34 The JOURNAL of 1701. me. We had several good Meetings in the Ship to our Satisfaction; and were well received, and had Barbadoes. many Meetings at Barbadoes, which were often very Bermudas. large and open, and fome of the People loving and tender. We had several Meetings at Bridge-Town, Speight's-Town, the Spring, and the Thickets, and at Pumkin-Hill; and after being there about fix Weeks, we went in a Sloop to Bermudas, where we found but very few Friends, yet had Meetings in feveral Places, and at the Houfes of fome People who were not of our Profeffion; and the longer we tarried, the larger our Meetings were; and many began to be affected, and fpoke well of us and our Devotion, but some were disturbed, and spoke to the Governor to break up our Meeting (which at the Defire of one of the Inhabitants we had appointed at his House) upon which he fent Orders by one of his Colonels to break up our Meeting, which troubled divers fober People. After this I met with the Governor at the House of one Judge Stafford; and he being a moderate Man, we had the following Difcourfe, viz. Gov. How do you like our Country? We are but a little Spot in the Sea. T. C. I like it well for its moderate Climate. If the People were moderate allo, it would be well. Gov. Doth it anfwer your End in coming? T. C. My End in coming, was to visit the People in Chriftian Love. Gov. Do you think the People will be brought over? T. C. If they are brought to Truth and Righteoufnefs, it will be well with them. That is the End of our coming. Gov. If you had acquainted me with your Defign, when first you came, you had done well. It was your Duty. T. C. If we had known the Governor's Will herein, or that thou wouldst have spoken with us, we fhould have readily have anfwered it: But knowing nothing 1701. of it, we could not tell but that it might be taken for Rudeness in us, confidering our homely Way and Manner of addreffing fuch Men. Gov. Then your Defign in coming here was to preach. Had you no other End? T. C. Yes. As we found a Concern upon us to preach, and a Defire in the People to hear. Gov. Why don't you tarry with them? That looks ftrange. Here the People are affected with you, and you go away and leave them: Upon my Word I blame you for that. T. C. We don't direct them to Man, but to the Lord Jefus Chrift, their Teacher, and Bishop of their Souls. And why fhould our leaving them look ftrange to the Governor? For it was the Practice of the Apoftles of our Lord Jefus Chrift, and his own Practice and Command to his Followers. And further the Apostles (which Word fignifies Ambaffadors or Meflengers) fay, Follow us, as we are Followers of Chrift. And they travelled up and down the World preaching the Gofpel; and that our great Lord himself had not whereon to lay his Head. Gov. The Apostles were infpired Men: Infpired by the Holy Spirit to preach the Gofpel. I fuppofe you don't pretend to be infpired. 7. C. Every true Chriftian ought to pray for the Pouring out of the holy Spirit, or holy Ghoft upon him. The Church of England alfo prays for it, the Receiving of which is Infpiration. Gov. Your Reafons being grounded on Scripture, you are well grounded; for no Man can deny the Scriptures. Then you fay you are inspired? T. C. I hope I am. I pray for it with great Ear neftness. Gov. Then it is but afk, and have,, you think. * Of which Church the Governor was a Member. T. C. 1701. At Sea, T. C. If we afk in Faith, without wavering, we fhall receive according to the Doctrine of Chrift and his Apostles in the New Teftament. Gov. Well, If any have a Defire to hear you, you may preach and welcome. After I had this Difcourfe with the Governor, it was reported on the Ifland, that the Governor had given us a License to preach (which Report was not true, further than the aforefaid Difcourfe) and then we had larger Meetings than before. We had a Meeting at Judge Stafford's Houfe, and one at a House not far from his. It is obfervable, that this Ifland hath formerly been a very healthy and fruitful Place. Red Cedar, or Sweet Wood, is all the Timber they have in the Ifland, with which they build their Houses, make their Houfhold Goods, build their Ships and Sloops, and make their Fires; fo that there is continually a fragrant and pleafant Smell, which we could fmell at Sea fome time before we faw the Land; and it is yet a pretty healthy and fruitful Island, but not fo healthy and fruitful as formerly. In one of the Meetings I was concerned to let them know, that it was the Evil of their Ways and Doings that had caused the Almighty to