«9R5fec= n- .' n^ ' ^'-^ "^J si^^\ j^Ai^A/i jc/^<^ f^o Aff^A. \ S "> -> SN V > Vyv///t> O ?ie^T L "/^-^^ f'/rr/ -y-i ACCOUNT Oy THE LIFE «F THAT ANCIENT SERVANT OF JESUS CHRISTj JOHN RICHARDSON, ^IFZITG J RELATION oS 3MANY OF HIS TRIALS AND EXERCISES IN HIS YOUTH, AND HIS SERVICES IN THE WORK OF THE iMINISTRY, IN ENGLAND IRELAND AND AMERICA. He that heareth you, heareth me : and he that despiseth you, despiseth me : and he that despiseth me, despiseth him that sent me.— Christ. BOLTON, CMassJ ilE-PUBHSHED BY DANIEL COQLEDG.E. iOtJbi Mo. 1897. SUBSRIBERS' NAMES. >^ ^.^.*^.^.*^.i^^ JBolton, (Mast. J No. John Fry, one Thomas Watson, one Abel Houghton, one Calvin Gates, one Stephen Pope, one Josiah Badcock, one James N. Fry, one Joseph Holder, one Josiah Shove, one David Smith, one Benjamin Wheeler, one Jonathan Fry, one John Fry, jun. one Holder Wheeler, one David Southwick, one Asa Wheeler, one ^Elizabeth Gillson, one GUmanto'iun^ ("JV. H.) Ezekiel Hoit, eleven For himself one Henry Plumer, one John Folsom, one Benjamin Bean, one Joseph Jones, one Gideon Bean, jun. one Jacob Tucker, one Joel Bean, one Joseph Clifford, one Nicholas Jones, one John Elkins, one Sivansey^ (Mass.) Benjamin Slade, fourteen Richmond^ (M H. Samuel Fassett, twenty-six For himself one Paul Jillson one Levi Mowry one No= Wm. Bassett, one Pcr^green Wheeler, Elijah Harkness Jedediah Buffom, one one one Peleg Taft, Israel Sabin, one two Enoch Southwick, one Reuben Randall, one Levi Randall, one Lydia Cass, Amos Adams, one two Jonas Twitchel, one David Read, one Wm. CJalbum, one John Day, one David Twitchel, one Edmond Farnsworth, one John Younglove, David Fisher, one one David Cppeland Ebenezer Copeland, one one Sandzvich, (J^. H.) Johi> Hoag, twenty-one Weare^ (N,H.) Enoch Breed, thirty Cumberland.) (R. I.) Jeremiah Wilkinson, thirty-six For himself two Benjamin Arnold, one Samuel Hill, one James Smitb, seven Ahab Arnold, one Jenks Whipple, one Isaac Raze, one Jason Newell, i^ix»ife Enoch Arnold, one Nicholas Brown, one SUBSCRIBERS' NAMES. /o3eph Metcaf, Benjamin G. Dexter, Israel Joslin, Simeon Wilkinson, Tillson Aldrich, Augustus Lapham, A mas a Cook, Joseph Harris, Parden Sprague, Benedict Remington, Le\vis Warfield Judath Southwick, Walfiole, (Jr. H.) Derick Sibley, Samuel Foster, No. BerrelviUe^ (R. I.) N^ one Buffom Chase^ fourteen one UxdridgCi (Mass. J one Gideon Mowry eleven one For himself one one William Aldrich, one one Laban Comstock, one one Hoziah Wheeler, one One Moses Farnum, four one Jesse Eddy, one one Paul Aldrich, one three Benjamin Buffom, jun. one one Newfiorty (R. I.J Job Sherman, sevea one Ferrisburg^ C^^O one Thomas Robinson, eight NOTE.-— The design of the intended publisher, of a new Edition of the Life of John Richardson, being frustrated by a competent number of Subscribers not being returned, and he hearing of an old Edition, printed many years since in Philadel- phia, and feeling willing to gratify the solicitude of those who were anxious to obtain them, has purchased enough to supply those who have subscribed. And as the quality and size of the Book is as much as one third better than a new Edition could be aiTorded at the subscription price, he presumes none will object -0 receiving them j but if so, they are left to their choice. ( iii ) THE TESTIMONY OF Friends belonging to Gijhrougb Monthly -^ meeting, concerning our worthy Friend John Richardson, who departed this Life, near Hut ton in the Hoky the 2d of the Fourth Month 1753, ^^ ^^ Eighty feventh Year of his Age, and was buried in Friends Burying Ground ^t Kirby-moorjide. AS many of our Elders are removed, and but few left who had perfonal Knowledge of this our Friend in his younger Years, and early Part of his Service, we cannot give fo full an Account thereof as otherwife might have been done. Neverthelefs, by Accounts tranfmitted to us, we have Caufe to believe he was much devoted and chearfully given up to walk in the Way of his Duty, and therein was of great Service to the Churches where his Lot was caft ; as alfo an Inftrumeut in the divine Hand, in turning many to Righteoufnefs, ( iv ) As to the latter Part of his Life, we have this Teil:imon}' to give of him, That he was a Lover of Difcipiine and good Order in the Church, dfiigent in attending Meetings for Worfhip and Tinich's Service, whilft of AhiUty ; a good Ex- ample therein, by fitting in a flill, quiet, and unatfedled manner in Silence, and when raifed up to bear a pubHc Teftimony, was com- fortable and^ acceptable to Friends. And when his natural Faculties were fome- whar impair'd, and he confined at home thro' old Age and Infirmities, he appeared more and more heavenly minded, and fcem'd to grow- in the Life of Religion, that we hope he is now iic Reft in the Fruition of that Happinefs prepared for fuch as hold out to the End in well doing. Signed on Behalf of the /aid Meeting, held at Caftleton the izd of the Third Mouthy i754i h John Snowdon Isaac Taylor William Peirson Tuumas Ellkrby John FlintoitT Caleb Fletcher John Wilson John Martin Thomas Ward George Coats^ Onlsiphorus Hoopus George Mason Isaac Stockton Joseph Flintoft John Baker Richard Wilson Thomas Wood William Hartas John Stephenson Joseph FiESLEToN, TH Z ( V ) THE TESTIMONY OF Friends, from the Quarterly-meet- ing held at York. ON reading the Teftimony given from the Monthly-meeting of Gijbroiigh^ concern- ing our late ancient and worthy Friend John Ricbardfon^ deceafed, of which we approve, and do find ourfelves under an Engagement to add this ftiort Teftimony ; that from certain Experience of the Service he has had amon-^ us in a frefti and lively Miniftry, and/ in the exercifing of the DifcipUne of the Chiarch in a Gofpel Spiritj whereby many received Comfort and Edification ; and fome of us leaving Know- ledge of him from his early Appearance in the Ivliuiflry, remember that he was acceptable to Friends, being found in Dodrine, reaching to the Witnefs of God in thofe to whom he mini- ftred : He was a diligent and faithful Labourer, travelling feveral Times through moft Parts of this Nation, and vifited Friends' Meetings in Scotland and Ireland^ as aUb twice the Eno-li/Jj Plantatii^ns in America^ leaving many Seals of his Miniftry, having had the Approbation and Unity ( vi ) Unity of his Friends with his Service both at home and abroad. He was a tender nurfing Father in the Church, over the Youth whom God had vifited, to encourage and ftrengthen" thofe newly convinced, to whom alfo he was a good Example ; and though of a fweet and courteous Difpofition, yet careful in the Spirit of Wifdom, to caution and guard fuch agamft the deceitful Workings and falfe Reprefent^ tions of the Spirit of Error ; and to divers of u^ who vifited him towards the Clofe of his Time, he appeared in a heavenly Frame of Mind, to our great Comfort, evidencing a Preparation fo?- that eternal Blifs whereinto (we doubt not) he is entered, and reaps the Fruits of his Labours. Signed in and on Behalf of our ^arterly^ meetings held at York the I'^th and i%th of the Third Month 1754, hy BOSSEO. MiDDLETON SaMUEL GrIMSHAW John Scott William Coning Robert H/^nderson Thomas Aldam,j«w. Edward Stabler William Payne Roger Shackleton John Greenwood Layton Firbank John Hustler William Hird Caleb Fletcher John Flinto/t William Brown William Cc^well Abraham Sutcliff John Birkb^.ck John Sutcliff John Kilden Jonathan Craven. Thomas Rowland AN ( ^ ) ^ AN ACCOUNT OF THE LIFE O F JOHN RICHARDSON, Introduced With a brief Relation concerning his Father William Richardson. IT has been repeatedly revived in my Mind, to leave the following Account concerning my dear Father William Richardson, hav- ing alfo feen fomething of his own in Manu- fcript, concerning his Convincement^ with Re- m.arks on fome other Things ; but I being young when he died, did not then much heed it, and when I would gladly have ktn it for my ovyu Satisfadlion, I could not, nor as yet can meet with it ; therefore, .nafmuch as my Father was early convinced of t-hc Truth, a Sufferer for it, and bore a pub- lick Teftimony to it, I found it my Duty, as near as I could remember' the Contents thereof, to leave this ihort Account concerning him, viz. He ( 2 ) He was born at North Cave^ in the Eaft Part oiTorkfmre^ in the Year 1624, of honed Parents, and of good Repute, and was educated in the Epifcopal Way, being foberly inchned from his Childhood and upward, a Lover and Seeker after Purity and Virtue : And I have heard him fay, gave his Mind much to Retirement, reading the holy Scriptures, breathing and feek- ing after the Lord, efpecially in the Fields, be- ing by Calling a Shepherd ; and it pleafed the Lord to open his Underftanding fo clearly, that he faw and longed for a more excellent Dif- penfation to come ; and alfo faw that the Priefts were wrong, and generally proud and covetous, fo that he was weary with following them, and much weaned from them and all Company, except two or three Men who did meet with him, and fpoke one unto another concerning their inward Conditions, and what they had experienced of the Lord's Dealings with them. This was before they had heard of the Name ^laker^ as it was in a fhort Time after given to a People which the Lord raifed up to give Teftimony of the notable and ancient, yet newly revived and blefTed Difpenfation of ChriiVs Coming, and Manifeftation by t he holy Spirit, inwardly in the Hearts and Minds of the Children of Men, in order to enlighten, quicken, fandlify, and fave them from Darxt- nefs, Death, Ignorance and Sin, that they might be made capable of obeying, worfliiping and glorifying the great God and Sanftifier of them. ( 3 ) And as my Father was thus waiting and looking for a more general breaking forth of this glorious, powerful and Gofpel-day, winch had in a good degree fprung up in his Heart, he had not, as yet, feen that worthy and good Man George Fox, although he paffed through thofe Parts about that Time; but foon after came Willi AM Dews berry, and at the Sound of his Voice, I have heard my Father fay, he was exceeding glad, in hearing him declare the Way to find the loll: Piece of Silver, the Pearl of great Price ivithin^ 3. Saviour n^ar^ that had been held forth by Men to be at a^diftance. But having left the dark Watchmen, of whom they ufed to enquire, they now met with their Beloved at hom.e, in their own Bofoms ; re- nowned be the great Name of the Lord, now and for ever, Tiius the 'hearing and receiving the ever biefled Truth, was as the Seed, or Word of the Kingdom, fown in the good Ground^ or lionell ^learts of Men, which took Root downward and fprang upward, and brought forth Fruit in fome thirty^ in fome Jixtyy and in others an hundred Fold^ to the Praife of the great and good Hufbandman, My faid Father was early raifed up to bear a publick Teftimony, which was living and ac- ceptable to Friends, but was fo much attended with Weaknefs of Body for many Years, that he went little abroad ia the Work of the Mmi- ftry. He fuffered patiently the Spoiling of his Ooods^ and Impriibnment of his weakly Body, B in ( 4 j in the great and more general Imprifonment J he not only believed in Jefus Chrift, butfuffered for him ; he was a good Neighbour, a loving Hufband, and a tender Father over all that was good, but fevere to all that wliich was wrong, and was for Judgment, without Refpedl of Perfons, and Ipared it not even to his own Children; and efpecially he was much con- cern'd for me,yc?r, as he faid, I ivas the ivildejl of them \ and as he lived well, and believed in jefus Clirift, I doubt not but he has finifhed his Courfe in the Love and Favour of God, is entered into a Manfion of Glory, and is at Reft vrx\\ all the Faithful who loued not their Lives unto Deaths but rather hated them in compari- fon of that endeared and unfel gned Love they bore to God the Father, and to Jefus Chrill his dear and well-beloved Son, who died for them* and alfo for the whole World. He departed this Life in 1679, aged abo^lt fifty-fiye Years, and was decently buried r> Friends burying Place in Hotham^ xitds Carjt where he was born. ^ NO W having given this fhort Account concerning my Father, it remains with nie to leave to Pollerity fome Remarks on my Confine entente with an Account of fundry Tranfaclions, Travels, Healings, and Deliver- ances I met with, in and from my Youth to this Day, with fome Advice and Openings ::. the Spirit of Truth. I v;, ( 5 ) I was young when my Father died, not above thirteen Years of Age, yet the Lord was ?.( :work by his Light, Grace and holy Spirit ip my Heart, but 1 knew not then what it wag which inwardly difquieted my Mind, whe'^ any Thing which was evil did prevail over the Good in me, v/hich it oftentimes did, for want of taking heed to that of God in my Heart ; I delired Eafe and Peace fome other Way. without taking up the Crofs of Chrift to 'my gwn corrupt Will, and ftrove for fome Tima (as no doubt many do) to make merry over th^' jufl \yitnefs, until for a Seafon the coavertii. and true Witnefs of God feem'd to be flaih, o difappear'd, and then I took Liberty, but no' in grols Evils which many ran into, being pre ferved religioufly inclined, feeking aftt^u.Pr^ felfors, and enquiring of them, for my Info mation and Satisflidlion, to find (if I could) an Thing that was fafe to reft in, or any true,ar folid Comfort to my poor difconfolate arid I wilder'd Soul, but I was afraid I Ihould be d ceiv'd, or take up a falfe Reft in any Thin^ t!) was wrong or unfafe ; which was the great Lo and Mercy of God to me. But after mrj Searchings and Enquirings among thofe w were but in the Letter without, and in the oiu ward Court, where the Veil is over the Under {landings and the Eye of the Mind is not trul opened to fee into Things that are invifible, ar hid from all carnal- minded Men; even fo w. my State and Afflictions hid from them, ai a ! all the deceitful Workings of Satan, and tii' ' flror . ( 6 ) « i" , >tations which I met with, thefe t ii:^t > could not fee, nor their veiled l^'dti igs know how to dired me to the V '^^e i of IJrael^ the Lawgiver coming ^ur oT :hat turns away Ungodlmefs from 7V::*-"'v Tranfgreffion from Ifrael \ ncA b> experienced Deliverance wrought hi < iK.i^i ii; of this cloudy, bewilder'd and tcrr^picd Str^i which I was in. Oh ! that People vtould copjf to him that hath the Eye-Jaive^ >rith whk f the Eye be truly anointed, it '^v'll fet c: ly Things as they are, and not ,rrk]y^ in < king Trees for Men, and Things arLcftiiaJ : Things coelellial ; and that they 5v, uJd bvv 3ld, tried by the Fire of him that - rai-e'd Xu^: 'ried Stone^ eleSl 2indi precious ^ laid w S/^h ! that all the Inhabitants of '.f Earth m^ it be thus anointed, enriched and ruly cioath? that no more inward Blindnefs r pQverr> ly be found in the Children of '^!i, no: Shame of their Nakedncfs bfi ' aicrc ii^ now or hereafter, kc-ceivs < learn thefe Things, you that ' -^ir at is the faithful and true Wit- nefs. ( 7 ) nefs, that always witneffeth agalirft'tfi » Man, but always giveth Witnels -o the 1 for the Good iti Men which they do L , think. This is the Spirit of ^lim that dead^ and is alive^ no more to he kuGwu . the Fle/hy as the^Apoftle gaye Tefd?m>ny. ^ is to be known inwardly and ipii itual the Children of Men, to open lie blind 1) and unftop the deaf Ear, and piercecb ^^ the Soul that hath been clouc^ d and tivated, imprifoned and mifguic' I, an in a Wildernels, and fees not a Way iai lit verance ; hke Jfrael in the Laod of F - when the Lord Jehovah fent I'qfis^ a Type of Chrift, and employed Jr^m in .\< great Work of pleading with, id pl-v u Pharaoh and the Egyptians ; y( their Burdens and Afflidlions iv^ and their Exercifes more imbittei^'d unto v}xtv until that great and marvellous Work wa a good degree accompliflied, wh ch was Deliverance out of Egypt ^ the great and \C: Wprk for which Mqfes was chiefly f^nt ; v Deliverance was not wrought imtil the irr: born of Man, and of Bead, was fiain t'lrovi;:;! put all the Land of Egypt. Now the clear Opening I had h t .e Li? oi what is to be underitood, and ginhvred . hence, is not the Jlaying of the oufix^hrij .. but 2l putting off^ or Jlaying the Bi^-ay of the .1 jqf the Flejh^ crucifying, or putting off tht Man nvith his Deeds ; and as to the Beafi Cruelty, Luft, Puihing, Tearing. v>evcarm;. ( 3 ) »a. ind Savagehefs, is to be (lain or put away ; and i'l) .he corrupt or ftrong Will ot Man, as well as ,« 9vhat is beaftial, muft be flain before Man can I : ome from under the Power of him who is iv ailed the Prince of the Poiver of the Ah\ who y. liles in the Hearts of the Children of Dijobedience^ hi rhefe Things muft be experienced, before the "hildren of Men can go forth rightly quali- - ix;cl to glorify God, and follow his dear Son, : whom he bath appointed to be a Leader^ and ) a Commander of his People : This is he, as Mo/es declares, zt^ho is to be heard in all Things^ .; mder the Penalty of being cut off from the Peo- ^i 'k ; or of having their Names blotted out of tJoe w, jook of Lfe; or being defrrjed of the Comforts '- the Lord' s holy Prejence. Read this, you Vv'ho u /^ heard and underitood 'u^jat the Spirit Jail h ]f ^ito th'^^^Ct'urthes.—'ThdSc Things I iaw, after ii ne true Witnefs arofe or revived, and the , ight did fhine which had difappeared, or. .id been clouded. 1 have been led into thefe 1 Openings, which have cauled a little Digrefiioa • "om my Wildernefs State 1 mentioned before, , hich I now return to. < After much Searching without, amongfl: ..iofe who proved to me Phyficians of no Value ^ •; md mferable Comforters^ I betook myfelf to a rv.V.nelGme and retired Life, breathing after, and r T^ckin^ tfie Lord in the tields, and private ' P):ices, befecching him, that he would bring n^:e to the faving Knozvkdge of his Truth ; ?A\(i fjlffled be the Name of the Lord now and for ^^f-r, i had not fought him long witii all my Heart, ( 9 ) Heart, before I met with his inward Appear^ ance to 'me, in and by his holy Spirit, Light and Grace J but when the trne Light did begin to ihine more clearly, and the living Witnefs did arife in my inward Man, Oh thenmy un- done, bewildered and miferable Condition began to appear, and then great and unutterable were my Conflidls, and the Diftrels I was in;. I thought no Man's Condition upon the Face of the whole Earth was like mine ; I thought I was not fit to die, neither did I know how to live; I thought in the Evening, Oh! that it nvas Moi'ming ; and in the Morning, that it 'was Evening, 1 had many folitary Walks in the Fields, and other Places, in which I many^ Times poured out my Complaints and Cries before the Lord, with fervent Supplications to him, that he would look upon my AfHiclions, and the ftrong Temptations I was then under, and that he would rebuke the Adverf^iry of my Soul, and deliver it, for I even thought it was as in the Jaws of a devouring Lion, and . amongft the fiery Spirits, and, as it were, under the Weight of the Mountains, Read and underfland the AflBicPcions of thy Brother, thou that haft come through great Tribulations, . and haft wafhed and made thy Garments v/hite in the Elood of the Lamb; this is the Bcp'n- ning of that Baptiiin which doth farjc^ and or that Wafliing of Regeneration, and renewing of the holy Ghoft, which the hord jl^eds upon /the Believers in abundance ; this is the Blood I -Whica Jprinklcth the Heart from an evil Cr.i^ r Jciejtce'y ( w ) Jctcncc^ that the Children of Men^ thu§ changed,. may ferve the li'ving and true God; this is the Life which converts the Worlds even as many as are converted; this is the Virtue, Life and Blood, which maketh clean the Saints Garments^ mid in'wardly ivajheth them from all lilthinefs^ both of Flejh and Spirit. I found this was and is he of whom it is faid, by him nvere all Things made^ and he is Lord of all; a Man ought to be Servant to him, and all Things in Man fub- fervient to him, who commands and compre** hends all Things, in whom all the Types and Shadows alfo do end, or are fulfilled. Read this thou Virgin Daughter, or clean Church of Chrift, the Rock of thy Strength^ whofe Name to thee is as precious Ointment poured forth^ and becaufe of the Savour thereof the Virgins love him^ and are under great Obligations to obey and follow him the Lamb of God, wherefoevcr he leadeth. Although I hadfeen many Things, and had divers Openings, yet great were my Trials, and many were the Temptations I met with in thofe Days, for I lived at a Diftance from Friends, and Meetings, which made my Exer- cife the harder, as will more fully hereafter appear, in the Courfe of my Travels and Pil- grimage in this Vale of Tears and Troubles, and fome of them not very common ; but the Lord helped me through them all, bleffed be his Name for ever. I now came to witnefs that Scripture to be fulfilled, which faith, that vihen the Lord's Judge- ments ( " ) ments are in the Earthy or earthly Hearts of Men, the Inhabitants learn Right eoufnejs : And notwithftaading there was an Averfion in my wild Nature to the People in fcorn called ^z^- kers^ as alfo to the Name itfelf, yet when the •afflidling Hand of the Lord was upon me for my Difobedience, and when, like Ephraim and Judah^ I faw in the Light my Hurt and my Woundy I bemoaned myfelf, and mourned over that juft Principle of Light and Grace in me, which I had pierced with my Sins and Difobedience ; and although that Miniftration of Condemnation was glorious in its Time, vet great were my Troubles, which humbled my Mind, and made me willing to deny myleli: of every Thing which the Light made known in me to be evil, I being in great Diftrefs, and wanting Peace and Alfurance of the Love of God to my Soul ; the Weight of which fo humbled my Mind, that I knew not of any Calling, People, Pradlice, or Principle, that was lawful and right, which I could not embrace, or fall in with. This was furely like the Day of Jacob's Troubles, and David's Fears ; I faw that the Filth of Sion was to be purged away by the Spirit of Judgment and of Burning; this is the Way of the Deliverance and Recovery of poor. Men out of the Fall, and the Time of the Reftoration of the Kingdom to God's true J/raeL Read ye that can, and underftand. This was the Day of my Baptifm into the Love of God, and true Faith in his beloved Son, as alfo into a Feeling of, or Sympathy with him in his C SuiFei'ings, ri ( f2 ) Sufferings, which were unutterable, and I found that Miniftration changed ; that which had been unto Death^ was now unto Life ; and the Miniftration which was of Condemnation unto the firft Birth, when that was ilain, and in a good degree nailed or faftcned to the Crofs of Chrift the Power of God, then the Good prevailed over the Evil, and working out the Evil in the Mind, and alio in the Membc^rs, made all good or holy. The Lord's living Power, and confuming burning Word, when it works and prevails, it brings into Subjedion, and maketh the very Heart or Ground holy in Men. Whereas there had been an Avcrfion in me to the People called in fcorn fakers ^ and alfo to their ft:ri6l living and Demeanour, Plainnefs of Habit, and Language, none of which I learned from them; for when the Lord changed niy Heart, he alfo changed my Thoughts, Words and Ways, and there became an Aver- fion in me to Vice, Sin and Vanity, as there had been to the Ways of Virtue ; but having tafted of the Terrors and Judgments of God becaufe of Sin, I was warned to flee from fuch Things as occafioned Chrift's Coming, not tof bring Peace upon the Earthy but a Sivord ; a Sv.^ord indeed, yea, his Heart - penetrating, fearching Word, ijuhich is Jharper than any tzvo- edged Sivord^ that pierceth to the cutting or di'viding a/under bct'ween Flejh and Spirit^ Joints and Ma^TGiv, And as thus I came to fee and abhor ( ^3 ) ^bhortlie Evil in myfelf, when fuch who. had been my Companions in Vanity reviled me, or ,came in my Way, I was often moved to warn and reprove them, having, as before hinted, tailed of the Terrors of the Lord for Sin, I Gould not well forbear to warn others to flee fuch Things as I had been judged for. Now I came clearly to be convinced about the Hat- honow\ bo'wing the Knee^ the corrupt Language^ as well as finery in Habit ; all which for Con- fcience-fake, and the Peace thereof, I came to deny, and take up the CJrofs to, and had great Peace in fo doing. Although the bleffed Truth thus prevailed in me, yet notwithftanding, I was not without great Confli6ls of Spirit, Temptations and Trials ot divers kinds; neverthelefs, my Mind was refigned to the Lord, and my fervent Prayers were to him, and he kept me, and opened my Underftanding, for I was afraid of being milled in any Thing, efpecially relating to my Salva- tion : I came to be weaned from all my Com- panions and Lovers which I had taken Delight and Pleafure in, and all Things in this World were little to me, my Mind being much re-^ deemed out of the World, and not only the corrupt and evil Part thereof, but even from the lawful Part ; fo that my Heart and Mind became much inclined and given up to feek the Lord, waiting upon him to feel his Prefence, and Peace, and to know his Will, and receive f ower to do the fame* h^ ( u ) As thus my Mind came to be brought into a depending and waiting Frame upon the I ord, and to be (layed in the I ighi, and experiment- ally and feelingly to partake of his bove and Grace, which helped me againfl: my hjfirmities, (bleifed be his Name) I found it fufficient for me, as 1 kept to it, in all Trials and Temjta^ tions : Then I came to fee, that all the outward Performances in Matters of Religion did not avail nor render Man acceptable to God, but as the Heart came to be truly given up to him, that he might not only purge it from Defile- ment, but keep it clean through the Indwelling of his holy Spirit: And, as near as I remember, I faw clearly through thefe Things before the lixteenth Year of my Age ; although, between the Death of my Father and this Time, 1 took; Liberty to go among what People I would, my Mother giving us great Liberty, ahhough fhe was a Woman well accounted of among all People who knew her, and not undtftrvedly, for her Indullry and fair Dealing concerning theThirgs of this World, After this Time I attended the Meetmgs of the Lord's People caiied ^mkers, as diligently as my Circumilances would well acimii : My Mother being left with five Children, i had Only one Sitter who was elder than nn ieif and three Brothers younger, the)Oungeft about three Years old when my Father died, he leav- ing but little of this World to bring us up with j yet my Parents always had as much as kept them~ above Coutempt, and no boay loff by tiiem j^ ( 15 ) them ; but I found myfelf under a Neceffity to work hard for my own Support, the Help of my Mother, and Education of my Brothers, more efpecially as my Sifter died foon after. We being left in a Farm of Grazing, and part Hufl^andry or Tillage, did well as to the Things of this World, yet I cannot well omit nientioning one Thing which became a great Exercife to me, which was thus ; my.Mother married one that was zealous for the Presbytery^ and I being much agamft it, fliewed my Dif- like to the Marriage, and told my Mother, / ivas afraid that jhe had too much an Eye to 'what he h'ld^ for he was counted rich as to this Woiid; but if Poe thought to augment Our Por-^ tions info marrying y •th^ Hand of the Lord nsoould ht againji her^ aud a Blajiing or Mildeiv ivould covne upon e^en that ni'hicb *we had got through Indujlry and hard Labour^ and lA^hat the Lord had intended to ha^e bleffed , to us^ if ^uje kept faithful to the Truths and contented ourjelnjes ijuith our prefent Conditions. Then my Mother con- feft, that as to the ivorldly Enjoyme7ttSy it had not been better ivith her than noiv. 1 muft write Witn great Caution; fhe was my Mother, and a tender Mother over me, and was loth to offend me, and had promifed, as far as flie well durft, not to marry with any one with whom I was not fatisfied. But as to their Procedure in Courtfhip, and Marriage, from this Tirge I was intirely ignorant, until it was accompliflfed. Jiut when my poor Mother was married, her Cry was, My Son^ hoivjloall I ^ver he able to look * bim ( i6 ) him in the Face any more^ it ijoill he fuch a Trou- ble to him ; he that hath not at any Time difobliged me^ but if I hid him go^ he ran; and if 1 bid him do any Things he did it uoith all his Might y or to that Effe6l, as feveral told me who heard her. But ihe being married, what we had was mixed with my Father-in-Law's Goods, and my Mother died firft, and our Father married again, made his Will, and dying, left me Five Shillings for all my Part, which was of Right to defcend from my own Parents vipon rne 5 I gave his Executors a Receipt in full, and there was an End of all, except fome fmall Matter given to my youngelt Brother, for the reft of my Brothers and Sifter were dead. As near as I remember, this Marriage was in the eighteenth Year of my Age, fo that what I forefaw about the Blafi and Mildeiv^ came to pafs. Now to return to my further Account con- cerning the Troubles and Trials that attendee^ me in the Time while I was in my Father-in- Law and Mother's Houfe, after Marriage; we, and what we had, being removed to his Houfe, except Part of the Stock which was left in the Ground. Now I forefaw that I was like to come to a great Trial, and I was brought very low, what with the Trouble about the MarT riage, and the E,xercife of my Mind concerning TTj own Condition, having had many great Cc:^flicls of Spirit, {o that 1 was almoft in De- i tir, had not the Lord, in whom I believed, riten in his Power, and rebuked the Adver- fary of my Soul, I had been overthrow^n, and fwallowed { ^7 ) fwallowed up in the Floods of the Temptation?^ that were caft out of the Mouth of the red fiery-Hk-e Dragon after me, in this the Day of my great and ftrong Trouble and Travail; but the God of Love and Pity fav^ me, and helped me in my Diftrefs, and in a Day and Time acceptable; he that heard poor IJlomad w^hen -he cried from under the Shrub, and fent or gave Relief to him and his Mother, who with him was gone from Abraharns Houfe, faw me in this great Strait. Alfo, when I came to my Father's Houfe, he being a Man much given to Family Duties, of faying Grace, &c. before and after Meat, none of which I could comply with^ except I felt evidently the Spirit of Truth to attend therein, and open the Heart and Mouth into fuch Duties. The firft Day I came to the Houfe, being called to the Table with all or moil of our Family, I thought, Is it noiv ^coyne to this ? I mufl either difpleafe my heavenly or earthly Father : Rut oh ! the Av^fulnefs, or deep Exercife which was upon my Spirit, and ftrong Cries -that afcended unto the Lord for my Help and Prefervation that I might not offend him. My Father-in-Law fat with his Hat partly on, and partly off, with his Eyes fixed on me, as likewife mine were on him in much Fear ; fo we continued as long or longer than he ufed to be in faying Grace, as they cal! it, but faid nothing that we heard ; fo at length he put on his hat again, to the Wonder of the Family : Neither did he then, or ever after, a& me why I did not put off my Hat ; neither did ( i8 ) did he perform that Ceremony all the Time 1 flayed with him, which was above one Year: Thus the Lord hel[>ed me, renowned be his great Name now and for ever. My Father might feem for Age, Spirit and Underftanding, to nave been much more than a Match for me a poor Shrub, but the Lord (who caufed the Pillar of the Cloud to be bright and give Light to Ifraely and brought Darknefs upon the Egyp^ tians^ and fought againft them, and for Ijrael) I believe touched and Imote my poor Father, that he could not rife up againft that Power the Lord helped me with. For it Vas not mine but the Lord's doing, to him be given the Attri- butes of Praife, Salvation and Strength, now and for ever. I faw clearly, that there could jiot be any true and acceptable Worfhip per- formed to God, but what was in the Spirit, and in the Truth, neither could any pray aright, but as the Spirit helped them, which teacheth how to pray, and what to pray for, and rightly prepares the Mind, and guides it in the Perform- ance of every Service which the Lord calls for from his Children. I found my Father-in-Law was much dif- plealed with my going to Meetings, yet I could not fee what Way to appeafe his Difpleafure, except in being very diligent (which 1 was) in his Bufniefs, rather beyond my Ability, work- ing very hard ; it is almoit incredible what my poor little weak Body v/ent through in thofe Days, but all would not g^iin his Love, for the longer I ftay'd with him, the more his ]-ove declined ( i9 ) declined from me; although I told him, he need not be uneajy about ray Wages^ for I ivould leave that to himfelf: I could not fee what he could have againft me, except my going to Meetings^ however that was all he alledged. Now when his former Stratagems would hot do, he offered ttie a Horfe to ride on, if 1 would go w^irh him to his Place of VVorfliip. 