thousand turn from it on the left hand, it remains the only way of safety. "To whom shall we go?" He only "has the words of eternal life."

Dear Daniel and I part, as we have travelled together, in near and dear harmony and affection. That the Shepherd of Israel may preserve him, till safely returned to his native land, and thence, be it long or short, to the end of his pilgrimage here below, is the fervent desire of my soul.

My dear love is to thee, our dear children; my beloved parents, all three; dear sister Remember; my dear brother and sister Lapham; all my dear brothers and sisters; the neighbours, relations, and friends. So, for the present, farewell, my dear love, in much endearment and heart-felt affection, farewell. From thy lonely mate, though sorely tried husband,

JOB SCOTT.

To his Wife.

Dear wife,

Wayne Oak, 13th of 5th month, 1789.

I am now in a very shut up condition; was last first-day at meeting here. After meeting, went ten miles towards a meeting place, thirty miles below, intending to have a meeting there, and return here to the Quarterly and Yearly Meetings, now soon coming on. But my way was so clouded I could not go forward; so I returned on second-day. Indeed I was, and am quite unwell; my stomach, bowels, head, and whole nervous system much out of tone; yet think I should have gone on, had my way not shut up. Yesterday I took medicine, which weakened me much. Oh! said I in my heart, that my dear Eunice could now be with me, to sympathise and assist in my distresses, both of body and mind! as I felt assured thou would have done, if I could have been favoured with thy company. But I resigned. Perhaps it was a virtue of necessity; for what could I have done but resign.

I remain in as stripped, empty, and desolate a state, as ever I

knew; have no kind of inward enjoyment as to any thing divine, unless I reckon upon a small degree of faith and patience. However, I am not so distressed or cast down as I often have been; though I feel as little like rising again, as I ever felt, as far as I know. I mean to attend the Quarterly Meeting, (the select is tomorrow,) and the Yearly, and then if my way does not open to go forward, I must return homeward; for it is in vain to press forward in the dark. And I fully believe, he that called me away from thee, and all my dear connexions in life, is able and willing to open with clearness, the way to any service he requires. So if he does not open, I shall think myself at liberty to return to you again. Yet, as Maryland Yearly Meeting at Baltimore would be apt to take me on the return, and some other detentions, I thought best to try to forward this salutation of endeared affection, and information of my present state, thinking it may reach thee before my return, especially as my path, heretofore, has been much out of my sight, as a man. So that if I get back to the Yearly Meeting at Baltimore, thinking then soon to see home, I may be turned away, round some way as yet quite unseen, into the Carolinas, &c. or otherways over the mountains. It is much my choice, seeing I am now so far southward, to go now as far down as I am to go. But, alas! what can my choice do in it? If it is the divine will to turn me back a while, he can spread clouds of impenetrable darkness between me and the south. And if, after I have been through what may be for me to the northward, it is his will I go south again, he can make darkness light before me. Be it therefore as he will, and not as I will. I stand much given up. I find that each degree of my own will is an enemy to peace: therefore wish my own slain, as often as it strives to rise. I have been led much in a constant death to it, in many respects, more so than ever before: and I find it must be so, or I plunged in perplexity.

Well, my dearest, whatever becomes of me, may the everlasting Shepherd hold thee in his holy hand, consolate thy soul, bear up thy spirit, protect, and provide for thee, and all mine. If I may be allowed to return to the enjoyment of you again, either soon or late, I trust I shall be willing and glad to do all

within the reach of my poor abilities for your comfort and accommodation. Meanwhile, my beloved, let thy trust be in the Lord, and endeavour to renew thy acquaintance with him. For though I have no fresh sense of the benefit thereof, otherwise than by faith and recollection, yet it is the best thing I can recommend thee to, for comfort, in life or in death.

I never have heard a word from home, till, a few days past, 1 received a very welcome letter from dear Moses Brown; and though that was dated 13th of 4th month, it gave me much satisfaction, both as to the other contents, and the rejoicing information of thine, and the family's welfare; especially as he mentioned thy looking pleasantly, or appearing "agreeably pleasant." May my heavenly Master so sweeten thy cup as to make thee often appear so, is my heart's desire to him on thy account. I have not yet received any other letter, though Moses mentioned our dear father's having written one for me.

