dishonoured, and the end of our creation frustrated, and man condemned!

When people are in those excesses, how do they take the Sacred Name in vain, and so bring themselves in guilty before God and man; for he has positively said, He will not hold them guiltless, who take his name in vain; so that let them plead never so many excuses, they are pronounced guilty by the Judge of heaven and earth: therefore let me persuade the youth to remember what the Lord by his servants said concerning drinking to excess, Woe to the drunkards; and that no drunkard shall inherit the kingdom. Again, "Woe unto them that are mighty to drink wine, and men of strength to mingle strong drink," &c. If it be objected, as it often is, when such poor souls are reproved, and their sins set in order before them, We trust in the mercy of God, and the merits of Christ: I say this is a good trust and hope, if upon a good foundation: but the wicked must forsake their ways, and the unrighteous their evil thoughts; but what forsaking is that, when strong conviction is upon the soul, to make covenants, vows, and promises, and break them from time to time? and though Christ hath satisfied the justice of the Almighty for sinners, it is for those who forsake their sins, not those who plead for the practice of them, and endeavour, by many vain excuses, to justify themselves in them.

Since then the salvation of the soul is precious,

and hath cost the precious blood of the Lamb of God, and is much more precious than health or wealth, why should any be so cruel and hardhearted to themselves, as, for a little vanity, froth and mirth, toys and trifles, vain sports, and evil pastime, to plunge and sink themselves into the eternal gulph of woe and misery; pray, O pray consider it, dear youths!

After my return from Barbadoes, in the Fourth month, I visited Friends' meetings at Burlington, at the Falls of Delaware, Abington, GermanTown, and was divers times at Philadelphia and Frankfort meetings; which meetings were much to my satisfaction; the Lord being pleased to manifest his goodness to many, as also to my poor exercised soul; for which I was truly thankful unto him.

In the Sixth month I was at the general meeting of Friends at Derby, in Chester county, which was a large good meeting, divers Friends appearing there in a lively ministry. About this time, some thousands of people came from Ireland, and also many Palatines from Holland; among whom, it is reported, were Romanists, or Papists, several of whom, it was said, gave out threatening speeches, which caused some consternation among the people.

At this large general-meeting, I exhorted them to trust in the Lord, and not to distrust that Hand. which had hitherto preserved us by his Providence without outward force; and that though the people

who came among us were many in number, yet we, having the Lord on our side, were more than they, in a mystical sense; putting them in remembrance of the prophet, who when his servant was afraid, prayed to the Almighty, to open the eyes of his servant, and when they were mystically opened, he saw the mountains full of chariots of fire, and horses of fire, and that they were more than their enemies. I was also concerned to exhort friends to be good examples to those strangers, who came among us in such great numbers; and that our lights, in our conversations, might so shine, that those people, seeing our good works, might glorify our Father which is in heaven, according to the doctrine of Christ; and then we should do them good, and they would do us no hurt, but good also: but on the other hand, if we keep not our places, and do not live in the fear of God, nor according to our holy principles and profession, that then it might be just with the Lord God, to make them a scourge to us. Many were comforted in this meeting, and God was praised, who is worthy.

On the 15th of the Sixth month, having loaded the ship New Bristol Hope, a second time, I sailed in her from Philadelphia, and having a concern to visit the meeting of Friends at Salem, I left the ship at Gloucester, under the care of the pilot, and went by land to the First-day meeting at Salem, and from thence to Elsenborough, and staid till the ship came down; and on the

20th of the month we got to sea, and had a fair wind for several days, and lived very lovingly on board, being respectfully treated by my sailors.

In this voyage we had several meetings on board, the first of which was at the request of my second mate, to call the sailors together in the cabin; I not being forward to propose it to them, lest they should suspect me of some vanity, in desiring to preach to them; they not knowing the cross of Christ in that exercise.

On the 24th day of the Seventh month, at noon, our ship, by observation, being exactly in the latitude of Barbadoes, we steered away west for the island, and on the 26th we saw it, after five weeks and one day leaving sight of Cape-Henlopen; we having, after the first few days, light winds, calms, and head-winds, which made our passage long, and our sea stores almost spent ; but now the sight of land made the people forget all uneasiness, and for this favour, my heart was thankful to the great Preserver of men.

This time we came to a tolerable market with our provisions, which made our stay but short, yet I was divers times at the Bridge meeting of Friends, as also at Speight's Town, where my concerns chiefly lay, and once at Pumpkin-Hill meeting, in which meeting it was observed to the people, that the salvation of the soul is precious, and that true religion is a solid thing, a thing of the greatest moment to both body and soul, and that people ought to be very serious and solidly

concerned about it, taking special care to lay, or build, their religion on a sure foundation; it was shewed them, that Christ Jesus was the sure rock and foundation of all the righteous, in all ages; he was the Rock that followed Israel, which they drank of; any other foundation than him no man can lay; who is, in the truly religious, and the true believers, the hope of their glory. Many other precious truths were manifested to us, in that meeting, for which we praised the Lord.

Soon after I went to Bridge-Town to clear out the vessel, and was at their week-day meeting: the subject matter I had to treat of in that meeting, was, that the Lord bringeth low, and he raiseth up again; and that in divers respects, as to kingdoms, families, and particular persons; and as to health, wealth, honour, &c. divers in that meeting were appealed to as witnesses of it. After this meeting I went to visit the governor, who was courteous to me, and took my visit kindly, and desired to be remembered to our governor, and several others, and wished me a prosperous voyage, and well back again, which he hoped would be in about three months. He said, whoever lived to see it, Pennsylvania would be the metropolis of America, in some hundreds of years. He said, he loved down-right, honest men; but he hated deceit and hypocrisy. A great man, and a great expression!

The 21st of the Eighth month, 1729, we, having done our business, weighed anchor, and went to