1 met with manv a Snib and four Countenance from him, in my return on Foot from Meetings, although as i'ea- fonably as my Body Was capable of pertorming; for my Father commonly fent me on the Firtl- day Mornings into the Fields a Mile or two, and as far upon a Common to Idok at Beafts, Horfes, and Sheep (all this on Foot) I thought with a Defign to weary and make me uncapabie of going to Meetings 5 all which I bore patient- ly, neither, that I rememberj ever laid, this is hardUfage\ after all this, to the great Grief of my poor Mother, I had to go two, three, four, five, and fometimes fix Miles, to Friends Meetings. After I had walked fafl, and ran fometimes with my Shoes under my Arms for want of Time, I have feen many Friends weep, clnd could not forbear when they faw me come into the Meeting very hot and in a great Sweat, they being in part ienfible of the hard Talk I had to undergo. There is one Thing fomewhat remarkable, which was thus; one Firft-day Morning when I was about going to the Meeting, my Father faid, if I *would ride upon Juch a young Mare^ as he mentioned, / might; which was one of rae D greateft ( ro ) greatefl of ten or twelve Horfes which he kept, about four Years old, and not before rid at all : I thought his Defign was more to hinder me of the Meeting than any Good to me, or any Ex- pedlation of getting his Mare rightly broke, but I accepted his Offer, only afking how I might catch her ? Having got Help to anfwer that, Ihe being abroad, I put on the Bridle and mounted the topping Beaft, and upon her firft Refiftance, down ihe came; for that was my way : And if the firft or fecond Fall did not, the third moftly cured them from ftriving to throw the Rider; I commonly fell upon my Feet, and endeavoured fo to free my Legs that flie might not fall upon them, and then fprang up on her Back while down, and made her rife with me; fo away we went, and came in du« Time to the Meeting. This w^as partly the beginning of this way of managing Horfes by me; fo I rid to the Meetings two or three Times, and then my Father afl<:ed me, if the Mare did not carry me Joberly? I replied, Jloe did; then I muft have her no more, he* w^ould make her his Saddle-Mare ; fo I betook myfelf to my Feet again, except fome other fuch like Turn came. The Lord's mighty Power bore me up, and he gave nie as it were Hind's Feet, and enabled me to go through thefe Exercifes, and to bear the Burden in the Heat of the Day of my Trials, inwardly and outwardly, which were rnany and various. Now the laft Stratagem my Father ufed to hinder my going to Meetings was th^us ; he took ( 21 ) took me in his Arms in great fhew of Kindnefs, faying, if I ivould be as a Son to hhn^ f Jhould jind he ivould he a Father to me^ expreffing fome- tliing about his having no near Kindred, (and much more to the fame Effedt he faid to my Brother Daniel^ who was an innocent, wife, and clean-fpirited Lad) I repUed to him, if in thus 7naking me thy Soji^ thou intends to hinder ine from going to Meetings^ or to oblige me to go ivith thee to the Prefbyterian Meetings^ or any Thing that is againji my Confcience^ I cannot upon this Bottom he thy Son; and, for the fame Rea- ifons, I refufed to be his hired Servant, although he offered to hire me^ and give me Wages. Now when he faw that neither Frowns, Threat- nings, Hardfhips, nor great Promifes of Kind- nefs could prevail with me, he told me bluntly and roughly, I JJjouldJlay no longer in his Houfe: I innocently anfwered, / could not help it if it mufi he foy as all I could do ivould not give him Contefity ivithout hurting my Confcience^ and the Teace of 7ny Mind^ ivhich I valued above all muiahle Things of this World. My poor Mother heard my pleading with him, and how I offered to do the bed for him I was capable of by Night or Day, (as I always had done) if he would be eafy, and let me have his Counte- nance; but this was the Sentence, Ko^ J fhould not flay in the Hoife : And indeed that troubled my poor Mother fo, that I was forced to leave my Father, and go to endeavour to mitigate her great Trouble by telHng her, that if I ivas but faithful^ the Lord^ I believed^ ivould take Care. ^ , oj ( " ) of me that JJhould not in ant; and the more fully to discharge myfelf, I reminded her, that as JJje had entered into Marriage Covenants ivith her Husband^ Jhe Jhould endeavour to perjorm them^ and in every 1 hing faithfully to dijcharge herjelf as a Wife ou^ht to do to a Husband^ and leave me and all^ ana cleave to him^ and to make her Life as eafy as JJje could: I alfo told her, never to fend vie any Thing that my Father kneiu not of for I izms not free to receive it; although what we had was in his Hand, and all funk there, a^ I ipentioned before. I write this partly, that all who dp marry, inay take fpecial heed that it be done witl^ great Caution, and under due Confiderarion, and the Lord fought to in it, that it may be done in his Gouniel, and not only nominallv, but truly in bis Fear^ and then no doubt but it will be well with both Hufband and Wife; and being equally yoked, fuch will not only he meet and true Jielpers in all Things belongiag to this Life, but more efpecially in Things ap- pertaining to the World that is to come, and the Good of the immortal Soul, which to the faithful People of the Lord is ot grear Value. Oh, how happily and peaceably do (ucli live together in the Lord, as they keep to that which thus joined them! There is more in it, both as to the Parents and their Ppftericy, thani it is to be feared many coniider or think of, as is but too apparent in the rhany forward aiid unequal Marriages whicii 1 have made Obfer- vatian o£ One ( 23 ) One. remarkable Paffage occurs to my Thoiughts, which happened thus*, my Father having been ^t the Presbyterian Meeting and come home, he, as his manner was, put me or my Brother upon reading the Priefl's Text, which had been tha): Day in Daniel^ concerning kis being caft into the Den of Lions for his not regarding the King's Decree, but on the con- trary prayed to the God of Heaven with hi$ Windows open toward Jerujalem^ after his ipvonted manner. My Father made his Obfer- yations as my Brother read, and very much inagniiied Daniel^ and faid, the Spirit of God ivas in him^ but that there 'were none Juch as bim in theje our Days. I owned that he was indeed an extraordinary Man^ but that there were ?ione endouued *with a Meafure of the fame spirit in any Degree^ in that I diffented from him, and gave my Father a brief Account of the many Sufferings of our Friends, fome of which "V^ere part, and fome then under Sufferings for the Worci of God, and the Teftimony of Jefus, which they bore for him, and efpecially the great Sufferings of our dear Friends in New-' England^ viz. hard Imprifonments, cruel Whip- pings, cutting off Ears, Banifhment if they re- turned into NeiV" England any more; and I lliewed him likewife, how they put to D ath Marmadiike Stephenjon^ JVilliam Robtnjon^ Wil-- Ham Leddra^ and Mary Dyer^ for no other Caufe but labouring to turn People from Dark-' Ticjs to Eighty and Jrom the Ponvcr of Satan to the living Fo^jua of Qod^ tQ his Light, Grace ' ^ ' "' and ( H ) and holy Spirit in their Hearts, and labouring to bring the People from Perfecution, Pride, and every evil Work and Way, to live a felf-denying, humble Life, a Life agreeable to the Chrijiianity they profefled; this was the Purport or Subftance of the Service they were called to, and fo deeply fuffered for: From whence I inferred, there was fbmewhat of the Spirit of God in Man in thefe Days as there was in Daniel^ and many more formerly, which helped and bore them up in their great Suffer- ings. Now my Father confefTed, it zvas true Jonie fuffercd for Good^ and fome for Evil; and withal faid, he had nozu lived to the Age of about Jixty five Years ^ and altho he heard us telling of a Principle^ or Light vuithin^ yet he knevo not vuhat it ivas, I replied very meekly, If he vuould hear me^ I ivoitld tell him ivhat it ivas ; which I did in the Words following : When at any Time thou hqfl been under a Tejnptation to pit forth thy Hand to fteal^ or to lie for Advantage^ or by Provocation to fvoear^ or any evil Work or Word^ hafi not thou found fomething in thee^ that hath fljetved thee thou ought efl not to have faid or done fo^ ivhich if thou hadfl taken heed to^ and not J aid or done vorong^ haft thou not found great Peace and invoard Comfort in thy Mind? But if thou haft faid or done vorong^ haft not thou found great Difquietnefs and Tiouble of Mind? This is the invuard Principle^ Lights or Grace, that God hath placed in Man to help and- dirtfl hvn, vchich ive the People oj God called Quakers, do hold agreeable -to the Holy Scriptures, My { 25 ) My Father fmote his Hands together, and con- feffed it uuas true. But that I was not willing to break in upon this Story, but keep it entire, there was one Thing worthy of Notice, which I now come to, wiftiing it may be duly confidered by all who read or hear it : When I mentioned Mannaduke Stephen/on^ that good Man and great Sufferer in the Caufe of Chrift, as before, my Mother faid, it ivas true-, for flie lived a Servant with Edivard Wilhcrfofs^ an honeft ^aker in Skipton, where Mannaduke Stephen- /on was a Day-labourer, about the Time he had his Call to go to Neiv- England. See the Account of NeiV' England judged, not by Man as Man, but by ,the Spirit of the living God, written by George Bijhop, If 1 remember right, ihe faid, He ivas/ueh a Man as Jhe never kneiv^/or his very Countenance ivas a Terror to thcni^ and he hud a great Check upon all the Family ] if at any Time any of the Servants had been wild^ or any way out 0/ the Truth^ i/ they did but /ce him^ or hear him comings they were /iruck with Fear^ and were all quiet and fill: And if but one of the Children came into the Houfe where he labour- ed, and he would not have it to come, thefc were his Words, Go thy way^ or go Homc^ k/c I whip thee; and they were fubje6l and quiet. This ample and excellent Account, I thought had feme Reach upon my Father, however, it much af- feded my Mind. Oh!, that we the Profeflbrs of the fame holy Truth, may fo* live in it, as to ( 26 ) to reign over every v^rong Thing in onrfelves^ and aifo in others, but elpecially in our Chil- dren. Some little Time before the Marriage of my Mother, I was brought into the public Work of the Miniftry, concerning which I had many Reaibnings, being young, fcarce eighteen Years old, and naturally of a ftammering Tongue, which I could not overcome, although i had ufed what Endeavours lay in my Power as a Man^ coniidering my Years and Education, all would not do until the Truth helped me: But after many Confli(?ts, great Troubles and Tempta- tions, the worft I ever met with, and the moft piercing Sorrow I ever had yet been in fince 1 came to the Knowledge of the blefled Truth was, when through Reafonings, Difobe- dience, and Unwillingnefs to comply with, and anfwer the Lord's Requirings, he in Difpleafure took away from me the Comfort of his holy Preience for feveral Months together. Oh ! the Tribulations and penetrating Troubles I met witlial in this Condition, no Tdngue is able to exprefs, no nor the Heart of any finite Creature is able to conceive the Depth of the Anxiety of the Heart-piercing and wounding Sorrows I was in; I thought my .^tate was as bad as Jonah' s^ for furely if there be a Mell upon Earth, I was in it: What greater Hell can be here to a quickened Soul, and an enlightned Underftand- ing, who hath tafted of the Goodnefs of God^ and of the Powers, in a degree, of the World to come, than to be deprived tiiereof, and think they ( ^f ) they are fallen away from this State ? I corJct fcarcely believe I fhould ever have Repentance granted to me, .or be reftor'd again into rlic Love and Favour of God, when I found that River of Life dried up^ as to me, niyhich uid before^ not only make me^ but even all the ivhole City of Gody truly glad: But being left under an Apprehenlion of the Lord's Difpleafure, and in part a Partaker of the Terrors of his Wrath ; Oh ! I thought, furely the very Mountains, and even the Hills, were not fufEcient (if they could have been put into the Scales or Balance) to have weighed againfl my Troubles and Afllic- tions they were fo great ; but as the Lord had by his Judgments brought me in a good degree from the Vice and Vanity of this World, now by his Judgments he made me willing to give up to anfwer his Requirings in part, and in my Obedience to him I began to feel fome Com- fort of Love and fellowihip of the Spirit of the Lord in myfelf, and in his People, who were brought to be Partakers of the like Fellovvihip. Now I return to the Matter about my being turned out of my Father's Houfe, which I mentioned before, but was willing to keep this folemn Account entire, with Defires it may be a Caution to all, in whom the Lord is at work in the fame manner, not to reafon or gainfay fo much as I did, but to give up freely and cheerfully, to the Will of God. When I faW I mud turn out, I thought it expedient to ac- quaint fome worthy Friends with it, lelt any undue Refledions ihouldbe call upon the 1 rut ii^ E or ( ^8 ) or Friencb, of myfelf, that if fo, thefe Friends might be able to contradidl them ; fo 1 ac- quainted Sebajiian Ellethorp^ and that worthy Man and IMiniftcr of the Gofpel Benjamin Padley^ two of the chief Friends in Ellington Monthly-meeting, and they came to my Fa- ther's Houfe, and when they came, they began to enquire about the Reafons ijuhy I ivent aivay F and, if my Father had any Thing againji me concerning the Bujinefs he employed me in ? And, ^whether I ivas not fait hf til and diligent in all his Affairs he fent me about ? He confelTed, I ivas ; and thought none could exceed me. They faid,- JVell then^ njuhat is the Reafon of that Mifunder- Jlanding ni^hich is betivixt thee and thy Son-ifi-' Laiv ? Is it about his going to Meetings? When they underftood his Reafons, which were not hard to do, they expreifed a Pity towards me that I could have no more Liberty ; and they thought, as I Was fo diligent in his Bufinefs, if he would give me a little more Liberty to go to Meetings, it would be more 'Encouragement to me. At which he took Offence, and gave the good Men rough Language, and allied, What they had to do nvith him and his Son? and bid them go Home and mind their oivn Buftncfs ; which they wer^ much troubled at, efpecially for my Sake, and much pitied me, and wonder- ed how I had lived with him fo long ; for he faid in fliort^ that there ivas no Abiding for me there. But Sebajiian Ellethorp told me, w^hich was mightily to my Comfort, that my Father l^ad nothing againft me, fave that concerning the La%v' ( H ) Law of my God. This .is the Senfe, if not the Words, of thefe wife and good Men, which palTed betwixt them and my Father, as they ^exprelTed them to me; for I was not there when they were together. Nptwithftanding I pleaded with my Father to let me ftay until I could hear of a Place, he would not, though I was fcarce fit for Service, be- ing almoft like an Anatomy (as the Saying is) fo that mod who knew me, faid^ I uDould pine aivay in a Confumpt'ion ; but tura out I muft, and did, though I was weak, poor and low in Body, Mind, Pocket and Gloaths ; for I think I had but Twelve- pence in my Pocket, and very ordinary deaths upon iny Back. Thus I took my folemn Leave of the Family, with my Heart full, but I kept inward to the Lord, and under Truth's Government ; many Tears were fhed in the Family, efpecially by my poor Mother, \yhen I left them ; my Father faid little, but appeared like one ftruck with Won- der, to fee fo much Love manifefted towards me by the F'amily, and fo much wifhing that I might not go away : But out I came upon the great Common aforementioned, where I had had many folitary Walks, but none like this, for this Reafon, that I kneiv not ivhere to go. I then thought of Abraham who was called out of Ur in the Land of the Chaldeans^ as it is briefly mentioned by Stephen -^ but this was the Difference betwixt us, he was called^ I was forced out. But as I was walking upon the Common, the Senfe of my weak Condition, not ( 30 ) jiot knowing whither to go, nor where to lay lT\y Head, aithoi gh 1 had many Friends, yet I couid not be free to go to them, unlefs 1 had ki'-own they had Enfinefs for me, behig not of a forward, but rather backward and ihy Diipo- fition. 1 fay, the Senfe and Weight of my Condition came over me to that degree, that it appeared to me as tho' my Way was hedged up on every "ide, inwardly and outwardly ; I even thought myfelf like a Pelican in the Wildernefs, or as an Owl in the Defart, there appearing to me fcarce a Man in all the Earth in my Condi- tion, every way confidered ; and in the Senfe and deep Confideration of my prefent Wilder- iiels State, 1 felt myfelf under a great Oppreffioa of Spirit, and my Heart feemed fu 1, like a Bottle that wanted Vent : 1 looked round about me to fee that none were near to fee my Tears nor hear my Cries, and in the very Anguifh and Bueernefs of my "^^oul I poured forth my Com- plaints, Cries and Tears to the Judge of all the i.ar':h, who fpoke to me and comforted me ia this my deplorable Hate, which was vvorfe than Jacobs when lie lay upon the Ground, and had a Stone for his Pillow ; he had his near Kindred to go to, whom he might expe(5l would receive him gladly, but I had none to go to but fuck as rather reviled me, and gave me hard Language ; but the Lord faid unto me, as if a Man had fpoke, FirJ} feek the Kingdom of Hea^ e Acfls; we had many heavenly and good Meec- ings, praifed and renowned be the worthy Name of the Lord, aov/ and for ever. G ■ We ( 44 ) We had but little Difcipline when I firft fet- tled in that Place, but afterwards many Friends Hearts were ftirred up in a holy Zeal for the' Lord, not only to promote Meetings for Wor-^ fliip, but alfo for good Difcipline in the Churchj and they began to fee a Neceffity of coihing up more in the Pra6lice of this very needful Work ; although there were fome that faid, they could fee no Need of Jiich clofe Order and Dijcipline : Yet I found it to be my Way in the Truth to bear with fuch, if they were not irregular in their Converfations ; but if they were diforder- ly, we dealt with them as the Lord opened our Way in the Wifdom of Truth ; and thus bear- ing with the Eaftnefs of fome on the one hand, and encouraging the faithful and zealous oti the other, until way was made, beyond my Expectation, for the Spreading of the Truth, its Teftimony, and the Difcipline thereof in thofe Parts. I had now travelled and laboured much in the Lord's Work at home and abroad for about ten Years, but had not in all that Time found my way clear to inaj^ry^ although not without fome likely Opportunity, and with fuch as were a great deal richer than ftie was whom I did marry ; but I was afraid in this weighty Affair to mifs my Way, knowing the great Difference there is between them who only profefs, and they who poflefs'the Truth, and them that are only in the firft Nature and unregenerated State, (and ftrictly fpeaking, but the Sons and Daughters of Men) and fuch who are born again, not of riefli { 45 ) Flefli and Blood, nor indeed of any tiling that is corruptible, but of that incorruptible Seed and living Word of God which leads into a lively Hope, and brings forth a new and heavenly Birth in Man, that takes delight to pleafe and obey the Lord in all Things, and fo become SofiSy or Children of God^ in a more fpiritual and nearer Relation than that of Creacion only; it is in and through this great Work of Reno- vation, and being born again: And, as fuch as live up to that holy Seed and regene- rating Principle, and as the fame doth pre-- dominate and rule in Man, in this State Man cannot ftn^ as the Apoftle faid, with this Rea- foQ annexed, becaufe his Seed (to ivit^ the Seed of God) remaineth in him: Thus walking in the Light, and living in the Seed, Grace and holy Spirit, although the Terras of it differ, the Virtue and Nature of it are undividable; fuch who come to be gathered to walk with, and truly love Chrift the Bridegroom of the Soul, are brought into a greater Nearnefs, truer Sym- pathy and Unity of Spirit than the World knows of. Read this, you that are born again, and duly conlider it in its proper Time and Place. I believe, and therefore truly fpeak it, the Lord gave me fuch a Wife as really feared him, loved Truth and Righteoufnefs, and all fuch as fhe thought laved, and efpecially fuch as lived in the Truth ; her Name was Prifcillu Gannaby^ Daughter of James Cannaby ; fhe was defcended of an honeft Family in the Eaft Part of Torkpnre^ the only Child her Parents left, they ( 46 ) they were Bakers by Trade, and gave her a commendable Education, though they did not leave her any great Portion ; ihe was under the Care of her Uncle Charks Canyiaby of Bridling^ ton, an houelt Friend, who left ibmething be- hind him in Manufcrlpt concerning his Con- vincement of the Truth, and Sufferings for the fame; he was convinced early, lived to a great Ag", and was a Man oi great Service in thole PcUts where we lived. I was in the twenty eighth Year of m.v Age w^hen 1 married my \Vite, who was a Womaa of an excellent Temper, very aifedionate, fobep and prudent, loved Uetirement much, and wait* ing upon the Lord, and the Enjovment of lis internal and living Prelence, and efptcially with the Lord s People, that ^hey might alio be made Partakers with her or the like Ipecial favours; this was as her Crown and Kingdom while in this World, even from her Childhood; and to fee Friends proi'per in tlie I ruth was Matter of great Rejoicing to her. When we had been married ibarce thiee Years, the Lord raifed her tip to bear a public Teftimony amongft Friends in their Meetings, which was very comfortable and acceptable to them; and alfb fhe had the Spirit of Grace and Supplication, meafurably poured upon her, fo that many with me did believe flie had Accefs to the Throne of God^ and to that Ri'ver in: hub maketh truly glad the City of God: She always freely gave me up to anlwer the tService 1 believed the Lord called for of me. She was taken from me wnen we had bttn married ( 47 ) married but about five Years, in the twenty eighth Year of her Age, and died in a fweet Frame of Mind, and was fenfible to the laft, and her lad Words were, He is come^ he is come^ whom my Soul loves^ and my Soul rejoices in God my Sa'uwur^ and my Spirit magnijies him; and lb paifed away like a Lamb, 1 believe into a Manfion of Glory, where her innocent Soul will for ever fing Hallelujah to the Lord God and the Lamb, who is worthy of Glory, Honour, Salvation and Strength, now and for ever. I might enlarge much upon the Virtue and Worthinefs of faithful Prijcilla^ but in this, as in other Matters, it is my Defire to avoid Pro- lixity, yet would take Notice of the moft re- markable Occurrences that have happened to me in the Courfe of this my earthly Pilgr^ / mage; alfo, I have been much prefled by fom(^ and not of the leaft of my faithful Brethrerrp likevvife, I believed it to be my Duty, to lea'^e fome Remains to Pofterity for their Encou- ragement and Comfort in the Way and Work of the Lord. One Thing is w^orthy here t(^be inferted, which had a ftrange and aftonillil>7g Effecfl upon my Mind, which was thus: As I was walking in a plain Field in the fore^-^ Part of the Day, not far from the Sea, betwixt Bridlington and liroynton^ my Soul was in a deep Concern, and at that Time exercifed in Medi- tation on the Things of God, and alfo in fervent Prayers to him for Prefervation from every hurt- ful Thing; and a heavenly Frame my Mind- W4| then brought into, for then I neither faw Cloud ( 48 ) iCIoud over my Mind, nor yet any in the Fir^- niament, for it appeared to me a Mornhig uuithout Clouds; tho' I had pafTed under many Clouds. Soon after my Mind was brought into this heavenly Frame, and as it were fwallowed up in the heavenly aijd internal Prefence of the Lord, I thought a bright Cloud came down and covered me, or caught me up into it ; fo whether I was {landing, walking, or fet upon the Ground, or carried vip into the Cloud in the Body, or out of the Body, I know not to this Day; yet Fear and Reverence, with bow- ing .of Soul, did poffefs me before the great Majefty; at the Glory of whofe Countenance, a^ I had it in a preceding Vifion, Men and ng^Js fled and gave way, and could not iedfaftly behold the Erightnefs and Glory of e Countenance of the Son of the HIgheft, 7ith the mighty God and Father, which are oi\eSn Power, Greatnefs, Goodnefs, and Glory, wKP "^^^'2,5 before all Things^ made all Things^ and uphfyld and fill all Things that are good, with thtt which is truly good, or at leail is for a ^(^od End. Read this Myflery thou that canft, tnd learn to fear him that hath Power over both Soul and Body^ to kill and to cajl into Hell^ for one Time or another he will make thee fear him, when he brings thy Sins to Judgment, whether it be now or hereafter: The Time hath been, is, or will be, in which the Lord, the Judge of both Quick and Dead, hath, doth, or will plead with thee, and all Flelh, as in the Valley of Jehofaphat ; therefore beware left thou make ( 49 ) make him wroth, as he was upon Mount Peri--' ziniy but be thou fubjecSl to the Lord, as faithful Mofes was upon Mount Horeb^ or the Mount of God^ when he obeyed his Voice, and put off his Shoes ; do thou obey, if it be to th€ putting away of the Glory and Wifdom of Egypt^ or Learnings or what elfe is required of thee : Oh then thou, art in the way to further Service, and wilt be enabled, as thou continues faithful, to go through all to God's Glory, and thy un- fpeakable Peace in the End, Now as to the laft Part of the Rapture or Vifion, when I was fwallowed up in the lumi'^ nous Prefence of him that is Jirji and laji^ the Alpha and Omega^ I heard a Voice, very intel- ligible to that Senfation I had then given me, faying, Dojl thou fee how Pride and Wickednefs abound in the Nation? I anfwered in much Fear, Lord^ I do fee it: The next Words which I heard in the Voice and in the Cloud were. The People are too ntany^ I will thin thern^ I ivill thin them^ I will thin them. I defired of the Lord to Ihew me, whether it was his Mind I fhould publifh this in any Part of the Nation ? The South was fet before me, with this Caution, Where this is opened to thee in my Power ^ there fpeak of it^ and- not otherwfe^ I gave up to anfwer the heavenly Vilion, and viiited moll Parts of the fouthern Counties, as alfo the northern Parts, and Scotland-, and where the 3rd opened my Mouth to fpeak of what I had V^rd, as before, by way of Prophecy, I gave My but did not fo much infill upon that Matter, as ( so ) as to fuffer it to be a means to miflead me ifcrnl that Work of the M^nillry I was chiefly con- cerned in. I would that all, who are concerned in the like manner, may be cautious in this great Affair, and look well to the Rife and Ori- ginal from whence they receive -this Gift, and how ; and alfo what Frame of Mind they are in, and that nothing of the Warmth of their own Spirits be fet to work or ftirred up, either by Sight of the Eye, or hearing, or reading out- wardly, but that the Mind may be redeemed from all Workings, from thefe and the like Grounds, and purely purged, and truly adapted or fitted to receive this Gift or Spirit of Pro- phecy ; and alfo be fure to be very careful to be guidable in the Gift, or othetwife thou mayft mifs, as to Tifne and Place^ &c. I intend not to dwell long upon it, as there are other Services included in this of Prophecy, as Edification and Comfort^ &c. but what I have been upon, relates to foretelling Jomething that is to come \ and, as once a w^orthy Elder faid to me when I was young in the Minlllry, // is a great Thing to knoiv ivhat^ ivhere and ivhen; and I have ever found it true to this Day. Learn of him that is (as he always was) meek and low of Heart, and be not difcouraged, but perfevere in Faith and Sincerity, and look not overmuch at the Difficulty, but look over all to him who hath called thee, and in fome mealure revealed his Son through the Spirit in thee: Although'' know from fome Experience, what it i^ tc.^ exercifed in the matter of Prophecy, for ii""^ -^ JouL. ( 5^ ) Jonrney touched of before, I was concerned to tell Friends at Kilmouck in Scotland efpecially, that the Lord ivould take many of them anjoay ; which in a Ihort time came to pafs, for many- died before that time Twelve-month, it being a time of fcarcity of Corn; and it was thought many died for Want of Bread, the Year enfu- ing my being there : I had gox)d Service for the Lord, and great Sitisfadlion in thefe my long Travels, as I had in the like before, in divers of which there were fome convinced of Trath. At Cromer ill Norfolk^ one Elizabeth Horry^ when my Mouth was opened, defpifed my Youth, as file confeffed afterwards; but what I had to fay fo reached her Condition, that Ihe fhed many Tears upon her fine Silks, and confeffed, before the ^ eeting broke up, that aH might hear, in thefe Words, All that ever I have done hath been told me this Day^ and this is the everlafting Truth, And as I pafled along from that Meeting, not far from Cromer^ with fome other Friends, it rofe in my Heart to fay aloud, that a Man who was watering his Horfe might hear, looking, and pointing my Hand towards him. That Man iinll be a Friend before he dies; and, as he owned after, he was fo ftruck with it, that he had no Rett till he came among Friends, though he wis then afar off, but he came to be a ferviceable Man among us, and his Wife was alfo convin- ced of the Truth, and was a ferviceable Woman. Samuel Hunt of Nottingham^ was fi*ft reached at Lcicejter by the Teltimony I . V H had ( 52 ) had given me to bear in that Meeting at that Time, as he acknowledged afterwards; but I always gave God the Glory, and laid the Creature as in the Duft, that Man, as M^n, might not be too much accounted of. >^ After my being caught up, and hearing the Voice (as before mentioned) I had many deep and heavenly Openings, fome of which it may not be amifs to mention here, inafmuch as I had now a more clear Sight into a tranjla- ted State than ever I had before ; I came, thro' a divine Senfe and Participation, to have great Sympathy and dear Unity, not only with the ever memorable Enochs whofe walking was fuch as the Lord gave Teftimony or Witnefs to, that he pleajed him; the Ground of v^hich Witnefs was from hence, he li^ved mar and loved God^ and ^walked in the Ways of Virtue^ and abhorred Vice: But alfo with the Apoftie, having this Seal, that God knoiveth ivho are his ; and with fome other of the Servants of Chrift in former Ages who could fliy, as fome now can fay, (from true Experience) that the Spirit of the Lord beareth Witnefs ivith our Spirits^ that njue are his^ to wit, the Lord'' s Children^ fo long as ive do *well ; which laft Words are of large Extent, to do ivell^ think ivell^ fpeak nvell^ and belie've ivell; for he that hath no Faith, or that be- lieves ill, cannot do well; he that eats, drinks, or wears that wdiich he knows he ought not, doth not well; but what is done well, is done in a pure Mind and clean Confcience, for fo is true Faith held, and aU acceptable Work to God ( 53 ) God performed. I had great Openings into the Removal of Mojes^ and taking up of Elijah^ that great and worthy Prophet, from the Earth into Heaven, and I have feen Things not fit to be uttered, neither can the World yet believe them ; and I faw far into the Myftery of the Transfiguration of Chriji^ and Appearance of Mofes and Ellas with him upon th^ Mount; and the Voice which was heard from the excellent Glory, This is my beloved Son^ hear him; not Mojes nor Elias in Comparifon of him, for the Law pointed to him, and was as a School-mafter to bring to him. The holy Prophets forefaw, and prophefied of his Com- ing, and John the Baptift faw Chrift, and baptized him, and bore Witnefs of him as the Light, and faid. Behold the Lamb of God^ that taketh aivay the Sin of the World; he alfo feid. He is the Bridegroom that hath the Bride (the Church;) he fpoke of his own Decreafe, and Unworthinefs in comparifon of Chrift, though called by Chrift himfelf, as grecit a Prophei as nvas ever born of a Woman^ and he was alfo called Elias^ v/hich much firft come, and is already come in refpe6t of Power, Knowledge, Boldnefs and Faithfuluefs ; he was as Elias^ yet the leaf in the Kingdom of Chrifl vuas greater than he^ becaufe the Power and glorious King- dom and Gofpel-difpenfation was not fully brought in (and rsftored to IJrael^ or thofe who fliould believe in him j until his Ajcenfion ; but? now thefe great Agents in thefe foregoing Difpenfations all pafled away, with their figu- rative ( 54 ) rative, propherical and elementary Difpenfations^ and gave place to the Son and Heir of all Things^ the Mejfiah^ the great Prophet^ Bijhop^ Shcp" ht'rdy Kmg and l.aiz^giver. Now read thefe Things, and learn truly tQ underftand how Mojes pad away, and Elius paft away, and Chrift is left, who is able alone to perfedl the Work of Man's Redemption, irtjo trod the Wine-prefs alone ^ and amor.gf!: all the Sons of Men,' none were with him or helped him ; he came who was the Antitype of all Types gone before : He, Chrijl^ is come to remove the Covenant made before, becaufe of the Weaknefs and Imperfedlion thereof, which Cove. ant 7nade not the Comers thereto perfe^^ but the better Hope brought in by Chrift, did ; fo this Covenant is abundantly more excellent which was brought in by Chrift, and fettled and eftabliflied upon better Promifes than that was or could be, by the Blood of Bulls^ GoatSy and the A/Joes of an Heifer^ which reached the outfide only; but in the fecond or new Covenant there is the Blood ivhich fprinkleth the Heart from an evil Conjciencey fo that fuch may be fitted and qua- lified to ferve the. living God, not in the Works of the old Covenant^ but in the Neivnefs of the holy Spirit : This is he that, as to his Divinity and Eternity, was before the Hills were fettled^ and the Seas and Fountains ii>ere made^ that took delight to divell ivith the Sons of Men^ or in the, habitable Parts oj the Earth] as he was a Spirit or Word uncreated, he dwelt meafurably in Ahel^ Seth\ Enochs and Isoah before the Flood; for ( S5 ) for by his Spirit God ftrove with the old World to reclaim them from their Wickednefs, when it was great; it was by this Spirit Noah was made a Preacher of liighteQuJneJs^ and inftrucSled how to build the Ark ; this is he who was with Shem and Japheth^ Abrahatii^ ^/(i^c^ Jacob^ and Jojeph^ and all the faithful Fathers after the flood, the Foundation of all the Righteous, Prophets, Apoftles, and Martyrs, fuch as loved and believed in him, and fuffered for his Name's fake, and the Teftimony which they held» This is he that defpifed the Glory of this World ^ and is lifted up a Standard to the People^ and an Enftgn to the Nations ; unto him jloall the Gentiles feek^ and his Reft fhall be glorious ; he hath lifted up a greater Rod than that of Mofes^ fo;netimes called the i^c/<^ o/'/ro?