1701. At Sea. T. C. If we afk in Faith, without wavering, we fhall receive according to the Doctrine of Chrift and his Apostles in the New Teftament. Gov. Well, If any have a Defire to hear you, you may preach and welcome. After I had this Difcourfe with the Governor, it was reported on the Ifland, that the Governor had given us a License to preach (which Report was not true, further than the aforefaid Difcourfe) and then we had larger Meetings than before. We had a Meeting at Judge Stafford's Houfe, and one at a House not far from his. It is obfervable, that this Ifland hath formerly been a very healthy and fruitful Place. Red Cedar, or Sweet Wood, is all the Timber they have in the Ifland, with which they build their Houses, make their Houfhold Goods, build their Ships and Sloops, and make their Fires; fo that there is continually a fragrant and pleasant Smell, which we could fmell at Sea fome time before we faw the Land; and it is yet a pretty healthy and fruitful Island, but not fo healthy and fruitful as formerly. In one of the Meetings I was concerned to let them know, that it was the Evil of their Ways and Doings that had caufed the Almighty to with-hold from them the Fruits of the Earth, and to make their Island more unhealthful than formerly it was. After Meeting the Judge told me, I had faid truly, for that was the Caufe; and if I I had spoke more to that Matter, or on that Subject, I had done well. Several were convinced at this Time on this Inland. Soon after an Opportunity offered, in a Sloop belonging to this Ifland, that was bound for Philadelphia, in which we (being clear) embarked, and on our Voyage had indifferent good Weather, only one hard Gale of Wind, which caufed us to hand our Jib. A Molatto Man named Stavo (being the Mafter's Servant) went out upon the Bowfprit to hand the Sail, apd and there came a Sea and washed him off; and the 1701. Veffel ran over him; and, in all probability, he had certainly been drowned, had he not been a good Swimmer; for he fwam, as we judged, three Quarters of a Mile, before he got to the Sloop, it not coming into any one's Mind to lower the Sails, until fharply order'd it to be done, which they then did readily; and the Course of the Veffel being ftopp'd, he foon got on board, having ftripp'd himself of his Cloaths in the Sea, and brought them in his Mouth. I was very thankful for the poor Fellow's Life, and praised the Lord in the Secret of my Soul, for his Prefervation. In about two Weeks Time we arrived at Philadelphia, and I had great Peace in my Philade Labours in this Vifit, in which I was from Home phia. about five Months. The Friends of Barbadoes were fo well fatisfied with this Labour of Love, that they certified the same by Way of Certificate, more, than is proper for me to mention. But tho they thought fo well of me, yet I had occafion to think very meanly of myself, for I was emptied to exceeding great fpiritual Poverty at Times. After I came Home from Barbadoes and Bermudas, I followed my Calling, and kept to Meetings diligently; for I was not eafy to be idle, either in my fpiritual or temporal Callings; and at Times travelled in the Work of the Miniftry in our own Province (in which there are many large Meetings of Friends, and they increase and multiply from time to time.) Since my fettling in this Province, which is now about a Year, fome Hundreds of People are come here to fettle, and divers Meeting-houfes are built; and I do certainly know from above, that this Province of Penfylvania, and City of Philadelphia, will flourish both fpiritually and temporally, if the Inhabitants will love (and live in) Righteoufnefs, and in the Fear of God; otherwife the Hand that planted them can soon pluck them up... After fome time was drawn forth 1702. Virginia. North- 1703. to vifit Friends in Maryland, Virginia, and NorthCarolina, and went with the Unity of Friends, having their Certificate (according to the good Order established among us) fo about the 26th of the first Month, 1703, I went through Maryland, and vifited Maryland. Friends in Virginia and North-Carolina, to the River Pamphlico, where no travelling publick Friends (that ever I heard of) were before, and we had several Meetings there on each Side of the River. One Day going out of our Conoe through a Marfh, I trod on a Rattle-fnake (which is accounted one of the moft poisonous Snakes) but it only hiffed at me, and did no Harm. This was one Deliverance, among many, the Lord by his Providence wrought for me; and I blefs his holy Name for all his Mercies. In going to, and coming from this Place, we lay two Nights in the Woods, and I think I never flept better in all my Life. It was the eighth Hour in the Evening when I laid down on the Ground one Night (my Saddle being my Pillow) at the Root of a Tree, and it was four a Clock in the Morning