withheld. This hath caufed living zeal, and even the attendance of them to decay, and to yield to temporal affairs and temptations, to the hurt and lofs of many.

May these confiderations move both minifters and elders more particularly, to seek after the preparations requifite for their affembling in the name and power of Christ, and under a renewed concern for their individual prefervation, as well as for that of their bretheren and fifters, that they may thereby be comfortably enlivened, and enliven one another to all goodnefs, as men and women redeemed from the world, and fellow-citzens of the new Jerufalem. Then, of and vagreat uable benefit indeed, would these folemn meetings be, as heretofore, when faithful labourers in the Lord's fervice, dignified, adorned, and upheld them,

When I had refided about three years in Ire land, my brother John, whom I left in the fervice of Thomas Bennet, at Pickwick, Wilts, as noticed before, being defirous to fix his refidence in the fame nation at least with me, at the expiration of his fourth year there, refigned his place of usher to that school, in order to remove to Ireland, and going first to see our mother and rela

f

tions at Kendal, fhe concluded to accompany him in order to pay us a vifit of a few weeks, and about the middle of the fummer 1740, they both arrived at Cork. After about five weeks abode with us, my mother inclined to return home; and I having a concern on my mind to visit my native country in the fervice of truth, and my brother's arrival opening the way to fet me at liberty; he willingly taking charge of my school in my abfence, I concluded to accompany my mother in her return: and having laid my concern before the men's meeting and obtained their certificate, and foon meeting with a veffel bound to Whitehaven, we embarked therein, and had a favourable paffage, being only about forty-eight hours from port to port.

This journey took me up about five weeks, in which time I vifited the meetings of friends pretty generally through the counties of Cumberland, Westmoreland, and Lancashire, and part of the north of Yorkshire, being frequently much favoured by the mafter of our affemblies, and often enlarged in the love of the gofpel amongst my former relations, friends and neighbours, who were many of them glad to see me, and with many of whom I was nearly united in the unity of the one fpirit, the bond of peace.

* In particular I was at a general meeting at Crook, about four miles from Kendal, which was

* Here a sheet of the original is loft, which I have not been able to recover; I regret the lofs not only as it occafions a chaẩm in the narration; but by the recollection I have of my brother's epiftolary and verbal relations of this journey, I apprehend we are deprived of fundry occurrences worthy of preferving. One in particular I have heard him on his return (and at other times) relate in terms fo live. ly and affecting, as indicated it had fixed a deep impreffion on his mind: fo that I think he would not pass it unnoticed, and that we have loft it in this miffing fheet. When he came to Pardfhaw meeting in Cumberland; he received intelligence that our ancient and valuable friend, that faithful minifter of the gofpel in his day, James Dickenson, was then confined by sickness, and apparently near his conclufion, whereupon he went to pay him a vifit, and found him in fuch an happy, heavenly frame of mind, as made the opportunity very tenderly affecting and edifying: raised above the world he was departing from, and well prepared for that celestial mansion, he was favoured with a lively hope of being shortly admitted into; in this his concluding fcene, among other affecting expreffions he relat ed of his, I recollect the following, in purport, "I have ferved the "Lord and his truth in my generation, and now I feel the bleffed re. "ward thereof; the accufer of the brethren is caft down as to me,

and my peace with God is fealed for ever." This he related, was delivered in fuch a feeling, powerful and affecting manner, as greatly tendered his fpirit, and left the best impressions upon it, animating him to fresh and ardent defires, so to fulfil his ministry, and walk through life, as that he might die the death of the righteous, and that his last end might be like his. And indeed what scene in this life more dignifies humanity? What school is more profitably inftructive than the death-bed of the righteous, impreffing the understanding with a convincing evidence, that they have not followed cunningly-devised fables, but folid substantial truth. That there is a measure of divine light and grace in man, which if duly minded and obeyed, is fuffici. ent to preserve through all the viciffitudes in life, to give him the victory over his fpiritual enemies, and in the end over death, hell, and the grave, K

eminently favoured, and after it, went to lodge at Lydia Lancaster's, a valuable minister, and a mother in Ifrael. Next morning went to their meeting at Colthouse, near Hawkshead, and after meeting went to William Rawlinson's to lodge. Next morning in very wet ftormy weather, I went to Height meeting. Most of the friends belonging to this meeting lived at some miles distance from it; yet they generally attended it, and I believe were generally thankful that they did so, so much of the cementing virtue and power of the gospel prevailed therein.

After meeting I went with James Rowland son's family to his house at Frith. His daughter Jane had for a little while past appeared at times in the public miniftry in our meetings. So much of tenderness, and of inward fervency toward Christ the beloved of her foul, prevailed in her, as to make deep and lively impreffions on my mind.

Next day that family accompanied me over the fands to a meeting at Swarthmore, and I returned with them, and from thence back to Kendal, The faid Jane Rowlandfon afterwards married George Crosfield, became a valuable minister, visited Ireland twice while I lived there, and the continent of America once.

In the course of this journey I was favoured with the company and countenance of fundry friends, whom in my younger years I had held in estimation, by reason of the good impreffions I received from their exemplary lives and labours, as before noted in it's place. My quondam master, David Hall, treated me with affectionate respect; he had buried his former wife, who was my mistress, and married again. He and his wife accompanied me to, a meeting at Airton. I lodged at Thomas Anderfon's, a friend in the ministry, who had visited Ireland in company with David Hall; he was blind, but exceeding pleasant and chearful. Next morning being a hard froft, I went with faid Thọmas and other friends over a great hill to a monthly meeting at Settle. By me in the gallery fat Julian Frankland, a good old woman, near ninety years of age, and a good meeting it was.

At and about Kendal alfo, I had much of the company of that honourable minifter and elder, James Wilfon, who as a nursing father encouraged and ftrengthened me in the service I was engaged in. His converfation was often pleasant, inftructing and edifying; one remarkable paffage he related, I think worthy of inferting, which was to the following purport.