The Journal of John Gratton

John Gratton (1641-1711) was one of several early Quakers who were convinced of the Truth directly by the Lord, apart from the preaching or writings of others in the Society. His desperate and agonizing pursuit for true Christianity (amongst the many sects and denominations of the day) at last brought him to dramatically experience the truth of Christ's promise-"Everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened." Having found Christ, John Gratton denied himself, picked up his cross, and followed Him, thus becoming an eminent minister and a faithful sufferer for the Truth among the early Society of Friends. My goal in preparing this edition of Gratton's journal was to make the English somewhat more readable without changing the meaning or over-modernizing the language. As with all publications in our Early Quakers Series, this proved to be difficult task, and it was approached with great care, and in a measure of the fear of the Lord, believing that the Spirit of God was the true Author behind much of what John Gratton has left us.