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SHORT  COMPILATION 


if 


OF  THE  EXTRAOXDIKARY 


LIFE  AND  WRITINGS 


or 


THOMA*S''SAY 


IN  WHICH, 

Is  faithfully  copied,  from  the  original  manuscript, 

THE 

UNCOMMON  VISION, 

WHICH  HE  HAD  WHEN  A  YOUNG  MAN. 


BY  HIS  SO$sr. 


NEW-YORKrr*-^ 

PUBLISHED  BY  JOHN  LANGDON, 
A.  rORMAN,  PRINT. 


1805. 


to 


control 


l4uiob®^ 


tmp96 


028045 


AN 
ACCOUNT 

OF 

THE  LIFE 

OF 

THOMAS  SAY. 


Xo  delineate  the  characters  of  great 
and  good  men^  is  undoubtedly  a  pleashig 
and  important  task ;  it  appears  to  me 
also  to  be  a  claim  which  posterity  has 
upon  us,  inasmuch  as  exemplary  virtue, 
exhibited  in  conflicting  life,  may  act  in 
such  manner  as  to  encourage  others,  who 
being  made  sensible  of  the  exceHency  of 
their  lives,  and  the  good  resulting  there- 
from, may  be  encouraged  to  follow  them 


in  their  bright  paths  of  splendid  morali- 
ty, philanthropy  and  religion.  I  wish 
not  to  paint  the  character  of  my  worthy 
progenitor  in  very  strong  or  glaring  co- 
lours, neither  would  it  be  proper  for  me 
so  to  do  3  but  only^  in  a  plain  dress,  to 
perpetuate  the  memory  of  one  who  may 
be  truly  said  to  have  been  an  uncom- 
mon man,  both  with  respect  to  the  ge- 
neral tenour  of  his  life,  as  well  as  his 
remarkable  religious  experience.  I  am 
sorry  to  say  that  I  am  not  in  the  posses- 
sion of  manuscript  materials  to  furnish  a 
regular  and  circumstantial  detail  there- 
of, and  shall  have,  in  consequence,  to  de- 
pend principally  upon  memory,  to  ex- 
hibit those  things  which  may  be  recol- 
lected :  they  are  as  accurate  as  the  na* 
ture  of  the  case  will  admit  of.  I  wish- 
ed him,  some  time  previous  to  his  death, 
to  note  in  v^riting  some  of  the  most  im- 


portant  traits  in  his  own  character,  in 
order  that  a  more  minute  history  of  his 
•life  might,  in  a  proper  time,  be  produ- 
ced to  the  world  ;  but  he  did  not  appear 
to  be  inclined  to  do  so. 

It  may  be  right  for  me  to  m.ention,  at 
this  time,  that  none  of  his  writings, 
which  are  contained  in  this  work,  were 
submitted  to  the  inspection  of  the  soci- 
ety fcrf  Friends,  or  of  anj^  individuals 
amongst  them,  of  which  my  dear  parent 
was  a  worthy  member,  believing  it  pro- 
per, on  my  part,  to  publish  it  in  the  form 
in  which  it  was  left  by  him,  uamutifet- 
ed  by  any  one. 

,:  Some: have  thpught,  that  the  promul- 
gations of  thfe  doctrine  hf-universaJ  bene- 
volence, and  restoration  of  man,  might 

A  2 


6 

do  injury  at  this  time  ;  but  I  believe  dif- 
ferently, and  think  that  every  soul  which 
cnn  be  made  fully  sensible  of  this  extra- 
ordinary divine  love  to  the  creation,  will 
be  a  humbled  creature,  and  often  have 
to  adore  the  great  and  powerful  conde- 
scending mercy  and  love  of  Omnipo- 
tence to  itself,  and  to  all  men  ;  and  have 
frequently  to  render  thanksgiving  and 
praise,  as.  at  the  footstool  of  grace  and 
power.  I  hope  and  believe,  that  this 
principle  wall  yet  cover  the  earth  as  the 
waters  cover  the  sca^^  so  that  there 
may  be  none  found  who  cannot  say^ 
'^  Come  brother,  come  sister,"  &c. 

His  mother  was  a  daughter  of  Tho^- 
mas  Paschall,  by  Johanna,  lateSJoper, 
ofthfecity  of  BristoliiinfiOlAEnglani^ 

^  I^a.  xi.  9, 


■  7 

who  married  William  Say  at  Friends 
meeting-house,  in  the  City  of  Philadel- 
phia, on  the  4th  day  of  the  second  month, 
1S93.  His  grandfather  Paschall  lived 
nearly  eighty-three  years,  his  grandmo- 
ther Paschall  nearly  sfeventy-two  years, 
his  mother  upwards  of  sijcty,  and  his  fa- 
ther, I  believe,  not  quite  so  long. 

He  was  born  in  the  City  of  Philadel- 
phia, Ninth  month  16th,  1709,  old  style, 
and  nothing  material  occurred,  which 
has  come  to  my  knowledge,  ^ontil  he 
was  bound  out  as  an  apprentice  to  MViU 
liam  Robinson,  to  learn  to  be  a  saddler 
and  harness-maker,  in  which,  I  have 
often  heard  him  say,  he  was  remarkably 
active;  very  fevV  of  the  trade,  after  he 
had  aoquired  ^complete  knowjedge  of 
it,  wera  able  to  work  withdiim,  eith^t 
with  respect  to  neatness  or  facility. ... 


a 

His  grandfather  and  his  mother  came 
from  England  with  William  Penn,  and 
his  father  dying  when  he  was  five  years 
old,  his  mother,  after  being  a  widow 
for  a  reasonable  time,  how  long  I  know 
not,  married  Benjamin  Paschall,  so  that 
she  became  twice  PaschalK 

His  parents  being  of  a  religious  turn 
of  mind,  gave  him  such  instructlart  as 
ihey  conceived  might  contribute  ta  the 
iesfablishment  of  ia  moral  and  religious 
character^  ta  which  he -appeared  scru- 
pulously tO]  adhere.  His  step-father  Pas.*- 
chall  and  uncle  Robinson,  I  think  I  have 
heard  himi  say,  belonged  to  the  Episco* 
p'al  church,  in  the  principles  of  which  he 
was':thereforc  educated  ;  yet,  notwith- 
standing this^  he  seemed  toprpfer  the 
gifting,  into  stillness,  and  w<JUldy  in  eon- 
sequence^,,  often  attend  Friends  meet- 


ings,  where,  he  said,  he  frequently  found 
spiritual  comfort.  His  aunt  often  used 
all  her  influence  to  endeavour  to  prevail 
upon  him  to  continue  his  attention  to 
the  church,  but  without  effect.  He  was 
united  to  the  society  of  Friends  when  a 
yoang  man.  He  had  an  austere  mas- 
ter, and  one  who  kept  him  very  closely 
to  work.  He  had  a  severe  spell  of  the 
pleurisy  when  about  sixteen  or  seven- 
teen years  of  age,  in  which  he  had  the 
uncommon  vision  or  trance,  an  account 
of  which  is  contained  in  this  book. — ^ 
After  he  had  served  a  faithful  appren- 
ticeship, and  acquired  a  competent  know- 
ledge of  his  profession,  he  commenced 
business  in  Water-street,  where  he  was 
burned  out.  By  his  own  industry  he 
soon  rebuilt  his  house,  being  exceed- 
ingly attentive  to  business,  and  was  a 


10 

pattern  of  sobriety  to  his  day  and  gene- 
ration. 

He  was  remarkable  for  being  execu- 
tor to  many  estates,  and  guardian  to  a 
number  of  orphan  children,  to  whom,  I 
have  frequently  heard  him  say,  he  bad 
been  a  faithful  steward,  and  had  nothing 
to  reproach  himself  for^  but,  on  the 
contrary,  could  retrospect  upon  his  past 
conduct  with  pleasure  and  satisfaction  j 
having  also  often  visited  the  widows 
and  the  fatherless  in  their  afflictions,  ad^ 
ministering  comfort  and  consolation  to 
this  slighted  part  of  the  community. 

He  was  a  zealous  promoter  and  sup- 
porter of  schools  for  the  instruction  of 
youth,  black  as  well  as  whit€,  believing 
that  they  were  all  equal  in  the  Lord's 
eyes,  and  that  he  does  not  distinguish 


11 

them  for  their  colour,  but  agreeably  to 
their  virtues  and  the  rectitude  of  their 
lives ;  and  that  although  men  make  dis- 
tinctions^yet  it  was  necessary  to  furnish 
the  blacks  with  school-learning,  that^ 
by  improving  their  understandings,  they 
might  make  more  valuable  members  of 
society,  and  be  enabled  to  acquire  a 
knowledge  of  the  scriptures  of  truth,  by 
which  they  might  establish  a  good  moral 
and  religious  character. 

-He  was,  for  several  years,  one  of  the 
committee  appointed  by  the  society  of 
Friends  to  attend  the  school  for  the  in- 
struction of  blacks,  which  was  under 
their  direction,  and  of  which  board  he 
also  acted  as  treasurer. 

He  was  likewise,  for  several  years, 
one  of  the  managers  of  the  house  of  em- 


12 

ployment  at  the  commencement  of  that 
valuable  institution  ;  where  his  perse- 
vering attention  and  acts  of  benevolence 
were  manifestly  afforded,  and  much  con- 
tributed to  its  then  eminence. 

He  was  also  one  of  the  committee  ap* 
pointed  to  the  care  of  the  French  neu- 
trals who  flew  to  this  city  for  refuge  from 
Nova  Scotia,  about  the  year  1757  5  and 
alth'  jgh  they  had  the  small-pox  amongst 
thom,  and  he  had  two  children,  viz. 
myself  and  sister,  who  had  not  had  that 
disorder,  yet  he  maintained  his  post  with 
fidelity,  and  discharged  his  duty  to  them, 
with  that  degree  of  commiseration  which 
designates  the  christian.  He,  however, 
brought  that  formidable  complaint  home 
to  his  said  children,  by  which  he  was  so 
unfortunate  as  to  lose  his  daughter. 


13 

He  had  a  natural  talent  for  medicine, 
and  therefore,  after  he  had  acquired  a 
small  capital  by  his  industry  in  the  bu- 
siness that  he  was  educated  in,  he  com- 
menced apothecary  and  chy mist,  in  which 
he  continued  for  several  years.   He  often 
gave   advice  to  the  poor  gratis,  which 
frequently  proved  very  useful  to  them  ; 
indeed  he  performed  many  cures,  which 
the  learned  professor  would  not  be  asha- 
med to  acknowledge,  ^^' 

If  it  is  possible  for  any  one  to  cure  by 
the  power  of  sympathy,  he  appeared  to 
possess  that  art  in  an  eminent  degree: 
for  there  are  a  number  of  well  attested 
cases  of  wens  being  removed,  and  in- 
dolent tumors  dispersed  in  the  glands  of 
the  human  body,  by  stroking  his  hands 
over  them  a  few  times  ;  and  however 
this  may  be  ridiculed  by  some,  it  is  ne- 

B 


14 

vertheless  a  fact,  which  a  number  of  liv* 
ing  testimonies  can  be  produced  to  prove* 

There  was  a  circumstance  which  oc- 
curred, a  few  years  before  his  death,  of 
so  extraordinary  a  nature,  and  which 
stands  so  well  attested,  as  not  to  admit 
of'any  doubt ;  and  I  think  that  it  would 
not  be  unentertaining  to  the  reader  to 
relate  it  in  this  place. 

It  is  of  a  young  woman  who  lived  at 
a  considerable  distance  from  Philadel- 
phia. She  had  been,  for  some  time,  se- 
verely afflicted  with  epileptic  fits,  and 
dreamed  one  night  that  a  person  appear- 
ed to  her,  and  informed  her  that  if  she 
would  go  to  the  city,  and  make  appli- 
cation to  a  man  by  the  aame-of  Thomas 
Say,  she  should  be  cured  by  such  niedi- 
cines  as  he  would  prescribe  for  her^,  and 


15 

that  she  could  not  be  cured  hi  any  other 
way.      Although   the   impression   was 
deeply  made,  and  dwelled  lively  upon 
her  mind,  yet  she  treated  it  only  as   a 
common  dream,  and  paid  but  little  at- 
tention to  it ;  but  sametime  after,  tho 
same  person  appeared  to  her  again,  de- 
siring to  know  why  she  had  slighted  his 
advice  to  her.     She  told  him,  that  she 
bad  no  v\^ay  to  go  to  the  city,  neither 
did  she  know  the  road,  as  she  had  never 
been  there,  and  also  that  she  was  unac- 
quainted with  the  man.     He  then,  she 
thought,  retired,  and  in  a   short   time 
returned  with  two  horses,  one  of  which 
she  mounted,   and  he  the  other,  when 
they  rode  together  to  the  ci-ty.     He  then 
accompanied  her  to  the  house,  and  shew- 
ed her  the  very  man.     The  next  morn- 
ing she  communicated  her  dreams   to 
some  ofher  friends 3  upon  which  a  young 


16 

man  attended  with  two  horses  like  those 
she  had  dreamed  of.     She  mounted  the 
one  that  she  thought  in  her  sleep  she  had 
rode,  and   he  the   other ;  and  as  they 
went  forward,  she  anticipated  adescrip^ 
tion  of  the  whole  road.     Upon  their  ar- 
rival she  recognized  the  house,  and  upon 
coming  in  they  saw  me,  when  she  said,. 
*'  that  is  not  the  man.'*     They  then  ask- 
ed for  Thomas  Say,  who  being  up  stairs, 
I  called  him  down,  and  upon  his  appear- 
ance,  she  exclaimed  ^'This  is  the  man 
who  can  cure  me."    He  directly  advanc- 
ed and  shook  hands  with  them,  as  was 
his  usual  custom.     She  then  related  all 
the  particulars,  in  my  presence,  of  her 
remarkable  dreams.  He  accordingly  had 
some  medicines  put  up  for  her,   which, 
I  was  informed,  she  took,  and  was  fully 
and  perfectly  restored  to  health. 


17 

He  was  very  humane  and  benevolent,. 
frequently  administering  medical,  pe- 
cuniary,  and  religious  aid  to  the  poor 
and  distressed,  numbers  of  whom  par- 
took liberally  of  his  beneficence. 

He  was  a  rem.arkable  pedestrian,  pre- 
ferring to  walk  generally,  unless  the  dis- 
tance was  very  great.  When  he  wzs  a 
young  man,  he  had  a  relation  w^ho  re- 
sided at  fourteen  miles  distance  (which 
he  has  often  told  me  of)  to  whom  he 
would  frequently  walk  to  breakfast,  stay 
with  them  the  day,  and  return  home  in 
the  evenings 

He  was  of  stature  about  five  f^cty  nine 
or  ten  inches  high,  thin  in  flesh,  and  of 
a  clear  white  skin.  He  was  uncom- 
monly temperate  both  in   eating  and 

drinking,  the  first  of  which  was  mostly 

B  2 


18 

of  a  simple  nature,  consisting  of  one 
dish  of  meat  with  vegetables,  and  his 
drink  was  water,  molasses  and  water^ 
milk  and  water^  and  such  like. 

He  never  used  tobacco  in  any  way, 
excepting  for  a  short  time,  being  ad* 
vised  to  smoke  as  a  remedy  for  a  com* 
plaint  which  he  had  in  his  throats  but, 
however,  it  not  answering  the  wished- 
for  purpose,  he  declined  the  use  of  it. 
As  to  ardent  spirits,  he  very  seldom 
touched  any  of  it.  I  think  I  heard  him 
say,  that  during  his  long  life,  he  thought 
he  had  not  drank  a  gallon  of  it. 

He  was  married  to  Susannah  Catha- 
rine Sprogel  on  the  15th  of  the  Sixth 
month,  1734,  with  whom  he  lived  fif- 
teen years  in  harmony  and  good  under- 
standing.    She  died  in  a  very  suddea 


19 

manner :  on  the  day  of  her  death  (Sab- 
bath-day) as  she  was  sitting  at  the  table 
with  him^she  told  him  that  she  wished  him 
not  to  go  to  meeting,  as  that  would  be 
the  last  day  they  would  spend  together; 
he  endeavoured  to  reason  her  out  of  it, 
but   in  vain  ;  he,  however,  yielded   to 
her  solicitations,  and  the  sequel  proved 
her  to  be  right,  for  she  died  in  a  fit  on 
that  very  day>  which  indeed  was  truly 
afflicting  to  him.     He  was  left  with  four 
young  children,  having  previously  bu* 
ried  as  many  s  the  particular  care   of 
whom  devolved  especially   upon  him^ 
and  being  a  remarkably  fond  and  indul- 
gent parent,  they  were  much  attached 
to  him. 

He  married  Rebecca  Budd  (late  At- 
kinson) widow  of  Thomas  Budd,  on  the 
Sd  day  of  the  Tenth  months  1753^  at 


£0 

Mount-holly  meeting-house  in  the  state 
of  New- Jersey,  by  whom  he  hatl'4wo 
children,  and  with  whom  he  lived  in  a 
happy  connection  for  nearly  forty-two 
years  ^  so  that  he  lived  in  a  state  of  ma- 
trimony for  upwards  of  half  a  century* 

He  lived  to  be  an  afflicted  witness  to 
the  interment  of  both  his  wives,  the  last 
having  died  about  ten  months  before 
him  of  a  very  lingering  spell  of  illness, 
and  also  of  all  his  children  but  one  ^ 
which  was,  indeed,  truly  distressing  to 
him,  being  an  uncommon  fond  and  in- 
dulgent parent. 

He  was  remarkable  for  continuing,, 
tJirough  his  whole  life,  in  the  full  pos- 
session of  his  mental  faculties,  and  could, 
with  great  facility,  recollect  recent  oc- 
currences as  well  as  those  which  took 


21 

place  in  his  youth ;  though  the  afPiic* 
tions  of  his  body  wore  down  and  debi- 
litated his  corporeal  functions,  insomuch 
that  a  constitution,  which  otherwise  ap- 
peared to  be  sufficient  to  calculate  upon 
one  hundred  years  of  existence,  was 
completely  worn  out  short  of  eighty-se- 
ven years ;  yet  this  may  be  said  to  be  a 
very  advanced  age  at  this  period  of  the 
world. 

He  was  a  great  enemy  to  atheism  and 
deism  :  his  arguments  and  reasonings 
were  powerful,  and,  I  believe,  brought 
conviction  to  the  minds  of  many  of  those 
who  had  the  pleasure  of  conversing  with 
himthsreon, 

In  this  place  I  wish  to  give  a  few  sen- 
timents upon  these  subjects.  I  do  not 
mean  to  enter  the  field  of  contention,  or 


22 

the  list  of  combatants  hereon ;  but  as, 
through  the  whole  tenour  of  a  dear  fa^ 
ther's  life  they  were  opposed,  and  being 
myself  early  convinced  of  their  fallacy, 
by  his  frequent  and  powerful  reasoning, 
I  wish  just  to  affix  my  seal  against  them, 
in  this  publi(5  manner  3  and  more  espe- 
cially anxious  am  I  so  to  do,  in  this  age 
of  growing  infidelity. 

Indeed  I  have  very  often,  upon  re- 
flecting a  little,  i>een  much  surprized  to 
think  how  any  rational  man  can  bring 
himself  to  believe  in  either  of  those  ab- 
surdities....may  I  not  say  infidelities.*.. 
B^nd  more  especially  in  thefirst,of  which^ 
I  charitably  hope,  there  are  but  very 
few  in  existence.  Even  amongst  the 
heathens,  and  the  most  unenlightened 
of  mankind,  there  cannot  be  found  ma- 
ny, I  trust,  who  are  so  hardy  as  to  deny 


£3 

the  existence  of  a  greats  Supreme  Beings 
the  Author  and  Superintender  of  cre- 
ation. 

