few without complaints. An idea now prevailed, that their illness was occafioned by eating the dolichos, and fome were so much alarmed that they thought themfelves poifoned. Myfelf, however, and fome others who had eaten of them, were yet very well; but the truth was, that all those who were complaining, except Mr. Nelfon, had gorged themfelves with a large quantity of raw beans, and Mr. Nelfon informed me, that they were conftantly teazing him, whenever a berry was found, to know if it was good to eat; so that it would not have been furprizing if many, of them had been really poifoned. Our dinner was not fo well relished as at Sunday Ifland, because we had mixed the dolichos with our stew. The oysters and foup, however were eaten by every one, except Mr. Nelfon, whom I fed with a few fmall pieces of bread foaked in half a glafs of wine, and he continued to mend. In my walk round the island, I found feveral cocoa-nut fhells, the remains of an old wigwam, and the backs of two turtles, but no fign of any quadruped. One of my people found three fea-fowl's eggs. As is common on fuch spots, the foil is little other than fand, yet it produced fmall toa-trees, and fome others, that we were not acquainted with. There were fish in the lagoon, but we could not catch any. As our wants, therefore, were not likely to be supplied here, not even with water for our daily expence, I determined to fail in the morning, after trying our fuccefs in the night for turtle and birds. A quiet night's reft alfo I conceived would be of effential fervice to those who were unwell. From the wigwam and the turtle-shell being' found, it is certain that the natives fometimes refort to this place, and have canoes: but I did not apprehend that we ran any rifk by remaining here. I directed our fire, however, to be made in the thicket, that we might not be discovered in the night. Reft was now fo much wanted, that the afternoon was advantageously fpent in fleep. There were, however, a few not difpofed to it, and thofe I employed in dreffing fome clams to take with us for the next day's dinner; others we cut up in flices to dry, which I knew was the moft valuable fupply we could find here. But, contrary to our expectation, they were very scarce. Towards evening, I cautioned every one against making too large a fire, or fuffering it after dark to blaze up. Mr. Samuel and Mr. Peckover had the fuperintendence of this business, while I was strolling about the beach to observe if I thought it could be feen from the main. I was just satisfied that it could not, when on a fudden the island appeared all in a blaze, that might have been seen at a much more confiderable diftance. I ran to learn the cause, and found it was occafioned by the imprudence and obftinacy of one of the party, who, in my abfence, had infifted on having a fire to himself; in making which the flames caught the neighbouring grafs and rapidly spread. This misconduct might have produced very ferious confequences, by difcovering our fituation to the natives; for, if they had attacked us, we muft inevitably have fallen a facrifice, as we had neither arms nor ftrength to oppose an enemy. Thus the relief which I expected from a little fleep was totally lost, and I anxiously waited for the flowing of the tide, that we might pro ceed to sea. [To be continued. ] THE A THE EXPERIENCE OF MR. SPOONER. [Concluded from page 342. ] FTER this the informers difturbed our worship but once, when they kept filence till prayer was ended. Then one of them, in a confident manner, began to caft feveral fevere reflections; to which I was helped to reply. A fhort debate paffed between us, on which they feemed afhamed, and in a confused manner they all quitred the place. From which time our meetings were not interrupted. Perceiving they had got nothing by coming thus among us, and knowing that we had already forfeited as much, or more, than fome of our perfonal eftates were worth, they had recourse to their main defign, which was to ftrip us of our outward fubftance, in order to enrich themfelves. Accordingly they went again to the juftices at their next meeting, and laid a fresh information, by which means they obtained warrants for one hun dred pounds, fixty of which were laid upon me. Befides which, several other warrants were iffued out for leffer fines. Information thus given, and the warrants produced, occafioned no fmall confternation in the neighbourhood. Nothing but utter ruin was now expected, unless the course of law was flopped, or my goods fecured. My neighbours difcovered great concern, both for my perfon and family: Several, who were no way related to me, were greatly afflicted, infomuch that it broke their natural reft: Thefe blamed me at the fame time for endangering my perfon and property, by continuing to keep open meetings, and refufing their counfel, which was to get my goods fecured: And fome of my dear chriftian friends were alfo ready to join in with them, chiding me for my rafh unreasonable conduct, and telling me, that they could direct me to more fafe, yet lawful methods. And, to fay the truth, when it came to the trial, I had enough to do to filence the bold reafonings of my own flesh and blood. Amidst the hurry and confufion of my mind, under thefe cir cumftances, I conftantly fought the Lord, for wisdom and pru dence to direct my affairs: defiring I might take efpecial heed of rah proceedings, knowing that he that believeth must not, in thefe cafes, make hafte. I had alfo fome paffages of Scripture ftrongly impreffed on my fpirit; from whence I firmly believed that the Lord would fo bridle mine enemies, that they fhould not have their full designs against me; particularly Ifa. xxxvii. 