,,everyman',s ,,library                 
,,edited ,,by ,,ernest ,,rhys           
,,biography                             
,,john ,,woolman',s ,,journal           
,,with ,,an ,,introduction ,,by         
,,vida ,d4 ,,scudder   ,,the            
,,publishers ,,of ,,everyman',s         
,,library ,,will ,,be ,,pleased ,,to    
,,send ,,freely ,,to ,,all ,,applicants 
,a ,,list ,,of ,,the ,,published ,,and  
,,projected ,,volumes ,,to ,,be         
,,comprised ,,under ,,the ,,following   
,,twelve ,,headings3       ,,travel     
,,science     ,,fiction     ,,theology  
,,philosophy     ,,history              
,,classical     ,,for ,,young ,,people  
,,essays     ,,oratory     ,,poetry     
,,drama     ,,biography     ,,romance   
,,in ,,two ,,styles ,,of ,,binding1     
,,cloth1 ,,flat ,,back1 ,,coloured      
,,top1 ,,and ,,leather1 ,,round         
,,corners1 ,,gilt ,,top4      ,,london3 
,j4 ,m4 ,,dent  ,,sons1 ,,ltd4     ,,new
 ,,york3 ,e4 ,p4 ,,dutton  ,,co4  ,a    
,,good ,,book ,,is ,,the ,,precious     

,,life-,,blood ,,of ,a ,,master ,,spirit
 ,,embalmed  ,,treasured ,,upon         
,,purpose ,,to ,a ,,life ,,beyond       
,,life--,,milton     ,,the ,,journal    
with other ,,writings of ,,john         
,,woolman       ,,london3 ,,published   
by ,j4 ,m4 ,,dent  ,,sons ,,ltd         
,,and ,,in ,,new ,,york     ,,by ,e4 ,p4
 ,,dutton  ,,co      ,all rights        
reserved     ,,introduction   ,from the 
days of ,charles ,lamb to those of ,dr4 
,eliot of ,harvard1 the unique charm and
 worth of the ,journal of ,john ,woolman
 have been signalled by a thinker of    
distinction here and there1 and the     
book1 if not widely known1 has quietly  
found its way to many hearts and been   
reprinted in sundry editions4 ,the more 
formal works1 however1 in which this    
gentle and audacious eighteenth-century 
,quaker-preacher spoke out his whole    
careful mind have been for the most part
 neglected4 ,these works are sometimes  
prosy1 always indifferent to style in   
their unflinching quest for pure wisdom1

 often concerned with the dead issue of 
negro slavery4 ,yet even in this last   
case they have much value as historic   
documents2 no full knowledge of         
,woolman's spirit is possible without   
them2 and not to know that spirit in its
 entirety is a distinct loss4  ,the     
present edition1 while making no claim  
to critical completeness1 presents the  
main accessible body of ,woolman's      
writings4 ,here is a well of purest     
water1 dug deep1 to use the ,quaker     
phrase4 ,the mere limpidity of the water
 will be joy enough for some3 others    
gazing into it may feel that they see   
down to the proverbial ,truth--the very 
origin of things1 the foundations of the
 moral universe4  ,a studious moderation
 of utterance is the first quality to   
make itself felt in ,woolman's works4   
,to casual or jaded readers who crave   
the word-embroidery1 the heightened     
note1 of the romanticist in style1 the  
result may seem colourless4 ,here is a  
lack of adjectives1 an entire absence of

 emphasis1 a systematic habit of        
under-statement that1 in the climax of a
 paragraph or the crisis of an emotion1 
seems at times almost ludicrous4 ,yet to
 the reader of severer taste1 this very 
absence of emphasis1 so quaintly sober1 
so sensitive in its unfaltering         
reticence1 becomes the choicest grace of
 ,woolman's style4 ,as is the style1 so 
is the man4 ,woolman studied to be      
quiet1 and his steady self-discipline   
was rewarded by a scrupulous yet        
instinctive control over the finest     
shades of verity in speech and life4 ,in
 the youthful trouble of deep religious 
feeling1 when he went to meetings1 as he
 expressively tell us1 in an awful frame
 of mind1 he spoke a few words one day1 
under a strong exercise of spirit4 ,but 
not keeping close to the divine opening1
 ,i said more than was required of me1  
and being soon sensible of my error1 ,i 
was afflicted in mind some weeks1       
without any light or comfort1 even to   
such a degree that ,i could not take    

satisfaction in anything4 ,the mistake  
was not often repeated2 for as he writes
 in memorable words3 ,as ,i was thus    
humbled and disciplined under the       
,cross1 my understanding became more    
strengthened to distinguish the pure    
spirit that inwardly moves upon the     
heart1 and taught me to wait in silence1
 sometimes for many weeks together1 till
 ,i felt that rise which prepares the   
creature to stand like a trumpet through
 which the ,lord speaks to ,his flock4  
,a fine passage towards the end of the  
,journal shows that the danger of       
speaking without this pure spirit was   
ever present to him4 ,many love to hear 
eloquent orations1 and if there is not a
 careful attention to the ,gift1 men who
 have once laboured in the pure ,gospel 
ministry1 growing weary of suffering and
 ashamed of appearing weak1 may kindle a
 fire1 compass themselves about with    
sparks1 and walk in the light1 not of   
,christ who is under suffering1 but of  
that fire which they going from the     

,gift have kindled2 and that in hearers 
which has gone from the meek suffering  
state into the worldly wisdom1 may be   
warmed with this fire and speak highly  
of these labours4 ,in this journey1 a   
labour hath attended my mind that the   
ministers amongst us may be preserved in
 the meek1 feeling life of truth4 ,no   
man could so keenly analyse the snare of
 fluency and popularity1 who had not    
spent a life on guard4 ,the reserve of  
his writings is a natural consequence4  
,one searches these pages in vain1 often
 controversial though they be1 for a    
single point in which the note is forced
 or emotion escapes control4  ,yet the  
emotional intensity concealed beneath   
this equable habit of soul1 is evident  
from the first line to the last4 ,in the
 fine phrase of the ,friends after his  
death1 ,woolman underwent many deep     
baptisms2 how deep1 the ,journal        
reveals4 ,he was a man of impassioned   
tenderness4 ,even as a child he saw that
 as the mind is moved by an inward      

principle to love ,god as an invisible1 
incomprehensible ,being1 so by the same 
principle it is moved to love ,him in   
all his manifestations in the visible   
world4 ,that as by his breath the flame 
of life has kindled in all sensible     
creatures1 to say that we love ,god as  
unseen and at the same time exercise    
cruelty toward the least creature moving
 by his life1 or by life derived from   
,him1 is a contradiction in itself4     
,woolman did not only say these things1 
he felt them4 ,he is among the great    
lovers of the world4 ,his tenderness for
 animals was always keen1 from the days 
in which1 as he has told us1 he suffered
 childish remorse from having killed a  
robin1 to his last voyage1 when in the  
midst of personal suffering1 he noted   
pityingly the dull and pining appearance
 of the dunghill fowls on board4 ,i     
believe1 he writes1 where the love of   
,god is verily perfected1 a care will be
 felt that we do not lessen that        
sweetness of life in the animal creation

 which the great ,creator intends for   
them under our government4  ,he who so  
sympathised with the robin and the cock 
was filled with a yearning compassion   
for the sorrows of humanity4 ,of him as 
of ,shelley it might well be said1 ,he  
was as a nerve o'er which do creep the  
else unfelt oppressions of the earth4   
,we read of his appetite failing through
 the agitation of his mind over human   
pain and his relations to it4 ,in his   
last illness he broke forth in words    
that might have been uttered by ,s4     
,catherine of ,siena3 ,o ,lord my ,god6 
,the amazing horrors of darkness were   
gathered around me and covered me all   
over1 and ,i saw no way to go forth4 ,i 
felt the misery of my fellow-beings     
separated from the divine harmony1 and  
it was heavier than ,i could bear2 ,i   
was crushed down under it4 ,all great   
lovers are great sufferers3 ,woolman was
 no exception to the rule4  ,if he knew 
deep sorrow he knew deep joy also1 as   
all must do who like him live under the 

,cross and simply follow the operations 
of ,truth4 ,more is unuttered than      
uttered in the ,journal1 yet through its
 silences we may read an inner          
experience akin to that of ,bunyan or   
,pascal4 ,like these great protagonists 
of the ,spirit1 he knew a peace given   
not as the world giveth4 ,for peace can 
be where ease is not4 ,decorous son of  
an unillumined century1 ,john ,woolman  
is of the company of the ,mystics4 ,he  
is of those led by the ,shepherd of     
,souls beside the still waters4 ,he has 
suggested his own secret3 ,some glances 
of real beauty may be seen in their     
faces who dwell in true meekness4 ,there
 is a harmony in the sound of that voice
 to which ,divine love gives utterance1 
and some appearance of right order in   
their temper and conduct whose passions 
are regulated4 ,yet all these do not    
fully show forth that inward life to    
those who have not felt it2 but this    
white stone and new name are known      
rightly only to such as have them4 ,pure

 is the central word of the ,journal1   
and the beauty of pure contemplative    
quietude is the final impression        
conveyed by this record so full of      
anguish over the sorrows of humanity and
 of unflinching witness against         
wickedness1 borne at the expense of the 
crucifixion of the natural man4         
99       99       99       99       99  
,a chief value of ,woolman's works      
consists in his serene application of   
his mystical intuitions to the affairs  
of this world4 ,he who dwelt deep in an 
inward stillness studied his age with a 
penetrating sagacity that allowed no    
evasions4 ,the man so carefully on his  
guard against extravagance was a        
reformer who pushed his demands1 as some
 would think1 almost beyond the border  
of sanity4 ,no temper was ever more     
opposed to fanaticism3 yet many readers 
may question whether he escaped the doom
 of the fanatic4 ,and the most pertinent
 reason for a re-issue of his works at  
this juncture is1 that in our own day so

 many hearts are troubled like his own4 
,a generation seeking guidance on the   
path of social duty will find here a    
precursor of ,ruskin and ,tolstoi1 a man
 whose thought1 despite the quaintness  
of his diction1 has a quite             
extraordinary modernness1 and whose     
searchings of conscience are none of    
them familiar4  ,the main contemporary  
issue that agitated ,woolman was of     
course the slave-trade1 and he was long 
regarded all but exclusively as a herald
 of the anti-slavery movement4 ,but the 
,fabian ,society did well to suggest1 in
 reprinting one of his tracts1 the      
broader scope of his thinking4 ,it will 
be evident from this edition that his   
horror of chattel slavery was one       
incident only in that general attitude  
toward civilisation which drew from him 
the bitter cry3 ,under a sense of deep  
revolt and an overflowing stream of     
unrighteousness1 my life has often been 
a life of mourning4 ,the central evil   
which he opposed was1 in brief1 the     

exploitation of labour3 the ideal which 
he sought was a society in which no man 
should need to profit by the degradation
 of his fellow-men4 ,for economic       
analysis of the modern type one         
naturally looks in vain2 moral analysis 
of social relations has1 however1 rarely
 been carried farther4 ,these little    
essays ,on ,labour1 ,on the ,right ,use 
of the ,lord's ,outward ,gifts1 ,on     
,loving our ,neighbour1 these           
,considerations on the ,true ,harmony of
 ,mankind1 this ,word of ,remembrance   
and ,caution to the ,rich1 reveal       
through their quaint formalities of     
phrase a searching spirit not to be     
outdone to-day4  ,woolman felt a concern
 in the spring of pure love1 that all   
who have plenty of outward substance may
 example others in the right use of     
things1 may carefully look into the     
condition of poor people1 and beware of 
exacting of them in regard to their     
wages4 ,he was solicitous1 as many have 
been since his day1 over the            

perplexities of those who seek to       
combine a due care for their own        
families with consideration for the     
wage-earner1 in a fruitful land where   
the wages bear so small a proportion to 
the necessaries of life4 ,there are few 
if any1 he says truly1 could behold     
their fellow-creatures lie long in      
distress and forbear to help them when  
they could do it without any            
inconvenience2 but customs1 requiring   
much labour to support them1 do often   
lie heavy upon the poor1 while they who 
live in these customs are so entangled  
in a multitude of unnecessary concerns  
that they think but little of the       
hardships the poor people go through4   
,to lessen these concerns1 thus to      
emancipate the labourer from a part of  
the crushing burden of production1      
became his central thought4 ,in         
beholding that unnecessary toil which   
many go through in supporting outward   
greatness1 and procuring delicacies2 in 
beholding how the true calmness of life 

is changed into hurry1 and that many1 by
 eagerly pursuing outward treasure1 are 
in danger of withering as to the inward 
state of the mind2 in meditating on the 
works of this spirit1 and the           
desolations it makes among the          
professors of ,christianity1 ,i may     
thankfully acknowledge that ,i often    
feel pure love beget longings in my mind
 for the exaltation of the peaceable    
,kingdom of ,christ1 and an engagement  
to labour according to the ,gift        
bestowed upon me for promoting an       
humble1 plain1 temperate way of living4 
,the ,simple ,life is then ,woolman's   
plea1 and the necessity for social      
sacrifice the burden of his teaching4   
,this plea he presents with no vagueness
 or ,wagnerian sentimentality1 but with 
an alarming precision of outline4  ,no  
man ever described better the insensible
 growth of worldly convention into that 
custom which lies upon us with a weight 
heavy as frost and deep almost as life4 
,noting the gradual lapse of the        

,friends from their earlier standards of
 unworldliness1 he says3 ,these things1 
though done in calmness without any show
 of disorder1 do yet deprave the mind in
 like manner and with as great certainty
 as prevailing cold congeals water4 ,and
 again1 ,though the change from day to  
night is by a motion so gradual as      
scarcely to be perceived1 yet when night
 is come we behold it very different    
from the day2 and thus as people become 
wise in their own eyes and prudent in   
their own sight1 customs rise up from   
the spirit of this world and spread1 by 
little and little1 till a departure from
 the simplicity that is in ,christ      
becomes as distinguishable as light from
 darkness to such who are crucified to  
the world4 ,so the generations as they  
pass slip further and further from pure 
wisdom1 for the customs of their        
parents1 and their neighbours1 working  
upon their minds1 and they from thence  
conceiving ideas of things and modes of 
conduct1 the entrance into their hearts 

becomes in a great measure shut up      
against the gentle movings of ,uncreated
 ,purity4 ,woolman is too wise to feel  
resentment against those so hardened2   
rather he says1 ,compassion hath filled 
my heart toward my fellow-creatures     
involved in customs1 grown up in the    
wisdom of this world1 which is          
foolishness with ,god4  ,to his own     
spirit1 we may well apply the           
description in the little essay on      
,merchandising1 of the growing          
sensitiveness among the faithful friends
 of ,christ1 who inwardly breathe that  
,his ,kingdom may come on earth and     
learn to be very attentive to the means 
,he may appoint for promoting pure      
righteousness4 ,his ideal is that state 
in which ,christ is the ,light of our   
life1 so that our labours stand in the  
true harmony of society4 ,in this state1
 he writes1 a care is felt for a        
reformation in general1 that our own    
posterity1 with the rest of mankind in  
succeeding ages1 may not be entangled by

 oppressive customs1 transmitted to them
 through our hands4 ,when we consider   
the deepening desire in our own day to  
lessen for the next generation that     
intolerable burden of social compunction
 which rests upon ourselves1 may we     
perhaps dare to hope that this blessed  
state1 in which ,john ,woolman himself  
constantly abode1 is becoming common8   
,the definite issues suggested in these 
pages are often surprisingly modern4    
,now the fine old ,quaker is perturbed  
over the question of tainted money3     
,have the gifts and possessions received
 by me from others been conveyed in a   
way free from all unrighteousness so far
 as ,i have seen8 ,now he notes the     
evils of over-work3 ,i have observed    
that too much labour not only makes the 
understanding dull1 but so intrudes upon
 the harmony of the body that1 after    
ceasing from our toil1 we have another  
to pass through before we can enjoy the 
sweetness of rest1 and proceeds to plead
 with energy for mercy and moderation in

 the standard of toil exacted from the  
poor4 ,the condition of many who dwell  
in cities1 had affected him with        
brotherly sympathy4 ,again we find him  
touching on the problem of dangerous    
trades1 or analysing with the puzzle of 
the pioneer the ancient fallacy that the
 production of luxuries relieves        
economic distress--a fallacy to which he
 gives in quaint phrase a sound refutal4
 ,in the fifth chapter of the ,word of  
,remembrance1 the interested reader will
 find a remarkable and very beautiful   
prophecy of the central principle of the
 settlement movement4 ,and so we might  
go on4  ,in the twelfth century         
,woolman's solution would probably have 
been found in withdrawal from the evil  
world to the purity of desert or        
convent4 ,not so in the eighteenth4 ,he 
remained among his brethren1 bearing on 
his heart the burden of the common      
guilt3 he was one of the first people to
 perceive that the moral sense must     
control not only our obvious but also   

our hidden relations with our fellows4  
,and his experience may be said to mark 
the exact point where the individualism 
of the ,puritan age broke down1 unable  
to stand the strain of the growing sense
 of social solidarity4 ,the intense but 
often naively self-centred conception of
 the religious life common to a ,bunyan 
and an ,edwardes had proved inadequate1 
and a new demand for an extension of    
,christianity to the remotest reaches of
 practical life1 till human society be  
transformed in its depth and its breadth
 by a supernatural power1 was           
consciously born4  ,yet if ,woolman's   
problem be social1 his solution is      
individualistic4 ,it is found in a      
resolute endeavour to clear his own life
 of any dependence on evil4 ,among the  
many experiments on the same lines1 none
 more thorough-going is recorded2 he    
pushed consistency to a farther point   
than ,tolstoi or ,thoreau4 ,it is the   
story of this experiment that he tells  
us in the ,journal1 with a rare         

sincerity4 ,see him as a lad1 starting  
out peaceably at his trade of tailor1   
easily reaching commercial success--for 
,woolman possessed practical            
ability1--but perceiving merchandise to 
be attended with much cumber1 and       
deciding accordingly not to develop his 
business4 ,watch from this time the     
interaction of two co-operating forces1 
a craving for personal purity1 and a    
horror of profiting by human pain1--and 
note that while the first impulse never 
waned1 the second became more and more  
constraining4 ,the record of his various
 concerns is delightfully human and     
appealing4 ,he hated to be morally      
fussy1 and the necessity of violating   
good breeding at the call of conscience 
caused him acute distress1 for he had an
 ingrained instinct of good manners4    
,yet though the exercise was heavy1 he  
bravely took his elders to task on      
occasion3 refused to accept free        
hospitality from slave-holders1 forcing 
money on them for his entertainment2    

and1 what is still harder1 laboured with
 his friends4 ,thou who travels in the  
work of the ministry1 and art made very 
welcome by thy friends1 it is good for  
thee to dwell deep that thou mayest feel
 and understand the spirits of          
people4444 ,i have seen that in the     
midst of kindness and smooth conduct1 to
 speak close and home to them who       
entertain us on points that relate to   
their outward interest1 is hard labour1 
and sometimes when ,i have felt ,truth  
lead toward it ,i have found myself     
disqualified by a superficial           
friendship4444 ,to see the failings of  
our friends and think hard of them      
without opening that which we ought to  
open1 and still carry a face of         
friendship1 this tends to undermine the 
foundation of true unity4 ,a man1       
sensitive1 humble1 and well-bred as     
,woolman evidently was1 who can write   
thus1 is pretty sure to know deep       
exercises that are mortifying to the    
creaturely will4 ,some of his concerns1 

as those relating to the payment of     
taxes and the entertainment of soldiers1
 were common to the ,friends2 others are
 apparently inventions of his own4 ,as  
time went on they increased and         
multiplied1 all practically springing   
from the common root1 the desire to     
avoid the oppression of the poor4 ,greed
 and the wish for ease came to seem a   
root of all evil4 ,travelling among the 
,indians1 he felt the intimate relation 
of their misfortunes to the hunger of   
the ,english race for luxury and land4  
,the use of dyes harmful to the worker  
forced him to wear undyed garments1 even
 though to his meek distress a passing  
fashion of white hats made him run the  
danger of being confounded with the     
children of this world4 ,a concern came 
upon him to go on foot in his preaching 
journeys3 at first apparently that he   
might1 like his ,master1 appear in the  
form of a servant2 later1 that he might 
have no complicity in the miseries      
suffered by the little post-boys        

employed in the chaises4 ,nothing is    
clearer to the reader of the ,journal   
than the rapid increase of this holy or 
foolish sensitiveness4 ,seeking not to  
trade with oppressors1 he refuses to    
gratify his palate with sugars prepared 
by the slave labour3 under inward       
pressure to visit the ,west ,indies1 he 
has anxious scruples about taking       
passage on a ship owned by the ,west    
,india ,company1 but decides that he may
 do so if he pays a sum sufficiently    
larger than that demanded to compensate 
the labour involved on another basis    
than that of slavery4 ,at last--and here
 the crisis of his experience draws     
near--he feels himself inwardly bound to
 go to ,england2 and decides that it is 
his duty to travel in the steerage1     
because forsooth the adornments of the  
cabin have cost vain and degrading      
labour4 ,the horrors of a steerage      
passage in those days are well known to 
us from other sources2 and among our    
visions of the martyrs of ,truth we may 

well preserve the picture of ,john      
,woolman1 his patient ,quaker face      
upturned at midnight through the hatch1 
panting for a breath of air4 ,through   
the studied quiet of the narrative1 the 
shrinking of the flesh can plainly be   
felt4 ,the whole story at this point    
palpitates with a solemn pain and an    
exceeding peace4 ,as usual1 the         
sufferings of others form the larger    
part of his pain3 he is wracked with    
sympathy for the sailors1 and moved to a
 grieved indignant study of their       
temptations and afflictions which is    
good reading still to-day4 ,arrived in  
,england1 his experience deepens4 ,as   
usual1 he writes without emphasis3 but  
his distress and tenderness are in every
 line4 ,in a passage that reads as if   
penned by ,engels or ,rowntree1 he makes
 careful pitying note of the scale of   
wages and cost of living1 and cries out 
sharply1 ,oh1 may the wealthy consider  
the poor6 ,may those who have plenty lay
 these things to heart6 ,we perceive    

that he is realising with increasing    
perplexity the extraordinary intricacy  
with which the spirit of oppression is  
entwined with the most innocent and     
necessary pursuits4 ,silence as to every
 motion proceeding from the love of     
money and an humble waiting upon ,god to
 know his will concerning us appear     
necessary3 ',he alone is able' so to    
direct us in our outward employments    
that pure universal love may shine forth
 in our proceedings4 ,in bowedness of   
spirit he proceeds northward1 and it is 
evident that the body is growing weaker 
as he makes his silent laborious way on 
foot1 bearing from town to town the     
message of his ,lord4 ,he is offered to 
drink when thirsty1 in silver vessels1  
and declines1 telling his case with     
weeping4 ,disgusted1 being but weakly1  
with the scent arising from that filth  
which more or less infects the air of   
all closely settled towns1 he feels     
distress both in body and mind with that
 which is impure1 and a longing that    

people might come in to cleanness of    
spirit1 cleanness of person1 and        
cleanness about their houses and        
garments3 noting at the same time1 with 
his accustomed sagacity1 that some who  
are great carry delicacy to a great     
height themselves1 and yet real         
cleanliness is not generally promoted4  
,so continues his travail of soul1      
recorded in these pathetic and illumined
 pages1 and before long the fatal       
disorder1 small-pox1 seizes upon him4   
,he dies among strangers after lying    
patiently through his illness in the    
spirit of prayer1 still saying          
characteristically to the young         
apothecary ,friend with whom he had     
found a freedom to confer1 that if      
anything should be proposed as to       
medicine that did not come through      
defiled channels or oppressive hands1 he
 should be willing to consider and take 
it so far as he found freedom4 ,almost  
his last words1 when already he could   
hardly be understood1 are charged with  

his steady social compunction4  ,dear   
,john ,woolman6 ,pure and high spirit1  
incapable of evasion1 noteworthy no less
 for restraint and gentleness than for  
the resolute determination to translate 
the undimmed vision of the ,perfect     
,right into terms of our daily          
existence6 ,whither would his concerns  
have carried him1 had not the ,angel of 
,small-,pox ended his wistful and       
unrelenting quest8 ,he died in #aggb1   
having lived his life before the        
industrial revolution1 in days which we 
are wont to envy as simpler and less    
beset by social problems than our own4  
,certainly they were days in which the  
network of human relations was far less 
intricate than now4 ,yet the process in 
which he was engaged reached out to     
limits beyond our power to scan1 and his
 experience is in one point of view an  
heroic reductio ad absurdum4 ,no more   
instructive attempt was ever made to    
attain personal purity while neither    
withdrawing from the world nor          

transforming it4 ,to-day the number is  
on the increase of persons who suffer   
under the sense of social guilt4 ,all   
who know such suffering and are inclined
 to think the conversion of individuals 
adequate as an ultimate remedy1 will do 
well to ponder these pages4 ,for the    
conclusion is forced on us that ,woolman
 was in an impasse3 and while we love   
and reverence the heavenly sturdiness of
 soul possessed by this                 
eighteenth-century saint1 we must       
recognise with amusement touched by     
tenderness the hopelessness of his      
efforts to attain personal purity1 the  
ridiculous extremes of isolation into   
which such a conscientious effort1 if   
logically carried out1 would lead us4   
,the definite inference from ,woolman's 
life and thought will be for most modern
 people the conviction of the           
hopelessness of the attempt to achieve1 
by individual means and private effort1 
a satisfying social righteousness in an 
unchanged world4  ,after all1 ,woolman's

 trouble and sorrow and tumult of       
spirit1 so suggestive1 so helpful to    
modern souls1 were transitory4 ,at the  
heart of his endless agitation subsisted
 a central peace4 ,his was the grace to 
know that deep humility is a strong     
bulwark1 and to look less at the effects
 of the labour than at the pure motion  
and reality of the concern4 ,the        
gentleness with which he delivered his  
fiery message was more than a manner due
 to ,quaker training1 or even than a    
result of resolute self-discipline3 it  
was the index of an inward stillness in 
which his soul dwelt undisturbed4 ,let  
us hope that the days may come when the 
concern about profiting by the painful  
or degrading labour of others will have 
an interest as exclusively historic as  
the concern about holding slaves has    
already attained4 ,tremulously it may   
be1 yet soberly and joyously1 many      
clear-minded and practical people are   
beginning to hope for such a day4 ,when 
it comes1 the immediate message of      

,woolman will be less cogent1 but he    
will still continue to be read by those 
who care for the revelations of a       
beautiful soul4 ,these pages offer more 
than light on the path of social duty2  
they offer fellowship with a spirit that
 dwelt deep1 and attained an abiding    
loveliness because responsive through   
all turmoil of spirit and all outward   
suffering1 to the gentle movings of     
,uncreated ,purity4 ,that purity of     
life1 wrote he1 which proceeds from     
faithfulness in following the ,spirit of
 ,truth1 this habitation has often been 
opened before me as a place of          
retirement for the children of the      
light1 where we may stand separated from
 that which disordereth and confuseth   
the affairs of society4 ,such a place of
 retirement for the ,children of the    
,light1 this book affords4  ,,vida ,d4  
,,scudder4     ,,bibliography   ,some   
,considerations on the ,keeping of      
,negroes1 recommended to the ,professors
 of ,christianity of every              

,denomination1 ,part ,i41 #aged2 ,part  
,,ii41 #agfb2 many later issues of both 
parts2 ,considerations on ,pure ,wisdom 
and ,human ,policy1 on ,labour1         
,schools1 and the ,right ,use of the    
,lord's ,outward ,gifts1 #agfh1 and     
numerous later reprints2 ,considerations
 on the ,true ,harmony of ,mankind1 and 
how it is to be ,maintained1 #aggj1 and 
later reprints2 an ,epistle to the      
,quarterly and ,monthly ,meetings of    
,friends1 #aggb2 ,remarks on ,sundry    
,subjects1 #aggc1 and later reprints2   
,serious ,considerations on ,various    
,subjects of ,importance 7containing the
 four above works1 and some expressions 
of ,john ,woolman in his last illness71 
#aggc2 ,a ,first ,book for ,children1   
#aggd 7872 ,a ,journal of the ,life1    
,gospel1 ,labours1 and ,christian       
,experiences of ,john ,woolman1 #aggd1  
and many later editions2 with           
,introduction by ,john ,greenleaf       
,whittier1 #ahga2 with ,introduction by 
,a4 ,smellie1 and ,appreciation by ,j4  

,g4 ,whittier 7,books of the ,heart71   
#ahih2 new century edition1 with        
bibliography1 etc41 #aijj2 with foreword
 by ,rev4 ,r4 ,j4 ,campbell1 #aijc2 ,a  
,word of ,remembrance and ,caution to   
the ,rich1 #agic2 later editions1       
published by ,fabian ,society1 #ahih1   
#aijh4  ,,letters3 ,edited by ,j4       
,kendall 7,letters on ,religious        
,subjects1 vol4 ii471 #ahbj2 by ,j4 and 
,i4 ,comly 7,friends' ,miscellany1 vol4 
i471 #ahcd2 in ,journal1 and in         
,friends' ,review1 vols4 v4-xxviii4     
,,works3 #aggd2 #eth edition1 #ahah4    
,,life3 ,saint ,john ,woolman 7,eclectic
 ,review71 #ahfa2 ,david ,duncan1 paper 
read at ,manchester ,friends'           
,institute1 #ahga2 ,dora ,greenwell1    
#ahga2 ,w4 ,garrett ,horder1 ,a ,quaker 
,saint 7,the ,young ,man71 #ahgd2       
reprinted in ,quaker ,worthies1 #ahif2  
,t4 ,green1 #ahhe1 with ,introduction by
 ,h4 ,c4 ,g4 ,moule1 #ahig2 ,sketch of  
the ,life of ,john ,woolman 7,booklet   
,series1 ,no4 #f71 #ahif2 in ,present   

,day ,papers1 vol4 iii41 #aijj2 a poem  
by ,bernard ,barton1 ,a ,tribute to the 
,memory of ,john ,woolman1 appeared in  
vol4 iii4 of ,the ,friend1 and          
references to ,woolman are found in     
,lamb1 and in ,h4 ,crabb ,robinson's    
,diary4     ,,contents                  
,,advertisement ,,to ,,the ,,reader     
#c      ,,the ,,testimony ,,of ,,friends
 ,,in ,,yorkshire                       
#e      ,a ,,testimony ,,of ,,the       
,,monthly-,,meeting ,,of ,,friends      
#i      ,a ,,journal ,,of ,,the ,,life  
,,and ,,travels ,,of ,,john ,,woolman   
#ag      ,,the ,,last ,,epistle ,,and   
,,other ,,writings                      
#aei      ,,considerations ,,on ,,the   
,,true ,,harmony ,,of ,,mankind         
#agg      ,,an ,,epistle ,,to ,,the     
,,quarterly ,,and ,,monthly-,,meetings  
,,of     ,,friends                      
#bjc      ,,remarks ,,on ,,sundry       
,,subjects                              
#bai      ,,some ,,expressions ,,of     
,,john ,,woolman ,,in ,,his ,,last      

,,illness      #bde     ,,the ,,journal 
,,advertisement ,,to ,,the ,,reader     
,the manuscript ,,journal of our late   
,friend ,,john ,,woolman1 was ended in  
,england2 where he also finished all his
 ,labours4 ,it appears1 by a ,letter    
which he sent1 in his last ,illness1 to 
a ,friend in ,london1 that he did not   
intend the whole should be printed1 and 
that he desired the said ,friend to     
revise what he had written in this      
,nation1 and leave out such ,parts as he
 should think proper4 ,it was1          
notwithstanding1 sent entire1 without   
any ,alteration1 to ,america2 where it  
was soon after printed1 together with   
several ,tracts which had been published
 in his ,life-time4 ,but1 as some       
,passages in the ,journal contain       
,observations which appear to have been 
intended as private ,memorandums only1  
and others relate to ,circumstances     
which happened in his native ,country1  
not expedient to be preserved on ,record
 in this ,nation1 it is apprehended that

 the following ,,abridgement of it will 
be acceptable to ,friends1 and may be of
 general ,service2 and1 as many weighty 
,arguments and pertinent ,advices1      
relative to ,slavery and the ,oppression
 of the ,negroes in the ,plantations1   
are contained in the ,journal1 it was   
therefore apprehended that two small    
,tracts on that ,subject might be       
omitted in this ,abridgement4     ,,the 
,,testimony ,,of ,,friends ,,in         
,,yorkshire  ,at their                  
,quarterly-meeting held at ,york1 the   
#bdth and #beth of the third ,month     
#aggc1 concerning  ,,john ,,woolman  ,of
 ,mount-,holly1 in the ,province of     
,new-,jersey1 in ,america2 who departed 
this ,life at the ,house of our ,friend1
 ,,thomas ,,priestman1 in the ,suburbs  
of this ,city1 the #gth of the tenth    
month #aggb1 and was interred in the    
,burying-ground of ,friends1 the #ith of
 the same1 aged about fifty-two ,years  
,this our valuable ,friend1 having been 
under a religious ,engagement for some  

,time to visit ,friends in this ,nation1
 and more especially us in the northern 
,parts1 undertook the same in full      
,concurrence and near ,sympathy with his
 ,friends and ,brethren at home1 as     
appeared by ,certificates from the      
monthly and quarterly ,meetings to which
 he belonged1 and from the              
,spring-meeting of ,ministers and       
,elders1 held at ,philadelphia for      
,pennsylvania and ,new-,jersey4  ,he    
arrived in the ,city of ,london the     
beginning of the last ,yearly-meeting1  
and1 after attending that ,meeting1     
travelled northward1 visiting the       
,quarterly-meetings of ,hertfordshire1  
,buckinghamshire1 ,northamptonshire1    
,oxfordshire1 and ,worcestershire1 and  
divers particular ,meetings in his ,way4
  ,he visited many ,meetings on the     
,west ,side of this ,county2 also some  
in ,lancashire and ,westmorland2 from   
whence he came to our ,quarterly-meeting
 in the last ninth ,month2 and though   
much out of ,health1 yet was enabled to 

attend all the ,sittings of that        
,meeting except the last4  ,his         
,disorder1 then1 which proved the       
,small-pox1 increased speedily upon him1
 and was very afflicting2 under which he
 was supported in much ,meekness1       
,patience1 and ,christian ,fortitude4   
,to those who attended him in his       
,illness his ,mind appeared to be       
centered in divine ,love2 under the     
precious ,influence whereof1 we believe1
 he finished his ,course1 and entered   
into the ,mansions of everlasting ,rest4
  ,in the early ,part of his ,illness he
 requested a ,friend to write1 and he   
broke forth thus3  ,o ,lord1 my ,god6   
the amazing ,horrors of ,darkness were  
gathered around me and covered me all   
over1 and ,i saw no ,way to go forth3 ,i
 felt the ,misery of my                 
,fellow-creatures separated from the    
divine ,harmony1 and it was heavier than
 ,i could bear1 and ,i was crushed down 
under it3 ,i lifted up my ,hand1 and    
stretched out my ,arm1 but there was    

none to help me3 ,i looked round about1 
and was amazed3 ,in the ,depths of      
,misery1 ,o ,lord6 ,i remembered that   
thou art omnipotent2 that ,i had called 
thee ,father2 and ,i felt that ,i loved 
thee1 and ,i was made quiet in thy      
,will1 and ,i waited for ,deliverance   
from thee2 thou hadst ,pity upon me when
 no ,man could help me3 ,i saw that     
,meekness under suffering was shewed to 
us in the most affecting ,example of thy
 ,son1 and thou wast teaching me to     
follow him1 and ,i said1 ,thy ,will1 ,o 
,father1 be done4  ,many more of his    
weighty ,expressions might have been    
inserted here1 but it was deemed        
unnecessary1 they being already         
published in ,print4  ,he was a ,man    
endued with a large natural ,capacity2  
and1 being obedient to the              
,manifestations of divine ,grace1 having
 in ,patience and ,humility endured many
 deep ,baptisms1 he became thereby      
sanctified and fitted for the ,lord's   
,work1 and was truly serviceable in his 

,church3 ,dwelling in awful ,fear and   
,watchfulness1 he was careful1 in his   
public ,appearances1 to feel the putting
 forth of the divine ,hand1 so that the 
,spring of the ,gospel-ministry often   
flowed through him with great ,sweetness
 and ,purity1 as a refreshing ,stream to
 the weary ,travellers toward the ,city 
of ,god3 ,skilful in dividing the ,word1
 he was furnished by ,him1 in whom are  
hid all the ,treasures of ,wisdom and   
,knowledge1 to communicate freely to the
 several ,states of the ,people where   
his ,lot was cast4 ,his ,conduct at     
other ,times was seasoned with the like 
watchful ,circumspection and ,attention 
to the ,guidance of divine ,wisdom1     
which rendered his whole ,conversation  
uniformly edifying4  ,he was fully      
perswaded that as the ,life of ,christ  
comes to reign in the ,earth1 all ,abuse
 and unnecessary ,oppression1 both of   
the human and brute ,creation1 will come
 to an ,end2 but1 under the ,sense of a 
deep ,revolt and overflowing ,stream of 

,unrighteousness1 his ,life has been    
often a ,life of mourning4  ,he was     
deeply concerned on account of that     
inhuman and iniquitous ,practice of     
making ,slaves of the ,people of        
,africa1 or holding them in that ,state2
 and1 on that ,account1 we understand he
 hath not only written some ,books1 but 
travelled much on the ,continent of     
,america1 in order to make the          
,negro-masters 7especially those in     
,profession with us7 sensible of the    
evil of such a ,practice2 and though1 in
 his ,journey to ,england1 he was far   
removed from the outward ,sight of their
 ,sufferings1 yet his deep ,exercise of 
,mind remained1 as appears by a short   
,treatise he wrote in this ,journey1 and
 his frequent ,concern to open the      
miserable ,state of this deeply-injured 
,people4 ,his ,testimony in the last    
,meeting he attended was on this        
,subject2 wherein he remarked1 that as  
we1 as a ,society1 when under outward   
,sufferings1 had often found it our     

,concern to lay them before those in    
,authority1 and thereby1 in the ,lord's 
,time1 had obtained ,relief1 so he      
recommended this oppressed ,part of the 
,creation to our ,notice1 that we may1  
as way may open1 represent their        
,sufferings1 in an ,individual1 if not a
 ,society ,capacity1 to those in        
,authority4  ,deeply sensible that the  
,desire to gratify ,people's            
,inclinations in ,luxury and            
,superfluities is the principal ,ground 
of ,oppression1 and the ,occasion of    
many unnecessary ,wants1 he believed it 
to be his ,duty to be a ,pattern of     
great ,self-denial with ,respect to the 
,things of this ,life1 and earnestly to 
labour with ,friends in the ,meekness of
 ,wisdom1 to impress on their ,minds the
 great ,importance of our ,testimony in 
these ,things1 recommending to the      
,guidance of the blessed ,truth in this 
and all other ,concerns1 and cautioning 
such as are experienced therein against 
contenting themselves with acting up to 

the ,standard of others1 but to be      
careful to make the ,standard of ,truth1
 manifested to them1 the ,measure of    
their ,obedience2 for1 said he1 that    
,purity of ,life which proceeds from    
,faithfulness in following the ,spirit  
of ,truth1 that ,state where our ,minds 
are devoted to serve ,god1 and all our  
,wants are bounded by his ,wisdom1--this
 ,habitation has often been opened      
before me1 as a ,place of retirement for
 the ,children of the ,light1 where they
 may stand separated from that which    
disordereth and confuseth the ,affairs  
of ,society1 and where we may have a    
,testimony of our ,innocence in the     
,hearts of those who behold us4  ,we    
conclude with fervent ,desires that we1 
as a ,people1 may thus1 by our ,example1
 promote the ,lord's ,work in the       
,earth2 and1 our ,hearts being prepared1
 may unite in ,prayer to the great ,lord
 of the ,harvest1 that as1 in his       
infinite ,wisdom1 he hath greatly       
stripped the ,church1 by removing of    

late divers faithful ,ministers and     
,elders1 he may be pleased to send forth
 many more faithful ,labourers into his 
,harvest4  ,signed in1 by ,order1 and on
 ,behalf of1 said ,meeting3             
,,thomas ,,bennett1     ,,john ,,storr1 
,,joseph ,,eglin1     ,,thomas          
,,perkinson1     ,,joseph ,,wright1     
,,samuel ,,briscoe1     ,,john ,,turner1
     ,,joshua ,,robinson1     ,,thomas  
,,priestman1 and     divers other       
,friends4     ,a ,,testimony ,,of ,,the 
,,monthly-,,meeting ,,of ,,friends      
,held in ,burlington1 the first ,day of 
the eighth ,month1 in the ,year of our  
,lord #aggd1 concerning our esteemed    
,friend1  ,,john ,,woolman1 ,,deceased  
,he was born in ,northampton1 in the    
,county of ,burlington1 and ,province of
 ,west-,new-,jersey1 in the eighth      
,month1 #agbj1 of religious ,parents1   
who instructed him very early in the    
,principles of the ,christian ,religion1
 as professed by the ,people called     
,quakers1 which he esteemed a ,blessing 

to him1 even in his young ,years1       
tending to preserve him from the        
,infection of wicked ,children2 but1    
through the ,workings of the ,enemy1 and
 ,levity incident to ,youth1 he         
frequently deviated from those parental 
,precepts1 by which he laid a renewed   
,foundation for ,repentance1 that was   
finally succeeded by a godly ,sorrow not
 to be repented of1 and so became       
acquainted with that sanctifying ,power 
which qualifies for true ,gospel        
,ministry1 into which he was called     
about the twenty-second year of his     
,age2 and1 by a faithful ,use of the    
,talents committed to him1 he           
experienced an ,increase1 until he      
arrived at the ,state of a ,father1     
capable of dividing the ,word aright to 
the different ,states he ministered     
unto2 dispensing ,milk to ,babes1 and   
,meat to those of riper ,years4 ,thus he
 found the ,efficacy of that ,power to  
arise1 which1 in his own ,expressions1  
prepares the ,creature to stand like a  

,trumpet through which the ,lord speaks 
to his ,people4--,he was a loving       
,husband1 a tender ,father1 and very    
humane to every ,part of the ,creation  
under his ,care4  ,his ,concern for the 
,poor and those in ,affliction was      
evident by his ,visits to them2 whom he 
frequently relieved by his ,assistance  
and ,charity4 ,he was for many ,years   
deeply exercised on ,account of the poor
 enslaved ,africans1 whose ,cause1 as he
 sometimes mentioned1 lay almost        
continually upon him1 and to obtain     
,liberty to those ,captives1 he laboured
 both in public and private2 and was    
favoured to see his ,endeavours crowned 
with considerable ,success4 ,he was     
particularly desirous that ,friends     
should not be instrumental to lay       
,burthens on this oppressed ,people1 but
 remember the ,days of suffering from   
which they had been providentially      
delivered2 that1 if ,times of ,trouble  
should return1 no ,injustice dealt to   
those in ,slavery might rise in         

,judgment against us1 but1 being clear1 
we might on such ,occasions address the 
,almighty with a degree of ,confidence1 
for his ,interposition and ,relief2     
being particularly careful1 as to       
himself1 not to countenance ,slavery    
even by the ,use of those ,conveniences 
of ,life which were furnished by their  
,labour4  ,he was desirous to have his  
own1 and the ,minds of others1 redeemed 
from the ,pleasures and immoderate      
,profits of this ,world1 and to fix them
 on those ,joys which fade not away2 his
 principal ,care being after a ,life of 
,purity1 endeavouring to avoid not only 
the grosser ,pollutions1 but those also 
which1 appearing in a more refined      
,dress1 are not sufficiently guarded    
against by some well-disposed ,people4  
,in the latter ,part of his ,life he was
 remarkable for the ,plainness and      
,simplicity of his ,dress1 and1 as much 
as possible1 avoided the ,use of ,plate1
 costly ,furniture1 and feasting2       
thereby endeavouring to become an       

,example of ,temperance and             
,self-denial1 which he believed himself 
called unto1 and was favoured with      
,peace therein1 although it carried the 
,appearance of great ,austerity in the  
,view of some4 ,he was very moderate in 
his ,charges in the ,way of ,business1  
and in his ,desires after ,gain2 and1   
though a ,man of ,industry1 avoided1 and
 strove much to lead others out of      
extreme ,labour and ,anxiousness after  
perishable ,things2 being desirous that 
the ,strength of our ,bodies might not  
be spent in procuring ,things           
unprofitable1 and that we might use     
,moderation and ,kindness to the brute  
,animals under our ,care1 to prize the  
,use of them as a great ,favour1 and by 
no ,means abuse them2 that the ,gifts of
 ,providence should be thankfully       
received and applied to the ,uses they  
were designed for4  ,he several ,times  
opened a ,school at ,mount-,holly1 for  
the ,instruction of poor ,friends       
,children and others1 being concerned   

for their ,help and ,improvement        
therein3 ,his ,love and ,care for the   
rising ,youth among us were truly great1
 recommending to ,parents and those who 
have the ,charge of them1 to chuse      
conscientious and pious ,tutors1 saying1
 ,it is a lovely ,sight to behold       
innocent ,children1 and that to labour  
for their ,help against that which would
 mar the ,beauty of their ,minds1 is a  
,debt we owe them4  ,his ,ministry was  
sound1 very deep and penetrating1       
sometimes pointing out the dangerous    
,situation which ,indulgence and ,custom
 lead into2 frequently exhorting others1
 especially the ,youth1 not to be       
discouraged at the ,difficulties which  
occur1 but press after ,purity4 ,he     
often expressed an earnest ,engagement  
that pure ,wisdom should be attended to1
 which would lead into ,lowliness of    
,mind and ,resignation to the divine    
,will1 in which ,state small            
,possessions here would be sufficient4  
,in transacting the ,affairs of         

,discipline1 his ,judgment was sound and
 clear1 and he was very useful in       
treating with those who had done amiss2 
he visited such in a private ,way in    
that ,plainness which ,truth dictates1  
shewing great ,tenderness and ,christian
 ,forbearance4 ,he was a constant       
,attender of our ,yearly-meeting1 in    
which he was a good ,example1 and       
particularly useful2 assisting in the   
,business thereof with great ,weight and
 ,attention4 ,he several ,times visited 
most of the ,meetings of ,friends in    
this and the neighbouring ,provinces1   
with the ,concurrence of the            
,monthly-meeting to which he belonged1  
and1 we have ,reason to believe1 had    
good ,service therein1 generally or     
always expressing1 at his ,return1 how  
it had fared with him1 and the ,evidence
 of ,peace in his ,mind for thus        
performing his ,duty4 ,he was often     
concerned with other ,friends in the    
important ,service of visiting          
,families1 which he was enabled to go   

through to ,satisfaction4  ,in the      
,minutes of the ,meeting of ,ministers  
and ,elders for this ,quarter1 at the   
,foot of a ,list of the ,members of that
 ,meeting1 made about five ,years before
 his ,death1 we find in his             
,hand-writing the following             
,observations and ,reflections4 ,as     
looking over the ,minutes1 made by      
,persons who have put off this ,body1   
hath sometimes revived in me a ,thought 
how ,ages pass away2 so this ,list may  
probably revive a like ,thought in some1
 when ,i and the rest of the ,persons   
above-named are centered in another     
,state of ,being4--,the ,lord1 who was  
the ,guide of my ,youth1 hath in tender 
,mercies helped me hitherto2 he hath    
healed me of ,wounds1 he hath helped me 
out of grievous ,entanglements2 he      
remains to be the ,strength of my ,life2
 to whom ,i desire to devote myself in  
,time and in ,eternity4--,signed1 ,john 
,woolman4  ,in the twelfth ,month1      
#agga1 he acquainted this ,meeting that 

he found his ,mind drawn towards a      
religious ,visit to ,friends in some    
,parts of ,england1 particularly in     
,yorkshire4 ,in the first ,month1 #aggb1
 he obtained our ,certificate1 which was
 approved and endorsed by our           
,quarterly-meeting1 and by the          
,half-year's-meeting of ,ministers and  
,elders at ,philadelphia4 ,he embarked  
on his ,voyage in the fifth1 and arrived
 in ,london in the sixth1 ,month        
following1 at the ,time of their annual 
,meeting in that ,city4 ,during his     
short ,visit to ,friends in that        
,kingdom1 we are informed that his      
,services were acceptable and edifying4 
,in his last ,illness he uttered many   
lively and comfortable ,expressions1    
being perfectly resigned1 having no     
,will either to live or die1 as appears 
by the ,testimony of ,friends at ,york  
in ,great-,britain1 in the ,suburbs     
whereof1 at the ,house of our ,friend1  
,thomas ,priestman1 he died of the      
,small-pox1 on the seventh ,day of the  

tenth ,month1 #aggb1 and was buried in  
,friends ,burying-ground in that ,city1 
on the ninth of the same1 after a large 
and solid ,meeting held on the ,occasion
 at their great ,meeting-house1 aged    
near fifty-two ,years2 a ,minister      
upwards of thirty ,years1 during which  
,time he belonged to ,mount-,holly      
,particular-meeting1 which he diligently
 attended when at ,home and in ,health  
of ,body1 and his ,labours of ,love1 and
 pious ,care for the ,prosperity of     
,friends in the blessed ,truth1 we hope 
may not be forgotten1 but that his good 
,works may be remembered to             
,edification4  ,signed in1 and by ,order
 of1 the said ,meeting1 by  ,,samuel    
,,allinson1 ,clerk4   ,read and approved
 at our ,quarterly-meeting1 held at     
,burlington the #bith of the eighth     
,month1 #aggd4  ,signed1 by ,order of   
said ,meeting1  ,,daniel ,,smith1       
,clerk4     ,a ,,journal ,,of ,,the     
,,life1 ,,gospel-,,labours1 ,,and       
,,christian ,,experiences1 ,,of ,,that  

,,faithful ,,minister ,,of ,,jesus      
,,christ1  ,,john ,,woolman2  ,late of  
,,mount-,,holly1 in the ,province of    
,,new-,,jersey4  ,,isaiah xxxii4 #ag4   
,the ,work of ,righteousness shall be   
,peace2 and the ,effect of              
,righteousness1 ,quietness and          
,assurance for ever4      ,,london3     
,printed and sold by ,,james ,,phillips1
 in     ,george-,yard1 ,lombard-,street4
      ,m4,,dcc4,,lxxv4     ,a ,,journal 
,,of ,,the ,,life ,,and ,,travels ,,of  
,,john ,,woolman1 ,,in ,,the ,,service  
,,of ,,the ,,gospel   ,,chapter ,i      
,his ,birth and ,parentage1 with some   
,account of the ,operations of          
divine ,grace on his ,mind in his       
,youth--,his first ,appearance in the   
,ministry--,and his ,considerations1    
while young1 on the keeping of          
,slaves  ,i have often felt a ,motion of
 ,love to leave some ,hints in ,writing 
of my ,experience of the ,goodness of   
,god2 and now1 in the thirty-sixth ,year
 of my ,age1 ,i begin this ,work4  ,i   

was born in ,northampton1 in ,burlington
 ,county1 ,west-,jersey1 in the ,year   
#agbj2 and before ,i was seven ,years   
old ,i began to be acquainted with the  
,operations of divine ,love4 ,through   
the ,care of my ,parents1 ,i was taught 
to read nearly as soon as ,i was capable
 of it2 and1 as ,i went from ,school one
 seventh ,day1 ,i remember1 while my    
,companions went to play by the ,way1 ,i
 went forward out of ,sight1 and1       
sitting down1 ,i read the #bb;d ,chapter
 of the ,revelations3 ,he shewed me a   
pure ,river of ,water of ,life1 clear as
 ,chrystal1 proceeding out of the       
,throne of ,god and of the ,lamb1 etc4  
and1 in reading it1 my ,mind was drawn  
to seek after that pure ,habitation1    
which1 ,i then believed1 ,god had       
prepared for his ,servants4 ,the ,place 
where ,i sat1 and the ,sweetness that   
attended my ,mind1 remain fresh in my   
,memory4  ,this1 and the like gracious  
,visitations1 had that ,effect upon me1 
that when ,boys used ill ,language it   

troubled me2 and1 through the continued 
,mercies of ,god1 ,i was preserved from 
it4  ,the pious ,instructions of my     
,parents were often fresh in my ,mind   
when ,i happened to be among wicked     
,children1 and were of ,use to me4 ,my  
,parents1 having a large ,family of     
,children1 used frequently1 on first    
,days after ,meeting1 to put us to read 
in the holy ,scriptures1 or some        
religious ,books1 one after another1 the
 rest sitting by without much           
,conversation2 which1 ,i have since     
often thought1 was a good ,practice4    
,from what ,i had read and heard1 ,i    
believed there had been1 in past ,ages1 
,people who walked in ,uprightness      
before ,god1 in a ,degree exceeding any 
that ,i knew1 or heard of1 now living3  
,and the ,apprehension of there being   
less ,steadiness and ,firmness1 amongst 
,people in this ,age than in past ,ages1
 often troubled me while ,i was a       
,child4  ,a ,thing remarkable in my     
,childhood was1 that once1 going to a   

,neighbour's ,house1 ,i saw1 on the     
,way1 a ,robin sitting on her ,nest1 and
 as ,i came near she went off1 but1     
having young ones1 flew about1 and with 
many ,cries expressed her ,concern for  
them2 ,i stood and threw ,stones at her1
 till1 one striking her1 she fell down  
dead3 ,at first ,i was pleased with the 
,exploit1 but after a few ,minutes was  
seized with ,horror1 as having1 in a    
sportive ,way1 killed an innocent       
,creature while she was careful for her 
,young3 ,i beheld her lying dead1 and   
thought these young ones1 for which she 
was so careful1 must now perish for want
 of their ,dam to nourish them2 and1    
after some painful ,considerations on   
the ,subject1 ,i climbed up the ,tree1  
took all the young ,birds1 and killed   
them2 supposing that better than to     
leave them to pine away and die         
miserably3 ,and believed1 in this ,case1
 that ,scripture-proverb was fulfilled1 
,the tender ,mercies of the ,wicked are 
cruel4 ,i then went on my ,errand1 but1 

for some ,hours1 could think of little  
else but the ,cruelties ,i had          
committed1 and was much troubled4 ,thus 
he1 whose tender ,mercies are over all  
his ,works1 hath placed a ,principle in 
the human ,mind1 which incites to       
exercise ,goodness towards every living 
,creature2 and this being singly        
attended to1 ,people become tender      
hearted and sympathising2 but being     
frequently and totally rejected1 the    
,mind becomes shut up in a contrary     
,disposition4  ,about the twelfth ,year 
of my ,age1 my ,father being abroad1 my 
,mother reproved me for some            
,misconduct1 to which ,i made an        
undutiful ,reply2 and1 the next first   
,day1 as ,i was with my ,father         
returning from ,meeting1 he told me he  
understood ,i had behaved amiss to my   
,mother1 and advised me to be more      
careful in future4 ,i knew myself       
blameable1 and in ,shame and ,confusion 
remained silent4 ,being thus awakened to
 a ,sense of my ,wickedness1 ,i felt    

,remorse in my ,mind1 and1 getting home1
 ,i retired and prayed to the ,lord to  
forgive me2 and do not remember that ,i 
ever1 after that1 spoke unhandsomely to 
either of my ,parents1 however foolish  
in some other ,things4  ,having attained
 the ,age of sixteen ,years1 ,i began to
 love wanton ,company2 and though ,i was
 preserved from prophane ,language1 or  
scandalous ,conduct1 still ,i perceived 
a ,plant in me which produced much wild 
,grapes2 yet my merciful ,father forsook
 me not utterly1 but1 at ,times1 through
 his ,grace1 ,i was brought seriously to
 consider my ,ways2 and the ,sight of my
 ,backslidings affected me with ,sorrow2
 but1 for want of rightly attending to  
the ,reproofs of ,instruction1 ,vanity  
was added to ,vanity1 and ,repentance to
 ,repentance3 ,upon the whole1 my ,mind 
was more and more alienated from the    
,truth1 and ,i hastened toward          
,destruction4 ,while ,i meditate on the 
,gulph towards which ,i travelled1 and  
reflect on my youthful ,disobedience1   

for these ,things ,i weep1 mine ,eyes   
run down with ,water4  ,advancing in    
,age1 the ,number of my ,acquaintances  
increased1 and thereby my ,way grew more
 difficult2 though ,i had found ,comfort
 in reading the holy ,scriptures1 and   
thinking on heavenly ,things1 ,i was now
 estranged therefrom3 ,i knew ,i was    
going from the ,flock of ,christ1 and   
had no ,resolution to return2 hence     
serious ,reflections were uneasy to me1 
and youthful ,vanities and ,diversions  
my greatest ,pleasure4 ,running in this 
,road ,i found many like myself2 and we 
associated in that which is the reverse 
of true ,friendship4  ,but in this swift
 ,race it pleased ,god to visit me with 
,sickness1 so that ,i doubted of        
recovering2 and then did ,darkness1     
,horror1 and ,amazement1 with full      
,force1 seize me1 even when my ,pain and
 ,distress of ,body was very great4 ,i  
thought it would have been better for me
 never to have had a ,being1 than to see
 the ,day which ,i now saw4 ,i was      

filled with ,confusion2 and in great    
,affliction1 both of ,mind and ,body1 ,i
 lay and bewailed myself4 ,i had not    
,confidence to lift up my ,cries to     
,god1 whom ,i had thus offended2 but1 in
 a deep ,sense of my great ,folly1 ,i   
was humbled before him2 and1 at length1 
that ,word which is as a ,fire and a    
,hammer1 broke and dissolved my         
rebellious ,heart1 and then my ,cries   
were put up in ,contrition2 and in the  
multitude of his ,mercies ,i found      
inward ,relief1 and felt a close        
,engagement1 that1 if he was pleased to 
restore my ,health1 ,i might walk humbly
 before him4  ,after my ,recovery1 this 
,exercise remained with me a            
considerable ,time2 but1 by ,degrees1   
giving ,way to youthful ,vanities1 they 
gained ,strength1 and1 getting with     
wanton young ,people1 ,i lost ,ground4  
,the ,lord had been very gracious1 and  
spoke ,peace to me in the ,time of my   
,distress2 and ,i now most ungratefully 
turned again to ,folly2 on which        

,account1 at ,times1 ,i felt sharp      
,reproof4 ,i was not so hardy as to     
commit ,things scandalous2 but to exceed
 in ,vanity1 and promote ,mirth1 was my 
chief ,study4 ,still ,i retained a ,love
 for pious ,people1 and their ,company  
brought an ,awe upon me4 ,my dear       
,parents1 several ,times1 admonished me 
in the ,fear of the ,lord1 and their    
,admonition entered into my ,heart1 and 
had a good ,effect for a ,season2 but1  
not getting deep enough to pray rightly1
 the ,tempter1 when he came1 found      
,entrance4 ,i remember once1 having     
spent a ,part of the ,day in            
,wantonness1 as ,i went to ,bed at      
,night1 there lay in a ,window1 near my 
,bed1 a ,bible1 which ,i opened1 and    
first cast my ,eye on this ,text1 ,we   
lie down in our ,shame1 and our         
,confusion covers us3 ,this ,i knew to  
be my ,case2 and1 meeting with so       
unexpected a ,reproof1 ,i was somewhat  
affected with it1 and went to ,bed under
 ,remorse of ,conscience2 which ,i soon 

cast off again4  ,thus ,time passed on3 
,my ,heart was replenished with ,mirth  
and ,wantonness1 and pleasing ,scenes of
 ,vanity were presented to my           
,imagination1 till ,i attained the ,age 
of eighteen ,years2 near which ,time ,i 
felt the ,judgments of ,god1 in my      
,soul1 like a consuming ,fire2 and1     
looking over my past ,life1 the         
,prospect was moving4--,i was often sad1
 and longed to be delivered from those  
,vanities2 then again1 my ,heart was    
strongly inclined to them1 and there was
 in me a sore ,conflict3 ,at ,times ,i  
turned to ,folly1 and then again1       
,sorrow and ,confusion took hold of me4 
,in a while1 ,i resolved totally to     
leave off some of my ,vanities2 but     
there was a secret ,reserve1 in my      
,heart1 of the more refined ,part of    
them1 and ,i was not low enough to find 
true ,peace4 ,thus1 for some ,months1 ,i
 had great ,troubles2 there remaining in
 me an unsubjected ,will1 which rendered
 my ,labours fruitless1 till at length1 

through the merciful ,continuance of    
heavenly ,visitations1 ,i was made to   
bow down in ,spirit before the ,lord4 ,i
 remember one ,evening ,i had spent some
 ,time in reading a pious ,author2 and  
walking out alone1 ,i humbly prayed to  
the ,lord for his ,help1 that ,i might  
be delivered from all those ,vanities   
which so ensnared me4 ,thus1 being      
brought low1 he helped me2 and1 as ,i   
learned to bear the ,cross1 ,i felt     
,refreshment to come from his ,presence2
 but1 not keeping in that ,strength     
which gave ,victory1 ,i lost ,ground    
again2 the ,sense of which greatly      
affected me2 and ,i sought ,desarts and 
lonely ,places1 and there1 with ,tears1 
did confess my ,sins to ,god1 and humbly
 craved ,help of him4 ,and ,i may say   
with ,reverence1 he was near to me in my
 ,troubles1 and in those ,times of      
,humiliation opened my ,ear to          
,discipline4 ,i was now led to look     
seriously at the ,means by which ,i was 
drawn from the pure ,truth1 and learned 

this1 that1 if ,i would live in the     
,life which the faithful ,servants of   
,god lived in1 ,i must not go into      
,company as heretofore in my own ,will2 
but all the ,cravings of ,sense must be 
governed by a divine ,principle4 ,in    
,times of ,sorrow and ,abasement these  
,instructions were sealed upon me1 and  
,i felt the ,power of ,christ prevail   
over selfish ,desires1 so that ,i was   
preserved in a good degree of           
,steadiness2 and1 being young1 and      
believing at that ,time that a single   
,life was best for me1 ,i was           
strengthened to keep from such ,company 
as had often been a ,snare to me4  ,i   
kept steadily to ,meetings2 spent       
,first-day ,afternoons chiefly in       
reading the ,scriptures and other good  
,books2 and was early convinced in      
,mind1 that true ,religion consisted in 
an inward ,life1 wherein the ,heart doth
 love and reverence ,god the ,creator1  
and learns to exercise true ,justice and
 ,goodness1 not only toward all ,men1   

but also toward the brute               
,creatures4--,that as the ,mind was     
moved1 by an inward ,principle1 to love 
,god as an invisible incomprehensible   
,being1 by the same ,principle it was   
moved to love him in all his            
,manifestations in the visible          
,world4--,that1 as by his ,breath the   
,flame of ,life was kindled in all      
animal sensible ,creatures1 to say we   
love ,god1 and1 at the same ,time       
exercise ,cruelty toward the least      
,creature1 is a ,contradiction in       
itself4  ,i found no ,narrowness        
respecting ,sects and ,opinions2 but    
believed1 that sincere upright-hearted  
,people1 in every ,society1 who truly   
love ,god1 were accepted of him4  ,as ,i
 lived under the ,cross1 and simply     
followed the ,openings of ,truth1 my    
,mind1 from ,day to ,day1 was more      
enlightened2 my former ,acquaintance    
were left to judge of me as they would1 
for ,i found it safest for me to live in
 private1 and keep these ,things sealed 

up in my own ,breast4 ,while ,i silently
 ponder on that ,change wrought in me1  
,i find no ,language equal to it1 nor   
any ,means to convey to another a clear 
,idea of it4 ,i looked on the ,works of 
,god in this visible ,creation1 and an  
,awfulness covered me2 my ,heart was    
tender and often contrite1 and universal
 ,love to my ,fellow-creatures increased
 in me3 ,this will be understood by such
 as have trodden the same ,path4 ,some  
,glances of real ,beauty may be seen in 
their ,faces1 who dwell in true         
,meekness4 ,there is a ,harmony in the  
,sound of that ,voice to which divine   
,love gives ,utterance1 and some        
,appearance of right ,order in their    
,temper and ,conduct1 whose ,passions   
are regulated2 yet all these do not     
fully shew forth that inward ,life to   
such as have not felt it3 ,but this     
white ,stone and new ,name is known     
rightly to such only as have it4        
,though ,i had been thus strengthened to
 bear the ,cross1 ,i still found myself 

in great ,danger1 having many           
,weaknesses attending me1 and strong    
,temptations to wrestle with2 in the    
feeling whereof ,i frequently withdrew  
into private ,places1 and often with    
,tears besought the ,lord to help me1   
whose gracious ,ear was open to my ,cry4
  ,all this ,time ,i lived with my      
,parents1 and wrought on the            
,plantation2 and1 having had ,schooling 
pretty well for a ,planter1 ,i used to  
improve it in ,winter ,evenings1 and    
other leisure ,times2 and1 being now in 
the twenty-first ,year of my ,age1 a    
,man1 in much ,business at shop-keeping 
and baking1 asked me1 if ,i would hire  
with him to tend ,shop and keep ,books4 
,i acquainted my ,father with the       
,proposal2 and1 after some              
,deliberation1 it was agreed for me to  
go4  ,at ,home ,i had lived retired2 and
 now1 having a ,prospect of being much  
in the ,way of ,company1 ,i felt        
frequent and fervent ,cries in my ,heart
 to ,god1 the ,father of ,mercies1 that 

he would preserve me from all           
,corruption2 that in this more publick  
,employment1 ,i might serve him1 my     
gracious ,redeemer1 in that ,humility   
and ,self-denial1 with which ,i had     
been1 in a small ,degree1 exercised in a
 more private ,life4 ,the ,man1 who     
employed me1 furnished a ,shop in       
,mount-,holly1 about five ,miles from my
 ,father's ,house1 and six from his own2
 and there ,i lived alone1 and tended   
his ,shop4 ,shortly after my ,settlement
 here ,i was visited by several young   
,people1 my former ,acquaintance1 who   
knew not but ,vanities would be as      
agreeable to me now as ever2 and1 at    
these ,times1 ,i cried to the ,lord in  
secret1 for ,wisdom and ,strength2 for  
,i felt myself encompassed with         
,difficulties1 and had fresh ,occasion  
to bewail the ,follies of ,time past1 in
 contracting a ,familiarity with        
libertine ,people2 and1 as ,i had now   
left my ,father's ,house outwardly1 ,i  
found my heavenly ,father to be merciful

 to me beyond what ,i can express4  ,by 
,day ,i was much amongst ,people1 and   
had many ,trials to go through2 but1 in 
the ,evenings1 ,i was mostly alone1 and 
may with ,thankfulness acknowledge1     
that1 in those ,times1 the ,spirit of   
,supplication was often poured upon me2 
under which ,i was frequently exercised1
 and felt my ,strength renewed4  ,in a  
few ,months after ,i came here1 my      
,master bought several ,scotchmen1      
,servants1 from on-board a ,vessel1 and 
brought them to ,mount-,holly to sell2  
one of which was taken sick1 and died4  
,in the latter ,part of his ,sickness1  
he1 being delirious1 used to curse and  
swear most sorrowfully2 and1 the next   
,night after his ,burial1 ,i was left to
 sleep alone in the same ,chamber where 
he died2 ,i perceived in me a           
,timorousness2 ,i knew1 however1 ,i had 
not injured the ,man1 but assisted in   
taking ,care of him according to my     
,capacity2 and was not free to ask any  
one1 on that ,occasion1 to sleep with   

me3 ,nature was feeble2 but every ,trial
 was a fresh ,incitement to give myself 
up wholly to the ,service of ,god1 for  
,i found no ,helper like him in ,times  
of ,trouble4  ,after a ,while1 my former
 ,acquaintance gave over expecting me as
 one of their ,company2 and ,i began to 
be known to some whose ,conversation was
 helpful to me3 ,and now1 as ,i had     
experienced the ,love of ,god1 through  
,jesus ,christ1 to redeem me from many  
,pollutions1 and to be a ,succour to me 
through a ,sea of ,conflicts1 with which
 no ,person was fully acquainted2 and as
 my ,heart was often enlarged in this   
heavenly ,principle1 ,i felt a tender   
,compassion for the ,youth1 who remained
 entangled in ,snares1 like those which 
had entangled me from one ,time to      
another3 ,this ,love and ,tenderness    
increased2 and my ,mind was more        
strongly engaged for the ,good of my    
,fellow-creatures4 ,i went to ,meetings 
in an awful ,frame of ,mind1 and        
endeavoured to be inwardly acquainted   

with the ,language of the true          
,shepherd2 and1 one ,day1 being under a 
strong ,exercise of ,spirit1 ,i stood   
up1 and said some ,words in a ,meeting2 
but1 not keeping close to the divine    
,opening1 ,i said more than was required
 of me2 and being soon sensible of my   
,error1 ,i was afflicted in ,mind some  
,weeks1 without any ,light or ,comfort1 
even to that ,degree that ,i could not  
take ,satisfaction in any ,thing3 ,i    
remembered ,god1 and was troubled1 and1 
in the ,depth of my ,distress1 he had   
,pity upon me1 and sent the ,comforter3 
,i then felt ,forgiveness for my        
,offence1 and my ,mind became calm and  
quiet1 being truly thankful to my       
gracious ,redeemer for his ,mercies2    
and1 after this1 feeling the ,spring of 
divine ,love opened1 and a ,concern to  
speak1 ,i said a few ,words in a        
,meeting1 in which ,i found ,peace2     
this1 ,i believe1 was about six ,weeks  
from the first ,time3 ,and1 as ,i was   
thus humbled and disciplined under the  

