kind, this was his chief Motive for writing; and we are fincerely defirous that his good Defign may be answered, and that the Glory of every good and perfect Work may be attributed to that divine Power alone, which can qualify others to fupply the Places of thofe faithful Minifters and Servants of Chrift, who have been of late Years removed from among us, and are of that Number, of whom it is written, Blessed are the Dead, which die in the Lord, from henceforth, yea, faith the Spirit, that they may reft from their Labours, and their Works do follow them.

Signed on Behalf, and by Appointment of the Monthly-Meeting of Friends in Philadelphia, the Twenty-eighth Day of the. Second Month, 1749, by

ISRAEL PEMBERTON.

H

AVING great Caufe to acknowledge the Regard and Protection of Divine Providence in the feveral Stages of my Life, I think it may be of Service to others, to leave behind me the following Account of my Life and Travels.

I

WAS born on the Third Day of the Third Month 1675, in Southwark, and descended of honeft and religious Parents, who were very careful of me, and brought me up in the Fear of the Lord; and oftentimes counfelled me to Sobriety, and reproved me for Wantonnefs; and that light Spirit, which is incident to Youth, they were careful to nip in the Bud: So that I have Caufe to blefs God, through Chrift, on the Behalf of my tender Parents.

1675.

And I may not forget the Dealings of God with me 1684. in my very tender Years. When between eight and

ten

1684: ten Years of Age, my Father and Mother fent me near two Miles to School, to Richard Scoryer, in the Suburbs of London. I went moftly by myself to the School; and many and various were the Exercifes. I went through, by Beatings and Stonings along the Streets, being diftinguished to the People (by the Badge of Plainnefs which my Parents put upon me) of what Profeffion I was; divers telling me, 'Twas no more Sin to kill me, than it was to kill a Dog.

Rotherhith.
Parish in

About this Time the Lord began to work ftrongly Southwark, on my Mind by his Grace, infomuch that I could not forbear reproving thofe Lads who would take the Name of the Lord God in their Mouths in vain, reminding them of the third Commandment, Thou shalt not take the Name of the Lord thy God in vain, for the Lord will not bold him guiltless that taketh his Name in vain; and of Chrift's Saying, Every idle Word that Men fball fpeak, they shall give an Account thereof in the Day of Judgment; for which I was mocked and derided by fome, and others would fometimes refrain from fuch bad Words when I reproved them.

One Time I remember I was amongst fome Men, one of whom I had reproved, and he told the reft of it, and turned to me, and faid, That I was no Chriftian, and asked me, when I faid the Lord's Prayer? ĺ asked him, if he faid it? He faid, Yes. I then asked him how he could call God Father, and be fo wicked as to fwear and take God's Name in vain? which I had heard him often do; and I told him what Chrift 1685. faid to the Jews, Your are of your Father the Devil, becaufe his Works ye do; and that thofe that did the Devil's Work could not truly call God Father, according to Chrift's Doctrine. So being convicted in their Confciences that what I faid was true, they were all filent, and wondered that I, being fo young, should speak in fuch a Manner; in which I remember I had great Peace and good Satisfaction: And from thenceforth thefe Men let me alone.

Notwith

Notwithstanding I hated to hear wicked Words, I 1685. loved Play exceedingly, being perfuaded that there was no Harm in that, if we ufed no bad Words. One Time I was at Play at a Neighbour's House with the Children, and in the midst of my Sport I was reach'd to with ftrong Convictions, infomuch that I could not forbear Weeping. The Childrens Mother obferving that I wept, faid, Why do you weep, Tommy? I told her I could not tell, except it was because I was a naughty Boy. Ob! faid fhe, don't believe him, for that's the Devil tells you fo, for you are the best Boy in all our Street. But I knew I was told the Truth by Conviction, and that she was miftaken : For I plainly understood by clear Conviction, and by the holy Scriptures (which I had been train'd up in the Reading of) that I was too vain and wanton; for I loved Mufick, Dancing, and playing at Cards, and too much delighted therein betimes, and was followed with the Judgments of God therefore in the Secret of my Soul.

What I did in thofe Sports and Games, I always took care to do out of the Sight, and without the Knowledge of my tender Parents; for I was afraid of their Reproofs and Correction, the which I was sure to have, if they had any Intelligence of it.

I remember that, unknown to my Parents, I had bought a Pack of Cards, with Intent to make use of them when I went to fee my Relations in the Country, where there was Liberty in the Family fo to do, at a Place called Woodford, about feven Miles from London, where I got Leave fometimes to go; and at the in Essex. Time called Christmas, I went to fee them, and five Miles on my Way went to a Meeting, at a Town

Woodford

call'd Wanstead; at which Meeting, a Minister of Wanfiend, Chrift declared against the Evil of Gaming, and particularly of Cards; and that the Time which People pretend to keep Holy, for Chrift's Sake, many of them fpend mostly in Wickedness, Sports, and Games; even

fome