Having for several years felt my mind drawn, at times, in gospel love, to visit Friends of the yearly meetings of Pennsylvania, New-Jersey, Delaware, Maryland and some parts of Virginia, in the fall of the year 1797, apprehending the time to be nigh for the performance of the visit, I laid my concern before Friends of the monthly and quarterly meetings of which I was a member; and received certificates of their unity and concurrence. I left home the 12th of 12th month, accompanied by Joseph Cooper, a member of our meeting, in the station of an Elder; taking leave of my family and friends, we rode to New-York, and the meeting for sufferings sitting there the next day, I attended it; and the day following being the meeting day for Friends of that city, I felt most easy to stay and attend it, which proved a comfortable strengthening season. After this I took leave of my friends there, parting from them in near unity and brotherly affection, and passed the next morning by water to Staten Island. The day following we had two meetings there, and though small by reason of rain, were, nevertheless, both attended with a comfortable degree of divine favour. The next day we left the island and rode to Shrewsbury; and the day after, being first day, we sat with Friends there, and, I trust, it was a profitable season to some present, and relieving to my own mind; strength and utterance being furnished to open divers truths of the gospel, in the demonstration of the spirit, accompanied with a good degree of the divine power; to God only wise be the praise, who is over all, worthy for ever.
On second day we attended a meeting at a Friend’s house about seven miles from Shrewsbury, on our way to Squan. On third and fourth days we were at Squan and Squancum, both small meetings, as there are but few of our society in those parts; yet they were, for the most part, satisfactory seasons. We also sat with Friends in their preparative meeting in the latter place, which appeared in a state of great weakness; but as way opened, I was led to make some remarks, in order to stir Friends up to more diligence and circumspection; and to show the necessity of an inward travail for the arising of truth, which can only qualify for the right ordering of the affairs of society. The next day we rode to Barnegat, and after an opportunity with Friends there the following day, we passed on to Little Eggharbour, where we remained till first day, the 24th of the month. Notice being spread of our intention of attending Friends’ meeting there, many of the neighbouring inhabitants came in, and sat with Friends, and were very attentive; divers truths of the gospel were opened in the clear demonstration of the spirit, and I was helped to leave them with a peaceful mind. On the 25th we rode to Great Eggharbour, and the three following days attended meetings at the upper and lower meeting-houses of Friends there, also an appointed meeting near the head of Great Eggharbour river, at a place called Stephens’ Creek; they were generally small, yet attended with a good degree of favour; for which my spirit was made humbly thankful. On sixth day we attended a meeting at Cape May, which, through the gracious condescension of the Shepherd of Israel, was made a truly comfortable season, and His great name magnified and praised, who is worthy for ever.
From thence we rode to Morris’ river, and attended a meeting appointed at the house of Isaac Buzby, a man inclining to Friends. The spirit of truth favoured me with wisdom and utterance, to divide the word suitably to the states of those present; and apparently to their and to my own satisfaction and comfort. We rode that afternoon to the house of a Friend of the name of Henry Rulon, where we had an appointed meeting the next day. After this we passed on to Greenwich, and the two following days attended a meeting there, and one at the head of Cohansy Creek. Then we rode to the house of our kind friend Mark Miller, at Salem, and rested the next day. The day following, being the first of the week, and 7th of 1st month, we attended the meeting there, which was very large, many coming in that were not members; the power of truth was exalted over all, to the comfort of many hearts, and to the praise and glory of Him, who is the strength and help of his dependent children. On second day we attended a meeting at Woodstown; I was closely engaged among them in a searching testimony, pointing out the great danger, and hurtful tendency of the want of unity, and joining in with the spirit of the world, and neglecting a right conformity to the wholesome order, established among us, as a religious society; whereby many disorders had crept in, wounding to many: strength was afforded me, and utterance given, and truth exalted over all opposition and disorderly spirits. The four following days we attended meetings at Penn’s Neck, Mullica Hill, Upper Greenwich, and Woodbury; they were all seasons of favour, especially the last, where truth was eminently exalted, and the doctrines of the gospel held forth in the demonstration of the spirit; and the hearts of the faithful were made to rejoice in a sense of the Lord’s goodness, to whom belongs the praise of his own work for ever.
On seventh day we rested with our esteemed friend Joshua Evens; and on first day attended Newtown meeting, and the day following, that at Haddonfield, both of which were profitable edifying meetings. In the afternoon, after the latter meeting, we crossed the river Delaware to Philadelphia, and the three following days attended the three meetings in that city; they were all opportunities of favour, and I had much satisfaction in this short visit to Friends of this place. I was comforted in the experience of an open door among them, both in meetings and in families where my lot was cast; and I felt my spirit nearly united to a living remnant, especially a number of the beloved youth, who are under the forming hand, preparing for service; some of whom, I trust and believe, will be as valiants in their day, for the promotion of the cause of truth and righteousness in the earth. May the Lord bless, and keep them faithful to himself, and cover their heads in the day of battle.
