leave to your judgment. If you think they deserve an answer, should be glad to have them solved; for as I am sensible of the power of my adversary, the devil, surely I cannot but act with the utmost circumspection, which gives me occasion to trouble you herewith; and I hope, sir, the circumstance of the place I am in, may excuse the manner in which I have wrote to you, and count it not an affront; for God is witness how I love and esteem ministers of Jesus Christ; for whose dear sake, may the God of infinite love and goodness establish and confirm you in the daily success of your ministerial labours, which are the daily prayers of

"Your most unworthy,

"But faithful humble servant, "Bethlehem, No. 50. May 5, 1739." "Joseph Periam." "P. S. I am afraid, sir, I misbehaved myself when you so kindly came to see me but if I did in any measure, your christian love and charity will excuse it; for not being warned of your coming, the surprise, though pleasant, so fluttered my spirits, that I was overburdened with joy.

"O how pleased should I be to see you !" To this I sent the following answer.

"Dear Sir, May 7, 1739 "The way to salvation is by Jesus Christ, who is the way, the truth, and the life. The way to Christ is by faith. Whosoever liveth and believeth in me, says our Lord, though he were dead, yet shall he live. But this faith, if it is a saving faith, will work by love. Come then to Jesus Christ as a poor sinner, and he will make you a rich saint. This, I think, serves as an answer to your first query.

"It is, no doubt, your duty, whilst you are in the house, to submit to the rules of it; but then you may use all lawful means to get yourself out. I have just now been with your sister, and will see what can be done farther. Watch and pray.

"As for the business of an attorney, I think it unlawful for a christian, at least exceeding dangerous.

Avoid it therefore, and glorify God in some other station. I am,

"Dear Sir,

"Your affectionate friend and servant,

"G. W."

A day or two after I received a third letter, which is as follows.

"Worthy Sir,

"I received your letter, which was a full answer to my queries, and give you, my hearty thanks for the trouble you have taken upon you, (the only gratitude I can at present pay ;) but he, whom I have perfectly at heart, will supply the deficiency to you, and will not suffer a meritorious act to go unrewarded. O how do I daily experience the love of Christ towards me, who am so vile, base, and unworthy! I pray God I may always be thankful, and both ready to do and suffer his most gracious will, which, I trust, through your prayers and God's grace, I shall at all times submit to.

My father was with me last night, when I showed him your letter. I told him, I utterly renounced the business of an attorney. He then asked what profossion I chose, which I submitted to him, on condition it might prove agreeable to the will of God. He was pleased to say, he thought me not mad, but very well in my senses, and would take me out, on condition doctor Monro and the committee were of his opinion. Then he varied again, and thought it convenient for me to stay the summer, and so to take physic twice a week, fearing a relapse. I told him, as a father, he should be wholly obeyed; but when at parting he mentioned my leaving religion, (or words to that purpose, at which I was somewhat stirred in my spirit,) I told him, nothing should prevail upon me to leave Jesus Christ; upon which he left me. This is the substance of what passed between us, which, I hope, is not amiss to let you know of, as you have been so kind as to plead for my liberty.

Upon the whole of the matter, sir, God gives me

perfect resignation, and I trust when he shall see fit, will discharge me; and as I find his love daily more and more shed abroad in my heart, all things will work together for my good. Pray, sir, be thankful for me, and if opportunity will let you, I should be sincerely glad to see you before you set out for America. And may Almighty God, in his infinite goodness, prosper, guide, and protect you through this transitory life, and hereafter receive you triumphantly into the heavenly Jerusalem, there to converse with, and see the everblessed Jesus, that dear lamb of God; to which that you may attain, are the hearty and fervent wishes of "Your loving and sincere friend,

66

"Wednesday, May 9, 1739." Joseph Periam." "I am ashamed to trouble you thus, but my heart is full of you."

