The Prophet _Isaiah_ mentions Oppression as that which the true Church in Time of outward Quiet should not only be clear of, but should be _far from it_; _Thou shalt be far from Oppression_, Isaiah liv. 14. Now these Words, _far from_, appear to have an extensive Meaning, and to convey Instruction in regard to that of which _Solomon_ speaks, _Though Hand join in Hand, the Wicked shall not go unpunished_, Prov. xvi. 5. It was a Complaint against one of old, _When thou sawest a Thief, thou consentedst with him_, Psal. l. 18. The Prophet _Jeremiah_ represents the Degrees of Preparation toward Idolatrous Sacrifice, in the Similitude of a Work carried on by Children, Men, and Women: _The Children gather Wood, the Fathers kindle the Fire, and the Women knead the Dough to bake Cakes for the Queen of Heaven_, Jer. vii. 18. It was a complaint of the Lord against _Israel_, through his Prophet _Ezekiel_, that _they strengthen'd the Hands of the Wicked, and made the Hearts of the Righteous sad_, Ezek. xiii. 12. Some Works of Iniquity carried on by the People were represented by the Prophet _Hosea_, in the Similitude of Ploughing, Reaping, and eating the Fruit; _You have ploughed Wickedness, reaped Iniquity, eaten the Fruit of Lying, because thou didst trust in thy own Way, to the Multitude of thy mighty Men_, Hosea x. 13. I have felt great Distress of Mind since I came on this Island, on Account of the Members of our Society being mixed with the World in various Sorts of Business and Traffick, carried on in impure Channels. Great is the Trade to _Africa_ for Slaves; and in loading these Ships abundance of People are employ'd in the Manufactories. Friends in early Time refused, on a religious Principle, to make or trade in Superfluities, of which we have many large Testimonies on Record, but for want of Faithfulness some gave way, even some whose Examples were of Note in Society, and from thence others took more Liberty: Members of our Society worked in Superfluities, and bought and sold them, and thus Dimness of Sight came over many. At length, Friends got into the Use of some Superfluities in Dress, and in the Furniture of their Houses, and this hath spread from less to more, till Superfluity of some Kind is common amongst us. In this declining State many look at the Example one of another, and too much neglect the pure Feeling of Truth. Of late Years a deep Exercise hath attended my Mind, that Friends may dig deep, may carefully cast forth the loose Matter, and get down to the Rock, the sure Foundation, and there hearken to that Divine Voice which gives a clear and certain Sound.