Journal of the Life and Religious Labours of Elias Hicks

by Elias Hicks

Fifth day. Attended our monthly meeting, at which nothing opened worthy of particular notice.

Seventh day. I attended the funeral of the wife of John Wine, a Friend of Flushing. We had a very solemn meeting on the occasion, in which I was exercised in a large affecting testimony, tendering and contriting the hearts of the assembly in general. The truth was raised into dominion, breaking down all before its influential searching power; which was cause of deep gratitude and thanksgiving to the Lord our gracious helper, for his unmerited mercy, still dispensed in his longsuffering loving kindness to the children of men.

Feeling my mind inclined to sit with Friends here the next day, which was first day, the people were notified thereof at the close of the foregoing opportunity. It was a full meeting, in which truth favoured and furnished with matter suited to the states of those present; which made it an instructive edifying season. The canopy of love was felt to spread sweetly and very comfortably over the assembly, and I parted with them in the fresh feeling thereof; and with a peaceful mind, and a thankful sense of the Lord’s mercy.

Nothing particular occurred in the course of the next week; but the precious savour that was witnessed in the two forementioned opportunities, remained as a canopy over my mind, and was cause of humble gratitude and thankfulness to the blessed Author of all our rich mercies and blessings.

First day, the 27th of 2d month. My mind, in our meeting to-day, after a considerable time of humble quiet waiting, and seeking to be gathered to Shiloh, was led in prospect to view the great and singular advantages which would redound to the children of men by an early acquaintance with the Lord; and by continually looking to him, and relying on him, as the primary and only object of their faith and hope. The prospect enlarged and opened to a communication, and the truth was raised into a comfortable degree of dominion, and spread a solemn covering over the assembly; and many hearts were contrited and made glad from a feeling sense of the Lord’s mercy vouchsafed to us at this season. O how good is the Lord, and how greatly to be praised, for his mercy endureth for ever.

The rest of this week I was occupied in my temporal concerns. Sat our fifth day meeting in silence, in which I had to maintain a steady warfare against the intrusion of unprofitable thoughts. O how precious it is to be favoured to gain a complete victory over these, and to have the mind brought to witness a profound stillness, where nothing reigns but Jesus, in his inward spiritual government.

First day, the 6th of 3d month. In our meeting to-day I had again to bear testimony against the prevailing evils of the day; some of which I had to expose, and to show how we must enter the church militant, if ever we enter right, and become useful members thereof, and be truly comforted and profited thereby. The communication was introduced by the parable of the supper, which shows that those who have something of the pleasures and treasures of this world to gratify and comfort themselves with, will not come in, although invited: but those who are brought to a full sense of their wretched and forlorn condition, without God and without a Saviour, compared, in the parable, to those who are poor and destitute of every comfort, and scattered in the highways and hedges, will seek a place of refuge; and having tried every means they had in their power, and every invention that man has sought out in the way of salvation, and after all finding themselves still left in a state of disappointment, are made willing to surrender all up, and sell all; that so they may be enabled to purchase the field wherein the pearl of great price lies. The word went forth with power, and struck home to many minds, and a very solemn weight appeared to cover the assembly in general.

Second, third, and fourth days. Spent in a quiet attention to my temporal concerns with the attendant blessing of peace of mind; yet not without some intervals of interruption from the loose and the vain, with which this neighbourhood is too much disturbed. Alas, what has so gained the ascendency in and over the mind of man, as to cause him to delight and take pleasure in wickedness.

Fifth day. Was our preparative meeting, in which the overseers brought forward information against one of our members, a young man, for deviations from plainness, and being guilty of attending horse races, and suffering his horse to run for a wager; all which manifest a very thoughtless disposition, and much vanity of mind, very unworthy the least member in our community. The meeting felt tenderly for him, as he had not had a guarded education; he being left an orphan, when small, by the death of his father. In considering his condition, I was induced to enlist myself voluntarily in the meeting’s service, to pay him a visit; and the meeting added another Friend to join me therein. I was likewise engaged in the meeting for worship, to call Friends’ attention to the necessity of greater purification both in body, soul, and spirit; as the only medium through which we could gain an inheritance in the kingdom of heaven. I showed by the analogy of reason, that a purified soul could not be content to inhabit a polluted body; and that if the inside was made clean, the outside would be clean also; and that true and genuine Christianity will lead to cleanliness in our persons, in our houses, and in all our concerns. All this will proceed from real love and duty to our Creator, and not from any germ of pride, or vainly to make a show, but from a real desire of effecting holiness in the fear of the Lord.