/, by which he hath, and 1 believe will break to pieces many People as a Potter s Veffel^ when the Sin and In^uity of the People is come to the height; it was he that turned the Waters of Egypt inta pi'jod ; it was he that flew the Firfl-born throughout all the Land of Egypt, he overthrew the Egyptians, and brought forth Ifrael by afrong Hindy and an Arm ciiflretched. After he had marked the Dwellings of his People, and fjpared them in the time of this great Slaughter, which was executed both upon Man and Beaft, to wit^ the Firf'born in Egypty then he became Ifrael\ Paflbver. Read thefe Things (that were typi- cally done, and in an outward \vay) inwardly, and in thine own Experience, that thou may ft fay, and that trulv, Chrifl is my Pafjover^ after he ( 56 ) he hath mitigated thy fore Bondage, and in de- gree hath given thee Faith in his great iName, and hath caufed thee to love him, and made thee wilUng to follow him, although it be through the Sea of Troubles, and fometimes as through the Wildernefs. Here is an eating of the heavenly Pajjover^ or Pajchal Lamb, under the Influence of the pure Love of God, ^hat is fpread or difplayed over the Soul like a ^. .nopy, or Banner: Here is the heavenly Manna^ the true Body to feed on, that yields true Nourilh- ment and folid Comfort to thy Soul, in this thy Travel towards the heavenly Country : Here is the Subftance of the Scape Goat known, that heareth avoay the Shu of the People^ for he bore our Iniquities^ and through his Stripes voere vje healed; on his Part there wants nothing, but on Man's, Faith in, and Obedience to Chrift : He is the Subftanee or Antitype of the brazen Serpent^ which was lifted up in the Wildernefs to cure the Peoples Ailments, occafioned by the Serpents ; he is the Advocate vuith the Father^ as John faid, to encourage little Children in that time, which I think may very well be ap- plied to all in that State until time here fliall be no more. Happy is every one that heareth, obeyeth, and reverenceth the Son and Heir of all Things in his fpiritual Appearance in the Heart, where he fpcaks to the Conditions of the Children of Men, as never Man jpoke^ and to much better Purpofe than ever Man could do : This is he that /poke to the Fathers by the Pro-^ fhetSy %vho in theje Times doth /peak to us in or by ( 57 ) by his Son; fo take heed to his fpiritual Ap- pearance in the Heart, for there muft the Work of our Salvation be perfected, after Sui is purged out, and the G jilt thereof taken away; to fuch Death is ealy, where Sin, the Sdng of Death, is taken away_, having a PartV/z G^rz/?, the Firji- born of many Brethren^ and ReJiirreSiion from the Dead; I fKy. having a Part in him that is the Refur region indeed, and the Life; over fuch the Jecond Death [wliichi^ a perpetual Separation from the heavenly Prefence of God, and Com- pany of holy Angels) fJjall haue no Poiver, I now leave, I think, this not unprofitable Di- greffion, and rerirn to the more hiftorical Part, where one Thing, I think, is worthy of in- ferting here, viz. In my young Years I was very much afflidled in my Travels, upon taking Cold, with a fore Throai^ that I could fcarce fpeak fo as to be heard, and had much Trouble at times to fwal- low any Thing which Nature did require ; and in one Journey northward, in Truth's Service, coming to HavukJJjead^ and fitting in the Meet- ing under no fmall Exercife with the Trouble aforefaid, not without fome Reafonings and Confli6ts of Spirit, having left all, as I believed, to do what the Lord required of me, and yet I apprehended myfelf, by Means of this Afflic- tion, not likely to be of any Service; and after fome Reafonings, and a fervent feeking to the Lord to know the Caufe of this great Trouble, and withal to bring my Mind to a true Refigna- tion to the Will of Ggd in this, and in all the Trials ( 58 ) trials the Lord might fee good in his WiTrlofn to exercile me in; 1 had not been long brovght into this devoted and refigned State to be and do what the Lord would have me do, but oh ! I felt of the Virtue of Chrift as a fweet and living pring, by which I was healed-, I was, and am to this Day (when I remember tiie Lord's kind Dealings with me) very thankful to him. It has been frequently cbfervable, that tlie Lord leads his Servants through many States, that they, having the Experience thereof, may- be the more capable of helping others in the like Straits; it is an excellent Thing to love and truly believe in Jefus Chrift, and keep Self down as in the Duft for ever. An ACCOUNT 6f my firfl: VISIT to FRIENDS in AMERICA. NO W the Time came on for my going into A77ienca^ having had a Sight of it about ten Years before; I alio acquainted my Wife there\vith about a Year before fhe died, and I found it was likely to be'a very near trial to her; ihe was a virtuous, good Woman, but was taken av/ay, and left me three fmall Chil- dren, the eldeft not above four Years old, the youngeft not much above one Month old, and 1 having but little of this W6rld, reafoned much stbout going, thinking my Gircumftances at prelep.*' 1 ( 59 ) prefent migKt excufe me ; my Intentions werjfi good in it, that I might not leave Thia^^s any way to the Dlfhonour of the Truth : My innocent young Child was takeii away wijea about a Year old ; and foon after, where ever I went, while I was awake, it founded in my Ears feveral Days and Nights, N'ozu is the t'unc^ Noiv is the time. ^ My other two Children, Pro- vidence fo ordered it, that they were pkced to mine and Friends Satisfacftion : I went through many Provings that no Man knew of, but I believe, when I am gathered to my Place, 1 (hall leave many Brethren behind me yet in mutabi- lity, that will read my Lines in their own Ex- perience. I would not have any to mifunder- ftand me, for as to my outward Circumflances, I left no Debt, neither was I in a way of goin.g backward in the World; for ever after I re- ceived the Knowledge of the Truth, I could not fee what Pretence I could have to Religion, if any fliould lofe by me : I have often faid, and be^n hearty in my Intentions, that rather than Truth fhould fuffcr on that fcore^ I ivould live upon Bread and Water ^ and wear very 7nean Cloaths^ and ivork very hard if I were able^ and upon any mean^ if but laivful Calling. It hath been matter of wonder to me, how any that appear to carry any Preteniions to Religion, dare run fuch great Ventures, fometimes beyond their own Bottoms or x^bilities ; which to me hath always appeared an unwarrantable Rifque; and, as I apprehend, Pride and Oftentation is much the Occafion of it, which are much I againft ( 6o ) againft Truth, and Men are no better for their grcatnefs, for the more plain, and the more hum- ble we are, the more we relemble humble Jefus and his Religion, which he laboured to inculcate. If any are lifted up, or afpire above their place, let them confider well the foregoing Paragraph. . Now I muft leave my little Children, and my very near Friends, and my native Country^ and all for Chrift and the Gofpel's fake, without any finifter End or View ; and then I appeal- ed to the Lord, in the fimpiicity of my Heart, that he kneiv I zvas willing to be at his Difpofaly and ivhat he had favoured nie ivithy I could leave to him ; yet whether what I had was fuihcicnt to defray mine and my two little ones necelTary Charges, was fomewhat in my way ; and to^ fatisfy me in this Doubt, the Lord's Voice founded exceeding clear to that Senfation I was then endued with, faying. Go and be faithful^ and I ivill blefs thee every ivay. Oh my Heart feemed to me to melt, and my Spirit to difTolve within me, and I faid. Good is the Word of the Lordy thou hafl not failed me in any of ?ny great Straits and 2 rials to this Day ; I have great Caufe to trufl in thee : Renovcncd be thy moft excellent Name^ novu and for ever, r I parted with my Friends with much broken- nefs of Heart, and fet forwards on my Journey towards London^ in order to take ihipping there, the nth of the Eighth Month 1700 ; and when I, with my Companions Thomas Thonip- fon^ Jofah Langdale^ and fohn Efiaiigh^ with jfome other Friends^ went on board a Ship in th€ ( 6i ) the River Thames^ we had not been long there, and having confidered our freedom about going in the Ship, it opened clearly in my Mind, in the Light, that I miijl not go in that Vejfd\ and I faid to the Friends, / could not go in her^ for I faiv nothing hut Death and Darknefs there. The Account of what afterwards happened to the Ship I had from two particular Friends, in two feveral Letters from London into America^ wherein they exprefled a Thankfulnefs for our Deliverance, and magnified that Hand which wrought it, and preferved us from going in that iShip, which was loft near the Iflands of either Jerjey or Guernfey^ and, as it was faid, about ieventy People were drowned. Peradventure I may mention fome Things that may appear to be of but little moment, but I have feen a divine Providence attend terr^e Affairs, although they may appear of little con- fequenceto fome; fuch as do not duly confider thefe Things, may make a wrong Application, and as the courfe of my Travels hath afforded variety of Trials and Tranfacflion^ which are in fome Things very particular, from whence arifeth variety of Accounts, fo there hath been a Willingnefs in my Mind to favour fome who liave be'en defirous of having me to leave a Journal of my Life, which I have complied with, as far as I can fee my way clear in the Truth. Then we went on board of another Ship called the Arundel, Splenden RandMdAcv^ in v^hich we embarked the 17th of the Ninth Month ( 62 ) Month 1700, and after many Storms, and much Sja-lickneis, not without fome Conflicts ot Spi- rit, more than I am free to exprefs, and a long Paflage, being near fixteen Weeks upon the S a, we arrived in the River Patuxent in MaryianJy as near as I remember, the 5th or 6th oi the Firil Month 1701, and my Heart was glad, and filled with Acknowledgments and Pranes to the Lord, for bringing us fafe over the mighty Waters. Now we left the Ship and Mafter, who was but a churliih, ill-natured ^'''an. I was very weak and low when 1 landed, both in Body and I^riad, bat the lord helpeu me, and made my Journey and Labours comfortable to many, as well as to my own Soul. Alter the firfl or fecond Meeting we were at, yohn EJlaugh being now my Companion, as we came near a great Houfe in Maryhmd^ I efpied a little white Horfe, the Sight of which put me in mnnd of a Dreani I had on board the bhip before I landed, in which I thought I got a little ivhite Horje ivhich carried vie ivell^ and many Miles ; 1 faid to the Fritials with me, let us call here at this Hov.fe^ which we did, and upon Enquiry about a Horfe, the Man faid, he had none hut a little nihite young Galloivay^ as he called it, which he was lulling to fell^ and withal told us, it carried hnn one Day forty Miles^ and afked 8/. flerlirg for it, and I bad him 5/. fterling; the Man's Wifccomuig tip the Faffage, heard what I had offered, and Ihe faid to her Hufband, it is enough \ io I had him, and a good Hoiic he provea, and carriul ( 63 ) me, by a moderate Computation, 4000 Miles. I took this, according to the nature of it, to be a lingular Favour from that great Hand which led me forth, and hitherto hath prcferved me in the Land of the Living, to praile his ever worthy Name. Now we fet forward towards Virginia and North-Carolina^ and found great Opennefs in tnefe two Provinces amongft the People, and a tender-hearted Remnant of Friends fcatterH, abroad in thefe wildernefs Countries. Although, as I faid before, 1 was brought very low, yet the Lord, in whom I did, and yet do believe and put my Truft, raifed me, and filled many- times my Heart with his Word and Teftimony, fo that fometimes it went forth as a Flame of Fire amongft the loofe Libertines, who were proud and unfaithful, yet profeffors of the Truth, and we had many large and good Meet- ings. One Thing is Worthy of Notice ; as I was fpeaking in a Meeting in Virginia^ a fudden flop came upon me, and occafioned me to fay, I cannot go fovward^ ivhatjoever the 7natter may hc^ I knoiv not : But giving over immediately, a Friend, wbo;^ Name was Eduuard Thomas^ began to prei^ ' who was^ but young in the Miniftry, altho an elderly Man, and apt to be attended witl eafonings ; but 2ls he faid after the Meeting, nr had fought to the Lordwith Prayers^ that he m-m^d condejcend fo far to his Re que ft ^ as to give me a Senje of him^ and in fo doing he would take that as a great Strength^ and ierea^^^^^^^^^^ ^/V Minflry^ m this the Day of \ ' his ( 64 ) • ^ his many Exercifes and great Fears^ or much to the fame efFecfl ; thus we fee the Lord in his great Mercy condefcends to the low, weak, and as it were, infant States of his Children, like a tender Father, and being our heavenly High- priefl, is touched with the Feeling of the Infir- mities of his People ; Thankfgiving and Honour be given to his nioft excellent Name, now and for ever. During our Stay in Virginia^ one remarkable Paffage occurred, which it may not be amifs to infert here, and the cafe was thus ; I being at a Friend's Floufe, an ancient Widow, in order to go to the Meeting, obferved as I fate in the Houfe, feveral Perfons of note come into the Yard (a Store-houfe being near) to make, as appeared afterwards, a Seizure for Rates for the Government and Prieft, they not being diftmcflly charged, but a mixed Rate, occafions Friends in thofe Parts to be ftraitned abovit the Payment of them : I obferving the Prieft to be there, and ap- pear very bufy, afked, What he ivas come about ? The Friend replied. They ivere come to make Dif- trefs for the 4olb. per Poll^ as they phrafe it, which is 40 Pounds of Tobarco^ payable for every taxable Plead, (i. e. all ahov^ fixteen Years old.) There were along with ' h^ ' rieil the Sheriff and Conftable for the Gov! r-' r,entj and divers Merchants of note as Spec'^r^ors: I underftand- ing the reafon of their ^ ming, ftept out to the Prieft, who feemed a topping brifk Man, his Temper in this cai^ not unfuitable to his Name, which was Sharps, and bring con«-^ 'x-^< ( es ) him, I defired him to be careful how he devoured Widoivs Houfes ; he brifkly replied, he did not ; to which I as clofely returned, that I found he did. He denied rny Affertion, and faid. The Government gave him ivhat he demanded and took ; to which I gave the following Anfwer ; Inafnuch as he did not any thing for the B^ idoiv^ for ivhich he reafonably might require a Revuard^ I believed the Government woidd not infiji upon it for him^ if he would be willing to drop it^ which in common Equity I thought hejhould. The Priefl, difpleafed with this modeft Reply, tartly an- fwer'd, Tou are no Chriftians, I told him, The Charge was high^ and falfe^ and he might more eafily affirm than prove it ; wherefore I put the Queftion, and allied him, Why we were fo charged by him ? To which he returned this in- fignificant Anfwer, l^hat we denied part of the Divinity of Ckrifl, I told him, he was a Novice^ and receded in his Opinioh, from mof of his Bre- thren^ Jeeing it was a general Refledion cofl on us by fnofl cf his Fraternity^ That voe oivned the Divinity ofChrift, but denied his Manhood, ^hich was falfe alfo ; therefore I demanded of him, to prove vohat Part of the Divinity of Chrift vue denied y in which if he failed^ I fjjould look upon him as a falfe Acciifer^ and tboft prefe7it nvould^ I hoped^ be myWitneJjes : But he ilm filed, and declined anfwering, though I virged him as much as poffible ; and to cut the matter off, he aflced, fVhence I came ? The Sheriff bid him give me a Verfe in Greeks I told them, I mat-- iered not middling in that^ for as the Engliih Tongue ( 66 ) **** Tongue was hcjl underlhod by thofe prcfcnt^ there-^ fore I thought it would be be/l to keep it. I told him, I was of 0\A England \ but fti 11 reminded him of his proving his Affertion, which I looked for from him ; but inflead of that, he afked ivhat part oj Old England / came from ? I told him Torkfhire ; and bid him produce his Proofs, as before urged, but he ftill evading the matter, defired to know frcm what Place ? I told him / 'u^as born at North Cave; and^ faid he, I ivas born ^/ South Cave, and my Father was Minifter there many Tears^ his Nawx ivas Sharp, and there is but a Mile difference betivixt thofe Places : I faid, it ivas a long one. No fooner was this over, but the Prieit, tranfported with my being his Countryman, began hugging me to fuch a degree, that 1 was quite afhamed of him : When I had, not without fome Difficulty, got clear of his Embraces, I a&edhim, if he efleem^ ed hhrfelf a Minifter 'of Chriji ? He anfwered, Yea^ and lawfully called thereto ; I told him, if he uims a Gof pel- Minifter^ as the Gofpefivas free^ fo fhould his MiniHry be free ; and turning to the People there prefent, I told them, J ivould not haue them decevved^ for they wAght underftand he only poffejjt^d his Place by uirtiie of a Law in that Cafe provided^ and his Call and Ordination ivas only fuch as had been transferred upon him for a Fee^ ivhich made hi?n require Pay for what he did^ and indeed ix^here he did nothings which was highly unfair ; ivherefore they iuight upon Confideratwn find he was but a Mifii/ler of the Letter, which %vas dead, afid not 'a Minifter of the i ( 67 ) the Spirit and divine Power: From which he offered not to clear himfelf, though I urged him thereto. Then I TL^ktdhxm^ which of thofe odious Charadlerifticks the falfe Mini Hers were branded With^ and deciphered by in the Ne-uu Te/lament^ he could clear himfelf of ? which I then enumerated to him. The Sheriff faid, itnvasfo\ and withal faid, Mr, Sharp, anfwer the Man^ for the ^ef- tion is 'very rational^ and you ought to an-iver him^ and for Honour Jake clear yourfelf of thofe Odiums if you can: But he would not offer co meddle with it ; wherefore I told him, to fuind for the future^ not to charge any Man or People with more than he could be fare to prove ; for it was highly fcandalous. It being now Meeting- time, I afked him to go thither ; but he refufing, faid, he durfl not \ fo we parted. Having vifited Friends here, we returned back for Maryland^ and Pennfylvania^ and a great many we found who loved to hear the TeRimony and t)o(flrines of Truth, but too few there were, w^ho took up the Crofs daily, .and followed Chrifl in the way of Self-denial, and knew the thorough Work of Regeneration, fo as to have their Qarments wajloed and made white in the myftical Blood of the Lamb: Thefe are not pol- luted with the Sins and Iniquities of the World, who have experienced this Blood to fprinkle the Heart from an evil Confcience. Theie are capable of ferving the living God; and comi';g fromtheLaveror Pool that truly waflies, there is none unfruitful, but every one bearing tixmin^ and ^ev are iawardlv clean and fruitful to God, and K. w^alk ( 68 ) walk with him, whofe bright and fhining LiVeS are alfo fruitful to the World thlt will receive them. Read this thou that hafl known fome- thing of the Work of Convtrfton^ and confider the great Difference there is between the bright Lives of the Virtuous^ and the dull and cloudy Lives of the Vicious^ and befure thou look well, which of thefe thou moft refembleft in thine. Now when we came into Pennfylvania^ my Companion before mentioned, whom I loved well, told me he muji go back to Virginia ; it became an Exercife to us both, for I could not fee my Way clear to go back, having been twice through that Province. When no other Way appeared, but we muft part, (for my Way ap^ peared clear for the Jerjeys^ Long- I/land^ Rhode-- IJland^ and Netv-England) I held it needful that we fliould, as we did, call the Friends and Elders of Philadelphia and thereabouts together, to let them know how we parted, for we parted in much Love and Tender-heartednefs ; yet notwithftanding, left any undue Reflections fliould be caft upon the Friends there concern- ing us, becaufe of our parting, I thought thefe Friends would be capable of fetting thofe Things in their proper Light, being WitnelTes thereto ; fo taking our Leave of our dear Friends in thefe Parts, 1 travelled without any Companion out- wardly, or conftantly ; but I fometimes fell into company with Elizabeth JVebb and Sarah Clement^ who were virtuous Women, and lived near the Kingdom, and were of good Service in their Travels, and grew in Truth, which while with ( 69 ) vsrith them I was fenfible of: We travelled under great Care and Circumfpedlipn, both for our own good, and avoiding OfFence, as became ouir Places, and holy Profeffion, that in all Things we might adorn the Gofpel of the Kingdom, a Difpenfation of which was com- mitted to us to preadi unto others. Good Service I had for the Lord, and great Satisfadlion in my own Mind in thefe Parts, the Lord help- ing me by his mighty Power through all my Trials, as my Heart and Mind was devoie4, and refigned to anfwer his Requirings. I had great Openings in feveral Places in ^eW'England^ and it appeared clear to me, and fometimes I fpoke openly of it, that the Lord would gather a great People to the faving Knowledge of the Truth in his Time, notwith- ftanding what many of our Friends had fufFerecJ for the Name of the Lord, and Teftimony w^hich they held in thefe Parts, from the Predeceflbrs of the prefent Inhabitants : The View of the State pi thefe Things, efpecially the great Sufferings of many of our faithful Friends, put me in mind of that Saying, that The Blood of the Nlar-^ tyrs is the Seed of the Church ; and in this cafe, I believe it will be fulfilled in its Seafon. One Paifage happened, which I think not fit to pafs over in filence : There came into one Meeting, eaftward in Neiv-England^ a Man, who was Brother to a, Prejbyterian Prieft, to oppofe Friends, (who, as Friends faid, had been often very troublefome in that Meeting) in the Beginning of the Meeting he defired to have Liberty ( 7^ ) Liberty to afk fonie ^itjiions. I being a Stran-* gcr, and not having lb much as heard of the Man, nor any making Reply to him, 1 felt Liberty in the Truth to return the following Anfwer in behalf of the Meeting, That I did ap- frehend it ivas the Defire of Friends^ inafmuch as the Meeting %sDas appointed for the Worjhip of God ^ and not for afking of §nefions, or Controverftes^ that the chief Part fhould firjl he an/hvcred ; and J aljo thought the Meeting 'would be v^ilUng^ in the Conclitfton^ to give him Liberty ' t& afk the ^leflions^ if his Intent therein *ix>as for Informal tion or Satisfaction, and not for Contention. Friends were filent, and the Man fubmitted to what was propofed, and a good Meeting we hadj the Lord's heavenly Power and hving Prefence being with us, and theSubltance wasfeit among lis, and exalted over all the Shadows and Types j and Chrill the true Bread and living Water, Light and Life of the World, was exalted that Day ; and the mighty God and Father, with his beloved Son, through the Help of the holy Spirit, was glorified, who is worthy for ever. Near the Conclufion of the Meeting, the Mar^ began to fpeak well of what he had heard,^ particularly touching that ot Water^Bapti/m^ which, he faid, he had nothing to objeSi againfl\ but as to the Sacrament^ as he called it, hecaufe little or nothing had been faid about it^ therejore he concluded^ we either denied or dijufed it ; or Words to the fame purport. Then 1 flood up and faid, / did not remember that the Word' Sacrament luas in all the hibk ; but^ I faid, / V JtcppoJ^d { 71 ) fuppofed he meant the Bread and Wine; he an- fvvered, he did; I aflced him, ivhether he ivas of the fame Mind the Epifcopal Church *was of? If not of the fame Mind he might fay fo\ for they fay^ the Bread and Wine is an outward and vifible Sign of an inward and fpiritual Grace, ^t. ^what jaid he to it? He was fome Time filent; then I alked him, How long he thought that Sign nvas to continue? He replied, To the End of the World. I anfwered, He did not read in all the Bible^ that the Lord had appointed any Figure or Sign but what ivas to end in the Subfance^ ivhich is to be ivitneffed and enjoyed in this World ^ and not put off only to the End or Conclufion thereof^ as his Argument feemed to declare^ by his urging, that the Sign of that divine Suhjlance mujl remain till the End of this EWorld. I afked him, E^oat he could anfwer to that ? He turned ofF with jonly faying, / ivas too great a Scholar for him^ and Jo he ivould not meddle ivith me. He thea was filent, and there being many People, I had a fine Opportunity to open to the tender- hearted, and Friends prefent, how that was at t)eft but a Sign, which the People eat and drank outwardly, in Remembrance of ChriiVsi Death until he came, but that I could now prove plenteoufly from the New Teftament, that the Subftance^ the Grace was come, and urged many Proofs cut of the Scriptures to the fame purpofe: And when I had done, what I had faid, fo reached a good-like old Man, a Presbyterian^ that he confeiTed with T^rs, he had heard much faid upon that Siibjeil^ ( 7^ ) Bubje/i^ but had never heard it fo opened before ; and faid, he believed I ivas in the right. The Meeting broke up in a good Frame, and Friends much rejoiced that Truth came over all, and the contentious Man was filenced : And xvhen the Meeting was over, the goodly old Man took me to the Door, and aflced me, what a Man /hould do in cafe of a folemn League and Covenant, he being entered into it? I told him, / needed not to dire£l him^ jor he had that in himfelf vohich ivouldfjew him what hefhould do; for if one fJjould make an Agreement or Covenant ivith Hell and Deaths in the time of Ignorance and Darknefs^ and novo the true Light di/covered it to be fo ; the fame Light vuhich dif covered and manifefied it to be wrong, as he voas faithful to the fame ^ ivould [hew him hoiv and vuben to break it, and every other tvrong thing ; to vuhich Light I recommended him^ and bid him take heed to it; which, he faid, he hoped he fJoould; and fo I left him with Tears on his Cheeks, and paffed on. I omitted one thing which happened in that Part of NeiJU' England near Nevu-Tork and Long^ I/land^ although I was twice backward and forward, yet to be brief in my Travels through thofe Countries, intended to make one Account ferve, viz. As I was fpeaking in a Meeting, there came a great Damp over my Spirit, and in that Time came into the Meeting feveral Men, occafioned by a topping and great Man in the World, who had given them an J!.xpedlr ation that they fliould hear how jjt^ would opDofe ( 73 ) oppofe the fakers ; but in a fliort time TrutK rofe, and Friends generally heard a Man fay to this Difputant, ivby do yaii not /peak? he hufhed him with faying, the Man is upon the Subje£l which I intend to oppofe them with. After fome time the Man was put upon again to fpeak to me, with a ivhy do not you /peak ? we heard hioi fay, the Man has opened the Thing fo as I never heard it before^ and I have nothing to Jay : And to his own, and the Wonder of his Neighbours^ he fat down upon a Seat near the Door and wept tenderly ; fo it was a good time to him^ and many more, for the Lord's mighty Power was amongft vis. And in my Retvirn from my Journey in the Eaft Parts of Nevu-England^ the fame great Man defired me to condefcend to have a Meeting at his Houfe ; and after dud Confideration and Approbation of Friends, who defired it might be fo, when they knew it was his Requefl, a Meeting was appointed, and I heard there were likely to be at it a great many of the higher fort of Presbyteriam of his Neighbourhood. I went to the Meeting under no fmall Con- cern of Mind, but when I was come into the great Houfe, I was very much afFeded with the wife Condudl of the Man, to fee in what: excellent order he had placed every thing, fo that I could not find wherein any thing could be amended; and a heavenly Meeting it was, without any Oppofition; and at the breaking up of ^e Meeting, this tender Man, whofe Heart was broken and opened by the Power of Truth, ( 74 ) Truth, faid audibly. His Heart and Houfe wen open to receive me^ and fuch as me^ let all Jay *wbat they would to the contrary. But what the fubjedt matter was at the firft Meeting when he came in, I forgot; it was enough that we remembered we had a good and heavenly Meet- ing, and were truly thankful for the fame to him who was the Author thereof. I and fome other Friends being in our Paflagc by Water in a VefTel bound for Rhode- IJland^ and meeting with high and contrary Winds, we put into a Creek fome Miles diftant from Rhode^ JJland^ and defired the People to procure us fome Horfes to ride on, and we would pay them any thing that was reafonable, but hoped they would not make a Prey of us, for we were Strangers, and they ought to do to us as they would be done by, if they were in a ftrange Land, as we were; and there came up to us a goodly old Man, and afked us, what People ive ivere? if 'we were not Quakers? I told him, ^ji^e njuere in Scorn fo called^ but nve did not much mind Names^ for there uuas hut little in them. He was a briflc talking Man, and faid, there ivas a Man. here lately that faid he nvas a Quaker, and horronved a Horfe^ and when he was gone fome Miles from this Place^ he offered to fell the Horfe: J knoiv not^ faid the Man, but you are fuch, I returned this Anfwer to the Refle6lion; 27?