CHAPTER III.
Visit to the Meetings of Ministers and Elders, 1795.—Visit to Friends in Pennsylvania, New-Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia, 1798.
On the 26th of 7th month, 1795, I left home in order to join a committee of Friends, appointed by the yearly meeting of Ministers and Elders this year, to visit the quarterly and preparative meetings, and Friends individually, in those stations, throughout the yearly meeting. A concern having arisen in that meeting, occasioned by the many obvious deficiencies and departures amongst us as a people, from the purity and simplicity of our holy profession, a minute was issued and recommended to the inferior meetings, setting forth the ground of this concern, and for the purpose of stirring up and encouraging Friends to a diligent search and labour, that the many hurtful disorders might be removed, and a right reformation, from those prevailing weaknesses, effectually take place.
This being the first day of the week, I sat with Friends in their meeting at Westbury; and although it was a dull time in the forepart, yet, through the comforting assistance of heavenly help, it was made, I believe, an edifying season to many minds. I crossed the Sound that afternoon to New Rochelle, and the next morning met some of the committee at the house of our friend Hugh Judge. We had an opportunity with his family, which proved a refreshing season, it being evident that he, and his wife, joined heartily with the concern. We visited several other families that day, and had the satisfaction to believe, that the concern and labour were owned by the Head of the Church, and, we believe, will be blessed to many.
The next day the quarterly meeting at Purchase began, and through the several sittings was made, I trust, a profitable season; it ended on fifth day. The next day we had opportunities with two families, which, through the fresh extendings of holy help, proved very instructive and encouraging. After this we set out for Nine Partners, their quarterly meeting coming in the ensuing week. I reached there on first day morning, the 2d of 8th month, and attended their meeting, which proved a heart searching season, it being too manifest that many professors had suffered their minds to be captivated by a worldly spirit, which had introduced great death and darkness into our meetings, to the grief and trouble of the honest-hearted. But help was graciously afforded me to set forth, in a plain manner, the danger attending such a departure from the life and power of religion; and to stir up also the lukewarm from their supineness and ease, and enforce the necessity of a more full dedication of their hearts, and their all, to the Lord’s service.
The next day we attended the preparative meeting of Ministers and Elders at the Creek, in which much weakness was apparent. The three following days we attended the quarterly meeting at Nine Partners; on the last of which, I was favoured to relieve my mind among them, in a season of close searching labour, by way of communication. After this we proceeded towards Easton, to attend the quarterly meeting there, and to visit the families of Ministers and Elders within the compass of that meeting, which we performed in about a week. Although weakness seemed to abound with Friends there, yet we were comforted in believing, that the visit had a profitable effect, and afforded encouragement, and a renewal of strength, to the sincere-hearted.
On seventh day, the 15th of 8th month, we rode to East Hoosac, and the next day attended Friends’ meeting there, which was large, many people of other societies attending. It proved an open satisfactory time, and ended under a renewed sense of the merciful extendings of holy condescending love; for which, I trust, many minds were made humbly thankful. The afternoon and next morning were passed in visiting the families of Ministers and Elders; and although things were not all well among them, yet we had satisfaction and peace in our own minds, by a faithful discharge of the trust committed to us. The next day we rode to New Britain, and visited a Friend in the ministry there, he being the only select member in that meeting. From thence we passed on to Kline-Kiln, where there was likewise but one member of the select meeting, an Elder, whom we visited. We then went to Coeman’s Patent, where there were three select members, to whom we paid a satisfactory visit, and then proceeded to the city of Hudson. The evening after our arrival, and the next day, we had opportunities with the Ministers and Elders of that place. They proved seasons of heart-searching labour, things appearing much out of order with some of them; and, among these, there was a disposition apparent, to lay waste good order in the Church. O the great want of honest, faithful labourers in the vineyard.
After our services were finished here, we left them with the answer of peace, and rode that afternoon to Nine Partners. The next day we attended Friends’ meeting at Stanford, which proved a season of hard labour. There was a great want of solid weight, and a living travail, in order to experience the renewals of strength; the power of truth went forth freely, for the stirring up, and arousing the careless and supine from their beds of ease. After this we visited two families of Friends, and, the two following days, finished our visit to the rest of the families of Ministers and Elders in Creek monthly meeting. The rest of the week was taken up in visiting those under the notice of our appointment, in the monthly meeting of Nine Partners; and I may truly say, it was, in general, a sorrowful affecting time, in beholding the great departure of many of the Ministers and Elders, in their families, from that faithful discharge of duty, which their stations require; for want of this, their children had almost all gone out from plainness. We endeavoured to lay before them, in sincerity and simplicity of heart, the great danger attending such a conduct, and the necessity of a reform in those things; and felt peace of mind in our labour.
On seventh day afternoon we rode to Marlborough, and attended Friends’ meeting there the next day; it was an exercising season, on account of the great rawness and inexperience of the members of the meeting too generally, and the great lightness manifest, in most of those of other societies, a number of whom were present. My mind, after a time of hard labour, and suffering with the seed, was engaged in some service addressed to the latter class. Afterwards way opened to have Friends select, to whom my mind was led to communicate some things in a plain way, with the view of stirring them up to more diligence and circumspection in their families, the better ordering and disciplining of their children and household, and keeping things sweet and clean, agreeably to the simplicity of our holy profession; and I had peace in my labour. That afternoon, and the two following days, we visited all the families of Ministers and Elders in that monthly meeting, except one. After this I returned home, and found my family as well as usual; which I esteemed as a favour from my great and good Master. For this, with all his other mercies and preservations dispensed from time to time, I felt a return of thankfulness and grateful acknowledgment to Him, who is the author and giver of every good and perfect gift, and “who is over all, God blessed for ever.”