 evidence, can never declare in favor of a proposition 
 for which not only none can appear, but against which 
 the whole world is full of it. But let this be disposed 
 for the judgment of reason. When therefore it is 
 said, that all things have come by nature, if thereby 
 we are to understand that natural things are severally 
 self-productive, this will be disproved by daily expe- 
 rience; for we may observe, that they depend one 
 upon another, and upon various causes for produc- 
 tion and subsistence, without which neither, in a state 
 of nature, could possibly be. But if it be meant of 
 the universal system of natural things collectively, 
 this will less be allowed of many, than of any par- 
 ticular of them ; because that would destroy the 
 nature of a self-productive power, which cannot be 
 limited from being infinite, and therefore can be but 
 one : one infinite supreme nature, therefore, only can 
 have self-existed, and must have been the supernatural 
 author and power, by whom all other beings have ex- 
 isted : which refutes the above error, and rationally 
 proves and establishes the great truth in the ques- 
 tion." 
 
 And this the Christian religion teaches in the 
 greatest perfection, that the Creator of all things is 
 God, an infinite eternal Spirit, who filleth all things ; 
 who having been pleased to manifest his eternal power 
 and godhead in the visible frame of the universe, 
 beareth witness of himself therein, by his providence 
 and judgments; and in every soul of man by his
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEY. 617 
 
 inward inspirations ; especially the sincere believer 
 in whom his spirit dwells and operates. 
 
 Oh ! that men therefore would lift up their minds 
 and open their hearts to him, when by his holy Spirit 
 he reproves them for sin, and brings a damp upon 
 their spirits for evil; from which they would, per- 
 haps, if they could, run, or divert themselves from 
 the sense of it. But, alas ! there is no fleeing from 
 his presence, who is everywhere ; nor avoiding his 
 judgment, whose kingdom comprehends all things : 
 but woe is especially to them with whom his spirit 
 ceases striving. Holy David certainly was very sen- 
 sible of this, when he wrote that admirable description 
 of the Divine Omnipresence, " Whither shall I go from 
 thy spirit, or whither shall I flee from thy presence ? 
 If I ascend up to heaven, thou art there : If I make 
 my bed in hell, behold thou art there. If I take the 
 wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost 
 parts of the sea, even there shall thy hand lead me, 
 and thy right hand shall hold me. If I say, surely 
 the darkness shall cover me, even the night shall be 
 light about me, yea, the darkness hideth not from 
 thee ; but the night shineth as the day : the darkness 
 and the light are both alike to thee." With these 
 views of the infinite power and presence of the Al- 
 mighty, I shall pass to the relation promised, which 
 may here be properly inserted. 
 
 My author was Jonathan Dickenson, merchant in 
 Philadelphia, who was present with the young men 
 whom this extraordinary providence befell, at Port 
 52*
 
 618 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 Eoyal, in Jamaica : he gave me the following account 
 Two ingenious young men, who were lately arrived 
 at Jamaica, from London, discoursing about earth- 
 quakes, asserted that all things came by nature : and 
 so argued thereupon, that it brought terror upon the 
 company, who were many, at dinner in an upper room. 
 Whilst this lasted, to the great astonishment of all 
 present, the earth began to move and tremble, which 
 put most of them to flight in such haste, that they ran 
 one almost over another, some down stairs, others 
 leaping over the balcony. But my author said he 
 considered there was no running from Divine Provi- 
 dence, and that the same hand which moved the 
 earth, was able to preserve him ; in which he trusted, 
 and was preserved. As he continued with the young 
 men in the same room, — oh ! terrible to relate, and 
 my heart and hand tremble in the writing thereof, — 
 the mighty hand of an offended God struck these 
 young men with death, and they fell down, and never 
 rose any more, being in all appearance unprepared for 
 so sudden a change. And how many other gay, witty 
 young people have been suddenly snatched away by 
 death, though perhaps not so immediately, nor in so 
 extraordinary a manner, seems worthy of reflection. 
 The author of this account added, that he took up the 
 young men, and laid one of them upon a bed, and the 
 other upon a couch ; but that they never sipoke again 
 after their blasphemy against God and his works. 
 Upon which I think it very natural, as well as neces- 
 sary to remark, that this was indeed an eminent in-
 
