2. Son Leo Lloyd, born in Plumstead Twp., Bucks Co., Pa., July 11, 1895. Was baptized March 26, 1896, by the Rev S. S. Diehl. Sponsors, parents.

Mahlon R. Trauger died March 22, 1907, aged 39 years, 8 months and I day.

RECORD OF ALBERT RAYMOND TRAUGER.

Albert Raymond Trauger, son of Mahlon R. Trauger and his wife Mary (nee Godshalk), was born in Doylestown Twp., Bucks Co., Pa., March 23, 1889.

Margaret L. Trauger, (maiden name Bigell), daughter of Joseph Bigell and his wife Mary, (maiden name Rufe), was born in Doylestown, Bucks Co., Pa., July 29, 1891.

They were married May 21, 1910. To this union was born one child, Mary Margaret, born July 16, 1911.

RECORD OF HARVEY S. GODSHALK.

Harvey S. Godshalk, son of Christian Godshalk and his wife Eliza, (maiden name Halderman), was born in New Britain Twp., Bucks Co., Pa., April 10, 1870.

Minnie Godshalk, (maiden name Wismer), daughter of Elias Wismer and his wife Barbara, (maiden name Swartz), was born Jan. 3, 1877.

They were married Nov. 24, 1894.

These are their children:

1. Son Clarence, born June 1, 1895, and died May 14, 1905, aged 9 years, II months and 13 days.

2. Daughter Myrtle, born Jan. 16, 1899.

3. Son Lester, born September 16, 1900 and died April 4, 1901. aged 6 months and 18 days.

4. Son Lloyd Edgar, born at Doylestown, Bucks Co., Pa., Feb. 10, 1911.

Abraham Godshalk's Writings

The following is a book written by father Abraham Gottschall:

PREFACE.

Respected Reader. My object in writing this, so far as I know myself, was not to gain the applause of men; if it had been, I presume I should be often disappointed, for I fear I have written such truths as some will not readily receive; but on the other hand, a sincere love of truth, and having for a considerable time had pretty much the same ideas of the matter as you will find them written down in this work. I had a desire to be profitable to my fellow creatures, and believing that many of my fellow mortals have not yet a correct knowledge of regeneration, particularly the young, and that many preach up a kind of regeneration in our day that is not well founded in scripture, namely, that the change is at once so perfect, that no growth is necessary, or that the regenerated man is at once free from sin. I fear such men have not yet known the spirituality of God's law, for not only he that killeth, but he that hateth his brother is a murderer, 1 John 3 and 15; and thus the law is spiritual. Now regeneration, at least in its commencement, is a work of the mind, and when it first takes place, it has the lusts of the flesh, yea, all the evil inclinations to war against; and even ignorance itself, together with the temptations and allurements from without: And it is therefore unreasonable to believe that the regenerated man should at once be a perfect man in Christ; but rather that he has need of growing in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. I do not contend that known sins may not be overcome; but he who has a clear view of God's HOLY LAW, will indeed find that he must struggle hard, watch faithfully and seriously, humble himself under the mighty hand

