had a Meeting, at which were feveral that had never 1737. been at any of our Meetings before, who went away well fatisfied. From thence I went to Salem Monthly- Salem. meeting, which was very large, and thence to Cobanfy Cohanfy. to the Third-day Meeting, and ftaid till next Firft-day Meeting, which (though fmall, by reafon of rainy, ftormy Weather) was a very precious Meeting. After I negotiated fome Affairs at Cobanfy, I returned to Salem, where I met with my Fellow-traveller Salem: Elijah Collins, of Boston, with whom I went on to Philadelphia, and from thence home, having much Satisfaction in this Journey, in which I had nine Meet- Philadel ings, and travelled about 150 Miles. I cannot be phia. Frankfort. clear in my Mind without faying, that I did not, nor do not study what I preach to the People, nor did I, or do I receive any Pay or natural Confideration for Preaching, it being, as I really believe, contrary to the Doctrine of Chrift, and his Apoftles and Difciples. This Fall I vifited feveral of the Meetings of Friends in Bucks County, and the Meetings in and about home, as at Frankfort, Philadelphia, Abington, Byberry and Pensylvania German-town. In the Ninth Month I was appointed, with feveral other Friends, by our Monthly-meeting, to vifit the Families of Friends in Philadelphia; my Lot was to vifit the upper Part of the City, in Company with Phebe Morris, Hannah Parrock, and Daniel Stanton; in which Service we were of one Heart and Mind, and we performed the faid Service in pure Selfdenial, and in the Crofs of our holy Lord Jefus Chrift; and wonderful it was, how the Prefence and Goodnefs of God went with us from Houfe to Houfe, and opened the States and Conditions of the Families to us, to the tendering of many Hearts, both of Parents, and of their Children. We vifited about forty Families of our Friends, and the Winter fetting in, and fbeing but weakly, having had a fharp Spell of the Fever, we, by Confent, were willing to defer the Conclufion of this Work, until longer Days, and warmer Weather. 1737. In this Month I was fent to, in order to be at the Burial of the Wife of Richard Smith, junior; She was Burlington, a virtuous Woman, and well beloved, at whofe Fu Mount neral were many of her Neighbours and Friends: It was a very folemn Time, in which Meeting, it was defired that those who had loft their Parents would live fo, that they might not be a Difhonour to them; for it was obferved of fome Children, after their Parents were deid, they grew worse than when they were alive, taking undue Liberties, which their Fathers and Mothers could not have allowed of, which was a fore Grief, and Trouble to their Friends, and such as wished them well; therefore they were exhorted not to do that now, when their Parents were dead, which they would not have done, if they were living, which would be heavy on them, and tend to bring a Blaft on them in this World; and they were defired to confider, how they would anfwer it in the World to come. It was alfo obferved, that sometimes the Death of Parents had a good Effect on divers fober young People, they being thereby led more feriously to think on their own Mortality, and to confider the great Lofs of their careful and religious Fathers and Mothers, and the good Example and Counfel they gave them. This Meeting concluded with a folid weighty Frame of Mind in many. From Burlington I went to Mount-Holly, had a large Meeting at the Meeting-house, and another in the Evening at Mount-Holly Town, at the House of Thomas Shinn; both which were open Meetings, and divers People, not of our Profeffion, were there, who were well fatisfied therewith. From Mount-Holly I Efham, went to Evesham and Chefter, as alfo to Haddonfield, at Haddon- all which Places I had large Meetings, and then I went back again to Burlington, and was at their Fifth-day Meeting. From Burlington I went with Richard Smith, Caleb Raper, and Jonathan Wright, to visit a Friend who was fick, after which the faid Friends accompanied me to the Ferry; after I was over the Ferry I Frankfort. rode home, where I found my Family well, for which I was &c. field. Burlington. I was thankful. In the fore Part of the Tenth Month 1737. our worthy Friend, John Fothergill, failed in the Brigantine Jofeph, Ralph Loftus Mafter, for Barbadoes, he having made a third Vifit to America from Europe on a religious Account. His Vifit was acceptable and serviceable, and we parted in great Love and Tendernefs; the Night before, about the eleventh Hour was an Earthquake, which was the greatest known in this Province, the whole City of Philadelphia being fhaken, and moft Part of the adjacent Provinces, though little or no Damage done thereby, which fhews the abundant Mercy of a merciful God; as alfo, if it were the Pleasure of his Will, how foon he can lay Cities and Countries wafte and defolate, and bury Thoufands in a Moment; but notwithstanding the mighty Power of the eternal Jehovah, Oh how hard are the Peoples Hearts, and how they hate to be reformed, and