made by him, and without him was not anything made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men; and the light shineth in darkness, and the darkness comprehended it not." I considered that the Word was in the beginning with God the Father, and that no part of the scriptures were written until Moses, who we understand was the first writer of those scriptures we have; the apostle tells us here, that "the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ :" in this Word there was life ; Paul tells us, that "the letter killeth, but the Spirit giveth life;" now this life is the light of men, and the Word was before the scriptures were written. By this we may see the Word of God is Christ Jesus, that was with the Father before the world began, "without him there was not anything made that was made." The history that Moses gives us, is said to be written about 3000 years after the creation of the world, therefore the scriptures cannot properly be the word of God.

I, with many more, was under that mistake that the Jews were in, who thought they might have eternal life in the scriptures; Christ saith, John v. 39, "Search," or "ye search the Scriptures, for in them ye think ye have eternal life, and they are they which testify of me; and ye will not come to me that ye might have life." As he is the life, so he is the way. to the Father; "I am the way, and the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father but by me," John xiv. 6. As for the scriptures, I was a great lover, and a great reader of them, and took great pleasure in searching of them, thinking that would make me wise unto salvation, as Paul said to Timothy, "And that from a child thou hast known the scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation, through faith which is in Christ Jesus," 2 Tim. iii. 15. This main thing was wanting; the true and saving faith; which is, the gift of God. "It is by grace we are saved through faith, not of ourselves, it is the gift of God," Eph. ii. 8. So it is the grace of God that brings salvation, and not the

bare historical knowledge of the scriptures. Too many take a great deal of pride in a literal knowledge of them; some for their gain and profit; others take pleasure in them, by wresting them to vindicate their false and erroneous opinions, that gender to strife and contention, and take little or no notice of that meek, holy, and lovely Spirit of life that gave them forth, for they are of no private interpretation; "but holy men of God spake them as they were moved by the Holy Ghost," 2 Peter i. 20, 21.

Men may have a great literal knowledge of the scriptures, and yet remain in error, because they know them not as they ought to do, nor the power that was in the holy men that gave them forth; so I may say, as Christ said to the Jews, "You err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God," Matt. xxii. 29. So that which gives the true knowledge of God, and a right understanding of the scriptures is the power of God; and I may say with the apostle, "For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God, in the face of Jesus Christ," 2 Cor. iv. 6. And as men and women come to mind this light, that is, the Spirit of God, and to obey it, they shall come to the comfort of the scriptures, as the same apostle says, "For whatsoever things were written aforetime, were written for our learning; that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures, might have hope," Rom. xv. 4.

And being under a serious consideration of what I read in the scripture, believing the Spirit of the Lord to be the interpreter thereof; those great mysteries that were hid from ages and generations, and are hid now in this our age from many, are come to be revealed by the Spirit of God, and if they would have comfort in reading the scriptures, they must wait in that measure of the Spirit, which God hath given them, which is the only key that opens them to the understanding of those that are truly conscientious in the reading of them; and though I read them formerly, as

many do now, without a true sense and a due consideration, yet now I can bless God for them, and have a great comfort in the reading of them; they being no more as a sealed book unto me, and many more, who wait for the assistance of God's Holy Spirit, in all their duties and performances that the Lord requires of them, for without him we know that we can do nothing that is pleasing unto him: though formerly we ran, in our own time and wills, to preach and pray, not having such a due regard to the leading and moving of the Spirit of the Lord; yet, I bless God, it is not so now. Many times, when I did arise from my knees in a formal way of prayer, a reproof was very near me, "Who required this at thy hands?" "It is sparks of thy own kindling." I was afraid that I should "lie down in sorrow," as was said to some by the Lord, in Isaiah 1. 11.

But as to this head, I shall briefly conclude, though much more might be said to the honour of the holy scriptures; but this is my desire, that they that read them, may come to that which will give them a right understanding thereof: "For there is a spirit in man, and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth them understanding," Job xxxii. 8.

Then, as concerning water baptism, which I had under consideration, though I was no admirer of it, being not of the persuasion of re-baptizing. Those that were Independents, were not so much at first for re-baptizing; but afterward it prevailed more among them in these parts, when one Henry Jessy came hereaways. And about that time it was, that I came from among them.

I had much reasoning, and various consultations in my mind concerning this, and the bread and wine. And when I was satisfied as to those weighty concerns, I thought I might rest there, and keep my old customs and fashions, and language; but that would not do, I had no peace therein; God showed me the customs of the nation were vain, and our language not according to the language of God's people, recorded in the scriptures of Truth. So I

made a conscientious search into this matter also

where I found the great Creator of heaven and earth, who by the word of his power made all things therein, created man in his own image, "In the image of God created he him: male and female created he them. And God blessed them, and gave them dominion over all things that he had created on the earth; and Adam gave names to them. And God took him, and put him in the garden of Eden, to dress it and to keep it. And the Lord commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayst freely eat," Gen. ii. 15, 16. This is the first Thou to man, that I read of in the scripture; and the great Creator said, "Every thing that he had made was very good," Gen. i. 31 ; and his language to man was very good and pure. Then again, when Adam transgressed the law and commandment of God, the Lord called unto Adam, and said unto him, "Where art thou? And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked," Gen. iii. 9, 10. Here was the language of God to man, and the language of man to God. And in the searching of the scriptures, I found that all the holy men of God used that language, and Christ taught his disciples to pray in that language; "Our Father, which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven," Mat. vi. And withal, I knew a little grammar, and how that it was improper to say vos [you] to one single person, instead of tu [thou]. And though the learned in our nation spoke it, yet I thought Christians should not use it, but should take the Spirit of God, according to the scripture, to be their rule, and not to follow the confused language of the heathens; for the Lord, by the mouth of his prophet, commanded his people, "Learn not the way of the heathen, for the customs of the people are vain," Jer. x. 2, 3. I also believed, that the Lord would return to his people a pure language in these days, as was promised in the days of old concerning Israel: then, when they returned to the Lord, he would bring them

out of their captivity: "For then, saith the Lord, will I turn to the people a pure language, that they may all call upon the name of the Lord to serve him with one consent," Zeph. iii. 9.

Thus I was conscientiously concerned to speak the pure language of thee and thou to every one, without respect of persons, which was a great cross to me, though it seems to some but as a weak and foolish thing, yet when the Lord lays the necessity of speaking the truth to all, in that language that God and all his servants used, it comes to be of a greater weight than many light, airy people think it is. The sayings of Christ came to my mind, when he said, "Whosoever will be my disciple, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me," Luke ix. 23. He doth not say he "should do it," but "let him do it," imperatively; which was a command, viz: that we should

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deny ourselves, and follow him ;" see also Matt. xvi. 24. And moreover it is said, "He that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me," Matt. x. 38.

This necessity being laid upon me, I spoke to my master in that dialect; he was not offended at it, because he was convinced of the truth of it, and that it ought to be spoken to every one; but when I gave it to my mistress, she took a stick and gave me such a blow upon my bare head, that made it swell and sore for a considerable time; she was so disturbed at it, that she swore she would kill me, though she should be hanged for me; the enemy had so possessed her, that she was quite out of order; though beforetime she very seldom, if ever, gave me an angry word. But I considered, that the enmity was between the two seeds, and that "that which was born after the flesh, did persecute him that is born after the Spirit." I being well satisfied of the truth in myself, remembered Christ's words, "He that loveth father or mother more than me, is not worthy of me; and he that loveth son or daughter more than me, is not worthy of me; and he that findeth his life, shall lose