MONTHLY-MEETING TESTIMONY. ix A Testimony from the Monthly-Meeting at Hunger-Hill, the 7th of the Fourth month, 1713, concerning our dear and wellbeloved Friend and Brother in the Truth, THOMAS ELLWOOD, deceased. THAT the dead which die in the Lord are blessed of him, we have great assurance of, from John the divine, his writing to the seven churches, Rev. xiv. 13, where he tells them, that he "heard a voice from heaven, saying, Write, 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 :" of which number we have no cause to doubt but this, our dear friend, is one, who was eminently serviceable in the church of Christ; a man to whom the Lord had given a large capacity beyond many, and furnished him with an excellent gift, whereby he was qualified for those services in the church, in the performance of which he did shine as a star, which received its lustre and brightness from the glorious Sun of Righteousness. He was wise, but humble; condescending to the weak, and ready to help where he saw and felt sincerity, but sharp to that which he apprehended to be insincere and deceitful; for which cause, he was not acceptable to hypocrites and disorderly walkers: yet he was a man of a very acceptable and agreeable conversation, as well as sober and religious, both in the church and in the world, being of a free and affable temper and disposition, far from affectation, but of a courteous behaviour and graceful carriage to all, and very serviceable to and amongst his neighbors. He was very near and dear to many of us, who were most intimately acquainted with him, and his memorial is sweet to us. His services in our meetings, and in the Quarterly-meeting for the county of Bucks, were very great, and of many years' continuance; in which he showed great diligence, being of a ready mind, willing to serve the church, according to that ability which the Lord had given him; and his heart and house were open to his friends, and the Monthly-meeting was kept there more than forty years, and remains there to this day. Our loss is great by his removal; but in this we are satisfied, that it is his everlasting gain, being gathered, as we have good cause to believe, to his eternal rest. The knowledge we had of him, and the good account which we have received of him, in the time of his last illness, by those who were most constantly with him, and of his quiet and peaceable departure, doth sensibly engage our hearts to acquiesce in the will of the Lord; and therein we have peace and comfort. He departed this life the 1st of the Third month, 1713, and was honorably buried in Friends' burying-place at New Jourdans, in the parish of Giles-Chalfont, in the county of Bucks, the 4th day of the same month. Signed, by the appointment of the Monthly GEORGE BOWLES, DANIEL WHARLEY. meeting, by us, DANIEL ROBERTS, A Testimony from the Women's-meeting concerning THOMAS ELLWOOD. A CONCERN is upon our spirits to write somewhat concerning our dear deceased friend and elder, Thomas Ellwood, who was highly valued by us for that wisdom and counsel which were with him; and being of a free and affable temper, ready to assist those who stood in need thereof, encouraged many to apply to him for advice, under the divers circumstances and various exercises which this uncertain world affords; which we have found to be for our good, as we followed it. He was an early comer to meetings, seldom hindered by weather (though he lived three miles distant) when bodily weakness did not hinder, of late years being oft indisposed as to his health. The Monthly-meeting was held at his house about forty years, and he always looked very kind and courteous on Friends when they came there, and took care and notice of the meanest who came in sincerity. He was zealous for good order, and against such who, being in an apostatized spirit, opposed it; and may well be numbered amongst the worthies whose names are upon record for their valour; so is this our friend worthy to be, who never turned his back on such who opposed the truth, but stood his ground, as his printed sheets on such occasions do show: as also his other works, of several kinds, do manifest how great endowments God had bestowed on him, (yet we, who knew him in his conversation, are engaged to set forth how kind and condescending he was to the weakest capacity, and would help out when they wanted a word) that generations to come may learn how good it is to forsake all, ånd follow Christ Jesus, as this our friend did, and the account of his life, following, shows; who not only gives wisdom, but teacheth humility also. He was greatly respected by his neighbors, for his services amongst them: his heart and doors were open to the poor, both sick and lame, who wanted help, and had it freely, taking care to provide things useful for such occasions, (blest also with good success), often saying, "He mattered not what cost he was at, to do good." Such lament their loss: what, then, may we do, who miss him in an higher station, in his great service in the church of Christ, but even desire to be resigned to the will of the Lord? who preserved him through all his hardships, to a dominion over false brethren, and is now out of their reach, and of temptation too; on whose head the blessing asked for Joseph rests; who, as a fruitful bough his branch spreads over the wall of opposition, and his bow abode in strength; the hands of whose arms were made strong by the help of the mighty God of Jacob, to whom be the glory for what he hath wrought in our day, whose own works praise him for evermore. And the tears of sorrow that we shed for the loss of this our deceased friend, let them be remembered to bow our spirits, each of us, into a godly care, that we may come up accord ing to our several capacities, to follow the Lord faithfully, in a godly zeal for his honor; and so come to lay down our heads in Joy and peace, as this our friend expressed he did. FROM THE WOMEN'S MEETING. xi This eminent servant of Christ was early convinced of the way of truth, wherein he continued to the finishing of his days; for the sake of which he soon became a sufferer, not only by imprisonment, for worshiping God in the assemblies of his people, but also from his father, by whom he was made as an outcast, for no other cause but for his faithful testimony in taking up the cross to the world's behavior and language; whereupon he was invited by his much valued friend, Isaac Pennington, to his house, where he abode several years, until he married. He was a blessing in, as well as a great comfort and help to, that family; and by his wise conduct therein gained much esteem, not only from the elders, but the youth, whom he instructed in learning; and though most of them are by death removed, yet one still remains, who, from certain and experimental knowledge, can commemorate his worth, being engaged thereto from a sense of the benefit of his good and wholesome advice, given at sundry times and on divers occasions, which friendship continued firm to the last. His natural capacity was large, and his understanding, in the things of God, very deep; which excellent qualifications