 THOMAS CHALKLEF. 619 
 
 stance of the just judgment , of God against such as 
 deny his wonderful power and providence in the crea- 
 tion ; with this terrible circumstance, that these un- 
 happy persons were cut off in the midst of their un- 
 godly discourse and corrupt reasoning, without so 
 much time afforded them as to ask pardon and crave 
 mercy of a provoked Lord ; which is very dreadful to 
 consider. I especially recommend it to the serious 
 reflection of all such as affect the name of free- 
 thinkers, as they are commonly distinguished, that 
 they may no longer, under such a pretence, abuse 
 their understanding with a latitude of profane and 
 evil thinking : who, as they must be sensible that 
 they have not conferred the excellent faculty of reason 
 upon themselves, so they may as certainly conclude 
 that "they never received it to exclude His existence, 
 power, and providence out of the world, who gave it 
 them ; nor to employ it to their own destruction, by 
 such a perversion thereof, which must inevitably be 
 the consequence, without timely and due repentance; 
 but that they may apply themselves to Him for true 
 wisdom, who is the eternal fountain of it, who would 
 direct all their thoughts aright therein. Then would 
 they find a substantial and enduring happiness and 
 satisfaction, in the honorable thoughts and practice 
 of true religion and virtue; and that all vain and 
 evil thoughts directly tended to the misery and de- 
 struction of mankind. 
 
 Lastly, if any expression in this short tract should 
 prove successful to promote, in any measure, the con-
 
 620 THE JOURNAL OF THOMAS CHALKLEY. 
 
 templation of the Divine Being, the consideration of 
 man's duty to him, his Almighty Creator, or to con- 
 vince but one soul of the error of his thoughts and 
 ways, the author will think himself richly rewarded 
 for his endeavors, and reverently ascribe the glory and 
 praise to God, the prime Author and mover of every 
 good thing, who is worthy forever.
 
 INDEX. 
 
 A. 
 
 Page 
 
 Andrews, Edward, convincement of. 75 
 
 Atkinson, Aaron, sails to America 25 
 
 B. 
 
 Barbadoes, conversation with Governor of. 52 
 
 Barclay, Robert, testimony respecting 87 
 
 Bell, John, accompanies T. C. to Holland 90 
 
 Bermuda, loss of the people of, by a hurricane 113 
 
 Betterton, Martha, married to T. C 46 
 
 Bewley, Mungo, met by T. C 322 
 
 Borden, Joseph, kind offer of, to Friends 320 
 
 Bowles, Abigail, attends Philadelphia Yearly Meeting... 204 
 
 Brown, Martha, married to T. C 109 
 
 Brown, Thomas, travels with T. C 138 
 
 « 
 
 C. 
 
 Cathing, Robert, sickness and death of. 28 
 
 Chalkley, Thomas, birth of. 11 
 
 persecution of, when going to school ; reproves 
 
 lads for swearing 12 
 
 conversation of, with some men he had reproved ; 
 
 strong convictions of, in childhood 13 
 
 incident respecting playing cards 14 
 
 declines playing with his uncle 15 
 
 (621)
 
 622 INDEX. 
 
 Page 
 
 Chalkley, Thojus, extraordinary visitation and deep re- 
 ligious exercise 16 
 
 trial of, on account of plain language 17 
 
 pressed on board a man-of-war 18 
 
 exercise of, on account of neighbors, etc 20 
 
 commences in the ministry; visits meetings in 
 Essex ; addresses Friends of the evening meet- 
 ing at his father's house 21 
 
 end of apprenticeship ; visits meetings west of 
 
 London 22 
 
 accused of being a Jesuit; death of the mother of 23 
 
 travels into north of England and Scotland 24 
 
 concern of, to visit America ; sails with three 
 
 other Friends 25 
 
 exercises of, on account of the sick on board of 
 
 ship going to«America 27 
 
 arrival in Maryland in 1698 28 
 
 travels in Maryland ; visit to some Indians; goes 
 
 into Virginia and Pennsylvania 30 
 
 visits New Jersey, Long Island, Rhode Island 31 
 
 persecuting spirit at Boston 32 
 
 service in Nantucket 33 
 
 disputes with the Governor 34 
 
 travels into Pennsylvania and Virginia 38 
 
 embarks for England 39 
 
 lands at Plymouth 45 
 
 attends London Yearly Meeting ; marriage of..... 46 
 visit of, to Ireland ; concern of, to remove to 
 
