in this and the former voyage. It being often calm and small winds, our provisions grew very scanty. We were about twelve persons in the vessel, great and small, and but one piece of beef left in the barrel; and for several days, the wind being contrary, the people began to murmur, and told dismal stories about people eating one another for want of provisions; and the wind being still against us, and, for ought we could see, like to continue, they murmured more and more, and at last, against me in particular, because the vessel and cargo was consigned to me, and was under my care, so that my inward exercise was great about it; for neither myself, nor any in the vessel, did imagine that we should be half so long as we were on the voyage; but since it was so, I seriously considered the matter; and to stop their murmuring, told them they should not need to cast lots, which was usual in such cases, which of us should die first, for I would freely offer up my life to do them good. One said, God bless you. I will not eat any of you." Another said, "He would die before he would eat any of me;" and so said several. I can truly say, on that occasion, at that time, my life was not dear to me, and that I was serious and ingenuous in my proposition: and as I was leaning over the side of the vessel, thoughtfully considering my proposal to the company, and looking in my mind to him that made me, a very large dolphin came up towards the top or surface of the water, and looked me in the face; and I called the people to put a hook into the sea, and take him, for here is one come to redeem me, (said I to them;) and they put a hook into the sea, and the fish readily took it, and they caught him. He was longer than myself: I think he was about six feet long, and the largest that ever I saw. This plainly shewed us that we ought not to distrust the providence of the Almighty. The people were quieted by this act of Providence, and murmured no more. We caught enough to eat plentifully of till we got into the capes of Delaware. Thus I saw it was good to depend upon the Almighty, and rely upon his eternal arm; which, in a particular manner, did preserve us safe to our desired

port, blessed be his great and glorious name, through

Christ for ever!

I now stayed at, and about home, for some time; after which I was concerned to visit friends in several places, and in the adjacent provinces, as Maryland, NewJersey, &c. and was at many marriages and funerals, at which many times, we had good opportunities to open the way, and also the necessity to be married to Christ Jesus, the great bridegroom of the soul; and also to exhort the people to consider and prepare for their latter end and final change; which many times was sanctified to divers souls, and the Lord's name was glorified, who is worthy thereof.

In the year 1717, I went into Maryland, to look after my affairs in that province; and as I travelled, I had divers meetings at Nottingham, and at Bush-river, about which time, at Bush-river, several were convinced. The meeting I found in a growing condition in that which is good, several persons meeting together in silence to worship God, according to Christ's institution, which was, and is, and ever will be, in spirit and in truth: and for the encouragement of all such, Christ hath said, That such the Father seeketh to worship him; and again, Where two or three are met together in my name, there am I in the midst of them. And if Christ be in the midst, there is no absolute need of vocal teaching, except it be the will of the Lord to call any to it. Let the spiritual christian read and judge.

After my return I had several meetings in the country, near Philadelphia; and about the latter end of the eighth month I was at divers marriages, one of which was on the third day of the week, about fifteen miles above Philadelphia, over Delaware river: the next was over the river again, about twenty miles below the city: the third was about twenty miles further down the river, and on the opposite side at Salem, on the following days; so that I crossed the Delaware river three times in three days, and rode about one hundred miles. The meetings were all large, and matter suitable to the occasion freely opened to the people. These remarks are not intended

to set up man, or exalt flesh, but to stir up others to come up to the work of Christ in their generation: all . the glory and goodliness of man is but as the grass, which soon withers, without we dwell in the root of true religion, and holy life of Christ; and that God may have the glory of all his works, is the end of all the labours and travels of the servants and faithful ministers of Christ.

