Rash's Surname Index
Notes for Robert Jr. JORDAN
A testimony from the Monthly-Meeting of Philadelphia concerning Robert Jordan . It appears, he was born in the county of Nansemond in Virginia , the 27th of the tenth month 1693 , of parents in good esteem among friends, and that about the year 1718 he received a gift in the ministry as did his brother Joseph about the same time; and to their first appearance in that weighty work the labours of Lydia Lancaster and her companion then on a religious visit from Great Britain were under divine help made instrumental. Of his first travels in the service of truth the following is an abstract from an account committed to writing by himself. "I early found a concern on my mind to visit friends in Maryland , which I did on both sides of the bay (Chesapeak ) in fear and trembling being young and weak, and the work very exercising by reason of an obvious declension, which accasioned me much exercise in speaking and writing against the spirit of Liberty, superfluity and conformity to the world, for a testimony against which in many particulars ancient friends suffered much; but now with many is the offence of that cross ceased and friends sufferings trampled upon, to the great grief of my spirit, respecting tythes, wearing apparel etc. And as the Lord hath been pleased to commit a part of the ministry to me, and of that part which is more necessary than desirable, in this age of the church he hath been graciously pleased hitherto to furnish with a suitable ability for his honor, and my faithful discharge of duty; for, as before my appearance I was long under the concern, being fully convinced it was required of me, but giving way to reasonings, the suggestions and sufferings of Satan, Twas likely to lose my condition, had not the Lord been very gracious, who knew that I did not hold back obstinately, but through human weakness, and contempt of my self for such a weighty service; So in a deep travail of soul once in a meeting, breathing for strength to bring forth, I desired that the Lord would commit the hardest part of the work to my charge, which I think was granted, and a hard travail I had in my first appearance, but it fared otherwise with my brother, whom I prefer, he was not disobedient to the heavenly vision, submitting speedily to the call, and has been very prosperous hitherto; May the Lord preserve us steady and faithful to the end. After this we travelled together in Maryland , visiting friends on each side of the bay and at the yearly-Meeting near Choptauk , having meetings also in way on our return, and were frequently employed and zealously concerned in the Lords work; blessed be his name who hath called us out of darkness, and with the day spring from on high visited our souls accounting us worthy of this high vocation, even to hold forth the glory of this gospel day, giving encouragement and enlargement of heart in the mysteries and doctrines of his kingdom so that in the ability of devine faith, we frequently travelled about both in Virginia and Carolina , while young; but as there is a diversity of gifts, so there is of operation, according to the good pleasure of one great benefactor, and the emergency of times and occasions, so let not us of the ministry, imitate one another in this respect, but be careful dear friends, to keep to one true guide, the holy spirit, for youth is warm, zealous, and without seasonable caution and watchfulnes apt to exceed ability and experience, and so may be over strained and sustain loss and injury." In the year 1722 he performed a religious visit as far as New-England which employed him about ten months, and on his return home he was sued in the beginning of the following year for priests wages, and for his refusal to comply with the demand, he offered to the Magistrate in writing sundry considerations, which being taken amiss, he was after some time indicted by the grand jury and summond before the governor and council; in this time of trial (he says) "some forsook me as being ashamed of my testimony, and of my sufferings for it; at my first appearance the firceness of the dragon was felt, his dark power seeming to be great and terrible, as though he would have swallowed me up quick, and truths adversaries seemed to rejoice, for I was made to stand like a fool for them to glory over me; however my mind being composed, and stayed in stillness on the Lord with the earnest breathings for divine aid in this his cause, for which and myself I found it safest to say little at that time, being greatly desirous that I might not give way one jot from my testimony, through fear even of death itself, for I thought I felt the bitterness of it strike at my naturel life. On the day when final judgment on the case was to be given, I was brought before them the third time, and they demanded what I had further to say before Sentence was passed; I then desired liberty to make my defence, and to give my sense on the contents of my paper, the commissary or chief priest having perverted my meaning, which request the governor seemed disposed to allow but it was afterward denied as I apprehended, through the influence of the priest, howbeit I told them I remembered to have read a proviso of an act of parliament, that no man should be punished for any offence against an act, unless he was prosecuted within three months after the fact but this said I was about seven months after; but some of the court resolving on severity to induce me to submitt they proceeded to give sentence of a year's imprisonment or bonds with security for good behavior, etc. when with a composed mind and an audible voice, I said, this is an hard sentence and I pray God to forgive mine adversaries, which affected divers of the bystanders with tears, and one in particular, a judge and man of note, was much affected, made himself acquainted and conversed with me more than once, appears to be a tender man and well convinced, having since gladly received meetings into his house, and as he has told me, laid down his commission, - Being committed to prison, I was first placed