The rest of this week, except the usual weekly attendance of our meeting, was spent in family cares, and in preparation for the attendance of our approaching yearly meeting. Indisposition in a branch of my family, prevented my attending the meeting for Ministers and Elders; but got to the city in time to attend the first day meetings. In the morning I was at Pearl-street, and in the afternoon at Liberty-street; and although the latter was pretty large, and in a good degree solemn, yet it was an exercising season to the living sensible members. In those large meetings, where Friends are collected from various parts, the weak and the strong together, and especially in those for worship, it is essentially necessary that Friends get inward, and wait in their proper gifts, keeping in view their standing and place in society, especially those in the ministry. For otherwise there is danger, even from a desire to do good, of being caught with the enemies’ transformations, particularly with those that are young, and inexperienced; for we seldom sit in meetings but some prospect presents, which has a likeness, in its first impression, to the right thing; and as these feel naturally fearful of speaking in large meetings, and in the presence of their elderly friends, and apprehending they are likely to have something to offer, they are suddenly struck with the fear of man, and thereby prevented from centering down to their gifts, so as to discover whether it is a right motion or not; and the accuser of the brethren, who is always ready with his transformations to deceive, charges with unfaithfulness and disobedience, by which they are driven to act without any clear prospect, and find little to say, except making an apology for their thus standing; by which they often disturb the meeting, and prevent others, who are rightly called to the work, and thereby wound the minds of the living baptized members. On second day the meeting for discipline opened, and continued by adjournments until sixth day. Although divers weaknesses were manifest, in transacting the business, for want of a deep indwelling with the pure spring of life, and each patiently abiding in his own proper gift, without envying others, yet, I think, in the main it was a favoured meeting. Divers brethren were largely opened to speak to subjects of concern, which came before us, in the life, and in the clear demonstration of the spirit, as scribes well instructed, bringing out of the heavenly treasury things new and old.