there being five of Friends Meeting-houfes in the 1717. Hand, and our Meetings were fometimes large and open. Our Stay was longer here than we at firft expected, by Reafon of a great Drought, they having no Rain for more than a Quarter of a Year, which was a great Hindrance to Trade on the Ifland. While I was this Time in Barbadoes, our ancient Friend George Gray. died. I was at his Funeral, at which there were many People; and on this Occafion we had a large Meeting at our Meeting-house at Speights-Town, where I had a feasonable Opportunity with the People, opening to them the Neceffity of preparing for, and think-, ing of their latter End; and preffed them earnestly thereto. They were generally attentive and fober, and fome were broken into Tenderness. While we were burying the Friend, there appeared a difmal Cloud hanging over the Island, fuch an one as I never faw before: It was to my thinking, of the Colour of the Flame of Brimftone, and I expected there would have been a great Storm, or fome mighty Guft, and much Rain, they having had very little for many Weeks, or fome Months; but it went over, and there was no Rain, nor Wind, as I remember. Soon after fome People came in from Sea, and they faid, that from that Cloud it rained Afhes; and they brought fome of the fame to the Ifland, fome of which Ashes I have now before me: The Taste of them feems to me to be a little fulphurous, and have fome glittering Particles in them, in Colour and Smell I think they differed little from common Afhes. Herein the Almighty and Infinite Being fignally fhewed his Mercy and Favour to poor Mortals; for had not his Mercy prevented, he could as eafily have rained down the Fire as the Athes, who rained down Fire and Brimstone on the Cities and Inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah, for their Pride and Idlenefs, much of which abounds among the Inhabitants of Barbadoes, the Peo G 3 ple 1717. ple being very luxurious. Oh! may the luxurious Inhabitants of that Ifle, as also all others, consider their Ways and Doings, and not provoke the great Lord, the Sovereign of Heaven and Earth, as many of them do by their evil Lives, and voluptuous Converfations ; and that they would kifs the Son, though not with a Judas's Kifs, of Profeffion, or speaking well or fair of him only, but with divine Love manifefted through Obedience, while his Wrath is but a little kindled against them, before it break out into a Flame. After this Funeral I was fent for to Bridge Town, to the Burial of a Master of a Ship, a young Man, who was very fresh and well a few Days before. There was a great Appearance of People, and I was pretty largely opened in the Meeting, on the Words of the Prophet, where he fays, All Flesh is Grafs, and all the Goodliness thereof, is as the Flower of the Field. The Grafs withereth, the Flower fadeth, because the Spirit of the Lord bloweth upon it: Surely the People is Grafs. The Grafs withereth, the Flower fadeth; but the Word of our God hall stand for ever, Ifaiah xl. 6, 7, 8. And I treated of this Word, its Wonderfulness, its Duration, and its Work in Man: As alfo of the fading Conftitution of mortal Man, though young and strong, as that young Man was a few Days before, whose Corpfe was then before us: I was at divers other Burials on this Inland, which indeed doth prove a Grave to many New-comers, it being a hot Climate, makes those who are not accuftomed to it, very thirsty, and by Reason of the extream Heat, it is not eafy to quench their Thirft; fo that what is called moderate Drinking, throws many Strangers into a violent Fever, and oftentimes is the Caufe of their Death. I note this as a Caution to any who may transport themselves there (that may fee this) that they may fhun that Danger, which might be avoided by drinking cool Drinks, of which they have many Sorts very pleasant, viz. Cane, Sugar-reed, and White Sorrel, Pine, Orange, and divers others: And I 1717 advise such, as they love their Health, to refrain from drinking much hot Drinks or Spirits. I faw feveral Curiofities in Nature in this Island, which among the great Numbers of the Works of God, do fhew forth his Praife and Glory. One to the Leeward Part of the Island, which is called the Spout, fends up a vaft Body of Water into the Air, occafioned by a great Cavity in the Rocks under the Water, which may be feen in calm Weather, when the Sea is low; but when the Wind blows (a great Body of Water being pent in a large hollow Place) it forces it up into the Air, fometimes ten, fifteen, and twenty Yards high, according as the Strength of the Wind is more or lefs, and makes a Report like a Cannon, or Thunder a great Way off. I believe I have feen it ten or twelve Miles out at Sea. I was also at a Place called Oliver's Cave, which we got to with some Difficulty, in