wrought for my good. Christ said to his followers,— a little while they should seek him and could not find him. My mind was bowed in travail, to pray for him. The Lord in his wisdom hath ordered the day to continue to succeed the night, and the winter and summer seasons to succeed each other. He causes the sun to be withdrawn with its warmth from the earth, then the power of coldness takes place, and congeals the earth and waters into a hard, frozen state, like a rock. But by this means the earth is enriched and made more fertile, after it is softened again by the warmth of the sun. So the Lord's children spiritually experience such dispensations in the work of the new creation.

How ought we then patiently to wait in the winter season, and quietly hope for the coming again of the Son of righteousness, to soften our hearts, and make them penetrable, and capable of yielding greater increase of precious fruits to the Divine owner.Oh! let patience have its perfect work, until the Lord may be pleased to say to the north, give up thy frozen state, and come thou south wind and blow upon my enclosed garden, and cause the shut up spring to be opened, and the fountain to be unsealed. My spirit travailed in faith for my friend, that if he would do his part, the Lord would bring him to experience these things.

After being with him several days, I proposed coming home on the morrow, which was the seventhday of the week. He paused for some time, and told me he thought that he could not give me up willingly to come home till second-day; for he wished me to have a sitting in his family to-morrow, and the next day attend their meeting.

He desired his sons to be collected.

I submitted

to have a sitting, and it was a favoured time in his family; the next day they had my wife and me taken to their meeting, and although I thought I had taken leave of that meeting before, I was engaged to labour nearly as long as my weak body could bear. Elizabeth Patterson, from Carolina, also attended that meeting; and treated on the subject of the vineyard which had much done in it, and yet brought forth wild fruit. Oh! how deplorable must that state be!— to have the Divine hedge taken away, and that which is good to be eaten up, the wall to be broken down, and it to be trodden under foot, and the clouds to be commanded to rain no rain upon it!

James Denson Ladd was to take us to his house that afternoon: and as the time drew near for our last parting, I was brought into sympathizing feeling with James; and was impressed with the consideration of the Lord's dealings with his people, from one generation to another;-that he would have a people which were proved by trying dispensations; and that it had been his will that their brethren should feel with them and pray for them in the times of their trials. So I was impressed to kneel down by the bed side, and cry unto him whose ear is not grown heavy that it cannot hear, nor his hand shortened that it cannot save. I interceded for my afflicted friend, and for those that were about him to be brought under a right concern to feel with him. We had travailed much together in the oneness of spirit, and our parting was trying to us both. He held me by the hand a considerable time; and said he was thankful for the favours he had received.

After getting to Denson's that evening, my hoarseVOL. XII.-12

ness increased so that I was brought to whispering. The next day we were confined to the house, it being an uncommon time of rain. I had such piercing pains in my back, that I could scarcely move; it seemed like taking away my breath: and had it not been that I relied on the word of faith, I believe that I should have despaired of getting home. But I got a little relieved, and Joseph Ladd took us the next day home. The weak state of my body, and the exercise of mind which I had to pass through, the cold also which I had taken, confined me to my bed much of my time for several weeks.

James Ladd lived a little more than two weeks after I left him. I was informed that a little before his death, perceiving some person looking earnestly on him, he said, "all men must come to that;" and that he should make a good end which would crown all.

That is a happy state, to die the death of the righteous: Blessed are the dead that die in the Lord's favour, they rest from their labour, and their works follow them.

Although I knew that I was not able to get out to meetings, yet I felt my mind so much drawn to our next monthly meeting to be held at Burleigh, that I sometimes had faith to believe I should be recruited and strengthened to attend it; and when the time came, I was much revived. A friend came in the morning to see me, and took me in his carriage to the meeting; where I was strengthened to labour, much to my relief. I was also carried to meeting the next day, and was favoured to labour beyond what Friends or myself could have expected. But when I thought to stand up in the meeting as usual,

my joints were so full of pain that I did not feel able to stand, so I kept my seat and spoke as I had strength given.

After that, the weather was often cold and wet; and I was so much afflicted with pains that I needed help to turn myself in bed, and to be raised up to put on my clothes.

When the monthly meeting in the 12th month came, I had not been out to meetings for two months; the affliction of my eye and head had affected my nerves through my body, drawing many ways like the cramp; which occasioned great soreness and pain to lie on bed: so that I was not able many times to turn myself in bed, nor to get up without help. In the evening, after Friends came from meeting, I told them I thought it was not likely that I should be able to go out to meetings any more. But after going to bed, my mind was weightily drawn to sit with Friends once more. In the morning, I informed Friends of my exercise, and queried whether it would do for me to go to meeting, or whether I must appoint a time and request Friends to come and sit with me in my house. They said that after going to bed, they were thinking about my going out-believing that it would be no disadvantage for me to go to meeting. So they carried me; but the jolting of the carriage seemed almost like taking away my breath. Friends took me out of the carriage, and I got seated in the meeting: and he that promised to be strength in weakness, strengthened me to my admiration to continue my speech, greatly to the relief of my exercised mind. The meeting held nearly three hours, and I rested much better the night after.

The painful afflicting state of my body increases,

which is very trying to nature.

I often desire that

patience may have its perfect work; remembering the apostle's declaration, Rom. v. 3, 4, that tribulation worketh patience; and patience, experience; and experience, hope; which maketh not ashamed.

I now feel that the time is near at hand for me to pass away from works to the rewards for the deeds of my life; yet I feel concerned for my fellow mortals, in beholding the lamentable state of mankind; as Christ declared that but few were chosen out of the many which were called: "for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat. Because strait is the gate and narrow is the way which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it."

When I view the present generation, it is lamentable that so few are walking in the narrow way of self-denial, that leads to life. And when we consider the accounts we have received of mankind in former ages, from one generation to another, it appears that very many never would submit to the strait leadings and judgings of Divine wisdom, for them; but chose to gratify their carnal desires, and not be under the Divine control. So they have taken liberties in the broad ways of this world, to their own destruction. And some, while they are taking liberties in follies and dissipations which they know are wrong, at the same time flatter themselves with trusting in the mercies and favours of the Almighty; that he will pardon all their sins, and not suffer them to fall into eternal misery. But they are despising his visitations of love; and while he is calling unto them, they will not here; while he is stretching out his arms of favour all the day of their visitation, they will not