In the tenth month, 1717, divers considerations moving me thereto, I took a voyage to Barbadoes, in the snow Hope, J. Curtis, master, and from thence to GreatBritain and London; partly on account of business, and hoping once more, if it pleased God, to see my aged father, my brother, relations, and friends; which voy. age I undertook in the solid fear of God. I desired the concurrence of my wife, and my friends and brethren of the meeting to which I did belong, in this undertaking, the which I had in a general way, and the good wishes and prayers of many particulars, with a certificate from our monthly meeting, signifying their unity with my conversation and ministry, and present undertaking: and I felt the love and goodness of God therein, but in many respects it was a great cross to me, as the leaving my beloved wife and children, and many of my dear friends, whom I loved well in Christ; and the crossing of the seas always was troublesome to me, being sickly at sea, especially in windy or stormy weather; and the confinement was worse to me for the time than a prison; for it would be much easier to me to be in prison on land, upon a good account, than in prison at sea, I always looking on a ship to be a perilous prison, though my lot was to be much therein and as for my natural life, I always gave it up whenever I went to sea; and I thought that was the least part of the hardship, never putting much value thereon; and I think I had rather die at any time than go to sea, it being so contrary to my nature and disposition, as well as inclination; but to sea I went, for the reasons mentioned, and got from Philadelphia to Newcastle the first night in said vessel, and to Elsingburgh next day, where we lay for a fair

wind about two days; and when the wind was fair, we sailed to Bombay-hook, where we met with two other vessels bound out to sea, who waited also for the wind. We lay there two nights, and then on a first-day morning set sail, the weather being bitter cold, and the ice very thick on the sides of our vessel, and on our ropes. The same day that we left Bombay-hook we got out to sea, took in our boat, and went on our way; and in four or five days we got into warmer weather.

In this voyage I wrote something on the common prayer, used by some of the church of England, whose conversations were very loose and corrupt, which I entitled, "One truly tender scruple of conscience, about that form of prayer, called the common prayer, as used by the church of England and her members," &c.

In this our voyage we saw several ships, but spoke with none; and in twenty-seven days from our capes we arrived at Barbadoes, and came to an anchor in Carlislebay.

I had been twice in Barbadoes before, but this was the quickest passage by one day. Here I was lovingly and tenderly received by my friends. I took my good friend Joseph Gamble's house for my quarters, most of the time whilst I stayed on the island; and I visited friends' meetings several times over, there being five of friends' meeting-houses in the island, and our meetings were sometimes large and open.

Our stay was longer here than we at first expected, by reason of a great drought, they having no rain for more than a quarter of a year, which was a great hindrance to trade on the island. While I was this time in Barbadoes, our ancient friend George Gray died. I was at his funeral, at which there were many people; and on this occasion we had a large meeting at our meeting-house at Speights-town, where I had a seasonable opportunity with the people, opening to them the necessity of preparing for, and thinking of their latter end; and pressed them earnestly thereto. They were generally attentive and sober, and some were broken into tenderness. While we were burying the friend there

appeared a dismal cloud hanging over the island, such an one as I never saw before: it was to my thinking, of the colour of the flame of brimstone; and I expected there would have been a great storm, or some mighty gust, and much rain, they having had very little for many weeks, or some months; but it went over, and there was no rain or wind as I remember. Soon after some people came in from sea, and they said, that from that cloud it rained ashes; and they brought some of the same to the island, some of which ashes I now have before me the taste of them seems to me to be a little sulphurous, and have some glittering particles in them, in colour and smell I think they differed little from common ashes. Herein the almighty and infinite Being signally shewed his mercy and favour to poor mortals; for had not his mercy prevented, he could as easily have rained down the fire as the ashes, who rained down fire and brimstone on the cities and inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah, for their pride and idleness, much of which abounds among the inhabitants of Barbadoes, the people being very luxurious. Oh! may the luxurious inhabitants of that isle, as also all others, consider their ways and doings, and not provoke the great Lord, the Sovereign of Heaven and Earth, as many of them do by their evil lives, and voluptuous conversations; and that they would kiss the Son, though not with a Judas' kiss, of profession, or speaking well or fair of him only, but but with divine lové manifested through obedience, while his wrath is but a little kindled against them before it break out into a flame.

After this funeral I was sent for to Bridge-town, to the burial of a master of a ship, a young man, who was very fresh and well a few days before. There was a great appearance of people, and I was pretty largely opened in the meeting, on the words of the prophet, where he says, "All flesh is grass, and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field. The grass withereth, the flower fadeth, because the spirit of the Lord bloweth upon it: sure. ly the people is grass. The grass withereth, the flower fadeth; but the word of our God shall stand forever."

M