We passed to New-York on our way, and on first day attended the forenoon meeting at Pearl-street, and the afternoon meeting at Liberty-street; and had an appointed meeting on second day evening in the northeast part of the town, in a large room in a public house. It was a favoured season, and largely attended; many more came than the room could contain. The two foregoing meetings were also favoured strengthening opportunities, affording encouragement in my first setting out in the weighty and solemn service before me, which I always esteem that of appointing meetings to be, more especially those among strangers; many of whom know but little of us, or of the manner in which we hold our meetings, and therefore are apt to get restless, and sometimes much disquieted at our sitting so long in silence, as we often have to do; that it requires, in Friends, at such seasons, a very deep indwelling with the seed of life, to prevent being jostled, or interrupted in our inward travail and waiting, for the pure motion of life; lest, by their eagerness to hear words, Friends on those occasions, might be led to venture on too small an intimation and without sufficiently turning the fleece again and again, and to feel clearly, that, “wo is unto me, if I preach not the gospel.” For want of this care, there is danger sometimes of our running in vain, and so not profit the people at all, nor procure peace to our own minds. I was from home in this journey about four weeks, and rode upwards of three hundred miles; and attended twenty-five meetings, and our meeting for sufferings twice. Twelve of these meetings were among people not of our society; and where there are no meetings of Friends. Among these I found great openness to receive us, and our testimony; many expressed their satisfaction with the opportunities, and manifested a desire in most places, that we would stay longer with them, and have more meetings. Indeed truth was so prevalent in those meetings, as not only to silence, at least for the present, all opposition, but in many of them to reign triumphantly over all; whereby many minds were comforted and instructed, and the power of truth exalted; and our hearts made glad in believing, that the Shepherd of Israel is still availingly stretching forth the crook of his love, and will gather many from the highways and hedges; whom, as they attend to his call, and abide faithful to the end, he will clothe with the wedding garment, and admit into the marriage chamber of the Lamb; while many of those, who have been long and often invited, but are nevertheless making excuses, in order to attend to their farms, their merchandize, their oxen, &c., will not be able to enter. CHAPTER VI. Engagements at and about home, 1813.--Visit to Friends in the middle and southern states, 1813.