that it pleased God to make way for my going; and then, that I should have the honour to ride behind Mr. Bunyan, who would sometimes be speaking to me about the things of God. My pride soon had a fall, for in entering Gamlingay, we were met by one Mr. Lane, a clergyman, who lived at Bedford, and knew us both, and spoke to us, but looked very hard at us as we rode along; and soon after, raised a vile scandal upon us, though, blessed be God, it was false. (This clergyman usually preached at Edworth, the place where he dwelt.)

"The meeting began not long after we got thither; and the Lord made it a sweet season to my soul indeed. 0 it was a feast of fat things! I sat under his shadow with great delight! When at the Lord's table, I found such a return of prayer, that I was scarcely able to bear up under it. I was, as it were, carried up to heaven, and had such a sight of the Saviour, as even broke my heart in pieces. O! how I then longed to be with Christ! How willingly would I have died in the place, and gone immediately to glory! A sense of my sins, and of his dying love, made me love him, and long to be with him. I have often thought of his goodness in his remarkable visit to my soul that day: but he knew the temptations that I was to meet with the very same night and a few days after. I have seen the bowels of his compassion towards me, in these manifestations of his love, before I was tried. This was infinite condescension indeed.

"The meeting being ended, I began to think how I should get home, for Mr. Bunyan was not to go by Edworth, and having promised to return that night, I was filled with many fears lest I should break my word. I inquired of several persons if they went my way; but no one could assist me except a young woman who lived about half a mile on this side my father's house. As the road was very dirty and deep, it being the depth of winter, I was afraid to venture behind her; but at last I did, and she set me down at sister Pruden's gate, from whence I hastened through the dirt, having no pattens, hoping to be at home before my father was in bed ; but, on coming to the door, I found it locked, with the key in it, and seeing no light, my heart began to sink, for I perceived what I was like to meet with. At.other times my father would take the key with him, and give it me from the window.

However I called to him, and he answered, Who is there?' To which I said, "It is I, father, come home wet and dirty,

pray let me in.' He replied, Where you have been all day, you may go at night; and with many such sayings he dis covered great anger, because of my riding behind Mr. Bunyan, declaring that I should never come within his doors any more, unless I would promise never to go after that man again. I stood at the chamber window pleading to be let in. I begged, I cried, but all in vain, for instead of yielding to my importunity, he bid me begone from the window, or else he would rise and put me out of the yard. I then stood silent awhile, and that thought pierced my mind, how if I should come at last when the door is shut, and Christ should say unto me, Depart!' Matt. xxv. 10-12.

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"At length, seeing my father refused to let me in, it was put into my heart to spend that night in prayer. I could indeed have gone to my brother's, who lived about a quarter of a mile off, and where I might have had a good supper and a warm bed. No, thought I, into the barn I will go, and cry to heaven, that Jesus Christ would not shut me out at the last day, and that I may have some fresh discoveries of his love to my soul. I did so, and though naturally of a timorous temper, and many frightful things presented themselves to my mind, as that I might be murdered before morning, or catch my death with cold; yet one scripture after another gave me encouragement. Such as Matt. vi. 6. 'Pray to thy Father which is in secret, and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.' Also Jer. xxxiii. 3. 'Call upon me and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things which thou knowest not.' And with many such good words was 1 comforted.

"Being thus in the barn, and a very dark night, I was again assaulted by Satan; but having received strength from the Lord and his word, I spake out (as I remember), saying, 6 Satan, my Father hath thee in a chain; thou canst not hurt me.' I then returned to the throne of grace; and indeed it was a blessed night to my soul, a night to be remembered to the end of my life, and I hope I never shall forget it; it was surely a night of prayer, yea, and of praise too, when the Lord was pleased to keep all fears from my heart. Surely he was with me in a wonderful manner! O the heart-ravishing visits he gave me! and that spirit of faith in prayer which he poured out upon me! It froze very hard that night, but I felt no cold, although the dirt was frozen on my shoes in the morning.

"Whilst thus most delightfully engaged, that scripture came

with mighty power on my mind, 1 Pet. iv. 12. Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you.' This word, Beloved, made such melody in my heart as is not to be expressed, but the rest of those words concerning the fiery trial occasioned some dread; yet still that first word, Be loved, sounded louder than all the rest, and was much in my mind the whole night afterward. I saw that I was to meet with both bitter and sweet, when I directed my cries to the Lord, to stand by and strengthen me, which he graciously did, with many a blessed promise, before the morning light; and to be the Beloved of God' was my mercy, whatever difficulties I endured; nevertheless, I began once to be a little deject. ed, being grieved to think that I should lose my father's love; but this led me to the Lord, to beg that I might not lose his love too, and that good word was immediately given me, John xvi. 27, The father himself loveth you.' O blessed be God, thought I, then it is enough, do with me what seemeth thee good!