of God, and also of men, or the law of sin will sometimes take the advantage of him. How natural to be angry when we are reviled. Now if thou canst not sincerely bless when thou art reviled, but on the other hand suffer thyself to be angry or to revile again, then boast not of thy perfection, for thou hast not yet got it, and thus it is in many instances. My desire was to show thee thy imperfection by the perfection of the law of Christ, if thou has not yet grown up unto manhood in Christ; and to show thee what perfection is, that if possible I might entice thee to make it thy continual aim, and to lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and to run with patience the race that is set before us, that thou mayest gain the heavenly prize. I have in this little book shown thee as clearly as I could, the infant state of a child of God, and how and wherein he groweth up to be a young man in Christ, and what he is in this state; and also the perfect man, who is grown up unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. And I here add that, he who doth grow up to manhood in Christ, will also reach the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, unless having put his hands to the plow, he should look back. Now knowing that regeneration is INDISPENSABLE for an entrance into the heavenly kingdom, and believing that a correct knowledge of so essential an article must be beneficial to man, these things caused me to search diligently to come to a correct understanding of the matter, that I might present it to myself and others, in as true a light as possible. Now I do not wish to be understood to think that I know more than all other men. I have nothing to say in my favor, but that I examined the matter with impartiality, and a sincere love of truth; and that I bestowed much time to investigate God's holy word on this important subject. I consider myself far from being infallible. Neither have I depended on myself, but on God's holy word, which thou by reading the following pages mayest clearly see. Nevertheless as I, poor feeble man, was instrumental in bringing God's word together in form, as you will find it in the following pages, and being bound sometimes to pass my opinion on it, I doubt not but it has its imperfections. Nevertheless I am sure thou wilt find many good things

in it. "Hold fast that which is good," and profit thereby. Now I would not that any man should think more of me than he can see of me. I cannot yet say that I have arrived at that state of perfection which I have described as belonging in this world, but sincerely wish to. Now here some will perhaps say, how dost thou know a road which thou hast not travelled at full lengthto which I say, that we can see a road pretty correctly a considerable distance before us, and if we could not see before us at all, we should be stumbling almost at every step. Even so it is in a spiritual sense, if we could not see before us, we could not run for the prize without stumbling almost at every step. Again, he who has a telescope, and has acquired a knowledge of its use, can see things correctly at a great distance. Now the holy word of God is the telescope that discovered these things to me. This work was originally written by me in German, and afterwards translated from that language into English. This was done as follows: the scripture passages were taken as they stand in the English Bible, and by my own words I knew what I had meant, and therefore was able to make English of them. If the work had been written by another man, I should have been altogether insufficient for the work of translation, at least without the aid of books. But having written it myself, I felt at liberty to make such amendments and additions as to me seemed good. Nevertheless, in all important matters, it is one with the German, so much as language will allow.

In conclusion I will yet say, that if any one is desirous of knowing who and what I am, I inform him, that I am a farmer, who was at a pretty early day called to be a preacher of the Gospel, and who has not even had the advantage of a good common education, and have therefore not the power of writing in a polished style. But perhaps it is best so, for if I had been brought up in a theological school, I should perhaps have been filled with so strong a prejudice in favor of what I had learned, as to be forever unfit for an impartial investigation of God's holy word; and thus you and I might never have seen the produce of this my impartial investigation. May the Lord God attend this work with his blessing, and give to every reader the discerning

eye, and the willingness to receive truth wherever found, and to hold it fast, and walk by it to the end of his life, in Christ Jesus. Amen.

ABRAHAM GODSHALK.

A DESCRIPTION OF THE NEW CREATURE.

Text, Gospel of John 3 to 5. Jesus answered and said unto him, verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?

Jesus answered, verily, verily I say unto thee, except a man be born of water, and of the spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.

With the aid of God I intend to explain this text in the following order:

1. Answer the interrogation, why must man be born again? 2. Shew the means by which regeneration is brought on. 3. Show what being born again, or regeneration, is in itself. 4. Show what manner of being he is who is born again, or born of God.

In the first place, the question, "Why must man be born again before he can see or enter into the kingdom of God?" I answer, because he did not remain that which God originally made him, namely, an holy, guiltless and happy being; but became through the transgression of the law of God, an unholy, guilty and unhappy being. Herewith I will not assert that Adam, the first parent of us all, by this one transgression of the law of God, did so far fall from God, that there was no more any faith, any virtue, or any desire to worship God in him. The opposite doth much more shine forth out of his own deeds and words, and those of his wife and children; for we see that when it was told them that the seed of the woman should bruise the serpent's head, they believed it, for at the birth of Cain, Eve said I have gotten a man from the Lord, intimating, as I think, that she be