no devils there to take him away; but he still declared they were in the room; and what added to the awfulness of the scene, was, at this time, a very dark and dismal eloud arose in the skies, that gave awfuk sensations to all who beheld it. At length a most remarkable flash of lightning came blazing from the clouds, and the streams of lightning flashed into the house, and a tremendous clap of thunder, equal to any ever heard, burst forth as if the place had been sinking: and the very house trembled. At that instant, I felt the power of the Lord, like lightning run through me. I instantly went to prayer, and they all fell upon their knees, and were much affected, and continued in supplication during the whole night. Soon after this, all the grown part of the family were brought into the liberty and knowledge of the truth, as it is in Jesus.

I shall here mention a circumstance, which I hope will be a warning to parents who oppose their children in religious sentiments. A young man, the only son of a professed quaker, got awakened by hearing the methodist preachers, and applied himself to prayer and reading the scriptures: he was likely to go on well in religion, until his father and mother, with great obstinacy and bigotry, violently opposed his going among the methodists, as though

methodism was the worst thing in the world: nothing would do but the son must be a quaker. At length by their violence and displeasure, he was kept from meeting, and from going amongst the methodist friends. It had a very different effect on the poor unfortunate young man ; for instead of becoming a religious quaker, he soon after became the most profligate youth in that part. God took his father and his mother to eternity. This same young man, in a few years, ran through a large estate left him by his father, and Salem jail became his habitation.

I do verily believe, that the violent opposition of his parents was the cause of his desperate courses, which brought him to poverty and shame. Oh! how careful parents and others, ought to be, not to use violene or severity with children in matters of religion and conscience: How dreadful, for those who profess religion themselves, to be guilty of it. It evidently arises from the same mistaken bigoted spirit that burnt the protestants under Queen Mary, of Britain, and hanged the quakers in New-England whether it be among quakers, methodists, presbyterians, churchmen, roman catholics, or any other denomination, it is contrary to the spirit of christianity. It is one principal objection I have to the

conduct of the people called quakers, that they are so bigoted to their own notions, forms and mode, that they will not allow their children to attend even the most plain and religious preaching in the world, provided it is not among themselves. I have known instances, of their young people being awakened under our preachers, and they have been restrained by their parents, and the heads of their meeting, to their great injury; and sometimes, I fear, to their eternal ruin. So sacred do they hold their right to membership, although mostly obtained by birth, that, generally speaking they appear better contented that their children should remain irreligious within the pale of their own church, than that they should become really religious among any other people. But to me it appears strange, that a people, whose predecessors were so tenacious for liberty of conscience, should fall into the same error that they so loudly condemned in others; as if it were a greater crime in a churchman or a presbyterian to restrain a child from going to a quaker meeting, than for a quaker to restrain one from going to a methodist or other religious meeting. They cry out in the same language against others, that others did against them; so that they are become too much initiated into the same spirit of bigot

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ry, which they have carried to so great a pitch, that they will not allow a minister of Christ, if he had as much grace as the apostle Paul, to preach in one of their meeting-houses, unless a member of their own church. But for my part, I do not believe, that religion consists in either form or mode. Neither do I believe, a record of our names on any church book under heaven, will stand the test in the awful hour of accounts, unless they are recorded in the Lamb's book of life. For my part, I love heart religion, let me find it where I may.

The second year that I lived in the township of Mannington, about the last of December, I lost my son Benjamin. He was in the fourteenth year of his age, and had been experienced in religion from the age of seven. When death was upon him, I said, Benny, do you know you are dying? He asked me if I thought he was: I said yes, in a little time you will stand before the eternal God. He instantly prayed as though he had been in perfect health: while he was at prayer every person in the room wept, and some cried quite loud. He then with a loud and strong voice, exhorted the neighbours who were present, to prepare to stand before God, and turning to his brothers and sisters, he exhorted them to pre

pare to meet him at the right hand of God. I then called my wife to come and see her son die. She came, and asked him if he had no doubt. He answered with great fervour, No! mamma, I know that my Redeemer liveth. He then looked at me and said, “Daddy, I shall meet you again in paradise." He then pointed with his finger and said, "Who are them two men standing in white raiment? I long to get to them. I am going," said he, and that moment he died, and fell asleep in the arms of Jesus without a sigh, groan or struggle. On this occasion God gave me resignation; though as a father, I felt the loss of my son, yet I rejoiced that God had taken him to reign with Jesus in a better world. I exhorted those who were present, not to cry, for God had answered my prayer, in giving him a happy end, that his soul might be conducted by angels to paradise. I believe, when he pointed with his finger and asked, who they were standing in white, that he then saw the angels ready to accompany him to heaven.

On a Saturday night, I dreamed that a man came to meeting, and staid in class, and spake as I never had heard any one before. Next day, James Sterling came to meeting, stayed in class and spake much as I had heard and scen in my dream