fave them from darkness, death, ignorance, and fin, that they might be made capable of obeying, worshipping, and glorifying the great God and fanctifier of

them.

And as my father was thus waiting and looking for a more general breaking forth of this glorious, powerful, and gofpel-day, which had in a good degree sprung up in his heart, he had not, as yet, feen that worthy and good man, GEORGE FOX, although he passed through those parts about that time; but foon after came WILLIAM DEWSBERRY, and at the found of his voice, I have heard my father fay, he was exceeding glad, in hearing him declare the way to find the loft piece of filver, the pearl of great price within, a Saviour near, that had been held forth by men to be at a distance. But having left the dark watchmen, of whom they used to inquire, they now met with their Beloved at home, in their own bofoms; renowned be the name of the Lord, now and for ever.

Thus the hearing and receiving the ever bleffed truth, was as the feed, or word of the kingdom, fown in the good ground, or honeft hearts of men, which took root downward and fprang upward, and brought" forth fruit in fome thirty, in fome fixty, and in others an hundred fold, to the praife of the great and good husbandman,

My faid father was early raised to bear a publick teftimony, which was living and acceptable to friends, but was fo much attended with weaknefs of body for many years, that he went little abroad in the work of the miniftry. He fuffered patiently the fpoiling of his goods, and imprisonment of his weakly body, in the great and more general imprisonment; he not only believed in Jefus Chrift, but fuffered for him; he was a good neighbour, a loving husband, and a tender father over all that was good, but severe to all that which was wrong, and was for judgment, without refpect of perfons, and fpared it not even to his own children; and especially he was much concerned for me, for, as he faid, I was the wildest of them; and as he lived well, and believed in Jefus Chrift, I doubt not but he has finished his courfe in the love and favour of God, is entered into a mansion of glory, and is at reft with all the faithful, who loved not their lives unto death, but rather hated them in comparison of that endeared and unfeigned love they bore to God the Father, and to Jefus Chrift his dear and well-beloved Son, who died for them, and alfo for the whole world.

He departed this life in 1679, aged about fifty-five years, and was decently buried in friends buryingplace at Hotham, near Cave, where he was born.

NOW

Now

OW having given the foregoing fhort account concerning my father, it remains with me to leave to pofterity fome remarks on my Convincement, with an account of fundry tranfactions, travels, healings, and deliverances I met with, in and from my youth to this day, with fome advice and openings in the fpirit of truth.

I was young when my father died, not above thirteen years of age, yet the Lord was at work by his light, grace, and Holy Spirit in my heart, but I knew not then what it was which inwardly difquieted my mind, when any thing which was evil did prevail over the good in me, which it oftentimes did, for want of taking heed to that of God in my heart; I defired eafe and peace fome other way, without taking up the crofs of Chrift to my own corrupt will, and ftrove for fome time (as no doubt many do) to make merry over the juft witnefs, until for a season the converting and true witness of God feemed to be flain, or difappeared, and then I took liberty, but not in grofs evils which many ran into, being preferved religiously inclined, feeking after profeffors, and inquiring of them, for my information and fatisfaction, to find (if I could) any thing that was fafe to reft in, or any true and folid

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folid comfort to my poor difconfolate and bewildered foul, but I was afraid I fhould be deceived, or take up a false rest in any thing that was wrong or unfafe; which was the great love and mercy of God to me. But after many fearchings and inquirings among thofe who were but in the letter without, and in the outward court, where the veil is over the understanding, and the eye of the mind is not truly opened to fee into things that are invifible, and hid from all carnal-minded men; even fo was my ftate and afflictions hid from them, and all the deceitful workings of Satan, and the ftrong temptations which I met with, thefe blind guides could not fee, nor their veiled understandings know how to direct me to the true Shepherd of Ifrael, the law-giver coming out of Sion, that turns away ungodliness from Jacob, and tranfgreffion from Ifrael; not having truly experienced deliverance wrought in them out of this cloudy, bewildered, and tempted state which I was in. Oh! that people would come to him that hath the eye-falve, with which if the eye be truly anointed, it will fee things clearly as they are, and not darkly, mistaking trees for men, and things terreftrial for things celeftial; and that they would buy gold, tried by the fire of him that is called the tried ftone, elect and precious, laid in Sion for a foundation: this is Chrift whom the true church believes in, and builds upon, and they are enriched with his love, power, and virtue, which is better than gold outwardly; this is the anoint ng, and the unction, which

the

the true church hath, and doth receive from Chrift, the Holy One; and fuch as do truly put on his righteousness, purity, and holiness, their cloathing is better than that of fine linen outwardly. Oh! that all the inhabitants of the earth might be thus anointed, enriched, and truly cloathed, that no more inwardblindness or poverty may be found in the children of men, nor the shame of their nakedness be any more feen, now or hereafter.

Receive and learn these things, you that can, of him that is the faithful and true witnefs, that always witneffeth againft.the evil in man, but always giveth witness to the Father, for the good in men which they do fay and think. This is the fpirit of him that was dead, and is alive, no more to be known after the flesh, as the apoftle gave teftimony, and is to be known inwardly and fpiritually by the children of men, to open the blind eye, and unftop the deaf ear, and pierceth into the foul that hath been clouded and captivated, imprisoned, and mifguided, and even in a wilderness, and fees not a way for deliverance; like Ifrael in the land of Egypt, when the Lord Jehovah fent Mojes, a lively type of Chrift, and employed him in that great work of pleading with, and plaguing Pharaoh and the Egyptians; yet for a time their burthens and afflictions were increafed, and their exercises more imbittered unto them, until that great and marvellous work was in a good degree accomplifhed,

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