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
From _Virginia_, we crossed over the River _Patowmac_, at Hoe's Ferry,
and made a general Visit to the Meetings of Friends on the Western Shore
of _Maryland_; and were at their Quarterly-meeting. We had some hard
Labour amongst them, endeavouring to discharge our Duty honestly as Way
opened, in the Love of Truth: And thence taking sundry Meetings in our
Way, we passed homeward; where, through the Favour of divine Providence
we reached the sixteenth Day of the sixth Month, in the Year 1746; and I
may say that, through the Assistance of the Holy Spirit, my Companion
and I travelled in Harmony, and parted in the Nearness of true brotherly
Love.
Two Things were remarkable to me in this Journey; first, in Regard to my
Entertainment, when I ate, drank, and lodged at free-cost, with People
who lived in Ease on the hard Labour of their Slaves, I felt uneasy;
and, as my Mind was inward to the Lord, I found, from Place to Place,
this Uneasiness return upon me, at Times, through the whole Visit. Where
the Masters bore a good Share of the Burthen, and lived frugally, so
that their Servants were well provided for, and their Labour moderate, I
felt more easy; but where they lived in a costly Way, and laid heavy
Burthens on their Slaves, my Exercise was often great, and I frequently
had Conversation with them, in private, concerning it. Secondly; this
Trade of importing Slaves from their native Country being much
encouraged amongst them, and the white People and their Children so
generally living without much Labour, was frequently the Subject of my
serious Thoughts: And I saw in these southern Provinces so many Vices
and Corruptions, increased by this Trade and this Way of Life, that it
appeared to me as a Gloom over the Land; and though now many willingly
run into it, yet, in future, the Consequence will be grievous to
Posterity: I express it as it hath appeared to me, not at once nor
twice, but as a Matter fixed on my Mind.
Soon after my Return Home, I felt an increasing Concern for Friends on
our Sea-coast; and, on the eighth Day of the eighth Month, in the Year
1746, with the Unity of Friends, and in Company with my beloved Friend
and Neighbour, PETER ANDREWS, Brother to my Companion before-mentioned,
we set forward, and visited Meetings generally about _Salem_, _Cape
May_, _Great_ and _Little Egg-Harbour_; and had Meetings at _Barnagat_,
_Mannahocking_, and _Mane-Squan_, and so to the Yearly-meeting at
_Shrewsbury_. Through the Goodness of the Lord Way was opened, and the
Strength of divine Love was sometimes felt in our Assemblies, to the
Comfort and Help of those who were rightly concerned before him. We were
out twenty-two Days, and rode, by Computation, three hundred and forty
Miles. At _Shrewsbury_ Yearly-meeting, we met with our dear Friends
MICHAEL LIGHTFOOT and ABRAHAM FARRINGTON, who had good Service there.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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