,cross1 my ,understanding became more   
strengthened to distinguish the pure    
,spirit which inwardly moves upon the   
,heart1 and taught me to wait in        
,silence sometimes many ,weeks together1
 until ,i felt that rise which prepares 
the ,creature4  ,from an inward         
purifying1 and stedfast abiding under   
it1 springs a lively operative ,desire  
for the ,good of others3 ,all the       
,faithful are not called to the public  
,ministry2 but whoever are1 are called  
to minister of that which they have     
tasted and handled spiritually4 ,the    
outward ,modes of ,worship are various2 
but1 wherever any are true ,ministers of
 ,jesus ,christ1 it is from the         
,operation of his ,spirit upon their    
,hearts1 first purifying them1 and thus 
giving them a just ,sense of the        
,conditions of others4  ,this ,truth was
 clearly fixed in my ,mind2 and ,i was  
taught to watch the pure ,opening1 and  
to take ,heed1 lest1 while ,i was       
standing to speak1 my own ,will should  

get uppermost1 and cause me to utter    
,words from worldly ,wisdom1 and depart 
from the ,channel of the true           
,gospel-,ministry4  ,in the ,management 
of my outward ,affairs1 ,i may say1 with
 ,thankfulness1 ,i found ,truth to be my
 ,support2 and ,i was respected in my   
,master's ,family1 who came to live in  
,mount-,holly within two ,years after my
 going there4  ,about the twenty-third  
,year of my ,age1 ,i had many fresh and 
heavenly ,openings1 in respect to the   
,care and ,providence of the ,almighty  
over his ,creatures in general1 and over
 ,man as the most noble amongst those   
which are visible4 ,and being clearly   
convinced in my ,judgment1 that to place
 my whole ,trust in ,god was best for   
me1 ,i felt renewed ,engagements1 that  
in all ,things ,i might act on an inward
 ,principle of ,virtue1 and pursue      
worldly ,business no farther1 than as   
,truth opened my ,way therein4  ,about  
the ,time called ,christmas1 ,i observed
 many ,people from the ,country1 and    

,dwellers in ,town1 who1 resorting to   
,public-,houses1 spent their ,time in   
drinking and vain ,sports1 tending to   
corrupt one another2 on which ,account  
,i was much troubled4 ,at one ,house1 in
 particular1 there was much ,disorder2  
and ,i believed it was a ,duty incumbent
 on me to go and speak to the ,master of
 that ,house4 ,i considered ,i was      
young1 and that several elderly ,friends
 in town had ,opportunity to see these  
,things2 but though ,i would gladly have
 been excused1 yet ,i could not feel my 
,mind clear4  ,the ,exercise was heavy2 
and as ,i was reading what the ,almighty
 said to ,ezekiel1 respecting his ,duty 
as a ,watchman1 the ,matter was set home
 more clearly2 and then1 with ,prayers  
and ,tears1 ,i besought the ,lord for   
his ,assistance1 who1 in                
,loving-kindness1 gave me a resigned    
,heart3 ,then1 at a suitable            
,opportunity1 ,i went to the            
,public-house1 and1 seeing the ,man     
amongst much ,company1 ,i went to him1  

and told him1 ,i wanted to speak with   
him2 so we went aside1 and there1 in the
 ,fear of the ,almighty1 ,i expressed to
 him what rested on my ,mind2 which he  
took kindly1 and afterward shewed more  
,regard to me than before4 ,in a few    
,years afterwards he died1 middle-aged2 
and ,i often thought that1 had ,i       
neglected my ,duty in that ,case1 it    
would have given me great ,trouble2 and 
,i was humbly thankful to my gracious   
,father1 who had supported me herein4   
,my ,employer having a ,negro ,woman1   
sold her1 and desired me to write a     
,bill of ,sale1 the ,man being waiting  
who bought her3 ,the ,thing was sudden2 
and1 though the ,thoughts of writing an 
,instrument of ,slavery for one of my   
,fellow-creatures felt uneasy1 yet ,i   
remembered ,i was hired by the ,year1   
that it was my ,master who directed me  
to do it1 and that it was an elderly    
,man1 a ,member of our ,society1 who    
bought her2 so1 through ,weakness1 ,i   
gave way1 and wrote2 but1 at the        

executing it1 ,i was so afflicted in my 
,mind1 that ,i said1 before my ,master  
and the ,friend1 that ,i believed       
,slave-keeping to be a ,practice        
inconsistent with the ,christian        
,religion3 ,this in some ,degree abated 
my ,uneasiness2 yet1 as often as ,i     
reflected seriously upon it1 ,i thought 
,i should have been clearer1 if ,i had  
desired to have been excused from it1 as
 a ,thing against my ,conscience2 for   
such it was4 ,and1 some ,time after     
this1 a young ,man1 of our ,society1    
spoke to me to write a ,conveyance of a 
,slave to him1 he having lately taken a 
,negro into his ,house3 ,i told him ,i  
was not easy to write it2 for1 though   
many of our ,meeting and in other       
,places kept ,slaves1 ,i still believed 
the ,practice was not right1 and desired
 to be excused from the writing4 ,i     
spoke to him in ,good-will2 and he told 
me that keeping ,slaves was not         
altogether agreeable to his ,mind2 but  
that the ,slave being a ,gift to his    

,wife1 he had accepted of her4          
,,chapter ,,ii      ,his first ,journey1
 on a religious ,visit1 into            
,east-,jersey1 in     ,company with     
,,abraham ,,farrington--,his ,thoughts  
on merchandizing1     and his learning a
 ,trade--,his second ,journey1 with     
,,isaac ,,andrews1     into             
,pennsylvania1 ,maryland1 ,virginia1 and
 ,north ,carolina--,his     third       
,journey1 with ,,peter ,,andrews1       
through ,part of ,west and              
,east-,jersey--,some ,account of his    
,sister ,,elizabeth1 and her            
,death--,his fourth ,journey1 with      
,,peter ,,andrews1 through ,new-,york   
and ,long-,island1 to                   
,new-,england--,and his fifth ,journey1 
with     ,,john ,,sykes1 to the eastern 
,shore of ,maryland1 and the lower      
,counties on ,delaware  ,my esteemed    
,friend1 ,abraham ,farrington1 being    
about to make a ,visit to ,friends on   
the eastern ,side of this ,province1 and
 having no ,companion1 he proposed to me

 to go with him2 and1 after a           
,conference with some elderly ,friends1 
,i agreed to go3 ,we set out the fifth  
,day of the ninth ,month1 in the ,year  
#agdc2 had an ,evening-meeting at a     
,tavern in ,brunswick1 a ,town in which 
none of our ,society dwelt2 the ,room   
was full1 and the ,people quiet4 ,thence
 to ,amboy1 and had an ,evening-meeting 
in the ,court-house2 to which many      
,people came1 amongst whom were several 
,members of the ,assembly1 they being in
 ,town on public ,affairs of the        
,province3 ,in both these ,meetings my  
ancient ,companion was enlarged to      
preach1 in the ,love of the ,gospel4    
,thence we went to ,woodbridge1 ,raway1 
and ,plainfield2 and had six or seven   
,meetings in ,places where ,meetings of 
,friends are not usually held1 being    
made up chiefly of ,presbyterians2 and  
my beloved ,companion was frequently    
strengthened to publish the ,word of    
,life amongst them3 ,as for me1 ,i was  
often silent2 and1 when ,i spake1 it was

 with much ,care1 that ,i might speak   
only what ,truth opened3 ,and ,i learned
 some profitable ,lessons4--,we were out
 about two ,weeks4  ,near this ,time1   
being on some outward ,business in which
 several ,families were concerned1 and  
which was attended with ,difficulties1  
some ,things relating thereto not being 
clearly stated1 nor rightly understood  
by all1 there arose some ,heat in the   
,minds of the ,parties1 and one valuable
 ,friend got off his ,watch2 ,i had a   
great ,regard for him1 and felt a strong
 ,inclination1 after ,matters were      
settled1 to speak to him concerning his 
,conduct in that case3 ,but ,i being a  
,youth1 and he far advanced in ,age and 
,experience1 my ,way appeared difficult2
 but1 after some ,days ,deliberation1   
and inward seeking to the ,lord for     
,assistance1 ,i was made subject2 so    
that ,i expressed what lay upon me in a 
,way which became my ,youth and his     
,years3 ,and1 though it was a hard ,task
 to me1 it was well taken1 and1 ,i      

believe1 useful to us both4  ,having now
 been several ,years with my ,employer1 
and he doing less at ,merchandize than  
heretofore1 ,i was thoughtful of some   
other ,way of ,business2 perceiving     
,merchandize to be attended with much   
,cumber1 in the ,way of trading in these
 ,parts4  ,my mind1 through the ,power  
of ,truth1 was in a good degree weaned  
from the ,desire of outward ,greatness1 
and ,i was learning to be content with  
real ,conveniences1 that were not       
costly2 so that a ,way of ,life1 free   
from much ,entanglement1 appeared best  
for me1 though the ,income might be     
small4 ,i had several ,offers of        
,business that appeared profitable1 but 
did not see my ,way clear to accept of  
them2 as believing the ,business        
proposed would be attended with more    
outward ,care than was required of me to
 engage in4  ,i saw that a humble ,man1 
with the blessing of the ,lord1 might   
live on a little2 and that where the    
,heart was set on ,greatness1 ,success  

in ,business did not satisfy the        
craving2 but that commonly1 with an     
,increase of ,wealth1 the ,desire of    
,wealth increased4 ,there was a ,care on
 my ,mind so to pass my ,time1 that     
nothing might hinder me from the most   
steady ,attention to the ,voice of the  
true ,shepherd4  ,my ,employer1 though  
now a ,retailer of ,goods1 was by ,trade
 a ,taylor1 and kept a ,servant-man at  
that ,business2 and ,i began to think   
about learning the ,trade1 expecting    
that1 if ,i should settle1 ,i might1 by 
this ,trade and a little retailing of   
,goods1 get a ,living in a plain ,way1  
without the ,load of great ,business3 ,i
 mentioned it to my ,employer1 and we   
soon agreed on ,terms2 and then1 when ,i
 had ,leisure from the ,affairs of      
,merchandize1 ,i worked with his ,man4  
,i believed the ,hand of ,providence    
pointed out this ,business for me2 and  
was taught to be content with it1 though
 ,i felt1 at ,times1 a ,disposition that
 would have sought for something        

greater3 ,but1 through the ,revelation  
of ,jesus ,christ1 ,i had seen the      
,happiness of ,humility1 and there was  
an earnest ,desire in me to enter deep  
into it2 and1 at ,times1 this ,desire   
arose to a ,degree of fervent           
,supplication1 wherein my ,soul was so  
environed with heavenly ,light and      
,consolation1 that ,things were made    
easy to me which had been otherwise4    
,after some ,time1 my ,employer's ,wife 
died2 she was a virtuous ,woman1 and    
generally beloved of her ,neighbours2   
and1 soon after this1 he left           
shop-keeping1 and we parted4 ,i then    
wrought at my ,trade1 as a ,taylor2     
carefully attended ,meetings for        
,worship and ,discipline2 and found an  
,enlargement of ,gospel-love in my      
,mind1 and therein a ,concern to visit  
,friends in some of the                 
,back-settlements of ,pennsylvania and  
,virginia2 and1 being thoughtful about a
 ,companion1 ,i expressed it to my      
beloved ,friend1 ,,isaac ,,andrews1 who 

then told me that he had ,drawings to   
the same ,places2 also to go through    
,maryland1 ,virginia1 and ,carolina4    
,after considerable ,time past1 and     
several ,conferences with him1 ,i felt  
easy to accompany him throughout1 if    
,way opened for it4 ,i opened the ,case 
in our ,monthly-meeting2 and1 ,friends  
expressing their ,unity therewith1 we   
obtained ,certificates to travel as     
,companions2 his from ,haddonfield1 and 
mine from ,burlington4  ,we left our    
,province on the twelfth ,day of the    
third ,month1 in the ,year #agdf1 and   
had several ,meetings in the upper ,part
 of ,chester ,county1 and near          
,lancaster2 in some of which1 the ,love 
of ,christ prevailed1 uniting us        
together in his ,service4 ,then we      
crossed the ,river ,susquehannah1 and   
had several ,meetings in a new          
,settlement1 called the ,red-,lands2 the
 oldest of which1 as ,i was informed1   
did not exceed ten ,years4 ,it is the   
poorer ,sort of ,people that commonly   

begin to improve remote ,desarts3 ,with 
a small ,stock they have ,houses to     
build1 ,lands to clear and fence1 ,corn 
to raise1 ,clothes to provide1 and      
,children to educate2 that ,friends1 who
 visit such1 may well sympathise with   
them in their ,hardships in the         
,wilderness2 and though the best        
,entertainment such can give may seem   
coarse to some who are used to ,cities1 
or old settled ,places1 it becomes the  
,disciples of ,christ to be content with
 it4 ,our ,hearts were sometimes        
enlarged in the ,love of our heavenly   
,father amongst these ,people2 and the  
sweet ,influence of his ,spirit         
supported us through some ,difficulties3
 ,to him be the ,praise6  ,we passed on 
to ,monoquacy1 ,fairfax1 ,hopewell1 and 
,shanando1 and had ,meetings2 some of   
which were comfortable and edifying4    
,from ,shanando we set off in the       
,afternoon for the old ,settlements of  
,friends in ,virginia2 and1 the first   
,night1 we1 with our ,pilot1 lodged in  

the ,woods1 our ,horses feeding near us2
 but he being poorly provided with a    
,horse1 and we young and having good    
,horses1 were free the next ,day to part
 with him2 and did so4 ,in two ,days    
after1 we reached to our ,friend ,john  
,cheagle's1 in ,virginia2 so we took the
 ,meetings in our ,way through          
,virginia2 were1 in some ,degree1       
baptized into a feeling ,sense of the   
,conditions of the ,people2 and our     
,exercise in general was more painful in
 these old ,settlements1 than it had    
been amongst the back ,inhabitants3     
,but1 through the ,goodness of our      
heavenly ,father1 the ,well of living   
,waters was1 at ,times1 opened to our   
,encouragement and the ,refreshment of  
the sincere-hearted4 ,we went on to     
,perquimons1 in ,north-,carolina1 had   
several ,meetings1 which were large1 and
 found some ,openness in those ,parts1  
and a hopeful ,appearance amongst the   
young ,people4 ,so we turned again to   
,virginia1 and attended most of the     

,meetings which we had not been at      
before1 labouring amongst ,friends in   
the ,love of ,jesus ,christ1 as ,ability
 was given2 and thence went to the      
,mountains1 up ,james-,river1 to a new  
,settlement1 and had several ,meetings  
amongst the ,people1 some of whom had   
lately joined in ,membership with our   
,society4  ,in our journeying to and    
fro1 we found some honest-hearted       
,friends1 who appeared to be concerned  
for the ,cause of ,truth among a        
backsliding ,people4  ,from ,virginia1  
we crossed over the ,river ,patowmac1 at
 ,hoe's ,ferry1 and made a general      
,visit to the ,meetings of ,friends on  
the ,western ,shore of ,maryland2 and   
were at their ,quarterly-meeting4 ,we   
had some hard ,labour amongst them1     
endeavouring to discharge our ,duty     
honestly as ,way opened1 in the ,love of
 ,truth3 ,and thence taking sundry      
,meetings in our ,way1 we passed        
homeward2 where1 through the ,favour of 
divine ,providence we reached the       

sixteenth ,day of the sixth ,month1 in  
the ,year #agdf2 and ,i may say that1   
through the ,assistance of the ,holy    
,spirit1 my ,companion and ,i travelled 
in ,harmony1 and parted in the ,nearness
 of true brotherly ,love4  ,two ,things 
were remarkable to me in this ,journey2 
first1 in ,regard to my ,entertainment1 
when ,i ate1 drank1 and lodged at       
free-cost1 with ,people who lived in    
,ease on the hard ,labour of their      
,slaves1 ,i felt uneasy2 and1 as my     
,mind was inward to the ,lord1 ,i found1
 from ,place to ,place1 this ,uneasiness
 return upon me1 at ,times1 through the 
whole ,visit4 ,where the ,masters bore a
 good ,share of the ,burthen1 and lived 
frugally1 so that their ,servants were  
well provided for1 and their ,labour    
moderate1 ,i felt more easy2 but where  
they lived in a costly ,way1 and laid   
heavy ,burthens on their ,slaves1 my    
,exercise was often great1 and ,i       
frequently had ,conversation with them1 
in private1 concerning it4 ,secondly2   

this ,trade of importing ,slaves from   
their native ,country being much        
encouraged amongst them1 and the white  
,people and their ,children so generally
 living without much ,labour1 was       
frequently the ,subject of my serious   
,thoughts3 ,and ,i saw in these southern
 ,provinces so many ,vices and          
,corruptions1 increased by this ,trade  
and this ,way of ,life1 that it appeared
 to me as a ,gloom over the ,land2 and  
though now many willingly run into it1  
yet1 in future1 the ,consequence will be
 grievous to ,posterity3 ,i express it  
as it hath appeared to me1 not at once  
nor twice1 but as a ,matter fixed on my 
,mind4  ,soon after my ,return ,home1 ,i
 felt an increasing ,concern for        
,friends on our ,sea-coast2 and1 on the 
eighth ,day of the eighth ,month1 in the
 ,year #agdf1 with the ,unity of        
,friends1 and in ,company with my       
beloved ,friend and ,neighbour1 ,,peter 
,,andrews1 ,brother to my ,companion    
before-mentioned1 we set forward1 and   

visited ,meetings generally about       
,salem1 ,cape ,may1 ,great and ,little  
,egg-,harbour2 and had ,meetings at     
,barnagat1 ,mannahocking1 and           
,mane-,squan1 and so to the             
,yearly-meeting at ,shrewsbury4 ,through
 the ,goodness of the ,lord ,way was    
opened1 and the ,strength of divine     
,love was sometimes felt in our         
,assemblies1 to the ,comfort and ,help  
of those who were rightly concerned     
before him4 ,we were out twenty-two     
,days1 and rode1 by ,computation1 three 
hundred and forty ,miles4 ,at           
,shrewsbury ,yearly-meeting1 we met with
 our dear ,friends ,,michael ,,lightfoot
 and ,,abraham ,,farrington1 who had    
good ,service there4  ,the ,winter      
following my eldest ,sister1 ,,elizabeth
 ,,woolman1 jun4 died of the ,small-pox1
 aged thirty-one ,years4 ,she was1 from 
her ,youth1 of a thoughtful             
,disposition2 and very compassionate to 
her ,acquaintance in their ,sickness or 
,distress1 being ready to help as far as

 she could4 ,she was dutiful to her     
,parents2 one ,instance whereof         
follows3--,it happened that she1 and two
 of her ,sisters1 being then near the   
,estate of young ,women1 had an         
,inclination1 one ,first-day after      
,meeting1 to go on a ,visit to some     
other young ,women at some ,distance    
off2 whose ,company1 ,i believe1 would  
have done them no ,good4 ,they expressed
 their ,desire to our ,parents2 who were
 dissatisfied with the ,proposal1 and   
stopped them4 ,the same ,day1 as my     
,sisters and ,i were together1 and they 
talking about their ,disappointment1    
,elizabeth expressed her ,contentment   
under it2 signifying1 she believed it   
might be for their ,good4  ,a few ,years
 after she attained to mature-,age1     
through the gracious ,visitations of    
,god's ,love1 she was strengthened to   
live a self-denying exemplary ,life1    
giving herself much to ,reading and     
,meditation4  ,the following ,letter may
 shew1 in some ,degree1 her             

,disposition4       ,,haddonfield1 #ast 
,day1 #aath ,month1 #agdc4              
,beloved ,brother1 ,,john               
,,woolman1--,in that ,love which desires
 the      ,welfare of all ,men1 ,i write
 unto thee3 ,i received thine1 dated    
second ,day of the tenth ,month last1   
with which ,i was comforted4 ,my        
,spirit is bowed with ,thankfulness that
 ,i should be remembered1 who      am   
unworthy2 but the ,lord is full of      
,mercy1 and his ,goodness is            
extended to the meanest of his          
,creation2 therefore1 in his infinite   
,love1 he hath pitied1 and spared1 and  
shewed ,mercy1 that ,i have not         
been cut off nor quite lost2 but1 at    
,times1 ,i am refreshed and             
comforted as with the ,glimpse of his   
,presence1 which is more to the         
immortal ,part1 than all which this     
,world can afford3 ,so1 with            
,desires for thy ,preservation with my  
own1 ,i remain       ,thy affectionate  
,sister1      ,,eliz4 ,,woolman1 jun4   

,in the fore ,part of her ,illness she  
was in great ,sadness and ,dejection of 
,mind1 of which she told one of her     
intimate ,friends1 and said1 ,when ,i   
was a young ,girl ,i was wanton and     
airy1 but ,i thought ,i had thoroughly  
repented of it2 and added1 ,i have of   
late had great ,satisfaction in         
,meetings4 ,though she was thus         
disconsolate1 still she retained a      
,hope1 which was as an ,anchor to her3  
,and sometime after1 the same ,friend   
came again to see her1 to whom she      
mentioned her former ,expressions1 and  
said1 ,it is otherwise now1 for the     
,lord hath rewarded me seven fold2 and  
,i am unable to express the ,greatness  
of his ,love manifested to me4 ,her     
,disorder appearing dangerous1 and our  
,mother being sorrowful1 she took       
,notice of it1 and said1 ,dear ,mother1 
weep not for me2 ,i go to my ,god3 ,and1
 many ,times1 with an audible ,voice1   
uttered ,praise to her ,redeemer4  ,a   
,friend1 coming some ,miles to see her  

the ,morning before she died1 asked her1
 how she did8 ,she answered1 ,i have had
 a hard ,night1 but shall not have      
another such1 for ,i shall die1 and it  
will be well with my ,soul2 and         
accordingly died the next ,evening4     
,the following ,ejaculations were found 
amongst her ,writings2 written1 ,i      
believe1 at four ,times3  ,i4 ,oh6 that 
my ,head were as ,waters1 and mine ,eyes
 as a ,fountain of ,tears1 that ,i might
 weep ,day and ,night1 until acquainted 
with my ,god4  ,,ii4 ,o ,lord1 that ,i  
may enjoy thy ,presence6 or else my     
,time is lost1 and my ,life a ,snare to 
my ,soul4  ,,iii4 ,o ,lord1 that ,i may 
receive ,bread from thy ,table1 and that
 thy ,grace may abound in me6  ,,iv4 ,o 
,lord1 that ,i may be acquainted with   
thy ,presence1 that ,i may be seasoned  
with thy ,salt1 that thy ,grace may     
abound in me6  ,of late ,i found        
,drawings in my ,mind to visit ,friends 
in ,new-,england1 and1 having an        
,opportunity of joining in ,company with

 my beloved ,friend1 ,,peter ,,andrews1 
we1 having obtained ,certificates from  
our ,monthly-meeting1 set forward on the
 sixteenth ,day of the third ,month1 in 
the ,year #agdg1 and reached the        
,yearly-meeting at ,long-,island2 at    
which were our ,friends ,,samuel        
,,nottingham1 from ,england1 ,,john     
,,griffith1 ,,jane ,,hoskins1 and       
,,elizbeth ,,hudson1 from ,pennsylvania1
 and ,,jacob ,,andrews1 from            
,chesterfield4 ,several of whom were    
favoured in their publick ,exercise2    
and1 through the ,goodness of the ,lord1
 we had some edifying ,meetings4 ,after 
this1 my ,companion and ,i visited      
,friends on ,long-,island2 and1 through 
the ,mercies of ,god we were helped in  
the ,work4  ,besides going to the       
settled ,meetings of ,friends1 we were  
at a general ,meeting at ,setawket1     
chiefly made up of other ,societies2 and
 had a ,meeting at ,oyster-,bay in a    
,dwelling-house1 at which were many     
,people3 ,at the first of which there   

was not much said by way of ,testimony2 
but it was ,i believe1 a good ,meeting3 
,at the latter1 through the springing up
 of living ,waters1 it was a ,day to be 
thankfully remembered4 ,having visited  
the ,island1 we went over to the ,main1 
taking ,meetings in our ,way1 to        
,oblong1 ,nine ,partners1 and           
,new-,milford4--,in these back          
,settlements we met with several        
,people1 who1 through the immediate     
,workings of the ,spirit of ,christ in  
their ,minds1 were drawn from the       
,vanities of the ,world1 to an inward   
,acquaintance with him3 ,they were      
educated in the ,way of the             
,presbyterians4 ,a considerable ,number 
of the ,youth1 ,members of that         
,society1 used to spend their ,time     
often together in merriment2 but some of
 the principal young ,men of that       
,company being visited by the powerful  
,workings of the ,spirit of ,christ1 and
 thereby led humbly to take up his      
,cross1 could no longer join in those   

,vanities2 and1 as these stood stedfast 
to that inward ,convincement1 they were 
made a ,blessing to some of their former
 ,companions2 so that1 through the      
,power of ,truth1 several were brought  
into a close ,exercise concerning the   
eternal ,well-being of their ,souls4    
,these young ,people continued for a    
,time to frequent their publick         
,worship2 and1 besides that1 had        
,meetings of their own2 which ,meetings 
were a while allowed by their ,preacher1
 who1 sometimes1 met with them3 ,but1 in
 ,time1 their ,judgment1 in ,matters of 
,religion1 disagreeing with some of the 
,articles of the ,presbyterians1 their  
,meetings were disapproved by that      
,society2 and such of them as stood firm
 to their ,duty1 as it was inwardly     
manifested1 had many ,difficulties to go
 through4 ,and their ,meetings were in a
 while dropped2 some of them returning  
to the ,presbyterians2 and others of    
them1 after a ,time1 joined our         
religious ,society4 ,i had ,conversation

 with some of the latter1 to my ,help   
and ,edification2 and believe several of
 them are acquainted with the ,nature of
 that ,worship1 which is performed in   
,spirit and in ,truth4  ,from hence1    
accompanied by ,,amos ,,powel1 a ,friend
 from ,long-,island1 we rode through    
,connecticut1 chiefly inhabited by      
,presbyterians1 who were generally civil
 to us2 and1 after three ,days riding1  
we came amongst ,friends in the ,colony 
of ,rhode-,island4 ,we visited ,friends 
in and about ,newport1 and ,dartmouth1  
and generally in those ,parts2 and then 
to ,boston2 and proceeded eastward as   
far as ,dover2 and then returned to     
,newport2 and1 not far from thence1 we  
met our ,friend1 ,,thomas ,,gawthrop1   
from ,england1 who was then on a ,visit 
to these ,provinces4 ,from ,newport we  
sailed to ,nantucket2 were there near a 
,week2 and from thence came over to     
,dartmouth3 ,and having finished our    
,visit in these ,parts1 we crossed the  
,sound from ,new-,london to             

,long-,island2 and1 taking some         
,meetings on the ,island1 proceeded     
homeward2 where we reached the          
thirteenth ,day of the seventh ,month1  
in the ,year #agdg1 having rode about   
fifteen hundred ,miles1 and sailed about
 one hundred and fifty4  ,in this       
,journey1 ,i may say1 in general1 we    
were sometimes in much ,weakness1 and   
laboured under ,discouragements2 and at 
other ,times1 through the renewed       
,manifestations of divine ,love1 we had 
seasons of ,refreshment1 wherein the    
,power of ,truth prevailed4  ,we were   
taught1 by renewed ,experience1 to      
labour for an inward ,stillness2 at no  
,time to seek for ,words1 but to live in
 the ,spirit of ,truth1 and utter that  
to the ,people which ,truth opened in   
us4 ,my beloved ,companion and ,i       
belonged to one ,meeting1 came forth in 
the ,ministry near the same ,time1 and  
were inwardly united in the ,work2 he   
was about thirteen ,years older than ,i1
 bore the heaviest ,burthen1 and was an 

,instrument of the greatest ,use4       
,finding a ,concern to visit ,friends in
 the lower ,counties on ,delaware1 and  
on the eastern ,shore of ,maryland1 and 
having an ,opportunity to join with my  
well-beloved ancient ,friend1 ,,john    
,,sykes1 we obtained ,certificates1 and 
set off the seventh ,day of the eighth  
,month1 in the ,year #agdh2 were at the 
,meetings of ,friends in the lower      
,counties1 attended the ,yearly-meeting 
at ,little-,creek1 and made a ,visit to 
the chief of the ,meetings on the       
eastern ,shore2 and so ,home by ,way of 
,nottingham3 ,were abroad about six     
,weeks1 and rode1 by ,computation1 about
 five hundred and fifty ,miles4  ,our   
,exercise1 at ,times1 was heavy2 but1   
through the ,goodness of the ,lord1 we  
were often refreshed2 and ,i may say1 by
 ,experience1 ,he is a strong ,hold in  
the ,day of ,trouble4 ,though our       
,society1 in these ,parts1 appeared to  
me to be in a declining ,condition2 yet1
 ,i believe1 the ,lord hath a ,people   

amongst them1 who labour to serve him   
uprightly1 but have many ,difficulties  
to encounter4   ,,chapter ,,iii         
,his ,marriage--,the ,death of his      
,father--,his ,journies into the        
upper ,part of ,new-,jersey1 and        
afterwards into                         
,pennsylvania--,considerations on       
keeping ,slaves1 and his ,visits to     
the ,families of ,friends at several    
,times and ,places--,an ,epistle        
from the ,general ,meeting--,his        
,journey to                             
,long-,island--,considerations on       
,trading1 and on the ,use of            
spirituous ,liquors and costly          
,apparel--,and his ,letter to a ,friend 
,about this ,time1 believing it good for
 me to settle1 and thinking seriously   
about a ,companion1 my ,heart was turned
 to the ,lord with ,desires that he     
would give me ,wisdom to proceed therein
 agreeable to his ,will2 and he was     
pleased to give me a well-inclined      
,damsel1 ,,sarah ,,ellis2 to whom ,i was

 married the eighteenth ,day of the     
eighth ,month1 in the ,year #agdi4  ,in 
the fall of the ,year #agej died my     
,father1 ,,samuel ,,woolman1 with a     
,fever1 aged about sixty ,years4  ,in   
his ,life-time he manifested much ,care 
for us his ,children1 that in our ,youth
 we might learn to fear the ,lord2 often
 endeavouring to imprint in our ,minds  
the true ,principles of ,virtue1 and    
particularly to cherish in us a ,spirit 
of ,tenderness1 not only towards poor   
,people1 but also towards all ,creatures
 of which we had the ,command4  ,after  
my ,return from ,carolina1 in the ,year 
#agdf1 ,i made some ,observations on    
keeping ,slaves1 which some ,time before
 his ,decease ,i shewed him2 and he     
perused the ,manuscript1 proposed a few 
,alterations1 and appeared well         
satisfied that ,i found a ,concern on   
that ,account3 ,and in his last         
,sickness1 as ,i was watching with him  
one ,night1 he being so far spent that  
there was no ,expectation of his        

,recovery1 but having the perfect ,use  
of his ,understanding1 he asked me      
concerning the ,manuscript1 whether ,i  
expected soon to proceed to take the    
,advice of ,friends in publishing it8   
,and1 after some ,conversation thereon1 
said1 ,i have all along been deeply     
affected with the ,oppression of the    
poor ,negroes2 and now1 at last1 my     
,concern for them is as great as ever4  
,by his ,direction ,i had wrote his     
,will in a ,time of ,health1 and that   
,night he desired me to read it to him1 
which ,i did2 and he said it was        
agreeable to his ,mind4 ,he then made   
mention of his ,end1 which he believed  
was near2 and signified1 that1 though he
 was sensible of many ,imperfections in 
the ,course of his ,life1 yet his       
,experience of the ,power of ,truth1 and
 of the ,love and ,goodness of ,god from
 ,time to ,time1 even till now1 was     
such1 that he had no ,doubt but that1 in
 leaving this ,life1 he should enter    
into one more happy4  ,the next ,day his

 ,sister ,elizabeth came to see him1 and
 told him of the ,decease of their      
,sister ,ann1 who died a few ,days      
before3 ,he then said1 ,i reckon ,sister
 ,ann was free to leave this ,world3    
,elizabeth said1 she was4 ,he then said1
 ,i also am free to leave it2 and1 being
 in great ,weakness of ,body1 said1 ,i  
hope ,i shall shortly go to ,rest4 ,he  
continued in a weighty ,frame of ,mind1 
and was sensible till near the last4    
,on the second ,day of the ninth ,month1
 in the ,year #agea1 feeling ,drawings  
in my ,mind to visit ,friends at the    
,great-,meadows1 in the upper ,part of  
,west-,jersey1 with the ,unity of our   
,monthly-meeting1 ,i went there2 and had
 some searching laborious ,exercise     
amongst ,friends in those ,parts1 and   
found inward ,peace therein4  ,in the   
ninth ,month of the ,year #agec1 in     
,company with my well-esteemed ,friend  
,,john ,,sykes1 and with the ,unity of  
,friends1 we travelled about two ,weeks1
 visiting ,friends in ,bucks-,county4   

,we laboured in the ,love of the        
,gospel1 according to the ,measure      
received2 and1 through the ,mercies of  
him1 who is ,strength to the ,poor who  
trust in him1 we found ,satisfaction in 
our ,visit3 ,and1 in the next ,winter1  
,way opening to visit ,friends ,families
 within the ,compass of our             
,monthly-meeting1 partly by the ,labours
 of two ,friends from ,pennsylvania1 ,i 
joined in some ,part of the ,work2      
having had a ,desire some ,time that it 
might go forward amongst us4  ,about    
this ,time1 a ,person at some ,distance 
lying sick1 his ,brother came to me to  
write his ,will3 ,i knew he had ,slaves2
 and1 asking his ,brother1 was told he  
intended to leave them as ,slaves to his
 ,children4 ,as ,writing is a profitable
 ,employ1 and as offending sober ,people
 was disagreeable to my ,inclination1 ,i
 was straitened in my ,mind2 but1 as ,i 
looked to the ,lord1 he inclined my     
,heart to his ,testimony3 ,and ,i told  
the ,man1 that ,i believed the ,practice

 of continuing ,slavery to this ,people 
was not right2 and had a ,scruple in my 
,mind against doing ,writings of that   
,kind2 that1 though many in our ,society
 kept them as ,slaves1 still ,i was not 
easy to be concerned in it2 and desired 
to be excused from going to write the   
,will4 ,i spake to him in the ,fear of  
the ,lord2 and he made no ,reply to what
 ,i said1 but went away3 ,he1 also1 had 
some ,concerns in the ,practice2 and ,i 
thought he was displeased with me4 ,in  
this ,case ,i had a fresh ,confirmation1
 that acting contrary to present outward
 ,interest1 from a ,motive of divine    
,love1 and in ,regard to ,truth and     
,righteousness1 opens the ,way to a     
,treasure better than ,silver1 and to a 
,friendship exceeding the ,friendship of
 ,men4  ,the ,manuscript                
before-mentioned having lain by me      
several ,years1 the ,publication of it  
rested weightily upon me2 and this ,year
 ,i offered it to the ,revisal of       
,friends1 who1 having examined and made 

some small ,alterations in it1 directed 
a ,number of ,copies thereof to be      
published1 and dispersed amongst        
,friends4  ,in the ,year #aged1 ,i found
 my ,mind drawn to join in a ,visit to  
,friends ,families belonging to         
,chesterfield ,monthly-meeting2 and     
having the ,approbation of our own1 ,i  
went to their ,monthly-meeting in order 
to confer with ,friends1 and see if ,way
 opened for it3 ,i had ,conference with 
some of their ,members1 the ,proposal   
having been opened before in their      
,meeting1 and one ,friend agreed to join
 with me as a ,companion for a          
,beginning2 but1 when ,meeting was      
ended1 ,i felt great ,distress of ,mind1
 and doubted what ,way to take1 or      
whether to go ,home and wait for greater
 ,clearness3 ,i kept my ,distress       
secret2 and1 going with a ,friend to his
 ,house1 my ,desires were to the great  
,shepherd for his heavenly ,instruction2
 and in the ,morning ,i felt easy to    
proceed on the ,visit1 being very low in

 my ,mind3 ,and as mine ,eye was turned 
to the ,lord1 waiting in ,families in   
deep ,reverence before him1 he was      
pleased graciously to afford ,help2 so  
that we had many comfortable            
,opportunities1 and it appeared as a    
fresh ,visitation to some young ,people4
 ,i spent several ,weeks this ,winter in
 the ,service1 ,part of which ,time was 
employed near ,home4 ,and again1 in the 
following ,winter1 ,i was several ,weeks
 in the same ,service2 some ,part of the
 ,time at ,shrewsbury1 in ,company with 
my beloved ,friend1 ,john ,sykes2 and   
have ,cause humbly to acknowledge1 that1
 through the ,goodness of the ,lord1 our
 ,hearts were1 at ,times1 enlarged in   
his ,love2 and ,strength was given to go
 through the ,trials which1 in the      
,course of our ,visit1 attended us4     
,from a ,disagreement between the       
,powers of ,england and ,france1 it was 
now a ,time of ,trouble on this         
,continent2 and an ,epistle to ,friends 
went forth from our ,general            

,spring-meeting1 which ,i thought good  
to give a ,place in this ,journal4      
,an ,,epistle from our ,general         
,spring-meeting of ,ministers and       
,elders      for ,pennsylvania and      
,new-,jersey1 held at ,philadelphia1    
from      the #bith of the third ,month1
 to the first of the fourth ,month1     
inclusive1 #agee4       ,to ,friends on 
the ,continent of ,america4       ,dear 
,friends1--,in an humble ,sense of      
divine ,goodness1 and the      gracious 
,continuation of ,god's ,love to his    
,people1 we tenderly      salute you2   
and are at this ,time therein engaged in
 ,mind1 that all      of us who profess 
the ,truth1 as held forth and published 
by our      worthy ,predecessors in this
 latter ,age of the ,world1 may keep    
near      to that ,life which is the    
,light of ,men1 and be strengthened to  
hold      fast the ,profession of our   
,faith without wavering1 that our ,trust
      may not be in ,man but in the     
,lord alone1 who ruleth in the ,army of 

,heaven1 and in the ,kingdoms of ,men1  
before whom the ,earth is as      the   
,dust of the ,balance1 and her          
,inhabitants as ,grasshoppers4 ,isa4    
xl4 #bb4       ,we 7being convinced that
 the gracious ,design of the ,almighty  
in      sending his ,son into the       
,world1 was to repair the ,breach made  
by      ,disobedience1 to finish ,sin   
and ,transgression1 that his ,kingdom   
might come1 and his ,will be done on    
,earth as it is in ,heaven7 have        
found it to be our ,duty to cease from  
those national ,contests      productive
 of ,misery and ,bloodshed1 and submit  
our ,cause to him1      the ,most ,high1
 whose tender ,love to his ,children    
exceeds the most      warm ,affections  
of natural ,parents1 and who hath       
promised to his      ,seed throughout   
the ,earth1 as to one ,individual1 ,i   
will never      leave thee1 nor forsake 
thee4 ,heb4 xiii4 #e4 ,and as we1       
through      the gracious ,dealings of  
the ,lord our ,god1 have had ,experience

 of      that ,work which is carried on1
 not by earthly ,might1 nor by          
,power1 but by my ,spirit1 saith the    
,lord of ,hosts3 ,zech4 iv4 #f4      ,by
 which ,operation1 that spiritual       
,kingdom is set up1 which is to         
subdue and break in pieces all ,kingdoms
 that oppose it1 and shall      stand   
for ever2 in a deep ,sense thereof1 and 
of the ,safety1      ,stability1 and    
,peace1 there is in it1 we are desirous 
that all who      profess the ,truth1   
may be inwardly acquainted with it1 and 
thereby      be qualified to conduct    
ourselves in all ,parts of our ,life as 
becomes our peaceable ,profession3 ,and 
we trust1 as there is a      faithful   
,continuance to depend wholly upon the  
,almighty ,arm1 from      one           
,generation to another1 the peaceable   
,kingdom will gradually be      extended
 from ,sea to ,sea1 and from the ,river 
to the ,ends of the      ,earth4 ,zech4 
ix4 #aj4 to the ,completion of those    
,prophecies      already begun1 that    

,nation shall not lift up a ,sword      
against      ,nation1 nor learn ,war any
 more4 ,isa4 ii4 #d4 ,micah iv4 #c4     
,and1 dearly beloved ,friends1 seeing we
 have these ,promises1 and      believe 
that ,god is beginning to fulfil them1  
let us constantly      endeavour to have
 our ,minds sufficiently disintangled   
from the      surfeiting ,cares of this 
,life1 and redeemed from the ,love of   
the      ,world1 that no earthly        
,possessions nor ,enjoyments may bias   
our      ,judgments1 or turn us from    
that ,resignation1 and entire ,trust in 
,god1 to which his ,blessing is most    
surely annexed2 then may we say1        
,our ,redeemer is mighty1 he will plead 
our ,cause for us4 ,jer4 #a4      #cd4  
,and if1 for the farther promoting his  
most gracious ,purposes in      the     
,earth1 he should give us to taste of   
that bitter ,cup which his      faithful
 ,ones have often partaken of2 ,o6 that 
we may be rightly      prepared to      
receive it4       ,and now1 dear        

,friends1 with ,respect to the          
,commotions and ,stirrings      of the  
,powers of the ,earth at this ,time near
 us1 we are desirous      that none of  
us may be moved thereat2 but repose     
ourselves in the      ,munition of that 
,rock that all these ,shakings shall not
 move1 even      in the ,knowledge and  
,feeling of the eternal ,power of ,god1 
keeping      us subjectly given up to   
his heavenly ,will1 and feel it daily to
      mortify that which remains in any 
of us which is of this ,world2 for      
the worldly ,part1 in any1 is the       
changeable ,part1 and that is up        
and down1 full and empty1 joyful and    
sorrowful1 as ,things go well      or   
ill in this ,world2 for as the ,truth is
 but one1 and many are      made        
,partakers of its ,spirit1 so the ,world
 is but one1 and many are      made     
,partakers of the ,spirit of it2 and so 
many as do partake of      it1 so many  
will be straitened and perplexed with   
it3 ,but they who      are single to the

 ,truth1 waiting daily to feel the ,life
 and ,virtue      of it in their        
,hearts1 these shall rejoice in the     
midst of      ,adversity1 and have to   
experience1 with the ,prophet1 that     
,although the ,fig-tree shall not       
blossom1 neither shall ,fruit be in     
the ,vines2 the ,labour of the ,olive   
shall fail1 and the ,fields shall       
yield no ,meat2 the ,flock shall be cut 
off from the ,fold1 and there      shall
 be no ,herd in the ,stalls2 yet will   
they rejoice in the      ,lord1 and joy 
in the ,god of their ,salvation4 ,hab4  
iii4 #ag1 #ah4       ,if1 contrary to   
this1 we profess the ,truth1 and1 not   
living under      the ,power and        
,influence of it1 are producing ,fruits 
disagreeable to      the ,purity        
thereof1 and trust to the ,strength of  
,man to support      ourselves1 therein 
our ,confidence will be vain4 ,for he1  
who removed      the ,hedge from his    
,vineyard1 and gave it to be trodden    
under ,foot1      by reason of the wild 

,grapes it produced1 7,isa4 v4 #e47     
remains      unchangeable2 ,and if1 for 
the ,chastisement of ,wickedness1 and   
the      farther promoting his own      
,glory1 he doth arise1 even to shake    
terribly the ,earth1 who then may oppose
 him1 and prosper6       ,we remain1 in 
the ,love of the ,gospel1 your ,friends 
and ,brethren4       ,signed by fourteen
 ,friends4  ,scrupling to do ,writings1 
relative to keeping ,slaves1 having been
 a ,means of sundry small ,trials to me1
 in which ,i have so evidently felt my  
own ,will set aside1 ,i think it good to
 mention a few of them4--,tradesmen and 
,retailers of ,goods1 who depend on     
their ,business for a ,living1 are      
naturally inclined to keep the          
,good-will of their ,customers2 nor is  
it a pleasant ,thing for young ,men to  
be under any ,necessity to question the 
,judgment or ,honesty of elderly ,men1  
and more especially of such as have a   
fair ,reputation4 ,deep-rooted ,customs1
 though wrong1 are not easily altered2  

but it is the ,duty of every one to be  
firm in that which they certainly know  
is right for them4 ,a charitable        
benevolent ,man1 well acquainted with a 
,negro1 may1 ,i believe1 under some     
,circumstances1 keep him in his ,family 
as a ,servant1 from no other ,motives   
than the ,negro's ,good2 but ,man1 as   
,man1 knows not what shall be after him1
 nor hath ,assurance that his ,children 
will attain to that ,perfection in      
,wisdom and ,goodness necessary rightly 
to exercise such ,power3 ,it is clear to
 me1 that ,i ought not to be the ,scribe
 where ,wills are drawn1 in which some  
,children are made absolute ,masters    
over others during ,life4  ,about this  
,time1 an ancient ,man1 of good ,esteem 
in the ,neighbourhood1 came to my ,house
 to get his ,will written2 he had young 
,negroes2 and ,i asked him privately1   
how he purposed to dispose of them8 ,he 
told me3 ,i then said1 ,i cannot write  
thy ,will without breaking my own       
,peace2 and respectfully gave him my    

,reasons for it3 ,he signified that he  
had a ,choice that ,i should have       
written it2 but as ,i could not1        
consistent with my ,conscience1 he did  
not desire it3 ,and so he got it written
 by some other ,person4 ,and1 a few     
,years after1 there being great         
,alterations in his ,family1 he came    
again to get me to write his ,will3 ,his
 ,negroes were yet young2 and his ,son1 
to whom he intended to give them1 was1  
since he first spoke to me1 from a      
,libertine1 become a sober young ,man2  
and he supposed1 that ,i would have been
 free1 on that ,account1 to write it4   
,we had much friendly ,talk on the      
,subject1 and then deferred it3 ,a few  
,days after1 he came again1 and directed
 their ,freedom2 and then ,i wrote his  
,will4  ,near the ,time the             
last-mentioned ,friend first spoke to   
me1 a ,neighbour received a bad ,bruise 
in his ,body1 and sent for me to bleed  
him2 which being done1 he desired me to 
write his ,will3 ,i took ,notes2 and1   

amongst other ,things1 he told me to    
which of his ,children he gave his young
 ,negro3 ,i considered the ,pain and    
,distress he was in1 and knew not how it
 would end2 so ,i wrote his ,will1 save 
only that ,part concerning his ,slave1  
and carrying it to his ,bed side1 read  
it to him2 and then told him1 in a      
friendly ,way1 that ,i could not write  
any ,instruments by which my            
,fellow-creatures were made ,slaves1    
without bringing ,trouble on my own     
,mind3 ,i let him know that ,i charged  
nothing for what ,i had done2 and       
desired to be excused from doing the    
other ,part in the ,way he proposed3 ,we
 then had a serious ,conference on the  
,subject2 at length he agreeing to set  
her free1 ,i finished his ,will4        
,having found ,drawings in my ,mind to  
visit ,friends on ,long-,island1 after  
obtaining a ,certificate from our       
,monthly-meeting1 ,i set off on the     
twelfth ,day of the fifth ,month1 in the
 ,year #agef4 ,when ,i reached the      

,island1 ,i lodged the first ,night at  
the ,house of my dear ,friend1 ,,richard
 ,,hallet2 the next ,day1 being the     
first of the ,week1 ,i was at the       
,meeting in ,new-town2 in which we      
experienced the renewed ,manifestations 
of the ,love of ,jesus ,christ1 to the  
,comfort of the honest-hearted4 ,i went 
that ,night to ,flushing2 and the next  
,day1 in ,company with my beloved       
,friend1 ,,matthew ,,franklin1 we       
crossed the ,ferry at ,white-stone2 were
 at three ,meetings on the ,main1 and   
then returned to the ,island2 where ,i  
spent the ,remainder of the ,week in    
visiting ,meetings4 ,the ,lord1 ,i      
believe1 hath a ,people in those ,parts1
 who are honestly inclined to serve him2
 but many1 ,i fear1 are too much clogged
 with the ,things of this ,life1 and do 
not come forward bearing the ,cross in  
such ,faithfulness as he calls for4  ,my
 ,mind was deeply engaged in this       
,visit1 both in publick and private2    
and1 at several ,places1 observing that 

they had ,slaves1 ,i found myself under 
a ,necessity in a friendly ,way1 to     
labour with them on that ,subject2      
expressing1 as ,way opened1 the         
,inconsistency of that ,practice with   
the ,purity of the ,christian ,religion1
 and the ill ,effects of it manifested  
amongst us4  ,the ,latter-end of the    
,week1 their ,yearly-meeting began2 at  
which were our ,friends ,,john          
,,scarborough1 ,,jane ,,hoskins1 and    
,,susanna ,,brown1 from ,pennsylvania3  
,the publick ,meetings were large1 and  
measurably favoured with divine         
,goodness4  ,the ,exercise of my ,mind1 
at this ,meeting1 was chiefly on        
,account of those who were considered as
 the foremost ,rank in the ,society2    
and1 in a ,meeting of ,ministers and    
,elders1 ,way opened1 that ,i expressed 
in some ,measure what lay upon me2 and1 
at a ,time when ,friends were met for   
transacting the ,affairs of the ,church1
 having set a while silent1 ,i felt a   
,weight on my ,mind1 and stood up2 and1 

through the gracious ,regard of our     
heavenly ,father1 ,strength was given   
fully to clear myself of a ,burthen1    
which1 for some ,days1 had been         
increasing upon me4  ,through the       
humbling ,dispensations of divine       
,providence1 ,men are sometimes fitted  
for his ,service4 ,the ,messages of the 
,prophet ,jeremiah1 were so disagreeable
 to the ,people1 and so reverse to the  
,spirit they lived in1 that he became   
the ,object of their ,reproach2 and1 in 
the ,weakness of ,nature1 thought of    
desisting from his prophetic ,office2   
but1 saith he1 ,his ,word was in my     
,heart as a burning ,fire shut up in my 
,bones2 and ,i was weary with           
forbearing1 and could not stay4 ,i saw  
at this ,time1 that if ,i was honest in 
declaring that which ,truth opened in   
me1 ,i could not please all ,men2 and   
laboured to be content in the ,way of my
 ,duty1 however disagreeable to my own  
,inclination4 ,after this ,i went       
homeward1 taking ,woodbridge1 and       

,plainfield in my ,way2 in both which   
,meetings1 the pure ,influence of divine
 ,love was manifested2 in an humbling   
,sense whereof ,i went ,home1 having    
been out about twenty-four ,days1 and   
rode about three hundred and sixteen    
,miles4  ,while ,i was out on this      
,journey1 my ,heart was much affected   
with a ,sense of the ,state of the      
,churches in our southern ,provinces2   
and1 believing the ,lord was calling me 
to some farther ,labour amongst them1 ,i
 was bowed in ,reverence before him1    
with fervent ,desires that ,i might find
 ,strength to resign myself up to his   
heavenly ,will4  ,until this ,year1     
#agef1 ,i continued to retail ,goods1   
besides following my ,trade as a        
,taylor2 about which ,time1 ,i grew     
uneasy on ,account of my ,business      
growing too cumbersome3 ,i had begun    
with selling ,trimmings for ,garments1  
and from thence proceeded to sell       
,cloths and ,linens2 and1 at length1    
having got a considerable ,shop of      

,goods1 my ,trade increased every ,year1
 and the ,road to large ,business       
appeared open2 but ,i felt a ,stop in my
 ,mind4  ,through the ,mercies of the   
,almighty1 ,i had1 in a good degree1    
learned to be content with a plain ,way 
of ,living3 ,i had but a small ,family2 
and1 on serious ,consideration1 ,i      
believed ,truth did not require me to   
engage in much cumbering ,affairs3 ,it  
had been my general ,practice to buy and
 sell ,things really useful3 ,things    
that served chiefly to please the vain  
,mind in ,people1 ,i was not easy to    
trade in2 seldom did it2 and1 whenever  
,i did1 ,i found it weaken me as a      
,christian4  ,the ,increase of ,business
 became my ,burthen2 for1 though my     
natural ,inclination was toward         
,merchandize1 yet ,i believed ,truth    
required me to live more free from      
outward ,cumbers3 and there was now a   
,strife in my ,mind between the two2 and
 in this ,exercise my ,prayers were put 
up to the ,lord1 who graciously heard   

me1 and gave me a ,heart resigned to his
 holy ,will3 ,then ,i lessened my       
outward ,business2 and1 as ,i had       
,opportunity1 told my ,customers of my  
,intention1 that they might consider    
what ,shop to turn to3 ,and1 in a while1
 wholly laid down ,merchandize1         
following my ,trade1 as a ,taylor1      
myself only1 having no ,apprentice4 ,i  
also had a ,nursery of ,appletrees2 in  
which ,i employed some of my ,time in   
hoeing1 grafting1 trimming1 and         
inoculating4 ,in ,merchandize it is the 
,custom1 where ,i lived1 to sell chiefly
 on ,credit1 and poor ,people often get 
in ,debt2 and when ,payment is expected1
 not having wherewith to pay1 their     
,creditors often sue for it at ,law4    
,having often observed ,occurrences of  
this ,kind1 ,i found it good for me to  
advise poor ,people to take such ,goods 
as were most useful and not costly4  ,in
 the ,time of ,trading1 ,i had an       
,opportunity of seeing1 that the too    
liberal ,use of spirituous ,liquors1 and

 the ,custom of wearing too costly      
,apparel1 led some ,people into great   
,inconveniences2 and these two ,things  
appear to be often connected2 for1 by   
not attending to that ,use of ,things   
which is consistent with universal      
,righteousness1 there is an ,increase of
 ,labour which extends beyond what our  
heavenly ,father intends for us3 ,and by
 great ,labour1 and often by much       
,sweating1 there is1 even among such as 
are not ,drunkards1 a craving of some   
,liquors to revive the ,spirits2 that1  
partly by the luxurious ,drinking of    
some1 and partly by the ,drinking of    
others 7led to it through immoderate    
,labour71 very great ,quantities of ,rum
 are every ,year expended in our        
,colonies2 the greater ,part of which we
 should have no ,need of1 did we        
steadily attend to pure ,wisdom4  ,where
 ,men take ,pleasure in feeling their   
,minds elevated with ,strong-drink1 and 
so indulge their ,appetite as to        
disorder their ,understandings1 neglect 

their ,duty as ,members in a ,family or 
,civil ,society1 and cast off all       
,regard to ,religion1 their ,case is    
much to be pitied2 and where such1 whose
 ,lives are for the most ,part regular1 
and whose ,examples have a strong       
,influence on the ,minds of others1     
adhere to some ,customs which powerfully
 draw to the ,use of more ,strong-liquor
 than pure ,wisdom allows2 this also1 as
 it hinders the spreading of the ,spirit
 of ,meekness1 and strengthens the      
,hands of the more excessive ,drinkers1 
is a ,case to be lamented4  ,as every   
,degree of ,luxury hath some ,connection
 with ,evil1 those who profess to be    
,disciples of ,christ1 and are looked   
upon as ,leaders of the ,people1 should 
have that ,mind in them which was also  
in ,christ1 and so stand separate from  
every wrong ,way1 as a ,means of ,help  
to the ,weaker4 ,as ,i have sometimes   
been much spent in the ,heat1 and taken 
,spirits to revive me1 ,i have found1 by
 ,experience1 that in such              

,circumstances the ,mind is not so calm1
 nor so fitly disposed for divine       
,meditation1 as when all such ,extremes 
are avoided2 and ,i have felt an        
increasing ,care to attend to that holy 
,spirit which sets ,bounds to our       
,desires1 and leads those1 who          
faithfully follow it1 to apply all the  
,gifts of divine ,providence to the     
,purposes for which they were intended4 
,did such1 as have the ,care of great   
,estates1 attend with ,singleness of    
,heart to this heavenly ,instructor1    
which so opens and enlarges the ,mind1  
that ,men love their ,neighbours as     
themselves1 they would have ,wisdom     
given them to manage1 without finding   
,occasion to employ some ,people in the 
,luxuries of ,life1 or to make it       
necessary for others to labour too hard2
 but1 for want of steadily regarding    
this ,principle of divine ,love1 a      
selfish ,spirit takes ,place in the     
,minds of ,people1 which is attended    
with ,darkness and manifold ,confusion  

in the ,world4  ,though trading in      
,things useful is an honest ,employ2    
yet1 through the great ,number of       
,superfluities which are bought and     
sold1 and through the ,corruption of the
 ,times1 they1 who apply to merchandize 
for a ,living1 have great ,need to be   
well experienced in that ,precept which 
the ,prophet ,,jeremiah laid down for   
his ,scribe3 ,seekest thou great ,things
 for thyself8 seek them not4  ,in the   
,winter1 this ,year1 ,i was engaged with
 ,friends in visiting ,families2 and1   
through the ,goodness of the ,lord1 we  
had oftentimes ,experience of his       
,heart-tendering ,presence amongst us4  
,a ,copy of a ,letter written to a      
,friend4  ,in this thy late ,affliction 
,i have found a deep ,fellow-feeling    
with thee2 and had a secret ,hope       
throughout1 that it might please the    
,father of ,mercies to raise thee up1   
and sanctify thy ,troubles to thee2 that
 thou1 being more fully acquainted with 
that ,way which the ,world esteems      

foolish1 mayst feel the ,clothing of    
divine ,fortitude1 and be strengthened  
to resist that ,spirit which leads from 
the ,simplicity of the everlasting      
,truth4  ,we may see ourselves crippled 
and halting1 and1 from a strong ,bias to
 ,things pleasant and easy1 find an     
,impossibility to advance forward2 but  
,things impossible with ,men are        
possible with ,god2 and1 our ,wills     
being made subject to his1 all          
,temptations are surmountable4  ,this   
,work of subjecting the ,will is        
compared to the ,mineral in the         
,furnace2 ,he refines them as ,silver is
 refined4--,he shall sit as a ,refiner  
and ,purifier of ,silver4 ,by these     
,comparisons we are instructed in the   
,necessity of the ,operation of the     
,hand of ,god upon us1 to prepare our   
,hearts truly to adore him1 and manifest
 that ,adoration1 by inwardly turning   
away from that ,spirit1 in all its      
,workings1 which is not of him4 ,to     
forward this ,work1 the all-wise ,god is

 sometimes pleased1 through outward     
,distress1 to bring us near the ,gates  
of ,death2 that1 ,life being painful and
 afflicting1 and the ,prospect of       
,eternity open before us1 all earthly   
,bonds may be loosened1 and the ,mind   
prepared for that deep and sacred       
,instruction1 which otherwise would not 
be received4 ,if ,parents love their    
,children and delight in their          
,happiness1 then he1 who is perfect     
,goodness1 in sending abroad mortal     
,contagions1 doth assuredly direct their
 ,use3 ,are the ,righteous removed by   
it8 ,their ,change is happy3 ,are the   
,wicked taken away in their ,wickedness8
 ,the ,almighty is clear3 ,do we pass   
through with ,anguish and great         
,bitterness1 and yet recover1 he intends
 that we should be purged from ,dross1  
and our ,ears opened to ,discipline4    
,and now that1 on thy ,part1 after thy  
sore ,affliction and ,doubts of         
,recovery1 thou art again restored1     
forget not him who hath helped thee2 but

 in humble ,gratitude hold fast his     
,instructions1 thereby to shun those    
,by-paths which lead from the firm      
,foundation4 ,i am sensible of that     
,variety of ,company1 to which one in   
thy ,business must be exposed3 ,i have  
painfully felt the ,force of            
,conversation proceeding from ,men      
deeply rooted in an earthly ,mind1 and  
can sympathize with others in such      
,conflicts1 in that much ,weakness still
 attends me4  ,i find that to be a ,fool
 as to worldly ,wisdom1 and commit my   
,cause to ,god1 not fearing to offend   
,men1 who take ,offence at the          
,simplicity of ,truth1 is the only ,way 
to remain unmoved at the ,sentiments of 
others4  ,the ,fear of ,man brings a    
,snare2 by halting in our ,duty1 and    
giving back in the ,time of ,trial1 our 
,hands grow weaker1 our ,spirits get    
mingled with the ,people1 our ,ears grow
 dull as to hearing the ,language of the
 true ,shepherd2 that when we look at   
the ,way of the ,righteous1 it seems as 

though it was not for us to follow them4
  ,there is a ,love clothes my ,mind1   
while ,i write1 which is superior to all
 ,expressions2 and ,i find my ,heart    
open to encourage a holy ,emulation1 to 
advance forward in ,christian ,firmness4
 ,deep ,humility is a strong ,bulwark2  
and1 as we enter into it1 we find       
,safety3 ,the ,foolishness of ,god is   
wiser than ,man1 and the ,weakness of   
,god is stronger than ,man4 ,being      
unclothed of our own ,wisdom1 and       
knowing the ,abasement of the ,creature1
 therein we find that ,power to arise1  
which gives ,health and ,vigour to us4  
,,chapter ,,iv      ,his ,journey to    
,pennsylvania1 ,maryland1 ,virginia1 and
     ,north-,carolina3 ,considerations  
on the ,state of ,friends there2 and    
the ,exercise he was under in travelling
 among those so generally     concerned 
in keeping ,slaves3 ,with some          
,observations in ,conversation1     at  
several ,times1 on this ,subject--,his  
,epistle to ,friends at     ,new-,garden

 and ,cane-,creek--,his ,thoughts on the
 ,neglect of a     religious ,care in   
the ,education of the ,negroes  ,feeling
 an ,exercise in ,relation to a ,visit  
to the southern ,provinces1 ,i          
acquainted our ,monthly-meeting         
therewith1 and obtained their           
,certificate3 ,expecting to go alone1   
one of my ,brothers1 who lived in       
,philadelphia1 having some ,business in 
,north-,carolina1 proposed going with me
 ,part of the ,way2 but1 as he had a    
,view of some outward ,affairs1 to      
accept of him as a ,companion seemed    
some ,difficulty with me1 whereupon ,i  
had ,conversation with him at sundry    
,times2 and1 at length1 feeling easy in 
my ,mind1 ,i had ,conversation with     
several elderly ,friends of             
,philadelphia on the ,subject2 and he   
obtaining a ,certificate suitable to the
 ,occasion1 we set off in the fifth     
,month of the ,year #ageg2 and1 coming  
to ,nottingham ,week-day ,meeting1      
lodged at ,,john ,,churchman',s2 and    

here ,i met with our ,friend ,,benjamin 
,,buffington1 from ,new-,england1 who   
was returning from a ,visit to the      
southern ,provinces4 ,thence we crossed 
the ,river ,susquehannah1 and lodged at 
,,william ,,cox',s in ,maryland2 and1   
soon after ,i entered this ,province1 a 
deep and painful ,exercise came upon me1
 which ,i often had some ,feeling of    
since my ,mind was drawn towards these  
,parts1 and with which ,i had acquainted
 my ,brother before we agreed to join as
 ,companions4  ,as the ,people in this  
and the southern ,provinces live much on
 the ,labour of ,slaves1 many of whom   
are used hardly1 my ,concern was1 that  
,i might attend with ,singleness of     
,heart to the ,voice of the true        
,shepherd1 and be so supported as to    
remain unmoved at the ,faces of ,men4   
,the ,prospect of so weighty a ,work    
brought me very low2 and such were the  
,conflicts of my ,soul1 that ,i had a   
near ,sympathy with the ,prophet1 in the
 ,time of his ,weakness1 when he said1  

,if thou deal thus with me1 kill me1 ,i 
pray thee1 if ,i have found ,favour in  
thy ,sight1 ,numb4 xi4 #ae4 ,but ,i soon
 saw that this proceeded from the ,want 
of a full ,resignation to the divine    
,will4 ,many were the ,afflictions which
 attended me2 and in great ,abasement1  
with many ,tears1 my ,cries were to the 
,almighty1 for his gracious and         
,fatherly ,assistance2 and then1 after a
 ,time of deep ,trial1 ,i was favoured  
to understand the ,state mentioned by   
the ,psalmist1 more clearly than ever ,i
 had before2 to wit3 ,my ,soul is even  
as a weaned ,child4 ,psalm cxxxi4 #b4   
,being thus helped to sink down into    
,resignation1 ,i felt a ,deliverance    
from that ,tempest in which ,i had been 
sorely exercised1 and in ,calmness of   
,mind went forward1 trusting that the   
,lord ,jesus ,christ1 as ,i faithfully  
attended to him1 would be a ,counsellor 
to me in all ,difficulties4  ,the       
seventh ,day of the fifth ,month1 in the
 ,year #ageg1 ,i lodged at a ,friend's  