29. "I will put my hook in thy nofe, and my bridle in thy lips, and I will turn thee back by the way by which thou cameft." Such support and comfort these words afforded, that amidst all my forrows I was ready to fing for joy, . When God fupports, who then caft us down? His fmiles are life, but death attends his frown. VOL. XIX. August 1796. When When the officers came to execute the warrant, I fuffered them to enter my house without the leaft oppofition; and when I read it, I fpoke to this purpose, that I had done nothing to deserve fuch a feizure, yet, forafmuch as I made confcience not to conform, or fubmit to the laws I lived under, I would quietly bear what God fhould permit them to do. I confefs this was trying to me, who had always lived in great plenty of outward things, and who had relations of fome account in the world, to see myself ftript of all my goods at once, which I had honeftly provided, having at the fame time a family of fmall children about me: my neighbours also discovered great concern upon this occafion; but especially my wife, poor heart, burst into tears, to think that her house fhould be plundered, and all her goods feized and fold in her fight; yet, after a while, the recovered herself, faying, that if it was the will of the Lord it should be fo; fhe defired to fubmit. My goods being thus feized, and an inventory taken, the officers gave us a ftrict charge, that nothing fhould be removed; they cried them the next market-day, at Litchfield, my wife was prefent at the time; "all forts of cattle, hay, and household goods, to be fold very cheap, &c." When they were at firft proclaimed, feveral ill-minded perfons began to covet them, and offered to buy; but, as God would have it, a terror foon fell on the minds of moft, and the people in general fo difcouraged one another, that not a fingle perfon appeared at the fale. This enraged my adverfaries fo much the more, and put them upon driving all my cattle that were fit for the market, to Litchfield, which was about a mile diftance. It was with great difficulty they forced them out of the field, and when they brought them to market, no man would buy them; after which they drove them to another market, but fold them not there.* Finding their hopes thus fruftrated, they obtained leave of the juftices to fetch my goods to Litchfield, and there fell them at their leisure, urging the fhame and difgrace they fhould fall under in cafe they were not fold, and that Lawrence Spooner himself would laugh in their faces. Accordingly two of them came to my house, and giving me very lofty language, began to rifle the rooms, demanding the keys of the chefts and coffers, which my wife, with fome reluctance, delivered, to prevent their being broken in pieces. But when they had got poffeffion of my effects, they could not hire waggons to carry them away, though they proffered double the price of carriage; at laft indeed they procured two teams, which were yery weak, and the ways being then bad, they were for fome time by that means hindered; then they importuned a neighbour, who was no friend to Diffenters, to come over his ground, but prevailed not. Thus Providence pre * At laft it pleafed God to permit the bailiff of the hundred to purchase them. vented their defigns, till those men with whom they had agreed, refufed carrying the goods at any rate. Notwithstanding all thefe difficulties, they hoped, ere long, without fail to compafs their end: in the mean while they drank exceeding hard: and one of them faid, in the hearing of a perfon of credit, Come fill us a thousand jugs, we will have them all paid for, and boldly fang, "One hundred pounds will buy a foul from hell, &c." My friends replied, it was beft not to drink too hard, for they might not be able to accomplish their defigns. He answered, although they had received no money as yet, they fhould hereafter; adding, that the king would place a loyal fubject in my houfe fhortly, and then asked what would I do? But I defire with awful reverence to mention the following circumftance: This fame perfon, either by exceffive drinking, or, as fome have thought, by a fecret ftroke from God, declined by little and little, drooping away, and foon died. Before he died, he was fmitten with a wounded confcience, and