in the debtors apartment but in a few days was removed into the common side, where condemned persons are kept, and for some time had not the privilege of seeing anybody, except a negro who once a day brought water to the prisoners. This place was so dark, that I could not see to read even at noon without creeping to small holes in the door; being also very noisome the infectious air brought on me the flux, that had not the Lord been pleased to have sustained me by his invisible hand, I had then lost my life; the governor was made acquainted with my condition, and I believe used his enddeavorres for my liberty; The commissary visited me more than once under a shew of friendship, but with a view to ensnare me, and I was very weary of him. I wrott again to the governor to acquaint him of my situation, so after a confinement of three weeks I was discharged, without any acknowledgment or compliance, and this brought me into an acquaintance and ready admittance to the governor, who said I was a meek man Etc. Thus I returned home with praise and thanksgiving in my heart to the Lord, who had caused his truth to triumph over the strong efforts of man and the powers of the earth." In the year 1725 accompanied by Thomas Chasauts he again visited friends in Maryland and the Yearly-Meeting near Choptauk . My concern here (he says) "was principally to labour for the restoration of wholesome discipline, the neglect whereof I conceive has been a great cause of the disorder and undue liberty pervailing among the professors of truth there, and when the service of this Meeting was over, we visited the Meetings on the Western shore, and returned home, having left an example of that useful and necessary practice of visiting families, joining friends therein for some time; we are, thanks be to God, come and coming into the same in Virginia , which, with some assistance, I have pretty generally performed through one Monthly Meeting, and never, I think, was more sensible of the company and ability of truth in any service, according to the dignity of it." A malicious person getting into his possession, the judgment obtained against him for the demand of tythes before mentioned, had seven of his cattle seized and appraised, but deferred taking them away until about two years after, when he procured a new action against him, alledging, but not proving, that Robert had converted at least a part of them to his own use, and so managed the matter in his absence, as to make the debt amount to twenty pounds, tho' the demand was but eight pounds, and serving the execution on his body, he was again committed to prison in the twelfth month 1727 , where being confined fifteen weeks, he was at length discharged, with out any person paying anything for him, which he would not suffer. Soon after he was brought under a trial with others of his friends by the operation of a militia law, whereupon they addressed governor Gooch on his arrival, representing to him their sufferings by spoil of goods and imprisonment, which with the friends who attended on the occasion, he received with kindness. "Having this year (he remarks) suffered persecution in body and estate as a preparation to a greater affliction (all which doth will work for good). My dear affectionate wife was called away. The next year 1728 he embarked for great Britain , with one friend Samuel Bownas , who had accomplished his journeys on this continent in the service of the gospel; and after performing a religious visit to the Meetings of friends in England , Scotland , Wales and Ireland , he proceeded to Barbados , and arrived from thence in this city in 1730 , then went to Virginia , and in the same year performed a visit as far Eastward as Rhode Island , accompanied by his intimate friend Caleb Roper of Burlington . The following year intermarrying with Mary the widow of Richard Hill , he became a member of one Monthly Meeting and after a visit to the meetings of friends in Maryland and Virginia , he embark'd on a second visit to Great Britain , from whence he returned in the summer of 1734 , between which time and the year 1738 he performed another visit Eastward and then to the southern provinces, besides one to South Carolina and Georgia , and to Boston , and in 1740 he went on a second visit to Barbados , and in the succeeding year, accompaned by Caleb Roper , he accomplished his last visit Eastward as far as Boston . Hereby we may observe his unwearied application and exercise, to fulfill the ministry which he had received of the Lord. He was a member of this Meeting above ten years and tho' his time was much employed in his religious duties abroad, he did not omit the adjacent meetings, being industrious and laborous for the general welfare and prosperity of the churches; for the promotion whereof he was through the divine anointing emminently qualified. His ministry being convincing and consolatory, his delivery graceful but unaffected; in prayer he was solemn and reverent; he delighted in meditation, recommending by example, religious retirement in his familiar visits among his friends; in his sentments he was generous and charitable, yet a firm opposer of obstinate liberties in principal or practice, demonstrating his love to the cause of Religion and rightousness above all other considerations, being careful to adorn the doctrine of the gospel, by a life of piety and benevolence, and we have ground to hope and believe he was prepared for the sudden summons from his pilgrimage here, which was on the fifth day of the eighth month O. S. 1742 , when being at the house of one of his most intimate friends on the third day of the week in the morning waiting for the hour of Meeting, he was seized with a fit of the aproplexy, which very soon deprived him of speech, and he died about midnight following, in the forty ninth year of his age, being a minister about 24 years; his burial on the 7th of the same month was attended by a great number of his fellow-citizens, to one meeting-house in High street, and thence to the grave-yard.
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