attended meetings at Cloverick, Coeman's Patent, New Britain, Eaft-Hoofack, White Creek, Saratoga, and at a place called Pitts-Town, where there is no fettled meeting, which ended to good fatisfac tion. On firft-day the 5th of 9th month, we attended meeting at Danby, where I thought truth triumphed and had the dominion; many minds were reached and tendered. 2d day 6th, we appointed a meeting at a place called Durham, about 12 miles northward of Danby, of which notice was given, and we attended it accordingly, and had fatisfactory service therein, though among a people not much acquainted with Friends, and exceedingly outward in their expectations, and unacquainted with the advantages of inward waiting in folemn filence upon God. Fifth-day 9th. Attended the preparative meeting at Danby, at the close of which we fat a few minutes, the men and women together; this was a little, comfortable feafon, divers minds being refreshed in this our parting opportunity. 6th day, 10th of 9th month, we took our affectionate leave of our dear friends, and set forward for home, accompanied by our beloved friend E. S. My mind was much affected at and after parting with Friends, with great tenderuefs and tears of joy, which, for at confiderable space of time, flowed copioufly from mine eyes. My mind was carried back to view the places where we had vifited, and my foul was melted into ardent mental fupplication for the preservation of Friends in general, and many individuals in particular; attended with fuch endeared affection and brokenness of fpirit, as has rarely been my lot to witnefs for fo long a time together. Oh! with what heart-felt fervency did I intercede for the help and preservation of the little flock and family up and and down in the world! the earnest requests that I was enabled to put up for the inftruction and divine affiftance of the many meffengers of the Lord which are running to and fro in the earth among the people, that their labours may prove fuccefsful, and benefit the fouls of mankind: indeed the language of folemn fupplication ran powerfully through my mind with a melting fenfibility for all; that the dead might be raised, quickened, and made alive, in that life which is hid with Chrift in God. Many individuals of my acquaintance, both in places where I had vifited abroad, and alfo at home in our own and neighbouring monthly meetings, came fresh into my remembrance, with fuch ardency of defire, and breathings of foul, for their growth, prefervation, and improvement, as will not readily be conceived by fuch as have not felt the fame. Yea, my defires for them were conceived in intelligent language, in the fecret of my foul, in a number of little, fhort, though sweet and melting requests for one after another, as the Father of Spirits brought them to my remembrance. Oh! how often did it flow through me as a ftream of life on this wife: 'O most mighty and omnipotent Lord God, com'miffionete thine holy angels to attend and guard 'thy exercised Pilgrims through this vale of tears: let cherubims and feraphims encamp about and 'furround the little hoft of militants, thy wrestling 'feed while here on earth, and for evermore.' Oh! how did my bofom heave with swelling tides of joy and divine delight! yea all that was in me moved! -my head, my heart, yea, my whole man seemed encircled round with fpiritual attendants! whose melodious and extatic fongs of praise enraptured my foul, and lifted me above all earth's tumultuous cares, and all its fading joys! and in the midft of this triumphant adoration, my eyes were opened to fee and view the depths of fufferings and abasement which my foul had paffed through in my vifit; then did I fee that the true wrestling feed of Jacob can never rejoice, but through fufferings; abound but through abasement; nor live and reign with the Lamb that was dead and is alive, but through death. I then was given to behold as it were around me, as I rode on the way,an innumerable multitude of glorified fpirits; and it was faid in the center of my foul, these are 'they which came out of great tribulation, have wash⚫ed their robes, and made them white, in the blood ' of the Lamb,' their ever-living Redeemer. I faw that I muft yet longer endure the cup of fufferings in this houfe of clay, if I would join the fongs of those ranfomed fouls in never-ending anthems of praife; to which I bowed my head and heart, faying Lord, let not thine eye pity, nor thy hand fpare, until thou haft done away all that offends in me, and brought forth judgment unto victory in my foul: and when I had thus fubmitted and offered up body, foul and spirit, into his holy hands, a willing facrifice, it was thewed me how good it had been for me that I had fo deeply fuffered; and that, had it been otherwife, I fhould have miffed of this feaft of fat things. Next it was fhewed me, that though I had not altogether done the best that I might have done while on this vifit, yet that I had been preferved in the meekness, littleness, and humility; and, to my inexpreffible fatisfaction, I was alfo fhewed, and made to fee, feel, and know, that nothing was laid to my charge as an offence to ftand against me; but feeling there was now no condemnation to my foul, I was made to join the heavenly harmony; and, in that angelic fpring of adoration which I felt, my foul within me leapt for joy, and, at the end of this tranfporting chorus, my inmoft language was-'fing praises, fing praifes, fing praifes, Amen, Amen, hallelujah!' At which it seemed as if the whole expanfe of heaven rang with acclamations of joy, thanksgiving, 6 L Rev. vii. 14. thanksgiving and praife! After which I again had freedom to enter into innocent and pleasant converfation with my two friends, which I had not done for miles before, as we rode on the way; but I kept the vifion pretty much to myself, fave what of its effects they discovered in my countenance, and the tears I had fhed, which I had not power to restrain. Lord, never fuffer me to forget thy favours and divine communications-but as thou haft begun to clothe my mind with humility, be pleafed more and more to center me deep into it; that I may wear it as a garment for ever. We rode over the green mountain this day, in the state of Vermont, through which it runs, the name is taken from it, importing a green mount; it is called about thirty miles over.-Lodged in Townfend. 7th day 11th, we rode near forty miles to Richmond. Ift day 12th, we attended Friends meeting at Richmond. 2d day 13th, we rode forty-five miles, and on 3d day 14th of 9th month, home. Was thankfully rejoiced to find my dear wife and family well, having been from home eight weeks yesterday, rode about eight hundred miles, and attended religious meetings forty days. CHAP. CHAP. VII. Profpect of vifiting Friends of Pennsylvania and New-Jersey. Exercises and fickness preceding his journey, and occurrences therein. A FTER my return from the foregoing vifit to Friends of Oblong and Nine-Partners quarterly meetings, I had to pass through much probationary leannefs and inward want, and at times through deep and various exercifes; but I had not been long at home, before a concern began to revive and fpread in my mind, which I had had fome view of for feveral years, to wit, to make a vifit to Friends of Pennsylvania and New-Jersey; and at times it was fresh with me, but without a clear prospect of the time when. Thus time passed on ; and in fome of our meetings for worship, the weight of the fervice would reft upon me as fomething almost too great for my weak ftate: but I was moftly favoured to fee that ability for fuch fervices was not in the creature, but in God; and then I could caft my care on him alone, and give up; and thus fubmitting, I felt or faw but little about it for fome length of time; but about the 4th, 5th, and 6th months, 1785, it was much with me; but yet I could not fee clearly about the time when to proceed. And at our yearly meeting at Newport, in the 6th month, as I fat in a meeting for worship one day, it revived with the most clearness that I had ever seen it, infomuch that I had a query in my mind, whether it would not be ripe to proceed to the yearly meeting at Philadelphia in the 9th month following, but this paffing off, I thought I would not yet open it to any perfon. But after this meeting my dear friend Jofeph Mitchell asked me if I had not fome thoughts of going to Pennsylvania &c. on a religious vifit. I anfwered him, I have ⚫ had fuch thoughts, but believe nobody would yet L 2 • have |