19th. I am much better, almost well; good appetite, and much better digestion than for divers weeks past. But what is better than all that, I am admitted again to have free access to the tree of life, in the midst of the paradise of God; and have, in the Quarterly and Yearly Meeting here, found, (though things are low,) that the "shout of a king" is still among us, and have been made to shout (even aloud) for joy, in a sense thereof: so that now I can encourage thee, dear love, in a degree of living sensibility, to "trust in the Lord forever, for" (it is a certain sealed truth, that)" in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength." Trust in him-Oh! trust in him in every trial. To whom else can we go? He, and he only, has the words of eternal life. Choose him for thy joy, thy portion, and thy peace. Then shall we, as we both so choose, whether absent or present, be one another's joy in the Lord. Thou hast often been brought into my fresh remembrance, with the most endeared and heart-felt affection, since my last parting with thee, such a parting as I never knew before. Never did I before, when absent, so ardently wish to see, and be with thee again, as for certain moments, at divers times, I have now done; yet durst not give way to indulge even this wish, in its full emotions, feeling that it would lead me from a proper resignation.

My way is not yet opened how to proceed, (Yearly Meeting not yet over,) but I don't see much ground to expect I shall be at liberty to return to thee, my dear, perhaps not these many months yet. There are divers places to which my mind has glanced, where there are no Friends' meetings. I have been very satisfactorily at several such, and don't much expect I have done with them yet. I had an open, powerful meeting at Richmond, called the principal place in Virginia.

Is there any need of my desiring thee to be careful in bringing along our dear infants in the right way. I hope thou wilt never neglect it. Give my dear love to them. Tell them their dear father, who dearly loves them, wants them to be sure to be good little children. Oh! how my heart has moved in me, when I have remembered my last parting with them, as well as with thee, especially the dear little helpless lamb, which most immediately claims thy unremitted attention. Oh! love him, and take all due care of him, for his poor father's sake, as well as his own.

20th. I am now given up to endeavour to have divers meetings elsewhere than in Friends' meeting places. Perhaps I must spend near a week without getting much, if any further southward, taking, if way is made for it, about five or six such meetings, and one or two, in the way, among Friends. O my beloved! I depend on it, without any kind of doubt, that many painful, dark, and deeply depressing seasons will attend me, if I go through; but darker still, and far more dismal, is the prospect of turning my back on whatever the light opens clearly, and sets before me. So that I have now little or no hope of seeing thee, for what will seem to me, (such is human weakness,) a long time. However, I mean to make as short work as I can with safety; but had rather stay some time, now I am out, than ever to have to encounter this dreary climate again. I don't speak of outward climates, for there is little in them as yet to me.

My dear love is to my poor old father. I hope he may be preserved in health, patience, and good nature in his old age; witnessing more and more of a victory over all heats and passions, that so the remainder of his days may be comfortable VOL. II.-12

and happy. My love to all my relations, friends, and neighbours and let love abound in the family, and in the neighbourhood. This is the seventh letter I have written thee, since last I saw thy face, my dear. Oh! that I could receive one with thy signature. It is what I much desire. But if I may, or may not enjoy that happiness, I remain, with ardency of affection, thy deeply exercised, loving husband, and the affectionate father of all thy children,

JOB SCOTT.

Dear sister,

To Remember Anthony, Providence.

Wayne Oak, Va. 5th month 18th, 1789.

I have often had thee fresh in my remembrance, since last I saw thee, and divers times have been almost ready to write thee a few lines, as things presented. But the uncertainty of thy being in the body, or having made thy escape to a better mansion, has hitherto restrained my pen. But my friend M. Brown having informed me, in a kind letter of 13th of 4th month, that thou wast slowly mending, I not only rejoiced in the agreeable information, but felt more liberty to write; although even now, the thought that I may be addressing one, whose eyes may never read these lines, almost makes me hesitate; but be that as it may, my soul salutes thee in the good will of him that dwelt in the bush that burned and was not consumed; which wonderful manifestation of his power, seems to me not altogether unlike his dealings with thee; for indeed, marvellous in my view, has been the preservation of thy natural life, through circumstances of extreme sickness and affliction, which it might much more rationally have been supposed, would have consumed thy frail tabernacle long ere this day, than that thou shouldst have been, on the 13th of 4th month last, in the land of the living. Indeed, I have adored his power, his goodness, and the making bare his eternal arm in and respecting thee. May I ever adore his holy name, till I go hence no more to be seen of man. And, O my