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had a prayer meeting, and much people came up from the villages round
about , and continued till six o'clock. I preached from Luke ii. 14. here
I stood astonished to hear the shout of the people, and the groans of poor
sinners, God's word went as a two edged sword, and poor sinners were
slain. I concluded the discourse, and came out, leaving several of them
lying on the floor stretched out as though they were dead. I went
immediately to bed, in order to get me some rest, and awoke about two o'clock,
finding the people were still in the meeting, and continued till four o'clock
before they left the meeting.
On the 27th of December I was informed in the morning by
one of the elders, that God had begun the good work in the chapel among the
precious souls, that two of them were set at perfect liberty. At half
after ten I preached from Psalm lxxiii. ver. I. and in the evening from the same
Psalm, the 24th and 25th verses, where there was much out-pouring of God's
spirit. Here I went form house to house, meeting the classes, confirming
the people, and preparing myself for the journey. We kept a watch night,
watched the old year out, and the new year in; we had a happy time, for God was
in the midst of us, for there was one soul born with the new year, and I believe
two at Mr. Wesley's meeting. We kept a covenant night on the 1st of
January, and so did they; we administered the sacrament again this night, but
they had nobody to give it to them, for a great many of them came and begged to
be partakers with us, and were admitted. Here I stayed till the 9th of
January, and had a love-feast on that night with Mr. Wesley's people, and had a
very happy time with them, after which I commended them to God in love.
In the morning at five, being the 10th, I preached in
my own chapel, to a very crowded congregation
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of both chapels, from St. John xivth chap. and 27th verse; after which I
departed for Jordan River, but when I came as far as Shelburn, the water
prevented me from going any farther that evening, and I preached there to a
large congregation, and on the 11th we set off for Jordan River. We
arrived there at ten o'clock, and were there till eleven before we could get
over the ferry, and then were obliged to pawn a jacket. However, by the
help of God we got over, and a snow storm overtook us in the wood, which was so
violent, and fell so thick, that we lost our way; just before the sun sat, we
came up with an Indian, and he put us in the way: so we got to Green's
Harbour about seven o'clock. Being very tired, traveling that day through
the snow, which was three and four feet deep, which rendered me incapable of
preaching on the 12th.
On the 13th, a large body of people gathered together; I
was enabled to set up, and preached from the two first verses of the lxxviii
Psalm, when the Lord was pleased to bless his word with a divine power to the
hearts of the people. Here I was not able to preach any more until the
23rd, when the Lord was pleased to strengthen me so that I was enabled to preach
on the 24th, from the xxxviith chapter of Job, and 7th verse. And on the
25th, through much weakness I reached as far as Ragged Island, and was not able
to preach for two days; but on the 28th I preached to a large body of people
from the second epistle of Peter, chap. ii. and 9th verse, where we had much of
the presence of God. Here I stayed four days, and was not able to preach,
but kept my bed part of the time.
On the 3rd of February I was enabled to preach from the
xiiith chapter of Hebrews, verse the 7th, to a large concourse of people, and
the people had much
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much rejoicing. In the evening I was permitted to preach again from
Hebrews the xiiith chapter, and 14th verse, where I had remarkable liberty in
speaking, though weak, and felt a great desire and eagerness to leave this body,
and then was not able to preach any more, until the 14th, and was much persuaded
by the people to return home, or not to travel.
On the 15th I preached in the evening, from the xiith
chapter of St. Paul's second epistle to the Cor. the latter clause of the 10th
verse. On the 16th we went over from Ragged Island, to young Mr. Matthews;
there I abode till the 19th. Not being able to preach, on the 20th I set
off for Little Harbour about nine o'clock. We arrived there about two,
being not able to walk very fast, and accompanied with a few of the people
from Ragged Island. Finding myself incapable of preaching. I was
persuaded by the people not to travel, nor preach any more, until I was better;
so I kept my bed from the 20th of February to the 27th. I had a great many
people coming in to see me from every quarter, which kept me talking to them,
which made me much weaker than I should otherwise have been, and by this time
the news had got far and near that I was dead.
On the 28th, I was able to walk across the floor, and
found a willingness to speak unto the people, but was prevented, and sickness
continued increasing till the 6th of March; and here I said with Job although he
slay me, yet I will trust him; and with David, I can say that sickness was good
unto me, for it was sanctified to my soul. Although the people did all
that they could, and have the best attendance that laid in their power, yet that
was very poor nourishment for a sick person in the state I was then in; for I
must inform my readers, that in my greatest illness my chief diet was fish and
potatoes,
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and sometimes a little tea sweetened with treacle, and this was the best they
could afford, and the bed whereon I laid was stuffed with straw, with two
blankets, without sheets; and this was reckoned a very great advantage in these
pats of the globe; for in some places I was obliged to lay on stools, without
any blanket, when the snow was five and six feet on the earth, and sometimes in
a cave on the earth itself.
