His removal to Gloucefter. His Sifter Sarah's death. On filent waiting in families. Vifit to the quarter- ly and monthly meetings. On ftrict plainness and fimplicity of living. Vifits families at Richmond. The folly of felf-importance. The author's concern, that himself and others may experience an entire reduction of felf, and perfect refignation to the divine Profpect of vifiting Friends of Pennsylvania and New- Trials and exercises he paffed through. Exhortations. An account of his wife's laft fickness and death- fome of her dying fayings, and his peculiar exer- FROM THE MONTHLY MEETING OF PROVIDENCE O CONCERNING JOB SCOTT. UR beloved friend Job Scott was born in Providence the 18th of 10th month 1751, new ftyle, in that part of it now North-Providence. His parents were John and Lydia Scott, who gave him fuch opportunities as, through his turn for literary improvement, he acquired both a competent fhare of common school learning, and made fome progrefs in fome other branches of literature. In his young years it appears, that by difregarding the reproofs of inftruction, manifefted in his own mind, he was drawn into vanity, diffipation and folly. Repeated and great were his conflicts between his depraved propenfities and the convictions of truth, but the latter humbling and melting his heart into contrition, he was gracioufly favoured to fee the evil of his ways, and the deftruction which awaited him if he did not reject the Tempter, forfake his wicked companions, and turn to the Lord in obedience to his holy law written in his heart: until at length he fo learned obedience by the things which he fuffered, that he gave up to the operations of the fpirit of Chrift upon him, in the faith of its divine, reftraining, preferving and fanctifying power, and therein experienced the confolation of his heavenly Father's love. Being thus humbled under the various turnings of the Lord's hand upon him, and clearly convinced of the power and efficacy of the diftinguishing principle of our holy profeffion, viz. the light of Chrift within man, as God's gift for his falvation; he re. quefted the care, and became a member of the monthly meeting of Smithfield, then extending to Providence ; B Providence; and being of ftrong and ready abilities, and his mind improved and enlarged by the fanctifying power of Truth, he was enabled, and zealously and very usefully difpofed for the promotion of the cause of righteoufnefs in which he was engaged. Having in the fchool of Chrift measurably learned the mystery of the fall and restoration of man, and to understand the fcriptures, and pertinently to apply them, he was brought under the preparing hand of the Lord for the work of the miniftry, under which difpenfation his foul was deeply baptized, and brought under great fympathy with feeking fouls, who were travailing in birth that Chrift might be formed in them, to whom he was at times and feafons enabled powerfully to adminifter encouragement and confolation. Thus for feveral years, (as well as by letters and epiftles, for which he was eminently gifted with inftructive and edifying talents,) he laboured for the promotion of the cause of truth, now become precious in his fight; and about the 23d year of his age he appeared in the miniftry at a publick meeting in Providence, expreffive of the defire of his foul, that "Sion might arise and shake herfelf from the duft of the earth, and put on her beautiful garments.' The gravity in which he appeared, the fympathy which was felt, and the folemnity of that feafon, are refreshingly remembered by fome to the present day. At this time he taught a fchool in Providence, in which employ he continued for feveral years, and afterward in Smithfield, much to the fatisfaction of his employers, and the children and youth under his care, whofe confidence and affections he very generally gained and preferved, to fome of whom his memory is yet precious. In his attendance of all our religious meetings, and in the various duties of private life, as well as in the relations of fon, husband, parent and neighbour, he was truly exemplary. His appearance in the miniftry was not very frequent when at home, and he was frequently led into an ex. ́ample of filence when abroad, circumfpect not to minifter minister without fresh anointing, and careful in attending clofely to the turnings of the key of David; well knowing when that fhuts, none can open, and therefore, when he perceived his fubject to close and the life withdraw, however clear his opening, and free the fpring of life had been at his beginning, he would fuddenly fit down, however in the crofs; for he had a teftimony to bear against all fuperficial and lifelefs ministry, and very exemplarily avoided it. His firft vifit abroad was to the northerly parts of the yearly meeting of New-York, which proved a feafon of clofe probation and conflict of mind, yet endeavouring to attend to the pointings of duty from place to place, he was, as appears by his certificates, favoured to return with the approbation of those he vifited; and by a profpect which it appears he had, as he was returning home, not wholly unlike the apoftle Paul's; 2 Cor. xii. he was ftrengthened to perfeverance in a dedication of heart to the Lord; for in this luminous and extatic profpect, it appeared to him, that all his corruptions and fpots were made clean before the Lamb, and he made to partake of the confolations and joys of the heavenly hoft; yet like the apoftle, he had foon to experience a thorn in the flesh, left he fhould be exalted above meafure, and even the meffenger of Satan was permitted to buffet him; but he befought the Lord for his prefervation, and received the confoling anfwer of my grace is fufficient for thee; for my ftrength is made perfect in weakness.' Thus buffeted, tried and tempted, he had to tread in the fteps of the great apostle and his dear Lord and Mafter, and thereby became more perfected through sufferings. He afterwards vifited New-York, New-Jerfey, and Pennfylvania twice, and once the Southern ftates as far as Georgia, returning certificates of the approbation of thofe he vifited, among whom we have good reason to believe he has left many feals of his gofpel miniftry, and impreffions of near and dear unity and fellowship with him as a brother beloved, as well in thefe as in other parts of our own yearly meeting. B 2 "He He also vifited fome part of the state of Connecticut, and had meetings among thofe not of our fociety. Soon after which a profpect, that for fome years before had opened to his view, of vifiting Great-Britain and Ireland, had fo ripened on his mind, as to induce him to open the fame to his friends for their concurrence and certificate. In the ninth month, 1792, he received one from this monthly meeting, and also one in the tenth month from our quarterly meeting for Rhode-Ifland. On the 26th of the 11th month he took a folemn leave of his Family and Friends at home, and failed from Bofton the 5th of the 12th month,for Dunkirk in France. On the paffage the ship fprung a leak, and had a fevere gale of wind; but it appears this our friend was preferved, refigned and ftayed through all,' while the mariners on board were toffed with amazement and terror; correfponding with a profpect which he received and recorded in his journal left at home, about twelve months before he failed, on a view of which a ftriking evidence is thereby raised, that prophecy, or communication to the mind of future events, has not ceased; but that the Lord ftill continues graciously to open his vifions of light to his devoted fervants by way of pointing to duty, forewarning of events, and guiding the mind through them, in confirmation of divine fuperintendance, and their faith in his gracious ap pearance. He arrived at Dunkirk the 5th of the 1ft month, and after tarrying there about ten days, much to his own and friends fatisfaction, proceeded to England, taking fome meetings in Kent, went to London, attended the different meetings in that city, then into Wales, and attended the feveral monthly and quarterly meetings, and the yearly meeting at Carmarthen, thence to Bristol, and, returning to London, attended the yearly meeting there, who, in their epiftle to ours, fpeak of him in a very fatisfactory manner. He then went to Liverpool, taking meetings in his way, and fo paffed over to Ireland, and vifited all the meetings of Friends and fome of other focieties there; attended the national hálf-year's meeting in Dublin; and, |