FRIENDS

REVIEW.

A R cligions, Witerary and Miscellaneous Journal,

 

Vou. XV.

PHILADELPHIA, SEVENTH MONTH 26, 1862.

 

No. 47.

 

EDITED BY SAMUEL RHOADS,
To whom all Communications may be addressed.

PUBLISHED WEEKLY,
At No. 109 N. Tenth street, Philadelphia.

Price, PAYABLE IN ADVANCE, Two dollars per annum, or six copies
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Postage on this paper, when paid quarterly or yearly in advance,
13 cents per annum in Pennsylvania, and 26 cents per annum in
other States.

 

 

For Friends’ Review,
NOTICES OF DAVID COOPER.
NO. XVII.

[Diary resumed.]—“ In the 3d month, 1783,
a meeting for worship, with a Preparative Meet-
ing, was established at Upper Evesham, and
Chester week-day meeting was arranged to be held
on 8d day, and the Monthly Meeting on 6th
day, (which used to be on 5th day,) that so the
Preparative Meetings (which had been in the
previous week,) might be on different days and
in the same week of the Monthly Meeting ; this
new arrangement to take place in the 5th month.
As the time drew near, I found my mind en-
gaged to attend the Monthly and the three Pre-
parative meetings; having been one of the
Quarterly Meeting’s committee and instrumental
in bringing about this alteration. The women

were desired to sit with the men, during the
reading and answering of the Queries, in order
mutually to quicken and stir one another up in
the discharge of religious duty. On 6th day
morning the select meeting was held, which was
a sweet, precious season, LOVE appearing to have
a free current, without any obstruction, which
is too seldom the case in these meetings. Then
eame on their Monthly Meeting. I had much
satisfaction in this little visit, and returned with
the evidence of peace, as having been in the dis-
charge of my duty.”

Precious, truly, must have been this convoca-
tion, where the delegated shepherds and shep-
herdesses of theseveral congregations comprising
one Monthly Meeting, were assembled, and love
flowed in a free current, without any obstruction.

Yet how strange and sad that it should ever be

 

otherwise, since no one can be properly intro-
duced into those meetings, but such as are
joined unto Christ, and “ he that is joined unto
the Lord is one spirit.” We are not only as-
sured that ‘God is love,” but this sweet and
beautiful characteristic is abundantly set forth
as so essential to the religious character, that it
is cited as an evidence of having “ passed from
death unto life,” and without it the Christian
professor, though possessed of the ,greatest
knowledge avd the largest gifts, and even
though abounding in faith, is but “ as sounding
brass and a tinkling cymbal.” The bigot, in
his exclusive devotion to some single idea in
which he may perhaps be wholly mistaken, as he
says*to some humble disciple, “stand by thy-
self,’ may affect to ignore the importance of this
pure and heavenly trait; but he cannot change
the high rank given to it by our Lord and his
apostles, as the first, the second, and the new
commandment, as “ the fulfilling of the law,” as
that by which faith worketh, as prominent and
first among the fruits of the Spirit. ‘‘ Ye are
taught of God,” said Paul, “to love one
another.” And John, the disciple most beloved,
and detained the longest upon earth to give the
latest of apostolic precepts and example, John,
in whom this sweet principle abounded unto
constant overflow, laid down as axioms these
beautiful texts: ‘If we love one another, God
dwelleth in us.” ‘‘He that dwelleth in love,
dwelleth in God.” ‘He that loveth not his
brother whom he hath seen, how can he love
God whom he hath not seen? And this com-
mandment have we from him,—That he who
loveth God, love his brother also.” And he
was eloquent about Love when all other
themes failed him, and in venerable age, child-
like in tenderness, he bore from house to
house the simple message, repeating it often, but
from the fulness of his apostolic heart: ‘ Little
children, love one another.’’ Can we then con-
ceive of a greater anomaly than wrath, hatred,
bitterness, evil speaking, or even any obstruc-
tion to the flowing of the love-current among
those who claim to be members of Christ’s mys-
tical body, and particularly among those who are
selected and set apart, as being thought to have