 America; embarks with his family 48 
 
 near shipwreck on Goodwin Sands 49 
 
 lands at Patuxent river ; removes to Philadelphia ; 
 
 visit to Barbadoes 51 
 
 conversation of, with the Governor 52 
 
 embarks for Philadelphia 55 
 
 arrives at Inme ; visits the southern provinces... 56 
 preservation of, from the bite of a rattlesnake, 
 
 and from foundering 57
 
 INDEX. 623 
 
 Page 
 Chalkley, Thomas, returns home, and sets out for New 
 
 England 58 
 
 reply of, to a question put to him as he entered 
 
 Boston 66 
 
 return home ; visits New Jersey, Delaware, and 
 
 Maryland ; controversy with Priest Crawford.. 67 
 goes again into Maryland ; opposed by Priest 
 
 Edwards and a lawyer 70 
 
 visit of, to some Indians near the Susquehanna... 72 
 visit of, to Egg Harbor, etc. ; calumniated in an 
 
 almanac; writes " A Small Broom " 75 
 
 refutation by, of the charge that Friends pay their 
 
 ministers 76 
 
 concern of, to visit Friends in the West Indies 
 
 and Europe 77 
 
 obtains certificates ; embarks 78 
 
 chased by a privateer ; arrives in Barbadoes 79 
 
 visits several islands 80 
 
 chased by a privateer ; conversation with the 
 
 sailors 81 
 
 sails for England 82 
 
 remarkable preservation from capture ; chased 
 
 by two privateers 83 
 
 escape to the shore 84 
 
 visit of, in Ireland ; writes an " Exhortation to 
 
 Youth"; crosses to Scotland 85 
 
 shameful treatment of, at Glasgow; sharp rebuke 
 
 of the people by 86 
 
 parts with Richard Gove ; travels up to London.. 88 
 
 meets his father and brother ; is taken sick 89 
 
 visits several places about London ; crosses over 
 
 to Holland 90 
 
 meetings held by, in many places in Holland 91 
 
 passes into East Friesland and Germany 92 
 
 has a very satisfactory meeting at Hamburg ; 
 
 writes "A Loving Invitation to Young and 
 
 Old" 93
 
 624 INDEX. 
 
 Page 
 Chalklky, TaoMAS, remarks of, respecting the treatment 
 
 of women in Germany and England 94 
 
 accident to, on the road ; acknowledgment by, of 
 Divine help to himself and to the interpreter... 95 
 
 returns to Amsterdam ; long fast by 96 
 
 goes again to North Holland ; back to Rotterdam 97 
 
 crosses to England 98 
 
 attends London Yearly Meeting ; travels through- 
 out England 99 
 
 attends the Yearly Meeting, and sails for home... 100 
 
 arrival of, at home 102 
 
 false reports respecting 103 
 
 goes down into Maryland with his family ; sick- 
 ness of his wife 104 
 
 brings his wife back to Philadelphia ; sickness 
 
 and death of the wife of. 105 
 
 various journeys by; disputes with a priest 106 
 
 writes an answer to a plea for tithes ; sails to 
 
 Charleston , 107 
 
 conversation of, with the Governor ; comes into 
 
 Virginia 108 
 
 returns to Philadelphia ; second marriage 109 
 
 travels into Maryland and New Jersey ; inter- 
 view of, with a young woman confined in prison 110 
 
