From hence we passed on to Nine Partners, and reached there seasonably to meet with the committee who have the oversight of the boarding-school, held there by the direction of our yearly meeting, we being members of that committee. By the accounts now rendered, the school appears in a prosperous state; but a considerable difficulty attends procuring suitable tutors and caretakers in the family. On third day, the select quarterly meeting of this place was held, and on fourth day, that for discipline; and although there was a degree of favour experienced, yet, in general, it was a trying exercising season. This is a large quarterly meeting; and many who attend are mere birthright members, and having never known the baptizing power of truth, to sanctify and prepare for right and useful membership, are but as dead weights in our religious meetings; and some others, who have joined the society by convincement, for want of faithfully attending to that which first convinced them, have lost their first love, and suffered their minds too much to centre back again into the world, and the love of it; and have thereby become stumbling blocks in the way of others. These bring much exercise and concern to the living, who are daily engaged for Zion’s cause, and that truth may prosper and prevail in the earth. On fifth day, we had an appointed meeting at Pleasant Valley, which was a comfortable instructive season; and another seasonable opportunity in the evening at Poughkeepsie, composed mostly of those not in membership with us. On sixth day, we were at West Branch meeting, which was pretty full, wherein I had to go down into deep baptism with the dead, being plunged into the feeling of a state of great ignorance and unbelief; but as I patiently sat under the burden, light sprang up, and life came into dominion; and I was led, in a clear manner, to show the ground from whence all this darkness and unbelief proceeded; that it was from a want of due attention to, and right belief in, the _inward manifestation of divine light_, which reveals itself in the heart of man against sin and uncleanness; and at the same time shows what is right, and justifies for right doing. Therefore while men disregard this inward divine principle, of grace and truth, and do not believe in it, as _essential_ and _sufficient to salvation_; they are in danger of becoming either Atheists, or Deists--these are also in danger of becoming so blinded as not to believe in that necessary and very essential doctrine of perfection, as contained in that clear, rational, and positive injunction of our dear Lord: “Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.” And we cannot rationally suppose they can ever be otherwise, while they continue in this situation; as _nothing but this light_ is sufficient to produce the knowledge, on which this belief is founded. My mind was likewise largely opened to communicate, how we all might, by faithful attention