expect while in this unstable life, which is full of changes; and I strongly desired to be rightly prepared for that world which is eternal, and its joy and felicity permanent; at which blessed port, I hope in God's time, through his grace, safely to arrive. Through storms, tempests, ice and snow, we left those frozen climes, and crossed the tropic of Cancer, between which, and that of Capricorn, there is neither frost nor snow at sea, at any time of the year, and the wind always nearly one way, viz., easterly, except in hurricanes and violent storms, which sometimes occur in those parts of the world. We arrived at Bridgetown, in Barbadoes, in twenty-one days, which was the quickest passage I ever had, this being the fourth time of my coming hither, where I was always kindly received by my friends.

About this time war being declared against Spain by the king of Great Britain, proclamation thereof was made in Bridgetown, which put such a damp on trade, that there was little business, and the markets low and dull, which made my stay longer than I would have chosen. But my friends, among whom I had many opportunities, seemed rather pleased than otherwise; telling me, "That they did not care if I was to stay there always if it were my place:" and when I left Barbadoes, they gave me better credentials than I thought I deserved. A friend of mine giving me intelligence that the market was better at Antigua than at Barbadoes, I despatched my affairs and took part of our cargo there, and was kindly received by our friends. We were about three days on our passage, and had fine weather. At Antigua I had several meetings: my business at no time hindered me in my more weighty service; for I always, through divine help, made that give way to my religious duty, in which I ever found peace and inward satisfaction. In about five weeks I finished my business in this island, having no small satisfaction in coming to it; and our vessel being now loaded, we took our solemn leave, and with the good wishes of many, departed for England.

for the meat which perisheth, but for that
which endureth for ever, or to eternal life:
by which we do not understand, that Chris-
tians must neglect their necessary occasions,
and their outward trades and callings; but
that their chief labour and greatest concern,
ought to be for their future well-being in his
glorious kingdom. Why did our Lord say
to his disciples, Children, have you any meat?
and when they answered, no, bid them cast
their nets into the sea, and they drew to land
a net full of great fishes? Fishing being their
trade, no doubt but they sold them, for it was
not likely that they could eat them all them-
selves. Also the apostle of Christ says, He
that doth not take care of his family, is worse
than an infidel: and the apostle Paul, the great
apostle of the gentiles, wrought with his hands,
even while he was on his travels in the work
of the gospel; and others tasted of the benefit
of his labour naturally, as well as spiritually.
It is also written, he that will not work, shall
not eat. By this, and much more, which might
be noted, it appears that we not only have
liberty to labour in moderation, but we are
given to understand, that it is our duty so to
do. The farmer, the tradesman, and the mer-
chant, do not understand by our Lord's doc-
trine, that they must neglect their calling, or
grow idle in their business, but must certainly
work, and be industrious in their callings. We
all ought to understand, that our hearts and
minds ought to be out of the world, or above
the nature and spirit of it. It is good and
profitable for both soul and body, rightly to
distinguish between earthly and heavenly.
things, and to be careful how we mix the one
with the other; for it is an eternal truth, that
God and mammon cannot dwell together, or
join together in the heart. If our love is more
to God than the creature, or to heaven than
earth, then will he dwell in us, and with us:
but if our love is more to the creature than to
Christ, or to earth than heaven, then will he
not dwell with us, but will leave us to our-
selves; for the Lord Omnipotent will not ad-
mit of any rival.

On the 11th of the fourth month, 1719, we Our friends there signified to their brethren, left Antigua, stood close to the wind till we that they were glad of my company, and that again crossed the tropic, and got into those I was serviceable to them, though I came upon latitudes where the winds are variable. Sailbusiness. My hand, when need required, was ing in the great deep, we saw the wonders of to my business, but my heart was, and I hope the Lord, particularly in divers kinds of fish, is, and ever shall be, freely given up to serve they living upon one another in the sea, the the Lord, in that work whereunto I believe great fishes on the small ones; and mankind he has called me. We have liberty from too much resemble them in that respect. About God and his dear Son, lawfully, and for ac- the latitude of thirty-three degrees north, our commodation's sake, to work or seek for food and raiment; though that ought to be a work of indifferency, compared to the great work of salvation. Our Saviour saith, Labour not

