Journal of the Life and Religious Labours of Elias Hicks

by Elias Hicks

The day following we attended Bush Creek meeting, notice having gone forward some days before, of our intention of being there at this time; it was large, and greatly favoured with the prevalence of truth, by way of testimony. Many things, relative to true gospel worship, were clearly opened, and the fallacy and fruitlessness of all-will worship, and mere bodily exercise, in matters of religion, manifested to the view of all present, who had eyes to see, and hearts to understand, what the spirit saith to the Churches. It was a very solemn time, worthy of grateful remembrance.

The 28th we attended Pipe Creek meeting, wherein I was greatly afflicted with evil thoughts, which would keep arising in my mind, that I was almost at times taken off from my proper exercise. This very much grieved my spirit; but, as I endeavoured to keep up the warfare, I was led to believe it was the case with too many present; and that by giving way to such thoughts, some had become captivated by their own lusts, wounding one another; and divers disorders, and a want of unity, had got in among them, and many hurt thereby. I was led into the necessity of bearing testimony against these things, as way opened, and calling the attention of all present, to the light, spirit, grace, and truth of our Lord Jesus Christ, our holy pattern, as the only place of refuge and preservation from these, and all other hurtful things. After this meeting, the Friend, where we lodged, informed me the next morning, that himself and his wife were uneasy that no Friends had come in to see us after the meeting, and were afraid they would judge them of having informed me of their condition, the states of many had been so exactly described in the meeting; but I told him they need not be troubled, as they knew themselves to be clear.

The two following days we attended meetings at Menallen and Huntington; they were both exercising seasons; nevertheless, truth favoured me with ability and understanding to communicate in a close searching manner, suited to the states of those present; and a crumb of consolation was handed forth to the few honest-hearted, who were in travail for Zion’s arising, and who went mourning on their way, and bowed in spirit, from a sense of the great turning away from the law and testimony, and the prevalence of a spirit of ease and great indifference, whereby many wrong things had entered.

From thence we passed on to Warrington and Newberry, in each of which meetings truth favoured with victory; and the hidden things of Esau, or the first nature, which are earthly, were brought to light, searched out, detected, and condemned. The manner and way in which the new or second birth, which is spiritual, and which has the promise, is brought forth and effected, was clearly shown and pointed out; with the blessing attendant thereon, to the comfort of the faithful, and the few willing minded among them, and to the stirring up and arousing the lukewarm, careless, and indifferent professors, from their beds of ease and carnal security. The latter meeting especially was a time to be remembered; many hearts were greatly affected, and, I trust, the season will not soon be forgotten by some. I was very thankful for the relief I felt to my own mind, after many days of deep baptism with the suffering seed. Religion appeared to be at a very low ebb in those parts, by the prevalence of a worldly spirit, which makes hard work for the poor travellers, who have to go up and down among them, as with their hands upon their loins for very pain. Did those lukewarm careless professors rightly consider the great distress and exercise they bring upon their concerned brethren, who are in travail for their redemption and salvation; and who are going up and down as with their lives in their hands, through difficulties and dangers, in jeopardy by sea and by land, and among false brethren, we might reasonably suppose it would be a means to stir them up to more diligence and circumspection, that they might thereby comfort them in their exercises, and relieve them in their tribulations; then they that sow, and they that reap, might rejoice together, and joy in the God of their salvation.

Our next meeting was at Yorktown, where we tarried two days, and were at their monthly meeting, wherein things appeared distressingly low, as to the right conducting of discipline in truth’s authority: indeed the meeting seemed sunk so below any proper sight and sense of right order, that no way opened to administer much or any help; and we left them without obtaining much relief of mind. We passed on, having a meeting near Wright’s ferry; and then crossed the great river Susquehannah, and had meetings at Lancaster and Lampeter. On first day, the 8th of 4th month, we attended a meeting at Sadsbury, which, through hard labour, proved a season of enlargement, in a line of close doctrine, suited to the varied states of those present; some minds appeared to be much humbled; may it not be in vain, but as seed sown on good ground.

The 10th of 4th month we attended West Caln meeting, the 11th Fallowfield, both favoured meetings. The 12th we attended London Grove meeting, wherein I was led to open the duty and obligation incumbent on ministers, elders, overseers, and heads of families. I began with this query of the prophet Isaiah, “Watchman, what of the night;” showing that for want of keeping up a strict watch, with an eye single to that inward holy monitor, or spirit of pure unerring wisdom, many hurtful and destructive things had got in among us. Especially for want of a godly care in parents and heads of families, over their children and those under their charge, many pollutions had got in, and spread among them; particularly the youth, not only in regard to a departure from the simplicity and purity of our holy, self-denying profession, in dress and address, but also in many other unseemly and reproachful practices; which is but the natural consequence of parents indulging undue liberties in their children. It was a solemn time, worthy of grateful remembrance. The 13th we were at West Grove meeting, in which I had to go through a similar exercise; from a sense of the great want of faithfulness among the members, whereby many deficiencies were apparent, wounding the faithful. Truth favoured me with ability to clear myself among them, with plainness of speech; which was cause of thankfulness to the honest-hearted.

The 14th we attended New Garden meeting, mostly in silence, in which I had peace. The 15th, and first of the week, we attended Hockesson meeting; and, at the fourth hour in the afternoon were at Center; the 16th at Kennet; these were, for the most part, suffering seasons. Although there is a small remnant preserved, who are in travail for truth’s arising, yet the greater part are too much captivated by a worldly spirit; which leads into a neglect of attending meetings, and great carelessness in respect to the right ordering their families; by reason whereof, many undue liberties have got in among them, wounding the faithful and honest-hearted.

The 17th we attended Chichester meeting; it was a time thankfully to be remembered; the everlasting gospel of peace and salvation was preached in truth’s authority; and all contrary spirits were subjected and brought down. Truth reigned triumphantly over all; magnified for ever be the name of the Lord, who made bare his arm for our help, and the strengthening and refreshing of my poor soul. I had been at times, for days and nights past, ready to sink into discouragement and dismay, by reason of the deep baptisms I had to pass through, unknown to man, but in fellowship with the suffering seed, which lies smothered and pressed down in the hearts of many careless and lukewarm professors, as a cart under sheaves. Oh how does darkness and death spread itself, as a curtain, in this once highly favoured land! Alas for the people, for the professors of truth; what will become of them, unless they repent and turn to the Lord. Parents and children, in some places, are so estranged from the law and testimony, that many seem plunged into the condition of Jerusalem formerly, when this pathetic lamentation was taken up by the dear Master; “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not. Behold your house is left unto you desolate.” Oh how is this verified; what great desolations, in a religious sense, are apparent with many professors; and how are the poor servants, that are sent forth among them for their recovery, as with their lives in their hands, as it were stoned, and often so plunged into death and sufferings, as almost to despair of life! Oh the pangs that my poor soul has endured of late, in many places; so that I had often to say in secret, with the holy apostle; “why stand we in jeopardy every hour?” No tongue can tell, nor is it in the power of language to communicate, the distress and anguish, which is sometimes endured by the poor travellers, in filling up their measure of the afflictions of Christ, for his body’s sake, the Church. But, in this also, we are sometimes strengthened to rejoice, that we are accounted worthy to suffer with Him, that when he is pleased to arise in his own strength, as the light of the morning, we may be permitted to reign with Him; and rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory.