CHAPTER 13

Not long after, I went with my wife to my son-in-law, William Fayle's, who lived near Dublin. Our National Half-year Meeting approaching, we kept it at Dublin at its usual time, to which I went, and the Lord's presence appeared mightily among us, the hearts of Friends being tender before him. It was a blessed season, Friends being greatly bowed in thankfulness, under a weighty consideration of the providential hand of God, which had preserved us through so many difficulties and dangers in this time of great calamity.

We made inquiry into the sufferings and losses sustained by Friends in the several provinces in the time of the war. And we took care that poor Friends everywhere in this nation should speedily be supplied with necessary food and raiment until we could further assist them, as need might require, in order to their livelihood and convenient settlement near meetings for the worship of God and benefit of them and their families. Also, a weighty concern was upon Friends for the settling of godly discipline in the church. And many suitable things were opened and communicated in the love and wisdom of God, tending to the promotion of truth and its holy heavenly order and government among us. Also divers testimonies were borne in the power of the Holy Spirit, confirming us in our Christian care and concern, and Friends' spirits were subject to the will of God, giving him the glory, who is worthy for ever.

I found a weighty concern upon my spirit to go from thence to London to the Yearly Meeting of Friends. And after the service of our Half-year Meeting at Dublin was over, I took my leave of Friends, also of my wife and several of our children who were there, being under a sense of sorrow when I parted from them, as if we should not all see one another again. Many Friends went on shipboard with me, and there in tender love we parted. Thomas Winsloe went with me for England, and so to London.

We landed at Liverpool and visited Friends about Bickerstaff. Then we proceeded forward, having some meetings by the way, and were at London at the Yearly Meeting where many elders and brethren were glad to see me. I was at several public meetings for the worship of God and at the men's meetings for church discipline. When the service of the meeting was over, I took leave of Friends and traveled northward, having several large and good meetings in divers counties.

I came to York to their Quarterly Meeting, which was a very great meeting of Friends from many places, and had good service there, for the Lord's power and presence were with us to our great comfort and confirmation in his work and service. I there met with a letter that gave me an account of my wife being sick, and sorrow seized me, as sensible of her death. So I hastened as much as the service of truth would allow towards the seaside. But I had several meetings in the way, particularly at Durham, Sunderland, Raby, Barnard-castle, Camsgill, Kendal, Swarthmore, Hawkshead, Pardsey-crag, and near Whitehaven.

As soon as I could get a passage, I took shipping at Whitehaven and landed at Dublin. But my wife was dead some time before I got over. She died five miles from Dublin, at my son-in-law, William Fayle's house, in the presence of her children and was decently buried in Friends' burying-place in Dublin, accompanied to her grave by many Friends and others. After I landed, I went to my son Fayle's and found him and his wife lying sick, neither of them sensible, and to appearance hardly like to recover. But staying some time there, it pleased the Lord that they recovered. I was at several meetings thereabout and at Dublin, for many Friends lived there at that time who had been forced from their habitations in the country.

Then I went to Mountmelick and visited Friends in those parts, who were not gone from their habitations, and so to my ruined place near Rossenallis, where I made some repairs to the building for myself and youngest son Tryal to dwell in, all the rest of my children having left me, being most of them married. I was frequently with Friends at meetings both for the worship of God and for men's and women's meetings and other services relating to church discipline and Gospel order.

When the country was a little quiet from the war, I traveled into Munster and Ulster, and besides visiting Friends in those provinces, I had large and serviceable meetings at divers places where meetings were not then settled, namely, Belturbet, Iniskillin, Londonderry, Colerain, Kilray, Dawson's-bridge, Magharafelt, &c., and returned through the meetings of Friends into Leinster.

Now a weighty concern came upon me more and more to warn and stir up Friends all over the nation to be concerned and diligent in a circumspect zeal for promoting truth in all its rights and the righteous government and comely order thereof. Many things and ways the Lord opened in my understanding to show Friends how they might yet be more serviceable for God and his truth in their day. And most Friends received the Lord's testimony and became concerned. So the faithful set to work for God in divers parts of the nation, and many large accounts were given to our National Meetings that they found the Lord was with them and opened things to them more than before they became so concerned, giving wisdom and understanding to manage matters which came before them relating to truth and Friends, the Lord's power being over all, blessed be his name for ever!