First day, the 5th of 7th month. My mind in our meeting to-day, was humbled under an awakened sense of my own imperfections, and the impotency of our common nature. In this humiliated state, my mind became clothed with the spirit of prayer and supplication, which gave utterance vocally to present a petition to our heavenly Father for the continuance of his mercy; and that he would increase our faith and confident dependance on him, as our only source of help and salvation.
Fifth day. Attended our preparative meeting. The meeting for worship was a lively meeting, although silent or nearly so. The diffusion of real friendship and brotherly love was warmly felt.
First day, the 12th. I sat our meeting in silence, endeavouring to be edified by a communication from a young minister from Cowneck, which was sensible and in a good degree lively. How much more comfortable it is to sit under a testimony that comprehends good sense, and by which the understanding of the people is spoken to, than such as are delivered in a high sound of many words, and yet so unconnected, as to render it difficult to comprehend the subject matter the speaker really aims at; or such as are delivered in a kind of prophetic strain, without power, which some speakers are too apt to fall into; so that we are sometimes ready to doubt their call to that highly important and dignified office. These often cause deep exercise and concern to the living baptized members.
Fifth day. Attended our monthly meeting, at which the queries were read and the usual number answered, in order to represent our state to the quarterly meeting. Things appeared well with us, if the answers given in, were a true representation of our state.
First day, the 19th. I was again made an example of silence. In the course of this week our quarterly meeting was held. It was, I think, in the main a favoured season, in which divine goodness manifested a renewed extension of unmerited mercy to us poor, helpless and unworthy creatures. We had at this quarterly meeting the company of our esteemed friend Gerard T. Hopkins from Baltimore. He appeared lively in his gift, to our mutual edification.
It fell to my lot in the meeting for discipline, to revive the concern for the melioration of the condition of the Africans and their descendants; not only as it respected those who are still held in a state of abject bondage and oppression, but also on behalf of those who have been set free, but who, nevertheless continue, in a very general manner, in a degraded and helpless state, for want of being placed upon the ground of equality with the rest of the inhabitants, as strict justice would dictate, if rightly adhered to by the people and government. And I am fully in the belief, that divine justice will not be satisfied, nor the black stain of shedding innocent blood and cruelly oppressing this people, ever be taken from the inhabitants of this land, until strict justice is done them, and they placed by the laws of our country, in the same state of equality in every respect as the rest of its inhabitants, and in the enjoyment of the full right of civilized man. This is their just and righteous due, and these privileges, if duly and rightly administered to them, would bring them to be as good and useful citizens as those of any other nation.
I was also led to call upon my Friends to persevere in this noble and righteous concern, that nothing might be left undone on our part, in restoring strict justice and right to this deeply oppressed part of our fellow creatures; not only on their account and for their relief, but on our own account also. For, I believe, we are in a very peculiar manner called upon, agreeably to our profession, of being led and guided by an unerring principle of perfect righteousness, to exalt the standard of truth and righteousness in the earth: and believing, as I do, that it is not in the power and wisdom of man to effect this, by all the coercive laws which can be enacted, nor by all the force of the arm of flesh. For nothing can destroy and put an end to sin and wickedness, but a principle in man of perfect righteousness and justice; and this adhered to by man in so full and complete a manner, as to have no fellowship or communion, either immediately or remotely, directly or indirectly, with any acts of injustice or oppression. Hence, I believe, that if we as a people were faithful and obedient to this first principle of our profession, we should be led thereby to abstain from all kinds of commerce or dealings in the produce of our country or elsewhere, which we had cause to believe originated out of, or through the medium of, the labour of slaves, wrung from them and sold by their tyrannical masters. And I am well assured that nothing short of such an exalted testimony to truth and righteousness will ever put a full end to oppression and injustice; and, I believe, He who called our worthy predecessors to exalt the testimony of truth in the earth, and who is still calling us to advocate this noble cause, is looking for this testimony of strict justice and righteousness at our hands.
O, saith my soul! that we as a people, called as we are to be a light to the world, might so persevere in faithfulness and obedience to the teachings and inspirings of light and truth in our hearts, by which we should be enabled to unite together for the exaltation of this noble testimony, and the increase of the Messiah’s kingdom of truth, righteousness, and peace in the earth; and which in its progression will break down and dissolve all the kingdoms of this world, until they become the kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ, and he comes to reign whose right it is.
The subject spread with unusual weight over the meeting, and many brethren appeared deeply affected therewith, and divers came forward by expression to encourage its progress, and to stimulate each other therein; so that my heart was truly gladdened under a sense of the prevalence of truth, which was felt to preside in the meeting, clearly manifesting that the concern was owned by the Head of the Church.