Fifth day. Attended our preparative meeting, previous to the sitting of which, I attended a funeral of one of our neighbours. The corpse was laid in our burial-ground, and the people, after the interment, came into the meeting. It was a large collection, to whom the truths of the gospel were largely opened, and the humbling power of truth spread over the assembly, contriting many hearts.
Sixth and seventh days. Spent in my family concerns.
First day, the 16th. Attended our own meeting, sat it through in silence. It was exercising in the forepart, in which I felt reduced into a state of baptism, with and for the dead: but as I abode in the patience, toward the close light sprang up and I was relieved from the burden.
Second day. I spent in my temporal concerns. What a strict and continual guard and watch it requires, when engaged in any worldly business, to keep the mind free and loose from every thing of a terrestrial nature; so that, at the first beck or motion of the divine intelligence, we may be ready to obey, and submit willingly to its holy requiring, without consulting with flesh and blood.
Third day. I attended the funeral of a deceased Friend. A meeting was held on the occasion at the place of her residence. The neighbourhood were mostly of the Presbyterian order, many of whom attended. I had an open time among them, to declare of the things pertaining to the kingdom of heaven; and many gospel truths were plainly set forth and exalted over all untruth and errour. It was indeed a season thankfully to be remembered, and my heart was bowed in grateful acknowledgments to the great and blessed Author of all our mercies.
Fourth day. At the funeral yesterday, I was requested by several of my friends to attend the funeral of an individual who had been a professor among the Methodists, but whom I had for some time believed was pretty fully convinced of the principles of our profession; but the trial of parting with his fellow professors, and making a full surrender, had kept him back, until being brought on a bed of languishing, he yielded and acknowledged to the truth, and desired that in future his family would attend Friends’ meetings: and towards his close, in order to give full testimony to his belief, requested in a solemn manner that after his decease his body might be taken into Friends’ meeting-house at Bethpage, which was not far from his dwelling, and a meeting held there at his funeral, and desired that I might be requested to attend. On consideration of the subject, Friends were easy to comply with his request, and a meeting was held accordingly. It proved a very solemn affecting time; many hearts were tendered, and much brokenness and contrition were manifest in the meeting, through the prevalence of the divine power which accompanied the word preached. Surely it was the Lord’s doing, and truly marvellous in the eyes of his people. And oh! saith my spirit, what shall we render unto the Lord for all his benefits, for his mercies are new every morning.
Fifth day. Attended our monthly meeting, and on sixth day our preparative meeting of Ministers and Elders. In both of these, my mind was engaged to stir up Friends to more watchfulness and circumspection, for the right ordering of the concerns of the society, and maintenance of our Christian discipline.
Seventh day. Spent in my family concerns, and ended the week with a quiet mind.
First day, the 23d. Attended our meeting in silence. It was rather an exercising dull time; but we ought not to murmur, for if we had had our deserts, it might have been more so.
The rest of this week principally taken up in attending our quarterly meeting in New-York. It was in general rather an exercising time; for not only the answers to the queries from the several monthly meetings, manifested many deficiencies as to the right support of our Christian testimonies and discipline, but the diversity of sentiment among the active members respecting the full support of our testimony against war, also produced much exercise to the faithful; especially with regard to the active compliance in the payment of a tax, levied by the general government of the United States, for carrying on war, and other purposes of the government, which many Friends believed could not be actively complied with, consistently with our testimony on that head. For refusing the payment of this tax, a number of Friends had suffered in their property by distraint, to a considerable amount more than the tax demanded, some even three or four fold; whilst some others actively complied and paid the tax, and justified themselves in so doing, which caused considerable altercation in the meeting: nevertheless, I believe, Friends were generally preserved in a good degree of harmony with each other.