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Cuts and Turns, or Changes, muft, of Confequence, make 1719. a Man or Woman very foppifh and apifh. I told them, That our Religion was agreeable to the holy Scriptures, which, if they did not understand, neither could they underftand us; for the Doctrine of Chrift and his Apoftles, was generally therein very plain; and the Doctrine in Chrift's excellent Sermon on the Mount, is clear and plain to very low or mean Capacities: So they difcourfed no more of Religion till we came to London, where once London. more I met with my loving and aged Father, a Man fearing God, and having a Gift of the Ministry of the Gospel of Chrift, and well-beloved of his Friends and Nighbours, who, with others of my near and dear Relations and Friends, received me gladly.

After fome Months Stay among my Relations and Friends in London, we fold our Veffel the Snow Hope, and bought another Ship which we called the TrineHope (Warner Holt Mafter) and when I had done my Bufinefs I failed in the fame Ship for Penfylvania. We At Sea. had Meetings on board the Veffel twice a Week, in which the Almighty was pleased to favour us with his good Prefence. Sobriety, and the Fear of God, and Faith in his beloved Son Chrift, was often recommended to the Youth then on board the Veffel with us, of whom there were divers, who tranfported themfelves to America, in order to fettle there. At one Meeting on board I was tenderly concerned to remind them of Jacob, who in his Youth, left his Country and Relations, to fojourn in a strange Land, and how in that Undertaking, he fought the Lord, and his Bleffing, more than any outward Thing; and that he was greatly bleffed with many Favours from Heaven above, and alfo from the Earth beneath, and they were advised to take him for their Example: And many other Things were tenderly opened to them in the Love of God, and in his Fear and Counsel they were exhorted from Time to Time.

1719:

1720.

Philadelphia

It being Winter-Time we failed to the Southward, and got into warm Weather, and were on our Paffage feven Weeks and fome odd Days from Land to Land, in which Time we faw feveral Veffels, and fpoke with one, whose People faid, they were chafed by a Turk, but got from him, at which they greatly rejoiced. We apprehended it was our Ship that they faw over Night, for we faw a Sail that crowded from us as faft as fhe could, and it being near Night, we shorten'd Sail, and fo fhe left us; but in the Morning came up with her, and being pretty near, both they and we put out our Colours, and being both Englishmen, wę Ipoke to each other, and were glad to meet with fome of our own Nation upon the great Ocean; but our Veffel failing beft, we took our Leave of them, wishing them a good Voyage. We met with rough Seas and high Winds in the latter Part of our Paffage, till we came to the Capes of Delaware, which we all rejoiced to fee, and we had a pleasant Paffage up the Bay and River to Philadelphia, where I had once more a comfortable Meeting with my dear Wife and Family, which I gratefully acknowledged as a high Favour from the Hand of the Almighty.

We arrived at Philadelphia the rift of the Second Month 1720; after which, I ftay'd at, and about Home, for fome Time (and I was not idle, but kept to my Business, and to Meetings) and having a Defire to fee my Friends in the Province of Maryland, at their General Meeting at West-River, I was accompanied by Ifaac Norris and Thomas Masters (both fober young Men.) It had been a Time of pretty much Rain, and the Waters thereby being out and high, going over a Ford of Brandywine, my Mare got among the Rocks (it being a very rocky Creek) The fell down, and the Stream being very strong, the rowled upon me, and being intangled with the Stirrup, I could not eafily clear myself, but I gave a fpring from her, and fwam to clear myfelf from her;"

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and when I was clear, I got to her again, and lay'd 1720. hold of her Mane, and through the good Providence of God, got well out with the Mare on dry Land, which was a remarkable Deliverance. In three Days we got to West River, to the Yearly-meeting, which Maryland. was large, and Friends were glad to fee me, I having not been there for feveral Years. I was out on this Journey about two Weeks, and rode about 300 Miles; and after my coming Home, I travelled pretty much in and about the Provinces of Penfylvania and NewJersey.