 sails for Bermuda Ill 
 
 returns home ; sails again to Bermuda 112 
 
 prayer of, apparently answered by the abating of 
 
 a great storm 113 
 
 declines drinking the king's health when asked 
 
 to by the Governor of Bermuda 115 
 
 sails for home ; threatened with starvation ; offers 
 himself to keep .the others from perishing ; 
 
 wonderful preservation 116 
 
 arrives at home ; religious services about home ; 
 
 goes into Maryland 117 
 
 sails for Barbadoes and England 118
 
 / 
 
 INDEX. 625 
 
 Page 
 Chalk let, Thomas, writes "A Scruple of Conscience about 
 
 Form of Prayer," etc. ; lands in Barbadoes 120 
 
 arrives in England, and meets his father and 
 other relations ; -writes upon Christ's Sermon 
 
 on the Mount 124 
 
 sails for home, with several Friends in company ; 
 
 arrives ; sails again for Barbadoes and England 125 
 dangers encountered by, in Delaware river and 
 
 bay 127,128 
 
 from Barbadoes goes to Antigua 129 
 
 observations of, on the obligation to pursue need- 
 ful business 130 
 
 some account by, of the voyage to England... 131-135 
 
 meets his father and relatives ; sails for home 135 
 
 arrives at home ; visits Maryland ; narrow escape 137 
 visits back parts of Pennsylvania ; visits Long 
 
 Island 139 
 
 death of the tenth child of; remarks of, respect- 
 ing the loss of his children 141 
 
 moves to Frankford 142 
 
 observations of, respecting faith and works 144 
 
 on the duty of forgiveness 146 
 
 engaged in reconciling a difference at Burlington 147 
 sickness of; meets with Thomas Lightfoot and 
 
 Benjamin Kid in New Jersey 148 
 
 fault found with, by some, for travelling so much 
 
 from home 149 
 
 epistle from, to Friends in Barbadoes...? 152 
 
 visit to Long Island 154 
 
 opposed by a priest 156 
 
 returns home ; services about home 157 
 
 thrown from his horse, and severely hurt 158 
 
 answer of, to a letter on Baptism 159 
 
 exhortation by, relative to the warnings given by 
 
 Divine providence 165 
 
 severe trials of. 166 
 
 53
 
 626 INDEX. 
 
 Pag« 
 •/Halkley, Thomas, considerations of, respecting his trials 
 
 167, 168 
 exhortation of, that the Holy Spirit be allowed to 
 
 govern in the Church 168, 169 
 
 advice from, to youth 169 
 
 letter to, from his father , 172 
 
 reply from, to his father 173 
 
 repeated losses, trials and sickness 174, 175 
 
 letter from, to E. Levis and J. Fenn 176 
 
 letter from, to one concerned to preach the gospel 180 
 
 engages in a family visit 186 
 
 explains the care of Friends respecting marriage 188 
 exhorts Friends to plainness ; travels in New 
 
 Jersey and Pennsylvania 189, 190 
 
 goes again into New Jersey 191 
 
 exercise of, on account of the youth 192 
 
 advice from, to a Friend who had separated from 
 
 Friends in Barbadoes 193 
 
 exhortation by, to a young man under conviction ; 
 
 confirmation to, of the doctrine of rewards and 
 
 punishments 196 
 
 exhortation by, to ministers . 197 
 
 letter from, to the young men under conviction... 198 
 reply from, to one who queried how it was to be 
 
