Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB

faction. I had so much comfort in that meeting, that I thought it was worth my labour in coming from my habitation, the answer of peace was such to my soul, that I greatly rejoiced in my labour in the work of Christ. From hence I travelled to Frederickstadt, it being two days journey, where Friends have a meeting-house. We staid about ten days, and had nine meetings in that city. Some of the meetings were very large, and the longer we staid, the larger they were. This Frederickstadt is a city in the dominions of the duke of Holstein, and was the furthest place we travelled to eastward; and from hence I wrote a small piece, called "A loving Invitatation unto Young and Old in Holland and elsewhere; which was translated into the German and Low Dutch languages; and divers impressions of it were also printed in England.

We travelled in this journey through some parts of the emperor of Germany's dominions, as also of the kings of Denmark and Sweden, and of the duke of Oldenburg's and prince of East-Friesland's territories, besides some parts of the Seven Provinces of the United States. We parted with our Friends of this city of Frederickstadt, in much love and tenderness, and with our hearts full of good will one towards another, and so went back to the city of Embden a nearer way, by two days journey, than to go by Hamburg. We crossed the rivers Eyder, Elbe, and Weser; over which last we were rowed by three women. The women in

those parts of the world are strong and robust, and used to hard labour. I have seen them do not only the work of men, but of horses; it being common with them to do the most laborious, and the men the lightest and easiest work. I remember that I once saw near Hamburg a fair well dressed woman, who, by her dress, or appearance, was a woman of some note, and a man, which I took to be her husband, walking by her, and she was very great with child, and the way difficult, being up a very steep hill, and he did not so much as offer his hand, or assistance to her; which, however it might look to a man of that country, it seemed very strange to me, being a Briton., For my part, I thought it unmanly, as well as unmannerly on which I observe, that I never in any part of the world, saw women so tenderly dealt by as our English or British women, which they ought to value and prize highly, and therefore, to be the more loving and obedient to their husbands, the indulgent Englishmen; which indulgence I blame not, but commend, so far as it is a motive to stir them up to love and faithfulness.

In this journey between Frederickstadt and Embden, we had four days hard travelling, and were twice overturned out of our waggons, but we got no harm, which was admirable to us; for once we fell, waggon and all, over a great bank, just by the side of a large ditch, and did but just save ourselves out of the ditch. The next time we overset upon stones. We wondered that none

of us were hurt, particularly myself, I being much heavier than any of the rest; but through the mercy of God, we got well to Embden the second time, and had a meeting upon a first-day, and immediately after meeting we took ship for Delfzuyl, which was from Embden about nine or ten English miles by water, and with a fair gale of wind, got there in less than two hours time. We spoke by interpreters all along, and were divinely helped to preach the gospel to the satisfaction of others, and our own comfort; and the friend who interpreted for us, was sensible of the same divine assistance, to his admiration, for which we were all truly thankful. But notwithstanding we were so opened, to the satisfaction of ourselves, our Friends, and the people, yet we were sometimes emptied to exceeding great spiritual poverty, and in the sense of our want and need, we did many times pour out our souls and spirits in humble prayer and supplication to the Most High, for his help and strength, that it might be made manifest to us in our weakness; and we found him a God near at hand, and often a present help in the needful time, and had a sweet answer to our prayers, Oh! that my soul, with all the faithful, may dwell near to him, in whom alone is the help and strength of all his faithful servants and ministers. Amen.

From Delfzuyl we went to Groeningen, the chief city in Groeningland, and so on to a river called the Wouder, and to a town named Goradick, where we had a meeeting with a few Friends there, and

E

some of their neighbours came to the meeting. It was to us a comfortable meeting, and they were glad of it, they being but seldom visited by Friends. From this place we travelled by waggon to Hervine, where we lodged that night, and next day went by waggon to Leuwarden. It happened that we had generally very fine weather while in those open waggons, in which we travelled several hundred miles, so that Jacob Claus, our companion and interpreter, though he had travelled much, said he never had observed the like before; which observation I thought good to make, with thanks to the Almighty.

From the city of Leuwarden, we came by water to Herlingen, where Friends were glad to see us, and we them. We had a meeting in Friends meeting-house, and a good comfortable one it was, blessed be the Lord for it! From hence we crossed the South-sea, and had a contrary wind, which made our passage long and tedious. We were two days and two nights on this water before we got to Amsterdam, in all which, and the next day, I tasted no food, being three days fasting. I was willing to keep my body under, and found it for my health; neither had I any desire of food in those three days, in which time we had two meetings. We arrived at Amsterdam about the sixth hour, on the first-day morning, and had two meetings at Amsterdam that day, which were quiet, and many people came to one of them: but we could not be clear without going again to North

[ocr errors]

Holland; so from Amsterdam we went to Horn, where we had a meeting in the collegian's meeting-house, and it was to satisfaction: the people were very loving, and divers very tender, even more than we had usually seen. They desired another meeting, but our time would not admit of it, we having appointed a meeting at Twisk the next day, which we had in the meeting-place, as also another at a Friend's house. The next day we returned to Amsterdam, and had a meeting, which began about the fifth hour, which was the last meeting we had in this city, and I hope it will not easily be forgotten by some. After it we solemnly took our leave of Friends, and departed for Harlem, where we were well refreshed in the love and life of Christ Jesus, our dear Lord and good Master. From Harlem we went with several Friends to Rotterdam, where we had two meetings, and in the evening we went to visit a Friend that was not well, with whom we had a meeting, and affecting time, and the sick Friend was comforted and refreshed, and said, she was much better than before; and we were edified, and the Lord our God praised and magnified over all, who is blessed for ever.

In those parts, viz. Holland, Friesland, Germany, &c. we travelled 972 English miles, all in waggons and vessels. We came not on a horse's back all the time. It was about nine weeks that we staid in those countries, travelling therein,

« AnteriorContinuar »