Journal of the Life and Religious Labours of Elias Hicks

by Elias Hicks

On the 14th we were at Sandy Spring meeting, to satisfaction. The 15th, we attended Friends’ preparative meeting at Alexandria. It was a small weak meeting, very few manifesting any real concern for the support of our Christian testimonies. They gathered there from different parts of the country, mostly for the advancement of their temporal interest; and this being uppermost with them, they were disqualified for improvement in religious experience. O that we, as a people, were more weaned from the world and its fading enjoyments, and our affections placed on celestial treasure; then would the light of the Church break forth out of obscurity, and her darkness become as the noonday; thousands would then be gathered from the highways and hedges, and flock to the brightness of her arising, with everlasting joy upon their heads.

The 16th we rode to Fairfax, about forty-six miles. The 17th we attended their select quarterly meeting. The 18th, the first of the week, we attended the meeting at this place, which was large, composed of Friends and others. I was led to open the great advantages attendant on a life of righteousness, from that scripture passage, “Righteousness exalteth a nation; but sin is a reproach to any people;” and showing the difference between a righteousness, founded on the laws, maxims, and precepts of men, and the righteousness that is witnessed by faith in the Son of God, as revealed to the hearts and souls of the children of men through the holy spirit. Although there were many raw, and uncultivated persons present, yet truth came into a good degree of dominion and victory, and, I trust, it was a profitable season to some.

The 19th we attended the quarterly meeting for discipline, in which I had some service, in opening the nature and end of discipline, and encouraging Friends to an improvement therein, to the solid satisfaction of the honest in heart. The next day was the youth’s meeting for the last time; the quarterly meeting, the day before, having concluded to discontinue the same thereafter, from a belief that its usefulness was over; and that it had become more hurtful than beneficial. A great concourse of idle people came together at that time, not so much for the sake of the meeting, as to see and be seen, and to make it a place of diversion. I had considerable to say among them, but got but little relief; by reason, as I apprehended, of a spirit of infidelity and licentiousness, too generally prevailing among the people. I was satisfied the quarterly meeting had done right in discontinuing that meeting; believing, if continued, it would have been very prejudicial to the youth, for whose good, in the first institution thereof, it was intended.

The 21st we attended the preparative meeting of South Fork, which is a branch of Goose Creek monthly meeting. I was silent in the meeting for worship, but had some close labour with Friends in their preparative meeting. I felt my spirit much oppressed with a sense of the great lukewarmness, and love of the world, which appeared to prevail in such a manner, that the business of the preparative meeting was conducted in a very weak vague manner, and void of a right sense of the dignity of such a meeting, or a due concern for the preservation of right order. I felt peace of mind in a faithful discharge of my duty among them.

The 22d we were at Goose Creek preparative meeting, which was large in the first sitting, many of other societies coming in. After a considerable time of silent labour, in deep baptism with the suffering seed, my mouth was opened in a clear full testimony, directed to the states of those present. And many were brought under the influence of that power which “cut Rahab, and wounded the dragon.” Truth came into dominion, and a good degree of victory over all was witnessed. Nevertheless, such is the deadness and indifference of some who go under our name, that, at the close of this very solemn meeting for worship, they withdrew with those who were not members, and continued out until the preparative meeting had proceeded considerably in its business; and then came in one after another, in a very careless unthinking manner. My heart was grieved, and I have often been affected with similar conduct in many places in those parts, as also in some others; a conduct, which appears to me to carry in it great indignity to our high and holy profession; and, I believe, is greatly offensive to the great Head of the Church, for the promotion of whose righteous cause, these meetings for discipline are established. I believe one great cause of this sorrowful weakness and declension is owing to a want of due administration of discipline, by those who are called thereto. By overlooking one little thing after another, custom establishes those bad habits; and great loss is sustained by the Church in general, and by some of its members in particular. It is very observable that meetings, where those things are apparent, are generally in a declining state. I was exercised in a plain way of dealing with those delinquents, showing them the hurtful tendency of such conduct. Truth prevailed, and many hearts were much tendered, and the hands of the faithful strengthened; to the Lord only wise be the praise of his own work, who is over all, worthy for ever.

The 23d we attended a meeting at a place called the Gap, where there was a small meeting of Friends. It was, however, a large collection, many of other societies attending, more than the house could hold. Many of them appeared to be a raw insensible people, void of any right idea or knowledge of true religion, which made the meeting very trying and painful; yet not without some degree of favour towards the conclusion, by truth’s obtaining the victory over death and darkness.

Whilst in this neighbourhood, my mind was brought into a state of deep exercise and travail, from a sense of the great turning away of many among us, from the law and the testimony, and the prevailing of a spirit of great infidelity and deism among the people, and darkness spreading over the minds of many as a thick veil. It was a time in which Thomas Paine’s Age of Reason (falsely so called) was much attended to in those parts; and some, who were members in our society, as I was informed, were captivated by his dark insinuating address, and were ready almost to make shipwreck of faith and a good conscience. Under a sense thereof, my spirit was deeply humbled before the majesty of heaven, and in the anguish of my soul, I said, “spare thy people, O Lord, and give not thy heritage to reproach,” and suffer not thy truth to fall in the streets.

The 24th we attended the monthly meeting at Fairfax, which was an exercising season, things being much out of order, for want of more faithfulness among the members, and a due attention to discipline. I laboured among them in the ability received, for their encouragement, and incitement to their respective duties; but alas for us, most men mind their own things, and not the things that are Jesus Christ’s. A worldly spirit too much prevails among the professors of truth, to their great hurt, and to the great grief of the honest-hearted, who are in travail for Zion’s prosperity, and Jerusalem’s peace.

The 25th, we attended their first day meeting, which was large, and in it strength was graciously afforded to minister to the people in truth’s authority, which came into dominion over all. This afternoon we passed over the great river Potomac, in our way to Bush Creek, in Maryland; this, by reason of rains, was very full, and difficult to pass. After we had passed over the river Potomac, we had much difficulty in crossing a creek not far from it. There was a floating bridge over it; but the water was so high, that we could not approach the bridge by the road commonly used; and we only succeeded in reaching it, by proceeding ourselves on the top of a high fence, and leading our horses by our sides. Mine fell into a deep part of the creek; but he soon rose, and swam to the shore. A Friend was in company with us, with a one horse carriage; and there appeared to be no way of getting his conveyance over, but by the horse swimming with it over the creek. This we knew would be attended with considerable risk, as the creek was deep in the middle, and the carriage a heavy one. But as there were no inhabitants on this neck of land, nor near to it, and as night was coming on, we pursued that course, and led the horse with the carriage into the creek; and after violent exertions, being at one time drawn under water by the weight of the carriage, he took it safe over. We were thus favoured to surmount this great difficulty, without any hurt to ourselves, or our horses; which was cause of thankfulness and gratitude to the great Author of every mercy and blessing.

We proceeded to a Friend’s house by the name of Richard Richardson, where we had a meeting the next day, with his family, and a number of the neighbouring people, who were not Friends. It proved a favoured season, and I trust will not soon be forgotten by some present; may it fasten as a nail in a sure place; and to some I have a hope it may be as bread cast upon the waters, to return after many days.