to perform to the best of his ability. Care has been taken, not to expunge any thing that might be of utility; and also to preserve the original, plain, simple ideas and language of the man. If some circumstances or occurrences do not stand exactly in that order of arrangement, in which they occurred in point of time, the compiler does not hold himself accountable for the error; and he hopes, that, if such inaccuracy should appear, it will be held excusable in the judgment of every judicious and candid reader. The work is divided into two parts. Part the First, contains his experience and gospel labours, previous to his entering the itinerant connection of Methodist preachers; during which time, he visited various parts of New-Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, and Maryland. Part the Second, contains his travels and mospel labours, after he entered the itinerant connec e compiler had an intimate acquaintance with Abbott for about twenty years, and had knowledge of some things relative to that eminent saint of God (which were not mentioned in his own manu scripts) which may be acceptable to the reader: he has therefore, annexed to the work, a Narrative of the life and death of that extraordinary, zealous, faithful, and useful man. THE COMPILER, THE EXPERIENCE, &e. PART THE FIRST, Containing, his Parentage, Birth, Marriage, and Manner of Life, while in Nature's Darkness-His Conviction, Conversion, and Sanctification-His Gospel Labours, and divers Remarkable Occurrences while a Local Preacher, till the Death of his Wife. My grandfather, James Abbott, was born in Somersetshire, in Great-Britain : he removed to America, and settled on LongIsland, where he married, and had five sons and two daughters. My father, Benjamin Abbott, was his third son; when he arrived at age, he removed from Long-Island into New-Jersey, where he married the daughter of Mr. John Burroughs, sheriff of Huntingdon county. Afterwards he removed again to Long-Island, where he resided for some time, and had two sons and one daughter. After this he sold his farm, and moved into Pennsylvania, bought a plamation of four hundred acres of good land, and lived in credit-where he had three sons and one daughter more. My mother, when on her death-bed, lay sick of a nervous complaint about five weeks. In the dead of the night before she expired, she cried unto the Lord, and besought him to look in mercy upon the family, and with a loud voice prayed fervently for us all, which caused the spectators to wonder, and to cry out, "Hannah, what is the matter with you?" Next day she departed this life. I then pondered these things in my heart. In six weeks after, my father took the small-pox, and departed this life, leaving my grandfather executor. In his will he ordered that we should all have trades; accordingly I was put to a hatter in Philadelphia, where I soon fell into bad company, and from that to card-playing, cock-fighting, and many other evil practices. My master and I parted before my time was out, and I went into Jersey, and hired with one of my brothers, where I wrought at plantation work. Some time after this I married; and when I got what my fader left me, I rented a farm, and followed that business: but all this time I had no fear of God before my eyes, but lived in sin and open rebellion against God, in drink-. ing, fighting, swearing, gambling, &c. yet I worked hard, and got a comfortable living for my family. I professed myself a presbytorian, went often to meeting, and many times the Spirit of God alarmed my guilty soul of its danger; but it as often wore off' again. Thus I continued in a scene of sin, until the fortieth year of my age: yet many were the promises I made, during that period, to amend my life, but all to no purpose; they were as often broken as made; for as yet I never had heard the nature of conviction or conversion. It was a dark time respecting religion, and little or nothing ever said about experimental religion; and to my knowledge I never had heard either. man or woman say that they had the pardoning love of God in their souls, or knew their sins were forgiven. My wife was a member of the presbyterian church, and a praying woman; yet at that time she knew nothing about a heart work. About the thirty-third year of my age, I dreamed that I died and was carried te hell, which appeared to me to be a large place, arched over, containing three apartments, with arched doors to go from one apartment to another. I was brought into the first, where I saw nothing but devils and evil spirits, which tormented me in such a manner, that my tongue or pen cannot express. I cried for merey, but in vain : there appeared to me a light like a star, at a great distance from me; I strove ta get to it, but all in vain. Being hurried into the second apartment, the devils put me into a vice, and tormented me until my body was all in a gore of blood-I cried again for merey, but still in vain. I observed that a light followed me, and I heard one say to me, "How good doth this light appear to you." I was soon hurried into the third apartment, where there were scorpions with stings in their tails, fastened in sockets at the end thereof: their tails appeared to be about a fathom long. and every time they struck me, their stings, which appeared an inch and a half in length, stuck fast in me, and they roared like thunder. Here I was constrained to ery again for merey. As fast as I pulled out the sting of one, another struck me.I was hurried through this apartment to a lake that burned with fire: it appeared like a flaming furnace, and the flames dazzled like the sun. The devils were here throwing in the souls of men and women. There appeared two regiments of devils moving through the arches, blowing up the flames; and when they came to the end, one regiment turned to the right, and the other to the left, and came round the pit, and the screeches of the damned were beyond the expression of man. When it came to my turn to be thrown in, one devil took me by |