1698. with them more. But, he faid, be fhould not live three Days. And before the End of three Days he expired. He defired (if I were not gone) I would be at his Funeral. On Notice hereof, about ten Friends went; and there was a great many People, among whom we had a good Opportunity, and many weighty Truths were opened to them in the Love of God; and fome of them were tender and wept ; and the molt, if not all (I think I may fay) were folid and weighty.

From Thomas Everdens's Houfe we went to George Truit's, at whose House we had a Meeting. This Friend and I went to an Indian Town not far from his House, because I had a Defire to fee thefe People, having never seen any of them before. When we came to the Town they were kind to us, fpoke well of Friends, and faid they would not cheat them (as fome "others did.)

From George Truit's, in Maryland, we went down Virginia to Virginia; and in Accomack and Northampton Counties we had large Meetings, and I hope they were effectual to many; I think my Hope is not without Ground. In thofe Parts we had feveral Meetings, where we were informed Friends had not had any before. And really I cannot but blefs the Lord for the Opportunities we had with the People; for the Goodness of God, through Chrift our Lord, was great, both to us and them, and with Tears they did acknowledge the Truth. Now Thomas Turner, who had hitherto accompanied me, went by the Sea Side the nearest Way to Philadelphia; and afterwards I had a Meeting at George Truit's Brother's, and on the first Day, another near the Court-house, and went to Thomas Everden's, and fo to Levin Denwood's, and thence to Nanticoke River, and vifited Friends up the Bay until I came to the River Choptank, about which there is a pretty many Friends. So I went on, Penyia and took the Meetings till I came to Philadelphia, in

Maryland.

nie.

and

and about which Place, and in other Parts of the Pro- 1698. vince of Penfylvania, I had many large and precious Meetings, the Power of the eternal Son of God being wonderful, in which Power we many Times bleffed his Name together. It was in my Heart much to exhort Friends to Love to God, and to Unity one with another, without which there is no fulfilling the Law or Gofpel. There are many Friends in that Province, and many fober young People, which greatly rejoiced my Spirit; fo that for their Encouragement, the Lord opened my Mouth in a prophetick Manner to declare unto them the Bleffings which he had in Store for them, on Condition of their Walking in the Truth. Glory to God on high; Untruth decays, and the Branches of it mightily wither; the Darkness is much paft, and the true Light fhineth gloriously in many. Souls. O powerful Praises be given to God, who is Light for ever!

Ferfey:

Ifland.

From Philadelphia I went to Burlington, and fo to Eaft and Crofwicks, where we had a large Meeting under the Weft Trees, where fome were convinced of the Truth, From hence I went to Shrewsbury, and had Meetings there: From Shrewsbury we went (moftly by Water) to Woodbridge and Staten Island, from thence Staten to Long Island, being accompanied by feveral Friends. Long-Island, On Long-Iland we had feveral large and good Meetings, wherein Chrift was preached freely; and after we had been two Weeks there, we went on board a Sloop bound for Rhode Island, and by the Way we touched Fisher's and at Fiber's and Block Inlands, and on the firft Day Black Morning we fet fail from Block-Ifland to Rhode-Island, Rhode the Yearly-meeting being juft over when we got there. Ifland. That Evening we failed over to Connanicut-Iland. On fond the third Day of the Week had a Meeting there, and Narragan from thence we went over to Narraganset, and had a Meeting, and fo over to Rhode-Ifland, again (where Ruth Fry, a fober young Woman, was convinced, and remained a Friend till her Death.) Here I met with

feveral

Connanicut

fet.

dence.

1698. feveral travelling Friends. From the Inland we went over to the Main, and had a large Meeting on first Day, at a Place called Greenwich. It was thought there were about five Hundred People, and many of them were tender. We went over the fame Night to the Ifland; and after feveral open Times with Friends and others on Rhode Island, about twelve Friends of that 10and went with me to Warwick and Providence and Provi- Yearly-meetings, in our Friend Borden's Boat. We fet Sail about Noon, and having but little Wind, it was late in the Night before we got there, and very dark, infomuch that we could neither fee nor know one another, but only by our Speech, and the Darknefs occafioned us to run our Veffel against the Rocks;" but at last we got on Shore (with our Horfes) and after going over a very dirty Slough, we entered a difmal Wilderness; fo that thefe Difficulties occafioned our not getting to the Friend's Houfe till the next Day, which, being the laft in the Week, we had a Meeting; and on the firft Day we had a large and fatisfactory Meeting. Many of us were fo united, in the Love of God, that it was hard for us to part one from another.

