First day, the 15th. Almost as soon as I had taken my seat in our meeting to-day, there was brought to my remembrance the following exhortation of the apostle, accompanied with a degree of life: “To do good, and to communicate, forget not.” As I quietly attended to the impression, it led to communication and opened to a field of doctrine, tending to show the indispensable obligation every real Christian lies under, let his allotment in the Church or in the world at large be what it may, to comply therewith, it being a divine requisition. It is therefore reasonable to suppose that by a life of steady and uniform industry, and from which man derives great earthly felicity, and through the divine blessing, most individuals would be enabled to fulfil the obligation; by which means all the misery and distress that arise from poverty and want would be done away from the Church of Christ, and agreeably to the prophecy of Isaiah, no wasting or destruction be found within her borders; and Christians would witness in their own experience, that it is more blessed to give than to receive; as we should thereby approach nearer to our divine original, from whom we receive every blessing both spiritual and temporal.
The following part of the week I spent in my usual occupations, except attending our monthly meeting on fifth day.
First day, the 22d. This day I attended the funeral of my brother Stephen Hicks at Rockaway. There was a pretty large collection of people on the occasion, among whom I was led to labour fervently in the gospel, and largely to declare of the things concerning the kingdom of God. The season was solemn, and by the prevalence of the divine power that attended, many hearts were contrited and a precious solemnity was spread over the assembly, worthy of our deepest gratitude and thankfulness of heart. I returned home that evening with sweet peace of mind.
Having for some time felt a draft on my mind to appoint a few meetings in some adjacent neighbourhoods, to the south and east of us, I left home on the seventh day of this week, accompanied by my neighbour Jacob Willits, jr. We rode that afternoon to our friend James Rushmore’s, at the Half-way Hollow Hills; where, by previous notice, we had a comfortable satisfactory meeting in the evening, mostly made up of those not in membership with us. The next day, the first of the week, we had two meetings; one in the town of Islip in the morning, at the residence of my son-in-law Joshua Willits, the other at the third hour in the afternoon, in the school-house at the village of Babylon. These were very solemn affecting meetings, wherein many truths of the gospel were largely and livingly opened, in the demonstration of the spirit, attended with a power that humbled and contrited many hearts, and brought a general solemnity over the meetings.
The next day we rode to our friend Thomas Whitson’s, on the south side of our township. Had an appointed meeting there that evening, which was also favoured with attendant gospel power; whereby my mind was opened and led to sound forth an arousing testimony, in order to stir up many present, who, for want of faithfulness and obedience to manifested duty, were much behind in their day’s work: and which, as it opened on my mind, I expressed to them to be not only a cause of great loss and disadvantage in a religious sense to themselves, but also to their families and their tender offspring. Things were laid close home to these, and they excited to more faithfulness and religious engagement.
At this place I was informed of the death of our Friend and neighbour Elizabeth Jones, wife of Samuel Jones, whose funeral was to be the next day. This information induced us to return home early in the morning in order to attend the same. As she had many connexions, there was a very large collection of people on the occasion, many of whom were of divers persuasions. My heart and mouth were opened to preach the gospel among them, and to explain to the people the principles of the Christian religion, in a full and clear manner, in the authority of truth. It was a highly favoured season, in which truth reigned triumphant; and the Lord’s name and power were praised and exalted over all.
Fifth day, the 2d of 1st month, 1817. I attended our meeting as usual. It was quiet and comfortable. Near the close I had a short testimony to communicate, to the excellency and exalted privileges of the Christian state, which brought a precious covering over the meeting.
First day, the 5th. Very soon after I took my seat in meeting to-day, my mind was brought into a feeling sense and view of the superiour excellency of the true Christian religion; and this can only be known and possessed by a full and entire subjugation of our wills to the divine will, and living in the practical part of that reasonable injunction of our blessed Lord, to seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness; then every other blessing that is needful and comfortable for us will be added, in the openings of the divine counsel. But alas, how few there are who pay any right attention to this excellent requisition, but on the contrary go on in their own wills, and in the prosecution of their own schemes of profit and pleasure, most generally at least until they marry, and settle themselves in the care and concerns of a family. In all this time, scarcely one in ten thousand of the human family even think of seeking first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, or even asking counsel of him in the weighty concern of marriage; upon a right procedure in which, their present and future happiness greatly depend, and for want of this previous care, they are often very unequally yoked together; and when these have a family of children about them, without any right ability and qualification to instruct them, confusion and disorder ensue; and the poor children are left to grow up without right cultivation, as brambles in the wilderness, a lamentable case indeed: a view of which has often clothed my mind with mourning. I was led largely to open these subjects to the meeting under the influence of gospel love, and found peace in my labour, the sure reward of faithfulness to manifested duty; and whether the people will hear or forbear, it is not the business of the instrument to be careful about, as the word that goeth forth will not return void, but will accomplish the thing whereto it is sent; either to instruct and comfort, or to reprove and condemn.
The rest of the week I was mostly employed in my temporal concerns, except attending our preparative meeting on fifth day. The meeting for worship was, I think, a favoured season.
First day the 12th. A silent meeting to-day.