These Confiderations engage us to preface the Writings of this our esteemed Friend and Elder in the Truth, with this Teftimony concerning him.

He was a Member of our Monthly-Meeting above Forty Years, fo that fome of us had Opportunities of being intimately acquainted with him, and of knowing his Fidelity and Diligence in promoting the Caufe of Truth, and the Edification of the Church of Chrift; this having been the principal Engagement and Concern of his Mind, and which he preferred to any other Confideration; as will evidently appear to those, who, with an honeft and unprejudiced Intention, perufe his Journal of his Life and Travels.

By this it will appear, that he was, in the early Part of his Life, fenfibly affected with the Vifitation of divine Life and Grace, and, by adhering thereunto, was preferved from the Vanities and Follies, which often divert and alienate the Minds of Youth from the due Remembrance and awful Regard of their Creator; fo that he was enabled to bear a Teftimony of Chriftian Patience and Self-denial in his youthful Days, and, by keeping under that Exercife, as he advanced in Years, attained to further Knowledge and Experience in the Work of Religion, in which he had a Sight of the Neceffity of keeping in a State of Humility, and of bearing the Crofs of Chrift, which mortified him to the World; fo that the Lofs many fuftain by the anxious Pur

fuit of the lawful Things thereof appearing to him, he was concerned to avoid it, and in Ŏbedience to the Precept of Chrift, To feek first the Kingdom of God, and bis Righteousness, having Faith in his Promife, That all thefe Things (neceffary for him) should be added.

Thus the Love of God influencing his Mind, and opening his Understanding, he became concerned for the general Good of Mankind, and received a Gift of the Miniftry of the Gospel of Chrift, before he had attained the Age of Twenty-one Years; in the publick Exercise of which, he foon after travelled thro' many Parts of England, and into Scotland, and the next Year, being 1697, he came to vifit Friends in this and the adjacent Provinces of America, where his Ministry and Conversation were to the Comfort and Edification of the Faithful (as fome of us can with Satisfaction declare, from our Knowledge and Remembrance of him at that Time) and the near Fellowship and Union he then had with Friends here (we believe) contributed to his more speedy Determination of fettling among us, which he afterwards thought it his Duty to do, tho' the leaving his Parents and Relations (as he afterwards expreffed) was no fmall Crofs to him, being of a dutiful and affectionate Difpofition.

After fixing his Refidence amongst us, he perfever'd in his Concern and Labour for the Edification of the Churches, and gathering People to Faith and Dependance on the inward Teachings

of Chrift, and for that Purpose only he travelled many long Journies and Voyages through the feveral English Colonies on this Continent, and most of the Islands in the Weft-Indies, and in Europe, through England, Wales, Scotland, Ireland, Holland, Frizeland, and feveral Parts of Germany, and the adjacent Northern Kingdoms; and in many of these Places his Miniftry and religious Labours were bleffed with the defired Succefs, of which there are yet some Witneffes living, and others who were convinced of the Principles of Truth by his Means, became ferviceable Members of the Church, and continued therein to the End of their Lives.

But as the wife King Solomon formerly obferved, that One Event cometh to the Righteous, and to the Wicked, fo it happened to this good Man, who met with various Loffes and Disappointments in his temporal Eftate; after which, the Circumftances of his Affairs engaged him to undertake fome Bufinefs, in the Management of which he was obliged to cross the Seas frequently: This, however, did not abate his Zeal and religious Care to make use of all Opportunities of vifiting the Meetings of Friends when among them, and of calling, at other Times, to fuch who might be accounted as the Outcaft of Ifrael, and the Difperfed of Judah, or as Sheep not yet of the Fold of Chrift; and his Services of that Kind are worthy to be commemorated, having been often productive of good Effects.

His Patience was remarkable in Difappointments and Afflictions, of which he had a large Share; and his Meekness, Humility and Circumfpection, in the general Course of his Life and Converfation were confpicuous and exemplary; and as he frequently exhorted and admonished others to the Obfervation and Practice of the many excellent Precepts and Rules of Chrift, our Lord and Law-giver, and more especially thofe expreffed in his Sermon on the Mount (which contains the Sum of our moral and religious Duties) fo he manifefted himself to be one of that Number, whom Chrift compared to the wife Builder, who laid a fure Foundation; so that his Building stood unfhaken by the various Floods and Winds of Tribulations and Temptations he met with, both from within and without.

He was a Lover of Unity amongst Brethren, and careful to promote and maintain it, fhewing the Example of a meek, courteous, and loving Deportment, not only to Friends, but to all others, with whom he had Converfation or Dealings; fo that it may be truly said, That few bave lived fo univerfally beloved and respected among us: And it was manifeft this did not proceed from a Defire of being popular, or to be seen of Man: For his Love and Regard to Peace did not divert him from the Discharge of his Duty in a faithful Teftimony to those that profeffed the Truth, that they ought to be careful to maintain good Works; and he was often concern'd zealoufly to incite and prefs Friends to the Exercile

of the good Order and Discipline established in the Wildom of Truth, by admonishing, warning, and timely treating with fuch as fell fhort of their Duty therein, and by testifying against those who, after loving and brotherly Care and Endeavours, could not be brought to the Sense and Practice of their Duty; and thereby he fometimes fhar'd the Ill-will and Refentment of fuch Perfons.

The feveral Eflays he wrote on religious Subjects at Sea, are further Proofs that his Mind was principally engaged in the great Business and Concern of Religion; and as he continued under the fame Engagement to the End, we are fully perfuaded the Words, with which he conclu ded his laft publick Teftimory on the Island of Tortola, may be truly and properly applied to him, That he had fought a good Fight, and had kept the Faith, and, we doubt not, he now enjoys a Crown of Righteousness.

Much more might be truly said of his Integrity, Faithfulness and Worth, but we do not think it neceffary; our chief Intention being to exprefs our refpectful Remembrance of him, and our Unity with his Labours and Services, and in order to affure thofe, to whom he was not perfonally known, of the Truth of what he has himfelf wrote of his Life and Travels; for we believe, as he was a Man fignally influenced with the Spirit of univerfal Love and Good-will to Man