Even  to  the  Athenians,  who  were  a 
superstitious  and  idolatrous  people,  the 
apostle  Paul  says.  As  I  passedby,  and 
beheld  your  devotions,  I  found  an  altar 
with  this  inscription,  TO  THE  UN- 
KNOWN  GOD.  Whom,  therefore,  ye 
ignorantly  worship,  him  declare  I  unto 
you.^  So  that,  notwithstanding  their 
unworthy  mode  of  worship,  yet  they 
must  have  been  persuaded  that  there  ex- 
isted an  invisible,  incomprehensible  De- 
ity, the  Author  of  all  creation^ 

Man  was  formed  by  an  all-pow^erful 
and  benevolent  Creator,  who  endowed 

*  Acts  xvii.  25. 


^v 


24 

him  with  judgment  to  direct  him  aright 
upon  this  point,  as  well  as^others,  and 
a  faculty  of  reasoning,  so  that  he  may 
satisfy  himself,  even  that  this  visible  cre- 
ation evidently  manifests  the  v;orks  of 
an  omnipotent  hand. 

^^  They  lie,''  says  Seneca,  ^^  who  say 
they  believe  there  is  no  God  :  though 
they  may  profess  this  confidently  in  the 
day-time,  when  they  are  in  company ; 
yet,  in  the  night,  and  alone,  they  have 
doubtful  thoughts  about  it." 

^^  God  never  wrought  a  miracle,"  says 
Lord  Bacon,  ^^  to  convince  atheism,  be- 
cause his  ordinary  works  convince  it." 
Here  we  see  the  opinion  of  this  enlight- 
ened philosopher,  that  where  natural 
reason  and  observation  are  properly  ap- 
plied to  the  works  of  the  creation,  they 


25 

Will  infallibly  bring  conviction  of  an  cm- 
nipotence^  to  all  those  who  will  make  a 
right  use  of  them. 

All  nations  and  religious  societies  uni- 
versally assent  to  the  existence  of  a  Su- 
preme Being,  and  to  the  certainty  of 
future  rewards  and  punishments.  In- 
deed, so  forcible  has  this  impression 
been,  that  the  constitutions  of  many  go- 
vernnients  prescribe,  that  no  man  shall 
become  a  legislator,  without  first  giv- 
ing an  acknov/ledgment  that  he  believes 
in  the  being  of  a  God  ;  and  many  of 
them  extend  it  so  far,  as  in  America, 
divers  parts  of  Europe,  &c.  that  they 
must  also  acknowledge  Jesus  Christ, 
the  great  Redeemer  and  Restorer  of 
mankind. 


26 

He  was  very  intimately  acquainted 
with  the  scriptures,  and  expounded  them 
in  such  a  manner  as  to  be  exceedingly 
pleasing  to  those  around  him,  so  that 
they  have  often  said,  that  they  never 
heard  them  so  fully  ?nd  satisfactorily 
explained* 

His  description  of  the  ladder  that  Ja- 
cob dreamed  of,  which  was  set  upon  the 
earth,  and  the  top  of  it  reached  to  Hea- 
ven :  and  behold,  the  angels  of  God 
ascending  and  descending  upon  it,*  v/as 
extraordinary,  a  recital  whereof  maybe 
agreeable  to  many. 

He  said,  that  he  generally  awoke  atn 
hour  or  two  before  day^  from  which 
time  till  he  arose  from  his  bed,  he  was 

*  Gen.  xxviii*  1^. 


27 

commonly  engaged  in  meditation  ;  and 
at  one  of  those  times  this  subject  occur- 
red, when  he  was  very  desirous  to  re- 
ceive an  explanation  thereof,  and  in 
viewing  it  deeply^  it  was  opened  to  his 
rtiind  in  a  satisfactory  manner:  there 
were  a  number  of  sevens  brought  to  his 
recollection,  as  mentioned  in  scripture, 
and  it  struck  him,  that  this  ladder  had 
seven  steps,  and  they  were  named  as  fol- 
lows, viz.  add  to  your  Faith,  1st,  Virtue, 
2d,  Knowledge,  3d,  Temperance,  4th, 
Patience,  5th,  Godliness,  6th,  Brother- 
ly-kmdness,  and  7th,  Charity.  These, 
he  said,  we  must  ascend  before  w^e  can 
arrive  at  that  perfection  of  holiness, 
which  will  fit  us  for  the  mansions  of  eter- 
nal happiness. 

He  spent  a  great  deal  of  his  time  in 
visiting  and  comforting  the  sick,dispcns- 


28 

ing  acts  of  benevolence  and  charity 
among  them ;  being  fully  persuaded  that 
it  was  better  to  go  to  the  house  of  mourn- 
ing, than  to  the  house  of  feasting. 

The  uncommon  affability  of  manners^^ 
and  mildness  of  disposition  with  which 
he  was  almost  invariably  possessed,  ren- 
dered him  exceedingly  agreeable  to  all 
his  acquaintance,  and  a  very  useful  mem* 
ber  of  society. 

He  continued  in  the  possession  of  his 
sight  to  the  end  of  his  days,  and  could 
read  common  sized  print  during  his 
■whole  life  without  the  aid  of  glasses,  al- 
though he  for  some  years  made  use  of 
spectacles, believing  that  they  might  pre- 
serve his  sight,  and  indeed  he  thought 
that  he  could  see  better  with  their  as^ 
sistance,     I  have  frequently  seen  hini;^ 


29 

even  in  the  latter  part  of  his  life,  sign 
his  name  to  instruments  of  writing  with 
ease,  without  the  use  of  his  spectacles, 
holding  his  head  about  the  same  distance 
from  the  object  that  a  middle-aged  man 
would. 


His  sense  of  hearing  appeared  to  be 
the  most  impaired,  yet  he  could  hear 
common  conversation,  if  delivered  with 
a  clear,  distinct,  uninterrupted  voice. 

He  was,  for  a  long  time,  much  re- 
deemed from  the  world,  and  when  any 
connectio.n  or  intimate  friend  appeared 
iohim  to  be  very  anxious  for  the  accu- 
mulation of  v/orldJy  riches^  he  would 
take  occasion  to  advise  them  to  be  care- 
ful not  to  injure  the  spirit  of  truth  in 
their  own  breasts,  but  to  labour  to  ac- 
quire those  invisible  riches  w^hich  will 

c  2  ' 


30 

work  for  them  eternal  happiness ;  and 
that  it  was  his  opinion,  that  they  ought 
to  endeavour  to  attain  to  that  state  of 
perfection  experienced  by  the  apostle^ 
who  says,  *^  And  having  food  and  rai- 
ment, ht  us  be  therewith  content  j*'*' 
and  even  then,  having  their  hands  to 
the  plough,  they  ought  to  have  their 
hearts  to  the  Lord. 

He  had  many  very  severe  nnd  dan- 
gerous spells  of  ilhiess,  was  much  sub- 
ject to  the  cramp  for  many  years,  often 
being  attacked  with  it  in  his  breast^ 
which  would  even  very  frequently  pre- 
vent his  breathing  for  a  short  time  ;  in- 
deed, I  have  seen  him  lay  as  though 
dead,  without  respiration  for  perhaps 
two  or  three  minutes  at  a  time,  and  then 

*  1  Tim.  vi.  8. 


31 

wake  up  to  undergo  the  same  awful  and 
heart-rending  state  again,  which  would 
be  repeated  for  one,  two,  or  three  days 
at  intervals  :  he  was  also  exceedingly 
afflicted  with  a  calculous  complaint,  for 
several  years  before  his  death,  which  in- 
duced him  to  lead  a  very  domestic  life  : 
he  was  likewise  very  much  affected  with 
a  severe  and  extrem-ely  painful  hernia. 
With  all  these  dreadful  disorders  was  he 
sometimes  attacked,  in  a  most  violent 
manner,  at  the  same  time,  so  that  he 
was  often  heard  to  pray,  *^  Oh  Lord,  if 
it  be  thy  will,  suffer  this  bitter  cup  to 
pass  from  me,  yet  not  my  will,  but  thine 
be  done  in  me  and  upon  me/*  At  other 
times,  ^^  Oh  Lord,  support  me  that  I 
may  not  murmur  at  thy  dispensations, 
but  give  me  strength  to  bear  them  with 
patience  and  resignation  to  thy  blessed 
will/^    And  in  one  very  severe  spell,  he 


35 

said  to  this  effect,  ^^  When  I  considef 
what  my  dear  Saviour,  the  immaculate 
and  unoffending  Lamb,  went  through 
when  in  this  world,  for  me  and  his  whole 
creation  of  man,  I  feel  my  afflictions  dis- 
pensed to  me  in  great  tenderness,  and 
with  a  light  and  merciful  hand,  which 
causes  myxup  as  to  overflow  with  thanks- 
giving and  praise.''  For  several  months 
before  his  death,  he  appeared  to  be  un- 
commonly free  in  conversing  with  reli- 
gious characters,  upon  the  wonderful 
benevolence  and  powerful  mercy  of  God, 
in  his  intentions,  eventually  to  confer 
upon  all  men  eternal  happiness,  but  that 
a  jiist  and  proportioned  punishment 
awaited  all  those  who  died  in  their  sins, 
which  he  thought  was  one  of  the  great- 
est and  most  dignified  attributes  of  the 
Deity.  If,  indeed,  this  was  and  is  de- 
signed, what  other  power,  either  in  Hea- 


$3 

yen  or  in  earth,  can  possibly  prevent  its 
being  finally  and  fully  accomplished,  or 
in  the  least  avert  this  beneficent  inten- 
tion of  Omnipotence  ?  He  continued 
in  this  belief  to  the  last  moments  of  his 
life,  and  then  could  truly  say,  with  an 
eminent  one  formerly,  ^^  I  have  fought 
a  good  fight,  I  have  finished  my  course, 
I  have  kept  the  faith  :  henceforth  there^ 
is  laid  up  for  me  a  crown  of  righteous^ 
ness,  which  the  Lord,  the  righteous 
Judge,  shall  give  me  at  that  day  :  and 
not  to  me  only,  but  unto  all  them  also 
that  love  his  appearing.* 

A  few  hours  before  his  death, he  spoke 
after  this  manner,  that  he  was  about 
dying  in  peace  with  all  men,  andhoped^ 
in  a  very  short  time,  through  the  merits 

*  2  Tim.iv.  r,  8. 


34 

of  his  blessed  Redeemer,  to  enter  into 
those  peaceful  mansions  which  areT>re- 
pared  for  the  virtuous  and  the  good. 
He  then  took  leave  of  his  friends  about 
him  in  a  solemn  though  deliberate  man- 
ner;,and  said^that  he  hoped  none  would 
grieve  for  him,  as  he  was  about  leaving 
a  very  afflicted  mortal  body  for  a  more 
glorious  state  of  existence,  eternal  in 
the  heavens.  He  departed  in  a  very 
tranquil,  easy  frame  of  mind,  and  I  have 
no  doubt,  made  a  triumphant  entry  into 
the  m.ansions  of  the  blessed. 

r  think  I  may  truly  say,  ^VThat  harm- 
ing glorified  his  Redeemer  on  earth,  he 
will,  probably,  be  as  a  star  of  the  first 
magnitude  in  Heaven.  He  will  shine 
with  brigUter  beams,be  replenished  with 
stronger  joys,  in  his  Lord's  everlasting 
kingdom." 


35 

'^  Let  the  poor,  as  they  pass  by  his 
grave,  point  at  the  little  spot,  and  thank- 
fully acknowledge. ...there  lies  the  man, 
whose  unwearied  kindness  was  the  con- 
stant relief  of  my  various  distresses.... 
who  tenderly  visited  my  languishing 
bed,  and  readily  supplied  my  indigent 
circumstances.  How  often  w^ere  his 
counsels  a  guide  to  my  perplexed  thoughts 
and  a  cordial  to  my  dejected  spirit  !'* 

HERVEY. 


AN 

ADDRESS 


God  being  the  Creator  of  all  things^ 
must,  as  their  common  Father,  have  re- 
spect to  all  his  offspring.  For,  being  aK 
together  free  from  the  imperfections 
under  which  our  nature  labours  at  pre- 
sent, he  must  be  totally  devoid  of  the 
partiality  which  is  too  evident  in  most 
parents  to  one  or  more  of  their  offspring 
in  preference  to  the  rest,  few  of  them 
esteeming  all  their  children  alike.    Now 


38 

this  being  confessed  to  be  a  weakness 
in  parents,  it  would  be  a  sort  of  blas- 
phemy to  attribute  it  to  the   all-perfect 

Deity, 

I  know  that  most  people,  who  speak 
or  Vv^rite  concerning  the  dispensations  of 
God  to  themselves,  do  it  in  such  a  man- 
ner as  to  giye  others  reason  to  conclude, 
that  they  esteem  themselves  the  pecu- 
liar favourites  of  Heaven,  thereby  at- 
tributing :tbat  partiality  to  God  which 
they  find  in  themselves,  not  considering 
that  what  is  imperfection  in  them  can 
never  be  adored  as  a  perfection  in  the 
Deity* 

Sinpe  this  way  of  speaking  is  not,  nor 
cannot  be  true,  and  as  it  is  disgusting 
to  many,  for  few  can  bear  to  hear  that 
their  neighbours  are  more  highly  fa- 


39 

voured  of  God  than  they  are  ^  J  think 
it  expedient  to  shew  my  opinion,  and 
by  a  few  reasons  make  it  appear,  that 
the  ways  of  God  are  altogether  without 
respect  of  persons  :  and/  consequently, 
though  his  dealings  may  seem  particu- 
Jarly  kind  to  me,  as  in  reality  they  are, 
yet  God,  who  is  the  Father  of  all,  equal- 
ly loves  all  his  creatures. 

The  apostle  John,  when  speaking  of 
God,  represents  him  under  the  two  cha- 
racters of  light  and  love.  '^  God,"  saith' 
he,  *^  is  light,  and  in  him  is  no  darkness 
at  all."  Now  if  we  consider  him  under 
this  character,  he  will  appear  altogether 
impartial.  If  God  is  essential  eternal 
light,  the  fountain  out  of  which  all  tem- 
poral light  flows,  then  he  causes  his  light 
to  shine  on  the  evil  and  the  good,  with- 
out respect  of  persons.     Again    (saith 


40 

the  apostle)  "  God  is  love/'  and  that  his 
love  is  universal  is  certain,  for  he  has 
impressed  the  sense  of  it  so  deeply  on 
the  hearts  of  all  men,  that  every  one  ia 
obliged  to  acknowledge  his  goodness  to 
himself,  whatever  he  may  of  it  to  his 
neighbours.  Now  it  could  not  be  that 
God  would  impress  a  sense  of  his  good- 
ness and  love  on  the  heart  of  every  man, 
if  he  was  not  good  and  loving  to  every 
man.  Neither  would  all  nations  of  men, 
nor  sects  of  Christians,  characterize  him 
with  the  name  of  great  and  good,  which 
all  nations  have  done,  unless  he  were  sq 
to  them.  So  that,  from  the  consent  of 
all  nations,  w^e  may  conclude,  that  God 
is  loving  to  every  man,  and  that  his  ten- 
der mercy  is  over  all  his  works. 

It  is  plain  from  the  history  of  all  na- 
tions who  have  written  of  themselves. 


41 

that  the  same  causes  which  have  raised 
one  nation  to  glory  and  renown,  have 
never  failed  to  raise  every  other  nation 
to  the  same,  or  to  an  equal  pitch  of  glo- 
ry, as  often  as  they  have  used  the  same 
means.  And  it  is  also  certain,  that  the 
same  vices  which  have  sunk  the  glory 
of  one  nation^  have  also  sunk  the  glory 
of  all  other  nations  that  have  been  guilty 
of  them  ;  therefore  in  this  the  ways  of 
the  Lord  are  equal.  Now  though  wc 
have  not  so  clear  evidence  from  history 
of  the  fact  being  so  with  regard  to  par- 
ticular persons,  yet,  that  the  matter  is 
so,  I  think,  cannot  well  be  doubted, 
since  God,  who  is  but  one  unchangea- 
ble Being,  can  have  but  one  unchange- 
able way  of  dealing  with  his  creatures, 
whether  they  be  many  or  few;  and  if 
nations  equally  guilty,  equally  feel  his 

rod^  so  must  the  particular  persons  of 

D  2 


42 

which  these  nations  are  constituted.-— 
The  thing  is  founded  in  nature,  and 
therefore  cannot  be  otherwise ;  for  vice, 
wherever  it  is,  is  by  universal  expe- 
rience found  to  be  tormenting,  and  to  be 
equally  so  where  the  crimes  are  equaK 
There  is  an  awe  and  dread  which  pur- 
sues the  guilty,  and  like  a  worm  preys 
upon  them,  and  never  desists  as  long  as 
guilt  is  found  in  their  bosoms ;  ever  ve- 
rifying that  declaration  of  God  by  the 
prophet,  ^^  There  is  no  peace,  saith  my 
God,  to  the  wicked,"  and  indeed  so  I 
find  it. 

Human  laws,  it  is  true,  and  other 
circumstances  altogether  providential, 
often  take  hold  of  one  man,  and  out- 
wardly afRict  him,  while  they  let  another 
escape  equally  guilty  s  but  it  is  not  fair 
to  conclude  from  thence  that  their  pu- 


43 

nishments  are  in  reality  unequal.  Nay^ 
I  believe  that  experience  will  evince  the 
contrary  to  be  most  certainly  true,  name- 
ly, that  VICE  TRIUMPHANT  is  as  miser- 
able as  VICE  under  the  penalty  of  hu- 
man laws,  or  any  other  outward  afFiic- 
tions.  Many  examples  might  be  alledg- 
ed  as  proofs  of  this  truth  ;  let  one  suf- 
fice for  the  present* 

A  philosopher  having  seen  Dionysius, 
the  tyrant  of  Sicily,  in  all  his  splendour, 
while  yet  triumphing  in  his  wickedness, 
complimented  him  as  the  happiest  man 
in  the  world.  Dionysius,  to  convince 
him  of  his  mistake,  invited  him  to  a  roysl 
dinner,  the  table  being  spread  in  a  most 
splendid  hall,  and  a  most  luxurious  din- 
ner served  up  in  a  royal  manner.  The 
philosopher  w^as  seated  in  a  chair  (to 
partake  of  the  delicacies)  over  which 


44 

hung  a  sword  with  its  point  downwards, 
fastened  to  the  ceiling  by  a  single  hair; 
notwithstanding  the  dinner  was  furnish- 
ed off  with  all  the  pomp  and  magnifi- 
cence of  majesty,  the  philosopher  could 
enjoy  nothing  he  tasted  or  saw :  upon 
which  Dionysius  asked  him,  *^  Do  you 
now  feel  happy  ?'*  To  whom  the  philo- 
sopher answered,  "  The  fear  of  the 
sword,  which  hangs  over  my  head,  hath 
destroyed  the  relish  of  the  whole  ban- 
quet, and  in  the  midst  of  all  the  magni^ 
ficence  and  splendour  with  which  I  am 
surrounded,  I  feel  perfectly  miserable.'^ 
"Well then,'^  says  the  tyrant,  "  the  con- 
sciousness of  my  crimes  renders  me  as 
miserable  in  the  midst  of  my  royalty  : 
so  that  thou  who  yesterday  compliment- 
ed me  as  the  happiest  of  men,  mayest 
to-day  be  convinced  that  I  am  the  most 
miserable/' 


45 

Now  could  any  visible  distress  or  pu- 
nishment inflicted  by  the  hands  of  civil 
law,  equal  the  torment  which  the  ty» 
rant  felt  inflicted  from  that  conscience 
or  light  within,  which  is  given  to  all 
men  indiscriminately,  and  which,  as  it 
came  from  God,  must  of  necessity  do 
his  work,  reproving  and  correcting  ev- 
ery man  for  his  transgression,  and  that 
according  to  each  man's  wickedness,  as 
well  as  the  tyrant  mentioned.  Since 
God  has  repeatedly  declared,  that  the 
love  of  the  world  is  the  death  of  the  soul, 
and  since  it  is  universally  experienced 
by  the  possessors  of  riches,  that  the  in- 
crease of  them  is  no  increase  of  happi- 
ness, there  can  be  no  proof  of  partiality 
drawn  from  the  dealings  of  God  in  this 
case,  as  riches  or  the  want  of  them  are 
equally  nothing  in  the  scale  of  bliss.-*- 
Yet  some  may  object  to  what  I  have 


46 

said,  by  alledging  that  the  most  wicked 
are  the  most  insensible^  and  feel  the  least 
from  their  guilt :  to  whom  I   ansv/er, 
though  the  case  be  so  for  the  present, 
yet  it  will  not  always  be  so^  sensibility 
will  one  day  spring  up,  and  repay  into 
bis  bosom  the  whole  of  his  transgres- 
sions.    More  cogent  ieascns,  for  what  I 
Uave  aaserted  here,  are  no  where  to  be 
found  than  in  the  book  of  Deuteronomy, 
29th  and  3Gth  chapters,  part  of  which 
I  will  transcribe  for  such  as  will  not  read 
the  whole,  which  I  would  recommend 
to  all  who  doubt  of  what  I  have  said, 
for  no  part  of  it  is  so  complete  as  the 
whole. 

