science void of offence towards God and to all men, which now was his comfort." The hard weather continuing, I found a concern on my mind to visit Friends' meetings in the county of Bucks, in Pennsylvania, and the county of Burlington, in West Jersey; and was at above twenty meetings in about twenty days. In this journey I was favoured with the grace and goodness of the divine hand to a greater degree than I was worthy of, though I was sometimes exceedingly poor in my spirit, and in my own judgment, very weak for service and labour, both in body and mind; our meetings, considering the severe season, were large, and I hope they were to general edification. On the 25th of the tenth month, being the reputed birth-day of our Lord Jesus Christ, at a little town near the Falls, called Bordentown, we had a meeting, where none had been held before by Friends, in one of the houses newly built by Joseph Borden, the proprietor of the place he entertained us lovingly at his house, and generously offered ground for a grave yard, and to build a meeting house on, and a handsome sum of money towards building it, though he did not make profession with our Society. Some that were at this meeting, who did not profess with us, came over the creek on the ice to Isaac Horner's, in the evening, where we had a satisfactory meeting, in which God through Christ, was glorified. Daniel Stanton, my wife's sister's son, accompanied me in this journey, whose company and ministry were acceptable, both to me and friends, and we had meetings at the Falls, Bristol, Middletown, Wright's-town, Bordentown, Crosswicks, Mansfield, Upper and Lower Springfield, Mount Holly, Rancocas, Evesham and Chester, and divers evening meetings at several Friends' houses. It being a sickly time, I was often sent for to visit the sick, in which visits we were comforted, and God's holy name was praised. On the 18th of the eleventh month I was sent for to Bristol, to visit Ennion Williams, who was dangerously ill, and to Burlington, to the burial of Elizabeth, the wife of Jonathan Wright, who was buried from the great meeting house. The meeting was very large, she being well beloved by her neighbours and acquaintance, being a woman much given to hospitality, and indeed many of the Friends of Burlington, have exceeded in that respect, the most that I have ever observed in my travels. She was a pattern of piety, a loving, obliging wife, and tender, careful mother, a kind neighbour, a loving and faithful friend, and so continued to the end; some of her dying words were, that she desired her love might be remembered to all her friends, which was done openly in the said meeting, and tenderly af fected many. After I came home I was at the marriage of William Parker and Elizabeth Gilbert, at which marriage was our worthy, ancient friend, John Richardson, with divers other European Friends. The meeting was large and edifying. The river still continuing frozen up, I had a desire to visit my friends and brethren in Chester county, whom I had not seen for some years; and in order thereto, in the beginning of the twelfth month, I with my kinsman, Daniel Stanton, set out from Philadel phia, and went to Newtown, where we had a meeting next day, being the first of the week, and afterwards an evening meeting at Evan Lewis's. From thence we went to the monthly meeting at Providence, on third-day to Middletown, fourth-day to Concord, fifth-day to Birmingham, sixth-day to London Grove; after which we had an evening meeting at a widow's house; from thence we travelled on seventh-day to Nottingham, and were at a large meeting there on first-day, and had an evening meeting at a Friend's house, where some persons came, who had never been at a meeting of Friends before. On second-day we had a meeting at Susquehanna ferry, to which divers people came over the ice, and it was a good opportunity to many of them. Third-day we had a large meeting at West Nottingham, and in the evening at William Brown's, and next we had a large meeting at New Garden, and at Michael Lightfoot's house we met with two Friends from Ireland, Mungo Bewley and Samuel Stephens, who were now proceeding on their religious visit to Friends in Maryland, Virginia, and North Carolina. From thence I went to visit my old friend and acquaintance, Ellis Lewis, who had a desire to see me; and we had an evening meeting in his chamber, to our mutual comfort and refreshment. Next day had a very large meeting in the meeting house at Kennet; after which we went to Concord to the quarterly meeting for the county of Chester, and were at three meetings there, and likewise had three evening meetings at Friends' houses; at which meetings we had the company of my kinswoman Alice Alderson, and her companion Margaret Coupland, who were lately come from the north of England, to visit Friends in this and the adjacent provinces. We went on third-day to the general meeting at Providence, which was very large; Joshua Fielding and Ebenezer Large were there; and we had an evening meeting at Rebecca Minshall's; and next went to Chichester, where we had a larger meeting than I expected, considering the