The journal, with other writings of John WoolmanWoolman, John
Religion
The journal, with other writings of John Woolman
Woolman, John
Quakers -- Biography; Woolman, John, 1720-1772
"Hath he, who gave me a Being attended with many Wants unknown to
Brute-creatures, given me a Capacity superior to theirs; and shewn me,
that a moderate Application to Business is proper to my present
Condition; and that this, attended with his Blessing, may supply all
outward Wants, while they remain within the Bounds he hath fixed; and no
imaginary Wants, proceeding from an evil Spirit, have any Place in me?
Attend then, O my Soul! to this pure Wisdom, as thy sure Conductor
through the manifold Dangers in this World.
"Doth Pride lead to Vanity? Doth Vanity form imaginary Wants? Do these
Wants prompt Men to exert their Power in requiring that of others, which
they themselves would rather be excused from, were the same required of
them?
"Do these Proceedings beget hard Thoughts? Do hard Thoughts, when ripe,
become Malice? Does Malice, when ripe, become revengeful; and, in the
End, inflict terrible Pains on their Fellow-creatures, and spread
Desolation in the World?
"Doth Mankind, walking in Uprightness, delight in each other's
Happiness? And do these Creatures, capable of this Attainment, by giving
way to an evil Spirit, employ their Wit and Strength to afflict and
destroy one another?
"Remember then, O my Soul! the Quietude of those in whom Christ governs,
and in all thy Proceedings feel after it.
"Doth he condescend to bless thee with his Presence? To move and
influence to Action? To dwell in thee, and walk in thee? Remember then
thy Station, as a Being sacred to God; accept of the Strength freely
offered thee; and take heed that no Weakness, in conforming to
expensive, unwise, and hard-hearted, Customs, gendering to Discord and
Strife, be given way to. Doth he claim my Body as his Temple, and
graciously grant that I may be sacred to him? O! that I may prize this
Favour; and that my whole Life may be conformable to this Character!
"Remember, O my Soul! that the Prince of Peace is thy Lord: That he
communicates his unmixed Wisdom to his Family; that they, living in
perfect Simplicity, may give no just Cause of Offence to any Creature,
but may walk as he walked."
Having felt an Openness in my Heart toward visiting Families in our own
Meeting, and especially in the Town of Mount-Holly, the Place of my
Abode, I mentioned it in our Monthly-meeting the Fore-part of the
Winter, 1764; which being agreed to, and several Friends of our Meeting
being united in the Exercise, we proceeded therein; and, through divine
Favour, were helped in the Work, so that it appeared to me as a fresh
reviving of godly Care amongst Friends: And, the latter Part of the same
Winter, I joined my Friend WILLIAM JONES, in a Visit to Friends Families
in _Mansfield_; in which Labour I had Cause to admire the Goodness of
the Lord towards us.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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