master, Warner Holt, seeing a school of porpoises about the ship, took his harping-iron and struck one of them, out of which we got eleven quart bottles of oil; and most of us

eat heartily of this fish, which agreed with and sugars, of our sea-stores, for French wine our people very well. They fried the liver and cider, and some of our provisions for their for our mess, of which I eat, it was well fish. The captain was a Protestant, and very tasted, and more like fresh beef than fish. I make this memorandum, that if any should take them when their provisions are scarce, they may eat freely without danger, according to our experience. When we had been at sea about three weeks, being near the latitude of forty degrees north, and about the longitude of forty-two, though it was in the midst of summer, we saw an island of ice, at which we all marvelled, and judged that there had been a severely cold winter in those latitudes on the land of America. When we saw this island of ice we judged ourselves not far from the banks of Newfoundland. Hitherto we had easy gales of wind and many calms, which made our passage seem long to us. We saw two sail of ships about those latitudes, but spoke with neither, being willing to shun them, as it was war time.

We had in this voyage, weekly meetings for worshipping the Almighty, in which the great Lord both of sea and land, was pleased to manifest his name and truth amongst us, for which my soul often secretly and openly blessed and praised his divine and glorious name and truth; for he bore up my drooping spirit, so that I could truly say with the royal psalmist, not because he spoke it only, but also from being an experimental witness thereof; "The floods have lifted up, Oh! Lord, the floods have lifted up their voice: the floods lift up their waves. The Lord on high is mightier than the noise of many waters, yea, than the mighty waves of the sea."

courteous to us: the regent of France at this time being kind to the Protestants, so that they increased much in that kingdom. The Frenchman seeming desirous to know what religion I was of, I told him by an interpreter, that I was one called a Quaker, or trembler, and that our principle was to do good to all men, and not to hurt any man, according to Christ's doctrine, not to render evil for evil, but to overcome evil with good. When they went away and took leave of us, they desired me to pray for them, the which I remembered with tenderness of spirit. Having but little wind, we kept company for several days; but the wind springing fair, we wished them well, and went on our way, our vessel out-sailing most we met with; and a few days after we met with a New-England ship, which came out six days before us from Antigua. We were then in latitude about fifty degrees north, and twenty-nine and a half longitude from the Land's-end of Great Britain. The 30th day of the fifth month, we sounded, and found ground at twenty-eight fathom, and on the 1st day of the sixth month, we saw the Land'send of England, all our company being in health, and well; for which my heart was truly thankful, to that great and infinite Being, whose providence is over us poor mortals in all parts of the world, and who reigns over sea and land, and is worthy of adoration, worship, service, and living praise for ever! In a few days we came into the English channel, and while going up, there came one of the king's yatchts, and pressed most of our men; taking from us our best hands and carrying them on board a man of war; after which we came to anchor at Folkstone, where I left the vessel, and got a horse to Dover, and there took coach to London. In the coach were some persons who began to talk about the Quakers, and spoke against their plain way of living and clothing, and said, did not understand their unfashionable way of conversation; neither was it the way to gain proselytes." Upon which I asked them, whether they understood Paul, the great apostle of the gentiles, who said, Be ye not conAbout the 11th of the fifth month, we saw formed to this world, i. e., the fashions of it, great flocks of birds, which we judged came for this reason, the world and the fashions from the Azores, or Western Islands, near thereof, pass away; which is a great truth. which we reckoned ourselves to be. The We plainly see how fickle and changeable the 21st day we saw, and came up with a French world is in its vain fashions and customs, and ship, which had been fishing on the banks of to follow it in all its foolish cuts and turns, or Newfoundland, and was bound for Havre-de- changes, must make a man or woman very Grace, in France, the master of which came on board of us, and our captain went on board of them. We exchanged some rum

This the king wrote of his own experience in a spiritual sense; but I may say, without boasting, I have witnessed the rage and noise of mighty waves and waters, both natural and spiritual; the one, as though it would swallow up my reputation among men, and the other, as though it would swallow up my person in this voyage; but blessed be the name of Him who is holy and eternal, who indeed is stronger than the noise of many waters, or than the mighty waves of the sea, either inwardly or outwardly, I will through his strength, magnify his name, because he is worthy and may I do it for ever!

