1709.

I once faw near Hamburgh a fair well dressed Woman,
who, by her Drefs, or Apearance, was a Woman of
feme Note, and a Man (which I took to be her Husband)
walking by her, and she was very great with Child, and
the Way difficult, being up a very steep Hill, and be did
not fo much as offer bis Hand, or Affiftance to her;
which, however it might look to a Man of that Country,
it feem'd very strange to me being a Briton.
For my
Fart, I thought it unmanly, as well as unmannerly: On
which I obferve, that I never in any Part of the World,
faw Women fo tenderly dealt by as our English, or Bri-
tifh Women, which they ought to value and prize highly,
and therefore, to be the more loving and obedient to their
Hufbands, the indulgent Englishmen; which Indulgence
I blame not, but commend, so far as it is a Motive to
fir them up to Love and Faithfulness.

In this Journey between Frederickstadt and Embden, we had four Days hard travelling, and were twice overturned out of our Waggons, but we got no Harm, which was admirable to us; for once we fell, Waggon and all, over a great Bank, juft by the fide of a large Ditch, and did but juft fave ourselves out of the Ditch. The next Time we overfet upon Stones: We wondered that none of us were hurt, particularly myself, I being much heavier than any of the reft but thro' the Mercy of God, we got well to Embden, the fecond Time, and had a Meeting upon a First Day, and immediately after Meeting we took Ship Delfzeel, for Delfzeel (which was from Embden about nine or ten English Miles by Water) and with a fair Gale of Wind, got there in lefs than two Hours Time. We fpoke by Interpreters all along, and were divinely helped to preach the Gofpel to the Satisfaction of others, and our own Comfort; and the Friend who interpreted for us, was fenfible of the fame divine Affiftance, to his Admiration, for which we were all truly thankful. But notwithstanding we were fo opened, to the Satisfaction of ourselves, our Friends, and

the

the People, yet we were fometimes emptied to ex- 1709: ceeding great fpiritual Poverty, and in the Sense of our Want and Need, we did many Times pour out our Souls and Spirits in humble Prayer and Suppli-: cation to the moft High, for his Help and Strength, that it might be made manifeft to us in our Weakness; and we found him a God near at Hand, and often a prefent Help in the needful Time, and had a fweet Answer to our Prayers. O! that my Soul, with all the Faithful, may dwell near to him, in whom alone is the Help and Strength of all his faithful Servants and Minifters! Amen.

From Delfzeel we went to Groeningen, the chief Groeninger City in Groeningland, and fo on to a River called the &c. Wouder, and to a Town named Goradick, where we had a Meeting with a few Friends there, and fome of their Neighbours came to the Meeting.. It was to use a comfortable Meeting, and they were glad of it, they being but feldom vifited by Friends. From this Place we travelled by Waggon to Hervine, where we Hervina. lodged that Night, and next Day went by Waggon to Leuwarden. It happened that we had generally very Leuwarden. fine Weather while in thofe open Waggons, in which we travelled feveral Hundred Miles, fo that. Jacob Claus, our Companion and Interpreter, tho' he had........ travelled much, faid he never had observed the like before; which Obfervation I thought good to make, with Thanks to the Almighty.

From the City of Leuwarden, we came by Water to Herlingen, where Friends were glad to fee us, and Herlingen we them. We had a Meeting in Friends. Meetinghouse, and a good comfortable One it was, bleffed be the Lord for it! From hence we croffed the SouthSea, and had a contrary Wind, which made our Paffage long and tedious. We were two Days and two Nights on this Water before we got to Amfterdam, in all which, and the next Day, I tasted no Food, being

three

Horn.

