the People, yet we were fometimes emptied to ex- 1709: ceeding great fpiritual Poverty, and in the Senfe of our Want and Need, we did many Times pour out our Souls and Spirits in humble Prayer and Supplication to the most High, for his Help and Strength, that it might be made manifeft to us in our Weakness; and we found him a God near at Hand, and often a prefent Help in the needful Time, and had a fweet Answer to our Prayers. O! that my Soul, with all the Faithful, may dwell near to him, in whom alone is the Help and Strength of all his faithful Servants and Minifters! Amen.

From Delfzeel we went to Groeningen, the chief Groningen, City in Groeningland, and fo on to a River called the &c. Wouder, and to a Town named Goradick, where we had a Meeting with a few Friends there, and fome of their Neighbours came to the Meeting. It was to us a comfortable Meeting, and they were glad of it, they being but feldom vifited by Friends. From this Place we travelled by Waggon to Hervine, where we Hervine. lodged that Night, and next Day went by Waggon to Leuwarden. It happened that we had generally very fine Weather while in thofe open Waggons, in which we travelled several Hundred Miles, fo that Jacob Claus, our Companion and Interpreter, tho' he had travelled much, faid he never had observed the like before; which Obfervation I thought good to make, with Thanks to the Almighty.

Leuwarden,

From the City of Leuwarden, we came by Water to Herlingen, where Friends were glad to fee us, and Herlingen. we them. We had a Meeting in Friends Meetinghouse, and a good comfortable One it was, bleffed be the Lord for it! From hence we croffed the SouthSea, and had a contrary Wind, which made our Paffage long and tedious. We were two Days and two Nights on this Water before we got to Amfterdam, in all which, and the next Day, I tafted no Food, being

three

Amfterdam, we had two Meetings.

Horn.

Twisk.

1709. three Days fafting. I was willing to keep my Body under, and found it for my Health; neither had I any Defire of Food in those three Days, in which Time We arrived at Amfterdam about the fixth Hour, on the First Day Morning, and had two Meetings at Amfterdam that Day, which were quiet, and many People came to one of them: But we could not be clear without going again to North-Holland; fo from Amfterdam we went to Horn, where we had a Meeting in the Collegian's Meetinghoufe, and it was to Satisfaction: The People were very loving, and divers very tender, even more than we had usually seen. They defired another Meeting, but our Time would not admit of it, we having appointed a Meeting at Twisk the next Day, which we had in the Meeting-Place, as alío another at a Friend's Amfterdam. House. The next Day we returned to Amfterdam, and had a Meeting, which began about the fifth Hour, which was the laft Meeting we had in this City, and I hope it will not eafily be forgotten by fome. After it we folemnly took our Leave of Friends, Harlem and departed for Harlem, where we were well refrethed in the Love and Life of Chrift Jefus, our dear Lord, and good Mafter. From Harlem we went Rotterdam with feveral Friends to Rotterdam, where we had two Meetings, and in the Evening we went to vifit a Friend that was not well, with whom we had a Meeting, and affecting Time, and the fick Friend was comforted and refreshed, and faid, she was much better than before; and we were edified, and the Lord our God praised and magnified over all, who is bleffed for ever.

In those Parts, viz. Holland, Friefland, Germany, &c. we travelled 972 English Miles, all in Waggons and Veffels. We came not on a Horfe's Back all the Time. It was about nine Weeks that we ftay'd in thofe Countries, travelling therein, and getting Meet

ings where we could, which were to the Number of 1709. Forty-five, thus accounted:

All these are large Cities, except Twisk and Goradick.

From Rotterdam we took Ship for London, and on the 30th of the Third Month 1709, we failed down the River Meuse to the Briel, in the Ship Anne, John Duck Mafter, but he miffing the Convoy, we took our Paffage in the Packet; and fo from HelvoetЛluys we failed over to Harwich, and thus fafely arrived in Harwich. our native Land, bleffing Almighty God for his many Prefervations and Deliverances by Sea and Land,

About this Time (after a long Continuance of War) there was a great talking of Peace; but the old Enemy to Peace, Truth, and Righteousness, broke it off by his evil Working in Man: Neither can there be any lafting Peace, until the Nations come to the Witnelfing of the peaceable Government and Spirit of our Lord Jefus Chrift, to be fet up and established in themselves. The Lord bring it to pafs, if it be his blessed Will, with Speed, for his holy Name's Sake! Amen.