Boston. SalemHampton.

From Providence I went to Boston and Salem, where I had Meetings, and from thence to Hampton. In those Parts God Almighty hath fhortned the Power of Perfecutors, and hath brought his righteous Judgments upon them for their Unrighteoufnefs. Oh! that NewEngland's Profeffors might live in the Senfe of the fame, and repent. I being a Stranger and Traveller, could not but obferve the barbarous and unchriftianlike Welcome I had into Bofton, the Metropolis of New-England. Ob! what pity (faid one) it was, that all of your Society were not banged with the other Four! In the Eastern Part of New-England God hath a Seed left of his People. R From

Marmi duke Stevenfon, William Robinson, Mary Dyer, and William Leddra, who were put to Death in 1659 and 1660.

From thence I returned in order to get a Paf- 1698. fage to the Ifle of Nantucket; and from a Place called Cubnet, we failed over to the faid Island in about ten Hours, where we tarried feveral Days, and had Five Meetings. The People did generally acknowledge to the Truth, and many of them were tender-hearted. Some of the Antient People faid, Nantucket, That it was never known that fo many People were together on the land at once. After the first Meeting was over, one asked the Minifter (fo called) Whether we might have a Meeting at his House. He faid with a good Will, We might. This Minifter had fome Difcourfe with me, and asked, What induced me to come hither, being fuch a young Man. I told him that I had no other View in coming there, than the Good of Souls, and that I could fay with the Apostle, that a Neceffity was laid upon me, and Wo would be to me if I did not preach the Gospel. Then faid he, I wish you would preach at my Houfe in GOD's Name. So next Day we had a Meeting at his Houfe; and on the first Day we had the largest Meeting that we had on the Ifland. It was thought there were about two Hundred People. The Lord in his Power did make his Truth known to the Praife of his Name. Oh! how was my Soul concerned for that People! The Lord Jefus did open my Heart to them, and theirs to him: They were alfo loving and kind to us. The chief Magiftrate of the Ifland defired that I would have a Meeting at his House, there being no fettled Meeting of Friends before I came; and after Meeting he difputed about Religion with me. I thought we were both but poor Difputants; and I cannot remember all that pafs'd between us, but that in the Clofe of our Difpute, he faid, I difputed with your Friends in Barbadoes, and they told me, That we must eat the Spiritual Fleft, and drink the fpiritual Blood of Chrift: And, faid the Governor, Did ever any one hear of fuch Flesh and Blood; for

1698. is it not a Contradiction in Nature, that Fleb and Blood fhould be fpiritual? O furely, faid I, the Governor hath forgot himfelf; for what Flesh and Blood was that which Chrift faid, Except ye eat my Flesh, and drink my Blood, ye have no Life in you. Why, faid he, I don't think they were to gnaw it from bis Arms and Shoulders. Then I told him, he had answer'❜d himself. Thus our Difpute ended. [And from that Time forward they have continued a Meeting, and there is now a Meeting-house, and a Yearly Meeting for Worship, it is a growing Meeting to this Day, and several publick Friends are raised up amongst them, who preach the Gospel of Chrift freely.]

Bofton. Lynn. Salem,

Ile of
Shoals.

At this Time a Friend was convinced, whofe Name was Starbuck, who became very ferviceable, and lived and died an eminent Minifter of Chrift on that Island. Several Scores of them came and accompanied us to the Water Side; and when we embarked on board our Sloop, they defired that I would come and vifit them again. So I recommended them to the Grace of our Lord Jefus, and we parted in great Love and Tenderness. In the Evening of the next Day we got to the Main Land, where we were gladly received. Now it was in my Heart again to vifit the Eastern Parts of New-England before I left America; therefore I went to Bofton Yearlymeeting, thence to Lynn and Salem, where we had a fweet comfortable Time; likewife to the Yearly-meeting at Dover, and fo to Pifcataway, where we had feveral Meetings, which were profitable Opportunities to many. From Pifcataway, James Goodbridge and I went over to the Ifle of Shoals; we had with us a Churchmember of the Prefbyterians, whose Brother invited her over with us to the faid Ifland, to the Meeting which was at his Houfe; and while he was talking with her in the Yard or Garden, I saw a Bible, and took it, and read therein. When she came into the House she asked me, What I did with that Book? I told her, If she was offended I would lay it down. No, No, faid the,

don't