On the 8th of March I was permitted to preach from Hosea,
xiiith chap. and 9th ver. where we had a great out-pouring of God's spirit, and
was not strengthened much. On the 9th they would not let me preach, for
fear of my hurting myself, but I went from house to house praying with them, and
confirming them in the faith. In the evening I had a violent fever again,
and continued so till midnight. On the 10th I was able to go about
again. In the afternoon a great many people came in to see me, and I found
a great desire to speak to them from the vith chapter of St. Matthew, 33rd
verse, and conversed with them till evening, and finding a strong desire of
something fresh to eat, I spoke to an Indian in his own language, and after they
were all gone away, I was put to bed again. All this night I had no fever,
and in the morning felt very well, and had a desire to preach in the morning,
but was prevented. I begged very hard for them to let me go as far as
Sable River, but was not permitted; in the evening the Indian came back with
some mouse-meat, I had some stew made, but was prevented from eating so much as
I would for fear of its hurting me
On the 12th I found myself a great deal better after 10
o'clock I asked them to let me go as far as Sable River again, and was permitted
so to do, and was accompanied by six of the people where we arrived at three
o'clock, but was not able to preach
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until the 15th. I preached to a large body that came
down the River, form the xth chapter of St. John and 11th verse; here I was
empowered to speak very wonderfully, and was filled with the love of God.
Groans and tears were heard and seen through the whole congregation , and after
preaching I conversed with the greater part of them. Finding they had some
children to be baptized, I bid them to bring them on the 16th, and when they
came my illness prevented me; they were brought again on the 20th, which was the
Sabbath day, when they brought fourteen of them. After preaching from the
xviiith chapter of St. Matthew verses 19 and 20, the children were brought up,
and I baptized them in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost; then gave out
that I should preach again in the afternoon, but when the people gathered
together, I found that I was not able, so they met in prayer.
I stayed here till the 25th, but did not preach, but going
from house to house conversing and confirming the, was called on the 26th day to
commit the body of an old man, about eighty years of age, to the earth, after
which I returned over the River again.
On the 27 I stayed at Sable River all day, in order to get
my boots mended.
On the 28th we sat off through the wood for Green's Harbour,
four men accompanying me, with me two little boys. We arrived at Green's
Harbour in the evening, all well, but very tired.
On the 29th I was not able to travel, felt my spirits very
low and dull, having a very poor night's rest, having only a stool for my bed,
and I found that I had caught a fresh cold.
On the 30th I set off in order to reach Birch Town; at twelve
o'clock we came to Jordan River being frozen, we had a ready passage over, and
were able to get as far as Shelbourn Town that night, which surprised the
people, who had heard in time past that I was dead.
I remained at Shelbourn till the 31st; about ten o'clock, we
sat out for Birch Town, and when we had got about half way, we came up with two
women in the road, one was lying down and just expiring, and the
other stood over her weeping; they had both been over to Shelbourn, to beg
something to eat, and were then returning back to Birch Town, and had got a
little Indian Meal, but had not strength to reach home with it. When I
came up to her, I found that she was irrecoverable; and had I not arrived as I
did, the other would have been soon dead also, for her body was partly chilled
with the cold, the snow being four feet on the earth, and was then snowing; so I
sent one of my little boys to town to inform the people that I was on the road,
and that some of them must come to my assistance, in the mean time, I took some
rum out of my knapsack, and gave her a little of it to drink, and rubbed her
face with some, and moved her about as well as I was able, and sometimes we both
fell down together, I being so weak after my late illness but, by the help of
the Almighty God, I got her a mile nearer the town, where I met the two men, and
they took the charge of the living woman, and got her to town as fast as they
could; and when we arrived in town, we got all the necessaries we could for her
recovery; and dispatched two men off to bring the dead body of the other woman.
I continued visiting this woman, while I was able, and
committed the body of the other to the earth; and in about six days after I was
taken very ill myself, and was no able to go about, and did spit blood for eight
days continually.
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On April the 17th, I was somewhat better, and was able to
walk across the floor.
On the 18th, I had a second doctor from the next town, he
informed me that I was in a very dangerous condition, and desired me not to
preach nor walk a mile, and ordered me to get some honey, and to drink honey in
every thing that I used; but the honey was fifteen pence sterling a pound, and I
was not able to purchase one pound, but the Lord was so kind as to open the
heart of the doctor, that he sent me two pounds, and said that I must pay him
when I could.
I continued here without preaching till April the 24th;
and on the 25th, I preached in the chapel from Genesis i. I, 2. I then began to
bleed in the pulpit and was taken out of the pulpit, and stayed indoors till the
6th of May, and had many distressing objects before me, who were continually
coming begging, and were really objects of pity, and were perishing for want of
their natural food for the body.
On the 7th of May, I set off for Jordan Point in a boat,
where I stayed till the 10th, preaching and meeting the society, where I had an
opportunity of hearing their complaints and distresses, by reason of a long
winter, and for want of provision and clothes.
