I got on board in the evening. In my younger days, one of the greatest afflictions in life to me during the time it lasted, was to be torn away from my friends whom I dearly loved. This through the extensiveness of my acquaintance, and the constant change of my place of abode, and partly perhaps through the grace of God, has for late years considerably worn away. But I think for many years I have not felt myself so effeminate (shall I call it?) as I did on parting with my American brethren, the Preachers: and the sensation continued very painful for a considerable time after I left them.

From Friday, June 3, to Sunday 12.-All this time we have been sailing about seventy leagues, having been locked up for five days in a place called Moxat-Bay. However this delay gave me an opportunity of writing forty or fifty letters to my friends on the continent. There is no other passen ger in the ship, so that I have the state-room always to myself, and the cabin most part of the day. It is a blessed opportunity for fellowship with God and the improvement of my mind. O that I may husband it accordingly! That I may return to Eng land in the fulness of the blessing of the gospel of Christ.

EXTRACTS

OF THE

JOURNALS

OF THE LATE

REV. DR. THOMAS COKE'S

SECOND VISIT

ΤΟ

NORTH-AMERICA,

AND FIRST TO THE

WEST INDIES.

SECTION I.

Antigua, Jan. 2, 1787.

By the powerful hand of God we have been

brought to this island, as you will see by the following journal:

On Sunday the 24th of September, we sailed from Gravesend, and the next day were opposite the Isle of Wight. The wind then turning against us, we did nothing for five days and nights but sail, for four hours, in the midst of blustering winds and surging waves, from the Isle of Wight, towards the South of France, and the next four hours back again; and so alternately. We were most part of this time sick. How surprizing it is that any would think of riding this great monster, except for the service of God.

But, for Him

Labour is rest, and pain is sweet. On Thursday the 28th at night, we had a very providential deliverance from being run down by a

large

large coal-ship, about three times as large as our brig. It was with great difficulty that we slipped on one side of her, after receiving from deck a general alarm of our danger; but the Lord was with us. On the day before, the Lord was extraordinarily present with me in my little bed-chamber: he did indeed pour out the consolations of his Spirit largely and streams of filial, penitential tears did, in an unusual manner, flow from my eyes.

I esteem my little bed-chamber (or state-room) a peculiar gift of God. It is taken out of the steerage; and is so far, on the one hand, from the common sailors, and, on the other, from the cabin-passengers, that all is still and quiet, and here I can be with God: and, blessed be his name, he does make it my sanctum sanctorum, the Holy of Holies, filling it (my soul at least) with light and glory. Here is no one to disturb me but the two cabin-boys, who are separated from me by a partition, and whom I am able to keep in good order.

On Saturday the 30th, we were obliged to take shelter in St. Helen's, and the next day got up to Spithead, which gave me an opportunity, with my brethren, of visiting our friends in Portsmouth. Brother Warrenner preached in the town in the afternoon, and I gave our friends a sermon on the necessity of the New-birth in the evening on the common. On Monday evening my congregation was larger than on the day before, when I endeavoured to lead the people to Christ, by the star which the wise men saw in the east. On Tuesday evening I took my leave of that kind people, shewing them the necessity of a death unto sin, and of having their lives hid with Christ in God, after preaching we concluded with the Lord's Supper: and our Lord did assuredly condescend to acknowledge his own sacred ordinance. It was a precious time.

About midnight, the tide being a little in our favour, I set off for our ship, being engaged to return every night, I had seven miles to sail, viz. to the Mother

H 3

Mother-Bank, near the Isle of Wight; and thệ wind was so boisterous, that my kind pilot (who is master of the Commissioners' yacht) after rowing me about two miles, advised me to return to his yacht, which lay in the harbour. He and his men accordingly rowed me there, where, after some refreshment, I lay down on a couch (there being no bed) and slept for about three hours. How much better off was I than my most honoured Master, who had not where to lay his head!-Early in the morning they brought me to the brig; and for eight days more we were detained by the winds.

On Thursday the 5th of October, we had the highest storm that has been remembered on that coast for these six years, according to the accounts of the neighbouring inhabitants. A small sloop got entangled in the cable of one of our anchors, which was likely to do us much damage, and to ruin the sloop; but what small things are these, to those whose anchor is cast within the vail. On Sunday the 8th, we read prayers and gave a sermon to the cabin passengers, the sailors not appearing.

On Wednesday the 11th, we removed to Yarmouth Harbour, in the Isle of Wight, and the next day were in great danger of being run down by a frigate, which by mercifully endeavouring to avoid us, run on shore; but the shore consisting chiefly of mud, the frigate received no damage. On Thursday the 12th, we sailed into the Channel, and got to the Land's End on the 14th,

Sunday the 15th, brother Warrenner read prayers and I preached, endeavouring to explain the nature of our christian calling, the necessity of walking" worthy of it, and the way thereto, with a close application of the whole: the sailors for the first time were present.

Sunday the 22d, I went on deck about half an hour before sunrise, and had the pleasure of seeing the most glorious sight I ever beheld, except once on my former voyage to America. The eastern sky was covered with a most beautiful canopy of

pur

ple,

ple, which was all over decorated with spangles of gold. The heavens did indeed declare the glory of God. I would, I think, at any time go ten miles to see so noble a display of the handy work of my Maker. And this God is my God: what a ravishing consideration!-Twice this day we read the prayers of our Liturgy. In the morning I enlarged on the nature of Repentance and Justification; and brother Clarke in the afternoon gave a rousing sermon on those impudent words of Pharaoh, "Who is the Lord, that I should obey his voice?" But, alas! they are all like the deaf adder, that refuses to hearken to the voice of the charmer, charm he never so wisely.

Tuesday the 24th.-We have had little else but storms and squalls since we sailed. But this morning a most alarming circumstance called forth all our attention. A leak was observed in that part of our ship which lies under the cabin; and we are now about half way between the two continents. However, after long examination, it was found that the leak was above the surface of the water, that the water came in only when the ship heeled (as they term it.) It was the opinion both of the captain and mate, that nothing could be done to stop the breach; but that our pumps could easily command it, if it did not increase.

and

Last night they were obliged to shut up all the hatches, and for some time past they have shut all the windows in the cabin. This is indeed a time for the exercise of resignation. May I duly improve it, whether it end in life or death. The sailors, this night, for the first time, joined us in family

prayer.

Friday the 27th.-Last night was the most tempestuous I ever knew at sea. The captain says that he has not known such a night these ten years. Though we lay to, they were very apprehensive that the wind would break the main-mast, and about midnight sent down for two hatchets, that they might cut it away if necessary. But our Lord sit

teth