Sixth day. Attended Friends’ meeting at Old Springfield. It was a precious baptizing season, the Lord’s presence and power were felt to spread over the meeting, affecting and contriting many present; and comforting and encouraging the honest travellers Zion-ward. The meeting closed under a thankful sense of divine favour, with prayer and praise.
Seventh day. We were at Mansfield. On first day were at Bordentown in the morning, and at Lower Mansfield in the afternoon. These meetings were well attended and very solemn. The two last, Friends informed me were unusually large. Oh how good is the Lord, and greatly to be praised for his marvellous works, and his never failing loving kindness to the children of men.
Second day. We were at Burlington. In this meeting my mind was opened largely to set forth the nature and design of the gospel dispensation; and to show, that as none had ever been perfect in it, but the man Jesus Christ, we had not a right, as his professed followers, to take the example of any but his own, for our real perfect rule of life. For all who have gone before us have in a greater or less degree, through the undue force and prejudice of education, fallen short of the perfect rule left us in his example and precepts.
I also showed them that the Christian professors in the varied ages of the Church had very much marred and obstructed the work of reformation, by suffering themselves to be too closely attached to their several particular leaders; and have therefore justly thrown themselves open to the censure of the apostle; wherein he blames some of the primitive Christians for setting themselves one against another, by the partiality each had for the minister, by whom he had been brought over to the Christian faith, one crying, I am of Paul, and I of Apollos, and I of Cephas, and some more wise, I of Christ; to whose example all ought to have looked, and not turned their attention so much to the instruments, by whom they were brought to believe in him. Although many of our worthy predecessors according to their measure of light endeavoured faithfully to do the work of their day, yet few, if any of them, had been so entirely emancipated from the undue force of education, as to see clearly through the cloud of prejudice produced thereby; and therefore were in the practice of divers things, not consistent with that perfect justice which the example and precepts of our Lord call for, and which are in full unison with the perfect righteousness of the gospel. The word was preached in a large searching testimony, I trust through divine assistance, in the demonstration of the spirit, to the comfort and encouragement of the sincere in heart, and the peace of my own mind.
Third day. Were at Rancocas. The meeting was solemn, and the Lord’s presence was felt to preside, humbling many minds; and many truths of the gospel were in an instructive manner spread before the people.
Fourth and fifth days. We attended meetings at Mount Holly, Upper Evesham, and were at Easton on fifth day afternoon; these were all favoured meetings. In the two former, my mind was largely opened in two doctrinal testimonies, wherein the design and end of all the shadows of the law were clearly opened; and the necessity of their entire abolishment at the death and resurrection of Christ clearly shown. I also opened to them, that, by the primitive Christians retaining many of the shadows of the law, the apostacy broke in upon the Church, and that by the retention of some of the same shadows, the reformation had been, and is still greatly retarded: and will never advance on its right foundation, until those shadows are all discarded and done away. My mind was deeply humbled, under a sense of the Lord’s mercy.
The three following days we were at Lower Evesham, Cropwell, Chester, Westfield, Haddonfield, and at Newtown, attending two meetings each day. After the latter meeting, on first day evening, we crossed the river Delaware to Philadelphia. In those meetings my mind was deeply humbled, under a grateful sense of the Lord’s continued mercy to an unworthy people; rendered so by the continued disobedience and revolting of great numbers, who go under our name, not only among the youth, but with many of riper age, whose experience and daily observation we might reasonably suppose, had they endeavoured to improve by it, would, ere now, have taught them better. But how true is that saying of the great Master: “If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness.” This has fallen to the lot of those, by turning their backs upon the true light, and adhering to their own carnal reasonings and fleshly consultations, whereby they have been left like Balaam, through his covetousness, to justify themselves in many things, which the true light in them, had they been obedient to its manifestations, would not have approved. Therefore these are left as a reward of their disobedience to believe a lie to their own confusion.
