In the course of this week we attended meetings at Old Springfield on second day, Mansfield on third day, Upper Springfield on fourth day, Arney’s Town on fifth day, Crosswicks, alias Chesterfield on sixth day, Bordentown on seventh day, and Trenton on first day. All these were favoured opportunities, and in them all, although under considerable indisposition of body, I was favoured with strength, and way opened to labour in the Lord’s cause in which I was engaged, and which produced that true peace of mind, that the world with all its perishing enjoyments cannot give, nor all its frowns and opposition take away.
On second day we proceeded on our journey towards New-York, being desirous of reaching our quarterly meeting to be held there on the following fifth day. We arrived in the city on third day afternoon, where I met my beloved wife and daughter Elizabeth, and several other branches of my family, and a number more of my near and intimate friends. It was truly a season of mutual rejoicing, and my spirit was deeply humbled under a thankful sense of the Lord’s preserving power and adorable mercy, in carrying me through and over all opposition, both within and without. He caused all to work together for good, and the promotion of his own glorious cause of truth and righteousness in the earth, and landed me safe in the bosom of my dear family and friends at home, and clothed my spirit with the reward of sweet peace for all my labour and travail. Praises, everlasting high praises, be ascribed unto our God, for his mercy endureth for ever.
On seventh day, after the quarterly meeting we returned home, having been out on this journey seven months and ten days, and travelled nearly twenty-four hundred miles.
Soon after my return from the aforesaid journey, I had to experience a very severe trial and affliction in the removal of my dearly beloved wife. She was taken down with a cold, and although, for a number of days, we had no anticipation of danger from her complaint, yet about five days after she was taken, the disorder appeared to settle on her lungs, and it brought on an inflammation which terminated in a dissolution of her precious life, on the ninth day from the time she was taken ill. She had but little bodily pain, yet as she became weaker, she suffered from shortness of breathing; but before her close, she became perfectly tranquil and easy, and passed away like a lamb, as though entering into a sweet sleep, without sigh or groan, or the least bodily pain, on the 17th of 3d month, 1829: And her precious spirit, I trust and believe, has landed safely on the angelic shore, “where the wicked cease from troubling, and the weary are at rest.” To myself, to whom she was a truly affectionate wife, and to our children, whom she endeavoured, by precept and example, to train up in the paths of virtue, and to guard and keep out of harm’s way, her removal is a great and irreparable loss: and nothing is left to us in that behalf, but a confident belief, and an unshaken hope, that our great loss is her still greater gain; and although the loss and trial as to all my external blessings, are the greatest I have ever met with, or ever expect to have to endure, yet I have a hope, that, though separated, I may be preserved from mourning or complaining; and that I may continually keep in view the unmerited favour dispensed to us, by being preserved together fifty-eight years in one unbroken bond of endeared affection, which seemed if possible to increase with time to the last moment of her life; and which neither time nor distance can lessen or dissolve; but in the spiritual relation I trust it will endure for ever, where all the Lord’s redeemed children are one in him, who is God over all, in all, and through all, blessed for ever. She was buried on the 19th, and on this solemn occasion, the Lord, who is strength in weakness, enabled me to bear a public, and I trust a profitable testimony, to the virtues and excellences of her long and consistent life.
On the 24th of 6th month, 1829, I again left home with Cornwell Willis for my companion, to complete the visit to Friends and others in the compass of our yearly meeting, agreeably to a certificate I received from our monthly and quarterly meetings, expressive of their unity with me therein. This certificate I received in the spring of the year 1828, expressive of my concern to pay a religious visit to Friends and others, in parts of the yearly meetings of Philadelphia, Baltimore, Virginia, Ohio, Indiana, and New-York. I accomplished my visit to the first four last season; that is, I visited parts of them, but found my mind released without going into the yearly meeting of Virginia.
Since I left home, we have attended meetings at Flushing, Newtown, Brooklyn, and two at New-York last first day. These were favoured comforting opportunities, affording encouragement to persevere in the path of duty.
We left New-York on second day the 29th, after taking an affectionate farewell of our friends there, and proceeded to West Chester, and attended a meeting at that place at the eleventh hour; and on the two following days, attended meetings at Mamaroneck and Purchase. On fifth day we attended Friends’ meeting at Middlesex; and on sixth and seventh days, had meetings appointed for us at a place called the Saw Pits, and at Friends’ meeting-house at North Castle. All these meetings were seasons of favour, in which the divine presence was felt to preside, solemnizing the assemblies, and affording ability to minister to the people in gospel authority, and tendering and contriting many hearts. To the Lord be all the praise, nothing due to man.
On first day, the 5th of 7th month, we attended Shapaqua meeting in the morning, and had an appointed meeting at Croton Valley, at the fourth hour in the afternoon. The three following days we attended meetings by appointment at Amawalk, Salem, and at the Valley, called Haviland’s Hollow. These were all unusually large meetings, in which truth reigned over all, to the praise of His great name, who giveth us the victory. From the latter meeting we proceeded to Oblong, and put up with our kind friend Daniel Merritt, and the next day attended their meeting. The two following days we had meetings by our appointment at the Branch, and Poughquague; and on first day attended Nine Partners meeting. Those four meetings were unusually large, and very solemn opportunities; in which truth’s testimony went forth freely, tendering and contriting many hearts, and rejoicing the faithful travellers Zion-ward.
The two following days, we had meetings at Chestnut Ridge and Oswego. These were likewise large satisfactory meetings. We then proceeded by the way of Poughkeepsie, to Marlborough, in order to attend Cornwall quarterly meeting, held at Marlborough at this time. It opened on fourth day, the 15th of 7th month, with a meeting of Ministers and Elders. The next day the meeting for discipline was held. Both were very favoured seasons. As I did not feel easy to leave the place without having a public opportunity with the people at large in that neighbourhood, a meeting was appointed the next day. This was likewise a large favoured opportunity. The following day being seventh day, we returned to Poughkeepsie, in order to attend Friends’ meeting on first day; and having also appointed a meeting to be held there, at the fifth hour in the afternoon, for the inhabitants of the town at large. These meetings were largely attended, in which the power of truth was exalted over all.
The four following days we attended meetings at West Branch, Pleasant Valley, Creek, and Crum-elbow. Although it was in the midst of harvest, such was the excitement produced amongst the people by the opposition made by those of our members who had gone off from us, and set up separate meetings, that the people at large of other societies flocked to those meetings in such numbers, that our meeting-houses were seldom large enough to contain the assembled multitude; and we had abundant cause for thanksgiving and gratitude to the blessed Author of all our mercies, in condescending to manifest his holy presence, and causing it so to preside as to produce a general solemnity, tendering and contriting many minds, and comforting and rejoicing the upright in heart.