could obtain, and according to the present or new ftyle, on the 18th day of the 10th month 1751, in the township of Providence, now North-Providence, in the colony (now ftate) of RhodeIfland and Providence Plantations, in New-England. My parents names were John and Lydia Scott; who were accounted honeft people, though my father made but little profeffion of religion. My mother was more zealous, and attended Friends meetings, when the conveniently could, taking me divers times with her, and I think a few times another or two of the children; though we were all but young, for I being the eldeft, was but ten years old when he died. I can well remember the ferious impreffions and contemplations which, at that early period of life, and for fome years before my mother's decease, attended my mind as I fat in meeting with her, and on the way home. I even had longing defires to become truly religious, and to ferve and fear God, as Abraham Ifaac and Jacob did, and others that I read or heard of. My mother endeavoured much to restrain us from being in the company of rude and vicious children, and would fometimes call us together, and labour to have us fit in filence with her, which we did: and though I then understood but little of the intent of it, it has fince afforded me a degree of folid fatisfaction, in believing the Lord had given her to know and partake of the fublime enjoyments and substantial benefits of true, inward, christian filence, and waiting upon God: and that the was defirous we her children might, in our tender years, be made acquainted with at least fome fecret touches of that divine favour which I doubt not fhe felt and experienced in fuch feafons of retirement: and though, as I obferved, I unstood but little about it then; yet I have fince had reason to believe it was a real advantage to me; and that it has often been remembered fince to my benefit.

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I am fully perfuaded of the great advantage, and fpiritual usefulness to children and others, refulting from frequent filent waiting on the Lord. I have feen lively and convincing evidence of it, even in children very young in years; and fully believe the impreffions of divine goodness have been fuch to their minds at fome fuch seasons, even when there has not been a word uttered vocally, as have laft'ingly remained, and powerfully tended to beget the true fear and love of God in their young and tender hearts. And O! 'that parents were more generally concerned to do all they could towards leading their tender offspring into an early acquaintance with, and relish of divine things: beft learned, and moft livingly, and experimentally fealed upon the foul, in a state of filent introverfion, and feeling after God.

I was told by fome of my kindred who were preTent at my mother's death (for it being night I was not prefent myfelf) that her departure was joyful and glorious; and that very near her last breath was fpent in fervent fuplication to the Lord her God.

And now, not at all doubting but her immortal fpirit is at reft in Jefus, I leave her, and proceed to a further relation of the exercife of my own mind, having this teftimony to bear, that almoft as early as I can remember any thing, I can well remember the Lord's fecret workings in my heart, by his grace or holy fpirit; very fenfibly bringing me under condemnation for my evil thoughts and actions, as rudenefs and bad words, (though not frequent in the ufe of them) difobedience to parents; inwardly wifhing, in moments of anger, fome evil to fuch as offended me; and fuch like childish and corrupt difpofitions and practices, which over and beyond all outward inftruction Í Iwas made fenfible were evil, and sprang from a real

root

root of evil in me. And I am in a full belief, that in every quarter of the globe, children, at an early age, have good and evil fet before them, in the fhinings of the light of Chrift in their hearts, with clearness and evidence fufficient to afcertain to them their duty, if they honeftly attend to it. And though I am deeply fenfible of the neceffity and utility of much careful guardianship, cultivation and inftruction, in order to guard children against the corrupting influence of example, invitation, and perverfe inclination, which abundantly and prevalently furround them; yet I fear a great part of the tuition, which too many children receive, tends rather to blunt the true fenfe and evidence of divine truths upon the mind, and to substitute notions and systems instead thereof, than to encourage an honeft attention to the teachings which lead into all truth. I am satisfied, if the teachings of men were never to thwart the teachings of the holy fpirit, many things would fix on the minds of children to be evils which they are now inftructed and perfuaded are innocent and commendable. Indeed it is mournful to obferve how many of them are bolstered up in pride, vanity, and revenge; taught to plume themfelves upon their fuppofed fuperiority of parts and attainments; nurfed up in the ideas of grandeur and worldly honour; yea, infpired with exalted notions of the merit of valour, heroifm, and human flaughter-Thus the very image of God, which more or lefs fhines in the countenance, and in the tender fenfibilities and compaffionate commiferating feelings of an innocent child, is defaced or obfcured.

Obferve an innocent child attentively, and though anger, paffion, and revenge, are very obvious features of the first nature, and fhew plainly that there is much to be fubdued in them; yet it will be found, they feel nearly and tenderly for the diftrefs

diftrefs of others; their little bofoms beat with compaffion; and if they fee cruelty exercised, by one upon another, they will often, in the best manner they can, manifeft their abhorrence of the cruelty, and diflike of the cruel. There is in them that which, as attended to, will restrain the violence of nature, and by degrees bind the strong man, and cast him out, fpoiling all his goods. It is no fubftantial objection to the difcernment given to children by the holy light which fhines in all, either that they evidently know but very little, for they have to act in but few and very small matters, and their difcernment is proportionate; or that the feeds of evil, and propenfities to evil actions, are fome of the first things evident in them.

I am not infenfible of the volumes of controverfy about neceffity and free will, fate and choice; but I have no mind now to meddle with any of the common arguments pro or con respecting them. Men muffle and blind their own understandings, by running into abftruse and metaphyfical inquiries, wherein they are scarce ever the better fatisfied for their nicest investigations, or keeneft difcuffions. God has made mankind univerfally fenfible (in degrees fufficient for their various circumftances, and allotments in life) of their duty, and enabled them to perform it, fo far as they improve the means afforded them.

Adam was as certainly (fo it ftands in my mind) made able to obey, or conform to the divine will fo far as revealed to him, as God is perfect goodnefs; and so I am perfuaded are all his offspring. I have no more belief that God's revealed will required any thing of our first parents, beyond ability to perform, than I have that God is cruel or perverfe; and as little do I believe that any infant on earth comes into the world under a moral impoffi

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bility of conformity to the divine will, fo far as by any means whatever made manifeft, which I call revealed. Man is here, upon practical principles: nothing is or can be a law to him, further than it is fome way or other discovered; and that which ultimately affures and feals it to him as God's law, whatever outward manifeftation may be made, is the Holy Spirit, that bears witness with his fpirit, fettling and fatisfying his mind fufficiently what is good and what is evil. And I firmly believe, if children would be as ftrictly and steadily conformable as they might be to the divine will, fo far as from time to time it is gradually opened and made known (and there is always power with the opening) they would foon acquire a good degree of dominion, in the ftrength of divine life, over the ftrength of evil inclinations in them.

Our ftate in this life is a state of probation. Such was the state of man originally, and fuch it is now. And in order that man at first, or ever after, might be able to conquer, or be justly punifhable for defertion or defeat, he was, is, and must be, armed with armour invincible against ali the powers that were or are suffered to affail him. This is juft our ground, our ftate and fituation. Subject to vanity, or to many and various tempta tions; yet being inwardly armed with the Spirit of Omnipotence, fo far as we ftand faithful, and fight valiantly in the strength afforded us, we are fure of victory. Our ftrength or help is only in God; but then it is near us, it is in usa force fuperior to all poffible opposition-a force that never was, nor can be foiled. We are free to stand in this unconquerable ability, and defeat the powers of darkness ; or to turn from it, and be foiled and overcome. When we ftand, we know it is God alone upholds us; and when we fall, we feel that our fall or deftruction is of ourselves.

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