Afterwards I passed up the Dales, warning people to fear God, and
preaching the everlasting gospel to them. In my way I came to a great
house, where was a schoolmaster; and they got me into the house. I
asked them questions about their religion and worship; and afterwards
I declared the truth to them. They had me into a parlour, and locked
me in, pretending that I was a young man that was mad, and had run
away from my relations; and that they would keep me till they could
send to them. But I soon convinced them of their mistake, and they
let me forth, and would have had me to stay; but I was not to stay
there.
Then having exhorted them to repentance, and directed them to the
Light of Christ Jesus, that through it they might come unto Him and
be saved, I passed from them, and came in the night to a little
ale-house on a common, where there was a company of rude fellows
drinking. Because I would not drink with them, they struck me with
their clubs; but I reproved them, and brought them to be somewhat
cooler; and then I walked out of the house upon the common in the
night.
After some time one of these drunken fellows came out, and would have
come close up to me, pretending to whisper to me; but I perceived he
had a knife; and therefore I kept off him, and bade him repent, and
fear God. So the Lord by His power preserved me from this wicked man;
and he went into the house again. The next morning I went on through
other Dales, warning and exhorting people everywhere as I passed,
to repent and turn to the Lord: and several were convinced. At one
house that I came to, the man of the house (whom I afterwards found
to be a kinsman of John Blakelin's) would have given me money, but I
would not receive it.
The next day I went to a meeting at Justice Benson's, where I met
a people that were separated from the public worship. This was the
place I had seen, where a people came forth in white raiment. A large
meeting it was, and the people were generally convinced; and they
continue still a large meeting of Friends near Sedbergh; which was
then first gathered through my ministry in the name of Jesus.
In the same week there was a great fair, at which servants used to
be hired; and I declared the day of the Lord through the fair. After
I had done so, I went into the steeple-house yard, and many of the
people of the fair came thither to me, and abundance of priests and
professors. There I declared the everlasting truth of the Lord and
the Word of life for several hours, showing that the Lord was come to
teach His people Himself, and to bring them off from all the world's
ways and teachers, to Christ, the true teacher, and the true way to
God. I laid open their teachers, showing that they were like them
that were of old condemned by the prophets, and by Christ, and by the
apostles. I exhorted the people to come off from the temples made
with hands; and wait to receive the Spirit of the Lord, that they
might know themselves to be the temples of God.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account