"they

foppish and apish. I told them that our religion was agreeable to the holy Scriptures, which, if they did not understand, neither

We arrived at Philadelphia the 1st of the second month, 1720; after which I staid about home for some time, and was not idle, but kept to my business, and to meetings, and having a desire to see Friends in the province of Maryland, at their general meeting at West river, I was accompanied by Isaac Norris and Thomas Masters, both sober young men. It had been a time of much rain, and the waters being high, going over a ford of Brandywine, my mare got among the rocks, it being a very rocky creek, and fell down. The stream being very strong, she rolled upon me, and being entangled with the stirrup, I could not easily clear myself, but I gave a spring, and swam from her. When I was clear I got to her again, and laid hold of her mane, and through the good providence of God, got well out on dry land, which was a remarkable deliverance.

could they understand us; for the doctrine of dear wife and family, which I gratefully acChrist and his apostles, was generally very knowledged as a high favour from the hand plain therein; and the doctrine in Christ's of the Almighty. excellent sermon on the mount, is clear to very low or mean capacities. They discoursed no more of religion till we came to London. Here I met once more my loving and aged father, a man fearing God, and having a gift of the ministry of the gospel of Christ, and well beloved of his friends and neighbours, who, with others of my near and dear relations and friends, received me gladly. After some months stay among my relations and friends in London, we sold our vessel, the Snow Hope, and bought a ship, which we called the Trine Hope, Warner Holt, master; and when I had done my business, I sailed in her for Pennsylvania. We had meetings on board the vessel twice a week, in which the Almighty was pleased to favour us with his good presence. Sobriety, and the fear of God, and faith in his beloved Son, Christ, were often recommended to the youth on board the vessel with us, of whom there were several going to America, in order to settle there. At one meeting I was tenderly concerned to remind them of Jacob, who in his youth, left his country and relations to sojourn in a strange land, and how in that undertaking, he sought the Lord and his blessing, more than any outward thing; and that he was greatly blessed with many favours from heaven above, and also of the earth beneath, and they were advised to take him for their example. Many other things were tenderly opened to them in the love of God, and in his fear and counsel they were exhorted from time to time.

It being winter time, we sailed to the southward, and got into warm weather, and were on our passage seven weeks and some days, in which time we saw several vessels, and spoke one, whose people said they were chased by a Turk, but got from him, at which they greatly rejoiced. We apprehended it was our ship that they saw over night, for we saw a sail that crowded from us as fast as she could, and it being near night, we shortened sail, and she left us. In the morning we came up with her, and being pretty near, they and we put out our colours, and being both Englishmen, we spoke to each other, and were glad to meet with some of our own nation upon the great ocean; but our vessel sailing best, we took our leave of them, wishing them a good voyage. We met with rough seas and high winds in the latter part of our passage, till we came to the capes of Delaware, which we all rejoiced to see; and had a pleasant passage up the bay and river to Philadelphia, where I had once more a comfortable meeting with my

In three days we got to West river, to the yearly meeting, which was large, and Friends were glad to see me, I having not been there for several years. I was out on this journey about two weeks, and rode about three hundred miles: and after coming home, I travelled much in the provinces of Pennsylvania and New-Jersey.

In the year 1721, Thomas Lightfoot and I, with William Brown, went to a meeting at Bush river, and going over Susquehanna ferry, the people were fiddling and dancing. When the dance was over, I asked them, believing them to be Protestants, if they thought Luther to be a good man? They replied, "Yes, there was no doubt of it." Well, said I, and so do I; and I will tell you what he says concerning dancing, "That as many paces as a man takes in his dance, so many steps he takes towards hell;" which spoiled their sport, and they went away, and we went on ours towards the meeting; and a good meeting it was. After it we returned by way of Nottingham, and had a meeting there, and one at New-Garden, and so on to Philadelphia. was from home about a week, and travelled in this journey about one hundred and fifty miles, and was well satisfied therein.

