First day, the 6th of 8th month. My lot was to suffer the greater part of our meeting to-day, until near the close, when I found it my place to unite in a short testimony with a female fellow labourer, in calling the attention of the people to an inward exercise and faithful improvement of the gift or talent committed to them, while time and opportunity are afforded, that so when called, they might be prepared to render up their accounts with joy. Spent the remainder of this week as usual, at and about home, feeling no call abroad to any religious service; but felt it my incumbent duty simply to wait, and to watch at the King’s gate. First day, the 13th. Towards the close of our meeting, my mind was led to view the great and singular advantages which would result to mankind, by a full surrender of their wills to the divine will, not only in religious concerns, but also in things of a temporal nature, and indeed in every thing they do. The subject became very impressive, insomuch that I found it my place to spread it before the auditory; and to set forth the inconsistency of people, in first acknowledging the entire supremacy of the divine Being, and their own dependant state, as tenants at will of the sovereign Lord of the universe; and at the same time presumptuously exercising an independent will and judgment in their temporal, and, mostly so, even in their religious concerns. Therefore, without breach of charity, we may safely conclude, that the generality, even of professed Christians, serve and worship the creature, more than they do the Creator. To this we may refer the source of all the misery and wretchedness of man; and that to rise out of his fallen state, he must come to know a complete sinking down into a state of nothingness of self, and a full surrender of his will to the divine will, and not to move in any thing without being conscientiously satisfied it is in correspondence therewith; then should we move on safely, and peace of mind would be our daily attendant. In the course of this week I was indisposed, being afflicted with much bodily pain; but was enabled to attend our monthly meeting on fifth day, at which we received extracts from our yearly and quarterly meetings, with the printed epistle from London. They furnished suitable advice on several subjects, particularly relative to a right attendance of our religious meetings. I was impressed also with a similar concern, to call the careful attention of Friends thereto, as that upon which our religious advancement greatly depends.