^/ *was a great Proof that we inhere an honejl and reputable People ^uuhere ive ivere knouuii^ he might cffure himfelf of that\ for ivhen a Man is fa wicked^ as to become a notorious Chedf^ he nviil COVL ( 75 ) t^ver him/elf under the bejl Name he can think oj\ othcr*iv,ife he might have /aid he ivas a Baptift, or a Prefbyterian, or an Epifcopalian, and defired you to lend him an Horfe ; but you mind not thefe Names^ neither doth the ivicked Man think he can pafsfo ivell under any of thefe laft, but under the Jirfl'y and the reafon of it I leave thee to judge* The old Man alked no more Queftions, but ufed his Endeavours to get us Horfes, and a Man and Horfe to go with us, to have the Horfes back again, and we were well mounted ; but before we fet forward, the old Man took me to his Houfe and was very courteous to nie, for though we had fpoke for fome Victuals in as ftiort a time as well might be, he invited me to drink, and brought of his Apples and Beer, which he would have my Friends to partake of, for^ he faid, (and we found it true) it was but a poor Inn\ I think there was no Liquor at it but Brandy or Rum, and Water. The old Man and I parted very lovingly, and I gave him a piece of Money to fliew my Gratitude for his Civility and good Service to us> The People looked upon us as fome great Wonder, for I heard one fay^ Are thefe Quakers ? ivell ^ faid he, they look like other People, How we had been reprefented, and by whom, its not hard to gather, for it is very apparent, the fame Spirit and the fame Enmity yet doth continue in fome of the Inhabitants ot that Country, which fome of our Friends formerly felt the fevere Effedls of; but they are lince fomewhat moderated by the Government there^ which is ( 76 ) of a more mild and Chriftian Difpofition; although I am well alTured, that many of the more confcientious and thinking People in thofe Parts of the World begin to fee, and many will fee and underftand in time, that hanging and taking aivay Lives ^ for the fake of Religion, is oppofite to Chrift, and the Nature of the true Religion which is wrought in Man by the Operation, Quickenings, and Indiuellings of the holy Spirit^ which, as it is regarded and follow- ed, leavens and brings the Soul of Man in fome degree to put on the Purity, heavenly Image, and Nature of Chrift, which is Love^ praying for Enemies^ and is not for dejlroying^ hwt faving Lives ; but how far the Reverfe will agree with that Religion taught by Chrift, and pradlifed by him and the Apoftles, I would have all feri- oufly confider of in time. While we were in Bojlon^ when one of the aforementioned worthy Women was declaring excellently, with both good Utterance and Voice, as alfo good Matter, as the manner of the Inha- bitants of Bojion had been for many Years to encourage, or at leaft fiifFer a rude Mob to bawl and make a Noife, fo they did now, that it was hard to hear fo as to underftand diftindly what the Friend faid, although ftie fpoke plain and intelligibly : It did very much grieve me to to fee the Ignorance and Darknefs of thofe high Pro- felTors of Religion, fo that when the Friend had done, obferving there appeared Men of fome note in the World, I requefted them to huih the Rabble, for I had fometliing to fay, which ( 77 ) which I defired them to make known to the Governor and chief Men of the Town; fa they foon quelled the Noife. Then I told them. That in cafe ive were as erroneous as fame might infinuate ive ivjcre^ that ivas not the Way to con-- 'vince us of our Errors^ neither to bring us out of thcm^ hut rather to eftahlifh us in them ; and that njuas not the Way for them to gain Profelytes^ but the Way to lofe many from them^ and increafe Diffenters; for ii^hat Convincement could there be by Noife and Clamour^ and Hooting^ as if they would fplit their own Lungs ? I had come a great Way to fee them^ and what Character could I give of them ? I never thought to have feen fo much Folly amongjl a ivije and religious People as noiv I faiv : Tell the Governor and chief of the ToivUy what the old Englifliman faith \ for I am ajloamed of fuch Doings. It had a good EfFed:, for when I came after, we had quiet Meetings ; and I underftood by a Letter from Daniel Zachary^ of Bofon^ to 01d they came with Axes and hewed down all the Apple Trees in his Orchard, it being a large one, and left the Stumps about the height of a Man's Knee, and, as Thomas Mciulhaju faid, they took the Way as they thought to ruin him; but the Lord turned it into a Bleffing, for the Trees grew to Admiration, and came to bear Fruit abundantly, and a finer Orchard I have not ken in all my Travels, for the Bignefs of it; let the Lord be fandlified by all his People, and admired by all them that believe. I with feveral other Friends went from Salem Yearly- meeting (which was a large and good Meeting) towards Dover^ and coming to a River, I flaying a little behind, a Friend took my Hof fe with two more into the Boat, and by jthat time I came to the Riyer-fide the Boat was finking, and the Ferryman made a lamentable Cry, faying. The Boat is Junk and ive /hall be all drowned; altho' it was fo ordered, that there was but one Friend in the Boat with the Boat- man, and I do not remember that ever before now my Horfe Was in any Boat, and I not there ; which I looked on as the Mercy of a kind Providence to me, and to feveral other Friends in Company. I hearing the Noife, as before, (and alfo the flowndering of the Horfes when tumbling into the Water) called to the Men, to be fure to take care to free themfelves of all the Tackling of the Fiorfes, (as Bridles, Stirrups, ( 79 ) Stirrups, enedy as he faid, he had been inflrumental to bring from Quakerifm, to the good old Mother Church in Old England Jf^'^ hundred Peopk. I replied, that is not true: If he rightly confidered what he had done in Old England, he had little caufe to boaft ; for, I faid, / thought about as many Perfons as he [poke of Hundreds, ivould make up the Number there ; and if there was occafion, I could name all or mofl of them : And withal told him, that fome of thcfe fevu ,' vuhilfl among us, vuere grown to be neither honourable nor comfortable to us, I urged George^ if he could, to name or make appear more in Number than I had mentioned, that he had fo gathered, as he had falily faid. This was a very great Stroke upon him, and put him to a (land. He ( IIvS) } He then began to afk of my Country, and from whence i came ? With the Account of which 1 humoured him; yet withal put him m mind oi: his great Brag, and importuned him to make fomethmg appear towards that great matter he had done in Old .England, even for very ihame ; for I was afliamed for him, that a Adan of his Learnirg, Parts and Pretenfions, Ihouid lo exppfe himiclf ; but he went no far- ther about it. Then I fliewed to the People what fort of a Man he was, (as they themfelves could not but lee, who were impartial) and that he was not worthy of oyr Notice ; for he cared not what he faid, fo that he could but calumniate and abufe us. By this Time he appeared fpmewhat glutted with the fharp Sword and keen Arrow the Lord gave me, which cut and wounded deep, fo that from this Time I ^ not find in our after Enr counters, he appeared^ at any time fb h>old and defperately hardy, but rather exprefitd himielf, altho' very wickedly, yet in a fofter Tone. He was now for beirg gone, thrcatningus with what he would do on the Morrow ; but,! reniincied him, that he \vas to us as an hcaihcn Man or a Publican, and that what he e5.h]h}red againft us, being but the I ruits ot Wratli and tnvy, as inch we llighted and trod it under our Feet as Dirt, and rather defired his Ablence tlian his Company: So away he went, on y telhng us, he would be with us in the Morning. We underltoocl by it, that he intended to be with us at tii^^Jt fiends houie, the Meeting-houfe being ( III ) being about a Quarter of a Mile from our Lodgings. The Evening coming on, the neighbouring Prelhyterian Women fell hard upon our Women Friends ^honV their jaluting Men^. which George Keith had charged upon them, as was generally underftood in the Plural, and this appeared as a- CorJir772ationj as they alledged, becaiife ivhen charged^ I made no Reply to it^ as I had done to all or mojl othtr Charges^ and had ouerthroivn Mr, Keith, a^ they faid, fo -that he ivas not able to Jland before me. They ought to have faid. before the Lord in the firft place: But how the AVomen might clear themfelves of that Reflec- tion was the prefent Bufinefs. I faid, I thought it would be the beft, at a fuitable Time in the Morning when George Keith was coin^, that by handfomly bringing the matter over^ him, they plight learu what Women they were who faluted him, and fo clear themfelves from the Reflecftion call upon them ; for, I faid, perhaps he will jimit it tQ fbme of his near Kindred (as Wife, Mother, Sifter, Daughter) which may ferve for a Salvo in this prefent Cafe ; for I did not know of any fuch general Pradlice in any Place where I had been, and I had vifited mod of the Meetings in England^ Scotland^ and Wales, So in the Morning when George^ with two Priefts, and many People were come, with fome Friends, who filled the Ploufe, a Woman Friend ftood up and brought the Matter dif- creetly over George Keith, But when flie put ^he Queftion in the Plural, (IVomen) he fliifted ^ . the ( 1X2 ) the Term and faid, he did not fay Women. I defired the Friend to call to her Neighbours who heard what George Keith had fald the laft Evening, and were now prefent, how they un- derflood the Word ? One like a wife and jufl Man faid, He ivoidd do Jufiice to every Man ; and he under/lood that George faid Women ; and many faid to the fame purpofe, but none to the contrary. Th>^ Friends alked itie, Hoiv I underfood the Word? As being a North Country- man^ I might knoiv better the North or Scotch Diela^ than they, I replied, They had a broad way of expreffing the Word Woman, rather founding it like the plural^ but I underfood it Women as the above mentioned difcreet Man had faid. The next Queftion fhe put to him was, J^hat Woman? He anfwered, A good old motherly Woman that ivas gone to Heaven many Tears ago. Then flie aflced, What Country lYoman ? He replied, A Scotch Woman, The Friend faid. It ivas very %vell that he had cleared all the World of that Fc^ult (if it mlglit be fo termed) but Scotland, and the Woman dead many Tears ago. The Women Friends were greatly fatisfied, and glad they were fo finely difcharged of that which fbme counted a fottl Refiedlion, and efpecially befoi^e their zealous Neighbours the Frefvyterians^ who (as the Friends faid) pro- bably might have twitted them with it, whether the Matter was true or Falfe, if it had not been cleared up; blit^ as I faid to George^ it was a Ucfei'tionfor Refleciion s fah : For I was willing to ( "3 ) to fet every thing that Wcts wrong (as for as I was capable) in its proper Light, that Friends and others, of all Perliiafions and Qualities who were preTent, might fee Things as they really were, and not be deceived ; and I had much Satisfaction in fo doing. And inafmuch as I was engaged in the Defence of the Truth^ it appeared the moft clear to me, to load him with his own Lies, Miftakes and Wickednefs, and to do what we did, as much as in us lay, in the Lord's mighty Power ; for he appeared tome, like to the Angels who kept not their .firfl: State. Matters being thus far gone through, and the Meeting-time drav/ing on, I was in fome Concern of Mind, left any ihould be hurt by either hearing or anfwering Georg-e Ke'itb^ he having a great Propenfity to jangling ; it there- fore opened in my Mind to afli him a Queftion, withal reminding him, that he ivas but to us as an heathen Man or a Publican^ yet he might, if he pleafed, anfwer me the Queftion, which was. Whether he ivas always found in the fundamental Doiir'mes of Chriftianity, yea or nay ? Upon which he fat a conliderable Time in Silence, of which I was truly glad, my Spirit being much bowed under the Apprehenfion I had, of the weighty Exercife that was likely to attend the approaching Meeting. But before we part-' ed, George flood up, and taking his Staii' u his Hand by .the Middle, faid. While he war d Quaker, he thought^ as Paul thought^ that he had the Spirit of God, and iv hen be had the Spi^ ^t ( "4 ) dfGod^ then he ivrote found Things, but ivhen he had it not ^ then he wrote MnfouvA Things. lafked, Whether ihe/e unfound Things he 'wrote uuere tit Fundamentals, yea^ or nay ? If not in Funda- mentals, then my ^iejiion remained firm and untouched. He would have gone from the matter, but I reminded him of it again, as I fuppofed he forefaw that he could not anfwef' it, but by bringing a Stroke upon himlelf, fof if he had owned his being unfound^ I had it under his own Hand, in a Book written after he left Friends, that he ivas always found ^ &c. And if he had faid, he was always found in the Fundamentals^ as before, then I intended to have afked, why he lejt us ? For he advocated thd fame orthodox Principles v/hich we believed and taught; but we ended quietly, and prepared to go to the great Meeting, for by this time many ' Friends and People were come, and coming from every Quarter, to fee and hear how Matters would go between the poor Ridkers ^ and this great Champion in his Heart George Keith^ for I thought he rtioft refembled the great Goliah of Gath^ who defied the Armies of the living God, of any I had ever yet feen in all my Travels, iii^ a religious refpecl. Now to the Meeting we went ; George Keith^ w^tli two Pricfts, and a great many People" gathered together of fsveral Profeffions and Qualities into one Body, and Friends and fome friendly People iqto another Body; and as we came near to the Meeting-houfe, I fto id ftill,- and took a View of the People, and it appeared ^ to* ( "5 ) to me as if two Armies were g6ing to engage in Battle: There appeared wuth George Keith Men of confiderable Eftates, Parts, and Learn- ing, and we appeared like poor Shrubs; and, under a Senfe of our prefent State, I had like to have been difmayed, and my Faith had even like to have failed me ; but I cried mightily to the God and Fountain of all our tender Mercies, that he would look down upon us, and help us in this Time of great Exercife, which wms not hid from him ; but his penetrating Eye faw, and his watchful Providence attended us, bleiTed be his Name for ever. I continued my fervent Prayers and Interceflions to the Lord of Hofts, that he would arife for his great Name's fake, and work for us that Day, that the Enemies of Truth might not triumph or vaunt over us, and that none of thefe tender Plants, which he had brought to the faving Knowledge of the . Truth, might be hurt. 1 had no fooner thus heartily fought to the Lord, but I felt renev/ed Strength -come upon me, and the Fear of Man v/as taken away from me, and I fav;- evidently that Truth would have the Victory that Day, and my Faith and Confidence was greatly ftrengthened in the Lord. Thefe breathings forth of my Spirit to ^he Lord were in fecret, without Words to be heard by Men, but the Lord hears and knows the Diftrefs and Language of the Spirit. Beings thus encouraged in myfelf, it arofe in ray Heart to fpeak to Friends before we went ate the Meetin^<-houfe, and I advifed them /c? ( "6 ) hefwift to hear and Jlow to /peak, and that ivhaf wasjpoken might he in the Lord's Po'wer^ for that wounds George the mojl^ and Jlays that 'wicked and ranting Spirit in him^ more than all the Wi/dom of Words ivithout it 5 and let us maintain our Tejlijnony oj Denial againd him^ and endea^ 'vour to get together into one B'ody^ that ii'e ma) be an Help and Strength one to another ; and let every one it ho knows the Lorct^ cry mightily unto him^ that his living Power and Prejence may be amongjl us^ and i believed the Lord would not Ju^er any to be hurt. So the Meeting gathered, and immediately after, George ftood up to tell us (as before) that he vims come in the Queens Name to gather Quakers fro7n Quaker- iim, to the good old Mother Churchy the Church of England (as he called it) and that he could prove out of our ovun Books ^ that vue held t.rrors, Herefies, damnable Dodtrines and Blaiphemies ; with a Threat to look to ourj elves to anjwer^ or elfe the Auditory vuould conclude^ that vuhat hs exhibited againjl us vl^s true. I expefted ibme of the elder Friends would fay lomething to him, but none did; and I having a deep Concern upon my Mind, left Truth, or the Friends of Truth, Ihould fuffer thro' our Mifmanagement^ and fuch as waited for Occafion, might have an Occafion adminiftred by us rigairft ourfeJves; I fay, under this Concern of Mind 1 llood up, and fignified to the People what manner of IVian George Keith was ; notwithftanding he had walked many Years amongft ut-, yetto^'iards tlie latter end oi his lo Wiilkin^ with us, he grew very ( "7 ) very troublefome, by reafon of a contentious Spirit winch did poffefs him ; and atcer much Labour and exercifing of Patience, and extend- ing of Love towards him ; in order to recover and reclaim him, all that Labour of Love and much Forbearance would not avail, but he ftill perfilted in the Work of Contention and Dif- turbance. Then he was pubUcly difowned, and teftified againft by us, as a Perfon with whom we had no Unity or Fellowfhip : And being thus caft out, he became to us (agreeable to the Sayings of Jefus Chrift) as an Heathen Man or a Publican \ and being thus disjointed, to expofe us, what lay in his Power, to all forts of People, he chofe printing againji\s ; wherein he hath much abufed us, in leaving out many times the explanatory Parts of Sentences, and coinmg Words to make the Meanmg appear different from what was defigned, and indeed^ from what was mod fair and genuine: Therefore, fome of our Friends found themfelvcs concerned to follow him in Print, for the clearing us from what he, through Envy, would have wil- lingly faileaed upon us, and to return his Self- contradid:ions, Miliaterpretations, and Mifap- piications of our Writings upon himfelf, and to clear our own Innocency, and manifeft thePer- vennefs and Wickednefs ot his Spirit: Neither do we, as a People, hold ourfeives to be undep any Obligation to follow him into foreign Parts or the World, to anfwer his Arraignments and Caarges, not being confcious to ourfeives that *we hold any tmng cou-xary to found and orthodox ( "8 ) orthodox Docflrine ; and alfo knowing that v.hat he exhibits againft us, is the Fruit of Envy and MaHce, as fuch we rejecfl it and trample it under our Feet ; and were it not for your fakes, who are Strangers to thefe Things, w^e fhould take no further Notice of George Keith than to flight and reject him as a Man that cares not what he fays, nor is he worthy of our Notice. ,Then paufing a little, George being quiet, a Friend flood up with a fhort, but living Tefti- mony, and then my Companion; all this in much Weight and with good Demonftration. After them it pleafed the Lord to open my Mouth, I think in as much Strength, Clearnefs and Demonllration as ever, beginning with the following Words, In that Way you call Herefy do 'u>e worjloip the God of our Fathers^ believing all Things that are ^written concerning J ejus Chrijl^ both as to his God-head and Man-^ hood; giving a fummary Account of his Birth, working of Miracles, fome of his Dcdlrine, Saiferings and Death, Afcenfion and Glorifica- tion, the Coming of the Spirit of Truth, or Comforter, to lead all thofe who receive, be- lieve, and obey it, into all Truth : Having great Openings concerning the Law and Pro- phets, and the Beginning, Service and End of the Miniftration of John the Baptift. The People appeared very much down and attentive, for the Lord's heavenly baptizing Power was amongil us that Day; It was thought, many were, there who had not been at any of our Meetings of Worfhip ( 1-^9 ) Worfhip before, and the Prefence of the Priefls there, opened a Door for all the reft. I being clear, left thern unto the Grace of God, and unto their free Teacher Chrift, whofe heavenly Power in the Appearance of his Spirit, the laft and lafting Difpenfation, was exalted that Day above all the fhadowy and typical Things that ever had been in the World : A good Meeting it was, and Friends vs^ere mutually comforted and edified in the internal Prefence of the Lord. The Prieft of this Place, whofe Name was Sheppardy before my Mouth was opened iu Teitimony, made Preparation to write, and when I began to fpeak, he had his Hat upon his Knee, and his Paper upon its Crown, and Pen and Ink in his Hands, and made many Motions to write, but wrot nothing; as he be- gan {o he ended, without writing at all. And as Friends entered the Meeting-houfe in the Lord's Power, even that Power which cut Uahab^ and wounded the Dragon^ vv'hich had been at work, kept down in a good degree the wrong Spirit in George^ for he appeared much dov/n ; but this buiy Prieft called to him feveral Times to make his Reply to what I had fpoke. After fome Time I faid to the Prieft, in Behalf of the Meeting, that he might have Liberty to make Rcplj. Fie propofed to have another Day appointed /6>r a Dijpute \ to which I faid, if he did make a voluntary Challenge^ which he fliould not fay we put him upon, '^ve or fome of us (meaning Friends) if a Day and Flace ( ,.o ) Place ivere agreed upon, Jlxmld find it our Concern to anfu^tr him as ijuell as li-e could. He faid, he would have Mr, Keith to be ifjithhim: I to!d him, ij he jhould, and meddled in the DiJpiJe^ if I tt^af therCy I Jhould rejecl him J or Reajons before ajftgned. When the Prieft had faid this and Ibmewhat more, an Elder of the Prtjbyte" rian Congregation clapt hun on the Shoulder, and bid him fit down ; fo he was quiet, and then flood up George Ktith, and ow ^ed he had been refrejhed among U us that Day^ and had heard a great many Jound 1 ruths ^ ivith fome Errors, but that it was not the common Doilnne ivhich the Quakers preached. I then flood vip and (aid, I had fomething to fay to obviate 11^ hat Gtoi^tt Keith wou Id in/inuate; for his Drift was to mfufe an Opinion into them, that the fakers did not commonly preach up Faith in the Manhood of Chrift, as I had done that Day ; I appealed to the Auditory, whether they thought there was a Neceffity frequently to prefs a Matter fo univerlally re- ceived amongll Chriilians, as Faith in the Manhood of Chriji vuas ? Yet we, as a People, had fo often and clearly demonftrated our Faith in the Manhood of Chrift, both in our Teftimonies and Writings, as might fatisfy any unbiafTed Perfon, or fuch who were not preju- diced againft us; and we know not of any People who believe more fcripturally in the Manhood of Chrift than we do : But inalrnuch as the Grace, Light and holy Spirit, is highly concerned in the Work of Man's Salvation, as well ( I=t ) well as what Chrift did for us without U5?, and this being yet much a Myltery to many called Chriftians, it pleafes God to open, in theCourie of our Miniftry, into the Meaning and Myftery thereof, and to prefs the latter more than the former. To which George made no Reply, but began to exhibit his Charges againft us (as men- tioned before) and faid, he could prove them out of our Friends Books ^ naming George Fox and Ed-^ •ward Burroughs &c. He had in a Paper a. great many Quotations out of Friends Books, and a young Man with him had many Books in a Bag, out of ijuhich ^ he faid, he %vouJd prove- the Charges he xvas about to exhibit againft us. He was now crowded up into the Gallery between me and the Rail, with a Paper in his Hand ; and I {landing over him, and being taller, could fee his Quotations and his Para- phrafes upon them, on which I told him loudly, that all the Meeting might hear. That he offered Violence to that Senfe and Underftanding vuhich God had given him^ and he knevu in his Conjcience^ ive were not that People^ neither "were our Friends Writings either damnable or blqjphemous^ as he through Envy endeavoured to make the World believe ; and that he would not have P^eace in Jo doings but Trouble from the Lord in his Con- ,/cience. I fpoke in, the Lord's dreadful Power, and George trembled fo much as I feldom ever faw any Man do : I pitied him in my Hear:, yet, as Mo/es fai'd once concerning Ifrael^ I felt the Wrath of the Lord go forth againjl him\ George ( 1.2 ) George faid, Do not judge me\ I replied, the Lord judges^ and all ivho are truly one in Spirit ivith the Lordy cannot but judge thee. So he gavd ever, and it appearing a fuitable time to break lip the Meeting, Friends parted in great Love, Tendernefs and Brokennefs of Kearc ; for the Lord's mighty Power had been in and over the Meeting from the beginning to the end thereof, glorified and renowned be his moft excellent Name, now and for ever, for his Mercies are many to thofe that love and fear him who is the Fulnefs of all Good. This Meetmg 'tvas not only for Worjfhip, but alfo for Bufinefs, as I faid to the People at our parting; it was Friends Monthly Meeting, in which their Poor, Fatherlefs, and Widows, were taken Care of, and fuch other Things as concern them as a People. Tv/o Friends w^re defired to ftay, to hear what George had to fay to them who remained, which laid two Friends gave an Account to us afterwards, that George faid to the People after we were gone, that the Quakers had left none to dijpute ivith him hut an Afs and a Fool ; when I heard it, I faid, could you not; have replied, An Afs 'was on^e inade fufficient /:■ reprove the Madnefs of the Prophet, George called ^:o fee me the next Day, and faid, You had the Advantage over me Ycfttrday^ for you perfnaded me to he quiet until you had done^ and then you vuould not Jlay to hear me : neither indeed were we under any Obligation fo to do: I told him, I hoped that Truth vuould^ always have the Advantage over thofe who oppofcd \t', ( »23 ) a ;/; and fo we parted, but met again upon Rhode- IJland ; the Governor of which Place, who was a friendly Man, having heard of my Intention of coming thither, ordered the De- puty-Governor, when I came, to have me to liim, which he did ; and when he faw me at the Door, and after Enquiry heard my Name, he took me by the Hand and led me hke a Brother, or rather more like a tender Father, into a Room, fetting me down by him, and then began to fay, / have heard much of you^ and dejired to fee you long^ and am glad you are here, I finding him near me in Spirit, was very open in m^y Mind to him, and anfwered him with much Clearnefs and Satisfaction. I re- member he aflced. Whether I thought the Sournefs in the Minds of the Prefbyterians againjl us^ iim^ not rather abated ? I told him, I did believe it ivas; and If our' Friends did but obferve to ivalk , ivi/ely^ and live up to ivhat they p^ofejjed^ they would overcome it all. He faid, that zvas the ivay^ and there ivas not another cofnparahle to it ; and^ as he faid, and I believe it was fo, he had no other viezv in fendtng for me^ but to manifeji his Refpecls ^o me^ and to do yne any Service that lay in his Power: I told him, / ivas fcnftble of his Love^ and wijloed I could be capable of reta- liating that ivhick in Gratitude his Kindnefs to rae called for : He faid^ he defired no more than ivhen I came that ivay I would vifit him^ if he was living, I told him, / intended fo to do^ if ^vas my Lot to come there again. I then P*. defired ( 124 ) defired he would be at the Meeting next Day*^- George Keith propoling to be there, in all likelihood it would be very large ; which he- promlfed he would, and accordingly came. George m-ade little Difturbance in the begin- ning of the Meeting, but commanded the Governor to quiet the Quakers : A Prieil faid, Mr. Keith, you ought not to comynand the Go'vernor^ but intrcat hi77i\ well then, he intreated the Governor to quiet the ^takers that he might be heard ; whereupon the Governor, like a Man of Jufticc and Wifdom, flood up and faid^ It ii'as not in his Power to quiet the Quakers ; inajmuch as the Hoiife is theirs^ and they ha*ve appointed the Meetings it is but reajonable they JJjouId ha've their Liberty^ and if they be ivtUing^ ivhen they have done^ you have your Liberty to fay zuhat you have to fay to thofe uoho ivill jiay to hear you : So the Governor being next nie, leaned his Hand upon me, and went away in a fober Manner. George was quiet, and \ve had a good Meeting, and fo parted. * Afrer moil of the Friends were gone, a Friend and I went to the Meeting-houfe Door, to hear what George faid ; he held his Bible in his Hand, and faid it was promifed, that the Go/pel f}jou Id be preached unto every Creature under Heaven; but il it vias truly tranfated^ it would he in every Creature, (not in every Creature as Horfe, Cow, &c. but in every rational Creature of Mankind: ) And then their Meeting broke up in Confufion. ^ly ( 125 ) My next Remove was to Long-I/land^ where I met with Thomas Story and John Rodman ; John defired Thomas and me to be affiftant to him in preparing a Writing againft George Keith^ when he came to Flujhhig Meeting upon the aforefaid Iiland, which Writing was to this EfFecl, viz. *' Whereas Colonel Wejl\, an Inhabitant in thefe Parts, who died and made Miles Forfter a Truilee, gave by Will a coafideraole S im of Money to poor Friends o^ London^ which Money was ordered by t^e Teftato!' ro be put into the H inds of fome faithful Friends of the aforefaid City of London^ to Jiilributc as above". A true Copy of which Wiii we ob- tained, and at the Meecmg madeitfaifly appear to George Keith's Face, that^e had wronged the Poor in receiving Fifty Pounds of the aforefaid Money of Miles Forjier^ as appeared under Miles' s own Hand ; which George did not deny when he was charged with it in the Meeting, as knouuingly to have robbed the Poor ; it being made fairly ap- pear, that George Keith had no Right to meddle with the Money, neither as a faithful Friend, nor yet as a poor Friend of London^ becaufe he Was then in America ; ' and what made him more incapable of claiming any part of it, Vv\as his being goc into the Spirit of Strife and Enmity againjl Friends^ and therefore, before they could hear his Charges, he ought to have firft laid down the Money, or given fuch Security as Friends ap- tiroved of; neither of which he vv'as caoable of doing : So he was flighted by all or moll of the Peoplq ( 126 ) People, as well as by Friends, and this blocked up his Way fo much that we had little or no Trouble with him in that Part of the World : But the Lord wrought for his Name's Sake, and the Prefervatipn of his tender People, Praifes and Honor to be given to his great Name, now and for ever. Thus ended this Engage- ment betw^ixt a poor Servant of Chrift, and a grand Apoifate^ who appeared to fight againft lleafpn, Senie and Cpnfcience. Think not, iny Friends, the* Account too long, for it hatK feemed to me, for fome time, a Debt due to my Brethren, and a piece of Juflice to the Me- mory of George Keith^ for his Wickednefs^ Re- n}olting^ and iad Apojlacy. Few there are whq can believe how great the Power of Darkpefs and Wickednefs of that Mind and Spirit was, which poiTefTed and breathed through him ; fo great it was, that even the coniiderate and fober People faid, they did not think that George. Keith had beenfoivicked a Man as they noiv found he "juas upon Trial. Courteous Friend and Read- er, hold faft that which thou haft received, that none may take tlij- Crown, for it is laid up in Store for the Righteous only, and fuch who hold out to the End, in the fame pure Righ- teovifnefs which is of Chrift wrought and con- tinued in Man, by the Operation an-d Indwell-, ing of his holy Spirit, as Man abideth in Subjedlion and Obedience to the Leadings and DiclatestheiTof. I told George^ that / ivas much a/Joamed qf his complimenting great People-^ for I obfcrvcd he ( 1-7 ) he fometlmes faid thee and thoii^ and fometimes you^ and 5/r; fometimes put his Hat off^ and fometimes kept it on : I told him, before I ivould be fo unhandy^ if I intended to be ceremonious, / ivould have gone to School a ivhihy before I would Jhame my j elf as he ha4 done. If I have not wrote the very Words ^ in al! my Accounts in the pre- ceeding Pages, I have the Subflance : And for a Conclufion, I had to fay to George Keith , The Hand of the Lord ivas againji him^ and ivould folloiv hini^ uhlefs he repented. This Account carries ia it an Admonition to us, and to Friends in future Ages, into whofe Hands it may come, to beware of letting iii the Spirit of Envy^ Prejudice^ and Pride of fleart^ which I clearly faw was that which. With too much leaning to his natural Abilities '2iVidi Learnings was his Overthrow, he not keep- ing to the Lord's holy Spirit, the Life and Strength of his faithful People, and the Key of true Knowledge, the good Remembrancer, and Leader into all Truth,^ which the Lord fees meet in his wifdom to open and lead us into ; w^ithout the Help of which Anointing and holy Spirit, we are apt to be cold and forgetful in our Duties towards God, and alfo in our Love and Duties one to another: but as the Meafure of this Spirit is faithfully kept to, and im- proved, we grow more and more fruitful in every good Work and Word, to the Glory of God and Comfort of our Souls, and, as the Salt cf the Earth, help to feafon thofe who are nol fpfoncd. When ( 128 ) When I was in the Yearly-meeting upon Jlhode^IJland^ there was a Query concerning what Friends might do, in cafe there ihould be a Lay or Tax laid upon the Inhabitants for building fome Fortifications, and to provide Men and Arms for the Security of the Ifland ? Such a thing being then in Agitation, he, who was one of the chief Friends concerned in Church- Affairs, would have me give an Account what we did in the like Cafe in England \ for, he faid, they in that Country looked upon them- felves but as the Daughter^ and Friends here in Old England as their Motb^r^ and they were willing to a6l confiflent with us as far as they could,' and would know how we did there ia that Matter, whether we could pay to that Tax which was for carrying on a vigorous Waragainll Ff^ance? I was unwilling to meddle with it, as I faid; but the Meeting waited a confiderahie time for my Anfwer (as one told me) and was not willing to go forward without it ; at lall, when I could not well do otherwife, I fignificd to that large Meeting, That I had heard the Matter debated both in fuperior and interior Meetings^ and privately^ • and the mojl g enerul Refult ivas this\ Friends did not fee an effedual Door opened to avoid the Thing, that Tax- being mixed with the other Taxes; although many Friends are not fo eafy as they could dejire : Neither have uue any further Svuay in the Governr- fnent, than only giving our Voices for fuch as are- concerned t herein \ therefore^ as Things appear to me^ there is a ^reat Difparity between our Circiiynjlancti ( 129 ) Circumjlances and yours here ; for you ha^e a great Intereji here^ and a great Share in the Government^ and perhaps may put fuch a Thing by in 'votings confidering the Body of Friends^ and fuch as are friendly ^ 'whom you have an In- terefl in ; therefore look not for Help from the Mother, njuh^rein /he is not capable of helping herfelf and thereby negle£l your own Buftnefs ; but mind your oivn Way in the Truthy and look not out. Friends appeared well fatisfied with thefe Diftindlions, and it gave me fome Eafe, in that I had not hurt any. During my ftay in one of the jferfeys^ a great Weight, more than ufual, felzed upon my Spirit, as I fat in a Meeting, and under a Scnfe of the fame my Cries afcended unto the Lord, the Fountain of all tender Mercies, that he would pleafe to fljevu me what was the Caufe of that great Power of Darknefs which did fo op-^ prefs my Spirit; and it pleafed the Lord to fhevu me^ that a Man there had been guilty of fome grofs Wiekednefs ; and when it appeared clear to me, to be required of me to exprefs it publickly, it became a very great Excercife to me, and fome Reafonings I had, before I gave up to make it publick to that large Meeting, of Friends and other People : I laboured under it till towards the Conclufion of the Meeting, but finding my Peace concerned very nearly in the Matter, I flood up in the Gallery and faid, Under a Senfe of fome grofs JVickedne/s comrnitted by fome Perfon not far from me^ hath my Spirit been borne dawn ; ivhich iVickedneJs will in a fhort ( 130 ) Jh'>v' Time hrcak forth to the DiJIjonotir of Ttuth^ avid Grief of Friends, A great Man who fat ir; the Gallery by me, ftarted up and feaited himfelf upon the Rail of the Gallery, with his Eyes fixed on me, and I fa'ftned, \n the Lord*s Dread, my Eyes on him, and faid, We have a common Maxim in Old England, Touch a galled HorJ'es Edck^ and he will kick^ and I am of the Opinion be that kicks is not clear. He got down as fall as he could out of my way, for he not only prevented me from the View of the Meeting by fetting there, but his Uncleannefs flood much in the way of my Serviceo After the Meeting was over, feveral worthy Friends exprefled to me the great Concern they were under, left he fliould either by Money, crby Subtility, conceal the Sin and Wickednefs, if fuch v^as committed; for I found there was a great Fear and jealoufy in the Minds of Friends, that fomething was wrong with the Man, but I was 'till then altogether a Stranger to their Thoughts, and to the State of the Man ; yet I advifed tliat Friends fliould have a watchful Eye over him and his Family, for I told Friends, my Spirit 'iz' as enfy in *what I had delivered^ -and I believed the Evil would not be concealed. So in my iteturn, his Houfe-keeper had broughtforth a Child, and charged him with being the Father of it, which he denyed not: Friends then aficed me, what they faould do in the Cafe ? 