| Title: | Samuel Neale, Philadelphia, USA to T.Greer, Dungannon, Co,Tyrone. |
|---|---|
| ID | 1936 |
| Collection | Irish Emigration Database |
| File | Neale, Samuel/1 |
| Year | 1771 |
| Sender | Neale, Samuel |
| Sender Gender | male |
| Sender Occupation | unknown |
| Sender Religion | Quaker |
| Origin | Philadelphia, Penn., USA |
| Destination | Dungannon, Co. Tyrone, N. Ireland |
| Recipient | Greer, Thomas |
| Recipient Gender | male |
| Relationship | friends |
| Source | D 1044/290: Deposited by the late Captain U. Mc G Greer. |
| Archive | The Public Record Office, N. Ireland. |
| Doc. No. | 9612191 |
| Date | 07/05/1771 |
| Partial Date | |
| Doc. Type | EMG |
| Log | Document added by LT, 03:12:96. |
| Word Count | 1110 |
| Genre | |
| Note | |
| Transcript | 5/7 1771 [5 May 1771?] Philadelphia the 7th of the 5 mo 1771 [7 May 1771?] Dr [dear?] friend Thy acceptable favour of the 9 mo 16 [16 September?] last I received this last month, which was a pleasing Testimony of thy simpathy [sympathy?] & Brotly [brotherly?] regard to [arbour?] pilgrim who endeavours to do the Work alloted in this Day of Tryal [trial?], according to strength proportiond [proportioned?] wh [which?] yields reward equal to what I expected, & I think far beyond my [desart?]: my sphere of Action in the Body I have always looked at as in a narrow circumscribed small degree which sight I trust will be granted to me as well as sense remain whilst in the Earthly house & Tabernacle of Clay that I am comparitively [comparatively?] speaking but as Worms & no Man; Elevation & Exaltation belongs not to poor dependants who every day rely upon the Bounty & Blessings of an invisible power, and who if they live in the Fellowship of the Lord's family the church; must be by the supplys [supplies?] of his Life & Spirit and whether it be in a greater or lesser degree may be kept so humble as to be thankful remembering that we are unworthy of the best of his mercys [mercies?] conferred upon us; & that we are running towards the Day of dust, and the Eternal Day of rewards: my View Dr [dear?] frd [friend?] is to get within the courts & to an Entrance into the King's house where soft raiment is the Livery of the lowest order that composes the family; their spirits being coverd [covered?] with the covering of their Lords Spirit which is the Righteousness of Spirits; & the Raiment of the redeemed: I find in order for this Entrance we must be Molded [moulded?] into different forms have different services to perform; & be as in jopardy [jeopardy?] in our own apprehensions of our lives in an outward & inward Sense, and yet when the conflict is over we behold we have been sustained by a secret hand that was near on which may we ever lean to the latest period of our lives, & then live to adore and Magnifie [magnify?] its salvation for Ever; my Companion J [O?] & I am returned from the Southern parts having Visited Virginia North & South Carolina the western parts of Maryland & some parts of this province, in which journey we got along as well as I could expect; and for my own part have been preserved from Murmuring at the Baptisms I have met with; having in the Effects beheld their Benefits: & tho' [although?] we travelled in some difficulty as to the Outward much more Delicate & refined Spirits passed through much harder & more Difficult places in years that are passed, as the country is open'd [opened?] and peopled considerably since then ; there is every open door in many places amongst other people, the [they?] seem Hungary [hungry?] & Thirsty & comes great distances to Meeting, especially in Virginia & we have felt the stream to hum as sweetly & strongly to those as to them of our own society: for their [there?] are a people here that has been highly favoured, and have not brought forth fruits adequate to the Labour & pains bestowed, the one thing willed & too much in the Deadness of profession, representing an image, without Life and yet would Rule because of this Likeness which greatly retards the Host & obscures & glooms the brightness of Zion: I wont say much on this head as I doubt not but thy Vessel may be on the Stocks in order for refitting or forming, & seasoning for this very journey I am now upon: I am desirous to be preserved from sowing any bad seeds to save the trouble of weeding em [them?] out when thou comes; the simpathy [sympathy?] of Dr [dear?] J. Churchman Will Brown: G. Mason & J. Lightfoot whose places I have passed through has been very strengthening their hands is full of Labour; I shall have a higher Opinion of our own country law as things are then [than?] I had before, as we have more of subordination to the transacting of the Discipline, & less obstruction to the administering Judgmt [judgement?]: however Zion travels here & these are [obscure?] [living?] [Remnants?] who sometimes Weeps for the slain, & sometimes has to sing the Songs of salvation & praise: thy remark with respect to the Draft of the People & their being gone too much after Words is too true: but there are that know how to distinguish between the sensible living breathing of the Holy Spirit: and this [Cautious?] Spirit, that glooms instead of brightens, and wastes & weathers instead of strengthening & building up in the Faith that overcomes fear and the World: we were at one Dreadful meetg [meeting?] which held two Days exceeding large & were entirely shut up & sealed as to ministry and don't expect to be there again; & indeed in several other places: and sparks of our own kindling only leads to the habitation of sorrow & distress from which may every Child & Member of the family be preserved, for it is a strange apparel is worn is punishable by the great Judge; I have been here now 2 weeks mostly confined by the Rheumatism & it is in pain I now write this letter wh. [which?] makes it not very intelligible I have rode about 2500 Miles & has been at more than 150 meetings My companion is gone toward New England intending for the yearly meeting at Flushing on Long Island. I could not set that course but propose to be at West River yearly meeting and so take the Eastern shore of Maryland, which will finish that colony, having been on the Western shore before we paid our different Prospects before some friends, who were capable to judge of such Matters, who approved our Minding our own particular openings and the exemplary laying it before the Elders: and its a fine thing to have the concurrance [concurrence?] of Faithful Judicious friends, May I never be perceived to Value the Unity of the Brethren next to Divine favour, which is as a Girdle of strength in seasons of conflict & distress : farewell Dr [dear?] Fd [friend?] & when thou art helpt [helped?] remember thy tryed [tried?] frd [friend?] : remember me to thy Dr [dear?] Wife thy daughter Eliza [Elizabeth?] & the rest of the children & thy family and enquiring frds [friends?] in thy freedom wh [which?] concludes me thy friend in true affection & nearness of Spirit Samuel Neale |
