two, who worked at Tipton-Green, about a mile from where they lived, because he went not to his work in due time in the morning. The father and the younger fon being at work to gether near Billflon, the lad fpoke to his father about getting them a pork-pye on Christmas-day. He answered in a rage, "How can I provide a pye, unless I was to cut up one of you (meaning his fons) for a pye ?" And then exclaimed bitterly against the other fun, with an imprecation that the devil might dafh his brains out, and break him in pieces. His wifh was granted, and as near as could be judged, in that very instant. In the pit where the fon worked, a man being sent for drink, he was called from where he was at work, to take that person's place; and just as he began to work, above a tun weight of coals fell upon him, and broke him in pieces, in fuch a manner as had never been seen in that Colliery before. The unhappy father defired it might be made publick, as a warning to others.

2ཊྛེ 2ལེ2 ༽༼29

LET T

ETTE ER S.

LETTER DLXII.

[From Mr. T. Taylor, to the Rev. J. Welley.]

Rev. and dear Sir,

St. John's, June 8, 1783.

HE articles of peace are no longer a mystery; but who

THE

could ever have dreamed of terms fo ignominious? For better than two years past, I have been well convinced that the Americans would gain their independence. All therefore that remained was, to make the price of a peace good in other refpects and furely every candid perfon must be sensible, that in confideration of that, together with the evacuation of Charles-Town and New-York, (which the Americans were fully con

vinced they could not drive us from) generous terms might have been procured for the Loyalifts, excepting a few indivi duals that were particularly obnoxious, and who might easily have been provided for by government: for certainly France (if fatisfied in other refpects) would never have continued the war, to prevent the restoration of thofe unfortunate exiles, whofe loyalty they themfelves approve of. Inftead of this, infult has been added to repeated injuries.

Eaft Florida, to which all the Refugees were conducted as an asylum, and where many of them were beginning to get comfortably fettled, is wantonly given away; and where are they to go? To Nova-Scotia they will not, and the Islands will only fuit fuch as have Slaves. A letter appeared the other day in the Gazette, exhorting the people to ftay where they are, and ftand by each other, and no longer to be the dupes of a nation, whofe national faith, respecting them, is funk even below contempt.

You have already heard that the impotent recommendation of Congress (as Lord N-terms it) will not be attended to by the Northern States; and I dare say the Southern will follow their example.

There was no kind of town in this province, except St. Augufline, until laft winter; when the Refugees founded one at this place, about five miles from the mouth of the river. It has yet no proper name, though vulgarly called John's Town. It is just forty miles from St. Auguftine. About fifty good houses are already built, and many more beginning, when the news of the peace put a stop to all farther improvements. There is no place of worship in the province, but at Augustine: where, befides the English church, there is a Romish chapel founded by the Minorquins, fettled by Dr. Turnbull.

The inhabitants here were about subscribing to have a Clergyman among them; but that, like every thing elfe, is now dropped. There is hardly the form of religion among us, and very little (I fear) of the power. I was in Georgia about five VOL. XIV.

LI

months

months ago, with a flag of truce for my family; and was then informed by many individuals, that upon application, I might have leave to return there; but if I can fix any where else, I believe I shall hardly trouble them. I am, Rev. and dear Sir, yours most affectionately,

T. T.

[From Mr. J. Brown, to the Rev. J. Welley.]

Rev. and dear Sir,

Douglass, Ifle of Man, June 7, 1783.

HROUGH abundant mercy, the work ftill goes on among

TH

the poor people here. We had a little addition the laft quarter, and our hearers do not appear to be weary of hearing of a precious Chrift; therefore I hope the Lord will not ftay his hand among them. The Preachers here in general are pious, and lovers of discipline; and will, I believe, refpec the English that are fo too. Many of the old members are in earnest for all the mind which was in Jefus. About three days ago, one told me that, in her Band, fhe was much drawn out in prayer for the ceffation of all indwelling fin, and in a very little time fhe by faith obtained the bleffing; and the spirit witneffed that her heart was cleanfed from all unrighteoufness.

1 lately met a dear friend on the road: we fat down to relate to each other the dealings of God with our fouls; and he told me that for twenty-one years he had been a lover of the meek and lowly Jefus: but in general there had been such a fand-bank before him, that he thought he gained little ground. The evening coming on we parted, and foon after, I received the following lines from him.

66

Glory be to God most high, I believe he hath removed the fand-bank from my foul; fo that now I hope, Jefus being my pilot, to fail into the haven of eternal happiness. Bleffed be

my

my

faithful God, I have no doubt but he has purified my heart by faith: I am emptied, I believe, of envy and wrath, defire, and pride. One act of simple faith has done more than twentyone years friving in prayer without it."

I believed the report, and could congratulate the happy man on his deliverance. My foul longed to launch out into the deep, that I might share in the fame falvation. In a fecond letter he writes thus, "I believe that fin has ceafed; yet I find I must keep watching that it do not enter in again. The juft fhall live by faith: and he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and the wicked one toucheth him not, while he keeps believing in Jefus." O that thoufands, and tens of thousands might witnefs the good confeffion before men and angels!

A woman, a member of our Society, has continued to faft and pray for the rebellious, for the space of eleven days, without either eating bread, or drinking water, and all the while was neither hungry nor faint. I defired her on the eleventh day to take a little food, which fhe did. I greatly wondered at the goodness of the Almighty, in fupporting her for fo lɔng a time; but what is it that the Lord cannot do? Bleffed be his name for ever! I am, Rev. and dear Sir, your very affectionate fon in the gospel, J. B.

[From Mifs A. Bolton, to the Rev. J. Welley.]

Rev. and dear Sir,

Stroud, July 31, 1783.

HE great exercife I paft through, for feveral weeks before

I left home, has much debilitated my tender frame. I feemed, for the firft few days I was here, to be but half alive; and in this I cannot but obferve the wifdom and goodness of God, that while I was in the midft of hurry, and almoft conflant

calls to bulinefs, I had ftrength for my day; but as foon as Providence favoured me with a kind releafe from it, and gave me a fituation more quiet and peaceable, I was let to feel extreme langour, the ill effects perhaps of an over active fpirit.

I believe in this I often need to be admonished, and have wifhed that thofe about me understood the matter, that my natural fpirits, animated by divine grace, are frequently too powerful for the texture of my body. And, as the Almighty has been pleased by the voice of his thunder to awake dead fouls, and extort the cry from fo many in our neighbourhood, "What muft I do to be faved ?" I fhould have been in danger (though I know he could have preserved me) of ruining my conflitution. So great was the fervour of my fpirit, and fo en larged my heart for the gathering in of the people; that I am inclined to believe my gracious Father appointed me this reft, to fit me the better for his defigns hereafter.

In filent language my heart dilates before him, and fhews to his benign eye its unutterable adoration. His love attracts my foul into clofer union, as I afcend the daily fteps of mortality, and I find it my chief delight to follow him which way foever he leadeth, As my day lengthens, the scene brightens; and I ean fay religion, the religion of Jefus, is more than ever amiable, and its fulness defirable to my foul.

I believe the

many purging fires, into which my beloved Lord has caft me, have in some measure anfwered the gracious defign of his love, I feel a greater deadness, and a more mortified, fpirit toward the world. I have tried it, and found it falfe and deceitful. The bliss proposed in an acquaintance with my God, I have proved alfo, and it anfwers far beyond what my most animated fancy could fuggeft. O the unutterable pleasures my foul enjoys in communing with God, and with his Saints! I am, dear Sir, yours, &c.

A. B.

POETRY,