1 /bid, Let the Judgment of Truth go forth {tgamfl all manifcji IVickednefs^ ivithout rejpeci of Ferjons^ that the ever hlefjed Truth^ and Juch as ( 13* ) ns live in it^ may be kept clear and in good FJleem before all Men as much as may he. Something of the like Exercife I met with in a Meeting in Pennfylvania^ repeating feveral times ivhat Opprejfion my Spirit ivas under ^ be- caufe of Jbme yet hidden Wickednefs^ nvhich in a /hort Time would he brought to light^ to the Blemijh of the Truth^ and great Trouble to Friends. That very Evening, after the Meet- ing, a Women little thought on by Friends to be guilty of fuch a Crime, went to a worthy- Friend and told him, She ivas the W(rman that _ had done that great Vlickednefs I had fo much £omplained of and had borne Juch a great Load becaufe thereof \ and, as the honed Friend faid, Ihe wept bitterly, even in the very Anguifh of her Soul. He came twelve Miles the next Day to Philadelphia to acquaint me with the Matter, and afk my Advice, which I gave to this Effect ; If Friends find upon Enquiry^ in the proper Seafon^ that the Woman continues heartily forry^ and truly penitent for what floe hath done^ for Godly Sorrow worketh Repentance, and if from Juch a hearty and penitent Senfe (which is to be felt beyond Words)yZ?^ gave forth a Paper ugainji her vuicked Doings^ not fo much to ingra- tiate herfelf into Favour^ as for the clearing of Truth and Friends^ and for the Eafe and Peace of her own Mind^ and took the Blame and Shame to herfelf^ then Friends may pafs it by ; if not^ Friends muft Jet the Judgment of Truth over nianife/lWickednefs^ as before mentioned. S I went . ( 132 ) I went to vlfit a Meeting in that Part called North Wales^ which had not been long planted in that Place, where there was a fine ten- der People, but few underPcanding Engli/Jj^ Roivland Ellis was my Interpreter; a good Meeting it was, and Truth was over all : Some, by the Interpreter, exprelTed their great Satisfadlion in our Vifit to that Meeting, which heretofore had not been counted as Friends, but fince tha't have been taken Notice of, and grown into good Eileem with the Body of 'Friends. I found it much my Work to be concerned in the Difcipline of the Church, which was very low in many Places, yet I found thete was . a Willingnefs in many Friends Minds to be helped in that needful Affair, for furely it is a good Fence, or a Help to keep the Righteous in, and hurtful and wicked Things and Doings out, if the fame be rightly handled, and ex- tended as it ought to be, in the Love and WifdomofGod. There was one Thing I had like t^ have omitted, which happened when I was in Rhodes IJland^ viz. one Rogers came thither to offer (as he faid) his Gift in the Tearly-yneeting amongjl^ Friends ; but they appearing in a great Strait about him, although he had writ in Behalf of Truth's Principles, and fuffered Imprifbn- ment, and the taking away his Wife from him, and was not fo much as fuffered to come to ^onverfe with his own Son, but under a Guard or Watch which was fet over him, to hear what ( ^33 j what pafled betwixt them, as he told me and fome other Friends, which Friends faid was true; yet, under the Confideration of the Matter, and Clearnefs of the Man's Converfa- tion, Friends remained in a Scrait what to do; and defired that I would take the Matter upon me, and reafon the Cafe with him, and try if I could perfuade him to be eafy, and not infift upon any fuch Thing, as to promije to 7xceivc his Gift ; for othervvife, he faid, he nvould go ivhere it ivoiildbe received. I fhewed him, that it was a Thing impradlicable among us, and in itfelf unreafonable, that we fliould be by any Pre- engagement obliged to receive that which he might call a Gift^ before we heard it; if he believed he had a Gift, he might,_;f^rak, and, as the Apoftie faid, we might judg^: For it was not impoifible but he, who was a Scholar and a wife Man, and had' a ftrong Memory, might have gathered certain PafTages out of the Bible or other Books, with what other Inter- pretations he might have flored up, and fpeak of, and call a Gift^ which we could not receive as a refil Gift of the Minifiryy which ftands in the Spirit and in the Power and if it be fuch, it will make way for itfelf; if not, we cannot receive it. So he went away, and troubled Friends no more that I heard of. When I was at WiHiam Penns Country Houfe, called Pennshury in Pennfylvania^ w^here I ftaid tvv^o or three Days, on one of v^rhich I was at a Meeting and a Marriage, and much ^f the other Part qf the Time I fpent in feeing { 134 ) (to my Satisfadlion) William Penn and many of the Indians^ (not the lead of them) in Council and Confultation concerning their former Cove" nants now again revived upon William Penn^ going away for England ; all which was done in much Calmnefs of Temper and in an amicable way. To pafs by feveral particulars, I may rnention the following ; one was, they never frjl broke Covenant with any People.\ for, as one of ^hem faid, and fmote his Hand upon his Head three times, that they did not make them there in their Heads^ but fmiting his Hand three times on his Breaft, faid, they made them (i, e. their Covenants) there in their Hearts, And again, when William Penn and they had ehded the mofl weighty Parts for which they held their Council, William Penn gave them Match-Coats, and fome other Things, Tyith fome Brandy or Rum, or both; which was advifed by the Speaker for the Indians, to be put in the Hand of one of their CalTacks or Kings, for he knew the be ft hoiv to order them ; which being done, the faid King ufed no Com- pliments, neither did the People, nor the reft of their Kings ; but as the aforefaid King poujred out his Drams, he only rqade a Motion with his Finger, or fometimes with his Eye, to the Perfon which he intended to give the Dram to ; fo they came quietly and in a folic! manner, and took their Drams, and palTed away without either Nod or Bow, any further than NecefTity required them to ftoop, who were on their Feet, to him who fat on the Ground or Floor^ ( 135 ) Floor, as their Choice and Manner is: And withal I obferved (and alfo heard the like by- others) that they did not, nor I fuppofe never do fpeak, two at a time, nor interfere in the lead one with another that way in all their Councils, as has been obferved. Their Eating and Drinking was in much Stillnefs and Quietnefs. I much defire that all Chrijlians (whether they may be fnch in Reality or Profeffion only) may endeavour to imitate thefe People in thofe Things which are fo commendable, which rpay be a Means to prevent Lo(s of Time and expedite Bufinefs ; as much as may be endea- vouring to prevent above one fpeaking at a time in Meetings of Conference and of Bufinefs. When much of the Matters were gone through, I put WiUiain Penn in mind to enquire of the Interpreter, if he could find fome Terms or Words that might be intelligible to them, in a religious Senfe, by which he might reach the Underftandings of the Natives, and inculcate into their Minds a Senfe of the Principles of Truth, fuch as ChriJTs manifejling himfelf to the inivard S^nfes of the Soid^ by his Lights Grace or holy Spirit^ with the Manner of the Operations and ivorking thereof in the Hearts of the Children of Men, and how it did reprove for Evil^ and minifter Peace and Comfort to the Soul in its Obedience and F/'e/l'doing ; or, as near as he could, come to the Subftance of this in their own Language. William Penn much prelTed the Matter upon the Interpreter to clo his beft,. in any Terms, that ( 136 ) that might reach their Capacities, and anfwer the End intended : But the Interpreter would not, either by reafon, as he alledged, oi Want of Terms y or his Unwillingnefs to meddle in religious Matters, which I know not, but I rather think the latter was the main Reafon which obftruded him ; therefore we found nothing was like to be done according to our Defires in this Matter, as 4:he Interpreter was but a dark Man, and, as William Penn faid, a ivrong Man jor our frejent Purpofe, William Penn faid, he underftood they owned a Juperior Power ^ and afl^ed the Interpreter, What their Notion was of God in their O'lj^n Way? The Interpreter iliewed, by making fe- reral Circles on the Ground with his Staff, till he reduced the laft into a fmall Circumfef eiice, andplaced, as he faid, by way of Reprelentacion, the great Man (as they termed him) in the middle Circle, fo that he could fee over all the other Circles, which included all the Eiirrh, And we querying. What they o'wnea as to Ecer- nity, or ^future State? The Interpreter faid, They believed when fuch died as were guilty of Theft, Svirearing, Lying, Whoring, Murder, is^'C, they went into a very cold Country, where they had neither good fat Venifon, nor Match Coats, which is what they ufe inftead ot Cloarhs to cover them withal, being of one piece in tne form of a Blanket or Bed-covering : But thofe -who died clear of the aforelaid Sins, go into a fine warm Country, where they had good fat Venifon and good Match-Coats, Things much valued ( m ) valued by thefe Natives. I thought, inafmuch as thefe poor Creatures had not the Knowledge of -God by the Scriptures, as we have who are called Chrijlians^ but what Knowledge they had of xkitjupreme Being muft be by an inward Senfation, or by contemplating upon the Works of God in the Creation, or probably from fome Tradition handed down from Father to Son., by which it appears, they acknowledge a future State oi Reivards and Punijhments\ the former of which they exprefs by Warmth^ good Cloath'' ing and Food^ and the latter by Nakednefs^ pining Hunger and piercing Cold. I have often thought and faid, when I w^as amongft them, that generally my Spirit was very eafy, and I did not feel that Power of Darknefs to opprefs me, as I had done in many Places among the People called Chrijlians, After JVilliam Penn and they had exprefled their Satisfaction, both for themfelves and their People, in keeping all their former Articles tinviolated, and agreed that if any particular Differences did happen amongft any of their People, they fhould not be an Occafion of fo- menting or creating any War between William Penns People and the Indians^ but Juftice fhould be done in all fuch Cafes, that all Animofities might be prevented on^.all Sides for ever ; they went out of the Houfe into an open Place not far from it, to perform their Cantico or V/orJJjip^ w^hich was done thus ; Firft, the made a fmall i ire, and the Men without the Women fat lowu about it inaRmg, and whatfoever Obje£l they { 138 ) they feveraliy fixed their Eyes on, I did not &€ them move them in all tliat part of their Worfhip, while they fang a very melodious Hymn, which afFe(5led and tendered the Hearts of many wha were Spectators : When tliey had thus done, they began (as 1 fuppoie is their vifual manner) to beat upon the Ground with little Sticks, or make fome Motion with fomething in their Hands, and paufe a little, till one of the elder' Sort fets forth his Hynm ; and that being fol- lowed by the Company for a few Minutes, and then a Paufe ; and then the like was done by another, and fo by a third, and followed by the Company, as at thefirft; which feemed ex- ceedingly to afFecfl them and others. Having done, they rofe up and danced a little about the Fire, and parted with fbme Shouting like a Triumph or Rejoicing. I leave Pennjbury^ but intend, before I leave the Indians^ to fay fomething more concerning that People, which I met with near Caleb Fiijy^ Houfe in Pennfyt'uania^ viz. I being- walking in the Woo J, efpied leveral Wigwams or Houfes of the Indians^ and drew towards them, but could not converfe with them; but looking over them in the Love of God, I found it to be niy Way, as I apprehended, to look for an Interpreter and go to them again, v^hich I did ; and when I came to them, and fignified that 1 tsas come from a far Country, W-^ith a Meilage from the great Man above (as they call God) and my MefTage was to endeavour to perfuade them, that they Jhould notbe Drimk^ ( 139 ) ardSy nor fieal^ nor kill one another^ nor fight ^ nor commit Adultery^ 7ior "put a^way their Wives^ efpecially for Jmalt Faults^ which (as I under- ftood) is ufual with them to do; for if they did thoje Things^ the great and good Man above ivoidd he angry ivith thcm^ and ^vould not proffer them^ but bring Trouble on them\ but if they "were carejid to refrain thefe Evils (before mentioned) then ivoiild God love thent^ and profper them^ ojid J peak Peace to them ; or very near thefe Words, And when the Interpreter exprefled thefe Things to them in their own Language, they wept, and Tears ran down their naked Bodies, and they fmote their Hands upon their Breafts and I perceived faid fomething to the Interpreter : I alked ivhat they faid? He told me they faid, all that I had delivered to them voas good^ and ex-- cept the great Man had fent me^ I could not have told them thofe Things; I defired the Interpreter to afk them, hoiv the knetv ivhat I had faid to them vuas good? they repHed, and fmote their Hands on their Breads, the good Man here" (meaning in their Hearts) told them tvhat I had faid vuas all good. They manifefted much Love to me in their Way, and I beheve the Love of God is to them, and all People* in the Day of their Vifitation. Having left them, I came to a Friend^s Houfe iTi the lower part of Pennfylvania^ who was in the OfBce of a Juftice of Peace, and had been convinced not long before by Thomas Story : When I came into the Houfe,, the Man's Wife was very uneafy and called me a Deceiver^ and T wrunia: ( i4e ) wr'ung her Hands and faid, Woe is me^ I ant undone^ my Hujband is deceived ; and what more Deceivers come ? Oh how fhe lamented. I was fomewhat ftruck with the Paffion the poor Woman was in, however, I faid little but fat down, and after fome time it role in my Mind to a(k her, In ivhat her Hujband was de^ ceived; was he^ Jince he ca7?ie among us^ any worje Hufband to her ? if he ivaf^ it iims a bad Sign ; or, *u^as he a worfe Father to his Children ? or, any nvorje Nei^ hbour ? or, in any particular thing ivhich Jhe could name^ changed Jrom better to ivorje^ ftnce he was convinced of the Truth ? if not^ Jhe had no great Reajon to complain : If he had turned Drunkard, Whore- monger, Railer, Fighter, or become a vicious Man, Jhe would have had Rectfon to complain ; but Ihe honeftly owned, /he had nothing to charge him ivith. He fat by me and heard all our difcourfe, but faid nothing. I told her, Jhe had made a lam eJit able Outcry about her Huj- band' s being deceived, but had not convinced me of any Cauje that Jhe had received Jrom her Hif- band for kerjore Complaint, Being weary, having rid a great way that Day, I with my Companion Richard Orm took leave of her Hufband and went to our Reft, and faw him no more till the next Day in the Evening, and when he came, I aflied him. For what Reajon he lejt us Jo long^ as he knew how iineajy his Wije *was about us^ and that ive had a great ivant of him ? He faid, he had been givifig JSIotice of the Meeting twenty Miles one *way ( HI ) way^ and two Men had given Notice as far^ each Man his way ; that was Six-fgore Miles in and out. Our Landlady, againft we rofe in the Morn- ing, had got another Woman, a Juftice's Wife, to help her to difpute with us, and overthrow us, as fhe hoped, but in vain, for Truth proved too hard for them ; although the other Woman charged high in the Morning, and faid, ive li-^ere no Ghriftians. I faid, it ivas eafier to charge than to prove ; hozv do you prove it ? Be- cauje^ faul they, you deny the precious Ordinance of Je/us Chri/l, I afked, if th^ could prove it to be fuch? they faid, they did not queffion but thi^y could. I faid, they fhould do it from plain Texts of Scripture^ verbatim as it lleSy ivithout any Inferences^ Confequences^ or Comments upon the Places they infijled upon ; and they agreed to it. Buty in Cafe^ 1 told them, they Jhould fail and not prove (as they thought they could) that Ordi nance to be fo appointed by Chrijl^ I hoped then they would allovi) us to be Chriftians, notwith* Jlanding 'what they had charged to the contrary ; and they faid, they ivould^ I then repeated all the Preliminaries, and afked them, if they ivould agree to each particular ? they faid, they would. I defired Richard Qnn to mindtiiem, and imprint them as much as might be in his Memory, for it was like enough we Ihould have Occafion to call them in Queftion before we had done, which came to pafs not long after we began; they urged the 28th of Matthew in defence of Water Baptifm, where Chrift ( H^ ) \ Chrift fciid to his Difciples, Go y\ therefore and teach all Nations^ baptiziiig theni\ in the Name of the Father^ and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghofi : Teaching them to ohfei've aWThings "what- foever I have commanded you : And lo I am ivith you alway, even unto the End of the World, Water not being mentioned, the Difputants were at a ftand, and laid it miifi be implied', I fliewed them, that by their Agreement to the Prehminaries, there were to be no Inferences, but plain Scrip- ture. I told them, it ivas an unreafonahle Thing to -undertake to unchriftian a great Body of religious People by a fevo Inferences, which might be trne^ or not true. Now when they had tugged at it, and fearched the New Teftament a great while, they could not find what they defired, although they urged what Peter faid in a certain cafe, • Tl ho can forbid Water, that thefe Jhoidd not be baptized, vuho have received the Holy Ghofi as ijuell as vue? I fhewed them, that there was a great Dfparity bettveen a Servant's ^eflion, and a Mafier's Command,' ^\i^vi they were even weary with learching, and could not find a pofitive Ordination by Chrift for IV at er- Bap- tifm, they gave it over, and I afked them. If they had not i alien Jhort of the Proof of vuhat they had fo boldly charged upon us in the Morn- ing ? My Landlady confefled, they had fallett fbort of their Expe8atio7i ; but the other ni^as in the Mind, as fhe faid, that it anight be proved: I told her, dje could not prove it from any plain Text of Scripture, My ( H3 ) My paffionate Landlady became more meek and friendly, and received the Truth in the Love of it: We had a good Meeting the next Day, and fhe faid, If I ivoidd Jiay that Nighty I Jldould he as ivelcome as her o'wn CbiU dren ; hut if not^ floe blef the Lord for my Com-' fany^ and the Good floe had already recewed by .me^ and parted with me in much Brokennefs of Heart ; and I heard ihe lived and died in good Unity with Friend-e. But oh, how glad was her Hiifband to fee that great and fudden Change wrought in her ! it was the Lord's Doings ; to him be the Praife nov/ and for ever, for he alone is worthy. I had many comfortable Meetings in my Travels through thefe Provinces, and good Ser- vice. We were at a Yearly-meeting at Third- haven in Maryland upon the Eaft^rn Shore, to which Meeting for Worfhip came with William Penn^ Lord Baltimore and his Lady wath their Retinue, but it was late when they came, and the Strength and Glory of the heavenly Power of the Lord was going off from the Meeting ; fo the Lady was much difappointcd, as I under- ftood by JVilliam Petiiiy for flie told him, She did not ivarU to hear him^ and fuch as he^ for he ivas a Scholar and a nvife Man^ and fhe did not que/lion but he could preach ; but fne ^wanted to hear Jome of our Mechanicks preachy as Huf* bandmen. Shoe-makers, and Juch like Pv.ufticks ; for ffje tJjought they could not preach to any purpofe. B^iliiajn Penn told her, Jome of thefe nvere rather the beft^ Preachers we iMd amongjl nsi { 144 ) us ; or near thefe Words. I was a little in their Company, and 1 thought the Lady to be a notable, wife, and withal a courteoully carnaged Woman. 1 was alio in Company with tiie Governor of Virginia^ at our Friend Richard Johns Houl'e upon the Weft Cliffs in Maryland^ for we both lodged there one Night, and I heard that he had been ftudious in a Book againft Friends, called the Snake^ and Friends greatly defired he might have the Anfwer called the Sivitchy but knew not how to be io free with him as to offer it to him ; I told Friends / would endeanjour to make way for it, Altho' he had feemed to be a Man of few Words, yet at a fuitable Interval I faid to him, / had heard that he had feen a Book called the Snake in the Grafs ; he confeffed he had, I defired he *would accept of the Anlwer, and be as Jludious in it as be had been in the Snake; which he promife4 he ivould^ and took the Book. There happened a Paffage worthy of note, either in this or the preceeding Governor's Time in Virginia^ as I was credibly informed, which was thus ; The Governor wanted a Cooper to mend his Wine, Cider, and AleCaflts, and fome told him there was a Workman near, but he was a ^aker; he faid, if he was a Workman, he made no matter what he pro- feffed ; fo the Quaker, fiich as he was, was fent for, and came w^ith his Hat under his Arm : The Governor was fome what at a ftand to fee the Man come in after that Manner, and afked, J/ he was the Cooper he had fent for? lie faid. Yes, ( H5 ) Tes. Well^ faid the Governor, are not you a Quaker? Tef^ replied the Man, lam Jo called^ but f have not been f2LithfuL Hethenafked, How long have you been called a Quaker ? The poor Man faid, About tuuenty Tears. Alas for you^ foor Man ! faid the Governor, / am Jorry for you. By this we may clearly fee, that fuch who walk moft up to what they profefs, are in mofl: Efteem among the more thinking and religious People ; and the unfaithful and loofe libertine Profeflbrs of the Truth are flighted, and I be- lieve will be more and more caft out as the unfavoury Salt^ which is good for nought in Religion, and is indeed trodden under the Feet of Men ; for a great Part of the Men in the World have fuch an Underftanding as to know what we profefs, and alfo what we fhould do and be in many Things ; let us therefore walk wifely before all, and not be an Occafion of ft urn-- blingy nor give Offence either to Jew or Gentile^ nor to the Church of God^ that fo we may in- deed be as a City fet upon a Hilly which cannot be hid\ nay, that may not defire to be hid, but rather that the Inhabitants of the Earth might fee our good Works, and have an Occafion from thence adminiflred, to glorify the Father zvhicb is in Heaven, I having it on my Mind to vifit a Meeting up the River called Perquimus on the Wefl Side of the great River Choptank^ and I being on the Eaft Side, Henry Hofter and fome more Friends fet forward with me in a fmall Boat, not in good ( h6 ) good Condition but crazy, with only one fmall: Sail : We fet out, as we thought, in good time to reach our defired Port, but when wc were upon the great River (as I remember 'tis tea. Miles over the fliorteft way, but the manner of our crofling it made it more) the wind veered much againft us, being then within about four Points of our Courfe, and it rained hard, and was very dark, fo that we could fcarce fee one another, and the Water broke fo into the Boat, that it was moft of one ]V(an's Work to heave it out, and all our Company were difcouragecl, and moft of them very Sea-fick; Henry Hojier^ of whom I had the moft Hopes for Help, faid, that he could not fteer the Boat any longer. What by the extream Darknefs, the Roughnefs of the Waves, Boifteroufnefs of the Wind, and hard Rain, I, unwell as I \Tas, was obliged to under- take the fleering of the Boat, and not without fome Confli(Ss of Mind, not having any Cer- tainty, from any outward Rule, what Way we went; having no Fire, and the Boat being open, we could not have any Light to fee our Compafs, but my Faith was in the Lord, th^t he would bring us to lliore; and I kept the Boat as near the wind as flie would fail, and told my poor lick and helpleis Com.pany, / believed that ixic Jlooidd not feripj^ although ive inight mijs of our Port : But the like imminent Danger, I think, I was never in before upon any Water ; but renowned over all be the great Name of the Lord for ever, v^^e put into the Mouth of our delired Paver Perqznmus as tho' we t M7 ) ^^e had feen it in the Day, or fleered by a Compaft, neither of which we had the Benefit of for feveral Hours. Here we went afhore and made a great Fire under the River's CHfF, and about Midnight the Moon, rofe, and it cleared np and froze, ^nd was very cold : My Companions tailing afleep, I turned them over, and pulled them from the Fire as it increafed, and put them nearer as it failed, but could not keep them awake; I fought Logs of Wood, and carried them to and minded the Fire, V;hich was work enough for the remaining part of the Night ; but- Morning being come, we got; into our cold icy Boat and failed away towards the Meeting. When we were come among Friends, Notice was given of a Stranger being there, and a heavenly and fweet Meeting it was, fo that we thought we had a good Reward for all our Trouble, blelTed be the Name of the Lord now and for ever, for he is worthy: Although he may fee good to try us, fometimes one way and fometimes another, how fhould we know that we have any Faith, if Jit be not tried ? How fliall we know that we hav€ any true Love to God, if it never be proved ? The Trial of the true Believers Faith is more precious than Gold. The ex- cellent Sayings of Job came into my Mind, Behold^ I go forivard^ but he is not there ; and hackivard^ but I cannot perceive him : On the left Hand^ nvhere he doth ivork^ but I camict he hold him : He hideth himfelf on the right Handy 'hat I cmmt fee him^ Job xxiii. 8, 9, Aad then U in ( 148 ) 111 Verle the loth, he, hke a Man in the true Faith, faith, The Lord knoijutth the Way that 1 take; and when he has tried me^ I pjall come forth as Gold: And the more vehement that the Fire is, the more it deftroys the Drofs, and the more pure and weighty the Gold is, which hath paft through the mofl fevere Fires. Read thou, and underftand this that canfl:. I had a Meeting when in Virginia^ at a Friend*s Houfe whofe Name was Mattheiv Jordan^ and fomething which I faid in the Meeting, foriiewhat offended a young Woman a Presbyterian^ and not having, as fhe faid, a fuitable Opportunity while I was there, to dif- courfe with me, being bufy in her Matter's Af- fairs, (for Ihe was the Friend's Houfe-keeper) ilie defired Liberty of her JMafter to go to the next Meeting, that there flie might eafe her Mind to me about the Offence I had given her in the firft Meeting; (it was fomething about EleSiion^ and they told me what it was, but not writing it down, it went from me) and accordingly ffie came to the Meeting, where the Lord's mighty Power broke in upon us, to the tendring of many Hearts, to Friends mutal Satis- fadlion, and it proved a good Day to the aforefaid young Woman ; her heart was as if it had melted within her, and flie flied many Tears, and I am fatisfied went from the Meeting in Fear and in great Joy ; in Fear^ how to walk as not to offend Chrift the EleB^ which before fhe could talk of, but now flie had met with, and he had opened ( 149 ) -^^ opened her State to her : And J^7, that (he had met with the Melfiah, the Ele5l of the Father^ his choice and beloved Son ; fo that ilie could now fay, Where are the Wije? Where is the Scribe? Where' is the Di/puter of this World > All her briik talkative Qualities were fwallowed up in the feeling of the internal, enlightning Prefence of Chrift. When Ihe returned to I:^r Mafter's (before mentioned) he afked her, If Jhe had got Satis- faMion ? meaning, had fhe had any difcourfe with me and was fatisfied ? She replied, She was fatisfied. Some Time after I met with her irv Philadelphia^ plain and Tri^th-like, but knew not who Ihe was at firft. The Manner of the Working of the Truth is to humble the Creature, and bring it into Coutrition, Tendei:- nefs, and Fear, with true Self-denial. I come now to mention fomethixig that hap- pened in my going over fames\ Riv^r^ towards a Yearly-meeting in Virginia: Alighting at an Inn by the River-fide, where we refrefhed our- felves, there was a poor little Child cried fo exceedingly, that I was uneafy to hear it, and aflced the Mother what was the matter ? She faid, it had cried moft of the Time fince it was born, and they were almoft off their Feet with it, or to that efFed. I told her, I believed I could give the Child fomething which would do good, and fhe readily agreed to it, and I gave it a little of fomething then, and ordered her to give it twice more in four or fiv^ Days time ( ^s^ ) time: But when I returned, the C4hild was better, and oh! how glad the-poor Woman was to fee me, and fpoke more in my Commend- ations than wa^ to my Satisfacflion, and was kind to Friends afterward for my fake. Now w^e came to ferry over the River, being, as I remember, five Horfes and nine People ; there was Jane Plea/ant a publick Friend, and her Man-fervant who rid before her upon a great Horfe, and high in Flefli, and about the Midft of the River, it being two Miles over, he rofe upon his hind Feet, and flung himfelf upon the Edge or Gunnel of the Boat, half into the River; the Fall of the Horfe, and the Motion of the other Horfes thereupon, caufed l:he Boat to rnake fuch Sallies that it took in Water, and was very likely to fink: But be- fore he could have Time to rife again, or to make any more Springs, I took feveral young Men by the Shoulders, and flung them upon his Neck to keep him down, and told them, as faft as I could, why I did fo. Now I ha4 to deal with the Ferry-man, who was about to fi:rip for fwimming, and faid ijue Jloould all he droivned'^ hut for his Part he could fwim\ and was about to leap into the River, for^ he faid, the Boat 'would either break or fink. I told him, // IS) as foon enough for him to fijuim^ *when he faw the Boat either break or fink^ and if he ivould not row^ then I ivould : With much Intreaty he took the Oar again and rowed us to the Shore. But in our imminent Danger I looked over my tender Friends, (for fo they appeared ( i5t ) appeared to me) and thought in my Heart what a Pity it would be, if all thefe were drowned ! yet the Thought of my own drowning never entered my Mind, until I was got over the River, which was a Mercy to me, and a great Means to keep out Difbrder and Confufiorf^ which commonly attend fudden Surprizes and Frights, or elfe they make People dead-hearted and almoft fenfelefs. As I had now an Occafion to pbferve, as well as in fome imminent Dangers I had ic^n before, where I happened to be, I find it an excellent thing to be, as much as we cap, always ready, and by being frequently thinking upon Death, it is not fo furprifing when it does come : This is a great Point of true Wifdom, to nwnber our Days fo^ as to remember our latter EncL The want of thus contemplating and truly thinking on what Preparation we are in to look Death in the Face, and to appear before the great Judge of both Quick and Dead, was the Caufe of the Complaint, Oh I that my People ivere tvije^ that they underjlood this^ that they would conftder their latter End. The great Remifnefs of liichCon- fiderations among People, befpeaks Folly and great Infenfibility, and that the Heart is hard- ened through an Habit of finning ; oh ! that I might prevail with the Children of Men to awake. Arife, you that fleep in Sin, and are at eafe therein, that yx)u may come to, hear in- wardly the Call of the Son of God, that your Souls may not only live here to ferve God, but ^Ifo may live eternally in Blifs with him, is the Defire ( 152 ) Defire of my Soul for the whole Bulk of Man** kind ; for my Life has often appeared not dear to me, in Comparifon of the faving of the Souls of the Children of Men. I have often thought of Mofes^ how far he went for faving of Ifraely and how far Paul went for the faving of his Kinsfolk after the Fleih ; it was a great Demonftratlon, that thefe great and good Men had great Faith and Intereft in the Lord, and alfo a very great Love to his People ; and fuch whofe Eyes are