I

From Philadelphia I went to the general meeting at Shrewsbury, in East Jersey, where I heard of J. G.'s being wounded by a young man, with a sword, of which he died, lamenting that he did not take the counsel of his friends; as young men who slight the counsel of those that wish them well, commonly do, either sooner or later, if the day of their visitation be not over. Some few days after this meeting at Shrewsbury, I visited Friends on Long island, and returned home again, having

travelled about three hundred miles. During trembled exceedingly, as though astonished at my stay at and about home, I wrote some- such treason against its Sovereign and Creathing concerning Perfection, in answer to a tor, whose footstool it is. When the earth nameless author; also something concerning thus moved, the company which remained Predestination, or Election and Reprobation. were so astonished, that some run one way In the year 1722, I went back in the woods and some another, but these two atheistical to Buckingham, the Great Swamp, Perkio- young men staid in the room, and Jonathan ming, Manatawny, and Oley, where I had with them, he believing that the providence meetings, travelling over mountains, from of Almighty God could preserve him there, if which we could see many miles. After stay- he pleased, and if not, that it was in vain to ing some time at home and visiting neigh-fly. But the hand of God smote these two bouring meetings, I went to the yearly meet- young men, so that they fell down; and as ing of Friends on Long island, which was Jonathan told me, he laid one on a bed, and very large, many people, not of our persua- the other on a couch, and they never spoke sion, being there, who were very sober. Many things were opened in the love of Christ, and his great love was largely declared to the congregation. The parable concerning the prodigal son, came before me to speak of in a very moving manner, and strongly to invite the youth to lay hold of the love of the Father in his Son, to poor souls: and indeed it is a wonderful parable, setting forth the infinite love of the great Lord of all, to his poor creatures. Many were affected and reached at this meeting, and the Almighty was praised and glorified, who alone is worthy.

I had a meeting at New-York, and then set forward to Woodbridge, where we had a comfortable meeting. Naaman, the Assyrian, was the subject of that day's work; and that any thing, loved and esteemed more than Christ, whatever it be, is to be avoided, and the people were warned to be careful to keep close to the God of spiritual Israel, and to give up all which is contrary to his nature, and to take up Christ's cross, and follow him; for it is those who follow him in the regeneration, that are to be heirs of his kingdom.

In this year I was at the burial of our friend Jonathan Dickinson, at which we had a very large meeting; he being a man generally well beloved by his friends and neighbours. In the meeting held on the occasion, a passage which he had often told me in his health, was brought to my remembrance, and I think it worthy to be recorded, which is as follows: "It happened at Port Royal, in Jamaica, that two young men were at dinner with Jonathan, and several other people of account in the world, and they were speaking about earthquakes, there having been one in that place formerly, which was very dreadful, and destroyed many houses and families. These two young men argued that earthquakes and all other things, came by nature, and denied a supernatural power, or deity, insomuch that some persons, surprised at such wicked discourse, and ashamed of their company, left it. At the same time the earth shook and

more, but died soon after. This was the amazing end of these young men." A dreadful example to all atheists, and dissolute and wicked livers. Oh! that young people might be warned, that the hand of God might be upon them for good, and that they would be tenderly concerned for their salvation!

On the 30th of the fourth month, 1723, my tenth child, named Thomas, died about midnight, having before buried nine. It was some exercise to me thus to bury my children one after another; but this reflection a little mitigated my sorrow, viz., I knew that if I could have all things relating to them according to my desire, could I see them grow up to be sober men and women, well married, have a competency in the world, &c., yet it was safer and better for them, and they more out of danger, to be taken away in their infancy and innocency. I fervently begged the Almighty, that he would be pleased to take them away while innocent, rather than that they should live to be vicious or unrighteous men and women, and to bring scandal on the holy name of Christ, and upon our Christian profession; which considerations tended to settle and quiet my mind in my sorrowful exercise. The great Lord of all sanctify the sorrows and afflictions of his people and children, and grant them the fulfilling of that blessed portion of holy Scripture, that all things shall work together for the good of them that love and fear him: even so be it, saith my soul.

In the sixth month of this year I removed from the city into the country, to a small plantation I had at Frankford, in order to be more retired, and for health's sake, &c., finding some decline in my bodily strength, which I take to be very much owing to the severe colds and hardships I have sustained in my long and hard travels, especially in the wilderness of America. Without vanity I may say, that I always loved temperance, and have been sometimes zealously concerned to preach against intemperance; and though I cannot now take as long journies as formerly, my