season; we lodged at John Salkeld's. On fifth-day we had a good, open meeting at Chester, and in the evening, another at Grace Lloyd's; next day had a meeting at Springfield, which I believe will be remembered by some that were there, when we do not see one another; afterwards we travelled to Philadelphia. In the year 1732, arrived Thomas Penn, one of the proprietors of Pennsylvania, and son of the truly honourable William Penn, governor and proprietor of this province. A wise man, a good Christian, and a mild governor: a great promoter of piety and virtue, and of good men. May this his son walk in his steps! left sight of our Capes on the 31st. The winds were for the most part contrary, and before we got into the trade wind, we met with two hard gales; the last of which was a kind of hurricane, in which we could carry no sail at all, but let the vessel lie to the mercy of the seas, or rather to the mercy of Him who made the seas and all that is therein, and in the earth also. In this storm we lost a square topmast, and divers other things belonging to the vessel; but all our people were well and safe. This voyage we had several comfortable religious meetings on board, in which we were exhorted to prepare for another and better world, this being so very uncertain and momentary, and full of various exercises, temptations and afflictions. I had on board three Whitehaven sailors, William Towerson, William Trimble and William Atkinson, and I do not remember that I heard any of them swear an oath during the whole voyage, which I thought worthy to stand on record, because it is so rare in seafaring men. About the beginning of the eighth month, being in the latitude of Barbadoes, the thoughts of leaving my family and habitation, and many of my loving relations and near and dear friends, as at divers other times also, made me pensive and sorrowful; but it being on a principle of justice, and sometimes meet In the first month was our general spring meeting, at which were several public Friends from England, viz: John Richardson, Alice Alderson and Margaret Coupland. The meeting was large and edifying, the said Friends having service therein to general satisfaction. The 2nd of the second month I proceeded on a voyage to Barbadoes, it being the first in the Snow Barbadoes packet, a vessel built on purpose for me. We got to the Capes on the evening of the 20th of the second month, and were obliged to come to anchor. On the 21st we put out to sea, but the wind being against us, and looking like windy weather, I concluded to come to under our Cape, and waiting with the presence and goodness of God, I for a fair wind: as soon as our Snow came to, we got our boat out and went to Lewistown; and next day being first-day, had a meeting in the court house; the people were glad of a meeting, and I had a good opportunity with them. After meeting I went on board and weighed anchor, and had a fair wind for above a week. Near the latitude of Bermuda, we had smart gales of wind, which obliged us to carry our topsail double reefed; and after having been at sea twenty-seven days and one night, in which time we had several meetings, we saw the island of Barbadoes; though for the most part we had contrary winds, yet all was well, and God blessed, who is forever worthy. was enabled to do my affairs and business, and forbore to appear sorrowful as much as I possibly could, or to be of a sad countenance in the sight of men; but to Him who knows all things, and sees in secret, I poured out my soul in all my afflictions, for he only is able to help me. I met with some who untruly censured me, as covetous of the things of this world, or to be rich; and that for the sake of these outward things, I might venture my life, until I might lose it. As to my life, it hath long been my desire to be ready to resign it, and is so still; and as to those outward things, so far as I know, my heart is clear. Food and raiment, and to be clear and even with the world, having rather to give than receive, is all the grandeur I desire; and if that be not granted, I hope to be contented without it, and to be thankful. I look upon crowns and sceptres, and all the fine things of this world, but The 20th of the fourth month, having done my business, and also visited Friends' meetings, we sailed for Philadelphia; and on the 25th, being first-day, we had a seasonable and serviceable meeting, wherein the Almighty as trifles, and diminutive, in comparison of a was worshipped and praised, and the people exhorted to sobriety and temperance. We were about twenty days from Barbadoes to Philadelphia. After having staid at home about six weeks, and visited the meetings of Friends in divers places, to mine and their satisfaction, on the 28th of the sixth month I proceeded on another voyage for the island of Barbadoes, and house and kingdom eternal in the heavens. In this voyage, as usual, I read in the holy Scriptures, and met with strong consolation therein, especially in the New Testament; I also read much in the works of that eminent judge and good Christian, Matthew Hale. On the 7th of the eighth month we arrived at Barbadoes, staid three