truly opened, cannot but fee it is the Love of God, and Love to the Souls of Men, that conftrains us thus to take our Lives as in our Hands, and labour under many weary Steps, and many Perils by Sea and by Land, and in the Wildernefs, Cold, and fometimes in Tumults and Noifes, fome- times in Watchings and Fadings, that we have been fometimes Spedacles to Men; but the Lord hath given us Faith and Patience to bear and overcome all, as we have' fingly flood in his heavenly Counfel, and been truly devoted to his Will in all Things. It may not be amifs to mention a particular thing which happened to me before I left Long-IJland^ viz. Knowing that my Landlady, Samuel Bownes Wife, had a very fore Breall, by which flie had much Trouble, and had no lefs than five Tents in it, andflie being a fenfible ajid a ferviceable Woman, fomething came with a Concern upon my Mind to adminifter unto her Breaft, with a Belief, it ivould heal her : I rea- Ibned about it until I had got one Foot into the Stirrup ( ^53: ) Stirrup for mounting my Horfe, But I gre# uneafy for being dilatory in doing that which came into my Mind ; fo I went in again and faid, Mar)\ I am come back to advi/e thee ivhat thou fjjouldjl do, by ivhich^ 1 believe thou wilt be healed, although I cannot flay to fee it done. I believe^ faid ihe, and intend to folloiv thy Advice ; but ajQked, ijuhat would become of all thoje Tents? I told her, the Poultice ivould dra^jj them all out and give her Ea/e \ and accordingly I heard k did, for fhe flept twelve Hours immediately after the Time of the Apphcation, and wheii flie aWoke the Tents were all drawn ont, and flie had little further Trouble with it: So it is good to mind Truth and the Workings of it in all Things. I met with the great Dodlor (a^ he was efteemed) who had it vmder hand, and he laid / ivas a bold Felloiv : I faid, it proved nvelL He anfwered, it vims vu ell for me it did. Something more which I have before omitted occurs to my Memory : When I was in that Part of Virginia towards 7^ or th- Carolina^ to vifit Friends, a very great Mift arofe, and we Went wrong, until the Guides were fo far loft, that they confeft, they knew not Eaft from Wert, nor on which Hand we had left the Road, although it was in the fore Part of the Day, but neither Wind or Sun to be felt or feen ; then I told them, Ivuould try vuhat I could do^ if they did but knovo ivhat garter we JJoould go to : They' faid., ive Jhould go toivards the South ; then I brought out my little Compafs which I had made before 1 left England^ and took it in my ( rS4 ) iny Hand and fleered by it, till we all came intd the Road ; for that inward Senfe I had did per- fuade me, that we were to the Weftward of the Road, fb leaning a little to the Eaftward of the South Point, we came right as before, and when fo, the Guides much rejoiced, and faid, / *was jitter to be Guide in a Wildernejs Country than they. My Compafs was not fo big as a Tailor's Thimble, which had often been of Ufe to me, and others with me. Now the Time came on for my leaving all my near and dear Friends in thofe Parts, and I embarked for tlige Iflands the Sixth of the Ninth Month, 1702, with my Companion James Bates^ on board of a Sloop, Samuel Salter Maf- ter, for Barhadoes^ and we put into Bermudas in our way: Soon after we landed,, Being on the 2ift of the fame Month, we were fent for by Governor Bennett to come before him, and being near his Door, a Man came and clapt me on the Shoulder, as we were v/alklng on our way, and faid roughly to us, Tou mujl go before the Governor^ and feemed to haften us : I replied meekly, ham willivg to go as faji as I can^ hut I have been "very Sea-fick^ and can go but ivtak/y: The Man fell from, his Roughnefs, and bid us take Time, and carried himfelf very civilly to us, and put us by a Man who was keeping Gentry at the Governor's Door with his Muiket on his Arm, and when we were come into a large Room the Man left us, and we (laying a while, I began to reafon in myfelf, E'kat if the Governor Jldould he a rigid Alan and be (155 ) he fevere to us^ and either confine or punlfh us ? But I faid in my Heart, Lord^ thou that knoivejl all Things^ knoiveji that I have not only offered up my Liberty^ but Life alfo^ for thy Name and Go/pel's fake ! and immediately all the Fear and Reafonings abont human Power was taken aw^y from me. i being not well, and weary with walk- ing from the Ship, fate down to reft myfelf unbidden, when there came a friendly well carriaged young Woman, who I fappofed to be a Servant, and fpoke kindly to us ; I defired het* to do as much for us as to give us fomething that was fmall to drink, for we were very thirfty and had been much out of Health, and were not well recovered lince we came from the Sea, having had rough Weather : She brought us Wine and Water, and a Thing to mix them in ; fo taking mod of a Glafs of Water, and a very little Wine poured into it, I drank and was very well refreflied. By this Time the Go- vernor called us into an upper Room, and as I came near to the Top of the Stairs, going but faintly, for Reafons before given, the Governor put forth his Hand and reached to take hold of minej and like a tender Father drew me up,"^ and led me along towards a great Window, and ftood and looked on me and faid. He believed he knew uuhat I nvas^ and riiy Buftnefs too, I replied, it might be fo^ and aiked, if he was the Governor of that Place ? He fiid he ivas^ and bowed his Head. I then fpoke to him in the i/oye of God and faid, Thy Countenance befpeaks X Moderation^ ( t56 'i Moderation, and the Apojlk faid^ Let your Mod^-^ ration appear to all Men, for the Lord is at hand ; and it was tvith me to fay to him, 77?^ Lord of Heaven and Earth hlej's thee and all thine. He bade us fit down, and gave us each a Glafs of Wine, and enquired from ivheiice ive came? I told him my Home was in Old England, hilt it was long f nee I iifas there ; 7ny Companion s *was in Virginia. He wanting to know the ^ Affairs in Europe, I told him, There was a Merchant belonging to the fame Ship that we did, ivho uuas lately come from Europe, and I thought: was a Man of Parts and Memory, and well verfed in the Affairs of thofe Parts of the World, and when we came into this Place he was nvith its : The Governor then fent for him, and when he came, he anfwered his Expedation in refolving all or mofl of his Queftions, for the Knowledge of the News appeared to me to be the young Man's Talent. Having done with and difrniffed him, he faid, he mifi now have fome Dijcourfe with us : Then rofe up all the great Men who were with the Governor, to make way that I might come near him. 1 faid, jf it tvas the Governor s Mind, I had rather fit where I ivas, for I fate vi'cll in the Air, and that futted well With my prejent Weaknefs : So he bade them all fit down, and they did fo. Kotv, faid he, / want to knovu the Reajonf ; Ailments and our early Rifing in the Morning, he at length confented: But before wc parted, his Wife alked leave of him to go with us on the Morrow to the Meetings to which he readily affented, if he was not v/orfe of his Diftemper, and then ordered how we fhould ride, and which Negro fliould go, not only to help his Wife but us alfo, and take our Horfes when there wms occaiion, and do any thing he could for us ; and indeed fo he did, and appeared to me to run an his Feet without much Trouble, being a lively young Man. I omitted before, that the Judge afked. If we had feen the Governor ^ and if he ivas kind to us ? I told him he was ver.y friendly to us, and faid, Jf ^vc met with any Trouble in his Liberty that he could help us in^ 'only let him knoiv and he tvould ( ih ) xvoiiid right us. The Judge faid, // was very weli^ and he was glad of it. I perGei\'^d the Judge was rather a Moderator of the Governor, he being an ancient wife Man, and had lived long as a Judge upon the Ifland, and under- ftood (it is hke) more fully the State of Things there than the Governor could be capable of^ he being but a young Man, akho' he appeared to be a wife Man, and, as William Penn faid, came of an ancient and honourable Family in England^ which he knew very well^ whoie Name was Bentiett. i^fterwards I told William Fenn how it had fared with us on that Ifland^ and efpecially the Kindnefs of the two chief Men in Power there, and William Penn wept, and faid, He had not heard any Account of this Nature^ that he had been fo much affe^ed ivith^ as he re^ membered thefe many Tears i Now We left the Judge until the Mornings and got fome fmall Refrefliment^ it being late, and I had been faint for feveral Hours for want of eating, but the Lord's heavenly Power bore me up over all^ fo that at Times I felt no want of any thing: Oh! Renowned over all be. the J^ame of the Mighty God, now and for even We ^ent to Bed, and when Morning came, I with my Companion were ftirring early, having eight Miles to the Meetings and it being in the latter End of the Ninth Month, we were will- ing to be in fiach Time, that we might give Ibme Notice to the People. I was walking in our Lodging Room early, and the Judge's Wife came to the Door and alked, if fhe might fpeak Y ivitb ( i64 ) ivithusP I faid /he might; then .fhe came iti and faid, She had' \a Mtjjage from her Husband to us ; I queried, what it nvas^ She faid, He defired ive would come and pray for him before ive ivent away, I defired flie would favour us fo much as to lay before her Hufband fomething which I had to fay, and flie promifed flie would : Well then^ tell the Judge^ that if he nvill fuffer us to come into his Room ^ and fit doivn and ivait upon the Lord^ as our Manner is in fuch a Cafe as this^ if it pleafe the Lord to mo've us by his Holy Spirit to pray^ nx^e may\ but if not^ let not the fudge take it amijs^ for we are njoilling to be at the Lord's difpofing in all Things^ She went, and I believe, as ihe faid, laid, the Matter before him as I had delivered it to her ; for flie was a Woman of a good Under- Handing, and came back again to u& in a very little Time: I aiked, ijuhat the Judge faid? She replied, he faid, Let the Men take their oivn Way^ and whether they pray for me or not^ I helte've they are Men of God: So after fome little refjpite, we being brought to the Judge's Bed-fide, fat down and waited upon the Lord, who was pleafcd in his Love and by his mighty Power to break in vipon us, and alfo opened my Mouth in his Gift of Grace and of Supplica- tion, in which Gift, ardent and fervent Cries went up to the Lord of Heaven and Earth, that he would fend Health and Salvation to the judge, and alfo to all his Family, and to all People far and near, that all every where might repent, and come to the Knowledge x>i the Truth ( i65 ) Truth and be faved. The Judge wept aloud, and a mighty Vifitation it was to his Family, and efpecially to himfelf and his tender Wife. We left the Judge in a fine Frame of Spirit, and no doubt near the Kingdom, having his Blefling and earneft Requeft, that when we could reach his Houfe we would not fail to come to it, for we were verv welcome; and I found and felt it fo, and it was moftly our Lodgings: His Wife and Foot-Page v^ent with us to all the Meetings, except one, while we were on the Ifland, w^hich was about two Weeks, in which Time we had many good Opportunities among a fbber behaved and well carriaged People, amongft whom we met with no Oppofition, but had large quiet Meetings. When we were clear, as w^e thought, of the Ifland, we went to take our folid Leaves of the Governor, acknowledging his Civility and Ge- nerofity to us Strangers, and I told him and the Judge, That they uooiild not uuant their Reuuard for ijuhat they had done to us^ andfuch ivho JlooiiW take their Lives as in their Hands ^ and come in the Love of God to viftt thefe remote Parts of the Worlds ivhich ive durjl not have undertaken if ive had not believed it required of us by the Almighty^ and our Peace concerned in it^ as alfo the Glory of God^ and the Good of the Children of Men ; theje are the Motives to thofe our great Undertakings : . or Words to that Purpofe. So we parted in- much Love with thefe great Men, efpecially the Judge, with Tears on his Face, as alfo his tender and friendly Wife, who had been very ferviceable ( i66 ) ferviceable to us in prderiag Meetings and making Way for us, and none like her in all the Ifland, that we met withal, fhe being given up to that Service, for the encouraging Ti-uth and Friends in what ihe was capable of. Being invitee! to a Friend's Houfe to dine one pay, vvhen we were fat down at the Table, the Woman of the Houfe defired that one of m ivould fay Grace ; from which I took an Oc- cafipn to fhew her, and feveral more in the Company, who appeared not much more grown in the Truth than fhe, that ftnce ive had been a People^ ijue had both believed (and accordingly pradlifed) that true Prayer ijuas not performed without the Help of the holy Spirit of God, and no man could pray aright and acceptably ivithout it ; nor was it in Maiis Poiver to have it when he pleafed ; therefore it is Mans place to ivait nporx^ the L^rd for the pouring forth of xhis Gift upon him^ and alfo to knoiv whether it be required of him to pray, fo as to be heard by Man^ or only to pray fecretly, Jo as to be heard of God^ as did Hannah and many more have done ; which j as they do aright^ no doubt^ but as Chrifl Jaid to his Difciples^ their Father will hear them in fecret, and reward them openly \ or to this EfFee People at ano- ther Time, that Neither Circumcifion nor Uncir- cumcifion availeth any things but a new Creature ; and ( tjS ) aiid if they zvti e circumcifed. Chriii %vould t>rofil them nothings and he alfb thanks God, he bap'- tized iio more than CrifpuS and Gains, and th'B Hou/hold of ^t^ph'diwxs ; hefides thefe^ hekneivnof that he had baptized any other ^ for Chrijl Jent him not to baptize^ Init to preach the Go/pel : And I am, as I faid to the Friend, of the Pro- phet's Mind when he faid. The Elements Jhonld melt as ivith Jervent Heat : If the Go/pel Power be not this ferment Heat^ I know not what is, nor what is able to melt away the Elements^ But I further faid, if he was a Baptijl^ he fliould deal plainly and honeftiy with Friends, and tell them what he was, and not preach one thing, and keep fuch Refervcs to himfelf. Friends admired, and faid, they had not the leafl Thought of any fuch Thing by him ; fo he faid, he would not fall dtat with me. I told him, I was as mvich for Peace as he was, but at the fame Time I would have us to mind that we were found in the Faith^ and Preachers of the Gofpel, and not go back again into the beggarly Elements^ for what is all in comparifon of tlie Love of God in Chriil Jefvis* I had good Service and great Satisfacftion upon this Ifland, although 1 found Truth fo low, that it might then be truly faid as for- merly. By isohom Jljall Jacob, or the trne: Seed, arife^ which is in our Apprehenfions bul" fmall, and much preffed down with the many 'iTiings; that are hurtful, efpecially by the Love of INIoney, Pride, and Forgetfulncfs of God ? I was { ^79 ) t was invited on board a great tranfport Ship^ 1?vrhereof one Reed was Mafter, who remembered me when I was but young, and was travelHng to or near Scarborough ; he wa? lovuig to me, and feveral Friends who were vyith me, and I had good Service on board. There was alfo on board a French Proteftant, now a Captain of the Englipj tranfport Soldiers bound for 'Jaynaica^ he lodged at "John Groves's and was a very civil iVlan, .and faid, if I would go with Captain Reed (who offered, if I was going, td carry mc to Jamaica free) he would wait- on me if I was fick or ailed any thing; and would gladly have had my Company : I acknowledged both their Generofity and Civility to me, and fo_I took leave of them, and of the noble Captain Salter^ who I have had occalion both to men- tion and to love, who toak his folid leave of me, and wept like a Child, and faid openly in the hearing of many, that he never loved a Ma?z Jo voell before^ and tho he did not want Biijinel\ yet for my Jake he vobiild ferve my Friends wh'M lay in his Poviiery or near thofe Words. I find as we live and walk in the Truth, there is an inward Wit|iefs which God hath placed in the Jiearts of Men that is 'jeachable, except in fuch who are arrive«;l,.ta a great Degree of Hardnefs and lafenfihility, and lb have little Senfe or Perceivance of Good, either in them- felves or in others, which is a deplorable State and much to be lamented. Oh what Grief of Heart and Spirit it hath been to me, to hear- and fee the Wickednefs of fome! if fach A a Wickednefs ( l86 ) Wickednefs was as great a Trouble to tlierrt who adled it, as it was to me, I have thought they would foon grow weary of it. Now I left the Ifland, and embarked on board a Ship, John Griffith Mafter, bound for Brijlol in Ola England^ and went to Sea with fome JEdJi-India Ships that had put in at BarbadoeSy having a Ship of War or two for their Convoy. After we were got to Sea, they had fo much drinking and caroufing that we grew weary of flaying with them, and after fome Confidera- tion, the Captain, who was a Friend, left them and came fafe to England, In our PafTage we had fome rough Weather near the Tropick which I mentioned before^ and the Men and Captain being much dif- ordered with watching and hard Labour, as I remember, for eight and forty Hours Night and Day, a Calm enfuing, the Captain defired me to take his Place for his Watch, and mind the Helmfman, and fee that he made ftraight Steerage; but alas! he was fo fleepy, it was next to impoffible to keep him awake. I Walked on the Deck, and had \overmuch Work to mind the Compafs, and the Helmfman too, for a fine Breeze of Wind came on, and all of a liidden a very unufual Fear fell on me, and I looked into the Sea, and beheld it appeared to turn blue, and as far as I could difcern to Windward, I faw white Caps of the Water- freckle ; on feeing which, through Fear, more than any great Skill, I ftampt with my Foot as though I would have broke the Deck. Out came ( i8i ) came the Captain, but what with Fear ami Sleep he could fcarce hit the Door out of the Cabbin; but when he was got upon the Deck, he ftampt, and called out all his Hands, and bid them lower and furl the Sails with Speed, or elfe we were all dead Men, for here is a Hurricane juft upon us : And no fooner was all made fnug as well could be (as the Sea- men phrafe it) but the Wind blew fo, that we thought it would have turned the bottom of the Ship upward : The like I never faw ; and, as the Captain faid, we had not one Minute to fpare of being caft away, according to allhumaii Probability ; and, as the Seamen term it, it was fuch Hurry durry thick Weather^ that we could fcarce fee any thing a hundred YardSj which violent Weather held for about an Hour, in which tin^e we drove by a Veffel, and were fo near her, that I thought I could have flung a Stone aboard: Our Ship's Crew were fore afraid, and looked upon her to be a Robber; her Rudder was lafhed or tied up, and the Men were all gone off the Deck, but our Mariners were fo afFriglited, that they thought they would fet fome fail and follow us \ for no fooner were we pail this Ship but the Weather grew better, and away we ran in hazard of bringing the Mafts by the board, but through the divine Providence of him that is Lord over all, both Sea and Land, we efcaped and came fafe into Cork in Ireland^ where the Mafler lived, aqd rode there for fome time, and then ( l82 ) then weighed for Brijlol, intending for the Yearly-meeting there. We had rough Weather in croffing the Chan- nel^ before we came into the Se^jeru, where our .Sailors, being afraid of being prcft, launched the Boat, and ran away into Cor-nzuall^ leav- ing but four on board to bring the Ship iip the River. We faw a Pinnace, having in it a Lieutenant with a Crew of preffed Men, to prefs more if they could find them, and our Mafter \:al]ed on me, and defircd I w^ould put on my befl Cloaths and come to him, and (5 I did, and he fat me on his right Hand: By this time vip comes the Lieutenant and afked for my Men, taking me to be the Mafter; I told him, they had launched the Long-boat and v/ere gone, and we could npt hinder them, they be- ing the ftrongeft Party ; at which he appeared very much enraged, and feemed as though he w^ould have flruck at me. I told him calrnly, he had more need pity than be angry with us, for if there fliould be a Gale of Wind, we w^ere in great Danger of all perifhing for want of Hands, for I ihewed him what Force we had,, viz. James Bates, whom I did not then .call niy Companion, nor John Griffith Captain, the Cabbin Boy and mylelf w'cre all the Men on board. But he alked, what for a Manthatwas who fat befideme? I told him, he was a Man fufficiently fecured againft the Prefs: Then the rough Man fell, and faid, I looked like an Iioneft Man, and he would take my Word and not fearch for Men : So I ordered a Bottle of { ^83 ) the bed Liquor on board to be brought, and then the Lieutenant and I parted very friendly. I write not this as a Thing I approved, but difliked ; but being taken at unav^^ares, had not time to fnun it (as before mentioned) unlefs I ^ had expofed my Friend the Mafter of the Ship; akhough I neither fald nor did, that I know of, any thing worfe than what thou feeft here written ; 1 to!d the Captain I thought he was a great Cov/ard, and had expofed ifiQ to Danger to fave himfelf. Wind and Weather favouring us,* we came in due time to Briftol Yearly-meeting, where I met with V/iUiam Edmiindfon^ and w^as truly glad to fee him with many more at that Place ; but my Companion falHng fick, I was made willing to leave him, and travelled to London with John E^at/on of Ireland^ and a fweet fpi- rited Man he w^as ; we got to London Yearly- meeting, where I difcharged myfelf of what I had upon my Jvlind, and came away in Peace, and in the feeling of the Love of God. John Haydock and I came from London to- gether, and had Meetings in our way to York Yearly-meetino;, where 1 was glad to fee my Home-Friends, and to enjoy the Love of God once more with them; for this is cur principal Crown and Kingdom in this World,^ to enjoy the favourable Countenance of the' ' Lord, and one another in his living and internal Prefence; and when I looked back upon all the Mercies and Deliverances I had received' from the Mighty God of Heaven and Earth'^ ' ' - . Sea^'^^ ( 184 ) Seas, and Rivers of Water, whofe Hand made all, and whofe Eye and watchful Providence attends all, and is over all, my Soul was tilled with Thanks and Praifes to the great and moft excellent Name of him who lives for ever, and hath helped my Soul to overcome many ftrong Temptations, and hath borne up my Head under many deep Afliiftions and Tribulations, renowned for ever be his holy Name. I came home the i8th of the Fourth Month 1703, and found my Children well; and now I was under a Thoughtful nefs how to walk and demean myfelf fo, as that I might be preferved near the Lord, and in due Reverence and true Fear before him; that inafmuch as I found there was fomething of Holinefs unto the Lord imprinted or ingraven upon the fleflily Table of my Heart, that now in this Time, when I was not fo particularly and immediately concerned in the like daily Travel on Truth's Account, I might not lofe the Savour, Relifh and Senfation of -heavenly Things. Some will read me here, in this fliort Survey I have been taking of my prefent State andThoughtfulnefs, that if I could not make it better, I might not make it worfe, . either in doing, or not doing any thing that might prove a hurt to me ; for a VelTel had L better be laid by, if it can be fpared, than ufed w to its hurt. Now in this careful and watchful i\ Frame of Mind, I have found PrefervaS)n from r time to time to this Day, by retaining the Salt Jiecf the Kingdom in the Soul of the inward yioMan, which is of a preferving Quality, with which ( i85 ) which the Veflel is, and can only be kept &t for the Maftcr's Ufe: If we lofe this, the Crea- ture foon grows out of Order and unfit for the Mailer's Ufe. Read and confider thefe Things in Time, whik thou haft the Prize in thy Hand, and Time to do, and receive Good at the Hand of him who is truly full of Good^ and is all Good; to him be the Offerings of Pr^ife and Renown, now and for ever. Whilft I remained at Home, as my ufual Manner was, I attended Firft-day, and Week- day, and Monthly-meetings, as alfo Quarterly and other Meetings for the Service of Truth, and vifited many Meetings up and down in the Country, and had good Service and much Satis- faclion in being given up to the Service of Truth ; but did not fee it convenient (as my Children were well placed) to fettle to keep a Family, until my Way appeared clear to marry, which did now draw on, and after I had been near feven Years a Widower I married Jnne Robin/on^ who defcended of a fubftantial Family at Hutton in the Hole^ in the Parifh of Lejling- ham^ not far from Kirby-moorftde in Torlz/hire. We had not been married much above two Years, before my Wife began to appear in the public Work of the Minillry, and indeed very comfortably and acceptably to Friends, and flie grew ^in Underftanding both of the Difcipline of the Church of Chrift, and alfo in further Knowledge in the Work of the living Miniftry, 6'^. And abovit that time it came upon me to vifit Friends in oioft of the Northern Counties in ( i86 ) ill England', and feme fmall time after my Return, I had a Concern to vifit Friends in feveral Parts of the Southern Counties, Thomas Bccdal being my Companion, \ ho grew in the Truth, and alfo in the Miniflry: We had many good Meetings in that Journ-r-y, good Ser- vice and great Satisfacftion, and I returned Home in Peace. Now I may fay with Sorrow of Heart, the Time drew on apace when my virtuous Wife and I muft part, and be no longer Meet-helpS to one another, which we truly were, and never had either ev^l Word or evil Thought againfl each other^ I am fully fatislied; but lived in Peace and trlie Love one with another, and were glad when we could either one or both ferve Truth and Friends : Therefore I find it on my Mind, in this Place, to infcrt the fol- lowing Relation concerning her, viz. 4 Jhorf ACCOUNT of the Life, Convincement, QuaHfications, and dying Sayings of that faithful Handmaid of the Lord^ Anne Richardson, ^L.vho departed this. Life the i%th of the Tivelfth Month, 171 1,- aged about Thirty three Tears, ^C O H E v^as defcended of an honefl: and k3 coliiiderable Fan>ily of the liohinfons, at Hilt ton in the Hole in Yorkjhire, and was convinced in her young Years, ?.nd , received the ( i^7- ) tile Truth in the Love of it, and it became Valuable and precious to her above all Thhigs in this World ; and through the bleffed Work and Operation of the Grace and holy Spirit of Truth, fhe was weaned from the World's Pleafures, Vanities and Ilecreadons, from taking any Delight iri them; and through the virtuous and moft precious Blood of Ghrift^ jfhe came to witnefs her heart fprinkled from an evil Confcience, and in a good degree made able to ferve the living God, and bore a faithful Teftimony againft the needlefs and fuperfluous DrefTes and tafhioiis of the Worlds as alfo againft the corrupt Language thereof; and came to be a great Lover of Virtue and Purity, and had great Satisfaction in being in good Friends Company, and at Friends Meetings, and in much Retirement and waiting upon the Lord, who in great Mercy and Condefcention to the Defire of liis Handmaid, gave her a large Share, not only of the Enjoyment of his living Power and internal Prefence, but alfo a Knowledge^ and clear Sight into thofe Things that appertained to Life and Salva- tion: And after Truth thus prevailed over her, and brought every Thought into the Gbedieii^e of Chrift, and fubjeded her Will to the \Vill of God, which is a great Work^ yet requifite to the nezu Birth^ without which there is no Regeneration \ and without Rege- neration and being born again, there is no ^ntring into the Kingdom of Heaven* B b '' After ( i88 ) '*^^ After this great Change was wrought in her, it was evident through the remaining Part of her Tim€, that Ihe was mvich pre-* ferved under the Povv-er, Influence, and Guidance of the peaceable, meek and quiet Spirit of Jefus Chrift, and grew daily more and more in the Favour and love of God, and w^as much beloved of God's People, and indeed of her Relations, Neighbours and Ac- quaintance, w^ho were not of her Perfuafion, and walked ib w^felj and prudently in all her Ways, that Ihe fought not her own Honour and Intereft, but the Honour of the Lord, and inward Peace with him, which Ihe had a Regard unto in* all her Under- takings ; fo that even fuch who fought for an Occafion againft Truth and the Profeflbrs of it, had nothing to fay againft h<^r, not even from her Childhood to the Day of her Death, for fne was generally beloved and fpoken xvell of by all who knew her, and many were deeply and Ibrrowfully affecfted to part with her, both Friends and others; the like hath not often been feen in thofe Parts, and not without fome Caufe, for flie was a Woman of an upright Life, and exemplary Converfation before all, and gave no Offence to Jeiu or Gentik, nor to the Church of Chrift; charitable to the Poor, a true Sym- pathizer with fuch as were in Aflliflion and Diflrefs, whether in Body or in Mind, which was manifefted in her frequent Vilits to fuch, and by other Means clearly dcmonftrated : She . { i89 ) ^^^he was a Woman endued with great Pati- ence, and with a quiet and ferene Mind, • well qualified and fitted to her Hufband's Circuinftances, (whofe Lot it was often to be abroad in the Service of the Truth) an , honourable and a faithful Wife, willing to give up her all for Chrift and the Goipel's fake, counting nothing in this World too near and dear to part with, for the Glory of God, and Advancement of the ever biefTed Truth, Peace and Salvation of her own Soul, and the Good of others. '• One Thing is remarkable and w^orthy of Commemoration, which I infert as follow- eth, that others in the like Cafe may not barely and outwardly imitate her, but feel- ingly come up in her heavenly Practice and Experience, under the Influence, Light and Help of God*s holy and bleffed Spirit, ijiz. When that worthy Servant of Jefus Chrifl, John BoiJujTeacl^ returned from London Yearly- meeting through feveral Counties to Tork^ and fo Home with me, not long \^tiovt my Wife was taken away: and having fome Difcourfe with her, he afked about feveral Things of Moment, efpecially about Jjer Husband being fo much from Home^ fhe gave him this An- fwer; That inafmuch as ftje gave up her Husband cheerfully and freely to Jerve the Lord^ and to be ferviceable to the Church ef Chr'ijl^ Jhe did not only Jynipathize and feel ivith him va his mofl adverfe and loiv State ^ but partook ':v:th him in his heft Enjoyments^ "when ths Foiven ( 19^ ) Power of Truth prevailed over all its Enemies : alt ho* I am then far from him^ yet I partake of the Spoils or the fhedding abroad of the good Things of God among his Feopte^ as my Heart goes along uuith t^e Work of the Lord^ and fuch as are engaged in it ; atid in all my Huf- band's Afflictions / atn ajflicled ivith hi^n: And one of my main Concerns is^ that neither /, 7ior any Thing .In this World ^ may detain my Husband from doing ivhat the Lord calls for at his I^and\ for if any Thing hurt him as to, the Truth ^ ivhat Good can I expetl of him? This John much admired, with the deep and weighty Reaifons fhe gave about the Chrifiian Pifciphne of the Church, and concerning the Mlniftry, the like, he faid, he bad no^ piet with iu all his Travels before; yet ftie \vai5 a Womj^n of few Words, and expreft much in a little Compafs: And when fhe was taken away, oh ! the Lpfs and Sorrow he expreffed to nae in a Letter concerning her Death. *' She was very clear in her Underflanding^ had a penetrating and difcerning Eye, a great and inward Senfe of the State of a Meeting, as alfo of their feverai particular States. I cannot at preient defcribe to the full all the hiddeu Virtues of this Handmaid of the Lord, but there were inany vifible Fruits of her virtuous Mind, that did appear to the Children of Men, fome of which were thefe, viz. She was an afFedlionate and tender Mother to her Children, yet did correcfl them when ( «9i ) when Occafion required, without Paffion, or the leaft Appearance of Diforder of lyiind, and ftill had them ill great Subjecflion; at which I often admired, and thought, furely ilie is com^e, by the Workings of the holy Spirit, to a greater Dominion over her own Spirit than many who appeared to be her Equals. She was a true Chriftian, a loving and dutiful Child to her Rarents^ a good Neighbour, a faithful Wife, a loving and t:euder-hearted Dame over her Servants, and overcame them with Love, and was much beloved by them, and alfo feared ; they loved her, and were very unwilling to difoblige or pflTend her. *- She appeared and behaved herfelf as be- i:ame ^ fandified Veflel, that was in a good flegree fitteci and prepared for the great Mafter's Ufe, and often appeared as one that had been fecretly in ibme Intercourfe with Jefus Ghrift in Spirit, where his Glory had pipre particularly ihone in and over her Soul, not only becaufe of the Gravity and Solidity of her Countenance, but alfo the Tender- nefs, Humility and Sweetnefs of her Mind 4ad Spirit, Weightinefs of her Converfation, Edification of her Advice, Soundnefs of her judgment, and Clearnefs of her Underftand- ing, all which made her Company very acceptable while among the Living. Her Heart was often filled with the Love of God, ^nd e^rly raifed and enabled to fpeak a Word in ( 192 ) in Seafon unto many States and Conditions^ whether at home or abroad, in her own Family, amongft her Neighbours, or in the Church of Chrift, in Teilimony to Matters relating to the Worlhip of God, or in Matters relating to Difcipline, efpecially in the Meet- ings of her own Sex, where Ihe had a great Service, and will be greatly w^antcd. She had great Care upon her for the good Educa- tion of our Youth in Plainnefs of Habit and Language, that they might be preferved out of the Corruptions of the World in all the Parts thereof; in all which Services ilie will be much miffed : Yet we being fenfible, that her Removal is her great Gain, it helps to alleviate our Sorrow and Lofs, which ^s great, and will not foon be forgotten by many who had the Benefit and Comfort of her good Services. Alfo her w^atchful and foiid fitting in our Meetings for Worffiip was remarkable, with very little Motion that was perceivable; yet when the leafl Stirrings of Life in her Mind were perceived, in order to bring her forth iu Teftimony, the Meeting was truly glad, and the Living amongfl: us re- joiced at it, for her Appearance was with the Wife, and in the Language of the Holy Spirit; ^vhich was a clear Demonflration that the Work was the Lord's and by and through liis Spirit and Power ; all which gave her a great Place in the Minds of faithful Friends and Brethren. But (hf is gone in the Prime and nnd Flower of her Age! which fets befor<5 and is a Memento unto us, to iliew us the Uncertainty of our Time here, and to pre- pare for one certain to come, that Death may not overtake us at unawares before we arc pipe- pared for it. *' I come now to the Time of her long Weaknefs, in which fhe was prefervcd in great Patience, Steadinefs and Refignation of Mind to the Will of God, even unto the -End ; and fhe enjoyed much heavenly Com- fort and Confolation in the living Prefence of the Lord to her immortal Soul, fo that when Ihe was allied, Whether ihe thought flie might recover or not ? She mildly replied, She 'was afraid to defire to live \ hecaufe^ faid fhe, / believe if it pleafe the Lord to take me avuay noi.v^ it will be vuellwith me^ for I find nothing that lies as a Burden upon my Spirit. At another Time flie faid, As to that Uttk Teflimony I have been concerned in^ this is my Comfort and Satisfaiiion^ that I can truly Jay I did not kindle any f range FirCy and there- fore could not warm rnyfelf at the Sparks thereof \ but vuhat I did in that flatter i^as^ in the Conflrainings of the Love of God ; and vohen my Cup was full^ I a little emptied 7nyfelf among the Lord's People, yet very Jen- fible of my own Weakne/s and Poverty^ and often thought myfelf unvoorthy of the lea/I of the Lord's Mercies, " Many favoury ExprefTions flie f]:)oke that were not written then, and therefore could not ( 194 ) hot be remembered; we having fome Hopes df her Recovery, it rather caufed an Omifliori as to fuch a due Obfervance of w^hat flie faid as otherwife it is like would have been; although fhe was heard to fay not long before fhe fell weak, She thought het' Tme nvould not be long in this Worlds I never heard an un- becoming or unfavory Word come from her, let the Provocation thereto be what it would, no, not in the Time of her Health ; and in her Weaknefs, flie \Vas milch fwal- lowed up in the luminous and internal Pre- fence of her Lord and Saviour Jefus Chriftj and often fang Praifes unto his worthy Name, and appeared as one wholly redeemed from this World, whofe Heart was fet upon^ and Mind intent, and earneflly engaged in the Purfuit after Heaven and heavenly Things. BlefTed be the Lord, flie had witnefled a Part in the firft RefiirreBion^ and over fuch the fecond Death hath no Poiver ; and no doubt but flie lived and believed in Jefus Chrifl:, even unto the End of her Time here, and pafied away without any Appearance o^ Struggling or Sorrow, I believe into a Man- lion of Glory, where her Soul fhall fing Hallelujah to the Lord God and the Lamb for ever, with all thofe who have overcome the World, the Deaft, and falfe Prophet, and every Thing the Lord*s Gontroverfy is with, and who have not loved their Lives unto Death, but given up that Life they had in any wrons; Thine; whatfoever*'* Wheii { ^9S ' 1 .