was with me, and enlarged my understanding, and increased my service in the openings of truth: at which his people rejoiced, and, in obedience to his requirings I felt fweet peace. Yet was my fpirit frequently in heavinefs, being humbled with many deep exercises, which I found profitable to establish it in righteousness, although painful to nature. And I leave it as an observation, that I have seldom, if ever, seen any stand, and arrive to any confiderable degree of usefulness in the church, whose foundation have not been deeply laid in afflictions and exercises; whereby they are crucified with Chrift, and fhall therefore rife with him to glory and honour, in the prefent as well as in a future ftate. But in all my afflictions and deep baptifms, the Shepherd of Ifrael was with me, and preferved and supported my fpirit to the honour of his own nature, to whom alone I could attribute the praife: for in thofe allotted days and years of tribulation, very little inftrumental help. was afforded me; my lot being caft in a quarter, where there were none near who were capable of giving me much affiftance or wife counfel, not having trodden the fame fteps. I fometimes thought my cafe was hidden from fome of the Lord's fervants, who were concerned to vifit his heritage; or elfe that they were in part restrained from ministering to it; and my tongue was much fealed in filence, for my exercifes were incommunicable.

All this I faw to be of excellent ufe, as the contrary might have led to a dependance on the fervants

B

fervants (which ever brings weakness); or have been productive of confufion, through my imparting my cafe to fuch as were not fkilful to minister to it, and who nevertheless might have advised therein. I have seen it to be profitable and neceffary for fuch. as are in a state of infancy in religion, to dwell with their exercises; leaning fimply on that arm, which alone is able to carry through them; and, until the mind has acquired a depth of judgment to diftinguish clearly who is on the Lord's fide, to be very cautious to whom they communicate them; left they be wounded, by discovering thofe, whom they have chofen for their friends, to be enemies to the crofs of Chrift. Yet when the Lord directs, in times of great strait, to advise with some experienced fervant, it will undoubtedly be advantageous; and a fteady fympathizing friend is a great strength and bleffing, when it is afforded in divine wisdom.

I am inclined to close this chapter with a little which I wrote in my nineteenth year; as it poem, has been handed about in manufcript, and fuffered much by copying. It is even in print, and one whole verse omitted. Between my eighteenth and twenty-fecond year I penned several small tracts, all of a religious nature; but soon after I appeared in the ministry, I dropped my pen in regard to verses. I do not fay it was a facrifice required; but the continuing of the practice might have proved a fnare fome way: it might have engaged my attention too much, or tended to make me popular, which

I have ever guarded against, perhaps too much fo in fome points; but I was early afraid of my mind and services being tarnished with vanity. And here I may add, that from the time I came from school, I read but little, fave religious books; and after I appeared in the ministry, until late in life, reading even them was much taken from me, except the fcriptures all which I believe was in divine wisdom, that I might not minister from what I had gathered from religious writings; but might receive the arguments I was enabled to advance on behalf of the truth, by the immediate revelation of the Holy Spirit. And I can with truth fay, that the Lord has been to me, mouth and wisdom, tongue and utterance, to my own humbling admiration. May all the praise be given to him now and for ever!

A PRAYER FOR WISDOM.

MAKER fupreme, of heav'n and earth,
Of fea, of air, and fky;
O! thou who gav'ft to all things birth,
Lord, hear me when I cry.

To Thee, invifible, I'll pray,
Thou only righteous God;

And Thee, omnipotent, obey,
And fear thy dreadful rod.

B 2

Riches

Riches or life, I do not crave,
Nor any tranfient things;

The one has wings, and in the grave
Are laid the proudest kings.

'Tis heav'nly wisdom I admire;
'Tis this is my request :

Oh, grant, great God, this my defire,
And I am fully bleft:

Wisdom to worship thee aright,
To understand thy will,

To do my duty in thy fight,
And thy commands fulfil:

That when my fleeting fands are run,
And death fhall fet me free;
When the short thread of life is fpun,
My foul may fly to thee:

Where I fhall live eternally,

And fear no end of time;

But praise thy name, enthron'd on high,
Thou pow'rful God divine,

Not with a weak and mortal voice,
But in celeftial strains;

In heav'n, the centre of my joys,

And end of all my pains.

CHAP. II.

HAY

CHAP. II.

AVING now entered the lift of publick combatants in the Lamb's army, I pretty foon became concerned to travel for the promotion of truth and righteoufnefs; and for more than twenty years, had but little intermiffion from gofpel labours.

In the Fifth month, 1749 (old ftile) I left home, in order to vifit fome part of Wales; in which journey my dear friend Lucy Bradley was made willing to accompany me (although, as she said, fhe knew not that her call to fervice was much farther than to affift me); with whom I travelled in fweet unity, fhe being a true fympathizing friend, and deep travailler in fpirit, as well as rightly qualified publickly to minister. We visited the meetings of Friends in Radnorshire, Monmouthshire, Glamorganfhire, Pembrokeshire, and part of North Wales; and in about seven weeks I returned home in peace and thankfulness, to my dear mother and relations; who had been made willing to give me up for truth's fake, and gladly received me back. In this journey the principal fhare of the publick fervice fell to my lot; wherein the Lord was evidently with me, ftrengthening for the work of the day to the honour of his own name; and the teftimony of truth was fometimes exalted, in its own authority, over the libertin ande hypocritical profeffors of it. The youth,