Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB

except Second and Seventh Days (when in Health, and 1710. nothing extraordinary hindered) and travelled by Sea and Land Fourteen Thousand Three Hundred Miles, according to our English Account. I was kindly and tenderly received by my Friends, who longed to fee me, as I did them, and our Meeting was comfortable and pleasant.

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

After this long Travel and Voyage I ftay'd at Home, and looked after the little Family which God had given me, and kept duly to Meetings, except fomething extraordinary hindered. Divers People, when I came Home, raised a falfe Report of me, and faid, I had brought Home a great deal of Money and Goods, that I had got by Preaching; which was utterly falfe and bafe; for I brought neither Money or Goods, fo much as to the Value of Five Pounds, except my wearing Apparel; fo much the Reverse, that I borrowed Money at London to pay for my Accommodations Home, the which I faithfully remitted back again to my Friend that lent it me, to whom I was much obliged for the fame: And if I might have gained a Hundred Pounds per Annum, it would not have tempted me to undertake that, or fuch another Journey. Soon after my Return Home again, I vifited a few neighbouring Meetings, which were large and edifying, Friends being glad to fee me again return'd Home from that long Journey. And I did (as I had Reafon to do) blefs the holy Name of the Lord, for his many Prefervations and Deliverances by Sea and Land.

After fome Stay at Philadelphia, I went down with my Wife and Family into Maryland, to a Corn-Mill Maryland. and Saw-Mill, which I had there, in order to live' fome Time, and fettle my Affairs: And after being there fome Time, my dear Wife was taken ill of a fore Difeafe, which fome thought to be an Ulcer in the Bladder, and I had her up to Philadelphia, the being carried as far as Chefter in a Horfe-litter, where the continued for fome Months in much Mifery, and

F 3

extream

[merged small][ocr errors][merged small]

,1712.

1713.

Pensylva nia.

Ferfey.

North-Ca

JOURNAL

OF THE

LIFE, LABOURS, TRAVELS, &c.

O F

THOMAS CHALKLET.
A 1

PART II.

NOW gave up my Time moftly to travelling, for about the Space of two Years, in which I vifited the Meetings of Friends in the Provinces of Penfylvania, East and Weft-Jersey, MaryMaryland. land, Virginia, and North-Carolina, and back again Virginia to Philadelphia, and then to New-Jersey again: Alfo rolina. to Long-Iland, Rhode-Ifland, Conanicut-Island, Nantucket-Inland, and New-England, and thro' thofe Parts Long-land, on my Return to Philadelphia. In these Provinces, Rhode &c. I travelled fome Thousands of Miles, and had many large Meetings (fome in Places where there had not been any before) and fome were convinced, and many would acknowledge to the Teftimony of Truth,

Philadel

phia.

Island, &c.

which was declared by the Help and Grace of Chrift; 1713. and many Times, my Heart was, by the Affiftance of that Grace, wonderfully opened to the People. If I should be particular in the Account of thefe Journies, it would enlarge this Part of my Journal more than I am willing.

In Virginia I had a Meeting at James's River, where a Prieft of the Church of England, with fome of his Hearers, made fome Oppofition (after our Meeting was over) and were for difputing about Religion; and he openly declared, The Spirit was

not his Guide, nor Rule; and he hoped, never. "fhould be. But, he faid, the Scriptures were his

Rule, and that there was no need of any other; " and that they were as plain as Gunter's Line, or as "I, 2, 3." I told him, The Scriptures were a good fecondary Rule, and that it were well if Men would fquare their Lives according to their Directions; which we, as a People, exhorted all to: But that the holy Spirit, from which the holy Scriptures came, muft needs be preferable to the Letter, that came from it; and without which holy Spirit, The Letter kills, as faith the Apostle. I alfo afked him, How he, or any elfe, without the Light, or Influence of the holy Spirit, could understand the Scriptures, which were parabolically and allegorically expreffed, in many Places? And further to use his own Expreffion, How could any understand Gunter's Line, without Gunter's Knowledge? Or without they were taught by Gunter, or fome other? Neither can we be the Sons of God, without the Spirit of God. Which he answered not, but went away.

