concern upon her mind for some time, (as she signified to Friends in Rhode Island, where she lived) to visit the few Friends in Nantucket, and Friends thought this a proper season to pay that visit. She was a woman well beloved, and in good unity with Friends.

We landed safe, and as we went up an ascent, we saw a great many people looking towards the sea, for great fear had possessed them, that our sloop was a French sloop loaded with men and arms, who were coming to invade the island; I held out my arms and told them, I knew not of any worse arms than these on board. They said, they were glad it was no worse, for they had intended to have alarmed the island, it being a time of war; I told the good-like people, for so they appeared to me, that Peleg Slocum, near Rhode Island, was master of the sloop, and that we came to visit them in the love of God, if they would be willing to let us have some meetings amongst them. They behaved themselves very courteously towards us, and said, they thought we might.

We then enquired for Nathaniel Starbuck, who we understood was in some degree convinced of the truth, and having directions to his house, we went thither, and I told him, We made bold to come to his house, and if he was free to receive us, we should stay a little with him, but if not we should go elsewhere; for we heard he wa

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a seeking religious man, and such chiefly we were come to visit: he said we were very welcome. And by this time came in his mother Mary Starbuck, whom the islanders esteemed as a judge among them, for little of moment was done there without her, as I understood.

At the first sight of her it sprang in my heart, "To this woman is the everlasting love of God." I looked upon her as a woman that bore some sway in the island, and so I said, and that truly, "We are come in the love of God to visit you, if you are willing to let us have some meetings among you" she said, she thought we might; and withal said, there was a Non-conformist minister who was to have a meeting, and they were going to it, and she thought it would be the best way for us to go with them to the meeting. I shewed my dislike to that for these reasons; first, we did not want to hear what that minister had to say, because some of us had tried them before we came there, (meaning the Non-conformists of several sorts) and if we should go, and could not be clear without speaking something in the meeting, he might take it ill; but as we understand there is another meeting appointed at the second hour for the same man, therefore, as the present constitution of things is, we look upon ourselves to stand upon an equal ground in religious capacity, ith other Dissenters; and if we should ap

point our meeting at the same hour, then the people will be left to their choice to which meeting they will go. The great woman approved of the proposal, and said, indeed that was the best way. The next consideration was, Where shall the meeting be? She paused a while, and then said, "I think at our house.' I from thence gathered she had a husband, for I thought the word our carried in it some power besides her own, and I presently found he was with us; I then made my observation on him, and he appeared not a man of mean parts, but she so far exceeded him in soundness of judgment, clearness of understanding, and an elegant way of expressing herself, and that not in an affected strain, but very natural to her, that it tended to lessen the qualifications of her husband.

The meeting being agreed on, and care taken as to the appointment of it, we parted, and I lay down to try if I could get any sleep, for I have shewed before what sort of a night the last was with us; but sleep vanished away from me, and I got up and walked to and fro in the woods until the meeting was mostly gathered. I was under a very great load in my spirit, but the occasion of it was hid from me, but I saw it my place to go to meeting, the order of which was such, in all the parts thereof, I had not

G

seen the like before; the large and bright rubbed room was set with suitable seats or chairs, the glass windows taken out of the frames, and many chairs placed without very conveniently, so that I did not see any thing wanting, according to the place, but something to stand on, for I was not free to set my feet upon the fine cane chair, lest I should break it.

I am the more particular in this exact and exemplary order than in some other things, for the seats both within and without doors were so placed, that the faces of the people were towards the seats where the public Friends sat, and when so set they did not look or gaze in our faces, as some I think are too apt to do, which in my thoughts bespeaks an unconcerned mind: the meeting being thus gathered, and sat down in this orderly and ample manner, (although there were but very few bearing our name in it) it was not long before the mighty power of the Lord began to work, and in it my companion especially did appear in testimony in the forepart thereof; and while he

was

speaking, a priest (not he before touched on, but another) flung out some reflections upon him and the people for his sake, which I did not see the least occasion for; after which he went away (but more of this in the sequel.)

I sat a considerable time in the meeting before I could see my way clear to say any thing

and

until the Lord's heavenly power raised me, set me upon my feet as if one had lifted me up, and what I had first in commission to speak, was in the words of Christ to Nicodemus, viz. 66 Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God;" with these words, "Nay, the natural and unregenerate man cannot so much as see the heavenly and spiritual kingdom of Christ, which stands not only in power but also in righteousness, joy and peace, in the Holy Spirit; and to be born again, was not to be done unperceivably, no more than the natural birth could be brought forth without trouble; and to pretend to be in Christ, and not to be new creatures, is preposterous; and to pretend to be new ereatures, and yet not able to render any account how it was performed, was unreasonable; for it could not be, as I urged before, without our knowledge; for to be born again, signified to be quickened and raised into a spiritual and new life, by which the body of the sins of the flesh is mortified, and we come to live a self-denying life: those who are crucified with Christ, they are crucified to their sins, that as he died for sin, we might die to sin in this state we lived not after the flesh, although we live (as the apostle said) in the flesh; but the life which these live, is through faith in the Son of God: and to have all th