I have often longed to be in company with you, but it is my duty to be resigned to the will of God; for which state, I find it necessary to labour daily, that I may be given up in all things. The great enemy of souls is daily striving to draw the mind from duly waiting upon God, as we ought to do; thereby, if he can, to keep us from receiving strength to enable us to come up in our duty to God. Oh! he is a crafty enemy: be aware of him; and let it be your chief concern to know the will of your heavenly Father concerning you. Be careful not to move, or do any things but what you have good cause to believe the Lord owns you in. As we dwell under this concern he will favour us with his love; and that will unite our hearts to him, and one to another, and cause us to be true helps one to another.
Dear children, let us wait for this love: it will sweeten all our bitter cups, as we receive it from the Fountain of love. Blessed be the name of our God, who is a God of mercy, and a tender Father unto all them that are more concerned to witness his love in their hearts, than for any thing in this transitory world. May those who are thus concerned, not be discouraged if they should meet with close trials, and sometimes of the nearest or most afflicting kind. When we cannot feel that sweetness and comfort which is desired, then let us remember the words of the apostle, who said, we have need of patience, that when we have done the will of God, we may receive the promise: which is life and peace, and joy in the holy spirit.
Dear children, let us be willing to suffer with Christ, in taking up the daily cross; and let us examine and see what it is that we have laid down for his sake; so that we may witness his living presence in our souls, and have strength to follow him wheresoever he may be pleased to lead us. It is with me to say, the Lord loves them that are willing to suffer for him; and as they travail in spirit to be kept near to him, they will, in his own time, come to reign with him. And, dear children, let us labour for patience; it is an excellent gift from God. As we let patience have its perfect work in us, we shall come to be strengthened and settled in the will of God.
Dear children, my heart is affected with the goodness of God, and in the sense of it, I find freedom to let you know that the Lord hath enabled me to be given up to his holy will in all things. Oh! saith my soul, let him be praised for all his mercies and favours, for they are many. I believe it is for your sakes that I am thus opened; and I desire that your trust may be in the Lord, and that when it is well with you, I may be remembered in your prayers, that my dwelling may be in the will of God all my appointed time.
These may inform you, that it nearly affects my mind to hear of the removal of several Friends out of your monthly meeting, who, I believe, were concerned for the honour of God: and, especially, one who was a near companion of mine, when amongst you. But, before I had time to consider how great a favour it was to her, my mind being deeply affected, it seemed as thou I heard a voice say, mourn not, for it is well with her. She is removed out of all trouble, and is gone to receive the reward of the honest concern of her mind. At which, my spirit was revived, and some of her expressions came into my mind, when she said the custom of using spirituous liquors had been very burdensome her mind for many years. Sometimes we had to sympathize one with another under this concern; believing the practice to be displeasing to God, who is the author of all our mercies. And it came into my mind, that when Jesus sent out his disciples, he said to them, The harvest is truly plenteous, but the labourers are few; pray ye, therefore, the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth labourers into his harvest. Dear children, the earnest desire of my mind is, that the labour and breathings of your spirits may be to the Lord, that he may be pleased to raise up many more labourers in his harvest; for indeed the harvest truly is great, and the faithful labourers are too few. But I have to believe, that if the professors of the holy truth were faithful to God, he would yet raise up many more witnesses of his power, in the room of them he hath seen meet to call away. And I have to believe that some of these would be sent amongst such as do not profess with us; for the Lord hath sown a good see amongst them, and in his own time he will gather in his harvest.
I desire that none of you may be discouraged, nor ashamed to confess Christ before men; but remember the command, "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven." And, dear children, let your endeavours be to bring about a reformation of those things that, in our Society, have been as stumbling-blocks, and still remain to be in the way of other people; and not only so, but to them that are lingering behind, among ourselves. Their eyes are open to see the example of those who appear as leaders among the people, and if they see any thing that does not agree with the profession we make, it is cause of discouragement. But such as labour faithfully in their several allotments, may be helpful to the weak; and even if they are only helpful to one poor soul they will have to rejoice in the day of account.
I conclude, with dear love to you and yours, and to all friends as if named, and remain your
affectionate well wishing mother,
Elizabeth Levis.
To Thomas and Mary Hanson.
Dear Children, -
It is in my mind to write a few lines to you. As a renewed remembrance of the many mercies of God is fresh in my heart, I feel a concern, in the love of God, that may ever keep these things in remembrance. And, dear children, my earnest desire is that you may unite together as true help-meets to the great work of the soul's salvation; then you will be supported under all your trials. And, may you often be concerned to search, and see how you are coming up in your duty to the great Lord and Master, from whom we have received many and great favors. O my dear children, that you and I may often search, and see how we are coming up in faithfulness to him, who is not only a great and powerful One,--but he is a tender Father to all them that love him more than any things in this world. But he is looking for obedience at our hands, even as we look for obedience from our servants. If they should go and do their own business and neglect ours, or take to their own ways to their hurt, Oh! let us consider that it offends us. But if they submit and turn again, are we not ready to forgive, and pass by their offenses? Now it is with me to say how much more is our heavenly Father compassionate to his children, who, upon a narrow search, do find they have fallen short. If they are willing to double diligence, he is a tender father, and ready to pass by many weaknesses, as they are willing to submit under his hand. Of this my soul is a witness: blessed and praised be his holy name forever.
My dear children, it is with me yet to press it home to your minds, that your may be earnest to know your duty to God; and that your cries may be to him for strength to come up therein. Be not dismayed at the tumults and noises among men; but trust in the living God, who in all ages hath been a support to the righteous in their deepest trials.