"When the morning appeared, I peeped through the cracks of the barn, to watch my father's opening the door. Presently, he came out and locked it after him, which I thought looked very dark, apprehending from hence, he was resolved I should not go in, but still that word, Beloved, &c., sounded in my heart. He soon came into the barn with a fork in his hand, and seeing me in my riding-dress, made a stand, when I thus addressed him: Good morrow, father; I have had a cold night's lodging here, but God has been good to me, else I should have had a worse.' He said it was no matter. I pray. ed him to let me go in, saying, 'I hope father, you are not angry with me,' and kept following him about the yard as he went to fodder the cows; notwithstanding this he would not regard me, but the more I entreated him the more his anger rose against me, declaring that I should never enter his house again, unless I would promise not to go to a meeting again as long as he lived. I replied, Father, my soul is of too much worth to do this: Can you in my stead answer for me at the great day? if so, I will obey you in this demand as I do in all other things;' yet I could not prevail.

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"At last, some of my brother's men came into the yard, and seeing my case, at their return, reported, that their old master had shut Agnes out of doors. Upon hearing this my brother was greatly concerned, and came to my father, and endeavoured to prevail with him to be reconciled: but he grew more

angry with him than with me, and at last would not hear him ; on which my brother said, Go home with me, sister, you will catch your death with cold.' But I refused, still hoping to be more successful in a farther application; I therefore continued following my father about the yard, taking hold of his arm, and crying and hanging about him, saying, Pray let me go in,' &c. I have since wondered how I durst be so bold, my father being of a hasty temper, insomuch that his anger has often made me glad to get out of his sight, though, when his passion was over, few exceeded him in good nature.

"Seeing I could not prevail, I went and sat down at the door, and at length began to be faint and cold, it being a very sharp morning. I was also grieved for being the occasion of keeping my father in the cold so long, for he kept walking about the yard, and I saw he would not go into the house while I was there. I therefore went to my brother's, and obtained some refreshment and warmth; then I retired and poured out my soul to God, who was pleased to continue on me a spirit of grace and of supplication, and forsook me not in this day of great trouble.

"About noon, it being Saturday, I asked my sister to go with me to my father's, which she readily did, and finding him in the house and the door locked, we went to the window. My sister said,Now, father, I hope your anger is over, and you will let my sister in,' entreating him to be reconciled, while I burst out with many tears to see him so angry. I do not think fit to mention all he said, but among other things he protested, that he would not give me one penny so long as he lived, no nor when he died neither, but that he would sooner leave his substance to a stranger than to me, &c. These expressions were cutting, and made my heart sink; thought I, what will become of me! To go to service and work hard is a new thing to me who am very young; what shall I do? yet still I thought I had a good God to go to, and that was then a very seasonable word, Psalm xxvii. 10. When my father and mother forsake me, then the Lord will take me up.'

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Perceiving my sister's strong pleadings were vain, I desired my father to give me my Bible and pattens, if he would not please to let me in; which he also refused, saying, That he was resolved I should not have a penny, nor a penny's worth, as long as he lived, nor at his death.' On this, I went home with my sister, bitterly weeping, and withdrew into her chamber, where the Lord gave hopes of a better inheritance.

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O now I was willing to go to service, and to be stript of all for Christ! I saw that I had a better portion than that of silver or gold, and was enabled to believe I should never want. My inclination towards night was to go to my father once more; and since he was so very angry both with my brother and sister, I concluded to go alone. Upon coming to the door I found it partly open, and the key being on the outside, and my father within, I pushed the door gently, and was about to enter, which he perceiving, ran hastily to shut it, and had I not hastily withdrew, one of my legs had been between the door and the threshold. I would not be so uncivil to my father as to lock him into his own house; however, having this opportunity I took the key, intending when he was gone out to venture in and lie at his mercy. After a while he came and looked behind the house, and seeing me standing in a narrow passage between the house and the pond, where I stood close up by the wall, he took me by the arm, saying, Hussey ! give me the key quickly, or else I will throw you into the pond.' I immediately resigned it with silence and sadness.

"It appeared in vain to contend; I went down the closes to a wood side, with sighs and groans, and a heart full of sorrow, when this scripture came again into my mind, Jer. xxxiii. 3, "Call upon me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things which thou knowest not.' The night was dark, but I kept on to the wood, where I poured out my soul to God with many tears. And that word also greatly comforted me, Psalm xxxiv. 15, The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, and his ears are open to their cry.' I believed his ears are open to a poor disconsolate creature, such as myself, and that his heart was towards me. And that was a wonderful word at this time, Isa. Ixiii. 2, In all their afflictions he was afflicted.' "I staid in this place so long that it gave great concern to my brother and sister, who had sent one of their men to know whether my father had let me in; and understanding he had not, they went about seeking me, but they could not find me.' At length, having spread my case before the Lord, I returned to my brother's, fully determined not to yield to my father's request, if I begged my bread about the streets. I was so strongly fixed in the resolution, that I thought nothing could move me; yet, alas! like Peter, I was a poor weak creature, as will presently be seen.

"This was Saturday night. The next morning I said to my brother, let us call on my father as we go to the meeting;