The yearly meeting closed on the third day following; and although strength was afforded me to discharge myself in the several sittings thereof, both for worship and discipline, in a manner productive of that true peace, which is the sure reward of a faithful discharge of duty, yet it was, for the most part, a dull time, and the spring of life seemed very low; occasioned, in part, as I apprehended, by a very small number taking upon them the whole management of the business, and thereby shutting up the way to others, and preventing the free circulation and spreading of the concern, in a proper manner, on the minds of Friends; which I have often found to be of very hurtful tendency.
On fourth day morning we left Newport, and rode to Portsmouth, and attended their preparative meeting. The forepart of the meeting for worship was a heavy season, in which it was my lot to be baptized for the dead; but, as I patiently abode under suffering with the pure seed, the Lord was pleased to arise, and give ability to come forth, and sound an alarm to the lifeless; whereby his power and presence were experienced, in good measure, to cover the meeting, to the comfort and encouragement of the living travellers; to the Lord alone be the praise, who is worthy for ever.
The next day we passed the ferry, and rode to Tiverton, on the Main, and attended a meeting, by appointment, which was chiefly made up of people not of our society. Through the prevalence of divine love, after a season of close labour, strength was afforded me, largely to open the truths of the gospel, in a clear manner, greatly to my own satisfaction, and apparently so to most or all present; for which my spirit was truly thankful. The next day we attended a meeting at Little Compton, which was large, and mostly composed of people of other persuasions. It was a comfortable edifying season; the Lord was graciously pleased to be near, and to afford wisdom and utterance; many things were opened in a doctrinal way, suitable to the states of those present, in the clear demonstration of the spirit, and with power; in a sense whereof, the living were made to rejoice, and return thankful acknowledgments for such unmerited mercy.
The day after, we attended the monthly meeting of Friends of Acoakset, held at Westport; the meeting for worship was very large, and like the former, mostly composed of people of other persuasions. Ability was afforded me largely to open the nature of true worship, and to show the fruitlessness of mere outward performances in religion, without the animating, quickening virtue of the word of eternal life, influencing and assisting the soul in that solemn act. The meeting for discipline was small, and very few of those present appeared to be under right qualifications to be active in the affairs of the Church; consequently their business was conducted in great weakness, and in a way far short of maintaining the proper dignity of a monthly meeting. No way seemed to open to afford relief; as the disorder and weakness appeared to be much in those, who assumed the place of leaders and heads in the meeting, and great and uncommon rawness in most of the youth. Under the consideration thereof, my mind was deeply affected with concern for their own, and the testimony’s, sake.
Our next appointment was at Centre, on first day; and previous notice having been given of our coming, the meeting was very large; there were many more than the house could hold, and it was a precious edifying season. We then rode to Newtown, taking some refreshment on our way; and attended a meeting at the fourth hour in the afternoon, which was large, and proved a satisfactory opportunity, and I felt sweet peace in this day’s labour.
The next day we attended the monthly meeting of Aponegansett, alias Dartmouth, which proved a hard, painful season, things being much out of order with Friends there. Most of the young people, and some of those that were older, were very raw and ungoverned; insomuch that the meeting was much interrupted by an almost continual going in and out, although frequently reproved for it. It rendered the prospect very afflicting, to see the professors of truth so regardless of their own reputation and real good, as well as of the good and reputation of society. I left this place with a degree of sadness, on account of the prevailing darkness and ignorance; yet I felt peace to attend my mind, having faithfully discharged myself among them.
We rode after meeting to New Bedford, in company with our beloved friend Thomas Rotch, who met us at this place; and we lodged at his house, where we found a cordial reception, and kind entertainment from him and his beloved wife, who appeared to be hopeful young Friends. The next day we attended their monthly meeting, which proved a very comfortable, edifying season. This monthly meeting was but newly settled, and Friends appeared desirous of improvement. There were a number of promising young Friends in this place, to whom my spirit was nearly united, and a sympathetic travail experienced for their growth and preservation. My mind was covered with much sweetness in the course of this meeting, and it proved a time of revival to my spirit; having experienced much depression and discouragement in the two foregoing monthly meetings.
The next day we rode to Long Plain, and attended a meeting at the eleventh hour, which proved, through heavenly help, a comfortable, edifying season. After this we rode back to Accushnet, and attended a meeting at the fourth hour that afternoon, in which I found it my business to set the people an example of silence; and returned that evening to our lodgings at New Bedford. The next day we embarked for Nantucket, and arrived there before night, having sailed about sixty miles in our way thither. We took our lodgings at the house of our kind friend Samuel Rodman, and stayed on the island several days, in which time we attended their monthly meeting, and a meeting of Ministers and Elders belonging thereto; and two meetings on the first day of the week. After this, on second and third day, their quarterly meeting was held, and on fourth day I was at their meeting held in the middle of the week, in the north meeting-house. Although things in general were much out of order with many of the professors of truth in this island, and the pure seed of the kingdom much oppressed, and gloominess seemed to spread over the camp, yet the Lord Almighty, in the riches of his love, was pleased to furnish ability to sound an alarm to the dead, and to press upon the lukewarm and careless professors, the necessity of using all diligence to make their calling and election sure, while time and opportunity were yet graciously afforded; and also to administer Gilead’s balm, to bind up the broken-hearted, and to encourage the faithful labourers in the family, to a perseverance in faith and patience. To a remnant of these, my spirit was nearly united in the real bond of Christian fellowship, and our hearts were filled with gratitude to the God and Father of all our sure mercies, that he was graciously pleased to distil the heavenly dew for refreshing the weary travellers, and crowning the several meetings with the glorious diadem of his holy presence; to him alone be the praise, for he is worthy for ever.
On fifth day, the 4th of 7th month, we left the island, and crossed over to Falmouth, about forty miles, by water; after landing, we travelled about four miles to the house of our friend Richard Lake, and lodged. The next day we attended their monthly meeting, which proved a time of deep exercise to my spirit; occasioned, as I believed, by the dead and lifeless state of the professors of truth in that meeting. I sat through the meeting for worship in silence, under a great weight of death and suffering, and saw no way of relief until near the close of the meeting for discipline, when a prospect opened in my mind, with a degree of light, to propose to Friends, that the men and women should sit together again at the close of their business. This proposition was agreed to by Friends, and way was made to clear my mind, in a good degree, amongst them, of the burden I had sat under, in a close searching communication of my prospect respecting their state, as it opened in the view of my mind. This appeared to have considerable effect on the minds of some, yet some others appeared too much in that state, of all others the most to be dreaded, of self-justification, and of being righteous in their own eyes, which rendered them indisposed to improvement.
I left that place the day following, with some weight on my spirit, under a sense of the low state of things among them, and rode to Yarmouth, and attended a meeting there the next day, which proved a satisfactory season. The three following days we passed on through Sandwich, Pembroke, and Boston, to Salem; having meetings at Sandwich and Pembroke, both, I trust, profitable edifying seasons to some present. We reached Salem on fifth day, the 11th of 7th month, just in time to attend their monthly meeting, having rode diligently the morning and afternoon before to accomplish it; and had a pretty satisfactory time with Friends at this meeting. After this we rode back to Lynn, and the next day attended an appointed meeting there, which proved a large, favoured, and I trust, profitable meeting to many, not soon to be forgotten; there were a considerable number of hopeful young people in this place. In the afternoon, we had a precious opportunity at a Friend’s house, where there were a number of young people and others collected; it was a heart-tendering season. For this, with other favours conferred from time to time, my heart was made truly thankful to the Father of mercies, and God of all comfort, who is over all, blessed for ever.