Second and third days. While my hands were busily employed in my temporal business, my mind was often led to rise above all temporal enjoyments; and to contemplate on things of an eternal nature. In the course of my meditations I was led to contrast those who are _led and influenced_ by the wisdom and will of man, with those who are _led and influenced_ by the wisdom and will of God; and it was opened to me that, of necessity, the former must be _ruled and governed_ by the wisdom and power of man: hence the necessity of coercion, and hence the necessity of war; as every government of coercion, must of necessity be set up and maintained by the force and fear of the sword, as that is the last alternative, in every government, set up in the wisdom and will of man. But those, who are _led and influenced_ by the wisdom and will of God, have no necessity of being governed by any thing else than the divine wisdom and will, through the power of persuasive love; and no other coercion can ever be necessary in the kingdom of heaven, where nothing reigns but love, peace, and joy undefiled, without intermission. And O! that every rational being was so inspired with a real soul-craving desire, after the enjoyment of this heavenly and peaceful kingdom, as not to rest until he had gained a satisfactory assurance, that his name was enrolled in that city, which hath foundations whose builder and maker the Lord is. Fourth day. I rode to New-York, in order to attend the funeral of our beloved friend, Matthew Franklin, to take place the next day. He was taken with an apoplectic fit while speaking in the morning meeting in Pearl-street, on the preceding first day. He appeared lively in testimony, but was suddenly stopped by indisposition, and sat quietly down: but soon arose and withdrew, and was followed by some of his friends, and would have fallen as soon as he got out, had he not been upheld by them. In a few minutes he fell into an almost senseless state, as to the body, not being able to speak afterwards; and quietly expired at about half past seven in the evening of the following day: and, we trust, has safely landed in that celestial port, where the wicked cease from troubling, and the weary soul is at rest. He appeared amiable in his life and conversation, and was generally beloved by his friends and acquaintance, especially the youth; for whose improvement and preservation, he often appeared very solicitous. The unusually large attendance at his funeral, and the solemnity that appeared in the countenances of the multitude assembled, (the meeting-house though large not containing perhaps more than two-thirds of those that gathered,) carried full evidence of the correctness of the foregoing representation, as did also the testimonies borne on that solemn occasion.