living fountain; that so thy strength may be inwardly renewed; that so thou mayst witness a renewed experience of the dealings of the Lord with thy soul, from one day and time unto another; and how thou art a witness of the work of regeneration brought forth in thee, in order to perfection; that so thou mayst have a word of counsel and wholesome advice to give unto thy children and servants, for their encouragement in all that which is good; that so thou mayst be a blessing in the hand of the Lord unto thy children, and they a comfort unto thee.

By this, thou, with Friends, may know that I am well, and the Lord by his power is with me, who hath blessed my endeavours and labour of love, I hope, for the good of many; for it is the good of souls I labour and travail for, I am yet to stay one week more here, before I can be clear of this city; for my cry is to the Lord in secret, Let me not go hence, except

thy presence go with me. I am to travel down the country towards Bristol.

I received thine, dated the last of the third month, which was received by me with gladness; because of the well-being of thee and thine, with Friends, and the affairs of truth, (that thou well said) was the delight of my heart to hear of.

I can give thee no account of my return, for

at present I do not see to the end of my journey; and so how the Lord will order me as to that, I know not yet, whose will and requirings I am freely given up to answer, who enables me with power and strength sufficient to perform, what he so requires of me.

Farewell, my dear,

London, the 3rd of the fifth month,

1675.

"J. B."

"MY dear children, Sarah, John, and Ann learn daily to fear the Lord, by remembring of him, and be obedient to your dear mother, with all willingness now in my absence; be quiet and sober, not wanton, nor given to play by no means, nor laughing, but mind your books, and that which is good, and go to meetings, and love one another; and when you speak one to another, say Brother and Sister; think often upon my words, my dear children,

I am your loving father,

'Dear Wife,

"J. B."

BY this thou ma yest understand that I am well in all respects, bles sed be the Lord my God for ever, by his power who hath preserved me so;

and I am now at this time clear of this city and country, and have faithfully discharged my duty in what the Lord my God hath required of me, and to-morrow do intend to set my face towards home. I have passed through a troublesome country hereaways, by wicked informers and other officers; but the Lord hath so ordered it by his power, and in his wisdom, that not any Friends have suffered two pence upon my account, at any meeting in all my journey; though the Lord knows I never held my peace for fear of any suffering, but did as he ordered me, whether to speak more or less, or to be silent; for which, bless thou the Lord, O! my soul, in so ordering and preserving of me in this and many other various exercises and tribulations, both in body and spirit, up and down among these wicked informers, where Friends have suffered much, by that they call the conventicle act. I had seventeen meetings hereaways among them. So having not much more in my mind that I intend to write, I bid thee farewell in the Lord Jesus Christ,

And remain thy husband in that which changeth not,

Bristol, 30th of the Sixth month,

1675.

'J. B.'

In the year 1676 I went into Ireland again; from whence I wrote the following letters to my wife, giving some account of my travels.

'My dear,

'MY love and life in the strength of God's power reacheth unto thee; and in that I dearly salute thee, and all thine; and my prayers to the pure God is put up unto him for thee, with all thine. The Lord encourage thee by the continuance of his love in faithfulness to follow and obey him; that so the sense of his love in the indwelling of it in thy heart, may constrain thee to meet often among his people; and that with all diligence thou mayest wait upon the Lord in true silence, to feel refreshment from his presence among them; that so in the light and life that is pure and precious, thou mayest more and more grow and increase, that as the blessing of the Lord is unto the seed of the righteous, so thou mayest feel it to be upon thee and thine.

In which diligence and living exercise the Lord preserve thee, and that low in his fear, that in all godliness of life and conversation thou mayest be a good example unto thy family, and that with a godly care thou mayest train up thy children, now when they are young, becomes the truth; and when they do amiss, correct, according to the fault, in the fear of the Lord, laying aside and keeping down all passion

as

and heat of spirit; that they may be a comfort to us in our time, and that we may be found clear in discharging of our duty concerning them, before the Lord and all people; that if they live to the age or degree of men and women, and have children, they may have cause to remember our godly care concerning them, and tell of it in like counsel unto their children, and so from one generation to another.

And that we may not let a foolish pity or foolish fondness tie our hands from correction, when there is need of it, as too many do, for that is it that has more regard to the body than the soul; though surely that which effects hurt to the soul, must needs to the body also. So let us not be too careful for their bodies, and yet careful; or for portions or worldly preferment, only using honest endeavours, leaving the issue to the Lord, who I fully believe in my very heart will provide for them one way or another, as shall be sufficient for them; as we on this wise are chiefly concerned for the good of their souls, and there leave it, only by the way, that every one of them as they grow up, and have ability of body and a capacity accordingly, be employed with all diligence in some work or business, that so they may in some measure be helpful unto thee, and become serviceable in the creation. This I could net pass with clearness, but signify unto thee, my dear wife; having much