open a Bible that was near me, which I did, and my eyes fell
upon this passage, "Gird up thy loins now like a man, and answer thou
me. Obey God rather than man," &c. Here I fell into a great exercise
of spirit, and was plunged very low. I went from one religious
professor to another, enquiring of them what ailed me; but of all
these I could find none who could throw any light upon such
impressions. They all told me there was nothing in Scripture that
would sanction such exercises. It was hard for men to travel, and what
would women do? These things greatly discouraged me, and shut up my
way, and caused me to resist the Spirit. After going to all that were
accounted pious, and receiving no help, I returned to the Lord,
feeling that I was nothing, and knew nothing, and wrestled and prayed
to the Lord that He would fully reveal His will, and make the way
plain.

Whilst I thus struggled, there seemed a light from heaven to fall upon
me, which banished all my desponding fears, and I was enabled to form
a new resolution to go on to prison and to death, if it might be my
portion: and the Lord showed me that it was His will I should be
resigned to die any death that might be my lot, in carrying his
message, and be entirely crucified to the world, and sacrifice _all_
to His glory that was then in my possession, which His witnesses, the
holy Apostles, had done before me. It was then revealed to me that the
Lord had given me the evidence of a clean heart, in which I could
rejoice day and night, and I walked and talked with God, and my soul
was illuminated with heavenly light, and I knew nothing but Jesus
Christ, and him crucified.

One day, after these things, while I was at my work, the Spirit
directed me to go to a poor widow, and ask her if I might have a
meeting at her house, which was situated in one of the lowest and
worst streets in Baltimore. With great joy she gave notice, and at the
time appointed I appeared there among a few coloured sisters. When
they had all prayed, they called upon me to close the meeting, and I
felt an impression that I must say a few words; and while I was
speaking, the house seemed filled with light; and when I was about to
close the meeting, and was kneeling, a man came in and stood till I
arose. It proved to be a watchman. The sisters became so frightened,
they all went away except the one who lived in the house, and an old
woman; they both appeared to be much frightened, fearing they should