^^  Lest  there  should  be  among  you, 
man  or  woman,  or  family,  or  tribe,  whose 
heart  turneth  away  this  day  from  the 
Lord  our  God,  to  go  and  serve  the  gods 


47 

of  these  nations  s  lest  there  should  be 
among  you  a  root  that  beareth  gall  and 
wormwood  ;  And  it  come  to  pass,  when 
he  heareth  the  words  of  this  curse,  that 
he  bless  himself  in  his  heart,  saying,  I 
shall  have  peace,  though  I  walk  in  the 
imagination  of  mine  heart,  to  add  drunk- 
enness to  thirst ;  The  Lord  will  not 
spare  him,  but  then  the  anger  of  the 
Lord  and  his  jealousy  shall  smoke  against 
that  man  5  and  all  the  curses  that  are 
written  in  this  book  shall  lie  upon  him, 
and  the  Lord  shall  blot  out  his  name 
from  under  Heaven,  And  the  Lord 
€hall  separate  him  unto  evil,  out  of  all 
the  tribes  of  Israel,  according  to  all  the 
curses  of  the  covenant,  that  are  written 
in  this  book  of  the  law  :  So  that  the  ge- 
neration to  come, of  your  children  that 
shall  rise  up  after  you,  and  the  stranger 
that  shall  come  from  a  far  land,  shall 


48 

say,  when  they  see  the  plagues  of  that 

land,  and  the  sicknesses  which  the  Lord 

hath  laid  upon   it;  And  that  the  whole 

land  thereof  is  brimstone,  and  salt,  and 

burning,  that  it  is  not  sown,  nor  beareth, 

nor  any  grass  groweth  therein,  like  the 

overthrow   of   Sodom   and  Gomorrah, 

Admah  and  Zeboim,  which  the  Lord 

overthrew  in  his  anger  and  in  his  wrath  : 

Even   all   nations  shall  say,  wherefore 

hath  the  Lord  done  thus  unto  this  land  ? 

What  meaneth  the  heat  of  this  anger  ? 

Then  men  shall  say,  because  they  have 

forsaken  the  covenant  of  the  Lord  God 

of  their  fathers,  which  he   made  with 

them,  when  he  brought  them  forth  out 

of  the  land  of  Egypt :    For  they  went 

and  served  other  gods,  and  worshipped 

them,  gods  whom  they  knew  not,  and 

whom  he  had  not  given  unto  them:  And 

the  anger  of  the  Lord  was  kindled  against 


49 

this  land,  to  bring  upon  it  all  the  cui'se^ 
that  are  written  in  this  book  :  And  the 
Lord  rooted  them  out  of  their  land  in 
anger,  and  in  wrath,  and  in  great  in- 
dignation, and  cast  them  into  another 
land,  as  at  this  day." 

Here  is  seen  the  certainly  of  what  I 
have  said  :  it  is  no  matter  whether  the 
Jews  be  the  nation  that  transgress,  or 
the  Gentiles,  both  shall  fare  Alike.  The 
Jews  committing  the  same  sins  with  the 
nations  around  them,  shall  share  in  their 
plagues.  A  tribe,  a  family,  a  single 
woman  or  man,  though  hardened  even 
to  insensibility,  in  iniquity,  yet  shall  not 
escape;  but  the  Lord  shall  give  him  a 
trembling  heart,  failing  of  eyes,  and  sor- 
row of  mind,  and  his  life  shall  hang  in 
doubt  before  him,  and  he  shall  fear  day 
and  night,  and  have  none  assurance  of 


50 

this  life.  In  the  morning  he  shall  say, 
^^  Would  to  God  it  were  even/'  and  at 
even  he  shall  say,  "  Would  to  God  it 
were  morning/'  for  the  fear  of  his  heart, 
wherewith  he  shall  fear,  and  for  the 
light  of  his  eyes,  which  he  shall  see. 

Sin  is  a  disease  under  which  the  hu- 
man nature  labours,  and  as  such  is  con- 
stantly represented  in  scripture,  being 
signified  under  the  types  of  a  leprosy,  a 
burning  plague,  a  wound,  a  bruise,  and 
a  putrifying  sore  j  and  indeed  if  we  said 
that  as  scripture  makes  outward  sores 
and  diseases  the  types  and  figures  of  sin, 
so  in  reality  they  are  nothing  but  the 
outbreakings  or  different  manifestations 
of  this  one  sole  and  grand  disease,  we 
would  affirm  a  most  certain  truth  :  for 
it  will  be  allowed  by  all,  that  disease 
was  never  known,  but  where  sin  was 


51 

first  known :  therefore  sin  is  truly  and 
naturally  the  root  or  mother  of  all  dis- 
ease, and  that  sorrow,  pain,  anguish, 
and  trouble  are  as  natural  and  necessary 
effects  of  sin  ;  as  joy,  peace,  pleasure 
and  happiness  are  of  a  continual  and  un- 
interrupted obedience  to  the  will  of  God. 
As  the  qualities  of  all  fruit  are  generat- 
ed in,  and  proceed  from,  the  tree  which 
produces  them  5  so  all  diseases,  having 
their  nature,  essence,  and  qualities  fronl 
sin,  must  in  every  symptom  manifest 
some  quality  of  the  root.  Now  all  dis- 
eases are  accompanied  with  a  Gcgree  of 
pain  equal  to  the  degree  of  the  disease  ; 
and  to  conclude  that  a  man  will  feel  pain 
according  to  the  degree  of  his  disease, 
is  a  most  irresistible  truth  :  and  yet  no 
more  true  than  to  say  that  a  man  shall  be 
unhappy  according  to  the  degree  and 
nature  of  his  sins,  since  the  bitterness  of 


52 

the  root  must  of  necessity  be  cominuni- 
cated  to  the  fruit.  True,  many  of  those 
diseases  which  are  the  daughters  of  sin, 
may  be  so  violent  as  for  a  time  to  destroy 
sensibility,  yet  this  is  a  symptom  of  its 
desperateness,  and  not  of  the  contrary; 
and  so  it  is  with  the  man  that  is  harden- 
ed in  sin  even  to  insensibility;  they  are 
both  founded  in  nature,  and  so  are  cau- 
ses that  produce  as  certain  and  invariable 
effects  as  any  others  whatever. 

When  God  formed  man,  he  consti- 
tuted his  natUi'o  such,  that  nothing  but 
a  perfect  subjection  to  the  divine  will 
(which  in  scripture  is  termed  righteous- 
ness) could  constitute  his  bliss  or  happi- 
ness ;  and  hence  it  is  said,  that  ^^  Light 
is  sown  for  the  righteous,  and  joy  for 
the  upright  in  heart.''  Light  and  joy, 
peace  and  happiness  are  sown  in  the  very 


53 

ground,  and  bottom  of  nature,  for  the 
righteous,  and  for  none  else  :  and  there- 
fore, whoever  he  be  that  doth  righteous- 
ness, he  is  joyous,  he  is  peaceful,  and 
he  is  happy  ^  be  he  Jew  or  Gentile, 
Turk  or  Christian,  black  or  white,  bond 
or  free  ;  for  God  respecteth  no  man's 
person ;  but  in  every  nation,  he  that  fear- 
eth  God  and  worketh  righteousness,  is 
accepted  of  him.  Again,  as  nothing 
but  righteousness  can  constitute  a  man's 
happiness,  so  nothing  but  sin  can  con- 
stitute his  misery.  Darkness  and  sor- 
row being  as  deeply  sown  in  the  nature 
of  things  for  sinners,  as  light  and  joy 
for  the  righteous  5  sin  and  righteousness 
are  exact  contraries,  and  so  produce  as 
contrary  effects:  and  hence  the  same 
God  who  declares,  that  peace  is  sown 
for  the  righteous,  has  also  declared  that 

the  soul  that  sinneth,  it  shall  die^  be  it 

E  2 


54 

who  it  may,  for  God  excepteth  no  man; 
but  he  that  sinneth  without  law,  shall 
also  perish  without  law  ;  as  certainly  as 
he  that  sinneth  in  the  law,  shall  bejudg-^ 
ed  by  the  law.  Now  in  all  this,  God 
is  impartial,  and  none  can  say  unto  him 
what  doest  thou,  or  why  dealest  thou 
thus  ? 

Sorrow,  you  see,  wholly  and  solely 
arises  from  our  departure  from  God,  of 
in 'other  words,  is  caused  by  sin;  and 
not  from  any  arbitrary  infliction  of  the 
Deity,  or  wrath  that  arises  in  God  upon 
our  committing  sin  ;  or  which  was  un- 
known to  him  before,  and  which  he  can 
dispense  with  at  pleasure,  loving  one 
while  he  commits  sin,  and  hating  ano- 
ther who  is  no  more  guilty  than  the  one 
he  loves.     Far  be  such  contradictions 


55 

from  the  Deity,  -snd  as  far  be  it  from  us 
to  think  so  meanly  of  God. 

Moreover,  joy  arises,  as  I  said  be- 
fore, from  OBEDIENCE  ALONE,  and  not 
from  any  arbitrary  infusion  thereof; 
these  things  are  founded  in  nature,  and 
are  as  irreversible :  for  whatever  God 
founded  in  nature  at  first,  was  founded 
according  to  his  own  nature,  and  he 
can  no  more  reverse  them  than  he  can 
change  his  own  nature  :  therefore  they 
are  unchangeable,  and  must  have  their 
effect  wherever  they  are  found. 

Now  though  the  thing  is  so  founded 
in  nature,  both  respecting  sin  and  right* 
eousness,  and  though  there  is  but  one 
medicine  in  nature,  which  can  effect  the 
removal  of  sin,  and  sorrow,  its  conse* 
quent,  viz,  the  name  and  powder  of  Je- 


56 

sus  Christ  revived  in  man  by  the  effec- 
tual operation  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  de- 
stroying all  earthly  passions  and  lusts, 
and  subduing  human  nature  to  that  de- 
gree, that  it  will  be  its  proper  food,  life 
and  nourishment,  to  do  the  will  of  its 
heavenly  Father,  and  to  walk  in  that 
straight  path  of  righteousness,  which 
leadeth  in  endless  peace  and  joy  for  ever 
more.  I  say,  though  this  is  the  only 
remedy,  yet  God  uses  various  ways  to 
bring  men  to  the  knowledge  of  their  dis- 
ease, and  also  to  the  knowledge  and  ac- 
ceptance of  the  cure. 

This  variety  in  the  dispensations  of 
God  to  his  people,  is  what,  by  many 
sects,  has  been  brought  forward  as  a , 
proof  of  his  partiality  to  one  part  of  his 
creatures,  and  which  they  found  in  an 
original  decree  of  God  before  all  worlds. 


57 

to  bless  and  make  happy  one  part  of  his 
offspring,  m  preference  to  all  the  rest, 
whom  he  has  everlastingly  rejected  ;  but 
what  in  reality  (for  the  following  rea- 
sons) appears  to  me  to  be  the  only  proof 
of  his  IMPARTIALITY  ot  Universal  love. 

Though  all  men  are  in  a  degree  like 
to  one  another,  yet  differ  as  much  in  the 
internal  frame  and  structure  of  their 
minds  as  in  the  external  lineaments  and 
complexions  of  their  bodic!?  3  men's  tem^ 
pers  varying  as  much  as  their  faces, 
which  gave  rise  to  that  proverb,  viz.  as 
many  m.en,  so  many  minds.  If  God, 
then,  will  make  man  partake  of  the 
goodness  he  has  in  store  for  them,  he 
must  of  necessity  use  the  means  best 
adapted  to  the  accomplishment  ot  his 
designs:  as  much,  therefore,  as  their 
tempers,  capacities,  constitutions,   and 


58 


Other  circumstances  differ^  so  much  must 
the  means  he  uses  differ ;  so  that  what 
at  first  sight  might  be  deemed  partiality 
in  God,  will,  upon  this  second  view  of 
the  matter,  appear  the  height  of  impar- 
tiality, universal  love,  and  consummate 
goodness.  As  a  skilful  and  tender  phy- 
sician will  administer  a  gentle  purgative 
to  one  patient,  while  he  prescribes  a 
wrecking  emetic  to  another,  and  as  a 
masterly  and  knowing  surgeon  will  ap* 
ply  a  lenitive  plaster  to  one  sore,  while 
he  uses  incisions  or  instruments  of  am? 
putation  to  another,  and  in  both  cases 
equally  loving  to  their  patients  5  even  so, 
God,  the  great  and  incom-prehensible, 
most  tender  physician  and  surgeon,  uses 
different  means  to  accomplish  the  cure 
of  that  disorder,  sin,  under  which  men 
labour,  according  to  the  different  de^ 
grees  thereof:  and  the  charge  of  par- 


59 

tiality  is  Infinitely  more  unjust  when  ap- 
plied to  the  dispjensations  of  God  to  his 
creatures,  than  when  applied  to  the  sur- 
geon or  physician,  because  in  one  case 
they  use  a  lenitive,  and  in  another  a  cor- 
rosive ;  a  charge  which  never  entered 
into  the  head  of  any  man  in  his  senses 
to  draw  up  against  them  ;  yet,  strange 
it  is,  they  have  drawn  it  up  against  God, 
the  good,  the  wise,  and  righteous  God, 
who  is  the  Father  of  all  flesh,  as  he  him- 
self declare  th.  ^^AU  souls  are  mine,'* 
saith  the  heavenly  Father,  "  as  the  soul 
of  the  father,  so  the  soul  of  the  son  is 
mine."*  All  are  his  offspring,  and  there- 
fore equally  share  his  paternal  affection, 
and  whenever  he  deals  differently  with 
them,  it  is  because  their  conditions  re- 
quire it,  and  his  love  will  not  deny  what 

*  Ezekiel  xviii,  4. 


60 

they  stand  in  need  of,  though  they  may 
judge  hard  of  him  while  under  the  ope- 
ration, and  others  may  imagine  it  the 
effect  of  disregard.  This  is  manifest  in 
the  case  of  Job  and  his  friends  j  both 
judged  amiss  respecting  God  and  his 
ways ;  but  behold,  in  the  end  it  appear- 
ed that  all  his  works  were  done  in  mer- 
cy, that  his  ways  were  in  wisdom,  that 
he  was  a  God  of  judgment,  and  that  just 
and  right  w^as  he. 

Time  would  fail  me  to  tell  of  Joseph, 
of  Daniel,  of  Shadrach,  Meshach,  and 
Abednego,  and  of  all  the  prophets,  how 
that  God's  particular  ways  with  them 
proved  not  only  a  great  salvation  to  them- 
selves, but  as  great  to  the  whole  world 
besides  :  all  which  would  tend  to  render 
the  doctrine  of  the  universal  impartial 
love  of  God  indisputable.    Yet  one  case. 


61 

which  has  been  much  misrepresented,  I 
will  relate,  hoping  that  therein  it  will 
manifestly  appear,  that  the  most  con- 
trary dispensations  of  God  are  equally 
the  effect  of  his  unchangeable  love  to 
the  subjects  of  them.  What  I  shall  re- 
late is  the  case  of  two  different  persons, 
and  two  different  nations,  wherein  it 
will  appear,  from  the  express  declara* 
tion  of  God,  that  notwithstanding  the 
ways  he  took  with  them  were  very  dif- 
ferent, and  that  men  have  imagined  his 
designs  to  have  been  as  different,  yet  he 
accomplished  one  and  the  same  good  in 
both  by  these  different  methods. 

The  two  different  persons  are  Moses 
and  Pharaoh,  and  the  two  nations  or 
people  are  Egyptians  and  Israelites,  at 
the  time  of  the  latter's  departure  out  of 
Egypt. 


62 

God  raised  up  Moses  to  be  a  captain 
and  leader,  and  armed  him  with  mira^ 
cles  of  terror  and  dismay^  that  he  might 
the  better  accomplish  his  designs  of 
bringing  the  Israelites  out  of  Egypt.  He 
also  raised  up  Pharaoh,  and  endowed 
him  with  a  degree  of  hard-heartedness 
sufficient  to  withstand  the  miracles  of 
Moses,  until  the  designs  of  God  were 
accomplished,  and  then  he  ceases  to 
withstand,  and  the  good  designs  of  God 
have  their  effect. 

Here,  then,  are  two  persons  and  also 
two  nations  under  the  divine  operation  j 
and  at  first  sight  the  one  seems  to  be 
highly  favoured,  and  the  other  as  highly 
despised.  In  favour  of  the  one  he  shows 
signs  and  wonders,  which  threaten  con- 
fusion and  destruction  to  the  other. 
Moses  is  raised  with  a  soft,  gentle,  and 


63 

pliant  heart,  willing  to  obey  the  corn* 
naands  of  the  Lord,  though  ever  so  dif- 
ficult ;  Pharaoh  with  a  heart  full  of  stub- 
bornness and  cruelty,  and  hardened  to 
such  a  degree,  that  he  is  hardy  enough 
to  ask,  who  is  the  Lord  that  I  should 
obey  him  ?  Now,  as  I  said  before,  the 
only  possible  way  of  man's  recovery  from 
sin,  is  by  a  deep  and  feeling  sense  of 
his  own  wickedness,  and  by  as  deep  and 
feeling  a  sense  of  the  name  and  power  of 
Jesus  Christ,  who  is  the  only  true  Son 
of  God  and  our  Redeemer,  of  both  which 
the  Jews  and  the  Egyptians  were  at 
that  time  entirely  ignorant.  Therefore 
God  first  raised  up  Pharaoh  with  a  heart 
as  hard  as  steel,  who  by  the  cruelty 
wherewith  he  oppressed  the  Israelite's, 
forced  them  to  turn  to,  and  seek  after, 
their  God,  whom  they  had  go  long  for- 
saken. 


