was in the border of England, where wickedness of the grossest sort had swelled to that height, that theft, robbery, and bloodshed, with many other crying sins, were so very frequent amongst people, that hell, (in that sense) had opened her mouth, the remembrance of which much affects my heart with sorrow. When I think of such as are gone, who were but an age before me and several others, that are largely made partakers of the mercy of God; that the Lord in his free love, should pluck us as brands out of the fire, and preserve us from those gross evils. which generations before us were found in, is such an obligation, as is never to be forgotten.

And as the Lord was pleased to get himself a name in the earth, in calling us to be a people, to his praise, who were as the outcasts of the nation, he began to work in the hearts of a young generation, when but tender in age, of which I was one: and though we were short of having an eye unto the Lord, in all our undertakings, yet the Lord was not short in having an eye over us for good; and though I was brought up in a public house, my father and mother keeping an inn, where people of many sorts restored, yet the Lord preserved me beyond many from the sin of drunkenness, and the excessive smoking of tobacco I never loved.

Yet as I grew in years, I was drawn forth after the vain pastimes which are in the world;

as, vain shooting with guns, and bows, and following them that played at cards; and I was successful in playing, and my mind as much with that foolish practice, as most things: and for this the Lord gave me a sore rebuke in myself, that I was sensible of trouble of conscience for many days, and was consulting with myself what to do, not knowing of one man, that judged the thing unlawful to be done. The old enemy appeared in my heart, and brought a fair pretence with him, that I might safely play at any time, except the First days at night, that being a practice among us; and this gave me a little ease for a time, and I observed it: and then a fear began to enter my mind, that I durst not join with young people in their pastimes, and light began more to appear, and I saw we must be more religious than formerly; but the enemy would show me that I was young, and might live long, and it was time enough for me to be religious when I was married; and here I rested for some years, often under trouble, believing I must live more godly, otherwise not enter God's kingdom. When I was about eighteen years of age, my father and mother, having no other child but me, were desirous I should marry a young woman, w whose parents were of good repute in the country; and a weighty concern it was to me, and under the sense of the weight thereof I prayed to the

Lord in the night season, that if it were for our good it might come to pass, and if not, it might not be so. About this time, my heart came to be more and more opened, and I saw the danger of poverty and riches; and at a certain time I retired, and the saying of the wise man came into my remembrance, and I prayed to the Lord to give me neither poverty nor riches, for I saw there was danger on both hands; and though I desired to keep company with those who were most sober, yet I was often under great affliction

of mind.

And when I was at any time one with the profane, if I partook of their joy at night, sorrow came in the morning. While I remained here, a great fever being in the country, and many dying, when it entered my house, and my wife was taken ill of it, I was persuaded to go to a woman who was blind, and pretended she could do great things. Of her I inquired if I should take the distemper, she being one who undertook to tell what would come to pass. She told me, No, and I believed her; but when the Lord visited me with sickness, my disobedience on the one hand, and my believing her (which I looked upon a distrusting of God) on the other, brought such horror and trouble of mind upon me, that I concluded, if I should then die, there were no hopes of mercy for me. My mother being in great trouble for me, would

have comforted me with this, that I exceeded others, in my life and conversation; but I could not believe there was any favour at the Lord's hand for me, except he should restore me to my health and I became a new man. I saw I was not to regard soothsayers, or such as pretend to tell things to come, and they themselves are out of the life of righteousness. Under a sense of

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this great distress and anguish of soul and spirit, I cried mightily unto the Lord, that he would spare me yet awhile, and that saying came into my mind, the prayer of the righteous availeth much ;" and knowing no better but the priest might be one of them whom the Lord would hear, I had a mind he should come. When he came, he wanted his book, and could not pray, so that I was disappointed, but may say, though all other helps failed, yet the Lord never failed, for he was pleased to restore me, and when restored, inclined my heart to seek after him. I thought it my duty often to pray to the Lord, in secret places, to show me his way, wherein I should walk; for I was satisfied I was out of the way, because of the trouble of mind I was under, from time to time. As prayer seemed to me to be a duty, I thought it my place to wait upon the Lord, to feel what would open unto my mind, to supplicate the Lord for, and not to pray in form: but having little answer from the Lord, of well done, I was wearied, and

I saw I became more and more formal in my prayers, and my distress increased. Then I began to doubt I had not been so diligent as I should have been in my devotion in the time of our worship, though I frequently went; so I resolved for the time to come, I would go to church with the first, and hear and observe every word the priest said; for I saw what I could do signified little; and as I was not to sing, neither durst I open my mouth as others did, but sat solitarily. Then the Lord showed me the effects of the priests' ministry. They could tell what sin was, and what would be the reward of the righteous, and what would be the reward of the wicked; but how to come out of sin, which was the thing I wanted to know, here they left me at a loss, and this lessened their esteem in my eye. I read much of the scriptures, and could talk of them.

In this time of distress, the Lord sent his servants amongst us; and at a place called Langtown there was a meeting appointed, which being about three miles from the place of my abode, I never heard of it till I was come to the church, (so called,) it being the first day of the week. When I heard of this meeting, there was such an inclination in me to go to it, though it was a little past time, that I went in great haste. When I came, the Friend (whose name was John Wilkinson) was preaching, who had formerly