In the Year 1721, Thomas Lightfoot and I, with 1721. William Browne, went to a Meeting at Bufb-River, and going over Susquehannab-Ferry, the People were fiddling and dancing. When their Dance was over, I afked them (beliieving them to be Proteftants) If they thought Luther to be a good Man? They replied, Yes, there was no doubt of it. Well, faid I, and fo do I; and I will tell you what he fays concerning Dancing, "That as many Paces as the Man takes in his Dance, "fo many Steps he takes towards Hell;" which fpoil'd their Sport, and they went away, and we went on ours towards the Meeting; and a good Meeting it was! and we after it returned by Way of Nottingham, and had a Meeting there, and one at New-Garden, and fo on to Philadelphia. I was from Home about a Week, and travelled in this Journey about 150 Miles, and was well fatisfied therein.

In the Years 1721 and 1722, I went feveral Journeys, and had many large Meetings, travelling many Hundreds of Miles, of which I neglected to keep a particular Account, hardly thinking what I did worth recording; but divers of my Friends in many Parts of the World, put me upon fomething of this Nature, to which, at length, I gave up, and found fome Benefit and Satisfaction therein, in looking back and confidering the Dealings of God with me in my Youth and upwards.

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From Philadelphia I went to the General Meeting at Shrewsbury, in East-Ferfey, where I heard of J. G's being wounded by a young Man, with a Sword, of which he died, lamenting that he did not take the Counsel of his Friends; as young Men, who flight the Counsel of those that with them well, commonly do, either sooner or later, if the Day of their Vifitation be not over. Some few Days after this Meeting at Shrewsbury, I vifited Friends on Long-Iland, and returned Home again, having travelled about 300 Miles. In my Stay at, and about Home, I wrote fomething concerning Perfection, in Anfwer to a namelefs Author; as alfo fomething concerning Predeftination, or Election and Reprobation.

In the Year 1722, I went back in the Woods to Buckingham, the Great Swamp, Perkiomy, Manabatawny, and Oley, where I had Meetings, travelling over great Mountains, from which we could fee many Miles. I travelled in this Journey about 150 Miles, and returned Home in about two Weeks; and after ftaying fome Time at Home, and visiting neighbouring Meetings, I went to the Yearly Meeting of Friends on Long Island, which Meeting was very large, many People (not of our Perfuafion being there) and were very fober. Many Things were opened in the Love of Chrift, and his great Love was declared to that great Congregation. The Parable concerning the Prodigal Son, came before me to fpeak of to the People in a very moving Manner, and strongly to invite the Youth to lay hold of the Love of the Father in his Son, to poor Souls: And indeed it is a wonderful Parable, fetting forth the infinite Love of the great Lord of all to his poor Creatures. Many were affected and reached to at this Meeting, and the Almighty was praised and glorified, who alone is worthy.

From thence I went and had a Meeting at NewYork, and then fet forward to Woodbridge, where we had a comfortable Meeting; Naaman, the Affyrian,

being much the Subject of that Day's Work: And 1722. that one Thing loved and efteemed more than Christ, what ever it be, is to be avoided, and the People warned to be careful to keep close to the God of Ifrael (fpiritual Ifrael) and to give up all which is contrary to his Nature, and to take up Chrift's Cross, and follow him: For it is those who follow him in the Regeneration, that are to be Heirs of his Kingdom.

In this Year alfo I was at the Burial of our Friend Jonathan Dickinson, at which we had a very large Meeting, he was a Man generally well-beloved by his Friends and Neighbous. In this Meeting a Paffage (he had often told me in his Health) was brought to my Remembrance, I think worthy to be recorded to the End of Time, which is as follows: "It hap"pened at Port-Royal, in Jamaica, that two young "Men were at Dinner with Jonathan, and divers "other People of Account in the World, and they "were speaking about Earthquakes (there having "been one in that Place formerly, which was very dreadful, having deftroyed many Houses and Fa

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milies.) These two young Men argued that "Earthquakes, and all other Things came by Na"ture, and denied a fupernatural Power, or Deity; "infomuch that divers, furprized at fuch wicked "Discourse, and being afhamed of their Company, "left it; and at the fame Time the Earth fhook, and "trembled exceedingly, as though astonished at fuch "Treafon against its Sovereign and Creator, whose "Footftool it is: And when the Earth thus moved, "the Company which remained were fo aftonished, "that fome run one Way, and fome another, but "these two atheistical young Men ftay'd in the Room, "and Jonathan with them, he believing that the "Providence of Almighty God could preferve him "there if he pleafed, and if not, that it was in vain "to fly; but the Hand of God fmote thefe two young Men, fo that they fell down; and,

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