Sixth and seventh days. Spent in my family avocations, clothed with poverty of spirit, yet not altogether cast down, being encouraged at times with the remembrance of the divine promise succeeding the flood, that, “While the earth remaineth, seed-time and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night, shall not cease.” As in my past winter journey, I witnessed summer and harvest, so now I may rest patiently in the divine promise, with the assurance, that as winter in due course has succeeded summer, so likewise summer by and by, in its turn, will succeed winter, and the time of the singing of birds will come, and the drooping spirit will again rejoice in the Lord, and joy in the God of its salvation.
Nothing requiring a note the following week, except, that on seventh day, the 25th of the month, I proceeded to New-York, in order to attend our approaching yearly meeting, which opened for Ministers and Elders at the tenth hour this morning; but the morning being rainy, we did not arrive in season to attend the first sitting. The meeting continued by adjournments until the following sixth day, and was in the main, I think, a favoured meeting, the Lord graciously manifesting himself to be near, suppressing forward spirits, that would now and then start up to the hurt of the meeting, and uniting the living baptized members in a joint travail for the promotion of right order, and the increase of the Messiah’s kingdom in the earth. We returned home on seventh day.
First day, the 2d of 6th month. Attended our meeting in the morning in silence; but in the afternoon meeting, appointed by a friend from Pennsylvania, I had a pretty full opportunity, after the Friend who appointed the meeting had relieved his mind, to call the people’s attention to the only sure guide, the light of God’s spirit in their own hearts and minds, which reveals to every man and woman all things that they had ever done, as Jesus did to the woman of Samaria, reproving for the evil, and justifying for the good: and were men and women all as faithful to themselves, as this divine reprover is to them, they would all witness the blessing of peace; and if they held out in faithfulness and obedience to the end, the answer of “well done, thou good and faithful servant”, would be the happy portion of them all.
Fifth day. Attended our meeting in silence.
First day, the 9th. Had the company of two female Friends from Philadelphia, who were travelling in the ministry, at our meeting. It proved a hard trying season: one of them was exercised in public testimony, and although she appeared to labour fervently, yet but little life was felt to arise during the meeting. This makes the work hard for the poor exercised ministers, who feel the necessity publicly to advocate the cause of truth and righteousness, and yet obtain but little relief, by reason of the deadness and indifference of those to whom they are constrained to minister. I found it my place to sit silent, and suffer with the seed.
Second day. Went to New-York, in order to attend our meeting for sufferings, which was held the next day at the ninth hour in the morning. I accordingly attended, and returned home that afternoon.
The rest of the week I spent about home. Attended our preparative meeting on fifth day. The meeting for worship was held in silence, and was a hard trying meeting.