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From thence I returned in order to get a Paf- 1698. fage to the Ifle of Nantucket; and from a Place called Cushnet, we failed over to the faid Ifland in about ten Hours, where we tarried feveral Days, and, had Five Meetings. The People did generally acknowledge to the Truth, and many of them were tender-hearted. Some of the Antient People faid, Nantucket. That it was never known that fo many People were together on the Island at once. After the firft Meeting was over, one asked the Minister (fo called) Whether we might have a Meeting at bis Houfe. He faid with a good Will, We might. This Minifter had fome Difcourfe with me, and afked, What induced me to come hither, being fuch a young Man. I told him that I had no other View in coming there, than the Good of Souls, and that I could fay with the Apostle, that a Neceffity was laid upon me, and Wo would be to me if I did not preach the Gospel. Then faid he, I wish you would preach at my Houfe in GOD's Name.. So next Day we had a Meeting at his Houfe; and on the first Day we had the largeft Meeting that we had on the Ifland. It was thought there were about two Hundred People. The Lord in his Power did make his Truth known to the Praife of his Name. Oh! how was my Soul concerned for that People! The Lord Jefus did open my Heart to them, and theirs to him: They were alfo loving and kind to us. The chief Magiftrate of the Inland defired that I would have a Meeting at his House, there being no fettled Meeting of Friends before Í came; and after Meeting he difputed about Religion with me. I thought we were both but poor Difputants; and I cannot remember all that pafs'd between us, but that in the Clofe of our Difpute, he faid, I difputed with your Friends in Barbadoes, and they told me, That we must eat the Spiritual Flesh, and drink the Spiritual Blood of Chrift: And, faid the Governor, Did ever any one hear of fuch Flesh and Blood; for

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1698. is it not a Contradiction in Nature, that Fleb and Blood Should be fpiritual? O furely, faid I, the Governor hath forgot himself; for what Flefh and Blood was that which Chrift faid, Except ye eat my Flesh, and drink my Blood, ye bave no Life in you. Why, faid he, I don't think they were to gnaw it from his Arms and Shoulders. Then I told him, he had anfwer'd himself. Thus our Difpute ended. [And from that Time forward they have continued a Meeting, and there is now a Meeting-house, and a Yearly Meeting for Worship, it is a growing Meeting to this Day, and several publick Friends are raised up amongst them, who preach the Gospel of Chrift freely.]

Bohion.
Lynn.
Salem.

Ifle of
Shoals,

At this Time a Friend was convinced, whofe Name was Starbuck, who became very ferviceable, and lived and died an eminent Minifter of Chrift on that Island. Several Scores of them came and accompanied us to the Water Side; and when we embarked on board our Sloop, they defired that I would come and vifit them again. So I recommended them to the Grace of our Lord Jefus, and we parted in great Love and Tenderness In the Evening of the next Day we got to the Main Land, where we were gladly received. Now it was in my Heart again to vifit the Eastern Parts of New-England before I left America; therefore I went to Boston Yearlymeeting, thence to Lynn and Salem, where we had a fweet comfortable Time; likewife to the Yearly-meeting at Dover, and fo to Pifcataway, where we had feveral Meetings, which were profitable Opportunities to many. From Piscataway, James Goodbridge and I went over to the Ifle of Shoals; we had with us a Churchmember of the Prefbyterians, whofe Brother invited her over with us to the faid Ifland, to the Meeting which was at his House; and while he was talking with her in the Yard or Garden, I faw a Bible, and took it, and read therein. When fhe came into the Houfe fhe afked me, What I did with that Book? I told her, If he was offended I would lay it down. No, No, faid the,

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don't think to come off fo, for you difown or deny that 1698. Book. I told her, She was mistaken; and asked, Who told her fo? Why, faid fhe, our Minifter in bis -Pulpit. I replied, That it was a great Abufe upon us, for. I had been trained up from my Childhood in the Reading and Belief of the Scriptures, and my Father and Mother were Friends (that is, Quakers.) She willing to try me further, faid, Did your Father and Mother fuffer you to read the Bible when you were a little Boy? Yes, faid I, and gave me Correction when I was not fo willing to read therein as they would have me. Then, faid the, Our Minister has bely'd you; and fince you fay fo, if it pleafe God, I will go and bear you. She went with us to Meeting; and after it was over (going Home) one afked her, How he would anfwer it to their Minifter, for going to Meeting. She replied, It was a Truth fhe bad heard, and he would Stand by it through the Grace of Christ, and need not be afbamed of it (though we are of ourselves but poor weak Creatures.) This Woman was fober and religious, and one of good Report. By the foregoing we may fee how Slanders flow from fome Pulpits; the more is the Shame and Pity! We went on, and preached the Gospel of our Lord Jefus Chrift in that Ability he gave us, with which the People were affected, and would have had us tarried longer, but we could not (although they much importuned us) becaufe we had appointed a Meeting at Oyfter River. After we had had several Meetings about Pifcataway and Dover, we went to Hampton, where we had Meetings; and at Hampton, Salisbury we had a large open Meeting, as it was fuppos'd, of about three Hundred People (which was at this Time accounted a great Concourfe of People thereabouts;) alfo at Jamaica and Haverill we had Meetings, and from thence went to Salem and Lynn again, where we had good Service for Truth, and then to Bofton, and had a Meeting at the Meeting-house, and another at a Friends Houfe in the Evening, at which