meeting in one, rendered him useful beyond many to his country, as well as very serviceable in the church, by both which he is and will be greatly missed. But he is gone to his grave in a full age, and gathered as a shock of corn in its season, having done his day's work faithfully so that saying may be verified in him, “Tue end : His sickness was sudden, which soon deprived him of the use of his limbs; yet he retained the faculties of his inward and outward senses clear all along; and notwithstanding at times his pains were great, his exemplary patience and composed resignation was remarkably apparent to those that visited and attended him; so that their sorrow in parting with so dear a friend was intermixed with comfort in beholding the heavenly frame of mind wherewith he was adorned. Thus, after all his labors, he entered into everlasting rest, and left many behind weeping, though not without hope that they shall again meet at the general assembly of saints, where the redeemed shall sing praises to their blessed Redeemer, whose right it is to reign for ever. We have this farther to add, namely, that our esteem of him was great, because of that real worth that was in him, through the operation of the mighty power of the Lord that separated him from the love of the world: so that he chose, with Moses, rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; and it pleased the Lord to fit him with wisdom and counsel, so that he was made able to give judgment in difficult cases, wherein many of us have particularly received benefit, and therefore have cause to lament the loss we have by his removal. And oh! say our souls, that the Lord would raise up many more in his room, to the praise and honor of the good husbandman. And it is our desire that we, who are yet behind, may be made able so to steer our course through this troublesome world, that when our end comes, we may lay down our heads in peace with the Lord, and leave a good savor behind us, as this our friend hath done. This is written in true love and respect to the memory of our deceased friend, as it pleased the Lord to move upon our hearts; and being read and approved, in our Women's meeting at HungerHill, the 4th of the Eleventh month, 1713, was subscribed in behalf of the said meeting, by us, MARY BAKER, MARY WHARLEY, Concerning our dear friend THOMAS ELLWOOD, of Hunger-Hill. He was much esteemed amongst good men: good men, in their day and station upon the earth, represent Him who made all things good in the beginning, who said, (Gen. i. 3), "Let there be light, and there was light;" and also said, verse 26, "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness." Oh, high favor! "So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them," verse 27, and blessed them, and gave them dominion under himself, for he was chief commander then, and so he is witnessed to be now, where his heavenly image is come into again, and men live in it, as did this our dear friend, who did good in his day and generation. Counsel was with him, to give to such as needed, and did apply to him: he was of a tender spirit, and had dominion over passion, over pride, and over covetousness: so he was comfortable to, and in his family. He was amiable in the church of Christ, and a doer of good amongst his neighbors; and being an elder amongst, and with the elders, he hath not only obtained a good report, but also the blessing in the promised seed, which bruises the serpent's head. He was valiant in suffering for his testimony which he held in the truth; and may not I say, unwearied in his labors for the setting forth the fame and excellency of it: whereby we see what the truth makes men to be, who do come under the conduct and power of it; even as fixed stars in the firmament of his divine power, who has caused the morning of his heavenly and glorious gospel-day to break forth; and as with the day that springs from on high, in tender mercy hath he visited many souls. And early did this our worthy deceased friend embrace it, as it appears by his testimony concerning that eminent and blessed messenger and minister of the gospel, George Fox. And now, he having endured the times of proving, and the days of tribulation and suffering, together with the perils and slights, and undervaluings of false brethren, against whose ungodly work he was engaged to stand as a noble warrior, in the defence of, and CONCERNING THOMAS ELLWOOD. xiii for the glorious gospel of Christ; not admiring men's persons, but the work of the gospel-power. And although he was endowed with parts and accomplishments above many, he was humble and grave; not self-seeking, but esteeming the power of truth, though it did appear through mean instruments. He was honorable, and honored, for that he sought not his own honor, but the honor of truth; not only by his sufferings for it, and labors in it, but also in standing firmly against the loose libertine ones, who would have thrust in amongst the lambs and flock of Christ, in an unclean adulterating spirit, from the life of the true Shepherd and Heavenly Husband, Christ Jesus: but to the tender-hearted and sincereminded he was strengthening and comfortable. I knew him when I was but young, and I can truly say, my heart has often been affected, on his behalf, with thankfulness to the Lord, who made him as a strong pillar, in his spiritual house, with many more of his dear servants and children, who shall no more go out. His memory is in my heart esteemed beyond what I can write. Oh! surely, "The righteous shall be had in everlasting remembrance;" Psalm cxii. 6. "And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness, as the stars for ever and ever;" Dan. xii. 3. Hunger-Hill, 5th of the Seventh month, 1713. ELIZABETH RICHARDSON. RICHARD VIVERS' Testimony concerning THOMAS ELLWOOD. He was a man of great wisdom and understanding, and the Lord, the giver of it, being pleased to visit him in his early days, made choice of him, and by the sanctification of his holy Spirit, fitted and prepared him for his work and service whereunto he was called: and although he did not often appear as a minister, yet in those meetings set apart for the affairs of truth he often appeared in great wisdom, having an extraordinary talent given of the Lord for that work, more than many other brethren; and faithful he was in waiting for instruction from God, to improve the same to his glory, and the church's advantage; for nothing was more desirable to him than to be employed in the Lord's service: so it pleased the Almighty to furnish him with understanding and strength, faithfully to do his day's work. And now he hath taken him to himself, where his soul is at rest; and although our loss be his gain, therein I with many more are greatly comforted, for I can truly say I loved him in the truth, from the first of my acquaintance with him, and so it remained to the end of his course, being near forty years since we knew each other: and whenever we conversed together, our discourse was chiefly concerning heavenly things, and the affairs of the church; and I always thought my time well spent |