Likelihood we must have perished; which I took to 1727. be a remarkable Deliverance. Next Tide we got to Newcastle, and, it being First-day, I had a Meeting with Friends there, with which we were greatly refreshed in the Lord, and in one another. After Meeting I went on board the Sloop, and, having a fair Wind, we failed for Philadelphia, where we arrived about the Eleventh Hour, lodged that Night at Paul Prefton's, and next Day went home to my Family at Frankfort, where my Wife, Children, and Servants, received me with much Rejoicing.

When I was in Barbadoes, P. M. who accompanied me from Bridge-Town to Windward to Counsellor Week's, told me, That when I was in the land before, be and I bad fome Difcourfe concerning the Ufe of the Sword, he then (not being of our Society) wore a Sword, but now had left it off, and his Bufiness also, which was worth fome Hundreds a Year. I had reminded him of Chrift's Words, that Those who take the Sword, should perish with the Sword, Mat. xxvi. 52. and, Refift not Evil; and if a Man fmite thee on one Cheek, turn the other alfo: Love Enemies, do Good to them that hate you, pray for them who defpitefully ufe you, and perfecute you. After I had us'd thefe Arguments, he afk'd me, If one came to kill me, would I not kill rather than be killed? I told him, No; so far as I know my own Heart, I had rather be killed than kill. He faid, That was strange, and defired to know what Reafon I could give for it. I told him, That I being innocent, if I were killed in my Body, my Soul might be happy; but if I killed him, he dying in his Wickedness, would, confequently, be unhappy; and if I were killed, he might live to repent; but if I killed him, be would have no Time to repent; fo that, if he killed me, I should have much the better, both in respect to myfelf and to him. This Difcourfe had made to much Impreffion, and fo affected him, that he faid, he could not but often remember it. And when we parted

at

1727. at Bridge-Town, we embraced each other, in open Arms of Chriftian Love, far from that which would hurt or destroy.

After I had been at Home fome Time, I visited the Meetings at Philadelphia, Burlington, and German-town, in which Places I had Service of divers Kinds, and was lovingly received by Friends and others.

In the Fifth Month, Joshua Fielding and John Oxley had a large and fatisfactory Meeting at Frankfort. Joshua came from London on a religious Vifit to America, and having been on divers Islands, he landed on the Main at South-Carolina, and from thence travelled through the Wilderness 400 Miles, or more, where no Publick Friend had ever travelled before: The Journey was perilous, but the Lord was with him; who may, in his own Time, make Way for his Servants in those defart Places. John Oxley came on the fame Account from Barbadoes, and had good Service among Friends in his publick Ministry.

In this Month. we thinking it convenient to fend our little Children to School, and not having a Schoolmaster of our Society near us, concluded to put our Son and Daughter under the Care of Nathaniel Walton, to whom I thought it my Duty to write a few Lines about the Salutation and Language I would have them train'd up in, which were on this wife, viz.

Frankfort, 30th of the 5th Month, 1727.

Loving Friend Nathaniel Walton,

I

HOPE thou wilt, excufe this Freedom which I take with thee, in writing this on Account of my Children, in these Particulars, viz. Refpecting the Complement of the Hat, and Courtefying, the Practice thereof being against my profeffed Principle; ft. Because I find nothing like it in the Bible; but, as I think, the contrary. Thou knows the Paffage • of the Three Children of God, who ftood covered be

• fore

⚫fore a mighty Monarch; and Mordecai, who could 1727.
not bow to great Haman: And, 2dly, I believe
those Practices derived from vain, proud Man.
And as to Language, I defire my Children may not
be permitted to ufe the plural Language to a fingle
• Perfon; but I pray thee to learn them to fay Thee,
and Thou, and Thy, and to fpeak it properly (divers
⚫ufing it improperly) and the rather I defire it, be-
caufe 'tis all along ufed in the divine infpired ho-
ly Writings. I fuppofe thou art not a Stranger of its
Rife being from the Grandeur and Apoftacy of the
Romish Church; and, alfo, that You to a single
Perfon, is not confonant to the Book of God, nor
the true Rules of Grammar.-I know it is generally
objected, That the End of Speech is to be under-
ftood. But it is understood better in and according
to the Language of God, Chrift, and the holy Ghoft,
in the Bible, and the Language of Kings, and all
People, as we read it in the holy Scriptures, why
then fhould we be afhamed of it, or fhun it, and
bring in and uphold a Custom contrary to it? The
fame Care I would have thee take, about the Names
of the Days and Months, which are derived from the
Names of the Gods of the Heathen, and are not
found in the Bible. I fuppofe I have the Mind of all
thofe of our Society in the above, it being confonant
to our Principle and Profeffion, and I write in a
• Motion of divine Love to all.