64 

See  then,  by  the  instrumentality  of 
Pharaoh,  and  his  hardened  heart,  the 
one  nation  is  brought  to  acknowledge 
and  seek  after  God,  the  fountain  of  bliss. 
They  are  made  to  cry  unto  him,  and  he 
hears  their  cry,  for  he  always  hears  the 
cry  of  the  needy.  And  here  the  good- 
ness of  God  did  not  stop,  but  as  the 
Egyptians  and  other  nations  had  reaped 
little  or  no  advantage  as  yet  by  Pharaoh 
and  his  hard  heart,  he  sends  Moses  to 
them  ;  and  having  cloathed  him  with 
means  as  effectual  to  their  conviction, 
as  Pharaoh's  hardness  was  to  the  Israel- 
ites, he  accomplishes  the  same  :  so  that, 
by  means  widely  different,  he  accom- 
plishes one  and  the  same  end. 

Both  nations  being  hereby  made  sen- 
sible of  the  name,  nature  and  power  of 
the  only  living  and  true  God,  and  also 


65 

to  seek  after  him  ^  for  if  is  most  likely 
that  the  same  means  which  brought  Pha- 
raoh^ who  must  be  acknowledged  to  be 
the  most  stubborn  of  the  Egyptians^  to 
acknowledge  his  own  wickedness,  and 
beg  of  Moses  to  pray  to  God  for  him,  did 
also  bring  all  the  Egyptians  to  make  the 
same  acknowledgment  to  God  them- 
selves, and  to  seek  his  help  ;  w  hich  cry 
was  undoubtedly  heard  by  the  Lord  of 
hosts  y  and  not  only  the  Egyptians,  but 
the  whole  earth  partook  of  this  advan- 
tage by  their  means,  as  the  Apostle, 
who  knew  the  councils  of  God  as  well 
as  any  others  whatever,  has  positively 
declared,  that  the  choosing  of  the  Jews 
at  this  time,  was  the  salvation  of  the. 
Gentiles.* 

^  ^Romans  xi. 
F  2. 


66 

And  I  with  justice  affirm,  that  the 
hardness  of  Pharaoh's  heart  was  as  ne- 
cessary to  the  accomplishing  the  great 
and  good  designs  of  God  to  the  world 
at  that  time,  as  the  miracles  of  Moses^ 
nay,  in  realitjj,  Pharaoh  was  the  first  of 
the  two  employed  in  the  work :  there^ 
fore,  where  we  read  that  God  raised  up 
Pharaoh  and  hardened  his  hearty  we  read 
also,  that  for  this  very  purpose  he  raised 
him  up,  viz,  to  shew  his  power  in  him, 
and  make  his  name  known  throughout 
all  the  earth  y  being  the  very  end  foir 
which  he  raised  up  Moses  and  all  the 
PROPHETS,  notwithstanding  they  act  ia 
very  different  characters.  Let  no  man 
stop  me  here,  and  object  to  this  by  say-r 
ing,  that  God  drowned  the  Egyptians 
in  the  Red  Sea,  while  he  caused  the  Is^ 
raehtes  to  pass  on  safely  5  for  if  he  does, 
I  will  answer,  that  Qod  overthrew  those 


67 

very  Israelites,  whom  he  carried  safe 
through  the  Red  Sea,  in  the  wilderness, 
destroying  them  with  as  great  a  destruc- 
tion there,  as  he  did  the  Egyptians  in 
the  Red  Sea  :  and  I  moreover  add,  that 
those  Israelites  and  those  Egyptians  who 
fell,  had  lived  as  long  upon  earth  as  the 
dispensations  of  God,  in  this  world,  could 
benefit  either  of  them  ;  and  therefore 
they  were  both  carried  into  another  state, 
and  more  effectual  dispensation,  where 
they  wi41  in  the  end  receive  the  adoption 
of  sons  y  for  when  God  shall  bring  again 
the  captivity  of  Sodom  and  her  daugh- 
ters, and  the  captivity  of  Samaria  and 
her  daughters,  then  will  he  bring  again 
the  captivity  of  these  captives  in  the  midst 
of  them  :  for  he  will  remember  his  cove- 
nant with  them  in  the  days  of  their  youth, 
and  will  establish  unto  them  an  everlast- 
ing covenant  i  making  them  partake,, 


68 

by  those  more  powerful  dispensations  of 
the  same  good,  which  their  children  and 
the  whole  world  received  by  the  dispen- 
sation which  brought  death  to  them. 

After  this  manner  reasons  the  apostle 
in  his  epistle  to  the  Romans,  mentioned 
above.  While  he  beautifully  opens  th^ 
mystery  of  the  divine  goodness,  in  the 
different  dispensations  of  his  Providence, 
he  concludes,  that  the  choosing  of  the 
Jews  would,  in  the  end,  prove  the  sal- 
vation of  the  Gentiles  ;  and  again,  that 
the  choosing  of  the  Gentiles  would  end 
in  the  salvation  of  the  Jews;  and  that 
God  had  concluded  all  in  unbelief,  that 
he  might  have  mercy  upon  all  ^^  thus 
making  their  fall  in  turns  prove  the  ris- 
ing of  both  ;  thereby  shewing  incontest- 

f  Rom.  chap.  xi. 


69 

ably^  that  his  ways  are  not  as  our  ways, 
neither  are  his  thoughts  as  our  thoughts; 
but  as  the  heavens  are  above  the  earth, 
so  are  his  ways  above  our  ways^  and  his 
thoughts  above  our  thoughts,  making 
what  we  think  ends  in  damnation,  to 
land  in  salvation  :  therefore,  let  no  man 
henceforth  judge  after  the  appearance, 
butjudge  righteous  judgment. 

Now  my  desire  is,  that  men  would 
accustom  themselves  to  view  the  dispen- 
sations of  God  in  this  light  3  which,  if 
they  did,  they  would  be  constrained  to 
cry  out,  with  the  apostle.  Oh,  the  height 
and  the  depth,  the  length  and  the  breadth, 
both  of  the  knowledge  and  wisdom  of 
God  !  How  unsearchable  are  his  coun- 
cils, and  his  ways  past  finding  out!  And 
they  would  also  reap  this  advantage  from 
if,  that  they  would  be  enabled  to  pos- 


70 

sess  their  souls  in  patience  under  all  the 
dispensations  of  God  to  them^  and  with 
a  certain  beggar,  whom  I  have  read  of, 
be  made  to  bless  God  as  riiuch  for  send- 
ing pain  and  distress  upon  them,  as  for 
sending  peace,  ease,  and  plenty ;  as 
knowing,  with  the  utmost  certainty, 
that  when  he  rains  fire  and  brimstone 
upon  them,  it  is  out  of  as  great  love,  and 
does  as  great  good  to  them,  as  when  he 
rains  manna,  each  being  the  highest 
good  they  are  then  capable  of. 

And  now  having  shewed,  by  a  few 
arguments,  that  the  variety  of  God's  dis- 
pensations to  man  is  alone  the  effect  of 
his  universal,  omnipotent,  and  never- 
ceasing  love  to  his  creatures,  and  which, 
in   the  end,  must  and  will  accomplish 


.      71 

the  salvation  of  all  men,  especially  of 
those  that  believe.* 

I  now  come  to  mention  a  few  of  his 
dealings  to  me ;  as  none  can  by  this 
time  judge,  that  I  tell  them  to  make 
others  believe  that  his  kindness  is  great- 
er to  me  than  to  others,  but  rather  as  an 
encouragement  to  all  to  trust  in  the  Lord 
at  all  times,  and  not  to  lean  to  their  own 
understandings  :  for  as  God  is  undoing 
in  a  mystery  of  love  and  goodness,  all 
that  the  mystery  of  iniquity  has  and  does 
work,  as  the  apostle  sheweth,  saying, 
the  mystery  of  iniquity  doth  already  works 
only  he  who  now  letteth,  will  let,  until 
he  be  taken  out  of  the  way,  and  then 
shall  that  wicked  (one)  be  revealed,  whom 
the  Lord  shall  consume  with  the  spirit  of 

*  1  Tim.  iv.  10. 


72 

Ilis  mouth,  and  shall  destroy  with  the 
brightness  of  his  coming.*  Therefore 
trust  in  the  Lord,  who  letteth  and  will 
let  until  the  wicked  one  be  revealed, 
and  then  his  destruction  will  be  certain 
and  sudden,  as  well  as  thy  salvation  ; 
for  the  Lord's  anger  endureth  but  a  mo- 
ment, in  his  favour  is  life,  weeping  may 
€ndure  for  a  night,  but  joy  cometh  in 
the  motning.f 

The  mystery  of  iniquity  is  so  great, 
that  the  whole  world  (as  the  apostle  John 
saith)  lieth  in  wickedness  ;  but  if  it  be 
great,  the  mystery  of  godliness  is  as  great; 
for,  as  the  Psalmist  declares.  All  na- 
tions whom  thou  hast  made  shall  come 
and  worship  before  thee,  O  Lord,  and 
shall  glorify  thy  name.f 

*  2  Thess.  ii.  r,  8,  9,  f  Ps.  xxx.  5. 

i  Psal.  Ix2>:x;vi.  9» 


AN 

ACCOUNT 

OF 

THE  VISION,  &c. 


It  is  not  my  intention  to  enumerate  all 
the  particulars  of  God's  great  goodness 
and  mercy  to  my  soul  in  the  way  of  re- 
generation, for  this  would  be  endless  ; 
but  only  a  few,  wherein  he,  by  an  out- 
stretched arm,  and  great  power,  deli- 
vered me  from  the  enemy  of  man's  salva- 
tion, THE  DRAGON,  whose  tail  drcw  thc 
third  part  of  the  stars  of  heaven^^  and 


*  Rev.  Jui.  4. 

G 


.?  -'T 


74 

cast  them  to  the  earth,     I  have  founds 
by  sad  experience,  this  roaring  lion,  in 
the  subtle  workings  of  my  imagination, 
attempting  to  destroy  me  with  the  like 
destruction,  by  infusing  into  my  mind 
false  and  unjust  notions  of  God  and  his 
w^ays,  and  striving  to  make  me  walk  by 
that  rule.     This  is  oiie  of  the  most  suc- 
cessful methods  whereby  he  devours  the 
souls  of  the  unwary  and  heedless;  for 
when  once  he  has  impregnated  their 
imaginations  with  wrong  conceptions  of 
things,  they  are  easily  made  to  swallow 
error  for  truth,  and   truth  for  error,   to 
take  darkness  for  light,  and   light  for 
darkness.     How  evident  is  this  in  those 
numerous  multitudes,  whom  he  hath  so 
far  blinded  in  their  understandings,  as 
to  preach  to  others^  that  the  light  which 
checks  men  for  sin,  is  not  the  illumina- 
tion of  God's  ^pirit^  but  another  sort. 


75 

which  they  call  the  light  of  a  natural 
conscience.  But  let  such  as  believe  so, 
and  persuade  others  to  follow  their  ex- 
a0iple  of  faitb^  be  persuaded  to  rccol* 
lect,  and  deeply  consider,  the  words  of 
our  Lord  and  Saviour,  Vv^hen  casting  a 
devil  out  of  one  that  was  dumb  :  say  the 
Pharisees,  this  fellow  doth  not  cast  ou& 
devils,  but  by  Beelzebub^  the  prince 
of  the  devils.  And  Jesus  knew  their 
thoughts,  and  said  unto  them.  Every 
kingdom  divided  against  itself  is  brought 
to  desolation  ;  and  every  city,  or  house, 
divided  against  itself,  shall  not  stand. 
And  if  satan  castoutsatan,he  is  divided 
against  himself 3  how  shall  then  his  king- 
dom stand  ?*  So  say  I ;  if  our  fallen  na- 
ture condemns  the  works  of  our  fallen 
nature,  it  is  divided  against  itself,  how 

*  Matt.  xii.  24;  35;  2#, 


16 

shall  then  our  fallen  nature  stand  ?  For, 
if  God  be  at  work  to  redeem  fallen  na* 
ture,  and  fallen  nature  itself  attempting 
the  same,  it  cannot  be  eternally  without 
a  redemption,  which  is  a  thing  they  cari* 
not  allow. 

Wo  unto  them  that  call  evil  good, 
and  gcrod  evil;  saith  the  prophet  Isaiah, 
that  put  darkness  for  light,  and  light  for 
darkness;  that  put  bitter  for  sweet,  and 
sweet  for  bitter.^  Let  any  one  tell 
against  whom  this  wo  can  be  pronounc- 
ed, if  not  against  those  who  ascribe  the 
operations  of  the  spirit  of  God  to  be  the 
darkness  of  our  fallen  nature.  Such  ap- 
pear to  me  to  be  wise  in  theirown  eyes, 
and  prudent  in  their  own  sight,  giving 
that  honour  to  their  own  nature  which 

*  Isa.  V.  20,  21/ 


77 

is  due  to  God  alone^  against  whom  there 
is  a  wo  pronounced. 

Now,  my  fellow  travellers  and  dear 
cornpanions,  my  prayer  is,  that  all  of 
us  may  mind  the  teachings  of  God's  spi' 
rit  upon  our  own  souls,  and  no  more 
call  that  divine  li^ht,  which  reproves  us 
for  sin,  the  light  of  nature. 

In  the  morning  of  my  youth,  while  I 
yet  knew  but  little  of  the  evil  nature  of 
sin,  the  Lord  was  pleased,  by  his  divine 
light  and  holy  spirit  in  my  heart,  to  cre- 
ate a  fear  and  terror  in  me  when  I  did 
evil.  And  being  often  invited,  by  my 
young  companions,  to  go  to  places  of 
mirth  and  diversion,  I  sometimes  yield- 
ed to  their  solicitations  3  but,  in  the  si- 
lent hours  of  my  retirement,  and  when 

I  was  upon  my  bed,  the  following  ques- 

G  2 


7S 

tion  arose  in  my  mind ;  how  hast  thou 
spent  this  time  ?  To  which  the  reprover 
in  me  made  answer.  Not  according  to 
the  mind  and  will  of  God  3  for,  when 
thou  followest  thine  own  will  and  plea^ 
sure,  thou  knowest  that  thou  displeasest 
God.  Thus,  when  my  actions  were 
brought  to  the  light,  I  found  that  it  ma- 
iiifested  of  what  sort  they  were,  and 
\vhcn  they  were  evil,  I  was  reproved 
thereby.  Thus  the  Lord,  by  his  good 
spirit,  wrought  in  my  heart,  keeping 
me  in  fear  of  offending  against  that  small 
measure  of  the  light  of  Jesus  Christ,  that 
is  the  true  light,  which  lighteth  every 
man  that  cometh  into  the  world.*  This 
is  that  light  which  setteth  our  sins  in  01;- 
der  before  us,  which,  if  we  obey  and 
follow,  we  will  find  a  deliverance  from 

^  jQhn  i,  9. 


79 

all  sin;  but^  if  we  reject  and  refuse  that 
divine  light,  we  cannot  receive  Jesus 
Christ  himself,  as  he  has  assured  us  in 
the  scriptures  of  truth,  who  said.  Verily, 
verily,  I  say  unto  you,  he  that  receiveth 
whomsoever  I  send,  receiveth  me,  and 
he  that  receiveth  me,  receiveth  him  that 
sent  me.^  This  light  of  heaven  is  that 
measure  of  the  spirit  given  to  every  man 
to  profit  withal,  and  must  be  received  in 

SIMPLICITY,  SINCERITY,  and  INNOCENCE 

OF  HEART,  before  we  can  profit  thereby; 
but  whosoever  is  humble,  attentive,  and 
obedient  thereunto,  will  profit  unto  eter* 
nal  life  ^  for  God  resisteth  the  proud,  but 
giveth  grace  to  the  humble.  This  is  th« 
comforter  promised  by  our  Lord,f  who 
reproves  men  for  sin,  and  who,  as  Ifind^ 
reproves  me  for  the  same,  begetting  im 

^  John  xiii.  ?0.        t  ^ohn  xvi.  7^  8,  5. 


80 

me  a  fear  and  dread,  when  I  do  evilj, 
and  peace  and  joy  when  I  am  thereby 
enabled  to  do  well. 

The  holy  spirit  of  God  having  wrought 
in  my  young  and  tender  heart,  in  order 
to  turn  me  to  righteousness,  begot  in 
me  a  strong  desire  to  read  the  holy  scrips 
tures,  with  which  I  constantly  complied, 
reading  but  little  in  any  other  book  :  at 
the  same  time,  a  strong  inclination  to 
serve  God  arose  within  me  ^  and  finding 
it  commanded  in  scripture  to  be  obedient 
to  our  parents  in  the  Lord,  for  it  is  right; 
to  honour  thy  father  and  mother,  which 
is  the  first  commandment  with  promise; 
servants  be  obedient  to  them  that  are 
your  masters  according  to  the  flesh,  with 
fear  and  trembling,  in  singleness  of  your 
heart,  as  unto  Christ.*     Finding  these 

*    1  Eph.  yl  1;  5;  5. 


81 

things  commanded  in  scripture,!  began 
to  do  them  with  all  my  might;  thus  judg- 
ing, that  if  I  did  not,  the  Lord  would 
not  receive  me  into  his  rest.  In  this 
manner  v/as  I  employed  for  some  years, 
striving  to  purchase  mysalvr.tionby  out* 
ward  compliances,  with  what  I  (from 
reading  the  scr'ptures)  thought  to  be  the 
mind  and  will  of  Gcd :  t.o'c  knowing 
that  there  is  an  inv/ard  fi'eedom  from  sin* 
which  the  son  gives  to  such  as  follow 
him,  and  which,  if  we  do  not  attain, 
we  shall  remain  children  of  thd  bond- 
woman (notv/ithstanding  our  outward 
obedience  to  tl>e  commandments)  and  so 
cannot  obtain  part  of  the  inheritance 
with  the  children  of  the  free.  But  I  was 
not  permitted  to  continue  long  in^  this 
state  y  for  the  devil,  that  roaring  lion, 
who  goeth  about,  seeking  whom  he 
may  devour,  was  permitted  to  sift  me. 


83 

which  he  did  so  thoroughly  for  the  space 
of  two  or  three  years,  that  my  confi- 
dence in  the  outward  observance  of  the 
commandments  was  altogether  over- 
turned^ proving  incontestably  that  the 
foundation  was  gandy,  since  the  housQ 
buiJt  thereon  could  not  stand  the  storm. 
The  temptation  was  «o  heavy,  that  it 
rendered  me  altogether  incapable  of  read^ 
ing  the  scriptures,  and  m.ade  me  almost 
doubt  whether  there  were  a  God,  a 
Christ,  or  a  future  states  *o  that  my 
days  were  days  of  sorrow,  and  my  nights 
nights  of  mourning  ;  and  my  life  was  ^ 
trouble,  and  death  a  terror.  So  I  trar 
veiled  along  in  the  wilderness  €tate, 
seeking  rest  and  finding  none. 

Under  this  dispensation  I  came  to  see 
that  the  faith  I  had  in  God  the  Father, 
Son  and  Spirit,  withdrew  their  light. 


83 

Behold,  saith  Isaiab,,the  day  of  the  Lord 
Cometh  3  cruel  both   with    wrath   and 
fierce  anger,  to  lay  the  land   desolate ; 
and  he   shall  destroy  the  sinners  thereof 
out  of  it ;  for  the  stars  of  heaven,  and 
the  constellations  thereof,  shall  not  give 
their  lights  the  sun   shall  be  darkened 
in  his  going  forth,  and  the  moon  shall 
not  cause  her  light  to  shine.     And  I 
will  punish  the  world  for  their  evil,  and 
the  wicked  for  their  iniquity :  and  I  will 
cause   the  arrogancy  of  the   proud  to 
cease,  and  will  lay  low  the  haughtiness 
of  the  terrible  5  (that  the  Lord  said  he 
would  do)   and  make  a  man  more  pre- 
cious than  fine  gold  ^  even  a  man,  than 
the  golden  wedge  of  Ophir.*     There- 
fore I  can  say,  in  the  language  of  Ro- 
sea xiv.  9.  w^hoiswise,  and  heshallun- 

^  Isaiah  xiii.  9;  10,  11,  13* 


84 

derstand  these  things  ?  prudent,  and  he 
shall  know  them  ?  For  the  ways  of  the 
Lord  are  right,  and  the  just  shall  walk 
in  them  :  but  the  transgressors  shall  fall 
therein. 

