"I AM moved and disposed to leave this testi­mony for the truth, in humble gratitude, praise and thanksgiving unto the great author and preserver of my being, who in his marvellous lov­ing kindness hath visited my soul with a sensible knowledge of what I now communicate; and that I have not been moved thereunto by the advice, consultation or direction of any mortal; but pure­ly for the honour of the holy head of the church of God, and the good of my fellow mortals, to bear testimony, that no man can acceptably worship the adorable God, but in, through and by the influ­ence of his own Eternal Spirit of Truth and Right­cousness, in the pure silence of all flesh; not as [Page 4]some may imagine, in senseless stupefaction or mere silence as to vocal declarations; but in an intire abstraction from all earthly or fleshly cogitations; in which seasons of holy passivity (all the effects of divine power) is there divine ability imparted, in which the soul can acceptably worship the Al­mighty Maker of heaven and earth, in a manner no form of words can reach, And I have this testimony to leave for the truth, and for the sake of that only, that in diverse opportanities of wait­ing upon the Lord in pure silence, with the peo­ple called Quakers, in the time of my sickness; my soul (both with and without word) has been made to rejoice in the living sense of God's salva­tion to my unspeakable comfort, and to our mu­tual edification; and in unfeigned love to the up­righ: hearted of this religious society of people, doth my soul wish that grace, mercy and peace may be multiplied among you.

"And I feel my soul impressed through a sense of duty to God, and as a warning to others, who are or may have been made sensible of the truth as held by this people, to freely own, that being blinded by the god of this world, in love with the honour and friendship thereof, and through a fear of the shame of the cross of Christ, I have been disobedient to the heavenly visitation of God's love, and thereby deprived myself of many pre­cious opportunities, that I believe I should have been favoured with, had I been faithful to the just witness which (during the time of my confine­ment) I have often had deeply to mourn for before God: I feel therefore desirous that none may slight the day of their visitation, or shan the cross through fear of man, or the reproach of the world, but [Page 5]that they may be prevailed upon to give cheerful obedience to the dictates of truth in the mind, where is placed God's witness, a minister of the sanctuary whom all ought to hear and obey.

"In testimony of my love to the pure worship of God, I do request and advise, that my family meet with and attend the religious meetings of Friends.

"Given forth this sixth day of the fourth month 1791, at Vassalborough, as a testimony for the truth, in the fear of God, under the enlivening in­fluence of good hope and desire that the Lord may make it useful for the promotion of truth; and that he who is a just rewarder of all such as love, and diligently seek him, will graciously condescend to receive this free will offering at my hands, un­to whom be all Glory, Honour, Majesty and Pow­er, with everlasting thanksgiving ascribed for ever­more. Amen.

HE was a man of good natural abilities, and reputation in the parts where he lived, hav­ing his residence at Vassalborough aforesaid, ap­pearing strong in argument, cogent in reasoning, deep in his researches after the origination of mat­ter and things, of a steady conduct; was deemed a good neighbour and an useful member of civil society: After serving in several public stations (as first mentioned) in the latter part of his life he had conferred on him a commission of the peace: He had been convinced of the truth, relating to a principle of inward light and grace being confer­red on every man, as a pure infallible teacher, con­sistent with the doctrine of the people called Qua­kers (although it is slighted and spoken against by many professing christianity:) And being up­wards of twelve years ago remarkably reached and tendered in his spirit under the testimony of a [Page 8]minister of that religious society, at a meeting held near his dwelling, his mind was for some time apparently turned from the sentiments received by education, with desires to take up the cross and walk in a narrower way, which he then saw was necessa­ry in order to obtain inward peace; but his resolu­tions did not prove to be strong enough to withdraw from, and withstand the stream he had been accus­tomed to, in regard to worldly friendship with the maxims and honours thereof, so as to make a solid progress in the true christian path of self denial; therefore, although he retained a regard for the society called Quakers, he never joined himself among them as a member: When his health de­clined, through the prevalence of a sore disorder, he was visited with a sense of divine mercy, and it is hoped he witnessed forgiveness of sins; often greatly bemoaning his folly and disobedience in not being faithful to the inward principle of truth and its discoveries of christian duty, which he had been favoured to see in time path was a sore way of obtaining salvation. The humble penitent state of his mind near the close of his life, appears from the tenor of his expressions heareafter insert­ed: Out of the many of like nature which he ut­tered in the time of his illness; these following having been faithfully preserved in writing, were lately communicated for more general benefit to a person at Provindence in the State of Rhodeisland, by one of said Getchell's near neighbours, who was formerly a magistrate of that place, and re­mains to be a person of good reputation and un­doubted veracity.