■ J r , . ' . When I had drawn up the foregoing Account, and fliewed it to fbme difcreet Friends, they faid, it IV as not beyond' her Worth; yet when I looked it over again, with an Intent to infert it here, I thought it looked too larg^; but upon more mature Dejiberation, I could not find what part to omit, but it would hurt the whole Matter, therefore as I found it contained En- couragement to all tender and v/ell-minded People, to perfevere in Faithfulnefs to the End ; Caution againfl Pride, Paffion, and indulging or fparing any wrong Thing in Church or Family • and fomething of Advice to feveral Conditions and Growths in the Church of Chrift ; it , ap- peared moft eafy to me, not to lofe any of thofe good Fragments vvhich had any thing of a heavenly Savour in them, and if I have not miffed it, there is fomething that has a living Relifh, for without that I fhould foon be weary of either writing or fpeaking. Not long after the Departure of my \Vife, it came upon me to vifit the fouthern Parts of England^ and fome part of Wales. ^ and I had good Service and great Satisfadlion; and I was rtifo at London^ John Adam being my Compa- nion, who was an innocent, clean fpirited Man. Again, I found it required of me to vifit the South Wefl Parts of England^ in the Year 1717, and I travelled through the Weft- Part of rb;4- JJj'ire^ into Weftmorekmd^ Lancajhlre^ Chejhlre^ and fo on to Brijlol^ and as far as Cornwall^ and had many good Meetings; although I travelled G c alone, ( '96 ) alone, yet the Lord, in whom I put my Truft and depended upon, helped me, and bore up niy Head through and over all, renowned be his moft honourable Name, now and for ever. • ^/^ A C C O U N T of my Vifit /^Friends in Ireland. IN the Year 1722 it was renewed upon me to go into Ireland \ the Thoughts of it had been long upon my Mind, but now the Time feemed to be fully come, to pay that long thought of Vifit ; and Jofeph Bunting of Cum- berland being my Companion, we went from Kendal Yearly-meeting which was a large and good Meeting, and paffed along to Whitehaven^ and took lliipping for Dublin^ and ftaid their Half- Years Meeting, which was large, and in which the living Power and Prefence of the Lord was felt amongft us ; exalted over all be the mighty Name of the Lord, for thofe and all his Mercies. I had there many good Meetings, and alfo met with fome hard ones (as is the Lot of fuch who are called to this Vocation) and the beft way I have found, when I met with fuch, is firft to regard our Cally then to mind our dailj Steps we take in that Vocation into which we are called, and take fpecial Care to have along w^ith us the Company and Counjel of him that hath fo called us ; this is the way fully and truly ( 197 ) truly to difcharge ourfelves of that Truft the Lord hath repofed in us, to the mutual Coin^ fort and Edification of the Churches of Chrift, and alfo to the Peace and Confolation of our own Souls. It is now with me to write the following Remarks of Ireland^ which will not be remote to the State of Friends in many other Places, where there is a right, found, living Miniftry preferved, and good Difcipline exercifed, which moftly go together : There Truth and Friends are kept generally in good Efteem, and alfa thriving;, but where thefe fail, efpegially the Difcipliney oh! how undue Liberty, and the F^fhions of the World, with, naany corrupting Things, creep in amongft the ProfefTors of Truth, even unto the Reproach thereof, and Scandal of thofe who are fo prevailed upon; and hearty Sorrow of fuch as know and feel the Hurt of thefe Things: Oh I what a Hin-? derance this is to the Progrefs of the ever blefled Truth in the Earth ; and indeed it hath been in piy Mind, that the main Work in this our Day is to fearch into, the Churches, and endeavour to bring them into fuch a Condition, that it may once more be faid, Follpiv Chriji as yoic have us for Examples ; not only here and there one, but the Believers in general; fo it will be, when we as a People all fpeak the fame Thing, or that which is agreeable, as well in our Pradice (fo often recommended) as in Faith and Dodrine; for I have ever underftood Examples to be more prevalent than Precept ; but ( 198 ) but if any amongft FriendG be grown fo hardy- and fo unfenfible, as to prefer fome foolifh Fafhions, which to me appear to be fliameful an4 nndecent, it is an evident Demonftration they are departed too much from the Principles and Pradices of our worthy Elders in the Truth ; which I fear is the cafe of too rnany, both iii that Nation and in England, Let not any fay, that I fmite in the Dark, and do not tell what I mean ; -for fome few par- ticulars I intend to mention for the Eafe of my Mind : I have feen feveral Changes of Fafhions in forty Years Time ; our firll Friends and Pro- moters of Truth carne out in the Lord's Work and heavenly Power, plain^ and generally con- tinued fo for their Time ; but alas ! how foon there appeared an Alteration, in fome Men efpecially. when the Weight of Sufferings wa« over; it ihen began to appear, and hath from time to time continued to encreafe ever fince, among fome profe fling Truth with us, not only in extra'uagant Wigs^ with much Powder in them, but alfo in Crofs-pockets^needlefs Capes ^ and divers Cuts and Shapes in their Cloathing]^ ia Conformity to the prevailing Fafliions of the 7 lines, as well as in Jetting up their Hats \ all which appear to be more likely to lead thofe, who follow them, into Egypty or the World again, than into the heavenly Country or Ca- naaUy w^hich we profefs to be prefling after, and hope to obtain in the End. Now, not to let the Females pafs w^ithout my Obfervation on them : I well remember in my younger ( ;99 ) jTQunger Years, efpecially in great Towns and Cities, I have met with thofe that profefled Truth with us, who have had but very Httle Coverings on their Heads, and others that have had more fet up at a confiderable Diftance above their Foreheads, and both thefe Sorts perhaps bare flecked. When I have met with fuch I have faid, What ^ fair or beautiful Daughter of Zion w:ouldft thou be if thou wouldft put on Truth and Chrift's Righteoufnefs, and put away all thefe foolifli Fafhions ? And in Families, when I have afked fome Particulars, v;hat they could fay for tl efe Dreffes, and being fo naked, both Neck and Shoulders^ I received this Anfwer, or ifomething like it. That it was good for their Healthy to keep their Temples cool^ and to learn to he hardy ^ hy expcfing then^J elves thus to the Air in their Youth: But if that was the true Reafon, I added this Caution to them ; to confider duly, if Religion did not^ yet the Modejly of their Sex fjjould^ reclaim thein from it. Sometimes, with the Diflike "I fhewed to thefe Things, I advifed them, that they ivoidd cover their naked Skin^ and no more expofe themjelves to the Luf and vain Speculation of the ivorfl^ and great Trouble of their bejl Friends ; and worft of all, to the great Hurt oj themfelvesy and in a manner defroying all reafonable Claim to Chrift : For how can our LiOve to, and Faith in him be true and fovind, when our Pradice is fo remote unto the Pradice and Example of Chrift and his Apoltles, which they gave and endeavoured to inculcate ? Be not conformed to this IV or Id ^ but be ye transformed by ( 200 ) by the renewiyig of your Mind^ that ye may prov& ivhat is that good and acceptable^ and perfe£i Will of God^ Rom. xii. 2. JVhofe adorning^ let it not be that outward Adorning of plaiting the Hair^ and of ^wearing Gold^ or of putting on of Apparel : But Jet it be the hidden Man of the Hearty in that which is 7iot corruptible^ even the Ornament of a rneek and quiet Spirit^ ivhich is in the Sight of God of great Price : For after this manner in the old Time^ the holy Women alfo *who triifled in God adorned themfehes^ being in SubjeSlion unto their onvn Husbands^ i Pet. iii. 3, 4, 5. Alas ! woe is me, for the Hurt of the Daughter of Zion^ when I confider with Regret from whence fuch are fallen, if ever I'eftored out of the Fall. If we as a People fhould follow fuch Exam- ples as I have touched iipon, certainly we fliall become an Hiffing and a Bye-word to all Na-; tions round about, who may have heard of us^ and what great Things the Lord of Hofts hath done for us lince we became a People, as may and has been feen and heard in Examples, Words and Writings from our faithful Friends and Brethren (the chief Promulgators of Truth and Righteoufnefs) in their unwearied Labours, Faith and Sufferings for the Caufe and Tefti- mony of Jefus Chrift; and what alfo was not lefs remarkable, by their exemplary Lives of Plainnefs, Humility, Sincerity, and Self-denial, with Works of Charity. Now, thou that readeft this, beware that thou doft not let in any wrong Mind, and in that begin ( 20I ) begin to judge me inflead of judging thyfelf; for as far as I know, I have but done my Duty : See firft, that thou doft thine before thou begins to judge me. Bear this Caution from thy Friend, thou that God hath endued with his Spirit, and wait till this holy Spirit of Truth is upon thee a Spirit of Judgment ; as thou abideft under thefe Qualifications, thou art fit to fit in Judgment, and judge wrong Things in thyfelf firft, next in thy Family, and then in the Church of Chrift; and be unwearied in thy Labours to prcferve, as well as to reflore, what thou art capable of doing in the Church of Chrift, from all wrong Ways and Things ; for if Corruption and Slacknefs come in, and pre- vail over the Leader, as v;ell as over thofe whom God hath raifed thee up to be a Help unto, then will the Lord deal with both thee and them fome other Way ; for I am fatisfied the Lord will turn his Hand upon his People in thefe Days, as he did upon Ifrael formerly, faying, by his Prophet, He ivould purge aivay her Drofs^ and take away all her Tin ; not only all grofs Evils, but alfo that which in Appear- ance may be like Truth, but is not Truth: This was, and will be the Way to rejlvre Judges ^s at the Firjl^ and Counfellors as at the Begin-- ning : Oh I then pall the Gentiles fee thy Righ- teoufnefs^ and all Kings thy Glory ^ faid the Pro- phet. Although there is great Occafion for an Amendment in many, yet there is a bright and heavenly-minded Remnant in England^ Ireland^ and ( ioi ) and many other Parts in the World, againf^ whom I find not any thing to prefs upon my Mind to complain of; but a Word of Encou- ragement fprings in the Life, in the Love and good Will of God, to prefs and perfuade you to a fteady Perfeverance in the true Faith, and in an exemplary and pious Life, (I never faw more need of this than now, according to my View of the State of Things) that when the Lord the righteous Judge, who will brtJig every Work into Judgment^ ivith every fecret Things thefe, as before- mentioned, may be found clear of the Blood of all Aien, feeing that they have warned them, and given Notice when they have feen any Danger, or an Enemy approach nigh to them. Here is Work for fach as God hath fet up as Watchmen over his People, to fee that.thofe do not go on in Bye- ways, who profefs Truth, and leave the Way of Truth unoccupied by them ; here is Work for the t^rue Judges, who have the Spirit of Judgment upon them : And notv/ithftanding fome, here and there, who may be found in the faithful Difcharge of that Truft the Lord hath rcpoled iii them, may meet with fome Oppofition from fach as are unfaithfuly and not V/illing to be bounded and girded by the Truth, no not ib much as to an oativard Confornnty to the Plalnnefs and Decency, fo . much and frequently recommended by the ' Writings, by public Teflimonies, and alfo in our Meetings for Difcipline; for it is a con- siderable Branch of our Meetings far Difcipline, to ( ^03 ) to infpe<5l into, and take care to fee that Friends walk orderly as becomes our holy Profeffion 5 and where wrong Steps are made, and wrong Ways are gone into, and Liberty taken by any who do profefs Truth with us, that fuch may be dealt with, and the Evil, as alfo the bad Confequence thereof, laid before them, and they be laboured with, and not left ; for although it may be but a fmall Appearance or Beginning of a Leprofy, which is naturally apt to fpread, unlefs proper Applications, and in due Time too, be made in the Wifdom and Love of God j yet if atiiy there be who prefer their own Wills, and fo far love that Life they have in thofe Things, that are not only evil in themfelves, but alfo of evil Confequence by their bad Ex^ ample, more than they love Truth and the Unity of the Brethren, filch had better for Truth's fake, and for the Reputation of the Teftimony thereof, be dealt with, for Eafe of the Minds of the Faithful, who fuffer under the Senfe they frequently labour of a Cloud of Darknefs and Oppreffion, wrong Ways and wrong Things. It may not be amifs to give a Hint here, at what Door many have gone out into divers Evils ; firji^ by being brought by Cuftom to be in love with Strong- drink^ and keeping iGo/e Company ; for even fuch have been fo far a Means to corrupt, and in time to draw away the Mind from that Simplicity and Purity the Lord's People ought to live in, until a Cloud has come over the Underftanding, and the Senfe D d of ( ^04 ) of the Virtue and heavenly Savour of the pre- cious Truth is lofl ; and then the old Inhabit- ants of the Land (comparitively fpeaking) croud in again, as Pride, Paflion, Luft, Envy, loofe Converfation, open Drunkennefs ; nay fome worfe Spirits than ever had pofTefTed them before, have now entered their Minds with the former, that were once meafureably overcome and call cut ; it is therefore certain, that the End of thefe will be miferable, except the Lord grants them a Place of Repentance while here. Now my tender and well beloved Friends, watch againft and ftrive to keep out the Enemy that he enter not ; for wha^ way foever he enters and gets Footing, he defiles God's Temple j and before thou witnefies ti:^ Lord to deflroy him and caft him out again, thou mud have many a fore Combat, and ibme Warfare (per- 1j haps more that thou art aware of) before thou gainefl all the Ground thou haft loft, by giving way to the Adverfary of thy Soul ; therefore keep upon thy Watch-Tovuer^ watch unto the End^ ivatcb and pray CQUtinii ally ^ that ye enter not into Temptation^ faid our great Lord tm to his Followers : For I have found by Experience, that it is harder to gain what we have loft, than to keep it while we had it; and to improve our Talents, is not only the way to have them continued, but alfo to have them more abun- dantly added unto us ; but fuch as do not im- prove what is given unto them, even that which they have been intrufted with fliall be taken i from them: Oh! how defolate and miferable fuch ( ^o5 ) iiich vvill be ia the Day of Aecoimt, when. Chrift, Hke a great Shepherd, divides the Sheep from the Goats, and between the Slothful and the Faithful Servants, between the wife and the foolipj Virgins, and between all thofe who. adhered to, obeyed, and followed hlna accord- ing to the Meafure of Light and Knowledge received, and thofe who have rejected and dif- obeyed the Strivings and ConviAions of God's holy Ligiit, and bleifed Spirit, placed in the Hearts of the Children of Men to enlighten, initrucft, reprove, comfort, and guide, accord- ing to the State of every individual Mind, as it is conformable or difobedient to inward Con- vidlions. So is this holy Gift a Witnefs for, or againtl, to accufe, or excufe in tlxy Confcience, according as thy g6od or evil Doings are aud do prevail in thy Heart and Soul. But this is fonicwhat a Digfeffion from the hiftorical Part of my Travels ; for as I have mentioned before my going into Ireland, I Ihall now fay fome- thing more particularly thereof. We journeyed from Dublin towards Cork, and, had Teveral Meetings in our Way, as at Balli" cane, Culladine, Wexford, Lambjloivn, Waiter- ford, Clomnel, Cafhel, Toughall, Cork, and (laid their Province Meeting for Miinfler, which was a good and large Meeting. I was much out of Order here, by reafon of a Fever and Ague which held me feveral Days, and I was muck obliged to my Friends, John Dobbs, Jofeph Hoare and his Family, for the great Care they took of me in this my weak State; I was not without ( 206 ) without fomc Reafonings for a Time, as to my being out of my native Country, but the Lord who is mighty in Power, helped me and raifed me again, and gave me Abihty to dif- charge myfelf of that Service I was called to, honoured for ever be the great Name of the Lord for this and all his Mercies. Next we came to Charkville^ Limerick^ Rofs^ and from thence to john AJhtons^ Birr^ James Hutchinfons^ Montrathy Moimtfneleck^ Henry Ridgivay'Sj and from Balinakil to Mont rath again, and was at their Six- weeks Meeting, which was a heavenly and good Meeting, there being a living Remnant there : Then we came to Kilconner^ Carloiju^ Ballitciiery John Stephen^ JonSy T'unahoe^ Edenderry^ and went to fee my good Friend Thomas Wilfon^ who was fore troubled with the Gravel; I was much afHid);e<:l, and truly fympathized with him in my Spirit, and John Bar croft ^ that true Man, and I did what we could for our afflidled Brother, and fq left him and his Family in the Love of God ; and went to Liftnoiny^ the Moat^ fVaterJiouun^ Bal- limurryy Athkne^ and had another Meeting at the Moat'j Oldcajlky Ballihays^ Coothill^ Cajllet JJjeaUy Ballihagan^ Charlemount^ Dumclaudyy Cokahiy James MoorSy the ' Grange y Antrimy Lisburiiy Hillsborough^ and was at their Province Meeting, which was held at Ballenderry^ and was alfo at fome Meetings twice; Monalletiy Tunneryy Litrgntiy Rafcr-IJlaiid^ Neuury^ and from thence to Drogheday and fo to Duhluiy being the 29th of the Fifth Month, 1722, and (tayed ( ^^7 ) flayed there fome Meetings ; and a living Rem^ nant there is in that City, but it is a rich Place ; the mighty God of Heaven and Earth keep his People low, and truly humble in that great City and every where elfe, is the earned Defire of my Soul to the Lord ; for I know there is a Gonfiderable Remant, whofe Labour and daily Travail is to have the Church kept clean from all manner of Defilements both of Flefn and Spirit^ fo that ihe may be prefented unto God the Father without Spot or Wrinkle^ or any fuch Thing, in the Day when flie muft appear before the great Judge of all the Earth, who will do Right unto every one, according as their Works are found to be Good or Evil, Being clear of JDuhlin and the whole Nation, I took fliipping for Whitehaven^ and had a fhort PafTage but a very rough one, and had fome Meetings' in my way Home, to which I got on the 21ft of the Sixth Month, 1722, and found my Children recovered from the Fever and Ague in which I left them when I took my Journey, which Diflemper had fo far prevailed oyer them, that they were fometimes fcarcely fenfible ; it had been upon them for a confiderable Time, and it proved a Trial to me to leave them in that very weak State, but one Day as I fought the Lord in the Fervency of my Heart, to know whether I fhould leave thefe my two poor weak Chil- dren or not, as alfo my Houfe-keeper much in the fame Cafe (who were all my con- ftant Family) it fprang in my Heart livingly, as though ( 2o8 ) though it had been fpqke with a Man's Voice, Lea^e them^ and I luill take care of them: I laid, Thou the Lord hajl never failed me^ I will leave them to thee^ do what feemeth good in thy Eye %vith them. I looked then no naore behind itie, neither ^t them nor any thing elfe I had left, but became as if I had not any thing in the World. For thus it behovetli all the Ser- vants of Chrift to do, even the Married as if they were not married ; and thofe that buy any Thing, as if they did not polTefs it : This is a Liberty which many are Strangers unto, it is wrought by the Finger of God, it is the Work of God's heavenly Power to loofen Man thus from the Things of this World, and at the fame Time we are mod bound unto Chrift, yet enjoy a comfortable and heavenly Freedom in our Spirits in Chrift, by our Faith and Obedience unto him, in and through all Trials, Provings and Adverfities : And dear Friends^ the greater the Crofs, the greater is the Crown and Rewarcl which all thofe poflefs, who do all Things they do with a fingle Mind, and an upright Fleart unto the Lord in all Things, and at all Times. Thus the Children of the Bridegroom are or ought to be efpoufed or married to Chrift, and truly devoted to him, that fo they may ftand, as. much as may be, difintangled from all mutable Things, and cleave to and follow him when and wherefoever he calls and leads, and be in Subjecflion to him, as a virtuous Wife is not only bound, but willingly is fubjecft, to her virtuous and preferable Huiband : Thus we may know and ( 269 ) and experience Chrift to become our holy Head ; and that we may hold unto him, and that we may fo walk and live, that he may take Delight in his Church, (the Body) to rule in and over it, as vtre have the State of the true Church and Chrift reprefented in the moft excellent and fa- cred Writings of the Holy Scriptures. Oh ! that we may likewife know the Marriage of 'the Lamb to be come, and that as of old, we may make ourfelves ready ^ put off the Sins and Corruptions of the World that are thro' Luft, and put on the Lord Jefiis Chrift^ and his pure Right eottfnefs : This is x.\iQ fine Linen^ the Right cou/nejs of the Saints ; this is the Wedding Garment ; without which Preparations, and true Bride's Attire, I cannot fee how any can expedl an Admittance into the Bridegroonis Chamber: Therefore I intreat all fuch as do not find themfelves in Preparation, and have not their Peace affured to them, and want the Seal or Evidence of the Spirit of the Lord that they are hisy not to flumber away their precious Time imtil the Midnight^ leaft unexpectedly the Cry be lieard to found with Terror in thy Ears, Ar:/e^ trim thy Lamp, for behold the Bridegroom cometh^ who hath in Times paft exercifed Mercy and Loving-kindnefs towards thee, and has fought divers Ways to win thee to love him ; he has at Times reproved thee for thy evil Ways, and at other Times he hath fet before thee the Comforts and Happinefs thou ihouldfl poffefs, if thou wouldft obey and follow him; nay, h^ hath wooed thee as a young Man doth a Virgin^- ( liio ) i Virgin, and if thoii hadfb devoted thyfelf to him, he would have gathered and faved thee, and rejoiced over thee as a Bridegroom doth over his Bride. But if thou turned thy Back upon all his Reproofs, Intreaties, and Endear- ments (as m the Parable of the fve fooUJh Virgins ) in the Time when he (the Bridegroom) calls to an account, he will not know thee otherwife than to fhut thee out of his Prefence and Favour, notwithftanding whatever thoti inayft have heard, received or done, if thou continues to work Wickednefs, aiid art not re- claimed therefrom. Thefe Things fprang iii my Mind as a Warning for all, to flee from every deftru(ftive Thing, before the Lord overtakes them, when they cannot efcape his Hand of Juftice; and alfo, that the Faithful may be encouraged iii well-doing, and to a faithful Perfeverance to the End, Amen, Some Things w^hich have been omitted, I think proper to infert here, as worthy of Obfer- vation. As I was travelling towards Lincoln^ and paffing through Brig^ Friends gave me No- tice that there were two great Difputants, a Non- conformijl Minifter, and a Dodor of Phyfic^ who were like to go all or moft of the Way with me, as the Affizes \vere coming on, and Would be at me with Arguments about Religion, which I foon found true; for we were no fooner got into a fuitable Way but they begati with me, which I endeavoured to prevent by teUing them, I did not leok upon myfelf to be qualified ( ^ii ) • ' ' ' ' ■ - . ' qualified for Difpiites ; and withal I obferved, that fometimes Difputants ended iri a wode tJnderftanding one of another than when they began, except they minded well to keep good Government ; and now as we appeared free and friendly, how We might be when we had ended our Difpute, was a Queftion, therefore I had rather they would forbear : But they turned the deaf Ear to all that I faid, and nothing would do with them, but a Difpiite we mufl have. I then afked them what they would fay ? They queried, Whether all Men 'twere placed in a Station capable of Salvation^ yea or nay? \ replied. If I fhould give my pofitive Thoughts to your Queftion, we fhall have Occafion to go back to treat of the Nature, not only of the upright State Man w'as in before he fell, but alfo how he fell and alfo in the Fall, how he ftands as in Relation to his Reftoration, vsrhich brings us td the Queftion. Although this be not the ufual Way of Difputants, yet if you will fubmit td it, it w^U either anfwer your Queftion^ or fet it in a clearer Light for an Anfwer. They afl^ed, Honv could that he? I replied, if it did not, they might fay fo. They then fo far condefcended as to hear me, and I faid, jirjl^ we all agree in this, that Man was made upright; fecondly^ that he fell from that Uprightnefs ; theQuedioii then is, How ? Anfiv, By ther Offence or Difo- bedience of the firft Man Adam Sin entered, and Condemnation came upon all who had finned. I then queried of the Difputants, whether they believed that Adams Fail did affed all thofe E e who ( 212 ) who did not hear of it, as well as thofe wh(^ did ? For, I faid, there were fome of Opi- nion, that thofe who had not the explicit or outward Knowledge of the promifed Seed of Coming of Chrift, had not the Benefit of his Coming ; and except they would firft allow, that all were afPeded or hurt by Adajiis Fall, then fuch as were not, remained in Paradife to this Day, except they would make the Remedy lefs than the Difeafe, the Plaifter lefs than the Sore, and Chrifl's Coming lefs extenfive than Ada77is Fall. I argued, that upon the foot of Reafon, as well as what we had in plain Scrip- ture, Chrifl's Coming was as extenfive as the Fall of Adam; for, bj the Obedience of Chrijl^ the Gift of God came upon all unto Juflif cation. Now I think, faid I, your Queftion is fet in a clear Light for an Anfwer, or elfe anfwered ; fo take it at what End you will (laying afide all Quibbling) I intend to join Ifllie with you, and prove that all Men are placed in a Station capable of Salvation; or otherwife you muft leave a great Part of the World in Para- dife, or make the Coming of Chrifl lefs exten- five than the Fall of Adam, I then queried, what they faid to all this ? They anfwered, theyne^er heard the like before^ and they ivould not meddle *with me^ I ivas too great a Scholar for them, I faid, there was littleof Schoiaifhipin it; I offer- ed, I thought, nothing but plain Scripture and found Realbn; and 1 told them, 1 had now as good as anfwered their Queftion, and had given leveral Reaibns to back my Anfwer, and as they appeared appeared wife, v/ell read Men, and as far as I jhad gathered, had been principled againft uni- verfal Sahation^ and iiniuerfal Grace^ for them now to drop the Matter fo ilenderly, before me who appeared but hke a Child to them, was very furprizing : But they replied, they would not meddle ivith me, I then commended them for their good Temper, and the Civility they fhewed to me, for they were civil to me beyond what I could expe6l ; and they invited me to the Burial of one of their deceafed Friends, but I could not go, for I was iu hafte to get to Lincoln^ having Ibme Bufinefs there that haflened me. Now at parting with them, my Soul magnified the Lord, under a Senfe of his Goodnefs to me, in that he had opened my Way, and helped me through this Difficulty, with many other Trials and Affliclions I had met with. I had at another Time fome Reafonings with a Pap'ijl who was my Neighbour, about the Vifihility of their Church, and TranfuhJlaU'^. tiation^ with feveral other Thirigs. As to the firji^ I fhewed him, that the true Church jled into the Wildernefs^ ivhere Jlje was for Times ^ Time^ and half a Time\ in this State we do not read fhe had any outward Character as a vifible Church ; and that if they derived their Delcent, it was from fome falfe Church, and not through the true one. And as to the other, they took ^oo much upon them, more than they could juftify from Scripture, or clearly demonftrate from Chrift or his Apoftles ; for Chrift never gave ( 214' ) gave any of them fuch a Commiffion, a& to convert Bread and Wine into real FleJJj and Bloody and then to call it Chr'ift, You, faid I, by theie Notions, deceive yourfelves and your Adherents ; for Chrill fpoke unto fuch as you by Parables, becaufe they were carnal, and did not underftand the Meaning of his Sayings in this Cafe, no more than the je^ivs underftood what Chrift meant, when he fpoke of deftroy- ing this Temple (meaning his Body) which thdy underftood was of that Temple at Jerufa- lem^ which th^y made a great Wonder at, and faid, Hoiv can this he that he can dejlroy this Temple^ and raife it up