To see my dear father's hand-writing, 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,:

"Frankfort, 22d of the 8th mo. 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 favoured 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 mightily refresh and tender my heart and spirit, not expecting many more such epistles from thee, by reason of thy great age. But my very dear and truly honoured 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, wrote by the finger, or hand 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.

"We are all in good health, I humbly thank the Lord, and if it be his will, should rejoice to hear that these find thee, my tender and loving father, with my dear brother and sister, and all my loving cousins, and our friends in general, in like health. I desire to know exactly, thy age in

thy next, if thou art able to write to me, and if thou livest where thou did formerly, or with brother or cousin, which will be very acceptable

to me.

"Thus, 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 CHALKLEY."

CHAP. VI.

1724-1726.

Further losses and afflictions-Several occurrences, and letters-General visit to Friends in LongIsland-Religious service near home and in New-Jersey, &c.—Death and character of his Father.

IN this year, 1724, I met with various trials, afflictions, 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' never 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 endeavoured to dis quiet my repose, by stirring up some bad people against me, who lived near, and in time past had fawned upon me: and, to add to my afflictions, I lost a vessel, in which, I suppose, I had upwards of five hundred pounds; and another vessel came in almost a wreck, in which I suffered in my interest several hundreds more, and a third I heard o, in which I had the like loss; and about the

same time I had also a good new barn burnt to the ground in a few minutes; so that I was exceedingly stripped that way. And to add yet more to my exercise, I was sorely afflicted with sickness, having a swelling in my jaws, mouth, and throat, to that degree, that I could neither speak nor swallow for some time, nor eat nor sleep for about seven days, as I remember, without great difficulty. What the distemper was, we could not be certain: some supposed it to be the quinsy, others an imposthume. Also, my little and 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 permanent, and in my sore afflictions in 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, "The very hairs of your head are all numbered," Matt. x. 30. at times supported me in hopes, that all would work together for good.

When I got a little well, so that I could go to meetings, I went to German-town, Abington, Philadelphia, and Derby. 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 was 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 great advantage of the coming of Christ, not only in his appearance at Jerusalem, but as he came to, and spoke to the heart, by his inward and spiritual appearance; 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 worthy 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.

Frankfort, Ist of the 12th mo. 1724.

"My dear friends, Elizabeth Levis

and Jane Fenn,

“Understanding by our Friend Grace Lloyd, that you have proposed your intention of visiting those few Friends in the island of Barbadoes, and that you meet with some discouragement inwardly and outwardly, therefore it is in my mind to com