Upon his giving over any expectation of help from physicians at the place where he lived, he con­cluded [Page 9]to embark for Boston, and being about to take leave of his near connections and others, in an opportunity at that time happening, he appeared to be much contrited; but being evidently under the refining hand of divine power, which purifies from nature's dross (although heretofore he mostly had words at will) he was now so reduced and curbed in by an awful sense of his own unworthiness, be­fore the Supreme Judge of the world, that he said; "notwithstanding it looks very dark and uncer­tain, whether I shall ever see my family any more; yet I am so shut up that I cannot communicate any advice or instruction to them; I can only ut­ter words without life: The Almighty hath shut my mouth, and whether ever it will please him to open it again, I know not; and if I am not fa­voured to speak in the life, I must leave them without a word, however trying."

Taking leave, he said, "Friends, all I can say is farewell," which he uttered in a broken man­ner.

Not long after his return from Boston (being also given over by the physicians there) he seemed favoured with a sense of divine mercy, in the liv­ing hope of pardon and salvation; and many of his relations and neighbours being present, he warned them to beware of the polutions and vani­ties of the world; and strongly advised them to restrain their families from going out into compa­ny, and not to indulge their children in frequent­ing places of ill example, as he said he had too much done in his time; he warned them in a particular manner against the pernicious principle of Deism; and also the Universalian principle, as imbibed by many now-a-days; touching a belief [Page 10]that none are to be perpetually punished after death, whatever their actions may have been in life; "this (said he) has a tendency to induce people to think light of God's attributes, mercy and judgment; to which principle I had given too much attention, to the scattering of my own mind from the pure principle of truth: Oh, be­ware of its suggestions, whereby many I fear are captivated to the rain of their poor immortal souls," with much more to the same purpose: At another time he said in substance thus, "Words do not seem to me as once they did; I often feel shut up, and cannot say a word; some people come in, and think they must do something; and so without life (or with unsanctified lips) speak of things they have only heard with their (outward) ears; but it is a burden to me: At other times I feel such openness, that I fear I shall exceed my bounds, if you see this to be my case, pray admonish me."— He often desired to collect his family, when friends came, saying, "I have no opportunity of getting out to meetings," upon which occasions there ap­peared evident tokens of divine goodness being near.

At one time while some persons sat with him at supper, he said in a very sensible and feeling man­ner, "I have often (when sitting at meat) besought the Lord for more substantial food than this, which must perish; for the bread of life which comes from heaven; and oh, may we all be so preserved through life, as to meet in heaven, there is hap­piness without mixture and without end." At another time soon after one had entered the room (and they being alone) he said nearly as follows, "I have been made sensible of the nature of ac­ceptable [Page 11]worship, through the emblem of the flow­ing and ebbing of the tide, which is by a secret influence unknown to man; that as the tide flows into rivers, rivulets and creeks, and again re­turns to the ocean, so it is as the love and spirit of God flows into the mind, when reduced into pure silence, it is in that which returns to the ocean of (love) that God is acceptably worshipped, and there is no other way, therefore I am convinced that Friends are before any other people; and my faith is such, that those who are thus in the fellowship of one spirit, feel the flowings thereof into one anothers minds: But oh! how have I despised and trampled on the blessed truth, through a contempt of its small appearence, as others now do; my sense of the greatness of my pride and rebellion is such, that I think my suffering light, and that I shall have further chastisement yet; though so it is, in the extreme anguish I am apt to think it is enough."

At another time he said "There was a person came to see me to day (naming him) being a man of note: And another (being one who had been convinced of the truth, and gone from it) and immediately it struck my mind whether I should not be ashamed of Christ's words, if any were given me to speak, and, through fear of the shame of the cross, I began instantly as words were given; and I have this to say, truth will comfort the believers, and cause devils to trem­ble:" And speaking of the one above hinted, that was gone from the truth, said, "he is en­deavouring to patch up something, but never will obtain peace until he returns to the place from whence he went out: Truth is over all, and no [Page 12]substitute will answer in its room: Many are making to themselves something they think looks like it, but nothing will answer but the truth it­self; it is over all and the possession of it will en­able a man to forsake all: Ten thousand worlds, one upon the back of another, would be no in­ducement to me, to live as I have lived. In the world is pollution, yea, there is poison in every vein of it."

At another time he said, "Oh! that a search may go through the churches, and none be con­tented with a name, and in the end be disappoint­ed:" At another time he said, "the help of man is vain, yea, even though they were princes; my trust and dependence is only on God, who hath power and can help; I am waiting in hopes, that in his own time he will arise for my help, which will be the best time: He is just, and if he should cast me off forever, I feel nothing in me that can say, what dost thou? If I perish, it shall be at the feet of his power, begging mercy:" At another time "We are but as children under age, and don't know what is best for us: We need a wise and tender parent to guide and direct us, it is necessary that we should know on whom to depend; this keeps us poor and begging."

About two minutes before his departure his brother asking him how it was with him, he said, "my trust and dependence is upon a merciful God."