,house2 and the next ,day1 being the    
first of the ,week1 was at ,potapsco    
,meeting2 then crossed ,patuxent ,river1
 and lodged at a ,public-house4 ,on the 
ninth breakfasted at a ,friend's ,house2
 who1 afterward1 putting us a little on 
our ,way1 ,i had ,conversation with him1
 in the ,fear of the ,lord1 concerning  
his ,slaves2 in which my ,heart was     
tender1 and ,i used much ,plainness of  
,speech with him1 which he appeared to  
take kindly4 ,we pursued our ,journey   
without appointing ,meetings1 being     
pressed in ,mind to be at the           
,yearly-meeting in ,virginia2 and1 in my
 travelling on the ,road1 ,i often felt 
a ,cry rise from the ,center of my      
,mind1 thus3 ,o ,lord1 ,i am a ,stranger
 on the ,earth1 hide not thy ,face from 
me4  ,on the eleventh ,day of the fifth 
,month1 we crossed the ,rivers          
,patowmack and ,rapahannock1 and lodged 
at ,port-,royal2 and on the ,way we     
happening in ,company with a ,colonel of
 the ,militia1 who appeared to be a     

thoughtful ,man1 ,i took ,occasion to   
remark on the ,difference in general    
betwixt a ,people used to labour        
moderately for their ,living1 training  
up their ,children in ,frugality and    
,business1 and those who live on the    
,labour of ,slaves2 the former1 in my   
,view1 being the most happy ,life3 ,with
 which he concurred1 and mentioned the  
,trouble arising from the untoward1     
slothful1 ,disposition of the ,negroes2 
adding1 that one of our ,labourers would
 do as much in a ,day as two of their   
,slaves4 ,i replied1 that free ,men1    
whose ,minds were properly on their     
,business1 found a ,satisfaction in     
improving1 cultivating1 and providing   
for their ,families2 but ,negroes1      
labouring to support others who claim   
them as their ,property1 and expecting  
nothing but ,slavery during ,life1 had  
not the like ,inducement to be          
industrious4  ,after some farther       
,conversation1 ,i said1 that ,men having
 ,power too often misapplied it2 that   

though we made ,slaves of the ,negroes1 
and the ,turks made ,slaves of the      
,christians1 ,i believed that ,liberty  
was the natural ,right of all ,men      
equally3 ,which he did not deny2 but    
said1 the ,lives of the ,negroes were so
 wretched in their own ,country1 that   
many of them lived better here than     
there3 ,i only said1 there are great    
odds1 in regard to us1 on what          
,principle we act2 and so the           
,conversation on that ,subject ended3   
,and ,i may here add1 that another      
,person1 some ,time afterward1 mentioned
 the ,wretchedness of the ,negroes1     
occasioned by their intestine ,wars1 as 
an ,argument in ,favour of our fetching 
them away for ,slaves3 ,to which ,i then
 replied1 if ,compassion on the         
,africans1 in ,regard to their domestic 
,troubles1 were the real ,motive of our 
purchasing them1 that ,spirit of        
,tenderness1 being attended to1 would   
incite us to use them kindly2 that1 as  
,strangers brought out of ,affliction1  

their ,lives might be happy among us2   
and as they are human ,creatures1 whose 
,souls are as precious as ours1 and who 
may receive the same ,help and ,comfort 
from the holy ,scriptures as we do1 we  
could not omit suitable ,endeavours to  
instruct them therein3 ,but while we    
manifest1 by our ,conduct1 that our     
,views in purchasing them are to advance
 ourselves2 and while our buying        
,captives taken in ,war animates those  
,parties to push on that ,war1 and      
increase ,desolation amongst them1 to   
say they live unhappy in ,africa1 is far
 from being an ,argument in our ,favour3
 ,and ,i farther said1 the present      
,circumstances of these ,provinces to me
 appear difficult2 that the ,slaves look
 like a burthensome ,stone to such who  
burthen themselves with them2 and that  
if the white ,people retain a           
,resolution to prefer their outward     
,prospects of ,gain to all other        
,considerations1 and do not act         
conscientiously toward them as fellow   

,creatures1 ,i believe that ,burthen    
will grow heavier and heavier1 till     
,times change in a ,way disagreeable to 
us3 ,at which the ,person appeared very 
serious1 and owned1 that1 in considering
 their ,condition1 and the ,manner of   
their ,treatment in these ,provinces1 he
 had sometimes thought it might be just 
in the ,almighty so to order it4        
,having thus travelled through          
,maryland1 we came amongst ,friends at  
,cedar-,creek in ,virginia1 on the #abth
 ,day of the fifth ,month2 and the next 
,day rode1 in ,company with several     
,friends1 a ,day's ,journey to          
,camp-,creek4 ,as ,i was riding along in
 the ,morning1 my ,mind was deeply      
affected in a ,sense ,i had of the ,want
 of divine ,aid to support me in the    
various ,difficulties which attended me2
 and1 in an uncommon ,distress of ,mind1
 ,i cried in secret to the ,most ,high1 
,o ,lord1 be merciful1 ,i beseech thee1 
to thy poor afflicted ,creature4 ,after 
some ,time1 ,i felt inward ,relief2 and1

 soon after1 a ,friend in ,company began
 to talk in ,support of the             
,slave-,trade1 and said1 the ,negroes   
were understood to be the ,offspring of 
,cain1 their ,blackness being the ,mark 
,god set upon him after he murdered     
,abel his ,brother2 that it was the     
,design of ,providence they should be   
,slaves1 as a ,condition proper to the  
,race of so wicked a ,man as ,cain was3 
,then another spake in ,support of what 
had been said4 ,to all which1 ,i replied
 in ,substance as follows3 ,that ,noah  
and his ,family were all who survived   
the ,flood1 according to ,scripture2    
and1 as ,noah was of ,seth's ,race1 the 
,family of ,cain was wholly destroyed4  
,one of them said1 that after the ,flood
 ,ham went to the ,land of ,nod1 and    
took a ,wife2 that ,nod was a ,land far 
distant1 inhabited by ,cain's ,race1 and
 that the ,flood did not reach it2 and  
as ,ham was sentenced to be a ,servant  
of ,servants to his ,brethren1 these two
 ,families1 being thus joined1 were     

undoubtedly fit only for ,slaves4 ,i    
replied1 the ,flood was a ,judgment upon
 the ,world for its ,abominations2 and  
it was granted1 that ,cain's ,stock was 
the most wicked1 and therefore          
unreasonable to suppose they were       
spared3 ,as to ,ham's going to the ,land
 of ,nod for a ,wife1 no ,time being    
fixed1 ,nod might be inhabited by some  
of ,noah's ,family1 before ,ham married 
a second ,time2 moreover the ,text      
saith1 ,that all ,flesh died that moved 
upon the ,earth4 ,gen4 vii4 #ba4 ,i     
farther reminded them1 how the ,prophets
 repeatedly declare1 ,that the ,son     
shall not suffer for the ,iniquity of   
the ,father2 but every one be answerable
 for his own ,sins4 ,i was troubled to  
perceive the ,darkness of their         
,imaginations2 and in some ,pressure of 
,spirit said1 the ,love of ,ease and    
,gain is the ,motive in general for     
keeping ,slaves1 and ,men are wont to   
take hold of weak ,arguments to support 
a ,cause which is unreasonable2 and     

added1 ,i have no ,interest on either   
,side1 save only the ,interest which ,i 
desire to have in the ,truth3 ,and as ,i
 believe ,liberty is their ,right1 and  
see they are not only deprived of it1   
but treated in other ,respects with     
,inhumanity in many ,places1 ,i believe 
he1 who is a ,refuge for the ,oppressed1
 will1 in his own ,time1 plead their    
,cause2 and happy will it be for such as
 walk in ,uprightness before him3 ,and  
thus our ,conversation ended4  ,on the  
fourteenth ,day of the fifth ,month ,i  
was at ,camp-,creek ,monthly-meeting1   
and then rode to the ,mountains up      
,james-,river1 and had a ,meeting at a  
,friend's ,house2 in both which ,i felt 
,sorrow of ,heart1 and my ,tears were   
poured out before the ,lord1 who was    
pleased to afford a ,degree of          
,strength1 by which ,way was opened to  
clear my ,mind amongst ,friends in those
 ,places4 ,from thence ,i went to       
,fort-,creek1 and so to ,cedar-,creek   
again2 at which ,place ,i had a         

,meeting2 here ,i found a tender ,seed3 
,and as ,i was preserved in the         
,ministry to keep low with the ,truth1  
the same ,truth in their ,hearts        
answered it1 that it was a ,time of     
mutual ,refreshment from the ,presence  
of the ,lord4 ,i lodged at ,,james      
,,standley',s1 ,father of ,,william     
,,standley1 one of the young ,men who   
suffered ,imprisonment at ,winchester1  
last ,summer1 on ,account of their      
,testimony against ,fighting2 and ,i had
 some satisfactory ,conversation with   
him concerning it4 ,hence ,i went to the
 ,swamp ,meeting1 and to ,wayanoke      
,meeting2 and then crossed              
,james-,river1 and lodged near          
,burleigh4 ,from the ,time of my        
entering ,maryland ,i had been much     
under ,sorrow1 which so increased upon  
me1 that my ,mind was almost            
overwhelmed2 and ,i may say with the    
,psalmist1 ,in my ,distress ,i called   
upon the ,lord1 and cried to my ,god2   
who1 in infinite ,goodness1 looked upon 

my ,affliction1 and in my private       
,retirement sent the ,comforter for my  
,relief3 ,for which ,i humbly bless his 
holy ,name4  ,the ,sense ,i had of the  
,state of the ,churches brought a       
,weight of ,distress upon me3 ,the ,gold
 to me appeared dim1 and the fine ,gold 
changed2 and though this is the ,case   
too generally1 yet the ,sense of it in  
these ,parts hath1 in a particular      
,manner1 borne heavy upon me4 ,it       
appeared to me1 that1 through the       
prevailing of the ,spirit of this       
,world1 the ,minds of many were brought 
to an inward ,desolation2 and1 instead  
of the ,spirit of ,meekness1            
,gentleness1 and heavenly ,wisdom1 which
 are the necessary ,companions of the   
true ,sheep of ,christ1 a ,spirit of    
,fierceness1 and the ,love of ,dominion1
 too generally prevailed4 ,from small   
,beginnings in ,errors1 great           
,buildings1 by degrees1 are raised2 and 
from one ,age to another are more and   
more strengthened by the general        

,concurrence of the ,people2 and1 as    
,men obtain ,reputation by their        
,profession of the ,truth1 their        
,virtues are mentioned as ,arguments in 
,favour of general ,error1 and those of 
less ,note1 to justify themselves1 say1 
such and such good ,men did the like4   
,by what other ,steps could the ,people 
of ,judah arise to that ,height in      
,wickedness1 as to give just ,ground for
 the ,prophet ,isaiah to declare1 in the
 ,name of the ,lord1 that none calleth  
for ,justice1 nor any pleadeth for      
,truth4 ,isaiah lix4 #d4 ,or for the    
,almighty to call upon the great ,city  
of ,jerusalem1 just before the          
,babylonish ,captivity3 ,if ye can find 
a ,man1 if there be any who executeth   
,judgment1 that seeketh the ,truth1 and 
,i will pardon it4 ,jer4 v4 #a4 ,the    
,prospect of a ,road lying open to the  
same ,degeneracy1 in some ,parts of this
 newly-settled ,land of ,america1 in    
,respect to our ,conduct toward the     
,negroes1 deeply bowed my ,mind in this 

,journey2 and1 though1 to briefly relate
 how these ,people are treated is no    
agreeable ,work2 yet1 after often       
reading over the ,notes ,i made as ,i   
travelled1 ,i find my ,mind engaged to  
preserve them4 ,many of the white       
,people in those ,provinces take little 
or no ,care of ,negro ,marriages2 and1  
when ,negroes marry after their own     
,way1 some make so little ,account of   
those ,marriages1 that1 with ,views of  
outward ,interest1 they often part ,men 
from their ,wives by selling them far   
asunder2 which is common when ,estates  
are sold by ,executors at ,vendue4      
,many1 whose ,labour is heavy1 being    
followed1 at their ,business in the     
,field1 by a ,man with a ,whip1 hired   
for that ,purpose1 have1 in common1     
little else allowed but one ,peck of    
,indian ,corn and some ,salt for one    
,week1 with a few ,potatoes2 the        
,potatoes they commonly raise by their  
,labour on the first ,day of the ,week4 
,the ,correction1 ensuing on their      

,disobedience to ,overseers1 or         
,slothfulness in ,business1 is often    
very severe1 and sometimes desperate4   
,the ,men and ,women have many ,times   
scarce ,clothes enough to hide their    
,nakedness1 and ,boys and ,girls1 ten   
and twelve ,years old1 are often quite  
naked amongst their ,master's ,children3
 ,some of our ,society1 and some of the 
,society called ,new-,lights1 use some  
,endeavours to instruct those they have 
in reading2 but1 in common1 this is not 
only neglected1 but disapproved4 ,these 
are the ,people by whose ,labour the    
other ,inhabitants are in a great       
,measure supported1 and many of them in 
the ,luxuries of ,life3 ,these are the  
,people who have made no ,agreement to  
serve us1 and who have not forfeited    
their ,liberty that we know of3 ,these  
are ,souls for whom ,christ died1 and1  
for our ,conduct toward them1 we must   
answer before him who is no ,respecter  
of ,persons4  ,they who know the only   
true ,god1 and ,jesus ,christ whom he   

hath sent1 and are thus acquainted with 
the merciful1 benevolent ,gospel        
,spirit1 will therein perceive that the 
,indignation of ,god is kindled against 
,oppression and ,cruelty2 and1 in       
beholding the great ,distress of so     
numerous a ,people1 will find ,cause for
 ,mourning4  ,from my ,lodging ,i went  
to ,burleigh ,meeting1 where ,i felt my 
,mind drawn into a quiet resigned       
,state2 and1 after long ,silence1 ,i    
felt an ,engagement to stand up2 and1   
through the powerful ,operation of      
divine ,love1 we were favoured with an  
edifying ,meeting4 ,the next ,meeting we
 had was at ,black-,water2 and so to the
 ,yearly-meeting at the western ,branch3
 ,when ,business began1 some ,queries   
were considered1 by some of their       
,members1 to be now produced2 and1 if   
approved1 to be answered hereafter by   
their respective ,monthly-meetings4     
,they were the ,pennsylvania ,queries1  
which had been examined by a ,committee 
of ,virginia ,yearly-meeting appointed  

the last ,year1 who made some           
,alterations in them2 one of which      
,alterations was made in ,favour of a   
,custom which troubled me4 ,the ,query  
was1 ,are there any concerned in the    
,importation of ,negroes1 or buying them
 after imported8 ,which they altered    
thus3 ,are there any concerned in the   
,importation of ,negroes1 or buying them
 to trade in8 ,as one ,query admitted   
with ,unanimity was1 ,are any concerned 
in buying or vending ,goods unlawfully  
imported1 or prize ,goods8 ,i found my  
,mind engaged to say1 that as we        
professed the ,truth1 and were there    
assembled to support the ,testimony of  
it1 it was necessary for us to dwell    
deep1 and act in that ,wisdom which is  
pure1 or otherwise we could not prosper4
 ,i then mentioned their ,alteration2   
and1 referring to the last-mentioned    
,query1 added1 as purchasing any        
,merchandize1 taken by the ,sword1 was  
always allowed to be inconsistent with  
our ,principles2 ,negroes being         

,captives of ,war1 or taken by ,stealth1
 those ,circumstances make it           
inconsistent with our ,testimony to buy 
them2 and their being our               
,fellow-creatures1 who are sold as      
,slaves1 adds greatly to the ,iniquity4 
,friends appeared attentive to what was 
said2 some expressed a ,care and        
,concern about their ,negroes2 none made
 any ,objection1 by ,way of ,reply to   
what ,i said2 but the ,query was        
admitted as they had altered it4 ,as    
some of their ,members have heretofore  
traded in ,negroes1 as in other         
,merchandize1 this ,query being         
admitted1 will be one ,step farther than
 they have hitherto gone3 ,and ,i did   
not see it my ,duty to press for an     
,alteration2 but felt easy to leave it  
all to him1 who alone is able to turn   
the ,hearts of the ,mighty1 and make    
,way for the spreading of ,truth on the 
,earth1 by ,means agreeable to his      
infinite ,wisdom4 ,but1 in ,regard to   
those they already had1 ,i felt my ,mind

 engaged to labour with them2 and said1 
that1 as we believe the ,scriptures were
 given forth by holy ,men1 as they were 
moved by the ,holy ,ghost1 and many of  
us know by ,experience that they are    
often helpful and comfortable1 and      
believe ourselves bound in ,duty to     
teach our ,children to read them1 ,i    
believe1 that1 if we were divested of   
all selfish ,views1 the same good       
,spirit1 that gave them forth1 would    
engage us to teach the ,negroes to read1
 that they might have the ,benefit of   
them3 ,some1 amongst them1 at this      
,time1 manifested a ,concern in ,regard 
to taking more ,care in the ,education  
of their ,negroes4  ,on the twenty-ninth
 ,day of the fifth ,month1 at the ,house
 where ,i lodged1 was a ,meeting of     
,ministers and ,elders1 at the ninth    
,hour in the ,morning2 at which ,time ,i
 found an ,engagement to speak freely   
and plainly to them concerning their    
,slaves2 mentioning1 how they1 as the   
first ,rank in the ,society1 whose      

,conduct in that ,case was much noticed 
by others1 were under the stronger      
,obligations to look carefully to       
themselves3 ,expressing how needful it  
was for them1 in that ,situation1 to be 
thoroughly divested of all selfish      
,views2 that living in the pure ,truth1 
and acting conscientiously toward those 
,people in their ,education and         
otherwise1 they might be instrumental in
 helping forward a ,work so necessary1  
and so much neglected amongst them4 ,at 
the twelfth ,hour the ,meeting of       
,worship began1 which was a solid       
,meeting4  ,on the thirtieth ,day1 about
 the tenth ,hour1 ,friends met to finish
 their ,business1 and then the meeting  
for ,worship ensued1 which to me was a  
laborious ,time2 but1 through the       
,goodness of the ,lord1 ,truth1 ,i      
believe1 gained some ,ground2 and it was
 a strengthening ,opportunity to the    
,honest-hearted4  ,about this ,time ,i  
wrote an ,epistle to ,friends in the    
,back-settlements of ,north-,carolina1  

as follows3       ,to ,friends at their 
,monthly-meeting at ,new-,garden and    
,cane-,creek1 in ,north-,carolina4      
,dear ,friends1--,it having pleased the 
,lord to draw me forth on a      ,visit 
to some ,parts of ,virginia and         
,carolina1 you have often      been in  
my ,mind2 and though my ,way is not     
clear to come in ,person      to visit  
you1 yet ,i feel it in my ,heart to     
communicate a few      ,things1 as they 
arise in the ,love of ,truth4 ,first1 my
 dear ,friends1      dwell in ,humility1
 and take ,heed that no ,views of       
outward ,gain get      too deep hold of 
you1 that so your ,eyes being single to 
the ,lord1      you may be preserved in 
the ,way of ,safety4 ,where ,people let 
loose      their ,minds after the ,love 
of outward ,things1 and are more engaged
      in pursuing the ,profits1 and     
seeking the ,friendships1 of this       
,world1 than to be inwardly acquainted  
with the ,way of true ,peace2      such 
walk in a vain ,shadow1 while the true  

,comfort of ,life is      wanting3      
,their ,examples are often hurtful to   
others2 and their      ,treasures1 thus 
collected1 do many ,times prove         
dangerous ,snares to      their         
,children4       ,but where ,people are 
sincerely devoted to follow ,christ1 and
 dwell      under the ,influence of his 
holy ,spirit1 their ,stability and      
,firmness1 through a divine ,blessing1  
is at ,times like ,dew on the           
tender ,plants round about them1 and the
 ,weightiness of their      ,spirits    
secretly works on the ,minds of others2 
and in this      ,condition1 through the
 spreading ,influence of divine ,love1  
they      feel a ,care over the ,flock2 
and ,way is opened for maintaining good 
,order in the ,society3 ,and though we  
meet with ,opposition from      another 
,spirit1 yet1 as there is a dwelling in 
,meekness1 feeling      our ,spirits    
subject1 and moving only in the gentle  
peaceable      ,wisdom1 the inward      
,reward of ,quietness will be greater   

than all our      ,difficulties4 ,where 
the pure ,life is kept to1 and ,meetings
 of      ,discipline are held in the    
,authority of it1 we find by ,experience
      that they are comfortable1 and    
tend to the ,health of the ,body4       
,while ,i write1 the ,youth come fresh  
in my ,way3--,dear young ,people1       
choose ,god for your ,portion2 love his 
,truth1 and be not ashamed of      it3  
,choose for your ,company such as serve 
him in ,uprightness2 and      shun1 as  
most dangerous1 the ,conversation of    
those whose ,lives are      of an ill   
,savour2 for1 by frequenting such       
,company1 some hopeful      young       
,people have come to great ,loss1 and   
have been drawn from less      ,evils to
 greater1 to their utter ,ruin4 ,in the 
,bloom of ,youth no      ,ornament is so
 lovely as that of ,virtue1 nor any     
,enjoyments equal      to those which we
 partake of1 in fully resigning         
ourselves to the      divine ,will3     
,these ,enjoyments add ,sweetness to all

 other ,comforts1      and give true    
,satisfaction in ,company and           
,conversation1 where      ,people are   
mutually acquainted with it2 and1 as    
your ,minds are thus      seasoned with 
the ,truth1 you will find ,strength to  
abide stedfast      to the ,testimony of
 it1 and be prepared for ,services in   
the ,church4       ,and now1 dear       
,friends and ,brethren1 as you are      
improving a      ,wilderness1 and may be
 numbered amongst the first ,planters in
 one      ,part of a ,province1 ,i      
beseech you1 in the ,love of ,jesus     
,christ1 to      wisely consider the    
,force of your ,examples1 and think how 
much your      ,successors may be       
thereby affected3 ,it is a ,help in a   
,country1 yea1      and a great ,favour 
and a ,blessing1 when ,customs1 first   
settled1 are      agreeable to sound    
,wisdom2 so1 when they are otherwise1   
the ,effect      of them is grievous2   
and ,children feel themselves           
encompassed with      ,difficulties     

prepared for them by their              
,predecessors4       ,as moderate ,care 
and ,exercise1 under the ,direction of  
true ,wisdom1      are useful both to   
,mind and ,body2 so by this ,means in   
general1 the      real ,wants of ,life  
are easily supplied3 ,our gracious      
,father having      so proportioned one 
to the other1 that keeping in the true  
,medium      we may pass on quietly4    
,where ,slaves are purchased to do our  
,labour1 numerous ,difficulties attend  
it4 ,to rational ,creatures             
,bondage is uneasy1 and frequently      
occasions ,sourness and ,discontent     
in them2 which affects the ,family1 and 
such as claim the ,mastery      over    
them3 ,and thus ,people and their       
,children are many ,times               
encompassed with ,vexations1 which arise
 from their applying to      wrong      
,methods to get a ,living4       ,i have
 been informed that there is a large    
,number of ,friends in      your ,parts1
 who have no ,slaves2 and in tender and 

most affectionate      ,love1 ,i beseech
 you to keep clear from purchasing any4 
,look1 my      dear ,friends1 to divine 
,providence2 and follow in ,simplicity  
that      ,exercise of ,body1 that      
,plainness and ,frugality1 which true   
,wisdom      leads to2 so will you be   
preserved from those ,dangers which     
attend      such as are aiming at       
outward ,ease and ,greatness4           
,treasures1 though small1 attained on a 
true ,principle of ,virtue1      are    
sweet in the ,possession1 and1 while we 
walk in the ,light of the      ,lord1   
there is true ,comfort and              
,satisfaction4 ,here1 neither the       
,murmurs of an oppressed ,people1 nor an
 uneasy ,conscience1 nor      anxious   
,thoughts about the ,events of ,things1 
hinder the ,enjoyment      of it4       
,when we look toward the ,end of ,life1 
and think on the ,division of      our  
,substance among our ,successors2 if we 
know that it was      collected in the  
,fear of the ,lord1 in ,honesty1 in     

,equity1 and in      ,uprightness of    
,heart before him1 we may consider it as
 his ,gift to      us2 and with a single
 ,eye to his ,blessing1 bestow it on    
those we      leave behind us4 ,such is 
the ,happiness of the plain ,ways of    
true      ,virtue4 ,the ,work of        
,righteousness shall be ,peace2 and the 
,effect      of ,righteousness1         
,quietness and ,assurance for ever4     
,isa4 xxxii4      #ag4       ,dwell     
here1 my dear ,friends2 and then1 in    
remote and solitary      ,desarts1 you  
may find true ,peace and ,satisfaction4 
,if the ,lord be      our ,god1 in      
,truth and ,reality1 there is ,safety   
for us2 for he is a      ,stronghold in 
the ,day of ,trouble1 and knoweth them  
that trust in      him4       ,,isle    
,,of ,,wight ,,county1 ,,in ,,virginia1 
#bith of the #eth ,month1 #ageg4  ,from 
the ,yearly-meeting in ,virginia1 ,i    
went to ,carolina2 and1 on the first    
,day of the sixth ,month1 was at ,wells 
,monthly-meeting1 where the ,spring of  

the ,gospel ,ministry was opened1 and   
the ,love of ,jesus ,christ experienced 
amongst us3 ,to his ,name be the        
,praise6  ,here my ,brother joined with 
some ,friends from ,new-,garden1 who    
were going homeward2 and ,i went next to
 ,simond's ,creek ,monthly-meeting1     
where ,i was silent during the ,meeting 
for ,worship3 ,when ,business came on1  
my ,mind was exercised concerning the   
poor ,slaves2 but did not feel my ,way  
clear to speak3 ,in this ,condition ,i  
was bowed in ,spirit before the ,lord2  
and with ,tears and inward ,supplication
 besought him so to open my             
,understanding1 that ,i might know his  
,will concerning me2 and1 at length1 my 
mind was settled in ,silence3 ,near the 
,end of their ,business1 a ,member of   
their ,meeting expressed a ,concern1    
that had some ,time lain upon him1 on   
,account of ,friends so much neglecting 
their ,duty in the ,education of their  
,slaves2 and proposed having ,meetings  
sometimes appointed for them on a       

,week-day1 to be only attended by some  
,friends to be named in their           
,monthly-meetings3 ,many present        
appeared to unite with the ,proposal3   
,one said1 he had often wondered that   
they1 being our ,fellow-creatures1 and  
capable of religious ,understanding1 had
 been so exceedingly neglected3 ,another
 expressed the like ,concern1 and       
appeared zealous1 that ,friends1 in     
future1 might more closely consider it3 
,at length a ,minute was made2 and the  
farther ,consideration of it referred to
 their next ,monthly-meeting4 ,the      
,friend who made this ,proposal had     
,negroes3 ,he told me1 that he was at   
,new-,garden1 about two hundred and     
fifty ,miles from ,home1 and came back  
alone2 and that in this solitary        
,journey1 this ,exercise1 in ,regard to 
the ,education of their ,negroes1 was1  
from ,time to ,time1 renewed in his     
,mind4 ,a ,friend of some ,note in      
,virginia1 who had ,slaves1 told me1    
that he being far from ,home on a       

lonesome ,journey1 had many serious     
,thoughts about them2 and that his ,mind
 was so impressed therewith1 that he    
believed that he saw a ,time coming1    
when divine ,providence would alter the 
,circumstances of these ,people1        
respecting their ,condition as ,slaves4 
,from hence ,i went to ,newbegun ,creek1
 and sat a considerable ,time in much   
,weakness2 then ,i felt ,truth open the 
,way to speak a little in much          
,plainness and ,simplicity1 till1 at    
length1 through the ,increase of divine 
,love amongst us1 we had a seasoning    
,opportunity4 ,from thence to the ,head 
of ,little-,river1 on a ,first-day1     
where was a crowded ,meeting2 and1 ,i   
believe1 it was1 through divine         
,goodness1 made profitable to some4     
,thence to the ,old-,neck2 where ,i was 
led into a careful searching out the    
secret ,workings of the ,mystery of     
,iniquity1 which1 under a ,cover of     
,religion1 exalts itself against that   
pure ,spirit1 which leads in the ,way of

 ,meekness and ,self-denial4 ,from      
thence to ,pineywoods3 ,this was the    
last ,meeting ,i was at in ,carolina1   
and was large2 and1 my ,heart being     
deeply engaged1 ,i was drawn forth into 
a fervent ,labour amongst them4  ,from  
hence ,i went back into ,virginia1 and  
had a ,meeting near ,,james             
,,cowpland',s2 it was a ,time of inward 
,suffering2 but1 through the ,goodness  
of the ,lord1 ,i was made content3 ,then
 to another ,meeting2 where1 through the
 ,renewings of pure ,love1 we had a very
 comfortable ,season4  ,travelling up   
and down of late1 ,i have had renewed   
,evidences1 that to be faithful to the  
,lord1 and content with his ,will       
concerning me1 is a most necessary and  
useful ,lesson for me to be learning2   
looking less at the ,effects of my      
,labour1 than at the pure ,motion and   
,reality of the ,concern1 as it arises  
from heavenly ,love4 ,in the ,lord      
,jehovah is everlasting ,strength2 and  
as the ,mind1 by a humble ,resignation1 

is united to him2 and we utter ,words   
from an inward ,knowledge that they     
arise from the heavenly ,spring1 though 
our ,way may be difficult1 and require  
close ,attention to keep in it2 and     
though the ,manner in which we may be   
led may tend to our own ,abasement2 yet1
 if we continue in ,patience and        
,meekness1 heavenly ,peace is the       
,reward of our ,labours4  ,from thence  
,i went to ,curles ,meeting2 which1     
though small1 was reviving to the       
,honest-hearted4 ,thence to             
,black-,creek and ,caroline ,meetings2  
from whence1 accompanied by ,,william   
,,standley1 before-mentioned1 we rode to
 ,goose-,creek1 being much through the  
,woods1 and about one hundred           
,miles4--,we lodged the first ,night at 
a ,publick-house2 the second1 in the    
,woods2 and1 the next ,day1 we reached a
 ,friend's ,house1 at ,goose-,creek4 ,in
 the ,woods we lay under some           
,disadvantage1 having no ,fire-works nor
 ,bells for our ,horses2 but we stopped 

a little before ,night1 and let them    
feed on the wild ,grass which was in    
plenty2 in the mean ,time cutting with  
our ,knives a ,store against ,night1 and
 then tying them1 and gathering some    
,bushes under an ,oak1 we lay down2 but1
 the ,musquettoes being plenty1 and the 
,ground damp1 ,i slept but little3      
,thus1 lying in the ,wilderness1 and    
looking at the ,stars1 ,i was led to    
contemplate on the ,condition of our    
first ,parents1 when they were sent     
forth from the ,garden2 but the         
,almighty1 though they had been         
disobedient1 continued to be a ,father  
to them1 and shewed them what tended to 
their ,felicity1 as intelligent         
,creatures1 and was acceptable to him4  
,to provide ,things relative to our     
outward ,living1 in the ,way of true    
,wisdom1 is good2 and the ,gift of      
improving in ,things useful is a good   
,gift1 and comes from the ,father of    
,lights4 ,many have had this ,gift2 and1
 from ,age to ,age1 there have been     

,improvements of this ,kind made in the 
,world3 ,but some1 not keeping to the   
pure ,gift1 have1 in the creaturely     
,cunning and ,self-,exaltation1 sought  
out many ,inventions2 which ,inventions 
of ,men are distinct from that          
,uprightness in which ,man was created2 
as the first ,motion to them was evil1  
so the ,effects have been and are evil4 
,at this ,day1 it is as necessary for us
 constantly to attend on the heavenly   
,gift1 to be qualified to use rightly   
the good ,things in this ,life amidst   
great ,improvements1 as it was for our  
first ,parents1 when they were without  
any ,improvements1 without any ,friend  
or ,father but ,god only4  ,i was at a  
,meeting at ,goose-,creek2 and next at a
 ,monthly-meeting at ,fairfax2 where1   
through the gracious ,dealing of the    
,almighty with us1 his ,power prevailed 
over many ,hearts4 ,thence to ,manoquacy
 and ,pipe-,creek1 in ,maryland2 at both
 which ,places ,i had ,cause humbly to  
adore him1 who supported me through many

 ,exercises1 and by whose ,help ,i was  
enabled to reach the true ,witness in   
the ,hearts of others3 ,there were some 
hopeful young ,people in those ,parts4  
,thence ,i had ,meetings at ,john       
,everit's in ,monalen1 and at           
,huntingdon2 and ,i was made humbly     
thankful to the ,lord1 who opened my    
,heart amongst the ,people in these new 
,settlements1 so that it was a ,time of 
,encouragement to the ,honest-minded4   
,at ,monalen1 a ,friend gave me some    
,account of a religious ,society among  
the ,dutch1 called ,mennonists2 and1    
amongst other ,things1 related a        
,passage in ,substance as follows3--,one
 of the ,mennonists having ,acquaintance
 with a ,man of another ,society at a   
considerable ,distance1 and being with  
his ,waggon on ,business near the ,house
 of his said ,acquaintance1 and ,night  
coming on1 he had ,thoughts of putting  
up with him2 but passing by his ,fields1
 and observing the distressed           
,appearance of his ,slaves1 he kindled a

 ,fire in the ,woods hard by1 and lay   
there that ,night3 ,his said            
,acquaintance hearing where he lodged1  
and afterward meeting the ,mennonist1   
told him of it2 adding1 he should have  
been heartily welcome at his ,house2    
and1 from their ,acquaintance in former 
,time1 wondered at his ,conduct in that 
,case4 ,the ,mennonist replied1 ,ever   
since ,i lodged by thy ,field1 ,i have  
wanted an ,opportunity to speak with    
thee3 ,the ,matter was2 ,i intended to  
have come to thy ,house for             
,entertainment1 but1 seeing thy ,slaves 
at their ,work1 and observing the       
,manner of their ,dress1 ,i had no      
liking to come to partake with thee3    
,then admonished him to use them with   
more ,humanity2 and added1 ,as ,i lay by
 the ,fire that ,night1 ,i thought that1
 as ,i was a ,man of ,substance1 thou   
wouldst have received me freely2 but1 if
 ,i had been as poor as one of thy      
,slaves1 and had no ,power to help      
myself1 ,i should have received from thy

 ,hand no kinder ,usage than they4      
,hence ,i was at three ,meetings in my  
,way2 and so ,i went ,home1 under a     
humbling ,sense of the gracious         
,dealings of the ,lord with me1 in      
preserving me through many ,trials and  
,afflictions in my ,journey4 ,i was out 
about two ,months1 and travelled about  
eleven hundred and fifty ,miles4        
,,chapter ,v      ,the draughting of the
 ,militia in ,new-,jersey to serve in   
the ,army2     with some ,observations  
on the ,state of the ,members of our    
,society at     that ,time--,his ,visit 
to ,friends in ,pennsylvania1           
accompanied by     ,,benjamin           
,,jones--,proceedings at the ,monthly1  
,quarterly1 and     ,yearly-,meetings1  
in ,philadelphia1 respecting those who  
keep     ,slaves  ,on the ninth ,day of 
the eighth ,month1 in the ,year #ageg1  
at ,night1 ,orders came to the military 
,officers in our ,county 7,burlington71 
directing them to draught the ,militia1 
and prepare a ,number of ,men to go off 

as ,soldiers1 to the ,relief of the     
,english at ,fort-,william-,henry1 in   
,new-,york ,government3 ,a few ,days    
after which there was a general ,review 
of the ,militia at ,mount-,holly1 and a 
,number of ,men chosen and sent off     
under some ,officers4 ,shortly after1   
there came ,orders to draught three     
,times as many1 to hold themselves in   
,readiness to march when fresh ,orders  
came3 ,and1 on the #agth ,day of the    
eighth ,month1 there was a ,meeting of  
the military ,officers at ,mount-,holly1
 who agreed on a ,draught2 and ,orders  
were sent to the ,men1 so chosen1 to    
meet their respective ,captains at set  
,times and ,places2 those in our        
,township to meet at ,mount-,holly2     
amongst whom was a considerable ,number 
of our ,society4 ,my ,mind being        
affected herewith1 ,i had fresh         
,opportunity to see and consider the    
,advantage of living in the real        
,substance of ,religion1 where ,practice
 doth harmonize with ,principle4        

,amongst the ,officers are ,men of      
,understanding1 who have some ,regard to
 ,sincerity where they see it2 and in   
the ,execution of their ,office1 when   
they have ,men to deal with whom they   
believe to be upright-hearted1 to put   
them to ,trouble1 on account of         
,scruples of ,conscience1 is a painful  
,task1 and likely to be avoided as much 
as easily may be3 ,but where ,men       
profess to be so meek and               
heavenly-minded1 and to have their      
,trust so firmly settled in ,god1 that  
they cannot join in ,wars1 and yet1 by  
their ,spirit and ,conduct in common    
,life1 manifest a contrary ,disposition1
 their ,difficulties are great at such a
 ,time4  ,officers1 in great ,anxiety1  
endeavouring to get ,troops to answer   
the ,demands of their ,superiors1 seeing
 ,men1 who are insincere1 pretend       
,scruple of ,conscience in ,hopes of    
being excused from a dangerous          
,employment1 such are likely to be      
roughly handled4 ,in this ,time of      

,commotion some of our young ,men left  
the ,parts1 and tarried abroad till it  
was over2 some came1 and proposed to go 
as ,soldiers2 others appeared to have a 
real tender ,scruple in their ,minds    
against joining in ,wars1 and were much 
humbled under the ,apprehension of a    
,trial so near3 ,i had ,conversation    
with several of them to my              
,satisfaction4 ,at the set ,time when   
the ,captain came to ,town1 some of     
those last-mentioned went and told him  
in ,substance as follows3--,that they   
could not bear ,arms for                
,conscience-sake2 nor could they hire   
any to go in their ,places1 being       
resigned as to the ,event of it3 ,at    
length the ,captain acquainted them all1
 that they might return ,home for the   
present1 and1 required them to provide  
themselves as ,soldiers1 and to be in   
,readiness to march when called upon4   
,this was such a ,time as ,i had not    
seen before2 and yet ,i may say1 with   
,thankfulness to the ,lord1 that ,i     

believed this ,trial was intended for   
our ,good2 and ,i was favoured with     
,resignation to him4 ,the ,french ,army1
 taking the ,fort they were besieging1  
destroyed it and went away3 ,the        
,company of ,men first draughted1 after 
some ,days march1 had ,orders to return 
,home2 and those on the second ,draught 
were no more called upon on that        
,occasion4  ,on the fourth ,day of the  
fourth ,month1 in the ,year #ageh1      
,orders came to some ,officers in       
,mount-,holly1 to prepare ,quarters1 a  
short ,time1 for about one hundred      
,soldiers3 ,and an ,officer and two     
other ,men1 all ,inhabitants of our     
,town1 came to my ,house2 and the       
,officer told me1 that he came to speak 
with me1 to provide ,lodging and        
,entertainment for two ,soldiers1 there 
being six ,shillings a ,week per ,man   
allowed as ,pay for it4 ,the ,case being
 new and unexpected1 ,i made no ,answer 
suddenly2 but sat a ,time silent1 my    
,mind being inward3 ,i was fully        

convinced1 that the ,proceedings in     
,wars are inconsistent with the ,purity 
of the ,christian ,religion3 ,and to be 
hired to entertain ,men1 who were then  
under ,pay as ,soldiers1 was a          
,difficulty with me4 ,i expected they   
had legal ,authority for what they did2 
and1 after a short ,time1 ,i said to the
 ,officer1 ,if the ,men are sent here   
for ,entertainment1 ,i believe ,i shall 
not refuse to admit them into my ,house2
 but the ,nature of the ,case is such1  
that ,i expect ,i cannot keep them on   
,hire3 ,one of the ,men intimated1 that 
he thought ,i might do it consistent    
with my religious ,principles2 ,to which
 ,i made no ,reply2 as believing        
,silence at that ,time best for me4     
,though they spake of two1 there came   
only one1 who tarried at my ,house about
 two ,weeks1 and behaved himself        
civilly2 and when the ,officer came to  
pay me1 ,i told him ,i could not take   
,pay for it1 having admitted him into my
 ,house in a passive ,obedience to      

,authority4 ,i was on ,horseback when he
 spake to me3 ,and1 as ,i turned from   
him1 he said1 he was obliged to me3 ,to 
which ,i said nothing2 but1 thinking on 
the ,expression1 ,i grew uneasy2 and    
afterwards1 being near where he lived1  
,i went and told him on what ,grounds ,i
 refused taking ,pay for keeping the    
,soldier4  ,near the ,beginning of the  
,year #ageh1 ,i went one ,evening1 in   
,company with a ,friend1 to visit a sick
 ,person2 and1 before our ,return1 we   
were told of a ,woman living near1 who1 
of late1 had several ,days been         
disconsolate1 occasioned by a ,dream2   
wherein ,death1 and the ,judgments of   
the ,almighty after ,death1 were        
represented to her ,mind in a moving    
,manner3 ,her ,sadness on that ,account1
 being worn off1 the ,friend1 with whom 
,i was in ,company1 went to see her1 and
 had some religious ,conversation with  
her and her ,husband3 ,with this ,visit 
they were somewhat affected2 and the    
,man1 with many ,tears1 expressed his   

,satisfaction2 and1 in a short ,time    
after1 the poor ,man being on the ,river
 in a ,storm of ,wind1 he1 with one     
more1 was drowned4  ,in the eighth      
,month of the ,year #ageh1 having had   
,drawings in my ,mind to be at the      
,quarterly-meeting in ,chester ,county1 
and at some ,meetings in the ,county of 
,philadelphia1 ,i went first to said    
,quarterly-meeting1 which was large1 and
 several weighty ,matters came under    
,consideration and ,debate2 and the     
,lord was pleased to qualify some of his
 ,servants with ,strength and ,firmness 
to bear the ,burthen of the ,day3       
,though ,i said but little1 my ,mind was
 deeply exercised2 and1 under a ,sense  
of ,god's ,love1 in the ,anointing and  
fitting some young ,men for his ,work1  
,i was comforted1 and my ,heart was     
tendered before him4 ,from hence ,i went
 to the ,youth's ,meeting at ,darby1    
where my beloved ,friend and ,brother1  
,,benjamin ,,jones1 met me1 by an       
,appointment before ,i left ,home1 to   

join in the ,visit3 ,and we were at     
,radnor1 ,merion1 ,richland1            
,north-,wales1 ,plymouth1 and ,abington 
,meetings2 and had ,cause to bow in     
,reverence before the ,lord1 our        
gracious ,god1 by whose ,help ,way was  
opened for us from day to day4 ,i was   
out about two ,weeks1 and rode about two
 hundred ,miles4  ,the ,monthly-meeting 
of ,philadelphia having been under a    
,concern on ,account of some ,friends   
who this ,summer 7#ageh7 had bought     
,negro ,slaves1 the said ,meeting moved 
it to their ,quarterly-meeting1 to have 
the ,minute reconsidered in the         
,yearly-meeting1 which was made last on 
that ,subject3 ,and the said            
,quarterly-meeting appointed a          
,committee to consider it1 and report to
 their next2 which ,committee having met
 once and adjourned1 ,i going to        
,philadelphia to meet a ,committee of   
the ,yearly-meeting1 was in ,town the   
,evening on which the                   
,quarterly-meeting's ,committee met the 

second ,time2 and1 finding an           
,inclination to sit with them1 was1 with
 some others1 admitted2 and ,friends had
 a weighty ,conference on the ,subject3 
,and1 soon after their next             
,quarterly-meeting1 ,i heard that the   
,case was coming to our ,yearly-meeting2
 which brought a weighty ,exercise upon 
me1 and under a ,sense of my own        
,infirmities1 and the great ,danger ,i  
felt of turning aside from perfect      
,purity1 my ,mind was often drawn to    
retire alone1 and put up my ,prayers to 
the ,lord1 that he would be graciously  
pleased to strengthen me2 that1 setting 
aside all ,views of ,self-interest1 and 
the ,friendship of this ,world1 ,i might
 stand fully resigned to his holy ,will4
  ,in this ,yearly-meeting1 several     
weighty ,matters were considered2 and1  
toward the last1 that in ,relation to   
dealing with ,persons who purchase      
,slaves4 ,during the several ,sittings  
of the said ,meeting1 my ,mind was      
frequently covered with inward ,prayer1 

and ,i could say with ,david1 that      
,tears were my ,meat ,day and ,night4   
,the ,case of ,slave-keeping lay heavy  
upon me2 nor did ,i find any ,engagement
 to speak directly to any other ,matter 
before the ,meeting4 ,now1 when this    
,case was opened1 several faithful      
,friends spake weightily thereto1 with  
which ,i was comforted2 and1 feeling a  
,concern to cast in my ,mite1 ,i said in
 ,substance as follows3  ,in the        
,difficulties attending us in this      
,life1 nothing is more precious than the
 ,mind of ,truth inwardly manifested2   
and it is my earnest ,desire that1 in   
this weighty ,matter we may be so truly 
humbled as to be favoured with a clear  
,understanding of the ,mind of ,truth1  
and follow it2 this would be of more    
,advantage to the ,society1 than any    
,medium not in the ,clearness of divine 
,wisdom4 ,the ,case is difficult to some
 who have them2 but if such set aside   
all ,self-interest1 and come to be      
weaned from the ,desire of getting      

,estates1 or even from holding them     
together1 when ,truth requires the      
,contrary1 ,i believe ,way will open    
that they will know how to steer through
 those ,difficulties4  ,many ,friends   
appeared to be deeply bowed under the   
,weight of the ,work2 and manifested    
much ,firmness in their ,love to the    
,cause of ,truth and universal          
,righteousness on the ,earth3 ,and1     
though none did openly justify the      
,practice of ,slave-keeping in general1 
yet some appeared concerned1 lest the   
,meeting should go into such ,measures  
as might give ,uneasiness to many       
,brethren2 alledging1 that if ,friends  
patiently continued under the ,exercise1
 the ,lord1 in ,time to come might open 
a ,way for the ,deliverance of these    
,people3 ,and1 ,i finding an ,engagement
 to speak1 said1 ,my ,mind is often led 
to consider the ,purity of the divine   
,being1 and the ,justice of his         
,judgments2 and herein my ,soul is      
covered with ,awfulness3 ,i cannot omit 

to hint of some ,cases1 where ,people   
have not been treated with the ,purity  
of ,justice1 and the ,event hath been   
lamentable3 ,many ,slaves on this       
,continent are oppressed1 and their     
,cries have reached the ,ears of the    
,most ,high4 ,such are the ,purity and  
,certainty of his ,judgments1 that he   
cannot be partial in our ,favour4 ,in   
infinite ,love and ,goodness1 he hath   
opened our ,understandings1 from one    
,time to another1 concerning our ,duty  
towards this ,people2 and it is not a   
,time for ,delay4 ,should we now be     
sensible of what he requires of us1 and1
 through a ,respect to the private      
,interest of some ,persons1 or through a
 ,regard to some ,friendships which do  
not stand on an immutable ,foundation1  
neglect to do our ,duty in ,firmness and
 ,constancy1 still waiting for some     
extraordinary ,means to bring about     
their ,deliverance1 it may be by        
terrible ,things in ,righteousness ,god 
may answer us in this ,matter4  ,many   

faithful ,brethren laboured with great  
,firmness2 and the ,love of ,truth1 in a
 good ,degree1 prevailed4 ,several      
,friends1 who had ,negroes1 expressed   
their ,desire that a ,rule might be     
made1 to deal with such ,friends as     
,offenders who bought ,slaves in future3
 ,to this it was answered1 that the     
,root of this ,evil would never be      
effectually struck at1 until a thorough 
,search was made into the ,circumstances
 of such ,friends as kept ,negroes1 with
 respect to the ,righteousness of their 
,motives in keeping them1 that impartial
 ,justice might be administered         
throughout4 ,several ,friends expressed 
their ,desire1 that a ,visit might be   
made to such ,friends as kept ,slaves2  
and many ,friends said1 that they       
believed ,liberty was the ,negroes      
,right3 ,to which1 at length1 no        
,opposition was made publickly4 ,a      
,minute was made more full on that      
,subject than any heretofore2 and the   
,names of several ,friends entered1 who 

were free to join in a ,visit to such as
 kept ,slaves4   ,,chapter ,,vi         
,his visiting the ,quarterly-meetings in
 ,chester ,county2 and     afterwards   
joining with ,,daniel ,,stanton and     
,,john ,,scarborough in a     ,visit to 
such as kept ,slaves there--,some       
,observations on the     ,conduct such  
should maintain as are concerned to     
speak in ,meetings     for              
,discipline--,several more ,visits to   
such as kept ,slaves2 and to            
,friends near ,salem--,some ,account of 
the ,yearly-meeting in the ,year        
#agei2 and of the increasing ,concern1  
in divers ,provinces1 to labour         
against buying and keeping ,slaves--,the
 ,yearly-meeting ,epistle  ,on the      
eleventh ,day of the eleventh ,month1 in
 the ,year #ageh1 ,i set out for        
,concord2 the ,quarterly-meeting1       
heretofore held there1 was now1 by      
reason of a great ,increase of ,members1
 divided into two by the ,agreement of  
,friends1 at our last ,yearly-meeting4  

,here ,i met with our beloved ,friends1 
,,samuel ,,spavold and ,,mary ,,kirby1  
from ,england1 and with ,,joseph        
,,white1 from ,bucks ,county1 who had   
taken ,leave of his ,family in order to 
go on a religious ,visit to ,friends in 
,england2 and1 through divine ,goodness1
 we were favoured with a strengthening  
,opportunity together4  ,after this     
,meeting ,i joined with my ,friends1    
,,daniel ,,stanton and ,,john           
,,scarborough1 in visiting ,friends who 
had ,slaves2 and at ,night we had a     
,family-meeting at ,,william            
,,trimble',s1 many young ,people being  
there2 and it was a precious reviving   
,opportunity4 ,next ,morning we had a   
comfortable ,sitting with a sick        
,neighbour2 and thence to the ,burial of
 the ,corpse of a ,friend at ,uwchland  
,meeting1 at which were many ,people1   
and it was a ,time of divine ,favour2   
after which1 we visited some who had    
,slaves2 and1 at ,night1 had a          
,family-meeting at a ,friend's ,house1  

where the ,channel of ,gospel-love was  
opened1 and my ,mind was comforted after
 a hard ,day's ,labour4 ,the next ,day  
we were at ,goshen ,monthly-meeting2 and
 thence1 on the eighteenth ,day of the  
eleventh ,month1 in the ,year #ageh1    
attended the ,quarterly-meeting at      
,london-,grove1 it being the first held 
at that ,place4 ,here we met again with 
all the before-mentioned ,friends1 and  
had some edifying ,meetings3 ,and1 near 
the ,conclusion of the ,meeting for     
,business1 ,friends were incited to     
,constancy in supporting the ,testimony 
of ,truth1 and reminded of the          
,necessity which the ,disciples of      
,christ are under to attend principally 
to his ,business1 as he is pleased to   
open it to us3 ,and to be particularly  
careful to have our ,minds redeemed from
 the ,love of ,wealth2 to have our      
outward ,affairs in as little ,room as  
may be2 that no temporal ,concerns may  
entangle our ,affections1 or hinder us  
from diligently following the ,dictates 

of ,truth1 in labouring to promote the  
pure ,spirit of ,meekness and           
,heavenly-mindedness amongst the        
,children of ,men in these ,days of     
,calamity and ,distress1 wherein ,god is
 visiting our ,land with his just       
,judgments4  ,each of these             
,quarterly-meetings was large1 and sat  
near eight ,hours4 ,here ,i had         
,occasion to consider1 that it was a    
weighty ,thing to speak much in large   
,meetings for ,business3 ,first1 except 
our ,minds are rightly prepared1 and we 
clearly understand the ,case we speak   
to1 instead of forwarding1 we hinder1   
,business1 and make more ,labour for    
those on whom the ,burthen of the ,work 
is laid4  ,if selfish ,views1 or a      
partial ,spirit1 have any ,room in our  
,minds1 we are unfit for the ,lord's    
,work2 if we have a clear ,prospect of  
the ,business1 and proper ,weight on our
 ,minds to speak1 it behoves us to avoid
 useless ,apologies and ,repetitions3   
,where ,people are gathered from far1   

and adjourning a ,meeting of ,business  
is attended with great ,difficulty1 it  
behoves all to be cautious how they     
detain a ,meeting2 especially when they 
have sat six or seven ,hours1 and have a
 great ,distance to ride ,home4 ,after  
this ,meeting ,i rode ,home4  ,in the   
,beginning of the twelfth ,month of the 
,year #ageh ,i joined in ,company with  
my ,friends1 ,,john ,,sykes and ,,daniel
 ,,stanton1 in visiting such as had     
,slaves3 ,some1 whose ,hearts were      
rightly exercised about them1 appeared  
to be glad of our ,visit2 but in some   
,places our ,way was more difficult2 and
 ,i often saw the ,necessity of keeping 
down to that ,root from whence our      
,concern proceeded2 and have ,cause1 in 
reverent ,thankfulness1 humbly to bow   
down before the ,lord1 who was near to  
me1 and preserved my ,mind in ,calmness 
under some sharp ,conflicts1 and begat a
 ,spirit of ,sympathy and ,tenderness in
 me toward some who were grievously     
entangled by the ,spirit of this ,world4

  ,in the first ,month of the ,year     
#agei1 having found my ,mind drawn to   
visit some of the more active ,members1 
in our ,society at ,philadelphia1 who   
had ,slaves1 ,i met my ,friend ,,john   
,,churchman there1 by an ,agreement3    
,and we continued about a ,week in the  
,city4 ,we visited some that were sick1 
and some ,widows and their ,families2   
and the other ,part of our ,time was    
mostly employed in visiting such as had 
,slaves4--,it was a ,time of deep       
,exercise1 looking often to the ,lord   
for his ,assistance2 who1 in unspeakable
 ,kindness1 favoured us with the        
,influence of that ,spirit1 which       
crucifies to the ,greatness and         
,splendour of this ,world1 and enabled  
us to go through some heavy ,labours1 in
 which we found ,peace4  ,on the        
twenty-fourth ,day of the third ,month  
of this ,year1 ,i was at our general    
,spring-meeting at ,philadelphia3 ,after
 which1 ,i again joined with ,,john     
,,churchman on a ,visit to some more who

 had ,slaves in ,philadelphia2 and1 with
 ,thankfulness to our heavenly ,father1 
,i may say1 that divine ,love and a true
 sympathising ,tenderness of ,heart     
prevailed at ,times in this ,service4   
,having1 at ,times1 perceived a ,shyness
 in some ,friends1 of considerable      
,note1 towards me1 ,i found an          
,engagement in ,gospel ,love to pay a   
,visit to one of them2 and1 as ,i dwelt 
under the ,exercise1 ,i felt a          
,resignedness in my ,mind to go2 ,so ,i 
went1 and told him1 in private1 ,i had a
 ,desire to have an ,opportunity with   
him alone2 to which he readily agreed3  
,and then1 in the ,fear of the ,lord1   
,things relating to that ,shyness were  
searched to the ,bottom2 and we had a   
large ,conference1 which1 ,i believe1   
was of ,use to both of us1 and am       
thankful that ,way was opened for it4   
,on the fourteenth ,day of the sixth    
,month1 in the same ,year1 having felt  
,drawings in my ,mind to visit ,friends 
about ,salem1 and having the            

,approbation of our ,monthly-meeting    
therein1 ,i attended their              
,quarterly-meeting1 and was out seven   
,days1 and at seven ,meetings2 in some  
of which ,i was chiefly silent1 and in  
others1 through the baptizing ,power of 
,truth1 my ,heart was enlarged in       
heavenly ,love1 and found a near        
,fellowship with the ,brethren and      
,sisters1 in the manifold ,trials       
attending their ,christian ,progress    
through this ,world4  ,in the seventh   
,month1 ,i found an increasing ,concern 
on my ,mind to visit some active        
,members in our ,society who had        
,slaves2 and1 having no ,opportunity of 
the ,company of such as were named on   
the ,minutes of the ,yearly-meeting1 ,i 
went alone to their ,houses1 and1 in the
 ,fear of the ,lord1 acquainted them    
with the ,exercise ,i was under3 ,and   
thus1 sometimes1 by a few ,words1 ,i    
found myself discharged from a heavy    
,burthen4  ,after this1 our ,friend     
,,john ,,churchman1 coming into our     

,province with a ,view to be at some    
,meetings1 and to join again in the     
,visit to those who had ,slaves1 ,i bore
 him ,company in the said ,visit to some
 active ,members1 and found inward      
,satisfaction4  ,at our ,yearly-meeting1
 in the ,year #agei1 we had some weighty
 ,seasons2 where the ,power of ,truth   
was largely extended1 to the            
strengthening of the ,honest-minded4 ,as
 ,friends read over the ,epistles1 to be
 sent to the ,yearly-meetings along this
 ,continent1 ,i observed in most of     
them1 both this ,year and last1 it was  
recommended to ,friends to labour       
against buying and keeping ,slaves2 and 
in some of them closely treated upon4   
,this ,practice had long been a heavy   
,exercise to me1 and ,i have often waded
 through mortifying ,labours on that    
,account2 and1 at ,times1 in some       
,meetings been almost alone therein4    
,now1 observing the increasing ,concern 
in our religious ,society1 and seeing   
how the ,lord was raising up and        

qualifying ,servants for his ,work1 not 
only in this ,respect1 but for promoting
 the ,cause of ,truth in general1 ,i was
 humbly bowed in ,thankfulness before   
him4  ,this ,meeting continued near a   
,week2 and1 for several ,days1 in the   
fore ,part of it1 my ,mind was drawn    
into a deep inward ,stillness2 and      
being1 at ,times1 covered with the      
,spirit of ,supplication1 my ,heart was 
secretly poured out before the ,lord3   
,and1 near the ,conclusion of the       
,meeting for ,business1 ,way opened1    
that1 in the pure ,flowings of divine   
,love1 ,i expressed what lay upon me2   
which1 as it then arose in my ,mind1 was
 first to shew how ,deep answers to     
,deep in the ,hearts of the ,sincere and
 ,upright2 though1 in their different   
,growths1 they may not all have attained
 to the same ,clearness in some ,points 
relating to our ,testimony3 ,and ,i was 
led to mention the ,integrity and       
,constancy of many ,martyrs1 who gave   
their ,lives for the ,testimony of      

,jesus2 and yet1 in some ,points1 held  
,doctrines distinguishable from some    
which we hold3 ,and that1 in all ,ages1 
where ,people were faithful to the      
,light and ,understanding which the     
,most ,high afforded them1 they found   
,acceptance with him2 and that now1     
though there are different ,ways of     
,thinking amongst us in some            
,particulars1 yet1 if we mutually kept  
to that ,spirit and ,power which        
crucifies to the ,world1 which teaches  
us to be content with ,things really    
needful1 and to avoid all               
,superfluities1 giving up our ,hearts to
 fear and serve the ,lord1 true ,unity  
may still be preserved amongst us3 ,and 
that if such1 as were1 at ,times1 under 
,sufferings on ,account of some         
,scruples of ,conscience1 kept low and  
humble1 and in their ,conduct in ,life  
manifested a ,spirit of true ,charity1  
it would be more likely to reach the    
,witness in others1 and be of more      
,service in the ,church1 than if their  

,sufferings were attended with a        
contrary ,spirit and ,conduct4 ,in which
 ,exercise ,i was drawn into a          
sympathizing ,tenderness with the ,sheep
 of ,christ1 however distinguished one  
from another in this ,world2 and the    
like ,disposition appeared to spread    
over others in the ,meeting4 ,great is  
the ,goodness of the ,lord toward his   
poor ,creatures6  ,an ,epistle went     
forth from this ,yearly-meeting1 which  
,i think good to give a ,place in this  
,journal2 being as follows3       ,from 
the ,yearly-meeting held at             
,philadelphia1 for ,pennsylvania        
and ,new-,jersey1 from the twenty-second
 ,day of the ninth ,month1 to      the  
twenty-eighth ,day of the same1         
inclusive1 #agei4       ,to the         
,quarterly and ,monthly-meetings of     
,friends belonging to the      said     
,yearly-meeting4       ,dearly beloved  
,friends and ,brethren1--,in an awful   
,sense of the      ,wisdom and ,goodness
 of the ,lord our ,god1 whose tender    

,mercies have      long been continued  
to us in this ,land1 we affectionately  
salute      you1 with sincere and       
fervent ,desires1 that we may reverently
      regard the ,dispensations of his  
,providence1 and improve under them4    
,the ,empires and ,kingdoms of the      
,earth are subject to his almighty      
,power3 ,he is the ,god of the ,spirits 
of all ,flesh1 and deals with      his  
,people agreeable to that ,wisdom1 the  
,depth whereof is to us                 
unsearchable3 ,we1 in these ,provinces1 
may say1 he hath1 as a      gracious and
 tender ,parent1 dealt bountifully with 
us1 even from      the ,days of our     
,fathers3 ,it was he who strengthened   
them to labour      through the         
,difficulties attending the ,improvement
 of a ,wilderness1      and made ,way   
for them in the ,hearts of the ,natives2
 so that by them      they were         
comforted in ,times of ,want and        
,distress3 ,it was by the      gracious 
,influences of his holy ,spirit1 that   

they were disposed to      work         
,righteousness1 and walk uprightly one  
towards another1 and      towards the   
,natives1 and in ,life and ,conversation
 to manifest the      ,excellency of the
 ,principles and ,doctrines of the      
,christian      ,religion2 and thereby  
they retain their ,esteem and           
,friendship3      ,whilst they were     
labouring for the ,necessaries of ,life1
 many of      them were fervently       
engaged to promote ,piety and ,virtue in
 the      ,earth1 and educate their     
,children in the ,fear of the ,lord4    
,if we carefully consider the peaceable 
,measures pursued in the      first     
,settlement of the ,land1 and that      
,freedom from the ,desolations      of  
,wars which for a long ,time we enjoyed1
 we shall find ourselves      under     
strong ,obligations to the ,almighty1   
who1 when the ,earth is      so         
generally polluted with ,wickedness1    
gave us a ,being in a ,part so          
signally favoured with ,tranquility and 

,plenty1 and in which the               
,glad-tidings of the ,gospel of ,christ 
are so freely published1 that      we   
may justly say with the ,psalmist1 ,what
 shall we render unto the      ,lord for
 all his ,benefits8       ,our own real 
,good1 and the ,good of our ,posterity1 
in some ,measure1      depend on the    
,part we act2 and it nearly concerns us 
to try our      ,foundations            
impartially4 ,such are the different    
,rewards of the ,just      and ,unjust  
in a future ,state1 that1 to attend     
diligently to the      ,dictates of the 
,spirit of ,christ1 to devote ourselves 
to his      ,service1 and engage        
fervently in his ,cause1 during our     
short ,stay      in this ,world1 is a   
,choice well becoming a free intelligent
      ,creature2 we shall thus clearly  
see and consider that the ,dealings     
of ,god with ,mankind in a national     
,capacity1 as recorded in ,holy         
,writ1 do sufficiently evidence the     
,truth of that ,saying1 ,it is          

,righteousness which exalteth a ,nation2
 and though he doth not at      all     
,times suddenly execute his ,judgments  
on a sinful ,people in this      ,life1 
yet we see1 by many ,instances1 that    
where ,men follow lying      ,vanities1 
they forsake their own ,mercies2 and as 
a proud selfish      ,spirit prevails   
and spreads among a ,people1 so partial 
,judgment1      ,oppression1 ,discord1  
,envy1 and ,confusions1 increase1 and   
,provinces      and ,kingdoms are made  
to drink the ,cup of ,adversity as a    
,reward of      their own ,doings4 ,thus
 the inspired ,prophet1 reasoning with  
the      degenerated ,jews1 saith1      
,thine own ,wickedness shall correct    
thee1 and thy ,backslidings shall       
reprove thee3 ,know1 therefore1         
that it is an evil ,thing and bitter1   
that thou hast forsaken the      ,lord  
thy ,god1 and that my ,fear is not in   
thee1 saith the ,lord ,god      of      
,hosts4 ,jer4 ii4 #ai4       ,the ,god  
of our ,fathers1 who hath bestowed on us

 many ,benefits1      furnished a ,table
 for us in the ,wilderness1 and made the
 ,desarts      and solitary ,places to  
rejoice2 he doth now mercifully call    
upon us      to serve him more          
faithfully4--,we may truly say1 with the
 ,prophet1      ,it is his ,voice which 
crieth to the ,city1 and ,men of ,wisdom
 see      his ,name3 ,they regard the   
,rod1 and him who hath appointed        
it4--,people1 who look chiefly at       
,things outward1 too little             
consider the original ,cause of the     
present ,troubles2 but such as      fear
 the ,lord1 and think often upon his    
,name1 see and feel that a      wrong   
,spirit is spreading among the          
,inhabitants of our ,country2      that 
the ,hearts of many are waxed fat1 and  
their ,ears dull of      hearing2 that  
the ,most ,high1 in his ,visitations to 
us1 instead of      calling1 lifteth up 
his ,voice and crieth2 he crieth to our 
,country1      and his ,voice waxeth    
louder and louder4 ,in former ,wars     

between the      ,english and other     
,nations1 since the ,settlement of our  
,provinces1      the ,calamities        
attending them have fallen chiefly on   
other ,places1      but now of late they
 have reached to our ,borders2 many of  
our      fellow ,subjects have suffered 
on and near our ,frontiers1 some have   
been slain in ,battle1 some killed in   
their ,houses1 and some in      their   
,fields1 some wounded and left in great 
,misery1 and others      separated from 
their ,wives and little ,children1 who  
have been      carried ,captives among  
the ,indians3 ,we have seen ,men and    
,women1      who have been ,witnesses of
 these ,scenes of ,sorrow1 and been     
reduced      to ,want1 have come to our 
,houses asking ,relief4--,it is not long
      since it was the ,case of many    
young ,men1 in one of these ,provinces1 
to be draughted1 in order to be taken as
 ,soldiers2 some were at      that ,time
 in great ,distress1 and had ,occasion  
to consider that      their ,lives had  

been too little conformable to the      
,purity and      ,spirituality of that  
,religion which we profess1 and found   
themselves too little acquainted with   
that inward ,humility1 in      which    
true ,fortitude to endure ,hardness for 
the ,truth's ,sake is                   
experienced4--,many ,parents were       
concerned for their ,children1 and      
in that ,time of ,trial were led to     
consider1 that their ,care1 to get      
outward ,treasure for them1 had been    
greater than their ,care for      their 
,settlement in that ,religion which     
crucifieth to the ,world1      and      
enableth to bear a clear ,testimony to  
the peaceable ,government      of the   
,messiah4 ,these ,troubles are removed1 
and for a ,time we are      released    
from them4       ,let us not forget that
 ,the ,most ,high hath his ,way in the  
,deep1 in      ,clouds and in thick     
,darkness--that it is his ,voice which  
crieth to      the ,city and to the     
,country2 and oh6 that these loud and   

awakening      ,cries may have a proper 
,effect upon us1 that heavier           
,chastisement      may not become       
necessary6 ,for though ,things1 as to   
the ,outward1      may1 for a short     
,time1 afford a pleasing ,prospect2 yet1
 while a      selfish ,spirit1 that is  
not subject to the ,cross of ,christ1   
continueth to spread and prevail1 there 
can be no long ,continuance      in     
outward ,peace and ,tranquility4 ,if we 
desire an ,inheritance                  
incorruptible1 and to be at ,rest in    
that ,state of ,peace and               
,happiness1 which ever continues2 if we 
desire1 in this ,life1 to      dwell    
under the ,favour and ,protection of    
that almighty ,being1 whose             
,habitation is in ,holiness1 whose ,ways
 are all equal1 and whose      ,anger is
 now kindled because of our             
,backslidings2 let us then      awfully 
regard these ,beginnings of his fore    
,judgments1 and1 with      ,abasement   
and ,humiliation turn to him1 whom we   

have offended4       ,contending with   
one equal in ,strength is an uneasy     
,exercise2 but if      the ,lord is     
become our ,enemy1 if we persist to     
contend with him who      is omnipotent1
 our ,overthrow will be unavoidable4    
,do we feel an affectionate ,regard to  
,posterity2 and are we employed      to 
promote their ,happiness8 ,do our       
,minds1 in ,things outward1 look        
beyond our own ,dissolution2 and are we 
contriving for the      ,prosperity of  
our ,children after us8 ,let us then1   
like wise      ,builders1 lay the       
,foundation deep2 and1 by our constant  
uniform      ,regard to an inward ,piety
 and ,virtue1 let them see that we      
really      value it3 ,let us labour1 in
 the ,fear of the ,lord1 that their     
innocent ,minds1 while young and tender1
 may be preserved from                  
,corruptions2 that1 as they advance in  
,age1 they may rightly      understand  
their true ,interest1 may consider the  
,uncertainty of      temporal ,things1  

and1 above all1 have their ,hope and    
,confidence      firmly settled in the  
,blessing of that ,almighty ,being1 who 
inhabits      ,eternity1 and preserves  
and supports the ,world4       ,in all  
our ,cares1 about worldly ,treasures1   
let us steadily bear in      ,mind1 that
 ,riches1 possessed by ,children who do 
not truly serve      ,god1 are likely to
 prove ,snares that may more grievously 
entangle      them in that ,spirit of   
,selfishness and ,exaltation1 which     
stands in      ,opposition to real      
,peace and ,happiness2 and renders them 
,enemies      to the ,cross of ,christ1 
who submit to the ,influence of it4     
,to keep a watchful eye towards real    
,objects of ,charity1 to visit      the 
,poor in their lonesome                 
,dwelling-places1 to comfort them who1  
through the ,dispensations of divine    
,providence1 are in strait and          
painful ,circumstances in this ,life1   
and steadily to endeavour to      honour
 ,god with our ,substance1 from a real  