almoft in his laft words faid, "God forgive me; I have greatly injured those I have informed again ft, which troubles me more than any thing I have ever done in my life;" bidding those present to mark his fetter-on, faying, that divine vengeance would certainly follow him, and much more to the fame purpose: this being noised abroad, it greatly daunted fome daring finners, and fo awed the minds of all, that none durft buy any fort of goods belonging to me, nor come to fetch any thing out of my house. The informers growing quite weary of this way of ftriving, fome of the justices took me in hand, and were fully determined to have the warrant executed, efpecially as they had met with fo much trouble in this affair, and I had never in perfon, or by others, fought any favor from them; my character, as an honest man, was alone in my favor; notwithstanding which, when they had heard that we ftill kept our meetings as ufual, they threatened the conftable, and at laft I was fummoned before them. The next morning I fet forth, attended by a christian friend; and as we rode along, fpake to my companion as follows: "Could we now see the heavens open, and God Almighty as fitting on a throne, governing all the world, and holding both men and devils in chains, faying to them, as to the fea, "Hitherto fhall ye go and no further, and here fhall your proud waves be stayed," how fearless fhould we be to-day of those perfons before whom we are going to ftand! Adding moreover, that although fense could not fee this, yet faith difcerned it. And, through grace, of this truth we had a moft convincing evidence; for when we came to the place, the conftable prefented the warrant, faying, that I was there. Upon which the juftices, after confulting together, returned this anfwer, that he might take me home again, for they defired not to see me. I returned with great admiration. And that very evening the fociety had appointed to meet, in order to take their leave of me, 3 H 2 expecting expecting it would be a night of forrow, and that I fhould be fent to prifon the next morning. But the Lord made it a feafon of great comfort and joy, not only as I was fo wonderfully reftored, but alfo in fending a precious fervant of his providentially, among us, who preached that night from Jer. ix. 7. "There fore thus faith the Lord, Behold, I will melt them, and try them, for how fhall I do for the daughter of my people?" He spake To affectionately and powerfully from the words, fhewing God's gracious ends and defigns in trying his people's faith and patience, that it greatly affected us all, After these things had paffed, my enemies, knew not what courfe to take, in order to hinder our meetings, and to revenge themselves on my perfon or goods. They were like men tied hand and foot, and could do me no more mischief; therefore from this time, through me cy, we had reft: and fo remarkable was the providence of God, that my adverfaries themselves met with abundance of rouble throughout the whole of this profecution. The chief informer complained he loft by me; the cantable was charged with being bribed from a due execution of the warrants; and the juftices were wearied in about two years per plexity in this affair. So that I may lay with the Pfalmift, the net which they hid is their own foot taken; the Lord is known by the judgment which he executeth; the wicked is fnared in the works of his own hands," Pfalm ix. "In 15, 16. At laft Charles II. died, which put a ftop to fufferings for the prefent, and although after two years they were revived, and I endured many hard things for confcience fake; yet after all the forms were over, and my enemies had done their utmost, I think I loft not, from first to laft, above thirty pounds, for which I had fo large a crop of experience, that I have the grea eft reafon to forgive them, and do heartily pray that God would not lay their fin to their charge. Moft gladly would I ferve the worft of my enemies, efpecially in what concerns their fouls: This I find to be the very life of Chrift, who always went about doing good, And the perfections of the glorious Deity, perhaps, are not imitable in any thing more than this; for "he caufeth bis fun to Thine on the evil and the good, and fendeth rain on the just and the unjuft," Matt. y. 45. on In the midst of my trials I had many precious promifes and fecret fupports and comforts from above, that ftrangers intermeddle not with; infomuch that I durft not have exchanged my condition with the greatest men in the world, who lived at eafe, and were free from fufferings. And as I had the promises to stay and fupport me all along, fo I have fince feen them fulfilled in a way I the least expected; I mean, in the Lord's bleffing me abundantly with all forts of temporal bleffings, fo that what I loft is more than made up. My cup is not only full, but it runneth over. I have found fuch a manifeft difference in my temporal eftate, that it does not feem to be the fame inheritance, but one far |