Upon reading this, I was sensibly touched with a fellow-feeling of his misery; and, at my request, Mr Seward, and two more friends, waited upon the committee. But alas! they esteemed my friends as much mad as the young man, and frankly told them, both I and my followers, in their opinion, were really beside themselves. My friend Seward urged the example of the young persons, who called the prophet that was sent to anoint Jehu king, a mad fellow; of our Lord, whom his own relations, and the Scribes and Pharisees, took to be mad, and beside himself, and Festus's opinion of St Paul. He further urged, that when young people were under their first awakenings, they were usually tempted by the devil to run into some extremes. But all such language confirmed the gentlemen more and more, that Mr Seward was mad also. And to prove that the young man was certainly mad, they called one of the attendants, who said, when Mr Periam first came into the place, he stripped himself to his shirt, and prayed. The reason of this, as Mr Periam said afterwards, was, that he might innure himself to hardship at once: for being brought from Bethnal-green, where he was taken great care of, into a cold place, without windows, and a damp cellar under

him, he thought it best to season himself at first, that he might learn to endure hardness as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. In the midst of the conference, some way or other, they mentioned his going to Georgia, and said, if I would take him with me, they would engage that his father should give leave to have him released. A day or two after, Mr Seward waited upon his father, who gave his son an excellent character, and consented to his going abroad. After this, he waited upon the doctor, who pronounced him well. And today he waited again upon the committee, who behaved very civilly, and gave the young man a discharge.

He is now with me, and I hope will be an instrument of doing good. The hardships he has endured at Bethlehem, will, I hope, prepare him for what he must undergo abroad. And being now not ignorant of Satan's devices, he will be better qualified to prevent his getting an advantage over others. Before I leave my account of him, I cannot help telling what usage he met with at his first coming into Bethlehem. Being sensible within himself, that he wanted no bodily physic, he was unwilling at first to take it; upon which, four or five took hold of him, cursed him most heartily, put a key into his mouth, threw him upon the bed, and said, though I had then never seen or heard of him, you are one of Whitefield's gang, and so drenched him. I hear also, that there was an order given, that neither I, nor any of my friends, should be permitted to come unto him. Good God! how shortly will that day come when these unhappy men shall be heard to cry out, "We fools counted their lives madness, and their ends to be without honour! How are they numbered among the children of God? How is their lot among the saints?"

Dined at Clapham with Mr B--n a quaker. Preached in the evening at Kennington-common to about fifteen thousand people, who were very attentive and affected. Afterwards I spent two hours at Fetterlane society, where we had a most useful conference concerning the necessity every christian lay under to

have some particular calling, whereby he may be a useful member of the society to which he belongs. We all agreed to this unanimously; and as for my own part, I think, if a man will not labour, neither ought he to eat. To be so intent on pursuing the one thing needful, as to neglect providing for those of our own households, in my opinion, is to be righteous overmuch. Sunday, May 20. Went with our brethren of Fetter. lane society to St Paul's, and received the holy sacrament, as a testimony that we adhered to the church of England.

Preached at Moorfields and Kennington-common, and at both places collected very near fifty pounds for the orphan-house. A visible alteration is made in the people's behaviour; for though there were near fifteen thousand in the morning, and double the number in the afternoon, yet they were as quiet during my sermon, as though there had not been above fifty persons present. I did not meet with a moment's interruption. I could say of the assembly, as Jacob did on another occasion, surely God is in this place.

HERTFORD.

Monday, May 21. Was fully engaged all the morning in settling my Georgia affairs. Left London about three-called and prayed at a house or two in the way, and reached Hertford between eight and nine at night. I never saw a town so much alarmed. The streets were every way crowded; and, by the behaviour of some, I thought we should have had many scoffers. But, blessed be God, I never preached to a more quiet congregation. The hearers were in number about four or five thousand, and the place I preached in was a common near the town. Afterwards, a certain gentlewoman, Lydia-like, constrained both me and my friends, if we judged her worthy, to come and abide in her house that night, which we did to our great comfort. The Lord reward her a thousand fold.

HERTFORD AND OULNEY IN BUCKINGHAMSHIRE. Tuesday, May 22. Preached about seven in the morning from the same place, and to near as large a