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often querying with myself, what should be the cause of such inward poverty; and greatly desired that no secret reserve in my heart might hinder my access to the Divine fountain. In these humbling times I was made watchful, and excited to attend to the secret movings of the heavenly principle in my mind which prepared the way to some duties, that in more easy and prosperous times as to the outward, I believe I should have been in danger of omitting.

From Newport we went to Greenwich, Shanticut and Warwick; and were helped to labour amongst Friends in the love of our gracious Redeemer; and then, accompanied by our friend John Casey from Newport, we rode through Connecticut to Oblong, visited the meetings of Friends in those parts, and thence proceeded to the Quarterly Meeting at Ryewoods; and through the gracious extendings of Divine help, had some seasoning opportunities in those places. We visited Friends at New York and Flushing; and thence to Rahway; and here our roads parting, I took leave of my beloved companion and true yoke-mate Samuel Eastburn; and reached home on the 10th day of the eighth month, 1760, where I found my family well: and for the favours and protection of the Lord, both inward and outward, extended to me in this journey, my heart is humbled in grateful acknowledgments; and I find renewed desires to dwell and walk in resignedness before him.

CHAPTER VIII.

His visits to Pennsylvania, Shrewsbury and Squan-publishes the second part of his Considerations on keeping negroes-The grounds of his appearing in some respects singular in his dress-visits the families of Friends of Ancocas and Mount Holly meetings-visit to the Indians at Wehaloosing on the river Susquehanna.

HAVING felt my mind drawn toward a visit to a few meetings in Pennsylvania, I was very desirous to be rightly instructed as to the time of setting off. On the 10th day of the fifth month, 1761, being the first-day of the week, I went to Haddonfield meeting, concluding to seek for heavenly instruction, and to come home or go on, as I might then believe best for me; and there, through the springing up of pure love, I felt encouragement, and so crossed the river. In this visit I was at two Quarterly and three Monthly Meetings; and in the love of Truth, felt my way open to labour with some noted Friends who kept negroes; and as I was favoured to keep to the root, and endeavoured to discharge what I believed was required of me, I found inward peace therein from time to time; and thankfulness of heart to the Lord, who was graciously pleased to be a guide to me.

In the eighth month, 1761, having felt drawings in my mind to visit Friends in and about Shrewsbury, I went there, and was at their Monthly Meeting, and the meeting on first-day; had a meeting at Squan, and another at Squankum; and as way opened, had conversation with some noted Friends concerning their slaves: and I returned home in a thankful sense of the goodness of the Lord.

From the care I had felt growing in me for some years, I wrote Considerations on keeping Negroes, part the second; which was printed during this year 1762. When the overseers of the press had done with it, they offered to get a number printed, to be paid for out of the Yearly Meeting stock, and to be given away; but I being most easy to publish them at my own expense, and offering my reasons they appeared satisfied.

This stock is the contribution of the members of our religious Society in general; amongst whom are some who keep negroes, and being inclined to continue them in slavery, are not likely to be satisfied with those books being spread amongst a people where many of the slaves are taught to read, and especially at their expense; and such receiving them as a gift, often conceal them. But as they who make a purchase, generally buy that which they have a mind for, I believed it best to sell them; expecting, by that means, they would more generally be read with attention. Advertisements being signed by order of the overseers of the press, directed to be read in Monthly Meetings of business within our own Yearly Meeting, informing where the books were, and that the price was no more than the cost of printing and binding them; many were taken off in our parts; some I sent to Virginia, some to New York, and some to Newport, to my acquaintance there; and some I kept, expecting to give part of them away, where there appeared a prospect of service.

In my youth I was used to hard labour; and though I was middling healthy, yet my nature was not fitted to endure so much as many others. Being often weary, I was prepared to sympathize with those whose circumstances in life, as free men, required constant labour to

answer the demands of their creditors; and with others under oppression. In the uneasiness of body, which I have many times felt by too much labour, not as a forced but a voluntary oppression, I have often been excited to think on the original cause of that oppression which is imposed on many in the world. During the latter part of the time wherein I laboured on our plantation, my heart through the fresh visitations of heavenly love, being often tender; and my leisure time frequently spent in reading the life and doctrines of our blessed Redeemer, the account of the sufferings of martyrs, and the history of the first rise of our Society; a belief was gradually settled in my mind, that if such who have great estates, generally lived in that humility and plainness which belongs to a Christian life, and laid much easier rents and interests on their lands and moneys, and thus led the way to a right use of things, so great a number of people might be employed in things useful, that labour both for men and other creatures would need to be no more than an agreeable employ; and divers branches of business which serve chiefly to please the natural inclinations of our minds, and which, at present, seem necessary to circulate that wealth which some gather, might in this way of pure wisdom be discontinued. As I have thus considered these things, a query at times hath arisen; Do I in all my proceedings, keep to that use of things which is agreeable to universal righteousness? And then there hath some degree of sadness at times come over me; because I accustomed myself to some things which occasioned more labour than I believe Divine wisdom intends for us.

From my early acquaintance with Truth, I have often felt an inward distress, occasioned by the striving of a spirit in me, against the operation of the heavenly princi

ple; and in this circumstance have been affected with a sense of my own wretchedness, and in a mourning condition felt earnest longings for that Divine help, which brings the soul into true liberty. Sometimes in this state, retiring into private places, the spirit of supplication hath been given me; and under a heavenly covering, I have asked my gracious Father to give me a heart in all things resigned to the direction of his wisdom; and in uttering language like this, the thoughts of my wearing hats and garments dyed with a dye hurtful to them, have made lasting impressions on me.

In visiting people of note in the Society who had slaves, and labouring with them in brotherly love on that account, I have seen, and the sight has affected me, that a conformity to some customs distinguishable from pure wisdom, has entangled many; and that the desire of gain to support these customs, greatly opposed the work of Truth. Sometimes when the prospect of the work before me has been such, that in bowedness of spirit I have been drawn into retired places, and besought the Lord with tears that he would take me wholly under his direction, and show me the way in which I ought to walk; it has revived with strength of conviction, that if I would be his faithful servant, I must in all things attend to his wisdom, and be teachable; and cease from all customs contrary thereto, however used amongst religious people.

As he is the perfection of power, of wisdom and of goodness, so I believe he hath provided that so much labour shall be necessary for men's support in this world, as would, being rightly divided, be a suitable employment of their time; and that we cannot go into superfluities, or grasp after wealth in a way contrary to his wisdom, without having connexion with some degree of oppres

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