and go thy way, and be not uneafy, neither about the mare nor business; nor do not haften thyself. These kindneffes made me often thoughtful how I might return fuitable acknowledgments, and be duly grateful for the fame: I was diligent in my mafter's bufinefs, not ferving him with eye-fervice, but faithfully believing it good and acceptable in the fight of God, and I had great peace in it; my mafter never found fault with me for doing too little, but often for doing too much, and would fometimes fay, I think thou wilt cleave to the beam; come off and let us walk into the fields and fee how things are there. Now as to the third hindrance, the account of which I was not willing to have interwoven with matters of lefs moment, although the healing of my very fore leg, I attribute to the great and good Providence of God; for in a fhort time after I gave up freely and cheerfully to answer the Lord's requirings, the Lord healed me of my lameness; and when I cried unto him, that he would alfo heal my tongue of its ftammering, believing that the Lord was able to take away the impediment of my tongue, as he was to ftop the violence of that humour which had attended my body, and had a recourse to my leg, and made it fore from above the ancle to the knee: and notwithstanding feveral men had given their advice, and had fhewed their skill, it all proved ineffectual, until I came to believe in Jefus Christ, and to prefs through all to him, and to touch the skirt, or lowest appearance of his blefied truth

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and power, in which I found true healing virtue to my foul, and alfo to my body, and to my tongue, even to my admiration; fo that I did not only speak plain. in the teftimony the Lord gave me to bear, but also spoke plain in my common intercourse with men.

I was likewife in these days under the difpenfations of openings and vifions, and thought myself as it were upon Mount Pifgah, and faw into the holy land, and into things relating to God and his heavenly kingdom, and into his work and way of bringing man out of the fall and alienation to himself again, and into a heavenly ftate in Chrift, as man yields true obedience unto the leadings and operation of his bleffed Grace and Holy Spirit in the heart. But under fuch difpenfations it is requifite, yea, of abfolute neceffity, that man be brought into true felf-denial, as alfo into a depending frame of mind, and true refignation of will to the will of God, and a daily fitting as in the duft, as to the motions and workings of the creature as fuch; for all that is of man's working, or work, does but lett or hinder the fpiritual work of God in the heart; and we must come truly to know all fleshly motions, and the workings in man's own will and fpirit, to be filenced, to hear the voice of God, which is a ftill fmall voice, and not to be heard in the noife and hurries of the world; neither when the mind is bufied with things agreeable to our own - corrupt wills and depraved nature.

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But although at times I had clear fights into many heavenly things, and also had at times comfortable enjoyments of the living prefence of God, yet I wanted to be more established in the unchangeable truth, which I had at times fome comfortable feeling of; and in crying to the Lord, I found he inclined unto me, and, as David said, he heard my cries, and plucked my feet out of the mire and clay, and fet them upon a rock, that was higher than I, and in part eftablished my goings, and put a new fong into my mouth, even high praifes unto the Lord for all his tender mercies to me in thefe trying times; and now being more crucified to the world, and the fpirit of it, I witnessed a more conftant indwelling of the heavenly power and living prefence, light, and grace; I came to be brought into ftillnefs, and it became moft agreeable to my condition to keep much in filence, and wait upon the Lord for the renewing of ftrength, that thereby I might furmount all temptations and trials. that might fall in my way, or which I might be tried with, which were not a few.

Now thefe things before recited, are worthy of commemoration, and proved great confirmations to me in the truth, in thefe days of my tribulations and great trials: read and believe, thou that canft, for they are faithful and true fayings. After the Lord had healed me, he fent me forth in the work of the miniftry, and the firft journey I took fouthward was

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into Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire, and through Coventry, and fo to Warwick to fee William Dewberry. One thing is remarkable upon William's inquiry, what way I came: In my account of the particular towns and places I had paffed through, I mentioned Coventry, which was the laft and the worft; for fome of the rude people flung ftones at me, with great violence, as I was fpeaking in the meeting, fo that had the Lord fuffered them to have hit me, they must have spoiled me; but my faith in the Lord, and the firength of the truth, bore up my mind above fear of the outward man, or what wicked men could do to After William had heard my account, he fixed his eyes on me, and faid, Thou must go back again to Coventry. I appeared unwilling, for two reafons: firf, because I thought I had cleared myself of that people: fecondly, I thought it not safe to run myself into danger of fuffering, unless I was fatisfied the Lord required it of me. But William was pofitive, and said, I must go, for there was a fervice for me to do there. Upon a deliberate confideration of the matter, and a feeking to the Lord to know his will in it, I found my way clear to go, and I had fome fervice and good fatisfaction, and left friends nearer to one another than when I first met with them; for there had been a misunderstanding amongst fome friends in that city: fo I came from thence to Tamworth, where there was a difference, especially betwixt two friends; both of them had been fuch as had made fome confiderable

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figure among friends: I felt it upon me to go to the man, to warn him of the fpirit of prejudice and envy, for if he gave way to it, it would eat out his love to friends and truth, and he would decline meetings, and come to nought, and turn his back on the truth; which came to be fulfilled, as I afterwards heard; for he became a loose man, and lifted himself to be a foldier. I was zealous for the name of the Lord, and had a great concern upon my mind for the promulgation of the truth, and where I met with loose profeffors of the truth, it was a great exercise to me.

When I returned home from this, and indeed from all my journeys, I took care what I well could, fo far as my weak body was capable, to fall into bufinefs, and not to loiter away my time, neither abroad nor at home. My weak conftitution would not well bear the weaving trade, therefore I left it much against my will; but I wrought upon clock and watch work, and many other things, which fupplied my neceffities, the Lord allowing me as much time at home as put me in a condition reafonably fit for travel, and then I was inclined to go to vifit friends. Many things I omit, because I am not willing to fwell my account too much. I travelled through moft parts of England four times, and twice through most parts of Wales, between the twentieth and twenty-eighth year of my age.

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