As I have had great Peace and Satisfaction in my Travels in Holland and Germany, fo, for exciting others under the like Exercife, I may truly fay, that there is Encouragement for faithful Minifters to labour in the Work of the Gofpel: For I know not that I ever met with more Tenderness and Openness in People, than in those Parts of the World. There is a great People which they call Menonifts, who are very near to Truth, and the Fields are white unto Harvest

1709. among divers of that People, fpiritually speaking. Oh! that faithful Labourers, not a few, might be sent of God Almighty into the great Vineyard of the World, is what my Soul and Spirit breathes to him for!

Ipswich.

&c.

London.
Yearly.

After lodging one Night at Harwich, we came to Colchester, Ipfwich, and from thence to Colchester, and stay'd there the First Day, and had two Meetings; and had a Meeting at Birch and Coggeshall, and then back to Colchester, where we took Coach for London, to the Meeting. Yearly-meeting of Friends, which was very large. I gave fome fhort Account of my Travels to the faid Meeting, with which Friends were fatisfied, and made a Minute thereof. I had been about twenty Months from my Habitation, and from my dear and affectionate Wife, and from any manner of Trade and Bufinefs, either directly, or indirectly, being all that Time wholly given up in my Mind to preach the glorious Gofpel of God our Saviour, without any outward Confideration whatever, taking my great Mafter's Counsel, As 1 had freely received from him, fo I freely gave; and had that folid Peace in my Labours that is of more Value than Gold, yea, than all the World.

Vifits the

Meetings

From the Yearly-meeting I travelled through fome of Friends Parts of most of the Counties in England, and alfo in in England Wales: In which Service I laboured fervently, and and Wales. often travelled hard, in Body and Mind, until the next Yearly-meeting 1710, having travelled that Year about Two Thousand Five Hundred Miles, and had near Three Hundred publick Meetings, in many of which there were much People, and oftentimes great Openness. I being at fo many Friends Houses, and at fo many Meetings, if I was to be particular in the fame it would be too voluminous, for which, and fome Reasons befides, I only give a general Account thereof here.

1710. In this Year (viz. 1710) my dear Friend and Fellow-traveller, Richard Gove, departed this Life, at Uxbridge, about fifteen Miles from London, at our

Friend Richard Richardfon's House. He died of a 1710. Confumption. We travelled together in great Love and Unity, and the Lord bleffed his Work in our Hands. We were in Company in the Weft-India Inlands, Ireland and North-Britain, till we came to Berwick on Tweed. We met together again at London, and he visited fome other Parts of Britain in the Time I was in Holland and Germany. He was an inoffenfive, loving Friend, and had a found Teftimony, which was ferviceable and convincing, and was well-beloved in Philadelphia, where he lived. He left a good Savour and Report behind him (I think) where-ever he travelled in the World.

Yearly

Now at this general Meeting in London, I had a good Opportunity to take my Leave of my dear Meeting. Friends and Brethren in my native Land, not expecting to fee it, or them any more, in this World. Oh! I may truly fay, it was a folemn Parting! It was a folemn Time to me indeed. After the Yearly-meeting was over, I took my Paffage in the Mary-hope, John Annis Mafter, bound for Philadelphia; and on the 29th of the Fourth Month 1710, at Gravesend, after Gravesend. having taken my folemn Leave of our Relations, and feveral of my dear Friends, we fet Sail, and overtook the Ruffia Fleet at Harwich, and fo joined them, and failed with them as far as Shetland, which is to the Northward of the Ifles of Orkney. We were with the Fleet about two Weeks, and then left them, and fail'd to the Weftward for America. In this Time we had rough Seas, which made divers of us Sea-fick. Atter we left Shetland, we were feven Weeks and four Days at Sea before we faw the Land of America, and glad we were when we got Sight thereof. In this Time we had divers fweet and folemn Meetings, viz. on First Days and Fifth Days, wherein we worshipped and praised the Great JEHOVAH, and miny Things were opened in the Spirit of Love and Truth, so our Comfort and Edification. We had one Meet

At Sea,