come up

the fame from the north of England way

to the fouthern parts, particularly to London and Bristol; yet after being there awhile they ran into the fashions of those places, till they even outstripped the native inhabitants.

Now I had not only been educated in plainnefs; but had been inwardly convinced of the foundation on which it ftood; wherefore upon hearing this account of the ridiculous folly and instability of my country folks, I was forry that they gave occafion of fuch remarks to their difhonour, and took

up a refolution to continue fteady in my old plain way. And I do not know that I suffered any external disadvantage by it; and if I had, the caufe of truth is worth fuffering for, and the Almighty rewards patient fuffering in a good caufe, But I found that good friends feemed to love me the more on this account; and even others who were confcious of their degeneracy feemed to refpect me, as apprehending me to be better than themselves; and I had moft peace of mind in continuing in my wonted plainnefs, though I was like a fpeckled bird, there being even then very few plain-dreft young people or others in the meeting of Bristol, But I have obferved that deviating from this path of plainness, which truth leads into, and making

F

go

excurfions in drefs, opens the way to intimate connection with young people out of our fociety, or libertines in it; and fo leads further and further from a due fubjection to Christ's kingdom and vernment, often making them forget and lose the good which they have formerly poffeffed, and consequently draws them along into the utmost danger. Whereas adhering to the truth and it's plain path, opens the way for fafer and more profitable and edifying connections, as I often found here, to my folid inward fatisfaction, which I hope I shall never forget,

Being now removed far from all my connections, my parents, relations, and the place of my nativity; and being here as a stranger in a strange land, having at first little or no acquaintance in my new refidence; in this my folitary fituation it pleased divine goodness to take notice of me, and to favour me afresh with a merciful and reaching visitation of his love to my foul, and more clearly to reveal his Son in me, whereby I was given plainly to fee that my fafety here and happiness hereafter, depended upon my yielding faithful obedience to his requirings by his light in my heart, and that his requirings would be only what tended to my real good, and lasting welfare.

This was a day of my foul's efpoufal to Chrift Jefus. I was overcome with his love, and with admiration of his condefcending goodness to fuch an unworthy creature; it being the day of the Lord's power, I was ready and willing to do any thing that I saw I should or ought to do.

Having a strong inclination to poetry, I had fometimes at Skipton indulged my fancy therein. But now when the Lord's power took hold of me, I facrificed all my idols and burned all my collection of poems, even though fome of them were on what would be called good fubjects; yet they had too much attracted my mind, and engroffed my thoughts. I was made sensible that these poems were not my proper business, yet they took the place of what was really fo, and therefore I gave them up. For I now faw that I must shut out and leave behind, what others generally crave and pursue, viz. the vain defires and delights, that lead away the mind from that great Being, who woos us to true happiness.

And indeed my whole delight was in the company of Chrift my dear Lord and mafter. I was directed by him to do all things well, and bear all things with meeknefs. And as I on my part carefully regarded and practised his directions, my foul enjoyed the fweet fenfe of his approbation:

and Ì preferred it before all the world, which I faw to be of little value compared with the favour of it's Almighty Creator. To please him I thought well worth all the toil and fuffering of the day; and the defire of doing it whetted my industry and strengthened my patience. Thus I enjoyed a good time, and was often overcome with the love and kindness of my dear redeemer. for in him I had now a father, a guardian, and a friend, and an excellent one indeed, who embraced me with the moft engaging affection, when I applied myfelf to do every thing rightly: all friends and relations, with all kinds of enjoyments feemed to center in him alone, for he alone amply fupplied all, and having him was having every thing that was good. In his prefence there could be no want. It was then no hard matter for me to deny every natural and corrupt defire, as for his fake; and to renounce the objects which had formerly pleafed me too well, and which I had been foolifhly fond of: and yet, for the rejection of these things, which had done me no good, but harm, I ever found him a rich rewarder.

In his prefence I could envy no man, however rich, eminent, or feemingly happy; but I loved all men as his workmanship, and wished that

all would come to him, and in and with him be truly happy for ever.

Then bidding farewell to the world and it's vanities, whofe beauty and alluring luftre were tarnished and eclipfed in my eyes, through the fuperior brightness of the Sun of Righteousness fhining in my heart; I loved folitude that I might feek him, who was now become the life of my life, and wait for his fresh appearing to me, who brought with him not only light to fhew me my blemishes and defects, but animating fortitude, fervent defire, and divine help, to withstand and furmount corrupt habits and propenfities, and vigilantly in the fecret of the foul to guard against the first rising of any imagination, or inclination, that was not confiftent with the pure holy difcoveries of his bleffed fpirit. Thus with the royal Pfalmift, Pfal. 16. 11. “ in his prefence I found fullness of joy." My mind was moulded into a divine frame, a new creation of pure love to God and to men, wherein the hea vens and the earth in a sweet harmony, feemed to fhew forth the power, wisdom and goodness of the one good Father and preserver of the whole. *I rejoiced that I had lived to see such a day, wherein I had a fure evidence in my own bosom of be