 known which Society had the most of the Holy 
 
 Spirit 200 
 
 serious accident occurring to -202 
 
 sets out for Maryland 204 
 
 ministerial services of, at several meetings 205 
 
 comes into Pennsylvania 206 
 
 visit of, to Thomas Lightfoot in his last illness 207 
 
 leaves home for Long Island 209 
 
 several meetings attended by 210, 211 
 
 goes into New York 212 
 
 visits a young woman depressed in mind 213 
 
 account by, of several meetings held on Long 
 
 Island and in New York 215-220
 
 INDEX. 627 
 
 Page 
 
 Chalkley, Thomas, refutes one who said we should not 
 
 eat meat 217 
 
 returns home 220 
 
 epistle from, to the Quarterly Meeting at Flush- 
 ing 221-225 
 
 attends meetings with Abigail Bowles 225 
 
 advice of, to freethinkers 226 
 
 discourse by, on Ezekiel's vision of the holy waters 228 
 
 attends meetings in New Jersey 230 
 
 visits Friends about Oley 232 
 
 advice of, respecting marriage 233 
 
 letter to, from his brother, giving information of 
 
 their father's death 234 
 
 account of his father's convincement, last sick- 
 ness, and death 237-244 
 
 testimony of, concerning his father 244 
 
 resolution of, to love those who defamed him 246 
 
 concern of, on account of the inhabitants of the 
 
 Provinces 247 
 
 vivid impression on the mind of, of a Scripture text 248 
 reasons given by, why Christians should not swear 250 
 exhorts Friends to cleanse the Society of those 
 
 who are profane or riotous 252 
 
 testimony of, respecting John Lee ; thoughts of, 
 
 on the virtue of temperance 254 
 
 accompanies William Pigot to several meetings ; 
 vision of, respecting Divine displeasure on ac- 
 count of the sin of the land 255 
 
 prediction of, fulfilled 256 
 
 sails for Barbadoes 257 
 
 remarkable sense given to, of the Lord's displeas- 
 ure with the people, etc 258 
 
 checks swearing and quarrelling on board the 
 
 vessel 259 
 
 Friends' belief in the Three that bear record in 
 heaven, declared by 260
 
 628 INDEX. 
 
 Page 
 Chalklet, Thomas, sense of the Lord's support while at 
 
 sea, experienced by t 261 
 
 arrival at home ; convinces P. M. of the sin of 
 
 taking human life 262 
 
 letter from, to his children's schoolmaster 264 
 
 notice by, of the death of George 1 266 
 
 letter from, to his son-in-law 267 
 
 visits Long Island and Jersey 270 
 
 consolations of, in his losses 271 
 
 letter of, to the teacher of his children 272 
 
 sails for Barbadoes 273 
 
 return of, home 276 
 
 sails again for Barbadoes; sets a dislocated 
 
 shoulder 277 
 
 return of, home 278 
 
 testimony of, against vice in Pennsylvania 279 
 
 serious accident to 282 
 
 takes command of a ship 283 
 
 sails for Barbadoes ; care of, to prevent swearing 
 
 and drinking in his ship 284 
 
 testimony of, against dancing 285 
 
 returns home 287 
 
 concern of, respecting the rising generation... 287-292 
 exhortation by, to the people of Pennsylvania on 
 
 the arrival of many immigrants 292 
 
 sails again to Barbadoes 293 
 
 stormy voyage home 295-297 
 
 two more voyages to and from Barbadoes 298-300 
 
 consolation administered to 300-302 
 
 deliverance from loss by a violent hurricane 301 
 
 makes another voyage 302 
 
 narrow escape of, from shipwreck 303 
 
 remarks of, on friendship 306 
 
 on the visitations of sickness in Phi- 
 ladelphia 308 
 
 sixth voyage of, to Barbadoes 309
 
 INDEX. 629 
 
 Page 
 
 OnxLKLEY, Thomas, seventh voyage of, to Barbadoes; 
 
