Memoir and Diary of John Yeardley, Minister of the GospelYeardley, John
Religion
Memoir and Diary of John Yeardley, Minister of the Gospel
Yeardley, John
Clergy -- United States -- Biography; Quakers -- Biography; Yeardley, John, 1786-1858
For three years, writes J.Y., he has held meetings in his house; in the
commencement he had to suffer no little persecution. On his entering our
room he observed that it was the Lord who had thus brought us together. I
have scarcely been half an hour with you, he said, after a while, but it
seems as if I had known you for seven years. He, with his wife and
daughter, took us to call on a Mennonist, a pious man, who holds firmly by
Baptism and the Supper. He soon began to speak on these points. I replied
to what he said as well as I could, maintaining that in Scripture there
are two baptisms spoken of; that, as the soul of man is spiritual, it can
be reached only by that which is spiritual, and that therefore I did not
see the necessity of maintaining that which, is outward. He said he
desired to possess the former, and not to neglect the latter. As to the
Supper they both advanced is proof of the observance being good, that
often, whilst using it, they experienced inward joy and refreshment. I
said we must not limit to a certain time or place this joy in the Lord, as
if the use of the Supper only were the cause of it. The gracious Lord is
ready at all times to sup with us, and to refresh the sincere and cleansed
soul, and make it joyful in him. We took leave of each other in love; I
said we did not travel for the purpose of turning people from one form to
another, but with the desire only that they might all be brought nearer to
the Lord. It was pleasant to me that Fitz's wife was with us; during the
conversation she remained still and weighty in spirit.
We inclined to attend the evening devotion at Fitz's, but prefaced our
request with the hope that they would not be offended if we did not take
part in their observances. This was immediately granted; and Fitz said, I
feel that your spirit is true and sincere, and I have unity with it. When
their service was ended, we asked them to remain a while in silence, and I
trust may say we were enabled to utter what was required of us in
testimony and supplication.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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