weeks and one day, and had several religious meetings. I has from the shore and several masters of vessels came to them, the Snow having large accommodations for such an occasion; and so far as I could understand, the people were generally satisfied. tened to accomplish my affairs before winter, it being a time of the year when it is dangerous sailing on our coasts. On the 30th of the eighth month we left the island of Barbadoes, bound to Philadelphia; and on the 11th of the ninth month it pleased God to favour us with Of late times, and also in this voyage, meeta gracious opportunity to worship him; where- ing with many losses and crosses, and much in was declared to the ship's company the na- affliction and various exercises, I was ready ture and advantage of good, and the fountain to say in my heart, Lord, why am I thus from whence it flows; also the nature and dis- | afflicted, now in my declining years, since, advantage of evil; the one springing from God, thou knowest, I love thee above all things, and the other proceeding from satan, or the and that I would not willingly or knowingly devil, who is the root of all evil: and that offend thee, my great and dear Lord? It was men might be left without excuse, God hath answered, as though vocally spoken, My only sent the divine and supernatural light of his begotten and beloved Son, who never offended holy Spirit, to show to mortals what is good me, suffered much more. This word being and what is evil; in order that they might such an evident truth, I begged patience to go embrace the good and refuse the evil. through all my sufferings and afflictions, so that at last I might live with Christ in the glorious kingdom of God forever, where I might always bless and praise his holy name. The 21st of the ninth month we had a very hard gale of wind at north-west, which blew so hard that we were obliged to lay the ship to the wind; for by the violence thereof we could not carry any sail, and it was so dark that we could neither see stars nor one another, nor hear one another, without we were very near, the seas rising very high. Indeed, the long, stormy, and dark nights, were very dismal, and some of our goods got loose in the hold. In the beginning of the night, about the seventh hour, Philip Kearney, my apprentice, fell into the sea and was lost, which was a deep affliction to us. Five or six days after our arrival at this island, a vessel that came out five or six days before us, arrived, she meeting with the same boisterous weather as we did, yet we made our passage ten or eleven days sooner. Several other vessels bound to Barbadoes, put in here, through these contrary winds; and when I saw others in the like circumstances with us, I was the more thankful for being preserved safe, and so soon to this place; yet it was a considerable loss and trial not to get to Barbadoes, the island I was bound to. The 25th we saw land, and next day came | to anchor in Delaware bay. The loss of this At this island a person whose name was lad was a cause that we were not so joyful, Galloway, a man of a great estate, hearing as is usual for people to be when come to the that I kept meetings on board the vessel, shore. kindly invited me to have a meeting at his The latter end of the tenth month I went house, and said he would give notice of it to the third voyage, commander of the Barba- | divers of the gentlemen, as he called them, of does packet, from Philadelphia, bound to Bar- | the island, telling me that I should be welcome badoes: we were towed through the ice by to his house, which was much more convetwo boats from Thomas Master's wharf, and nient than the vessel. I was not very for. in two days got to Reedy island; from whence we sailed down Delaware bay, where we lay two nights, the wind being contrary, and blowing hard. We left our Capes in the night, it being dangerous lying in the bay; and after being out several days, had favourable winds and pleasant weather; but when we got into the trade wind, it blew hard and mostly against us. The first land we saw was the island of Christopher's, where we arrived in twenty days from our Capes; and the market for provisions being at that time better than any other of those islands, and the property of the vessel mostly belonging to me, and the cargo generally consigned to me, I disposed of part of it. Here being no meeting of our Society on this island, I had meetings on board the vessel in the harbour, and divers ward to accept of my friend Galloway's kind offer, being sensible of my own weakness and inward poverty, so that I made several ex. cuses to evade it; but he obviated them all. First; I asked him, "If he could bear the reproach of having a Quaker's meeting at his house ? He answered, “Yes; there are good and bad of all societies." Secondly; I asked, "If his wife would like it, or be willing that a meeting should be in the house?" He said, ، She desired it, and would be very willing." Thirdly; I asked, "If he thought he could sit in silence?" He told me, "He believed he could." I then told him, "I was obliged to him for his kind and friendly offer, and God willing, I intended