On the 11th in the morning, I preached from the ixth
chapter of Isaiah, 6th verse, and then set off for Green Harbour, in and skiff;
but the wind began to rise from the N.E. which forced us to put ashore on
Jenkins Point, and had the boat to overset to get the water out of her.
After we had prayer, and committed ourselves to the care of God, we set off
again with intent for Green Harbour; but was prevented by the violence of the
wind, which forced us to make for the nearest shore; and by the help of God we
got on shore on the Ragged Island Beach; we hauled the skiff up, and turned her
upside-down, so we made our way through to the woods for to go to the Ragged
Island. When we came we had a small river to cross, we crossed over the
ice, and had like to have been lost, for the ice broke, but the Lord helped us,
and we got over safe and was gladly received by the people, but did not preach
this evening, being very tired.
On the 12th I preached from the viiith chapter of St. Mark,
36th and 37th verses.
On the 13th, after preaching in the morning, I felt a desire
to proceed on my journey, so we were let go from thence for Sable River, We
arrived there in the evening, very much tired.
On the 14th I preached to a large congregation, from the
xiith chapter of St. John, 37th verse, where we had a great out-pouring of God's
spirit, and after conversing with them till evening, I commended to God
On the 15th we set off for Little Harbour, and arrived
there at two o'clock in the day, and found a vessel bound to Liverpool, which
forced me to preach this evening, from the iid chapter of St. Luke, 51st verse,
after which I had a little conversation with them till nine o'clock, then
committing them to God.
On the 16th we sailed for Liverpool, with recommendation
to one of the brethren, who had a good report among the church. We arrived
in the evening there, got on shore, and was received at his house kindly; but
after a little conversation, finding that he was a New-light, (so called) I
found his love began to change. However, I was permitted to stay all
night.
On the 17th I preached in the New-light meeting house, from
chap. i. of St. Paul's epistle to the Romans, verse 16; but they gnashed upon me
with their teeth, and was exceeding mad with me
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I conversed with one of the elders afterwards, when I asked him what it
was that he was offended at; his answer was, that it was all true gospel, but
one thing he cold by no means allow that it was the power of God unto salvation
to every one that believed; and for this reason I was not permitted to preach
any more there. I went home to his house, in order to stay all the
night, but he was for putting me out, and that because I was not a New-light,
but his wife prevented him; so we stayed there till the 19th, and in the morning
he ordered us out without any breakfast. We came out, and went down the
wharf, in order to take shipping for Halifax; but as we were going aboard, we
met a gentlemen who heard me preach in the New-light meeting. I passed by
him, and went on board the vessel, and in a little while he sent his son down to
call me up to his house, and when I came, he said to me; Sir, I perceive Mr.
Parker has turned you out this morning. I answered he had, and that
without supper of breakfast. He answered, I think it was not the spirit of
a Christian; and said that he only turned you out of one door, in order that you
might come in at a better; whenever you are traveling through the country, when
you come to Liverpool, take my house for your home; so said his wife, and I had
every thing that I could wish for, and I preached four times in the large
chapel, to a large congregation
On the 25th I sailed for Halifax, but he would not permit me
to take my boy with me, for fear I should not come back to Liverpool; so I left
the boy, and he furnished me with such things as were necessary for my passage.
On the 26th I arrived at Halifax; I did not preach that day.
On the 27th I left Halifax for Preston Town. I arrived
there in the evening, and I preached to a large concourse of people, and
preached again on the 28th in the morning, then set off for Cold Harbour, and
arrived in the evening. Preached on the 29th to a small body of people,
greater part of them Roman Irish.
I left them on the 30th day, and arrived in the evening at
Preston Town again. Here I remained till the 4th of June, meeting the
classes and society. Finding the place of worship to be too small, I
gathered the people together to know their mind concerning the building another;
they all unanimously agreed with one voice: but one obstacle was in the
way, and that was they had no nails, nor were they able to buy any, nor a piece
of ground to put the house on , and they requested me to go over to the governor
and to lay their complaints and distresses before him.
On the 5th I set off for Halifax, in order to accomplish business
On the 6th I presented their complaints before his Excellency,
and met with his approbation. Set off at two o'clock in the afternoon
again for Preston Town, with their petition signed by his Excellency
On the 7th I had them all together again, and the ground
laid out, and they all with one consent went to work, some cutting down, some
hewing, and some sawing, and the women bringing it out from the woods. In
the evening I preached from the xivth chapter of St. John, 1st and 2nd verses,
where the out-pouring of God's spirit was much felt, and great joy was among the
people; after preaching, I had some conversation with them. In the morning
of the 8th, I preached from the vth chapter of St. Matthew, and the 18th verse,
and then commended them into the hands of God.
I set off for Halifax, arrived there in the evening, preached
for Mr. Furmage, to a large concourse of people; after which I requested him to
visit Preston Town, and to keep the people in order.

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