,sense of the ,love of      ,christ     
influencing our ,minds thereto1 is more 
likely to bring a      ,blessing to our 
,children1 and will afford more         
,satisfaction to a      ,christian      
favoured with ,plenty1 than an earnest  
,desire to collect      much ,wealth to 
leave behind us2 for ,here we have no   
continuing      ,city2 may we therefore 
diligently seek one that is to come1    
whose      ,builder and ,maker is ,god4 
,finally1 ,brethren1 whatsoever ,things 
are true1 whatsoever ,things      are   
just1 whatsoever ,things are pure1      
whatsoever ,things are lovely1          
whatsoever ,things are of good ,report2 
if there be any ,virtue1 if      there  
be any ,praise1 think on these ,things  
and do them1 and the ,god      of ,peace
 shall be with you4       ,signed1 by   
,appointment1 and on ,behalf of our said
      ,meeting1 by seven ,friends4  ,on 
the twenty-eighth ,day of the eleventh  
,month1 in the ,year #agei1 ,i was at   
the ,quarterly-meeting in ,bucks        

,county3 ,this ,day being the ,meeting  
of ,ministers and ,elders1 my ,heart was
 enlarged in the ,love of ,jesus        
,christ2 and the ,favour of the ,most   
,high was extended to us in that and the
 ensuing ,meeting4  ,i had              
,conversation1 at my ,lodging1 with my  
beloved ,friend1 ,,samuel ,,eastburn2   
who expressed a ,concern to join in a   
,visit to some ,friends1 in that        
,county1 who had ,negroes2 and as ,i had
 felt a ,draught in my ,mind to that    
,work in the said ,county1 came ,home   
and put ,things in ,order3 ,on the      
eleventh ,day of the twelfth ,month     
following1 ,i went over the ,river2 and 
on the next ,day was at ,buckingham     
,meeting2 where1 through the            
,descendings of heavenly ,dew1 my ,mind 
was comforted1 and drawn into a near    
,unity with the ,flock of ,jesus        
,christ4  ,entering upon this ,visit    
appeared weighty3 ,and before ,i left   
,home my ,mind was often sad2 under     
which ,exercise ,i felt1 at ,times1 the 

,holy ,spirit1 which helps our          
,infirmities2 through which1 in private1
 my ,prayers were1 at ,times1 put up to 
,god1 that he would be pleased to purge 
me from all ,selfishness1 that ,i might 
be strengthened to discharge my ,duty   
faithfully1 how hard soever to the      
natural ,part4 ,we proceeded on the     
,visit in a weighty ,frame of ,spirit1  
and went to the ,houses of the most     
active ,members1 throughout the         
,country1 who had ,negroes2 and1 through
 the ,goodness of the ,lord1 my ,mind   
was preserved in ,resignation in ,times 
of ,trial1 and1 though the ,work was    
hard to ,nature1 yet through the        
,strength of that ,love which is        
stronger than ,death1 ,tenderness of    
,heart was often felt amongst us in our 
,visits1 and we parted from several     
,families with greater ,satisfaction    
than we expected4         99       99   
99       99       99  ,we visited       
,,joseph ,,white',s ,family1 he being in
 ,england2 and also a ,family-sitting at

 the ,house of an ,elder who bore us    
,company1 and was at ,makefield on a    
,first-day3 ,at all which ,times my     
,heart was truly thankful to the ,lord1 
who was graciously pleased to renew his 
,loving-kindness to us1 his poor        
,servants1 uniting us together in his   
,work4   ,,chapter ,,vii      ,his      
,visit1 in ,company with ,,samuel       
,,eastburn1 to ,long-,island1           
,rhode-,island1 ,boston1 etc4 in        
,new-,england--,remarks on the          
,slave-,trade at ,newport1 and his      
,exercise on that ,account2 also on     
,lotteries--,some ,observations on the  
,island of ,nantucket  ,having1 for some
 ,time past1 felt a ,sympathy in my     
,mind with ,friends ,eastward1 ,i opened
 my ,concern in our ,monthly-meeting2   
and1 obtaining a ,certificate1 set      
forward on the seventeenth ,day of the  
fourth ,month1 in the ,year #agfj1      
joining in ,company1 by a previous      
,agreement1 with my beloved ,friend1    
,,samuel ,,eastburn4 ,we had ,meetings  

at ,woodbridge1 ,rahaway1 and           
,plainfield2 and were at their          
,monthly-meeting of ,ministers and      
,elders in ,rahaway4 ,we laboured under 
some ,discouragement2 but1 through the  
invisible ,power of ,truth1 our ,visit  
was made reviving to the ,lowly-minded1 
with whom ,i felt a near ,unity of      
,spirit1 being much reduced in my ,mind4
 ,we passed on and visited the chief of 
the ,meetings on ,long-,island4 ,it was 
my ,concern1 from ,day to ,day1 to say  
no more nor less than what the ,spirit  
of ,truth opened in me2 being jealous   
over myself1 lest ,i should speak any   
,thing to make my ,testimony look       
agreeable to that ,mind in ,people1     
which is not in pure ,obedience to the  
,cross of ,christ4  ,the ,spring of the 
,ministry was often low2 and1 through   
the subjecting ,power of ,truth1 we were
 kept low with it2 and from ,place to   
,place1 such whose ,hearts were truly   
concerned for the ,cause of ,christ1    
appeared to be comforted in our         

,labours2 and though it was in general a
 ,time of ,abasement of the ,creature1  
yet1 through his ,goodness1 who is a    
,helper of the ,poor1 we had some truly 
edifying ,seasons1 both in ,meetings1   
and in ,families where we tarried2 and  
sometimes found ,strength to labour     
earnestly with the ,unfaithful1         
especially with those whose ,station in 
,families1 or in the ,society1 was such1
 that their ,example had a powerful     
,tendency to open the ,way for others to
 go aside from the ,purity and          
,soundness of the blessed ,truth4 ,at   
,jericho1 on ,long-,island1 ,i wrote    
,home as follows3       #bdth of the    
#dth ,month1 #agfj4       ,dearly       
beloved ,wife1--,we are favoured with   
,health2 have been at      sundry       
,meetings in ,east-,jersey1 and on this 
,island3 ,my ,mind hath      been much  
in an inward watchful ,frame since ,i   
left thee1 greatly      desiring that   
our ,proceedings may be singly in the   
,will of our      heavenly ,father4     

,as the present ,appearance of ,things  
is not joyous1 ,i have been      much   
shut up from outward ,cheerfulness1     
remembering that ,promise1      ',then  
shalt thou delight thyself in the       
,lord3'--,as this1 from ,day      to    
,day1 has been revived in my ,memory1 ,i
 have considered that his      internal 
,presence on our ,minds is a ,delight1  
of all others1 the      most pure2 and  
that the ,honest-hearted not only       
delight in this1      but in the ,effect
 of it upon them4 ,he regards the       
,helpless and      ,distressed1 and     
reveals his ,love to his ,children under
 ,affliction2      they delight in      
beholding his ,benevolence1 and feeling 
divine      ,charity moving upon them3  
,of this ,i may speak a little2 for     
though1      since ,i left you1 ,i have 
often found an engaging ,love and       
,affection      toward thee and my      
,daughter1 and ,friends about ,home1    
that going out      at this ,time1 when 
,sickness is so great amongst you1 is a 

,trial      upon me2 yet ,i often       
remember there are many ,widows and     
,fatherless1      many who have poor    
,tutors1 many who have evil ,examples   
before them1      and many whose ,minds 
are in ,captivity1 for whose ,sake my   
,heart is1      at ,times1 moved with   
,compassion2 so that ,i feel my ,mind   
resigned to      leave you for a        
,season1 to exercise that ,gift which   
the ,lord hath      bestowed on me2     
which though small1 compared with some1 
yet in this      ,i rejoice1 that ,i    
feel ,love unfeigned toward my          
,fellow-creatures4 ,i      recommend you
 to the ,almighty1 who1 ,i trust1 cares 
for you2 and1      under a ,sense of his
 heavenly ,love1 remain1--,thy loving   
,husband1       ,j4 ,w4  ,we crossed    
from the ,east ,end of ,long-,island to 
,new-,london1 about thirty ,miles1 in a 
large open ,boat2 while we were out1 the
 ,wind rising high1 the ,waves several  
,times beat over us1 so that to me it   
appeared dangerous2 but my ,mind was1 at

 that ,time1 turned to him1 who made and
 governs the ,deep1 and my ,life was    
resigned to him3 ,and1 as he was        
mercifully pleased to preserve us1 ,i   
had fresh ,occasion to consider every   
,day as a ,day lent to me2 and felt a   
renewed ,engagement to devote my ,time1 
and all ,i had1 to him who gave them4   
,we had five ,meetings in ,narraganset2 
and went thence to ,newport on          
,rhode-,island4 ,our gracious ,father   
preserved us in an humble ,dependence on
 him through deep ,exercises1 that were 
mortifying to the creaturely ,will4 ,in 
several ,families in the ,country1 where
 we lodged1 ,i felt an ,engagement on my
 ,mind to have a ,conference with them  
in private concerning their ,slaves2    
and1 through divine ,aid1 ,i was        
favoured to give up thereto3 ,though1 in
 this ,concern1 ,i appeared singular    
from many1 whose ,service in            
,travelling1 ,i believe1 is greater than
 mine2 ,i do not think hard of them for 
omitting it2 ,i do not repine at having 

so unpleasant a ,task assigned me1 but  
look with ,awfulness to him1 who        
appoints to his ,servants their         
respective ,employments1 and is good to 
all who serve him sincerely4  ,we got to
 ,newport in the ,evening1 and on the   
next ,day visited two sick ,persons1 and
 had comfortable ,sittings with them2   
and in the ,afternoon attended the      
,burial of a ,friend4  ,the next ,day we
 were at ,meetings at ,newport1 in the  
,forenoon and ,afternoon2 where the     
,spring of the ,ministry was opened1 and
 ,strength given to declare the ,word of
 ,life to the ,people4  ,the next ,day  
we went on our ,journey2 but the great  
,number of ,slaves in these ,parts1 and 
the ,continuance of that ,trade from    
thence to ,guinea1 made deep ,impression
 on me2 and my ,cries were often put up 
to my heavenly ,father in secret1 that  
he would enable me to discharge my ,duty
 faithfully1 in such ,way as he might be
 pleased to point out to me4  ,we took  
,swansea1 ,freetown1 and ,tanton1 in our

 ,way to ,boston2 where also we had a   
,meeting2 our ,exercise was deep1 and   
the ,love of ,truth prevailed1 for which
 ,i bless the ,lord4 ,we went ,eastward 
about eighty ,miles beyond ,boston1     
taking ,meetings1 and were in a good    
,degree preserved in an humble          
,dependance on that ,arm which drew us  
out2 and1 though we had some hard       
,labour with the ,disobedient1 laying   
,things home and close to such as were  
stout against the ,truth2 yet1 through  
the ,goodness of ,god1 we had1 at       
,times1 to partake of heavenly ,comfort 
with them who were meek1 and were often 
favoured to part with ,friends in the   
,nearness of true ,gospel-fellowship4   
,we returned to ,boston1 and had another
 comfortable ,opportunity with ,friends 
there2 and thence rode back a ,day's    
,journey ,eastward of ,boston3 ,our     
,guide being a heavy ,man1 and the      
,weather hot1 and my ,companion and ,i  
considering it1 expressed our ,freedom  
to go on without him1 to which he       

consented1 and we respectfully took our 
,leave of him2 this we did1 as believing
 the ,journey would have been hard to   
him and his ,horse4  ,we visited the    
,meetings in those ,parts1 and were     
measurably baptized into a feeling of   
the ,state of the ,society3 ,and in     
,bowedness of ,spirit went to the       
,yearly-meeting at ,newport2 where ,i   
understood that a large ,number of      
,slaves were imported from ,africa into 
that ,town1 and then on ,sale by a      
,member of our ,society4 ,at this       
,meeting we met with ,,john ,,storer    
from ,england1 ,,elizabeth ,,shipley1   
,,ann ,,gaunt1 ,,hannah ,,foster1 and   
,,mercy ,,redman1 from our ,parts1 all  
,ministers of the ,gospel1 of whose     
,company ,i was glad4  ,at this ,time my
 ,appetite failed1 and ,i grew outwardly
 weak1 and had a ,feeling of the        
,condition of ,habakkuk as there        
expressed3 ,when ,i heard1 my ,belly    
trembled1 my ,lips quivered1 ,i trembled
 in myself that ,i might rest in the    

,day of ,trouble2 ,i had many           
,cogitations1 and was sorely distressed3
 ,and was desirous that ,friends might  
petition the ,legislature1 to use their 
,endeavours to discourage the future    
,importation of ,slaves2 for ,i saw that
 this ,trade was a great ,evil1 and     
tended to multiply ,troubles1 and bring 
,distresses on the ,people in those     
parts1 for whose ,welfare my ,heart was 
deeply concerned4  ,but ,i perceived    
several ,difficulties in ,regard to     
petitioning2 and such was the ,exercise 
of my ,mind1 that ,i had ,thought of    
endeavouring to get an ,opportunity to  
speak a few ,words in the ,house of     
,assembly1 then sitting in ,town4 ,this 
,exercise came upon me in the           
,afternoon1 on the second ,day of the   
,yearly-meeting1 and1 going to ,bed1 ,i 
got no ,sleep till my ,mind was wholly  
resigned therein2 and in the ,morning ,i
 enquired of a ,friend how long the     
,assembly were likely to continue       
sitting2 who told me1 they were expected

 to be prorogued that ,day or the next4 
,as ,i was desirous to attend the       
,business of the ,meeting1 and perceived
 the ,assembly were likely to depart    
before the ,business was over2 after    
considerable ,exercise1 humbly seeking  
to the ,lord for ,instruction1 my ,mind 
settled to attend on the ,business of   
the ,meeting2 on the last ,day of which1
 ,i had prepared a short ,essay of a    
,petition to be presented to the        
,legislature1 if ,way opened3 ,and being
 informed that there were some          
appointed1 by that ,yearly-meeting1 to  
speak with those in ,authority1 in      
,cases relating to the ,society1 ,i     
opened my ,mind to several of them1 and 
shewed them the ,essay ,i had made2 and 
afterward opened the ,case in the       
,meeting for ,business1 in ,substance as
 follows3  ,i have been under a ,concern
 for some ,time1 on ,account of the     
great ,number of ,slaves which are      
imported in this ,colony2 ,i am aware   
that it is a tender ,point to speak to1 

but apprehend ,i am not clear in the    
,sight of ,heaven without speaking to   
it4 ,i have prepared an ,essay of a     
,petition1 if ,way open1 to be presented
 to the ,legislature2 and what ,i have  
to propose to this ,meeting is1 that    
some ,friends may be named to withdraw  
and look over it1 and report whether    
they believe it suitable to be read in  
the ,meeting2 if they should think well 
of reading it1 it will remain for the   
,meeting1 after hearing it1 to consider1
 whether to take any farther ,notice of 
it at a ,meeting or not4 ,after a short 
,conference some ,friends went out1 and1
 looking over it1 expressed their       
,willingness to have it read2 which     
being done1 many expressed their ,unity 
with the ,proposal2 and some signified1 
that to have the ,subjects of the       
,petition enlarged upon1 and to be      
signed out of ,meeting by such as were  
free1 would be more suitable than to do 
it there3 ,though ,i expected1 at first1
 that if it was done it would be in that

 ,way2 yet1 such was the ,exercise of my
 ,mind1 that to move it in the hearing  
of ,friends1 when assembled1 appeared to
 me as a ,duty2 for my ,heart yearned   
toward the ,inhabitants of these ,parts2
 believing that by this ,trade there had
 been an ,increase of ,inquietude       
amongst them1 and a ,way made easy for  
the spreading of a ,spirit opposite to  
that ,meekness and ,humility1 which is a
 sure ,resting-place for the ,soul3 ,and
 that the ,continuance of this ,trade   
would not only render their ,healing    
more difficult1 but increase their      
,malady4  ,having thus far proceeded1 ,i
 felt easy to leave the ,essay among    
,friends1 for them to proceed in it as  
they believed best4 ,and now an         
,exercise revived on my ,mind in        
,relation to ,lotteries1 which were     
common in those ,parts3 ,i had once     
moved it in a former ,sitting of this   
,meeting1 when ,arguments were used in  
,favour of ,friends being held excused  
who were only concerned in such         

,lotteries as were agreeable to ,law3   
,and now1 on moving it again1 it was    
opposed as before2 but the ,hearts of   
some solid ,friends appeared to be      
united to discourage the ,practice      
amongst their ,members2 and the ,matter 
was zealously handled by some on both   
,sides4 ,in this ,debate it appeared    
very clear to me1 that the ,spirit of   
,lotteries was a ,spirit of             
,selfishness1 which tended to ,confusion
 and ,darkness of ,understanding2 and   
that pleading for it in our ,meetings1  
set apart for the ,lord's ,work1 was not
 right3 ,and1 in the ,heat of ,zeal1 ,i 
once made ,reply to what an ancient     
,friend said1 though when ,i sat down1  
,i saw that my ,words were not enough   
seasoned with ,charity2 and1 after this1
 ,i spake no more on the ,subject4 ,at  
length a ,minute was made2 a ,copy of   
which was agreed to be sent to their    
several ,quarterly-meetings1 inciting   
,friends to labour to discourage the    
,practice amongst all professing with   

us4  ,some ,time after this ,minute was 
made1 ,i1 remaining uneasy with the     
,manner of my speaking to the ancient   
,friend1 could not see my ,way clear to 
conceal my ,uneasiness1 but was         
concerned that ,i might say nothing to  
weaken the ,cause in which ,i had       
laboured2 and then1 after some close    
,exercise and hearty ,repentance1 for   
that ,i had not attended closely to the 
safe ,guide1 ,i stood up1 and reciting  
the ,passage1 acquainted ,friends1 that1
 though ,i durst not go from what ,i had
 said as to the ,matter1 yet ,i was     
uneasy with the ,manner of my speaking1 
as believing milder ,language would have
 been better4 ,as this was uttered in   
some ,degree of creaturely ,abasement1  
it appeared to have a good ,savour      
amongst us1 after a warm ,debate4  ,the 
,yearly-meeting being now over1 there   
yet remained on my ,mind a secret1      
though heavy1 ,exercise in regard to    
some leading active ,members about      
,newport1 being in the ,practice of     

,slave-keeping4 ,this ,i mentioned to   
two ancient ,friends1 who came out of   
the ,country1 and proposed to them1 if  
,way opened1 to have some ,conversation 
with those ,friends3 ,and1 thereupon1   
one of those ,country ,friends and ,i   
consulted one of the most noted ,elders 
who had ,slaves2 and he1 in a respectful
 ,manner1 encouraged me to proceed to   
clear myself of what lay upon me4 ,now  
,i had1 near the ,beginning of the      
,yearly-meeting1 a private ,conference  
with this said ,elder and his ,wife     
concerning theirs2 so that the ,way     
seemed clear to me to advise with him   
about the ,manner of proceeding3 ,i told
 him1 ,i was free to have a ,conference 
with them all together in a private     
,house2 or1 if he thought they would    
take it unkind to be asked to come      
together1 and to be spoke with one in   
the hearing of another1 ,i was free to  
spend some ,time among them1 and visit  
them all in their own ,houses3 ,he      
expressed his ,liking to the first      

,proposal1 not doubting their           
,willingness to come together3 ,and1 as 
,i proposed a ,visit to only ,ministers1
 ,elders1 and ,overseers1 he named some 
others1 who he desired might be present 
also3 ,and1 as a careful ,messenger was 
wanted to acquaint them in a proper     
,manner1 he offered to go to all their  
,houses to open the ,matter to them2 and
 did so4 ,about the eighth ,hour1 the   
next ,morning1 we met in the            
,meeting-house ,chamber1 and the        
last-mentioned ,country ,friend1 also my
 ,companion1 and ,,john ,,storer1 with  
us2 when1 after a short ,time of        
,retirement1 ,i acquainted them with the
 ,steps ,i had taken in procuring that  
,meeting1 and opened the ,concern ,i was
 under2 and so we proceeded to a free   
,conference upon the ,subject4 ,my      
,exercise was heavy1 and ,i was deeply  
bowed in ,spirit before the ,lord1 who  
was pleased to favour us with the       
seasoning ,virtue of ,truth1 which      
wrought a ,tenderness amongst us2 and   

the ,subject was mutually handled in a  
calm and peaceable ,spirit3 ,and1 at    
length1 feeling my ,mind released from  
that ,burthen which ,i had been under1  
,i took my ,leave of them1 in a good    
,degree of ,satisfaction2 and1 by the   
,tenderness they manifested in ,regard  
to the ,practice1 and the ,concern      
several of them expressed in ,relation  
to the ,manner of disposing of their    
,negroes after their ,decease1 ,i       
believed that a good ,exercise was      
spreading amongst them2 and ,i am humbly
 thankful to ,god1 who supported my     
,mind1 and preserved me in a good       
,degree of ,resignation through these   
,trials4  ,thou1 who sometimes          
travellest in the ,work of the          
,ministry1 art made very welcome by thy 
,friends1 and seest many ,tokens of     
their ,satisfaction1 in having thee for 
their ,guest1 it is good for thee to    
dwell deep1 that thou mayst feel and    
understand the ,spirits of ,people3 ,if 
we believe ,truth points towards a      

,conference on some ,subjects1 in a     
private ,way1 it is needful for us to   
take heed that their ,kindness1 their   
,freedom1 and ,affability1 do not hinder
 us from the ,lord's ,work4 ,i have seen
 that1 in the midst of ,kindness and    
smooth ,conduct1 to speak close and home
 to them who entertain us1 on ,points   
that relate to their outward ,interest1 
is hard ,labour2 and sometimes1 when ,i 
have felt ,truth lead toward it1 ,i have
 found myself disqualified by a         
superficial ,friendship2 and as the     
,sense thereof hath abased me1 and my   
,cries have been to the ,lord1 so ,i    
have been humbled and made content to   
appear weak1 or as a ,fool for his      
,sake2 and thus a ,door hath opened to  
enter upon it4 ,to attempt to do the    
,lord's ,work in our own ,way1 and to   
speak of that which is the ,burthen of  
the ,word in a ,way easy to the natural 
,part1 doth not reach the ,bottom of the
 ,disorder4 ,to see the ,failings of our
 ,friends and think hard of them1       

without opening that which we ought to  
open1 and still carry a ,face of        
,friendship2 this tends to undermine the
 ,foundation of true ,unity4  ,the      
,office of a ,minister of ,christ is    
weighty2 and they1 who go forth as      
,watchmen1 had need to be steadily on   
their ,guard against the ,snares of     
,prosperity and an outside ,friendship4 
,after the ,yearly-meeting1 we were at  
,meetings at ,new-,town1 ,cushnet1      
,long-,plain1 ,rochester1 and           
,dartmouth3 ,from thence we sailed for  
,nantucket1 in ,company with ,,ann      
,,gaunt and ,,mercy ,,redman1 and       
several other ,friends3 ,the ,wind being
 slack1 we only reached                 
,tarpawling-,cove the first ,day2 where1
 going on ,shore1 we found ,room in a   
,publick-house1 and ,beds for a few of  
us1 the rest sleeping on the ,floor3 ,we
 went on board again about ,break of    
,day2 and1 though the ,wind was small1  
we were favoured to come within about   
four ,miles of ,nantucket2 and then1    

about ten of us getting into our ,boat1 
we rowed to the ,harbour before dark2   
whereupon a large ,boat1 going off1     
brought in the rest of the ,passengers  
about ,midnight3 ,the next ,day but one 
was their ,yearly-meeting1 which held   
four ,days2 the last of which was their 
,monthly-meeting for ,business4 ,we had 
a laborious ,time amongst them3 ,our    
,minds were closely exercised1 and ,i   
believe it was a ,time of great         
,searching of ,heart3 ,the longer ,i was
 on the ,island1 the more ,i became     
sensible that there was a considerable  
,number of valuable ,friends there1     
though an evil ,spirit1 tending to      
,strife1 had been at ,work amongst them3
 ,i was cautious of making any ,visits1 
but as my ,mind was particularly drawn  
to them2 and in that ,way we had some   
,sittings in ,friends ,houses1 where the
 heavenly ,wing was1 at ,times1 spread  
over us1 to our mutual ,comfort4  ,my   
beloved ,companion had very acceptable  
,service on this ,island4  ,when        

,meeting was over1 we all agreed to sail
 the next ,day1 if the ,weather was     
suitable and we well2 and1 being called 
up the latter ,part of the ,night1 we   
went on board a ,vessel1 being in all   
about fifty2 but1 the ,wind changing1   
the ,seamen thought best to stay in the 
,harbour till it altered2 so we returned
 on ,shore2 and1 feeling clear as to any
 farther ,visits1 ,i spent my ,time in  
our ,chamber chiefly alone2 and1 after  
some ,hours1 my ,heart being filled with
 the ,spirit of ,supplication1 my       
,prayers and ,tears were poured out1    
before my heavenly ,father1 for his     
,help and ,instruction in the manifold  
,difficulties which attended me in      
,life3 ,and1 while ,i was waiting upon  
the ,lord1 there came a ,messenger from 
the ,women ,friends1 who lodged at      
another ,house1 desiring to confer with 
us about appointing a ,meeting1 which to
 me appeared weighty1 as we had been at 
so many before2 but1 after a short      
,conference1 and advising with some     

elderly ,friends1 a ,meeting was        
appointed1 in which the ,friend1 who    
first moved it1 and who had been much   
shut up before1 was largely opened in   
the ,love of the ,gospel3 ,and the next 
,morning1 about ,break of ,day1 going   
again on board the ,vessel1 we reached  
,falmouth on the ,main before ,night2   
where our ,horses being brought1 we     
proceeded toward ,sandwich              
,quarterly-meeting4  ,being two ,days in
 going to ,nantucket1 and having been   
there once before1 ,i observed many     
,shoals in their ,bay1 which make       
,sailing more dangerous1 especially in  
stormy ,nights2 also1 that a great      
,shoal1 which encloses their ,harbour1  
prevents their going in with ,sloops1   
except when the ,tide is up2 waiting    
without which1 for the ,rising of the   
,tide1 is sometimes hazardous in        
,storms2 waiting within1 they sometimes 
miss a fair ,wind4 ,i took ,notice1 that
 on that small ,island was a great      
,number of ,inhabitants1 and the ,soil  

not very fertile2 the ,timber so gone1  
that for ,vessels1 ,fences1 and         
,firewood1 they depend chiefly on the   
buying from the ,main2 the ,cost        
whereof1 with most of their other       
,expences1 they depend principally upon 
the ,whale-fishery to answer4 ,i        
considered1 that as ,towns grew larger1 
and ,lands near navigable ,waters more  
cleared1 ,timber and ,wood require more 
,labour to get it3 ,i understood that   
the ,whales being much hunted1 and      
sometimes wounded and not killed1 grew  
more shy and difficult to come at3 ,i   
considered that the ,formation of the   
,earth1 the ,seas1 the ,islands1 ,bays1 
and ,rivers1 the ,motions of the ,winds 
and great ,waters1 which cause ,bars and
 ,shoals in particular ,places1 were all
 the ,works of him who is perfect       
,wisdom and ,goodness2 and1 as ,people  
attend to his heavenly ,instruction1 and
 put their ,trust in him1 he provides   
for them in all ,parts where he gives   
them a ,being4 ,and as1 in this ,visit  

to these ,people1 ,i felt a strong      
,desire for their firm ,establishment on
 the sure ,foundation1 besides what was 
said more publickly1 ,i was concerned to
 speak with the ,women ,friends1 in     
their ,monthly-meeting of ,business1    
many being present2 and1 in the fresh   
,spring of pure ,love1 to open before   
them the ,advantage1 both inward and    
outward1 of attending singly to the     
,guidance of the ,holy ,spirit1 and     
therein to educate their ,children in   
true ,humility1 and the ,disuse of all  
,superfluities1 reminding them of the   
,difficulties their ,husbands and ,sons 
were frequently exposed to at ,sea2 and 
that1 the more plain and simple their   
,way of ,living was1 the less ,need of  
running great ,hazards to support them  
in it2 encouraging the young ,women in  
their neat decent ,way of attending     
themselves on the ,affairs of the       
,house2 shewing1 as the ,way opened1    
that1 where ,people were truly humble1  
used themselves to ,business1 and were  

content with a plain ,way of ,life1 it  
had ever been attended with more true   
,peace and ,calmness of ,mind1 than they
 have had who1 aspiring to ,greatness   
and outward ,shew1 have grasped hard for
 an ,income to support themselves in it3
 ,and1 as ,i observed they had few or no
 ,slaves amongst them1 ,i had to        
encourage them to be content without    
them2 making mention of the numerous    
,troubles and ,vexations which          
frequently attend the ,minds of ,people 
who depend on ,slaves to do their       
,labour4  ,we attended the              
,quarterly-meeting at ,sandwich1 in     
,company with ,,ann ,,gaunt and ,,mercy 
,,redman1 which was preceded by a       
,monthly-meeting2 and in the whole held 
three ,days3 ,we were various ,ways     
exercised amongst them1 in ,gospel-love1
 according to the several ,gifts        
bestowed on us2 and were1 at ,times1    
overshadowed with the ,virtue of ,truth1
 to the ,comfort of the ,sincere1 and   
stirring up of the ,negligent4 ,here we 

parted with ,,ann and ,,mercy1 and went 
to ,rhode-,island1 taking one ,meeting  
in our ,way1 which was a satisfactory   
,time2 and1 reaching ,newport the       
,evening before their                   
,quarterly-meeting1 we attended it2 and1
 after that1 had a ,meeting with our    
young ,people1 separated from those of  
other ,societies4 ,we went through much 
,labour in this ,town2 and now1 in      
taking ,leave of it1 though ,i felt     
close inward ,exercise to the last1 ,i  
found inward ,peace2 and was1 in some   
,degree1 comforted1 in a ,belief1 that a
 good ,number remain in that ,place1 who
 retain a ,sense of ,truth2 and that    
there are some young ,people attentive  
to the ,voice of the heavenly ,shepherd4
 ,the last ,meeting1 in which ,friends  
from the several ,parts of the ,quarter 
came together1 was a select ,meeting2   
and1 through the renewed ,manifestation 
of the ,father's ,love1 the ,hearts of  
the ,sincere were united together4      
,that ,poverty of ,spirit1 and inward   

,weakness1 with which ,i was much tried 
the fore ,part of this ,journey1 have of
 late appeared to me as a ,dispensation 
of ,kindness4 ,appointing ,meetings     
never appeared more weighty to me2 and  
,i was led into a deep ,search1 whether 
in all ,things my ,mind was resigned to 
the ,will of ,god2 often querying with  
myself1 what should be the ,cause of    
such inward ,poverty2 and greatly       
desired1 that no secret ,reserve in my  
,heart might hinder my ,access to the   
divine ,fountain4 ,in these humbling    
,times ,i was made watchful1 and excited
 to attend the secret ,movings of the   
heavenly ,principle in my ,mind1 which  
prepared the ,way to some ,duties1 that 
in more easy and prosperous ,times1 as  
to the ,outward1 ,i believe ,i should   
have been in danger of omitting4  ,from 
,newport we went to ,greenwich1         
,shanticut1 and ,warwick2 and were      
helped to labour amongst ,friends in the
 ,love of our gracious ,redeemer3 ,and  
then1 accompanied by our ,friend1 ,,john

 ,,casey1 from ,newport1 we rode through
 ,connecticut to ,oblong1 visited the   
,meetings of ,friends in those ,parts1  
and thence proceeded to the             
,quarterly-meeting at ,ryewoods2 and1   
through the gracious ,extendings of     
divine ,help1 had some seasoning        
,opportunities in those ,places3 ,so we 
visited ,friends at ,new ,york and      
,flushing2 and thence to ,rahaway3 ,and 
here1 our ,roads parting1 ,i took ,leave
 of my beloved ,companion1 and true     
,yoke-mate1 ,,samuel ,,eastburn2 and    
reached ,home on the tenth ,day of the  
eighth ,month1 #agfj1 where ,i found my 
,family well3 ,and1 for the ,favours and
 ,protection of the ,lord1 both inward  
and outward1 extended to me in this     
,journey1 my ,heart is humbled in       
grateful ,acknowledgments2 and ,i find  
renewed ,desires to dwell and walk in   
,resignedness before him4   ,,chapter   
,,viii      ,his ,visits to             
,pennsylvania1 ,shrewsbury1 and         
,squan--,his     publishing the second  

,part of ,considerations on keeping     
,negroes--,his visiting the ,families of
 ,friends of ,ancocas and               
,mount-,holly ,meetings--,his ,visits to
 the ,indians at ,wehaloosing     on the
 ,river ,susquehannah  ,having felt my  
,mind drawn toward a ,visit to a few    
,meetings in ,pennsylvania1 ,i was very 
desirous to be rightly instructed as to 
the ,time of setting off3 ,and1 on the  
tenth ,day of the fifth ,month1 #agfa1  
being the first ,day of the ,week1 ,i   
went to ,haddonfield ,meeting1          
concluding to seek for heavenly         
,instruction1 and come ,home1 or go on1 
as ,i might then believe best for me2   
and there1 through the springing up of  
pure ,love1 ,i felt ,encouragement1 and 
so crossed the ,river4 ,in this ,visit  
,i was at two ,quarterly and three      
,monthly-meetings2 and1 in the ,love of 
,truth1 felt my ,way open to labour with
 some noted ,friends1 who kept ,negroes3
 ,and1 as ,i was favoured to keep to the
 ,root1 and endeavoured to discharge    

what ,i believed was required of me1 ,i 
found inward ,peace therein1 from ,time 
to ,time1 and ,thankfulness of ,heart to
 the ,lord1 who was graciously pleased  
to be a ,guide to me4  ,in the eighth   
,month1 #agfa1 having felt ,drawings in 
my ,mind to visit ,friends in and about 
,shrewsbury1 ,i went there1 and was at  
their ,monthly-meeting1 and their       
,first-day-meeting2 and had a ,meeting  
at ,squan1 and another at ,squankum2    
and1 as ,way opened1 had ,conversation  
with some noted ,friends concerning     
their ,slaves3 ,and ,i returned ,home in
 a thankful ,sense of the ,goodness of  
the ,lord4  ,from the ,care ,i felt     
growing in me some ,years1 ,i wrote     
,considerations on keeping ,negroes1    
,part the ,second2 which was printed    
this ,year1 #agfb4 ,when the ,overseers 
of the ,press had done with it1 they    
offered to get a ,number printed1 to be 
paid for out of the ,yearly-meeting     
,stock1 and to be given away2 but ,i    
being most easy to publish them at my   

own ,expence1 and1 offering my ,reasons1
 they appeared satisfied4  ,this ,stock 
is the ,contribution of the ,members of 
our religious ,society in general2      
amongst whom are some who keep ,negroes2
 and1 being inclined to continue them in
 ,slavery1 are not likely to be         
satisfied with those ,books being spread
 amongst a ,people where many of the    
,slaves are taught to read1 and         
especially not at their ,expence2 and   
such often1 receiving them as a ,gift1  
conceal them3 ,but as they1 who make a  
,purchase1 generally buy that which they
 have a ,mind for1 ,i believe it best to
 sell them2 expecting1 by that ,means1  
they would more generally be read with  
,attention4 ,advertisements being signed
 by ,order of the ,overseers of the     
,press1 directed to be read in          
,monthly-meetings of ,business within   
our own ,yearly-meeting1 informing where
 the ,books were1 and that the ,price   
was no more than the ,cost of printing  
and binding them1 many were taken off in

 our ,parts2 some ,i sent to ,virginia1 
some to ,new-,york1 and some to         
,newport1 to my ,acquaintance there2 and
 some ,i kept1 expecting to give ,part  
of them away1 where there appeared a    
,prospect of ,service4  ,in my ,youth ,i
 was used to hard ,labour2 and1 though  
,i was middling healthy1 yet my ,nature 
was not fitted to endure so much as many
 others3 ,so that1 being often weary1 ,i
 was prepared to sympathize with those  
whose ,circumstances in ,life1 as free  
,men1 required constant ,labour to      
answer the ,demands of their ,creditors1
 and with others under ,oppression4 ,in 
the ,uneasiness of ,body1 which ,i have 
many ,times felt by too much ,labour1   
not as a forced but as a voluntary      
,oppression1 ,i have often been excited 
to think on the original ,cause of that 
,oppression1 which is imposed on many in
 the ,world3 ,and1 the latter ,part of  
the ,time wherein ,i laboured on our    
,plantation1 my ,heart1 through the     
fresh ,visitations of heavenly ,love1   

being often tender1 and my leisure ,time
 frequently spent in reading the ,life  
and ,doctrines of our blessed ,redeemer1
 the ,account of the ,sufferings of     
,martyrs1 and the ,history of the first 
,rise of our ,society1 a ,belief was    
gradually settled in my ,mind1 that if  
such1 as had great ,estates1 generally  
lived in that ,humility and ,plainness  
which belongs to a ,christian ,life1 and
 laid much easier ,rents and ,interests 
on their ,lands and ,monies1 and thus   
led the ,way to a right ,use of ,things1
 so great a ,number of ,people might be 
employed in ,things useful1 that        
,labour1 both for ,men and other        
,creatures1 would need to be no more    
than an agreeable ,employ2 and divers   
,branches of ,business1 which serve     
chiefly to please the natural           
,inclinations of our ,minds1 and which1 
at present1 seem necessary to circulate 
that ,wealth which some gather1 might1  
in this ,way of pure ,wisdom1 be        
discontinued4 ,and1 as ,i have thus     

considered these ,things1 a ,query1 at  
,times1 hath arisen3 ,do ,i1 in all my  
,proceedings1 keep to that ,use of      
,things which is agreeable to universal 
,righteousness8 ,and then there hath    
some ,degree of ,sadness1 at ,times1    
come over me1 for that ,i accustomed    
myself to some ,things1 which occasioned
 more ,labour than ,i believe divine    
,wisdom intends for us4  ,from my early 
,acquaintance with ,truth ,i have often 
felt an inward ,distress1 occasioned by 
the striving of a ,spirit in me against 
the ,operation of the heavenly          
,principle2 and in this ,circumstance   
have been affected with a ,sense of my  
own ,wretchedness1 and in a mourning    
,condition felt earnest ,longing for    
that divine ,help1 which brings the     
,soul into true ,liberty2 and sometimes1
 in this ,state1 retiring into private  
,places1 the ,spirit of ,supplication   
hath been given me2 and1 under a        
heavenly ,covering1 ,i have asked my    
gracious ,father to give me a ,heart in 

all ,things resigned to the ,direction  
of his ,wisdom4  ,in visiting ,people of
 ,note in the ,society who had ,slaves1 
and labouring with them in brotherly    
,love on that ,account1 ,i have seen1   
and the ,sight hath affected me1 that a 
,conformity to some ,customs1           
distinguishable from pure ,wisdom1 has  
entangled many2 and the ,desire of      
,gain1 to support these ,customs1       
greatly opposed the ,work of ,truth3    
,and sometimes1 when the ,prospect of   
the ,work before me has been such1 that 
in ,bowedness of ,spirit1 ,i have been  
drawn into retired ,places1 and besought
 the ,lord with ,tears that he would    
take me wholly under his ,direction1 and
 shew me the ,way in which ,i ought to  
walk1 it hath revived1 with ,strength of
 ,conviction1 that1 if ,i would be his  
faithful ,servant1 ,i must1 in all      
,things1 attend to his ,wisdom1 and be  
teachable2 and so cease from all        
,customs contrary thereto1 however used 
amongst religious ,people4  ,as he is   

the ,perfection of ,power1 of ,wisdom1  
and of ,goodness1 so1 ,i believe1 he    
hath provided1 that so much ,labour     
shall be necessary for ,men's ,support1 
in this ,world1 as would1 being rightly 
divided1 be a suitable ,employment of   
their ,time2 and that we cannot go into 
,superfluities1 or grasp after ,wealth  
in a ,way contrary to his ,wisdom1      
without having ,connection with some    
,degree of ,oppression1 and with that   
,spirit which leads to ,self-exaltation 
and ,strife1 and which frequently brings
 ,calamities on ,countries1 by ,parties 
contending about their ,claims4  ,in the
 eleventh ,month of the ,year #agfb1    
feeling an ,engagement of ,mind to visit
 some ,families in ,mansfield4 ,i joined
 my beloved ,friend1 ,,benjamin ,,jones1
 and we spent a few ,days together in   
that ,service4 ,in the second ,month1   
#agfc1 ,i joined in ,company with       
,,elizabeth ,,smith and ,,mary ,,noble  
on a ,visit to the ,families of ,friends
 at ,ancocas2 in both which ,visits1    

through the baptizing ,power of ,truth1 
the sincere ,labourers were often       
comforted1 and the ,hearts of ,friends  
opened to receive us4 ,and1 in the      
fourth ,month following1 ,i accompanied 
some ,friends in a ,visit to the        
,families of ,friends in ,mount-,holly1 
in which my ,mind was often drawn into  
an inward ,awfulness1 wherein strong    
,desires were raised for the everlasting
 ,welfare of my ,fellow-creatures2 and1 
through the ,kindness of our heavenly   
,father1 our ,hearts were1 at ,times1   
enlarged1 and ,friends invited1 in the  
,flowings of divine ,love1 to attend to 
that which would settle them on the sure
 ,foundation4  ,having many ,years felt 
,love in my ,heart towards the ,natives 
of this ,land1 who dwell far back in the
 ,wilderness1 whose ,ancestors were the 
,owners and ,possessors of the ,land    
where we dwell2 and who1 for a very     
small ,consideration1 assigned their    
,inheritance to us2 and1 being at       
,philadelphia1 in the eighth ,month1    

#agfa1 in a ,visit to some ,friends who 
had ,slaves1 ,i fell in ,company with   
some of those ,natives who lived on the 
,east ,branch of the ,river             
,susquehannah1 at an ,indian ,town      
called ,wehaloosing1 two hundred ,miles 
from ,philadelphia1 and1 in             
,conversation with them by an           
,interpreter1 as also by ,observations  
on their ,countenances and ,conduct1 ,i 
believed some of them were measurably   
acquainted with that divine ,power which
 subjects the rough and forward ,will of
 the ,creature3 ,and1 at ,times1 ,i felt
 inward ,drawings toward a ,visit to    
that ,place1 of which ,i told none      
except my dear ,wife1 until it came to  
some ,ripeness2 and1 then1 in the       
,winter1 #agfb1 ,i laid it before       
,friends at our ,monthly and ,quarterly1
 and afterwards at our general          
,spring-meeting2 and1 having the ,unity 
of ,friends1 and being thoughtful about 
an ,indian ,pilot1 there came a ,man and
 three ,women from a little beyond that 

,town to ,philadelphia on ,business3    
,and ,i1 being informed thereof by      
,letter1 met them in ,town in the fifth 
,month1 #agfc2 and1 after some          
,conversation1 finding they were sober  
,people1 ,i1 by the ,concurrence of     
,friends in that ,place1 agreed to join 
with them as ,companions in their       
,return2 and1 on the seventh ,day of the
 sixth ,month following1 we appointed to
 meet at ,,samuel ,,foulk',s1 at        
,richland in ,bucks ,county4 ,now1 as   
this ,visit felt weighty1 and was       
performed at a ,time when ,travelling   
appeared perilous1 so the ,dispensations
 of divine ,providence1 in preparing my 
,mind for it1 have been memorable2 and  
,i believe it good for me to give some  
,hints thereof4  ,after ,i had given up 
to go1 the ,thoughts of the ,journey    
were often attended with unusual        
,sadness2 in which ,times my ,heart was 
frequently turned to the ,lord with     
inward ,breathings for his heavenly     
,support1 that ,i might not fail to     

follow him wheresoever he might lead me3
 ,and1 being at our ,youths ,meeting at 
,chesterfield1 about a ,week before the 
,time ,i expected to set off1 ,i was    
there led to speak on that ,prayer of   
our ,redeemer to his ,father3 ,i pray   
not that thou shouldest take them out of
 the ,world1 but that thou shouldest    
keep them from the ,evil4 ,and1 in      
attending to the pure ,openings of      
,truth1 ,i had to mention what he       
elsewhere said to his ,father2 ,i know  
that thou hearest me at all ,times3 ,so 
that1 as some of his ,followers kept    
their ,places1 and as his ,prayer was   
granted1 it followed necessarily that   
they were kept from ,evil3 ,and1 as some
 of those met with great ,hardships and 
,afflictions in this ,world1 and at last
 suffered ,death by cruel ,men1 it      
appears1 that whatsoever befals ,men    
while they live in pure ,obedience to   
,god1 as it certainly works for their   
,good1 so it may not be considered an   
,evil as if relates to them4 ,as ,i     

spake on this ,subject1 my ,heart was   
much tendered1 and great ,awfulness came
 over me2 and then1 on the first ,day of
 the next ,week1 being at our own       
,afternoon-meeting1 and my ,heart being 
enlarged in ,love1 ,i was led to speak  
on the ,care and ,protection of the     
,lord over his ,people1 and to make     
mention of that ,passage1 where a ,band 
of ,assyrians endeavouring to take      
captive the ,prophet1 were disappointed2
 and how the ,psalmist said1 ,the ,angel
 of the ,lord encampeth round about them
 that fear him4 ,and thus1 in true ,love
 and ,tenderness1 ,i parted from        
,friends1 expecting the next ,morning1  
to proceed on my ,journey1 and1 being   
weary1 went early to ,bed2 and1 after ,i
 had been asleep a short ,time1 ,i was  
awaked by a ,man calling at my ,door2   
and1 arising1 was invited to meet some  
,friends at a ,publick-house in our     
,town1 who came from ,philadelphia so   
late1 that ,friends were generally gone 
to ,bed3 ,these ,friends informed me1   

that an ,express arrived the last       
,morning from ,pittsburgh1 and brought  
,news that the ,indians had taken a     
,fort from the ,english ,westward1 and  
slain and scalped ,english ,people in   
divers ,places1 some near the said      
,pittsburgh2 and that some elderly      
,friends in ,philadelphia1 knowing the  
,time of my expecting to set off1 had   
conferred together1 and thought good to 
inform me of these ,things1 before ,i   
left ,home1 that ,i might consider them1
 and proceed as ,i believed best2 so ,i1
 going again to ,bed1 told not my ,wife 
till ,morning4 ,my ,heart was turned to 
the ,lord for his heavenly ,instruction2
 and it was an humbling ,time to me4    
,when ,i told my dear ,wife1 she        
appeared to be deeply concerned about   
it2 but1 in a few ,hours ,time1 my ,mind
 became settled in a ,belief1 that it   
was my ,duty to proceed on my ,journey2 
and she bore it with a good ,degree of  
,resignation4 ,in this ,conflict of     
,spirit1 there were great ,searchings of

 ,heart1 and strong ,cries to the ,lord1
 that no ,motion might be1 in the least 
,degree1 attended to1 but that of the   
pure ,spirit of ,truth4  ,the ,subjects 
before-mentioned1 on which ,i had so    
lately spoken in publick1 were now very 
fresh before me2 and ,i was brought     
inwardly to commit myself to the ,lord1 
to be disposed of as he saw best4 ,so ,i
 took ,leave of my ,family and          
,neighbours1 in much ,bowedness of      
,spirit1 and went to our                
,monthly-meeting at ,burlington2 and1   
after taking ,leave of ,friends there1  
,i crossed the ,river1 accompanied by my
 ,friends1 ,,israel and ,,john          
,,pemberton2 and1 parting the next      
,morning with ,,israel1 ,,john bore me  
,company to ,,samuel ,,foulk',s1 where  
,i met the before-mentioned ,indians1   
and we were glad to see each other3     
,here my ,friend1 ,,benjamin ,,parvin1  
met me1 and proposed joining as a       
,companion1 we having passed some       
,letters before on the ,subject2 and    

now1 on his ,account1 ,i had a sharp    
,trial2 for1 as the ,journey appeared   
perilous1 ,i thought1 if he went chiefly
 to bear me ,company1 and we should be  
taken ,captive1 my having been the      
,means of drawing him into these        
,difficulties would add to my own       
,afflictions3 ,so ,i told him my ,mind  
freely1 and let him know that ,i was    
resigned to go alone2 but1 after all1 if
 he really believed it to be his ,duty  
to go on1 ,i believed his ,company would
 be very comfortable to me3 ,it was     
indeed a ,time of deep ,exercise1 and   
,,benjamin appeared to be so fastened to
 the ,visit1 that he could not be easy  
to leave me2 so we went on1 accompanied 
by our ,friends1 ,,john ,,pemberton1 and
 ,,william ,,lightfoot of ,pikeland1 and
 lodged at ,bethlehem2 and there1       
parting with ,,john1 ,,william and we   
went forward on the ninth ,day of the   
sixth ,month1 and got ,lodging on the   
,floor of a ,house1 about five ,miles   
from ,fort-,allen3 ,here we parted with 

,,william2 and at this ,place we met    
with an ,indian ,trader1 lately come    
from ,wioming2 and1 in ,conversation    
with him1 ,i perceived that many white  
,people do often sell ,rum to the       
,indians1 which1 ,i believe1 is a great 
,evil2 first1 they being thereby        
deprived of the ,use of their ,reason1  
and their ,spirits violently agitated1  
,quarrels often arise1 which end in     
,mischief2 and the ,bitterness and      
,resentments1 occasioned hereby1 are    
frequently of long ,continuance2 ,again1
 their ,skins and ,furs1 gotten through 
much ,fatigue and hard ,travels in      
,hunting1 with which they intended to   
buy ,clothing1 when they become         
intoxicated1 they often sell at a low   
,rate for more ,rum2 and afterward1 when
 they suffer for want of the            
,necessaries of ,life1 are angry with   
those who1 for the ,sake of ,gain1 took 
the ,advantage of their ,weakness3 ,of  
this their ,chiefs have often           
complained1 at their ,treaties with the 

,english4 ,where cunning ,people pass   
,counterfeits1 and impose that on others
 which is good for nothing1 it is       
considered as a ,wickedness2 but1 to    
sell that to ,people which we know does 
them ,harm1 and which often works their 
,ruin1 for the ,sake of ,gain1 manifests
 a hardened and corrupt ,heart1 and is  
an ,evil1 which demands the ,care of all
 true ,lovers of ,virtue to suppress3   
,and while my ,mind1 this ,evening1 was 
thus employed1 ,i also remembered1 that 
the ,people on the ,frontiers1 among    
whom this ,evil is too common1 are often
 poor2 who venture to the ,outside of a 
,colony1 that they may live more        
independent on such as are wealthy1 who 
often set high ,rents on their ,land3   
,being renewedly confirmed in a ,belief1
 that1 if all our ,inhabitants lived    
according to sound ,wisdom1 labouring to
 promote universal ,love and            
,righteousness1 and ceased from every   
inordinate ,desire after ,wealth1 and   
from all ,customs which are tinctured   

with ,luxury1 the ,way would be easy for
 our ,inhabitants1 though much more     
numerous than at present1 to live       
comfortably on honest ,employments1     
without having that ,temptation they are
 often under of being drawn into        
,schemes to make ,settlements on ,lands 
which have not been purchased of the    
,indians1 or of applying to that wicked 
,practice of selling ,rum to them4  ,on 
the tenth ,day of the ,month we set out 
early in the ,morning1 and crossed the  
,western ,branch of ,delaware1 called   
the ,great ,lehie1 near ,fort-,allen2   
the ,water being high1 we went over in a
 ,canoe3 ,here we met an ,indian1 and   
had some friendly ,conversation with    
him1 and gave him some ,biscuit2 and he 
having killed a ,deer1 gave the ,indians
 with us some of it3 ,then1 after       
travelling some ,miles1 we met several  
,indian ,men and ,women with a ,cow and 
,horse1 and some ,household ,goods1 who 
were lately come from their ,dwelling at
 ,wioming1 and going to settle at       

another ,place2 we made them some small 
,presents1 and1 some of them            
understanding ,english1 ,i told them my 
,motive in coming into their ,country1  
with which they appeared satisfied3     
,and1 one of our ,guides talking a      
,while with an ancient ,woman concerning
 us1 the poor old ,woman came to my     
,companion and me1 and took her ,leave  
of us with an ,appearance of sincere    
,affection4 ,so1 going on1 we pitched   
our ,tent near the ,banks of the same   
,river1 having laboured hard in crossing
 some of those ,mountains called the    
,blue-,ridge2 and1 by the ,roughness of 
the ,stones1 and the ,cavities between  
them1 and the ,steepness of the ,hills1 
it appeared dangerous2 but we were      
preserved in ,safety1 through the       
,kindness of him1 whose ,works in those 
mountainous ,desarts appeared awful3    
,toward whom my ,heart was turned during
 this ,day's ,travel4  ,near our ,tent1 
on the ,sides of large ,trees peeled for
 that ,purpose1 were various            

,representations of ,men going to1 and  
returning from the ,wars1 and of some   
killed in ,battle2 this being a ,path   
heretofore used by ,warriours3 ,and1 as 
,i walked about viewing those ,indian   
,histories1 which were painted mostly in
 red1 but some in black2 and thinking on
 the innumerable ,afflictions which the 
proud1 fierce1 ,spirit produceth in the 
,world2 thinking on the ,toils and      
,fatigues of ,warriours1 travelling over
 ,mountains and ,desarts2 thinking on   
their ,miseries and ,distresses when    
wounded far from ,home by their         
,enemies2 and of their ,bruises and     
great ,weariness in chasing one another 
over the ,rocks and ,mountains2 and of  
their restless1 unquiet1 ,state of      
,mind1 who live in this ,spirit2 and of 
the ,hatred which mutually grows up in  
the ,minds of the ,children of those    
,nations engaged in ,war with each      
other3 ,during these ,meditations1 the  
,desire to cherish the ,spirit of ,love 
and ,peace amongst these ,people arose  

very fresh in me4 ,this was the first   
,night that we lodged in the ,woods2    
and1 being wet with travelling in the   
,rain1 the ,ground1 our ,tent1 and the  
,bushes1 which we proposed to lay under 
our ,blankets1 being also wet1 all      
looked discouraging2 but ,i believed1   
that it was the ,lord who had thus far  
brought me forward1 and that he would   
dispose of me as he saw good2 and       
therein ,i felt easy3 ,so we kindled a  
,fire1 with our ,tent open to it2 and1  
with some ,bushes next the ,ground1 and 
then our ,blankets1 we made our ,bed1   
and1 lying down1 got some ,sleep2 and1  
in the ,morning1 feeling a little       
unwell1 ,i went into the ,river2 the    
,water was cold1 but soon after ,i felt 
fresh and well4  ,the eleventh ,day of  
the sixth ,month1 the ,bushes being wet1
 we tarried in our ,tent till about     
eight o',clock2 when1 going on1 we      
crossed a high ,mountain supposed to be 
upwards of four ,miles over2 the        
,steepness on the ,north ,side exceeding

 all the others4 ,we also crossed two   
,swamps1 and1 it raining near ,night1 we
 pitched our ,tent and lodged4  ,about  
,noon1 on our ,way1 we were overtaken by
 one of the ,moravian ,brethren1 going  
to ,wehaloosing1 and an ,indian ,man    
with him1 who could talk ,english2 and  
we1 being together while our ,horses ate
 ,grass1 had some friendly              
,conversation2 but they1 travelling     
faster than we1 soon left us4 ,this     
,moravian1 ,i understood1 had spent some
 ,time this ,spring at ,wehaloosing1 and
 was1 by some of the ,indians1 invited  
to come again4  ,the twelfth ,day of the
 sixth ,month1 and first of the ,week1  
it being a rainy ,day1 we continued in  
our ,tent2 and here ,i was led to think 
on the ,nature of the ,exercise which   
hath attended me3 ,love was the first   
,motion1 and thence a ,concern arose to 
spend some ,time with the ,indians1 that
 ,i might feel and understand their     
,life1 and the ,spirit they live in1 if 
haply ,i might receive some ,instruction

 from them1 or they be in any ,degree   
helped forward by my following the      
,leadings of ,truth amongst them3 ,and1 
as it pleased the ,lord to make ,way for
 my going at a ,time when the ,troubles 
of ,war were increasing1 and when1 by   
,reason of much wet ,weather1           
,travelling was more difficult than     
usual at that ,season1 ,i looked upon it
 as a more favourable ,opportunity to   
season my ,mind1 and bring me into a    
nearer ,sympathy with them3 ,and1 as    
mine ,eye was to the great ,father of   
,mercies1 humbly desiring to learn what 
his ,will was concerning me1 ,i was made
 quiet and content4  ,our ,guide's      
,horse1 though hoppled1 went away in the
 ,night2 after finding our own1 and     
searching some ,time for him1 his       
,footsteps were discovered in the ,path 
going back again1 whereupon my kind     
,companion went off in the ,rain1 and1  
about seven ,hours after1 returned with 
him3 ,and here we lodged again2 tying up
 our ,horses before we went to ,bed1 and

 loosing them to feed about ,break of   
,day4  ,on the thirteenth ,day of the   
sixth ,month1 the ,sun appearing1 we set
 forward2 and1 as ,i rode over the      
barren ,hills1 my ,meditations were on  
the ,alterations of the ,circumstances  
of the ,natives of this ,land since the 
,coming in of the ,english4 ,the ,lands 
near the ,sea are conveniently situated 
for fishing2 the ,lands near the        
,rivers1 where the ,tides flow1 and some
 above1 are in many ,places fertile1 and
 not mountainous2 while the ,running of 
the ,tides makes passing up and down    
easy with any ,kind of ,traffic4 ,those 
,natives have1 in some ,places1 for     
trifling ,considerations1 sold their    
,inheritance so favourably situated2    
and1 in other ,places1 been driven back 
by superior ,force3 ,so that in many    
,places1 as their ,way of clothing      
themselves is now altered from what it  
was1 and they1 far remote from us1 have 
to pass over ,mountains1 ,swamps1 and   
barren ,desarts1 ,travelling is very    

troublesome1 in bringing their ,skins   
and ,furs to trade with us4  ,by the    
extending of ,english ,settlements1 and 
partly by ,english ,hunters1 the wild   
,beasts1 they chiefly depend on for a   
,subsistance1 are not so plenty as they 
were2 and ,people too often1 for the    
,sake of ,gain1 open a ,door for them to
 waste their ,skins and ,furs1 in       
purchasing a ,liquor which tends to the 
,ruin of them and their ,families4  ,my 
own ,will and ,desires were now very    
much broken1 and my ,heart1 with much   
,earnestness1 turned to the ,lord1 to   
whom alone ,i looked for ,help in the   
,dangers before me4 ,i had a ,prospect  
of the ,english along the ,coast1 for   
upwards of nine hundred ,miles1 where ,i
 had travelled2 and the favourable      
,situation of the ,english1 and the     
,difficulties attending the ,natives in 
many ,places1 and the ,negroes1 were    
open before me2 and a weighty and       
heavenly ,care came over my ,mind1 and  
,love filled my ,heart toward all       

,mankind1 in which ,i felt a strong     
,engagement1 that we might be obedient  
to the ,lord1 while1 in tender ,mercies1
 he is yet calling to us2 and so attend 
to pure universal ,righteousness1 as to 
give no just ,cause of ,offence to the  
,gentiles1 who do not profess           
,christianity1 whether the ,blacks from 
,africa1 or the native ,inhabitants of  
this ,continent3 ,and here ,i was led   
into a close laborious ,enquiry1 whether
 ,i1 as an ,individual1 kept clear from 
all ,things which tended to stir up1 or 
were connected with ,wars1 either in    
this ,land or ,africa2 and my ,heart was
 deeply concerned1 that1 in future1 ,i  
might in all ,things keep steadily to   
the pure ,truth1 and live and walk in   
the ,plainness and ,simplicity of a     
sincere ,follower of ,christ4 ,and1 in  
this lonely ,journey1 ,i did1 this ,day1
 greatly bewail the ,spreading of a     
wrong ,spirit1 believing1 that the      
prosperous1 convenient1 ,situation of   
the ,english1 requires a constant       

,attention to divine ,love and ,wisdom  
to guide and support us in a ,way       
answerable to the ,will of that good1   
gracious1 and almighty ,being1 who hath 
an equal ,regard to all ,mankind3 ,and1 
here1 ,luxury and ,covetousness1 with   
the numerous ,oppressions1 and other    
,evils attending them1 appeared very    
afflicting to me2 and ,i felt in that   
which is immutable1 that the ,seeds of  
great ,calamity and ,desolation are sown
 and growing fast on this ,continent3   
,nor have ,i ,words sufficient to set   
forth that ,longing ,i then felt1 that  
we1 who are placed along the ,coast1 and
 have tasted the ,love and ,goodness of 
,god1 might arise in his ,strength2 and1
 like faithful ,messengers1 labour to   
check the ,growth of these ,seeds1 that 
they may not ripen to the ,ruin of our  
,posterity4  ,we reached the ,indian    
,settlement at ,wioming2 and here we    
were told1 that an ,indian ,runner had  
been at that ,place a ,day or two before
 us1 and brought ,news of the ,indians  

taking an ,english ,fort westward1 and  
destroying the ,people1 and that they   
were endeavouring to take another2 and  
also1 that another ,indian ,runner came 
there about the ,middle of the ,night   
before we got there1 who came from a    
,town about ten ,miles above            
,wehaloosing1 and brought ,news1 that   
some ,indian ,warriours1 from distant   
,parts1 came to that ,town with two     
,english ,scalps1 and told the ,people1 
that it was ,war with the ,english4     
,our ,guides took us to the ,house of a 
very ancient ,man2 and1 soon after we   
had put in our ,baggage1 there came a   
,man from another ,indian ,house some   
,distance off2 and ,i1 perceiving there 
was a ,man near the ,door1 went out2    
and1 having a ,tomahawk wrapped under   
his ,matchcoat out of ,sight1 as ,i     
approached him1 he took it in his ,hand2
 ,i1 however1 went forward1 and1        
speaking to him in a friendly ,way1     
perceived he understood some ,english3  
,my ,companion then coming out1 we had  

some ,talk with him concerning the      
,nature of our ,visit in these ,parts2  
and then he going into the ,house with  
us1 and talking with our ,guides1 soon  
appeared friendly1 and sat down and     
smoked his ,pipe4 ,though his taking his
 ,hatchet in his ,hand1 at the ,instant 
,i drew near to him1 had a disagreeable 
,appearance1 ,i believe he had no other 
,intent than to be in ,readiness in case
 any ,violence was offered to him4      
,hearing the ,news brought by these     
,indian ,runners1 and being told by the 
,indians where we lodged1 that what     
,indians were about ,wioming expected1  
in a few ,days1 to move to some larger  
,towns1 ,i thought that1 to all outward 
,appearance1 it was dangerous           
,travelling at this ,time2 and was1     
after a hard ,day's ,journey1 brought   
into a painful ,exercise at ,night1 in  
which ,i had to trace back1 and view    
over the ,steps ,i had taken from my    
first ,moving in the ,visit2 and though 
,i had to bewail some ,weakness which1  

at ,times1 had attended me1 yet ,i could
 not find that ,i had ever given way to 
a wilful ,disobedience3 ,and then1 as ,i
 believed ,i had1 under a ,sense of     
,duty1 come thus far1 ,i was now earnest
 in ,spirit1 beseeching the ,lord to    
shew me what ,i ought to do4 ,in this   
great ,distress ,i grew jealous of      
myself1 lest the ,desire of ,reputation1
 as a ,man firmly settled to persevere  
through ,dangers1 or the ,fear of       
,disgrace arising on my returning       
without performing the ,visit1 might    
have some ,place in me3 ,thus ,i lay1   
full of ,thoughts1 great ,part of the   
,night1 while my beloved ,companion lay 
and slept by me2 till the ,lord1 my     
gracious ,father1 who saw the ,conflicts
 of my ,soul1 was pleased to give       
,quietness3 ,then ,i was again          
strengthened to commit my ,life1 and all
 ,things relating thereto1 into his     
heavenly ,hands2 and1 getting a little  
,sleep toward ,day1 when ,morning came  
we arose4  ,on the fourteenth ,day of   

the sixth ,month1 we sought out and     
visited all the ,indians hereabout that 
we could meet with2 they being chiefly  
in one ,place1 about a ,mile from where 
we lodged1 in all perhaps twenty4 ,here 
,i expressed the ,care ,i had on my     
,mind for their ,good2 and told them1   
that true ,love had made me willing thus
 to leave my ,family to come and see the
 ,indians1 and speak with them in their 
,houses4 ,some of them appeared kind and
 friendly4 ,so we took our ,leave of    
these ,indians1 and went up the ,river  
,susquehannah1 about three ,miles1 to   
the ,house of an ,indian1 called ,,jacob
 ,,january1 who had killed his ,hog2 and
 the ,women were making store of ,bread1
 and preparing to move up the ,river4   
,here our ,pilots left their ,canoe when
 they came down in the ,spring1 which   
lying dry1 was leaky2 so that we1 being 
detained some ,hours1 had a good deal of
 friendly ,conversation with the        
,family2 and1 eating ,dinner with them1 
we made them some small ,presents4      

