kind, this was his chief Motive for writing; and we are sincerely desirous that his good Design may be answered, and that the Glory of every good and perfect Work may be attributed to that divine Power alone, which can qualify others to supply the Places of those faithful Ministers and Servants of Christ, who have been of late Years removed from among us, and are of that Number, of whom it is written, Blessed are the Dead, which die in the Lord, from benceforth, yea, faith the Spirit, that they may rest from their Labours, and their Works do follow them.

Signed on Behalf, and by Appointment of the Monthly-Meeting of Friends in Philadelphia, the Twenty-eighth Day of the Second Month, 1749, by

ISRAEL PEMBERTON.

AVING great Cause to acknowledge the Re-
gard and Protestion of Divine Providence in tbe

several Stages of my Life, I think it may be of Service to others, to leave behind me the following Account of my Life and Travels.

1675.

WAS born on the Third Day of the Third Monch
1675, in Soutbwark, and 'descended of honeft
and religious Parents, who were very careful of

me, and brought me up in the fear of the Lord; and oftentimes counselled me to Sobriety, and reproved me for Wantonness; and that light Spirit, which is incident to Youth, they were careful to nip in the Bud: So that I have cause to bless God, through Chrift, on the Behalf of my tender Parents.

And I may not forget the Dealings of God with me 1684. in my very cender Years. When between eight and

ten

1684: ten Years of Age, my Father and Mother sent me

near two Miles to School, to Richard Scoryer, in the
Suburbs of London. I went mostly by myself to the
School ; and many and various were the Exercises I
went through, by Beatings and Stonings along the
Streets, being distinguished to the People (by the
Badge of Plainness which my Parents put upon me)
of what Profession I was ; divers telling me, 'Twas

no more Sin to kill me, than it was to kill a Dog.
Korberbith. About this Time the Lord began to work strongly
Parish in
Southwark, on my Mind by his Grace, insomuch that I could not

forbear reproving those Lads who would take the
Name of the Lord God in their Mouths in vain, re-
minding them of the third Commandment, Thou shalt
not take the Name of the Lord thy God in vain, for the
Lord will not bold bim guiltless that taketb bis Name
in vain ; and of Christ's Saying, Every idle Word that
Men mall speak, they shall give an Account thereof in the
Day of Judgment; for which I was mocked and de-
rided by some, and others would sometimes refrain
from such bad Words when I reproved them.

One Time I remember I was amongst some Men,
one of whom I had reproved, and he told the rest of it,
and turned to me, and said, That I was no Cbristian,
and asked me, wben I said the Lord's Prayer ?
asked him, if he said it? He said, Yes. I then asked
him how he could call God Father, and be so wicked
as to swear and take God's Name in vain ? which I

had heard him often do ; and I told him what Christ 1685. said to the Jews, Your are of your Faiber ihe Devil, because his Works ye do ; and that those that did the

Devil's Work could not truly call God Father, ac-
cording to Christ's Doctrine. So being convicted in
their Consciences that what I said was true, they were
all filent, and wondered that I, being so young,
should speak in such a Manner; in which I remember
I had great Peace and good Satisfaction: And from
thenceforth these Men let me alone.

Notwith

Notwithstanding. I hated to hear wicked Words, I 1685. loved Play exceedingly, being persuaded that there was no Harm in that, if we used no bad Words. One Time I was at Play at a Neighbour's House with the Children, and in the midst of my Sport I was reach'd to with strong Convictions, insomuch that I could not forbear Weeping. The Childrens Mother observing that I wept, said, Why do you weep, Tommy? I told her I could not tell, except it was because I was a naughty Boy. Ob! said she, don't believe bim, for that's the Devil tells you so, for you are ibe bejt Boy in all our Street. But I knew I was told the Truth by Conviction, and that she was mistaken : For I plainly understood by clear Conviction, and by the holy Scriptures (which I had been train’d up in the Reading of) that I was too vain and wanton ; for I loved Mufick, Dancing, and playing at Cards, and too much delighted therein betimes, and was followed with the Judgments of God therefore in the Secret of my Soul.

What I did in those Sports and Games, I always cook care to do out

of the Sight, and without the Knowledge of my tender Parents; for I was afraid of their Reproofs and Correction, the which I was sure to have, if they had any Intelligence of it.

I remember that, unknown to my parents, I had bought a Pack of Cards, with Intent to make use of chem when I went to see my Relations in the Country, where there was Liberty in the Family so to do, at a Place called Woodford, about seven Miles from Lon

Woodford don, where I got Leave sometimes to go ; and at the in Essex. Time called Christmas, I went to see them, and five Miles on my way went to a Meeting, at a Town callid Wanstead; at which Meeting, a Minister of Wanfeud. Christ declared against the Evil of Gaming, and particularly of Cards; and that the Time which People pretend to keep Holy, for Christ's Sake, many of them jpend mostly in Wickedness, Sports, and Games; even

some

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