how unconcerned are the Inhabitants of the Land about their eternal Peace and Well-being! This is really lamentable: Oh! how do Earthly-mindednefs, Pride, Covetoufnefs, and Drunkennefs, abound, with many other Evils, which were fcarcely known amongst the firft Settlers of this peaceful, and now plentiful Land of Penfylvania. The 26th of the Twelfth Month (being the first Day of the Week) was buried at Merion, Edward Jones, aged about Ninety-two Years, he was one of the first Settlers of Penfylvania, and was a Man much given to Hofpitality, a Lover of good and virtuous People, and was likewife beloved by them. There were many Hundreds of People at his Funeral. I had a Concern to be at this Meeting before I left my Place at Frankfort, and before I heard of this Friend's Deceafe. The Beginning of the First Month (being the fifth of the Week) I was fent to, in order to be at the Burial of Hannah, the Wife of John Mickle, at Newtown in West-Jersey: My Kinfman, Daniel Stanton, was with me at this Burial: It was a folid, Heart-melting U 4 Time, Merion. 737 Time, my Heart was broken into Tenderness with many others. This deceafed Friend was much beloved by her Friends and Neighbours, and there was much Mourning among her Relations at her Grave, among whom he will be greatly miffed. The People were defired earneftly to prepare for their latter End, and final Change, and that, as we had all Reafon to hope it was well with our deceafed Friend, we might likewife have a well grounded Hope that it would be well with ourselves, when we came to put off our Mortality, and put on Immortality. The Meeting ended with fervent Supplication for our future Welldoing and Well-being both here and hereafter, and Praife to the moft High, who is alone worthy for Philadel phia. ever more. As foon as I returned to Philadelphia, on the Sixthday of the Week I heard of the Death of Jofeph Kirkbride, at Ifrael Pemberton's, who told me, I was defired to be at his Burial. He, his Son, and William Logan, accompanied me as far as Samuel Bunting's that Afternoon, with which Journey I was exceedingly tired, sọ that I could hardly ftand or go when I alighted off my Horfe, but being refreshed with a good Night's Reft, I went in the Morning to the Houfe of my decea fed Friend. There was a Multitude of People at the Burial, among whom we had a good Opportunity to invite them to lay hold of Truth and Righteousness, and prepare for another World. They were reminded, that neither natural Wisdom, nor Riches, Youth nor Strength, Crowns nor Scepters, would, nor could fecure them from the Stroke of Death. Robert Jordan I was at this Meeting, and had good Service therein; it concluded in Supplication for the Widow and Fatherlefs, and for Mankind univerfally. Firft-day being Middleton, the fourth of the First Month, I was at Middleton Meeting, in Company with Thomas Brown, wherein the Divinity of Chrift, and his being made Flefh, born of a Virgin, crucified, dead and buried, and his being raised from from the Dead by the divine Power, was largely opened 1737. to the People, and that the fame Power must be wit-U neffed to reform our Lives, and give us the true faving Faith and Knowledge of God the Father, and Chrift the Son, and of the holy Ghoft. Wales. This Month, at our General Sping-meeting, I acquainted Friends, that I had a Defire once more to fee my Friends in Virginia, Maryland, and North-Carolina, if Health and Strength did permit, and divine Providence favoured, I not having yet fully recover'd my former Health and Strength, to which the Meeting confented. The latter End of the Firft Month I was at the Bu1738. rial of Robert Evan, of North-Wales; he was upwards. of Fourfcore Years of Age, and one of the firft Settlers Norththere. A Man who lived and died in the Love of God and his Neighbours, of whom, I believe it might be truly faid, as our Saviour faid of Nathaneal; Behold an Ifraelite indeed, in whom there is no Guile. He was a Minister of Chrift, full of divine and religious Matfer. In this Month I was at Fairhill, at a Meeting appointed for Ruth Courtney, and Sufannab Hudson, who were on a religious Vifit from Ireland, to Friends in this and the adjacent Provinces; it was a good Meeting, the Friends fpeaking to the State thereof. The Beginning of the Second Month, I went over Delaware, and fo to Cobanfy, intending home before Cohanfy. I set out for my Journey to the Southward; but my Affairs not answering to come home, and afterwards to reach the Yearly-meeting of Friends at West River, the which I proposed to our General-meeting; I now wrote to my Wife and Family, that I intended to proceed to West-River Meeting, it saving me much Time and Riding, and after having been at feveral Meetings at Cobanfy, and at the Yearly-meeting at Salem, Salem, &c. and at a Meeting at Piles-Grove; being accompanied by a Friend of Salem, I proceeded and went over Delaware River, and firft had a Meeting at George's Creek, and from thence to the Head of Safjafras River, where Sagafras we |