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decent Conduct of fome Perfons pretending to be of 1726. our Profeffion, that a Teftimony from that Meeting fhould go forth against such disorderly Doings, and unchriftian Practices; and that all fuch Perfons, who were irregular in their Conversations, be difown'd to be of our Community, until they by Repentance manifeft their Reformation; which was accordingly foon after published, and read in our Firft-day Morningmeeting, and in our Youths-meeting. And about this Time our Governor iffued a feasonable Proclamation against Drinking to Excefs, Gaming, Swearing prophanely, Revelling, Night-walking, and Difturbing the Peace, and other Immoralities; which afforded fome Satisfaction to fober and well-inclined Friends, and others: Yet there remain'd a great Exercife and Concern upon my Mind, that fome young People, whofe Parents had been careful in training them up, were grown fo wicked, that by their extravagant Conduct, they not only difturb'd our religious Meetings, but likewife became obnoxious to the peaceable Government we live under.

In the Ninth Month I was at divers Meetings, at Merion. Merion, German-town, Fair-bill, Abington, and Phila- Germandelphia; in which were several Marriages folemnized town, &c. in a religious Manner. And in the Tenth Month, I went into the County of Salem, about my Affairs: It happened to be at the Time of the Quarterly-meeting for Salem and Gloucester Counties; but I did not know of it, until I came to Salem, where Friends were glad Salem, to see me, as alfo I was to fee them; there were fome of us whofe Hearts were knit and united together as Jonathan's and David's, the divine Love of God being much shed abroad in our Hearts at that Meeting: When it was over, and I had finished my Business, I could not be clear in my Mind, without having fome Meetings in the faid Counties of Salem and Gloucester; and tho it was a fickly Time, and People died pretty much in those Parts where we were going, James Lord O

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1726. and I, in the Love of Chrift, visited the Meetings at Alloway's Creek, Cobanfy, Pile's Grove, Woodberry, Newton, and Haddonfield, having Meetings every Day &c. in the Week, except the laft, and fometimes riding near twenty Miles after Meeting, the Days being at the shortest, and the Weather very cold; but the Lord was with us, which made lufficient Amends for all the bodily Hardships we met with.

I got Home well, but weary; and was well and joyfully received by my loving Spouse, Children, and Servants; and I was truly thankful to the Moft High for his Prefence and Goodness continued to me; fo that, though I perceived my bodily Strength to decline apace, my Sight, Hearing, and Voice, failing much, I have Occafion to believe, at Times I was helped even beyond Nature in the Work of Chrift, my dear Lord and Master.

The 27th of the Tenth Month, I heard the News of the Death of my dear Friend John Lee (by one fent to defire my Company at his Burial.) It affected me with Sorrow, he being an old Acquaintance, and inward Friend of mine, with whom I had travelled many Miles: He was a living, ferviceable Minifter of the Gospel of Chrift, and inftrumental to convince divers of that Principle of divine Light and Truth, which we profefs. I could not be at his Burial, becaufe of my Indifpofition, and the Unfeasonableness of the Weather; yet I think it my Duty, to say this concerning him; That our Love and Friendship was conftant and intire unto the End, having been acquainted about thirty-five Years, as near as I can remember.

In the Eleventh Month, as I was meditating in my Closet, on the Duty and Beauty of that great Virtue of Temperance, it appeared very bright to the View of my Mind, and the great Benefit of it to those who loved and lived in it: ft. As to Religion, it tends to keep the Mind in an even Temper, which is a Help to Devotion, and the Practice of religious Duties.

edly. It is a great Prefervative to Health and a good 1726. Conftitution. 3dly. It is a Bleffing to Pofterity, in many Confiderations. Whereas Intemperance destroys the Health, ftains the Reputation, hurts Pofterity, (in Respect to a healthy Conftitution of Body, and Eftate) ruins many Families, brings to Poverty and Difgrace, and what is yet worfe of all, is a great Lett to Religion and the true Fear of God, and is a great Scandal to any who make Profeffion of the Christian Religion.

In this Month I accompanied William Piggot (who lately arrived from London, on a religious Vifit to the Meetings of Friends in America.) From Philadelphia we went to my Houfe at Frankfort, and from thence to North Wales, and had two large fatisfactory Meetings on the First day; next Day we were at the Month North ly-meeting at Abington, the Third-day at Frankfort, Frankfort. and Fourth-day at German town, Fifth-day I went to Abington. Philadelphia Week-day-meeting, and the faid Friend to Abington General-meeting, and a few Days after we met again at the Quarterly-meeting of Minifters and Elders at Philadelphia.