 severe accident to, at sea 313 
 
 stormy passage of. .'... 314 
 
 difficulties encountered by, in bringing his ship 
 
 to Philadelphia 315, 316 
 
 eighth voyage of, to Barbadoes and back 317, 318 
 
 visits meetings about home and in New Jersey..319, 323 
 
 sails again for Barbadoes 323, 324 
 
 reflections of, on his peculiar trials 325 
 
 apprentice to, lost at sea ; another voyage of, to 
 
 Christophers 327 
 
 instruction administered to, while mourning over 
 
 his afflictions 328 
 
 conversation of, with Galloway relative to holding 
 
 a meeting at his house 329 
 
 detention of, at Christophers 331 
 
 notice by, of the insurrection of the negroes in 
 
 St. John's 333 
 
 death and character of the only son of. 334-337 
 
 sails for Publin 337 
 
 return of, home 338 
 
 sails for Barbadoes and London 339 
 
 religious services in the island 342-344 
 
 shot at by one who was offended by his advice 
 
 respecting kindness to the negroes 343 
 
 "Free Thoughts for Freethinkers," written by, 
 
 published 344 
 
 sails for London 345 
 
 refuses to tell the press officer how many men he 
 
 had aboard 347 
 
 pays off all his debts 349 
 
 meets with May Drummond 35^ 
 
 meetings attended by, in Great Britain 351-356 
 
 sails for home 357 
 
 some services about home 358-360 
 
 observations by, on the exercise of the discipline 361 
 53*
 
 630 INDEX. 
 
 Page 
 
 Chalkley, Thomas, notice by, of a meteor 363 
 
 remarks of, on preparation for death 364 
 
 visit of, to New York and New England 366 
 
 conversation of, with Joseph Latham respecting 
 
 their abuse when boys 367 
 
 goes to Nantucket 368 
 
 meetings attended by 369-372 
 
 observations by, respecting women's preaching... 372 
 returns home ; engages ia a family visit in Phila- 
 delphia 375 
 
 caution given by, to children who have lost their 
 parents, not to do that which they would have 
 
 disapproved 376 
 
 sets out on a visit to the South 381 
 
 travels through Virginia into Carolina and back 
 
 through Maryland, etc 382-385 
 
 epistle by, to Opeckon Monthly Meeting 386 
 
 notice by, of war with Spain 389 
 
 visit by, to the lower counties 390 
 
 visit into New Jersey ; notice by, of^a cold winter 393 
 
 remarks by, on the " Mighty "Works " of God 394 
 
 visit of, to one condemned to die 396 
 
 notice by, of R. Lippincot 397 
 
 observations by, on the mortality in Philadelphia, 
 and on the obligation to maintain the peaceable 
 
 principles of the gospel 398 
 
 proceeds on a religious visit to the Virgin Islands 400 
 
 kindly received by the Governor of Tortola 401 
 
 engaged in visiting some families 402-404 
 
 notice by, of the care of the Governor to accom- 
 modate the people at meeting 404 
 
 sickness and death of. 406, 407 
 
 Claus, Jacob, acknowledgment by 96 
 
 Glaus, John, travels with and interprets for T. C 91 
 
 Cloud, A remarkable, overhangs Barbadoes 121 
 
 Crawford, Priest, opposes T. C 67
 
 INDEX. 631 
 
 Page 
 
 Crawford, Priest, false accusation by 68 
 
 immoral conduct of 69 
 
 Curiosities, Natural, described by T. C 123 
 
 D. 
 
 Dickinson, Jonathan, remarkable account by 140 
 
 Distinction between voice of Christ and whispering of 
 
 Satan 20 
 
 Doctor, dream of the 42 
 
 death of. 44 
 
 Doe, Mart, account by, of Indians killing her mother, etc..62-64 
 Drummond, May, notice of...../ 350 
 
 E. 
 
 Earthquake at Philadelphia 165 
 
 Edinburgh, Friends of, holding meetings in the street 24 
 
 Edwards, Priest, opposes T. C 70 
 
 Elfreth, Sarah, death of 279 
 
 Ellis, William, sails to America with T. C 25 
 
 Evan, Robert, death and character of. 380 
 
 F. 
 
 Fielding, Joshua, travels of, in America 263, 268 
 
 met with at Shrewsbury 270 
 
 Fothergill, John, sails from Philadelphia 371 
 
 Friends, three, killed by Indians 61 
 
 G. 
 
 Glaister, Joseph, travels with T. C 58 
 
 Gove, Richard, accompanies T. C 38 
 
 ac;ompanies T. C. to West Indies and Europe 78 
 
 in Scotland 88
 
 632 INDEX. 
 
 Page 
 
 Gove, Richard, death of. 99 
 
 Governor of Pennsylvania issues a proclamation against 
 
 immorality 252 
 
 closes the taverns in Philadelphia in the evenings 258 
 Governor of Anguilla, kindness of, to T. C 303 
 
 H. 
 