My mind was largely opened in these meetings, not only to commemorate the Lord’s gracious dealings with the children of men; but likewise to set forth and open to the several auditories the subtle workings and varied transformations of that diabolical spirit, which lies in wait to deceive and counteract the gracious designs of heaven among the children of men. And under a renewed sense of the Lord’s continued mercy, my spirit was led to exclaim, as did one formerly: “Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are all thy ways, thou King of saints.”
The following week we spent in the city, except on seventh day we rode out and attended two meetings; one in the morning at Frankford, and the other at Germantown, at five in the afternoon. These were both favoured seasons. We then returned in the evening to Philadelphia; and the next day being the first of the week, and the 6th of 6th month, were at Friends’ meeting at Arch-street in the morning, and at the North meeting in the afternoon. Some previous notice having been given of my intention of attending them, they were unusually large; and many had to go away for want of room. It was supposed there were three thousand people at the beginning of the meeting, and toward the close many more than the rooms could contain. Through the marvellous condescension and loving kindness of our gracious God, my mind was strengthened and qualified to preach the gospel of peace and salvation to the people, in the demonstration of the spirit, and with a power attending, that brought home the doctrine, to the humbling conviction of many minds. In the first I was engaged to bear testimony to the excellency of a life of strict and impartial justice and righteousness, as the only right foundation of every real religious and moral virtue; and without which no true virtue could possibly exist. The communication comprehended much salutary caution, reproof and encouragement, suited to the varied states present; under a sense of which my mind was deeply humbled, and had gratefully to acknowledge, “this is the Lord’s doings, and marvellous in mine eyes.” The latter was likewise a favoured season, wherein many truths of the gospel were opened to the people, tending to lead their minds off from all dependence on traditional religion and worship; and to gather them home to the eternal substance in themselves, Christ, the hope of glory and light of the world; by the influence of whose light and spirit, we only can be enabled to obtain victory over the world and its spirit, and become qualified to worship the Father in spirit and in truth.
The 7th we left Philadelphia. In the course of this week and the next first day, we attended eleven meetings in the following order, previous notice having gone forward. On second day at Darby; third day at Haverford in the morning, and at Merion at the fifth hour in the afternoon; fourth day at the Valley; fifth day at Radnor, which was their monthly meeting; sixth day at Newtown in the morning, and at Springfield in the afternoon; seventh day at Middletown in the morning, and at Providence in the afternoon; first day at Chester in the morning, and at Chichester in the afternoon. And although I was taken very unwell on third day afternoon, before the third meeting as above arranged, and continued so through the week, and until the last meeting; insomuch that for several days I could take scarcely any nourishment, my stomach loathing all food; yet to my humbling admiration, I was strengthened to go through the service of these meetings, which in each was arduous and extensive. At the close of some of them my strength was so exhausted, being wet from head to foot with extreme sweating, that it seemed to me after divers of those exercising seasons, almost impossible for me to reach the next; but that which is impossible to man, we often find easy to the great Helper of his people. As my care was wholly cast upon Him, he graciously accompanied, by his holy presence, from meeting to meeting. When I first sat down in many of those meetings, the force of my complaint seemed to absorb all my strength both of body and mind; yet as I endeavoured to centre in quiet, I seldom sat long before the light sprang up, and dispelled all the darkness, and opened doctrine new and old; and strengthened to communicate in a way of clear demonstration. The honest-hearted were strengthened and instructed, and conviction and reproof brought home to the delinquent, and a visitation of entreaty and love extended to the beloved young people, whose minds were not yet hardened in vice; showing them, what great and everlasting benefits and blessings would redound to them, by an early dedication of their hearts to the Lord. My mind at the close of these large solemn meetings, (for many were very large, more than the houses could contain,) was generally centered in perfect peace, wherein I was led to contemplate the Lord’s marvellous loving kindness to me a poor unworthy creature, and his wonderful works in mercy to the children of men; waiting in long forbearance for their return, and continuing his call to them by his spirit, through his servants and messengers, rising up early and sending them, that no means should be left untried for their recovery and reconciliation. O, what shall we render to the Lord for all his benefits!