and tender honeft-minded, were vifited and refreshed in divine love; liberty and strength were afforded to declare it to thofe not of our fociety; and I had ground to hope that our labour was not entirely in vain: fome perfons being powerfully affected, who, I hope, long retained a sense of that vifitation; particularly William Phillips from Cornwall, who was then upon a vifit to his relations at Swanfea.

In less than a week after my return from this journey, I went to the circular yearly meeting for the seven western countries, which was held this year at Coventry, and was very large, and, in the main, fatisfactory. It was attended by many valuable experienced ministers, who were careful of laying hands fuddenly upon me; although I had good reafon to believe that the most weighty of them loved me; but were fearful of hurting me by dif covering too much of their approbation or affection; which fome minds, in the infancy of religious experience, have not been able to bear. After my return from this meeting, I was ftripped of that strength wherewith the Almighty had been pleased to clothe me; which, with fome other difcouragement I met with, funk me very low, infomuch that I was ready to doubt of all I had known, and call in queftion my commiffion to minifter: and my foul was attacked by the adversary in fome of his moft fubtil appearances, and baptized into a cloud of darkness. This difpenfation I afterwards faw to be ferviceable; the more fo, as before my return from my Welfh journey, I had a profpect of another into the weft of England;

England; for therein I forgot all my former fervices, was emptied of all felf-fufficiency, and became weak and depending as when I first engaged in the weighty service of the ministry: and it lives in my experience, that thus the Lord will deal with his fervants, for their prefervation, that they may dwell in a continual fenfe, that the excellency is of Him; from whom proceeds wifdom, power, light, utterance, peace, and every good gift.

My concern for the weft continuing and increafing, I imparted it to my relations, who being willing to give me up (though forry to part with me), I fought for a companion, but could hear of none suitable. This added to my exercise; for it feemed very dangerous for fuch a child as I, to travel alone; but after waiting as long as I durft, I laid my concern before Friends of our Monthly meeting, and requested their certificate,* but told them that I knew of no companion; and if they had not been free to let me go alone, I believe I should have been easy to have waited longer; but they gave me a certificate; and in the Eleventh month, 1749, I left home in great humility and fear, be

Should any one not acquainted with Friends difcipline read thefe Memoirs, it is not improper to obferve, that, when a minifter, approved amongst them, believes it his or her duty to vifit a diftant part of the nation, &c. a certificate is given of the unity of Friends of the monthly meeting whereof fuch minifter is a member, that Friends where they travel may be affured that they do not move in fo weighty a fervice without the concurrence of their Friends at home: also that the laying on of hands mentioned in the preceding page, is only to be understood as a figurative expreffion.

B 4

ing

ing accompanied by my dear brother James Payton, who went with me to feveral meetings in our own county, and left me not without fome doubt on account of the natural weakness of my conftitution, which he feared might fuffer in this winter's journey. I proceeded to Briftol, and from thence, through part of the counties of Wilts, Somerset, Dorset, and Devon, to Penzance in Cornwall, and returned back to that city in the fpring.

And although I went from home alone, I was not much without a fuitable companion, the Almighty putting it into the heart of one or other of his fervants to accompany me. Mary Fry, of Sutton in Wiltshire, went with me through Dorsetshire; and Mary Pole, of Milverton in Somersetshire, through Devonshire and Cornwall; who were both very tender of me, and ferviceable to me. 'The latter was not in the ministry, but a folid sympathizing friend, and true labourer in fpirit in meetings.

I visited the meetings of Friends pretty generally in Dorsetshire, Devonshire, and Cornwall; fome of which were attended by many people of other focieties; before whom the Lord gave me boldness to teftify of his truth with good authority, and to lay open the falfe and dangerous opinions of fome profeffed Chriftians, particularly that of unconditional election and reprobation; which dark principle was then likely to gain ground in these parts. I was concerned to appoint meetings at feveral places, where Friends had no meeting-houses; all which I hope had their fervice. At Truro in

Cornwall,

Cornwall, I had a fatisfactory meeting, although the people at that town had heretofore manifested their diflike to Friends labouring among them; but they behaved pretty peaceably now, and I had caufe to believe my fervice in this meeting tended to open the way for the circular yearly meeting to be held here; which it was in the year 1752, much to the fatisfaction of Friends. At Bath, in my return, I was concerned to appoint a meeting for the ftrangers in town (it being the season for drinking the waters); to which fome of them came, and it was a memorable opportunity, the power of truth being exalted to the reducing of their light and airy fpirits, to fome degree of folidity; for which my foul bowed in thankfulness to Him who calls to and qualifies for his fervice. In this meeting a man fat oppofite to me, who wrote by intervals while I was speaking, and I apprehended was taking down what I faid; but my spirit was borne above looking at that, being bound to the teftimony of truth.

After staying about a week at Bristol, I went for the Welsh yearly meeting, which which was held this year at Brecknock, being accompanied by John Curtis, a valuable minister of Bristol, and divers other Friends. In our way we appointed meetings at Caerleon, Pontypool, and Abergavenny; at the first of which places, I could not find that there had ever been a meeting before; but the people behaved well, and I hope it ended to the fatisfaction of the fenfible friends prefent. It was held upon a First

day

day in the afternoon; and while we were in it, a number of people were going about the street with a fiddle; it being the custom in fome places in Wales, after what they call divine fervice, to entertain themselves with mufick, or other diverfions. What an inconfistency!

That at Abergavenny was large, and I hope of fervice, in opening the way of the teftimony amongst the people. Here a Prefbyterian preacher made fome disturbance in the clofe of it. I thought his aim was to cloud the doctrine which had been preached, and fo prevent the people from being fhaken thereby from their old fentiments; but he was blamed by them, and I hope miffed his end. I had not much publick service at Brecknock, yet was glad I was there, for indeed it was a humbling time to me. For although, in proportion to my gift, and experience, the Almighty had eminently favoured me in this journey; yet, on beholding the fervice and conduct of fome other of his ministers, and comparing mine with them, I was led to look upon myself but as a mean inftrument, and greatly to esteem these my elders in the truth. O! how fecretly does the Lord work, to the purifying of the hearts of fuch of his fervants who defire to be, divested of every high thought, and humbly to caft down their crowns at his feet: which was the ardent prayer of my foul, from the fenfe of the miferable lofs fome had fuftained, in being puffed up with felf-conceit and the eftcem of the people;

which