First day, the 1st of 2d month. As I sat musing in silence in our meeting, my mind was led into a view of the great mischief and harm which result to mankind, by their giving way to harbour and indulge vain and evil thoughts. The subject spread and led to communication, in which I had to show to the assembly that our redemption and salvation principally depended on a right government of our thoughts, and that if men and women were as fearful of evil thinking as they are of evil doing, and as desirous of avoiding one as the other, they would soon find themselves empowered as fully to avoid evil thinking as to avoid evil doing; and this would be a suppression of sin in its first rise: and there is no other way for any man or woman to become righteous and holy in the sight of God, who as certainly at all times sees our evil thoughts, and more so than man can see our evil actions: yet nevertheless poor blind forgetful man will please and entertain himself with abundance of evil thoughts in the open view of his Maker, while at the same time he would dread to expose them by overt acts, in the view of men. This shows how much more predominant the fear of man is with the most of mankind, than the fear of God their Creator. I hope the opportunity was profitable and instructive to some present.
Second day, the 9th. I rode to New-York in order to attend the meeting for sufferings which came the next day, and which I attended accordingly. After this I spent several days in the city and neighbourhood, in prosecuting the concern I opened before our last monthly meeting. My kinsman Isaac Hicks accompanied me.
I attended Pearl-street meeting as it came in course on fourth day, and had an appointed meeting at the same place in the evening, for the inhabitants of the town at large. It was a very full meeting, many more collected than the house could contain. The next day I attended Friends’ meeting at Manhattanville, and in the evening had a public meeting in the city, at Friends’ meeting-house in Liberty-street. These were all full favoured meetings, in which truth reigned and subjected, at least for the present, all contrary spirits, which was cause of humble thankfulness to my mind.
We left the city on sixth day and had an appointed meeting at Brooklyn in the evening. On seventh day we had two meetings in Newtown, the first at Friends’ meeting-house at the Kilns, and the latter at the town in the evening. These three last meetings were principally made up of people of other societies, who behaved very commendably and appeared well affected with the meetings; and truth’s testimonies were largely and satisfactorily opened in each meeting, comforting and contriting many hearts, and to the solid peace of my own mind.
On first day, the 15th, I attended Friends’ meeting at Flushing, and some notice having been spread of my coming, it was large; and was added to by a number from Newtown, of other societies who had attended the two meetings held there the day before. This was also an open instructive meeting, in which divers doctrines of the gospel were communicated in the life, to the edification of the people. The next day I returned home and found my family well, which, with the peace of mind that accompanied, produced thankfulness of heart to the blessed Author of all our mercies and blessings.
Fifth day. I attended our monthly meeting. It was rather a dull exercising season, in which I was led into some painful labour.
On sixth day, I proceeded again on the visit to some of the neighbouring inhabitants. Had an appointed meeting in the evening at Hempstead Harbour, and the next evening at the lower part of Cowneck. Both were full meetings. In the former I was largely opened by way of testimony, and many important doctrines of the gospel were communicated for the instruction and edification of the people, and I left them with peace of mind. In the latter I was mostly silent. On first day I attended Friends’ meeting at Cowneck, which was well attended; many of the neighbouring inhabitants coming in that were not members, who behaved soberly. It was a favoured satisfactory season, in which truth reigned.
In the evening I had a pretty large instructive meeting in the village of Herricks. It was a solemn time, in which many truths of the gospel were clearly opened, apparently to the satisfaction and edification of the assembly in general, and I returned home next morning with peace of mind.
On fourth day I attended Bethpage meeting, at which there was a marriage, which occasioned the meeting to be very large. I think it was much the largest I had ever seen in that place. There was a large number of young people, and although many of them appeared raw and undisciplined, yet they generally behaved orderly during the meeting, and I had a pretty open time among them. I was led to set forth the nature and dignity of the marriage covenant when rightly entered into, and the sad reverse, when rashly and unadvisedly undertaken; and especially so when unequally yoked together, and of different persuasions as to religion: for being disunited in the main point, it most certainly must tend to disturb their quiet and imbitter their enjoyments. And the offspring of such connexions are greatly to be pitied; attached by nature to both parents, how confused must be their ideas with regard to which they shall follow; and as it often happens, the boys going with their father, and the daughters with their mother; hence, children which ought to be bound together in the strongest ties of natural affection and consanguinity, are in early life divided in principle and in conduct, by which they become alienated from each other. To avoid which the youth were earnestly and affectionately invited and admonished to put in practice the exhortation of Jesus Christ to his immediate followers, and the people which resorted to hear him, viz: To seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, in a full belief that as we comply therewith, all other things needful and consolatory will be added.