Pagina-afbeeldingen
PDF
ePub

pists at this meeting, and one of them threatened before he came that he would dispute with me; but when he came he was reached, and could not oppose. Blessed be the Lord, the truth hath reached into the hearts of people beyond words, and it is of a good savour amongst them. After the meeting we went about eighteen miles to James Prestons, a friend that liveth on Pottuxon river; and thither came to us an Indian king, with his brother, to whom I spake, and I found they understood the thing I spake of. Now having finished our service in Maryland, and intending forthwith to set forward for Virginia, we had a meeting at Pottuxon on the fourth-day of the ninth month, to take our leaves of friends. The meeting was in the meeting place, and many of the world's people of all sorts were at it, and a powerful meeting it was.

Upon the fifth-day of the ninth month we set sail for Virginia, and in three days came to a place called Nancemum, it being (as they there computed) about two hundred miles from Maryland. In this voyage we met with nothing but what had been usual with us, namely, foul weather, storms, and rain, and to lie in the woods by a fire in the night. At this Nancemum lived a friend, called the widow Wright. Next day we had a great meeting at Nancemum, of friends and people; there came to this meeting one colonel Dewes, with several other officers and magistrates, and were much taken with the truth declared. After this meeting was over we hastened towards Carolina; yet had several meetings by the way, wherein we had good service for the Lord; one about four miles from Nancemum Water, which was a very precious meeting, and there was a men's and a womens' meeting settled, for taking care of the affairs of the church. Another very good meeting also we had at William Yarrow's, at a place called Pagan Creek, where the meeting was so large, that we were fain to be abroad, the house not being big enough to contain the people. A great openness there was in the people, and the sound of truth did spread abroad, and had a good savour in the hearts of people: the Lord have the glory for ever.

After this our way to Carolina grew worse, being much of it plashy and wet, and pretty full of great bogs and swamps; so that we were commonly wet to the knees most of us, and lay abroad a-nights in the woods by a fire; saving that one of the nights we got to a poor house, at a place called Sommertown, and lay by the fire in the house. The woman of the house had a sense of God upon her, and the report of our travel had reached thither, and drawn some people that lived beyond Sommertown, to that house, in

expectation to have seen and heard us (so acceptable was the sound of truth in that wilderness country): but they missed us. The next day, which was the twenty-first of the ninth month, having travelled hard through the woods, and over many bogs and swamps, we reached at night to Bonner's Creek; and there we lay that night by the fireside, the woman lending us a mat to lie on.

This was the first house we came to in Carolina; and here we left our horses, which were over-wearied with travel. From hence we went down the creek in a canoe, to Macocomocock River, and came to a man's house whose name was Hugh Smith; where the people of the world came in to see us (for there were no friends in that part of the country), and many of them did receive us gladly. Amongst others that came to see us, there was one Nathaniel Batts, who (we heard) had been governor of Ronoack; he went by the name of captain Batts, and had been a rude, desperate man. He asked me about a woman in Cumberland, who, he said he was told, had been healed by our prayers, and laying on of hands, after she had been long sick, and given over by the physicians; and he desired to know the certainty of it. I told him we did not glory in such things, but many such things had been done by the power of Christ.

Not far from hence we had a meeting among the world's people, and they were taken with the truth: blessed be the Lord. Then passing down the river Maratick in a canoe, we went down the bay Connie-oak, and came to a captain's house, who was very loving to us, and lent us his boat (for we were much wetted in the canoe, the water flashing in upon us). With this boat we went on to the governor's house; but the water in some places was so shallow that the boat being loaden, could not swim; so that we were fain to put off our shoes and stockings, and wade through the water a pretty way. The governor with his wife received us lovingly; but there was at his house a doctor, who would needs dispute with us. And truly his opposing us was of good service, giving occasion for the opening of many things to the people, concerning the light and Spirit of God, which he denied to be in every one; and affirmed that it was not in the Indians. Whereupon I called an Indian to us, and asked him whether or no, when he did lie, or do wrong to any one, there was not something in him that did reprove him for it: and he said there was such a thing in him that did so reprove him, and he was ashamed when he had done wrong or spoken wrong. So we shamed the doctor before the governor and the people,

insomuch, that the poor man run out so far, that at length he would not own the scriptures. We tarried at the governor's that night, and next morning he very courte ously walked with us himself about two miles through the woods, to a place whither he had sent our boat about to meet us; where taking our leave of him we entered our boat again, and went that day about thirty miles to one. Joseph Scot's, who was one of the representatives of the country; and there we had a meeting, and many people were at it; a sound precious meeting it was, and the people were tender, and much desired after meetings. Wherefore we went to another house about four miles further, and there we had another meeting, to which the governor's secretary came, who was chief secretary of the province, and had (it seems) been formerly convinced.

I went from this place among the Indians, and spake unto them by an interpreter; shewing them, that God made all things in six days, and made but one woman for one man; and that God did drown the old world, because of their wickedness. Afterwards I spake to them concerning Christ, shewing them, that he did die for all men, for their sins as well as for others, and had enlightened them as well as others; and that if they did that which was evil he would burn them, but if they did well they should not be burned. There was among them their young king, and others of their chief men, and they seemed to receive kindly what I said unto them.

