The rest of the week I spent at and about home. Attended our monthly meeting on fifth day, and the funeral of a female relative on sixth day, who was taken off very suddenly with an apoplectic fit. Such instances speak a language to survivors very urgent and expressive: “Be ye therefore ready also.” First day, the 24th. After a considerable time of silent waiting in our meeting, my mind was quickened in the remembrance of the following declaration of the apostle Paul: “For by grace are ye saved, through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.” The subject opened to communication, wherein I had to unfold to the people the utter incapacity of man, in his fallen or natural state, doing any thing that would, in the least degree, further his salvation, or be acceptable to God, as a part of his necessary duty or service to him. For it would be very unwise and dangerous to presume or attempt any such thing: unwise, because it is impossible for him to effect it, and dangerous, lest he should do something that might warm or stir up his own passions, or those of others, in such manner as to apprehend that a degree of the divine power attended. For this would tend to lead to a very fatal errour, a continuance in the presumption; which can produce no other, than darkness and death to the soul. In this state he could not possibly avoid boasting, and thereby counteract the apostle’s doctrine; and indeed it would be justifiable to boast, if we could do the least thing of ourselves, without the immediate aid of divine grace. For strict justice cannot deny the ascription of merit to any cause that produces a real good work; but as no mere man can possibly ever be such a cause, so he can never merit any good from his own works, and therefore he never can have a right to boast. All this the truly humble are abundantly sensible of, and therefore dare not attempt any thing in a religious way, in their own time and will, but wait patiently for the immediate inspiring of divine grace, to whose power only, as the procuring cause of our salvation, all merit is due. The rest of the week I spent in my usual avocations, not omitting my religious duties as they opened on my mind. First day, the 1st of 10th month. My mind, while sitting in our meeting to-day, was led into the consideration of the real necessity there was for each individual to know God, before he could worship him acceptably, in spirit and in truth. For if we are ignorant of him, our worship would be no better than the worship of the Athenians to an unknown God. The subject enlarged and opened to the communication of divers gospel truths, and gave cause gratefully to acknowledge the mercy and goodness of our heavenly Father to his backsliding children.