In New-England, one Jofeph Metcalf, a Prefbyterian Teacher at Falmouth, wrote a Book, intitled, Legal Forcing a Maintenance for a Minister of the Gospel, warrantable from Scripture, &c. Which Book a Friend of Sandwich gave me, and defired I would anfwer it; which, after finding fome Exercife on my Mind, for the Cause of Truth, I was willing to un

dertake

[ocr errors]

1713. dertake and accordingly wrote an Answer thereto, which I called, Forcing a Maintenance, not warrantable from the holy Scriptures, for a Minister of the Gospel. In which I endeavoured to fet the Texts of Scripture in a true Light, which he had darkened and mifreprefented by his chimerical Doctrines.

lina.

In this Year 1713, I went from Philadelphia, in the Hope Gally, John Richmond Mafter, for South-Caro-, lina. We were about a Month at Sea; and when it South Caro-pleafed God that we arrived at Charles Town, in South-Caroling, we had a Meeting there, and divers others afterwards. There are but few Friends in this Province; yet I had feveral Meetings in the Country :. The People were generally loving, and received me, kindly. What I had to declare to them, I always defired to speak to the Witness of God in the Soul, and according to the pure Doctrine of Truth in the holy Scriptures; and there was Opennefs in the People in feveral Places. I was feveral Times to vifit the Governor, who was courteous and civil to me. He faid, 1 deferved Encouragement; and fpoke to feveral to be generous, and contribute to my Affiftance. He meant an outward Maintenance; for he would have me encouraged to ftay among them. But I told him, that tho' it might be a Practice with them, to maintain their Minifters, and pay them Money for preaching, it was contrary to our Principles to be paid. for preaching; agreeable to the Command of our great Mafter, Chrift Jefus, who faid to his Minifters, Freely you have received, freely give. So that we are limited by his Words, whatever others are: And thofe who take a Liberty, contrary to his Doctrine and Command, I think, muft be Antichrifts, according to holy Scripture. The longer I ftaid there, the larger our Meetings were; and when I found myself free and clear of thofe Parts, I took my Paffage for Prginia Virginia in a Sloop, Henry Tucket Mafter. I had a comfortable and quick Paffage to James's River, it

being about two Hundred Leagues. The Mafter of the 1713. Veffel told me, That he believed he was bleffed for my Sake. I wifhed him to live fo as that he might be bleffed for Chrift's Sake. And fome Reformation was begun on him in our Voyage; which was the Goodnefs of God, thro' Chrift, to him, and not to be attributed to me, any farther than an Inftrument, in the divine Hand, for of ourselves we cannot do any Thing that is Good, it being by Grace, thro' Faith, that we are faved, which is God's Gift to the Soul.

After I had been fome Time in Virginia, I got a Paffage up the Bay of Chesapeak, and had feveral Meetings in Maryland, Friends being glad to fee me ; Maryland, and we were comforted in Chrift our Lord. I made fome little Stay at a Place I had in that Province, called Longbridge, and then returned to Philadelphia, Philadel where I lodged at the House of my very kind Friends phia Richard and Hannab Hill; and was oftentimes at divers neighbouring Meetings; and fometimes had good Service therein.

About this Time I had an Inclination to alter my Condition of being a Widower, to a married State; and the most suitable Perfon that I (with fome of my good Friends) could think upon, was Martha, the Widow of Jofeph Brown: And on the 15th of the Second Month 11714, we were joined together in 1714: Marriage, with the Unity of Friends in general. We had a large Meeting at our Marriage, the Solemnization thereof being attended with the Grace and Goodnefs of God; and, for Example-fake, we made but little Provifion for our Guefts: For great Entertain ments at Marriages and Funerals, began to be a grow ing Thing among us, which was attended with divers Inconveniences.

My Wife was a fober and religious young Woman, and of a quiet natural Temper and Difpofition; which is an excellent Ornament to the fair Sex! And indeed it is fo both to Male and Female; for according to the

holy

« AnteriorContinuar »