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1698. there were many People. From Boston I went to visit Friends about Cape-Cod, till I came again to RhodeInland. By the Way I met with Aaron Atkinson, who was on a Visit to Friends in New-England. I had feveral good Opportunities, and powerful Meetings, in those Parts, and Truth wrought a Tenderness in divers at Rhode Island. The Presence of him, who faid, Where two or three are met in my Name, there am I in the midst of them, being fenfibly witneffed by many; for he was with us of a Truth. From thence I went Narragan round the Narraganset Country, and had Meetings at feveral Places, and was accompanied by John Rodman and William Beackly, thro' Connecticut to Long-Island, which is accounted two Hundred Miles. We had one Meeting by the Way, in which Chrift was preached to them, as he is the Light of the World, at a Place where we were told there never was a Friend's Meeting before. I came to Long-Island about two Weeks before the General Meeting, and visited Friends in several Places on this Ifland, as at Hampstead, Jerufalem, Jerico, and Bethpage, where there were large Meetings, and much Openness among the People, and fome were convinced. We had a Meeting at a Place called Matinicock, where I met with fome of the People called Ranters, who disturbed our Meeting. I may say as the Apostle Paul (only altering Ephefus to Matinicok) that I fought with Beafts there; and thence I travelled to New-York, where we had two Meetings; from thence we went to the Jerfeys, and there we had feveral ferviceable Meetings that were large; and fo to Penfylva Penfylvania, where there are many very large Meetings of Friends, and the Lord is with his People there, and profpereth them fpiritually and temporally. Here I met with my dear Friend, William Ellis. From Philadelphia, Richard Gove (of that City) and I travelled to Maryland, and vifited Friends on the Western Shore, and from thence to Virginia. In Virginia, near James's River, i met with an aged Friend whose

Long-
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New-
York.

Ferfeys.

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Virginia.

Name

Name was William Porter. He was ninety-two Years 1698. of Age, and had then a Daughter two Years old *. We had several Meetings there amongft Friends and others, many being well fatisfied concerning the Truth, and spoke well of it.

And after we had had feveral good and open Meetings in Virginia, we found ourselves clear of America, and in order for our Paffage, we agreed with our Friend F. Johnfon, on board the Elizabeth and Mary, to carry us for England.

On the 11th of the first Month 1698-9, we were accompanied on board by several Friends, who abode 1698-9. with us all Night; and the next Day, being the first Day of the Week, we had a little comfortable Meeting, and then parted in much Love, having the Evidence of the Power of the Almighty with us. We waited for a fair Wind until the 20th of the aforefaid Month, and left the Capes of Virginia that Day, and at Night we got our Ship into a failing Pofture; and I was glad in my Spirit, that I was fetting my Face towards my native Land; and more glad that I was returning with Peace in my Bofom. Oh! the Power and Presence of him who faid, Go teach all Nations, was fweet to my Soul at that Time, and now in fome Measure I enjoy'd the Fruits of my having laboured in that Ability God had given me. Glory to God, thro' Chrift, who is worthy for ever! The Prefence of God was with us on the great Ocean, and we were ftrengthened through his Goodness wonderfully. We

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* Some Years after I faw him, and he was weeding Indian Corn with a Hoe. He was then about 106 Years of Age, and had upwards of feventy Children, Grand-Children, and Great-GrandChildren. We were divers Friends of us to see him, and he preached to us a fhort, but very affecting Sermon, which was (as near as I remember) Verbatim thus," Friends, you are come to see me " in the Love of God. God is Love, and those that dwell in "God, dwell in Love. I thank God, I feel his Divine Life; "every Day and every Night." He lived to fee his above men tioned Daughter married, and died, aged 107. Years.

At Sea:

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