,then1 putting our ,baggage in the      
,canoe1 some of them pushed slowly up   
the ,stream1 and the rest of us rode our
 ,horses2 and swimming them over a      
,creek1 called ,lahawahamunk1 we pitched
 our ,tent a little above it1 there     
being a ,shower in the ,evening3 ,and1  
in a ,sense of ,god's ,goodness in      
helping me in my ,distress1 sustaining  
me under ,trials1 and inclining my      
,heart to trust in him1 ,i lay down in  
an humble bowed ,frame of ,mind1 and had
 a comfortable ,night's ,lodging4  ,on  
the fifteenth ,day of the sixth ,month1 
we proceeded forward till the           
,afternoon2 when1 a ,storm appearing1 we
 met our ,canoe at an appointed ,place2 
and1 the ,rain continuing1 we stayed all
 ,night1 which was so heavy1 that it    
beat through our ,tent1 and wet us and  
our ,baggage4  ,on the sixteenth ,day1  
we found1 on our ,way1 abundance of     
,trees blown down with the ,storm the   
,day before2 and had ,occasion          
reverently to consider the kind         

,dealings of the ,lord1 who provided a  
safe ,place for us in a ,valley1 while  
this ,storm continued4 ,by the falling  
of abundance of ,trees across our ,path1
 we were much hindered1 and in some     
,swamps our ,way was so stopped1 that we
 got through with extreme ,difficulty4  
,i had this ,day often to consider      
myself as a ,sojourner in this ,world2  
and a ,belief in the ,all-sufficiency of
 ,god to support his ,people in their   
,pilgrimage felt comfortable to me2 and 
,i was industriously employed to get to 
a ,state of perfect ,resignation4  ,we  
seldom saw our ,canoe but at appointed  
,places1 by reason of the ,path going   
off from the ,river2 and1 this          
,afternoon1 ,,job ,,chilaway1 an ,indian
 from ,wehaloosing1 who talks good      
,english1 and is acquainted with several
 ,people in and about ,philadelphia1 met
 our ,people on the ,river2 and1        
understanding where we expected to      
lodge1 pushed back about six ,miles1 and
 came to us after ,night2 and in a      

,while our own ,canoe came1 it being    
hard ,work pushing up ,stream4 ,,job    
told us1 that an ,indian came in ,haste 
to their ,town yesterday1 and told them1
 that three ,warriours1 coming from some
 ,distance1 lodged in a ,town above     
,wehaloosing a few ,nights past2 and    
that these three ,men were going against
 the ,english at ,juniata4 ,,job was    
going down the ,river to the            
,province-store at ,shamokin4 ,though ,i
 was so far favoured with ,health as to 
continue travelling1 yet1 through the   
various ,difficulties in our ,journey1  
and the different ,way of living from   
what ,i had been used to1 ,i grew sick2 
and the ,news of these ,warriours being 
on their ,march so near us1 and not     
knowing whether we might not fall in    
with them1 was a fresh ,trial of my     
,faith2 and though1 through the         
,strength of divine ,love1 ,i had       
several ,times been enabled to commit   
myself to the divine ,disposal1 ,i still
 found the ,want of my ,strength to be  

renewed1 that ,i might persevere        
therein2 and my ,cries for ,help were   
put up to the ,lord1 who1 in great      
,mercy1 gave me a resigned ,heart1 in   
which ,i found ,quietness4  ,on the     
seventeenth ,day1 parting from ,,job    
,,chilaway1 we went on1 and reached     
,wehaloosing about the ,middle of the   
,afternoon1 and the first ,indian that  
we saw was a ,woman of a modest         
,countenance1 with a ,bible1 who first  
spake to our ,guide2 and then1 with a   
harmonious ,voice1 expressed her        
,gladness at seeing us1 having before   
heard of our ,coming3 ,then1 by the     
,direction of our ,guide1 we sat down on
 a ,log2 and he went to the ,town1 to   
tell the ,people we were come4 ,my      
,companion and ,i sitting thus together1
 in a deep inward ,stillness1 the poor  
,woman came and sat near us2 and1 great 
,awfulness coming over us1 we rejoiced  
in a ,sense of ,god's ,love manifested  
to our poor ,souls4 ,after a ,while1 we 
heard a ,conkshell blow several ,times1 

and then came ,,john ,,curtis1 and      
another ,indian ,man1 who kindly invited
 us into a ,house near the ,town1 where 
we found1 ,i suppose1 about sixty       
,people sitting in ,silence2 and1 after 
sitting a short ,time1 ,i stood up1 and 
in some ,tenderness of ,spirit          
acquainted them with the ,nature of my  
,visit1 and that a ,concern for their   
,good had made me willing to come thus  
far to see them2 all in a few short     
,sentences1 which some of them          
understanding interpreted to the others1
 and there appeared ,gladness amongst   
them4 ,then ,i shewed them my           
,certificate1 which was explained to    
them2 and the ,moravian1 who overtook us
 on the ,way1 being now here1 bade me   
welcome4  ,on the eighteenth ,day3 ,we  
rested ourselves this ,forenoon2 and the
 ,indians1 knowing that the ,moravian   
and ,i were of different religious      
,societies1 and as some of their ,people
 had encouraged him to come and stay a  
,while with them1 were1 ,i believe1     

concerned that no ,jarring or ,discord  
might be in their ,meetings3 ,and they1 
,i suppose1 having conferred together1  
acquainted me1 that the ,people1 at my  
,request1 would1 at any ,time1 come     
together1 and hold ,meetings2 and also  
told me1 that they expected the         
,moravian would speak in their settled  
,meetings1 which are commonly held      
,morning and near ,evening4 ,so ,i found
 ,liberty in my ,heart to speak to the  
,moravian1 and told him of the ,care ,i 
felt on my ,mind for the ,good of these 
,people2 and that ,i believed no ill    
,effects would follow it1 if ,i         
sometimes spake in their ,meetings when 
,love engaged me thereto1 without       
calling them together at ,times when    
they did not meet of course3 ,whereupon 
he expressed his ,good-will toward my   
speaking1 at any ,time1 all that ,i     
found in my ,heart to say3 ,so1 near    
,evening1 ,i was at their ,meeting1     
where the pure ,gospel-love was felt1 to
 the tendering some of our ,hearts2 and 

the ,interpreters1 endeavouring to      
acquaint the ,people with what ,i said  
in short ,sentences1 found some         
,difficulty1 as none of them were quite 
perfect in the ,english and ,delaware   
,tongues2 so they helped one another1   
and we laboured along1 divine ,love     
attending3 ,and afterwards1 feeling my  
,mind covered with the ,spirit of       
,prayer1 ,i told the ,interpreters that 
,i found it in my ,heart to pray to     
,god1 and believed1 if ,i prayed aright1
 he would hear me1 and expressed my     
,willingness for them to omit           
interpreting2 so our ,meeting ended with
 a ,degree of divine ,love3 ,and1 before
 the ,people went out1 ,i observed      
,,papunehang 7the ,man who had been     
zealous in labouring for a ,reformation 
in that ,town1 being then very tender7  
spoke to one of the ,interpreters2 and  
,i was afterwards told that he said in  
,substance as follows3 ,i love to feel  
where ,words come from4  ,on the        
nineteenth ,day1 and first of the ,week3

 ,this ,morning1 in the ,meeting1 the   
,indian1 who came with the ,moravian1   
being also a ,member of that ,society1  
prayed2 and then the ,moravian spake a  
short ,time to the ,people3 ,and1 in the
 ,afternoon1 they coming together1 and  
my ,heart being filled with a heavenly  
,care for their ,good1 ,i spake to them 
a ,while by ,interpreters2 but none of  
them being perfect in the ,work1 and ,i1
 feeling the ,current of ,love run      
strong1 told the ,interpreters1 that ,i 
believed some of the ,people would      
understand me1 and so ,i proceeded3 ,in 
which ,exercise ,i believe the ,holy    
,ghost wrought on some ,hearts to       
,edification1 where all the ,words were 
not understood1 ,i looked upon it as a  
,time of divine ,favour1 and my ,heart  
was tendered and truly thankful before  
the ,lord2 and1 after ,i sat down1 one  
of the ,interpreters seemed spirited to 
give the ,indians the ,substance of what
 ,i had said4  ,before our first        
,meeting1 this ,morning1 ,i was led to  

meditate on the manifold ,difficulties  
of these ,indians1 who1 by the          
,permission of the six ,nations1 dwell  
in these ,parts2 and a near ,sympathy   
with them was raised in me2 and1 my     
,heart being enlarged in the ,love of   
,christ1 ,i thought that the            
affectionate ,care of a good ,man for   
his only ,brother in ,affliction does   
not exceed what ,i then felt for that   
,people4  ,i came to this ,place through
 much ,trouble2 and though1 through the 
,mercies of ,god1 ,i believed1 that if  
,i died in the ,journey1 it would be    
well with me2 yet the ,thoughts of      
falling into the ,hands of ,indian      
,warriours were1 in ,times of ,weakness1
 afflicting to me2 and1 being of a      
tender ,constitution of ,body1 the      
,thoughts of ,captivity amongst them    
were1 at ,times1 grievous2 as supposing1
 that they being strong and hardy1 might
 demand ,service of me beyond what ,i   
could well bear2 but the ,lord alone was
 my ,keeper2 and ,i believed1 if ,i went

 into ,captivity1 it would be for some  
good ,end3 ,and thus1 from ,time to     
,time1 my ,mind was centered in         
,resignation1 in which ,i always found  
,quietness4 ,and now1 this ,day1 though 
,i had the same dangerous ,wilderness   
between me and ,home1 ,i was inwardly   
joyful that the ,lord had strengthened  
me to come on this ,visit1 and          
manifested a fatherly ,care over me in  
my poor lowly ,condition1 when in mine  
own ,eyes ,i appeared inferior to many  
amongst the ,indians4  ,when the        
last-mentioned ,meeting was ended1 it   
being ,night1 ,,papunehang went to ,bed2
 and1 one of the ,interpreters sitting  
by me1 ,i observed ,,papunehang spoke   
with an harmonious ,voice1 ,i suppose a 
,minute or two2 and1 asking the         
,interpreter1 ,i was told1 that ,he was 
expressing his ,thankfulness to ,god for
 the ,favours he had received that ,day2
 and prayed that he would continue to   
favour him with that same1 which he had 
experienced in that ,meeting4 ,and      

though ,,papunehang had before agreed to
 receive the ,moravian1 and join with   
them1 he still appeared kind and loving 
to us4  ,on the twentieth ,day ,i was at
 two ,meetings1 and silent in them4     
,the twenty-first ,day3 ,this ,morning1 
in ,meeting1 my ,heart was enlarged in  
pure ,love amongst them1 and1 in short  
plain ,sentences1 ,i expressed several  
,things that rested upon me1 which one  
of the ,interpreters gave the ,people   
pretty readily2 after which1 the        
,meeting ended in ,supplication1 and ,i 
had ,cause humbly to acknowledge the    
,loving-kindness of the ,lord towards   
us2 and then ,i believed that a ,door   
remained open for the faithful          
,disciples of ,jesus ,christ to labour  
amongst these ,people4  ,i now feeling  
my ,mind at ,liberty to return1 took my 
,leave of them in general1 at the       
,conclusion of what ,i said in ,meeting2
 and so we prepared to go homeward3 ,but
 some of their most active ,men told us1
 that1 when we were ready to move1 the  

,people would choose to come and shake  
,hands with us2 which those who usually 
come to ,meeting did3 ,and1 from a      
secret ,draught in my ,mind1 ,i went    
amongst some who did not use to go to   
,meeting1 and took my ,leave of them    
also3 ,and the ,moravian and his ,indian
 ,interpreter appeared respectful to us 
at parting4 ,this ,town stands on the   
,bank of ,susquehannah1 and consists1 ,i
 believe1 of about forty ,houses1 mostly
 compact together2 some about thirty    
feet long1 and eighteen wide1 some      
bigger1 some less2 mostly built of split
 ,plank1 one ,end set in the ,ground1   
and the other pinned to a ,plate1 on    
which lay ,rafters1 and covered with    
,bark4 ,i understand a great ,flood last
 ,winter overflowed the chief ,part of  
the ,ground where the ,town stands2 and 
some were now about moving their ,houses
 to higher ,ground4  ,we expected only  
two ,indians to be our ,company2 but1   
when we were ready to go1 we found many 
of them were going to ,bethlehem with   

,skins and ,furs1 who chose to go in    
,company with us3 ,so they loaded two   
,canoes1 which they desired us to go in1
 telling us1 that the ,waters were so   
raised with the ,rains1 that the ,horses
 should be taken by such as were better 
acquainted with the ,fording-places3 ,so
 we1 with several ,indians1 went in the 
,canoes1 and others went on ,horses1    
there being seven besides ours4 ,and we 
meeting with the ,horsemen once on the  
,way by ,appointment1 and that near     
,night1 a little below a ,branch called 
,tankhannah1 we lodged there2 and some  
of the young ,men going out a little    
before ,dusk with their ,guns1 brought  
in a ,deer4  ,on the twenty-second ,day1
 through ,diligence1 we reached ,wioming
 before ,night1 and understood the      
,indians were mostly gone from this     
,place3 ,here we went up a small ,creek 
into the ,woods with our ,canoes1 and1  
pitching our ,tent1 carried out our     
,baggage2 and before ,dark our ,horses  
came to us4  ,on the twenty-third ,day  

in the ,morning their ,horses were      
loaded1 and we prepared our ,baggage1   
and so set forward1 being in all        
fourteen2 and with diligent ,travelling1
 were favoured to get near half-way to  
,fort-,allen4 ,the ,land on this ,road  
from ,wioming to our ,frontier being    
mostly poor1 and good ,grass scarce1    
they chose a ,piece of low ,ground to   
lodge on1 as the best for grazing2 and  
,i1 having sweated much in ,travelling1 
and being weary1 slept sound2 ,i        
perceived in the ,night that ,i had     
taken ,cold1 of which ,i was favoured to
 get better soon4  ,on the twenty-fourth
 ,day we passed ,fort-,allen1 and lodged
 near it in the ,woods4  ,having forded 
the westerly ,branch of ,delaware three 
,times1 we thereby had a shorter ,way1  
and missed going over the ,top of the   
,blue ,mountains1 called the second     
,ridge4 ,in the second ,time fording1   
where the ,river cuts through the       
,mountain1 the ,waters being rapid1 and 
pretty deep1 and my ,companion's ,mare  

being a tall1 tractable ,animal1 he     
sundry ,times drove her back through the
 ,river1 and they loaded her with the   
,burthens of some small ,horses1 which  
they thought not sufficient to come     
through with their ,loads4  ,the        
,troubles westward1 and the ,difficulty 
for ,indians to pass through our        
,frontier1 ,i apprehend1 was one ,reason
 why so many came2 as expecting that our
 being in ,company would prevent the    
outside ,inhabitants from being         
surprised4  ,on the twenty-fifth ,day we
 reached ,bethlehem1 taking ,care on the
 ,way to keep foremost1 and to acquaint 
,people on and near the ,road who these 
,indians were3 ,this we found very      
needful2 for the ,frontier ,inhabitants 
were often alarmed at the ,report of    
,english being killed by ,indians       
westward4  ,amongst our ,company were   
some whom ,i did not remember to have   
seen at ,meeting1 and some of these1 at 
first1 were very reserved2 but1 we being
 several ,days together1 and behaving   

friendly toward them1 and making them   
suitable ,returns for the ,services they
 did us1 they became more free and      
social4  ,on the twenty-sixth ,day and  
first of the ,week1 having carefully    
endeavoured to settle all ,affairs with 
the ,indians relative to our ,journey1  
we took ,leave of them1 and ,i thought  
they generally parted with us           
affectionately2 so we1 getting to       
,richland1 had a very comfortable       
,meeting amongst our ,friends3 ,here ,i 
parted with my kind ,friend and         
,companion1 ,,benjamin ,,parvin2 and1   
accompanied by my ,friend1 ,,samuel     
,,foulk1 we rode to ,,john              
,,cadwallader',s1 from whence ,i reached
 ,home the next ,day1 where ,i found my 
,family middling well2 and they1 and my 
,friends1 all along appeared glad to see
 me return from a ,journey which they   
apprehended dangerous3 ,but my ,mind1   
while ,i was out1 had been so employed  
in striving for a perfect ,resignation1 
and ,i had so often been confirmed in a 

,belief1 that whatever the ,lord might  
be pleased to allot for me1 would work  
for ,good1 ,i was careful lest ,i should
 admit any ,degree of ,selfishness in   
being glad over much1 and laboured to   
improve by those ,trials in such a      
,manner as my gracious ,father and      
,protector intends for me4 ,between the 
,english ,inhabitants and ,wehaloosing  
we had only a narrow ,path1 which in    
many ,places is much grown up with      
,bushes1 and interrupted by abundance of
 ,trees lying across it2 these1 together
 with the ,mountains1 ,swamps1 and rough
 ,stones1 make it a difficult ,road to  
travel2 and the more so1 for that       
,rattle-snakes abound there1 of which we
 killed four3 ,people1 who have never   
been in such ,places1 have but an       
imperfect ,idea of them2 but ,i was not 
only taught ,patience1 but also made    
thankful to ,god1 who thus led me about 
and instructed me1 that ,i might have a 
quick and lively ,feeling of the        
,afflictions of my ,fellow-creatures1   

whose ,situation in ,life is difficult4 
,,chapter ,,ix      ,his religious      
,conversation with a ,company met to see
 the ,tricks of     a ,juggler--,his    
,account of ,,john ,,smith',s ,advice1  
and of the     ,proceedings of a        
,committee1 at the ,yearly-meeting in   
#agfd--;,contemplations on the ,nature  
of true ,wisdom1 occasioned by          
hearing of the ,cruelty of the ,indians 
to their ,captives--,his     visiting   
the ,families of ,friends at            
,mount-,holly1 ,mansfield1 and          
,burlington1 in #agfd1 and the ,meetings
 on the ,sea-,coast1 from               
,cape-,may1 toward ,squan1 in           
#agfe--;,his ,visit to the lower        
,counties on ,delaware1 and the eastern 
,shore of ,maryland1 in     #agff1 in   
,company with ,,john ,,sleeper2 with    
some ,account of ,,joseph     ,,nichols 
and his ,followers2 and ,observations on
 the different ,state     of the first  
,settlers in ,pennsylvania1 who depended
 on their own     ,labour1 and those of 

the southern ,provinces1 who kept       
,negroes--,his     visiting the northern
 ,parts of ,new-,jersey the same ,year1 
and the     western ,parts of ,maryland 
and ,pennsylvania in #agfg1 and         
afterwards other ,parts of              
,pennsylvania1 and the ,families of     
,friends at ,mount-,holly2 and again1   
several ,parts of ,maryland in          
#agfh--;,farther ,considerations on     
keeping ,slaves2 and his ,concern       
for having formerly1 as an ,executor1   
been ,party to the ,sale of one2     and
 what he did in ,consequence of         
it--,thoughts on ,friends     exercising
 ,offices in civil ,government  ,the    
latter ,part of the ,summer1 #agfc1     
there came a ,man to ,mount-,holly1 who 
had before published1 by a printed      
,advertisement1 that1 at a certain      
,publick-house1 he would shew many      
wonderful ,operations1 which he therein 
enumerated4  ,this ,man1 at the ,time   
appointed1 did1 by slight of ,hand1     
sundry ,things2 which1 to those         

gathered1 appeared strange4  ,the next  
,day1 ,i1 hearing of it1 and            
understanding that the ,shew was to be  
continued the next ,night1 and the      
,people to meet about ,sun-set1 felt an 
,exercise on that ,account3 ,so ,i went 
to the ,publick-house in the ,evening1  
and told the ,man of the ,house that ,i 
had an ,inclination to spend a ,part of 
the ,evening there2 with which he       
signified that he was content4 ,then1   
sitting down by the ,door1 ,i spake to  
the ,people as they came together1      
concerning this ,shew2 and1 more coming 
and sitting down with us1 the ,seats of 
the ,door were mostly filled2 and ,i had
 ,conversation with them in the ,fear of
 the ,lord1 and laboured to convince    
them that1 thus assembling to see those 
,tricks or ,slights of ,hand1 and       
bestowing their ,money to support ,men1 
who1 in that ,capacity1 were of no ,use 
in the ,world1 was contrary to the      
,nature of the ,christian ,religion4    
,there was one of the ,company1 who1 for

 a ,time1 endeavoured1 by ,arguments1 to
 shew the ,reasonableness of their      
,proceedings herein2 but1 after         
considering some ,texts of ,scripture1  
and calmly debating the ,matter1 he gave
 up the ,point4 ,so1 having spent about 
an ,hour amongst them1 and feeling my   
,mind easy1 ,i departed4  ,at our       
,yearly-meeting at ,philadelphia1 on the
 twenty-fifth ,day of the ninth ,month1 
#agfd1 ,,john ,,smith1 of ,marlborough1 
aged upwards of eighty ,years1 a        
faithful ,minister1 though not eloquent1
 stood up in our ,meeting of ,ministers 
and ,elders1 and1 appearing to be under 
a great ,exercise of ,spirit1 informed  
,friends in ,substance as follows3 to   
wit1 ,that he had been a ,member of the 
,society upwards of sixty ,years1 and   
well remembered1 that in those early    
,times ,friends were a plain            
lowly-minded ,people2 and that there was
 much ,tenderness and ,contrition in    
their ,meetings4--,that1 at twenty      
,years from that ,time1 the ,society1   

increasing in ,wealth1 and in some      
,degree conforming to the ,fashions of  
the ,world1 true ,humility was less     
apparent1 and their ,meetings1 in       
general1 not so lively and              
edifying4--,that1 at the ,end of forty  
,years1 many of them were grown very    
rich2 that wearing of fine costly       
,garments1 and using of silver 7and     
other7 ,watches1 became customary with  
them1 their ,sons and their ,daughters1 
and many of the ,society made a specious
 ,appearance in the ,world2 which ,marks
 of outward ,wealth and ,greatness      
appeared on some in our ,meetings of    
,ministers and ,elders2 and as these    
,things became more prevalent1 so the   
powerful ,overshadowings of the ,holy   
,ghost were less manifest in the        
,society4--,that there had been a       
continued ,increase of these ,ways of   
,life even until now2 and that the      
,weakness which hath now overspread the 
,society1 and the ,barrenness manifest  
amongst us1 are ,matter of much ,sorrow4

 ,he then mentioned the ,uncertainty of 
his attending these ,meetings in future1
 expecting his ,dissolution was now     
near2 and1 having tenderly expressed his
 ,concern for us1 signified that he had 
seen in the true ,light that the ,lord  
would bring back his ,people from these 
,things into which they were thus       
degenerated2 but that his faithful      
,servants must first go through great   
and heavy ,exercises therein4  ,on the  
twenty-ninth ,day1 the ,committee1      
appointed by the ,yearly-meeting to     
visit the ,quarterly and                
,monthly-meetings1 now gave an ,account 
in ,writing of their ,proceedings in    
that ,service2 in which they signified1 
that1 in the ,course of it1 they had    
been apprehensive that some ,persons    
holding ,offices in ,government1        
inconsistent with our ,principles1 and  
others1 who kept ,slaves1 remaining     
active ,members in our ,meetings of     
,discipline1 had been one ,means of     
,weakness more and more prevailing in   

the ,management thereof in some ,places4
 ,after this ,report was read1 an       
,exercise revived on my ,mind1 which1 at
 ,times1 had attended me several ,years1
 and inward ,cries to the ,lord were    
raised in me1 that the ,fear of ,man    
might not prevent me from doing what he 
required of me2 and standing up1 ,i     
spake in ,substance as follows3 ,i have 
felt a ,tenderness in my ,mind1 towards 
,persons1 in two ,circumstances         
mentioned in that ,report2 that is1     
toward such active ,members as keep     
,slaves1 and such as hold ,offices in   
civil ,government2 and have desired1    
that ,friends1 in all their ,conduct1   
may be kindly affectioned one toward    
another4 ,many ,friends1 who keep       
,slaves1 are under some ,exercise on    
that ,account2 and1 at ,times1 think    
about trying them with ,freedom2 but    
find many ,things in their ,way3 ,and   
the ,way of ,living1 and annual         
,expences of some of them1 are such1    
that it seems impracticable for them to 

set their ,slaves free1 without changing
 their own ,way of ,life4 ,it has been  
my ,lot to be often abroad2 and ,i have 
observed in some ,places1 at ,quarterly 
and ,yearly-meetings1 and at some       
,houses where travelling ,friends and   
their ,horses are often entertained1    
that the yearly ,expence of ,individuals
 therein is very considerable3 ,and     
,friends1 in some ,places1 crouding much
 on ,persons in these ,circumstances for
 ,entertainment1 hath often rested as a 
,burthen on my ,mind for some ,years    
past2 and ,i now express it in the ,fear
 of the ,lord1 greatly desiring that    
,friends now present may duly consider  
it4  ,in the ,fall of this ,year1 having
 hired a ,man to work1 ,i perceived1 in 
,conversation1 that he had been a       
,soldier in the late ,war on this       
,continent2 and1 in the ,evening1 giving
 a ,narrative of his ,captivity amongst 
the ,indians1 he informed me that he saw
 two of his ,fellow-captives tortured to
 ,death in a very cruel ,manner4  ,this 

,relation affected me with ,sadness1    
under which ,i went to ,bed2 and1 the   
next ,morning1 soon after ,i awoke1 a   
fresh and living ,sense of divine ,love 
was spread over my ,mind2 in which ,i   
had a renewed ,prospect of the ,nature  
of that ,wisdom from above1 which leads 
to a right ,use of all ,gifts1 both     
spiritual and temporal1 and gives       
,content therein3 ,under a ,feeling     
thereof1 ,i wrote as follows3  ,hath he1
 who gave me a ,being attended with many
 ,wants unknown to ,brute-creatures1    
given me a ,capacity superior to theirs2
 and shewn me1 that a moderate          
,application to ,business is proper to  
my present ,condition2 and that this1   
attended with his ,blessing1 may supply 
all outward ,wants1 while they remain   
within the ,bounds he hath fixed2 and no
 imaginary ,wants1 proceeding from an   
evil ,spirit1 have any ,place in me8    
,attend then1 ,o my ,soul6 to this pure 
,wisdom1 as thy sure ,conductor through 
the manifold ,dangers in this ,world4   

,doth ,pride lead to ,vanity8 ,doth     
,vanity form imaginary ,wants8 ,do these
 ,wants prompt ,men to exert their      
,power in requiring that of others1     
which they themselves would rather be   
excused from1 were the same required of 
them8  ,do these ,proceedings beget hard
 ,thoughts8 ,do hard ,thoughts1 when    
ripe1 become ,malice8 ,does ,malice1    
when ripe1 become revengeful2 and1 in   
the ,end1 inflict terrible ,pains on    
their ,fellow-creatures1 and spread     
,desolation in the ,world8  ,doth       
,mankind1 walking in ,uprightness1      
delight in each other's ,happiness8 ,and
 do these ,creatures1 capable of this   
,attainment1 by giving way to an evil   
,spirit1 employ their ,wit and ,strength
 to afflict and destroy one another8    
,remember then1 ,o my ,soul6 the        
,quietude of those in whom ,christ      
governs1 and in all thy ,proceedings    
feel after it4  ,doth he condescend to  
bless thee with his ,presence8 ,to move 
and influence to ,action8 ,to dwell in  

thee1 and walk in thee8 ,remember then  
thy ,station1 as a ,being sacred to     
,god2 accept of the ,strength freely    
offered thee2 and take heed that no     
,weakness1 in conforming to expensive1  
unwise1 and hard-hearted1 ,customs1     
gendering to ,discord and ,strife1 be   
given way to4 ,doth he claim my ,body as
 his ,temple1 and graciously grant that 
,i may be sacred to him8 ,o6 that ,i may
 prize this ,favour2 and that my whole  
,life may be conformable to this        
,character6  ,remember1 ,o my ,soul6    
that the ,prince of ,peace is thy ,lord3
 ,that he communicates his unmixed      
,wisdom to his ,family2 that they1      
living in perfect ,simplicity1 may give 
no just ,cause of ,offence to any       
,creature1 but may walk as he walked4   
,having felt an ,openness in my ,heart  
toward visiting ,families in our own    
,meeting1 and especially in the ,town of
 ,mount-,holly1 the ,place of my ,abode1
 ,i mentioned it in our ,monthly-meeting
 the ,fore-part of the ,winter1 #agfd2  

which being agreed to1 and several      
,friends of our ,meeting being united in
 the ,exercise1 we proceeded therein2   
and1 through divine ,favour1 were helped
 in the ,work1 so that it appeared to me
 as a fresh reviving of godly ,care     
amongst ,friends3 ,and1 the latter ,part
 of the same ,winter1 ,i joined my      
,friend ,,william ,,jones1 in a ,visit  
to ,friends ,families in ,mansfield2 in 
which ,labour ,i had ,cause to admire   
the ,goodness of the ,lord towards us4  
,having felt my ,mind drawn toward a    
,visit to ,friends along the ,sea-coast 
from ,cape-,may to near ,squan2 and also
 to visit some ,people in those ,parts1 
amongst whom there is no settled        
,worship2 ,i joined with my beloved     
,friend1 ,,benjamin ,,jones1 in a ,visit
 there1 having ,friends ,unity therein3 
,and1 setting off the twenty-fourth ,day
 of the tenth ,month1 #agfe1 we had a   
prosperous and very satisfactory        
,journey2 feeling1 at ,times1 through   
the ,goodness of the heavenly ,shepherd1

 the ,gospel to flow freely toward a    
poor ,people scattered in those ,places3
 ,and soon after our ,return1 ,i joined 
my ,friends1 ,,john ,,sleeper and       
,,elizabeth ,,smith1 in visiting        
,friends ,families at ,burlington1 there
 being at this ,time about fifty        
,families of our ,society in that ,city2
 and we had ,cause humbly to adore our  
heavenly ,father1 who baptized us into a
 ,feeling of the ,state of the ,people1 
and strengthened us to labour in true   
,gospel-love amongst them4  ,an         
,exercise having1 at ,times1 for several
 ,years attended me1 in regard to paying
 a religious ,visit to ,friends on the  
eastern ,shore of ,maryland3 ,such was  
the ,nature of this ,exercise1 that ,i  
believed the ,lord moved me to travel on
 ,foot amongst them1 that1 by so        
travelling1 ,i might have a more lively 
,feeling of the ,condition of the       
oppressed ,slaves1 set an ,example of   
,lowliness before the ,eyes of their    
,masters1 and be more out of the ,way of

 ,temptation to unprofitable ,converse4 
,the ,time now drawing near in which ,i 
believed it my ,duty to lay my ,concern 
before our ,monthly-meeting1 ,i         
perceived1 in ,conversation with my     
beloved ,friend1 ,,john ,,sleeper1 that 
he was under a ,concern to travel the   
same ,way1 and also to travel on ,foot  
in the ,form of a ,servant amongst them1
 as he expressed it4 ,this he told me   
before he knew aught of my ,exercise4   
,we1 being thus drawn the same ,way1    
laid our ,exercise and the ,nature of it
 before ,friends2 and1 obtaining        
,certificates1 we set off the sixth ,day
 of the fifth ,month1 #agff2 and were at
 ,meetings with ,friends at ,wilmington1
 ,duck-,creek1 ,little-,creek1 and      
,motherkill2 my ,heart being sundry     
,times tendered under the divine        
,influence1 and enlarged in ,love toward
 the ,people amongst whom we travelled4 
,from ,motherkill1 we crossed the       
,country about thirty-five ,miles to    
,friends at ,tuckahoe in ,maryland1 and 

had a ,meeting there and at             
,marshy-,creek4  ,at these1 our three   
last ,meetings1 were a considerable     
,number of ,people1 ,followers of one   
,,joseph ,,nichols1 a ,preacher2 who1 ,i
 understand1 is not in outward          
,fellowship with any religious ,society 
of ,people1 but professeth nearly the   
same ,principles as our ,society doth1  
and often travels up and down appointing
 ,meetings1 to which many ,people come4 
,i heard some ,friends speaking of some 
of their ,neighbours1 who had been      
irreligious ,people1 that were now his  
,followers1 and were become sober       
well-behaved ,men and ,women4  ,some    
,irregularities1 ,i hear1 have been     
amongst the ,people at several of his   
,meetings2 but1 from the whole of what  
,i have perceived1 ,i believe the ,man  
and some of his ,followers are honestly 
disposed1 but that skilful ,fathers are 
wanting amongst them3 ,from hence we    
went to ,choptank and ,third-,haven2 and
 thence to ,queen ,anne's4 ,the ,weather

 having some ,days past been hot and    
dry1 and we1 to attend ,meetings        
pursuant to ,appointment1 having        
travelled pretty steadily1 and had hard 
,labour in ,meetings1 ,i grew weakly1 at
 which ,i was1 for a ,time1 discouraged2
 but1 looking over our ,journey1 and    
thinking how the ,lord had supported our
 ,minds and ,bodies1 so that we got     
forward much faster than ,i expected    
before we came out1 ,i now saw that ,i  
had been in ,danger of too strongly     
desiring to get soon through the        
,journey1 and that this bodily          
,weakness1 now attending me1 was a      
,kindness to me2 and then1 in           
,contrition of ,spirit1 ,i became very  
thankful to my gracious ,father1 for    
this ,manifestation of his ,love2 and1  
in humble ,submission to his ,will1 my  
,trust was renewed in him4  ,on this    
,part of our ,journey1 ,i had many      
,thoughts on the different              
,circumstances of ,friends1 who inhabit 
,pennsylvania and ,jersey1 from those   

who dwell in ,maryland1 ,virginia1 and  
,carolina4 ,pennsylvania and            
,new-,jersey were settled by many       
,friends1 who were convinced of our     
,principles in ,england in ,times of    
,suffering1 and1 coming over1 bought    
,lands of the ,natives1 and applied     
themselves to ,husbandry in a peaceable 
,way2 and many of their ,children were  
taught to labour for their ,living4     
,few ,friends1 ,i believe1 came from    
,england to settle in any of these      
southern ,provinces2 but1 by the        
faithful ,labours of travelling ,friends
 in early ,times1 there were            
considerable ,convincements amongst the 
,inhabitants of these ,parts4 ,here ,i  
remembered my reading of the warlike    
,disposition of many of the first       
,settlers in those ,provinces1 and of   
their numerous ,engagements with the    
,natives1 in which much ,blood was shed1
 even in the ,infancy of those          
,colonies4 ,these ,people1 inhabiting   
those ,places1 being grounded in        

,customs contrary to the pure ,truth1   
when some of them were affected with the
 powerful preaching of the ,word of     
,life1 and joined in ,fellowship with   
our ,society1 they had a great ,work to 
go through4 ,it is observable1 in the   
,history of the ,reformation from       
,popery1 that it had a gradual ,progress
 from ,age to ,age3 ,the ,uprightness of
 the first ,reformers1 in attending to  
the ,light and ,understanding given     
them1 opened the ,way for               
sincere-hearted ,people to proceed      
farther afterward2 and thus1 each one   
truly fearing ,god1 and labouring in    
those ,works of ,righteousness appointed
 for him in his ,day1 findeth           
,acceptance with him3 ,though1 through  
the ,darkness of the ,times1 and the    
,corruption of ,manners and ,customs1   
some upright ,men have had little more  
for their ,day's ,work than to attend to
 the righteous ,principle in their      
,minds1 as it related to their own      
,conduct in ,life1 without pointing out 

to others the whole ,extent of that1    
which the same ,principle would lead    
succeeding ,ages into4 ,thus1 for       
,instance1 amongst an imperious warlike 
,people1 supported by oppressed ,slaves1
 some of these ,masters1 ,i suppose1 are
 awakened to feel and see their ,error2 
and1 through sincere ,repentance1 cease 
from ,oppression1 and become like       
,fathers to their ,servants2 shewing1 by
 their ,example1 a ,pattern of ,humility
 in living1 and ,moderation in          
governing1 for the ,instruction and     
,admonition of their oppressing         
,neighbours2 those1 without carrying the
 ,reformation farther1 ,i believe1 have 
found ,acceptance with the ,lord4 ,such 
was the ,beginning2 and those who       
succeeded them1 and have faithfully     
attended to the ,nature and ,spirit of  
the ,reformation1 have seen the         
,necessity of proceeding forward1 and   
not only to instruct others1 by their   
,example1 in governing well1 but also to
 use ,means to prevent their ,successors

 from having so much ,power to oppress  
others4  ,here ,i was renewedly         
confirmed in my ,mind1 that the ,lord   
7whose tender ,mercies are over all his 
,works1 and whose ,ear is open to the   
,cries and ,groans of the ,oppressed7 is
 graciously moving on the ,hearts of    
,people1 to draw them off from the      
,desire of ,wealth1 and bring them into 
such an humble1 lowly1 ,way of ,living1 
that they may see their ,way clearly1 to
 repair to the ,standard of true        
,righteousness2 and not only break the  
,yoke of ,oppression1 but know him to be
 their ,strength and ,support in a ,time
 of outward ,affliction4  ,we1 passing  
on1 crossed ,chester-,river2 and had a  
,meeting there1 and at ,cecil and       
,sassafras4 ,through my bodily          
,weakness1 joined with a heavy ,exercise
 of ,mind1 it was to me an humbling     
,dispensation1 and ,i had a very lively 
,feeling of the ,state of the           
,oppressed2 yet ,i often thought1 that  
what ,i suffered was little1 compared   

with the ,sufferings of the blessed     
,jesus1 and many of his faithful        
,followers2 and may say1 with           
,thankfulness1 ,i was made content4     
,from ,sassafras we went pretty directly
 ,home1 where we found our ,families    
well2 and1 for several ,weeks after our 
,return1 ,i had often to look over our  
,journey3 ,and though it appeared to me 
as a small ,service1 and that some      
faithful ,messengers will yet have more 
bitter ,cups to drink in those southern 
,provinces1 for ,christ's ,sake1 than we
 had2 yet ,i found ,peace in that ,i had
 been helped to walk in ,sincerity1     
according to the ,understanding and     
,strength given me4  ,on the thirteenth 
,day of the eleventh ,month1 #agff1 with
 the ,unity of ,friends at our          
,monthly-meeting1 in ,company with my   
beloved ,friend1 ,,benjamin ,,jones1 ,i 
set out on a ,visit to ,friends in the  
upper ,part of this ,province1 having   
had ,drawings of ,love in my ,heart that
 ,way a considerable ,time3 ,we         

travelled as far as ,hardwick2 and ,i   
had inward ,peace in my ,labours of     
,love amongst them4  ,through the       
humbling ,dispensations of divine       
,providence1 my ,mind hath been brought 
into a farther ,feeling of the          
,difficulties of ,friends and their     
,servants south-westward2 and being     
often engaged in ,spirit on their       
,account1 ,i believed it my ,duty to    
walk into some ,parts of the western    
,shore of ,maryland1 on a religious     
,visit2 and1 having obtained a          
,certificate from ,friends of our       
,monthly-meeting1 ,i took my ,leave of  
my ,family under the heart-tendering    
,operation of ,truth2 and1 on the       
twentieth ,day of the fourth ,month1    
#agfg1 ,i rode to the ,ferry opposite to
 ,philadelphia1 and from thence walked  
to ,,william ,,horne',s1 at ,derby1 that
 ,evening2 and next ,day pursued my     
journey alone1 and reached ,concord     
week-day ,meeting4  ,discouragements and
 a ,weight of ,distress had1 at ,times1 

attended me in this lonesome ,walk2     
through which ,afflictions ,i was       
mercifully preserved3 ,and now1 sitting 
down with ,friends1 my ,mind was turned 
toward the ,lord1 to wait for his holy  
,leadings2 who1 in infinite ,love1 was  
pleased to soften my ,heart into an     
humble ,contrition1 and did renewedly   
strengthen me to go forward2 so that to 
me it was a ,time of heavenly           
,refreshment in a silent ,meeting4  ,the
 next ,day ,i came to ,new-,garden      
week-day ,meeting1 in which ,i sat with 
,bowedness of ,spirit2 and1 being       
baptized into a ,feeling of the ,state  
of some present1 the ,lord gave us a    
heart-tendering ,season2 to his ,name be
 the ,praise4  ,i passed on1 and was at 
,nottingham ,monthly-meeting2 and at a  
,meeting at ,little-,britain on         
,first-day3 ,and in the ,afternoon      
several ,friends came to the ,house     
where ,i lodged1 and we had a little    
,afternoon-meeting2 and1 through the    
humbling ,power of ,truth1 ,i had to    

admire the ,loving-kindness of the ,lord
 manifested to us6  ,on the twenty-sixth
 ,day1 ,i crossed ,susquehannah2 and    
coming amongst ,people in outward ,ease 
and ,greatness1 chiefly on the ,labour  
of ,slaves1 my ,heart was much affected2
 and1 in awful ,retiredness1 my ,mind   
was gathered inward to the ,lord1 being 
humbly engaged that in true ,resignation
 ,i might receive ,instruction from him1
 respecting my ,duty amongst this       
,people4  ,though travelling on ,foot   
was wearisome to my ,body2 yet thus     
travelling was agreeable to the ,state  
of my ,mind4  ,i went gently on1 being  
weakly2 and was covered with ,sorrow and
 ,heaviness1 on ,account of the         
spreading prevailing ,spirit of this    
,world1 introducing ,customs grievous   
and oppressive on one ,hand1 and        
cherishing ,pride and ,wantonness on the
 other4 ,in this lonely ,walk1 and      
,state of ,abasement and ,humiliation1  
the ,state of the ,church in these      
,parts was opened before me2 and ,i may 

truly say with the ,prophet1 ,i was     
bowed down at the hearing of it2 ,i was 
dismayed at the seeing of it4 ,under    
this ,exercise1 ,i attended the         
,quarterly-meeting at ,gunpowder2 and1  
in ,bowedness of ,spirit1 ,i had to     
open1 with much ,plainness1 what ,i felt
 respecting ,friends living in          
,fullness1 on the ,labours of the poor  
oppressed ,negroes2 and that ,promise of
 the ,most ,high was now revived3 ,i    
will gather all ,nations and ,tongues2  
and they shall come and see my          
,glory4--,here the ,sufferings of       
,christ1 and his tasting ,death for     
every ,man1 and the ,travels1           
,sufferings1 and ,martyrdoms1 of the    
,apostles and primitive ,christians1 in 
labouring for the ,conversion of the    
,gentiles1 were livingly revived in me2 
and1 according to the ,measure of       
,strength afforded1 ,i laboured in some 
,tenderness of ,spirit1 being deeply    
affected amongst them3 ,and thus the    
,difference1 between the present        

,treatment which these ,gentiles1 the   
,negroes1 receive at our ,hands1 and the
 ,labours of the primitive ,christians  
for the ,conversion of the ,gentiles was
 pressed home1 and the ,power of ,truth 
came over us2 under a ,feeling of which1
 my ,mind was united to a tender-hearted
 ,people in those ,parts2 and the       
,meeting concluded in a ,sense of ,god's
 ,goodness toward his humble dependent  
,children4  ,the next ,day was a general
 ,meeting for ,worship1 much crouded2 in
 which ,i was deeply engaged in inward  
,cries to the ,lord for ,help1 that ,i  
might stand wholly resigned1 and move   
only as he might be pleased to lead me3 
,and ,i was mercifully helped to labour 
honestly and fervently amongst them1 in 
which ,i found inward ,peace2 and the   
,sincere were comforted4  ,from hence ,i
 turned toward ,pipe-,creek1 and passed 
on to the ,red-,lands2 and had several  
,meetings amongst ,friends in those     
,parts4 ,my ,heart was often tenderly   
affected1 under a ,sense of the ,lord's 

,goodness1 in sanctifying my ,troubles  
and ,exercises1 turning them to my      
,comfort1 and1 ,i believe1 to the       
,benefit of many others2 for1 ,i may    
say1 with ,thankfulness1 that in this   
,visit1 it appeared like a fresh        
tendering ,visitation in most ,places4  
,i passed on to the western             
,quarterly-meeting in ,pennsylvania2    
during the several ,days of this        
,meeting1 ,i was mercifully preserved in
 an inward feeling after the ,mind of   
,truth1 and my publick ,labours tended  
to my ,humiliation1 with which ,i was   
content3 ,and1 after the                
,quarterly-meeting of ,worship ended1 ,i
 felt ,drawings to go to the ,women's   
,meeting of ,business2 which was very   
full3 ,and here the ,humility of ,jesus 
,christ1 as a ,pattern for us to walk   
by1 was livingly opened before me2 and  
in treating on it my ,heart was         
enlarged2 and it was a baptizing ,time4 
,from hence ,i went on2 and was at      
,meetings at ,concord1 ,middletown1     

,providence1 and ,haddonfield1 and so   
,home2 where ,i found my ,family well4  
,a sense of the ,lord's merciful        
,preservation1 in this my ,journey1     
excites reverent ,thankfulness to him4  
,on the second ,day of the ninth ,month1
 #agfg1 with the ,unity of ,friends1 ,i 
set off on a ,visit to ,friends in the  
upper ,part of ,berks and ,philadelphia 
,counties2 was at eleven ,meetings in   
about two ,weeks2 and have renewed      
,cause to bow in ,reverence before the  
,lord1 who1 by the powerful ,extendings 
of his humbling ,goodness1 opened my    
,way amongst ,friends1 and made the     
,meetings 7,i trust7 profitable to us4  
,and1 the ,winter following1 ,i joined  
,friends on a ,visit to ,friends        
,families1 in some ,part of our         
,meeting2 in which ,exercise1 the pure  
,influence of divine ,love made our     
,visits reviving4  ,on the fifth ,day of
 the fifth ,month1 #agfh1 ,i left ,home 
under the humbling ,hand of the ,lord1  
having obtained a ,certificate1 in order

 to visit some ,meetings in ,maryland2  
and to proceed without a ,horse looked  
clearest to me4 ,i was at the           
,quarterly-meetings at ,philadelphia and
 ,concord2 and then went on to          
,chester-,river2 and1 crossing the ,bay 
with ,friends1 was at the               
,yearly-meeting at ,west-,river2 thence 
back to ,chester-,river2 and1 taking a  
few ,meetings in my ,way1 proceeded     
,home4 ,it was a ,journey of much inward
 ,waiting2 and1 as my ,eye was to the   
,lord1 ,way was1 several ,times1 opened 
to my humbling ,admiration1 when ,things
 had appeared very difficult4  ,in my   
,return1 ,i felt a ,relief of ,mind1    
very comfortable to me2 having1 through 
divine ,help1 laboured in much          
,plainness1 both with ,friends selected1
 and in the more publick ,meetings2 so  
that 7,i trust7 the pure ,witness1 in   
many ,minds1 was reached4  ,the eleventh
 ,day of the sixth ,month1 #agfi4       
,sundry ,cases have happened1 of late   
,years1 within the ,limits of our       

,monthly-meeting1 respecting that of    
exercising pure ,righteousness toward   
the ,negroes2 in which ,i have lived    
under a ,labour of ,heart1 that ,equity 
might be steadily kept to4 ,on this     
,account1 ,i have had some close        
,exercises amongst ,friends2 in which1  
,i may thankfully say1 ,i find ,peace3  
,and1 as my ,meditations have been on   
universal ,love1 my own ,conduct in     
,time past became of late very grievous 
to me4  ,as ,persons1 setting ,negroes  
free in our ,province1 are bound by ,law
 to maintain them1 in case they have    
,need of ,relief1 some1 who scrupled    
keeping ,slaves for ,term of ,life1 in  
the ,time of my ,youth1 were wont to    
detain their young ,negroes in their    
,service till thirty ,years of ,age1    
without ,wages1 on that ,account2 and   
with this ,custom ,i so far agreed1 that
 ,i1 being joined to another ,friend1 in
 executing the ,will of a deceased      
,friend1 once sold a ,negro ,lad till he
 might attain the ,age of thirty ,years1

 and applied the ,money to the ,use of  
the ,estate4  ,with ,abasement of       
,heart1 ,i may now say1 that sometimes1 
as ,i have sat in a ,meeting1 with my   
,heart exercised toward that awful      
,being1 who respecteth not ,persons nor 
,colours1 and have looked upon this     
,lad1 ,i have felt that all was not     
clear in my ,mind respecting him2 and as
 ,i have attended to this ,exercise1 and
 fervently sought the ,lord1 it hath    
appeared to me1 that ,i should make some
 ,restitution1 but in what ,way ,i saw  
not till lately2 when1 being under some 
,concern that ,i may be resigned to go  
on a ,visit to some ,part of the        
,west-,indies1 and under close          
,engagement of ,spirit1 seeking to the  
,lord for ,counsel herein1 that of my   
joining in the ,sale aforesaid1 came    
heavily upon me2 and my ,mind1 for a    
,time1 was covered with ,darkness and   
,sorrow2 and1 under this sore           
,affliction1 my ,heart was softened to  
receive ,instruction3 ,and here ,i first

 saw1 that1 as ,i had been one of the   
two ,executors1 who had sold this ,lad  
nine ,years longer than is common for   
our own ,children to serve1 so ,i should
 now offer a ,part of my ,substance to  
redeem the last ,half of that nine      
,years2 but1 as the ,time was not yet   
come1 ,i executed a ,bond1 binding me   
and my ,executors to pay to the ,man1 he
 was sold to1 what1 to candid ,men1     
might appear equitable for the last four
 ,years and a ,half of his ,time1 in    
case the said ,youth should be living1  
and in a ,condition likely to provide   
comfortably for himself4  ,the ninth    
,day of the tenth ,month1 #agfi4 ,my    
,heart hath often been deeply afflicted 
under a ,feeling ,i have had1 that the  
,standard of pure ,righteousness is not 
lifted up to the ,people by us1 as a    
,society1 in that ,clearness which it   
might have been1 had we been so faithful
 to the ,teachings of ,christ as we     
ought to have been3 ,and1 as my ,mind   
hath been inward to the ,lord1 the      

,purity of ,christ's ,government hath   
been opened in my ,understanding2 and1  
under this ,exercise1 that of ,friends  
being active in civil ,society1 in      
putting ,laws in force which are not    
agreeable to the ,purity of             
,righteousness1 hath1 for several       
,years1 been an increasing ,burthen upon
 me2 having felt1 in the ,openings of   
universal ,love1 that where a ,people1  
convinced of the ,truth of the inward   
,teachings of ,christ1 are active in    
putting ,laws in ,execution which are   
not consistent with pure ,wisdom1 it    
hath a necessary ,tendency to bring     
,dimness over their ,minds3 ,and1 as my 
,heart hath been thus exercised1 and a  
tender ,sympathy in me toward my        
,fellow-members1 ,i have1 within a few  
,months past1 in several ,meetings for  
,discipline1 expressed my ,concern on   
this ,subject4   ,,chapter ,x      ,his 
preparing to visit ,friends in          
,england--,his embarking at             
,chester1 in ,company with ,,samuel     

,,emlen1 in a ,ship bound to            
,london--,his deep ,exercise1 in        
observing the ,difficulties and         
,hardships the common ,sailors are      
exposed to--,considerations on the      
,dangers to which ,youth are exposed1 in
 being trained to a sea-faring          
,life2 and its ,inconsistency with a    
pious ,education--,his ,thoughts     in 
a ,storm at ,sea3 ,with many instructive
 ,contemplations on the                 
,voyage--,and his ,arrival at ,london   
,having been some ,time under a         
religious ,concern to prepare for       
crossing the ,seas1 in order to visit   
,friends in the northern ,parts of      
,england1 and more particularly         
,yorkshire2 after weighty               
,consideration1 ,i thought it expedient 
to inform ,friends1 at our              
,monthly-meeting at ,burlington1 of it2 
who1 having ,unity with me therein1 gave
 me a ,certificate2 and ,i afterward    
communicated the same to our            
,quarterly-meeting1 and they likewise   

certified their ,concurrence therewith4 
,some ,time after which1 at the general 
,spring-meeting of ,ministers and       
,elders1 ,i thought it my ,duty to      
acquaint them of the religious ,exercise
 which attended my ,mind2 with which    
they likewise signified their ,unity by 
a ,certificate1 dated the twenty-fourth 
,day of the third ,month1 #aggb1        
directed to ,friends in ,great-,britain4
  ,in the fourth ,month following1 ,i   
thought the ,time was come for me to    
make some ,enquiry for a suitable       
,conveyance2 being apprehensive that1 as
 my ,concern was principally toward the 
northern ,parts of ,england1 it would be
 most proper to go in a ,vessel bound to
 ,liverpool or ,whitehaven3 ,and1 while 
,i was at ,philadelphia1 deliberating on
 this ,occasion1 ,i was informed1 that  
my beloved ,friend1 ,,samuel ,,emlen1   
jun41 intending to go to ,london1 and   
having taken a ,passage for himself in  
the ,cabbin of a ,ship1 called ,mary and
 ,elizabeth1 of which ,,james ,,sparks  

was ,master1 and ,,john ,,head1 of the  
,city of ,philadelphia1 one of the      
,owners2 and ,i feeling a ,draught in my
 ,mind toward the ,steerage of the same 
,ship1 went first and opened to ,,samuel
 the ,feeling ,i had concerning it4  ,my
 beloved ,friend appeared glad that ,i  
had ,thoughts of going in the ,vessel   
with him1 though my ,prospect was toward
 the ,steerage2 and he1 offering to go  
with me1 we went on board1 first in the 
,cabbin1 a commodious ,room1 and then   
into the ,steerage2 where we sat down on
 a ,chest1 the ,sailors being busy about
 us3 ,then the ,owner of the ,ship came1
 and sat down with us4  ,here my ,mind  
was turned toward ,christ1 the heavenly 
,counsellor2 and ,i feeling1 at this    
,time1 my own ,will subjected1 my ,heart
 was contrite before him4  ,a ,motion   
was made1 by the ,owner1 to go and sit  
in the ,cabbin1 as a ,place more        
retired2 but ,i felt easy to leave the  
,ship1 and made no ,agreement as to a   
,passage in her2 but told the ,owner1 if

 ,i took a ,passage in the ,ship1 ,i    
believed it would be in the ,steerage2  
but did not say much as to my ,exercise 
in that ,case4  ,i went to my ,lodgings1
 and soon after went to ,bed1 and my    
,mind was under a deep ,exercise before 
the ,lord2 whose helping ,hand was      
manifested to me as ,i slept that       
,night1 and his ,love strengthened my   
,heart4 ,in the ,morning ,i went with   
two ,friends on board the ,vessel again2
 and1 after a short ,time spent therein1
 ,i went1 with ,,samuel ,,emlen1 to the 
,house of the ,owner2 to whom1 in the   
,hearing of ,,samuel only1 ,i opened my 
,exercise1 in relation to a ,scruple    
with regard to a ,passage in the        
,cabbin4  ,after this ,i agreed for a   
,passage in the ,steerage2 and1 hearing 
in ,town that ,,joseph ,,white had a    
,desire to see me1 ,i felt the ,reviving
 of a ,desire to see him1 and went then 
to his ,house1 and next ,day ,home2     
where ,i tarried two ,nights2 and then1 
early in the ,morning1 ,i parted with my

 ,family1 under a ,sense of the humbling
 ,hand of ,god upon me2 and going to    
,philadelphia1 had ,opportunity with    
several of my beloved ,friends2 who     
appeared to be concerned for me1 on     
,account of the unpleasant ,situation of
 that ,part of the ,vessel where ,i was 
likely to lodge4  ,having stayed two    
,nights in ,philadelphia1 ,i went the   
next ,day to ,derby ,monthly-meeting2   
where1 through the ,strength of divine  
,love1 my ,heart was enlarged toward the
 ,youth then present2 under which ,i was
 helped to labour in some ,tenderness of
 ,spirit4 ,then1 lodging at ,,william   
,,horne',s1 ,i1 with one ,friend1 went  
to ,chester2 where1 meeting with        
,,samuel ,,emlen1 we went on board1 the 
first ,day of the fifth ,month1 #aggb2  
and1 as ,i sat down alone1 on a ,seat on
 the ,deck1 ,i felt a satisfactory      
,evidence that my ,proceedings were not 
in my own ,will1 but under the ,power of
 the ,cross of ,christ4  ,seventh ,day  
of the fifth ,month4 ,we have had rough 

,weather mostly since ,i came on board2 
and the ,passengers1 ,,james ,,reynolds1
 ,,john ,,till-,,adams1 ,,sarah ,,logan 
and her hired ,maid1 and ,,john         
,,bispham1 were all sea-sick1 more or   
less1 at ,times2 from which ,sickness1  
through the tender ,mercies of my       
heavenly ,father1 ,i have been          
preserved2 my ,afflictions now being of 
another ,kind4  ,there appeared an      
,openness in the ,minds of the ,master  
of the ,ship and of the                 
,cabbin-,passengers toward me3 ,we were 
often together on the ,deck1 and        
sometimes in the ,cabbin4  ,my ,mind1   
through the merciful ,help of the ,lord1
 hath been preserved in a good ,degree1 
watchful and inward2 and ,i have1 this  
,day1 great ,cause to be thankful1 in   
that ,i remain to feel ,quietness of    
,mind4  ,as my lodging in the ,steerage1
 now near a ,week1 hath afforded me     
sundry ,opportunities of seeing1        
hearing1 and feeling1 with respect to   
the ,life and ,spirit of many poor      

,sailors1 an inward ,exercise of ,soul  
hath attended me1 in regard to placing  
our ,children and ,youth where they may 
be likely to be exampled and instructed 
in the pure ,fear of the ,lord2 and ,i1 
being much amongst the ,seamen1 have1   
from a ,motion of ,love1 sundry ,times  
taken ,opportunities1 with one of them  
at a ,time alone1 and in a free         
,conversation laboured to turn their    
,minds toward the ,fear of the ,lord3   
,and this ,day we had a ,meeting in the 
,cabbin1 where my ,heart was contrite   
under a ,feeling of divine ,love4  ,now1
 concerning ,lads being trained up as   
,seamen2 ,i believe a ,communication    
from one ,part of the ,world to some    
other ,parts of it1 by ,sea1 is1 at     
,times1 consistent with the ,will of our
 heavenly ,father2 and to educate some  
,youth in the ,practice of sailing1 ,i  
believe1 may be right3 ,but how         
lamentable is the present ,corruption of
 the ,world6 how impure are the         
,channels through which ,trade hath a   

,conveyance6 how great is that ,danger1 
to which poor ,lads are now exposed1    
when placed on shipboard to learn the   
,art of sailing6  ,o6 that all may take 
,heed and beware of ,covetousness6 ,o   
that all may learn of ,christ1 who was  
meek and low of ,heart6 ,then1 in       
faithfully following him1 he will teach 
us to be content with ,food and         
,raiment1 without respect to the        
,customs or ,honours of this ,world4    
,men1 thus redeemed1 will feel a tender 
,concern for their ,fellow-creatures1   
and a ,desire that those in the lowest  
,stations may be assisted and           
encouraged2 and1 where ,owners of ,ships
 attain to the perfect ,law of ,liberty1
 and are ,doers of the ,word1 these will
 be blessed in their ,deeds4  ,rising to
 work in the ,night is not commonly     
pleasant in any case2 but1 in dark rainy
 ,nights1 it is very disagreeable1 even 
though each ,man were furnished with all
 ,conveniences3 ,but1 if ,men must go   
out at ,midnight1 to help manage the    

,ship in the ,rain1 and1 having small   
,room to sleep and lay their ,garments  
in1 are often beset to furnish          
themselves for the ,watch1 their        
,garments or something relating to their
 ,business being wanting and not easily 
found1 when1 from the ,urgency          
occasioned by high ,winds1 they are     
hastened and called up suddenly1 here is
 a ,trial of ,patience on the poor      
,sailors and the poor ,lads their       
,companions4  ,if1 after they have been 
on ,deck several ,hours in the ,night1  
and come down into the ,steerage soaking
 wet1 and are so close stowed that      
proper ,convenience for change of       
,garment is not easily come at1 but for 
,want of proper ,room1 their wet        
,garments are thrown in ,heaps1 and     
sometimes1 through much crouding1 are   
trodden under ,foot in going to their   
,lodgings and getting out of them1 and  
they have great ,difficulties1 at       
,times1 each one to find his own1 here  
are ,trials on the poor ,sailors4  ,now1

 as ,i have been with them in my ,lodge1
 my ,heart hath often yearned for them1 
and tender ,desires have been raised in 
me1 that all ,owners and ,masters of    
,vessels may dwell in the ,love of ,god1
 and therein act uprightly2 and1 by     
seeking less for ,gain1 and looking     
carefully to their ,ways1 may earnestly 
labour to remove all ,cause of          
,provocation from the poor ,seamen1     
either to fret or use ,excess of        
,strong-drink2 for1 indeed1 the poor    
,creatures1 at ,times1 in the ,wet and  
,cold1 seem to apply to ,strong-drink to
 supply the ,want of other ,convenience4
  ,great ,reformation in the ,world is  
wanting2 and the ,necessity of it1      
amongst these who do ,business on great 
,waters1 hath1 at this ,time1 been      
abundantly opened before me4  ,the      
eighth ,day of the fifth ,month4 ,this  
,morning the ,clouds gathered1 the ,wind
 blew strong from ,south-eastward1 and  
before ,noon increased to that ,degree  
that ,sailing appeared dangerous4 ,the  

,seamen then bound up some of their     
,sails1 and took down some2 and1 the    
,storm increasing1 they put the         
,dead-lights1 so called1 into the       
,cabbin-,windows1 and lighted a ,lamp as
 at ,night4  ,the ,wind now blew        
vehemently1 and the ,sea wrought to that
 ,degree1 that an awful ,seriousness    
prevailed in the ,cabbin1 in which ,i   
spent1 ,i believe1 about seventeen      
,hours2 for ,i believed the poor wet    
toiling ,seamen had ,need of all the    
,room in the crouded ,steerage1 and the 
,cabbin-,passengers had given me        
frequent ,invitations4  ,they ceased now
 from ,sailing1 and put the ,vessel in  
the ,posture called1 lying-to4  ,my     
,mind1 in this ,tempest1 through the    
gracious ,assistance of the ,lord1 was  
preserved in a good ,degree of          
,resignation2 and ,i felt1 at ,times1 a 
few ,words in his ,love to my           
,ship-mates1 in regard to the           
,all-sufficiency of him who formed the  
great ,deep1 and whose ,care is so      

extensive1 that a ,sparrow falls not    
without his ,notice2 and thus1 in a     
tender ,frame of ,mind1 spake to them of
 the ,necessity of our yielding1 in true
 ,obedience1 to the ,instructions of our
 heavenly ,father1 who sometimes1       
through ,adversities1 intendeth our     
,refinement4  ,about eleven at ,night ,i
 went out on the ,deck1 when the ,sea   
wrought exceedingly1 and the            
high-foaming ,waves1 all round about1   
had in some ,sort the ,appearance of    
,fire1 but did not give much1 if any1   
,light4  ,the ,sailor1 then at the      
,helm1 said he lately saw a ,corposant  
at the ,head of the ,mast4  ,about this 
,time ,i observed the ,master of the    
,ship ordered the ,carpenter to keep on 
the ,deck2 and1 though he said little1  
,i apprehended his ,care was1 that the  
,carpenter1 with his axe1 might be in   
,readiness1 in case of any ,extremity4  
,soon after this1 the ,vehemency of the 
,wind abated2 and1 before ,morning1 they
 again put the ,ship under ,sail4  ,the 

tenth ,day of the ,month1 and first of  
the ,week1 it being fine ,weather1 we   
had a ,meeting in the ,cabbin1 at which 
most of the ,seamen were present3 ,this 
,meeting to me was a strengthening      
,time4  ,the thirteenth ,day of the     
,month4 ,as ,i continue to lodge in the 
,steerage1 ,i feel an ,openness this    
,morning1 to express something farther  
of the ,state of my ,mind1 in ,respect  
to poor ,lads bound ,apprentice to learn
 the ,art of ,sailing4 ,as ,i believe   
,sailing is of some ,use in the ,world1 
a ,labour of ,soul attends me1 that the 
pure ,counsel of ,truth may be humbly   
waited for in this ,case1 by all        
concerned in the ,business of the ,seas4
  ,a pious ,father1 whose ,mind is      
exercised for the everlasting ,welfare  
of his ,child1 may not1 with a peaceable
 ,mind1 place him out to an ,employment 
amongst a ,people1 whose common ,course 
of ,life is manifestly corrupt and      
prophane2 so great is the present       
,defect amongst ,seafaring ,men1 in     

regard to ,piety and ,virtue3 ,and1     
through an abundant ,traffic1 and many  
,ships of ,war1 so many ,people are     
employed on the ,sea1 that this ,subject
 of placing ,lads to the ,employment    
appears very weighty4  ,prophane        
,examples are very corrupting1 and very 
forcible4 ,and as my ,mind1 ,day after  
,day1 and ,night after ,night1 hath been
 affected with a sympathizing           
,tenderness toward poor ,children1 put  
to the ,employment of ,sailors1 ,i have 
sometimes had weighty ,conversation with
 the ,sailors in the ,steerage1 who were
 mostly respectful to me1 and more and  
more so the longer ,i was with them3    
,they mostly appeared to take kindly    
what ,i said to them2 but their ,minds  
have appeared to be so deeply impressed 
with that almost universal ,depravity   
amongst ,sailors1 that the poor         
,creatures1 in their ,answers to me on  
this ,subject1 have revived in my       
,remembrance that of the degenerate     
,jews a little before the ,captivity1 as

 repeated by ,,jeremiah the ,prophet1   
,there is no ,hope4  ,now1 under this   
,exercise1 a ,sense of the ,desire of   
outward ,gain prevailing amongst us hath
 felt grievous1 and a strong ,call to   
the professed ,followers of ,christ hath
 been raised in me1 that all may take   
,heed1 lest1 through loving this present
 ,world1 they be found in a continued   
,neglect of ,duty1 with respect to a    
faithful ,labour for a ,reformation4    
,silence1 as to every ,motion proceeding
 from the ,love of ,money1 and an humble
 ,waiting upon ,god to know his ,will   
concerning us1 has now appeared         
necessary3 ,he alone is able to         
strengthen us to dig deep1 to remove all
 which lies between us and the safe     
,foundation1 and so direct us in our    
outward ,employments1 that pure         
universal ,love may shine forth in our  
,proceedings4  ,desires arising from the
 ,spirit of ,truth are pure ,desires2   
and when a ,mind1 divinely opened toward
 a young ,generation1 is made sensible  

of corrupting ,examples1 powerfully     
working1 and extensively spreading      
amongst them1 how moving is the         
,prospect6  ,the sixteenth ,day of the  
,month4 ,wind for several ,days past    
often high1 what the ,sailors call      
squally1 rough ,sea and frequent ,rains4
 ,this last ,night a very trying ,night 
to the poor ,seamen3 ,the ,water1 chief 
,part of the ,night1 running over the   
main ,deck1 and sometimes               
,breaking-waves came on the             
,quarter-deck4 ,the latter ,part of the 
,night1 as ,i lay in ,bed1 my ,mind was 
humbled under the ,power of divine      
,love2 and ,resignedness to the great   
,creator of the ,earth and ,seas1       
renewedly wrought in me2 whose fatherly 
,care over his ,children felt precious  
to my ,soul3 ,and ,desires were now     
renewed in me1 to embrace every         
,opportunity of being inwardly          
acquainted with the ,hardships and      
,difficulties of my ,fellow-creatures1  
and to labour in his ,love for the      

spreading of pure universal             
,righteousness on the ,earth4 ,the      
,opportunities were frequent of hearing 
,conversation amongst the ,sailors1 in  
respect to the ,voyages to ,africa1 and 
the ,manner of bringing the             
deeply-oppressed ,slaves into our       
,islands4 ,the ,thoughts of their       
,condition1 frequently in ,chains and   
,fetters on board the ,vessels1 with    
,hearts loaded with ,grief1 under the   
,apprehensions of miserable ,slavery2 my
 ,mind was frequently opened to meditate
 on these ,things4  ,on the seventeenth 
,day of the ,month1 and first of the    
,week1 we had a ,meeting in the ,cabbin2
 to which the ,seamen generally came4   
,my ,spirit was contrite before the     
,lord2 whose ,love1 at this ,time1      
affected my ,heart4  ,this ,afternoon ,i
 felt a tender ,sympathy of ,soul with  
my poor ,wife and ,family left behind2  
in which ,state1 my ,heart was enlarged 
in ,desires that they may walk in that  
humble ,obedience wherein the           

everlasting ,father may be their ,guide 
and ,support1 through all the           
,difficulties in this ,world2 and a     
,sense of that gracious ,assistance1    
through which my ,mind hath been        
strengthened to take up the ,cross and  
leave them1 to travel in the ,love of   
,truth1 hath begotten ,thankfulness in  
my ,heart to our great ,helper4  ,on the
 twenty-fourth ,day of the ,month1 and  
first of the ,week1 a clear pleasant    
,morning3 ,and1 as ,i sat on ,deck1 ,i  
felt a ,reviving in my ,nature2 which1  
through much rainy ,weather and high    
,winds1 being shut up in a close        
unhealthy ,air1 was weakened4  ,several 
,nights of late ,i felt ,breathing      
difficult2 so that a little after the   
rising of the second ,watch 7which is   
about ,midnight7 ,i got up1 and stood1  
,i believe1 near an ,hour1 with my ,face
 near the ,hatchway1 to get the fresh   
,air at the small ,vacancy under the    
,hatch-door2 which is commonly shut     
down1 partly to keep out ,rain1 and     

sometimes to keep the ,breaking-waves   
from dashing into the ,steerage4  ,i    
may1 with ,thankfulness to the ,father  
of ,mercies1 acknowledge1 that1 in my   
present weak ,state1 my ,mind hath been 
supported to bear the ,affliction with  
,patience2 and have looked at the       
present ,dispensation as a ,kindness    
from the great ,father of ,mankind1 who1
 in this my floating ,pilgrimage1 is in 
some ,degree bringing me to feel that1  
which many thousands of my              
,fellow-creatures often suffer in a     
greater ,degree4  ,my ,appetite failing1
 the ,trial hath been the heavier2 and  
,i have felt tender ,breathings in my   
,soul after ,god1 the ,fountain of      
,comfort1 whose inward ,help hath       
supplied1 at ,times1 the ,want of       
outward ,convenience3 ,and strong       
,desires have attended me1 that his     
,family1 who are acquainted with the    
,movings of his holy ,spirit1 may be so 
redeemed from the ,love of ,money1 and  
from that ,spirit in which ,men seek    

