gospel love, according to the several gifts bestowed on us; and were at times, overshadowed with the virtue of truth, to the comfort of the sincere, and stirring up of the negligent. Here we parted with Ann and Mercy, and went to Rhode Island, taking one meeting in our way, which was a satisfactory time; and reaching Newport the evening before their quarterlymeeting, we attended it; and after that, had a meeting with our young people, separated from those of other societies. We went through much labour in this town; and now in taking leave of it, though I felt close inward exercise to the last, I found inward peace; and was in some degree comforted in the belief, that a good number remain in that place, who retain a sense of truth; and that there are some young people attentive to the voice of the heavenly Shepherd. The last meeting in which friends from the several parts of the quarter came together, was a select meeting; and, through the renewed manifestations of the Father's love, the hearts of the sincere were united together.

That poverty of spirit, and inward weakness, with which I was much tried the fore part of this journey, has of late appeared to me as a dispensation of kindness. Appointing meetings never appeared more weighty to me; and I was led into a deep search, whether in all things my mind was resigned to the will of God; often querying with myself, what should be the cause of such inward poverty; and greatly desired that no secret reserve in my heart might hinder

In these

my access to the divine fountain. humbling times I was made watchful and excited to attend to the secret movings of the heavenly principle in my mind, which prepared the way to some duties, that in more easy and prosperous times, as to the outward, I believe I should have been in danger of omitting.

From Newport we went to Greenwich, Shan. ticut and Warwick; and were helped to labour among friends in the love of our gracious Redeemer; and then accompanied by our friend. John Casey from Newport, we rode through Connecticut to Oblong, visited the meetings of friends in those parts, and thence proceeded to the quarterly meeting at Ryewoods; and, through the gracious extendings of divine help, had some seasoning opportunities in those places: so we visited friends at New York and Flushing, and thence to Rahaway here, our roads parting, I took leave of my beloved companion and true yoke-mate, Samuel Eastburn, and reached home on the tenth day of the eighth month, 1760, where I found my family well: and for the favours and protection of the Lord, both inward and outward, extended to me in this journey, my heart is humbled in grateful acknowledgments, and I find renewed desires to dwell and walk in resignedness before him.

:

CHAPTER VIII.

His visits to Pennsylvania, Shrewsbury, and Squan.-His publishing the second part of his "Considerations on keeping Negroes."-His visiting the families of friends of Ancocas and Mount Holly meetings.—His visits to the Indians at Wehaloosing on the river Susquehannah.

Having felt my mind drawn toward a visit to a few meetings in Pennsylvania, I was very desirous to be rightly instructed as to the time of setting off and on the tenth day of the fifth month, 1761, being the first day of the week, I went to Haddonfield meeting, concluding to seek for heavenly instruction and come home, or go on, as I might then believe best for me; and there, through the springing up of pure love, I felt encouragement, and so crossed the river. In this visit I was at two quarterly and three monthly meetings; and, in the love of truth, felt my way open to labour with some noted friends, who kept negroes; and as I was favoured to keep to the root, and endeavoured to discharge what I believed was required of me, I found inward peace therein, from time to time, and thankfulness of heart to the Lord, who was graciously pleased to be a guide to me.

In the eighth month, 1761, having felt drawings in my mind to visit friends in and about Shrewsbury, I went there, and was at their monthly meeting, and their first-day meeting; and had a meeting at Squan, and another at

Squanquam; and, as way opened, had conversation with some noted friends concerning their slaves. And I returned home in a thankful sense of the goodness of the Lord.

"

From the care I felt growing in me some years, I wrote "Considerations on keeping Negroes,' part the second; which was printed this year, 1762. When the overseers of the press had done with it, they offered to get a number printed, to be paid for out of the yearly meeting stock, and to be given away: but I being most easy to publish them at my own expense, and offering my reasons, they appeared satisfied.

This stock is the contribution of the members of our religious society in general; amongst whom are some who keep negroes, and being inclined to continue them in slavery, are not likely to be satisfied with those books being spread amongst a people where many of the slaves are taught to read, and especially not at their expense; and such, often receiving them as a gift, conceal them. But as they who make a purchase, generally buy that which they have a mind for, I believed it best to sell them; expecting by that means, they would more generally be read with attention. Advertisements, being signed by order of the overseers of the directed to be read in monthly meetings of business within our own yearly-meeting, informing where the books were, and that the price was no more than the cost of printing and binding them, many were taken off in our parts; some I sent to Virginia, some to New York, and some to Newport, to my acquaintance there,

press,

many

and some I kept, expecting to give part of them away, where there appeared a prospect for service. In my youth I was used to hard labour; and though I was middling healthy, yet my nature was not fitted to endure so much as others; that being often weary, I was prepared to sympathise with those whose circumstances in life as free men, required constant labour to answer the demands of their creditors; and with others under oppression. In the uneasiness of body, which I have many times felt by too much labour, not as a forced, but a voluntary oppression, I have often been excited to think on the original cause of that oppression, which is imposed on many in the world. And the latter part of the time wherein I laboured on our plantation, my heart, through the fresh visitations of heavenly love, being often tender; and my leisure time frequently spent in reading the life and doctrines of our blessed Redeemer, the account of the sufferings of martyrs, and the history of the first rise of our society; a belief was gradually settled in my mind, that if such as had great estates generally lived in that humility and plainness which belong to a Christian life, and laid much easier rents and interests on their lands and monies, and thus led the way to a right use of things, so great a number of people might be employed in things useful, that labour, both for men and other creatures, would need to be no more than an agreeable employ; and divers branches of business, which serve chiefly to please the natural inclinations of our minds, and which, at present, seem