I  was  apprentice  to  William  Robin- 
son. Many  v/ere  the  ways  and  me- 
thods I  took,  in  order  to  get  rid  of  my 
evil  thoughts  and  melancholy  medita- 
tions. I  frequently  used  to  stretch  my- 
self along  upon  a  bench,  viewing  and 
counting  the  stars ;  and  it  often  arose  in 
my  mind,  if  there  be  no  Divine  Beings 
whence  came  those  stars?  And  why 
ranked  in  such  order  ?  And  who  made 
all  things  ?  These  serious  and  expostu^ 
latory  meditations  caused  me  to  sigh 
deeply,  and  tears  to  flo\v  down  my  cheeks^ 
while  my  soul  inwardly  cried  and  said, 
Ohl  if  .there  be  a  God>  let  me  know  it 


85 

before  it  be  too  late.     At  last  I  conclud- 
ed, that  to  believe  there  was  a  God  and 
a  future  state,  and  to  strive  to  obey  him, 
could  not  hurt  me  ^  but  if  I  should  die 
in  a  state  of  unbelief,  and  find  a  God, 
my  state  would  be  bad,  nay,  most  mi- 
serable  indeed.     Here   it  pleased  the 
Lord  to  work  upon  me  according  to  the 
riches  of  his  goodness,  and  under  these 
considerations  to  beget  a  desire  iame  to 
know  him,  and  a  longing  to  be  recon- 
ciled to  him  and  he  to  me.     At  length 
he  visited  me  with  a  sickness  called  the 
pleurisy  (being  about  the  age  of  sixteen 
or  seventeen)  in  w^hich  I  continued  for 
some  time,  in  extreme  anguish  and  tor- 
ment, both  of  body  and  mind.     Some- 
times a  small  glimmering  hope  of  mercy- 
seemed  to  revive  me  a  little  :  at  other 
times  I  was  almost  in  despair.     Thus  I 
continued  for  nine  days ;  the  fifth  and 

H 


86 

geverith  days  being  exceeding  thirsty^  I 
cried  out  to 'my  mother,  ^nd  &aid,*Oh  ! 
that  I  could  get  my  thirst  quenched  for 
a  moment,  before  I  go  henoe,  that  I 
might  enjoy  a  momient' s  happiness  ;  for 
I  am  aff  aid'that  if  it  is  not  quenched  here, 
•it  will  not  be  quenched  hereafter:  (so 
deplorable  was  the  state  of  my  soul  at 
that  time,  expecting  to  die  every  mo- 
ment. My  speaking  in  this  manner, 
made  my  mother  burst  into  tears,  and 
say.  Why  speakest  thou  in  this  manner? 
If  that  is  thy  state,  what  will  become  of 
the  world  ? 

None  but  God  knew  the  distressed 
condition  of  my  poor  soul  at  that  time. 
But  here  the  Lord  shewed  me  that  he 
opens  rivers  in  high  places,  and  foun- 
'tains  in  the  midst  of  the  valleys  :  that  he 
makes  the  wilderness  a  pool  of  water. 


8T 

and  the  dry  land  springs  of  water,  &c.^ 
For  the  Lord's  anger  endureth  but  ^, 
moment,  in  his  favour  is  life  s  weeping 
may  endure  for  a  night,  but  joy  Com- 
eth in  the  morning. f  Wherefore  glo- 
rify ye  the  Lord  in  the  fires.  For,  he 
will  swallow  up  death  in  yktory  ;.  and 
the  LoXid  Go4  will  wipe  aiway  tQarsfrona. 
off  all  faces,  and  tlje  rebuke  of  his  peo- 
pie  shall  he  take  away  from  off  all  tho 
earth :  for  the  Lord  hath  spokeji  it. J 

On  the  mnih  day,,  bcrtwe.en  ^Ij^houm 
of  four  and  five,  I  feU  Into  a  trance,  and 
so  continued  until  about  the  hour  of 
three  or  four  the  next  morning.  After 
my  deparhire  from  the  body  (for  I  left 
the  body)  my  fatWer  and*  mother,  Susan- 
nah Robinson  and  others,  who  watch- 

*  Isaiah  xli.  18.         f  Psal.  xxx.  5,         ^  Isa. 
xxiy.  15.  and  XXV.  6. 


88 

xS  me,  shook  my  body,  felt  for  my  pulse^ 
and  tried  if  they  could  discern  any  re- 
mains of  life  or  breath  in  me  ^  but  found 
none* 

Some  may  be  desirous  to  know,  whe- 
ther I  was  laid  out  or  not :  I  found  my- 
self, when  I  opened  niy  eyes,  laid  on 
my  back  in  my  bed,  as  a  corpse  Is  on  a 
board  J  and  I  was  told,  after  I  got  bet-» 
ter,  the  reason  why  they  did  not  lay  me 
on  a  board,  was,  because  my  mother 
could  not,  at  that  4ime,  find  freedom  to 
have  it  done  :  then  they  sent  for  Dr. 
Kearsley,  who  attended  me,, to  have  his 
opinion.  When  he  came,:he  felt  for  my 
piilse'  and  found:[nane>:  noi*  snj^  r  rqm^ains,. 
of  life  in  me,  as  he  told  them  3  but  as  he 
was  going  away,  he  returned  again,  and: 
said,  that  something  came  into  his  mind 
to  try  further  3  he  then  d^ired  somebody 


89 

to  get  him  a  small  looking-glass,  which 
Catharine  Souder,  who  lived  w^th  my 
father,  procured  ^  the  Doctor  laid  it  on 
my  mouth  for  a  short  time,  then  took  it 
off,  and  there  appeared  on  the  glass  a 
little  moisture  3  then  the  Doctor  said  to 
them.  If  he  is  not  dead,  I  believe  he  is 
so  far  gone  that  I  think  he  wall  never 
open  his  eyes  again  ;  but  I  W'Ould  have 
you  let  him  lay  while  he  continues  warm, 
and  when  he  begins  to  grow  cold,  lay 
him  out. 

This  they  told  me  when  I  returned 
into  the  body,  at  which  time  I  enquired 
why  so  many  sat  up  with  me,  not  knowing 
that  they  thought  me  dead.  Upon  hear- 
ing me  speak,  they  were  all  very  much 
surprized  j,  the  second  time  I  spoke,  they 
all  rose  out  of  their  chairs  ;  and  when  I 

spoke  the  third  time,  they  all  came  ta 

H  2 


90 

me.  My  father  and  mother  enquired 
how  it  had  been  with  pie  ?  I  answered 
and  said  unto  them,  I  thought  I  had 
been  dead,  and  going  to  heayep  3  and 
after  I  left  the  body,  I  heard,  as  it  were^ 
the  voices  of  men,  women  and  children, 
singing  songs  of  praises  unto  the  Lord 
God  and  the  Lamb,  without  intermis- 
sion, which  ravished  my  soul,  and  threw 
me  into  transports  of  joy.  My  soul  was 
also  delighted  with  most  beautiful  greens 
which  appeared  to  me  on  every  side, 
and  such  as  never  were  seen  in  this  world; 
through  these  I  passed,  being  all  cloth- 
ed in  white,  and  in  my  full  shape,'  with- 
out the  least  diminution  of  parts.  As  I 
passed  along  towards  a  higher  state  of 
bliss,  I  cast  my  eyes  upon  the  earth, 
which  I  saw  plainly,  and  beheld  three 
men  (whom  I  knew)  die.  Two  of  them 
were  white  men,  one  of  whom  entered 


91 

into  restp  ^nd  the  other  was  cast  off. 
There  appeared  a  beautiful  transparent 
gate  opened  ;  and  ^s  land  the  one  that 
entered  into  re^t  came  up  to  it,  he  step- 
ped in  ;  but  as  I  was  stepping  in^  I 
stepped  into  th.e  body.  When  I  reco- 
vered from  my  trance,  I  mentioned  both 
their  names,  at  the  same  time  telling 
how  I  saw  them  die,  and  which  of  them 
entered  into  rest,  and  which  did  not. 
I  said  to  my  mother,  O  that  I  had  made 
one  step  further ;  then  I  should  not  have 
come  back  again.  After  I  told  them 
what  I  had  to  say,  I  desired  them  to 
say  no  more  to  me,  for  I  still  heard  the 
melodious  songs  of  praises  3  and  while  I 
heard  them,  I  felt  no  pain  ;  but  when 
they  went  from  me,  the  pain  in  my  side 
returned  again,  for  which  I  was  glad, 
hoping  every  stitch  would  take  me  off, 
and  longing  for  my  final  change.     Af- 


92 

ter  I  told  them  of  the  death  of  the  three 
men,  they  sent  to  see  if  it  was  so  ;  and 
when  the  messenger  returned,  he  told 
them  they  were  all  dead,  and  died  in  the 
rooms,  &c.  as  I  told  them  ;  upon  hear- 
ing it,  I  fell  into  tears,  and  said,  O  Lord, 
I  wish  thou  hadst  kept  me,  and  sent  him 
back  that  was  in  pain  ;  after  which  I 
soon  recovered  from  my  sickness> 

The  third  was  a  negro,  named  CufFe^ 
belonging  to  the  widow  Kearney,  whom 
I  saw  die  in  the  brick  kitchen,  and  when 
they  were  laying  him  on  a  board,  his 
head  fell  out  of  their  hands,  when  about 
six  inches  off  the  board  y  which  I  saw 
plainly,  with  the  other  circumstances  of 
his  being  laid  out,  &c.  for,  N.  B.  the 
walls  were  no  hindrance  to  my  sight. 
Though  the  negro's  body  was  black,  yet 
the  soul  was  clothed  in  white,  which 


93 

filled  me  with  greater  joy  than  before,  as 
it  appeared  to  me  a  token  of  his  accept- 
ance ^  which  has  brought  to  my  mind 
that  text  of  scripture  which  says.  Like- 
wise joy  shall  be  in  heaven  over  one  sin- 
ner that  repenteth,  more  than  over  nine- 
ty and  nine  just  persons  which  need  no 
repentance.*  And  if  joy  over  one  sin- 
ner that  repenteth;^  what  must  there  be 
over  many  ? 

Though  I  was  filled  with  more  joy 
upon  seeing  the  negro  on  his  way  to  hap- 
piness, yet  I  was  not  permitted  to  sec 
him  fully  enter  into  rest  5  but  just  as  I 
thought  myself  about  to  enter  into  rest, 
I  came  into  the  body  again. 

Some  think  the  negroes  have  no  souls 
to  be  saved  5  what  saith  the  Lord  ?  Be- 
*  Luke  xvr  ^. 


94. 

hold,  all  Souls  are  mines  as  the  soul  of 
the  father,,  so  also  the  soul  of  the  son  is 
mine  s  the  soul  that  sinneth,  it  shall  die.*" 
Therefore  the  souk  of  the  negroes  are 
the  Lord's,  as  well  as  the  souls  of  the 
whites  ',  for  God  made  them-  all,  and 
made  nothing  but  what  he  lovedi,  and 
for  his  own  glory  to  glorify  him  s  and 
there  is  no  respect  of  persons  with  the 
Lord  3  let  them  be  Jew  or  Gentile,  bond 
or  free,  male  or  female,  they  are  all  one 
in  the  Lord.  When  Christ  preached  to 
his  disciples  and  said,  that  servant  which 
knew  his  Lord's  will,  and  prepared  not 
himself,  neither  did  according  to  his 
will,  shall  be  beaten  with  many  stripes. 
But  he  that  knew  not,  and  did  commit 
things  worthy  of  stripes,  shall  be  beaten 
with  few  stripes. j-     So  the  Lord  deals 

*  Ezekiel  xYiii.4*        t  Luke  xii.  47,  iS. 


96 

%vith  his  creation,  mankind,  to  bring 
them  to  glorify  him^for  which  they  were 
made:  so  that  the  promise  of  the  Lord 
made  to  Abraham,  should  be  accom- 
'piished,  he  called  him,  blessed  him  with 
jn  promise  of  Christ,  and  said  to  him.  In 
thee  shall  all  families  of  the  earth  be 
blessed.* 

Some  time  after  my  recovery,  the  wi- 
dow Kearney,  the  mistress  of  the  negro 
man,  sent  for  me  and  enquired,  whe- 
ther I  thought  the  departed  spirits  knew 
-one  another  ?  I  answered  in  the  affirma- 
tive, and  told  her,  that  I  saw^  her  negro 
man  die,  whilst  I  was  a  corpse.  She 
then  asked  me.  Where  did  he  die  ?  I 
told  her,  in  her  brick  kitchen,  between 
the  jamb  of  the  chimney  and  the  wall^ 

*  Gen,  xii,  3. 


96 

and  when  they  took  him  off  the  bed  to 
lay  him  on  the  board,  his  head  slipped 
out  of  their  hands  :  she  then  said,  so  it 
did,  and  asked  me,  if  I  could  tell  her 
where  they  laid  him  :  I  informed  her 
that  they  laid  him  between  the  back 
door  and  the  street  door :  she  said  that 
she  did  not  remember  any  thing  of  that; 
I  told  her  he  laid  there  whilst  they  swept 
under  the  window,  where  he  was  after- 
wards placed  :  she  then  said,  she  re- 
membered it  was  so,  and  told  me  that 
she  was  satisfied,  and  had  reason  to  be- 
lieve, what  she  often  thought,  that  it 
was  so. 

These  men,  upon  inquiry,  were  found 
to  die  at  the  very  time  I  saw  them  ^  and 
all  the  circumstances  of  their  death  were 
found  to  be  as  I  related  them.  As  some 
may  be  desirous  to  know  how,  and  in 


97 

what  shape,  those  dead  appeared  to  me  j 
1  would  satisfy  their  desire  by  telling 
them,  that  the^  appear^ed  each  in  a  com- 
plete hody^  which  I  take  to  be  the  spirit- 
ual body,  separated  fror^  the  earthly  sin* 
ful  body.  They  were  also  all  clothed^ 
the  negro  and  the  person  who  entered 
into  rest,  in  white,  and  the  other,  who 
v/as  cast  off,  had  his  garment  somewhat 
white,  hut  spotted.  I  saw  also  the  bo- 
dy in  which  each  lived  when  upon  earth, 
and  also  how  they  were  laid  out;  but 
my  own  body  I  did  not  see.  The  rea- 
son why  I  neither  saw  my  own  body^ 
nor  entered  fully  into  rest,  I  take  to  be 
this,  that  my  soul  was  not  quite  separated 
from  my  botly^  as  the  others  were  j  though 
it  was  so  far  separated,  as  to  see  those 
things,  and  to  hear  the  songs  of  praise 
before  mentioned. 


98 

Now  some  may  think  that  the  dead 
know  not  each  other ;  to  whom  I  say, 
did  not  Dives  know  both  Abraham  and 
Lazarus,  though  afar  off?* 

Some  years  after,  I  v/as  tempted  afresh 
with  the  same  unbelief,  which  continued 
for  some  years.  So  industrious  was 
the  devil  in  laying  his  snares  to  get  an 
advantage  of  my  souh  At  one  time  the 
temptation  was  so  strong,  that  I  thought 
I  should  certainly  fall  thereby  ;  where- 
upon my  soul  cried  out,  and  said,  O 
Lord  !  stretch  forth  thy  hand,  and  save 
me,  or  I  perish  1  Which  made  the  en- 
emy fly  away  (or  depart  from  me)  in  the 
twinkling  of  an  eye.  When  I  came 
home  I  related,  in  every  particular,  how 
severely  I  was  beset,  saying  within  my- 


99 

self.  Lord,  if  thou  dost  but  preserve  me 
from  this  temptation,  I  can  never  be  be- 
jset  w^ith  any  other  so  hard.  Neverthe- 
less, one  morning,  some  time  after,  be- 
fore my  eyes  were  open  to  behold  the 
]ight  of  the  day,  or  I  well  awake,  and 
my  heart  and  thoughts  turned  towards 
heaven,  I  was  attacked,  and  tempted  to 
curse  God  and  die,  which  continuing 
for  three  mornings  successively,  alarmed 
me  very  much,  and  made  me  cry  out^ 
O  Lord,  guard  my  spirit,  and  save  me 
in  the  hour  of  temptation] 

In  the  year  1740,  as  I  stood  in  my 
parlour  with  my  back  to  the  fire,  it  plea- 
sed the  Lord,  by  his  gloriously  mani- 
festing light,  to  set  my  sins  in  order  be- 
fore the  view  of  my  mind  :  but  not 
knowing  then  that  it  was  the  Lord,  I 
was  pressed  almost  to  the  earth  with  the 


100 

burden  of  them.  Next  morning,  before 
I  arose  from  my  bed,  he  opened  my  un- 
derstanding so  far,  as  to  make  me  per- 
ceive that  it  was  that  goodness  and  mer- 
cy, which  wounds  only  that  it  may  make 
a  more  perfect  cure,  which  had  done 
that,  in  order  to  discover  to  me  my  state 
by  nature,  that  with  the  greater  impor- 
tunity,   EAGERNESS,    and  HUMILITY,   I 

might  supplicate  his  mercy  and  forgiv- 
ing love.  He  also  brought  to  my  re- 
membrance the  former  temptations 
wherev^ath  I  was  tempted,  and  how  he 
delivered  me  out  of  them  y  whereupon 
my  soul  cried  out.  Lord,  thy  arm  hath 
saved  me.  Then  it  was  said  unto  my 
soul.  Those  sins  which  thou  commit- 
tedst,  I  have  brought  to  judgment,  and 
they  shall  no  more  be  remembered 
against  thee.  This  caused  great  joy  and 
peace  to  spring  up  in  my  soul,  and  made 


101 

me  assured,  that  though  sorrows  endure 
for  a  night,  yet  joy  shall  arise  in  the 
morning. 