I now conclude, with love to my companion S.N.(1) and her husband, and to all my friends, as if
named; also to any who may ask after me, whether black or white. I remain your loving mother,
Elizabeth Levis.
Kennet, Chester county, 17th of 11th mo. 1772.
My dear child,
I was very glad to have a few lines from thee; but it afflicted my mind, to hear of your affliction. But I consider that when we are under trials, it is a token that we are under the notice of the heavenly Father's eye; and that he is working in order to wean us from the love, and anxious care of the things of this life, that we may be more and more concerned for his honour and the good of souls, and the we may become fitted for his pure and holy kingdom. It is with me to say, dear children, be not discouraged; for I feel that the Lord is near to you, and is drawing you nearer to himself, that your love may be fixed on heavenly things; so that you may come more and more to enjoy the comforts of the holy Spirit, which will drown all the afflictions that we meet with here.
Dear child, as thou signifies a desire of our being together, I could say amen to it. My desire was great to be in company with you all; but as I was thinking of the great satisfaction it would be to me, I thought I heard a watchword in my inward ear, thus: Be content to wait the Lord's time, and if he sees meet to bring you together in this world, if you are concerned for his honour and the promotion of his holy Truth, then you will have comfort in the Lord, and in one another. Dear child, be not discouraged; for the Lord is near to help thee through all thy difficulties, as thy eye and confidence are stayed on him alone. And as to the hint thou gave of thy fears and doubts that often presented, I say again, be not discouraged; for the Lord is near to them that are walking before him in fear. It is good for us to think meanly of ourselves; but let us have a care of sinking below trusting in God. Let us wait humbly before him, as poor worms, having no strength of our own, but as he is pleased to strengthen us, and raise our spirits, producing a willingness in us to take up the daily cross, and not regard what men shall say of us.
Dear child, I cannot well omit making some mention of the goodness of God to my poor soul. He is often pleased to renew his visitations of tender love to me, and bring to my remembrance the times and seasons in which I was ready to shrink from him, when he was pleased to make known to me what he required of me. But Oh! blessed and praised be his holy name forevermore; his tender mercies are over all his works, and he is not willing to cast off any of his children that will be wrought upon by his Almighty power. And, dear children, it is on my mind to mention something of my own experience by way of comparison. A tender, natural parent, that is truly concerned for the welfare of his children, when pleasant things will not do is under a necessity to use the rod, or more severe measures. But when the child submits, such parent rejoice, and administers that which is good to his child, according to his ability. So our heavenly Father rejoices over those that submit to his holy hand; though he may see meet, at some times, to use the rod; yet when they submit, he administers at times and seasons of his good things to them. And though he may see meet in his wisdom, at seasons, to hid his face a little, as behind a curtain, for the trial of our faith and love,--yet he will appear again; and when he appears, his reward is with him, even the reward of peace and joy in the holy Spirit.
And, dear children, it is my earnest desire that you may solidly wait upon God, in the secret of your hearts, that so he may enable you to be true help-meets one to another, in the great work of the soul's salvation. And labour, as much as you can, to be helps to your children in that great work, which is to be wrought out with fear and trembling. And may your dear child that has lost her companion, and has several small children, not be discouraged; but remember the blessed promise of our heavenly Father, that he will be a father to the fatherless, and a judge of the widow. My desire is that you may comfort and encourage her (not from any apprehension that your are careless of her, but) as I have to sympathize with her in her close trials, it came to my mind to stir you up by way of remembrance. For, we have great need to keep a strict watch against the many hinderings things, or else something may be forgot that ought to be remembered. And it is with me to say, that those who make it their chiefest concern to be prepared for their great change, will not be unprepared to meet the trials that may be suffered to come in their way; for the regard of the Lord is to them that are labouring to be freely given up to his will; and, as we read in the scriptures of Truth, they are to him as the apple of his eye.
I conclude, with dear love to you and your children, and remain your tender mother,
Elizabeth Levis.
The 2nd month, 1774.
Dear Child,
It is my desire that we may be given up to the will of God in all things, for that is well pleasing to him. As it is he that gives, so it is his right tow take away when he pleases; and our duty is to resign all up to him that is his own. I expect thou hast heard of the death of thy dear sister, Lydia; and, dear, child, it is in my mind to give thee some account of my satisfaction in her departure. It seemed to me that the Lord received her into his fold of rest among his lambs: which was a great comfort, and bore me up in that great trial.
I will give thee some account of what thy dear sister had to say on her death-bed. Being from home, I was not present, but had it from one of her near friends. I should have been glad to have had an opportunity with her, while she was capable of speaking her mind to me. But, while I was closely engaged in this sort, it came under my consideration, that the Lord works as he pleases, and that we ought to submit to him in all his dealings with us. Thy dear sister, when near her departure, said it would be hard for her dear sisters when they heard of it; but added, "We must part." And again she said, "It is hard for near and dear friends to part; but we must part; yet we shall meet again, where we shall never part." Having a desire to be helped up on the feet, and being weak, she was held up while she said, "The Lord will raise up some to preach the gospel of glad tidings to the people." At another time she said, "Why don't you let me go? I want to be gone."
Her sickness was short, and her body not much wasted by it, and therefore it was not convenient to keep it long; so that we could not have the opportunity of your company, which would have been very acceptable. Though the time was short, there was a large gathering; but, being late, we had not the opportunity of gathering into the meeting house. We, nevertheless, had a solid time at the grave, and the people were warned to prepare for such a change.
I conclude, with affectionate love to thee and all relations and friends, as if named;--and remain
thy loving mother,
Elizabeth Levis
1.