again in three Days^ 'when it %vas Forty eight Years in building F Thus they reafoned carnally, as Nicodemiis (though a Ruler of the Jews) did concerning Regeneration or the new Birth \ and as the Woman of Scmiaria did, from whence Chrift Ihould have that living Water, which he fpoke of, that Jhfjuld be in Man as a Well of living Water ^ Jpringing up unto everlajl- ing Life; and as the Jews did, when Chrift faid. Except ye eat the Flejlo of the Son of Man^ and drink his Bloody ye have no Life in you \ they faid. How can this be^ that he can give us his Flefh to eat^ and his Blood to drink ? But this is a fpiritual Eating and Drinking ; even as Chrift faid. Out of the Belly of him that believes^ floall flow Rivers of living Waters ; ivhich he fpake of the Spirit: In like manner it is faid in the Revelation^ Behold I ft and at the Door and knocky if any Man hear my Voice, and open unto me^ I will ( 215 ) ^joillcome in, and fup ijuith hm^ and he with me. Here is an Union of Spirits between Chrift and his faithful Children, and here is an inward Eating and Drinking of the heavenly, fpiritual and myftical Flelh and Blood of Chrift, whic^t carnal Men cannot eat of, neither can the car- nal Eye difcern Chrift' s fpiritual Body, which he feeds his living and fpiritual Church withal. When I had reafoned with the Man to this EfFed, he went away feemingly not plcafed, but would not from that Time ever meddle with me any more. I need not fay much here about Chrijfs. l>eing come ; having fhewed, in a Conference in ' Neiv- England^ how he is come to anfwer hisf Eating and Drinking the PafTover and laft Sup- per with his Difciples, faying, He *would drink no more of the Fruit of the Vine^ until he drank it new ivith them in his Father s Kingdom, Now he that hath experienced what this Eating and Drinking is, is come beyond the outward Eating and Drinking, into the Kingdojn which is within^ which comes not with outward Obfervations, Eatings, Drinkings, nor carnal Ordinances, but the Kingdom of Heaven confifts in Righ- teoufne/sy Peace and Joy in the Holy Ghofl. Now, read this thou that canft, and learn to underftand between the Thing that points, and the Thing which is pointed at, and between the Thing fignifying, and the Thing fignified, and miftake not the Shadow for the Subftance any longer ; for it is polTible a Man may do all the outward Parts, and yet be ignorant of the ( 2l6 ) the Crofs of Chrift, and of the heavenly Sub^ fiance : But if he is come to the End of thefe outfide Things, to the Holy of HoHes, fuch will know what it is to minifter before the Lord in his Temple, and to ferve and wait at the holy Altar, and live, and have that pure fpiritual Life preferved : For we read not of any 7z//7^j-that appertain to this fpiritual Priefthood, or Gofpel Miniftry ; and what their outward Maintenance was to be, is fliewed by Chrift, beyond Contradiction, who fent them forth. Where they were received (mark that well) they might eat fuch Things as uoere Jet before thcniy but were not to take any Thing from them by Force, for that is out of the Doctrine and Pracflice of Chrift and his Apoftles. Why do People call the Scripture their Ruh of Faith and Manners^ when at the fame Time 4:hey believe and acl contrary thereto ? for wdien I had fome Years beforc a Debate with the Prieft of our Parifli, we meeting at Sponton^ I being there upon fome Occafion, and feveral People met together, the Prieft demanded my Reafons, ivhy I did not pay him his Tithe? I nfed fome perfuafive Arguments to put him off, not being willing at that Time to enter into any Debate with him ; but the more I fhewed my Unwillingnefs toit, the more urgent he was upon me : So when I could not fee how to avoid entering into fome clofe Debate w^ith him, I defired he w^ould not be angry, and he f lid he ivoidd 7iot ; I then fliewed in feveral Particulars, why 1 could not pay him any Tithe^ ( ^-'7 ) Tithe^ becaufe I believed, if he was a Minifter of Jefus Chrift, he ought not to claim any ; for, as there was a Change of the Priejlhood^ there alfo iTLuft be of Neceffity a Chafige of the Laiv^ ^s we fee in Heb, vii. 12. and to pretend to draw any Command or Example from Chrift or his Apoftles, out of the New Teftament, for that Purpofe, appears to me weak and inconliftent^ We had fome farther Difcourfe upon th^ Ground af his Right and Title to Tithes, whe- ther Jure di'vino^ as they ufed to be formerly claimed, or Jure humano\ that is, by human Laws, as moft of the modern Priefls feem to chufe to fix their Title; I bid him fix his Right for Tithes on which Claim he pleafed, and I would endeavour to anfwer him as well as I could, but hefeemed not to fix upon cither ; whereupon I told him, That there ivas no fcr'ip^ tural Settlement of Tithes upon Cofpel Mhii/lerSy and alfo offered to prove, that he was neither in the Practice of the LeviteSy to whom Tithes were diredied to be paid, nor yet in . the Prac- tice of thofe Minifters whom Chrift qualified, ordained and fent forth: Firjl^ not in the Pradice of the Le^uites ; becaufe the Tithes due to them, were for their Service and pundual Performance of their Part of the ceremonial Law, Numb, xviii. 21. which if any now claim-, ed, it feemed to me, that he fubjedled himfelf to the Practice of bmmt Offerings and Sacrifices^ Circumcifton^^ Jewifh Habits, JVaJhings, &c. (befides which, the Law which appointed the Tithe ( 2l8 ) Tithe to the Le^vites^ exprefly forbids them td have any Share or Inheritance in the Land, as appears from Nimib, xviii. 20, 23, 24, and Deut.-KNin, I, 2.) which the modern Clahiiers of Tithe would be loth to be compelled to the Pracflice of; not to infift on the Law of the third Tear's Tithe ^ of which the Widow, the Fatherlefs and the Stranger within their Gatesj tvrcre to receive a confiderable Part as their ;motted Portion, Deut, xiv. 28, 29. Secondly ;^ not in the Practice of thofe Miniflers Chrift quaHfied and fent forth ; for thefe went out by an efpecial Command from him, without Gold, Silver of Bfafs in their Purfes, without two Coats ; and fo intent were they to be in the Execution of their great Duty of pf caching the Gofpel, that they were to falute no Man by the way, but to go forward on the great Errand they had received in Comniiiffion : And when they returned to their Lord he a£ked them. If they lacked any Thing ? And they faid, Nothing ; yet not becaufe they had forced a Maintenance from any, but that the Effedl of their Miniflry among their Hearers had been io prevalent, that thofe who had been convinced by their Doctrine,- and turned to the effedlual Power of Chrift in themfclves, had from thence known their Hearts fo opened, as to adminifter to all their immediate Neceffities ; and thefe, thus fent, had only eat Jiich Things as were fet before them^ as they were appointed; and where they Z?^^ Jq%v7i Spirituals^ had only reaped of the Tem- porals of their Converts for their immediate Subfiftance r r ( ^59 ) Sabfiflance : But though thou fowefl not to trie of thy Spirituals y nor do I believe thee to be one v/ho hafl ariy thing fpiritual, which can be of a:ny Benefit to my fpiritual Part ; and though thou efteemeft nie as an Heathen Man and a Publican^ and I am excommunicated and cut off from any Church-fellowlliip with thee, (not for any Evil, but as far as I can underftand, for not coming to what thou calleft the Church) yet thou expedleft to reap of my Temporals, becaufe the Law' of the Land has given thee that Power; which Dlfpofition to reap ivhere thou hajl not fovun^ and to gather ivhere thou baft liot fir own ^ is far from manifefting a Chrifiian Spirit. The Prieft farther urged fome PafTages out of the New T-eftament, in Vindication of the Pay- ment of Tithes, alluding to thatof theApoftle, r Cor, ix, 7. about /owing of Jpiritual Things 2cnto us ; that it was but, a fmall Thing if fuch received of our carnal Thifigs ; and that of feed- ing a Flock^ and partaking of the Milk of the Flock ; and of planting a Vineyard^ and eating the Fruit thereof: All \^^hich I endeavoured to obyiate, by fhewing, that he did not fow his Spirituals to us, fo as that he might be intituled to our carnal Things ; neither were we pf that Flock which he fhouki partake of the Milk of; neither were a Vineyard which he had planted, that he might eat of the Fruit thereof. Fur- thermore I faid, ?,s I am a Stranger, and an ex- Communicated Perfon, and not of thy Children, die Apoftles, if they wanted or were in any F f Straits ( 2-20. ) Straits forNeceflaries, did not apply to Strangers for Help, biittofuch of their Children as they had been inflrumental in the Hand of God to plant the true Faith, and few the Seed of the King- dom in : Now thefe who are thus convinced, and by the Work of God's Power converted, thefe wert f?^lii who knew fpiritual Things fown in them, who I believed were very free to diftribute (where true Need was) of their temporal Things, efpecially to fuch who had been inflrumental in the Lord's Hand to their coming to the faving Knowledge of Jefus Chrift. But 1 fliewed the Pried, that all this carried no Analogy to what was between him and me, for I, being excommunicated, was but to him as mi heathen Man and a Publican^ and as we never came to hear him, we could not owe him any Acknowledgement, nor could he expecft any Thing as a freewill-offering on that Account. This Prieft Wykes (for that was his Name) was a ftrong fpirited Man, of confiderable Parts and Learning ; and a neighbouring Juftice of the Peace told me, he was fearful would be very fevere with me ; yet to his Commendation be it fpoken, he was ever after this Conference very loving, and never gave me any Trouble for thofe he called his Dues. I may add one Obfervation or two not men- tioned in our Debate, which were, that if the Maintenance of the Priefs ivas to be ivholly ivithdraivn^ or Icjt to the Freedom and Gene r oft ty of the People y many of them ivould ivant and come ( 221 ) come to Poverty^ and he forced to labour ivith their Hands^ nvhich ivould dtflraEl or at leaji impede their Studies, I anfwered, that with fuch Minifters as they were, this anight be the Cafe: But if all \vonld come truly and rightly to wait on the great Teacher, the Anointing in them- felves, it would greatly tend to the Advantage of Chriftendom ; for the Almighty, who by his good Spirit is alone able to raifc up and qualify Gofpel- Minifters, as he knows the Wants of his People, and their Faith and Truft in him, would no doubt raife up from among them faithful Minifters ; fuch, who being humble, meek and low in Heart, like him of whom they had learned, would be content to live in Moderation on a little, and to labour in their refpedive Callings, like the Apoftle Paiil^ that great Minifter of the Gentiles^ working with their Hands that their Miniftry might not be chargeable, fuch as Fijhermen^ ColleSiors of CuJ- toms^ &c. whofe Miniftry being not their own, but received immediately from the great Shep- herd of the Sheep, would not require much Time and Study to pen down, but coming from the Spirit of Truth immediately moving upon the Minifter's Heart, would be more effedlual to reach the Witnefs of Truth in the Hearts of their Hearers than all the laboured Difcourfes of the moft fubtil Prieft, though the Produce of much Pains and Study. Neither have I found in all my Travels from any Obfervation I have made, that ever the faithful Minifters of Chrift became any great Burden or Charge to the Churches : ( 222 ) Churches ; for I have feen the Divine Providence attend the Lord's faithful Servants, who thereby have been enabled to ord^r their Affairs with Difcretion, fo as to want little. An ACCOUNT of my fecond Vifit /O F R I E N D S in A M E R.I C A. I Having had Drawings in my Mind, forfome coniiderable Time, once more to vifit Friends in feveral Parts of America^ and inafmuch as I believed it was my Duty, and what the Lord re- quireci of me to give up to, I was refigned, after fbme Reafonings about my Age, and Declenfion as to Ability of outward Strength, concerning which I met with fome inward Conflidls and Combatings which broiight me very low for a Time ; but the Lord helped me thro' thefe Diffi- culties, and caufed his Ti-uth to fpring comfort- ably in my Heart, and his heavenly Prefence'I witneffed at Times to refrefh my Soul in thefc Exercifes unknown to many ; and the Time being come for my preparing for the Journey, on the 15th of the Third Month 1731, I fet forvv^ard from Hutton in the Hole to Scarborough^ Tv^here I took fliipping with George Bridget for London^ and came thither the firft Day of the Yearly-meeting, with which I was very well fatisfied, and an the 25th Day of the Fourth Month went on board of a VefTel bound^/or Philadelphia ( 223 ) Philadelphia in J?nenca^ John Wilcox Mafter, |vho was very civil and kind to me. On the 27th of the faid Month v^e fet fail, and had a good Paflage in the main, excepting that we had one very gre^t Storm, in which we were in Danger of being loft ; our Bolt-fprit was broke, and the Mafts were in Danger of coming down, yet we were preferved, and in about eleven Wseks, being the 12th of the Seventh Month, I landed near Philadelphia^ to the great Satisfaction of Friends as well as my felf, renowned be the great Name o-f the Lord for ever. I have many Times confidered, that although it was my Place to leave my very near and dear Friends, Children and Relations, who in a ten- der Frame of Spirit were much concerned for me, and I for them, yet I met with many ten- jder-hearted Friends in my Travels, who were A^ery near me in the ever bleffed Truth ; which fails not thofe who truft in the Lord, and are faithful, according to the Ability and Under- ftanding which the Lord hath given to the Children of Men, and are devoted to anfwer the Leadings and Guidance of his Holy Spirit, and willing to bear the Crofs, Burthen, or Yoke, which he fees good to lay upon his Servants and Handmaids : And I intreat all fuch who are called unto the Lord's great Work, to give up cheerfully and not grudgingly, and not to look back at what is behind, fo as to haften or hinder themfelves in that Work they are called to, left they fall ihort of that Penny ^ or Crozvn^ which the ( 224 ) the Faithful will receive in the End of all their Labour. The Yearly-meeting at Philadelphia was nigh when we landed, which was large, and a good Meeting, many Friends from feveral Parts being at it. Here 1 met with Henry Frankland, and we were truly glad to fee each other, and went in Company together fouthward towards Maryland^ Virginia^ and North-Carolina^ and returned to Pennfyhania ; and in a fhort time after we parted : He came far England^ and I travelled for Neiv-England through the Jerfeys^ Long-IJland^ Rhode- IJland and Nantucket^ having Richard Wain of Pennfyl'vania for my Com- panion, an innocent good Man; we pafTed through all, or moft part of me aforefaid Pro- vinces and Iflands, and had very large Meetings, and great Attention there was in many to hear the Teftimony of Truth, and an open Door both of Utterance, and in many Places of En- trance, for what was delivered; yet not without Oppolition in fome Places. I had fotne Difcourfe with a Baptiji^ a Juftice of Peace, in one of the Jerjeys^ (a Man whom I truly loved) and he told me that fome of his Children went to our Meetings, and he did not hinder them ; he appeared a tender fpirited Man, and was of good Repute in thefe Parts where he lived, and very feFvlceable in his Pod : What we had mofl in debate, was touch- ing Water- Bap tif?n ; I endeavoured to fliew him the Ufe and End of all the Jhadowy Things^ all which were ended in Chrift the Suhftance^ or Antitype ; ( 225 ) Antitype ; and that fuch outward Materials or Elements appertained not unto his Kingdom, or inward and fpiritual Adminiftration ; nor could they take away the RoQt or Caufe of Sin, which is only effedled by the Holy Ghoft and Fire, or the Holy Ghofl that worketh as doth Fire, ta the cleanfing and purifying the Hearts of the Children of Men, as is the Nature of material Fire to cleanfe what it is properly applied unto. I met with the fame Jufti.ce afterwards at Burlington in Wefl-Jtrfey^ he was glad to fee me, and fo was I to fee him, for he was very loving and friendly. I likewife met with a Man who was ^ School-mafter upon Long- Ifland^ that a^j^rired fomewhat offended at fomething I had faid in a Meeting where he had been, and he followed me to a Friend's Houfe, and appeared fo full of Scriptures in Vindication (as he thought) of Water'BaptiJm^ that what with his reading many Paffages in the Scriptures, and paraphrafing upon them, he w^ould not hear me for fome Time ; but when he was quiet I faid to him, Thou hajl not treated me like a fair Difpiitant^ to run 07i Jo long^ and not to give me Time ta make my OhjeBions ; if thou hadjl pitched upon any particular Scripture^ and given me Liberty to have anfwered^ it would hanje been civil and reafonable. He owned, he dad not done fairly by me ; but I defired to know, what Church he pretended to belong to I He anfwered, To the Epifcopal Church. I then requefted he would anfwer me one Queftion before we entered into any farther Debate, and he ( 226 ) he promifed he would if he underfliood it. t told him, I heard he was a Scholar, and no doubt but he underflood how to anfwer it, if he did but confider the Matter ; the Query was this, Whether the fprinkling a little Water in d Child's Face^ ivguIcI bear the Name Baptifm, yed or nay? He laid, it would not. I anfwered, Thou haji made a great Pother and Noife about little or 7iGthing ; for by thy oivn ConfeJJton thy Church has no Baptifm at all, for I knoiv not of any other Way they ufe hut Sprinkling. He would not enter into any farther Difcourfe about it, but made ufe of the Words of Gamaliel^ in favour of the Work the i^fliles were con- cerned in, faying, If this^^ork he of God it could not he overthroivn^ but if it was of Man it ivould come to nought. I told him, I was of his Mind; and the Lord hath Jupported me in this and the like Work^ novo betiveen forty and fiftj Years^ and if I continued faithful, I had no Doubt at all in my Mind, hut he ivould Jupport and fand by me to the End, And when we parted he faid, The Lord of Heaven and Earth blefs you, for I believe you are an honeft Man. By this we may fee, that Truth fometimes comes over Men, and the Witnefs which God hath placed in Pvlen is reached, and Truth pre- vails many Times beyond our Expedlation, or what is by us forefeen ; therefore it is good to keep to the Guidance or Leading of the Spirit of Truth, for it is a blefled Remembrancer, In- ftru6lor and true Comforter to all fuch as truly depend upon him, who fent the Spirit of Truth into { 227 ) Into the Hearts of the Children of Men, to guide them into all the neceffary Truths which we are to know and pradtife, and confequently but of all Untruth. When we had gone through this Ifland, and vifited Friends there, and in Rhode-I^and^ and had fome Meetings in our Way, we went to Nantucket^ where v/e met with many innocent plain Friends; alio on Rhode- Jjland^ and in many Places in thefe Parts of the Country, we found great Opennefs ; in Bof.on beyond Ex- pectation, and there was fome Convincement in that Town. We travelled up to Dover^ and vifited Friends t^reabout (which are the mofl remote Parts ^pere Friends inhabit in that Quarter of New-England) where I met with a Presbyterian Prieft; What his Defign chiefly was in coming to the Friend's Houfe I know not, but thought it tv-as to fee, or rather fpeak with me, for he foon began to a£k me ibme Queftions ; firft, Whether 1 was not brought up a Scholar^ and had been in fome of the Colleges ijuhere I had my Education ? And alfo, Whether I had not fitt on the canonical Gown^ and preached according to the Manner of the Church of En- land ? I replied, I had not received my Educa- tion in any College, neither ever put on the canonical Gown, nor preached after the Manner of the Church of England, He told me, / had been fo reprejented to hi?n ;> and laid, he Juppofed I had been at foine Schools :\ xolA, him, I had Deen at feveral to learn when I was young; and faid, 1 did not know that 1 had given G g Occafion ( 228 ) Occafion at any Time^ by what I had faid, whereby any Man might judge me to be a Scholar. He underftood I came from Old England^ and began to aflc ieveral Queftions, as Whether our Friends mcreafed or decreafcd ? I anfwered I could not pofitively tell ; I thought there was no great Alteration in my Time as to Number, for their Decreafe in one Part of the Nation, I thought might be made up in their Increafe in another Part. He alfo alked me, Hoiv the epifcopal Minijfers dealt with MS about their Tithes ? My Anfwer was thus ; As to that Part called the Predial Tithes^ they commonly either gather them themfelves or Family, or fet them to TenjBps who take care to fetch them away before us. Knowing that we cannot be free to leave them on the Ground, as Hay and Corn, ^'C. 3.nd as to /7nal/ Tithes ^ there is an *Acft of Parliament, called An A^ for the more * The 7di & 8th of William the third, Chap. 6. IS the ACt for Recovery of fmall Tithes or Offer- ings, &c. not amounting to above the Yearly Value of forty Shillings, which is common for all People, the Coll: not exceeding ten Shillings, before two or more Juflices of the Peace, not to go back above two Years. The 7th & 8th of William the third, Chap. 34, which is our Affirmation Act, is the Act for the Recovery of Tithes and Church-rates for any Sum not exceeding ten Pounds from fakers only, before two Juftices of the Peace, without any Limitation of Time. And by the flatute of the firft of George the firft, Chap. 6. Sect. 2. hmited to ten Shillings Coft. See the Statutes at large. ( 229 ) more eafy Recovery of fmall Tithes^ for any Sum not exceeding forty Shillings^ mid ten Shillings Cofl\ which is by Juftice's Warrants. This is inoftly thought to be intended to prevent their Procedure by Exchequer Procefs, through which great Havock and Spoil has been made of Friends Goods, and fometimes their Bodies call into Prifon, where fome have lain a long Time. He afked, Houo our Friends did in Scotland, if they increafed there ? I told him, I heard that they did not increafe, but fome of the Presby^ terians in Scotland were kind to our Friends, and would come to our Meetings, efpecially if Strangers w^re at them : And I alfo told him, that Perfecvition in our Part of the World was become hateful amongft moft fober People. He faid. It %vas very iv^ll-^ and likewife mentioned, that vue were refined^ and not the People ive had been, I afked him, wherein he thought we were refined ? He anfwered, in our Principles, I de- fired him to name one ; and he faid, George Fox denied the Refurreftion of the Dead. I told him, George Fox did own a Refurredlion ac- cording to Scripture, as we do ; but becaufe he and our Friends thought it not fafe to recede from plain Scripture, nor to comply with the Way many People have of expreffmg it, which we think to be too grofs and carnal, viz. that the fame Body fhall rife^ therefore they have afferted we deny the Refurrecftion : The Apoftle 'faith, that tvhich thou foivejl^ thou fowejl not that Body that Jhall he^ for it is foivn in Corruption^ raifed in Incorruptiony fovoh a natural ( 230 ) a natural^ raifed a fpiritual Body ; with much more that might be added: And how much fuch a Change makcth a DhTerence between the prefeut and the future in the Refurrecfhion, between natural and fpiritual, Corruption and Incorruption, I know not of any finite Creature |that is able truly to determine ; and therefore I think it is not confiftent with Charity, nor true Wifdom, to differ about fuch Things which exceed our Comprehenfion. He allowed it to be belter to let them alone. We parted very friendly, and Friends were glad of the Opportunity, he having the Cha- racter of being a great Scholar and a wife Man ; but from all that paffed, they believed he gained no Advantage : However he b^.aved v^ell ; and before' we parted, I told him, I thought the greatefh Reafon why fome think us refined was this, That formerly People were fo prejudiced, that whatever was priiUed or faid againfl us, our Principles, Pradlice and Do6lrines, was ge- nerally received and believed, though never fq ;nucli difguifed or covered with fuch Dreffes as might render us moft odious, and were by many taken for the Standard of our Belief and Prac- tice ; but of late the Light hath more appeared, and many are grown better difpofed towards lis, and like wife Men, not willing to be impofed upon any longer, have fearched for themfelves into the State of the Controverfy between us and our Oppofers ; and our Writings upon perufal, appearing fo clear n.nd different from what the Books of thcfe who oppofed us charged npofii us, I ( -^31 ) rts, caufed many who read them with a good Defign, and were willing to be fee right, to fay nx^e 'were reformed^ and not the People that ive had been. The Pried faid, he thought there might he niuch Giving to that : I told him it was undeniable, that there mnil be a great Dif- ference between our Principles, Docftrines and Converfatidns, truly dated andfer forth in their proper Light, and when they were mifreprc- fented, lomctimes with all the Art and im- placable Malice that Men were capable of: And this has been the Way our Adverfaries have treated us, almoft in every thing we have believed, faid or writ, although it was very agreeable to the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Teftament. We returned back by Salem ^ Lynn ^ndBoJlon^ and vifited Friends in our Way, and at Rhode- Ijland^ Long'IJland and New-Y^ork ; and we had many good Meetings and fome large in the Jerfeys^ where I had fome Difcourle with a Juftice of the Peace about JVater-Baptifm^ but he did not hold it long before he gave up ;' and 1 had another at Aliens Town with a Presby- terian^ which Ireld for fome Hours, about Water-Baptifm^ and concerning Election and Reprobation^ and he alfo foon gave up as to the firil; but when he began about £/^^z^/z and Reprobation^ I faid, I thought it w^as the moft pernicious Doclrine that ever w^as broached in the World, it did fo oppofe the very Nature of God, and his Delign of creating of Man, Vhich, with all his other Works, he pro- nounced ( 232 ) nounccd good and blefled ; and that Man, as the Crown and Glory of all his Works which he had created, ihould be deiigned for the mod miferable End, was unaccountable; I urged many Scriptures againft that DocSlrine, as alfo the Confufion they were in about it, as that of their Wejlminfier Confeflion of Faith, wherein they fay, Ihat the Decree is fo certain and de- finite^ that one cannot he added to the Number of the Eleci^ or diminipjed from the Number of the Reprobate; and yet you tell vis, that God hath ordained the Means to effeSl his Erids : I then faid, this Suppofition of a Decree for the Means, as well as the End, feems intended to make the Priefts and their Service neceffary; but yet if they cannot alter the Decree, what Benefit or Advantage can there be to Men by their Services or Performance ? I hope none ■will think that a Service to Mankind, to flrengthen or confirm that Decree if it were in their Power to do it, which I am fatisfied it is not ; becaufe no fuch Decree was made or is in being ; the oppoiite appearing by plain Scrip-^ ture (which he owned when I urged it) to wity that the Fall of Adam did afPedl all ; and upon the Parity of Reafon, the Coming of Chri/l did reach as far; becaufe, as in Adam all die ^ fo in Chrifl fljall all be made alive; he tailed Death for every Man^ was a Propitiation for the Sins of all; and where then wilt thou find a People that is not included ? But if thou canft find in, and prove by plain Scripture, that there is fuch a People not included in thefe general AiTertions, that ( 233 ') that Chrift came to fave^ fliew me who they are. Thefe and much morel urged againft that Doc- trine, and he with many others appeared much fatisfied, and we parted friendly. He came next Day feveral Miles to a Meeting which I had appointed ; the ^/j an was counted a wife and fober Man, and was under fome Convincement, and behaved well. From thence we went to Pennfylvania^ and had many good Meetings in that Part, and be- ing clear and willing to return, I took leave of Friends in a loving and tender Frame of Spirit, and embarked on board a Ship, whereof Samuel Flouuer was Mafter, the ifl of the Third Month 1733 at Philadelphia^ and arrived at Brijlol the i8th of the Fourth Month follow- ing, and was glad we got fafe to England^ having been feven Weeks in our PafTage ; I got Home on the 6th of the Sixth Month, and was truly thankful to the Lord, who had preferved me in thefe long Travels and Labours of Love, through, many Difficulties ; but the Lord's Power is fufficient to bear up and carry through all. Renowned be his worthy Name over all, now and for ever, Amen. Aremarkable Deliverance which happened to me, being omitted in its proper Place, 1 think fit to infert here, which was as follows : In the Year 17 18 and the Twelfth Month, when John Dodgjon was vifiting Friends in our Parts, he lodged with me, and I went with hiin ( ^34 ) iilm and his Brother in Law Peter Buck^ to be their Guide to Whitby^ and ftaid their Firfl- day's Meeting, and Secoad-day's Preparative Meeting; and on the Third-day I went on with Friends towards Scarborough^ to have the better Road Home, there having fallen a great deal of Snow while we were at Whitby^ {o that it was looked upon impracticable for me to, return the fame Way home that I came, it being a moorifh, bad Way: Bat in our Way back, within a Mile or little more from Scar- borough^ we came to a Brook, which by reafon of the exceffive Rain and Snow was higher than ever I had feen it, fo that v>^hen we came to ride thro' it, Henry Lemr.s, our Guide, firft adven- tured in, being mounted upon a very ftrong large Horfe, and got over with fome Difficulty, and I followed him; but ^^hen I came about the middle of the fording Place, it took my Mare off her Feet, and fomething being in the way, it turned her upon her Broadfide, fo that I was difmounted and carried away by the Rapidity of the Stream ; but there being a Foot-bridge a little below, about Knee deep under Water, and no Rail either to be a Guide, or to lay a Hand on, and the Water being- reduced to a narrow Compafs, hurried me vio- lently along, and drove me v/ith my Breail againft the liridge with fjch Force, that it very near knocked the Breath out of me ; but before I touched the Bridge I happened to hold up my Hand, and John Dodgjon feeing the Danger I was in, jum|>ed oli his Horfe, aiid ran at a vcntm'e ( ^35 ) feature (feeing the Water ripple) to hit tlie Bridge, and juft caught hold of my Fingers/ and held my Head above Water, until Henry Levins^ who was got over, came to his Affift- ance. . But by the Strength of the W^ter iri my Boot-tops, they beiilg large, and by a Nail {in the Timber under the Bridge) catching hold of my great Coat, which held me faft, it was impoffible for one Man to free me, and hot without fome Difficulty for them both to get nie out, the Nail holding fo faft that it tore out a great Piece of my Coat, Lining and all; but upon Henry ^ difmounting, his Horfe ran away to Scarborough^ (and mine fwam back to the Company) and when they had got me out, Henry ran on foot to get his Horfe, and found him at the Stable Door where he ufed to ftand, and iri the mean Time John Dodgfon kept me in Motion by dragging me along, having very little or fometimes no Hopes of my Recovery, When the Horfe returned, they got me back to Scarborough^ but I was not fenfible how, and they had me to Dorothy Jaques's Houfe, and when there, they could perceive my Lips move, but could not hear what I faid, until one laid an Ear clofe to my Mouth, and k under ftood that I faid, If they gave me any Thing that ivas ftrong^ it ijuould carry, me off; which made them very cautious : However, they ftrip;: me and changed my Shirt, and put me into a warmed Bed, and applied warm Flannel to my Feet H h ( 236 ) Feet for three Hours together, which I knew nothing of, being then altogether fenfelefs. Jfaac Skelton^ who had been a Companion of mine, in the Service of the Truth, through feveral Counties, hearing of this Accident, came immediately and got into Bed to me, and kept me ciofc in his Bofom, which many thought was a great Means to preferve my Life. John Dodgfon^ though he intended for the Monthly- meeting, cxprefTed fo great a Concern for me, that he faid, He ivotild either fee 7ne in a TVay of Recovery^ or die^ before he left me\ yet it pleafed the Lord, - of his infinite Mercy fo wonderfully to raife me up again, as to enable me to be at the Meeting next Day, and alfo to bear fome Teftimony, wdiich was very acceptable and comfortable to Friends, as it w^as alio to fee me there beyond their Expectation ; but yet I was much troubled with Pain, the fleiliy Part of my Shoulder being rent by the violent hauling me out of the Water. In Gratitude, my Soul can do no lefs than praife and magnify the Lord for this great Deliverance, and all his other Mercies, who alone is worthy. And I cannot but take Notice of Friends Kindnefs and Goodwill to me, in doing whatfoever they could for me, but more efpecially my worthy Friend John Dodgfon^ who hazarded his Life to fave mine. I N- I S. I