As to the School-learning of my. Children, I leave to thy Management, not queftioning thy Ability therein, and if they want Correction, fpare not the • Rod.

I hope thou wilt obferve this Direction in Teaching my Children, in which thou wilt oblige thy af• fured Friend,'

T. C.

The

1727.

The latter End of the Fifth, and the Beginning of the Sixth Months, the Weather was exceeding hot, fo that divers People died fuddenly of the Heat (as it was fuppofed.)

The Beginning of the Sixth Month I was at the Abington. Youths-meeting at Abington, which was large, and open to many; and I not having been there fince I came from Sea, divers expreffed their Gladness to fee me ; and we were that Day favoured with fome Showers, both celeftial and elementary, to our Comfort.

Philadel phia.

In the fame Month I was alfo at the Youths meeting in Philadelphia: It had been a fickly Time, but many had recovered. That Paffage opened on my Mind, to fpeak of in the Meeting, concerning the Lepers, which Chrift cleanfed and healed, being ten in Number, and that but one came to return Thanks to God, for being healed, and restored to Health, Luke xvii. 12. Friends were exhorted to prize their Health, and to fhew their Thankfulness to God, the Giver of it, by fearing and ferving him, and taking Heed to Christ, the Word in their Hearts. The Meeting was in a good, folid Frame, and we praised the Lord together, and gave him Thanks for his merciful Vifita

tion.

About this Time I heard of the Death of our King (GEORGE the First) a Prince whom I loved and honoured; which News was very forrowful to me on divers Accounts: His Love and Kindness to our Society, was well worthy our grateful Remembrance.

On a Third-day, being our Week-day-meeting at Frankfort, Elizabeth Whartnaby and Mary Smith were there: It was a comfortable Opportunity. They were two Nights at my House. Elizabeth was preparing to leave this Land for Barbadoes, and Europe, intending a religious Vifit to Friends.

The 20th of the Sixth Month, going into my Clofet, I there met with a Paper of my Son-in-Law Ifaac

Brown's,

Brown's, and finding the Contents were religious, as I 1727. had done of feveral of his late Writings, I found it on my Mind to write to him after this Manner:

པ

Dear Son Ifaac,

Brown

BY Y feveral Writings of thine (of late) I perceive A Letter that a good Thing is at Work in thy Mind, the to Isaac which I pray the All-wife and Infinite Being to pro mote in thy Heart, to thy eternal Salvation, and his Glory. I now begin to be in fome Hopes that my Prayers and Tears for thee, in the Lord's Time, may be answered: And I do believe, if thou keeps • low in thy Mind, that God will more and more vifit thee. The Advice of David to his Son Solomon, when he alfo gave him the Kingdom, comes before my Mind to give thee.-My Son, know thou the God of thy Father, and ferve him with a perfect Heart, and • with a willing Mind; for the Lord Jearcheth all Hearts, and underftandeth all the Imaginations of the Thoughts; if thou feek him, he will be found of thee; but if thou forfake him, he will caft thee off for ever, 1 Chron. xxviii. 9. Dear Ifaac, this was Counfel from one of the greatest and beft of Kings, to a wife young Prince, who petitioned the Almighty for divine Wisdom, before Riches, or Honour, or long Life; which Petition fo pleafed God, that he anfwered his Requeft, and, over and above, bleffed him in an extraordinary Manner.

I perceive thou art inclined to read pretty much; I pray thee, that thy chief Study in Books may be the holy Scriptures. Let all other Books (tho' of Ufe, and good, in their Places) be fubfervient to them; for their Authority, of all other Writings (to the true Believers in Chrift) are most divine; they having a fupernatural Spring and divine Evidence in them to the virtuous and pious Readers. Thou, my Son, wilt much comfort the Heart of thy • tender Mother, and of me thy loving and careful

Father,