,honour one of another1 that in all     
,business1 by ,sea or ,land1 we may     
constantly keep in ,view the coming of  
his ,kingdom on ,earth1 as it is in     
,heaven2 and1 by faithfully following   
this safe ,guide1 shew forth ,examples1 
tending to lead out of that under which 
the ,creation groans6  ,this ,day we had
 a ,meeting in the ,cabbin2 in which ,i 
was favoured in some ,degree to         
experience the fulfilling of that       
,saying of the ,prophet1 ,the ,lord hath
 been a ,strength to the ,poor1 a       
,strength to the ,needy in their        
,distress2 for which1 my ,heart is bowed
 in ,thankfulness before him6  ,the     
twenty-eighth ,day of the ,month4--,wet 
,weather of late1 small ,winds inclining
 to ,calms3 ,our ,seamen have cast a    
,lead1 ,i suppose about one hundred     
,fathoms1 but find no ,bottom3 ,foggy   
,weather this ,morning4  ,through the   
,kindness of the great ,preserver of    
,men my ,mind remains quiet2 and a      
,degree of ,exercise1 from ,day to ,day1

 attends me1 that the pure peaceable    
,government of ,christ may spread and   
prevail amongst ,mankind4  ,the leading 
on of a young ,generation in that pure  
,way in which the ,wisdom of this ,world
 hath no ,place2 where ,parents and     
,tutors1 humbly waiting for the heavenly
 ,counsellor1 may example them in the   
,truth1 as it is in ,jesus2--this1 for  
several ,days1 hath been the ,exercise  
of my ,mind4 ,o6 how safe1 how quiet1 is
 that ,state1 where the ,soul stands in 
pure ,obedience to the ,voice of        
,christ1 and a watchful ,care is        
maintained not to follow the ,voice of  
the ,stranger6  ,here ,christ is felt to
 be our ,shepherd1 and1 under his       
,leading1 ,people are brought to a      
,stability2 and1 where he doth not lead 
forward1 we are bound1 in the ,bonds of 
pure ,love1 to stand still and wait upon
 him4 ,in the ,love of ,money1 and in   
the ,wisdom of this ,world1 ,business is
 proposed2 then the ,urgency of ,affairs
 pushes forward2 nor can the ,mind in   

this ,state1 discern the good and       
perfect ,will of ,god concerning us4    
,the ,love of ,god is manifested in     
graciously calling us to come out of    
that which stands in ,confusion3 ,but1  
if we bow not in the ,name of ,jesus2 if
 we give not up those ,prospects of     
,gain1 which1 in the ,wisdom of this    
,world1 are open before us1 but say1 in 
our ,hearts1 ,i must needs go on1 and1  
in going on1 ,i hope to keep as near to 
the ,purity of ,truth as the ,business  
before me will admit of2 here the ,mind 
remains entangled1 and the ,shining of  
the ,light of ,life into the ,soul is   
obstructed4  ,in an entire ,subjection  
of our ,wills the ,lord graciously opens
 a ,way for his ,people1 where all their
 ,wants are bounded by his ,wisdom2 and 
here we experience the ,substance of    
what ,moses the ,prophet figured out in 
the ,water of ,separation1 as a         
,purification from ,sin4  ,esau is      
mentioned as a ,child red all over1 like
 a hairy ,garment3 ,in ,esau is         

represented the natural ,will of ,man4  
,in preparing the ,water of ,separation1
 a red ,heifer1 without ,blemish1 on    
which there had been no ,yoke1 was to be
 slain1 and her ,blood sprinkled by the 
,priest seven ,times toward the         
,tabernacle of the ,congregation2 then  
her ,skin1 her ,flesh1 and all          
pertaining to her1 were to be burnt     
without the ,camp2 and of her ,ashes the
 ,water was prepared4 ,thus the         
crucifying the old ,man1 or natural     
,will1 is represented2 and hence comes a
 ,separation from that carnal ,mind1    
which is ,death4  ,he who toucheth the  
dead ,body of a ,man1 and purifieth not 
himself with the ,water of ,separation1 
he defileth the ,tabernacle of the      
,lord2 he is unclean4 ,numb4 xix4 #ac4  
,if any1 through the ,love of ,gain1 go 
forth into ,business1 wherein they dwell
 as amongst the ,tombs1 and touch the   
,bodies of those who are dead2 if these1
 through the infinite ,love of ,god feel
 the ,power of the ,cross of ,christ to 

crucify them to the ,world1 and therein 
learn humbly to follow the divine       
,leader2--here is the ,judgment of this 
,world2--here the ,prince of this ,world
 is cast out4  ,the ,water of           
,separation is felt2 and1 though we have
 been amongst the ,slain1 and1 through  
the ,desire of ,gain1 have touched the  
dead ,body of a ,man1 yet1 in the       
purifying ,love of ,christ1 we are      
washed in the ,water of ,separation2 are
 brought off from that ,business1 from  
that ,gain1 and from that ,fellowship1  
which was not agreeable to his holy     
,will3 ,and ,i have felt a renewed      
,confirmation1 in the ,time of this     
,voyage1 that the ,lord1 in his infinite
 ,love1 is calling to his visited       
,children1 so to give up all outward    
,possessions and ,means of getting      
,treasures1 that his holy ,spirit may   
have free ,course in their ,hearts1 and 
direct them in all their ,proceedings4  
,to feel the ,substance pointed at in   
this ,figure1 ,man must know ,death1 as 

to his own ,will4  ,no ,man can see     
,god1 and live4 ,this was spoken by the 
,almighty to ,moses the ,prophet1 and   
opened by our blessed ,redeemer4  ,as   
,death comes on our own ,wills1 and a   
new ,life is formed in us1 the ,heart is
 purified and prepared to understand    
clearly4 ,blessed are the ,pure in      
,heart2 for they shall see ,god4 ,in    
,purity of ,heart the ,mind is divinely 
opened to behold the ,nature of         
universal ,righteousness1 or the        
,righteousness of the ,kingdom of ,god4 
,no ,man hath seen the ,father1 save he 
that is of ,god2 he hath seen the       
,father4  ,the natural ,mind is active  
about the ,things of this ,life2 and1 in
 this natural ,activity1 ,business is   
proposed1 and a ,will in us to go       
forward in it4 ,as long as this natural 
,will remains unsubjected1 so long there
 remains an ,obstruction against the    
,clearness of divine ,light operating in
 us2 but when we love ,god with all our 
,heart1 and with all our ,strength1 then

 in this ,love1 we love our ,neighbours 
as ourselves2 and a ,tenderness of      
,heart is felt toward all ,people for   
whom ,christ died1 even such who1 as to 
outward ,circumstances1 may be to us as 
the ,jews were to the ,samaritans4 ,who 
is my ,neighbour8 ,see this ,question   
answered by our ,saviour1 ,luke x4 #cj4 
,in this ,love we can say1 that ,jesus  
is the ,lord2 and the ,reformation in   
our ,souls is manifested in a full      
,reformation of our ,lives1 wherein all 
,things are new1 and all ,things are of 
,god2 #b ,cor4 v4 #ah4 in this the      
,desire of ,gain is subjected4  ,when   
,employment is honestly followed in the 
,light of ,truth1 and ,people become    
diligent in ,business1 fervent in       
,spirit1 serving the ,lord2 ,rom4 xii4  
#aa4 here the ,name is opened3 ,this is 
the ,name by which he shall be called1  
,,the ,,lord ,,our ,,righteousness4     
,jerem4 xxiii4 #f4 ,o6 how precious is  
this ,name6 it is like ,ointment poured 
out4 ,the chaste ,virgins are in ,love  

with the ,redeemer2 and1 for the        
promoting his peaceable ,kingdom in the 
,world1 are content to endure ,hardness1
 like good ,soldiers2 and are so        
separated in ,spirit from the ,desire of
 ,riches1 that in their ,employments    
they become extensively careful to give 
none ,offence1 neither to ,jews nor     
,heathen1 nor the ,church of ,christ4   
,on the thirty-first ,day of the ,month1
 and first of the ,week1 we had a       
,meeting in the ,cabbin1 with near all  
the ,ship's ,company2 the ,whole being  
near thirty4 ,in this ,meeting1 the     
,lord1 in ,mercy1 favoured us with the  
,extendings of his ,love4  ,the second  
,day of the sixth ,month4 ,last ,evening
 the ,seamen found ,bottom at about     
seventy ,fathoms4  ,this ,morning1 fair 
,wind1 and pleasant4 ,as ,i sat on      
,deck1 my ,heart was overcome with the  
,love of ,christ1 and melted into       
,contrition before him2 and1 in this    
,state1 the ,prospect of that ,work1 to 
which ,i have felt my ,mind drawn when  

in my native ,land1 being in some       
,degree opened before me1 ,i felt like a
 little ,child3 and my ,cries were put  
up to my heavenly ,father for           
,preservation1 that1 in a humble        
,dependence on him1 my ,soul might be   
strengthened in his ,love1 and kept     
inwardly waiting for his ,counsel4      
,this ,afternoon we saw that ,part of   
,england called the ,lizard4  ,some     
,dunghill-fowls yet remained of those   
the ,passengers took for their          
,sea-store2 ,i believe about fourteen   
perished in the ,storms at ,sea1 by the 
,waves breaking over the ,quarter-deck2 
and a considerable ,number with         
,sickness1 at different ,times4 ,i      
observed the ,cocks crew1 coming down   
the ,delaware1 and while we were near   
the ,land2 but afterward ,i think ,i did
 not hear one of them crow till we came 
near the ,land in ,england1 when they   
again crowed a few ,times4  ,in         
observing their dull ,appearance at     
,sea1 and the pining ,sickness of some  

of them1 ,i often remembered the        
,fountain of ,goodness1 who gave ,being 
to all ,creatures1 and whose ,love      
extends to that of caring for the       
,sparrows2 and believe1 where the ,love 
of ,god is verily perfected1 and the    
true ,spirit of ,government watchfully  
attended to1 a ,tenderness toward all   
,creatures made subject to us will be   
experienced1 and a ,care felt in us1    
that we do not lessen that ,sweetness of
 ,life1 in the animal ,creation1 which  
the great ,creator intends for them in  
our ,government4  ,the fourth ,day of   
the ,month4 ,about ,noon a ,pilot came  
off from ,dover2 where my beloved       
,friend1 ,,samuel ,,emlen1 went on      
,shore1 and thence to ,london2 but ,i   
felt easy in staying in the ,ship4  ,the
 seventh ,day of the ,month1 and first  
of the ,week4 ,clear ,morning2 we lay at
 ,anchor for the ,tide1 and had a       
,parting-meeting with the ,ship's       
,company2 in which my ,heart was        
enlarged in a fervent ,concern for them1

 that they may come to experience       
,salvation through ,christ4 ,we had a   
,head-,wind up the ,thames2 lay         
sometimes at ,anchor2 saw many ,ships   
passing1 and some at ,anchor near2 and  
had large ,opportunity of feeling the   
,spirit in which the poor bewildered    
,sailors too generally live4--,that     
lamentable ,degeneracy1 which so much   
prevails on the ,people employed on the 
,seas1 so affected my ,heart1 that ,i   
cannot easily convey the ,feeling ,i    
have had to another4   ,,chapter ,,xi   
,his attending the ,yearly-meeting in   
,london2 and1 after it1     proceeding  
towards ,yorkshire1 visiting several    
,quarterly and other     ,meetings in   
the ,counties of ,hertford1 ,warwick1   
,oxford1 ,nottingham1     ,york1 and    
,westmoreland2 and thence again into    
,yorkshire1 and to     the ,city of     
,york2 with some instructive ,thoughts  
and ,observations1     and ,letters on  
divers ,subjects--,his hearing of the   
,decease of     ,,william ,,hunt2 and   

some ,account of him--,his ,sickness at 
,york2     and ,end of his ,pilgrimage  
there  ,on the eighth ,day of the sixth 
,month1 #aggb1 we landed at ,london2 and
 ,i went straightway to the             
,yearly-meeting of ,ministers and       
,elders1 which had been gathered 7,i    
suppose7 about half an ,hour4  ,in this 
,meeting my ,mind was humbly contrite3  
,in the ,afternoon the ,meeting of      
,business opened2 which1 by             
,adjournments1 held near a ,week4 ,in   
these ,meetings ,i often felt a living  
,concern for the ,establishment of      
,friends in the pure ,life of ,truth2   
and my ,heart was enlarged in the       
,meeting of ,ministers1 ,meeting of     
,business1 and in several ,meetings of  
publick ,worship2 and ,i felt my ,mind  
united in true ,love to the faithful    
,labourers now gathered at this         
,yearly-meeting4  ,on the fifteenth ,day
 of the ,month1 ,i left ,london1 and    
went to a ,quarterly-meeting at         
,hertford4  ,the first ,day of the      

seventh ,month4 ,i have been at         
,quarterly-meetings at ,sherrington1    
,northampton1 ,banbury1 and ,shipston2  
and had sundry ,meetings between3 ,my   
,mind hath been bowed under a ,sense of 
divine ,goodness manifested amongst us2 
my ,heart hath been often enlarged in   
true ,love1 both amongst ,ministers and 
,elders1 and in publick ,meetings2 that 
through the ,lord's ,goodness1 ,i       
believe it hath been a fresh ,visitation
 to many1 in particular to the ,youth4  
,the seventeenth ,day of the ,month4    
,was this ,day at ,birmingham3 ,have    
been at ,meetings at ,coventry1         
,warwick1 in ,oxfordshire1 and sundry   
other ,places2 have felt the humbling   
,hand of the ,lord upon me2 and through 
his tender ,mercies find ,peace in the  
,labours ,i have gone through4  ,the    
twenty-sixth ,day of the ,month4 ,i have
 continued travelling northward1        
visiting ,meetings3 ,was this ,day at   
,nottingham2 which1 in the ,forenoon    
especially1 was1 through divine ,love1 a

 ,heart-tendering ,season3 ,next ,day   
had a ,meeting in a ,friend's ,house    
with ,friends ,children and some        
,friends2 this1 through the             
strengthening ,arm of the ,lord1 was a  
,time to be thankfully remembered4  ,the
 second ,day of the eighth ,month1 and  
first of the ,week4 ,was this ,day at   
,sheffield1 a large inland ,town3 ,have 
been at sundry ,meetings last ,week2 and
 feel inward ,thankfulness for that     
divine ,support1 which hath been        
graciously extended to me4  ,the ninth  
,day of the ,month1 and first of the    
,week1 was at ,rushworth3 ,have lately  
passed through some painful ,labour2 but
 have been comforted1 under a ,sense of 
that divine ,visitation1 which ,i feel  
extended toward many young ,people4     
,the sixteenth ,day of the ,month1 and  
first of the ,week1 ,i was at ,settle3  
,it hath of late been a ,time of inward 
,poverty2 under which my ,mind hath been
 preserved in a watchful tender ,state1 
feeling for the ,mind of the holy       

,leader1 and ,i find ,peace in the      
,labours ,i have passed through4  ,i    
have felt great ,distress of ,mind1     
since ,i came on this ,island1 on       
,account of the ,members of our ,society
 being mixed with the ,world in various 
,sorts of ,business and ,traffick1      
carried on in impure ,channels4 ,great  
is the ,trade to ,africa for ,slaves6   
and1 in loading these ,ships1 abundance 
of ,people are employed in the          
,factories2 amongst whom are many of our
 ,society4 ,friends1 in early ,times1   
refused1 on a religious ,principle1 to  
make1 or trade in1 ,superfluities2 of   
which we have many large ,testimonies on
 ,record2 but1 for ,want of             
,faithfulness1 some gave way2 even some1
 whose ,examples were of ,note in our   
,society2 and from thence others took   
more ,liberty4 ,members of our ,society 
worked in ,superfluities1 and bought and
 sold them2 and thus ,dimness of ,sight 
came over many3 ,at length1 ,friends got
 into the ,use of some ,superfluities in

 ,dress1 and in the ,furniture of their 
,houses2 and this hath spread from less 
to more1 till ,superfluity of some      
,kinds is common amongst us4  ,in this  
declining ,state1 many look at the      
,example one of another1 and too much   
neglect the pure ,feeling of ,truth4 ,of
 late ,years1 a deep ,exercise hath     
attended my ,mind1 that ,friends may dig
 deep1 may carefully cast forth the     
loose ,matter1 and get down to the      
,rock1 the sure ,foundation1 and there  
hearken to that divine ,voice which     
gives a clear and certain ,sound2 and ,i
 have felt in that which doth not       
deceive1 that if ,friends1 who have     
known the ,truth1 keep in that          
,tenderness of ,heart1 where all ,views 
of outward ,gain are given up1 and their
 ,trust is only on the ,lord1 he will   
graciously lead some to be ,patterns of 
deep ,self-denial in ,things relating to
 ,trade and ,handicraft-labour2 and that
 some1 who have plenty of the ,treasures
 of this ,world1 will example in a plain

 frugal ,life1 and pay ,wages1 to such  
as they may hire1 more liberally than is
 now customary in some ,places4  ,the   
twenty-third ,day of the ,month4 ,was   
this ,day at ,preston-,patrick1 and had 
a comfortable ,meeting4 ,i have1 several
 ,times1 been entertained at the ,houses
 of ,friends1 who had sundry ,things    
about them which had the ,appearance of 
outward ,greatness2 and1 as ,i have kept
 inward1 ,way hath opened for           
,conversation with such in private1 in  
which ,divine ,goodness hath favoured us
 together with heart-tendering ,times4  
,i rested a few ,days1 in ,body and     
,mind1 with our ,friend ,,jane          
,,crosfield2 who was once in ,america3  
,was1 on the sixth ,day of the ,week1 at
 ,kendal in ,westmoreland2 and at       
,greyrig ,meeting the thirtieth ,day of 
the ,month1 and first of the ,week4  ,i 
have known ,poverty of late1 and been   
graciously supported to keep in the     
,patience2 and am thankful1 under a     
,sense of the ,goodness of the ,lord    

toward those that are of a contrite     
,spirit4  ,the sixth ,day of the ninth  
,month1 and first of the ,week4 ,was    
this ,day at ,counterside1 a large      
,meeting-house1 and very full2 and1     
through the ,opening of pure ,love1 it  
was a strengthening ,time to me1 and 7,i
 believe7 to many more4  ,the thirteenth
 ,day of the ,month4 ,was this ,day at  
,richmond1 a small ,meeting2 but1 the   
,town's ,people coming in1 the ,house   
was crowded3 ,it was a ,time of heavy   
,labour2 and 7,i believe7 was a         
profitable ,meeting4  ,at this ,place ,i
 heard that my ,kinsman ,,william       
,,hunt1 from ,north-,carolina1 who was  
on a religious ,visit to ,friends in    
,england1 departed this ,life on the    
ninth ,day of the ninth ,month1         
,instant1 of the ,small-pox1 at         
,newcastle4--,he appeared in the        
,ministry when a ,youth2 and his        
,labours therein were of good ,savour4  
,he travelled much in that ,work in     
,america4 ,i once heard him say1 in     

publick ,testimony1 that his ,concern   
was 7in that ,visit7 to be devoted to   
the ,service of ,christ so fully1 that  
he might not spend one ,minute in       
pleasing himself3 ,which ,words1 joined 
with his ,example1 were a ,means of     
stirring up the pure ,mind in me4  ,on  
this ,visit to ,england ,i have felt    
some ,instructions sealed on my ,mind1  
which ,i am concerned to leave in       
,writing1 for the ,use of such as are   
called to the ,station of a ,minister of
 ,christ4  ,christ being the ,prince of 
,peace1 and we being no more than       
,ministers1 ,i find it necessary for us1
 not only to feel a ,concern in our     
first going forth1 but to experience the
 renewing thereof1 in the ,appointment  
of ,meetings4  ,i felt a ,concern1 in   
,america1 to prepare for this ,voyage2  
and1 being1 through the ,mercy of ,god1 
brought safe here1 my ,heart was like a 
,vessel that wanted ,vent2 and for      
several ,weeks1 at first1 when my ,mouth
 was opened in ,meetings1 it often felt 

like the raising of a ,gate in a        
,water-course1 where a ,weight of ,water
 lay upon it2 and in these ,labours     
there appeared a fresh ,visitation to   
many1 especially the ,youth2 but        
sometimes1 after this1 ,i felt empty and
 poor1 and yet felt a ,necessity to     
appoint ,meetings4  ,in this ,state ,i  
was exercised to abide in the pure ,life
 of ,truth1 and in all my ,labours to   
watch diligently against the ,motions of
 ,self in my own ,mind4  ,i have        
frequently felt a ,necessity to stand   
up1 when the ,spring of the ,ministry   
was low2 and to speak from the          
,necessity1 in that which subjecteth the
 ,will of the ,creature2 and herein ,i  
was united with the suffering ,seed1 and
 found inward ,sweetness with these     
mortifying ,labours4  ,as ,i have been  
preserved in a watchful ,attention to   
the divine ,leader1 under these         
,dispensations1 ,enlargement at ,times  
hath followed1 and the ,power of ,truth 
hath risen higher1 in some ,meetings1   

than ,i ever knew it before through me4 
,thus ,i have been more and more        
instructed1 as to the ,necessity of     
depending1 not upon a ,concern which ,i 
felt in ,america1 to come on a ,visit to
 ,england1 but upon the fresh           
,instructions of ,christ1 the ,prince of
 ,peace1 from ,day to ,day4  ,now1 of   
late1 ,i felt a ,stop in the            
,appointment of ,meetings1 not wholly1  
but in ,part2 and ,i do not feel        
,liberty to appoint them so quick one   
after another as ,i have heretofore4    
,the ,work of the ,ministry being a     
,work of divine ,love1 ,i feel that the 
,openings thereof are to be waited for1 
in all our ,appointments4  ,o6 how deep 
is divine ,wisdom6 ,christ puts forth   
his ,ministers1 and goeth before them3  
,and ,o6 how great is the ,danger of    
departing from the pure ,feeling of that
 which leadeth safely6  ,christ knoweth 
the ,state of the ,people2 and1 in the  
pure ,feeling of the ,gospel-,ministry1 
their ,states are opened to his         

,servants4  ,christ knoweth when the    
,fruit-bearing ,branches themselves have
 ,need of purging4  ,o6 that these      
,lessons may be remembered by me6 and   
that all who appoint ,meetings may      
proceed in the pure ,feeling of ,duty4  
,i have sometimes felt a ,necessity to  
stand up2 but that ,spirit which is of  
the ,world hath so much prevailed in    
many1 and the pure ,life of ,truth been 
so pressed down1 that ,i have gone      
forward1 not as one travelling in a     
,road cast up and well prepared1 but as 
a ,man walking through a ,miry place1 in
 which are ,stones here and there1 safe 
to step on1 but so situated1 that1 one  
,step being taken1 ,time is necessary to
 see where to step next4  ,now ,i find  
that1 in the pure ,obedience1 the ,mind 
learns ,contentment1 in appearing weak  
and foolish to that ,wisdom which is of 
the ,world2 and in these lowly ,labours1
 they who stand in a low ,place1 rightly
 exercised under the ,cross1 will find  
,nourishment4  ,the ,gift is pure2 and1 

while the ,eye is single in attending   
thereto1 the ,understanding is preserved
 clear3 ,self is kept out4 ,we rejoice  
in filling up that which remains of the 
,afflictions of ,christ1 for his ,body's
 ,sake1 which is the ,church4  ,the     
natural ,man loveth ,eloquence1 and many
 love to hear eloquent ,orations2 and1  
if there is not a careful ,attention to 
the ,gift1 ,men who have once laboured  
in the pure ,gospel-ministry1 growing   
weary of ,suffering1 and ashamed of     
appearing weak1 may kindle a ,fire1     
compass themselves about with ,sparks1  
and walk in the ,light2 not of ,christ  
who is under ,suffering2 but of that    
,fire which they1 going from the ,gift1 
have kindled2 and that in ,hearers1     
which is gone from the meek suffering   
,state1 into the worldly ,wisdom1 may be
 warmed with this ,fire1 and speak      
highly of these ,labours4 ,that which is
 of ,god gathers to ,god2 and that which
 is of the ,world is owned by the       
,world4  ,in this ,journey a ,labour    

hath attended my ,mind1 that the        
,ministers amongst us may be preserved  
in the meek feeling ,life of ,truth1    
where we may have no ,desire but to     
follow ,christ and be with him2 that1   
when he is under ,suffering1 we may     
suffer with him1 and never desire to    
rise up in ,dominion1 but as he1 by the 
,virtue of his own ,spirit1 may raise   
us4         99       99       99        
99       99  ,a few ,days after writing 
these ,considerations1 our dear ,friend1
 in the ,course of his religious        
,visits1 came to the ,city of ,york1 and
 attended most of the ,sittings of the  
,quarterly-meeting there2 but1 before it
 was over1 was taken ill of the         
,small-pox4 ,our ,friend1 ,,thomas      
,,priestman1 and others who attended    
him1 preserved the following ,minutes of
 his ,expressions in the ,time of his   
,sickness and of his ,decease4          
,first-day1 the twenty-seventh of the   
ninth ,month1 #aggb4 ,his ,disorder     
appeared to be the ,small-pox4          

,second-day4 ,he said he felt the       
,disorder to affect his ,head1 so that  
he could think little1 and but as a     
,child4  ,third-day he uttered the      
following ,prayer4--,o ,lord my ,god6   
the amazing ,horrors of ,darkness were  
gathered around me and covered me all   
over1 and ,i saw no ,way to go forth2 ,i
 felt the ,depth and ,extent of the     
,misery of my ,fellow-creatures         
separated from the divine ,harmony1 and 
it was heavier than ,i could bear1 and  
,i was crushed down under it2 ,i lifted 
up my ,hand1 ,i stretched out my ,arm1  
but there was none to help me2 ,i looked
 round about and was amazed2 in the     
,depths of ,misery1 ,o ,lord6 ,i        
remembered that thou art omnipotent1    
that ,i had called thee ,father1 and ,i 
felt that ,i loved thee1 and ,i was made
 quiet in thy ,will1 and ,i waited for  
,deliverance from thee2 thou hadst ,pity
 upon me when no ,man could help me3 ,i 
saw that ,meekness under ,suffering was 
shewed to us in the most affecting      

,example of thy ,son1 and thou taughtest
 me to follow him1 and ,i said1 ,thy    
,will1 ,o ,father6 be done4             
,fourth-day-morning1 being asked how he 
felt himself1 he meekly answered1 ,i do 
not know that ,i have slept this ,night1
 ,i feel the ,disorder making its       
,progress1 but my ,mind is mercifully   
preserved in ,stillness and ,peace3     
,sometime after he said he was sensible 
the ,pains of ,death must be hard to    
bear2 but1 if he escaped them now1 he   
must sometime pass through them1 and he 
did not know that he could be better    
prepared1 but had no ,will in it4 ,he   
said he had settled his outward ,affairs
 to his ,mind1 had taken ,leave of his  
,wife and ,family as never to return1   
leaving them to the divine ,protection2 
adding1 and though ,i feel them near to 
me at this ,time1 yet ,i freely give    
them up1 having a ,hope that they will  
be provided for4 ,and a little after    
said1 ,this ,trial is made easier than  
,i could have thought1 my ,will being   

wholly taken away2 for if ,i were       
anxious for the ,event1 it would have   
been harder2 but ,i am not1 and my ,mind
 enjoys a perfect ,calm4  ,in the ,night
 a young ,woman having given him        
something to drink1 he said1 ,my ,child1
 thou seemest very kind to me1 a poor   
,creature1 the ,lord will reward thee   
for it4 ,a ,while after he cried out    
with great ,earnestness of ,spirit1 ,o  
my ,father6 my ,father6 and soon after  
he said1 ,o my ,father6 my ,father6 how 
comfortable art thou to my ,soul in this
 trying ,season6 ,being asked if he     
could take a little ,nourishment2 after 
some ,pause he replied1 my ,child1 ,i   
cannot tell what to say to it2 ,i seem  
nearly arrived where my ,soul shall have
 ,rest from all its ,troubles4 ,after   
giving in something to be inserted in   
his ,journal1 he said1 ,i believe the   
,lord will now excuse me from ,exercises
 of this ,kind2 and ,i see no ,work but 
one1 which is to be the last wrought by 
me in this ,world2 the ,messenger will  

come that will release me from all these
 ,troubles2 but it must be in the       
,lord's ,time1 which ,i am waiting for4 
,he said he had laboured to do whatever 
was required1 according to the ,ability 
received1 in the ,remembrance of which  
he had ,peace2 and1 though the ,disorder
 was strong at ,times1 and would like a 
,whirlwind come over his ,mind1 yet it  
had hitherto been kept steady1 and      
centered in everlasting ,love2 adding1  
and if that be mercifully continued1 ,i 
ask nor desire no more4 ,another ,time  
he said1 he had long had a view of      
visiting this ,nation1 and1 sometime    
before he came1 had a ,dream1 in which  
he saw himself in the northern ,parts of
 it1 and that the ,spring of the ,gospel
 was opened in him much as in the       
,beginning of ,friends1 such as ,,george
 ,,fox and ,,william ,,dewsberry1 and he
 saw the different ,states of the       
,people1 as clear as he had ever seen   
,flowers in a ,garden2 but in his going 
along he was suddenly stopt1 though he  

could not see for what ,end2 but1       
looking towards ,home1 fell into a      
,flood of ,tears which waked him4  ,at  
another ,time he said1 ,my ,draught     
seemed strongest towards the ,north1 and
 ,i mentioned1 in my own                
,monthly-meeting1 that attending the    
,quarterly-meeting at ,york1 and being  
there1 looked like ,home to me4         
,fifth-day-night1 having repeatedly     
consented to take ,medicine with a ,view
 to settle his ,stomach1 but without    
,effect1 the ,friend1 then waiting on   
him1 said1 through ,distress1 ,what     
shall ,i do now8 ,he answered with great
 ,composure1 ,rejoice evermore1 and in  
every ,thing give ,thanks2 but added a  
little after1 this is sometimes hard to 
come at4  ,sixth-day-morning1 he broke  
forth early in ,supplication on this    
wise3 ,o ,lord6 it was thy ,power that  
enabled me to forsake ,sin in my ,youth1
 and ,i have felt thy ,bruises for      
,disobedience2 but1 as ,i bowed under   
them1 thou didst heal me1 continuing a  

,father and a ,friend3 ,i feel thy      
,power now1 and ,i beg that1 in the     
approaching trying ,moment1 thou wilt   
keep my ,heart stedfast unto            
thee4----,upon his giving ,directions to
 a ,friend concerning some little       
,things1 she said1 ,i will take ,care1  
but hope thou wilt live to order them   
thyself4 ,he replied1 ,my ,hope is in   
,christ2 and1 though ,i may seem a      
little better1 a ,change in the         
,disorder may soon happen1 and my little
 ,strength be dissolved2 and1 if it so  
happen1 ,i shall be gathered to my      
everlasting ,rest4 ,on her saying she   
did not doubt that1 but could not help  
mourning to see so many faithful        
,servants removed at so low a ,time1 he 
said1 ,all ,good cometh from the ,lord1 
whose ,power is the same1 and can work  
as he sees best4 ,the same ,day he had  
given ,directions about wrapping his    
,corpse1 perceiving a ,friend to weep1  
he said1 ,i would rather thou wouldst   
guard against weeping for me1 my        

,sister2 ,i sorrow not1 though ,i have  
had some painful ,conflicts2 but now    
they seem over1 and ,matters well       
settled1 and ,i look at the ,face of my 
dear ,redeemer2 for sweet is his ,voice1
 and his ,countenance is comely4        
,first-day1 fourth of the tenth ,month1 
being very weak1 and in general         
difficult to be understood1 he uttered a
 few ,words in ,commemoration of the    
,lord's ,goodness1 and added1 ,how      
tenderly have ,i been waited on in this 
,time of ,affliction6 in which ,i may   
say1 in ,,job',s ,words1 ,tedious ,days 
and wearisome ,nights are appointed unto
 me3 ,and how many are spending their   
,time and ,money in ,vanity and         
,superfluities1 while thousands and tens
 of thousands want the ,necessaries of  
,life1 who might be relieved by them1   
and their ,distresses1 at such a ,time  
as this1 in some degree softened1 by the
 administering suitable ,things6        
,second-day-morning1 the ,apothecary1   
who appeared very anxious to assist him1

 being present1 he queried about the    
,probability of such a ,load of ,matter 
being thrown off his weak ,body2 and1   
the ,apothecary making some ,remarks    
implying he thought it might1 he spoke  
with an audible ,voice on this          
wise3--,my ,dependance is on the ,lord  
,jesus1 who1 ,i trust1 will forgive my  
,sins1 which is all ,i hope for2 and1 if
 it be his ,will to raise up this ,body 
again1 ,i am content2 and1 if to die1 ,i
 am resigned2 and1 if thou canst not be 
easy without trying to assist ,nature1  
,i submit4 ,after which his ,throat was 
so much affected1 that it was very      
difficult for him to speak so as to be  
understood2 and he frequently wrote when
 he wanted any ,thing4 ,about the second
 ,hour1 on ,fourth-day ,morning1 he     
asked for ,pen and ,ink1 and1 at several
 ,times1 with much ,difficulty1 wrote   
thus3 ,i believe my being here is in the
 ,wisdom of ,christ2 ,i know not as to  
,life or ,death4  ,about a ,quarter     
before six1 the same ,morning1 he seemed

 to fall into an easy ,sleep1 which     
continued about ,half an ,hour2 when1   
seeming to awake1 he breathed a few     
,times with more ,difficulty1 and       
expired1 without ,sigh1 ,groan1 or      
,struggle6   ,,end ,,of ,,the ,,journal 
,,the ,,last ,,epistle  ,,other         
,,writings ,,of ,,john ,,woolman   ,,the
 ,,introduction  ,my ,mind hath often   
been affected with ,sorrow1 on ,account 
of the prevailing of that ,spirit1 which
 leads from an humble waiting on the    
inward ,teaching of ,christ1 to pursue  
,ways of ,living1 attended with         
unnecessary ,labour1 and which draws    
forth the ,minds of many ,people to seek
 after outward ,power1 and to strive for
 ,riches1 which frequently introduce    
,oppression1 and bring forth ,wars and  
grievous ,calamities4  ,it is with      
,reverence that ,i acknowledge the      
,mercies of our ,heavenly ,father1 who1 
in ,infinite ,love1 did visit me in my  
,youth1 and wrought a ,belief in me1    
that through true ,obedience a ,state of

 inward ,purity may be known in this    
,life1 in which we may love ,mankind in 
the same ,love with which our ,redeemer 
loveth us1 and therein learn            
,resignation to endure ,hardships1 for  
the real ,good of others4  ,while the   
,eye is single1 the whole ,body is full 
of ,light1 ,mat4 vi4 #bb4 but for want  
of this1 selfish ,desires1 and an       
imaginary ,superiority1 darken the      
,mind2 hence ,injustice frequently      
proceeds2 and where this is the ,case1  
to convince the ,judgment1 is the most  
effectual ,remedy4  ,where violent      
,measures are pursued in opposing       
,injustice1 the ,passions1 and          
,resentments1 of the ,injured1          
frequently operate in the ,prosecution  
of their ,designs2 and after ,conflicts 
productive of very great ,calamities1   
the ,minds of contending ,parties often 
remain as little acquainted with the    
pure ,principle of ,divine ,love1 as    
they were before2 but where ,people walk
 in that pure ,light in which all their 

,works are wrought in ,god1 ,john iii4  
#ba4 and under ,oppression persevere in 
the meek ,spirit1 and abide firm in the 
,cause of ,truth1 without actively      
complying with oppressive ,demands1     
through those the ,lord hath often      
manifested his ,power1 in opening the   
,understandings of others1 to the       
promoting ,righteousness in the ,earth4 
,a ,time1 ,i believe1 is coming1 wherein
 this ,divine ,work will so spread and  
prevail1 that ,nation shall not lift up 
,sword against ,nation1 nor learn ,war  
any more1 ,isaiah ii4 #d4 ,and as we1   
through the tender ,mercies of ,god1 do 
feel that this precious ,work is begun1 
,i am concerned to encourage my         
,brethren and ,sisters in a ,holy ,care 
and ,diligence1 that each of us may so  
live1 under the sanctifying ,power of   
,truth1 as to be redeemed from all      
unnecessary ,cares2 that our ,eye being 
single to him1 no ,customs1 however     
prevalent1 which are contrary to the    
,wisdom from above1 may hinder us from  

faithfully following his ,holy          
,leadings1 in whatsoever he may         
graciously appoint for us4              
,,considerations ,,on ,,pure ,,wisdom   
,,and ,,human ,,policy   ,to have our   
,trust settled in the ,lord1 and not to 
seek after1 nor desire outward          
,treasures1 any further than his ,holy  
,spirit leads us therein1 is a happy    
,state1 as saith the ,prophet1 ,blessed 
is the ,man that trusteth in the ,lord1 
and whose ,hope the ,lord is4  ,pure    
,wisdom leads ,people into ,lowliness of
 ,mind1 in which they learn ,resignation
 to the ,divine ,will1 and ,contentment 
in suffering for his ,cause1 when they  
cannot keep a clear ,conscience without 
suffering4  ,in this pure ,wisdom the   
,mind is attentive to the ,root1 and    
original ,spring of ,motions and        
,desires2 and as we know the ,lord to be
 our ,refuge1 and find no ,safety but in
 humbly walking before him1 we feel an  
,holy ,engagement1 that every ,desire   
which leads therefrom may be brought to 

,judgment4  ,while we proceed in this   
precious ,way1 and find ardent ,longings
 for a full ,deliverance from every     
thing which defiles1 all ,prospects of  
,gain1 that are not consistent with the 
,wisdom from above1 are considered as   
,snares1 and an inward ,concern is felt1
 that we may live under the ,cross1 and 
faithfully attend to that ,holy ,spirit1
 which is sufficient to preserve out of 
them4  ,when ,i have considered that    
,saying of ,christ1 ,mat4 vi4 #ai1 ,lay 
not up for yourselves ,treasures upon   
,earth1 his ,omnipotence hath often     
occurred to my ,mind4  ,while we believe
 that he is every where present with his
 ,people1 and that perfect ,goodness1   
,wisdom and ,power are united in him1   
how comfortable is the ,consideration4  
,our ,wants may be great1 but his ,power
 is greater4 ,we may be oppressed and   
despised1 but he is able to turn our    
patient ,sufferings into ,profit to     
ourselves1 and to the ,advancement of   
his ,work on ,earth4 ,his ,people1 who  

feel the ,power of his ,cross1 to       
crucify all that is selfish in them1 who
 are engaged in outward ,concerns1 from 
a ,convincement that it is their ,duty1 
and resign themselves1 and their        
,treasures1 to him2 these feel that it  
is dangerous to give way to that in us1 
which craves ,riches and ,greatness in  
this ,world4  ,as the ,heart truly      
contrite1 earnestly desires to know     
,christ1 and the ,fellowship of his     
,sufferings1 ,phil4 iii4 #aj4 so far as 
the ,lord for gracious ,ends may lead   
into them2 as such feel that it is their
 ,interest to put their ,trust in ,god1 
and to seek no ,gain but that which he1 
by his ,holy ,spirit1 leads into2 so1 on
 the contrary1 they who do not          
reverently wait for this ,divine        
,teacher1 and are not humbly concerned1 
according to their ,measure1 to fill up 
that which is behind of the ,afflictions
 of ,christ1 ,col4 i4 #bd4 in patiently 
suffering for the promoting             
,righteousness in the ,earth2 but have  

an ,eye toward the ,power of ,men1 and  
the outward ,advantage of ,wealth1 these
 are often attentive to those           
,employments which appear profitable1   
even though the ,gains arise from such  
,trade and ,business which proceeds from
 the ,workings of that ,spirit1 which is
 estranged from the self-denying ,life  
of an humble contrite ,christian4       
,while ,i write on this ,subject1 ,i    
feel my ,mind tenderly affected toward  
those honestly disposed ,people1 who    
have been brought up in ,employments    
attended with those ,difficulties4  ,to 
such ,i may say1 in the feeling of our  
,heavenly ,father's ,love1 and number   
myself with you1 ,o that our ,eyes may  
be single to the ,lord6 ,may we         
reverently wait on him for ,strength1 to
 lay aside all unnecessary ,expence of  
every ,kind1 and learn ,contentment1 in 
a plain simple ,life4  ,may we1 in      
,lowliness1 submit to the ,leadings of  
his ,spirit1 and enter upon any outward 
,employ which he graciously points out  

to us1 and then whatever ,difficulties  
arise1 in ,consequence of our           
,faithfulness1 ,i trust they will work  
for our ,good4  ,small ,treasure to a   
resigned ,mind is sufficient4 ,how happy
 is it to be content with a little1 to  
live in ,humility1 and feel that in us1 
which breathes out this ,language1      
,abba6 ,father4  ,if that1 called the   
,wisdom of this ,world1 had no          
,resemblance of true ,wisdom1 the ,name 
of ,wisdom1 ,i suppose1 had not been    
given to it4  ,as wasting outward       
,substance1 to gratify vain ,desires1 on
 one hand2 so ,slothfulness and         
,neglect1 on the other1 do often involve
 ,men and their ,families in ,trouble1  
and reduce them to ,want and ,distress2 
to shun both these opposite ,vices1 is  
good in itself1 and hath a ,resemblance 
of ,wisdom2 but while ,people thus      
provident1 have it principally in ,view 
to get ,riches1 and ,power1 and the     
,friendship of this ,world1 and do not  
humbly wait for the ,spirit of ,truth to

 lead them into ,purity2 these1 through 
an anxious ,care to obtain the ,end     
desired1 reach forth for ,gain in       
worldly ,wisdom1 and1 in regard to their
 inward ,state1 fall into divers        
,temptations and ,snares4 ,and though   
such may think of applying ,wealth to   
good ,purposes1 and to use their ,power 
to prevent ,oppression1 yet ,wealth and 
,power is often applied otherwise2 nor  
can we depart from the ,leadings of our 
,holy ,shepherd1 without going into     
,confusion4  ,great ,wealth is          
frequently attended with ,power1 which  
nothing but ,divine ,love can qualify   
the ,mind to use rightly2 and as to the 
,humility1 and ,uprightness of our      
,children after us1 how great is the    
,uncertainty6 ,if1 in acquiring ,wealth1
 we take hold on the ,wisdom which is   
from beneath1 and depart from the       
,leadings of ,truth1 and ,example our   
,children herein1 we have great ,cause  
to apprehend1 that ,wealth may be a     
,snare to them2 and prove an ,injury to 

others1 over whom their ,wealth may give
 them ,power4  ,to be redeemed from that
 ,wisdom which is from beneath1 and walk
 in the ,light of the ,lord1 is a       
precious ,situation2 thus his ,people   
are brought to put their ,trust in him2 
and in this humble ,confidence in his   
,wisdom1 ,goodness and ,power1 the      
,righteous find a ,refuge in            
,adversities1 superior to the greatest  
outward ,helps1 and a ,comfort more     
certain than any worldly ,advantages can
 afford4   ,,on ,,labour  ,having from  
my ,childhood been used to ,bodily      
,labour for a ,living1 ,i may express my
 ,experience therein4  ,right ,exercise 
affords an innocent ,pleasure in the    
,time of it1 and prepares us to enjoy   
the ,sweetness of ,rest2 but from the   
,extremes each ,way1 arise              
,inconveniences4  ,moderate ,exercise   
opens the ,pores1 gives the ,blood a    
lively ,circulation1 and the better     
enables us to judge rightly respecting  
that ,portion of ,labour which is the   

true ,medium4  ,the ,fowls of the ,air  
sow not1 nor gather into ,barns1 yet our
 ,heavenly ,father feedeth them1 ,mat4  
vi4 #bf4 nor do ,i believe that         
,infinite ,goodness and ,power would    
have allotted ,labour to us1 had he not 
seen that ,labour was proper for us in  
this ,life4  ,the original ,design1 and 
true ,medium of ,labour1 is a ,subject  
that1 to me1 appears worthy of our      
serious ,consideration4  ,idle ,men are 
often a ,burden to themselves1 neglect  
the ,duty they owe to their ,families1  
and become burdensome to others also4   
,as outward ,labour1 directed by the    
,wisdom from above1 tends to our        
,health1 and adds to our ,happiness in  
this ,life2 so1 on the contrary1        
entering upon it in a selfish ,spirit1  
and pursuing it too long1 or too hard1  
hath a contrary ,effect4  ,i have       
observed1 that too much ,labour not only
 makes the ,understanding dull1 but so  
intrudes upon the ,harmony of the ,body1
 that after ceasing from our ,toil1 we  

have another to pass through1 before we 
can be so composed as to enjoy the      
,sweetness of ,rest4  ,from too much    
,labour in the ,heat1 frequently        
proceeds immoderate ,sweats1 which do   
often1 ,i believe1 open the ,way for    
,disorders1 and impair our              
,constitutions4  ,when we go beyond the 
true ,medium1 and feel ,weariness       
approaching1 but think ,business may    
suffer if we cease1 at such a ,time     
spirituous ,liquors are frequently      
taken1 with a ,view to support ,nature  
under these ,fatigues4  ,i have found   
that too much ,labour in the ,summer    
heats the ,blood1 that taking strong    
,drink to support the ,body under such  
,labour1 increaseth that ,heat1 and     
though a ,person may be so far temperate
 as not to manifest the least ,disorder1
 yet the ,mind1 in such a ,circumstance1
 doth not retain that ,calmness and     
,serenity which we should endeavour to  
live in4  ,thus toiling in the ,heat1   
and drinking strong ,liquor1 makes ,men 

more resolute1 and less considerate1 and
 tends very much to disqualify from     
successfully following him who is meek  
and low of ,heart4  ,as laying out      
,business1 more than is consistent with 
pure ,wisdom1 is an ,evil1 so this ,evil
 frequently leads into more4 ,too much  
,business leads to ,hurry4 ,in the      
,hurry and ,toil too much strong ,drink 
is often used1 and hereby many proceed  
to ,noise and ,wantonness1 and some1    
though more considerate1 do often suffer
 ,loss1 as to a true ,composedness of   
,mind4  ,i feel sincere ,desires in my  
,heart that no ,rent1 nor ,interest1    
might be laid so high as to be a ,snare 
to ,tenants4 ,that no ,desires of ,gain 
may draw any too far in ,business4 ,that
 no ,cares to support ,customs1 which   
have not their ,foundation in pure      
,wisdom1 may have ,place in our ,minds1 
but that we may build on the sure       
,foundation1 and feel our ,holy         
,shepherd to lead us1 who alone is able 
to preserve us1 and bring forth from    

every ,thing which defiles4  ,having    
several ,times1 in my ,travels1 had     
,opportunity to observe the ,labour and 
,manner of ,life of great ,numbers of   
,slaves1 it appears to me that the true 
,medium is lamentably neglected by many1
 who assign them their ,portion of      
,labour4  ,without saying much at this  
,time1 concerning buying and selling    
,men for ,term of ,life1 who have as    
just a ,right to ,liberty as we have2   
nor about the great ,miseries1 and      
,effusion of ,blood1 consequent to      
promoting the ,slave-trade1 and to speak
 as favourably as may be1 with regard to
 continuing those in ,bondage who are   
amongst us1 we cannot say there is no   
,partiality in it2 for whatever         
,tenderness may be manifested by        
,individuals in their ,life-time towards
 them1 yet for ,people to be transmitted
 from a ,man to his ,posterity1 in the  
helpless ,condition of ,slaves1 appears 
inconsistent with the ,nature of the    
,gospel ,spirit4 ,from such ,proceedings

 it often follows1 that ,persons in the 
,decline of ,life1 are deprived of      
,monies equitably due to them1 and      
committed to the ,care1 and subjected to
 the absolute ,power of young           
unexperienced ,men1 who know but little 
about the ,weakness of old ,age1 nor    
understand the ,language of declining   
,life4  ,where ,parents give their      
,estates to their ,children1 and then   
depend on them for a ,maintainance1 they
 sometimes meet with great              
,inconveniences2 but if the ,power of   
,possession1 thus obtained1 doth often  
reverse the ,obligations of ,gratitude  
and filial ,duty1 and makes manifest1   
that ,youth are often ignorant of the   
,language of old ,age1 how hard is the  
,case of ancient ,negroes1 who1 deprived
 of the ,wages equitably due to them1   
are left to young ,people1 who have been
 used to look upon them as their        
,inferiors4  ,for ,men to behold the    
,fruits of their ,labour withheld from  
them1 and possessed by others1 and in   

old ,age find themselves destitute of   
those comfortable ,accommodations1 and  
that tender ,regard which their ,time of
 ,life requires3  ,when they feel ,pains
 and ,stiffness in their ,joints and    
,limbs1 ,weakness of ,appetite1 and that
 a little ,labour is wearisome1 and     
still behold themselves in the neglected
 uncomfortable ,condition of a ,slave1  
and oftentimes to a young unsympathising
 ,man3  ,for ,men to be thus treated    
from one ,generation to another1 who1   
besides their own ,distresses1 think on 
the ,slavery entailed on their          
,posterity1 and are grieved3 ,what      
disagreeable ,thoughts must they have of
 the professed ,followers of ,jesus6    
,and how must their ,groans ascend to   
that ,almighty ,being1 who will be a    
,refuge for the ,oppressed1 ,psalm ix4  
#i4   ,,on ,,schools  ,suffer the little
 ,children to come unto me1 and forbid  
them not1 for of such is the ,kingdom of
 ,god1 ,mark x4 #ad4  ,to encourage     
,children to do ,things with a ,view to 

get ,praise of ,men1 to me appears an   
,obstruction to their being inwardly    
acquainted with the ,spirit of ,truth4  
,for it is the ,work of the ,holy       
,spirit to direct the ,mind of ,god1    
that in all our ,proceedings we may have
 a single ,eye to him4 ,to give ,alms in
 secret1 to fast in secret1 and labour  
to keep clear of that ,disposition      
reproved by our ,saviour1 ,all their    
,works which they do is for to be seen  
of ,men1 ,mat4 xxiii4 #e4  ,that ,divine
 ,light which enlightens all ,men1 ,i   
believe1 does often shine in the ,minds 
of ,children very early1 and to humbly  
wait for ,wisdom1 that our ,conduct     
toward them may tend to forward their   
,acquaintance with it1 and strengthen   
them in ,obedience thereto1 appears to  
me to be a ,duty on all of us4  ,by     
cherishing the ,spirit of ,pride1 and   
the ,love of ,praise in them1 ,i believe
 they may sometimes improve faster in   
,learning1 than otherwise they would2   
but to take ,measures to forward        

,children in ,learning1 which naturally 
tend to divert their ,minds from true   
,humility1 appears to me to savour of   
the ,wisdom of this ,world4  ,if ,tutors
 are not acquainted with ,sanctification
 of ,spirit1 nor experienced in an      
humble waiting for the ,leadings of     
,truth1 but follow the ,maxims of the   
,wisdom of this ,world1 such ,children  
who are under their ,tuition1 appear to 
me to be in ,danger of imbibing         
,thoughts1 and ,apprehensions1 reverse  
to that ,meekness1 and ,lowliness of    
,heart1 which is necessary for all the  
true ,followers of ,christ4  ,children  
at an ,age fit for ,schools1 are in a   
,time of ,life which requires the       
patient ,attention of pious ,people1 and
 if we commit them to the ,tuition of   
such1 whose ,minds we believe are not   
rightly prepared to train them up in the
 ,nurture and ,admonition of the ,lord1 
we are in ,danger of not acting the     
,part of faithful ,parents toward them2 
for our ,heavenly ,father doth not      

require us to do ,evil1 that ,good may  
come of it2 and it is needful that we   
deeply examine ourselves1 lest we get   
entangled in the ,wisdom of this ,world1
 and1 through wrong ,apprehensions1 take
 such ,methods in ,education1 as may    
prove a great ,injury to the ,minds of  
our ,children4  ,it is a lovely ,sight  
to behold innocent ,children2 and when  
they are sent to such ,schools where    
their tender ,minds are in imminent     
,danger of being led astray by ,tutors1 
who do not live a self-denying ,life1 or
 by the ,conversation of such ,children 
who do not live in ,innocence1 it is a  
,case much to be lamented4  ,while a    
pious ,tutor hath the ,charge of no more
 ,children than he can take due ,care   
of1 and keeps his ,authority in the     
,truth1 the good ,spirit in which he    
leads and governs1 works on the ,minds  
of such who are not hardened1 and his   
,labours not only tend to bring them    
forward in outward ,learning1 but to    
open their ,understandings with respect 

to the true ,christian ,life2 but where 
a ,person hath ,charge of too many1 and 
his ,thoughts and ,time are so much     
employed in the outward ,affairs of his 
,school1 that he does not so weightily  
attend to the ,spirit and ,conduct of   
each ,individual1 as to be enabled to   
administer rightly to all in due        
,season2 through such ,omission he not  
only suffers1 as to the ,state of his   
own ,mind1 but the ,minds of the        
,children are in ,danger of suffering   
also4  ,to watch the ,spirit of         
,children1 to nurture them in ,gospel   
,love1 and labour to help them against  
that which would mar the ,beauty of     
their ,minds1 is a ,debt we owe them2   
and a faithful ,performance of our      
,duty1 not only tends to their lasting  
,benefit1 and our own ,peace1 but also  
to render their ,company agreeable to   
us4  ,instruction1 thus administered1   
reaches the pure ,witness in the ,minds 
of such ,children who are not hardened1 
and begets ,love in them toward those   

who thus lead them on2 but where too    
great a ,number are committed to a      
,tutor1 and he1 through much ,cumber1   
omits a careful ,attention to the ,minds
 of ,children1 there is ,danger of      
,disorders gradually increasing amongst 
them1 till the ,effects thereof appear  
in their ,conduct1 too strong to be     
easily remedied4  ,a ,care hath lived on
 my ,mind1 that more ,time might be     
employed by ,parents at ,home1 and by   
,tutors at ,school1 in weightily        
attending to the ,spirit and            
,inclinations of ,children1 and that we 
may so lead1 instruct1 and govern them1 
in this tender ,part of ,life1 that     
nothing may be omitted in our ,power1 to
 help them on their ,way to become the  
,children of our ,father1 who is in     
,heaven4  ,meditating on the ,situation 
of ,schools in our ,provinces1 my ,mind 
hath1 at ,times1 been affected with     
,sorrow1 and under these ,exercises it  
hath appeared to me1 that if those who  
have large ,estates1 were faithful      

,stewards1 and laid no ,rent1 nor       
,interest1 nor other ,demands1 higher   
than is consistent with universal ,love2
 and those in lower ,circumstances      
would1 under a moderate ,employ1 shun   
unnecessary ,expence1 even to the       
smallest ,article2 and all unite in     
humbly seeking to the ,lord1 he would   
graciously instruct us1 and strengthen  
us1 to relieve the ,youth from various  
,snares1 in which many of them are      
entangled4   ,,on ,,the ,,right ,,use   
,,of ,,the ,,lord',s ,,outward ,,gifts  
,as our ,understandings are opened by   
the pure ,light1 we experience that1    
through an inward approaching to ,god1  
the ,mind is strengthened in ,obedience2
 and that by gratifying those ,desires  
which are not of his begetting1 those   
,approaches to him are obstructed1 and  
the deceivable ,spirit gains ,strength4 
,these ,truths1 being as it were        
engraven upon our ,hearts1 and our      
everlasting ,interest in ,christ        
evidently concerned herein1 we become   

fervently engaged1 that nothing may be  
nourished which tends to feed ,pride or 
,self-love in us4 ,thus in pure         
,obedience1 we are not only instructed  
in our ,duty to ,god1 but also in the   
,affairs which necessarily relate to    
this ,life1 and the ,spirit of ,truth   
which guides into all ,truth1 leavens   
the ,mind with a pious ,concern1 that   
whatsoever we do in ,word or ,deed1 may 
be done in his ,name1 ,col4 iii4 #ag4   
,hence such ,buildings1 ,furniture1     
,food1 and ,raiment1 as best answer our 
,necessities1 and are the least likely  
to feed that selfish ,spirit which is   
our ,enemy1 are the most acceptable to  
us4  ,in this ,state the ,mind is       
tender1 and inwardly watchful1 that the 
,love of ,gain draw us not into any     
,business1 which may weaken our ,love to
 our ,heavenly ,father1 or bring        
unnecessary ,trouble to any of his      
,creatures4  ,thus the ,way gradually   
opens to cease from that ,spirit which  
craves ,riches and ,things fetched far1 

which so mixeth with the ,customs of    
this ,world1 and so intrudes upon the   
true ,harmony of ,life1 that the right  
,medium of ,labour is very much departed
 from4 ,and as the ,minds of ,people are
 settled in a steady ,concern1 not to   
hold nor possess any ,thing but what may
 be held consistent with the ,wisdom    
from above1 they consider what they     
possess as the ,gift of ,god1 and are   
inwardly exercised1 that in all ,parts  
of their ,conduct they may act agreeable
 to the ,nature of the peaceable        
,government of ,christ4  ,a little      
supports such a ,life2 and in a ,state  
truly resigned to the ,lord1 the ,eye is
 single1 to see what outward ,employ he 
leads into1 as a ,means of our          
,subsistence1 and a lively ,care is     
maintained to hold to that without      
launching further4  ,there is a ,harmony
 in the several ,parts of this ,divine  
,work in the ,hearts of ,people2 he who 
leads them to cease from those gainful  
,employments1 carried on in that ,wisdom

 which is from beneath1 delivers also   
from the ,desire after worldly          
,greatness1 and reconciles the ,mind to 
a ,life so plain1 that a little doth    
suffice4  ,here the real ,comforts of   
,life are not lessened4 ,moderate       
,exercise1 in the ,way of true ,wisdom1 
is pleasant both to ,mind and ,body4    
,food and ,raiment sufficient1 though in
 the greatest ,simplicity1 is accepted  
with ,content and ,gratitude4  ,the     
mutual ,love1 subsisting between the    
faithful ,followers of ,christ1 is more 
pure than that ,friendship which is not 
seasoned with ,humility1 how specious   
soever the ,appearance4  ,where ,people 
depart from pure ,wisdom in one ,case1  
it is often an ,introduction to depart  
from it in many more2 and thus a ,spirit
 which seeks for outward ,greatness1 and
 leads into worldly ,wisdom to attain   
it1 and support it1 gets ,possession of 
the ,mind4  ,in beholding the customary 
,departure from the true ,medium of     
,labour1 and that unnecessary ,toil     

which many go through1 in supporting    
outward ,greatness1 and procuring       
,delicacies4  ,in beholding how the true
 ,calmness of ,life is changed into     
,hurry1 and that many1 by eagerly       
pursuing outward ,treasure1 are in great
 ,danger of withering as to the inward  
,state of the ,mind4  ,in meditating on 
the ,works of this ,spirit1 and on the  
,desolations it makes amongst the       
,professors of ,christianity1 ,i may    
thankfully acknowledge1 that ,i often   
feel pure ,love beget ,longings in my   
,heart1 for the ,exaltation of the      
peaceable ,kingdom of ,christ1 and an   
,engagement to labour according to the  
,gift bestowed on me1 for the promoting 
an humble1 plain1 temperate ,way of     
living4 ,a ,life where no unnecessary   
,care1 nor ,expences1 may incumber our  
,minds1 nor lessen our ,ability to do   
,good2 where no ,desires after ,riches1 
or ,greatness1 may lead into hard       
,dealing2 where no ,connections with    
worldly-minded ,men1 may abate our ,love

 to ,god1 nor weaken a true ,zeal for   
,righteousness4 ,a ,life wherein we may 
diligently labour for ,resignedness to  
do1 and suffer1 whatever our ,heavenly  
,father may allot for us1 in reconciling
 the ,world to himself4  ,when the      
,prophet ,isaiah had uttered his        
,vision1 and declared that a ,time was  
coming wherein ,swords should be beat   
into ,plowshares1 and ,spears into      
pruning ,hooks1 and that ,nation shall  
not lift up ,sword against ,nation1 nor 
learn ,war any more2 he immediately     
directs the ,minds of ,people to the    
,divine ,teacher1 in this remarkable    
,language2 ,o ,house of ,jacob6 come ye1
 and let us walk in the ,light of the   
,lord1 ,isaiah ii4 #e4  ,to wait for the
 ,direction of this ,light1 in all      
temporal as well as spiritual ,concerns1
 appears necessary2 for if in any ,case 
we enter lightly into temporal ,affairs1
 without feeling this ,spirit of ,truth 
to open our ,way therein1 and through   
the ,love of this ,world proceed on1 and

 seek for ,gain by that ,business or    
,traffick1 which is not of the ,father1 
but of the ,world1 #a ,john ii4 #af we  
fail in our ,testimony to the ,purity   
and ,peace of his ,government1 and get  
into that which is for ,chastisement4   
,this ,matter hath lain heavy on my     
,mind1 it being evident1 that a ,life   
less humble1 less simple and plain1 than
 that which ,christ leads his ,sheep    
into1 does necessarily require a        
,support1 which pure ,wisdom does not   
provide for2 hence there is no          
,probability of our being a peculiar    
,people1 so zealous of good ,works1 as  
to have no ,fellowship with ,works of   
,darkness1 ,titus ii4 #ad4 ,ephes4 v4   
#aa4 while we have ,wants to supply     
which have their ,foundation in ,custom1
 and do not come within the ,meaning of 
those ,expressions1 your ,heavenly      
,father knoweth that ye have need of all
 these ,things1 ,mat4 vi4 #cb4  ,these  
,things which he beholds necessary for  
his ,people1 he fails not to give them  

in his own ,way and ,time2 but as his   
,ways are above our ,ways1 and his      
,thoughts above our ,thoughts1 so       
imaginary ,wants are different from     
these ,things which he knoweth that we  
have need of4  ,as my ,meditations have 
been on these ,things1 ,compassion hath 
filled my ,heart toward my ,fellow      
,creatures1 involved in ,customs1 grown 
up in the ,wisdom of this ,world1 which 
is ,foolishness with ,god1 #a ,cor4 iii4
 #ai4 ,and ,o that the ,youth may be so 
thoroughly experienced in an humble     
,walking before the ,lord1 that they may
 be his ,children1 and know him to be   
their ,refuge1 their safe unfailing     
,refuge1 through the various ,dangers   
attending this uncertain ,state of      
,being6  ,if those whose ,minds are     
redeemed from the ,love of ,wealth1 and 
who are content with a plain1 simple    
,way of living1 do yet find that to     
conduct the ,affairs of a ,family1      
without giving ,countenance to          
unrighteous ,proceedings1 or having     