Some  time  after  this,  a  darkness  over- 
shadowed my  mind  to  such  a  degree, 
that  I  began  to  fear  that  I  must  have 
blasphemed  God,  otherwise  I  could  not 
be  left  in  this  condition.  This  darkness 
continued  so  long,  that  it  brought  mc 
to  wish  I  had  been  any  beast  of  the  field, 
or  any  creeping  thing  upon  the  earth 
(even  a  snake)  which  God  calleth  not  to 
judgm.ent.  But  here  the  merciful,  the 
loving  and  gracious  God,  did  not  leave 
me  long  to  lament  my  existence  3  for,  he 
appeared  in  the  storm,  letting  mc  know 
that  he  thus  dealt  with  me  to  make  me 
more  sensible  of  my  miserable  state, 
when  shut  out  of  his  divine  and  holy  pre- 
sence i  and  also,  that  I  should  glory  in 

I  2 


102 

nothing,  save  in  the  cross  of  our  Lord 
and  Saviour,  Jesus  Christ  ^  because^ 
when  I  am  weakest,  then  he  is  strong. 
Here  I  was  made  to  adopt  the  language 
of  the  prophet,  I  will  praise  thee  :  tho* 
thou  wast  angry  with  me,  thine  anger 
is  turned  away,  and  thou  comfortedst 
me.  Therefore,  with  joy  shall  ye  draw 
water  out  of  the  wells  of  salvation.* 

At  another  time,  it  was  impressed 
strongly  upon  my  mind,  for  some  months 
together,  that  I  should  be  visited  with  a 
fit  of  sickness  near  unto  de^^h.  This 
caused  me  to  cry  mightily,  both  day  and 
'night,  unto  the  Lord,  to  preserve  and 
keep  me  in  the  hour  oftrial  and  of  death* 
At  the  same  time  there  arose  a  desire  in 
nie  to  know  the  mystery  of  the  trinity,  if 

f  Isa.  xii.  1;  3* 


103 

the  Lord  would  please  to  reveal  to  me, 
how  Father^  Son,  and  Holy  Ghost  are 
three  in  one.  Soon  after  this,  I  was 
visited  with  the  yellow  fever  (in  the 
Eighth  month,  called  August,  1741)  in 
which  I  was  given  over  by  the  Doctor 
and  all  that  saw  me  3  being  speechless 
for  the  space  of  two  or  three  days,  and 
unable  to  take  any  nourishment,  save  a 
small  matter  out  of  a  tea-spoon  to  moist- 
en my  tlriToat,  though  all  the  while  I  re- 
mained in  my  perfect  senses.  During 
those  days  in  which  I  was  deprived  of 
my  speech,  my  desire  of  knowing  the 
mystery  of  the  Father,  Son  and  Spirit, 
Vv^as  satisfied.  For  there  was  presented 
to  my  view  a  large  square  place,  the 
length  and  breadth  whereof  were  equal: 
and  I  beheld  in  the  midst  thereof,  a 
throne  as  clear  as  chrystal,  and  brighter 
than  the  sun  at  noon-day.    AH  around 


104 

the  throne  there  appeared  to  be  seats 
raised  one  above  another,  how  rnanyl 
know  not.  I  also  beheld  many  placed 
upon  these  seats,  and  raised  one  above 
another,  according  to  their  seats,  which 
appeared  to  be  the  heavenly  host.  In 
the  midst  of  the  throne  I  saw  a  body  of 
light  and  glory ;  and  I  saw  another  body 
of  light,  proceeding  or  extending  into 
this  body,  which  was  in  the  centre, 
which  filled  the  whole  heavens,  and  all 
the  heavenly  host,  and  was  that  whereby 
they  were  enabled  to  join  in  endless 
songs  of  praise  for  evermore.  And  I 
heard  a  voice  say  unto  me,  "  The  Lamb^ 
who  is  in  the  midst  of  the  throne^  feeds 
them  J  so  that  they  shall  not  hunger  any 
morey  neither  shall  they  thirst  any  more  ; 
and  there  is  no  need  of  the  light  of  the  sun 
to  shine  in  it^  for  the  Lamb  is  the  light 
{hereof    And  methought  I  saw  one 


105 

stream  of  light  extending  into  this  body 
of  lights  and  passing  through  it  into  the 
hearts  of  all  men  universally. 

This  light  appeared  as  universal  as  the 
Sim  at  noon-day.  And  I  heard  a  voice 
speak  unto  me  and  say,  ^^  Behold  this 
light  which  thou  seest  extending  from  the 
Father y  through  me  (the  light  proceeding 
from  the  body  in  the  midst  of  the  throne ^ 
ivhich  filled  the  xvhole  heavens  and  hea-- 
venly  host)  into  the  hearts  of  cdl  mankind, 
is  the  light  zvhich  checks  men  for  sin  zvhen 
committed^  andxvarns  them^  by  fears  and 
dreads,  when  they  are  about  to  commit  it. 
And  if  they  obey  the  same,  and  are  led 
thereby,  it  will  lead  them  tom.e  3  for  it 
came  from  me,  and  then  they  shall  find 
peace  v^ith  God  (for  out  of  Christ,  God 
is  a  consuming  fire.")  And  I  heard  the 
same  say  unto  me^  '•'  That  one  stream  of 


106 

light,  which  thou  seest,  is  of  the  Father, 
I  am  the  Son,  and  this  light,  which  pro- 
ceeds through  me  from  the  Father  into 
the  hearts  of  all  men  universally,  is  the 
Spirit,  which  are  one  and  the  same  light. 
Here  thou  seest  in  part  the  mystery  of 
Father,  Son,  and  Holy  Ghost/*  And 
I  answering,  said.  Lord  I  see  it:  and 
jjiy  heart  and  soul  were  filled  with  jcy^ 
to  see  that  the  Lord,  in  his  infinite  good- 
ness and  mercy,  was  pleased  to  reveal^ 
in  part,  to  me,  what  I  so  much  desired, 
and  also  the  way  he  hath  cast  up  for  the 
righteous  and  ransomed  to  walk  in. 

And  now  let  me  entreat  you,  my  dear 
brethren,  who  think  that  the  light  which 
reproves  men  for  sin,  is  the  light  of  a 
natural  conscience,  and  who  teach  others 
to  believe  the  same,  to  consider  this 
matter  s  in  so  doing,  ye  teach  them  to 


107 

despise  it,  and  become  disobedient  to 
theironly  Lord  and  Saviour  Jesus  Christ} 
they,  thereby,  believe  the  operations  of 
the  light  of  heaven,  to  be  the  dark  v\rork- 
ings  of  the  degenerate  nature  3  and  light 
is  put  for  darkness,  sweetness  for  bit-^ 
terness,  and  God  himself  is  taken  for 
the  apostate  spirit ;  for  all  our  works  are 
done  in  and  by  one  of  these  two  spirits^ 
and  if  they  are  not  done  in  and  by  God^ 
they  must  be  in  and  by  the  devil.  Only 
consider  these  few  passages  of  scripture, 
which  cannot  be  broken,  and  be  con- 
vinced of  your  mistake  :  God  said.  Let 
there  be  light,  and  there  was  light;  And 
God  saw  the  light,  that  it  was  good.* 
Here  you  see  light,  that  it  immediately 
proceeded  from  God,  and  was,  by  him, 
pronounced  good.     And  if  the  outward 

•  Gen.  i.  $f  4f 


108 

light  of  this  world  came  from  God^  much 
more  the  internal  light  of  the  soul:  nay^ 
Jesus  Christ  himself  is  called  that  light 
by  the  apostle  john>  who  calls  him  that 
light  which  lighteth  every  man  that  Com- 
eth into  the  world. ^  And,  in  another 
place,  the  same  apostle,  who,  being  the 
beloved  disciple,  had  as  good  an  oppor- 
tunity as  any  to  know  the  revelations  of 
God^and  cannot  be  suspected  of  giving 
a  false  or  mean  representation  of  him, 
speaketh  on  this  wise:  This,  then,  is 
the  message  which  we  have  heard  of 
him,  and  declare  unto  you,  that  God  is 
light,  and  in  him  is  no  darkness  at  all.f 
Darkness  is  not  from  God,  but  from  the 
evil  one ,  and,  therefore,  all  darkness 
and  its  works  are  reproved  by  the  lights 
tod  the   darkness  hates  the  light.     The 

^  John  i.  9.         t  i  John  x.  S. 


109 

nature  of  all  light  is  to  manifest  dark- 
ness and  its  works,  and  to  expel  them  ; 
for  it  has  no  nature  but  that  of  him  from 
vv-hora  it  came.     Now,  as  it  came  from 
God,  it  can  have  no  nature  but  his,  nor 
do  any  work  but  his  work ;  for  God 
giveth  nothing  from  himself,  but  what 
is  in  himself.     Light,  therefore,  all  light, 
as  it  came   from  God,  so   it  doth  the 
works   of  God  ;  for  that  vAiich   God 
sendeth,  doth  God's  works;  and  it  will, 
in  the  end,  return  to  God,  when  it  hath 
finished  its  work,  that   is,  when  Jesus 
Christ  shall  have  delivered  up  the  kin<^- 
dom  to  the  Father,  that  God  may  be  alj 
in  all :  for,  Jesus  Christ  must  reign  un- 
.    til  he  hath  put   all  enemies   under  his 
feet  ;  The  last  enemy  that  shall  be  de- 
stroyed is  death,  viz.  As  in  Adam  all  die, 
so  in  Christ  shall  all  be  made  alive.   Then 
shall  be  sung  that  anthem  of  triumph,  by 


110 

all  the  once  degenerate,  but  now  reiieW* 
ed,  part  of  the  creation  :  O  death  ! 
where  is  thy  sting  ?  O  grave  !  where  is 
thy  victory  ?  The  sting  of  death  is  sin, 
and  the  strength  of  sin  is  the  law ;  Bat 
thanks  be  to  God,  which  gweth  us  the 
victory  through  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ.^ 

Let  no  man  think  this,  or  any  other 
declaration  of  Jesus  Christ,  beitig  an 
universal  and  complete  Saviour,  to  be 
any  inroad  to  iniquity,  or  encouragement 
for  men  to  continue  in  sin ;  for,  who- 
ever concludes  so,  niust  be  altogether 
Ignorant  of  the  nature  of  sin  and  saU 
vation. 

That  we  may  the  better  understand 
what  sin  and  salvation  are,  it  will  be  ne- 

«^-i  Cor.xv.  %5f  26,  &c# 


HI 

cessary  for  us  first  to  understand,  in  some 
degree,  what  God  is,  and  what  we  arc 
ourselves.  God  is  love ;  one  unchange* 
able  and  never-ceasing  love  ;  for  what- 
ever else  may  change,  yet  he  ^bideth 
the  same  unchangeable  love,  who  can 
never  cease  to  be  love,  nor  ever  do  any 
thing  but  what  is  the  effect  of  love  ;  fot 
love  only  can  do  and  rejoice  in  the  works 
of  love,  as  is  fully  shown  in  the  aposr 
tie's  description  of  it.  Now  we  are  the 
offspring  of  God  ;*  and  therefore  our 
true,  original,  and  perfect  nature,  must 
be  love.  And  every  thing  besides,  be  it 
what  it  will,  must  be  contrary  to  our 
nature,  and  do  for  us  what  pain,  sick^ 
ness,  poison,  misery  and  death  do.  Henc? 
Qur  Saviour  says,  that  all  the  law  and  the 
prophets  hang  upon  this  law  of  love  ; 

*  ActsxviL  2f. 


112 

^hich  IS  the  law  of  God^s  nature  and  of 
all  his  offspring,  ^^^hether  they  be  angels 
or  men.     The  apostle  also^  who  under- 
stood well  the  counselsand  lawsof  God, 
says,  that  he  who  loveth,  hath  fulfilled 
the  whole  law  :  he  hath  done  that  which 
all  the  law  and  the  prophets  came  to  as- 
sist him  in,  and  therefore  is  returned  ta 
his   original  nature  and  element,  from 
whence,  by  transgression,  or  by  devial:- 
ing  from  this  law  of  love,  he  fell,  and 
became  subject  to  pain,  disease,  misery 
^nd  death.     For  all  these  are  the.  nature 
and  necessary  consequents  of  sin,  and  no 
arbitrary  infliction  of  the  God  of  love. 
No  ;  punishment  is  not  inflicted  upon, 
his  creatures  by  this  God  of  love,  but 
wholly  and  solely  arises  from  themselveS;^ 
as  often  as  they  transgress  against  him  : 
for  he,  having  constituted  their  natures 
like  his  own,':their  punishment  springs 


113 

from  their  constitution,  whenever  they 
act  contrary  to  the  law  of  lorv^e.  God 
made  all  things  for  himself  (saith  the 
wise  man  :)  therefore  nothing  but  a  full 
enjoyment  ofhim  in  themselves  can  make 
them  happy.  As  soon,  then,  as  any 
creatures  turn  their  desires  from  this  full 
enjoyment  of  God,  to  the  enjoyment  of 
any  other  thing,  they  separate  the  love 
of  God  from  themselves,  in  which  theic 
life  and  happiness  consisted,  and  bring 
that  into  them,  in  its  room  and  stead, 
which  is  their  poison  and  death.  Here 
grows  that  tree  of  the  knowledge  of  good 
and  evil,  of  which,  if  a  man  eat,  he  shall 
surely  die  ;  not  by  any  outward  inflic- 
tion of  God,  but.because  he  hath  poi- 
soned himself.  And  to  say,  that  God 
inflicts  death  upon  a  man  for  drinking 
poison,or  that  he  drowns  him  for  throw- 
ing himself  into  the  river  j  neither  of 

k2 


114 

which  consequences  could  have  follow* 
ed,  if  God  did  not,  out  of  revenge  or 
vindictive  justice,  inflict  the  same,  is  as 
true  as  to  say,  that  God  punishes  his 
creatures  for  sin.  In  both  cases,  the 
creature  departs  voluntarily  out  of  his 
own  element,  or  takes  into  his  constitu- 
tion v/hatis  contrary  to  it,  and  so  must 
abide  by  the  consequence  which  in  botk 
is  certain. 

For,  in  the  case  of  sin,  they  having 
separated  themselves  from  the  love  of 
God,  wherein  consisted  their  supreme 
and  never-ceasing  happiness,  fall  under 
the  anguishing  sensibilities  of  nature,  de- 
void of  all  bliss  3  and  so  become  the  prey 
of  their  own  self-tormenting  nature  ; 
and,  being  stretched  on  the  rack  of  an 
unfailing  existence,  they  fall  into  the 
most  excruciating  tortures  and  torments^. 


115 

and  awaken  in  themselves  that  worm 
which  dieth  not,  and  that  fire  which  can- 
not be  quenched  s  but  which  must  burn 
in  rage  and  torment,  until  it  hath  burnt 
tip  and  destroyed  all  that  poison  and 
death,  which,  upon  their  departure  from 
God,  they  brought  into  themselves  (as 
it  was  with  me,  w^hich  you  may  read  in 
page  85,  &;c.)  And  thus  being  freed 
again  from  all  that  self-arrogance  and 
high-mindedness  into  which  they  were 
fallen,  they  feel  that  humility  and  low^- 
liness  of  heart  which  seeks  after  and  finds 
the  love  and  light  of  God  :  and  then  the 
worm  which  dieth  not,  and  the  fire 
which  cannot  be  quenched^  having  ob- 
tained what  they  so  long  sought  for,  and 
being  once  more  united  to  their  own 
light  and  love,  will,  I  can  say,  bla^e 
and  speak  forth  the  praises  of  God  their 
Saviour  (who  kath  not  forsaken  them  in 


116^ 


^ 


their  distress)  in  a  flame  of  glory,  joy 
and  blessedness  to  all  eternity.      Let 
him,  therefore,  who  thinks  that  he  may 
continue  in  sin,  that  grace  may  abound,, 
think  this  also,  that  as  he   sins,  so  he 
must  suffer  ;  sin  and  suffering  being  in^ 
separably  connected.     No  love  nor  om^ 
nipotence  of  God  will  keep  him  from 
suffering  who  hath  sinned.     Nay,  quite 
the  reverse  ;  all  recovery  from  sin  is  by 
suffering  5  therefore,  the  very   God  of 
love  has  repeatedly  declared,  that  the 
only  means  for  a  fallen  creature's  reco*' 
very  is,  by  cutting  off  every  thing  that 
is  to  us  as  our  right  hands,  plucking  out 
our  right  eyes,  by  a  continual  suffering, 
dying,  and  self-denial :    all  which  are 
such  grievousafflictions,  that  we  see  few 
who  have  resolution  enough  to  undergo' 
them  ;  which  made  Jesus  say.  Straight 
is  the  gate  and  narrow  is  the  way  which 


117 

leadeth  unto  life^  and  few  there  be  that 
find  it.*  This  he  also  confirmed  by  his 
own  example,  when  he  took  upon  him 
part  of  our  fallen  nature.  He  was  a 
fnan  of  sorrows  and  acquainted  with 
grief;  he  was  mocked^,  scourged,  des- 
pised, &pit  upon,  and  crucified  :  thus  th6 
Captain-of  our  salvation  v;as  made  per-; 
fett  through  sufferings ;f  plainly  shew- 
ing in  example,  w^hat  he  had  taught  in 
precept,  viz.  that  the  only  v>^ay  to  re- 
deem fallen  nature,  was,  by  suffering. 
Hence  the  apostle  Peter  tells  the  con- 
verts to  whom,  he  writes,  that  they  were 
called  to  this  very  thing  :  for  even  here- 
unto were  ye  called  (saith  he)  because 
Christ  also  suffered  for  us,  leaving  us  an 
example  that  we  should  follow  his  steps.  J 
And,  saith  Paul,  if  we  suffer  with  him, 

^  Mat.  Vii.  14.       tisa.  liii.  -    i  iPet.iuSl. 


we  shall  also  reign  with  him  :  and  none 
but  such  as  conquer  by  sufferings  and 
die  with  him^  can  reign  with  him  ^  for 
it  is  only  he  that  overcometh,  that  shall 
sit  down  upon  his  throne,  even  as  hi^ 
overcame  and  sat  downonhis  Father^s 
throne*  The  victory  of  the  one  must  bo 
even  as  the  victory  of  the  other :  and  no 
other  way  can  that  victory  be  obtainedj 
but  by  suffering  with  hini  -,  for^  If  any 
man  will  come  after  me,  let  him  denjf 
himself,  and  take  up  his  cross  daily,  and 
follow  me.*  It  is  vain  to  think  to  find 
out  an  easier  way  ;  for  he  is  the  author 
of  eternal  salvation,  to  those  only  that 
obey  him.  He,  then,  who  sins,  in  the 
nature  and  necessity  of  the  thing,  must 
suffer.  And  he  who  says,  let  us  conti- 
nue in  sin  that  grace  may  abound,  myst 

*  Lukeix.  23* 


119 

continue  in  suffering,  before  grace  can 
abound.  This  doctrine,  therefore,  of 
Jesus  Christ's  subduing  all  things  to 
himself,  and  making  every  knee  bow 
to  him,  whether  they  be  things  in  hea- 
ven, things  in  earth,  or  things  under 
the  earth  ;*  of  his  being  an  all-sufficient, 
all-perfect,  universal  Saviour,  when  right- 
ly understood,  is  the  most  powerful  call 
to  mortification  and  self-denial.  Since 
it  is  not  possible  for  us  to  enjoy  Jesus 
Christ  and  his  salvation,  so  long  as  we 
continue  in  that  spirit  and  temper  which 
at  first  separated  us  from  them  ;  and 
since,  before  ever  we  can  enjoy  them. 
We  must  go  through  a  degree  of  purify* 
ing  sufferings  equal  to  the  greatness  of 
our  sins ;  let  us,  therefore,  be  persuad- 
ed, in  time,  to  break  off  our  sins  byrigh^ 

*  PhiUp.  ii.  10^ 


120 

teousness,  to  amend  the  evil  of  our  do- 
ings, to  enter  heartily  into  mortification 
and  self-denial,  and  to  renounce  our  love 
to  the  world  and  the  things  of  it,  which 
are  our  poison  and  death,  ^and  the  root 
from  whence  all  our  sorroVv^s  and  misery 
flow;  because  God  takes  no  deligh^ 
therein.  Nay,  he  has  everr  determined 
to  make  us  forsake  it  at  last,  and  that 
by  greater  degrees  of  siiftering  accord- 
ing as  our  wickedness  may  increase  ;  for 
every  knee  shall,  at  last,  be  made  to  bow 
to  him,  and  every  tongue  shall  confess 
Jesus  to  be  Lord,  to  the  glory  of  God 
the  Father,  and  the  salvation  of  thosq 
who  are  thus  humbled,  which  no  pow- 
er, but  that  of  the  Ploly  Ghost,  can  ac- 
complish :  for  none  can  call  Jesus  Lord,; 
in  truth  and  sincerity,  but  by  the  Holy 
Ghost. 