when they called me. When I awoke, I thought of good Jacob's Lodging he had on his Way to Padanaram, when he faw the holy Vifion of Angels, with the Ladder, whofe Top reached to Heaven. Very fweet was the Love of God to my Soul that Morning, and the Dew of the everlafting Hills refreshed me; and I went on my Way praifing the Lord, and magnifying the God of my Salvation. In this Journey I met with another remarkable Deliverance; going over a River eight Miles broad, we put our Horfes [we being eight Men and seven Horfes] into two Canoes ty'd together, and our Horfes ftood with their Fore-feet in one, and their Hind-feet in the other. It was calm when we fet out, but when we were about the Middle of the River the Wind arofe, and the Seas ran high, and fplit one of our Canoes, fo that with our Hats we were obliged to caft out the Water; and with much Difficulty (at laft) all all of us, with our Horfes, got fafe on Shore, through 1703: the good Providence of God. And on Return through North Carolina, we had feveral large Meetings, and an open Time it was; as alfo at Nanfimund and Chuckatue, and feveral other Places in Virginia; and when my Service was over in those two Provinces I went back to Maryland, and vifited Meetings there, and then went Home. As near as I can compute it, I rode about a Thousand Miles on this Journey. After which I ftaid at Home, following my Bufinefs, in Philadel phia. order to the Maintenance of my Family, being bleffed with Wife, Children, and Servants, and with other Things; for which I am truly thankful. Jerfeys. While I was at Home I vifited the neighbouring 1704. Meetings as I found a Concern on my Mind; and on the 6th Day of the third Month 1704, I laid before our Quarterly-meeting of Minifters and Elders an Exercife that was upon my Mind, to vifit our Friends Meetings on Long-Iland, Rhode Island, and in New-England, and the Places adjacent; from which Quarterly-meeting I had a good Certificate (which I thought it my Duty to endeavour to live up unto;) and being accompanied with feveral Friends to Burlington and Crofwicks, Jofeph Glafter being my Fellow-labourer in the Work of the Gofpel; at the two aforefaid Places we had Meetings, and then we travelled to New-York and Long-Island, where we had divers Meetings; as at Flushing, Westbury, Jerufalem, Jerico, Bethpage, Matinicock, and alfo at West-Chefter, on the Main, and from thence we travelled to Rbode-Ifland Yearly-meeting, which was large and Rhode ferviceable to many. From hence Jofeph Glafter went towards Bofton, the inland Way, and I went by the Sea-fide, and we met together, after I had been at Meetings at divers Places, viz, Dartmouth and Dartmouth. Nantucket Inland, at which Island there are large Meetings, People there being moftly Friends, and a fober growing People in the beft Things; though not D of Long Ifland. Ifland. 1704. of our Society when they firft received the Truth, yet they received it with Gladness; and altho' divers of the People called Prefbyterians were very cruel in their Expreffions, and bitter in their Spirits against us, yet there were fome who went under that Name, who were more open and charitable towards us, and received us gladly with Tendernefs; and at fome Places we had Meetings at their Houses to our mutual Satisfaction. We likewife had Meetings at Suckanufet, Sandwich. Scituate, and Sandwich. About this Time the Indians were very barbarous in the Destruction of the Englib Inhabitants, fcalping fome, and knocking out the Brains of others (Men, Women, and Children) by which the Country was greatly alarmed, both Night and Day; but the great Lord of all was pleafed wonderfully to preferve our Friends, efpecially those who kept faithful to their peaceable Principle, according to the Doctrine of Chrift in the holy Scriptures, as recorded in his excellent Sermon which he preached on the Mount, in the vth, vith, and viith Chapters of Matthew, which is quite oppofite to Killing, Revenge, and Destruction, even of our Enemies : And because our Friends could not join with those of fighting Principles and Practices, fome of them were put into Prifon; divers People railing and speaking very bitterly against their peaceable Neighbours, and wishing the Quakers might be cut off. Some of the New-England Priests and Profeffors were fo bitter against Friends, that instead of being humbled, under the mighty Hand of God upon them, in fuffering the Indians to deftroy them, they exprefs'd their Enmity against the poor Quakers, on a Day appointed for Humiliation and a Faft; and particularly in a Sermon preach'd by one of their Priefts, which he divided into three Heads, viz. First, That the Judgments of God were upon them, in letting loose the favage Indians to deftroy them. Secondly, In that he with-held the Fruits of the Earth from them (for there was great Scarcity) |