going down the steep and craggy Rocks. There is on the outward Part next the Sea, a very large vaulted Place, in the Form of a Half-circle, about one hundred Feet high, as near as I could guefs. In this large Vault, behind a Rock, is the Mouth of the Cave, not the Heighth of a Man at the first Entrance; after one is in, a few Yards, one may walk' upright comfortably, the Bottom being pretty plain and fmooth for about a hundred Yards, and then we come into a large Cave which is form'd archwife, and about ten or fifteen Yards high, as we thought, being much higher in the Middle than the Sides, but almost as regular as if it had been done by Art, which we beheld with Admiration, by the Help of Wax-Candles, and other Lights, that we made and carried for that Purpofe. When I had done my Bufinefs in Barbadoes, having been about thirteen Weeks there, our Veffel being loaded, we failed from thence the 10th of the Second Month 1718, for London. 1718. We had a good Paffage, being five Weeks and two Days from Barbadoes to Great-Britain, in which..we faw divers Veffels at Sea, but spoke with none; and after Sight of the Land, we got in two Days to BeachyHead, which is about fifteen Leagues from the Downs or. Deal We failed along the Shore by Folkstone, where we took in a Pilot, and had a comfortable Pas fage through the Downs, and up the River of Thames to London, where I met with my dear and aged Father, and loving Brother, Sifter, and Coulins, and many other of my near and dear Relations and Friends. London. At Sea. In this Voyage I wrote fome Things which opened in my Mind at Sea, upon that excellent Sermon of Chrift's upon the Mount, as it is recorded in the holy Scriptures of the New Teftament, in the vth, vith, and viith Chapters of the Evangelift Matthew, but have fince heard that the fame is much better done by an abler Hand; and therefore it may fuffice here to give the Advice, which in the Courfe of my Travels I have often had Occafion to do, that the Profeffors of Christianity fhould frequently read this Sermon, and be careful to practice the fame; that they may not only be Chriftians in Name, but in Deed, and in Truth. After visiting my Relations, and fome Meetings of our Friends in and about London, and having finifhed my Business, being ready to return homeward, divers Friends accompanied us from London to Gravefend; and the Wind not being fair, we went to Rochefter, and had a Meeting there; and then back to Gravesend, and there took a folemn Farewel of our Friends, recommending one another to the Grace of Chrift; having this Time made but little Stay in Britain. In the Fifth Month 1718, we failed from the Downs in the aforefaid Snow Hope, divers Friends, viz. John Danfon, Ifaac Hadwin, John Oxley, Lydia Laneafter, Elizabeth Rawlinson and Rebecca Turner, being in Company with us: After about nine Weeks Paffage from ་ from Land to Land, having had Meetings on First 1718. Days and Fifth Days, on board all the Voyage, we Philadel came all safe and well to Philadelphia, through the phi Bleffing of God, where I ftay'd with my Family a few Months, and then took another Voyage for Barbadoes and Britain. I was under fome Concern more than ordinary, as to the Support and Well-being, or Accommodation of my Family, the Circumstances thereof being a little changed by the Increase of Children, remembring the Words of the Apostle, That those who bad not that Care and Concern, were worse than Infidels; my Lord Jefus (whofe Servant I profefs myself to be) alfo faying, It is better to give than receive; wherefore an Opportunity offering of the Confignment of a Veffel and Cargo (the Snow Hope, Warner Holt Mafter) to Barbadoes, and from thence to London, and fo to make Returns Home again for Philadelphia, I embraced it; tho' with Reluctance, to leave my very loving Wife, Children and Friends, all whom I tenderly loved and refpected. I alfo had in my Eye an Hope, thro' the Bleffing of God, to obtain wherewith to accommodate my Friends, who were Strangers and Pilgrims in this World for Jefus Sake, as I ́ also had been myself; and that they might find a Place or Home, and Refreshment under my Roof; not to Excefs, but to Comfort and Edification; which in Sincerity, is all the Grandeur I covet or defire in this World: So after due Confideration, on the fecond Day of the Eleventh Month 1718, we fet Sail from Philadelphia, many Friends taking their Leaves and Farewel of us for that Voyage. Thus with Hearts full of Love and Good-will, we parted with our Friends, and went down the River about five Miles, where we run aground, but got off next Tide, and next Day came to an Anchor at Chefier. On the 4th Day of the Month we fet Sail, and got to Newcaftle about the eleventh Hour; it being MeetingDay, we went to Meeting, where our great Lord was |