Twijk,

1709. three Days fafting. I was willing to keep my Body under, and found it for my Health; neither had I any Defire of Food in those three Days, in which Time Amfterdam, we had two Meetings. We arrived at Amfterdam about the fixth Hour, on the First Day Morning, and had two Meetings at Amfterdam that Day, which were quiet, and many People came to one of them: But we could not be clear without going again to North-Holland; fo from Amfterdam we went to Horn, where we had a Meeting in the Collegian's Meetinghoufe, and it was to Satisfaction: The People were very loving, and divers very tender, even more than we had ufually feen. They defired another Meeting, but our Time would not admit of it, we having appointed a Meeting at Twisk the next Day, which we had in the Meeting-Place, as alío another at a Friend's Amfterdam. House. The next Day we returned to Amfterdam, and had a Meeting, which began about the fifth Hour, which was the laft Meeting we had in this City, and I hope it will not eafily be forgotten by fome. After it we folemnly took our Leave of Friends, artem and departed for Harlem, where we were well refreshed in the Love and Life of Chrift Jefus, our dear Lord, and good Mafter. From Harlem we went Rotterdam with feveral Friends to Rotterdam, where we had two Meetings, and in the Evening we went to vifit a Friend that was not well, with whom we had a Meeting, and affecting Time, and the fick Friend was comforted and refreshed, and faid, he was much better than before; and we were edified, and the Lord our God praised and magnified over all, who is bleffed for ever.

In those Parts, viz. Holland, Friefland, Germany, &c. we travelled 972 English Miles, all in Waggons and Veffels. We came not on a Horfe's Back all the Time. It was about nine Weeks that we stay'd in thofe Countries, travelling therein, and getting Meet

ings where we could, which were to the Number of $1709. Forty-five, thus accounted:

All these are large Cities, except Twisk and Goradick.

From Rotterdam we took Ship for London, and on the 30th of the Third Month 1709, we failed down the River Meuse to the Briel, in the Ship Anne, John Duck Mafter, but he miffing the Convoy, we took our Paffage in the Packet; and fo from Helvoetfluys we failed over to Harwich, and thus fafely arrived in Harwich. our native Land, bleffing Almighty God for his many Prefervations and Deliverances by Sea and Land.

About this Time (after a long Continuance of War) there was a great talking of Peace; but the old Enemy to Peace, Truth, and Righteousness, broke it off by his evil Working in Man: Neither can there be any lafting Peace, until the Nations come to the Witneffing of the peaceable Government and Spirit of our Lord Jefus Chrift, to be fet up and established in themselves. The Lord bring it to pafs, if it be his bleffed Will, with Speed, for his holy Name's Sake! Amen.

As I have had great Peace and Satisfaction in my Travels in Holland and Germany, fo, for exciting others under the like Exercise, I may truly fay, that there is Encouragement for faithful Minifters to labour in the Work of the Gofpel: For I know not that I ever met with more Tenderness and Openness in People, than in those Parts of the World. There is a great People which they call Menonifts, who are very near to Truth, and the Fields are white unto Harveft

1710. ing with the Germans or Palatines, on the Ship's Deck, and one that understood both Languages interpreted for me. The People were tender and wrought upon, behaved fober, and were well fatisfied: And I can truly fay, I was well fatisfied also.

Philadel phia.

;

In this Voyage we had our Health to Admiration and I fhall obferve one Thing worthy of my Notice. Some of my loving and good Friends in London, fearing a Sickness in the Ship, as fhe was but small, confidering there were fo many Souls on board her, being ninety-four in Number, they, for that and other Reasons, advised me not to go in her; for they loved me well, and I took it kindly of them: But I could not be easy to take their Advice, because I had been long from my Habitation and Business, and which was yet more, from my dear and loving Wife: And notwithstanding the Veffel was fo full and crowded, and also several of the People taken into the Ship fick in the River of Thames, yet they mended on board the Veffel apace, and were soon all brave and hearty, being perfectly recovered at Sea, and the Ship, thro the Providence of the Almighty, brought them all well to Philadelphia, in the Seventh Month 1710 : (I think I never was in a more healthy Veffel in all my Time, and I thought this peculiar Favour worthy to be recorded by me.) We had a very pleasant Paffage up the River Delaware, to our great Satisfaction, the Palatines being wounderfully pleased with the Country, mightily_admiring the Pleasantnefs and the Fertility of it. Divers of our People went on Shore, and brought Fruit on board, which was the largest and fineft they had ever feen, as they faid, viz. Apples, Peaches, &c.

I was from my Family and Habitation in this Journey and Travel for the Space of three Years, within a few Weeks; in which Time, and in my Return, I had fweet Peace to my Soul, Glory to God for evermore! I had Meetings every Day when on Land,