distraction in our little peaceable province and government; war being destructive to life, health, and trade, the peace and prosperity of the people, and absolutely against the doctrine and practice of the Prince of life and peace, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. A great concern came on my mind to promote his doctrine; in order to which, I was largely concerned to treat thereof in or at the general spring-meeting at Philadelphia; with which service divers wise and pious people were well satisfied, though some were offended.

When the meeting was over, I having a desire and concern once more to visit Friends in the three lower counties, Newcastle, Kent, and Sussex, among whom I had not travelled for near twenty years, and being now a little better in health than I had been, I set out from my home, and went to Chester, and from thence to Wilmington, and had a meeting there; and then to Newcastle, where we had another; William Hammond being with me, he and I went from Newcastle to George'sCreek, had a meeting there; and then went to • Duck-Creek; after having two meetings at Duck Creek; I went to Little-Creek meeting, and so proceeded to the Mother-Kills, where I had a large, open time in preaching the gospel to the people, which divers of them received with gladness; and there were many, not of our society, who were very sober and attentive, a door being open among them. Yet notwithstanding there may be much openness both in speakers and hear

ers, I have observed with sorrow, that there are but few who retain the truth so as to be really converted; many are convinced, but few converted and come to be regenerated or born again, as our Saviour taught.

From Mother-Kills I went back to Little-Creek, to Timothy Hanson's, he occompanying me, and from Timothy's I went to Duck-Creek, and from thence to Appoquinamy, to the burial of a Friend's son, who died of the small-pox; on which occasion we had a solid meeting, the mournful relations being thankful for our company. From Appoquinamy I went to John M'Cooll's, and from thence to Newcastle, where we had a large open meeting, to the satisfaction of divers; though I was very weakly and poorly, as to my health, so that it was hard for me to stoop to take any thing from the ground, and with difficulty 1 walked from the Friend's house to the meeting; but being helped by grace, and carried through the service of the meeting beyond my expectation, was, with divers others, truly thankful to God the Father, and Christ, my Lord and Saviour.

From Newcastle I went to Wilmington, had a meeting there, and from thence to Newark, to the marriage of Alexander Seaton; the meeting was uncommonly large, and to general satisfaction.

From Newark I went back to Wilmington, and from thence to the Center monthly-meeting, and so on to Kennet, where was a very large meeting: here divers who had professed among us, refrained

coming to the public meeting for Divine worship; with whom, next day, we had a meeting, wherein the evil consequence of forsaking the assembling ourselves together was spoken to, and that it would be a great hurt to the young and rising generation, and themselves also; being a bad example to them, and contrary to the advice and counsel of the holy apostle, not to forsake "the assembling ourselves together, as the manner of some is."

From Kennet I went to Concord, to the burial of Benjamin Mendinhall, where we had a large and solid meeting, several lively testimonies being borne therein. This friend was a worthy elder, and a serviceable man in our society, and one of the first or early settlers in Pennsylvania: a man given to hospitality, and a good example to his family, and hath left divers hopeful children surviving him.

The night before this meeting I lodged at the widow Gilpin's, whose husband, Joseph Gilpin, was lately deceased; there was true Christian love and friendship between us for above fifty years. When first I saw Joseph in Pennsylvania, he lived in a cave in the earth, where we enjoyed each other's company in the love and fear of God. This friend had fifteen children, whom he lived to see brought up to the states of men and women, and all but two married well, and to his mind.

From Concord I went to Wilmington, and from thence after meeting to Newcastle, where I, with

George Hogg, went over the river Delaware into Penn's-Neck, and had a meeting at James Wilson's; from Penn's-Neck we went to Salem, and thence to Cohansey, where I had several meetings at Greenwich, and at the head of Alloway'sCreek, also at David Davis's, where the people kindly lent us the benches of their meeting-house, and many of them came themselves, and were very attentive; after which I went to Piles-Grove and had a meeting there, and from thence to Woodberry-Creek, and so to Gloucester, where I ferried over Delaware to Philadelphia, and from thence came home, having travelled about 500 miles in this journey, after which I staid at and about home for some time.

I was at the yearly-meeting at Burlington, in the Seventh month; going to this meeting, my horse started, and threw me, which hurt my shoulder and hip badly, of which hurt I did not recover for above half a year.

This meeting was very large, and though I was outwardly in misery and pain, yet in the sense of the love and goodness of God, and grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, I was, with many others, much comforted in spirit.

From Burlington I travelled to Shrewsbury, having several meetings by the way, as at BordenTown, Croswicks, Trenton, &c. This journey I rode in much pain, but the satisfaction I had in meetings through the Spirit and power of the Most High, made amends for all the labour and pain I

underwent. I bless the sacred name of God, and may I do it for ever! I made what haste I could home, being in pain with my fall, and tarried at home most of the winter, which was one of the longest and hardest known in these parts, by some of the oldest livers here; divers people being frozen to death in several places, and many sheep and cattle perishing, and much of the winter grain killed with the frost, so that there was some apprehension of a want of bread; all which I took to be warnings of the just and righteous judgments of God, for the ingratitude, pride, and other sins and iniquities of the people, the which I was divers times, and at divers places, concerned to put them in mind of. How well would it be, if the people would lay the judgments of the Most High to heart; and when his judgments are abroad in the earth, that the inhabitants would learn righteousness!

After this winter I was at a general-meeting at German-town, and at meetings at North-Wales, Horsham, and Byberry, and from thence, with Joseph Gilbert, went to Burlington, and was at a marriage there, and then returned home.

In the Second month I was under an inward and religious engagement in my mind to visit the meetings of Friends in Gloucester and Salem counties, in West-Jersey; and the 19th of the said month I went over Delaware river, and was at Haddonfield on a First-day, and third-day at Chester, fourth-day had a meeting at the house of