very importunate invitation to preach at a meeting house I came by, the people being then gathering; but could not by reafon of weaknefs. Was refigned and composed under my weakness; but was much exerciled with concern for my companions in travel, whom I had left with much regret, fome lame, and fome fick.

Friday, September 12.-Rode about fifty miles es; and came just at night to a chriftian friend's house, about twenty five miles weftward from Philadelphia. Was courteously received, and kindly entertained, and found myfelt much refrethed in the midst of my weakness and fatigues.

Saturday, September 13.-Was ftill agreeably entertained with christian friendship, and all things neceffary for my weak circumftances: In the afternoon heard Mr. Treat preach; and was refreshed in converfation with him in the evening.

Lord's Day, September 14.-At the defire of Mr. Treat and the people, I preached both parts of the day, but fhort, from Luke xiv. 23. God gave me fome freedom and warmth in my difcourfe; and I truft, helped me in fome measure to labour in fingleness of heart. Was much tired in the evening, but was comforted with the most tender treatment I ever met with in my life. My mind through the whole of this day was exceeding calm; and I could ask for nothing in prayer, with any encouragement of foul, but that the will of God might be done.

Monday, September 15.-Spent the whole day, in concert with Mr. Treat, in endeavours to compofe a difference, fubfifting between certain perfons in the congrega tion where we now were: There feemed to be a blefling on our endeavours. In the evening, baptized a child: Was in a calm compofed frame, and enjoyed, I trufi, a fpiritual fenfe of divine things, while adminiftering the ordinance. Afterwards, fpent the time in religious converfation, until late in the night. This was indeed a pleafant agreeable evening.

Friday, September 19.-Rode from Mr. Treat's to Mr! Stockton's at Prince-Town: Was extreme weak, but kindly received and entertained. Spent the evening with fome degree of fatisfaction.

Saturday, September 20.-Arrived among my own people, juft at night: Found them praying together: Went in and gave them fome account of God's dealings with me and my companions in the journey; which feemed affecting to them. I then prayed with them, and thought the divine prefence was amongst us; divers were melted into tears, and feemed to have a sense of divine things. Being very weak, I was obliged foon to repair to my lodgings, and felt much worn out in the evening. Thus God has carried me through the fatigues and perils of another journey to Sufquehannah, and returned me again in fafety, though under a great degree of bodily indifpofition. O that my foul were truly thankful for renewed inftances of mercy! Many hardships and diftreffes I endured in this journey: But the Lord fupported me under them all.

PART VIII.

After his Return from his last Journey to SUSQUEHANNAH, until his DEATH.

LORD'S DAY, September 21, 1746.-I was fo weak I could not preach, nor pretend to ride over to my people in the forenoon, In the afternoon rode out; fat in my chair, and difcourfed to my people from Rom. xiv. 7, 8. I was ftrengthened and helped in my difcourfe: And there appeared fomething agreeable in the affembly. I returned to my lodgings extremely tired; but thankful, that I had been enabled to speak a word to my poor peo-, ple I had been fo long abfent from. Was able to fleep very little this night, through wearinefs and pain. O how bleffed fhould I be, if the little I do were all done with right views! O that whether I live I might live to the Lord, &c.

Saturday, September 27.-Spent this day, as well as the whole week paft, under a great degree of bodily weaknefs, exercised with a violent cough, and a confiderable fever; had no appetite to any kind of food; and fre quently brought up what I eat, as soon as it was down; and oftentimes had little reft in my bed, by reason of pains in my breast and back: Was able, however, to ride over to my people, about two miles, every day, and take fome care of those who were then at work upon a small houfe for me to refide in amongst the Indians, I was fometimes fcarce able to walk, and never able to fit up the whole day, through the week. Was calm and com

pofed, and but little exercifed with melancholy damps, as in former seasons of weaknefs. Whether I fhould ever recover, or no, seemed very doubtful; but this was many times a comfort to me, that life and death did not depend upon my choice. I was pleafed, to think that he who is infinitely wife, had the determination of this matter; and that I had no trouble, to confider and weigh things upon all fides, in order to make the choice whether I would live or die. Thus my time was confumed; I had little strength to pray, none to write or read, and

fcarce any to meditate: But through divine goodness I could with great compofure look death in the face, and frequently with fenfible joy. O, how bleffed it is, to be habitually prepared for death! The Lord grant, that I may be actually ready alfo.

