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
On the eighteenth Day: We rested ourselves this Forenoon; and the
_Indians_, knowing that the _Moravian_ and I were of different religious
Societies, and as some of their People had encouraged him to come and
stay a While with them, were, I believe, concerned that no Jarring or
Discord might be in their Meetings: And they, I suppose, having
conferred together, acquainted me, that the People, at my Request,
would, at any Time, come together, and hold Meetings; and also told me,
that they expected the _Moravian_ would speak in their settled Meetings,
which are commonly held Morning and near Evening. So I found Liberty in
my Heart to speak to the _Moravian_, and told him of the Care I felt on
my Mind for the Good of these People; and that I believed no ill Effects
would follow it, if I sometimes spake in their Meetings when Love
engaged me thereto, without calling them together at Times when they did
not meet of course: Whereupon he expressed his Good-will toward my
speaking, at any Time, all that I found in my Heart to say: So, near
Evening, I was at their Meeting, where the pure Gospel-love was felt, to
the tendering some of our Hearts; and the Interpreters, endeavouring to
acquaint the People with what I said in short Sentences, found some
Difficulty, as none of them were quite perfect in the _English_ and
_Delaware_ Tongues; so they helped one another, and we laboured along,
divine Love attending: And afterwards, feeling my Mind covered with the
Spirit of Prayer, I told the Interpreters that I found it in my Heart to
pray to God, and believed, if I prayed aright, he would hear me, and
expressed my Willingness for them to omit interpreting; so our Meeting
ended with a Degree of divine Love: And, before the People went out, I
observed PAPUNEHANG (the Man who had been zealous in labouring for a
Reformation in that Town, being then very tender) spoke to one of the
Interpreters; and I was afterwards told that he said in Substance as
follows: "I love to feel where Words come from."
On the nineteenth Day, and first of the Week: This Morning, in the
Meeting, the _Indian_, who came with the _Moravian_, being also a Member
of that Society, prayed; and then the _Moravian_ spake a short Time to
the People: And, in the Afternoon, they coming together, and my Heart
being filled with a heavenly Care for their Good, I spake to them a
While by Interpreters; but none of them being perfect in the Work, and
I, feeling the Current of Love run strong, told the Interpreters, that I
believed some of the People would understand me, and so I proceeded: In
which Exercise I believe the Holy Ghost wrought on some Hearts to
Edification, where all the Words were not understood, I looked upon it
as a Time of divine Favour, and my Heart was tendered and truly thankful
before the Lord; and, after I sat down, one of the Interpreters seemed
spirited to give the _Indians_ the Substance of what I had said.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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