with-hold from them the Fruits of the Earth, and to make their Island more unhealthful than formerly it was. After Meeting the Judge told me, I had faid truly, for that was the Caufe; and if I I had spoke more to that Matter, or on that Subject, I had done well. Several were convinced at this Time. on this Island. Soon after an Opportunity offered, in a Sloop belonging to this Ifland, that was bound for Philadelphia, in which we (being clear) embarked, and on our Voyage had indifferent good Weather, only one hard Gale of Wind, which caufed us to hand our Jib. A Molatto Man named Stavo (being the Mafter's Servant) went out upon the Bowfprit to hand the Sail, and and there came a Sea and washed him off; and the 1701. Veffel ran over him; and, in all probability, he had certainly been drowned, had he not been a good Swimmer; for he fwam, as we judged, three Quarters of a Mile, before he got to the Sloop, it not coming into any one's Mind to lower the Sails, until I fharply order'd it to be done, which they then did readily; and the Course of the Veffel being flopp'd, he foon got on board, having ftripp'd himself of his Cloaths in the Sea, and brought them in his Mouth. I was very thankful for the poor Fellow's Life, and praised the Lord in the Secret of my Soul, for his Prefervation. In about two Weeks Time we arrived at Philadelphia, and I had great Peace in my Philade Labours in this Vifit, in which I was from Home Phia. about five Months. The Friends of Barbadoes were fo well fatisfied with this Labour of Love, that they certified the fame by Way of Certificate, more than is proper for me to mention. But tho they thought fo well of me, yet I had occafion to think very meanly of myself, for I was emptied to exceeding great fpiritual Poverty at Times. After I came Home from Barbadoes and Bermudas, 1702. I followed my Calling, and kept to Meetings dili gently; for I was not eafy to be idle, either in my fpiritual or temporal Callings; and at Times travelled in the Work of the Miniftry in our own Province (in which there are many large Meetings of Friends, and they increase and multiply from time to time.) Since my fettling in this Province, which is now about a Year, fome Hundreds of People are come here to fettle, and divers Meeting-houses are built; and I do certainly know from above, that this Province of Penfylvania, and City of Philadelphia, will flourist both spiritually and temporally, if the Inhabitants will love (and live in) Righteoufnefs, and in the Fear of God; otherwife the Hand that planted them can foon pluck them up. After fome time I was drawn forth to Virginia, North- 1703. to vifit Friends in Maryland, Virginia, and NorthCarolina, and went with the Unity of Friends, having their Certificate (according to the good Order established among us) fo about the 26th of the first Month, 1703, I went through Maryland, and visited Maryland. Friends in Virginia and North-Carolina, to the River Pampblico, where no travelling publick Friends (that ever I heard of) were before, and we had feveral Meetings there on each Side of the River. One Day going out of our Conoe through a Marfh, I trod on a Rattle-fnake (which is accounted one of the most poisonous Snakes) but it only hiffed at me, and did no Harm. This was one Deliverance, among many, the Lord by his Providence wrought for me; and I blefs his holy Name for all his Mercies. In going to, and coming from this Place, we lay two Nights in the Woods, and I think I never flept better in all my Life. It was the eighth Hour in the Evening when I laid down on the Ground one Night (my Saddle being my Pillow) at the Root of a Tree, and it was four a Clock in the Morning when they called me. When I awoke, I thought of good Jacob's Lodging he had on his Way to Padanaram, when he faw the holy Vifion of Angels, with the Ladder, whofe Top reached to Heaven. Very fweet was the Love of God to my Soul that Morning, and the Dew of the everlafting Hills, refreshed me; and I went on my Way praifing the Lord, and magnifying the God of my Salvation. In this Journey I met with another remarkable Deliverance; going over a River eight Miles broad, we put our Horfes [we being eight Men and feven Horfes] into two Canoes ty'd together, and our Horfes ftood with their Fore-feet in one, and their Hind-feet in the other. It was calm when we fet out, but when we were about the Middle of the River the Wind arofe, and the Seas ran high, and fplit one of our Canoes, fo that with our Hats we were obliged to caft out the Water; and with much Difficulty (at laft) all |