to come, and tell my people of the ship's company to come also, and desired him to give notice of it;" which he did: and there was a large, satisfactory meeting. Oh! may the Almighty sanctify it to some souls, is my desire. He and his wife were very courteous to me, and invited many of his rich friends and relations. His wife's father was a judge in this island, of good repute. People of several professions were at this meeting, and many expressed their being glad of it. An attorney at law, said "He was thankful for the words he heard that day, and if I would stay with them, he would always come to our meetings." One Judge Mills was at this meeting, and very kindly invited me to his house. Some meeting me next day, said "They were sorry they were not there." The mistress of the house told some of the people, who were persons of note, "That they should remember what they had heard;" and spoke it with a religious concern, as it seemed to me. When I went to this meeting I was very poor, and in much fear, speaking with a great concern on my mind, for the people's salvation, and that God, through Christ, might be glorified. After this meeting it was as though a voice said unto me, "How dost thou know but for this cause, and for this meeting, thou art brought to this island, though against thy will?" The people told me they did not remember that there ever was a meeting of Friends before on this island. The meeting had this effect, that the people had a better opinion of our Society than they had before. The subject I spoke of was, the excellency of the gospel dispensation, above that of the law, in that it brought us to the law, went through the law, and was above the law, and so far from destroying the law, fulfilled it; for proof of which, they were referred to Christ's most excellent sermon, which he preached on the mount. From the island of Christopher's, I purposed, God willing, for Barbadoes; which I apprehended would be a troublesome voyage, it being about one hundred leagues to windward, and a strong current against us. On the 19th of the twelfth month we sailed towards Barbadoes; and the wind being ahead and blowing hard, we tarried two nights at the island of Lucia, where we took in wood and water: the people here are mostly French, and were very civil to us. The 21st we put out again to sea; but the wind and current being against us, obliged us to go into the harbour from whence we came, and tarry for an opportunity more favourable. While we were in this harbour, which is a very good one, several vessels came in on the like occasion; and a vessel that left Christopher's about three hours after us, came here three days since we did. We went out again in order to proceed to Barbadoes; but as before, the current was so strong against us, and the wind also, that we could not get forward on our way; wherefore we put back again to Christopher's, and by the way, called at Antigua, where I had an open, satisfactory meeting, for which I was truly thankful, and so were some not of our Society, of whom there were divers, and some who had not been at our meetings before. The next day we arrived again at Christopher's, and there unloaded the remainder of our cargo, though much against my mind. After having sold the most of our cargo at Basseterre, we went to Sandy point, and there sold the remainder, and took in our loading for Philadelphia. In loading our vessel, Judge Brown was my very good friend, and helpful to me therein, for which I think myself much obliged to him. While we lay here I had a meeting on board our vessel, to which came five masters of vessels. It was a good meeting, though I spoke to them in much misery and pain, having very angry, painful sores on my legs, occasioned by a fall in getting out of the boat; the seas running high through the violence of the waves, I fell across the boat, and broke both my shins very grievously. The 31st of the first month, 1734, we had another meeting on board our vessel, to which came several from other vessels, and some from the shore, among whom was a young baronet and his host, a tavern keeper, who at first behaved airily, but after some time, he was more sober, and seemed respectful at parting. I was invited to have a meeting next firstday on board the ship King George, a large vessel; the master told me his cabin was large, and would accommodate many more than mine; but we did not stay so long as till the first-day. After this meeting was over, the master of the large ship came on board, and said he was sorry he had not come sooner, so as to have had the opportunity to be at the meeting. From Christopher's we set sail for the island of Anguilla, and had a meeting at the governor's house on a first-day. We staid at Anguilla three days, and there took on board some bags of cotton on freight, and sailed from thence the 10th of the second month. The governor of this island, whose name was George Leonard, told me that he should live and die in our principles, saving that he must defend his people. But he did not consider that his defence might destroy both him and them, and that such defence was di rectly contrary to