I write this partly, that all who do marry, may take special heed that it be done with great caution, and under due confideration, and the Lord fought to in it, that it may be done in his counsel, and not only nominally, but truly in his fear, and then no doubt but it will be well with both husband and wife; and being equally yoked, fuch will not only be meet and true helpers in all things belonging to this life, but more especially in things appertaining to the world that is to come, and the good of the immortal foul, which to the faithful people of the Lord is of great value. Oh! how happily and peaceably do fuch live together in the Lord, as they keep to that which thus joined them there is more in it, both as to the parents and their posterity, than it is to be feared many confider or think of, as is but too apparent in the many forward and unequal marriages which I have made obfervation of.

One remarkable paffage occurs to my thoughts, which happened thus: My father having been at the Prefbyterian meeting, and come home, he, as his manner was, put me or my brother upon reading the prieft's text, which had been that day in Daniel, concerning his being caft into the den of lions, for his not regarding the king's decree, but on the contrary, prayed to the God of heaven with his windows open toward Jerufalem, after his wonted manner. My father made his obfervations as my brother read, and

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very much magnified Daniel, and said, the spirit of God was in him, but that there were none fuch as him in these our days. I owned that he was indeed an extraordinary man, but that there were none endowed with a measure of the fame fpirit in any degree, in that I diffented from him, and gave my father a brief account of the many fufferings of our friends, fome of which were past, and fome then under fufferings for the word of God, and the teftimony of Jefus, which they bore for him, and especially the great fufferings of our dear friends in New-England, viz. hard imprisonments, cruel whippings, cutting off ears, banishment if they returned into New-England any more; and I fhewed him likewife, how they put to death Marmaduke Stephenfon, William Robinson, William Leddra, and Mary Dyer, for no other caufe but labouring to turn people from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to the living power of God, to his light, grace, and Holy Spirit in their hearts, and labouring to bring the people from perfecution, pride, and every evil work and way, to live a felf-denying, humble life, a life agreeable to the Christianity they profeffed; this was the purport or fubftance of the fervice they were called to, and fo deeply fuffered for: from whence I inferred, there was fomewhat of the fpirit of God in man in these days as there was in Daniel, and many more formerly, which helped and bore them up in their great fufferings. Now my father confeffed, it was true fome fuffered for good, and fome for evil; and

withal

withal faid, he had now lived to the age of about fixtyfive years, and although he heard us telling of a principle, or light within, yet he knew not what it was. I replied very meekly; If he would hear me, I would tell him what it was; which I did in the words following: When at any time thou hast been under a temptation to put forth thy hand to steal, or to lie for advantage, or by provocation to fwear, or any evil work or word, haft not thou found fomething in thee, that hath fhewed thee thou oughtest not to have faid or done fo, which, if thou hadft taken heed to, and not faid or done wrong, haft thou not found great peace and inward comfort in thy mind? But if thou haft faid or done wrong, haft thou not found great difquietness and trouble of mind? This is the inward principle, light, or grace, that God hath placed in man to help and direct him, which we the people of God called Quakers, do hold agreeable to the Holy Scriptures. My father fmote his hands together, and confeffed it was true.

But that I was not willing to break in upon this ftory, but keep it entire, there was one thing worthy of notice, which I now come to, wifhing it may be duly confidered by all who read or hear it. When I mentioned Marmaduke Stephenson, that good man, and great fufferer in the caufe of Chrift, as before, my mother faid, it was true; for fhe lived a fervant with Edward Wilberfofs, an honest Quaker in Skipton, where Marmaduke Stephenson was a day-labourer, about the

time he had his call to go to New-England. See the account of New-England judged, not by man as man, but by the spirit of the living God, written by George Bishop, (which may be had of the printer hereof.) If I remember right the faid, He was fuch a man as she never knew, for his very countenance was a terror to them, and he had a great check upon all the family; if at any time any of the fervants had been wild, or any way out of the truth, if they did but fee him, or hear him coming, they were firuck with fear, and were all quiet and fill: and if but one of the children came into the house where he laboured, and he would not have it to come, thefe were his words, Go thy way; or, Go home, left I whip thee; and they were fubject and quiet. This ample and excellent account, I thought had fome reach upon my father, however, it much affected my mind. Oh! that we the profeffors of the fame holy truth, may fo live in it, as to reign over every wrong thing in ourfelves, and alfo in others, but especially in our children.

Some little time before the marriage of my mother, I was brought into the publick work of the miniftry, concerning which I had many reasonings, being young, fcarce eighteen years old, and naturally of a ftammering tongue, which I could not overcome, although I had used what endeavours lay in my power as a man, confidering my years and education, all would not do until the truth helped me: but after many conflicts,

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great troubles, and temptations, the worst I ever met with, and the most piercing forrow I ever yet had been in fince I came to the knowledge of the blefled truth was, when through reasonings, disobedience, and unwillingness to comply with, and answer the Lord's requirings, he in displeasure took away from me the comfort of his holy prefence for several months together. Oh! the tribulations and penetrating troubles I met withal in this condition, no tongue is able to express, no nor the heart of any finite creature is able to conceive the depth of the anxiety of the heart · piercing and wounding forrows I was in; I thought my state was as bad as Jonah's, for furely if there be a hell upon earth, I was in it: what greater hell can be here to a quickened foul, and an enlightened understanding, who hath tafted of the goodness of God, and of the powers, in a degree, of the world to come, than to be deprived thereof, and think they are fallen away from this ftate? I could fcarcely believe I fould ever have repentance granted to me, or be reftored again into the love and favour of God, when I found that river of life dried up, as to me, which did before, not only make me, but even all the whole city of God, truly glad: but being left under an apprehenfion of the Lord's difpleafure, and in part a partaker of the terrors of his wrath, oh! I thought furely the very mountains, and even the hills, were not fufficient (if they could have been put into the fcales or balance) to have weighed against my troubles and

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