24th. This day several Friends came to visit us: spent the evening agreeably, and had a profitable season of retirement, in which our minds were bowed: thankful in soul ought we to be for such favours and benefits, unapproachable in our time and ability; but when our great Lord is pleased to unseal refreshment, it drops as the rain and distils as the dew, and causes withering hope to spring as the morning. 1757, First Month 1st. Went [on the visit to Friends' families] to Arch-Nevins's, -met with home and close work, spent several hours in this visit, and afterwards went to Thomas Harvey's, where we had a satisfactory encouraging time, and at the conclusion, the Spirit of power and wisdom filled my heart so as to cause humiliation, and supplication to arise, and to be formed into vocal language, as ability was extended and directed. Our minds were much refreshed, and we parted in a renewed sense of the rewarding hand of our God, who gives liberally and sustaineth his heritage and people, whose dependence is placed on Him the God of mercy and power; in a humble sense hereof we took leave of one another, and I returned home, being drawn in my spirit to be at our meeting on the morrow. 2d.-Was at our meeting at Rathangan, in which I felt the holy Hand of help; my spirit was much broken and affected, and a testimony filled my heart for my Lord and Master [on this wise]-"Thus saith the Lord, are not my ways equal, are not your ways unequal, O! house of Israel? I will judge you every man according to your ways:"-the paternal care, the helping regard, the sustaining support and nourishment that were af forded us, were ranged before the view of the mind;and also the appeal the Lord our God made by his prophet, "Hear, O! heavens, and give ear, O! earth; I have nourished and brought up children, and they have rebelled against me:"-beseeched and entreated all to "seek Him, that maketh the seven stars and Orion, that maketh the day dark with night, that calleth for the waters of the sea, and poureth them out upon the face of the earth:" He will be our Judge, and proportional to our virtue and vice, so will our rewards be. The rebellious were warned, the backslider entreated, and the faithful encouraged: the meeting ended in a solid frame. Returned home thankful and composed in spirit. -- 3d. Some company coming to my house interrupted that retirement and inspection I expected; but in the evening enjoyed it in degree to comfort, and the renewal of arising strength. 4th.—Being Third-day of the week, retired with my family to seek refreshment and inward help: in the evening was low and poor in mind, yet attentive to look towards the habitation of holy Succour. 5th.-Set forward to visit my beloved M. P., and the the next day was at their week-day meeting at Mountrath, which was a melting season to my spirit throughout the whole meeting, and ended well. 12th. I concluded to return home in obedience to an impulse or draft of spirit which I felt secretly to draw me, and not to urge my dear friend to appear at the next Monthly Meeting [to present our marriage]. 14th and 15th.-Was thoughtful and down in spirit by intervals, yet feeling a gradual support underneath, and conscious of having followed the dictates of what I thought my safest Guide, I cleaved close thereto; which led to retirement and reading, and an inward seeking and attention for the arising of conquering Goodness, that crowns the soul with peace and resignation. 16th. Being drafted in spirit to be at Edenderry meeting where was to be a marriage, I concluded to go thither, though in a cross to my natural disposition, and so to be willing to do what my Lord had for me to do, who had given me a body in which to do his will; and what matter where we are, or what work or service we are put to, if we are purchasing peace and laying up for ourselves a good foundation against the time to come. And truly my Master vouchsafed his presence and favour, and fully recompensed my spirit for following his direction; and I believe the cause did not suffer by my attendance at the said meeting; several of the townspeople came in, and seemed weighty and solid. Several things opened to my view; - the humble manner of Jacob's going in search of his wife, his humility, his trial, and his vision, his covenant, and his success for his obedience to his parents. meeting I hope ended well;-humble supplication was offered for us to our Lord. I returned home in the evening, enjoying, encouraging, and sustaining peace. The 18th. Pensive and thoughtful, which begot droopingness of mind; yet favoured at intervals with confirming peace, that the rays of light would again appear, and dissipate every unsettling and anxious reflection. 21st and 22d.-Hurried and engaged pretty closely in the outward; yet careful to retire from it to feel after the virtue of reconciliation to every cross occurrence and harassing care: taken up in part in writing. 31st.-Joined again the Friends on the family visit ; and it proved a time of great favour and merciful condescension in the course of this visit the openings of holy Truth were experienced, and the newness of life accompanied, by which our minds were replenished and sustained, and we enabled to attribute the glory and honour of all to the inexhaustible Treasury of wisdom, life, and love. We separated in much love and unity, and I returned to my family where I found my affairs pretty much to my satisfaction. Second Month 6th.-First-day, I was at Rathangan, where I witnessed a close and inward travail, with a degree of holy and heavenly nourishment, which quickened and begot cries and requests to the Author of true sufficiency for a continuance of the same. This day, was laid before our Preparative meeting my intention of marriage with my nearly united friend M. Peisley, in the doing whereof, sweet peace attended my mind, and my spirit was much tendered and affected, under a sense of the goodness of the God of my life, through the opening of that glorious grace which comes by his blessed Son Christ Jesus. 1757, Second Month 12th.-Went to Mountrath, to see my beloved friend M. P., accompanied by some of my relations, having an expectation of presenting our marriage before the Monthly Meeting the day following found her well in health, through Divine favour, but inwardly bowed down under a sense of the important change which she was likely to make. It was a time of humiliation and prostration of soul to us both: and my desires were strong and fervent, that the Lord. of our life might please to be with us, and unite us renewedly, in his holy unchangeable covenant of light and peace. 13th.—We had a good refreshing meeting together, and the virtue of Truth was felt to arise: may our souls be awfully regardful of the condescension of our merciful Lord and Master; and may fresh obedience to all his requirings still lead to an enlargement in his favour, mercy, and love. We appeared before the meeting, I believe, in awe and reverence of mind; and a solemn enjoyment of divine peace and love attended our spirits, which centred them in calmness and serenity. 20th. The First day of the week, in which it fell to my lot to be engaged as well as other Friends in the public service; several things opened as warnings to the forgetful and wicked, and the consequence of dwelling in that state, in which Divine displeasure would certainly overtake them, though long striving to draw them from it in the similitude of a just power, who forbears executing justice, until there is no room left to hope for a return, and then she appears to have iron hands |