 Hurricane, a great, in Bermuda 113 
 
 destructive, in Barbadoes 310 
 
 I. 
 
 Indians, destruction of life by, in New England 59 
 
 peaceable towards Friends 65 
 
 account of a visit to, by Thomas Chalkley 72, 73 
 
 Indian Empress, speech of. 73 
 
 J. 
 
 Jew, acknowledgment of a, to T. C 91 
 
 Jordan, Robert, marriage of. 309 
 
 K. 
 
 Keith, William, Governor, attends a marriage 158 
 
 Kid, Benjamin, at Yearly Meeting in Philadelphia 145 
 
 met by T. C. in New Jersey 148 
 
 Kirkbride, Joseph, burial of. 379 
 
 L. 
 
 Lawyer, a, opposes T. C 71 
 
 Leonard, George, Governor of Anguilla, declaration of, 
 
 respecting Friends 80 
 
 Lightfoot, Thomas, travels with T. C 135 
 
 death of 207 
 
 Lloyd, Elizabeth, sails for England with T. C 40 
 
 Lord, John, testimony concerning, by T. C 269 
 
 Luther, opinion of, respecting dancing 138
 
 INDEX. 633 
 
 Page 
 M. 
 
 Meetings, number of, held in Holland and Germany by 
 T. C 97 
 
 0. 
 Oxley, John, visits Long Island with T. C 270 
 
 P. 
 
 Parson, a, declines playing cards 15 
 
 Paca, Aquila, builds a meeting-house in which Friends 
 
 hold meetings 72 
 
 People, some rude, disturb Friends' meeting ; several of 
 
 them die suddenly 249 
 
 Philadelphia, mortality in, from small-pox 303 
 
 earthquake at 377 
 
 Porter, William, a Friend of great age 38 
 
 Presbyterians, some, speak against Friends 59 
 
 Preston, Paul, dying sayings of 319 
 
 R. 
 
 Ranters opposed by T. C 37 
 
 Richardson, John, in Philadelphia 323 
 
 Roberts, John, visited by T. C. in his last illness 151 
 
 Rutledge, John, death of. 195 
 
 Rumney, John, kindness of, to T. C 304 
 
 S. 
 
 Sailors, conversation of some, with T. C 79 
 
 Salkeld, John, religious labors of, with T. C 151 
 
 Sermon, a, by a New-England priest 60 
 
 Sewel, William, interprets for T. C 91 
 
 Sharp, Peter, with T. C. in Barbadoes 260 
 
 Stafford, Judge, kindness of, to T. C 54, 55 
 
 Stanton, Daniel, travels with T. C 320, 321 
 
 Story, Thomas, travels with T. C 66 
 
 Swearing, not lawful for a Christian 250 
 
 I
 
 634 INDEX. 
 
 Page 
 T. 
 
 Turner, Thomas, sails for America with T. C 25 
 
 travels with T. C 30 
 
 W. 
 
 Waldenses, Dpinions of, respecting dancing 15 
 
 Waterspout, a, seen by T. C 311 
 
 Webb, Elizabeth, sails with T. C 40 
 
 Worthington, Daniel, accompanies T. C 247 
 
 WHITINGS. 
 
 God's great Love to Mankind 409 
 
 An Exhortation to Youth and Others 430 
 
 A Loving Invitation to Young and Old in Holland and 
 Elsewhere 430 
 
 Some Observations on Christ's Sermon on the Mount 451 
 
 Some truly tender Scruples of Conscience about that Form 
 
 of Prayer called the Common Prayer 510 
 
 A Letter to a Friend in Ireland containing a Relation of 
 some Sorrowful Instances of the Sad Effects of Intem- 
 perance 524 
 
 A Letter to Aquila Paca 538 
 
 Christ's Kingdom Exalted 542 
 
 Some Considerations on the Call, Work, and Wages of the 
 Ministers of Christ 574 
 
 Concerning Personal Election and Reprobation 590 
 
 A Letter to Cotton Mather 601 
 
 Free Thoughts communicated to Freethinkers, etc 608 
 
 THE END.
 
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