121 

•Thus  God's  works  are  all  love  :  and 
salvation  consists   in   abiding   therein: 
misery  and  pain  proceed  alone  from  our 
sin,  or  forsaking  that  love.     God's  love, 
therefore,  is  as  great  to  us,  when  sin- 
ners, as  when  saints,  and  he   no  more 
inflicts  punishment  on  sinners  out  of  ven- 
geance or   vindictive   wrath,    than   on 
saints.     Here  some,  after  all  I  have  al- 
ready said,  may  stop  me,  and  say.  How 
dost  thou  know  this,  since  God  hath  no 
where  said  so  ?  To  whom  I  answer,  he 
hath  said  so,  in  these  memorable  words 
of  the  prophet   Jereniiah  ii,  19.  Thine 
own  wickedness  shall  correct  thee,  and 
thy   backslidings  shall  reprove  thee  : — 
know,  therefore,  and  see  that  it  is  an 
evil  thing  and  a  bitter,  that  thou   hast 
forsaken   the  Lord  thy  God,  and  that 
hisfear  is  notin  thee.     See  here  whence 
punishment  springs,  and  be  convinced. 

L 


12^ 

At  another  time,  in  the  last  mention- 
ed sickness,  I  thought  that  I  was  all  in 
white,  and  v/as  taken  by  one  who  was 
sent  to  me  as  a  guide,  into  a  most  beau- 
tiful place  :  as  soon  as  I  entered,  I  was 
an  hungred  and  athirst ;  but  I  was  satis- 
fied in  a  moment,  and  my  soul  cried  out 
and  said,  Who  hath  satisfied  me  so  soon 
and  with  such  sweet  water?  (which  wa- 
ter, I  thought,  I  had  once  drank  of  be- 
fore) and  I  heard  a  voice  answer  and 
say,  It  is  the  Shepherd  of  the  sheep ;  be- 
hold the  sheep  running  upon  the  green 
mountain  j  which  sight  ravished  my 
heart,  and  made  my  soul  leap  for  joy, 
and  I  said,  I  hope  I  shall  be  with  them 
by  and  by  5  whereupon  there  appeared 
a  narrow  path  leading  to  the  top  of  the 
mountain,  and  my  guide,  who  was  upon 
my  right  hand  and  clothed  in  white,  said 
"Unto  me,  that  if  I  did  not  proceed  for* 


123 

ward  With  great  care  and  a  watchful 
eye,  I  might  fall,  and  so  not  arrive  at 
the  top  of  this  glorious  mountain.  I  also 
thought  that  I  saw  a  basket  upon  the 
floor,  with  some  of  that  which  1  was 
fed  ^  and  seeing  a  dog  coming  up  to  it,  I 
said  to  my  guide,  there  is  a  dog  coming 
up,  and  he  will  eat  thereof.  But  my 
^uide  answered.  No  ;  a  dog  cannot  eat 
thereof.  At  another  time,  in  the  same 
illness,  and  the  same  guide  being  with 
me,  I  beheld  a  beautiful  place,  garnish- 
ed with  all  manner  of  precious  stones, 
and  the  light  of  the  Son  of  glory  shining 
in  it,  caused  the  stones  to  appear  in  ex- 
ceeding brightness,  and  always  illumi- 
nated 3  so  that  it  had  no  need  of  the  light 
of  the  sun  to  shine  in  it.  I  asked  my 
guide,  and  said.  What  place  is  this  ? 
And  he  answered.  This  is  the  place 
where  the  souls  of  those  who  have  fol- 


124 

lowed  the  Lamb,  dwell,  after  they  have 
conquered  upon  earth/  I  said  unto  my 
guide,  Oh,  that  I  might  see  some  of 
them !  But  I  was  permitted  to  see  none, 
save  my  mother,  who  came  oat-  to.  1^$!:. . 
And  I  said  unto  her,  What  a  beautiful 
place  thou  dvvellest  in  !  I  wish  I  could 
Jive  here  too.  But  she  said  unto  me. 
Not  now,  but  thou  shalt  come  by  an^ 
by,  which  gave  me  great  joy.  These 
things  I  have  seen,  w^hetherin  the  body 
or  out  of  the  body,  I  cannot  tell. — • 
Wherefore,  I,  Thomas  Say,  do  honour 
and  praise  and  magnify  the  God  of  the 
AVHOLE  EARTH,  who  is  able  to  relieve 
the  DISTRESSED  and  afflicted  soul  i 
and  who,  when  our  souls  are  at  the  great- 
est distance  from  him,  and  have  the  least 
hope  of  his  aid^  doth  stretch  forth  his 
arm,  and  bring  salvation  :  w^ho,  when  I 
was  brought  very  low  in  body  and  mind. 


125 

and  ready  to  perish  through  lack  of 
knowledge^,  opened  the  fountains  of  his 
wisdom  to  me,  and  shewed  me  the  mys- 
teries, in  part,  of  his  kingdom ;  who 
sent  his  angel  to  be  my  guide,  and  ma- 
nifested his  universal,  omnipotent  good- 
ness to  me;  wherefore  my  soul  is  hum-^ 
bled  in  me,  and  with  gratitude  ask. 
What  shall  I  render  to  the  Lord  for  alt 
the  benefits  that  he  hath  bestozved  on  me. 

Oh,  that  it  were  in  my  power  to  make 
a  return  of  his  love  and  grace  to  me^ 
who  deserve  no  favour  at  his  hand!  but 
not  unto  us !  but  unto  him  be  the  glory 
of  all  his  ways !  For  it  is  his  own  good- 
ness that  is  the  cause  of  all  his  various 
ways  and  dispensations :  therefore,  I 
cannot  think  the  days  that  he  hath 
lent,  or  spared  me,  can  be  better  em- 
ployed than  in  spreading  the  knowledge 

L  2 


1^6 

t)f  his  universal  goodness^and  of  the  pefr 
nicious  consequences  of  sin  ;  that  there- 
by all  may  be  brought  to  renounce  their 
evil  ways,  and  to  turn  unto  the  Lord, 
and  taste  his  goodness,  for  he  will  be 
merciful  to  them  3  and  to  our  God,  who 
will  abundantly  pardon  them,  and  all 
who  forsake  the  evil,  and  cleave  to  the 
good.  To  the  wicked  there  is  no  peace, 
saith  my  God  (though  he  proclaims  it  to 
them,  and  good  will  to  all  men)  because 
they  have  forsaken  the  God  of  peace, 
and  will  not  return  to  him,  though  he 
entreats  them,  with  the  tender  affection 
of  a  Father,  to  turn  to  him,  from  whom 
they  have  departed.  Let  us,  then,  tura 
in  heart  to  him,  before  whom  all  our  de- 
sires are  known,  and  from  whom  none 
of  our  secrets  can  be  hid. 


127 

God  created  man,  and  he  watcher 
over- him  as  a  parent  over  his  beloved 
offspring.  And  when  he  transgresses 
his  ]^Wy  and  will  not  walk  in  his  statutes, 
he  corrects,  entreats,  and  mourns  over 
him  'y  for,  the  Lord's  portion  is  his  peo- 
ple ;  Jacob  is  thelot  of  his  inheritance.* 
Wherefore,  when  you  hear  his  voice,  my 
brethren,  speaking  within  you,  give  way 
to  it,  listen  and  attentively  obey  it  :  for 
it  means  710  haririy  it  intends  your  end- 
Jess  peace,  vi^elfare,  and  happiness.— 
Though  it  commands  you  to  renounce 
your  most  darling  affections,  yet  obey, 
for  your  life  lies  in  obedience  j  and  tho^ 
you  lose  your  life  in  obedience,  yet  you 
shall  find  it  tenfold  ^  but  if  you  disobey^, 
though  you  gain  your  life  thereby,  yet  ye 
shall  lose  it 3  for  the  mouth  of  the  Lord 

*  Deut.  xxsii.  9. 


128 

hath  spoken  it.  Let  not  the  cross  of 
Christ  prove  a  stumbling-block  to  any 
one,  for  it  will  deliver  him  from  the  bon- 
dage of  corruption  into  the  glorious  li- 
berty of  the  children  of  God,  And  jIn 
no  other  way  can  any  obtain  that  liberty 
and  eternal  bliss,  than  by  a  patient  con- 
formity to  Christ  and  his  sufferings  5  for 
to  every  man  is  left  a  measure  of  suffer- 
ing to  be  endured  by  him,  which,  if  un- 
dergone w^ith  due  resignation,  will  de- 
liver him  from  the  power  of  the  flesh 
and  blood,  which  cannot  inherit  the 
kingdom  of  heaven,  by  crucifying  it  with 
its  affections  and  lusts  5  and  will  fit  him 
for  the  enjoyment  of  the  divine  flesh  and 
blood  of  our  Lord  and  Saviour,  which 
he  gave  for  the  life  of  the  world,  of  which, 
if  any  pian  eat,  he  shall  live  for  ever** 

*  John  yi.  5L 


129 

Oh,  blessed  are  they  who  are  crucified 
with  Christ,  and  who  live  no  more 
themselves,  but  have  the  life  of  Jesus 
Christ  revealed  in  them.  Their  daily 
suffering,  dying,  and  self-denial  have, 
at  last,  proved  their  life  and  salvation  : 
they  will  enter  into  life,  joy  and  peace, 
with  Christ,  their  Lord  and  Captain. 
And  because  they  have  followed  him  in 
the  regeneration, he  bathappointed  them 
a  kingdom,  that  they  may  eat  and  drink 
at  his  table,  and  reign  kings  and  priests 
unto  God  and  the  Lamb  for  ever  more. 
Many  are  the  tribulations  and  suffer* 
ings,  both  inward  and  outward,  which 
await  every  one  who  will  follow  a  Sa- 
viour, who  himself  was  made  perfect 
through  sufferings,  but  let  not  such  be- 
come weary  and  faint  in  their  minds  5 
for  this  suffering  Saviour  has  overcome 
the  worlds  aijd  the  prince  thereof,  and 


130    . 

Will  go  before  them,  making  straight  the 
crooked  paths.  For  such  he  will  break 
in  pieces  the  gates  of  brass,  and  cut  in 
sunder  the  bars  of  iron ;  he  will  give 
them  the  treasures  of  darkness  and  hid- 
den riches  of  secret  places.*  He  will 
also  enlighten  their  minds  in  the  know^^- 
ledge  of  the  mysteries  of  his  kingdom  ^ 
he  will  shew  them  the  New  Jerusalem^ 
that  beautiful  city,  coming  down  from 
heaven  3  and  will  open  their  ears,  so  as 
to  hear  the  songs  which  are  sung  unto 
the  Lord  God  and  the  Lamb.  These 
things  did  the  Lord  reveal  unto  me,  in 
my  sufferings  and  death,  turning  my  sor^- 
rows  into  the  joyful  feelings  of  exalted 
bliss  3  and  he  will  do  so  to  every  one, 
who  patiently  endures  the  cross  and  des- 
pises the  shame.     Therefore,  I  reckon, 

*  Isa.xlv%2;  3. 


131 

that  the  sufferings  of  this  present  time 
are  not  worthy  to  be  compared  with  the 
glory  which  shall  be  revealed  in  us.* 
Here  the  old  man  of  sin,  viz.  the  flesh, 
"willeth  its  lustings,  which  delights  in 
earthly  pleasures  and  sensual  delights, 
whose  utmost  ambition  is  bodily  ease, 
great  wealth,  honour  and  esteem  among 
men,  and  who  must  undergo  a  perfect 
death  by  the  cross,  w^ill  cry  out  with  Ja- 
cob, upon  another  occasion.  All  these 
tki?igs  are  against  me;  and  will  therefoie 
speak  vehemently  against  this  way,  call-- 
ing  it  dreaming  enthusiasm,  moping  hy- 
pochondriacism,  and  what  not.  But  a 
soul  truly  awakened  to  a  deep  feeling  of 
its  lost  and  degenerated  condition,  and 
of  the  absolute  impossibility  of  enjoying 
real,  substantial  happiness,  without  the 

*  Rom.  vili.  IB» 


132 

destruction  of  the  flesh,  will  earnestly 
begi,  saying,  Lord,  let  no  fleshiy  plea- 
sure, nor  earthly  enjoyment,  rob  me  of 
my  birth.  I  am  ready,  vvith  Moses,  to 
suffer  affliction  with  the  people  of  God, 
rather  than  eiijoy  the  pleasures  of  sin  for 
a  season.*  Let  others  ask  what  they 
please,  I  w^ill  seek  thy  face  and  favour, 
and  though  it  cost  me  my,  life,  with  all 
its  enjoyments  (as  the  aprigUt.i^bilower.Gf 
Christ  doth  say)  I  shall  not:$e]l -my  bles- 
sing for  them  :  therefore,  O  Lord  God, 
fix  my  heart  on  thee  and  goodness,  vvhich 
is  the  centre  of  all  bliss,  perfeetion  and 
happiness ;  and  crucify  the  old  man  in 
me,  so  that  as  long  as  I  bear  this  body 
of  clay,  I  may  bear  in  it  the  marks  of  my 
Lord's  sufferings.  And  with  the  bles- 
sed apostle,  let  me  joy  in  nothing  but 

*  Hcb.xi.  25.  , 


133 

the  cross  of  my  Lord  and  Saviour  Jesus 
Christ,*  which  let  me   feel  as  long  as 
any  seeds  of  sin  or  death  remain  in  me  s 
for  well  I  know,  that  all  these  are  not 
to  be  compared  with  the  weight  of  glory 
which  is  reserved  in  the  heavens  for  all 
those  who  follow  Christ,  and  are  made 
perfect  through  sufferings.     Suffering  in 
this  life  is  the  best  of  all  blessings.    Men 
are  ready,  on  all  occasions,  to  bless  God 
for  bodily  pleasures  and  w^orldly  felicity ; 
but  few    (too  few)  for  suffering  and  dis- 
tress ;  and  yet,  happy  and    only  happy 
is   he    whom    the    Lord    afflicteth  :  for 
whom  the    Lord  loveth  he    chasteneth, 
and   scourgeth   every  son  w^hom  he  re- 
ceiveth,and  to  be  without  chastisement, 
is  to  have  the  mark  of  bastards,  and  not 
sdns.f     Therefore,  Blessed   is  the  man 


*  Gal.  viz.  14.  t  Heb.  xii.  6,  8. 

M 


134 

whom  the  Lord  chasteneth,  and  teach- 
cth  out  of  his  law,*  for  he  will  give  him 
strength  in  the  time  of  adversity,  so  that 
he  shall  not  fall  with  the  ungodly.  God, 
in  his  wisdom  and  goodness,  appoints 
all  who  seek  his  face  in  sincerity,  to  tri- 
bulations, afflictions,  injuries,  persecu- 
tions, and  death  ;  because  he  knows, 
that  there  is  no  other  way  to  destroy  the 
last  of  the  eye,  the  lust  of  the  flesh,  and 
the  pride  of  life,  wherein  consists  the 
man  of  sin  and  our  fallen  life,  and  to 
raise  up  in  us  that  life  of  faith,  humility, 
patience,  self-denial,  and  charity y  that 
top-stone  of  goodness  and  perfection  of 
bliss  ;  for  charity  sufFereth  long,  and  is 
kind ;  charity  envieth  not;  charity vaunt- 
eth  not  itself,  is  not  puffed  up,  doth  not 
behave  itself  unseemly,  seeketh  not  her 

^  Psal.  xciy.  12* 


135 

own,  is  not  easily  provoked,  thinketh  no 
evil  ;  rejoiceth  not  in  iniquity,  but  re- 
joiceth  in  the  truth  ^  beareth  all  things, 
believeth  all  things,  bopeth  all  things, 
endureth  all  things.  Charity  never  fail- 
eth,^  And  therefore  it  is  the  top-stone 
of  all  virtue,  and  the  perfection  of  bliss : 
for,  when  this  perfection  is  come,  then 
that  which  is  in  part  shall  b^  done  away ; 
whether  it  be  knowledge,  faith,  hope, 
or  any  other  spiritual  gifts.  But  this 
pearl  of  great  price,  is  only  to  be  dug 
out  of  the  earth  of  our  fallen  nature,  by 
the  labour  and  sweat  of  suffering  :  for 
what  man  can  love  his  enemies,  who 
has  none  ?  or  who  can  pray  for  them 
that  persecute  him,  while  he  enjoys  peace 
from  the  world  ?  In  a  word,  who  can 
be  perfect  as  our  Father  in  heaven  is  per- 

*   I  Cor.  xiii.  4;  5 yd)  T,  8. 


136 

feet  (and  who  alone  is  the  standard  of 
perfection)  but  he,  who  is  kind  to  the 
evil  and  the  good,  and  who  possesses  a 
heart  as  ready  to  heal  the  ear  of  a  Mai- 
chus,  his  enemy,  as  to  cure  a  Simeon's 
wife  when  sick  of  a  fever,  or  raise  a  La- 
zarus when  four  days  dead?  Suffering 
and  dying  v^ith  Christ  is  the  only  way  to 
attain  this  spirit  and  temper,  and  there- 
fore the  only  thing  we  should  long  after 
or  pray  for ;  yet,  few  can  bear  suffer- 
ings patiently,  when  imposed  on  them^ 
fewer  yet,  who  bless  God  for  causing 
them  to  suffer;  and  fewest  of  all,  who 
long  after  and  rejoice  in  them  :  and 
therefore  we  may  say.  Strait  is  the  gate, 
and  narrow  is  the  way,  which. leadeth 
unto  life,  and  few  there  be  that  find  it.^ 
Few   seek  salvation,  because   suffering 

*  MattTii.  14. 


137 

is  the  way  to  it.  Sorrow  alone  makes 
the  heart  better^  and  yet  few  love  it. 
Blessed  be  the  God  and  Father  of  our 
Lord  Jesus  Christ,  for  he  hath  ordained 
sorrow  of  heart  and  failing  of  eyes  y 
weeping  and  wailing  and  gnashing  of 
teeth  3*  even  greater  and  more  severe 
plagues  than  any  in  this  life,  for  those 
who  have  proved  too  hard  for  the  pre- 
sent afflictions,  and  whom  the  sorrow^s 
of  this  world  could  not  mollifv,  that 
thereby  they  might  be  made  to  seek  af- 
ter and  enjoy  that  never-ceasing  joy, 
which  they  drive  so  far  from  them  by 
their  carnal  delights,  earthly  gratifica- 
tions, and  the  love  of  this  world.  This 
way  of  inward  and  outward  sufferings  is 
very  hard  to  bear,  as  we  see  in  the  case 
of  Job,  whose  patience  was  so  great. 


*  Matt.  viiL  12, 

M  2 


138 

that  though  in  one  day  he  saw  himself 
spoiled  both  of  his  children  and  fortune, 
yet,  with  unparallelled  resignation,  in 
calmness  and  serenity  of  mind,  he  falls 
down  and  worships  God,  saying,  The 
Lord  gave  and  the  Lord  hath  taken 
away,  blessed  be.the  name  of  the  Lord  :^ 
yet,  when  the  distress  had  advanced  but 
a  little  farther,  and  laid  hold  on  his  skin 
and  flesh,  his  patience  fails  him,  and  he 
no  longer  can  hold  out,  under  the  load 
of  calamities,  but  curses  the  day  of  his 
birth,  and  condemns  the  hand  which 
had  dealt  out  this  last  blow,  though  he 
had  blessed  it  for  dealing  cut  all  the  rest : 
so  hard  a  thing  it  is  to  bear  the  cross  in 
all  its  degrees,  and  so  deeply  must  hu- 
man nature  suffer  before  it  can  be  tho- 
roughly sanctified.    Whoever  .will  desire 

*  Job  1st  and  2d  Chapters. 


