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called out of Egyptian darkness will yet perifh in the wilderness, and never enter into poffeffion of the promised land, unless thou, O moft merciful, again make bare thy holy arm for our awakening and furtherance in the way of life.

Our yearly meeting this year was gracioufly owned, and overshadowed by the wing of ancient goodnefs: the Shepherd watered and fed his flock; he fheltered his lambs, and prepared a banquet for his chofen, and made them fweetly reft as at noon..

After the meeting was over the language of my heart, in thankful acknowledgment, was a language of praife. I knew the bleffing was from heaven. I knew the rain was not at our command; nor was the table fpread, and the feaft prepared, but by the bounteous hand of Ifrael's God. Return, O my foul, to the place of thy reft, for the Lord thy God hath dealt bountifully with thee,

ì The continuation of divine favour for fome little time after this, repeatedly rejoiced my fpirit. At length, through the all-wife overturnings of him who knew how to lead me on in fafety, I was again reduced to want, and had to feel much inward leanness. In this state I scarce had any thing to rejoice in but infirmities; but, relying on him whofe covenant is as fure with the night as with the day, and who never forfakes those who do not forfake him, I felt, in the midft of my strippings, and was therein stayed, that patience in low times is an excellent anchor, and hope bears up the foul.'

Ninth month, 23d. In reading the occurrences of Abraham's life in Ellwood's Sacred Hiftory, my heart was deeply affected. Oh! his faith how firm! his devotion how lively! See him leave his father's houfe, his native land, and go forth at the call of

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the Lord, not knowing whither he went. See him erecting his altar to the Moft High, and calling on the name of the Lord the everlasting God." See him on Moriah's mount, refigning his beloved fon? What heart unmoved can view the tranfactions of fuch a life, or read with indifference the dealings of the Almighty with this father of the faithful? He was the friend of God, and God was his friend. O that we, who boast the light of gofpel days, were true fucceffors in the faith of Abraham; a living faith that wrought with his works, and by his works of righteoufnefs, devotion, and true holiness, was made perfect:

í In the 11th month, in company with other friends, I vifited upwards of feventy families within the verge of our monthly meeting; had great fatisfaction in fome places, and fuffered deeply in others. The author of all good was with us, and at times greatly refreshed our fpirits. In the course of this vifit I had to view with sadness those who were overcome by the god of this world. Others I viewed as rifing above the world, and laying hold onleternal life. These felt near my fpirit in theinvifible relationship, and I rejoiced in their fuccefs -in the Lamb's warfare.

CHAP. V.

His removal to Gloucefter. His Sifter Sarah's death. On filent waiting in families. Vifit to the quarterly and monthly meetings. On Aria plainnels and fimplicity of living. Vifits families at Richmond. The true light, fun, moon, and ftars, alluded to. On the fix and feven days. On the feven feals.

ON

N the 5th of the 4th month 1782, I moved with my family to Gloucefter, within the limits of the meeting of Uxbridge, a branch of our monthly meeting, having for fome time before believed, under divers confiderations, and of different kinds, that it might be beft for me to spend a portion of my time in that neighbourhood, about eighteen miles from my home in North-Providence. I fully expected to return again fome time or other, but did not know when it might be. I remembered the movements of Abraham, Ifaac, and Jacob, and in the recollection thereof, a degree of folid fatisfaction was afforded me. I had fome outward profpects in removing, but I not only did not aim at wealth, nor expect an increase of outward fubftance, but I had other, and I truft higher motives in it than related to my own temporal concerns. And, foon after I became fettled there, I found a field of fervice opening before me in a religious line, a fenfe whereof I had for fome time had upon my mind previous to this removal. There were a few precious fouls here deeply and well engaged in the cause of truth, and with whofe fpirits I was often livingly united in travail for the welfare of Sion, and building of her walls. We had times of deep probation; and, through holy help, many feasons of rejoicing together in the Lord. On the whole, I had frequent confirmations that my being here was promotive at least of my own growth in

the everlasting truth. Lord God! of all the holy ancients, be with me I pray thee, and guide me in the way wherein thou wouldst have me to go, no matter where or when, fo that thy never-failing prefence goes with me in all my travels through the wildernefs of this world, to a houfe not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. Amen.

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Very foon after my removal, my dear fifter Sarah Hazard died at her home in South-Kingston. She was a religious woman. She improved much in true chriftian refignation, and died in a fresh and living fenfe of heavenly joy. I attended her burial, enjoying, in the midft of my mourning, a fatisfaction, in a full,belief that her removal from a world of anxieties and cares, was a removal to an inheritance in the manfions of bliss.

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I have been renewedly confirmed in the great advantage to families, and even to fmall children, that refults from fitting down in folemn filence, and therein waiting upon God. I have seen the children much broken and tendered in fuch seasons, fo that, even when there has not been a word fpoken, the tears have rolled down their cheeks, and their looks have been evidently expreffive of heartfelt fenfations. This practice alfo learns them filence and fubjection; it curbs their wills, and habituates them to reftraint, and a patient waiting, for their parents permiffion, to engage in their little diverfions. The habits of filence, fubjection, and patient waiting for permiffion, are very ufeful to children from infancy to mature age, and many fuffer much for want of it. I have alfo feen much advantage to children, and indeed to whole families, from the practice of a folemn pause at meals; it learns children ftilinefs, decency, and reverence; and, where it is done in a feeling manner, with minds rightly turned to feel after God and experience his bleffing,

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and is not practifed in a flight formal manner, it tends to feafon and folemnize the minds of young and old. I have seen it done in a very careless lifelefs manner, with fcarce any reverence; divers of the family converfing not far from the table; and fcarce any sense of the divine prefence prevalent in the minds of those around it; and perhaps the pause fcarce long enough to allow of much folid fenfibility, or reverential acknowledgment of the favours received from the bounty of a gracious God, in the ample provifions of his providential care for our bodies; or his continued extenfion of fatherly re gard to our immortal fouls. I think fuch an undevout appearance can be very little to the divine acceptance; but where a proper pause is obferved, and the Lord is therein ferioufly fought to, the mind being feelingly impreffed with a fenfe of his aid and affistance, and all branches of the family are reverently filent; it is an oblation well-pleafing in the fight of God, and very useful to fuch families. I am morally certain, that I have many a day gone through the cares and concerns of life with much more compofure, ftability, fatisfaction, and propriety for the strength and affiftance I have found, in drawing near to God in folemn filence in my family; and I wish the practice of reverently adoring him in this way, may increase more and more.

Our yearly meeting this year was a favoured seafon: divers weighty matters were tranfacted in love and chriftian condefcenfion through the qualifying influence of the mafter of our affemblies, who gracioufly owned this our annual 'folemnity by the overshadowing of his love and life-giving prefence. Some fuitable advices were fent down to the inferior meetings, upon fundry important fubjects...

After this meeting, in company with divers other Friends, who with myfelf were under the yearly

meeting's