,fellowship with ,works of ,darkness1   
the most diligent ,care is necessary4   
,if ,customs1 distinguishable from      
universal ,righteousness1 and opposite  
to the true ,self-denying ,life1 are now
 prevalent1 and so mixed with ,trade1   
and with almost every ,employ1 that it  
is only through humble waiting on the   
inward ,guidance of ,truth1 that we may 
reasonably hope to walk safely1 and     
support an uniform ,testimony to the    
peaceable ,government of ,christ3  ,if  
this be the ,case1 how lamentably do    
they expose themselves to ,temptations1 
who give way to the ,love of ,riches1   
conform to expensive ,living1 and reach 
forth for ,gain1 to support ,customs1   
which our ,holy ,shepherd leads not     
into4     ,,considerations ,,on ,,the   
,,true ,,harmony ,,of ,,mankind1 ,,and  
,how it is to be maintained4  ,by ,,john
 ,,woolman       ,and the ,remnant of   
,jacob shall be in the midst of many    
,people1      as the ,dew from the      
,lord1 as the ,showers upon the ,grass1 

that      tarrieth not for ,man1 nor    
waiteth for the ,sons of ,men1 ,micah v4
 #g4       ,,london3      ,re-printed by
 ,,mary ,,hinde4   ,,the ,,introduction 
,as ,mankind from one ,parent are       
divided into many ,families1 and as     
,trading to ,sea is greatly increased   
within a few ,ages past2 amidst this    
extended ,commerce how necessary is it  
that the professed ,followers of ,christ
 keep sacred his ,holy ,name1 and be    
employed about ,trade and ,traffick no  
farther than ,justice and ,equity       
evidently accompanies8 ,that we may give
 no just ,cause of ,offence to any1     
however distant1 or unable to plead     
their own ,cause2 and may continually   
keep in ,view the ,spreading of the true
 and saving ,knowledge of ,god1 and his 
,son ,jesus ,christ1 amongst our ,fellow
 ,creatures1 which through his infinite 
,love some feel to be more precious than
 any other ,treasure4   ,,considerations
 ,,on ,,the ,,true ,,harmony ,,of       
,,mankind c4   ,,chapter ,i      ,on    

serving the ,lord in our outward        
,employments  ,under the humbling       
,dispensations of the ,father of        
,mercies1 ,i have felt an inward ,labour
 for the ,good of my ,fellow ,creatures1
 and a ,concern that the ,holy ,spirit1 
which alone can restore ,mankind to a   
,state of true ,harmony1 may with       
,singleness of ,heart be waited for and 
followed4  ,i trust there are many under
 that ,visitation1 which if faithfully  
attended to1 will make them quick of    
,understanding in the ,fear of the      
,lord1 and qualify with ,firmness to be 
true ,patterns of the ,christian ,life1 
who in ,living and ,walking may hold    
forth an ,invitation to others1 to come 
out of the ,entanglements of the ,spirit
 of this ,world4  ,and that which ,i    
feel first to express is1 a ,care for   
those who are in ,circumstances1 which  
appear difficult1 with respect to       
supporting their ,families in a ,way    
answerable to pure ,wisdom1 that they   
may not be discouraged1 but remember    

that in humbly obeying the ,leadings of 
,christ1 he owneth us as his ,friends1  
,ye are my ,friends if ye do whatsoever 
,i command you2 and to be a ,friend to  
,christ1 is to be united to him1 who    
hath all ,power in ,heaven and in       
,earth2 and though a ,woman may forget  
her sucking ,child1 yet will he not     
forget his faithful ,ones4  ,the        
,condition of many who dwell in ,cities 
hath often affected me with a ,brotherly
 ,sympathy1 attended with a ,desire that
 ,resignation may be laboured for2 and  
where the ,holy ,leader directeth to a  
,country ,life1 or some ,change of      
,employ1 he may be faithfully followed2 
for1 under the refining ,hand of the    
,lord1 ,i have seen that the            
,inhabitants of some ,cities are greatly
 increased through some ,branches of    
,business which the ,holy ,spirit doth  
not lead into1 and that being entangled 
in these ,things1 tends to bring a      
,cloud over the ,minds of ,people       
convinced of the ,leadings of this ,holy

 ,leader1 and obstructs the coming of   
the ,kingdom of ,christ on ,earth as it 
is in ,heaven4  ,now if we indulge a    
,desire to imitate our ,neighbours in   
those ,things which harmonise not with  
the true ,christian ,walking1 these     
,entanglements may hold fast to us1 and 
some1 who in an awakening ,time1 feel   
tender ,scruples1 with respect to their 
,manner of ,life1 may look on the       
,example of others more noted in the    
,church1 who yet may not be refined from
 every ,degree of ,dross2 and by looking
 on these ,examples1 and desiring to    
support their ,families in a ,way       
pleasant to the natural ,mind1 there may
 be ,danger of the ,worldly ,wisdom     
gaining ,strength in them1 and of their 
,departure from that pure ,feeling of   
,truth1 which if faithfully attended to1
 would teach ,contentment in the ,divine
 ,will1 even in a very low ,estate4     
,one formerly speaking on the           
,profitableness of true ,humility saith1
 ,he that troubles not himself with     

anxious ,thoughts for more than is      
necessary1 lives little less than the   
,life of ,angels1 whilst by a ,mind     
content with little1 he imitates their  
want of nothing4 ,cave's ,prim4         
,christi4 ,page #ca4  ,it is not enough1
 says ,tertullian1 that a ,christian be 
chaste and modest1 but he must appear to
 be so3 ,a ,virtue of which he should   
have so great a ,store1 that it should  
flow from his ,mind upon his ,habit1 and
 break from the ,retirements of his     
,conscience1 into the ,superficies of   
his ,life4 ,same ,book1 ,page #dc4  ,the
 ,garments we wear1 says ,clemens1 ought
 to be mean and frugal--that is true    
,simplicity of ,habit1 which takes away 
what is vain and superfluous1 that the  
best and most solid ,garment1 which is  
the farthest from ,curiosity4 ,page #di4
  ,though the ,change from ,day to      
,night1 is by a ,motion so gradual as   
scarcely to be perceived1 yet when      
,night is come we behold it very        
different from the ,day2 and thus as    

,people become wise in their own ,eyes1 
and prudent in their own ,sight1        
,customs rise up from the ,spirit of    
this ,world1 and spread by little1 and  
little1 till a ,departure from the      
,simplicity that there is in ,christ    
becomes as distinguishable as ,light    
from ,darkness1 to such who are         
crucified to the ,world4  ,our ,holy    
,shepherd1 to encourage his ,flock in   
,firmness and ,perseverance1 reminds    
them of his ,love for them2 ,as the     
,father hath loved me1 so have ,i loved 
you2 continue ye in my ,love4 ,and in   
another ,place graciously points out the
 ,danger of departing therefrom1 by     
going into unsuitable ,employments2 this
 he represents in the ,similitude of    
,offence from that useful active        
,member1 the ,hand2 and to fix the      
,instruction the deeper1 names the right
 ,hand2 ,if thy right ,hand offend thee1
 cut it off and cast it from thee--,if  
thou feelest ,offence in thy            
,employment1 humbly follow him who leads

 into all ,truth1 and is a strong and   
faithful ,friend to those who are       
resigned to him4  ,again1 he points out 
those ,things which appearing pleasant  
to the natural ,mind1 are not best for  
us1 in the ,similitude of ,offence from 
the ,eye2 ,if thy right ,eye offend     
thee1 pluck it out and cast it from     
thee4 ,to pluck out the ,eye1 or cut off
 the ,hand1 is attended with sharp      
,pain2 and how precious is the          
,instruction which our ,redeemer thus   
opens to us1 that we may not faint under
 the most painful ,trial1 but put our   
,trust in him1 even in him who sent an  
,angel to feed ,elijah in the           
,wilderness2 who fed a ,multitude with a
 few ,barley ,loaves1 and is now as     
attentive to the ,wants of his ,people  
as ever4  ,the ,prophet ,isaiah         
represents the unrighteous ,doings of   
the ,israelites toward the ,poor1 as the
 ,fruits of an effeminate ,life2 ,as for
 my ,people1 ,children are their        
,oppressors1 and ,women rule over them3 

,what mean ye1 that ye beat my ,people  
to pieces1 and grind the ,faces of the  
,poor8 saith the ,lord ,god4 ,then he   
mentions the ,haughtiness of the        
,daughters of ,sion1 and enumerates many
 ,ornaments1 as ,instances of their     
,vanity2 to uphold which1 the ,poor were
 so hardly dealt with1 that he sets     
forth their ,poverty1 their ,leanness   
and ,inability to help themselves1 in   
the ,similitude of a ,man maimed by     
,violence1 or beaten to pieces1 and     
forced to endure the painful ,operation 
of having his ,face gradually worn away 
in the manner of grinding4  ,and ,i may 
here add1 that at ,times1 when ,i have  
felt true ,love open my ,heart towards  
my ,fellow ,creatures1 and being engaged
 in weighty ,conversation in the ,cause 
of ,righteousness1 the ,instructions ,i 
have received under these ,exercises1 in
 ,regard to the true ,use of the outward
 ,gifts of ,god1 have made deep and     
lasting ,impressions on my ,mind4  ,i   
have here beheld1 how the ,desire to    

provide ,wealth1 and to uphold a        
delicate ,life1 hath grievously         
entangled many1 and been like ,snares to
 their ,offspring2 and tho' some have   
been affected with a ,sense of their    
,difficulties1 and appeared desirous1 at
 ,times1 to be helped out of them2 yet  
for want of abiding under the humbling  
,power of ,truth1 they have continued in
 these ,entanglements2 for in remaining 
conformable to this ,world1 and giving  
,way to a delicate ,life1 this expensive
 ,way of living1 in ,parents1 and in    
,children1 hath called for a large      
,supply1 and in answering this ,call the
 ,faces of the ,poor have been ground   
away1 and made thin through hard        
,dealing4  ,there is ,balm1 there is a  
,physician2 and ,o what ,longings do ,i 
feel6 that we may embrace the ,means    
appointed for our ,healing1 know that   
removed which now ministers ,cause for  
the ,cries of many ,people to ascend to 
,heaven against their ,oppressors1 and  
that we may see the true ,harmony       

restored4  ,behold how good and how     
pleasant it is1 for ,brethren to dwell  
together in ,unity4 ,the ,nature of this
 ,unity is thus opened by the ,apostle2 
,if we walk in the ,light1 as ,christ is
 in the ,light1 we shall have           
,fellowship one with another1 and the   
,blood of ,christ will cleanse us from  
all ,sin4  ,the ,land may be polluted   
with innocent ,blood1 which like the    
,blood of ,abel may cry to the          
,almighty2 but those who walk in the    
,light1 as ,christ is in the ,light1    
they know the ,lamb of ,god1 who taketh 
away ,sin4  ,walking is a ,phrase       
frequently used in ,scripture1 to       
represent our ,journey thro' ,life1 and 
appears to comprehend the various       
,affairs and ,transactions properly     
relating to our being in this ,world4   
,christ being the ,light1 dwells always 
in the ,light2 and if our walking be    
thus1 and in every ,affair and ,concern 
we faithfully follow this ,divine       
,leader1 he preserves from giving just  

,cause for any to quarrel with us3 ,and 
where this ,foundation is laid1 and     
mutually kept to1 by ,families          
conversant with each other1 the ,way is 
open for these ,comforts in ,society1   
which our ,heavenly ,father intends as a
 ,part of our ,happiness in this ,world2
 and then we may experience the         
,goodness1 and ,pleasantness of dwelling
 together in ,unity2 but where ,ways of 
,living take place1 which tend to       
,oppression1 and in the ,pursuit of     
,wealth1 ,people do that to others which
 they know would not be acceptable to   
themselves1 either in exercising an     
absolute ,power over them1 or otherwise 
laying on them unequitable ,burdens2    
here a ,fear lest that ,measure should  
be meted to them1 which they have       
measured to others1 incites a ,care to  
support that by ,craft and cunning      
,devices which stands not on the firm   
,foundation of ,righteousness3 ,thus the
 ,harmony of ,society is broken1 and    
from hence ,commotions and ,wars do     

frequently arise in the ,world4  ,come  
out of ,babylon my ,people1 that ye be  
not ,partakers of her ,sins1 and that ye
 receive not of her ,plagues4 ,rev4 xv4 
#c1 #d4 ,this ,babel1 or ,babylon1 was  
built in the ,spirit of                 
,self-exaltation3 ,let us build us a    
,city and a ,tower1 whose ,top may reach
 to ,heaven1 and let us make us a ,name4
 ,gen4 xi4 #d4 ,in departing from an    
humble ,trust in ,god1 and following a  
selfish ,spirit1 ,people have           
,intentions to get the upperhand of     
their ,fellow ,creatures1 privately     
meditate on ,means to obtain their      
,ends1 have a ,language in their ,hearts
 which is hard to understand4 ,in ,babel
 the ,language is confounded4  ,this    
,city is represented as a ,place of     
,business1 and those employed in it1 as 
,merchants of the ,earth3 ,the          
,merchants of the ,earth are waxed rich 
through the ,abundance of her           
,delicacies4 ,rev4 xviii4 #c4  ,and it  
is remarkable in this ,call1 that the   

,language from the ,father of ,mercies  
is1 my ,people1 ,come out of ,babylon my
 ,people4 ,thus his tender ,mercies are 
toward us in an imperfect ,state2 and as
 we faithfully attend to the ,call1 the 
,path of ,righteousness is more and more
 opened2 ,cravings1 which have not their
 ,foundation in pure ,wisdom1 more and  
more cease2 and in an inward ,purity of 
,heart1 we experience a ,restoration of 
that which was lost at ,babel1          
represented by the inspired ,prophet in 
the returning of a pure ,language4      
,zeph4 iii4 #i4  ,happy for them who    
humbly attend to the ,call1 ,come out of
 ,babylon my ,people4 ,for though in    
going forth we may meet with ,trials1   
which for a ,time may be painful1 yet as
 we bow in true ,humility1 and continue 
in it1 an ,evidence is felt that ,god   
only is wise2 and that in weaning us    
from all that is selfish he prepares the
 ,way to a quiet ,habitation1 where all 
our ,desires are bounded by his ,wisdom4
 ,and an ,exercise of ,spirit attends   

me1 that we who are convinced of the    
pure ,leadings of ,truth1 may bow in the
 deepest ,reverence1 and so watchfully  
regard this ,leader1 that many who are  
grievously entangled in a ,wilderness of
 vain ,customs1 may look upon us and be 
instructed4 ,and ,o that such who have  
,plenty of this ,world's ,goods1 may be 
faithful in that with which they are    
entrusted6 and ,example others in the   
true ,christian ,walking4  ,our blessed 
,saviour1 speaking on ,worldly          
,greatness1 compares himself to one     
waiting and attending on a ,company at  
,dinner2 ,whether is greater1 he that   
sitteth at ,meat or he that serveth8 ,is
 not he that sitteth at ,meat8 ,but ,i  
am amongst you as he that serveth4 ,luke
 xxii4 #bg4  ,thus in a ,world greatly  
disordered1 where ,men aspiring to      
outward ,greatness were wont to oppress 
others to support their ,designs1 he who
 was of the highest ,descent1 being the 
,son of ,god1 and greater than any      
amongst the greatest ,families of ,men1 

by his ,example and ,doctrines          
foreclosed his ,followers from claiming 
any ,shew of outward ,greatness1 from   
any supposed ,superiority in themselves1
 or derived from their ,ancestors4  ,he 
who was greater than ,earthly ,princes1 
was not only meek and low of ,heart1 but
 his outward ,appearance was plain and  
lowly1 and free from every ,stain of the
 ,spirit of this ,world4  ,such was the 
,example of our blessed ,redeemer1 of   
whom the beloved ,disciple said1 ,he    
that saith he abideth in him1 ought also
 to walk even as he walked4  ,john      
,bradford1 who suffered ,martyrdom under
 ,queen ,mary1 wrote a ,letter to his   
,friends out of ,prison1 a short ,time  
before he was burnt1 in which are these 
,expressions2 ,consider your ,dignity as
 ,children of ,god1 and ,temples of the 
,holy ,ghost1 and ,members of ,christ1  
be ashamed therefore to think1 speak1 or
 do any ,thing unseemly1 for ,god's     
,children1 and the ,members of ,christ4 
,fox's ,acts and ,mon4 ,page #aagg4     

,,chapter ,,ii      ,on the ,example of 
,,christ  ,as my ,mind hath been brought
 into a ,brotherly ,feeling with the    
,poor1 as to the ,things of this ,life1 
who are under ,trials in regard to      
getting a ,living in a ,way answerable  
to the ,purity of ,truth2 a ,labour of  
,heart hath attended me1 that their ,way
 may not be made difficult through the  
,love of ,money in those who are tried  
with plentiful ,estates1 but that they  
with ,tenderness of ,heart may          
sympathize with them4  ,it was the      
,saying of our blessed ,redeemer1 ,ye   
cannot serve ,god and ,mammon4 ,there is
 a deep ,feeling of the ,way of ,purity1
 a ,way in which the ,wisdom of the     
,world hath no ,part1 but is opened by  
the ,spirit of ,truth1 and is called the
 ,way of ,holiness2 a ,way in which the 
,traveller is employed in watching unto 
,prayer2 and the outward ,gain we get in
 this ,journey is considered as a ,trust
 committed to us1 by him who formed and 
supports the ,world2 and is the rightful

 ,director of the ,use and ,application 
of the ,product of it4  ,now except the 
,mind be preserved chaste1 there is no  
,safety for us2 but in an ,estrangement 
from true ,resignation1 the ,spirit of  
the ,world casts up a ,way1 in which    
,gain is many ,times principally        
attended to1 and in which there is a    
selfish ,application of outward         
,treasures4  ,how agreeable to the true 
,harmony of ,society1 is that           
,exhortation of the ,apostle8 ,look not 
every ,man on his own ,things1 but every
 ,man also on the ,things of others4    
,let this ,mind be in you which was also
 in ,christ ,jesus4  ,a ,person in      
outward ,prosperity may have the ,power 
of obtaining ,riches1 but the same ,mind
 being in him which is in ,christ       
,jesus1 he may feel a ,tenderness of    
,heart towards those of low ,degree2 and
 instead of setting himself above them1 
may look upon it as an unmerited        
,favour1 that his ,way through ,life is 
more easy than the ,way of many others2 

may improve every ,opportunity of       
leading forth out of those ,customs     
which have entangled the ,family2 employ
 his ,time in looking into the ,wants of
 the poor ,members1 and hold forth such 
a perfect ,example of ,humiliation1 that
 the pure ,witness may be reached in    
many ,minds2 and the ,way opened for a  
harmonious walking together4  ,jesus    
,christ1 in promoting the ,happiness of 
others1 was not deficient in looking for
 the ,helpless1 who lay in ,obscurity1  
nor did he save any ,thing to render    
himself honourable amongst ,men1 which  
might have been of more ,use to the weak
 ,members in his ,father's ,family2 of  
whose ,compassion towards us ,i may now 
speak a little4 ,he who was perfectly   
happy in himself1 moved with infinite   
,love1 took not upon him the ,nature of 
,angels1 but our imperfect ,natures1 and
 therein wrestled with the ,temptations 
which attend us in this ,life2 and being
 the ,son of him who is greater than    
,earthly ,princes1 yet became a         

,companion to poor1 sincere-hearted     
,men2 and though he gave the clearest   
,evidence that ,divine ,power attended  
him1 yet the most unfavourable          
,constructions were framed by a         
self-righteous ,people2 those ,miracles 
represented as the ,effect of a         
diabolical ,power1 and ,endeavours used 
to render him hateful1 as having his    
,mission from the ,prince of ,darkness2 
nor did their ,envy cease till they took
 him like a ,criminal1 and brought him  
to ,trial4 ,though some may affect to   
carry the ,appearance of being unmoved  
at the ,apprehension of ,distress1 our  
dear ,redeemer1 who was perfectly       
sincere1 having the same human ,nature  
which we have1 and feeling1 a little    
before he was apprehended1 the ,weight  
of that ,work upon him1 for which he    
came into the ,world1 was sorrowful even
 unto ,death2 here the human ,nature    
struggled to be excused from a ,cup so  
bitter2 but his ,prayers centered in    
,resignation1 ,not my ,will but thine be

 done4 ,in this ,conflict1 so great was 
his ,agony1 that ,sweat like ,drops of  
,blood fell from him to the ,ground4    
,behold now1 as foretold by the         
,prophet1 he is in a judicial ,manner   
numbered with the ,transgressors6       
,behold him as some poor ,man of no     
,reputation1 standing before the ,high  
,priest and ,elders1 and before ,herod  
and ,pilate1 where ,witnesses appear    
against him1 and he mindful of the most 
gracious ,design of his ,coming1        
declineth to plead in his own ,defence1 
but as a ,sheep that is dumb before the 
,shearer1 so under many ,accusations1   
,revilings1 and ,buffetings1 remained   
silent4 ,and though he signified to     
,peter1 that he had ,access to ,power   
sufficient to overthrow all their       
outward ,forces2 yet retaining a        
,resignation to suffer for the ,sins of 
,mankind1 he exerted not that ,power1   
but permitted them to go on in their    
malicious ,designs1 and pronounce him to
 be worthy of ,death1 even him who was  

perfect in ,goodness2 thus in his       
,humiliation his ,judgment was taken    
away1 and he1 like some vile ,criminal1 
led as a ,lamb to the ,slaughter4 ,under
 these heavy ,trials 7tho' poor unstable
 ,pilate was convinced of his           
,innocence1 yet7 the ,people generally  
looked upon him as a ,deceiver1 a       
,blasphemer1 and the approaching        
,punishment as a just ,judgment upon    
him2 ,they esteemed him smitten of ,god 
and afflicted4 ,so great had been the   
,surprize of his ,disciples1 at his     
being taken by armed ,men1 that they    
forsook him1 and fled2 thus they hid    
their ,faces from him1 he was despised1 
and by their ,conduct it appeared as    
though they esteemed him not4  ,but     
contrary to that ,opinion1 of his being 
smitten of ,god and afflicted1 it was   
for our ,sakes that he was put to       
,grief2 he was wounded for our          
,transgressions2 he was bruised for our 
,iniquities2 and under the ,weight of   
them manifesting the deepest ,compassion

 for the ,instruments of his ,misery1   
laboured as their ,advocate1 and in the 
,deeps of ,affliction1 with an          
unconquerable ,patience1 cried out1     
,father1 forgive them1 they know not    
what they do6  ,now this ,mind being in 
us1 which was in ,christ ,jesus1 it     
removes from our ,hearts the ,desire of 
,superiority1 ,worldly ,honour1 or      
,greatness2 a deep ,attention is felt to
 the ,divine ,counsellor1 and an ardent 
,engagement to promote1 as far as we may
 be enabled1 the ,happiness of ,mankind 
universally3 ,this ,state1 where every  
,motion from a selfish ,spirit yieldeth 
to pure ,love1 ,i may1 with ,gratitude  
to the ,father of ,mercies acknowledge1 
is often opened before me as a ,pearl to
 dig after2 attended with a living      
,concern1 that amongst the many ,nations
 and ,families on the ,earth1 those who 
believe in the ,messiah1 that he was    
manifested to destroy the ,works of the 
,devil1 and thus to take away the ,sins 
of the ,world1 may experience the ,will 

of our ,heavenly ,father1 may be done on
 ,earth as it is in ,heaven4 ,strong are
 the ,desires ,i often feel1 that this  
,holy ,profession may remain unpolluted1
 and the ,believers in ,christ may so   
abide in the pure inward ,feeling of his
 ,spirit1 that the ,wisdom from above   
may shine forth in their ,living1 as a  
,light by which others may be           
instrumentally helped on their ,way1 in 
the true harmonious ,walking4           
,,chapter ,,iii      ,on ,,merchandizing
  ,where the ,treasures of pure ,love   
are opened1 and we obediently follow him
 who is the ,light of ,life1 the ,mind  
becomes chaste2 and a ,care is felt1    
that the ,unction from the ,holy ,one   
may be our ,leader in every             
,undertaking4  ,in being crucified to   
the ,world1 broken off from that        
,friendship which is ,enmity with ,god1 
and dead to the ,customs and ,fashions  
which have not their ,foundation in the 
,truth2 the ,way is prepared to         
,lowliness in outward ,living1 and to a 

,disintanglement from those ,snares     
which attends the ,love of ,money2 and  
where the faithful ,friends of ,christ  
are so situated that ,merchandize       
appears to be their ,duty1 they feel a  
,restraint from proceeding farther than 
he owns their ,proceeding2 being        
convinced that we are not our own1 but  
are bought with a ,price1 that none of  
us may live to ourselves1 but to him who
 died for us1 #b ,cor4 v4 #ae4 ,thus    
they are taught1 not only to keep to a  
moderate ,advance and ,uprightness in   
their ,dealings2 but to consider the    
,tendency of their ,proceeding2 to do   
nothing which they know would operate   
against the ,cause of universal         
,righteousness2 and to keep continually 
in ,view the ,spreading of the peaceable
 ,kingdom of ,christ amongst ,mankind4  
,the ,prophet ,isaiah spake of the      
gathered ,church1 in the ,similitude of 
a ,city1 where many being employed were 
all preserved in ,purity2 ,they shall   
call them the ,holy ,people1 the        

,redeemed of the ,lord1 and thou shalt  
be called sought out1 a ,city not       
forsaken1 ,isa4 lxiii4 #aj4 ,and the    
,apostle1 after mentioning the ,mystery 
of ,christ's ,sufferings1 exhorts1 ,be  
ye ,holy in all ,manner of              
,conversation1 #a ,pet4 i4 #ae4 ,there  
is a ,conversation necessary in ,trade2 
and there is a ,conversation so foreign 
from the ,nature of ,christ's ,kingdom1 
that it is represented in the           
,similitude of one ,man pushing another 
with a warlike ,weapon2 ,there is that  
speaketh like the ,piercings of a       
,sword1 ,prov4 xii4 #ah4 ,now in all our
 ,concerns it is necessary that the     
,leading of the ,spirit of ,christ be   
humbly waited for1 and faithfully       
followed1 as the only ,means of being   
preserved chaste as an ,holy ,people1   
who in all ,things are circumspect1     
,exod4 xxiii4 #ac1 that nothing we do   
may carry the ,appearance of            
,approbation of the ,works of           
,wickedness1 make the ,unrighteous more 

at ,ease in ,unrighteousness1 or        
occasion the ,injuries committed against
 the ,oppressed to be more lightly      
looked over4  ,where ,morality is kept  
to1 and supported by the ,inhabitants of
 a ,country1 there is a certain         
,reproach attends those ,individuals    
amongst them1 who manifestly deviate    
therefrom4 ,but where ,iniquity is      
committed openly1 and the ,authors of it
 are not brought to ,justice1 nor put to
 ,shame1 their ,hands grow strong4 ,thus
 the general ,corruption of the ,jews   
shortly before their ,state was broke up
 by the ,chaldeans1 is described by     
their ,boldness in ,impiety2 for as     
their ,leaders were connected together  
in ,wickedness they strengthened one    
another1 and grew confident2 ,were they 
ashamed when they had committed         
,abominations8 ,nay1 they were not at   
all ashamed1 neither could they blush1  
,jer4 vi4 #ae1 on which ,account the    
,lord thus expostulates with them1 ,what
 hath my ,beloved to do in my ,house1   

seeing she hath wrought ,lewdness with  
many1 and the ,holy ,flesh is passed    
from thee2 when thou doest ,evil1 then  
thou rejoicest1 ,jer4 xi4 #ae4  ,now the
 faithful ,friends of ,christ1 who      
hunger and thirst after ,righteousness1 
and inwardly breathe that his ,kingdom  
may come on ,earth as it is in ,heaven1 
he teacheth them to be quick of         
,understanding in his ,fear1 and to be  
very attentive to the ,means he may     
appoint for promoting pure              
,righteousness in the ,earth2 and as    
,shame is due to those whose works      
manifestly operate against the gracious 
,design of his ,sufferings for us1 a    
,care lives on their ,minds that no     
wrong ,customs however supported may    
bias their ,judgments1 but that they may
 humbly abide under the ,cross1 and be  
preserved in a ,conduct which may not   
contribute to strengthen the ,hands of  
the ,wicked in their ,wickedness1 or to 
remove ,shame from those to whom it is  
justly due4 ,the ,coming of that ,day is

 precious1 in which we experience the   
,truth of this ,expression1 ,the ,lord  
our ,righteousness1 ,jer4 xiii4 #f1 and 
feel him to be made unto us ,wisdom and 
,sanctification4  ,the ,example of a    
righteous ,man is often looked at with  
,attention4 ,where righteous ,men join  
in ,business1 their ,company gives      
,encouragement to others2 and as one    
,grain of ,incense deliberately offered 
to the ,prince of this ,world1 renders  
an ,offering to ,god in that ,state     
unacceptable2 and from those esteemed   
,leaders of the ,people may be injurious
 to the ,weak2 it requires deep         
,humility of ,heart1 to follow him      
faithfully1 who alone gives sound       
,wisdom1 and the ,spirit of true        
,discerning2 and ,o how necessary it is1
 to consider the ,weight of a ,holy     
,profession6  ,the ,conduct of some     
formerly gave ,occasion of ,complaint   
against them2 ,thou hast defiled thy    
,sanctuaries by the ,multitude of thine 
,iniquities1 by the ,iniquity of thy    

,traffick1 ,ezek4 xxviii4 #ah1 and in   
several ,places it is charged against   
,israel1 that they had polluted the     
,holy ,name4  ,the ,prophet ,isaiah     
represents inward ,sanctification in the
 ,similitude of being purged from that  
which is ,fuel for ,fire2 and           
particularly describes the outward      
,fruits1 brought forth by those who     
dwell in this inward ,holiness2 ,they   
walk righteously1 and speak uprightly4  
,by walking he represents the ,journey  
through ,life1 as a righteous ,journey2 
and by speaking uprightly1 seems to     
point at that which ,moses appears to   
have had in ,view1 when he thus         
express'd himself2 ,thou shall not      
follow a ,multitude to do ,evil1 nor    
speak in a ,cause to decline after many 
to wrest ,judgment1 ,exod4 xxiii4 #b4   
,he goes on to shew their ,firmness in  
,equity2 representing them as ,persons  
superior to all the ,arts of getting    
,money1 which have not ,righteousness   
for their ,foundation2 ,they despise the

 ,gain of ,oppressions3 ,and further    
shews how careful they are that no      
,prospects of ,gain may induce them to  
become partial in ,judgment respecting  
an ,injury2 ,they shake their ,hands    
from holding ,bribes4  ,again1 where any
 ,interest is so connected with shedding
 ,blood1 that the ,cry of innocent      
,blood goes also with it2 he points out 
their ,care to keep innocent ,blood from
 crying against them1 in the ,similitude
 of a ,man's stopping his ,ears to      
prevent a ,sound from entering his      
,head2 ,they stop their ,ears from      
hearing ,blood3 ,and where they know    
that ,wickedness is committed1 he points
 out with ,care1 that they do not by an 
unguarded ,friendship with the ,authors 
of it1 appear like unconcerned ,lookers 
on1 but as ,people so deeply affected   
with ,sorrow1 that they cannot endure to
 stand by and behold it2 this he        
represents in the ,similitude of a ,man 
shutting his ,eyes from seeing ,evil4   
,who amongst us shall dwell with        

devouring ,fire8 ,who amongst us shall  
dwell with everlasting ,burnings8 ,he   
that walketh righteously and speaketh   
uprightly4 ,he that despiseth the ,gain 
of ,oppressions1 that shaketh his ,hands
 from holding of ,bribes1 that stoppeth 
his ,ears from hearing of ,blood1 and   
shutteth his ,eyes from seeing ,evil1   
,isa4 xxxiii4 #ae4  ,he proceeds in the 
,spirit of ,prophecy to shew how the    
,faithful1 being supported under        
,temptations1 would be preserved from   
that ,defilement that there is in the   
,love of ,money2 that as they who in a  
reverent ,waiting on ,god1 feel their   
,strength renewed1 are said to mount    
upward2 so here their ,preservation from
 the ,snare of unrighteous ,gain1 is    
represented in the ,likeness of a ,man1 
borne up above all crafty1 artful ,means
 of getting the ,advantage of another2  
,they shall dwell on high2 and points   
out the ,stability and ,firmness of     
their ,condition2 ,his ,place of        
,defence shall be the ,munition of      

,rocks2 and that under all the outward  
,appearances of ,loss1 in denying       
himself of gainful ,profits for         
,righteousness ,sake1 yet through the   
,care of him who provides for the       
,sparrows1 he should have a ,supply     
answerable to his infinite ,wisdom2     
,bread shall be given him1 his ,waters  
shall be sure4 ,and as our ,saviour     
mentions the ,sight of ,god to be       
attainable by the ,pure in ,heart1 so   
here the ,prophet pointed out1 how in   
true ,sanctification the ,understanding 
is opened1 to behold the peaceable      
harmonious ,nature of his ,kingdom2     
thine ,eyes shall see the ,king in his  
,beauty3 ,and that looking beyond all   
the ,afflictions which attend the       
,righteous1 to a ,habitation eternal in 
the ,heavens1 they with an eye divinely 
open shall behold the ,land that is very
 far off4  ,he shall dwell on high1 his 
,place of ,defence shall be the         
,munition of ,rocks1 ,bread shall be    
given him1 his ,waters shall be sure4   

,thine ,eyes shall see the ,king in his 
,beauty2 they shall behold the ,land    
that is very far off1 ,isa4 xxxiii4 #af4
  ,i often remember1 and to me the      
,subject is awful1 that the great ,judge
 of all the ,earth doeth that which is  
right1 and that he1 before whom the     
,nations are as the ,drop of a ,bucket1 
is no ,respecter of ,persons4 ,happy for
 them1 who like the inspired ,prophet1  
in the ,way of his ,judgments wait for  
him1 ,isa4 xxvi4 #h4  ,when we feel him 
to sit as a ,refiner with ,fire1 and    
know a ,resignedness wrought in us1 to  
that which he appoints for us1 his      
,blessing in a very low ,estate1 is     
found to be more precious than much     
outward ,treasure in those ,ways of     
,life1 where the ,leadings of his       
,spirit are not followed4  ,the ,prophet
 in a ,sight of a divine ,work amongst  
many ,people1 declared in the ,name of  
the ,lord1 ,i will gather all ,nations  
and ,tongues1 and they shall come and   
see my ,glory1 ,isa4 lxvi4 #ah4 ,and    

again1 from the rising of the ,sun to   
the going down of the same1 my ,name    
shall be great amongst the ,gentiles1   
and in every ,place ,incense shall be   
offered to my ,name1 and a pure         
,offering1 ,malachi i4 #aa4  ,behold    
here how the ,prophets had an inward    
,sense of the ,spreading of the ,kingdom
 of ,christ2 and how he was spoken of as
 one who should take the ,heathen for   
his ,inheritance1 and the utmost ,parts 
of the ,earth for his ,possession1      
,psal4 ii4 #h4 ,that he was given for a 
,light to the ,gentiles2 and for        
,salvation to the ,ends of the ,earth1  
,isa4 xlix4 #f4  ,when we meditate on   
this divine ,work1 as a ,work of ,ages2 
a ,work that the ,prophets felt long    
before ,christ appeared visibly on      
,earth1 and remember the bitter ,agonies
 he endured when he poured out his ,soul
 unto ,death1 that the ,heathen         
,nations1 as well as others1 might come 
to the ,knowledge of the ,truth and be  
saved4  ,when we contemplate on this    

marvellous ,work1 as that which the     
,angels desire to look into1 #a ,pet4 i4
 #ab4 ,and behold ,people amongst whom  
this ,light hath eminently broken forth1
 and who have received many ,favours    
from the bountiful ,hand of our         
,heavenly ,father2 not only indifferent 
with respect to publishing the glad     
,tidings amongst the ,gentiles1 as yet  
sitting in ,darkness and entangled with 
many ,superstitions2 but aspiring after 
,wealth and worldly ,honours1 take hold 
of ,means to obtain their ,ends1 tending
 to stir up ,wrath and ,indignation1 and
 to beget an ,abhorrence in them to the 
,name of ,christianity4 ,when these     
,things are weightily attended to1 how  
mournful is the ,subject8  ,it is worthy
 of ,remembrance1 that ,people in       
different ,ages1 deeply baptized into   
the ,nature of that ,work for which     
,christ suffered1 have joyfully offered 
up their ,liberty and ,lives for the    
promoting of it in the ,earth4          
,policarp1 who was reputed a ,disciple  

of the ,apostle ,john1 having attained  
to great ,age1 was at length sentenced  
to die for his ,religion2 and being     
brought to the ,fire1 prayed nearly as  
follows1 ,thou ,god and ,father of our  
,lord ,jesus ,christ1 by whom ,i have   
received the ,knowledge of thee6 ,o ,god
 of the ,angels and ,powers1 and of     
every living ,creature1 and of all      
,sorts of just ,men which live in thy   
,presence4 ,i thank thee1 that thou hast
 graciously vouchsafed this ,day and    
this ,hour to allot me a ,portion among 
the ,number of ,martyrs1 among the      
,people of ,christ1 unto the            
,resurrection of everlasting ,life2     
among whom ,i shall be received in thy  
,sight1 this ,day1 as a fruitful and    
acceptable ,sacrifice2 wherefore for all
 this1 ,i praise thee1 ,i bless thee1 ,i
 glorify thee through the everlasting   
,high ,priest1 ,jesus ,christ1 thy      
well-beloved ,son2 to whom1 with thee   
and the ,holy ,ghost1 be all ,glory1    
,world without ,end4 ,amen4  ,bishop    

,latimer1 when ,sentence of ,death by   
,fire was pronounced against him1 on    
,account of his ,firmness in the ,cause 
of ,religion1 he said1 ,i thank ,god    
most heartily1 that he hath prolonged my
 ,life to this ,end2 that ,i may in this
 ,case glorify him by this ,kind of     
,death4 ,fox's ,acts and ,mon4 #icf4    
,william ,dewsbury1 who had suffered    
much for his ,religion1 in his last     
,sickness1 encouraging his ,friends to  
,faithfulness1 made mention1 like good  
old ,jacob1 of the ,loving kindness of  
,god to him in the ,course of his ,life1
 and that through the ,power of ,divine 
,love1 he1 for ,christ's ,sake1 had     
joyfully entered ,prisons4 ,see         
,introduction to his ,works4  ,i mention
 these as a few ,examples1 out of many  
of the powerful ,operations of the      
,spirit of ,christ1 where ,people are   
fully devoted to it1 and of the ardent  
,longings in their ,minds for the       
,spreading of his ,kingdom amongst      
,mankind4 ,now to those1 in the present 

,age1 who truly know ,christ1 and feel  
the ,nature of his peaceable ,government
 opened in their ,understandings1 how   
loud is that ,call wherewith we are     
called to ,faithfulness2 that in        
following this pure ,light of ,life1 we1
 as ,workers together with him1 may     
labour in that great ,work for which he 
was offered as a ,sacrifice on the      
,cross2 and that his peaceable          
,doctrines may shine through us in their
 real ,harmony1 at a ,time when the     
,name of ,christianity is become hateful
 to many of the ,heathen4  ,when ,gehazi
 had obtained ,treasures which the      
,prophet under divine ,direction had    
refused1 and was returned from the      
,business2 the ,prophet troubled at his 
,conduct1 queried if it was a ,time thus
 to prepare for a specious ,living4  ,is
 it a ,time to receive ,money and       
,garments1 ,men ,servants and ,maid     
,servants8 ,the ,leprosy therefore of   
,naaman shall cleave to thee1 and to thy
 ,seed for ever1 #b ,kings v4 #bf4 ,and 

,o that we may lay to ,heart the        
,condition of the present ,time1 and    
humbly follow his ,counsel1 who alone is
 able to prepare the ,way for a true    
harmonious ,walking amongst ,mankind4   
,,chapter ,,iv      ,on ,,divine        
,,admonitions  ,such are the            
,perfections of our ,heavenly ,father1  
that in all the ,dispensations of his   
,providence1 it is our ,duty1 in every  
,thing1 to give ,thanks4 ,though from   
the first ,settlement of this ,part of  
,america1 he hath not extended his      
,judgments to the ,degree of ,famine1   
yet ,worms at ,times have come forth    
beyond numbering1 and laid waste ,fields
 of ,grain and ,grass1 where they have  
appeared2 another ,kind1 in great       
,multitudes1 working out of ,sight1 in  
,grass ,ground1 have so eat the ,roots1 
that the ,surface1 being loosened from  
the ,soil beneath1 might be taken off in
 great ,sheets4  ,these ,kind of        
devouring ,creatures appearing seldom1  
and coming in such ,multitudes1 their   

,generation appears different from most 
other ,reptiles1 and by the ,prophet    
were call'd ,god's ,army sent amongst   
the ,people1 ,joel ii4 #be4  ,there have
 been ,tempests of ,hail1 which have    
very much destroyed the ,grain where    
they extended4 ,through long ,drought in
 ,summer1 ,grain in some ,places hath   
been less than half the usual           
,quantity2#a and in the ,continuance    
thereof1 ,i have beheld with ,attention1
 from ,week to ,week1 how ,dryness from 
the ,top of the ,earth1 hath extended   
deeper and deeper1 while the ,corn and  
,plants have languished2 and with       
,reverence my ,mind hath been turned    
towards him1 who being perfect in       
,goodness1 in ,wisdom and ,power1 doeth 
all ,things right4 ,and after long      
,drought1 when the ,sky hath grown dark 
with a ,collection of ,matter1 and      
,clouds like ,lakes of ,water hung over 
our ,heads1 from whence the thirsty     
,land hath been soaked2 ,i have at      
,times1 with ,awfulness1 beheld the     

vehement ,operation of ,lightning1 made 
sometimes to accompany these ,blessings1
 as a ,messenger from him who created   
all ,things1 to remind us of our ,duty  
in a right ,use of those ,benefits1 and 
give striking ,admonitions1 that we do  
not misapply those ,gifts1 in which an  
,almighty ,power is exerted1 in         
bestowing them upon us4  ,footnote #a3  
,when ,crops fail4 ,i often feel a      
tender ,care that the ,case of poor     
,tenants may be mercifully considered4  
,when ,i have considered that many of   
our ,fellow ,creatures suffer much in   
some ,places1 for want of the           
,necessaries of ,life1 whilst those who 
rule over them are too much given to    
,luxury1 and divers ,vanities2 and      
behold the apparent ,deviation from pure
 ,wisdom amongst us1 in the ,use of the 
outward ,gifts of ,god2 those ,marks of 
,famine have appeared like humbling     
,admonitions from him1 that we might be 
instructed by gentle ,chastisements1 and
 might seriously consider our ,ways2    

remembering that the outward ,supply of 
,life is a ,gift from our ,heavenly     
,father1 and no more venture to use1 or 
apply his ,gifts1 in a ,way contrary to 
pure ,wisdom4  ,should we continue to   
reject those merciful ,admonitions1 and 
use his ,gifts at ,home1 contrary to the
 gracious ,design of the ,giver1 or send
 them ,abroad in a ,way of ,trade1 which
 the ,spirit of ,truth doth not lead    
into2 and should he whose ,eyes are upon
 all our ,ways1 extend his              
,chastisements so far as to reduce us to
 much greater ,distress than hath yet   
been felt by these ,provinces2 with what
 sorrow of ,heart might we meditate on  
that ,subject1 ,hast thou not procured  
this unto thyself1 in that thou hast    
forsaken the ,lord thy ,god1 when he led
 thee by the ,way8 ,thine own           
,wickedness shall correct thee1 and thy 
,backslidings shall reprove thee2 know  
therefore1 and see that it is an evil   
,thing and bitter1 that thou hast       
forsaken the ,lord thy ,god1 and that my

 ,fear is not in thee1 saith the ,lord  
of ,hosts1 ,jer4 ii4 #ag1 #ai4  ,my     
,mind hath often been affected with     
,sorrow1 in beholding a wrong           
,application of the ,gifts of our       
,heavenly ,father2 and those            
,expressions concerning the ,defilement 
of the ,earth have been opened to my    
,understanding2 ,the ,earth was corrupt 
before ,god1 and the ,earth was filled  
with ,violence1 ,gen4 vi4 #aa4 ,again1  
,isaiah xxiv4 #e4 ,the ,earth also is   
defiled under the ,inhabitants thereof4 
,the ,earth being the ,work of a ,divine
 ,power1 may not as such be accounted   
unclean2 but when ,violence is committed
 thereon1 and the ,channel of           
,righteousness so obstructed1 that in   
our ,skirts are found the ,blood of the 
,souls of poor ,innocents2 not by a     
secret ,search1 but upon all these1#b   
,jer4 ii4 #cd4  ,footnote #b3 ,see a    
,caution and ,warning to ,great ,britain
 and her ,colonies ,page #ca4  ,when    
,blood shed unrighteously remains       

unatoned for1 and the ,inhabitants are  
not effectually purged from it1 when    
they do not wash their ,hands in        
,innocency1 as was figured in the ,law1 
in the ,case of one being found slain2  
but seek for ,gain arising from ,scenes 
of ,violence and ,oppression1 here the  
,land is polluted with ,blood1 ,deut4   
xxi4 #f4  ,moreover1 when the ,earth is 
planted and tilled1 and the ,fruits     
brought forth are applied to support    
unrighteous ,purposes2 here the gracious
 ,design of infinite ,goodness1 in these
 his ,gifts being perverted1 the ,earth 
is defiled2 and the ,complaint formerly 
uttered becomes applicable2 ,thou hast  
made me to serve with thy ,sins2 thou   
hast wearied me with thine ,iniquities1 
,isaiah xliii4 #bd4     ,,an ,,epistle  
,,to ,,the ,,quarterly ,,and ,,monthly  
,,meetings ,,of ,,friends4  ,by ,,john  
,,woolman4      ,,london3               
,re-printed by ,,mary ,,hinde4   ,,an   
,,epistle1 c4  ,beloved                 
,friends1--,feeling at this ,time a     

renewed ,concern that the pure          
,principle of ,light and ,life1 and the 
righteous ,fruits thereof may spread and
 prevail amongst ,mankind1 there is an  
,engagement on my ,heart to labour with 
my ,brethren in religious ,profession1  
that none of us may be a                
,stumbling-block in the ,way of others2 
but may so walk that our ,conduct may   
reach the pure ,witness in the ,hearts  
of such who are not in ,profession with 
us4  ,and1 dear ,friends1 while we      
publickly own that the ,holy ,spirit is 
our ,leader1 the ,profession is in      
itself weighty1 and the ,weightiness    
thereof increaseth in ,proportion as we 
are noted among the ,professors of      
,truth1 and active in dealing with such 
who walk disorderly4  ,many under our   
,profession1 for ,want of due           
,attention1 and a perfect ,resignation1 
to this ,divine ,teacher1 have in some  
,things manifested a ,deviation from the
 ,purity of our religious ,principles1  
and these ,deviations having crept in   

amongst us by little and little1 and    
increasing from less to greater1 have   
been so far unnoticed1 that some living 
in them1 have been active in putting    
,discipline in ,practice with relation  
to others1 whose ,conduct hath appeared 
more dishonourable in the ,world4  ,now 
as my ,mind hath been exercised before  
the ,lord1 ,i have seen1 that the       
,discipline of the ,church of ,christ   
standeth in that which is pure2 that it 
is the ,wisdom from above which gives   
,authority to ,discipline1 and that the 
,weightiness thereof standeth not in any
 outward ,circumstances1 but in the     
,authority of ,christ who is the ,author
 of it2 and where any walk after the    
,flesh1 and not according to the ,purity
 of ,truth1 and at the same ,time are   
active in putting ,discipline in        
,practice1 a ,veil is gradually drawn   
over the ,purity of ,discipline1 and    
over that ,holiness of ,life1 which     
,christ leads those into1 in whom1 the  
,love of ,god is verily perfected1 #a   

,john ii4 #e4  ,when we labour in true  
,love with ,offenders1 and they remain  
obstinate1 it sometimes is necessary to 
proceed as far as our ,lord directed2   
,let him be to thee as an heathen ,man1 
or a ,publican1 ,mat4 xviii4 #ag4  ,now 
when such are disowned1 and they who act
 therein feel ,christ made unto them    
,wisdom1 and are preserved in his meek1 
restoring ,spirit1 there is no just     
,cause of ,offence ministered to any2   
but when such who are active in dealing 
with ,offenders1 indulge themselves in  
,things which are contrary to the       
,purity of ,truth1 and yet judge others 
whose ,conduct appears more             
dishonourable than theirs1 here the pure
 ,authority of ,discipline ceaseth as to
 such ,offenders1 and a ,temptation is  
laid in their ,way to wrangle and       
contend2--,judge not1 said our ,lord1   
that ye be not ,judged4 ,now this       
forbidding alludes to ,man's ,judgment1 
and points out the ,necessity of our    
humbly attending to that sanctifying    

,power1 under which the ,faithful       
experience the ,lord to be a ,spirit of 
,judgment to them1 ,isa4 xxviii4 #f4    
,and as we feel his ,holy ,spirit to    
mortify the ,deeds of the ,body in us1  
and can say1 ,it is no more ,i that     
live1 but ,christ that liveth in me1    
here right ,judgment is known4  ,and    
while ,divine ,love prevails in our     
,hearts1 and ,self in us is brought     
under ,judgment1 a ,preparation is felt 
to labour in a right ,manner with       
,offenders2 but if we abide not in this 
,love1 our outward ,performance in      
dealing with others1 degenerates into   
,formality2 for this is the ,love of    
,god1 that we keep his ,commandments1   
,john i4 #c4  ,how weighty are those    
,instructions of our ,redeemer          
concerning religious ,duties1 when he   
points out1 that they who pray1 should  
be so obedient to the ,teachings of the 
,holy ,spirit1 that humbly confiding in 
his ,help1 they may say1 ,thy ,name1 ,o 
,father ,i be hallowed4 ,thy ,kingdom   

come4 ,thy ,will be done on ,earth1 as  
it is in ,heaven4--,in this awful ,state
 of ,mind is felt that ,worship which   
stands in doing the ,will of ,god on    
,earth1 as it is done in ,heaven1 and   
keeping the ,holy ,name sacred3 ,to take
 a ,holy ,profession upon us is awful1  
nor can we keep his ,holy ,name sacred1 
but by humbly abiding under the ,cross  
of ,christ4 ,the ,apostle laid a heavy  
,complaint against some who prophaned   
this ,holy ,name by their ,manner of    
,living1 ,through you1 he says1 the     
,name of ,god is blasphemed among the   
,gentiles1 ,rom4 ii4 #bd4  ,some of our 
,ancestors1 through many ,tribulations1 
were gathered into the ,state of true   
,worshippers1 and had ,fellowship in    
that which is pure2 and as one was      
inwardly moved to kneel down in their   
,assemblies1 and publickly call on the  
,name of the ,lord1 those in the        
,harmony of united ,exercise then       
present1 joined in the ,prayer3 ,i      
mention this1 in order that we of the   

present ,age1 may look unto the ,rock   
from whence we were hewn1 and remember  
that to unite in ,worship1 is an ,union 
in ,prayer1 and that ,prayer acceptable 
to the ,father1 is only in a ,mind truly
 sanctified1 where the sacred ,name is  
kept ,holy1 and the ,heart resigned to  
do his ,will on ,earth1 as it is done in
 ,heaven2 ,if ye abide in me1 saith     
,christ1 and my ,words abide in you1 ye 
shall ask what ye will in my ,name1 and 
it shall be done unto you4--,now we know
 not what to pray for as we ought1 but  
as the ,holy ,spirit doth open and      
direct our ,minds1 and as we faithfully 
yield to its ,influences1 our ,prayers  
are in the ,will of our ,heavenly       
,father1 who fails not to grant that    
which his own ,spirit1 through his      
,children1 asketh2--thus ,preservation  
from ,sin is known1 and the ,fruits of  
,righteousness are brought forth by such
 who inwardly unite in ,prayer4  ,how   
weighty are our solemn ,meetings when   
the ,name of ,christ is kept ,holy6     

,how precious is that ,state in which   
the ,children of the ,lord are so       
redeemed from the ,love of this ,world1 
that they are accepted and blessed in   
all that they do6 ,r4 ,barclay's        
,apology1 ,page #djd4  ,how necessary is
 it that we who profess these           
,principles1 and are outwardly active in
 supporting them1 should faithfully     
abide in ,divine ,strength1 that as he  
who has called us1 is ,holy1 so we may  
be ,holy in all manner of ,conversation1
 #a ,pet4 i4 #ae4  ,if one professing to
 be influenced by the ,spirit of        
,christ1 propose to unite in a ,labour  
to promote ,righteousness in the ,earth1
 and in ,time past he hath manifestly   
deviated from the ,paths of ,equity1    
then to act consistent with this        
,principle1 his first ,work is to make  
,restitution so far as he may be        
enabled2 for if he attempts to          
contribute toward a ,work intended to   
promote ,righteousness1 while it appears
 that he neglecteth1 or refuseth to act 

righteously himself1 his ,conduct has a 
,tendency to entangle the ,minds of     
those who are weak in the ,faith1 who   
behold these ,things1 and to draw a     
,veil over the ,purity of               
,righteousness1 by carrying an          
,appearance as though that was          
,righteousness which is not4  ,again1 if
 ,i propose to assist in supporting     
those ,doctrines wherein that ,purity of
 ,life is held forth1 in which ,customs 
proceeding from the ,spirit of this     
,world have no ,place1 and at the same  
,time strengthen others in those        
,customs by my ,example2 the first ,step
 then in an orderly ,proceeding1 is to  
cease from those ,customs myself1 and   
afterwards to labour1 as ,i may be      
enabled1 to promote the like            
,disposition and ,conduct in others4    
,to be convinced of the pure ,principle 
of ,truth1 and diligently exercised in  
walking answerable thereto1 is necessary
 before ,i can consistently recommend   
this ,principle to others4--,i often    

feel a ,labour in ,spirit1 that we who  
are active ,members in religious        
,society1 may experience in ourselves   
the ,truth of those ,expressions of the 
,holy ,one2 ,i will be sanctified in    
them that come nigh me1 ,lev4 x4        
#c4----;,in this ,case1 my ,mind hath   
been often exercised when alone1 ,year  
after ,year1 for many ,years1 and in the
 ,renewings of ,divine ,love1 a tender  
,care hath been incited in me1 that we  
who profess the inward ,principle of    
,light to be our ,teacher1 may be a     
,family united in that ,purity of       
,worship1 which comprehends a ,holy     
,life1 and ministers ,instruction to    
others4  ,my ,mind is often drawn       
towards ,children in the ,truth1 who    
having a small ,share of the ,things of 
this ,life1 and coming to have          
,families1 may be inwardly exercised    
before the ,lord to support them in a   
,way agreeable to the ,purity of ,truth1
 in which they may feel his ,blessing   
upon them in their ,labours2 the        

,thoughts of such being entangled with  
,customs1 contrary to pure ,wisdom1     
conveyed to them through our ,hands1    
doth often very tenderly1 and movingly  
affect my ,heart1 and when ,i look      
towards1 and think on the succeeding    
,generation1 fervent ,desires are raised
 in me1 that we by yielding to that     
,holy ,spirit which leads into all      
,truth1 may not do the ,work of the     
,lord deceitfully1 may not live contrary
 to the ,purity of the ,divine          
,principle we profess2 but that as      
faithful ,labourers in our ,age1 we may 
be instrumental in removing             
,stumbling-blocks out of the ,way of    
those who may succeed us4  ,so great was
 the ,love of ,christ1 that he gave     
himself for the ,church1 that he might  
sanctify and cleanse it1 that it should 
be ,holy1 and without ,blemish1 not     
having ,spot or ,wrinkle1 or any such   
,thing1 ,eph4 v4 #be4 and where any take
 the ,name of ,christ upon them1        
professing to be ,members of his        

,church1 and led by his ,holy ,spirit1  
and yet manifestly deviate from the     
,purity of ,truth1 they herein act      
against the gracious ,design of his     
giving himself for them1 and minister   
,cause for the ,continuance of his      
,afflictions1 viz4 in his ,body the     
,church4  ,christ suffered ,afflictions 
in a ,body of ,flesh prepared by the    
,father1 but the ,afflictions of his    
mystical ,body are yet unfinished2 for  
they who are baptized into ,christ are  
baptized into his ,death2 and as we     
humbly abide under his sanctifying      
,power1 and are brought forth into      
,newness of ,life1 we feel ,christ to   
live in us1 who being the same          
,yesterday1 ,to-day1 and forever1 and   
always at ,unity with himself1 his      
,spirit in the ,hearts of his ,people   
leads to an inward ,exercise for the    
,salvation of ,mankind2 and when under a
 ,travail of ,spirit1 we behold a       
visited ,people entangled by the ,spirit
 of the ,world with its ,wickedness and 

,customs1 and thereby rendered incapable
 of being faithful ,examples to others1 
,sorrow and ,heaviness under a ,sense of
 these ,things1 is often experienced1   
and thus in some ,measure is filled up  
that which remains of the ,afflictions  
of ,christ4  ,our blessed ,saviour      
speaking concerning ,gifts offered in   
,divine ,service1 says1 ,if thou bring  
thy ,gift to the ,altar1 and there      
remembrest that thy ,brother hath ought 
against thee1 leave there thy ,gift     
before the ,altar1 and go thy ,way1     
first be reconciled to thy ,brother1 and
 then come and offer thy ,gift1 ,mat4 v4
 #bc1 #bd4 ,now there is no true ,unity1
 but in that wherein the ,father and the
 ,son are united1 nor can there be a    
perfect ,reconciliation but in ceasing  
from that which ministers ,cause for the
 ,continuation of the ,afflictions of   
,christ2 and if any professing to bring 
their ,gift to the ,altar1 do remember  
the customary ,contradiction which some 
of their ,fruits bear to the pure       

spiritual ,worship1 here it appears     
necessary to lay to ,heart this         
,command1 ,leave thy ,gift by the       
,altar4  ,christ graciously calls his   
,people ,brethren2 ,whosoever shall do  
the ,will of ,god1 the same is my       
,brother1 ,mark iii4 #ce4 ,now if we    
walk contrary to the ,truth as it is in 
,jesus1 while we continue to profess it1
 we offend against ,christ1 and if under
 this ,offence we bring our ,gift to the
 ,altar1 our ,redeemer doth not direct  
us to take back our ,gift1 he doth not  
discourage our proceeding in a good     
,work2 but graciously points out the    
necessary ,means by which the ,gift may 
be rendered acceptable1 ,leave1 saith   
he1 thy ,gift by the ,altar1 first go   
and be reconciled to thy ,brother1 cease
 from that which grieves the ,holy      
,spirit1 cease from that which is       
against the ,truth1 as it is in ,jesus1 
and then come and offer thy ,gift4  ,i  
feel1 while ,i am writing1 a ,tenderness
 to those who through ,divine ,favour   

are preserved in a lively ,sense of the 
,state of the ,churches1 and at ,times  
may be under ,discouragements with      
regard to proceeding in that pure ,way  
which ,christ by his ,holy ,spirit leads
 into3 ,the ,depth of ,disorder and     
,weakness1 which so much prevails1 being
 opened1 ,doubtings are apt to arise as 
to the ,possibility of proceeding as an 
,assembly of the ,lord's ,people in the 
pure ,council of ,truth2 and here ,i    
feel a ,concern to express in           
,uprightness1 that which hath been      
opened in my ,mind1 under the ,power of 
the ,cross of ,christ1 relating to a    
visible gathered ,church1 the ,members  
whereof are guided by the ,holy ,spirit4
  ,the ,church is called the ,body of   
,christ1 ,col4 i4 #bd4  ,christ is      
called the ,head of the ,church1 ,eph4  
i4 #bb4  ,the ,church is called the     
,pillar1 and ,ground of ,truth1 #a ,tim4
 iii4 #ae4  ,thus the ,church hath a    
,name that is sacred1 and the ,necessity
 of keeping this ,name ,holy1 appears   

evident2 for where a ,number of ,people 
unite in a ,profession of being led by  
the ,spirit of ,christ1 and publish     
their ,principles to the ,world1 the    
,acts and ,proceedings of that ,people  
may in some ,measure be considered as   
such which ,christ is the ,author of4   
,now while we stand in this ,station1 if
 the pure ,light of ,life is not        
followed and regarded in our            
,proceedings1 we are in the ,way of     
prophaning the ,holy ,name1 and of going
 back toward that ,wilderness of        
,sufferings and ,persecution1 out of    
which1 through the tender ,mercies of   
,god1 a ,church hath been gathered2     
,christ liveth in sanctified ,vessels1  
,gal4 ii4 #bj4 and where they behold his
 ,holy ,name prophaned1 and the pure    
,gospel ,light eclipsed1 through the    
,unfaithfulness of any who by their     
,station appear to be ,standard-bearers 
under the ,prince of ,peace1 the living 
,members in the ,body of ,christ in     
beholding these ,things1 do in some     

degree experience the ,fellowship of his
 ,sufferings2 and as the ,wisdom of the 
,world more and more takes ,place in    
conducting the ,affairs of this visible 
gathered ,church1 and the pure ,leadings
 of the ,holy ,spirit less waited for   
and followed1 so the true ,suffering    
,seed is more and more oppressed4  ,my  
,mind is often affected with a ,sense of
 the ,condition of sincere-hearted      
,people in some ,kingdoms1 where        
,liberty of ,conscience is not allowed1 
many of whom being burthened in their   
,minds with prevailing ,superstition    
joined with ,oppressions1 are often     
under ,sorrow2 and where such have      
attended to that pure ,light which hath 
in some degree opened their             
,understandings1 and for their          
,faithfulness thereto1 have been brought
 to ,examination and ,trial1 how heavy  
are the ,persecutions which in divers   
,parts of the ,world are exercised upon 
them6 ,how mighty1 as to the outward1 is
 that ,power by which they are borne    

down1 and oppressed6  ,how deeply       
affecting is the ,condition of many     
upright-hearted ,people who are taken   
into the ,papal ,inquisition6 ,what     
lamentable ,cruelties1 in deep ,vaults1 
in a private ,way1 are exercised on many
 of them6 ,and how lingering is that    
,death by a small slow ,fire1 which they
 have frequently indured1 who have been 
faithful to the ,end6  ,how many tender 
spirited ,protestants have been         
sentenced to spend the ,remainder of    
their ,lives in a ,galley chained to    
,oars1 under hard-hearted ,masters1     
while their young ,children are placed  
out for ,education1 and taught          
,principles so contrary to the          
,conscience of the ,parents1 that by    
dissenting from them1 they have hazarded
 their ,liberty1 ,lives1 and all that   
was dear to them of the ,things of this 
,world6  ,there have been in ,time past 
severe ,persecutions under the ,english 
,government1 and many sincere-hearted   
,people have suffered ,death for the    

,testimony of a good ,conscience1 whose 
,faithfulness in their ,day hath        
ministred ,encouragement to others1 and 
been a ,blessing to many who have       
succeeded them2 thus from ,age to ,age1 
the ,darkness being more and more       
removed1 a ,channel at length1 through  
the tender ,mercies of ,god1 hath been  
opened for the ,exercise of the pure    
,gift of the ,gospel ,ministry1 without 
,interruption from outward ,power1 a    
,work1 the like of which is rare1 and   
unknown in many ,parts of the ,world4   
,as these ,things are often fresh in my 
,mind1 and this great ,work of ,god     
going on in the ,earth has been open    
before me1 that ,liberty of ,conscience 
with which we are favoured1 hath        
appeared not as a light ,matter4  ,a    
,trust is committed to us1 a great and  
weighty ,trust1 to which our diligent   
,attention is necessary1 wherever the   
active ,members of this visible gathered
 ,church use themselves to that which is
 contrary to the ,purity of our         

,principles1 it appears to be a ,breach 
of this ,trust1 and one ,step back      
toward the ,wilderness1 one ,step       
towards undoing what ,god in infinite   
,love hath done through his faithful    
,servants1 in a ,work of several ,ages1 
and like laying the ,foundation for     
future ,sufferings4  ,i feel a living   
,invitation in my ,mind to such who are 
active in our religious ,society1 that  
we may lay to ,heart this ,matter1 and  
consider the ,station in which we stand2
 a ,place of outward ,liberty under the 
free ,exercise of our ,conscience toward
 ,god1 not obtained but through great   
and manifold ,afflictions of those who  
lived before us4 ,there is ,gratitude   
due from us to our ,heavenly ,father1   
and ,justice to our ,posterity2 can our 
,hearts endure1 or our ,hands be strong1
 if we desert a ,cause so precious1 if  
we turn aside from a ,work1 under which 
so many have patiently laboured8  ,may  
the deep ,sufferings of our ,saviour be 
so dear to us1 that we may never trample

 under ,foot the adorable ,son of ,god1 
nor count the ,blood of the ,covenant   
unholy6  ,may the ,faithfulness of the  
,martyrs when the ,prospect of ,death by
 ,fire was before them1 be remembred4   
,and may the patient constant           
,sufferings of the upright-hearted      
,servants of ,god in latter ,ages be    
revived in our ,minds4 ,and may we so   
follow on to know the ,lord1 that       
neither the ,faithful in this ,age1 nor 
those in ,ages to come1 may ever be     
brought under ,suffering1 through our   
sliding back from the ,work of          
,reformation in the ,world4  ,while the 
active ,members in the visible gathered 
,church stand upright1 and the ,affairs 
thereof are carried on under the        
,leadings of the ,holy ,spirit1 although
 ,disorders may arise among us1 and     
cause many ,exercises to those who feel 
the ,care of the ,churches upon them2   
yet while these continue under the      
,weight of the ,work1 and labour in the 
,meekness of ,wisdom for the ,help of   

others1 the ,name of ,christ in the     
visible gathered ,church may be kept    
sacred2 but while they who are active in
 the ,affairs of this ,church1 continue 
in a manifest ,opposition to the ,purity
 of our ,principles1 this1 as the       
,prophet ,isaiah x4 #ah4 expresseth it1 
is like as when a ,standard-bearer      
fainteth2 and thus the ,way opens to    
great and prevailing ,degeneracy1 and to
 ,sufferings for such who through the   
,power of ,divine ,love1 are separated  
to the ,gospel of ,christ1 and cannot   
unite with any ,thing which stands in   
,opposition to the ,purity of it4  ,the 
,necessity of an inward ,stillness1 hath
 under these ,exercises appeared clear  
to my ,mind2 in true ,silence ,strength 
is renewed1 the ,mind herein is weaned  
from all ,things1 but as they may be    
enjoyed in the ,divine ,will1 and a     
,lowliness in outward ,living opposite  
to ,worldly ,honour1 becomes truly      
acceptable to us2--in the ,desire after 
outward ,gain1 the ,mind is prevented   

from a perfect ,attention to the ,voice 
of ,christ1 but being weaned from all   
,things1 but as they may be enjoyed in  
the ,divine ,will1 the pure ,light      
shines into the ,soul1 and where the    
,fruits of that ,spirit which is of the 
,world1 are brought forth by many who   
profess to be led by the ,spirit of     
,truth1 and ,cloudiness is felt to be   
gathering over the visible gathered     
,church1 the ,sincere in ,heart who     
abide in true ,stillness1 and are       
exercised therein before the ,lord for  
his ,name's ,sake1 have a ,knowledge of 
,christ in the ,fellowship of his       
,sufferings1 and inward ,thankfulness is
 felt at ,times1 that through ,divine   
,love1 our own ,wisdom is cast out1 and 
that forward active ,part in us         
subjected1 which would rise and do      
something in the visible gathered       
,church1 without1 the pure ,leadings of 
the ,spirit of ,christ4  ,while aught   
remains in us different from a perfect  
,resignation of our ,wills1 it is like a