Lord's Day, September 28.-Rode to my people, and, though under much weaknefs, attempted to preach, from 2 Cor. xiii. 5. Difcourfed about half an hour; at which feafon divine power feemed to attend the word: But being extreme weak, I was obliged to defift; and after a turn of faintnefs, with much difficulty, rode to my lodg ings; where betaking myself to my bed, I lay in a burning fever, and almost delirious, for several hours; until towards morning, my fever went off with a violent fweat. I have often been feverish, and unable to reft quietly after preaching: but this was the most severe diftrefling turn, that ever preaching brought upon me. Yet I felt perfectly at reft in my own mind, because I had made my utmost attempts to fpeak for God, and knew I could do

no more.

Tuesday, September 30.-Yefterday, and today, was in the fame weak ftate, or rather weaker than in days paft; was scarce able to fit up half the day. Was in a compofed frame of mind, remarkably free from dejection and melancholy damps; as God has been pleafed, in a great measure, to deliver me from thefe unhappy glooms, in the general course of my prefent weaknefs hitherto, and alfo from a peevish froward fpirit: And O, how great a a mercy is this! O that I might always be perfectly quiet in feasons of greatest weakness, although nature should fink and fail.

Saturday, October 4.-Spent the former part of this week under a great degree of infirmity and diforder, as I had done feveral weeks before: Was able, however, to ride a little every day, although unable to fit up half of the day, until Thurfday. Took fome care daily of fome perfons at work upon my houfe. On Friday, afternoon, found myself wonderfully revived and strengthened; and having fome time before given notice to my people, and those of them at the Forks of Delaware, in particular, that I defigned, with the leave of Providence, to adminifter the facrament of the Lord's fupper upon the first

Sabbath in October, the Sabbath now approaching, on Friday afternoon I preached, preparatory to the facra. ment, from 2 Cor. xiii. 5. Finishing what I had propofed to offer upon the fubject the Sabbath before. The fermon was bleffed of God to the stirring up religious af fection, and a spirit of devotion, in the people of God; and to the greatly affecting one who had backflidden from God, which caused him to judge and condemn himself. This being Saturday, I difcourfed particularly with divers of the communicants; and this afternoon preached from Zech. xii. 10. There feemed to be a tender melting, and hearty mourning for fin, in numbers in the congregation. My foul was in a comfortable frame, and I enjoyed freedom and affistance in public fervice: Was myfelf, as well as moft of the congregation, much affected with the hum. ble confeffion, and apparent brokenheartedness of the forementioned backflider; and could not but rejoice, that God had given him such a sense of his fin and unworthinefs. Was extremely tired in the evening; but lay on my bed, and difcourfed to my people.

Lord's Day, October 5.-Was ftill very weak; and, in the morning, confiderably afraid I should not be able to go through the work of the day; having much to do, both in private and public. Difcourfed before the ad. miniftration of the facrament, from John i. 29. Behold the Lamb of God, that taketh away the fin of the world. Where I confidered, I. In what refpects Chrift is called the Lamb of God; and obferved that he is so called, 1. From the purity and innocency of his nature. 2. From his meeknefs and patience under fufferings. 3. From his being that atonement, which was pointed out in the facrifice of lambs, and in particular by the pafchal lamb. II. Confidered how and in what fenfe he takes away the fin of the world: And obferved, that the means and manner, in and by which he takes away the fins of men, was his giving himself for them, doing and suffering in their room and ftead, &c. And he is faid to take away the fin of the world, not becaufe all the world shall actually be redeemed from fin by him; but because, 1. He has done and fuffered fufficient to answer for the fins of the world, and fo to redeern all mankind. 2. He actually does take away the fins of the elect world. And III. Confidered how