The 8th of the Twelfth Month was our Youthsmeeting at Frankfort; many dying about this Time, I was concerned in the Meeting to put Friends in mind of their Mortality; and that I had told Friends lately, at their Meetings at Abington and Philadelphia, That as I was riding from my Houfe to Philadelphia, about a Mile from the City, I faw (in the Vision of Life) the Hand of the Lord stretched over the City and Province, with a Rod in it, in order to correct the Inhabitants for their Sins and Iniquities; which Sight affected my Mind greatly, and altho' I did not hear any vocal Voice, nor fee any visible Hand, yet it was as plainly revealed to me as tho' I had: And that notwithstanding I understood fome flighted that Teftimony, yet I observed to them, that fince that Time, more People were taken away than common, as they

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Wales.

German

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1726. now might fee; and indeed that inward Sight and Senfe I had of the Displeasure of God for the Sins of the Times, made great Impreffion on my Mind; and that no Flefh might glory, the Lord took, from the Evil to come, feveral fober, well-inclined young People, as well as divers whofe Lives and Converfations were evil and vicious; fo that all had need to be warned to be watchful, and turn to the Lord, left he come at unawares, and call us fuddenly out of the World unprepared. In the Twelfth and First Months many died, of all Ages and Profeffions; and now fome, who would hardly give Credit to what I had delivered in feveral Meetings, began to fee the Fulfilling of it, and great Talk there was about it: And many folid and large Meetings we had with the People at divers Funerals about this Time, exhorting the People not to flight the prefent Vifitation of the Almighty, and to prepare for Eternity, to meet the Judge of the Quick and the Dead, who ftands at the Door. And among many that were taken away by Death, were fome few of my particular Friends; and firft, dear Hannah Hill, who was a bright Example of Piety and Charity, fhe was like a nurfing Mother to me in my Afflictions, as was her Hufband more like a Brother than one not related, whofe generous Entertainment I may never forget at Times. Thomas Griffith, and Elizabeth his Wife, died alfo about this Time: Thomas was a ferviceable Man, and well esteemed in our Society; and his Wife a noted Woman for being helpful to, and vifiting the Sick: She chofe the Houfe of Mourning, rather than the House of Mirth. These were worthy Antients, who made peaceable and good Ends, and to whom may be properly applied that remarkable Text of Scripture; 1727. Mark the Upright, and behold the Juft, for the End of that Man is Peace.

A Voyage to Barha.

In the Second Month 1727, I proceeded on a does on Ac Voyage to Barbadois, on Account of Business, for the

count of

Trade,

Support

Support of my Family, and in order to discharge my 1727. juft Debts, which were occafioned by great Loffes by Sea and Land. Many of my Friends were kind to me, and fent a Cargo of Goods, in the Sloop John, Anthony Peel Mafter, configned to me for Sales and Returns. When the Veffel was loaded, fhe proceeded down the River, and I went by Land to Salem, and was at Meeting there on First-day, and on Third-day went aboard the Sloop at Elfenborough: On the 8th of the Second Month we took in our Boat and Anchors, and proceeded to Sea. From Elfenborough and the. Capes I wrote to my Wife, giving her an Account how it was with me, and encouraged her to bear my Abfence with Patience: It was indeed very hard for us to part.

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I may not omit taking Notice of an Exercife which I felt one Night as I lay on my Bed in Philadelphia (on the 21ft of the First Month, my Sleep being taken from me) which I recollected and wrote down on board the aforefaid Veffel, and was in this Manner, viz.

That the Lord was angry with the People of Philadelphia and Penfylvania, becaufe of the great, • Sins and Wickedness which were committed by the Inhabitants, in Publick Houles, and elsewhere : and that the Lord was angry with the Magistrates alfo, because they ufe not their Power as they mightj do, in order to fupprefs Wickedness; and do not, fo much as they ought, put the Laws already made in Execution against Prophaneness and Immorality: And the Lord is angry with the Representatives of the People of the Land, because they take not fo much Care to fupprefs Vice and Wickedness, and ⚫ wicked Houses, in which our Youth are grofsly corrupted, as they ought to do: And alfo the Lord is angry with many of the better Sort of the People, because they seek after and love the Things of this 'World, more than the Things of his Kingdom:

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