 ,seal to a ,book wherein is written1   
that good1 and acceptable1 and perfect  
,will of ,god concerning us1 ,rom4 xii4 
#b4 but when our ,minds entirely yield  
to ,christ1 that ,silence is known1     
which followeth the opening of the last 
of the ,seals1 ,rev4 viii4 #a4 ,in this 
,silence we learn abiding in the ,divine
 ,will1 and there feel1 that we have no 
,cause to promote but that only in which
 the ,light of ,life directs us in our  
,proceedings1 and that the alone ,way to
 be useful in the ,church of ,christ1 is
 to abide faithfully under the ,leadings
 of his ,holy ,spirit in all ,cases1 and
 being preserved thereby in ,purity of  
,heart1 and ,holiness of ,conversation1 
a ,testimony to the ,purity of his      
,government may be held forth through   
us1 to others4  ,as my ,mind hath been  
thus exercised1 ,i have seen that to be 
active and busy in the visible gathered 
,church1 without the ,leadings of the   
,holy ,spirit1 is not only unprofitable1
 but tends to increase ,dimness2 and    

where ,way is not opened to proceed in  
the ,light of ,truth1 a ,stop is felt by
 those who humbly attend to the ,divine 
,leader1 a ,stop which in relation to   
good ,order in the visible gathered     
,church1 is of the greatest ,consequence
 to be observed2 thus ,robert ,barclay  
in his ,treatise on ,discipline holds   
forth1 ,page #fe1 #fh1 #hd4 ,that the   
,judgment or ,conclusion of the ,church 
or ,congregation1 is no further         
effectual as to the true ,end and       
,design thereof1 but as such ,judgment  
or ,conclusion proceeds from the ,spirit
 of ,god operating on their ,minds who  
are sanctified in ,christ ,jesus4  ,now 
in this ,stop ,i have learned the       
,necessity of waiting on the ,lord in   
,humility1 that the ,works of all may be
 brought to the ,light1 and those to    
,judgment which are wrought in the      
,wisdom of this ,world2 and have also   
seen1 that in a ,mind thoroughly        
subjected to the ,power of the ,cross1  
there is a ,savour of ,life to be felt1 

which evidently tends to gather ,souls  
to ,god1 while the greatest ,works in   
the visible gathered ,church brought    
forth in ,man's ,wisdom1 remain to be   
unprofitable4  ,where ,people are       
divinely gathered into a ,holy          
,fellowship1 and faithfully abide under 
the ,influence of that ,spirit which    
leads into all ,truth1 they are the     
,light of the ,world1 ,mat4 v4 #ad4 ,now
 holding this ,profession1 to me hath   
appeared weighty1 even beyond what ,i   
can fully express1 and what our blessed 
,lord seemed to have in ,view1 when he  
proposed the ,necessity of counting the 
,cost1 before we begin to build4  ,i    
trust there are many who at ,times1     
under ,divine ,visitation1 feel an      
inward ,enquiry after ,god2 and when    
such in the ,simplicity of their ,hearts
 mark the ,lives of a ,people1 who      
profess to walk by the ,leadings of his 
,spirit1 of what great ,concernment is  
it that our ,lights shine clear1 that   
nothing of our ,conduct carry a         

,contradiction to the ,truth as it is in
 ,jesus1 or be a ,means of prophaning   
his ,holy ,name1 and be a               
,stumbling-block in the ,way of those   
sincere ,enquirers6  ,when such         
,seekers1 who wearied with empty ,forms1
 look toward uniting with us as a       
,people1 and behold active ,members     
among us depart in their customary ,way 
of ,living1 from that ,purity of ,life1 
which under humbling ,exercises hath    
been opened before them1 as the ,way of 
the ,lord's ,people1 how mournful and   
discouraging is the ,prospect6 ,and how 
strongly doth such ,unfaithfulness      
operate against the ,spreading of the   
peaceable1 harmonious ,principle1 and   
,testimony of ,truth amongst ,mankind6  
,in entering into that ,life1 which is  
hid with ,christ in ,god1 we behold his 
peaceable ,government1 where the whole  
,family are governed by the same        
,spirit1 and the doing to others as we  
would they should do unto us1 groweth up
 as good ,fruit from a good ,tree2 the  

,peace1 ,quietness1 and harmonious      
,walking in this ,government is beheld  
with humble ,reverence to him who is the
 ,author of it2 and in partaking of the 
,spirit of ,christ1 we partake of that  
which labours1 and suffers for the      
,increase of this peaceable ,government 
among the ,inhabitants of the ,world2   
and ,i have felt a ,labour of long      
,continuance1 that we1 who profess this 
peaceable ,principle1 may be faithful   
,standard-bearers under the ,prince of  
,peace1 and that nothing of a defiling  
,nature1 tending to ,discord and ,wars1 
may remain among us4  ,may each of us   
query with ourselves1 have the          
,treasures ,i possess been gathered in  
that ,wisdom which is from above1 so far
 as hath appeared to me8  ,have none of 
my ,fellow ,creatures an equitable      
,right to any ,part which is called     
mine8  ,have the ,gifts1 and            
,possessions received by me from others1
 been conveyed in a ,way free from all  
,unrighteousness1 so far as ,i have     

seen8  ,the ,principle of ,peace in     
which our ,trust is only in the ,lord1  
and our ,minds weaned from a ,dependance
 on the ,strength of ,armies1 hath      
appeared to me very precious1 and ,i    
often feel strong ,desires1 that we who 
profess this ,principle1 may so walk1 as
 to give just ,cause for none of our    
,fellow ,creatures to be offended at us2
 that our ,lives may evidently manifest1
 that we are redeemed from that ,spirit 
in which ,wars are4 ,our blessed        
,saviour in pointing out the ,danger of 
so leaning on ,man1 as to neglect the   
,leadings of his ,holy ,spirit1 said1   
,call no ,man your ,father upon the     
,earth2 for one is your ,father which is
 in ,heaven1 ,mat4 xxiii4 #i4 ,where the
 ,wisdom from above is faithfully       
followed1 and therein we are entrusted  
with ,substance1 it is a ,treasure      
committed to our ,care in the ,nature of
 an ,inheritance1 as an ,inheritance    
from him1 who formed1 and supports the  
,world4 ,now in this ,condition the true

 ,enjoyment of the good ,things of this 
,life is understood1 and that ,blessing 
felt1 in which is real ,safety2 this is 
what ,i apprehend our blessed ,lord had 
in ,view1 when he pronounced1 ,blessed  
are the ,meek1 for they shall inherit   
the ,earth4  ,selfish ,worldly-minded   
,men may hold ,lands in the selfish     
,spirit1 and depending on the ,strength 
of the outward ,power1 be perplexed with
 secret ,uneasiness1 lest the ,injured  
should sometime overpower them1 and that
 ,measure meted to them1 which they     
measure to others4 ,thus selfish ,men   
may possess the ,earth2 but it is the   
,meek who inherit it1 and enjoy it as an
 ,inheritance from the ,heavenly        
,father1 free from all the ,defilements1
 and ,perplexities of ,unrighteousness4 
,where ,proceedings have been in that   
,wisdom which is from beneath1 and      
inequitable ,gain gathered by a ,man1   
and left as a ,gift to his ,children1   
who being entangled by the same ,worldly
 ,spirit1 have not attained to that     

,clearness of ,light in which the       
,channels of ,righteousness are opened1 
and ,justice done to those who remain   
silent under ,injuries3 ,here ,i have   
seen under humbling ,exercise of ,mind1 
that the ,sins of the ,fathers are      
embraced by the ,children1 and become   
their ,sins1 and thus of the ,days of   
,tribulation1 the ,iniquities in the    
,fathers are visited upon these         
,children1 who take hold of the         
,unrighteousness of their ,fathers1 and 
live in that ,spirit in which those     
,iniquities were committed2 to which    
agreeth the ,prophecy of ,moses1        
concerning a rebellious ,people2 ,they  
that are left of you shall pine away in 
their ,iniquities1 in your ,enemy's     
,land1 and in the ,iniquities of their  
,fathers shall they pine away1 ,lev4    
xxvi4 #ci4 and our blessed ,lord in     
beholding the ,hardness of ,heart in    
that ,generation1 and feeling in        
himself1 that they lived in the same    
,spirit in which the ,prophets had been 

persecuted unto ,death1 signified1 ,that
 the ,blood of all the ,prophets which  
was shed from the ,foundation of the    
,world1 should be required of that      
,generation1 from the ,blood of ,abel1  
unto the ,blood of ,zacharias1 who      
perished between the ,altar and the     
,temple1 ,luke xi4 #ea4  ,tender        
,compassion fills my ,heart towards my  
,fellow ,creatures estranged from the   
harmonious ,government of the ,prince of
 ,peace1 and a ,labour attends me1 that 
they may be gathered to this peaceable  
,habitation4  ,in being inwardly        
prepared to suffer ,adversity for       
,christ's ,sake1 and weaned from a      
,dependance on the ,arm of ,flesh1 we   
feel1 that there is a ,rest for the     
,people of ,god1 and that it stands in a
 perfect ,resignation of ourselves to   
his ,holy ,will2 in this ,condition1 all
 our ,wants and ,desires are bounded by 
pure ,wisdom1 and our ,minds wholly     
attentive to the ,counsel of ,christ    
inwardly communicated1 which hath       

appeared to me as a ,habitation of      
,safety for the ,lord's ,people1 in     
,times of outward ,commotion and        
,trouble1 and ,desires from the         
,fountain of pure ,love1 are opened in  
me1 to invite my ,brethren and ,fellow  
,creatures to feel for1 and seek after  
that which gathers the ,mind into it4   
,,john ,,woolman4      ,,mount-,,holly1 
,,new-,,jersey1     #dth ,month #aggb4  
,,remarks ,,on ,,sundry ,,subjects4  ,by
 ,,john ,,woolman4      ,,london3       
,printed by ,,mary ,,hinde4   ,,remarks 
c4   ,,chapter ,i      ,on loving our   
,neighbours as ourselves  ,when we love 
the ,lord with all our ,hearts1 and his 
,creatures in his ,love1 we are then    
preserv'd in ,tenderness both toward    
,mankind and the ,animal ,creation2 but 
if another ,spirit gets ,room in our    
,minds1 and we follow it in our         
,proceedings1 we are then in the ,way of
 disordering the ,affairs of ,society4  
,if a ,man successful in ,business      
expends ,part of his ,income in ,things 

of no real ,use1 while the ,poor        
employed by him pass through great      
,difficulties in getting the            
,necessaries of ,life1 this requires his
 serious ,attention4  ,if several       
principal ,men in ,business unite in    
setting the ,wages of those who work for
 ,hire1 and therein have ,regard to a   
,profit to themselves answerable to     
unnecessary ,expence in their ,families1
 while the ,wages of the other on a     
moderate ,industry will not afford a    
comfortable ,living for their ,families1
 and a proper ,education for their      
,children1 this is like laying a        
,temptation in the ,way of some to      
strive for a ,place higher than they are
 in1 when they have not ,stock          
sufficient for it4  ,now ,i feel a      
,concern in the ,spring of pure ,love1  
that all who have ,plenty of outward    
,substance1 may ,example others in the  
right ,use of ,things2 may carefully    
look into the ,condition of poor        
,people1 and beware of exacting on them 

with ,regard to their ,wages4  ,while   
hired ,labourers1 by moderate ,industry1
 through the ,divine ,blessing1 may live
 comfortably1 raise up ,families1 and   
give them suitable ,education1 it       
appears reasonable for them to be       
content with their ,wages4  ,if they who
 have ,plenty love their ,fellow        
,creatures in that ,love which is       
,divine1 and in all their ,proceedings  
have an equal ,regard to the ,good of   
,mankind universally1 their ,place in   
,society is a ,place of ,care1 an       
,office requiring ,attention1 and the   
more we possess1 the greater is our     
,trust1 and with an ,increase of        
,treasure1 an ,increase of ,care becomes
 necessary4  ,when our ,will is subject 
to the ,will of ,god1 and in relation to
 the ,things of this ,world1 we have    
nothing in ,view1 but a comfortable     
,living equally with the rest of our    
,fellow ,creatures1 then outward        
,treasures are no farther desirable than
 as we feel a ,gift in our ,minds equal 

to the ,trust1 and ,strength to act as  
dutiful ,children in his ,service1 who  
hath formed all ,mankind1 and appointed 
a ,subsistence for us in this ,world4   
,a ,desire for ,treasures on any other  
,motive1 appears to be against that     
,command of our blessed ,saviour1 ,lay  
not up for yourselves ,treasures here on
 ,earth1 ,mat4 vi4 #ai4  ,he forbids not
 laying up in the ,summer against the   
,wants of ,winter2 nor doth he teach us 
to be slothful in that which properly   
relates to our being in this ,world2 but
 in this ,prohibition he puts in        
yourselves1 ,lay not up for yourselves  
,treasures here on ,earth4  ,now in the 
pure ,light1 this ,language is          
understood1 for in the ,love of ,christ 
there is no ,respect of ,persons2 and   
while we abide in his ,love1 we live not
 to ourselves1 but to him who died for  
us4 ,and as we are thus united in       
,spirit to ,christ1 we are engaged to   
labour in promoting that ,work in the   
,earth for which he suffer'd4  ,in this 

,state of ,mind our ,desires are1 that  
every honest ,member in ,society may    
have a ,portion of ,treasure1 and ,share
 of ,trust1 answerable to that ,gift1   
with which our ,heavenly ,father hath   
gifted us4  ,in great ,treasure1 there  
is a great ,trust4 ,a great ,trust      
requireth great ,care4 ,but the         
laborious ,mind wants ,rest4  ,a pious  
,man is content to do a ,share of       
,business in ,society1 answerable to the
 ,gifts with which he is endowed1 while 
the ,channels of ,business are free from
 ,unrighteousness1 but is careful lest  
at any ,time his ,heart be over-charg'd4
  ,in the harmonious ,spirit of ,society
 ,christ is all in all1 ,col4 iii4 #aa4 
,here it is that old ,things are past   
away1 all ,things are new1 all ,things  
are of ,god1 #b ,cor4 v4 #ag1 #ah1 and  
the ,desire for outward ,riches is at an
 ,end4  ,they of low ,degree who have   
small ,gifts1 enjoy their ,help who have
 large ,gifts2 those with their small   
,gifts1 have a small degree of ,care1   

while these with their large ,gifts1    
have a large degree of ,care3 ,and thus 
to abide in the ,love of ,christ1 and   
enjoy a comfortable ,living in this     
,world is all that is aimed at by those 
,members in ,society1 to whom ,christ is
 made ,wisdom and ,righteousness4  ,but 
when they who have much ,treasure1 are  
not faithful ,stewards of the ,gifts of 
,god1 great ,difficulties attend it4    
,now this ,matter hath deeply affected  
my ,mind4 ,the ,lord1 through merciful  
,chastisements1 hath given me a ,feeling
 of that ,love1 in which the ,harmony of
 ,society standeth1 and a ,sight of the 
,growth of that ,seed which bringeth    
forth ,wars and great ,calamities in the
 ,world1 and a ,labour attends me to    
open it to others4  ,now to act with    
,integrity1 according to that ,strength 
of ,mind and ,body with which our       
,creator hath endowed each of us1       
appears necessary for all1 and he who   
thus stands in the lowest ,station1     
appears to be entitled to as comfortable

 and convenient a ,living1 as he whose  
,gifts of ,mind are greater1 and whose  
,cares are more extensive4  ,if some    
endowed with strong ,understandings as  
,men1 abide not in the harmonious       
,state1 in which we love our ,neighbours
 as ourselves1 but walk in that ,spirit 
in which the ,children of this ,world   
are wise in their ,generation2 these by 
the ,strength of ,contrivance may       
sometimes gather great ,treasure1 but   
the ,wisdom of this ,world is           
,foolishness with ,god2 and if we gather
 ,treasures in ,worldly ,wisdom1 we lay 
up ,treasures for ourselves2 and great  
,treasures managed in any other ,spirit1
 than the ,spirit of ,truth1 disordereth
 the ,affairs of ,society1 for hereby   
the good ,gifts of ,god in this outward 
,creation are turned into the ,channels 
of ,worldly ,honour1 and frequently     
applied to support ,luxury1 while the   
,wages of poor ,labourers are such1 that
 with moderate ,industry and ,frugality 
they may not live comfortably1 raise up 

,families1 and give them suitable       
,education1 but through the             
,streightness of their ,condition1 are  
often drawn on to labour under          
,weariness1 to toil through ,hardships  
themselves1 and frequently to oppress   
those useful ,animals with which we are 
intrusted4  ,from ,age to ,age1         
throughout all ,ages1 ,divine ,love is  
that alone1 in which ,dominion has been1
 is1 and will be rightly conducted4  ,in
 this the ,endowments of ,men are so    
employed1 that the ,friend and the      
,governor are united in one1 and        
oppressive ,customs come to an ,end4    
,riches in the ,hands of ,individuals in
 ,society1 is attended with some degree 
of ,power2 and so far as ,power is put  
forth separate from pure ,love1 so far  
the ,government of the ,prince of ,peace
 is interrupted2 and as we know not that
 our ,children after us will dwell in   
that ,state in which ,power is rightly  
applied1 to lay up ,riches for them     
appears to be against the ,nature of his

 ,government4  ,the ,earth1 through the 
,labour of ,men under the ,blessing of  
him who formed it1 yieldeth a ,supply   
for the ,inhabitants from ,generation to
 ,generation1 and they who walk in the  
pure ,light1 their ,minds are prepared  
to taste and relish not only those      
,blessings which are spiritual1 but also
 feel a ,sweetness and ,satisfaction in 
a right ,use of the good ,gifts of ,god 
in the visible ,creation4  ,here we see 
that ,man's ,happiness stands not in    
great ,possessions1 but in a ,heart     
devoted to follow ,christ1 in that ,use 
of ,things1 where ,customs contrary to  
universal ,love have no ,power over us4 
,in this ,state our ,hearts are prepared
 to trust in ,god1 and our ,desires for 
our ,children and ,posterity are1 that  
they1 with the rest of ,mankind1 in     
,ages to come1 may be of that ,number1  
of whom he hath said1 ,i will be a      
,father to them1 and they shall be my   
,sons and ,daughters1 #b ,cor4 vi4 #ah4 
,when ,wages in a fruitful ,land bear so

 small a ,proportion to the ,necessaries
 of ,life1 that poor honest ,people who 
have ,families cannot by a moderate     
,industry attain to a comfortable       
,living1 and give their ,children       
sufficient ,learning1 but must either   
labour to a degree of ,oppression1 or   
else omit that which appears to be a    
,duty4  ,while this is the ,case with   
the ,poor1 there is an ,inclination in  
the ,minds of most ,people1 to prepare  
at least so much ,treasure for their    
,children1 that they with ,care and     
moderate ,industry may live free from   
these ,hardships which the ,poor pass   
through4  ,now this ,subject requireth  
our serious ,consideration3 ,to labour  
that our ,children may be put in a ,way 
to live comfortably1 appears in itself  
to be a ,duty1 so long as these our     
,labours are consistent with universal  
,righteousness2 but if in striving to   
shun ,poverty1 we do not walk in that   
,state where ,christ is our ,life1 then 
we wander2 ,he that hath the ,son1 hath 

,life1 #a ,john v4 #ab4 ,this ,life is  
the ,light of ,men1 #a ,john #a4 #d4 ,if
 we walk not in this ,light1 we walk in 
,darkness1 and he that walketh in       
,darkness1 knoweth not whither he goeth1
 ,john xii4 #ce4  ,to keep to right     
,means in labouring to attain a right   
,end is necessary3 ,if in striving to   
shun ,poverty1 we strive only in that   
,state where ,christ is the ,light of   
our ,life1 our ,labours will stand in   
the true ,harmony of ,society2 but if   
,people are confident that the ,end     
aimed at is good1 and in this           
,confidence pursue it so eagerly1 as not
 to wait for the ,spirit of ,truth to   
lead them1 then they come to ,loss4     
,christ is given to be a ,leader and    
,commander of the ,people1 ,isaiah lv4  
#d4 ,again2 ,the ,lord shall guide thee 
continually1 ,isaiah lviii4 #ab4 ,again2
 ,lord1 thou wilt ordain ,peace for us1 
for thou also hast wrought all our      
,works in us1 ,isaiah xxvi4 #ab4  ,in   
the ,lord have we ,righteousness and    

,strength1 ,isaiah xlv4 #bd4  ,in this  
,state our ,minds are preserved watchful
 in following the ,leadings of his      
,spirit in all our ,proceedings in this 
,world1 and a ,care is felt for a       
,reformation in general4 ,that our own  
,posterity1 with the rest of ,mankind in
 succeeding ,ages1 may not be entangled 
by oppressive ,customs1 transmitted to  
them through our ,hands2 but if ,people 
in the ,narrowness of natural ,love1 are
 afraid that their ,children will be    
oppressed by the ,rich1 and through an  
eager ,desire to get ,treasures1 depart 
from the pure ,leadings of ,truth in one
 ,case1 though it may seem to be a small
 ,matter1 yet the ,mind even in that    
small ,matter may be embolden'd to      
continue in a ,way of ,proceeding1      
without waiting for the ,divine ,leader4
  ,thus ,people may grow expert in      
,business1 wise in the ,wisdom of this  
,world1 retain a fair ,reputation       
amongst ,men1 and yet being ,strangers  
to the ,voice of ,christ1 the safe      

,leader of his ,flock1 the ,treasures   
thus gotten1 may be like ,snares to the 
,feet of their ,posterity4  ,now to keep
 faithful to the pure ,counsellor1 and  
under trying ,circumstances suffer      
,adversity for ,righteousness ,sake1 in 
this there is a ,reward4  ,if we1 being 
poor1 are hardly dealt with by those who
 are rich1 and under this ,difficulty   
are frugal and industrious1 and in true 
,humility open our ,case to them who    
oppress us1 this may reach the pure     
,witness in their ,minds2 and though we 
should remain under ,difficulties as to 
the outward1 yet if we abide in the     
,love of ,christ1 all will work for our 
,good4  ,when we feel what it is to     
suffer in the true suffering ,state1    
then we experience the ,truth of those  
,expressions1 that1 as the ,sufferings  
of ,christ abound in us1 so our         
,consolation aboundeth by ,christ1 #b   
,cor4 i4 #e4  ,but if poor ,people who  
are hardly dealt with1 do not attain to 
the true suffering ,state1 do not labour

 in true ,love with those who deal      
hardly with them1 but envy their outward
 ,greatness1 murmur in their ,hearts    
because of their own ,poverty1 and      
strive in the ,wisdom of this ,world to 
get ,riches for themselves and their    
,children2 this is like wandering in the
 ,dark4  ,if we who are of a middle     
,station between ,riches and ,poverty1  
are affected at ,times with the         
,oppressions of the ,poor1 and feel a   
tender ,regard for our ,posterity after 
us1 ,o how necessary is it that we wait 
for the pure ,counsel of ,truth6  ,many 
have seen the ,hardships of the ,poor1  
felt an eager ,desire that their        
,children may be put in a ,way to escape
 these ,hardships2 but how few have     
continued in that pure ,love which      
openeth our ,understandings to proceed  
rightly under these ,difficulties6  ,how
 few have faithfully followed that ,holy
 ,leader who prepares his ,people to    
labour for the ,restoration of true     
,harmony amongst our ,fellow ,creatures6

  ,in the pure ,gospel ,spirit we walk  
by ,faith and not by ,sight1 #b ,cor4 v4
 #g4  ,in the ,obedience of ,faith we   
die to the ,narrowness of ,self-love1   
and our ,life being hid with ,christ in 
,god1 our ,hearts are enlarg'd toward   
,mankind universally2 but in departing  
from the true ,light of ,life1 many in  
striving to get ,treasures have stumbled
 upon the dark ,mountains4  ,now that   
,purity of ,life which proceeds from    
,faithfulness in following the ,spirit  
of ,truth1 that ,state where our ,minds 
are devoted to serve ,god1 and all our  
,wants are bounded by his ,wisdom1 this 
,habitation has often been open'd before
 me as a ,place of ,retirement for the  
,children of the ,light1 where we may   
stand separated from that which         
disordereth and confuseth the ,affairs  
of ,society1 and where we may have a    
,testimony of our ,innocence in the     
,hearts of those who behold us4         
,through departing from the ,truth as it
 is in ,jesus1 through introducing ,ways

 of ,life attended with unnecessary     
,expences1 many ,wants have arisen1 the 
,minds of ,people have been employ'd in 
studying to get ,wealth1 and in this    
,pursuit some departing from ,equity1   
have retain'd a ,profession of          
,religion2 others have look'd at their  
,example1 and thereby been strengthen'd 
to proceed further in the same ,way3    
,thus many have encourag'd the ,trade of
 taking ,men from ,africa1 and selling  
them as ,slaves4  ,it hath been computed
 that near ,one ,hundred ,thousand      
,negroes have of late ,years been taken 
annually from that ,coast1 by ,ships    
employed in the ,english ,trade4  ,as ,i
 have travell'd on religious ,visits in 
some ,parts of ,america1 ,i have seen   
many of these ,people under the ,command
 of ,overseers1 in a painful ,servitude4
  ,i have beheld them as ,gentiles under
 ,people professing ,christianity1 not  
only kept ignorant of the ,holy         
,scriptures1 but under great            
,provocations to ,wrath2 of whom it may 

truly be said1 ,they that rule over them
 make them to howl1 and the ,holy ,name 
is abundantly blasphemed1 ,isaiah lii4  
#e4  ,where ,children are taught to read
 the ,sacred ,writings1 while young1 and
 exampled in ,meekness and ,humility1 it
 is often helpful to them2 nor is this  
any more than a ,debt due from us to a  
succeeding ,age4  ,but where ,youth are 
pinched for want of the ,necessaries of 
,life1 forced to labour hard under the  
harsh ,rebukes of rigorous ,overseers1  
and many ,times endure unmerciful       
,whippings3 ,in such an ,education1 how 
great are the ,disadvantages they lie   
under6 ,and how forcibly do these       
,things work against the ,increase of   
the ,government of the ,prince of       
,peace6  ,humphrey ,smith1 in his       
,works1 p4 #abe1 speaking of the tender 
,feelings of the ,love of ,god in his   
,heart when he was a ,child1 said1 ,by  
the violent wrathful ,nature that ruled 
in others1 was my ,quietness disturbed1 
and ,anger begotten in me toward them1  

yet that of ,god in me was not wholly   
overcome1 but his ,love was felt in my  
,heart1 and great was my ,grief when the
 ,earthly-mindedness and wrathful       
,nature so provoked me1 that ,i was     
estranged from it4  ,and this ,i write  
as a ,warning to ,parents and others1   
that in the ,fear of the living ,god1   
you may train up the ,youth1 and may not
 be a ,means of bringing them into such 
,alienation4  ,many are the ,vanities   
and ,luxuries of the present ,age1 and  
in labouring to support a ,way of living
 conformable to the present ,world1 the 
,departure from that ,wisdom that is    
pure and peaceable hath been great4     
,under the ,sense of a deep ,revolt1 and
 an overflowing ,stream of              
,unrighteousness1 my ,life has been     
often a ,life of ,mourning1 and tender  
,desires are raised in me1 that the     
,nature of this ,practice may be laid to
 ,heart4  ,i have read some ,books wrote
 by ,people who were acquainted with the
 ,manner of getting ,slaves in ,africa4 

,i have had verbal ,relations of this   
,nature from several ,negroes brought   
from ,africa1 who have learn'd to talk  
,english4  ,i have sundry ,times heard  
,englishmen speak on this ,subject1 who 
have been at ,africa on this ,business2 
and from all these ,accounts it appears 
evident that great ,violence is         
committed1 and much ,blood shed in      
,africa in getting ,slaves4  ,when three
 or four ,hundred ,slaves are put in the
 ,hold of a ,vessel in a hot ,climate1  
their ,breathing soon affects the ,air4 
,were that ,number of free ,people to go
 ,passengers with all ,things proper for
 their ,voyage1 there would             
,inconvenience arise from their ,number2
 but ,slaves are taken by ,violence1 and
 frequently endeavour to kill the white 
,people1 that they may return to their  
,native ,land4 ,hence they are          
frequently kept under some ,sort of     
,confinement1 by ,means of which a      
,scent ariseth in the ,hold of a ,ship1 
and ,distempers often break out amongst 

them1 of which many die4 ,of this       
tainted ,air in the ,hold of ,ships     
freighted with ,slaves1 ,i have had     
several ,accounts1 some in ,print1 and  
some verbal1 and all agree that the     
,scent is grievous4 ,when these ,people 
are sold in ,america1 and in the        
,islands1 they are made to labour in a  
,manner more servile and constant1 than 
that which they were used to at ,home1  
that with ,grief1 with different ,diet  
from what has been common with them1 and
 with hard ,labour1 some ,thousands are 
computed to die every ,year1 in what is 
called the ,seasoning4  ,thus it appears
 evident1 that great ,numbers of these  
,people are brought every ,year to an   
untimely ,end2 many of them being such  
who never injured us4  ,when the        
,innocent suffer under hard-hearted     
,men1 even unto ,death1 and the         
,channels of ,equity are so obstructed1 
that the ,cause of the ,sufferers is not
 judged in ,righteousness1 the ,land is 
polluted with ,blood1 ,numb4 xxxv4 #cc4 

,when ,blood hath been shed             
unrighteously1 and remains unatoned for1
 the ,cry thereof is very piercing4     
,under the humbling ,dispensations of   
,divine ,providence1 this ,cry hath     
deeply affected my ,heart1 and ,i feel a
 ,concern to open1 as ,i may be enabled1
 that which lieth heavy on my ,mind4    
,when the ,iniquity of the ,house of    
,israel and of ,judah was exceeding     
great1 when the ,land was defiled with  
,blood1 and the ,city full of           
,perverseness1 ,ezek4 ix4 #i4 some were 
found sighing and crying for the        
,abominations of the ,times1 ,ezek4 ix4 
#d4 and such who live under a right     
,feeling of our ,condition as a ,nation1
 these ,i trust will be sensible that   
the ,lord at this ,day doth call to     
,mourning1 though many are ignorant of  
it4 ,so powerful are bad ,customs when  
they become general1 that ,people       
growing bold thro' the ,examples one of 
another1 have often been unmoved at the 
most serious ,warnings4  ,our blessed   

,saviour speaking of the ,people of the 
old ,world1 said1 ,they eat1 they drank1
 they married1 and were given in        
,marriage1 until the ,day that ,noah    
went into the ,ark1 and the ,flood came 
and destroy'd them all1 ,luke xvii4 #bg4
  ,the like he spake concerning the     
,people of ,sodom1 who are also         
represented by the ,prophet as haughty1 
luxurious1 and oppressive2 ,this was the
 ,sin of ,sodom1 ,pride1 ,fulness of    
,bread1 and ,abundance of ,idleness was 
found in her1 and in her ,daughters2    
neither did she strengthen the ,hands of
 the ,poor and ,needy1 ,ezek4 xvi4 #di4 
,now in a ,revolt so deep as this1 when 
much ,blood has been shed unrighteously1
 in carrying on the ,slave ,trade1 and  
in supporting the ,practice of keeping  
,slaves1 which at this ,day is unatoned 
for1 and crieth from the ,earth1 and    
from the ,seas against the ,oppressor6  
,while this ,practice is continued1 and 
under a great ,load of ,guilt there is  
more ,unrighteousness committed1 the    

,state of ,things is very moving6       
,there is a ,love which stands in       
,nature1 and a ,parent beholding his    
,child in ,misery1 hath a ,feeling of   
the ,affliction2 but in ,divine ,love   
the ,heart is enlarged towards ,mankind 
universally1 and prepar'd to sympathize 
with ,strangers1 though in the lowest   
,station in ,life4  ,of this the        
,prophet appears to have had a ,feeling1
 when he said1 ,have we not all one     
,father8 ,hath not one ,god created us8 
,why then do we deal treacherously every
 ,man with his ,brother1 in prophaning  
the ,covenant of our ,fathers8 ,mal4 ii4
 #aj4  ,he who of old heard the ,groans 
of the ,children of ,israel under the   
hard ,task-masters in ,egypt1 ,i trust  
hath looked down from his ,holy         
,habitation on the ,miseries of these   
deeply oppress'd ,people4 ,many ,lives  
have been shorten'd through extreme     
,oppression while they labour'd to      
support ,luxury and ,worldly ,greatness2
 and tho' many ,people in outward       

,prosperity may think little of those   
,things1 yet the gracious ,creator hath 
,regard to the ,cries of the ,innocent1 
however unnoticed by ,men4  ,the ,lord  
in the ,riches of his ,goodness is      
leading some into the ,feeling of the   
,condition of this ,people1 who cannot  
rest without labouring as their         
,advocate2 of which in some ,measure ,i 
have had ,experience1 for1 in the       
,movings of his ,love in my ,heart1     
these poor ,sufferers have been brought 
near to me4  ,the unoffending ,aged and 
,infirm made to labour too hard1 kept on
 a ,diet less comfortable than their    
weak ,state required1 and exposed to    
great ,difficulties under hard-hearted  
,men1 to whose ,sufferings ,i have often
 been a ,witness1 and under the         
,heart-melting ,power of ,divine ,love1 
their ,misery hath felt to me like the  
,misery of my ,parents4  ,innocent      
,youth taken by ,violence from their    
,native ,land1 from their ,friends and  
,acquaintance2 put on board ,ships with 

,hearts laden with ,sorrow2 exposed to  
great ,hardships at ,sea2 placed under  
,people1 where their ,lives have been   
attended with great ,provocation to     
,anger and ,revenge4  ,with the         
,condition of these ,youth1 my ,mind    
hath often been affected1 as with the   
,afflictions of my ,children1 and in a  
,feeling of the ,misery of these        
,people1 and of that great ,offence     
which is minister'd to them1 my ,tears  
have been often poured out before the   
,lord4  ,that ,holy ,spirit which       
affected my ,heart when ,i was a ,youth1
 ,i trust is often felt by the ,negroes 
in their ,native ,land1 inclining their 
,minds to that which is righteous1 and  
had the professed ,followers of ,christ 
in all their ,conduct towards them1     
manifested a ,disposition answerable to 
the pure ,principle in their ,hearts1   
how might the ,holy ,name have been     
honoured amongst the ,gentiles1 and how 
might we have rejoiced in the fulfilling
 of that ,prophecy1 ,i the ,lord love   

,judgment1 ,i hate ,robbery for         
,burnt-offerings1 and ,i will direct    
their ,work in ,truth1 and make an      
everlasting ,covenant with them4 ,their 
,seed shall be known amongst the        
,gentiles1 and their ,offspring amongst 
the ,people3 ,all that see them shall   
acknowledge them1 that they are the     
,seed which the ,lord hath blessed1     
,isaiah lxi4 #h1 #i4  ,but in the       
present ,state of ,things1 how contrary 
is this ,practice to that meek ,spirit1 
in which our ,saviour laid down his     
,life for us1 that all the ,ends of the 
,earth might know ,salvation in his     
,name6  ,how are the ,sufferings of our 
blessed ,redeemer set at nought1 and his
 ,name blasphemed amongst the ,gentiles1
 through the unrighteous ,proceedings of
 his profess'd ,followers6  ,my ,mind   
hath often been affected1 even from the 
,days of my ,youth1 under a ,sense of   
that marvellous ,work1 for which ,god1  
in infinite ,goodness1 sent his ,son    
into the ,world4  ,the opening of that  

,spring of living ,waters1 which the    
true ,believers in ,christ experience1  
by which they are redeemed from ,pride  
and ,covetousness1 and brought into a   
,state of ,meekness1 where their ,hearts
 are enlarged in true ,love toward their
 ,fellow ,creatures universally2 this   
,work to me has been precious1 and the  
,spreading the ,knowledge of the ,truth 
amongst the ,gentiles been very         
desirable4 ,and the professed ,followers
 of ,christ joining in ,customs         
evidently unrighteous1 which manifestly 
tend to stir up ,wrath1 and increase    
,wars and ,desolations1 hath often      
covered my ,mind with ,sorrow4  ,if we  
bring this ,matter home1 and as ,job    
proposed to his ,friends1 ,put our ,soul
 in their ,soul's stead1 ,job xvi4 #d4  
,if we consider ourselves and our       
,children as exposed to the ,hardships  
which these ,people lie under in        
supporting an imaginary ,greatness4     
,did we in such ,case behold an         
,increase of ,luxury and ,superfluity   

amongst our ,oppressors1 and therewith  
felt an ,increase of the ,weight of our 
,burdens1 and expected our ,posterity to
 groan under ,oppression after us4      
,under all this ,misery1 had we none to 
plead our ,cause1 nor any ,hope of      
,relief from ,man1 how would our ,cries 
ascend to the ,god of the ,spirits of   
all ,flesh1 who judgeth the ,world in   
,righteousness1 and in his own ,time is 
a ,refuge for the ,oppressed6  ,if they 
who thus afflicted us1 continued to lay 
,claim to ,religion1 and were assisted  
in their ,business by others1 esteemed  
pious ,people1 who through a ,friendship
 with them strengthened their ,hands in 
,tyranny4  ,in such a ,state1 when we   
were ,hunger-bitten1 and could not have 
sufficient ,nourishment but saw them in 
fulness pleasing their ,taste with      
,things fetched from far3  ,when we were
 wearied with ,labour1 denied the       
,liberty to rest1 and saw them spending 
their ,time at ,ease3 ,when ,garments   
answerable to our ,necessities were     

denied us1 while we saw them cloathed in
 that which was costly and delicate3    
,under such ,affliction1 how would these
 painful ,feelings rise up as ,witnesses
 against their pretended ,devotion6 ,and
 if the ,name of their ,religion was    
mention'd in our ,hearing1 how would it 
sound in our ,ears like a ,word which   
signified ,self-exaltation1 and         
,hardness of ,heart6  ,when a ,trade is 
carried on1 productive of much ,misery1 
and they who suffer by it are some      
,thousands ,miles off1 the ,danger is   
the greater1 of not laying their        
,sufferings to ,heart4  ,in procuring   
,slaves on the ,coast of ,africa1 many  
,children are stolen privately2 ,wars   
also are encouraged amongst the         
,negroes1 but all is at a great         
,distance4  ,many ,groans arise from    
dying ,men1 which we hear not4  ,many   
,cries are uttered by ,widows and       
,fatherless ,children1 which reach not  
our ,ears4  ,many ,cheeks are wet with  
,tears1 and ,faces sad with unutterable 

,grief1 which we see not4  ,cruel       
,tyranny is encouraged4 ,the ,hands of  
,robbers are strengthened1 and          
,thousands reduced to the most abject   
,slavery1 who never injured us4  ,were  
we for the ,term of one ,year only to be
 an ,eye-witness to what passeth in     
getting these ,slaves3  ,was the ,blood 
which is there shed to be sprinkled on  
our ,garments3  ,were the poor ,captives
 bound with ,thongs1 heavy laden with   
,elephants ,teeth1 to pass before our   
,eyes on their ,way to the ,sea3  ,were 
their bitter ,lamentations ,day after   
,day to ring in our ,ears1 and their    
mournful ,cries in the ,night to hinder 
us from ,sleeping3  ,were we to hear the
 ,sound of the ,tumult when the ,slaves 
on board the ,ships attempt to kill the 
,english1 and behold the ,issue of those
 bloody ,conflicts3  ,what pious ,man   
could be a ,witness to these ,things1   
and see a ,trade carried on in this     
,manner1 without being deeply affected  
with ,sorrow8  ,through abiding in the  

,love of ,christ we feel a ,tenderness  
in our ,hearts toward our ,fellow       
,creatures1 entangled in oppressive     
,customs2 and a ,concern so to walk1    
that our ,conduct may not be a ,means of
 strength'ning them in ,error4  ,it was 
the ,command of the ,lord through       
,moses1 ,thou shalt not suffer ,sin upon
 thy ,brother3 ,thou shalt in anywise   
rebuke thy ,brother1 and shalt not      
suffer ,sin upon him1 ,lev4 xix4 #ag4   
,again2 ,keep far from a false ,matter2 
and the ,innocent and ,righteous slay   
thou not1 ,exod4 xxiii4 #g4  ,the       
,prophet ,isaiah mentions ,oppression as
 that which the true ,church in ,time of
 outward ,quiet should not only be clear
 of1 but should be far from it2 ,thou   
shalt be far from ,oppression1 ,isaiah  
liv4 #ad4 ,now these ,words1 far from1  
appear to have an extensive ,meaning1   
and to convey ,instruction in regard to 
that of which ,solomon speaks1 ,though  
,hand join in ,hand1 the ,wicked shall  
not go unpunished1 ,prov4 xvi4 #e4  ,it 

was a ,complaint against one of old1    
,when thou sawest a ,thief1 thou        
consentedst with him1 ,psal4 l4 #ah4    
,the ,prophet ,jeremiah represents the  
,degrees of ,preparation toward         
,idolatrous ,sacrifice1 in the          
,similitude of a ,work carried on by    
,children1 ,men1 and ,women3 ,the       
,children gather ,wood1 the ,fathers    
kindle the ,fire1 and the ,women knead  
the ,dough to bake ,cakes for the ,queen
 of ,heaven1 ,jer4 vii4 #ah4  ,it was a 
complaint of the ,lord against ,israel1 
through his ,prophet ,ezekiel1 that they
 strengthen'd the ,hands of the ,wicked1
 and made the ,hearts of the ,righteous 
sad1 ,ezek4 xiii4 #ab4  ,some ,works of 
,iniquity carried on by the ,people were
 represented by the ,prophet ,hosea1 in 
the ,similitude of ,ploughing1 ,reaping1
 and eating the ,fruit2 ,you have       
ploughed ,wickedness1 reaped ,iniquity1 
eaten the ,fruit of ,lying1 because thou
 didst trust in thy own ,way1 to the    
,multitude of thy mighty ,men1 ,hosea x4

 #ac4  ,i have felt great ,distress of  
,mind since ,i came on this ,island1 on 
,account of the ,members of our ,society
 being mixed with the ,world in various 
,sorts of ,business and ,traffick1      
carried on in impure ,channels4 ,great  
is the ,trade to ,africa for ,slaves2   
and in loading these ,ships abundance of
 ,people are employ'd in the            
,manufactories4  ,friends in early ,time
 refused1 on a religious ,principle1 to 
make or trade in ,superfluities1 of     
which we have many large ,testimonies on
 ,record1 but for want of ,faithfulness 
some gave way1 even some whose ,examples
 were of ,note in ,society1 and from    
thence others took more ,liberty3       
,members of our ,society worked in      
,superfluities1 and bought and sold     
them1 and thus ,dimness of ,sight came  
over many4 ,at length1 ,friends got into
 the ,use of some ,superfluities in     
,dress1 and in the ,furniture of their  
,houses1 and this hath spread from less 
to more1 till ,superfluity of some ,kind

 is common amongst us4  ,in this        
declining ,state many look at the       
,example one of another1 and too much   
neglect the pure ,feeling of ,truth4 ,of
 late ,years a deep ,exercise hath      
attended my ,mind1 that ,friends may dig
 deep1 may carefully cast forth the     
loose ,matter1 and get down to the      
,rock1 the sure ,foundation1 and there  
hearken to that ,divine ,voice which    
gives a clear and certain ,sound4  ,and 
,i have felt in that which doth not     
deceive1 that if ,friends who have known
 the ,truth1 keep in that ,tenderness of
 ,heart1 where all ,views of outward    
,gain are given up1 and their ,trust is 
only on the ,lord1 he will graciously   
lead some to be ,patterns of deep       
,self-denial1 in ,things relating to    
,trade1 and handicraft ,labour2 and that
 some who have ,plenty of the ,treasures
 of this ,world1 will example in a plain
 frugal ,life1 and pay ,wages to such   
whom they may hire1 more liberally than 
is now customary in some ,places4  ,the 

,prophet1 speaking of the true ,church1 
said1 ,thy ,people also shall be all    
righteous4  ,of the ,depth of this      
,divine ,work several have spoken4      
,john ,gratton1 in his ,journal1 p4 #de1
 said1 ,the ,lord is my ,portion1 ,i    
shall not want4 ,he hath wrought all my 
,works in me4 ,i am nothing but what ,i 
am in him4  ,gilbert ,latey1 through the
 powerful ,operations of the ,spirit of 
,christ in his ,soul1 was brought to    
that ,depth of ,self-denial1 that he    
could not join with that proud ,spirit  
in other ,people1 which inclined them to
 want ,vanities and ,superfluities4     
,this ,friend was often amongst the     
chief ,rulers of the ,nation in ,times  
of ,persecution1 and it appears by the  
,testimony of ,friends1 that his        
,dwelling was so evidently in the pure  
,life of ,truth1 that in his ,visits to 
those great ,men1 he found a ,place in  
their ,minds2 and that ,king ,james the 
,second1 in the ,times of his ,troubles1
 made particular ,mention in a very     

respectful ,manner of what ,gilbert once
 said to him4  ,the said ,gilbert found 
a ,concern to write an ,epistle1 in     
which are these ,expressions2 ,fear the 
,lord1 ye ,men of all ,sorts1 ,trades1  
and ,callings1 and leave off all the    
,evil that is in them1 for the ,lord is 
grieved with all the ,evils used in your
 ,employments which you are exercised   
in4  ,it is even a ,grief to see how you
 are ,servants to ,sin1 and ,instruments
 of ,satan4 ,see his ,works1 ,page #db1 
etc4 ,george ,fox1 in an ,epistle1      
writes thus3 ,friends1 stand in the     
,eternal ,power of ,god1 ,witness       
against the ,pomps and ,vanities of this
 ,world4  ,such ,tradesmen who stand as 
,witnesses in the ,power of ,god1 cannot
 fulfil the ,people's ,minds in these   
,vanities1 and therefore they are       
offended at them4  ,let all trust in the
 ,lord1 and wait patiently on him2 for  
when ,trust first broke forth in        
,london1 many ,tradesmen could not take 
so much ,money in their ,shops for some 

,time1 as would buy them ,bread and     
,water1 because they withstood the      
,world's ,ways1 ,fashions1 and ,customs2
 yet by their patient waiting on the    
,lord in their good ,life and           
,conversation1 they answer'd the ,truth 
in ,people's ,hearts1 and thus their    
,business increased4 ,book of           
,doctrinals1 ,page #hbd4  ,now ,christ  
our ,holy ,leader graciously continueth 
to open the ,understandings of his      
,people1 and as ,circumstances alter    
from ,age to ,age1 some who are deeply  
baptized into a ,feeling of the ,state  
of ,things1 are led by his ,holy ,spirit
 into ,exercises in some respect        
different from those which attended the 
,faithful in foregoing ,ages1 and       
through the ,constrainings of pure      
,love1 are engaged to open the ,feelings
 they have to others4  ,in faithfully   
following ,christ1 the ,heart is weaned 
from the ,desires of ,riches1 and we are
 led into a ,life so plain and simple1  
that a little doth suffice1 and thus the

 ,way openeth to deny ourselves1 under  
all the tempting ,allurements of that   
,gain1 which we know is the ,gain of    
,unrighteousness4  ,the ,apostle        
speaking on this ,subject1 asketh this  
,question2 ,what ,fellowship hath       
,righteousness with ,unrighteousness8 #b
 ,cor4 vi4 #ad4 ,and again saith1 ,have 
no ,fellowship with the unfruitful      
,works of ,darkness1 but rather reprove 
them1 ,ephes4 v4 #aa4 ,again1 ,be not   
,partaker of other ,men's ,sins1 keep   
thyself pure1 #a ,tim4 v4 #bb4  ,where  
,people through the ,power of ,christ   
are thoroughly settled in a right ,use  
of ,things1 freed from all unnecessary  
,care and ,expence1 the ,mind in this   
true ,resignation is at ,liberty from   
the ,bands of a narrow ,self-,interest1 
to attend from ,time to ,time on the    
,movings of his ,spirit upon us1 though 
he leads into that through which our    
,faith is closely tried4  ,the ,language
 of ,christ is pure1 and to the ,pure in
 ,heart this pure ,language is          

intelligible2 but in the ,love of       
,money1 the ,mind being intent on ,gain1
 is too full of human ,contrivance to   
attend to it4  ,it appeareth evident1   
that some ,channels of ,trade are       
defiled with ,unrighteousness1 that the 
,minds of many are intent on getting    
,treasures to support a ,life1 in which 
there are many unnecessary ,expences4   
,and ,i feel a living ,concern attend my
 ,mind1 that under these ,difficulties  
we may humbly follow our ,heavenly      
,shepherd1 who graciously regardeth his 
,flock1 and is willing and able to      
supply us both inwardly and outwardly   
with clean ,provender1 that hath been   
winnowed with the ,shovel and the ,fan1 
where we may sow to ourselves in        
,righteousness1 reap in ,mercy1 ,hosea  
x4 #ab4 and not be defiled with the     
,works of ,iniquity4  ,where ,customs   
contrary to pure ,wisdom are transmitted
 to ,posterity1 it appears to be an     
,injury committed against them2 and ,i  
often feel tender ,compassion toward a  

young ,generation1 and ,desires that    
their ,difficulties may not be increased
 through ,unfaithfulness in us of the   
present ,age4   ,,chapter ,,ii      ,on 
a ,,sailor',s ,,life  ,in the ,trade to 
,africa for ,slaves1 and in the         
,management of ,ships going on these    
,voyages1 many of our ,lads and young   
,men have a considerable ,part of their 
,education4  ,now what pious ,father    
beholding his ,son placed in one of     
these ,ships1 to learn the ,practice of 
a ,mariner1 could forbear mourning over 
him8  ,where ,youth are exampled in     
,means of getting ,money so full of     
,violence1 and used to exercise such    
,cruelties on their ,fellow ,creatures1 
the ,disadvantage to them in their      
,education is very great4  ,but ,i feel 
it in my ,mind to write concerning the  
,seafaring ,life in general4  ,in the   
,trade carried on from the              
,west-,indies1 and from some ,part of   
the ,continent1 the ,produce of the     
,labour of ,slaves is a considerable    

,part4  ,and ,sailors who are frequently
 at ,ports where ,slaves abound1 and    
converse often with ,people who oppress 
without the ,appearance of ,remorse1 and
 often with ,sailors employ'd in the    
,slave ,trade1 how powerfully do these  
evil ,examples spread amongst the       
,seafaring ,youth6  ,i have had many    
,opportunities to feel and understand   
the general ,state of the ,seafaring    
,life amongst us1 and my ,mind hath     
often been sad on ,account of so many   
,lads and young ,men been trained up    
amidst so great ,corruption4  ,under the
 humbling ,power of ,christ ,i have     
seen1 that if the ,leadings of his ,holy
 ,spirit were faithfully attended to by 
his professed ,followers in general1 the
 ,heathen ,nations would be exampled in 
,righteousness4 ,a less ,number of      
,people would be employed on the ,seas4 
,the ,channels of ,trade would be more  
free from ,defilement4 ,fewer ,people   
would be employed in ,vanities and      
,superfluities4  ,the ,inhabitants of   

,cities would be less in ,number4       
,those who have much ,lands would become
 ,fathers to the ,poor4  ,more ,people  
would be employed in the sweet          
,employment of ,husbandry1 and in the   
,path of pure ,wisdom1 ,labour would be 
an agreeable1 healthful ,employment4    
,in the ,opening of these ,things in my 
,mind1 ,i feel a living ,concern that we
 who have felt ,divine ,love in our     
,hearts may faithfully abide in it1 and 
like good ,soldiers endure ,hardness for
 ,christ's ,sake4  ,he1 our blessed     
,saviour1 exhorting his ,followers to   
love one another1 adds1 ,as ,i have     
loved you4 ,john xiii4 #cd4  ,he loved  
,lazarus1 yet in his ,sickness did not  
heal him1 but left him to endure the    
,pains of ,death1 that in restoring him 
to ,life1 the ,people might be confirmed
 in the true ,faith4  ,he loved his     
,disciples1 but sent them forth on a    
,message attended with great            
,difficulty1 amongst ,hard-hearted      
,people1 some of whom would think that  

in killing them they did ,god ,service4 
,so deep is ,divine ,love1 that in      
stedfastly abiding in it1 we are        
prepar'd to deny ourselves of all that  
,gain which is contrary to pure ,wisdom1
 and to follow ,christ1 even under      
,contempt1 and through ,sufferings4     
,while ,friends were kept truly humble1 
and walked according to the ,purity of  
our ,principles1 the ,divine ,witness in
 many ,hearts was reached2 but when a   
,worldly ,spirit got ,entrance1         
therewith came in ,luxuries and         
,superfluities1 and spread by little and
 little1 even among the foremost ,rank  
in ,society1 and from thence others took
 ,liberty in that ,way more abundantly4 
,in the ,continuation of these ,things  
from ,parents to ,children1 there were  
many ,wants to supply1 even ,wants      
unknown to ,friends while they          
faithfully followed ,christ4 ,and in    
striving to supply these ,wants many    
have exacted on the ,poor1 many have    
enter'd on ,employments1 in which they  

often labour in upholding ,pride and    
,vanity4 ,many have looked on one       
another1 been strengthen'd in these     
,things1 one by the ,example of another1
 and as to the pure ,divine ,seeing1    
,dimness hath come over many1 and the   
,channels of true ,brotherly ,love been 
obstructed4  ,people may have no        
intention to oppress1 yet by entering on
 expensive ,ways of ,life1 their ,minds 
may be so entangled therein1 and so     
engag'd to support expensive ,customs1  
as to be estranged from the pure        
sympathizing ,spirit4  ,as ,i have      
travell'd in ,england1 ,i have had a    
tender ,feeling of the ,condition of    
poor ,people1 some of whom though honest
 and industrious1 have nothing to spare 
toward paying for the ,schooling of     
their ,children4  ,there is a           
,proportion between ,labour and the     
,necessaries of ,life1 and in true      
,brotherly ,love the ,mind is open to   
feel after the ,necessities of the      
,poor4  ,amongst the ,poor there are    

some that are weak through ,age1 and    
others of a weakly ,nature1 who pass    
through ,straits in very private ,life1 
without asking ,relief from the         
,publick4  ,such who are strong and     
healthy may do that ,business1 which to 
the ,weakly may be oppressive2 and in   
performing that in a ,day which is      
esteem'd a ,day's ,labour1 by weakly    
,persons in the ,field and in the       
,shops1 and by weakly ,women who spin   
and knit in the ,manufactories1 they    
often pass through ,weariness2 and many 
,sighs ,i believe are uttered in secret1
 unheard by some who might ease their   
,burdens4  ,labour in the right ,medium 
is healthy1 but in too much of it there 
is a painful ,weariness2 and the        
,hardships of the ,poor are sometimes   
increased through ,want of a more       
agreeable ,nourishment1 more plentiful  
,fewel for the ,fire1 and warmer        
,cloathing in the ,winter than their    
,wages will answer4  ,when ,i have      
beheld ,plenty in some ,houses to a     

,degree of ,luxury1 the ,condition of   
poor ,children brought up without       
,learning1 and the ,condition of the    
,weakly and ,aged1 who strive to live by
 their ,labour1 have often revived in my
 ,mind1 as ,cases of which some who live
 in ,fulness need to be put in          
,remembrance4  ,there are few1 if any1  
could behold their ,fellow ,creatures   
lie long in ,distress and forbear to    
help them1 when they could do it without
 any ,inconvenience2 but ,customs       
requiring much ,labour to support them1 
do often lie heavy on the ,poor1 while  
they who live in these ,customs are so  
entangled in a ,multitude of unnecessary
 ,concerns that they think but little of
 the ,hardships which the poor ,people  
go through4   ,,chapter ,,iii      ,on  
,,silent ,,worship  ,worship in ,silence
 hath often been refreshing to my ,mind1
 and a ,care attends me that a young    
,generation may feel the ,nature of this
 ,worship4  ,great ,expence ariseth in  
,relation to that which is call'd       

,divine ,worship4  ,a considerable ,part
 of this ,expence is applied toward     
outward ,greatness1 and many poor       
,people in raising of ,tithe1 labour in 
supporting ,customs contrary to the     
,simplicity that there is in ,christ1   
toward whom my ,mind hath often been    
moved with ,pity4  ,in pure silent      
,worship1 we dwell under the ,holy      
,anointing1 and feel ,christ to be our  
,shepherd4  ,here the best of ,teachers 
ministers to the several ,conditions of 
his ,flock1 and the ,soul receives      
immediately from the ,divine ,fountain1 
that with which it is nourished4  ,as ,i
 have travelled at ,times where those of
 other ,societies have attended our     
,meetings1 and have perceiv'd how little
 some of them knew of the ,nature of    
silent ,worship2 ,i have felt tender    
,desires in my ,heart that we who often 
sit silent in our ,meetings1 may live   
answerable to the ,nature of an inward  
,fellowship with ,god1 that no          
,stumbling-block through us1 may be laid

 in their ,way4  ,such is the ,load of  
unnecessary ,expence which lieth on that
 which is called ,divine ,service in    
many ,places1 and so much are the ,minds
 of many ,people employ'd in outward    
,forms and ,ceremonies1 that the opening
 of an inward silent ,worship in this   
,nation to me hath appeared to be a     
precious ,opening4  ,within the last    
four ,hundred ,years1 many pious ,people
 have been deeply exercised in ,soul on 
,account of the ,superstition which     
prevailed amongst the professed         
,followers of ,christ1 and in support of
 their ,testimony against oppressive    
,idolatry1 some in several ,ages have   
finished their ,course in the ,flames4  
,it appears by the ,history of the      
,reformation1 that through the          
,faithfulness of the ,martyrs1 the      
,understandings of many have been       
opened1 and the ,minds of ,people1 from 
,age to ,age1 been more and more        
prepared for a real spiritual ,worship4 
,my ,mind is often affected with a      

,sense of the ,condition of those       
,people who in different ,ages have been
 meek and patient1 following ,christ    
through great ,afflictions3 ,and while  
,i behold the several ,steps1 of        
,reformation1 and that ,clearness1 to   
which through ,divine ,goodness1 it hath
 been brought by our ,ancestors2 ,i feel
 tender ,desires that we who sometimes  
meet in ,silence1 may never by our      
,conduct lay ,stumbling-blocks in the   
,way of others1 and hinder the ,progress
 of the ,reformation in the ,world4  ,it
 was a ,complaint against some who were 
called the ,lord's ,people1 that they   
brought polluted ,bread to his ,altar1  
and said the ,table of the ,lord was    
contemptible4  ,in real silent ,worship 
the ,soul feeds on that which is        
,divine2 but we cannot partake of the   
,table of the ,lord1 and that ,table    
which is prepared by the ,god of this   
,world4  ,if ,christ is our ,shepherd1  
and feedeth us1 and we are faithful in  
following him1 our ,lives will have an  

inviting ,language1 and the ,table of   
the ,lord will not be polluted4         
,,some ,,expressions ,,of ,,john        
,,woolman ,,in ,,his ,,last ,,ilness4   
,,london3     ,printed by ,,mary        
,,hinde4     ,,some ,,expressions1 c4   
,being in the ,course of his religious  
,visit at ,york1 and having attended    
most of the ,sittings of the            
,quarterly-,meeting there1 held in the  
,ninth ,month1 #aggb1 he was taken ill  
of the ,small ,pox1 in which ,disorder  
he continued about two ,weeks1 at ,times
 under great ,affliction of ,body1 and  
then departed in full ,assurance of a   
happy ,eternity1 as the following       
,expressions1 amongst others1 taken from
 his own ,mouth1 do plainly evidence4   
,one ,day being asked how he felt       
himself1 he meekly answered1 ,i don't   
know that ,i have slept this ,night3 ,i 
feel the ,disorder making its ,progress1
 but my ,mind is mercifully preserved in
 ,stillness and ,peace4 ,some ,time     
after he said1 ,he was sensible the     

,pains of ,death must be hard to bear1  
but if he escaped them now1 he must some
 ,time pass through them1 and did not   
know he could be better prepared1 but   
had no ,will in it4 ,said1 ,he had      
settled his outward ,affairs to his     
,mind2 had taken ,leave of his ,wife and
 ,family1 as never to return1 leaving   
them to the ,divine ,protection3        
,adding1 ,and though ,i feel them near  
to me at this ,time1 yet ,i freely give 
them up1 having an ,hope they will be   
provided for4 ,and a little after said1 
,this ,trial is made easier than ,i     
could have thought1 by my ,will being   
wholly taken away2 for if ,i was anxious
 as to the ,event1 it would be harder1  
but ,i am not1 and my ,mind enjoys a    
perfect ,calm4  ,in the ,night a young  
,woman having given him something to    
drink1 he said1 ,my ,child1 thou seemest
 very kind to me1 a poor ,creature1 the 
,lord will reward thee for it4 ,a while 
after he cried out with great           
,earnestness of ,spirit1 ,oh6 my        

,father1 my ,father1 how comfortable art
 thou to my ,soul in this trying        
,season4 ,being asked if he could take a
 little ,nourishment1 after some ,pause 
he replied1 ,my ,child1 ,i cannot tell  
what to say to it3 ,i seem nearly       
arrived where my ,soul shall have ,rest 
from all its ,troubles4 ,after giving in
 something to be put into his ,journal1 
he said1 ,i believe the ,lord will now  
excuse me from ,exercises of this ,kind1
 and ,i see no ,work but one1 which is  
to be the last wrought by me in this    
,world2 the ,messenger will come that   
will release me from all these          
,troubles1 but it must be in the ,lord's
 ,time1 which ,i am waiting for4 ,he    
said1 ,he had laboured to do whatever   
was required1 according to the ,ability 
received1 in the ,remembrance of which  
he had ,peace3 ,and though the ,disorder
 was strong at ,times1 and would come   
over his ,mind like a ,whirlwind1 yet it
 had hitherto been kept steady1 and     
center'd in everlasting ,love4 ,adding1 

,and if that's mercifully continued1 ,i 
ask nor desire no more4  ,at another    
,time he said1 ,he had long had a ,view 
of visiting this ,nation2 and some ,time
 before he came1 he had a ,dream1 in    
which he saw himself in the ,northern   
,parts of it2 and that the ,spring of   
the ,gospel was opened in him1 much as  
in the ,beginning of ,friends1 such as  
,george ,fox and ,william ,dewsbury2 and
 he saw the different ,states of ,people
 as clear as ever he had seen ,flowers  
in a ,garden2 but in his going on he was
 suddenly stopt1 though he could not see
 for what ,end1 but looked towards      
,home1 and in that fell into a ,flood of
 ,tears1 which waked him4 ,at another   
,time he said1 ,my ,draught seem'd      
strongest to the ,north1 and ,i         
mentioned in my own ,monthly-,meeting1  
that attending the ,quarterly-,meeting  
at ,york1 and being there1 looked like  
,home to me4  ,having repeatedly        
consented to take a ,medicine with a    
,view to settle his ,stomach1 but       

without ,effect1 the ,friend then       
waiting on him1 said1 through ,distress1
 ,what shall ,i do now8 ,he answered    
with great ,composure1 ,rejoice         
evermore1 and in every ,thing give      
,thanks4 ,but added a little after1     
,this is sometimes hard to come at4     
,one ,morning early he brake forth in   
,supplication on this wise2 ,oh ,lord6  
it was thy ,power that enabled me to    
forsake ,sin in my ,youth1 and ,i have  
felt thy ,bruises since for             
,disobedience1 but as ,i bowed under    
them thou healedst me2 and though ,i    
have gone through many ,trials and sore 
,afflictions1 thou hast been with me1   
continuing a ,father and a ,friend4 ,i  
feel thy ,power now1 and beg that in the
 approaching trying ,moments1 thou wilt 
keep my ,heart steadfast unto thee4     
,upon his giving the same ,friend       
,directions concerning some little      
,matters1 she said1 ,i will take ,care1 
but hope thou mayst live to order them  
thyself2 he replied1 ,my ,hope is in    

,christ2 and though ,i may now seem a   
little better1 a ,change in the         
,disorder may soon happen1 and my little
 ,strength be dissolved1 and if it so   
happen1 ,i shall be gather'd to my      
everlasting ,rest4 ,on her saying1 ,she 
did not doubt that1 but could not help  
mourning to see so many faithful        
,servants removed at so low a ,time1 he 
said1 ,all ,goodness cometh from the    
,lord1 whose ,power is the same1 and he 
can work as he sees best4 ,the same     
,day1 after giving her ,directions about
 wrapping his ,corpse1 and perceiving   
her to weep1 he said1 ,i had rather thou
 wouldst guard against ,weeping or      
,sorrowing for me1 my ,sister2 ,i sorrow
 not1 though ,i have had some painful   
,conflicts2 but now they seem over1 and 
,matters all settled1 and ,i look at the
 ,face of my dear ,redeemer1 for sweet  
is his ,voice1 and his ,countenance     
comely4  ,being very weak1 and in       
general difficult to be understood1 he  
uttered a few ,words in ,commemoration  

of the ,lord's ,goodness to him2 and    
added1 ,how tenderly have ,i been waited
 upon in this ,time of ,affliction1 in  
which ,i may say in ,job's ,words1      
,tedious ,days and wearisome ,nights are
 appointed unto me2 and how many are    
spending their ,time and ,money in      
,vanity and ,superfluities1 while       
,thousands and ,tens of ,thousands want 
the ,necessaries of ,life1 who might be 
relieved by them1 and their ,distresses 
at such a ,time as this1 in some degree 
softened by the administring of suitable
 ,things4  ,an ,apothecary who attended 
him of his own ,accord 7he being        
unwilling to have any sent for7 appeared
 very anxious to assist him1 with whom  
conversing1 he queried about the        
,probability of such a ,load of ,matter 
being thrown off his weak ,body1 and the
 ,apothecary making some ,remarks1      
implying he thought it might1 he spoke  
with an audible ,voice on this wise3 ,my
 ,dependance is in the ,lord ,jesus     
,christ1 who ,i trust will forgive my   

,sins1 which is all ,i hope for2 and if 
it be his ,will to raise up this ,body  
again1 ,i am content1 and if to die ,i  
am resigned3 ,and if thou canst not be  
easy without trying to assist ,nature1  
in order to lengthen out my ,life1 ,i   
submit4 ,after this1 his ,throat was so 
much affected1 that it was very         
difficult for him to speak so as to be  
understood1 and he frequently wrote when
 he wanted any ,thing4 ,about the second
 ,hour on ,fourth-day ,morning1 being   
the #gth of the ,tenth ,month1 #aggb1 he
 asked for ,pen and ,ink1 and at several
 ,times1 with much ,difficulty1 wrote   
thus3 ,i believe my being here is in the
 ,wisdom of ,christ2 ,i know not as to  
,life or ,death4 ,about a ,quarter      
before ,six the same ,morning1 he seemed
 to fall into an easy ,sleep1 which     
continued about half an ,hour1 when     
seeming to awake1 he breathed a few     
,times with more ,difficulty1 and so    
expired without ,sigh1 ,groan1 or       
,struggle4         99       99       99 

99       99  ,note1 ,he often said1 ,it 
was hid from him1 whether he might      
recover1 or not1 and he was not desirous
 to know it2 but from his own ,feeling  
of the ,disorder1 and his feeble        
,constitution1 thought he should not4   
,,finis   ,,the ,,temple ,,press1       
,,printers1 ,,letchworth