139 

to  be  made  partakers  of  eternal  happn 
ness  in  the  kingdom  of  heaven^  must, 
above  all  things,  prize,  value,  and  long 
for  a  state  of  suffering :  he  must  place 
his  sufferings  among  his  chiefest  bles- 
sings, and  be  ready,  vv'hen  suffering,  to 
say  with  suffering  Job,  What  is  man, 
that  thou  shouldest  magnify  him  ;  and 
that  thou  shouldest  visit  him  every  morn- 
ing, and  try  him  every  moment  ?  For 
the  more  constant  and  severe  our  trials 
are,  if  we  bear  them  patiently,  the  short- 
er will  be  our  way  to  the  kingdom  of 
heaven  ;  let  us,  therefore,  in  our  suffer- 
ings, never  fly  to  man  for  relief,  or  long 
for  a  deliverance  out  of  them,  until  they 
have  accomplished  that  for  which  they 
were  sent,  but  let  us  humble  ourselves 
under  God  and  his  goodness,  being  fully 
assured,  that  all  these  things,  when  borne 
patiently,  will  land  uS  in  unfailing  joy. 


140 

Never  are  we  in  more  danger,  nor  in  a 
worse  condition,  than  when  we  enjoy 
outward  peace  and  quietness,  though 
we  are  so  apt  to  seek  after  it.  We  must 
tread  the  paths  of  a  suffering  Saviour,  in 
order  to  our  being  made  perfect  with 
him:  he  was  despised  and  rejected  of 
men^,  and  so  must  we,  if  we  will  be  his 
disciples ;  and  therefore,  when  all  is 
p§aG€  and  quietness  around  us,  to  con- 
clude that  2(11  is  therefore  well,  is  the 
greatest  deceit  in  the  world  ;  and  to  be 
anxious  to  preserve  ourselves  in  the  good 
graces  and  esteem  of  the  world  (except 

it  be  by  walking  contrary  to  its  maxims, 

■f 

customs,  and  politics,  as  Christ  did,  and 
which  will  never  preserve  the  good-will 
of  any  society  on  earth)  is  only  to  lock 
ourselves  up  the  faster  in  the  arms  of  sin 
and:  death.  Jesus  Christ  was  rejected 
of  men,  because  he  was  not  a  pian  of 


141 

the  world ;  he  had  neither  worldly  pas- 
sions nor  possessions ;  and,  therefore, 
would  not  worship  its  prince,  nor  accept 
of  his  offered  gifts,  but  renounced  him 
and  them,  with  a  Get  thee  hence,  satan, 
&€.*  He  despised  them,  and  v.alked 
through  the  territories  of  the  devil,  un- 
hurt by  any  of  his  wiles  or  stratagems; 
therefore  he  was  maltreated  and  bruised 
by  them,  upon  all  occasions.  And  he 
not  only  did  so  himself,  but  also  taught 
and  commanded  the  same  to  all  that 
would  become  his  disciples,  saying,  Sell 
all  that  thou  hast,  and  distribute  unto  the 
poor,  and  thou  shalt  have  treasure  in 
heaven  :  and  come,  follow  me.f  This  - 
was  the  way  he  pointed  out,  to  a  youth 
whom  he  loved,  and  it  is  in  vain  to  seek 
out  an  easier  way,  for  the  one  Lord  and 

*  Matt.  iv.  8,  9,  10.         t  Luke  xviii.22. 


i42 

Saviour  has  but  one  way  of  salvation. 
This  is  the  doctrine  of  Jesus,  and  yet  is 
that  which  has  been,  is,  and  ever  will 
be,  reckoned  enthusiasm,  demoniacism, 
and  folly,  by  those  who  make  the  world 
and  its  wealth  their  summum  bonum, 
notwithstanding  they  call  themselves  by 
the  name  of  Jesus.  But  the  life  of  Je- 
sus is  not  seen  by,  or  manifested  in  them, 
for  he  was  a  man  of  sorrows  and  ac- 
quainted with  grief;  he  was  oppressed 
and  afflicted,  yet  he  opened  not  his 
niouth.  This  is  the  patience  of  Jesus, 
and  must  be  the  patience  of  such  saints 
as  will  partake  of  the  kingdom  of  Jesus; 
for  out  of  these  patient  sufferings  grows 
that  poverty  of  spirit,  which  shall  inherit 
the  kingdom  of  heaven.  And  they  who 
endure  such  sufferings  in  quiet  resigna* 
tion  to  the  will  of  God,  are  the  poor 
and  needy,  who  seek  for  water  and  there 


143 

Is  none,  and  their  tongues  fail  for  thirst: 
yet  the  Lord  will  hear  them;  the  God 
of  Israel  will  not  forsake  them  ;  but  he 
will  open  rivers  in  high  places  to  them, 
and  fountains  in  the  midst  ofthe  valleyS;, 
even  the  rivers  of  joy,  which  flow  from 
the  throne  of  God  and  the  Lamb,  as 
clear  as  chrystal,  for  evermore.  For 
those  needy  shall  not  always  be  forgot- 
ten, and  the  expectation  of  such  poor, 
shall  not  perish  for  ever. 

God  does  not  bestow  any  lasting  bles- 
sing upon  such  as  are  at  ease,  and  en- 
joying the  good  things  of  this  world, 
without  desiring  or  feeling  after  a  bet- 
ter 'y  wherefore  his  call  is  to  such;  but 
when  he  calls,  it  is  Come  unto  me  all  ye 
that  are  weary  and  heavy  laden,  and  I 
will  give  you  rest.  To  the  man  of  the 
world,  this  sound  of  glad  tidings  of  great 


144 

joy  appears  only  an  idle  tale,  atid  not 
worth  the  attending  to,  and  when  the 
offer  IS  made  to  such,  they  make  light  of 
it,  and  go  away,  one  to  his  farm,  and 
another  to  his  merchandize,  with  I  pray 
thee  have  me  excused.  Their  hearts 
are  somuch  set  upon  buying  and  selling, 
and  making  gain,  that  no  time  is  left  for 
them  to  reflect  thus  within  themselves. 
Why  do  I  run  thus  after  this  world? 
What  will  it  profit  me,  though  I  gain 
the  whole  of  it  ?  My  desires  are  growing 
faster  than  my  possessions,  so  that  I  shall 
never  find  happiness  in  this  way  ;  be- 
sides, yet  a  little  while,  and  I  shall  go 
the  way  where  I  shall  not  return,  and  so 
leave  all  behind  me.  I  shall  one  day 
die;  and  if  I  die  in  my  present  condi- 
tion, I  need  no  revelation  to  tell  me, 
that  I  shall  be  miserable;  my  own  con- 
science bears  witness  thereto  :   and  the 


145 

fears,  suspicious  and  awful  forebodings 
of  my  heart,  whenever  I  think  seriously 
upon  death  and   eternity,  promise  no- 
thing to  me  beyond  the  grave,  but  black- 
ness, darkness  and  horror.     For,  though 
I  may  outbrave  ray  rebuke,  and  mock 
at  him  who  preaches  religion  to  me  5 
yet   my  own  heart  condemns  mc,  and 
sets  nothing  before  me  but  the  fearful 
dread  of  impending  ruin,  as  often  as  P 
listen  quietly  to  its  dictates ;  and  which 
nothing  but  the  hurry  of  business,  and 
the  noise  of  revelling,  silences;  and  if  I 
have  such  a  witness  against  myself,  in. 
my  own   bosom,  how  can  I  expect  to 
escape?  I  dare  appeal  to  any  one  who 
hath  had  the  highest  expectations  from 
the  enjoyment  of  any  earthly  gratifica^ 
tions,  whether,  in  the  enjox/mcni,  he  hath 
not  found  himself  disappointed;  and  if 
tt  be  so,  is  it  not  folly  (to  call  it  no  worse) 

N 


146 

to  seek  unto  such  deceivers?  Is  there 
any  among  the  sons  of  the  merchants, 
who  hath  set  his  heart  upon  silver,  and 
been  satisfied  therewith  ?  What  man  of 
pleasure  hath  spent  only  one  year  in  his 
delights,  without  feeling  a  palled  appe- 
tite or  disgust  ?  Who  among  you  can 
see  himself  slighted,  or  but  even  neglect- 
ed in  company,  and  not  feci  that  un- 
easy sensibility,  resentment  ?  Are  you 
not  often  disappointed  in  your  expecta- 
tions, and  thereby  unhappy  ?  Will  not 
a  look  of  disdain  cast  upon  you,  throw 
you  into  a  foment  ?  Will  not  the  sight 
of  a  person  whom  you  dislike,  throw  you 
into  disorder  ?  And,  lastly,  when  you 
have  enjoyed  all  that  your  heart  can  wish 
of  pleasure,  when  you  have  revelled 
amidst  all  the  scenery  of  mirth  and  jol- 
lity, have  heard  men-singers  and  wo- 
men-singers/and  tasted  all  the  delights 


147 

of  the  sons  of  jxien,  are  you  then  happy? 
Now  these  things  are  partly  what  hap- 
pen or  may  happen  to  you  daily  ;  and 
therefore  only  look  back  and  seriously 
consider,  and  say.  Are  not  the  wise 
man's  words  true  ;  vanity  of  vanities,  all 
is  vanity  ?  If  these  things  arc  so,  your 
way  is  not  the  way  to  happiness  3  and 
therefore,  no  more  brand  them  with  the 
name  of  enthusiasts,  who  propose  to  you 
a  more  excellent  happiness,  an  happi- 
ness quite  of  another  na'ture,  and  show 
you  a  more  excellent  way  to  arrive  at  it, 
viz.  by  renouncing  all  those  false  plea- 
sures, which,  as  your  own  experience 
proves,  do  not  carry  peace  in  their  own 
bosoms,  and  by  beginning  to  feel  your 
real  wants  and  poverty,  and  by  humblf 
applying  to  him,  who  can  satisfy  to  the 
full  all  the  cravings  of  your  immortal 
spirits.     The  truly  weary  and  heavy  la- 


148 

den  tieeds  none  of  all  these  arguments  to 
rouse  him  into  a  serious  attention  to  his 
utter  want  and  necessity^,  and  therefore 
feels  an  argument  more  powerful  thaa 
all  reasons^  to  renounce  all  earthly  plea* 
sures  and  sensual  delights,  and  to  deny 
all  ungodliness  and  worldly  lusts,  and  to 
live  soberly,  righteously,  and  godly  in 
this  present  evil  world.  He  needs  no 
terrors  of  eternal  damnation  to  deter  him 
from  ¥/ickedness :  for  he  knows  and 
feels  his  sentence  in  himself,  as  often  as 
he  does  evil,  which  alone  is  sufficient  to 
make  him  long  after,  and  unceasingly 
pray  for,  a  complete  redemption  through 
Christ  his  Lord.  This  world,  and  all  that 
k  affords  are  to  him  but  dross  and  dung 
(that  he  may  win  Christ  and  his  salva-* 
tion)  from  the  power  of  which,  belongs 
as  much  to  be  delivered  as  from  any  evil 
disease.     He  knows  that  the  love  of  this 


149 

world  is  poison  to  the  soul,  and  that  to 
Jive  under  its  influences  is  to  be  separat- 
ed from  God  and  goodness,  life  and  hap- 
piness ;  therefore  he  shuns  it,  and  every 
thing  leading  thereto,  as  he  would  shun 
death.     He  is  ready,  upon  every  call  of 
God,  whether   inward  or   outward,  to 
give  up  his  flesh,  v^ith  its  aftectionsand 
lusts,  to  be  consumed   by  the   fire   of 
God^s  jealousy  ;  which  .will  last  no  lon- 
ger than  it  finds  corruption  to  consume^ 
and  which  was  ordaiqed  for  that  very 
end,  viz.  to  destroy,  sin  and  iniquity,  to 
make  an  end  of  transgression,  and  to 
bring   in  an  everlasting   righteousness  : 
and  when  accomplished,  it   will   burn 
forth  in  all  the  meekness  of  love  and  joy 
for  evermore.     All  the  commandments 
contained  in  our  Lord's  sermon  on  the 
^mount,  which   to   many  seem  so  hard.^ 
and  are  so  much  ridiculed  by  vain  and 


150 

sensual  men,  arc  to  him  easy  and  de- 
lightful, because   in  them  he  exerciser 
that  spirit  of  charity  which  never  faileth, 
and  finds  them  powerful  to  destroy  the 
dominion  of  sin  in  him  ^  he  needs  no  ar- 
gui^ents  to  convince  or  persuade  him, 
that  it  is  his  duty  to  let  the  man  have  his 
cloak,  who  has  sued  him  at  the  law  and 
taken  away  his  coat  -,  for  he  knows  the 
love  of  such  things  to  be  evil,  and  there* 
fore,  being  without  affection  to  them> 
he  has  no  resentment  against  the  man 
who  thus  deals  by  him  -,  neither  has  he 
any  desire  to  recover  the  things  which 
are  thus  taken  away.     For  it  island  ever 
willbe,  ^not  only  an  eternal  truth,  but 
a  self-evident  one  too,  and  what  is  borne 
witness  to  by.every  person  in  the  worlds 
that  no  man  ever  resented,  but  when  he 
thought  himself  injured  -,  nor  ever  griev^ 
€d  the  loss  of  any  thing,  but  what  he 


151 

loved  ;  or  sought  for  the  restitiition  of 
any  thing  which.be  disregarded  :  there- 
fore, whenever  we  find  an  uneasiness 
for  the  loss  of  any  thing,  or  are  offende4 
.with  him  who  is  the  cause  thereof,  it  is 
because  we  love  it,  and  if  it  be  either 
this  world  or  any  thing  in  it,  the  love 
.gf  th^  Fatlifr  i^  not  in  u^^y  foT  no  man 
can  love  God  and.  Mammon  atonce^or 
serve  both  at  the  same  time,  if  Jesus 
Christ  speaks  truth. 

a  prater, 

O  LORD  GOD  of  the  righteous,. .befox^ 
whom  my  soul  is  bowed,  though  unfijt 
to  appear  in  thy  presence,  yet  I  have  to 
acknowledge  thy  great  love ;  and  restor- 
ing .power^:  that  thou,  O  'Lord,  ha^st 
•showed  uilto  me,  thy  unworthy  servant^ 


159 

when  I  was  under  distress  of  mind,  and 
tvalking  on  the  barren  mountains  of  pro- 
fession, and  the  desolate  hills,  where 
my  soul  thirsted  for  water,  add  found 
iioi^e  J'  and  almost  overeome  by  the  ma-» 
dy  i^nl^tations  that  surrounded  me,  even 
to  that  degree  as  to  bring  me,  as  it  were^ 
into  the  depth  of  sorrows  and  distress  of 
%6u]f  seeking  rest  and  finding  none,  till 
fhoit,  the  God  of  all  nations,  and  Father 
of  all  souls,  showedst  unto  me,  that  thoii 
makest  the  wilderness  a  pool  of  water^ 
and  the  dry  land  springs  of  water,  and 
openest  rivers  in  high  places  and  foun* 
tains  in  the  midst  of  the  valleys,  in  which 
iny  thirsty  travelling  soul  found  refresh* 
merit. 

O  Lord  God,  Father  of  our  redeem* 
ing  love,  Christ  Jesiis,  hasten  the  time> 
if  it  be  thy  holy  wil!^- that  the  know^ 


153 

ledge  of  thee,  the  God  of  the  Christian*^ 
Sabbath,  may  cover  the  earth,  as  the 
waters  cover  the  sea ;  and  that  all  souls 
that  dwell  in  the  pit,  wherein  is  no  wa* 
ter,  may  be  refreshed,  so  that  there  may 
be  no  more  pain,  nor  sorrow,  and  all 
old  things  may  be  done  away,  and  all 
things  be  made  new;  that  every  soul 
may  be  refreshed  by  thy  restoring  and 
redeeming  love,  created  anew,  and  fit- 
ted to  dwell  in  the  celestial  habitations, 
and  receive  peace  and  universal  enjoy* 
ments. 

.  OLord,  increase  the  number  of  thin^ 
elect,  and  be  near  the  souls  that  are  un- 
der distress,  sorrow  and  tribulation,  and, 
being  oppressed  with  fears,  do  water 
their  pillows  with  tears  of  repentance  ; 
support  them,  O  Lord,  I  pray  thee,  and 
cause  the  enemy  of  their  souls  to  Acq 


154 

from  them  ;  give  them  comfort  when  it 
seemeth  most  convenient^  and  raise 
them  to  the  state  that  is  desirable, 
viz,  a  dvt^ellingin  Christ  Jesus  our  Lord. 
Do  thou,  great  Jehovah,  arm  us  more 
and  more  with  strength  to  overcome  sa- 
tan^  that  roaring  lion,  who  goeth  about 
seeking  whom  he  may  devour  3  so  that 
we  may  come  to  live  in  thati  supreme 
love  which  knoweth  no  limits^  G  Lord, 
strengthen  the  inward  man,  and  give  ua 
comfort  and  hope,  under  the  severest 
trials  and  tribulations  that  we  are  to  go 
through.  Wash  our  robes  in  the  blood 
of  the  Lamb,  and  make  them  clean, 
O  Lord,  open  thou  the- windows  of  hea* 
ven,  and  pour  water  upon  the  thirsty 
souls,  and  floods  upon  the  dry  ground^ 
blot  out  our  transgressions  and  remem^ 
ber  our  -sins,  no  more  :  and  bring  us  to 
dwell  in  the  celestial  regions  of  divine 


I      mil    iiwiw 


155 

light  and  love,  and  partake  of  the  joys 
of  our  Lord,  who  dwelleth  in  the  high- 
est heavens,  and  sitteth  upon  the  seat  of 
judgment.  Cause  misery  to  pass  away, 
and  the  long  suffering  to  have  an  end. 

O  Lord,  arise,  judge  the  earth,  and 
put  an  end  to  sin,  and  finish  transgres- 
sion ;  so  that  thou  mayest  complete  w^hat 
thou  earnest  to  do, and  inherit  all  things  s 
for  thou  gavest  Adam  a  living  soul,  and 
placedst  him  in  paradise,  to  glorify  thee^ 
and  he  and  his  offspring,  through  diso- 
bedience to  thy  commands,  fell  from 
thee,  O  Lord,  the  rock  of  our  salvation, 
and  fountain  of  all  existence,  v/ho  fillest 
all  things  with  thy  presence,  and  art 
glorious  in  all  thy  works.  Hasten  the 
time,  if  it  be  thy  holy  anddivine  will,  to 
cause  the  fire  of  thy  word  to  consume 
all  sin  I  so  that  the  soul§  of  thy  creation> 


r^ 


156 

tnankind,  may  be  redeemed^  that  thy 
glory  may  shine  in  all  thy  works,  and 
they  brought  to  praise  thee.  O  Lord,  I 
pray  thee,  bring  us  out  of  the  land  of 
Egypt,  the  dark  state  of  nature  ;  so  that 
we  may  follow  after4:hee,  the  rock  of  our 
salvation.  Comfort  Zion,  and  make  hef 
waste  places  and  her  deserts  like  the  gar* 
den  of  the  Lord,  that  joy  and  gladness 
may  be  found  in  her  ;  so  that  thy  fallen 
creation  may  be  brought  to  the  state  of 
holiness  from  which  they  fell,  and  evef 
dwell  in  that  fountain  of  light  and  re* 
deeming  love,  and  join  the  glorious  com* 
pany  of  angels,  and  the  spirits  of  just  men 
made  perfect,  in  psalms  and  hymns,  and 
melodious  spiritual  songs,  to  the  Lord 
God  and  the  Lamb,  who  is  worthy  both 
now  and  for  evermore.     Amen* 

683 

FINIS. 


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