On sixth day, the 19th of 1st month, we left the city in order to attend a meeting at Darby, notice having gone before of our intention; it proved an open time, but the meeting was hurt by an indiscreet appearance towards the end, which clothed my spirit with sorrow, not only on the Friends’ account, but especially on account of the people, for whose information and religious instruction, my mind had been closely engaged. We rode that afternoon to Chester, and the next day attended a meeting there, which was owned with manifestations of divine favour; and I was instructed to hand out doctrine, suitable to the states of the people present. After this we rode to Wilmington; and the next day, being the first of the week, and the 21st of 1st month, we attended their forenoon and afternoon meetings. I was silent in the first; but, through the merciful assistance of the Shepherd of Israel, the latter proved a comfortable strengthening season; after a time of close exercise in silent labour, and deep baptism into death and suffering with the seed, the power of truth went forth with authority against many things that opened to view, as the cause of that deep oppression of the seed of life among them; the meeting ended under a sense of the Lord’s goodness, and many hearts were made to rejoice.
The six following days we attended meetings at Whiteclay Creek, Appoquinamink, Duck Creek, Little Creek, Motherkill, and Camden, which is a village where no meeting of Friends is held; things appeared low in most of them, as to the life of religion. But, through the condescending goodness of the Shepherd of Israel, I had an open door among them, and many gospel truths were held forth, in the clear demonstration of the spirit, and with power; the last, especially, was a time thankfully to be remembered by me, and, I believe, by many others present; thanks be to God for his unspeakable gift, that he is not leaving himself without a witness in the hearts of the people. The next day, first of the week, we attended Millford meeting; things appeared very low, and but few of our society in that part, and those appeared very indifferent, and several of them were absent. On second day we attended a meeting at Cool Spring, and the next day attended an appointed meeting on our way towards Third Haven; it was held in a Friend’s house, who had lately been received a member, and who before was a professor with the people called Nicholites; he appeared to be a pretty solid man. The meeting was in a good degree favoured; the way of preparation, as held forth in John’s dispensation, for the more full manifestation of the gospel state, was set forth, with the nature of true Christian or spiritual baptism; and that John’s baptism was only a figure thereof, and, therefore, was no part of Christ’s baptism, and, consequently, had no place in, nor could be of any use under, the dispensation of the gospel. The people appeared generally satisfied, and I parted with them in peace of mind.
The six following days we attended meetings at North West Fork, Marshy Creek, Centre, Greensborough, Tuckahoe Neck, and Tuckahoe; and, although these meetings were attended by but few of those who were joined in fellowship with us, yet they were mostly crowded full meetings, many of the neighbouring inhabitants coming in, divers of whom were holders of slaves, and others very raw and ignorant. My spirit was much exercised in travail among them, being baptized into their low and uncultivated states; nevertheless, through the merciful interference of the Shepherd of Israel, their lost and undone condition, without a Saviour, was clearly laid open before them; also the way of return, reconciliation, and salvation. Many present were aroused and reached by the power of truth, which was graciously prevalent in most of these meetings; their spirits greatly tendered, and the few faithful among them were made to rejoice; and my spirit was humbly thankful, in a sense of the Lord’s goodness; to him alone be the praise; nothing due to man.
Three of the above meetings were held in meeting-houses belonging to a people under the denomination of Nicholites; many of them were led into great self-denial, particularly in regard to dress and household furniture. They appeared one in principle with us, their faith and doctrine being founded on the manifestation and influence of the divine light, inwardly revealed. Most of them, of late, have requested to be joined in membership with Friends, and have been received. Many of them appear to be a worthy people; yet, I fear, some were a little hurt by being too tenacious in their dress, particularly in making it a point to have all parts of their clothing white. Yet, in general, they appeared to be a plain innocent upright-hearted people; and I felt a concern lest they should be hurt by the great and prevailing deficiencies manifest amongst us, by many turning away from the purity and simplicity of our holy self-denying profession. This, I believe, is a subject worthy of the deep consideration of those delinquent brethren. For if it be a truth, as most certainly it is, that whosoever offendeth one of the least of those who believe in Christ, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he cast into the sea; what will become of those, who live in the daily practice of those things, which give continual offence to their brethren, and are stumbling blocks in the way of honest inquirers.
After attending the aforesaid meetings, we passed on, having meetings at Choptank, Third Haven and Bayside, on the eastern shore of Maryland. The two first were attended by many of other societies, a number of whom were Methodists, and at each was one of their ministers; both of whom were very solid, and paid great attention; one of them was much affected, and wept freely for a considerable time; and, with divers others, manifested their full satisfaction. My spirit was much humbled, and made to rejoice in the Lord, that he was graciously near, and made bare his arm for our help, and carried us through the exercise of those meetings, to the honour of his own name, who is over all, worthy for ever.
After leaving Bayside, we attended a meeting which we had appointed the day before, on our way thither, at a village called St. Michael’s, among the Methodists; the people were nearly all of that profession in this place. It was held in their meeting-house, and was the first meeting appointed by any Friend in that place, except a small one by some women Friends some years before. There was, at this time, a general collection; and, considering their unacquaintance with us, and our manner of sitting in silence, they behaved pretty well. A comfortable degree of the divine presence was witnessed, and many minds tendered and comforted, and divers gospel truths clearly opened to the apparent satisfaction of most present.