Now having visited the north part of Carolina, and made a little entrance for truth upon the people there, we began to return again towards Virginia, having several meetings in our way, wherein we had very good service for the Lord, the people being generally tender and open, blessed be the Lord. We lay one night at the secretary's house, to which we had much ado to get, for the water being shallow, we could not bring our boat to shore; but the secretary's wife seeing our strait, came herself in a canoe (her husband being from home) and brought us to land. By next morning our boat was sunk and full of water; but we got her up and mended her, and went away in her that day about twenty-four miles, the water being rough and troubled, and the winds high; but the great power of God was seen in carrying us safe in that rotten boat. In our return we had a very precious meeting at Hugh Smith's; praised be the Lord for ever; the people were very tender, and very good service we had amongst them. There was at this meeting an Indian captain who was very loving, and did acknowledge it to be truth that

was spoken; there was also one of the Indian priests, whom they call a pauwaw, and he sate soberly among the people. On the ninth of the tenth month we got back to Bonner's Creek, where we had left our horses; having spent a matter of eighteen days in the north of Carolina.

Our horses having rested, and being now fresh, we set forward forthwith for Virginia again, travelling through the woods and bogs, as far as we could well reach that day; and at night lay by a fire in the woods, as we often used to do. Next day we had a tedious journey through the bogs and swamps, and were exceeding wet and dirty all the day, but dried ourselves at night by a fire. We got that night to Sommerton; and when we came near the house, the woman of the house seeing us, spake to her son to keep up their dogs, (for both in Virginia and Carolina they generally keep great dogs to guard their houses, living lonely in the woods;) but the son said he need not, for their dogs did not use to meddle with these people. Whereupon, when we were come into the house, the woman told us, we were like the children of Israel, whom the dogs did not move their tongues against. Here we lay, but in our clothes and by the fire, as we had done many a night before: and the next day before we went away, we had a meeting here; for the people having heard of us, had a great desire to hear us; and a very good meeting we had among them, where we never had meeting before; praised be the Lord for ever! after the meeting we hasted away. And when we had ridden about twenty miles, calling at a house to inquire the way, the people of the house desired us to tarry all night with them, which we did. Next day we came among friends, after we had travelled about an hundred miles from Carolina into Virginia; in which time we observed a great variety of climates, having passed in a few days from a very cold, to a warm and spring-like country. But the power of the Lord is the same in all, and is over all, and doth reach the good in all; praised be the Lord for ever!

We spent about three weeks this time in travelling through Virginia, sometimes amongst the world's people only, but mostly among friends, having many large and precious meetings in several parts of the country; as at the widow Wright's, where a great many of the magistrates and officers, and other high people came and a most heavenly meeting we had, wherein the power of the Lord was so great, that it struck a dread upon the assembly and chained all down, and brought a reverence upon the people's minds. Among the officers that were there, there

was a major that was kinsman to the priest, and he told me the priest threatened to come and oppose us. But the Lord's power was too strong for him and stopped him, and we were quiet and peaceable, and the people were wonderfully affected with the testimony of truth; blessed be the Lord for ever! Another very good meeting we had at a place called Crickatrough, at which many considerable people were, many of whom had never heard a friend before, and they were greatly satisfied with the meeting, praised be the Lord! We had also a very good and serviceable meeting at John Porter's, which consisted mostly of the world's people; in which the power of the Lord was gloriously seen and felt, and it brought the truth over all the bad walkers and talkers; blessed be the Lord! Divers other meetings we had, and many opportunities of doing service for the Lord amongst the people where we came. And the last week that we staid, we spent some time and pains among friends, sweeping away that which was to be swept out, and working down a bad spirit that was got up in some; and blessed for ever be the name of the Lord, he it is that gives victory over all.

We

Now having finished what service lay upon us at Virginia, on the thirtieth day of the tenth month we set sail in an open sloop for Maryland. But having a very great storm that day, and being much wetted, we were glad to get to shore before night; and walking to an house at Willoughby Point, we got lodging there that night. The woman of the house was a widow, and a very tender woman; she had never received friends before, but she received us very kindly, and with tears in her eyes. returned to our boat in the morning and hoisted up our sail, getting forward as fast and as far as we could; but towards evening a storm rising, and the wind being high, we had much ado to get to the shore, and our boat being open the water flashed often in, and sometimes over us, so that we were sufficiently wetted. Being got to land we made us a fire in the woods, to warm and dry us, and there we lay all that night, the wolves howling about us. On the first of the eleventh month we sailed again, but the wind being against us, and sometimes driving us backwards, we made but little way, and were fain to get to shore at Point Comfort, where yet we found but small comfort; for the weather was so cold, that though we made us a good fire in the woods to lie by, yet our water, that we had got for our use, was frozen near the fire-side. We made to sea again next day, but the wind being strong and against us, we advanced but little, but were glad to VOL. II.

L

« VorigeDoorgaan »