Christ's doctrine and practice. Not far from Anguilla is an island they call St. John's, the inhabitants of which are Dutch: the negroes there lately rose and took the island, killed the people, spoiled their plantations and burnt their houses. I lodged at the house of a person who went to subdue those negroes, who were too strong for him and his company, and the negroes killed divers of them, and among them killed this man's two sons, for which their mother and sisters were in bitter mourning, when I was at their house. The thoughts of the bloodshed and vast destruction, which war makes in the world, caused me to cry in my heart, "How long, Oh Lord! thou holy, just and true God, will it be till nation lift up the sword no more against nation, and the people learn war no more." When I came home from this voyage, which was the 30th of the second month, I met with the sorrowful news of the death of my only son, George, a dear youth, who was but ten years and seven days old when he died, and as he was much beloved for the sweetness of his nature and disposition, so he was greatly lamented by many who were acquainted with him. I have this account to leave concerning him, not so much that he was my son, as to excite other youths to serve and fear the Lord, and to love him above all, and that they may remember their Creator in their youthful days, that it may be well with them in this world, and when time here to them shall be no more. He was a lad much inclined to read the holy Scriptures, and other good books, especially religious ones; and was always obliging, obedient and loving to his parents, and ready and willing to do any service he could to his friends; any little services in his power he cheerfully performed, and took delight in; he was very diligent and ready to go to religious meetings, and an entire lover of religious people. In his sickness he behaved himself more like a wise man, than a youth of that age, bearing his pain and sickness with a great deal of patience. I being in another part of the world, he would gladly have seen me, but said he should never see me any more, and therefore desired his mother to remember his dear love to his father, and tell him he was gone to his heavenly Father. He was very fervent in prayer in the time of his sickness, and prayed that God would preserve his people all the world over. One time, when in great misery and pain, he prayed to Christ, saying, Sweet Jesus! blessed Jesus! give me patience to bear my misery and pain, for my misery is greater than I can well bear! Oh! come, sweet Jesus, why art thou so long coming? I had rather be with thee than in the finest place in all the world. Many other religious expressions he spoke on his death-bed, greatly to the satisfaction and melting of his friends and relations who came to see him. One day he said, My misery and pain is very great, but what would it be if the wrath of God was in my soul? He believing in the love of God in Christ, made him desirous of being with him, and seeing the joy that was set before him, thought the time long to be with Jesus, as knowing that then he would be out of all misery and pain. His heart was full of love to his relations, acquaintance and friends, who came to see him in his illness; and full of tender sweetness and divine love, he took his last leave of them, which greatly affected many. This was one of the most pinching exercises I ever met with; but as he said in his illness, so I now write: The wisdom of the Lord is wonderful. One time in this dear child's sickness he said, Oh! the good hand of the Lord help me, give me ease, and conduct me safely, i. e., to God's kingdom, uttering this verse: Sweet Jesus give me ease, for mercy I do crave; And if thou'lt give me ease, then mercy I shall [have. Although this was a great exercise and deep affliction to me, in losing this promising youth, and my only son; yet considering that he went off the stage of life like a solid, good Christian, it was made tolerably easy to me; for he departed this life in much brightness and sweetness, and more like an old Christian than a youth of ten years of age. It was usual for me to advise his mother not to set her affections too much upon him, thinking he was too good to live long in this world, and too ripe for heaven, to stay long on earth, in this world of sorrow and misery. This dear and tender youth, when reading, to which he was much inclined, if he met with any thing that affected him, either in the Sacred Writings or other good authors, would write it down, and get it by heart. He was more than common affectionately concerned for his mother, doing whatever he could freely and cheerfully to serve her, and told her not to do some things which he thought too much for her, saying, Mother, let me do it, if I were a man thou should not do any thing at all, meaning as to labour. She being affected with his filial love and care for her in his father's absence, it caused her sometimes to turn about and weep. I thought a little memorandum of the life and death of this religious lad was worthy of recording, in order to stir up other youth to obedience and love |